Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 'Diplomatic surge' that highlights China's resolve, responsibility 09:25, February 06, 2026 By He Yin ( People's Daily On Jan. 29, Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was on an official visit to China. This marked the first visit to China by a British prime minister in eight years and was widely seen by the international community as an important step by the UK to seek a new chapter in relations with China. As the world today is undergoing both changes and turbulence, China and the UK, as permanent members of the UN Security Council and major economies, should enhance dialogue and cooperation in order to maintain world peace and stability, while promoting the economy and people's livelihoods of both countries. Over the past year and more, under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, China-UK relations have steadily stabilized and improved. At the meeting, Xi outlined the direction for further advancing bilateral ties, from enhancing exchanges to jointly shouldering global responsibilities, and emphasized the need to translate the promising potential of cooperation into remarkable accomplishments. Starmer noted that it is vital for the UK and China to build a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership with mutual respect and trust, especially in a volatile and fragile world. History and reality show that as long as both sides adopt a broad historical perspective, rise above differences, and respect each other, China-UK relations and cooperation can indeed open up new horizons, bringing benefits to the peoples of both countries and to the world as a whole. Since the beginning of the year, leaders from several countries, including Ireland, Canada, Finland, and the UK, have visited China in succession. International media have described this as a wave of "diplomatic engagement" centered on China. With the global situation growing ever more unsettled and the world facing the risk of sliding toward a "ruleless" era, various parties are once again "rediscovering" China and placing greater emphasis on dialogue and cooperation to jointly address global challenges. This should not be simply interpreted as an "impulsive response" to changes in the international environment. Rather, it underscores the consistent resolve, sense of responsibility, and confidence that China has demonstrated as a responsible major country amid profound global transformations. China's role as a "source of momentum" for mutually beneficial cooperation has become more prominent. During his visit to China, Starmer led a delegation of more than 60 important representatives from Britain's business and cultural sectors, which demonstrated the strong desire across British society to tap into opportunities in China. According to Sky News, China is already the UK's third-largest trading partner, supporting 370,000 jobs across the country. The China-Britain Business Council recently stated that, for British companies, China is key to enhancing their global competitiveness. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo likewise noted that Finnish companies have a strong interest in cooperation with China, adding that his visit to China was intended to open the door to opportunities for Finnish businesses. At a time when de-globalization and trade protectionism are on the rise, opportunities for cooperation have become a scarce resource. As China embarks on its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), it is steering high-quality development through sound scientific planning, steadfastly expanding high-standard opening up, and offering the world a "list of opportunities," welcoming enterprises from all countries to dive into the vast ocean of China's market. This not only helps all parties enhance the resilience of development, but also anchors the right course toward building an open world economy amid the headwinds of the times. China's role as a stabilizing force within the international order has also grown more pronounced. In recent years, the surge in unilateralism, protectionism, and power politics has dealt severe blows to the established international system. International law is only effective when universally respected, with major powers leading by example; otherwise, the world risks reverting to a state where might makes right. This is precisely the resolve and responsibility that the international community sees in China today. China champions equality, the rule of law, cooperation, and good faith, and firmly upholds the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law. It practices genuine multilateralism and works to build a more just and equitable global governance system, contributing to an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. In its interactions with other countries, China does not demand that other countries choose sides. Even when bilateral relations encounter difficulties, China consistently advocates seeking common ground while shelving differences and focusing on cooperation, striving for harmony in diversity and shared progress. The growing recognition of China's ideas and role by the international community further shows that what a turbulent world truly needs is not the logic of power or narrow calculations of interest, but a firm commitment to standing on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. No matter how the international situation may change, China remains committed to the path of peaceful development and values the primacy of harmony and harmony within diversity. Partnering with China means embracing opportunities, and together contributing positive energy for peace and development to the world. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) February 4, 2026: For more than a decade European NATO nations have been depending more on locally developed weapons and munitions rather than obtaining them from the United States. The war in Ukraine encouraged this trend because European nations now realize that they have a very real threat next door with Russia. The Americans are concentrating on how to deal with growing Chinese aggression in the Pacific. The Result is NATO fending for itself more than any time in the past. For example, Germany is currently building the first of six F126 frigates. These will be the largest warships to serve in the German navy since World War II. The first of the six 10,000-ton F126s will enter service in 2028. Each ship will cost about $1.5 billion. These frigates are 177 meters long and have a top speed of about 50 kilometers an hour. Economical cruising speed is 21 kilometers an hour. Max range is 7,400 kilometers at cruising speed. Endurance is 21 days before refueling and resupply is needed. The crew of 114 can be augmented by 84 additional specialist personnel, including special operations troops. There is a full range of electronics including surface and air search radars as well as fire control radar and sonar for detecting and tracking submarines. Radios include one that uses a satellite link. There are several decoy systems to disrupt the guidance systems on incoming missiles. If that doesnt work, there are several anti-missiles systems using autocannon and missiles. There are also VLS cells for up to 64 anti-aircraft missiles. Eight NSM anti-ship and land attack missiles are carried. There are also two 27mm autocannon and four 12.7 machine-guns. There are also non-lethal water cannons and long range acoustic devices to send warnings to small boats approaching the frigate. Two helicopters and one UAV are carried along with a hangar to hold all of them. The F126 is designed to be continuously deployed for two years without need for major maintenance. This means a F126 can operate for 5,000 hours a year, which means 57 percent of 365 days in a year. Warships tend to spend a lot of time idle in port. While the F126 was built for combat, its predecessor, the F125 frigates, also contained many innovations. Unfortunately, that resulted in an unexpected and unwanted distinction; the first ship of the class, the Baden-Wurttemberg, was rejected by the navy after failing to perform during sea trials. The builder quickly addressed the most serious problems, which were all software related. The Baden-Wurttemberg finally entered service in 2018. The Baden-Wurttemberg did not begin a year of sea trials until the end of 2016. This produced a growing list of problems the builders hustled to fix while also dealing with some of the defects. The list of problems was too long, and the navy refused to accept, or commission, the Baden-Wurttemberg into service. While this was embarrassing, it was also the right thing to do because otherwise the problems would have become a major scandal. Not all the problems were made public, if only because some involved new tech that was highly classified. It was known that a new computerized command and control software system for the CIC combat information center had an unacceptable number of bugs as did some of the other software for automating operation of the ship and making possible a smaller, by about 50 percent, crew than would normally be needed. The new radar system and other sensors had problems as did the damage control system. All these are easily fixed. There was also a perceptible 1.3 degree list to starboard, which has since been fixed. The four F125 frigates displace 7,200 tons each. This is larger than some destroyers, but it's become unfashionable in Europe to call a warship a destroyer. Those attitudes played a role in the failure of the Baden-Wurttemberg. It was no secret that attracting the best engineering and design talent to warship construction has been difficult. Since the Cold War ended in 1991 and Germany was reunited, it became fashionable to downplay defense in general and working in the military or defense industries became less popular. Even though these industries remained major employers and Germany continued to export innovative warship designs, the F125s were more innovative than any surface warship Germany had put into service during the last century. European firms have long been producing world-class tanks, artillery, combat aircraft and electronic systems, but depended on the United States for more complex systems. Now European manufacturers are seeking to compete with the American products in all categories. Over the last four years of war in Ukraine, NATO countries have supplied about $85 billion a year in military and commercial assistance. Initially most of this aid came from the United States. Gradually European nations expanded their own arms production and assisted Ukrainian arms producers in rebuilding local armaments facilities. This meant more of the military aid was coming from European countries and less from the United States. Ukraine has long been a major arms producer, but the Russians have destroyed some of these arms production operations since the 2022 invasion. During the first few months of the Russian invasion Ukrainian producers supplied their military with the needed weapons and munitions. Russia responded while destroying many of those arms manufacturing facilities with missiles and airstrikes. By 2023 most of the arms and munitions were imported from the United States and NATO countries. European nations believe that expanding their own arms industries improves their ability to deter any future aggression from Russia. Eleven years ago, Ukraine hampered Russian arms production by halting shipments of vital components for Russian helicopters and warships. Although only 4.4 percent of Russian imports were from Ukraine, some of these items were crucial for Russian weapons producers and Russian efforts to modernize their armed forces. The links between production facilities concentrated in Ukraine dates back to when Ukraine was a region of the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union collapsed into fourteen new nations in 1991, Ukraine and its arms industry were not part of the new Russian Federation. This meant Russia was now dependent on Ukraine for key items like components for aircraft, missiles, ICBMs and warship engines. The largest and most productive Ukrainian defense manufacturer was Motor Sich which produces engines for helicopters. Many of the Soviet era shipyards were located in the Crimean Peninsula. After 1991 Crimea belonged to Ukraine. Russia refused to let Ukraine take possession of Crimea and grabbed it back in 2014. Russian shipyards still operate in Crimea although these facilities have been damaged by persistent Ukrainian attacks, and Crimean ports are avoided by Russian shipping due to UAV attacks. For years Russia has been building factories locally to reduce dependence on those located in Ukraine and Crimea. The economic sanctions imposed on Russia after they invaded Ukraine in 2022 further complicated Russian plans to rebuild their arms industries. Russia has managed to maintain defense production, but quality and quantity have suffered. Russian producers depended on key components imported from Western Europe. The sanctions cut off that source and Russia has tried to replace it with manufacturers in China and a few other countries. They were partially successful, but Russian defense production will not recover completely until the war in Ukraine is over. The murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall went unsolved for more than 25 years before Suffolk strangler Steve Wright finally admitted his guilt. This is how events unfolded. 1995 Steve Wright receives a caution for damage and theft of an ex-partners car. No DNA is taken. September 18 1999 Wright attempts to abduct 22-year-old Emily Doherty in the early hours of the morning along High Road East, Felixstowe. Victoria, from Trimley St Mary in Suffolk, leaves her home for a night out with her friend Gemma Algar at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe. September 19 1999 The friends leave the nightclub at about 1am, walk back to Trimley St Mary and part at about 2.20am near to the junction of High Road and Faulkeners Way, where Victoria is just yards from her home. When Victorias parents wake that morning and discover she has not returned home, the police are called and a missing person inquiry begins. At 6.13am, Wright is caught on CCTV at the BP Tot Hill Services on the A14. CCTV from September 19, 1999 of Steve Wright visiting a petrol station on the day he abducted schoolgirl Victoria Hall (CPS/PA) September 24 1999 Victorias body is found by a dog walker in a ditch in Creeting St Peter, about 25 miles from where she was last seen. September 15 1999 Wright reports an injury at work. A few days later, Wright is asked by a colleague what he thought happened to Victoria. The defendant gives a menacing look and replies: You do not want to know. September 29 1999 Wright buys a blue Ford Mondeo and is believed to have sold his Ford Granada Scorpio in part-exchange. November 13 1999 More than 300 people gather for a memorial service at St Martins Church, Trimley. Victoria Hall, left, and her best friend Gemma Algar (Suffolk Police/PA) November 25 1999 Wright travels to Thailand and fails to return to the UK until January 31, 2000. February 21 2000 Wright applies to Ipswich County Court to be declared bankrupt. He claims he was living beyond his means, got sacked for taking unauthorised leave and had liabilities of 31,079. 2001 Wrights DNA is taken by police after he admitted a series of thefts as an employee, this leads to him being identified as a suspect in the later Ipswich murders. November 20 2001 Businessman Adrian Bradshaw, then aged 27, from Felixstowe, Suffolk, is cleared of Victorias murder at Norwich Crown Court. Autumn 2006 Tania Nicol, 19, vanishes from Ipswichs red light area, followed by Gemma Adams, 25, about two weeks later, triggering a major inquiry. December 2006 Miss Adamss body is found in a stream at Hintlesham, followed by the discovery of Miss Nicols remains in a pond at Copdock. Two days later, the body of Anneli Alderton, 24, is found in woods at Nacton, and sex workers in the town are urged to stay off the streets. On December 12, the bodies of Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, are found near woods at Levington. From left, Anneli Alderton, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls were all murdered by Steve Wright (Suffolk Police/PA) December 19 2006 Wright, then aged 48, is arrested at his home in the centre of Ipswich near the red light district. February 22 2008 Wright is handed a whole-life order after being found guilty of five Ipswich murders. February 24 2009 The serial killer loses a Court of Appeal bid to challenge his conviction for the murders. Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright as he looked in 2008, left, and now aged 67 (Suffolk Police/PA) October 2016 Ten years on from the disappearance of his first Ipswich victim, Wrights elderly father Conrad Wright calls on his son to confess. September 2019 Suffolk Police say the Victoria Hall case, known as Operation Avon, is now a live inquiry again and being reinvestigated by a new team of detectives. Further detailed analysis of swabs taken from Victorias body link Wright to her murder by DNA. July 2021 Wright is first arrested as part of the inquiry into the teenagers death. December 2023 Wright is rearrested. Lorinda and Graham Hall, parents of Victoria Hall, and her best friend Gemma Algar at Norwich Crown Court after Adrian Bradshaw was acquitted of murder in 2001 (Stefan Rousseau/PA) May 2024 He is charged with Victorias kidnap and murder and the attempted abduction of Ms Doherty. He later pleads not guilty and the case is transferred to the Old Bailey for trial. December 2025 Victorias mother Lorinda Hall dies before seeing justice done for her daughter. January 2026 In legal argument, Wright fails in a bid to prevent jurors in his forthcoming trial being told about his five murder convictions. February 2 2026 On what would have been the first day of his trial, Wright dramatically changes his plea and admits murder for the first time. February 6 2026 Wright, now aged 67, is jailed for life with a minimum terms of 40 years at the Old Bailey.rong> Suffolk strangler Steve Wright has been told he will die in jail after being brought to justice for the abduction and murder of schoolgirl Victoria Hall more than 25 years ago. Wright, 67, had admitted the kidnap and murder of the 17-year-old, who disappeared early on September 19 1999 in a village on the outskirts of Felixstowe. Only the night before, Wright had attempted to abduct newlywed Emily Doherty, 22, who ran, hid and sought refuge in a couples house to escape. The former steward on the QE2 is already serving a whole-life sentence after being found guilty of murdering five other women in 2006. On Friday, Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced Wright at the Old Bailey to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years. He told Wright: Victoria Hall was a typical, bright, lively teenager. For reasons only you know, and most people will never start to comprehend, you snatched Victoria away and you crushed her young life. No life sentence could ever make up for the loss and grief suffered by Victorias family, the senior judge said. Victoria Hall was found dead five days after going missing in 1999 (Suffolk Police/PA) However, the judge said it was extraordinarily unlikely Wright would ever be released from prison. He told Wright: Given the sentence from your other dreadful crimes, it is almost certain you will die in prison. Wright appeared to give a slight shrug and smile as he was sent down from the dock. Victorias father, Graham Hall, told reporters outside court after the hearing: Unfortunately, my wife, Lorinda, has not lived to see this day, but she did know that it probably was Steve Wright. CCTV from 19 September 1999 of Steve Wright visiting a petrol station on the day he abducted schoolgirl Victoria Hall (CPS/PA) We have lost our lovely daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, have endured 26 years of hell, which will continue from today onwards and forever. He delivered the statement while his son Steven had his arm wrapped around his shoulder, describing his daughter as a loving girl with a whole life before her which was snatched away by Wright. Earlier, in a victim impact statement read to court, Ms Doherty said she was furious that police treated her like a silly little girl and did not take her report of the attempted kidnap seriously at the time. She said: For 25 years, I have wondered what if. What if they had taken my statement, could Victoria still be alive right now? The court was told a decision would be made after the hearing on the format and ambit of any inquiry into Suffolk Police alleged missed opportunities. Ipswich victims Steve Wright (from the left) Anneli Alderton, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls (Suffolk Police/PA) Victoria was snatched after a night out with her friend Gemma Algar at Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe, where Ms Doherty had also been with her husband and friends the night before. The two girls had bought a bag of chips and were singing as they walked two miles back to their homes. At about 2.20am they parted ways with Victoria saying: Ill ring you when I get up tomorrow. Ms Algar replied: Youll hear me saying ouch as I walk home. Ms Algar heard two female high-pitched screams as Victoria was snatched by Wright and bundled into his burgundy Ford Granada Scorpio car. Emily Doherty 22, (in green box) leaving Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe (CPS/PA) Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC told the court that having adbucted Victoria, Wright murdered her and sexually violated her. She said he then callously discarded her body, stripped naked of everything except for her jewellery, in a farm ditch some 25 miles away, as if she were no more important than a disposable commodity. Wright then returned to his work at the Felixstowe docks as if nothing had happened, Ms Ledward said. When Victorias parents discovered she had not returned home, the police were called and a missing person inquiry commenced. On September 24, Victoria was found by a dog walker near Creeting St Peter, some 25 miles away from her home. The mans dog drew his attention to what appeared to be a life sized rubber doll in a ditch. The way Victoria was left had caused untold distress to her family, including for her mother Lorinda who died in December, before Wright was brought to justice, the court was told. Ms Dohertys later description of her attackers car later led police to identify 56 vehicles, with Wrights among them. After the discovery of her body, Wright reported an injury at work, sold his Ford Granada Scorpio, and lay low in Thailand. The following year, a wholly innocent 25-year-old businessman was accused of Victorias murder and was acquitted by a jury. Police at the scene near Creeting St Peter, where the body of 17-year-old Victoria Hall was found (CPS/PA In 2001, Wright was charged with a series of thefts, which he admitted, and his conviction led to his DNA being added to the national database, eventually leading to his identification as a suspect in the Ipswich murders. The court was told Wright was given a caution in 1995 for allegedly damaging and stealing a former partners car but no DNA sample was taken. In 2006, Wright murdered five more women in Ipswich, where he was living at the time and disposed of their bodies in a way similar to Victorias. He was arrested over her death in 2021, two years after Suffolk Police announced it was a live inquiry again. Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced Wright to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years (Cameras in Court/PA) More advanced DNA analysis of swabs taken from Victorias body linked Wright to her murder. Days before his scheduled trial, Wrights legal team failed in a bid to bar jurors from being told of his five murder convictions. Victorias brother, Steven, who was aged 15 when his sister was killed, told the court: It has been 26 years but time doesnt heal, you just have to learn to live with it. His father, Graham, said in his statement: In 1999 we were a normal family and then Steve Wright came along and took Victoria from us. The pain of the week that followed will be with us forever. Steve Wright (front left), appearing at the Old Bailey, central London (Elizabeth Cook/PA) Steve Wright robbed us of seeing Victoria grow into a woman, fulfil her dream of going to university, get married and have children, our grandchildren. I miss Victoria every day and will do for the rest of my life. Samantha Woolley, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Wright represented the very worst of humanity. She said: Justice has finally been achieved for Victoria Hall after 26 years. Our case was bolstered by critical DNA evidence made possible because of pioneering new forensic techniques along with a wealth of other evidence which gave him little choice but to plead guilty. Much attention will be made of Steve Wright being convicted of another murder, attention he does not deserve. Quite simply, he represents the very worst of humanity and I hope he will now be forgotten. A deputy chief of Russian military intelligence has been shot and injured in Moscow in an attack that follows a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia has blamed on Ukraine. Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev, 64, was shot several times by an unidentified assailant at an apartment building in Moscows north-west and taken to hospital, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said. Ms Petrenko did not say who could be behind the attack on Lt Gen Alekseyev, who has served as the first deputy head of Russias military intelligence since 2011. He was decorated with the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscows military campaign in Syria and in June 2023 was filmed speaking to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin when his Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don during his botched mutiny. The shooting came a day after Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators wrapped up two days of talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine. The Russian delegation was led by the military intelligence chief, Adm Igor Kostyukov. President Vladimir Putin was informed about the attack, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who added that law enforcement agencies need to step up protection of senior military officers during the conflict in Ukraine. Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine nearly four years ago, Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for several assassinations of military officers and public figures in Russia. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of them. It has not yet commented on the shooting of Lt Gen Alekseyev. In December, a car bomb killed Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff. An investigator leaves an apartment building where the deputy chief of Russian military intelligence was shot (Pavel Bednyakov/AP) In April, another senior Russian military officer, Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car parked near his apartment building just outside Moscow. A suspected perpetrator was quickly arrested. Days after Lt Gen Moskaliks killing, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he received a report from the head of Ukraines foreign intelligence agency on the liquidation of top Russian military figures, adding that justice inevitably comes although he did not mention Lt Gen Moskaliks name. In December 2024, Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, the chief of the militarys nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building. Lt Gen Kirillovs assistant also died. Ukraines security service claimed responsibility for the attack. Donald Trumps social media post featuring a video about election conspiracy theories and a racist depiction of former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as primates in a jungle has been deleted. The Republican presidents Thursday night post was deleted on Friday and blamed on a staff member after a widespread backlash, including from civil rights leaders and veteran Republican senators, for its treatment of the nations first black president and first lady. The deletion, a rare admission of a misstep by the White House, came hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there was nothing offensive about the post. After calls for its removal for being racist including by Republicans the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously and it had been taken down. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Donald Trump (Alex Brandon/AP) The post was part of a flurry of social media activity on Mr Trumps Truth Social account that amplified his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite courts around the country and a Trump attorney general from his first term finding no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome. An Obama spokeswoman said the former president, a Democrat, had no response. Nearly all of the 62-second clip, which was among dozens of Truth Social posts from Mr Trump overnight, appears to be from a conservative video alleging deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states as the 2020 presidential votes were tallied. At the 60-second mark is a scene of two primates, with the Obamas smiling faces imposed on them. Those frames were taken from a separate video, previously circulated by an influential conservative meme maker. It shows Mr Trump as King of the Jungle and depicts a range of Democratic leaders as animals, including Joe Biden, as a jungle primate eating a banana. This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King, Ms Leavitt said by text, referring to Disneys 1994 feature film, which does not feature the range of jungle primates featured in the original video. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. Barack Obama was the subject of a racist post by Donald Trump (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) By noon, the post had been taken down with responsibility placed on a Trump subordinate. Mr Trump did not comment on the video in the post, which comes in the first week of Black History Month and days after a presidential proclamation that cited the contributions of black Americans to our national greatness and their enduring commitment to the American principles of liberty, justice, and equality. While it was still up, Mr Trumps post drew condemnation from across the political and ideological spectrum. The Rev Bernice King, daughter of the assassinated civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr, resurfaced her fathers words: Yes. Im black. Im proud of it. Im black and beautiful. She praised black Americans as diverse, innovative, industrious, inventive and added: We are beloved of God as postal workers and professors, as a former first lady and president. We are not apes. The US Senates lone Black Republican, Tim Scott of South Carolina, called on Mr Trump to take down the post. Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House, Mr Scott, who chairs Senate Republicans mid-term campaign arm, said on social media. Another Republican, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who is white but represents the state with the largest percentage of black residents, called it totally unacceptable and said the President should apologise. NAACP president Derrick Johnson said in a statement: Donald Trumps video is blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable. He said that Trump is trying anything to distract from economic conditions and attention on the Jeffrey Epstein case files. You know who isnt in the Epstein files? Barack Obama, Mr Johnson said. You know who actually improved the economy as president? Barack Obama. Mr Trump and the official White House social media accounts frequently repost memes and artificial intelligence-generated videos. As Ms Leavitt did on Friday, Trump aides typically dismiss critics and cast the images as humorous. Former UVF man Mark Haddock has been released from prison in England. A serial killer, Haddock was previously the commander of the notorious Mount Vernon UVF gang. Haddock was jailed for 12 years in 2014, after wounding former friend Terry Fairfield, a Catholic from the New Lodge. But the loyalist informer has been told he is a dead man walking if he tries to return to home to Belfast. Haddocks enemies include not just his loyalist associates, but also republicans that he targeted during his time in Mount Vernon UVF. The Belfast Telegraphs security correspondent Allison Morris joins Ciaran Dunbar to discuss the story. Read more UVF slap 20k bounty on head of serial killer Mark Hannibal Haddock If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Through this regular column, take a journey with Bennington Museum to explore some lesser-known facets of Bennington's history. Learn about events that transformed Bennington and its residents, look into the surprising lives of Bennington-ians you thought you knew, and enjoy striking illustrations and images from Bennington Museum's vast collection. Visit benningtonmuseum.org to learn how you can get involved with this historically-minded group of volunteers. February 5, 2026: Ukraine has asked European nations to cooperate in shutting down the Russian Shadow Fleet. About two-thirds of Russian oil smuggling shadow fleet ships move through the Baltic Sea. If Denmark and the three Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia cooperated effectively, Russian oil exports would be crippled. Despite the economic sanctions, Russia is still able to export most of its oil. Denmark and the Baltic States were unwilling to do anything that would effectively halt Russian use of the Baltics. The main reasons were fears that Russian retaliation via sabotaging ships or port facilities. Then there is the potential damage to shopping companies, especially Denmarks Maersk, which controls one sixth of the global shipping market. Meanwhile, Ukraine is actively going after the Russian shadow fleet of lawless tankers moving sanctioned oil to customers. In 2025 there were at least a dozen drone attacks and sabotage missions against shadow fleet tankers. These included using naval drones in the Black Sea to sink or disable Russian tankers. This happened while the tankers were trying to reach the Russian port of Novorossiysk, which is the primary port for loading tankers. Mediterranean Sea drone attacks from armed Ukrainian merchant ships have recently been made. Russias economy and war effort against Ukraine is financed by oil and other energy exports. Russia is operating under severe economic sanctions imposed to reduce that income and create economic conditions for Russia that make it difficult to impossible to continue their war in Ukraine. The key to Russian oil exports is the use of foreign tankers to covertly smuggle their petroleum and coal from Russia to overseas customers. Western sanctions block overt deliveries. Eighty percent of the oil for China goes by pipeline and cannot be disrupted. China accounts for nearly half of Russian petroleum and other energy exports. Its the other half that is at risk because of a growing list of sanctions. The economic sanctions were imposed on Russia because of its 2022 invasion, in an effort to reduce its hard currency income from exports of oil and natural gas. These are the main Russian exports and the major source of income for the Russian government and war effort. To evade these sanctions, Russia created a growing shadow fleet of oil tankers purchased and/or leased abroad and obtained unrestricted access to a Chinese smuggler haven maintained in Hong Kong. Current estimates are that nearly 900 tankers are smuggling sanctioned Russian petroleum to customers in China, India, the European Union/EU, Turkey and Myanmar. Most refined petroleum products go to Turkey, China, Brazil, Singapore and India. The rest goes to nine countries, in the Middle East, Africa and Taiwan. China has been buying 47 percent of the crude oil while India takes 37 percent followed by Turkey and the EU with six percent each. China, India and Turkey account for about 90 percent of Russian income from the sale of oil, natural gas and coal. The U.S. is imposing additional tariffs on countries that import Russian oil. India is already subject to these tariffs, which increases what they have to pay for exports to the United States. The Americans are negotiating with China and Turkey over what tariffs will be imposed to discourage their Russian oil imports. The nations enforcing the sanctions, particularly the United States, have tracked the routes of the Russian shadow fleet and noted the key role Hong Kong plays in arranging the movement of sanctioned Russian oil to its primary customers in China and India. Hong Kong is also a major source for supplying sanctioned nations with weapons and munitions. A current customer is Russia. Hong Kong does this by allowing Russian tankers and cargo ships, operating with fake credentials to disguise their Russian affiliation, to bring in Russian oil and other raw materials. The Russian ships then leave Hong Kong carrying weapons for their war in Ukraine. Another major player in the Russian smuggling effort is North Korea. For years North Korea has been buying small, second-hand cargo and tanker ships and using them for smuggling. A favored evasion technique consists of taking on or transferring cargo at sea in its own territorial waters. The North Korean merchant fleet consists of about 150 ships, mostly purchased from Chinese firms. North Korea is a notorious and persistent maritime smuggler. Because of North Korean smuggling, the United States expanded its maritime smuggling and sanctions enforcement program in 2018 when a new multi-national enforcement organization was created. Initial members were the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain, France, South Korea, and Japan. This Enforcement Coordination Cell, or ECC, is enforcing the UN sanctions that curb North Korean smuggling related to items needed for their nuclear and ballistic missile programs. In addition, the ECC allows member nations to also enforce whatever other sanctions or naval missions their government puts a priority on. The U.S. has since invited India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines to join and assist with monitoring growing Chinese violation of offshore water rights, especially in the South China Sea and other areas of the West Pacific. The ECC concentrates on the 2,000-kilometer-long shipping lane from the Indian Ocean, through the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea to North Korea. Along this route there are not only North Korean flagged ships participating in smuggling, but even more Chinese, Taiwanese, Liberian, Sri Lankan, and ships that are independent and fly whatever flag they believe will keep them from getting seized for smuggling. Earlier U.S. efforts had already identified many North Korean and Iranian owned tankers and cargo ships that were often engaged in smuggling. This led Iran and North Korea to use their own ships less and willing foreign ships instead. These third-party ships are the ones the ECC sought to identify. These ships can be identified, along with their owners and the owners can have banking and other sanctions placed on them. Many nations, not part of the ECC, but economic partners with ECC members, will cooperate if a smuggler ship visits one of their ports. At that point the captain can be arrested and the ship seized. The ECC member warships do not depend on inspecting suspicious ships while at sea, but confirming who is where and when. This is especially useful for spotting smugglers who often turn off their location beacons and continue in running dark mode. These location beacons transmit current ID and location to any nearby ships and often, via satellite, to their owner and international shipping organizations. The location data, past and current, can be found on several public websites. The beacons exist mainly as a safety measure for ships operating at night or in bad weather in heavily used shipping lanes. Smugglers have learned how to turn off their beacons near a port where, it is assumed, they have docked or anchored off the coast waiting for an available dock. Such games with location beacons, with ship ownership and with the nationality of a ships registration (flag of convenience) are unlawful under maritime law and entitle any nation with a navy to seize them, sell their contents and sell the ship itself. This is rarely done but the US has begun doing so consistently with ships carrying oil to or from Venezuela. Ship ownership and registration may only be lawfully changed while in a port, as Russia recently learned when one of their shadow tanker ships was seized by the US Navy when it headed towards Venezuela, then changed its ownership to Russia while at sea. Some smugglers are using spoofing, a form of jamming that just modifies the beacon signal to present a false location. This is where warships and maritime aircraft come in as these can identify ships visually or using radar followed by visual inspection. This is more damaging to the smugglers because it provides more evidence that their ship was involved in smuggling, and with enough evidence, you can go after the ship owners and seize the ship whenever it enters coastal waters, within 22 kilometers of land belonging to a nation that will seize outlaw ships. It may also be illegal by itself and entitle countries with navies to seize those ships too. BENNINGTON The Vermont State Police arrested a Pownal man on an outstanding warrant after he allegedly crashed his car and fled the scene, leaving a passenger nearly decapitated, paralyzed from the neck down, and surviving on a ventilator. Joseph Walsh, 56, was arraigned on two felony counts and three misdemeanors from the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland, where he was being held without bail. Walsh is charged with leaving the scene of a crash with serious injury, vehicle operation with gross negligence, vehicle operation with gross negligence resulting in serious injuries, reckless endangerment, and vehicle operation with a suspended license. Walsh is facing a possible life sentence as a habitual offender with three prior felonies on his record. According to a Vermont State Police press release, Walsh was picked up at the Best Western Motel in Bennington after being on the lam for almost a month after the near-fatal crash. Walsh also had two other outstanding warrants for his arrest from unrelated prior cases. Walsh had been charged with a sixth count of driving under the influence. That count was found to lack probable cause by Bennington Judge John Valente due to a lack of clarity on when and how much Walsh was accused of drinking. Defense attorney Thomas Enzor challenged the count and Judge Valente agreed. However, after Prosecutor Artemis Richardson was unsuccessful in forwarding the DUI charge, he vowed to request a re-interview of a key witness for additional details and a possible re-issue of that charge. According to an affidavit in the case, on January 7, 2026, police were notified of a single vehicle crash with entrapment on Burrington Road in Pownal. When they arrived, police located a 1994 Toyota Camry that crashed into a large tree, and a seriously injured woman in the passenger seat of the vehicle. The driver was nowhere to be found. Emergency workers were able to free the woman, who was first rushed to the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, then to Albany Med for emergency treatment. After a search of the area, the police were unable to locate the driver. An investigation later confirmed Walsh as the driver. Law enforcement was unable to locate Walsh for nearly a month before a tip led to his arrest Thursday afternoon in Bennington. The victim in the case, a 32-year-old woman, suffered, according to a statement by a family member, serious, life-threatening injuries from the crash that left her nearly decapitated, surviving on a ventilator, and with total paralysis of her body from her neck down. Walsh pleaded not guilty on all five counts at his arraignment. Judge Valente ordered Walsh to remain held without bail until a weight-of-evidence hearing is scheduled. Walsh has a criminal history in both Vermont and New York, including three felony convictions and 10 misdemeanors. Convictions include robbery with injury, DUI convictions, eluding, and driving with a suspended license. There are currently no further hearings scheduled in the case. All three open cases will run concurrently as they move through the legal system. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Mainly sunny to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High around 30F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with snow showers developing after midnight. Low around 15F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. 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. Quality local journalism needs your support Access this story and all of our stories with 24/7 unlimited access. Subscribe today. Cancel anytime. Subscribe now for 99 Subscriber Sign In | Return Home After discussion about how to ensure the 40-year-old bar wont serve underage patrons again, the Board landed on a three-day suspension to be held in abeyance for 6 months meaning, if there is another incident it is an automatic three-day suspension. Construct's Warm Up the Winter campaign aims to bridge the gap left by the income limits for federal energy assistance programs. All donations going to fuel assistance and short-term motel stays for people without shelter. February 6, 2026: Russia is having problems building new icebreaker ships because of the Ukraine War related economic sanctions. Despite the sanctions, Russia wants to build as many as 17 nuclear powered icebreakers. Achieving that goal depends on getting out from under the sanctions. That means negotiating an end to the Ukraine War. With nuclear powered icebreakers Russia can keep the Northern Sea Route/NSR that stretches across northern Russia from Archangel and Murmansk to Vladivostok. Russia, the country with the longest Arctic Ocean shoreline, has long been the largest producer and user of icebreaking ships. Currently there are nearly 200 icebreakers in service worldwide. This degree of activity not only replaces older icebreakers nearing retirement age but is also increasing the worldwide icebreaker fleet. Russia operates 40 icebreakers, the largest number of any nation. While Russia is the largest builder and user of icebreakers, they owe much to Finland. Since World War II Finland has led the world in developing more efficient icebreaker designs. One icebreaker innovation Finland did not develop was the armed combat icebreaker. Russia has already built one armed icebreaker, the 9,000-ton Papanin. The Papanin joined the Northern Fleet, near the Arctic Circle, in late 2025. Construction of the Papanin began in 2017. Armament consists of a 76mm gun, four 12.7mm machine-guns and two 30mm multi barrel Close In Weapons/CIWS for defense against missiles or small surface vessels. There is also space onboard for Uran anti-ship and Kalibr land attack missiles. Four more Papanins are under construction. The Papanins have a top speed of 33 kilometers an hour and a max range of 19,000 kilometers at a speed of 19 kilometers an hour. These ships are designed to break through ice up to 1.7 meters thick. Maximum endurance on internal fuel and crew supplies is 70 days. The ship crew is 60 with accommodations for another 50 specialists and observers. A helicopter is carried with a hanger to shelter the helicopter from harsh Arctic weather. There are also two small Raptor class patrol boats that can carry 23 people or just the crew of three and over a ton of supplies or equipment. Some small drones can also be carried. There is room for adding sonar and anti-submarine torpedoes. Papanin is similar to current unarmed Norwegian and Canadian icebreakers. Papanin is armed to protect traffic on the 5,600 kilometer long Russian NSR that links East Asia with Northern Europe. This Arctic sea lane passes along the exclusively Russian northern coast. Russia wants to maintain control of this corridor even though large parts of it are in international seas, outside Russian coastal waters. Russia also has several land bases along this route. These bases are controlled by the Russian Northern Fleet which has assigned over 10,000 troops, more than a hundred aircraft and several dozen warships and submarines to protect the NSR. As of 2025 the NSR could accommodate nearly 600 merchant ships a year and that capacity is steadily increasing. Because of the ice and Arctic storms, this route can be treacherous. Safety is achieved if the Russians can maintain enough land bases and ports along the route to monitor weather and sea conditions and provide ports if commercial ships must seek temporary refuge. The Northern Sea Route cuts the time required by a third for ships carrying cargo between East Asia and Northern Europe. China and Russia are two major users of this route and Russia wants to increase the safety and security of this route to encourage heavier use. Russia does not charge a fee to use the Northern Sea Route even though Russia has spent billions of dollars to build and maintain this route. Taconic High School principal apologizes after guest speaker hands out unauthorized Charlie Kirk materials The principal of Taconic High School has apologized to the school community after a guest speaker apparently distributed to students materials that were not vetted by the administration. Last weeks controversy at Taconic High School involving a deceptive guest speaker was an unfortunate manifestation of modern school security concerns and the ever-widening culture wars of our dreary political landscape. It also should serve as a learning experience for Pittsfield Public Schools and every other school district as they face the challenges to public education that are evolving with our perilous political landscape. On Friday, Taconic welcomed Renee Marie McEvilly as part of a Student Voice Summit during which students were meant to write letters to veterans. Ms. McEvillys ulterior motives emerged shortly after her arrival as she began giving students materials linked to the late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk materials that were not authorized by school staff and which clearly aimed to put a partisan spin on the intended nonpartisan activity of encouraging students to write to veterans. As it turns out, Ms. McEvilly is the Upstate New York field representative of Turning Point USA, an overtly right-wing nonprofit founded by Mr. Kirk and focused primarily on youth engagement. To Taconic staffs credit, they seemed to handle the situation as well as possible after the subterfuge was revealed. They immediately asked Ms. McEvilly to leave after she began distributing unauthorized, politically charged materials to students prior to the planned event. Shortly after, a recorded message from Principal Matt Bishop went out to parents to make them aware of the incident. This was a breach of trust, and we want to be clear, the distribution of these materials is not endorsed by our school in any way. We take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe and appropriate learning environment, Principal Bishops message said in part. While the responsiveness and transparency is to be commended, we certainly understand why it raised some serious concerns among parents. And in instances like this, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. Apparently, district policy did not require Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks for school guests who wont be alone with students. CORI checks only reveal past criminal convictions, so if Ms. McEvilly had none, it wouldnt have provided much information for school administrators or thwarted the deception. Still, a much less thorough Google check would have been sufficient to reveal this activists affiliation. And while its good that school staff quickly intervened when they noted that the swag Ms. McEvilly attempted to hand out to students was not part of pre-approved materials, this raises the question of how easy it is to get such materials into the school and within students reach. Its bad enough when its political propaganda shoved in front of students captured attention. What if that material was something considerably more dangerous, like a weapon? Its a chilling thought one thats thankfully only hypothetical in this situation yet all too real in a country with an obscene amount of school shootings. While we empathize with Taconic leaders who were fooled by someone with clandestine motivations to politicize a school event something that in theory could happen to any school this is a serious wake-up call that the schools and districts vetting process for guests needs to be fool-proofed. In a same-day statement from interim PPS Superintendent Latifah Phillips, it was good to hear that the district is strengthening procedures for outside speakers. This includes formalizing a review and acknowledgment process for first-time guest speakers. Better late than never. While it wouldnt be a perfect preventive measure on its own, making CORI checks standard for all guests formally invited on school grounds, regardless of the planned level of student interaction, might be a good start. And speaking of wake-up calls that should ring in ears across Berkshire school districts, this also underlines the need for more robust civic education. Like it or not, its simply a fact that the sort of politicized overtures that an activist tried to sneak into a public school an environment we can and should control are bombarding young people through their screens. We cant exercise as much control over that latter information ecosystem, but we should strive to better prepare the next generation for dealing with it. After all, its worth noting that TPUSA rose to prominence not just because its founder, Mr. Kirk, sought political fights on college campuses but because those events were curated into viral internet phenomena. And while it happened to be a right-wing activist who infiltrated Taconic in this instance, there is a wide spectrum of politically aligned agitators targeting youth audiences. Just as this interloper exploited an event that was supposed to be about writing letters to veterans to insert an ideological wedge, there are plenty of motivated actors who are outside school walls but all over kids screens who cloak their political ax-grinding in lofty paeans to cultivating dialogue. Look no further than recent scandals involving right-wing influencers shilling for a Russian influence operation and left-wing influencers taking dark money to toe the Democratic party line. An incident like this one at Taconic highlights the modern-day challenges to protecting students and their learning environment. But it also underscores the need to prepare them for the increasingly charged political environment that their elders have unfortunately left them. Last week, I pointed my domain to a new server. Changed the A record, waited... nothing. The old site kept showing up. I cleared my browser cache. Still nothing. Restarted my computer. Nothing. Three hours later, I learned about DNS propagation and TTL. That rabbit hole led me to actually understand how DNS works. Not just "it translates domains to IPs" - but the whole system. Here's what I learned. At its core, DNS is simple: it translates domain names into IP addresses. You type example.com , DNS returns 93.184.216.34 , and your browser connects to that IP. Without DNS, you'd need to memorize IP addresses for every website. Nobody wants that. But the how is where it gets interesting. DNS Hierarchy Here's the mental model that finally made DNS click for me: it's organized like a chain of referrals. Each level knows about the level below it, and nobody knows everything. Root (.) Every DNS lookup starts here. I didn't even know root servers existed until I had to debug my propagation issue. There are 13 root server clusters worldwide, operated by organizations like Verisign, ICANN, and NASA. Root servers don't know where example.com is - but they know where to find the .com TLD servers. They're the starting point of the referral chain. TLD (Top Level Domain) You know this part - the last bit of a domain: .com , .org , .in , .io . TLD servers know all domains registered under them. The .com TLD knows where to find example.com , google.com , and every other .com domain. Common TLDs: .com - Commercial (anyone can register) - Commercial (anyone can register) .org - Organizations - Organizations .net - Network services - Network services .io - British Indian Ocean Territory (popular with tech) - British Indian Ocean Territory (popular with tech) .dev - Developers (requires HTTPS) - Developers (requires HTTPS) .gov - US Government only - US Government only .edu - Educational institutions Domain The name you actually buy: example , google , github . Combined with TLD, you get example.com . This is what you purchase from registrars like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Cloudflare. I use Cloudflare for my domains - the DNS management is clean and free. (Once you understand DNS, you might want to check out my guide on deploying Django REST Framework to production - that's where you'll actually use this knowledge.) Subdomain Anything before the domain: api.example.com , mail.example.com , staging.example.com . The cool part? You create these yourself through DNS records. No additional purchase needed. If you own example.com , you can create unlimited subdomains for free. DNS Records When I first opened my domain's DNS panel, I saw a bunch of record types I didn't understand. A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT... it looked intimidating. But once you know what each one does, it's actually straightforward. A Record This is the one you'll use most. Maps a domain to an IPv4 address. When I moved my site to a new server, this is what I changed. example.com A 93.184.216.34 When someone requests example.com , DNS returns 93.184.216.34 . AAAA Record Same thing, but for IPv6 addresses. The weird name? Four A's because IPv6 addresses are four times longer than IPv4. I haven't had to set one of these up myself yet. example.com AAAA 2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946 CNAME (Canonical Name) This one's clever. Instead of pointing to an IP, it points to another domain. It says "go ask this other domain instead." www.example.com CNAME example.com blog.example.com CNAME example.ghost.io Super useful when you use third-party services. I use this to point subdomains to hosted services - your blog can point to Ghost, your docs to GitBook, without managing their IPs yourself. MX (Mail Exchange) Ever wondered how [email protected] knows where to go? MX records. They specify where to deliver emails for your domain. The priority number matters - lower numbers are tried first. example.com MX 10 mail1.example.com example.com MX 20 mail2.example.com When someone emails [email protected] , mail servers check the MX record to find where to deliver. If mail1 (priority 10) is down, it tries mail2 (priority 20). TXT Record This one seems random at first - it just stores text. But it's used for some important stuff. example.com TXT "v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all" example.com TXT "google-site-verification=abc123xyz" I've used TXT records for: Domain verification - Google, Stripe, AWS ask you to add a TXT record to prove you own the domain - Google, Stripe, AWS ask you to add a TXT record to prove you own the domain SPF - Specifies which servers can send email on your behalf (prevents spoofing) - Specifies which servers can send email on your behalf (prevents spoofing) DKIM - Email authentication using cryptographic signatures - Email authentication using cryptographic signatures DMARC - Policy for handling failed SPF/DKIM checks TTL (Time To Live) This is what got me. Remember my three hours of confusion? The TTL on my old A record was 3600 seconds. That's one hour. Every resolver that had cached my old IP would hold onto it for up to an hour before checking again. TTL tells resolvers how long to cache a DNS result. example.com A 93.184.216.34 TTL=3600 This means: "Cache this answer for 3600 seconds (1 hour). Don't ask again until then." Common TTL values: 300 (5 min) - Frequent changes, quick failover needed - Frequent changes, quick failover needed 3600 (1 hour) - Normal websites - Normal websites 86400 (1 day) - Rarely changes The Trade-off Low TTL = Faster updates, but more DNS queries (slightly slower first load). High TTL = Fewer DNS queries (better performance), but slower propagation when you change records. Pro tip I learned the hard way: if you're planning to migrate servers, lower your TTL to 300 a few days before. After migration, old cached records expire in 5 minutes instead of hours. Wish I'd known this before my migration. DNS Resolution Process Once I traced through this whole process, everything clicked. Here's what actually happens when you type api.example.com in your browser: Step 1: Browser cache "Do I have api.example.com cached?" No Step 2: OS DNS cache "Do I have it?" No Step 3: Router cache "Do I have it?" No Step 4: ISP's DNS Resolver "Do I have it?" No, let me find out... Step 5: Ask Root Server Resolver: "Where is api.example.com?" Root: "I don't know, but .com TLD is at 192.5.6.30" Step 6: Ask .com TLD Server Resolver: "Where is api.example.com?" TLD: "I don't know, but example.com's nameserver is at ns1.example.com" Step 7: Ask example.com's Nameserver Resolver: "Where is api.example.com?" NS: "It's at 93.184.216.34" Step 8: Response flows back Resolver caches it (based on TTL) Returns 93.184.216.34 to your browser Step 9: Browser connects to 93.184.216.34 Visual representation: Each intermediate resolver caches the result based on TTL. Subsequent requests from the same network skip most of this because the resolver already knows the answer. That's why the second visit to a site is faster than the first. What is a Resolver? I used to confuse resolvers and nameservers. They sound similar, but they do different jobs. A resolver is a DNS server that does the hard work of finding IP addresses for you. It handles the recursive lookup through Root TLD Authoritative nameservers. Your device asks a resolver: "What's the IP of example.com?" The resolver does all the work and returns: "It's 93.184.216.34" Common public resolvers: 8.8.8.8 - Google Public DNS - Google Public DNS 1.1.1.1 - Cloudflare (fastest, privacy-focused) - Cloudflare (fastest, privacy-focused) 208.67.222.222 - OpenDNS (Cisco) - OpenDNS (Cisco) 9.9.9.9 - Quad9 (security-focused, blocks malware) You can change which resolver you use in your network settings. I switched to 1.1.1.1 on my machines - it's noticeably faster than my ISP's default resolver. What is a Nameserver? A nameserver is the source of truth. It actually holds the DNS records for a domain. When you register a domain, you point it to nameservers that store your A records, CNAME records, MX records, etc. The difference between resolvers and nameservers: Resolver - Finds answers by asking other servers (the messenger) - Finds answers by asking other servers (the messenger) Nameserver - Holds the actual DNS records (the source of truth) When you buy a domain from Namecheap or GoDaddy, they give you default nameservers like: ns1.namecheap.com ns2.namecheap.com You can change these to use Cloudflare, AWS Route 53, or your own nameservers: # Cloudflare nameservers ns1.cloudflare.com ns2.cloudflare.com # AWS Route 53 (example) ns-1234.awsdns-56.org ns-789.awsdns-12.co.uk Why bother changing nameservers? Different providers offer different features. I moved my domains to Cloudflare because they give you free DDoS protection, a CDN, and the dashboard is just nicer to use. Route 53 makes sense if you're already deep in AWS. Authoritative vs Recursive Authoritative nameserver - Has the final answer for a domain. When asked "Where is example.com?", it responds with the actual IP because it holds the records. Recursive resolver - Doesn't hold records, but finds answers by asking authoritative servers. Your ISP's DNS server and 8.8.8.8 are recursive resolvers. View DNS Cache These commands saved me during my debugging session. When you need to see what's actually cached: In Browser # Chrome chrome://net-internals/#dns # Firefox about:networking#dns # Edge edge://net-internals/#dns These show all cached domains with their IPs and remaining TTL. On Your Computer # Windows (Command Prompt) ipconfig /displaydns # Mac sudo dscacheutil -cachedump # Linux # Most distros use systemd-resolved resolvectl statistics Query a Domain # Using nslookup (Windows/Mac/Linux) nslookup example.com # Using dig (Mac/Linux - more detailed) dig example.com # Query specific record type dig example.com MX dig example.com TXT # Query using a specific resolver dig @8.8.8.8 example.com dig @1.1.1.1 example.com Clear DNS Cache Browser Go to chrome://net-internals/#dns and click "Clear host cache". Operating System # Windows ipconfig /flushdns # Mac sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder # Linux (systemd) sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches This is what I should've done first. Flushing the cache forces your system to fetch fresh DNS records instead of using stale cached ones. Why DNS Matters for System Design Here's where DNS gets interesting beyond just "hosting a website." If you're designing systems at scale, DNS becomes a tool, not just a lookup service. Load Distribution DNS can return different IPs for the same domain. Each request might get a different server. This is called DNS round-robin load balancing. example.com A 93.184.216.34 example.com A 93.184.216.35 example.com A 93.184.216.36 Failover If one server dies, DNS can stop returning its IP. Health checks detect the failure, DNS record is updated, traffic flows to healthy servers. Geographic Routing Return IPs of servers closest to the user. A user in Europe gets European server IPs, a user in Asia gets Asian server IPs. This is called GeoDNS or latency-based routing. Caching Trade-offs DNS caching reduces lookup time and load on DNS servers. But it makes instant updates impossible. If you change an IP and TTL is 24 hours, some users will hit the old IP for up to 24 hours. Quick Reference Term What it does Root Top of DNS tree, knows TLD locations TLD .com, .org, .io - knows domains under Domain What you buy (example, google) Subdomain What you create free (api, www, mail) A Record Domain IPv4 address AAAA Record Domain IPv6 address CNAME Domain Another domain (alias) MX Where to send email TXT Verification, SPF, DKIM, DMARC TTL Cache duration in seconds Resolver Server that finds IPs for you DNS broke my site for three hours. But now I actually understand it - not just what it does, but how it works. Next time something doesn't propagate, I'll know exactly where to look. What's something you use every day but never really understood until it broke? Get the next one. New posts on building, breaking, and shipping products. Straight to your inbox. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Ministry for Equality Announces Symposium for Older Persons The Ministry of Equality has announced the launch of an Age Symposium, a new initiative focused on promoting inclusion, wellbeing and active participation for older persons in Gibraltar. The Symposium will bring together stakeholders, service providers, community organisations and older persons themselves to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with ageing, share best practice and help shape policies that reflect the needs, experiences and contributions of older members of our community. This initiative forms part of the Ministrys ongoing commitment to ensuring that older persons remain visible, valued and supported. The Symposium builds upon and is the direct result of the work carried out by the Ministry in recent months to support this demographic including the International Day of Older Persons in October and Golden Week in December. The first part of the Symposium will be a panel discussion, Celebrating Experience, Inspiring Futures, and the second part will be an interactive session during which attendees will have the opportunity to discuss key issues and make suggestions. Minister for Equality, The Hon Christian Santos GMD MP, said, Im very happy to announce the very first Age Symposium which I hope will generate open and positive discussions and debate. Older persons have a lifetime of experience, insight and contribution behind them, and it is essential that their voices are heard when shaping the policies and services that affect their lives. This Age Symposium is about listening, engaging and ensuring that older persons are active partners in decision-making, not passive recipients of support. A truly inclusive society is one where every generation has a seat at the table. A 14-year-old Ennis boy has appeared in court in connection with a spate of alleged car thefts in east Clare and south Galway on Wednesday of this week. At Ennis District Children's Court, the school boy - accompanied by his grandmother - appeared in connection with the unlawful taking possession of three cars and an attempt to get into a fourth from Gort in south Galway and Scarriff in east Clare on Wednesday of this week. The schoolboy is also charged with two burglaries and the criminal damage of one of the cars he is alleged to have unlawfully taken. When Judge Alec Gabbett asked the boy why he was here in court, the teenager replied, stealing cars. The teenager first appeared before a special late-night sitting of Ennis District Court on Wednesday concerning the alleged offences and was remanded on bail to appear before the court on Friday. Advertisement When Judge Gabbett asked the boy if he had returned to school since his court first appearance on Wednesday, the boy replied not yet - Id no runners. The boy explained that gardai took his runners, and he only got new ones on Friday. Judge Gabbett said: You werent going to school without the runners, so. Judge Gabbett said that the Gardai would have taken his runners for forensic analysis as part of their investigation into the alleged offences. The teenager told Judge Gabbett that he will be going back to school on Monday. Judge Gabbett said: You need to get back to school. And what about physical activity? Have you thought about that? Getting fit? I want you to be busy and active. Judge Gabbett said that he would appoint Extern, a service which assists young people before the courts. In the case, the 14-year-old is charged with the unlawful taking possession of 231 G, 06 G, and 141 LS registered vehicles from Gallaghers Lane, Glenbrack, Gort, Co Galway; from Keehan Cleaners, Ennis Rd, Gort, Co Galway, and from Church Street, Scarriff without the consent of their owners on Wednesday, February 4th. The alleged offences are contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961. The boy is also charged with attempting to get into another vehicle at Cloonahaha, Gort, on February 4th. The young teenager is also charged with burglary from Keehan Cleaners, Ennis Rd, Gor,t Galway, and at a property at Church Street, Scariff, and the criminal damage of a 141 LS registered vehicle from Church Street, Scariff on February 4th. Advertisement Judge Gabbett granted legal aid to solicitor, Daragh Hassett, to represent the accused. Judge Gabbett further remanded the teenager on bail and attached strict bail conditions after being informed that there is no bed available at the Oberstown detention facility at Lusk in Co Dublin. As part of the bail conditions, the boy must observe an 8pm to 8am Garda policed curfew, stay out of Galway and Scariff, not travel in a vehicle unless accompanied by his parents or grandparents, and sign on at Ennis Garda Station on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Judge Gabbett further remanded the 14-year-old on bail for DPP directions to appear on February 18th at Ennis District Court. Commonwealth essay competition - 150 cash prizes The Government is once again inviting entries from students who are attending school in Gibraltar, or further studies in the United Kingdom, for an essay competition on Gibraltars relationship with the Commonwealth. There are 56 countries and 2.7 billion people in the Commonwealth, and His Majesty King Charles III is the Head of the organisation. Gibraltars association with the Commonwealth is through the membership of the United Kingdom, although in some of its bodies Gibraltar, and other Overseas Territories, participate in their own right. This year Commonwealth Day is on Monday 9 March. The essay entries will be divided into four categories so that younger children do not compete against older ones. The first category will be for Lower Primary, the second for Upper Primary, the third category for pupils of comprehensive and college age, and the fourth one for students from Gibraltar aged 18 or over in full time education in the United Kingdom. The prize for the winning entry in each category will be 150. Those who want to take part should write a short 500 word essay on the theme of What can Gibraltar learn from the Commonwealth and what can the Commonwealth learn from Gibraltar? and submit this by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Submissions should contain the name, address, contact number, email address, age and the name of the educational institution as well as year of study. The closing date for entries is 12 noon on Friday 27 February 2026. The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, who is the Minister with responsibility for relations with the Commonwealth, said: The policy of the Government is to raise awareness of the values of the Commonwealth among the younger generation. Over 60% of the population of the Commonwealth are young people under the age of 30. In this context, the Government will continue to encourage the participation of delegates from Gibraltar in the Commonwealth Youth Parliament and the Commonwealth Youth Forum, and we will explore other avenues for such engagement. This essay competition is part of that overall strategy. Danone has updated its recent product recall to include batches of Aptamil and Cow & Gate infant formula and follow-on formula due to the potential presence of cereulide. The toxin is extremely heat-resistant, and consumption of foods containing the cereulide toxin can lead to nausea and severe vomiting. Symptoms can appear within five hours. The duration of illness is usually six to 24 hours. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is advising parents, guardians and caregivers who may have the recalled products at home not to feed them to their infant or young child. No cases of human illness linked to the affected products have been confirmed to date in Ireland. Danone is undertaking a wider recall of infant formula, follow-on formula, and base powder manufactured in Ireland for export to a number of EU countries, the UK, and third countries. Advertisement While the infant formula and follow-on formula included in this wider recall are exported, the FSAI said it is aware that some product exported to the UK subsequently may have indirectly been distributed to Ireland from the UK, for example through websites. The FSAI is providing the details of the UK recall in order that consumers have the information to check if they have the implicated products. FSAI chief executive, Greg Dempsey, said the recall in Ireland is an evolving global issue. We are aware that the number of recalls, and media coverage here and abroad, is a cause of concern for parents, guardians and caregivers. "We would like to reassure everyone that the safety of infants and young children is of the utmost importance to us, and we are in close communication with the infant formula manufacturers and retailers to ensure they are taking all appropriate actions to ensure that any potentially unsafe products are recalled from consumers and no longer on the market. "We continue to work closely with the relevant Irish authorities and our food safety partner agencies across Europe, as this global food safety incident evolves. We continue to advise parents, guardians and caregivers who may have the recalled products at home not to feed them to their infant or young child. If no symptoms are displayed, nothing further needs to be done. "If a parent, guardian or caregiver is concerned about the health of their infant or young child, they should contact a healthcare professional." Advertisement The full list of recalled products can be found here. A Danone spokesperson said: "Danone never compromises on food safety, and we want to reassure all parents that we take this responsibility seriously. "All our baby formulas are produced under strict food safety and quality standards and undergo rigorous checks before leaving our factories. "We have recalled specific batches of Aptamil and Cow & Gate products in Ireland in line, with the latest guidance related to cereulide from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. "Low levels of cereulide were identified in some specific batches and we have replaced them with new products. All products available for purchase are safe to use. "To date there are no confirmed cases of sickness or symptoms linked to our products. If their baby is unwell, we recommend parents speak to their healthcare professional. "If parents have any questions, they can reach out to our careline team on 1800 22 1234 (Aptamil) or 1800 570 570 (Cow & Gate)." A 38-year-old Egyptian man who swung a screwdriver at a supermarket security guard in Dublin has been deported. Mohamed Kaness, formerly of Gardiner Street, D1, was charged after footage was uploaded to social media. He was granted strict bail on August 9th at Dublin District Court. Kaness was charged with unlawful possession of a flathead screwdriver as a weapon and producing an implement capable of causing serious injury at Lidl on Talbot Street in the city centre's north side on August 7th. Following adjournments, he later pleaded guilty and was remanded on bail pending sentence, with a probation report to be furnished to the court at his next hearing. The case resumed on Friday, when Judge Michele Finan asked if the accused was present. However, defence solicitor Luke Staines said Kaness was not in court because he had been deported to Egypt, and he suggested that the case be struck out. Advertisement The court sergeant confirmed that the accused had been removed from the State on January 15th. In light of that, Judge Finan made no further order. At his previous hearing, Garda Paul Mooney objected to bail, citing concerns about witness interference and quoting an excerpt from Kaness's interview: "Im not going to leave them alone." During his interview, gardai asked what he would do then, to which he allegedly replied, If you don't do it, your job, I want to report him, it's only two bottles, and I was going anyway." The Store Street-based officer said that the man made no reply when charged with two counts under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act. The garda mentioned that the accused lacked an address, having lost his hostel place when a recording of the confrontation surfaced online. Describing the incident, Garda Mooney had said he and colleagues responded to a report initially stating there was a man with a knife in the supermarket who had been held by security. The court heard that Kaness had a broad-headed screwdriver and "was swinging this implement at security, that is why he was being detained." The defence stated that English was not the accused's first language, but he had agreed to reside with a friend in the Dublin 7 area, provided he stayed away from specific locations. Kaness, who was granted legal aid, was ordered to sign on five days a week at a garda station, provide gardai with his new address, and remain away from Talbot Street and his former hostel. President Catherine Connolly was meeting young people on the final day of her visit to Northern Ireland. Connolly took part in discussions with young people at St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Derry on Thursday morning. It came on the third and final day of her first official visit to Northern Ireland since becoming president of Ireland, and has been described as fulfilling a commitment in her inaugural address to meet with people from all communities and traditions. Catherine Connolly, right, was visiting St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Derry (Liam McBurney/PA) Connolly was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle in Belfast on the first day of her visit on Wednesday. She went on to make addresses at the Ulster University campus in Belfast, and the Guildhall in Derry, as well as visiting a number of community projects across both cities. Advertisement DUP MP Gregory Campbell warned the Irish President against rewriting the past during her visit to Derry on Thursday, while Connolly said she was here to listen. She went on to tour the Siege Museum, visit An Culturlann and the Nerve Centre, as well as the Museum of Free Derry, where she met relatives of victims of Bloody Sunday. Connolly, centre, was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill, right, and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly on the first day of her visit (Brian Lawless/PA) Connolly completed her three-day visit in Northern Irelands second city, meeting young people from both sides of the border. The young people were taking part in a number of Youth Action Northern Ireland projects, and engaging with St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre itself. They also included those taking part in the cross-community REACH Across organisation for teenagers, the North West Islamic Association, Donegal Youth Services and a school group from Raphoe in Co Donegal. Dominic Bonner, youth co-ordinator at Youth Action NI, said they were delighted by the engagement with Connolly. When we heard the President was coming here today, we were delighted that she invited us to come and spend good-quality time, he said. Connolly was accompanied on her visit by Youth Action NI co-ordinator Dominic Bonner, right (Liam McBurney/PA) We were delighted to be able to invite young people and our community workers, because the President wanted to engage with the community, engage with the young people. Were in St Columbs Park House, beautiful surroundings which provided the space for people to feel comfortable, and safe to talk about some of the issues in this city. The talk of today was about continuing partnership, continuing to work together to meet the needs of young people, to continue to keep fighting the battle. Advertisement Weve done extremely good work around peace and reconciliation, we have to continue that. Zena Abdelrahman and Cadi Abousamra were among the young people who spoke with Connolly. Zena Abdelrahman, left, and Cadi Abousamra enjoyed chatting to the president (Liam McBurney/PA) Abdelrahman said she had loved meeting the president, although admitted she had been nervous. She was really nice, I was talking to her and asking her what role do young people have in shaping Irelands future, and she said that young people have a really important role, she likes how young people are starting to speak up about issues going on globally, she said. She likes young activists such as Greta Thunberg, and how everyone is speaking about what is going on such as climate change, immigration and diversity. Abousamra said she is a big fan of Connollys work. It was very refreshing to see a president take in what young people had to say, and actually listen attentively, she said. I have feeling that she is going to be a good president. Abdelwahab Elebaid added: It was very nice, not a lot of countries would have their presidents speak with young people. I asked a couple of questions about Irish foreign affairs, Irelands stance on the civil war going on in Sudan, she said she was horrified by the genocide right now. I also asked how Ireland deals with threats from outside, Russia, China, and now increasingly America. She went into a lot of detail. It was admirable of her to meet with young people. The paralysis caused by a culture of judicial reviews is a major issue in delivering some of Irelands flood defence schemes, the Minister for Infrastructure has said. Jack Chambers told RTEs Today with David McCullagh programme: Certain resident associations brought judicial review proceedings against flood relief schemes in communities that have been flooded in recent days. I think people need to think twice about engaging in litigation when there is a level of risk and in a particular local area. Speaking on Friday morning he added: most people in these communities, didnt, and dont, object its a small minority. He acknowledged: They have a right to do that, but I think the balance of rights isnt there in the Irish system right now. Judicial reviews are bringing huge elements of risk aversion across the decision making process, where every element of a particular piece of infrastructure now is showing deference to the risk of judicial review. Advertisement When asked about the glacial pace in delivering flood relief schemes Mr Chambers said other factors also slow down the processes including that they are complex environmental and engineering projects which take time in terms of the design phase. He also said he would be bringing new measures to Cabinet next week to fast-track infrastructure projects and bringing a critical infrastructure Bill to Government in the next number of weeks. These are aimed at increasing risk appetite in the public service and backing public servants to take risks when it comes to infrastructure delivery, he said. Adding the Government wants to cut some of the excessive processes bureaucracy and red tape that prevent many decisions being made. A motorist who drove at a recently retired man in the forecourt of a petrol station, causing him catastrophic and life-altering harm, has been jailed for four and a half years. Patrick McDonagh (25) clipped Michael Whitfield with his car over four years ago, causing Whitfield to fall backwards and strike his head off the ground, causing life-changing injuries, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. Whitfield (now 66) was in an induced coma for five weeks following the collision and spent 10 months in Beaumont Hospital. He also spent five months at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, before being transferred to a specialist care setting for people with brain injuries, where he remains a full-time patient. He requires full-time care, can't walk and struggles to speak. Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, told the court that the injured party suffered with hydrocephalus as a child, and this is regarded as a factor which has limited his recovery. Advertisement The court heard that the injured party enjoyed a normal life despite his underlying conditions, worked as a bookkeeper for 40 years and had taken early retirement to travel. McDonagh, of St Margarets Park, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm at Clonshaugh Road, on November 3rd, 2021. He had originally been charged with assault causing serious harm and had taken a trial date, but the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted a plea to the current charge. McDonagh had no previous convictions at the time of this incident, but now has 17 previous convictions, including for drugs, road traffic offences and criminal damage. Sentencing He received a seven-year sentence in June 2025 at Tullamore Circuit Criminal Court for false imprisonment, assault causing harm, threats to kill and burglary. The court heard this related to an incident involving McDonagh and three other men during which an elderly man was assaulted and robbed in February 2024. McDonagh's earliest release date for this sentence is January 2031. Sentencing McDonagh on Friday, Judge Elma Sheahan said that if McDonagh had exercised a modicum of consideration and care for Whitfield, this tragedy would have been avoidable. There is no explanation as to why he failed to exercise that modicum of care and consideration, the judge said, noting the incident occurred in broad daylight and there was no drink or drugs involved. She said the harm caused to Whitfield was at the highest level, describing it as catastrophic and life-altering. His life as he knew it...is now over, Judge Sheahan said. The victim impact statement before the court was impressive, informative and very upsetting, all in equal measure. Advertisement The judge set a headline sentence of six years, which she reduced to five years, taking mitigating factors into account. She said this sentence should run consecutively to the seven-year sentence McDonagh is currently serving. She suspended the final six months on a number of conditions, including that McDonagh remain under the supervision of the Probation Service during this period. Imposing this sentence, I am conscious that any sentence imposed can't restore Whitfield to his previous good health, she said. Prosecution counsel told the court the dangerous driving charge arises as McDonagh continued to drive forward for a few seconds at a slow speed without attempting to brake, when the injured party would have been visible to him. Over half (52 per cent) of Irish employees believe the State will suffer a catastrophic cybersecurity incident this year, according to a survey. The research, carried out by IT and cybersecurity service provider Landmark Technologies, also revealed that 61 per cent believe Ireland is less prepared than other European countries to defend against cybersecurity threats. The research was conducted in January 2026 and surveyed 1,000 employees in the State on their cybersecurity experiences and attitudes, as threats continue to escalate. Artificial intelligence The survey showed that artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as the biggest source of anxiety for Irish workers. 87 per cent cite AI-powered phishing attacks that are harder to detect as a key challenge for the coming year, and the same proportion are worried about cybercriminals using AI to steal company data. These were closely followed by fears about ransomware attacks (85 per cent), AI-generated deepfake scams targeting organisations (83 per cent), and personal data stored at work being leaked or stolen by cybercriminals (83 per cent). Advertisement Cyberattacks The research finds that cyberattacks are becoming a routine part of working life for Irish businesses and employees. In the past 12 months, 80 per cent of employees have personally experienced a cybersecurity incident or attack at work with 43 per cent experiencing multiple attacks. Looking ahead, half (50 per cent) believe their organisation will suffer a data breach in the next 12 months. As anxieties grow, 61 per cent of employees believe staff will continue to be the biggest security risk in their organisation. These concerns appear to be warranted, Landmark Technologies said, as one-in-eight (12 per cent) employees admit that they clicked on a malicious link or attachment but didnt report it whilst the same proportion said that their organisation had confidential data stolen. Risks are evident at all levels, with 13 per cent of workers saying that a senior leader fell for a cyber or phishing scam in the last year, and 12 per cent saying that an employee stole confidential data when leaving the organisation. Managing director of Landmark Technologies, Ken Kelleher, said: Our research paints a very worrying picture. Irish workers are clearly fearful that a major cyber incident is not a question of if, but when. "The fact that more than half expect a catastrophic event this year should be a wake-up call for all businesses and relevant stakeholders. "It highlights the need for open dialogue between businesses and their employees on how to spot and deal with cybersecurity threats as evolving technologies, such as AI, become more widely adopted and used by attackers as well as defenders. "As we look ahead, its crucial that businesses strengthen their defences, improve employee awareness, and receive the highest levels of support so that they are better equipped to deal with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The President has offered her deepest condolences to the family of a pedestrian in his 80s who died after being struck by a double-decker bus in Dublin. Three others were injured in the incident on the pedestrianised North Earl Street shortly after 12:30pm. The crash at the junction of Talbot Street and Marlborough Street, near the beginning of the pedestrianised area, involved a Bus Eireann double-decker. Two other pedestrians: a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s; were taken to hospital after the incident for injuries described as non-life-threatening, although the mans were additionally described as serious. The driver of the bus, a woman aged in her 50s, was also taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. President Catherine Connolly said: May I further thank the emergency services for their swift attendance on the scene and send my best wishes to those injured and wish them a speedy recovery, as well as to all those impacted by todays event. Advertisement An Garda Siochana responded to the incident with Dublin Fire Brigade and ambulances. A tent was erected around the crash site and a garda cordon has been put in place. The scene on Talbot Street in Dublin city centre (Brian Lawless/PA) The front window of the bus has been smashed. Gardai, who are treating the incident as a crash, said investigations are ongoing. They have appealed for witnesses to the collision to come forward. Dublin Fire Brigade said more than 20 firefighter/paramedics and advanced paramedics responded to the scene. Luas Green Line services were suspended between Parnell Street and St Stephens Green for a time because of the incident but reopened, initially with delays. A private ambulance leaves the scene on Talbot Street (Brian Lawless/PA) ESB and public lighting crews were also requested at the scene because a streetlight was downed in the crash. Bus Eireann said it was deeply saddened to confirm there was a fatality and several injuries after its bus was involved in a serious collision involving pedestrians. The companys chief executive, Jean OSullivan, said: We are profoundly saddened by this tragic incident. On behalf of everyone at Bus Eireann, I extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, and our thoughts are with all those affected at this very difficult time. Bus Eireann said it is offering its full support to the relevant authorities as their investigations continue and will provide any additional assistance required. Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic bus crash in Dublin city centre this afternoon. My thoughts are with the family of the person killed and with those injured. I am very grateful to our emergency services for their response. pic.twitter.com/BW60C4sqxK Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) February 5, 2026 Tanaiste Simon Harris said he was deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic bus crash in Dublin city centre this afternoon. My thoughts are with the family of the person killed and with those injured, Mr Harris said. Advertisement I am very grateful to our emergency services for their response. I want to reassure Dubliners that the situation is being actively managed, and I would ask the public to avoid the area to allow emergency services to carry out their work. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ray McAdam, said: My thoughts are with those who have been injured and with their families at this difficult time. A tent was erected around the crash site and a garda cordon was put in place (Brian Lawless/PA) Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who is an elected TD for Dublin Central, said she was devastated to learn of the crash and thanked emergency responders. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased and all of the people who were struck or caught up in this collision, with their families, friends, and loved ones, and with everyone affected by what must be a very frightening experience. The weather and Thursday's fatal bus crash in Dublin dominate the front pages of Irish newspapers on Friday. Large areas of Ireland remain on alert today, with more heavy rain expected after flooding disrupted travel and public transport in Dublin and across the southeast yesterday, The Irish Times reports. The Irish Examiner leads with the bus crash in Dublin, which resulted in the death of a man in his 80s and injuries to three other people. Residents on the northside of Cork city say discoloured water is again coming from their taps, and expressed fears that the issue is becoming 'normalised', The Echo reports. The Dublin bus crash and the weather dominate the front page of Friday's Irish Independent. Damage to roads, residential properties, and commerical properties is expected as flooding continues. Advertisement The Taoiseach has admitted more needs to be done to improve flood defences - after it was revealed just a third of an allocated 19.3 million for a national warning system was spent, The Irish Daily Mirror reports. The Irish Daily Star leads with the Dublin bus crash, and also reports on the Regency attackers following the 10th anniversayr of David Byrne's murder. Irish illegals are quitting Donald Trumps America voluntarily to avoid being caught up in swoops by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to the Irish Daily Mail. The Herald reports on a witnesses to Thursday's fatal bus crash on a Dublin city street telling how they thought it was a bomb going off. Margot Robbie stepped out in a Dilara Findikoglu custom gown at the London premiere for the highly anticipated Wuthering Heights. Margot Robbie in Dilara Findikoglu (Ian West/PA) Coming to UK cinemas on February 13th, Robbie celebrated in a sheer corseted Gothic gown with moss green, blooming seams and a matching choker. It is a British label that she has worn since arriving in London for the films press tour. It isnt the only designer Robbie has debuted in London. She also dove into the fashion archives for a photocall on Wednesday, stepping out in a look pulled from John Gallianos 1992 spring ready-to-wear collection. Margot Robbie during a photocall in St Jamess Place in London (Ian West/PA) Its clear that Robbie, 35, has a penchant for method dressing. Her whirlwind Barbie press tour saw her channel the dolls most famous looks in a series of meticulously recreated outfits, from her 1960s Enchanted Evening Barbie to her shimmering black Solo in the Spotlight Barbie. At the Wuthering Heights world premiere in Los Angeles, Robbie wore an ombre corseted Schiaparelli gown alongside a piece of Hollywood history. Margot Robbie at the premiere of Wuthering Heights in Los Angeles (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) The dress was paired with a large, heart-shaped pendant, which belongs to the estate of Hollywood star Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who confirmed this as one of the most significant pieces in her jewellery collection: her Taj Mahal diamond Cartier necklace. The necklace was given to Taylor on her 40th birthday in 1972 by her husband Richard Burton. The necklace itself, however, dates back to 16th century India. Robbie wore a necklace from Dame Elizabeth Taylors estate (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) Robbies opening look, however, was certainly not the only showstopper. For the Paris premiere, Robbie wore a custom draped velvet Chanel look designed by Matthieu Blazy. It is such an honour to wear this look designed by Matthieu, Robbie told Vogue. Its the first Chanel red carpet look Ive worn designed by him, and I couldnt think of a more special occasion than for Wuthering Heights, a project that is so special to me. The corseted dress was designed in a burgundy silk, velvet and faille, with an ivory silk faille under-skirt and was adorned with intricate feathers and silk petals, accessorised with more than 100 carats of jewels by Lorraine Schwartz. Robbie wasnt the only star turning heads on the London red carpet. Director Emerald Fennell wore a bold red corseted dress by Vivienne Westwood and a striking black opal, diamond and platinum necklace lent to her by Sothebys. Emerald Fennell in Vivienne Westwood (Ian West/PA) Similarly to Robbies statement in LA, this is the first time that Fennells necklace, which was made by Cartier London in 1937, has been worn in public in more than 70 years and is estimated at 700,000-1 million. Jacob Elordi, 28, who plays Heathcliff in the film, stepped out in a monochromatic, slate grey suit with a leather tie and a double breasted overcoat. Jacob Elordi at the Wuthering Heights premiere (Ian West/PA) Charli XCX, 33, who wrote the score for the film, followed suit in Gothic glamour wearing a floor-length veil and off the shoulder pink tulle and lace dress by London-based designer Erdem. Charli XCX wore a floor-length Victoriana-inspired veil (Ian West/PA) Alison Olivier, who plays Edgars younger sister Isabella Linton, also leant into dusty pink a big colour on spring/summer 2026s runways wearing a silk and lace column dress with embellished bows adorning the bodice. Alison Oliver in pink at the Wuthering Heights premiere (Ian West/PA) Her accessory was unorthodox for the red carpet, as she carried a small Pomeranian under her arm. As the parents of 17-year-old Trystan Pidoux, who died in the bar fire at the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana, prepared to bury their son, they waited for prosecutors to act on their request for an autopsy. When they heard nothing, Vinciane Stucky and Christian Pidoux proceeded with plans to lay to rest their second child, who went to celebrate New Year's Eve at Le Constellation Bar with friends and never returned. But on the eve of the burial, medics arrived during the mother's last vigil to take his body, forcing the family to cancel it and leave the pre-adorned grave empty, the parents and family lawyer told Reuters. "It was like they were still stabbing us when we were already dead," said his mother, Stucky, at their home in Pully, Western Switzerland, a short distance from where Trystan was buried three days later on January 16 alongside his best friend. Advertisement Prosecutors from the Valais canton declined to respond when approached by Reuters for comment on the family's case, saying they only communicated through press releases. Confidence shaken Due to his family's request, Trystan was one of just a few of the victims - many of them teenagers on holiday - to undergo autopsies and only after Swiss authorities released the bodies, six sources following the case told Reuters. Some of the relatives of the 41 people who died, and their legal representatives, say the fact prosecutors did not order autopsies of all the victims has shaken their confidence in the investigation. Switzerland already grappling with safety concerns over the fire must now confront growing local and international doubts about its justice system. The Swiss justice ministry declined comment, directing questions to prosecutors. Officials have stressed that the judiciary is independent and called for patience with the investigation into one of the country's worst modern tragedies. The Valais prosecutors, who are investigating crimes including negligent homicide, have previously defended their probe, saying they are expanding their team and have ordered searches, secured evidence and seized assets. Possible exhumations Romain Jordan, a lawyer for more than 20 victims' families, said some were now weighing requesting exhumations. "When my clients recovered their child's body, they believed that everything had been done. It is extremely disturbing and shocking to learn that, in reality, not everything was done and they may now have to exhume their child," he said. Italy, which has criticised the Swiss investigation, carried out its own post-mortem examinations on the six Italian victims because it had not been done before their bodies were repatriated, a source in Rome's prosecutor's office said. Advertisement Autopsies are normally carried out in all cases of violent, suspicious or sudden deaths at the request of prosecutors, according to Swiss forensic institute URMF. "You have to ask: how did he die? Is it from burns? From smoke? Did people trample him?" said Christian Pidoux, who has since received a preliminary autopsy report via prosecutors but does not yet know exactly how his son died. Lost evidence? The fire - set off by sparklers carried by a bar worker sitting on the shoulders of a colleague - spread within seconds. Some of the victims were found collapsed next to a locked rear exit, according to police transcripts reviewed by Reuters. Others were piled together near the main exit, which became a fatal chokepoint, while others died in the basement before they could flee, according to the transcripts and photographs from the case files. Four people are under investigation, bar owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti and a former and a current local official. The Morettis and the town's mayor, who admitted missed inspections, have expressed regret. Christophe de Galembert, Pidoux's lawyer, said he had "very strong doubts about whether it will be possible to gather all the evidence now," citing other missed opportunities to secure proof quickly, including only seizing the bar owners' phones nine days after the fire. Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery Workforce at the Gibraltar Health Authority The Minister for Health and Care has welcomed a series of workforce and professional development initiatives being rolled out within the Gibraltar Health Authority to strengthen nursing and midwifery services, support leadership development, and build a sustainable pipeline of future healthcare professionals. As part of a programme of work led within the Gibraltar Health Authority by Acting Director of Nursing Natasha Cerisola, a range of initiatives has been introduced to support workforce sustainability, service resilience, and the continued delivery of safe, high quality patient care. Central to this programme of work is the introduction of a new Management and Leadership Programme for Adult Nursing. The programme is designed to equip Charge Nurses and aspiring leaders with the operational, professional and strategic skills required in modern healthcare settings, strengthening leadership capability, supporting succession planning, and promoting collaboration across services. The Gibraltar Health Authority has also strengthened its professional partnerships by becoming a member of the Florence Nightingale Foundation. This provides access to leadership development programmes, professional learning resources, and international collaboration opportunities, supporting the development of current and future nursing leaders across services. The GHA has acknowledged the generous support of a local charity, whose donation is helping to fund specialist nurse training and development opportunities. This valued community partnership is enabling the expansion of specialist nursing roles aligned with service priorities and population health needs, further enhancing patient care. The continued expansion of Nurse Practitioners and advanced nursing roles is also helping to modernise healthcare delivery, improve patient access to services and strengthen specialist and preventative care pathways. These roles provide clear progression opportunities for nurses while supporting multidisciplinary working and service resilience. In addition, work is underway to introduce a structured nursing rotation programme across key clinical areas. This initiative will support skills development, workforce flexibility, and succession planning, enabling nurses to broaden their clinical competencies while ensuring services remain responsive to both routine demand and unexpected healthcare pressures. The Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, said: Our nurses and midwives are at the heart of our health service, and investing in them is investing in the future of healthcare in Gibraltar. These initiatives demonstrate a clear commitment to strengthening leadership, supporting professional development and creating meaningful career pathways that encourage local people to join, stay and progress within the profession. This is about building a strong, resilient workforce that delivers safe, patient centred care while creating opportunities for the next generation of nursing professionals. Oman said it has mediated indirect talks between Iran and the United States over Tehrans nuclear programme. The countrys foreign ministry made the announcement in a post on X. Foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi met separately with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, then with US Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, US president Donald Trumps son-in-law. Convoys for the two countries arrived for meetings separately with the sultanates top diplomat at a palace on the outskirts of the capital, Muscat. The convoy left after some time to return the Iranians to their nearby hotel, with Iranian state media acknowledging Mr Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart, Mr al-Busaidi. Only after the Iranian vehicles left did another convoy including an SUV flying the American flag enter the palace grounds. It stayed there for about an hour and a half before leaving. Advertisement After that, Omans foreign ministry published a statement saying al-Busaidi met separately with Araghchi, then with Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner. The consultations focused on preparing the appropriate circumstances for resuming the diplomatic and technical negotiations by ensuring the importance of these negotiations, in light of the parties determination to ensure their success in achieving sustainable security and stability, the Omani announcement said. It was not immediately clear if that was the end of the talks for the day, though Omani officials left the palace immediately after the Americans. TikTok was charged on Friday with breaching EU online content rules over what the bloc's regulator said were its addictive features and was told to change the design of its app or risk a fine of as much as 6 per cent of owner ByteDance's global turnover. The EU watchdog's charges focus on TikTok's addictive design, which includes features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and its highly personalised recommender system. TikTok, whose algorithm is driven by the understanding of a user's interests and has been key to the social media app's global success, criticised the European Commission's charges. The regulatory move underscores the European Union's crackdown on Big Tech which has drawn criticism from the US government over censorship and led to threats of tariffs. The Commission set out its charges after a year-long investigation under the Digital Services Act (DSA) which requires large online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content. Advertisement "The Commission's preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings," a TikTok spokesperson said. The Commission, which acts as the EU tech enforcer, cited the platform's generation of new content to constantly reward users which fuels the urge to keep scrolling and shift users' brains into autopilot mode as an example of an addictive feature. The EU regulator said TikTok did not adequately assess how these features could harm the physical and mental wellbeing of its users, including children and vulnerable adults. It accused TikTok of disregarding important indicators of compulsive use of the app, such as the time that minors spend on it at night and the frequency with which users open the app. The EU watchdog said TikTok seems to fail to implement reasonable, proportionate and effective measures such as screentime management tools and parental control tools to mitigate risks and it needs to change the basic design. "So now we are expecting after that ... TikTok has to take actions and they have to change the design of their service in Europe to protect our minors," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told reporters. She said investigations into other online platforms were advancing well and that decisions are expected in the next weeks and months, without naming any company. Meta Platforms' Facebook and Instagram were charged with DSA breaches in October last year over their so-called dark patterns or deceptive interface designs among others. Advertisement EU regulators also asked Snapchat, YouTube, Apple, and Google for information on their age verification systems and how they prevent minors from accessing illegal products and harmful material. EU lawmaker Alexandra Geese praised the EU move on TikTok. "Many social media platforms ruthlessly exploit these (addictive) mechanisms to boost advertising revenue at the expense of the health of children and teenagers. This must come to an end," she said in a statement. TikTok can ask to see the Commission's documents and provide a written response before the watchdog issues a decision. The company last year settled charges of infringing a DSA requirement to publish an advertisement repository allowing researchers and users to detect scam advertisements. A convoy believed to be carrying American officials has arrived at the venue for talks between Iran and the United States. Journalists saw the convoy drive into a palace on the outskirts of Muscat, near its international airport. One of the vehicles flew American flags. Vehicles that carried Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived earlier, with Iranian state television saying he was meeting with Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi. That convoy later left for a hotel being used by the Iranians near the airport. The same palace had been used by Oman in earlier talks between Iran and the US in 2025. The two countries have returned to Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, months after rounds of meetings turned to ash following Israels launch of a 12-day war against Iran back in June. Previous talks took place in Oman in 2025 (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP) The US bombed Iranian nuclear sites during that war, likely destroying many of the centrifuges that spun uranium to near weapons-grade purity. Israels attacks decimated Irans air defences and targeted its ballistic missile arsenal as well. US officials such as secretary of state Marco Rubio believe Irans theocracy is now at its weakest point since its 1979 Islamic Revolution after nationwide protests last month represented the greatest challenge to 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis rule. Advertisement Khameneis forces responded with a bloody crackdown that killed thousands and reportedly saw tens of thousands arrested and spurred new military threats by US president Donald Trump to target the country. With the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships in the region along with more fighter jets, America now likely has the military firepower to launch an attack if it wanted. But whether attacks could be enough to force Iran to change its ways or potentially topple its government remains far from a sure thing. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Muscat (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP) Meanwhile, Gulf Arab nations fear an attack could spark a regional war dragging them in as well. That threat is real already, US forces shot down an Iranian drone near the Lincoln and Iran attempted to stop a US-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Alissa Pavia, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, said: President Trump seeks to corner Iran into reaching a negotiated solution, strong-arming its leaders into making concessions on the nuclear deal. The Iranians, on the other hand, are weakened after years of proxy warfare, economic crisis, and internal unrest. Trump is aware of this vulnerability and is hoping to use it to extract concessions and make inroads toward a renewed nuclear agreement. Sir Keir Starmers position as Labour leader is looking increasingly precarious, with fury over his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal coming on top of dismal opinion poll ratings which have left UK MPs fearing for their seats. But a Labour prime minister has never faced a formal leadership challenge and there is a high hurdle to clear for any rival seeking to oust Mr Starmer. Here the Press Association looks at the ways in which Mr Starmer could be ejected from No 10 and the potential candidates to replace him. Starmer won a landslide majority less than two years ago, why is he in jeopardy? Poll ratings for both Labour and Starmer personally have plummeted, with MPs looking nervously at the rise of Reform UK on the right and the increased prominence of the Greens on the left. Advertisement A series of policy missteps and U-turns on issues including the winter fuel payments, welfare reforms and mandatory digital ID, along with the continued problems of English Channel migrant crossings and sluggish economic growth have eroded Labours support and damaged relations between No 10 and MPs. The fallout from the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, his subsequent sacking and the ongoing revelations over his links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein have added to Labours sense of gloom. So are Starmers days in No 10 numbered? He appears to have survived the immediate crisis over Mandelson, after Wednesdays Commons drama, but his authority has been severely damaged after being forced to cede control for the release of papers relating to the peers appointment and activity in government to Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee. But even if he survives the furore over the Mandelson row, the coming weeks and months do not look any easier for Starmer. A by-election in the previously safe Labour seat of Gorton and Denton on February 26th could see either the Greens or Reform claim victory in Greater Manchester. Both Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are seen as potential leadership contenders (Jonathan Brady/PA) Mays elections could see Labour lose control in Wales one of its traditional heartlands for the first time, English council contests also appear difficult, while in Scotland Anas Sarwar is battling to defy the slump in Labours UK popularity. A bloodbath at the ballot box in those contests could be the trigger for a move against Mr Starmer. Advertisement So how could a leadership challenge work? There is no formal confidence vote procedure to oust a Labour leader. Any challenger to Mr Starmer would instead require the support of 80 MPs 20 per cent of the party in the Commons to trigger a contest. Allies of the prime minister have insisted he would fight any challenge, but for a rival to get that level of publicly committed support would make it incredibly difficult for Starmer to continue. A more likely exit route might be for Starmer to quit if enough senior Labour figures privately tell him they can no longer support him. Who might succeed Starmer if he goes? Unlike Sir Tony Blairs exit from No 10, when Gordon Brown was the clear candidate to replace him, there could be a bruising battle for the leadership. Former deputy leader Angela Rayner, who played a significant role in Wednesdays Commons proceedings on the Mandelson row, enjoys significant support within the party but is still awaiting the findings of an HMRC review into her failure to pay the correct stamp duty on the purchase of a flat in Hove, the row which triggered her resignation from the UK government. UK health secretary Wes Streeting is a confident media performer with support on the right of the party but his barely concealed leadership ambitions have ruffled feathers in Westminster. Home secretary Shabana Mahmood (Lucy North/PA) Another candidate from the right of the party could be UK home secretary Shabana Mahmood but, as with Mr Streeting, the wider membership could favour someone closer to the left. World Once feted Mandelson becomes nightmare for weakened Starmer Read more Former leader Ed Miliband could be that candidate, although the energy secretarys previous time at the top of the party ended in the 2015 election defeat. Whenever Labour leadership questions are raised, Andy Burnhams name is mentioned as a possible answer. However, the Greater Manchester mayors route back to Parliament through Gorton and Denton was blocked by Labours national executive committee, so he may be forced to watch any contest from the sidelines. Advertisement BusinessCompaniesAntisemitism royal commission ABC staff ordered not to delete emails ahead of Bondi royal commission Kishor Napier-Raman Updated February 6, 2026 12:11pm ,first published 11:45am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A ABC staff have been ordered not to delete emails, photographs and documents relating to antisemitism, social cohesion and the Bondi terrorist attack ahead of an upcoming royal commission into the December massacre. In a message to staff seen by this masthead, the ABCs director of news Justin Stevens said the National Archives of Australia had issued disposal freeze notices to institutions including the ABC and SBS. ABC director of news Justin Stevens. Janie Barrett The orders inform staff that the public broadcaster is required to keep any document or record which could be relevant to the commission, including on social cohesion, antisemitism, religiously motivated extremism, radicalisation, law enforcement, border control, and the circumstances surrounding the Bondi attack. Last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a royal commission into the devastating attack of December 14, which left 15 people dead. Advertisement Albanese initially opposed a federal inquiry, arguing that a NSW-based inquiry would be sufficient, but backtracked after criticism from across the political spectrum. Former High Court judge Virginia Bell was hand-picked to be commissioner, with the probe set to conclude before December 14, 2026. The commission will investigate the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society... in Australia. Stevens told ABC employees that the message about keeping records was being sent to all news staff to ensure we dont inadvertently miss anyone, however, only some of you will have materials that are relevant. Stevens said that ABC staff were obliged to protect a range of material, including, documents, emails, text messages, social media posts, audio records, and datasets. He also warned staff about the use of timed disappearing messages on encrypted apps like Signal, which are frequently used by journalists to discuss sensitive material with sources. Going forward, if you receive or send messages on Signal or any similar apps on these topics, continuing to use a disappearing messages setting would be a breach of the notice, Stevens said. Advertisement If you regularly delete emails for storage and security reasons we have to exclude emails on these topics from deletion until further notice. Related Article Bondi shooting Everything you need to know about the federal Bondi royal commission The ABC, along with other government agencies, were issued with a similar notice by the National Archives in 2020, relating to a federal inquiry into potential breaches of the law of war by Australian forces in Afghanistan. That notice remains in place. The ABC declined to comment. The National Archives was contacted for comment. An SBS spokesman said: SBS has only recently received this notice and we are still in the process of working through the implementation and impacts. Advertisement The current notice was issued by the National Archives director-general Simon Froude this week, and applies to over 30 government agencies, including the ABC, SBS, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the eSafety Commissioner and the Attorney-Generals Department. A disposal freeze is necessary to ensure that these records are protected and available when required, Froude said in a statement on the archives website. Technically, the notice suspends the National Archives permission to destroy government records related to antisemitism and social cohesion. A failure to comply with the notice can incur penalties of up to $6600. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement BusinessCompaniesHospitals Healthscope to survive as not-for-profit after private equity bid rejected Colin Kruger February 6, 2026 9:17am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Healthscope lenders have approved a plan that will keep Australias second-largest private hospital operator intact as a not-for-profit operation following its financial collapse last year after private equity owners walked away. The announcement comes after lenders owed $1.7 billion rejected a private equity offer for its Prince of Wales Private hospital in Sydney, which was finalised early on Friday morning. Healthscope boss Tino La Spina is leading a bid to buy the hospital group and turn it into a not-for-profit operator. Stephen Kiprillis The transition of this significant portfolio of hospitals to a well-capitalised not-for-profit organisation, operating in accordance with its care-focused charitable purpose, would support the long-term sustainability of the private health sector in Australia, taking pressure off the public health system, the receivers from McGrathNicol, led by Keith Crawford, said in a statement. He told this publication that the not-for-profit plan was the only option that would keep all of Healthscopes hospitals open and avoid job losses. Advertisement The solution we have put forward is the only one that keeps all hospitals open and jobs secure, he said. Related Article Insolvency Why has Healthscope entered receivership? Private hospitals provide the vast majority of elective surgeries performed in Australia. The announcement is a significant victory for Healthscope boss Tino La Spina, who has led the bid to keep the rest of its hospitals together and pursued the plan to make it a not-for-profit operator, which means it immediately sheds significant costs like payroll tax which may have been costing the group as much as $100 million a year. This is a transformative day for our people, our doctors, our patients and the Australian healthcare sector. Our whole organisation has been galvanised by the idea of transforming Healthscope into Australias largest not-for-profit hospital operator, reinvesting surpluses back into our hospitals and people to continually improve patient care, he said. Advertisement Last November La Spina warned that some of the hospitals had not attracted any buyer interest and faced the risk of closure if a break-up of the hospital operator was pursued. The Sydney hospital offer was the last being considered for five of Healthscopes so-called crown jewels, which were put up for sale to the highest bidder as part of a plan for receivers to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for lenders owed $1.7 billion from the collapse. Late last year, the receivers sold Canberra-based National Capital for $251 million to Ramsay Health, and also found buyers for Gold Coast Private, Victorias Holmesglen Private and Hobart Private Hospital. Northern Beaches Hospital is currently run by private operator Healthscope but will transition to full public control this year. Wolter Peeters They have already banked $190 million from the NSW government after it terminated Healthscopes operation of Sydneys Northern Beaches Hospital under a public private partnership model. Advertisement Lenders owed $1.7 billion had to balance the proceeds from the potential sale of the Sydney hospital with the need to ensure the remaining group of hospitals were still viable. The fact that lenders are expected to receive as little as 50c for every dollar they are owed indicates how little value is ascribed to dozens of Healthscopes hospitals. The last big hurdle for the receivers and new owners are the rents charged by landlords for some of the hospitals, which were unviable and contributed to its collapse last year. Related Article Analysis Healthcare Have they learnt nothing? Radical surgery only option for hospital giant Late last year, the receivers from McGrathNicol rejected a proposal from Canadas Northwest Healthcare to carve off the 12 hospitals where it acts as landlord as part of a deal with not-for-profit Calvary which would be the new operator in a deal worth $140 million. High indebtedness was another major factor in the collapse, along with funding problems with private health insurers, and the loss of financially lucrative multi-day stays in hospital by private patients in favour of at-home care. Advertisement Healthscope collapsed into administration in May last year after Canadian financial giant Brookfield was unable to reach an agreement with either its lenders, or landlords like Northwest, that would help make the business viable. The other landlord, Healthco backed by rich lister David Di Pilla acquired 11 of the Healthscope hospital properties in 2022 for $1.2 billion. Both Healthco and Northwest have announced plans to transfer their hospitals to new operators if receivers do not offer them an adequate deal on rents. The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the days trading. Get it each weekday afternoon. In his first novel in nearly a decade, George Saunders enters the consciousness of a dying oil magnate. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A Before George Saunders became literatures great excavator of the soul, he was blowing holes in the earth for a living. Fresh out of the Colorado School of Mines with a degree in geophysical engineering, he worked in seismic prospecting across Asia for a couple of years. The job sent him travelling for the first time. In Sumatra, he lived in a base camp deep in the rainforest, a helicopter ride from the nearest town. Back home, his family was struggling after his fathers pizza shop burned down and an insurance technicality meant it could not be rebuilt. One night, while on time off in Singapore, he saw something that would irrevocably shape the reader and writer he was becoming. Was it really that much of a lightbulb moment? It really was, he says, on video call from his home in California, where he has just chuffed down three meatballs after losing track of time due to a hectic day looking after his ageing Labrador Guinevere, mostly known as Gwyn. George Saunders discusses his new novel Vigil on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. CBS via Getty Images The young Saunders, walking home a little drunk by his own admission, passed a hotel development site and saw hundreds of women clearing the ground by hand under floodlights. When I saw those women at that hotel foundation, something kicked in. It was almost like Id wanted to throw my allegiance the other way for some time, but having that objective thing to look at, go wait a minute, I know theyre not getting paid very much, why is the world set up this way?, he says. Everything fell into line. I started reading more when I was on the crew. I started reading more Steinbeck. It was almost like that incident opened the gate and then all the literature came in and filled it in, and by the time I got home, I was a good anti-Reagan progressive. Advertisement Turning the pages of the decades to now, Saunders is widely regarded as one of our greatest living writers, drawn again and again to the hard-done-by and the overlooked, to people ground down by systems too large to see. Long considered a master of the short story, his first novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, is set over a single night in a Georgetown cemetery as Abraham Lincoln mourns his young son. The story unfolds via a chorus of voices the audiobook version has 166 narrators, including Julianne Moore, David Sedaris, Jeffrey Tambor and Susan Sarandon and won the Booker Prize in 2017. It was on the blurry day after the announcement that I last spoke to Saunders, probably one of dozens of interviews on his itinerary. He says he remembers, and hes been a practising Buddhist for nearly 30 years, so I should believe him. Even though its the sort of white lie you could also expect from a man who developed such a reputation for kindness, in his literature and life. George Saunders on the October 2017 night his novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, won the Booker Prize. Kirsty Wigglesworth So nine years on an essay collection and a volume of short stories later his second novel Vigil, and our conversation, return to that liminal territory between life and death, and also to Saunders early days in the oilfields. The book is set during the final hours of billionaire oil tycoon K.J. Boone, who we find dying, a tiny, crimped fellow in an immense mahogany bed. Our guide and his into the afterlife is Jill Doll Blaine, who died years earlier and has carried out the sacred duty of comforting 343 charges as they face death. But Boone is a tough one. He remains defiant about the damage he has done through his oil empire and by encouraging climate change denial. Spirits arrive hungry for the reckoning he himself resists. Part of the mental gymnastics was to say OK, what if I had stayed in the oil business and what if I had gotten really good at it?. Which I wouldnt have, but if I had gotten really good, and become an executive, and maybe because Im so damn charming, I would have become a CEO. Then is it possible that theres a connection between me and this guy, K.J. Boone? Oh, you know, maybe ... if Id been better at math, Saunders says. The novel is also a theological inquiry for the secular age. Is absolution possible for the unrepentant architect of destruction? What does grace look like when weighed against rage for someone who has ruined our world? How much control does a person really have over their choices? Advertisement The story is pure Saunders, strange and funny, and theres a clear link to the Russian masters he loves, especially Tolstoys Master and Man and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, with Dickens A Christmas Carol, Flannery OConnors A Good Man Is Hard To Find and Katherine Anne Porters The Jilting of Granny Weatherall also haunting the lineage. Hes long been interested in the moment of death. As a child, he remembers worrying about his grandparents mortality as he listened to them breathing heavily in their sleep. Even in his oil engineering days, he wrote a story about a man dying, which he now jokes was a Hemingway imitation: I was doing that thing that young people do where I would just go out and do something and then come back and write it up in a very terse laconic voice. He had his own confrontation with death on a United Airlines flight that flew into a flock of geese, which prompted him to reflect even more on how prepared he was. The setup for Vigil came as Saunders watched a string of terrible weather events unfold across the world and considered who might not even register what was happening because their mindset would not allow it. K.J. Boone rose from there. George Saunders latest novel follows the final night of oil executive K.J. Boone. I usually wait for the idea to come back two or three times. It is almost like somebody coming to your house and trying to sell you something. By the third time, youre like, OK, come in, so that was it. It was the idea of somebody who had done something quite reprehensible being given a chance at redemption, he says. It speaks to familiar issues: corporate greed, environmental collapse and billionaires cushioned from consequences. Saunders says he was walking (writing?) a tightrope between understanding Boones mindset and holding it to account. The current climate in America has forced him to grapple with the role of fiction and authors more broadly. Advertisement Editor's pick Literature The first great book club novel of 2026 is here Im struggling with this right now for obvious reasons, that if you take a terrible person and examine them thoughtfully through the prism of fiction, I dont think it hurts anybody. I dont think it actually enables anybody if youre good at it, if youre honest, and if you do a full accounting of the persons sins. But there is a little bit of a built-in distortion field, if youre narrating from inside the head of a dictator. And if you do a good job, the reader might come to see the dictators side of things because to the dictator, hes not evil, hes just good, hes powerful ... Its a question thats very alive in my mind. Despite their differences in scope and scale, Vigil does feel like a spiritual successor to Lincoln in the Bardo. The afterlife here, however, is less rules-based; its chaotic, darker and scarier, and theres no clear way in or out. In that way I think its a companion piece and maybe what I like about it is its almost like two pictures of the same thing but with very different lenses on there, so then there may be a third one, and that would be a different afterlife as well with slightly different rules, and then we have a triptych, Saunders says. Part of the mental gymnastics was to say OK, what if I had stayed in the oil business and what if I had gotten really good at it? The chaos is part of what makes the novel so fun. Unexplained, unsettling images arrive without explanation. A black calf perhaps a symbol of displacement, a refugee from a ruined pastoral world grazes on a piece of Boones furniture, a silent witness to his final moments. Saunders says if an unusual image strikes him, he leaves it in at first, trusting that if its right, the work will accommodate it. Advertisement Advertisement CultureBooksLiterature Newcastle Writers Festival invites Randa Abdel-Fattah amid questions over funding Linda Morris February 6, 2026 9:13am 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 Newcastle Writers Festival has defied a national firestorm over Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah that led to the cancellation of Adelaide Writers Week, naming the Palestinian-Australian author in its 2026 program. Abdel-Fattahs appearance at the festival on March 28 was announced on Friday morning, a day after the NSW arts minister stressed the need for social cohesion as questions were raised in NSW parliament about the events $250,000 government grant. Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah will appear at Newcastle Writers Festival. AAP In January, the Adelaide Festival board withdrew an invitation for Abdel-Fattah to appear at its Writers Week, a move that set off a boycott by 180 writers, led to festival director Louise Adlers resignation and the event being cancelled. AbdelFattah will discuss her novel, Discipline, the Newcastle festivals program says, reflecting on the role of fiction in challenging injustice and offers insight into her writing process and the urgent themes shaping her work. Advertisement She will also appear alongside Evelyn Araluen and Cheng Lei in a panel discussion the same day about resurgent racism, widening inequality and the tightening grip of censorship in conversation with lawyer Josh Bornstein. Related Article Analysis Literature How Adelaides writers week collapse is shaping Australias major literary festivals Newcastle Writers Festival director Rosemarie Milsom said she invited Abdel-Fattah last August after reading her book. She said she came under no pressure, either from government or her board, to rescind that invitation. The book is good, and it really is unique, a part of the flourishing movement in literature in western Sydney and centres on a Muslim journalist and academic and touches on contemporary issues, Milsom said. An invitation to appear in a writers festival program is not an endorsement of a writers personal views, and we support an individuals right to freedom of expression. She is in conversation about her book and in a panel discussion, and thats a broad panel who have their own views on things, whose views I dont profile based on politics or religion. That would be dangerous. Advertisement Abdel-Fattah has come under fire for past social media posts that said Zionists had no claim to cultural safety and that institutions that considered fragile feelings of Zionists were abhorrent. Editor's pick Literature Louise Adler and Randa Abdel-Fattah headline rebel Adelaide literary festival This week, she said those comments had been taken out of context. She was also criticised for posting an illustration of a paraglider with a Palestinian flag parachute as her Facebook profile photo the day after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. She has since said she was not aware of the scale of the attack at the time. In NSW parliament on Thursday, Liberal MP Aileen MacDonald questioned whether it was appropriate for the Newcastle Writers Festival to receive its $250,000 state grant if Dr Abdel-Fattah was on the bill. Programming and funding decisions should ensure taxpayer funds support a broad cross-section of the community, not narrow political interests, she said. Emphasising the need for social cohesion and Jewish arts lovers to feel welcome, Arts Minister John Graham said: Im also not a big fan of cancel culture. Advertisement I do not support cancelling Thomas Friedman or Deborah Conway or a range of Palestinian artists. That backfires pretty rapidly. That is my starting point. But we do have expectations about how people will behave. We will not accept hate speech. The laws are clear. We do expect festivals and cultural institutions to make a contribution to social cohesion. Everyone has a responsibility to do that. A rebel literary festival created in direct response to the cancellation of Adelaide Writers Week this week announced that it will feature Abdel-Fattah and former Adelaide Writers Week director Louise Adler, the two women at the centre of the major events implosion. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Irealised it had become a bit tragic when I recently opened a package. Inside the soft bags were two wide silver cuffs. Just like Trinnys, although hers are from Tiffany; mine are dupes. A few months before, I bought a long silver chain made of little squares welded together. It was expensive and beautiful, just like Trinnys. A wardrobe of Melbourne black (boring, says Trinny) was gradually replaced by navy basics, white rather than cream T-shirts, coloured tops and silver trainers. Tragic. We all have people who influence us, but we tend to confess to the lofty, those who enhance our consequence. A boss who gifted us a copy of The Elements of Style (nobody famous). A writer who reveals the world to us in fresh ways (Joan Didion). A grandmother who taught us to crochet a blanket (Nana). A figure from history who left his mark on the world (Nelson Mandela). In late middle age, I have Trinny Woodall. I could feign self-deprecation, but that would be disingenuous. I adore Trinny. Her joy, her energy, her wackiness, the way she jigs around a room throwing on unlikely combinations of clothes to look fabulous, and occasionally ridiculous. Her honesty about ageing menopause arrived early for her at 45, and it was dreadful and finding herself single at 61, dating a little, but requiring no man to complete her. Its so freeing, she said in a recent interview. When friends ask, Have you met someone yet? I go, No, and I really dont care. By the way, hows your boring husband? I am Trinnys age and single, and I will pinch that line. I first came upon her in the early 2000s on a makeover show she hosted with Susannah Constantine, called What Not To Wear (if you know, you know). A friend or partner of someone would secretly send in a mortifying video of this person walking around looking frumpy and tired of life (this wouldnt be acceptable now), and Trinny and Susannah would swoop in, grab her boobs and say she needed a proper bra fitting, and encourage her to try clothes she would never have considered and that actually fitted her. Trinny and Susannah had upper-crust Pommy accents but were thoroughly high-lowbrow. At the end of 30 minutes, the woman would feel better about herself, or just more herself. It was fun and moving in a Queer Eye kind of way. Its so freeing. When friends ask, Have you met someone yet? I go, No, and I really dont care. By the way, hows your boring husband? Trinny Woodall on being single at 61 In 2017, Trinny founded her beauty brand Trinny London. She initially struggled to find investors for it, famously selling her house and much of her designer wardrobe to help fund it. Its little pots of stackable lipstick and blusher combos and beautifully packaged skincare have been a huge success. Her products are good, although pricey, and I cant justify more than a couple. But its not about the products. Trinny is the face and the brand, with her social media reels of styling advice and dabbing on no-fuss make-up with her fingers. Trinny London is for all women, but its noticeably popular with middle-aged ones. Trinny is their cheerleader, their antidote to invisibility. I am fully aware that the industry relies on female insecurity, but we wear clothes every day (make-up is optional) and most of us have no idea what were doing. Sir Joseph Bossano KMC MP and Gibraltar National Mint Highlight Gibraltar at World Money Fair, Berlin 2026 Minister Sir Joseph Bossano KMC MP, accompanied by a delegation from the Gibraltar National Mint, attended the prestigious World Money Fair in Berlin, where Gibraltar was represented with a prominent stand at the exhibition. The World Money Fair is the leading international event for the numismatic industry, bringing together mints, distributors, designers, collectors and media from around the world. Gibraltars participation proved extremely successful, generating strong interest from industry professionals and international partners. During the event, Minister Bossano addressed the international press at the Media Forum, outlining Gibraltars commitment to innovation, quality and heritage in coin production, and the strategic importance of the Gibraltar National Mint in promoting Gibraltar globally. Minister Bossano also unveiled the Gibraltar National Mints latest flagship release; the new Gibraltar collection titled The Unseen Effigies. Issued to mark a historic milestone, 2026 commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Gibraltar. To honour this occasion, the Gibraltar National Mint has launched a brand-new circulating coin collection featuring previously unseen effigies of Her Late Majesty. Each effigy represents a different decade of Queen Elizabeth IIs record-breaking reign, while the reverse designs form the centrepiece of the set, uniting history and numismatic heritage. The 1 collection is the first of its kind to feature each decade of the Queens life across the same specification, making it the worlds first bimetal 1 coin collection of its type. Sir Joseph Bossano said: "The World Money Fair provides an excellent platform to showcase Gibraltars growing presence within the international numismatic community. The Unseen Effigies collection is a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of Her Late Majesty The Queen, while also demonstrating the innovation, craftsmanship and ambition of the Gibraltar National Mint." Advertisement LifestyleLife & relationshipsFamily Opinion After days of trying to call and text my brother-in-law, we rang the local police Kate Halfpenny Regular columnist February 6, 2026 10:00am February 6, 2026 10:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A After my husband spent days last week trying to get his brother to text or call him back, he rang the local Melbourne police station. Said Andrew hadnt been well, asked for a welfare check. Well get back to you, said the cops. Maybe he went on holiday and didnt tell you. Nah. Not Andrew, said Chris. Hes a homebody. Likes his own company at his own kitchen table. Likes reading physical magazines and newspapers, doesnt like driving. When he does nip up to the shops, hes likely wearing an ancient Arnold Ross jumper or tweed jacket with patches on the elbows. Andrew in the 90s. This was about midday on Saturday. We went about our business. Distraction. I pruned hydrangeas, thought ahead to dinner. Chris walked our dog Sally, phoned his aunt to see when she last heard from Andrew. He also spoke to the police again. No car available yet. Sit tight. Advertisement Righto, but that was getting stressful. Should we drive up from the coast? Probably faster, but we both had a bad feeling. I didnt want my husband still wobbly sometimes from losing his other brother John to face a too-quiet house, a door unanswered. To face being the last one standing in his whole family. So we started talking about Andrew. About his high school exchange year in California, his stint as a language teacher in Japan, his decade living in Sydney working for impresario Mike Walsh. Then his bunkering down home in Melbourne, living the life he liked quiet. Andrew was entertaining because he never pretended to be interesting. He and I would debate whether Lady Di would have liked Meghan Markle, if Barbra Streisand cloning her dogs was ick or marvellous. Once, on Facebook, he listed his top 10 albums of all time as including Xanadu and the Broadway original cast album of Pippin. During a phone call last winter, I told Andrew hed get a kick out of the Dull Mens Club, founded in the 1980s by retired US tax lawyer Lee Carlson when he decided there werent enough clubs or associations for people who want an uneventful life. Advertisement Andrew laughed. Course he did. Now on Facebook, heres a place where 2.1 million followers self-described dullsters, men and women celebrate the mundane without apology. The antithesis of usual social media behaviour. People post photos of eggs, playing competitive conkers, being town criers. In just the last few days, contributions include a school German report, old shoes next to new ones, rubber band collections. Brisbanes Richard Gourley put up a sign he sees from the train: Warning, roller doors open and close at infrequent times. My favourite ever contributor is the Canadian bloke who posted a snap from his wifes delivery suite of the six-wheeled base holding monitors and devices beside the bed. I cant help but notice how smooth the casters on hospital equipment [are], he wrote on Facebook. Perhaps floor texture has a lot to do with it. However, the construction of the wheels and the bearing in each caster seems superior to other casters in other environments. Advertisement Andrew would fit right in, we thought. Just as dullsters posted screenshots of Amazon notifications that plectrums were arriving, he collected theatre programs, could quote Judy Garland movies, never missed posting the same photo of a poppy every Anzac Day. In November, Carlson who chose his pseudonym Grover Click for its alleged blandness described dullsters as the opposite of hipsters. Were not into the latest thing, he told The Times in the UK. For 40 years, hes had one message: Enjoy what youve got. Its OK to be ordinary. Andrew knew that. While in his pomp he was at the heart of the party photos of him laughing with streamers on his head, hugging friends at weddings are Exhibit A he decided in midlife that having an organised sock drawer and legal affairs were more his jam. Just after 6 on Saturday night Chris and I were waiting on the front porch when the divvy van pulled up. Two cops got out, opened the gate. And we knew. Even in death, Andrew stuck with dull. Natural causes, was the coroners interim finding. Sleep tight, our extraordinary ordinary man. Kate Halfpenny is the founder of Bad Mother Media. Her book, Boogie Wonderland, is published by Affirm Press. British PM apologises to Epstein victims British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has apologised to Epstein victims for appointing one of his associates as the UK ambassador to the US. Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Save this video for later Add videos to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Advertisement NationalNSWIsraeli-Palestinian conflict NSW Police deploy thousands of officers for Herzogs visit, protesters put on notice Amber Schultz February 6, 2026 11:00am 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 Police have warned they will arrest pro-Palestinian protesters who breach restrictions while demonstrating against Israeli President Isaac Herzogs visit to Australia next week. The Palestine Action Group has announced a march from Town Hall to NSW Parliament House on Monday evening, in breach of public assembly restrictions put in place following the Bondi terror attack. NSW Police officers in front of pro-Palestine protesters in November. KATE GERAGHTY NSW Police officers will work an additional 3000 shifts during Herzogs four-day visit, with 500 assigned to Mondays protest. As of June 2025, there were just under 16,000 sworn officers in NSW. More than 1000 officers were deployed during the September March for Humanity event across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Advertisement Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan said he had offered protesters an alternative route from Hyde Park to Belmore Park, which had so far been refused. He warned that police may be forced to arrest those who do not comply with move-on orders. Those who are planning to participate in the march are being warned, they do not have [regular protest protections], Dunstan said on Friday. Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses media in Beersheba, Israel, in June. Kate Geraghty We are asking the organisers to work with us and to comply with the declaration so that a peaceful march can be facilitated safely. We do not want to be placed in a situation where we are arresting people. If people show up at Town Hall, if they breach the declaration, we will have to arrest people. That will not be on us. Advertisement Dunstan said police were at a stalemate with organisers. He had last spoken to Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees on Monday, but he had so far declined an official meeting with the police. Dunstan said organisers estimated between 4000 and 5000 people would attend the protest, who would walk in a single line. Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees. Dominic Lorrimer This is borderline ridiculous its not practical, not possible, he said. The restrictions do not prohibit protests, but they stop those who block traffic or pedestrians from being protected from legal charges. Police may issue move-on directions to people who obstruct pedestrians or traffic or behave in an intimidating or harassing manner, or in a way that may be perceived as threatening or causing fear. They can also require protesters to remove face coverings of people suspected of committing offences. Advertisement Lees said police had the option to alter restrictions for the protest as opposition to Herzogs visit rapidly snowball[ed]. Related Article Protests Labor MPs to defy protest restrictions for Israeli president visit It is outrageous that Chris Minns would send his police out to try to threaten and intimidate peaceful protesters who want to oppose the visit of Herzog, and oppose genocide, Lees said in a statement. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon extended the assembly restrictions on Tuesday due to fears for public safety. What I fear is a large-scale public assembly with so much animosity could present a risk to community safety, he said. Advertisement Police have ramped up security following the December 14 terror attack, which took place at the Jewish celebration Chanukah by the Sea event in Bondi. Just two officers were stationed to police that event, where 15 people were killed. Alongside public assembly restrictions, there are increased numbers of officers stationed at major events, with specialist officers carrying long-arm weapons. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. CLARIFICATION The story has been updated to clarify the number of officers and shifts assigned for the visit. Police extend protest restrictions ahead of Israeli president's visit Thousands of police officers are expected to descend on the city on Monday, with protests planned against the visit of Israel's president. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Save this article for later Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Two sisters have died nearly a week after they were pulled from a massive house fire in north Queensland. Emergency services were called to their familys house in Bushland Beach, just north of Townsville, about 5.30am on Sunday, and the two-year-old and 13-year-old were rushed to Townsville University Hospital in critical condition. Hallie, 2, and Evie, 13, died after the fire in Townsville. Townsville University Hospital Two teenage boys escaped the fire and were taken to the hospital in stable condition. Queensland Fire Department Acting Inspector Steve Bigham said firefighters performed CPR to one of the children on the roof of the house while it was engulfed in flame. Advertisement NationalVictoriaCourts Drug boss says prison system treats him cruelly out of embarrassment over his crimes Erin Pearson February 6, 2026 2:09pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Gangland leader George Marrogi says he is being treated in a cruel and inhumane way in jail after embarrassing the prison system by running a drug empire while behind bars. Marrogi appeared in the Supreme Court via a videolink on Friday to claim his human rights were being breached by the inhumane and degrading treatment he received at Barwon Prison during 2023 and 2025. Jailed crime boss George Marrogi claims hes being treated cruelly in prison. The court heard Marrogi has been separated from mainstream prisoners for nine years and this was having a significant impact on his mental health. I generally spend around 23 hours per day in my cell, the former drug boss wrote in court documents. Advertisement Marrogi is serving a 38-year sentence for murder and drug smuggling, and has been deemed one of the states most dangerous and high-risk prisoners. Barrister Sarala Fitzgerald, SC, said authorities classification of her client meant he spent long periods unable to have face-to-face contact with others, including a Jewish chaplain who had to sit on a seat outside Marrogis cell and speak with him though the trap door. Some of the 69 kilograms of drugs George Marrogi pleaded guilty to importing. As a result of his segregation, Marrogi spent much of the time with his ear pressed against his cell door, attempting to hear and decipher the motives of prison staff, Fitzgerald said. She also noted allegations her client had been left unclothed in his cell, was subjected to non-compliant strip searches, went on hunger strikes without a visit from the prison governor and suffered sleep deprivation. Advertisement Related Article Courts Gangland boss George Marrogi plotted wild helicopter escape from prison During the times Marrogi was allowed contact with other inmates in his segregation unit, they had only been permitted to do crosswords together, Fitzgerald said. Hes become obsessed and fixated with the movement of all prison staff, she said. Marrogi says some nights he doesnts sleep at all. He claims prison authorities are attempting to unravel him. The court heard Marrogi believes his treatment was occurring because prison authorities were embarrassed he had run his drug trafficking operation from inside Barwon using the prison phone system. Advertisement Marrogi has sued Victorias Department of Justice and Community Safety in a bid to improve prison conditions, including greater access to open air and more freedom while in custody. Related Article Courts Gangland boss goes to (legal) war with prison system Last month, Marrogi won part of his Supreme Court battle against the Victorian government over his treatment behind bars, which the convicted murderer compared to conditions endured by late South African president Nelson Mandela. At the time, it was flagged that Marrogis landmark win about access to open air could force the state to redesign parts of the maximum security units where he is currently being housed. Advertisement On Friday, Liam Brown, SC, for Corrections Victoria, said the prison had considered moving Marrogi into the mainstream prison in 2019 and 2022, but he either declined to attend meetings or lit fires in his cells. Despite this, Brown said, Marrogis handcuff regime was reduced and his privileges increased by late 2024. But in September 2025, a serious security incident occurred and a new risk assessment was conducted. The case before Justice Claire Harris continues. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Umberto and Marco Finanzio outside the espresso bar in 2023. The High Street venture helped kickstart a Thornbury renaissance. An Italian espresso bar helped spark this suburbs renaissance, but locals now fear its success may see a South Yarra- style overdevelopment, removing its eclectic mix and destroying its soul. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A Its no surprise to Marco Finanzio that some visitors to his Thornbury pasta and coffee bar, Umberto, say it has a Pellegrinis vibe. My parents took us there regularly to eat with Sisto, Rocco and his wife, Maria, in the back room, says Finanzio, referring, of course, to Melbourne-Italian hospo royalty, the late Sisto Malaspina and his co-proprietor of four-plus decades, Rocco Elice. Finanzio grew up breathing the aroma of espresso and cigarette smoke at the buzzing Italian social clubs of Thornbury, where his Calabrian-immigrant dad, Umberto, took him and his brother as kids. While Umberto played cards with his mates, the boys played pinball and drank cappuccinos. Secondary smoke and too many Fantas before a quick trip to the TAB was a normal Saturday, he says. Like the formerly working-class suburb of Thornbury, his childhood was infused with the energy, food culture and cafe conviviality of the vast wave of Southern European migrants who settled there after World War II. Related Article Special series Life in the burbs What Thornbury was like before the hipsters moved in The young Finanzios went on their dads rounds as a sales rep for coffee and espresso machines, visiting the inner sanctums of classic Melbourne venues, delivering coffee all over Melbourne, from the Jewish cake shops in Acland Street to the cafes of Lygon and Brunswick street. Advertisement As an adult bored in his chosen career of finance, Marco decided to take his memories of how to give an authentic heartbeat to a hyper-local hospitality venue and apply them to Thornburys then-comparatively flat-lined food scene. In 2010, he launched the espresso bar credited with kicking off the suburbs cafe renaissance, naming it after his dad. The way Finanzio and other locals tell it, when Umberto Espresso Bar opened in its original, 40-seat venue, Thornburys stretch of High Street was due for a bit of a rebirth. He describes it as faded by decades of inactivity between the 1980s and the late 2000s. The bright lights of Northland and the growth in popularity of Preston Market had drained the vibrancy out of the retail spine running through this 5.2-square kilometre pocket of the citys inner north. Umberto Finanzio and his son Marco at the much-loved Thornbury eatery last month. Penny Stephens Its lacklustre years did not escape the keen-eyed arbiters of all that is good to do in Melbourne, Broadsheet magazine. They described the main attraction of High Street, pre-Umberto, as dusty shops spruiking TV antennas, discounted shoes and second-hand whitegoods, and credited the new cafes arrival with starting the areas journey towards what is now one of our favourite areas for a night out. Its like a smaller, more relaxed Northcote, with much better carparking. Advertisement Even as he made his business plan 15 years ago, Finanzio found reason to believe the little piece of the City of Darebin bordered by Northcote, Preston and two meandering creeks was destined for an energy boost. I uncovered a high-density growth corridor town planning approval for High Street, Thornbury. An up-and-coming area with high-growth prospects made sense to me, Finanzio says. The vertical expansion of this rectangular pocket identified in 2021 census as being home to just 19,005 residents was cemented last year by the Allan state government. It announced a locally divisive plan to increase its Activity Centre Program by 50 more locations in well-connected areas, including substantial rezoning around High Street and St Georges Road in Thornbury. This would allow development of apartment blocks of up to four storeys on single blocks and six on larger ones, with some potential to go up to eight and 12 storeys in an area loved for quiet streetscapes of Californian bungalows and period homes. James Patto, a co-founder of the group, Fair Growth Thornbury, is among devoted residents who fear the plan has the potential to disrupt High Streets fine-grained character by breaking it up with stretches of apartment block facades and car park ramps at street level. Advertisement Though, to be fair, many shops dotted between its magnetic new guard of food and drink venues businesses such as Jujus Deli, Porco Ciccio Roman-style pizza shop, Capers retro superstar Greek cafe/bar, Peaches bar and Casa Nata, home of Thornburys Insta-hot Portuguese tarts are papered over, daubed with graffiti and already feel pretty impersonal. Empty shopfronts on High Street, Thornbury. Penny Stephens Still, Patto believes the layout and limits of the place as it stands are working, precisely because modern apartment blocks have not yet saturated it. Thornbury works so well because of its diversity, and that crosses social bounds, cultural bounds, it crosses demographic bounds, he says. We have a long-standing migrant community, new arrivals, young families, singles. A lot of that comes from the diverse mix of housing across the suburb. A couple of streets off High Street, and youre in a quiet, suburban neighbourhood. The existing variety of housing stock allows people to stay in Thornbury across their life stages, says Patto. Homogenising swaths of it with developments of one and two-bedroom apartments could erode this: That kind of density often only works for specific life stages. James Patto and Sarah Downes from Fair Growth Thornbury say they are pro-development as long as the human scale of the area is not lost. Joe Armao While the more-gentrified suburb of Northcote enjoys good heritage protections, it is a sore point for Patto that Thornbury does not. Advertisement He worries that the human scale of Thornburys stretch of High Street, between Darebin Road and Miller/Dundas streets, may morph into the kind of generic landscape of contemporary Chapel Street and Toorak Road, South Yarra, where Patto believes the original, eclectic mix is largely gone due to large-scale development. Fair Go Thornbury has proposed an alternative development map, exempting all residential streets to the east of High Street from rezoning, halving the amount to be re-zoned to the west of it, and removing all options for eight to 12-storey apartment blocks from the governments current Thornbury Activity Centre plan. The group says it is not against increasing housing stock in Thornbury per se, but argues the areas domestic nature deserves to be preserved. Its proposed replacement map has been criticised by prominent pro-housing group, YIMBY Melbourne, claiming Fair Go Thornburys plan would lock newcomers out unfairly from well-serviced neighbourhoods. California bungalows are part of the Thornbury neighbourhood character. Penny Stephens Patto rejects this: We are pushing as hard as we can as a group and a community to bring a place-based approach to density increase; to engage and listen to the community around the introduction of further density to the suburb. He suspects at least some of the many empty shops may have been land banked by owners with an eye to a rezoning windfall. We support increased density, says Patto. We just want to make sure its done in a way that respects the character and ensure Thornbury remains great for all those who come here. Advertisement Remove items from your saved list to add more. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. In mid-December, liquidators were appointed to Kapowder at the Meadows request. At the time the couple had no idea that Woolworths which was a stockist for Kapowders range of flavoured drink sachets stacked with wellness remedies had already accused Davey of deceiving the supermarket giant after it had accidentally overpaid Davey $2.75 million for Kapowders products. In their complaint to police, Nick and Natalie Meadows alleged they had been hoodwinked by Davey into providing a $100,000 loan to help grow her investible vegan skincare and nutritional supplement start-up, Kapowder, in April 2024. A few weeks ago, the Meadows family reported Davey, 38, to Victoria Police for allegedly obtaining a financial advantage by deception a fraud offence. Instead, the couple from the Victorian town of Leongatha have found themselves caught in the middle of an incredible tale of alleged deception one that involves a global drinkable vegan skincare brand; supermodel and former Miss Argentina Valentina Ferrer; and an alleged fraud by Davey against Woolworths and the Meadows family. If Natalie and Nick Meadows could turn back time to when they agreed to help their neighbour Sarah Davey bankroll her exciting new business, they would. I now find it difficult to trust people and to form new friendships, Natalie, a music teacher and retail worker, says in her statement to Victoria Police. While I have since come to terms with the financial loss, the [alleged deception has] had a lasting emotional impact on me. The Meadows dealings with Davey have also had a significant impact on the couple, both financially and emotionally, according to the familys complaint to police. Ferrers lawyers in Florida told this masthead: It is very upsetting to our client to discover what Ms Davey was doing behind the scenes and to see the brands story end this way. With stunning good looks and a deep personal charm, Sarah Sara Davey once ran a burgeoning start-up. Ferrer, who has 6 million social media followers and is the wife of Colombian reggaeton superstar J Balvin , would too feel the sting of ever having done business with Davey. In January, Ferrer obtained a default judgment against her business partner in Miami after alleging Davey had withheld information about Kapowder, including its legal issues, from Ferrer. By then, the striking-looking Davey had been declared bankrupt, was already based overseas and was no longer responding to the Meadows messages. With long, light-brown hair, a model physique and immaculate but natural presentation, Sarah Louise Davey moved to Leongatha around 2014, next door to Nick and Natalie Meadows on a quiet street not far from the centre of town. This masthead sent Davey questions about her legal issues. She did not respond to the questions by deadline, saying via email: I strongly dispute the allegations raised and will respond once I have received legal counsel. Davey has not filed a formal defence in separate cases brought by Woolworths, the Meadows family and Ferrer. Natalie Meadows and her husband Nick were allegedly defrauded by their next door neighbour with celebrity contacts. The details of Daveys unusual business dealings are all contained in court documents and Natalies statement to police. How Kapowder came to a horrible end is a tale of en vogue healthcare, intrigue and alleged betrayal of trust. It was in 2020 that Natalie first learnt about Daveys business, Kapowder a fast-growing start-up that sold drinkable health supplements that were free from animal products. Davey was a font of knowledge on wellness and beauty, having travelled extensively, particularly in Spain, and having worked as a customer service manager of a celebrity favourite hair salon in South Yarra. The log of WhatsApp messages between Natalie and Davey show a strong friendship between the two, with the women bonding over being hard-working mums and enjoying each others company. Natalie enjoyed spending time with Davey who has been described to this masthead by people who have met her as incredibly charming, a deep listener and very intelligent. We began spending time together at each others homes, socialising, going out for dinner, and our children spent time at each others houses, Natalie says in her police statement. In around 2020 , their relationship became more social and was soon a fully fledged friendship. For the first few years, the two couples were simply passing acquaintances a nod or a smile over the fence or the occasional exchange of pleasantries. Davey, who uses the name Sara professionally, and Ferrer are believed to have met over Instagram around 2019. After a starting in the pageant circuit, Ferrer has modelled for some of the biggest labels in Milan and Paris and has appeared in countless glossy magazine fashion spreads in Europe, North America and Latin America. J Balvin, whose songs have garnered more than 23 billion views on YouTube, and Valentina Ferrer on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. From her quiet kitchen business in Leongatha, Davey had recruited a business partner of considerable international reputation and profile in Ferrer. Kapowders range included products like Enlighten, hyaluronic hydration go to ingestible skincare, Natures Power, a hemp protein-based chocolate-flavoured protein powder, and Enhance, a drink plumped with a vegan alternative to collagen. Daveys instant charm and eloquence had a huge effect on the business and on the 32-year-old Argentine celebrity, with Ferrer coming on board as a shareholder in August 2019. Ferrer explained the ties between the two in a 2023 interview with fashion magazine Grazia USA: My business partner, Sara Davey, is from Australia. When we met, we bonded since were both vegan. We talked about how it was hard to find good food when travelling. Sara had the idea at first. We then started and immediately began growing, as people really accepted it and liked the product. Its something that makes people feel really good. It was a great match. Ferrer, with her huge fan base, reputation in wellness and good social standing, was a sensational and experienced spokesperson for the brand, and joint owner of the business. Valentina Ferrer in a shoot she did with Sunday Life magazine. Jesse-Leigh Elford Davey described by many as a humble person who shunned the limelight and despised having her photo taken handled operations. The relationship with Ferrer would change Daveys life. It would open the door to billionaires and music stars and their luxury lifestyles and lavish soirees, and lead to her brand growing at a rapid rate. Kapowder would soon be stocked by ultra-trendy high-end US organic grocery chain Erewhon and online fashion retailer Revolve. Then in 2022, Kapowder hit the big time in Australia when Woolworths began to stock its product line. There were also plans to have Kapowder sold at Chemist Warehouse and Walmart and hopes to branch out into the Hong Kong and India markets. The Meadows were impressed that their neighbour had such an interesting and successful life all from a business based in the kitchen of her small home in a Victorian country town. One of the many products in the Kapowder line that was stocked a Woolworths in Australia and at Erewhon and Revolve in the US. At some point in 2022, Davey proudly told her neighbours she was able to pay herself a wage from Kapowder and had brought in new backers for $1 million. Another prospective shareholder Swiss billionaire heiress Christine Shrestha-Stern of the Patek Philippe watch fortune, and a friend of Ferrer was also said to be putting $5 million into Kapowder. This was the first time I expressed to Sarah that I wished I had invested in the business at an earlier stage, Natalie told police. Getting in on Kapowder Soon the Meadows would get that opportunity. In early 2024, Davey invited the Meadows to loan $100,000 to Kapowder, on the agreement the loan would be repaid in a year or converted into equity in Kapowder. The Meadows allege Davey showed them an investment prospectus that projected Kapowder had $6 million in revenue and had been valued at $50 million. Based on our relationship as neighbours and friends, the representations Sarah made about the business, and seeing Kapowder products available for sale in Woolworths, Nick and I agreed to provide funds. It would be a move they would regret. What the Meadows didnt know was that at the time they provided the loan to Kapowder, the business was already in serious financial trouble with Woolworths. Valentina Ferrer promoting the Kapowder brand at an event in Miami in 2023. Instagram Woolworths legal issue with Davey is outlined in the companys Supreme Court of Victoria claim against Kapowder and Davey. The supermarket giant alleged that between July and November 2022, it had issued 12 purchase orders to Kapowder, paying the company $3.79 million. Unfortunately for Woolworths, the retailer had accidentally overpaid for the products that actually only cost $1.04 million At the time the mistaken payments were made, Woolworths was under a mistaken belief that the carton price for the products on the purchase orders was the unit price for the products, lawyers for Woolworths said in its claim against Davey. Instead of notifying Woolworths of its mistake, Davey allegedly drafted up and sent Woolworths invoices to match the overpayments. When Woolworths discovered its mistake and Daveys allegedly falsified invoices in November 2022, Davey agreed to repay the cash. However, by July 2023, Davey allegedly stopped making payments, leaving Woolworths $1.36 million short. Woolworths took Davey to court seeking orders to enforce the debt in August 2024 after another payment plan was not fulfilled by Davey. The supermarket giant secured a default judgment in October that year and in March 2025 won orders declaring Davey who was by then staying in London bankrupt. A photo from the passport belonging to Sarah Sara Davey. A spokesman for Woolworths says: Following a failure to repay money owed to Woolworths, we commenced proceedings in the courts. The matter is now being managed by the bankruptcy trustee. At this stage, the couple were still unaware of Daveys troubles with Woolworths or her bankruptcy. The Meadows kept in frequent touch with Davey, helping their former neighbour get settled in London and chatting over WhatsApp. In April 2025 12 months after the one-year loan was granted the Meadows asked for Davey to repay the money they were owed, which (including the promised return of 20 per cent) was now $120,000. Messages between Davey and Natalie over several days in May 2025, which this masthead has not been able to independently verify, appear to show Davey saying she had repaid the family but the money was caught in the transfer process. Please just give it a moment to reflect on your side. I spoke with the bank and is normal depending receiving bank. I cant push it any faster, she said. Im getting you thins [sic] money love, please trust me and give it a moment to come through. A few days later, Davey shared a photo of the payment, but the Meadows bank account details were missing a digit. When confronted, Davey blamed the bank and promised to call, but never did. On May 28, Natalie sent Davey a message: Sara my heart is broken how could you do this to us. In November last year, the Meadows took court action against Davey and Kapowder and had liquidators appointed to the company for failure to pay its debts, a process that cost them several more thousands of dollars. Victoria Police confirmed it has received a complaint from the Meadows family and are taking the matter seriously. No arrests have been made at this stage and the investigation is ongoing into the circumstances. Half a world away, Ferrer has taken legal action against her former business partner in Miami to extract herself and her image from the Kapowder brand. Lawyers for Ferrer say she was genuinely passionate about Kapowder and is extremely disappointed with what Davey had done to the brand. At first, the venture seemed to be on an encouraging trajectory, being sold on platforms across the United States and abroad. However, Ms Davey was reluctant to provide requested financial and corporate information. With Davey bankrupt, people like Ferrer and the Meadows family are unlikely to ever see any cash from their former friend. And the once promising brand Kapowder is kaput. Get the days breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter. Advertisement Updated NationalVictoriaCourts Tony Mokbel a free man with wedding bells on his mind after crime case abandoned Erin Pearson Updated February 6, 2026 9:42am ,first published 8:45am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A On the steps of the courthouse, Tony Mokbel declared going to jail for drug matters was the biggest mistake of his life. Missing the death of his mother and other major life events, the underworld figure said he was now looking forward to getting on a plane, perhaps even to Greece, after the Director of Public Prosecutions abandoned its pending 2005 case against him more than 20 years after the alleged crimes were said to have been committed. Tony Mokbel walks free from the Melbourne Supreme Court on Friday. Jason South The 60-year-old is now a free man, walking away from court without any pending criminal matters and without the shadow of bail, flagging that a wedding may now be on the cards. When asked what the relief felt like, he replied: Its beautiful, it feels really nice, and life goes on. Advertisement Thanking his legal team, friends and family who supported him along the way, he said he wasnt sure how to feel right now, but an overseas holiday was on the cards. That would be great to get on a plane. I always dreamed of getting on a plane when I was in jail, Mokbel said while looking up at the Melbourne sky. Loading Being absent for family matters, including the death of his mother though, he said, were his biggest life regrets. Thats probably the biggest mistake of my life, being in jail, I dont recommend it for anyone, he said. Advertisement Minutes earlier, inside courtroom four at the Supreme Court, Crown prosecutor David Glynn, SC, told judicial registrar Timothy Freeman that the director (DPP) would not pursue a retrial on matters the Court of Appeal ruled on in October due to the potential impacts of supergrass barrister Nicola Gobbo on his defence. On behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, I file a discontinuance in relation to one remaining charge, Glynn said. Freeman noted there were now no pending matters before the court regarding Mokbel and discharged his bail. Mokbel then nodded in agreement; his red-soled Christian Louboutin shoes obstructed from view by the wooden dock wall. Advertisement Thank you very much, your honour, Mokbel replied. With his bail removed, he is also now free to move around the country, and internationally, without restriction. Mokbel with his then-lawyer, Nicola Gobbo, outside court in 2004. Nine In a statement, the DPP said: This decision was reached after careful consideration of all aspects of the matter relevant to the prospects of conviction and the public interest in a retrial. Issues of particular significance included likely ongoing delays, the age of the alleged offending, the fact that there was no actual importation, and the likely sentence to be imposed upon conviction given Mr Mokbels age, health and the lengthy term of imprisonment already served. Mokbel launched an appeal against drug convictions for three matters known as Orbital, Magnum and Quills following revelations his one-time lawyer, Gobbo, had been informing on him to police while also providing him with legal advice at times. Advertisement In October, three Court of Appeal justices partially sided with Mokbel, acquitting him of some convictions, upholding others, while ordering a retrial on a third case. Related Article Crime Tony started the underworld: The original gangland crime boss who survived and, eventually, beat the system The court earlier heard that Mokbels legal team, led by Julie Condon, KC, immediately wrote to the DPP asking for the case to be dropped. Mokbel was on bail at the time, but had earlier served almost 19 years in jail since his arrest in Greece, while on the run from the authorities in 2005. The case had centred on a charge of conspiracy to import drugs stemming from two meetings with undercover police operatives on June 29 and 30, 2005, where police had previously alleged Mokbel commissioned the importation of 100 kilograms of MDMA powder at a cost of $1.2 million in what was known as the Orbital case. Advertisement In April, after almost two decades behind bars, Mokbel was released on bail with strict conditions pending the outcome of his appeal hearings in April 2025. He was in 2012 jailed for 30 years, with a non-parole period of 22 years, after pleading guilty to masterminding an elaborate drug syndicate. But in October, the Court of Appeal threw out one of Mokbels major drug convictions, ordered a retrial on a second and upheld a third. His 30-year sentence was then reduced to 13 years, seven months and 15 days, which the court said he had already served in jail following his arrest in Greece while on the run from authorities. In its judgment, the Court of Appeal found Gobbos involvement as a supergrass corrupted one case against Mokbel known as Operation Quills to a degree that his conviction should be quashed. Gobbo had served as Mokbels defence lawyer in the early 2000s while also informing on him to police. Advertisement The Magnum conviction, which still stands, related to Mokbel trafficking a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine via a large-scale criminal enterprise while he was overseas. Since his release on bail, Mokbel has been supported in court each day by his girlfriend, who has remained staunchly by his side after meeting while he was in jail. Mokbel and his partner shop at Melbournes Northland Shopping Centre on his first day of freedom in April 2025. Alex Coppel When asked by the masthead outside court if a wedding could be on the cards, he replied: Id say yes. Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app. by Laurence Peterson In the long and illustrious history of bullshit, there has perhaps never been another month quite like January, 2026, at least in terms of its political manifestations. The month began with a completely unprovoked attack on Venezuela that resulted in the apprehension of the countrys president and his wife, and their subsequent abduction to the United States. This action resulted in the death of scores of people, and was done without any congressional input. Days later, the city of Minneapolis in Minnesota was occupied by some 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel (quite possibly due to the racist targeting of the large Somali community there) who proceeded to terrorize the community with many arrests and violent encounters with residents. Days after that, Renee Good was shot 3 times and killed by a Federal agent, Jonathan Ross, who was spirited from the Minnesota and remains a free man. A little more than a fortnight later, another Minneapolis resident and American citizen, Alex Pretti, was mauled by 8 Federal agents (who likewise remain free men) and shot by two of them 10 times, resulting in his death. At the same time, US warships from the Far East are taking up positions near Iran, and the Trump administration continues to threaten that nation, again unprovoked in any demonstrable way, with military force. Closer to home, President Trump is accelerating pressure on desperately benighted Cuba, which, once more, poses absolutely no threat to the US, and without congressional authorization. By the time this piece appears (I am writing on January 29th), it is very possible that Iran will have been attacked, or that the Cuba will descend into some kind of chaos. Or God knows what else: Greenland; Canada; Gaza/West Bank/Lebanon. And another government shutdown looms. Meanwhile, theres always Epstein. These are only the most utterly egregious instances of outrageously inappropriate exercises of political authority, often of extremely dubious legality, that have been undertaken by Trump and his minions, during a month in which an average day could feature (sometimes quite a few) news items like Judge blocks feds from destroying evidence in Minnesota shooting, or Five-year-old deported to Honduras despite being US citizen latest child victim in Trump crackdown, $1 billion contribution secures permanent seat on Trumps Board of Peace, Attorney General Bondi wants records of voters, Medicaid and SNAP Recipients to end chaos in Minnesota, and Trump pardons Florida fraudster after commuting her sentence during his first term. All these actions and then some have been subsequently justified, if that is what one can call it in any meaningful way, by Trump and members of the administration, by falsehoods, slander, contradictions and alternative accounts of video evidence that anyone can see. The general lack of concern on the part of associates of the administration that the blatant falsehood of the claims made will lead to any adverse consequences is utterly breathtaking. I, personally, have never experienced anything close to observing this in my lifetime. But there is more. On January the 20th, Trump gave a press briefing that simply has to be seen to be believed, and followed it the next day with a speech and short Q&A session at the World Economic Forum in Davos that may have eclipsed even the previous days singular performance. Both occasions involved argumentation, again if you can call it that, of a decidedly childish natureoften being mere repetitions to the word of talking points Trump has been using for months or even longer (evidencing almost no serious effort by way of further preparation for the particular occasion), liberal deployment of patent untruths, and shameless insults directed at members of the audience and others, including the use of exaggerated foreign accents to mock certain leaders. But I would direct attention here to the reaction of the different audiences: at the press briefing, reporters unashamedly threw themselves at Trump after his speech, hoping to put largely softball or at most mildly challenging questions to him, the answers to which provided almost no new information; and at Davos, the VIP rulers of major countries and heads of vast multinational corporations sat in obedient silence during the insulting pantomime, whilst the appointed moderator went out of his way to shower Trump with flattery. Can we still look at this sort for thing as everyday, run-of-the-mill bullshit? Do we not miss something essential if we choose to confine ourselves to such notions? I will argue that we seem, as a society, to be moving towards a situation in which, especially regarding politics, but extending into other matters, it has become effectively impossible to call bullshit. Moreover, and perhaps more disturbingly, I feel we are becoming desensitized to the emotive power that accompanies the calling of bullshit because we have become so distrustful of so many of our most basic institutions and even communicative practices that we no longer feel much disappointment when these things consistently fail to enhance or promote successful communication or action. Rather than instilling an active outrage, the calling of bullshitor whatever it is nowreinforces a decidedly passive helplessness. If we continue to rely on the virtually universally acclaimed philosophical conception of bullshit, that provided by the late Professor Harry Frankfurt of Princeton, I believe it becomes very difficult to perceive these changes, never mind to incorporate them into a theoretical understanding of bullshit. That is why I think it is so important to address the issue yet again, as Trump and related phenomena turn a reckoning with bullshit into an absolutely vital pursuit. So here goes. Frankfurts position is actually very simple. He draws a distinction between the bullshitter and the liar: the liar distorts the truth, but maintains a strong interest in the ultimate truth being distorted, if only to protect the deviation from it being perpetrated from being susceptible to becoming known; the bullshitter, on the other hand, must retain no interest in the veracity of anything. The bullshitter is simply indifferent to whether or not any deviation from an underlying truth in his or her statement (Frankfurts analysis doe not seem to extend to actions, gesturesor even jobs (thank you, David Graeber!), which constitutes an important weakness in his analysis, in my view) exists or can become known. The liar must constantly be mindful of what s/he implicitly or explicitly denies; the bullshitter acknowledges no such constraint. The liar knows what s/he deviates from. Possession of such knowledge on behalf of the bullshitter is optional, if it exists at all. Though this insight is very helpful in mapping out a posture implied by the statements of bullshitters, perhaps as a first step in a philosophical treatment of bullshit, it seemed incomplete, perhaps woefully so, to me from the beginning. It told me nothing specific about those on the receiving end of perceived bullshit, and was especially poor in accounting for the strangely intense emotional state that accompanies such perceptions so very often. And it offered very little by way of providing for a significant account of the the intention of the bullshitter: why adopt such a communicative strategy in the first place? Indeed, why is such adoption so very, very popular? And what does the peculiar popularity of bullshit, combined with the equally uniquely vivid offense so often taken when one finds ones self on the receiving end of it, say about our society, its institutions and its practices? Can and does this change over time in important ways? Frankfurt hinted at certain things regarding some of these questions in his essay On Bullshit, but did not seem to suggest anything essential was required to follow up in these directions to finish his inquiry. And, as far as I have been able to make out, neither has anyone else, at least in the popular literature on the subject. What would serve as a proper follow up to the questions I have posed? If you will allow me to quote at length from the first piece I wrote on the subject: What seems to make bullshit so exasperating is precisely the reliance of the bullshitter on accepted (though not necessarily well understood) norms, laws and conventions that effectively protect the bullshitter from objection, even and especially when such a reliance clearly clashes with different beliefs of the bullshitter that should also be clearly evident to the wider community, not just the person/s being bullshitted. And I would submit that the thing that provides the word with the emotive power of forbidden fruit, and installs it in its rightful place as one of the languages most cherished obscenities, consists in the fact that it is felt that there are no effective means of appeal which might allow the contested statement-or deed-to be challenged. In consequence, we are forced to walk away from situations we find somehow unsatisfactory without enjoying recourse to any more developed discursive or more binding devices to tease or tear out of the statement, deed or outcome, more acceptable ones, or simply a better explanation why we must ultimately submit in the first place. Indeed, it is worse than this: we feel that these means are, to a not insignificant degree, already available; and that we must submit precisely on occasions when clear-cut conventions or rules should automatically generate objections from the wider community of listeners or witnesses surrounding us. It is this visceral sense of casually enforced rules and subsequent illegitimate isolation from a community who, according to their own publicized standards of behavior and communication, would seem to be committed to an enthusiastic hearing of our objections, that seems to characterize bullshit and take it out of the realm of normal discourse and provide it with the emotional power that has always been the wellspring of the profane. Ultimately, it seems that an identification of the posture of the bullshitter as being indifferent towards truth can only be a preliminary first step in getting to the heart of the matter where bullshit is concerned: there must be a subsequent establishment of what makes this motivation sensible and effective in real social settings if any account of bullshit is to be set in motion coming from the direction of Frankfurts efforts. It is precisely because the bullshitter can be so aggressively and manifestly confident that the truth condition of her/his statements will not be investigated, or deeds interrogated, or that adverse consequences cannot follow upon conclusion of such efforts, that the bullshitter can possibly feel at all indifferent to the truth Frankfurt speaks of; the social setting provides the indispensable condition for the attitude towards truth; and no account of bullshit can be considered complete before that has been holistically integrated into said account. I believe this account provides the kind of follow up that Frankfurt neglected to work out. But there is another question that must be answered: how does the conception account for any kind of social change that might alter our notion of bullshit? Frankfurts unrefined position suggests a kind of unchanging essence where bullshit is concerned, and simply cannot be useful in charting any significant alterations that might affect the words meaning in actual practice. I would like to try to show how my notion of bullshit can. I spoke in the quoted passage of people being forced to walk away from situations they find somehow unsatisfactory when they believe they are the victims of bullshit, and that this gives rise to a visceral sense that the (often very strongly) implied communicative and institutional standards of the group in question, or even society, which would seem to support the specific objection being made to the bullshit are not operative or even present. I believe that this sense of dissatisfaction, especially in politics, has been, to a palpable degree, disappearing. This is clear, I think, in many of the instances I mentioned at the beginning of this piece. For many people, the stories and headlines I provided fail to provoke the kind of outrage any more that they once might have. There is, for many, such a lack of belief in the kind of standards that might provoke outrage if denied that, rather than eliciting a further, visceral, active response, leads to an accumulating sense of powerlessness. Such people have come to expect that most group standards they have relied on in the past are no longer reliable for their purposes. They are no longer dissatisfied, because they dont expect anything meaningful at all. Is this still compatible with any proper conception of vigorous idea of bullshit, at least in politics? Maybe it does. But it is different. And more people seem to be resuscitating the old notion of bullshit, in response to the utter depravity and dangerousness of the Trump regime, amongst other things. But there is a long, long way to go, and, given the fact that the courts and media in particular are so ridiculously slow to challenge, never mind reverse, the cascading outrages that burst forth, such that they tend to become forgotten within days, it is hard to see how such sentiment, and, more important, a truly effective resistance to not only Trump, but the so very many other corrosive forces that preceded and gave rise to Trump, will manifest themselves. *** Enjoying the content on 3QD? Help keep us going by donating now. A crowd gathers and flower tributes are laid at the site of the terror attack in Bondi in December. Not everyone is pleased by the imminent arrival of Israels president Isaac Herzog, but for many Australian Jews, it is a healing step. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A When Isaac Herzog called, the full horror of Bondi was still emerging. Jeremy Leibler, upon hearing of a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydneys most famous beach, had rushed back to his Melbourne home from a wedding. He was watching the live TV pictures with growing despair when the number of the Israeli president flashed up on his phone. Im with you, Herzog told the Zionist Federation of Australia president. Im with the community. We are here for anything you need. It was a welcome yet discombobulating message. Australian Jews are all too accustomed to offering their support to family and friends in Israel at times of war, grief and trauma. In the immediate aftermath of October 7, Leibler travelled to Israel with a small delegation of Australian Jewish leaders and visited Beit HaNassi, the presidents residence in Jerusalem, to personally present Herzog with a statement of solidarity signed by more than 6000 Jewish and non-Jewish Australians. As he listened to Herzog on the phone, the realisation hit Leibler with a jolt that Australia, a land known as a golden medina because of the security and opportunity it had long offered diasporic Jews, was now host to this same grief and trauma. Herzog made it clear that if it would help, he would come to Australia to show his support. This set in train an idea which will be realised on Monday when Herzogs plane touches down in Sydney. The Australian Jewish community is used to giving support the other way, Leibler reflects. When the president called and said we are with you it really struck me. I thought it would be profoundly meaningful for the Jewish community and be a powerful gesture from the government to extend a formal invitation. Leibler, whose family has personal ties to the Israeli president straddling three generations, shared with Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses office what Herzog had told him. On December 23, nine days after Bondi, Leibler wrote to Herzog, on behalf of the Zionist Federation of Australia, with a formal invitation for him to come to Australia to meet with the families of Bondi victims and the Jewish community. Advertisement That same day, Albanese spoke directly with Herzog. After the call, he publicly announced his intention to issue, through the governor-general, his own invitation for Herzog to be welcomed here in a rare state visit, while Herzog simultaneously announced that he would accept. Israeli President Isaac Herzog (left), Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Jeremy Leibler. Stephen Kiprillis In the space of nine days, Herzogs offer of support had morphed into a significant statement about the depth of the Australia-Israel relationship and what this means to Australian Jews. Welcoming the Israeli president to Australia does not signal a policy shift from Albanese towards the Netanyahu government. Australias disputes with Israel, whether concerning the war in Gaza, West Bank settlements or Australias recognition of a Palestinian state, are unresolved. The personal acrimony between Albanese and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains. The Herzog visit signals that Australias recognition and support of Israel as a Jewish state and the connection nearly all Australian Jews have to Israel, whether religious, cultural or familial, transcends these differences. It is also a reconciliatory gesture towards Australian Jews who, before and after Bondi, felt abandoned by their government. It is important, I think, for all to remember the reasons why the government has listened to the request of the Jewish community on this, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said this week. Herzogs impending departure from Israel has re-enlivened debate across Australias conflict-weary Jewish population about whether his visit will salve the wounds of Bondi or open fresh ones. Either way, his public appearances in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne will be accompanied by heavy security in expectation of anti-Israel protesters and potentially, other more malevolent actors. When Albanese greets Herzog, he will follow in the footsteps of Labors longest-serving prime minister, Bob Hawke, who 40 years ago received Isaac Herzogs father, president Chaim Herzog, after the Australian government kick-started an international campaign to rescind an odious UN resolution which, to the distress of Israel, had sat on the General Assemblys books for more than a decade. Advertisement Known as Resolution 3379, it was a form of words endorsed at the height of the Cold War by the Soviet Union, its eastern bloc satellites and some of the worlds most notorious regimes such as Idi Amins Uganda and Gaddafis Libya, which equated Zionism with racism and racial discrimination and sought to impugn, on moral grounds, the existence of the Jewish state. Hawke described it as an obnoxious equation. In 1986, Hawke introduced a motion into the Australian parliament which, with the backing of the Coalition parties and the Democrats and unanimous support of both houses, condemned the resolution and called for its repeal. Then-foreign minister Bill Hayden, as a doyen of the Labor left, played a critical role in securing support for the motion across the ALP. The equation of Zionism of racism is profoundly wrong, disruptive and unacceptable, Hawke told parliament. In a region where insecurity and suspicion are strong where barriers between peoples have proved difficult to break down, it is highly counterproductive to insult the guiding philosophy of a people, especially one whose consciousness has been seared by the scourge of antisemitism. Chaim Herzog welcomed the Australian parliaments call to rescind the resolution the first of any nation outside Israel as a noble and moral gesture. Israeli president Chaim Herzog with prime minister Bob Hawke during his visit to Australia in 1986. Australian Jewish Historical Society A year later, the Australian Resolution, as it became known, was adopted verbatim by the US Congress. US senator Patrick Moynihan, who warned the UN General Assembly when it adopted Resolution 3379 that a great evil has been loosed upon the world, urged all Western democracies to follow Australias lead. The resolution was finally scrapped in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The story of 3379 and Chaim Herzogs visit, which came within weeks of the parliament passing the Australian Resolution, is meticulously documented in the personal files of Mark Leibler, the father of Jeremy and a former Zionist Federation of Australia president. The files contain letters from Hawke and Shimon Peres, a congratulatory telegram from Moynihan and a telex from a young Benjamin Netanyahu, who prior to his election to the Knesset, led Israels mission to the UN. It also includes a clipping of a forthright Age editorial, published to coincide with the Herzogs visit, denouncing the UN resolution as an insult to the memory of Jewish suffering and a slur on the state of Israel. The resolution was scrapped in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Advertisement Mark Leibler says this episode is relevant now, on the eve of Isaac Herzogs visit, because the crux of Resolution 3379 an attack on Zionism as a proxy for Jewish people is at the heart of antisemitism in Australia today. It really resonates today when you look at what is happening, he says. The reason it was opposed and ultimately abolished is because it was nothing more or less than the demonisation of the Jewish people. Equating Zionism with racism is no longer a UN resolution but is a ubiquitous slogan at pro-Palestinian protests. Letter from Shimon Peres to Mark Leibler. Not all Australian Jews wish that Isaac Herzog is coming. Writing in The Jewish Independent, Melbourne lawyer Nomi Kaltmann, a teal candidate at the last state election in Victoria, said the presidents visit will aggravate her communitys essential problem; the conflation of Australian Jews with the policies and actions of the Israeli government. Loading Kaltmann argues that Herzogs presence in Australia and inevitable protests will bring more chaos and drama to an exhausted community. After two solid months of a relentless spotlight on our community, who has the emotional resources for another circus like this? she asks. Israels president can and should be welcomed to Australia at the right time. But right now, our community needs space to heal, not another symbolic battleground onto which our grief and fear will be projected. Writing in reply, philanthropist and community activist Lillian Kline says this misdiagnoses the problem. Jewish safety in Australia will not be secured by shrinking ourselves, lowering our voices, or asking for our grief to be handled quietly, she says. It will be secured when our leaders show up, when solidarity is expressed without hesitation, and when the legitimacy of Jewish life in all its complexity is affirmed, not negotiated. Advertisement Related Article Israeli-Palestinian conflict NSW Police deploy thousands of officers for Herzogs visit, protesters put on notice This will be a very different visit, in tone and context, to the sunny, relaxed trip Chaim Herzog enjoyed in November 1986, when toured Sydney Harbour with his wife Aura and laughed with Jewish youths children in the playground of Mount Scopus College in Melbourne. Albanese, in his most expansive comments about Isaac Herzogs visit, reminded people of its solemn nature, particularly when the president meets with the families of Bondi victims. This is an outreach of what, for the past two years, has been Herzogs primary role; meeting with and consoling the families of hostages abducted on October 7 and IDF soldiers killed in the war. Israeli president Chaim Herzog meets a Jewish youth group at Mount Scopus College in Melbourne. Australian Jewish Historical Society The Israel presidency is apolitical and largely ceremonial. Herzog, a former Labor and opposition leader, cancelled his party membership to take up the role. Professor Ben Saul, the chair of International Law at the University of Sydney and the UNs Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, says Australia should be ostracising, rather than welcoming, the head of a state whose leaders have been indicted by the International Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Advertisement A bushfire warning has been raised for residents living in parts of Boya, Darlington and Helena Valley in the shire of Mundaring. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has warned people in the area that were forced to leave that it is not safe to return. A bushfire has broken out in the shire of Mundaring. DFES The warning is in place for people bound by Coulston Road, Darlington Road, Beenong Road, Glen Road, Victor Road and Clayton Road in the shire of Mundaring. The bushfire is understood to be out of control and moving in a north to north-easterly direction. Firefighters are actively fighting the fire and aerial support has been sent to protect crews and homes. According to DFES, the fire was first reported at around 1.50pm. Motorists are asked to avoid the area, reduce speed and drive carefully. Road information may also be available from Main Roads WA by visiting the Main Roads Travel Map, calling 138 138 or by contacting your Local Government Authority. The Department of Communities has set up an evacuation centre at Brown Park on Amherst Road in Swan View. Advertisement Updated NationalWATerror charges WA Police boss says no intelligence warning ahead of rally attack Hamish Hastie and Holly Thompson February 6, 2026 2:02pm 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 WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch has rejected claims by independent Senator Lidia Thorpe that there was intelligence suggesting the likelihood of an attack on January 26 and asked her to release evidence. After announcing terrorism charges for the 31-year-old man who allegedly threw an improvised bomb filled with screws and ballbearings into a crowd at the Invasion Day rally at Forrest Place on January 26, Blanch said there had been no intelligence on that individual or any other planned attack at the rally. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirming the Invasion Day rally incident had been declared an act of terror. Jesinta Burton. He said broader intelligence continued to suggest the threat of a terror attack across the country was probable. Speaking in Canberra after Thursdays announcement Thorpe was asked about Blanchs comments and said they were a lie, claiming she had seen an ASIO report suggesting a probable attack. Advertisement Thats an absolute lie. There was an ASIO [Australian Security Intelligence Organisation] report, I saw it it was three pages clearly articulating the probable likelihood of an attack, she said. However, Thorpes office has since clarified that there was a misunderstanding between the senator and WA Police, and that the dossier she referred to was related to the general terror threat level on January 26. Blanch reiterated that police did not have intelligence to suggest an attack was planned at the Perth rally. Could she release that document? Could we all see it? Blanch said when asked about Thorpes comments at a press conference at WAs police headquarters on Friday morning. Ive seen intelligence products about the probable terrorist threat to Australia, which Ive already referenced but if there is anyone, including senators, who have information that suggests there is a targeted attack at a particular place and time, produce the document immediately. Advertisement I certainly didnt get a phone call from Senator Thorpe warning me or advising me so I could prepare my officers. Related Article Investigation Extremism Far-right threats to kidnap Albanese, post bombs to mosques, secret chats reveal If she was in a position to warn me or warn her own Aboriginal community that there was a risk, thats probably another question I would ask. Why didnt you? Blanch said police attendance and engagement with rally organisers was greater than it had ever been before, with officers carrying rifles and evacuation procedures in place. Indigenous leaders met with representatives of the Commonwealth, police and WA government at Dumas House in West Perth on Thursday following the declaration of the alleged Invasion Day rally attack in Forrest Place as a terrorist act. Advertisement WA Premier Roger Cook led the meeting alongside Blanch, Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, WA Police Minister Reece Whitby and elders and Aboriginal leaders including 2024 WA Australian of the Year Mechelle Turvey. Among the leaders was Megan Krakouer, the director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, who said the meeting was historic but wanted action in its wake. Today, mark my words, it is a historic day, and for the first time, as a black woman whos been on that stage at Forrest Place hundreds of times, I feel that some form of justice have been served, she said. Indigenous leaders met with WA Police and the government at Dumas House on Thursday afternoon. Krakouer said the prospect of a truth-telling and justice commission was raised in the meeting which was considered seriously by Cook. There needs to be a powerful statement made to all constituents in Western Australia and indeed right across the country, and that could be done with a Truth Telling Commission, which will bring all our community, black, white and brown, together to understand the First Nations stories, she said. Advertisement PoliticsNSWICAC NSW Libs side with Greens to block special ICAC powers Alexandra Smith February 6, 2026 6:00pm 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 The NSW Liberals joined with the Greens to stop the corruption watchdog being given expanded powers, prompting Special Minister of State John Graham to question the oppositions motives. The Independent Commission Against Corruption sought, and was granted, special powers in 2023 that temporarily exempted it from restrictions on possessing and using unlawful recordings of private conversations made by others. Sydney property developer Jean Nassif fled to Lebanon in 2022, owing millions to creditors. Instagram The ICAC has not revealed why it sought the powers, but the request was made during its long-running investigation into fugitive Sydney property developer Jean Nassifs links to Liberal Party figures. The Minns Labor government introduced a bill to parliament late last year to make those powers permanent, but it was blocked in the upper house late on Thursday night after Coalition and the Greens voted against it. Advertisement The ICACs initial request raised the prospect that secret recordings would feature in a future public inquiry into alleged dealings between Nassif and members of the Liberal Party. That inquiry has yet to be announced by the ICAC. Nassifs construction company, Toplace, which he ran before fleeing to Lebanon as his empire collapsed in December 2022, owes creditors billions. An arrest warrant was issued for Nassif in June 2023 over an alleged bank fraud. Special Minister of State John Graham questioned why the NSW Liberals were opposing the law changes. Wolter Peeters In 2022, NSW Liberal MP Ray Williams made extraordinary claims in parliament that he had heard allegations that senior members of his party had been paid significant funds in order to arrange to put new councillors on The Hills Shire Council who would support future development applications for Nassifs company. Williams claims prompted a parliamentary inquiry just weeks before the March 2023 state election, which investigated alleged links between Liberal councillors on Hills Shire Council and Nassif. The inquiry delivered a scathing report, in which it said it faced unprecedented and co-ordinated attempts from witnesses to avoid summons. Advertisement Nassif did not attend the inquiry, insisting he was too unwell to travel from rural Lebanon. The inquirys report found no parliamentary committee had ever faced such serious, deliberate and co-ordinated attempts by witnesses to evade service of a summons. Editor's pick Exclusive Crime $2 billion and counting: More headaches looming for fugitive developer Jean Nassif In debating the bill to give the corruption watchdog the extended powers, Liberal MPs argued that the ongoing surveillance request would pay too little respect to the rights of the individual. In a free society, surely we should be able to assert limits on surveillance and protect our privacy, upper house Liberal MLC Susan Carter told parliament. There has been cross-party agreement on that proposition for decades. Why is the government now trying to change that approach? Graham called for members to back our integrity agencies to do their jobs insisting the primary aim is to remove obstacles for investigative agencies, including ICAC, to investigate and prosecute crime and corruption. Advertisement The oppositions position raises the question: What does the opposition have to hide? Graham 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. Advertisement PoliticsQueenslandEntertainment Edinburgh Tattoo performers descend on Brisbane for a tartan takeover Nick Dent February 6, 2026 4:06pm 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 More than 800 performers will fly into Brisbane from across the world on Saturday as the city prepares for an epic highland fling. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will take place in Brisbane next week for the first time in its 75-year history, with four performances at Suncorp Stadium from February 12 to 15. Musicians and dancers from 13 countries will be joined by more than 33 tonnes of equipment, says creative director Alan Lane. Thats an awful lot of bagpipes and uniforms. Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performers and creative director Alan Lane (right) at Brisbane International Airport. Sarah Marshall With an additional 300 local performers, Lane, an army reservist, said the logistics were extraordinary. Advertisement I need to make sure that when I start rehearsals on Monday morning, Ive got all 1100 in the country, and then after that, we move very quickly over three days to rehearse the show. Brisbane International Airport head of terminal operations Stacey Pollard said it was working closely with airlines to facilitate the arrival of the performers, as well as 38,000 visitors. Passengers from regional and interstate are coming to Brisbane, which is great for our tourism, she said. According to Tourism and Events Queensland, the event is expected to generate $39 million for the states economy. More than 30 bands and cultural groups will perform in the show, titled The Heroes Who Made Us. Advertisement Groups from the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Tonga, the US and Australia will take part. Drum major Alexander Middlemis, 17, will lead the Brisbane Boys College band during the mass pipes and drums. Drum major Alexander Middlemis (left) and Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo performers at the airports Arrivals Hall. Sarah Marshall I love drumming, Ive been doing pipe band all my life, he said. This is a great finale to my year at school, being able to play in the tattoo in my home town. Middlemis will wear the tartan of the Clan Maclean, whose colours of green, white and black match the schools colours. Advertisement First staged in 1950, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is performed to a live audience of almost 230,000 annually on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, with a further 100 million TV viewers worldwide. Related Article Brisbane Airport A historical tail: Retired plane to anchor new Brisbane Airport viewing area Lane said the word tattoo came from the Dutch phrase doe den tap toe, a signal for innkeepers to turn off the beer taps and stop serving soldiers. The Edinburgh Tattoo began after the Second World War when things were really tight and we needed a bit of fun, so the army sent military bands to cheer people up, he said. The Suncorp Stadium shows will involve the largest LED screen in Australia 45 metres by 20 metres projecting images of Edinburgh Castle. Advertisement After the Brisbane shows, the performers and their gear will travel on four charter flights to New Zealand, using two Boeing 737-800 freighters. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. In these circumstances, Australia should ask that the presidents visit take a small step towards reconciliation. One step would be to begin a search for objectivity, without which peace between Palestinians and Israelis is impossible. That search might begin on May 11, 1949, when the United Nations admitted Israel as a member. It did so while at the same time noting that Israel unreservedly accepts the obligations of the UN Charter. These include compliance with the decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Australia is also entitled to hope that the presidents visit will result in the intrusion of a small gleam of light upon a dark landscape. Although there are many exceptions, most Palestinians and Israelis are entrapped in deep mutual antagonism. Each community nurses grievances, grounded in injustice, against the other. Each perceives the other to be the first, or at least the principal, source of their victimhood. Grievance feeds on grievance, with a mutual absence of objectivity becoming one of the burgeoning barriers to reconciliation. The Jewish community deserves that engagement. They are entitled to draw from it all the comfort the visit can offer. As a proxy representative of some 100,000 deeply traumatised Jewish Australians, and millions who grieve with them, and as the holder of an office that is constitutionally above party politics, Herzog is entitled even though some have said it is inappropriate for him to visit now to much more than the basic respect, which in any event civilised society must give to all. Isaac Herzog is the President of Israel, the homeland of millions of Jews. He will arrive in Australia in the next few days for a five-day visit. In the words of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Herzogs principal purpose will be, to engage with members of the Jewish community who are grieving the loss of 15 innocent lives those murdered in Bondi on December 14 last year in the worst-ever terrorist attack on Australian soil. Israel has flouted its Charter obligations. Two examples are among many that prove the point. First, on December 23, 2016 the Security Council with the United States declining to exercise its right of veto adopted Resolution 2334 by which it reaffirmed that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since [the six-day war of] 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. The Council also reiterated its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities. The second example concerns two authoritative pronouncements of the ICJ. In the first of these, delivered on January 26, 2024 as in interim decision but with binding legal consequences, the court found with only two dissentients that a plausible case of genocide in Gaza had been made out by South Africa in a proceeding brought by that country against Israel. The courts final decision is some time away. Secondly, on July 19, 2024, the 15 judges of that court handed down their advice in a proceeding entitled Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Palestinians return to the ruins of the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis in October 2025. Doaa Albaz/Anadolu via Getty Images It is of relevance to Australians that one of those 15 judges is Hilary Charlesworth, a Laureate Professor of the Melbourne University Law School and a Distinguished Professor at the Australian National University. She has an impeccable reputation. And, in this instance, she was consistently in agreement with the great majority of her colleagues. By 11 votes to four the court was of the opinion that the State of Israels continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and that Israel is therefore under an obligation to end that presence as rapidly as possible. By 12 votes to three it held that all states (which of course includes Australia) are under an obligation not to recognise as legal the situation arising from Israels presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by that presence. And by 12 votes to three the court was of the opinion that international organisations, including the UN, are under an obligation not to recognise as legal the situation arising from Israels presence in Palestine, and that the UN and especially the General Assembly should consider the action required to bring Israels unlawful presence to an end as rapidly as possible. The government of Israel has inexcusably denied the authority not only of the Security Council but also of the ICJ. Yet these are two ultimate sources of international law. Israel has not withdrawn from territory acquired by war. It has not accepted that there must be a two-state solution to the Palestinian question. On the contrary, it has encouraged Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and allowed the settlers to inflict harm, amounting to massive injustice to the displaced Palestinian residents. It has also, at an unimaginable price in human suffering amounting to a plausible case of genocide in Gaza, reduced the Gaza Strip to rubble, unfit for human habitation, a ghastly wilderness accompanied at the cost of well over 60,000 Palestinian lives by the destruction of everything upon which civilised life depends. No Palestinian could fail to be traumatised by it to the point of utter despair. Jeffrey Epstein seemed bemused by the #MeToo movement as it gobbled up the reputations of many friends. The Epstein files unveiled a litany of wealthy, smart, powerful men apparently unbothered by the exploitation of women and girls. But as far as the Trump administration is concerned, the saga is now effectively over. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A When CNNs chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, questioned US President Donald Trump about the Epstein files this week, she received a response familiar to female journalists who dare to ask the US president about his infamous former friend. You are the worst reporter, Trump spat. CNN has no ratings because of people like you. You know, shes a young woman I dont think Ive ever seen you smile. You know why youre not smiling? Because you know youre not telling the truth. Youre a very dishonest organisation, and they should be ashamed of you. The instant partisan reaction was that it was another example of Trumps sensitivity to all things Epstein; more evidence of his complicity in the scandal of the century. But what he also revealed in his sprays at Collins and others (who could forget Quiet, piggy) is a hostility to inquisitions from women especially on uncomfortable topics. That is the overriding story of the Epstein files. They may not have delivered the names of alleged Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirators or a verifiable indictment of the sitting president of the United States. But across their millions of pages, spanning continents and industries and the political spectrum, they unveiled a litany of wealthy, smart, powerful men who were apparently unbothered by the exploitation of women and girls, and who seemed to revel in rejecting the norms of a world that was changing around them. Ive watched the horrible way you are being treated in the press and public, celebrated intellectual Noam Chomsky wrote to Epstein in early 2019, shortly after the Miami Herald published a year-long investigation into the former Palm Beach resident, spurring renewed interest in the case. Chomsky, who is now 97, lamented the hysteria that has developed about abuse of women, which has reached the point that even questioning a charge is a crime worse than murder. Epstein would be arrested five months later on sex-trafficking charges. Advertisement The financier, who made his fortune managing money for billionaires such as former Victorias Secret chief executive Les Wexner, seemed bemused by the #MeToo movement as it gobbled up the reputations of many friends. But he was mostly interested in how it might improve his stocks by contrast. With all these guys getting busted for harassment, i have moved slightly up on the repuation ladder and have been asked everday for advice [sic], Epstein wrote to Japanese entrepreneur Joi Ito in 2017. A couple of years later, Ito would be forced out of MIT, Harvard and several other organisations because of his ties to Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein flying with Noam Chomsky, who wrote to Epstein in early 2019, saying: Ive watched the horrible way you are being treated in the press and public. House Oversight Committee via AP In 2016, photographer and artist Andres Serrano told Epstein he was so disgusted by the outrage over Trumps infamous grab them by the pussy remarks that he might vote for Trump out of sympathy. Later, Serrano took Epsteins last-known portrait. Pussy is, indeed, low carb, wrote celebrity doctor and health guru Peter Attia to Epstein in 2015. Still awaiting results on gluten content, though. Australian human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who represented actor Amber Heard and activist Julian Assange in their high-profile legal battles, says the Epstein files open a window into a world where mistreatment and denigration of women were accepted by men. Advertisement What it shows is the complete disregard that these powerful men had for the abuse of women, which shows how normalised violence against women is, she says. That none of these men spoke up to protect these women is unacceptable and that many continued their association with him despite knowing what he had done. Related Article Epstein fallout Emails open window into Epsteins wide network of high-profile friends In her 2024 book How Many More Women? with Keio Yoshida, Robinson wrote about how Epsteins defamation threats and his use of non-disclosure agreements stymied attempts by journalists to expose his crimes many years before the Miami Herald investigation and Epsteins subsequent arrest. Epsteins victims Maria and Annie Farmer spoke on the record to Vanity Fair as early as 2002, but the magazine never ran the story, ostensibly for legal reasons although the journalist, Vicky Ward, later blamed legendary Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter for spiking it under Epsteins influence. He has rejected this. In the more recent material released, there are more references to potential defamation claims and non-disclosure agreements, Robinson says. I think its important that people recognise not only did all these powerful men stick together and protect him by their refusal to speak out about what they knew and what they saw, but then defamation laws and NDAs were used as powerful tools by Epstein to silence the victims and to prevent the public understanding the extent of the abuse. That went on for years. Advertisement Robinson is also outraged that the US Department of Justice published personal information on some Epstein survivors, despite promises it would not do so. The department later took down thousands of documents, saying the inclusion of victims data was inadvertent and a result of the huge number of files involved. But Robinson says thats not good enough. The materials released by the DoJ included naked photographs of women. We absolutely ought to be protecting the victims from having their identities and personal information shared in this way, she says. Governments have an obligation to protect victims of sexual assault and their identities. They had sufficient time to protect alleged perpetrators why did they not have time to protect the women? I do not accept that explanation for one second. As far as the Trump administration is concerned, the Epstein saga is now effectively over. The Department of Justice says it has released all the files it can. Trump told CNNS Collins that it was really time for the country to get on to something else, now that, in his view, there was nothing in the documents about him. CNN host Kaitlan Collins and Donald Trump at a town hall broadcast in 2023. But the story will roll on. Epsteins convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, is due to give a deposition to Congress on Monday, US time, although her lawyers have suggested she will plead the Fifth Amendment, which gives people the right not to testify against themselves. Former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton are also set to give depositions to Congress later this month; Hillary on Friday (AEDT) called for public hearings in front of the cameras. Advertisement Parsing the political fallout in the US is difficult. In Britain, heads have already rolled: former ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson was sacked in September following earlier revelations, and he is now the subject of a criminal investigation. The scandal is even engulfing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who appointed Mandelson in December 2024 despite public knowledge that the former Labour minister had at least some relationship with Epstein, even if the extent was obscured. There have been recriminations for some of Epsteins American friends. Larry Summers, a former US Treasury secretary under Bill Clinton, resigned from the board of OpenAI and other high-profile positions and took leave from Harvard University after the extent of his friendship with Epstein was revealed. Tech entrepreneurs Bill Gates and Elon Musk have also been forced to explain their association with Epstein. And yet, there has been relatively little scrutiny of Trumps commerce secretary and billionaire friend Howard Lutnick, who made arrangements to visit Epsteins island in 2012 and invited Epstein to an event in 2015, the documents show. He previously claimed he had severed ties with the gross Epstein around 2005. Reached by The New York Times this week, Lutnick said: I spent zero time with him, and then reportedly hung up the phone. Being named in the Epstein files or associating with Epstein is not an indication of wrongdoing. 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Discovery, a deal that would fold Warner Bros. streaming and studio assets, including a centurys worth of IP, into Netflixs already massive streaming empire. The price is north of $80 billion, and lawmakers made clear they were not inclined to wave it through without some intense scrutiny. At least, thats how things started. At the core of the hearing was a familiar question. Would combining Netflix with one of its biggest competitors reduce choice, raise prices, and squeeze creators and workers in an already consolidated industry? More simply, would the deal break anti-trust laws? Republicans and Democrats alike pressed Sarandos on whether the deal would shrink the market rather than expand it. Sarandos stuck to his prepared message, one hes been repeating for several months now, that the deal is This deal is pro-consumer, pro-innovation, pro-worker, [and] pro-creator. That line of questioning, however, was repeatedly interrupted by a different performative concern. Several Republican senators, most notably Josh Hawley, used their time to question Netflix about its programming choices, arguing that the platform is pro-woke, especially its childrens shows that include LGBTQ characters or themes. Hawley accused the company of pushing ideology, apparently identity is an ideology now, onto young viewers, and cited what he claimed were internal metrics showing a heavy emphasis on transgender topics in kids programming. He has a history of hijacking legitimate political issues to push his anti-woke agenda. In 2022, he exploited ongoing debates around copyright law to attack woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists. Sarandos pushed back, insisting that those claims were inaccurate and saying Netflix does not have a political agenda. He emphasized parental controls and choice, stressing that families decide what to watch, not the platform. Still, the exchange underscored how little daylight there is now between government scrutiny and culture war rhetoric. When not being dragged down into political theater, Sarandos sought to reassure the industry on a few key points that could hamper Netflixs plans for WB. He confirmed that Netflix would maintain a 45-day theatrical window for Warner Bros. films and claimed the company has no intention of cutting production jobs or scaling back output if the deal goes through. By the end of the hearing, legitimate antitrust questions had largely been drowned out by culture-war theatrics, a shame, since there are very real and extremely consequential questions that Netflix should be forced to answer before any deal is allowed to proceed. Now, the fate of the merger rests with federal regulators, who will decide whether one of the most consequential mergers in Hollywood history will survive. Kenya to celebrate Chinese Spring Festival as Chinese films gain popularity Xinhua) 10:00, February 06, 2026 NAIROBI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is stepping up preparations to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year amid the rising popularity of Chinese films, an official said on Thursday. Cultural institutions, tourism stakeholders, and creative industry players are planning a series of events to mark the Chinese Year of the Horse, which begins on Feb. 17. Timothy Owase, chief executive officer of the Kenya Film Commission (KFC), told Xinhua in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the national broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, has scheduled programming focused on Chinese culture, which locals are eager to watch. "As we celebrate this Spring Festival, it is a celebration that Kenya joins with China because the future of storytelling stands tall when the two countries collaborate," Owase said. He noted that Kenyans have long been exposed to Chinese martial arts films, but domestic audiences are now showing interest in other categories of films from the Asian nation. "There are many stories being created by the Chinese in our country, targeting specific topics such as culture, wildlife, and climate change," Owase added. According to the KFC, the rising popularity of Chinese films reflects strengthening cultural exchanges, driven by shifting preferences due to digital platforms and exchange programs. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) As part of Phase Two (the second of two projects) to widen and improve the I-75 at I-24 interchange, Tennessee Department of Transportation contract crews will implement temporary lane closures on I-75 near mile marker three to facilitate paving work. Friday at 9 p.m. Monday at 6 a.m.o Friday Night: One lane will be closed in both directions beginning at 9 p.m.o Saturday Morning: By 6 a.m., I-75 North will reopen, leaving one lane on I-75 South closed.o Saturday Night: At 9 p.m., one lane on I-75 North will close.One lane on I-75 South may remain closed, reopening no later than 6 a.m. on Sunday.o Monday Morning: All lanes will reopen no later than 6 a.m.Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction at all times throughout the weekend."These lane closures are necessary for crews to pour new concrete pavement that connects to the existing roadway near the CSX Railroad Bridge," officials said. "To complete this work safely and accurately, one lane must be closed so crews can install dowels into the existing concrete and position paving equipment for precise operations."Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead and expect delays. Drivers should follow all posted signage and remain alert to changing traffic conditions.As always, drivers are reminded to use all motorist information tools wisely and Know Before You Go! by checking travel conditions before leaving for your destination. Drivers should never tweet, text, or talk on a cell phone while behind the wheel. Get the latest construction activity traffic updates from the TDOT SmartWay Map. Travelers can also call 511 for statewide travel information.The Move Over Law was passed in 2006. The penalty for violating the law in Tennessee can be up to 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of up to $500. The Walker County Commission voted Thursday in favor of a rezoning request by Rock City that will allow the longtime Lookout Mountain attraction to go forward with a gondola from the valley to the mountain. Commissioner Gene Wilson, who said he has been fielding a host of calls and emails about the $30 million-$40 million project, said when the design is completed that Rock City owner Doug Chapin has committed to holding public hearings. He said they would be in Chattanooga Valley as well as on Lookout Mountain. Commissioner Wilson said of Mr. Chapin, "He does want to be a good partner. He's not trying to blindside anybody." The Lookout Mountain, Ga., Council still must give its okay for the project. The motion was approved with a condition that commercial activity not happen beneath two bluff homes beside Rock City. All Rock City property in the valley and going up the mountain is currently zoned commercial except for a 14-acre parcel where one of the poles for the sky ride needs to be positioned. Officials said, with Rock City making its Blowing Spring property the "front door" of the attraction, that the main flow of traffic would be along Highway 2, through St. Elmo from Chattanooga, and some still driving up Lookout Mountain. Rock City estimates the move would take some 3,000 vehicles off Ochs Highway on a peak day. Mr. Chapin said this idea "has been bubbling in my mind for a long time." He said his biggest concern was any detriment to the view. He said a gondola is less intrusive than an incline railway because the landscape below it is not disturbed. He said once final approval is given that design should take 6-9 months. The planned construction start would be January 2027 and it would take 18-24 months to have it ready for guests. Mr. Chapin said it would add 20 new fulltime jobs and bring $900,000 in additional sales tax to the county. He said about 30 percent of visitors to Rock City come from Atlanta, and they would be "rerouted through North Georgia past many businesses." Commissioner Brian Hart, who said he lives far from the project, stated, "My biggest concern is the traffic." Officials said a traffic study has been completed, and the next step is for GDOT to review it. President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed Clay Fuller, who is in a crowded race to succeed Marjorie Taylor Greene for the Georgia District 14 House seat. In a social post giving the candidate "my complete and total endorsement," he said, As District Attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, and Air National Guard Officer, Clay knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Defend our Country, Support our Brave Military/Veterans, and Ensure PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. As your next Congressman, Clay will fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Safeguard our Elections, Champion School Choice, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. Ms. Greene stepped down in mid-term after a falling out with the president. The special election is March 10, and a runoff date is April 7. Fuller, of Lookout Mountain, Ga., finished fourth in the last District 14 election, but he was in the service at the time and his wife led his campaign effort. In honor of 250 years since Americas founding, the History and Political Studies Department at Southern Adventist University invites community members to join in welcoming award-winning historian and author Anna-Lisa Cox, PhD, to present Faithful Fighters: Black Revolutionary War Veterans on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in AdventHealth Hall, Room 1210, on campus.A nonresident research fellow at Harvard Universitys Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, Dr. Cox compiled data that underpins two history exhibits at the Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture in the nations capital.Her research on founding citizens focuses on African-descended veterans who attended seminaries across the newly created country, championing faith, freedom, equality and hope for a better future for all. Aided by white allies, the brave warriors also led a successful church integration movement."The Bone and Sinew of the Land: Americas Forgotten Black Pioneers and the Struggle for Equality" by Dr. Cox was honored by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the best history books of 2018, and her "A Stronger Kinship" won the Michigan Notable Book Award. She received the Archie Green Fellowship from the Library of Congress Folklife Center and also produced the "Questioning Conversation" educational video series on the history of the underground railroad for the National Park Service.A reception at 6:30 p.m. will precede the free lecture.For additional information, visit southern.edu/southernevents Following its inaugural season, Alkebulan: The Mother of Mankind returns as "an annual theatrical tradition dedicated to restoring African and Black historical truth and correcting centuries of erasure and distortion," said officials. It will be presented Feb. 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. at The Howard School. Review for Alkebulan: The Mother of Mankind: Presented by the Black Arts & Ideas: August Wilson Playmakers Festival, in partnership with The Howard Schools Theatre Arts Department, Alkebulan centers African civilizations and Black history as foundational to humanitychallenging narratives that locate Black identity only in enslavement rather than origin, intellect, and global influence. Alkebulan was created first and foremost for the Black community, said writer and director Ricardo Ric Morris. It is an act of cultural reclamationrestoring memory, correcting lies and passing truth forward without apology. Others are welcome to witness the work, but the accountability is to us. Returning each year during Black History Month, Alkebulan maintains a consistent ceremonial format while honoring a new constellation of African kings, queens and visionariesallowing the production to grow into a living canon of Black history over time. 2026 Honored Figures & Cast JELI (Storyteller): Mateen EL Akhenaten: Clifford Pcalu Lidwid Luster Nefertiti: Jacqueline JJ Hood Tutankhamun: Angle Tiny Strickland Hannibal of Carthage: Marcus Price Amanirenas of Kush: Adana Shropshire High Priestess Nashakar: Joclyn Foster Taytu Betul of Ethiopia: Destiney Tyson Handmaidens and Servants: Jashala Gardner, Darrinesha Harmon,Andres Ramos Perez Temple Dancers: The Howard School Cheerleaders Through music, movement and storytelling, Alkebulan restores African royalty and leadership not as myth, but as historical factinviting audiences into a more complete and honest understanding of the past. Following the Friday night performance, audiences are invited to participate in a post-show talk-back and community discussion. Led by members of the creative team, the conversation will explore the historical figures, themes of cultural reclamation, and the importance of restoring African and Black historical truth. Participation is included with the Friday night performance and open to all audience members. Tickets are available here. Group rates and educational discounts are available. The newest addition to the Housewives franchise has a premiere date! On Thursday, Bravo revealed the first trailer and a premiere date for The Real Housewives of Rhode Island. What to expect from RHORI The latest addition to the Housewives franchise will follow a group of women from the Ocean State as they navigate the murky waters of friendships, feuds and shifting loyalties within Rhode Islands tightly woven social scene, per Bravo. In Rhode Island, everyone knows everyone, someone says in the first teaser for the show. People here, they dont look down on other states but they are weirded out that other states exist, says The Bachelor alum Ashley Iaconetti. In the nations tiniest state, everyone knows everyone and family names carry serious weight [and] nothing is ever truly forgotten, reads the description of the show. Friendships are built over decades, loyalties are deeply rooted and secrets are guarded at all costs until betrayal strikes and the cracks begin to show. Amid a season defined by evolving relationships and rising tensions, some of the groups most pivotal moments unfold during unforgettable escapes, the synopsis continues. As the summer heat sizzles in Rhode Island, the ladies retreat to one of Newports most historic and privately owned mansions, Seaview Terrace, for a glamorous weekend that rivals the Gilded Age, where opulence sets the stage for major shake-ups. Later, a sun-drenched excursion to beloved East Coast getaway Block Island pushes tensions to a breaking point as two couples go head-to-head. When lines are crossed and truths surface, nothing and no one is off limits. Meet The Real Housewives of Rhode Island cast Alicia Carmody is entering her boss-babe era, pushing her way into her fiance Billys popular restaurant. But when she revisits her past, she must navigate long-standing relationships and personal growth, leaving one friend blindsided. is entering her boss-babe era, pushing her way into her fiance Billys popular restaurant. But when she revisits her past, she must navigate long-standing relationships and personal growth, leaving one friend blindsided. Rosie DiMare is a former TV news anchor. She and her husband, Rich, are leveling up, trading their cozy apartment for a sprawling dream home. As Rosie grows her local lifestyle program, she also faces challenges within her inner circle, forcing her to consider where fits in with the group. is a former TV news anchor. She and her husband, Rich, are leveling up, trading their cozy apartment for a sprawling dream home. As Rosie grows her local lifestyle program, she also faces challenges within her inner circle, forcing her to consider where fits in with the group. Ashley Iaconetti has traded Bachelor Nation for the Bravoverse. Now married to her husband Jared, shes learning that life after I do isnt as blissful as she imagined. Between raising kids, adjusting to life in Rhode Island, and co-owning a struggling cafe, her loyalties are tested when Rosie claims she never has her back. has traded Bachelor Nation for the Bravoverse. Now married to her husband Jared, shes learning that life after I do isnt as blissful as she imagined. Between raising kids, adjusting to life in Rhode Island, and co-owning a struggling cafe, her loyalties are tested when Rosie claims she never has her back. Liz McGraw is Rhode Islands cannabis queen. Not only does she run one a successful dispensary, shes also the person to know in the nations smallest state. When she learns shes about to become a grandmother, Liz makes it clear she wont be trading couture for a rocking chair. is Rhode Islands cannabis queen. Not only does she run one a successful dispensary, shes also the person to know in the nations smallest state. When she learns shes about to become a grandmother, Liz makes it clear she wont be trading couture for a rocking chair. Rulla Nehme Pontarelli is proud of her Lebanese roots, grounded in her faith, and puts family above all else. But when rumors about her husband surface, she must confront uncomfortable questions that challenge her beliefs, resilience, and commitment. is proud of her Lebanese roots, grounded in her faith, and puts family above all else. But when rumors about her husband surface, she must confront uncomfortable questions that challenge her beliefs, resilience, and commitment. Kelsey Swanson has lived a charmed life playing house in her wealthy boyfriends castle. Now, this beauty queen must decide between sticking with her gilded arrangement or making a future on her own. When her loyalty to Liz is tested, Kelsey worries about antagonizing the groups heaviest hitter and losing her greatest cheerleader. has lived a charmed life playing house in her wealthy boyfriends castle. Now, this beauty queen must decide between sticking with her gilded arrangement or making a future on her own. When her loyalty to Liz is tested, Kelsey worries about antagonizing the groups heaviest hitter and losing her greatest cheerleader. Jo-Ellen Tiberi is RHORIs resident tea-spiller. But when gossip about Rullas marriage starts to circulate, shes caught between honesty and discretion. Plus, unresolved issues with her mother force her to confront long-buried childhood wounds. RHONJ alum Dolores Catania also join the cast as a friend through her connection to Liz. When does RHORI premiere? The Real Housewives of Rhode Island premieres Thursday, April 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. It moves to its regular timeslot on Sundays at 9 p.m. on April 5. Episodes will be available to stream next day on Peacock. For more news and exclusive interviews, follow Showbiz Cheat Sheets Instagram. With the acquisition of Gummiwarenfabrik R. Neddermann GmbH in Altbach (Esslingen district) on January 1, 2026, Festo is consolidating its competitive position in pneumatics. Gummiwarenfabrik R. Neddermann GmbH is a leading specialist in the development, manufacture and sale of sealing and rubber technology and has long been a key supplier to Festo. Handshake Festo and Neddermann The previous Managing Director and owner of Neddermann GmbH, Matthias Knie (right), is retiring. He has handed over the reins to Sebastian Schill, head of Festo's technology factory in Scharnhausen. Festo SE & Co. KG This strategic move strengthens the production of valve seals in particular, which fulfill an essential function in Festo's pneumatic components. This gives the automation specialist the opportunity to further develop these components quickly and innovatively. "With this acquisition, we are further expanding our vertical integration and securing valuable expertise," explains Thomas Bock, CEO of Festo. "This investment in the immediate vicinity of our headquarters and our technology factory in Scharnhausen is of strategic importance. It enables us to reduce our dependence on suppliers for these components." The previous Managing Director and owner of Neddermann GmbH, Matthias Knie, is retiring. He has handed over the reins to Sebastian Schill, head of Festo's technology factory in Scharnhausen. He will take on this role in addition to his previous position. "I am delighted that Festo is taking over Neddermann GmbH. From family business to family business. This means that the company and its employees are in the best hands and jobs and expertise will remain in the region," says Matthias Knie. Armenian Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan gives an interview with Hairenik Media in 2024. | Screenshot: YouTube/ Hairenik Media Bagrat Galstanyan, an Armenian archbishop currently imprisoned, sent a letter to the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington warning that the Armenian Apostolic Church is facing an existential threat and urging U.S. Vice President JD Vance to intervene. The letter was transmitted by the Switzerland-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity International (CSI) just days after Armenian authorities intensified legal actions against senior church leaders. The message arrived as the IRF Summit convened faith leaders, policymakers, and nongovernmental organizations to address escalating global restrictions on religious freedom. CSI President John Eibner read Galstanyans message aloud during a press conference in Yerevan following a joint prison visit with Swiss parliamentarian Erich Vontobel. The simple truth is that the Christian Armenian nation faces an existential threat, Galstanyan wrote in the letter, which was addressed to former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and IRF Summit participants. Galstanyan, a prominent critic of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and leader of the opposition movement known as Sacred Struggle, said his offense is to speak an unwelcome truth. According to a statement provided to The Christian Post by Christian Solidarity Worldwide, he warned that Armenia is being reduced to a vassal state of Azerbaijan and Turkey through efforts to silence the Armenian Apostolic Churchs independent voice in society. The archbishop is one of four senior clerics detained by Armenian authorities over the past eight months. In his letter, Galstanyan named Mikael Ajapajyan, Arshak Khachatryan, and Mkrtich Proshyan, stating that all have been subjected to surveillance, public defamation, and arrest. Armenian prosecutors have brought a range of charges against the detained clergy, including plotting to overthrow the government, coercing citizens to participate in protests, obstructing judicial proceedings, and in one case alleged involvement in planting drugs during a 2018 demonstration. Officials claim the actions constitute attempts to destabilize the state. In his message, Galstanyan accused Pashinyan of seeking to override church leadership, noting that the prime minister has publicly labeled Catholicos Karekin II the global head of the Armenian Apostolic Church a threat to national security. Over the weekend, the government charged six bishops with obstructing a judicial act and imposed international travel bans ahead of a planned Episcopal Assembly in Austria scheduled for Feb. 1619. Organizers moved the gathering outside Armenia to preserve independence from state interference. Eibner described the legal actions as part of the governments campaign against the church, arguing that the effort is intended to dismantle the churchs ability to advocate for Armenian national interests. In a separate letter addressed directly to Vice President Vance, Galstanyan appealed for U.S. pressure to halt the detentions and to safeguard the rights of Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Artsakh. He called on the vice president to demand the release of Armenian Christian political prisoners held in both Armenia and Azerbaijan and to ensure church participation in any future ArmeniaAzerbaijan peace negotiations. The Armenian Center for Political Rights (ACPR), represented at the Yerevan event by its president Rafael Ishkhanyan, said the governments actions have entered a third phase, now targeting individual believers with legal pressure. He linked the crackdown to a 2025 church conference in Bern, where the Catholicos demanded the release of Armenian hostages and the right of return for Artsakh Armenians. Ishkhanyan contends that event was the trigger for the states acceleration of anti-church actions, culminating in the charges filed against the bishops this past weekend. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on February 5, 2026. | Screenshot: YouTube/ NBC News Donald Trump said religion is coming back in the United States while highlighting his administrations record on religious liberty during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Trump began his address by brushing aside questions about his personal faith, referencing remarks he made last year suggesting he might be maybe not Heaven-bound, and insisting those comments were intended as humor and taken out of context. I say, 'I'm never going to make it to Heaven. I just don't think I qualify. I don't think there's a thing I can do.' But all of these good things I'm doing, including for religion. You know, religion is back now, hotter than ever before, he told the audience. The president went on to argue that he has done more for religious freedom than recent predecessors, accusing past administrations of either remaining neutral toward faith or actively opposing it. He singled out Democrats in particular as hostile to religion. Certainly modern-day certainly modern-day presidents, they didn't they bailed out on you. They bailed out. They want to be neutral. They want to be neutral or against, Trump said. You know, the Democrats are against. I don't know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat. I really don't. And I know we have some here today, and I don't know why they're here, because they certainly don't give us their vote. At other moments, Trump adopted a more somber tone, drawing attention to the suffering of Christians worldwide and vowing continued action to protect them from persecution. We knocked the hell out of [ISIS] the other day in Nigeria because they were killing Christians. You know about that. They were killing Christians. You can't do that, he said. When Christians come under attack, they know they're going to be attacked violently and viciously by President Trump. I know it's not a nice thing to say, but that's the way it is. Trump also stated that religious engagement in the U.S. is on the rise, asserting that Bible sales have reached a century-high level and that church attendance among young Americans has surged compared with four years ago. I've always said, you just can't have a great country if you don't have religion. You have to believe in something. You have to believe that what we're doing, there's a reason for it. There has to be a reason for it, he said. The president received loud applause after announcing plans for a national gathering on May 17, inviting Americans to assemble on the National Mall to pray, to give thanks and [...] rededicate America as one nation under God in observance of the countrys 250th anniversary. Following the speech, Trump faced criticism from some Christians on X for using the prayer breakfast to publicly attack fellow Republicans, including Rand Paul, Thomas Massie, and Chip Roy all of whom identify as Christians. Roy responded shortly after the speech, writing on X, Like you say, Mr. President. I am not always easy but we are good. Love helping you save the country at all hours of the day! Massie also addressed Trumps remarks, stating, The President of the United States called me a moron at the National Prayer Breakfast this morning because I'm still fighting for what he promised the American people: Reduce big spending, DOGE, no new wars, end foreign aid, defend 1A 2A 4A, prolife, and expose sex traffickers. Christian author and radio host Eric Metaxas, a vocal Trump supporter who delivered the keynote address at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2012, appeared to express concern about the tone of the presidents remarks. Didn't anyone on the President's team advise him that the National Prayer Breakfast is a prayer breakfast? Didn't someone write a speech for him? What's going on? I think they need to bring me in to help. It's that bad. I love my country and will serve if called, Metaxas wrote in a post on X. Home News Antifa activist charged with cyberstalking, threatening ICE officers in Minnesota Quick Summary AI Summary Antifa activist Kyle Wagner charged with cyberstalking and threatening ICE officers in Minnesota. Wagner allegedly used social media to incite violence against ICE agents, stating it was 'kill or be killed.' Authorities emphasize accountability for those obstructing law enforcement operations. 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 self-proclaimed member of the far-left domestic terrorist group Antifa has been charged with cyberstalking and threatening U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Authorities arrested 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Kyle Wagner on Thursday, with the antifa member being accused of threatening the lives of ICE agents in Minnesota. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Wagner took to social media to encourage people to hunt and fight ICE agents, saying it was kill or be killed. Additionally, Wagner said that Minnesota was where ICE has come to die and that he was not talking about peaceful protests anymore, telling supporters to get your f----- guns and stop these f------ people. We will identify every single one of them and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. If it has to be done at the barrel of a gun, then let us have a little f------ fun, he also said. The DOJ also alleges that Wagner used his Instagram account to dox a Michigan-based supporter of ICE by publishing their phone number, birth month and year, and home address. This man allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets, and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization Antifa before going on the run, said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, as quoted in the press release. Todays arrest illustrates that you cannot run, you cannot hide, and you cannot evade our federal agents: if you come for law enforcement, the Trump Administration will come for you. At a White House press briefing Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt talked about the arrest, reiterating the importance of stopping people who try to obstruct law enforcement. If people are illegally obstructing our federal law enforcement operations, if they are targeting, doxing, harassing, and vilifying ICE agents, they are going to be held accountable, like this individual here, she said, holding up a photo of Wagner. He called for the murder of federal law enforcement officers. He encouraged bloodshed in the streets of Minnesota. He proudly acclaimed affiliation with the domestic terrorist organization Antifa. In July of last year, 10 individuals were charged for launching an armed assault on an ICE detention facility in Texas, and a law enforcement officer was wounded during the attack. The suspects faced the charges of terrorism, aggravated assault on a public servant with a deadly weapon, or aggravated assault against a peace officer with a deadly weapon. ICE reported at the time that there was a 700% increase in attacks on their personnel since the Trump administration had ratcheted up operations to crack down on illegal immigration. Last month, Oklahoma resident Taylor Ryan Prigmore was charged with allegedly making multiple threats against ICE agents and Trump supporters on social media. Home News Bilingual Texas church removes pastor from website after reported arrest Quick Summary AI Summary Bilingual Texas church removes Pastor Troy Hernandez from its website after his arrest. Hernandez, 50, was arrested on Jan. 29 for felony indecency with a child linked to a 2008 incident. Police confirmed Hernandez was booked into Dallas County Jail but was released shortly after. 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 North Texas pastor has been arrested on a felony charge of indecency with a child stemming from an incident in 2008. Troy Hernandez, 50, of Arlington, was arrested by Irving police on Jan. 29 on charges linked to an alleged incident involving a 14-year-old relative of his, according to ABC News' Dallas affiliate WFAA. According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA, the victim reported to police on June 20, 2025, that the incident occurred in Hernandez's apartment in Irving while they were watching a movie. The victim stated that Hernandez began touching her back and stomach, became aroused during the contact, and then covered himself with a pillow, WFAA reported. In an interview with police, Hernandez stated he "did not remember doing that but did not deny that it occurred," according to the affidavit cited by WFAA. Investigators noted that Hernandez confirmed he lived in Irving during the timeframe of the reported incident. A public records search confirmed Hernandez was booked into Dallas County Jail following his arrest, but it wasnt immediately clear when he was released. In a statement Thursday to The Christian Post, Irving police declined to provide further details on the arrest. Because of the nature of the case, we are not able to share any information at this time, a police spokesperson said, only adding that the charges stem from an incident that occurred in 2008, "given the obvious public concern." Hernandez is the pastor and founder of the bilingual True Grace Church in Arlington, which he started in 2014, according to the churchs website. He is featured in social media posts as recently as Jan. 18, but it was unclear whether he still actively led services at True Grace. An archived version of the churchs website included a photo of Hernandez and his wife, Rachel, and described Hernandez as a Christian businessman. Both the photo and bio had been removed from the churchs website as of Thursday afternoon. In an Instagram video shared in October, Hernandez delivered a mini-message on resisting the devil and told followers, I want to talk to you about the power of resisting the devil and watching your authority grow in God. The Christian Post reached out Thursday to True Grace for comment. This article will be updated if a response is received. Hernandezs arrest marks the latest in a string of arrests involving churches in and around North Texas in recent months. In September, John McKinzie, lead pastor of the multi-campus Hope Fellowship, stepped down due to sexual sin and moral failure. Just a few weeks later, Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church in Southlake, was sentenced to a six-month prison term and a 10-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. Home News Former North Dakota church business manager charged with embezzling $600K to pay credit card bills Quick Summary AI Summary Carly Anne Tufte, former business manager of Faith Journey Lutheran Church, charged with embezzling $600,000. Tufte allegedly used unauthorized credit cards for personal expenses from April 2019 to December 2024. Church implemented new financial oversight measures following the discovery of the embezzlement. 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 The former business manager for a North Dakota church has been charged with embezzling around $600,000 from the house of worship. Carly Anne Tufte, who worked at Faith Journey Lutheran Church of West Fargo, was indicted last week in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota, Valley News Live reported. The church hired Tufte as an administrative assistant in 2018, with her being promoted to business manager in 2019, where she served until resigning in December 2024. According to federal prosecutors, Tufte opened an unauthorized credit card in April 2019 in both her name and the churchs name, and had it sent to her residence. From April 2019 until her resignation in December 2024, Tufte allegedly charged nearly $640,000 for mostly non-church-related expenses, including vacation travel and new clothes. Tufte also allegedly made unauthorized payments from church funds to pay the credit card balances, using approximately $600,000 from that account to pay her personal expenses. To conceal the expenses, Tufte allegedly avoided providing bank statements to the church treasurer and created false journal entries so that the church looked like it had higher expenses. Tufte resigned suddenly shortly after a new pastor expressed an intention to review the church's financial books, and subdequently discovered the existence of the credit card in January 2025. She faces five counts of bank fraud and one count of access device, along with possible forfeiture of all property derived from funds traced to the bank fraud. Faith Journey Lutheran Church issued a press release on the matter, noting that they were working alongside law enforcement as the investigation continues. We are deeply saddened and disappointed by this breach of trust, said Pastor Sue Koesterman. Our congregation and community deserve transparency, integrity, and accountability, and we are committed to upholding those values. We are grateful for the diligent efforts of our leadership and law enforcement. The church also explained that the embezzlement did not disrupt any of its ministry programs and that it had implemented new financial oversight measures to prevent similar theft. Home News Complaint against Bethel Sydney cites safety concerns over ties to embattled parent church in Redding Quick Summary AI Summary A complaint filed against Bethel Sydney raises safety concerns over ties to the parent church in Redding. Allegations include mishandling of sexual misconduct claims against minister Shawn Bolz. Bethel Sydney is scheduled to officially launch on Feb. 15 and has established safeguarding measures. 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 formal complaint has been filed with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, raising concern about the ongoing ties between the new Bethel Sydney campus and Bill Johnsons Bethel Church in Redding, California, where leaders have admitted to mishandling allegations of data harvesting to generate fake prophecies and sexual misconduct against Christian minister Shawn Bolz. The complaint, which was reviewed by The Christian Post and appears to have been filed anonymously, raises concerns about public safeguarding and potential risks associated with the new Bethel Sydney Campus in light of the most recent admission by Bethel Church leaders last month that they mishandled the abuse allegations against Bolz. Bethel Church previously stated in 2025 that they had confronted Bolz about the allegations more than five years earlier and had distanced themselves from him when he didn't provide a satisfactory response. There is no doubt that Bethel Sydney is an extension of the Bethel Church, Redding California ministry. In the statement dated January 25 2026, Bill Johnson and other Bethel leaders acknowledge receiving corroborated allegations of sexual misconduct against a minister, Shawn Bolz, who they platformed globally as early as 2019, and admit they failed to disclose this information to their church and wider community in a timely way (many years), contributing to further victims and harm caused, the complaint against Bethel Sydney, led by Matthew and Elizabeth King, states. Johnson and Kris Vallotton, a senior associate leader at the global megachurch, joined several leaders on stage during a service in 2024 to commission the Kings as the senior leaders of Bethel Sydney, which is scheduled to officially launch on Feb. 15. A recent statement from Bethel Sydney said Johnson is expected to be a part of their campus dedication service. Following a powerful weekend at the Bethel Sydney Conference, were gathering again this time as family to dedicate this house to the Lord and mark the beginning of a new season in our city, the church noted Wednesday. Were honored to welcome Bill Johnson to speak at our dedication service, carrying a heart for revival and a deep love for Jesus and His Church. This will be a moment of consecration, faith, and expectation as we make room for all that God wants to do in Sydney and our nation. Responding to questions about the relationship between Bethel Church in Redding and Bethel Sydney, Pastor Matthew King told The Christian Post in an emailed statement that while the churches are connected through a shared statement of faith, values and spiritual leadership networks, Bethel Sydney is an independently governed operation. Bethel Sydney is an independently governed Australian charity with its own board, constitution, and accountability structures. While Bethel Sydney maintains a relational connection with Bethel Church in Redding through a shared statement of faith, values and spiritual leadership networks, there is no constitutional, financial, or operational control exercised by Bethel Redding over Bethel Sydney, King noted in his statement. Governance, decision-making, and safeguarding responsibilities sit entirely with the Australian board and leadership. He further noted that even though Bethel Sydney hasnt yet launched as a public church congregation, and wont launch formally until later this month, the church has already developed a comprehensive safeguarding and accountability framework. As part of its establishment process, Bethel Sydney has developed a comprehensive safeguarding and accountability framework prior to launch. This includes policies covering safeguarding and child safety, sexual harassment prevention, whistleblower protections, complaints and grievance handling and pastoral code of conduct, the Bethel Sydney leader noted. These policies have been reviewed and approved at a board level and form part of Bethel Sydneys commitment to ensuring a safe, transparent, and accountable church environment. King also explained that the leadership of Bethel Sydney have been in communication with the nearly 3,000 members of their community about the allegations against Bolz and offered pastoral care and other support. They have also directed people to Bethel Churchs statement on the matter. We would like to note Bethel Sydney has instructed its legal representative to notify the ACNC that we are willing to answer any questions they may have regarding our compliance requirements, he added. The ACNC complaint against Bethel Sydney made it clear that the pattern of Bethel Church leaders mishandling abuse in the church isnt just confined to Bolz. The complaint states that since Bethel Redding leaders admitted to mishandling the allegations against Bolz, additional allegations of clergy sexual misconduct have been made against Bethel leader Ben Armstrong involving young adults, some of whom were interns at the time the alleged misconduct occurred. Bethel Church fully knew about the incidents as they addressed it with the church at the time, asking for Gods forgiveness and then fully restoring Ben Armstrong back to ministry in a promoted authority position he holds today as Prophetic Overseer, the complaint notes. The complaint argues that considering Australias strong safeguarding controls in place for charities, Bethel Sydney needs to publicly address the latest admissions by Bethel Church leaders. To date, there has been NO public statement from Bethel Sydney, the senior leaders, or its board addressing these admissions of covering up knowledge of sexual abuse from leaders they platformed, or why there are still leaders in their ministry holding authority positions when there is known Clergy Sexual Abuse, the complaint adds. There are no safeguarding implications in place to ensure the Australian entity has independently assessed the risks associated with this leadership culture. It is a major concern to the safety of the public who would attend this church, it continues. Given Australias strong safeguarding expectations for charities, particularly those working with families, youth, children, and vulnerable people, I am concerned about whether appropriate governance, risk management, and safeguarding oversight are in place. Home News Pastor Landon Schott says God has forgiven Gateway founder Robert Morris, looking to Easter release Quick Summary AI Summary Pastor Landon Schott says God has forgiven Gateway Church founder Robert Morris. Morris, convicted of child sex abuse, is expected to be released during Easter. Schott visited Morris in jail, emphasizing themes of forgiveness and redemption. 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 God has forgiven convicted Gateway Church founder Robert Morris, who is serving time in an Oklahoma jail for child sex abuse, and is expected to be released during Easter, according to his spiritual son and protege, Pastor Landon Schott, of the multi-campus Mercy Culture Church in Texas. Schott, who planted Mercy Culture Church a non-denominational, Charismatic congregation after he was blessed by Morris in 2017, revealed in a post on Facebook that he visited Morris in jail on Tuesday and had a deeply personal experience. He also revealed that when Morris began his six-month sentence in Osage County Jail on Oct. 2, 2025, for child sex abuse, God told him, I have forgiven him. Today was deeply personal for me. I visited Pastor Robert Morris in prison. Before we ever started Mercy Culture Church, the Lord spoke to me clearly. He told me to go get Pastor Robert Morris blessing. I obeyed. That assignment turned into a year internship at Gateway Church. The elders laid hands on Heather and me and prayed over Mercy Culture before it was ever public, Schott wrote. Years later I asked the Lord, Why did You send me to Gateway? He said, To save your future. There were principles, structures, and guardrails I needed to see up close. Things I believe will help keep Mercy Culture healthy, faithful, and steady for generations. God was protecting something I could not yet see, he continued before sharing how God declared Morris forgiveness. The day he (Morris) went to jail, I was on a prayer run during my daily encounter. The Lord asked me, Do you know what day it is? I checked the calendar. It was Rosh Hashanah. The Hebrew new year. The beginning of the Days of Awe leading into Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. And the Lord spoke to me, I have forgiven him, he recalled. Schott added that he didnt share the message publicly and just carried it quietly until he realized that Morris six-month sentence is expected to end during the week of Easter. I found out he would be released the week of Easter and Passover. The week we celebrate the Lamb. The blood. The cross. The resurrection. You cannot script that. Even in this situation, the gospel is being preached. Atonement. Forgiveness. Resurrection. New beginnings, he wrote. The Mercy Culture leader then noted in an apparent nod to his spiritual father that while sin is serious, "mercy triumphs over judgment." Today I had the honor of sitting with Pastor Robert. I am grateful for the role he played in my life. I am grateful for what I learned. And I am grateful that the story of grace is still being written, he wrote, quoting Matthew 25:36, 40. Sin is serious. It grieves the heart of God. But the cross is more serious. The blood of Jesus is stronger than failure. Mercy triumphs over judgment. I do not believe we can preach mercy at our altars if that same mercy is not available to those who once stood behind them, he asserted. The grace of God is not selective. It covered David after moral failure. It met Moses after murder. It restored Samson after compromise. Failure does not get the final word in a surrendered life. I believe in repentance. I believe in redemption. I believe God restores what the enemy tries to ruin. I believe no one is beyond the reach of the mercy of God. Less than a year after he resigned over allegations he sexually abused Cindy Clemishire during multiple years in the 1980s, beginning when she was 12, Morris, who founded Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, was indicted and convicted on those charges in 2025. In March 2025, Morris was indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child by a multi-county grand jury in Oklahoma. He would formally surrender and enter a not-guilty plea in court just days after the indictment. On Oct. 2, however, Morris changed his plea to guilty in exchange for a 10-year suspended prison sentence with the condition that he serve the first six months of that time in a county jail. He is currently in custody at the Osage County Jail in Oklahoma. "He simply accepted responsibility for his crime from the mid-1980s and pled guilty. He pled guilty because he wanted to accept responsibility for his conduct," Morris' lawyer, Bill Mateja, said in a statement to The Christian Post at the time. "While he believes that he long since accepted responsibility in the eyes of God and that Gateway Church was a manifestation of that acceptance he readily accepted responsibility in the eyes of the law by virtue of his guilty plea." "He also pled guilty for the sake of finality. Not only did he want to bring this legal matter to a quick end for his own sake and that of his family, he brought it to a quick end for the sake of Ms. Clemishire and her family, and he sincerely hopes that his plea and jail sentence, coupled with probation, brings Ms. Clemishire and her family the finality that they might need." Home News Mom demands Big Tech accountability, says federal law blocking justice for deceased son A California mother whose 16-year-old son died by suicide following severe cyberbullying joined anti-sexual exploitation advocates and bipartisan lawmakers in demanding the reform of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which they say Big Tech uses as a loophole to avoid accountability for distributing offensive or explicit content. Kristin Bride, who lost her son Carson in 2020, said during a Wednesday news conference at the U.S. Capitol that Section 230 has prevented her from achieving justice for her child. According to the mother, Carson ended his life after cyberbullies harassed him through YOLO, an anonymous application integrated into Snapchat. YOLO opened with a pop-up screen promising that it would monitor cyberbullying and reveal and ban abusers, Bride stated. Yet, the last search on Carson's phone before he ended his life was for hacks to find out who was doing this to him. "This was the darkest day of my life," she added. The mother wants legal recourse for her sons death, but one attorney that she met with told her that Section 230 made social media companies immune to lawsuits. Nearly six years later, Bride is still fighting a legal battle in federal court, but Section 230 is preventing technology companies from being held accountable. I urge lawmakers to prioritize meaningful Section 230 reform. It is essential that tech companies are held accountable for the safety of their products, like every single industry in America, Bride stated. In this way, we can finally protect families from these preventable tragedies. Other speakers at the event included Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, former Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-MO, Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-S.C., and Devin J. Norring Foundation founder Bridgette Norring. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation Chief Legal Officer Dani Pinter said that Section 230s original purpose was to protect children and incentivize platforms to make their platform safe. Instead, Section 230 has become a shield from accountability for Big Tech's bad faith decisions to cause harm in pursuit of profit, Pinter asserted. Expansive and erroneous judicial interpretations, combined with unimaginable technological advancement, has flipped the incentive structure intended by Congress on its head. Rather than incentivizing tech companies to take steps to make their platforms safer, Section 230 has emboldened tech platforms to make profits at any cost, she added. As a result, we now have a tech industry larger and more profitable than any industry on the planet in the history of the world. Today's Big Tech industry views vulnerable populations and our children as collateral damage to their business model built on greed, the anti-sexual exploitation advocate continued. Because of Section 230, we have a tech industry that exists above the law, Pinter declared. Courts have found that Section 230 protects social media platforms even when they commit heinous crimes like knowingly possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material. NCOSE included Section 230 in its 2025 Dirty Dozen List, an annual campaign that the organization releases every year to highlight companies and entities that have enabled sexual exploitation. The 2025 Dirty Dozen List highlights the stories of 12 survivors who the advocacy group said were denied justice because of Section 230. Each of the stories concerns an individual who had sexually explicit images of themselves distributed on various online platforms, including Reddit, Snapchat and Craigslist. Even though some of the content featured child sex abuse material, NCOSE reported that Section 230 shielded the platforms from legal accountability. We cannot permit this any longer. And with the rise of artificial intelligence, this is urgent, Pinter stated during the news conference on Wednesday. We at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation commend Senators Durbin and Graham for their leadership in this bipartisan effort to update the laws to better reflect the industry we have today. Last year, Durbin and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, introduced the Sunset To Reform Section 230 Act, which would repeal Section 230 immunity two years after enactment, allowing users to bring legal action against platforms that harmed them. We need to protect every American whose safety and security is at risk by this unaccountable and unscrupulous tech industry. On behalf of the survivors we represent, we proudly support this historic bill to sunset section 230, Pinter concluded. Home News 'Surrender' or 'de-escalation'? Officials react to Tom Homan pulling 700 immigration officers from Minnesota White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced that federal authorities will draw down 700 federal agents from Minnesota following escalating tensions over immigration enforcement tactics. However, critics argue that removing hundreds of immigration officers is not enough to de-escalate the situation. Homan announced on Wednesday that he would withdraw 700 officers from Minnesota, effective immediately. The decision prompted reactions from politicians, including those who have been critical of the immigration officers conducting operations in the state. Opponents of immigration operations have questioned the legality of enforcement tactics and agents use of force, with tensions escalating following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good last month. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement maintains that its operations have resulted in the arrest of criminal illegal immigrants who have been convicted of violent crimes. However, some efforts have also been aimed at refugees admitted into the country during the Biden administration, with an Evangelical resettlement organization warning that families it has helped resettle in Minnesota may be vulnerable to detainment and removal. In January, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that its surge of enforcement in Minnesota had resulted in thousands of arrests. The following pages highlight Homan's comments and four government officials' reactions to the drawdown of 700 officers from Minnesota. Home News US sends troops to Nigeria to bring 'unique capabilities' amid ISIS fight Quick Summary AI Summary The U.S. has deployed a military team to Nigeria to assist in counter-terrorism operations against Islamic State-linked terrorists. This marks the first publicly acknowledged presence of American forces on the ground in Nigeria since U.S. airstrikes on Christmas Day. The deployment reflects expanding cooperation between the U.S. and Nigerian governments in response to escalating violence in the region. 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 The U.S. has deployed a military team to Nigeria as part of a growing effort to assist in counterterrorism operations against Islamic State-linked terrorists. The move marks the first publicly acknowledged presence of American forces on the ground following U.S. airstrikes in Nigeria on Christmas Day. A senior U.S. military commander told Reuters the deployment was carried out in agreement with the Nigerian government and reflects expanding cooperation between the two countries in response to escalating violence in the region. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, who heads U.S. Africa Command, was quoted as saying that the newly deployed American team brings unique capabilities to support Nigerian forces, adding that the deployment follows discussions between both governments about the need for increased collaboration. Anderson did not provide specifics regarding the number of U.S. personnel sent or the details of their mission. The Pentagon has not issued a separate statement on the matter. Nigerian Defense Minister Christopher Musa confirmed that U.S. personnel were active in the country, but declined to provide further details about the teams scope or operations, according to the newswire. A former American official with knowledge of the mission stated that the team is primarily involved in intelligence gathering and in supporting Nigerian military units in targeting extremist groups. President Donald Trump had ordered airstrikes in December targeting Islamic State operatives in Nigeria and warned of further military action. According to the U.S. Africa Command, the December airstrike was conducted in Sokoto state in coordination with Nigerian authorities. The operation resulted in the deaths of multiple Islamic State fighters. In late October, President Trump accused Nigeria of failing to protect its Christian communities and described the escalating violence in the country as an existential threat to Christianity in the region. The United States had already been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighboring Ghana since at least late November. The Nigerian military has been locked in a long-running fight against insurgent groups in the countrys northwest and northeast, where militants from Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have carried out repeated attacks on both civilians and security personnel. The 17-year insurgency, which began in northeastern Nigeria and has spread to other parts of the country, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. The northwest has become a stronghold for various armed groups, including ISWAP and remnants of Boko Haram, which continue to mount lethal ambushes on security forces and villagers. A newly active group known as Lakurawa, believed to be linked to al-Qaedas West African affiliate JNIM, has emerged in the northwest. The group is reportedly armed with advanced weaponry and espouses a radical Islamist ideology. In the country's Middle Belt, thousands have been killed amid years of communal violence that has displaced many predominantly Christian farming villages. While advocates and religious leaders maintain there are religious elements and have accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect its citizens, the federal government has denied that it is neglecting Christian communities, maintaining that its operations are directed against extremist elements responsible for attacks on both Muslim and Christian populations. The World Watch List 2026 report from Open Doors, released last month, notes that of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith during the reporting period, 3,490 were Nigerian. Last year, Trump announced that he would have the U.S. State Department designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern, a designation for countries deemed to tolerate or engage in religious freedom violations. The move was celebrated by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. In November, Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered the recruitment of 20,000 new police officers, in addition to the 30,000 previously approved, and called for their rapid deployment to areas plagued by armed violence. Home Opinion Is sanity returning on transgender issues? Readers awakened this week to a headline declaring Woman Wins Malpractice Suit Over Gender Surgery as a Minor" in The New York Times. In a first-of-its-kind jury verdict in New York state, of all places, a jury has awarded $2 million in damages for performing a double mastectomy on a then 16-year-old teenager who was then transitioning to be a male. The young woman, Fox Varian, now 22, later reidentified as a woman and claimed her medical providers deviated from standard gender-related medical care. The jury awarded Ms. Varian $1.6 million for pain and suffering and $400,000 for future medical expenses. Ms. Varians mother testified at trial that she strongly opposed the surgery but was told by her daughter's psychologist that without the surgery, the teen might commit suicide (a tactic often used by medical professionals advocating such surgeries). The success of this lawsuit highlights several recent events that signal a tidal wave against sexual transitioning surgeries for minors in the U.S. Last summer in Tennessee, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee state law that prohibits some medical treatments for transgender minors, thus upholding similar laws in at least 20 other states. Then, in December, the Trump administrations Department of Health and Human Services stated that it would cancel federal funding from all hospitals that provided such treatments. Now, in the wake of the New York jury verdict, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has recommended that its members refrain from performing gender transition procedures on young patients until they reach age 19, a shift that comes at a time of mounting opposition to such care at the state and federal levels. One can easily imagine that the successful suit by Ms. Varian in New York state is a harbinger of an avalanche of such suits across the country. What is at stake here is a legal precedent that goes back many decades in American jurisprudence. There are several American religious sects (perhaps most prominently Jehovahs Witnesses) that have religious objections to blood transfusions, even when it may mean the difference between life and death. In at least cases where the situation is life-threatening, the courts have adopted the position that adults (18 or older) do have the right to refuse blood transfusions. However, for those under 18, the courts have coalesced about taking medical custody of the children from the parents because the minor children, as minors, are not capable of adequately understanding the implications and consequences of refusing blood transfusions, and the state has a responsibility to safeguard such minors. It would seem that this is the legal precedent that should govern in transgender cases. Having been a teenager and having raised three teenagers, I can assure you that teenagers do not have fully developed frontal lobes and should not be left without adult supervision when it comes to such life-changing decisions. If an adult wants to embark on life-changing transgender treatments, then that is their prerogative. However, we have a societal obligation to protect children, whether it involves blood transfusions or transgender surgeries. It appears as if America is waking up to this transgender madness and is reacting as a sane society should. Home Opinion Shamefully, 'most permissive' physician-assisted suicide in US is coming When it comes to the sanctity of life, Christians often rightly emphasize saving preborn lives from all forms of abortion. This focus has spurred monumental victories for the cause of life in recent years: the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the repeal of harmful federal regulations, and, for the first time ever, federally defunding Planned Parenthood. While advocates have worked faithfully toward these milestones, a culture of death has quietly and steadily gained ground under the guise of healthcare: the promulgation of physician-assisted suicide. In a culture that promotes elective death in the form of abortion, this is no surprise. Physician-assisted suicide in America On Dec. 17, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul publicly committed to sign legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients a bill that is shamefully called the most permissive assisted suicide bill in the country. Her signature is expected by midnight tonight and will make New York the 14th U.S. jurisdiction to legalize the practice. Not including New York, three states in the last nine months have signed right-to-die legislation a pace unprecedented in U.S. history, with no signs of slowing down. In 2026, legislation will be seriously considered in Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts, while other states are quickly gaining ground. The problem of physician-assisted suicide These developments in our country should lead us to ask what physician-assisted suicide is and why it is so problematic. Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a precise form of medicalized killing aided by doctors and pharmacists, carried out by the patient. Other monikers include death with dignity and right to die legislation. These names sound comforting but are tragically misinformed. While the term physician-assisted suicide is often enveloped in language of compassion and mercy, there is no getting around it: In PAS, healthcare providers, the very people sworn by oath to bring treatment and care, become directly complicit in patient self-murder. While the harms of PAS are likely evident to the Christian, even the secular eye can see that assisted suicide fails to heal and dignify. The American Medical Associations Code of Medical Ethics writes, Physician-assisted suicide is fundamentally incompatible with the physicians role as healer, would be difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks. Avoidance of suffering, worship of autonomy So why are states increasingly welcoming the practice of assisted death? As much as culture is shaped by certain policies, policies are a reflection of culture. Abortion and physician-assisted suicide are undergirded by the same moral pitfalls: a worship of self that exalts autonomy, and an avoidance of suffering. Our world does not know what to do with suffering how to endure it ourselves, let alone how to bear with another in the midst of it. And though Christians have the indwelling Spirit, the hope of Christ, and assurance of Gods Word, we do not fare much better in our frameworks. We, too, incorrectly define mercy and overvalue autonomy in reckoning with earthly suffering, often looking more to culture than to Scripture in our constructs about life and death. Death and suffering are not ends to be avoided, nor can they actually be avoided. They are horrid consequences of the Fall that, one day, will afflict us all. This is precisely why we need the hope and the power of the Gospel, which frees us from the present pain of earthly death that plagues all humanity (Heb. 2:15). A better way to approach suffering Tomorrows bright hope does not remove todays pain. But this hope should spur us to walk alongside people in the midst of their anguish, helping them carry the burdens of a sin-wrecked world (Gal. 6:2). While we cannot avoid suffering, it is right and honorable to seek to diminish it by offering truly dignifying alternatives as we care for the afflicted. As Christians, we must do all of this while trusting in Gods sovereignty over our present pain and future fate. We need not fear suffering, nor forget that, in Christ, death has lost its sting. Death is not our hope or deliverance Physician-assisted suicide cannot deliver what it promises: dignity, escape from suffering, or freedom through early death. Death never leads to life unless we are dying to sin and self (Gal. 2:20; 1 Pet. 3:24). Death is painful and evil. But avoiding death is not the goal of the Christian life. We should not pretend that it is or promote systems that claim this. Faithful Christians may even have moments of longing for death Paul certainly did (Phil. 1:21). But this desire should be rightly ordered, stemming from the desire to be with Christ and for the former things to pass away as we long for the second coming of our Savior when he ushers in a new Heaven and Earth, where there will be no more mourning or pain. Home Opinion Should I contribute to the Trump Account for my children? Dear Chuck, The new Trump Account sounds very interesting. Should I contribute to it for my children? Anything that worries you? Young Mom of Two Dear Young Mom of Two, First, lets define what you mean by Trump Account to be sure we are on the same page. I like to think of it as a Childrens Jumpstart Account. A Trump Account is a new type of long-term investment account created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) to encourage early saving for minors. Think of it as a starter IRA owned by a child with a parent or guardian acting on behalf of the beneficiary until they reach the age of 18. Its been described as a cross between a traditional IRA and a 529 savings account. Because of that, they will be difficult and expensive to liquidate before the age of 18 in order to protect the money for the childs future. How it works Seed money can be gained when opening a Trump Account. It is free money that costs you nothing to claim, except the time to complete the form. This government pilot program will provide $1,000 to eligible children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, who have valid Social Security numbers and are U.S. citizens. The Treasury Department will create and administer the initial accounts, which are slated to be available July 5, 2026. Families can then roll over the account to a financial provider that has a Trump Account product. Form 4547 must be filed through the IRS or go online at trumpaccounts.gov. When filing, elect the option to open the account. Then elect to request the $1,000 if eligible. Two children can be elected on one form. File additional forms if needed. This can be filed with your 2025 tax return. Individuals (parents and grandparents), employers, and charities may contribute up to $5,000 in total. The initial $1,000 seed money does not count toward the annual limit. If the limit is exceeded, the IRS may assess a penalty until the excess is corrected by withdrawing the over-the-limit contribution and any earnings. Qualified general contributions (from charitable organizations) do not have an annual limit, which will benefit eligible families. Investments are limited to low-cost index mutual funds or ETFs with a 0.10% expense cap and no leverage. No withdrawals are allowed before age 18. After that, traditional IRA rules apply, with earnings being taxable when withdrawn. It is highly important to keep accurate records of contribution sources for future distribution tax purposes and rollover reporting. Also, be aware of new details or changes that may occur prior to July 5, 2026. Kiplinger reports that $1,000 allowed to compound at the S&P 500s average 10% return would be worth over $490,000 by the time a child reaches retirement age. For children born before 2025, you may want to consider the options listed below. Benefits of a Trump account Tax-deferred growth potential. No earned income requirement for contributions. $1,000 government seed contribution for eligible newborns. Low-cost index fund/ETF investment options. Flexible funding sources. No earned income requirement. No required minimum distributions (RMDs) at the age of retirement. Things to consider Your personal financial circumstances. Investment is restricted to U.S stock index funds (low-risk, low-fee, broadly diversified). Less flexibility than other accounts. Annual contribution cap of $5,000/child. Taxed as income at the childs tax rate at distribution (at a lower long-term capital gains rate). Contributions are not tax-deductible. Employer payroll feature depends on plan adoption; it is excluded from taxable income. No withdrawals before age 18 except in the following conditions: Death of the child. Changing financial institution or switching trustees; moving to another Trump Account. Rollover to an ABLE account for those with a qualifying disability the year the child turns 17. Correction of excess contributions. Options A529 Plan may be better for college savings (see link below). If a child has earned income, a Roth IRA has higher contribution limits, and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. No worries, just some considerations A slight caveat to be aware of, according to Amanda Macias at FoxBusiness: The IRS has issued only preliminary guidance and is now seeking public feedback, a formal process that allows parents, financial experts, companies and advocacy groups to comment before the regulations are finalized. The comment period remains open through February 20, 2026, meaning many details of the program are still subject to change. If this is approved, I see no reason not to take advantage of the offer for free money. My advice is to open a Trump Account for each of your qualifying children. It is important to max out your own retirement accounts, particularly if an employee match is available, before you begin socking extra money away in the childrens Trump Accounts. Remember, not every child will go to college, so consider the most flexible options and benefits of a variety of accounts. I have links to additional resources below. Consider using the same level of restraint as in the Trump Account for your personal financial management. Treat all funds as dedicated to your future, and be disciplined in how you give, save, and invest regularly. As in all things, God is pleased with good stewardship. Keep good records, give faithfully every month, and save and invest a portion of all your income with consistent discipline. Just as a Trump Account, compounded over many years, can yield significant returns, this approach will pay great dividends over time. Extra information Id like to invite you and your family to join a free Crown Bible study on the YouVersion app. Saturate your mind daily with instruction and encouragement from Gods Word. A former manager of the Argyll and Bute Womens Aid branch has been jailed after being found guilty of embezzling almost 40,000 from the charity. Jay Reid, 67, was a manager at the local Womens Aid in Dunoon, Scotland, when she stole the money over a five-year period between December 2016 and January 2021. Reid was sentenced on Wednesday to 20 months in prison for embezzlement at Greenock Sheriff Court after being found guilty by a jury. Offending identified after staff failed to receive pension payments Reid had worked as a manager of the childrens service at the Dunoon office and had control of the branchs bank account, according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service . Her offending was revealed when other Womens Aid staff members discovered that payments had not been made to their pensions. Charity officials then investigated, with Reids offending being fully identified following an audit by the Scottish government. A financial investigator later established that Reid used a Womens Aid credit card to finance illegitimate purchases totalling 39,727. Spending included holidays to Tenerife and Amsterdam, furniture from IKEA, a Weight Watchers membership as well as vet bills. Anne Marie Hicks, procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde, said: Jay Reid committed an egregious betrayal of trust by taking advantage of her position to embezzle money from her employers. She showed no regard for the impact her crimes would have on vulnerable women and children who relied on support from Womens Aid or the effect it would have on those trying to run such an important charity. The public will rightly be appalled. Argyll and Bute Womens Aid has been approached for comment. 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, Verizon Wireless sued T-Mobile on Wednesday, accusing its largest rival of false advertising and causing irreparable harm by promising consumers more than $1,000 of annual savings if they switch cellphone carriers. According to a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, T-Mobile exaggerated the alleged savings, sometimes by more than 100%, by comparing its promotional rates with Verizons standard rates, and inflating the value of streaming, satellite connectivity and other benefits that the other guys leave out. Verizon also said T-Mobile doubled down on savings claims that were substantially identical to claims that the National Advertising Review Board, which oversees the U.S. system of advertising industry self-regulation, found unsubstantiated and misleading in 2025 and 2026. The alleged deception includes not offering apples-to-apples comparisons of subscriber costs by understating the savings that New York-based Verizon offers when it bundles various services, such as Netflix with HBO Max, or Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+. T-Mobile, based in Bellevue, Washington, had no immediate comment. Verizon did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment. The lawsuit seeks unspecified triple damages for alleged intentional false advertising under the federal Lanham Act, and damages for violating New York laws against unfair competition and trade practices. It also seeks to halt the challenged ads. Verizon had 146.9 million subscribers as of December 31, while T-Mobile had 139.9 million as of September 30, according to the companies financial reports. AT&T Mobility T.N ranked third, with 120.1 million as of December 31. (Reporting by Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday his government was scrapping a national electric vehicle mandate, marking another retreat from climate measures after previously dropping both an emissions cap on the oil and gas sector and regulations for clean electricity. In 2023, under then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ottawa had mandated that 20% of all vehicles sold in 2026 be emissions-free. The push was unpopular with vehicle manufacturers, who said it imposed unsustainable costs, and looked vulnerable when the new U.S. administration cut support for EVs. Canada will introduce stronger emissions standards for 2027-2032 model years, which it says will help achieve a goal of 75% EV sales by 2035 and 90% EV sales by 2040. Changes Avoid Burdens on Auto Sector: PM Replacing the EV sales mandate with stronger vehicle emissions standards focuses on the results that matter to Canadians, while avoiding undue burdens on the Canadian auto industry, Carney said at a press briefing. Carney said he still considered Canada to be a leader on climate change, noting the country would release its climate competitiveness strategy in the coming weeks. But Sam Hersh of the advocacy group, Environmental Defence, called the new EV strategy a huge setback. This may be framed as short-term relief for automakers, but it will lead to long-term pain and put the industry on an inevitable path to decline, Hersh said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford welcomed the new auto strategy, calling it a pivotal moment as the countrys economy and sovereignty are under attack by U.S. President Donald Trump. Im pleased to see the federal government take the important step of ending its mandate, helping our auto sector compete and protect auto jobs, he said in a statement. The advocacy group Consumer Choice Center also applauded Carneys EV announcement, saying it was always wrong for the government to try to dictate to Canadians what type of car they ought to buy. Canada Follows Europe The move follows a similar strategy adopted by the European Commission in December, when the 27-member bloc agreed to drop its ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035. Carney, citing the damage U.S. tariffs have done to the highly integrated North American auto sector, is pressing the country to diversify its trade and boost domestic manufacturing. Last November, the federal government scrapped a planned emissions cap on the oil and gas sector and dropped rules on clean electricity, moves designed to spur investment in energy production. Carneys government is also launching a new C$2.3 billion ($1.68 billion) program offering incentives of up to C$5,000 for EVs made by countries Canada has free-trade agreements with. Canada is promising C$1.5 billion to improve the national charging network. Canada will maintain counter-tariffs on auto imports from the United States and is looking at ways to encourage Canada-based manufacturers to boost production and investment. Last month, Carney struck an initial trade deal with China to slash tariffs on EVs. Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs at a tariff of 6.1% on most-favored-nation terms, with the quota set to gradually increase to about 70,000 in five years. Carney said Chinese EVs would not be eligible for government incentives. ($1 = 1.3679 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Ljunggren, Cheng and Psaledakis; Editing by Rod Nickel) Tori Horowitz loved her 2021 Tesla Model S. It worked for my life because Im in my car all the time, says the realtor, who drives weekly from Los Angeles 80 miles north to Ojai, California. It felt efficient. It was zippy. It was intuitive. It was exactly what I needed. But she didnt love the reputation of Tesla co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, whos polarized consumers by engaging in public spats with presidents and endorsing an antisemitic post on X, the social media site he owns. In 2024 he was sued for sexual harassment and accused of erratically using ketamine and other drugs. (Musk has denied the accusations of harassment and said that he took ketamine under prescription years ago but not since. He did not respond to a request for additional comment. A representative for Tesla did not respond to multiple requests for comment.) Related: Tesla Sued Over Crash That Trapped, Killed Massachusetts Driver By 2024, Horowitz had traded her Model S for an electric Audi Q4 e-tron. I was not cool with supporting, or telegraphing supporting, him, she says. Horowitz is not alone. Customer-experience measurer Creative Strategies cited owner frustration with Musk as a distinct vulnerability for Tesla back in 2022. Research firm Escalent found in a 2021 study of EV owners that Musk was considered among the top drawbacks of the brand. Tesla would do a lot better if it wasnt polarizing in that way, on either side, says Anthony Salerno, senior vice president of automotive analytics at J.D. Power, a global analysis and consumer intelligence firm. Sales results show Tesla Inc. is indeed struggling even as its fourth-quarter adjusted earnings exceeded analysts estimates. In 2025, sales declined 9% worldwide. US sales fell 7% from 2024, according to Cox Automotive; in California, its biggest US market, the percentage of Teslas among all newly registered vehicles dropped to under 10% in 2025, down from 11.6% in 2024, according to Experian. But the reasons behind Teslas struggles are much more complicated than mere dislike of Musk. Theres been a broader slowdown in EVs worldwide. Growth in global sales of electric vehicles is expected to slow again in 2026, according to BloombergNEF, which predicts an increase of only 12% from a year earlier weaker than the 23% sales growth in 2025. (Compare that with 2024, when EV and plug-in hybrid sales climbed 26%, and it was 34% in 2023, according to Bloombergs Electric Vehicle Outlook.) The mood around EVs can be attributed to many factors, such as the loss of federal tax credits in 2025; the end of emissions waivers and revenues from carbon credits; and diminished aftermarket values as consumers fear battery degradation and anticipate quickly evolving technologies. Even China is ending some subsidies, and Europe has scaled back on attempts to eliminate combustion engines. Inefficiencies in charging still stymie many owners, even as the infrastructure expands in the US and Teslas Supercharger network is widely recognized as the best available. Its not uncommon for EV owners to find their way back to combustion. I just missed having the tactile experience, says Christian Delise, a Denver resident who put more than 50,000 miles on his 2013 Model S before giving it up for a Porsche Panamera GTS in 2022. I dont mind if my Panamera is slower; I still love the sound. Still, more than two-thirds of consumers who leave Tesla switch to another EV, according to S&P Global. That highlights one of the biggest problems for Tesla: These days, there are plenty of other EVs to choose from. Related: ZEV Registrations in California Fell for the First Time Since 2020 The company faces intense competition from legacy and Chinese manufacturers. Today, there are more than 100 EV models for sale in the US, according to data from Argonne National Laboratory. Teslas US market share dipped below 50% for the first time in 2024a sign that its first-mover advantage has faded since it delivered the first Roadster in 2008 and the Model S in 2012. The companys brand value dropped to $43 billion in 2025, down 26% from 2024, according to consultancy Brand Finance; Chinese automaker BYD has passed it as the bestselling EV manufacturer in the world. Back then, the brand was more than just the vehicle, says Tom Libby, a consultant at S&P Global Mobility and the author of its Tesla brand loyalty report. It was perceived as a leader, and the vehicles themselves were leading-edge EVs, although they are not necessarily at the forefront anymore. The company is having to cope with its portfolio of aging models. Tesla hasnt launched a fully new model since the Cybertruck in 2023, and Musk announced on Jan. 28 that it will soon discontinue its two oldest vehicles, the Model S and Model X (which started deliveries in 2015). Its expected to start production of a ride-hailing Cybercab vehicle and share more details about a next-generation Roadster, initially unveiled in 2017, later this year. A big driver for the decline is lack of new products, says Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive. Any automaker that doesnt have new products is going to lose market share. Tesla needs new products. Other issues, such as outdated technology and inferior components, came up as common complaints in my conversations with more than a dozen former and current Tesla owners. Electric vehicles in general are notorious for poor build quality. According to Consumer Reports, they are 80% more likely to have problems than conventional cars, and its notable that this year EV competitor Rivian is rated the least reliable automaker of all. (A spokesperson for Rivian said the brand takes customer feedback seriously and points to measurable progress in its brand reliability scores.) In 2025, Consumer Reports ranked the Tesla Model 3 as the 10th-most-reliable EV behind frontrunners from Lexus, Hyundai and Porsche and the highest of any Tesla on the list. (A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment regarding the quality of Tesla vehicles.) Multiple owners also mentioned that lackluster customer relations led them away from the brand, and theres no shortage of Reddit threads expanding on this. Last summer, fed up with dealing with Tesla customer service and the inconvenience of getting to service stations an hour away from his home in Kingston, New York, Oresti Tsonopoulos sold his 2018 Tesla Model 3 and 2020 Tesla Model Y and got a Hyundai Ioniq 9. It was nice to consolidate from those two cars, he says, adding that although the price on the Ioniq 9 was comparable, to him the Hyundai represented a better overall value. Such defections are typical, according to S&P Global, which reports that many people then choose vehicles with similar or higher prices. Tesla defections are not cost-driven, Libby wrote in his report. Households are choosing alternative vehicles in comparable or higher price bands often for differences in format, capability, or brand rather than trading down for affordability. For its part, Tesla may looking further ahead. Its increasingly focusing on robotics, and Musk has said that Tesla will eventually derive 80% of revenue from Optimus, a robot trained for repetitive tasks. There are also indications Musk could merge Tesla with his artificial intelligence company, xAI, or with SpaceX, his rocket company. Musk plans to merge SpaceX with xAI, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The new focus could be the path toward regaining some of the brands prodigal customers, who still see Tesla vehicles as mules for cutting-edge software. The excitement from Tesla is gonna come in the form of technology, says J.D. Powers Salerno. Meanwhile, after its deepest dip last spring, brand loyalty for Tesla has started to inch back up, possibly boosted by aggressive incentives and Musks more subdued persona, says S&Ps Libby. In Venice, California, Brett Baer says he would consider driving his Tesla again if Musk delivers on the autonomous driving hes been championing publicly since 2015. Despite its nomenclature, Teslas current system called Full Self-Driving (Supervised), or FSD, is not fully autonomous. The company is facing a possible suspension of its sales license in California after the states Department of Motor Vehicles accused it of misleading consumers about the automated-driving capabilities of its vehicles. (In a post on X on Dec. 16, Tesla North America said it was a consumer protection order about the use of the term Autopilot in a case where not one single customer came forward to say theres a problem. The company did not respond to a request for additional comment.) For the most loyal customers, hope springs eternal, says Salerno. The fewer disruptions from billionaire CEOs, the better. Full self-driving is something that Tesla will conquer and probably do it better than anyone else, he says. Honestly, I think Elon just needs to focus on the business and get rid of the distractions in his life. Top photo: Tesla vehicles at the Montreal Auto Show on Jan. 15, 2026. Photographer: Graham Hughes/Bloomberg. Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The fight over whether 350,000 Haitians can remain in the United States is heading back to court. An appeals court will hear arguments on Thursday about whether to pause a ruling that blocked the end of their Temporary Protected Status. In court filings, the Trump administration said Congress created a clear process for TPS and gave the Secretary of Homeland Security the power to decide which countries qualify. The petition argued that U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes caused irreparable harm by interfering. It also accused Reyes of acting like a foreign policy expert by reweighing evidence about conditions in Haiti. Lawyers for Haitians have until noon on Feb. 11 to explain why TPS should continue. In past filings, they have argued that Haiti remains unsafe and sending people back could put their lives at risk. Haitians began entering the United States through TPS in 2011 following a devastating earthquake. Multiple administrations renewed that designation, citing ongoing political violence and instability, such as the assassination of Haitis president, Jovenel Moise, in 2021. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration does not allow commercial flights into Haitis capital, Port-au-Prince, because of the risk of gunfire on the runways. About 45,000 Haitians live in Ohio, including large communities in Springfield and Central Ohio. Most of them are here under TPS. Viles Dorsainvil, director of the Haitian Support Center, said during a call with supporters Tuesday night that the district court ruling brought relief but not certainty. Hes telling people to stay cautious and lay low because the case is far from over. The government was expected to appeal, he said, and the community knew this legal back-and-forth would take time. Dorsainvils also encouraging families to keep making plans. That includes getting passports for U.S.-born children, deciding who could look after a home or belongings if needed, and preparing legal documents to give temporary custody of children to someone they trust. We believe people still need to be careful, he said. The appeals court may not decide whether to pause the ruling on Thursday. A decision could come later. The Trump administration had asked for a determination by Monday at noon, but that request was rejected late Friday. In its order, the court said the case raises serious issues and that Haitians challenging the decision deserve the same amount of time to respond as the government. ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield, known for his role on The West Wing, has been indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on child sexual contact charges after prosecutors said court filings describe inappropriate contact with two child actors during production of a television series, the Associated Press reported. The AP said Busfield faces four counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor. The case was filed in Bernalillo County District Court and follows a criminal complaint and arrest warrant issued earlier this year, authorities said. According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Busfield worked as a director and actor on the Fox drama The Cleaning Lady, which filmed in Albuquerque, and had regular access to child performers while overseeing scenes and rehearsals. The complaint accuses Busfield of repeatedly touching one boys genitals and buttocks over his clothing during breaks in filming and while the child was lying on a bed used as part of the set. The child told investigators the contact happened several times between takes and said he was scared to report it because Busfield was the director. Medical and counseling records reviewed by detectives show the child later experienced anxiety, nightmares and behavioral changes and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the filing states. Therapists documented the childs disclosures and said the incidents left him fearful and withdrawn, according to court documents. It further says a second child actor described similar conduct and told investigators Busfield was overly familiar and touchy. Detectives wrote that both children said the contact occurred when they were alone with the director or separated from supervision during filming Investigators also interviewed parents, teachers and crew members. Some witnesses described what they viewed as boundary-crossing behavior or lapses in oversight of child actors on set, the complaint says. Police said the investigation began after a doctor contacted authorities and parents later reported concerns following therapy sessions. Detectives gathered medical and production records and interviewed Busfield, who denied wrongdoing during questioning, according to the filing. Court records show Busfield turned himself in after a warrant was issued and was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center before being released pending trial. His attorneys have said he denies the charges and plans to fight them in court. CLEVELAND, OhioTerrance Reynolds still sees Tokyo as home. Hes lived there for one-third of his life, and hes got zero interest in returning here, to his hometown, now that hes months away from getting a permanent visa. I wrote a column about Terrance a couple of years ago. He and I became friends when I taught journalism at Ohio University. Our skin color and our Cleveland backgrounds brought us together. Yet Id call that flimsy ground to build a friendship. What isnt flimsy, however, is our shared visions of living life with a global perspective. At OU, Terrance told me he wanted to sample the world; I wanted to too. But I never had the fortitude he did to ditch America. For all its socioeconomic warts, I couldnt leave it. On a videocall last month, he updated me on how his lifes unfolded in a country that wasnt his. Hed built an environment he couldnt have had here. No way could he have discovered himself here the way hes done as an expat in Japan. Or so he told me. Japan taught me what I am, not who Im trying to become, said Terrance, a software engineer. Living somewhere that will never fully claim you forces you to claim yourself. You stop chasing validation through belonging and start focusing on alignmenthow you live, who you love, what kind of peace you want, what environments actually suit you. In Tokyo, he found a world far more cosmopolitan than the one I live in. Tokyo has made him more insightful and less romantic about places. Living abroad has also calmed him; its provided clarity; its made Terrance more intentional about life. I understood what he meant. Im hardly the globalist he is. Ive never fallen in love with sandy beaches, verdant forests or snowcapped mountains. I love asphalt and the helter-skelter of a city that feels alive. I saw some of that when I visited Terrance in 2022. I didnt experience enough of Tokyo to entice me to plant my roots there. Id told him I preferred chaos over cool, which Im sure doesnt exist in Cleveland. In some ways, Terrance hasnt pulled all his Cleveland roots. The citys a place where he still has kin; its a city where he still has friends. He cant undo his past in this city any more than he can undo his American-nessdespite what hes learned about himself in Tokyo, a city thats taught him scale, not speed. People think Japan is all about efficiencyand, yeah, it is, Terrance said. But what really stands out is coordination. Millions of people stacked on top of each other, and things still mostly work. Trains run. Streets flow. People cooperate without being told to. Coming from places like Cleveland, where sprawl eats money and energy, Tokyo makes you realize how much infrastructure is really about shared agreement, not just technology. I cant imagine Terrance, weeks from turning 31, could have this clarity in his life had he decided after he graduated from Ohio U. to return to Cleveland, move to a different city in the United States or relocate to another big city in the world. None of them could be like Tokyo. Yeah, 10 years there hasnt made him Japanese. It hasnt made him un-American either. Justice B. Hill grew up and still lives in the Glenville neighborhood. He wrote and edited for several newspapers in his more than 25 years in daily journalism before settling into teaching at Ohio University. He quit May 15, 2019, to write and globetrot. Hes doing both. Amazon 's stock plunged 11% in extended trading Thursday, dragged lower by market jitters around the company's $200 billion capex plans, the highest spending forecast among the megacap companies. The forecast is a sharp increase from Amazon's capital expenditures last year, and it was more than $50 billion above analysts' expectations. The company reported spending roughly $131 billion on purchases of property and equipment in 2025, up from about $83 billion in the year prior. Tech companies have laid out aggressive spending plans on artificial intelligence infrastructure since OpenAI ushered in the modern era of this technology with the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, but at the start of 2026, those lavish commitments have only kept growing. Google parent Alphabet on Wednesday said it would spend up to $185 billion in 2026, while Meta last week said its capital expenditures could nearly double from last year to somewhere between $115 billion and $135 billion in 2026 On a conference call with investors, Wall Street analysts pressed Amazon executives for more clarity around the spending blitz and when it could begin to pay off. CEO Andy Jassy said in prepared remarks at the beginning of the call that he was "confident" that company's cloud unit will see a "strong return on invested capital," though he didn't say when it could materialize. "Help us, get to that get to your level of confidence in having a strong long-term return on that invested capital," Mark Mahaney, Evercore ISI head of internet research, said to Jassy. Jassy said the company needs the capital to keep pace with "very high demand" for Amazon's AI compute, which requires more infrastructure such as data centers, chips and networking equipment. "This isn't some sort of quixotic, top-line grab," Jassy said. "We have confidence that we, that these investments will yield strong returns on invested capital. We've done that with our core AWS business. I think that will very much be true here as well." Sales at Amazon Web Services grew 24% to $35.6 billion in the most recent period, beating analysts' expectations and marking the cloud unit's "fastest growth in 13 quarters," Jassy said. AWS could've grown faster if it had more capacity to meet demand, "so we are being incredibly scrappy around that," he said. The company's cloud unit added almost 4 gigawatts of computing capacity in 2025, and AWS expects to double that power by the end of 2027, Jassy noted. Barclays analyst Ross Sandler asked Jassy how he sees the AI market evolving from the current landscape, where it remains "a bit top-heavy with a lot of the spend clustering around a few of the AI-native labs." Jassy said the AI market has become more like a "barbell," with the AI labs on one side and enterprises on the other end, looking to the technology as a "productivity and cost avoidance" tool. The middle is comprised of enterprises that are in various stages of building AI applications, he said. "That middle part of the barbell very well may end up being the largest and most durable," Jassy said. WATCH: Amazon shares fall on earnings miss, $200 billion guidance for 2026 capex spending The Anthropic AI logo is displayed on a mobile phone with a visual digital background. The software sector faced renewed market concerns this week after artificial intelligence company Anthropic released new AI tools, triggering a sell-off in software-as-a-service and data provider stocks. Anthropic's new AI tools, built for its Claude "Cowork" AI agent, are designed to handle complex professional workflows that many software and data providers sell as core products. The tools and other similar AI agents target functions ranging from legal and technology research, customer relationship management and analytics. That has raised concerns that AI could undercut traditional software business models. The S&P 500 Software & Services Index, which has 140 constituents, fell over 4% on Thursday, extending its losing streak to eight sessions. The index is down about 20% so far this year. Shares of Thomson Reuters , Salesforce and LegalZoom were among the hardest hit in U.S. trading this week, with the sell-off spreading to Asian IT firms Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys . Despite the market jitters, analysts and tech executives remain divided on the long-term impact of these AI tools on these industries. The Hims website arranged on a laptop in New York, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it would take action against telehealth provider Hims & Hers for its $49 weight-loss pill, including restricting access to the drug's ingredients and referring the company to the Department of Justice for potential violations of federal law. Federal action to limit the production of compounded drugs would be a win for Novo Nordisk , which has been losing share in the weight-loss market to rival Eli Lilly and telehealth firms like Hims. However, the FDA did not make clear whether it could quickly halt the sale of Hims' product, the cheapest GLP-1 therapy on the U.S. market. Shares of Hims fell 14.1% in after-hours trade. The FDA said it plans to restrict GLP-1 ingredients used in non-approved compounded drugs that companies such as Hims and other compounding pharmacies have marketed as alternatives to authorized treatments. The agency cited concerns over quality, safety and potential violations of federal law. On Thursday, Reuters was first to report that Hims would begin offering copies of Novo Nordisk's new Wegovy pill at an introductory price of $49 per month, about $100 less than the brand name. Novo Nordisk later said it would take legal action against the telehealth company over its plan to sell compounded copies of the drug. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' General Counsel, Mike Stuart, also said on Friday he has referred Hims & Hers to the Department of Justice for investigation over potential violations. Hims said in a statement that the company "has always operated with a deep commitment to the safety and best interests of consumers and in compliance with applicable law. "We have a long history of successfully working with regulators, and look forward to continuing to engage with the FDA to ensure safe access to affordable healthcare." Novo Nordisk spokesperson Liz Skrbkova said in a statement, "We welcome today's actions by HHS and FDA to protect patients from unapproved knockoff drugs made with foreign inauthentic active pharmaceutical ingredients that can pose significant risks to patient safety." A Lilly spokesperson said the company applauded the FDA action. "For years, compounders have been putting patients at risk by unlawfully mass-producing knockoff drugs using substandard ingredients from illicit foreign suppliers and selling them without clinical evidence that they're safe or even work. Patients deserve better, and we look forward to decisive action by FDA, other regulators, and law enforcement." In this article META MSFT AMZN GOOGL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT The Google Midlothian Data Center in Texas, Nov. 14, 2025. Ron Jenkins | Getty Images Alphabet , Microsoft , Meta and Amazon are expected to spend nearly $700 billion combined this year to fuel their AI build-outs. For investors who love cash above all else, some warning signs may be flashing. With the heart of tech earnings season wrapping up this week, Wall Street has a clearer picture of how the artificial intelligence race is poised to accelerate in 2026. The four hyperscalers are now projected to increase capital expenditures by more than 60% from the historic levels reached in 2025, as they load up on high-priced chips, build new mammoth facilities and buy the networking technology to connect it all. Getting to those kinds of numbers is going to require sacrifice in the form of free cash flow. Last year, the four biggest U.S. internet companies generated a combined $200 billion in free cash flow, down from $237 billion in 2024. The more dramatic drop appears to be ahead, as companies invest heavily up front, promising future returns on investment. That means margin pressures, less cash generation in the near term and the potential need to further tap the equity and debt markets. Alphabet held a $25 billion bond sale in November, and its long-term debt quadrupled in 2025 to $46.5 billion. Amazon, which on Thursday said it expects to spend $200 billion this year, is now looking at negative free cash flow of almost $17 billion in 2026, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley, while Bank of America analysts see a deficit of $28 billion. In a filing with the SEC on Friday, Amazon let investors know that it may seek to raise equity and debt as its build-out continues. watch now Despite beating on revenue for the quarter, Amazon saw its stock sink almost 6% on Friday, bringing its drop for the year to 9%. Microsoft is down 17%, the most in the group, while Alphabet and Meta are up slightly. While Amazon laid out the most aggressive spending plan among the megacaps, Alphabet wasn't far behind. The company, which is investing in its cloud infrastructure business as well as its Gemini models, sees up to $185 billion in capex this year. Morgan Stanley managing director Brian Nowak told CNBC's "Power Lunch" that he's projecting even more spend in coming years, with Alphabet shelling out up to $250 billion in 2027. Pivotal Research projects Alphabet's free cash flow to plummet almost 90% this year to $8.2 billion from $73.3 billion in 2025. Analysts at Mizuho wrote in a report that bearish investors may look at the potential doubling of capex this year as "leaving limited FCF in 2026 with uncertain" return on investment. Still, the analysts remain bullish and all kept their buy recommendations on the respective stocks. Longbow Asset Management CEO Jake Dollarhide is right there with them. He counts Amazon as the biggest holding in his portfolio, followed by Alphabet at fourth and Microsoft ninth. "If you're going to pour all this money into AI, it's going to reduce your free cash flow," Dollarhide said. "Do they have to go to the debt markets or short-term financing to find the optimal mix of equity and debt? Yeah. That's why CEOs and CFOs are paid what they're paid." Analysts at Barclays now see a drop of almost 90% in Meta's free cash flow, after the social media company said last week that capex this year will reach as high as $135 billion. They kept their overweight rating even as they forecast an even tougher cash position the next two years. "We are now modeling negative FCF for '27 and '28, which is somewhat shocking to us but likely what we eventually see for all companies in the AI infrastructure arms race," the analysts wrote in a note after earnings. When Meta CFO Susan Li was asked on the earnings call about capital allocation and the company's plans for future buybacks, she responded that the "highest order priority is investing our resources to position ourselves as a leader in AI." At Microsoft, where capex is going up but at a slower rate than at its tech peers, Barclays estimates that free cash flow will slide by 28% this year before popping back up in 2027. Representatives from Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta declined to comment. watch now A big advantage the tech industry's most-valuable companies have over high-flying AI upstarts like OpenAI and Anthropic is that they've accumulated a massive cash pile in recent years. As of the end of the latest quarter, the four leaders had a total of over $420 billion in cash and equivalents. Deutsche Bank analysts wrote in a report on Thursday about Alphabet that the company's infrastructure build-out is creating a "meaningful moat." It's a sentiment shared broadly by industry executives and experts who view AI as a generational opportunity with revenue reaching will into the trillions. Businesses today are testing and building new AI agents to handle all sorts of tasks, including developing applications with just a few text prompts. All of that advancement requires hefty amounts of compute, which the cloud providers say is creating insatiable demand for their technology. "Between what's happening in business and enterprise they are all building on these AI companies Google, Meta, Amazon," Futurum Group CEO Daniel Newman told CNBC in an interview "These are core technologies." Morgan Stanley's Nowak said Alphabet is "seeing a lot of signal on return when it comes to Google Cloud, return on Google search and YouTube." And Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said on his company's earnings call that growth at Amazon Web Services was "the fastest we've seen in 13 quarters." But plenty of unknowns remain, and some skeptics worry that a slipup at OpenAI, which has announced over $1.4 trillion in AI deals, could lead to a market contagion because so much of the AI industry's growth prospects are tied to the ChatGPT creator. "The truth is, we're at the dawn of a new technology shift and it's really hard to know the sustainability of top line," Michael Nathanson, co-founder of equity research firm MoffettNathanson, told CNBC. "We're entering new times and predicting the top line has gotten a lot harder. There's a ton of surprising going on." CNBC's Deirdre Bosa, Jordan Novet, Annie Palmer and Jonathan Vanian contributed to this report. WATCH: Megacap tech stocks sell off as AI spending outpaces revenue growth Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles Shri Piyush Goyal is talking to media on EU-India trade relations. India will waive tariffs on industrial imports from four European nations for a $100 billion investment over 15 years, ending nearly 16 years of negotiations. New Delhi is ready to place orders worth up to $80 billion for Boeing planes, India's commerce and industry minister, Piyush Goyal, reportedly said, signaling the country's willingness to expand trade with the U.S. India's demand for aircraft alone, with orders for Boeing "yet to be placed but ready," is nearly $80 billion, Goyal said Thursday, adding that if engines and other spare parts are added, imports from U.S. will "cross $100 billion just [from] aircrafts." Families of passengers who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad in June of last year are suing Boeing, over the alleged role of defective dual switches in the disaster that saw 241 of the 242, the minister said, on board lose their lives. The minister also said that there was potential to procure a minimum of $500 billion worth of goods from the U.S. over the next five years, but clarified that there was no explicit investment commitment made as part of the trade deal with Washington. On Monday, within a week of the India-European Union trade deal, U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a social media post that Washington and New Delhi had agreed a trade deal. Trump said that the U.S. will reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, while New Delhi will lower duties on U.S. goods to zero, replace Russian oil with supply from U.S. and Venezuela, open sensitive markets such as agriculture, and buy $500 billion worth of American goods. The Indian prime minister expressed delight over the cut in duties, as goods from the country entering the U.S. have been subjected to 50% tariffs, but did not acknowledge any other details shared by Trump. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), speaks at an LDP election rally in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Traders are bracing for increased volatility as the Feb. 8 lower house election approaches. Photographer: Soichiro Koriyama/Bloomberg via Getty Images Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is poised to lead her ruling coalition to a landslide victory in this weekend's snap election, a Nikkei poll has shown. The poll, conducted from Tuesday to Thursday, showed that the Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, were likely to secure more than 300 of the 465 seats in the Lower House. The findings echo an earlier poll by the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun, which also projected that the ruling bloc would gain more than 300 seats. The Central Reform Alliance an alliance of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito is forecast to have its seat count roughly halved from the current 167 seats, according to the Nikkei poll. Separate polling by Kyodo News suggests the LDP could secure a single-party majority of more than 233 seats on its own. According to Nikkei, the LDP now has its sights on surpassing 261 seats, a threshold that would allow it to control all parliamentary committees and chair positions. A two-thirds majority in the Lower House would also give the ruling party the power to override an Upper House veto when it comes to passing legislation. The election follows political upheaval last year, when the LDP lost its majority in the Upper House, and a Lower House defeat in 2024, which prompted then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to resign in September. The poll also comes as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly expressed support for the ruling coalition, announcing in a Truth Social post that he planned to meet Takaichi on March 19. Trump added, "it is my Honor to give a Complete and Total Endorsement of her, and what her highly respected Coalition is representing. SHE WILL NOT LET THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN DOWN!" Takaichi had staked her political future on this election, vowing to resign if the ruling coalition fails to secure a majority. With her high personal approval ratings, the fiercely conservative prime minister is looking to convert that popularity into votes for the LDP and her coalition. Kristi Govella, Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, previously told CNBC that a clear victory would reflect Takaichi's personal popularity, instead of any improvements in economic conditions in Japan. "Little else has changed since July when the LDP was drubbed at the polls," Govella added. As tax filing season gets underway and consumers prepare to receive larger tax refunds, JPMorgan says Costco stands to benefit the most among the nation's retailers. President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill," approved by Congress last July, has a number of tax law changes, including those governing tips and overtime pay . But after the bill was signed into law, the IRS in 2025 left tax withholding tables unchanged , meaning many taxpayers are likely to start seeing the benefits of the law in 2025 tax year refunds . Costco will outperform among consumers receiving a bigger windfall this tax season, thanks to both its geographic footprint and member demographics, especially compared to warehouse club competitors BJ's Wholesale and Walmart's Sam's Club division, JPMorgan analysts led by Christopher Horvers said in a Friday note. COST YTD mountain Costco's up about 15% in 2026. "Numerator data indicates that BJ and Sam's have more low-end exposure, while COST has more mid- to high-end exposure, allowing it to screen the best in the club sector to expected spring tax stimulus, especially in light of COST's big-ticket gen merch assortment," Horvers wrote. Numerator is a data collection and market research platform that studies shopper behavior. More broadly, beyond the wholesale clubs, JPMorgan estimates that last year's tax changes could lead to a more than 1% increase in core retail sales in 2026, with much of the impact disproportionately felt during the tax refund season. Shares of Costco are up about 15% to start 2026, after sliding 6% in 2025 following a huge rally in 2023-2024. Headquartered just outside Seattle, Costco soared 39% in 2024 and 45% in 2023. Oil prices eased slightly on Tuesday after U.S. guidance for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz kept attention on tensions between Washington and Tehran. Oil prices held steady on Friday after Iran and U.S. representatives held talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Brent crude futures rose 50 cents, or 0.74%, to close at $68.05 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 26 cents, or 0.41%, to settle at $63.55 a barrel. Iran and the United States held negotiations via Omani mediation on Friday to try to overcome sharp differences over Tehran's nuclear programme. "Going into next week, you don't know if there is going to be an attack or not," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group. Iranian state TV reported in late afternoon that the talks had ended. Iran's foreign minister said negotiators will return to their capitals for consultations, and the talks will continue. Ahead of the talks, a lack of consensus on the agenda for the meeting kept investors anxious about geopolitical risk, as Iran wanted to stick to nuclear issues, while the U.S. wanted to discuss Iran's ballistic missiles and support for armed groups in the region. Any escalation of tension between the two nations could disrupt oil flows, since about a fifth of the world's total consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, as does fellow OPEC member Iran. If the prospect of conflict in the region eases, oil prices could decline further. Kazakhstan's planned oil exports could fall by as much as 35% this month via its main route through Russia, four trading sources have told Reuters, as the giant Tengiz oilfield slowly recovers from fires at power facilities in January. On a weekly basis, prices were weighed down by a broader selloff in markets and by persistent expectations of an oversupply of oil, analysts said. Saudi Arabia cut the official selling price of its Arab Light crude to Asia for March to around a five-year low on Thursday, marking the fourth straight month of price cuts. "America's Elections are Rigged, Stolen, and a Laughingstock all over the World. We are either going to fix them, or we won't have a Country any longer," Trump posted to Truth Social on Thursday. The president urged passage of a bill dubbed the SAVE America Act, which would require government-issued photo ID to cast a ballot and proof of citizenship to register to vote. The legislation, backed by President Donald Trump , is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives next week amid a pressure campaign from right-wing commentators and many in the congressional GOP. It sets up a showdown with Democrats and voting-rights advocates, who say such a proposal could disenfranchise millions of Americans, and with Senate Republican leaders, who are fielding calls to change the filibuster and clear a path to passage. The rapper Nicki Minaj supports it. Elon Musk says it's critical to sustain American democracy. The SAVE America Act voter identification bill emerged this week as a hot topic in hard-line Republican circles and now may advance in Congress next week. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., said this week that the voter ID proposal would be "dead on arrival" in the Senate and likened the bill introduced by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, in the House and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, in the Senate to "Jim Crow 2.0." Democrats are among those who have bristled at the proposals, which are rooted in Trump's unfounded claims that elections are rife with fraud and come in the context of the president's recent comments about nationalizing elections and the FBI raid of a Georgia election office last week where Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was present. U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks to reporters after the weekly Senate Republican caucus policy luncheon at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 13, 2026. According to the Brennan Center for Justice and the University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, 21 million Americans do not have documents proving their citizenship readily available and 2.6 million Americans lack government-issued photo ID of any kind. Low-income and minority voters are more likely to lack the types of documents that would be required by a national voter ID law, leading to less voting participation by those groups. "The documentary proof of citizenship provisions would be extremely burdensome for a lot of Americans. Most Americans don't have a driver's license or ID that indicates that they're a U.S. citizen," Nicole Hansen, policy counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, said in an interview. "We really view the bill as part of a broader effort by the president and his allies in Congress to sow the seeds to question election results in 2026 that they don't like," Hansen said. The general concept of voter ID requirements has broad public support, with voting-rights advocates cautioning the devil is in the details. According to an August 2025 Pew Poll, 95% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats favor voter ID. A 2024 Gallup poll found that 84 percent of Americans support voter ID and 83 percent support proof of citizenship to register to vote. It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and documented cases are rare. "The American people are clear: they support Voter ID and agree that only U.S. citizens should vote in our elections," Roy said in a statement Thursday. But with Democrats vowing to block the bill, Senate passage is unlikely. Because of Senate procedural rules and the balance of the power in that chamber, Democratic votes are needed for legislation to advance there. A separate proposal, also introduced by Roy and similarly called the SAVE Act, would have barred noncitizen voting but did not have a voter ID component. Federal law already bars noncitizens from voting in federal elections, but there are provisions for them to vote in some lower-level elections. The House voted 220-208 in favor of the bill in April, with four Democrats in support, but it has not yet gotten a vote in the Senate. That has caused some members to call for eliminating the filibuster as it has been practiced since the 1970s and revert back to a "standing filibuster" made famous by the movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" which requires dissenting members to actively hold the floor in order to block legislation. "The modern-day filibuster is a perversion of how the Senate was supposed to function. Instead of arguing positions and attempting to pass legislation, it has become a way to avoid doing the work and to block the President's agenda in the name of institutional supremacy, even though most of the senators got elected with help from POTUS," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., one of the most vocal in the House group calling for the passage of a voter ID law, posted to X this week. Luna, during an appearance on Punchbowl News' "Fly Out Day" podcast, floated the idea of tacking the SAVE America Act onto larger, must-pass legislation down the line. "We should nuke what's called the zombie filibuster, which is the ability for Democrats to filibuster it without lifting a finger and that we should require an old-fashioned talking filibuster," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Newsmax this week. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who has promised a vote on a version of the Republican election bill, expressed skepticism about filibuster reform. "We will get a vote on the SAVE Act at some point," Thune said at a press conference earlier this week. "With respect to the filibuster, I think we all know where the votes are on that." DETROIT Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa on Friday said the automaker plans to move forward as one company amid speculation that it would be better off selling brands or splitting up after disappointing results. "Stellantis is a very strong global company that is very proud to have very deep regional groups," Filosa, an Italian native, told reporters during a media call. "It makes all of sense to stay together. We want to stay together for many years to come." His comments come hours after the company announced 22 billion euros ($26 billion) in charges from a business restructuring that includes pulling back on electrification plans and reintroducing V8 engines to U.S. models. Filosa described the actions as an "important strategic reset of our business model, with the only intention to put our customer preferences back at the center of what we do globally and in each regions." He said the "mission is to grow" after notable declines in market share in recent years. In Milan, the company's Italian shares fell 25% Friday. On Wall Street, the transatlantic firm's New York-listed stock plummeted 23%. Filosa on Friday did not specifically rule out the possibility of regionally refocusing or shrinking the company's vast portfolio of 14 auto brands that includes U.S. brands Jeep, Ram and Chrysler, as well as Italian nameplates Fiat and Alfa Romeo, which have not performed well domestically. Outgoing Toyota CEO Koji Sato (L) and incoming CEO Kenta Kon (R) pose during a photo session after a press conference in Tokyo, Japan on February 06, 2026. Toyota Motor announced Friday that Chief Executive Officer Koji Sato will step down and be replaced by its Chief Financial Officer, Kenta Kon, marking the automaker's second CEO transition in three years. The leadership shakeup will take effect on April 1, with Sato assuming the position of vice chairman and a newly created role as chief industry officer. "Under this new leadership structure, Sato will focus on the broader industry, including Toyota, as Vice Chairman and CIO, while Kon will focus on internal company management as President and CEO," the company said in a statement. In a press briefing following the announcement, Kon likened the switch to Sato becoming "captain of the national team" and Kon the "club captain." Sato explained the change was made so he could focus on leveraging his new roles as chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and as vice chair of Keidanren, Japan's most influential business lobby. Sato had been appointed CEO in 2023, succeeding longtime leader Akio Toyoda. Executive Vice President Yoichi Miyazaki will assume Kon's former position as CFO. Meanwhile, Toyota plans to make further board changes in June 2026, with Kon joining as a director and Sato resigning from the board. Low oil prices give President Donald Trump more leverage over Iran, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday, speaking as the two adversaries teeter on the brink of another conflict. "The world is very well supplied with oil right now, and I think it gives President Trump more leverage in his geopolitical actions to not worry about a crazy spike in oil prices," Wright told CNBC in an interview when asked about the risk of a supply disruption due to tensions with Iran. The oil market is closing monitoring tensions in the Middle East for any sign that crude supplies could be disrupted. U.S. crude oil rose 26 cents, or 0.4%, to close at $63.55 per barrel Friday. Prices are up more than 10% since the start of the year, after losing 20% in 2025. Oil market analysts are generally expecting a surplus this year after OPEC+ increased output and as U.S. production remains strong. Trump has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East as he threatens Iran with military action if it does not negotiate over its nuclear program. The president threatened Iran with strikes in January during a mass uprising against the regime, but ultimately refrained. U.S. and Iranian diplomats held negotiations over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program in Muscat, Oman earlier on Friday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media that the talks were a "good start." Iran is an OPEC member and produces more than 3 million barrels per day. Wright expects production in Venezuela to grow by several hundred thousand barrels per day this year, after the U.S. captured former President Nicolas Maduro early in January. The U.S. has seized control of Venezuela's oil sales and President Trump is pressuring U.S. companies to rebuild its energy sector. "It will be a substantial percent of global demand growth this year," Wright said of output growth in the South American nation. "Venezuela is going to be another helpful stabilizer of energy markets." Interview: Cooperation with China important for Europe's competitiveness: Swedish university president Xinhua) 10:04, February 06, 2026 STOCKHOLM, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Europe cannot afford to isolate itself if it wants to remain globally competitive, and cooperation with China "is essential," said Anders Soderholm, president of Sweden's KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Soderholm made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua. He visited Chinese universities and research institutions in mid-October 2025, together with three other Swedish university presidents. The trip aimed to gain first-hand insight into how Chinese universities organize scientific research and innovation, and to identify areas where cooperation could benefit both sides, he said. "Overall, yes, the visit gave us valuable insights and several concrete ideas for cooperation," Soderholm said. He said he was impressed by the rapid development of Chinese universities and their strong momentum in research and innovation. China's research environment, he noted, is well funded and strategically focused. Both data and on-site observations point to an unprecedented pace of Chinese research and experimental development (R&D), he said, noting that China's R&D spending has risen rapidly, research output and citation impact have increased, and the country now leads in several key areas. Looking ahead, Soderholm said research and academic cooperation needs to prioritize sustainability-related technologies, including energy systems, materials and climate technologies, where China's large-scale deployment and Europe's research strengths can complement each other. Soderholm and the presidents of Lund University, Uppsala University and Chalmers University of Technology co-authored an opinion piece published in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in June 2025, calling on Swedish universities to strengthen cooperation with China. The article notes that China invests heavily in R&D and that Europe could learn from China's progress in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology and renewable energy. "Europe needs to stay globally competitive, and in some areas cooperation with China is essential," Soderholm said. "If Europe cuts itself off, we risk slowing our own innovation and weakening our long-term economic and security position," he said. Soderholm noted that Sweden and China have broad potential for cooperation, including climate action, sustainable cities, green energy and circular materials, areas where both countries have strong capabilities. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 06: U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi (C), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel (L) and U.S. Attorney for Washington, DC Jeanine Pirro make a press announcement at the Department of Justice on February 6, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bondi announced the FBI has captured and extradited Zubayr al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. The U.S. has arrested a person suspected of playing a central role in the 2012 attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday. Bondi said Zubayar al-Bakoush has been extradited to the United States and will face murder, arson and terrorism-related charges. Four U.S. personnel were killed in the September 11, 2012, incident, which was initially thought to be a spontaneous reaction to protests but was later identified as a deliberate attack carried out by extremists, some of whom were linked to groups affiliated with al Qaeda. Two armed members of Iran's police special forces stand behind a country flag placed on an armored military vehicle during a pro-Government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on January 12, 2026. The U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran issued a security alert early Friday urging American citizens to "leave Iran now" and prepare departure plans that don't rely on U.S. government assistance. The notice comes ahead of U.S. and Iran's scheduled talks in Oman on Friday, with little indication that the two sides have found common ground over the agenda of the meeting. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, were due to take part in the meeting with a team led by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to American and Iranian officials. The U.S. has issued several similar security alerts over the past month. The Embassy last urged American citizens to leave the country in a warning on Jan. 14 as Trump was weighing options for a possible intervention in Iran, including targeted military strikes. The talks on Friday would be the first official meeting between Tehran and Washington since tensions flared in June last year, when a 12-day war with Israel led to U.S. airstrikes that severely damaged Irans three main nuclear facilities. Differences over the scope and venue for the talks have cast doubts on whether they will yield results, keeping open the risk of a U.S. military action. The U.S. government has reportedly demanded Iran to discard its stockpile of enriched uranium, put limits on Tehran's ballistic missile program and stop arming and funding militant groups in the Middle East. Trump has threatened military strikes against Tehran if it fails to agree to U.S. demands. Iran has pushed back, saying U.S. demands are an unacceptable infringement on its sovereignty and has threatened to respond forcefully to any attacks by striking U.S. military targets in the region and Israel. watch now Defense spending has been the talk of Singapore's Airshow this week but that's not an accurate way to measure military strength, Palmer Luckey, founder of defense tech firm Anduril Industries, said on CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" Wednesday. That comes after U.S. President Donald Trump in January expressed interest in raising the U.S military budget to $1.5 trillion in 2027, which he said would allow Washington to build a "Dream Military." "Too many people measure the success of the defense base in terms of dollars," Luckey said. Rather, military strength should be measured by output, or what countries actually receive from their spending, he said. This is part of the reason why American defense companies aren't incentivized to produce military products that cost less, Luckey added. Ranked No. 1 on the 2025 "CNBC Disruptor 50" list, Anduril Industries was founded by Luckey in 2017. The company, which makes AI-powered autonomous defense products, is currently valued at $30.5 billion. Measuring output, not dollars "Unfortunately, we have a pretty inefficient defense industrial apparatus," Luckey said. "I don't think that we're getting nearly as much for our dollar as a lot of other nations are." Luckey said China is "getting a lot more aircraft, a lot more missiles, certainly a lot more ground forces for every dollar they spend. And so you can be in a situation where China is spending less than the United States, but the output is double or triple or quadruple." China's military budget in 2025 was set at 1.78 trillion yuan (about $249 billion). China's shipbuilding capacity is roughly 232 times that of the U.S., and Beijing has held onto 66.8% of global orders as of end-December 2025, according to its state media. Palmer Luckey, CEO, Anduril attends the Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, U.S. December 6, 2025. Jonathan Alcorn | Reuters "We need to get our act together so that we can get everything that currently costs $1.5 trillion for well under a trillion dollars," he said. "I would love to see a sub $500 billion defense budget if it's getting us the things that we need." However, U.S. defense spending isn't set up in a way that will make that happen, he said. The current system rewards companies that move slowly, make products that "break often," and "spend money building the wrong thing." My son was last seen entering his cabin on 03 Feb 2026 (06:15 AM LT). Despite onboard search and MRCC Mauritius involvement, he is still missing. As a mother, I request transparent investigation, CCTV footage, personal belongings details and continuous official updates. ???? RASMITA SAHOO (@rasmitasahoo76) February 4, 2026 A merchant navy officer from Odisha has been reported missing while on duty aboard a vessel near Mauritius, triggering appeals from his family for swift intervention by both the central and state governments.The missing officer has been identified as Sarthak Mahapatra, a resident of Kespur village in Odishas Bhadrak district.Mahapatra has been employed with a private shipping company since July 2025 and was serving on a vessel travelling from West Africa back to China via Singapore, as per news agency PTI.His mother Rashmita Mahapatra said the family last heard from him on February 2, when the ship was close to Singapore. He had reportedly spoken with his mother, relatives and friends shortly before the vessel moved further along its route."When the ship was near Singapore on February 2, he spoke to me, other family members, and his friends," she said, as per PTI.The officer was reported missing the following day, February 3, while the vessel was near Mauritius.The disappearance has left the family deeply distressed. Rashmita Mahapatra urged authorities to act quickly to locate her son and ensure his safe return."We are devastated at his disappearance and request the central and state governments to intervene urgently. We have sent emails appealing to the Odisha government to rescue my son and bring him back home safely," she said, as per PTI.She has also sought assistance from the Prime Minister, the Odisha Chief Minister, the Director General of Shipping and the Ministry of External Affairs through posts on X (formerly Twitter).In one of her messages, she called for greater transparency in the investigation. "As a mother, I request a transparent investigation, access to CCTV footage, details of his personal belongings and continuous official updates," she wrote.PTI reported citing Odisha government sources that the matter has been taken up with the relevant authorities in New Delhi, with a request for a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the officers disappearance. BLS International Services Ltd. reported a strong set of numbers for the third quarter, with net profit rising 34.8% year-on-year to 162.7 crore, compared with 120.7 crore in the corresponding period last year. Revenue for the quarter surged 43.6% YoY to 736.5 crore, up from 513 crore. EBITDA increased 25% YoY to 198 crore from 158 crore a year ago. However, operating performance saw some pressure, with the EBITDA margin slipping to 26.9%, from 30.8% in the year-ago quarter, reflecting a contraction of 390 basis points. During the quarter, the company secured several significant domestic and international contracts. These included a global visa contract with the Slovak Republic to establish and operate visa application centres in over 80 countries. BLS International also won a visa outsourcing contract from the High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus, extending services across multiple African nations, including South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mauritius, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique. Also Read: Bharat Electronics receives orders worth 581 crore, including radar and communication equipment In addition, the company secured another Cyprus contract covering countries such as China, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos and Kazakhstan. On the domestic front, BLS International was awarded a three-year contract by the government's Ministry of External Affairs to establish and operate Indian Visa Application Centres across China. The company also renewed its MEA contract for attestation and apostille services across 17 major centres in India. Further strengthening its order book, the company secured a 100 crore project from the Bihar government to establish Permanent Enrolment Centres for Aadhaar, along with an additional order from UIDAI worth 2,055.35 crore to establish and operate district-level Aadhaar Seva Kendras. Shares of the company closed at 291 apiece on Friday, down 3.03% for the day. Thomas Cook (India) Limited and its group company SOTC Travel have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) to strengthen travel promotion to Mauritius from the Indian market, the companies said in a statement.Under the agreement, the partnership will focus on increasing Mauritius' visibility in India through destination knowledge and education, product development, marketing and communications initiatives. The collaboration will target Indias metro, mini-metro and Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets.According to the statement, the partnership will highlight Mauritius tourism offerings, including cultural heritage, festivals and cuisine, as well as its positioning for leisure, honeymoon, family travel, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), and corporate travel.Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said, "Our partnership intents leverage on Thomas Cook Indias omnichannel strength, destination expertise and extensive reach, to showcase Mauritius evolving proposition across leisure, MICE and business travel."S.D. Nandakumar - President & Country Head - Holidays and Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel Limited, said, "Beyond its scenic allure, Mauritius offers a compelling blend of French influence, Creole heritage, vibrant culture, diverse religious traditions and a distinctive culinary landscapecreating a deep cultural connect with Indian travellers. This partnership will enable us to showcase the destinations depth and diversity, while driving sustained demand across leisure, honeymoon, multi-generational families, MICE and corporate travel segments from India."The Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority is a parastatal body established under the MTPA Act, 1996, to promote Mauritius as a tourist destination internationally. Dhaka is moving to sign the Bangladesh-United States trade agreement on February 9, days before national elections. Almost nothing is known publicly about what the deal contains. The timing, more than the text, has set off debate. The push comes from the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. Critics say committing to a long-term trade framework now raises questions about mandate and oversight.Reports that the administration signed a non-disclosure agreement with Washington last year have added to the concern. If accurate, it means negotiation details cannot be publicly discussed. No draft has been released. No parliamentary review has taken place.Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman has confirmed the February 9 signing date, as per News18.The schedule is central to the dispute. Major policy moves are usually left to incoming governments, especially those tied to tariffs and market access.Economist Anu Muhammad questioned the urgency in a public post, asking why decisions involving ports, defence purchases and US trade ties were all being advanced days before voting. He called the process non-transparent and irregular, as per News18.Other policy analysts warn the next government could inherit obligations it had no role in shaping.Debapriya Bhattacharya of the Centre for Policy Dialogue said signing after elections would have allowed political debate. Taskeen Ahmed, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said businesses cannot judge risks without knowing the conditions attached, as per News18.Business groups are watching closely. The United States is Bangladeshs biggest apparel market, with annual textile and garment exports estimated between $7 billion and $8.4 billion, according to Textile Today. The sector employs roughly four to five million workers, many of them women.Exporters say they have not been consulted. Inamul Haque Khan, senior vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the lack of clarity is troubling. There had been industry expectations of tariff relief, possibly down to 15%, but no terms have been confirmed.Bangladesh currently faces higher US tariff rates than some regional competitors. Without details, firms cannot assess whether the agreement improves or weakens their position. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Ironic, isnt it, that one of the strongest and bravest advocates for Irish womens rights is a US-based, middle-aged man? Our female politicians, our tragic excuse for a national womens advocacy council, our female broadcasters and commentators will happily fling their sisters under the trans bus if it means staying in with the cool, keffiyeh-wearing trans-rights crew. And so it takes a man to point out how grievously we were conned and betrayed by the sly introduction of the Gender Recognition Act a decade ago, which gifted biological males with entitled access to every space where women are vulnerable changing rooms, domestic violence refuges, bathrooms, prisons, rape crisis centres by just claiming to be females. Not even St Brigid escaped the distorting dogma of the craven Irish liberal elite. Shes no longer a Catholic saint, if you heeded that ludicrous video released by Helen McEntees Foreign Affairs Department last week, but a purple-haired, pro-abortion, candlewick-clad woke diversity goddess who might even have been a bloke. Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has suffered huge personal and professional damage In Government advert, St Brigid is a purple-haired, pro-abortion, candlewick-clad goddess This week, Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan, whos suffered huge personal and professional damage because of his advocacy for the rights and safety of women and children, addressed the US Congress on the trans issue. And he echoed the weekend comments of broadcaster Claire Byrne, who cited the trans debate as a difficult topic that RTE lacks the courage to broach. Weve simply never been allowed to have a conversation, he told Congress, about men in womens prisons, men in womens sport, children taught lies in their schools. Ireland is the country of my birth, and its women and girls deserve the debate they were denied, he said. He linked the 2023 Dublin riots to the silencing of alternative voices. The way in which the Irish Government sneaked the Gender Recognition Act past a distracted public, in the wake of the same-sex marriage referendum in 2015, has long been held up by liberal lobbyists as the perfect legislative feint. A report by law firm Dentons praised the way it skulked beneath a veil of protection offered by more popular measures, avoided press coverage and debate, and exploited a general lack of awareness of the impact of the new law. Linehan called on US politicians to put pressure on the Irish Government to confront the conversation it never had. And with the Taoiseach and seven ministers, including Helen McEntee, heading to the US for St Patrick Day, his intervention couldnt come at a better time. Yet in this country, we seem doggedly oblivious to the evidence that the tide has turned on the trans cult. Last years ground-breaking UK Supreme Court ruling, that women are biological females and not men in frocks, has been followed by a major malpractice suit against gender-affirming health practitioners in New York. Graham LInehan in advance of his address to the US Congress on the trans issue this week Last week, a young woman was awarded $2 million damages from the psychologist who affirmed her belief that she was a boy and the plastic surgeon who cut off her breasts when she was 16. To judge by the response of Labours Marie Sherlock to Linehans views, though, Irish politicians and commentators have yet to realise that the battle has been lost. Id much prefer the conversation to be about the lack of healthcare for trans people, she said, than looking back on a conversation had ten years ago. Id love for Marie to show me where and when that conversation took place ten years ago remember how the trans lobby lost its rag, threatening all manner of bans and boycotts, when Liveline dared to broach the subject in 2022? Small wonder RTEs been too terrified to touch it since. Well be last to admit that JK Rowling was right: This is nonsense and the world knows that' Following last years UK Supreme Court ruling, Sinn Fein health spokesman David Cullinane initially welcomed its common sense before having his card marked and deciding that, in fact, it was a very complex issue. So weve a cringing left-wing cohort in this country who are simply too scared to speak out on behalf of women, forced to share prison cells and homeless shelters with trans-identified males, or troubled children whose gender confusion is affirmed to validate the warped ideology of the trans mob. Lets hope theyre all around to explain themselves when the dam burst of medical negligence cases, taken by detransitioners against the doctors and agencies that failed them, begins to ravage our public finances. But, even as the number of kids identifying as trans falls off a cliff in the States, and more and more sporting bodies ban males from female games, it looks like well be the last to admit what other countries can plainly see: as JK Rowling put it: This is nonsense and 99.9% of the world knows it's nonsense. The Emperor is naked. He may be wearing lipstick but his balls are swinging in plain sight. Connolly needs to listen to ALL voices VISITING the North this week, President Catherine Connolly, left with Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle ONeill, vowed to ensure through my work that all voices from all backgrounds are heard, regardless of gender, age, belief, ethnicity or nationality. President Catherine Connolly with Emma Little-Pengelly and Michelle ONeill What a shame, then, that she didnt welcome members of Irelands Jewish community, at a time when antisemitism is on the rise in this country, in the week after the Bondi Beach massacre in which the targets were exclusively Jews. And while she condemned the attack, she didnt find time to join Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan at a Hanukkah event in Herzog Park days later to pay respects to the victims. But that same week she did fit in a meeting with a member of Kneecap, and was happy to invite Greta Thunberg to the Aras, a decision that troubled the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland for its timing. Still, must have been a diary issue. Amal wont monetise her children... in stark contrast to Brand Beckham In a recent interview, Amal Clooney, left, revealed that when she and George entertain at home, they ask guests to hand over their mobile phones because they dont want images of their kids to be snapped or shared. They do their best, she said, to minimise the impact of their fame on their nine-year-old twins, adding: We dont put their pictures out there, or anything like that. The Clooneys are worth around 500m and somehow scrape by without monetising their kids As it happens, the Clooneys have an estimated net worth below that of the Beckhams, at around 500million, but theyre somehow able to scrape by without monetising their offspring or trademarking their names. I wonder if Posh and Becks still think it was worth it, given the devastating public bust-up with their eldest, Brooklyn, whos accused them of caring only for the brand? This week, after a month of global headlines, Brooklyns billionaire father-in-law Nelson Peltz told of the advice he offers his own family: Stay the hell out of the press how much good did that do? Hes wasting his breath, as it seems both sides of the feud are addicted to social media and cant function under the radar. Brooklyn ended his explosive statement by saying all they wanted was peace and privacy hes got a funny way of showing it. A response that reeks of entitlement FOLLOWING retired newsreader Jan Leemings complaint about a screaming infant in a fancy restaurant last week, the childrens mother, Alex Edwards, has hit back. Jan claimed the parents were indifferent to their kids disruptive antics, and sure enough Ms Edwardss response positively reeked of entitlement. Her one-year-old loves to wave at people but she noticed that two elderly women were not responding to my children in the way that people usually do. In other words, she does this all the time and expects other diners to suck it up. And there was more than a hint of ageism in her suggestion that old people should avoid restaurants that offer kids menus I mean, how dare Jan Leeming still be alive, let alone expecting a peaceful meal in a pricey restaurant, at 84? Mitchell an easy target in the Epstein files fallout George Mitchell with Bill and Hilary Clinton alongside former taoiseach Bertie Ahern Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern is hardly the only one bewildered by the decision of Queens University in Belfast to cancel George Mitchell, a key architect of the Good Friday Agreement, because he was mentioned in the Epstein files. Speaking on radio, Bertie said it is not clear to him what Mitchell is being accused of, and pointed out that Jeffrey Epstein was trying to meet half the world. He said there was no evidence the former senator replied to any emails from Epstein after the latters conviction for sex offences, and can scarcely be blamed for the paedophiles continued efforts to reach him. Despite no findings of wrongdoing by Senator Mitchell, a bronze bust has been removed from the Queens grounds yet Hillary Clinton remains the universitys chancellor, even though she and Bill, above with Mitchell and Ahern, are to testify before Congress about their links with Epstein. Was the 92-year-old senator an easier target for some woke posturing, perhaps? Hail the hero 13-year-old Austin Appelbee, right, who swam for hours through treacherous seas to save his family Ill admit to sitting dry-eyed through Hamnet, despite all the sniffling around me in the cinema, but the story of Austin Appelbee, the 13-year-old who swam for hours through treacherous Australian seas to save his stranded family, reduced me to a blubbering wreck. His mum Joanne, from Monaghan but living in Perth, had taken Austin and his younger siblings kayaking and paddle-boarding last Friday, but huge waves prevented them getting back to shore. In what was almost a Sophies Choice-type quandary, Joanne reluctantly let Austin swim to shore, 4km away, not knowing if hed make it but certain that, otherwise, none of them would. After four hours, she feared her incredibly brave lad had drowned and then the helicopter arrived. Now theres a movie worth a whole box of tissues. It pains me deeply as a lifelong monarchist to ask the question on so many peoples lips. But how can the royals ever recover from the sordid disgrace the former Prince Andrew has brought upon them as a result of his association with Jeffrey Epstein? Especially now we have learned so much more from the latest dump of the Epstein files, which confirm that Andrew and his complicit, cling-on ex-wife Fergie lied about their ongoing relationship with the prolific child sex offender, even as girls younger than their daughters were being abused. The devastating confirmation this week from Epsteins madam and victim-procurer Ghislaine Maxwell that the picture of Andrew with his arm around his accuser Virginia Giuffre is real and was taken in Maxwells London townhouse blows apart his claim it was fake. It shatters his so-called alibi that he was with his daughter Beatrice at a Pizza Express in Woking. This all makes for horrible reading, yet my concern is certainly not for Andrew. It is for the monarchy and what happens now the truth is out. Can the royals ever rid themselves of the terrible stench of Andrew, who is still risibly eighth in line to the throne? The latest dump of the Epstein files confirm Andrew and his complicit, cling-on ex-wife Fergie lied about their ongoing relationship with the prolific child sex offender, writes Amanda Platell Epsteins madam and victim-procurer Ghislaine Maxwell confirmed this week that the picture of Andrew with his arm around his accuser Virginia Giuffre is real If only the late Queen Elizabeth II had not protected her favourite son back in 2022 by helping to pay for that settlement of a reported 12million to Giuffre in the civil sexual assault case she brought against Andrew. Giuffre committed suicide last year, having accused him of having sex with her three times when she was just 17 allegations which he has constantly denied. If her late Majesty had not stepped in to help, he would have had to face his accuser in court and the lingering rot thats infected the monarchy as a result of the Epstein affair would have been cauterised. Yet with the drip-drip of disclosures about Andrews and Fergies continued association with the paedophile, it just gets worse and worse. How are the royals going to put an end to this ruination of their reputation, and reestablish themselves at the heart of British life? King Charles releasing Finding Harmony: A Kings Vision, a well-meaning but hand-wringing and self-congratulatory documentary about how we can all find peace in nature is not the answer, with the greatest of respect. It wont bring solace to the millions of his subjects facing a crippling cost of living crisis. Feeling down? Hug a tree! Tell that to the kids and their mums in high-rise blocks who are struggling to find the money for beans on toast in an urban hellscape without a tree in sight! King Charles and Queen Camilla attend the premiere for Finding Harmony: A Kings Vision at Windsor Castle Prince William who understandably took time off when Kate became ill with cancer is almost never to be seen unless its for his worthy yet unremarkable Earthshot Prize, writes Amanda Meanwhile, our reluctant king-in-waiting Prince William who understandably took time off when Kate became ill with cancer is almost never to be seen unless its for his worthy yet unremarkable Earthshot Prize trying to save the world. He mostly seems to be whizzing around their property on his electric bike. Yes that will be his 150-acre private home Forest Lodge. Kate this week was out and about emoting heart-rendingly about how lonely her struggle against her cancer has been. She was then pictured sewing some jeans for William in a factory in Cardigan, some place in Wales. Hold the front page! Our ageing Queen Camilla whos barely a few points above Harry and Meghan in the popularity polls has been visiting a primary schools new library in Londons Regents Park to teach deprived kids to read good, as Ben Stillers Zoolander character Derek said in the movie. All very worthy. But the royals just dont get it, do they? Its not the planet they should be straining every sinew to protect right now, not sewing skills or the ability of the young to read. It is the monarchy. This is a crisis and its very survival is at stake thanks to the disgrace Andrew has visited on the family. If the royals current underwhelming performance is anything to go by, within a decade they will become as irrelevant as the Kingdom of Lesotho, population less than three million. Our cherished monarchy is supposed to be the foundation of British culture, our bedrock, our proudest and most enduring institution in a troubled world, full of glitz and glamour and exuding soft power. It is under strain as never before. And the last thing it needs at this moment is to turn into a bleeding-heart centre for hug-a-tree therapy. Naughty Nigella Ahead of replacing Prue Leith on The Great British Bake Off, the domestic goddess Nigella Lawson appears out shopping with her hair straggly, her grey roots showing, and looking frumpy in a baggy old coat like any other mum. Which we love her for. And there is still no woman alive who can turn licking her spoon into such an erotic act. Welcome back Nigella! Westminster woes Starmers hands trembling at the dispatch box as he admitted he knew about Mandelsons association with Epstein. The PM sweating profusely the next day as he said sorry and pleaded for forgiveness. Angela Rayner on manoeuvres to replace him... For those of us who despair at the state of our government, can I suggest an AI online video entitled Mandy its a spoof of Barry Manilows hit with Starmer at the piano and Mandelson in a red frock. Its the only laugh youll get out of politics this week. In his Netflix documentary Being Gordon Ramsay, the cook whos garnered eight Michelin stars says he and wife Tana did not cause the psychodrama around their daughter Hollys marriage to dim-witted swimmer Adam Peaty, which saw members of Peatys family banned from the wedding. He also reveals Holly and Adam invited him and Tana on their Maldives honeymoon, which he paid for. Eight stars for icky. The exquisite Margot Robbie appears for the thousandth time promoting her movie Wuthering Heights. Leaves me wondering if actors now spend more time doing publicity for their movies than they do making them. Especially when they fear they may be $80million turkeys. After much acrimony, Princess Dianas brother Earl Spencers third divorce is complete and hes free to be with his new girlfriend, the archaeologist Cat Jarman. Jolly good, but I will never forgive him for burying Diana on a remote island on the Althorp estate which no one except close family can visit. Meaning her millions of devoted followers are charged more than 30 per person to visit a nearby shrine to her. Hero of the week is Austin Appelbee, 13, who swam two-and-a-half miles through shark-infested waters off the coast of Western Australia to raise the alarm and rescue his family, whose inflatables had been caught in a current. Having swum in the area, I bet what urged him on was the music from the movie Jaws in his head da da da da My Dads brush with thrift A report says half of us mend household items rather than chucking them. It reminded me of my Dad who, brought up in the Aussie bush, mended everything including a dustpan and brush with no bristles left on it. On a trip home I threw them out, only to discover Dad had placed them back beside the ancient wood-fired oven. Killing dogs? TV has lost the plot SPOILER ALERT now I have watched the final episode of The Night Manager. Most of the good guys die except, of course, our hero Jonathan Pine, aka Tom Hiddleston. But what got me most was that Pines nemesis Richard Roper shot his three loyal Alsatians. As a dog lover, please can we stop using canines as fodder for heart-rending plotlines? Just kill off horrible humans instead. Readers will be heartened, I hope, to learn that, despite words such as gobsmacked and bamboozled falling out of fashion with Gen Z, they will continue to appear in this column. Crikey! Where would we be without a bit of kerfuffle in our lives? Gates of hell When Melinda Gates and her Microsoft-billionaire husband Bill divorced, she said they could no longer grow together as a couple. Now we know it was his association with Jeffrey Epstein that ended their marriage. The Epstein files include a claim that Gates caught a sexually transmitted disease. He says the claim is absurd. But is it any wonder that Melinda now says: I am so happy to be away from that muck. Or that after meeting Epstein just once, she described him as evil personified. My moggie Ted was horrified to read a cat-napping crimewave is sweeping Britain, with some pedigrees even being held to ransom for demands of 5,000. I reassured him that as he was bought for a tenner from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, hes probably not top of the cat-nappers hit list. Although were Ted to be stolen, Id sell my home for his return. So sad to hear my first boss in UK newspapers, Eddy Shah, has died at 81. In those early days when he banished the unions and launched Today, the first colour newspaper, his advice to me was always remember youre as good as the blokes, and work your pretty arse off. Thanks Eddy, I did. So the Winter Olympics 2026 begins, with hopes resting on our curling team who are funded mostly by Lottery money to the tune of 630,000 per athlete. Wouldnt that money be better spent on free school meals? Mothers who experience extreme stress during or after pregnancy may be putting their children at increased risk of autism, a new study suggests. Researchers in Japan found that the children of women who experienced perinatal depression defined as psychological distress around the time of pregnancy were more likely to show autistic traits. This effect was seen most strongly in girls, who were also more likely to be born underweight and had weaker bonds with their mothers. However, the researchers noted, boys showed significantly more autistic-like traits than girls, regardless of their mother's mental status. The scientists, from Tohoku University, concluded that it was 'critical' that doctors identified mothers with perinatal depression early in order to reduce the risk of autism. In order to reach their findings, the researchers analysed medical data of more than 23,000 mother-child pairs, assessing depressive symptoms during early and mid-pregnancy and at one month after birth. Researchers say the findings highlight the importance of supporting maternal mental health beginning in pregnancy to help reduce adverse developmental outcomes in children, especially girls To explore the biological mechanisms underlying their findings, the team established a stress model in mice. This was done by raising stress levels in pregnant mice. These affected mice showed signs of depression and were less caring as mothers. Moreover, their female offspring exhibited autism-like behavioural patterns, including increased self-grooming and reduced social awareness. Further tests found that stressed mouse mothers had lower levels of oxytocin the so-called love hormone in a key brain area. Similarly, their female offspring had fewer receptors for this hormone in the same brain region, inhibiting mother-infant bonding. What is autism? Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease. It means your brain works in a different way from other people. It's something you're born with or first appears when you're very young. If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life. Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a 'cure'. But some people need support to help them with certain things. Autistic people may: find it hard to communicate and interact with other people find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable find it hard to understand how other people think or feel get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events take longer to understand information do or think the same things over and over What causes autism? It's not clear what causes autism. Nobody knows what causes autism, or if it has a cause. It can affect people in the same family. So it may sometimes be passed on to a child by their parents. Autism is not caused by: bad parenting vaccines, such as the MMR vaccine diet an infection you can spread to other people Source: NHS Advertisement Publishing their findings in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, the researchers said: 'Developmental delays appear to be more common in girls with autism spectrum disorder. 'These preliminary observations underscore the importance of screening and supporting maternal mental heath.' However, the researchers acknowledged some limitations to their study including a relatively small sample size which could not account for cultural differences. A previous research paper, published in the British Medical Journal, has also highlighted a link between taking antidepressants during pregnancy and autism. The study on more than 140,000 pregnant women found that taking antidepressant tablets during the second and third trimester, to treat depression, almost doubles the risk of children developing the spectrum disorder. According to the NHS, some mood changes are normal during pregnancy and antenatal depression is not uncommon. Signs and symptoms include feeling sad or tearful a lot of the time, feeling irritable, a change in eating habits, negative thoughts about your baby and having problems concentrating or making decisions. It comes as new research this week found that girls may be just as likely to be autistic as boys, but less likely to be diagnosed during childhood. Dr Caroline Fyfe, lead author of the study, said: 'Our findings suggest that the gender difference in autism prevalence is much lower than previously thought, due to women and girls being underdiagnosed or diagnosed late.' Experts said the findings are 'timely' and 'important', supporting the theory that autism is markedly undiagnosed in women. The findings come following Wes Streeting's call for an independent review into soaring demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services after a warning of an 'over-diagnosis' of conditions, in December last year. As of March last year, figures show there are around 91,000 people aged between 10 and 25 years old currently awaiting a referral. Some experts have repeatedly blamed growing awareness of the spectrum disorder, which was only widely diagnosed as its own condition this century. Employers must stop using 'wellbeing add-ons' as an alternative to tackling the root causes of workplace stress, experts have warned. A newly published report from The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) looked at worker experiences from 22 countries - including the UK - and found that a common theme: workforces are under more pressure than ever before. They also found that businesses continue to rely on reactive benefits such as lifestyle perks and oneoff incentives while leaving fundamental issues such as job design, workload, working hours, organisational culture and psychosocial hazards largely unaddressed. The IOSH likened it to employers 'papering over cracks' with wellbeing perks which ultimately do not protect their staff's mental health from avoidable harm. Ruth Wilkinson, IOSH's head of policy, said: 'Too many organisations still lean on reactive measures or wellbeing "addons", while the real issues driving harm go unaddressed. 'Prevention must be embedded into the systems, culture and leadership of every organisation. 'That means strong, visible commitment from the top, clear communication, and creating workplaces where people feel psychologically safe to raise concerns. 'Only then can we shift away from firefighting and build genuinely healthy, safe, sustainable and resilient working environments Employers need to address the root cause of workplace stress, warns a new report 'Our findings make one message unmistakable: the future of workplace health and wellbeing cannot be built on perks, posters or token initiatives.' Mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression were said to be the most common challenge facing their employees. The report exposes a sharp global rise in workplace health and wellbeing challenges and a widening gulf between good intentions and genuine impact. Ms Wilkinson added: 'These findings tell us that employers are committed to investing in worker health and wellbeing, yet problems are still occurring. 'It means the action and investment to date is not having the desired impact it is not getting to the root cause and preventing the harm from happening. 'For this reason, employers need to take a proactive approach and this starts with prevention.' Being stressed at work can have hugely damaging longterm effects which reverberate long after you've signed off for the day. Prolonged stress can trigger a release of hormones that dramatically raise the risk of heart attack and weight gain - which could lead to obesity-related diseases. In 2024/25, 964,000 workers experienced work-related stress, depression, or anxiety Physically, the most common signs of chronic stress are chest pains, headaches and muscle aches. This is because stress causes the body to release too much of the hormone cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands that sit on the top of the kidneys. It regulates a wide range of bodily processes including blood pressure, metabolism, fertility and sleep-wake cycles. As well as cortisol, the body releases a surge of adrenaline an increase in both hormones is a result of the 'fight or flight' reaction that's triggered when we're under threat. Together, these hormones cause the blood vessels to constrict, which makes our heart have to work harder to pump blood around the body. This can lead to heart palpitations and chest pains, as well as high blood pressure and pains in the muscles and head. Workplace stress also has a knock-on cost for employers, too. Figures released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national independent regulator for workplace health, safety, and illness, estimated that in 2024/25, 964,000 workers in Great Britain experienced work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. The figures also revealed that mental health conditions were behind a significant portion of the 40.1 million working days lost. Last year, Wes Streeting instructed GPs to stop issuing sick letters for people struggling with their mental health and instead refer patients to the gym or a job centre, a move which prompted health leaders to warn that it could cause people to become very unwell. Healthcare workers at St John Ambulance said this 'pressure to keep going' runs the risk of minimising the very real effects of burnout, which can easily snowball into more serious health issues such as anxiety or depression. Burnout, which is recognised by the World Health Organisation, is characterised by a state of 'physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion'. Lisa Sharman, head of education and training at the ambulance service, said: 'When public language suggests people are exaggerating or being written off, it can make some individuals feel even less safe to speak up.' She said: 'It's not always burnout, per se, but it's exhaustion, emotional overload, or feeling unable to cope. 'And those are really real experiences, they're not just buzzwords, so we can't dismiss them as such. 'Burnout is often an early warning sign that something is wrong, but if it's recognised and addressed early, people can and will recover sooner.' Union leaders have also backed up the IOSH's report. Unison's national officer for health and safety Joe Donnelly said: 'Prompt intervention could stop hundreds of thousands of people leaving the workforce each year for entirely avoidable health reasons. 'All too often employers worsen pay and conditions, overwork staff and undermine safety standards, then offer 'mindfulness' classes as a solution. 'Work-related stress isn't self-imposed. While wellbeing schemes can help, they don't tackle the causes.' Dan Shears, GMB health and safety director, said: 'The report confirms what we have known for some time that employers need to do much more to prevent work-related stress, and that doing so benefits workers and employers. 'GMB believes the report strengthens the case for primary legislation in this area a Mental Health at Work Act and we hope that the UK Government will be open-minded in its policy considerations. 'Tackling the root causes of stress is in everyone's interests, and Government will need to be imaginative and radical in strengthening the protection afforded to workers.' Health officials are issuing an urgent warning against controversial raw milk following a New Mexico baby's death. Earlier this week, the New Mexico Department of Health announced that a newborn in the state had died after becoming infected with listeria, an infection caused by the bacteria monocytogenes. Health officials said in a press release that they believe 'the most likely source of infection' was the baby's mother drinking raw milk, or milk that has not been pasteurized. 'While investigators cannot pinpoint the exact cause, the tragic death underscores the serious risks raw dairy poses to pregnant women, young children, elderly New Mexicans and anyone with a weakened immune system,' the department said. The pasteurization process, which is standard in US milk production, involves heating milk to about 145 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes to kill pathogens like listeria and E. coli, but raw milk skips this process. No additional details have been released about the infant or the circumstances surrounding their death. Raw milk has been shown to contain several forms of bacteria, including listeria, E. coli and Campylobacter. While health authorities like the CDC recommend against anyone consuming raw milk, it is considered especially dangerous in pregnant or nursing women and young children due to listeria risks. In a 2025 TikTok video, 'trad wife' influencer Nara Smith is seeing baking cookies with her husband. In the clip she takes a sip of what she says is raw milk, despite her being pregnant at the time Your browser does not support iframes. Pregnant women and children are more prone to listeria due to changes in their immune system, and the bacteria can then be passed to a fetus through the placenta. 'Individuals who are pregnant should only consume pasteurized milk products to help prevent illnesses and deaths in newborns,' Dr Chad Smelser, deputy state epidemiologist for the New Mexico Department of Health said in a press release. From 1998 to 2018, the CDC reported three deaths related to raw milk. During that same period, there were 202 outbreaks linked to raw milk, which caused 2,645 illnesses and 228 hospitalizations. Many believe the pasteurization process, which involves heating the milk and nothing else, strips it of much of its nutritional value, despite scientific evidence stating otherwise. A 2017 study, for example, found that unpasteurized dairy products cause 840 times more illnesses and 45 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized products. Additionally, there are no beneficial bacteria in raw milk, according to the FDA. Experts estimate pasteurization kills 99.9 percent of pathogens. Sales of raw milk are illegal in eight states, while others, including New Mexico, allow it with clear distinctions, such as making it for pet use only or available only on farm stands. Raw milk has garnered a cult-like following among conservatives, who believe each individual should decide what they drink regardless of risk. Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr has said he exclusively drinks raw milk. Raw milk can carry dangerous germs such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, Campylobacter and others that cause foodborne illness (stock image) In December 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that companies handling raw milk must collect and share samples of the product upon request. The measure, dubbed the National Milk Testing Strategy, was meant to identify which dairy herds were infected with H5N1, or 'bird flu,' which has infected hundreds of cow herds and 71 humans since 2024. The CDC recommends against consuming raw milk that has been contaminated with bird flu, which some influencers have touted over the false belief that is protects against the illness by creating antibodies. Jeff M Witte, New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture, said: 'New Mexicos dairy producers work hard to provide safe, wholesome products and pasteurization is a vital part of that process. 'Consumers, particularly those at higher risk, are encouraged to choose pasteurized dairy products to reduce the risk of serious foodborne illness.' Operation Bounce House is available now from the Mail Bookshop Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman (Michael Joseph 22, 400pp) Your home is an outer planet with patched-up tech and your AI nanny electrocutes you whenever you swear. Also, youve split up with your girlfriend, got drunk and puked all over your communication device. Then youre attacked. To add insult to injury, the attackers are gamers: teenage morons with real bombs who are using your planet as a battleground for points and followers. Dinniman is a master of the jaunty, brattish tone, here devastatingly undercut by dystopian peril. Its a horrendous, twisty, page-turning nightmare, shot through with the darkest satirical humour. Of Blood and Fire is available now from the Mail Bookshop Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill (The Broken Binding Publishing 20, 494pp) Some books have it all, and this is one of them. A continent dominated by a hostile imperium, mythological beings that prove not to be mythological, scattered magic and orcish monsters in the woods . . . it doesnt guarantee success but by golly it helps. Carefree village teenagers, Calen and his friends get a massive wake-up call when their roistering leads them into trouble and an epic escape across a hostile landscape. But theres real heartbreak in the offing, and much violence, deserved and undeserved, with scenes that punch like mailed fist in the face. Grace is available now Grace by A. M. Shine (Head of Zeus, 20, 304pp) Grace is a young Dublin bookseller with a secret past. Given up for adoption as a baby, her life is turned upside down with an unexpected call from a priest. Her birth mother has just died and shes inherited a house on a small island off Irelands west coast. Its a set-up that promises much, and delivers. A ghastly curse with mythological roots has her new home and its miserable inhabitants in thrall: Craggy Island this definitely aint. A wonderful mystery, full of creeping menace, as chilling and enveloping as a sea mist. You wouldnt guess that some of the Chinese tourists you see buying up luxury handbags by the trolley load in Bicester Village on a Saturday afternoon were cogs in the global money-laundering wheel. Youd think they were just shopaholics who love swanky labels and are at their happiest in a photogenic Oxfordshire retail park. Between 2 and 5 per cent of the worlds GDP is money being laundered Yet, as Oliver Bullough writes in his thoroughly researched and urgent book about the worlds failure to crack down on the global money-laundering racket, many of those shoppers and their handbags are a key link in a chain connecting Chinese and European criminals. Criminals in China deliver cash to a collector, who packages it up and hands it to students travelling to the UK to study. The students are instructed to buy the handbags and send them back to China. Handbags flow from Europe to China, while drugs or other illicit goods flow out of China, often to South America, Bullough explains. Criminals there then ship the drugs to Europe, completing the value transfer circuit. The problem, when it comes to cracking down on this trade, is that the people buying handbags are not themselves criminals, and theres no reason to be suspicious of them. Whats more, the retailers are making handsome profits from the sales, so why would they want to raise any concerns? Police forces have tried to clamp down, warning students of the risks they face in allowing their bank accounts to be used for moving tainted cash, but theres no suggestion theyve put a dent in the problem. The students go back to China, and once theyre out of the country, theyre beyond anyones reach. Thats just one of many jaw-dropping examples of the elusiveness of the iniquitous global money- laundering industry, which promotes human misery on a vast scale in the form of (among other horrors) deaths from drug overdoses, extortion and human trafficking. Even salad dressing is a part of the murky world of money laundering Its thought that between two and 5 per cent of the worlds GDP is money being laundered: washed through the financial system until its criminal origins are lost without trace. And banks and governments seem to be utterly clueless when it comes to properly cracking down on it. T he books title, Everyone Loves Our Dollars, is a quote from an anonymous person in the US Treasury Department, when an economist pointed out that the USs continuing manufacture of $100 banknotes is actively helping criminals, terrorists and tax dodgers to make the world poorer and less safe. But why would the US want to stop selling something thats so popular? the Treasury man asked. Everyone loves our dollars. Bullough visits a money-printing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, and sees for himself the massive output: billions of banknotes rolling off the presses every year and this in a world where hardly any of us pays for anything with cash any more. But cash is still the criminals best friend. In wads of those high-denomination notes, it travels round the world, hidden in container lorries and ships, in corrugations of cardboard boxes, in the gearboxes of trucks, behind the insulation in the hulls of yachts, inside nappies and kitchen rolls. A useful start, Bullough suggests, would be to stop the production of high-denomination notes. (The 500 note was, thankfully, discontinued in 2019.) You might think that the legions of compliance officers employed by banks to sniff out anomalies in financial transactions would help in the fight against money laundering. But Bullough discovers that compliance, as its called, is useless when it comes to getting to the heart of the problem. The main thing banks are terrified of is being fined for failures in vetting account holders. For this reason, bank databases are flooded with Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), and compliance officers spend most of their time checking through endless false positives, just so they can be seen to be going through the motions of clamping down on money laundering. This is known as covering your a***. Everybody Loves Our Dollars is available now from the Mail Bookshop Whats more, because of banks frenzy to be seen to be stamping out money laundering, innocent clients are debanked, and whole small countries blacklisted and frozen out of the global financial system, while rich individuals and large countries somehow get away with it. Homing in on one salient example of this unfairness, Bullough mentions a charity run by kind Somalis in Wales, which was stripped of its bank account just for being Somali and a charity in the paranoia that followed the 9/11 attacks. Lots of small charities with Muslim connections were similarly frozen out, and remain so. Its governments, not banks, Bullough argues, who should be taking the lead in the fight, by paying for foundational research on how dirty money moves, is hidden and is spent. Governments should make the same demands on themselves that they make on financial institutions. That effort to clean up banks has merely encouraged criminals to find new ways of moving wealth around the globe. A s well as in cash, its happening in another under-reported activity: Trade-based money laundering. Criminals send a billion dollars worth of cocaine from Colombia to the US, and a billion dollars worth of manufactured goods flows in the opposite direction. Containers are opaque and can hide anything, Bullough explains. A tiny fraction of them are inspected by customs. And ports are often controlled by criminals who bribe or intimidate customs officials. The goods on those container ships are over-invoiced, in order to warp and confuse: bottles of salad dressing are shipped across the world, unchecked, at $750 a bottle, or razor blades imported from Panama at $29.35 each. Its estimated that a trillion dollars of wealth moves across the system in this way every year. I could have done with a few diagrams with pictures of ships, salad dressing, criminals, casinos and wads of cash, connected by arrows, to explain exactly what happens. The system is designed to confuse, and it certainly does. Overall, Bullough paints a memorable and depressing picture of a world sullied by a criminal system that has become totally embedded. And now theres a new method for moving money, making the trade yet more elusive: cryptocurrency, which enables instant wealth transfer outside the knowledge of government authorities. The criminals are always one step ahead. Its time for governments to take action, an exasperated Bullough writes. Without money laundering, there would be no kleptocracy, no cartels, no fraudsters, no people traffickers, no child pornographers, no illegal trade in wildlife. The world would be improved immeasurably. Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark's eldest daughter should be relishing one of her biggest milestones her final months of high school, looming exams and the anticipation of graduation. Instead, Princess Isabella's experience along with that of the current cohort at regard Gymnasium high school has been soured after a recent online bullying scandal rocked the school community. It's the type of incident every parent royal or otherwise fears happening around their teenage child. Princess Isabella, 18, commenced her studies at the elite upper secondary school located in the Hellerup district in Copenhagen's northern suburbs in August 2023. The school has a reputation for attracting students from Denmark's wealthiest families and boasts a rich royal history, having also been attended by Isabella's father, King Frederik, and her older brother, Crown Prince Christian. But in the past fortnight, the school has been rocked by controversy after being exposed as the centre of a vicious online bullying scandal. The story broke in late January when Danish publication BT reported that an anonymous Instagram account, 'Oegard_bekendelser' which translates to 'regard Confessions' had appeared online on Friday, January 16 and was quickly used to share alarming posts about students at the school. Acting as a digital confessional, the account shared nude photos, lurid secrets, offensive posts and even threats. Multiple reports said several female students were singled out and crudely labelled. regard Gymnasium high school (pictured) has a dark cloud hanging over it after a recent online bullying scandal rocked the school community Princess Isabella, 18, has been a student at regard Gymnasium high school since August 2023 and will graduate later this year. She is pictured here in her official 18th birthday portrait in April 2025. The Daily Mail does not suggest she was involved in the online bullying scandal The account holder also reportedly shared polls nominating the 'sexiest female' student, encouraging followers to vote. There were also callouts inviting followers to anonymously submit meanspirited remarks about specific students, which were then reshared. Some students were even threatened with the publication of nude photos if they did not comply. None of the published reports suggest Princess Isabella was targeted. The faceless account remained live all weekend before being deactivated on Monday, January 19. It was too late. Rumours about the site spread like wildfire through online channels, with offensive messages pushed to students, teachers and the general public. By Monday, when school resumed, a crisis meeting was called and the entire school body - teachers and students - was briefed. Princess Isabella's prestigious school was also attended by her father, King Frederik. The father and daughter are pictured together in May 2024 Meta - the parent company of Instagram - was also alerted and shut the page down. Police reportedly attended the crisis meeting, warning students about the serious criminal consequences facing the person behind the account, including hefty fines and possible jail time. Students were also urged to unfollow the profile and delete any saved screenshots. Principal Pia Nyring made it clear any student found to be behind the account would face serious consequences. 'Should it turn out that this person is a student of this school, it is completely unacceptable in terms of our values and they will no longer be able to attend,' she said. As reported by BT, parents - including King Frederik and Queen Mary - were also informed via a letter from the school. In the correspondence, Ms Nyring assured parents the situation was being taken 'very seriously'. 'As soon as we became aware of the page, we reported it to both North Zealand Police and Meta, which is behind Instagram,' part of her letter read. Parents - including Frederik and Mary - were sent a letter from the school about the incident. Frederik and Mary are pictured with daughter Isabella and son Prince Vincent in July 2025 'There has therefore been close cooperation with the police, who also physically showed up for the morning assembly and attended the orientation for the students - which shows that both we and the police take the matter very seriously.' The letter also urged parents to 'talk to your children about how they can protect themselves and that they should not follow any new profiles with the same content'. Parents of students at the school who wished to remain anonymous said they were devastated by the 'terrible things' posted to the account. Some said their distraught children were afraid to return to school. According to the principal, only a small group of students was specifically named in the posts - but the situation has affected the entire school. 'For every single student affected by the profile, this hurts. We want to offer all the help they could need,' she said. But the incident didn't stop there. Only hours after the crisis meeting and the shuttering of the original 'regard Confessions' account, reports emerged that another account had briefly appeared. The second account, 'regards Tilstaelser' ('Confessions from regard'), appeared with an ominous profile description: 'We are back.' The account even brazenly tagged the school. Queen Mary and King Frederik - pictured in Lithuania on January 28 - were away on a state visit just days after news of the scandal broke The royal couple - pictured in Lithuania on January 29 - have not commented on the matter involving their daughter's school But the account's reappearance just as the school tried to wrest back control left students rattled. 'People are afraid it's not over yet,' one student told BT. Another added: 'You keep walking around thinking: Will there be more?' The publication reported a general sense of unease around the campus. 'People just want this person found. But nobody has any idea who it is,' a student said. Followup reports by the outlet said the police investigation into the anonymous Instagram profile is ongoing, but the identity of the person behind it remains unknown. Numerous sources say the search has been complicated because the account creator concealed their location using an encrypted VPN. A VPN - virtual private network - creates an encrypted 'tunnel' that makes it difficult to trace someone's location. Authorities are also working with the school to identify the account holder, with Principal Nyring saying: 'We are in close dialogue with the police to resolve this case.' The school's principal, Pia Nyring, told BT the school is communicating with police as they continue to investigate the person or persons behind the account 'And we can see from our students that they are also very interested in getting to the bottom of it, and they keep us informed if there is anything they think we need to hear.' At this stage, however, the principal said she was unsure whether the account creator was a student at the school. 'We still have no indication that it was someone from here,' she said. 'Fortunately, there hasn't been anything [new Instagram accounts] since. 'I can't give any guarantees, but I hope there won't be any more and that the police will find out who is behind it.' There may, however, have been a clue to the identity of the person - or people - behind the vile account while it was live. According to reports, the account posted a 'Q&A session'. One question asked the account holder: 'Do you attend G?' - using the school's abbreviation. The answer? 'ofc' - short for 'of course'. There is, however, no guarantee the claim was truthful. Until the individual or group behind the account is identified and held to account, there will understandably be great insecurity inside the halls of regard Gymnasium. The Royal House has not commented on the matter. Queen Mary - pictured in Estonia on January 27 - is involved in a number of antibullying initiatives through the Mary Foundation At the time of publication, no further reports from Denmark have emerged. The sad irony of the situation is that Isabella's mother, Queen Mary, is renowned for her work in the antibullying space. Through the Mary Foundation, she has championed campaigns tackling youth exclusion and harassment, including the 'Fri for Mobberi' ('Free from Bullying') project. Now, in every parent's worst nightmare, the problem has landed on her own doorstep, as her daughter's classmates grapple with a senseless online bullying scandal. New to DailyMail+? Here are our most-read stories from the last week AMANDA GOFF: Skin-crawling excuses of 'sex teachers': Predatory and pathetic, these women all share a deeply troubling trait. I'll never forget when one confessed to me... Read shocking texts between married teacher, 25, and boy, 17, who had sex for three-and-a-half hours while her VERY forgiving lawyer husband was away on hunting trip Explosive feud between founders of buzzy Pilates school heads to court: We reveal the cryptic posts and legal demands just months after they boasted of being 'sidekicks forever' 'Old money' mean girls howling like hyenas at a young mum... How predictable. Their catty group chat exposes a shameless lie so many Aussie women tell themselves: AMANDA GOFF The bitter divide at the heart of the Pullin family feud: Forget the tragedy, the charity and the tattle about Ellidy's personal life... our new photos reveal the stark truth of this rift Sydney's hottest new couple gets frisky at Bondi: He's 47 and a club king, she's a 23-year-old model. Now, insiders reveal the telling sign Australia's Leonardo DiCaprio is finally ready to settle down Chumpy Pullin's father poured his heart out to me. It's so much worse than we thought... This is my plea to Ellidy - before it's too late: KARLEIGH SMITH The babysitter, the iPad texts and the media rumour that won't go away... Plus, Cate Sayers' 'new lover' sparks whisper campaign - here's the truth behind the smear as she sues husband Luke: COSTELLO'S MELBOURNE The ultimate Old vs New Money tier list: As a 'gauche' young mum rattles society snobs, we reveal who really belongs on each side of Australia's wealth divide Her husband was the 'QAnon surfer' who killed their three children but she still wears her wedding ring. This is her new life Powerful statement from Tom Silvagni's victim after disgusting claim about her personal life - as the footballer's son appeals verdict The FULL story of Nick Kyrgios' wild weekend before Australian Open crash out: See the moment tennis star is asked to leave a Melbourne nightclub at 7am, rants about PM and is led away by friends... before doing it all again the next day Popular influencer Angel Montoya has died aged 30 after attempting a daring stunt during a livestream. The Colombian content creator was found dead on January 30 - three days after he was recorded jumping off a bridge into the Cauca River for a viral stunt. In the video, Montoya can be seen telling the camera, 'see you later' in Spanish before leaping. Once he landed in the water, he attempted to swim in the river, but the current swept him away. US Weekly reported that Montoya also appeared to have lost some mobility in his arm after making the jump. Outlets reported that authorities, including the Bugalagrande Volunteer Fire Department and firefighters from neighboring municipalities, quickly responded. But rescue attempts were difficult because of the rivers high water levels after heavy rain in the area. Complex reported that search efforts continued for several days following the jump, but found a body floating several miles from the bridge and notified authorities on January 30. The corpse was later confirmed as Montoya. Influencer Angel Montoya died aged 30 after jumping into a Colombian river Valle del Caucas Security of Risk Management office acknowledged the recovery and confirmed the death. A representative for the department, Francisco Tenorio, told local media: 'It is crucial to urge the people of Valle del Cauca not to risk their lives.' 'We are in the rainy season, with nearly 25 municipalities affected by flash floods and torrential downpours. He continued: 'Life is the most precious gift and should not be put at risk.' Montoya built an online following through short-form videos and stunts designed for social platforms. His final livestream circulated widely in the hours after the jump. In the video, the person filming reportedly yelled, 'Youre going to be taken away in the current,' to Montoya as he was in the water. Tributes have flooded in for the content creator following his death. The Colombian content creator was found dead on January 30 - three days after he was recorded jumping off a bridge into a river for a viral stunt Once he landed in the water, Montoya attempted to swim in the river, but the current tragically swept him away In the video, Montoya can be seen telling the camera, 'see you later' in Spanish before jumping Rescue attempts were difficult due to the rivers high water levels following heavy rain in the area 'God. My what happens to people who don't measure danger,' one user wrote. 'Poor man didn't know what was going to happen to him saw it as a game, many young people see life like this and forget the fragility of life and the power of nature,' commented another. 'Very sad! Young people who think they are brave by getting high and challenging God with their dangerous stunts,' said someone else. Others spoke of how dangerous the Cauca River is. 'That river is NOT for everyone, those who usually throw themselves are young people who have lived their whole life near that river, and know where they can throw and where they can't, and yet [many experts] have drowned,' one person wrote on social media. Ivanka Trump truly is her mother's daughter - in every sense! The First Daughter dazzled as she stepped out for a charity event in honor of St. Jude's Children's Hospital on Thursday night, wearing a piece of clothing very close to her heart. Trump, 44, wore an eye-catching beaded white fringe cocktail dress, previously owned by her late mother, Ivana Trump, who passed away in 2022. The tribute comes just one week after she skipped the premiere for stepmom Melania Trump's feature film premiere in Washington, D.C. Instead, she was spotted at a high-profile JPMorgan Chase & Co event in Miami Beach, where she lives with husband Jared Kushner, and their three children. Trump's intricate 90s Bob Mackie mini dress features a high neckline and short sleeves. It is covered in beaded fringes and boasts a cut-out in the mid-section. It's not known how much the vintage piece would cost to buy but a similar version in gold is currently on sale for over $7,000 on 1stDibs. Trump paired the special dress with white pointed heels and a silver sequined rectangle clutch. She wore her long, blonde hair up with a few loose locks out and framing her face. Ivanka Trump dazzled as she stepped out for a charity event in honor of St. Jude's Children's Hospital on Thursday night, wearing a piece of clothing very close to her heart Trump, 44, wore an eye-catching beaded white fringe cocktail dress, previously owned by her late mother, Ivana Trump, who passed away in 2022 The mom-of-three took to Instagram to share some snaps from the event, including a family picture alongside brothers Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, as well as their partners Lara Trump and Bettina Anderson. 'Twenty years. Over $50 million raised. Countless children given hope,' Trump captioned the post. She continued, calling the evening a testament to brother Eric's 'big heart and unwavering commitment to St. Jude's Children's Hospital,' before reflecting on her mother's legacy. 'Though our mother is no longer with us, her spirit filled the room,' she wrote. 'I felt her especially close, wearing a dress that once belonged to her. Mom would have been so proud of you baby brother! Legacy isn't just what we build, but the love we carry forward.' It's not the first time Trump has worn the gorgeous piece. In 2023, she wore the flapper-style dress for music manager Myles Shear's 30th birthday bash at Faena Hotel Miami Beach. The white Bob Mackie dress was also famously worn by her mother at a Studio 54 party they attended together in 2002. The mom-of-three took to Instagram to share some snaps from the event, including a family picture alongside brothers Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, as well as their partners Lara Trump and Bettina Anderson In 2023, she wore the flapper-style dress for music manager Myles Shear's 30th birthday bash at Faena Hotel Miami Beach Ivanka also borrowed one of her mother's Bob Mackie dresses from 1991 (left) to wear to Mikey Hess and Misha Nonoo's wedding festivities in Italy in 2019 (right) Photos of the mother-daughter duo from the event show the first daughter in an orange, purple, pink and brown striped dress alongside her mother in the iconic minidress. Trump also dipped into her mother's wardrobe for another Bob Mackie number in 2019, wearing another iconic design to fashion designer Misha Nonoo's wedding. Similar to the white ensemble, the cocktail dress featured a high neck and layers of sequined fringe in a white, gold, and black ombre. The dress was first spotted on Ivana at a gala event in 1991. Ivana, who was the former president's first wife, was found dead at the age of 73 in her New York townhouse in July 2022, after sustaining blunt impact injuries as a result of a fall down the stairs. Madeleine Aleksandra couldn't wait to walk down the aisle in a stunning $6,000 wedding dress she purchased from a boutique. But she's now facing the heartbreaking reality she may never get to wear her custom-made gown after discovering the bridal designer has quietly shut its doors. An application for a winding up has been filed against the bridal shop, leaving the Melbourne bride-to-be completely shattered. Winding-up orders, typically initiated by creditors, seek to place an insolvent company into compulsory liquidation. However, the application could still be withdrawn or opposed. To make the blow even harder to bear, her grandmother had generously paid for the gown in full with cash, wanting to gift Madeleine the dress of her dreams. 'It's absolutely horrible for something that is supposed to be so special,' the 31-year-old bride told Daily Mail. 'I am so scared that I won't get my Babcia's money back. She's 86 years old and has no idea because I can't tell her. She still doesn't know about this, I don't want to tell her because she would be absolutely devastated.' Madeleine claimed she has been trying to get her money back since October last year after realising something wasn't right when issues began to emerge. In a last ditch-attempt, she claimed she now has no choice but to raise her concerns publicly on social media after the bridal designer completely ghosted her. Madeleine Aleksandra is now facing the heartbreaking reality she may never get to wear her custom-made $6,000 wedding dress after the boutique disappeared Daily Mail has contacted the bridal shop multiple times for comment but has not received a response. Calls to the business go straight to voicemail. 'The bridal designer has left me $6,000 out of pocket and without a wedding gown less than a week away from my wedding,' Madeleine claimed. When she first ordered the dress, she was required to make an upfront payment so her grandmother kindly paid in cash the 'old-school' way. She claimed her wedding dress was made using synthetic fabrics instead of silk. 'I've been trying to get a refund because they made my dress in a man-made fabric when I'd specified and paid for a 100 per cent silk fabric,' she said in a video. 'There were design issues where it didn't fit me properly.' When she sent a follow-up email just to 'double check the fabric composition', Madeleine claimed she was told the silk Mikado was 'hard to source', so synthetic material was used instead to 'emulate its look and drape'. 'I went and did my own research because I was really shocked to hear that for the first time throughout the process,' she claimed. 'I contacted some fabric suppliers who had it readily available in stock.' In a last ditch-attempt, she claimed she now has no choice but to raise her concerns publicly on social media after the bridal designer completely ghosted her Over the months, she made multiple attempts to arrange fittings to ensure her dress was made according to her specifications. 'Usually in a custom process, you'll have multiple fittings, which I never had,' she said. 'I never saw my wedding gown until the final appointment. I also asked the bridal shop to come in earlier to my final appointment to see what could be done. 'They ignored that request and basically just told me to come in for my final appointment, which I did with my best friend who's my maid of honour.' When she saw her dress for the first time, she was 'devastated'. 'After that appointment, I asked for a full refund, and they have been fighting ever since to say I am not entitled to one for a "change of mind",' Madeleine claimed. 'But in fact I did not change my mind - they used a fabric in a dress that was not specified, the dress didn't fit me, they told me they didn't know what could be done in the timeframe left. 'It has been an absolutely horrible experience.' She has tried everything imaginable to get in touch with the bridal business - but her emails have now started bouncing back. 'I've heard nothing from them. I emailed following up again on my formal letter of complaint this week and the director's email has now bounced,' she claimed. Madeleine said she even contacted Consumer Affairs Victoria and the ACCC who advised her to send formal letters of complaint to the bridal shop. However, those letters have been ignored. She has tried everything imaginable to get in tough with the bridal business - but her emails have now started bouncing back On Thursday, her accountant friend did a deep Google search and found the bridal shop's notice of application for a winding up order. 'I'm not sure what this means for me or anyone with a dress order, but I think it's unlikely Babcia will get her money back,' she said, struggling to fight back tears. 'I don't know what else to do. I'm really exhausted from this process. Just makes it worse being my Babcia's money... I don't even want to tell her because it would break her heart. 'They have made this a really horrible experience and I just wanted to raise awareness so it doesn't happen to anyone else.' Madeleine is set to walk down the aisle this weekend, and fortunately she has found an alternative dress. 'Luckily, I have managed to find another dress just in time but it's cost so much more and left me so out of pocket,' she told Daily Mail. After speaking out, multiple brides came forward claiming they had been left without wedding dresses after ordering from the same bridal shop. 'I have a dress with them for my wedding next year. They are not replying to my calls or emails. I'm actually so nervous,' one claimed. 'I was supposed to go try on gowns there this week and they cancelled my appointment last week due to them shutting down the retail boutique,' another said. A new book that seeks to explain the success of far-right firebrand Tucker Carlson has made little impact during its first week on sale. 'Hated By All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind' only sold 928 copies following its release on January 27, according to early data seen by Status. Disgraced political writer Olivia Nuzzi's American Canto sold just 1,165 copies when it came out back in December. The book was panned as 'aggressively awful' by the Washington Post and 'regrettably self-serious' by The New York Times. 'Hated By All the Right People's even-more lackluster launch has left it at #10,030 on Amazon's Bestseller list, more than 100 webpages away from the Top 50. The book was heavily publicized, and seeks to explain how the former Fox News journalist became a megastar of the MAGA right. It was written by a reporter from the liberal New Yorker, Jason Zengerle. It also comes from Crooked Media Reads, a publishing imprint created by Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor. Zengerle used Carlson as a reporting source in the 1990s, he writes. Carlson, back then, was a 'gifted young writer,' according the author. He goes on to track what he framed as Carlson's shift to a 'noxious talking head'. 'Hated By All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind' had a pathetic debut in terms of sales last week The book, which is not a memoir, sold just 928 copies during the week of January 27, early data has shown A synopsis states: 'Carlsons evolution tells the larger story of how the right has radicalized and taken the media with it.' Zengerle does not explain what led to Carlson's firing from Fox News in 2023, when he was at the peak of his network success. In the years since, though, Carlson has carved out a sizable spot in what's known as 'new media', with his podcast and YouTube show rocketing up the charts. On the latter platform, Carlson, 56, has more than five million subscribers. The host earned ire last year for welcoming Nick Fuentes and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to his show. Zengerle's book follows Carlson's path as an adult journalist, from a writer at the right-leaning Weekly Standard in 90s; to a failed host on left-leaning CNN, PBS, and MSNBC; to a contestant on Dancing With the Stars; to today. '[W]hether Carlson really believes the awful things that he says,' Zengerle writes at a point, 'matters less than that he says them at all.' Other claims in the book include Carlson disliked Trump during his time at Fox and even ignored some of the then-one term presidents phone-calls. Carlson 'confided to multiple people' his belief that Trump, or some intelligence service, was recording phone calls he did answer to later use against him, Zengerle says. The book was authored by New Yorker reporter Jason Zengerle, who he regularly used Carlson as a source in the mid-90s It also comes from Crooked Media Reads, a publishing imprint created by Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor - three former Barack Obama staffers Instead, Carlson used his platform - Tucker Carlson Tonight - to speak to, and influence, Trump directly, Zengerle writes. Carlson met with Trump in the Oval office just last month - the second time he was seen at the White House in a matter of weeks. The Daily Mail contacted the White House for more information. MS NOW's Joe Scarborough raged at Donald Trump over a video the president posted that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The video, which originated from a pro-Trump account on X but was reposted by the president on Truth Social, has been condemned as racist by both Democrats and Republicans. Scarborough, like many others, took great offense to the rendering, with the topic coming up just minutes into Friday's Morning Joe. 'I mean, at this stage all youre doing is hurting the Republican Party,' Scarborough said. 'All youre doing is hurting your support in the center.' 'All youre doing is making yourself look pathetic, Republicans, for not standing up to this open racism and bigotry,' he added. Scarborough said that such a display would usually be disqualifying, particularly for a president. 'Again, in normal times, [this] would end somebodys political career that day,' the former Florida GOP congressman fumed. 'Every Republican in normal times would have come out and attacked this racism and this bigotry.' 'I mean, at this stage all youre doing is hurting the Republican Party,' host Joe Scarborough said on Friday's edition of Morning Joe, joined by his wife and costar Mika Brzezinski The video, which originated from a pro-Trump account on X but was reposted by the president before being deleted late Friday morning, was widely criticized The post also earned a rare critique from the Senates only black Republican, Tim Scott, who wrote on X he was 'Praying [the video in the post] was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. 'The President should remove it,' the South Carolina senator added at around 9:45am. Right-leaning pundit Piers Morgan also slammed the post as 'racist.' Trump has since deleted the post in question. A White House staffer erroneously made the post, according to a White House official who spoke to the Daily Mail on Friday afternoon. By that point, the clip had been up for about 12 hours. The video showed the faces of the former president and first lady superimposed on the bodies of primates as The Tokens' song The Lion Sleeps Tonight played in the background. The clip also pedaled Trump's oft-repeated claims that Democrats 'stole' the 2020 election, which were rejected by the Supreme Court, before cutting to the AI video. The president has previously alleged that Obama betrayed the US by sending spies to keep tabs on his first campaign, amid accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. 'Trump just posted a video on Truth Social that includes a racist image of Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. There's no bottom,' the Republicans Against Trump X account wrote on X. Scarborough, 62, was also a registered Republican up until 2017, when he formally changed his affiliation to independent. The adminstration has refused to apologize for the post, which promoted baseless claims that Democrats 'stole' the 2020 election and cut to the AI-edited version of the former first couple. Pictured, current First Lady Melania, Trump, Obama, and Michelle at Trump's 2017 inauguration 'They think Democrats are going to get angry,' host said on Friday, before 'It's just- all of this stuff destroys Republican support among the very voters they need to win elections.' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the video in a statement sent to the Daily Mail. 'This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.' Trump's video of the Obamas had been liked and reposted thousands of times before it was deleted. As more advanced electric cars break into the market, the benchmark for driving ranges is increasing. Last month, Volvo unveiled its latest EV that promises to exceed 500 miles without needing to stop for electricity. Its 117kW battery is said to be good for 503 miles. In theory, that's enough to cruise from the Channel port of Dover to Dunbarton to the north of Glasgow (490 miles), drive from the affluent streets of London's ultra-posh Fulham to Germany's financial hub in Frankfurt (497 miles), or motor from Southend Pier to Strasbourg's Cathedrale Notre-Dame (502 miles) without pulling over for electricity. While the bold claims are not necessarily achievable in the real world - far from it when driving in winter conditions with heaters on full blast and window wipers working overtime - it shows the rapid development of EVs from the 109-mile 'official' range of the first 'mass-market' electric car, the 2010 Nissan Leaf. With Volvo's latest battery-powered SUV is now the new range yardstick, there are other EVs that are hot on its heels. We take a look at the seven electric cars you can order today that - according to official tests - go for 450 miles or more on a full battery. And we also take a look at the innovative battery technology just around the corner that promises to make 1,000-mile ranges a reality. Last month, Volvo unveiled its latest EV that promises to exceed 500 miles without needing to stop for electricity. So, when can we expect to see the first model with a 1,000-mile range? Electric cars have come a long way in the 15 years since the Leaf's debut as the UK's first mainstream EV. The models drivers find in showrooms today use battery packs with double the energy of the 2010 Leaf's 24kWhs. But clever use of materials and packaging - like Volvo's new battery cell 'mega casting' - has only made them more capable of longer distances. Combined too with the greater use of lightweight constructions, more efficient tyres, and aerodynamically slipperier designs and most EVs entering the market in the last few years typically have official ranges beyond 300 miles. But these figures - as many of you are aware - always need to be taken with a pinch of salt. Volvo's 503-mile range - like the other six EVs in our list - is based on the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP): the official measurement used for every new car, irrelevant of fuel type, before it goes on sale in Europe and the UK. Like the miles per gallon figures the test cycle generates for petrol and diesel cars, the ranges quoted from the WLTP cycle are always caveated by a small print footnote starting the figures are 'for comparative purposes only' rather than being attainable in the real world. This is due to the limitations within the repeatable laboratory-based test. This includes the controlled lab environment failing to account for variables such as ambient temperature and the use of everyday features like as air-conditioning, heated seats, headlights and window wipers. The cycle is also conducted using very gentle acceleration and deceleration, and motorway speeds are only replicated for a short duration of the test. It's for these reasons that recent studies have found that real-world ranges can be up to 40 per cent shorter than the official numbers during winter conditions - and nearly halved when driving in extremely hot weather experienced in some parts of the continent. That means even the longest-legged EVs listed below might only be capable of covering around 300 miles in Britain's current chilly temperatures. Here's a rundown of the longest quoted ranges for EVs you can order right now: =6. Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD - 466 miles Price: 44,990 There was a time not many years ago when Tesla would have topped the EV range charts. Today, its longest-distance electric car is the Model 3 Long Range RWD offering up to 466 miles There was a time when Tesla was well ahead of the pack in the range race. But that's not the case at the turn of 2026. It's biggest single-charge mileage mule available right now is the Model 3 saloon in Long Range trim. When specced with the 18-inch Photon Wheels, the official WLTP range is 466 miles. Having recently killed off production of the Model S and Model X, this variant of the Model 3 is likely to be the Tesla benchmark for range for the foreseeable. =6. DS No8 FWD Long Range - 466 miles Price: 54,690 Citroen's new No8 is its flagship electric executive saloon car. Like the Tesla Model 3, the WLTP range is 466 miles if you opt for the front-wheel-drive variant The French spin-off of Citroen hasn't proved all that popular in the UK, but the hope is a new range of classy models - like the No4 hatchback - will generate some newfound interest from the British motoring fraternity. The No8 is the top of the range model in the revised line-up. And it should feel pretty plush, too. With the French Citroen DS name synonymous with ride comfort, the No8 aims to continue this connection using road-scanning tech that communicates to the active damper suspension how best to cope with potholes and ruts in the road ahead. With an official WLTP range of 466 miles, it's a match for the Tesla on performance - though at a 10,000 premium. 5. Audi A6 Sportback e-tron Performance - 470 miles Price: 68,860 Audi's new A6 Sportback is its longest-range EV yet, offering up to 470 miles on a single charge from the 'Performance' variant with the 100kWh battery Audi's longest-legged EV is its A6 Sportback (also available as the Avant estate) in Performance trim, which comes with a steep asking price. Starting from just under 69,000 this gets you a 100kWh battery that - according to the German car giant - is capable of slogging away for 470 miles on a full charge. If you're on a particularly long journey that saps the battery's reserves, the car's 800V system can utilise rapid charging speeds up to 270kW, meaning the charge can be upped from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just 21 minutes. 4. Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ - 481 miles Price: 112,620 The Mercedes-Benz EQS saloon had for a number of years topped the range charts, with its 118kWh-batteried 450+ version promising up to 481 miles from a charge. But even this remarkable figured has been gazumped by a trio of new models released in the last six months Mercedes and its EQS saloon for quite some time wore the crown for the longest-range EV on the market. While even the 'entry' EQS 350 offered a range of up to 409 miles from its 96kWh battery, upgrading to the 450+ variant gains a 118kWh unit and a WLTP range of up to 481 miles. However, we're now in the realms of spending silly money to access long-distance cruising on a single charge. Even the most affordable EQS 350 starts from 55 shy of three figures, while the 450+ will set you back 112,620. To put that into perspective, that's the average house price in some parts of Scotland. 3. Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ - 483 miles Price: 45,615 The Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ offers massive range with a not-so-massive price tag, in relation to most of the other cars in this list, that is If you want an even longer-range electric Mercedes that's less than half the price of the EQS executive saloon, the CLA 250+ is your best bet. It recently picked up the 2026 European Car of the Year award - only the second time in the prize's 62-year history that a Mercedes has been named the best of the bunch. The least expensive model - the 250+ Sport - is the longest legged of the lot, with its 85kWh battery good for 483 miles between charges, WLTP tests found. The CLA returns more than 5 miles per kWh and can add around 200 miles of range from a 10-minute charge, so not much longer than it takes to fill the tank of a petrol car. And more is yet to come from Mercedes. It has already developed an EV with a revolutionary new battery design and powerful 'axial-flux' e-motors that has covered 3,405 miles in 24 hours to set a new world record. 2. BMW iX3 50 xDrive - 500 miles Price: 58,755 BMW must have thought it was destined to have the longest-range EV when it prepared to launch the 500-mile iX3 last year. But it just misses out on the crown The new iX3 has been developed from the ground up as an EV, with the result that it can cover 500 miles of range on a single charge thanks to its 108.7kWh battery. While that's an impressive feat even by today's standards, it might be a point of frustration for the Bavarian brand that it is a mere three miles short of the outright range best. That said, the Beemer has other impressive capabilities. Not least its ultra-powerful 800V architecture can add 215 miles of range in 10 minutes. 1. Volvo EX60 P12 AWD - 503 miles Price: 64,860 The Volvo EX60, which is on sale now, is the longest-legged EV on the market right now. WLTP results put it at 503 miles on a full battery charge Volvo's new EX60 is the first battery car to go on sale in the UK that can exceed 500 miles on a single charge, removing the biggest 'obstacle' that has stopped people from switching to electric before now, the company says. While the entry 56,860 version can go for 385 miles on a full battery, the most expensive P12 All-Wheel-Drive variant is said to be capable of covering 503 miles (810km) without stopping. Volvo has boldly claimed that it will 'set a new standard for its segment' and hailed the EX60 as the model that 'solves the top customer concerns for buying an electric car'. When might we see a 1,000-mile EV in showrooms? While 500 miles ranges might seem impressive by today's standards, car makers say we're very much in the infancy of battery technology - and advances coming in a matter of years could see these distances doubled on a single charge. Solid-state, lithium-air, and lithium-sulphur batteries represent the potential next steps for vehicles. Each promises higher energy densities, improved safety, and faster charging over existing lithium-ion battery packs. While lighter lithium-sulphur batteries are lauded as the answer for electrified commercial flight, lithium-air promises the highest energy density of all - though sadly is the technology in its earliest phase of development. For the automotive space, solid state batteries are seen as the next logical step. Toyota in 2023 provided a battery technology roadmap outlining how it will reach near 1,000-mile ranges from EVs towards the end of the decade. It said this could only be achieved with a major shift in electric car design, showcasing this dramatic vehicle silhouette at the time The major breakthrough for long-range EVs will come around 2028 with the arrival of production-ready solid-state batteries According to the world's biggest car maker, Toyota, these will start appearing in EVs sooner than you might think. Currently, the Japanese manufacturer is fine tuning a 'high-performance' lithium-ion battery that it says can achieve a range of more than 1,000 kilometres - which is 621 miles. This is thanks to advancements in 'bipolar structure', combining lithium-ion chemistry and a high nickel cathode. Some three years ago, it predicted this tech could be available in its motors by next year. However, it caveated that the 1,000km target would only be achievable if combined with 'improved aerodynamics and reduced vehicle weight'. Here is the Toyota technology roadmap showing how it will ramp-up EV ranges with its next-gen batteries The major breakthrough, though, will come just before the end of the decade - and coincidentally the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. This will be thanks to mass availability of solid state batteries. The Japanese giant that year entered into an agreement with battery supplier Idemitsu to develop the technology for its vehicles. 'Our two companies will unite their strengths to mass-produce solid-state batteries and to realise innovations originating in Japan. We will create the future of mobility together,' Toyota's president and CEO Koji Sato said at the time. 'Solid-state lithium-ion batteries have a solid electrolyte that allows for faster movement of ions and a greater tolerance of high voltages and temperatures,' the car maker explained. 'These qualities make the batteries suitable for rapid charging and discharging and delivering power in a smaller form.' Toyotas first solid-state battery-powered passenger car is expected to offer up to 621 miles of range and be recharged in less than 10 minutes. Toyota entered into an agreement with battery supplier Idemitsu to develop solid state batteries for EVs in 2023. Pictured: Koji Sato (left), Toyota's president and CEO and Shunichi Kito, representative director, president and CEO of Idemitsu Solid-state lithium-ion batteries have a solid electrolyte that allows for faster movement of ions and a greater tolerance of high voltages and temperatures And it claims it already has a 'higher specification li-ion solid-state battery' under development, targeting an improvement in cruising range of around 50 per cent to providing more than 1,200km (746 miles) between charges. In fact, it says the tech - along with other aerodynamic advancements - could keep its EVs running for close to 1,500km, which is 932 miles in total. Toyota says it is already 'experimenting' with aero for mainstream EVs, particularly involving the height of the battery. 'If the batterys height can be reduced, then it follows the vehicles overall height can be lowered, the drag coefficient can be improved and overall range can be increased,' it says. The battery pack in its bZ4X electric SUV is around 150mm high. Toyota plans to reduce battery height to 120mm and to 100mm in the case of high-performance models. Jamie Oliver is the latest to warn the Chancellor that a tax raid on venues runs the risk of stubbing out the British food sector. The celebrity chef warned that confidence and creativity die under high Government taxes and called for urgent reform of VAT to help ease the burden on firms. There has been a huge backlash after increases to business rates were revealed last year - prompting the Chancellor to offer respite to pub and music venues on the property tax. But other parts of the hospitality sector - including restaurants, hotels and cafes - will miss out on the 15 per cent discount amid fears that many more will go to the wall and axe jobs in the coming months. In an opinion piece for The London Standard, Oliver wrote: Seasoned operators are leaving the industry, family businesses are folding and the next generation of talent is looking at the financial hurdles and deciding it simply isnt worth the fight. When the Government chips away at margins until theres nothing left but a smouldering wick, confidence and creativity die. Jamie Oliver has joined in with a rallying cry from hospitality figures to help venues with costs He implored Rachel Reeves to to take a moment to review the data and to admit that things arent working, to pivot and adjust the strategy. HIs remarks come just weeks after fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay warned the hospitality industry is facing a bloodbath because of the catastrophic tax hikes. Ramsay described restaurants, pubs and other venues as lambs to the slaughter following the Budget and said he had never seen it so bad. Oliver also warned that Britain's presence on the world stage for food innovation is at risk. He said it 'breaks my heart' that the country is 'now in real danger of losing it all.' 'Our culinary creativity is being slowly extinguished and the Government isnt just letting it happen theyre the ones stubbing it out, he added. He said: She needs to ask herself: is this the Britain we want? A country where every high street is identical, dominated by corporate logos and delivery-only warehouses? Oliver is best-known for his television series, including The Naked Chef and Jamie's School Dinners, as well as his best-selling book Eat Yourself Healthy. He relaunched his restaurant chain, Jamie's Italian, last year after it collapsed in May 2019, as well as opening a cookery school with John Lewis. His comments echo those from a group of publicans who have said they will continue to ban Labour MPs from their venues amid calls for lower taxes on the sector. There have been pleas for the UKs 20 VAT rate on hospitality to be reduced so it is in line with other European countries - such as Ireland which is going down to aa 9pc rat from July for food venues. That gap alone shows how much harder it is for UK restaurants to invest, grow and create jobs, Oliver added. He said: My plea is simple: give the industry room to breathe. He called for urgent VAT reform to bring us in line with our European neighbours; a business rates overhaul that values physical community spaces and a bonfire of red tape so small businesses can actually flourish. A sex predator now facing life in prison for raping a fouryearold girl had previously groomed another underage girl online using Skype. Despite police later uncovering a disturbing cache of child abuse material across three mobile phones bought for him by his father, he initially avoided jail. Zane Clark, 24, appeared to be an ordinary Maroubra teenager who enjoyed diving and sport fishing with his dad. In reality, he was grooming underage girls online and, as has now emerged, sexually assaulting a preschool-aged child whose mother knew him personally. Clark was arrested in Silverwater Correctional Complex in August 2024 for three offences committed more than six years ago at the four-year-old girl's family home in Sydney's south. Last September he pleaded guilty to sexual intercourse with a child under 10 (domestic violencerelated), using a child under 14 to make child abuse material, and an alternative charge of intentionally sexually touching a child under 10. The first offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. He is being held at Silverwater and will be sentenced in March. The Daily Mail can also reveal how Clark lured a 13yearold girl into online conversations in 2020, attempting to pressure her into sexual activity via Skype. Zane Clark is now facing life in prison for raping a four-year-old girl previously groomed another underage girl overnight via Skype Zane Clark's exchanges with an unidentified person to procure child abuse material The girl was ultimately protected by her aunt, who alerted police. Living with his father in Maroubra at the time, Clark used Skype, Instagram and Kik to contact the girl. According to police facts, he initiated contact just after midnight on March 25, 2020, using the screen name 'Zane Clark'. He asked increasingly inappropriate questions, urged her to undress on video calls, and professed 'love' for her while attempting to manipulate her into engaging in sexual behaviour. When the girl hesitated or refused, he became cold and dismissive, attempting emotional pressure and encouraging her to hide their contact. In later messages, he told her to pretend her phone had been hacked if she ever sent anything compromising, acknowledging he would be jailed if caught. Over time, the girl's aunt reported the interactions to police, prompting an investigation. Clark continued messaging intermittently, complaining about her lack of contact and seeking renewed engagement. In April 2021, the girl was formally interviewed by detectives. While living at Maroubra with his dad, Clark was secretly grooming an underage girl via Skype and Instagram and urging her to have sex with him Clark also tried to procure images and videos of young girls engaged in sex with adults Eleven days later, police arrested Clark in the arrivals hall at Sydney Airport and seized his iPhones. A subsequent search of his Maroubra flat uncovered two more phones containing multiple child abuse videos and images. One online exchange between Clark and an unidentified user showed him requesting images of children and specifically asking for material involving victims '10 or younger.' He was charged with possessing and controlling child abuse material, using a carriage service to procure a person under 16, and two counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material. Clark received a threeyear prison term. However, in September 2022 he was released to serve the remainder of his sentence in the community under a recognisance order requiring good behaviour, supervision, and participation in rehabilitation programs. District Court Judge Gina O'Rourke, who presided over his earlier sentencing, will again oversee proceedings when Clark is sentenced for the offences against the fouryearold girl. British troops are carrying out border patrols, live-fire exercises and forest ambush drills in training with Nato forces to prepare for possible trench warfare with Russia. Camera teams filming for a new documentary on Channel 4 were embedded with Nato soldiers on Estonia's eastern border, the alliance's most exposed flank. Military planners believe the area is the terrain that would become the opening battlefield of any future conflict if Moscow ever tested the organisation for real. A clip shared with the Daily Mail today shows a platoon company of about 30 soldiers making their way through a trench network that could soon litter the border area. The documentary also shows videos of trench combat on the 250 miles of frontline in the Donbas region of Ukraine, comparing it to scenes from the First World War. General Sir Richard Shirreff, former Nato Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, tells the programme: 'This is about getting your infantry in with a bayonet in to kill the enemy in exactly the same way the Romans did. It's as brutal as that. 'It's still a war in which men have to fight brutally face to face. This is total war, a war of absolute, utmost brutality. Warfare on a scale not seen in Europe since 1945.' One of the Nato troops adds that soldiers have been understanding the ground and conditions in the Baltic states so that 'if something did happen, we are ready'. It comes amid mounting tensions not seen since the Cold War as Nato chief Mark Rutte warned Russia could attack one of the alliance's countries within five years. Camera teams were embedded with Nato soldiers during training on Estonia's eastern border British, French and Estonian troops were followed for the new Channel 4 documentary General Sir Richard Shirreff, former Nato Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, tells the new Channel 4 documentary: 'This is total war, a war of absolute, utmost brutality' Nato soldiers undergo training at Estonia's eastern border, the alliance's most exposed flank Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former United States Army Europe commanding general, warned of the delays in bringing in reinforcements to Estonia in the event of a Russian invasion The programme filmed throughout last year sees commanders report Russian forces, surveillance teams and cyber units pushing harder than ever across the Baltic region. British, French and Estonian troops are followed for 'Frontline: Our Soldiers Facing Putin', operating in frozen forests and forward trenches close to the Russian border. The documentary, which begins tonight at 8pm and continues at the same time next week, also hears from military chiefs explaining challenges faced by the alliance. They point out that Nato does not have enough troops stationed in Estonia to hold off Russia, and major military reinforcements from across Nato would have to arrive fast if Russian President Vladimir Putin launched another invasion. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former United States Army Europe commanding general, says: 'I would imagine it might be at least a couple of weeks before any external forces that got up into Estonia depending on the amount of warning we had. 'If you were in Estonia, you could be two weeks without any additional reinforcements.' Nato is therefore building up its new Allied Reaction Force (ARF), a rapid-response land, sea and air force designed to quickly move thousands of troops to any threatened Nato border. Cameras follow the ARF's 2,000-mile deployment from the UK to the Ukraine border from initial planning through mobilisation, transport and arrival. British Army Colonel Dan Brown says: 'We need to make sure that our capability is ready for whatever eventuality we could be rolling into. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated the criticality of logistics and sustainment of the force. Nato marines carry out an amphibious landing via helicopter in Greece in February last year Camera teams filming for a new documentary on Channel 4 were embedded with Nato soldiers A demonstration of an amphibious landing operation in Greece forms part of the programme Nato infantry soldiers on the beach during amphibious landing training in Greece last year Amphibious landing training in Greece last February was part of Exercise Steadfast Dart 'It's the largest deployment in a Nato context, and certainly from the British Army in the last 20 years, with over 1,500 vehicles deploying from the UK and over 10,000 personnel deployed.' Colonel Jim Beere adds: 'The Allied Reaction Force is designed to respond to crisis on behalf of Nato. We've sent hundreds of vehicles by ship, thousands of troops in by air, really demonstrating our capability to go exactly where Nato needs us at very short notice.' The documentary also looks at amphibious landing training in Greece last February as part of Steadfast Dart, Nato's largest exercise of 2025. More than 2,500 British personnel moved across Europe by land, air and sea to take part in the exercise which involved around 10,000 troops from nine nations. General Sir Richard says: 'I think the message about the need to be ready for the worst case is beginning to be understood more widely. I don't think we're where we need to be yet though. 'How do we generate the force numbers needed? Because take the size of the British Army, for example, an army of 70,000 is nothing like big enough. 'We need to prepare for war in order to keep the peace. That is what deterrence is about. We assess in Nato that Russia could attack within five years. Only by preparing for the worst case, which is war with Russia, do we deter war with Russia.' The episode additionally takes viewers into the skies aboard Nato's state of the art AWACS (Airborne Early Warning and Control Force) surveillance fleet, to see inside sensitive airborne operations. The fleet sees multinational crews conduct round-the-clock monitoring of Russian aircraft approaching Nato airspace, track suspicious troop movements and drone activity and relay intelligence across Europe. The training in Greece was carried out for Steadfast Dart, Nato's largest exercise of 2025 A Nato infantry soldier on the beach in Greece during the amphibious landing training Nato marines carry out an amphibious landing via helicopter in Greece in February last year Camera teams filming for a new documentary on Channel 4 were embedded with Nato soldiers A Nato soldier holds a flare as marines arrive on the shore during amphibious landing training With the war in Ukraine now entering its fourth year following the Russian invasion in February 2022, these flights have become routine. General Peter Scott, Deputy Commander of Nato's Joint Force Command Naples, adds: 'We saw what transpired in Ukraine. And we need to be prepared for further incursions or further moves from Russia into other Nato territory. 'Putin wants to achieve his aims. He wants to get the territory that he believes is rightly his. And we need to be prepared for that. 'We are surging our presence in all of those bordering countries with Russia. This threat is very real and we have to take it seriously moving forward.' Last week, the British military completed a demanding training exercise involving the three armed services ahead of taking responsibility for Nato's special operations forces. Royal Marine Commandos and Army Rangers, flown into position by RAF helicopter pilots, fast-roped from a Chinook during a mock attack on an enemy position at Otterburn training camp in Northumberland. Exercise Hyperion Storm was the culmination of 18 months of training during which the UK military has been evaluated by Nato to ensure it is ready to take over the ARF Special Operations Component. A Nato infantry soldier on the beach in Greece during the amphibious landing training Nato marines carry out an amphibious landing via helicopter in Greece in February last year A demonstration of an amphibious landing operation in Greece forms part of the programme A Nato infantry soldier on the beach in Greece during the amphibious landing training Amphibious landing training in Greece last February was part of Exercise Steadfast Dart The UK forces will have responsibility for Nato's Special Operations Forces not special forces for a year from July. The exercise at Otterburn on January 30 came just days after the death of Captain Philip Gilbert Muldowney during separate live fire training. The documentary will air amid Donald Trump's ongoing apparent desire to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Nato ally Denmark. The US President's wish to annex Greenland has over recent weeks caused a divide between America and its traditional European allies. Tensions were somewhat quelled after a meeting between Nato chief Mark Rutte and Mr Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum last month. But European allies, including the UK, have rallied to Denmark's side during the diplomatic crisis, which Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen warned could spell the end of Nato. 'Frontline: Our Soldiers Facing Putin' airs on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm Stay up to date by subscribing to the Daily Mail's Crime Desk newsletter HERE Anna Kepners 16-year-old stepbrother is seen arriving in federal court today where he faces multiple charges in her mystery cruise ship death. In the nearly three months since 18-year-old Anna was allegedly killed by asphyxiation aboard the Carnival Horizon, the baby-faced teen has been considered the sole suspect. Exclusive Daily Mail images show him arriving at Miamis James Lawrence King Federal Justice Centre Friday morning flanked by his dad Thomas Hudson, 37. The scrawny youngster, wearing a cap, sneakers, black pants and a camouflage hoodie, stared ahead and said nothing as the pair headed inside for a closed-door hearing with a federal judge. Well-placed sources say he faces at least two charges over bubbly Annas November 7 death. The judge will also decide at todays hearing whether the boy will remain in custody or be released into the care of a relative. This is an important first step for everyone. The sooner we learn his fate, the sooner everyone can move on and begin the healing process, the source said. 'You wouldnt wish any of this on your worst enemy. Anna of Titusville, Florida, was pronounced dead at 11.17am on November 7 while the 133,000-ton Horizon was en route from Mexico to Florida. The Daily Mail was the first outlet to report that her body was found stuffed under a bed in the cabin she was sharing with her stepbrother and 14-year-old half-brother. The 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner is seen arriving in federal court today where he faces multiple charges in her mystery cruise ship death Hudson tried to cover his face with a hoodie at times while outside of a Miami courtroom Anna died by asphyxiation aboard the Carnival Horizon and her stepbrother has been considered the sole suspect She had been wrapped in a blanket and covered with life preservers, according to our sources. Anna had gone to bed early the night before, telling her family during dinner that she was feeling unwell. While her half-brother wandered around the ship taking photos, she was left alone with her stepbrother who takes medication for ADHD and insomnia. When the younger boy returned, he didn't see Anna but assumed she was staying up late with her father Christopher Kepner, stepmom Shauntel Hudson or his grandparents Jeffrey and Barbara Kepner. He climbed into his bunk and went to sleep - unaware, sources say, that his sister's body was hidden just feet away. It wasn't until the next morning when the two boys headed to breakfast that the family realized Anna was missing. A medical emergency was announced over the ship's public address system, prompting Christopher, 41, to rush to her Deck 8 cabin where a cleaning crew had just discovered the body. A law enforcement source later told ABC that Anna died from asphyxiation caused by a bar hold, suggesting an arm was pressed across her neck. Well-placed sources say he faces at least two charges over bubbly Annas November 7 death Exclusive Daily Mail images show him arriving at Miamis James Lawrence King Federal Justice Centre Friday morning flanked by his dad Thomas Hudson, 37 Anna, 18, was on the cruise with her 16-year-old stepbrother (pictured) and other family members at the time of her death Anna's father Christopher split with his ex-wife Tabitha in 2023, but he soon found love with Shauntel, who moved in with her children, Anna's stepsiblings FBI agents swarmed the ship, interviewed the family and scoured CCTV cameras when the Horizon returned to Miami on November 8. Her stepbrother insisted he could not remember what took place in the cabin, according to sources. Prior to today's charges, authorities had not named a suspect or even person of interest in Anna's slaying. But the stepbrother's alleged involvement leaked out in court filings in a custody dispute between his mom Shauntel, 36, and her ex-husband Thomas Hudson, 37. They both referred to their son as a 'suspect' in court documents - with one filing describing bubbly Anna's death as a 'suspected murder.' Thomas had sought emergency custody of their young daughter, claiming Shauntel took the kids on the ill-fated cruise without his permission - and even let the older children drink alcohol, an accusation she denied. Hudson and his family and representatives exit the Miami coutroom The high school senior, from Titusville, Florida, was on a six-day Carnival cruise to the Caribbean with her family when she was found dead onboard between Mexico and Florida on November 7 Anna Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother, pictured in December, has been considered the sole suspect In the nearly three months since 18-year-old Anna was allegedly killed by asphyxiation aboard the Carnival Horizon A maid aboard the Carnival cruise was the one to find Anna's body wrapped in a blanket, covered over with life jackets and stuffed under a bed, according to our sources, who spoke under condition of anonymity A Brevard County judge ruled that the girl was not in any danger and could remain with Shauntel and Christopher so long as the stepbrother was living elsewhere. The couple had already removed him from their blended household in Titusville and placed him with a relative while the FBI investigation played out. His location was redacted in court documents but when the Daily Mail traced the skinny, blond-haired teen to a relative's rural Florida home he would only say: 'I'd rather not talk.' High school senior Anna had chronicled her love of travel on TikTok and been on several cruises. 'Anna was pure energy: bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself,' her family wrote in an obituary. She planned on entering the US Navy or becoming a K9 handler in the Titusville Police Department. When crane operator Christopher spoke exclusively to the Daily Mail on November 11, he dismissed any suggestion that his stepson was considered a suspect. The grief-stricken dad reversed course two weeks later, telling People: 'He was the only one that was in the room. 'I can't say he is responsible - but I can't rule it out. I want him to face the consequences.' Christopher said this week he was 'unable to confirm or deny' that his stepson was facing murder and rape charges. Peter Molinelli, an attorney representing Thomas Hudson, said: 'Nothing I can comment on right now.' Sources said the boy was fitted will an electronic ankle tag and released late Friday into the care of a relative. Anna's father Christopher was in court supporting the boy's mother - Anna's stepmom- Shauntel, at a hearing in Florida on December 5 Annas dad Christopher told the Daily Mail he was unable to confirm what charges his stepson was facing. He expressed his disbelief, however, that the teen suspect was not taken into custody as he had hoped following the day-long sealed proceedings. At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely, Christopher said in a joint statement with his wife Shauntel Hudson - the boys mother. This reality adds to our grief and outrage. It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable. This only strengthens our resolve to continue seeking justice for our daughter. Christopher and Shauntel said they had been asked by the FBI to remain silent throughout the investigation. The loss of our daughter is a pain that will never fully heal, the pair added. She was taken from us in a violent and senseless way, and our family has been permanently changed. Our grief is overwhelming, and her absence is felt in every part of our lives. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and no words can fully express the depth of our loss. We believe in accountability and in the importance of justice being carried out. Our daughter deserves justice, and her life deserves to be honored through a full and fair legal process. We are grateful to the investigators and prosecutors who have worked to uncover the truth and to ensure that this crime is treated with the seriousness it warrants. The FBI declined to comment and the Department of Justice did not respond. A celebrity astrophysicist working at the Australian National University attempted to lure Jeffrey Epstein to Tasmania by name-dropping the state's controversial museum, Museum of Old and New Art. Professor Lawrence Krauss, who was working part-time at the Canberra school, in 2014 encouraged Epstein, by then already a convicted sex offender, to travel to Hobart so he could visit MONA, which famously features a 'Wall of Vaginas' installation. But the warm invitation - made twice - appeared to be a thinly disguised attempt by Krauss to use Epstein's private jet to transport his pet cat back to the United States without needing to travel commercially. The startling correspondence between Krauss and Epstein was uncovered by Daily Mail after the United States Department of Justice released another tranche of files on Epstein, who died in custody while awaiting trial for sex trafficking in 2019. The Canadian - who was a panellist on the ABC's Q&A program and a regular speaker at Australian science events - resigned from his honorary position at the Australian National University following complaints in 2017. He was accused of sexual harassment by women at six universities between 2006 and 2016, including a woman at Melbourne Zoo whose breast he was found to have groped following an internal investigation by his then-employer, Arizona State University. Krauss has long denied the allegations and continues to do so in a sprawling statement on his personal website called 'false claims'. Previously unearthed emails showed Krauss begged for help from Epstein in a series of pleading emails. Lawrence Krauss appeared on ABC's Q&A several times while livingin Australia Krauss tried to persuade Epstein to transport his cat from Australia to the US on his private jet On July 25, 2014, Krauss emailed Epstein to say he and a woman named Nancy believed he would enjoy a visit to Tasmania. 'I actually do think it would be very enjoyable for you to see MONA... and it would be nice for us to do it with you before we leave,' Krauss wrote. MONA was founded in 2011 by Australian professional gambler David Walsh, and has been described as a 'subversive adult Disneyland' due to its shocking exhibits. They include a wall of carved vulvas, a 'stinky poo machine', and last year the museum came under fire for exhibiting a photograph that depicts an act of bestiality. It shows a man apparently involved in a disturbing act with a dog. A representative for MONA and Krauss himself were contacted for comment. In Krauss' email to Epstein, he apparently tried to downplay an earlier suggestion that he could get a 'ride back with you' as 'facetious, not necessary or relevant'. Epstein and Krauss pictured together in 2014 at a benefit for Arizona State University Controversial museum MONA, on the outskirts of Hobart in Tasmania However two months later, on September 5, 2014, Krauss attempted to hitch a ride back to the US again after a stint living Down Under. 'Re Nov, we are moving November 4th from Australia.. it is a huge hassle, but we are proceeding.. hardest part is transporting the cat. Anyway, I had a crazy and self-serving idea,' he wrote. 'Would you like to come to Oz on your plane on Nov 1, visit some things here, and we could visit the amazing art museum in Hobart on Nov 2-3 and then travel back together on the 4th?' 'Probably insane, and I don't even know if your plane can fly that far... As I said it is totally self-serving because it would allow us to have the cat in the cabin instead of paying tons of money to put it, for 17 hours, in the hold of the plane without food or water.' Epstein - at the time already a convicted sex offender, meaning he was unlikely to secure an Australian visitor's visa under strict immigration rules - did not respond to the invitation to Tasmania. Instead, he offered to pay for the cat to travel in a commercial airline cabin. 'Can I buy a full seat for the cat? I am happy to do it,' Epstein wrote. Krauss responded, 'Thanks Jeffrey, that is very kind of you, but I think they don't allow it on international flights from Australia. I will check but I am pretty sure they only allow service dogs'. Krauss is also an author and released a book on the physics of Star Trek Epstein, who died in 2019, pictured with his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell Krauss's attempts to persuade Epstein to transport his cat fell flat Last year files released by the US House Oversight Committee showed Krauss approached Epstein in 2017 and 2018 to wargame his response to sexual harassment allegations made during his time in Australia. From his Arizona State University email address, Krauss told Epstein about the mounting claims against him, and branded his accuser a 'b***h'. 'This is very scary, but I see that [journalists] keep contacting students, postdocs etc, and are not letting up. I really need your feedback,' he pleaded. It was one of many emails between the pair from 2011 to 2018, during which they planned a trip to the billionaire's notorious personal island in the Caribbean. In December 2017, Krauss received an email from a BuzzFeed journalist about the sexual harassment claims levelled at him. He then forwarded the entire email chain to Epstein, along with multiple draft responses. 'Is this a reasonable response? Should i even respond? Could use advice,' Krauss wrote. Epstein's spelling error-laden response read: 'normaly thier strategy will be to take back your defense to the accusers. and attack each one. 'if they find you are right they will leave out. and only go with the conflicted. I think you should include short concise cover letter. that you would like published in it entirety. Krauss pictured at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival, before his fall from grace Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial for sex trafficking 'it can refence your attacjment that you will put on your website? . that goes into more details but in general , these are false. they were either investigated and found lacking or ignored. etc. often they throw out the near publishing date merely to get you to ansser (sic).' In 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution, Krauss told news website The Daily Beast that he felt 'raised' by his relationship with Epstein, rather than tarnished by it. He also said the women Epstein had sex with were 'not as young as the ones that were claimed'. Krauss was then contacted by a podcaster who wanted to make sure she had read his statement correctly. Krauss' response to the podcaster read: 'Jeffrey apparently paid for massages with sex, I believe him when he told me he had no idea the girls were underage, I also believe that Jeffrey is an easy target for those who want to take advantage of him.' 'I honestly don't know who was the victim in this case. I fully expect that these masseuses knew what they were doing.' Krauss then sent the whole email chain to Epstein, seemingly panicked that he may have lost a friend. He wrote: 'Just so you know... you may be mad that I was blunt... haven't heard from you.. hope all is well..' A 2011 email exchange between Krauss and Epstein, discussing accusations against the latter Epstein replied: 'What evidence? no real sex.. where is she getting her so called facts.' Krauss then said: 'Beyond anything else, you are my friend. I hope we can both always remember that, no matter what. Epstein died by suicide in prison in 2019 after being arrested over child sex trafficking charges when a number of victims made formal statements against him. In 2021, a jury found his assistant Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of trafficking underage girls for Epstein. In a statement to Canadian media, Krauss said: 'I have never hidden the fact that I knew Jeffrey Epstein and interacted with him on several occasions, usually to attend salons with interesting speakers, or scientific meetings.' Krauss said he 'sought out advice from essentially everyone I knew when false allegations about me were circulated in the press in 2018'. He added: 'As should be noted, none of the communications with Epstein relate in any way to the horrendous crimes he was accused of in 2019. 'I was as shocked as the rest of the world when he was arrested.' The Daily Mail does not suggest that Krauss engaged in, or had any knowledge of, any improper or illegal conduct by or with Epstein or any of his associates. A leading criminal psychologist whose expertise has been used in some of Australia's biggest criminal trials says the government is failing women who leave violent partners in the wake of the Sophie Quinn's alleged murder. Julian Ingram remains at large after allegedly shooting dead his ex-partner Ms Quinn, 25, her boyfriend John Harris, 32, and her aunt Nerida Quinn, 50, and wounding Kaleb McQueen, 19, at Lake Cargelligo in regional NSW on January 22. Ingram was granted bail for allegedly stalking and assaulting Ms Quinn just weeks before the alleged killing spree. Tim Watson-Munro has analysed some of Australia's most prolific and violent criminals, including underworld figure Alphonse Gangitano and mass murderer Julian Knight. He told Daily Mail that Ms Quinn did what many Australian women do in violent relationships and left her partner. In fleeing to safety, however, Ms Quinn immediately put herself in the most danger, according to Mr Watson-Munro. 'We need to be more alive to when people are demonstrating potentially dangerous behaviour in terms of stalking when people take out intervention orders,' he said. 'I've had a lot of cases like this over the years when it's ended in tragedy, when people have not recognised the dangers surrounding them.' Sophie Quinn was one of three people shot dead at Lake Cargelligo, in regional NSW, on January 22 John Harris (pictured) and Nerida Quinn were also gunned down 'I think people understand the danger. That's why they've left.' Mr Watson-Munro said once women left violent relationships, they weren't given enough protection by the government, which he says needs to invest more money into helping domestic violence survivors. 'I'm talking about the government. People break intervention orders all the time, so it's about government funding and educating people earlier in their lives about controlling their anger and respecting others,' he said. 'It needs to be introduced into the curriculum in schools. 'These people need to be very closely watched because I suspect what's happened with him (Ingram) is, at some point, he's crossed the Rubicon and said he doesn't care about that (AVO). He wants control. 'Survivors of this type of violence that I've assessed over the years clearly recognise the dangers, which is why, if they're able to, they leave the jurisdiction because they understand the danger.' Mr Watson-Munro said the most dangerous time for a woman is shortly after leaving her abusive partner. The top criminal psychologist, who is regularly called upon to provide expert evidence in court, says Ingram likely won't hesitate to kill a member of the public if it means avoiding capture. Tim Watson-Murno says governments need to do more to protect women once they've left an abusive relationship Mr Watson-Munro says Ingram would likely kill anyone that gets in his way Police released CCTV footage of Julian Ingram attending a police station hours before the alleged murders 'He's much more dangerous than the average person on the run because he's allegedly demonstrated a willingness to kill,' he said. 'It's not a crazy proposition that he will kill again. He's allegedly killed people that haven't threatened him. 'I couldn't rule out the possibility that he'll take hostages if he's cornered out on a farm somewhere.' Mr Watson-Munro explained that, because of the allegations against Ingram, he'll be more empowered and determined not to return to society. He said the 37-year-old demonstrated 'controlled rage' and that he would likely 'kill with impunity to avoid arrest and detention'. Mr Watson-Munro also compared Ingram to fellow notorious fugitive Dezi Freeman, who has been on the run for five months after allegedly shooting and killing police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart. 'There's a difference in motivation. With this guy (Ingram), it's about control and power,' Mr Watson-Munro said. 'He's feeling miffed by being dropped, and here she is with another guy and she's pregnant. He's determined to make a statement.' Dezi Freeman has been on the run after allegedly shooting and killing police officers Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart Mr Watson-Munro said the similarities between the two are their narcissism and desire to avoid going to jail. 'Killing again is a common thread between the two and maintaining their freedom,' he said. 'They're equally dangerous because they don't want to be caught and they have no respect for human life. 'There's no way in the world either of them will hand themselves in.' Victoria Police started a five-day search for Freeman, or his remains, on Monday, using cadaver dogs and specialist officers from around the country. They are working on three scenarios: that he is dead in the national park, that he has escaped the park and is being harboured by others, or that he escaped the area without any help. Mr Watson-Munro thinks it's unlikely that Freeman is still in the Victorian Alps. 'He's probably long gone somewhere else,' he said. Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Natasha Maclaren-Jones told Daily Mail every woman had the right to live free from violence and that anything less was a failure of government. 'If they are serious about tackling domestic violence, the NSW Government must invest in local frontline services to support women in their community. These are the services that answer the phone, open the door, and save lives,' Maclaren-Jones said. 'We know that GPS tracking is a powerful tool to stop repeat domestic violence offenders. Labor should expand electronic monitoring for serious offenders on bail, especially for those with an ADVO, so women are protected, not left in fear. 'We need tougher monitoring of high-risk offenders, stronger enforcement of ADVOs, and real support for the services women rely on.' Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison was also contacted for comment. A father has claimed his family avoided disaster by feet after his electric Volkswagen ID.7 veered into the opposite lane on its own. Ian Chisholm, 66, claims his EV developed a host of issues, including brakes violently kicking in of their own accord and then malfunctioning for periods of up to 30 seconds. The car would also veer in the opposite direction to the steering wheel, the motorist claims, and its doors would randomly lock with terrified passengers inside. Mr Chisholm is the latest in a string of ID owners who say they have experienced issues with their cars moving and braking against their will. Last month, father-of-two Ken Hadley told the Daily Mail his VW ID.5 lost control on a busy motorway twice in three months, leaving him and his family terrified. And weeks earlier Ashenafei Demissie wept in the dock after being cleared of causing death and serious injury by careless driving when his ID.4 accelerated forward and killed a five-year-old boy. In the latest set of worrying claims, Mr Chisholm says only sheer luck prevented his entire family being involved in a head-on collision when the steering assist suddenly took on a mind of its own. He and his wife were headed to dinner at a friend's house in Great Dunmow, Essex when the VW allegedly started refusing to follow the instructions of its driver. Ian Chisholm, pictured, has described the 'scary' moment he allegedly lost control of his electric Volkswagen ID.7 after the brakes stopped working and the lane assist system faltered He claims his EV's brakes suddenly started kicking in of their own accord and then began malfunctioning for periods of up to 30 seconds Father-of-two Mr Chisholm said: 'We're going along a winding A-road, and going around a bend at 30 or 35mph, following the natural course of the road at an appropriate speed. 'We are steering to the left, but the car is going right - full on to the right. 'Had it gone right and there was a car at that point, I'd have possibly had a head-on collision. At that moment, there was nothing coming, it is normally a busy A-road.' This was not the only time the vehicle's lane assist has malfunctioned, according to Mr Chisholm, with each near-miss adding to the fear associated with an everyday drive. 'We've been lucky so far that the car has not been involved in an accident,' he added. 'The lane assist was taking us all over the road - violently. You feel totally like you aren't in control of the car. 'It was driving to the left, driving to the right, waving and wiggling all down the road.' To make matters worse, the car - which Mr Chisholm is leasing from Stable Vehicle Contracts through an agreement with VW Finance - is claimed to have started braking randomly and locking passengers in the car. In the latest set of worrying claims, Mr Chisholm says only sheer luck prevented his entire family being involved in a head-on collision The motorist said: 'First thing that started happening was when we reversed off our drive, the emergency brake slammed on absolutely violently. That happened a few times. 'My wife turned to me and said, "what are you doing? Why are you breaking? You almost put me through the windscreen". 'Then it happened to her going forward along the road. 'And we also had this problem - you couldn't open the driver's door.' Terrified to even get into the driver's seat, Mr Chisholm visited his local dealership VW Group 1 Chelmsford in an attempt to get the vehicle fixed or replaced. But the motorist said he was passed on to VW customers services instead and was even refused a courtesy car. Customer services, in turn, referred him to the AA and the father-of-two was greeted by a man he claims had 'no ability to check the problems'. Nonetheless they said they had a temporary car ready for him at a nearby Enterprise Rentals and asked him to drop off his ID.7 at Chelmsford - they took the car in and then told him to head to Enterprise Rentals for a courtesy car. The car would also veer in the opposite direction to the steering wheel, the motorist claims, and its doors would randomly lock with terrified passengers inside After a week inspecting the vehicle, Mr Chisholm claimed they discovered a problem with the door handle - which in turn was causing the sudden braking - and replaced the part. Mr Chisholm said he had heard from a host of other VW drivers who had experienced the same issue with the doors. 'The locks are atrocious,' he added. 'We got the car back, started driving it, but it was still all over the place.' A couple of weeks later, the motorist went to Group 1 and asked to speak to the service manager. The pair went on a test drive together and the car seemed fine, with the manager insisting he could not provide a courtesy car and that Mr Chisholm had to contact the customer services team once again. They then told him they could not give him another temporary vehicle because he had already had one for more than a week. It comes after Ken Hadley, pictured, left, with his wife and daughter, said he was left terrified of their electric Volkswagen after it allegedly lost control on a busy motorway twice The father claims his life was at the mercy of his ID.5, pictured, as it veered across a three-lane road into the left-hand reservation before swerving back again and into the right-hand reservation 'I went down to Group 1 and told the service manager the car is a death trap, it is unsafe and unroadworthy,' he said. Around eight weeks before Christmas, VW Customer Service passed him on to VW Finance who said a case officer would get back to him within 48 hours. It was more than a month before he heard back from their team, he claims. Mr Chisholm said: 'At the beginning of the New Year, I got an email from VW Finance telling me they weren't able to deal with my query - and I had six months to go to the financial ombudsman.' The lane control has since improved and is now '90 per cent' corrected, the motorist claims, but the brakes have continued to cause problems despite the dealership not finding the source of the issue. 'We have even had a couple of occasions where for 10 to 30 seconds, I've had no brakes and they have completely disappeared,' he said. 'Either the brakes lock up or you've got no brakes at all. They are a major problem.' And the worrying prospect of being trapped in the allegedly faulty vehicle has only got worse, he claims, with other doors now experiencing issues. He has provided evidence to a case involving a similar accident, which saw Ashenafei Demissie cleared of causing death and serious injury by careless driving after his VW ID.4 accelerated forward and killed Fareed Amir, five, pictured Mr Chisholm added: 'The rear passenger door lock has gone, you can't open the car door at all. There are issues with the software all round. 'I have now bought four glass safety hammers, and put them in every door because if that car got involved in an accident, if the steering suddenly packed up or the brakes packed up, and all the locks went, we could be in a situation where we can't get out the car. 'I want the car gone. But VW Finance have told me to go to the ombudsman and VW customer services say it's not their problem. 'The service is just atrocious, it is non-existent.' A Volkswagen spokesperson said: 'From the technical side, the car was inspected and the software checked and adjusted; a physical repair was also made to the door handles. 'Both faults were quickly identified and rectified by the dealer with no requirement for further escalation, and the customer's original case was closed in November. 'From a financial point of view, my colleagues at VWFS [Volkswagen Financial Services] advise that they have spoken to Mr Chisholm and offered him the opportunity as a discretionary gesture to end the agreement, a proposal with which I understand he is happy.' It comes after motorist Ken Hadley claimed his life was at the mercy of his out-of-control VW ID.5 as it veered across a three-lane road into the left-hand reservation before swerving back again and into the right-hand reservation in a nightmare ordeal in October. The near-miss came after he claims the exact same thing happened to his wife, disabled daughter and father-in-law on a motorway in July, provoking his partner to throw the keys on the floor and refuse to drive the vehicle in future. Heading back from a meeting in Leamington Spa, West Midlands on October 29, the father-of-two claims he suddenly lost control of his Volkswagen despite travelling at just 40mph and not entering a bend when it happened. Mr Demissie was behind the wheel of a Volkswagen ID.4 when it suddenly accelerated forward, killing Fareed Mr Hadley described the terrifying moment 'all four wheels started operating independently' and a flashing red warning sign popped up on the dashboard. 'The car started swerving all over the place,' he told the Daily Mail. 'It slammed me into the left-hand reservation, lifted the car, dragged me across all the lanes, smacked me into the right-hand reservation and as it brought me back into the middle, I think the impact of that turned the warning light off, and I managed to gain control. 'If I had hit another car, not only would I have potentially been dead or seriously injured, I could have killed multiple people and nobody would have ever got to the bottom of it. 'It would have potentially just been put down to my bad driving. And the same with my wife's incident. 'To lose complete control of a vehicle, with the steering completely disabled, is one hell of a scary experience.' A Volkswagen spokesperson said in response to Mr Hadley's claims that his vehicle was inspected and no fault or defect was found, including when it was returned to Germany for further, detailed examination. They are unaware of any other similar incidents. Mr Hadley has since been in contact with solicitors working on Demissie's case which eventually saw him cleared of causing death and serious injury by careless driving after his VW ID.4 accelerated forward and killed a five-year-old boy. Britons could soon start seeing carbon emission warnings when booking flights to help meet Jet Zero targets - but critics warned of passengers feeling 'guilt-tripped'. The Government has so far avoided telling people that they should fly less, instead relying on development of sustainable aviation fuel (Saf) and zero-emission aircraft. But new Department for Transport (DfT) research has looked at whether UK travellers could be influenced by emissions labels when they are researching flights to book. The Jet Zero strategy is calling on the aviation industry to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050 while helping consumers to 'make sustainable aviation travel choices'. Now, a DfT study has concluded its own research found carbon labels 'increased self-reported intent for sustainable flight choices to a statistically significant degree'. The 89-page report, called 'exploring the effect of carbon labels on consumer flight choices', found a five-point rating scale was the best option ahead of an A-E scale. These labels would be displayed in the three colours of 'amber-orange-red' as environmental impact increases, with the study saying this gradient scheme would be 'avoiding the use of green to minimise potential perceptions of greenwashing'. However, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice was unimpressed, telling the Daily Mail: 'It's bad enough travellers suffer ever-increasing ticket prices through rising air passenger duty, they now face being guilt-tripped every time they book a flight. Your browser does not support iframes. 'This is yet another piece of green regulation that patronises passengers, inconveniences airlines while adding extra costs with no meaningful benefit.' Conservative shadow transport secretary Richard Holden also told the Mail: 'Slapping carbon warning labels on flights will not make air travel cheaper, more reliable, or easier to access for families. Labour's choices with air passenger duty and business rates on airports are already making flights more expensive. 'This is classic Labour. Nudging, signalling, and moralising instead of backing growth, connectivity, and choice. Rather than investing in aviation innovation, sustainable fuels, and resilient infrastructure, they are resorting to gimmicks to meet centrally imposed Net Zero targets which are impossible to meet. 'If Labour are serious about aviation, they should start focusing on making flights affordable and competitive through supporting British innovation and business.' The DfT said that 'even the simplest timely information provision that prompts pro-environmental reflections could have a meaningful impact on consumer choices'. Flight choices were found to be mostly shaped by prices, timing and duration - with only 9 per cent of respondents prioritising carbon emissions as a top-three factor. But when flights were all the same price, the five-point scale was said to have raised the chances of selecting the lower-carbon flight option by 30 percentage points. The impact of this label however fell to 26 percentage points when the low-emitting flight is 5 per cent more expensive - and dropped further to 16 percentage points when the price difference grows to 25 per cent, according to the study. Researchers also found that after participants had seen eco labels, they were more likely to state carbon emissions were an important decision factor for them. The report concluded: 'This is likely a combination of higher social desirability bias, and a legitimate effect whereby consumers really do make decisions based on the information that is present and salient to them at the time. 'This suggests carbon labels may be able to engender preferences for lower carbon flights, rather than merely reveal latent preferences.' A smartphone visual showing how the five-point scheme could look for those booking flights About 90 per cent of study participants said the carbon label designs were easy to understand, but 16 per cent felt the labels made them feel overwhelmed by information. Meanwhile about 13 per cent of participants said flights' carbon emissions were lower than expected, and 14 per cent that the carbon labels made them feel that they can take more flights per year. And the report said 82 per cent of participants 'acknowledged that such mandatory disclosures of environmental impacts may be impractical and may burden airlines'. The study also pointed out that access to 'clear and consistent carbon information relating to flights has been highlighted as a key barrier for consumers in making sustainable flight choices'. It stated that people who book flights online are 'currently provided with limited, or no information about the carbon emissions of flights, with only a small number of exceptions in the form of large online booking websites'. The report concluded: 'Carbon labels should be implemented as a means of supporting consumers to make more sustainable flight choices. 'The findings from this research show that the provision of carbon information is a promising intervention to effectively support consumers in making more sustainable flight choices. 'Further, the labels tested were viewed positively and consumers were mostly in favour of their use. 'Moreover, with the labels leading to a stated willingness to switch airlines, we might expect to see upstream impacts as a result of labels which incentivise airlines to compete on reducing emissions. 'This would be an important impact, helping to reduce the emissions of all flyers, including those uninterested in the labels.' The research was issued as aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said passengers looking to book flights which depart or arrive from UK airports should be able to view carbon emissions data. Virgin Atlantic operated the first transatlantic flight by an airliner using pure sustainable aviation fuel from Heathrow to New York on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in November 2023 CAA director Tim Johnson said: 'Airlines providing understandable and comparable emissions data will enable passengers to make more informed travel decisions. 'We encourage all airlines and travel companies that advertise or sell flights in the UK which depart from or arrive at UK airports to follow this guidance.' The CAA has set a deadline of April 2027, after which it said it would review the emissions data provided by flight booking providers including applicable airlines, travel agents and flight comparison websites. In addition to the 2050 overall Net Zero aim, the Jet Zero strategy requires UK domestic aviation and English airports to reach Net Zero for carbon emissions by 2040. In addition, airlines operating in the UK must ensure SAF makes up at least 10 per cent of their jet fuel by 2030, and 22 per cent by 2040. The previous Conservative government formed a 'Jet Zero Council' in June 2020. This was a partnership between the DfT and the aviation sector to develop zero-emission flying after then-prime minister Boris Johnson first set out the Jet Zero goal. The plan led to Virgin Atlantic operating the first transatlantic flight by an airliner using pure Saf from Heathrow to New York on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in November 2023. Saf production is said to reduce carbon emissions by around 80 per cent compared with traditional jet fuel, but is currently more expensive. It can be blended with standard aviation fuel at up to 50 per cent. Saf is made from sustainable sources such as agricultural waste and used cooking oil and is seen as vital to reduce the aviation industry's carbon emissions. In April 2024, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee recommended ministers should develop proposals like a frequent flyer tax to reduce the demand for air travel, if other measures aimed at cutting aviation emissions fall short of expectations. Jet Zero is part of the wider Net Zero strategy, which was passed into law in 2019. A DfT spokesperson told the Mail: 'Our research suggests that clear carbon labelling when booking flights could be a sensible, and effective way to help consumers make informed choices. 'These findings have supported the regulator's new guidance for airlines and booking platforms.' The search for a missing fisherman in California came to a grim end as his body was discovered after he was knocked into the ocean by a huge wave. The body of Maximo Macanas, 37, was discovered on Tuesday after he was knocked into the waters in front of his children while fishing on Saturday at around 4pm. Macanas was found by a local sport vessel just off of Whaler Island and pronounced dead by the Del Norte County Sheriff, according to the sheriff's office. He had been eel fishing with a friend and his children at the Klamath River when he was swept away by a sneaker wave, his family wrote on a GoFundMe. The fundraiser, originally intended to fund search efforts, has raised more than $23,200 as of Thursday evening. The money is now set to be put toward funeral expenses and the Macanas family. Efforts to find Macanas included many volunteers as well as helicopters, boats along waters and ground searches, according to the sheriff's office. 'Weve been incredibly grateful for our amazing Humboldt community that is assisting us in our search,' McKenna Caudill, the sister of Macanas' wife, told the Times Standard. 'With heavy hearts, we share that Maximo Macanas has been found. We are deeply grateful to this community for your support in spreading the word during our search and for keeping local fishermen vigilant,' the GoFundMe said. Maximo Macanas, 37, was found dead on Tuesday after he was knocked into the waters infront of his children while fishing on Saturday at around 4pm Macanas had been eel fishing with a friend and his children at the Klamath River when he was swept away by a sneaker wave A friend described Macanas as 'such a bright light,' and said: 'We are so heartbroken to hear this news and grateful he has been found' Macanas, a longtime resident of McKinleyville, leaves behind his wife Hannah and five children, including two foster children, aged from two years old to 14 years old A friend described Macanas as 'such a bright light,' and said on Facebook: 'We are so heartbroken to hear this news and grateful he has been found.' 'My husband Richard worked with Max in his wildlife work and adored him. Whenever they talked, Max always had some new amazing outdoor adventure to share or sweet stories of Hannah and the kids,' they added. Another wrote: 'Deepest condolences! He was such a wonderful person! Our family loved seeing him whenever we went into the pawn shop. What a huge loss. Glad his family will have some closure now.' Caudill said in an email to the Standard that 'Maxs story is one of caution.' 'He was an extremely experienced fisherman and hunter and profoundly knowledgeable of our coastlines, making this tragic accident even harder to bear,' she added. 'Maxs death is a tragic loss for us all.' Macanas, a longtime resident of McKinleyville, leaves behind his wife Hannah and five children, including two foster children, aged from two years old to 14 years old. Minute Maid has axed a generational staple as its frozen juice concentrates will no longer be made after 80 years on the market. The iconic juice that was introduced in 1946, and shipped in cans across the country, has been discontinued by the products' parent company Coca-Cola. 'We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in response to shifting consumer preferences,' a statement from The Coca-Cola Company said on Wednesday. Minute Maid's frozen juices, including its orange juice, lemonade and limeade, are set to be off shelves in April, with inventory available while supplies last, according to Coca-Cola. The concentrated juices, mixed with water and shipped in cans, replaced many families squeezing fresh fruit by hand. In 1946, Vacuum Foods Corporation became the first US company to ship frozen orange juice across the country, according to Coca-Cola. It named the product Minute Maid and Vacuum Foods eventually changed its name to Minute Maid as well. Rival Tropicana, which still sells frozen canned juice, was founded in 1947. Coca-Cola became Minute Maid's parent company in 1960. Minute Maid has axed its frozen juice concentrates after 80 years on the shelves of stores Minute Maid's frozen juices, including its orange juice, lemonade and limeade, are set to be off shelves in April, with inventory available while supplies last The concentrated juices, mixed with water and shipped in cans, replaced many families squeezing fresh fruit by hand Minute Maid introduced ready-to-drink orange juice, which was sold in the refrigerated case instead of the freezer, 13 years later in 1973. Lemonade and fruit punch was added to its lineup in 1980. As the market has been flooded with competing products, such as energy drinks and protein smoothies, orange juice has struggled to keep up. Concerns over added sugars in the citrusy drink further left companies like Minute Maid struggling. Zero Sugar versions of its fresh juices were launched by the company in 2020, but its frozen juices have languished along with the broader frozen juice category. Sales of frozen beverages fell nearly eight percent in the 52 weeks ending January 24, according to the market research firm NielsenIQ. JD Vance has admitted that he has no idea why Thomas Crooks tried to kill Donald Trump despite promising to solve the mystery surrounding the greatest security failing since JFK's assassination. 'I don't know,' the Vice President conceded when grilled about Crooks' motivation in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail. Vance - just five days before the presidential election - pledged to 'get to the bottom' of the case after Crooks shot Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, 2024. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Vance blamed Joe Biden's campaign for portraying Trump as a fascist, stating: 'That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination.' But pressed Tuesday about who was at fault for the glaring hole in the investigation, Vance blamed the gunman himself for leaving behind few clues, calling him a 'loner who got radicalized on the internet'. 'He was a Trump guy at some point in his life and then about six months or so before he took a shot at the President of the United States, or maybe it was a little bit beforehand, he went from very radically pro-Trump to very radically anti-Trump,' he said. The Vice President said his discussions with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies about the gunman's motivation had yielded nothing conclusive. 'I have not gotten a satisfactory answer to how Thomas Crooks went from radically pro-Trump to so radically anti-Trump,' he said. 'Maybe we will never know the answer to that - sometimes motivations go unsolved.' JD Vance told the Daily Mail that he has no idea why Thomas Crooks tried to kill Donald Trump Crooks, 20, was shot dead after attempting to kill the now-President at a rally in 2024 Vance said that law enforcement would continue probing the case. The mystery sparked claims during the election campaign that Trump was targeted by the so-called deep state. The President's inner circle even suggested that a foreign power was behind the attempted hit. The FBI announced in November that Crooks had acted alone, with Kash Patel and Dan Bongino appearing on Fox News to deliver the official verdict after an eight-month investigation by the Trump administration. 'We have reviewed this case over and over - looked into every nugget. We have spoken to the families, the President - there is no cover-up here,' Bongino said. 'There is no motive for it, there is no reason for it.' The case now sits in a 'pending, inactive' status, meaning that further investigation would only be pursued on credible new information. Join the debate What does this shocking failure of security say about trust in Americas institutions? Trump's ear was injured in the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024 Crooks opened fire at the packed campaign rally, piercing the President's ear. The would-be assassin was shot dead moments later by a Secret Service sniper. The President, in an extraordinary moment, raised his clenched fist as he was mobbed by bodyguards, shouting to his supporters: 'Fight, fight, fight.' Three spectators were struck by Crooks' gunfire, including firefighter Corey Comperatore who was killed while shielding his wife and their two daughters. This is how I think it will end. Sometime over the weekend, Keir Starmer will gain a temporary reprieve from the firestorm engulfing him and his premiership. He will take off his tie, pour himself a large glass of wine, kick back, and come to a couple of unwelcome but inevitable conclusions. The first will be that his position is now politically irrecoverable. Yesterday, he attempted to 'clarify' his bombshell admission in the House of Commons that he had indeed been aware Peter Mandelson had continued his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after Epstein had been jailed, at the time he appointed him as ambassador to Washington. And that attempt ended in utter disaster. Staggeringly, Starmer claimed Mandelson had successfully duped him by convincing him he had 'barely known' Epstein. Even though their friendship was common knowledge across Westminster, had been widely chronicled in the media and was specifically detailed in a vetting document compiled by civil servants and forwarded to Starmer at the time of his appointment. By that time the Prime Minister, wine in hand, will probably already be aware of further revelations, published in the weekend's newspapers about Epstein, Mandelson and crucially their connection to a hostile foreign state. Revelations that will deal a further blow to Sir Keir's assertion that he was in possession of no objective information that could have led him to reverse Mandelson's appointment. And he will be acutely aware that his attempt to block the publication of material relating to Mandelson's appointment, on the ludicrously spurious grounds of national security, has failed. And that, soon, information will be published that chronicles the full extent of Mandelson's involvement in the very heart of his government. As one minister told me: 'People don't understand. Peter wasn't just Keir's ambassador. Along with Morgan [McSweeney, his chief of staff] he was basically running the entire operation. In the last reshuffle, Peter made specific appointments. And he was directly involved in selecting the first Cabinet.' Sir Keir Starmer's first conclusion will be that his position is now politically irrecoverable, writes Dan Hodges The Prime Minister will be acutely aware of further revelations about Epstein, Mandelson and crucially their connection to a hostile foreign state Then Starmer's thoughts will turn away from his personal position and drift to his party and the country at large. As I wrote soon after he was initially elected Labour leader, Sir Keir is not, and never has been, a political creature. Someone who had worked closely with him on his leadership campaign told me Starmer had once remarked to them: 'I don't really like politics. I don't understand it. And I'm not that good at it.' The Prime Minister has never been one of those MPs who insist their mother pushed them around in a pram stuffed with Labour leaflets. The movement has never been in his DNA. When he recently made an awful, crude joke at PMQs one of his colleagues messaged me to observe 'no one who genuinely understands the Labour Party would have said that'. An opportunity to put his country first But Starmer still understands the debt he owes the party that carried him on its shoulders into Downing Street, and to those who trusted him with their votes 18 long months ago. When I wrote a couple of weeks ago that his blocking of Andy Burnham showed he intended to 'do a Biden' and bed-block the premiership, even if it meant leading his party to destruction, an ally of his phoned me and said, 'You're wrong. When the time comes, Keir will know to walk away'. Keir Starmer knows that time has now arrived. Angela Rayner has told friends she is moving. Wes Streeting is teetering on the edge of resignation, calculating whether or not to get out ahead of a scandal that may consume him, given his own friendship with Mandelson. I'm told Burnham is considering kicking down the door to Westminster by making a move for the safe seat of Bootle. So, while it may take a short time for the pretenders to gather their supporters and unsheathe their blades, Starmer knows they are about to make their move. And that, when they do, there will be no one to stand in their way. Soon, information will be published that chronicles the full extent of Mandelson's involvement in the very heart of Starmer's government Sir Keir knows that time has now arrived Angela Rayner has told friends she is moving Over the past 48 hours, his MPs have decisively turned their backs on him. Meanwhile, his Cabinet colleagues have disowned him. With the exception of the hapless housing minister Steve Reed, not a single one came to his defence in the wake of Wednesday's disastrous PMQs performance. But there is one voice above all others that I believe will convince Keir Starmer to do the decent thing. His own. No one has been more critical of our Prime Minister during the past torturous and disastrous months than me. But I genuinely believe that, deep down, Keir Starmer is a decent man. And that, when he looks back over the grotesque spectacle of this week's attempt to justify and legitimise his appointment of Mandelson and by extension Mandelson's toxic relationship with one of the world's most notorious paedophiles shame will overcome ambition. In the wake of his catastrophic performance at yesterday's press conference, I would not be surprised if, in the next few days, the Prime Minister announces his resignation. But if he does try to stagger on, that attempt will reach its denouement on February 26, when Labour loses the Gorton and Denton by-election. At that moment, Keir Starmer will know for certain he is leading his party to damnation and opening the door to Nigel Farage and a Reform government. And at that moment, he will step aside. Wes Streeting is teetering on the edge of resignation, calculating whether or not get out ahead of a scandal that may consume him, given his own friendship with Mandelson I may be wrong in my assessment of the Prime Minister's character. The long, lonely nights in Downing Street may have robbed him of the last vestiges of his dignity and self-respect. In which case, he will have to be dragged kicking and screaming from the building by his colleagues. 'I don't really like politics. And I'm not that good at it' But I genuinely believe it will not have to come to that. The Mandelson scandal will represent a squalid and sordid end to his premiership. But if he opts to leave in a manner and on a timetable of his own choosing, he will be seen to have ultimately ended things honourably. And I think he will want that to be his epitaph. The man who came into power with the lofty if frequently self-indulgent ambition of restoring public faith in politics has manifestly failed in his task. But as a wise man once observed, all political careers end in failure. And there is no humiliation in that. Whereas Starmer will be humiliated if he tries to cling to office when it is palpably obvious that he has now completely lost the confidence of his colleagues and the electorate. Keir Starmer has been a disastrous Prime Minister. But he has the opportunity to show that in the final reckoning, he was prepared to put his country first. At some point in the coming days, I expect him to grasp it. A Colorado man sued Walmart after he claimed to suffer 'severe' injuries from eating raw bake-to-eat bread that allegedly expanded in his stomach. Jordan T. Douglas, of El Paso County, said he spent three days at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central after ingesting the bread from the big box retailer. Douglas filed a personal injury lawsuit on Tuesday in district court, alleging the bread sent him rushing to the hospital after repeatedly vomiting. He claimed medical imaging showed a 'gastrointestinal obstruction caused by the expansion of uncooked dough', per the complaint obtained by Courthouse News. He also alleged Walmart obscured the product's preparation instructions with a 'sell-by' label. As a result, Douglas said he believed the bread was 'substantially baked' and already safe to consume. He ate the loaf during his lunch break but soon developed 'severe abdominal pain and related symptoms.' Douglas accused Walmart of 'altering product packaging' in a way that created an 'unreasonable risk of harm to customers.' He is seeking compensatory damages. Walmart is being sued by Jordan T. Douglas, of El Paso County, Colorado, after he claimed that a bake-to-eat bread sold by the retailer expanded in his stomach and gravely injured him Douglas claimed he 'reasonably believed' the bread was ready to be eaten. Instead, it allegedly caused him 'severe abdominal pain' and other injuries (Photo of a take-and-bake bread) Douglas bought the bread on September 22, 2025, at the Walmart store located at 1575 Space Center Drive in Colorado Springs, per the lawsuit. The loaf of MarketSide-branded bread allegedly had a 'sell-by' label placed directly over its preparation instructions. This included the detail that the bread was actually a 'take and bake' product, rather than ready-to-eat. 'As sold, the bread appeared substantially baked and indistinguishable from ready-to-eat bread products commonly sold by Walmart,' the complaint read. Douglas claimed that he 'reasonably believed' he could eat the bread without needing to be baked. He said he suffered 'substantial medical expenses, lost wages, physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life' while hospitalized for three days. The shopper added that his injuries were 'foreseeable, preventable, and directly caused' by Walmart's omissions. Douglas was hospitalized at the UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central for about three days, during which he was in 'severe pain' and repeatedly vomiting Douglas also accused Walmart of failing to 'exercise reasonable care' by allowing a store-applied label to supposedly cover the bread's instructions. He alleged the retailer failed to follow 'reasonable internal policies and industry standards' and did not properly train employees on safe labeling practices. The complaint alleged Walmart 'intended or reasonably should have expected consumers to rely on the product's presentation' when it was sold. Douglas claimed that the bread was in a 'defective condition' that was 'unreasonably dangerous.' He required an 'invasive' nasogastric tube, bowel rest and extensive diagnostic testing as a result of his injuries, the lawsuit claimed. The complaint also named Anthony & Sons Italian Bakery, the manufacturer of the bread that allegedly sent Douglas to the hospital, as a defendant. Those claims alleged strict products liability and negligence for failure to warn. The lawsuit claimed that Walmart obscured the bread's preparation instructions with a 'sell-by' label, and that the loaf looked ready to eat (File photo of a Walmart location) Douglas alleged Anthony & Sons 'owed a duty to provide clear, conspicuous, and adequate preparation and safety warnings.' However, he claimed their packaging and instructions did not warn of the 'risks of consumption without baking.' Douglas is not demanding a trial by jury, according to his complaint. He is seeking compensatory damages to be determined at trial, along with court costs, interest as allowed by law and any other relief. The Daily Mail has reached out to Walmart, Anthony & Sons Italian Bakery and Jeffrey Scott Lasswell, Douglas' attorney, for comment. An NHS doctor has been arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual activity with an underage girl. South Wales Police were called to a property in Sketty, Swansea at around 8pm on Tuesday following a report from a so-called 'paedophile hunting' group. A 52-year-old man, working at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, was detained on suspicion of inciting a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity. He was later released on conditional bail pending further enquiries. Swansea Bay University Health Board said the man had been 'immediately excluded' while investigations continue. A spokesman added: 'We can confirm that police have been made aware of a video circulating on social media involving a member of our staff. 'Due to the serious nature of the allegations in the video he has been immediately excluded while investigations continue. Any further inquiries should be directed to South Wales Police.' South Wales Police said officers were called to Rhyd yr Helyg, Sketty, Swansea at around 7.50pm on Tuesday following a report of 'a man having engaged in child sex offences'. The sheriff leading the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie has been slammed over his 'bumbling' and 'aloof' press conference, as time has officially run out on the first ransom deadline. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos took to the podium on Thursday afternoon as the search for Nancy, the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, entered its fifth day in Arizona. Nanos made a carefully worded statement about Nancy, but later denied that he was suggesting that she is no longer alive. Opening the press conference, Nanos said: 'We believe Nancy is still out there... We want her home.' The press conference also revealed that a chilling ransom letter demanding millions of dollars for Nancy's release had a deadline of 5pm local time on Thursday. Investigators said the ransom did not include proof of life or a way for the Guthrie family to make contact. However, it did set a secondary deadline of Monday for them to meet demands of millions in Bitcoin for her return home. Nanos often stumbled his words during the presser, at one point stating: 'And, and, we just want her home and get, and right away, to get to the bottom of all of this just as you do.' He also said the department is no closer to finding a suspect, but also told the public that no one has been ruled out. Pimo County Sheriff Chris Nanos has been blasted over her press conference on Thursday, with many saying they are even more puzzled over the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance Nancy, the beloved mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, has been missing for five days now. 'We're not there, we're just not there yet,' Nanos said. The sheriff dove into some of the evidence that was found at Nancy's home in Tucson, including the blood droplets and the doorbell camera that was removed from the 84-year-old's front porch during the time of her kidnapping. Nanos noted that the blood was 'rushed through' for DNA processing, but 'the results were minimal.' 'It, it, it came back to Nancy. That's what we know,' he continued, adding that more items have been submitted for DNA testing, but have not come back yet. His performance left many disgruntled and even more perplexed, as people took to social media to share their frustrations. 'I have no idea how you can have any faith in the Pima county sheriff's office after this press conference,' one X user posted. 'The sheriff is a blithering idiot. None of this makes sense. Hes clarified nothing what's the point of the press conference?' Another posted: 'The sheriff of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping is too lackadaisical, aloof. They need to let the detectives lead the press conference.' Someone else called on the FBI to take over the case entirely. Join the debate Should YOU expect clearer answers from police at a moment this serious? 'The FBI is going to have to solve it because that boob sheriff is never going to,' they wrote. 'He can't even handle a press conference. The one today was a disaster and shows his incompetence.' 'I feel more confused having watched the press conference on Nancy Guthrie than before,' a user shared, adding that the sheriff saying they think the elderly mother is alive does not make sense to them because she is without her needed medication. When Nancy was first reported missing, it was revealed that she needs to take daily medication, or things could quickly turn deadly. 'The whole thing is just baffling and sad,' the commenter added. Meanwhile, another user posted a mock job posting, calling on a new sheriff to take Nanos' place. 'Qualified candidates should possess communication skills with ability to hold a press conference,' the poster wrote. FBI officials told reporters that the ransom note has not been verified as legitimate, but it is being taken 'very seriously' as an investigative lead. Blood droplets are seen outside Nancy's home in Tucson after she went missing. A doorbell camera was also removed before police officers arrived at the scene On Wednesday evening, Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, released an emotional video statement on Instagram, sending direct messages to their mom and her abductor Nanos also presented a timeline of events that the department has drawn up from the night she vanished. She traveled to her daughter's home, who lives about 30 minutes away, around 5.30pm in an Uber on Saturday, Nanos said. Her son-in-law then dropped her off at her home around 9.50pm, where she entered through her garage door. Hours then went by before her doorbell camera disconnected at 1:47am Sunday, but at 2:12am, a person was detected by the camera's sensors. At 2:28am, Nancy's pacemaker app - a device tracking her heartbeat - cut off from her phone's Bluetooth, Nanos said. Nanos said that although no suspects have been identified, the FBI made an arrest early Thursday, saying an impostor was charged for allegedly sending a fake ransom note. FBI Special Agent Heith Janke insisted that the wide-ranging investigation has not ruled anyone out as suspects, and said that agents are 'analyzing information from all digital sources, which includes banks, social media companies, phone companies, and any other organization where a digital footprint could have been captured.' On Wednesday evening, Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Camron, released an emotional video statement on Instagram, sending direct messages to their mom and her abductor. Your browser does not support iframes. 'Mommy, if you are hearing this, you are a strong woman. You are God's precious daughter,' the journalist said. 'Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She's funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses,' Guthrie added. She then spoke directly to her elderly mother's potential kidnappers, telling them that 'we are ready to talk' but wanted proof that they weren't potentially using fraudulent images of her. 'We live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us,' she said through the tears. University of California Los Angeles has officially fired its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) chief after he celebrated Charlie Kirk's murder. Jonathan Perkins, the DEI director at the school, was originally placed on leave after he posted several messages on the liberal social media app Bluesky that hailed the conservative commentator's assassination. 'Good riddance,' he wrote in September. 'It is OKAY to be happy when someone who hated you and called for your people's death dies - even if they are murdered.' He later wrote, 'I'm always glad when bigots die' and 'You can't force people to mourn someone who hated us - no matter how he died.' Immediately after the posts, school officials launched an investigation into Perkins' comments and placed him on leave. 'While free expression is a core value of UCLA, violence of any kind including the celebration of it is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,' the university said at the time. Following the investigation, school officials fired Perkins last week, with records obtained by the Los Angeles Times showing his last day on payroll was Friday. Perkins has now launched an online fundraiser to help seek vengeance, as he threatens to sue the school for wrongful termination and First Amendment violations. He also plan to move back to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. UCLA's director of race and equity Johnathan Perkins has officially been fired from his position over a series of posts on BlueSky in which he appeared to celebrate Charlie Kirk's assassination Charlie Kirk, a conservative commentator, was fatally gunned down at Utah Valley University in September Perkins' social media posts were made two days after Kirk was shot dead Perkins has repeatedly argued he was simply exercising his right to free speech when screenshots of his posts began spreading over social media. He also claimed he received death threats. But a termination letter obtained by the LA Times cited violations of policies on 'workplace violence prevention,' including posts that 'referenced or appeared to endorse violence or death' and made 'demeaning or generalized remarks about demographic groups. 'Given the nature of your role as Director of Race and Equity, the university has determined that this conduct significantly undermined trust in your leadership and adversely affected the office's effectiveness and credibility,' the letter read. Perkins was also reportedly handed a roughly 250-page set of investigation findings that detailed a history of social media controversies. In one since-deleted tweet from March 2022, the DEI chief appeared to wish death upon conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after he was admitted to hospital. 'No one wants to openly admit [we all] hope Clarence Thomas dies,' he wrote. Two years later, Perkins came under public scrutiny again when he spread fake rumors that Kate Middleton was faking condition as she underwent cancer treatment. Perkins, who was in remission from lymphoma at the time, defended his comments. But in both instances, UCLA distanced itself from his remarks, saying his comments did not reflect its views. Join the debate Should expressing controversial opinions online cost someone their career and livelihood? Perkins was making $135,000 a year in his job as director of the school's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion University officials originally placed Perkins on leave, and had previously distanced themselves from other controversial comments he made online But as a black DEI director, Perkins said he felt compelled to keep speaking out, even as he quit X and switched to Bluesky following President Donald Trump's victory in 2024 and put a disclaimer on his bio saying 'ALL posts are personal and DO NOT reflect my employer's views.' 'I will always speak out against racism... I would post my thoughts [about Kirk] again,' he told the LA Times. He cited an incident in 2011, when he was studying at the University of Virginia School of Law, for instilling in him the importance of speaking his mind no matter the consequences. Perkins had claimed at the time that campus police racially profiled him during a search while he walked home from a party and told him he fit the description' of a man they were looking for and carried out a body search. However, weeks after his letter was published, Perkins dramatically retracted his claims, saying in a statement: 'I wrote the article to bring attention to the topic of police misconduct. The events in the article did not occur.' The ensuing backlash was huge, and he was accused of race-baiting and labeled a liar by fellow Virginia students and in the media. In 2017, Perkins backtracked again, this time claiming the incident did happen as he had first described, but that he had been forced to retract his statement following threats from the FBI. Perkins has set up an online fundraiser to help with his relocation costs for him and his four pets as well as help to sue the school for alleged First Amendment and wrongful termination violations He described at the time what happened after he changed his story, claiming that news reports and commentary 'branded me a liar, a race-baiter, the Boy Who Cried Wolf and a prime example of the problems with affirmative action.' 'I lost the law firm job I had secured,' he added. Perkins said he now stands by his original article. Yet as he now faces a future without his $135,000-a-year job, Perkins is asking the public for help to pay his bills. He wrote in the online fundraiser that he is planning to move to Philadelphia, where he will have to pay rent while also paying penalty costs for ditching his home in Los Angeles. 'On top of these challenges, I have two dogs and two cats who require care and support during this transition, adding to the financial and emotional strain,' Perkins noted. He then said he was 'reaching out for support from my community and anyone who believes in not just fighting racism, but standing up for free speech and fairness during these stunning times.' The Daily Mail has reached out to Perkins for additional comment. As of Thursday, the online fundraiser has raised over $10,000 to help him. The man arrested for sending a fake ransom text to Nancy Guthrie's daughter has a rap sheet for financial crimes including theft and embezzlement, it was revealed. Derrick Callella was arrested Thursday for sending a hoax demand for Bitcoin to Nancy's daughter Annie Guthrie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni. Officials confirmed Callella had also been charged in a 2023 embezzlement scheme in which 13 Los Angeles County employees allegedly stole over $430,000 in unemployment benefits from the county. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office confirmed to The Daily Mail that he was the same man arrested over the fraudulent text messages. Callella texted Annie and Cioni on February 4: 'Did you get the bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction'. Three minutes later, he phoned one of Nancy's family members. The call lasted only nine seconds, the criminal complaint said. He contacted the family shortly after Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, Annie and their brother Camron posted a video to Instagram begging for their mother's return. Callella allegedly admitted to sending the messages and told investigators he was 'just trying to see if the family would respond. Derrick Callella, pictured, allegedly sent two texts to Savannah Guthrie's sister and brother-in-law demanding Bitcoin in return for the release of Nancy Guthrie The man arrested for sending the fake ransom demand to Nancy Guthrie's daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni has a criminal past Derrick Callella was arrested Thursday for sending the fake ransom demand to the Today Show star's sister and husband Callella, who worked as an intermediate clerk for the county's department of health services, allegedly took $9,984 in benefits from May 6, 2020 to January 20, 2022. The scheme involved the defendants allegedly submitting fake unemployment insurance claims which misrepresented how much money they made during several two week periods. Each employee was collecting over $600 a week, making them ineligible for said benefits. Another 11 former employees were charged in the scheme in December. Callella was arraigned on a felony count of grand theft and a misdemeanor this past November. He's due back in court in Los Angeles on March 31. He now faces more charges of transmitting a demand for ransom in interstate commerce, and without disclosing his identity, utilizing a telecommunications device with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass a person, prosecutors said. FBI Special Agent Heith Janke announced the arrest of the imposter during a press briefing Thursday afternoon. 'We have made one arrest related to an imposter ransom demand, and the complaint will be presented at the state judge later today,' Janke told reporters. 'My next message is to those imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation - we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.' It is not believed his alleged demand is linked to ransom letters sent in connection with the suspected kidnapping. At least three media organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes that have been handed over to investigators. The Pima County Sheriff's Department has said it was taking the notes and other tips seriously but declined to comment further. Savannah Guthrie (left) and her family were sent a fake ransom note in connection to the disappearance of her mother Nancy Guthrie (right) Your browser does not support iframes. Janke said that one of the reported ransom notes has a deadline of 5pm today. He added that the note had a second deadline for next Monday. 'So we are continuing in a normal kidnapping case; there would be contact by now, trying to discuss that,' Janke said. 'But those are the time frames we're looking at as we move forward.' Investigators are taking the ransom note seriously, said Janke, who noted it included a demand for money with a deadline along with details about a flood light at the home and an Apple watch. A note emailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included 'red flags' that have led those who saw it to believe it 'might not be a hoax', anchor Mary Coleman told CNN. She said the note contained information that only the abductor would know. It also included a dollar amount and a deadline, she said. 'When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,' she said in an interview aired Wednesday. Nancy was last seen by her family at her house near Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night and was reported missing the following afternoon, with authorities believing she was taken from her home against her will. NEW from Daily Mail. We take you inside the kidnap case shocking America. Out now on all podcast platforms. Listen here Officials say Nancy, 84, is frail and has poor mobility, and suffers from a condition that requires her to take medication daily Nancy Guthrie was last seen by her family at her house near Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday night and was reported missing the following afternoon. Investigators have confirmed that blood found outside her front door matches Nancy's DNA Authorities are offering a $50,000 award for information that leads to the capture of Nancy's abductor, four days after she was taken. A note sent to TMZ demanded millions in Bitcoin for Nancy's release, but it is currently unclear if the note is genuine. Investigators believe Nancy is 'still out there,' but they have not identified any suspects, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday. 'Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,' Nanos said at a news conference five days after she was reported missing. The sheriff, however, acknowledged that authorities have no proof she is still alive. He also revealed that DNA tests showed that the blood found on Nancy's porch has come back a match to her. Janke, during the same press briefing, addressed Nancy's abductors directly. 'This is an 84yearold grandma that needs vital medication for her wellbeing,' he said. 'You still have the time to do the right thing before this becomes a worse, much worse scenario for you. Please return Nancy home.' The FBI agent added that Guthrie family is ready to speak with their mother's captors. 'The family wants to be contacted. They know time is of the essence, and if those who may have Nancy are watching this, the family is ready to talk, get proof of life because there has been no contact since that ransom note,' he said. FBI Special Agent Heith Janke announced during a press conference Thursday that one person has been arrested for sending a fake ransom demand Blood was spotted on the walkway of Nancy's $1million Tucson, Arizona home A day earlier, Savannah and her siblings released an emotional message to her 84-year-old mother's kidnapper, but there has been no public sign of a response. The Today Show host said her family is ready to talk but wants proof their mom is still alive. In the heart-wrenching video posted on social media Wednesday, Guthrie acknowledged hearing media reports about a ransom letter. 'We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated,' Savannah said while reading from a prepared statement. 'We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.' A Turning Point USA employee who claims she was fired has blasted the conservative youth organization's leadership under Erika Kirk after Charlie's assassination. Aubrey Laitsch, a member of TPUSA's PR team for more than four years, released a 12-minute video on Thursday detailing the alleged distortion of Charlie's vision for the charity since Erika took over as CEO and chair after his killing on September 10. Laitsch claimed that she was summoned to a meeting with TPUSA top brass, including Andrew Kolvet, its spokesman, and another unnamed executive. She alleges that she was informed that an Uber driver had told a board member that his daughter was friends with an employee who didn't like Erika. Laitsch claims they accused her of being the disgruntled employee and she was fired. Laitsch was taken aback by the allegations, and she said she has known Erika since 2013 and that, at the time of the alleged Uber incident, she had no issue with the widowed mother of two. 'We were doing pageants around the same time as one another. She was in the Miss USA organization, and I was in the Miss United States organization, and we happened to cross paths at an event,' Laitsch notes in her video. 'I've known Erika for quite some time, and my thoughts about her and the idea that nobody likes her do not align whatsoever with the timeline of October or November,' when the alleged Uber incident took place. At the end of the video, she also notes: 'It literally breaks my heart to make this video, but I know that I owe it to Charlie and that this would be the expectation for me.' Aubrey Laitsch, a former member of TPUSA staffer, released a 12-minute video on Thursday detailing what she views as the drastic turn the organization has undergone since Charlie Kirk's assassination last September Aubrey Laitsch, Erika Kirk, and podcast host Sage Steele at TPUSA's AmericaFest in 2024. Laitsch called both women ' not just incredible role models but true inspirations in the conservative movement' Laitsch worked for TPUSA directly and was also a full time employee at Kolvet's communications company, a source confirmed for the Daily Mail. In her video, she notes that she has 'a gut feeling that [she] was terminated from Turning Point because [she is] questioning the narrative of what happened to [her] role model and CEO, Charlie Kirk, on the day of his assassination.' 'What is being told to us in the mainstream media just really doesn't add up to me,' Laitsch also notes. The former staffer's account aligns with an accusation hurled at TPUSA by conservative podcaster Candace Owens late last month. In a January 22 post on X, Owens classified a series of tales she had been told as the 'Scottsdale Witch Trials,' including an incident of 'executives ... dragging people into offices asking about their allegiance to Erika.' 'Specifically, one person was told that an Uber driver told their CMO that his daughter was friends with an employee who didn't like Erika,' Owens noted. 'Andrew Kolvet then hauled the Uber-mentioned employee into an office and questioned her about the driver's account, regarding which, she was totally mystified,' Owens also alleged. Laitsch's Thursday comments align with remarks by Owens last month, when she claimed to have spoken to disgruntled employees at TPUSA and alleged that the organization laid off staff who worked 20-hour days, despite raising a quarter of a billion dollars after Kirk's assassination. Aubrey Laitsch inspects Donald Trump's southern border wall Laitsch detailed the time following Kirk's murder in her video, recalling how she was 'reprimanded for not being supportive enough to people,' while living through 'an extremely traumatizing day' and 'working nonstop.' While some of the viewers of Laitsch's video were sympathetic to her words, others said she got what she deserved for allegedly leaking insider information to Owens. Conservative comedian and commentator Bobby Sauce wrote on Laitsch's video posted to Instagram: 'Well done, Aubrey! People like you is what made my experience with TPUSA so enjoyable. Courage is contagious!!!' Commenting on Laitsch's video on X, Chris Loesch had harsher words: 'You are owed no sympathy.' 'You believed and spread falsehoods about your employer. Not only is that a fire-able offense - nothing to do with your free speech rights - its disgusting and contemptible. Shame on you,' Loesch added. The Daily Mail has contacted TPUSA for comment. Police in Missouri continue the hunt for a group of locals who have been missing since July, as evidence points to their being involved in a 'cult.' The Berkeley Police Department are still searching for four adults and two children who mysteriously vanished, as ties to an online cult called the 'University of Cosmic Intelligence' have been discovered. Ma'Kayla Wickerson, 28, and her five-year-old daughter Malaiyah, Gerielle German, 30, and her five-year-old-son Ashton Mitchell, Naaman Williams, 32, and Wickerson's cousin, 27-year-old Mikayla Thompson, all went missing in 2024. They disappeared from Wickersons rental home near St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and were last seen at a nearby motel. 'Theres no footprint whatsoever, no current digital footprint,' Berkeley Police Major Steve Runge told Fox News. 'Were trying to find any lead. Common places they went, rental cars, phone records out of state, out of the country, trying to find any ties to give us a lead as to where they are.' Rashad Jamal White - known as Rashad Jamal to his followers - leads the University of Cosmic Intelligence cult that preaches to African Americans and Latinos and believes they are the natural earthly beings, not white people. He claimed around that time through a jailhouse phone call that he, Blacks and Latinos, are 'gods.' The Berkeley Police Department are still searching for four adults and two children who mysteriously vanished, as ties to an online cult called the 'University of Cosmic Intelligence' have been discovered Ma'Kayla Wickerson, 28, and her five-year-old daughter Malaiyah, Gerielle German, 30, and her five-year-old-son Ashton Mitchell, Naaman Williams, 32, and Wickerson's cousin, 27-year-old Mikayla Thompson, all went missing in 2024 The University of Cosmic Intelligence leader Rashad Jamal White - who goes by Rashad Jamal to his followers is currently serving an 18-year sentence for child molestation and child cruelty Jamal denied being a cult leader to the St Louis Post-Dispatch or of knowing the missing six people. He believed that he had 'a target on my back' by police after he learned of their disappearance from TV reports. 'I am pretty sure I have never met these people,' he told the outlet. 'I get on my phone and I give a lecture. I go live, and then I get off the phone. I do not know the people that are in my live[stream]. Its too many people.' Police have continued investigating the group's disappearance, and discovered new evidence leading them to believe the group were involved in the cult. 'We recovered a diary from one of the people that went missing, and the writings in that diary are something you would see with brainwashing, just repetitive, I am a god, I am a god, I am a god,' Runge told the outlet. Runge described the cult's beliefs as 'very off the grid stuff,' and added: 'How to prepare for doomsday. A lot of it, the end of the world is coming. And they had a very solid belief that were not from here. Were not from this planet.' A new lead also emerged on TikTok, which Runge described as 'very promising,' after someone may have spotted Wickerson. The group of six had been exhibiting strange behavior before their disappearance, including hanging out on the roof naked and worshipping the sun, neighbors said Currently, the lead is being investigated and remains unconfirmed. The leader, Jamal, garnered thousands of followers as part of the online cult and is currently serving an 18-year-sentence in Georgia for child molestation and child cruelty, Fox News reported. The group of six who went missing had been exhibiting strange behavior before their disappearance, including hanging out on the roof naked, neighbors said. 'Neighbors reported seeing these people outside daily, worshipping the sun,' Runge told the outlet. 'When it was raining, they would come outside naked and run around the yard. They were digging up things in the yard.' Other neighbors reported witnessing the group 'sitting outside in tall grass with their palms upward on sunny days,' hugging trees and burying coins. Runge told the outlet that the 'cult' is an anti-government group who believe in polygamy and encourages members to go off the grid. Cartisha Morgan, Wickerson's mom, told Fox News that she hadn't heard from her daughter, or her granddaughter, since March 2024. Cartisha Morgan, Wickerson's mom, said that she hadn't heard from her daughter, or her granddaughter, since March 2024 Jamal denied being a cult leader to the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch or knowing the missing six people. He believed that he had 'a target on my back' by police 'I was trying to let them know that something was not right,' Morgan told the outlet, as she recalled calling for welfare checks and child protective services to intervene. 'She doesnt usually do things like this. Shes usually very family-oriented. So for her to cut off everybody, quit her job, leave all her belongings behind is not the norm.' Detective Sergeant George Ervin told the outlet: 'I know that it seems like some stuff youd see fresh out of a movie in Hollywood, but this is real life. These people are missing.' In 2022, three alleged members of the same 'cult' were accused of two separate murders in Alabama. Damien Winslow Washam was accused of killing his 61-year-old mother with a sword and injuring his disabled uncle and brother. In September 2023, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, Fox News reported. Damien Winslow Washam was found not guilty by insanity for the murder of his mother with a sword and injuring his disabled uncle and brother Krystal Diane Pinkins, 36 (left) and Yasmine Hider, 20, (right) were sentenced to jail for murder Krystal Diane Pinkins and Yasmine Hider were accused of murdering 22-year-old Adam Simjee of Apopka, Florida, when he tried to help them with their car. Hider was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder, kidnapping, and robbery in October 2023, according to the Northern District of Alabama US Attorney's Office. Pinkins was sentenced to life in prison, after being convicted of murder, robbery, and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence in September 2023. Angela Rayner has told friends she is 'ready' to launch a leadership campaign as Labour MPs warned Keir Starmer that his premiership is 'hanging by a thread'. The former deputy prime minister, who has quietly amassed a 1million war chest, gave Sir Keir a bloody nose on Wednesday when she led a Labour revolt against attempts to 'cover up' files surrounding Peter Mandelson's disastrous appointment as US ambassador. The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday's Commons vote, Ms Rayner told an MP who observed that the Prime Minister would have to resign: 'I will be ready.' Sir Keir issued a grovelling apology for the Mandelson scandal yesterday but insisted he would not bow to growing Labour pressure for him to quit. At an emergency press conference in Hastings the rattled-looking PM said he was 'utterly disgusted' by revelations about Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and 'sorry' he had appointed him as ambassador to Washington DC. But he insisted that he would 'go on', despite mounting Labour fury over the fiasco. And Downing Street rejected calls from Labour MPs to sack the PM's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who championed Mandelson's appointment. Seven Labour MPs directly called for Mr McSweeney to go, while numerous others called for a wider No10 clearout and two said Sir Keir should resign. Angela Rayner (pictured in the Commons on Wednesday) has told friends she is 'ready' to launch a leadership campaign against Keir Starmer Sir Keir gave a speech in East Sussex yesterday, where he issued a grovelling apology for the Mandelson scandal but insisted he would not bow to growing pressure for him to quit Lord Mandelson (pictured with Keir Starmer last year) was ousted as US ambassador last September after other revelations about his ties to Epstein Baroness Harman a former deputy leader of the Labour Party and former leader of the Commons said Sir Keir looked weak, and gullible. She said on Sky News's Electoral Dysfunction podcast that the scandal would 'finish' him off, unless he could convincingly reset. And she added: 'He's got to stop blaming Mandelson and saying, 'he lied to me'. Because actually he should never have been considering him in the first place. And to say 'he lied to me' makes it look weak and naive and gullible.' The growing Labour pressure for Mr McSweeney to be sacked is widely seen at Westminster as a proxy for the removal of the Prime Minister. One insider said: 'Starmer without McSweeney is like a glove puppet without a hand.' No 10 said Sir Keir retained 'full confidence' in his top aide. Last night, the PM was due to host Labour MPs at Chequers in an effort to win them round. But former frontbencher Andy McDonald said Sir Keir's premiership was 'hanging by a thread'. As the fallout from the Epstein files continued to rock Westminster: A YouGov poll found the public want Sir Keir to resign by a margin of 50:24; A powerful committee of MPs warned Sir Keir not to attempt another cover up of documents relating to Mandelson; The PM sparked fury by suggesting the security services had failed to vet Mandelson properly; The King was heckled by a member of the public demanding a police investigation into his brother Andrew's links to Epstein; Kemi Badenoch urged Labour MPs to back a vote of no confidence in Sir Keir, saying he was 'in office but not in power'. Sir Keir (pictured on Thursday) insisted that he would 'go on', despite mounting Labour fury over the Mandelson scandal Kemi Badenoch (pictured during a speech in London on Thursday) urged Labour MPs to back a vote of no confidence in Sir Keir Your browser does not support iframes. Anger on the Labour benches boiled over on Wednesday when Sir Keir tried to water down Conservative calls for ministers to publish all the documents surrounding Mandelson's appointment in December 2024. Yesterday, several urged Sir Keir to sack Mr McSweeney or even resign himself. York MP Rachael Maskell said: 'We need to now move forward as a party to ensure that we can gain that support back. I don't believe we can with the PM in place it is inevitable that the PM is going to have to step down.' Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne suggested that Sir Keir should 'reflect on his position'. He added: 'The broad opinion of MPs is that with what was already in the public domain, Mandelson should not have been anywhere near that job. 'The PM has to reflect on the decisions he's made.' Another Liverpool MP Paula Barker, a former deputy leadership contender, said she was 'deeply ashamed' of the Government's handling of the scandal and said Mr McSweeney faced 'huge questions' about his judgment. She told the BBC: 'As we know only too well... when your chief of staff becomes the story, then often it's time for them to go.' Hull MP Karl Turner told Times Radio the Prime Minister was in a 'crisis situation' and that if he continued to be surrounded by 'advisers who give him shoddy advice, I think that the reality of that will end in the Prime Minister having to be making a decision about his future at some point soon'. It is understood that when Mandelson (pictured) was appointed towards the end of 2024, Sir Keir was handed a two-page document by the Cabinet Office ethics team (file image) Lord Mandelson pictured in Epstein's flat in Paris in January 2007 as the financier blew out the candles on a birthday cake The same photograph was used to illustrate a Financial Times report in June 2023 detailing 'repeated meetings' between Lord Mandelson and Epstein Jonathan Hinder urged the PM to admit he had 'cocked up'. The Pendle and Clitheroe MP welcomed the PM's belated apology, but added: 'What needs to be acknowledged is that this was a catastrophic error of political and moral judgment.' Stroud MP Simon Opher said: 'The PM must clear out his advisers, including the chief of staff otherwise he will lose the confidence of the Parliamentary Labour Party.' Jo White, chairman of the Red Wall group of Labour MPs, called for an 'ethical reset' in No 10, saying: 'We need a cleansing, a wiping away of patronage, favours and friends.' John Cryer, former chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, said the PM had 'really serious questions to answer'. Lord Cryer, who is married to Solicitor General Ellie Reeves, the sister of the Chancellor, told GB News: 'I've known Keir for a long time now. He was told twice, as far as we know, that Mandelson's relationship with Epstein continued. 'Keir has got to try and explain, and I don't know how you do it, why he then decided to appoint Mandelson after all that and the previous scandals.' Labour MPs are urging both Ms Rayner and the Health Secretary Wes Streeting to launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir. But a spokesman for Ms Rayner disputed suggestions that she is telling friends saying she is ready to run, adding: 'We do not recognise these claims'. Peter Mandelson pictured with Jeffrey Epstein on a yacht. The picture is undated A picture released by the US Department of Justice shows Mandelson with an unidentified individual Sir Keir yesterday insisted he had been 'lied' to by Mandelson during the appointment process. No 10 admitted this week that he knew the disgraced peer had remained friends with Epstein following the financier's conviction for child sex offences. But Sir Keir claimed Mandelson had lied when asked about the evidence and had 'portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew'. The PM said he had 'no reason' to doubt Mandelson's words, despite widespread evidence in the public domain. Photos showed the peer celebrating Epstein's birthday with him in his Paris apartment. A JP Morgan report on Epstein found the pair had a 'particularly close relationship'. But Sir Keir claimed that he had been let down by the vetting process and insisted he had been betrayed by his former friend. The PM said he was 'angry and frustrated' like his MPs. Sir Keir also issued a belated apology to Epstein's many victims, saying: 'I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you. Sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and appointed him.' For Labour's self-professed champion of the working classes, last week's sumptuous dinner in Notting Hill was a world away from the Stockport council estate of her childhood. Angela Rayner's host was Matthew Freud, the PR svengali and power-broker who is the great-grandson of Sigmund Freud and nephew of bohemian artist Lucian Freud. The venue was his imposing, multi-million-pound townhouse, where one guest claims that Mr Freud introduced Ms Rayner to the table as someone 'very likely to be the next prime minister'. He denies that he did. But what is clear is that, far from licking her wounds over last year's great tax-dodging furore when she was forced to quit the Cabinet for underpaying stamp duty on her 800,000 seaside home Ms Rayner is now being feted in London's most rarified social circles. At Mr Freud's salon, Ms Rayner did not just gulp her wine, make her excuses and leave: according to one guest, the 45-year-old clad in an arresting ensemble of white shirt and red coat socialised until late into the evening with guests from the worlds of media, publishing and finance. Ms Rayner is making little effort to hide the fact that she is planning a Left-wing coup against Sir Keir Starmer's Government as she demonstrated after Wednesday's dramatic Commons debate on Peter Mandelson by telling colleagues that she 'will be ready' to move if Starmer falls. The former deputy prime minister's intervention in the chamber was one of the most jaw-dropping powerplays Parliament has seen in modern times. For Labour's self-professed champion of the working classes, last week's sumptuous dinner in Notting Hill was a world away from the Stockport council estate of her childhood. (Angela Rayner pictured in Liverpool last month) Ms Rayner is making little effort to hide the fact that she is planning a Left-wing coup against Sir Keir Starmer's Government (pictured yesterday) By making it clear she was prepared to vote with the Conservatives, Ms Rayner forced Sir Keir to allow Parliament's intelligence and security committee to oversee which documents should be released relating to Mandelson's disastrous appointment as our Washington ambassador. It was a humiliation for the Prime Minister, and in the eyes of most Labour MPs has hastened his end. In the hours before she struck, Ms Rayner had 'set up shop' in the Commons tea room where MPs of all stripes gather to plot over a very un-Notting Hill lunch of chicken and chips. As she munched away, surrounded by her 'praetorian guard' of allies, her boyfriend and lead political cheerleader Sam Tarry was roaming the parliamentary estate, machinating on her behalf. Her Commons intervention is unlikely to be an isolated incident. Next week, Ms Rayner is due to address a conference of the Night Time Industries Association, where she is expected to call for a cut in VAT rates for the hospitality industry. Such a move would put her at odds with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has resisted pressure to extend to the wider industry her 100million bailout for pubs struggling with a sharp hike in business rates. Join the debate Is Starmer finished and Rayner ready to pounce? As Ms Rayner munched away, surrounded by her 'praetorian guard' of allies, her boyfriend and lead political cheerleader Sam Tarry was roaming the parliamentary estate, machinating on her behalf. The pair are pictured together at Parklife Festival in June, 2022 Friends of Ms Rayner say she feels no obligation of loyalty towards Sir Keir or Ms Reeves because, while the Chancellor was given the full protection of Downing Street when it was revealed by the Daily Mail in October that she had rented out her London home without a required landlord licence, Ms Rayner was 'thrown to the wolves' during the stamp duty scandal. It is a complaint that has been echoed publicly by her close ally Louise Haigh, who was forced to quit as Transport Secretary after her 2014 conviction for mobile phone fraud became public in 2024 without the same support from No 10 that Ms Reeves received. Ms Haigh plays a key role in the Tribune group of soft-Left Labour MPs, which is expected to swing behind any Rayner leadership bid. That would set the tone for a Government even more Left-wing than Sir Keir's, with Net Zero obsessive Ed Miliband eyeing the post of Chancellor and Ms Rayner's friend Rosena Allin-Khan earmarked for Wes Streeting's job at health. Though it must be said that these are claims that a spokesman for Ms Rayner says: 'We do not recognise.' Still, the feeling of momentum behind her has grown since Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was blocked by Labour's ruling NEC from standing as the party's candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election this month. Labour MPs who back Mr Burnham had expected Ms Rayner to run as his deputy if he had come back to the Commons, and they were wrong-footed when she failed to try to cajole the NEC to support Mr Burnham. Labour MPs who back Andy Burnham (pictured last week) had expected Ms Rayner to run as his deputy if he had come back to the Commons Ms Rayner's allies made it clear to Wes Streeting (pictured last month) that he would have to get past Ms Rayner before achieving his life-long ambition to become PM Since then, her allies have been briefing that 'Angela is her own woman' who expects to run in her own right, not as an 'adornment' to Mr Burnham or Mr Streeting. That was designed to make it clear to the Health Secretary that he would have to get past Ms Rayner before achieving his life-long ambition to become PM. When Sir Keir was more secure in his position, Ms Rayner would fiercely deny that she had any leadership ambitions. Last weekend, The Mail on Sunday reported she had secured a 'war chest' of more than 1million to fund her bid to succeed Sir Keir after wining and dining donors in her infamous seaside bolthole and was promising Cabinet jobs to supporters. As part of the ratcheting-up of the plotting, she has also set up a new company grandly called The Office of Angela Rayner Ltd for her business earnings. The newspaper also reported that her supporters had claimed HMRC is dragging out its investigation into her tax affairs at the behest of a shadowy Establishment network trying to stop her from becoming Prime Minister. Out of all those claims, Ms Rayner appeared to be really irritated only by the HMRC angle in the story, which prompted a source close to her to say: 'Angela respects HMRC and any criticism of their handling of her case is not attributable to or sanctioned by her.' Its investigation is undoubtedly a headache for Ms Rayner. Her allies remain hopeful that she will be exonerated, and could be spared having to stump up the full 40,000 underpayment on her Hove property. If the Prime Minster falls before the HMRC reports, it will still prove difficult for her to resist throwing her hat in the ring. Barely five months has elapsed since Ms Rayner's exit from the Cabinet, but her allies believe that the time out of the Government has boosted her leadership chances, because she is untainted by the near-daily calamities of the Starmer administration. It has also given her time to woo Labour MPs, donors and the party members who will decide the contest. She is said to already have more than the 81 names of supportive MPs required to trigger a contest, while party members already rate her ahead of Mr Streeting. Friends say she sees her mission as keeping Nigel Farage out of Downing Street; for his part, the Reform UK leader regards her as a trickier opponent than the current incumbent of No 10. In her resignation letter last year, Ms Rayner, said that 'for a teenage mum from a council estate in Stockport to serve at the highest level of government has been the honour of my life'. The crumbling of Sir Keir's administration means she is now poised to go even further and in the process drag our Government even further to the Left. A real estate agent who sold a rundown home in Sydney's west for an eye-watering $2million has hit back at criticism, saying trolls had missed the point entirely. Julia Zeinoun, 50, who represents Ray White for the Punchbowl area, sold the 900sqm property on Saurine Street, Bankstown, in January. The four-bedroom family home was marketed as an 'ideal development site' with 'duplex and granny flat potential'. Ms Zeinoun shared a video celebrating the sale on Wednesday with the caption: 'THIS is what $2million buys you in Bankstown'. The agent was filmed walking through the property's rundown garage and over some patchy grass, prompting many to question if it was worth the hefty price tag. 'She only shows the backyard with nothing but grass because that's the best-looking part of the house,' one person wrote. 'I'm trying to figure out if this is satire or not,' a second quipped. 'We're all doomed,' a third said. Real estate agent Julia Zeinoun (pictured) sold a 900sqm on Saurine Street in Bankstown, in Sydney's inner west, for $2million in January Australians on social media questioned whether the property was worth such a high price But Ms Zeinoun said the size of the plot is what makes the property so valuable 'When I was a kid, $2million meant several pools and a helicopter pad,' a fourth said. Ms Zeinoun, who has been selling homes in Sydney for seven years, told Daily Mail she was unfazed by the critics, describing the response as 'awesome'. 'It allowed others to keep engaging... We're enjoying the comments. It's something that we're all talking about,' she said. 'Why watch Netflix when I can read the comments?' The experienced agent said trolls had failed to understand that it was the land value that made the property so valuable. The home has a frontage of 16metres and a land size of 900sqm. 'People [are] making a comment on a suburb they know nothing about. They're obviously not from Sydney. They're not from Bankstown,' she said. 'They're not obviously entering the Sydney market. I don't think they understand that it is such good value.' Ms Zeinoun (pictured) said critics missed the element that made the property so valuable The agent is seen plastering a sold sign outside the $2million Bankstown property Ms Zeinoun said blocks of land in Sydney are scarce (the property's back yard is pictured) 'We were advertising and going for the land value,' Ms Zeinoun said. 'In Sydney at the moment, everywhere you look, land has become quite scarce. 'Anything above 500sqm is a very good size block, whereas once upon a time, it was 750sqm. There's not that many [blocks] that are 900sqm that have sold. 'I've seen sales that are 700sqm that are going for around the $1.7million. There's been a couple that have hit $2million.' Ms Zeinoun said the property boasted ample space to build a premium family home with a basement and pool. 'You'll be able to see the Sydney skyscrapers if you were to do that,' she said. 'Or you can do a duplex, like a family can buy it... You can even put a pool in there as well.' Ms Zeinoun, whose profile has a five-star rating on realestate.com.au, helped the previous owners purchase the property two years ago. 'I originally sold it to this owner that I was selling for in January,' she said. 'We sold it in 2024 for approximately $1.68million, and just over a year later, we've now resold it for $2million.' A woman has died after being hit by a car in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. Paramedics and police were at the scene following reports of the crash on Thursday night on Bury New Road. The pedestrian tragically died at the scene. The main road was taped off in both directions while officers from the Serious Collision Unit attended the scene. A large cordon was in place between Scholes Lane and Butterstile Lane following the incident. The woman has not yet been identified while police seek to inform her next of kin. Bury New Road on Thursday evening after a female pedestrian was hit by a car and killed The suspect is believed to have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and remains in custody overnight to be questioned. A blue forensic tent was also visible at the scene where the incident happened. The Daily Mail has approached Greater Manchester Police for further comment. Crime experts say police have deployed a 'masterful tactic' in the Gus Lamont investigation as detectives announce there is a single suspect in the boy's disappearance. Ex-detective turned private investigator Charlie Bezzina told the Daily Mail that police declaring Gus deceased, and reclassifying the investigation as a major crime rather than a missing child case, speaks volumes about what may be unfolding behind the scenes. Police publicly revealed on Thursday that a family member 'who resides at Oak Park Station' - not one of Gus' parents - had withdrawn co-operation in the investigation, and that person is now a suspect. Police also confirmed they believe the four-year-old is dead. Mr Bezzina said the shift from someone cooperating with police to being described as 'no longer cooperating with us' often happens when investigators formally caution a person as a potential suspect. 'If you have to caution someone when they are talking to police, that will shut them up,' Mr Bezzina said. 'Then it's a matter of them saying, "I don't want you talking to me without my lawyer present," or the lawyer saying, "If you want to talk to my client, it will only be when I am present."' After the announcement, it was revealed that two members of Gus's family had hired separate lawyers. There was a major development in the investigation into Gus Lamont, four, this week as police revealed they had found no evidence he had been abducted or walked off Police declared that neither of Gus Lamont's parents, Jessica and Josh (pictured) were suspects in the 'major crime' case that was their son's disappearance Little Gus vanished from a remote property, Oak Park Station, sparking a massive South Australia Police investigation Gus's grandmother Josie Murray, a transgender woman, hired Adelaide criminal lawyer Andrew Ey, while his grandmother Shannon Murray sought the legal services of Casey Isaacs, also from Adelaide. Mr Bezzina said it could create a conflict of interest for Gus's two grandparents to share the same legal representation and that the police announcement resembled 'a form of pressure. 'By publicly exonerating (Gus's) parents that may be putting pressure on too.' Mr Bezzina said police likely ran two investigations from the beginning - one searching for Gus as a missing child, and another examining whether a crime had occurred. 'While the uniformed police are doing line searches looking for the missing person, simultaneously criminal investigators are doing their work,' he said. He explained that police record detailed statements from everyone present early in the investigation so those accounts can later be checked against forensic evidence. If those stories later dont match the evidence, investigators focus on why. Mr Bezzina said detectives may then try to persuade people with knowledge of the case to come forward. 'I know in my investigations I can pull the emotional heartstrings of a person or throw them a life buoy "if you have had anything to do with it, or know anything and can help ...", that sort of thing.' Missing Gus's grandparents Shannon Murray (left) and Josie Murray (right) have engaged separate lawyers after SA police announced they had a main 'suspect' and the case was now a 'major crime' investigation Detective turned private investigator Charlie Bezzina (above) said forensic examination of a motorbike seized three weeks ago could yield evidence A massive air and ground search by police, Army and the SES of Oak Park failed to turn up any trace of the boy Ex-cop turned lawyer Michael Kuzilny Police revealed they searched Josie and Shannon's remote property on January 14 and 15 and said items seized during the search included a vehicle, a motorcycle and electronic devices. Mr Bezzina said police would be forensically examining a motorbike on the property in the hope of finding hair, blood or tissue belonging to Gus - 'one little piece of evidence'. 'Of course accidents happen on farms and even if that points them to what they believe happened, the police have to prove it before they charge someone or go to court.' Long-time lawyer Michael Kuzilny told the Daily Mail detectives that examining the computers and phones removed at the same time from the property where Gus disappeared could have uncovered hard evidence of differing accounts of what actually happened. He said an arrest could be just days away and the investigation might have already been enhanced by listening devices, telephone taps and covert surveillance. Gus vanished around 5pm on September 27 last year from remote Oak Park Station - a 60,000ha South Australian property about 40km south of Yunta. The original account of the disappearance was that the boy had been playing in sand in the vicinity of the homestead with Shannon, while his mother Jessica and Josie were tending to sheep about 10km away. A man who allegedly stabbed a woman and broke into a home armed with a chainsaw has been shot dead during a dramatic police operation. Emergency crews rushed to a home on Heath Avenue at Tuncurry, near Forster on the NSW Mid North Coast, about 6.45am on Friday. Police received reports a man, believed to be 41-years-old, had broken into the home allegedly armed with a chainsaw and a knife. As they rushed to the scene, officers were told a woman had allegedly been stabbed by the man before he fled the home in a white 4WD. A 28-year-old woman with serious stab wounds was treated by paramedics before she was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition. A short time later, police spotted the 4WD on Stewart Parade and gave chase as it drove through a sportsground. The car then reportedly crashed on the Forster Bridge. Police were told the man had carjacked another vehicle and rammed a police car, leaving an officer with minor injuries. A man who allegedly stabbed a woman and broke into a home armed with a chainsaw has been shot dead during a dramatic police operation (pictured, officers speak to witnesses) Photos from the scene shared by witnesses showed several vehicles, including a police car, sustained damaged during the operation A silver ute also sustained extensive damage Police chased the man in the second vehicle along Idlewood Drive to Rainbow Flat where he parked at a home and ran inside while allegedly still armed with a knife. It is alleged he then attempted to steal another vehicle and left the home before confronting police in a final showdown. Police used a Taser multiple times before the man ran at and was shot by an officer. Officers attempted first aid before paramedics arrived and treated the man, who died at the scene. A critical incident has been declared in the Manning Great Lakes area and a large police presence remains. There is no ongoing threat to the community. The investigation will be reviewed by the Professional Standards Command and overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC). Photos from the scene shared by witnesses showed several vehicles, including a police car, sustained damaged during the operation. Anyone with information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Feature: Chinese-backed musical talent show unlocks creative genius of Kenyan youth Xinhua) 10:14, February 06, 2026 NAIROBI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Fanuel Mulwa was over the moon after outperforming dozens of contestants to win Sing for Africa, a Chinese-supported musical talent show launched in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, in November 2025. The artist competed in every episode of the contest, impressing judges with his smooth vocals, confidence, and commanding stage presence. "The experience was good, and the artists were highly competitive. During the auditions, I performed a song called Kwaheri -- the Swahili word for goodbye -- as a way of moving on from a previous heartbreak," Mulwa told Xinhua ahead of the finals, which were held on Feb. 1. Meeting local music legends during auditions at a studio in Nairobi was uplifting, he said, adding that encouragement from judges pushed him to refine his craft and aim for victory in a contest that captivated audiences in Kenya and beyond. Mulwa said the experience sharpened his songwriting skills, and he plans to use the prize money of one million Kenyan shillings (about 7,700 U.S. dollars) to set up a studio to nurture the next generation of musical talent in the country. Launched on Nov. 12 by China's Hunan TV International in partnership with a local media outlet, Sing for Africa aims to nurture young musical talent while fostering Sino-African cultural ties and friendship. More than 500 artists, including Mulwa, attended pre-auditions in late November. The competition unfolded over five episodes, culminating in the Feb. 1 finals. An accomplished neo-soul artist, Mulwa said the show also provided a platform to strengthen Sino-Kenya cultural exchanges that benefit creatives from both sides. "I look forward to collaborating with Chinese artists. We can sing together and ultimately forge cultural exchanges through music," he said. For Mathew Munyiri, a rapper who performs under the stage name ICCEY M, participating in Sing for Africa proved to be a turning point, offering both exposure and mentorship from industry veterans. "Initially, I was nervous because I met very talented rappers during the auditions, but I later regained confidence. When I was called to participate in the finals, I was very excited," said Munyiri, one of the five finalists. Another finalist, Duncan Mwangi, known on stage as Kalton 254, said reaching the final rounds was already a milestone. "I was both excited and nervous about the finals. A rapper reaching the finals in this competition is already a legacy," said Mwangi, who is in his early 20s. From nearly 500 contestants at the pre-auditions, only 21 advanced to subsequent rounds, with five ultimately shortlisted for the grand finale. The talent show and related events also form part of key activities marking the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Sammy Dee, a television producer and director, said the competition attracted a diverse pool of musicians spanning genres such as neo-soul, urban hip-hop and rhythm and blues. Producers worked closely with contestants, identifying promising but previously unknown performers and encouraging them to create original, high-quality recordings. "We wanted to bring out the best in the artists and also encouraged them to produce their own original songs. The knowledge they gained will be instrumental in their future success," Dee said. He added that working alongside Chinese counterparts on the talent show was transformative, equipping him with new television production skills that hold strong promise for Kenya's creative industry. Motif Di Don, a Kenyan music director, described the competition as a model for nurturing artistic talent capable of transcending cultural and geographical boundaries. "If we can make music that crosses over to China, it would be amazing. There are so many people there, and we can reach a huge streaming audience," Motif said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Gus Lamont's grandparents have broken their silence after police revealed one of his family members is now a suspect in his disappearance and suspected death. Gus's grandparents, Josie and Shannon Murray, said the family had 'cooperated fully with the investigation and want nothing more than to find Gus and reunite him with his mum and dad'. 'We are absolutely devastated by the media release of SAPOL Major Crime,' they said in a joint statement from their separate lawyers. The lawyers representing the pair said they would not participate in any interviews or comment further. South Australia Police said yesterday that a family member 'who resides at Oak Park Station' - not one of Gus' parents - had withdrawn co-operation in the investigation, and that person is now a suspect. Police also confirmed they believe Gus is dead. After the announcement, Gus' grandparents hired separate lawyers. Josie hired Adelaide criminal lawyer Andrew Ey, while Shannon sought the legal services of Casey Isaacs, also from Adelaide. Police have not made any arrests or laid any charges. It is common for witnesses to seek legal advice and it is not suggested either was involved in any wrongdoing. Gus Lamont, 4, was last seen at his grandparents' homestead at Oak Park Station, a 60,000ha property 40km south of Yunta, on September 27 Gus' transgender grandmother Josie Murray (above) Gus's grandmother Shannon Murray (above) Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke, the officer in charge of the state's Major Crime Division, said investigators had uncovered inconsistencies in accounts surrounding the day Gus disappeared. 'We have identified a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies with that information as it relates to timelines and the version of events provided to us by the family members. 'As a result of these inconsistencies, and investigations into them, a person who resides at Oak Park Station has withdrawn their support for police and is no longer cooperating with us.' Gus was last seen at his grandparents' homestead at Oak Park Station, a 60,000ha property 40km south of Yunta, on September 27. Prior to today, police said he was in the care of Shannon, while his mother Jessica and Josie, who is a transgender woman, were tending sheep about 10km away. Police said Shannon was the last person to see Gus, at about 5pm, when he was playing in the sand outside the homestead. When she went to call him inside about 30 minutes later, he had vanished without a trace. The family reported Gus' disappearance to police three hours later. Gus went missing form his family's sprawling sheep property in the middle of nowhere in outback South Australia, nearly 200 miles north of Adelaide At the time Gus went missing, his father, Joshua Lamont, was living about two hours away from Oak Park and was not present when his son disappeared. A friend told Daily Mail that Joshua and Jess remain a couple but have a 'commuter relationship'. Although hundreds of police officers, dozens of soldiers, a small army of volunteers and an Aboriginal tracker have scoured tens of thousands of acres of Outback, the blond, curly haired little boy has not been found. The only trace of Gus was a single footprint found about 500 metres from the homestead - which police have since cast doubt on. Donald Trump reportedly wants New York's Penn Station and Washington-Dulles International Airport renamed after him. The president and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer had been bargaining over the New York/New Jersey Gateway Tunnel Project when Trump made the audacious proposal, according to Politico. The Trump administration froze $16billion in funding for the project, which would build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey, in November. Administration officials offered to unfreeze the funds if the two hubs were renamed in his honor, Politico reported. A source close to Schumer told the outlet: 'There was nothing to trade. The president stopped the funding and he can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers.' New York Governor Kathy Hochul's press office trolled the idea, posting an image of Trump Tower in Manhattan renamed 'Hochul Tower' with the caption: 'Counteroffer.' 'These naming rights aren't tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers,' Senator Kristen Gillibrand said in a statement. 'At a time when New Yorkers are already being crushed by high costs under the Trump tariffs, the president continues to put his own narcissism over the good-paying union jobs this project provides and the extraordinary economic impact the Gateway tunnel will bring.' Donald Trump reportedly asked Chuck Schumer if New York's Penn Station and Washington-Dulles International Airport could be renamed after him The president and Senate minority leader were bargaining over the New York/New Jersey Gateway Tunnel Project - which would connect to the New York transit hub (pictured) - when Trump allegedly made the proposal The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House, Senator Schumer and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill for comment. Trump most recently renamed the Kennedy Center in part after himself, changing the name to the Trump-Kennedy Center in December. The president has since announced that the center will be closing for two years of renovations on July 4. The Gateway Tunnel Project money has been frozen since the early days of the government shutdown in September. Schumer was a long holdout on ending the shutdown and had terse negotiations with Trump. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on the social platform X at the time that officials believed the spending was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles, and the US Department of Transportation said it was reviewing any 'unconstitutional practices.' Administration officials made the offer to Senator Schumer that would unfreeze the funds if the two hubs were renamed in his honor. Pictured: A general view of Dulles International Airport New York Governor Kathy Hochul's press office trolled the idea, posting a photoshopped image of Trump Tower in Manhattan renamed 'Hochul Tower' with the caption: 'Counteroffer' The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan by New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, asks a judge to declare the funding suspension unlawful and order payments to resume immediately so construction can continue without interruption. 'Allowing this project to stop would put one of the country's most heavily used transit corridors at risk,' James said in a statement Tuesday evening. 'Our tunnels are already under strain, and losing this project could be disastrous for commuters, workers, and our regional economy.' The US Transportation Department did not immediately return emails seeking comment Tuesday night. A similar lawsuit over the tunnel funding was filed Monday against the federal government by the Gateway Development Commission, a local panel overseeing the project. The construction project calls for building a new rail tunnel under the river to carry Amtrak and area transit trains between New Jersey and New York City, as well as repairing an existing, 116-year-old rail tunnel that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Work began in 2023. The project is funded by the 2021 federal infrastructure law signed by Democratic President Joe Biden. A renowned children's author accused of possessing and sharing child abuse material has had his bail conditions downgraded, after complaining in court about media attention. Craig Silvey, 43, appeared in Fremantle Magistrate's Court on Friday, just weeks after police raided his home and allegedly found him 'actively engaging' with child abusers online. Court documents allege he chatted with other paedophiles on adult sites using the alias 'Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy', telling them he was a 'Fremantle guy' with 'very similar interests'. On Friday, The West Australian reported awkward scenes as Silvey arrived at court and struggled to parallel park, battled with the ticket machine, before bristling past reporters. In court, Magistrate Thomas Hall granted Silvey's request to only report to Fremantle Police Station twice a week, rather than three times a week. Restrictions on his internet access were also relaxed, giving him access to social media in order to disable his social media profiles - which now harbours a number of unfavourable comments. However, the magistrate rejected a request for Silvey to have his phone back in order to delete the negative comments, telling the celebrated writer: 'You don't need to go in to tidy it up.' Mr Hall further rejected complaints by Silvey's lawyer about a media presence outside his mother's house, where he currently resides. Craig Silvey (pictured) struggled to park his car outside court on Friday Craig Silvey (pictured in Fremantle) has made a successful bid to have his bail conditions downgraded Craig Silvey allegedly used the alias 'Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy' to chat with other paedophiles on adult sites (pictured, a mock-up of the alleged text messages) The magistrate said media organisations had a right to do that within the law. 'That's just an unfortunate consequence of his profile,' he said. 'It's just a side effect. 'The object was not to humiliate him.' The police prosecutor said the biggest concern was that granting a phone with internet access posed a 'ongoing offending' risk. Mr Hall said: 'That objective can be satisfied by allowing him to have a phone but not allowing him to have encrypted communications'. Last week, Silvey refused to say whether he would defend the charges against him, when confronted by the Daily Mail. Charges include one count each of possessing and sharing child exploitation material. Craig Silvey (pictured with his wife) has been charged with possessing and sharing child abuse material Craig Silvey is the author of renowned children's books, Jasper Jones and Runt It marked the first time Silvey had been seen in public since January 12, when police raided the home he shared with his wife and three young daughters, and allegedly found him 'actively engaging' with child abusers online. He faced Fremantle Magistrate's Court the following day and was granted bail with both a $100,000 surety and a $100,000 personal undertaking. Silvey was initially unable to meet the bail requirements, but has since managed to secure the funds. The celebrated writer cannot leave WA or engage in any work involving children, per his bail conditions. He will appear in court again on March 16. WA's education department distanced itself from the author by pulling his books from the state curriculum. Two of Silvey's best known novels, Jasper Jones and Rhubarb, are on the WA school curriculum as suggested texts that could be studied by Year 11 and 12 students. Education Minister Sabine Winter confirmed Silvey's best-selling titles would be removed. Craig Silvey was to publish another instalment of the Runt series (pictured) in November 'The nature of these allegations is deeply concerning,' the minister said in a statement soon after the author faced court. 'I have asked the Department of Education to ensure that schools cease using texts by Craig Silvey for the 2026 school year while the allegations are under investigation.' The NSW education department said it would also stop using Silvey's books. Three African countries have agreed to take back foreign criminals and illegal migrants after the Home Secretary threatened to impose visa restrictions - but only 3,000 will go. Shabana Mahmood threatened to revoke fast-track visa processing and halt preferential visa treatment for diplomats and VIPs from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Namibia after they failed to agree new measures to make it easier to take back illegal migrants from UK. Last month, Namibia and Angola agreed to cooperate with the Home Office and now Ms Mahmood has secured a deal with the DRC. The three countries had previously been singled out for having 'unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes' and warned of sanctions if they did not improve their processes. They were also accused of refusing to process paperwork and requiring individuals to sign their own documents - effectively allowing them to block their own deportations. 'My message is clear, if foreign governments refuse to accept the return of their citizens, then they will face consequences,' Ms Mahmood said following the agreement. However, despite today's agreement just 3,000 people from the African countries could be eligible to be removed or deported. And the countries are not among the most common nationalities of migrants to enter the UK legally or illegally. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has secured deals with three African countries after the Home Office threatened to impose visa restrictions Migrants from the Gambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo land on the Greek island of Lesbos in February 2020 as they cross from Africa into Europe Your browser does not support iframes. They accounted for a tiny proportion of the more than 800,000 visas granted for employment, study, family or humanitarian reasons in the year to June - 299 to those from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 273 for nationals from Angola and 140 for those from Namibia. And they made up only a handful of the illegal migrants recorded as having entered the UK through so-called 'irregular' routes in that timeframe, with only 11 coming from the DRC, three from Angola and none from Namibia. A Government source told the Daily Mail in December that the Home Secretary 'won't hesitate to go further and ban visas to other countries who refuse to take their citizens back'. BBC News reported that India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia and Gabon are all resistant to returns deals and it is possible that the government could look at sanctions for those countries. Other countries that did not cooperate on taking back their citizens could not expect a 'normal visa relationship' with Britain. Ms Mahmood's threats to impose visa penalties form part of her drive to speed up removals of people with no right to be in the UK as she seeks to demonstrate progress on cutting irregular migration. The new penalties for uncooperative countries were announced in November last year. Penalties included an 'emergency brake' on visas for countries with high asylum claims until they take back citizens in the UK illegally. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper previously told British diplomats to take a more transactional approach to illegal migration as part of efforts to speed up returns. She said: 'I have instructed our diplomatic network around the world to make returns a top priority, and today's announcement shows that when countries work with us, we can achieve more rapid results. 'People who come to the UK illegally, overstay their visas, or commit crimes in our country should expect to be returned, and we will continue to demand the cooperation of their governments in that process.' Since Labour entered government in July 2024, more than 15,000 people had been removed from the UK since the 2024 election, a 45 per cent increase on the previous 19 months, while another 43,000 had left voluntarily after being told they were in the country illegally. Ms Mahmood vowed to 'scale up' removals even further as the Government faces ongoing pressure on immigration and small boat crossings continue in the Channel. Some 65,000 people have entered the country via small boats since the 2024 election, including 989 so far this year. A model who conned men by telling them she was set to inherit a 16million fortune has pleaded guilty to more than a dozen counts of theft and fraud. Romance fraudster Gemma Kingsley wove 'a web of lies' by duping several victims into relationships and telling them she was due to inherit millions. The conwoman would then leverage the prospect of her supposed financial windfall to convince her victims to spend huge sums of money - including from one victim on a wedding that never happened. In 2019, a report that Kingsley had fraudulently used the bank details of her mother's friend to stay at Cromhall Farm in Chippenham sparked a police probe with several investigations into the fraudster being passed on to Wiltshire Police. The 50-year-old had been in a relationship with one victim between January 2016 and January 2018, telling him she was set to receive a 'total inheritance fund' of 42million and claimed a solicitor said she would get 16million. She furthered her lies by using forged letters from professionals leading to the victim splashing out thousands of pounds on a wedding, furniture for a new home, dental bills and her debts in the belief he would be reimbursed, court documents show. The model also stole his money and opened a betting account in his name where she she lost 'in excess of 100,000' gambling while using his bank cards. After that relationship broke down, Kingsley moved on to another victim who she misled with the same lies, resulting in him helping her front deposits for a Land Rover, a Porsche as well as lavish hotel stays that they had no means to pay. Gemma Kingsley, 50, (pictured) has pleaded guilty to a dozen counts of theft and fraud after duping her victims out of thousands of pounds The model wove a 'web of lies' and told her victims she was set to inherit millions leading to them spending money on a wedding that never happened, deposits for cars and more Kingsley had been in a relationship with one victim between January 2016 and January 2018, telling him she was set to receive a 'total inheritance fund' of 42million And similarly to the other victim, the man also racked up a large debt due to her use of his bank cards. The romance fraudster repeatedly used personal and company bank cards of two other individuals she was in brief relationships with during the autumn of 2019, without their knowledge. A Wiltshire Police probe also found that Kingsley had committed theft and fraud against numerous other victims, including solicitors firms, lawyers and a bank, by falsifying documents and letters. Kingsley was later charged with various offences and served summons on June 18, 2025, but failed to attend to court. Eleven days later she was arrested on the Isle of Skye after being spotted speeding by Police Scotland. Kingsley of Northumberland pleaded guilty to six counts of theft, four counts of fraud by false representation, two counts of using a false instrument with intent that it will be accepted as genuine, and one count of being in possession of an article for use in fraud at Swindon Crown Court on Wednesday. She was remanded into custody to be sentenced on March 25. Detective Constable Melissa Pope, from Wiltshire Police's fraud team, said: 'Kingsley wove a web of lies with her victims, causing significant emotional anxiety and long-term mental and financial harm. 'She manipulated their emotions, assuring them that through her future inheritance she would be able to repay the considerable sums of money that they were spending on her behalf. 'For one of the victims, an expensive wedding which had been planned, for which the victim's relatives had booked to come from Australia, was cancelled at short notice. 'Following the launch of our investigation, Kingsley delayed the court process, denying what she had done until the final moment before a trial would be arranged. 'She lied continuously through the investigation, giving false statements and communicating various health issues as to why she shouldn't face charges. 'I'm pleased she has finally admitted the romance fraud charges against her, as well as a number of other fraud and theft offences relating to other victims. I hope that her victims can now start to move on from this traumatic experience. 'It is a huge breach of trust and self-esteem which can take years to recover from.' Police are investigating the death of a British tourist who died after plunging from a sixth-floor balcony at his Costa del Sol hotel. The 37-year-old dad-of-two was staying at the hotel in the popular resort of Torremolinos with his partner. His wife and two young children, both believed to be under the age of ten, were sleeping inside their room when the tragedy occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Emergency responders rushed to the hotel, which has not been named, after receiving several 999 calls but were unable to do anything to save the holidaymaker and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Brit's partner is said to have told police he stayed on the balcony alone after they had enjoyed a few drinks together when she went to bed - and is insisting she believes he fell to his death accidentally. The ongoing investigation is being led by officers from Spain's National Police. They could not be reached early this morning for comment. In May last year a 24-year-old British holidaymaker was critically injured after plunging from his hotel in Puerto Banus near Marbella on the Costa del Sol. He was staying in a first-floor room with friends who are said to have been sleeping when he fell. Police are investigating the death of a British tourist who died after plunging from a sixth-floor balcony at his Costa del Sol hotel Your browser does not support iframes. The injured tourist plunged to the street below the Hard Rock Hotel in what was the equivalent of a three-storey fall because of the area it is in. He was named at the time as Harry Watts from Hessle near Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, as friends launched a GoFundMe appeal following his 'horrific freak accident'. Friend Luke Coupland said after Harry was admitted to the Regional University Hospital of Malaga his 'life-threatening' injuries included a bleed on the brain, multiple broken bones and severe internal damage. Late last month a woman was killed in Torremolinos when a palm tree fell on top of her during a storm. She was identified hours after the January 27 tragedy as a 31-year-old Moroccan migrant who was on her way to pick up her residency card. Local reports said she fractured her leg and went into cardiac arrest. A bystander and a Civil Guard officer both tried to help the woman before police, paramedics and the fire service arrived, but first responders were unable to save her. This is a breaking news story. More to follow. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's trip to New York which he said was to cut ties with Jeffrey Epstein was actually a long weekend which saw the friends meet a string of celebrities including a Victoria's Secret model, emails revealed today. The disgraced former prince claimed in his infamous 2019 Newsnight interview that he went to the US in December 2010 to end his relationship with the financier. The trip came two years after Epstein admitted soliciting a minor for prostitution - and Andrew stayed at the paedophile's house, which he later admitted was 'wrong'. Now, more details on the visit have been found in some of the millions of documents connected to Epstein that the US Department of Justice published last Friday. Separately, it was revealed Andrew went cap in hand to Epstein to settle a debt of $126,721 owed by his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson to her PA - shedding new light on what he may have been discussing with Epstein on their infamous Central Park walk. Messages released as part of the so-called Epstein files revealed there was a 'very last-minute casual dinner' put together for Andrew, with Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn and journalist Katie Couric said to have been among the invitees. Others Andrew is said to have met during the trip were Latvian model Lana Zakocela, then 21; stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler; and talk show host Charlie Rose. He is also thought to have seen former White House communications director George Stephanopoulos. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing at the dinner. Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein walk together in New York's Central Park on December 5, 2010 Andrew waves goodbye to a woman leaving Epstein's home in New York in December 2010 Ms Siegal wrote to Epstein in an email, appearing to make reference to Harvey Weinstein and how he would be 'angry' about her lending copies of The King's Speech to Andrew Epstein organised for Victoria's Secret model Lana Zakocela to be picked up from the airport Another email by Epstein to a woman called Irina asked: 'Anyone new for tonight?' She replied: 'Not yet, but I'm working on that! Do you want to see [redacted] or [redacted] again?' Publicist Peggy Siegal detailed some of what went on during the get-together in 2010 Woody Allen and his wife Soon-Yi Previn were said to have attended the dinner in 2010 One email revealed Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal gave Andrew two copies of the film The King's Speech during a dinner when he was staying with Epstein in 2010. Ms Siegal detailed some of what went on during the get-together in an email sent to Epstein on December 3 - appearing to make reference to Harvey Weinstein and how he would be 'angry' about her lending copies of The King's Speech to Andrew. The disgraced movie mogul's production house, The Weinstein Company, was behind the film. Timeline of Andrew's five days in New York This is a timeline of Andrew's five-day visit to New York in December 2010, based on emails in the Epstein files: December 2: VIP dinner with guests including Andrew, Epstein, Woody Allen, Soon-Yi Previn, Chelsea Handler, Charlie Rose, Katie Couric and George Stephanopoulos December 3: Emails between Peggy Siegal and Epstein say evening with gold ballroom chairs was 'sensational', and Andrew was given two copies of King's Speech film December 4: Epstein asks for 'new girls'; Epstein and Andrew shop at Barneys and have lunch with Next Model management founder Faith Kates for lunch; Victoria's Secret model Lana Zakocela arrives December 5: Epstein invites Allen and Soon-Yi for 'Sunday bagels'; Epstein and Andrew go for a walk in Central Park where they are spotted December 6: Epstein asks an associate for lunch with Andrew; Andrew flies home that evening Advertisement Ms Siegal said in her message to Epstein: 'The evening was sensational... Did you have fun? My favourite line. "So Andrew, tell us about the wedding. What are you wearing?" He was not sure if I was kidding or not... and I was perfectly straight with him. 'I did leave him two copies of 'The King's Speech' (one for back-up) and begged him to let me watch him watch the film. 'I must get them both back. Harvey will kill me if he finds out I lent them to him. Harvey is trying to get the palace (and Prince Charles) to see the film.... 'I told Andrew to say he saw the film in the theatre in New York. I will get the name of the theatre where it's playing. 'Please make sure Andrew does not say I lent him a DVD. Harvey will really be angry. Will talk to you tomorrow. Your table looked great and the food was delicious. xoxo Peg.' The wedding reference is thought to relate to the marriage of Prince William and Kate, whose engagement was announced days earlier on November 16, 2010. They married on April 29, 2011. Messages between Epstein and Ms Siegal also revealed they ordered 'gold ballroom chairs' and had table flower arrangements. A separate email to Epstein from an account on behalf of Ms Siegal showed a private screening of The King's Speech was being arranged for Andrew in November 2010. The email from a woman called Stephanie was sent to a redacted address and forwarded to Epstein on November 3. Set out in four points, it said: '1. As per our phone conversation Prince Andrew will be in the States November 29th - December 5th. '2. We will get a print of The Kings Speech from Harvey Weinstein and have you host a very private, small, no press screening for Prince Andrew. '3. Here is a list of events for that week: Monday, November 29th is the Gotham Awards, Tuesday, November 30th is the Black Swan Premiere, Wednesday, December 1st is the All Good Things Premiere (sic). We can do it Thursday, December 2nd, 4th, or Sunday, December 5th. '4. Tell Prince Andrew the film and Colin Firth who portrays his grandfather is going to win the Oscar. 'Xoxo, Peggy.' Colin Firth won the best actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Andrew's grandfather George VI in the film. Join the debate Are you surprised at the claims about Andrew's infamous trip? Journalist Katie Couric is also believed to have been among the invitees at the dinner Andrew is also thought to have met talk show host Charlie Rose during his trip to New York On December 4 - the day before Andrew and Epstein were photographed walking together through New York's Central Park - Epstein appeared to ask for 'new girls'. An email to a woman called Irina asked: 'Anyone new for tonight?' She replied: 'Not yet, but I'm working on that! Do you want to see [redacted] or [redacted] again?' This came only months after Epstein had offered Andrew a meeting with a 26-year-old Russian woman called Irina for dinner in London but it is not clear if this was the same woman, reported The Sun. Also on December 4, Epstein and Andrew went for a shopping trip at department store Barneys and had lunch with Next Model management founder Faith Kate. Epstein later sent a driver to pick up model Zakocela from the airport and said he would put her up for 'one or two nights'. Messages between Epstein and Soon-Yi show he asked her and Allen for 'Sunday bagels' for breakfast on December 5 before going for a walk with Andrew in Central Park. Andrew is believed to have flown home on the evening of December 6. Separate emails also shed new light on Andrew's walk in Central Park with Epstein given the former prince had gone cap in hand to Epstein to settle a debt of more than $125,000 that his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson owed to her PA of 18 years. The infamous picture of Andrew and Epstein on December 5 came at a time when Fergie was mired in debt - but Epstein bailed her out. Andrew told Epstein, then convicted of child sex offences, they would 'play some more soon' as they discussed settling her debts, one document shows. 'It would seem we are in this together', Andrew told him. Stand-up comedian Chelsea Handler was among the guests at the dinner, the messages said Former White House communications director George Stephanopoulos is said to have attended Fergie's personal assistant, Johnny O'Sullivan, had been owed $126,721 in wages and the tuition costs for an MBA at Columbia University that his boss had promised to pay for. Three months after Andrew and Epstein strolled through Central Park, the convicted sex offender brokered a deal with Mr O'Sullivan for around half the money, although he dragged his heels about paying and called Fergie's loyal aide a 'little sh*t'. Fergie would later admit having Epstein pay her bills was a 'gigantic error of judgement'. Epstein stepped in to broker the deal with Mr O'Sullivan - and kept Andrew directly up to date. In an email to Andrew he wrote: 'He [Johnny] said he would take 60k in wages, pay tax and be done.. I don't trust him at all, and a payment from me at the moment if disclosed to the press would look like a payoff for the little sh*t.' Andrew replied: 'I'm just as concerned for you! Don't worry about me! It would seem we are in this together and will have to rise above it! Let me know if you want me to deal with J wages. Otherwise keep in close touch and we'll play some more soon!!!!'. It was signed 'A', for Andrew. Epstein appears to have paid - but initially resisted. Another email shows how Mr O'Sullivan was left waiting. He wrote to Andrew's private secretary Amanda Thirsk on February 7, 2011: 'Please can you let me know what's happening re paying off my Columbia student debt. 'Both the Duke and Duchess have asked what's happening but I don't have any information to share with them.' Jeffrey Epstein's home in New York, where Andrew stayed during his visit in December 2010 Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is pictured with a mystery woman in the Epstein files Around ten days later he wrote again: 'Dear Amanda, I have expressed my concern to you that despite all our concerted efforts I still remain unpaid. The financial arrangements have been agreed directly between the Duke, the Duchess and I for some 2 months. 'Yet from what I understand there is no plan in place to pay me the $59,933 I am now clearly owed. I agreed to reduce the amount I am owed by the Duchess in wages from $72,596 to $59,933 in order to reach an agreement with the Duke and Duchess. 'The Duchess then emailed me, twice, to say that my offer was acceptable to both her and the Duke. I did not waive my right to receive this money lightly given the debts incurred as a result of this nonpayment and resulting struggle I have endured to try and support myself and pay for my MBA course at Columbia. 'This is completely unacceptable to me and in conflict with the spirit of good faith by which I thought agreement bad [sic] been reached. If I am not paid what I am owed, in fill [sic], by this coming Monday I will instruct lawyers. 'In that case I will also look at going for the full amount since my agreement to the reduced figure was given on the basis of a prompt payment. I hope it will not come to this'. It is not known if and when it was paid - but a document discovered on Epstein's own desk suggested it was. A 2015 picture of Epstein's desk showed on it was a letter that titled 'Settlement - John O'Sullivan'. It stated that an agreement for the reimbursement of $59,933 had been made between Mr O'Sullivan, and the former Duke and Duchess. Another email, seen by the Telegraph, suggests that he did pay. Epstein wrote: 'Whatever we think of him we are going to have to deal with him one way or another.' He added: 'He wants to get as much money as he can, I am trying to structure something where he signs papers and they are held until his money is received, otherwise he will get the money not sign and use the money to sue. Andrew crouched over an unidentified woman who is lying on the floor, in the new Epstein files 'He is trying to divide and conquer I hope you can deal with him as I don't think I can do anymore my end'. During her marriage, Fergie spent wildly on staff, holidays, parties and flowers - with no regard for settling bills. She reportedly had debts in excess of 3.7million by 1994 and became well-known for running up huge bills in stores such as Harrods without paying. Challenged during his 2019 Newsnight interview on his decision to stay at the home of a convicted sex offender, Andrew said: 'It was a convenient place to stay. I mean I've gone through this in my mind so many times. 'At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. 'But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that's just the way it is.' Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Andrew has faced allegations, which he strenuously denies, that he sexually assaulted a teenage Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein. He paid millions to Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022. Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after the Newsnight interview, but the publication of Ms Giuffre's posthumous memoir, and the US government's release of documents from Epstein's estate, brought more scrutiny over his relationship with the financier. It led to the King officially stripping his disgraced brother of both his HRH style and his prince title. The boyfriend of the waitress killed in the New Year's inferno at a Swiss ski resort bar has revealed he spent an hour battling to save her life with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Cyane Panine, 24, died in the fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana after she was filmed holding two champagne bottles fitted with sparklers while she sat on a colleague's shoulders. At a hearing into the tragedy, her boyfriend Jean-Marc G also disclosed the truth behind Panine's relationship with the owners of the nightclub, who have previously blamed the waitress for the fire which killed 41 and left 116 injured. Jean-Marc, in his thirties, was described during the hearing as the 'adoptive son' of the bar's owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, who have been accused by authorities of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence. While he did not officially work at Le Constellation, he carried out jobs there such as repairing the ice machine or the speakers, and managed one of the Moretti family's restaurants. When the fire broke out at the bar, Jean-Marc told the hearing that Jacques Moretti, 49, 'shouted to him' that he had found Panine and was trying to perform CPR to save her. He recounted how they spent the next hour trying to save her together, as he himself gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, before Jessica Moretti, 40, brought a doctor over. Contrary to claims made by Panine's family and her lawyer - who allege the waitress was exploited by the club's owners - Jean-Marc said she was very close to the couple and spent Christmas at their residence. The family are yet to comment on Jean-Marc's claims, who had been dating Panine for a month before her death. Cyane Panine, 24, died in the fire at Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana after she was filmed holding two champagne bottles fitted with sparklers as she sat on a colleague's shoulders She had previously told her parents she was made to work 'relentlessly' by the nightclub owners The bar's French owners, Jacques and Jessica Moretti, are facing trial for multiple charges, including manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence The Morettis, who are French, have been scrutinised over the discovery that the blaze started when sparklers being held up in champagne bottles set light to the soundproof foam they had installed on the basement ceiling. But throughout the investigation, they have pushed blame on Panine, alleging it was her decision to dance on her colleague's shoulders. 'I didn't forbid her from doing that,' Jacques Moretti previously told prosecutors, adding: 'I didn't make her pay attention to safety instructions. We didn't see the danger. Cyane liked doing that it was a show, she liked to be part of the show.' Jessica Moretti, who was at the same hearing on January 20, echoed the sentiment: 'Cyane liked to deliver these bottles she did it of her own accord.' 'It wasn't the first time she'd done it, putting herself on someone else's shoulders,' she previously told a source close to the inquiry, referring to Panine's actions on the night. 'She did it on her own initiative.' The Morettis have also consistently described Panine as like a 'step-daughter' and 'sister' to them, which Jean-Marc corroborated in his hearing. A witness at the hearing told BFMTV that his testimony provoked a 'very emotional moment' in the room. He said Panine nicknamed Jessica Moretti 'Aunt Jessica', and claimed the Morettis were deeply saddened that they were unable to attend the waitress' funeral. But Sophie Haenni, a lawyer representing Panine's family, has previously said accounts of a close relationship between the employee and the Morettis are categorically false. The lawyer said Panine had told her parents she was 'worked relentlessly' by the bar owners, was 'mentally and physically' exhausted, and was on the verge of making her 'exploitation' public before the tragedy. The 24-year-old had even contacted the workers' protection service over her employment conditions, and was apparently never informed about the dangers of the foam on the ceiling or received any safety training, according to Haenni. The lawyer told the BBC that Panine 'wasn't supposed to be serving tables' on the night of the fire, but had been asked to go to the basement to help manage high demand for bottles. 'It wasn't Cyane herself who decided to put on this helmet, it was at the request of her employers. She was just doing her job. 'It is shocking to place the responsibility for their own failings on Cyane, a 24-year-old woman and their own employee.' Moments before the inferno, Panine was filmed wearing a crash helmet from Dom Perignon, the Champagne brand, as she was lifted onto the shoulders of Mateo Lesguer, 23, the in-house DJ. This was 'at the request' of Jessica Moretti, a witness claimed in an official report compiled by the Swiss authorities. The Dom Perignon 'motorcycle crash helmet' covered Panine's face completely with a black visor, meaning she could hardly see anything as she carried champagne bottles plugged with sparklers. Mateo, who was wearing a carnival mask that also hid his face, tragically died alongside Panine in the bar. Jessica Moretti, who is currently on bail and wearing an electronic tag, has confirmed the battery-powered helmet, which flashed from green to pink, was part of a stunt designed to sell champagne. 'These are Dom Perignon helmets,' she said. 'These helmets are delivered by our champagne supplier, and we wear them from time to time when we serve champagne.' With her field of vision significantly reduced, Panine was unable to see the sparklers 'touching the ceiling', the official report reads. Jacques Moretti arrives for a hearing before the public prosecutor of the canton of Valais on February 6 Swiss federal councillor Martin Pfister and his daughter Fabiola stand in silence in front of the memorial for the victims of the deadly fire, February 1 The New Year's inferno killed 41 and left 116 injured Some staff members at Le Constellation have claimed that the Morettis kept the emergency exit shut to stop people getting into the bar, while Italian media outlets have alleged that Jessica Moretti left the bar with the till when the fire broke out. Under questioning, the Morettis have also said that employees had been responsible for locking the door. In a letter to staff members, the couple have denied the 'ignoble' claims that they fled with the cash till when the blaze started, and have insisted that they bear responsibility for the tragedy. 'We bear this responsibility without trying in any way to pass it on to you,' they wrote. 'None of you should have to go through such an ordeal. You were under our protection and you will always be.' 'One of the most ignoble [claims in the media] was about the immediate escape from the scene, with cash box in arm, while we were there, facing the chaos, terrified by those war-like scenes during that night of horror, trying to bring help, especially to some of you,' the couple wrote. 'We have been infinitely wounded by many of the calumnies that have been spread. At the same time, they have accentuated your pain and we deplore that. We wont abandon you. We are bound by the same destiny and we will do everything in our power to help you.' The bar owners wrote that they have been unable to pay staff salaries since the blaze because their accounts have been blocked, and they appealed to prosecutors to allow the payment of the wages. Photographs show the very first moments of the Swiss Le Constellation bar fire in Crans-Montana The blaze started when sparklers being held up in champagne bottles set light to the soundproof foam owners had installed on the basement ceiling Jacques Moretti was arrested on January 9 following the fire, and a court originally ordered him to be detained for 90 days due to fears he was a flight risk. But on January 23, the court said he could be released, after a 200,000 Swiss Franc (190,000) bail payment and the obligation to report daily to a police station. He was ordered to stay in Switzerland and to surrender his identity documents. Investigators have established that 34 of the 41 who died in the fire perished on the bar's small stairwell, which had been reduced in width by a third by Jacques Moretti during renovation work in 2015. Following the inferno, the Swiss canton of Valais banned pyrotechnic devices in all indoor public venues. Each of the victims will receive a 10,000 franc (9,500) emergency payment, with a fund being set up to collect donations. As the parents of 17-year-old Trystan Pidoux, who died in the fire, prepared to bury their son, they waited for prosecutors to act on their request for an autopsy. When they heard nothing, Vinciane Stucky and Christian Pidoux proceeded with plans to lay to rest their second child. But on the eve of the burial, medics arrived during the mother's last vigil to take his body, forcing the family to cancel it and leave the pre-adorned grave empty, the parents and family lawyer told Reuters. 'It was like they were still stabbing us when we were already dead,' said his mother, Stucky, at their home in Pully, Western Switzerland, a short distance from where Trystan was buried three days later on January 16 alongside his best friend. Due to his family's request, Trystan was one of just a few of the victims - many of them teenagers on holiday - to undergo autopsies and only after Swiss authorities released the bodies, six sources following the case told Reuters. Some of the relatives of the 41 people who died, and their legal representatives, say the fact prosecutors did not order autopsies of all the victims has shaken their confidence in the investigation. Switzerland - already grappling with safety concerns over the fire - must now confront growing local and international doubts about its justice system. Officials have stressed that the judiciary is independent and called for patience with the investigation into one of the country's worst modern tragedies. The Valais prosecutors, who are investigating crimes including negligent homicide, have previously defended their probe, saying they are expanding their team and have ordered searches, secured evidence and seized assets. Romain Jordan, a lawyer for more than 20 victims' families, said some were now weighing requesting exhumations. 'When my clients recovered their child's body, they believed that everything had been done. It is extremely disturbing and shocking to learn that, in reality, not everything was done and they may now have to exhume their child,' he said. Italy, which has criticized the Swiss investigation, carried out its own post-mortem examinations on the six Italian victims because it had not been done before their bodies were repatriated, a source in Rome's prosecutor's office said. Autopsies are normally carried out in all cases of violent, suspicious or sudden deaths at the request of prosecutors, according to Swiss forensic institute URMF. 'You have to ask: how did he die? Is it from burns? From smoke? Did people trample him?' said Christian Pidoux, who has since received a preliminary autopsy report via prosecutors but does not yet know exactly how his son died. Some of the victims of the fire - which spread within seconds - were found collapsed next to a locked rear exit, according to police transcripts. Others were piled together near the main exit, which became a fatal chokepoint, while others died in the basement before they could flee. As well as bar owners Jacques and Jessica Moretti, a former and a current local official are also under investigation. The Morettis and the town's mayor, who admitted missed inspections, have expressed regret. Christophe de Galembert, Pidoux's lawyer, said he had 'very strong doubts about whether it will be possible to gather all the evidence now,' citing other missed opportunities to secure proof quickly, including only seizing the bar owners' phones nine days after the fire. A traditional red telephone box has become a lifeline for a remote village after Storm Goretti left residents without broadband or mobile signal for weeks. They might be a British cultural icon but red telephone boxes have become a rarer and rarer sight across the country - with just 7,000 working phones left. However, for the residents of Helford in Cornwall, their local public telephone has become their only way to communicate with the outside world with long queues forming by the box. Storm Goretti battered England and Wales at the start of the year leaving 28,000 customers in Cornwall without any access to broadband services. While most homes have since been reconnected, some households in the remote village said they remained disconnected for three weeks. And so the trusty red phone box has become invaluable for those hoping to keep in touch with loved ones. Speaking outside the phone box, resident Mike Sanders-Hewett said the telephone is their 'only source of communication if all else fails'. He said: 'The power first went out on the January 8. Residents of Helford queue outside a red telephone box. After Storm Goretti the public telephone became their only way to communicate with the outside world Molly Brown using the Helford phone box. While most homes have since been reconnected, some households in the remote village said they remained disconnected for three weeks 'It was extremely inconvenient because most people here don't have a landline any longer. 'They rely on the internet for their telephone calls. 'The one saving grace is this phone box here which is still functional and will work even if there is no internet signal. 'We use the internet for everything as most people do nowadays so things pretty much ground to a halt.' Mr Sanders-Hewett added that this has been 'the worst' outage since he has lived in the village. 'This [phone box] is a vital asset to the village,' he said. Andy Brown, 78, said the only reason the phone box still had a functioning phone was because of the non-existent mobile signal in the area. He said: 'We have had no phones and no internet for about three weeks. Jules Hiscox said: 'Mobile phones frequently don't work in this village and having a phone box could potentially save people' The trusty red phone box has become invaluable for residents hoping to keep in touch with loved ones 'Not everybody in the village has a mobile phone. 'Things like the phone box are very important to be able to contact the outside world.' Mr Brown who has been in the village for nearly 20 years added that when the phone outage happened he came down the following morning to check if the phone box was working. 'This phone was reasonably operational,' he said. Residents confirmed that the power eventually came back on January 31. The village nestled on the south bank of the Helford River, is hugely popular with holidaymakers and second home owners during the summer. Jules Hiscox said: 'In the summer the village is full of residents and accidents have happened. 'Mobile phones frequently don't work in this village and having a phone box could potentially save people. A damage tree in Helford left over from Storm Goretti. The deadly storm battered England and Wales at the start of the year She continued: 'It is a landmark and it has always been here. 'I see visitors in the summer using it. I have seen them queuing up outside of it to use it.' In a previous statement, BT Openreach told the BBC: 'Weather conditions on the ground are hampering the completion of some critical overhead work such as replacing aerial cables as wind speeds and gusts are restricting the use of hoists'. The firm said such hoists could not be used in high winds for safety reasons. 'We're very sorry to those customers still affected but our engineers are working as quickly as possible to get to them,' the statement said. 'Unfortunately, the reality is that this type of repair work - closing roads, replacing poles and overhead cables - is complex and time consuming.' The Home Office has shared footage of nearly 50 foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers being flown out of the UK as it boasted of carrying out more than 15,000 deportations since the election. Officials said the flight went to a country in Eastern Europe, with those onboard sentenced to a total of more than 69 years for a range of crimes including drugs, fraud, theft and weapons offences. Sharing the footage, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said it was evidence that Labour had managed to 'scale up removals of illegal immigrants' and said 60,000 had left the country since the start of the Starmer government. Out of the total, 43,000 people left voluntarily after being told they were in the UK illegally - with many likely taking advantage of a 3,000 payment under the Voluntary Returns Service. Critics would also point out that there are more than 10,700 foreign national inmates in prisons in England and Wales - according to the latest figures - representing 12.3 per cent of the total jail population. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Labour are not fooling anyone. They are barely removing any small boat immigrants - a mere 5 per cent, hence why the boats keep coming. 'Labour are padding out the figures by bundling in voluntary returns, which make up the vast majority of returns.' Officials said the flight went to a country in Eastern Europe, with those onboard sentenced to a total of more than 69 years for a range of crimes including drugs, fraud and theft The Home Office said the flight included failed asylum seekers as well as foreign criminals Sharing the footage, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (pictured on Wednesday) said it was evidence Labour had managed to 'scale up removals of illegal immigrants' Today, Ms Mahmood announced she had struck a deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Namibia to take back foreign criminals and illegal migrants after threatening to impose visa restrictions. However, despite today's agreement just 3,000 people from the three countries will be eligible to be removed or deported. The Government is still facing mounting pressure over immigration, with more than 65,000 people arriving into Britain by crossing the Channel alone since Sir Keir became Prime Minister. Earlier this week, Ms Mahmood said there is no guarantee the number of small boat crossings will fall by this time next year. The Home Office said it will bring in legislation to stop illegal immigrants 'gaming the system' by using the European Convention on Human Rights to appeal against their removal. The UK is among a number of countries grappling with migration problems which are pushing for changes in the way the treaty is interpreted, notably in its Article 3 protection against inhumane or degrading treatment and the Article 8 right to a family life. Both articles have been used to prevent people with no right to be in the UK being sent back to their home countries. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Illegal migrants will also be restricted to a single route of appeal, the Home Office outlined. Ms Mahmood said: 'I vowed to scale up removals of illegal migrants - and we have. 'However, we must go further to remove those that have no right to be in our country. I will do whatever it takes to restore order and control.' The Government has also pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by the end of this Parliament by opting for more basic accommodation like military sites instead. Fewer than 200 asylum accommodation hotels remain in use, the Government said, compared with a peak of 400 under the previous government. However, Labour's flagship 'one in, one out' deal with France has come in for criticism after it emerged that Britain has so far accepted more migrants than it has sent back. Official figures show that the UK has returned 193 people who crossed the Channel in small boats in the first two months of the much-vaunted scheme. Your browser does not support iframes. Yet over the same period, September to December, 195 asylum-seekers who have not previously tried to arrive illegally have been allowed to come here from France under the scheme. The Home Office originally said it would involve an 'equal number' travelling in each direction. Ministers hoped the threat of being sent back to France would deter others from making the trip. Newly released Epstein files have revealed investigators believe a prisoner appeared to access the area where the notorious paedophile was locked up on the night of his death. Hidden among the files released last Friday by the US Department of Justice (DoJ), the report appears to contradict the official account of what happened to Jeffrey Epstein in his final hours, lending the countless conspiracy theories that have long-plagued the controversial case credence. Investigators from the FBI and the DoJ's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) flagged that CCTV footage from inside the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York, where Epstein was held before his death, appeared to show an orange flash that may have been 'an inmate' walking up to the floor the notorious paedophile was being held on. Investigators noticed an orange shape moving up a staircase towards his cell on the night of his death. Officially, Epstein was reported to have died by suicide some time after 6.30am on August 10, 2019, when he was found by a corrections officer delivering his breakfast. After he was found unresponsive in his jail cell, coroners at the time ruled that Epstein had hanged himself. To this day, no official time of death has been determined, as two of the cameras outside his cell had 'malfunctioned' and were investigated by the FBI. The report, from the OIG, noted that at 10.39pm on August 9, 2019, FBI agents observed that 'a flash of orange looks to be going up the L Tier stairs - could possibly be an inmate escorted up to that Tier'. The inspector general appeared to draw a different conclusion to the FBI, writing of the flash of orange: 'Inmates are currently on lockdown, it is possible someone is carrying inmate linen or bedding up.' The analysis from the two investigative bodies contradicts public statements made by at least two top US officials. Bill Barr, who was the US attorney general during Trump's first term, claimed in a 2019 interview that he had personally reviewed security footage that confirmed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died. A shadowy, orange object could be seen moving up the stairs to Epstein's cell block at the New York prison at around 10.40pm the night before he was found dead Among the millions of files released by the DoJ were photos from inside Epstein's cell Jeffrey Epstein (pictured) was reported to have died by suicide some time after 6.30am on August 10, 2019 And last May, former deputy director of the FBI Dan Bongino told Fox News: 'There's video clear as day. He's the only person in there and the only person coming out. You can see it.' He added shortly before the release of the video last August: 'We are working on cleaning it up to make sure you have an enhanced [version] and we're going to give the original so you don't think there were any shenanigans.' The final report by the Inspector General stated: 'At approximately 10:39 p.m., an unidentified CO appeared to walk up the L Tier stairway, and then reappeared within view of the camera at 10:41 p.m.' The nearly 11 hours of video from outside the cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York was put under heavy scrutiny. Forensic experts told CBS at the time that the orange blob that appears may have actually been another inmate. Conor McCourt, a retired NYPD sergeant and forensic video expert, told the broadcaster: 'Based on the limited video, it's more likely a person in an [orange] uniform.' The release of the footage also came under fire. Despite's Bongino's 2025 promise to release the unedited version of the video from his cell, the Trump administration was criticised for allegedly doctoring the supposedly 'raw' footage using Adobe Premiere Pro from two clips. One of the clips was originally four hours and 19 minutes long, but it had nearly two minutes and 53 seconds cut out. Join the debate Was Epstein murdered? Coroners at the time ruled that Epstein (seen here with what appears to be a young woman) had hanged himself A photo of the jail cell of accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released as part of the investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, City of New York into the death of the sex offender A piece of fabric used as a noose by Epstein on the night of this death Epstein was found dead in the Metropolitan Correctional Centre on August 10, 2019 The cut occurs at 11:58:58 pm - which is mere milliseconds before there is a one-minute gap in the tape. The second clip resumes at midnight on the dot. Attorney General Pam Bondi blamed the gap on a 'nightly system reset'. Though the timing may suggest overlap, the metadata shows that the file was modified multiple times on May 23, 2025, over a span of more than three hours, contradicting the notion that this was 'raw' footage. WIRED pressed the DOJ for comment on the edits at the time, and a spokesman replied in minutes, saying 'Refer you to the FBI'. The FBI then declined to comment. It comes after it was revealed that Epstein ordered the burial of two 'foreign girls' near his ranch after they were strangled to death during 'rough, fetish sex', according to an email released in the latest Epstein files. The email, sent by a person claiming to have worked for Epstein, also includes links purporting to show the late paedophile engaging in sex with underage girls. The correspondence, first sent to a man named Eddy Aragon on November 21, 2019, before being forwarded onto the FBI , was released as part of three million documents from the Epstein files published by the US Department of Justice on Friday. In the email, titled 'Confidential: Jeffrey Epstein', the person, whose name has been redacted, claimed to have 'been there and seen it all, as a former staff at the Zorro'. They alleged the girls were buried on the orders of Epstein and 'Madam G', believed to be Ghislaine Maxwell, at Zorro Ranch, the sex offender's sprawling New Mexico property which has long been reported to have served as one of his private playgrounds for sexual abuse and trafficking. In the email, they wrote: 'Edward. This is sensitive, so it will be the first and last email depending on your discretion. 'You can choose to take it or trash it but this comes from a person that has been there and seen it all, as a former staff at the Zorro. 'The material below was taken from Jeffrey Epstein home as my insurance in case of future litigation against Epstein. SORRY NO QUESTIONS. The email, sent on November 21, 2019 to Eddy Aragon, was forwarded to the FBI The person who sent the email claimed to have been employed at Zorro Ranch (pictured), Epstein's sprawling estate They added: 'What is damning about Jeffrey Epstein is yet to be written. Did you know somewhere in the hills outside the Zorro, two foreign girls were buried on orders of Jeffrey and Madam G? Both died by strangulation during rough, fetish sex.' The sender also included links to videos which claimed to show Epstein having sex with minors, threesomes and sex with underage girls. They then demanded a payment of one Bitcoin in return for the video and information. The email was forwarded onto the FBI just three months after Epstein died while being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City. The release of Peter Mandelson's emails and messages from his time as US ambassador could lay waste to Keir Starmer's desperate attempts to remain close to Donald Trump. Officials fear that material published as part of a probe into how the close friend of notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was hired by the PM could include 'damaging' comments made by the former diplomat about the notoriously thin-skinned president. The Government ceded control of the release to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which will decide what could be released into the public domain, following a revolt by Labour backbenchers. But when it does come, Whitehall is braced for transatlantic trouble. One official told Politico that 'there is lots which could be damaging', adding that the disgraced former minister and diplomat 'used to download his thoughts in real time'. The Epstein files have shown Mandelson sharing lewd and off-the-cuff messages with the late child abuser, including joking about 'well-hung young men' when he was a Cabinet minister. It will deepen the pressure on the Prime Minister, who is facing serious questions over whether he can cling on to power. The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday's Commons vote, former deputy PM Angela Rayner told an MP 'I will be ready' to launch a leadership challenge, despite an ongoing probe into her tax affairs. It has been suggested Labour's 'women in grey suits' could be sent to tell the PM his time is up. Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said it looked 'weak and naive and gullible' for the Prime Minister to say 'he lied to me' and warned the scandal would 'finish him off' unless he took the right course of action. Officials fear that material published as part of a probe into how the close friend of notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was hired by the PM could include 'damaging' comments about the notoriously thin-skinned president. Leadership speculation intensified on Thursday as the Prime Minister gave a speech apologising to Jeffrey Epstein's victims for believing the peer's 'lies' about his relationship with the paedophile financier. 'He should be reflecting on why he made that appointment,' she told Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast. 'He should also be thinking about a real reset in No 10, because what you need from your team in No 10 is people who share your values and your principles and who will help you be the best prime minister you can be according to your true self. 'And clearly that is not what happened because the Keir Starmer who was DPP (director of public prosecutions), would never have appointed somebody like Peter Mandelson to represent the country.' Leadership speculation intensified on Thursday as the Prime Minister gave a speech apologising to Jeffrey Epstein's victims for believing the peer's 'lies' about his relationship with the paedophile financier. Backbenchers have called for either his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney to be sacked or for Sir Keir himself to step down after bombshell revelations about Lord Mandelson's dealings with the child sex offender. However, immigration minister Mike Tapp today defended the under-pressure aide in a round of media interviews. The so-called 'special relationship' between the UK and US is already under strain, despite Sir Keir's best efforts to maintain it. Trump has levied tariffs on UK-made imports, embarked on a major row with America's Nato allies and even disparaged British troops who fought and died in Afghanistan. The release could be delayed because the Metropolitan Police has asked the Government not to publish documents that would 'undermine' its probe into allegations of misconduct in public office. And the ISC said it could not provide a timetable for releasing the documents as it reviews whether some of the papers should be withheld for national security reasons. At an emergency press conference in Hastings the rattled-looking PM said he was 'utterly disgusted' by revelations about Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and 'sorry' he had appointed him as ambassador to Washington DC. Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said it looked 'weak and naive and gullible' for the Prime Minister to say 'he lied to me' and warned the scandal would 'finish him off' unless he took the right course of action. The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday's Commons vote, former deputy PM Angela Rayner told an MP 'I will be ready' to launch a leadership challenge, despite an ongoing probe into her tax affairs. The so-called 'special relationship' between the UK and US is already under strain, despite Sir Keir's best efforts to maintain it. But he insisted that he would 'go on', despite mounting Labour fury over the fiasco. And Downing Street rejected calls from Labour MPs to sack the PM's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who championed Mandelson's appointment. Seven Labour MPs directly called for Mr McSweeney to go, while numerous others called for a wider No10 clearout and two said Sir Keir should resign. One, Simon Opher, said today there needs to be a 'clearout' of number 10. On the Today programme on Friday, the Labour MP said: 'There's a lot of anger amongst Labour MPs, because really we want to, I mean, yesterday, I want to be talking about the cancer care plan, not about Peter Mandelson. 'So I think what we need to do, I think what needs to really happen is that we need to, Keir Starmer needs to change his advisers in Number 10, I think he's been badly advised, and he's been really let down, particularly on this decision.' Asked whether this meant Mr McSweeney leaving, Mr Opher replied: 'I think so yes'. 'If my chief of staff had done this I think he would be looking for another job to be honest,' he said. Asked whether the Prime Minister had become a 'drag' on the Labour Party, Mr Tapp told Sky News: 'We're starting to turn the corner. 'I believe if we stick with Keir Starmer, which we will, then that corner will turn faster and people will start to feel it. 'But I completely understand the anger and the distress at what's happened with Peter Mandelson's appointment. I completely agree with that, and that's why I'm really pleased to see a genuine, genuine apology from Keir Starmer.' The parents who lost their daughter after a budget weight loss surgery in Turkey went wrong have won an 858,000 compensation payout. Mother of one Khelisyah Ashamu was only 26 when she died eight days after undergoing a gastric bypass operation at a hospital in Izmir in February 2019. She had struggled with her weight and was concerned about the appearance of her stomach after having a Caesarean section and eventually turned to a British expat-run 'medical tourism' agency, Get Slim in Turkey. After paying 3,300 for the operation and accommodation, she tragically fell ill and suffered a cardiac arrest following an exploratory follow-up surgery. She died in a Turkish hospital on February 9, 2019. A coroner recorded the cause of her death as a lack of blood flow to the intestines, known as gastrointestinal ischaemia, a result of 'complications' of her surgery. Her parents, Toyin and Oyebanji Ashamu, then launched a High Court claim against Tracey Ozdemir, trading as Get Slim in Turkey, for compensation for her estate over her death. Ms Ozdemir denied liability but senior judge Mrs Justice Obi ruled against her, awarding the Ashamu family 858,000 in damages. Mother of one Khelisyah Ashamu was only 26 when she died eight days after undergoing a gastric bypass operation at a hospital in Izmir in February 2019 Khelisyah Ashamu had struggled with her weight and was concerned about the appearance of her stomach after having a Caesarean section and eventually turned to British expat-run 'medical tourism' agency, Get Slim in Turkey Her parents, Toyin and Oyebanji Ashamu, then launched a High Court claim against Tracey Ozdemir, trading as Get Slim in Turkey, for compensation for her estate over her death. Pictured: Toyin Ashamu outside the High Court The judge accepted expert evidence that there had been 'inadequate post-operative monitoring and airway care' following the second operation after the initial gastric bypass. And after finding that Ms Ozdemir, as 'organiser' of the 'package travel contract', was liable for the 'proper performance' of the surgery and aftercare, she ordered the huge damages payout. Addressing Miss Ashamu's parents afterwards, she said: 'I recognise how difficult these proceedings must have been for you and I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of your daughter. 'Of course, nothing this court can do can lessen that loss for you and your family, but I hope the conclusion of these proceedings will bring some measure of consolation.' During the trial, the court heard Khelisyah Ashamu, an IT worker from Romford, had contacted Ms Ozdemir's business due to concerns about the appearance of her stomach after a Caesarean section and due to issues with her weight. After talking with Ms Ozdemir, she opted for a 3,300 package and travelled to Turkey in January 2019 to undergo surgery, choosing a Roux-en-Y bypass. The operation involves the separation of the upper part of the stomach from the lower, with the upper part then directly connected to the small intestine, and the main part used to create a cul-de-sac through which no food passes. The surgery restricts the amount of food patients can eat, making them feel full after eating smaller amounts. Miss Ashamu had the operation on February 1, but was left in significant pain and went on to have further follow-up surgery on February 3, the judge heard. Afterwards, she was moved to intensive care but the judge said no monitoring was recorded before she had a sudden cardiac arrest, leaving her in a coma. Her father flew out to see her and despite being told she was responding to treatment, a brain surgeon subsequently confirmed she was brain dead. 'Shortly after this, the deceased's ventilation was ended, and the deceased died,' said her barrister, Dominique Smith, in court papers. 'The deceased's life support was withdrawn without the claimants' knowledge and without [her father] being present in the hospital. 'He arrived at the hospital, after previously returning to his accommodation, on 9th February 2019, to be told by hospital staff that the deceased was in a body bag in the morgue.' Following her tragic death, Miss Ashamu's parents launched a High Court damages claim on behalf of her estate, accusing Ms Ozdemir's business of being liable as the travel agent. Mrs Smith told the judge that Miss Ashamu had contracted with Get Slim for a 'package travel contract' of which the surgery was a significant part. Not only that, but Get Slim should be considered an 'organiser' of the package, she said in court. Mrs Smith told the judge: 'There is irrefutable evidence that the first defendant offered packages for sale and therefore was an organiser for the purposes of a package travel contract. 'That package not only included accommodation in a hotel, but included the surgery itself. 'The tourist service here was therefore medical tourism, thus the surgery itself clearly accounted for a significant proportion of the value of the combination and was an essential feature of it.' Ms Ozdemir defended the claim on the basis that she was not an 'organiser' of the package, but merely an 'introducer' connecting patients with the hospital. Giving judgment, Ms Justice Obi found that there had been a 'package travel contract' between Get Slim and Miss Ashamu, and also a consumer contract. Evidence showed that Ms Ozdemir had 'actively marketed' packages which included surgery, airport transfers, and hotel and hospital accommodation. 'The defendant accepted she was offering surgical packages and used the language "our surgeon", this is inconsistent with the role of a mere introducer,' said the judge. As Ms Ozdemir did not challenge the amount in damages claimed, the judge awarded the sum of 858,000 to Miss Ashamu's family. A claim against Turkish medics was not proceeded with. The only surviving victim of 'Suffolk Strangler' Steve Wright has accused police of treating her like a 'silly little girl' when she reported how he tried to kidnap her hours before he targeted his first known murder victim. Wright, a prolific serial killer, is said to have 'laughed' as he attempted to kidnap 22-year-old Emily Doherty in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in the early hours of September 18 1999. He went on to murder five women in the Ipswich area in 2006. His victims were Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls. Wright, who is already serving a whole life jail sentence at Long Lartin Prison in Worcestershire, this week admitted a sixth murder. On Monday - the first day of his highly-anticipated trial at the Old Bailey - the serial killer dramatically pleaded guilty to killing 17-year-old Victoria Hall on September 19 1999 after snatching her off the street in Felixstowe as she walked home from a nightclub. Wright also admitted to the attempted kidnap of Ms Doherty just 24 hours earlier in the same area. In her first-ever interview, Ms Doherty revealed how while she was on a night out, she had to repeatedly flee from Wright until someone came to help her. But when police were called, they treated her like a 'silly little girl' and failed to follow up with a full investigation - even after Ms Hall's body was later found. 'It's devastating what happened to everyone else, absolutely devastating,' Ms Doherty told Sky News. 'You can't help thinking, if they had taken me seriously, Vicky could have survived, but certainly if they had found him sooner the five other women would still be here.' Steve Wright, a prolific serial killer, attempted to kidnap 22-year-old Emily Doherty in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in 1999 On Monday - the first day of his highly anticipated trial at the Old Bailey - the serial killer dramatically pleaded guilty to killing 17-year-old Victoria Hall (pictured) in 1999 after snatching her off the street in Felixstowe as she walked home from a nightclub Ms Doherty had been walking home from a club called the Bandbox with her husband and another couple in the early hours of September 18 1999. The two women ended up much further ahead and then her friend said she had to go, leaving Ms Doherty alone in Pickets Road East. She recalled how a man kept driving past her and 'loitering' before he parked up, leaving the engine running and a car door open. Ms Doherty said she ran and jumped over a wall and knocked on a random door but no one answered. As she attempted to flee, the car turned into Park Avenue, so she got on all fours and peered around a wall to see if he was still there. Ms Doherty told Sky News: 'Suddenly he was literally right there. He stepped right into me. He said 'alright' in a low, sleazy way. 'In that instance, I knew my life was in danger. I just knew. The adrenaline kicked in. 'I started running up a driveway. I found a big stick and stood there, easily for 10 minutes. I thought if he does come up here, I will pound him with the stick.' Ms Doherty recalled how she thought she was in the clear when she could no longer hear the driver roaming around. But when she went to continue her journey, he was still there, leaving her no choice but to flee again and knock on moor doors until someone finally answered. She told how Wright was in the car laughing at her, with the whole attempted kidnapping lasting around 40 minutes until a couple let her in and called 999. Despite the traumatic attempted abduction, Ms Doherty said that what happened next made her feel even worse. Wright is due to be sentenced for the murder of Victoria Hall and the attempted abduction of Ms Doherty Wright pictured in a court drawing on Monday. It is the first time that one of Britain's most notorious killers has admitted responsibility for any of his crimes Gemma Adams, then 25, pictured, was one of the victims of Wright's murder spree in Ipswich's red-light district in 2006 Anneli Alderton, pictured left, and Tania Nicol, right, were sex workers also killed in the attacks In a six-week frenzy in 2006, former QE2 steward Wright went on the rampage, also killing Annette Nicholls, pictured left, and Paula Clennell, right 'The police came, but they didn't believe me at all,' she told Sky News. 'They said 'come on, how much have you had to drink tonight?'' Ms Doherty says she had only been drinking soda water after a beer or two in the pub earlier in the evening. She said she gave them part of the driver's number plate and offered to make a statement later that day but was told it was not necessary. 'They treated me like a silly little girl,' she said. The next day, Ms Doherty left to go travelling in India but when she called home there was a message telling her to call police urgently regarding the manhunt for Victoria Hall's killer. She gave a statement to police over the phone from the Himalayas and that police suggested they would send two officers to produce an e-fit image of the suspect, but never did. That was the last Ms Doherty heard until 2006, when the same killer murdered five sex workers he preyed upon in Ipswich's red-light district. In a six-week frenzy, the former QE2 steward murdered Gemma Adams, 25, Tania Nicol, 19, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24 and Annette Nicholls, 29 before he was captured by police just before Christmas 2006. Despite overwhelming forensic evidence linking him to the bodies of the sex workers found in near identical positions dumped in a stream and woodland, Wright denied any responsibility. But he was given a whole life jail term after his conviction in February 2008. Ms Doherty was living overseas at the time of Wright's killing spree and did not see a picture of him until Ms Hall's case was reopened. She wonders why she was never shown a picture of the suspect. 'I'm suffering massively from survivor's guilt It's a burden that I carry,' she told Sky News. 'There's the guilt of not being heard. It makes me feel sick with grief.' Wright is due to be sentenced today for the murder of Victoria Hall and the attempted abduction of Ms Doherty. Suffolk Constabulary has been contacted for comment. The Met Police launched a series of overnight raids on notorious drug kingpins, arresting 23 suspects and seizing Class A drugs, large amounts of cash, firearms, and a samurai sword. Over 300 officers were involved in the large-scale operation as 15 properties believed to be linked to organised crime groups were stormed yesterday across Mitcham, South London. 23 people were arrested for a range of offences, including the supply of drugs, possession of firearms, possession of offensive weapons, possession of criminal property and modern-day slavery offences. The operation led to the seizure of major quantities of Class A and B drugs, five firearms, a samurai sword, ten prohibited weapons, two high-powered e-bikes, and significant sums of cash. Officers say that those operating from the addresses were deeply entrenched in serious criminal activity, including drug trafficking, extreme violence, and the exploitation of properties through cuckooing. Police served closure notices at two addresses, aiming to cut off criminal activity and prevent further offending. The Met reported that 3,570 guns and weapons were seized in 2025, with organised crime groups disrupted more than 21,200 times during the same year. Inspector Kevin Chambers, who led the operation, said: 'The operation unfolded with the power of over 300 officers working in unison police constables, rapidentry specialists, dog units, the Territorial Support Group and custody teams a coordinated show of strength and precision. 23 people were arrested for a range of offences including the supply of drugs, possession of firearms, possession of offensive weapons, possession of criminal property and modern-day slavery offences The Met police were acting on intelligence that people within the addresses were involved in serious criminality, such as drug dealing, serious violence, and cuckooing 'This is a significant step in cutting the supply chains and criminal networks that inflict serious violence, fear, and intimidation across our city. 'Our Safer Neighbourhood Teams are ramping up activity - carrying out more manhunts and seizing more illegal cash, guns, and ammunition- because this criminality tears families apart. 'I hope this activity shows our relentlessness in taking the fight to those responsible. 'We are committed to community crime fighting and targeting offenders who seek to cause harm or exploit vulnerable people. 'In addition to today's activity, we have undertaken several pre-planned operations to target criminality and reduce violence and will continue to do so.' Detective Superintendent Ian Cameron added: 'Drug networks fuel serious violence and today's coordinated operation disrupts those drivers headon. 'We're protecting vulnerable people who are exploited within these networks, acting on the concerns of our communities and staying firmly committed to safer streets.' Serious and organised crime groups were disrupted over 21,200 times in 2025, an increase of 63% compared to the previous year. 23 people were arrested for a range of offences including the supply of drugs, possession of firearms, possession of offensive weapons, possession of criminal property and modern-day slavery offences 'These disruptions are getting drugs and weapons off the streets and putting offenders before the courts. Police Sergeant James Peppitt added: 'I am tremendously proud that our Safer Neighbourhood Teams were supported by the wider Met today. 'Together we are fighting community crime and tackling the issues that matter most to our communities. 'We remain grateful to the community for all their support and hope today shows local residents that we are listening to their concerns and taking appropriate action' The overnight activity in Mitcham aims to further protect communities from these dangerous groups and drive down serious violence. A Bradford NHS Trust sought to recruit a nurse to help relatives who are having children together. Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust released an advertisement for 'Close Relative Marriage Nurse/Midwife' for its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The role explained the successful candidate would provide 'comprehensive care and support to families who have recently had a baby and are close relatives'. Cousins, uncles, aunts, as well as 'other closely related family members', were listed as examples by the Trust. A prospective nurse or midwife in the role would be expected to 'proactively work' with families who practice close relative marriages to promote a greater understanding and awareness of genetic testing and health issues. They would also be tasked with liaising across different healthcare teams to ensure the wellbeing of newborns, particularly when it comes to genetic risks and health problems that could arise due to parents having a common ancestor. It is against the law to marry your sibling in the UK, but weddings between cousins are permitted. There have been growing calls to ban the 'outdated' practice, which carries an increased risk of birth defects and can be used to oppress women. However, Sir Keir Starmer previously indicated Labour would block any attempt to ban first cousin marriage, which is fairly common among Pakistani communities in parts of Bradford. The role of 'Close Relative Marriage Nurse/Midwife' was advertised by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. There have been calls to ban first cousin marriage Your browser does not support iframes. During a debate on first cousin marriage in the Commons in 2024, the practice was backed by Iqbal Mohamed, one of the independent MPs elected that year for their pro-Gaza stance. Mohamed, representing Dewsbury and Batley, said MPs should avoid 'stigmatising' the issue, which is seen as 'very positive' in some communities. Instead of banning it outright, he said a 'more positive approach' involving advanced genetic tests for prospective married cousins would be more effective in addressing issues around it. Mr Mohamed, who is part of the Independent Alliance of MPs including ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, faced criticism from senior Tories for defending the practice. Robert Jenrick, who was then a Conservative spokesman, described his opposition to the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill as 'shocking'. 'It's shocking that an MP would defend this revolting practice which is linked to birth defects and abusive relationships,' he said. 'We know this is causing immense harm. This practice has no place in the UK.' In Bradford, a 2024 study found nearly half of the female Pakistani community were in a 'consanguineous relationship' meaning they have a common ancestor. Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden, who is behind the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill, has been backing calls to ban the practice since 2024, insisting it has 'only massive downsides' for health and welfare. Of the job advert, he told The Telegraph: 'The impact of first cousin marriage is highly damaging for health, individual freedom, and most importantly for the cohesion of our country. 'Rather than wasting taxpayers' money dealing with the consequences of first cousin marriage, the Government should back my bill and bring an end to this practice for good.' The Close Relative Marriage Nurse/Midwife advert, which offered an annual salary of between 37,338 to 44,962, has since closed. It is understood the position of 'Close Relative Marriage Nurse/Midwife, which is part of a national programme funded by NHS England, is currently vacant. While noting there were 'very few' nurses and midwives of this type in the country, the advert hoped an individual in the position would help parents make informed choices in an 'empowering' and 'culturally sensitive' manner. The role description, which was published in March 25, laid out that the successful candidate would be expected to help begin 'sensitive' and 'appropriate' conversations with families who had been impacted by disorders linked to close relative marriages. Marriages between cousins were once commonplace among Britain's upper echelon and seen as a practice to strengthen alliances and keep wealth and land within families. Despite falling out of fashion, the practice is still common in some communities, including Travellers and some South Asian communities. As of May 2025, experts estimated just one per cent of white British couples were first cousins. Experts first began tracking the prevalence of consanguinity in Bradford home to one of the UK's biggest Pakistani communities in the late noughties. Almost 12,500 pregnant women were quizzed about their relationship status with the father of their child. The Born in Bradford study was later repeated with another cohort of 2,400 women between 2016 and 2019. The study found that cousin relationships are no longer a 'majority' in Bradford's female Pakistani community amid rising awareness of the birth defect risks. A decade ago, a Government-funded surveillance project found that 62 per cent of Pakistani heritage women were in consanguineous relationships. This figure has since dropped to 46 per cent, according to researchers. It was said that the figures from the study could indicate that the numbers of Pakistani people marrying cousins across the UK as a whole is falling. Reasons behind the fall are thought to include high educational attainment, stricter immigration rules and changes in family dynamics. Writing in their study, the team said: 'It may be we are seeing generational changes, and newly evolving societal norms. 'But these changes need to be monitored to see if they are indications of a lasting change and they need to be considered in other settings where consanguinity is common to see how widespread these reductions in consanguinity are.' Last month, the Mail on Sunday revealed the NHS is teaching midwives the 'benefits' of cousin marriage despite the increased risk of health issues with consanguineous parents. This graphic, from NHS material distributed to couples in Bradford, explains some of the genetic risks of having children with a close relative. Two parents with a recessive gene have an increased chance of having a child with an inherited condition The guidance said concerns about the risks of congenital diseases are 'exaggerated' and 'unwarranted' on the grounds that '85 to 90 per cent of cousin couples do not have affected children'. The national average rate for unaffected children stands at 98 per cent. While it confessed there were 'risks to child health associated with close relative marriage', the guidance maintained these should 'be balanced against the potential benefits... from this marriage practice'. It also said that marrying a relative could not only offer 'economic benefits' but 'emotional and social connections' as well as 'social capital'. The Daily Mail has approached NHS England, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for comment. A 79yearold woman was killed last night after being hit by a car, with the driver arrested for causing death by dangerous driving. The female pedestrian was run over on Bury New Road in Prestwich, outside Manchester, by a Volvo S90 at around 8pm last night. The driver of the Volvo, a man in his 40s, was arrested and remains in custody after being questioned overnight, Greater Manchester Police today said. The silver car could be seen with serious front end damage within the cordon. Ambulances attended the crash but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The main road was taped off in both directions while officers from the Serious Collision Unit attended the scene. The cordon was in place between Scholes Lane and Butterstile Lane in Bury, Prestwich. The female pedestrian was run over on Bury New Road in Prestwich, outside Manchester, by a Volvo S90 at around 8pm last night A blue forensic tent was also erected at the roadside to investigate why the crash occurred. Greater Manchester Police made an appeal for information today for anyone with CCTV, dashcam or mobile footage from the area in the moments leading up to the fatal collision. It asked anyone with information to contact police on 0161 856 4741 quoting the reference number 3219. Shocking footage shows a migrant risking his life and failing in his bid to try and jump on to a lorry bound for Britain - before later making it aboard and celebrating. Migrants are increasingly using the lorry route to enter Britain illegally as poor weather makes small boat crossings extremely difficult. But a disturbing new TikTok craze shows migrants attempting to jump on to moving lorries as they leave France for Britain. One clip shows a migrant chasing after a lorry driving at around 40mph. He sprints to catch up with it before jumping on the back but loses his footing and falls back down to the road as other lorries drive at speed behind him. The clip was posted with the caption: 'Safety, safety, trust of the coming.' Another video posted on Thursday appears to show the same migrant in the back of a lorry which he says is bound for Britain. He is lying on boxes in the back of the lorry with Union flag emojis on screen and a caption which reads: 'A thousand thousand thanks from God.' A video posted to TikTok appears to show the same migrant who fell when trying to climb on to a lorry stowed away in the back of a different vehicle, which he says is bound for Britain A different clip posted on Thursday shows a second suspected migrant in the back of a lorry believed to be heading for Britain, in which he lifts a crate which appears to be filled with car parts Your browser does not support iframes. Hundreds left comments congratulating the migrant and suggested they would soon make it to Britain too. Another clip posted yesterday shows a different suspected migrant in the back of a lorry believed to be heading for Britain, in which he lifts a crate which appears to be filled with car parts. One source said: 'It's open season to come to Britain on a lorry. 'While so many resources have rightly been directed at small boats, when the weather is not favourable, the migrants are coming in via lorry. 'The video footage is shocking and shows migrants risking their lives. 'They could easily fall off at those speeds and die. Or get run over by the lorries behind. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We have set out the most sweeping reforms on immigration in modern times, stripping away incentives pulling people to the UK unlawfully and making it far easier to remove or deport anyone entering the country illegally. 'Tougher laws and tighter work with international immigration enforcement will put us in a far stronger position to shut down the routes smugglers rely on, including lorries and small boats.' Last month other TikTok videos showed migrants sharing tutorials on illegally smuggling themselves into Britain. In the first video the migrant can be seen trying to hold on to the back of a lorry but he loses grip and falls to the ground After falling from the lorry the migrant can be seen in a later video lying on boxes in the back of another vehicle The caption reads 'a thousand thousand thanks from God' and there are Union flag and heart emojis on-screen The second migrant also appeared to have made it into the back of a lorry in a video filmed for TikTok The videos showed migrants hiding behind bushes before sprinting after moving lorries and jumping onto them to break into their trailers. Seven clips, edited into one video, were uploaded to show how migrants can hitch a lift on a lorry without the driver realising they are inadvertently helping sneak them into the UK. TikTok said it does not allow content which promotes human trafficking and smuggling - or videos that promote criminal behaviour. They took the videos down for violating their rules after The Telegraph first alerted them. Separate TikTok footage shows a migrant make a dangerous journey to Britain holding onto a fast-moving lorry and then celebrating in a suspected taxpayer-funded hotel room. The clip shows an apparent migrant sneak onto a lorry by climbing into it at a busy lorry park. It comes after three African countries agreed earlier today to take back foreign nationals and illegal migrants after the Home Secretary threatened to impose visa restrictions. Shabana Mahmood threatened to revoke fast-track visa processing and halt preferential visa treatment for diplomats and VIPs from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Namibia after they failed to agree new measures to make it easier to take back illegal migrants from the UK. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has secured deals with three African countries after her department threatened to impose visa restrictions But despite the agreement just 3,000 people from the African countries could be eligible to be removed or deported. The countries are not among the most common nationalities of migrants to enter the UK legally or illegally. They accounted for a tiny proportion of the more than 800,000 visas granted for employment, study, family or humanitarian reasons in the year to June - 299 to those from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 273 for nationals from Angola and 140 for those from Namibia. The three countries had previously been singled out for having 'unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes' and warned of sanctions if they did not improve their processes. They were also accused of refusing to process paperwork and requiring individuals to sign their own documents - effectively allowing them to block their own deportations. 'My message is clear, if foreign governments refuse to accept the return of their citizens, then they will face consequences,' Ms Mahmood said. In a Cambodian compound with rooms designed to look like Singapore and Australia police offices, papers were strewn across desks and floors: the detritus of a fraud factory abandoned in haste. Among the documents were profiles of a 73-year-old Japanese retiree, complete with his phone number and bank account balance, and an American woman who disclosed that she was a victim of domestic abuse. Nearby were scripts to commit love scams and impersonate police, as well as a room set up to resemble a Vietnamese bank office. Scammers who used to occupy the building, and others across the region, targeted victims around the world, including many in the UK, who have been tricked into handing over billions of pounds of their hard earned money. The visit to the bombed-out compound near the Thai-Cambodian border offers one of the clearest windows yet into the industrial-scale fraud that has fleeced billions of dollars from victims globally. Police raids and military air strikes have forced criminal gangs to flee scores of scam compounds in Cambodia in recent weeks. On top of this, China has been taking formal legal action against the heads of these criminal gangs, executing at least 15 members of two different scam mafias operating in nearby Myanmar in the span of a week earlier this year. The visit to the site, known as Royal Hill, was facilitated by the Thai military, which bombed it during a brief border conflict in December and has since occupied the surrounding area. Reuters verified one of the documents by contacting the Japanese retiree, who said he had received a call late last year from someone claiming to be from an electricity company and who warned his power would be cut off if he did not provide the scammer with his bank details. The target did not send any money, but disclosed personal information during the call, including details found in the log seen by Reuters. China has executed 15 people linked to Myanmar criminal gangs in recent weeks (pictured, some of the Ming crime family at their sentencing in October at the Wenzhou Intermediate People's Court in eastern China's Zhejiang Province) Scam compounds in O'Smach used for scam operations, behind wire fencing at the Chong Chom-O'Smach border crossing, which was bombed and occupied by the Thai military in December following clashes between Thailand and Cambodia along a disputed border area, in Samraong, Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, February 2, 2026 Counterfeit US 100 dollar banknotes on the floor inside a compound in O'Smach used for scam operations 'If the power was cut off, that would be a real problem as I live up in the mountains,' he said. 'I let (details) slip out without thinking and later thought that was a bad idea.' Reuters could not establish what entity had ultimate control of the Royal Hill compound in Cambodia, where land records are not readily accessible. Chinese-language documents found at the site outlined that the complex's unidentified management had leased out space to different scamming groups. A person named Zhang who was identified in the documents as a tenant did not respond to calls seeking comment. The Cambodian government said in a statement on Wednesday that the compound was a hotel that Thailand had occupied by force. Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak separately said in response to questions about Royal Hill that the government 'has the will' to crack down on scam centres and repeated a government pledge to eliminate cyber fraud by April. Southeast Asia has emerged in recent years as an epicentre of the global cyber-fraud industry. Compounds which are mostly run by Chinese criminal gangs and staffed partly by trafficking victims living in brutal conditions have proliferated across Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and lawless areas of the Myanmar-Thai border. An abandoned bedroom is seen at a scam centre in O Smach, Cambodia, Monday, February 2, 2026 Small booths lined with acoustic foam, used to make scam calls to victims, along a corridor inside a compound in O'Smach used for scam operations A Thai policeman inspects a damaged work station at a scam compound in O'Smach, Cambodia, Monday, February 2, 2026 Many of these countries have been pressured to crack down by foreign governments like the United States, which estimates that Americans lost 7.36billion to Southeast Asian scam centres in 2024. The December strikes by Thailand - whose military said the centres were also being used to stage drone attacks during the border conflict - and a crackdown by the Cambodian government have led to an exodus of more than 100,000 people from compounds across the country. Many have lined up outside embassies in the capital, Phnom Penh, seeking help and funds to return home in what Amnesty International has called a 'humanitarian crisis.' Japan's National Police Agency and the US Embassy in Bangkok did not respond to requests for comment about the documents that appeared to show their citizens being targeted. The compound visited by Reuters is located in the border town of O'Smach, which the US State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report highlighted in 2024 as a hub for abuses. Files found in a part of the compound that the Thai military said appeared to be used by the site's managers show the extent to which criminal gangs go to protect their operations. One document showed how bosses demanded military-style anti-riot and emergency drills, while another included orders to security guards to stop people 'loitering' nearby. A property management notice also barred the use of food delivery services that could bring outsiders on-site. A room set up to imitate the Australian Federal Police office, inside a compound in O'Smach used for scam operations A sign reading 'SPKT Bareskrim Polri' in a room is set up to resemble an Indonesian police office inside the compound Computers inside the compound in O'Smach used for scam operations Other documents prohibited unspecified 'illegal activity,' forbade workers from walking around shirtless, and demanded 'civilised' behaviour. Reuters also found financial statements that outlined how the unidentified managers of the scam compound charged tenants several thousands of dollars a month in rent. Some of the criminal gangs were overdue on their rent, the statements show. The news agency also discovered details about a cryptocurrency wallet in one of the documents. Nick Smart of blockchain-analysis firm Crystal Intelligence, which reviewed the wallet at Reuters' request, said it had interactions with 'many known high-risk services,' including gambling sites and cash-conversion locations. At least some of the businesses in Royal Hill faced occasional struggles carrying out fraud, according to one of the documents, an October 2025 entry in a notebook. That day, workers making calls faced 'only abuse and scam answers' from their targets, the note read. One former worker of another scam compound next to Royal Hill told Reuters that the conditions Reuters observed were reflective of what he experienced. A journalist walks inside a damaged work station at a scam compound in O'Smach, Cambodia, Monday, February 2, 2026 Shattered glass lies on the floor of a dormitory room in the scam centre A Thai policeman inspects a scam compound in O'Smach, Cambodia, Monday, February 2, 2026 The worker, a Madagascar citizen who said he was a trafficking victim, spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution. He said he was allowed by captors, who he did not identify, to leave the compound a few days after Thailand started bombing the area. The military action prompted the compound's managers to return his passport, which they had seized, he said. Scammers targeted by raids often relocate and reconstitute themselves into smaller operations, said Delphine Schantz, the regional representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Her agency shares expertise with national law enforcement agencies. 'We see those scam centres now kind of mushrooming all over the world in different places, along the same model as what we've seen in Southeast Asia,' she said. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned last 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. '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.' The United States has announced new sanctions to curb Iran's oil exports, including targeting 14 vessels, moments after Tehran hailed a 'positive atmosphere' following a day of indirect talks in Oman. With a US naval group in Middle Eastern waters, American and Iranian delegations held talks in Muscat, mediated by the Gulf sultanate, without publicly meeting face-to-face. The State Department said it would block any transactions involving 14 vessels accused of transporting Iranian oil, including ships flagged from Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates. It also announced sanctions on 15 entities and two people. The announcement came shortly after the two foes completed their first talks since the United States joined Israel's war against Iran in June with strikes on nuclear sites. The talks come just under a month after Iranian authorities launched a crackdown on protests that left thousands dead. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who led Iran's delegation in Muscat, said talks 'focused exclusively' on the Iranian nuclear programme which the West believes is aimed at making the bomb but Tehran insists is peaceful. The US delegation, led by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's influential son-in-law Jared Kushner, had also wanted Tehran's backing for militant groups, its ballistic missile programme and treatment of protesters to also be on the agenda. Pictured: A billboard showing Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei with anti-US rhetoric written next to him in Iran President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are leading their delegations at the negotiations in Oman. Pictured: Abbas Araghchi (L), shaking hands with Oman Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaid 'In a very positive atmosphere, our arguments were exchanged and the views of the other side were shared with us,' Araghchi told Iranian state TV, adding that the two sides had 'agreed to continue negotiations, but we will decide on the modalities and timing at a later date'. 'The way forward will depend on our consultations with capitals,' he added after the talks concluded. Speaking to the official IRNA news agency, he expressed hope that Washington would refrain from 'threats and pressure' so that 'the talks can continue'. There was no immediate comment from the American delegation in Muscat. The foreign ministry of US ally Qatar expressed hope the talks 'lead to a comprehensive agreement that serves the interests of both parties and enhances security and stability in the region.' In a symbol of the potential for US military action, Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command, whose area of responsibility includes the Middle East, was also present at the talks, according to images published by the Oman news agency. A source with knowledge of the talks told AFP that the meetings took place at the residence of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi. Multiple sessions of talks in the morning and afternoon saw both sides shuttling to and from the residence of Albusaidi who appeared to be acting as mediator and passing on messages. Writing on X, Albusaidi described the talks as 'very serious'. 'It was useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. We aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington.' The White House has made clear it wants the talks to rein in Tehran's ability to make a nuclear bomb, an ambition the Islamic republic has always denied. 'They're negotiating,' Trump said of Iran on Thursday. 'They don't want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there,' he added, referring to the aircraft carrier group he has repeatedly called an 'armada'. The meeting comes just under a month after the peak of a wave of nationwide protests in Iran against the clerical leadership, which rights groups say were repressed with an unprecedented crackdown that has left thousands dead. Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters and even told demonstrators 'help is on its way'. Regional powers including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar urged the United States not to intervene, calling on Washington and Tehran to instead return to talks. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that according to its latest toll 6,495 protesters were confirmed to have been killed as well as 214 members of the security forces and 61 bystanders. But it and other rights groups warn that the final toll risks being far higher, with the magnitude of the crackdown masked by the blanket internet shutdown imposed by the authorities for a fortnight. Almost 51,000 people are also confirmed to have been arrested, according to HRANA. But Trump's rhetoric in recent days has focused on reining in the Iranian nuclear programme and the US has manoeuvered a naval group led by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln into the region. Iran has repeatedly vowed it will hit back at US bases if attacked. 'We are ready to defend and it is the US president who must choose between compromise or war,' state television on Thursday quoted army spokesman General Mohammad Akraminia as saying, warning that Iran has 'easy' access to US regional bases. A rape-accused rideshare driver allegedly scoped a bustling LGBTQI institution for vulnerable victims in the early hours of the morning. Mohamed Abukar, who is charged with raping and twice sexually assaulting a woman, had been 'doing laps' outside the popular Peel Hotel in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Collingwood that night, police say. The alleged victim, a 23-year-old woman, had been out drinking with her girlfriend and her girlfriend's sister on January 25 when they attended the hotel, a magistrate heard on Friday. The couple had argued earlier that night, and the complainant left the venue alone to book a rideshare back to her partner's accommodation in South Yarra just before 5am, Senior Constable Rachel Haugh told the court. As she got into the back seat of Abukar's car before moving to the front at his request, the 44-year-old allegedly said he would take her home after revealing she was not his customer. The 23-year-old recalled drifting in and out of consciousness during the trip, waking up to the driver allegedly touching her leg and thigh and then putting his hand in her underwear. CCTV footage showed Abukar parking his car along a street in Collingwood during the trip before exiting his side and moving to the passenger side, where he sexually assaulted the woman, Ms Haugh said. The car remained stationary for 11 minutes before resuming the trip and dropping off the woman in South Yarra at 5.43am. Mohamed Abukar allegedly scoped out the Peel Hotel in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Collingwood before the alleged rape The case was heard in the Melbourne Magistrates Court A short time later, the woman's girlfriend found her lying facedown asleep in the hallway of her apartment, before they reported the matter to police. As the investigation began, rideshare service DiDi told police Abukar, who worked for them, had not been online on the platform that night, Ms Haugh said. 'The accused appears to be targeting the Peel Hotel for unknown reasons. It's an LGBTQ venue and typically those people struggle to come forward to report (incidents),' she told the court. 'He had been doing laps around the area around the hotel prior to picking up the victim.' Detectives have relied on CCTV footage showing Abukar's car travelling, including a trip to 7-Eleven after the alleged assault. Cell tower data also indicated both the alleged victim's and Abukar's phones were moving in tandem from Collingwood to South Yarra during the trip, the court was told. Ms Haugh said previous allegations were made against Abukar, having occurred outside the Peel Hotel. A rape allegation was levelled against him in 2022 where he requested a male victim perform oral sex on him in his car, which he did, a court heard. The man elected not to proceed with the case. In 2023, Abukar collected a woman from the Peel and allegedly put his hand down her pants during the trip. The complainant initially decided not to proceed, but the case was reopened on Friday, a court heard. Abukar has not been charged with any offences over these two alleged incidents. In denying him bail, magistrate James Fitzgerald referred to the serious allegations and the strength of the prosecution case. Abukar will return to court on June 12. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Lifeline 13 11 14 The Tories have led calls to retry a group of Palestine Action protesters behind a break-in at an Israeli defence firm that left a policewoman with a 'shattered spine' after being hit with a sledgehammer. Six activists were cleared of aggravated burglary after a raid on an Ebit Systems building near Bristol caused more than 1million worth of damage and badly hurt Sergeant Kate Evans. The jury at Woolwich Crown Court failed to reach a verdict on the charge of grievous bodily harm against Oxford-educated mathematician Samuel Corner, 23, as well as two counts of criminal damage over the alleged spraying of red paint and breaking of computers with hammers. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has now written to Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, to call for a retrial of the criminal damage and GBH charges. Mr Philp said Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance stated that a retrial might be necessary if a jury failed to reach a verdict, there was 'sufficient evidence' for a realistic prospect of conviction and a retrial was in the public interest. He said the Palestine Action trial met these criteria, adding: 'I therefore urge you to seek a retrial on these charges. There is no justification for this violence, no matter how strongly someone feels about a cause. 'This verdict risks giving the green light to mob violence in pursuit of a political objective.' Lawyers representing Samuel Corner, 23, an Oxford-educated mathematician, linguist and philosopher accused of grievous bodily harm against the policewoman, told the court the 'gentle man' did it to protect the other activists and he did not cause her really serious harm From left: Jordan Devlin, Leona Kamio, Charlotte Head, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rodgers and Samuel Corner have been cleared of aggravated burglary over a break in at Elbit Systems factory in Bristol Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, raised concerns the outcome could put officers at risk. 'UK policing is disappointed that the jury in this case could not reach verdicts in relation to an alleged serious assault against a police officer,' he said. 'Brave officers run towards danger every day, with only one intention, to keep the public safe. They do this without fear or favour, and often without any thought for their own safety. 'The officer in this case continues to live with the impact of the injuries she sustained during this incident and it is vital that we recognise the courage she has shown since.' The Police Federation, which represents frontline officers, has also written to Mr Parkinson, saying they had 'serious concerns' about the 'operational and safety' implications for officers handling protests and public order. The organisation went on to criticise Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, who suggested the jury verdicts were a 'moral vindication' of the activists involved in the incident on August 6, 2024. It said his comments 'risked sending a message, intentional or not, that injury to police officers is an acceptable or incidental concern of political protest'. Mr Polanski retweeted a conspiracy theorist who claimed Yvette Cooper made up a 'lie' about the sergeant being badly hurt by an activist to justify proscribing PA as a terrorist group. He also claimed that 'people protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here'. Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, suggested the jury verdicts were a 'moral vindication' of the activists involved in the incident on August 6, 2024 He also claimed that 'people protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here' Mr Polanski retweeted a conspiracy theorist who claimed Yvette Cooper made up a 'lie' about the sergeant being badly hurt by an activist to justify proscribing PA as a terrorist group. Responding to Mr Polanski's tweet, Tory shadow minister Neil O'Brien said: 'A female police officer had her spine smashed with sledgehammer from behind and the Greens are jubilant they got off. These people are beyond disgusting.' Mr Polanski declined to comment further when approached by the Mail today. Corner, Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin were cleared of aggravated burglary yesterday after the jury deliberated for more than 36 hours at the end of a 12-week trial. Jurors also found Ms Rajwani, Ms Rogers and Mr Devlin not guilty of violent disorder. The jury deliberated for 36 hours and 34 minutes but could not reach verdicts for charges of criminal damage against all six defendants. No verdict was reached on charges of violent disorder against Ms Head, Mr Corner and Ms Kamio. After the verdicts Mr Polanski retweeted Craig Murray, a former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan turned conspiracy theorist who questioned whether Sgt Evans had really been hurt. Mr Murray once suggested that Israel may have been behind the Salisbury nerve agent poisoning that targeted a former Russian spy and his daughter, widely believed to have been carried out by agents of Vladimir Putin. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has called for the protesters to be retried The Green leader also wrote: 'Pleased to see the jury make this decision. We need to have eyes wide open this is exactly why the Government wants to abolish juries. 'People protesting against a genocide are not the criminals here - it's the politicians who continue to provide cover.' All of the defendants except Mr Corner were granted conditional bail at a Woolwich Crown Court hearing after the trial concluded. All of the defendants except Mr Corner were granted conditional bail at a Woolwich Crown Court hearing after the trial concluded. Sir Keir Starmer has named supermarket boss Richard Walker as his 'cost of living champion' - despite him having only given the Prime Minister a 'six out of 10' rating. Lord Walker, who was given a seat for life in the House of Lords by Sir Keir last month, is the chairman of Iceland and the son of the chain's founder. He previously hoped to be a Conservative MP but quit the Tories in 2023 before going on to support Labour. The businessman attended the launch of Labour's manifesto ahead of the 2024 general election, but later went on to be critical of Sir Keir's first few months in power. He last year gave the Government a lacklustre 'six out of 10' rating for its performance and also criticised Chancellor Rachel Reeves' tax hikes on businesses. Despite his comments, Sir Keir handed Lord Walker - who has previously expressed a desire to be PM himself - a life peerage at the beginning of this year. Sir Keir has now directly appointed the 45-year-old as his 'cost of living champion'. He will work closely with the PM's No10 policy unit to provide ideas on how to cut household expenses. Sir Keir Starmer has named Iceland boss Richard Walker as his 'cost of living champion' - despite him having only given the Prime Minister a 'six out of 10' rating Lord Walker last year gave the Government a lacklustre 'six out of 10' rating for its performance and also criticised Chancellor Rachel Reeves' tax hikes on businesses Lord Walker said: 'I've taken on this role for one reason: to get real results for families on the cost of living. 'Not to talk about it, but to help Government focus on the things that genuinely make a difference. 'I'll be bringing real-world business experience and a sense of urgency to this work, looking at the everyday areas that eat into household budgets and where consumers get a rough deal. 'Regulators are trying, but we need to be bolder in standing up for consumers and turning intent into action.' Downing Street said the unpaid voluntary role will see Lord Walker report directly to the PM. No10 added the Labour peer will 'work across Government while enhancing partnerships with businesses, regulators, and a broad range of organisations'. In an interview with the Financial Times in February last year, Lord Walker admitted ha had raised eyebrows when he switched from the Tories to backing Labour. 'I got some funny texts when it came out that I was turning my back on the Tories. David Cameron just sent me one word saying 'Really?', he told the newspaper. A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and injured 169 at a mosque in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted mosque floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris and panicked worshippers. Dozens more wounded were lying in the garden outside the mosque as people called for help. The explosion occurred after Friday prayers, when mosques around the country are packed with worshippers. Two police officials said the attacker was stopped at the gate of the mosque before detonating the bomb. Disturbing television footage and social media images showed officers and local residents scrambling to carry bloodied victims to nearby hospitals as ambulances rushed to the scene. Journalists at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital saw several adults and children being carried in on stretchers or by their arms and legs. Medics and bystanders were seen helping to unload injured people from ambulances and private vehicles, with at least one casualty arriving in the boot of a car. A suicide bomber killed at least 31 people and injured 169 during Friday prayers at a mosque in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, officials said. Pictured: People shift an injured man to a hospital following the explosion Disturbing television footage and social media images showed officers and local residents scrambling to carry bloodied victims to nearby hospitals as ambulances rushed to the scene People shift an injured man to a hospital following an explosion at a mosque in Islamabad on February 6, 2026 Pakistani security officers and rescue worker gather at the site of a bomb explosion at a Shiite mosque An injured man sitting inside the back of a car waits for help outside a hospital following the explosion Friends and relatives of the wounded shouted as they arrived at the hospital's heavily guarded emergency ward. Shortly after the explosion was first reported with a lower number of casualties, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon confirmed the death toll had risen to 31. 'The death toll in the blast has risen. A total of 31 people have lost their lives. The number of wounded brought to hospitals have risen to 169,' Memon said. Rescuers and witnesses said some of the wounded were listed as being in critical condition. Islamabad police confirmed an investigation was underway. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he 'strongly condemns' the attack and expressed 'deep grief'. President Asif Ali Zardari extended condolences to the victims who lost their lives in the blast, according to a statement issued by the PPP on X. 'Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity', he said. The president prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and directed that all possible medical facilities be provided to them. People shift an injured man to a hospital following an explosion at a mosque in Islamabad People comfort a man, center, mourning over the death of his relative, close to the site of a bomb explosion at a Shiite mosque People shift injured victims of a blast at a Shiite Muslim mosque to hospitals A man carries an injured boy to a hospital following an explosion at a mosque in Islamabad Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he 'strongly condemns' the attack and expressed ' deep grief' Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and urged authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the wounded, who were being taken to hospitals across the capital Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack and urged authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the wounded, who were being taken to hospitals across the capital. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on militant outfits such as the Pakistani Taliban or the Islamic State, both of which have been blamed for previous attacks targeting Shiite worshippers, a minority in Pakistan. Bombings are rare in the heavily-guarded capital, although Pakistan has been hit by a rising wave of militancy in the past few years. Militants have repeatedly targeted security forces and civilians across the country. In November, a suicide bomber had struck outside a court in Islamabad, killing 12 people. The latest attack comes nearly a week after the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army carried out multiple attacks in insurgency-hit southwestern Balochistan province, killing about 50 people. Security forces responding to those attacks also killed more than 200 'terrorists,' according to the military. This is a breaking news story, more to follow. In mysterious footage taken from prison, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein complained that a black man tried to kiss him and gave him a cold sore. The grainy video was released as part of the recent tranche of Epstein files made public by the US department of justice last week. While the full context of the footage is unknown, the paedophile directs his message to a man called 'Darren', before telling another unidentified person in the room: 'I'm pretending I'm talking to Darren.' Looking slightly away from the camera at the other person, Epstein says: 'You can see I have a little sore on my face that I got from some black guy trying to kiss me.' 'It's really disgusting,' he added. 'Anyway, I have pictures up my wall, I had to borrow the Scotch tape to get the pictures on the wall.' He finished the recording a few seconds later, saying: 'I'll talk to you guys later, bye.' In the footage, the disgraced financier was wearing a grey sweater, and appeared to be in a cell with white walls. The DOJ published more than three million additional files in the latest drop, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. In mysterious footage taken from prison, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein complained that a black man tried to kiss him and gave him a cold sore A photo of Jeffrey Epstein with a young woman released by the US department of justice Photo of the convicted sex offender kissing and grabbing a young woman from the newly-released tranche of files In another bizarre video from the newly-released files, Epstein described himself as a 'tier one' sexual predator in an interview at his New York home in 2019. In the footage, Epstein, wearing glasses and a black shirt, is 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 and is a former Goldman Sachs investment banker. 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, but it was reportedly intended for a sympathetic documentary designed to polish the paedophile's tarnished reputation. '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.' '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. The DOJ said Monday that it had withdrawn several thousand documents and 'media' related to the disgraced financier after lawyers told a New York judge that the lives of nearly 100 victims had been 'turned upside down' by sloppy redactions in the governments latest release of records. The exposed materials include nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured. The department blamed it on 'technical or human error'. In a letter to the New York judges overseeing the sex trafficking cases brought against Epstein and confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, US 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. Two lawyers for Epstein victims wrote to the court Sunday seeking 'immediate judicial intervention' because of what they described as thousands of instances when the government had failed to redact names and other personally identifying information. Eight women who identify as Epstein victims added comments to the letter to Judge Richard M. Berman. One wrote that the records release was 'life threatening'. Another said shed gotten death threats after 51 entries included her private banking information, forcing her to try to shut down her credit cards and accounts. '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 emphasized by DOJ was simple: redact known victim names before publication,' the lawyers, Brittany Henderson and Brad Edwards, wrote. Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Mandelson had a close relationship A photograph of Peter Mandelson in his underpants appeared in the latest tranche of the Epstein files A photograph of Peter Mandelson getting a foot massage from a young woman appeared in the files Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a fierce attack on the former US ambassador Peter Mandelson on Thursday, seeking to assuage anger from across British politics and saying he was sorry he had believed his 'lies' before appointing him. Starmer is under huge pressure, including from MPs in the Labour Party, over the decision to make Mandelson Britain's ambassador to Washington in December 2024, when his ties to Epstein were already known. Files released by the DOJ last week included emails highlighting just how close that relationship was, and also suggested Mandelson had leaked government documents to Epstein, and that Epstein had recorded payments to Mandelson or his then-partner, now husband. 'It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship,' Starmer said at the outset of a speech. Mandelson, a government minister when Labour was previously in power more than 15 years ago, quit his position in the House of Lords on Tuesday in the face of the uproar over his links to Epstein, and is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct in office. Emails released by the DOJ appeared to indicate that in 2009 Mandelson had sent the financier a government memo about possible UK asset sales and tax changes, and in 2010 gave him advance notice of a European Union 500-billion-euro bailout package during the bloc's debt crisis. Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, was asked on Thursday how he felt about the apparent leaks, given they came at a time when most officials were working around the clock to stave off economic damage from the financial crash. 'I am shocked by what were hearing,' he said, adding: 'How is it that we live in a society in which this happened?' Mandelson has said he does not recall having received payments and has not commented publicly on allegations he leaked documents. Starmer fired Mandelson last September, but his opponents and even those in his own party have said the new revelations posed major questions about his judgement. Tackling the mounting criticism, he used his speech to angrily condemn Mandelson, saying the latest revelations raised serious questions. He accused Mandelson of not entering public service because he believed in serving the public good. 'I was lied to, lied to; deceit,' he said. 'I understand the anger and frustration among Labour MPs about what has happened ... I actually share that anger and frustration, it was palpable yesterday. I'm not surprised.' Addressing Epstein's victims he said: 'I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and appointing him.' Starmer said he wanted to release the security vetting advice that he was given when he selected Mandelson for the Washington role, but that he needed to abide by a police request not to do anything that could prejudice an investigation. 'However frustrating from my personal point of view that is - and it is - I will not take any step, however politically tempting, however popular, that risks justice for victims.' The driver accused of murdering a four-year-old boy in a hit-and-run crash warned the youngster's uncle he was going to 'ram them' and did not 'give a f***', jurors have heard. Owen Maughan, 27, allegedly made the threat while chasing his cousin Hayley Maughan, her husband Lovell Mahon, who was driving, and their two children, Peter and one-year-old daughter Annarica. Owen, and his father Patrick Maughan, 54, as front seat passenger, began tailing the family for several miles along the London-bound A2 motorway between Cobham and Northfleet on Sunday, June 1 last year. The pair had been drinking in the Jolly Knight pub and City Wall wine bar in Rochester, Kent, where Owen had around 12 bottles of beers and Patrick had roughly 13, the court heard. Although it is not known where the pursuit began, by approximately 9.20pm it was being captured on dashcam by three lorries. Six minutes later, Owen, who was behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger pick-up truck, then allegedly clipped Mr Mahon's pick-up at 60mph, causing it to flip and Peter to be flung from the car. Peter suffered 'severe and devastating' injuries to his head, chest and abdomen, was pronounced dead at nearby Darent Valley Hospital shortly after 10pm. While his mother and sister escaped with what were said to be minor injuries, his father, then 24, suffered multiple fractures and brain trauma leaving him unlikely to ever walk again. Jurors were told that Hayley's brother Jason Maughan received unexpected messages displaying thumbs-up emojis from Owen via Facebook messenger seconds before the fatal crash. Owen Maughan, 27, and Patrick Maughan, 54, are accused of the murder of Peter Maughan (pictured), who died on June 1, last year Pictured: Hayley Maughan and Lovell Mahon and their children, Peter, and then one-year-old sister, Annarica Maughan Patrick Maughan, 54, is pictured outside court. Maughan disputes encouraging or assisting his son He did not have him as a Facebook friend and, in response, he sent back a question mark. When that went unanswered, Jason phoned him, jurors were told. That call, logged on phone records as starting at 9.24pm and lasting one minute and 56 seconds, is estimated to have ended within seven seconds of the fatal collision occurring, say the prosecution, with Jason hearing a 'clunking noise' before the line disconnected. Giving evidence at Maidstone Crown Court, he said he remembered the incident 'like it was yesterday.' He told the jury he was lying on his bed at his home in Wrotham Heath when he received the emojis from Owen and sent 'PP' in response. Having explained he used 'P' to mean a question mark, Jason said: 'I called Owen, he answered the phone, he told me that him and his dad had been in Rochester drinking all day. 'He then said he bumped into Hayley and Lovell on the A2 or M2 motorway. 'He told me they were arguing from the window and Hayley was videoing him out the window with her phone. 'I said to Owen "Well, why are you calling me? What's it got to do with me? He told me he was going to ram the vehicle".' Jason added that Owen said that 'he was arguing with Hayley and Lovell through the window'. He continued: 'I said "What's it got to do with me? If you have a problem with Lovell, sort it out with Lovell". 'He then said he was going to ram the truck.' Asked by prosecutor Richard Jory KC what his best recollection of Owen's words were, he replied: 'I'm going to ram them.' 'Do you have any doubt about the use of the word 'ram'?' asked Mr Jory. 'No,' Jason responded. Mr Jory then asked: 'Did he say anything else at about that time?' Jason answered: 'We don't give a f***.' After hearing the 'clunking noise' Jason said he 'tried to call Owen's number back in which it rang twice', adding that he was 'sure he pushed the red button'. Peter suffered 'severe and devastating' injuries to his head, chest and abdomen, was pronounced dead at nearby Darent Valley Hospital shortly after 10pm. While his mother and sister escaped with what were said to be minor injuries, his father, then 24, suffered multiple fractures and brain trauma leaving him unlikely to ever walk again Owen, who was behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger pick-up truck, allegedly clipped Mr Lovells pick-up at 60mph, causing it to flip on the A2 and Peter (pictured) to be flung from the car The jury was told when the initial call disconnected at 9.26pm, Jason had phoned Owen eight seconds later. Unaware of events or how serious they were, Jason sent his mother Erica Maughan, a voice note saying he was not 'getting involved' and wanted 'out of the situation.' However, he then spoke to his brother, Sonny, who had become aware of the collision. 'I didn't really take much notice of the clunking at the end of the call [with Owen] until I spoke to Sonny and I could hear him saying "They're dead". 'I got dressed as fast as I could, got in my car and made my way to the scene as fast as I could. 'When I got there the road was blocked - ambulance, police. My car was quite far back. I had to leave it and run down. 'There was a lot of people there I didn't know - ambulance, police - and I saw Lovell lying between the hedge and the road. 'I couldn't approach him because the ambulance drivers wouldn't let me but he looked quite critical.' Jason said that having learnt that Hayley and the children had gone to Darent Valley Hospital, he went back to his car and drove to join them. Asked whether he spoke to his sister about what had happened or had any interaction with her, he told the jury: 'Not at all. Just going into the room to see my nephew. 'I was just in a state of shock and put my hands on my head.' In cross-examination by Tyrone Smith KC, defending Owen, Jason revealed there had been an incident a few weeks earlier whereby Hayley Maughan had had a disagreement with Owen's sister, Nicole. Peter Maughan, right, and his father Mr Mahon, left, were in the same vehicle when it crashed The court heard although it is not disputed that Owen said he would ram the other Ford Ranger, Jason agreed he did not think he would do so. 'I wouldn't believe anyone if they said that to me,' he told the jury. But he disagreed when the defence suggested that Owen Maughan had not remarked 'We don't give a f***.' Jason told the court: 'He said "We're going to ram them. We don't give a f***" and I said "Do whatever the f*** you want. F*** off".' He was then asked by Mr Smith why he had never told the police of that particular remark until a month after the fatal crash, whether he could have misheard Owen telling him to 'F*** off', and whether he could be sure of what was said in that call. Jason replied: 'Misremembered? No. In a state of shock? Possibly. I am sure what I have said were the exact words.' He then remarked during cross-examination by Charles Langley KC, defending Patrick: 'It wasn't the nicest phone call I have had in my life and a lot happened in those four weeks. 'We were still living in a lot of trauma.' The court has heard that the two Ford Rangers came across each other on the A2 that night by chance, having both joined the M2 London-bound at Junction 3 at Blue Bell Hill just five minutes apart. While Owen was the one at the wheel and responsible for the manner of driving, it is the Crown's case that he was being 'actively encouraged' by his father. Witness Tim Lewis was carrying out voluntary work on land at the Pepperhill junction of the A2 when he briefly saw two vehicles side by side at the roundabout at the end of the exit slip road. He told the jury he heard someone shout 'I'm going to sort you out' and about 15 seconds after they had driven off, the sound of a collision. But Mr Lewis added he could not tell from which vehicle the threat had been made. 'Those words were said, that threat was said, and 15 seconds after that, there was a collision and that little boy died,' he said. Having then heard a woman scream, Mr Lewis went up New Barn Road to assist and alert the emergency services. Referring to Mr Mahon at the side of the road, he told the jury: 'It was very obvious to me he was in a very critical state.' Meanwhile Owen and his father had left, driving through Longfield and on to Hextable where they abandoned their Ford Ranger. En route, they had stopped for Patrick to get out and remove the front number plate. When police found their vehicle two days later, a pushchair which had fallen from the back of Mr Mahon's truck was still wedged underneath the chassis. Owen handed himself into police on June 2, while Patrick was arrested at an address in Maidenhead, Surrey, on June 3. The pair, of Hill Rise, Darenth, each deny murder. Owen Maughan has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Peter Maughan, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Mahon. He denies causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent to Mr Mahon, as well as two offences of attempting to cause GBH with intent in respect of Annarica and Hayley Maughan. As well as denying murder and manslaughter, Patrick Maughan has pleaded not guilty to causing Peter's death by dangerous driving and three offences in respect of Mr Mahon, namely causing GBH with intent, inflicting GBH and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He also denies two offences of causing GBH with intent in relation to Annarica and Hayley Maughan. The trial continues. A seven-year-old girl with a rare cancer has been overwhelmed by the delivery of more than 90,000 birthday cards helped by a procession of Hells Angels bikers. Amelia Kolpa was diagnosed with a rare neuroblastoma in her stomach and has been in and out of hospital since she was two. Despite once beating the cancer, it returned and she is now receiving palliative care. For her eighth birthday in March, her family set themselves a challenge to break the UK record for getting the most greeting cards in one day. Her mother Katarzyna Bartczak's original target was to get 8,000 cards to break the record. Amelia got more than ten times that after the online appeal went viral. Some 2,000 bikers took to the streets of Rowley Regis in the West Midlands to help deliver the letters. Three vans filled with letters were escorted through the town by the bikers. Hells Angel member Matt Lem, who helped to organise the collection said: 'The whole community, nationally and internationally has pulled together to do this. And with the ride, considering that it was wet, windy and cold, for so many people to turn up and show their support - it's truly unbelievable.' Amelia Kolpa, seven, was diagnosed with a rare neuroblastoma in her stomach and has been in and out of hospital since she was two Hells Angel member and restaurant owner Matt Lem helped to organise the card collection Some 2,000 bikers took to the streets of Rowley Regis in the West Midlands to help deliver the letters He started collecting cards at his restaurant, the Lockside Steakhouse in Stourbridge and soon found he was receiving hundreds each day. On January 28, he had amassed 18,000 cards but by yesterday more than 95,000 birthday cards had been collected for Amelia. People from around the world sent birthday cards to Amelia with some coming from Colombia. 'Two weeks back, I got a message asking if I could help give an appeal some traction. I get asked to do this all the time, but for some reason, this one touched my heart; it really struck a chord,' said biker Matt Lem. 'We made a video and I thought nothing of it. I went to the gym, and when I came back, the battery had gone on my phone. I received so many messages, calls, and Facebook calls about it. 'It's so humbling to see this, I'm humbled and extremely proud. It really shows what can be achieved when we work together.' Amelia greeted the crowds of well-wishers and waved as the cards were stacked in huge piles inside her home. Her aunt Charmaine Grace, who helped to organise the card appeal, said: 'There is so much love and support for my niece. The original target was to get 8,000 cards to break the record, Amelia got ten times that amount Biker Matt Lem, who helped organise the collection, said cards had been sent in from places including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and USA On January 28, Lem had amassed 18,000 cards but by yesterday more than 95,000 birthday cards had been collected for Amelia 'It's beautiful to know that everyone out there is with us on this journey and there's still humanity in the world. 'She's been going through this treatment since she was two and a half and most birthdays for her are spent in the hospital, so she wanted to do something big for her birthday. '[She] is so happy to have the cards, she just smiles and that is lovely. 'To us, it's just a card but it means the world to her.' Amelia is planning to open the cards and create a huge collage of them which will be displayed on a wall. Family and friends of a young British man critically injured while travelling in Thailand are urgently appealing to raise funds to help save his life and fly him home. Tiger Duggan, who turned 23 today, was involved in a road collision on Sunday during a motorcycle trip. Nurses who are colleagues of his mother, who works at a neonatal unit, have organised the fundraising drive for medical treatment and specialist medical flights. Tiger was initially feared dead but was resuscitated at the scene and taken to a small hospital on the Koh Samui island with critical injuries. His family, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, have organised a medical plane to move Tiger - who remains unconscious and on a life-support machine to the capital Bangkok for specialist care. Eventually, they hope Tiger, who was travelling with a British friend and had set out on his trip on January 16, will be stable enough to be flown back to the UK. An online fundraising appeal has been set up by colleagues of Tigers mother Lisa Duggan, a neonatal nurse at Milton Keynes University Hospital, which has so far raised over 77,000. Mrs Duggan said: I am overwhelmed by the huge generosity by everyone so far. Expenses so far are 6,000 for his (hospital) stay, 20,000 to transfer him to Bangkok (but) this does not include medical treatment. Tiger Duggan has been left in critical condition after a motorcycle accident in Thailand Tiger Duggan was moved from Koh Samui to Bangkok today by a specialist medical plane Although Tiger did take out medical insurance, Mrs Duggan said the family are still trying to work through it and support has not yet been provided while her sons condition is desperate. In their plea for donations to help pay for the medical flight to Bangkok, a family spokesperson said: The local medical facilities are unable to provide the critical care and specialised treatment Tiger urgently needs. Doctors have advised that he must be transferred to a major hospital in Bangkok for advanced medical care and specialist assessment. This transfer is urgent and essential for his survival and recovery. Although Tiger does have travel insurance, we have been informed that the process is lengthy and approvals can take time. Unfortunately, he cannot afford to wait, and this emergency transfer must happen immediately to give him the best possible chance. The flight to Bangkok took place this morning, with Tiger accompanied by his mother and aunt Lena. The family is now seeking thousands of pounds more to fund Tigers transfer back to the UK. His father Kieron Duggan, a plumber, and brother River, who travelled separately to the Thai capital, said: Tiger is now in Bangkok but we still need to get him home. As you could imagine the cost is going to be incredible. Tiger had moved from Milton Keynes to Perth, Western Australia, two years ago to start a dream job working for gold mining company Westgold Resources. Tiger Duggan had been working in Australia before going travelling with a British friend Tiger had travel insurance but his family say his situation is too urgent to wait for payout A Go Fund Me appeal has been launched by colleagues of Tiger's neonatal nurse mother Lisa Lisas colleagues, who set up the GoFundMe page, said: Lisa is not just a colleague to us, she is a compassionate, dedicated nurse and a deeply caring person who gives so much of herself to others every single day. Now, her family needs that same care and kindness returned to them. Any donation, no matter how small, will make a difference. If youre unable to donate, please consider sharing this page. Your kindness, love, and support mean more than we can put into words. Tigers family are being supported by Milton Keynes Central Labour MP Emily Darlington, who said: I am shocked and saddened to hear about the devastating accident involving Tiger, a young man from our community who is now fighting for his life in Thailand. Visit www.gofundme.com/f/ncqg5-please-help-an-angel-in-need to support the family. The family's supporters are also holding a vigil event in Milton Keynes on Saturday February 7 at Gregories Drive, Wavendon Gate, between 8pm and 9pm. See here https://www.facebook.com/events/868646272658040 for details. Sadiq Khan 'must apologise' to a bus driver who was sacked for chasing down a thief who stole a passenger's necklace, the London Assembly has demanded. Members yesterday passed a unanimous motion praising 'hero' bus driver Mark Hehir and called for an investigation into his dismissal. The motion called for Sir Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to 'apply pressure to Metroline to reinstate Mr Hehir or provide appropriate compensation', and to 'set out clear guidance for transport workers protecting passengers'. Mr Hehir, 62, who is originally from Limerick but now lives in north-west London, was fired by Metroline after he chased after the thief before knocking them out in self-defence when they returned. The vote comes after Mr Hehir called the mayor's silence 'disappointing'. London Assembly member Keith Prince, who brought forward the motion, said: 'This is not about encouraging reckless behaviour. 'It is about whether we are comfortable with a system that punishes frontline workers for stepping in when crime happens right in front of them. 'By supporting this motion unanimously, the Assembly has sent a clear message that public concern, common sense, and fairness still matter.' Sadiq Khan 'must apologise' to a bus driver who was sacked for chasing down a thief who stole a passenger's necklace, the London Assembly has demanded Former bus driver Mark Hehir with Katalin Kaszas, the victim of the robbery, during a meeting with Kieran Mullan in the House of Commons Former bus driver Mark Hehir (right) met Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch in the House of Commons The Mayor of London will have to formally respond to the assembly, however he does not have to accept the recommendations. Mr Hehir had been driving the 206 bus between Wembley and Maida Vale in June 2024 when a man brushed past a young woman who was boarding and snatched her necklace before fleeing down the street. The driver, who had worked for bus operator Metroline for two years prior to the incident, faced a split-second decision and sprinted after the alleged thief, eventually managing to recover the woman's necklace. But after the man approached the woman again, he told how he bravely stepped between them and knocked the man out with a single punch in self-defence. He then detained him on the floor for around half an hour until police arrived at the scene. The following day, Mr Hehir was suspended and later fired for his actions in a decision which has outraged the public. Speaking about his experience, Mr Hehir told the Daily Mail he would 'like to think I would do the same thing again', but added that given the ordeal he has been through, it is 'impossible to know'. Following the incident, Mr Hehir was hospitalised for six days and required two separate surgeries due to an infection he says was caused by the alleged thief biting him. Mark Hehir had worked as a London bus driver for Metroline for two years when, on June 25, 2024, he was driving the 206 bus between Wembley and Maida Vale in north-west London Ms Kaszas has now spoken of her distress at learning the driver lost his job, saying she felt 'so guilty' and describing how frightened she was during the incident 'I spent six days in hospital - I got an infection in my arm, I had to have two operations, while still working for the company under their pay. No-one ever rang to ask how I was,' he told the Mail. 'It's disgraceful, you could ask how my welfare is.' Metroline told the Mail it had been in touch with Mr Hehir during his stay in hospital and that the investigator in his case had phoned him while his union rep was present. Mr Hehir said: '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 didn't get it seen to at the time.' He added: 'The drivers at Metroline are incredible drivers, but you're a number, not an employee. Not if you give me a million pounds would I work for Metroline again.' The Irishman, who previously spent several months volunteering in Ukraine following Russia's illegal invasion in 2022, said the incident had completely tarnished a job he loved. 'I enjoyed my job, I'd wanted to find something I enjoyed. I got to know the people, you know the stops, who is getting on, you build a rapport with your customers and they took all that away. He added: 'I'd be very happy if Metroline made an apology and just admitted that they might have got it wrong. 'I'd like them to compensate me for lost earnings, that's important, that they understand they got it wrong, that's important for me.' He described driving a bus as 'an underpaid tough job', said the support he has received online has been 'incredible' but he does not think of himself as a 'hero'. Passenger Katalin Kaszas has this week spoken of her distress at learning the driver lost his job, saying she felt 'so guilty' and described how frightened she was during the incident. She said of his dismissal: 'I think it was unjust. I don't think (Mr Hehir) deserved that,' she said. 'If he [didn't] do what he did, anything could have happened to me. I felt so guilty. I felt that it was my fault I caused all this.' Shadow justice minister Dr Kieran Mullan, shadow transport minister Richard Holden and London Assembly member Susan Hall have written to Sir Khan to demand 'serious consideration of reinstatement or appropriate compensation'. Mr Hehir was also pictured meeting Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch in the House of Commons this week. The Conservatives have said they will bring forward proposals to introduce Good Samaritan protections in civil law for both employers and employees. More than 135,000 people have signed a petition in support of the bus driver, which was launched after an employment tribunal upheld Metroline's decision to sack the bus driver. In another sign of public support, a GoFundMe page for Mr Hehir has raised more than 40,000, while Justice Secretary David Lammy said that Mr Hehir is 'a hero and deserves our support'. A Metroline spokesperson previously said: 'The tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair.' The Mayor of London has been approached for comment. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this: never go drinking with a politician. The tight gits seldom put their hand in their pocket. When it comes time for their round, theres always an urgent call from their business manager. In perhaps the first instance of John Swinney answering a question at FMQs, he curtly rebuffed Russell Findlays offer to meet him down the local to discuss rates relief for licensed premises. I can think of nothing less appealing than having a pint with Russell Findlay, the First Minister quipped. Poor Russell. Snubbed. And with Valentines Day just around the corner, too. Incidentally, if youre under 40 and wondering what a pub is, they were like Starbucks but for beer instead of overpriced, oversugared coffee. People used to go there to drink alcohol and interact with other human beings. Weird, I know. The Conservative leader invited Swinney to knock back a few jars in the presence of Sir Tom Hunter. I have a trip to the dentist that would be more preferable, Swinney insisted. Russell Findlay's offer of a pint was rebuffed by John Swinney - but the Tory leader didn't look too heartbroken Does he expect us to believe hes found the one dental practice in Scotland still taking on patients? The pub trade is in a bad way and could use all the help it can get, not least a Scottish Government prepared to pass on rates relief. Findlay is making the humble pub a key issue heading into the election. He understands that pubs are the small businesses whose success or failure are among the most recognisable economic indicators in any community. Any kudos he gets for this is automatically deducted for a succession of boozer puns. One in seven publicans is thinking of calling time; Swinneys response was all froth and no beer, his position would mean last orders for pubs, and many punters would raise a glass if SNP ministers were barred from the nations alehouses. Right, pal. Youve had one too many. Out. Anas Sarwar returned yet again to the Glasgow hospital deaths scandal and again had an official document with which to embarrass the government. These papers outlined repeated warnings to SNP ministers about infection outbreaks at the Queen Elizabeth. The Labour leader lost the rag at one point and started bawling at Swinney, Shona Robison and the rest. He is appalled down to his very bones about this whole scandal, not least the way the families of the deceased have been treated. Its a sincere and righteous anger but one more effective when it is better controlled. Swinney hit back, accusing his opposite number of direct political interference in the conduct of an independent inquiry. (He wrote to Lord Brodie.) Being accused of impropriety by the SNP is like being told to lay off cannibalism by Hannibal Lecter. Sarwar yapped from his seat: You should be ashamed! If they had the capacity for shame, none of this would be happening. I regret to report that the Scottish Greens are still a thing, and this means we have to hear from them from time to time. Gillian Mackay used her two-question slot to press Swinney to rule out any drilling at Rosebank because it would only help Israel. Did Rosebank move to the Golan Heights when I wasnt looking? No, apparently hoicking oil and gas out of the seabed just west of Shetland benefits Israeli businesses seemingly thats a bad thing and violates Scotlands boycott of the Jewish state. Presumably our principled stance has crippled the Israeli economy and theyve handed the West Bank over to the Palestinians by now. I understand there is a knack to making sense of the Greens obsessive ravings about Israel. All you have to do is invest in a tin foil hat. Donald Trump's budget director is the latest in a string of Trump administration officials to face a death threat. Colin Demarco, 26, of Maryland was arrested January 22 by Arlington County Police for attempted murder charges following a five-month investigation stemming from a suspicious incident this summer. He showed up in August at the Northern Virginia home of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought wearing a surgical mask and gloves under the guise of job searching, according to court documents. Demarco feared Trump's reelection would lead to a 'fascist takeover' and wrote notes plotting to murder a victim with the initials 'R.V.' and who 'has served as a presidential appointee,' though Vought's name did not explicitly appear in the complaint. The alleged victim was, according to court documents, involved in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation-funded conservative outline for the US during Trump's second term proposing a reshaping of the federal government to consolidate power in the executive branch. Vought, an architect of this plan, has generated controversy due to his role in leading mass layoffs of thousands across the federal government during Trump's first year back in office. 'We are grateful for the work of law enforcement in keeping Director Vought and his family safe,' an OMB spokesperson said in a statement on the arrest and charges against Demarco. Colin Demarco, 26, of Rockville, Maryland was arrested January 22 by Arlington County Police on charges of attempted murder He was tracked down after an investigation into a Ring doorbell camera outside OMB Director Russel Vought's Virginia home in August allegedly showed Demarco in a surgical mask, gloves, sunglasses and carrying a backpack It's not the first time a Trump official has faced threats on their lives. In late March and early April last year, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and her husband Abraham Williams were sent threatening texts by Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, 24, from Lilburn, Georgia. Messages said they would 'die soon' and claimed the DNI was 'living on borrowed time.' In mid-August, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had to relocate from her home in DC to secure military base housing due to a 'surge in death threats' following the doxxing of her residential address. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. also reportedly has government protection due to threats he's received. Vought is the creator of Schedule F, a regulatory plan reclassifying thousands of employees so it's easier to fire them from federal government roles. Since joining the administration and leading the firing agenda, Vought has been the subject of numerous violent threats, court filings note. The US Marshal Service is now providing a security detail for Vought due to the volume of these threats and the alleged attempted murder. Demarco is due to appear in court on February 23 for several criminal charges. The US Marshals discovered several notes the young Maryland man drafted detailing a weapons stash and a 'Body Disposal Guide,' though no weapons were found upon a search of his room back in August. The criminal complaint against Demarco notes he was captured on a Ring doorbell camera at the front door of Vought's home in Arlington on August 10, 2025. He was wearing a mask, gloves and sunglasses to conceal his identity and was carrying a backpack. Video showed him looking through the OMB Director's mailbox and approaching a neighbor. The neighbor told investigators that Demarco asked if anyone was currently at the home and they claim he appeared to have a firearm tucked into his waistband under his shirt. Demarco admitted to investigators that he was going to Vought's home to confront him about Project 2025 and said the 2024 election was 'the lowest point in his life' Documents note that the person who interacted with the suspect initially identified the wrong person, but US Marshals were later able to identify Demarco and interview him at his home in Rockville, Maryland. Demarco told investigators he traveled to Arlington because he was looking for a job, according to the complaint. But he eventually admitted he was going to Vought's home to confront him about Project 2025 and told agents the last presidential election was 'the lowest point in his life' and feared an 'impending war and a fascist takeover.' He denied having a gun or harmful intent but did express admiration for suspected United Healthcare assassin Luigi Mangione. A search warrant for Demarco's iCloud account shows a series of writings including a 'Body Disposal Guide' detailing steps to 'always wear rubber gloves' and 'make an airtight alibi.' One note titled 'Dad's Gun Stash,' Demarco wrote about a .357 Magnum Colt revolver (FULLY PRE-LOADED!).' For more on crimes that shocked the world sign up to The Crime Desk newsletter here Nancy Guthrie's kidnapper disconnected her doorbell camera to test if it would prompt a response from police, NBC Today's crime expert has suggested. The 84-year-old, whose daughter is Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her $1 million Tucson, Arizona home last weekend. Authorities think she was taken against her will. Guthrie's doorbell camera was disconnected at 1.47am Sunday, which NBC National Law Enforcement & Intelligence Correspondent Tom Winter says is a 'critical moment' in her case. Software data recorded movement at the home at 2.12am, which police acknowledge could have come from a person or animal. But Guthrie did not have an active subscription with the doorbell app so the company was unable to recover any footage. Then at 2.28am the app on Guthrie's pacemaker was disconnected from her phone, which Winter says is evidence that she was away from her home and phone sometime before then. 'What's with that 20-minute time gap?' he said on the Today Show Friday morning. 'The camera gets ripped off the doorbell, but then there's motion seen on the camera outside, you know, 20 minutes later. What's that about?' Winter, citing unnamed aw enforcement sources, said there is speculation amongst investigators that Guthrie's abductor 'took the doorbell camera off and waited to see if police arrived'. 'And then perhaps thinking the coast was clear, goes back to the house. We don't know,' he continued. 'We don't know the specifics of what camera detected the motion either.' Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her $1 million Tucson, Arizona home last weekend The doorbell camera at Nancy Guthrie's home was disconnected at 1.47am Sunday, which NBC National Law Enforcement & Intelligence Correspondent Tom Winter says is a 'critical moment' in her case Winter unveiled the chilling theory on Today - NBC's flagship morning show - which Savannah Guthrie has hosted for more than a decade. The program opened with Guthrie's disappearance Friday for the fifth day in a row. Savannah has been off work since her mother's abduction and has dropped out of hosting NBC's coverage of the Milan Winter Olympics, which begin on Friday. She joined her two siblings in an emotional plea on social media Wednesday to say they're ready to talk to whoever sent the ransom notes. 'We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,' she said while fighting off tears. With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her. She was flanked by Camron and their sister, Annie. 'Mamma, If you're listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,' Annie added. Tom Winter, citing law enforcement sources, said on the Today Show Friday morning that there is speculation amongst investigators that Guthrie's abductor 'took the doorbell camera off and waited to see if police arrived' Software data recorded movement at Nancy Guthrie's home at 2.12am. Then at 2.28am the app on Guthrie's pacemaker was disconnected from her phone, which Winter says is evidence that she was away from her home and phone sometime before then Guthrie was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she didn't show up at a church. While she is able to drive and her mind is sharp, the Pima County sheriff said she has difficulty walking even short distances. She requires daily medicine that's vital to her health, has high blood pressure, a pacemaker and heart issues, police have said. It is now six days into the desperate search for the 84-year-old, but authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest. DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie's front porch was a match to her, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. 'Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,' Nanos said at a news conference earlier Thursday. He acknowledged, however, that authorities have no evidence she's OK. Authorities are bringing more resources and people into the investigation, and the FBI announced Thursday it was offering up to $50,000 for information. A day earlier, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can. A two-year-old girl was taken to hospital after allegedly being attacked by two dogs in east London. Two Rottweiler-style dogs were seized by police on Thursday but no arrests have yet been made after the serious incident in Raphael Park, Romford. Police said the alleged attack happened around 12.25pm on Monday and caused injuries that required hospital treatment. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson also said officers had been in touch with the victims family to update them on the investigations progress. We take incidents of this nature incredibly seriously, they added. Police said the alleged attack happened around 12.25pm on Monday in Raphael Park, Romford (File image) The girl has now been discharged, according to police. Anyone with information on the alleged attack is encouraged to call police on 101. Residents in a 'private community' in Maryland, left desolated by homeless encampments, vandalism and power outages, say they are becoming increasingly desperate after officials told them to 'have compassion' for the perpetrators. Locals within Marylander Condominiums in Prince George's County say their pleas for help are falling on deaf ears as building management and lawmakers try to shift the blame between them. The complex is located in America's biggest Democratic stronghold and has ranked among the highest for violent crime in Maryland. Issues first began at the condos in 2023 after a homeless encampment popped up in residents' backyard. Members of the encampment have been known to break into Marylander buildings and start fires, assault residents, vandalize and pee in the hallways, reported The Maryland Free Beacon. Half the buildings' residents have also been without heating since Thanksgiving after a homeless person allegedly broke in and damaged pipes, per Fox 5. The dire situation has led county officials to issue notices to vacate the complex, leaving many people on the brink of homelessness as they desperately try to offload their undesirable units. At a January 22, town hall where residents expressed their concerns, but police officials Melvin Powell and Thomas Boone sparked outrage with their advice. Marylander Condominium owners have reported feeling unsafe after a homeless encampment took over in 2023 Their fortunes declined further after one of the encampment members allegedly damaged pipes and knocked out the heating which led to officials issuing notices to vacate Resident Scott Barber (left) and his mother Linda (right) have lived at the Marylander for years and say it has declined recently due to the nearby homeless encampment 'We have to be compassionate,' Powell said, before Boone added that the police department was not going to be 'criminalizing the unhoused'. Their words were of little comfort to long-suffering residents, including Scott Barber, who has lived at the Marylander for years with his mother, Linda and brother Chris. 'The encampment has gotten worse because the buildings are un-secure,' he said. 'It's a crime of opportunity.' A $27,000 fence was installed around the complex to keep the homeless population out, but Barber said it hasn't helped. Jason Van Horne lives at the complex with his 73-year-old mother. He told WTOP that security at the Marylander is abysmal due to broken locks. His mother, Lynette, said she can't even wash her clothes without fearing for her safety. 'They tear up the laundry room, they sleep in the building, they have sex,' she told the Washington Times. 'You have to get up in the morning and look through the peephole before you can leave.' After the meeting, Prince George's County Executive Aisha Braveboy vowed to hold the property management company Quasar 'accountable'. Police Public Safety Chief sparked outrage after he Melvin Powell encouraged residents to be 'compassionate' of their homeless neighbors despite the issues they are allegedly causing Resident have alleged poor security in the complex that made it easier for homeless people to break in Resident were directed to warming stations and encouraged to leave the property but many have been unable to afford to relocate 'My administration understands the urgency and is committed to seeing this through,' she said. On Thursday, a Prince George's County judge gave property management two weeks to evacuate residents and begin fixing the heating system Residents reportedly pay up to $1,000 in condo fees on top of hundreds in mortgage payments each month. Despite the notice to vacate, many residents have been forced to remain in their properties as hotel prices are too high and their condominiums are undesirable to buyers. Phil Dawit is the managing director of Quasar, which took over the property in April 2025. He criticized the county for what he claims is its relaxed approach to the homeless encampment. 'The people working hard and following laws are on their way to being homeless,' Dawit said. 'Meanwhile, the homeless encampment gets to do whatever it wants.' Van Horne agreed with the sentiment, saying those in the encampment are 'living better than us'. Dawit has blamed the county for the complex's regression. Phil Dawit is the managing director of Quasar which manages the property. He has blamed county officials for the issues Nicolas Collins warned Marylander residents against providing food for the homeless encampment 'The dilapidation of this community was caused directly by the county,' Dawit told the Free Beacon. 'The reason it's so bad now is that everyone let it fester.' But county officials have blamed building management and even residents for the rampant homeless population. Police Captain Nicolas Collins warned residents against bringing food to members of the homeless encampment on a January 17 Zoom call. 'That's only going to incentivize the unhoused population to return and ask for more,' he said. The Department of Social Services reportedly runs a program in which outreach teams 'built trust' with the homeless population to meet them where they are'. County Official Danielle Coates corresponded with building management in August, threatening 'further escalation' from Housing Enforcement. County Official Danielle Coates reportedly told building management that the county would escalate the situation if it was not addressed 'Residents have made repeated requests for repairs and improved safety measures,' she said in an email to Quasar management. 'Failure to address these concerns promptly may result in further escalation.' The county reportedly threatened to sue the Marylander for its failure to fix nearly $5 million in property damage. Prince George's County has an 86 percent vote share of Democrats, the most in the country. The Daily Mail contacted county police, the county council, the Department of Social Services and Quasar Real Estate for comment. The neighbor of Nancy Guthrie recalled seeing a suspicious white van on their street before the 84-year-old grandmother disappeared from Arizona. Brett McIntire, 72, reported the vehicle to police after noticing it lacked any company branding, unlike normal work vehicles, he told the New York Post. 'It was a white van, full-sized, with no printing on the sides. It was parked on the street,' he said. He spotted the vehicle a few days before Nancy's disappearance and said that he answered some basic questions from police about the sighting. But the experience shook McIntire, who now keeps a paper and pen with him during his neighborhood walks so he can report anything suspicious he might come across, he told The Post. It also spooked his wife, Lisa, who is now considering buying security cameras for their home, despite having heavy metal doors. 'Im kind of a deep sleeper,' she told The Post, despite acknowledging that they have a 'pretty secure residence'. 'Its unlikely someone could get past one of the metal doors, but were a little concerned,' she said. Nancy Guthrie's neighbor said he saw a suspicious white van on their street days before she disappeared. The mother of Today host Savannah Guthrie has been missing since Sunday The $1 million property in Tucson, Arizona, where Nancy was last seen Nancy, who is the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her $1 million home in Tucson last weekend. Authorities think she was taken against her will as her doorbell camera was disconnected around 2am on Sunday. Software data recorded movement at the home at 2.12am, which police acknowledge could have come from a person or animal. Nancy did not have an active subscription with the doorbell app, so the company was unable to recover any footage. Then at 2.28am, the app on her pacemaker was disconnected from her phone. Nancy was reported missing shortly before noon Sunday after she didn't show up at a church. While she is able to drive and her mind is sharp, the Pima County sheriff said she has difficulty walking even short distances. She requires daily medicine vital to her health, has high blood pressure and heart issues, police have said. It is now six days into the desperate search for the grandmother, but authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest. Your browser does not support iframes. Police believe she was abducted from her home after her doorbell camera was turned off and her pacemaker was disconnected from her phone The FBI has been at Nancy's home this week as the search for her continues Nancy's children, Annie, Today Show host Savannah Guthrie and Camron, are begging for her safe return DNA tests showed blood found on Nancy's front porch was a match to her, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said. 'Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,' Nanos said at a news conference earlier Thursday. He acknowledged, however, that authorities have no evidence she is unharmed. Law enforcement is bringing more resources and people into the investigation, and the FBI announced Thursday it was offering up to $50,000 for information. President Donald Trump said he has spoken with Guthrie and posted on social media that he was directing federal authorities to help where they can. She has been off work since her mother's abduction and has dropped out of hosting NBC's coverage of the Milan Winter Olympics, which begins on Friday. She joined her two siblings in an emotional plea on social media on Wednesday to say they're ready to talk to whoever sent the ransom notes. 'We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us,' she said while fighting off tears. NEW from Daily Mail. We take you inside the kidnap case shocking America. Out now on all podcast platforms. Listen here With her voice cracking, she addressed her mother directly, saying the family was praying for her and that people were looking for her. She was flanked by her brother Camron and their sister, Annie. 'Mamma, If you're listening, we need you to come home. We miss you,' Annie added. The Daily Mail has contacted the Pima County Sheriff's Department for comment. A Florida man was left fighting for his life after contracting a flesh-eating disease during his Bahamian vacation. Brian Roush, 62, and his girlfriend, Tonia Buford Stinson, travelled to the sun-soaked paradise to celebrate the New Year. But within just hours of returning home, he was admitted to the hospital and has been a patient ever since. Roush was enjoying the vacation when he tripped over and scraped his ankle. Thinking nothing of it, he cleaned it up and went on with the day's activities, which included swimming with pigs. His daughter, Brittany Roush, told WFLA that once he arrived home, her father suddenly became very sick and ultimately unresponsive. Roush's ankle 'erupted into blisters' and he was admitted to Broward Hospital, where he was immediately intubated and placed on a ventilator. 'The doctor suspected flesh-eating bacteria, necrotizing fasciitis, got him into emergency surgery to remove fluid,' Brittany said. Brian Roush contracted a flesh-eating infection while on vacation with his girlfriend in the Bahamas After cutting his leg, Roush went on with his vacation which included swimming with pigs Most of the skin from his ankle had to be removed all the way down to the bone to rid him of the infection. Roush was given a less than ten percent chance of survival. The Cleveland Clinic describes necrotizing fasciitis as a 'flesh-eating disease'. It is a rapidly spreading bacterial infection of tissue beneath the skin, contracted via open wounds. According to a GoFundMe, the family started to support Roush's medical expenses, he had no clear symptoms of the infection, but the doctor's quick thinking 'saved his life'. 'His lungs, kidneys and his liver all failed throughout the week before he was able to start recovering,' Brittany said. After a week of antibiotics, much of his infection cleared. His kidneys have yet to recover, resulting in daily dialysis. 'You just can't explain the experience of seeing your loved one so weak and feeble,' Brittany said. 'It's been very, very difficult.' Roush has undergone multiple surgeries and treatments while being in the hospital for more than a month. Roush and his girlfriend (right) were celebrating the New Year in the Bahamas but within hours of returning he wound up in the hospital Roush had infections in his lungs, kidneys and liver and even contracted secondary infections from his lengthy hospital stay He suffered heart damage and secondary infection, even losing his ability to walk and the use of most of his limbs. Roush developed severe ICU myopathy, severe muscle weakness, which required multiple blood transfusions. Despite the painful procedures and non-stop treatment, Roush's family said he has been in good spirits. 'He is doing his best to maintain a positive attitude despite waking up to this nightmare,' they wrote. 'Cracking jokes and lavishing compliments on the nursing staff so they keep the ice water flowing.' Brittany hoped her father would be transferred to a rehabilitation facility this week, where he will likely stay for up to six months. The Daily Mail contacted the Roush family for comment. A fugitive FBI alleged terrorist who was tracked down in a remote Welsh village can be extradited to stand trial in the US, a judge ruled today. Daniel Andreas San Diego spent 21 years on the run over a series of bombings in San Francisco before being arrested at his rural North Wales cottage in November 2024. The US citizen, who had a 200,000 bounty on his head, had ties to an animal rights group which the FBI said was the motivation behind the blasts. San Diego, now 47, fled the US after allegedly detonating two bombs at animal biotech firms in August 2003 and targeting an animal nutrition business with a nail bomb the following month. He had been on the FBI's most-wanted terrorist list since 2009 the first domestic terrorist on the list, initially alongside al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The California-born suspect was finally arrested at a property near the village of Maenan in the Conwy Valley by officers from Britain's National Crime Agency supported by Counter Terrorism Policing and North Wales Police. Shocked neighbours knew him as 'Danny' but said he never exchanged more than a few words with them during the year he lived there. The remote and idyllic bungalow, which boasts stunning views into the foothills of Snowdonia, was unwittingly sold to San Diego by Aled Evans in August 2023. Daniel Andreas San Diego, 47, was on the run from the FBI for more than 20 years, described as one of the US's 'most wanted suspected terrorists' This is the remote and idyllic Welsh beauty spot where San Diego was traced in 2024 The alleged terrorist was found in a rural property near a woodland in the area of Conwy He paid for 450,000 for the property under the name 'Danny Webb', offering 15,000 over the asking price to secure the home. Mr Evans later recalled the purchaser as a 'quiet' and 'soft-spoken' man who was 'besotted' by the views from the balcony. The former owner said the fugitive also seemed 'excited' about mountain biking in woodland to the back of the house. At a hearing last year, San Diego's lawyers argued last year that he could not receive a fair trial if extradited, citing 'the political capture of the criminal justice system' and the U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump. But today at Westminster Magistrates Court, Judge Samuel Goozee ruled San Diego could be extradited, saying there was 'no evidence of any improper political involvement in (San Diego's) case or any evidence of any presidential interference in (San Diego's) case, now or in the future'. The first bombing over which he is accused targeted biotechnology firm Chiron Inc. near Oakland, California, in August 2003. Authorities responding to the blast found a second bomb, which the FBI said could have been planted to target first responders. The Animal Liberation Brigade said in a statement at the time: 'This is the endgame for the animal killers and if you choose to stand with them you will be dealt with accordingly.' Most wanted alleged terrorist Daniel Andreas San Diego first appeared by video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court in December 2024 to face extradition to the US A month later, a nail bomb detonated outside nutritional products company Shaklee, in an attack also claimed by the Animal Liberation Brigade. No one was injured in either of the incidents. The two targeted businesses had links to British firm Huntingdon Life Sciences, which was long the focus of both lawful and criminal protests for testing pharmaceuticals, chemicals and dyes on animals. The FBI also claim they found a 'bomb-making factory' in San Diego's abandoned car after he led police on a 65-mile chase in California. San Diego was indicted in 2004 by the US for 'maliciously damaging and destroying by means of an explosive'. But the committed vegan vanished before he could be taken into custody. At the time of his arrest in Wales, then FBI Director Christopher Wray said: 'There's a right way and a wrong way to express your views in our country, and turning to violence and destruction of property is not the right way. 'Daniel San Diego's arrest after more than 20 years... shows that no matter how long it takes, the FBI will find you and hold you accountable.' San Diego's legal team still have the opportunity to appeal today's ruling, the BBC reported. Criminals including violent thugs and sex offenders facing prison sentences of up to two years would be able to dodge jail under radical soft touch justice plans. Experts advising the SNP government say too many offenders are being locked up and are calling for fewer to be sent behind bars. They are proposing a raft of measures which would lead to thousands more prisoners being spared jail in favour of community service and electronic tags. Other moves include allowing police to hand out fixed penalties to violent thugs - while offenders jailed for more than four years would be automatically freed after serving two-thirds of their sentences. Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: This latest soft-touch justice policy from the SNP amounts to a free pass for criminals who commit serious offences. It is another gross insult to victims who are a complete afterthought when it comes to the SNPs justice priorities. This comes in the same week when the SNPs justice secretary already confirmed she wants to let out more criminals out early. Now if she agrees with these recommendations, many dangerous criminals will spend no time behind bars at all. The sentencing advisory body was launched last year by Justice Secretary Angela Constance The Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission is led by former Scottish Police Authority chairman Martyn Evans, above The SNPs reckless approach is only continuing to endanger public safety across Scotland. The Sentencing and Penal Policy Commission, launched in February 2025 by Justice Secretary Angela Constance, is led by former Scottish Police Authority chairman Martyn Evans. Its 149-page report calls on ministers to explore outlawing jail terms of up to a year with limited exceptions and to introduce a presumption against jailing criminals for up to 24 months. Sheriffs choosing to lock people up for up to two years going against the presumption would have to provide written reasons. There is currently a presumption against jail terms of up to a year - but the commission found it has not led to a big enough decline on the number of short-term prisoners, so further moves are needed to cut the jail population. It said prisons are overcrowded which has led to Ms Constance freeing hundreds of prisons early to free up jail space and proposing a reduction in the automatic early release threshold for prisoners serving sentences of up to four years from 40 per cent to 30 per cent. The report said: One option open to us was to recommend building more prisons. Scotland could accept that it will always have a higher prison population than its peers and find the substantial sums of money required to maintain that policy. We rejected that path. Criminals including violent thugs and sex offenders facing prison sentences of up to two years would be able to dodge jail under the plans Over the last year, not one person has made the case to us that the Scottish people are uniquely criminal, or Scotland inherently requires more prisoners than other countries. The report said the commission has set a clear ambition: that Scotland should work towards reducing its prison population in line with the European average doing the calculations for our nation, that works out at approximately 5,775 people [down from the current average prison population of more than 8,200]. The commission said this would mark a decisive shift away from over-reliance on imprisonment towards approaches that are proven to reduce crime and still protect the public. It said proportionate measures such as warnings, fiscal penalties, restorative options [for example offenders apologising to their victims] and diversion linked to mental-health, substance-use or social work support show strong evidence of effectiveness. Another recommendation is for ministers to allow police to hand out fixed penalties for threatening behaviour and ascertain if there are further statutory offences that would be suitable for police direct measures. This would mean more people escaping with fines instead of being prosecuted. Some 10,599 people were proceeded against in court in 2023-24 for a main charge of threatening and abusive behaviour. Ministers are also told to publish a national decarceration plan within 12 months, setting out clear milestones, modelling, and annual reporting plans, with a view to substantially reducing the prison population to that of the average Western European country. The experts said police should have the power to refer criminals to social workers. The report said prosecutors can refer people to justice social work for diversion to services that are designed to address underlying issues and unmet need, such as addiction or poor mental health which may be leading to offending behaviours. But there is no similar option for the police to refer people as a final outcome. The report said: We have heard that this could be an appropriate tool for people who have offended to access support to change behaviours at the earliest opportunity. Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: I welcome the Commissions work and thank them for their comprehensive review and swift action on a complex area. The breadth of recommendations requires detailed consideration and prioritisation. Taking this forward will be a matter for an incoming government, with many requiring legislative change. Bold, collaborative action is needed to reduce reliance on custody and achieve a sustainable prison population. We are committed to taking action. There is no silver bullet, but these considered recommendations can help us achieve a sustainable prison population. We remain an outlier in prison numbers. While prison will always be necessary, we need to shift the balance to community justice, which is shown to reduce reoffending and be more cost-effective for the public purse. I will consider the detail of the report and set out my in-principle response to the report in a statement to parliament next week. A fisherman was killed by a crocodile after fleeing a herd of elephants in eastern Zambia. Dean Nyirenda, 52, had been returning from a fishing trip with two friends on Wednesday when they unexpectedly came across the elephants. The trio ran for safety, with Nyirenda diving into a stream near the Luangwa River in a desperate attempt to escape the animals. 'That is when he was attacked by a crocodile by biting his right thigh,' local police chief Robertson Mweemba told journalists. Police said Nyirenda managed to fight off the reptile by hitting it with a stick and dragged himself out of the water. His two fellow fishermen, who had been watching from a distance, rushed to help him and carried him from the riverbank as he bled heavily. 'They tried to stop the bleeding but unfortunately he died,' Mweemba added. A fisherman was killed by a crocodile after fleeing a herd of elephants in eastern Zambia (stock image) Dean Nyirenda, 52, had been returning from a fishing trip with two friends on Wednesday when they unexpectedly came across the elephants (stock image) Wildlife officers who later visited the scene found deep bite wounds on the Nyirenda's right thigh, which were blamed for the fatal blood loss. Zambia has a thriving elephant population, and clashes between humans and wildlife have claimed dozens of lives in recent years. The Luangwa River, which flows through the southern African county's South Luangwa National Park, is home to one of the highest concentrations of Nile crocodiles in Africa, according to conservationists. Figures from Resource Africa show that of the 26 wildlife-related deaths recorded in 2023, 15 were caused by crocodile attacks, most of them along the Luangwa River. Zambian authorities have repeatedly urged locals and tourists to exercise extreme caution when travelling through wildlife hotspots, while officials say measures including protective fencing are being considered to reduce human-animal conflict. It comes after a British student left with her 'foot dangling loose' after being savaged by a 10ft crocodile in Zambia in 2021. Amelie Osborn-Smith, 18, was enjoying a day of white water rafting on the Zambezi Rover, close to Victoria Falls, when she was attacked by the huge crocodile despite guides telling her the river was safe to swim in. She has since suffered nightmares and flashbacks to the horrific incident in which she was dragged into a death roll. The teen's father, former Army Major Brent Osborn-Smith, previously said she had been resting her leg over the side of the boat when the crocodile clamped its jaws around her calf and dragged her under the water. Speaking from her bed at the Medland Hospital in Zambia, Amelie revealed instinct took over and her mind went into 'overdrive' as she fought for her life. Three members of the gang who grabbed 1.1million worth of watches from a tragic shop manager who killed himself were jailed for a total of 51 years today. Oliver White, 27, was restrained with cable ties during the raid at 247 Kettles store in Kew Road, Richmond, on May 25, 2024. Mannix Pedro, 37, Kyle Mehmet, 40, and Michael Holmes, 34, were locked up for 20 years, 18 years and 13 years respectively for their roles in the robbery. Salesman Mr White was so devastated by allegations that he did nothing to resist the raiders that he killed himself the following day in the woods where he had played as a boy. Seventy uninsured watches, including a 30,000 Rolex Sky Dweller, were taken while the business owners, Conor Thornton and Joe Riley, were in New York. They flew back to London for an 'intense' meeting with Mr White the next day, attended by a third businessman, Fred Sines. Watch dealer Sines, 37, was handed a suspended jail sentence earlier this year for trying to sell the 4.3m gold toilet stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019. His father is multi-millionaire caravan tycoon Maurice Sines who previously had a close association with Ireland's most notorious criminals, the Kinahan Cartel. Oliver White (pictured), 27, was restrained with cable ties during the raid at 247 Kettles store in Kew Road, Richmond, on May 25 last year. He later took his own life Kyle Mehmet (front) and Junior Kunu (back) are seen during the heist at the jewellery store in Richmond. Mehmet was found guilty but Kunu was cleared The total value of the watches that were taken is approximately 1.1million Jurors heard claims Kettles was run by Maurice and Fred Sines as a 'front for organised crime' while 100,000 bounties have been placed on the heads of the robbers. Mr White offered the owners the 14,000 he had been saving up to put a deposit down on a flat with his girlfriend Alana Dredge to compensate for the stolen jewellery. Jurors were shown CCTV of the Rolex raid but footage of the meeting with Sines and the owners the next day has gone missing. Mr White then travelled to the woods in Shepperton, where he grew up and took his own life. Mehmet had tied up and held Mr White in a headlock while Kunu swiped the watches, including a Rolex Sky Dweller. Holmes took part in a 'dry run' at the shop two days before the raid. Kunu was cleared of conspiracy to rob after he claimed the heist was staged, Mr White was in on it and so no force was used. He said he was offered 5,000 to put the watches into a bag and if it had been a genuine robbery Mr White could have hit the panic alarm. Businessman Pedro was described as the 'general' who organised the raid and supplied a stolen Audi as one of several getaway cars. Pedro was convicted of conspiracy to rob by a jury earlier this year. He had denied any involvement in the plot and said he was in a gym with his girlfriend two days earlier. Pedro also claimed it may have been an inside job and said: 'The people I am worried about is Fred Sines, the Kinahans, the cartels, the people saying they are going to kill people on behalf of 247 kettles. 'Rumour on the street is they robbed themselves.' Mehmet (pictured) had tied up and held Mr White in a headlock while Kunu swiped the watches, including a Rolex Sky Dweller Mannix Pedro (left) and Michael Holmes (right) were today jailed for their roles in the robbery Jurors heard claims 247 Kettles was run by Maurice (left) and Fred Sines (right) as a 'front for organised crime' Fred Sines, also known as Fred Doe, was handed a suspended jail sentence last year for trying to sell the 4.8million gold toilet which was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019 Mehmet claimed he took part in the robbery because he owed 190,000 to 'serious criminals' who he referred to as 'the firm'. He believed it was an 'inside job' but when he learnt there was a 100,000 'bounty' on his head he fled to Turkey with his wife and children. Mehmet, who has a previous conviction for robbery, returned to the UK and was arrested in March last year. Holmes was also arrested last March. Mehmet and Holmes, who was also arrested last year, denied but were convicted of conspiracy to rob. A fifth suspect, Michael Ashman, is still on the run. Ed Brown, KC, prosecuting, referred to the impact statement written by Mr White's mother Amy Keane. 'She described the pain of her loss and the devastation to her life. She described the ongoing emotional turmoil and feelings of helplessness following his senseless death. 'Not a day passes without her breaking down.' Ms Dredge said she was expecting to spend the rest of her life with Mr White. 'They hoped for a family together and she thinks about him every moment and lived with the mental pain every day.' Mr White had been restrained with cable ties during the raid at the 247 Kettles store (pictured) in Richmond, west London, on May 25 last year Mr Brown added: 'His death was a direct and immediate effect of what happened. If it wasn't the intended result, it was nevertheless the result of the robbery.' Pedro was jailed for 20 years while powerfully built Mehmet, who appeared in court via videolink from HMP Doncaster, was locked up for 18 years. Holmes, described as a petty criminal, was jailed for 13 years. Judge Philip Shorrock described it as a 'commercial robbery of the most serious kind'. He said Mr White was held in a headlock and tied up. 'Very significant force was used. It was designed to intimidate him and it did just that. He offered very little resistance. 'There was some evidence the business was not all it seemed to be and there may be individuals behind it who are serious criminals themselves, or have links to serious criminals.' He said Mr White was 'extremely frightened' after the meeting with the owners when it was suggested he might have taken part in the theft of the watches. 'He was apprehensive of what his employers might do to him. The question is whether his death was a consequence of the robbery. 'It is plain he suffered extreme psychological harm as a result of the robbery. The effect of his death to those that knew Oliver White has been profound, undeserved and unnecessary.' Mr White had prepared trays of watches for Kunu and Bowrage to view believing they were genuine customers on 25 May, 2024. 'Suddenly they stood up and started grabbing the watches,' said Mr Brown. 'Mr White described how one of them grabbed his hands to stop him moving and pinned them across his chest and then had his hands bound using zip ties. 'He was then put in a headlock. Having done so they left, leaving him in shock and with visible reddening around his neck and wrist. 'When he was spoken to by the police he still appeared shocked and that he was still processing the events. 'He was however doing everything to help the police and to recover any watches they could. 'None of the watches have been recovered and for reasons that will become clear they were not insured.' Ms Dredge had said in a statement read to the court the accusations that Mr White was somehow in on the raid 'broke him'. She said it was 'clear he loved the work' at 247 Kettles. 'Even whilst we were on holiday and at weekends Olly would be working and trying to close deals with his clients.' After the raid she said Mr White was 'really shaken up'. 'He didn't want to talk about what happened, he hated the fact the video had been posted online,' she said. 'He just said he wanted a cuddle.' Ms Dredge said Sines had pressurised her boyfriend after the robbery. 'He asked Olly if he wanted to meet him, Joe and Conor in Shepperton. As he left he said he felt really sick and I said to him that he didn't need to go, but he insisted on going anyway. 'Olly was gone for about an hour from about midday until 1pm approximately. When he walked through the door he didn't want to talk to me about the meeting.' Sines had suggested 'he didn't put up much of a fight' and 'had something to do with it'. She said Conor 'agreed he might have had something to do with the robbery and Joe also said he didn't know what to think, and couldn't look Olly in the eyes. 'When Olly told me this I could see that it broke him as they were two of his best friends who he thought were meant to have his back. 'They were saying now they didn't trust him. I said these were meant to be your friends and he said "Yeah, I thought so too."' She said Olly was told to attend another meeting: 'As Olly was getting dressed I was upset - I said to him I was sorry this had happened to him. 'Olly told me he loved me and he left in the car. Olly messaged me at 5pm or just before saying "I love you" and then a kiss. 'I replied saying I love you and that I hope you're OK, what's the latest? 'There were a few messages back and forth - I ended up calling his work phone and his personal phone. I knew something wasn't right.' Pedro was arrested a few days after the robbery driving a black Audi SQ5. He was released on bail and arrested again as he tried to fly out on a one way trip to Marseille with a false passport with a false name. Kunu was arrested on June 5. He had altered his look, cutting his hair and trimming his beard. Pedro's phone was seized and on it was a voice note from a man saying: 'I want everything'. He adds: 'The box and papers for the Kettles [watches] are in there.' He also said: 'Don't play with them when you are in there,' 'All the money 155k', 'bare jewels,' 'Cartier bracelet,' 'the dweller,' 'Sky Dweller' and 'I want everything'. Pedro told the court suggested there were shadowy characters involved 'putting hits on people' and said there were 150,000 bounties on the heads of Kunu and Mehmet. He added: 'One person who has committed suicide, but we do not know it is suicide.' At that point a male member of Mr White's family yelled from public gallery: 'Don't you say that.' Pedro said: 'The truth will incriminate people, and put people's names into something I do not understand. I am not going to do that, that's not how I was raised. 'Rumour on the street is they robbed themselves. They gave the go-ahead whether or not Olly knew. 'Someone gave him the go-ahead to not press the panic alarm, to wait. If you are panicking for your life you'd press the panic button.' Mr Brown asked Pedro: 'Are you suggesting Olly White was killed?' Pedro said: 'I don't know. What type of company, legit business starts putting money on people's lives. 'How do you know 247 kettles don't launder money to criminals.' Sines was one of the investors in 247 Kettles and Pedro claimed his associates put the bounties out on Kunu and Mehmet. Rupert Bowers, KC, for Holmes questioned in court whether it was 'a criminal enterprise with Fred Sines and his father behind it?' Mr Riley replied: 'No, not at all.' Mr Brown confirmed during the trial Mehmet, Kunu and Holmes have been issued with 'threat to life warning notices' by police after bounties were placed on their heads. Kunu, of Mitcham, south London, Mehmet, of North Road, Rotherham and Holmes, of Sheffield, all denied conspiracy to rob. Pedro, of Cobham, Surrey, also denied the charge. In a statement paying to tribute to her son, Ms Keane, earlier said: 'I would describe Oliver as a huge character, very warm and a brilliant person. 'He lit up the room when he entered it and was incredibly kind and caring, he would go above and beyond for anyone. He cared deeply for his family, was a wonderful role model for his little brother, as well as his two sisters. 'Oliver really wanted to make something of himself, he aspired to buy a house, have a family and was planning for his future and this influenced his decision to work 24/7 as he saw his friends doing well in a business they enjoyed. 'We know Oliver to be trustworthy and honest. Given the jury have convicted a man of planning and organising the robbery of Oliver, we take this as vindication of our firmly held belief he played no role in this offence and was not implicated in any involvement. 'We are all absolutely devastated with the loss of our funny, thoughtful and kind son Oliver, our lives will never be the same and we feel this loss every minute of every day.' Detective Sergeant Matt Hollands, who led the investigation, said: 'This was an audacious robbery that was several months in the planning. I'm pleased our investigation has resulted in a dangerous offender being convicted. 'Our work is far from over, and our focus remains finding the three other men involved and putting them before the courts? 'Throughout this investigation Oliver has been in our thoughts and we have remained committed to securing justice for his family. His death is a tragic reminder that crimes such as robbery have a significant impact on victims.' An Arizona news station was left 'alarmed' by a second message from Nancy Guthrie's alleged captors. Mary Coleman, a reporter for KOLD, told CNN that the message was sent straight to law enforcement. The Pima County Sheriffs Department said that the IP address from the email did not match the first one sent to the station earlier this week. However, Coleman said 'it appears the sender used the same type of secure server' to hide their information. The station reported: 'The new note contains information the senders seem to think will prove to investigators theyre the same people who sent the first note.' The frantic search for Guthrie has entered a sixth day. Authorities have not identified any suspects or ruled anyone out, Nanos said at a news conference Thursday. Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie's front porch was a match to her, Nanos has said. Jeffrey Epstein helped the billionaire father of a fugitive killer get legal advice from Tony Blair's former Director of Public Prosecutions, the Daily Mail can reveal today. The paedophile financier said he spoke to Lord Ken Macdonald who charged Shaher Abdulhak more than 20,000 to meet in Paris after his son Farouk fled the UK having allegedly raped and murdered Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen. The barrister, a co-founder of Cherie Blair's Matrix chambers, was DPP and head of the Crown Prosecution Service when Martine was found strangled in a London apartment in March 2008. Four years later, after he left the role and was succeeded by Keir Starmer, he was advising Shaher Abdulhak, a billionaire known as the 'King of Sugar' in Yemen, about his son's case, the Epstein Files show. 'He held the position of head of prosecutions, the exact same position that he would be dealing with', Epstein told Shaher in an email released by the US Department of Justice. Lord Macdonald is a serving member of the House of Lords and a Deputy High Court Judge. He says there was nothing improper about his involvement in the case. He did not deny speaking to Epstein but told the Daily Mail he has 'no recollection' of the call in 2012 and would have been 'completely unaware of his reputation'. 23-year-old Martine Vik Magnussen was raped, strangled and dumped under rubble in the basement of a Great Portland Street flat after a night out in Mayfair to celebrate coming top of her class in her exams. Her suspected killer Farouk Abdulhak fled the UK on a flight to Cairo and then jumped on his father's private jet to Yemen, which has no extradition treaty with the UK. He has ignored years of campaigning from Martine's bereft family for him to return to Britain to face trial. The murder suspect insists her death was a 'sex accident' and taunted Martine's family recently by saying he won't return to Britain because he 'doesn't like the weather'. Farouk Abdulhak with Martine Vik Magnussen on the night she died in 2008 as she celebrated her exam results. She was found raped and strangled and he fled the UK for Yemen Abdulhak is the son of one of Yemen's wealthiest men, Shaher Adbulhak, pictured, known as the 'King of Sugar'. Emails released by the DoJ this week appear to show he was in contact with Jeffrey Epstein about his son's case Jeffrey Epstein said in a 2012 email that he had spoken to Lord Ken Macdonald, who served as Director of Public Prosecution between 2003 and 2008. Epstein wrote: 'He [Lord Macdonald] held the position of head of prosecutions, the exact same position that he would be dealing with' Today the Daily Mail reveals how four years after Martine's murder, when Lord Macdonald had left the CPS, Jeffrey Epstein emailed Shaher Abdulhak to recommend him. The sex offender claimed he had spoken to Lord Macdonald about Farouk's case, emails in the so-called Epstein Files show, and Epstein indicated he had a chance of avoiding prison. Describing his purported conversation with the leading barrister to Shaher, Epstein wrote: 'I talked to him. He said rough sex cases, not unusual, autopsy would be a factor but not a big one. Drugs are not a defence, he thought he would get bail... reduced charge'. He went on to suggest that Lord Macdonald's job in the Blair government as DPP from 2003 to 2008 could help. He added: 'Norway has been putting pressure on the govt. I think you should focus on what punishment would be acceptable. Time spent? Maybe a form of house arrest? Work, charity. The high profile nature is the problem. The press will highlight any issues'. Shaher responded that Macdonald's CV 'seems well positioned' to help his family with a 'tangled web of issues'. He added: 'I think you're right, something like house arrest, plus charity work, due to his age. The cause maybe was rough sex, too much alcohol and maybe drugs'. Epstein's email to Yemen billionaire Shaher Abdulhak, whose son Farouk fled the UK accused of killing Norwegian student Martine Vik Magnussen Lord Macdonald, director of public prosecutions from 2003 to 2008 under Tony Blair, confirmed he spoke to Epstein in this email but today claimed he had no memory of it and did not know about Epstein's criminal past Further documents show how the barrister charged 20,000 plus VAT and expenses to meet the billionaire in Paris in 2012, four years after he left the CPS Your browser does not support iframes. Further emails released by the US Justice Department reveal that Lord Macdonald went to meet Shaher Abdulhak in Paris. The barrister, described as a lawyer who 'has seen and done it all and is held in the highest esteem', charged Abdulhak 20,000 plus VAT, plus first class travel and a hotel for the night in the French capital. Macdonald wrote: 'Jeffery [sic] and I have spoken, and now I've spoken to the other party. We hope to meet in Paris later this month'. The barrister later agreed to travel to Yemen - but emails do not reveal how much he charged the Abdulhak family. Lord Macdonald today claimed he had 'no recollection' of a phone call with Epstein, despite his own email saying they spoke. He also denied Epstein's claims that he advised that Farouk Abdulhak could get bail should he return to the UK. In a lengthy statement he said: 'I am afraid I have no recollection of the single telephone call I seem to have received from Jeffrey Epstein, and I had no dealings with him prior to it and none afterwards. He was never my client, and I have never met him'. He said that in 2012 he was a barrister in private practice and 'taking a call of this sort would have been an entirely normal part of my professional practice. 'Since I have no recollection of the call, I can only assume I made no connection between him and any publicity at that time. However, as a criminal barrister, it is true to say that I regularly spoke with people who had criminal records and it was perfectly normal and ethical for me to do so. It was a regular and conventional part of my professional life', he said. He went on: 'Following my call with Epstein, and at Mr Abdulhak's request, I travelled to Paris to see Mr Abdulhak. As I have said, Epstein was not present, then or at any time thereafter, and he had no continuing involvement in the case. 'For the avoidance of doubt, all my fees were paid by Mr Abdulhak and I neither expected, nor received, anything from Epstein'. Lord Macdonald claims he then travelled to Yemen to persuade Farouk Abdulhak to return to the UK to 'face justice for his rape and murder of Martine Vik Magnussen'. But he failed, he said. Abdulhak fled the UK for Egypt and then on his father's private jet to Yemen within hours of Ms Vik Magnussen's murder. He remains there and is wanted by police CCTV footage issued by the Met Police shows Ms Vik Magnussen leaving the Maddox nightclub with Abdulhak hours before she was killed Martine's body was found buried under rubble the morning after partying with Abdulhak, who had already left the UK 'During the course of our meeting in Paris, Mr Abdulhak was clear that his son had committed these crimes and told me he very much wanted him to return from Yemen. It was also clear to me that his son was guilty of the offences and that it would be in the interests of justice for him to return to London to face trial as soon as possible', he said. 'We have no extradition treaty with Yemen, and the local authorities were obviously not cooperating. In addition, Ms Vik Magnussen's family very much wanted him to return to London to face trial for his rape and murder of their daughter, and they had been campaigning for this for many years. It was for these reasons that I agreed to travel to Yemen, despite the obvious risks that such a journey entailed at a time of very elevated extremism and instability in that country'. He added that he had discussed his visit to Yemen with Met police officers investigating Martine's murder. 'Unfortunately, I failed to persuade him and so my visit to Yemen was unsuccessful', Lord Macdonald said. He added: 'There was nothing improper in any way in my involvement in this case, whose sole purpose was to try to secure the return of a dangerous fugitive from Yemen to London. Epstein had no involvement at all beyond the single phone call I have described'. He said he did not remember dealing with Martine Vik Magnussen's case in 2008, which happened around five months before he left the role of Director of Public Prosecutions. 'Im afraid I cannot recall. It certainly became notorious, obviously. And there was a long-term desire on the part of authorities to get him back', he told the Daily Mail. 'I consider it vanishingly unlikely that a case in this category would have come across my desk. That would have been very unusual indeed.' A Louisiana man has scooped the largest unclaimed property check the state has ever seen. James Willet, 62, was presented with more than $320,000 at the Logansport Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming said Willet was the 'rightful owner' of the funds. A second check was also handed out, which allocated almost $80,000 for a trust for Willett's son. 'This presentation involved the largest unclaimed property check ever presented to a recipient by a Louisiana State Treasurer,' Fleming announced in a social media post. Fleming addressed the Chamber of Commerce to talk about the Louisiana Treasury's triumphs, including its unclaimed property program. Businesses hand over millions in 'dormant' funds, including insurance proceeds, securities, stocks and bonds to the state government every year. Willet's newfound fortune was likely a combination of payroll checks, royalties, interest payments or old bank accounts that were issued in his name. Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming (left) presented Jams Willett (right) with two hefty checks for unclaimed property Willett's first check was for more than $320,000 which was largest the state had seen In a photo of the exchange, Willett seemed unfazed by his large windfall. Individual states have custody over unclaimed property until the owner, or even an heir, claims it. Unclaimed property or 'escheat' laws began in the US as a form of 'consumer protection,' per Louisiana Unclaimed Property. According to Fleming, Louisiana has more than $1.2 billion in unclaimed property waiting for residents to snatch up. Although very few receive as large a check as Willett. 'One in six individuals in Louisiana has unclaimed property, with claims averaging $900,' Fleming said, according to KTBS. 'It is your money, we want you to claim it.' Willett is the owner of Gators and Friends which is located in Greenwood Louisiana residents can visit UnclaimedProperty.LA.gov to check if they are eligible for any cash. The website reported that almost $900,000 has been returned to residents. Willet is a Shreveport native and the manager of Gators and Friends. The alligator park and exotic animal zoo is located in Greenwood. He opened the attraction with his wife, Olga, in 2006, according to the website. The Daily Mail contacted Willet and the Louisiana State Treasury for comment. For more on crimes that shocked the world sign up to The Crime Desk newsletter here Nancy Guthrie could have been kidnapped from her Arizona home as part of a 'revenge' plot, a retired FBI agent has suggested. Authorities have not identified a motive or any suspects in the case as the search for Savannah Guthrie's missing mother entered its sixth day. But former FBI supervisor agent James Gagliano says the ransom note demanding Bitcoin funds is the 'most compelling piece of evidence thus far'. 'Kidnappings happen for one of two reasons: it's either for profit or it's for revenge,' Gagliano, a crisis negotiation expert, told Fox & Friends Friday morning. He highlighted how for decades high-profile individuals have been the targets of kidnappings, including Frank Sinatra Jr and newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. Guthrie's abduction, however, is 'baffling and beguiling' because it 'does not meet muster with any of the traditional type of kidnappings', Gagliano explained. 'We still don't know if this was a targeted attack, if this was a targeted abduction,' he continued, before addressing 'very strange' way the alleged captors contacted the Guthrie family. Gagliano said it is unusual for an abductor to provide a ransom note to the media instead of delivering it directly to the victim's family. Nancy Guthrie could have been kidnapped from her Arizona home as part of a 'revenge' plot, a retired FBI agent has suggested Guthrie vanished from her $1 million Tucson home last weekend. Authorities believe she was taken against her will He added that the 'multiple deadlines' detailed in the notes are also peculiar. 'Normally when captors put out multiple deadlines there is a negative consequence if law enforcement or the family doesn't meet the first one,' the former agent said. 'The family has been pleading for the captors to reach out to them and directly negotiate with them and sadly, that has not happened as of yet.' Gagliano also pointed to a devastating possibility that, due to Tucson's close proximity to the southern border, she was long out of the United States before anyone even knew she had been taken. 'The border is 60 miles away. And, you know, with that 12-hour, 10-hour gap...that is a long period of time,' he said. 'These people, the person or people who did this, they could have been a long way away before anyone would have been alerted at church the next morning that Ms Guthrie was missing.' Authorities believe the-84-year-old was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie's front porch was a match to her, the sheriff said. 'Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,' Pine County Sheriff Nanos Chris said at a news conference Thursday. He acknowledged, however, that authorities have no evidence she's OK. Former FBI supervisor agent James Gagliano says 'kidnappings happen for one of two reasons: it's either for profit or it's for revenge' Blood was spotted on the walkway of Nancy's $1million Tucson, Arizona home Investigators said they are taking seriously notes seeking ransom that were sent to some media outlets. It's unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn't met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie's home and an Apple watch. 'To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,' Janke said. At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said. A note e-mailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN. 'When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,' she said. Los Angeles resident Derrick Callella was arrested Thursday after texting Guthrie's daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni demanding Bitcoin payments, according to a criminal complaint. He contacted the family shortly after Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, Annie and their brother Camron posted a video to Instagram begging for their mother's return. Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, (center) accompanied by her siblings Annie (left) and Camron (right), posted a video to Instagram in which they spoke directly to their mother's captors and begged for her safe return Callella allegedly admitted to sending the messages and told investigators he was 'just trying to see if the family would respond.' The sheriff said it's possible Nancy Guthrie was targeted, but if she was, investigators still don't know if that's because her daughter is one of TV's most visible anchors. Authorities say any decision on whether to fulfill ransom demands ultimately is up to the family. A man who tried to rape a woman while on board an easyJet flight between Italy and Britain has been sentenced to six years behind bars. Nicola Cristiano, 45, carried out the sexual assault on a late evening flight on May 13, 2025, after he moved seats to be next to the victim. The Italian national repeatedly grabbed the woman by the hand and neck in a bid to force her to touch his exposed crotch. His semen was later found on her cheek and lip following the incident on the flight from Naples to Edinburgh. The father-of-two, who had been travelling to Scotland on a work trip, also attempted to kiss his victim and grope her breast and body. After Cristiano moved to another part of the plane, the women alerted cabin crew to the incident and he was arrested after the aircraft landed. Following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh last month, he was found guilty of attempted rape. Jim Stephenson, defending, previously told the court that the 45-year-old accepted the woman said 'no' repeatedly and that 'he did take her hand and place it on his penis'. Nicola Cristiano, 45, (pictured) carried out the sexual assault on a late evening flight on May 13, 2025, after he moved seats to be next to the victim The Italian national repeatedly grabbed the woman by the hand and neck in a bid to force her to touch his exposed crotch (Pictured: the High Court in Edinburgh) He has been found guilty of attempted rape after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh and has been sentenced to six years behind bars (Stock photo) 'However Mr Cristiano still maintains his innocence in relation to the most serious parts of the charge,' he added. Judge Alison Stirling sentenced him to six years behind bars after which he would be deported to Italy where he would be subjected to notification requirements for an 'indefinite period of time'. Referring to the victim statement, the judge said the assault had 'left a lasting effect on [the woman's] sense of safety and control'. 'She doesn't feel comfortable flying and travelling alone any more,' she told Cristiano. 'She had planned another holiday this year but she doesn't want to go on it any more.' And although she had been surrounded by other people, she felt alone during the ordeal, which has been 'especially damaging' for the victim, Ms Stirling added. 'She thinks this will always have a lasting effect on her.' The judge also noted from a criminal justice social work report that Cristiano had not accepted the guilty verdict. 'Custody is the only appropriate sentence with regard to the serious nature of the offending,' she added. 'The reasons for the sentence include punishment, expressing society's concerns about and disapproval of your offending, protection of the public, and rehabilitation in custody.' Speaking following Cristiano's conviction last month, Detective Chief Inspector Steph Garnett, from Police Scotland's public protection unit, said: 'Cristiano will now face the consequences of his despicable actions and I hope this brings comfort to his victim. 'He deliberately approached a woman travelling alone on a flight and sexually assaulted her. 'Fortunately she had an opportunity to alert a member of the cabin crew and she was taken to another part of the plane where she was safe. 'I also hope this conviction gives confidence to anyone who is the victim of sexual crime to come forward. 'We will thoroughly investigate reports made to us and we have specially trained officers to provide support. 'Anyone wishing to report a sexual crime can do so via 101, or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.' A Connecticut preschooler who was mistakenly called for jury duty offered up the cutest excuse to get out for it. A spectacular blunder saw Zara Ibrahimi, four, of Darien, called to do her civic duty on a forthcoming case. When the envelope arrived, her dermatologist father Dr Omar Ibrahimi thought it was for him. After the initial relief the letter was not addressed to him, he was shocked to see his Zara's name printed on the government document. 'I'm like wait a minute, why is my daughter's name on this jury summons?' he told ABC 7. Little Zara was supposed to report to court on April 15, so her father took it upon himself to educate the little scholar about all this jury duty. 'She's like: "What's that?' and I'm like: "It's where you listen and you decide if someone is guilty or not guilty,"' he informed. But Zara wasn't having any of it, replying: 'I'm just a baby!' In an online appeal to be excused from the mandatory summons, her father informed the court on her behalf that she was a little too young to be making big decisions. Zara Ibrahimi, four, hasn't even completed preschool yet but she has already been called for jury duty in a wild mix up that saw her receive a summons Her father, Dr Omar Ibrahimi jokingly tried to prepare his daughter to sit on jury bench, but she replied: 'I'm just a baby'. She was excused from jury duty due to being underaged 'I haven't even completed preschool yet, excuse me,' he wrote on her behalf. Information to select jurors is pulled from the DMV, voter records, labor department, and Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, which is the only one that doesn't use birthdates. 'It was kind of funny because they asked for education levels, and I think the earliest level was "did not complete high school", so thats what I was forced to check,' he told KNOE. Despite the mishap, it was easy to get Zara excused from jury duty, since she is well short of the minimum age requirement of 18. While there is no age cap to be a juror, however, Connecticut does excuse those over the age of 70. Despite that, little Zara has 14 years to go before she can be officially a part of a jury panel. Those called can get excused for medical reasons, if being a juror will be a significant financial hardship, and if they are a primary caregiver. Sir Keir Starmer's rattled allies today issued a desperate warning to rebel Labour MPs that a leadership coup by Angela Rayner will trigger a general election. The under-fire Prime Minister is battling to stay in Downing Street as he reels from the Lord Mandelson scandal, with a number of backbenchers openly questioning his future. In a bid to contain the crisis, Sir Keir has promised to release documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador in February last year. But the Government was forced into ceding control of the release of material to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which will now decide what is made public. Sir Keir was compelled to make the U-turn on Wednesday following a House of Commons revolt by Labour backbenchers, which was headed by Ms Rayner, the former deputy PM. The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday's drama, Ms Rayner told an MP 'I will be ready' to launch a leadership challenge, despite an ongoing probe into her tax affairs. It has also been suggested Labour's 'women in grey suits' could be sent to tell Sir Keir that his time is up. But, in a scramble to ward off a coup, Sir Keir's allies are insisting that any new PM - such as Ms Rayner - would not have a personal mandate from the electorate and therefore should call a general election. In other developments today: The Metropolitan Police searched two addresses in Wiltshire and north London as part of a misconduct in public office investigation launched into Lord Mandelson; Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Lord Mandelson, has cut all ties with the disgraced peer; Dozens of MPs including 22 from Labour backed a call for a full public inquiry into links between paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and figures in the British establishment; The Tories published a dossier of 'extensive evidence' of information about Lord Mandelson's links to Epstein, all of which was available to Sir Keir before he appointed him as US ambassador. Sir Keir Starmer's allies have warned rebel Labour MPs a coup against the Prime Minister by Angela Rayner will trigger a general election One Labour figure who has served on Sir Keir's front bench told The Telegraph: 'Presumably Angela Rayner, if she got elected, would have a completely different agenda. 'If you come in with a completely different agenda then the country legitimately says, 'We didn't vote for this'. 'And so what are the grounds for refusing a general election? You can claim constitutional grounds, but in the world of frenzied media, of TikTok, YouTube and GB News, is it really sustainable? It doesn't feel sustainable to me.' Speaking about the prospect of a leadership switch, a Cabinet minister supportive of Sir Keir added: 'The pressure for an election would be enormous.' It comes amid fears in Government that the release of Lord Mandelson's emails and messages from his time as US ambassador could lay waste to Sir Keir's attempts to stay close to Donald Trump. Officials fear that material published as part of a probe into how Lord Mandelson - revealed to be a close friend of notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein - was hired by the PM could include 'damaging' comments made by the former diplomat about the notoriously thin-skinned US President. One official told Politico that 'there is lots which could be damaging', adding that the disgraced former minister and diplomat 'used to download his thoughts in real time'. The Epstein files have shown Lord Mandelson sharing lewd and off-the-cuff messages with the late child abuser, including joking about 'well-hung young men' when he was a Cabinet minister. The PM on Thursday said he was 'sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies' and for having appointed him as US ambassador in February 2025. Sir Keir has promised to release documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador in February last year The PM on Thursday said he was 'sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies' and for having appointed him as US ambassador in February 2025. But Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said it looked 'weak and naive and gullible' for Sir Keir to say 'he lied to me' and warned the Mandelson scandal would 'finish him off' unless he took the right course of action. 'He should be reflecting on why he made that appointment,' she told Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast. 'He should also be thinking about a real reset in No10, because what you need from your team in No10 is people who share your values and your principles and who will help you be the best prime minister you can be according to your true self. 'And clearly that is not what happened because the Keir Starmer who was DPP (director of public prosecutions), would never have appointed somebody like Peter Mandelson to represent the country.' Leadership speculation intensified on Thursday as the PM gave a speech apologising to Epstein's victims for believing the peer's 'lies' about his relationship with the paedophile financier. Backbenchers have called for either the PM's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney to be sacked or for Sir Keir himself to step down after bombshell revelations about Lord Mandelson's dealings with the child sex offender. However, immigration minister Mike Tapp on Friday defended the under-pressure aide in a round of media interviews. The so-called 'special relationship' between the UK and US is already under strain, despite Sir Keir's best efforts to maintain it. Trump has levied tariffs on UK-made imports, embarked on a major row with America's Nato allies and even disparaged British troops who fought and died in Afghanistan. The release could be delayed because the Metropolitan Police has asked the Government not to publish documents that would 'undermine' its probe into allegations of misconduct in public office. And the ISC said it could not provide a timetable for releasing the documents as it reviews whether some of the papers should be withheld for national security reasons. Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said it looked 'weak and naive and gullible' for the PM to say 'he lied to me' and warned the scandal would 'finish him off' At an emergency press conference in Hastings the rattled-looking PM said he was 'utterly disgusted' by revelations about Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein and 'sorry' he had appointed him as ambassador to Washington DC. But he insisted that he would 'go on', despite mounting Labour fury over the fiasco. And Downing Street rejected calls from Labour MPs to sack Mr McSweeney, who championed Mandelson's appointment. Seven Labour MPs directly called for Mr McSweeney to go, while numerous others called for a wider No10 clearout and two said Sir Keir should resign. One, Simon Opher, said there needs to be a 'clearout' of No10. On BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday, the Labour MP said: 'There's a lot of anger amongst Labour MPs, because really we want to, I mean, yesterday, I want to be talking about the cancer care plan, not about Peter Mandelson. 'So I think what we need to do, I think what needs to really happen is that we need to, Keir Starmer needs to change his advisers in Number 10, I think he's been badly advised, and he's been really let down, particularly on this decision.' Asked whether this meant Mr McSweeney leaving, Mr Opher replied: 'I think so yes'. 'If my chief of staff had done this I think he would be looking for another job to be honest,' he said. Asked whether the PM had become a 'drag' on the Labour Party, Mr Tapp told Sky News: 'We're starting to turn the corner. 'I believe if we stick with Keir Starmer, which we will, then that corner will turn faster and people will start to feel it. 'But I completely understand the anger and the distress at what's happened with Peter Mandelson's appointment. 'I completely agree with that, and that's why I'm really pleased to see a genuine, genuine apology from Keir Starmer.' Neighbours of China's proposed 'super-embassy' have taken the first formal step in their bid for a judicial review of Labour's decision to approve it. Residents of Royal Mint Court set out the grounds for their request in a pre-application letter to the UK government's legal department. When the Chinese government bought 5.4 acres of the site in 2018, the purchase included the freehold to around 100 flats across four residential blocks. These buildings lie outside the proposed perimeter for the embassy, but residents fear they could be evicted and their flats bulldozed to make space for a security wall. They are also concerned about becoming targets for surveillance from the diplomatic complex, which would be China's biggest in Europe. Beijing announced plans for its new embassy in 2018 after buying the former Royal Mint building for 250million. Its first application was rejected by Tower Hamlets Council but it resubmitted its plan in July 2024, just weeks after Labour won the election, and soon afterwards president Xi raised the matter in a phone call with Sir Keir. Just months later, Sir Keir told the president that his new Government would make the final decision after taking control of the planning process. Housing Secretary Steve Reed approved China's proposal last month. Residents of Royal Mint Court set out the grounds for their request in a pre-application letter to the UK government's legal department. Pictured is a concept for the embassy Your browser does not support iframes. In their pre-claim letter - seen by the FT - the residents of Royal Mint Court set out the grounds on which they believe the approval should be overturned. They argue the approval is legally flawed, accuse the government of failing to disclose important security assessments and suggest Mr Reed's decision was 'improperly influenced by ministers' - including the desire for China to grant planning approval for an overhaul of Britain's embassy in Beijing. They have also requested disclosure of documents and communications between the British government and China over the planning approval. Their bid for a judicial appeal is backed by 41,500 in crowdfunding. The Prime Minister has been accused of giving up national security in return for a better trading relationship with Beijing, after Labour granted planning permission for the alleged spy base days before he flew out to meet president Xi Jinping. In a sign of the espionage danger posed by what will be the biggest diplomatic mission in Europe, ministers admitted last month that action had been taken to 'increase the resilience' of nearby telecoms cables, which carry millions of pieces of sensitive data and sit just yards from the site at the old Royal Mint, near Tower Bridge. And in a rare intervention, the heads of Britain's domestic intelligence agencies publicly warned they cannot eliminate the risk attached to the embassy, while Parliament's security committee said it had struggled to get answers about the controversial case. A government spokesman insisted: 'National security is our first duty. Intelligence agencies have been involved throughout the process and an extensive range of measures have been developed to manage any risks.' China's President Xi at the 20th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection last month The Government also published a letter to the Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary written by MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum and GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler. They admitted: 'For the Royal Mint Court site, as with any foreign embassy on UK soil, it is not realistic to expect to be able wholly to eliminate each and every potential risk.' But they added that MI5 had 'over 100 years of experience managing national security risks associated with foreign diplomatic premises in London', and that 'the package of mitigations deals acceptably with a wide range of sensitive national security issues, including cabling'. In addition, they claimed there were 'clear security advantages' in China consolidating into one building the 'seven different diplomatically accredited sites' it currently operates across the capital. Parliament's intelligence and security committee, which considered evidence from senior Whitehall officials as well as spy chiefs, also raised concerns about the planning process. Its chairman, Labour peer and former minister Lord Beamish, said: 'It has proved more difficult than it should have been to get straightforward answers to our basic questions.' He went on: 'We were surprised both at the lack of clarity as to the role that national security considerations play in planning decisions, and that advice was prepared without some of the key facts at hand.' In the Commons, security minister Dan Jarvis revealed that 'an extensive range of measures have been developed to protect national security'. The Mail on Sunday revealed that planning documents for the embassy included 'spy dungeons' (highlighted in red above) - two suites of basement rooms and a tunnel, with their purpose redacted for security reasons He told MPs: 'We have acted to increase the resilience of cables in the area through an extensive series of measures to protect sensitive data. 'And I can confirm that, contrary to reporting, the Government had seen the unredacted plans for the embassy and the Government have agreed with China that the publicly accessible forecourt on the embassy grounds will not have diplomatic immunity, managing the risk to the public.' Mr Jarvis acknowledged that China posed threats to UK security, ranging from cyber-attacks and espionage as well as transnational repression, but the minister insisted: 'It is only through engagement that we can directly challenge China on its malicious activity.' Leading China critic Sir Iain Duncan Smith questioned the Government's claim that 'lawful embassy use' would not lead to interference with the cables, adding: 'Nothing about the Chinese is lawful here in the United Kingdom.' And Labour's Alex Sobel warned: 'It will send a chilling effect through Tibetans, through Hong Kongers, through Uyghurs and other Chinese who just dissent with the regime in Beijing.' Christopher Mung, who fled to Britain from Hong Kong, told a press conference in Westminster: 'This decision has struck fear into our hearts and make many regret taking up the UK's promise of our safety.' The Trump administration has captured the terrorist mastermind behind the Benghazi attack that left four Americans dead. Zubayr Al-Bakoush landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3am to face murder charges for leading the Islamist assault on two US government facilities in Libya in 2012. Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a press conference Friday: 'Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, what difference does it make? Well it makes a difference to Donald Trump and it makes a difference to those families.' Four Americans were killed in the raid by terror group Ansar al-Sharia: Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, and security contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. The attack was disastrous for the Obama administration. It took 13 hours to send military reinforcements to Benghazi and initially downplayed the attack as a protest over an anti-Islamic video. Then-Secretary of State Clinton was blamed for allegedly ignoring previous security requests and for privately acknowledging a terrorist attack while the State Department publicly pushed the video narrative. The congressional investigation damaged Clinton further when it uncovered her use of a private email server, triggering a separate probe into her mishandling of classified information. On the night of the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire. Zubayr Al-Bakoush landed at Joint Base Andrews in Marylandat 3am Hillary Clinton listens to a question as she testifies before the House Select Committee on Benghazi, on Capitol Hill in Washington October 22, 2015 Attorney General Pamela Bondi (C), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel (L) and U.S. Attorney for Washington, DC Jeanine Pirro make a press announcement at the Department of Justice on February 6, 2026 in Washington, DC Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Information Officer Sean Smith Security contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames during a protest by an armed group said to have been protesting a film being produced in the United States September 11, 2012 Glass, debris and overturned furniture are strewn inside a room in the gutted U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens., Sept. 12, 2012 The fire led to the deaths of Stevens and Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby US facility known as the annex. A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. The assault, including a precision mortar barrage, killed security officers Woods and Doherty. A team of six security officials summoned from Tripoli and a Libyan military unit helped evacuate the remaining US personnel. They were taken to an airport and flown out of Benghazi. A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured by US special forces in 2014 and brought to Washington for prosecution. He was convicted and is serving a prison sentence. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs. A Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attacks. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton. Clinton dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was 'time to move on.' Democrats denounced it as 'a conspiracy theory on steroids.' Two commemorative coins depicting Queen Elizabeth II released by the Royal Australian Mint have sparked backlash, with critics claiming they make the late monarch look as though she has 'run into a wall'. The organisation shared images of the limited-edition coins on social media on Monday ahead of a public ballot held yesterday. The $5 (2.56) and 50-cent silver coins were created to commemorate the centenary of the Queen's birth. Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 at the age of 96 and was the UK's longest-serving monarch. While some coin collectors welcomed the release, others said the design bore little resemblance to the late Queen. 'That's got to be the most unpleasant portrait on a coin,' one critic wrote, among a flurry of negative reactions online. The Royal Australian Mint defended the portrait, saying: 'Our coin images don't always capture the full beauty of a design once it's etched in metal.' Another commenter said: There's a reason most portraits are from the side. Looks like she just ran into a wall.' While some coin collectors welcomed the release, others said the design bore little resemblance to the late Queen A third added: 'If I saw that face without the hairdo and pearls, would never guess who it was meant to be.' Some critics compared the image to various TV characters, including Mrs Doubtfire, the fictional housekeeper played by the late Robin Williams. Others were more positive about the design, which was created by one of the mint's artists. 'Awesome. I'm glad they put something out to do with Queen Elizabeth II, she deserves to have Recognition In a Special Way,' one supporter wrote, while another pleaded: 'Please pick me for one of these coins.' A woman living in the US said it 'looks like a beautiful coin'. Despite the criticism, collectors reported that the ballot was fully subscribed. Australian media, quoting a spokesperson for the mint, said the silver proof coins had sold out, with limited stock remaining in its contact centre and shop. According to the mint's website, 30,000 of the 50c coins and 5,000 of the $5 coins were produced. All are collector's items and will not enter general circulation. As well as the queen's portrait, the coins feature designs 'symbolically reflecting the many facets of Queen Elizabeth II's life and legacy', the mint said. These include motifs of a horse and corgi, references to art and theatre to mark 'her enduring support for culture', as well as some of her favourite flowers - roses and lily of the valley. The golden wattle, Australia's national floral emblem, is also represented. 'The design incorporates Her Majesty's Royal Cypher, a stylised St Edward's Crown and the Auxiliary Territorial Service emblem, acknowledging her wartime service and lifelong sense of duty,' the mint added. The reverse of the coins features a profile portrait of King Charles. Police have raided Peter Mandelson's homes in London and Wiltshire as they investigate him for misconduct in public office. Scotland Yard has mounted a full criminal investigation into the Labour grandee after damning revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. While he was a Cabinet minister, the former spin doctor repeatedly leaked him confidential government plans, emails suggest. Two people believed to be police officers arrived this afternoon outside Lord Mandelson's 7.6million house near Regent's Park - which the politician bought in 2011 following advice from Epstein. The officers knocked on the door and entered the house, with one of them wearing what appeared to be a small body camera. Three more people believed to be police officers arrived at the address shortly after. The officers were seen collecting items from their car, including a blue box and a large bag, before re-entering the property. One man left Lord Mandelson's house and got into a car. He declined to comment, including on anything happening inside the property. It is unclear if Lord Mandelson was inside. Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart said: 'I can confirm that officers from the Met's Central Specialist Crime team are in the process of carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, and another in the Camden area. 'The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences, involving a 72-year-old man. He has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing.' The offence of misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In other developments today: Global Counsel, the lobbying firm co-founded by Lord Mandelson, has cut all ties with the disgraced peer; Dozens of MPs including 22 from Labour backed a call for a full public inquiry into links between Epstein and figures in the British establishment; The Tories published a dossier of 'extensive evidence' of information about Lord Mandelson's links to Epstein, all of which was available to Sir Keir before he appointed him as US ambassador; Rattled Starmer allies claimed Angela Rayner seizing the Labour leadership 'would trigger an election'; Detectives were seen entering Peter Mandelson's home in London today, while further searches took place in Wiltshire The officers could be seen showing their warrant cards to a person inside A police officer outside the former Labour grandee's London home this afternoon The criminal investigation was announced on Tuesday after the Government and former prime minister Gordon Brown passed information to the Met. It came as the Daily Mail uncovered further sensational details about Lord Mandelson's dealings with Epstein, with whom he remained close even after the financier had been jailed for child sex offences. One bombshell email seemingly showed the pair discussing confidential negotiations over a 10billion Ministry of Defence contract while Lord Mandelson was business secretary in Mr Brown's government. In another exchange, on the day Epstein was released from prison, the pair appeared to joke about celebrating with 'two strippers' with Lord Mandelson branding his paedophile friend a 'naughty boy' for making the suggestion. Lord Mandelson has previously suggested his status as a gay man meant he was 'kept separate from what (Epstein) was doing in the sexual side of his life'. Among the three million pages of so-called Epstein Files released by the US Department of Justice are bank statements that suggest Lord Mandelson and his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, received payments from Epstein totalling tens of thousands of pounds. Labour's 'Dark Lord' is named as the recipient of three $25,000 (21,500) payments, which he denies getting, while Mr da Silva was the subject of a standing order that paid out $4,000 (2,900) a month for three months. On Tuesday, the disgraced peer finally bowed to public pressure and resigned his seat in the House of Lords. Empty flat pack boxes were seen being taken into the former spin doctor's home by police officers A police officer carries a stack of empty flat pack boxes into Lord Mandelson's home Police officers carrying boxes are seen outside the London home of Peter Mandelson this afternoon A police officer carrying a blue box walks towards the front door of Peter Mandelson's house today A police officer walks out of Peter Mandelson's home on Friday afternoon Epstein and Mandelson had a close relationship. They are seen sitting together on a yacht The scene outside Mr Mandelson's Regents Park home this afternoon More men in suits were seen walking into the property after the first two officers The Labour grandee, who has always denied wrongdoing, is now likely to be interviewed by officers over claims that his dealings with Epstein broke the law. Cabinet ministers David Lammy and Pat McFadden, who served as junior ministers in his department, could also be asked to provide evidence, as could Mr Brown. Confirmation of a police probe came just hours after Downing Street revealed that the Cabinet Office had sent its own dossier to detectives highlighting the 'market-sensitive' nature of the material apparently passed by Lord Mandelson to Epstein at the height of the financial crisis. No 10 said Sir Keir Starmer was 'appalled' by the revelations. He told a meeting of his Cabinet that Lord Mandelson had 'let his country down'. But Kemi Badenoch said Sir Keir and his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, had 'a lot of questions to answer' about why they appointed Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States despite knowing he had maintained his friendship with the notorious paedophile. The Tory leader branded the scandal a 'national embarrassment'. She said the police inquiry was 'inevitable' given the seriousness of the allegations, but said people 'should not let this distract us from the fact that the Prime Minister has his fingerprints all over this'. She added: 'I think the Prime Minister himself needs to come clean and tell us what he knew and when, and be honest about how this ever happened in the first place.' The under-fire Prime Minister is battling to stay in Downing Street as he reels from the Lord Mandelson scandal, with a number of backbenchers openly questioning his future. In a bid to contain the crisis, Sir Keir has promised to release documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador in February last year. Lord Mandelson is pictured and mentioned many times throughout the released Epstein files In this photo, Lord Mandelson stands in white underwear talking to a woman in a bathing robe But the Government was forced into ceding control of the release of material to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which will now decide what is made public. Sir Keir was compelled to make the U-turn on Wednesday following a House of Commons revolt by Labour backbenchers, which was headed by Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM. The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday's drama, Ms Rayner told an MP 'I will be ready' to launch a leadership challenge, despite an ongoing probe into her tax affairs. It has also been suggested Labour's 'women in grey suits' could be sent to tell Sir Keir that his time is up. But, in a scramble to ward off a coup, Sir Keir's allies are insisting that any new PM - such as Ms Rayner - would not have a personal mandate from the electorate and therefore should call a general election. One Labour figure who has served on Sir Keir's front bench told The Telegraph: 'Presumably Angela Rayner, if she got elected, would have a completely different agenda. 'If you come in with a completely different agenda then the country legitimately says, 'We didn't vote for this'. 'And so what are the grounds for refusing a general election? You can claim constitutional grounds, but in the world of frenzied media, of TikTok, YouTube and GB News, is it really sustainable? It doesn't feel sustainable to me.' Speaking about the prospect of a leadership switch, a Cabinet minister supportive of Sir Keir added: 'The pressure for an election would be enormous.' It comes amid fears in Government that the release of Lord Mandelson's emails and messages from his time as US ambassador could lay waste to Sir Keir's attempts to stay close to Donald Trump. Officials fear that material published as part of a probe into how Lord Mandelson was hired by the PM could include 'damaging' comments made by the former diplomat about the notoriously thin-skinned US President. In 2022 a picture emerged of Lord Mandelson singing as Epstein blows out the candles on a birthday cake One official told Politico that 'there is lots which could be damaging', adding that the disgraced former minister and diplomat 'used to download his thoughts in real time'. The Epstein files have shown Lord Mandelson sharing lewd and off-the-cuff messages with the late child abuser, including joking about 'well-hung young men' when he was a Cabinet minister. The PM on Thursday said he was 'sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies' and for having appointed him as US ambassador in February 2025. But Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said it looked 'weak and naive and gullible' for Sir Keir to say 'he lied to me' and warned the Mandelson scandal would 'finish him off' unless he took the right course of action. 'He should be reflecting on why he made that appointment,' she told Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast. 'He should also be thinking about a real reset in No10, because what you need from your team in No10 is people who share your values and your principles and who will help you be the best prime minister you can be according to your true self. 'And clearly that is not what happened because the Keir Starmer who was DPP (director of public prosecutions), would never have appointed somebody like Peter Mandelson to represent the country.' Leadership speculation intensified on Thursday as the PM gave a speech apologising to Epstein's victims for believing the peer's 'lies' about his relationship with the paedophile financier. Backbenchers have called for either Mr McSweeney to be sacked or for Sir Keir himself to step down after bombshell revelations about Lord Mandelson's dealings with the child sex offender. Sir Keir's allies have warned rebel Labour MPs a coup against the Prime Minister by Angela Rayner will trigger a general election However, immigration minister Mike Tapp on Friday defended the under-pressure aide in a round of media interviews. The so-called 'special relationship' between the UK and US is already under strain, despite Sir Keir's best efforts to maintain it. Trump has levied tariffs on UK-made imports, embarked on a major row with America's Nato allies and even disparaged British troops who fought and died in Afghanistan. The release could be delayed because the Metropolitan Police has asked the Government not to publish documents that would 'undermine' its probe into allegations of misconduct in public office. And the ISC said it could not provide a timetable for releasing the documents as it reviews whether some of the papers should be withheld for national security reasons. At an emergency press conference in Hastings the rattled-looking PM said he was 'utterly disgusted' by revelations about Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein and 'sorry' he had appointed him as ambassador to Washington DC. But he insisted that he would 'go on', despite mounting Labour fury over the fiasco. And Downing Street rejected calls from Labour MPs to sack Mr McSweeney, who championed Mandelson's appointment. Progressive Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's husband is being investigated after she disclosed that her family's businesses skyrocketed in value in a single year. House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, a Republican, announced on Friday that his panel will probe Omar's husband, Timothy Mynett, a political consultant and entrepreneur. In a letter to Mynett, Comer asked for financial information regarding Rose Lake Capital LLC, his business consulting firm, and eStCru LLC, a wine company, in which Omar holds a stake. According to Omar's federal financial disclosures, Rose Lake went from being valued between $51,000 to $250,000 in 2023 to $5 million to $25 million in 2024. The increase in value from $250,000 to $5 million, the minimum the LLC could've risen in a single year, according to the forms, is 1,900 percent. Meanwhile, eStCru LLC ballooned in valuation from $15,000 to $50,000 in 2023 to $1 million to $5 million in 2024, also a 1,900 percent increase. 'Im demanding financial information from companies linked to Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omars husband [Mynett],' Comer posted on social media on Friday. 'His companies reportedly went from $51,000 to $30 MILLION in one year - with zero investor information. So we want to know: Whos funding this? And whos buying access?' Tim Mynett with his wife Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in 2023 Mynett and Omar with their family in 2024 Omar and Mynett's businesses ballooned in value between 2023 and 2024, growing by at least millions of dollars in a single year, according to the Democrat's financial disclosures If Comer's figures are correct and Omar's family business shot up in value from $51,000 to $30 million, that would represent a 58,723 percent increase in a single year. The probe comes as President Donald Trump has alleged that up to $19 billion was stolen fraudulently from public service contracts in Minnesota. The DOJ, FBI, IRS, Department of Homeland Security and the House Oversight Committee are all investigating fraud in the state. The President and the Department of Justice have noted how many fraud schemes were perpetuated by Somalis, who have a large diaspora in the state. Omar, born in Somalia, is the first Somali American to serve in Congress. 'According to Rose Lake Capitals website, it is staffed by five former diplomats who have experience in over 80 countries and involvement in 11 free trade agreements,' Comer noted in his letter. 'However, the website does not name specific employees or advisors and no asset portfolio information. As a result, the Committee requests documents and communications related to the finances of eStCru LLC and Rose Lake Capital LLC.' Mynett's wine company has been hit with negative headlines alleging fraud in the past. 'US Representative Ilhan Omars husband accused of swindling investor in their California winery,' reads a 2024 headline from the Rhode Island Current. Omar has been accused by President Donald Trump of being a 'scammer' The president has alleged that at least $19 billion was fraudulently stolen in Minnesota Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former VP candidate, dropped his gubernatorial re-election campaign shortly after Trump announced a fraud crackdown in the Democrat-led state Omar, now the subject of an inquiry into her family's finances, has been a frequent target of the Trump administration. 'Scammer Ilhan Omar and her absolutely terrible friends from Somalia should all be in jail right now or, far worse, send them back to Somalia,' Trump posted on social media over the weekend. Trump has also slammed Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for corruption after the Democrat dropped his re-election campaign shortly after federal fraud investigations began in the state. 'Governor Waltz [sic] is either the most CORRUPT government official in history, or the most INCOMPETENT,' Trump wrote in the same post. Kemi Badenoch is demanding answers from Sir Keir Starmer over the handing of a peerage to Labour's ex-spin chief with links to a convicted paedophile. Matthew Doyle, the Prime Minister's former communications director, took his seat in the House of Lords in January after quitting Downing Street in March last year. But his nomination to Parliament's upper chamber was opposed because of his ties to ex-Labour councillor Sean Morton, who admitted having indecent images of children in November 2017. It has been revealed how Mr Doyle campaigned for Morton when he ran as an independent in May 2017, after he had been charged with child sex offences. Labour had suspended Morton after he appeared in court in connection with indecent child images in late 2016. Mr Doyle has said Morton was maintaining his innocence at the time he backed his campaign, and that he regrets supporting him. Mrs Badenoch, the Tory leader, has written to Sir Keir calling on him to publish 'vetting advice and due diligence' received ahead of Mr Doyle being handed a peerage, as well as any documents covering his association with Morton. It comes as the PM reels from the scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US, despite his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Matthew Doyle, the Prime Minister's former communications director, took his seat in the House of Lords in January after quitting Downing Streetin March last year It comes as the PM reels from the scandal over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the US, despite his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein Mrs Badenoch claimed that there was a 'pattern of behaviour' of Sir Keir's office overlooking vetting for men who have 'associations with men who have a history of abusing children'. She said she would use 'parliamentary means to get to the truth' if the PM refused to be transparent about his decision to put Mr Doyle in the Lords. A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'Questions regarding Matthew Doyle's past acquaintance with Sean Morton were thoroughly investigated, including through several interviews with Matthew Doyle, prior to his appointment.' It is understood that No10 was satisfied after its consideration that a past acquaintance did not represent a bar to Mr Doyle's appointment. Mr Doyle repeated a previous statement on the matter, saying: 'Sean Morton was maintaining his innocence at this time. 'I regret supporting him. Sean Morton was someone I knew for a period through other shared acquaintances. I have not seen him for years.' Timothy Busfield has been indicted on four counts of sexual contact with a child by grand jury in New Mexico. Busfield, 68, is accused of touching two children on the set of The Cleaning Lady while filming in Albuquerque between November 2022 and spring 2024. One of the alleged victims told a forensic child interviewer that Busfield touched his 'private areas' on set when he was seven years old, according to a criminal complaint. The boy alleged the abuse happened five or six times between sets. He claimed Busfield assaulted him again when he was eight years old, claiming it happened three or four times. The boy's twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but he did not specify where and didn't say anything because he didn't want to get in trouble, the complaint said. The charges come less than a month after Busfield was arrested for alleged child abuse and criminal sexual contact of a minor. Busfield has denied the allegations. His attorneys have also argued the allegations are part of a revenge plot manufactured by the boys' parents after the children lost their roles in the TV series. Timothy Busfield in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico on January 20, 2026 Timothy Busfield and his wife Melissa Gilbert at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in 2023 The charges were brought against the star by a grand jury in Bernalillo County, the district attorney announced Friday. The case will be prosecuted by Special Victims Unit of the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office, the DA said. DA Sam Bregman has vowed to do 'everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims'. Busfield was booked jail last month after a warrant was issued for his arrest in New Mexico and he turned himself in Busfield's case is expected to move forward to trial, Bregman's office added. Busfield was arrested last month on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse while working as a director on The Cleaning Lady set. He was booked jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest in New Mexico and he turned himself in. According to the criminal complaint, one of the boys disclosed that he was inappropriately touched by Busfield during a therapy session. Those records were obtained by police during the investigation. In a video shared before turning himself in, Busfield called the allegations lies. 'I'm going to confront these lies. They're horrible. They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys, and I'm going to fight it,' the actor said. But Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, during Busfield's court hearing on January 20, called evidence of abuse against him 'strong and specific'. Brandenburg-Koch also said witnesses expressed fear about potential retaliation and professional harm. 'The boys' allegations are supported by medical findings and by their therapist,' the ADA said. 'Their accounts were specific and not exaggerated.' Busfield, seen in 2020, has denied the allegations against him. He said: 'I'm going to confront these lies. They're horrible. They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys, and I'm going to fight it' Busfield's attorneys, however, pointed out that the children initially said during interviews with police that the actor didn't touch them inappropriately. The defense then accused the boys' parents of coaching their children toward incriminating statements after the boys lost lucrative roles on the show. Alan Caudillo, director of photography on The Cleaning Lady, testified that children on set were never left alone with individuals, and that the parents were the ones who encouraged hugs with adults on the set. Busfield has submitted letters vouching for his character, and his attorneys say he passed an independent polygraph test. Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission in court. Busfield, who is married to actress Melissa Gilbert, is known for appearances in The West Wing, Field of Dreams and Thirtysomething. Accused murderer Luigi Mangione delivered a sassy outburst as he was led out of court during his latest hearing on Friday. The alleged assassin, 27, made a surprise appearance in Manhattan, where New York Judge Gregory Carro declared that his state trial will go ahead in June. The proposed date is several months earlier than anticipated and will predate his federal trial on charges in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare boss Brian Thompson. Mangione's lawyers pushed back against the new schedule, arguing that it would not allow them sufficient time. As he was being led, he also made a rare outburst, criticizing the judge's decision. 'One plus one equals two,' Mangione yelled, per Fox5 reporter Michelle Ross, who was in court. 'This is the same trial twice. This is double jeopardy by any common sense definition.' Double jeopardy means that a person cannot be prosecuted for the same offense twice. Mangione is more than likely referring to the part of the law that states a person cannot face a double conviction for the same crime. Accused murderer Luigi Mangione delivered a sassy outburst as he was led out of court during his latest hearing on Friday However, alleged criminals can face the same charge in both state and federal courts if the crime occurred in multiple jurisdictions. His attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said Mangione is stuck in a 'tug of war between two different persecution offices'. 'Luigi Mangione is being put in a terrible position with two different prosecutions, it is not his position to try this case in the middle of a federal case, which is already set for trial,' she pleaded with the judge. When she said she would not have enough time to prepare, Carro told her to 'be ready'. Manhattan District Attorney Prosecutor Joel Seidemann agreed he wanted the state trial ahead of the federal one to avoid double jeopardy, which would make the state case impossible. Wearing a tan jail suit, Mangione sat quietly at the defense table until his outburst at the end of the hearing. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges and to counts in Pennsylvania and New York. At the state level, he is charged with murder and could face life imprisonment without parole if convicted. The federal case carries the same potential punishment after a US judge barred prosecutors in late January from seeking the death penalty against Mangione. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all his charges. On Friday he learned his state trial is tentatively set for June 8 Mangione is accused of murdering the former UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Judge Margaret Garnett dismissed two federal charges of murder and using a gun with a silencer, which are eligible for capital punishment. He still faces two counts of stalking. However, the judge ruled prosecutors could use the evidence found in his backpack, despite Mangione's camp hoping to have it thrown out. His backpack allegedly contained ghost guns, fake IDs, and a journal. It came a day after a Minnesota man, identified as Mark Anderson, 36, was charged with allegedly trying to break Mangione out of his New York jail by posing as an FBI agent in a brazen plot that was ultimately foiled. Anderson allegedly tried to approach an intake area inside the jail to get close to Mangione and presented paperwork to jail staff claiming to show a judge ordered the inmate's release. The scheme reportedly fell apart when Bureau of Prisons staff asked to see Anderson's credentials, which led him to show his Minnesota driver's license and throw 'numerous documents' at the personnel. Anderson then allegedly warned staff that he had weapons in his bag, and a search of his belongings found a barbecue fork and a tool resembling a pizza cutter, according to the criminal complaint against Anderson. Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, pushed back at the decision to bring forward her client's state trial Mangione's federal trial is set to begin with jury selection on September 8, with opening remarks starting October 13. The state trial could be delayed to September if federal prosecutors seek to appeal the decision to throw out the charges that made him eligible for the death penalty. The December 2024 murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Thompson, captured on surveillance video, shocked the country and highlighted deep public anger with the country's profit-driven private health care system. Mangione was arrested five days after the killing at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, 230 miles from the crime scene, following a tip from a staff member. The Daily Mail has reached out to Agnifilo for comment. A teen gunman has been found guilty today of murdering a boy in broad daylight while disguised as a Just Eat delivery rider. Neo Duodu-Watson, 18, shot 16-year-old Lathaniel Burrell in the chest and back outside a block of flats in Paradise Road in Stockwell, south London on the afternoon of March 4 last year. Footage released by police showed the defendant riding a stolen moped and dressed in a distinctive jacket worn by Just Eat delivery riders to avoid arousing suspicion. A court heard how Duodu-Watson fired two shots from a pistol which had been converted to fire live ammunition. One bullet in Lathaniel's chest caused 'catastrophic' internal bleeding, but he managed to run a short distance before collapsing near a fence. Members of the public rushed to help him and stayed with him until police and paramedics arrived. Despite efforts to save Lathaniel, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene. Prosecutor Alan Gardner KC had told jurors: 'The gunman would have fired more shots but his firearm malfunctioned and disintegrated, leaving parts behind at the scene which were later found by the police. 'However, the two shots he did fire were enough to achieve what the gunman intended - Lathaniel died at the scene, despite the best efforts of members of the public and emergency medical staff.' Mr Gardner told jurors the murder was a 'planned, organised and premeditated shooting' by Duodu-Watson, who was assisted by Omar Prempeh, 33. Footage released by the police showed Duodu-Watson riding a stolen moped and donning a Just Eat delivery driver jacket on the afternoon he murdered Lathaniel Lathaniel Burrell, 16 (pictured) died after being shot twice in the chest and back outside a block of flats in Stockwell, south London Both Duodu-Watson (left) and Prempeh (right) were remanded into custody to be sentenced at a later date Prempeh was the driver of a white Nissan Juke which was used to drive the gunman to and from the scene. Jurors were told Prempeh's car had a specially constructed hiding place which was an ideal place to conceal a gun. Jurors were told that the defendants used a 'trap house' (a premises where illegal drugs are sold) as a base before and after the shooting. A police search of the address uncovered the Just Eat jacket worn by the gunman and live ammunition in one of the bedrooms. Police stated that at the time of the shooting Duodu-Watson was subject to electronic monitoring, but had removed - and later replaced - his tag so that he appeared to have an alibi. After the attack, Duodu-Watson also wrote lyrics in a 'drill track' boasting of 'winning the beef' and appearing to mock rival gang members in Stockwell. On a possible motive for the killing, Mr Gardner suggested its origins lay in the trade in illegal drugs and had 'many of the hallmarks of serious organised crime'. Lathaniel's family said: 'Nearly a year on and we still cannot believe Lathaniel is gone. 'He was so beautiful inside and out and our lives will never be the same again. 'Lathaniel touched so many hearts and the pain of his absence is felt every day. 'We pray he receives the justice he deserves.' Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee, who led the murder investigation, said: 'Our thoughts remain firmly with Lathaniel's family as they continue to navigate the unimaginable grief of losing a loved one in such a senseless and violent way. 'I am immensely proud of my team, who worked tirelessly and with unwavering dedication to secure today's outcome. 'Their meticulous work analysing CCTV, phone records, social media content, gaming data and vehicle movements enabled us to construct a minute-by-minute account of the suspects' actions. 'This case has a deeply troubling element of child exploitation at its core. 'I hope today's guilty verdicts demonstrate our commitment to pursuing, arresting and convicting those responsible for such crimes not only those who pull the trigger.' She added: 'I urge anyone with concerns about the exploitation of a friend, family member or neighbour to contact police or Crimestoppers. 'Our exploitation teams will do everything they can to help. Protecting the children in our communities is everyone's responsibility.' Following an Old Bailey trial, Duodu-Watson, from Peckham, and Prempeh, 33, from Forest Hill, were found guilty of murder on Friday. They were remanded into custody to be sentenced at a later date. Jurors were discharged after failing to reach verdicts on charges against three more men, who face a retrial in November. Social media users are calling for the author of one particularly egregious email to be unredacted from the Jeffrey Epstein files. A message sent to Epstein's 'vacation' email account in 2014 featured the vulgar note about the 'littlest girl.' When put in the context of Epstein's child sex trafficking crimes, the email is even more heinous. 'Thank you for a fun night,' the email reads, followed by the second line: 'Your littlest girl was a little naughty.' It was sent March 11, 2014 from an iPhone to Epstein's account jeevacation@gmail.com, which is the email repeatedly featured in the files. Everything in the email is included except for the name of the sender, which, like many other names in the files, is covered with two black bars concealing their identity. The message was just one of the 3.5 million documents, images and correspondences included in the Justice Department's drop of Epstein files last week. Americans are furious, however, over the selective redaction of the emails. Social media is demanding that the DOJ un-redact the name of someone who sent an email to Jeffrey Epstein saying: 'Your littlest girl was a little naiughty' The latest Epstein files drop shows several egregious emails between the convicted child sex offender and other rich, powerful and influential people though many names remain redacted Critics claim the black bars and blocks throughout the files do little to protect victims like the Justice Department promised. Instead, they complain, it many times conceals the identities of those who were in contact with Epstein and allegedly potentially involved with his parties and sex trafficking ring. The DOJ did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment on whether there will be consideration to reveal portions that were previously redacted and black-barred. The email to Epstein about his 'littlest girl' was sent six years after the offender was sentenced to 18 months in a Florida jail for charges of solicitation of prostitution from a minor. 'America deserves to know who the f**k this person is,' a furious X user wrote with an image of the redacted email. Another said: 'I second this.' Following negotiations conducted in 2007, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges in Florida as part of a plea deal to avoid federal charges that could result in life in prison. At the time of the 'secret arrangement,' the Florida US Attorney's office was headed by Alexander Acosta. Epstein served 13 months of the 18-month sentence in a private wing of the Palm Beach County jail. He got a cushy deal and was allowed to leave jail six days every week for a 'work release' that spanned 12 hours every day. He began the sentence the summer of 2008 and was released on probation in July 2009. There are several nefarious messages sent between Epstein and other rich, powerful and famous men after his release from jail. An aspiring California mayor has sparked outrage after he called on 55 gangs to gather and drive Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) out of the city. Rogelio Martinez, who is challenging Long Beach's incumbent Mayor Rex Richardson, posted the now-deleted video last week. 'I need to see 55 gang leaders here this coming Monday, we need to take back our city,' he said in the video as he called on gangs from all racial groups to respond to the call. 'Enough is enough, ICE needs to get out of Long Beach and this is the only way that I know how to get them out; peacefully, but with strong force, but peacefully.' The video went viral and Martinez said he was almost immediately inundated with backlash from conservatives. 'I had so many death threats, predominantly from MAGA white supremacists because I didn't call on the white gangs, so I guess they were kind of hurt by that,' Martinez quipped in an interview with the LA Times. He said he took the video on January 30, which was designated by anti-ICE activists as a day to not work or contribute to the economy to protest the Trump administration's mass deportation policy. He said he uploaded the video to social media, seeking to remind people about the ICE raids going on in Long Beach. Long Beach Mayoral candidate Rogelio Martinez posted a video last week where he encouraged '55 gang leaders' to get involved and push Immigration and Customs Enforcement out of the city. The video prompted backlash from conservatives and a call from the FBI The video came at a time of an elevated presence of federal agents in Los Angeles and in Long Beach (Pictured: Protestors stand near Department of Homeland Security officers) He also clarified that he did not advocate for violence against federal agents. Other posts on his social media show him telling protestors to obey law enforcement. 'There was not going to be any war between gang leaders and ICE,' he told the LA Times. 'I don't know how many gangs there are in Long Beach. I picked 55 purely because I'm 55 years old. No one bothered to just ask me how [I] came up with [that number].' Martinez said the Long Beach Police spoke with him and he got a call from the FBI after he posted the video. A female agent asked him if any gang member had reached out to him and if he had reached out to any gang members. He responded no to both questions. Martinez said he did not remove the video from Instagram and Facebook and claims that Meta took it down. Versions of the video are still floating around on social media, largely on X, where it has gotten plenty of negative responses. Martinez's video came after protestors clashed with federal agents during the demonstration on January 30 The LAPD said it arrested 'violent agitators' who were allegedly 'fighting with officers,' one of whom was accused of 'using a sling shot to shoot hard metal objects at officers who were standing on the line' Many accused Martinez of treason or posted memes about standing with ICE. The Daily Mail approached Martinez, Meta and Department of Homeland Security for comment. Martinez's video came after protestors clashed with federal agents during the demonstration on January 30. Crowds stormed the outside of a federal prison in downtown LA and came face-to-face with police officers, who stood behind shields before unleashing pepper balls and tear gas. In one dramatic image, a protester struck an officer's shield with a skateboard. Another showed police firing non-lethal rounds at protesters in an effort to disperse the growing crowd. The Los Angeles Police Department issued a warning just before 9pm, ordering all protesters near Union Station to disperse within 10 minutes. Officers then infiltrated the scene and said they were met with bottles and rocks hurled at them, according to the LAPD's social media account. The LAPD told Daily Mail there were eight arrests, six for failure to disperse, one for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and one for violating curfew. A church worker has avoided jail after stealing nearly 100,000 from the Diocese of Westminster, money that could have been used to support the homeless and food banks. Francisca Yawson, 37, made nine bank transfers to herself while she was a gift aid and operations technician for the central London division of the Roman Catholic Church between September 2018 and August 2019, Southwark Crown Court heard. Yawson, who gave birth to her fourth child in October, previously pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft and was sentenced on Friday to two years in prison, suspended for two years. Judge Mark Weekes said: 'All in all, you were funding yourself to a reasonably good standard of lifestyle - grossly and dishonestly.' Judge Weekes said that the money could have been used to help the homeless and families fed through food banks, adding that it would be on her 'conscience' that children may have gone hungry 'while you were helping yourself to a high lifestyle'. He said that the case had seen a 'shocking' delay after police wrongfully closed the investigation between 2021 and 2025, which he said had produced a 'different outcome'. The judge said that had sentencing for her 'meanness and selfishness' taken place in 2019 or 2020, she would likely have been jailed. He told her that she was 'lucky because of the passage of time', urging her to reflect on 'the very real damage you caused to people less fortunate than you'. Francisca Yawson (pictured) made nine bank transfers to herself while she was a gift aid and operations technician for the central London division of the Roman Catholic Church In a statement, which was read to the court on his behalf, Nicholas Seed, the diocese's chief financial officer, said it was 'upsetting' that money which could have been used to help families fed through food banks and the homeless had been stolen. He said: 'The harm caused by (Yawson's) actions therefore reverberates beyond this courtroom to every corner of our community.' The thefts, amounting to more than 96,000, began with a 247 payment Yawson made to herself and escalated to a single transfer of almost 20,000, the court heard. She disguised her actions in the diocese's records, although dates and amounts matched transfers to her personal accounts, prosecutors said. Yawson, of Stonebridge Park in Brent, north-west London, used the money mostly for 'day-to-day' things, the court heard. The defendant said 8,500 of the stolen money was transferred to Jamaica to help support her ill grandmother. Ryan Evans, defending, said that Yawson had lost her employment and was on universal credit. Mr Evans said that Yawson had found the stress of the proceedings, combined with having a newborn child, 'very difficult'. Judge Weekes ordered her to pay 1,000, carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 hours of a rehabilitation requirement. A Pro-Palestinian group is under investigation by police over an advert in which it declared it was 'unapologetically pro Armed Resistance'. The Anti-Zionist Movement (AZM) made the claim in a post on its Instagram account announcing its upcoming launch event. The Birmingham-based organisation described itself as 'a Palestinian-led grassroots movement that's unapologetically anti-zionist [sic], Pro Armed Resistance, upholds the Thawabet [sic] [and] campaigns against Jewish Supremacy'. The Thawabit refers to the founding principles of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, the political group which governs the Palestinian territories. The AZM initially deleted the post before reposting it with a caption not mentioning 'Pro Armed Resistance' - but its profile was soon taken down completely. The newly founded group was set to launch on Sunday at an arts centre in the Balsall Heath area of the West Midlands city. But the event has since been cancelled, The Times reports, after the organisation was reported to police for promoting violence. The Old Print Works, where it was set to take place, pulled out this week, saying it could not guarantee a 'safe space' for attendees. The Anti-Zionist Movement (AZM) made the claim in a post (pictured) on its Instagram account announcing its upcoming launch event The group's launch event was set to feature a programme of controversial speakers previously accused of anti-Zionism and antisemitism, including Dr Rahmeh Aladwan (pictured, arriving for her medical tribunal last year), an NHS doctor who was arrested last month for allegedly expressing support for Hamas Another speaker set to appear at the event was Professor David Miller (pictured outside his employment tribunal in 2023), who was sacked by the University of Bristol in 2021 for alleged anti-Semitism West Midlands Police has now opened a criminal investigation into potential offences committed with the AZM's Instagram post, after officers were alerted on Thursday. Elsewhere on the AZM's profile, they called for 'liberation via zio eradication', asking: 'Can you TRULY be for the liberation of Palestine if you were not Anti-zionist [sic]?' The group's launch event was set to feature a programme of controversial speakers previously accused of anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Among them were Dr Rahmeh Aladwan, an NHS doctor who was arrested last month for online posts made in November of December last year allegedly expressing support for Hamas, which is proscribed in the UK. It was the fourth time the trainee trauma and orthopaedics surgeon had been detained since October, when she was first arrested for 'malicious communication times three and for inciting racial hatred'. She is also currently the subject of an investigation by the General Medical Council. Dr Aladwan was suspended from practice for 15 months in November over a series of alleged anti-Semitic and pro-terrorism remarks online. She wrote in a collection of posts on X of a 'Jewish supremacy' and called Israelis 'worse than Nazis', and allegedly showed support for Hamas and its attacks on Israel on October 7. Others labelled Britain's chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis 'Rabbi Genocide' and claimed the wide media attention following the Manchester synagogue attack, in which two men died and others were injured, was an example of 'Jewish supremacism'. Just hours before her latest arrest, she referred to a female Palestinian suicide bomber and her son, who was killed during in the October 7 attacks, as 'martyrs'. The British-Palestinian doctor appeared at her medical tribunal wearing a gold necklace with a number seven charm on it. She has previously shared photos of the necklace online, describing it as 'celebratory jewellery'. Dr Aladwan has previously defended the AZM's Instagram post, saying: 'There is nothing unlawful about being unapologetically pro-armed resistance.' She added Palestinians' right to this position was protected by international law. Another speaker set to appear at the event was Professor David Miller, who was sacked by the University of Bristol in 2021 for alleged anti-Semitism. Jewish students had complained he made them feel 'uncomfortable and intimidated' with a series of remarks he made while in post as a sociology lecturer. The first was made in 2019 after he gave a lecture describing the 'Zionist movement' as one of the 'five pillars of Islamophobia'. On the Electronic Intifada website, he also wrote: 'There is a real question of abuse here, of Jewish students on British campuses being used as political pawns by a violent, racist foreign regime engaged in ethnic cleansing.' Professor Miller was set to be joined by his Press TV colleague Latifa Abouchakra (pictured), who has previously described the October 7 attacks as a 'moment of triumph' It is the latest development in a controversial debate in Birmingham about the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, after offices banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the club's match against Aston Villa in November. Pictured: Pro-Palestine activists gather outside the stadium to protest Maccabi Tel Aviv's presence In an 'on the record' email to Ben Bloch, a student and news editor of The Bristol Tab university newspaper, the professor said: 'Zionism is and always has been a racist, violent, imperialist ideology premised on ethnic cleansing. 'It is an endemically anti-Arab and Islamophobic ideology. It has no place in any society.' He was later found to have been unfairly dismissed at a landmark employment tribunal, which ruled anti-Zionism is a legally protected characteristic. Professor Miller travelled to Lebanon last year to cover the funeral of ex-Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for Iranian state-owned Press TV. The academic, who also taught at the University of Strathclyde and the University of Bath, was questioned by counterterrorism police for more than three hours upon returning to the UK. He has also previously called for Israel to be abolished and spoken of conspiracy theories of 'Zionist' influence in Britain. Professor Miller was set to be joined by his Press TV colleague Latifa Abouchakra, who has previously described the October 7 attacks as a 'moment of triumph'. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: 'We're aware of an event which had been due to take place at a venue in Balsall Heath on Sunday. 'We are also aware that the venue has since announced that it will not be hosting the event. Our officers continue to work to understand the plans of the event organisers. 'We continue to liaise with key stakeholders, including a meeting with members of the local Jewish community which was held with senior officers on February 5. 'We have started a criminal investigation into potential offences within a social media message which has been used to promote the event.' The force has found itself under scrutiny in recent months over its approach to debate in Birmingham about the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Officers banned Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending the club's match against Aston Villa in November, which caused widespread public outcry. The ensuing controversy saw chief constable Craig Guildford forced to step down, saying his retirement was in the best interests 'of the organisation, myself and my family'. The AZM, Dr Aladwan, Professor Miller and Ms Abouchakra have been contacted for comment. Queen Elizabeth II gave Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor her 'full support' after a photo emerged of him with his arm around Virginia Giuffre - though she believed it was 'unwise' of him to keep contact with Jeffrey Epstein. An email unearthed in the latest batch of files linked to the paedophile financier reveals how a close adviser to the Prince, David Stern, wrote to Epstein confirming the late monarch's backing of her son. Referring to Andrew as "PA" Mr Stern said: 'PA has full support of his mum, only dealing with you was "unwise".' It is understood Stern was quoting the view of Andrew's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, ITV News reports. The correspondence is dated from March 9, 2011 - three months after Andrew had claimed in his damning Newsnight interview he had flown to New York and stayed with Epstein to inform him in-person their friendship was over. He said the trip was the 'honourable' thing to do. At the time of the email exchange, Andrew was facing increasing pressure to resign from his official business ambassador role after a newspaper had printed the photograph of him walking alongside Epstein in New York's Central Park. Further correspondence showed Stern keep Epstein informed on the mood in the palace following the publications. Queen Elizabeth II gave Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor her 'full support' after a photo emerged of him with his arm around Virginia Giuffre. The mother and son are pictured together at the Queen's annual birthday parade in June, 2019 (L-R) Prince Andrew, Virginia Giuffre, and Ghislaine Maxwell are seen posing for a photo. Maxwell appeared to confirm the legitimacy of the image He wrote: 'Theme seems to be now: PA under scrutiny for dealing with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan (but government approved!).' The emails signal the first indication of what Queen Elizabeth appeared to think about her son's decisions. The Queen later authorised Andrew to step down as a working member of the Royal Family in 2019 - however, shortly after the Newsnight interview, she allowed him to remain the Duke of York, keeping his prince title. It wasn't until October 2025 that the title was removed - under order of King Charles. It has been widely understood that Queen Elizabeth privately funded Andrew's out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre, reported to be around 12million, following her allegations against him. Tellingly, despite Andrew's reputation being in tatters, the Queen chose him to walk with her when she attended a remembrance service at Westminster Abbey for her husband, Prince Philip, in 2022. Only a few days before the email exchange, Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, had issued a public apology for accepting money from Epstein. She expressed the regret, on March 7, 2011, after taking 15,000 from the sex offender so she could settle her own debts. David Stern is thought to appear smiling in a photograph released by the US Department of Justice, alongside Andrew and Ferguson Epstein then wrote to Stern asking him to inform Andrew and Ferguson, referred to as 'F', that the statement was causing issues, ITV News reports. He said: 'send both an mail (sic) saying that sarahs [sic] comments causing major problems,.. Jeffrey will need to defend himself. this is unfair, very unfair'. Stern responded: 'just to confirm: I will send BOTH (PA & F) that message. I will not send email but Messenger which is safer (device to device).' A close confidante of Andrew's, Stern previously worked in the former Duke of York's office and was director of his now-closed Pitch@Palace entrepreneur scheme. He is thought to appear smiling in a photograph released by the US Department of Justice, alongside Andrew and Ferguson. There is birthday cake on the desk and Stern writes 'my birthday' beneath the image. Yesterday, Ms Giuffre's family said she had been 'vindicated' after an email from Ghislaine Maxwell confirmed the infamous photo with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as real. The former prince had long disputed the validity of the photo of him in intimate contact with Ms Giuffre when she was just 17. Yesterday, Ms Giuffre's family said she had been 'vindicated' after an email from Ghislaine Maxwell confirmed the infamous photo with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as real Andrew's suggestion that the damning 2001 picture may have been faked was central to the defence he tried to put over in his disastrous Newsnight interview (pictured) And his suggestion that the damning 2001 picture may have been faked was central to the defence he tried to put over in his infamous Newsnight interview. But on Thursday, the Daily Mail revealed an email from sex offender Maxwell stated 'for the record as fact' that she had not just introduced Andrew to Ms Giuffre, but the image was taken in her home that same night. Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre's brother, told BBC Newsnight the correspondence 'truly does vindicate' his sister. 'It shows that not only was she not lying this entire time, even though many people across multiple countries indicated that she was.' He added: 'She was telling the truth, not only did Ghislaine mention that the photo was real, but that it was in the same house that Virginia had mentioned. 'It's a moment where we are really proud of our sister, it is a vindicating moment, but we also want to use this as a moment to remind people to believe survivors.' Drafting a statement intended to hit back at reports of mounting allegations in the press, disgraced socialite Maxwell had sent Epstein an email asking for his approval. 'In 2001 I was in London when (redacted) met a number of friends of mine including Prince Andrew,' she wrote. Andrew is pictured leaving Royal Lodge. Andrew is now believed to have vacated his 30million, 31-room residence Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park is pictured. Andrew is moving to Marsh Farm in Norfolk on his brother Charles's estate 'A photograph was taken as I imagine she wanted to show it to friends and family. 'I never asked (redacted) to give him a massage,' her draft statement added. In the body of the email, she said: 'I am stating for the record as fact' before adding: 'Prince Andrew came to my house to visit me - (redacted) was in the house and they did meet.' However, she claimed she had 'no knowledge' of presumably Ms Giuffre 'having sexual activity' with Andrew or any other 'famous people'. Epstein replied saying her statement left 'too many unanswered questions' adding: 'Her and andrew?...whats the deal here? why is she there.' Maxwell insisted that she needs the statement 'asap' and that she was advised to say 'I was not aware of massage w/andrew in my house'. 'These thing they have to stay, along w/meeting virginia and rebutting those allegations. I needs it asap.' The emails were written days after Ms Giuffre first launched her bombshell legal claim in the US in January 2015 accusing Maxwell of recruiting her as a 'sex slave'. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is seen crouched over an unidentified woman in one of the latest photos released in the disclosure of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein Allegations that she was forced to have sex with the former prince were central to her case. The correspondence directly contradicts repeated denials about the meeting in London ever taking place, with both Andrew and Maxwell trying to cast doubt over the image's authenticity. Andrew was forced out of Royal Lodge earlier this week - transferred to the King's Sandringham Estate. The former Duke of York was told to leave his stately home earlier than expected after King Charles became increasingly concerned by allegations made against him, it is understood. It followed the publication of an email on Monday night, released in the latest batch of the Epstein files, where Andrew appeared to tell paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein he wanted to be his 'pet'. Police also announced on Tuesday they would assess claims Epstein trafficked a second woman to the UK to have sex with the disgraced former Prince. Andrew is now believed to have vacated his 30million, 31-room Royal Lodge - three months after handing back his lease. He was driven 132 miles to Sandringham and transported 'under the cover of darkness'. Andrew will be temporarily staying at Wood Farm Cottage before moving permanently next door to Marsh Farm by the start of April, upon completion of renovations. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Donald Trump has heralded black support for voter ID in a cryptic post just hours after sparking huge backlash for sharing a meme depicting the Obamas as apes. The President posted a screengrab Friday from a recent CNN broadcast showing that across all races Americans overwhelmingly support voter ID: 85 percent for whites, 82 percent for Latinos and 76 percent for black voters. The proportion of black voters was highlighted with a circle in Trump's post. The President has made voter ID a central tenet of his administration but it faces opposition from Democratic lawmakers who claim the policy would disenfranchise vast swathes of the population including black voters. Trump's voter ID post came after a late-night meme he shared depicting the Obamas as apes sparked widespread condemnation, including from senior Republicans. The clip focused on his accusations of fraud during the 2020 election. An AI segment at the end flashed the Obamas' faces superimposed on ape bodies, set to The Tokens' song The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The White House blamed the post on an unnamed junior staffer, despite press secretary Karoline Leavitt this morning slamming 'fake outrage' over the meme. 'A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down,' a spokesman for the President told the Daily Mail on Friday. President Donald Trump during an event revealing 'TrumpRx,' a website for purchasing discounted prescriptions, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus in Washington, DC, on Thursday The President on Friday posted a screengrab from a recent CNN broadcast showing that across all races Americans overwhelmingly support voter ID: 85 percent for white, 82 percent for Latino and 76 percent for black voters. The proportion of black voters was highlighted with a circle in Trump's post President Barack Obama (R) and first lady Michelle Obama walk across the South Lawn after returning to the White House on Marine One July 12, 2016 The President received widespread backlash over accusations of racism after he posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes Leavitt earlier told the Daily Mail: 'This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. 'Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.' Trump deleted his post after South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, called it 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House.' The clip belongs to a pro-Trump account on X but was reposted by the President on his Truth Social platform. Other prominent Republican senators joined Scott in demanding that Trump take down the video. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi posted on X: 'This is totally unacceptable. The president should take it down and apologize.' Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska wrote: 'Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize.' Trump's video sparked condemnation from the senators' Democratic colleagues. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially doubled down on the President's post Senator Tim Scott called the video 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House' 'Disgusting behavior by the President,' California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office wrote on X. 'Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.' Democratic political strategist Adam Parkhomenko posted: 'This is overt racism. Full stop. There's no "misinterpretation" and no excuse. This is who he is, who he's always been, and why he should never be anywhere near power again.' Trump's longstanding feud with Obama stretches back decades, beginning when he first promoted claims that the 44th president was born outside the United States. Trump has intensified attacks against Obama on social media since starting his second term, accusing the former president of 'treason'. The President claimed Obama betrayed the US by spying on his presidential campaign over accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump has posted AI memes on Truth Social showing Obama's arrest and imprisonment. Trump's video of the Obamas has been liked more than 2,500 times and reposted more than 1,100 times on Truth Social. The Daily Mail has contacted the Obamas for comment. A woman who was set ablaze on a Chicago subway train by a man branded a danger to society has been discharged from hospital three months on. Bethany MaGee, 26, has completed inpatient treatment at Stroger Hospital in the Windy City, she said Friday. 'My family and I are grateful to be able to celebrate this milestone, and we want to sincerely thank everyone who has offered support, kindness, and encouragement during this time,' MaGee said in a statement. 'I am especially thankful to the burn team at Stroger Hospital for their exceptional care, compassion, and expertise, as well as for the support they showed my family throughout my hospitalization.' MaGee, from Upland in Indiana, did not offer any further details on her heath or recovery. She suffered burns to 60 percent of her body in the attack, which prosecutors say was carried out by 50-year-old Lawrence Reed. Magee was doused in gasoline and set alight on the city's Blue Line, but managed to flee the train. Reed had 72 prior arrests at the time of the November 2025 attack and had been freed by a woke judge months earlier after allegedly attacking a social worker. MaGee, seen here, completed inpatient treatment at Stroger Hospital in the Windy City, she said Friday Lawrence Reed is the suspect accused of setting MaGee alight. He has a slew of previous arrests and was branded a danger to society by prosecutors yet walked free last year He has been charged with terrorism and arson over the attack on MaGee and faces life behind bars if convicted. Surveillance footage showed MaGee sitting in the train car before Reed, a complete stranger, allegedly poured gasoline over her head and body. In a horrifying chain of events, MaGee attempted to fight off her attacker while Reed allegedly tried to set her on fire. Reed approached MaGee and repeatedly yelled 'burn alive b***h,' a criminal affidavit filed in federal court alleged. Horrified locals believe MaGee's ordeal could have been avoided, had a female Illinois not judge ignored a prosecutor's warnings about Reed. Despite the prosecutor warning Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez that Reed had a lengthy rap sheet and his next crime would 'likely be violent', she allowed him to walk free. MaGee was seen running to the front of the train car to escape before her attacker allegedly ignited the bottle in his hand, according to the affidavit. Reed then allegedly ran to the front of the train car and watched his victim as her body was 'engulfed in flames'. Surveillance footage shows the attack on MaGee MaGee attempted to extinguish the flames by dropping to the ground and fled the train car when it stopped at Clark and Lake. She collapsed when she arrived at the station where multiple witnesses attended to her while she waited for emergency responders. Investigators obtained additional security footage of Reed allegedly filling a container with gasoline at a gas station 20 minutes before the attack. As Judge Molina-Gonzalez released Reed in August, she said: 'I can't keep everybody in jail because the state's attorney wants me to', according to court transcripts. Reed has been arrested almost 50 times and has had multiple felony convictions over the last three decades. The incident in Chicago drew comparisons to the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August of last year. The 23-year-old was murdered in Charlotte after being stabbed in the neck. Career criminal Decarlos Brown is accused of killing her in the frenzied attack. Brown, 34, was well-known to law enforcement having spent most of his life in and out of prison on a litany of offences. A Nigerian court has ordered the British government to pay 420 million to the families of 21 miners who were shot dead by the colonial authorities nearly 80 years ago. Police opened fire on the workers, who were staging a sit-in protest against working conditions and unpaid salaries at the mine in the Iva Valley in the southeastern state of Enugu on November 18, 1949. Fifty-one others were wounded in the shooting that fuelled growing calls for Nigerian independence, which was finally achieved in 1960. The case was brought by Nigerian human rights activist Mazi Greg Onoh at a court in Enugu. Judge Anthony Onovo ruled in a decision handed down on Thursday that the UK government should pay 20 million to each of the victims' families. The families' lawyers, Yemi Akinseye-George, said that once they had a copy of the judgment, they would ask Nigeria's attorney general and foreign ministry in Abuja to notify London and initiate 'diplomatic steps toward compliance'. 'The British authorities, despite proper service, declined to enter or respond to the court process,' he added. During an official investigation at the time, the police had defended the shootings by saying they feared being overwhelmed. A statue commemorating the killing of the coal miners in Enugu in 1949 Those killed are now celebrated in the region as heroes. In 2013, the UK agreed to pay damages to more than 5,000 Kenyans who had been victims of torture and ill-treatment during the Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s. It expressed its 'sincere regrets' and paid some 20 million in compensation. An Afghan migrant who left a woman dripping with blood after punching her repeatedly in a random attack has died in jail. Gulwali Stanekzay, aged 22 at the time of the attack, assaulted Aisha Waris, 23, three times as she walked home by herself at night in February, 2023 in Harlesden, north-west London. Stanekzay was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting to the attack. It has now emerged the asylum seeker died at HMP Wandsworth on January 17 at the age of 25. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is carrying out an investigation into his death. Ms Waris had been walking home along Minet Avenue in Harlesden at 7.30pm on February 26 when Stanekzay suddenly and deliberately rode his bike into her and started punching her repeatedly in the head and shoulders for about a minute. He rode away and shocked and dazed, she continued her short journey back home but noticed seconds later he was again walking towards her menacingly. Stanekzay punched her repeatedly again forcing Ms Waris to cover her face and run towards a neighbour's home. It has now emerged Stanekzay has died at the age of 25 - at HMP Wandsworth on January 17 Stanekzay turned his fury on a Toyota Prius parked out in the street and caused 3,445 worth of damage to the car before turning his attention to a neighbour's front door Footage shows him taking several flying kicks at the door before he starts to smash the camera and a pane of glass with his bike lock causing more than 4000 worth of damage She approached the house, begging Stanekzay to leave her alone, but he ignored her pleas and launched a third savage assault. Once inside the property, she wiped the blood away from her nose and lip. Stanekzay, who came to Britain as an unaccompanied 16-year-old from Afghanistan in 2016, had been in and out of immigration centres and was homeless at the time of the attack. He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault (ABH) and two counts of criminal damage at a hearing in May, 2023. He admitted he was also in breach of a suspended sentence order after being convicted of ABH in December, 2022 and given a 24-week prison sentence suspended for 12-months. After Ms Waris fled into the property, Stanekzay turned his fury on a Toyota Prius parked out in the street and caused 3,445 worth of damage to the car before turning his attention to the neighbour, Richard Jarman's, front door. The horrifying attack was caught on a Ring doorbell camera belonging to Mr Jarman, who had come out of his house after hearing screaming in the street. In footage played to Harrow Crown Court, Ms Waris was seen walking up to Mr Jarman's front door, whimpering in fear, pleading with Stanekzay to stop. Aisha Waris suffered a bruised lip, a swollen nose and red marks and bruising to her chest, shoulders and face. She is pictured here leaving court in 2023 Ms Waris previously told the court: 'I feel anxious and stressed. I have recently lost my mum and this incident has added my anxiety and sadness. I also am wary about going out of the house' She then screamed out 'No' as he pursued her onto the property, beginning a flurry of punches to her head and face, forcing her to seek shelter inside the house. Mr Jarman could be heard shouting at the attacker, 'you're on camera' before shutting the door. Stanekzay attempted to gain access to the terraced property by taking a series of running kicks to the door before smashing the glass and the Ring camera with a bike lock. Footage shows him taking several flying kicks at the door before he starts to smash the camera and a pane of glass with his bike lock causing more than 4000 worth of damage. Ms Waris had been on the phone when she was attacked initially and the friend on the other end of the line had managed to contact her father, Abdullah Khan, who drove to the scene. Mr Khan, who was accompanied by his other daughter, confronted Stanekzay outside the house. Security footage showed the moment he too was attacked by the defendant, who punched him two or three times and dragged him along the road before fleeing. Ms Waris suffered a bruised lip, a swollen nose and red marks and bruising to her chest, shoulders and face. Stanekzay pleaded guilty to two counts of assault (ABH) and two counts of criminal damage at a hearing in May, 2023 The horrifying attack was caught on a Ring doorbell camera belonging to Richard Jarman, who had come out of his house after hearing screaming in the street. Some of the damage to the house is pictured Her father suffered a black eye and broken tooth. Sentencing him for the 'wholly unprovoked' attack, judge Maya Sikand said previously: 'Watching that footage is upsetting and frightening and I'm sorry to say portrays you in a very ugly light.' In her victim impact speech Ms Waris had revealed how she was too scared to leave her home following the attack and afraid to be on her own. She said: 'This incident has caused me a lot of distress and had an impact on my emotions and my mental health. 'I have also sustained physical injuries included bruising and swelling to my eyes, nose and lip. 'I had many bruises on my head, neck, shoulder and back. I have had to go to hospital to receive treatment for my physical injuries. 'I feel anxious and stressed. I have recently lost my mum and this incident has added my anxiety and sadness. I also am wary about going out of the house. 'I used to love going out by myself, for example, going for walks, and was independent however this attack has taken my independence away from me.' Stanekzay, who issued his 'reserved apologies' to the victims through his barrister, was given two-and-a-half years jail time for the assaults and another 24 weeks for breaching his suspended sentence. Police remained at Peter Mandelson's Regent's Park home until late on Friday evening after cops raided the Labour grandee's properties - as they investigate him for alleged misconduct in public office. Several cars were seen parked outside the former US ambassadors residence on St. Katherine's Precinct as they continued to search his home for evidence. At around 8:15pm a number of officers were seen carrying a number of cardboard boxes before going back inside the residence. They returned inside before removing further items from Mandelson's home, until they eventually left in their vehicles shortly after. Lights were seen illuminating several rooms of the three-floor home even after the police had left. Police also searched a car parked outside one of the properties linked to Mandelson in central London. Plain-clothed cops wearing blue medical gloves were seen using torches so they could search the inside of a Range Rover. Scotland Yard has mounted a full criminal investigation into Mandelson after damning revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. While he was a Cabinet minister, the former spin doctor repeatedly leaked him confidential government plans, emails suggest. Two people believed to be police officers arrived this afternoon outside Lord Mandelson's 7.6million house near Regent's Park - which the politician bought in 2011 following advice from Epstein. A police officer carries a box with evidence as he exits Peter Mandelson's home in London Plain-clothes detectives in forensic gloves were seen coming and going from the property A man is seen entering the home of Mandelson on Friday evening. Police also visited his home in Wiltshire The officers knocked on the door and entered the house, with one of them wearing what appeared to be a small body camera. Three more people believed to be police officers arrived at the address shortly after. The officers were seen collecting items from their car, including a blue box and a large bag, before re-entering the property. One man left Lord Mandelson's house and got into a car. He declined to comment, including on anything happening inside the property. It is unclear if Lord Mandelson was inside. Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart said: 'I can confirm that officers from the Met's Central Specialist Crime team are in the process of carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, and another in the Camden area. 'The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences, involving a 72-year-old man. He has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing.' The offence of misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The criminal investigation was announced on Tuesday after the Government and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown passed information to the Met. Police are seen carrying boxes from the home of Mandelson in Wiltshire A police car is seen outside Mandelson's Wiltshire property Members of the media pictured outside Mandelson's home in central London on Friday Police pictured outside Mandelson's Wiltshire home earlier on Friday While Mandelson was a Cabinet minister, the former spin doctor repeatedly leaked Epstein confidential government plans, emails suggest (pictured: a police car outside his home) Police investigate an outbuilding at the home of Peter Mandelson in Wiltshire Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer on Friday warned that a 'very significant volume of material' will likely need to be reviewed in relation to Lord Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US. In a letter to the Intelligence and Security Committee, the Prime Minister also said: 'Thank you for your letter following the Humble Address relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment as His Majesty's Ambassador to the United States of America. 'I have asked the Cabinet Secretary to work with you and your committee to agree the detail of how material that may be prejudicial to the UK's national security and international relations is shared and reviewed, having regard to the requirements of the Metropolitan Police investigation. 'As you note in your letter, it is important that documents are made available to Parliament as soon as possible, noting that there is likely to be a very significant volume of material that will need to be reviewed to establish whether it is in scope.' The PM added that the Government wanted to 'ensure that Parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency it deserves'. It came as the Daily Mail uncovered further sensational details about Lord Mandelson's dealings with Epstein, with whom he remained close even after the financier had been jailed for child sex offences. One bombshell email seemingly showed the pair discussing confidential negotiations over a 10billion Ministry of Defence contract while Lord Mandelson was business secretary in Mr Brown's government. A female police officer appears to carry a red box out of Mandelson's Wiltshire home on Friday The offence of misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment A police car is pictured outside Mandelson's Wiltshire house An officer carries a box out of Mandelson's London property In another exchange, on the day Epstein was released from prison, the pair appeared to joke about celebrating with 'two strippers' with Lord Mandelson branding his paedophile friend a 'naughty boy' for making the suggestion. Lord Mandelson has previously suggested his status as a gay man meant he was 'kept separate from what (Epstein) was doing in the sexual side of his life'. Among the three million pages of so-called Epstein Files released by the US Department of Justice are bank statements that suggest Lord Mandelson and his husband, Reinaldo Avila da Silva, received payments from Epstein totalling tens of thousands of pounds. Labour's 'Dark Lord' is named as the recipient of three $25,000 (21,500) payments, which he denies getting, while Mr da Silva was the subject of a standing order that paid out $4,000 (2,900) a month for three months. On Tuesday, the disgraced peer finally bowed to public pressure and resigned his seat in the House of Lords. The Labour grandee, who has always denied wrongdoing, is now likely to be interviewed by officers over claims that his dealings with Epstein broke the law. Cabinet ministers David Lammy and Pat McFadden, who served as junior ministers in his department, could also be asked to provide evidence, as could Mr Brown. Confirmation of a police probe came just hours after Downing Street revealed that the Cabinet Office had sent its own dossier to detectives highlighting the 'market-sensitive' nature of the material apparently passed by Lord Mandelson to Epstein at the height of the financial crisis. Sir Keir Starmer on Friday warned that a 'very significant volume of material' will likely need to be reviewed in relation to Lord Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the US No 10 said Sir Keir Starmer was 'appalled' by the revelations. He told a meeting of his Cabinet that Lord Mandelson had 'let his country down'. But Kemi Badenoch said Sir Keir and his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, had 'a lot of questions to answer' about why they appointed Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the United States despite knowing he had maintained his friendship with the notorious paedophile. The Tory leader branded the scandal a 'national embarrassment'. She said the police inquiry was 'inevitable' given the seriousness of the allegations, but said people 'should not let this distract us from the fact that the Prime Minister has his fingerprints all over this'. She added: 'I think the Prime Minister himself needs to come clean and tell us what he knew and when, and be honest about how this ever happened in the first place.' The under-fire Prime Minister is battling to stay in Downing Street as he reels from the Lord Mandelson scandal, with a number of backbenchers openly questioning his future. In a bid to contain the crisis, Sir Keir has promised to release documents related to Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador in February last year. But the Government was forced into ceding control of the release of material to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which will now decide what is made public. Sir Keir was compelled to make the U-turn on Wednesday following a House of Commons revolt by Labour backbenchers, which was headed by Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM. Starmer pictured with Mandelson on February 26,2025 in Washington DC The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday's drama, Ms Rayner told an MP 'I will be ready' to launch a leadership challenge, despite an ongoing probe into her tax affairs. It has also been suggested Labour's 'women in grey suits' could be sent to tell Sir Keir that his time is up. But, in a scramble to ward off a coup, Sir Keir's allies are insisting that any new PM - such as Ms Rayner - would not have a personal mandate from the electorate and therefore should call a general election. One Labour figure who has served on Sir Keir's front bench told The Telegraph: 'Presumably Angela Rayner, if she got elected, would have a completely different agenda. 'If you come in with a completely different agenda then the country legitimately says, 'We didn't vote for this'. 'And so what are the grounds for refusing a general election? You can claim constitutional grounds, but in the world of frenzied media, of TikTok, YouTube and GB News, is it really sustainable? It doesn't feel sustainable to me.' Speaking about the prospect of a leadership switch, a Cabinet minister supportive of Sir Keir added: 'The pressure for an election would be enormous.' It comes amid fears in the Government that the release of Lord Mandelson's emails and messages from his time as US ambassador could lay waste to Sir Keir's attempts to stay close to Donald Trump. A photograph released as part of the Epstein files apparently shows Lord Mandelson talking to a woman who is wearing a white bath robe Peter Mandelson in photo relased as part of the Jeffery Epstein-related files by US Justice Officials fear that material published as part of a probe into how Lord Mandelson was hired by the PM could include 'damaging' comments made by the former diplomat about the notoriously thin-skinned US President. One official told Politico that 'there is lots which could be damaging', adding that the disgraced former minister and diplomat 'used to download his thoughts in real time'. The Epstein files have shown Lord Mandelson sharing lewd and off-the-cuff messages with the late child abuser, including joking about 'well-hung young men' when he was a Cabinet minister. The PM on Thursday said he was 'sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies' and for having appointed him as US ambassador in February 2025. But Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said it looked 'weak and naive and gullible' for Sir Keir to say 'he lied to me' and warned the Mandelson scandal would 'finish him off' unless he took the right course of action. 'He should be reflecting on why he made that appointment,' she told Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast. 'He should also be thinking about a real reset in No10, because what you need from your team in No10 is people who share your values and your principles and who will help you be the best prime minister you can be according to your true self. Undated picture shows Epstein and Mandelson on a yacht 'And clearly that is not what happened because the Keir Starmer who was DPP (director of public prosecutions), would never have appointed somebody like Peter Mandelson to represent the country.' Leadership speculation intensified on Thursday as the PM gave a speech apologising to Epstein's victims for believing the peer's 'lies' about his relationship with the paedophile financier. Backbenchers have called for either Mr McSweeney to be sacked or for Sir Keir himself to step down after bombshell revelations about Lord Mandelson's dealings with the child sex offender. However, immigration minister Mike Tapp on Friday defended the under-pressure aide in a round of media interviews. The so-called 'special relationship' between the UK and US is already under strain, despite Sir Keir's best efforts to maintain it. Trump has levied tariffs on UK-made imports, embarked on a major row with America's Nato allies and even disparaged British troops who fought and died in Afghanistan. The release could be delayed because the Metropolitan Police has asked the Government not to publish documents that would 'undermine' its probe into allegations of misconduct in public office. And the ISC said it could not provide a timetable for releasing the documents as it reviews whether some of the papers should be withheld for national security reasons. At an emergency press conference in Hastings the rattled-looking PM said he was 'utterly disgusted' by revelations about Lord Mandelson's relationship with Epstein and 'sorry' he had appointed him as ambassador to Washington DC. But he insisted that he would 'go on', despite mounting Labour fury over the fiasco. And Downing Street rejected calls from Labour MPs to sack Mr McSweeney, who championed Mandelson's appointment. A pair of teenage boys and their pilot have died in a light plane crash. An 18-year-old boy, a 19-year-old boy and the 57-year-old pilot were all killed when the plane plunged into the ocean at Long Bay, about 80km south of Adelaide. The crash was witnessed by several beach-goers, with one bystander capturing the terrifying moment the plane plunged into the ocean. South Australian Police (SAPOL) said police received reports of the crash near Goolwa South about 4.20pm on Friday. 'Police and emergency services responded immediately,' a statement said. 'The wreckage of the plane has been brought to shore.' Water police, a helicopter, Sea Rescue and three Country Fire Service vehicles assisted in the massive search and rescue operation. Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigators will attend the scene on Saturday and investigations into the crash are ongoing. Police will prepare a report for the Coroner. The crash was witnessed by several beach-goers, with one bystander capturing the horror moment the plane plunged into the ocean (pictured) The plane is believed to have crashed just after 4pm on Friday A 'vehicle of interest' has been identified in the ongoing search for missing Nancy Guthrie after investigators said a second 'message' was sent to a local news station. The developments came late Friday as a message was sent to Tucson news outlet KOLD, appearing to be sent by the same people who claimed to be holding the 84-year-old for ransom. Soon after the letter was sent, an FBI forensics team descended on Nancy's home, and aerial images taken by the Daily Mail show teams unloading gear to seize new evidence. Investigators were seen scouring the area and placing new evidence markers around the property, including in hedges and on the roof of Nancy's home. The 'vehicle of interest' was believed to have been at a Circle K convenience store in the Tucson-area, and in a statement to the Daily Mail a spokesperson said it was 'assisting law enforcement' in its search. The spokesperson said the vehicle was identified through a 'tip', and the store has provided investigators with access to surveillance video. It is unclear why the vehicle appeared to be connected to the disappearance, nor if any suspects have been identified as a result. Now six days into the search, Nancy has not been seen since the evening of January 31, when she was brought home after spending the evening with her daughter Annie, 56, and her son-in-law Tommaso Cioni, 50. The latest message was sent to Tucson-area news outlet KOLD on Friday morning. The outlet previously reported that it was sent a 'ransom letter' on Tuesday, as was TMZ. Authorities have not verified the legitimacy of the letters. The message was sent to the station via email at 11:45am local time, and used a different IP address to the previous 'ransom' message, but appeared to use the 'same type of secure server to hide their real IP address', KOLD said. Authorities have descended on Nancy Guthrie's home again after officials said they are 'aware of a new message' sent to a local news station amid the ongoing search for the 84-year-old An FBI forensics team descended on Nancy's home Friday evening, and aerial images taken by the Daily Mail show teams unloading gear at the home to seize new evidence Forensics teams and FBI investigators returned to the home for the third time on Friday Your browser does not support iframes. KOLD said that the new note did not make any new ransom demands nor provide proof of life for Nancy, but did claim to be sent by her abductors. Authorities urged the public to continue calling in information. A $50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the 84-year-old's return or to the arrest of anyone involved in her disappearance. The latest message follows the arrest of California resident Derrick Callella on Thursday, after he was allegedly found to have texted Nancy's daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni in a hoax ransom plot. Callella allegedly admitted to sending the messages to capitalize on confusion surrounding Nancy's abduction and potential ransom demands, and told investigators he was 'just trying to see if the family would respond.' The messages Callella sent to the Guthrie family are believed to be separate to those sent to TMZ and KOLD this week - one of which reportedly set a 5pm deadline on Thursday for millions in Bitcoin to be paid 'or else.' TMZ reported that a secondary, 'more serious' deadline was also set for Monday. With the search for Nancy now stretching past five days, investigators admitted at a Thursday press conference that they had no suspects or persons of interest in the case. Evidence from Nancy's home included the apparent removal of her doorbell camera and blood spatters from her door to her driveway - which officials revealed at the press conference were confirmed to be Nancy's blood. With an absence of forensic evidence pointing to a suspect, on Friday retired FBI investigator James Gagliano said the ransom notes may be a break in the case. Investigators seen at Nancy Guthrie's home on Friday evening Forensics teams were seen arriving at the home on Friday evening, soon after law enforcement acknowledged a second letter had been sent to a local news outlet claiming to be from Nancy's abductors Investigators seen at Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Arizona on Friday Officials say Nancy, 84, is frail and has poor mobility, and suffers from a heart condition that requires her to take medication daily Officials previously said they have no reason to believe Nancy may have been targeted because of her daughter, but have also not ruled out any inquiries. Savannah Guthrie earns a reported $8 million salary at NBC, and has a net worth estimated at around $40 million The former FBI agent said ransom demands of Bitcoin funds is the 'most compelling piece of evidence thus far.' 'Kidnappings happen for one of two reasons: it's either for profit or it's for revenge,' Gagliano, a crisis negotiation expert, told Fox & Friends Friday morning. He highlighted how for decades high-profile individuals have been the targets of kidnappings, including Frank Sinatra Jr and newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. Guthrie's abduction, however, is 'baffling and beguiling' because it 'does not meet muster with any of the traditional type of kidnappings', Gagliano explained. 'We still don't know if this was a targeted attack, if this was a targeted abduction,' he continued, before addressing 'very strange' way the alleged captors contacted the Guthrie family. Gagliano added that it is unusual for an abductor to provide a ransom note to the media instead of delivering it directly to the victim's family. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos revealed at a press conference on Thursday that Nancy Guthrie's doorbell camera disconnected in the dead of night around the time she disappeared Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Friday that investigators were frustrated as they discovered they were not able to obtain any images from Nancy's doorbell camera before it was removed. Investigators have found that the homes doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But Nancy Guthrie did not have an active subscription, so none of the footage was able to be recovered. 'It is concerning, its actually almost disappointing because youve got your hopes up,' Sheriff Nanos told The Associated Press. 'OK, they got an image. Well, we do, but we dont.'' Nanos said although the lapse was frustrating, investigators have not given up on trying to retrieve footage from the home. 'I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that heres a picture, heres your bad guy. But its not,' Nanos continued. 'There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say this is what we have and we cant get anymore.'' Concern about Nancy Guthries condition is growing because authorities say she needs daily medicine thats vital to her health. She was said to have a pacemaker and dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriffs dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com. 'Her conditions, I would imagine, are worsening day by day' Nanos said. 'She requires medication. And I have no way of knowing whether theyre getting that medication to her.' She was the sex-bomb with not one but three royals on their knees begging her favours. Rich men got out their wallets, besotted fools showered her with jewels, rogues could not resist. What WAS it about Sandra Rambeau that sent men so crazy? No matter where she went the blonde, slim, gutturally sexy former switchboard girl from Springfield, Missouri, found her path strewn with rubies, diamonds, fur coats, limousines and marriage proposals. Beautiful, blonde, and lucky, all she had to do was beckon and they came a-running - film stars, industrialists, politicians... and a Nazi general. The Duke of Kent - King Charles's great-uncle and the brother of the late King George VI, who died 73 years ago today - fell for Sandra and set her up in a swish Belgravia house, slavishly handing over money and jewels galore. She rewarded him by introducing him to drugs. Sandra born plain Mary Dorothy Rambo in a one-horse town in the mid-West - arrived in Britain as one of the 'Dorchester Girls', dancers from New York's Broadway, shipped over to London in the inter-war years to liven up the capital city's nightlife. Within weeks she was in the arms of a besotted Prince Bishnu Shamser Rana, a rich playboy from Nepal who couldn't wait to get his hands on her. Sandra Rambeau's real name was Mary Dorothy Rambo when she lived in America Within weeks of arriving in Britain a rich prince from Nepal had fallen in love with Sandra 'It was a case of love at first sight,' she trilled, 'for he proposed to me a week after our first meeting. My romance with the prince will thrive in London, despite the fact that the prince has a wife in Nepal. As far as his being married is concerned, Indian princes usually have several wives.' Unfortunately for Sandra that wasn't quite the case. When she sailed to Italy to join Bishnu she discovered his pregnant wife sitting in her hotel-room, refusing to budge. She came back to London empty-handed - no husband, no princely title, no money. By luck she soon met the Duke of Kent, who fell for her sexual allure but also her access to hard drugs. His relationship with another druggie American, Kiki Preston known as 'the girl with the silver syringe' was over, and the 33-year old bachelor prince was looking for more fun in a similar vein. Within weeks of Sandra eagerly feeding his various appetites, the duke had gone off the rails - and though the relationship lingered on for six months, eventually he had to be rescued by his eldest brother, the Prince of Wales, who put him under house-arrest in a home on the Windsor estate till he could be weaned off the drugs. Pretty soon the Duke was shunted off to an obscure castle in Serbia where, sitting eagerly waiting, the impoverished Princess Marina of Greece accepted his proposal of marriage with alacrity. So what to do with Sandra? Two emissaries of the king, George V, went round and knocked on the door of the Belgravia love-nest. Her time in Britain was up, they said off you go. They offered her 20,000 [nearly 2million today] to disappear. So Sandra took the money and ran. Back in the States she was romanced by film stars Cary Grant and Charlie Chaplin before she ended up in Paris. But then World War II broke out and, always with an eye to the main chance, after the 1940 Nazi occupation of the city she ended up in the arms of General Franz Ritter von Epp. Prince George, Duke of Kent, the future King Edward VIII, George, the future King George VI and Henry Duke of Gloucester German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, and General Franz von Epp leave the Munich Airport with British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for the "Four Power Conference" in Munich to decide the question of Czechoslovakia At 72 to her 30, Hitler's big buddy should have known better. What she thought she'd get from marrying a Nazi general old enough to be her grandfather is anyone's guess but Sandra probably thought it'd be safer getting married to the winning side. Soon she realised her big mistake and after only a few weeks as Frau Ritter von Epp, she was on the boat back to sunny California - where she was instantly labelled a Nazi spy by the FBI. She shrugged it off. From Missouri to Hollywood, to England and France, then on to Germany and back to the States, she was always looking for the next big pay-day. That looked like it was coming her way when in 1946 the Marquess of Milford Haven, cousin of the king, flew back from New York where he'd met and made love to Sandra on his way home from war service with the Royal Navy. So besotted was the marquess he approached King George VI asking his permission to marry her. 'Lord Milford Haven,' wrote the New York Daily News, 'is 26. Miss Rambeau is... older'. 'She knew more ways to have sex than there are pages in the Bible,' wrote biographer Frank Walker, which is why Sandra, who unsurprisingly never became a Marchioness, was able to take on he-man film star Errol Flynn, renowned for his rapacious bedroom romps, and his chum Freddie McEvoy, a British public-school ne'er-do-well. The Duke and Duchess of Kent leaving for Himley Hall near Dudley, to spend the first part of their honeymoon in 1932 She'd been through so many rich men, were there any left? Oh yes - George Hearst, son of America's richest press magnate, William Randolph Hearst. He married her but then on second thoughts, changed his mind almost instantly - so she sued the pants off him. What happens to a good-time girl when the money and the men run out? Still clinging to the diamond and ruby ring given to her by the Duke of Kent, Sandra quietly returned to the family she'd left behind when she set on on her path to fame and fortune. By now they lived in Delano, a wine town in mid-California far from the bright lights of Mayfair, Manhattan, Hollywood and the Cote d'Azur where her star had once shone so brightly. She died there forgotten, aged 78, in 1987. In Dubai this week, Prince Edward became the first senior royal to publicly address the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor scandal. He did so rather grudgingly, even managing to infuse a note of irritated sanctimony into his words. At this dark moment for the monarchy, at a time when the Royal Family could use every scrap of dignity and nobility to boost their image, it was a needless act of self-harm. What was he thinking about? Have they all learned nothing from 'never complain, never explain' and the closed-door calamities of the past? At the World Governments Summit on Tuesday, the Prince was asked by a CNN journalist how he was 'coping' with the fallout from the Epstein files. A fair enough question, given that the files have been bombshell news around the world. Edward retorted testily that the audience had come to listen to education matters and to 'solving the future' (solving the future! He's worse than Meghan and Harry) before considering the question. 'I think it's all really important, always, to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all this? A lot of victims in this,' he waffled before swiftly moving on, matter closed. You'd think he was talking about a fox infiltrating the hen house at Bagshot Park, not the royal scandal of the age. Is that enough comment from the family on this hideous matter? I think not. Courtiers, of course, might argue that actions speak louder than words. Andrew, formerly known as Prince Andrew and the Duke of York, was stripped of his royal titles last October. This week he was finally exiled to deepest Norfolk; cast out like a pestilence; a grotesque Quasimodo unfit for public life, a fright-sight too foul for the public gaze to fall upon. King Charles has never mentioned the scandal surrounding his brother while Prince William has dodged questions He was removed from his grand Windsor residence under the cover of darkness, perhaps even muzzled and strapped to a sack truck, like Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs. However, it is the silence of King Charles and Prince William that is so utterly deafening here. Charles has never mentioned the scandal while William has dodged questions, only once mumbling something along the lines of it being 'too deep' for comment. Yet the Prince's disdain for his disgraced uncle was clear for all to see on the steps of Westminster Cathedral following the Duchess of Kent's funeral last September. It's not as if William is privately supportive or even conflicted. He's clearly just as revolted by Quasimodo as the rest of us and was probably the driving force behind his banishment. The problem is that the continued silence from the Palace looks like a complacency or something even worse. For one of the astonishing things about the Epstein scandal which has now brought down Peter Mandelson along with Andrew is that it's becoming clear that many of those involved didn't believe Epstein and all his horny pals sleeping with underage girls was much of a crime in the first place. No big deal! Imagine if Epstein had been jailed for premeditated murder, on rape charges, or was guilty of genocide, aggravated assault, treason, take your pick. Friends and associates might have been rightly horrified and cut him out of their lives forever. But somehow, everyone from Bill Clinton to Sarah Ferguson to Peter Mandelson to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor clearly thought, on some level, that the wholesale harvesting of young girls for sexual purposes was fine and dandy, certainly socially acceptable in their circles. Child prostitution, sex trafficking, paedophilia? What's the problem, Your Honour? And unless the Windsors say something in public to support the victims and condemn the decades of lies and the lack of apology or remorse from the rotten apple currently still festering deep within their royal barrel, they look like they don't care much, either. Prince Edward urges us all to remember the victims, but how could we forget them? If it hadn't been for the courage and resilience of the Jane Does and all the broken and lost girls who floated through the Epstein residences on a tide of 'fresh, firm and creamy' delight to use his own revolting phrase this fetid situation might never have come to light. The first victims they prefer to call themselves survivors surfaced in 1996, the first lawsuits began in 2007, and the civil suits followed in 2008. Virginia Giuffre, who was trafficked to the former Prince Andrew and pictured with him in the infamous photograph, filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit against him in 2021. Mountbatten-Windsor settled the following year for around 12 million without any admission of wrongdoing. I've barely recovered from reading Giuffre's sad, haunting book about the affair, which was published posthumously after she took her own life last year. Andrew denied her claims to the end, but like the other survivors she battled on for justice and vindication. These women were the loose stitches who unravelled the whole tawdry tapestry. Without them, the Epstein files might never have come to light, Epstein might still be alive, Andrew might still be a prince, Ghislaine Maxwell might still be a free woman, Fergie would still be a freeloader, Mandelson might still be an ambassador, Keir Starmer might still have a political future, Bill Gates might still have a wife and on and on it goes. There is never going to be an explanation or any shame from Andrew. In the absence of an admission of guilt from him, shouldn't there be some sort of apology from the Windsors on his behalf? An acknowledgement, an expression of regret, a note of grace, a hint of remorse for raising such a total stoat in their ermine enclave? It might only be a little but it's not too late. And dope of the night goes to... The 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles provided a handy showcase for music stars' disapproval of ICE. 'I'm a granddaughter of an immigrant,' said London's own Olivia Dean, named Best New Artist (above). Well, good for Olivia, but her perspective that all immigrants are the targets of the controversial law enforcement agency seems unhelpful. Olivia Dean's perspective that all immigrants are the targets of the controversial law enforcement agency ICE seems unhelpful, says Jan Moir Even worse was Billie Eilish. 'F**k ICE,' she said, collecting her award for Best New Song. 'No one is illegal on stolen land.' Most of the dopes in the audience stood up to applaud. But, under scrutiny, this rallying cry is just another piece of celeb performative politicking. Not least because Eilish herself lives behind the gates of a 4million Malibu mansion, protected by round-the-clock security. In a luxury residence built on the ancestral grounds of the Tongva tribe, Billie controls the boundaries of her own home; a comfort and luxury she doesn't want America to have. If she really believed what she said, she'd live without locks and doors and give her home back to the Tongva, who have already signalled an interest in the property. Righteous - or just a moral mess? Five Palestine Action protesters have been released on bail ahead of a potential retrial over a break-in at a British subsidiary of an Israeli defence firm. The five were cleared of aggravated burglary despite prosecutor claims their actions left a policewoman with a fractured spine, allegations which are denied after an Elbit Systems building near Bristol was targeted in 2024. They were also charged with criminal damage and violent disorder, but the jury reached partial or no verdicts on those counts, for which they could face a retrial. During the case, supporters plastered posters near the court explaining the principles of 'jury equity' the capacity of a jury to return a verdict according to conscience, not facts. After the trial, the grinning activists said they couldn't be found guilty as their violent actions were 'morally right'. But can a protest really be righteous when a police officer has been left injured in the line of duty? Like Karl, grudges are just my style How delicious that an unknown relative of Karl Lagerfeld is contesting his 200 million will. It's worth a shot! Go for it, third cousin thrice removed, or whoever you are. Karl might even approve. 'I know revenge is mean and horrible,' he once said, 'but I see no reason why I shouldn't do something back if somebody has done something bad to me. When people think it's all forgotten, I pull the chair away, maybe ten years later.' I'm with him all the way. Where's the fun in forgiveness? Like Karl and Maximus Decimus Meridius, what keeps me going is the thought that vengeance will be mine, in this life or the next, amen. Emily's confusing new look In a new campaign for Agent Provocateur, Emily Atack poses in red lingerie for a bondage-inspired photoshoot in a country manor. The actress has previously tweeted: 'Can people stop saying to girls with big knockers 'it's a bit boobie?!' When trying on clothes. 'Some people in TV make me feel like I've deliberately strapped on a rubber pair and said look at these bad boys.' In a new campaign for Agent Provocateur, actress Emily Atack poses in red latex lingerie for a bondage-inspired photoshoot Emily also explained to a magazine in 2018: 'My whole life I've been judged for how I look' while wishing that people 'would like me for my personality and brain'. You have to laugh. Not just because that is a luxury wish only afforded to pretty people. And while Emily is a real beauty, this saucy Agent Provocateur campaign is grim. The cheap and nasty, readers' wives, home-made porn vibe is obviously deliberate, but it is not doing her any favours. Especially for someone who doesn't like being judged on her looks. Just before closing time on Saturday I happened to pass through the Skims outlet in the London branch of Selfridges. Pausing to admire the luxury lingerie designed by Kim Kardashian I noted a strange emotion pulsing from the Skims staff scuttling between the racks of clothes. What was that all-too-familiar feeling? I recognised it as pure terror. The staff tweaked the triangle bras, smoothed down leggings, folded the boy shorts, moved the hangers an inch this way, then an inch that way before doing it all over again under the watchful gaze of a posse of equally frightened Skims executives. Now I know why. Kim visited the store the following day, after a romantic Cotswold weekend with her unlikely new beau, Lewis Hamilton. Perhaps we should look at her in a new light! Any boss who strikes fear into the hearts of her retail staff is deserving of a certain respect. Its patience has been tried. Now Alton Towers has banned theme park guests who suffer with ADHD and anxiety from using a disability pass to avoid queues. I bet they are! So many people now claim to suffer from ADHD that the disability queue might soon be longer than the non-disability one. And if you were really anxious, why would you be queuing up for a roller coaster ride in the first place? Any other year, she would have been busy in her first-floor study putting the finishing touches to arrangements for her former husband's birthday party. Any other year the woman who clung like a limpet to her royal status decades after divorcing the King's younger brother would have noted with satisfaction the names on the guest list: old friends of Prince Andrew still loyally standing by him and the new acquaintances the pair were eager to do business with. It has always been this way with a celebration to mark the February 19 anniversary of the birth of the late Queen Elizabeth's younger and, it is said, favourite son part fun, part schmooze-fest. At his 60th, friends wryly noted the presence of Chinese nabobs among the 60 guests who sat at ten circular tables lapping up the royal largesse. But this year, on his 66th birthday, there is no party and in a couple of weeks, when chauffeur-driven limousines should have been depositing the monied and the glamorous at the doors of palatial Royal Lodge, deep in Windsor Great Park, there will be silence. Indeed, if she were still in residence, Sarah Ferguson could have listened to the solitary echoes of her own footsteps in the vast saloon with its floor to ceiling picture windows. There in past years butlers, drafted in from nearby Windsor Castle, were greeting the guests with champagne while braying laughter would meet Andrew's attempts at humour on his 50th he amusingly described himself as a man 'with three children'. He didn't need to spell it out to the 120 present on that occasion that, in addition to Beatrice and Eugenie, he was including their mother, his permanent house guest, too. For now, and for the foreseeable future, the impossibly grand good life is over not just for the ex-duke but also for the ex-duchess. The disgraced Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with their daughters Eugenie (right) and Beatrice in 2006 As Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor left Royal Lodge for the last time earlier this week under cover of darkness along with a convoy of removal lorries bound for his brother's Norfolk estate at Sandringham, the wife from whom he was never parted despite divorcing 30 years ago, was slipping quietly away and heading in the opposite direction. Her ultimate destination is not known. According to friends she will be 'overseas' for several weeks. Some suspect she will be based at her daughter Princess Eugenie's home in Portugal. Others suggest she may be travelling further afield to Australia, where her sister Jane Makim has long lived. Once her bulging address book would ensure she could be folded into discreet social currents almost anywhere on the planet she wished. How striking then that some of her old circle were insisting she was not with them, among them the Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson who said she was not on his private Caribbean island, while another friend holidaying on exclusive Mustique, the royals' favourite hideaway, tells me she's not there either. All we can be sure of is that she won't disappear for long. And then? 'Well, she won't be hiding away,' says a close figure. 'It is not her style. It's true she needs some space now; this whole saga has dominated her life for the last five years, making it impossible for her to think about anything else. 'She has been in the middle of it all and it has undermined her resilience.' Being away from Royal Lodge, away from Andrew, will, says her friend, enable her 'to be reputationally freer'. According to this same figure, however, she will continue to live in Britain. The details are still to be finalised, but I am told she has found a property in Windsor which she has identified as the place where she can 'rebuild her life' and 'start again.' A comeback? Really? As someone who has reported on Fergie from the moment she first entranced the then Prince Andrew by feeding him chocolate profiteroles at a Royal Ascot house party, I've witnessed all her reinventions. For years she was the royal family's retread queen, swerving from one catastrophe to another and still somehow surviving and, yes, thriving. Twice she swerved bankruptcy and bounced back. Even the abject humiliation of those notorious toe-sucking photographs and her alleged affairs didn't really dent that impregnable self-confidence. Instead she monetised her (and the Royal Family's) embarrassment by writing a book and making a film. Life lessons became a business opportunity or nice little earners. Fuelled by a lack of self-doubt, she has always thought she could outsmart any situation and when things did go wrong, convince herself it was either someone else's fault or a freak of circumstance. Even after she was unmasked attempting to sell access to Andrew through the notorious 'fake sheikh', she managed to retain her reputation with a forgiving public as an accident-prone but essentially harmless adornment to national life, admired for her ability to recover from adversity. But however much shame and opprobrium she received, two things always insulated her the Duchess of York title that she prized above all else and the luxury of Royal Lodge, the graceful imperial address where she could retreat to lick her wounds and where she was always treated as royalty. Now both have gone, along with her quasi-royal standing. For years Fergie was the royal family's retread queen, writes RICHARD KAY, swerving from one catastrophe to another and still somehow surviving And as the trickle of correspondence between her and Jeffrey Epstein has become a flood, the only question is why it didn't happen sooner. It is tempting to wonder how the King, having welcomed her back into the Windsor fold with an invitation to return behind the royals' velvet rope that Christmas Day at Sandringham just two years ago, must feel now. Even if he didn't know the full extent of her extraordinary egregious dealings with Epstein, she certainly did. Charles is left with questions about his judgment when, really, Fergie should have resisted his kindness and any rapprochement. For surely, she must have known that every word of her incomprehensibly misjudged dealings with the grotesque financier would eventually come spewing out at the tap of a computer key. Surely too she must have known that it was not just her relationship with Epstein hiding in plain sight but the relationship she also exposed her daughters to. He was, remember, a 'level three' sex offender, indicating minors to be at greatest risk, yet here she was just five days after his release from a Florida jail in July 2009 after serving 13 months for soliciting a child for prostitution, planning to drop by for lunch at his Palm Beach home accompanied by Beatrice and Eugenie, then aged 20 and 19. He was also under house arrest. No matter as Fergie writes: 'What address shall we come to. It will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie. Are we having lunch?' The answer appears to have been yes, as Epstein suggests a menu of 'vegetable lasagne, or anything else you would like, chef here from Paris.' During the exchange Epstein asks whether 'Sarah' needs a lift, but the response is: 'No thank you I made Philip (thought to be former Miami mayor Philip Levine) give us his car and a back-up one for the policeman.' The dialogue ends with her asserting: 'Cannot wait to see you.' It is not hard to imagine how the two princesses must have squirmed at seeing their names being dragged into this squalid saga as the trove of Epstein Files made public by the US justice department has been opened up over the past seven days. At times, the email trail suggests that the two girls granddaughters of the late Queen Elizabeth and with the style HRH, unlike their parents were almost being used in a transactional manner. The emails themselves range from the demeaning to the shameful. There is a request from Epstein to 'Sarah' that 'you [or] one of your daughters' show someone (whose name is redacted) around Buckingham Palace' as though these two princesses of the royal blood are little more than hired hands. And how does Ferguson respond? With acquiescence. 'Of course,' she replies. In subsequent correspondence, Epstein asks Ferguson if there was 'any chance of your daughters saying hello' to one of his associates who was in London in July 2010. The person's name was not revealed. Fergie answered that Beatrice was in London with her father and that Eugenie was 'away with a cool boyfriend'. Who knows if the meeting took place, but Fergie appeared to voice no objection to her daughters being reduced to meeters-and-greeters. Referring to a separate occasion, she apparently writes to Epstein, apologising that 'the girls were not around this weekend', adding: 'Shows I don't crack the whip when I am not in the country!' The message continues: 'Actually, eugie was in france and beatrice was out with dave [thought to be Beatrice's then boyfriend, entrepreneur Dave Clark]'. And then there is the March 2010 exchange from 'Sarah' to Epstein with its shockingly coarse remark that she is 'just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!'. While there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the princesses, what emerges is their unwitting role as stooges in their mother's (and father's) desperate and distasteful quest to suck up to the wealthy Epstein. 'Oiling the wheels,' as one palace insider put it. With their royal highnesses' titles, they brought added lustre. Fergie especially comes across as a needy, desperate figure, chasing money and support, but one also prepared to play the victimhood card. In one instance she describes herself to Epstein as 'very traumatised and alone. I am wanting to work for you at organising your houses.' She follows it up with a further plea the following month: 'When are you going to employ me', and the same day, 'phew you still love me'. As more emails emerge, there is a growing impression of how much she seemed to depend on Epstein, telling him he was her 'pillar' and confiding 'I have been so sad'. These exchanges, of course, were after her greed had been unmasked by the fake sheikh episode and she was fearing the consequences of her foolishness. Melodramatically, she declared to Epstein: 'No woman has ever left the Royal Family with her head I am now 1,000 per cent being hung out to dry.' Those of us who have followed Fergie's journey, from the ski slopes of Switzerland where she worked as a chalet girl, to duchess, divorce and trotting around the globe with lovers during her marriage, are familiar with the effusive, gushing language she uses in her email correspondence. Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was an acquaintance of Andrew and Fergie's. Both have been mentioned and photographed multiple times in the 'Epstein Files' Courtiers still recall her flagrant misuse of her status the ludicrous and costly helicopter flying course, abandoned when she became 'bored' with the lessons; those vast piles of luggage for official trips and the endless shopping expeditions. She always sailed perilously close to the wind and there was always a chance that she would one day find herself in serious difficulties. Despite all this in her second memoir, A Duchess's Journey To Find Herself, she railed about the nicknames she was given because of her profligacy. 'Freebie Fergie' particularly stung. 'I tried to save money where I could,' she wrote. 'I found that some designers would allow me a deep discount in return for the publicity value of my wearing their fashions I was merely trying to be frugal! I should have been called 'Frugal Fergie'.' That same Frugal Fergie spent herself into debts of 4 million in the 1990s and 5 million in 2009. When it was pointed out that she had been given every advantage in life, including marriage to a prince, and that she only had herself to blame for throwing it away, she didn't like it. I became used to late-night calls when a sometimes overwrought duchess would sob down the telephone at something I had written that she found disobliging. I was in the room when the full ghastly horror of the toe-sucking pictures was relayed to her at Balmoral by her American lover John Bryan. On other occasions there would be invitations to a fashionable restaurant, where she would firmly give me the benefit of her point of view over a costly expense-account lunch. The private room at Mosimann's, the much-garlanded central London dining club, was a particular favourite. Once, on an assignment in eastern Europe, there was an urgent summons to her hotel suite for what the Army call an 'interview without coffee' or 'dressing-down' we clinked glasses of vodka, watched over by edgy assistants hovering in the background. She often used to talk about Princess Diana. Where once they were whisper-close, they were estranged at the time of her death, a source of endless regret to Ferguson. As she ponders her future stripped of her royal status and cut adrift by her charities, her latest book withdrawn from sale and pulped, there will be a lot more regrets crowding in. For now, she is finally where Prince Philip always wanted her out in the cold. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands has started training to become a reservist in the Dutch army 'as our safety can no longer be taken for granted'. The Royal House shared photos of Maxima, 54, taking aim during shooting practice, climbing a wall, and jumping into a pool during a 'mental skills' training course in Breda on Wednesday. Maxima, the 54-year-old Argentinean-born wife of King Willem-Alexander, is following her daughter Crown Princess Amalia into the military. The 22-year-old heir to the Dutch throne completed her basic military training as a volunteer reservist last month. Maxima's decision to take on this new role comes as the Dutch military seeks to boost enlistment amid geopolitical turmoil and Russia's war in Ukraine on Europe's eastern edge. In a statement, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said: 'Because the security of the Netherlands can no longer be taken for granted, Maxima has decided to become a reservist.' The Royal House added that the queen, 'like many others, wants to make a contribution to that security'. The statement continued: 'Reservists play a crucial role in supporting the military. Now Queen Maxima has the rank of soldier. Upon completing her education, she will be awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel.' Queen Maxima has started training to become a reservist in the Dutch army 'as our safety can no longer be taken for granted' The Royal House shared photos of Maxima, 54, taking aim during shooting practice, climbing a wall, and jumping into a pool during a 'mental skills' training course in Breda on Wednesday Royals across Europe have a tradition of enlisting. Five years ago, Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the Belgian throne, signed up to do a year in military school in Brussels to help her prepare for her royal duties. Her father, King Philippe, also attended the Royal Military School in central Brussels. The incoming Dutch coalition government that is expected to be sworn in later this month has unveiled plans to boost the nation's military to 122,000 staff. Ministry of Defence spokesman Klaas Meijer said it is currently at 80,000, including military personnel, civilians and reservists like Maxima. He said enlisting was Maxima's choice, 'but we are of course very proud that she is doing this and hope that other people will think, "hey, this is something I could do"'. The defence ministry says her training will comprise 'all the practical and theoretical military components necessary to become a reservist'. 'These include physical resilience, self-defence, marksmanship, map reading and military law.' Once the queen has completed her training, she will be given the rank of lieutenant-colonel and will 'deploy wherever needed,' the Royal House statement said. Reservists are generally deployed for tasks in the Netherlands, but have occasionally also been sent overseas on a voluntary basis, said ministry spokesman Meijer. The Netherlands is not alone in seeking to beef up its defences against a backdrop of Russia's war against Ukraine and US reservations about the Nato alliance. American president Donald Trump's bid to wrangle Greenland away from Denmark - before backing down from threats of military action and tariffs - caused a rift in the alliance. European nations are boosting their domestic defense spending to reduce their reliance on American forces. Maxima, the 54-year-old Argentinean-born wife of King Willem-Alexander, is following her daughter Crown Princess Amalia (not pictured) into the military An emotional Maxima embracing her daughter, Crown Princess Amalia, after the heir to the Dutch throne completed her basic military training as a volunteer reservist last month The Royal House added that the queen, 'like many others, wants to make a contribution' to the country The incoming Dutch government plans to introduce what it calls a 'freedom contribution' for citizens and businesses to help foot the growing military bill. Officials in European powerhouse Germany have approved a government plan to attract more military recruits as the country tries to boost the ranks of its armed forces in the face of rising concern about the threat posed by Russia. France unveiled a new programme in November that is meant to bolster the country's armed forces by training thousands of volunteers aged 18 and 19. The programme will start with 3,000 volunteers to be selected next summer and will gradually increase to 10,000 per year by 2030. France has ambitions to reach up to 50,000 volunteers per year by 2035. At a Paris naval conference this week, the Dutch navy chief, Vice Admiral Harold Liebregs, and counterparts from the UK and US spoke of success in boosting recruitment and retention of much-needed personnel, in part because of growing concerns about threats to Europe's security. 'Something happened in Europe. We have been struggling with shortages of personnel for a couple of years but now for the first time in years we see that (the) retention rate is pretty OK,' Liebregs said. 'Recruitment and influx are also picking up...People are really willing to join the navy.' The defence ministry says her training will comprise 'all the practical and theoretical military components necessary to become a reservist' Once the queen has completed her training, she will be given the rank of lieutenant-colonel and will 'deploy wherever needed,' the Royal House statement said He attributed the turnaround in part to the introduction of a programme that enables volunteers to join the armed forces for one year, giving them a first taste of service and initial training. Last year, Denmark sought to increase the number of young people in the military by extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time. Men and women can both still volunteer, and the remaining places will be filled by a gender-neutral draft lottery. Belgium has also just reactivated two military brigades as part of a wider drive to boost defences. Moves to recruit new military personnel are sure to put strain on existing defence budgets across Europe - although they also will push governments toward a Nato spending hike they approved at a summit last year. 'It's good, it's a difficult path, especially because it requires financing and other resources,' retired General Jean-Paul Palomeros, a former head of the French Air Force, said after France announced its plans. 'But nevertheless I think it was needed somewhere to make sure that the young generations understand that freedom and peace are not taken for granted and it doesn't come as a free lunch.' Princess Ingrid Alexandra has reportedly asked, 'When is enough?', in a post shared to her Instagram account amid one of the toughest weeks in the Norwegian Royal Family's history. The royal, 22, addressed the storm surrounding her family after newly released emails exposed the bond between her mother and future Queen, Mette Marit, and Jeffrey Epstein, with one suggesting she was still in contact with the late paedophile financier just months before his suicide. This week also saw the trial commence for Ingrid's stepbrother, Marius Borg Hoiby, who is charged with raping four women and 34 other offences. He denies the most serious charges. Ingrid took to Instagram on Thursday, speaking out about 'personal attacks'. She wrote, in a post seen by NRK, 'It is important not to make claims that you have no basis for.' Ingrid, who is next in line to the throne after her father, Prince Haakon, added in the post: 'It's not about any case, not Marius, not mom or dad or Magnus. 'It's about personal attacks. It can apply to anyone. But it often applies to us. I chose to post it here. Because I'm going crazy. When is enough?' She explained a thought experiment asking others to imagine a 'you' who had been accused of killing someone, despite being innocent, and the mental toll of dealing with the media storm and investigation surrounding the allegations. Ingrid concluded her post, shared to her 800 followers, with the statement: ''It is important not to make allegations that you have no basis for'. Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway has addressed the current media storm about her family in a Instagram post The Daily Mail contacted the palace for comment. They did not wish to comment. While it was known that Crown Princess Mette-Marit, 52, had corresponded with Epstein, the intimacy of the new emails blows apart any suggestion that the pair were mere associates, with the late paedophile referring to her as 'twisted' and 'not your typical royal'. Meanwhile, the mother of three, who married Norway's future King in 2001, referred to the disgraced financier as 'sweetheart'. In one eyebrow-raising exchange, mutual friend Boris Nikolic, a former adviser to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, asked Epstein if the pair were going to have a baby together. Nikolic, who references the Norwegian royal in several emails and appears to speculate about her mental and physical health, wrote in April 2012: 'What happened with Mette now? She wants to carry your kid?' Epstein's reply was: 'Mette Marit is a mess'. The latest revelations, which the Crown Princess said in a statement this week were 'embarrassing' and 'showed poor judgement', have put immense strain on the Norwegian monarchy, coming in the same week that Mette-Marit's son goes on trial for the rape of four women. The emails, sent between 2011 and 2014, show Mette-Marit continued to write to the late paedophile financier despite knowing he had been jailed for procuring an underage girl for prostitution. Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway apologised for her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after emails illuminated the pair's close relationship They also spent time together in New York when she was on official royal duties in the absence of her husband, although there is no suggestion that she stayed at any of Epstein's properties. In one email released, dated Christmas Day 2018, just eight months before Epstein's suicide, Nikolic suggests he may have been planning to meet the Crown Princess and Epstein in Palm Beach in 2019. Referring to apparent eye procedures he was undergoing at the time, Nikolic wrote in the early evening email: 'Eyes started on January 7 or so (I was planning to fly from SF to West Palm Beach to meet Mette and you!)' The 52-year-old royal's name appeared at least 1,000 times in the millions of new Epstein documents released by the US Department of Justice on Friday. The latest Epstein files have proved deeply uncomfortable for the Crown Princess; in the missives she tells Epstein he's 'soft-hearted' and says 'you tickle my brain' and the pair frequently discuss meeting up in person. Some correspondence was signed off by Mette-Marit using informal, shortened versions of her name, including 'Mm' and 'Mette m'. In another email, Norway's future Queen refers to her disgraced billionaire friend as 'such a sweetheart'. In another email, which was sent from the account H.K.H. Kronprinsessen - Norwegian for Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess, 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'. Marius Borg Hiby, 29, pictured next to his mother, Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit in Oslo, Norway, 2022 She also joked about Epstein's love life, suggesting to the convicted paedophile that Paris was 'good for adultery' but that 'Scandis [are] better wife material'. One Norwegian newspaper editor this week speculated whether the Crown Princess's links to Epstein could derail her hopes of becoming the country's Queen. When the allegations against her son Marius Borg Hoiby first emerged in 2024, only 27 per cent of Norwegians said they wanted the Crown Princess to become Queen, a figure that is unlikely to improve given the release of the latest batch of Epstein files. 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. 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'. 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, went 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. Do YOU live in the area? Part of a flagship eco-village backed by King Charles's charity now resembles an 'apocalyptic film'. Houses were built on a former oil refinery site in Llandarcy, near Neath, South Wales under plans to turn industrial land into a thriving new village named Coed Darcy. The King visited the site in 2013 - when he was the Prince of Wales - after the first phase was completed. While a vast section of the project now resembles a typical rural village - and indeed became the inspiration for Charles's later project in Poundbury, Dorset - a small trial area of seven houses has remained uninhabited. And plans to build 1,800 new homes, a small cluster of retail units and land for a new primary school in the vicinity also remain on the shelf, five years after a planning application was first submitted. Buildings in the hamlet-like portion of Coed Darcy - which were never intended to house people - have been compared to a 'zombie' village in a Hollywood movie. Filmmaker Jay Curtis was exploring the surrounding area, which is inhabited, when he stumbled upon the development. 'It's like a village that time forgot,' he said. 'The only thing I can compare it to is an apocalyptic film - like something you'd stumble across in a Hollywood movie. 'At one stage I thought maybe it was a film set because Wales has a lot of filming going on at the moment. A flagship eco-village backed by King Charles's charity now resembles an 'apocalyptic film' Houses were built on a former oil refinery site in Llandarcy, near Neath, South Wales under plans to turn industrial land into a thriving new village named Coed Darcy While a vast section of the project now resembles a typical rural village - and indeed became the inspiration for Charles's later project in Poundbury, Dorset - a small trial area of seven houses, pictured, has remained uninhabited Much-touted plans for Coed Darcy included 4,000 homes, four schools, a surgery, community hall, library and 500,000sqft of 'employment space'. The development received financial backing from what was the then-Prince's Foundation for Building Community as well as BP, Neath Port Talbot Council and the Welsh Government. Plans were in place to transform the vacant land into an estate and, after five years of environmental clean-up work, construction began on the village. Charles even visited the site himself in 2013, saying he was interested in 'trying to break the commercial mould with the kind of challenges the world is now facing'. It was due to be transformed into a new community of 10,000 people, but only 294 Persimmon homes - all currently inhabited - were built in the village after remedial work began back in 2009. A spokesperson for STM Brighton Group, responsible for the remediation of the site since 2008, said: 'We have sought to engage with the Council on scheme viability for a number of years and submitted revised proposals last year. 'We are now working closely with the Council and progress is dependent on a planning decision, which we hope will be delivered imminently so the site can be taken forward without further unnecessary delay.' Despite being touted as a '15-minute neighbourhood' and an 'eco-village', locals last year said it now feels more like a 'war zone' following a slowdown in improvement works. There is still a shortage of schools, shops, library and doctors' surgeries, with residents having to travel 20 minutes to the closest such facilities elsewhere. Much-touted plans for Coed Darcy included 4,000 homes, four schools, a surgery, community hall, library and 500,000sqft of 'employment space' The area has been expected to become an 'eco-village' and '15-minute neighbourhood' A house in the trial area of Coed Darcy which was never intended to house people There is still a shortage of schools, shops, library and doctors' surgeries, with residents having to travel 20 minutes to the closest such facilities elsewhere The estate was once home to the BP-owned Llandarcy Oil Refinery, the UK's first crude oil refinery. The first families living there moved in to the site built by developer St Modwen - the previous name of STM Brighton Group - in 2008, but have been kept waiting for plenty more facilities ever since. Local authority Neath Port Talbot Council previously told of ongoing discussions with developers St Modwen and then their parent company Blackstone Group, who 'moved' responsibility of the site to a new subsidiary firm called Revantage. The developers issued an apology for 'the operational issues affecting residents', while submitting a planning application for more development. Speaking last year, James Dewitt, 40, a telecommunications consultant who had lived at Coed Darcy for 10 years, was among the locals sharing their despair at a lack of progress. The developers issued an apology for 'the operational issues affecting residents', while submitting a planning application for more development A main road with a sign advertising the development which includes 294 completed homes The estate was once home to the BP-owned Llandarcy Oil Refinery, the UK's first crude oil refinery One resident, who moved in nine years ago, said he was considering putting his house on the market Talks have been ongoing with developers St Modwen and their parent company Blackstone Group, who 'moved' responsibility of the site to a new subsidiary firm called Revantage He said: 'We like our houses, the community and living here but we are frustrated at the lack of promised facilities and are unable to get a clear answer from either St Modwen or the council about what is causing the delay. 'We do have a residents group I sit on and we occasionally meet with St Modwen and they have told us they will try to get us some clarity on the status of the development next time we meet. 'I have also written to the NPT planning department several times and, while they respond, we never get an update of any substance. 'We are in the same position as two years ago. This is still a lovely place to live in many ways but we still have no school, no shops, no doctors - the only change is that more time has passed.' Another resident, who moved in nine years ago, said: 'I'm at the point of putting my house on the market. 'There's no community spirit anymore - people are arguing over parking and bins, and there are days when I don't want to leave the house. 'I've been living here for nine to ten years, and what appealed to me was that it would be a sustainable place to live. It showed this vibrant estate in these images - and what we've got looks like a war zone. 'I returned to South Wales nine years ago, and there has been a lot of trouble. The community is completely soulless and does not attract the right people - it looks scruffy, it's just laughable.' Buyers have found a way to save themselves thousands of dollars after closing on a house - and real estate agents are panicking about their bottom line. House hunters frustrated by hefty agent commissions are cutting the realtor out altogether in favor of artificial intelligence (AI) that will do the work for less money. Buyers are using AI to search for homes, determine market trends, make draft offers, review disclosures and follow through with closings. In some instances it's saving them upward of $50,000. AI-powered real estate site Homa, the first of its kind, lets you cut out the middleman and buy a home on your own - then credits you back 75 percent of the buyer's agent commission at closing. The other 25 percent is the fee for using the site. It automates 95 percent of the entire process, and helps buyers schedule viewings. Tampa resident John Harrison, 21, told the Daily Mail he saved the $12,000 an agent would have pocketed after he bought a $400,000 house using AI. He put the money toward closing costs and furniture. 'I thought, "Is it feasible I can do this with no agent? I'm doing all the legwork myself,"' Harrison said. In the know house hunters frustrated by paying hefty commissions are cutting the realtor out altogether in favor of artificial intelligence when buying a house Tampa resident John Harrison (pictured), 21, saved the $12,000 that would have been an agent's commission after buying this $400,000 Florida house using AI 'I didn't know if it was real at first, but I found a house that I somehow missed on Zillow that was an amazing deal. It was painless. Worst case scenario was someone taking all my money and scamming me but the process worked out perfectly.' Homa CEO Arman Javaherian, a former senior director at Zillow, said he invented the site after seeing how confused and upset buyers were by exorbitant commission fees. 'I saw firsthand how buyers felt about the process and, a lot of the time, the word was the buyers were doing all the work, so why are they paying an agent?' Javaherian said. 'The buyers are searching for the home, talking to the lender to secure financing, researching neighborhoods, schools, everything. And then an agent comes in and they make $30,000 on a million-dollar home for maybe a few weeks worth of work.' Since going live last May, 10 homes have sold through the site and another 12 are in the process of closing. In January, more than 1,000 new people signed up to use the service, and Javaherian expects the popular spring housing market to give the site a huge boost. He also said his timing was just right. Buyers became more cautious about the process after a 2024 National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement which requires agents to have written agreements with buyers before touring homes either in-person or virtually. He hopes to ease buyer fears with Homa. Javaherian made the site easy to navigate, and compared how it works to rideshare app Uber. Miami resident Frank Sweet (pictured left with his wife), who buys investment properties, wanted to avoid a $16,000 agent's fee so desperately that, at one point, he considered getting his own real estate license - he used AI instead 'People go on the site, they search for homes, and when they want to see a home in person, they check off the schedule tour button,' Javaherian said. 'A realtor that is in the area and maybe having some downtime gets paid by the hour by our company to show up with the key for a viewing. 'We have a network of agents all across Florida that show up just like calling an Uber. So they don't get a commission, they just let you in the home. Homa CEO Arman Javaherian (pictured) founded the site after working as a senior director at Zillow and seeing how upset buyers were by commission fees 'Realtors love to meet people and connect, so this is a way for them to do that and make some money in the slower periods.' Javaherian said about half of the home buyers he speaks to are struggling to even come up with a down payment. 'We are hoping to ease that a bit,' he said. 'We have people saving thousands of dollars.' Javaherian said one client who is about to close on a $2.1million home was shocked to learn that she would save $61,000 using AI. 'We charge $2,000 for the whole process, so she saved the rest,' he told the Daily Mail. A lot of people also don't want an agent who is pushy, making the buyer feel like they're being pressured to close quickly just so the agent can collect their commission. Real estate agents are earning huge commissions so homebuyers are taking matters into their own hands, using AI to bypass agents and save money Javaherian explained that in the traditional process, an agent will 'make more money if the home is purchased for more money, which is not helping the client.' 'So they actually like the fact that the agents that go on our showings have no kind of point of view or ulterior motive,' he added. 'No one's pushing them to make a decision. They're just opening the door.' Florida realtor Jeff Lichtenstein (pictured) isn't convinced AI is the future At the end of 2025, Redfin predicted that AI would play a larger role in how people house hunt this year. 'AI will increasingly help people decide where to move, identifying cities, towns, neighborhoods and homes that fit users' budgets and lifestyle criteria,' Redfin said. 'Instead of a typical geographic search, homebuyers will search for precisely what they want and have a back-and-forth conversation with search sites, giving feedback to tailor their search results. 'These tools will allow house hunters to find homes with niche features. AI will help luxury house hunters find homes equipped with advanced air-filtration systems, whole-house water purification and amenities like meditation rooms.' But not everyone is thrilled with the advancing technology. Florida realtor Jeff Lichtenstein said using AI to buy a house is untenable. 'It sounds like a South Park episode,' he told the Daily Mail. 'Buyers think that they found the house and the realtor just opens the door. [But it's] not so simple. There are so many variables.' One of them, he said, is pricing. 'An appraiser looking at valuations looks at comparable homes sold from three to six months back, but they dont understand what is happening on the ground. You have to feel when marketing conditions are changing in real time.' A 2024 National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement, which requires agents to have written agreements with buyers before touring homes either in-person or virtually, turned off many potential buyers. Now, they're looking for homes on their own He said that AI also will fail to understand the intricate details of a home. 'How is AI supposed to know how the kitchen is working? Can AI possibly know that the room feels dark? Does it know the up-to-date pet restrictions in the subdivision? Can it read the personality of the sellers to know how to present an offer? Has AI heard the rumor that the seller is being transferred next week and needs to sell now? 'AI is reading past information, which might be good information or bad information.' But, despite what Lichtenstein said realtors bring to the table, buyers relying on AI is only becoming more common. The majority of Americans are embracing AI to navigate the housing market, with 82 percent saying they use it during their search, according to a recent survey by Realtor. ChatGPT and Gemini were used most, with more than half of respondents saying they're excited about how AI personalizes their search. Miami resident Frank Sweet, who buys investment properties, wanted to avoid a $16,000 agent's fee so desperately that he considered getting his own real estate license in order to do so. Instead, he used AI. 'Once you sign up, you can browse properties and rather than filling in the filters, you can just describe what you want down to the smallest details like a two-car garage and a small backyard but big enough for a pool,' Sweet told the Daily Mail. 'After we saw a bunch of houses, AI found comps and gave us a suggested offer price based on how long it's been on the market and the condition of the house. And we made the right offer.' Sweet said the AI process works for him because he's bought a handful of houses and knows what he's looking for. 'I don't need somebody else's opinion telling me how cute this is or that is,' he added. 'You know, my wife and I talk about it as we walk through it and we decide ourselves.' The Las Vegas home raided by federal agents looked, at first glance, like any other short-term rental listed online: a tidy living room, a bright kitchen and game tables staged for paying guests. Realtor photos showed pool and foosball tables, clean surfaces and carefully arranged furnishings, offering no hint of what investigators say was hidden inside. Behind a locked door in the attached two-car garage, hazmat teams allegedly uncovered a suspected illegal laboratory packed with thousands of vials, bottled liquids and lab equipment feared to pose serious biological or chemical risks. Reports suggested that the residence doubled as an Airbnb at the same time the materials were being stored. While property manager Ori Solomon allegedly lived there full-time, some rooms were simultaneously rented out to unsuspecting tenants. At least two short-term renters who entered the garage later became so ill they were reportedly unable to get out of bed. The home is owned by Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national previously linked to a 2023 investigation into a clandestine biolab discovered inside a Reedley, California, home. That earlier lab allegedly contained thousands of samples labeled as potential pathogens, including HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, COVID-19 and Ebola. Zhu was arrested in 2023 and remains in custody. The Las Vegas discovery has intensified fears among authorities that similar operations could be quietly embedded inside ordinary neighborhoods, and even next door to Americans booking a weekend stay. A suburban neighborhood was turned upside on Saturday when authorities raided a home after getting a tip it was housing a possible biological laboratory During the search of the Las Vegas home, officers entered a room that appeared to function as an office for Ori Solomon (pictured), who is now in custody When the hazmat team entered the garage, they found three refrigerators and a large freezer From the street, there was little to distinguish the Sugar Springs Drive home lab from its surrounding properties. Framed by palm trees, manicured shrubs and bright yellow flowers, the single-family residence blended seamlessly into the quiet Las Vegas neighborhood near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. Inside, however, investigators found it to be anything but ordinary. During the search, FBI agents entered a room that appeared to function as an office for Solomon, identified in court documents as the property manager. Inside, investigators found personal belongings bearing Solomon's name, including his wallet and two passports, according to the criminal complaint. Officers also observed two 9mm bullets resting on a computer stand. A subsequent search of a cabinet in the same room uncovered a black Glock semi-automatic pistol. Authorities later determined Solomon's immigration status prohibited him from owning or possessing a firearm. But the most alarming discovery came in the garage. Hazmat teams reported finding three refrigerators and one large freezer behind the locked door. Each was allegedly packed with plastic bags containing dozens of vials filled with unknown substances. Investigators also recovered laboratory equipment and large gallon jugs holding liquids of varying colors and compositions. Authorities sent a robot through the front door first (pictured), due to the possible hazardous situation that waited inside In total, more than 1,000 samples were collected and sent for testing. Documents indicate that multiple people had access to the home at the time of the seizure, and that may have unknowingly come into contact with the materials. Police said three individuals were renting rooms inside the property when authorities executed the search warrant. Those renters were safely evacuated and later confirmed not to be connected to the alleged lab or the broader investigation. One person told authorities the garage was always locked, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now. Another reported that the space contained three refrigerators and emitted an odor described as 'like a hospital, not a clean hospital, but more of a foul, stale, stagnant air smell.' Pictured: Hazmat teams pulled bags of vials from a giant freezer The contents of the vials are unknown, but the home was owned by a Chinese man who was arrested in California in 2023 for an alleged biolab with samples labeled 'COVID,' 'Ebola' and 'HIV' Property records show the Las Vegas residence was purchased in 2022 by David Destiny Discovery LLC, a company tied to Zhu and his business partner, Zhaoyan Wang. It was purchased one year before Zhu was arrested in California. The similarities between the Las Vegas and Reedley cases have raised alarms among investigators, particularly as federal and local authorities across the US examine a growing number of China-linked laboratories operating outside regulated facilities. After Solomon was taken into custody on Saturday, investigators recovered from the home two passports, one French and one Israeli, both belonging to him. While being held at the Clark County Detention Center on February 1, Solomon allegedly made a recorded phone call to his daughter. During the call, investigators say he asked, 'Is there any guns left? Is here any guns left in the house or did they confiscate [them]?' According to the complaint, a female voice responded that authorities had located a lockbox containing the pistol but were unable to open it. Following that exchange, investigators obtained a second search warrant authorizing the seizure of firearms and ammunition from the property. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the contents of the vials recovered from the garage (pictured) or whether any biological agents have been confirmed Among hundreds of vials of infectious viruses and bacteria found at the California home, many of which were stored improperly in shoddy freezers, were samples of malaria (pictured) labeled in both English and Chinese characters The California home was also found with thousands of mice that were confined to a poorly ventilated room, hardly larger than a closet, under constant bright lights shown in the above photo. Court documents also say they lacked adequate food and water Further records show Solomon is currently in the US on an E-2 non-immigrant visa, valid through May 5, 2026. The visa classification does not grant immigration benefits and explicitly prohibits firearm ownership or possession. Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the contents of the vials recovered from the garage, nor have they confirmed whether any biological agents have been identified. Testing remains ongoing, and no charges related to the biological materials have been announced. Daily Mail has contacted the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for comment. The investigation remains active. The Trump Administration has given the green light to reveal the secret UFO facilities to one of the leading voices in Congress calling for full disclosure of alien life. US Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri revealed that he has requested and been granted access to secure locations, such as Area 51, which have decades-old ties to UFOs and secret government projects. Speaking on the ALN Podcast, Burlison added that the request to President Trump and his staff included visiting US military bases and facilities where evidence suggests unidentified craft, materials, bodies, or archives allegedly exist. Burlison is a member of the congressional oversight committee involved in the ongoing investigation into Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), commonly known as UFOs. Although the US government and the Pentagon have officially denied that there has been any physical evidence of UFOs or alien life ever recovered, Congress has heard from multiple whistleblowers claiming secret programs have covered up the truth. In fact, Burlison has previously claimed President Trump has been 'fully briefed' on the existence of aliens, UFOs recovered by the military since the 1940s, and alien-human hybrids allegedly living on Earth today. Now, as Trump insiders have allegedly leaked that the White House is planning to reveal what America knows about extraterrestrials by July, the UAP committee may soon have the physical proof of non-human intelligence in their hands. The congressman revealed: 'The White House has told the DoD to make it happen. The extent to which they've been involved is literally just saying to the Department of Defense that "we're backing his request. Do what you can to make it happen."' Area 51 (Pictured) has been tied to UFO encounters and advanced military aircraft since the 1950s US Congressman Eric Burlison (Pictured) has claimed that he has received approval from the White House to visit classified US facilities allegedly tied to evidence of alien life Over the years, multiple US military sites have been linked to non-human craft, including facilities, anonymous sources have said, that were housing crashed spaceships and experimental aircraft constructed using reverse-engineered alien technology. These include Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, the Atlantic Undersea Testing and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) in the Bahamas, and the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), home to Area 51. 'There is reportedly an object that is not in this country that is so large it cannot be moved, that they've built an entire building around it,' Burlison said during the January 30 podcast. The congressman noted that this facility outside the US was classified so he was unable to reveal its exact location, but it was on his list of places he had requested to visit as part of the committee's investigation. 'It's going to involve a lot to make that happen, but that may be the final destination.' Burlison said during the interview that he started as a UFO skeptic but was convinced these phenomena were real after listening to whistleblower David Grusch's public interview shortly after entering Congress in early 2023. The Missouri Republican reached out to Grusch, connected him to the House Oversight Committee, and helped facilitate the string of public hearings that have revealed shocking evidence of alien encounters from respected military officials. Most of the current evidence has taken the form of images and videos of alleged non-human craft captured by both civilians and military personnel. Many have been leaked to the public after being classified by the Pentagon for years. President Trump (Pictured) expressed skepticism that reports of UFOs were real during a June 2024 interview but has allegedly granted access to secret bases tied to such claims The November 2025 documentary 'The Age of Disclosure' alleged that there's been an 80-year cover-up on UFOs and alien technology Burlison himself revealed never-before-seen video of a US military drone striking an orb-shaped UFO with a Hellfire missile during a September 2025 UAP hearing. The shocking footage from October 30, 2024 revealed that the unidentified craft not only survived the missile strike, but continued to fly away at extreme speed as the 100-pound, air-to-ground precision weapon simply bounced off the UFO's hull. The congressman added that access to government records on UAP has been intentionally made difficult to obtain and convoluted to research, with some agencies allegedly failing to report their data properly to Congress. 'We created government, and it's not the right of any government to withhold from you and I the truth about reality,' Burlison declared. 'No government has the right to withhold from you and I that we might be alone or not alone in the universe. That is not their right. That is not classified. That's a truth that humanity deserves to know.' Burlison has previously claimed to have 'a lead' on new UFO whistleblowers. However, he said during the new interview that it's been difficult to convince potential witnesses to risk losing their government clearances in retaliation, comparing these individuals to 'guinea pigs' in terms of how the Pentagon would respond. Social media has been alight with chatter, as the UK suffers its 36th consecutive day of rain. 'Sorry but what is this weather in the UK right now? It is absolutely depressing,' one user vented on TikTok. Another added: 'It's been raining every single day. Let us rest, we get it.' And one joked: 'The umbrella is my most prized possession at this point.' Now, the Met Office has revealed that a 'blocked pattern' in the jet stream is to blame for the particularly soggy spell. 'For many of us, the past few weeks have felt relentlessly wet,' it explained. 'Repeated bands of rain have swept in from the Atlantic, leading to increasingly saturated ground, travel disruption, and a general sense that winter has been stuck on repeat.' Unfortunately, there's no rest for your umbrellas as the meteorological service warns that the worst is yet to come. Brits have a reputation for talking about the weather, and as the UK suffers its 36th consecutive day of rain, social media has been alight with chatter So far, rain has been reported somewhere in the UK every single day this year. 'While amounts are trivial on some days, and some areas will have seen dry days, the UK has seen a wet start to the year, particularly in Northern Ireland and southern England,' Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said. Over in Reading, rain has fallen for 25 consecutive days the longest unbroken spell ever recorded in the town. The Met Office has revealed that the jet stream is to blame for the wet weather. This fastmoving river of air flows several miles above Earth's surface, and is positioned further south than we typically expect for this time of year. 'When the jet stream shifts south across the Atlantic, it tends to funnel lowpressure systems directly towards the UK, increasing the frequency and intensity of rainbearing weather fronts,' the Met Office explained. Cold plunges over in North America have helped to strengthen the jet stream, which is then propelling areas of low pressure towards northwest Europe. However, high pressure has also established over parts of northern Europe at the same time, resulting in what the Met Office describes as a 'blocked pattern'. Th soggy start to the year has taken its toll on many Brits, who have flocked to TikTok to lament the wet weather @ellarhian The constant rain is London is my 13th reason x original sound - ella rhian This has stopped the jet stream from shifting and has limited the UK's chance of drier weather. The Met Office added: 'This blocking high has also prevented the weather fronts pushing through and clearing the UK. 'Instead they have been stalling over the UK, leading to persistent slow moving bands of rain.' Unfortunately, this unsettled weather is set to continue for at least the next few days. 'With high pressure still lingering near Scandinavia, more rain is likely, especially for southwestern regions at times this week, as well as eastern Scotland (where further upland snow is also likely),' the Met Office said. 'This means some areas could see further issues associated with saturated ground and swollen rivers.' This soggy start has taken its toll on many Brits, who have flocked to TikTok to lament the wet weather. 'I don't mind the cold. I love a cold, crisp day when the sky is blue and you've got to wrap up really warm. But when it is grey and raining and cold, it's just not the one,' @charlotteeet8 vented. The Met Office has revealed that the jet stream is to blame for the wet weather. This fastmoving river of air flows several miles above Earth's surface, and is positioned further south than we typically expect at this time of year @ellarhian filmed a video during a wet walk through London, saying: 'Someone please reassure me that winter was not like this last year. I cannot remember being this depressed last year.' And @steph.robson posted a video filmed in the British countryside, using a sound clip from Forrest Gump. 'We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath,' the lead character says in the clip. Thankfully, things might start to look up from next week, particularly for people living in the North of the UK. 'Northern areas may experience slightly belowaverage rainfall during the second week of February,' the Met Office said. 'In contrast, southern parts of the UK are more likely to remain near, or slightly above, average for rainfall.' However, it's not quite time to ditch the umbrella, as any drier spells will likely be fleeting. The Met Office concluded: 'Were likely to see a renewal of the familiar cycle of lowpressure systems moving in from the west, bringing further spells of wind and rain. 'Even if there are brief quieter periods, current signals suggest they may be shortlived.' The news comes shortly after the Met Office confirmed that last month was one of the wettest Januarys on record in Britain with 17 per cent more rain than usual. Northern Ireland was particularly wet, with data confirming that the country experienced its wettest January in 149 years and its second wettest on record. 'January has been exceptionally wet because we've seen a very persistent Atlantic weather pattern,' explained Met Office science manager Dr Amy Doherty. 'A strong jet stream has repeatedly steered lowpressure systems towards the UK, bringing frequent spells of rain and wind. 'With little opportunity for drier conditions in between, the ground has become saturated, so even moderate rainfall has had a greater impact. 'This succession of Atlantic systems is the main reason rainfall totals this month are well above average for many areas.' Shocking video of a UFO appearing to escape from a US military drone at impossible speed has been obtained from the Pentagon. Jeremy Corbell, investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and co-host of the WEAPONIZED Podcast, revealed the recording on Tuesday, which allegedly shows a mushroom-shaped craft flying over Syria's Suwayda province in 2021. In what could be compared to a scene in a science-fiction movie, the drone's camera watched as the object appeared to either be hovering or flying at normal speed before accelerating to near-light speed and vanishing from view. According to Corbell and WEAPONIZED co-host George Knapp, the video was taken by an MQ-9 Reaper drone and obtained from a source in the intelligence community and the Pentagon. It's the latest evidence of non-human craft, the investigative journalists said have been leaked from the Department of War's 'vault' containing military footage of UAP, which stands for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena and is the new term for UFOs. Officially, the Pentagon has stated there has never been any physical proof collected that would confirm the existence of UFOs or extraterrestrial beings. However, the newly obtained video appeared to capture a clear example of what Corbell and Knapp called 'observable' behavior among non-human craft. In this case, that was instantaneous acceleration. Once the Air Force drone's camera locks onto the UFO, the recording shows the object seemingly knowing it had been targeted as it begins to maneuver erratically to break the lock before instantly speeding off to the right of the camera. US military drone footage appeared to capture a UFO moments before it escaped at incredible speed over Syria in 2021 The recording was made by a MQ-9 Reaper drone (Pictured) controlled by the US Air Force In their breakdown of the drone footage, Corbell, Knapp, and guest analyst Marik von Rennenkampff watched as the incident was slowed down to just five percent speed to view what the naked eye couldn't catch in real time. Even in extremely slow replays, the mushroom-shaped craft appears to warp away, stretching across the screen before completely disappearing from the drone's camera. Rennenkampff, a journalist who specializes in UAP and national security issues, noted this wasn't a mistake by the camera shaking and losing sight of the UFO, as all of the background objects could be seen staying in the same positions they were in before the craft accelerated. 'The operator rapidly moves the camera to the right. You can see the whole background, everything, the entire scene shifts from right to left,' Rennenkampff explained. 'We don't see that when that object shoots off to the right.' The investigators added that military personnel have described other craft appearing to instantly speed away at impossible speeds, calling the maneuver 'inhuman.' 'It breaks our ideas of physics that something can do that,' Corbell added in the February 3 podcast episode. The WEAPONIZED Podcast hosts emphasized the authenticity of the video, noting that it came straight from military archives that labeled it as a genuine UAP, and added that the camera used advanced technology that accumulates more data than a standard camera or an everyday person's smartphone. Join the debate What do you think the Pentagon is really hiding about these mysterious high-speed UFOs? The drone managed to record the moment when the object suddenly disappears, appearing as a faint white streak as it moved to the right Rennenkampff pointed out that the object flying near the border of Syria and Jordan was also not a drone, revealing that even in an infrared camera, the shape of a man-made drone and the exhaust from its engine would be clearly visible. 'That most certainly does not look like any kind of conventional aircraft um, that that I can think of,' the journalist said. The lack of any exhaust or heat trails as the UFO blasted off out of range was yet another 'observable' UFO researchers look for - known as hypersonic velocities without signatures. It essentially means an object was seen moving at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (3,800 mph) with no sonic booms, heat trails, visible exhaust, or other typical signs of high-speed travel. The other observables include UFOs instantaneously becoming invisible, also known as cloaking; UFOs moving from space or the sky to the ocean seamlessly, known as trans-medium travel; and UFOs displaying anti-gravity technology as they hover above the ground. Rennenkampff pushed back on the thought that the object may an advanced aircraft from an American adversary such as China, saying that if China had such a weapon, they would be able to attack anywhere in the world without warning. 'If China has this kind of technology, we're all screwed. I'll just be out be honest with you. We're totally screwed. You can just drop a nuke anywhere in the world instantaneously,' he warned. 'And beyond that, what would China be doing flying ultra-advanced technology over the Syrian desert? They have there's absolutely no reason for them to be doing that.' Flight tracking data has revealed that multiple top-secret Air Force jets have been sent to the highly classified Area 51 in the Nevada desert Friday morning. The planes are part of the US militarys Janet fleet, which transports contractor employees, officials from the Department of War, and military personnel to secure facilities containing classified information and technology at the massive complex. According to multiple flight-tracking websites, one aircraft designated Janet 31 departed Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas at 5.55am PT (8.55am ET) and was last descending into the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), which houses Area 51. Another flight, this one labeled Janet 43, took off from Harry Reid International 32 minutes later and was last seen heading for a landing area closer to Area 51. The infamous base has been tied to extraterrestrial lore for decades, with UFO researchers and conspiracy theorists claiming that secret government projects have been conducted at Area 51 since the 1950s. The flights come just days after US Congressman Eric Burlison claimed he has received permission from the White House to visit secret facilities tied to unconfirmed reports of extraterrestrials and non-human craft Congress has been investigating. The flights were also spotted after Trump Administration insiders allegedly claimed that full disclosure on UFOs and alien life could come from the president by July 2026. Despite the growing speculation and daily flights to the top secret facility, the US government and the Pentagon have maintained that physical evidence of UFOs and extraterrestrial has never been found. Centuries before his birth, the Old Testament foretold hundreds of prophecies about Jesus, every single one fulfilled according to the New Testament. These predictions have long raised questions among scholars and scientists about how one person could accidentally match so many specific details. Mathematician Peter W Stoner tackled this question in his 1960 book Science Speaks, calculating the odds of a single first-century individual fulfilling just 48 of these prophecies by chance. The result was staggering: one in 10 followed by 157 zeros, a number so vast it far exceeds the total number of electrons in the observable universe. To make the math easier to grasp, Stoner began with eight key prophecies, including being born in Bethlehem, descending from David, and performing miracles. Using simple probability, multiplying the chance of each prophecy occurring randomly, he found that even fulfilling these eight by accident alone is about one in 100 million. Extending the calculation to all 48 prophecies, the odds shrank to levels almost impossible to imagine. Stoner illustrated this with a real-world analogy, as covering the state of Texas two feet deep with silver dollars, mark one coin, and try to pick that coin blindfolded, a feat roughly as likely as one person fulfilling all eight prophecies by chance. In 2025, researchers Will Best and Robin Lovgren from Belmont University revisited Stoner's work, confirming that even under very conservative assumptions, the probability of a single individual fulfilling these prophecies by chance is 'staggeringly low.' They added that this analysis 'highlights the remarkable alignment between the predicted characteristics and the historical record of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.' The Sermon on the Mount (PICTURED) was one of the many prophies foretold in the Old Testement For many believers, these calculations provide compelling evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of prophecy, rather than a random person who happened to match the descriptions. Critics note that the results depend on which prophecies are chosen and how strictly they are interpreted, but even with conservative assumptions, the odds remain extraordinarily small. Jesus' life is said to have fulfilled dozens of these predictions, among the most striking included that he was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), descended from Abraham and David (Genesis 12:3; 2 Samuel 7:1213), and conducted a miraculous ministry of healing (Isaiah 35:56). His life also matched prophecies about suffering: he was betrayed by a friend, crucified with his hands and feet pierced, and buried in a rich man's tomb (Psalm 41:9; Psalm 22:16; Isaiah 53:9). Even events after his death, such as the resurrection (Psalm 16:10) and ascension into heaven (Psalm 68:18), correspond to ancient predictions. To understand the math in simple terms, Stoner estimated the probability of each prophecy occurring by chance. For example, being born in Bethlehem has a one in 280,000 chance, being betrayed for 30 pieces of silver has about one in 100,000, and the money being returned for another purchase is also about one in 100,000. He then used compound probability, multiplying the likelihood of each independent event. Join the debate Do you believe mathematical odds can be evidence for religious prophecies coming true? Jesus dying on the cross was also a prophecy in the Old Testament For instance, if one prophecy has a one in 10 chance and another a one in 100 chance, the odds of both happening by accident are one in 1,000. Applying this to the eight key prophecies produces a number so tiny it is nearly impossible to imagine. Extending it to all 48 prophecies, Stoner adjusted for the relative difficulty of each prediction and found the probability to be one followed by 157 zeros, smaller than the number of electrons in the universe. Even counting billions per second, it would take far longer than the age of the universe to reach that number. Best and Lovgren focused specifically on eight prophecies drawn from Isaiah 53, a chapter long seen by many Christians as describing the coming Messiah centuries before Jesus. These include being 'high and lifted up' (Isaiah 52:13), 'marred beyond human semblance' (Isaiah 52:14), coming from a humble background (Isaiah 53:2), being despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3), and being crucified (Isaiah 53:5). Some are extremely unlikely to occur by chance, such as crucifixion, about one in a million, and remaining silent at trial, one in 10,000. When the odds of all eight are multiplied, the probability of a single person fulfilling them by accident is effectively zero. Best and Lovgren echo Stoner's logic, saying that multiplying the probabilities shows numbers so tiny that they challenge ordinary understanding, drawing attention from scientists and statisticians even outside religious circles. A Las Vegas home raided by federal agents, looks much like any other short-term rental listed online with its tidy living room, bright kitchen, and game tables all ready for paying guests - but an adjoining secret area caused multiple guests to fall ill. Behind a locked door to the attached two-car garage, hazmat teams allegedly uncovered a suspected illegal laboratory, packed with thousands of vials, bottled liquids, and lab equipment feared to pose serious biological or chemical risk. Reports suggested that the residence doubled as an Airbnb at the time the materials were stored and the property's manager Ori Solomon (also known as Ori Salomon) allegedly lived there full-time while rooms were rented out to unsuspecting tenants. Not what it seemed: A suburban home was raided by authorities on Saturday after a tip-off said it was housing a possible biological laboratory In charge: During the search of the Las Vegas home, investigators entered a room that looked like an office for property manager Ori Solomon, who was taken into custody At least two short-term renters who entered the garage later became so ill they were reportedly unable to get out of bed. The home's owned by Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national previously linked to a 2023 investigation into a clandestine biolab discovered inside a home in Reedley, California. That earlier lab allegedly contained thousands of samples labeled as potential pathogens, which included HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, COVID-19, and Ebola. Zhu was arrested in 2023 and remained in custody. The Las Vegas discovery intensified fears among authorities that similar operations could be quietly embedded in ordinary neighborhoods where innocent folk had booked a weekend stay. Alarming: A hazmat-covered team member entered the property's garage and found three refrigerators and a large freezer From the street, there was little to distinguish the home lab from its surrounding properties in the quiet Las Vegas neighborhood near Hollywood Boulevard. Inside, however, investigators found it to be anything but ordinary. During the search, FBI agents entered a room that appeared to function as an office for Solomon, who was identified in court documents as the property manager. Inside, investigators found personal belongings with Solomon's name, such as his wallet and two passports, according to the criminal complaint. Officers also observed two 9mm bullets on a computer stand. A subsequent search of a cabinet in the same room uncovered a black Glock semi-automatic pistol. Authorities later determined Solomon's immigration status prohibited him from owning or possessing a firearm. Detector: Authorities sent a robot through first, due to any possible hazardous situation However, the most alarming discovery was to be found in the garage. Hazmat teams reported finding three refrigerators and one large freezer behind the locked door - each was allegedly packed with plastic bags that contained dozens of vials filled with unknown substances. Investigators also recovered laboratory equipment and large gallon jugs full of liquids of varying colors and compositions. In total, over 1,000 samples were collected and sent for testing. Documents indicated that multiple people had access to the home at the time of the seizure, and they may have unknowingly come into contact with the materials. Police said three individuals rented rooms inside the property when authorities executed the search warrant. Those renters were safely evacuated and later confirmed not to be connected to the alleged lab or the broader investigation. One person told authorities the garage was always locked, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now. Another reported that the space contained refrigerators and emitted an odor described as 'like a hospital, not a clean hospital, but more of a foul, stale, stagnant air smell.' Contents: Hazmat teams pulled bags of vials from a large freezer Infected: The contents of the vials were unknown, but the home was owned by a Chinese man who was arrested in California in 2023 for an alleged biolab Property records show the Las Vegas residence was purchased in 2022 by David Destiny Discovery LLC, a company tied to Zhu and his business partner Zhaoyan Wang. The purchase took place one year before Zhu was arrested in California. The similarities between the Las Vegas and Reedley cases raised alarm among investigators, particularly as federal and local authorities across the U.S. examined a growing number of China-linked laboratories operating outside of regulated facilities. After Solomon was taken into custody on Saturday, investigators recovered from the home two passports, one French, and one Israeli, both belonging to him. While being held at the Clark County Detention Center on February 1, Solomon allegedly made a recorded phone call to his daughter. Investigators said during the call, Solomon asked: 'Is there any guns left? Is there any guns left in the house or did they confiscate [them]?' According to the complaint, a female voice responded that authorities had located a lockbox that contained the pistol but were unable to open it. Following that exchange, investigators obtained a second search warrant that authorized the seizure of firearms and ammunition from the property. Unknown: Authorities were yet to publicly disclose the contents of the vials recovered from the garage or whether any biological agents were confirmed Multilingual: Among hundreds of labeled vials of infectious viruses and bacteria stored improperly in shoddy freezers, were samples of malaria labeled in English and Chinese Further records showed Solomon's currently in the U.S. on an E-2 non-immigrant visa, valid through May 5, 2026, the classification of which did not grant immigration benefits and explicitly prohibited firearm ownership or possession. Authorities were yet to publicly disclose the contents of the vials recovered from the garage, and had not confirmed whether any biological agents had been identified. Testing remained ongoing, and no charges related to the biological materials had been announced. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were yet to comment, and the investigation remained active. Police in Missouri are still searching for four adults and two children who mysteriously vanished in July, as ties to an online cult called the University Of Cosmic Intelligence have been discovered. Ma'Kayla Wickerson, 28, and her five-year-old daughter Malaiyah, Gerielle German, 30, and her five-year-old-son Ashton Mitchell, Naaman Williams, 32, and Wickerson's cousin, 27-year-old Mikayla Thompson, all went missing in 2024. They disappeared from Wickersons rental home near St Louis Lambert International Airport, and were last seen at a nearby motel. New clues: The Berkeley Police Department have discovered four adults and two children who mysteriously vanished in July had ties to an online cult called the University Of Cosmic Intelligence Berkeley Police Major Steve Runge told Fox News: 'Theres no footprint whatsoever, no current digital footprint. 'Were trying to find any lead. Common places they went, rental cars, phone records out of state, out of the country, trying to find any ties to give us a lead as to where they are.' Rashad Jamal White - known as Rashad Jamal to his followers - leads the University Of Cosmic Intelligence cult that preaches to African Americans and Latinos and believes they are the natural earthly beings, not white people. He claimed around that time through a jailhouse phone call that he, Blacks, and Latinos, are 'gods.' Completely vanished: Ma'Kayla Wickerson, 28, and her five-year-old daughter Malaiyah, Gerielle German, 30, and her five-year-old-son Ashton Mitchell, Naaman Williams, 32, and Wickerson's cousin, 27-year-old Mikayla Thompson, all went missing in 2024 Jamal denied being a cult leader to the St Louis Post-Dispatch or of knowing the missing six people. He believed police had put 'a target on my back' after he learned of their disappearance from TV reports. Jamal said: 'I am pretty sure I have never met these people. 'I get on my phone and I give a lecture. I go live, and then I get off the phone. I do not know the people that are in my live[stream]. Its too many people.' Spiritual leader: The University Of Cosmic Intelligence leader Rashad Jamal White - who goes by Rashad Jamal to his followers is currently serving an 18-year sentence for child molestation and child cruelty Police have continued investigating the group's disappearance, and have discovered new evidence leading them to believe that they were involved in the cult. Runge said: 'We recovered a diary from one of the people that went missing, and the writings in that diary are something you would see with brainwashing, just repetitive, I am a god, I am a god, I am a god.' He described the cult's beliefs as 'very off the grid stuff,' and added: 'How to prepare for doomsday. A lot of it, the end of the world is coming. And they had a very solid belief that were not from here. Were not from this planet.' A new lead also emerged on TikTok, which Runge described as 'very promising,' after someone may have spotted Wickerson. Currently, the lead is being investigated and remains unconfirmed. Odd patterns: The group of six had been acting strangely behavior before their disappearance, including hanging out on the roof naked and worshipping the sun, neighbors said Jamal gained thousands of followers as part of the online cult and is currently serving an 18-year-sentence in Georgia for child molestation and child cruelty, Fox News reported. The group of six who went missing had been exhibiting strange behavior before their disappearance, including hanging out on the roof naked, neighbors said. Runge said: 'Neighbors reported seeing these people outside daily, worshipping the sun. 'When it was raining, they would come outside naked and run around the yard. They were digging up things in the yard.' No news: Cartisha Morgan, Wickerson's mom, said she hasn't heard from her daughter, or her granddaughter, since March 2024 Other neighbors reported seeing the group 'sitting outside in tall grass with their palms upward on sunny days,' hugging trees and burying coins. Runge told the outlet that the 'cult' is an anti-government group who believe in polygamy and encourages members to go off the grid. Cartisha Morgan, Wickerson's mom, told Fox News that she hadn't heard from her daughter, or her granddaughter, since March 2024. Crossed wires: Jamal denied being a cult leader to the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch or knowing the missing six people Morgan recalled requesting welfare checks and the support of child protective services and said: 'I was trying to let them know that something was not right. 'She doesnt usually do things like this. Shes usually very family-oriented. So for her to cut off everybody, quit her job, leave all her belongings behind is not the norm.' Detective Sergeant George Ervin told the outlet: 'I know that it seems like some stuff youd see fresh out of a movie in Hollywood, but this is real life. These people are missing.' In 2022, three alleged members of the same 'cult' were accused of two separate murders in Alabama. Damien Winslow Washam was accused of killing his 61-year-old mother with a sword and injuring his disabled uncle and brother. In September 2023, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, Fox News reported. Brutal killing: Damien Winslow Washam was found not guilty by insanity for the murder of his mother with a sword and injuring his disabled uncle and brother More crimes: Krystal Diane Pinkins, 36 (left) and Yasmine Hider, 20, (right) were sentenced to jail for murder Krystal Diane Pinkins and Yasmine Hider were accused of murdering 22-year-old Adam Simjee of Apopka, Florida, when he tried to help them with their car. Hider was sentenced to 35 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder, kidnapping, and robbery in October 2023, according to the Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney's Office. Pinkins was sentenced to life in prison, after being convicted of murder, robbery, and unlawful use of a firearm during a crime of violence in September 2023. A horrifying crash left at least three people killed and seven others injured after a car slammed into a bustling Los Angeles grocery store, officials said. An unidentified elderly female in her 70s crashed a silver sedan into a 99 Ranch Market store in the Westwood area on Thursday around 12.10pm local time, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told the Daily Mail. Authorities said the fatal crash was not an 'intentional collision' and that the woman was the only one in the car. It is unclear what caused the crash and who the driver of the car was, but she struck a bicyclist before hitting the store. The people who were killed and injured have also not been identified. Two individuals have been left in serious condition, and two are stable, LAFD Captain Erik Scott said, per CBS News. At least two people declined medical attention and transport. Sad: At least three people were killed and seven other injured after a car crashed into a 99 Ranch Market grocery store in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday afternoon Crash: An elderly woman in her 70s crashed a silver sedan into the 99 Ranch grocery store A large emergency response descended on the scene, including several cop cars and fire trucks. The building has since been flagged off due to structural concerns. The Daily Mail contacted the Los Angeles Police Department and LAFD for comment. Ryanair is known for offering bargain fares to a range of destinations around the world, but there are ways to save even more money with the budget airline. Research by Which? delved into the online booking process with the Irish carrier by looking at flights from London to Alicante in August for a family of four. The experts were greeted with a banner that read 'Regular is ideal for your trip' - promoting a deal for an upgraded fare that comes with luggage, instead of adding checked bags on separately. A Regular fare includes priority boarding, carry-on luggage, and free standard seat selection. Opting for the Regular ticket would mean paying 59 more than if the holidaymakers decided to book Basic and purchased the same baggage and seat selection, the research found. Which? also discovered that if the four passengers travelled with just four cabin bags instead of the Regular fare's eight, they would save a whopping 163. Across 15 different flights analysed by the consumer champion this month, only one proved to be cheaper with the promoted fare. In fact, it came out more expensive on seven occasions. Research by Which? delved into the online booking process with the Irish carrier by looking at flights from London to Alicante in August for a family of four Some of the biggest savings cropped up when analysing bookings of families with children. A trip from Stansted to Alicante for a family of four came out as 61 more expensive if the holidaymakers opted for Regular over Basic for the same priority boarding, cabin bags and seat selection. Which? also recommends ignoring Ryanair's Plus fare option, which includes a 20kg suitcase and seat selection. When booking a flight from Stansted to Malaga, researchers found the Basic fare came to 835, while four 20kg suitcases added 334 and seat selection cost 39 - totalling 1,208. Meanwhile, the Plus fare came to 1,243 on its own. It worked out to be 35 cheaper for a family of four to stick with Basic instead and purchase the add-ons separately. When asked in April 2025, Ryanair denied to Which? that it was cheaper to buy the Basic fare and add the extras separately instead of going for the Regular and Plus fares. When asked about the same topic again in February 2026, the airline stated it had no further comment - and its response is 'exactly the same now as it was on April 14 last year'. Opting for the 'Regular' ticket would mean paying 59 more than if the holidaymakers decided to book 'Basic' and purchased the same baggage and seat selection, the research found Ryanair added: '[Which?'s] claim is that it is "cheaper" to book the Basic fare and then add the same extras than to book Ryanair's bundles. It is never cheaper. 'The Ryanair bundles are a facility, which make it easier for passengers to buy and book the bundles. They are however dynamically priced, using the cheapest available fare at time of booking, and so the Ryanair bundles are the same price as the underlying air fare, plus the extras if booked separately.' Ryanair's Flexi Plus fare, which gives passengers the option change their flight for free, choose extra-legroom seats, as well as fast track security and two cabin bags, proved to be a similar story for Which?. A trip from London to Alicante cost 354 extra, meanwhile all of the extras minus the free flight change came to 186. Which? argues the Flexi Plus is only worth it if you happen to need to change your flight and need all the extras. Ryanair's Family Plus option was also recommended to Which? when looking at the Alicante trip last year. But, the 260 extra fee didn't prove to be worthwhile. Instead, a Basic ticket as well as seat selection, three 10kg cabin bags and a larger 20kg suitcase purchased separately, came to 45 less. Which? also recommends ignoring Ryanair's Plus fare option, which includes a 20kg suitcase and seat selection after booking a route from Stansted to Malaga Your bag selection could also impact the price, and Which? found purchasing just one 20kg bag was 5 cheaper in 2024 and 3.50 less in 2026. But, the experts do note that prices vary and the 20kg suitcase won't come with priority boarding perks. Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: 'Ryanair's low cost fares may look tempting, but make sure you have a calculator with you when you book. 'By the time you've paid extra for basics like cabin bags or simply sitting next to your own family, the headline price quickly unravels - and other airlines can work out cheaper. 'It pays to do your own research, despite Ryanair recommending a Regular fare for a family of four, we found that the Basic fare can be cheaper - even if you add bags and seat selection.' Looking for a welcome escape from Italy's crowded hotspots this year? If so, there's an Italian paradise that boasts alpine landscapes, picturesque lakes and virtually no traffic - as cars are banned. The northern Italian region of Lombardy is home to 15 significant lakes, 80 smaller ones, historic cities and picturesque islands. Less than two hours from the popular Lake Garda, Lake Iseo stands out as a hidden gem, often overshadowed by its gltizy neighbour. Dubbed the new 'Lake Como,' its waters surround Monte Isola, which holds the title of Europe's largest inhabited island situated within a lake. Here, visitors will encounter car-free villages, pastel-coloured cafes, the famed Franciacorta region, dramatic landscapes, and clear, swimmable waters. While cars are banned across the island, there are plenty of walking routes that offer breathtaking views of remote fishing towns like Peschiera Maraglio, historical buildings, wild beaches, and lush mountains and forests. A standout route is the 2km 'olive tree walk', which boasts, peaceful, panoramic views of the lake, charming medieval hamlets, and olive groves that produce local, specialised olive oil. Discover Lake Iseo, a serene northern Italian paradise that surround Monte Isola, which holds the title of Europe's largest inhabited island situated within a lake Across the area, visitors are treated to car-free villages, pastel-coloured cafes, dramatic landscapes, and swimmable waters Pictured: Chiesa di Santa Maria del Mercato in the town of Iseo, Lombardy, Italy The trail takes around 30 minutes to complete - although there's wide range of bars, restaurants, cafes and gelaterias that visitors can stop at for a drink or bite to eat along the way. A lakeside picnic area along the path also provides a peaceful spot to rest, indulge, and enjoy a swim after the trek. For a more exhilarating adventure, hikers can tackle the climb from Peschiera Maraglio up to the historic village of Cure - which offers magnificent views over the island. Steeped in history and culture, the quaint neighborhood of Cure is renowned for its locally produced salami - perfect to fuel up on before ascending further up the mountain to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Ceriola. At an altitude of about 600 meters, the aisleless Roman Catholic church features a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Also located in region is the compact city of Brescia, which is sandwiched between Milan and Venice, offering a quiet alternative Italy's bustling hubs. The city boasts the largest Roman archaeological area in Northern Italy and a UNESCO-listed monastic complex, Santa Giulia. Another Lombardian gem that's a must-visit for every wine lover is the hilly Franciacorta region - famed for producing high-quality, traditional-method sparkling wines, primarily using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc. Although cars are banned across Monte Isola, there are plenty of walking routes that offer breathtaking views and hidden gems One of the most popular walking routes is the 'olive tree walk', which boasts panoramic views of the lake, and olive groves that produce local olive oil Pictured: The Sanctuary of the Madonna della Ceriola, an aisleless Roman Catholic church that features a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary Brescia (pictured) is a charming city sandwiched between Milan and Venice in the region, offering a quiet alternative Italy's bustling hubs Located about an hour east of Milan, it features a landscape of vineyards, small villages, castles, and monasteries. Getting to Lombardy - specifically Monte Isola - from the UK is a tad long-winded but relatively straightforward, with one-way direct Ryanair flights from London to Milan Linate Airport starting at 29. From Milan Centrale station (a subway from the airport will take visitors there), a 36-minute train runs hourly to Brescia. From here, a 30-minute train will transport passengers to the port of Sulzano, where a 15-minute ferry to Lombardy runs every three hours. It's a must-visit for 2026 before the crowds catch on and start pouring in. A British Airways crew member has been reportedly rushed to hospital from Gatwick Airport. Flight BA2204 landed at the London hub after travelling from Punta Cana on Wednesday, January 4. When the plane set off, an 'unusual odour' was noticed by passengers and crew, according to Aviation A2Z. Some crew members reportedly began to feel unwell during the long-haul journey and displayed symptoms such as nausea. The bad smell came from the back of the plane. On arrival at Gatwick, one worker is said to have been taken to hospital as a precaution. Meanwhile, others who were impacted by the smell did not require medical assistance. The plane was inspected after it landed but it has not yet been confirmed what caused the odour. Flight BA2204 landed at the London hub after travelling from Punta Cana on Wednesday, January 4 (stock) One passenger revealed how the smell became a 'real worry' for those on board. They told The Sun: 'Various people reported feeling ill, but one stewardess was so badly hit that she needed a hospital check-up on arrival at Gatwick. 'There were fears that the stewardess was ill due to carbon monoxide poisoning. It was a real worry.' A British Airways spokesman said: 'A crew member on flight BA2204 was taken to hospital as a precaution after becoming unwell on board. 'The health and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our top priority and we are looking into what happened.' It comes after an American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Los Angeles when passengers reported feeling sick from an odour that had filled the aircraft. The plane took off from Los Angeles International Airport at 5pm local time on October 14, and was headed to JFK International Airport in New York when a 'strong smell' was reported only minutes into the flight. Several passengers complained of feeling ill from fumes that had entered the cabin. Meanwhile, pilots resorted to fitting oxygen masks after reporting to the control tower that they had smelt and tasted 'something' in the cockpit. When the plane set off, an 'unusual odour' was noticed by passengers and crew The twin-jet Airbus A32 looped back on itself to LAX, where it made an emergency landing. Seven passengers who had been left feeling nauseous were assessed by medical staff, though no-one was transported to hospital, reports ABC7 News. The Los Angeles Fire Department, who arrived on the scene to inspect the aircraft, reported nothing dangerous, and the aircraft was given the all-clear to take off an another flight a few hours later. An American Airlines spokesperson said: 'American Airlines flight 274 with service from Los Angeles (LAX) to New York (JFK) returned to LAX shortly after takeoff due to reports of an odour in the cabin. 'The flight landed safely and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans and apologise for the inconvenience.' Countless beautiful cherry blossoms appear throughout Japan each year creating breathtaking sights and drawing in hordes of international tourists. But one festival celebrating the delicate petals has reportedly been cancelled after a spate of pesky behaviours from visitors. Fujiyoshida officials, a city located in the Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan, decided the Arakurayama Sengen park cherry blossom festival would not go ahead this year. The festival has taken place for ten years and lasts for a couple of weeks allowing visitors to enjoy the hundreds of trees planted in the area with Mount Fuji in the backdrop. It typically brings in around 200,000 tourists a year and during the peak cherry blossom season, 10,000 visitors go to the area a day. The influx in tourists heading to Japan is thought to be due to social media trends and the weak yen, Japanese news outlet Kyodo News reports. But, after several incidents relating to poor visitor behaviour, the sakura festival has been stopped. Fujiyoshida mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said: 'Behind [Mount Fuji's] beautiful landscape is the reality that the quiet lives of citizens are threatened. We have a strong sense of crisis. Fujiyoshida officials, a city located in the Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan, decided the Arakurayama Sengen park cherry blossom festival would not go ahead this year The festival has taken place for ten years and lasts for a couple of weeks allowing visitors to enjoy the hundreds of trees planted in the area with Mount Fuji in the backdrop 'To protect the dignity and living environment of our citizens, we have decided to bring the curtain down on the 10-year-old festival.' Tourists have reportedly been causing trouble by 'trespassing and littering', according to officials. There have even been accusations of visitors 'defecating in private yards and raising a fuss when residents pointed this out'. Local residents have also raised concerns about school children being pushed aside by tourists on paths. Some have even apparently been opening the doors of private homes to find a toilet. Even though the festival has been cancelled, Fujiyoshida is still preparing the local area for a surge in visitors from the start of cherry blossom season in April. Preparations include an increase in security measures as well as portable toilets and additional car parks. Japan Meteorological Corporation released its cherry blossom forecast for the year and Tokyo is expected to see flowers from March 22, and full bloom is predicted for around March 29. But, after several incidents relating to poor visitor behaviour, the sakura festival has been stopped It comes as this year's blossoms are expected to work out as cheaper than usual to visit. This is due to a decrease in tourists from China after Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Japan could take military action if China tried to invade Taiwan. Holidaymakers from China have decreased by 45 per cent this month alone compared to last year, according to Japan's transport ministry. Flights from China to Japan have been reduced in numbers significantly after orders from the Chinese government. Subsequently, flights, tours and accommodation have notably dropped in price by 10 to 20 per cent compared to last year, and it is thought this could continue well into the cherry blossom season. The last thing you want when travelling overseas is a stress-filled experience laden with crime, congestion and an overwhelming atmosphere. Some cities are worse than others at creating a hectic, chaotic feel. Now, the world's most stressful cities have been revealed, with a list highlighting the top 10 places where your experience is most likely to feel taxing. The new study has revealed how crime levels, air pollution, congestion, and climate factors combine to impact day-to-day wellbeing. SCSChauffeur analysed major cities across these factors to create an overall Stressful City Score. Here's a rundown of the world's most stressful cities - and why they've gained their bad rep. In first place? Cape Town. Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town city central business district and Table Mountain in the background Cape Town ranks as the most stressful city, driven by a high crime index, heavy congestion at 36 per cent, and high average humidity (75 per cent). The city, popular with tourists, is famed for its white sand beaches and incredible backdrop, set against Table Mountain. However, there's a downside to travelling to the South African hotspot. Crime is rife in the city, particularly in the central business district. According to the FCDO: 'There have been recent attacks and violent crime on secondary roads to and from Cape Town airport.' Delhi, India People riding motorbikes in a narrow street in Delhi, a common sight Delhi places second, with extreme air pollution levels emerging as the single biggest stress factor in the study. According to data collected by House Fresh, Delhi is the world's second most polluted city. It's no surprise this contributes to the overwhelming stress factor in the city, with many travellers complaining the air quality in unpleasant while visiting. Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg, South Africa's central business district with skyscrapers Johannesburg ranks third, recording the highest crime index of all cities analysed, alongside elevated pollution levels. The city is known for its crime levels, with hijacking, theft and violent crime all present, especially in the city's central business district (CBD). So much so that many travellers have been deterred from visiting the hub, instead opting for alternative resorts in the country, or visiting only in guided groups for greater safety. Zurich, Switzerland St. Peter church clock tower and Zurich Town Hall in Switzerland Zurich in Switzerland, perhaps surprisingly, also makes the list. Despite being an affluent region of Europe, crime rates are even higher here than in Delhi. Plus, congestion is at 33 per cent and humidity at 75 per cent, meaning other factors drive up the stress levels of those in Zurich. Sao Paulo, Brazil Busy roads are a common experience for those driving in Sao Paulo, Brazil With congestion at 42 per cent, the third highest on the list, and annual humidity at 80 per cent, it's no surprise this Brazilian city makes the list. Visiting Sao Paulo can be stressful due to its huge size and intense traffic. Plus, petty crime such as phone snatching and pickpocketing is rife, especially in certain areas downtown. Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia sees much traffic with cars and commuters on motorbikes Jakarta has congestion at 43 per cent, the second highest on the list, and annual humidity at 81 per cent. Travelling in the Indonesian city can be overwhelming too, due to infamous crippling traffic, as well as a generally chaotic ambience. With traffic regularly in gridlock, as well as thick smog and humidity, it can be a stressful place to be. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The dirty back roads of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia Next up is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, coming in seventh place on the list. The city makes the cut as a result of its humidity levels, highest in the ranking at 86 per cent. Travellers have also cited intense traffic, crowded areas, and aggressive soliciting as causes of stress in the city. Mexico City La Merced public market located in downtown Mexico City Mexico City ranks eighth, recording the highest congestion of all cities analysed (52 per cent), alongside elevated humidity levels. High levels of air pollution can also impact on your health if you're in the city for prolonged periods of time. Plus, petty crime and organised crime also exist in the city. Athens, Greece Athens is known for its historic sights, as well as its bustling city centre Popular tourist destination Athens has much to write home about - great food, gorgeous hotels and hugely impressive historic sights. But congestion and humidity can greatly affect your experience in the city, adding to its overall stress factor. Economic factors such as low wages and a high cost of living contribute to tension in Athens. Naples, Italy Food-lovers' paradise Naples is often described as hectic and overwhelming The world's most stressful cities 1. Cape Town 2. Delhi 3. Johannesburg 4. Zurich 5. Sao Paulo 6. Jakarta 7. Kuala Lumpur 8. Mexico City 9. Athens 10. Naples Advertisement Naples is known for its world-famous Neapolitan pizza and ancient architecture. It's a hugely popular travel destination, especially among foodies. But the city is regularly criticised for being crowded, overwhelming and full of petty crime. The data shows environmental stressors and personal safety concerns outweigh convenience factors when it comes to overall urban stress. Hadleigh Diamond, chief operating officer at SCSChauffeur, said: 'Urban stress isn't caused by one single factor. It's the cumulative effect of environmental pressure and perceived lack of control. 'Cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg score highly not just because of crime, but because safety concerns intersect with congestion and climate conditions, keeping stress levels consistently high. 'In Delhi's case, air pollution alone is enough to significantly elevate stress, regardless of traffic or crime.' Passengers were left 'terrified' as a pilot aborted take-off after he reportedly mistook the taxiway for the runway. SAS flight SK2590, scheduled to depart from Brussels in Belgium to Copenhagen, Denmark, was cancelled yesterday evening, February 5. The Airbus A320neo with 165 people onboard attempted to depart from the taxiway, used for ground manoeuvring and not take-offs or landings. It was running about an hour and 15 minutes behind schedule. According to Air Live, the plane reached a maximum speed of around 125mph before abruptly aborting the take-off. The crew could see they were quickly running out of tarmac as the taxiway is shorter. The plane ended up partially on a grassed area with overheated brakes. Simon Berneblad Mandegard was onboard the flight at the time. Passengers watched what was going on outside the window as emergency services arrived Passengers were evacuated from the plane just before midnight He told NeedToKnow: 'The airport was under heavy pressure because of snow and delays, and everything felt quite intense. 'We taxied out as normal, lined up, and suddenly began accelerating like a regular take-off. 'But after gaining quite a lot of speed, something clearly wasn't right. 'The pilot suddenly slammed on the brakes, extremely hard, and the whole cabin felt the force immediately. 'There was a sharp manoeuvre to keep the aircraft on the paved surface, and you could feel how close we were to running out of space. 'It was a very dramatic moment.' Simon added that emergency services arrived on the scene quickly. According to him, the pilot told passengers that he had never experienced anything like it in 28 years of flying, suggesting possible miscommunication with the control tower. Simon Berneblad Mandegard was on board the flight during the incident Simon on the plane alongside two other passengers travelling on the flight, Elias Belokozovski Johansson and Carl-Wictor Svensson The passenger added: 'Thankfully everyone was safe, but it was definitely one of the most intense situations I've ever experienced on a plane.' Other travellers described the aborted take-off as 'terrifying'. No one was reported as injured and the flight was cancelled. SAS confirmed that an 'irregularity' occurred and passengers were evacuated from the plane just before midnight. Alternative flights to Copenhagen were offered to passengers. The airline added: 'Safety is our absolute priority. We are currently conducting a thorough internal investigation together with local authorities to understand the sequence of events.' I Am Not Okay - Spotlight (BBC2) Rating: Every celebrity who claims to have autism should be made to watch I Am Not Okay and then asked: Do you think it looks so glam-orous now? And then: you can see these children and their parents are beyond desperation. Why do you think its acceptable to claim such a brutal diagnosis and turn it into a fashion statement? Filmed and screened in Northern Ireland 18 months ago, but only now showing on national TV, the Spotlight documentary depicts the reality for four families battling to cope with their non-verbal adolescent sons. We were warned at the outset that many of the scenes were distressing, and they were. Reporter Tara Mills videoed the boys in meltdown, lashing out, smashing anything in reach, kicking and punching walls, doors and windows. Mum Claire was dragged around the kitchen by her hair, as she pleaded with her son Danny. Dad John was left bruised, bitten and bleeding after a long struggle to persuade his son Rudy into the car. All the families emphasised that their autistic sons did not mean to hurt them. Hes a big bundle of love, said Rudys mum, Carly. I love the bones of him, I adore him, said Claire. I Am Not Okay goes inside the daily lives of four families looking after their autistic teenage children But they are all beyond breaking point, and none of them is getting anything close to the help from health and social services that is needed to keep these boys at home. Their impossible situation is agonisingly familiar to me. My own son, David, is also profoundly autistic and, at 13, was completely non-verbal. He, too, would never deliberately harm anyone but in his frequent outbursts he was like a ten-stone toddler intent on destruction. Deeply shocking though Millss footage is, I am certain that this was far from the worst of it. She wasnt there at night, when these boys were bellowing and shrieking for hours, and sometimes she was only able to capture the aftermath of the carnage. She was also able to do little more than hint at the traumatic effect on the families other children. My blood boiled as the parents described how dismissive the authorities have been. NHS workers refused to go to Claires house because of the unacceptable risk of injury, ignoring the dangers she herself faces. Theres a lot of parent blaming that goes on and minimising your experiences, said another mum, Julie, who fought for years to get overnight respite for her son Theo only to be summoned to collect him on the second night, by staff who were unable to cope. Theo, like my own son, is now in full-time residential care. Thats a solution no parent wishes for, and a far more expensive option for the NHS. We have to hope this eloquent, heartbreaking documentary helps to bring about the change that has been far too long coming. EastEnders bosses are planning a new storyline involving a bisexual love triangle among twins. The BBC soap opera will see Oscar Branning, played by Pierre Joseph Counihan-Moullier, and Zoe Slater's twin children spark up a new romance, according to The Sun. Oscar is currently dating Zoe's killer daughter, Jasmine Fisher (played by Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), but when her twin brother arrives in Albert Square, Oscar wants to expand his love interests. Zoe, who is played by Michelle Ryan, has been searching for her missing son after discovering that the mysterious Jasmine was her daughter. And now, actor Joshua Vaughan has reportedly been cast as Jasmine's twin brother and is expected to arrive in the coming months. A source told the publication: 'This is going to be one of the hottest love triangles the soap world has ever seen. EastEndersbosses are planning a new storyline involving a bisexual love triangle among twins Oscar Branning (Pierre Joseph Counihan-Moullier) is currently dating Zoe's killer daughter, Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), but when her twin brother arrives in Albert Square, Oscar wants to expand his love interests 'Oscar is happy with Jasmine, but when her twin arrives, the chemistry between them is something neither can ignore. 'It's going to set temperatures soaring in Walford. But with Jasmine having bumped off her dad, Anthony Truman at Christmas, the pair had better watch out.' Earlier this week EastEnders fans were left fearing beloved Nigel Bates is dead after he seemingly drowned in the bath amid a heartbreaking dementia battle. The character - played by Paul Bradley - was a 1990s favourite on the BBC soap and returned to Albert Square in 2024. Viewers have watched Nigel deteriorate due to dementia, while being cared for by wife Julie (Karen Henthorn) and old friend Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). But after Wednesday'sepisode, which is already on BBC iPlayer, fans are terrified that Nigel's days may already be numbered. While having a bath and left unattended, he fell asleep and slipped underneath the water - leaving audience members concerned Nigel had drowned. One viewer wrote: 'I really hope Nigel is ok after tonights Duff Duff. We can't lose him yet and his scenes for tomorrow are embargoed.' Actor Joshua Vaughan has reportedly been cast as Jasmine's twin brother and is expected to arrive in the coming months Just before Christmas 2025, viewers confessed they were left in a 'sobbing mess' following a special episode focused on Nigel's dementia. After he overheard a conversation of Phil and Julie considering moving him to a care home, a distressed Nigel headed into the Queen Vic, with viewers then seeing him hallucinate late figures from his past. Among them was Pat, with star Pam St Clement reprising her role 13 years after her character's death, and Barry, which saw Shaun Williamson return after a 21-year absence. While Nigel grew increasingly confused, he also saw visions of his late wife Debbie Bates, and younger incarnations of both Phil and his brother Grant Mitchell. As Phil discovered his friend in such an upset state, he finally realised he could no longer care for him, and in heartbreaking scenes, Nigel told his pal it was 'time to let him go'. The special episode was praised by many viewers for his sensitive handling of Nigel's battle with dementia, with some also thrilled to see Barry and Pat back on screens after such a lengthy absence. EastEnders airs on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer. Love Island: All Stars' Samie Elishi stormed off and fumed 'you're hurting people!' after being 'slapped in the face' by a giggling Lucinda Strafford on Thursday's episode of the ITV2 show. The pair, who haven't seen eye to eye since Lucinda tried to crack on with Samie's man Ciaran Davies, clashed after a tense game of Snog, Marry, Pie - and The Daily Mail exclusively revealed before the instalment aired that islanders would be able to pie someone from the same sex. Lucinda decided to kiss Sean Stone and viewers at home and the rest of the islanders gasped as she threw a custard pie in Samie's face. 'I feel like you were quite over opinionated with the whole situation with Sean. Even questioning it, obviously it's genuine,' Lucinda told her. The two ended up addressing the situation after Lucinda pulled her for a chat later on in the episode. Lucinda said: 'I wanted to say Im sorry for pie-ing you earlier... Love Island: All Stars' Samie Elishi stormed off and fumed 'you're hurting people!' after being 'slapped in the face' by a giggling Lucinda Strafford on Thursday's episode of the ITV2 show The pair, who haven't seen eye to eye since Lucinda tried to crack on with Samie's man Ciaran Davies, clashed after a tense game of Snog, Marry, Pie - and The Daily Mail exclusively revealed before the instalment aired that islanders would be able to pie someone from the same sex Lucinda found the conversation amusing, which left Samie fuming, and she ended up storming off 'It came off a little bit strong and a little bit more intense than I wanted it to come across.' Samie quipped: 'A little bit?' 'I just wanted to prove to you me and Sean are serious. Maybe in the outside perspective it looked a little bit deeper than it was,' she continued. Samie fumed: 'Why pie me?' Lucinda told her: 'To me it was a bit of a lighthearted game.' 'That wasnt lighthearted. You slammed that pie in my face like it was a slap in the face,' clapped back. You went full whack like you meant it.' Lucinda told her: 'Sorry I haven't done it recently so I don't really know how hard to go or what to do...' Samie continued: 'If there was an issue, just talk to me.' The discussion ended with Samie getting up and walking off because she was frustrated with Lucinda Lucinda explained: 'If I am actually speaking from my heart, I feel like you weren't 100% on board with the whole me and Sean thing. I feel like you weren't there for me when I was here.' But Samie didn't agree with what she said and things got very intense as they continued to argue. Samie fumed: 'Lucinda I feel like you're acting delusional.' 'It's really not that deep,' Lucinda clapped back. Samie told her: 'Of course it isn't. Of course it isn't. Because you've done it to them. You don't want it to be deep, but it was. Everyone thinks it was. It wasn't just me.' Lucinda said: 'I feel like you've got a lot of anger...' Her comment pushed her over the edge and Samie told her: 'Your s*** that you are doing here. I can't be a**ed. You're acting silly with me and you threw that in my face and said I said something else when I didn't. 'Your reason was made up and that's not nice.' Lucinda started laughing and said: 'It's not made up. I swear to God it's not actually made up.' 'I don't know why you're laughing!' Samie fumed. 'That was the most forceful pie out of the whole f***ing challenge.' Lucinda carried on laughing and Samie decided that she had enough and stormed off. Samie told her: 'You think it's a f***ing joke all the time. Its not a joke, this is real life youre actually hurting peoples feelings. Wake up. Wake up. Remember what you say.' Walking off she told her: 'You think its a joke. Youre p**sing me off.' The argument definitely got people chatting on X, formerly known as Twitter, and they rushed to the social media platform to share their thoughts. 'Samie really has fully clocked Lucinda and I love it.' The argument definitely got people chatting on X, formerly known as Twitter, and they rushed to the social media platform to share their thoughts 'Samie the woman you are because I would have not kept my composure with that girl laughing in my face.' 'Im sorry I like Lucinda now shes right its too serious in there,,, and Samie calling her Ai.' 'Samie can dish it out, but she can't take it #loveisland.' 'samie is very correct abt this lucinda situation i fear!' A new British crime drama has been branded 'as good as Broadchurch' - having racked up a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. Under Salt Marsh takes place in Morfa Halen - a fictitious remote coastal village in north-west Wales threatened by rising sea levels. Jackie Ellis (Kelly Reilly), a former detective turned teacher, finds the body of one of her young students after an apparent drowning. Joining her is Detective Eric Bull (Rafe Spall), Jackie's former police partner, who has a failed investigation under his belt. The pair believe these two cases may be linked in some way and set out to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, the cast also includes Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Yang, Harry Lawtey and Mark Stanley. New crime drama Under Salt Marsh stars Kelly Reilly (pictured) as Jackie Ellis, a former detective turned teacher Set in a fictitious remote coastal village in north-west Wales, Rafe Spall (pictured) stars as Detective Eric Bull It has been compared to the acclaimed ITV crime drama Broadchurch, which starred Olivia Colman and David Tennant In a review for Sydney Morning Herald, Craig Mathiseon described Under Salt Marsh as 'good as Broadchurch'. Starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, this ITV crime drama ran from 2013 to 2017 to critical acclaim. It also spawned a US adaptation titled Gracepoint, in which Tennant appeared as a different character. Fans and critics appear to be enjoying Under Salt Marsh, with the show currently having a perfect score on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. One viewer wrote on X: 'under salt marsh is really good so far, people complaining about it being slow annoy me like we are learning more about the town and people for a reason. Kelly Reilly is phenomenal as always.' Another added: 'Started under salt marsh so far so good Kelly Reilly is such a good actress.' A third said: 'First two episodes of Under Salt Marsh are excellent.' The Guardian's Lucy Mangan penned: 'With a little leap of faith, viewers can surely look forward to a compelling, psychologically astute thriller that manages to weave a thoughtful meditation on the ramifications of isolation and suffering round its narrative poles.' It comes as ITV fans previously hailed a new crime drama series as the 'best thing on TV' and 'better' than popular BBC series Happy Valley - as the murder mystery left them gripped. After The Flood returned for its second series earlier this year, and stars Peaky Blinders actress Sophie Rundle as leading lady Jo Marshall. The series, set in a small rural town plagued by horrifying floods, follows Constable Jo as she investigates a murder investigation in the area after finding an unidentified body in the fictional town of Waterside. Following on from the story of the first series, the new episodes see the policewoman in a new role as detective, and tackling another 'baffling' new murder case - one that's much closer to home. The storyline sees Morfa Halen - where Under Salt Marsh takes place - being threatened with rising sea levels It comes as ITV viewers hailed fellow crime drama series After The Flood as the 'best thing on TV' and 'better' than popular BBC series Happy Valley This time, the climate change based drama also pulls focus on the threat of moorland fires - as things heat up in the Yorkshire town. The summary reads: 'As tensions simmer in Waterside amid the rising threat of moorland fires and the subsequent risk of further flooding, a body is discovered in bizarre circumstances. 'Jo's race to stop the killer brings her into direct conflict with powerful and influential forces within the town, ultimately drawing her into an investigation that becomes deeply personal. 'One that will require her to operate in secret if she is to have any hope of rooting out the corruption that has blighted the town's police force - and her own family for decades.' The series stars the likes of Olivier nominee and Bridgerton actress Lorraine Ashbourne and Life of Mars' Philip Glenister - and is written by BAFTA-nominated Mick Ford. Under Salt Marsh airs on Sky Atlantic and is available to stream on NOW. It's no secret that Hollywood is full of nepotism and now another young star with famous connections has bagged himself the leading role in Guy Ritchie's new Sherlock Holmes drama. Aptly dubbed Young Sherlock, the series is being released on Prime Video and if you look very closely at Sherlock Holmes, you may see a resemblance to one of the biggest stars of the Harry Potter franchise. That is because the character is played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, 28, who, as his name suggests, the nephew of none other than Ralph Fiennes - aka Voldemort. This is not Hero's first time on the big screen either and he actually played a young Voldemort in the 2009 film Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Young Sherlock, which has eight parts, has been pitched as 'an irreverent, action-packed mystery that charts the legendary origin story of the worlds greatest detective.' The series centres around the young detective's fateful meeting with James Moriarty as he takes on his first-ever international murder case. It's no secret that Hollywood is full of nepotism and now another young star with famous connections has bagged himself the leading role in Guy Ritchie's new Sherlock Holmes drama - but can YOU recognise his famous uncle? Aptly dubbed Young Sherlock, the series is being released on Amazon Prime and if you look very closely at Sherlock Holmes, you may see a resemblance to one of the biggest stars of the Harry Potter franchise That is because the character is played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, 28, who, as is name suggests, is the nephew of none other than Ralph Fiennes- aka Voldemort This is not Hero's first time on the big screen either and he actually played a young Voldemort in the 2009 film Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, which also starred his uncle, 63 Amazon Prime said in a press release: 'Unfolding in a vibrant Victorian England and adventuring abroad, the series will expose the early antics of the anarchic adolescent who is yet to evolve into Baker Street's most renowned resident.' Hero is not the only actor appearing in the series whose name may ring a bell and it also features Donal Finn, Zine Tseng, Joseph Fiennes, Natascha McElhone, Max Irons and Colin Firth. As if that wasn't already enough to whet fans' appetites, the first two episodes were directed by Guy Ritchie, who is also the show's executive producer. Following the release of the trailer on Thursday, fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts. They praised: 'I'm so excited to see hero, young sherlock will be so amazing [sic].'; 'I'm watching whatever Guy Ritchies name is attached to until Im given a reason not to.'; 'Smart premise and era choice. A younger Sherlock works best when the mystery logic stays tight while the character flaws stay very human.'; 'A young Sherlock globe-trotting in the 1870s for his first case sounds like fresh territory.' The first two episodes of Young Sherlock, set in the 1870s, were directed by Guy Ritchie, who is also the show's executive producer Young Sherlock, which has eight parts, has been pitched as 'an irreverent, action-packed mystery that charts the legendary origin story of the worlds greatest detective' The series centres around the young detective's fateful meeting with James Moriarty as he takes on his first-ever international murder case The trailer for Young Sherlock has had a mixed but mostly positive reaction on social media However, not everyone has been so complimentary and some criticised Hero's casting because of his famous uncle, who most recently starred in - and won praise for - 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. They complained: 'Another nepo baby Real actors from the street don't exist anymore.'; 'I'll never stop saying that Hero Fiennes Tiffin is completely miscast as Sherlock Holmes.' Others took umbrage with the show itself, with one viewer adding of the trailer: 'This doesn't feel like Sherlock Holmes at all lol, more like some modern High School Musical or whatever.' In a recent interview with Tatler, Hero admitted that growing up, he was not always happy to be a nepo baby but has grown to appreciate it. He said: 'As I get older, I appreciate it more, but when I was younger, I think I just wanted to be more normal. Now I feel nothing but pride.' Young Sherlock will be available to stream on Prime Video from March 4. Set pictures reveal iconic Harry Potter locations being put together for the upcoming TV series. The highly anticipated show - which is set to launch in 2027 - stars Dominic McLaughlin in the lead role of Harry Potter. These pictures reveal constructions including what appears to be Professor Sprout's greenhouse, the school courtyard and the Whomping Willow. In addition, the photos also feature a small building which could either be the Burrow (home of the Weasleys) or Hagrid's Hut. The greenhouse is where Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff house, teaches her Herbology lessons. In the second installment, Chamber of Secrets, it plays a major role by introducing the pivotal Mandrakes. Set pictures from the upcoming Harry Potter TV series reveal several construction - including seemingly the iconic Whomping Willow (pictured) Another building looks to be Professor Sprout's greenhouse - which plays a major role in the second instalment In the Chamber of Secrets, the greenhouse plays a major role by introducing the important Mandrakes to the plot Another shot appears to hint what's to come with the Hogwarts courtyard Meanwhile, The Whomping Willow is a sentient, violent tree located on the Hogwarts grounds. Harry and Ron Weasley encounter it in Chamber of Secrets, in which they crash a flying car into the tree itself. However, the Whomping Willow's surprising origins are revealed in Prisoner of Azkaban. Dominic, who was selected from over 32,000 hopefuls, steps into the iconic role which was originally made famous by Daniel Radcliffe. He leads a fresh-faced cast that includes Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Nick Frost, known for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, takes on the role of Hagrid. The principal cast also includes American actor John Lithgow as Professor Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. Filming for the series began last year, with multiple cast members already spotted in-character on set. Back in August 2025, Dominic and Nick were snapped in costume as Harry and Hagrid for the first time during filming in London. Members of the public documented it all on TikTok and in one clip Nick's double can be seen waiting to film a scene while standing outside Sainsbury's Local. They captioned the post: 'Hagrid's double rehearsing for the HARRY POTTER TV series.' It brought traffic in the capital to a standstill while cast were seen outside a pub. They wrote: 'HARRY POTTER TV series filming Hagrid's scene at the Leaky Cauldron.' Fans have also gotten a glimpse of acting heavyweight John transformed into Albus Dumbledore. He looked worlds away from himself wearing the professor's long white hair, beard and moustache as well as his wizarding robes and glasses. The actor was a far cry from the wizarding school Hogwarts as he was spotted filming on the sandy beach in Cornwall. The Wizarding World is being brought to life once again in the new TV series There is also what appears to be a small dwelling, possibly either Hagrid's home or The Burrow (home of the Weasleys) The show has been described by HBO as a 'faithful adaptation' to JK Rowling's beloved novels Filming for the highly anticipated series began last year and it's expected to launch in 2027 Adding to his incredible costume, John wore a puff sleeved blue shirt, a matching waistcoat with a gold pocket watch and velvet blue trousers. He filmed intense scenes walking along the beach in the shallow ocean water before he was spotted clutching his waist and looking in pain. As well as this, fans have also seen new Ron actor Alastair filming with the rest of the Weasley family at King's Cross Station. A Good Morning Britain guest was left frustrated after Kate Garraway kept interrupting him during an interview about Keir Starmer's handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal. Migration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp, 41, pleaded with the presenter to 'let him finish' speaking after she angrily told him that the Labour Party's vetting process was a failure. He snapped: 'Please do let me finish because otherwise it's almost pointless interviewing me!' But this did not deter the presenter, 58, who continued to interrupt the politician with her anger over Mandelson's appointment to the role of British Ambassador to the United States in 2025. He added: 'I get what youre saying, but if you let me finish.' The presenter eventually backed off and Tapp explained that if there was a vetting failure, it was the responsibility of the government at large and not the Prime Minister himself. A Good Morning Britain guest was left angry after a furious Kate Garraway kept interrupting him during an interview about Keir Starmer's handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal Migration and Citizenship Minister Mike Tapp, 41, pleaded with the presenter to 'let him finish' speaking after she angrily told him that the Labour Party's vetting process was a failure The presenter eventually backed off and Tapp explained that if there was a vetting failure, it was the responsibility of the government at large and not the Prime Minister himself Several scandalous details have emerged about Mandelson, 72, from the three million documents recently released by the US Department of Justice. These include claims that he accepted $75,000 (55,000) from the convicted paedophile in exchange for sensitive government information - an exchange that Mandelson himself said he cannot remember taking place. Several photographs of the politician socialising topless with the paedophile also emerged. Following the revelations, the Prime Minister apologised for giving the politician such a high-ranking role within his government. However, he blamed intelligence services for failing to bring to light the 'depth and darkness' of Mandelson's friendship with Epstein until now. Now the documents surrounding Mandelson's appointment as British Ambassador to the United States will be publicly released to assess what exactly went wrong. However, this is not what the Prime Minister himself wanted, having said that he would have preferred the information to be assessed privately. Several scandalous details have emerged about Mandelson, 72, from the three million Epstein files recently released by the US Department of Justice, forcing him to step down from the Labour party Following the revelations about Mandelson's relationship with Epstein, the Prime Minister apologised for giving the politician such a high-ranking role within his government The Prime Minister has lost the confidence of several members of his party in the wake of the scandal, including Harriet Harman, who has called for him to step down. She said that the 'gullible and weak' Labour party leader issued an apology that was 'nowhere near enough' to Epstein's victims and said that questions surrounding his suitability to do his job are arising 'hour by hour'. However, this is a view which Good Morning Britain interviewee Tapp does not share and he has remained in support of the Prime Minister. The politician told Sky News: 'I believe if we stick with Keir Starmer, which we will, then that corner will turn faster and people will start to feel it. 'But I completely understand the anger and the distress at what's happened with Peter Mandelson's appointment. 'I completely agree with that, and that's why I'm really pleased to see a genuine, genuine apology from Keir Starmer.' Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX. Compelling German spy drama created by an Emmerdale writer that should appeal to fans of The Night Manager Year: 2026 Certificate: 15 Watch now on Netflix Any spy drama that opens with a man shooting himself in the leg is certainly going to pull you in. Yet the key to what makes Unfamiliar interesting isn't that attention-grabbing approach to violence, but the intensity and efficiency of its set-up. Our main characters are a married couple, Simon and Meret (Felix Kramer and Susanne Wolff) who live a happily quiet life running a safe house in Berlin with their teenage daughter. Then the man who shot himself turns up looking for help, leading to the uncovering of secrets from Simon and Meret's past, particularly in relation to a long-ago mission in Belarus. If you're looking for a show you can watch over a weekend, this six-parter has that written all over it. Created by Paul Coates, a long-time writer on Emmerdale (of all things!), Unfamiliar is a neat little hidden gem of a show. It provides a compelling ride into the world of espionage in Berlin, flipping between the couple and the other players in the city (the Russian GRU and the German BND) and, while set in the modern day, it has that gritty, Cold War backstreets style that you see in some John le Carre adaptations. (Six episodes) Jennifer Aniston's accused stalker has been released from jail after months of deliberations, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal. Mississippi man Jimmy Carwyle, 49, was arrested on May 5, 2025, after he rammed his Chrysler PT Cruiser into the gates of the actress' $21million Bel Air, California property while she was at home, causing over $50,000 in damages and leaving Aniston, 56, living in 'fear'. Carwyle was charged with felony vandalism and felony stalking. He pleaded not guilty. A Los Angeles judge, however, found him not competent to stand trial. Carwyle initially objected to the incompetence finding and asked for a second opinion. A hearing to resolve the matter was then postponed several times. Now, the Daily Mail can now reveal that, following further expert evaluation, Carwyle has been given a treatment plan as part of a mental health diversion program for life outside of jail. According to court documents seen by the Daily Mail, a judge has ordered him to 'take all prescribed medications,' and said Carwyle 'shall not leave the program without permission, shall not consume illicit drugs, marijuana, or alcohol, and shall not possess dangerous or deadly weapons.' Jennifer Aniston has been left living in 'fear,' according to court documents after Jimmy Carwyle rammed his vehicle into the gates of her Los Angeles home in May 2025 Following his arrest, a Los Angeles judge found him not competent to stand trial. Carwyle, 49, initially objected to the incompetence finding and asked for a second opinion The judge also ordered that he 'be placed in the smallest available home program within the Office of Diversion and Reentry,' and that he 'enroll and participate with a contingency management program for treatment of stimulant narcotics addiction.' In addition, Carwyle must wear an ankle monitor with GPS monitoring and has been ordered 'to stay away at least one mile from, and have no contact with the victim, her home and any of her representatives or agents.' On November 17, he was released from custody and transferred to the facility where he currently remains. On December 18, a '1368 PC Progress Report' was filed meaning a court-ordered evaluation was filed with an update on Carwyle's mental competency status. Another progress report was carried out on January 29. It is doubtful this has came as a relief to Aniston, whose lawyers had previously insisted that he be sent to a 'locked state hospital.' In a September 5 filing seen by the Daily Mail, Aniston's lawyers said the actress was living in 'ongoing fear that Mr. Carwyle will continue to fixate on her and likely return to stalking her at the first available juncture' until he 'gets the appropriate treatment, in the appropriate setting.' Carwyle was described as being 'psychotic (even with some medication adherence) with hyper-religious thoughts and delusions alongside 'erotomanic delusions,' which her lawyers believe could have led to 'far worse consequences' when he crashed into her home had it not been for Aniston's 'security measures.' Erotomania is a rare delusion in which an individual firmly believes that another person, usually a celebrity or someone of higher status, is deeply in love with them. Carwyle allegedly stalked Aniston, 56, at her $21 million Bel-Air home (pictured). On November 19, 2024, he told security at her driveway that he has been 'communicating with the protectee via email and wanted to see the protectee. He identified himself as Christ' Aniston's lawyers argued that although Carwyle had a 'limited' criminal history, it nonetheless 'represents a significant risk when coupled with his clearly deteriorating mental health history'. He previously admitted to domestic violence charges and that he 'liked getting high [on methamphetamine].' The Daily Mail can reveal that her lawyer's filing claims that Carwyle also 'has an extensive history of severe alcohol, marijuana, and methamphetamine abuse, of which he seems to have both a tenuous grasp and very little interest in curtailing, as evidenced by his admissions that he was "a blackout drunk for five years".' Carwyle has denied that he has a mental illness. Aniston's lawyers concluded that 'releasing the Defendant to the community is both dangerous and represents a far less clinically effective and risky path for Defendant's optimal mental health treatment.' According to Petition for Mental Health Diversion documents filed in August 2025, lawyers for Carwyle informed the court that a doctor had diagnosed him with 'schizophrenia, alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder.' Another doctor is also said to have diagnosed him with an unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder back in May. Both doctors, however, agreed that antipsychotic medication was 'medically appropriate and likely to be effective.' Carwyle is believed to have targeted Aniston for two years from 2023, often referring to her as his 'wife' in multiple emails and voice notes. According to court documents seen by the Daily Mail, he contacted the star on Instagram on July 30, 2023, and wrote: 'I am your husband, I am here to discuss things like our [sic] 3 children's names which I have in mind.' Then in an email to Aniston's hair care company LolaVie on September 1 that year, he said: 'I need you to focus on me as your husband to Hun, serious about this to I'm actually the one who can love you the way you deserve, need, and God intended, for I was made for you So tell everyone your [sic] gonna have 3 children, an Immanuel, Isabella, and Sarah' According to court documents, he has been ordered to 'take all prescribed medications,' and 'shall not leave the program without permission, shall not consume illicit drugs, marijuana, or alcohol, and shall not possess dangerous or deadly weapons' Carwyle was described as being 'psychotic (even with some medication adherence) with hyper-religious thoughts and delusions alongside 'erotomanic' delusions' in court docs On October 16, 2024, his wife Julia Carwyle called around trying to get help as she knew her husband wanted to make contact with Aniston. One month later on November 19 Carwyle told security at Aniston's driveway that he had been 'communicating with the protectee via email and wanted to see the protectee.' He 'identified himself as Christ.' The following day, he left a voicemail referring to Aniston as his 'wife' and himself as 'Christ' once again and said he was frustrated that he couldn't get into 'our house'. Another voicemail on November 21 saw Carwyle tell Aniston: 'If it takes half a million dollars to see you today, it can be worth every penny. I love you.' Two days later he said he needed an appointment with Aniston to 'discuss husband and wife issues, and business. He requested a date, time and place for the meeting.' Julia, who previously spoke to the Daily Mail, said that her husband took multiple trips to try to meet the actress. The last time she saw him was in September 2024 before he left his hometown for California. Julia noted she and Carwyle, a car mechanic, have been separated for 'a few years' after marrying in 2019. He has a daughter, Kelly, 23, from a previous relationship. 'We had been split up for a while and I was thinking, well, if you want to go meet, all power to you, but it's not going to work,' she said. 'I just couldn't believe any of this.' Friends and acquaintances voiced their fears for Carwyle on Facebook after news of his arrest broke. One man, Marty Merritt, claimed Carwyle, who started attending the same church in 2019, was a 'good ol' boy' who would 'help people any way that he could.' According to court documents, on October 16, 2024, his wife Julia Carwyle (pictured) called around trying to get help as she knew her husband wanted to make contact with Aniston But he is said to have changed during the pandemic, when he started sending 'crazy, crazy messages' and claiming that 'God told him that he was supposed to go and marry Jennifer Aniston'. Merritt claimed he became mentally unstable because he started using drugs with another person. Aniston has since increased security personnel around her home and has upgraded security measures to protect her privacy and safety. The Emmy Award winner, whose boyfriend Jim Curtis recently listed his $1.5 million New York City apartment, is in the midst of upgrading a $7.5 million property she purchased earlier this year, which is next door to her mansion. Building plans obtained by the Daily Mail suggest Aniston has plans to turn the new place into a guesthouse or an annex to her existing 8,500-square-foot property nearby, to create an enormous compound. Meanwhile, for Carwyle, another progress report was filed on January 29. The minute order from the hearing stated that the next progress report hearing is scheduled for April 29 and that Carwyle has been ordered to appear via a video link. The maximum commitment date for his program remains in place until October 15, 2027. His criminal proceeding remains suspended until he has completed treatment. The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Aniston and Carwyle for comment. Drew Barrymore and Valerie Bertinelli had fans doing a double take with daring gray hair makeovers - all courtesy of Kim Kardashians go-to stylist. In a wild video shared on The Drew Barrymore Instagram, Barrymore, 50, and Bertinelli, 65, challenge hair guru Chris Appleton to turn up the silver glam. The clip starts with the actresses in their natural shades, but in a blink, Appletons magic transforms them into glowing, luminous gray goddesses. Set to a cheeky Heated Rivalry-inspired soundtrack, the video shows Barrymore and Bertinelli rocking their new silvery strands like runway pros. Gray hair challenge accepted, teased the on-screen caption - and its clear the ladies are owning every strand. Its unclear whether the gray look was achieved with dye or a wig, but the pairs laughter, hugs, and even a quick kiss from Drew show theyre loving their new style. Drew Barrymoreand Valerie Bertinelli had fans doing a double take with daring gray hair makeovers - all courtesy of Kim Kardashians go-to stylist Barrymore, 50, hit The Drew Barrymore Show chairs and challenged hair guru Chris Appleton to turn up the silver glam. The clip starts with the actresses in their natural shades, but in a blink, Appletons magic transforms them into glowing, luminous gray goddesses Appleton has become a familiar face on The Drew Barrymore Show, transforming both Barrymore and Bertinellis hair into standout, head-turning styles. In June 2024, he gave Barrymore a throwback blonde makeover that left the actress feeling like shed stepped back in time. Seeing her reflection, she said it brought back memories of her Charlies Angels premiere in 2003: 'I just got put in a time machine and I'm back 20 years ago I still feel like that person.' Bertinelli, who has previously embraced her gray hair, also got a surprise Hollywood-style update from Appleton last November. The Hot in Cleveland alum went for a vibrant blonde, and soon revealed it was a wig on Instagram. She added, 'Its always fun to play dress up and experiment with hair and makeup, but when I look in the mirror, I want to seeme.' Meanwhile, Drew has been refreshingly open about embracing her age. In December, she posted a makeup-free video on Instagram, showing her bare face, fine lines and all. Gray hair challenge accepted, teased the on-screen caption - and its clear the ladies are owning every strand Its unclear whether the gray look was achieved with dye or a wig The pairs laughter, hugs, and even a quick kiss from Drew show they loved their new style Appleton, a regular on The Drew Barrymore Show, has a history of transforming both Barrymore and Bertinellis hair Aging is a privilege. Its not something to fear, she wrote, zooming in on her natural complexion. Its far from the first time Barrymore has shared her thoughts on getting older. Earlier this year on her talk show, a fan asked her how she stays so comfortable in her own skin. I havent done anything, and I want to try to keep it that way, she admitted, while also acknowledging that everyone has their own path. Do whatever works for you, and dont judge others for doing things differently, she added. The Whip It director was candid about her own insecurities too, joking about turkey neck and other signs of aging. I want to tell myself not to be so hard on myself, she said, making it clear that self-confidence is a work in progress. Hungary, China celebrate growing partnership at Spring Festival reception Xinhua) 10:18, February 06, 2026 Artists perform at a Spring Festival reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Xinhua) BUDAPEST, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian and Chinese officials on Thursday highlighted the steady development of bilateral relations at a Spring Festival reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Budapest to mark the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse. Speaking at the event, Marta Matrai, first officer of the Hungarian National Assembly, said she had personally witnessed the remarkable progress of Hungary-China relations over the past decade. Matrai recalled that she assumed the chairmanship of the Hungarian-Chinese Friendship Parliamentary Group during the previous Year of the Horse and had held the position for nearly 12 years. In an interview with Xinhua following the event, Matrai underlined that despite global political uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions, cooperation between Hungary and China has remained stable and robust, based on mutual respect. "Hungarians are a people for whom keeping one's word carries great importance, along with mutual respect and appreciation, and I believe these values are also reflected in Hungary's relations with China," she said. On the economic front, bilateral trade has expanded significantly in recent years and is expected to reach 15 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, making China Hungary's most important trading partner outside Europe, she said. Cooperation has also broadened from traditional sectors to electric vehicles, clean energy, and other high-tech and green industries, she added. Addressing the reception, Chinese ambassador to Hungary Gong Tao said the China-Hungary partnership has continued to develop at a high level, marked by close high-level interactions, steady progress in economic and trade cooperation, and increasingly vibrant cultural exchanges. Referring to the Year of the Horse, the ambassador said that the horse symbolizes "freedom and independence" in Hungarian culture and "vitality and progress" in Chinese tradition, expressing hope that bilateral cooperation would gain fresh momentum in the year ahead. The evening featured festive cultural performances celebrating the Spring Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays. Artists perform at a Spring Festival reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Xinhua) Artists perform at a Spring Festival reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Xinhua) Artists perform at a Spring Festival reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Xinhua) Artists perform at a Spring Festival reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Budapest, Hungary on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Kim Kardashian throwing herself - literally - into character for her latest role. The reality star turned actress, 45, has been filming Eva Longoria's newest movie, The Fifth Wheel, as of late - but on Wednesday the scene was resembling more of an action flick than a comedy. The wild scene saw a blonde Kardashian in the arms of comedian and co-star Fortune Feimster, 45, who appeared to be holding the reality star from something. Director Longoria, 50, stood close by with paperwork in hand, offering guidance as the scene unfolded on the Los Angeles set. The star-studded scene also involved Nikki Glaser, 41, Brenda Song, 37, and Kristen Wiig, 52, who recoiled at the sight of Kardashian catapulting towards Feimster. The scene appeared to follow a confrontation Kardashian had with the three women, until Feimster stepped in to intervene. Kim Kardashian threw herself into character as she filmed Eva Longoria's new film The Fifth Wheel in Los Angeles on Wednesday Kardashian was carried away by comedian and co-star Fortune Feimster with director Longoria offering assistance But Kardashian didn't go down without a fight, getting out a word or two to the intended recipient and shooting a finger up into the air. For the scene, Kardashian was costumed in a white blazer, mini dress, and blue polka dot neck scarf. A pair of slippers indicated they may have still been rehearsing. The film sees Kardashian play a woman who upends the lives of a group of best friends (Glaser, Song, Feimster). The Fifth Wheel also stars comedians Jack Whitehall and Casey Wilson. Insiders previously told Deadline they expected Kardashian to 'be very hands on' with marketing tie-ins with the movie, with an eye on branding. In recent years, Kardashian has been pursuing acting. She recently starred in Ryan Murphy's legal drama series All's Fair on Hulu alongside Hollywood heavyweights including Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson and Niecy Nash-Betts. The show has been renewed for a second season. All's Fair had an impressive debut as it logged in 3.2 million views, which was calculated as total viewing minutes divided by running time, worldwide in the three days following its November 4 premiere. As Kardashian launched at Feimster, co-star Kristen Wiig recoiled at the sight of the confrontation The role called for Kardashian to go blonde, with her costume consisting of a white blazer, mini dress, and polka dot scarf Kim was clearly having a blast filming the action-packed scene The group appeared to all be rehearsing, based on the slippers worn by Kardashian Kim has been pursuing an acting career as of late, starring in the Ryan Murphy legal drama All's Fair The Fifth Wheel sees Kardashian play a woman who upends the lives of a friend group Hulu proudly announced that All's Fair saw the best start for an original scripted series on the platform in three years. The TV critics were not kind, making Kardashian joke about it on Instagram, though fans have praised the show. All's Fair stars Kardashian as Allura Grant, a high-powered divorce lawyer in Los Angeles whose firm specializes in winning big settlements for their female clients. Kardashian has also been busy with her quest to become an attorney, though she recently revealed she failed the California bar, which she took in July. 'Well...I'm not a lawyer yet, I just play a very well-dressed one on TV,' she shared, referencing her role as Allura. Join the debate Is Kim Kardashian's Hollywood success earned talent or just fame opening doors for her? Comedienne Glaser plays one of the woman whose life is turned upside down by the arrival of Kardashian's character Wiig shot a stern expression at Kardashian as she stood by the women, seemingly in a protective mode Longoria directed the group from behind-the-scenes, with a massive crew waiting for her orders The star appeared to be carrying her script around Accomplished Longoria has gone from acting to directing 'Six years into this law journey, and I'm still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up - just more studying and even more determination.' Kardashian is also balancing her blossoming acting career with a new love in her life. The star has been on a 'few dates recently' with Formula 1 race car driver Lewis Hamilton. The beauty was spotted in Paris with the seven-time Formula One World Champion, and an insider has confirmed that the celebrity duo are 'casually' dating. The source told Us Weekly: 'She has felt ready to put herself back out there recently.' Kim finalised her divorce from rap star Kanye West back in 2022, and her family simply want to see her feeling happy. The insider shared: 'Everyone around her wants her to be happy after everything she has gone through.' Kardashian has dated the likes of Pete Davidson and Odell Beckham Jr. since her acrimonious split from Kanye, while Lewis was previously in a high-profile, on-off relationship with pop star Nicole Scherzinger. Victoria Beckham has scored another win as the sales of her makeup brand boom and fans continue to side with her after her son Brooklyn's bombshell statement. In the past few weeks the fashion designer's 104 foundation has flown off the shelves with most of its 19 colourways currently unavailable. It launched back in September however now has waitlist for fans who are hoping to grab a bottle. She also sells one of her much lauded 32 Satin Kajal eyeliners every 30 seconds. The foundation boasts a light, serum-like consistency, creating a natural, glowing finish and breathable feel. It also includes Augustinus Bader's Trigger Factor Complex (TFC8), which stimulates skin cell renewal and promises a nourishing glow with consistent use. Victoria Beckhamhas scored another win as the sales of her makeup brand boom and fans continue to side with her after her son Brooklyn's bombshell statement In the past few weeks the fashion designer's 104 foundation has flown off the shelves with most of its colourways unavailable despite the family feud (Brooklyn and wife Nicola pictured) Its popularity has been boosted by the former Spice Girl also offering tutorials on social media platforms TikTok and Instagram and friends of the star say that she too uses it everyday. A source told The Sun: 'Personally it may well have been one of the worst months of Victorias life but professionally, these past four weeks have been truly astonishing. 'Not only did fans get her to number one, TikTok then went into overdrive reviewing her foundation. It got rave reviews, with makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts waxing lyrical. 'Having already sold well in the build-up to Christmas, in the wake of Brooklyns bombshell statement, it has had a second surge online.' The Daily Mail has contacted Victoria Beckham's representative for comment. The designer has increased her revenues by a staggering 26 per cent compared to the year before with a turnover of 112.7 million, with a pre tax profit of 2.2 million, after spending years in the red. She launched her own beauty brand, Victoria Beckham Beauty, in 2019. The Spice Girls star has since come out with lipsticks, mascara, concealer and more. Elsewhere, Victoria bagged her first ever solo number one after a huge social media campaign pushed her to the top of the chart. It launched back in September however now has waitlist for fans who are hoping to grab a bottle She also sells one of her much lauded 32 Satin Kajal eyeliners every 30 seconds Elsewhere, Victoria bagged her first ever solo number one when her 2001 single Not Such An Innocent Girl shot to number one on the iTunes chart in the UK and Ireland Days after her eldest son Brooklyn posted his scathing six-page statement an extraordinary social media campaign gave one of her solo songs a huge chart boost. Victoria's 2001 single Not Such An Innocent Girl, a track which showcased Posh Spice's raunchy dance moves, has shot to number one on the iTunes chart in the UK and Ireland. The chart positions have been driven by a social media campaign which is determined to 'fix the national tragedy' that 'Victoria is the only Spice Girl without a solo #1.' 'Nothing says "British Culture" like collectively deciding to send Posh to the top of the charts because her son roasted her on Insta. Imagine both their faces,' reads a viral post on Instagram which has been shared by the likes of Katherine Ryan and Luisa Zissman. Victoria was the last of the Spice Girls to go solo but despite huge promo blitzes in the early Noughties she failed to match the solo success of her bandmates. Not Such An Innocent Girl served as her official debut solo single but despite an unprecedented media campaign, she was beaten to the top spot by Kylie Minogue's monster hit Can't Get You Out Of My Head. The hype comes as a silver lining for Victoria - who has become embroiled in a public feud with her eldest son, after Brooklyn shared a six-page statement (Nicola, Victoria and Brooklyn pictured in February 2024) Victoria, who soon pivoted to fashion design after her music flopped, has previously revealed producers used to turned off her microphone while she was on stage with the Spice Girls. The hype comes as a silver lining for Victoria - who has become embroiled in a public feud with her eldest son, after Brooklyn shared a six-page statement. He said he has no wishes to reconcile with his family and is standing up for himself 'for the first time in my life'. In it, he claimed his parents had 'endlessly tried' to ruin his relationship with his wife as the ex Spice Girl cancelled making the bridal gown at the 'eleventh hour' before 'hijacking' their first dance. Brooklyn and Nicola have been at the heart of the acrimonious divide that has resulted in them snubbing all significant family celebrations over recent months, including his father Sir David's milestone 50th birthday and knighthood. Sopha Dopha's new Matcha drink has been slammed online only hours after it hit the shelves. The ice beverage is a collaboration between the 22-year-old social media star, real name Sophia Begg, and wellness brand Tropeaka. TikTokker Danib1023 let her thoughts be known on Thursday when she shared a clip of her and her female friends trying the flavoured beverage. 'That's so terrible,' complained one taste tester, before another labelled it 'so bad'. 'That's feral,' commented another of the drop, which is pitched as 'Japanese Matcha in a smooth and creamy oak milk latte.' While one more said it reminded her of 'Play-Doh'. Sopha Dopha's new Matcha drink has been slammed online only hours after it hit the shelves. (Pictured) TikTokker Danib1023let her thoughts be known on Thursday when she shared a clip of her and her female friends trying the flavoured beverage The video was captioned, 'Not good at all,' and has since been viewed by 704.5K users. Meanwhile, ElitentitledAU also posted their verdict on the same platform, captioning their clip, 'We tried the viral Sopha Dopha matcha cans, and this is our honest review' Jess Lima, the director of the digital marketing brand, was joined by the company's social media manager, Amelia Duff, for the taste test, which did not go well for Sopha Dopha. 'I feel like I'm tasting water after something accidentally fell into it,' said Jess. After failing to be impressed, the pair tried the strawberry-flavoured Matcha with disappointing results. 'I can't even rate it,' Jess continued laughing. After declaring that they 'loved' Sopha, who has 1.4 million followers, the pair implored viewers to 'try' the beverage. The review received dozens of comments from followers who threw shade on the new product as a 'milk drink', as opposed to matcha which is known as a healthy alternative to tea and coffee. ElitentitledAU Jess Lima director (R) was joined by the company's social media manager, Amelia Duff, for the taste test, which did not go well for Sopha Dopha. (Pictured from TikTok) 'I love Soph, but honestly, these should be called oat milk drinks, not matcha in the slightest,' complained one follower, while another agreed: 'It doesnt even taste like matcha.' However, there were fans of the new drink. 'The best matcha ever ,' wrote one fan on Instagram. 'Chef kiss so good,' added another. 'I wasnt sure about the white chocolate but Im actually now a convert!' commented a third. The product was launched on Thursday, with the drink advertised as being available in 7Eleven stores across Australia. Originating in Japan, Matcha is a green tea made from the Camellia Sinensis plant, which is then ground into a fine powder. It is now a popular beverage across the globe, boosted by the wellness trend. Holly Willoughby stepped away from her career as a TV presenter after the horrifying plot to abduct her was uncovered in 2023. Some believed she would eventually return to TV, others thought she might concentrate on her Gwyneth Paltrow-style lifestyle business, Wylde Moon. However, almost five years after its launch, it can be revealed that the business has dropped its jewellery line, and its podcast, and also seems to have parted company with its hair, beauty, style and energy editors. In a filing to Companies House last week, Wylde Moon listed just two employees understood to be Holly, 44, and her sister Kelly. When it launched in 2021, it said it had a team of 14, and many contributors were listed on the website. No contributors are listed or credited any more. On Tuesday, Holly posted a video of herself and her sister enjoying a 'Wylde Moon away day' at a spa in Sussex. Holly wrote: 'We drank the sacred cacao to open our hearts, selected oracle cards for guidance and crafted reed dollies as blessings of renewal and protection.' Also present was Holly's long-time clothes stylist and friend Patsy O'Neill. Holly Willoughby at the launch of Wylde Moon in London, October 2021 Wylde Moon is not enjoying Goop-style expansion, although it continues to sell candles and reed diffusers Accounts for the year to October 2024 show that Wylde Moon is not enjoying Goop-style expansion. Net assets are noted as 4,831 up from 1,885 the previous year. But the company owes 733,485 to creditors up from 583,748 the previous year. Among the creditors is HMRC, with a 67,262 liability for Corporation Tax. That would indicate it had made a taxable profit of around 250,000. The focus of Wylde Moon seems to have narrowed, and there are no longer monthly posts about fashion, beauty or hair. Instead, it's chiefly about well-being and astrology. It continues to sell candles (40 for a single-wick scented version), wax melts (11), perfume (42 for Holly's 'signature Eau de Parfum') and reed diffusers (45) as well as Holly's book Reflections ('life lessons' in finding beauty), which came out in 2021. Holly frequently posts on Instagram to promote money-off deals for the business. Back in 2018, she had been due to launch a lifestyle brand, Truly, with Dragons' Den star Peter Jones, but pulled out with just a few weeks to go. At the time, Holly said: 'To launch a brand needs total dedication and at the moment this is not something I feel I can do without it starting to affect my family time at home.' Jones and his interior designer partner Tara Capp, 48, went ahead anyway with the online shop. Truly, which sells everything from cushions to clothes, is now stocked in John Lewis and via Next. Holly has appeared in Netflix show Bear Hunt since leaving This Morning but it was not re-commissioned. She continues to be represented by her own company, Roxy Management, seemingly its only client. She was one of the highest-paid presenters when on This Morning, alongside Phillip Schofield, with both on a reported 730,000 a year. Last night I dreamt I had a fling with Mrs Danvers English author Daphne du Maurier, author of Rebecca and The Birds, is being played by actress Emma Laird in a new movie about du Maurier's rumoured late-life lesbian affairs There was uproar some years ago over the suggestion that Daphne du Maurier who wrote Rebecca, and also The Birds had a number of late-life lesbian affairs. The family of du Maurier, who died in 1989, aged 81, insisted that there was not a shred of evidence to support the claims. But now there's more to come, with a prestige film suggesting that the author who was married, and a mother of three had a lesbian sexual awakening as a young woman, and immortalised her first girlfriend in the figure of Mrs Danvers, the terrifying housekeeper in her gothic masterpiece, Rebecca. (The book first line: 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again' has never been out of print since it was first published in 1938.) The plot for the new movie is drawn from Rose Tremain's 'fictionalised drama' The Housekeeper. Actress Emma Laird who was in The Brutalist and 28 Years Later, is playing du Maurier as a young woman. The housekeeper will be played by Caitriona Balfe. Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter will also star in the project. Filming starts later this month. Actress Emma Laird, who starred in 28 Years Later and The Brutalist, will be the leading lady Miranda's son salutations Supermodel Miranda Kerr has the whole family meditating. Kerr, who is not a Buddhist but is mad keen on mindfulness, says that Flynn, her 15-year-old son with Orlando Bloom, practises Vedic meditation with his own mantra. Kerr revealed: 'This new year, he said, 'Mum, I want to meditate with you every morning at 6am, and do it for 20 minutes'. 'On the days that he does it... he's like, 'I really noticed a difference. I felt much calmer'. ' She added that her six and seven-year-old sons Myles and Hart also meditate...with only the youngest, Pierre, excused. He is two. Supermodel Miranda Kerr (pictured) revealed that she meditates every morning at 6am with her 6-year-old son - but her toddler is excused Now this is heartwarming: Ant and Dec both say that the favourite moment of their long careers was the day that Ant came back to work in 2019 on Britain's Got Talent after his struggle with drink and drug addictions. In August 2018 Ant McPartlin formally announced he would be taking a break after going to rehab for addiction (twice) and having a car accident. He returned in January 2019, for the Britain's Got Talent auditions at the London Palladium. Screen partner Declan Donnelly said: 'I know my favourite Ant moment ever, and it's fairly recent, but I think it's one that will stick with me. 'It's when Ant took a bit of time out to get himself together, he had a little bit of time away, off telly, but that moment we came back together was just... that will always stick with me and reminded me how brilliant it was, and how lucky I am to get to do this job alongside my best mate.' Ant replied: 'Exactly the same. Exactly the same for me. 'To be able to take that time out and get a reset and a new perspective on your life and have a real new gratitude for everything that you do. 'But then to come back and your mate's there, and then you just kick on and carry on how you left off. 'Because that's what true friendship is. We don't judge one another, you just get on with it. Love each other.' Ant and Dec touchingly both agreed that their favourite moment of their long careers was the day that Ant got back to work in 2019, having taken a career break after going to rehab for addiction and having a car accident Adolescence star Stephen Graham has given his blessing to son Alfie, pictured with him, who is launching a modelling career. 'Alfie's a handsome lad!' Graham exclaimed. 'He's an Adonis, the boy. You know what I mean? It's like "Wooahh!" 'Why am I getting embarrassed? He is going down the modelling route. 'Good for him.' Alfie has recently posted his first professional pictures on his Instagram page. Stephen Graham pictured with his model son Alfie, who he called an 'Adonis' Alfie recently posted his first professional pictures on his Instagram page. Represented by @nextlondon @next Styled by @markanthonystylist Photographed by @neilgavinphoto Grooming by @joey.darbs Will Fing movie give cancelled comedian Walliams the fairytale ending he craves? David Walliams is plotting a comeback after his 'cancellation' over claims of harassment, which led to him being let go by publishers HarperCollins last year. Walliams has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. His children's book, Fing, has been made into a film and he has taken a small role as the headmaster in the movie. I hear that Walliams, pictured with Fing actress Iona Bell, will do some limited press to promote it, when it comes out later this year. A friend said: 'The consensus seems to be that the storm has passed. There is no ongoing dispute, or claims on either side.' In December, a spokesperson for HarperCollins said it had decided not to release any new titles by Walliams 'after careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO'. The Telegraph newspaper claimed that the move followed an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a number of young women, but HarperCollins did not confirm the reasons for its decision. A spokesperson for Walliams said he had 'never been informed of any allegations raised against him' and added: 'He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. 'David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice.' Walliams is one of the UK's most successful children's authors, having sold more than 60 million copies worldwide in 55 languages since his first book, The Boy In The Dress, came out in 2008. Children's author Walliams is plotting a comeback after his 'cancellation' over claims of harassment Pulpy, garish, vivid, sexy and BIG, there's no question Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights is going to be a hit when it opens next weekend. There's also no question that Fennell bouncy, posh and self-confident has little interest in serving the original source material. Don't go if you are a Bronte fan. Do go if you like your bodices heaving, and the romance turned up to 11. Blair Waldorf is officially making her return to the Upper East Side. According to Deadline, the fan favorite character, portrayed by Leighton Meester, will be at the center of a new novel from original series author Cecily von Ziegesar. The book will mark the first major literary continuation of the franchise in more than two decades. The book, titled Blair, is set approximately 20 years after the original Gossip Girl and will follow the former Manhattan socialite in her 40s as she returns to New York City and attempts to reclaim her place atop the Upper East Side social hierarchy. At this time, plot details remain under wraps. The book will be written by von Ziegesar and is tentatively scheduled for publication in Summer 2027. While no screen project is currently in development, the move is expected to generate interest across the television industry. Blair Waldorf, portrayed by Leighton Meester, is officially making her return to the Upper East Side The original Gossip Girl novels, first published in 2002, sold more than six million copies worldwide, were translated into 25 languages, and spent over 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, before spawning the hit CW series and a later HBO Max reboot. The Gossip Girl reboot premiered in 2021. The identity of Gossip Girl was revealed to be a group of the high school's teachers, led by Kate Keller (Tavi Gevinson), in the first episode. The creator of the original series, Joshua Safran, who is serving as the showrunner for the reboot, discussed the decision-making behind the surprising twist during an interview with Variety. He explained, 'I have friends who work in the private schools of the Upper East Side and Upper West Side. And I went to one, obviously. I often thought since the first Gossip Girl ended that there was maybe a show in teachers at these rarefied schools, but I never landed on anything. 'And then I was talking to my friends a couple of years ago, just about the small changes that they had noticed in the students parents in the years they were teaching there. Safran went on to say, 'I cant remember whether I first knew that there would be teachers and a teacher would be Gossip Girl, or whether I knew first that I would know who Gossip Girl was and it would be a teacher. Join the debate Should Blair Waldorf get a second chance at ruling the Upper East Side, or has her era passed? Waldorf was the frenemy to Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) in Gossip Girl The upcoming new novel marks the first major literary continuation of the franchise in more than two decades 'The two were so neck-and-neck for me. I was also very interested in looking at roads we hadnt explored the first time around, and teachers that was a whole area. Especially private school teachers who are younger than public school teachers, who make less money than public school teachers, who come out of college and are not so removed from the age of the students that theyre teaching. All of that combined just felt like really fertile territory.' He also addressed the potential ramifications that becoming Gossip Girl might have on the teachers. 'Its a be-careful-what-you-wish-for story,' Safran said. 'Its a cautionary tale. We will be tracking not just what Gossip Girl does to the kids, but what being Gossip Girl does to them. 'And it is incredibly messy and morally compromised, obviously.' The original Gossip Girl television series aired on The CW from 2007 to 2012, running for six seasons and becoming a defining pop-culture hit of the late 2000s. The original Gossip Girl television series aired on The CW from 2007 to 2012, running for six seasons and becoming a defining pop-culture hit of the late 2000s; seen in 2007 The show starred Blake Lively as Serena van der Woodsen and Meester as Waldorf, alongside Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford, Ed Westwick and Taylor Momsen. Kristen Bell narrated the series, which followed Manhattans elite teens as their scandals were anonymously exposed online. In September, Lively marked the 18th anniversary of Gossip Girl by sharing a treasure trove of never-before-seen photos from the set of the hit teen drama that defined a generation. 'The summer Gossip Girl turned 18' Lively, 38, captioned the nostalgic Instagram carousel, with an accompanying song aptly set to the 2006 Peter Bjorn And John track Young Folks. The Gossip Girl reboot premiered in 2021 Lively, who starred as Serena van der Woodsen on the series, likened being on the show to a 'college' experience, and said it provided her with an 'education' and peers who became like 'family.' The slideshow is filled with candid moments of the cast during filming and downtime in New York City. Among the throwbacks, Lively can be seen hugging her onscreen BFF Leighton Meester, 39, who played Blair Waldorf, in multiple sweet shots that perfectly capture their Serena-and-Blair bond. Another snap featured Lively with the late Michelle Trachtenberg, who tragically died earlier this year at the age of 39. Trachtenberg played the scheming Georgina Sparks on 28 episodes of the series. Christina Haack is celebrating a major milestone in her relationship with Chris Larocca. The HGTV star, 42, took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to share a photo of them snuggling aboard a private jet that was very similar to the one she posted when they went Instagram Official precisely one year ago. The older photo showed the blonde beauty sitting in Laroccas lap with both of them holding a glass of champagne, each of them smiling from behind their tinted shades. 'Some plane flights must be hard posted,' she wrote at the time, obviously a reference to the couples desire to share their joy and commitment with the public. In the new photo, Haack - who recently reunited with her ex Ant Anstead in an emotional co-parenting moment - beamed a big smile as she draped herself across Laroccas lap and wrapped an arm around his shoulders while his arms hugged her close. They were wearing their signature shades and this time Haack was showing off her toned legs in a short dress perfect for warmer climates. Christina Haack took to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday to share a photo of her and beau Chris Larocca snuggling aboard a private jet The snap was very similar to the one she posted in February 2025 when they went Instagram Official In the caption were the words 'Love love.' Though they didnt reveal where they were going, it likely was someplace warm. Haack also shared a video of them boarding a jet, and she was seen nudging against her boyfriend even closer. 'Love adventures with you,' she captioned the clip. Haack and Larocca, 53, started dating after she split from her third husband, Josh Hall, in the summer of 2024. Prior to going Instagram Official last year, Haack did hint that she and Larocca were dating when she reposted a photo that the businessman had previously posted. She made it even clearer that the two were romantically entangled when she was spotted sharing a passionate kiss with Larocca outside the LA restaurant Baltaire. In January 2025, source revealed to the Daily Mail that Christina had 'been dating Larocca for a few months now.' 'They're always together and out and about around Newport,' the source shared, adding: 'They even have traveled abroad and visited other countries together.' In December, the mom-of-three came under fierce fire after she promoted her new alcohol brand Cle Cachee Champagne using a steamy ad with Larocca. Haack met Larocca the old-fashioned way - at a Newport Beach, California restaurant where she was dining with a friend The blonde beauty didn't reveal where they were going to celebrate their milestone but she was dressed for a warm climate Larocca clearly fits in nicely with Haack's family that includes sons Braydon, 10, and Hudson, 6, pictured with the couple, and daughter Taylor, 15 In December, Haack's steamy ad with Larocca to promote her new alcohol brand Cle Cachee Champagne caught a bit of backlash from some fans who thought it was inappropriate The snap showed her crawling across a table at a restaurant on all fours as she leaned in to plant a smooch on Larocca while caressing his face and their mouths almost touching. On the table was a spilled bottle of Cle Cachee Champagne, seemingly knocked over during their passionate moment. Haack donned a skin-tight black haltered gown and matching gloves, while Larocca wore a suit, with his tie off and on the table. 'The champagne made me do it,' Haack captioned the shot. While some people praised Haack, calling the snap 'fire' and 'hot,' other fans were unamused by the steamy photo and took to the comment section to slam her. Haack rose to fame in the 2010s when she starred in her first TV program Flip Or Flop opposite her first husband Tarek El Moussa. That show ran for 10 series, and Haack and El Moussa had two children together, Taylor Reese, 13, and Brayden James, 10. He has an extensive tattoo collection which he keeps hidden under his chic wardrobe on My Kitchen Rules. But Manu Feildel showed off his body art in all of its glory as he hit the beach with his mother at Nielsen Park in Sydney on Thursday. The 51-year-old French chef went shirtless in a pair of printed boardshorts as they cooled off in the heat. He also wore several silver rings and a large pendant around his neck. The mother and son duo chatted as they floated around in the water during the sweet family outing. Last year, Manu added to his collection of colourful tattoos. My Kitchen Rules star Manu Feildel showed off extensive tattoo collection in all of its glory as he hit the beach with his mother Nielsen Park in Sydney on Thursday The 51-year-old French chef went shirtless in a pair of printed boardshorts as they cooled off in the heat He shared a video of himself getting a large octopus etched on his forearm. In the video, originally posted by tattoo artist Mertim Gokalp, he put on a brave face as he sat through the painful process. 'Thanks mate it's always a pleasure to see you,' Mertim captioned the post, while also tagging Thirteen Feet Tattoo parlour in Sydney. In 2022, he raised temperatures at Channel Seven's annual Perth Telethon when he ripped off his shirt to flaunt his extensive collection. The French chef hilariously painted some abs on his stomach, using bronzer to create the illusion of a six-pack. Home and Away star Lynne McGranger couldn't get enough of the strip show, and was seen smiling and laughing as she touched Manu's tummy. The culinary star played up to the role of a male stripper, showing off his dance moves and flexing his muscles. The two stars were answering calls alongside other celebrities and notable figures to help raise money for 50 beneficiaries, including the Perth Children's Hospital. The mother and son duo chatted as they floated around in the water during the sweet family outing Manu has been co-hosting and judging My Kitchen Rules Australia since its inception in 2010. However, the heat in the kitchen can get too much for the celebrity chef, who has been openly candid about his personal experience with stress and anxiety. The French-Australian restaurateur said he goes swimming in an ocean pool almost every morning as the sun rises. 'I do not share too much of my private life on my social media in the last couple of years but today I felt like sharing my experience,' he began. 'I believe that most of us suffer from some type of stress, anxiety or even some mental breakdowns at times and trust me, I am not any different. I believe I found my medicine. 'Since the beginning of the year I've been swimming in the ocean pool nearly every morning and it's changed my life in many ways. 'It's nothing spiritual but just simply revitalising. It clears my mind from any negativity and kick-starts my day in a great mood. It's giving me more energy and more focus.' 'Anyway I just thought if I can help someone find a solution to their battles, try that,' he suggested. Bozoma Saint John went all out when it came to celebrating a major milestone her teenage daughter achieved by gifting her a $110,200 Maserati Grecale Trofeo. The 49-year-old TV personality - who has been a cast member on RHBOH since 2024 - presented her 16-year-old daughter Lael the luxurious vehicle when she passed her driver's test. The shock unveiling was shown on Thursday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills. Saint John and the teen could be seen standing outside nearby their house when the Maserati made its way down the street with a red bow on top. 'You're getting a Maserati! I love you. You deserve it,' the reality star excitedly informed Lael before the pair shared a sweet embrace. Saint John also made custom shirts that had a fake license with Lael's picture on the front which they both donned during the special moment. Bozoma Saint John, 49, went all out when it came to celebrating a major milestone her teenage daughter achieved by gifting her a $110,200 Maserati Grecale Trofeo The TV personality presented her 16-year-old daughter Lael the luxurious vehicle when she passed her driver's test The businesswoman welcomed her teenage daughter with late husband Peter Saint John - who passed away in 2013 following a battle with cancer. She has since become engaged to Keely Watson who popped the big question last year in August. The intimate proposal had taken place at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood while surrounded by only close pals and loved ones. 'This engagement is my testimony: you can rise from grief, reclaim your joy, and still find a love worthy of your "yes,"' Saint John told People at the time. 'Keely is proof that God's timing is perfect - and so is His plan. I'm saying yes to life, to love and to the miracle of second chances.' Last month in January, the TV personality paid tribute to another milestone her daughter was able to reach: dual citizenship. She took to Instagram to upload a snap of Lael as she held up both a U.S. and Ghana passport with a proud smile on her face. 'As her mother, the greatest gift I can give her is BELONGING. Lael was born a citizen of the United States and NOW, she is a land-owning citizen of Ghana. Two nations. One daughter. Fully held.' Saint John also made custom shirts that had a fake license with Lael's picture on the front which they both donned during the special moment; seen in 2024 in L.A. She has since become engaged to Keely Watson who popped the big question last year in August; couple seen in 2024 in NYC Last month in January, the TV personality paid tribute to another milestone her daughter was able to reach: dual citizenship Saint John has often given her followers a close glimpse at the bond she shares with her teenage daughter. Last year, the pair whisked themselves away to Australia to ring in Lael's 16th birthday. Alongside a video of them dancing in front of the iconic Sydney Opera House, the star explained that the teen pitches a trip each year. 'My daughter dreams up her birthday trip adventure and somehow, it's always more magical than the last,' the star wrote. 'And every year, I say YES (after strong critique, while also indulgent in knowing that these trips will come to an end someday).' Saint John then gushed that her daughter's 'imagination has taken us places my heart didn't even know it needed to go. 'She's been pitching these adventures since she was 3 years old and now, at 16, we've journeyed across continents together. 'I want to give her the world; and I wish we could do this for a thousand years more. Because thats how long I will love her Onward, baby girl! .' 'As her mother, the greatest gift I can give her is BELONGING. Lael was born a citizen of the United States and NOW, she is a land-owning citizen of Ghana. Two nations. One daughter. Fully held,' she wrote Last year, the pair whisked themselves away to Australia to ring in Lael's 16th birthday But adventurous trips around the globe is not the only thing that Lael pitches to her famous mom. The teen also will hold annual board meetings to pitch her Christmas wish list. Saint John gave a look late last year at one of the meetings which showed her daughter happily giving a presentation on a TV screen. 'And no I don't go easy on her,' the star wrote. 'I treat her exactly like I would anyone presenting to me in a boardroom. 'Weak logic gets challenged. Flimsy arguments get torn apart. Convince me. But Lawdhavmercy. She's gotten much better over the years...' On the latest episode of RHOBH, Saint John also gave a candid look at her fertility struggles with Watson. But adventurous trips around the globe is not the only thing that Lael pitches to her famous mom. The teen also will hold annual board meetings to pitch her Christmas wish list On the latest episode of RHOBH, Saint John also gave a candid look at her fertility struggles with Watson; seen in 2025 in Las Vegas The couple got an update from a doctor after successfully retrieving two eggs and were informed that 'neither has made it to the blastocyst stage.' In a confessional, Saint John admitted to feeling 'overwhelmed' before adding that it 'feels like grief.' 'It feels like losing a baby. Because that's how I envisioned them. And so these aren't just inanimate objects out in the world. These are Keely and I's babies.' But her fiance continued to stay positive and encouraging by later saying, 'Right now, let's focus on being as healthy as we can for this next round.' Thorn Birds star Rachel Ward made a defiant red carpet appearance at the 2026 AACTA Awards on Friday evening, weeks after hitting back at trolls who criticised her looks at age 68. The actress - who now runs a beef cattle farm - beamed as she posed for photographs with husband Bryan Brown, 78, looking chic in a grey sheath dress, gold necklace and sassy tortoise shell sunglasses. She completed her look with pink suede slip-on shoes and a turquoise gemstone bangle as she arrived at Home of the Arts (HOTA) in Surfers Paradise, Queensland. Meanwhile, Bryan, with whom she shares three children, looked dapper in a black suit and matching tie. It marks Rachel's first public appearance since she spoke out against age-shaming critics on social media last month. Responding to a fan who had defended her appearance, Rachel wrote: 'I just feel sorry for those poor souls who fear ageing so much. They will learn that it's ultimate freedom as a woman to let youth and beauty go.' Thorn Birds star Rachel Ward, 68, made a defiant red carpet appearance at the 2026 AACTA Awards on Friday evening. Pictured with husband Bryan Brown, 78 It marks Rachel's first public appearance since she spoke out against age-shaming critics on social media last month (pictured) 'It was lovely while it lasted, but [there's] so much more to life. You can't know its pleasures until you get there,' she wrote. Elsewhere on the red carpet was actress Phoebe Tonkin, who looked ethereal in a deep blue gown that featured a plunging neckline and dramatic train. The Vampire Diaries star, 36, wore her long brown hair out in a side parting and completed her look with simple silver earrings and rings. Sarah Snook was also in attendance, posing alongside her Succession co-star Brian Cox. The All Her Fault actress, 38, sported a plunging pantsuit in deep navy, paired with a diamond and sapphire necklace. Brian, who made the trip Down Under from Scotland to join Sarah at the auspicious event, sported a stylish printed blue-and-gold suit and a black tie. Yerin Ha turned heads in a strapless dark purple gown. The Bridgerton star, 28, glowed in the ruffled frock as she pulled her dark locks back from her face. The actress beamed as she posed for photographs with husband Bryan, looking chic in a grey sheath dress, gold necklace and sassy tortoise shell sunglasses In a true happily-ever-after love story, Rachel and Bryan met on set of The Thorn Birds back in 1983 and have now been married for over 40 years (pictured) Elsewhere on the red carpet was actress Phoebe Tonkin, 36, who looked ethereal in a deep blue gown that featured a plunging neckline and dramatic train The Vampire Diaries star wore her long brown hair out in a side parting and completed her look with simple silver earrings and rings Sarah Snook, 38, was also in attendance, posing alongside her Succession co-star star Brian Cox The All Her Fault actress sported a plunging pantsuit in deep navy, paired with a diamond and sapphire necklace The Bridgerton star glowed in the ruffled frock as she pulled her dark locks back from her face Andy Lee beamed with joy as he showed off his fiancee Rebecca Harding. The radio star, 44, who wore a black tuxedo, could be seen gesturing to his partner, 35, in an animated display as she rocked a classic silhouette. Brittany Hockley stunned in a piece by Steven Khalil, from the designer's 2025 runway, which featured sheer panels and silver floral detailing across the bodice. The Bachelor star, 38, paired it with a simple silver clutch as she pulled her hair up in a classic bun. Her podcast co-host, Laura Byrne, 39, opted for a baby blue satin gown with a pleated skirt and teardrop earrings. The fast friends caught up together on the red carpet and stopped to pose together. Asher Keddie opted for a simple black gown for the annual occasion. The Logie-winning actress, 51, paired her look with a golden chain necklace and matching bracelets. Andy Lee beamed with joy as he showed off his wife Rebecca Harding. The radio star, who wore a black tuxedo, could be seen gesturing to his partner in an animated display The pair happily cuddled up to each other on the red carpet Brittany Hockley, 38, stunned in a piece by Steven Khalil, from the designer's 2025 runway, which featured sheer panels and silver floral detailing across the bodice The Bachelor star paired it with a simple silver clutch as she pulled her hair up in a classic bun Her podcast co-host, Laura Byrne, 39, opted for a baby blue satin gown with a pleated skirt and teardrop earrings The fast friends caught up together on the red carpet and stopped to pose together Asher Keddie, 51, opted for a simple black gown for the annual occasion The Logie winning actress paired her look with a golden chain necklace and matching bracelets Delta Goodrem, 41, sizzled in a black gown with a plunging neckline The Aussie pop star paired the look with a black scarf and pointed heels as she twisted her blonde locks up into an artful bun Delta Goodrem sizzled in a black gown with a plunging neckline. The Aussie pop star, 41, paired the look with a black scarf and pointed heels as she twisted her blonde locks up into an artful bun. Elsewhere, Angela Bishop flaunted her svelte frame in a black, off-the-shoulder gown with a ruffled neckline. The 10 News presenter, 58, She paired the monochrome look with a chunky necklace as she left her blonde tresses loose in beachy waves. The Bachelor star Bella Varelis stunned in a white halter-neck gown, which the model paired with a set of sensible silver sandals. Comedian Celeste Barber, 43, rocked a daring look as she opted for a white gown with a soaring thigh-split. Elsewhere, Angela Bishop, 58, flaunted her svelte frame in a black, off-the-shoulder gown with a ruffled neckline. The Bachelor star Bella Varelis, 31, stunned in a white halter-neck gown, which the model paired with a set of sensible silver sandals. Comedian Celeste Barber, 43, rocked a daring look as she opted for a white gown with a soaring thigh-split Offspring star Kat Stewart, 53, slipped into a black halter-neck gown with a lengthy train Aussie actor Joel Edgerton and his long-time partner Christine Centenera looked every inch the matching pair as they cuddled up on the red carpet Glow founder Gemma Dimond, 32, arrived in a strapless black dress with a sparkling gold feature at her bust TV presenter Liz Cantor, 43, looked pretty in pink in a $1,199 Rebecca Vallance gown Bachelor star Tim Robards, 43, looked dapper in a white and black tuxedo Drag queen Courtney Act, 43, turned heads in a beautiful Greco-themed pink gown Radio star Mitch Churi, 30, stepped out in a classic black suit An influencer left onlookers stunned on Friday night when she arrived at the AACTA Awards in Queensland wearing a very skimpy dress which flashed her G-string. Sopha Dopha, real name Sophia Begg, bared all when she slipped into the sheer frock, covering up with only strings of diamantes and silver embroidery. Sheer panels exposed her figure, along with the plunging neckline, doing little to hide the nude-coloured underwear she slipped on underneath. However, the internet personality, 22, rocked the partially backless look with well-deserved confidence, sharing her eye-popping look to Instagram. 'AACTA Awards time - off we go!' she captioned a clip shared online moments before she arrived at HOTA. Sophia left her golden tresses down, adding a soft wave to them, as she opted for a smoky eye and a dark lip. Sopha Dopha, 22, left onlookers stunned on Friday night when she arrived at the AACTA Awards in Queensland wearing a very skimpy dress which flashed her G-string She finished off her look with staple pieces of jewellery and a set of silver, stiletto-shaped nails as she carried a matching clutch. Elsewhere at the awards, esteemed actors and thespians such as Rachel Ward, Sarah Snook, Asher Keddie, Yerin Ha, and Phoebe Tonkin walked the red carpet. Each star turned heads in glamorous gowns, with plunging necklines appearing to be the theme of the night. It comes soon after Sophia's new Matcha drink was slammed online only hours after it hit the shelves. The iced beverage is a collaboration between the social media star and wellness brand Tropeaka. TikToker Danib1023 let her thoughts be known on Thursday when she shared a clip of her and her female friends trying the flavoured beverage. 'That's so terrible,' complained one taste tester, before another labelled it 'so bad'. 'That's feral,' commented another of the drop, which is pitched as 'Japanese Matcha in a smooth and creamy oak milk latte'. The influencer, real name Sophia Begg, bared all when she slipped into the sheer frock, covering up with only strings of diamantes and silver embroidery While one more said it reminded her of 'Play-Doh'. The video was captioned, 'Not good at all,' and has since been viewed by 704.5K users. Meanwhile, ElitentitledAU also posted their verdict on TikTok, captioning their clip: 'We tried the viral Sopha Dopha matcha cans, and this is our honest review' Jess Lima, the director of the digital marketing brand, was joined by the company's social media manager, Amelia Duff, for the taste test. 'I feel like I'm tasting water after something accidentally fell into it,' said Jess. After failing to be impressed, the pair tried the strawberry-flavoured Matcha with disappointing results. 'I can't even rate it,' Jess continued laughing. After declaring they 'loved' Sophia, who has 1.4 million followers, the pair implored viewers to 'try' the beverage. Sheer panels exposed her figure, along with the plunging neckline, doing little to hide the nude-coloured underwear she slipped on underneath Elsewhere at the awards, esteemed actors and thespians such as Rachel Ward, Sarah Snook, Asher Keddie, Yerin Ha (right), and Phoebe Tonkin walked the red carpet The review received dozens of comments from followers who threw shade on the new product as a 'milk drink', as opposed to matcha. 'I love Soph, but honestly, these should be called oat milk drinks, not matcha in the slightest,' complained one follower. Another agreed: 'It doesnt even taste like matcha.' However, there were fans of the new drink who came to the defence of Sophia, with one writing on Instagram: 'The best matcha ever.' 'Chef kiss so good,' added another. 'I wasnt sure about the white chocolate but Im actually now a convert!' commented a third. The product was launched on Thursday, with the drink advertised as being available in 7Eleven stores across Australia. Originating in Japan, Matcha is a green tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant, which is then ground into a fine powder. It is now a popular beverage across the globe, boosted by the wellness trend. Sophie Turner gave filming for the Tomb Raider series her all on Thursday as she performed her own stunts in the pouring rain. The actress, 29, is the latest to take on the role of Lara Croft following Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, and threw herself into action as filming began in Surrey. Sophie was seen soaring over a lake on a parachute before running through the woods and grabbing an umbrella to shelter from the elements between takes. She swapped Lara's signature hotpants for grey cargo pants in the scene, pairing the garment with a ribbed brown shirt and a navy gilet. The mother-of-two scraped her freshly-dyed brunette locks into Lara's trademark plait and finished off her ensemble with fingerless gloves and holsters for her prop guns. It's hardly surprising that Sophie is doing her own stunts, having previously revealed she'd been in a training for a year for the role. Sophie Turnergave filming for the Tomb Raider series her all on Thursday as she performed her own stunts in the pouring rain in Surrey The actress, 29, is the latest to take on the role of Lara Croft following Angelina Jolieand Alicia Vikander, and threw herself into action as filming began It was safety first for Sophie as she sported a crash helmet before taking on her stunts Speaking to ScreenRant, she said: 'I can't say much, but my preparation began in February [2025]. 'I've been training for a long time now, coming up on a year, and we're going to start shooting in January. 'I'm really excited, but I feel prepped, and I feel really lucky to have such a great relationship with Amazon, and I'm excited for the world to see what we do with Lara and Tomb Raider. I think it's going to be something special.' She joins the likes of Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs in the video game adaptation. It hasn't been easy for the cast, with Sophie revealing she suffered a recurring back problem during the gruelling training process . Appearing on The Julia Cunningham Show, Sophie said: 'We've been doing eight hours a day, five days a week since February last year, of training. Yeah, so it's been a lot. 'I've learned I have a perpetual back problem, but I also realised that it's much easier to kind of build muscle if you've ever worked out before in your life, which I never had, so it has taken me months and months and months to get into good shape.' Sophie is best known for starring as Sansa Stark in the HBO series Game Of Thrones, but she insisted her years on the show didn't help prepare her for Tomb Raider because she was never involved in any action scenes. Sophie was seen soaring over a lake on a parachute before running through the woods and grabbing an umbrella to shelter from the elements between takes She nailed her landing after undergoing a year of training for the action-packed role A team of crew were seen on a boat helping Sophie set up for the parachute stunt Sophie swapped Lara's signature hotpants for grey cargo pants in the scene, pairing the garment with a ribbed brown shirt and a navy gilet The mother-of-two scraped her freshly-dyed brunette locks into Lara's trademark plait and finished off her ensemble with fingerless gloves and holsters for her prop guns It's hardly surprising that Sophie is doing her own stunts, having previously revealed she'd been in a training for a year for the role 'No, I was the cool queen who, like, didn't have to do that. I also just kind of was the one that got beat up, not the one doing the beating,' she said. 'So, it's quite nice to learn how to throw a punch and not just take it.' Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge is behind the new project, serving as creator, writer and executive producer. She announced the news of Sophie's casting in September, saying: 'I'm so excited to announce the formidable Sophie Turner as our Lara alongside this phenomenal creative team. 'It's not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving. 'Everyone on board is wildly passionate about Lara and are all as outrageous, brave, and hilarious as she is. Get your artifacts out, Croft is coming.' Inspired by the beloved video game franchise, the series will follow the daring adventures of archaeologist and explorer Lara Croft. Sophie, who received an Emmy nomination for her breakout role as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, recently fronted the ITV drama Joan and the thriller film Trust, and will next appear in the British series The Dreadful. She previously revealed: 'I can't say much, but my preparation began in February [2025]. 'I've been training for a long time now, coming up on a year' Sophie added: 'I'm really excited, but I feel prepped, and I feel really lucky to have such a great relationship with Amazon, and I'm excited for the world to see what we do with Lara and Tomb Raider' Speaking about stepping into Lara Croft's boots, Sophie admitted she was both excited and daunted: 'I am thrilled beyond measure to be playing Lara Croft. 'She's such an iconic character, who means so much to so many - and I am giving everything I've got. 'They're massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands. I can't wait for you all to see what we have cooking.' Sophie is said to have beat out competition from Mackenzie Davis, Emma Mackey and Lucy Boynton for the part, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series, backed by a heavyweight team of executive producers, is set to be one of Prime Video's most ambitious launches yet. Sophie can currently be seen on screens in the crime series, Steal. Leading lady Sophie plays an ordinary office worker who is caught in the middle of a massive criminal operation. All six episodes will premiere on January 21 on Amazon Prime. Angelina Jolie starred as Lara in 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (left) while Alicia Vikander took on the role in 2018's Tomb Raider The story follows Zara (Sophie), a low-level employee at the pension fund investment company Lochmill Capital. Her mundane workday is violently disrupted when an armed gang takes over the office and forces her and her best friend, Luke, to siphon off billions of pounds in ordinary people's pensions. The episodes are directed by Sam Miller (I May Destroy You) and Hettie Macdonald (Normal People). Steal currently has a respectable 79 percent 'fresh' rating on review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes. Rebecca Ferguson has given a rare insight into welcoming her first child at 23, with a man 22 years her senior. The 42-year-old actress who has appeared in the Dune and Mission: Impossible franchises had her son Isac in her 20s with then-boyfriend Ludwig Hallberg, a holistic therapist who was then 45. Yet Rebecca insisted she didn't struggle with their two-decade age gap because she felt very mature. The Silo star told Harper's Bazaar: 'I was very young, but I started working at 15 I was thrown into the deep end of work, maturity and responsibility.' However, their romance wasn't meant to be and they separated in 2015 after six years together. The following year she met her husband Rory St. Clair Gainer, who is seven years younger than her. The couple tied the knot in 2018 and have seven-year-old daughter Saga. Rebecca Ferguson has reflected on welcoming her first child at the age of 23 with ex who was 22 years older than her, saying she was 'thrown into the deep end' Rebecca had her son Isac in her 20s with then-boyfriend Ludwig Hallberg (pictured in 2018 during her second pregnancy with daughter Saga) Rebecca worked on Mission: Impossible during her pregnancy and revealed that she was even happy to do her own stunts at the time because she was inspired by co-star Tom Cruise. 'I would be fighting, and then I'd run off and vom in a big bag somewhere, have a mint, then run back in,' she recalled. Of working alongside Tom, Rebecca added: 'He comes with this purpose. He's a boy who just loves playing, and offers up a safe and professional set. That's a really good balance [of qualities] to make you want to try new things. 'I was scared of heights, but you always have someone to jump in and take over, which means you can push yourself a little bit more because at the last second you can always go, 'Nope!' Rebecca achieved international fame primarily through her breakout role as Elizabeth Woodville in the BBC historical drama The White Queen, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Her performance in the drama led to her starring role as Ilsa Faust in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which established her as a major action star. Following Rogue Nation, she reprised her role in Mission: Impossible - Fallout and subsequent sequels, solidifying her status in Hollywood. She then gained further fame, having starred in major movies such as The Greatest Showman, Doctor Sleep, and Dune. The following year she met her husband Rory St. Clair Gainer. The couple tied the knot in 2018 and have seven-year-old daughter Saga (pictured in 2025) Now, the actress has joined the star-studded cast of the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, officially titled Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, set for release on Netflix on March 20. She will join original cast member Cillian Murphy, who portrays the infamous Tommy Shelby, as well as Saltburn star Barry Keoghan and Pulp Fiction star Tim Roth. Expressing her excitement about taking part in the upcoming movie, Rebecca told the publication: '(It was) a no-brainer. The characters are all guttural and burdened. Thats what I want.' However, she admitted that there is 'no chance' her character could do a Birmingham accent. Discussing getting into character for her role, she said: 'There was absolutely no chance I could do a Brummie accent. I would ruin the film.' Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan has revealed a second cancer scare, 12 years after her devastating breast cancer battle. The BBC wildlife expert, 59, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 after competing in ITV's diving show Splash! Michaela received the diagnosis following a routine mammogram in Cape Town and eventually underwent a double mastectomy as part of her treatment. But the presenter said this week that she had a second health scare after eagle-eyed viewers spotted a lump on her throat while she was live on air. 'I did have a second scare, which was extraordinary, because I was doing Springwatch and I had a few people after the show message me and say, did you know you've got a lump on your throat?' Michaela said on the How to Be 60 with Kaye Adams podcast. 'I was like, "have I?" I was watching the show back in bed - because I'm slightly geeky like that, I've always watched the live show back - and I thought, "oh my god, I do - I've got a lump".' Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan has revealed a second cancer scare after her devastating breast cancer battle (Seen in 2017) Appearing on the How to Be 60 with Kaye Adams podcast, Michaela said this week that she had a second health scare after eagle-eyed viewers spotted a lump on her throat Michaela, who has presented BBC Two's Springwatch with Chris Packham since 2011, added: 'It was like an Adam's apple at the side of my throat that was moving up and down as I spoke.' She continued: 'I mentioned it to the production team. I said, "I don't expect there's any chance of seeing a doctor?" We were up in the Cairngorms [in Scotland] at the time. 'They managed to get a doctor in and I explained that I'd had breast cancer. They said, "With that history, we need to get you seen".' The discovery led to an urgent blood test at a local hospital and a weekend appointment with a throat cancer specialist in Harley Street. But what made the situation particularly distressing was that she felt she couldn't talk about it beyond her closest circle as the scare happened in 2019 when fellow TV presenter Nicki Chapman, 59, had just been diagnosed with a brain tumour. 'Everyone was talking about Nicki,' she said. 'I can't say, "by the way, I just found a lump on my throat, it could be cancer!" So the whole thing was just awful.' The star, who lives in South Africa with her film director partner Nick Chevallier - the father of her son Oliver, 20 - faced her fears head-on during the specialist appointment. She recalled: 'I said, "give me the worst case scenario" and he said, "I don't want to do that". I said, "Well, I'm asking you. Could it be cancer?" The BBC wildlife expert, 59, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 after competing in ITV's diving show Splash! Michaela, who has presented BBC Two's Springwatch with Chris Packham since 2011, added: 'It was like an Adam's apple at the side of my throat' (Seen with co-presenter Chris) 'He said, "It could be, but it would be highly unlikely. I've never heard of secondary breast cancer in your throat. It could be throat cancer - it could be completely separate". I said, "then what?" He said, "then we'd remove it", and I said, "if you remove it, could I use my voice? Could it affect my vocal cords?" 'He said, "yes it could". I said, "okay, best case scenario?". "Best case scenario it's just a benign cyst". "Might you have to remove it?" "Yes". "If you remove it, could it affect my vocal cords?" "Yes". 'I'm thinking, oh great, none of this is sounding good. None of it. Then I go back to do Springwatch on the Monday. So that was horrible, really horrible.' Fortunately, tests revealed the lump was indeed a benign cyst which doctors were able to drain without any complications, and Michaela has since recovered. 'I still don't quite understand what it means,' she admitted on the podcast. 'That's the one that's slightly more likely to spread to the other breasts.' She added that doctors had given her the choice of having one or both breasts removed, but after consulting a friend who'd had the same type of cancer, she opted for a double mastectomy. 'She said to me, "get them both off",' Michaela recalled. 'She said, "you don't want to be looking at that other one and always wondering whether it's going to come back into that breast".' Her friend also warned her about the psychological impact, telling her: 'If you have the double, they're just then the same and you don't end up looking at the one still there thinking, I wish I still had my normal boob on the other side.' The diagnosis was particularly devastating for her partner Nick, whose previous wife died of colon cancer, leaving him to raise three children who had lost their mother. 'To go back to your partner and say I've just been diagnosed with breast cancer, when he lost his previous wife to cancer, is an incredibly tough thing to do,' Michaela said. 'Everyone around me was like, "oh my god, how is Nick handling this?",' she explained. 'So because of that, I became the stoic one. I was like, "right, let's just get through it".' Michaela later realised she needed to properly process the trauma and underwent trauma therapy release (TRE), which involves exercises that make the body shake uncontrollably to release trauma. 'I cried the first time I did it, and suddenly I'm sobbing,' she said. 'That was getting the trauma out.' Now approaching her 60th birthday in April, Michaela said the experience of surviving cancer has changed her perspective on life. 'I think when you've had the big C scare, which so many people have had, it does make you feel like every year's a bonus,' she reflected. 'I think, great, let's just make the most of it because who knows what's going to happen next.' Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori has insisted the two of them are partners in devising the flesh-flashing looks that have helped make her infamous. Ever since they secretly tied the knot in 2022, Censori has consistently shocked fans with the barely-there ensembles her husband styles for her. A year ago, she left onlookers astonished by appearing on the red carpet of the Grammy Awards in a completely see-through minidress with no underwear. Speculation has abounded that West has been pushing Censori into exposing herself, but she has now shot down the rumors to Vanity Fair. 'I wouldnt be doing something I didnt want to do,' insisted the Australian 31-year-old. 'Me and my husband would work on my outfits together.' Said she: 'It was like a collaboration, it was never: "I was being told to do something." If you were married to Gianni Versace, wouldnt he give you a dress or something?' Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori has insisted the two of them are partners in devising the flesh-flashing looks that have helped make her infamous; pictured at last year's Grammys Censori took the further step of repudiating another stream of conjecture about her, namely that she married West to soak in the refracted glow of his fame. 'I didnt marry my husband because I wanted some sort of platform. I married him because I love him. Is that like the corniest thing ever?' she said. Although she acknowledged her position as a 'nepo wife' who was 'famous by association,' she observed that 'your image is replicated without your consent all the time. Its replicated, its brought down, its picked apart, all those kind of things.' Censori also admitted to 'an obvious obsession with nudity,' allowing that she 'was naked everywhere. I didnt detach with it at any point. I consistently showed the same imagery over and over and over again. I live my artwork.' However she also noted that she had been able to turn her self-exposure into a form of mystique, saying: 'Im trying not to sound like Im bragging, but it is not a position that anybody in time has ever had that much visibility without speech.' She added: 'If it was just nudity, a lot of people would have that. But it also proves in a time that was so overexposed and vulnerable, that mystery still has power.' Her remarks come after a source sensationally claimed Censori had attempted to exit her marriage to West several times in the past. The insider alleged that they were able to repair their relationship only after he went to a Swiss rehab in order to cope with his bipolar disorder. Ever since they secretly tied the knot in 2022, Bianca has consistently shocked fans with the barely-there ensembles her husband styles for her 'I wouldnt be doing something I didnt want to do,' insisted the Australian 31-year-old: 'Me and my husband would work on my outfits together' 'Bianca had been very unhappy in their marriage for a while and tried to get out a number of times,' a source alleged to People. 'He's been in this vicious cycle for years. When he's not in a good space mentally, he tends to create so much drama, which then has lasting consequences.' The insider then claimed that 'when he reaches a more stable place, he becomes very aware of the damages he's caused his family, friends and himself.' West revealed he sought treatment in Switzerland in his recent full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, in which he also apologized for his past antisemitic rants. His career imploded and his billion-dollar fortune plummeted over the outbursts, which included praise for Hitler and a vow to go 'death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.' Minnie Driver rang in her 56th birthday by baring it all during a lavish escape to Mexico. The Good Will Hunting vet shared nude bathtub snaps to her Instagram on Thursday, giving fans a peek at her ultra-glam birthday celebration. Posing in nothing but her birthday suit, Driver relaxed in a deep soaking tub at the swanky One&Only Palmilla resort. The British beauty - who famously dated her Good Will Hunting co-star Matt Damon for about a year when the film hit theaters in 1997 - looked completely at ease as she curled up in the lavish marble bath. One fan hilariously declared in the comments section, 'SHUT UP. No one looks good in a bath. Furious. Love you xxx,' while another chimed in with a fire emoji, calling it a 'Birthday suit pic in bath.' That said, plenty of followers appeared far more mesmerized by the sprawling, five-star bathroom than the Hollywood star's naked soak. Minnie Driver rang in her 56th birthday by baring it all during a sun-soaked escape to Mexico; (pictured January) The Good Will Hunting vet shared nude bathtub snaps to her Instagram on Thursday, giving fans a peek at her ultra-glam birthday celebration Posing in nothing but her birthday suit, Driver relaxed in a deep soaking tub at the swanky One&Only Palmilla resort That bath looks heavenly! one wrote, while another gushed, Oh wow, that bath(room)! A third kept it simple with, Epic bath! Others zeroed in on the details, with one commenter admitting, Im impressed with the tiling - excellent grouting.' Another cheekily asked, Hows the water? The steamy bathtub snap comes just weeks after Driver opened up about finding love in her 50s with fiance Addison ODea. The actress, has dated the likes of Damon, John Cusack, Josh Brolin and shares son, Henry, 17, with Timothy J Lea. Now Driver is engaged to the American filmmaker, 46, and the pair have been linked since early 2019, but the couple keep their relationship fairly private. In a new interview, the star gave a rare insight into her relationship and said women should try to free themselves of the pressures of finding a man. Plenty of followers appeared far more mesmerized by the sprawling, five-star bathroom than the Hollywood star's naked soak She told the Grazia: 1,000% embrace the notion that youre never going to meet anyone ever again. Sit with it. Become celebratorily OK with it. 'Then if a guy walks into your life - great. And if a guy doesnt walk into your life - also great. I wouldve been fine if Addison had never shown up, though Im so glad he did. 'But weve got to get over the idea that we are incomplete if we dont have a man. Its not true.' Driver recently starred in Netflixs eight-episode series Run Away, based on the bestselling crime thriller, playing Ingrid, the wife of Simon Greene (James Nesbitt) as he searches for his daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange). She has been very busy as she also joined the Emily In Paris cast for series five, playing Princess Jane, who married into a royal family. The star was supported by Addison at the world premiere in France last month and they sweetly held hands on the red carpet. The British beauty dated her Good Will Hunting co-star Matt Damon for about a year when the film hit theaters in 1997; (pictured in Good Will Hunting) The actress is engaged to the American filmmaker, 46, (left) and the pair have been linked since early 2019, but the couple keep their relationship fairly private Driver went Instagram official with Addison in 2019, sharing a photograph of them sat together at a lavishly-adorned table at a glamorous event. As for Damon, 54, he has been married to Luciana Bozan since 2005 and the pair share three daughters. The world learned Damon and Driver had called it quits after the actor revealed their split on The Oprah Winfrey Show, saying: 'Well, Im single. I was with Minnie for a while, but were not really romantically involved anymore, were just really good friends. I love her dearly.' 'I care about her a lot. We care about each other a lot. It wasnt meant to be and if it wasnt meant to be then its not meant to be.' Ashley Roberts posed naked as she showed off her incredible figure following a lymphatic drainage massage on Thursday. The former Pussycat Doll, 44, flaunted her flat, toned tummy while covering her modesty as she struck a pose in the treatment room. The beauty went makeup-free for the massage session and pushed her blonde tresses back with a white headband. Tagging her massage therapist, Ashley captioned the post: 'First full body lymphatic drainage massage. Head ta toe. @deborahmarcchi you got magic hands. @artotellondonbattersea.' A lymphatic massage, also known as manual lymphatic drainage, is a specialized type of massage that aims to stimulate the lymphatic system, helping to remove toxins and waste from the body. The treatment involves gentle, rhythmic strokes to encourage the movement of lymph fluid through the lymphatic vessels and towards the lymph nodes. Ashley Roberts posed naked as she showed off her incredible figure following a lymphatic drainage massage on Thursday It comes after Ashley showed off her figure as she shared a series of swimwear-clad photos from her holiday to Mauritius last month. During her lavish trip, Ashley stayed at The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa with her boyfriend George Rollinson, 26. George, who is 17 years Ashley's junior, is her first serious partner since her split from Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice in 2020. The duo have been in a relationship since November 2023, with a source telling Daily Mail at the time: 'Ashley and George are smitten with each other. 'They have chosen to keep their relationship private for now, but gradually have started sharing snippets from their life together on social media. 'George is extremely successful in his own right, creating artwork for massive names and establishing himself in his craft from a young age. 'Ashley isn't at all bothered about their age difference... they have similar interests, and he has inspired her creatively, she hasn't felt this way in a long time.' Artist George has previously collaborated with boxer Francis Ngannou for his fight against Tyson Fury, decorating the Cameroonian's boots with his own designs and has created elaborate pieces for the likes of celebrity clients Drake and Anthony Joshua. It comes after Ashley showed off her figure as she shared a series of swimwear-clad photos from her holiday to Mauritius with her boyfriend George Rollinson, 26 last month George (pictured), who is 17 years Ashley's junior, is her first serious partner since her split from Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice in 2020 Ashley's last public relationship was with Strictly professional Giovanni, 33, who is nine years her junior. The couple were together for over a year before splitting in 2020. They met when Ashley starred on the BBC series in 2018, competing with Pasha Kovalev in the competition and finishing as a finalist. Giovanni, who was forced to quit Strictly this season after his celebrity dance partner Amanda Abbington left the show, dated Love Island star Maura Higgins following his romance with Ashley. It was speculated in 2012, after her stint in the I'm A Celeb jungle, that Ashley shared a brief fling with host Declan Donnelly, though the pair never publicly confirmed. It has been the worst-kept social-media secret for weeks. On Thursday night every girls phone in the country pinged with the same message: We knew it! Molly-Mae Hague had announced on Instagram that she was six months pregnant with her Love Island boyfriend, Tommy Fury, with what will be their second child. In an obvious attempt to keep it low-key - the current celebrity trend - she released a grainy black-and-white home video shot in January on her camcorder, revealing a burgeoning baby bump. Wearing a white crop top hoisted over her stomach, the 26-year-old walked down the stairs of the 5million Cheshire mansion the couple share, holding on to their daughter Bambis hand. The three-year-old sported a sweet matching knitted set with the words Big Sister scrawled across the chest. The video cuts to Tommy, 26, cradling Mollys stomach as she films them in the mirror. Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury have announced they are expecting their second child It makes a marked difference from her first pregnancy announcement in 2022, which was professionally filmed, with the pair standing on the edge of a lake as the boxer - brother of former world champion Tyson - kissed her bump. Back then, the video began with a clip from their Love Island days in 2019 in which she declared, I cant wait for the adventures that we havent even dreamed of yet. A gushing caption followed, alongside a slow-motion video of the pair by the lake. Less than 24 hours later she posted pictures of a professional photoshoot. Four years later and the expectant mother simply penned: Soon to be four. Much as she might like you to believe it, however, nothing about this pregnancy has been - or will be - low-key. It all started with months of speculation and the release of videos piquing fans curiosity. As an influencer and YouTube star, Molly-Mae shares everything with her 14million followers and preaches realness. But as far back as December, her army of avid fans noticed something was amiss when she began only filming herself from the shoulders up in her weekly 45-minute-long vlogs on YouTube. Immediately the rumour mill began to turn. In the same month, the star hinted again at her secret pregnancy when she filmed herself returning home to cake and flowers from Tommy. But it was the inscription on the cream icing that had everyone talking. It read: New Chapter, Same Us. Then a lavish New Years trip to the Maldives in January with Tommy and Bambi further encouraged online chatter after the appearance of a slight bump in some shots of her holiday vlog. The clues kept coming - loyal fans will know that when the Love Island star was pregnant with Bambi, she spoke endlessly about her obsession with peppermint tea, despite being an avid coffee drinker. So, when Molly-Mae posted a picture to Instagram of herself pouring a cup of herbal tea with a coat wrapped around her on January 25, fans were quick to comment: She wants us to know. The real confirmation, however, came last week when, during another video filmed from her kitchen, eagle-eyed fans caught a glimpse of a prominent bump in the reflection of a darkened window. Its no secret that Molly-Mae is a PR machine and knows exactly how to fan the flames of speculation, attracting viewers to watch her YouTube channel, where she flogs paid partnerships with brands such as LOreal. The influencer dropped just the right number of hints to keep her viewers coming back for more glimpses of the rumoured bump. Industry sources have told me that Amazon bosses are frustrated to have missed out on the pregnancy announcement in the second season of her documentary series, Behind It All. Filming for the series revolved around Molly-Mae walking in a LOreal Paris show in the French capital late last year, and the influencer revealed on her Instagram today that she had been pregnant during the show. A source close to the series tells me: It was frustrating she didnt decide to announce it on the show as it would have been a way better storyline to round the series off with. The couple's daughter Bambi is seen in the announcement video wearing a jumper reading: 'Big sister' Molly-Mae is seen forming a heart shape around her stomach in the video which she shared to reveal her pregnancy Molly-Mae and Tommy are seen with Bambi in their pregnancy announcement captioned: 'Soon to be four' But she wanted to save it for herself - you cant blame her, its a massive deal for her and shell get months of content off the back of it. Its a content jackpot and everyone is chomping at the bit to get round and start filming as a pregnancy storyline is a sure money-maker. It appears that, with one single Instagram post, the influencer has no doubt just confirmed another lucrative series with Amazon. And the timeline of her announcement is no accident. In fact, I am told she was so desperate to keep her pregnancy a secret that she had everyone on a recent fashion shoot sign NDAs about her condition. A source from the set revealed: We thought we were all signing NDAs because she was going to pull a Kylie Jenner and not announce her pregnancy until she actually gave birth. When pregnant with her daughter Stormi, the 28-year-old hid away from the spotlight for months and only announced the childs existence three days after she had given birth. My source added: I was quite surprised when Molly suddenly announced it after all the fuss she went to with the NDAs, but then at the same time her income relies on social media likes so she was never not going to cash in on this pregnancy by putting it on her socials. Molly-Mae's gender reveal announcement during her pregnancy with her daughter Bambi But it turned out to be the person closest to Molly-Mae who threatened to expose her secret and thereby ruin her carefully curated timeline. Sitting in a Cheshire pub with his father, John, and older brother Tyson Fury, in November, Tommy was reportedly shouting about how he was going to be a new father. Onlookers at the time said: They were clearly celebrating some kind of milestone. Tommy had invited his dad and brother there to share something special with him. The couple, who shot to fame on Love Island, have had their differences when it comes to the sportsmans drinking habits, which they blame for driving a wedge between them, leading to their highly publicised split two years ago. But it appears they have put the past behind them and, after rekindling their romance last year, the couple have been putting on loved-up displays for their fans on social media. She even had her 600,000 diamond engagement ring back on when they were spotted for the first time since the pregnancy announcement earlier today. Wrapped up in a black overcoat, Molly-Mae hid her baby bump as they got a coffee near their home in Cheshire. But she certainly wasnt concealing the ring, which the star has started to wear occasionally after declaring on her Amazon docuseries: I feel we are in a place where I want to wear it again, and we are fully back together and thats a symbol of that. Lets hope, for everyones sake, this time it lasts. Amy Schumer was seen carrying a bag of Midi gummies which promise to boost metabolism. The product is described as: 'Daily Fiber+ helps support digestion, curb cravings, and stabilize energy with 5g of soluble and insoluble fiber, prebiotic rich green banana powder, and Chromium Picolinate, all in a delicious, zero-sugar gummy.' This comes after she shed 50lbs. Schumer, who has admitted to achieving her slimmed-down figure with the help of injectables, radiated a cheerful glow while working. The actress also held on to a book called Should I Start a New Life? when she was glimpsed in New York City on the set of a mystery project. The volume appeared to be a prop, while her costume included a 1980s style color block tracksuit. With her blonde hair swept back into a ponytail, the 44-year-old comic appeared to be in bright spirits as she wandered about the set. Her latest sighting comes a month after she officially filed for divorce from her chef husband Chris Fischer, with whom she shares her six-year-old son Gene. The Trainwreck star had previously announced in a typo-ridden Instagram post in December that she and her husband had taken the 'difficult decision' to split. Amy Schumer was seen carrying a bag of Midi gummies which promise to boost metabolism. This comes after she shed 50lbs Court documents filed at the start of January and reviewed by the Daily Mail confirmed that she had officially submitted a divorce petition. In her December split announcement, Schumer shut down rumors about her recent weight loss, insisting she was 'not' getting divorced because 'I dropped some lbs.' The comedian also maintained that the separation did not transpire because Fischer is a 'hot [James] Beard award-winning chef who can still pull some hot tail.' Her announcement comes after the Daily Mail exclusively revealed in November that Schumer's marriage was in turmoil, as a close friend said the comedian was 'over it.' Schumer raised eyebrows at the time by deleting all pictures from her Instagram and replacing them with a single image of herself, flaunting her weight loss and showing that she was not wearing a wedding ring. Her close friend told the Mail that her marriage fell apart at the same time 'she got skinny', and they confided that Chris was 'mostly out of the house at this point.' Another source noted the couple had been known among their friends to be distant in recent times, and had listed two homes in Brooklyn and New Orleans. 'Amy doesn't talk about Chris that much anymore, it's like they are no longer close,' the source said at the time. 'He is never around, and she has not taken him on a red carpet for months.' The actress also held on to a book called Should I Start a New Life? when she was glimpsed in New York City on the set of a mystery project Last month, court documents reviewed by Daily Mail confirmed the divorce petition has now been formally filed, marking the latest step in the pairs separation The insider said it was not easy on Fischer 'because of his autism', with Schumer's comedy driving a wedge between the pair. 'He doesn't even get her jokes, and being funny and making people laugh is important to her,' the friend said. 'Also, there is that classic cliche: when a woman loses weight, her personality changes. 'Amy has changed since losing weight, she is much lighter in her spirit, more easy going. I think she wants more out of life.' A third insider claimed: 'Amy and Chris have been on a routine the last couple years, they have focused more on their child then their relationship and his brutal honesty being autistic is a blessing and a curse for Amy to where she has joked about it on some of her specials but it has also become a minor issue for their relationship.' The divorce announcement comes after Schumer tellingly wiped her Instagram account clean in November, save for a new glam post showcasing her weight loss Schumer and Fischer tied the knot in Malibu in front of 80 friends and family, including close pal Jennifer Lawrence, in 2018. The couple signed a prenuptial agreement before they wed, which Schumer even joked about when she marked their seventh wedding anniversary back in February. '7 years ago we signed a prenup and haven't had to utilize it! Love you babe,' Schumer - who has a reported net worth of $45 million - wrote on Instagram, along with a photo from their wedding day. Fischer has been by Schumer's side at various events this past year but the last time they were photographed on the red carpet together appears to be in June 2025, at the premiere of Room To Move. Rumors over their impending split were ignited earlier this year when Schumer put two properties on the market. Schumer listed her Brooklyn home for $14 million before cutting the price to $12.75 million. She purchased the home - made famous for it's appearance in the Cher film Moonstruck - in 2022. The comedienne has also put the New Orleans residence she purchased with Fischer in 2021 on the market. Fischer has accompanied Schumer to events this past year, including to Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special (pictured) in February Rumors over their impending split were ignited earlier this year when Schumer put two properties on the market, including her Brooklyn townhouse for $14 million She also listed the New Orleans home she bought with her spouse in 2021 Schumer has also undergone a dramatic transformation since beginning a weight loss journey these past few years. She's been open about undergoing liposuction and even trying the various trendy medications used for weight loss, including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. While neither Ozempic and Wegovy sat well with her, Mounjaro stuck. 'My hair is fuller, my skin is better, I have more energy. I want to "get down" more, if you know what I mean,' she told Instagram followers. 'I'm talking about sex.' The transformation has not gone unnoticed either - a recent photo displaying her trim pins during a trip to Vegas earned rave reviews. 'Loving the love. My legs thank you!' she told followers. Molly Smith showed off her incredible abs in a bright yellow bikini top and shorts as she enjoyed a run with her fiance, Tom Clare, in the Maldives on Friday. The former Love Island star, 31, who jetted off to the island for a romantic getaway with Tom, 26, looked incredible in a neon yellow two-piece gym set. She completed her look with bright pink, chunky trainers, silver headphones and white socks. The couple looked more loved-up than ever as they raced along sandy beaches and recorded each other exploring the area. Before the run, Molly could be seen soaking up the sun while she stretched on the bridges connecting the water islands. Elsewhere on Instagram, Molly gave fans a glimpse inside their lavish trip, sharing gym selfies, videos of the couple partaking in fun water activities, and several sizzling bikini-clad videos. Molly Smith, 31, showed off her incredible abs in a bright yellow bikini top and shorts as she enjoyed a run with her fiance, Tom Clare, 26, in the Maldives on Friday The former Love Island star, who jetted off to the island for a romantic getaway with Tom looked incredible in a neon yellow two-piece gym set The couple, who are both lovers of fitness, have ensured to get regular workouts completed on the trip. Molly won the ITV2 reality show's All Stars season in 2024 alongside Tom, with the couple announcing their engagement last September. Her latest sizzling post comes after she slipped into a festive red bikini during a romantic trip to Lapland with her fiance last month. She looked incredible in the two-piece as she relaxed in the outdoor hot tub surrounded by snow. Molly wrapped up in a stylish pair of white fur mittens and a matching eye-catching hat as she beamed and threw her hands in the air while posing for the camera. She wrote: 'Keeping warm'. Molly also posed in the daring Christmas bikini, which boasted a triangle top and skimpy tie side bottoms, last week. She pulled on a pair of white snow boots as she posed in the snow outside the lodge the couple were staying in. She completed her look with bright pink, chunky trainers, silver headphones and white socks The couple looked more loved-up than ever as they raced along sandy beaches and recorded each other exploring the area Before the run, Molly could be seen soaking up the sun while she stretched on the bridges connecting the water islands The influencer and Tom announced their engagement in September with a romantic photo from their trip to Dubai. They captioned their snaps: 'SHE SAID YES!!!' as Tom sweetly lifted her into the air. Molly looked gorgeous in a white silk dress as she showed off the sparkling ring while surrounded by candles and white flowers. Tom and Molly have been one of the only couples to stand the test of time from the All Stars spin-off series. Their fellow Love Island pals were quick to congratulate them as Tom's best pal, Casey O'Gorman, shared the post alongside crying emojis. Liberty Poole, Paige Thorne and Luca Bish also offered their best wishes in the comments section. Season one of All Stars was won by returning Islanders Molly and Tom with Callum Jones and Eve Gale coming in second place. The couple, who are both lovers of fitness, have ensured to get regular workouts completed on the trip Molly won the ITV2 reality show's All Stars season in 2024 alongside her now fiance Tom, with the couple announcing their engagement last September Molly was a bombshell arrival, to the shock of her ex-boyfriend Callum, who she met filming the winter addition of the show in 2020. Viewers became invested in the possibility of Molly and Callum rekindling their three-year relationship, but the fitness model pursued her romantic connection with Tom instead. Callum and Eve split weeks after the show finished amid reports he cheated with another woman, which Callum insisted was untrue because the couple had already separated. Since winning All Stars, Molly has secured several lucrative deals, including with clothing retailer boohoo, US fitness supplement Alani Nu, jewellery brand Abbott Lyon and global makeup giants L'Oreal Paris and Maybelline. Jacob Elordi was pictured leaving the Wuthering Heights after-party at 3am with model Madi Fogg on Friday. The Heathcliff heartthrob had attended the UK premiere of the highly-anticipated romantic film in Leicester Square in London the night before. Pictures show Jacob, 28, and Madi, 29, leaving Mandrake Bar in the early hours of Friday morning in the capital. The pair walked out of the venue just seconds apart from each other as Jacob appeared to try his best not to be snapped with the model. Jacob looked partied out as he wore black shades with his white shirt untucked from his suit trousers. He and his female companion made a speedy exit once they got into the same chauffeur driven car. Jacob Elordi was pictured leaving the Wuthering Heights after-party at 3am with model Madi Fogg on Friday The Heathcliff heartthrob had attended the UK premiere of the highly-anticipated romantic film in Leicester Square in London the night before It comes after Daily Mail revealed last month how the Australian actor had appeared to reunite with his on-and-off girlfriend Olivia Jade (pictured in January) Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Jacob and Madi. It comes after Daily Mail revealed last month how the Australian actor had appeared to reunite with his on-and-off girlfriend Olivia Jade. They sparked reunion rumors as they were seen leaving a hotel in New York together. Snaps showed them climbing into an SUV together and were joined by Elordi's beloved dog, Layla. Jacob had previously been spotted putting on a cozy display with Cuban beauty Ana de Armas, 37, at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills. He and Olivia's relationship began in 2021 - with the stars splitting last year in August. However, they briefly rekindled their romance until officially going their separate ways in October. 'It's fully over. They are not getting back together,' a source told People at the time. Pictures show Jacob, 28, and Madi, 29, leaving in the early hours of Friday morning in the capital The pair walked out of the venue just seconds apart from each other as Jacob appeared to try his best not to be snapped with the model He and his female companion made a speedy exit once they got into the same chauffeur driven car Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie attend the "Wuthering Heights" UK Premiere at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square The pair have maintained an on-off relationship. After being publicly spotted together on different occasions, a source told Us Weekly in May 2022 that the duo were officially dating at the time. But in August of that year, Jacob and Olivia reportedly split after they 'enjoyed spending time together,' a separate insider told the outlet. The actor was said to have been 'completely focused' on his career and was 'not looking for a serious relationship' at the time. Despite going their separate ways, Jacob and Olivia were spotted together on multiple occasions, such as going on a trip to Idaho in July 2023. Later that same month, a source informed People that the pair had officially rekindled their romance and were also 'getting serious.' Last January, it was reported that the two stars had broken up for a second time - but it was soon revealed that Jacob and Olivia were still a couple. And in October 2024, they enjoyed a trip to Italy with her parents, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli. David Walliams has broken his online silence to wish his friend a happy birthday after being dropped from his book publisher following claims of inappropriate behaviour. The comedian and children's author, 54, returned to Instagram on Thursday where he boasts 2million followers to share a tribute to his publicist pal Louisa McCarthy. Louisa works for ANM PR, an independent agency representing luxury clients from the worlds of consumer, lifestyle and luxury, from start up brands to international blue-chip corporations. David, who has kept off his social media since the start of the year, posted in his Instagram stories a picture of himself grinning with Louise as he cosied up to her at a table with the message Happy Birthday Louisa. The positive message, which was also shared by his friend to her stories, comes after he was briefly spotted in public in the middle of January just weeks after being dropped by his publisher HarperCollins following allegations he harassed employees at the firm - which he strongly denies behaving inappropriately. David looked downcast as he attended a children's event promising 'plenty of Walliams-style mischief' in his first public appearance since his fall from grace last month. David Walliams has broken his online silence to wish his friend a happy birthday after being dropped from his book publisher following claims of inappropriate behaviour David was dropped by his publisher HarperCollins following allegations he harassed employees at the firm (pictured in December) Dressed in jeans and a dark bomber jacket, he offered only a quiet 'hello' to the Daily Mail and made no comment when asked when he might return to television or how he was feeling after what has been a bruising few weeks. Friends told the Daily Mail that 'it hasn't exactly been the easiest times for him recently.' David's event was billed as 'a joyful storytelling adventure for kids and families,' featuring readings, audience interaction and the former TV star's trademark mischief. Davids former employees at HarperCollins said they were advised to work in pairs when working with him, and that they were advised not to go to his home. One of the women who raised concerns about the dad-of-one was allegedly given a five-figure payout and has since left the company. In December, The Children's Trust confirmed the Little Britain actor had been dropped as an ambassador for the charity earlier in 2025. The BBC also said they had 'no future projects' in the pipeline with David, despite refusing to pull his appearance in the Christmas special of Would I Lie To You. The episode marked a stunning downfall for David, who is one of Britain's most successful children's authors, having sold more than 60 million copies in 55 languages, as well as being a household name on TV. David is one of Britain's most successful children's authors, having sold more than 60 million copies in 55 languages, as well as being a household name on TV Notoriously, Walliams left BGT in November 2022 under a cloud after audio emerged of him making disparaging remarks about contestants off-camera HarperCollins published his first children's book, The Boy in the Dress, in 2008, while some of his other books, including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, have also been adapted into television films. When the news broke last month, there was relief in the showbusiness and television worlds where Walliams is, the Daily Mail was told 'utterly despised'. One source said: 'Finally, someone has said it. It's no longer a secret that he is just not a very nice person.' But for all the efforts of the people who tried to protect him, Walliams's behaviour has been one of the biggest open secrets in the industry. A former member of staff on Britain's Got Talent, for example, told the Daily Mail that Walliams was 'hideously rude' to her when she worked there. Notoriously, Walliams left BGT in November 2022 under a cloud after audio emerged of him making disparaging remarks about contestants off-camera. Microphones had picked up him using vile misogynistic language, describing one female as 'like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don't'. Although Walliams publicly apologised, he sued the production company Fremantle for misuse of private information and breaching data laws. The company apologised and Walliams is thought to have walked away with about 5 million. A Brazilian influencer who went by the name of 'Human Barbie' due to her extensive cosmetic surgeries has been exhumed for an autopsy. On February 3, Barbara Jankavski, 31, was dug up from her Sao Paulo grave after a court order was made to investigate claims that she died by strangulation, according to People. Her family had pointed to markings on her body that indicate she may have died from asphyxiation. Jankavski was found dead on November 2 inside the home of 51-year-old public defender Renato Campos Pinto de Vitto. Authorities had previously ruled her death accidental: a heart attack from cocaine use. In early December, Sao Paulos Court of Justice ordered the investigation into her death be sent to the Homicide and Personal Protection Department, a unit of Brazils Civil Police that investigates homicides. Prosecutors previously requested further examinations and X-rays of Jankavskis neck to search for signs of strangulation and DNA tests under her fingernails to determine if she defended herself against potential aggression. A Brazilian influencer who went by the name of 'Human Barbie' due to her extensive cosmetic surgeries has been exhumed for an autopsy On February 3, Barbara Jankavski, 31, was dug up from her Sao Paulo grave after a court order was made to investigate claims that she died by strangulation. Her family had pointed to markings on her body that indicate she may have died from asphyxiation The influencer had built a massive following of more than 400,000 across Instagram and TikTok by documenting her 27 cosmetic procedures including a facelift she publicly shared in June and frequently opened up about beauty standards and her dramatic transformations. According to a police report obtained by CNN Brasil, De Vitto told investigators he had hired Jankavski for sexual services the night she died and said the two used illicit substances together. He claimed he noticed she wasnt moving after falling asleep and called emergency services, attempting CPR for nine minutes before medics arrived and pronounced her dead. Jankavski was found only wearing underwear and with an injury on her left eye and marks on her back, according to Sao Paulo State Military Police, per CNN Brasil. The outlet reported that a friend attributed Jankaviski's facial injury to previously slipping and falling. According to a police report obtained by CNN Brasil, Renato Campos Pinto de Vitto told authorities he had hired Jankavski for sexual services the night she died and said the pair used cocaine together. He claimed he noticed she wasnt moving after falling asleep and called emergency services, attempting CPR for nine minutes before medics arrived and confirmed her death. Sao Paulo State Military Police reported that Jankavski was found wearing only underwear, with a visible injury to her left eye and marks on her back. A friend told authorities the facial injury may have resulted from a previous slip and fall. Jankavski was found dead on November 2 inside the home of 51-year-old public defender Renato Campos Pinto de Vitto. Authorities had previously ruled her death accidental: a heart attack from cocaine use In early December, Sao Paulos Court of Justice ordered the investigation into her death be sent to the Homicide and Personal Protection Department, a unit of Brazil s Civil Police that investigates homicides The Public Security Secretariat (SSP) confirmed in a statement that Jankavskis death was linked to cocaine use. 'Expert reports indicated that the victim's death was due to intoxication caused by a chemical substance,' the agency said. The SSP added that investigations are ongoing and remain under the 7th Police District (Lapa). Meanwhile, prosecutor Michele Demico Camargo granted a request from lawyers Cristiano Medina and Leonardo Santos dos Anjos to have the case reviewed by the Jury Court, per g1. They also requested that the investigation be transferred from the 7th Police Precinct to the Department of Homicides and Protection of Persons (DHPP), which specializes in murder cases. It will be up to a judge to determine whether Jankavskis death should be treated as a suspected homicide, according to the outlet. TV Globo and g1 report that the familys legal team and the Public Prosecutors Office are pointing to the injury on her left eye and marks on her neck as potential signs of assault. Prosecutors previously requested further examinations and X-rays of Jankavskis neck to search for signs of strangulation and DNA tests under her fingernails to determine if she defended herself against potential aggression The influencer had built a massive following of more than 400,000 across Instagram and TikTokby documenting her 27 cosmetic procedures including a facelift she publicly shared in June and frequently opened up about beauty standards and her dramatic transformations They allege she could have been punched and strangled while at the lawyers home. Her lawyers plan to request a new forensic examination and are even considering exhuming her body, arguing the amount of cocaine in her system may not have been enough to cause death. Other people were present at the property, including a female friend of De Vitto and another man. In his statement, De Vitto denied assaulting Jankavski and maintained that she had been hired to provide sexual services. He said both consumed cocaine and that she fell, injuring her eye, before falling asleep and never waking. The Military Police found her half-naked with visible injuries. According to experts consulted by investigators, its plausible that the eye and back injuries occurred in the fall described by De Vittos friend. However, Jankavskis family has criticized the investigation, questioning why forensic tests were not conducted on the three people present in the home, per g1. They also questioned why genetic material from under her fingernails was not collected, which could reveal whether she struggled with someone. The family further raised concerns about the police not seizing cell phones for forensic analysis. Following the incident, De Vitto took medical leave from the Public Defender's Office, citing post-traumatic stress. The office confirmed he remains on leave and is not currently performing his duties, per g1. Jennifer Garner brought along a very special companion to the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. The 13 Going On 30 star was seen holding hands with son Samuel, 13, at the crowded and highly energetic site that's known to be the largest stock exchange of the world. Garner's son came along for the thrill and chills as his mom rang the opening bell to celebrate the IPO or Initial Public Offering of her organic baby food company, Once Upon a Farm. The Dallas Buyers Club actress, 53, brandished a big smile as the company she co-founded was valued at nearly $845 million in its New York Stock Exchange unveiling, per the New York Post. Garner, who recently opened up on the 'pressure' she feels being a mom, looked grand in a dark blue dress with three large brass buttons down the front and elbow-length sleeves, along with classy beige pumps. Samuel wore a navy suit with a green button-down shirt, white trainers, and a hairstyle that mirrored his dads. Jennifer Garner brought along a very special companion to the New York Stock Exchange on Friday - her 13-year-old son, Samuel Samuel came along for the thrill and chills as his mom rang the opening bell to celebrate the IPO or Initial Public Offering of her organic baby food company, Once Upon a Farm Garner also shares Violet, 20, and Finn, 17, with the Argo star. Speaking with Marie Claire UK in January, the mother-of-three described what its been like to parent teens and young adults, admitting that her parenting style has 'shifted' as a result. 'Theyre just so cool!' she gushed. 'Parenting now has shifted. Its more about parenting with a button on my mouth you have to let them grow up and make their choices. You dont get to control it.' She added that shes 'so proud of how they walk through the world, and proud of them for trying hard.' Garner continued: 'So much about my life surprises me. That Im still working, that Im still alive, that my kids are healthy, that my work relationships which are more like familial friendships are still the same as they were 25 or 30 years ago, but richer and deeper and stronger. Its all a gift. I just feel so grateful to my job for giving me these people.' Garner who is currently dating burger chain CEO John Miller touched upon the friendly co-parenting relationship she has with ex-husband Affleck, 53, which surprises her too. 'And then, yeah, that Im able to co-parent at this point in time with peace and equanimity and a partnership that I didnt know I would ever get back to,' she marveled. 'I think its important for women to know, when they think, "Oh, Ill never see that, Ill never have that feeling, Ill never be friends with this person again" [that] time is the opportunity.' Garner looked grand in a dark blue dress with brass buttons down the front along with beige pumps while Samuel wore a navy suit and white trainers The Dallas Buyers Club actress, 53, brandished a big smile as the company she co-founded was valued at nearly $845 million in its New York Stock Exchange unveiling on Friday Garner's Once Upon a Farm company sells organic packaged foods for kids including snack packs, oat bars and frozen meals The star seemed to be in great spirits during the event Garner and ex-husband Ben Affleck continue to amicably co-parent their three kids who, besides Samuel, also include Violet, 20, and Finn, 17; pictured in March 2014 She concluded: 'Time is the opportunity to heal. Time is the opportunity to forgive, to move on and to find a new way to be friends,.' Last March during an appearance on the Today show, Affleck who split from second wife Jennifer Lopez in summer 2024 after less than two years of marriage - was equally praising of Garner. 'Im really lucky that I have a really good co-parent and partner in Jennifer Garner, the kids mom, whos wonderful and great and we work together well,' he said. Affleck and Garner were married for 10 years before announcing their separation in 2015 and finalizing their divorce in 2018. Holly Willoughby has sold her family home after the horrifying kidnap, rape and murder plot against her. Last year security guard Gavin Plumb was unanimously convicted of soliciting murder and encouraging or assisting others to rape and kidnap Holly following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court. The 38-year-old from Harlow, in Essex, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 16 years. Holly and her TV executive husband Dan Baldwin, 51, had moved their children out of the south-west London home as a result of the plot. It also led to Holly quitting This Morning after more than a decade. Now, the Edwardian property has been sold, with records confirming it changed ownership in 2024. Holly Willoughby and her husband Dan Baldwin (pictured) have reportedly sold her family home after the horrifying rape and murder plot against her The couple purchased their current 8million mansion in July 2024 with no mortgage after moving out of their previous abode A source told The Sun: 'This will draw a line under a deeply uncomfortable period of Holly's life, and ensure they can make a fresh start in their new family home. 'Though it's bittersweet too as it's where Holly and Dan raised their children too, so it has many happy memories for the couple as well.' The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Holly. The couple purchased their current 8million mansion in July 2024 with no mortgage after moving out of their previous abode. Plumb's trial heard his kidnap plans involved attempting to 'ambush' Holly at her home - and he discussed taking time off work in order to organise the attack. He then planned to take the TV presenter to an isolated stud farm for sexual torture, kill her and dump her body in a lake. Last October he lost a challenge against his sentence at the Court of Appeal. Meanwhile, last month Holly was said to be in a planning row after launching a legal appeal over her 8million home, despite already having a gym and cinema approved. Last year security guard Gavin Plumb (pictured) was unanimously convicted of soliciting murder and encouraging or assisting others to rape and kidnap Holly following a trial The horrifying plot led to Holly quitting This Morning in 2023 (pictured in 2017 with former co-host Phillip Schofield The pair are looking to add to the 'heritage' property, as they reportedly want to add a 'link infill extension' between their house and an outbuilding on the land. The couple have already completed several works at the six-bedroom house, along with adding extra security. And they have also had plans approved to install a gym, cinema and a ground floor link to the property. But their latest planning request is said to have been branded 'overly dominant' and 'inappropriate' - with the couple since launching an appeal. Holly and Dan have lodged the appeal to try and get the works approved, claiming the extension would get the most out of the land. The release of Peter Mandelson's emails and messages from his time as US ambassador could lay waste to Keir Starmer's desperate attempts to remain close to Donald Trump. Officials fear that material published as part of a probe into how the close friend of notorious [child predator] Jeffrey Epstein was hired by the PM could include 'damaging' comments made by the former diplomat about the notoriously thin-skinned president. The Government ceded control of the release to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which will decide what could be released into the public domain, following a revolt by Labour backbenchers. But when it does come, Whitehall is braced for transatlantic trouble. One official told Politico that 'there is lots which could be damaging', adding that the disgraced former minister and diplomat 'used to download his thoughts in real time'. Lewd Epstein messages deepen Mandelson scandal The Epstein files have shown Mandelson sharing lewd and off-the-cuff messages with the late child abuser, including joking about 'well-hung young men' when he was a Cabinet minister. It will deepen the pressure on the Prime Minister, who is facing serious questions over whether he can cling on to power. The Daily Mail understands that in the wake of Wednesday's Commons vote, former deputy PM Angela Rayner told an MP 'I will be ready' to launch a leadership challenge, despite an ongoing probe into her tax affairs. It has been suggested Labour's 'women in grey suits' could be sent to tell the PM his time is up. Labour grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said it looked 'weak and naive and gullible' for the Prime Minister to say 'he lied to me' and warned the scandal would 'finish him off' unless he took the right course of action. 'He should be reflecting on why he made that appointment,' she told Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast. Harman urges reset in No 10 amid Mandelson fallout 'He should also be thinking about a real reset in No 10, because what you need from your team in No 10 is people who share your values and your principles and who will help you be the best prime minister you can be according to your true self. 'And clearly that is not what happened because the Keir Starmer who was DPP (director of public prosecutions), would never have appointed somebody like Peter Mandelson to represent the country.' Leadership speculation intensified on Thursday as the Prime Minister gave a speech apologising to Jeffrey Epstein's victims for believing the peer's 'lies' about his relationship with the [child predator] financier. Backbenchers have called for either his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney to be sacked or for Sir Keir himself to step down after bombshell revelations about Lord Mandelson's dealings with the child [abuse] offender. However, immigration minister Mike Tapp today defended the under-pressure aide in a round of media interviews. The so-called 'special relationship' between the UK and US is already under strain, despite Sir Keir's best efforts to maintain it. Tariffs and Nato tensions deepen strain with US Trump has levied tariffs on UK-made imports, embarked on a major row with America's Nato allies and even disparaged British troops who fought and died in Afghanistan. The release could be delayed because the Metropolitan Police has asked the Government not to publish documents that would 'undermine' its probe into allegations of misconduct in public office. And the ISC said it could not provide a timetable for releasing the documents as it reviews whether some of the papers should be withheld for national security reasons. At an emergency press conference in Hastings the rattled-looking PM said he was 'utterly disgusted' by revelations about Mandelson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and 'sorry' he had appointed him as ambassador to Washington DC. But he insisted that he would 'go on', despite mounting Labour fury over the fiasco. And Downing Street rejected calls from Labour MPs to sack the PM's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, who championed Mandelson's appointment. Seven Labour MPs directly called for Mr McSweeney to go, while numerous others called for a wider No10 clearout and two said Sir Keir should resign. One, Simon Opher, said today there needs to be a 'clearout' of number 10. On the Today programme on Friday, the Labour MP said: 'There's a lot of anger amongst Labour MPs, because really we want to, I mean, yesterday, I want to be talking about the cancer care plan, not about Peter Mandelson. 'So I think what we need to do, I think what needs to really happen is that we need to, Keir Starmer needs to change his advisers in Number 10, I think he's been badly advised, and he's been really let down, particularly on this decision.' Asked whether this meant Mr McSweeney leaving, Mr Opher replied: 'I think so yes'. 'If my chief of staff had done this I think he would be looking for another job to be honest,' he said. Asked whether the Prime Minister had become a 'drag' on the Labour Party, Mr Tapp told Sky News: 'We're starting to turn the corner. 'I believe if we stick with Keir Starmer, which we will, then that corner will turn faster and people will start to feel it. 'But I completely understand the anger and the distress at what's happened with Peter Mandelson's appointment. I completely agree with that, and that's why I'm really pleased to see a genuine, genuine apology from Keir Starmer.' The Mandelson papers that could damage Keir Starmer New files relating to Keir Starmer's appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador will add more fuel to a scandal that could propel him out of office. The Prime Minister has been forced to order the publication of a trove of papers after Kemi Badenoch forced a Commons vote on the issue. Dubbed 'the Mandelson files', they will include hundreds of documents surrounding his appointment, including private texts exchanged with Sir Keir and his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney - who bulldozed through the appointment. Lord Mandelson was sacked from his US posting last September after emails emerged showing him carrying on his friendship with billionaire [criminal] Jeffrey Epstein after his conviction for child [abuse] offences. In a pincer movement with mutinous Labour MPs yesterday, Ms Badenoch used a Commons motion to require the release of all documents surrounding the fateful decision to make him US ambassador in December 2024. Sir Keir attempted to neuter the release by suggesting Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald would be asked to vet all documents to ensure they did not undermine national security or 'international relations'. But that only saw Mrs Badenoch accuse him of trying to 'cover up' evidence of 'catastrophic lack of judgment' while also managing to rile Labour MPs, led by his leadership rival Angela Rayner. Following the PM's climbdown, the motion to release the Mandelson files was passed by MPs without a vote. The files will now be picked through by Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, who have top level clearance. The files will include details of what Lord Mandelson told the prime minister and Mr McSweeney about the nature of his relationship with Epstein. Read the full story Nancy Guthrie could have been kidnapped from her Arizona home as part of a 'revenge' plot, a retired FBI agent has suggested. Authorities have not identified a motive or any suspects in the case as the search for Savannah Guthrie's missing mother entered its sixth day. But former FBI supervisor agent James Gagliano says the ransom note demanding Bitcoin funds is the 'most compelling piece of evidence thus far'. 'Kidnappings happen for one of two reasons: it's either for profit or it's for revenge,' Gagliano, a crisis negotiation expert, told Fox & Friends Friday morning. He highlighted how for decades high-profile individuals have been the targets of kidnappings, including Frank Sinatra Jr and newspaper heiress Patty Hearst. Former FBI Agent Says Case Does Not Fit Typical Kidnappings Guthrie's abduction, however, is 'baffling and beguiling' because it 'does not meet muster with any of the traditional type of kidnappings', Gagliano explained. 'We still don't know if this was a targeted attack, if this was a targeted abduction,' he continued, before addressing 'very strange' way the alleged captors contacted the Guthrie family. Gagliano said it is unusual for an abductor to provide a ransom note to the media instead of delivering it directly to the victim's family. He added that the 'multiple deadlines' detailed in the notes are also peculiar. 'Normally when captors put out multiple deadlines there is a negative consequence if law enforcement or the family doesn't meet the first one,' the former agent said. Gagliano Notes Time Gap 'The family has been pleading for the captors to reach out to them and directly negotiate with them and sadly, that has not happened as of yet.' Gagliano also pointed to a devastating possibility that, due to Tucson's close proximity to the southern border, she was long out of the United States before anyone even knew she had been taken. 'The border is 60 miles away. And, you know, with that 12-hour, 10-hour gap...that is a long period of time,' he said. 'These people, the person or people who did this, they could have been a long way away before anyone would have been alerted at church the next morning that Ms Guthrie was missing.' Authorities believe the-84-year-old was taken against her will from her home in Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood found on Guthrie's front porch was a match to her, the sheriff said. 'Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home,' Pine County Sheriff Nanos Chris said at a news conference Thursday. He acknowledged, however, that authorities have no evidence she's OK. Investigators Review Ransom Notes Sent to Media Investigators said they are taking seriously notes seeking ransom that were sent to some media outlets. It's unclear if all of the notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a Thursday evening deadline and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasn't met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthrie's home and an Apple watch. 'To anyone who may be involved, do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma,' Janke said. At least three media organizations reported receiving purported ransom notes, which they handed over to investigators. Authorities made an arrest after one ransom note turned out to be fake, the sheriff said. A note e-mailed Monday to the KOLD-TV newsroom in Tucson included information that only the abductor would know, anchor Mary Coleman told CNN. Man Arrested In Connection With Fake Ransom Demand 'When we saw some of those details, it was clear after a couple of sentences that this might not be a hoax,' she said. Los Angeles resident Derrick Callella was arrested Thursday after texting Guthrie's daughter Annie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni demanding Bitcoin payments, according to a criminal complaint. He contacted the family shortly after Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, Annie and their brother Camron posted a video to Instagram begging for their mother's return. Callella allegedly admitted to sending the messages and told investigators he was 'just trying to see if the family would respond.' The sheriff said it's possible Nancy Guthrie was targeted, but if she was, investigators still don't know if that's because her daughter is one of TV's most visible anchors. Authorities say any decision on whether to fulfill ransom demands ultimately is up to the family. Report: Police move that may have doomed search for Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy The sheriff leading the search for missing Nancy Guthrie is facing mounting allegations that his mismanagement crippled the crucial early stages of the investigation. Multiple sources close to the Pima County Sheriff's Department have told the Daily Mail that Sheriff Chris Nanos made a series of missteps that slowed the initial response including the handling of the crime scene and contradictory messages being issued to the public. We can now reveal that, according to those insiders, a vital search-and-rescue aircraft was grounded in the initial hours of the investigation when it was needed most. Nanos' office allegedly failed to deploy its fixed-wing Cessna aircraft, known as Survey 1, during the make-or-break initial phase after Nancy was reported missing her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Sunday. The aircraft, equipped with high-resolution thermal imaging cameras capable of scanning vast swaths of desert terrain, remained on the tarmac for roughly half a day, sources said, despite a situation in which every minute can mean the difference between life and death. According to Sergeant Aaron Cross, president of the Pima County Sheriff's Deputies Association, the aircraft is 'the most valuable law enforcement asset in southern Arizona.' Read the full story here AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR Get Free Report) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.130-1.210 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.200. The company issued revenue guidance of -. AptarGroup Trading Down 5.5% Shares of AptarGroup stock traded down $7.07 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $122.16. The stock had a trading volume of 2,144,182 shares, compared to its average volume of 507,153. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. AptarGroup has a 1 year low of $103.23 and a 1 year high of $164.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.54, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $123.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $130.03. Get AptarGroup alerts: AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.25. The business had revenue of $962.74 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $878.58 million. AptarGroup had a net margin of 11.45% and a return on equity of 15.32%. AptarGroup has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.130-1.210 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AptarGroup will post 5.57 earnings per share for the current year. AptarGroup Announces Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 4th will be issued a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 4th. AptarGroups payout ratio is 30.72%. ATR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Zacks Research cut AptarGroup from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. William Blair lowered shares of AptarGroup from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of AptarGroup from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an equal weight rating and set a $133.00 price objective on shares of AptarGroup in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued an overweight rating and set a $220.00 target price on shares of AptarGroup in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $167.50. Read Our Latest Analysis on ATR Insider Buying and Selling at AptarGroup In other news, CAO Daniel Ackerman sold 15,000 shares of AptarGroup stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.23, for a total value of $1,818,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 29,607 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,589,256.61. This trade represents a 33.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.68% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in AptarGroup by 2.8% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,923 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $524,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of AptarGroup by 5.1% in the 2nd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 2,304 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $360,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL grew its holdings in AptarGroup by 6.1% in the third quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 3,873 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $518,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in AptarGroup in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of AptarGroup during the third quarter worth approximately $36,000. 88.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About AptarGroup (Get Free Report) AptarGroup, Inc is a global provider of advanced dispensing, sealing and protection solutions for consumer and pharmaceutical markets. The company designs and manufactures a broad portfolio of products that enable the controlled delivery of liquids, gels, powders and aerosols. Its customer base spans beauty and personal care, home care, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors, where innovation in packaging and drugdelivery devices drives brand differentiation and regulatory compliance. In the consumer markets, AptarGroup offers pumps, actuators, valves, closures and specialized bottles engineered for precision, convenience and sustainability. See Also Receive News & Ratings for AptarGroup Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AptarGroup and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (NYSE:PAGS Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $11.8571. PAGS has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of PagSeguro Digital in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on PagSeguro Digital from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a neutral rating and issued a $9.00 target price (down previously from $12.00) on shares of PagSeguro Digital in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of PagSeguro Digital from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Get PagSeguro Digital alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on PAGS PagSeguro Digital Trading Down 2.0% Shares of PagSeguro Digital stock opened at $10.64 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.51 billion, a PE ratio of 8.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 1.40. PagSeguro Digital has a 12 month low of $6.70 and a 12 month high of $12.32. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $10.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $9.57. PagSeguro Digital (NYSE:PAGS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.01. PagSeguro Digital had a net margin of 11.00% and a return on equity of 15.39%. The firm had revenue of $937.15 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $971.30 million. As a group, analysts predict that PagSeguro Digital will post 1.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. PagSeguro Digital Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 28th will be paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 28th. PagSeguro Digitals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.85%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On PagSeguro Digital A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in PagSeguro Digital by 29.9% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 150,945 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,152,000 after purchasing an additional 34,787 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of PagSeguro Digital by 61.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,510 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,333 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of PagSeguro Digital during the second quarter valued at about $444,000. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of PagSeguro Digital by 78.1% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,073 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 1,786 shares during the period. Finally, VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in PagSeguro Digital in the second quarter worth about $220,000. Institutional investors own 45.88% of the companys stock. About PagSeguro Digital (Get Free Report) PagSeguro Digital Ltd. is a Brazil-based financial technology company that specializes in digital payment solutions for merchants and consumers. Through its online platform and a suite of physical point-of-sale devices, the company enables businesses of all sizes to accept credit and debit cards, process e-commerce transactions, and manage payments via QR codes and digital wallets. In addition to payment acceptance, PagSeguro offers prepaid accounts, funds transfers, and working-capital credit lines designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises. The companys product portfolio includes portable card readers, countertop terminals, and mobile point-of-sale devices that connect via Bluetooth or cellular networks. Read More Receive News & Ratings for PagSeguro Digital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PagSeguro Digital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 5.810-6.100 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 5.820. The company issued revenue guidance of $6.4 billion-$6.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $6.4 billion. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on EHC shares. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $141.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Sunday, January 18th. Zacks Research cut shares of Encompass Health from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Encompass Health to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b+) rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Encompass Health has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $142.86. Get Encompass Health alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on EHC Encompass Health Price Performance Shares of Encompass Health stock traded up $3.88 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $99.54. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,866,472 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,239,305. The company has a market cap of $10.02 billion, a PE ratio of 18.82, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $104.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.55. Encompass Health has a 12-month low of $92.53 and a 12-month high of $127.99. Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.17. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.84% and a net margin of 9.33%.The company had revenue of $1.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.17 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.810-6.100 EPS. Analysts expect that Encompass Health will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EHC. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Encompass Health by 140.0% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,223,665 shares of the companys stock worth $155,430,000 after purchasing an additional 713,738 shares during the period. 8 Knots Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter valued at approximately $78,644,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 34.8% in the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,541,336 shares of the companys stock worth $195,780,000 after buying an additional 397,694 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 14,750.4% during the 3rd quarter. Freestone Grove Partners LP now owns 362,202 shares of the companys stock worth $46,007,000 after acquiring an additional 359,763 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 47.5% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 645,280 shares of the companys stock valued at $81,699,000 after acquiring an additional 207,666 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the companys stock. Encompass Health Company Profile (Get Free Report) Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of postacute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide endoflife care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families. Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Encompass Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Encompass Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EQB Inc. (TSE:EQB Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as C$111.91 and last traded at C$111.34, with a volume of 80496 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$108.91. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on EQB shares. Raymond James Financial lowered their price objective on EQB from C$93.00 to C$91.00 in a research report on Friday, December 5th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of EQB from a hold rating to an outperform rating and raised their target price for the stock from C$108.00 to C$130.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Desjardins upped their price target on shares of EQB from C$107.00 to C$110.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of EQB from C$107.00 to C$93.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, TD Securities lifted their target price on shares of EQB from C$96.00 to C$103.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EQB presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$105.44. Get EQB alerts: View Our Latest Report on EQB EQB Price Performance The firms 50-day moving average price is C$102.24 and its 200-day moving average price is C$96.75. The stock has a market cap of C$4.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.77, a PEG ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 0.74. EQB (TSE:EQB Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, December 3rd. The company reported C$6.56 earnings per share for the quarter. EQB had a net margin of 13.04% and a return on equity of 8.52%. Sell-side analysts expect that EQB Inc. will post 12.5988235 earnings per share for the current year. EQB Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This is a positive change from EQBs previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. EQBs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.28%. About EQB (Get Free Report) EQB Inc formerly Equitable Group Inc trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange TSX: EQB and EQB.PR.C and serves over 360000 Canadians through its wholly owned subsidiary Equitable Bank Canadas Challenger Bank. Equitable Bank has grown to become the countrys eighth largest independent Schedule I bank with a clear mandate to drive real change in Canadian banking to enrich peoples lives. At Equitable Bank we are as invested in our employees as we are in our business. Thats why we are consistently recognized as one of Canadas Top Employers a rating that comes from our 1300+ employees. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for EQB Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EQB and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bank of America upgraded shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties (NYSE:ELS Free Report) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have $76.00 target price on the real estate investment trusts stock. A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on ELS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered Equity Lifestyle Properties from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $65.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $70.00 target price on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an inline rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties in a report on Friday, January 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $70.19. Get Equity Lifestyle Properties alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on ELS Equity Lifestyle Properties Price Performance Equity Lifestyle Properties Increases Dividend NYSE:ELS opened at $66.43 on Tuesday. Equity Lifestyle Properties has a 52 week low of $58.15 and a 52 week high of $70.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.88 billion, a PE ratio of 33.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.64 and a beta of 0.76. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $61.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $61.41. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 27th will be issued a $0.5425 dividend. This represents a $2.17 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 27th. This is a positive change from Equity Lifestyle Propertiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.52. Equity Lifestyle Propertiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 102.49%. Institutional Trading of Equity Lifestyle Properties A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ELS. Wiser Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties in the third quarter valued at $25,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Equity Lifestyle Properties during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties by 943.8% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 501 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 453 shares during the period. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in Equity Lifestyle Properties during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Equity Lifestyle Properties by 126.9% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 574 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.21% of the companys stock. About Equity Lifestyle Properties (Get Free Report) Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc (NYSE: ELS) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition, development, ownership and operation of manufactured home communities and recreational vehicle resorts. The companys portfolio includes more than 450 properties across the United States and Canada, serving over 200,000 residents and visitors. ELS organizes its operations into two primary segments: manufactured housing communities, which provide long-term housing solutions, and upscale RV and seasonal resorts designed for leisure travelers and seasonal patrons. In its manufactured home division, ELS offers home-site leases combined with community amenities such as landscaped common areas, clubhouses, swimming pools and organized resident events. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Equity Lifestyle Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equity Lifestyle Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mizuho Financial Group (NYSE:MFG Get Free Report) and CaixaBank (OTCMKTS:CAIXY Get Free Report) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability and dividends. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Mizuho Financial Group and CaixaBanks revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Mizuho Financial Group alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Mizuho Financial Group $59.30 billion 1.88 $3.92 billion $0.57 15.76 CaixaBank $24.18 billion 3.75 $6.66 billion N/A N/A Profitability CaixaBank has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Mizuho Financial Group. This table compares Mizuho Financial Group and CaixaBanks net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mizuho Financial Group 12.31% 9.23% 0.35% CaixaBank N/A N/A N/A Dividends Mizuho Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $0.15 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. CaixaBank pays an annual dividend of $0.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. Mizuho Financial Group pays out 26.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Mizuho Financial Group and CaixaBank, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mizuho Financial Group 0 1 1 0 2.50 CaixaBank 1 3 1 0 2.00 Volatility & Risk Mizuho Financial Group has a beta of 0.37, meaning that its stock price is 63% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CaixaBank has a beta of 0.28, meaning that its stock price is 72% less volatile than the S&P 500. Institutional and Insider Ownership 3.3% of Mizuho Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.0% of Mizuho Financial Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Mizuho Financial Group beats CaixaBank on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About Mizuho Financial Group (Get Free Report) Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in banking, trust, securities, and other businesses related to financial services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Retail & Business Banking Company, Corporate & Institutional Company, Global Corporate Company, Global Markets Company, Asset Management Company, and Others segments. The company provides deposit products; syndicated, housing, and card loans; business matching services; and advisory services related to overseas expansions, and mergers and acquisitions-related services. It also offers consulting services, including asset management and asset succession; payroll services; and sells lottery tickets issued by prefectures and ordinance-designated cities. In addition, it offers fund management, underwriting of equity and bonds, risk hedging products, etc. for corporate customers; solutions based on capital management, business strategy, and financial strategy; real estate services; advisory services and solutions, such as advice on proposals on various investment products to financial institutions; and financial services that include funding support and public bonds underwriting. Further, the company offers corporate finance and transaction banking srvices; sales and trading services; investment products; pension funds; and ALM and investment services, including stable capital raising and balance sheet management, as well as management of fixed income, equity, and other securities portfolios. Additionally, the company provides online banking, cash management solutions, currency transaction, trade finance, custody, yen correspondence settlement, and research and consulting services; trust, securitization and structured finance, and stock transfers; and private banking and information technology-related services. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. About CaixaBank (Get Free Report) CaixaBank, S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and financial services in Spain and internationally. The company operates through Banking and Insurance, Equity Investments, and BPI segments. It also provides solutions related to security, protection, internationalization, and financing; traditional financial advice, independent advice, and broker services; asset management; liquidity management; capital markets, cash management, project finance, asset finance, and M&A services; and various financial services and solutions to public and private sector institutions, as well as distributes non-life and life risk insurance policies; and private banking services. In addition, the company is involved in the real estate business. It has branches and ATMs in Spain; and branches and ATMs in Portugal. CaixaBank, S.A. was founded in 1904 and is based in Valencia, Spain. Receive News & Ratings for Mizuho Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mizuho Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hitachi Constr (OTCMKTS:HTCMY Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $76.18 and last traded at $76.18, with a volume of 125 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $55.9225. Hitachi Constr Stock Performance The company has a 50-day moving average price of $57.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $60.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.35 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Get Hitachi Constr alerts: Hitachi Constr (OTCMKTS:HTCMY Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.11 billion during the quarter. Equities analysts expect that Hitachi Constr will post 4.76 earnings per share for the current year. Hitachi Constr Company Profile Hitachi Construction Machinery Co, Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, offering a comprehensive range of hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, rigid dump trucks and specialized machinery. The company serves a broad spectrum of industries, including civil engineering, infrastructure development, quarrying and open-pit mining, and it emphasizes technological innovation in its product designs to enhance productivity and fuel efficiency. Originally established in 1951 as part of the Hitachi Group, the company produced its first hydraulic excavator in 1963 and has since expanded its portfolio to include advanced automation and telematics solutions. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hitachi Constr Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hitachi Constr and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares MSCI Israel ETF (NYSEARCA:EIS Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $122.99 and last traded at $122.18, with a volume of 108220 shares. The stock had previously closed at $120.72. iShares MSCI Israel ETF Stock Performance The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $113.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $103.02. The company has a market capitalization of $766.07 million, a PE ratio of 13.79 and a beta of 1.03. Get iShares MSCI Israel ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of iShares MSCI Israel ETF Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Israel ETF during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI Israel ETF by 49.8% in the third quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 301 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in iShares MSCI Israel ETF during the third quarter worth approximately $37,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Israel ETF during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Israel ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. About iShares MSCI Israel ETF 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Israel ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Israel ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Kohls Corporation (NYSE:KSS Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of Reduce from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have assigned a hold recommendation, one has issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $15.5455. KSS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group restated a market perform rating and set a $23.00 price objective (up previously from $16.00) on shares of Kohls in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Kohls from $11.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $24.00 price target on shares of Kohls in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Kohls from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Kohls from $4.50 to $7.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Get Kohl's alerts: Read Our Latest Report on KSS Kohls Price Performance Kohls stock opened at $17.70 on Tuesday. Kohls has a 12-month low of $6.04 and a 12-month high of $25.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $20.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a PE ratio of 10.29 and a beta of 1.44. Kohls (NYSE:KSS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 25th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.19) by $0.29. Kohls had a net margin of 1.23% and a return on equity of 4.30%. The company had revenue of $3.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.20 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Kohls has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.250-1.450 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Kohls will post 1.3 EPS for the current year. Kohls Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 10th were paid a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 10th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Kohlss dividend payout ratio is 29.07%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Kohls news, CFO Jill Timm sold 25,000 shares of Kohls stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.75, for a total transaction of $568,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 335,561 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,634,012.75. The trade was a 6.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kohls A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kohls in the first quarter valued at about $96,000. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in Kohls during the 1st quarter valued at about $166,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kohls by 14.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 489,708 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,006,000 after purchasing an additional 60,769 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Kohls by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 21,667 shares of the companys stock valued at $201,000 after purchasing an additional 1,106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Truist Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Kohls by 109.5% in the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 82,429 shares of the companys stock worth $699,000 after purchasing an additional 43,082 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.04% of the companys stock. Kohls Company Profile (Get Free Report) Kohls Corporation, founded in 1962 by Maxwell Kohl and headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is a leading American department store retailer. The company operates approximately 1,100 stores across 49 states, offering a combination of value-oriented pricing, private-label brands and national labels. Since its initial public offering in 1992, Kohls has focused on broadening its product assortment and enhancing the in-store and online shopping experience. The retailers merchandise portfolio spans apparel, footwear, accessories, and beauty products for women, men and children, as well as home goods, kitchenware and seasonal decor. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kohl's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kohl's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $26.66, but opened at $25.36. Pfizer shares last traded at $25.7460, with a volume of 15,210,619 shares trading hands. More Pfizer News Here are the key news stories impacting Pfizer this week: Get Pfizer alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades PFE has been the subject of several research reports. HSBC restated a buy rating and set a $29.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a market perform rating and set a $30.00 target price on shares of Pfizer in a report on Friday, October 31st. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Pfizer from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Zacks Research downgraded Pfizer from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a neutral rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of Pfizer in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Pfizer currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $28.06. Pfizer Price Performance The company has a market cap of $150.60 billion, a PE ratio of 19.48 and a beta of 0.47. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $25.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $25.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.09. Pfizer had a return on equity of 20.25% and a net margin of 12.42%.The firm had revenue of $17.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.63 earnings per share. Pfizers quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current 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 issued a dividend of $0.43 per share. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. Pfizers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 126.47%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pfizer Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Pfizer by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 541,346,182 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $13,479,520,000 after purchasing an additional 7,031,162 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in Pfizer by 0.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 299,087,408 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $7,620,747,000 after buying an additional 2,786,098 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Pfizer by 1.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 127,471,481 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $3,080,552,000 after acquiring an additional 1,820,634 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Pfizer in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,270,157,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Pfizer by 1.4% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 64,019,807 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,631,225,000 after acquiring an additional 869,175 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.36% of the companys stock. Pfizer Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Spire (NYSE:SR) reported higher first-quarter fiscal 2026 results and reiterated its multi-year earnings outlook as management highlighted new rates across its utility footprint, continued progress on a pending Tennessee acquisition, and an ongoing review of potential natural gas storage asset sales. Get alerts: First-quarter results driven by utility rate updates Spire posted adjusted earnings of $108 million, or $1.77 per share, for the fiscal first quarter, up from $81 million, or $1.34 per share, in the prior-year period. CEO Scott Doyle said the year-over-year improvement reflected solid execution in the gas utility business supported by new rates across all utilities, alongside contributions from the companys marketing and midstream segments. Segment performance: Utilities up, marketing and midstream contribute During the call, Doyle also recognized employee performance during Winter Storm Fern, noting the event produced some of the highest natural gas demand in U.S. history, according to the American Gas Association. He said that at the height of the storm, Spires utilities delivered natural gas equivalent to, which he described as coming at a much lower cost to customers. CFO Adam Woodard detailed segment-level performance for the quarter: Gas utilities earned $104 million , up about $26 million from the prior year. Woodard attributed the increase primarily to new rates in Missouri and higher margin under the Rate Stabilization and Equalization (RSE) mechanism in Alabama . earned , up about from the prior year. Woodard attributed the increase primarily to and . Utility gains were partially offset by lower volumetric margin in Missouri and Alabama, and by higher operations and maintenance (O&M), depreciation, and interest expense . by lower volumetric margin in Missouri and Alabama, and by . Gas marketing earned $4.5 million , up $2.3 million , which Woodard said was driven by increased portfolio optimization opportunities. earned , up , which Woodard said was driven by increased portfolio optimization opportunities. Midstream delivered $12.7 million , up nearly $1 million , driven by additional capacity at Spire Storage, partially offset by higher depreciation and interest expense. delivered , up nearly , driven by additional capacity at Spire Storage, partially offset by higher depreciation and interest expense. Other corporate costs were an adjusted loss of $12.7 million, about $2 million higher than the prior year, reflecting higher corporate costs and slightly higher interest expense. In response to analyst questions on gas market volatility in January, Doyle said it was a little early to quantify impacts, but said the company met all customer obligations and that market liquidity held up during the event. He also said Spire was satisfied with how its utility purchasing and hedging strategy performed, noting the company has the ability to operate its own asset management arrangements in Missouri and Alabama, which he said performed as expected and helped protect customers from volatility. Guidance reaffirmed; storage review and Tennessee acquisition remain key swing items Management reaffirmed fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.25 to $5.45 and fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS guidance of $5.65 to $5.85, along with a long-term 5% to 7% adjusted EPS growth target. Woodard reiterated that the 2026 guidance excludes results from the pending acquisition of the Piedmont Tennessee business and includes a full year of earnings from the companys natural gas storage facilities. The 2027 guidance, he said, reflects a full year of expected earnings contribution from the Piedmont Tennessee business and excludes earnings from Spire Storage. Spire is continuing its evaluation of a potential sale of its natural gas storage assets. Doyle said the timeline has extended beyond initial expectations as the company focuses on achieving the right value for each asset. On the Q&A portion of the call, Doyle said Spire has seen very good interest and that the assets could be evaluated together or separately. Woodard said the company expects to make an announcement on the storage evaluation a little bit later this quarter and indicated the company is fully covered with a bridge loan if the storage transaction is not completed before the Tennessee acquisition closes. On the Tennessee acquisition, management said the Hart-Scott-Rodino review is complete, with approval still pending at the Tennessee Public Utility Commission. Doyle said integration planning is underway and supported by an 18-month transition services agreement intended to ensure continuity for customers and employees. Capital plan and financing: preferred redemption impacts presentation, not EPS Spire reported $230 million of first-quarter capital expenditures, with most directed to its gas utility operations for system upgrades, modernization, and new business connections. Doyle said capital spending was lower year over year due to the near completion of Advanced Meter Upgrades in the St. Louis region and the wrap-up of a storage expansion project. The company maintained its expectation for 2026 capital expenditures of $809 million and reiterated its 10-year, $11.2 billion capital plan, primarily targeted to utility investments. On financing for the Tennessee transaction, Doyle said Spire issued $900 million of junior subordinated notes in November and entered into a master note purchase agreement in December for $825 million of Spire Tennessee senior notes to fund at closing. He said the company continues to expect minimal common equity needs and told an analyst that any equity market activity, if needed, would likely be sometime after the next call in May or June. Separately, Woodard outlined base business financing plans excluding Tennessee, including expected equity needs of $0 to $50 million per year and continued reliance on long-term debt. He cited recent issuances of $200 million of first mortgage bonds at Spire Missouri in October 2025 and $200 million of 6 3/8% junior subordinated notes in January 2026. Proceeds from the junior subordinated notes, along with other funds, are intended to redeem all outstanding shares of Spire Inc.s preferred stock. Woodard said projected long-term debt issuances for 2026 increased by $250 million due to the preferred redemption decision. He also said the adjusted earnings range for corporate and other was updated to -$40 million to -$46 million, lowering the midpoint by $9 million to reflect interest expense associated with incremental debt used to redeem the preferred stock, while preferred dividends impacting EPS are expected to be lower by $9 million. In the Q&A, management confirmed that these items offset, leaving net EPS unchanged. Regulatory calendar and operational priorities Doyle said new Missouri rates became effective in October, and Spire filed in November for a $30.3 million revenue increase under the Infrastructure System Replacement Surcharge, with rates expected to be effective no later than May. Spire Alabama and Spire Gulf rates under the RSE mechanism were updated in December. Looking ahead in Missouri, Doyle told analysts the company anticipates filing its next rate case after fiscal year-end but before Thanksgiving, in the October-November timeframe. He described it as a case of first impression as Spire prepares to file its first future test year case and said work is underway with commission staff and other stakeholders. Woodard also noted that the merger of the STL and MoGas pipelines was completed on January 1, 2026, and the combined system will operate as the Spire MoGas pipeline. In closing remarks, Doyle said the companys priorities for the year remain consistent: safe and reliable service, efficient execution of its capital plan, timely recovery of capital, disciplined cost management to support customer affordability, constructive regulatory outcomes, and successfully financing, closing, and integrating the Tennessee acquisition. About Spire (NYSE:SR) Spire Inc (NYSE: SR), formerly known as The Laclede Group, is a regulated natural gas distribution company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Through its three operating divisionsSpire Missouri, Spire Alabama and Spire Mississippithe company delivers natural gas to more than 1.7 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. Spires service territory spans key markets in the central and southern United States, including metropolitan St. Louis, central Alabama and central Mississippi. Founded in 1857 as the Laclede Gas Light Company, the business has grown through strategic acquisitions, notably Alabama Gas Corporation in 2013 and Mississippi Gas in 2016. See Also Syntara (ASX:SNT) management outlined a busy 2026 agenda and fielded shareholder questions during a company webinar focused on upcoming clinical milestones, partnering strategy, and market conditions for biotech dealmaking. Get alerts: Management highlights: multiple readouts expected in 2026 CEO Gary Phillips said the company expects a near-constant flow of news during 2026, pointing to five clinical trials expected to deliver efficacy and safety data over a 12-month period. Phillips described Syntara as a clinical-stage drug developer with 43% institutional backing and said its pipeline has been built through internal discovery efforts supported in part by Australias R&D tax credit program. Phillips also emphasized the role of non-dilutive funding, noting that Syntara has been awarded more than AUD 11.5 million in non-dilutive grant funding over the past three years. He said the company ended the prior quarter with AUD 12.3 million in cash, which he said funds operations into 2027. Non-Executive Director Hashan De Silva, whose fund KPRX is among Syntaras largest shareholders, joined Phillips for the Q&A. Phillips also cited analyst coverage from Canaccord Genuity, Bell Potter Securities, Euroz Hartleys, and Evolution Capital. Samalastat: FDA discussions and hematology trial plans Phillips described Samalastat as the companys lead asset and said it gained momentum following a presentation at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting in December. He added that Syntara broadened regulatory engagement beyond the FDA to the European Medicines Agency, which granted orphan drug designation; Phillips said the EMA process is very rigorous and requires evidence the drug may add value in the proposed indication. Looking ahead, Phillips said Syntara is in ongoing discussions with the FDA to approve its development plan in myelofibrosis. He characterized that FDA feedback as a key trigger point expected in the first half of 2026, both for the programs next development steps and for potential partnering engagement. In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), Phillips said two studies are recruiting: Azilock Study (Germany): high-risk MDS; interim safety and efficacy data expected around mid-year, followed by phase 2 initiation in the second half of 2026. high-risk MDS; interim safety and efficacy data expected around mid-year, followed by phase 2 initiation in the second half of 2026. Message Study (Australia): low-risk MDS; interim safety and efficacy data expected in the second half of 2026. Phillips added that Syntara expects to initiate a pancreatic cancer study in the second half of 2026, and said both MDS studies and the pancreatic cancer study are funded by non-dilutive cash at their current stage. What the company says it has learned from myelofibrosis work Responding to questions about Samalastats clinical sweet spot, Phillips said the company has run multiple myelofibrosis studies in patients who were either not responsive to standard-of-care JAK inhibitors or were still taking JAK inhibitors but were not well controlled. He said the safety profile has appeared robust across a wide range of patients, ranging from those described as near end-stage to those earlier in treatment. Phillips also said the company observed symptom responses inside 3 months in a study where it had expected a longer time to efficacy, based on the drugs mechanism. He suggested earlier symptomatic benefit could support patient adherence. In MDS, he said it is too early to determine the optimal setting, though he referenced preclinical work in high-risk disease as a reason the company expects to see a relatively rapid response in red blood cell counts if the preclinical findings translate clinically. De Silva argued the market may be missing the importance of evaluating efficacy outcomes alongside safety, and said investor confusion about FDA guidance to run a phase 2 before a phase 3 was misplaced, describing that as normal drug development. He also discussed Syntaras work related to fibrosis and said the company has seen evidence of a link between target inhibition and reductions in fibrosis in topical scarring studies, while framing the remaining question for myelofibrosis as whether this translates into disease modification. Partnering and capital strategy: open and flexible Phillips said Syntara is seeking optionality around financing the next myelofibrosis study and potential partnering, and that the board wants the company to explore both partnering structures and capital raising alternatives. He said the company remains open to multiple deal formats, including regional transactions that trade territory rights for cash, as well as global licensing agreements. Phillips added that, in his view, partnering after a phase 2b study can be almost the same as partnering after a phase 3 if the trial provides controlled safety and efficacy data. De Silva described broader biotech market trends, saying deal focus has shifted away from early platform plays common in 20202021 and toward de-risked, later-stage assets. He linked increased urgency to the patent cliff and said big pharma is looking for assets that can generate revenue within two to three years. Phillips added that ruxolitinib, which he described as a $4.5 billion drug with roughly $1.5 billion in myelofibrosis sales, goes off patent in 2028, which he said could significantly reshape the market. Other pipeline programs: scarring and Parkinsons-related iRBD Phillips said Syntaras skin scarring program includes two studies using SNT-6302: Keloid scarring (UWA/Fiona Wood): interim safety and efficacy data expected around mid-year. interim safety and efficacy data expected around mid-year. Hypertrophic scarring: top-line safety and efficacy data expected in the second half of 2026. Phillips said the hypertrophic scarring study is designed to produce clinical proof of concept and could enable program acceleration and potential partnering interest. He described the trial design as using patients as their own control, including placebo versus active treatment on scars, tissue sampling, measurements of scar flexibility and volume, and high-quality photography with independent, blinded ranking. For SNT-4728 in Parkinsons-related isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), Phillips said recruitment is complete and top-line phase 2 data is expected in the second quarter of 2026. He noted the program is funded by Parkinsons UK, and said Syntara expects an AUD 1.8 million payment from Parkinsons UK in the current quarter. Management said potential next steps, if data are positive, could include interest from sleep-focused companies and neurodegeneration-focused companies, and Phillips referenced philanthropic organizations such as Parkinsons UK and the Michael J. Fox Foundation as engaged stakeholders. De Silva added that prior development work supports confidence in safety and said the company knows the compound crosses the blood-brain barrier, with the current question centered on downstream biological effects. Closing the webinar, Phillips reiterated that Syntara has advanced multiple programs that are either recruiting or completed recruitment, and said the team is focused on the years upcoming milestones. About Syntara (ASX:SNT) Syntara Limited operates as a clinical stage drug development company that focuses on blood-related cancers. Its lead product candidate is PXS-5505, which is in phase 2 trial for the bone marrow cancer myelofibrosis, which causes a build-up of scar tissue leading to loss of red and white blood cells and platelets. The company was formerly known as Pharmaxis Ltd and changed its name to Syntara Limited in December 2023. Syntara Limited was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Frenchs Forest, Australia. Recommended Stories Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP Free Report) had its price objective upped by National Bankshares from C$15.00 to C$16.00 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. National Bankshares currently has an outperform rating on the stock. WCP has been the topic of several other research reports. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$14.00 to C$15.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Tudor Pickering upgraded Whitecap Resources to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Capital One Financial upgraded Whitecap Resources to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Desjardins increased their price target on Whitecap Resources from C$13.50 to C$14.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, TD Securities lifted their price objective on Whitecap Resources from C$13.00 to C$14.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$14.50. Get Whitecap Resources alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Whitecap Resources Whitecap Resources Stock Performance Whitecap Resources stock opened at C$12.29 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$14.92 billion, a PE ratio of 10.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 0.69. Whitecap Resources has a one year low of C$6.87 and a one year high of C$12.93. The stocks 50 day moving average price is C$11.68 and its 200 day moving average price is C$10.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 21.58, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.88. Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported C$0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Whitecap Resources had a net margin of 24.23% and a return on equity of 15.86%. The company had revenue of C$1.55 billion during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Whitecap Resources will post 1.1226131 EPS for the current fiscal year. About Whitecap Resources (Get Free Report) Whitecap Resources Inc is engaged in the business of acquiring, developing, and holding interests in petroleum and natural gas properties and assets. The company acquires assets with discovered petroleum initially in place and low current recovery factors. Light oil is the primary byproduct of Whitecaps Canadian assets. To extract petroleum products from its resources, the company uses horizontal drilling, in addition to multistage fracturing technology. Crude oil is the leading revenue generator out of the basket of energy products sold by Whitecap. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Whitecap Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Whitecap Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. bought a new position in shares of Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 4,650 shares of the oil and gas companys stock, valued at approximately $721,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in CVX. Perigon Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chevron by 19.3% in the third quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 73,448 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $11,406,000 after purchasing an additional 11,875 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Chevron by 15.3% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,620,231 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $251,606,000 after buying an additional 215,345 shares during the last quarter. Pictet North America Advisors SA bought a new stake in Chevron in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $5,662,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its position in Chevron by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 1,894,470 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $294,192,000 after acquiring an additional 175,439 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Chevron by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 88,759 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $13,743,000 after acquiring an additional 6,058 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.42% of the companys stock. Get Chevron alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Chevron In other Chevron news, insider R. Hewitt Pate sold 41,134 shares of Chevron stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.40, for a total transaction of $7,256,037.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,169 shares of the companys stock, valued at $735,411.60. The trade was a 90.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Eimear P. Bonner sold 32,100 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.01, for a total transaction of $5,617,821.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 4,366 shares in the company, valued at approximately $764,093.66. This represents a 88.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 793,158 shares of company stock worth $127,919,578. 0.21% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Chevron News Summary Positive Sentiment: Chevron raised its quarterly dividend to $1.78 (4.0% yield), boosting income-focused demand and underscoring managements cash-return priorities. Dividend Hike Coverage Chevron raised its quarterly dividend to $1.78 (4.0% yield), boosting income-focused demand and underscoring managements cash-return priorities. Positive Sentiment: Several sell-side shops have raised targets or reiterated bullish views (Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, TD Cowen commentary), supporting upside expectations and likely providing buying support after recent gains. Wells Fargo Price Target Raise Several sell-side shops have raised targets or reiterated bullish views (Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, TD Cowen commentary), supporting upside expectations and likely providing buying support after recent gains. Positive Sentiment: Project and M&A progress: Chevron committed to the YoyoYolanda gas project (Cameroon/Equatorial Guinea) and signed an initial offshore exploration MoU in Syrian waters with a Qatari partner potential longterm production upside. Yoyo-Yolanda Project Project and M&A progress: Chevron committed to the YoyoYolanda gas project (Cameroon/Equatorial Guinea) and signed an initial offshore exploration MoU in Syrian waters with a Qatari partner potential longterm production upside. Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: EPS beat ( $1.52 vs. $1.44 est.) but revenue missed materially, leaving guidance/cashflow narratives intact but tempering enthusiasm about nearterm topline growth. Q4 Presentation Q4 results were mixed: EPS beat ( $1.52 vs. $1.44 est.) but revenue missed materially, leaving guidance/cashflow narratives intact but tempering enthusiasm about nearterm topline growth. Neutral Sentiment: Senior leadership changes were announced for 2026 (internal promotions, retirements) operationally neutral for now but something investors will watch for execution risk. Leadership Changes Senior leadership changes were announced for 2026 (internal promotions, retirements) operationally neutral for now but something investors will watch for execution risk. Negative Sentiment: Heavy insider selling by multiple executives (including recent Form 4 filings for Andrew Walz, CTO Thomas Booth and CFO Eimear Bonner) is creating shortterm sentiment pressure and may signal portfolio rebalancing by insiders. Walz Form 4 Bonner Form 4 Heavy insider selling by multiple executives (including recent Form 4 filings for Andrew Walz, CTO Thomas Booth and CFO Eimear Bonner) is creating shortterm sentiment pressure and may signal portfolio rebalancing by insiders. Negative Sentiment: Oil prices softened after U.S.Iran tensions eased, trimming a supplyrisk premium and pressuring integrated majors nearterm revenue and margins. Oil Price Slide Oil prices softened after U.S.Iran tensions eased, trimming a supplyrisk premium and pressuring integrated majors nearterm revenue and margins. Negative Sentiment: Some firms (e.g., HSBC and a subset of boutiques) have trimmed views or stayed on Hold, arguing much upside is priced in these notes can cap rallies and weigh on momentum. HSBC Cut Chevron Trading Down 1.1% Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week: Shares of NYSE:CVX opened at $179.20 on Friday. Chevron Corporation has a 52-week low of $132.04 and a 52-week high of $182.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $360.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $158.70 and a 200 day simple moving average of $156.19. Chevron (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.08. Chevron had a return on equity of 8.23% and a net margin of 6.51%.The firm had revenue of $45.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.06 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 earnings per share for the current year. Chevron Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a $1.78 dividend. This is a boost from Chevrons previous quarterly dividend of $1.71. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $7.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. Chevrons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 106.91%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have recently commented on CVX shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Chevron from $196.00 to $204.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Monday. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Chevron from $160.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Chevron in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Scotiabank reaffirmed a sector perform rating and issued a $168.00 target price on shares of Chevron in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Chevron from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $175.00. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Chevron Chevron Profile (Free Report) Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevrons core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide. Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A.P. Moller-Maersk (OTCMKTS:AMKBY Get Free Report) was upgraded by Kepler Capital Markets from a reduce rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. A number of other analysts have also recently commented on AMKBY. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded A.P. Moller-Maersk from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Nordea Equity Research cut shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk from a buy rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Bank of America lowered shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a hold rating on shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and seven have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Reduce. Get A.P. Moller-Maersk alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on A.P. Moller-Maersk A.P. Moller-Maersk Price Performance OTCMKTS AMKBY opened at $12.09 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $11.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $10.65. A.P. Moller-Maersk has a 52 week low of $6.69 and a 52 week high of $12.65. The company has a quick ratio of 2.05, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $38.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.70 and a beta of 0.87. A.P. Moller-Maersk (OTCMKTS:AMKBY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The transportation company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $13.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.83 billion. A.P. Moller-Maersk had a return on equity of 8.51% and a net margin of 8.83%. Equities research analysts anticipate that A.P. Moller-Maersk will post 0.41 earnings per share for the current year. About A.P. Moller-Maersk (Get Free Report) A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is a Danish integrated transport and logistics company headquartered in Copenhagen. Operating under the Maersk brand worldwide, the group provides container shipping and end-to-end logistics services, combining ocean freight with land-based transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, and supply chain management for global shippers and manufacturers. The companys core activities include container shipping operations, terminal services through APM Terminals, and a growing logistics and services business that offers freight forwarding, customs brokerage, inland transportation and warehousing. See Also Receive News & Ratings for A.P. Moller-Maersk Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for A.P. Moller-Maersk and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) Director Daniel Starks purchased 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $108.73 per share, for a total transaction of $1,087,300.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 6,738,817 shares of the companys stock, valued at $732,711,572.41. The trade was a 0.15% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance Shares of Abbott Laboratories stock traded up $0.66 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $109.74. 2,216,146 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,737,842. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $121.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $126.99. The company has a market capitalization of $190.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.75. Abbott Laboratories has a 12 month low of $105.27 and a 12 month high of $141.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.70. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 22nd. The healthcare product maker reported $1.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.50. The firm had revenue of $11.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.80 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 17.94% and a net margin of 14.72%.The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.34 EPS. Abbott Laboratories has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.120-1.180 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.550-5.800 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 5.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend Institutional Inflows and Outflows The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 15th will be given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 15th. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is an increase from Abbott Laboratoriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.59. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is currently 67.74%. Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of ABT. IMG Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 759.1% in the second quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 189 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Anfield Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 81.3% during the second quarter. Anfield Capital Management LLC now owns 232 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. 75.18% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have weighed in on ABT. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $144.00 to $138.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Abbott Laboratories from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $150.00 to $135.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, William Blair raised shares of Abbott Laboratories to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $137.05. Read Our Latest Research Report on Abbott Laboratories About Abbott Laboratories (Get Free Report) Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare company headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of medical products and services. Founded in 1888, Abbott operates through multiple business areas that focus on diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and established pharmaceuticals. The company supplies hospitals, clinics, laboratories, retailers and direct-to-consumer channels with products intended to diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of health conditions. In diagnostics, Abbott provides laboratory and point-of-care testing platforms and assays used to detect infectious diseases, chronic conditions and biomarkers; its Alinity family of instruments and rapid-test solutions are examples of this capability. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of American Noble Gas Inc. (NYSE:INFY Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of Hold by the ten analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $17.65. Several analysts have issued reports on INFY shares. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on American Noble Gas from $16.50 to $19.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of American Noble Gas in a research note on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of American Noble Gas from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of American Noble Gas from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Get American Noble Gas alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on INFY Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Noble Gas American Noble Gas Stock Performance Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of American Noble Gas in the first quarter worth $239,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in American Noble Gas by 79.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 54,978 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,003,000 after purchasing an additional 24,426 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in American Noble Gas by 6.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 63,155 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,153,000 after buying an additional 3,804 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 16.20% of the companys stock. NYSE INFY opened at $16.80 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $67.95 billion, a PE ratio of 21.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.98. American Noble Gas has a 52-week low of $15.81 and a 52-week high of $30.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.30. American Noble Gas (NYSE:INFY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 14th. The technology company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.20 by $0.01. American Noble Gas had a net margin of 16.16% and a return on equity of 30.60%. The company had revenue of $5.05 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.11 billion. As a group, analysts forecast that American Noble Gas will post 0.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. About American Noble Gas (Get Free Report) Infosys Ltd. is a digital services and consulting company, which engages in the provision of end-to-end business solutions. It operates through the following segments: Financial Services, Retail, Communication, Energy, Utilities, Resources, and Services, Manufacturing, Hi-Tech, Life Sciences, and All Other. The company was founded by Dinesh Krishnan Swamy, Senapathy Gopalakrishnan, Narayana Ramarao Nagavara Murthy, Raghavan N. S., Ashok Arora, Nandan M. Nilekani, and S. D. Shibulal on July 2, 1981 and is headquartered in Bangalore, India. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for American Noble Gas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Noble Gas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Phoenix Group Holdings plc (LON:PHNX Get Free Report) insider Andrew Briggs purchased 21 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 562 per share, for a total transaction of 118.02. Andrew Briggs also recently made the following trade(s): Get Phoenix Group alerts: On Tuesday, January 6th, Andrew Briggs acquired 20 shares of Phoenix Group stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 550 per share, for a total transaction of 110. On Friday, December 5th, Andrew Briggs bought 22 shares of Phoenix Group stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 519 per share, with a total value of 114.18. Phoenix Group Stock Performance PHNX traded down GBX 5 during trading on Friday, hitting GBX 749.50. 1,190,518 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,516,366. The firm has a market capitalization of 7.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.82, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.73. Phoenix Group Holdings plc has a 1-year low of GBX 485.20 and a 1-year high of GBX 766. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 725.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 686.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 3.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.32. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Phoenix Group ( LON:PHNX Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 15th. The company reported GBX 32.70 earnings per share for the quarter. Phoenix Group had a negative return on equity of 21.76% and a negative net margin of 2.10%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Phoenix Group Holdings plc will post 51.179941 earnings per share for the current year. Several brokerages have recently weighed in on PHNX. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Phoenix Group to a neutral rating and increased their target price for the stock from GBX 593 to GBX 752 in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Phoenix Group from GBX 852 to GBX 918 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Phoenix Group from GBX 605 to GBX 620 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Phoenix Group to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from GBX 670 to GBX 770 in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Phoenix Group currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 750. View Our Latest Research Report on Phoenix Group About Phoenix Group (Get Free Report) Phoenix Group is one of the UKs largest long-term savings and retirement businesses with over 290 billion of assets under administration and c. 12 million customers. We were founded in 1782 and are based in London, UK, and our family of brands include Standard Life, SunLife and ReAssure. We are a constituent of the FTSE 100 with c. 6,600 colleagues and offer a broad range of savings and retirement income products to support people across all stages of their savings journey. We are a growing and sustainable business with a clear purpose helping people secure a life of possibilities. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Phoenix Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phoenix Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. M.D. Sass LLC boosted its stake in shares of APi Group Corporation (NYSE:APG Free Report) by 34.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,938,574 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 500,857 shares during the quarter. APi Group makes up approximately 5.4% of M.D. Sass LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest holding. M.D. Sass LLC owned about 0.47% of APi Group worth $66,629,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bares Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in APi Group during the second quarter valued at $30,000. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new stake in shares of APi Group in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of APi Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. grew its stake in shares of APi Group by 2,620.0% during the 3rd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 1,088 shares of the companys stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 1,048 shares during the period. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of APi Group by 49.9% during the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,117 shares of the companys stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.62% of the companys stock. Get APi Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In APG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays boosted their price objective on APi Group from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an outperform rating on shares of APi Group in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating and issued a $49.00 price objective (up from $45.00) on shares of APi Group in a research note on Monday, January 12th. CJS Securities upgraded APi Group to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of APi Group in a report on Monday, December 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $43.24. APi Group Stock Performance Shares of APG opened at $42.94 on Friday. APi Group Corporation has a 12-month low of $20.50 and a 12-month high of $43.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The company has a market cap of $17.86 billion, a PE ratio of 117.12 and a beta of 1.70. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $40.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.18. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Anthony E. Malkin purchased 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.58 per share, with a total value of $118,740.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 7,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $277,060. This represents a 75.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 7,000 shares of company stock valued at $275,720. 17.00% of the stock is owned by insiders. APi Group Company 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for APi Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for APi Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Aurdan Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH Free Report) by 22.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,210 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock after selling 3,636 shares during the quarter. UnitedHealth Group makes up 1.3% of Aurdan Capital Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Aurdan Capital Management LLCs holdings in UnitedHealth Group were worth $4,216,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Modus Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 14.2% during the 3rd quarter. Modus Advisors LLC now owns 3,724 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $1,286,000 after purchasing an additional 463 shares during the last quarter. Prasad Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth approximately $662,000. Poehling Capital Management INC. acquired a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $3,112,000. MONECO Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of UnitedHealth Group by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 4,130 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock worth $1,426,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Waterloo Capital L.P. lifted its holdings in UnitedHealth Group by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 6,060 shares of the healthcare conglomerates stock valued at $2,093,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.86% of the companys stock. Get UnitedHealth Group alerts: Key Stories Impacting UnitedHealth Group Here are the key news stories impacting UnitedHealth Group this week: UnitedHealth Group Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:UNH opened at $268.54 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $326.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $323.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.79 and a quick ratio of 0.82. UnitedHealth Group Incorporated has a 1 year low of $234.60 and a 1 year high of $606.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $243.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.41. UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the company posted $6.81 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter 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 predict that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $425.00 to $389.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c-) rating on shares of UnitedHealth Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group dropped their price target on UnitedHealth Group from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays lowered their price objective on UnitedHealth Group from $391.00 to $327.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $418.00 to $340.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned 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 target price of $372.13. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on UnitedHealth Group 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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for UnitedHealth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UnitedHealth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Bank of Hawaii Corporation (NYSE:BOH Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $78.64 and last traded at $78.1050, with a volume of 12737 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $77.39. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth BOH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $75.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Bank of Hawaii in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Bank of Hawaii from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and boosted their price target for the company from $75.00 to $91.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Bank of Hawaii from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of Bank of Hawaii from $73.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $81.80. Get Bank of Hawaii alerts: Read Our Latest Report on BOH Bank of Hawaii Stock Performance The stocks fifty day moving average price is $70.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $67.13. The company has a market cap of $3.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 0.70. Bank of Hawaii (NYSE:BOH Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 26th. The bank reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.25 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $189.65 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $184.83 million. Bank of Hawaii had a return on equity of 14.42% and a net margin of 19.30%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.85 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Bank of Hawaii Corporation will post 3.97 earnings per share for the current year. Bank of Hawaii Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Bank of Hawaiis dividend payout ratio is 60.61%. Insider Buying and Selling at Bank of Hawaii In related news, CEO Peter S. Ho sold 15,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.87, for a total transaction of $1,018,050.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 156,774 shares in the company, valued at $10,640,251.38. The trade was a 8.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.07% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. DAVENPORT & Co LLC increased its stake in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 23,832 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,609,000 after acquiring an additional 2,477 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its holdings in Bank of Hawaii by 1,736.0% in the third quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 35,380 shares of the banks stock worth $2,322,000 after purchasing an additional 33,453 shares during the period. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new stake in Bank of Hawaii in the second quarter valued at $3,222,000. Capital Fund Management S.A. bought a new position in shares of Bank of Hawaii during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,238,000. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services boosted its position in shares of Bank of Hawaii by 4,266.5% during the 3rd quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 17,466 shares of the banks stock worth $1,146,000 after purchasing an additional 17,066 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.18% of the companys stock. About Bank of Hawaii (Get Free Report) Bank of Hawaii (NYSE: BOH) is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, with roots tracing back to its founding in 1897 by Charles Montague Cooke and Peter Cushman Jones. As one of the oldest financial institutions in the U.S. West Coast region, the bank has built a reputation for stability and community focus. It operates as the principal subsidiary of Bank of Hawaii Corporation, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. The bank offers a comprehensive suite of personal and business banking products and services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Hawaii Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Hawaii and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Phoenix Group (LON:PHNX Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Berenberg Bank from GBX 852 to GBX 918 in a report issued on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock. PHNX has been the subject of several other research reports. UBS Group raised Phoenix Group to a buy rating and raised their target price for the stock from GBX 670 to GBX 770 in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Phoenix Group to a neutral rating and increased their price target for the stock from GBX 593 to GBX 752 in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of GBX 750. Get Phoenix Group alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on Phoenix Group Phoenix Group Price Performance Phoenix Group stock opened at GBX 749.50 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 3.30, a quick ratio of 0.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 160.32. The company has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 725.09 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 686.89. Phoenix Group has a 12-month low of GBX 485.20 and a 12-month high of GBX 766. The stock has a market cap of 7.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.82, a PEG ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.73. Phoenix Group (LON:PHNX Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, December 15th. The company reported GBX 32.70 earnings per share for the quarter. Phoenix Group had a negative net margin of 2.10% and a negative return on equity of 21.76%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Phoenix Group will post 51.179941 earnings per share for the current year. Phoenix Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Phoenix Group is one of the UKs largest long-term savings and retirement businesses with over 290 billion of assets under administration and c. 12 million customers. We were founded in 1782 and are based in London, UK, and our family of brands include Standard Life, SunLife and ReAssure. We are a constituent of the FTSE 100 with c. 6,600 colleagues and offer a broad range of savings and retirement income products to support people across all stages of their savings journey. We are a growing and sustainable business with a clear purpose helping people secure a life of possibilities. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Phoenix Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phoenix Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME Free Report) by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 595,012 shares of the technology companys stock after purchasing an additional 14,977 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.26% of AMETEK worth $111,864,000 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 stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in AMETEK in the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of AMETEK by 129.7% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 170 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. TruNorth Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AMETEK during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. SouthState Corp raised its holdings in AMETEK by 47.4% in the 2nd quarter. SouthState Corp now owns 202 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC acquired a new position in AMETEK in the second quarter valued at about $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.43% of the companys stock. Get AMETEK alerts: AMETEK News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting AMETEK this week: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have commented on AME shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded AMETEK from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Barclays raised their target price on AMETEK from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of AMETEK from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial set a $265.00 price objective on shares of AMETEK in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of AMETEK in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $243.00. Read Our Latest Stock Report on AMETEK Insider Buying and Selling at AMETEK In related news, CEO David A. Zapico sold 88,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.39, for a total value of $17,282,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 348,955 shares of the companys stock, valued at $68,531,272.45. This represents a 20.14% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Thomas C. Marecic sold 14,310 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.11, for a total value of $2,892,194.10. Following the transaction, the insider owned 42,589 shares in the company, valued at $8,607,662.79. This represents a 25.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 137,088 shares of company stock worth $27,212,340 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.57% of the companys stock. AMETEK Stock Up 0.8% Shares of NYSE AME opened at $229.63 on Friday. AMETEK, Inc. has a 1 year low of $145.02 and a 1 year high of $234.56. The company has a market capitalization of $52.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The business has a 50-day moving average of $210.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $195.30. AMETEK (NYSE:AME Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The technology company reported $2.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.94 billion. AMETEK had a return on equity of 16.55% and a net margin of 20.00%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.87 EPS. AMETEK has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.850-1.900 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.870-8.070 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that AMETEK, Inc. will post 7.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About AMETEK (Free Report) AMETEK, Inc is a global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices that serves a broad range of industries. Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, the company designs and produces precision instruments, electronic measurement devices, specialty sensors, and electric motors and motion control systems. Its product portfolio includes analytical and monitoring instruments, calibration equipment, power supplies, embedded electronics, and industrial motors and drives used for critical applications. The company operates through two primary business platforms an electronic instruments group focused on analytical, test and measurement and sensor products, and an electromechanical group that supplies motors, actuators, and related power and motion solutions. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AME? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AMETEK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AMETEK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its holdings in TELUS Corporation (NYSE:TU Free Report) (TSE:T) by 12.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,862,170 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock after acquiring an additional 433,198 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.25% of TELUS worth $60,761,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in TELUS by 26.1% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,227 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 667 shares in the last quarter. Walter Public Investments Inc. increased its holdings in shares of TELUS by 1.9% during the third quarter. Walter Public Investments Inc. now owns 39,334 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $619,000 after purchasing an additional 750 shares during the period. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of TELUS by 7.0% in the third quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 11,483 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $181,000 after buying an additional 755 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of TELUS by 35.0% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,926 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 759 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in shares of TELUS by 1.9% in the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 46,099 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $739,000 after buying an additional 841 shares during the period. 49.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get TELUS alerts: TELUS Stock Up 0.1% TU stock opened at $14.28 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $13.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.74. TELUS Corporation has a 12 month low of $12.54 and a 12 month high of $16.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.67. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In TELUS ( NYSE:TU Get Free Report ) (TSE:T) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.02). TELUS had a return on equity of 8.76% and a net margin of 5.71%.The company had revenue of $3.67 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.77 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.28 earnings per share. TELUSs revenue for the quarter was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that TELUS Corporation will post 0.71 EPS for the current fiscal year. A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. National Bankshares restated an outperform rating on shares of TELUS in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Natl Bk Canada raised TELUS from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Citigroup raised TELUS to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised shares of TELUS from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, National Bank Financial raised shares of TELUS from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $18.17. Get Our Latest Report on TU TELUS Company Profile (Free Report) TELUS Corporation (NYSE: TU) is a Canadian telecommunications and technology company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. It delivers a broad portfolio of consumer and business communications services across Canada, including mobile wireless, fixed-line voice, broadband internet, and television. TELUS also provides a range of enterprise services such as cloud and IT solutions, managed network services, cybersecurity and Internet of Things (IoT) offerings for business customers. Beyond core connectivity, TELUS has expanded into health and digital services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for TELUS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Black Hills (NYSE:BKH Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 4.250-4.450 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 4.340. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank raised Black Hills from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $66.00 to $81.00 in a research report on Friday, November 7th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Black Hills from $70.00 to $82.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Black Hills in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $75.67. Get Black Hills alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on BKH Black Hills Trading Down 2.7% Shares of Black Hills stock traded down $2.02 on Friday, reaching $72.42. The company had a trading volume of 620,394 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,021,638. The firm has a market cap of $5.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.20, a P/E/G ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.75. The firms 50-day moving average price is $71.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $65.39. Black Hills has a 1 year low of $54.92 and a 1 year high of $75.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Black Hills (NYSE:BKH Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.37 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $635.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $809.88 million. Black Hills had a net margin of 12.62% and a return on equity of 7.99%. The businesss revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.37 earnings per share. Black Hills has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.250-4.450 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Black Hills will post 4.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Black Hills Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $0.703 per share. This is a positive change from Black Hillss previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Black Hillss payout ratio is 70.60%. Insider Transactions at Black Hills In other Black Hills news, CFO Kimberly F. Nooney sold 14,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.70, for a total transaction of $1,025,150.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,621 shares in the company, valued at $2,447,704.70. This represents a 29.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Black Hills Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in Black Hills during the 3rd quarter worth about $45,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Black Hills by 44.0% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,037 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 317 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Black Hills by 42.6% in the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,179 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Black Hills by 90.3% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,960 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $121,000 after buying an additional 930 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in Black Hills by 42.1% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,344 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $131,000 after acquiring an additional 695 shares during the last quarter. 86.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Black Hills Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Black Hills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Black Hills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock Health Sciences Trust (NYSE:BME Get Free Report)s stock price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $41.35 and traded as high as $42.35. BlackRock Health Sciences Trust shares last traded at $41.76, with a volume of 28,236 shares changing hands. BlackRock Health Sciences Trust Stock Up 0.5% The business has a 50 day moving average of $41.35 and a 200 day moving average of $38.80. Get BlackRock Health Sciences Trust alerts: BlackRock Health Sciences Trust Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.2621 dividend. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Hedge Funds Weigh In On BlackRock Health Sciences Trust BlackRock Health Sciences Trust Company Profile A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in BlackRock Health Sciences Trust by 285,436.7% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 4,046,055 shares of the companys stock valued at $166,414,000 after buying an additional 4,044,638 shares in the last quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock Health Sciences Trust in the second quarter worth $8,186,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of BlackRock Health Sciences Trust by 7.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 217,169 shares of the companys stock worth $8,085,000 after acquiring an additional 15,381 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock Health Sciences Trust by 18.8% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 216,404 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,057,000 after acquiring an additional 34,218 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of BlackRock Health Sciences Trust by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 143,546 shares of the companys stock worth $5,546,000 after purchasing an additional 684 shares during the last quarter. (Get Free Report) BlackRock Health Sciences Trust (NYSE: BME) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks long-term total return through a combination of dividend income and capital appreciation. Managed by BlackRock Fund Advisors, the trust invests primarily in the equity securities of domestic and international issuers engaged in the health sciences sector. The portfolio typically includes common stocks, corporate bonds and convertible securities of companies involved in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Health Sciences Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Health Sciences Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUJ Get Free Report) shares passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $11.61 and traded as high as $12.38. BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund shares last traded at $12.29, with a volume of 75,274 shares trading hands. BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Trading Down 0.2% The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $11.61. Get BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund alerts: BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.054 dividend. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Institutional Inflows and Outflows About BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 259,311 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,086,000 after purchasing an additional 1,036 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 5.7% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 20,770 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 1,120 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 2.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 51,595 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $580,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp raised its stake in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 8.3% during the second quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 32,859 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $360,000 after buying an additional 2,522 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Effects LLC lifted its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 34,794 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $403,000 after buying an additional 3,500 shares during the last quarter. 15.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. (Get Free Report) BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund (NYSE: MUJ) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income exempt from federal and New Jersey state income taxes. The fund primarily invests in investment-grade municipal securities issued by or on behalf of the State of New Jersey and its municipalities, authorities, and instrumentalities. By concentrating on high-quality New Jersey public finance obligations, MUJ aims to offer tax-efficient income for investors with exposure to the states credit profile. The funds portfolio is actively managed by BlackRocks municipal fixed income team, which conducts credit analysis and sector allocation to identify opportunities within New Jerseys diverse municipal marketplace. See Also Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas (NYSE:LND Get Free Report)s share price passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $3.74 and traded as high as $3.85. Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas shares last traded at $3.77, with a volume of 92,245 shares traded. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Reduce. Get Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas Stock Performance Institutional Trading of Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas The company has a quick ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $3.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3.75. A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LND. Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP grew its stake in Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas by 750.8% in the 2nd quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP now owns 18,624 shares of the companys stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 16,435 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas by 66.2% in the second quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 36,799 shares of the companys stock valued at $141,000 after purchasing an additional 14,651 shares during the period. ERn Financial LLC acquired a new position in Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas in the third quarter valued at $50,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas during the second quarter worth about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 1.15% of the companys stock. Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas Company Profile (Get Free Report) Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas is a Brazil-based agribusiness company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of agricultural land in key farming regions across the country. The companys core activities include identifying undervalued or underutilized rural properties, implementing infrastructure improvements and modern farming practices, and either operating the land directly or selling it to third parties. Brasilagros land bank spans several states in Brazil, with holdings in Maranhao, Bahia, Tocantins, Goias and Mato Grosso, among others. In its agricultural operations, Brasilagro cultivates a variety of crops such as soybeans, corn and cotton, leveraging advances in crop genetics, irrigation and soil management to enhance productivity and sustainability. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at Citigroup from $60.00 to $64.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the biopharmaceutical companys stock. Citigroups target price indicates a potential upside of 3.41% from the companys current price. A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $66.00 target price (up previously from $62.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $60.00 price objective (up previously from $55.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an underweight rating and issued a $40.00 target price on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research report on Friday. Bank of America upgraded shares of Bristol Myers Squibb from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $52.00 to $61.00 in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Scotiabank reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $60.00 price objective (up from $53.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, January 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $59.20. Get Bristol Myers Squibb alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on BMY Bristol Myers Squibb Trading Up 4.0% Bristol Myers Squibb stock traded up $2.37 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $61.89. The stock had a trading volume of 10,517,312 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,284,006. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $54.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $48.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.17. Bristol Myers Squibb has a twelve month low of $42.52 and a twelve month high of $63.33. The firm has a market cap of $126.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.87, a PEG ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.29. Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($0.39). Bristol Myers Squibb had a net margin of 12.57% and a return on equity of 76.53%. The business had revenue of $12.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.67 EPS. Bristol Myers Squibbs revenue for the quarter was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Bristol Myers Squibb has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.050-6.350 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Bristol Myers Squibb will post 6.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 10.0% during the third quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 113,457 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $5,117,000 after purchasing an additional 10,284 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its stake in Bristol Myers Squibb by 25.9% during the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 150,359 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $6,781,000 after purchasing an additional 30,909 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC raised its holdings in Bristol Myers Squibb by 24.6% during the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC now owns 59,183 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,740,000 after buying an additional 11,690 shares during the period. Railway Pension Investments Ltd lifted its stake in Bristol Myers Squibb by 3.7% in the third quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 1,139,600 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $51,396,000 after buying an additional 40,300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR increased its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 13.5% during the third quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 273,343 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $12,328,000 after acquiring an additional 32,476 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.41% of the companys stock. Key Stories Impacting Bristol Myers Squibb Here are the key news stories impacting Bristol Myers Squibb this week: About Bristol Myers Squibb (Get Free Report) Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on discovering, developing and delivering medicines for serious diseases. The companys core activities include research and development, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of prescription pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas. BMS concentrates on advancing therapies in oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and specialty areas through both small molecules and biologics. BMSs marketed portfolio and latestage pipeline reflect a strong emphasis on cancer and immunemediated conditions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:FMX Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the eight research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $102.40. A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano from $96.00 to $102.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano from $107.00 to $105.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Get Fomento Economico Mexicano alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Fomento Economico Mexicano Institutional Inflows and Outflows Fomento Economico Mexicano Price Performance A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FMX. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in Fomento Economico Mexicano by 2,006.3% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 337 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano by 41.4% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 369 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano during the second quarter worth about $40,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano by 42.5% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 439 shares of the companys stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Fomento Economico Mexicano during the third quarter worth about $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.00% of the companys stock. Shares of FMX stock opened at $107.09 on Friday. Fomento Economico Mexicano has a 1 year low of $83.08 and a 1 year high of $108.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firms 50 day moving average is $102.88 and its 200-day moving average is $96.02. Fomento Economico Mexicano Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th were given a dividend of $2.0531 per share. This represents a $8.21 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. This is a positive change from Fomento Economico Mexicanos previous quarterly dividend of $2.00. Fomento Economico Mexicanos dividend payout ratio is presently 91.94%. About Fomento Economico Mexicano (Get Free Report) Fomento Economico Mexicano, SAB. de C.V. (FEMSA) is a Mexican multinational company active primarily in the retail and beverage sectors. Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, FEMSAs operations span convenience store retailing, beverage bottling and distribution, and related logistics and consumer services. The companys business model combines high-frequency retail outlets with large-scale beverage production and a regional supply chain network. FEMSA Comercio, the companys retail arm, operates a large chain of convenience stores under the OXXO brand and has expanded its retail footprint with complementary formats and services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Fomento Economico Mexicano Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fomento Economico Mexicano and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports. A number of other research firms have also recently commented on BAM. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $74.00 target price on Brookfield Asset Management and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $62.00 target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a report on Monday, October 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $67.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Brookfield Asset Management in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Brookfield Asset Management from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $64.33. Get Brookfield Asset Management alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on Brookfield Asset Management Brookfield Asset Management Trading Down 2.1% NYSE:BAM opened at $48.65 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $52.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $55.69. The stock has a market cap of $79.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. Brookfield Asset Management has a 12 month low of $41.78 and a 12 month high of $64.10. Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM Get Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The financial services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.06. Brookfield Asset Management had a net margin of 51.59% and a return on equity of 29.67%. The company had revenue of $1.39 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.40 billion. Equities analysts predict that Brookfield Asset Management will post 1.7 EPS for the current year. Brookfield Asset Management Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a $0.5025 dividend. This represents a $2.01 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. This is a boost from Brookfield Asset Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.44. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. Brookfield Asset Managements dividend payout ratio is presently 109.38%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brookfield Asset Management Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BAM. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 18.5% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 465,600 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $26,511,000 after buying an additional 72,600 shares during the last quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 127.5% in the third quarter. Intact Investment Management Inc. now owns 590,560 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $33,612,000 after acquiring an additional 330,970 shares during the period. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. raised its holdings in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 115.4% during the third quarter. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. now owns 216,558 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $12,325,000 after purchasing an additional 116,000 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 1.6% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 430,081 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $23,774,000 after purchasing an additional 6,728 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in Brookfield Asset Management by 144.5% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 80,632 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,456,000 after purchasing an additional 47,659 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 68.41% of the companys stock. More Brookfield Asset Management News Here are the key news stories impacting Brookfield Asset Management this week: 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brookfield Business Partners (NYSE:BBU Free Report) had its target price raised by National Bankshares from $43.00 to $44.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. National Bankshares currently has an outperform rating on the business services providers stock. Several other brokerages have also issued reports on BBU. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d+) rating on shares of Brookfield Business Partners in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Desjardins raised their target price on shares of Brookfield Business Partners from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday. Scotiabank reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Brookfield Business Partners in a report on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded Brookfield Business Partners from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Brookfield Business Partners from $42.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Brookfield Business Partners currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $40.67. Get Brookfield Business Partners alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on BBU Brookfield Business Partners Price Performance Brookfield Business Partners stock opened at $34.97 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 0.27. Brookfield Business Partners has a 52 week low of $18.63 and a 52 week high of $37.38. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a P/E ratio of -134.50 and a beta of 1.31. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $35.48 and a 200-day moving average of $31.83. 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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($1.86). The business had revenue of $7 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.46 billion. Brookfield Business Partners had a net margin of 1.41% and a return on equity of 2.67%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Brookfield Business Partners will post 5.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brookfield Business Partners A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PCJ Investment Counsel Ltd. raised its position in shares of Brookfield Business Partners by 5.3% during the third quarter. PCJ Investment Counsel Ltd. now owns 1,338,079 shares of the business services providers stock worth $43,786,000 after acquiring an additional 67,295 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its holdings in Brookfield Business Partners by 1.6% in the third quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 1,119,781 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $35,513,000 after acquiring an additional 17,508 shares during the last quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management increased its position in Brookfield Business Partners by 74.4% during the 3rd quarter. Picton Mahoney Asset Management now owns 696,679 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $22,849,000 after purchasing an additional 297,180 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Brookfield Business Partners by 14.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 553,148 shares of the business services providers stock worth $18,140,000 after purchasing an additional 69,657 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Brookfield Business Partners by 796.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 322,899 shares of the business services providers stock worth $10,530,000 after purchasing an additional 286,872 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.04% of the companys stock. About Brookfield Business Partners (Get Free Report) 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Business Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Business Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NYSE:BLDR Free Report) by 135.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 461,934 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 265,428 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.42% of Builders FirstSource worth $56,009,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of BLDR. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its holdings in Builders FirstSource by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 17,630 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,057,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. VestGen Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Builders FirstSource by 4.6% in the second quarter. VestGen Advisors LLC now owns 1,943 shares of the companys stock valued at $227,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its stake in shares of Builders FirstSource by 3.1% during the second quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 3,032 shares of the companys stock valued at $354,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey raised its stake in Builders FirstSource by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 16,858 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,967,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional lifted its holdings in Builders FirstSource by 15.8% in the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 958 shares of the companys stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. 95.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Builders FirstSource alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on BLDR shares. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Builders FirstSource from $130.00 to $123.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a $111.00 price target on shares of Builders FirstSource in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Benchmark lifted their price objective on Builders FirstSource from $138.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Stephens reiterated an equal weight rating and set a $137.00 target price on shares of Builders FirstSource in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Builders FirstSource from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $133.77. Builders FirstSource Price Performance BLDR stock opened at $120.04 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $112.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $121.19. Builders FirstSource, Inc. has a 12-month low of $94.35 and a 12-month high of $164.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The company has a market cap of $13.27 billion, a PE ratio of 22.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 15.50 and a beta of 1.56. Builders FirstSource Company Profile (Free Report) Builders FirstSource, Inc is a leading supplier of structural and value-added building products and services to professional contractors, homebuilders and remodelers. The company provides a comprehensive range of materials and prefabricated components that support all phases of residential construction, from site development and framing to finishing and installation. The companys core offerings include lumber and lumber sheet goods, windows and doors, millwork, roofing and siding, and engineered wood products such as roof and floor trusses. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BLDR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NYSE:BLDR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Builders FirstSource Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Builders FirstSource and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. C WorldWide Group Holding A S lowered its stake in Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN Free Report) by 71.4% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 13,007 shares of the companys stock after selling 32,508 shares during the period. C WorldWide Group Holding A Ss holdings in Brookfield were worth $892,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Brookfield by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 4,333 shares of the companys stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Brookfield by 7.1% in the second quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 2,957 shares of the companys stock valued at $183,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC boosted its position in Brookfield by 6.5% in the third quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 3,689 shares of the companys stock worth $253,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Brookfield by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 7,440 shares of the companys stock valued at $460,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming increased its position in shares of Brookfield by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 3,301 shares of the companys stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. 61.60% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Brookfield alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on BN shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued an outperform rating on shares of Brookfield in a report on Monday, December 1st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Brookfield in a research report on Monday, December 29th. CIBC reiterated an outperform rating and set a $52.00 price target (up previously from $50.67) on shares of Brookfield in a research note on Friday, November 14th. National Bankshares upped their price objective on Brookfield from $56.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and set a $58.00 price target on shares of Brookfield in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $54.70. Brookfield Price Performance NYSE:BN opened at $44.28 on Friday. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $46.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $45.50. Brookfield Corporation has a 52 week low of $29.07 and a 52 week high of $49.56. The stock has a market cap of $109.66 billion, a PE ratio of 122.99 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54. Brookfield (NYSE:BN Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.02. Brookfield had a return on equity of 3.92% and a net margin of 1.34%.The company had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.58 billion. As a group, analysts forecast that Brookfield Corporation will post 3.85 EPS for the current fiscal year. Brookfield Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were paid a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Brookfields payout ratio is presently 66.67%. Brookfield Company Profile (Free Report) Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN) is a global alternative asset manager that specializes in real assets. The company invests in and operates businesses across real estate, infrastructure, renewable power and energy, private equity and credit. Its activities span both ownership and active management of physical assets as well as the operation of investment funds and vehicles that provide institutional and retail investors access to longlived, cashgenerating assets. Brookfields services include asset management, direct investing, property development and the operation of infrastructure and energy businesses. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Carrier Global (NYSE:CARR Get Free Report) had its price objective upped by stock analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $70.00 to $74.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has an outperform rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canadas price objective suggests a potential upside of 14.20% from the stocks current price. A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Carrier Global from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Carrier Global in a report on Friday. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Carrier Global in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Carrier Global from $70.00 to $64.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on Carrier Global from $74.00 to $72.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Carrier Global has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $70.44. Get Carrier Global alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on CARR Carrier Global Price Performance Carrier Global stock opened at $64.80 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.48, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.33. Carrier Global has a 52-week low of $50.24 and a 52-week high of $81.09. Carrier Global (NYSE:CARR Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). Carrier Global had a net margin of 18.05% and a return on equity of 16.65%. The firm had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.05 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.54 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Carrier Global has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-2.800 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Carrier Global will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. Carrier Global declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, October 28th that allows the company to repurchase $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 10.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Institutional Trading of Carrier Global A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CARR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Carrier Global by 23.8% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 38,536,301 shares of the companys stock worth $2,820,485,000 after purchasing an additional 7,409,432 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Carrier Global during the second quarter valued at about $524,939,000. Capital International Investors grew its stake in shares of Carrier Global by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 57,982,302 shares of the companys stock worth $3,461,142,000 after purchasing an additional 3,630,524 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Carrier Global by 506.1% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,187,219 shares of the companys stock valued at $249,977,000 after acquiring an additional 3,496,372 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main boosted its position in shares of Carrier Global by 1,742.8% in the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 3,623,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $265,167,000 after purchasing an additional 3,426,395 shares during the period. 91.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. More Carrier Global News Here are the key news stories impacting Carrier Global this week: Carrier Global Company Profile (Get Free Report) Carrier Global Corporation is a leading global provider of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire and security, and building automation solutions. The company designs, manufactures and sells a broad portfolio of products that includes air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, chillers, rooftop units, commercial refrigeration systems, fire and smoke detection and suppression systems, security sensors and access controls, and a range of building controls and analytics software. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Carrier Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Carrier Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Buckle (NYSE:BKE Get Free Report) and Christian Dior S.E. (OTCMKTS:CHDRY Get Free Report) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, dividends and analyst recommendations. Institutional & Insider Ownership 53.9% of Buckle shares are held by institutional investors. 39.0% of Buckle shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get Buckle alerts: Valuation and Earnings This table compares Buckle and Christian Dior S.E.s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Buckle $1.22 billion 2.14 $195.47 million $4.08 12.46 Christian Dior S.E. $91.40 billion N/A $5.13 billion N/A N/A Christian Dior S.E. has higher revenue and earnings than Buckle. Risk & Volatility Buckle has a beta of 1.19, indicating that its stock price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Christian Dior S.E. has a beta of 1.11, indicating that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability This table compares Buckle and Christian Dior S.E.s net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Buckle 16.13% 44.42% 20.62% Christian Dior S.E. N/A N/A N/A Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Buckle and Christian Dior S.E., as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Buckle 0 2 0 0 2.00 Christian Dior S.E. 0 0 0 0 0.00 Buckle currently has a consensus price target of $55.00, suggesting a potential upside of 8.17%. Given Buckles stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Buckle is more favorable than Christian Dior S.E.. Dividends Buckle pays an annual dividend of $1.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Christian Dior S.E. pays an annual dividend of $2.54 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.8%. Buckle pays out 34.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Summary Buckle beats Christian Dior S.E. on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About Buckle (Get Free Report) The Buckle, Inc. operates as a retailer of casual apparel, footwear, and accessories for young men and women in the United States. It markets a selection of brand name casual apparel, including denims, other casual bottoms, tops, sportswear, outerwear, accessories, and footwear, as well as private label merchandise primarily comprising BKE, Buckle Black, Salvage, Red by BKE, Daytrip, Gimmicks, Gilded Intent, FITZ + EDDI, Willow & Root, Outpost Makers, Departwest, Sterling & Stitch, Reclaim, BKE Vintage, Nova Industries, J.B. Holt, Modish Rebel, Maven Co-op, and Veece. The company provides services, such as hemming, gift-packaging, layaways, guest loyalty program, the Buckle private label credit card, and personalized stylist services, as well as special order system that allows stores to obtain requested merchandise from other company stores or its online order fulfillment center. The Buckle, Inc. also sells its products through its website, buckle.com. The company was formerly known as Mills Clothing, Inc. and changed its name to The Buckle, Inc. in April 1991.The Buckle, Inc. was incorporated in 1948 and is headquartered in Kearney, Nebraska. About Christian Dior S.E. (Get Free Report) Christian Dior SE, through its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, and retail of fashion and leather goods, wines and spirits, perfumes and cosmetics, and watches and jewelry worldwide. The company offers its fashion and leather goods under the Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Celine, Loewe, Givenchy, Kenzo, Berluti, Pucci, Loro Piana, Rimowa, and Off-White brand names; and wines and spirits under the Hennessy, Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Chateau d'Yquem, Belvedere, Glenmorangie, Newton Vineyards, Bodega Numanthia, Chateau d'Esclans, Armand de Brignac, and Joseph Phelps brands. It also provides perfumes and cosmetics under the Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Parfums Givenchy, Make Up For Ever, Benefit Cosmetics, Fresh, Acqua di Parma, KVD Vegan Beauty, Fenty, Ole Henriksen, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, and Officine Universelle Buly 1803 brand names; and watches and jewelry under the Tiffany, Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Zenith, Hublot, Chaumet, Fred, and Repossi brands. In addition, the company operates retail stores under the DFS Galleria, Sephora, and Le Bon Marche names; publishes Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui en France, a daily newspaper; builds yachts; and operates hotel and the Cova pastry shop brand. Further, it is involved in real estate activities. The company sells its products through store network, including e-commerce websites; and agents and distributors. The company was incorporated in 1946 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Christian Dior SE (ENXTPA:CDI) operates as a subsidiary of Financiere Agache Societe Anonyme. Receive News & Ratings for Buckle Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Buckle and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cornerstone Community Bancorp (OTCMKTS:CRSB Get Free Report) passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $40.00 and traded as low as $38.75. Cornerstone Community Bancorp shares last traded at $40.00, with a volume of 3,100 shares changing hands. Cornerstone Community Bancorp Stock Up 2.6% The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $40.00 and a 200-day moving average price of $40.00. Get Cornerstone Community Bancorp alerts: About Cornerstone Community Bancorp (Get Free Report) Cornerstone Community Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Kent, Ohio, serving as the parent of Cornerstone Community Bank. Through its banking subsidiary, the company offers a wide range of commercial and consumer banking products and services designed to meet the needs of small to medium-sized businesses, professional service firms and individual customers in Northeast Ohio. Cornerstone Community Bank focuses on relationship-oriented service, leveraging local decision-making and personalized support. The companys deposit products include a variety of checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cornerstone Community Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cornerstone Community Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE:ICE Free Report) by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,106,423 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 21,680 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Intercontinental Exchange were worth $186,410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of ICE. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 1.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 53,685,491 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $9,849,677,000 after acquiring an additional 745,135 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Intercontinental Exchange by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,438,154 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,270,657,000 after purchasing an additional 145,961 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Intercontinental Exchange in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,542,780,000. Sands Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 97.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sands Capital Management LLC now owns 5,313,039 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $974,783,000 after purchasing an additional 2,620,310 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 3,510,634 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $644,096,000 after purchasing an additional 137,685 shares during the last quarter. 89.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Intercontinental Exchange alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Intercontinental Exchange news, CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher sold 150,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.08, for a total value of $22,962,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,801,705 shares of the companys stock, valued at $275,805,001.40. This trade represents a 7.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CTO Mayur Kapani sold 5,345 shares of Intercontinental Exchange stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.67, for a total value of $837,401.15. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer directly owned 65,240 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,221,150.80. This trade represents a 7.57% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 166,068 shares of company stock worth $25,470,702 in the last three months. Insiders own 1.00% of the companys stock. Intercontinental Exchange Stock Up 1.9% Shares of NYSE:ICE opened at $167.96 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $164.96 and its 200 day moving average is $166.59. Intercontinental Exchange Inc. has a 12-month low of $143.17 and a 12-month high of $189.35. The stock has a market cap of $95.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.59, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.67 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.51 billion. Intercontinental Exchange had a net margin of 25.24% and a return on equity of 13.79%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.52 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Intercontinental Exchange Inc. will post 6.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Intercontinental Exchange Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Intercontinental Exchanges dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.97%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen reissued a buy rating on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Intercontinental Exchange from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, January 24th. Barclays set a $182.00 price target on Intercontinental Exchange and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $193.50. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on ICE Key Intercontinental Exchange News Here are the key news stories impacting Intercontinental Exchange this week: Intercontinental Exchange Company Profile (Free Report) Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) is a global operator of exchanges, clearing houses and data services that provides infrastructure for the trading, clearing, settlement and information needs of financial and commodity markets. Founded in 2000 by Jeffrey C. Sprecher as an electronic energy trading platform, the company has grown through organic expansion and acquisitions to operate a broad portfolio of assets spanning listed equities, futures and options, fixed income, and over-the-counter derivatives. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ICE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE:ICE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Intercontinental Exchange Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Intercontinental Exchange and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05, Briefing.com reports. Estee Lauder Companies had a positive return on equity of 14.92% and a negative net margin of 6.44%.The business had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.62 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Estee Lauder Companies updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.030-2.230 EPS. Here are the key takeaways from Estee Lauder Companies conference call: Get Estee Lauder Companies alerts: Estee Lauder raised its fiscal 2026 outlook after a strong Q2 4% organic sales growth , 43% EPS growth , and updated fullyear guidance of +1% to +3% organic sales and diluted EPS of $2.05$2.25 . , , and updated fullyear guidance of and diluted EPS of . Mainland China and digital channels outperformed, with doubledigit growth in Mainland China, highsingledigit growth in Hainan, notable marketshare gains across categories, and online sales set to exceed last years ~31% reported sales mix. Management accelerated innovation and gotomarket execution targeting at least 25% of sales from innovation and increasing suboneyear launches to 19%, citing wins like Estee Lauders Double Wear concealer and strong momentum for The Ordinary. and increasing suboneyear launches to 19%, citing wins like Estee Lauders Double Wear concealer and strong momentum for The Ordinary. Transformation costs and operational changes present nearterm headwinds the company has recorded $904 million of cumulative restructuring charges and expects some shortterm cost pressure as it migrates to the new One ELC/Accenture enterprise services model. Estee Lauder Companies Price Performance EL stock opened at $96.62 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -37.45, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.14. The firms 50-day moving average price is $109.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $97.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88. Estee Lauder Companies has a 12-month low of $48.37 and a 12-month high of $121.64. Estee Lauder Companies Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Estee Lauder Companiess payout ratio is presently -54.26%. EL has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group upped their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $105.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a market perform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Argus upgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $105.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Estee Lauder Companies has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $104.00. View Our Latest Stock Report on Estee Lauder Companies Key Stories Impacting Estee Lauder Companies Here are the key news stories impacting Estee Lauder Companies this week: Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and raised sales outlook: EL reported $0.89 EPS vs. $0.84 consensus and revenue of $4.23B (up 5.6% YoY). Management raised its sales forecast and highlighted improving China trends and progress on its Beauty Reimagined turnaround, supporting medium-term recovery. Company Press Release Q2 beat and raised sales outlook: EL reported $0.89 EPS vs. $0.84 consensus and revenue of $4.23B (up 5.6% YoY). Management raised its sales forecast and highlighted improving China trends and progress on its Beauty Reimagined turnaround, supporting medium-term recovery. Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and re-rating potential: Bank of America reiterated a Buy and highlighted valuation upside (~30% re-rating potential), while other firms (RBC) kept positive views these provide a buyer base beneath the stock. TipRanks / BofA Note Analyst support and re-rating potential: Bank of America reiterated a Buy and highlighted valuation upside (~30% re-rating potential), while other firms (RBC) kept positive views these provide a buyer base beneath the stock. Neutral Sentiment: Dividend announced: EL declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share (annualized ~1.4% yield), a modest positive for income-focused holders but unlikely to shift sentiment materially. (Company release) Dividend announced: EL declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share (annualized ~1.4% yield), a modest positive for income-focused holders but unlikely to shift sentiment materially. (Company release) Neutral Sentiment: Strategic pivot to premium customers: Management and industry reports note a shift to higherincome consumers and premium price tiers (more marketing, luxury positioning) this could help margins over time but raises near-term marketing spend. PYMNTS / Reuters summary Strategic pivot to premium customers: Management and industry reports note a shift to higherincome consumers and premium price tiers (more marketing, luxury positioning) this could help margins over time but raises near-term marketing spend. Negative Sentiment: Tariff headwind: Management said tariffs will shave roughly $100M off fullyear profitability (mostly in H2), and is considering pricing actions a clear near-term earnings risk that helped drive selling pressure. CNBC Article Tariff headwind: Management said tariffs will shave roughly $100M off fullyear profitability (mostly in H2), and is considering pricing actions a clear near-term earnings risk that helped drive selling pressure. Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY profit guidance disappointed: EL set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.03$2.23, which markets viewed as light relative to expectations (consensus ~ $2.17 midpoint) investors punished the stock despite the beat. Investopedia Cautious FY profit guidance disappointed: EL set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.03$2.23, which markets viewed as light relative to expectations (consensus ~ $2.17 midpoint) investors punished the stock despite the beat. Negative Sentiment: Restructuring and near-term profit impact: Reports and commentary note restructuring costs and one-time items reduced GAAP profitability this quarter (and pressured near-term margins), amplifying investor concern about immediate cash returns. Barrons Insider Activity In other Estee Lauder Companies news, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total value of $476,971.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $364,748.76. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 34,812 shares in the company, valued at $3,196,785.96. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 13.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Estee Lauder Companies Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,291 shares of the companys stock worth $554,000 after purchasing an additional 529 shares in the last quarter. Shay Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $463,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Estee Lauder Companies during the second quarter valued at about $447,000. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 31.9% in the third quarter. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,594 shares of the companys stock worth $317,000 after buying an additional 869 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 24.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 4,619 shares of the companys stock worth $305,000 after buying an additional 898 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 55.15% of the companys stock. Estee Lauder Companies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE: EL) is a global leader in prestige beauty that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. Founded in 1946 by Estee Lauder, the company has grown from a small family business into a multinational consumer-products enterprise headquartered in New York City. Its activities span product research and development, brand and product marketing, manufacturing and global distribution across multiple retail channels. The companys portfolio includes a mix of legacy and prestige brands that target different consumer segments and price points, with well-known names such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer and Jo Malone among others. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Estee Lauder Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Estee Lauder Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.030-2.230 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.170. The company issued revenue guidance of $14.8 billion-$15.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $15.0 billion. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their target price on Estee Lauder Companies from $85.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a market perform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $113.00 price target on shares of Estee Lauder Companies in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup upgraded shares of Estee Lauder Companies from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $120.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Estee Lauder Companies from $124.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $104.00. Get Estee Lauder Companies alerts: Get Our Latest Report on EL Estee Lauder Companies Stock Down 19.2% Estee Lauder Companies stock opened at $96.62 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.82 billion, a PE ratio of -37.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a 50 day moving average of $109.04 and a 200-day moving average of $97.31. Estee Lauder Companies has a twelve month low of $48.37 and a twelve month high of $121.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88. Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.05. Estee Lauder Companies had a negative net margin of 6.44% and a positive return on equity of 14.92%. The business had revenue of $4.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.22 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.62 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Estee Lauder Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.030-2.230 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Estee Lauder Companies will post 1.36 EPS for the current fiscal year. Estee Lauder Companies Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Estee Lauder Companiess payout ratio is -54.26%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Barry S. Sternlicht sold 3,972 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $364,748.76. Following the transaction, the director owned 34,812 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,196,785.96. This trade represents a 10.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Meridith Webster sold 5,430 shares of Estee Lauder Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $87.84, for a total transaction of $476,971.20. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 13.05% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Estee Lauder Companies News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Estee Lauder Companies this week: Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat and raised sales outlook: EL reported $0.89 EPS vs. $0.84 consensus and revenue of $4.23B (up 5.6% YoY). Management raised its sales forecast and highlighted improving China trends and progress on its Beauty Reimagined turnaround, supporting medium-term recovery. Company Press Release Q2 beat and raised sales outlook: EL reported $0.89 EPS vs. $0.84 consensus and revenue of $4.23B (up 5.6% YoY). Management raised its sales forecast and highlighted improving China trends and progress on its Beauty Reimagined turnaround, supporting medium-term recovery. Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and re-rating potential: Bank of America reiterated a Buy and highlighted valuation upside (~30% re-rating potential), while other firms (RBC) kept positive views these provide a buyer base beneath the stock. TipRanks / BofA Note Analyst support and re-rating potential: Bank of America reiterated a Buy and highlighted valuation upside (~30% re-rating potential), while other firms (RBC) kept positive views these provide a buyer base beneath the stock. Neutral Sentiment: Dividend announced: EL declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share (annualized ~1.4% yield), a modest positive for income-focused holders but unlikely to shift sentiment materially. (Company release) Dividend announced: EL declared a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share (annualized ~1.4% yield), a modest positive for income-focused holders but unlikely to shift sentiment materially. (Company release) Neutral Sentiment: Strategic pivot to premium customers: Management and industry reports note a shift to higherincome consumers and premium price tiers (more marketing, luxury positioning) this could help margins over time but raises near-term marketing spend. PYMNTS / Reuters summary Strategic pivot to premium customers: Management and industry reports note a shift to higherincome consumers and premium price tiers (more marketing, luxury positioning) this could help margins over time but raises near-term marketing spend. Negative Sentiment: Tariff headwind: Management said tariffs will shave roughly $100M off fullyear profitability (mostly in H2), and is considering pricing actions a clear near-term earnings risk that helped drive selling pressure. CNBC Article Tariff headwind: Management said tariffs will shave roughly $100M off fullyear profitability (mostly in H2), and is considering pricing actions a clear near-term earnings risk that helped drive selling pressure. Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY profit guidance disappointed: EL set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.03$2.23, which markets viewed as light relative to expectations (consensus ~ $2.17 midpoint) investors punished the stock despite the beat. Investopedia Cautious FY profit guidance disappointed: EL set FY26 EPS guidance of $2.03$2.23, which markets viewed as light relative to expectations (consensus ~ $2.17 midpoint) investors punished the stock despite the beat. Negative Sentiment: Restructuring and near-term profit impact: Reports and commentary note restructuring costs and one-time items reduced GAAP profitability this quarter (and pressured near-term margins), amplifying investor concern about immediate cash returns. Barrons Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EL. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Estee Lauder Companies by 4.8% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 25,898 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,177 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Estee Lauder Companies by 33.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 6,992 shares of the companys stock valued at $462,000 after buying an additional 1,749 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 4,619 shares of the companys stock worth $305,000 after purchasing an additional 898 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 23.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 997 shares of the companys stock valued at $81,000 after buying an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in Estee Lauder Companies by 55.5% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 13,522 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,093,000 after buying an additional 4,826 shares in the last quarter. 55.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Estee Lauder Companies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE: EL) is a global leader in prestige beauty that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. Founded in 1946 by Estee Lauder, the company has grown from a small family business into a multinational consumer-products enterprise headquartered in New York City. Its activities span product research and development, brand and product marketing, manufacturing and global distribution across multiple retail channels. The companys portfolio includes a mix of legacy and prestige brands that target different consumer segments and price points, with well-known names such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer and Jo Malone among others. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Estee Lauder Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Estee Lauder Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by investment analysts at Evercore ISI from $215.00 to $250.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday. The brokerage presently has an in-line rating on the stock. Evercore ISIs price objective would indicate a potential upside of 7.66% from the stocks previous close. A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America upped their target price on Hershey from $200.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating and set a $188.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $213.00 target price on Hershey and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and sixteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Hershey has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $202.61. Get Hershey alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Hershey Hershey Trading Up 3.5% Shares of Hershey stock traded up $7.84 on Friday, reaching $232.22. 217,384 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,980,620. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Hershey has a fifty-two week low of $150.04 and a fifty-two week high of $234.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.67 and a beta of 0.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $188.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $185.53. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 11.84% and a return on equity of 32.08%. The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 EPS for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, CEO Kirk Tanner acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,876,115.60. The trade was a 4.36% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 transaction of $298,005.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 52,319 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,394,215.73. This trade represents a 2.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Hershey Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Hershey by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,618,000 after buying an additional 937 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Hershey during the second quarter worth about $128,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its holdings in Hershey by 4.0% during the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 7,081 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,175,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Hershey by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 402,266 shares of the companys stock valued at $66,756,000 after purchasing an additional 4,484 shares during the period. Finally, Callan Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hershey by 65.5% in the 2nd quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 3,913 shares of the companys stock worth $649,000 after buying an additional 1,549 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 57.96% of the companys stock. Key Stories Impacting Hershey Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week: Hershey Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hershey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hershey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Excelerate Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EE Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $37.63 and last traded at $37.1750, with a volume of 109277 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $35.80. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Excelerate Energy from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Tudor Pickering upgraded Excelerate Energy from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Excelerate Energy from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and set a $36.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, January 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Excelerate Energy in a report on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $30.00 price target on shares of Excelerate Energy and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $35.50. Get Excelerate Energy alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on EE Excelerate Energy Trading Up 4.1% The stock has a market capitalization of $4.25 billion, a PE ratio of 25.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $30.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $27.18. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 2.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Excelerate Energy (NYSE:EE Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.13. Excelerate Energy had a net margin of 3.46% and a return on equity of 4.34%. The company had revenue of $391.04 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $270.82 million. The businesss revenue was up 102.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Excelerate Energy, Inc. will post 1.16 EPS for the current fiscal year. Excelerate Energy declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 11th that authorizes the company to repurchase $75.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 2.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Excelerate Energy Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS grew its holdings in Excelerate Energy by 645.2% during the third quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 69,300 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,746,000 after purchasing an additional 60,000 shares during the period. Fortress Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Excelerate Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $3,130,000. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Excelerate Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $1,845,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in Excelerate Energy in the 2nd quarter worth about $519,000. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Excelerate Energy by 32.9% in the 2nd quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 171,700 shares of the companys stock worth $5,034,000 after acquiring an additional 42,500 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 21.79% of the companys stock. Excelerate Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) Excelerate Energy (NYSE: EE) is a Houstonbased energy infrastructure company specializing in liquefied natural gas (LNG) solutions. The company develops, owns and operates floating regasification units (FSRUs) that convert shipped LNG into natural gas for delivery into existing pipeline networks. Excelerate Energys integrated platform also includes specialized LNG carriers, proprietary regasification technology and onshore support facilities, enabling rapid deployment of import terminals without extensive capital construction. Founded in the early 2000s, Excelerate Energy pioneered the first FSRU in 2007, demonstrating the flexibility and cost advantages of floating LNG import infrastructure. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Excelerate Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Excelerate Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC bought a new stake in Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF (NYSEARCA:ASHR Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 33,308 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $1,098,000. Financial & Tax Architects LLC owned approximately 0.06% of Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in ASHR. Hutchinson Financial Advisors INC purchased a new stake in shares of Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF in the second quarter valued at $631,000. Sun Life Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF in the second quarter valued at $5,461,000. Trium Capital LLP purchased a new stake in Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF during the third quarter valued at about $31,955,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF by 26.6% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,185,968 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $32,662,000 after purchasing an additional 249,190 shares during the period. Get Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF alerts: Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF Stock Down 0.8% Shares of ASHR stock opened at $33.20 on Friday. Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF has a fifty-two week low of $23.26 and a fifty-two week high of $34.35. The firms 50 day moving average price is $33.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $32.16. The stock has a market cap of $1.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.62 and a beta of 0.27. Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF Company Profile The Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF (ASHR) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the China Shenzhen SE \u002F CSI 300 index. The fund tracks an index of the 300 largest and most liquid Chinese shares traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges. The fund holds physical China A-shares. ASHR was launched on Nov 6, 2013 and is managed by Xtrackers. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ASHR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF (NYSEARCA:ASHR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Xtrackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM Free Report) by 70.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,813 shares of the specialty retailers stock after selling 4,255 shares during the quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLCs holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $354,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 2.2% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 5,991,697 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $978,864,000 after acquiring an additional 127,597 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in Williams-Sonoma by 30.6% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,741,639 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $284,532,000 after purchasing an additional 407,929 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 30.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,736,466 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $283,686,000 after purchasing an additional 401,138 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $212,107,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 44.9% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,256,734 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $205,317,000 after purchasing an additional 389,548 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.29% of the companys stock. Get Williams-Sonoma alerts: Williams-Sonoma Stock Down 1.6% WSM stock opened at $212.31 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.35 billion, a PE ratio of 23.36, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 1.64. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a twelve month low of $130.07 and a twelve month high of $221.81. The stocks 50 day moving average is $195.00 and its 200-day moving average is $193.65. Williams-Sonoma Dividend Announcement Williams-Sonoma ( NYSE:WSM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The specialty retailer reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.87 by $0.09. Williams-Sonoma had a net margin of 14.30% and a return on equity of 53.10%. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will post 8.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Williams-Sonomas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.04%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades WSM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $206.00 target price on Williams-Sonoma and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $190.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. TD Cowen restated a buy rating and set a $245.00 price target (up from $210.00) on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $201.83. Get Our Latest Analysis on WSM Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma In other Williams-Sonoma news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total transaction of $157,357.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 806,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. The trade was a 4.16% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 65,767 shares of company stock valued at $12,802,440. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. About Williams-Sonoma (Free Report) WilliamsSonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on the home and culinary markets, best known for premium cookware, kitchen tools and home furnishings. The company traces its roots to a single cookware store founded by Chuck Williams in 1956 in Sonoma, California, and has evolved into a multibrand home furnishings and housewares business. Its merchandise mix spans cookware and kitchen electrics, tabletop and food prep items, furniture, bedding, lighting and decorative accessories designed for both everyday use and higherend interiors. The company operates a portfolio of consumer brands that target distinct segments of the home market. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Williams-Sonoma Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Williams-Sonoma and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guild Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of United States Natural Gas Fund LP (NYSEARCA:UNG Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 50,000 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $654,000. Guild Investment Management Inc. owned about 0.10% of United States Natural Gas Fund as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Scotia Capital Inc. lifted its stake in United States Natural Gas Fund by 6.8% during the second quarter. Scotia Capital Inc. now owns 18,882 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $289,000 after purchasing an additional 1,205 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank raised its holdings in shares of United States Natural Gas Fund by 1,412.9% during the first quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 2,693 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 2,515 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC lifted its position in shares of United States Natural Gas Fund by 132.8% in the 2nd quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 9,618 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $147,000 after buying an additional 5,486 shares during the last quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of United States Natural Gas Fund by 41.1% in the 2nd quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 19,131 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 5,574 shares during the period. Finally, Insigneo Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United States Natural Gas Fund by 41.9% in the 2nd quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC now owns 20,186 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 5,963 shares during the period. Get United States Natural Gas Fund alerts: United States Natural Gas Fund Stock Up 0.4% Shares of NYSEARCA:UNG opened at $13.52 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $410.33 million, a PE ratio of -15.04 and a beta of -0.12. United States Natural Gas Fund LP has a fifty-two week low of $9.95 and a fifty-two week high of $24.33. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $13.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $13.10. United States Natural Gas Fund Company Profile United States Natural Gas Fund, LP is a limited partnership. The Company is a commodity pool that issues limited partnership interests (shares) traded on the NYSE Arca, Inc (the NYSE Arca). The investment objective of the Company 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 natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub, Louisiana, as measured by the daily changes in the price of the futures contracts on natural gas traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (the NYMEX) that is the near month contract to expire, except when the near month contract is within two weeks of expiration, in which case it will be measured by the futures contract that is the next month contract to expire (the Benchmark Futures Contract), less its expenses. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for United States Natural Gas Fund LP (NYSEARCA:UNG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for United States Natural Gas Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United States Natural Gas Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guinness Asset Management LTD bought a new stake in TC Energy Corporation (NYSE:TRP Free Report) (TSE:TRP) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 110,322 shares of the pipeline companys stock, valued at approximately $5,897,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC acquired a new stake in TC Energy during the third quarter worth $1,391,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in TC Energy in the second quarter valued at about $493,434,000. CUSHING ASSET MANAGEMENT LP dba NXG INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT boosted its holdings in shares of TC Energy by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. CUSHING ASSET MANAGEMENT LP dba NXG INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT now owns 1,365,500 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $74,297,000 after acquiring an additional 115,000 shares in the last quarter. Ausbil Investment Management Ltd boosted its stake in TC Energy by 33.2% in the third quarter. Ausbil Investment Management Ltd now owns 100,519 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $5,415,000 after purchasing an additional 25,026 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in TC Energy by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 45,907,306 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $2,241,195,000 after buying an additional 1,509,328 shares in the last quarter. 83.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get TC Energy alerts: TC Energy Stock Up 1.0% Shares of TRP opened at $59.87 on Friday. TC Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $43.59 and a 52 week high of $60.18. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $55.34 and its 200 day simple moving average is $52.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 0.56 and a current ratio of 0.63. The firm has a market cap of $62.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.81 and a beta of 0.73. Trending Headlines about TC Energy TC Energy ( NYSE:TRP Get Free Report ) (TSE:TRP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The pipeline company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.56. TC Energy had a return on equity of 10.61% and a net margin of 23.86%.The business had revenue of $1.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.63 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.03 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that TC Energy Corporation will post 2.63 earnings per share for the current year. Here are the key news stories impacting TC Energy this week: Positive Sentiment: US Capital Advisors raised several 20262027 EPS forecasts (small bumps to Q1, Q3 and Q4 2026 and a lift to FY2027), which supports a slightly improved earnings trajectory and likely helped buying interest. US Capital Advisors Estimates TC Energy FY2026 Earnings US Capital Advisors raised several 20262027 EPS forecasts (small bumps to Q1, Q3 and Q4 2026 and a lift to FY2027), which supports a slightly improved earnings trajectory and likely helped buying interest. Neutral Sentiment: The revisions are modest and mixed US Capital Advisors also trimmed FY2025 and Q4 2025 estimates while leaving the consensus full-year at about $2.63, so the fundamental change is incremental rather than transformational for TRPs valuation. The revisions are modest and mixed US Capital Advisors also trimmed FY2025 and Q4 2025 estimates while leaving the consensus full-year at about $2.63, so the fundamental change is incremental rather than transformational for TRPs valuation. Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put-option buying roughly 16,157 puts traded (about a 1,446% increase vs. normal daily put volume) signals notable short-term bearish bets that can increase downward pressure or volatility in the stock. Investors Buy Large Volume of Put Options on TC Energy (NYSE:TRP) Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have commented on TRP. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of TC Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of TC Energy in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Cibc World Mkts lowered TC Energy from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on TC Energy from $74.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Cibc Captl Mkts upgraded shares of TC Energy from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $84.00. Get Our Latest Report on TC Energy TC Energy Company Profile (Free Report) TC Energy (NYSE: TRP) is a North American energy infrastructure company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Formerly known as TransCanada, the company rebranded as TC Energy to reflect its broad presence across Canada, the United States and Mexico. TC Energy develops, owns and operates a diversified portfolio of energy infrastructure assets that play a central role in the transportation and delivery of energy across the continent. The companys principal businesses include longdistance natural gas transmission, liquids (crude oil) pipelines, natural gas storage and power generation. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TC Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TC Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Haemonetics (NYSE:HAE Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.31 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $338.97 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $331.90 million. Haemonetics had a net margin of 12.67% and a return on equity of 27.22%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.19 earnings per share. Haemonetics updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.900-5.000 EPS. Here are the key takeaways from Haemonetics conference call: Get Haemonetics alerts: Company raised fullyear guidance reported revenue guidance tightened to a decline of ~1%3%, organic revenue exCSL raised to ~8%10%, adjusted EPS now expected at $4.90$5.00, and free cash flow guidance increased to $200$220 million. reported revenue guidance tightened to a decline of ~1%3%, organic revenue exCSL raised to ~8%10%, adjusted EPS now expected at $4.90$5.00, and free cash flow guidance increased to $200$220 million. Core product momentum NexSys/TEG and Plasma drove outsized results (TEG adoption and a new heparinase cartridge accelerating conversions; Plasma organic growth exCSL ~20% this quarter and ~22% YTD), with sustained share gains and innovationled pricing. NexSys/TEG and Plasma drove outsized results (TEG adoption and a new heparinase cartridge accelerating conversions; Plasma organic growth exCSL ~20% this quarter and ~22% YTD), with sustained share gains and innovationled pricing. Interventional Technologies (IVT) remains a drag IVT revenue fell materially (down 12% Q/Q) due to esophageal cooling weakness, accelerated PFA adoption and OEM headwinds; management expects a turnaround in FY2027 but is investing now, so nearterm performance is challenged. IVT revenue fell materially (down 12% Q/Q) due to esophageal cooling weakness, accelerated PFA adoption and OEM headwinds; management expects a turnaround in FY2027 but is investing now, so nearterm performance is challenged. Margins and cash generation strengthened adjusted gross margin ~60%, operatingmargin guidance ~26%27%, $74M free cash flow in the quarter (YTD $165M), cash balance up to $363M, active buybacks and the $61M Vivisure acquisition funded while keeping leverage manageable. Haemonetics Trading Down 5.8% Shares of NYSE HAE traded down $3.77 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $61.25. The stock had a trading volume of 534,204 shares, compared to its average volume of 864,546. Haemonetics has a twelve month low of $47.31 and a twelve month high of $87.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.64. The companys 50 day moving average price is $77.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.27. The firm has a market cap of $2.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.28. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Haemonetics Trending Headlines about Haemonetics Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HAE. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Haemonetics by 372.8% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,128,878 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $102,814,000 after purchasing an additional 1,678,630 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in Haemonetics by 4,296.3% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 773,179 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $37,685,000 after acquiring an additional 755,592 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in Haemonetics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $15,703,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new position in shares of Haemonetics in the third quarter valued at approximately $13,178,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in Haemonetics during the third quarter worth $6,145,000. Institutional investors own 99.67% of the companys stock. Here are the key news stories impacting Haemonetics this week: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts have issued reports on HAE shares. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Haemonetics from $90.00 to $80.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Haemonetics from $62.00 to $74.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Haemonetics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC lowered shares of Haemonetics from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Barrington Research set a $94.00 price objective on Haemonetics in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $83.50. Read Our Latest Report on Haemonetics Haemonetics Company Profile (Get Free Report) Haemonetics Corporation is a global provider of blood management solutions that support the collection, processing and transfusion of blood and blood products. The companys offerings are designed to enhance patient safety and operational efficiency for blood centers, hospitals and plasma collection facilities. Haemonetics serves healthcare providers worldwide by delivering integrated systems, software and consumables that address critical needs throughout the continuum of blood management. The companys product portfolio includes automated apheresis and plasma collection systems, surgical blood salvage and coagulation monitoring devices, and pathogen reduction technologies. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Haemonetics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Haemonetics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Heidelberg Materials AG (OTCMKTS:HLBZF Get Free Report)s share price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $245.72 and traded as low as $235.51. Heidelberg Materials shares last traded at $257.49, with a volume of 160 shares traded. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts have issued reports on HLBZF shares. UBS Group upgraded Heidelberg Materials to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating on shares of Heidelberg Materials in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Heidelberg Materials from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Barclays raised shares of Heidelberg Materials to an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut Heidelberg Materials to an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Three equities research 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, the company presently has an average rating of Hold. Get Heidelberg Materials alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on Heidelberg Materials Heidelberg Materials Price Performance About Heidelberg Materials The companys 50-day simple moving average is $266.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $245.72. (Get Free Report) Heidelberg Materials (OTCMKTS: HLBZF) is a global building materials company headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany. Formerly known as HeidelbergCement, the company develops, manufactures and markets a comprehensive range of construction materials. Its core product lines include cement, aggregates, ready-mix concrete and asphalt, complemented by performance materials such as mineral components, industrial fillers and admixtures. In addition to commodity building products, Heidelberg Materials offers tailored solutions encompassing technical consulting, digital construction platforms and CO management services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Heidelberg Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Heidelberg Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HORAN Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Free Report) by 35.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 25,065 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 6,603 shares during the quarter. HORAN Wealth LLCs holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $4,648,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in JNJ. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Johnson & Johnson during the second quarter valued at $4,877,174,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 15,040.6% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,420,699 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,133,512,000 after buying an additional 7,371,687 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 237,047,859 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,209,060,000 after buying an additional 3,085,180 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 2.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,609,476 shares of the companys stock worth $9,227,988,000 after buying an additional 1,225,676 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in Johnson & Johnson by 6.2% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 18,917,274 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,889,614,000 after acquiring an additional 1,097,855 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.55% of the companys stock. Get Johnson & Johnson alerts: Johnson & Johnson Price Performance NYSE JNJ opened at $237.66 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $212.87 and a 200 day simple moving average of $193.33. Johnson & Johnson has a twelve month low of $141.50 and a twelve month high of $239.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $572.60 billion, a PE ratio of 21.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 1.07. Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend Johnson & Johnson ( NYSE:JNJ Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $2.46. Johnson & Johnson had a return on equity of 33.34% and a net margin of 28.46%.The firm had revenue of $24.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.04 EPS. The companys revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.430-11.630 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be issued a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 24th. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio is 47.06%. Johnson & Johnson News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson & Johnson this week: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In JNJ has been the topic of several analyst reports. UBS Group restated a buy rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $227.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Johnson & Johnson from $240.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Freedom Capital cut Johnson & Johnson from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Johnson & Johnson currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $233.73. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on JNJ About Johnson & Johnson (Free Report) Johnson & Johnson is a multinational healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and previously consumer health. Founded in 1886 by the Johnson family, the company has grown into a global healthcare organization with operations and sales in many countries around the world. The companys pharmaceuticals business, organized largely under its Janssen research and development organization, focuses on prescription medicines across therapeutic areas such as immunology, infectious disease, oncology and neuroscience. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Johnson & Johnson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Johnson & Johnson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HORAN Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:JHMM Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 10,306 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $667,000. A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in JHMM. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF by 46.3% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 739 shares of the companys stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Caldwell Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF in the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF during the second quarter worth approximately $61,000. TFC Financial Management Inc. bought a new position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF during the 2nd quarter worth $72,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at $83,000. Get John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF alerts: John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Stock Performance NYSEARCA:JHMM opened at $68.88 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $67.34 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.09. The company has a market cap of $4.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.18 and a beta of 1.04. John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF has a fifty-two week low of $49.29 and a fifty-two week high of $69.88. About John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF The John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (JHMM) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the John Hancock Dimensional Mid Cap index. The fund tracks an index of US firms ranked 200-950 by size, weighted by multiple factors relative to their sector peers. JHMM was launched on Sep 28, 2015 and is managed by John Hancock. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JHMM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:JHMM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guinness Atkinson Asset Management Inc reduced its stake in Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE:ICE Free Report) by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,190 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 3,119 shares during the period. Intercontinental Exchange makes up about 2.9% of Guinness Atkinson Asset Management Incs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Guinness Atkinson Asset Management Incs holdings in Intercontinental Exchange were worth $6,080,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ICE. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Intercontinental Exchange in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Knuff & Co LLC grew its position in Intercontinental Exchange by 73.3% in the second quarter. Knuff & Co LLC now owns 175 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 59.5% during the third quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 177 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Gables Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Intercontinental Exchange by 100.0% during the second quarter. Gables Capital Management Inc. now owns 250 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. 89.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Intercontinental Exchange alerts: Insider Activity at Intercontinental Exchange In other news, CTO Mayur Kapani sold 5,345 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.67, for a total value of $837,401.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer owned 65,240 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,221,150.80. This represents a 7.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher sold 150,000 shares of Intercontinental Exchange stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.08, for a total transaction of $22,962,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,801,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $275,805,001.40. This represents a 7.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 166,068 shares of company stock worth $25,470,702 in the last ninety days. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Intercontinental Exchange Price Performance Shares of NYSE:ICE opened at $167.96 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $164.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $166.59. The company has a market cap of $95.77 billion, a PE ratio of 30.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.02. Intercontinental Exchange Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $143.17 and a fifty-two week high of $189.35. Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The financial services provider reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.67 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $3.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.51 billion. Intercontinental Exchange had a return on equity of 13.79% and a net margin of 25.24%.The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.52 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Intercontinental Exchange Inc. will post 6.73 EPS for the current year. Intercontinental Exchange Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.52 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 16th. This represents a $2.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Intercontinental Exchanges payout ratio is presently 34.97%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms recently weighed in on ICE. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $195.00 price target (down from $202.00) on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $180.00 price target on shares of Intercontinental Exchange in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered Intercontinental Exchange from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Saturday, January 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Intercontinental Exchange from $202.00 to $180.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Intercontinental Exchange has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $194.60. View Our Latest Stock Report on ICE Trending Headlines about Intercontinental Exchange Here are the key news stories impacting Intercontinental Exchange this week: About Intercontinental Exchange (Free Report) Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) is a global operator of exchanges, clearing houses and data services that provides infrastructure for the trading, clearing, settlement and information needs of financial and commodity markets. Founded in 2000 by Jeffrey C. Sprecher as an electronic energy trading platform, the company has grown through organic expansion and acquisitions to operate a broad portfolio of assets spanning listed equities, futures and options, fixed income, and over-the-counter derivatives. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ICE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (NYSE:ICE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Intercontinental Exchange Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Intercontinental Exchange and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Block, Inc. (NYSE:XYZ Free Report) by 110.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 118,726 shares of the technology companys stock after purchasing an additional 62,291 shares during the quarter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltds holdings in Block were worth $8,580,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd bought a new position in shares of Block in the third quarter valued at $5,383,000. Motley Fool Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Block in the second quarter valued at $2,055,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Block in the second quarter valued at $415,575,000. Y.D. More Investments Ltd bought a new position in shares of Block in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,628,000. Finally, Korea Investment CORP acquired a new position in shares of Block during the 2nd quarter worth about $13,937,000. Institutional investors own 70.44% of the companys stock. Get Block alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. KeyCorp reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $94.00 target price on shares of Block in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Block to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Block from $96.00 to $82.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of Block in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Block to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $82.48. Insider Buying and Selling In other Block news, insider Brian Grassadonia sold 1,983 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.52, for a total value of $135,875.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 518,331 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,516,040.12. The trade was a 0.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Owen Britton Jennings sold 822 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.98, for a total transaction of $52,591.56. Following the transaction, the insider owned 242,718 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,529,097.64. The trade was a 0.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 54,796 shares of company stock valued at $3,395,943 in the last 90 days. 10.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Block Price Performance Shares of NYSE XYZ opened at $53.41 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $32.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 2.67. The businesss 50 day moving average is $64.40 and its 200-day moving average is $70.86. The company has a current ratio of 2.18, a quick ratio of 2.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Block, Inc. has a 1-year low of $44.27 and a 1-year high of $88.73. Block (NYSE:XYZ Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The technology company reported $0.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.25 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $6.11 billion for the quarter. Block had a return on equity of 5.54% and a net margin of 12.99%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.53 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Block, Inc. will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year. Block Company Profile (Free Report) Block (NYSE:XYZ) is a financial technology company that builds products and services to facilitate electronic payments, commerce, and consumer finance. Its principal business lines include a seller-focused ecosystem that provides point-of-sale hardware and software, payment processing, invoicing, payroll and lending services, and a consumer-facing platform that offers peer-to-peer payments, banking-like features, and investing. Blocks portfolio also encompasses music streaming and buy-now-pay-later capabilities through businesses acquired to broaden its reach beyond core payments. The company was founded as Square in 2009 by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey and later rebranded to Block to reflect a diversified set of businesses across payments, consumer finance, and emerging technologies. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Block Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Block and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC decreased its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Free Report) by 27.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 16,414 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,218 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF were worth $1,869,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 94.0% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 870,647 shares of the companys stock valued at $97,512,000 after acquiring an additional 421,923 shares during the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 11,098.1% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 359,234 shares of the companys stock worth $40,234,000 after buying an additional 356,026 shares in the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF during the second quarter worth approximately $28,034,000. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 50.7% in the third quarter. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC now owns 670,773 shares of the companys stock worth $76,388,000 after buying an additional 225,601 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF by 34.2% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 455,259 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,526,000 after buying an additional 115,944 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Stock Performance Shares of BATS:EFG opened at $116.42 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.69 billion, a PE ratio of 24.98 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $116.46 and a 200-day moving average of $114.24. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF has a one year low of $88.66 and a one year high of $113.16. iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Profile iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth 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 Growth Index (the 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 consumer staples, industrials, consumer discretionary, materials, healthcare, financials, information technology, energy, telecommunication services and utilities. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (BATS:EFG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Itau Unibanco (NYSE:ITUB Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The bank reported $0.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.03), Zacks reports. Itau Unibanco had a return on equity of 20.82% and a net margin of 20.64%.The firm had revenue of $629.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.98 billion. Itau Unibanco Stock Up 2.7% Shares of NYSE ITUB traded up $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $8.92. The company had a trading volume of 11,932,091 shares, compared to its average volume of 26,155,504. The company has a market capitalization of $98.75 billion, a PE ratio of 12.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.62. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $7.58 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.10. Itau Unibanco has a 1-year low of $4.73 and a 1-year high of $9.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.58. Get Itau Unibanco alerts: Itau Unibanco Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.0032 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 2nd. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Itau Unibancos dividend payout ratio is currently 4.29%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ITUB shares. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Itau Unibanco in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised Itau Unibanco from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Itau Unibanco from $6.80 to $7.77 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $7.77. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Itau Unibanco Institutional Investors Weigh In On Itau Unibanco A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Itau Unibanco by 332.4% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,966 shares of the banks stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 5,355 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of Itau Unibanco by 486.0% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 8,966 shares of the banks stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 7,436 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Itau Unibanco by 42.4% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 13,687 shares of the banks stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 4,076 shares during the last quarter. PharVision Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Itau Unibanco during the third quarter worth $113,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Itau Unibanco by 106.1% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 18,831 shares of the banks stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 9,696 shares in the last quarter. About Itau Unibanco (Get Free Report) Itau Unibanco SA (NYSE: ITUB) is a Brazilian banking and financial services conglomerate headquartered in Sao Paulo. The company was formed by the merger of Banco Itau and Unibanco in 2008 and is one of the largest private-sector banks in Brazil and among the leading banks in Latin America. Itau Unibanco is publicly listed in Brazil and maintains an international listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The bank offers a full range of financial products and services across retail, commercial and wholesale banking. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Itau Unibanco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Itau Unibanco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. (OTCMKTS:IVPAF Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $12.92, but opened at $11.80. Ivanhoe Mines shares last traded at $12.31, with a volume of 6,928 shares traded. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Ivanhoe Mines from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, December 7th. Scotiabank restated an outperform rating on shares of Ivanhoe Mines in a report on Monday, January 26th. Raymond James Financial reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Ivanhoe Mines in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $15.20 price objective on shares of Ivanhoe Mines in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Ivanhoe Mines has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $15.20. Get Ivanhoe Mines alerts: Read Our Latest Report on Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines Stock Performance Ivanhoe Mines Company Profile The stock has a market cap of $17.64 billion and a PE ratio of 56.29. The firms 50-day moving average is $11.47 and its 200 day moving average is $10.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 4.03 and a current ratio of 4.23. (Get Free Report) Ivanhoe Mines is a Canada-based mineral exploration and development company focused on unlocking high-value deposits of copper, nickel, zinc, and platinum-group metals. The company pursues a two-pronged strategy of advancing large-scale mining projects through feasibility and development stages while also expanding its exploration footprint. Ivanhoes technical expertise spans geology, engineering, environmental management, and community relations, enabling it to secure the necessary permits and infrastructure for major mine developments. The companys flagship asset is the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a joint venture with the government of the DRC and Zijin Mining. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Ivanhoe Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ivanhoe Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Japan Airlines Ltd (OTCMKTS:JAPSY Get Free Report) gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $9.64, but opened at $10.41. Japan Airlines shares last traded at $10.00, with a volume of 2,249 shares traded. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Japan Airlines from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy. Get Japan Airlines alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on Japan Airlines Japan Airlines Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The stock has a market cap of $8.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.27 and a beta of 0.37. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.80. Japan Airlines (OTCMKTS:JAPSY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $3.44 billion for the quarter. Japan Airlines had a net margin of 6.57% and a return on equity of 11.07%. Research analysts forecast that Japan Airlines Ltd will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current year. Japan Airlines Company Profile (Get Free Report) Japan Airlines (OTCMKTS:JAPSY) is the flag carrier of Japan, providing both scheduled passenger and cargo air transportation services. The company operates a comprehensive network of domestic and international flights, connecting major cities across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. In addition to its core passenger services, Japan Airlines offers charter operations, cargo logistics and maintenance support through its technical services division. The airlines network is centered on its primary hubs at Tokyos Haneda and Narita airports. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Japan Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Japan Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of Hold by the twenty research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $22.7368. A number of research analysts have weighed in on KEY shares. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, January 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on KeyCorp from $20.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Get KeyCorp alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on KEY Insider Buying and Selling at KeyCorp Hedge Funds Weigh In On KeyCorp In other news, insider Angela G. Mago sold 62,850 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.55, for a total value of $1,354,417.50. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 261,415 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,633,493.25. This represents a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, Director Trina M. Evans sold 32,695 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.74, for a total transaction of $710,789.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 58,719 shares in the company, valued at $1,276,551.06. This represents a 35.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.52% of the companys stock. Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of KeyCorp by 90.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 36,370,694 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $679,768,000 after purchasing an additional 17,245,128 shares during the period. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of KeyCorp by 169.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 20,788,957 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $388,546,000 after buying an additional 13,067,326 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of KeyCorp during the 2nd quarter worth $195,642,000. HoldCo Asset Management LP bought a new position in shares of KeyCorp during the 2nd quarter worth $86,995,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of KeyCorp by 123.4% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,182,671 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $125,122,000 after buying an additional 3,967,544 shares during the period. 79.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. KeyCorp Trading Up 0.3% KEY opened at $22.71 on Friday. KeyCorp has a 12 month low of $12.73 and a 12 month high of $22.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $20.85 and a 200 day moving average of $19.13. The firm has a market cap of $24.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.94, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.10. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The financial services provider reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.02. KeyCorp had a return on equity of 10.28% and a net margin of 15.97%.The firm had revenue of $2.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.95 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.30 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 131.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that KeyCorp will post 1.5 EPS for the current year. KeyCorp Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.205 per share. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. KeyCorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.95%. KeyCorp Company Profile (Get Free Report) KeyCorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, that operates through its primary banking subsidiary, KeyBank. It provides a broad range of banking and financial services to individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies and large corporations. KeyBanks offerings span traditional deposit and lending products as well as more specialized financial solutions designed for commercial and institutional clients. The companys product and service mix includes retail banking products such as checking and savings accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, and auto financing. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for KeyCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KeyCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS Get Free Report) CFO Nealesh Shah sold 24,690 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.42, for a total transaction of $35,059.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 1,705,167 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,421,337.14. This trade represents a 1.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Kosmos Energy Trading Up 5.0% Shares of NYSE KOS traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $1.37. 3,375,039 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 19,332,723. Kosmos Energy Ltd. has a 12-month low of $0.84 and a 12-month high of $3.49. The firm has a market cap of $652.92 million, a P/E ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 0.90. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $1.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.52. Get Kosmos Energy alerts: Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The oil and gas producer reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $310.96 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $360.82 million. As a group, analysts expect that Kosmos Energy Ltd. will post 0.42 earnings per share for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Stephens assumed coverage on Kosmos Energy in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $1.75 price objective for the company. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Kosmos Energy from $2.00 to $1.50 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Clarkson Capital assumed coverage on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research report on Friday, October 24th. They set a buy rating and a $4.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Kosmos Energy in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Bank of America reiterated 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $2.08. Read Our Latest Analysis on KOS Kosmos Energy News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Kosmos Energy this week: Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a deep-dive titled Kosmos Energy: A High-Stakes Bet On Oils Comeback that frames KOS as a high-risk, high-reward play tied to oil prices useful context but not a company catalyst. Article Title Seeking Alpha published a deep-dive titled Kosmos Energy: A High-Stakes Bet On Oils Comeback that frames KOS as a high-risk, high-reward play tied to oil prices useful context but not a company catalyst. Negative Sentiment: CEO Andrew G. Inglis sold a total of 148,182 shares across Feb. 34 at average prices ~$1.37$1.42 ($205k proceeds), reducing his stake by roughly 3.4% over the two trades. Filing: Read More. CEO Andrew G. Inglis sold a total of 148,182 shares across Feb. 34 at average prices ~$1.37$1.42 ($205k proceeds), reducing his stake by roughly 3.4% over the two trades. Filing: Read More. Negative Sentiment: CFO Nealesh D. Shah sold 79,124 shares on Feb. 34 at similar prices ($109.6k total), reducing his holdings by ~4.5% across the two trades. Filing: Read More. CFO Nealesh D. Shah sold 79,124 shares on Feb. 34 at similar prices ($109.6k total), reducing his holdings by ~4.5% across the two trades. Filing: Read More. Negative Sentiment: SVP Josh R. Marion sold 22,940 shares on Feb. 34 ($31.6k total), a notable ~10% reduction called out in the filings. Filing: Read More. SVP Josh R. Marion sold 22,940 shares on Feb. 34 ($31.6k total), a notable ~10% reduction called out in the filings. Filing: Read More. Negative Sentiment: CAO Ronald W. Glass sold 22,598 shares on Feb. 34 ($31.1k total), reducing his position by ~6.3% across the two trades. Filing: Read More. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Blueshift Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Kosmos Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Old Port Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Kosmos Energy in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Ellevest Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Kosmos Energy in the second quarter worth $34,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its position in 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, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Kosmos Energy in the second quarter valued at about $41,000. 95.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Kosmos Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Kosmos Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kosmos Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lightspeed Commerce (NYSE:LSPD Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.13 by $0.02, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $312.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $311.28 million. Lightspeed Commerce had a negative net margin of 59.16% and a positive return on equity of 0.39%. The companys revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.12 earnings per share. Here are the key takeaways from Lightspeed Commerces conference call: Get Lightspeed Commerce alerts: Strong quarter and upgraded outlook: management reported $312.3M revenue, $20.2M Adjusted EBITDA (+22%), reiterated positive free cash flow (second consecutive quarter) and raised Q4 and FY2026 guidance (Q4 revenue ~$280284M; FY revenue ~$1.2161.22B; Q4 adj. EBITDA ~$50M; FY adj. EBITDA ~$72M). Strong quarter and upgraded outlook: management reported revenue, Adjusted EBITDA (+22%), reiterated positive free cash flow (second consecutive quarter) and raised Q4 and FY2026 guidance (Q4 revenue ~$280284M; FY revenue ~$1.2161.22B; Q4 adj. EBITDA ~$50M; FY adj. EBITDA ~$72M). Growth engines accelerating: North America Retail and Europe Hospitality (now ~twothirds of revenue) grew 21% YoY and added ~ 2,600 net new locationsthe fastest location growth since the transformationwith a 150rep outbound sales force fully hired to scale acquisition. Growth engines accelerating: and (now ~twothirds of revenue) grew 21% YoY and added ~ net new locationsthe fastest location growth since the transformationwith a 150rep outbound sales force fully hired to scale acquisition. Product/AI-driven ARPU strategy: launched Lightspeed AI , Marketplace (wholesale), Tempo, Reservations and Tasks plus deeper payments/wholesale integration; management says proprietary payments and wholesale data will drive module attachment and higher ARPU. Product/AI-driven ARPU strategy: launched , (wholesale), Tempo, Reservations and Tasks plus deeper payments/wholesale integration; management says proprietary payments and wholesale data will drive module attachment and higher ARPU. Hardware margin headwind: management is using strategic discounts and free payment terminals to win customers, which pushed hardware gross margins down and could persist (company cited hardware margin ranges around -50% to -60% depending on new business mix). Hardware margin headwind: management is using strategic discounts and free payment terminals to win customers, which pushed hardware gross margins down and could persist (company cited hardware margin ranges around depending on new business mix). Healthy balance sheet and capital allocation optionality: cash of ~$479M, ~$200M remaining on buyback authority after $179M repurchased last 12 months (shares outstanding down ~10% YoY), and plans to prudently grow the highmargin merchant cash advance business ($106M outstanding). Lightspeed Commerce Price Performance Shares of LSPD stock traded down $0.06 on Friday, reaching $9.26. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,465,774 shares, compared to its average volume of 890,622. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $11.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.94. Lightspeed Commerce has a 1 year low of $7.34 and a 1 year high of $14.34. The company has a current ratio of 4.66, a quick ratio of 4.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The company has a market capitalization of $1.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 13.60 and a beta of 2.07. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lightspeed Commerce Trending Headlines about Lightspeed Commerce Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Lightspeed Commerce by 151.8% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,148,959 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,803,000 after buying an additional 1,295,469 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in Lightspeed Commerce by 5.2% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,971,125 shares of the companys stock worth $22,766,000 after acquiring an additional 97,183 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Lightspeed Commerce by 0.5% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,948,620 shares of the companys stock worth $22,507,000 after acquiring an additional 9,503 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in Lightspeed Commerce by 3.9% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,839,750 shares of the companys stock valued at $21,239,000 after purchasing an additional 69,018 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of Lightspeed Commerce by 22.1% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 466,574 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,389,000 after purchasing an additional 84,557 shares during the last quarter. 68.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Here are the key news stories impacting Lightspeed Commerce this week: Positive Sentiment: Q3 beat and revenue growth Lightspeed reported $0.15 EPS (above consensus) and revenue of $312.3M, up ~11% Y/Y, driven by transaction growth and payments adoption; this demonstrates ongoing top-line momentum. Article Title Q3 beat and revenue growth Lightspeed reported $0.15 EPS (above consensus) and revenue of $312.3M, up ~11% Y/Y, driven by transaction growth and payments adoption; this demonstrates ongoing top-line momentum. Positive Sentiment: Profitability and cash-flow improvements Management reported gross margin expansion to ~43%, positive operating cash flow of $28.9M and adjusted free cash flow of $14.9M, which support a path to improved unit economics. Article Title Profitability and cash-flow improvements Management reported gross margin expansion to ~43%, positive operating cash flow of $28.9M and adjusted free cash flow of $14.9M, which support a path to improved unit economics. Positive Sentiment: Customer and GTV traction Lightspeed added ~2,600 net customer locations and saw double-digit growth in key segments (retail NA, hospitality EU), supporting future recurring revenue and payment volume. Article Title Customer and GTV traction Lightspeed added ~2,600 net customer locations and saw double-digit growth in key segments (retail NA, hospitality EU), supporting future recurring revenue and payment volume. Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price-target adjustments BTIG and RBC lowered price targets (BTIG to $15; RBC to $13) but retained buy/outperform stances, leaving meaningful upside implied but at reduced valuations. Article Title Article Title Analyst price-target adjustments BTIG and RBC lowered price targets (BTIG to $15; RBC to $13) but retained buy/outperform stances, leaving meaningful upside implied but at reduced valuations. Negative Sentiment: Mixed market reception and continued net losses Coverage and press noted a cool investor reception despite the beat; the company still shows a negative net margin and reported a quarterly loss in headline coverage, which keeps sentiment cautious. Article Title Mixed market reception and continued net losses Coverage and press noted a cool investor reception despite the beat; the company still shows a negative net margin and reported a quarterly loss in headline coverage, which keeps sentiment cautious. Negative Sentiment: Analyst consensus is mixed MarketBeat/aggregators show an average Hold from analysts (majority hold or neutral ratings), indicating limited near-term conviction from the street. Article Title Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays lowered their price objective on Lightspeed Commerce from $15.00 to $14.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Lightspeed Commerce from $15.00 to $13.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Friday. National Bankshares dropped their price target on Lightspeed Commerce from $15.00 to $13.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d-) rating on shares of Lightspeed Commerce in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, TD Securities raised shares of Lightspeed Commerce to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lightspeed Commerce has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $13.47. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on LSPD Lightspeed Commerce Company Profile (Get Free Report) Lightspeed Commerce Inc is a Canadian technology company that develops cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) and e-commerce software for small and medium-sized businesses across the retail and hospitality sectors. Its integrated platform enables merchants to manage sales, inventory, customer relationships and analytics through a single interface. By combining in-store and online channels, Lightspeed helps businesses streamline operations and improve customer engagement in an increasingly omnichannel marketplace. The companys product suite includes POS terminals, payment processing services, inventory management tools, customer loyalty programs and data reporting dashboards. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lightspeed Commerce Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lightspeed Commerce and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.930-1.000 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.010. The company issued revenue guidance of -. MDU Resources Group Stock Up 2.2% NYSE:MDU traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $20.61. 505,237 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,128,917. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $20.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.73. MDU Resources Group has a 1 year low of $15.04 and a 1 year high of $21.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.75. Get MDU Resources Group alerts: MDU Resources Group (NYSE:MDU Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.37. The firm had revenue of $534.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $560.72 million. MDU Resources Group had a return on equity of 6.81% and a net margin of 9.02%.The firms quarterly revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.90 earnings per share. MDU Resources Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.930-1.000 EPS. Analysts predict that MDU Resources Group will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year. MDU Resources Group Dividend Announcement Analysts Set New Price Targets The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 11th were paid a $0.14 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. MDU Resources Groups payout ratio is 67.47%. A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MDU. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of MDU Resources Group in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a hold rating and a $20.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c-) rating on shares of MDU Resources Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on MDU Resources Group to $22.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of MDU Resources Group from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MDU Resources Group has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $21.00. Read Our Latest Research Report on MDU Resources Group Key Stories Impacting MDU Resources Group Here are the key news stories impacting MDU Resources Group this week: Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MDU. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its stake in shares of MDU Resources Group by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 53,742 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $957,000 after purchasing an additional 6,036 shares during the last quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP purchased a new position in MDU Resources Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,000,000. Armistice Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MDU Resources Group during the third quarter valued at about $1,160,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of MDU Resources Group by 24.5% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 73,675 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,228,000 after acquiring an additional 14,483 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury grew its stake in MDU Resources Group by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 95,018 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,584,000 after purchasing an additional 2,257 shares in the last quarter. 71.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. MDU Resources Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) MDU Resources Group, Inc is a diversified energy and services holding company headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota. The company operates through two primary segments: Utilities and Construction Services and Pipelines & Midstream. Serving a broad geographic footprint across the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest, MDU provides essential energy distribution and infrastructure services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. The Utilities segment delivers electric and natural gas distribution services in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan and Washington. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for MDU Resources Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MDU Resources Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Maxim Group initiated coverage on shares of Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPT Free Report) in a report released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $8.00 target price on the stock. Medical Properties Trust Price Performance Shares of NYSE:MPT opened at $5.29 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.68, a current ratio of 2.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06. The company has a market capitalization of $3.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.88 and a beta of 1.43. Medical Properties Trust has a 52 week low of $3.95 and a 52 week high of $6.34. Get Medical Properties Trust alerts: Medical Properties Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Medical Properties Trust, Inc (NYSE: MPT) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns and finances hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Founded in 2003 by Edward K. Aldag Jr., the companys business model centers on providing real estate capital to healthcare operators through long-term leases, sale-leaseback transactions, build-to-suit developments and mortgage financing. By specializing in healthcare real estate, MPT aims to deliver steady rental income and asset-based returns while enabling operators to access capital for clinical operations and growth. The companys portfolio primarily comprises acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care facilities, behavioral health centers and other specialty hospitals. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Medical Properties Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medical Properties Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Natuzzi, S.p.A. (NYSE:NTZ Get Free Report)s stock price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $2.90 and traded as low as $2.87. Natuzzi shares last traded at $2.9260, with a volume of 560 shares traded. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (e+) rating on shares of Natuzzi in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Sell. Get Natuzzi alerts: Get Our Latest Report on Natuzzi Natuzzi Trading Down 2.1% The firms fifty day simple moving average is $2.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $2.90. Natuzzi (NYSE:NTZ Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The company reported ($0.64) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $92.29 million for the quarter. Natuzzi had a negative return on equity of 38.57% and a negative net margin of 6.12%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natuzzi Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Natuzzi in the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its position in shares of Natuzzi by 27.5% during the 2nd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 178,000 shares of the companys stock worth $648,000 after buying an additional 38,350 shares during the last quarter. Kanen Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Natuzzi by 5.8% in the 1st quarter. Kanen Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,763,136 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,657,000 after buying an additional 96,890 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natuzzi in the 1st quarter valued at $1,817,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 6.07% of the companys stock. About Natuzzi (Get Free Report) Natuzzi S.p.A. is a global design and manufacturing company specializing in high-quality upholstered furniture. The companys product portfolio includes leather and fabric sofas, armchairs, recliners, sectional systems and complementary home furnishings such as coffee tables, beds and accessories. Natuzzi markets its offerings under two primary brandsNatuzzi Italia, which focuses on contemporary Italian design, and Natuzzi Editions, which provides a broader range of styles at accessible price points. Founded in 1959 by Pasquale Natuzzi in Santeramo in Colle, Italy, the company began as a small artisan workshop and has grown into the worlds largest producer of leather upholstered furniture. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Natuzzi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Natuzzi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nihon Kohden (OTCMKTS:NHNKY Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, Zacks reports. Nihon Kohden had a net margin of 7.78% and a return on equity of 9.28%. Nihon Kohden Price Performance NHNKY opened at $12.00 on Friday. Nihon Kohden has a 1 year low of $9.23 and a 1 year high of $17.28. The company has a market capitalization of $2.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.44 and a beta of 0.37. The firms fifty day moving average price is $11.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $11.41. Get Nihon Kohden alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, UBS Group upgraded Nihon Kohden from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, January 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Nihon Kohden presently has an average rating of Strong Buy. Nihon Kohden Company Profile (Get Free Report) Nihon Kohden Corporation is a Tokyo-based manufacturer of medical electronic equipment, founded in 1951. The company has built a reputation for innovation in patient monitoring and diagnostic systems, developing one of Japans earliest electrocardiogram (ECG) machines and pioneering transistor-based oscilloscopes for clinical use. Over the decades, Nihon Kohden has expanded its product portfolio to address a wide range of healthcare needs, from emergency response to intensive care and neurology. The companys core offerings include patient monitors, ECG and electroencephalograph (EEG) devices, defibrillators, infusion pumps, and neuromonitoring systems. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Nihon Kohden Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nihon Kohden and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. North American Construction Group (TSE:NOA Get Free Report) (NYSE:NOA) was upgraded by research analysts at Roth Mkm to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. NOA has been the subject of a number of other reports. ATB Capital set a C$26.00 price target on North American Construction Group and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. CIBC lowered their price objective on shares of North American Construction Group from C$22.00 to C$20.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. TD Securities dropped their target price on shares of North American Construction Group from C$21.00 to C$19.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 19th. National Bankshares set a C$28.00 target price on shares of North American Construction Group and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of North American Construction Group from C$27.00 to C$25.00 in a research note on Friday, October 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$28.06. Get North American Construction Group alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on NOA North American Construction Group Price Performance North American Construction Group stock opened at C$21.00 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of C$20.12 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$19.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 212.25, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of C$610.58 million, a PE ratio of 16.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 0.35. North American Construction Group has a one year low of C$16.78 and a one year high of C$27.68. North American Construction Group (TSE:NOA Get Free Report) (NYSE:NOA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported C$0.67 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$317.25 million for the quarter. North American Construction Group had a net margin of 4.80% and a return on equity of 15.24%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that North American Construction Group will post 4.0597484 EPS for the current fiscal year. About North American Construction Group (Get Free Report) North American Construction Group Ltd is Canadas provider of heavy civil construction and mining contractors. The company has provided services to the oil, natural gas and resource companies. Read More Receive News & Ratings for North American Construction Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for North American Construction Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT Get Free Report) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $17.39 and traded as high as $18.74. Permian Basin Royalty Trust shares last traded at $18.2750, with a volume of 34,158 shares traded. Permian Basin Royalty Trust Price Performance The company has a market cap of $851.80 million, a P/E ratio of 53.75 and a beta of 0.46. The business has a 50-day moving average of $17.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $17.39. Get Permian Basin Royalty Trust alerts: Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE:PBT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.15 EPS for the quarter. Permian Basin Royalty Trust had a net margin of 88.68% and a return on equity of 9,354.51%. The business had revenue of $7.27 million during the quarter. Permian Basin Royalty Trust Increases Dividend Institutional Trading of Permian Basin Royalty Trust The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a $0.0401 dividend. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. This is a positive change from Permian Basin Royalty Trusts previous monthly dividend of $0.01. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Permian Basin Royalty Trusts payout ratio is 141.18%. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Permian Basin Royalty Trust during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Foster Dykema Cabot & Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Permian Basin Royalty Trust in the third quarter worth about $40,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Permian Basin Royalty Trust by 53.1% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,762 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 1,304 shares in the last quarter. Access Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Permian Basin Royalty Trust during the second quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in shares of Permian Basin Royalty Trust during the second quarter valued at about $81,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.86% of the companys stock. Permian Basin Royalty Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Permian Basin Royalty Trust (NYSE: PBT) is a passive investment vehicle that holds overriding royalty interests in oil and gas properties located in the Permian Basin region of West Texas. Established in 1980 by Apache Oil Company, the Trust does not engage in exploration or production activities. Instead, it owns net profit interests on specified acreage, allowing unitholders to participate directly in the cash flows generated by hydrocarbon extraction without bearing the costs or risks associated with day-to-day field operations. The Trusts interests cover acreage predominantly in Reeves and Loving Counties, where mature wells have been developed over several decades. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Permian Basin Royalty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Permian Basin Royalty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided EPS guidance of 8.380-8.530 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 8.330. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Philip Morris International also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.800-1.850 EPS. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on PM shares. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Philip Morris International from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $220.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Barclays decreased their price target on Philip Morris International from $220.00 to $180.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Philip Morris International from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $180.00 target price on Philip Morris International in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $184.56. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on PM Philip Morris International Price Performance PM stock opened at $181.63 on Friday. The companys 50-day moving average is $163.48 and its 200-day moving average is $161.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $282.73 billion, a PE ratio of 32.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.39. Philip Morris International has a 1 year low of $140.02 and a 1 year high of $186.69. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $1.70. The business had revenue of $10.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.40 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 122.14% and a net margin of 9.33%.The firms revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.55 EPS. Philip Morris International has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.800-1.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.380-8.530 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.52%. Institutional Trading of Philip Morris International Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC bought a new stake in Philip Morris International in the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International in the 2nd quarter valued at about $41,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 2,280.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 357 shares of the companys stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $82,000. Institutional investors own 78.63% of the companys stock. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Get Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM) is a global tobacco company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, other nicotine-containing products and a growing portfolio of smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers. The firm traces its corporate roots to the 19th century Philip Morris enterprise and was established as an independent, publicly traded company following a 2008 separation from what is now Altria. Since the spin-off, the company has focused on serving international markets outside the United States. PMIs product mix includes traditional combustible cigarettes as well as smoke-free offerings such as heated tobacco systems and other reduced-risk products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pinnacle Investment Management Group (ASX:PNI) used its half-year FY2026 earnings call to emphasize strong underlying growth and record net inflows, while also detailing plans to acquire full ownership of UK-based Pacific Asset Management (PAM). Managing Director Ian Macoun said the business continued to execute on its growth agenda, pointing to expanding international distribution, the rapid rise of Lifecycle Investment Partners, and a broadened set of performance-fee opportunities across the affiliate platform. Get alerts: Half-year earnings: headline decline driven by performance fees and seed investment returns Pinnacle reported half-year net profit after tax (NPAT) of AUD 67.3 million, down 11% from AUD 75.7 million in the prior comparable period (H1 FY2025). Diluted earnings per share were AUD 0.301, down 18% year over year, and the interim dividend was AUD 0.29, down 12%, with a payout ratio of 96% and franking of 80%. Macoun spent significant time framing the year-on-year decline as largely the result of two unusual factors. First, performance fees were materially lower than the prior comparable period, which included an unusually large contribution (particularly from Hyperion). Pinnacles share of affiliates performance fees after tax wasin H1 FY2026 versusin H1 FY2025. At the affiliate level, aggregate performance fees were(100% basis), downfrom Second, the company cited a very low overall return on principal investments used as seed capital for new affiliate funds, which Macoun said it viewed as a one-off outcome that could reverse in future periods. The company indicated some analysts may choose to adjust for these factors when comparing underlying earnings. Despite the performance-fee volatility, Pinnacle highlighted several measures of core growth. Macoun said: Pinnacle NPAT before performance fees was 37% higher than the prior comparable period and 11% higher than the second half of FY2025. was higher than the prior comparable period and higher than the second half of FY2025. Aggregate affiliate base fees were AUD 487.3 million , up 47% from AUD 330.5 million . , up from . Aggregate affiliate funds management revenue (100% basis) was AUD 546.6 million, up 24% year over year. Record inflows lift FUM above AUD 200 billion Pinnacle reported closing affiliate funds under management (FUM) of AUD 202.5 billion at 31 December 2025, up 13% from AUD 179.4 billion at 30 June 2025. Total net inflows were a record AUD 17.2 billion, compared with AUD 6.7 billion in the prior comparable period. Management broke down the net inflows as: AUD 7.0 billion in Australian institutional net inflows in Australian institutional net inflows AUD 6.8 billion in Australian wholesale and retail net inflows (17% of opening wholesale and retail FUM, Macoun said) in Australian wholesale and retail net inflows (17% of opening wholesale and retail FUM, Macoun said) AUD 3.4 billion in international net inflows Aggregate retail FUM was AUD 46.7 billion, up 18% from AUD 39.7 billion. Pinnacle ended the period with AUD 55.4 million in cash and AUD 384.2 million in principal investments, totaling AUD 439.6 million. Investment performance and performance-fee opportunity set The company also underscored sustained investment performance across its affiliates. Pinnacle said 86% of affiliate strategies with a five-year (or longer) track record outperformed over the five years to 31 December 2025, up from 82% in the prior comparable period. Macoun highlighted that Pinnacle continues to build a diversified set of strategies with performance-fee potential. Aggregate affiliate performance-fee FUM was AUD 55.6 billion, up from AUD 50.4 billion at 30 June 2025. Management noted 31 strategies had the ability to generate material performance fees in the full financial year on roughly AUD 56 billion of FUM, and 8 affiliates contributed performance fees in the half (versus 9 in the prior comparable period). While acknowledging earnings volatility, Macoun argued that performance-fee business is an important contributor and said Pinnacle budgets conservatively for a minimum level each year, with upside in stronger periods. International expansion and Lifecycles rapid growth Management described international growth as a major feature of the half. Pinnacle reported AUD 57.8 billion of FUM from clients outside Australia, representing 28.5% of total FUM, spanning more than 50 countries. Macoun also said AUD 67 billion of FUM was now managed by affiliates located outside Australia. The call repeatedly returned to the pace of growth at Lifecycle Investment Partners, which Macoun called Pinnacles fastest startup on record by FUM growth and speed to profitability. Lifecycles FUM grew to AUD 29.94 billion at 31 December 2025 from AUD 15.4 billion at 30 June 2025, less than 18 months from the businesss effective start, according to management. Pinnacle also referenced recent international investments and initiatives, including a Horizon 3 investment in Japans Advantage Partners. Macoun said the initial 5% investment, valued at AUD 92 million, was completed in January 2026. Pinnacle to buy remaining stake in Pacific Asset Management The companys other major announcement was its agreement to acquire the remaining equity in PAM, after purchasing an initial 25% stake in November 2024. Macoun said PAMs run-rate EBITDA had grown to GBP 17.9 million as at 31 December 2025 and that EBITDA had increased 91% over the 14 months since Pinnacles initial investment. Under the agreement, Pinnacle will acquire the remaining 79.2% of PAM (75% pre-dilution for staff long-term incentives) for total consideration of GBP 212.4 million (about AUD 419 million). Management said the price represented 15x run-rate EBITDA. The consideration will be a mix of cash and scrip: GBP 120.6 million (about AUD 238 million ) in cash (about ) in cash GBP 91.8 million (about AUD 181 million) in Pinnacle shares issued at AUD 17.16 per share (5-day VWAP), totaling 10.5 million shares, or 4.6% of outstanding capital Management said the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to complete in the first half of calendar 2026. Matthew Lamb will remain CEO of PAM, and Pinnacle stressed the deal was not a cost-synergy transaction, with both businesses intended to continue operating independently while collaborating where it makes sense. In Q&A, Macoun and executives said full ownership would improve PAMs access to capital, expand Pinnacles offshore distribution capabilities, and support collaboration across distribution, affiliate origination, and product innovation. The company also highlighted PAMs technology, including its Advisor Lab platform, as an area that could potentially enhance services to Pinnacles retail client base. Elsewhere in Q&A, management addressed Metrics, saying media and market scrutiny had been a headwind, but that portfolios were meeting target returns and that the business had come out with flying colors following regulatory review. Executives also discussed demand trends across wholesale, retail, and institutional channels, including continued retirement-income interest, robust private credit demand, and heightened institutional demand for core and style-neutral equities, including long-short and quantitative strategies. About Pinnacle Investment Management Group (ASX:PNI) Pinnacle Investment Management Group Limited operates as an investment management company in Australia. The company offers third party distribution, and fund infrastructure and support services to its affiliates and various investment managers. It also operates as a corporate trustee and responsible entity for retail and wholesale investment trusts. The company was formerly known as Wilson Group Limited and changed its name to Pinnacle Investment Management Group Limited in August 2016. Pinnacle Investment Management Group Limited was founded in 1895 and is based in Sydney, Australia with additional offices in Brisbane, Australia, Melbourne, Australia, and London, United Kingdom. See Also PPG Industries, Inc. (NYSE:PPG Get Free Report) CFO Vincent Morales sold 29,672 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.00, for a total transaction of $3,709,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 28,439 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,554,875. The trade was a 51.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. PPG Industries Stock Performance Shares of PPG stock opened at $124.30 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $106.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $105.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.89 billion, a PE ratio of 17.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.16. PPG Industries, Inc. has a 52-week low of $90.24 and a 52-week high of $126.47. Get PPG Industries alerts: PPG Industries (NYSE:PPG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.57 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $3.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.77 billion. PPG Industries had a return on equity of 22.67% and a net margin of 9.93%.The firms revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.61 earnings per share. PPG Industries has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.700-8.100 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that PPG Industries, Inc. will post 7.95 EPS for the current year. PPG Industries Announces Dividend Hedge Funds Weigh In On PPG Industries The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a $0.71 dividend. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. PPG Industriess payout ratio is currently 40.92%. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its holdings in PPG Industries by 127.6% in the second quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 223 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of PPG Industries in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new stake in PPG Industries in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in PPG Industries during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in PPG Industries during the third quarter worth about $30,000. 81.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PPG. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of PPG Industries from $127.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their target price on PPG Industries from $113.00 to $112.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on PPG Industries from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on PPG Industries from $118.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, KeyCorp reiterated a sector weight rating on shares of PPG Industries in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and eleven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $123.71. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on PPG Industries PPG Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for PPG Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PPG Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report) by 11.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 257,150 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock after selling 33,116 shares during the quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Uber Technologies were worth $25,193,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Uber Technologies by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 189,551,519 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $17,685,157,000 after acquiring an additional 3,025,483 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Uber Technologies by 2.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 45,859,136 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $4,258,756,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168,288 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Uber Technologies during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,348,319,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Uber Technologies by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 13,810,255 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $1,288,497,000 after purchasing an additional 142,933 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in Uber Technologies by 5.2% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 12,518,594 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock valued at $1,167,985,000 after buying an additional 615,692 shares in the last quarter. 80.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Key Uber Technologies News Here are the key news stories impacting Uber Technologies this week: Positive Sentiment: Record growth and platform strength Q4 revenue (~$14.37B) and gross bookings topped forecasts; monthly users and trips rose materially, and adjusted EBITDA/FCF improved, giving fundamentals a bullish tailwind. Revenue and Gross Bookings Beat Record growth and platform strength Q4 revenue (~$14.37B) and gross bookings topped forecasts; monthly users and trips rose materially, and adjusted EBITDA/FCF improved, giving fundamentals a bullish tailwind. Positive Sentiment: Major autonomous mobility partnership Uber and WeRide plan to deploy at least 1,200 robotaxis in the Middle East by 2027, reinforcing Ubers longterm TAM for AVs and delivery. This is a strategic, highupside growth signal for investors focused on future monetization. WeRide Robotaxi Expansion Major autonomous mobility partnership Uber and WeRide plan to deploy at least 1,200 robotaxis in the Middle East by 2027, reinforcing Ubers longterm TAM for AVs and delivery. This is a strategic, highupside growth signal for investors focused on future monetization. Positive Sentiment: Some bullish analyst moves upgrades and Buy/outperform reaffirms from BTIG, Citizens JMP and others signal continued conviction in Ubers growth trajectory despite nearterm noise. Analyst Upgrade / Volume Increase Some bullish analyst moves upgrades and Buy/outperform reaffirms from BTIG, Citizens JMP and others signal continued conviction in Ubers growth trajectory despite nearterm noise. Neutral Sentiment: Leadership change promotion of Balaji Krishnamurthy to CFO (a public prorobotaxi advocate) reinforces exec support for AV investments; neutral near term but relevant for strategy execution. New CFO Announcement Leadership change promotion of Balaji Krishnamurthy to CFO (a public prorobotaxi advocate) reinforces exec support for AV investments; neutral near term but relevant for strategy execution. Negative Sentiment: Profit outlook and EPS miss Q4 adjusted EPS missed estimates ($0.71 vs. ~$0.79) and Q1 EPS guidance (0.650.72) came in below consensus, which is the main driver of the stock pullback as it signals nearterm margin pressure from cheaper rides and higher taxes. Outlook Miss Coverage Profit outlook and EPS miss Q4 adjusted EPS missed estimates ($0.71 vs. ~$0.79) and Q1 EPS guidance (0.650.72) came in below consensus, which is the main driver of the stock pullback as it signals nearterm margin pressure from cheaper rides and higher taxes. Negative Sentiment: Analyst pricetarget cuts and caution several banks trimmed targets (JPMorgan to $105, Wedbush to $75, Wells Fargo/Cantor/Mizuho cuts) and Benchmark reiterated a Hold, increasing nearterm selling pressure and uncertainty on valuation. JPMorgan PT Lowered Wedbush PT Lowered Benchmark Hold Insider Activity Uber Technologies Stock Up 1.6% In related news, CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.41, for a total transaction of $519,255.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 20,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,919,355.30. This trade represents a 21.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, insider Tony West sold 3,125 shares of Uber Technologies stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider owned 176,584 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,744,764. This trade represents a 1.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing . In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 14,875 shares of company stock valued at $1,319,130. 3.84% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Shares of NYSE UBER opened at $75.13 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $83.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $89.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $156.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.95 and a beta of 1.21. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $60.63 and a 1 year high of $101.99. Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.79 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $14.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.32 billion. Uber Technologies had a net margin of 19.33% and a return on equity of 43.63%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 20.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.21 EPS. Uber Technologies has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.650-0.720 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets UBER has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Uber Technologies from $110.00 to $105.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen reiterated a buy rating on shares of Uber Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Uber Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Uber Technologies in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. They issued an outperform rating and a $108.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Benchmark reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Uber Technologies in a report on Thursday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-two have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Uber Technologies presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $104.72. Read Our Latest Research Report on UBER Uber Technologies Company Profile (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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UBER? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Principal Financial Group Inc. lowered its position in shares of General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Free Report) by 3.6% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 694,478 shares of the companys stock after selling 25,645 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.s holdings in General Mills were worth $35,016,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of General Mills by 2.7% in the second quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,885 shares of the companys stock valued at $409,000 after acquiring an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC raised its position in General Mills by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Austin Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,442 shares of the companys stock valued at $224,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. boosted its stake in General Mills by 4.2% in the third quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. now owns 5,416 shares of the companys stock worth $273,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of General Mills by 1.3% during the second quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,001 shares of the companys stock worth $881,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of General Mills by 0.7% during the second quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 32,843 shares of the companys stock worth $1,702,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. 75.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get General Mills alerts: General Mills Price Performance Shares of GIS stock opened at $48.35 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $45.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.66. General Mills, Inc. has a 52-week low of $42.78 and a 52-week high of $67.35. The stock has a market cap of $25.80 billion, a PE ratio of 10.40 and a beta of -0.06. General Mills Dividend Announcement General Mills ( NYSE:GIS Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 17th. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.03 by $0.07. General Mills had a return on equity of 21.41% and a net margin of 13.51%.The company had revenue of $4.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.40 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. General Mills has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.580-3.790 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.36 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.0%. General Millss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 52.47%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In GIS has been the topic of several research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $54.00 price target on shares of General Mills and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of General Mills in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $63.00 target price on shares of General Mills and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of General Mills from $50.00 to $47.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a hold rating and issued a $51.00 price objective on shares of General Mills in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $53.33. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on General Mills Insider Activity In other news, insider Paul Joseph Gallagher sold 1,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.15, for a total value of $72,225.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 48,568 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,338,549.20. This represents a 3.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.30% of the companys stock. General Mills Company Profile (Free Report) General Mills, Inc (NYSE: GIS) is a multinational consumer foods company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of branded food products. Its product categories include ready-to-eat and hot cereals, baking mixes and ingredients, snacks and bars, refrigerated and frozen doughs, yogurt and other dairy products, and a variety of shelf-stable meals and meal components. The companys portfolio features widely recognized consumer brands across grocery store, mass channel and foodservice outlets. Founded in the early 20th century and incorporated under its current name in 1928, General Mills has grown through both internal brand development and strategic expansion to become a global food company. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GIS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canadian Natural Resources, Celsius, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, TC Energy, Bank Of Montreal, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce are the seven Canadian stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Canadian stocks are shares of companies incorporated in or primarily operating in Canada and are typically traded on Canadian exchanges such as the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) or TSX Venture Exchange. For investors, they represent equity ownership that provides exposure to the Canadian economyoften concentrated in financials and natural resourcesare subject to Canadian regulatory and currency risk, and may also be dual-listed on foreign exchanges. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Canadian stocks within the last several days. Get alerts: Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, Pelican Lake heavy crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), and synthetic crude oil (SCO). Celsius (CELH) Celsius Holdings, Inc. develops, processes, markets, distributes, and sells functional energy drinks and liquid supplements in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canadian, European, Middle Eastern, Asia-Pacific, and internationally. The company offers CELSIUS, a fitness drink or supplement designed to accelerate metabolism and burn body fat; various flavors and carbonated and non-carbonated functional energy drinks under the CELSIUS Originals and Vibe name, as well as functional energy drink under the CELSIUS Essentials and CELSIUS On-the-Go Powder names; and CELSIUS ready-to drink products. Read Our Latest Research Report on CELH Canadian National Railway (CNI) Canadian National Railway Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the rail, intermodal, trucking, and marine transportation and logistics business in Canada and the United States. The company provides rail services, which include equipment, custom brokerage services, transloading and distribution, business development and real estate, and private car storage services; and intermodal services, such as temperature controlled cargo, port partnerships, and logistics parks. Read Our Latest Research Report on CNI Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP) Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates a transcontinental freight railway in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The company transports bulk commodities, including grain, coal, potash, fertilizers, and sulphur; merchandise freight, such as forest products, energy, chemicals and plastics, metals, minerals, consumer products, and automotive; and intermodal traffic comprising retail goods in overseas containers. Read Our Latest Research Report on CP TC Energy (TRP) TC Energy Corporation operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. It operates through five segments: Canadian Natural Gas Pipelines; U.S. Natural Gas Pipelines; Mexico Natural Gas Pipelines; Liquids Pipelines; and Power and Energy Solutions. The company builds and operates a network of 93,600 kilometers of natural gas pipelines, which transports natural gas from supply basins to local distribution companies, power generation plants, industrial facilities, interconnecting pipelines, LNG export terminals, and other businesses. Read Our Latest Research Report on TRP Bank Of Montreal (BMO) Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. It operates through Canadian P&C, U.S P&C, BMO Wealth Management, and BMO Capital Markets segments. The companys personal banking products and services include deposits, mortgages, home lending, consumer credit, small business lending, credit cards, cash management, financial and investment advice, and other banking services; and commercial banking products and services comprise various of financing options and treasury and payment solutions, as well as risk management products. Read Our Latest Research Report on BMO Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, a diversified financial institution, provides various financial products and services to personal, business, public sector, and institutional clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Canadian Personal and Business Banking; Canadian Commercial Banking and Wealth Management; U.S. Read Our Latest Research Report on CM Read More ReposiTrak Inc. (NYSE:TRAK Get Free Report) CEO Randall Fields sold 2,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.01, for a total transaction of $27,525.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 127,500 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,403,775. This trade represents a 1.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. ReposiTrak Trading Down 3.7% Shares of TRAK opened at $10.13 on Friday. ReposiTrak Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.03 and a 1-year high of $23.72. The firms 50-day moving average price is $12.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $185.28 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.14 and a beta of 0.45. Get ReposiTrak alerts: ReposiTrak (NYSE:TRAK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $5.97 million during the quarter. ReposiTrak had a net margin of 30.52% and a return on equity of 14.37%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages recently weighed in on TRAK. Wall Street Zen cut ReposiTrak from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of ReposiTrak in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, ReposiTrak currently has an average rating of Hold. Get Our Latest Report on ReposiTrak Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TRAK. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of ReposiTrak in the 2nd quarter worth about $818,000. Ashford Capital Management Inc. grew its position in ReposiTrak by 93.7% during the 2nd quarter. Ashford Capital Management Inc. now owns 792,154 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,566,000 after purchasing an additional 383,283 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its stake in ReposiTrak by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,654,348 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,508,000 after purchasing an additional 110,000 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in ReposiTrak by 47,619.0% in the second quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 20,042 shares of the companys stock worth $394,000 after buying an additional 20,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ingalls & Snyder LLC raised its holdings in ReposiTrak by 1.3% in the second quarter. Ingalls & Snyder LLC now owns 198,714 shares of the companys stock worth $3,905,000 after buying an additional 2,554 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 27.35% of the companys stock. ReposiTrak Company Profile (Get Free Report) ReposiTrak, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TRAK, is a provider of cloud-based supply chain compliance and transparency solutions. The companys platform enables retailers, suppliers and manufacturers to manage, share and validate product data throughout the supply chain. Through its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering, ReposiTrak helps organizations ensure adherence to regulatory requirements, industry standards and retailer-specific guidelines for food safety, sustainability, labeling and quality assurance. At the core of ReposiTraks offerings is its DataHub, a centralized repository that captures critical information such as product specifications, certifications, catch-weight data, temperature logs and recall notifications. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for ReposiTrak Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ReposiTrak and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Artisan Partners Asset Management (NYSE:APAM Get Free Report) had its target price decreased by Royal Bank Of Canada from $51.00 to $50.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the asset managers stock. Royal Bank Of Canadas target price would suggest a potential upside of 10.99% from the stocks previous close. A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b-) rating on shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Artisan Partners Asset Management has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $44.00. Get Artisan Partners Asset Management alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Artisan Partners Asset Management Artisan Partners Asset Management Stock Performance NYSE APAM traded up $0.74 on Friday, hitting $45.05. 190,653 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 520,039. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.76 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The firms 50-day moving average price is $42.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.01. Artisan Partners Asset Management has a fifty-two week low of $32.75 and a fifty-two week high of $48.50. The firm has a market cap of $3.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.22 and a beta of 1.76. Artisan Partners Asset Management (NYSE:APAM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The asset manager reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.15. Artisan Partners Asset Management had a return on equity of 73.74% and a net margin of 24.26%.The business had revenue of $335.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $322.13 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.05 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Artisan Partners Asset Management will post 3.6 EPS for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Artisan Partners Asset Management A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in APAM. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management by 24.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 138,628 shares of the asset managers stock worth $5,421,000 after purchasing an additional 27,676 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Artisan Partners Asset Management by 6.4% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 69,357 shares of the asset managers stock worth $2,712,000 after buying an additional 4,177 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 37,479 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $1,465,000 after acquiring an additional 1,626 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Artisan Partners Asset Management by 46.8% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 30,184 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $1,180,000 after acquiring an additional 9,629 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Artisan Partners Asset Management during the 2nd quarter worth $205,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.45% of the companys stock. About Artisan Partners Asset Management (Get Free Report) Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc is a global investment management firm that specializes in active, fundamental research-driven strategies across a range of equity, fixed income and alternative asset classes. Founded in 1994 by Andrew Ziegler, the company has built a reputation for its team-based approach to portfolio construction, emphasizing deep sector expertise and independent analysis. Its product lineup includes U.S. and international equity strategies, global emerging markets, as well as credit and multisector fixed income offerings. Artisan Partners serves a diverse client base that spans institutional investors, intermediaries and high-net-worth individuals located in North America, Europe and Asia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Artisan Partners Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Artisan Partners Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. At least 3 dead, multiple injured after car crashes into grocery store in U.S. Los Angeles Xinhua) 10:19, February 06, 2026 LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and multiple others injured after a vehicle crashed into a grocery store in the Westwood neighborhood in the U.S. city of Los Angeles on Thursday, according to local authorities. The crash was reported around noon. Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, and seven others were transported to a local hospital, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Local media identified the grocery store as a 99 Ranch Market, an Asian supermarket chain. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Ryman Healthcare (ASX:RYM) used an investor day in Auckland to outline a refreshed strategy centered on lifting recurring earnings, optimizing its NZD 12 billion property portfolio, and returning to value-accretive growth, alongside a new capital management framework that sets a path back to dividends from FY2028. Get alerts: Strategy refresh prioritizes recurring earnings and portfolio optimization Chief executive Naomi James said the strategy refresh is focused on growing recurring earnings, optimizing the existing portfolio, and getting back to value-creative portfolio growth. She highlighted targets of NZD 150 million in sustainable cash flow improvement by FY2029 and at least NZD 500 million of cash release by FY2029, driven by initiatives including occupancy improvement, pricing resets, and cost efficiencies. Industry outlook: demand growth, constrained supply, and shifting consumer expectations James said the company has already taken steps over the last 18 months to reset the business, including changing contract terms, lowering gearing, increasing transparency through reporting changes, and delivering positive free cash flow for the first time in more than a decade. External presenter Cam Ansell of Ansell Strategic described what he called the biggest period of change ahead for aged care and retirement living in Australia and New Zealand. He emphasized that while the 80-plus population is expected to double by 2050, the more influential change may be shifting consumer expectations as baby boomers replace the builder generation. He said baby boomers have higher expectations, are less willing to accept standardized service models, and have significant wealth and buying power. Ansell also pointed to a supply-demand imbalance, citing that Australia required about 10,000 new built residential aged care beds last year but delivered about 803. He said workforce constraints, particularly for nurses, could further push models toward higher-density settings that allow scarce clinical resources to be deployed more efficiently. On funding, Ansell said Australia has already implemented substantial reforms, including means testing and changes affecting accommodation revenues. He argued integrated continuum of care models and assisted living are likely to become increasingly important as residential aged care becomes more reserved for higher-acuity residents. Sales effectiveness and pricing: closing the resales gap and boosting serviced apartment occupancy Chief customer officer Rick Davies said Ryman is focused on improving sales effectiveness, while noting some details are commercially sensitive. He cited occupancy levels of 94% for independent units and 87% for serviced apartments in mature villages, while calling out a key opportunity in developing villages where serviced apartments were at 57% occupancy. Davies referenced a third-quarter sales update announced in mid-January, describing a solid quarter amid mixed housing market conditions and heightened competition in some regions. He said serviced apartment sales were strong, with Auckland delivering its best quarter in three years, while resales were steady overall but mixed regionally. He said resale volumes remain below desired levels, though resales are occurring at higher deferred management fee (DMF) values under updated contract terms. Rymans sales initiatives include flexible pricing options tied to DMF rates, monitoring performance across each stage of the sales funnel, and efforts to reduce cancellations by supporting customers through late-stage steps such as downsizing and selling their home. Davies said days from contract signing to settlement are now under 100 days. He also highlighted the opportunity tied to vacant inventory. Ryman reported more than 1,300 vacant units, with around 1,000 described as either brand new or already paid out to departing residents, representing an estimated NZD 800 million cash release opportunity. Operational focus: care occupancy, pricing, and cost-out initiatives Chief operating officer Marsha Cadman discussed a focus on lifting developing village care center occupancy to mature levels, increasing premiums and resident capital outcomes, and driving efficiency initiatives. She said occupancy across mature care beds is consistently above 95%, and that 36 villages maintained 96% or higher occupancy in the first six months of the financial year. She also said Ryman added 440 beds through five new care centers over the past 18 months, with developing care centers at lower occupancy as they fill. Cadman said lifting developing care centers to mature occupancy levels could unlock an additional NZD 26 million of revenue, and noted wages are the main variable cost in care, creating operating leverage as occupancy rises. She also described opportunities to grow accommodation premiums in New Zealand and refundable accommodation deposits (RADs) in Australia, providing an example at the Bert Newton village where recent RADs sold ranged from AUD 795,000 to just over AUD 1 million. Cadman introduced a Resident Fund launched across New Zealand villages before Christmas after an H1 pilot. The product allows residents transitioning into care to transfer equity from their retirement unit sale into a fund that can be used to pay for care-related costs, which she said can also reduce Rymans interest costs by retaining capital. On costs, Cadman reiterated a target of NZD 50 million to NZD 60 million of cost savings in FY2026 through changes including restructuring support functions, centralizing procurement, leasing vehicles, and pursuing operating savings at village level. Capital management framework, cash flow targets, and dividends from FY2028 Chief financial officer Matt Prior outlined a simplified capital management framework intended to improve measurability of capital allocation and its translation into shareholder returns. He said the company is targeting a long-term gearing range of 20% to 30%. Prior said retirement living and care should be measured differently. For retirement living, Ryman is targeting a yield of greater than 5%, measured as RV segment CFEO (cash flow from operating activities and investing activities), pre-interest, over RV net tangible assets. He said the company is not currently meeting that target. For care, he said EBITDAF per bed is the appropriate benchmark, reiterating an aim of NZD 25,000 to NZD 30,000 per bed (from about NZD 15,000 currently), while Cadman later discussed a target of NZD 35,000 per bed by FY2029. Prior provided detail on the NZD 150 million CFEO improvement target by FY2029 versus an FY2025 baseline, with buckets including occupancy improvement, care operating performance, village operating margins, procurement savings, overhead reductions, and front-book DMF uplift as new contract terms roll through. He said the company expects NZD 5 million to NZD 10 million per year in one-off costs to deliver the improvements and noted that some CFEO elements such as village refinancing were excluded from the target due to macro sensitivity. Ryman also announced a new dividend policy of paying 20% to 50% of CFEO, with dividends expected to recommence from FY2028. Prior said the payout range is intended to remain conservative to preserve capacity to invest in growth, and the company emphasized it will not pay dividends funded by debt. Chair Dean Hamilton said the board has undergone significant change over the last two years and emphasized a shift from tactical reset activity toward longer-term strategy and shareholder value creation. He said the board supports the focus on resident satisfaction, sustainable cash returns from existing capital, disciplined expansion, prudent capital management, and total shareholder returns, noting management incentives have been reoriented toward total shareholder return. About Ryman Healthcare (ASX:RYM) Ryman Healthcare (ASX:RYM) is a New Zealand-based developer and operator of retirement villages and aged-care facilities. The company designs, builds and manages integrated communities that offer a continuum of care, including independent living units, serviced apartments, rest-home and hospital-level care, and specialist memory-care services. Rymans villages combine residential accommodation with on-site hospitality, clinical and wellness services intended to support residents as their care needs change. Rymans operating model blends property development and ongoing village management. Further Reading SEMrush (NYSE:SEMR) held a special meeting of stockholders on Feb. 3, 2026, where investors voted on proposals related to the companys planned acquisition by Adobe Inc. The meeting, chaired by Chief Executive Officer Bill Wagner, was conducted virtually and included directors Mark Vranesh, Caroline Tsay, and Oleg Shchegolev, along with Chief Financial Officer Brian Mulroy and Chief Legal Officer David Mason. Get alerts: Meeting administration and voting procedures Mason served as secretary of the meeting and had previously been appointed as the inspector of elections, with an oath to discharge his duties impartially to be filed with the meeting minutes. The company said the record date for voting was the close of business on Dec. 26, 2025, and that a list of stockholders as of that date was made available on the meeting website. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. delivered an affidavit of mailing showing that notice of the meeting and the proxy statement were mailed to stockholders of record as of the record date. Mason reviewed rules of order for the virtual meeting, including a statement that the meeting would not be recorded and that attendees were not permitted to use recording devices. He also provided customary disclosures regarding forward-looking statements and noted that the meeting was not a public forum for purposes of the SECs Regulation FD, meaning the company would not provide material non-public information during the session. The inspector of elections confirmed that a quorum was present, allowing the meeting to proceed. Three proposals presented to stockholders Stockholders were asked to vote on up to three proposals described in the companys proxy materials: Merger Agreement Proposal: Adoption of the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated Nov. 18, 2025, among Semrush, Adobe Inc., and Fenway Merger Sub, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Adobe. Under the agreement, Merger Sub would merge with and into Semrush, with Semrush surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Adobe. Adoption of the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated Nov. 18, 2025, among Semrush, Adobe Inc., and Fenway Merger Sub, a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Adobe. Under the agreement, Merger Sub would merge with and into Semrush, with Semrush surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Adobe. Merger-related Compensation Proposal: An advisory, non-binding vote to approve compensation that may be paid or become payable to Semrushs named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the merger agreement and related transactions. An advisory, non-binding vote to approve compensation that may be paid or become payable to Semrushs named executive officers that is based on or otherwise relates to the merger agreement and related transactions. Adjournment Proposal: Authorization to adjourn the special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there were insufficient votes to approve the Merger Agreement Proposal. The board of directors unanimously recommended stockholders vote for both the Merger Agreement Proposal and the Merger-related Compensation Proposal. Regarding the potential adjournment, the company said it did not believe an adjournment would be necessary or appropriate and, as a result, did not intend to open or close the polls on that proposal unless circumstances changed. Vote requirements and share structure The company outlined voting rights for each class of common stock. Each share of Class A common stock was entitled to one vote per share, while each share of Class B common stock was entitled to 10 votes per share. The Class A and Class B shares were to be voted together as a single class on both the Merger Agreement Proposal and the Merger-related Compensation Proposal. The Merger Agreement Proposal required an affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of Semrush common stock as of the record date to be adopted. The Merger-related Compensation Proposal required an affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of shares present virtually or represented by proxy at the meeting to be approved. Preliminary results: merger agreement adopted After allowing time for votes to be submitted, the company closed the polls at 10:10 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2026. Mason then announced preliminary voting results provided by the inspector of elections. According to the preliminary tally: The Merger Agreement Proposal received the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of Semrush common stock as of Dec. 26, 2025, and was adopted . received the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all outstanding shares of Semrush common stock as of Dec. 26, 2025, and was . The Merger-related Compensation Proposal received the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of shares present virtually or represented by proxy at the meeting and was approved on an advisory basis. The company said the final report of the inspector of elections would be attached to the minutes and that ballots cast would be filed with the meeting records. Semrush also stated it would file a Form 8-K within four business days to disclose the specific voting results for the matters voted on at the meeting. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. About SEMrush (NYSE:SEMR) SEMrush is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specializing in online visibility management and digital marketing analytics. Its cloud-based platform offers tools for search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising research, content marketing, social media management, and competitive intelligence. By aggregating data across search engines, advertising networks, and social platforms, the company enables marketers to track keyword rankings, audit websites, analyze backlink profiles, and uncover competitor strategies. The companys flagship offering, the SEMrush toolkit, includes modules for keyword research, site auditing, position tracking, backlink analysis, and content optimization. Further Reading SlateStone Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 57.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,397 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,597 shares during the period. SlateStone Wealth LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $3,355,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LLY. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Steph & Co. lifted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 290.0% during the third quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 39 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company in the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc increased its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 263.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 40 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. 82.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have weighed in on LLY shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,290.00 to $1,313.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday. Wolfe Research raised their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $1,050.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $985.00 to $1,205.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $1,163.00 to $1,161.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $1,201.17. 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 Up 2.7% Shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock traded up $27.55 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $1,048.39. The companys stock had a trading volume of 463,799 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,296,135. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.55. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $1,052.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $896.17. The company has a market capitalization of $991.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.87, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.39. Eli Lilly and Company has a one year low of $623.78 and a one year high of $1,133.95. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $7.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $7.48 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $19.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.85 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 112.50% and a net margin of 31.66%.The companys quarterly revenue was up 42.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.32 EPS. Eli Lilly and Company has set its FY 2026 guidance at 33.500-35.000 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Eli Lilly and Company will post 23.48 earnings per share for the current year. Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a dividend of $1.73 per share. This represents a $6.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost 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 is presently 29.35%. Eli Lilly and 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. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Societe Generale Group (OTCMKTS:SCGLY Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday. The financial services provider reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.32 by $0.05, Zacks reports. Societe Generale Group had a return on equity of 6.18% and a net margin of 20.06%. Societe Generale Group Stock Down 1.7% Shares of SCGLY traded down $0.29 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $17.21. The stock had a trading volume of 299,556 shares, compared to its average volume of 540,144. Societe Generale Group has a 1-year low of $7.29 and a 1-year high of $18.30. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $16.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.05. The company has a market cap of $65.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.47, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.40, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Get Societe Generale Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Societe Generale Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Societe Generale Group in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Kepler Capital Markets lowered shares of Societe Generale Group from a buy rating to a reduce rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating on shares of Societe Generale Group in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Societe Generale Group from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Societe Generale Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. About Societe Generale Group (Get Free Report) 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Societe Generale Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Societe Generale Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SouthState Bank Corp lifted its position in Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET Free Report) by 95.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,591 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 4,672 shares during the period. SouthState Bank Corps holdings in Arista Networks were worth $1,398,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Arista Networks in the second quarter worth about $1,228,177,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Arista Networks by 2,829.0% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,721,156 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $833,630,000 after purchasing an additional 5,525,828 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake in Arista Networks by 193.3% during the 2nd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 7,065,054 shares of the technology companys stock worth $721,342,000 after purchasing an additional 4,656,021 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new stake in Arista Networks during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $247,451,000. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its stake in Arista Networks by 14.8% in the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 10,494,124 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,073,654,000 after buying an additional 1,350,593 shares in the last quarter. 82.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Arista Networks alerts: Arista Networks Stock Down 1.2% ANET stock opened at $128.69 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $162.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.42. Arista Networks, Inc. has a twelve month low of $59.43 and a twelve month high of $164.94. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $131.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $135.75. Insider Activity Arista Networks ( NYSE:ANET Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The technology company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.31 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.26 billion. Arista Networks had a return on equity of 30.28% and a net margin of 39.73%.The firms revenue for the quarter was up 27.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.40 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Arista Networks, Inc. will post 2.2 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other news, Director Kelly Bodnar Battles sold 422 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.15, for a total value of $49,437.30. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,980 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,052,007. This represents a 4.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Kenneth Duda sold 26,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.43, for a total transaction of $3,339,180.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 522,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at $67,091,832. This trade represents a 4.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 216,464 shares of company stock worth $27,553,548. 3.39% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ANET. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of Arista Networks in a research report on Monday, December 29th. 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 reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Arista Networks in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Arista Networks from $171.00 to $159.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Erste Group Bank downgraded Arista Networks from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $164.44. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Arista Networks 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ANET? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Arista Networks Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arista Networks and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Standex International (NYSE:SXI Free Report) had its target price boosted by Roth Mkm from $260.00 to $286.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Roth Mkm currently has a buy rating on the industrial products companys stock. Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barrington Research restated an outperform rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of Standex International in a report on Monday. DA Davidson boosted their price target on Standex International from $272.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Standex International in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Standex International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, February 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Standex International has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $281.33. Get Standex International alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on SXI Standex International Stock Down 0.9% SXI opened at $239.78 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.91 billion, a PE ratio of 53.76 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 2.87 and a quick ratio of 2.10. Standex International has a fifty-two week low of $128.85 and a fifty-two week high of $263.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $237.38 and a 200-day moving average of $220.75. Standex International (NYSE:SXI Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The industrial products company reported $2.08 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.00 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $221.32 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $219.22 million. Standex International had a return on equity of 14.29% and a net margin of 6.20%.The firms quarterly revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.91 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Standex International will post 7.9 EPS for the current fiscal year. Standex International Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. Standex Internationals payout ratio is currently 30.49%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Andy L. Nemeth acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $245.00 per share, for a total transaction of $490,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 8,639 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,116,555. The trade was a 30.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas E. Chorman sold 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.31, for a total transaction of $223,310.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 13,229 shares in the company, valued at $2,954,167.99. This trade represents a 7.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 2.52% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Standex International Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Standex International by 6.8% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 695 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $147,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC increased its stake in Standex International by 3.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 1,785 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $378,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Standex International by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,992 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its holdings in Standex International by 144.7% in the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 115 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its position in shares of Standex International by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 3,548 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $555,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. 90.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Standex International News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Standex International this week: Positive Sentiment: Director Andy Nemeth bought 2,000 shares (~$245/share), increasing his stake by ~30% a strong insider-confidence signal that can support the stock. Andy Nemeth Purchase Filing Director Andy Nemeth bought 2,000 shares (~$245/share), increasing his stake by ~30% a strong insider-confidence signal that can support the stock. Positive Sentiment: Multiple brokerages raised targets / maintained buy/outperform views (Roth MKM raised its target to $286 and DA Davidson to $298; Barrington reaffirmed outperform) analyst upward revisions are likely driving buy-side interest and supporting near-term price targets. Roth MKM Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Standex International Multiple brokerages raised targets / maintained buy/outperform views (Roth MKM raised its target to $286 and DA Davidson to $298; Barrington reaffirmed outperform) analyst upward revisions are likely driving buy-side interest and supporting near-term price targets. Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results (Jan. 30) beat consensus EPS and revenue surprises and ~16.6% y/y revenue growth provide fundamental support for higher analyst targets and valuation. Recent quarterly results (Jan. 30) beat consensus EPS and revenue surprises and ~16.6% y/y revenue growth provide fundamental support for higher analyst targets and valuation. Neutral Sentiment: Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.34 (ex-div Feb 13), a modest yield (~0.6%) that returns cash to shareholders but is unlikely to be a major driver of stock moves. Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.34 (ex-div Feb 13), a modest yield (~0.6%) that returns cash to shareholders but is unlikely to be a major driver of stock moves. Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high (~90%); some funds modestly adjusted positions in the latest quarter indicates limited free float but also strong institutional interest. Institutional ownership remains high (~90%); some funds modestly adjusted positions in the latest quarter indicates limited free float but also strong institutional interest. Negative Sentiment: Director Thomas E. Chorman sold 50 shares (small transaction) a minor negative signal but not large enough to indicate insider loss of confidence. Thomas Chorman Sale Filing Director Thomas E. Chorman sold 50 shares (small transaction) a minor negative signal but not large enough to indicate insider loss of confidence. Negative Sentiment: One independent research source trimmed its rating (Wall Street Zen cut from buy to hold) and a couple of firms retained neutral/hold views a reminder there is not unanimous bullishness despite several upgrades. About Standex International (Get Free Report) Standex International Corporation is a diversified global manufacturer specializing in food service equipment, engineered components, and industrial products. Operating across multiple markets, the company designs and produces commercial cooking and warming solutions, precision-engraved nameplates and decorative products, fluid power hydraulics, and magnetics-based electronics. These offerings serve a broad array of end markets, including quick-service restaurants, automotive, aerospace, medical devices, and consumer appliances. With business organized into key segmentsFood Service Equipment, Engraving & Decorating, Hydraulics, Industrial Electronics, and Technical Graphical SolutionsStandex delivers a combination of proprietary technology, automated manufacturing processes, and custom engineering services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Standex International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Standex International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Suzuki Motor (OTCMKTS:SZKMY Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share for the quarter, Zacks reports. Suzuki Motor had a return on equity of 10.44% and a net margin of 6.71%.The company had revenue of $10.73 billion for the quarter. Suzuki Motor updated its FY 2025 guidance to 5.249-5.249 EPS. Suzuki Motor Stock Performance Shares of Suzuki Motor stock opened at $56.36 on Friday. Suzuki Motor has a 12 month low of $39.54 and a 12 month high of $64.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The company has a market capitalization of $27.68 billion, a PE ratio of 10.36 and a beta of 0.46. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $58.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $56.59. Get Suzuki Motor alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, Zacks Research upgraded Suzuki Motor from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy. About Suzuki Motor (Get Free Report) Suzuki Motor Corporation traces its roots to 1909 when Michio Suzuki founded Suzuki Loom Works; the company later entered motor vehicle production and was reorganized as an independent motor company in the mid-20th century. Headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan, Suzuki has grown into a multinational manufacturer known for producing compact, fuel-efficient vehicles and a broad range of two- and four-wheeled products. The company has a long history in small-car and motorcycle design and has adapted its product portfolio over decades to serve both personal and light commercial transport markets. Suzukis primary business activities include the design, manufacture and sale of automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and outboard motors, along with related parts and accessories. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Suzuki Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Suzuki Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans bought a new stake in PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF (NYSEARCA:BILZ Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm bought 83,663 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,466,000. Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Golden Reserve Retirement LLC bought a new stake in shares of PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF in the third quarter worth $206,000. Addison Capital Co lifted its position in PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF by 885.3% during the 3rd quarter. Addison Capital Co now owns 29,952 shares of the companys stock worth $3,031,000 after buying an additional 26,912 shares in the last quarter. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. boosted its stake in shares of PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF by 48.4% during the 3rd quarter. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. now owns 6,999 shares of the companys stock worth $708,000 after buying an additional 2,282 shares during the last quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. grew its holdings in shares of PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF by 119.4% in the 3rd quarter. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. now owns 57,339 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,802,000 after acquiring an additional 31,209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF by 25.7% in the third quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 20,286 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,053,000 after acquiring an additional 4,152 shares during the last quarter. Get PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF alerts: PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA BILZ opened at $100.78 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $100.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $100.97. PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF has a 52 week low of $100.72 and a 52 week high of $101.27. PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF Announces Dividend PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF Company Profile The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 2nd were issued a $0.32 dividend. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 2nd. (Free Report) The PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active Exchange-Traded Fund (BILZ) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund is an actively managed fund that invests in treasury bills and notes, repurchase agreements, and cash collateralized by the US government. Securities selected have a maximum maturity of six months. BILZ was launched on Jun 21, 2023 and is managed by PIMCO. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BILZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF (NYSEARCA:BILZ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PIMCO Ultra Short Government Active ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Two Harbors Investments Corp (NYSE:TWO Get Free Report)s share price fell 4.9% on Friday . The company traded as low as $11.35 and last traded at $11.3550. 1,158,735 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 68% from the average session volume of 3,567,116 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.94. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth TWO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Two Harbors Investments from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Zacks Research cut shares of Two Harbors Investments from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d) rating on shares of Two Harbors Investments in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group cut shares of Two Harbors Investments from a buy rating to a neutral rating and increased their target price for the company from $11.00 to $14.00 in a report 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $12.88. Get Two Harbors Investments alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on TWO Two Harbors Investments Trading Down 7.5% The businesss 50-day moving average price is $11.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.43. The firm has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.26 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.09. Two Harbors Investments (NYSE:TWO Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.30 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $182.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of ($15.44) million. Two Harbors Investments had a positive return on equity of 12.00% and a negative net margin of 109.90%. Equities analysts expect that Two Harbors Investments Corp will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current year. Two Harbors Investments Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 5th were paid a dividend of $0.34 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, January 5th. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 12.3%. Two Harbors Investmentss dividend payout ratio is currently -27.81%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CIO Nicholas Letica sold 55,488 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.42, for a total value of $633,672.96. Following the transaction, the executive directly owned 166,507 shares in the company, valued at $1,901,509.94. This trade represents a 25.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Robert Rush sold 23,594 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.43, for a total value of $269,679.42. Following the sale, the insider owned 98,207 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,122,506.01. The trade was a 19.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 129,389 shares of company stock valued at $1,483,046. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Two Harbors Investments Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in TWO. Simplicity Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Two Harbors Investments during the third quarter worth about $954,000. Wolverine Asset Management LLC raised its position in Two Harbors Investments by 168.5% in the 2nd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 744,028 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $8,013,000 after purchasing an additional 466,957 shares during the last quarter. Algebris UK Ltd. acquired a new position in Two Harbors Investments in the third quarter worth $17,558,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Two Harbors Investments by 593.6% during the second quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 137,674 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,483,000 after purchasing an additional 117,825 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of Two Harbors Investments by 1.7% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 5,240,983 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $57,074,000 after buying an additional 88,518 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.19% of the companys stock. About Two Harbors Investments (Get Free Report) 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Two Harbors Investments Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Two Harbors Investments and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UCB SA (OTCMKTS:UCBJF Get Free Report)s share price gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $322.94, but opened at $300.10. UCB shares last traded at $322.89, with a volume of 11 shares. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms recently issued reports on UCBJF. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a buy rating on shares of UCB in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Stephens reissued an overweight rating on shares of UCB in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of UCB in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, UCB has a consensus rating of Buy. Get UCB alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on UCB UCB Stock Performance UCB Company Profile The business has a 50-day moving average of $295.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $268.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.19. (Get Free Report) UCB SA is a Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of treatments for severe diseases of the immune system and the central nervous system. Founded in 1928 as Union Chimique Belge, the company transitioned from chemicals into pharmaceuticals and biologics and today concentrates its efforts on specialty medicines and research-driven innovation. UCBs work spans small molecules and biologics, with an emphasis on improving outcomes for patients with chronic and complex conditions. Key therapeutic areas for UCB include immunology and neurology, where the company markets several well-known products and maintains an active clinical pipeline. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for UCB Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UCB and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Waterloo Capital L.P. increased its position in shares of Eaton Corporation, PLC (NYSE:ETN Free Report) by 25.9% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,073 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,454 shares during the period. Waterloo Capital L.P.s holdings in Eaton were worth $2,647,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Optimize Financial Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Eaton during the third quarter worth $341,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in Eaton by 9.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 328 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its holdings in Eaton by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 45,998 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $16,830,000 after acquiring an additional 4,156 shares during the last quarter. FDx Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Eaton in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $228,000. Finally, Mediolanum International Funds Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Eaton by 14.2% during the 3rd quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 121,162 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $44,485,000 after purchasing an additional 15,048 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.97% of the companys stock. Get Eaton alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets ETN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Eaton from $442.00 to $435.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Eaton in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Eaton from $440.00 to $406.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Eaton from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $413.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, HSBC raised shares of Eaton from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $400.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eaton currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $387.20. Eaton Stock Performance Shares of ETN stock opened at $354.59 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.32. The firm has a market cap of $137.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.20. The firms 50 day moving average price is $334.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $354.58. Eaton Corporation, PLC has a one year low of $231.85 and a one year high of $399.56. Eaton (NYSE:ETN Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $3.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $3.33. Eaton had a return on equity of 25.00% and a net margin of 14.89%.The company had revenue of $7.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.83 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Eaton has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.650-2.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 13.000-13.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Eaton Corporation, PLC will post 12.02 EPS for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In other Eaton news, Director Gerald Johnson purchased 200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $339.89 per share, for a total transaction of $67,978.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 400 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $135,956. This trade represents a 100.00% 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 hyperlink. 0.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Eaton Profile (Free Report) Eaton (NYSE: ETN) is a diversified power management company that designs, manufactures and distributes products and systems to manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. The companys offerings are used to improve energy efficiency, reliability and safety across a wide range of applications, with core capabilities in electrical distribution and control, industrial hydraulics and aerospace systems. Its product portfolio includes switchgear, circuit breakers, transformers, power distribution units, uninterruptible power supplies and surge protection devices for electrical infrastructure, along with hydraulic pumps, valves and filtration systems for industrial and mobile equipment. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ETN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eaton Corporation, PLC (NYSE:ETN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Eaton Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eaton and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Crown (NYSE:CCK Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $106.00 to $120.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the industrial products companys stock. Wells Fargo & Companys price target suggests a potential upside of 7.27% from the companys current price. Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on CCK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Crown from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and lifted their target price for the company from $112.00 to $155.00 in a research note on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Crown from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Raymond James Financial restated an outperform rating and set a $115.00 target price (up previously from $110.00) on shares of Crown in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Mizuho upped their price target on Crown from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Crown in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $124.43. Get Crown alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Crown Crown Price Performance Shares of NYSE CCK traded down $2.33 during trading on Friday, hitting $111.87. The company had a trading volume of 548,733 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,205,707. The company has a market cap of $12.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.57, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.16. The businesss 50-day moving average is $102.75 and its 200 day moving average is $99.29. Crown has a 52 week low of $75.98 and a 52 week high of $115.85. Crown (NYSE:CCK Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $3.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.99 billion. Crown had a return on equity of 26.94% and a net margin of 5.97%.Crowns revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.59 earnings per share. Crown has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.300 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.700-1.800 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Crown will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Crown In related news, COO Djalma Novaes, Jr. sold 19,754 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.02, for a total transaction of $1,995,549.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 96,841 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,782,877.82. This represents a 16.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Timothy J. Donahue sold 29,024 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total transaction of $3,047,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 411,556 shares of the companys stock, valued at $43,213,380. This trade represents a 6.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 64,754 shares of company stock valued at $6,720,634. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Crown Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Crown during the third quarter worth about $43,417,000. CWM LLC grew its stake in Crown by 73.3% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 72,075 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $6,962,000 after buying an additional 30,488 shares in the last quarter. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc bought a new stake in Crown during the 3rd quarter valued at $15,472,000. Vinva Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of Crown by 152.9% during the second quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 194,348 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $20,393,000 after acquiring an additional 117,494 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Crown in the second quarter worth $265,000. Institutional investors own 90.93% of the companys stock. More Crown News Here are the key news stories impacting Crown this week: Crown Company Profile (Get Free Report) Crown Holdings, Inc is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products for consumer goods markets. The company designs, manufactures and sells metal packaging for beverage, food, household, personal care and specialty products. Its portfolio includes aluminum and steel beverage cans, steel food cans, aluminum aerosols, metal closures and ends, offering customers end-to-end solutions from design and prototyping to large-scale production. Founded in 1919 as the Crown Cork & Seal Company, Crown has grown through strategic acquisitions and investments in advanced manufacturing technologies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Crown Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Crown and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. West Fraser Timber (TSE:WFG Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by research analysts at CIBC from C$96.00 to C$106.00 in a research note issued on Friday,BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price objective would suggest a potential upside of 5.48% from the companys previous close. A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on WFG. Raymond James Financial raised shares of West Fraser Timber from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. TD Securities increased their price target on West Fraser Timber from C$88.00 to C$93.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$99.50. Get West Fraser Timber alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on WFG West Fraser Timber Stock Performance TSE:WFG traded down C$0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting C$100.49. 108,292 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 211,178. The company has a quick ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.39. The stocks fifty day moving average price is C$89.23 and its 200-day moving average price is C$92.97. The firm has a market cap of C$7.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -30.45 and a beta of 1.74. West Fraser Timber has a one year low of C$80.82 and a one year high of C$124.37. West Fraser Timber (TSE:WFG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported C($2.63) earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$1.82 billion for the quarter. West Fraser Timber had a negative net margin of 1.53% and a negative return on equity of 1.33%. Research analysts anticipate that West Fraser Timber will post 8.1184776 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About West Fraser Timber (Get Free Report) West Fraser Timber CoLtd is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Company produces lumber, engineered wood products (OSB, LVL, MDF, plywood, and particleboard), pulp, newsprint, wood chips, other residuals, and renewable energy. West Frasers products are used in home construction, repair and remodeling, industrial applications, papers, tissue, and box materials. Read More Receive News & Ratings for West Fraser Timber Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for West Fraser Timber and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WEX (NYSE:WEX Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $175.00 to $155.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a neutral rating on the business services providers stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s price target indicates a potential downside of 2.69% from the stocks current price. WEX has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of WEX from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Bank of America raised WEX from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $178.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. UBS Group set a $165.00 target price on WEX and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday. Cantor Fitzgerald raised WEX to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $146.00 price objective on shares of WEX in a research note on Friday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, WEX presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $164.75. Get WEX alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on WEX WEX Price Performance Shares of NYSE:WEX traded up $10.74 on Friday, hitting $159.28. The company had a trading volume of 966,874 shares, compared to its average volume of 472,126. 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 cap of $5.46 billion, a PE ratio of 18.74, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.98. WEX has a 52-week low of $110.45 and a 52-week high of $180.71. The business has a 50 day moving average of $153.44 and a 200 day moving average of $158.16. WEX (NYSE:WEX Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The business services provider reported $4.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.90 by $0.21. WEX had a net margin of 11.43% and a return on equity of 51.30%. The firm had revenue of $672.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $660.89 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.57 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. WEX has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.250-17.850 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 3.80-4.000 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that WEX will post 14.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at WEX In other news, CAO Jennifer Kimball sold 494 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.40, for a total value of $74,791.60. Following 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Stephen Montgomery Smith purchased 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $144.25 per share, with a total value of $144,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 7,971 shares in the company, valued at $1,149,816.75. This trade represents a 14.35% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of WEX Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in WEX during the 2nd quarter valued at $187,102,000. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of WEX in the third quarter worth about $93,289,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in WEX in the second quarter valued at about $42,812,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in WEX by 158.3% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 350,892 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $55,097,000 after purchasing an additional 215,036 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp acquired a new stake in WEX during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,129,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.47% of the companys stock. WEX News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting WEX this week: Positive Sentiment: Q4 beats on revenue and EPS, showing underlying growth WEX reported $672.9M in revenue (+5.7% YoY) and $4.11 EPS, topping consensus and signaling momentum into 2026. Read More. Q4 beats on revenue and EPS, showing underlying growth WEX reported $672.9M in revenue (+5.7% YoY) and $4.11 EPS, topping consensus and signaling momentum into 2026. Read More. Positive Sentiment: 2026 guidance suggests stronger full-year profitability management set FY2026 EPS of $17.25$17.85 (above consensus) and Q1 EPS 3.804.00; Bank of America reiterated a Buy with a ~$180 target reflecting upside to the Street. Read More. 2026 guidance suggests stronger full-year profitability management set FY2026 EPS of $17.25$17.85 (above consensus) and Q1 EPS 3.804.00; Bank of America reiterated a Buy with a ~$180 target reflecting upside to the Street. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Revenue mix is shifting: corporate payments (virtual cards, A/P solutions) is carrying growth while mobility remains uneven this diversifies revenue but creates uneven near-term cadence. Read More. Revenue mix is shifting: corporate payments (virtual cards, A/P solutions) is carrying growth while mobility remains uneven this diversifies revenue but creates uneven near-term cadence. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and valuation views remain mixed some firms see upside and strong cash generation, others flag limited catalysts; valuation debates keep reactions subdued. Read More. Analysts and valuation views remain mixed some firms see upside and strong cash generation, others flag limited catalysts; valuation debates keep reactions subdued. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Operating cash flow declined sharply and leverage rose third-party reporting flagged a large drop in operating cash flow and increased liabilities, raising short-term balance-sheet and cash-conversion concerns. Read More. Operating cash flow declined sharply and leverage rose third-party reporting flagged a large drop in operating cash flow and increased liabilities, raising short-term balance-sheet and cash-conversion concerns. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Market reaction was muted to mixed because guidance was viewed as conservative by some that kept upside limited despite the beat, and some analysts reiterated Hold/Neutral views. Read More. About WEX (Get Free Report) 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for WEX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd lowered its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA Free Report) by 75.5% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 11,415 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 35,187 shares during the quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltds holdings in Easterly Government Properties were worth $262,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 215.6% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,130 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 772 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Easterly Government Properties by 223.9% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,778 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,229 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 208.5% during the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 3,310 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 2,237 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Easterly Government Properties by 12,846.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 10,487 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 10,406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of Easterly Government Properties by 212.5% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 9,131 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 6,209 shares during the period. 86.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Easterly Government Properties alerts: Easterly Government Properties Stock Up 1.9% Shares of NYSE DEA opened at $24.21 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 3.47 and a current ratio of 3.47. Easterly Government Properties, Inc. has a 1 year low of $19.33 and a 1 year high of $29.49. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $22.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $22.25. The firm has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 79.39 and a beta of 0.96. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts recently commented on DEA shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Easterly Government Properties from a sell (d+) rating to a hold (c-) rating in a report on Tuesday. Compass Point set a $26.45 target price on shares of Easterly Government Properties and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. New Street Research set a $20.00 price objective on Easterly Government Properties in a research report on Monday, October 13th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Easterly Government Properties from $25.00 to $24.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Easterly Government Properties from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Easterly Government Properties currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $24.99. Read Our Latest Research Report on DEA Easterly Government Properties Profile (Free Report) Easterly Government Properties, Inc is a real estate investment trust that specializes in the acquisition, development and management of commercial properties leased to U.S. government agencies. Structured as a triple-net lease REIT, the company focuses on single-tenant assets with long-term, credit-backed leases that transfer most property-level responsibilitiesincluding taxes, insurance and maintenanceto its government tenants. The firms portfolio encompasses a variety of facility types, including office buildings, training centers, laboratories and mission-critical installations used by federal agencies. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DEA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (NYSE:DEA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Easterly Government Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Easterly Government Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd reduced its holdings in shares of Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB Free Report) by 86.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 10,165 shares of the companys stock after selling 63,583 shares during the quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltds holdings in Primo Brands were worth $225,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in PRMB. Viking Global Investors LP boosted its position in shares of Primo Brands by 290.2% during the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 19,602,116 shares of the companys stock valued at $580,615,000 after purchasing an additional 14,578,589 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners lifted its stake in Primo Brands by 13.7% in the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 8,089,479 shares of the companys stock valued at $239,551,000 after buying an additional 971,939 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Primo Brands by 2,486.6% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,867,110 shares of the companys stock worth $173,784,000 after buying an additional 5,640,287 shares in the last quarter. Third Point LLC grew its position in shares of Primo Brands by 108.1% during the 2nd quarter. Third Point LLC now owns 5,775,000 shares of the companys stock worth $171,056,000 after buying an additional 3,000,000 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Primo Brands by 32.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 4,912,684 shares of the companys stock valued at $145,514,000 after acquiring an additional 1,210,773 shares in the last quarter. 87.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Primo Brands alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PRMB has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Primo Brands from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating on shares of Primo Brands in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d+) rating on shares of Primo Brands in a research report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Primo Brands from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Primo Brands from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $26.83. Primo Brands Price Performance PRMB stock opened at $19.18 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $7.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -61.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 0.63. Primo Brands Corporation has a 52-week low of $14.36 and a 52-week high of $35.85. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 1.02. Primo Brands (NYSE:PRMB Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.41. Primo Brands had a positive return on equity of 12.52% and a negative net margin of 1.30%.The company had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.78 billion. The businesss revenue was up 35.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Primo Brands Corporation will post 1.13 EPS for the current fiscal year. Primo Brands declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Monday, November 10th that allows the company to repurchase $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 0.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CFO David W. Hass acquired 15,910 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $15.71 per share, with a total value of $249,946.10. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 64,745 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,017,143.95. The trade was a 32.58% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven P. Stanbrook bought 54,540 shares of Primo Brands stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 13th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $16.43 per share, with a total value of $896,092.20. Following the purchase, the director owned 181,601 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,983,704.43. This represents a 42.92% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 203,469 shares of company stock valued at $3,214,674. 58.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Primo Brands (Free Report) Primo Brands (NYSE: PRMB) is a consumer packaged beverage company that was established as an independent entity following a corporate spinoff in 2023. The company specializes in the production, marketing and distribution of a broad portfolio of bottled water products, including purified, mineral and sparkling varieties. Through its focus on quality control and innovation, Primo Brands aims to deliver clean, great-tasting water in formats tailored to both at-home consumption and on-the-go lifestyles. Its product range spans multi-serve and single-serve bottles, aluminum cans and other eco-friendly packaging solutions. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PRMB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Primo Brands Corporation (NYSE:PRMB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Primo Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Primo Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. W.R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE:WRB Get Free Report) major shareholder Sumitomo Insurance Co Mitsui purchased 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $70.20 per share, with a total value of $1,755,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 56,418,656 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,960,589,651.20. The trade was a 0.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a companys stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC. Get W.R. Berkley alerts: W.R. Berkley Stock Up 1.6% WRB opened at $71.28 on Friday. W.R. Berkley Corporation has a 12 month low of $59.55 and a 12 month high of $78.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $69.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.03. The company has a market cap of $27.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.37. W.R. Berkley (NYSE:WRB Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 26th. The insurance provider reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.14 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.18 billion. W.R. Berkley had a return on equity of 18.35% and a net margin of 12.10%.W.R. Berkleys revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.13 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that W.R. Berkley Corporation will post 4.33 EPS for the current year. W.R. Berkley Announces Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a $0.09 dividend. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. W.R. Berkleys payout ratio is presently 8.09%. A number of brokerages have issued reports on WRB. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a neutral rating and issued a $73.00 price target on shares of W.R. Berkley in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and issued a $75.00 target price (down from $76.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Monday. UBS Group set a $71.00 price target on W.R. Berkley in a research report on Monday. Mizuho dropped their price objective on W.R. Berkley from $69.00 to $67.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Barclays reissued an underweight rating and set a $64.00 target price (down from $73.00) on shares of W.R. Berkley in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $69.67. Read Our Latest Analysis on W.R. Berkley Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of W.R. Berkley by 75.6% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 50,503 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,955,000 after purchasing an additional 21,737 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in W.R. Berkley by 9.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,990 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $2,419,000 after buying an additional 3,013 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in W.R. Berkley by 399.0% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 9,506 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $675,000 after buying an additional 7,601 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of W.R. Berkley by 7.2% in the 2nd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 35,628 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,618,000 after buying an additional 2,407 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop National Bank bought a new position in shares of W.R. Berkley in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.82% of the companys stock. W.R. Berkley Company Profile (Get Free Report) W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB) is a publicly traded insurance holding company that underwrites and sells commercial property and casualty insurance, specialty insurance products, and reinsurance. Headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, the company operates a portfolio of underwriting businesses that focus on niche and specialty commercial risks, offering coverage tailored to industries such as transportation, construction, professional services and other commercial lines. The companys product mix includes primary and excess casualty, property, professional liability, environmental and other specialty lines, together with treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for W.R. Berkley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for W.R. Berkley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has praised Causeway Hospital for improving how care is being delivered through the transformation and modernisation of services. Minister Nesbitt visited Causeway Hospital in Coleraine this week where he had the opportunity to see first-hand how high quality, patient-centred care is being delivered through a range of clinical pathways. Welcoming the Ministers visit, the Northern Trusts Medical Director, Dr George Gardiner, said: We will be celebrating Causeway Hospitals 25th anniversary later this year so the Ministers visit has been very timely. It has allowed us to highlight that our focus remains firmly on the future of Causeway Hospital, and our ambition to become an elective and diagnostic hub for the north west area. In line with this ambition, we have significantly invested in the Causeway Hospital site in recent years - including 1.8m for urgent and ambulatory care, 1.2m for solar energy and the newly installed state-of-the-art MRI scanner which represented an investment of approximately 2m. Alongside this capital investment, the Minister also had the opportunity to see how our teams are working hard to redesign pathways so that patients arent spending time in hospital unless they really need to. This shift left approach is about earlier intervention, stronger community services and more joined-up care, all of which help people stay well and independent for longer. During his visit, the Health Minister heard how the introduction of new ambulatory areas is allowing more patients to be assessed, treated and discharged on the same day when appropriate, or scheduled for a planned appointment within a few days. Since opening in 2024, the unit has treated around 400 patients each month, far exceeding its target of 160 patients a month. Owing to this success, the Minister heard how the service has now expanded its footprint, enabling even more patients to benefit. The Health Minister praised staff at the hospital for advancing the shift left agenda, saying: Its encouraging to see the progress being made at Causeway Hospital as part of the Reform North programme. By shifting care upstream and providing timely assessment and treatment without the need for hospital admission, we can enhance the overall experience for patients, while also making better use of the limited resources we have available. The numbers speak for themselves we are seeing tangible results, and I want to acknowledge the progress that has been made. I commend all the staff involved in this important work and thank them for all that they are doing to improve outcomes for their patients. Lynne McCartney, Interim Director for Surgery and Clinical Services with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, said: Improving patient care and outcomes is central to everything that we do and we were very pleased to have the Minister visit Causeway Hospital and see for himself, the innovative and transformative work that has been undertaken. Our staff work tirelessly all year round to provide the highest quality of care they can to our patients, service users and wider community and this was clearly recognised by the Minister. The St Columbs Park Reconciliation Trust is kickstarting their new Our Hidden Healers: The Untold Heritage Beyond the Walls heritage project with their first public event, The Call of Duty (and not a wain washed). This will be a story harvesting event, inviting retired nurses to discuss the impossible balancing act of holding down a demanding nursing career and the responsibility of being a mother and homemaker in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. This event forms part of a 177,440 project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which explores the hidden history of healing connected to St Columbs Park House and its grounds. The project seeks to uncover the personal histories of St. Columbs Hospital, stories that have largely gone unrecorded and overlooked. The hospital and its nurses played a vital role in the life of the city, shaping the experiences of many who worked or were treated there. Recording and sharing these memories is essential to preserving this rich heritage. If you, or a family member, were a nurse at St. Columbs Hospital during the 1960s, 1970s or 1080s, we would love to hear your stories and warmly welcome you to join us on Monday, February 9 at 11am in St Columbs Park House. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has visited Derry's Foyle Hospice, meeting patients, families and staff delivering specialist palliative care, two months after the Health Committee published its inquiry report calling for hospices to move to 100% statutory funding. The Minister was welcomed by Donall Henderson, Chief Executive, alongside the senior management team and Paddie Blaney, Vice Chair of the Board. The visit follows the Committee's December 2025 report which found that palliative care in Northern Ireland is fragmented, under-resourced and lacking strategic leadership, and recommended the Department move to 100% funding for all hospice services, with an initial 50% of actual cost of care for 2026-27, rising on a sliding scale over five years. During the visit, the Minister spent time in the inpatient unit speaking with patients receiving specialist symptom management and end-of-life care, before meeting service users in day therapy accessing holistic support including clinical assessment, complementary therapies and bereavement counselling. The hospice serves the Western Trust area from Limavady to Enniskillen, providing care in people's homes, in the community, and through its 9-bed inpatient unit. The visit takes place as the Minister progresses his neighbourhood model of care, a cornerstone of the Reset Plan published last July, with specialist palliative care identified as central to the shift towards community-based support that can reduce pressure on acute hospital services. Donall Henderson, Chief Executive, said: "The Health Committee's report in December provided clear evidence that the current funding model is unsustainable and called for strategic reform. Foyle Hospice has provided over 40 years of care, shaped and sustained by our community, but as the Committee heard, hospices across Northern Ireland rely on charitable fundraising for the majority of running costs, a model that limits our capacity to plan, invest and respond to growing demand. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Foyle Hospice Chief Executive Donall Henderson reading the memorial book containing the names of those cared for by the hospice. "The Minister's Reset Plan sets out a vision for neighbourhood centred care with services delivered closer to home. Specialist palliative care at Foyle Hospice already delivers that vision in practice; supporting people to remain at home where possible, preventing avoidable hospital admissions, and providing coordinated care across community settings. Moving to sustainable statutory funding would allow hospices to become full partners in that reform agenda, enabling them to expand services, strengthen workforce, and deliver equitable access which the Committee identified as essential." AnnMarie Casey, Director of Nursing and Clinical Care, said: "The Committee heard evidence about gaps in service provision that we witness daily, limited out-of-hours access, inconsistency across geography, and communication breakdowns that leave families feeling unsupported. The Minister saw today what's possible when specialist teams work seven days a week, delivering expert clinical care in the inpatient unit, through day therapy, and into people's homes across both urban and rural communities. "The data tells a stark story. The Committee's report highlighted that 44% of people currently spend their final days in hospital wards, despite 80% expressing a wish to die at home or in a hospice. That gap represents both human cost and system inefficiency. "Strengthening community based palliative care prevents crisis situations, supports families to cope, and reduces unnecessary hospital admissions, but delivering that consistently requires sustainable investment in workforce, clinical leadership and coordinated pathways across statutory and voluntary sectors." Dr Paul McIvor, Medical Director, said: "As a consultant in palliative medicine who also works one day a week at Altnagelvin Hospital, I see directly how effective early palliative care intervention can prevent avoidable deterioration and reduce acute hospital admissions. The clinical pathway works best when specialist support is available promptly in the community managing complex symptoms, supporting advance care planning, and coordinating care across multiple services. READ NEXT: Limavady woman to lead privately owned homecare provider in south "The Committee's report recognised that Northern Ireland remains the only part of the UK without a clinical lead for palliative care, and that absence is felt in the variability of services and outcomes. Effective palliative care responds early, supports people at home, and ensures seamless access when clinical needs change. "Working collectively through Hospice Alliance NI and alongside statutory colleagues, we can help deliver care that is both clinically excellent and financially responsible. That requires moving beyond year-to-year uncertainty towards the strategic, funded approach the Committee has recommended." Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: I recognise the crucial work that Foyle Hospice does to provide support and care to those in need of palliative and end of life care. I very much valued the opportunity to meet staff, tour the facility, and talk to some of those using the hospices services. Palliative and End of Life Care will play a key role in the Neighbourhood Model of Care, a central tenet of my Reset Plan for health and social care. I believe our commitment to develop this model for primary; community and social care can support how palliative and end of life care is delivered, helping more people with palliative care needs to be looked after in their homes and in the community. During the visit, the Minister paused at the memorial book in reception. Staff explained how this holds the names of patients, people who received care, loved ones who are remembered by families who return year after year to hospice to share memories and express gratitude. The pages represent four decades of compassion, clinical excellence, and community support. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt (centre) with Foyle Hospice senior management team and Vice Chair of the Board. Front row (L-R): Paddie Blaney (Vice Chair), AnnMarie Casey (Director of Nursing & Clinical Care). Back row (L-R): Dr Paul McIvor (Medical Director), Sheila Duffy (Director of Income Generation and Communications), Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, Donall Henderson (Chief Executive), Terri Sythes (Human Resources and Administrative Services Manager). As the Minister departed, he was presented with a card carrying the stories of people whose lives have been touched by Foyle Hospice. These are service users who have lived with dignity, families who have been supported through unimaginable grief, children who have been helped to understand loss. There are many faces behind these statistics, the stories of lives behind the funding debate, the reason this conversation matters. With the right investment and partnership, that care can reach even more people who need it, when they need it most. President of Ireland Catherine Connolly was meeting young people on the final day of her visit to Northern Ireland. Ms Connolly took part in discussions with young people at St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Derry on Thursday morning. It came on the third and final day of her first official visit to Northern Ireland since becoming president of Ireland, and has been described as fulfilling a commitment in her inaugural address to meet with people from all communities and traditions. Ms Connolly was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle in Belfast on the first day of her visit on Wednesday. She went on to make addresses at the Ulster University campus in Belfast, and the Guildhall in Derry, as well as visiting a number of community projects across both cities. DUP MP Gregory Campbell warned the Irish President against rewriting the past during her visit to Derry on Thursday, while Ms Connolly said she was here to listen. She went on to tour the Siege Museum, visit An Culturlann and the Nerve Centre, as well as the Museum of Free Derry, where she met relatives of victims of Bloody Sunday. Ms Connolly completed her three-day visit in Northern Irelands second city, meeting young people from both sides of the border. The young people were taking part in a number of Youth Action Northern Ireland projects, and engaging with St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre itself. They also included those taking part in the cross-community REACH Across organisation for teenagers, the North West Islamic Association, Donegal Youth Services and a school group from Raphoe in Co Donegal. Dominic Bonner, youth co-ordinator at Youth Action NI, said they were delighted by the engagement with Ms Connolly. When we heard the President was coming here today, we were delighted that she invited us to come and spend good-quality time, he said. We were delighted to be able to invite young people and our community workers, because the President wanted to engage with the community, engage with the young people. Were in St Columbs Park House, beautiful surroundings which provided the space for people to feel comfortable, and safe to talk about some of the issues in this city. The talk of today was about continuing partnership, continuing to work together to meet the needs of young people, to continue to keep fighting the battle. Weve done extremely good work around peace and reconciliation, we have to continue that. A local social enterprise based in prison grounds is offering sustainably grown trees at reduced prices while stocks last. Magilligan Tree Nursery has announced two special offers and has also explained how each order helps support its prisoner rehabilitation efforts as well as work to help native tree species and the community. The offers 10 trees from 8.95 plus one free tree with every ten purchased are now available. The 8.95 price applies to Rowan, Alder or Birch trees while the free trees can be a choice from Rowan, Alder or Birch and will be applied to every order. Tree Nursery Co-ordinator Aisling Gribbin said: Because were a sustainable tree nursery based in prison grounds, every order helps the community and environment in some unique ways. Orders help prisoner rehabilitation by boosting skills and employment prospects and also help the environment because we only grow native species using peat-free organic methods. This increases local resistance to disease by reducing numbers of imported trees Plus, our outreach and education through volunteering and workshops means ordering from us supports the community too. Magilligan tree nursery is delivered in partnership with The Northern Ireland Prison Service and can produce a large numbers of native UK and Irish trees every year, meaning enough stock and range to satisfy both bitj bulk orders from businesses and organisations as well supply individual household buyers. It is operated by Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust, an organisation with almost 25 years of experience delivering protected area management, partnerships and projects designed to support natural, built and cultural heritage. READ NEXT: Housing Executive announces annual rent increase The Trust oversees the Antrim Coast & Glens, Binevenagh and Causeway Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty as well as the Giants Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site and the Rathlin Island Marine Special Area of Conservation. Its work includes protected landscape management, projects with local communities and support for heritage. Enquiries can be sent to aisling@ccght.org. To find out more about the special offers or Magilligan Tree Nursery see https://www.facebook.com/magilligantreenursery. Cassava Technologies has cleared another regulatory milestone in South Africa for the sale of shares in its Africa Data Centres (ADC) unit to STANLIB Asset Management, a private equity firm backed by Standard Bank and Liberty Global. South Africas Competition Tribunal said it has unconditionally approved STANLIBs acquisition of a stake in Cassava Africa Data Centres South Africa. Following the transaction, STANLIB will hold joint control of the business, with the option to acquire sole control at a later stage. The decision follows approval granted by the Competition Commission in January, which concluded the transaction was unlikely to substantially lessen or prevent competition in any market and raised no significant public interest concerns. ADC, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, operates nine data centres across six African countries, serving around 400 enterprise and hyperscale customers. STANLIB made an undisclosed investment in ADC in October, aimed at accelerating the expansion of the operators South African footprint to meet growing demand for digital infrastructure in the country. Alan Ritchson returns to the screen, taking an elite team into a battle unlike any other in the upcoming Netflix original War Machine. After stealing the show in Reacher, Ritchson embarks on a mission that knits intense survival along with military skill. Filled with explosive action, stunning performances, and breathtaking visuals, the film promises non-stop thrills for fans of thrilling adventures. From Patrick Hughes, a director known for combining style and motion, comes War Machine, a story in which courage, team building, and strategy will be pushed to their limits on a hostile, mysterious battlefield. Survey Thank you for completing the survey! The movie War Machine will have an exclusive debut on Netflix, and the viewers can enjoy watching this movie from the comfort of their sofa from March 6, 2026. Viewers have to have a valid Netflix subscription to watch this movie. Also read: Horizon Hunters Gathering announced: Why this new co-op multiplayer is worth waiting for War Machine: Storyline The story of War Machine focuses on a team of highly trained soldiers who are sent to a training camp on a remote planet. However, instead of a routine training exercise, the situation soon changes to a life-or-death engagement against a formidable enemy. The main character, played by Ritchson, takes his group of soldiers through a series of intense tests. The movie is filled with thrilling action with moments of personal drama. Also read: Watch T20 World Cup live for free with these affordable Airtel, Jio and Vi prepaid recharge plans War Machine: Cast and crew Directed by Patrick Hughes and written by James Beaufort along with Patrick Hughes, War Machine features the following cast: Joshua Diaz Richard Cotta Alan Ritchson Dennis Quaid Daniel Webber Jai Courtney Esai Morales Keiynan Lonsdale Jack Patten Stephan James David Tomlinson Jake Ryan Christopher Kirby Joey Vieira Blake Richardson James Beaufort Matt Testro Victory Ndukwe Jacob Hohua Jeremiah Louis Heather Burridge Alex King Will Curtin (as Soldier 42) Joel Phibbs (military police soldier) Brad Newton (RRC Offensive) Eion Xeni (Soldier 97) Henry R Herring (Helicopter Loadmaster) Parker Stuart (Sgt 622) Damien Frankling (RRC Offensive) One of the most eagerly anticipated features in the technology industry is almost here. Yes, Im referring to AirDrop-style file sharing for a wider range of Android smartphones, which extends the feature beyond Googles Pixel lineup. This comes after the company announced that Quick Share will soon enable more Android devices to initiate direct wireless transfers with Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. Survey Thank you for completing the survey! The confirmation came during a recent press briefing in which Eric Kay, Googles vice president of engineering for Android, stated that the company is working closely with its hardware partners to increase cross-platform compatibility. According to Kay, Google has already validated the technology on the Pixel and is now ready to roll it out to other devices. The Pixel 10 series phones are currently the only Android devices that can use Quick Share to communicate directly with Apples AirDrop. While Google has not revealed which manufacturers will be the first to receive the update, companies such as Nothing and chipmaker Qualcomm have previously hinted that more widespread support is in the works. Also read: No, Elon Musks SpaceX will not launch a smartphone Along with file sharing, Google is said to provide a more seamless experience to users transitioning from iPhones to Android devices. Kay stated that the company is working to resolve issues such as missing data, broken message histories, and incomplete transfers during the switching process. According to reports, Google and Apples collaboration has been in the news since early 2024, with early signs appearing late last year, when cross-platform transfer testing was discovered in experimental Android builds for Pixel devices. Google expects to make more announcements about Quick Share expansion and improved iPhone-to-Android switching tools in the coming months. Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke to employees during an all-hands meeting on Thursday, covering topics from immigration and artificial intelligence to succession and the companys upcoming 50th anniversary. Cook began by addressing concerns about immigration in the United States. He said he was upset by how current policies are affecting people, including Apple employees, reports Bloomberg. Ive heard from some of you that dont feel comfortable leaving your homes, he said. No one should feel this way. No one. Survey Thank you for completing the survey! He explained that immigration matters deeply to Apple because many workers rely on visas to live and work in the US. For as long as I can remember, we have been a smarter, wiser, more innovative company because weve attracted the best and brightest from all corners of the world, Cook said. He promised to stay involved with lawmakers, adding, I am going to continue to lobby lawmakers on this issue. You have my word on that. Also read: OpenAI brings GPT 5.3 Codex model and Frontier platform: What it means for AI users Cook further talked about AI and Apples future products. AI is one of the most profound opportunities of our entire lifetime, he said. He added, I truly believe there is no company better positioned to let our customers use AI in profound and meaningful ways than Apple. Addressing competition, he noted, There will be new categories of products and services that are enabled through AI, and were extremely excited about that. Cook also briefly discussed leadership succession. I spend a lot of time thinking about whos in the room five years from now, 10 years from now. I am obsessed with this whos in the room 15 years from now. Also read: Anthropic mocks OpenAIs idea of bringing ads to ChatGPT, Sam Altman responds He also said recent executive retirements were planned and natural. You know, when people get to a certain age, some are going to retire, Cook said. This is kind of a natural thing. Lastly, Cook spoke about Apples future and its past. He said the company will celebrate its 50th anniversary in April. When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart sing, he said. I promise some celebration. Samsung is reportedly preparing to bring back a familiar but debated strategy for its next flagship phones. While last years models used the same high-end processor worldwide, new leaks suggest the upcoming Galaxy S26 series will return to using different chips depending on where you live. This means some regions might get Samsungs own new 2 nm processor, while others will receive the latest Qualcomm hardware. This split strategy usually helps the company manage costs and supply, though it often sparks discussions among fans about which version performs better. Heres everything from specs, battery, launch timeline, price and more we know about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 device. Survey Thank you for completing the survey! Samsung Galaxy S26: Design (Expected) Reports suggest the phone will feature a slimmer and more refined build with smoother, rounded edges to make it easier to hold. Rumours also suggest that the device may boast a premium mix of glass and metal and might maintain durability with IP68 water resistance. The device is also likely to come in fresh colour options like Cobalt Violet and Glacier Silver. Also read: Meta tests standalone Vibes app to take on OpenAIs Sora in AI video race Samsung Galaxy S26: Chipset (Tipped) Samsung is reportedly planning to bring back the dual-chip approach, as the standard Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are tipped to run on the Exynos 2600 in most global markets, including India and Europe. Meanwhile, the US and other select regions are expected to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Samsung Galaxy S26: Specs (Expected) The Samsung Galaxy S26 is expected to feature a 6.3-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Its peak brightness is rumoured to reach up to 2,600 nits under bright sunlight. Out of the box, the smartphone is anticipated to run One UI 8.5, a custom skin based on Android 16. Also read: Vivo X300 Ultra may launch in India soon: Camera, battery, display and all other leaks The smartphone may also house a 4,300mAh battery with support for 25W wired charging. In addition, the device is said to offer 25W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. In terms of optics, the device could launch with a triple rear camera setup featuring a 50MP primary sensor, a 10MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. On the front, it will likely sport a 12MP selfie camera. The standard Galaxy S26 is also rumoured to be powered by 12GB of RAM, along with up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage options. Also read: Tim Cook discusses AI, succession and Apples 50th anniversary at meeting: Heres what he said Samsung Galaxy S26: Launch Timeline (Expected) Samsung has not officially announced the release of the devices yet. Reports point out that the devices may get released in the Galaxy Unpacked event, which is scheduled for February 25, 2026. If this timeline holds true, the phones would likely hit store shelves and start shipping to customers by mid-March 2026. Samsung Galaxy S26: Price (Expected) The Galaxy S26 in India is expected to start at Rs 82,999, which is a bit higher than that of the previous model. The price hike is expected because of the current shortage of the AI chips in the market. However, do note that the final price may change depending on launch offers and will only be revealed at the time of launch. Xiaomi is getting ready to launch its next flagship smartphones to global markets, including India. The Xiaomi 17 series, which was first launched in China in September 2025, has now appeared on certification platforms, pointing to an early international debut. Reports suggest that only two models, reportedly the Xiaomi 17 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, will travel outside China, and the Pro versions are likely to stay exclusive to the home market. The upcoming devices are once again expected to be camera-centric, with Leica-backed cameras expected on both phones. Heres everything we know so far about the battery, camera, processor, and more of the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra. Survey Thank you for completing the survey! Xiaomi 17 specs (Expected) The Xiaomi 17 is expected to feature a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood the device is rumoured to be driven by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor coupled with 12GB RAM and storage options going up to 512GB. The device may also house a 7,000mAh battery with fast charging support. On the camera front, the device is tipped to offer a Leica-tuned triple rear camera setup, all using 50MP sensors. Other than that, a 50MP camera is expected at the front for selfies and video calls. Also read: Apple iPhone 17e may launch this month: Price, specifications and more leaks Xiaomi 17 Ultra specs (Expected) The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is likely to come with a bigger 6.9-inch AMOLED display and a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is expected to be protected by improved glass for better durability. Like the standard model, it may run on a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. Along with that, its also expected to boast 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage options. The smartphone is also said to include a Leica-backed camera system with a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a powerful 200MP zoom lens. On the front the device will likely sport a 50MP lens. In terms of battery the device is anticipated to come packed with a 6,800mAh battery that supports fast charging and wireless charging. Also read: Oppo Find X9s tipped to launch in India: Check price, specs and more Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra launch timeline According to the tipster Yogesh Brar, the company plans to launch the Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra globally before MWC 2026, which takes place in early March. Followed by a special Xiaomi 17 Ultra Leica Edition by the end of February. He further added that the devices are expected to launch around early March 2026 in the Indian market. Also read: No, Elon Musks SpaceX will not launch a smartphone Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi 17 Ultra India prices The Xiaomi 17 is expected to launch with a price tag of Rs 65,000, while the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is expected to sit in the premium bracket, with prices likely close to or above Rs 1,10,000, depending on the variant. 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United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Heavy rain continues in some areas as most weather warnings have been lifted on the island of Ireland. Two weeks of persistent rain and stormy conditions have left grounds sodden and roads and fields flooded, with rivers threatening to burst their banks in certain areas, particularly along the east coast. People whose homes and businesses were damaged by flooding due to Storm Chandra last week have called for flood defence systems to protect areas at risk. Forecasters warned that flooding is still a risk along coastal areas, particularly at high tide and near bankfull rivers as well as in areas where weather warnings are not in place as water passes through catchments. Status orange rain warnings were in place for four counties on Friday and expired earlier than had been initially expected as the rain moved northwards quicker than expected. Yellow-level rain warnings expired in nine counties by the afternoon, with warnings in place for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Londonderry and Tyrone until midnight. The Met Office warned of difficult driving conditions and possible travel disruption in those counties. Some areas were seen to have flooded on Thursday afternoon, including parts of the Dart line in Dublin where stations were flooded up to platform level. While there was some disruption to travel on Friday morning, Darts operated between Greystones and Howth as normal. Debris and flooding on the line between Rosslare/Gorey and Wicklow/Bray caused disruption. It will stay dull and damp across the N & E through much of the day as further outbreaks of rain move northwards Scattered showers will affect the W & SW, and some of those will be heavy. Highs will range between 3C in the N & 10C in the S. https://t.co/itZWaoDj9A pic.twitter.com/IwupysYI6o Met Eireann (@MetEireann) February 6, 2026 The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met on Friday and said that while weather warnings were to lift over the weekend, river flooding was still possible on Saturday. A clean-up operation is being co-ordinated by local authorities and motorists are being urged to drive with care and not to drive through floodwater. Government supports are available to homes, businesses and community organisations impacted by flooding. The weather is to dry up over the weekend, with scattered patches of rain and some winds. Rivers in the east, south-east and north-east are close to or above bank-full conditions but are expected to peak on Friday. The NECG said it would meet again on Saturday to assess the situation. Taoiseach Micheal Martin has confirmed he will visit the White House on St Patricks Day. In a speech at the Cork Chamber Annual Dinner, Mr Martin said US President Donald Trump believes the annual engagement is a chance to celebrate the special relationship between our two countries. Calls were made last year for the Taoiseach to drop the trip as Mr Trump began his second term as president. The leaders of the main opposition party, Sinn Fein, did not attend the White House over the US administrations approach to Gaza. Those calls have been amplified in the wake of the USs rescinded threat to take over Greenland and Mr Trumps anti-immigration crackdown in the city of Minneapolis and elsewhere in the US. Last year, 38 representatives of the state travelled to more than 90 cities in 40 countries. Local, national and international issues matter and there is no doubt that these turbulent times are causing a lot of uncertainty, Mr Martin said on Friday evening. Perhaps the single most common question I hear from people is how can we protect our interests and our successes when things are changing so rapidly, when long-established assumptions are being questioned?. No one can deny that today there is a crisis in international affairs. We have new and deep challenges to overcome. But we also have incredible strengths in our country. I absolutely believe that we can secure and strengthen our interests now and in the years ahead. We can do it if we focus on our strengths, if we are true to core values, if we avoid knee-jerk reactions to every new development. Mr Martin went on to say he had received a formal invitation from Mr Trump to visit the White House which the US president described as an opportunity to celebrate the warm and historic friendship between the US and Ireland. He said: The president also pays tribute to the Irish American community, who have made such an enormous contribution to the United States. He believes this is an opportunity to celebrate the special relationship between our two countries. He added: Our economic contacts are of enormous value to both of our countries and this has at its foundation an open dialogue. Our cultural contacts are also of enormous value to both of our countries and they have evolved through constant contact. I am looking forward to my meetings in Washington and to celebrating the 250th anniversary of a democratic ideal which remains an inspiration. As we negotiate these challenging times, my focus in relations with all countries and especially in our critical relationships, is not on the short term. It is on the long term. On finding points of shared interest rather than opportunities for division. Mr Trumps Board of Peace, which he has said could eventually rival the United Nations, may also present a diplomatic challenge for the Taoiseach. The group was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire in Gaza, with Mr Trump as chairman, but it has since evolved and scepticism about its membership and mandate has led some countries usually closest to Washington to take a step back. Norway and Sweden indicated they would not participate in the board. France declined, citing concerns the board could seek to replace the UN, and the UK said it would not sign up because of potential Russian involvement in the plan. Mr Martin said the UN is facing a serious crisis but that Ireland must work to protect the only organisation which is capable of carrying out vital international functions. In fundamental areas like public health, maritime safety, famine relief, support for the Palestinian people and child protection, the UN and its agencies are irreplaceable, he said. Sinn Fein has yet to declare whether it will attend Washington DC in March this year, after boycotting last year in a principled stance against the threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza, according to leader Mary Lou McDonald. The partys vice-president and First Minister at Stormont, Michelle ONeill, hinted last week that her party may not attend, saying I decided last year that I wouldnt go in the context of the genocide that we see unfolding in Gaza, adding: I believe that situation has deteriorated even further. St Patricks Day is also the date that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is next due to appear before a US court. Ardee councillors have accused Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) of "moving the goalposts" over funding to move a pedestrian crossing in Ardee Town. The issue was raised by Independent councillor Jim Tenanty at the February meeting of Ardee Municipal District. Mark Johnston, Senior Engineer with Louth County Council said the local authority had been trying to move the pedestrian crossing for "quite some time", but said it requires 90,000 in funding from the TII. Mr Johnston confirmed that Louth County Council has only received half of the funding. "We have to do all their various programmes, designs and specifications. Once we do all that we hopefully get the 90,000 to do it in 2026." Cllr Dolores Minogue, Cathaoirleach of Ardee Municipal District questioned if the whole process had to start fresh in order to secure funding. "Do we have to do a whole new plan or do we just need funding, we already got funding, theres a plan in place," she said. Read Next: Gardai investigating "mindless act" as sandbags removed overnight in Ardee Cllr Tenanty said "this is kicking the can down the road again. We were told we were only 5,000 short, and now weve only half the money. Why has all this changed now? It like starting all over again," he said. "This is ongoing for the last five years. If there's a fatality on it, who are we going to blame? We'll get the blame...It's dangerous," he said. While Mr Johnston agreed that the crossing needed to be moved, he said "it's not a mile away" from meeting the correct specifications. "The recommended distance from the junction is five metres, its about four metres. It's not a mile away from being perfectly within spec, but at least there is a crossing. To make it right we have to do the report," he said. Cllr Minogue accused the TII of "shifting the goalposts" every time Louth County Council seek additional funding. "Weve done all the reports. Theyre shifting the goalposts everytime we go for funding." "To say its a safe junction, it's definitely not, and that's why it's being moved. Its frustrating for us, and I'm sure its frustrating for you as officials. Were hearing it day in day out, but because we need more funding or extra funding, the TII want more reports. What more reports can they actually need? Nothing new has come out in the last five years. Itll be 2027 and well be having the same conversation," she said. Sinn Fein councillor Pearse McGeough supported his fellow councillors and said "It's frustrating us as councillors having to wait and listen to this, we need it to happen." Mr Johnston concluded that he believes it will happen in 2026. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. The Square Bar of the Year Awards is now open for entries, giving bars across Louth the chance to be recognized for excellence. Dundalk pub Mo Chara was crowned winner in the Craft Beer of the Year category at last years Bar of the Year Awards. There are 31 award categories, and all types of bars are eligible, including traditional pubs, modern bars, and cocktail lounges. The deadline for entries is Friday, 3rd April 2026, and winners will be announced at a gala ceremony on Monday, 24th August 2026, at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin. Bars in Louth and surrounding areas are encouraged to enter. The awards provide an opportunity for local establishments to gain national recognition for their service, atmosphere, and drinks. Bars looking to participate must complete an online entry form, which will then be reviewed and judged by a panel of esteemed industry experts. The winners will be announced at a spectacular gala awards ceremony held at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin, on Monday, August 24, 2026. This black-tie event is a highlight of the hospitality industry calendar and promises an evening of celebration, networking, and industry recognition. Read Next: Louth councillor urges public to have their say on CCTV plans to improve road safety The Irish Bar of the Year Awards welcome entries from all types of bars, including traditional pubs, modern bars, and trendy cocktail lounges. Categories also exist for bars that serve food. Judges will be looking for establishments with unique personalities, exceptional service, and unforgettable customer experiences. For more info see: baroftheyear.ie Louth Fianna Fail TD, Erin McGreehan, has called for meaningful dialogue between all stakeholders following the appearance of the Chair of Bord Bia before the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee. Deputy McGreehan said she attended the hearing to hear directly from the Chair, following ongoing engagement with farming families in Louth who have been raising concerns. In comments on Friday, Deputy McGreehan said, yesterday I attended the Oireachtas Committee hearing on Bord Bia. I felt it was important to be present, to hear directly what was said and to represent the farming families who have been raising their concerns with me. Having listened to the discussion in full, Deputy McGreehan said she does not believe the appearance resolved the issues that have emerged. She said the strength of feeling among farmers is both real and deeply personal. Over recent weeks I have spoken to many farming families. The level of upset and anger is very real. For people whose livelihoods and futures depend on Irelands premium food reputation, this issue cuts deeply. Deputy McGreehan said that she accepts there were time constraints but feels that legitimate questions on the standard of the Brazilian beef imported and the impact on Irish family farms remain unanswered. However, she added, her focus is on engagement. The only way we get through this is by sitting down together and talking it through. Deputy McGreehan said unity across the sector is critical at a time of wider pressures. We are facing major challenges already, from disease threats such as Bluetongue to hugely important CAP negotiations that will shape farming for years to come. The last thing the sector needs is internal division at a time when unity and focus are essential. Reiterating the need for structured dialogue, Deputy McGreehan further added, Irish farmers are the foundation of our food reputation internationally. Protecting that reputation means rebuilding trust. "Now that positions have been set out, all sides must enter into constructive dialogue to restore confidence and find practical solutions. Despite growing up just a stones throw from one another, it wasnt until 2018 that Cork couple Jennifer Luxford and Tommy Cotter met. Jennifer, from Ballyphehane, and Tommy, from Greenmount, were attending Jennifers cousin Aimees 30th birthday at the City Bounds Bar when they first laid eyes on one another. The couple got engaged in New York in 2023 and today live in Greenmount with their two children and their dog. Jennifer pictured with her bridesmaids. They were joined by family and friends as they tied the knot at the Talbot Hotel in Ballincollig recently. Janice OCallaghan was our solemniser. She was fantastic, said Jennifer. The bride sourced her gown from Memories on Tuckey Street. Carl was brilliant! I got all my alterations done in store by Kay; she even made me sleeves, which I loved, the bride said. Hair and make-up was by Ciara from Nics Pin Ups and Niamh OLeary, while the tan was by Erica. The grooms suit was from Tonys Menswear in Cork, while the groomsmens suits were from Suits Distributors. Tommy with his groomsmen on the morning of the wedding. The bridal flowers were by Tracey at Flowers4u. The couple were supported on the day by Jennifers sister, and maid of honour Sarah, her best friends Samantha and Shauna, and cousins Ciara and Aimee, whose birthday first brought the couple together! Tommys best friend Steve was his best man, while his groomsmen were Tommys brother Jason, cousin Liam, and friends Diarmuid and Ian. After the ceremony, the couple held a reception for their 190 guests at the hotel, including Jennifers friend Sophie Harris who travelled all the way from Sydney, and Ali Bermingham and Thomas Crowe, who made their way from New York for the nuptuals. Tanusha looked after us. She was amazing. Nothing was too much of an ask. She couldnt have done any more for us, the couple said. Tommy and Jennifer with their parents Aidan and Margaret Cotter, and Jean and Doney Luxford. The wedding cake was by Ruaris Kitchen. It was beautiful and tasted as good as it looked. Music at the reception was by the Caroline Bailey band. The dance floor was full all night! They were brill. Jennifer and Tommy first met in 2018 and got engaged in 2023. They were wed recently at the Talbot Hotel in Ballincollig. Pictures: Bismark The couple had high praise for Auntie Katies Babysitting, who helped out with minding their children, Ben (6) and Maisie (2). We couldnt recommend them enough. Photos on the day were by Bismark Photographer. Sheenagh was brilliant, and our videographer Denis was fab. They were all so nice. The Cork Whiskey Fest 2026 will take place from March 27 to March 29 taking place in various venues across Cork city. The main festival highlight, both Brand Expo & Socials,is moving to a new home in Cork City Hall this year, where increased capacity will see more than 60 distilleries, breweries and brands gather under one roof. Attendees can enjoy complimentary tastings of new and rare whiskeys, beers, ciders, gins, rums, vodkas and poitins, which can all be paired with complimentary mixers, while also discovering first hand the stories and craftsmanship behind each spirit. Now in its fourth year, Cork Whiskey Fest will include a new city-centre hub on Oliver Plunkett Street, with more than 15 intimate events, including masterclasses, historic deep dives and exclusive tastings led by producers, brewers and whiskey historians. Highlights of the festival also include A Pint & A Drop, delivered by the head brewers from three Cork Breweries in Rising Sons Brewery, Blarney Brewing Co and Original 7 Brewery. Other standout sessions delve into Vintage Whiskey Crocks, Peated Pot Still Irish Whiskeys from Killowen Distillery and a rare Midleton warehouse tasting hosted at the Imperial Hotel Ballroom. One of the most in-demand tickets of the weekend is likely to be the Distillery Day at Midleton Distillery on Saturday March 28, offering unparalleled access to the distillery, warehouses and master craftspeople. Cork Whiskey Fest organiser Laurie ODwyer said she is proud to bring the event back for another year. "Our growth has allowed us to expand into incredible new spaces, with Cork City Hall becoming the home of our biggest-ever Brand Expo & Socials, and Oliver Plunkett Street buzzing with whiskey events all weekend. "We have a fantastic few days planned with great liquids and plenty of craic. For a full list of Cork Whiskey Fest events, go to corkwhiskeyfest.com or follow @thecorkwhiskeyfest on social media. A visionary nun who founded the Edel House emergency accommodation shelter in Cork recently celebrated her 108th birthday. Born on January 31, 1918, Sr Colette Hickey has lived through the reigns of 10 presidents of Ireland, 15 taoisigh, and 10 popes. In 1972, Sr Colette founded Edel House in Cork city. The shelter provides emergency accommodation for women and children who find themselves homeless, offering a range of supports to assist residents to move on and rebuild their lives. Widely recognised for her charitable work over the years, Sr Colette was the winner of the first ever Cork Person of the Year award back in 1993. Sr Colette with Ellie the Elephant who brought her a birthday card made by Patrick O'Donovan from Junior Infants at Barryroe National School. She was presented with her award by then taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who flew directly from London that day after signing the Downing St Peace Agreement. Sr Colette joined the Good Shepherd Sisters in Limerick in September 1935, aged17. The following year, she was received into the congregation and was then given the religious name Sr Colette. She made first profession in July 1938, and was appointed to the community in Sundays Well, Cork, where she worked in the bake house and kitchen. The Edel House mission leader, Sr Jane Murphy, said: We honour and celebrate the incredible 108th birthday of Sr Colette Hickey. She is a visionary who planted the seed that blossomed into what we now know as Good Shepherd Cork over 50 years ago. Born at the foot of the stunning Comeragh Mountains in Co Waterford, Sr Colette has lived a life of profound dedication and impact. Though her body is frail, her mind remains sharp. She continues to enjoy hearing updates from the Good Shepherd Cork community. We are forever grateful for her pioneering spirit and lasting legacy. Wishing Sr Colette a very happy birthday and many blessings! During her lifetime, she has lived through the Spanish flu pandemic, the War of Independence, the Civil War, a world war, an outbreak of polio and TB, as well as the covid pandemic and many other happenings. She is one of a very few people alive today that would be old enough to remember the time Waterford won both of their All-Ireland senior hurling finals, she added. The parents of a Cork schoolgirl who suffered a horrendous death from an invasive strep A infection have expressed a fervent hope that doctors will learn from the failure of a GP to recognise the urgency of their daughters condition. Vivienne Murphy, 10, from Millstreet, died at CHI at Temple St, Dublin, on March 1, 2019, eight days after her parents took the decision to rush her to Cork University Hospital (CUH) after being dissatisfied with the diagnoses provided during four visits to doctors in the previous six days. An inquiry by a fitness-to-practise committee of the Medical Council this week made findings of poor professional performance against one of the GPs, Dr Joyce Leader, in relation to her phone consultation with Viviennes parents, Lilly and Dermot Murphy, on February 19, 2019, while providing an out-of-hours clinic with SouthDoc in Kanturk. Speaking after the conclusion of a two-day inquiry yesterday, the couple said they wanted to warn the public how untreated strep A can be fatal. They also want to raise awareness that it is curable with antibiotics and early diagnosis. Vivienne was not given antibiotics early enough and the chance to live, they said. We are here to warn families: If you bring your child to a GP three times with deteriorating symptoms, then trust your gut and push to be seen for further investigation. Fighting back tears at remembering how her daughter had a radiating smile and a mischievous laugh, Ms Murphy said they had heard their desperate phonecalls to SouthDoc being played at the inquiry in which their daughters suffering could be heard. You fought so hard from your first breath of life to your last and we, your family, will fight until our last breath to make sure no family has to endure this devastating torture that has befallen this family. Nothing will bring back Vivienne, and we have had a harrowing experience that will affect our mental health forever, said Ms Murphy. The inquiry heard that Dr Leader had been informed by the couple that Vivienne was in too much pain to be brought by car to her surgery in Kanturk. The GP accepted that she had failed to refer the patient immediately to an emergency department of a hospital in order to rule out a diagnosis of septic arthritis that she had considered as a possible diagnosis. She further admitted that she had failed to express sufficient urgency to Viviennes parents about the need to bring her directly to the emergency department at CUH. MISADVENTURE An inquest into Viviennes death at Dublin District Coroners Court in March 2023 recorded a verdict of death due to medical misadventure. Medical records showed she had died from group A streptococcal septicaemia and necrotising fasciitis (known colloquially as flesh-eating disease). Earlier, an apology by Dr Leader to the Murphy family was read out by the GPs barrister, Ronan Dolan, at the inquiry. Mr Dolan said the GP wished to apologise unreservedly for her management of a 15 to 20-minute phone consultation with Viviennes parents. I should have emphasised the need to transfer Vivienne to hospital immediately or to call an ambulance when it became clear that it was not possible for them to bring Vivienne to Kanturk, said Dr Leader. SUBMISSION In a submission to the committee, counsel for the Medical Council, Neasa Bird BL, said patient harm is a factor that should be considered in deciding what sanction should be imposed, after three separate findings of poor professional performance against the doctor Ms Bird noted that the harm in Viviennes case was the most severe possible. Ms Bird called for the GP to be censured at a minimum, as well as recommending that conditions should be attached to her registration which should require her to undergo further education in relation to strep A and sepsis, as well as her specific failings. In a plea of mitigation, Mr Dolan said Dr Leader had made full admissions and had shown contrition and insight. He suggested that the GP could be admonished, but accepted that the case may warrant censure. At the conclusion of the hearing, the inquiry chairperson, Jill Long, said the committee would forward its recommendation on sanction to the Medical Council. Any ruling on sanction has to be determined by the full Medical Council, with more severe sanctions needing to be ratified by the High Court. Callers to Spunouts Text About It service might struggle with gambling, housing, loneliness, or be in immediate crisis, a West Cork volunteer with the service said, as numbers hit a record high last year. The service hosted 52,748 conversations, a 9.4% increase on the year before. It also saw an increase in situations where emergency services had to be called. While most anonymous texters appear to be young, some revealed being in their 70s or older. Volunteer Sophie Mae Harrington from West Cork, has been texting back since 2022. Some call with stress or anxiety and might be in the height of panic, she said. But more and more its been coming up about housing and housing insecurity. For younger people, university can be challenging, including fear of picking the wrong course in this economic climate. Or they dont know how to make friends in college, people feel very isolated, she said. Relationship issues, from marriage to friendships, are often cited. You can see people struggling with long-distance relationships or people going abroad, a lot of people are moving to Australia now for work, she said. She said that people might tell her: Im struggling with gambling, and I dont know how to tell my partner. Loneliness is another common problem. Theres a lot of literature out there saying how the youth, even in Ireland, are becoming very isolated and lonely, but its not just young people, she said. Ive had much older people texting in. One person said: My family dont visit anymore, Im living by myself, my partner has passed away, and they had no one to talk to. Ms Harrington can contact a clinical supervisor if she is worried about someone, and they are online 24/7 also. This is primarily a crisis intervention service for when people are emotionally overwhelmed, she said. We typically try to keep conversations between 45 minutes and an hour because the research has shown there is no extra benefit to making conversations longer than that, and it will likely tire people out. She called on people to volunteer, saying: Everybody has something different to offer. Positive feedback from users can be rewarding, she explained. One comment was: I hope God blesses the person on the other side of this phone. Its really nice to feel like youve had an impact, she said. In a crisis, maybe self-harm or suicidal ideation, volunteers can get extra help, according to CEO Sinead Keane. Last year, as well as an increase in conversations, we had an increase in emergency interventions, she said. These are classified as an immediate risk. And we link in with the National Ambulance Service, and we would get them to make a callout. Ms Keane urged anyone with worries to text in, saying: If they just need somewhere to go for a chat, were there for them, so no problem is too small. While its positive that young people feel able to reach out for support when they need it, its worrying that so many are experiencing feelings of anxiety, stress, and isolation, she said. Theres a lot of adults using the service too. There were people on in their 70s and 80s last week as well. Text or WhatsApp HELLO to 50808 for free if you need help. A man charged with falsely imprisoning and raping a woman at her home in Cork city while he was carrying two knives, claimed that she wanted to have sex with me. Detective Garda Patrick Houlihan arrested the man, aged 44, for the purpose of charging him. He was cautioned after each charge was brought against him that he did not have to reply but that anything he might say would be written down and could be given in evidence. When charged with raping the woman at her home in Cork, he replied: She wanted to have sex with me. I did not do anything against her. To the charge of being in possession of two knives contrary to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act at the time of the alleged incident, the accused man said: She agreed with it, she called me there. Thirdly, he was accused of falsely imprisoning the woman and he replied: It is not true. Sergeant John Dineen said the Director of Public Prosecutions directed that the case would be dealt with at the Central Criminal Court because of the inclusion of a charge of rape. The defendant was previously charged with a charge of assaulting the woman contrary to the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. Sgt Dineen said the DPP also consented to signed pleas of guilty being entered at the district court to all charges and sentencing to follow at the Central Criminal Court. Book of evidence Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said there would be no signed pleas of guilty and that a book of evidence would be required. The case arose of the investigation of a reported incident at 9am on February 10, 2025, at a location in Cork city where it was alleged that a man fled from the scene and was found with the assistance of a garda helicopter on waste ground nearby. It was alleged that a man forced his way into a house where he threatened a woman, who was at home alone with a child, and subjected her to a serious assault. Gardai cordoned off the area outside this house. It was further reported that the woman managed to get free at around 9.40am on the day one year ago, where it was alleged that the woman had to take her child with her, and run outside in her slippers to a premises across the road from her house and that she suffered slash wounds from a bladed instrument during her struggle to escape. Identification of parties to the case is legally prohibited. The case was adjourned until March 18. David and Caroline David Wall told The Echo that he had been attending Doras, the training centre operated by Horizons for two years. The 19-year-old said that when he first started, he told staff that he had a dream of one day becoming a barista, and that dream has since been realised. David began working at Roots coffee house at Montenotte, operated by Horizons before moving to Roots busier University College Cork location. I work in Roots cafe in UCC, deal with a lot of coffee customers, using the tills. It may seem like a lot of work but I thrive on it, said David. I love it, its great. I definitely like doing something to do with the public, theres people I know that go there which is great. Caroline OSullivan, who has worked at Horizons nearly 20 years, said: As part of the training centre, when David started here he said one of his dreams was to become a barista. He started by doing some work experience in Montenotte then he was offered the opportunity to go to Roots in UCC which would be busier, faster paced, so a really good stepping down. David Wall at Roots Coffee House in UCC. David said: From starting out, I never would have had a lot of confidence to have been able to do something like that, but when I stepped out of my comfort zone, when I tried it and did it on my own, I realised I was a lot more confident than what I thought. In a way, I was a bit emotional to see my skills develop, because I never thought that I would get this far. Its something that I will always be happy about. Im so happy to be where I want to be. I know its hard for a lot of people, but it was hard for me. Having that freedom to be a lot more confident to decide myself made it a lot easier. Caroline said that many of the things they do in the training centre are informed by the student. We try to be person-centred, allow students to make their own decisions try and support them to achieve their dreams and meet their goals. What a lot of the students say when they come in here straight from school is that one of the biggest changes is having to make decisions for themselves because theyre now adults. In school a lot of their decisions would have been smaller. As theyre adults now, theyre the point of contact for any decisions. We also encourage the students, when theyre here, to think of it like college, where youre building friendships that hopefully will take you through adult life. She said she came to Horizons after a career in industry. I worked in the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. Coming to work in Horizons was in one way a huge change of career, but I always had an interest in lifelong learning. I had gone back as a mature student by night to study training and development. When I started working in Horizons, I was working in an adult day centre, and I found that I had scope to do lots of different things. Caroline O'Sullivan, who has worked at Horizons for nearly 20 years said that many of the things they do in the training centre are informed by the student. Caroline has introduced training modules and programmes like Irish dancing, saying there was scope for you to be very creative in your role. She transferred to the Doras training centre nine years ago, where she now works with students between the ages of 18 and 24, who study with them for three years. We try to give them support to have a big experience. An opportunity to get some new skills, get qualifications, some work experience, and to do a lot of personal development. One of the lovely things we offer is Gaisce, The Presidents Award. For a lot of our students its the first time that they ever go away from home without their parents. Its a big adventure. They also have to do skills development and a community placement. For David, one highlight of his time in Horizons was the trip to Waterford as part of Gaisce, which he said was: A great experience, not only to go somewhere to have fun but to adventure on a different scale, that I know I wouldnt have been capable of doing before. Actually, a really big highlight also would be stepping up from someone who wanted to be a barista to now, Im really happy that I get to do what I want to do and get to be myself, he added. Nora and Emma After losing her mother, Nora Riordan began attending Horizons two years ago. It was amazing to walk into the place and just feel at home, because it was so hard for me before that. Life for me has totally changed. My confidence is back I didnt believe in myself for a long time, and now I do. Emma OShea, one of the people who works with her, said: Nora has come on amazingly and really grown individually, her group of friends has grown. Shes done unbelievable courses, shes doing work experience in Enable Ireland charity shop. Shes a proper people person shes better than I am! Nora Riordan, Horizons user, said that life for her has "totally changed". Nora said: I am a people person, my mam taught me how to be that. Anywhere theres a party, count me in, Im there it cant be a party without Nora. I just love being involved in everything, so many groups. Im involved in Special Olympics, which is a big achievement. What I was lacking was company and being somewhere where I felt I belong. Any opportunity I get, I take it, because you never know whats coming. Emma has been working at Horizons for nine years, starting in a behavioural unit in Montenotte then transferring out to a Togher facility, before moving out to the Midleton hub where she has been for the last five years. When I was going through school I was always asking myself what I wanted to do. One thing I knew I loved was working with people. I went to UCC and I got a degree in psychology. I wanted to help people and enhance their lives in any way. Emma OShea, staff member with Horizons, said:"Every day is a good day, you walk in and theres a smile on everyones face. Theres so many opportunities in Horizons. Im delighted in the role Im in at the moment, but you can see that there is room to expand and to grow. Every place and every person that you work with, you get to build on that experience. Nora said that in terms of highlights: Every day is a good day, you walk in and theres a smile on everyones face. She described last years trip to Euro Disney, as a magical feeling. We all got together to talk about where we want to go, and I kind of got it in there that we should go to Disney. Nora said that since losing her mother the staring with Horizons she is 100% a different lady more myself. The Nora that my friends knew when I was younger, kind of a rascal. Its mind boggling what I have achieved so far, whats coming ahead is even more exciting. Im turning 50 in June and hoping to go away for two weeks. I am also hoping to get a job. Anyone out there thats reading, you should open your door to people who have special needs, because you dont know what they could bring to the place. Ella and Olivia Olivia OReilly, a tutor in third level education, teaching relaxation techniques, drama and decision making, recently celebrated 25 years working at Horizons. It went very fast, it didnt feel like that long, I was surprised when I got a badge recently from my boss, she said. Ella Hogan, aged 21, studies drama. I love it, we did it this morning before we come here. We did exercise with our body and our hands and listening to music in the background, from movies. Im a movie buff, I love watching lots of movies. Ella works in her local cinema, and her other hobbies include swimming and yoga, both of which she does every week. She has been attending Horizons for three years, and says her favourite part is chatting to my friends. I do talk a lot, I never stop talking. When I was in first year I was very nervous, but I talked to a girl called Eimear and she introduced herself and I made friends with her. Olivia said she has worked with people of all ages at different centres across Cork, including using her background in horticulture. Ive had a few different jobs over the years. All down through my career, Ive worked with beautiful people. Ive been very lucky, I feel very lucky to be working with the likes of Ella and all my gang now. Olivia OReilly, staff member with Horizons said: I feel very lucky to have started working in Horizons, its been a really lovely place and I feel that the students teach me". I feel very lucky to have started working in Horizons, its been a really lovely place and I feel that the students teach me maybe its about film from Ella I love my job. Ella said that a trip to Romania last year was her highlight. I went away for the first time without my parents, I was so nervous because Id never done it before. I had sat down with my parents and said no, Im not going to go, but then I changed my mind. We went to Romania, I kind of felt homesick a little bit, but I became friends with people from Hungary and the Czech Republic, I made loads of friends who were so nice and I still contact them. My favourite part was the hotel had a swimming pool, and the city was absolutely amazing. Ella Hogan, Horizons user, who loves movies and musicals and works in a local cinema. Its OK to be nervous, if youve never done something new before. Everyone gets nervous, its part of being a person. The trip focussed on sustainability with workshops in making things out of nature. We made friendship bracelets, bags, and we did projects about Ireland, what people do there, and made the Irish flag. For Olivia, trips abroad with the students have also been a highlight of her time with Horizons, particularly two Camino walks. It was incredible, the things that I saw the last two years on those trips, there was just something a little bit different. Seeing them being so independent, students helping other students. The terrain can be rough in places but to see them persevere, to see their strength, courage, like how Ella was saying, to go away on their own for the first time for many of them. Its hard to put into words how I saw the students grow on a weeklong trip. There will be some foot-stomping going on when the Savoy reopens in Cork city next week with an array of musical acts. But to an older generation of Corkonians, the welcome return of culture to the venerable Patrick Street venue will strike another chord altogether. To them, it will be a case of tread softly because you tread on my dreams. For almost a century, the Savoy has been the last word in splendour as a cultural hub for the people of Cork - from its origins as a cinema in 1932, to its iterations as a music venue, attracting star names from opera greats, to the Rolling Stones, to rap. It has long been a place where Corkonians go out to play. Now, after being closed for a decade, the Savoy is reopening on St Valentines Day, and the ghosts of the past, those who appeared on screen and who performed on stage, and those who looked on in wonder from The Gods, will be evoked... ****** The acts lined up for the Savoys (re)opening night next Saturday are an eclectic bunch - and include local brass collective BoolaBoom, Spanish guitar duo Zurito and soul band The Leon Stax Equation. They will have some tough boots to fill. The earliest musical performers at the esteemed venue were opera greats of their day. In 1938, when he decided to retire. Athlone tenor John McCormacks farewell tour included a concert at the Savoy, with tickets selling for three shillings apiece. In the 1940s and 50s, tenors Beniamino Gigli and Luigi Infantino also graced the opulent venue. And oh, how both vocalists filled the theatre, right up to the Gods, with their respective renditions, recalled Cork man Joe Murphy, who managed to snaffle a prized ticket for Gigli outside the Savoy from a Christian Brother who had suddenly been transferred to Wicklow. That concert was in 1955, and later that year, when the Opera House burned down, the felt on the roof of the Savoy got dangerously near to melting, and firemen had to hose it down to save it. When a documentary about Christy Ring was made in 1964, by the distinguished Louis Marcus, the Savoy was chosen for its premiere. Perhaps the most famous act to play the venue was the Rolling Stones, in 1965. Among the crowd that night was Vincent OFarrell, who recalled: That gig was an eye-opener to us all during those Church-controlled years in which we were brought up. Billy Fury and Roy Orbison headlined there in the 1960s, while in the decade or so after, the Bee Gees, Bay City Rollers, Fleetwood Mac, Gilbert OSullivan, and Suzi Quatro graced the stage. Rory Gallagher played there with his band The Taste. In the 1980s, Shakin Stevens, Human League, and The Smiths attracted large crowds, and latterly, Damon Albarn, Run DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul, and Wu Tang Clan have played the venue, as well as Charli XCX - of Brat fame - as a support act in 2012. However, for many older Cork people, the Savoy will forever be synonymous with the golden decades of cinema from the 1930s to the 1950s. When it opened in 1932, crowds gathered outside two hours beforehand. By the time the doors were opened there was such a gathering on the street that it impeded traffic and numerous Civic Guards had a busy time regulating the numbers seeking admission, reported the Echo. Derek Cunningham, who lived in Cork in the 1930s, said of the building: It was very fine and had an excellent restaurant. The first film I saw there as a small boy was King Kong, which gave me nightmares. The Savoy was one of a host of picture houses in Cork city that included The Assembly Rooms, The Capitol, The Ritz, The Pavilion, The Lee, The Savoy, The Palace, and The Coliseum. Just outside the city were The Lido in Blackpool and The Cameo on Military Hill. However, the Savoy had a cache and a grandeur that no other cinema could match. Its decor was said to epitomise the realms of romance, colour and sunshine of northern Italy. Feet sank into the depths of the posh carpets, while seats had ashtrays for the many smokers! It had exclusive rights to the first showings of the big movies of the day, and charged a few pence more for entry. There were said to be 100 steps up to the gods, and seating for up to 2,000 people overall. The view from the top was compared to the top tier of Croke Park, or as Jimmy Barrett remembered it, it was like looking into the the Grand Canyon. You certainly wouldnt want to have a fear of heights! It had its very own organ, and organist - Fred Bridgeman - who would rise up from the orchestra pit before the film and at the interval, and play a variety of tunes while the audience sang along. Imagine 2,000 voices chorusing The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee. As one patron from those days recently observed: In hindsight, I suppose, it could really be regarded as the worlds first karaoke. Cork artist Gladys Leachs sketch of the Savoy cinema - she worked as an usherette there and became its head cashier. The venue is reopening next Saturday Gladys started her working life at the Savoy as a 15-year-old usherette and worked her way up to be its head cashier. She also remembered a fellow cashier called Evelyn Waller, who was swept off her feet one night at work by a charming gentleman called Robert Geldof. They married, and their son, Bob, became something of a big noise in the music scene in Ireland and the UK. But the real memories of the Savoy in its cinema heyday belong to the people of Cork. For them, in an era of austerity, it was a big treat - plush, fancy, warm, and welcoming. Dates - and the odd fifty! - took place outside it, under a canopy that kept out the rain. Couples met, fell in love, married, and raised children while being entertained in the grand surroundings. In 1956, the Cork Film Festival began, centred on the Savoy, adding an extra sheen of fame to the venue, when the likes of Peter Finch, Sylvia Sims, and John Gregson were feted by cast crowds on Pana. There were also pioneer rallies for schools held there, and, famously, in 1946, an Irish-American priest called Fr Edward Flanagan gave a rousing speech to a packed Savoy after a tour of the country, where he denounced the horrific treatment of children in some of Irelands industrial schools. You are the people who permit your children and the children of your communities to go to these institutions, he thundered. You can do something about it by keeping your children away from them. It was a speech that was decades ahead of its time, and was met with prolonged applause from the 2,250 people in the Patrick Street venue. Sadly, it fell on deaf ears in the seats of power. Fr Flanagan had insisted there are no bad boys, but a TD in the Dail ridiculed his stance: Fr Flanagan is a bad boy, he said. Talk about being on the wrong side of history. Natasha Reid A former competitive rugby player and scholarship recipient has been jailed for 18 months for possession of a machete on a Dublin street during the summer. Michael Ibrahims barrister said hed had "bright prospects" until he became injured and fell in with "a bad crowd". The 21-year-old father of one, with an address at Taylor Hill Court, Balbriggan, was before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to possession of a machete with a sharply pointed blade on July 2nd last on Shelbourne Road in the city. The court heard that gardai were on patrol on Shelbourne Road around 10pm that night, when they noticed Ibrahim and another male acting suspiciously, quickening their pace as gardai approached. The other male told the officers that they had just smoked a joint, which gardai could smell. They were searched, and broken nail scissors were found on Ibrahim. He was asked for an explanation but didnt give one, and was arrested. The court heard that he put up some resistance, and at this stage, gardai found a black machete concealed under his clothing. A photograph of both blades was shown to the court. When asked, Ibrahim gave no explanation for the machete, was arrested and charged. The court heard that he had 26 previous convictions, including for dealing drugs. Judge Orla Crowe asked the arresting garda about the length of the machetes blade, and was told that it was about as long as the keyboard on a standard computer. His barrister said that the reason his client had not given an explanation was because there was none. He explained that Ibrahim had played competitive rugby as a teenager, had got a scholarship and that his prospects were very bright. He said that his mother, who was present in court and is studying for a masters degree, used to drive him all over the country to rugby matches. Counsel said that he was very highly regarded in Balbriggan Rugby Club and handed in a newspaper article, in which he had been named for scoring a particular try. However, the barrister said that he had suffered an injury and then fell in with a bad crowd. He wants to leave offending behind, he said. Hes willing to do any amount of community service. He explained that the defendant has a one-and-a-half-year-old child with his partner, who was in court, and was a "positive influence in his life". The judge said that the case is "inherently serious" as the defendant has a "considerable amount of previous convictions", stating that it was not a case to be dealt with by community service. She said that it was very fortunate that the gardai had been astute. She sentenced Ibrahim to 18 months in prison. High Court Reporter The High Court has ruled an anonymisation order can continue in the case of a Trinity College pharmacy student, at the centre of plagiarism findings, until and if he appeals a decision to lift the order. On Friday, Judge Garrett Simons dismissed the student's application for anonymity in the case he is bringing against the Trinity Provost, Fellows and Scholars, and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland. However, the order continues for 28 days to allow him to appeal the High Court decision, after which his anonymity will be lifted. The student is asking the court to overturn a February 2024 decision of the University Council, which was subsequently approved by the college Fitness to Practise Committee to withdraw him from a Master's course in pharmacy after he was deemed by the head of the school of pharmacy as not fit to practise. Mr Justice Simons said his judgment was only concerned with the student's request for reporting restrictions in the case. This was premised, primarily, on the fact that one of the findings made against him was that he committed an act of plagiarism in the sitting of the penultimate exam of his postgraduate year, he said. He had also been found to have committed what are described as an agglomeration of breaches of the code of conduct, including arranging for another student to sign him into a mandatory workshop which he did not actually attend. The student lodged an appeal against the University Council decision against him with the "University Visitors" who dismissed the appeal in July 2024. The judge noted the proceedings of the Visitors are open to all members of the college community, with limited exceptions on the application of any of the parties. The judge said no such exception application was made by the student and any member of the 20,000-strong college community could attend them. Regardless of whether the appeal had granted anonymity, had he applied, the form of procedure before a public body cannot dictate the procedure to be adopted by the High Court in a subsequent legal challenge, he said. The constitutional imperative is that justice be administered in public, save in such special and limited cases as may be prescribed by law. Reporting restrictions were first imposed in December 2024 when the case first came before the court on a one side only (ex parte) basis but the university later applied to have them lifted. The student opposed its lifting on grounds including that it would adversely affect his constitutional rights to a good name and to earn a livelihood, the risk of online abuse if his name is revealed, and his mental health. In his main proceedings, the student disputes both the fairness and lawfulness of the referral to the Fitness to Practise Committees. He contends the appeal decision was disproportionate and made without taking account of relevant material, in particular character references. The judge said even if he is successful in setting aside the findings made against him, it will remain a fact that he did commit academic plagiarism, the judge said The object of the constitutional right to a good name is to protect the reputation which somebody actually possesses and is not intended to prevent disclosure of facts which are not disputed, he said. "A litigant cannot rely on the risk of embarrassment caused by their own admitted misconduct to justify a derogation from the constitutional imperative that justice be administered in public", he said. It would be inappropriate to impose reporting restrictions in relation to proceedings simply because one of the parties apprehends that any online discussion of the case might descend into personal abuse, he said. There was also no evidence before the court which suggested that his public identification will give rise to a real risk to his health and safety or to that of his family members as a result of online abuse. No independent medical evidence has been adduced to suggest the student had a qualifying medical condition such to justify an order granting him anonymity, the judge said. (Photo: Paul Jeffrey/WCC/Life on Earth)Young women practice a play that recalls their troubled history in the Escola Sao Joao in Quilombo Tiningu, near Santarem, Brazil. Brazilian churches are speaking up as the South American country hits a new record of femicides: four women murdered every day, the World Council of Churches reports. The number of femicides reached a record high in Brazil in 2025: 1,470 cases were recorded from January to December, according to data from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. This total surpasses the 1,464 cases recorded in 2024, the highest number until then. Official femicide records indicate that, on average, four women were killed each day in 2025. Speaking for the Evangelical Church of Lutheran Confession in Brazil, Rev. Mauro de Souza expressed deep concern and indignation over the increase in femicide rates in the country. "Each woman murdered represents a life brutally cut short, a serious violation of human dignity, and an attack on the gift of life granted by God," he stated. "Femicide is the most extreme expression of a culture of inequality, domination, and machismo that directly contradicts the Gospel of Jesus Christ," he added. The church released an official statement on Jan. 21. It said, "Jesus Christ, in his life and ministry, broke oppressive structures, welcomed women, restored wounded dignity, and proclaimed the Kingdom of God as a space of justice, care, and fullness of life. "Following Christ means taking a clear stand against all forms of violence, especially when it affects women and girls in a systematic and structural way," reads the statement. "As a church, we reaffirm our commitment to denounce all forms of violence against women; to welcome and accompany victims and survivors; to promote, within our communities, education for relationships based on respect, equality, and mutual care; and to call upon public authorities to strengthen policies of prevention, protection, and accountability, recognizing that the State is called to serve justice and preserve life." The legal classification of femicide in Brazil was created in 2015, when 535 deaths were recorded an increase of 316 percent over 10 years. The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil also expressed deep concern and indignation in response to the recently released data on the increase in femicides in the country. Rev. Elineide Oliveira, a member of the church's National Diakonia Commission, noted that this scenario reveals the tragedy of lives cut short. It further adds to the persistence of a structural sin expressed in patriarchal culture, gender inequality, and the normalization of violence against women. "Each femicide is an affront to the sacredness of life and an open wound in the body of Christ. As a church committed to justice, we affirm: women's lives are sacred and nonnegotiable," she said. "Diakonia demands concrete action. We call on our communities to strengthen networks of welcome, protection, and support for women experiencing violence. Churches must be safe spaces of listening and pastoral care." "Education for peace is a path of transformation. We reaffirm our commitment to educational practices that promote egalitarian relationships, dismantle violent masculinities, and challenge religious interpretations that legitimize submission or silencing," she added. The alarming Brazilian scenario is connected to cases that continue to emerge in 2026 Such cases involve the murder of women initially classified under other criminal categories, attempts to erase the gender-based motivation of the crimes, and cases reaching jury trials involving former partners. They also include situations in which the victims were pregnant. Disney+ subscribers in some European countries have lost access to advanced HDR features like Dolby Vision, TechRadar and FlatpanelsHD report. The issue was first spotted by German Disney+ subscribers on Reddit, but currently also impacts subscribers in Portugal, Poland, France and the Netherlands, according to FlatpanelsHD. "Dolby Vision support for content on Disney+ is currently unavailable in several European countries due to technical challenges," Disney said in a statement. "We are actively working to restore access to Dolby Vision and will provide an update as soon as possible. 4K UHD and HDR support remain available on supported devices." If the issue is in fact a technical one, it seems like it could be around for the long-term. Disney has removed any reference to Dolby Vision from its Disney+ video quality support page in Germany. As of now, the company lists HDR10 as its default HDR format, despite Dolby Vision support being a feature of Disney+ for several years now. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement FlatpanelsHD writes that the real issue might be legal, rather than technological. A company called InterDigital won an injunction in a German court against Disney in November 2025 because it violated at least one of the company's patents on streaming video technology. The injunction specifically requires Disney to stop violating InterDigital's patent on "a method for dynamically overlaying a first video stream with a second video stream comprising, for example, subtitles." It's not entirely clear how that plays into the company offering Dolby Vision in Europe, but it would explain why subscribers in Germany were some of the first people to notice Dolby Vision's absence. Engadget has contacted Disney for more information about Disney+'s missing HDR support and whether InterDigital's injunction played a role. We'll update this article if we hear back. Mentions of Dolby Vision were also stripped out of the US version of Disney+'s video quality support page. InterDigital hasn't won an injunction in the US, but the company is pursuing a patent case against Disney in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. That doesn't necessarily mean Dolby Vision support will be taken from US subscribers next, but it does suggest there's more happening here than just technical challenges. Update, February 6, 3:44PM ET: The original version of this article included mention of Disney+ losing HDR10+ support in Europe, but Disney says it never offered HDR10+ in that region. The article has been updated accordingly. TikToks signature features that hooked users around the world are its algorithm and endless scroll. Now, though, the European Union has called those aspects of the app illegal and may order the company to alter them. Today, the European Commission preliminarily found TikTok in breach of the Digital Services Act for its addictive design, the EUs regulator said in a press release. This includes features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and its highly personalized recommender system. It said that TikTok failed to put up safeguards to ensure that those addictive features dont harm the physical and mental wellbeing of users, including minors. For example, by constantly rewarding' users with new content, certain design features of TikTok fuel the urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain of users into autopilot mode'. Scientific research shows that this may lead to compulsive behaviour and reduce users' self-control, the regulators stated. Advertisement Advertisement TikToks current parental controls and features to limit screen time are insufficient, the Commission added, and TikTok may need to modify them. The platform may also be required to limit its infinite scroll and adjust its recommendation algorithms. The EU Commission will give TikTok an opportunity to rebut the findings and the company said would use any means available to challenge them. The commissions preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, the company told The New York Times in a statement. Europe opened its wide-ranging investigation against TikTok in February 2024 and has already found the company at fault for its data sharing practices and advertising transparency. If found guilty of violating the DSA, TikTok faces a fine up to six percent of its annual worldwide turnover. Kristen Stewart has opened up about how portraying Princess Diana in the 2021 film "Spencer" continues to haunt her, revealing the lasting emotional impact of stepping into the late royal's life. The role earned Stewart an Academy Award nomination, but the experience went far beyond accolades. "I can't drive around this city," Stewart told The Telegraph on February 5, referring to London, "and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her. All the love that poured out of this woman... I can cry about her at any moment." Stewart said that Diana's life under constant media scrutiny and public obsession struck a deep chord. "She was plucked, plucked to death [by paparazzi]," Stewart explained. "And her rebellious qualities felt so desperate, and so young and so vulnerable." The actress admitted that by the end of filming, she felt "a bit like a shell," echoing Diana's own experience of exhaustion and isolation in the public eye, PageSix reported. Despite her initial hesitation to take on the role, Stewart said director Pablo Larrain convinced her to step into Diana's world. "I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else," Stewart recalled. "There were some massive distinctions between her and me. It was the statuesque thing. It was the eye colorI have green eyes; she has very famously blue eyes that match her ring." Larrain reassured her, saying, "You really must detach from those thingsthis is about spirit," which helped Stewart focus on capturing Diana's essence rather than the superficial details. Kristen Stewart Says Shes Haunted by Princess Diana After Playing Her #kristenstewart https://t.co/yiGf9DRyIS Katherine Greek (@GreekKathe25509) February 5, 2026 Kristen Stewart Opens Up About Vulnerability Stepping onto the set in full costume allowed Stewart to embody the Princess physically as well as emotionally. "The clothes were part of the armor," she said. "They allowed me to step into her physical space and create images of her in this prison of a castle yet wearing lavish, stunning pieces of clothing. That is a poem in itself." Stewart also sees parallels between her own life and Diana's, noting that both experienced intense public attention at a young ageStewart through her rise to fame in the "Twilight" series, and Diana through the global spotlight of the British royal family. This connection, she explained, helped her understand the vulnerability and pressure Diana endured. Beyond her portrayal of Diana, Stewart has spoken about living openly and honestly, including her own sexuality. According to DailyMail, she has emphasized the importance of not hiding who she is, saying she refused to live a "partial life" for her career. Stewart married her wife, screenwriter Dylan Meyer, in April 2025, after dating since 2019. Tensions between King Charles III and his eldest son, Prince William, are reportedly at their highest in years, with palace insiders describing a rift "worse than they've been in years." Sources speaking to Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice say the father and heir are not speaking and that the strain is both personal and strategic. "It's very bad at the moment. There's real anger on both sides," a palace insider told Shuter. William Snubs Film Premiere, Raising Eyebrows The most recent public sign of the friction came when William deliberately skipped the premiere of one of Charles' passion projects at Windsor Castle. "That wasn't a scheduling issue. That was a statement," an insider said, underscoring the calculated nature of the heir's absence. Sources tell ShuterScoop that Charles finds his son more challenging than his younger brother, Prince Harry. "Harry is emotional, reactive, and predictable. William is controlled, strategic and stubborn. That's much harder," a courtier explained, highlighting the fundamental differences in temperament between the siblings. The tension is compounded by the fact that William is next in line for the throne. "William will be king. And he knows it. That changes the power dynamic completely," a source said, describing how authority and legacy weigh heavily on their interactions. Another insider added, "They clash because they're too similar. Both believe they're right. Neither backs down easily." Epstein Scandal Fallout Intensifies Strains Adding to the royal pressure, Charles and William were reportedly given advance notice of new revelations regarding former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's ties to Jeffrey Epstein. A source told The Daily Mail that the King and his heir received "some kind of forewarning" late last year, preparing them for the release of millions of previously sealed documents from the U.S. Department of Justice. The files included hundreds of pages of emails and images involving Andrew, Ferguson, and the convicted sex offender, some appearing after Epstein's 2008 conviction. "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," the insider said. William has reportedly taken a hardline stance against Andrew, pressing for the removal of his military honors, dukedoms, and access to Royal Lodge. UK barrister Andrew Eborn told Sky News Digital, "William is much more ruthless than his father. He's looking for the future and the damage that Andrew is doing to the monarchy, so he probably wants to take it much, much further." Royal biographer Andrew Lownie echoed this, explaining on his podcast The Lownie Report that William sees Andrew as an ongoing liability and wants to ensure the monarchy enters the next chapter unburdened by past scandals. "He wants the stables cleaned ... the window dressing is that Andrew will leave by the spring, and he's a good boy, and he's done what he's been told," Lownie said. Meanwhile, Lownie suggested that William has warned Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Andrew's daughters, that their HRH titles could be at risk after they refused a financial audit. "It is very difficult, because there's a big tug of war going on between William and his father," Lownie explained. Observers note that the current strain is rooted in both personality and structural dynamics. Charles reportedly feels undermined by William's assertiveness, while William sees himself as safeguarding his future authority. "They clash because they're too similar," a source said, stressing how the combination of stubbornness and a sense of entitlement fuels the conflict. Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to argue his appeal in court on April 9, 2026, after a federal judge accepted a request to expedite the case. According to AllHipHop, the motion to expedite was granted by U.S. Circuit Court Judge Beth Robinson, which means the rapper will not have to wait for years for his appeal hearing. In October 2025, Diddy was handed a four-year jail sentence after a jury found him guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. However, he was acquitted of more serious charges such as sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Claims that he held elaborate "freak off parties" and forced attendees into sexual acts, were rejected by the jury, although prosecutors alleged these things. Diddy is incarcerated in Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution in New Jersey. As things stand he is due to be released on May 8, 2028. If the appeal is successful, it may have a significant impact on that date. Legal Team Calls Sentence 'Draconian' Diddy's lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, criticized the sentence handed down by Judge Arun Subramanian, calling it "draconian" for conduct the musician was acquitted of. She contends the government relied on an outdated law with a troubled history to pursue consensual adult relationships. Federal prosecutors have indicated they plan to respond to the appeal. In January, they informed the court they "intend to file its brief on appeal on or before February 20, 2026." Throughout the proceedings, Diddy has maintained that his relationships were consensual. He has also publicly apologized for past personal misconduct, including toward ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. "I want to personally apologize again to Cassie Ventura for any harm or hurt that I caused to her, emotionally or physically," he said. "My actions were disgusting, shameful and sick." New Sexual Assault Lawsuit Moves Forward Separately, Diddy is also facing a civil sexual assault lawsuit in Los Angeles which has passed a significant legal hurdle. The suit, brought by music producer Jonathan Hay, charges that Diddy attacked him during a 2020 studio session and forced him to perform a non, consensual sexual act involving a t-shirt that belonged to the late Notorious B.I.G.. Hay told The Post the ruling marks a "big week" in a troubling chapter of his life. According to the complaint, Diddy allegedly supplied him with drugs, including ketamine, before the assault. Hay further claims others involved in the project were aware of Diddy's actions, including Christopher "CJ" Wallace, son of Biggie Smalls, who allegedly helped lure him into the situation. Court records describe the assault in detail, including allegations that Hay was masked, beaten, and forced to perform sexual acts. Diddy reportedly made a comment referencing Biggie afterward, saying, "Rest in peace, BIG," before tossing the t-shirt onto Hay. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Whitaker allowed key claims, including sexual battery, false imprisonment, and emotional distress, to proceed, while dismissing one allegation of negligent supervision. Wallace and Diddy's representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Wallace has been ordered to respond to the complaint by Feb. 13. Originally published on Music Times Support Us Your Support will ensure EPWs financial viability and sustainability. The EPW produces independent and public-spirited scholarship and analyses of contemporary affairs every week. EPW is one of the few publications that keep alive the spirit of intellectual inquiry in the Indian media. Often described as a publication with a social conscience, EPW has never shied away from taking strong editorial positions. Our publication is free from political pressure, or commercial interests. Our editorial independence is our pride. We rely on your support to continue the endeavour of highlighting the challenges faced by the disadvantaged, writings from the margins, and scholarship on the most pertinent issues that concern contemporary Indian society. Every contribution is valuable for our future. Rising business rates could threaten the future of countryside wedding venues, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has warned, as rural businesses brace for further cost pressures. The organisation said farm-based venues could be hit particularly hard by changes expected through the next round of business rates revaluations, with fears that bills could rise sharply for diversified enterprises. In recent years, many farmers and landowners have turned redundant barns and unused buildings into wedding venues, creating valuable additional income streams beyond food production. Diversification has become increasingly important as agricultural businesses face volatile markets, rising input costs and uncertainty over future support payments. However, the CLA warned that mounting tax burdens and operating costs are now putting the viability of rural wedding enterprises at risk, especially those that rely on seasonal trade and have invested heavily in conversions, infrastructure and visitor facilities. The intervention comes after the government recently reversed plans on business rates for pubs, prompting calls for similar recognition of the pressures facing other rural hospitality and events businesses. Wedding venues have become a growing part of the countryside economy, supporting local employment and drawing visitors who also spend money on accommodation, catering and other services in rural communities. CLA president Gavin Lane said the sector has become a major rural success story but could be undermined if rates increase further. This tax could kill the dream of the countryside wedding, he said. He said entrepreneurs have spent years transforming empty farm buildings into thriving venues that create jobs and bring tourism into rural Britain. Mr Lane warned that higher business rates would leave many venues with little choice but to pass costs directly onto couples. Now if business rates are hiked thousands of venues will have no choice but to pass those costs onto couples, he said, adding that some may scale back their weddings, postpone or simply go abroad. He said many couples save for years for their wedding day, and argued that further tax rises would reduce choice while threatening the future of rural venues. Piling on more taxes will only mean couples lose choice, venues lose their future and the countryside loses a vital success story, he said. The CLA is urging ministers to ensure business rates policy does not discourage investment in diversified rural enterprises, which it says are increasingly essential to sustaining farm incomes and supporting countryside communities. The government has been approached for comment. The UK pig sector is demanding urgent action after products linked to a Vietnamese company accused of using African swine fever (ASF) infected pork were found to have been on sale in Britain. The National Pig Association (NPA) said it was deeply concerned to learn that goods from Ha Long Canned Food JSC, known as Halong Canfoco, had recently been available through UK retailers. ASF poses no risk to human health, but it is a highly contagious and often fatal disease in pigs, and an outbreak would have devastating consequences for the UK herd. Vietnamese media have reported that investigators discovered the company used pork that tested positive for ASF in canned pate. The case reportedly began last September, when officials detected two trucks transporting 1.2 tonnes of pork of unknown origin, which later tested positive for the virus. Investigators are said to have uncovered around 130 tonnes of frozen diseased pork stored at the firms warehouse, with reports claiming thousands of cans of pate were produced using contaminated raw materials. Other products, including spring rolls, were also reported to have tested positive for ASF, while separate tests found frozen pork skin and chicken skin contaminated with salmonella, raising wider food safety concerns. The discovery has been particularly alarming because products from the company were found to have been on sale in the UK until only a few weeks ago. A Google search indicated that Ha Long canned pate and other pork products were available via Huong Viet Asian Supermarket. After being contacted by Pig World, a spokesperson for the retailer said: Since the news broke, we have removed all their products off our shelves and online. They said they became aware of the case through Vietnamese media roughly three weeks earlier and took the decision to withdraw the products immediately. There is no suggestion the retailer acted improperly, and its swift response has been welcomed by the NPA and others. However, the incident has raised serious questions about how such products entered the UK market, particularly given that Defra has confirmed Vietnam is not authorised to export fresh or heat-treated pork to Great Britain. Tony Goodger, head of marketing and communications at the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS), said he passed the information to the Food Standards Agency after identifying that products appeared to be available. It appears that we are leaving the countrys biosecurity to chance, he said. Mr Goodger warned that the full extent of potentially contaminated goods in the UK remains unclear, adding: At present, we have no idea about the full range of potentially contaminated products in the UK, for how long they have been sold to consumers, their batch codes or where else they might be being sold. He said the case highlighted the need for stronger surveillance and faster intelligence-sharing with countries exporting products to Britain. NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson said the information raised major concerns for the UKs disease prevention efforts. It is very well documented that previous major disease outbreaks are often linked to domestic or feral pigs gaining access to infected meat brought in from another country, she said. She said it was hugely worrying that products from a company recently found to have used ASF-infected meat had been available in the UK, adding: We need to know how widely and for how long these products have been sold in the UK and whether potentially infected meat is still available. Ms Wilson said the NPA supported calls for the government to strengthen international intelligence gathering and not weaken border controls in future trade agreements. The Food Standards Agency said it was aware of the issue. Were aware of the issue and well share with relevant authorities, so together we can evaluate this and provide appropriate follow-up action if required, a spokesperson said. Defra said it could not comment on the specific case but stressed that all consignments of meat products must enter Great Britain through a Border Control Post, where checks are carried out to ensure import conditions are met. The UK remains free of ASF, and industry leaders have repeatedly warned that strong border controls and public awareness are essential to keeping the disease out of the country. NFU Scotland has issued a clear challenge to ministers as it unveiled its 2026 manifesto, warning that the next parliamentary term will be critical for the future of Scottish farming and rural communities. The document was launched today at the unions Annual Conference and AGM in Glasgow by deputy chief executive and head of policy Jonnie Hall, with hundreds of members gathering for the two-day event. The conference features speeches from First Minister John Swinney MSP, UK government minister Kirsty McNeill MP and Baroness Minette Batters, placing agricultural policy firmly in the spotlight. Mr Hall told delegates that farmers and crofters remain central to Scotlands economy, landscapes and food security. Scotlands farmers and crofters are the backbone of our rural economy, our national identity, and our food security, he said. He warned that major change lies ahead, arguing that government decisions over the next decade will determine whether Scotland maintains its productive capacity or risks long-term decline. The next Scottish government faces a critical choice: invest in our food producers or risk irreversible loss of productive capacity, rural jobs, and environmental outcomes, he said. NFU Scotland said the manifesto builds on its wider policy strategy and reflects priorities across every sector, from upland livestock and island crofting to dairy, arable, horticulture and mixed enterprises. The union stressed that its proposals are designed to support Scotlands broader goals on economic growth, food security, climate targets and environmental stewardship. Key demands include secure, multi-year funding for agriculture, with ring-fenced budgets and direct support targeted at active farming and crofting businesses. The document also calls for capital investment to strengthen resilience, improve infrastructure and help new entrants into the industry. Another major theme is the transition to new agricultural support schemes, with NFU Scotland urging co-designed policy, phased change and simplified, proportionate compliance. Food security and supply chain fairness also feature strongly, including calls for national production targets, greater use of Scottish produce in public procurement and stronger protections for farmers dealing with processors and retailers. The union is also seeking a balanced approach to climate and nature policy, with food production kept at the core of land use decisions, alongside support for low-carbon technologies and protection of prime agricultural land. Animal and plant health, innovation and skills development are highlighted as priorities, with proposals to tackle veterinary shortages, boost applied research and invest in rural communities. Other asks include seasonal labour schemes fit for Scotland, streamlined regulation, proportionate inspections and safeguarding Scottish standards in future trade deals. NFU Scotland president Andrew Connon said the choices made by the next Scottish parliament will be decisive for the sectors future. The next Scottish government and Scottish parliament has a clear choice: back Scotlands food producers with the funding, policies, and support they need or risk the irreversible loss of productive capacity, rural jobs, and environmental progress, he said. He described the manifesto as a practical and deliverable roadmap for action and added: Now is the time to act, to ensure Scottish agriculture can thrive for generations to come. NFU Scotland said the document is intended as a blueprint for partnership with government and will underpin its engagement with ministers in the months ahead, as the union continues to press for farming and crofting to remain central to Scotlands national priorities. In This Article 1. Mother India (1957) 2. Mirch Masala (1987) 3. Astitva (2000) 4. Bandit Queen (1994) 5. No One Killed Jessica (2011) 6.Kahaani (2012) 7. English Vinglish (2012) 8.Queen (2014) 9. Mardaani (2014) 10. Chandni Bar (2001) 11. Marry Kom (2014) 12. Arth (1982) 13. Damini (1993) 14. Bhumika (1977) 15. Mrityudand (1997) 16. Lajja (2001) 17. Neerja (2016) 18. Mom (2017) 19. Pink (2016) 20. Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017) 21. Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) 22. Thank You for Coming (2023) 23. Mrs. (2024) Mardaani 3 In the third part of this powerful series, Rani Mukerji returns as the fearless cop Shivani Shivaji Roy. Known for her "no-nonsense" attitude, Shivani takes on a new and dangerous case involving a high-profile crime syndicate. The movie focuses on her strength, intelligence, and her refusal to back down in a world dominated by men. Like the previous films, this one highlights the bravery of women in uniform and shows that a woman is more than capable of fighting for justice on her own terms. It is a gripping story that celebrates female power and courage. See Also: 6 Bollywood actresses who have impressed us with their action-oriented performances For decades, Hindi cinema has been a mirror reflecting the times and scenarios the nation has gone through. From playing decorative objects in movies, if not victims or martyrs, to becoming a strong force, women have come a long way in our movies. The Hindi film actress has graduated from being the abala naari to the woman of substance and strength who stands for her rights, raises her voice against injustice, fights for her dignity and self-respect and also rebels when she has to.Hindi movies through decades have effectively presented changing times and cultures, be it the massive shift in the professions the women are exposed to or even the household abuses that the women of today have stood against. From Meena Kumari to Vidya Balan, from Mother India to Lipstick Under My Burkha, the women in Hindi cinema have been pivotal in bringing across the transformation the country has been through. We bring you 20 films that show women as the heroesMother India is a classic film coming from the early era of Indian Cinema. It was a path-breaking film of its time. It is considered to be one of Nargis Dutts most impressive and iconic performances. Nargis as Radha is a poor villager who fights all odds to raise her two sons. She is looked upon as the epitome of justice and a god like figure by the villagers. Staying true to her principles, she kills her immoral son for justices sake.Mirch Masala, directed by Ketan Mehta tells the story of an ordinary village woman, Sonbai played by Smitha Patil who chooses to say no to a powerful authority, the subedar played by Naseeruddin Shah, in order to save herself from his evil eyes. Deepti Navals character is that of the wife of the Village Mukhiya who revolts against her husband for his atrocities against her will to educate their daughter. Truly an impressive story of women empowerment during the regressive times.Astitva, directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, uncovers the male chauvinist culture of the Indian society. It unveils issues like extramarital affairs and spousal abuse prevalent in the society but unspoken of. This film speaks about a woman Aditi Shrikant Pandit played by Tabu, trying to find her own identity outside her marriage and she finally moves away from her husband and son, empowered by her to-be daughter in law, Namrata Shirodkar, who too leaves the chauvinist boyfriend.The movie is a biography based on an Indian dacoit, Phoolan Devis life and portrayed by Seema Biswas who was sent to prison in 1983. She was prosecuted by the Indian police and tued into a legend by the people. Its the story of a woman who fights all the mayhem done to her by the men, from the police to the goons. Ultimately she over powers them all and comes to fore as a strong woman. Shekhar Kapoor directed the film based on the biography, India's Bandit Queen: The True Story of Phoolan Devi by Mala Sen.This film is based on the real life story of Jessica Lal murder case. Its a tale of how Jessicas elder sister, Sabrina Lal played by Vidya Balan fights the wealthy and influential man who shot her sister. Rani Mukerji plays the gritty joualist who helps Vidya Balan fight against all odds. The film shows that even a common woman can rise above all odds and fight for justice. The film is directed by Rajkumar Gupta.Kahaani is a movie which lives up to its name more than you could ask for. The entire script of Kahaani was filled with unexpected twists and tus that you definitely wont see coming.A poison gas attack on the Kolkata Metro Rail compartment results in killing all the passengers on board. Two years after the incident, Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), a pregnant software engineer arrives in Kolkata all the way from London to find her missing husband, Aab Baghchi. A police officer, Satyoki Rana Sinha (Parambrata Chatterjee), offers to help. Even though Vidya is confident about the fact that her husband was working at the National Data Centre (NDC), initial investigations suggested that such an employee at NDC never existed.But Agnes D'Mello, the NDC's head of human resources, suggests Vidya that her husband had a resemblance to a former NDC employee, Milan Damji (Indraneil Sengupta), and told her she will be able to access his information from a file which is kept at the old office of the NDC. While trying to access the file Vidya had a close encounter with death, as she discovered a hitman was on the lookout for her and was interested in the same information. Meanwhile the attempts made to obtain Damjis record got the attention of two Intelligence Bureau Officials in Delhi - the chief Bhaskaran K. (Dhritiman Chatterjee) and his deputy Khan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Khan arrives in Kolkata and reveals that Damji was in fact a rogue Intelligence Bureau Agent and the one responsible for the poison gas attack. Despite these ste waings from Khan, Vidya continues to be on the lookout for Damji, fearing that Aabs resemblance to Damji may have lead him into trouble. She takes extreme steps to find the truth behind her husband's disappearance and doesn't rest till she gets to the bottom of the mystery. In the end, Vidya gets her hand on some confidential information, something that results in her receiving a call from an unknown number asking her to retu the documents if she wishes to see her husband alive. Khan thinks that the caller is Damji himself. Vidya goes to meet Damji, while being followed by Rana and Khan. But Damji tries to escape when Vidya expressed doubt over whether he will be able to retu her husband. When Vidya tries to stop him, he draws a gun on her. And at that moment, Vidya disarmed him by using her prosthetic belly which she was using to look as a pregnant woman for the entire time. And immediately after that, she stabs him with a hair stick, before shooting him with his own gun. By the time the police arrive on the site, Vidya disappears into the crowd leaving a thank you note for Rana and a pen drive with all the sensitive data which she was being chased for. Rana finds out that Vidya Baghci and Aab Bagchi never existed and she had been using the police and the Intelligence Bureau to achieve her personal needs. Later they reveal that Vidya, was the widow of Arup Basu (Abir Chatterjee), a former Intelligence Bureau Officer and Damjis colleague. He was also killed in the poison gas attack and when Vidya saw her husbands corpse she immediately fainted, which caused a miscarriage. Vidya was helped to form the plan to avenge the death of her husband and her unbo child by retired IB officer Pratap Bajpayee (Darshan Jariwala), who suspected the involvement of a top Intelligence Bureau official.Kahaani has it all, a brilliant script and a screenplay that runs along at a pace which will keep you glued to the screen. The actors of the movie have done a phenomenal job and director Sujoy Ghosh has paid attention to every single detail ensuring nothing is left in a hush.is a story of a common housewife Shashi Godbole played by Sridevi. It beautifully shows how the housewife, who is brilliant as a homemaker, a wife and a mother, is looked down upon and made fun of by her daughter and husband just because she cant speak fluent English. A hurt Shashi Godbole tus things around as she leas the language on her US trip to her nieces wedding. Gauri Shindes simple story is an impressive one as the woman overcomes her shortcomings.Queen is a beautiful story of a young girl Rani played by Kangana Ranaut. Its heartbreaking when Vijay played by Rajkumar Rao, just a day before the wedding breaks the news to Rani that he is no more interested in marrying her. The simple, small town girl is shattered but soon she decides to stand for herself and to go on a honeymoon all alone. During her travel, she meets new friends, discovers the world and life and comes back as a changed person, ready to take control of her life.is the story of a female cop, Shivani Roy. Its played played by Rani Mukerji who fights the kingpin of organised crimes involving child trafficking and drugs. It shows how the lady officer fights woman trafficking in the city.Chandni Bar brings to light the dark and helpless lives of numerous women in Mumbai who are caught in the web of underworld, prostitution, dance bars and crime. Tabu, who plays Mumtaz in the film, strives hard to give her children a better future but alas, situations get the best of her. Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, its a nerve racking tale of the realities faced by the women in some belts of Mumbai.is true life story of the Indian boxer who won India great accolades inteationally. Priyanka Chopra plays the real life character on the big screen beautifully depicting Koms story. It is special because of the hardships Kom had to go through through her career. She makes a comeback post her marriage, and a mother of two Kom continues her successful jouey against all odds.Shabana Azmi plays a wife betrayed and ditched by her husband for another woman, an actress played by Smita Patil. The film directed by Mahesh Bhatt shows how the woman then takes charge of her life and happiness and tus into an independent woman.Damini played by Meenakshi Sheshadri is a tale of fight for truth by a woman who is married into a wealthy family. Damini fights her brother-in-law whom she catches physically abusing her maid. However, the family opposes her and she has to leave the house. She is helped by an ex-advocate to gain justice.The film depicts the life of an actress, who starts working as a child artiste going on to become a successful actress played by Smita Patil, who later gives it all up and becomes a recluse.The film depicts the story of a village belle, Ketki's confrontations with oppression and male domination. Madhuri Dixit plays the bold woman who fights for the rights of her own and also other women in society. She also revenges her husbands death.Lajja is a hard-hitting film that highlights the wrongs done by the Indian society towards the women. Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala and Mahima Chaudhary portray impressive characters that are troubled by the society some way or the other.Bhanot, the film is based on a true life story of a flight purser who was shot and killed while making sure that hundreds of passengers of the hijacked Pan Am Flight 73 were safe and sound. Sonam Kapoor plays Neerja with great grit and elan.Mom is the story of a mother who revenges her daughters rape and death after being denied justice by the law. Sridevi plays the simple mother who transforms into a shrewd woman to avenge her daughters death.told the nation that when a woman says No it means No. No matter what clothes she wears or what lifestyle she leads, he cant be forced into doing anything against her will. Amitabh Bachchan plays an advocate who fights for the girls entrapped in a legal battle against notorious boys belonging to influential families.is coming of age film for womens sexuality. A fearlessly feminist film, it holds a mirror to the present times we live in.Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, this biographical crime drama stars Alia Bhatt in the titular role, alongside Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, and Indira Tiwari. Based on a chapter from S. Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges Mafia Queens of Mumbai, the film chronicles the jouey of Gangubai, a young woman sold into prostitution who rises to become a powerful figure in Mumbai's red-light district. Alia Bhatts compelling performance eaed her the National Film Award for Best Actress. The film delves into themes of female empowerment, resilience, and the fight against societal norms, making it a significant entry in women-centric cinema.Directed by Karan Boolani, this sex comedy features Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill, Dolly Singh, Kusha Kapila, and Shibani Bedi. The film centers around Kanika Kapoor (Bhumi Pednekar) and her close-knit group of friends as they navigate societal expectations and personal desires. The narrative challenges taboos surrounding womens pleasure and autonomy, presenting a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Its candid approach to topics often considered taboo in Indian society marks it as a progressive addition to women-oriented films.Directed by Arati Kadav, this Hindi-language drama stars Sanya Malhotra as Richa, with Nishant Dahiya and Kanwaljit Singh in supporting roles. A remake of the 2021 Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen, Mrs. follows Richa, a trained dancer who enters an arranged marriage and finds herself confined by traditional domestic roles. As she grapples with the monotony and expectations of her new life, Richa embarks on a path of self-discovery and empowerment. The film offers a poignant commentary on the often-overlooked struggles of housewives and the societal norms that dictate women's roles within the household. The DNA of a thriller lies in its atmosphere, and for Amitt K Singh, stepping into the world of Vadh 2 was about more than just wearing a uniform. Playing Inspector Ateet Singh, Amitt finds himself at the centre of a moral storm in a film that, while not a direct sequel, carries the same haunting essence as its first part. Fresh off the films release, Amitt spoke exclusively to us about the surreal feeling of seeing his work on the big screen. He shared, "I watched the film at the screening day before, and it was very surreal. People were praising the acting part, and I could not believe it for a moment. The Man Behind the Uniform Unlike the typical tough cop tropes often seen in Hindi cinema, Amitts Ateet is a man torn between his duty and his conscience. To prepare, the actor spent a year diving into the script with director Jaspal Singh Sandhu. He said, "I focused on his inner conflict. Every decision he makes carries a moral cost. Hes constantly negotiating between law and moral justice. I studied him as a human first, whether hes a policeman or a doctor comes later." To get into the skin of the character, the director invited Amitt to the shoot location in Bhopal early. He added, "We shot 70% of the film in a real jail. Spending time there helped me find the right connection with my character, Ateet. Learning from the Legends Despite a solid body of work in projects like Bhaukaal and Dil Sambhal Ja Zara, Amitt admits he was initially intimidated by his co-stars. He shared how being on a set with powerhouse actors like Sanjay Mishra, Neena Gupta, and Kumud Mishra, all alumni of the National School of Drama (NSD), was a scary prospect for him. Amitt recalled, "I told Jaspal sir I havent studied acting at any institute. He told me, Thats a plus, bro. It gives me the freedom to mould you. That gave me the confidence I needed. His dynamic with Kumud Mishra proved to be a masterclass in itself. Amitt also talked about a specific piece of advice by Kumud Mishra that stayed with him, "Kumud sir told me, 'Amit, dont think so much. The more you think, the more it disturbs you. Keep your preparation complete, but when youre on set, forget everything and just be in the moment.'" The praise didnt stop there. Neena Gupta, after seeing the final cut at the screening, personally walked up to Amitt to laud his performance. Amitt recalled, "She hadnt shot many scenes with me, so when she praised me after the screening, I was on cloud nine. From Fashion to Films Amitts journey is far from conventional. Hailing from a small city near Jaunpur, his family wasn't initially keen on acting as a career. This led him to NIFT, where he became a professional fashion designer before eventually making the move to Mumbai. He said, "Nobody takes a brave step for their passion easily, but that was the turning point. Today, hes happy to be a "jack of all trades," constantly refining his craft through auditions even when he isn't filming. He revealed, "I try to do one audition a day. Its a chance to study different character traits." As for what's next, 2026 looks bright for the actor. While he remains tight-lipped about his current feature film project, his goal is clear, "I don't want to be typecast. I want to play characters with meaning and depth that truly connect with the audience." Also Read: Vineet Kumar Singh & Amit Sadh own the red carpet at the Filmfare Glamour & Style Awards. Multipolarity is no longer a theory, it's today's reality 13:16, February 06, 2026 By Karabo Mohamme ( People's Daily Online For years, "multipolarity" sounded like the kind of word academics loved and policymakers politely debated: abstract, distant, and theoretical. It belonged in think tank papers and foreign policy seminars, not in everyday headlines. But that era is over. Multipolarity is no longer a prediction about the future of the international system. It is the present condition of our world. You can see it everywhere. The days when a single superpower could shape global outcomes with minimal resistance are steadily fading. Instead, influence is now dispersed across several centers of power the United States, the European Union, China, India, Russia, and an increasingly assertive Global South. Decisions that once flowed from Washington alone now require negotiation, compromise, and sometimes outright contestation among multiple actors. This shift didn't happen overnight. It crept up on us through trade wars, regional conflicts, sanctions regimes, new alliances, and economic realignments. But today, the evidence is too obvious to ignore. China's rise as an economic and technological heavyweight has rebalanced global trade and infrastructure development. Through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing has become a central partner for countries across Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia not just as a manufacturer, but as a financier and builder of roads, ports, and digital networks. At the same time, India's growing demographic and economic strength has positioned it as an independent force. The European Union, despite internal strains, continues to wield regulatory power that shapes global markets. Even middle powers from Turkiye to Brazil to South Africa are exercising more strategic autonomy than ever before. What ties all of this together is a simple reality: fewer countries are willing to align unquestioningly with any single bloc. The Global South, in particular, has become the clearest expression of multipolarity in action. Countries are diversifying their partnerships, hedging their bets, and choosing pragmatism over ideology. They are trading with China which itself is part of the Global South, investing with the West, cooperating with Russia on energy, and building regional organizations simultaneously. This is not fence-sitting it is strategy. It reflects a desire for sovereignty and development rather than loyalty to old Cold War binaries. Consider how many countries now refuse to be drawn into "with us or against us" politics. On issues from Ukraine to technology restrictions, many governments are opting for neutral or independent positions. That is not indecision; it is evidence that the world no longer revolves around one or two poles of authority. Of course, multipolarity is not automatically peaceful or stable. In fact, it can be messier. More power centers mean more competition, more negotiation, and sometimes more friction. Global governance becomes harder. Consensus takes longer. Institutions strain under competing interests. But there is also opportunity. A multipolar world gives smaller and emerging economies more leverage. It creates space for alternative voices and development models. It reduces dependency and allows countries to pursue partnerships that best serve their own national priorities. For regions like Africa, this means being able to attract investment from multiple sources. It means choice. And choice is power. The real danger is not multipolarity itself, but the refusal to acknowledge it. Holding on to outdated assumptions about a unipolar world increases the risk of diplomatic, economic, and military miscalculations. Policies built on the idea of dominance rather than cooperation are increasingly ineffective. The smarter approach is adaptation. Governments and businesses alike must recognize that influence is now distributed. Alliances will be fluid. Competition and cooperation will coexist. No country can afford to ignore this complexity. Multipolarity is not coming. It is already here in our supply chains, in our energy deals, in our voting patterns at the United Nations, and in the everyday decisions nations make about who to partner with. The world hasn't become leaderless, it has simply become shared. And whether established powers like it or not, the age of many centers not one has begun. The author is a journalist of the People's Daily Online South Africa. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of People's Daily Online. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Wu Chengliang) From the adorable little girl in Hum Saath Saath Hain to the composed and powerful Priya Khoopchandani in the Netflix hit Taskaree, Zoya Afroz has come a long way. Currently basking in the global success of the series, Zoya sat down with us for an exclusive chat about her whirlwind journey, her chemistry with Emraan Hashmi, and why she believes silence is never wasted in this industry. The 16-Hour Audition Dash While many actors wait for years for a big break, Zoyas moment came when she was 4,000 kilometers away in Assam, visiting family after 12 years. She recalled, "I had just landed, and on the second day, I got a call saying, 'Can you meet us right now?' When she realized it was for a Neeraj Pandey project opposite Emraan Hashmi, she didn't hesitate. She shared, "I travelled 16 hours, two flights and long car journeys to get back to Mumbai. My cousins asked if Id at least secured the role, and I said, No, Im just going to audition. You wait for these opportunities; when they come, you just dive in." On the Sets of Taskaree The gamble paid off. Within days of the audition, Zoya was on set. Interestingly, her very first shot was the shows most intense interrogation scene. She said, "I jokingly tell everyone that Neeraj sir had so much trust in me to give me the heaviest scene on day one. Working with him is like a masterclass in subtlety. He doesn't over-direct, he nudges you toward the truth." Speaking about her co-star Emraan Hashmi, Zoya was all praise for his versatility and off-screen persona. She said, "I was always a fan of his work in Shanghai and The Dirty Picture but meeting him made me a fan of the human being he is. Hes very charming and fun on set, which helped us break the ice immediately." Staying Relevant Without the Noise In an era obsessed with social media numbers, Zoya remains refreshingly grounded. Her philosophy is simple: focus on the craft, not the fame. She shared, "Dont chase just the fame. Years spent working in silence are never wasted. Relevance comes when people talk about your performance, not your vanity. Keep your head down, keep your intention pure, and eventually, it pays off." Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond With Taskaree sitting pretty on the global Top 10 charts, Zoya is already gearing up for her next Netflix outing, Yeh Dil Sun Raha Hai. While Taskaree was a game of the mind, she says her next role is all about the heart. She cheekily mentioned, "In Taskaree, Priya played with the mind. This time, I will only listen to the 'Dil'. Its a heart-wrenching, intense story, and youll see a very different Zoya. As for her personal goals, she continues to advocate for girl-child education and financial independence for women. She rightfully mentioned, "Im able to live my dream because some woman in a different century fought for her rights. I want to take that forward." Also Read: Emraan Hashmi, Zoya Afroz begin shooting for Neeraj Pandeys next:Exclusive In an important legal development for the film industry, Rajpal Yadav has surrendered to the Tihar Jail authorities in Delhi. This comes after the Delhi High Court refused to provide any further relief to the actor in ongoing cheque-bounce cases. According to reports, the actor surrendered before the jail authorities at 4 pm on Thursday. A jail source confirmed the development to PTI, stating, He surrendered before the jail authorities at 4 pm on Thursday. Now the jail authorities will follow the standard operating procedure. The surrender followed the High Courts refusal on Wednesday to extend the deadline for his surrender. During the proceedings, Rajpal Yadavs legal representative informed the court that the actor had managed to arrange 50 lakh and requested an additional week to finalize the payment. However, the court remained firm on the February 2 directive which had ordered him to surrender by Wednesday afternoon. While dismissing the plea for more time, the Delhi High Court mentioned that special treatment cannot be granted based on an individual's professional background. The court stated, This Court cannot be expected to show or create special circumstances for any person merely because such a person belongs to a particular background or industry. Leniency, though sometimes necessary, cannot be extended endlessly, especially when it is met with continued non-compliance. The legal battle comes from a complaint filed by M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd. against Rajpal Yadav and his wife. The dispute involved several bounced cheques and a failure to repay dues. In 2018, a magisterial court in Delhi convicted the couple, sentencing the actor to six months' imprisonment. Although the conviction was upheld by a sessions court in 2019, the actor challenged the decision in the Delhi High Court. In June 2024, the court had briefly suspended the conviction, advising Rajpal Yadav to take sincere and genuine measures to reach a settlement. However, on February 2, the court observed that the actor had repeatedly breached his undertakings to repay the complainant, leading to the current order for his surrender. Also Read: Rajpal Yadav calls out Ranveer Allahbadia, Samay Raina amidst IGL row With Sanu Hi Pata, Kunwarr makes a deliberate pivot. Where Piche Tere is propelled by energy and movement, this release leans into mood and intimacy, built on warm guitars, hazy production, and a retro-pop feel. The shift signals an artist confident enough to slow the tempo, expanding his emotional range without stepping away from a contemporary sonic identity.After all the love Piche Tere has been receiving worldwide, Sanu Hi Pata came from a very honest place, its one of those songs that doesnt try too hard, it just says exactly what it feels like", says Kunwarr. Sanu Hi Pata is out now worldwide across all major streaming platforms. Watch the music video here: Meanwhile, last year Kunwarr dropped his highly anticipated EP BBB (Bad Boy Blues) via Times Music, marking a bold new chapter in his evolution. This four-track collection, Gall, Kohinoor, Lost, and Demon Time infuses Jersey Club beats, UK trap melodies, and raw Punjabi lyricism for a fresh, urban sound that resonates globally. Born into Punjabi tradition with a passion for hip-hop, Kunwarr relocated to Mumbai to study filmmaking before heading to Toronto, carrying pan-Indian roots into the global music landscape. He began professional releases in 2021, and his debut EP soon charted on the BBC Asia network, signalling early promise. Kunwarr describes BBB as six months of my truth, my chaos, and my heart, a declaration that this EP is more than just a project, its a statement. With themes ranging from heartbreak to unapologetic swagger, each track is a window into his emotional landscape and creative ambition. More than two decades after its release, Jhankaar Beats still feels oddly alive. The slice-of-life musical drama set in Mumbai followed three friends navigating work, relationships, and creative dreams, all while bonding over their shared love for R.D. Burmans music. The story focused on the middle-class life and emotions, which is why director Sujoy Ghosh feels that a film like this would work even in 2026. Directed by Ghosh and produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, the film starred Sanjay Suri, Juhi Chawla, Rahul Bose, Rinkie Khanna, Riya Sen and debutant Shayan Munshi. A special screening was held in the city recently, followed by a discussion with Sujoy Ghosh, Sanjay and Shayan Munshi. When asked whether Jhankaar Beats could be made in todays Mumbai, Sujoy Ghosh said, "Any story rooted in emotion can be made at any time. The conflicts may changetechnology, money, platformsbut the emotional core remains. If Jhankaar Beats were made today, it would need to be more inclusive and more diverse. But yes, it can absolutely be made. Friendship doesnt expire." The film also captured the essence of Mumbai 20 years ago. Local trains, modest homes, studio apartments, Bandstand walks, and Afghan Church made up the aesthetics of Jhankaar Beats. Asked how the city has changed in the last two decades, Sanjay Suri said, "Cities have to change. Development is inevitable. But filmmaking then felt calmer. Permissions were easier. There was more support. We shot all over the city, through the night, with incredible help from the administration and our production team. Back then, life wasnt documented constantly. You could stop your car, sleep for an hour, and no one would photograph you." He continued, "Today, that intimacy is gone. Phones existed then, tapes existed, CDs existedthose concepts dont anymore. The shift from analogue to digital has changed how we live and consume art. But the emotion still holds." Recalling the impact of the film, Suri further stated, "Recently, a younger actor told me he had four CDs of Jhankaar Beats as he kept backups. He said thats how he learned about condoms. Hes 31 now. Thats the kind of cultural impact the film had. It captured normal people, real bonds, friendships. Even today, when I watch it, I feel we still need to make this filmto talk openly about relationships, about condoms, about urban intimacy." For Shayan Munshi, the film marked his first real step into Hindi cinema. He spoke with gratitude about the people who carried him through that early phase. He shared, "Its wonderful to see Jhankaar Beats still resonate after all these years. For me, it was my first real step into Hindi cinema. I didnt know much at the time, and I have to thank Pritish Nandy for the confidence he gave me. He really became a backbonehelping me grow stronger and face this world head-on. I was the youngest on set, and I was nurtured by Sujoy, by Rangita, by everyone. We forged friendships that have lasted decades. To be able to pick up the phone years later and speak in the same tonethat defines true friendship. Coming to Mumbai, I was working as a professional model, doing commercials and music videos. And suddenly, I got a call from PNC. Jhankaar Beats became a milestonenot just for me, but for Indian cinema. It broke boundaries and set a new tone. Ive never felt more comfortable on a film set." Also Read: Exclusive: Bejoy Nambiar Reveals Rekhas Reaction to Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gourav in Tu Yaa Main The buzz around Dhanushs upcoming Tamil film, tentatively titled D55, has taken a decisive step forward. With legendary actor Mammootty officially coming on board, the makers have now announced that the film has commenced production. The launch was marked by a traditional pooja ceremony, signalling the beginning of what promises to be a high-profile and creatively ambitious project. A ceremonial start for a high-profile collaboration Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, D55 features Sai Pallavi and Sreeleela as the female leads. While the films genre and plot details are being kept under wraps, the combination of talent involved has already generated strong anticipation within industry circles and among fans. Mammoottys Tamil return and fresh pairings View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rajkumar Periasamy (@rajkumarperiasamy) The technical crew is still largely under construction, with only composer Sai Abhyankkar confirmed so far. Known for his contemporary soundscape and youthful energy, Sai Abhyankkars involvement hints at a score that could play a key role in shaping the films tone. The remaining technicians are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as production progresses.One of the most significant talking points surrounding D55 is Mammoottys return to Tamil cinema after a gap of seven years. His last Tamil outing was Rams critically acclaimed Peranbu in 2019, a performance that remains widely regarded as one of the finest in his storied career. His inclusion in D55 adds considerable gravitas and cross-industry appeal to the project, especially given his selective approach to roles outside Malayalam cinema. For Sreeleela, D55 marks her first collaboration with both Dhanush and Rajkumar Periasamy. The actress has been steadily expanding her footprint across industries, and this film represents a significant step in her Tamil journey. Sai Pallavi, on the other hand, shares a more familiar equation with the team. She previously starred opposite Dhanush in Maari 2 in 2018 and collaborated with Rajkumar Periasamy on Amaran in 2024, the Sivakarthikeyan-led film that drew attention for its scale and emotional heft. On the production front, D55 is being backed by Dhanushs Wunderbar Films in association with RTake Studios. The project was initially announced under the Gopuram Films banner, with Anbuchezhiyan and Sushmita Anbuchezhiyan as producers, before undergoing a change in production houses. The current backing brings the film firmly into Dhanushs creative ecosystem, something that often allows for tighter control over storytelling and execution. With filming now underway, D55 is shaping up as one of the more closely watched Tamil projects on the horizon. Between Mammoottys return, Dhanushs continued push towards varied narratives, and Rajkumar Periasamys growing reputation, expectations are understandably high. Also Read: Dhanushs D55 Gets a Producer Switch As Wunderbar and RTake Step In Within a month of hitting theatres, Nivin Paulys Baby Girl is ready to reach a wider audience through its digital premiere on Sony LIV. The platform confirmed on Thursday that the thriller will begin streaming on February 12, marking a swift turnaround that reflects both the films topical pull and the appetite for grounded genre stories on OTT. A race against time wrapped in quiet dread Directed by Arun Varma and scripted by the Bobby-Sanjay duo, Baby Girl revolves around the disappearance of a newborn and the chain of events that follow the incident. Set largely within hospital spaces, the film traces the ripple effects of the mystery as it unfolds through corridors, night shifts, and everyday interactions. The narrative is anchored by Nivin Pauly, who plays Sanal, a hospital attendant who becomes closely involved in the search for answers. The film features an ensemble cast that supports the central storyline. Lijomol Jose, Abhimanyu Thilakan and Sangeeth Prathap appear in key roles that intersect with the investigation, each representing different perspectives connected to the disappearance. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sony LIV (@sonylivindia) The extended cast includes Azees Nedumangad, Major Ravi, Nandu, Aditi Ravi, Sreejith Ravi, Jaffer Idukki, Alphy Panjikaran, Kaillash, Kichu Tellu, Nisha Sarang, Aswanth Lal and Prem Prakash. These characters form part of the films wider social setting, situating the events within a familiar and recognisable environment. On the technical front, the film brings together a steady creative team. Cinematography is handled by Faiz Siddik, with visuals shaped around controlled framing and subdued colour palettes. Sam CS composes the background score, while editing duties are carried out by Shyjith Kumaran, who structures the narrative flow across its investigative arc. Baby Girl is produced by Magic Frames, headed by Listin Stephen. For Nivin Pauly, the digital release arrives at a busy phase in his career. The actor is currently shooting for Girish ADs upcoming rom-com Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, which also stars Mamitha Baiju. He is also awaiting the release of a political drama directed by B Unnikrishnan, along with Dear Students, where he appears in a cameo opposite Nayanthara. With Baby Girl now set to stream, audiences who missed it in theatres get a chance to catch one of his more understated recent performances. As Malayalam cinema continues to find a strong second life on streaming platforms, Baby Girl stands as a reminder that tightly written, performance-driven thrillers can travel well beyond the big screen. Also Read: The Filming For Nivin Paulys Baby Girl Has Wrapped Up Actor and dubbing artist Raveena Ravi has taken a firm public stand against what she describes as years of persistent harassment, revealing the identities of two men she alleges have been stalking her and her family for nearly three years. In a strongly worded Instagram post, Raveena shared photographs of the individuals, identifying them as twin brothers, and explained that her decision to go public came after prolonged silence and failed attempts at legal redress. I am posting this to protect my family I am posting this to protect my family, my friends, and myself from a stalker who has been harassing us for three years. I've stayed quiet hoping that police complaints and warnings would stop this. Unfortunately, a person named Sabarish and his twin brother continue to harass me, my family, and my friends, she wrote. The post was accompanied by screenshots of comments and direct messages that Raveena alleges were sent by the twins. According to her, the messages included obscene language and targeted not only her but also those close to her. Apologising to her family and friends, the actor expressed regret that they had to endure distress because of their association with her. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Raveena Ravi (@raveena1166) Raveena also shed light on the alleged modus operandi of the individuals, claiming that they operate through multiple social media accounts. We have tried the legal route, but the harassment hasnt stopped. Apparently he operates from multitudes of accounts and finds ways to stalk and harass not just me, but various other women actors and practitioners establishing made up scenarios of having already met, fixed marriage, she wrote. Her decision to make the issue public appears rooted in a desire to prevent further harm, both to herself and to others who may be facing similar situations but lack a platform to speak out. A call for caution, accountability, and safer spaces At the end of her statement, Raveena made a clear appeal to the online community, outlining three specific actions she urged users to take. She asked people to block and report the profiles in question, remain alert if they receive messages from the individuals, and refrain from engaging with their comments or messages in any form. Beyond her personal experience, Raveena also addressed the broader issue of womens safety, particularly in urban spaces that are often perceived as secure. Chennai is often called the safest city for women in India. I truly hope the authorities take action against such creeps to prove that this city is safe for everyone, she concluded. Her post has since sparked conversations across social media, with several industry colleagues and fans expressing solidarity. The incident once again brings attention to the often invisible emotional toll of online harassment, especially for women in the public eye, and the limitations of existing safeguards when perpetrators persistently evade accountability. Raveena Ravi has long been regarded as a versatile presence in South Indian cinema, balancing her on-screen roles with an acclaimed career as a dubbing artist across multiple languages. She is the daughter of veteran dubbing artist and actor Sreeja Ravi, and has frequently spoken about carving her own identity within the industry. On the professional front, Raveena continues to remain active across industries. She recently lent her voice to Rajisha Vijayans character in Mari Selvarajs Bison and dubbed for Athulya Ravi in Diesel. In Malayalam cinema, she was last seen in Muhashins Vala: Story of a Bangle, further cementing her dual reputation as both performer and voice artist. By choosing to speak openly now, Raveena Ravi has shifted the focus from silent endurance to collective awareness, reminding audiences that safety, accountability, and dignity should not be negotiable, online or offline. Also Read: Suriya46 Directed By Venky Atluri Goes On Floors Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - February 5, 2026) - On the evening of February 4, "The World TCM Heritage Odyssey," co-hosted by Phoenix Satellite TV and Dong-E E-Jiao, took place at the Phoenix Center in Beijing and successfully concluded. The event, marking the beginning of spring, showcased the latest practices and achievements in the international dissemination, academic exchange, and modern transformation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) through cultural tributes, cross-disciplinary dialogues, and the integration of technology and art. "The World TCM Heritage Odyssey" Held in Beijing, Showcasing New Practices in International Communication of Traditional Chinese Medicine To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/282969_80a0d944d4881a75_001full.jpg The ceremony centered on TCM culture and leveraged the immersive cultural, technological, and experiential environment of the Phoenix Center. It connected traditional medical wisdom with contemporary global health issues, demonstrating the pathways of inheritance and innovation for TCM in diverse cultural contexts around the world. Xu Wei, Chairman and CEO of Phoenix Satellite TV To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/282969_80a0d944d4881a75_002full.jpg In his speech, Xu Wei, Chairman and CEO of Phoenix Satellite TV, stated that the global spread of TCM is not just about medical communication but also a process of cross-cultural understanding and exchange. He emphasized the need to build communication bridges through modern dissemination methods while respecting differences. Phoenix Satellite TV will continue to focus on and document the international dissemination of TCM. Cheng Jie, Chairman of Dong-E E-Jiao, remarked that TCM culture belongs to all humanity and that the company will keep promoting the synergy between cultural dissemination and industrial development, facilitating a deep integration of technology, culture, and brand narrative to contribute to global health. The event featured a "Tribute" segment honoring five representatives dedicated to the international spread and cross-disciplinary integration of TCM, covering fields such as academic translation, medical practice, technology integration, and public welfare dissemination. Scholar Ehsan Doostmohammadi from Iran was honored for completing the first Persian translation of the "Huangdi Neijing: Suwen" and promoting TCM in the West Asia region. Zhao Zhongzhen, Emeritus Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University's School of Chinese Medicine, presented the honor and advocated for further collaboration. Malaysian TCM practitioner Neoh Karen was recognized for promoting the modernization and internationalization of TCM through innovative communication methods. Lee Tsung-En Andy, CEO of the Yangqi Integrative Medicine Center in Silicon Valley, was honored for his exploratory practices integrating TCM concepts with artificial intelligence and big data, sparking discussions about the modernization of TCM. Italian physician Valeria Toso, a proponent of TCM meridian theory, was acknowledged for her long-term efforts to promote TCM concepts in Europe. Dr. Diarra Boubacar Thiemoko from Mali, the first foreign postdoctoral fellow in TCM in China, received high praise for his years of grassroots medical exchanges in Central Africa and his work in developing TCM training and public welfare diagnosis programs on the continent. During the event, Phoenix Satellite TV officially launched the second season of "The Healing Path." The new season will document TCM's development and application across different countries and cultural contexts, showcasing its diverse expressions in a global setting. Throughout the ceremony, the Phoenix Center also established a global TCM cultural interactive experience area, enhancing the public's intuitive understanding of TCM culture through cultural displays, product exhibitions, and interactive experiences. A special livestream program titled "Let's Talk! Friends of TCM" preceded the event, generating public discussion. As the event concluded, the theme song "The Healing Path," created with AI participation, resonated in the venue, marking the end of the ceremony. "The World TCM Heritage Odyssey" Held in Beijing, Showcasing New Practices in International Communication of Traditional Chinese Medicine To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8722/282969_80a0d944d4881a75_003full.jpg The organizers stated that this ceremony was not only a concentrated display of TCM culture but also a forward-looking exchange practice, showcasing new expressions and possibilities for traditional medicine in the contemporary technological and global health context. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282969 Source: Global News Sake exports continued to expand in 2025 in both value and volume, with export destinations reaching a record 81 countries and regions. Export value increased 6% year on year to 45.9 billion yen, while export volume rose 8% to 33.55 million liters (3.73 million cases on a 9-liter basis), marking the second-highest export performance on record. The average export unit price per 750 ml bottle declined 2% year on year to 1,026 yen. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260205671686/en/ Sake Export Performance by Country (Top 10, 2025) Export value has nearly doubled since 2020, and the CAGR over the past five years reached 14%. This underscores sake's position as a high-growth category globally. Asia remained the largest export destination, with export value totaling 28.8 billion yen, representing an 8% increase year on year and accounting for 63% of total export value. North America recorded exports of 12.4 billion yen, a 1% year-on-year decline, making it the only region to fall below the previous year's level. Although current export value remains modest, Latin America continued to surge, quadrupling in size since 2020 and expanding destination countries to 10. China was the largest destination country, with export value reaching 13.3 billion yen, up 14% year on year. In contrast, exports to the United States declined 3% year on year to 11 billion yen, reflecting a downturn in the second half of the year. Among the leading export markets, South Korea recorded particularly strong growth, with export value increasing 17% year on year to 4.4 billion yen-4.5 times higher than in 2020. While South Korea's average export unit price remains below the average, it has continued to rise steadily. Commenting on this growth, Hitoshi Utsunomiya, Director of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association (JSS), cited heightened international interest following the 2024 registration of traditional knowledge and skills of sake-making with koji mold as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. He also pointed to strengthened promotional and educational efforts, including participation in international trade fairs, Expo-related events, and educational programs conducted jointly with the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale. Looking ahead, the JSS will continue bolstering its activities not only in established markets but also in emerging regions such as Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. Through initiatives that emphasize sake's pairing potential, experiential value, and cultural significance, the JSS aims to further communicate the appeal of sake to consumers worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260205671686/en/ Contacts: Takeshi Itani takeshi.itani@sakeexperiencejapan.com HONG KONG, Feb 6, 2026 - (ACN Newswire) - On 6 February, Muyuan Foods Co., Ltd. ("Muyuan Foods" or the "Company", Stock Code: 2714.HK), a global leader in the pork industry, officially listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited today, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the Company's international development. Powerful Cornerstone Investors Underscore Muyuan's Industry Leadership For this Hong Kong IPO, Muyuan Foods successfully attracted a prestigious lineup of cornerstone investors, including Charoen Pokphand Foods, Wilmar International Limited (Wii Pte. Ltd. and HPRY), Sinochem Hong Kong, Hong Kong Henan Agri International, FIL Investment, RBC Global Asset Management (Asia) Limited and Ping An Life Insurance Company of China, Ltd., and other renowned institutions'14 in total'with combined subscription amounting to US$685 million. This formidable cornerstone investor group not only provides the Company with stable financial support but also brings abundant industrial resources and an international perspective, laying a solid foundation for its subsequent global expansion and valuation enhancement. As a technology-driven pork industry leader, Muyuan Foods has deep expertise cultivated over many years in the industry and has established a uniquely advantageous vertically integrated business model. Its operations comprehensively cover the entire pork industry chain, including hog breeding, hog farming, feed production, as well as slaughtering and meat production. Leveraging synergistic advantages across the entire chain, the Company has steadily maintained its leadership position in the hog farming industry. According to statistics from Frost & Sullivan, since 2021, measured by hog production capacity and hog sales volume, Muyuan Foods has become the world's largest hog farming enterprise. Its hog sales volume has ranked first globally for four consecutive years, solidifying its position as the industry leader. In terms of market share, the Company's global market share steadily increased from 2.6% in 2021 to 5.6% in 2024. As of 2024, this market share already exceeded the combined market share of the world's second to fourth largest participants in the hog farming industry, further widening the gap with peers and continuously highlighting its core competitiveness. Steady Earnings Growth Maintained; Active Overseas Market Expansion Strengthens Competitiveness Relying on its full industry chain layout and efficient operational management, Muyuan Foods has maintained steady earnings growth in recent years, with profitability continuously improving, demonstrating the Company's operational resilience through solid business data. Data shows that the Company's revenue scale grew steadily from RMB124.826 billion in 2022 to RMB137.947 billion in 2024. Net profit surged significantly from RMB14.933 billion in 2022 to RMB18.925 billion in 2024, indicating remarkable growth and continuously optimized profitability. Entering 2025, the Company's growth momentum further accelerated. In the first nine months of 2025, the Company achieved operating revenue of RMB111.790 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15.5%, and realized a net profit of RMB15.112 billion, a substantial year-on-year increase of 34.4%. The double-digit growth in both revenue and net profit fully demonstrates the Company's strong development momentum and favorable profit outlook. While consolidating its leading position in the domestic market and achieving rapid self-development, Muyuan Foods has consistently anchored its global development strategy, actively expanding into overseas markets. Using the export of technology and equipment as a key approach, it empowers the upgrading of the global hog farming industry and builds an international farming ecosystem. In 2024, the Company entered into a deep strategic partnership with BAF Vietnam Agriculture, providing services including hog house design, biosecurity management, odor control solutions and smart hog farming to help its partner optimize farming efficiency, reduce operational costs, and practice environmentally responsible farming. The smooth progress of this cooperation marks a crucial first successful step for Muyuan Foods in its global layout, accumulating valuable experience for subsequent overseas market expansion. On the other hand, leveraging the vast potential of overseas markets, Muyuan Foods will further achieve optimized resource allocation and efficient synergy on a global scale, continuously broadening its corporate growth boundaries and diversifying profit sources, thereby solidifying its core advantages and enhancing comprehensive competitiveness. Overall, the successful listing in Hong Kong not only signifies that Muyuan Foods has formally entered a new stage of internationalized development, establishing an important bridge connecting global capital and resources, but also indicates that the Company's operational management level, industry competitiveness, and development potential have gained broad recognition from the international capital market. In the future, Muyuan Foods will seize this listing opportunity, adhere to the philosophy of technology-driven and green development, continue to deepen its involvement in the entire pork industry chain, constantly strengthen its core competitiveness, steadily advance its global layout, further consolidate its position as the global leader in the hog farming industry, and open up broader growth space. Its future development is worthy of market anticipation. Copyright 2026 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. 2026 JCN Newswire Tokyo and Kawasaki, Japan, Feb 6, 2026 - (JCN Newswire) - Genesys(R) Cloud Services, Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Paul Ito Ricci, hereinafter Genesys), a global cloud leader in AI-Powered Experience Orchestration, and Fujitsu Limited (Headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Takahito Tokita; hereinafter Fujitsu) which led the implementation of Genesys Cloud, announced the successful transformation of AEON Financial Service Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tomoharu Fukayama; hereinafter AEON Financial Service) contact center operations and the completion of its effectiveness evaluation.As part of this contact center transformation initiative, AEON Financial Service deployed Genesys Cloud, a unified experience orchestration platform. Because of the composability of the Genesys Cloud platform, Fujitsu implemented customizations to meet its unique business requirements, including reporting management and system integrations, and will continue to support maintenance and operations. With over 2,500 seats, this deployment is among the largest of its kind in Japan's financial sector.AEON Financial Service plans to introduce an "AI Concierge (Voice Bot)" utilizing speech recognition technology. This will allow customers to be guided to the appropriate menu through natural spoken dialogue, eliminating the need for phone keypad input. Furthermore, AEON Financial Service is considering expanding the solution to other contact centers across the AEON Group. Genesys and Fujitsu will continue to support the advancement of contact center systems across the entire AEON Group.Paul Ito Ricci, President of Genesys Japan, commented:"AEON Financial Service is demonstrating how modern experience orchestration can transform customer engagement at scale in a short period.By moving its contact center platform to the cloud, the company has been able to internalize system development and significantly accelerate the speed at which it can deliver more convenient services to address customers" needs. . We are committed to supporting AEON Financial Service through Genesys Cloud as they utilize AI to deliver innovative, personalized and empathic customer experiences and seamless support for each individual at scale."Masaru Yagi, Executive Vice President, Fujitsu Limited, commented:"We are pleased to announce the successful introduction of Genesys Cloud to enhance the contact center operations for AEON Financial Service. This initiative addresses the crucial and growing need for contact center transformation in recent years. We are confident that this project meaningfully contributes to establishing an operator-first environment where high-quality customer experience can be delivered without added burden. Fujitsu will continue to support the implementation and operation of Genesys Cloud as a solution vendor, leveraging AI and other technologies to support AEON Financial Group and many other companies."BackgroundAEON Financial Service call center is responsible for comprehensive support across a wide array of financial services, including banking, insurance, and loans, in addition to payment services such as AEON Pay, AEON Card, and WAON. A significant challenge for the company was the increase in customer waiting times due to the growing variety of inquiry types and the increasing specialization and segmentation of internal guidance points. Moreover, the conventional on-premises call center system required modernization to effectively support future service expansion.Improvements driven by the contact center operations overhaulFollowing the deployment of Genesys Cloud and the overhaul of its contact center operations, AEON Financial Service has realized the following benefits within the first six months:1. Higher self-service completion ratesBy expanding self-service options within the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system, the self-completion rate for the menu option that allows customers to report payments after a failed withdrawal improved by 21 percentage points compared to the previous system, helping reduce customer wait times.2. Automated SMS supportBy implementing a mechanism that automatically sends an SMS in response to IVR inquiries, simple questions can now be resolved through self-service. This allows operators to concentrate on more complex tasks.3. Rapid feature enhancements and flexible operationsThe use of a cloud service with the requirement of a low-code functionality enables the speedy deployment of new services and quick changes to the IVR structure. Furthermore, future efforts to bring development in-house will allow for even faster response times.About GenesysGenesys(R) empowers more than 8,000 organizations worldwide to create the best customer and employee experiences. With agentic AI at its core, Genesys Cloud is the AI-Powered Experience Orchestration platform that connects people, systems, data and AI across the enterprise. As a result, organizations can drive customer loyalty, growth and retention while increasing operational efficiency and teamwork across human and AI workforces. www.genesys.com/ja-jpAbout FujitsuFujitsu's purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers around the globe, our 113,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: AI, Computing, Networks, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$23 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: global.fujitsuPress ContactsFujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor Relations DivisionInquiriesGenesys Cloud Services, Inc.Genesys PR Office (Initial Inc.)Contacts: Hirabayashi, Nagaoka, AkiyamaTel: +81-3-5572-7334Email: genesys_pr@vectorinc.co.jpSource: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2026 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. HONG KONG, Feb 6, 2026 - (ACN Newswire) - Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited ('Eternal Beauty' or the 'Group') (Stock Code: 6883.HK), a pioneer in China's beauty and fragrance industry, announced its first-ever collaboration with Lane Crawford, a premier luxury department store, to launch an exclusive boutique niche fragrance section at its Harbour City store in Tsim Sha Tsui. The collaboration aims to further advances the Group's strategy focused on high-margin niche fragrance brands, strengthens its premium brand footprint through an elite retail network, and captures the growing profit opportunities in the niche fragrance for Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong markets.The zone brings together four international niche fragrance brands under the immersive concept of a "Luxury Niche Perfume Street" with European flair, featuring Atkinsons, Clive Christian, Memo Paris and SOLF'RINO, each presented with its unique style and heritage. Clive Christian and SOLF'RINO are making their debut in Hong Kong, offering a rare experience to local high-end consumers. By leveraging Lane Crawford's premium retail network that reaches high-spending customers, the Group effectively enhances brand penetration in the Hong Kong market. This initiative successfully introduces the Group's portfolio into a core upscale retail destination in Hong Kong, demonstrating the Group's strengths in channel expansion and retail curation, while further solidifying its brand influence and long-term growth momentum in the niche fragrance portfolio.Brand Introduction:AtkinsonsThe 200-year-old British "Royal Fragrance House" reinvents the rebellion and elegance of 19th-century English gentlemen, transforming historical formulas into a modern, contemporary aura.Clive ChristianThe first exclusive collectors' boutique in Hong Kong: Clive Christian is a luxury British perfume house that creates the world's finest perfumes. A legacy of British craftsmanship, unparalleled quality in concentration and complexity, unashamedly indulgent and luxurious presentation.Memo ParisMemo Paris is a Parisian fragrance house, see each fragrance as a travel note captured in scent. Preserve memory of a journey to unique destination. Memo Paris sketches a delicate, emotional map of the world: a universe where memories become scents.SOLF'RINODebuting brilliantly in Hong Kong, SOLF'RINO is born in Paris, France, the brand draws inspiration from the historic architecture of this City of Lights, showcases French elegance with exceptional craftsmanship and presenting Parisian audacity and creativity.Ms. Wendy Lau, Executive Director of Eternal Beauty and Chairman of the International Fragrance Association, said, 'With over 40 years of industry experience, Eternal Beauty has cultivated sharp market vision, distinctive taste, and profound expertise. This enables the Group to accurately identify and introduce brands that align with market trends and carry strong profit potential into the Greater China market, which continues to demonstrate vigorous consumption upgrade momentum. We are thrilled to partner with Lane Crawford, an influential luxury department platform in Asia, to create this exclusive boutique niche fragrance section in Hong Kong's core luxury shopping district, leveraging the Group's strengths in niche fragrance brand management and retail channel development. This is not only an important step for the Group to deepen the niche fragrance market, but also a concrete manifestation of our niche fragrance brand expansion strategy. Moving forward, the Group will continue to explore collaborations with top-tier retail partners. By introducing more niche brands with high growth potential, it will strengthen its long-term growth momentum and enhance sustainable profitability in the fragrance market.'Hong Kong's fragrance market continues to benefit from the momentum of the emotional economy, demonstrating relatively resilient growth against the backdrop of a steady recovery in the overall retail sector. In December 2025, the value of total retail sales in Hong Kong increased by 6.6% YoY; according to market's outlook reports, the total retail sales in Hong Kong are expected to grow by nearly 8% in 2026, reaching approximately HKD 410 billion, indicating a continued recovery in local consumer demand. Ms. Chole Lam, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Eternal Beauty, said, 'In recent years, experiential retail and emotional consumption have gradually emerged as new retail trends, with emotional value playing an increasingly significant role in consumer decision-making. The ability to establish emotional resonance with consumers is becoming an important direction for brand expansion and product innovation. Emerging consumption segments, represented by high-end and niche fragrances, are more being regarded as categories that carry emotional value and lifestyle propositions, highlighting their growth potential in the retail recovery process.'Eternal Beauty has established an omni sales channel network over 400 cities across Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. The cooperation with Lane Crawford is an important part of the Group's retail channel strategy, aiming to enhance the consumer experience and sales conversion by leveraging the prime location and high customer traffic of the premium department store.Photo CaptionEternal Beauty and Lane Crawford debut landmark niche fragrance zone, bringing together four international niche fragrance brands under the concept of a "Luxury Niche Perfume Street". The zone immersively showcasing four distinctive and heritage-rich brands: Atkinsons, Clive Christian, Memo Paris, and SOLF'RINO.Please download more high-resolution photos via link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nzCNkjNqd9f5RDCub3vmLpoesN52MJbS?usp=sharingAbout Eternal Beauty Holdings LimitedEternal Beauty Holdings Limited is the largest perfume group (apart from brand-owner perfume groups) in China (including Hong Kong and Macau) in terms of retail sales in 2023. It primarily sells and distributes products procured from third-party brand licensors, and deploys market for these brand licensors, offering such services as brand management, and designing and implementing customized market entry and expansion plans for their brands. The Group boasts large and diversified brand portfolios that include not only perfumes, but also color cosmetics, skincare products, personal care products, eyewear and home fragrances. As at 30 September 2025, it conducted product distribution and market deployment for a total of 74 external brands, including Herm's, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, Albion and Laura Mercier, with products in different pricing tiers and of versatile features that meet the differentiated demands of consumers in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and/or Macau.Source: Eternal Beauty Holdings LimitedCopyright 2026 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. 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. LEM HOLDING SA / Key word(s): 9 Month figures LEM reports stable sales in first nine months 2025/26 06-Feb-2026 / 06:30 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Sales with currency headwinds: Sales at constant currency rates remained stable with a 0.2% increase, while reported sales in CHF declined 5.4% to CHF 218.4 million due to depreciation of CNY and USD. Key growth segments including Automation and Automotive achieved strong results improving by 6.8% and 5.7% respectively at constant currency. Bookings: At CHF 215.5 million, bookings* stabilized with slight sequential growth from the second quarter. The book-to-bill ratio underlined positive signs of stabilization, standing at 0.99 after nine months 2025/26, showing momentum in Automation driven by broadening demand in data center cooling and high-voltage infrastructure applications, and Energy Distribution & High Precision driven by favorable developments in power supply for data centers. The full impact from data centers is expected to materialize beyond Q4 given typical lead times and project cycles. Gross margin stabilized over the course of the year: Q3 2025/26 gross profit margin maintaining momentum from Q2's rebound at 39.8% year-to-date, supported by strategic pricing and supply productivity gains. While navigating market headwinds including China pricing pressure and volume-related cost absorption challenges, and timing differences in US tariffs pass-through recharges, LEM's proactive measures are delivering results. EBIT demonstrated sequential stability in Q3 2025/26 at CHF 7.1 million or 10.2% of sales with year-to-date margin at 8.5%. LEM's "Fit for Growth" transformation program delivered strong operational efficiency reducing SG&A by 12.8% and successfully offsetting market headwinds. This positive execution resulted in stable net profit of CHF 12.1 million, and an improved net profit margin of 5.5%. Outlook: The company raises its expectations for sales in the range of CHF 275 to 290 million (lifted from CHF 265 to 290 million in HY 2025/26) and targets high single-digit EBIT margin for the full year 2025/26, capitalizing on enhanced operational structure and efficiency gains. Product launches are anticipated to accelerate growth momentum overtime. Frank Rehfeld, Chief Executive Officer, said: "Over the first nine months, LEM continued to see stabilization in a market still characterized by uncertainty and currency headwinds. We see some positive signals in the western economies and increasingly normalized inventory levels in Renewables and Automation provided additional support. Thanks to the efficiency improvement program 'Fit for Growth', we were able to achieve an encouraging EBIT margin of 8.5% for the nine months. We continue to build on our business model, which is well positioned to capture growth from global megatrends such as data centers, electrification, energy transition and e-mobility." * LEM adjusted its order booking system in 2025/26. Prior year bookings were restated as disclosed in Q1 2025/26. Sales by business in CHF millions Business 9M 2025/26 9M 2024/25 Change Change at constant exchange rates Automation 65.6 65.4 +0.4% +6.8% Automotive 61.4 62.1 -1.2% +5.7% Renewable Energy 30.0 34.9 -14.0% -8.1% Energy Distribution & High Precision 27.9 34.4 -19.0% -15.5% Track 33.5 34.0 -1.6% +2.2% Total 218.4 230.9 -5.4% +0.2% Automation The Automation segment is experiencing market recovery with meaningful traction as large customers and key accounts accelerate demand, particularly in high-value mid-power applications including power measurement and cooling systems in data centers. High-voltage applications for infrastructure and factory automation continue to perform well in China, reinforcing LEM's strategic positioning in these growth segments. While increased competition from Chinese suppliers entering the European market presents pricing challenges, LEM is successfully navigating this environment through disciplined pricing strategies and operational excellence. Automotive Performance varied significantly from region to region. In China, the domestic market for electric vehicles continued to grow, albeit at a slower pace due to a high comparison base following the ramp-up of a new platform in the prior year. Technological shifts in battery management systems underline the strong innovation momentum, which LEM is addressing through an expansion of its R&D activities in Asia. In Europe, LEM grew in an overall contracting market thanks to battery management projects ramping up well with solid orders. Business in the Rest of Asia and Americas regions suffered from weak demand, with policy changes in the US leading to the termination of certain platforms. Renewable Energy The business showed initial signs of stabilization, supported by normalized and now low inventory levels. In China, the largest market, the cancellation of feed-in tariffs for solar energy from June 2025 had slowed new project investments, with price pressure remaining unchanged at a high level. In Europe, large commercial installations are performing better, as European manufacturers are prioritized. In Rest of Asia, activity is supported by temporary government spending and subsidy programs, notably in Japan and with an upturn in India. The small wind energy business performed relatively well. Energy Distribution & High Precision The DC meter business in China remained stable, while it was more challenging in Europe and the US. Charging infrastructure operators are postponing investments due to low EV sales, increasing competition and price pressure. Some of LEM's customers have lost market share. The high precision segment was boosted by favorable developments in all regions for uninterruptible power supply for data centers. In the US, a dedicated initiative was launched to better serve the growing data center market, with first tangible successes being recorded. Track The Track business performed well overall, particularly in China, and achieved solid sales growth. In Europe, momentum moderated somewhat due to the phasing-out of retrofitting projects. LEM successfully secured new retrofit projects which will materialize from the new fiscal year onwards. Solid demand for power and voltage converters for the initial equipment of locomotives and subway trains ensured healthy base capacity utilization. Sales by region in CHF millions Region 9M 2025/26 9M 2024/25 Change Change at constant exchange rates China 81.0 88.6 -8.6% -0.3% Rest of Asia 37.7 38.6 -2.3% +2.7% EMEA 73.0 78.8 -7.4% -5.3% Americas 26.7 24.9 +7.4% +16.2% Total 218.4 230.9 -5.4% +0.2% China Business in China remained stable at constant exchange rates. Solid volume growth was offset by high price pressure. LEM gained market share with leading customers in Automation, and the Track business also grew ahead of the market with Chinese and international manufacturers, driven by both initial equipment and retrofit demand. In addition, LEM is working more closely with key distributors in China to further strengthen its go-to-market strategy, supported by targeted training programs across different sales channels, similar to the successful initiative in the Americas. R&D activities in Asia are being further expanded and more closely integrated, improving operational efficiency, strengthening customer connectivity, enabling faster and more focused product launches in close collaboration with key customers. Rest of Asia Growth in the region slowed in a mixed market environment. In Japan, activity benefited from subsidy-driven demand in Renewables and from a slight recovery in Automation and Automotive, supported by low inventory levels and the ramp-up of new platforms. In India, momentum was supported by the localization of the solar industry, while inventory reductions following US tariffs weighed on sales in the Energy Distribution & High Precision business. EMEA EMEA recorded slightly lower sales, with weak investment activity particularly affecting Energy Distribution & High Precision, where the DC meter business was impacted by elevated inventories, and with limited momentum in Automation. Automotive grew significantly thanks to the successful ramp-up of new projects and long-term customer partnerships. In Renewable Energy, large commercial solar installations are performing better, as European manufacturers are prioritized, and the wind business is showing a broadly positive development. Americas The region reported strong sales at constant exchange rates, driven by the tariff impact. Close cooperation with key distributors as part of an improved go-to-market strategy continued and enabled further market share gains. Recovery in Automation broadened on the back of advanced destocking. Energy Distribution & High Precision showed a mixed development, with business with uninterruptible power supply for data centers developing favorably. Automotive declined because of a difficult EV market, with manufacturers shifting their strategies more towards hybrid cars. Gross margin stabilizing over the course of the year Gross margin demonstrated stabilization throughout the year with Q3 2025/26 maintaining the positive momentum established in Q2 2025/26. This performance is driven by successful implementation of strategic pricing initiatives and meaningful supply chain productivity gains. SG&A were reduced by 12.8% compared to a 5.4% reduction in sales, showing the positive impact of the company-wide transformation and efficiency improvement program "Fit for Growth". SG&A costs as a percentage of sales decreased to 21.5%. R&D costs declined by 24.6% to CHF 20.2 million or 9.3% of sales. EBIT reached CHF 18.5 million with margins holding stable at 8.5%. This includes one-time restructuring costs of CHF 1.3 million for the "Fit for Growth" program. EBIT before restructuring costs achieved CHF 19.8 million, yielding a strong EBIT margin of 9.1%. The company has substantially completed its restructuring initiatives with CHF 9.2 million of the total one-time costs of around CHF 10 million already invested. Financial expenses increased from CHF3.3 million to CHF3.6 million due to higher average financial debt. Exchange rate effects from the Swiss franc appreciation had a smaller negative impact of CHF0.7 million compared to CHF2.8 million in the prior year. Net profit remained stable at CHF 12.1 million, resulting in a slightly improved net profit margin of 5.5%. Outlook: The company raises its expectations for sales in the range of CHF 275 to 290 million (lifted from CHF 265 to 290 million in HY 2025/26) and targets high single-digit EBIT margin for the full year 2025/26, capitalizing on enhanced operational structure and efficiency gains. Product launches are anticipated to accelerate growth momentum overtime. Financial calendar The financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March 26 May 2026 Full year results 2025/26 25 June 2026 Annual General Meeting for the financial year 2025/26 29 June 2026 Dividend ex-date 1 July 2026 Dividend payment date LEM - Life Energy Motion A leading company in electrical measurement, LEM engineers the best solutions for energy and mobility, ensuring that our customers' systems are optimized, reliable and safe. Our 1,629 people in 17 countries transform technology potential into powerful answers. We develop and recruit the best global talent, working at the forefront of megatrends such as renewable energy, mobility, automation and digitization. With innovative electrical solutions, we are helping our customers and society accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1986 (LEHN). www.lem.com Investor contact Antoine Chulia, CFO +41 22 706 12 50 investor@lem.com Media contact Dynamics Group Thomas Balmer, +41 79 703 87 28, tba@dynamicsgroup.ch Christian Wolf, +41 79 457 72 05, cwo@dynamicsgroup.ch Disclaimer This communication does not constitute an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities of the Company. This quarterly update contains statements regarding expected or projected earnings, results of operations or financial performance for the current or future periods. Such statements may constitute forward-looking statements and are based on management's current views, assumptions and expectations at the time of publication. Actual results or earnings may differ materially from such expectations or guidance due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Any earnings guidance referred to in this quarterly update reflects the information available to the Company as of the date of publication and should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future performance. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements or guidance, except as required by applicable law. The financial information contained in this quarterly update is unaudited and may be preliminary in nature. Appendix Consolidated income statement April to December In CHF thousands 2025/26 2024/25 Change Sales 218'393 230'878 -5.4% Cost of goods sold (131'573) (130'155) Gross profit 86'820 100'722 -13.8% Gross profit margin (in %) 39.8% 43.6% Sales expenses (21'023) (21'239) Administration expenses (25'892) (32'576) Research & development expenses (20'248) (26'846) Restructuring (1'332) Other expenses (475) (6) Other income 665 75 Operating profit 18'515 20'130 -8.0% Operating profit margin (in %) 8.5% 8.7% Financial expenses (3'613) (3'256) Financial income 89 172 Foreign currency exchange effect (732) (2'776) Profit before tax 14'259 14'270 -0.1% Income taxes (2'187) (2'181) Net profit 12'072 12'089 -0.1% Net profit margin (in %) 5.5% 5.2% Key figures on quarterly basis ATTACHMENTS: Press Release (pdf) If you do not wish to receive further media releases from LEM, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the following link: One-click-delete If the email looks unformatted, please use this alternative link . End of Inside Information Allschwil, Switzerland - February 06, 2026 Idorsia Ltd (SIX: IDIA) announces the design of its FDA-agreed Phase 3 registration program for lucerastat in Fabry disease. Building on the robust biomarker and renal findings from the MODIFY Phase 3 trial and its long-term open-label extension (OLE), the program focuses on lucerastat's impact on renal pathology - a central driver of morbidity and mortality in Fabry disease - with the goal of securing market authorization. Fabry disease is a rare, X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the GLA gene that lead to deficient a-galactosidase A (a-GalA) activity and progressive accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). Over time, Gb3 accumulation drives multisystem organ damage, primarily impacting the kidneys, heart, and nervous system. According to DelveInsight, approximately 16,000 patients were diagnosed with Fabry disease across the seven major markets (US, EU4, UK, Japan) in 2020, a number expected to increase to roughly 21,000 by 2034. The Fabry disease market is projected to reach around USD 4 billion by 2034, underscoring the continued demand for innovative, patient-focused therapies. Srishti Gupta, MD, CEO of Idorsia commented: "This is an important step forward for Idorsia and for the Fabry community. Fabry disease is a serious, progressive condition with a clear need for effective, convenient therapies that address the underlying biology across the full patient population. The strength of our long-term data and a clearly defined regulatory pathway position lucerastat as a uniquely differentiated oral approach. Drug development in Fabry disease is challenging, and meaningful innovation requires both scientific rigor and persistence. With its mutation-independent mechanism and growing body of long-term evidence, we believe lucerastat has the potential to make a real difference for patients." Registration program agreed with health authorities Idorsia has aligned with the US FDA on a streamlined registration strategy comprising two complementary clinical trials designed to definitively characterize lucerastat's renal effects. This program is also in line with the feedback received from European Medicines Agency. Pivotal kidney biopsy study (n=16) Adult males with Fabry disease, treatment-naive or pseudo-naive; Designed to show a decrease from baseline in renal Gb3 burden after 18 months of treatment. Renal function comparative study (n 74) Adult patients with Fabry disease; Assessment of lucerastat versus established enzyme replacement therapies (agalsidase beta, pegunigalsidase alfa); Designed to reinforce lucerastat as the first oral therapy suitable for all patients with Fabry disease, irrespective of their mutation type. The program is expected to support a potential regulatory filing as early as 2029. Alberto Gimona MD, Head of Global Clinical Development at Idorsia, commented: "The body of evidence we have generated to date shows that long-term treatment with lucerastat consistently reduces the glycosphingolipid substrates that accumulate in Fabry disease. We also observe a slower decline in kidney function compared with patients' prior historical trajectories. Importantly, kidney biopsy data from long-term treated patients demonstrate low-to-no levels of characteristic lysosomal deposits. Following constructive discussions with health authorities, we have agreed on the trials that will form the basis for establishing substantial evidence of effectiveness in support of a future NDA and MAA. The agreed program includes a pivotal baseline-controlled biopsy study and a second study which will then show that an oral treatment can potentially achieve a similar effect to today's cumbersome standard-of-care." About the MODIFY study (NCT03425539) and OLE (NCT03737214) MODIFY was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 study evaluating lucerastat as an oral monotherapy for adults with Fabry disease. A total of 118 patients from 14 countries were randomized 2:1 to lucerastat or placebo. Upon completion of the double-blind period, 107 patients entered a long-term OLE assessing safety, tolerability, and renal outcomes. Primary results from MODIFY and the 12-month interim OLE analysis have been published in Nature Communications, ("Lucerastat, an oral therapy for Fabry disease: Results from a pivotal phase 3 study and its open-label extension", January 2026). While the MODIFY study did not meet its primary endpoint of reducing neuropathic pain over six months, lucerastat demonstrated a robust pharmacodynamic effect, significantly reducing plasma and urinary Gb3 levels compared to placebo. These reductions were sustained over time in the OLE, with patients switching from placebo to lucerastat showing similar biomarker reductions. More importantly, as presented at WORLDSymposium 2026, an interim analysis of the OLE, where ongoing patients had been treated with lucerastat for at least 42 months - some exceeding six years of continuous therapy - revealed a notable shift in renal function trajectory. Treatment with lucerastat was associated with a reduction in the rate of eGFR decline as compared to eGFR slope observed in the 2 years preceding their enrollment in MODIFY (eGFR slope, historical: -3.50; Lucerastat: -1.64). Lucerastat treatment was also associated with a particularly marked attenuation of kidney function loss in patients with severe disease course, such as classic males with Fabry disease (historical: -4.32; Lucerastat: -2.05), patients with impaired renal function at baseline (eGFR <90 mL/min/1.73m2) (historical: -6.18; Lucerastat: -2.49), Anti-Drug Antibody (ADA+) positive patients (historical: -7.75; Lucerastat: -3.43). The effect was independent of the gene variants' amenability to migalastat. Lucerastat also led to a 51% decrease in plasma Gb3 levels and was well-tolerated with long-term treatment. In addition, the positive impact on kidney function was supported by a kidney biopsy sub-study of six male adult patients with classic Fabry disease who had received lucerastat monotherapy for a median treatment period of 56 months. The study evaluated the number of kidney Gb3 inclusions using established quantitative (Barisoni Lipid Inclusion Scoring System (BLISS)) and semi-quantitative (Fabrazyme Scoring System (FSS)) methodologies. At enrollment in MODIFY, 4 participants were ERT naive or pseudo-naive and 2 switched from ERT. Median kidney Gb3 BLISS score was 1.7 (range: 0.7-4.5; mean (SD): 2.41 (1.59)). Mean FSS scores were 0 indicative of "no or trace" accumulation (5/6 participants) or 1 indicative of mild accumulation (1/6). The 2 patients who switched from ERT had BLISS scores of 1.6-1.8 and a FSS score of 0. The results indicate that long-term treatment with lucerastat monotherapy was associated with low-to-no levels of kidney Gb3 inclusions. Notes to the editor About Fabry disease Fabry disease is a rare, X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the GLA gene that results in the absence or markedly reduced activity of the enzyme a-galactosidase A (a-GalA). a-GalA normally breaks down a fatty product known as globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in the cells of the body. Deficiency over time results in an accumulation of Gb3 deposits throughout the body, leading to multisystem disease, mainly affecting the kidneys, heart, and nervous system. The disease manifests in two main phenotypes: classic Fabry disease, typically presenting in childhood with severe, multisystemic involvement, and late-onset Fabry disease, which may emerge in adulthood with predominant cardiac or renal symptoms. Fabry disease affect a patient's life expectancy and quality of life. Due to its variable presentation and non-specific symptoms, Fabry disease is frequently underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed, leading to delays in treatment and increased risk of irreversible organ damage. As the gene responsible for Fabry disease is found on the X chromosome (of which males have one, and females two), males with deleterious mutations have little or no residual alpha-GalA activity. Therefore, these male patients with Fabry disease experience a wider spectrum of symptoms, and in some cases, a greater severity. It is now widely accepted that women with Fabry disease are heterogeneous with respect to disease severity and may sometimes also develop life threatening complications of the disorder. Up to 70% of female carriers develop Fabry related symptoms at some point in their life. Current treatment options include enzyme replacement therapies (ERTs) and oral chaperone therapy for patients with amenable mutations. However, these therapies have limitations, including intravenous administration, immunogenicity, and mutation-specific efficacy. There remains a significant unmet need for a well-tolerated, oral, disease-modifying therapy that can be used regardless of genotype or prior treatment history. Lucerastat in Fabry disease Lucerastat is an investigational, oral substrate reduction therapy designed to treat Fabry disease independently of a-Gal A activity, GLA mutation status, or prior enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). It acts by inhibiting glucosylceramide synthase, thereby reducing the synthesis of glycosphingolipids, including globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), which accumulate due to deficient a-galactosidase A activity in Fabry disease. Preclinical studies demonstrated that lucerastat is a highly soluble and bioavailable small molecule capable of penetrating key tissues affected by Fabry disease - including the kidneys, liver, and dorsal root ganglia - where it effectively reduces substrate accumulation. Clinical pharmacology studies confirmed lucerastat's favorable pharmacokinetic profile, characterized by rapid absorption, predictable elimination, and no evidence of saturation, supporting consistent exposure across dosing regimens. Across Phase 1 studies, lucerastat was well tolerated at doses up to 4000 mg, with no dose-limiting toxicities and a safety profile unaffected by concomitant medications. In a 12-week exploratory study in adult Fabry patients receiving ERT, lucerastat 1000 mg twice daily led to a rapid and sustained reduction in plasma Gb3 and related biomarkers, confirming its mechanism of action and potential for fast-onset substrate reduction. The recently published Phase 3 MODIFY study and its long-term extension further support lucerastat's disease-modifying potential. While the primary endpoint of neuropathic pain reduction was not met, lucerastat demonstrated robust and sustained biomarker reductions and a promising renal signal, with a slower rate of eGFR decline in patients with impaired kidney function. These findings suggest lucerastat may offer long-term organ protection and broaden therapeutic options for Fabry patients, especially those underserved by current treatments. Key Literature Wallace E., et al. Lucerastat effect on kidney function in patients with Fabry disease: Results from the ongoing open label-extension (OLE) of the phase 3 clinical program. Mol Genet Metab. 2026;147(2):109659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymgme.2025.109659 Germain DP., et al. Lucerastat, an investigational oral substrate reduction therapy in Fabry disease: Kidney biopsy results from the MODIFY open-label extension study. Mol Genet Metab. 2026;147(2):109423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymgme.2025.109423 Nordbeck P., et al. Lucerastat, an oral therapy for Fabry disease: Results from a pivotal phase 3 study and its open-label extension. Nature Communications, 10 January 2026 (online ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-68256-5 Guerard N., et al. Lucerastat, an iminosugar for substrate reduction therapy: tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics in patients with Fabry disease on enzyme replacement. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2018; 103(4):703-11. Welford RWD., et al. Glucosylceramide synthase inhibition with lucerastat lowers globotriaosylceramide and lysosome staining in cultured fibroblasts from Fabry patients with different mutation types. Hum Mol Genet 2018; 27(19): 3392-3403 Germain DP. Fabry disease. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2010 Nov 22;5:30. About Idorsia The purpose of Idorsia is to challenge accepted medical paradigms, answering the questions that matter most. To achieve this, we will discover, develop, and commercialize transformative medicines - either with in-house capabilities or together with partners - and evolve Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong scientific core. Headquartered near Basel, Switzerland - a European biotech hub - Idorsia has a highly experienced team of dedicated professionals, covering all disciplines from bench to bedside; QUVIVIQ (daridorexant), a different kind of insomnia treatment with the potential to revolutionize this mounting public health concern; strong partners to maximize the value of our portfolio; a promising in-house development pipeline; and a specialized drug discovery engine focused on small-molecule drugs that can change the treatment paradigm for many patients. Idorsia is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA). For further information, please contact: George Thampy Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Hegenheimermattweg 91, CH-4123 Allschwil +41 58 844 10 10 investor.relations@idorsia.com - media.relations@idorsia.com - www.idorsia.com The above information contains certain "forward-looking statements", relating to the company's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intend", "estimates", "believes", "expects", "may", "are expected to", "will", "will continue", "should", "would be", "seeks", "pending" or "anticipates" or similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Such statements include descriptions of the company's investment and research and development programs, business development activities and anticipated expenditures in connection therewith, descriptions of new products expected to be introduced by the company and anticipated customer demand for such products and products in the company's existing portfolio. Such statements reflect the current views of the company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Attachment KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6, 2026 - (ACN Newswire) - Spritzer Berhad ("Spritzer" or "the Company"), Malaysia's leading natural mineral water brand started the year on a strong note with a repeat of the annual recognition by two prestigious platforms, the Putra Brand Awards 2025 and the Superior Taste Award 2025. These achievements, their 10th and 15th recognition for each award respectively, reinforce Spritzer's continued efforts and commitment to excellence, innovation and uncompromising standards in delivering high-quality natural mineral water locally and internationally.Spritzer Wins the Gold at the Putra Brand Awards 2025Spritzer was awarded the Gold Award in the Beverage - Non-Alcoholic category at the Putra Brand Awards (PBA) 2025, marking its 10th impressive win in the category, further reaffirming its status as Malaysia's most trusted natural mineral water brand. The Putra Brand Awards are uniquely consumer-driven, with winners selected solely by Malaysian consumers as the judge of brand excellence across 30 categories. As a genuine reflection of the brand's enduring consumer affinity, market confidence and brand relevance, the accolade is particularly meaningful.Spritzer's win as the only mineral water brand amidst other well-loved global beverage brands in Malaysia highlights Spritzer's competitiveness and firm standing in the national beverage landscape. The award was proudly accepted by Dr. Chuah Chaw Teo, Research and Development (R&D) Director of Spritzer, on behalf of the Company."Winning the Putra Brand Awards for the 10th year affirms our consistent efforts to keep improving over the years," said Dr. Chuah. "Behind this recognition lies years of disciplined research and development (R&D), stringent quality control, and continuous improvement across our operations and customer touch points. Our priority has always been to safeguard the integrity of our natural mineral water while innovating responsibly to meet the evolving needs of consumers and businesses."A Superior Triumph in Taste GloballySpritzer's product excellence was further validated internationally at the Superior Taste Award 2025, a globally respected certification conferred by the International Taste Institute in Brussels, Belgium known for its rigorous, professional sensory evaluation of food and beverage products. In 2025, Spritzer Natural Mineral Water secured the prestigious 3-Star Superior Taste Award for the 10th year, a milestone that continues to build on Spritzer's 15-year legacy of recognition by the International Taste Institute.This long-term acclaim reflects the brand's unwavering dedicated to delivering natural mineral water of exceptional quality and taste. It reaffirms Spritzer's strong product capabilities, from taste profile to mineral composition, and its commitment to upholding stringent international benchmarks, further cementing its dominance in Malaysia's bottled water sector and boosting consumer assurance across local and global markets.Established in 2005, the International Taste Institute is known for its independent, blind tasting methodology, conducted by a panel of over 250 world-class chefs and sommeliers from more than 20 countries worldwide. Products are assessed against strict sensory criteria and only those achieving a score above 70% are certified with the Superior Taste Award, with distinctions awarded based on performance.Reinforcing Trust Across Markets and StakeholdersTogether, these two awards signify strong domestic consumer confidence and international endorsement of product quality. Backed by robust R&D processes, consistent quality management and a long-standing heritage rooted in nature, Spritzer continues to demonstrate reliability and leadership in the industry.Dr. Chuah concluded, "These speak to the trust that consumers place in us every day. Spritzer remains committed to protecting the purity of our source, strengthening our innovation pipeline, and continuing to deliver natural mineral water of the highest quality that Malaysians and global consumers can rely on."Supported by its partners, customers, and dedicated team, the Company will continue to represent Malaysian quality on the global stage.For more high-resolution photos, please download them here.About SpritzerEstablished in 1989, Spritzer is a leading Malaysian bottled water brand, sourcing natural mineral water from a protected 430-acre rainforest in Taiping. Naturally filtered through underground rock layers for over 15 years, our water is enriched with essential minerals like Silica, known to support skin, bones, hair, and nails.Combining smart manufacturing with sustainable practices, Spritzer ensures every bottle meets the highest quality and safety standards. Our packaging is 100% recyclable and made from recycled materials, reflecting our commitment to environmental stewardship and a circular economy.Tested annually by SIRIM to be free from microplastics, Spritzer offers consumers trusted, natural hydration. Our diverse product range includes Natural Mineral Water, Original and Flavoured Sparkling Water, Distilled Water, and Fruit-Flavoured Beverages crafted to suit every lifestyle and occasion.With a clear vision to become a fully circular brand by 2030, Spritzer leads the industry in innovation, quality, and sustainability.Spritzer - where nature, innovation, and sustainability come together in every bottle.For more information, visit www.spritzer.com.myFor media inquiries please contact:Imelia KyraAssociate Consultant, Narro CommunicationsE: imelia@narrocomms.comWinnie ChinHead of Public Relations, Spritzer BhdE: winniecgl@spritzer.com.mySource: Spritzer BhdCopyright 2026 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Baltimore, Maryland--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Super Greens Hemp Co today announced the official launch of its Craft Farm Partners Program, a new sourcing and distribution initiative designed to connect small, independent hemp farms directly with consumers through the company's national e-commerce platform. The program marks a major operational milestone for Super Greens Hemp as it formalizes long-term partnerships with craft growers and creates a dedicated marketplace for small-batch THCA flower. The Craft Farm Partners Program is built to address a growing challenge in the cannabis and hemp sector: small farms producing high-quality flower often lack direct, reliable access to customers. By integrating these growers into a structured partner network, Super Greens Hemp is expanding its product portfolio while giving independent farms a sustainable route to market without sacrificing their cultivation methods or identity. Under the program, participating farms are onboarded through a selective process that evaluates cultivation practices, curing standards, genetics, and batch quality. Each partner's flower is lab-tested, documented, and presented with transparent sourcing information on the Super Greens Hemp platform, allowing consumers to understand exactly where their product originates. "Launching the Craft Farm Partners Program is a defining moment for us," said Carl Washington, spokesperson for Super Greens Hemp Co. "We've always worked with small farms, but this program turns that philosophy into a structured, long-term commitment. It ensures that craft growers have a dependable place in the market and that consumers continue to have access to carefully cultivated, small-batch flower." The initiative also introduces operational upgrades within Super Greens Hemp's sourcing, quality control, and inventory systems. By organizing its supply chain around partner farms rather than bulk suppliers, the company is reshaping how its products are curated and presented. This shift allows Super Greens Hemp to highlight limited harvests, seasonal strains, and unique genetics that are typically unavailable in large-scale distribution channels. Industry observers note that as the hemp and cannabis marketplace matures, supply chains are increasingly dominated by large-volume producers. Super Greens Hemp's new program offers a contrasting model-one that prioritizes craftsmanship, traceability, and farm identity over uniformity and scale. For consumers, the Craft Farm Partners Program translates into access to a rotating selection of premium THCA flower sourced from farms that emphasize hands-on cultivation, longer curing periods, and meticulous care. For growers, it provides predictable exposure to a national audience without requiring them to change how they grow or process their crops. The launch also reflects a broader shift in consumer preferences toward products with transparency and a human story behind them. Super Greens Hemp plans to feature partner farms prominently across product pages and educational content, reinforcing the connection between the grower and the end user. With the Craft Farm Partners Program now live, Super Greens Hemp intends to expand the network steadily, bringing more independent farms into the fold over the coming months. The company sees this as a long-term operational direction rather than a short-term campaign. This announcement represents more than a new program-it signals a structural evolution in how Super Greens Hemp sources, curates, and delivers its products while reinforcing its role as a bridge between craft cultivation and nationwide consumer access. About Super Greens Hemp Co Super Greens Hemp Co is a U.S.-based online retailer specializing in premium THCA flower and hemp-derived products. The company is dedicated to supporting small farms and independent growers by providing direct-to-consumer access, transparent product information, and a focus on craft-quality cultivation. Through careful sourcing and a commitment to quality, Super Greens Hemp connects consumers with thoughtfully grown flower from across the country. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282976 Source: Economical Network Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - TempraMed Technologies Ltd. (CSE: VIVI) (FSE: 9DY) ("TempraMed" or the "Company"), a medical-technology innovator transforming how temperature-sensitive medications are stored and managed, is excited to announce that it has completed initial sales of VIVI Cap, VIVI Cap Smart, VIVI Epi, and VIVI Med to pharmacies operated by Maccabi Healthcare Services ("Maccabi") and has launched a national in-pharmacy marketing campaign to put its products in the shelves across Maccabi's pharmacy network in Israel. Maccabi is Israel's second-largest health maintenance organization, serving over 2.8 million insured members nationwide. The initial sales and marketing campaign demonstrates that the Company's agreement with Maccabi has transitioned to active commercial execution, enabling broad patient access to TempraMed's temperature-protection products directly through Maccabi pharmacies. The national campaign is designed to support sales, drive awareness, education, and adoption among patients managing temperature-sensitive medications such as insulin and epinephrine auto-injectors, reinforcing proper medication handling and real-world protection. TempraMed's products are now available at the point of care for one of the largest insured populations in the country. "This is an important operational and commercialization milestone for TempraMed as this is the first time our products will be sold to customers in store and online," said Ron Nagar, CEO of TempraMed. "Shipping product and launching a nationwide campaign across the Maccabi brick and mortar pharmacy network demonstrates our ability to execute at scale within a large healthcare system. It reflects growing demand for practical solutions that protect medication efficacy in everyday life and supports our broader strategy of expanding through institutional healthcare channels." The Maccabi rollout builds on TempraMed's growing global footprint, which includes sales through major retail, pharmacy, and healthcare channels in North America and internationally. Management views the national pharmacy campaign as an important commercialization step for driving recurring demand, strengthening brand presence within healthcare systems, and supporting future expansion across additional HMOs, payors, and institutional partners. About TempraMed Technologies Ltd. TempraMed Technologies Ltd. Is a global medical device company with a portfolio of innovative, temperature-controlled medication storage solutions. Founded with the mission to safeguard the effectiveness of life-saving medications, TempraMed develops patented, FDA-registered, thermal insulation devices that work 24/7 without batteries or external power. With a product line already in market including VIVI Cap, VIVI Cap Smart, VIVI Epi, and VIVI Med, TempraMed enables patients and healthcare providers to confidently manage temperature-sensitive medications anywhere, anytime. With operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, TempraMed will continue to expand globally offering a solution for medication protection and adherence. Cautionary Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements or information". Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to , statements regarding: the anticipated benefits and scope of the Maccabi pharmacy rollout; the Company's ability to drive awareness, education, and adoption of its products among patients managing temperature-sensitive medications; expectations regarding recurring demand from the national pharmacy campaign; the Company's ability to expand through institutional healthcare channels, including additional HMOs, payors, and institutional partners; the strengthening of the Company's brand presence within healthcare systems; the Company's broader commercialization strategy and global expansion plans; and the Company's ability to execute at scale within large healthcare systems. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the Company's ability to maintain and expand its commercial relationship with Maccabi Healthcare Services; risks related to the success and scalability of the national in-pharmacy campaign; the Company's ability to generate recurring revenue and sustained demand through the Maccabi pharmacy network; the Company's ability to secure additional partnerships with HMOs, payors, and institutional partners in Israel and internationally; risks related to market acceptance and adoption of the Company's temperature-protection products by patients and healthcare providers; the Company's ability to manage supply chain, logistics, and distribution across a national pharmacy network; regulatory and compliance risks in Israel and other international markets; the adequacy of the Company's cash flow and earnings to support ongoing commercialization efforts; the availability of future financing and/or credit; competition from existing or new entrants in the temperature-controlled medication storage market; general economic, market, or business conditions in Israel and globally; currency exchange rate fluctuations; loss of key employees and consultants; and other risks described in the Company's public filings. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282915 Source: TempraMed Technologies Ltd Original-Research: 123fahrschule SE - from NuWays AG 06.02.2026 / 09:00 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Research, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group . The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this research. The result of this research does not constitute investment advice or an invitation to conclude certain stock exchange transactions. Classification of NuWays AG to 123fahrschule SE Company Name: 123fahrschule SE ISIN: DE000A2P4HL9 Reason for the research: Update Recommendation: BUY Target price: EUR 6.1 Target price on sight of: 12 months Last rating change: Analyst: Philipp Sennewald FY25p disappoints; balance sheet clean-up resets the base On Tuesday evening, 123f released weak FY25 prelims, as one-off expenses and a comprehensive balance sheet clean-up weighed on the bottom-line. As a result, EBITDA came in significantly below expectations and guidance. In detail: FY25p EBITDA arrived at -1.3m, thus falling short of our estimate ( 0.5m) and the outlook from September ( 0.4-1.0m). The main drivers were non-recurring personnel and operating expenses of c. 0.65m (eNuW: mostly related to the former CEO's pay package). In addition, management conducted a systematic review of receivables and is currently assuming a negative impact of 1.5m, primarily related to training loans granted to students in earlier cohorts. Those value adjustments became necessary after changes in the legal framework after loan issuance have impaired enforceability. Excluding those one-off and non-recurring effects, the adj. EBITDA would have amounted to 0.85, thus showing underlying yoy improvement. Looking ahead, management also quantified its EBITDA outlook for FY26, guiding for a range of 1.5-2.5m. We view this target as achievable, which is visible in our 1.9m estimate (6.7% margin) that is based on efficiency gains and the recent expansion of the branch network. We also factor in the current weak demand situation amid uncertainty around the timing of the new driving license reform, which leads prospective learners to postpone training in hopes of lower fees. Yet, management emphasizes that January has been one of the strongest enrollment months in the company's history, likely supported by the higher branch count but also improved market reach. In fact, 123f should be hit much less by the current dynamics given its strong brand perception and superior digital onboarding funnel. In the long run, this could even lead further market share gains for 123f, given that a number of smaller, analogue peers is likely being forced out of the market. Overall, the long-term prospects of the company remain intact. The investment case continues to be underpinned by the scalability of its AI-driven training platform, the increasing relevance of simulator-based education and the opportunity to gain market share as smaller, analogue driving schools struggle with rising costs and regulatory complexity. While near-term volatility remains elevated, these structural advantages support the long-term growth potential of the business model. Buy with an unchanged 6.10 PT. You can download the research here: 123fahrschule-se-2026-02-06-previewreview-en-c6af8 For additional information visit our website: https://www.nuways-ag.com/research-feed Contact for questions: NuWays AG - Equity Research Web: www.nuways-ag.com Email: research@nuways-ag.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuwaysag Adresse: Mittelweg 16-17, 20148 Hamburg, Germany ++++++++++ Diese Meldung ist keine Anlageberatung oder Aufforderung zum Abschluss bestimmter Borsengeschafte. Offenlegung moglicher Interessenkonflikte nach 85 WpHG beim oben analysierten Unternehmen befindet sich in der vollstandigen Analyse. ++++++++++ The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. View original content: EQS News Czechoslovak Group (CSG), a leading European industrial and defence group, has bolsteredits leadership following its recent listing on Euronext Amsterdam, which took place on 23 January this year. The Group has expanded its Board with four independent Directors and has also newly established the position of Head of Investor Relations. This step supports CSG's commitment to growth, transparency and responsible governance as a publicly listed company. "Going public marked the beginning of a new chapter for CSG. Strengthening the Board with outstanding independent personalities and establishing the Investor Relations function are key steps in ensuring that we remain a trusted long-term partner for investors, customers, and the countries and communities in which we operate," said Michal Strnad, Chairman of the Board and CEO of CSG. Following its IPO, CSG operates under a one-tier board structure governed by Dutch law, combining executive and supervisory responsibilities within a single Board. The Board consists of an executive component (Executive Directors), responsible for the day-to-day management of the Group, and an independent non-executive component (Non-Executive Directors), whose role is to oversee strategy, leadership performance, risk management and long-term value creation. The Board is the governing body of CSG N.V., the Dutch issuer of the CSG Group headquartered in Amsterdam, whose shares have been admitted to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam. The executive leadership of CSG comprises Chairman and CEO Michal Strnad- David Chour (COO), Ladislav Storek (General Counsel), Petr Formanek (Director of Acquisitions) and Zdenek Jurak (CFO). These Board members are also the Group's key senior executives and are responsible for the daily management of CSG across its defence and industrial portfolio. The independent Board Directors are General (Ret.) John Nicholson (Senior Independent Director), Lynn Fordham- Susanne Wiegand and Virginie Banet. These non-executive members represent an exceptional pool of experience and international relationships across industry and the global security community: General Nicholson brings lifelong leadership experience from NATO and the U.S. Army; Susanne Wiegand is one of Europe's prominent defence industry leaders with senior experience at Rheinmetall and RENK; Virginie Banet contributes deep expertise from investment banking and the governance of listed companies; and Lynn Fordham brings decades of experience across capital markets, private equity and investment leadership. As part of the strengthened leadership structure, CSG has also created a new Head of Investor Relations role, responsible for structuring communications with capital markets and deepening relationships with international investors and analysts. Peter Russell takes on this position- New Board Members and Leadership General (Ret.) John Nicholson - Senior Independent Director General (Ret.) John Nicholson brings more than three decades of leadership experience from senior roles within the U.S. Armed Forces and NATO. During his career, he commanded NATO forces in Afghanistan and also served as CEO of Lockheed Martin Middle East. On the CSG Board, he will provide strategic and operational insight into the security environment, NATO requirements and the importance of resilient supply chains. "CSG is an impressive European defence group with strong industrial capabilities and clear ambition. Accepting this role now-at a time when the company is becoming publicly listed-is an opportunity to be part of something dynamic and strategically important," said John Nicholson. Lynn Fordham - Independent Non-Executive Director Lynn Fordham has more than 40 years of experience in investment, finance and corporate governance. She previously served as CEO of SVG Capital plc and has held numerous board roles across listed companies and private equity structures. At CSG, she will strengthen financial oversight, strategic governance and investor engagement. "CSG is entering the capital markets at a moment when it has exceptionally strong industrial foundations and a clear strategic role in European security. As an independent board member, I want to help the company build long-term investor trust through transparency, discipline and responsible growth," said Lynn Fordham. Susanne Wiegand - Independent Non-Executive Director Susanne Wiegand is among Europe's most experienced leaders in the defence and industrial sector. She previously led Rheinmetall Electronics and RENK Group and currently holds supervisory board roles at Volkswagen AG and Brenntag SE, among others. At CSG, she brings deep expertise in scalable manufacturing, resilient supply chains and industrial governance. "CSG is one of the fastest-growing defence companies. With its technologies, it is a key player for security in Europe," said Susanne Wiegand. Virginie Banet - Independent Non-Executive Director Virginie Banet has more than 35 years of experience in investment banking, M&A and the governance of publicly listed companies. She has held senior roles at Nomura, Deutsche Bank, Airbus and Natixis and served in boards of major European companies including Vallourec or Lagardere. At CSG, she will support governance during the IPO phase and long-term capital allocation strategy. "Strong financial governance is built on clear and transparent communication. Capital markets need consistency and react very negatively to surprises," said Virginie Banet. Peter Russell - Head of Investor Relations Peter Russell joined CSG as its first Head of Investor Relations, reporting directly to CFO Zdenek Jurak. He brings more than 20 years of capital markets experience, including senior IR roles at Rentokil Initial and Avast, as well as investment banking experience at J.P. Morgan. His role will be to build investor confidence, establish a regular market dialogue, and support CSG's long-term growth as a publicly listed company. "The first phase after an IPO is about credibility and consistency. Markets don't expect perfection, but they do expect clear communication and alignment between words and actions," said Peter Russell. About CSG CSG N.V. ("CSG") is a Dutch company and a leading European defence industrial group, with its top management headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. CSG develops and delivers defence and industrial technologies that contribute to a safer and more stable future. The Group focuses on the development and manufacturing of strategically important products, systems and technologies in the fields of defence and ammunition, as well as in related sectors such as aerospace. CSG operates key manufacturing facilities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and India, and exports its products worldwide. The Group continues to invest in the growth of its portfolio companies and the expansion of its core business activities. Key companies within the Group include Excalibur Army (Czech Republic, land systems), Tatra Trucks (Czech Republic, vehicles), MSM Group (Slovakia, artillery ammunition) and The Kinetic Group (United States, small-calibre ammunition). CSG employs more than 14,000 people across its integrated and affiliated companies. In 2024, the Group reported annual revenues of EUR 4.0 billion. CSG shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam under the ticker CSG. More information is available at: www.czechoslovakgroup.com. CSG Press Service Andrej Cirtek, Spokesperson tel.: +420 602 494 208 E-mail: andrej.cirtek@czechoslovakgroup.cz TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) has signed agreements to acquire a 42.5% operated interest in PEL104 Exploration license, located offshore Namibia, from Eight Offshore Investments Holdings ("Eight") and Maravilla Oil Gas. Upon completion of the transaction, TotalEnergies will be the operator of the license holding a 42.5% interest alongside Petrobras (42.5%), Namcor (10%) and Eight (5%). Located in the Luderitz basin, PEL104 license covers an area of around 11,000 km2 offshore Namibia. "After the acquisition in December of a 40% operated interest in PEL83 license, TotalEnergies further strengthens its position in Namibia by entering this new exploration license as operator. While progressing towards the development of Venus and Mopane discoveries, we are very pleased to expand our portfolio and continue exploring the prolific resources of Namibia, in order to unlock further value that will benefit the country and all stakeholders", stated Nicolas Terraz, President Exploration Production at TotalEnergies. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary third party approvals from the Namibian authorities and joint ventures partners. About TotalEnergies in Namibia TotalEnergies has been present in Namibia since 1964 and employs 55 people. TotalEnergies is also the 4th largest fuel distributor in the country, with 43 service stations. In line with its multi-energy strategy, the Company is looking for local opportunities to develop low carbon projects in the country. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas and low-carbon hydrogen, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to providing as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations. @TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE has no liability for the acts or omissions of these entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206248511/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com Ferrero Group maintains its growth trajectory with a 4.6% increase in turnover to EUR 19.3 billion. Strategy of innovation, portfolio expansion and acquisitions drove continued success in 2024/25. Platform for future growth further supported by increased capital investment of close to EUR 1.1 billion in 2024/25 and the acquisition of WK Kellogg Co. which closed in September 2025[1]. LUXEMBOURG, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ferrero Group, through its holding company Ferrero International S.A., approved the Consolidated Financial Statements for the 2024/2025 financial year, which ended on August 31, 2025[2]. The Group closed the financial year with a consolidated turnover of EUR 19.3 billion, an increase of 4.6% compared to the previous year, demonstrating the success of the long-term strategic vision led by Executive Chairman Giovanni Ferrero and executed by Chief Executive Officer Lapo Civiletti. Ferrero maintained its global presence, with 36 manufacturing plants, and ended the financial year with a global workforce of 48,697 employees as of August 31, 2025. Daniel Martinez Carretero, Chief Financial Officer at Ferrero Group, said: "As we mark our 80th anniversary, Ferrero continues to bring joy to people around the world with our much-loved products and brands thanks to the commitment of all our colleagues. Our growth strategy of portfolio innovation and expansion into new categories and markets continues to deliver. The increased capital investment made in 2024/2025 and our recent acquisitions reflect our belief in the future and ability to invest for the long term. We're further building capacity to innovate and serve local markets." The Group continued to evolve its portfolio through targeted category expansion and strategic brand innovation. Among the key developments in 2024/2025: Launch of Nutella Plant-based to meet evolving consumer demand. Expansion of Nutella to new categories with a frozen bakery range, including Nutella Crepes and Nutella Donut. Extension of three local favorite North American confectionery brands into ice cream bars: Butterfinger, BabyRuth and 100 Grand. Launch of Tic Tac Two, a new sugar-free, dual-flavor range. Expansion into high-protein snacking with the acquisition of Power Crunch, a leading U.S. wafer protein bars brand. To support its portfolio growth and expanded geographic presence, the Group continues to strengthen capabilities in key markets. Highlights include: In North America, Ferrero announced the scaling up of its Brantford, Ontario facility. This will create 500 jobs and will bring Nutella Biscuits production outside of Europe for the first time. The Group also opened a new Kinder Bueno facility in Bloomington, Illinois, supporting 200 new roles and 169,000 square feet of production capacity. In Europe, the Group further enhanced its manufacturing capabilities at the Villers-Ecalles plant in northern France, the world's largest Nutella production site, to meet future demand. During 2024/25, the company announced the acquisition of WK Kellogg Co, including the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of WK Kellogg Co's iconic portfolio of breakfast cereals across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean[3]. As part of the acquisition, Ferrero welcomed 3,000 colleagues, bringing the overall Ferrero population today to more than 50,000 employees worldwide. About Ferrero Group Ferrero Group is a global leader in sweet-packaged foods, renowned for iconic brands such as Nutella, Kinder, Ferrero Rocher, and Tic Tac, alongside local favorites. Founded in 1946 in Alba, Italy, Ferrero marks 80 years as a family-owned group with more than 50,000 employees and operations in over 170 countries. The company combines a strong heritage and commitment to quality with continuous innovation across brands and categories, including ice cream, biscuits and bakery, breakfast cereals, and better-for-you offerings. Guided by a long-term vision, Ferrero focuses on sustainable and responsible growth, strengthening its presence in emerging segments while staying true to its values of excellence and care. To receive the latest news and stories, subscribe to our newsletter here. For more information, please visit www.ferrero.com [1] The financial results shared today do not include any figures from WK Kellogg Co. The transaction was closed in September 2025, within the 2025/2026 financial year. [2] From 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025. [3] The financial results shared today do not include any figures from WK Kellogg Co. The transaction was closed in September 2025, within the 2025/2026 financial year. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ferrero-group-reports-consolidated-financial-statements-for-the-20242025-financial-year-302681160.html Columbia, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - AMC Construction, a Middle Tennessee-based residential construction company, announced operational adjustments to support increased demand for custom home construction projects across the region. The company stated that it has expanded project scheduling capacity and internal resource coordination to address a higher volume of inquiries and active builds in Maury and Williamson counties. According to AMC Construction, the changes were implemented to maintain construction timelines and oversight standards as residential development activity continues in parts of Middle Tennessee. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11704/282506_b9063b5284152b77_001full.jpg Operational Adjustments to Support Increased Project Volume AMC Construction reported that the increase in demand has been most noticeable in communities including Columbia, Franklin, Spring Hill, and surrounding areas. The company stated that operational adjustments include enhanced coordination between design planning, permitting, and on-site construction teams, as well as revised scheduling procedures to manage multiple concurrent projects. The company indicated that these changes were made to ensure consistency in project delivery and communication as its custom home construction pipeline expands. "Our focus has been on scaling responsibly," said Adam Mills, Owner of AMC Construction. "As project volume increases, it is important that scheduling, oversight, and quality control processes are aligned so that each build continues to meet established standards." Regional Housing and Construction Context According to AMC Construction, the current market environment has contributed to increased interest in new residential construction across parts of Middle Tennessee. The company noted that homeowners are evaluating long-term housing options amid shifting inventory availability and development patterns in the region. AMC Construction stated that its operational planning for 2026 reflects these conditions, with an emphasis on managing workload levels and maintaining compliance with local permitting and inspection requirements. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11704/282506_b9063b5284152b77_002full.jpg Project Scope and Service Coverage The company reported that its active and upcoming projects include single-family custom home building service across Maury County and Williamson County. AMC Construction stated that it continues to serve clients in Columbia, Mt. Pleasant, Santa Fe, Franklin, Spring Hill, College Grove, and nearby communities. According to the company, projects currently underway and scheduled for 2026 vary in scope and design requirements, reflecting differing homeowner preferences and site conditions across the region. Forward Planning for 2026 AMC Construction indicated that it will continue monitoring demand trends and operational capacity throughout the year. The company stated that any future adjustments will be based on workload assessment, staffing coordination, and construction scheduling requirements. The company added that maintaining clear communication with homeowners and project partners remains a priority as build activity progresses. About AMC Construction AMC Construction is a residential construction company headquartered in Columbia, Tennessee, specializing in custom home building and residential construction services. The company operates throughout Middle Tennessee and manages projects from planning and permitting through construction and completion. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11704/282506_b9063b5284152b77_003full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282506 Source: FG Newswire Columbia, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - A Columbia, Tennessee-based concrete contractor, announced expanded operational capacity and internal resource adjustments to support an increased volume of foundation and driveway construction projects across Middle Tennessee. The company stated that the expansion includes workforce coordination updates, scheduling realignments, and equipment utilization planning intended to support both active and upcoming construction projects in Maury and Williamson counties. According to AMC Concrete, the changes were implemented to align operational capacity with ongoing development activity across residential and mixed-use construction sites in the region. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11704/282505_998f38fdc4f4b816_001full.jpg Operational Expansion and Project Coordination AMC Concrete reported that recent increases in regional construction activity have resulted in a higher volume of projects requiring defined scheduling windows and coordinated site execution. The company stated that its operational adjustments improve alignment between site preparation, concrete placement, curing timelines, and inspection scheduling. According to the company, internal planning processes were updated to ensure consistency across multiple concurrent projects, with a focus on sequencing work in accordance with site conditions and municipal construction requirements. These changes are intended to reduce scheduling conflicts and improve predictability for project stakeholders. "These adjustments allow us to manage higher project volume while maintaining consistent supervision and execution standards," said Adam Mills, Owner of AMC Concrete. "As development activity continues across Middle Tennessee, it is important that our operational structure supports reliable scheduling and on-site coordination." Regional Construction Activity and Market Conditions AMC Concrete noted that construction activity has increased in several communities, including Columbia, Franklin, Spring Hill, and surrounding areas. The company stated that both residential development and infrastructure-related projects have contributed to the current level of construction demand. According to AMC Concrete, site-specific factors such as soil composition, drainage planning, and seasonal weather patterns continue to influence construction scheduling and execution across Middle Tennessee. The company indicated that its 2026 operational planning reflects these regional considerations and emphasizes coordination with engineers, inspectors, and project managers. Project Scope and Geographic Coverage The company reported that its current and upcoming project schedule includes residential foundations, driveways, and structural concrete work associated with new construction and site redevelopment. AMC Concrete stated that projects underway and scheduled for 2026 vary in scale based on location, site preparation requirements, and construction sequencing. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11704/282505_998f38fdc4f4b816_002full.jpg AMC Concrete continues to operate throughout Maury County and Williamson County, including Columbia, Mt. Pleasant, Santa Fe, Franklin, Spring Hill, College Grove, and Leiper's Fork. According to the company, project activity remains distributed across multiple communities within the region. Forward Planning and Operational Outlook AMC Concrete indicated that it will continue to evaluate project volume, workforce allocation, and equipment utilization throughout the year. The company stated that future operational adjustments will be based on construction demand, regulatory requirements, and scheduling considerations. According to the company, maintaining consistent execution standards and internal coordination remains a priority as regional development activity progresses. About AMC Concrete To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11704/282505_998f38fdc4f4b816_003full.jpg AMC Concrete is a concrete contracting company headquartered in Columbia, Tennessee. The company provides foundation, driveway, and structural concrete services for residential and commercial construction projects throughout Middle Tennessee. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282505 Source: FG Newswire CHENNAI, India, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- India's top-ranked educational institution, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), had already signed a strategic partnership MOU with Dubai Economy & Tourism in fall of 2024 mapped into the Dubai D33 Economic Agenda. It has now established a new entity, IIT Madras Global Research Foundation (IITM Global) with a charter to take its very strong research and Innovation ecosystem to global markets. IITM Global was launched by Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs, Government of India. IITM Global supports IIT Madras' vision to become the world's first multinational university. Pivoting on the DET partnership, IITM Global's engagement with Dubai's Research & innovation Landscape has been accelerated through a USD 3 million research and development grant from Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), funded by the Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) program. The grant is focused on shaping Dubai's long-term innovation agenda through emerging technologies, strategic foresight and advanced R&D, with the objective of developing breakthrough ideas and advancing research, development and innovation across the emirate. As part of its Dubai expansion, IITM Global has partnered with MCA Gulf as an ecosystem partner for strategic research and commercialization. The IITM Global-MCA Gulf collaboration will create a UAE launchpad for deep-tech startups, enabling access to investment, business networks and commercialization pathways. In addition, the collaboration will deliver executive education and workforce upskilling programs aligned with the UAE's Vision 2030, strengthening the talent pipeline for future-ready industries. Addressing the IITM Global launch event at IIT Madras Campus on 2nd Jan 2026 Dr. S. Jaishankar said, "An IIT Madras Campus in Tanzania is a way by which Indian Foreign Policy has leveraged the capabilities of an Institution here to make a huge impact. In ten years from now, think how many Students of Africa would have passed through its portals. Look at the impact that we would have on the minds of people who, in their own countries, would be economic and technology leaders. We are a human resource power and we should play to our strengths. We now have the capability to start doing so. When institutions of excellence in the country start going abroad, the business of foreign policy gains a huge addition to our arsenal. This is something very transformational." IITM Global has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Agna Capital to accelerate deep-tech ventures and strengthen the innovation ecosystem. The partnership focuses on structured mentorship, startup advisory support and market access, along with coordinated processes to assess and enable investments. Ranked #1 Overall and #1 in Engineering in India's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), #180 in QS World University Rankings and #56 in QS Asian University Rankings, IIT Madras brings a strong research ecosystem to its global partnerships. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2888669/IIT_MADRAS_Book_Release.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1436503/IIT_Madras_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/indias-no-1-institute-iit-madras-deepens-uae-engagement-through-iit-madras-global-research-foundation-iitm-global-to-advance-innovation-rd-and-startup-growth-302681210.html CHENNAI, India, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- India's leading institution for higher education, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), is expanding its global footprint through a new established entity IIT Madras Global Research Foundation (IITM Global). ITM Global's charter pivots on four key pillars of Growth stage deep-tech startups, Research & Consultancy, IPs & Transfer of Technology and High Academic & Skilling programs. IITM Global is a plug-and-play platform that has been newly launched by Dr. S. Jaishankar, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs, Government of India. The initiative supports IIT Madras's vision to become the world's first multinational university by positioning it as a globally networked hub for education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship. Addressing the IITM Global launch event at IIT Madras Campus on 2nd Jan 2026 Dr. S. Jaishankar said, "An IIT Madras Campus in Tanzania is a way by which Indian Foreign Policy has leveraged the capabilities of an Institution here to make a huge impact. In ten years from now, think how many Students of Africa would have passed through its portals. Look at the impact that we would have on the minds of people who, in their own countries, would be economic and technology leaders. We are a human resource power and we should play to our strengths. We now have the capability to start doing so. When institutions of excellence in the country start going abroad, the business of foreign policy gains a huge addition to our arsenal. This is something very transformational." As part of its South Asia expansion, IITM Global has partnered with GATES to build a long-term, market / customer connected innovation ecosystem focused on growth stage startups (Scaleups). The collaboration will serve as a strategic gateway for IITM Global deepen engagement with the tech ecosystem that serves ASEAN countries hence enabling startups to gain access to the growth markets of the region. This strategic partnership will support scaling of startups incubated by IIT Madras into ASEAN. An additional focus of the collaboration will be the commercialisation of intellectual property developed at IIT Madras. The partnership will facilitate structured licensing frameworks and industry engagement to translate cutting-edge research into deployable technologies with global relevance. By connecting academic research, startups and industry partners, IITM Global and GATES aim to create clear pathways from laboratory innovation to market impact. Through its partnership with GATES IITM Global, aims to strengthen cross-border collaboration, enable startup internationalisation and create new avenues for globally impactful research, technology commercialisation across Southeast Asia and beyond. Widely recognised as India's top-ranked institution for higher education, IIT Madras is ranked #1 Overall and #1 Engineering Institute in India's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), #180 in the QS World University Rankings and #56 in the QS Asian University Rankings. The institute hosts a comprehensive research ecosystem. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2888669/IIT_MADRAS_Book_Release.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1436503/IIT_Madras_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/iit-madras-strengthens-southeast-asia-presence-through-strategic-partnership-in-singapore-302681233.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Powermax Minerals Inc. (CSE: PMAX) (OTCQB: PWMXF) (FSE: T23) (the "Company" or "Powermax") is pleased to announce that, pursuant to a property purchase agreement dated January 30, 2026, the Company has acquired a 100% interest (subject to the back-in right described below) in two (2) additional mining claims (the "Additional Claims") contiguous to the northern boundary of the Company's Atikokan rare earth element ("REE") project (the "Atikokan Project"), specifically adjoining Blocks B and C, located in the Thunder Bay Mining District of northwestern Ontario. Powermax previously entered into a purchase option agreement ("Option Agreement") for the Atikokan Project dated June 18, 2025 (see news release dated June 18, 2025). The counterparties to the Option Agreement are the vendors of the Additional Claims. REE Claim Acquisition Highlights: The Additional Claims cover extensions of high-priority exploration targets interpreted from a high-resolution helicopter-borne magnetic and radiometric survey completed over the Atikokan Project in 2025 (see Powermax news release dated January 13, 2026). Multiple structurally controlled REE exploration targets have been identified, associated with favourable granitic and pegmatitic host rocks and coincident magnetic lows. Elevated thorium-to-potassium (Th/K) radiometric ratios, interpreted as proxies for total rare earth element ("TREE") enrichment, outline zones of prospective alteration. These zones show strong spatial correlation with interpreted structural trends and lake sediment TREE anomalies. The integrated geophysical and geochemical signatures are consistent with an interpreted phosphate-rich NYF-type REE mineral system enriched in rare earth elements, thorium, uranium, and yttrium. Property Description The Additional Claims comprise thirty-seven (37) contiguous mining claim cells located in the Ignace-Atikokan area of northwestern Ontario. The Atikokan Project is situated within the Wabigoon Subprovince of the Superior Province and is underlain by Archean metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks intruded by granitoid plutons, including granodiorite and granite. Much of the project area is underlain by the White Otter Batholith, a large composite intrusive complex considered prospective for REE mineralization. Transaction Terms The Additional Claims were acquired pursuant to a property purchase agreement between Powermax and 0761585 BC Ltd. and 1544230 Ontario Inc. (together, the "Vendors"), both of which are arm's-length parties to the Company. In consideration for a 100% interest in the Additional Claims, Powermax has agreed to pay the Vendors $3,000, subject to a back-in right in favour of the Vendors. Pursuant to the back-in right, in the event that the Company is unable, by August 31, 2028, to fulfil all of the exercise conditions necessary to exercise its option under the Option Agreement, then, Powermax will be required, for no additional consideration, to transfer all of its right, title, and interest in the Additional Claims back to the vendors. Management Commentary Powermax CEO, Paul Gorman, commented on the decision to acquire the claims, stating, "Based on the positive results from the recently announced results from the airborne geophysical survey completed at Atikokan, the Powermax team was able to negotiate and secure additional ground that was shown to have hi-priority targets extending within the newly acquired area. We are excited to continue exploration at Atikokan and look forward to the assay results from the Q4 2025 exploration program that was just recently conducted." Qualified Person Afzaal Pirzada, P. Geo., a director of the Company and a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. For a discussion of the Company's QA/QC and data verification processes and procedures, please see its most recently-filed technical report, a copy of which may be obtained under the Company's profile at www.sedarplus.ca. About Powermax Minerals Inc. Powermax Minerals Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on advancing rare earth element projects. The Company holds an option to acquire the Cameron REE Property, comprising three mineral claims totaling approximately 2,984 hectares in British Columbia. Powermax also optioned to acquire the Atikokan REE Property, consisting of 455 unpatented mining claims in NW Ontario. Powermax also optioned to acquire the 5178-hectare Pinard REE in Northern Ontario. Powermax also owns a 100% interest in the Ogden Bear Lodge Project, in Crook County, Wyoming. For more information, investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. "Forward-looking information" in this news release includes statements respecting the Option Agreement and the Company's intentions with respect to its mineral properties. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of the Company's normal course of business. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282955 Source: Powermax Minerals Inc. AMSTERDAM, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoymiles, a global leader in smart energy solutions, officially unveiled its first all-in-one Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), HiOne, on February 5. Under the theme "Power Your Home, Empower Your Life," the event gathered PV experts, tech media, and strategic partners to witness a new era of "slimmer, stronger, faster" energy independence. The debut was solidified by a formal signing ceremony with leading European distributors, marking a successful start for HiOne's regional application. Slimmer, stronger, faster: Rethinking the All-in-One The HiOne BESS integrates the inverter, battery, and EMS into a minimalist, "furniture-grade" system that takes up 20% less site room and 50% less wall space than conventional setups. Designed for modern living, it features 0ms backup switching, ensuring uninterrupted power for heavy loads like air conditioners during grid outages. Coupled with the S-Miles Cloud monitoring platform, homeowners gain total transparency and control over their energy ecosystem. HiOne sets a new industry standard with 98.5% maximum efficiency and 4 MPPTs (20A each), supporting complex roof orientations. For maximum safety and longevity, the system utilizes premium 314Ah battery cells with cell-level monitoring, offering 8,000+ life cycles. Its future-proof scalability allows users to freely mix new and old batteries via built-in DC-DC technology, supporting a capacity range of 8 to 64 kWh per stack. To maximize savings, Hoymiles' AI-TOU functionality dynamically optimizes charging strategies based on electricity price patterns and consumption habits, significantly reducing household energy bills. Industry synergies: Welcoming the next era of home energy "Our goal is to bridge the gap between complex engineering and everyday home life, creating a solution that is truly 'designed to belong' in a modern household," said Mr. Guy Rong, Vice President of Hoymiles. Reinforcing this vision, Jonathan Gorremans from SolarPower Europe (SPE) highlighted the region's shift toward intelligent energy management. Meanwhile, Antonio Testa from TUV Rheinland confirmed that HiOne meets the most stringent European safety standards. The event culminated in a strategic partnership signing ceremony. Miranda, CEO of VDH SOLAR, praised the HiOne for its safety, sleek design, and exceptional build quality. Expressing strong confidence in the collaboration, she noted that as a leading home battery wholesaler in the Netherlands, VDH SOLAR's decision to partner with Hoymiles aligns with its focus on providing reliable energy solutions to the Dutch market. For more information about HiOne, please visit https://www.hoymiles.com/hione.html About Hoymiles Hoymiles is a global MLPE and energy storage solution provider, specializing in module-level inverters and storage systems. With a vision of a clean, sustainable future, Hoymiles strives to lead the smart energy industry through high-efficiency, reliable, and user-friendly technology. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2888590/Hoymiles_HiOne_unveiling___All_in_one_BESS.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hoymiles-launches-hione-all-in-one-residential-storage-to-set-new-industry-benchmark-for-smart-home-energy-independence-302681258.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - American Pacific Mining Corp. (CSE: USGD) (OTCQX: USGDF) (FSE: 1QC1) ("American Pacific", or the "Company") is pleased to announce a new geological observation from ongoing work at its Madison Copper-Gold Project ("Madison" or the "Project") in Montana. This development stems from detailed underground mapping, sampling and technical evaluation, which have significantly enhanced the Company's understanding of the mineralizing system and potential porphyry and CRD (carbonate replacement deposit) vectors at Madison. Recent fieldwork has focused on maximizing value from short windows of underground access, where uninterrupted time underground is critical to collecting high-quality geological and geochemical data. These efforts have yielded the following: Newly exposed 150 feet of ramp due to lower water levels. A drop in the underground water level, due to a seasonal drop in moisture, has temporarily exposed approximately 150 feet of additional decline that has not been available for systematic sampling or mapping (see Image 1). This zone is highly altered and, despite having never been sampled before, is considered a high-priority target for detailed geological, structural and geochemical work. The current low-water conditions provide a time-sensitive opportunity to collect data that may not be accessible again, should the water level rise. While there is no guarantee of persistent high-grade mineralization in this horizon, the geologic information gained is of substantial importance for understanding metal distribution and refining drill targeting. Discovery of phreatic breccia linking underground workings to the Victoria Pit In the east rib, approximately 700 feet from the portal, geologists have identified a well-developed phreatic breccia with intrusive clasts containing chalcocite veins and native copper, that appears to align with the Victoria Pit at surface (see image 2). With this discovery, at least six distinct breccia types have now been recognized at Madison, underscoring the complexity and vigor of the hydrothermal system. Phreatic breccias form in very specific environments and, in this case, the most logical interpretation is that ascending water and steam generated from interaction between groundwater and cooling magma are responsible. The new exposure provides a second control point on this breccia body, allowing the technical team to define its rake and plunge-an important tool for vectoring toward a potential porphyry source. Historically, predictive modeling at Madison has relied heavily on geochemical and geophysical datasets; the addition of robust underground rock exposures, bolsters confidence in the team's efforts. The newly mapped breccia geometry strengthens the geological framework that underpins the Company's exploration model. "These are the kinds of discoveries that only come from sustained, detailed work underground," commented Warwick Smith, CEO of American Pacific Mining. "The newly exposed, highly altered decline has revealed a well-defined phreatic breccia linking underground workings to surface giving our team tangible, geology based vectors that significantly sharpen our exploration model at Madison ahead of our planned drill program beginning this quarter. It's an exciting step forward that differentiates our technical approach from previous operators." Image 1. Newly exposed phreatic breccia area due to receding water levels To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10322/282906_8126c8dc44575a69_001full.jpg Image 2: Phreatic breccia clast sampled underground. Vein width approximately 1.5 cm. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10322/282906_americapac2.jpg American Pacific will provide further updates as additional data are collected, interpreted and integrated into the broader Madison exploration model. About American Pacific Mining Corp. American Pacific Mining Corp. is a precious and base metals explorer and developer focused on opportunities in the Western United States. The Company's flagship asset is the 100%-owned past-producing Madison Copper-Gold Project in Montana. For the Madison transaction, American Pacific was selected as a finalist in both 2021 and 2022 for 'Deal of the Year' at the S&P Global Platts Metals Awards, an annual program that recognizes exemplary accomplishments in 16 performance categories. Through a 2025 transaction with Vizsla Copper, American Pacific has established a major equity position milestone upside exposure to the advanced exploration stage Palmer Copper-Zinc VMS Project in Alaska. Also, in American Pacific's portfolio are several high-grade, precious metals projects located in key mining districts in Nevada, some on which the Company intends to transact. The Company's mission is to provide shareholders discovery and exploration upside exposure across its portfolio through partnerships, spin-outs and direct exploration. American Pacific is incorporated pursuant to the laws of British Columbia and its head office is located at Suite 910 - 510 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC, V6C 3A8. On behalf of the American Pacific Mining Corp Board of Directors: Warwick Smith, CEO & Director Corporate Office: Suite 910 - 510 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC, V6C 3A8 Canada Full disclosure can be found in our NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Madison Project at www.americanpacificmining.com. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release includes certain statements and information that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information specifically include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to the completion of the transaction, and timely receipt of all necessary approvals. Any statements or information 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", "believes", "plans", "estimates", "intends", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "potential" 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 considered forward-looking information. The Company's forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release and include but are not limited to information with respect to, the transaction and receipt of all necessary approvals therefor. Other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282906 Source: American Pacific Mining Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Planet Ventures Inc. (CSE: PXI) (OTC Pink: PNXPF) (FSE: P6U1) ("Planet" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Fabian Monaco to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Fabian Monaco is a highly respected technology entrepreneur, investor, and operator with a strong track record of building, scaling, and advising innovative technology businesses. He brings deep experience across venture capital, private equity, and public markets, with a particular focus on high-growth software, fintech, and platform-driven companies. Mr. Monaco is the owner of Giumar Capital Inc., a boutique investment banking and advisory practice. Mr. Monaco is also the co-founder and former CEO of Gage Growth Corp. ("Gage"), which was acquired by TerrAscend Corp. for $500M+ in 2022. Mr. Monaco, along with the co-founders, grew Gage to a $100M revenue business, operating 15+ retail locations with over 350+ employees. Mr. Monaco is also a lawyer and brings a wealth of experience in capital raising and capital markets advisory. He has held various roles in large multi-national legal firms and investment banks, specializing in M&A advisory and financing transactions. Throughout his career, Mr. Monaco has worked closely with founders and management teams to drive strategic growth initiatives, capital formation, and value creation. He has advised and invested in numerous early- and growth-stage companies, helping them navigate critical inflection points including product-market fit, scaling operations, and preparing for liquidity events. Planet's management team believes Mr. Monaco's combination of hands-on operating experience and successful track-record of building shareholder value will be highly complementary to the Company's long-term strategy of building a concentrated portfolio of high-quality, disruptive technology investments. Mr. Monaco commented on his appointment: "Planet has assembled a unique platform with a clear mandate and a disciplined approach to technology investing," said Fabian Monaco. "I'm excited to join the Board and work alongside the team to help identify compelling opportunities and support the next generation of category-defining companies." The appointment of Mr. Monaco further strengthens Planet Ventures' Board as the Company continues to expand its investment activities and enhance its profile within the global technology investment ecosystem. About Planet Ventures Inc. Planet Ventures Inc. is an investment issuer that actively invests in disruptive companies across high-growth industries. Planet aims to build long-term shareholder value through strategic investments in innovative businesses. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation), including, without limitation, statements related to the offering and the anticipated use of proceeds therefrom. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified using words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forwardlooking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information because of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking information whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282870 Source: Planet Ventures Inc. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has announced the launch of TrumpRx.gov. Through the website, patients will be able to access large discounts on many of the most popular and highest-priced medicines in the country, paying prices in line with the lowest paid by other developed nations, known as the most-favored-nations. The medicines offered at discount rate includes those made by the first five manufacturers to reach MFN pricing deals with the Trump Administration, namely, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer. Additional drugs from other companies that have signed MFN pricing deals will be made available through TrumpRx.gov in the coming months, according to the White House. TrumpRx.gov provides patients with access to a world-class experience for accessing deep discounts on the medicines they need. Depending on the manufacturer of a given drug, patients with valid prescriptions will be able to access savings through user-friendly coupons that can be printed or downloaded onto their phones or through channels set up by the manufacturer and integrated into TrumpRx.gov. Patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.gov will be able to see massive price reductions on 40 of the most popular and expensive branded medicines in the nation. The new website offers historic price reductions for Americans on the two drugs with the highest annual expenditures in the United States, which help adults struggling with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other conditions. The monthly prices of Ozempic and injectable Wegovy will fall from $1,028 and $1,349, respectively, to an average price of $350 and as low as $199, depending on dosage strength. The monthly price of the Wegovy pill will fall from $1,349 to as low as $149, depending on dosage strength. The monthly price of Zepbound will fall from $1,088 to an average price of $346 and as low as $299, depending on dosage strength. The cost of some of the most commonly used fertility medications in the country will decrease drastically. Many patients struggling with infertility pay for their medicines out-of-pocket, meaning they will stand to save more than $2,000 per cycle of fertility drugs, on average. Gonal-F, one of the most commonly-used fertility drugs, will see its price reduced to as low as $168 per pen, depending on dosage strength. The price of Cetrotide, another commonly used fertility medicine, will drop from $316 to $22.50, while the price of Ovidrel will fall from $251 to $84. Discounts on numerous other high-cost drugs include Bevespi Aerosphere, an inhaler used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), from $458 to $51; Airsupra, an inhaler used to treat asthma symptoms and attacks, from $504 to $201; Eucrisa, a topical ointment for atopic dermatitis, from $792 to $158; and Duavee, a medication used to treat hot flashes and osteoporosis, from $202 to $30. Insulin Lispro will be available for as low as $25 per month. On July 31 last year, President Donald Trump had sent letters to leading pharmaceutical manufacturers outlining the steps they must take to bring down the prices of prescription drugs in the United States to match the lowest price offered in other developed nations. Since September 30, Trump announced 16 deals with major drug makers to bring prices in line with those paid in other developed nations. Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX 2026 AFX News DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to MarketsandMarkets, the Electronic Potting Compound Market is projected to grow from USD 0.36 billion in 2025 and to reach USD 0.96 billion in 2032, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.9% during the forecast period. Browse 150 market data Tables and 80 Figures spread through 300 Pages and in-depth TOC on 'Electronic Potting Compound Market' Electronic Potting Compound Market Size & Forecast: Market Size Available for Years: 2021-2032 2021-2032 2025 Market Size: USD 0.36 billion USD 0.36 billion 2032 Projected Market Size: USD 0.96 billion USD 0.96 billion CAGR (2025-2032): 14.9% Electronic Potting Compound Market Trends & Insights: Polyurethane is projected to hold a significant market share during the forecast period. The stationary charging setup is projected to hold the largest share during the forecast period. North America is projected to grow at a significant rate in the electronic potting compound market for EV charger during the forecast period. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=118983958 Polyurethane potting compounds are increasingly used in AC chargers due to their balanced mechanical protection and cost efficiency, with formulations optimized for vibration damping and moderate thermal loads. Silicone materials are gaining strong traction in DC fast chargers, driven by demand for high thermal conductivity, low modulus, and stable dielectric performance under continuous high-temperature operation. Epoxy systems are evolving toward enhanced thermal conductivity and improved crack resistance to support compact, high-voltage power modules. Suppliers are focusing on reducing void formation and improving partial discharge resistance. EV charger manufacturers are increasingly prioritizing potting compounds that are fully compatible with automated, closed-loop dispensing systems that monitor flow rate, mixing ratio, and curing parameters in real time. This ensures consistent fill quality, minimal void formation, controlled curing cycles, and repeatable thermal and dielectric performance across high-volume production lines. Polyurethane is projected to hold a significant market share during the forecast period. Polyurethane potting compounds are widely used in EV charger applications as they provide strong electrical insulation and mechanical protection for sensitive electronics, shielding components from shock, vibration, and physical stresses encountered in both public and private charging environments. These materials can be formulated to achieve a balanced combination of strength and flexibility, allowing them to absorb thermal expansion and contraction in high-power charger electronics without cracking. Polyurethane systems also offer reliable dielectric performance and moisture resistance, which is critical for preventing corrosion and humidity-related failures in power electronics. Their inherently low viscosity and good flow behavior support void-free encapsulation of complex PCB layouts and narrow gaps within charger power modules, while compatibility with metals, plastics, and ceramics enables use across a wide range of charger designs. Increasing focus on long-term reliability and environmental protection has accelerated the adoption of polyurethane formulations optimized for corrosive conditions and extended service life, particularly in outdoor installations. In parallel, manufacturers are introducing polyurethane potting compounds with enhanced thermal conductivity and flame-retardant properties to support heat dissipation while meeting safety standards such as UL-94 V-0 for high-power hardware. For instance, in January 2026, Henkel expanded its electronics protection portfolio with Loctite STYCAST US 8000 A/B, a two-component polyurethane potting compound engineered for demanding industrial and power electronics environments, offering high dielectric strength, durable insulation performance under humidity, and processing flexibility suited to EV charger encapsulation. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=118983958 The stationary charging setup is projected to hold the largest share during the forecast period. Stationary public chargers, particularly DC fast chargers and high-power charging hubs, are being deployed at scale worldwide to support accelerating EV adoption, resulting in large volumes of power electronics that require reliable encapsulation using potting compounds. These chargers are typically installed outdoors and exposed to harsh conditions such as rain, dust, and wide temperature fluctuations, which drive stringent material requirements for moisture resistance, mechanical durability, and electrical insulation. Fast and ultra-fast charging systems rely on complex, high-power converters and control electronics that generate substantial thermal loads, increasing the need for thermally conductive and electrically stable potting materials to manage heat and protect critical components. Public charging hubs also experience high utilization and serve multiple vehicle types, placing greater emphasis on uptime and long service life, which favors the use of robust potting solutions that reduce failure risk and maintenance needs. Globally, DC fast chargers are expanding at a faster rate than lower power chargers, supported by government programs and private investment aimed at highway corridors and fleet electrification, further accelerating demand for advanced potting compounds capable of handling higher power densities in rugged environments. At the same time, public charging stations are integrating smart functions such as IoT connectivity, remote diagnostics, dynamic load management, and payment systems, adding electronic complexity that benefits from potting for EMI control, moisture protection, and thermal management. The growing adoption of standardized charging protocols, including CCS, NACS, and bidirectional charging, is also encouraging more uniform charger designs, enabling potting compound suppliers and OEMs to streamline material selection and specifications across public charging platforms. North America is projected to grow at a significant rate in the electronic potting compound market for EV charger during the forecast period. North America is one of the leading regional markets for EV charging infrastructure investment and deployment, with the EV charging stations in the US and Canada expected to expand rapidly through 2030, supported by federal, state, and provincial incentives as well as utility-led programs. High EV adoption rates across both countries are driving strong demand for public and private charging hardware, which in turn increases the volume of power electronics requiring potting and encapsulation. The strong presence of EV OEMs, charger manufacturers, and network operators such as Tesla, ChargePoint, and EVgo supports continuous innovation and tighter material specifications for advanced potting compounds that meet demanding safety and reliability standards. Infrastructure expansion is particularly evident in high-power DC fast charging; for instance, in March 2025, General Motors, EVgo, and Pilot expanded a coast-to-coast US charging network with 130 sites featuring chargers up to 350 kW, increasing the need for robust electronic protection in high-load power conversion systems. North America is also home to major potting compound suppliers, including Parker Hannifin Corp, Dow, and Epoxies, supported by well-established industrial and electrical materials supply chains that enable efficient local sourcing and integration. In parallel, government-backed grid upgrades, infrastructure standardization initiatives, and the integration of advanced grid services such as bidirectional charging and demand response are increasing performance requirements for power electronics, further strengthening demand for high-performance potting solutions. The growing adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS) across OEMs is also helping standardize charger designs, allowing potting compound suppliers to align formulations more effectively with common reliability, safety, and compliance requirements at scale. Inquire Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=118983958 Top Companies in Electronic Potting Compound Market: The Top Companies in Electronic Potting Compound Market are Henkel Corporation (Germany), Dow (US), Parker Hannifin Corp (US), ELANTAS (Germany), and Momentive (US). Browse Adjacent Market: Automotive and Transportation Market Research Reports & Consulting Top Reports: Electric Vehicle Market Wireless Charging Market EV Charging Cables Market About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. 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Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/electronic-potting-compound-market-worth-0-96-billion-in-2032--marketsandmarkets-302681167.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Lux Metals Corp. (TSXV: LXM) (the "Company" or "Lux") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated November 11, 2025, it has exercised its option (the "Option") to acquire a 100% interest in the La Grande Project ("La Grande" or the "Project"), a high-grade gold project located in the James Bay region of Quebec (the "Transaction"). The Company acquired the Project pursuant to an option agreement between the Company and OVI Mining Corp. (formerly La Pulga Mining Corp.) ("OVI") dated November 10, 2025. In consideration for the Transaction, the Company has issued OVI 15,125,477 common shares (the "Option Shares") at a deemed price of C$0.20 per Option Share. The Transaction remains subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"). The Option Shares are subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws. Further information regarding the Project is disclosed in the Company's news release dated November 11, 2025. Final Tranche Private Placement Closing The Company also announces that it has closed the second and final tranche (the "Second Tranche") of its previously announced $4 million non-brokered private placement (the "Placement") of units (each, a "Unit"), through the issuance of 1,250,000 Units at a price of $0.20 per Unit, for total gross proceeds of $250,000. Together with the 18,750,000 Units issued on January 26, 2026, at $0.20 per Unit, the Company raised gross proceeds of $4 million through the issuance of 20,000,000 Units. Each Unit consists of one (1) common share of the Company (a "Share") and one (1) transferrable share purchase warrant, each warrant exercisable into one additional Share at a price of $0.40 per Share for two years from issuance. The gross proceeds from the Placement are anticipated to be used for exploration costs and general working capital. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the Second Tranche. All securities issued under the Second Tranche are subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws. Debt Settlement The Company also announces that it has completed its previously announced debt settlement transactions with certain non-arm's length creditors of the Company (the "Creditors"), pursuant to which the Company has issued to the Creditors an aggregate of 535,000 Shares (the "Debt Shares") at an issue price of $0.20 per Debt Share in full and final settlement of accrued and outstanding indebtedness in the aggregate amount of $107,000 (the "Debt Settlement"). The Debt Shares are subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Debt Settlement remains subject to final approval of the TSXV. As the Creditors are corporate entities owned and controlled by officers and directors of the Company, the Debt Settlement was considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). Notwithstanding, the Debt Settlement was exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the Debt Shares nor the consideration to be received for those securities, exceeded $2,500,000. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Debt Settlement, as the details of the Debt Settlement were not settled and approved by the TSXV until shortly prior to the closing thereof and the Company wished to close on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. On Behalf of the Board of Lux Metals Corp. Carl Ginn President and Chief Executive Officer Neither TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange nor their 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 news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking information in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things, statements relating to: the intended use of proceeds from the Placement; and the receipt of final approval from the TSXV for the Placement, the Transaction, and the Debt Settlement. In making the forward-looking information in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company' current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. including, without limitation, assumptions that: the Company will use the proceeds from the Second Tranche as anticipated; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner, that that all requisite approvals for the Placement, the Transaction, and the Debt Settlement will be received, and all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks associated with: the Company's ability to use the proceeds from the Placement as currently anticipated; general business and economic conditions; and the timely receipt of all requisite approvals for the Placement, the Transaction, and the Debt Settlement from TSXV. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this Forward-Looking Information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282971 Source: Lux Metals Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (OTCQX: BKRRF) (FSE: AHZ0) ("Blackrock" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Andrew Pollard, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will present live at the Precious Metals & Critical Minerals Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on February 10th, 2026 at 2PM ET Blackrock invites individual and institutional investors, as well as advisors and analysts, to attend online at VirtualInvestorConferences.com. DATE: February 10th TIME: 2:00PM ET LINK:https://www.virtualinvestorconferences.com/wcc/eh/4814904/lp/5226511/blackrock-silver-corp-otcqx-bkrrf-tsxv-brc This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the Company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com . Marketing Agreement The Company also announces that that it has entered into a marketing agreement (the "Agreement") with Epstein Research ("ER"), led by Peter Epstein, pursuant to which Mr. Epstein will provide investor relations services to the Company for a six (6) month term beginning on February 6, 2026 and ending on August 6, 2026 in consideration for a cash fee of US$2,500 per month, payable by way of a one time aggregate payment of US$15,000, paid in advance, subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. In accordance with the terms of the Agreement, ER will work with the Company on posting on social media and producing articles, interviews and commentary designed to increase awareness of the Company. There are no performance factors contained in the Agreement and ER will not receive any securities of the Company as compensation. Mr. Epstein does not beneficially own, directly or indirectly, any securities of the Company or any right to acquire securities of the Company. Mr. Epstein operates www.epsteinresearch.com, is an arm's-length party to the Company, and has over 20 years experience in buy-side analyst roles. Epstein Research is a research and analysis firm operated by Peter Epstein, located in the state of New Jersey, USA, specializing in investor relations and market awareness for public companies. About Blackrock Silver Corp. Blackrock Silver Corp. is an American-focused emerging primary silver developer systematically advancing the high-grade Tonopah West Project, situated in the historic "Queen of the Silver Camps" in a jurisdiction consistently ranked as one of the top mining regions globally. The Company is backstopped by a veteran board and technical team with a proven track record of discovering, financing, and building major precious metal mines in Nevada and globally. Blackrock is committed to establishing a secure, high-margin, domestic supply of silver and gold. Additional information on Blackrock Silver Corp. can be found on its website at www.blackrocksilver.com and by reviewing its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282934 Source: Blackrock Silver Corp. EQS-News: CPI PROPERTY GROUP / Key word(s): Tender Offer/Real Estate Tender Offer Results Announcement 06.02.2026 / 13:34 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. THE ANNOUNCEMENT REPRODUCED BELOW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED AND WAS ALREADY PUBLISHED THROUGH THE REQUIRED CHANNELS AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014, AS AMENDED. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT REPRESENTS VOLUNTARY PUBLICATION OF THE SAME INFORMATION VIA EQS. NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (THE "UNITED STATES") OR IN OR INTO ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT. 6 February 2026 Further to the announcement made by CPI Property Group (the "Company") on 29 January 2026 (the "Launch Announcement") in relation to its invitation to holders (subject to certain offer and distribution restrictions) of (A) its outstanding (i) EUR 750,000,000 2.875 per cent. Senior Notes due 23 April 2027 (ISIN: XS2069407786) (of which EUR 317,059,000 is currently outstanding) (the "2027 Notes") to tender the 2027 Notes for purchase by the Company for cash (the "2027 Notes Offer"); (ii) GBP 400,000,000 4.000 per cent. Senior Notes due 22 January 2028 (ISIN: XS2106589471) (of which GBP 329,816,000 is currently outstanding) (the "2028 Notes") to tender the 2028 Notes for purchase by the Company for cash (the "2028 Notes Offer"); and (iii) EUR 600,000,000 7.000 per cent. Senior Unsecured Green Notes due 7 May 2029 (ISIN: XS2815976126) (of which EUR 420,000,000 is currently outstanding) (the "2029 Notes") to tender the 2029 Notes for purchase by the Company for cash (the "2029 Notes Offer") and (B) the outstanding EUR 500,000,000 2.500 per cent. Notes due 15 October 2027 issued by CPI Europe AG (formerly Immofinanz AG) (ISIN: XS2243564478) (of which EUR 108,200,000 is currently outstanding) (the "CPIE Notes" and, together with the 2027 Notes, the 2028 Notes and the 2029 Notes, the "Notes") to tender the CPIE Notes for purchase by the Company for cash (the "CPIE Notes Offer" and, together with the 2027 Notes Offer, the 2028 Notes Offer and the 2029 Notes Offer, the "Offers" and each an "Offer"), the Company today announces (i) the Maximum Acceptance Amount, (ii) the aggregate nominal amount of the Notes of each Series validly tendered, (iii) the Applicable Sterling/Euro Exchange Rate, (iv) the Final Acceptance Amount, (v) each Series Acceptance Amount, (vi) the details of any Scaling Factor to be applied to Notes for each Series, and (vii) the aggregate nominal amount of the Notes of each Series that will remain outstanding following completion of the Offers. The Offers were made on the terms and were subject to the conditions set out in the tender offer memorandum dated 29 January 2026 (the "Tender Offer Memorandum"). Capitalised terms used in this announcement but not otherwise defined have the meanings given to them in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Final Results The Expiration Deadline for the receipt of valid Tender Instructions in order for Noteholders to participate in the Offers was 4.00 p.m. (London time) on 5 February 2026. As at the Expiration Deadline, a total of (A) (in each case, rounded to the nearest EUR 1,000 or GBP 1,000, as applicable) (i) EUR 240,950,000 in aggregate nominal amount of 2027 Notes were validly tendered for purchase pursuant to the 2027 Notes Offer, (ii) GBP 163,569,000 in aggregate nominal amount of 2028 Notes were validly tendered for purchase pursuant to the 2028 Notes Offer and (iii) EUR 245,210,000 in aggregate nominal amount of 2029 Notes were validly tendered for purchase pursuant to the 2029 Notes Offer and (B) (rounded to the nearest EUR 100,000) EUR 34,100,000 in aggregate nominal amount of CPIE Notes were validly tendered for purchase pursuant to the CPIE Notes Offer. The Company confirms that the Maximum Acceptance Amount has been increased to an aggregate nominal amount of Notes (converted into the Euro Equivalent, where applicable) expressed in Euro such that the total amount payable (converted into the Euro Equivalent, where applicable) by the Company for all Notes so accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers (including Accrued Interest) is no greater than EUR 500,000,264.28. The Company has decided to set the Final Acceptance Amount at EUR 463,548,000 in aggregate nominal amount of Notes (converted into the Euro Equivalent, where applicable). Therefore, the total amount payable by the Company for all Notes so accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offers (including Accrued Interest) is EUR 500,000,264.28 (converted into the Euro Equivalent, where applicable). The Company has decided to set the Series Acceptance Amount in relation to (i) the 2027 Notes at EUR 184,238,000, (ii) the 2028 Notes at GBP 0, (iii) the 2029 Notes at EUR 245,210,000 and (iv) the CPIE Notes at EUR 34,100,000. The Applicable Sterling/Euro Exchange Rate is 1.1470. In addition, on 5 February 2026, settlement occurred on the Company's new issue of GBP 400,000,000 6.875 per cent. Senior Unsecured Green Notes due 5 February 2033 under its Euro Medium Term Note Programme. As a result, the New Financing Condition has been satisfied. Accordingly, as the aggregate nominal amount of the 2029 Notes and the CPIE Notes validly tendered for purchase does not exceed the relevant Series Acceptance Amount, the Company has accepted all the 2029 Notes and the CPIE Notes validly tendered for purchase (without proration) and as the aggregate nominal amount of the 2027 Notes validly tendered for purchase exceeds the relevant Series Acceptance Amount, the Company has applied a Scaling Factor of 76.82610 per cent. to the 2027 Notes. The Company has not accepted any of the validly tendered 2028 Notes for purchase. The expected Settlement Date for the Offers is 12 February 2026. Following settlement of the Offers, EUR 132,821,000 in aggregate nominal amount of the 2027 Notes will remain outstanding, GBP 329,816,000 in aggregate nominal amount of the 2028 Notes will remain outstanding, EUR 174,790,000 in aggregate nominal amount of the 2029 Notes will remain outstanding and EUR 74,100,000 in aggregate nominal amount of the CPIE Notes will remain outstanding. For Further Information A complete description of the terms and conditions of the Offers is set out in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Further details about the transaction can be obtained from: DEALER MANAGERS Banco Santander, S.A. Ciudad Grupo Santander Avenida de Cantabria s/n 28660 Boadilla del Monte Madrid Spain Attention: Liability Management Email: LiabilityManagement@gruposantander.com Barclays Bank Ireland PLC One Molesworth Street Dublin 2 Ireland D02 RF29 Attention: Liability Management Group Email: eu.lm@barclays.com Goldman Sachs International Plumtree Court 25 Shoe Lane London EC4A 4AU United Kingdom Tel: +44 207 774 4836 Attention: Liability Management Group Email: liabilitymanagement.eu@gs.com Societe Generale 17, cours Valmy 92987 Paris La Defense cedex France Attention: Liability Management Email: liability.management@sgcib.com TENDER AGENT Kroll Issuer Services Limited The News Building 3 London Bridge Street London SE1 9SG United Kingdom Telephone: +44 207 704 0880 Attention: Arlind Bytyqi Email: cpi@is.kroll.com Website: https://deals.is.kroll.com/cpi This announcement is released by the CPI Property Group and contains information that qualified as inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 ("MAR"), encompassing information relating to the Offers described above. For the purposes of MAR and Article 2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055, this announcement is made by David Greenbaum, Chief Executive Officer at CPI Property Group. Disclaimer This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Launch Announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum. The offer period for the Offers has now expired and no further tenders of Notes may be made. No offer or invitation to acquire any securities is being made pursuant to this announcement. The distribution of this announcement, the Launch Announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement and/or the Launch Announcement and/or the Tender Offer Memorandum comes are required by each of the Company, the Dealer Managers and the Tender Agent to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions. 06.02.2026 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group . The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. View original content: EQS News Jakarta, Indonesia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Minumspot today announced a February platform update that expands its premium alcoholic beverage catalog and introduces improvements to its online ordering experience for customers across Indonesia. Image Description: Press release visual showing a Jakarta-based digital liquor retail platform with organized wine and whisky collections displayed on a modern e-commerce interface. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/11790/282830_99f1a0b3b43b3a64_001full.jpg The update strengthens Minumspot's digital retail access by making it easier for adult customers across Indonesia to browse, select, and order alcoholic beverages through a centralized e-commerce platform. As Indonesia's online retail market continues to grow, customer expectations for structured product discovery, clear information, and reliable delivery have increased. With this update, Minumspot is reinforcing its position as a trusted digital retailer by expanding availability across key categories and improving the way customers navigate product collections. Platform Update Now Live The latest update includes improvements designed to support faster browsing and clearer purchasing decisions. Customers can now explore Minumspot's catalog through more organized collections, view product details more efficiently, and complete purchases through a streamlined checkout flow. This updated structure is intended to help customers quickly find premium beverages for different occasions, whether for celebrations, gifting, or personal enjoyment. Expanded Premium Beverage Collections Minumspot has expanded its premium beverage selection across several popular categories. Customers can browse a dedicated wine collection featuring red, white, rose, port, and sparkling options, as well as curated selections suited to different preferences. Minumspot has also strengthened its spirits catalog, including a full whisky range and other widely requested categories such as gin, vodka, tequila, and cognac. To support confident purchasing, Minumspot provides structured product listings with clear descriptions and tasting profiles, helping customers understand key details before ordering. Nationwide Delivery Support Through a Centralized Online Store Minumspot continues to support nationwide delivery across Indonesia, helping adult consumers access premium alcoholic beverages through a reliable online ordering process. The February platform update builds on Minumspot's existing nationwide delivery infrastructure by improving product discoverability and checkout efficiency. The platform is designed to reduce friction for customers who prefer a trusted digital option rather than searching across multiple sellers or platforms. As a verified liquor store operating through a centralized website, Minumspot remains focused on product authenticity, safe handling, and dependable service for customers in Jakarta and beyond. About Minumspot Minumspot is an Indonesian online liquor store, offering a wide range of premium alcoholic beverages, including exclusive wines, favorite spirits, craft beers, and imported beer selections. The company provides a structured e-commerce experience with detailed product listings, secure payment options, and reliable delivery services across Indonesia. Minumspot is also recognized as a pioneer in Indonesia's online alcohol retail space by specializing in tasting profile information for each beverage listed on its platform. This helps customers better understand flavor notes and choose products that match their preferences, reducing the chance of making the wrong selection. Designed to be a trusted destination for adult consumers, Minumspot aims to support memorable celebrations and special moments by offering a diverse catalog, an easy-to-access ordering system, and a fast delivery service. Today, Minumspot products are available not only through its official website, but can also be ordered via Tokopedia, GoFood, GrabFood, and ShopeeFood. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282830 Source: AMRYTT MEDIA West Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Surge Battery Metals Inc. (TSXV: NILI) (OTCQX: NILIF) (FSE: DJ5) (the "Company" or "Surge") is pleased to announce that it has entered into two agreements which, under applicable TSX Venture Exchange policies, are considered to be investor relations or related agreements. The Company has entered into a marketing and investor awareness agreement, dated February 2, 2026, with Freedom Financial Research, LLC ("Freedom"), an arm's-length service provider, pursuant to which Freedom will provide digital marketing and investor outreach services to increase general awareness of the Company and the Nevada North Lithium Project. The services may include the preparation and distribution of marketing materials through electronic newsletters and other online platforms, all of which will be based solely on publicly available information and subject to applicable securities laws and required disclosures. The agreement has a term of approximately 30 days, commencing in February 2026, and the Company has agreed to pay Freedom a fee of US$150,000 for the services. Freedom has agreed not to trade in the securities of the Company during the term of the agreement. The Company does not endorse or approve any third-party commentary or conclusions that may be disseminated by Freedom. The Company further announces that it has entered into an amended and extended investor awareness agreement, dated February 2, 2026, with New Era Publishing Inc. ("New Era"), an arm's-length service provider, pursuant to which New Era will continue to provide online marketing and investor awareness services through its CarbonCredits.com platform. The amended agreement extends the term of the campaign for a period of approximately three months, from February, 2026 to April, 2026, and the Company has agreed to pay a fee of US$75,000 for the extension. The services are expected to consist of digital editorial content, advertising placements, and other online marketing initiatives, all based on publicly available information and subject to applicable securities laws and required disclosures. The Company does not endorse or take responsibility for any third-party commentary or conclusions disseminated by New Era. The Company has, effective February 5, 2026, granted a total of 881,250 restricted share units (the "RSUs") and 293,750 performance share units (the "PSUs") under its Equity Incentive Plan dated effective July 19, 2023, as amended (the "Plan"), to certain Participants (as that term is defined under the Plan). The vesting provisions of the RSUs are as follows: fifty percent (50%) of the RSUs granted to a Participant vest on the first anniversary of the date of grant, and the remaining fifty percent (50%) vest on the second anniversary of the date of grant. The vesting provisions of the PSUs are as follows: the PSUs granted to a Participant vest on the later of (i) completion of a definitive feasibility study ("DFS") for the Project, and (ii) the first anniversary of the date of grant. No transactions or project milestones that would trigger vesting of the PSUs described above are currently under negotiation, nor has any agreement been reached in respect thereof. The PSUs and RSUs are subject to the provisions of Exchange Policy 4.4, which stipulate, among other things, that vesting of PSUs and RSUs may not occur less than one (1) year from the date of grant. All unexercised or unvested PSUs and RSUs expire five (5) years from the date of grant. The PSUs and RSUs are subject to early cancellation in certain circumstances, including if a Participant ceases to hold office or provide services to the Company. All PSUs and RSUs have an exercise price of $0.01 per share, and each RSU and PSU is exercisable for the issuance of one common share of the Company. The grant of the PSUs and RSUs remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. About Surge Battery Metals Inc. Surge Battery Metals Inc., a Canadian-based mineral exploration company, is at the forefront of securing the supply of domestic lithium through its active engagement in the Nevada North Lithium Project. The project focuses on development of high-grade lithium energy metals in Nevada, USA, a crucial element for powering battery electric storage and electric vehicles. With a primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange in Canada and the OTCQX Market in the US, Surge Battery Metals Inc. is strategically positioned as a key player in advancing lithium exploration. About Nevada North Lithium LLC Nevada North Lithium LLC owns the Nevada North Lithium Project southeast of Jackpot, Nevada about 73 km north-northeast of Wells, Elko County. The first three rounds of drilling at the project identified a strongly mineralized zone of lithium bearing clays occupying a strike length of more than 4,300 meters and a known width of greater than 1,500 meters. Highly anomalous soil values and geophysical surveys suggest there is potential for the clay horizons to be much greater in extent. The Nevada North Lithium Project has a pit-constrained Inferred Resource containing an estimated 11.24 Mt of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) grading 3010 ppm Li at a 1,250-ppm cutoff. The recently completed PEA reported an after-tax NPV8% US $9.17 Billion and after-tax IRR of 22.8% at $24,000/t LCE, and an OPEX of US $5,243/t LCE. A 2025 infill drill program has been completed, and assay results are pending. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, "Greg Reimer" Greg Reimer, President & CEO Keep up-to-date with Surge Battery Metals: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram YouTube Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This document may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan" or "planned", "possible", "potential", "forecast", "intend", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities including lithium and nickel, the accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals including approvals of title and mining rights or licenses and environmental, local community or indigenous community approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure or water, changes in laws, rules and regulations including in the United States, Nevada or California or any other jurisdiction which may impact upon the Company or its properties or the commercial exploitation of those properties, currency risks including the exchange rate of USD$ for Cdn$ or other currencies, fluctuations in the market for lithium related products, changes in exploration costs and government royalties, export policies or taxes in the United States or any other jurisdiction and other factors or information. The Company's current plans, expectations, and intentions with respect to development of its business and of its Nevada properties may be impacted by economic uncertainties arising out of any pandemic or by the impact of current financial and other market conditions (including US government subsidies or incentives) on its ability to secure further financing or funding of its Nevada properties. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon several assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political, environmental (including endangered species, habitat preservation and water-related risks) and social risks, contingencies, and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules, and regulations. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282910 Source: Surge Battery Metals Inc. Terra Firma Energy is pleased to announce a strong operational performance across its Wrexham and Droitwich flexible generation sites, marking the completion of their first full 12 months of commercial operation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206393153/en/ Terra Firma Energy's 20MW flexible generation plant in Miners Road, Wrexham UK has now been successfully operational for 12 months providing essential stability to the UK's electricity grid. This site along with Terra Firma Energy's other UK developed assets play an essential role in supporting the UK's energy security during periods of heightened demand. Over the past year, the two assets delivered more than 24,000 MWh of electricity into the UK power system, supporting both wholesale markets and the Balancing Mechanism. This flexible, responsive capacity has played a vital role during periods of high demand and system stress, helping to maintain grid stability. In practical terms, this output is equivalent to powering approximately 6,700 UK homes for a year. Performance momentum has continued into 2026, with both sites delivering critical generation during an exceptionally cold start to the year. This has further underlined the importance of reliable, dispatchable assets in supporting the UK's energy security during periods of heightened demand. Looking ahead, Terra Firma Energy expects this strong operational performance to continue. With a significant weather front forecast to arrive later this month, bringing the potential for widespread snowfall and increased system tightness, the company's assets remain well positioned to provide essential support to the national grid. Across its development portfolio, progress also remains robust. Construction at the Hereford and Wingrave sites continues to advance, with civil works at Hereford now nearing completion, a key milestone on the path to full delivery. Commenting on the update, Zach Dodds-Brown, Development Director, Terra Firma Energy said: "The past 12 months have demonstrated the strength of our assets, our operating model, and our team. Wrexham and Droitwich have proven their value in supporting the UK power system, and we remain focused on delivering reliable, flexible capacity as the energy transition continues." Overall, the last year has reinforced Terra Firma Energy's role as a dependable provider of flexible generation, supporting system resilience and contributing to the UK's evolving energy landscape. About Terra Firma Energy Terra Firma Energy constructs, owns, and operates flexible generation assets across the UK, providing reliable and responsive power to support grid stability and energy security. The company is focused on developing and operating high-quality infrastructure to meet the needs of a changing energy system. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206393153/en/ Contacts: Terra Firma Energy Limited Helen Aletras Head of PR and Communications. Tel: +44 (0)203 890 3116 Helen.aletras@terrafirmaenergy.com APIA, Samoa, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Phemex, a user-first crypto exchange, announced the launch of Phemex TradFi, a new futures trading offering that allows users to access traditional financial assets, including stocks and precious metals, on a 24/7 basis. Futures linked to commodities, foreign exchange, and global indices will be introduced in subsequent phases. The launch marks Phemex's entry into multi-market derivatives, enabling traders to manage exposure to both crypto and traditional assets within a single, USDT-settled futures framework. To support early adoption, Phemex is introducing a 0-Fee TradFi Futures Carnival, offering three months of zero trading fees, starting from February 6, on stock futures alongside a $100,000 incentive pool aimed at structured and risk-aware participation, and a first-trade protection mechanism that reimburses eligible users with trading bonus if their initial TradFi futures trade results in a loss. Unlike spot markets that are constrained by exchange hours, TradFi futures continue price discovery outside standard trading sessions. By bringing this derivative structure into a crypto-native environment, Phemex allows users to respond to global macro events as they unfold, whether during nights, weekends, or market closures-without switching platforms or settlement systems. Phemex TradFi is designed for traders seeking simplicity and continuity across markets. Users can trade crypto and traditional futures side by side, benefit from transparent maker-taker pricing rather than spread-based execution, and apply strategy-driven tools to manage risk more systematically. Copy trading support for TradFi futures is also planned, extending Phemex's strategy trading ecosystem into traditional markets. "As markets become more connected and operate beyond fixed sessions, platforms need to evolve with them" commented Federico Variola, CEO of Phemex. "Our goal with Phemex TradFi is not to replicate traditional markets, but to rethink how they are accessed - bringing continuous availability, unified settlement, and risk-aware tools into a single trading environment that reflects how traders actually operate today." The introduction of TradFi futures signals Phemex's evolution from a crypto-native exchange into a broader derivatives platform built for always-on global markets. As additional asset classes roll out, Phemex aims to offer traders a more integrated, resilient, and forward-looking way to navigate both digital and traditional finance. About Phemex Founded in 2019, Phemex is a user-first crypto exchange trusted by over 10 million traders worldwide. The platform offers spot and derivatives trading, copy trading, and wealth management products designed to prioritize user experience, transparency, and innovation. With a forward-thinking approach and a commitment to user empowerment, Phemex delivers reliable tools, inclusive access, and evolving opportunities for traders at every level to grow and succeed. For more information, please visit: https://phemex.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2877862/Phemex_Introduces_24_7_TradFi_Futures_Trading_0_Fee_Carnival_Creating.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2819516/Phemex_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/phemex-introduces-247-tradfi-futures-trading-with-0-fee-carnival-creating-an-all-in-one-trading-hub-302681314.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Equity Metals Corporation (TSXV: EQTY) (FSE: EGSD) (OTCQB: EQMEF) ("Equity" or the "Company") is pleased to advise that it will be exhibiting at the annual 2026 Prospectors & Development Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention, the world's premier mineral exploration & mining event. To learn more about Equity Metals' Silver Queen, silver-gold project in British, we invite you to visit the team at Booth # 2541 in the Investors Exchange, Level 800, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building from Sunday March 1st through Wednesday March 4th. An updated version of our Corporate Presentation is now available on the Company's website: www.equitymetalscorporation.com About PDAC PDAC 2025: The World's Premier Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention is the leading event for people, companies and organizations connected to mineral exploration. This annual convention in Toronto, Canada is known for attracting up to 30,000 attendees from over 130+ countries for its educational programming, networking events, outstanding business opportunities. Since it began in 1932, the PDAC Convention has grown in size, stature and influence. Today, it is the event of choice for the world's mineral industry hosting more than 1,100 exhibitors and 2,500 investors. Visit PDAC's website for registration and ticketing information. Corporate Update Further, the Company reports that it has engaged Research Capital Corporation ("RCC") as a financial advisor to provide advice and assistance in connection with defining strategic and financial objectives over a one-month term. Equity will compensate RCC by payment of $24,000 and issuance of 150,000 share purchase warrants ("Advisory Warrants") valued at $30,000 (calculated using a share price of $0.40 with warrants valued at half that of shares). Each Advisory Warrant is exercisable for one common share of the Company for a period of 36 months at an exercise price equal to $0.40 per share. Such Advisory Warrants have been issued are subject to a hold period expiring June 7, 2026. RCC is arm's length to the Company. About Equity Metals Corporation Equity Metals Corporation is a member of the Malaspina-Manex Group. The Company owns 100% interest, with no underlying royalty, in the Silver Queen project, located along the Skeena Arch in the Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia. The property hosts high-grade, precious- and base-metal veins related to a buried porphyry system, which has been only partially delineated. The Company also has a controlling JV interest (57.49%) in the Monument Diamond project, NWT, strategically located in the Lac De Gras district within 40 km of both the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines. As well, the Company has an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Arlington Property, located within the Boundary District of south-central British Columbia where 2025 exploration work consisted of geophysics and diamond drilling designed to identify and delineate an apparent gold system. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Lawrence Page, K.C." Lawrence Page, K.C. Chairman, Director, Equity Metals Corporation Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include the timing and receipt of government and regulatory approvals, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. Equity Metals Corporation does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282959 Source: Equity Metals Corporation SINGAPORE, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global beverage solutions brand DaVinci Gourmet proudly serves as Title Sponsor of The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops 2026. The prestigious global ranking will be officially unveiled on February 16 during CoffeeFest Madrid, Europe's leading specialty coffee festival. As Title Sponsor, DaVinci Gourmet, a brand under Kerry Group, places creativity, craftsmanship, and barista-led innovation at the heart of this internationally recognised benchmark, reinforcing its commitment to supporting the global coffee community and celebrating excellence across cafe culture worldwide. The 2026 edition reflects a rigorous global evaluation, assessing more than 15,000 coffee shops from around the world. The final ranking follows a robust methodology that combines the expertise of over 800 industry professionals with 350,000 public votes, making it a key reference point for the specialty coffee sector. "Our partnership with The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and passion in the coffee world," says Eloise Dubuisson, General Manager, Foodservice Brands, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. "As a global beverage solutions brand that champions cafe culture and the coffee community, DaVinci Gourmet is proud to support an initiative that recognises the most inspiring coffee shops around the world, evaluated by experts and voted by coffee lovers." A Global Ranking Reflecting the Rise of Quality Coffee The 2026 list highlights both emerging and established coffee scenes across the United States, Australia, Colombia, Peru, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, Korea, the UAE, Chile, and Spain, underscoring the strength and diversity of a global coffee movement driven by quality, innovation, and cultural exchange. "This ranking is more than just a list of exceptional coffee shops; it's a snapshot of the cultural, creative, and professional moment coffee is experiencing around the world," says Cesar Ramirez, CEO of The World's 100 Best Coffee Shops with DaVinci Gourmet. Rigorous Evaluation Process Selected coffee shops stand out not only for exceptional coffee, but for delivering a distinctive, holistic, and consistently high-quality experience. To ensure a fair, consistent, and representative outcome, the ranking relies on an international jury of professionals from the coffee, gastronomy, and hospitality sectors. The evaluation process combines expert assessment, weighted at 70 percent, and public voting, weighted at 30 percent. All coffee shops are assessed using uniform global standards covering coffee quality, barista expertise, sustainability, service, ambience, food quality, innovation, and consistency. Regional evaluations are led by respected industry figures across all major coffee regions worldwide. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2888757/The_event_recognises_inspiring_coffee_shops_worldwide_evaluated_experts_voted.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2888758/DVG_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/davinci-gourmet-named-title-sponsor-of-the-worlds-100-best-coffee-shops-2026-to-be-unveiled-in-madrid-302681328.html Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - The sound of the Pantanal gained international prominence with the arrival of Pantanal Jam, a project that connects contemporary jazz, the sounds of nature, and environmental conservation. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12151/282894_6cfe7aeae43d0889_001full.jpg Featuring performances by award-winning musicians, Pantanal Jam offers an immersive experience that translates the essence of the Pantanal biome through music. The nine original compositions incorporate sound recordings of wildlife, landscapes, and the waters of the Pantanal, with recordings made within the territory itself, expanding the dialogue between art, nature, and nature conservation. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12151/282894_6cfe7aeae43d0889_002full.jpg More than a musical project, Pantanal Jam is consolidated as a platform for raising awareness of the Pantanal biome by giving visibility to the work of NGOs that operate in the protection of biodiversity and the strengthening of local communities. The event stage also becomes a space for exchange, with discussion circles, workshops, and exhibitions that present stories, challenges, and achievements of the institutions involved. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/12151/282894_6cfe7aeae43d0889_003full.jpg Part of the revenue generated by the project will be allocated to supporting these initiatives, contributing to actions such as community fire brigades, ecological restoration, wildlife rehabilitation, and environmental education programs. By bringing the Pantanal to the center of one of the world's leading cultural hubs, the project reinforces the potential of culture as a tool for global awareness and positions the biome as a symbol of biodiversity, sustainability, and nature tourism on the global stage. Acess Pantanal Jam for more: https://pantanaljam.com/ Documentary: https://pantanaljam.com/film https://pantanaljam.com/film Album: https://pantanaljam.com/album Come discover the beauty beyond nature. The real Brazil is waiting-colorful, festive, and full of unforgettable stories. Learn more: https://brasildna.com/ Instagram: @brasil.dna Facebook: facebook.com/brasil.dna ArtAndConservation PantanalJam ProtectThePantanal To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/282894 Source: Global Vision Access DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Loyyal , the enterprise SaaS leader pioneering AI and Web3 loyalty solutions, today announced the launch of Perxi AI, the world's first AI Agent of Loyalty. Perxi AI is engineered to democratize access to sophisticated customer retention tools, enabling small and medium businesses (SMEs) to instantly launch and manage their own branded loyalty programs on messaging apps like whatsapp. Democratizing Loyalty: Eliminating the Cost to entry Barrier for SMEs Historically, SMEs have been unable to launch loyalty programs due to high costs associated with software, commercial commitments, having a dedicated loyalty professional and staff training. This created an imbalance where only major corporations could afford complex but high value retention tools. Perxi AI eliminates these barriers entirely: Instant Launch, Zero Cost: SMEs can instantly launch and manage their loyalty programs. SMEs can their loyalty programs. Convenient Interface: The entire Perxi AI system operates via social channels like WhatsApp chat interface that is optimized to feel like chatting with a friend. The entire Perxi AI system operates via social channels like interface that is optimized to feel like chatting with a friend. No App Required: Neither the business nor the customer needs to install a separate application; all management and engagement occur directly within the WhatsApp environment. Neither the business nor the customer needs to install a separate application; all management and engagement occur directly within the WhatsApp environment. Multi language: Perxi AI can interact with business owners and customers in any language across the globe, enabling universal communication and personalized experience. Strategic Growth and Data-Driven Decisions Perxi AI transforms the SME's ability to compete, fostering loyalty, retention, and growth previously reserved for enterprise brands: Repeat Business & Personalization: SMEs can secure repeat business and deliver a more personalized experience to their customers immediately. SMEs can secure and deliver a more to their customers immediately. Data-Driven Insights: Perxi AI delivers crucial analytics that help businesses make better decisions regarding customer behavior and campaign effectiveness. Perxi AI delivers crucial that help businesses make better decisions regarding customer behavior and campaign effectiveness. Ecosystem Access: Perxi AI makes it possible for small businesses to seamlessly join larger loyalty programs and ecosystems already part of Loyyal's marketplace, significantly expanding their reach and value proposition. Future Vision: AI-Powered business operations Perxi AI is strategically positioned for evolution beyond loyalty management. The platform is scheduled to integrate a finance module in the future, which will simplify the management of business finance and banking functions such as credit lending directly within the chat interface. Perxi AI won the prestigious META Llama AI Startupbootcap Program 2025, ensuring the product leverages cutting-edge conversational AI models. "Perxi AI is about shifting competitive balance," said Ashish Kumar Singh - CEO at Perxi AI & Loyyal. "By grounding loyalty management in a familiar interface like WhatsApp, we are empowering the small business owner to deliver the hyper-personalized retention tools of a large corporation. Loyalty is now universally accessible, intelligent, and simple." About Loyyal Loyyal is an enterprise SaaS development firm for loyalty and payments, built on patented blockchain infrastructure. It transforms traditional loyalty programs from cost centers into profit-generating ecosystems through its suite of solutions: Access Point, Reward Point, Xpand Point, and Perk Point. Loyyal delivers a Technology + Content + Commerce solution, emphasizing unparalleled security, transparency, and AI-driven personalization. Media Contact: Marketingdepartment@loyyal.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2878092/Loyyal_Technologies_Photo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2878091/Loyyal_Technologies_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/loyyal-launches-perxi-ai-a-whatsapp-based-ai-agent-that-simplifies-loyalty-for-smes-302680552.html ITTIKAR, Mondevo Group's AI-native merchant bank, served as exclusive advisor, deploying proprietary artificial intelligence across due diligence and execution. ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates and MILAN, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MondeVita, the lifestyle and luxury division of Mondevo Group, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Raffaele Caruso S.p.A. from Lanvin Group. The transaction was completed through MondeVita Italy S.r.l. and establishes Caruso as the cornerstone of MondeVita's luxury platform. Founded in 1964 in Soragna (Parma), Caruso is among the world's foremost manufacturers of luxury men's tailoring. More than 450 artisans combine time-honoured craftsmanship with contemporary production techniques, serving leading global fashion houses and, through the Caruso brand, a curated network of the world's finest menswear retailers. The company generates annual revenues of approximately 35 million. The Role of ITTIKAR ITTIKAR, Mondevo Group's AI-native merchant bank dedicated to family offices, served as exclusive advisor throughout the transaction. Developed by Mondevo Tech, the Group's in-house technology division comprising more than 40 AI engineers in Singapore, ITTIKAR deployed proprietary AI agents to conduct comprehensive due diligence across financial statements, corporate governance, real estate, tax, workforce, and commercial contracts. Hundreds of documents were analysed with a level of speed, depth, and consistency that materially enhanced decision-making and execution efficiency. The Caruso transaction serves as a proof of concept for ITTIKAR's model, demonstrating how AI-native architecture can meaningfully augment traditional merchant banking capabilities in complex, cross-border acquisitions. Leadership Commentary Hussam Otaibi, Founder of Mondevo Group, commented: "Caruso embodies everything MondeVita stands for: authentic heritage, world-class craftsmanship, and a strong national identity with global resonance. What distinguishes this transaction is ITTIKAR's role - from due diligence through execution, our AI-native capabilities enabled a level of analytical depth and speed that would not have been achievable through conventional approaches. This represents the future of dealmaking for family offices." Fabio Brambilla, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mondevo Group, added: "Caruso is precisely the type of business MondeVita was created to steward - a company where tradition, skilled craftsmanship, and brand identity converge into a first-class luxury product. The opportunity and ability to deploy ITTIKAR's AI-native insight across the entire process, shaped both our conviction and the structure of this transaction. We now look forward to working alongside Marco Angeloni and his team in unlocking Caruso's full potential, whilst continuing to build MondeVita's luxury and lifestyle portfolio." Fabio Brambilla will serve as Chairman of Caruso and MondeVita. Marco Angeloni is confirmed as Chief Executive Officer and will become a minority shareholder, underscoring long-term alignment. The existing management team and Creative Director Max Kibardin remain in place. MondeVita's mandate extends beyond this acquisition. The division is positioned to build a portfolio of exceptional heritage brands across luxury goods, premium beverages, hospitality, and wellness - sectors that remain traditionally fragmented and rich with opportunity, where long-term ownership, shared capabilities, and operational excellence can generate durable value. About MondeVita MondeVita is the lifestyle and luxury division of Mondevo Group, focused on acquiring, developing, and elevating heritage brands across luxury goods, premium beverages, hospitality, and wellness. The acquisition of Caruso represents MondeVita's first major investment. About ITTIKAR ITTIKAR, headquartered in Abu Dhabi Global Market, is the world's first AInative merchant bank built exclusively for family offices. Developed by Mondevo Tech, ITTIKAR deploys one dedicated AI agent per family office, delivering AI-enhanced deal origination, due diligence, transaction advisory, and portfolio monitoring. About Raffaele Caruso S.p.A. Founded in 1964, Raffaele Caruso S.p.A. is an Italian high-end sartorial manufacturer headquartered in Soragna, in Italy's Parma province. The company serves leading global fashion houses and develops the Caruso brand, defined by its philosophy of Playful Elegance. With more than 450 employees, Caruso combines artisanal excellence with industrial scale, and a strong brand identity. About Mondevo Group Mondevo Group is a multi-divisional holding company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, operating at the intersection of technology, investment, and lifestyle. The group's divisions span wealth management, venture capital, luxury and lifestyle, and foundational technology platforms. Mondevo's mission is to harness AI-native capabilities and a global network of ultra-high-net-worth families to build enduring businesses across sectors with high barriers to entry and strong long-term growth potential. Contact: Investor Relations | ir@mondevogroup.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2821247/Mondevo_Group_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mondevita-completes-acquisition-of-caruso-302681360.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / By Elizabeth Barr Many of us remember the iconic scene from Disney's The Lion King where Mufasa teaches Simba about the "circle of life:" a powerful metaphor illustrating the interconnectedness of all living beings and the delicate balance of nature. Protecting that ecosystem and supporting the local communities who live there is the core mission of the Connected Conservation Foundation, which, in partnership with Cisco, is training and empowering individuals worldwide to safeguard protected areas and species, with the support of Cisco Networking Academy. A decade of partnership: Cisco and the Connected Conservation Foundation For over ten years, Cisco has partnered with the Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF) to harness technology in safeguarding biodiversity hotspots across Africa and beyond. This collaboration has evolved from focusing on protecting rhinos to deploying advanced digital tools for ecosystem management across 46 conservancies in 13 countries. Together, they tackle critical challenges such as poaching, human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss, and supporting community-wildlife coexistence by integrating IoT sensors, AI analytics, satellite tracking, and real-time data platforms. However, technology alone is not enough; there's a growing need for skilled conservation technology professions that understand how to install, maintain, and manage these systems to keep critical data flowing. Introducing the Protected Area Technician (PAT) Training Program To help solve this, Cisco Networking Academy and CCF launched the Protected Area Technician (PAT) Training Program in summer 2025. The launch was also made possible by the Open University, who provided guidance, content, and significant logistical support. This initiative equips local communities with the skills to operate and maintain the sophisticated and vital conservation technologies deployed in protected areas. As part of the PAT Program, 10 expert-led, free online courses are offered covering essential topics such as sensor deployment, networking, off-grid infrastructure, cybersecurity, data management, and system integration. Course content was developed by industry leaders and leading professionals in conservation technology, including Sabi San Nature Reserve and African Parks - and it's already changing lives and careers. "As a student in Ecology and Conservation at the University of Fianarantsoa, Madagascar, I strengthened my understanding of environmental monitoring, conservation strategies, and field data collection methods," shared PAT participant, Razafinandrasana Gerard. "The knowledge and skills I gained are directly applicable to my fieldwork, research activities, and my future career in biodiversity conservation." Recently, CCF delivered its first in-field PAT training in Kenya, bringing its online curriculum directly to conservancies and government teams on the ground. During that time, staff from the local government Kenya Wildlife Service were trained to independently deploy, manage, and troubleshoot their own IoT digital infrastructure for conservation. The results were immediate. Shortly after the training, the Masai Mara Triangle successfully re-deployed their gateways onto the new soverign Konza server - entirely in-house. Impact and outcomes: Building local capacity for conservation Since its inception just over six months ago, the PAT Training Program has grown rapidly to meet an urgent need. With 529 learners enrolled and 530 certificates issued, this growing cadre of skilled technicians enables conservation teams to: Maintain critical sensor networks independently, reducing reliance on costly external experts. Integrate real-time environmental and wildlife data into platforms like EarthRanger, facilitating rapid and informed decision-making. Understand how to scale network infrastructure confidently across protected areas, expanding the reach and effectiveness of conservation efforts. "My park has challenges with communication," shared Martin Ndego Abodiba, a PAT participant and part of the Wildlife Division Forestry Commission in Ghana. "This course has made me aware of how communication should flow from field rangers to the control room. It has helped my thinking and enhanced operations activities, including how to brief my rangers before and after patrols." By fostering local expertise, the program not only strengthens wildlife protection but also creates new career pathways, supporting community-led stewardship of natural resources. Technology and training: A holistic approach to conservation The partnership between Cisco Networking Academy and CCF exemplifies how technology and education can combine to create lasting conservation impact. Keeping advanced digital tools online provides the means to monitor ecosystems, improve the detection of threats, and reduce the downtime of critical infrastructure, while the PAT program ensures that these tools are effectively managed by skilled professionals on the ground. Furthermore, the PAT program creates new career opportunities and pathways in rural communities, enabling graduates to return to their communities with skills that support conservation and environmental stewardship across Africa, home to a quarter of the world's biodiversity. Collaborative initiatives that bring together technology, training, and community engagement help further conservation efforts. Continuing the legacy of the Circle of Life Just as Mufasa's lesson reminds us of our responsibility to maintain the balance of life, the Cisco-CCF partnership and the PAT Training Program embody this in action. By supporting local communities with technology and skills, they nurture a future where wildlife and people coexist. Together, these efforts are not only protecting endangered species and vital ecosystems - but building more resilient communities and inclusive opportunities. This is how the circle of life continues: through respect, responsibility, and the power of collaboration. View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cisco Systems Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Cisco Systems Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cisco-systems-inc Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Cisco Systems Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/industrial-and-manufacturing/empowering-protected-area-technicians-with-it-skills-through-cisco-net-1134468 ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / Vulcan Minerals Inc. ("the Company" - "Vulcan" TSX-V:VUL), announces that it has completed the first hole of a drilling program at the Carbonear Project in eastern Newfoundland. The initial program was planned for approximately 1,200 meters in six holes, but due to weather-related access issues the program has been suspended until Spring. Patrick Laracy, President noted "The Carbonear property represents an exciting grass roots exploration project. Given the weather-related access issues, we decided not to keep the drill rig on an extended standby but will return to finish the program when access conditions improve." Project Summary The property contains a late Precambrian marine sedimentary sequence prospective for sedimentary exhalative zinc, lead and other metals (SEDEX deposit) based on several geological characteristics. These include the geologic setting within a thick sequence (greater than 6 km) of marine basinal shale, siltstone and sandstone including turbidite deposits containing lead and zinc mineralization. Over the last few field seasons, the Company has methodically acquired extensive geochemical soil data combined with historic soils, stream and lake bottom samples to identify a multi-element anomaly associated with a stratigraphic zone of distinct magnetic character. This also coincides with a gravity anomaly. The current focus is on a 2-kilometer section of the stratigraphic zone of interest that extends greater than 12 kilometers along strike with an average width of 1.5 kilometers. The company previously released a compilation of assays from the historic drill program in this area (see below). Why Drill this Property? Drilling is warranted based on a methodical exploration process over the last few years. In addition to the general prospective geologic setting described herein, several data sets have been acquired supporting the SEDEX potential of this area as reviewed below. Magnetic Data The Company acquired an airborne high resolution magnetic, VLF electromagnetic and Lidar survey over the complete property at 200-meter line spacing for a total survey length of 1,267 line kilometers. The purpose is to identify within the sedimentary sequence any zone of magnetic character that would indicate potential mineralization and structural architecture. A distinct magnetic trend was identified, best exhibited by the first vertical derivative of the data. It extends approximately 12 kilometers along strike with an average width of 1.5 kilometers. The feature has impressive scale (see magnetic map). The zone appears conformable with the regional sedimentary bedding. Prospecting has identified disseminated pyrrhotite at various locations along strike. Pyrrhotite is an iron sulphide mineral, variably magnetic in nature, and is known as a mineral associated with zinc and lead in Sedex deposits. Cross faults within the zone of interest are also interpreted based on magnetic discontinuities and surface mapping. They represent favorable targets because they may provide mineral fluid conduits through the sedimentary sequence. Lidar data, which provides high resolution topographic data assisted with the overall structural interpretation to confirm the location of cross faults. Our current exploration is focussed on such an area within the regional trend. Figure 1. Magnetic Anomaly Trend Geochemistry As previously reported, the Company completed an extensive soil geochemical program amounting to 1,879 samples focused along the magnetically anomalous zone in favourable structures (see map Gull Pond North). The Gull Pond area exhibits strongly anomalous zinc and lead soil values. A total of 125 samples exceed the 90th percentile value of 78 parts per million (ppm) lead with 13 samples exceeding the 99th percentile of 298 ppm. These values range up to a maximum of 0.1630% lead (1,630 ppm). Regarding zinc, 126 samples exceed the 90th percentile value of 72 ppm with 13 samples exceeding the 99th percentile value of 207 ppm. These values range up to 628 ppm zinc. These results confirm the regional historic results for zinc and lead which is consistent with the area being one of the highest multi-element geochemical anomalies in Newfoundland based on lake sediment and stream sediment data. Our current drill program is focussed on one of the most anomalous zinc-lead areas. Figure 2. Lead in Soil Geochemistry Figure 3. Zinc in Soil Geochemistry Bolstered by favourable magnetic and geochemical soil results, the Company completed a ground gravity survey over the Gull Pond north grid in 2024 (see gravity map). The survey consisted of a total of 17 line kilometers at a 200 meter spacing for an approximate coverage of 2.25 square kilometres. The survey identified a positive bouguer gravity and residual anomaly coincident with the magnetic and soil anomalies, constituting a compelling drill target. Figure 4. Gravity Geophysical Anomaly Carbonear - Infill Sampling Historic Drill Holes Prior historic drilling in the Gull Pond North area consisted of a total of five shallow holes to test ground electrical conductors. Given that the Company's recent work has enhanced the prospectivity of this general area, the company resampled Holes CP-97-08 and CP-97-10 to better ascertain the tenor of mineralization previously encountered. These holes contain anomalous zinc mineralization over a potential stratigraphic interval of approximately 100 meters based on 23 historic core samples in Hole CP-97-08 and 10 historic core samples in Hole CP-97-10. To confirm and better define the tenor of mineralization, an additional 31 samples over 42.5 meters in Hole CP-97-08 and 26 samples over 47 meters in Hole CP-97-10 were assayed. Mineralization consists of disseminated sulphides in turbiditic siltstones and secondary fracture fillings. A complete compilation of all sample intervals from both holes is available at https://vulcanminerals.ca/carbonear-historical-drill-sampling-results/. This infill sampling demonstrates the consistent nature of the anomalous mineralization. Hole CP-97-08 (76.2 meter total sampled length) has a weighted average of 0.23% zinc and 0.17% lead, including up to 1.2 meters of 4.1% lead and 1.5% zinc. Hole CP-97-10 (60.8 meter total sampled length) has a weighted average of 0.10% zinc and 0.05% lead. The property was originally identified (1980) for its sedimentary exhalative base metal potential by Cominco, who operated the giant Sullivan SEDEX mine in British Columbia, one of the largest zinc-lead mines in the world. JEA Assistance Acknowledged The Company acknowledges and thanks the provincial government for providing a Junior Exploration Assistance ("JEA") grant for past work on its Colchester Springdale Project. The Company has applied for further financial grants pursuant to the JEA program in respect to work carried out on the Carbonear project. About Vulcan Vulcan Minerals is a precious and base metals exploration company based in St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador. The company has strategic land positions in multiple active Newfoundland gold and base metal exploration and development belts. It also holds approximately 27% of the shares in Atlas Salt Inc. (TSXV: SALT). Atlas Salt is currently developing the Great Atlantic Salt mine in western Newfoundland. Patrick J. Laracy P.Geo., President, is the qualified person responsible for the technical contents of this news release as defined in National Instrument 43-101. We seek safe harbour. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion, delivery and timing of the referenced exploration program and assumptions related thereto. Actual future results may differ materially. 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 reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, technical, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the timing, completion and delivery of the referenced assessments and analysis. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. For information please contact: Patrick J. Laracy, P.Geo. President (709) 754-3186 info@vulcanminerals.ca www.vulcanminerals.ca SOURCE: Vulcan Minerals, Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/oil-gas-and-energy/vulcan-minerals-inc.-drilling-program-update-for-the-carbonear-zinc-lead-sedex-p-1134462 ATLANTA, GA and DOHA, QATAR / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / Ameerex Corporation (OTC:HIRU) ("Ameerex" or the "Company ) today confirmed major heavy rare earth element (HREE) mineralization within its Brazil joint venture with Patagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX: PL3), materially expanding the scope of a partnership previously centered on lithium and positioning the project within a globally significant critical minerals belt. There are 11 targets that have been identified for augur and air-core drilling. The studies for the Goias areas were based on the ratio between the Araxa carbonatite, silicate rocks and fenitisation. Catalao I carbonatite is correlated to the same geological event as the Araxa carbonatite. The Company's rare earth concessions are located in Goias, within the Goias-Araxa-Catalao belt, a mineral district recognized for long-standing niobium and rare earth production. The project area lies directly adjacent to the CMOC operating niobium phosphate mine, providing clear validation of regional prospectivity, continuity of mineralization, and the presence of established mining infrastructure. Figure 1. Total REE results for the road and channel samples analysed, with the sedimentary niobium mine operated by CMOC China. A sample off the concession (SE) recorded 1898ppm total REE. Heavy Rare Earth mineralization Confirmed Exploration work completed by the joint venture partner Patagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX:PL3) has confirmed via satellite SW-IR surveys and soil and rock chip sampling rare earth mineralization dominated by heavy and high-value rare earth elements, including: Holmium (Ho) - used in advanced magnets, laser systems, and nuclear-related applications. The latest (Feb 6, 26) holmium oxide prices show China-based spot material trading around the high-60s USD/kg range, with Northeast Asia indices slightly higher. The market size in 2024 was estimated at US $360 million. Holmium is extracted from Monazites (phosphates), Bastnasite (fluoro carbonates) and from Ion-adsorption clays. Because holmium sits in the middle of the heavy REE group, its separation requires multiple solvent-extraction stages after the bulk REE concentrate is produced. Ekosolve the partner to Patagonia Lithium has significant Solvent extraction expertise. Lutetium (Lu) - among the rarest, rare earth elements, used in petroleum refining catalysts, medical imaging, and high-performance optics. Data shows lutetium oxide trading in the US?$700-$735/kg range, with China-delivered 99.99% material most recently quoted at US $731.58/kg (source: Business anlytiq). The global market size is estimated at US $13.5 Billion and expected to reach $22,5 billion by 2033. Lutetium oxide alone is a much smaller subset (hundreds of millions USD), but the Lu-177 medical isotope segment is exploding and dominates value growth. Lutetium has an extremely low natural abundance. Lutetium is not mined directly; it is a fractional output of HREE circuits. Yttrium (Y) - a core material for advanced ceramics, medical technologies, and specialized manufacturing. Yttrium prices have exploded due to China's 2025 export controls, with current spot levels sitting in the USD?120-320/kg range for yttrium oxide, depending on purity and contract terms. (source: ecofinagency.com). Yttrium is always extracted as part of the heavy rare-earth element (HREE) fraction from REE-bearing ores. The process is Ore - Concentrate - Mixed REE Solution - Solvent Extraction - Yttrium Compound - Calcination - Y2O3. Channel and regolith sampling returned elevated total rare earth values, supporting the presence of a large-scale heavy rare earth mineralized footprint and warranting accelerated technical follow-up. The concessions 830164 and 830165 cover 30 sq km. Geological Context and Global Scale The mineralization is interpreted to be associated with carbonatite-related and metasomatic alteration characteristic of central Brazil. The Goias-Araxa-Catalao belt is widely recognized by geologists as the largest continuous heavy rare earth-bearing belt outside China, and second globally by regional scale and continuity, based on mapped alteration footprint and mineralized trend length. The proximity of the Company's concessions to active production (5km from the Araxa REE centre) further validates the geological model and underscores the relevance of the belt within global rare earth supply dynamics. Path Forward The joint venture is advancing toward: Targeted auger and air-core drilling across multiple priority anomalies Expanded surface sampling and geophysics surveys Aircore or RC drilling to determine lithological structures especially ionic clays Preliminary metallurgical characterization to assess solvent extraction recovery pathways These programs are designed to progressively de-risk the asset while maintaining a disciplined, staged advancement strategy. Strategic Positioning Ameerex believes that the scale, continuity, and heavy rare earth composition of the Goias-Araxa-Catalao belt support engagement with industrial groups partners and institutional investment firms seeking long-term access to strategic rare earth supply and participation in the development of non-China critical-minerals production. About Patagonia Lithium Ltd Patagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX: PL3) is an exploration company with lithium brine projects in Argentina and a growing portfolio of mineral exploration concessions in Brazil, including rare earth and specialty metals such as Niobium. About Ameerex Corporation Ameerex Corporation is a U.S.-listed company advancing natural resource assets across critical minerals and energy through strategic partnerships and joint ventures. Investor Relations Ameerex Corporation - Doha, Qatar 3379 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 700 Atlanta, GA 30326 Email: info@ameerex.com Phone: +1 775-312-2773 Corporate Communications https://x.com/thehirucorp OTC Markets https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/HIRU SOURCE: Hiru Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/ameerex-confirms-major-heavy-rare-earth-mineralization-in-brazil-jv-a-1134476 Consistent quarterly interim dividend of INR 1.25 per share. BENGALURU, India, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonata Software (NSE: SONATSOFTW) (BSE: 532221), a leading Modernization Engineering Company, today reported its unaudited financial results for the Quarter ended December 31, 2025. in - Crores Description For the Quarter ended For the nine months ended 31-Dec-25 30-Sep-25 QoQ 31-Dec-24 YoY 31-Dec-25 31-Dec-24 YoY Revenues International IT Services 738.6 730.3 1.1 % 731.7 0.9 % 2168.8 2,127.4 1.9 % Domestic- Products & Services 2,345.9 1,391.3 68.6 % 2,111.1 11.1 % 6011.9 5,422.4 10.9 % Consolidated 3,080.6 2,119.3 45.4 % 2,842.8 8.4 % 8165.1 7,540.0 8.3 % EBITDA# International IT Services 144.0 126.3 14.0 % 107.1 34.5 % 386.2 364.8 5.9 % Domestic- Products & Services 56.2 46.5 20.9 % 56.4 -0.5 % 146.6 152.2 -3.6 % Consolidated 200.2 172.7 15.9 % 163.6 22.4 % 532.5 517.0 0.0 PAT before exceptional item^ International IT Services 80.4 78.0 3.0 % 56.9 41.2 % 229.1 184.3 24.3 % Domestic- Products & Services 47.1 42.2 11.6 % 48.1 -2.1 % 128.7 132.8 -3.1 % Consolidated 127.5 120.2 6.1 % 105.0 21.4 % 357.0 317.1 12.6 % PAT post exceptional item^ International IT Services 59.8 78.0 - 56.9 - 208.6 184.3 - Domestic- Products & Services 44.6 42.2 - 48.1 - 125.3 132.8 - Consolidated 104.4 120.2 - 105.0 - 333.9 317.1 - EBITDA (before Other Income & Fx, and exceptional item) ^ Pursuant to the notification of the new Labour Codes by the Government of India, Sonata recognised a one-time incremental expense towards past service costs for employee benefits. Accordingly, an exceptional item of ?31.3 crore was recorded during the quarter, comprising gratuity of ?23.3 crore and leave encashment of ?8.0 crore. Commenting on the Q3 performance, Mr. Samir Dhir, MD & CEO of Sonata Software, said: "International IT Services delivered steady progress during the quarter, with consolidated PAT improving significantly in the last two quarters. Following a 10% PAT growth in the previous quarter, we achieved a further 6.1% quarter-on-quarter growth in the current quarter. The business secured a large deal in the BFSI vertical with a Fortune 500 fintech client, reinforcing our strategy of driving growth through large deals backed by disciplined execution. Our continued strategic investments in Artificial Intelligence contributed approximately 14% of the overall order book for the quarter." Mr. Sujit Mohanty, MD & CEO of Sonata Information Technology Limited, added: "We delivered a seasonally strong quarter in our domestic business. Our three-pillar strategy to diversify the business is in motion, focused on building a scaled and resilient operating model. We remain confident that this strategic direction will drive a more diversified, scalable, and future-ready business." Financial Highlights for Q3'26: International IT Services: In USD terms, Q3'26 revenue stood at $82.3 million, growth of 0.4% QoQ and 0.3% in CC. In Rupee terms, Q3'26 revenue stood at ?738.6 crores, growth of 1.1% QoQ. EBITDA (before other income and forex) for Q3'26 stood at 19.5%, 220bps accretion QoQ. PAT before exceptional item for Q3'26 stood at ?80.4 crores, growth of 3.0% QoQ PAT post exceptional item for Q3'26 stood at ?59.8 crores. DSO stood at 71 days in Q3'26, compared to 68 days in Q2'26. ROCE stood at 18.7% in Q3'26, compared to 17.8% in Q2'26. RONW stood at 23.1% in Q3'26, compared to 22.6% in Q2'26. 3 new customers were added during the quarter. Domestic Products & Services: Revenue for Q3'26 stood at ?2,345.9 crores, growth of 68.6% QoQ. Gross contribution for Q3'26 stood at ?76.1 crores, growth of 10.8% QoQ. EBITDA (before other income and forex) for Q3'26 stood at ?56.2 crores, 20.9% QoQ. PAT before exceptional item for Q3'26 stood at ?47.1 crores, growth of 11.6% QoQ. PAT post exceptional item for Q3'26 stood at ?44.6 crores. DSO stood at 42 days in Q3'26, Same as compared to Q2'26. ROCE stood at 43.1% in Q3'26, compared to 43.8% in Q2'26. RONW stood at 41.8% in Q3'26, compared to 42.5% in Q2'26. Consolidated: Revenue for Q3'26 stood at ?3,080.6 crores, growth of 45.4% QoQ. EBITDA (before other income and forex) for Q3'26 stood at ?200.2 crores, growth of 15.9% QoQ. PAT before exceptional item for Q3'26 stood at ?127.5 crores, growth of 6.1% QoQ and 21.4% YoY. PAT post exceptional item for Q3'26 stood at ?104.4 crores. Cash and cash equivalents (gross) stood at INR 564 Crores. Cash and cash equivalents (net) stood at negative - 12 Crores. ROCE stood at 23.3% in Q3'26, compared to 22.1% in Q2'26. RONW stood at 27.7% in Q3'26, compared to 27.1% in Q2'26. The Company has declared its third interim dividend for the financial year at ?1.25 per share. This is in line with the commitment made during the Q1'26 earnings call to implement a quarterly interim dividend payout policy starting this year. About Sonata Software Limited In today's market, there is a unique duality in technology adoption. On one side, extreme focus on cost containment by clients, and on the other, deep motivation to modernize their Digital storefronts to attract more consumers and B2B customers. Sonata Software, with $1 Billion Revenue, is the leading AI-first Modernization Engineering company. Our unique Modernization approach through Platformation.AI helps create Efficient and Agile digital businesses to drive intelligent ecosystems of the future. Our bouquet of Modernization Engineering Services cuts across Data, Cloud, Dynamics, Automation, Cyber Security, and around newer technologies like Generative AI, Microsoft Fabric, and other modernization platforms. Our unique and innovative Responsible-first AI offering Sonata Harmoni.AI is a comprehensive platform powered by GenAI and encompasses a variety of industry solutions, service delivery platforms, and accelerators. It is distinguished by its embedded ethics, privacy, security, and compliance. We enable our clients to leverage AI in three different ways: i) driving efficiencies, ii) driving higher consumer experience/modern sales, and iii) driving innovative business models. We have launched bleeding edge Agentic AI offering - AgentBridge - that enables enterprises to usher in the era of intelligent, scalable AI-driven operations. Headquartered in Bengaluru, India, Sonata Software has a strong global presence, including key regions North America, UK, Europe, APAC, and ANZ. We are one of the fastest growing IT Services companies and a trusted partner of Fortune 500 companies in Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI); Healthcare and Lifesciences (HLS); Telecom, Media, and Technology (TMT); and Retail, Manufacturing and Distribution (RMD) space. Sonata Software boasts of a very strong partnership with Microsoft, AWS and many others. We are proud member of Microsoft AI Partner Council and have also achieved AWS Generative AI Competency. Also, we are member of the prestigious Inner Circle for Microsoft Business Applications and Featured and Launch Partner for Microsoft Fabric. About Sonata Information Technology Limited Sonata Information Technology Limited, our Domestic Business, partners with Indian enterprise customers in their digital transformation journeys. As a digital transformation partner, it helps enterprises adopt and scale cloud solutions, fostering innovation and growth. It also helps customers in managing & maintaining their Hybrid Cloud Platforms and related enterprise IT security environments. For more information, please visit https://www.sonata-software.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2681656/5338813/Sonata_Software_logo.jpg SOURCE Sonata Software Stack BTC Plc - Fundraise PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, February 06 Stack BTC Plc ("the Company") Fundraise Unless the context requires otherwise, words and expressions defined in the circular dated 21 November 2025 (" Circular"), have the same meanings when used in this announcement. Stack BTC Plc (STAK), the UK-listed company building a Bitcoin treasury for long-term shareholders, announces that it has completed a subscription raising gross proceeds of 6,000 at a price of 0.01 (1 pence) per share. The fundraise comprises a small equity participation by an investor whilst the Company continues to develop its strategy. As part of the fundraise, the Company will issue 600,000 warrants to the investor on the basis of one warrant for each New Ordinary share subscribed for under the Investment, with each warrant entitling the holder to subscribe for one new Ordinary Share pursuant to the terms of the relevant warrant instrument. The proceeds of the fundraise will provide additional working capital required for the Company's short-term requirements. The Company intends to raise further funds in due course. Shares in Issue and Total Voting Rights Application will be made for the New Ordinary shares to be admitted to trading on the Aquis Growth Market and Admission is expected to occur on 11 February 2026. Following Admission, the Company will have 20,600,000 ordinary shares in issue, each with one voting right. The Company does not hold any shares in treasury and therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company will be 20,600,000. Holdings in the Company The resultant disclosable shareholdings in the Company are, to the best of the Company's knowledge, as follows: Name Shareholding Percentage of Shareholding Paul Withers * 7,500,000 36.41% Kwasi Kwarteng * 2,500,000 12.14% Jai Patel * 1,250,000 6.07% Brendan Kearns * 350,000 1.70% Daniel Howe 2,500,000 12.14% David Galan 1,000,000 4.85% Ray Christopher 1,000,000 4.85% * Director of the Company Further information on the Company is available at https://www.stackbitcoin.co.uk/ . Kwasi Kwarteng, Executive Chairman of Stack commented: "This is merely a small step as we continue to develop our plans. We expect to make further announcements of progress in a relatively short timescale". For further information please contact: This Recognition Highlights Industry-Leading AI Technology That Is Redefining Truckload Planning and Operations JOLIET, IL / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / GP Transco today announced it has been named the 2026 Innovator of the Year by Commercial Carrier Journal, one of the trucking industry's most prestigious honors recognizing transformative technological leadership and impact. The award was presented at the 22nd annual CCJ Innovators Summit in Key Largo, Florida, where leading fleets and executives gathered to showcase pioneering solutions that are moving the industry forward. GP Transco was selected by CCJ editors for its groundbreaking application of artificial intelligence within its proprietary transportation management system OpenRoad TMS. GP Transco's advanced AI tools - including its HOS ETA/ETE Simulator and Loads and Drivers Recommender - optimize planning processes, significantly reduce manual workload, enhance driver-to-load matching, minimize wait times for drivers, and significantly enhancing the service provided to GP Transco's customers. These innovations automate as much as 95% of load entries through intelligent data robots and EDI, streamlining operations and improving customer outcomes. "We are deeply honored to receive CCJ's Innovator of the Year distinction," said Dominic Zastarskis, CEO of GP Transco. "This recognition underscores our team's relentless commitment to innovation and the intelligent application of technology that supports our people, elevates service, and strengthens performance in a highly competitive market." GP Transco's recognition places it among a distinguished class of industry innovators highlighted throughout the past year, alongside other fleets recognized for pushing the boundaries of technology and operational excellence. This award follows GP Transco's continued success in leveraging technology to enhance driver satisfaction, safety, and fleet efficiency while upholding its mission of providing reliable and customer-centric transportation solutions. About GP Transco Founded in 2006 with a commitment to integrity, innovation, and service excellence, GP Transco has grown into one of the nation's most forward-thinking carriers. From cutting-edge AI-driven planning tools to driver-centric operations, GP Transco continues to redefine what's possible in modern logistics. Contact Information: Sergey Bort VP of MARCOM & Digital Strategy GP Transco pr@gptransco.com | (800) 460-5071 SOURCE: GP Transco View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/transportation/gp-transco-named-2026-ccj-innovator-of-the-year-1134487 New facility will enable end-to-end discovery across key disease areas and technology platforms, joining existing global research sites including Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Basel, Switzerland Approximately 466,000-square-foot site withAI-enabled discovery capabilities, expected to house about 1,000 employees Part of a USD 23 billion US investment to expand R&D and advanced manufacturing to reach more patients Basel, February 6, 2026 - Novartis today broke ground on a new, state-of-the-art global Biomedical Research center in San Diego, California, designed to provide world-class scientific infrastructure and drug-discovery capabilities to advance the company's pipeline for patients. Once operational in 2029, the approximately 466,000-square-foot facility is expected to house about 1,000 Novartis employees and integrate seamlessly with Novartis global research sites including Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Basel, Switzerland, enabling integrated discovery efforts across regions. "This new research center will strengthen our scientific leadership and accelerate the discovery of transformative medicines for patients worldwide, while deepening our connectivity with biotech, academic and technology partners across the region," said Fiona Marshall, President of Biomedical Research at Novartis. "Designed to power future drug discovery, with a focus on genetics and human biology in key therapeutic areas such as neuroscience and oncology, it will create a single Novartis research center within one of the world's premier life sciences ecosystems-accelerating our pipeline from discovery to patients." Government leaders and community partners joined Novartis employees in San Diego to mark the start of construction at the groundbreaking ceremony. "This investment by Novartis reinforces San Diego as a place where breakthrough science happens and where innovation translates into high-quality jobs and life-changing medicines," said Todd Gloria, San Diego Mayor. "San Diego is a global leader in life sciences because we bring together world-class talent, cutting-edge research and a collaborative ecosystem that turns discovery into impact. We're proud to welcome this new research center and to continue building an economy rooted in innovation and results." The new facility builds on more than 25 years of Novartis research and development in San Diego and will support end-to-end drug discovery across core disease areas, including neuroscience, global health, oncology and age-related diseases and regenerative medicine. It will also expand the company's capabilities in next-generation technology platforms, such as gene and cell therapies, RNA-based therapies, biologics and targeted protein degradation, and will advance novel delivery systems that open new therapeutic possibilities. Novartis Media Relations E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com Novartis Investor Relations Central investor relations line: +41 61 324 7944 E-mail: investor.relations@novartis.com "Rooted in a strong legacy of innovation in San Diego and California, we are inspired to shape the future-driving new breakthroughs that will transform care for millions of patients worldwide," said Thierry Diagana, California Sites Head and Global Head of Global Health, Biomedical Research, Novartis.With advanced artificial intelligence, data and computational capabilities embedded throughout, the facility will be a key part of the global Novartis Biomedical Research network, helping share insights, scale innovation, and deliver meaningful breakthroughs for patients worldwide.The San Diego research facility is a key pillar of the company's USD 23 billion US investment. This includes a new flagship manufacturing hub in North Carolina; the opening of a radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facility in Carlsbad, California; investments to expand existing facilities in Indiana and New Jersey; and plans to build new RLT manufacturing facilities in Florida and Texas.This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "may," "could," "would," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved products described in this press release; or regarding potential future revenues from such products; or regarding discussions of strategy, plans, expectations or intentions, including discussions regarding our continued investment into new US R&D or manufacturing capabilities. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. Neither can there be any guarantee that the expected benefits from the plans and investments described in this press release will be achieved in the expected timeframe, or at all. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures and requirements for increased pricing transparency; our ability to obtain or maintain proprietary intellectual property protection; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; general political, economic and business conditions, including the effects of and efforts to mitigate pandemic diseases; safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.Novartis is an innovative medicines company. Every day, we work to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people's lives so that patients, healthcare professionals and societies are empowered in the face of serious disease. Our medicines reach more than 300 million people worldwide.Reimagine medicine with us: Visit us atand connect with us onand# # # Press release Paris, 6 February 2026 - 6:00 pm Estimated 2025 revenues of 75.5 million ROUGIER SA (ALRGR, code ISIN FR0000037640), a century-old leader in responsible African timber, releases its estimated revenues for the 2025 financial year. Business performance in 2025 ROUGIER SA's estimated consolidated revenues amounted to 75.5 million, down (20.5)% compared with 2024. This change reflects weaker global demand and low price levels , as well as exogenous factors that significantly affected the operations of certain Group subsidiaries. In Gabon, revenues declined by (23.5)%, reflecting a temporary suspension of activities that took place within a strict regulatory framework, which has now been fully lifted. This interruption had a similar impact on both forestry and industrial production. Since December, operations have returned to normal operating levels. In the Republic of Congo, revenues decreased by (38.1)%, due to several successive production shutdowns totaling 82 cumulative days over the year, amid a nationwide diesel fuel shortage affecting all operators in the country. The end of the second half nevertheless saw a gradual return to normal operating conditions. Trading sales carried out by Rougier Afrique International remained at a satisfactory level, supported by the expansion of the panel products range, as well as by the development of an international trading activity for sawn timber. This activity is based on direct sourcing of certified logs from the Group's forest concessions and from certified industrial partners, serving customers with high requirements in terms of traceability and product quality. Revenues breakdown by product Consolidated data 2025* 2024 Change M % revenues M % revenues Logs 27.9 37.0% 37.1 39.1% (24.8)% Sawn timber and derivatives 20.3 26.9% 30.2 31.8% (32.8)% Panels and derivatives 27.2 36.0% 27.7 29.2% (1.8)% Other 0.1 0.1% 0.0 0.0% 0.0% Group full-year revenues 75.5 95 (20.5)% * Unaudited data Strengthened positioning in 2025 Despite an unfavorable environment, ROUGIER preserved the strength of its fundamentals and its positioning in international markets. The certification of its Congolese subsidiary under FSC standards in September 2025 marked a key milestone: the Group is now 100% FSC certified across all its forestry and industrial operations in Africa. This certification ensures ROUGIER's full compliance with the requirements of the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), applicable since the end of 2025, and strengthens its commercial attractiveness among partners by securing market outlets, enhancing the value of its production and supporting the development of its most profitable activities. Outlook In the short term, amid ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, ROUGIER is gradually restoring its level of activity to that prevailing prior to the exogenous impacts experienced in 2025. ROUGIER continues to pursue its sustainable development strategy focused on the responsible and certified management of natural forests in Gabon and the Republic of Congo, industrial processing, and the marketing of certified African tropical timber in international markets with high sustainability requirements. Driven by its environmental commitments, ROUGIER remains a leading player in the timber sector, making a lasting contribution to the economic and social development of Central African nations. Next event: 2025 annual results, 30 April 2026 after close of trading. About ROUGIER Founded in 1923, ROUGIER is a market leader for certified African timber. Operating in Central Africa (Gabon and the Republic of Congo), ROUGIER is involved in the management of 100% responsible natural forests, certified with independent international labels, as well as industrial processing and international trade. ISIN: FR0000037640 - ALRGR www.rougier.fr Contact Cyril Combe rougier@actus.fr Tel: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 36 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: ymydaZ1mZWnKmp6fap5oZ5RjaG9jyJHKaZfHmpRsaJqVmnFoxZmSmZybZnJnmWxq - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-96474-rougier_communique_chiffre-d_affaires-2025-_ve.pdf Regulatory News: WINAMP GROUP SA Public limited liability company Registered office: Lennik Road 451, 1070 Brussels, Belgium RPM BCE: 0473.699.203 Shareholders are invited to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting of Winamp Group SA (Paris: ALWIN) (Brussels: ALWIN), which will be held on February 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the registered address of the company. AGENDA AND DRAFT RESOLUTIONS 1. Capital increase through contributions in kind of receivables Agenda (i) Approval of the special report of the board of directors drawn up in accordance with Articles 7:179, 1, paragraph 1 in conjunction with 7:197, 1, paragraph 1 of the Code of Companies and Associations which, on the one hand, justifies the issue price and describes the consequences of the operation on the economic rights and voting rights of the shareholders and, on the other hand, sets out the benefit to the Company of the contributions in kind and the proposed capital increase and the reasons why it may deviate from the conclusions of the auditor's report. (ii) Taking note of the special report of the statutory auditor, examining the description of contributions in kind, the valuation adopted and the methods of valuation applied and assessing whether the financial and accounting data contained in the report of the administrative body are accurate and sufficient, drawn up in application of articles 7: 179, 1, second paragraph juncto 7:197, 1, second paragraph of the Code of Companies and Associations. (iii) Proposal for approval of contributions in kind of receivables. (iv) Remuneration for contributions in kind in the form of new shares of the Company. (v) Approval of the capital increase. (vi) Appearance and declarations (vii) Confirmation of the effective completion of contributions and the increase in capital. (viii) Amendment to Article 5 of the statutes. (x) Powers. Proposed decisions First resolution: Capital increase through contributions in kind of receivables (i) Approval of the special report of the board of directors drawn up in accordance with Articles 7: 179, 1, paragraph 1 in conjunction with 7:197, 1, paragraph 1 of the Companies and Associations Code Unanimously and after examination, the extraordinary general meeting approves the special report of the board of directors drawn up in accordance with Articles 7:179, 1, paragraph 1 in conjunction with 7:197, 1, paragraph 1 of the Companies and Associations Code, which, on the one hand, justifies the issue price and describes the consequences of the operation on the economic rights and voting rights of the shareholders and, on the other hand, sets out the benefit to the Company of the contributions in kind and the proposed capital increase and the reasons why it may deviate from the conclusions of the auditor's report. Each shareholder present at this extraordinary general meeting acknowledges having received a copy of this report and having read it. A copy of this report will be filed with the registry of the Brussels Commercial Court at the same time as a copy of these minutes. (ii) Acknowledgment of the special report of the Statutory auditor drawn up in accordance with Articles 7: 179, 1, second paragraph, in conjunction with 7:197, 1, second paragraph, of the Companies and Associations Code The extraordinary general meeting also takes note of and acknowledges the special report of the auditor examining the description of contributions in kind, the valuation adopted and the methods of valuation applied and assessing whether the financial and accounting data contained in the report of the administrative body are accurate and sufficient, drawn up in application of Articles 7: 179, 1, second paragraph and 7:197, 1, second paragraph of the Code of Companies and Associations. Each shareholder acknowledges having received a copy of this report and having read it. A copy of this report will be filed with the registry of the Brussels Commercial Court at the same time as a copy of these minutes. (iii) Proposal for approval of contributions in kind of receivables The extraordinary general meeting unanimously decided to approve the contributions in kind to the Company, effective as of today's date, by: MAXXIMUM GROUP SRL, a limited liability company under Belgian law, whose registered office is located at Avenue Fraiteur 15-23, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, registered in Belgium under number 0474.446.202 the Contributor 1"), of the certain, liquid and due receivables that it holds against the Company up to a total amount of EUR 450,654.19, as follows: of an amount of EUR 250,000, plus interest in the amount of EUR 654.19 (the Contributed Claim 1 " or the Contribution in Kind 1 ") arising from a loan of EUR 250,000 under a loan agreement entered into between the Company and the Contributor on December 17, 2025 (the "Loan Agreement 1") and; of an amount of EUR 200,000 (the Contributed Claim 2 " or the Contribution in Kind 2 ") corresponding to unpaid invoices relating to management services provided by Contributor 1 under a management contract concluded between the Company and Contributor 1 (the "Management Contract"), these services being related to the services rendered by Mr. Alexandre Saboundjian MAXXIMUM SRL, a Belgian limited liability company with its registered office at Avenue Fraiteur 15-23, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, registered under number 0477.832.193 (the Contributor 2"), has certain, liquid, and due receivables that it holds against the Company in the total amount of EUR 498,712.76 (the "Contributed Receipt 3" or the "Contribution in Kind 3"). This receivable arises from a loan granted to the Company for a principal amount of EUR 492,515, plus interest of EUR 6,197.76, under a loan agreement entered into between the Company and Contributor 2 (the "Loan Agreement 2"). This loan is part of the structured financing mechanism put in place between the Company and Contributor 2 in 2025, which provides for the provision to the Company of advances corresponding to 90% of the net proceeds from the sale of shares made by Contributor 2, as well as their subsequent conversion into capital by way of contribution in kind of debt. These contributions in kind of receivables for a total amount of EUR 949,366.95 are made under the conditions set out in the reports of the board of directors and the auditor mentioned above, which all members of the assembly declare to have full knowledge of. (iv) Remuneration for contributions in kind in new shares of the Company In consideration of the contributions in kind of receivables, the general meeting unanimously decides to issue 2,411,048 new shares, without nominal value, identical to the existing shares, giving the same right to vote at the general meeting (without prejudice to the double voting right conferred on shares fulfilling the conditions referred to in Article 11 of the articles of association) and participating in the profits from the financial year beginning on January 1, 2026. These new shares are distributed as follows: 984,641 new shares are allocated to Contributor 1 for the Contribution in Kind 1" 785,657 new shares are allocated to Contributor 1 for the Contribution in Kind 2" 640,759 new shares are allocated to Contributor 2 for the Contribution in Kind 3" The Company will apply for the admission of the new shares to trading on the Euronext Growth Brussels and Euronext Growth Paris. (v) Approval of the capital increase The extraordinary general meeting unanimously decided to increase the capital by an amount of EUR 949,366.95 consequently increasing the Company's capital from EUR 32,609,119.14 to EUR 33,558,486.09. (vi) Appearance and declarations And on the day of the act, the following parties appeared: MAXXIMUM GROUP SRL, named [name] which, having heard all the foregoing and acknowledged having knowledge of the articles of association of the Company and the financial situation of the Company, as well as the approximate amount of the costs, expenses, remuneration and charges, in any form whatsoever, charged to the Company in respect of all the foregoing, has declared to Us that it is contributing in kind to the Company the certain, liquid and due receivables that it holds against the Company up to a total amount of EUR 450,654.19, as follows: of an amount of EUR 250,000, plus interest in the amount of EUR 654.19 (the Contributed Claim 1 " or the Contribution in Kind 1 ") arising from a loan of EUR 250,000 under a loan agreement entered into between the Company and the Contributor on December 17, 2025 (the "Loan Agreement 1") and; of an amount of EUR 200,000 (the Contributed Claim 2 " or the Contribution in Kind 2 ") corresponding to unpaid invoices relating to management services provided by Contributor 1 under a management contract concluded between the Company and Contributor 1 (the "Management Contract"), these services being related to the services rendered by Mr. Alexandre Saboundjian. In consideration for this contribution, 1,770,298 new shares, fully paid up, are allocated to him, enjoying the same rights and benefits without nominal value, identical to the existing shares, giving the same right to vote at the general meeting (without prejudice to the double voting right conferred on shares fulfilling the conditions referred to in Article 11 of the articles of association) and participating in the profits from the financial year beginning on January 1, 2026. MAXXIMUM SRL, the aforementioned party, having read aloud all of the foregoing and acknowledged having knowledge of the Company's articles of association and financial situation, as well as the approximate amount of fees, expenses, remuneration, and charges of any kind whatsoever charged to the Company in respect of all of the foregoing, has declared to Us that it is contributing in kind to the Company certain, liquid, and due receivables it holds against the Company arising from a total amount of EUR 498,712.76 (the "Contributed Receipt 3" or the "Contribution in Kind 3"). This receivable arises from a loan granted to the Company for a principal amount of EUR 492,515, plus interest in the amount of EUR 6,197.76, pursuant to a loan agreement entered into between the Company and the Contributor 2 (the "Loan Agreement 2"). This loan is part of the structured financing mechanism put in place between the Company and Contributor 2 in 2025, which provides for the provision to the Company of advances corresponding to 90% of the net proceeds from the sale of shares made by Contributor 2, as well as their subsequent conversion into capital by way of contribution in kind of debt. In consideration for this contribution, 640,750 new shares, fully paid up, are allocated to him, enjoying the same rights and benefits without nominal value, identical to the existing shares, giving the same right to vote at the general meeting (without prejudice to the double voting right conferred on shares fulfilling the conditions referred to in Article 11 of the articles of association) and participating in the profits from the financial year beginning on January 1, 2026. (vii) Confirmation of the effective completion of contributions in kind and the capital increase The extraordinary general meeting unanimously noted that the contributions in kind provided for in the agenda had indeed been made and that the company's capital was consequently increased by nine hundred forty-nine thousand three hundred sixty-six euros and ninety-five cents (949,366.95), raising it from thirty-two million six hundred nine thousand one hundred nineteen euros and fourteen cents (32,609,119.14) to thirty-three million five hundred fifty-eight thousand four hundred eighty-six euros and nine cents (33,558,486.09), through the creation of two million four hundred eleven thousand forty-eight (2,411,048) new shares, without par value designation, identical to the existing shares, entitling holders to the same voting rights at the general meeting (without prejudice to the double voting rights conferred on shares meeting the conditions set out in Article 11 of the articles of association) and participating in profits from the financial year beginning on January 1, 2026. (viii) Amendment to Article 5 of the statutes In order to bring the statutes into line with the resolutions adopted, the extraordinary general meeting unanimously decided to replace article 5 of the statutes with the following text: Article 5 Capital The capital is fixed at the sum of thirty-three million five hundred fifty-eight thousand four hundred eightysix euros nine cents (33,558,486.09), represented by twenty-four million four hundred sixty-five thousand one (24,465,001) shares, without designation of nominal value, each representing one twentyfour million four hundred sixty-five thousand first (1/24,465,001) of the capital. (ix) Delegation of powers The Board of Directors unanimously decided to grant Mr. Alexandre Saboundjian and Mr. Olivier Van Gulck each acting individually, and with the power of sub-delegation and substitution, full authority to undertake all steps that may be useful or necessary with the competent regulatory authorities, Euronext Growth Brussels, Euronext Growth Paris and Euroclear. Belgium in connection with the admission to trading of the new shares on the Euronext Growth Brussels and Euronext Growth Paris markets. The Extraordinary General Meeting unanimously decides to grant full powers to the undersigned Notary to carry out all legal formalities related to this deed and to prepare and file a coordinated version of the statutes. 2. Issuance of subscription rights Agenda (i) Examination of the special report of the Board of Directors drawn up in accordance with Articles 7:180 in conjunction with 7:179, 7:191 and 7:193 of the Belgian Code of Companies and Associations relating to the issuance of 1,000,000 subscription rights in favor of Patronale Life SA, a public limited liability company incorporated and governed by Belgian law, having its registered office at Bischoffsheimlaan 33, 1000 Brussels (Belgium), and registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0415.120.705 (as the legal successor of Patronale Life SA, a public limited liability company incorporated and governed by Belgian law, having its registered office at Bischoffsheimlaan 33, 1000 Brussels (Belgium), and registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0403.288.089), until its dissolution without liquidation in the context of a merger decided on June 6 2023) ("Patronale"); (ii) Examination of the special report of the statutory auditor established in accordance with articles 7: 180 juncto 7:179, 7:191 and 7:193 of the Code of Companies and Associations relating to the issuance of 1,000,000 subscription rights in favour of Patronale; (iii) Issuance and granting of 1,000,000 subscription rights in favor of Patronale, and decision on a possible resulting deferred capital increase, with the elimination, in the interest of the company, of the preferential rights of the company's existing shareholders; (iv) Powers to be conferred on an administrator and Mr. Olivier Van Gulck CFO, each acting alone and with the right of substitution, for administrative formalities and to authentically record the exercise of subscription rights, the corresponding increase in the company's capital and the number of new shares issued in return as well as the resulting amendments to the articles of association. Proposed decisions Second resolution: Issuance of subscription rights (i) Review of special reports Each shareholder acknowledges having had the opportunity to review the following reports: of the special report of the board of directors drawn up in accordance with Articles 7:180 in conjunction with 7:179, 7:191 and 7:193 of the Belgian Code of Companies and Associations relating to the issuance of 1,000,000 subscription rights in favor of Patronale Life SA, a public limited liability company incorporated and governed by Belgian law, having its registered office at Bischoffsheimlaan 33, 1000 Brussels (Belgium), and registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0415.120.705 (as the legal successor of Patronale Life SA, a public limited liability company incorporated and governed by Belgian law, having its registered office at Bischoffsheimlaan 33, 1000 Brussels (Belgium), and registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0403.288.089, until its dissolution without liquidation in the context of a merger decided on June 6 2023) ("Patronale"); of the special report of the statutory auditor established in accordance with articles 7:180 juncto 7:179, 7:191 and 7:193 of the Code of Companies and Associations relating to the issuance of 1,000,000 subscription rights in favour of Patronale. A copy of these reports will be filed with the registry of the Brussels Commercial Court at the same time as a copy of this document. (ii) Issuance of subscription rights The general meeting resolves to issue, under the conditions set forth in the aforementioned report of the board of directors, 1,000,000 subscription rights to Patronale, enabling it to subscribe, at a later date and subject to certain conditions, to 1,000,000 new shares of the company, identical to the existing shares, carrying the rights conferred upon them by the articles of association, and which will participate in the dividends declared after the date of exercise of the subscription rights. To this end, the general meeting resolves to eliminate, in the company's interest, the preferential rights of the existing shareholders of the company. to subscribe to said subscription rights (and to newly issued shares in the event of exercise of subscription rights). Allocation and acceptance of subscription rights The general meeting decides that 1,000,000 subscription rights are allocated free of charge to Patronale, represented as stated above, which immediately and expressly accepts this allocation in its entirety. Terms and conditions of capital increases The general meeting decides to increase the company's capital, in one or more installments, subject to the condition precedent of the exercise of subscription rights, and this up to the number of subscription rights exercised multiplied by their exercise price (0.288 per subscription right). Any potential capital increases will result in the issuance of a maximum of 1,000,000 new shares for Patronale. Following the issuance of the shares subscribed for after the exercise of subscription rights, the Company will take the necessary steps to ensure that these shares are admitted to trading on Euronext Growth Brussels and Euronext Growth Paris as quickly as possible. (iii) Powers The general meeting empowers each director and Mr. Olivier Van Gulck CFO, each to act alone and with the right of substitution, to establish, complete, date and sign the register of subscription rights of the company. The general meeting empowers each director and Mr. Olivier Van Gulck CFO, each able to act alone and with the right of substitution, to authentically record the exercise of subscription rights, the corresponding increase in the company's capital and the number of new shares issued in return, as well as the resulting amendments to the articles of association. 3. Resignation of an administrator Agenda Confirmation of the resignation of Mr. Xavier Faure Proposed decision Third resolution: Acknowledgment of the resignation of Mr. Xavier Faure The Extraordinary General Meeting acknowledges the resignation of Mr. Xavier Faure from his position as director, effective as of the date of this Extraordinary General Meeting. The General Assembly thanks Mr. Xavier Faure for the exercise of his mandate and gives him provisional discharge for the exercise of his mandate during the current financial year and undertakes that the final discharge will be given to him at the next ordinary general meeting. 4. Appointment of an administrator Agenda Appointment of Mr. Joannes van de Kimmenade as a director of the Company Proposed decision Fourth resolution: Appointment of an administrator The Extraordinary General Meeting decides to appoint Mr. Joannes van de Kimmenade as a director of the Company, with immediate effect. His term of office will end at the next ordinary general meeting called to decide on the approval of the annual accounts for the financial year ending December 31, 2024, unless the said general meeting decides otherwise. Pursuant to Article 13 of the Law of 4 May 2023 relating to the Central Register of Management Bans, the parties appearing declare that no conviction resulting in a ban similar to one of the bans listed in Article 6 of the aforementioned Law has been pronounced by a court of a Member State of the European Economic Area against the person named above. 5. Proposed amendment to Article 12 of the statutes Agenda Amendment to Article 12 of the statutes to provide for the possibility of co-opting a director Proposed decision Fifth resolution: Amendment to Article 12 of the statutes The extraordinary general meeting takes note of the provisions of Article 7:88 1, of the Companies and Associations Code, which states that: "In the event of a vacancy on the board of directors, the remaining directors have the right to co-opt a new director, unless the articles of association prohibit it. The first general meeting that follows must confirm the appointment of the co-opted director; if confirmed, the co-opted director completes the term of their predecessor, unless the general meeting decides otherwise. If not confirmed, the term of the co-opted director ends after the general meeting, without prejudice to the regularity of the composition of the board of directors up to that date." The extraordinary general meeting unanimously decided to expressly incorporate this provision into the company's articles of association, in order to ensure their compliance with the Companies and Associations Code and consequently to replace article 12 of the statutes with the following text: Article 12 Composition of the Board of Directors "The company is administered by a board of directors composed of at least three (3) members, shareholders or not, natural persons or legal persons. The term of office for directors may not exceed six (6) years. Outgoing directors are eligible for reelection. Directors whose term has expired remain in office until the general meeting, for whatever reason, appoints a replacement. The directors can be removed at any time by the general meeting. In the event of a vacancy on the Board of Directors, the remaining directors have the right to co-opt a new director. The first general meeting following the appointment must confirm the co-opted director's term. If confirmed, the co-opted director completes the term of their predecessor, unless the general meeting decides otherwise. If not confirmed, the co-opted director's term ends after the general meeting, without affecting the validity of the Board's composition up to that date. The board of directors may elect a president from among its members." Quorum and majority requirements To be validly adopted, the proposals included under points 1, 2 and 5 of the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting require a quorum of attendance representing at least half of the capital and the decisions will be taken by a majority of three-quarters (75%) of the votes present or represented at the Extraordinary General Meeting. In accordance with Article 7:153 of the Belgian Code of Companies and Associations, no quorum is required for this second meeting convened with the same agenda. Indeed, given that the extraordinary general meeting held on February 6, 2026, could not validly deliberate on its first call due to a lack of quorum representing at least half of the share capital, this new extraordinary general meeting of February 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (Belgian time) may validly deliberate on the same matters, regardless of the share of capital represented. The proposals included under items 3 and 4 of the agenda do not require a quorum of attendance and are adopted by a simple majority of votes present or represented. Participation formalities To attend the Extraordinary General Meeting, shareholders are invited to comply with the following provisions: In accordance with Article 25, paragraph 1 , of the Company's Articles of Association, registered shareholders who wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting or be represented there must inform the Board of Directors no later than five (5) working days before the date of the Meeting , by email to the following address: legal@winamp.com , of the Company's Articles of Association, registered shareholders who wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting or be represented there must inform the Board of Directors , by email to the following address: In accordance with Article 25, paragraph 2 , of the Company's Articles of Association, owners of dematerialized shares who wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting or be represented there must, no later than five (5) working days before the date of the Meeting , deposit at the Company's registered office or send by email to legal@winamp.com a certificate issued by their authorized account holder certifying the number of dematerialized shares unavailable until the close of the Meeting. , of the Company's Articles of Association, owners of dematerialized shares who wish to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting or be represented there must, , deposit at the Company's registered office or send by email to a certificate issued by their authorized account holder certifying the number of dematerialized shares unavailable until the close of the Meeting. Individuals participating in the Assembly as holders of securities, agents, or representatives of legal entities must be able to provide proof of identity. Representatives of legal entities must produce documents establishing their status. Participants are asked to arrive at the meeting 30 minutes before the scheduled time to complete the registration formalities. to complete the registration formalities. Each shareholder may be represented at the General Meeting by a proxy. Proxies, drawn up in accordance with the model prescribed by the Company, must be received at the Company's registered office or sent by email to legal@winamp.comno later than five (5) working days before the date of the Assembly , it being understood that the signed originals must be handed over to the office of the Assembly before the opening of the Assembly. In accordance with Article 25, last paragraph , of the Company's statutes, holders of convertible bonds or subscription rights may attend the Extraordinary General Meeting with consultative vote only , provided that they have complied with the aforementioned admission formalities. Shareholders' right to ask questions In accordance with Article 7: 139 of the Companies and Associations Code , shareholders may submit their questions in writing to the directors and/or the auditor before the Extraordinary General Meeting These questions must be sent no later than five (5) business days before the date of the Meeting by email to legal@winamp.com. Questions will only be considered if the shareholder has complied with all the formalities for admission to the Meeting. Documents available All documents relating to the Extraordinary General Meeting which the law requires to be made available to shareholders can be consulted on the Company's website at the following address: https://llama-group.com/investors/documentation/from the date of publication of the notice of meeting. A copy of these documents will also be sent by email to shareholders who have completed the admission formalities no later than seven (7) days before the date of the Extraordinary General Meeting For the Board of Directors Alexandre Saboundjian Managing Director View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206954849/en/ Contacts: Winamp Group SA Regulatory News: Winamp Group SA (Paris: ALWIN) (Brussels: ALWIN) informs the market that the Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders held on 6 February 20261 was unable to validly deliberate, as the legally required quorum was not reached. Consequently, none of the proposed resolutions could be adopted. A second Extraordinary General Meeting, convened with the same agenda, will be able to validly deliberate regardless of the number of shares present or represented. It will be held on 23 February 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Company's registered office. Information relating to shareholding structure and regulatory framework Following the capital increase carried out on 9 January 2026, Maxximum SRL holds 47.38% of the share capital of Winamp Group SA. Subject to the adoption of item 1 on the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting of 23 February 2026, the combined indirect shareholding held by Maxximum SRL and Maxximum Group SRL, both controlled by Mr Alexandre Saboundjian, would temporarily reach 52.57% of the Company's share capital. In accordance with Article 57/2, 1 of the Royal Decree of 27 April 2007 on public takeover bids (as amended), companies whose securities are admitted to trading on Euronext Growth are subject to a mandatory takeover bid threshold set at 50% of the voting rights. The Company specifies that Article 52, 1, 7 of the same Royal Decree provides for an exemption in the event of a temporary threshold crossing between 50% and 52%, subject to strict conditions being met. In this context, and in order to ensure strict compliance with the applicable regulations, Mr Alexandre Saboundjian will proceed, prior to the next Extraordinary General Meeting, in a gradual, orderly and linear manner, with the sale of a limited number of shares representing approximately 0.57% of the Company's share capital, with the sole objective of reducing his indirect shareholding below the 52% threshold. Furthermore, subject to the adoption of item 1 on the agenda of the Extraordinary General Meeting of 23 February 2026, Mr Alexandre Saboundjian will have a period of twelve (12) months from such adoption to reduce his indirect shareholding below the 50% threshold, in accordance with the applicable legal and regulatory framework. These disposals are of a strictly technical nature and in no way reflect any intention to disengage. The reference shareholder reaffirms his long-term commitment to the Company and its strategy. Next Meeting February 23, 2026 Extraordinary General Meeting About Winamp Group Winamp Group is a pioneering and leading company in the digital music industry. With extensive expertise spanning multiple business areas, the Group owns the iconic Winamp platform, the copyright management company Bridger, and the music licensing company Jamendo. Winamp Group aims to build the future of the music industry by making sustained investments in innovative solutions, as well as in the talent and skills of people who love music. The Group upholds the core values of its brands: empowerment, access, simplicity and fairness. Winamp envisions a world where artists and their fans are more connected than ever through a cutting-edge music platform. Bridger's mission is to support songwriters by offering a simple and innovative solution to collect their rights. Jamendo enables independent artists to generate additional revenues through commercial licensing. Finally, Hotmix offers a bouquet of more than sixty free thematic digital radio stations. About Winamp www.winamp.com Winamp redefines the music experience by creating an innovative platform that strengthens the connection between artists and their fans. We provide powerful tools that enable creators to manage their music, grow their audience and maximize their revenues, while delivering a seamless listening experience through the Winamp Player. Winamp for Creators is our dedicated platform, designed to give music artists everything they need to succeed. From monetization tools to music management services, it brings together essential resources that empower creators to take control of their careers. About Hotmix Radio Hotmix offers a selection of over 60 personalized music stations, accessible via www.hotmixradio.com and the Hotmix mobile applications. Designed for true music lovers, Hotmix delivers an authentic and transparent listening experience, perfectly tailored to your mood, atmosphere and daily rhythm-whether at home, on the go, dining with friends or working out. Crafted with passion by our best human programmers, each stream is carefully curated to deliver music that resonates. Choose your Hotmix. Click and listen! About Jamendo www.jamendo.com Jamendo's mission is to connect musicians and music lovers around the world. Our goal is to bring together a global independent music community by creating a unique experience and generating value around it. Jamendo provides the ideal platform for independent artists to share their creations as easily as possible, while reaching new audiences internationally. About Bridger www.bridgermusic.io Bridger is committed to supporting songwriters by offering innovative solutions for copyright collection. Designed as an intuitive and easy-to-use copyright management platform, Bridger enables songwriters to register their musical works in just a few minutes and unlock additional revenue streams beyond their digital distributor. ______________________________ 1 https://www.llama-group.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/winamp-group-convening-notice-age-20260206-eng.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206989718/en/ Contacts: Investors Relations Olivier Van Gulck investors@llama-group.com Court Orders End All Claims Against the Tuckers; Only Their Affirmative Claims Remain PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / Jason Tucker and Melissa Tucker confirmed that the United States District Court for the District of Arizona has dismissed, with prejudice, Labor Smart, Inc.'s remaining claims against them, including claims for breach of fiduciary duty and conversion, following discovery. While Labor Smart and its principals accused Jason Tucker of failing to file Labor Smart paperwork and misappropriating funds, the claims were not substantiated by any personal knowledge or documentary evidence. No claims remain pending against Jason Tucker or Melissa Tucker. The Tuckers will seek recovery of their attorneys' fees and costs relating to the dismissed claims. What remains in the Arizona litigation are the Tuckers' affirmative claims against Labor Smart (now Kultura Brands, Inc.) and other third-party defendants, including Takeover Industries, Inc., Next Gen Beverages, LLC, Tom Zarro, Michael Holley, Toby McBride, and Joseph Pavlik. The Tuckers' claims against those defendants include breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent transfer, defamation, and related claims. Several matters are currently pending before the Court for decision on the evidentiary record, and the Tuckers have sought a trial on the amounts of damages owed. The Tuckers issue this statement in an attempt to correct the public record, as allegations that have now been dismissed were widely repeated online. The relevant court orders and filings speak for themselves. Court Order is available here: Court Order About the Parties Labor Smart, Inc. (now Kultura Brands, Inc.), a company quoted on OTC Markets and headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming, has described itself as a diversified consumer beverage and brand platform. In public releases, the company has promoted Lock'dIn (lockdin.com), Elevate Health & Wellness, Thirst Responder Hydrogen Water (thirstresponder.com), and Adios Spirits (adiosspirits.com). Kultura Brands has also highlighted relationships involving Cookies (cookies.co) and a publicly traded pharmaceutical services company, Cencora Inc., and has stated that Manny Pacquiao serves on its board. Jason Tucker is an intellectual property and brand growth strategist specializing in IP enforcement and brand-protection. He previously served as a board member and director of Labor Smart, Inc. and as an executive of Takeover Industries, where he led national retail expansion and high-profile beverage product launches covered by trade and mainstream press, and received two best new beverage product awards for that company. Melissa Tucker is an operations, marketing, and SEO expert whose company provided contracted marketing services to a Labor Smart-affiliated subsidiary, including leadership of digital and brand initiatives, management of related assets, and execution of national marketing initiatives. Battleship Stance, Inc. is an intellectual property, brand-protection, and legal services firm founded by Jason Tucker. The firm is issuing this public-record update regarding the litigation to address reputational harm to Jason Tucker arising from allegations dismissed with prejudice and other public statements at issue. The firm is not a party to the case. Media Contact Media Representative publicrecord.ltnc@gmail.com SOURCE: Battleship Stance Inc. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/court-dismisses-all-claims-against-jason-tucker-and-melissa-tuck-1134403 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Renegade Gold Inc. (TSXV: RAGE) (OTCQB: RENGF) (FSE: 070) ("Renegade" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a significant expansion of its Red Lake exploration footprint, centered within the Company's Confederation Project, through the acquisition of additional claims and strategic claim staking in the Red Lake Mining District, Ontario (Figure 1). The Company has entered into a mineral property purchase agreement with an arm's length third party dated February 5, 2026 (the "Agreement"), whereby the Company agreed to purchase a total of 105 unpatented mining claims known as the Belanger Property. Following this acquisition, Renegade's consolidated Red Lake land package would total approximately 100,150 ha. Highlights Expanded Red Lake land position to approximately 100,150 ha , one of the largest consolidated exploration portfolios in the district. , one of the largest consolidated exploration portfolios in the district. Belanger Property added to the Confederation Project, comprising 2,150 ha and approximately 5 km of prospective strike length, with historic high-grade gold mineralization documented at surface up to 60.4 g/t Au and in shallow drilling [1] up to 7.66 g/t Au and 2.06% Cu over 0.3 m [2] . comprising 2,150 ha and approximately 5 km of prospective strike length, with historic high-grade gold mineralization documented at surface up to 60.4 g/t Au and in shallow drilling up to 7.66 g/t Au and 2.06% Cu over 0.3 m . Strategic consolidation within the Confederation Project , including additional claims proximal to the Copperlode trend and new claim staking within the existing land position. , including additional claims proximal to the Copperlode trend and new claim staking within the existing land position. Expansion supports Renegade's greenfield discovery strategy, focused on district-scale land consolidation, systematic evaluation of underexplored geological corridors, and the generation of new, high-quality drill targets. Devin Pickell, President and CEO of Renegade, commented, "The Belanger Property represents a strategic addition along major regional structures within our Confederation Project, adding approximately 5 km of prospective strike length with documented high-grade gold and base metal mineralization at surface and in shallow drilling. Together with the acquisition of the Arrow West claims in December and the recent staking of additional claims within the existing land package, we have further strengthened continuity across key geological corridors. These additions support our greenfield discovery strategy as we continue refining our exploration model and advancing new drill targets across the project." Figure 1. Location of the Confederation Project and newly acquired claims. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9850/283055_e4a2b851746aab69_001full.jpg Figure 2. Historic drilling and notable occurrences surrounding Confederation Property12[3][4][5]. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9850/283055_e4a2b851746aab69_002full.jpg About the Belanger Property The Belanger Property consists of 105 unpatented mining claims covering approximately 2,150 ha within the Birch-Uchi greenstone belt, east of Red Lake, Ontario. The property is contiguous with Renegade's Confederation Project, providing a strategic addition to the Company's consolidated land position in the district (Figure 2). The surrounding area has a long history of production from both base metal and gold deposits, including the South Bay Mine, which produced approximately 1.5 million tonnes at 1.8% copper, 11.06% zinc, and 73 g/t silver over its 13-year mine life[6]. The Grassett, Uchi, Hanalda and Jalda Mines also reported combined production of 757,000 tonnes at 5.14 g/t gold, with the Grasset Mine alone producing 78,000 tonnes grading 7.54 g/t gold[7]. The Belanger Property is underlain by Cycle-III volcanic rocks and granodioritic porphyries of the Confederation Assemblage, similar to those that host the historic South Bay Mine located approximately 10 km northeast of the property. Both north and east-trending regional fault structures transect the property and are considered favourable loci for gold mineralization. The property is considered prospective for volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) and orogenic gold deposits. Historic exploration on the Belanger Property has focused primarily on base metals since the late 1960s. However, gold mineralization has been documented in historic trenches and grab samples with highlights of: 60.4 g/t Au and 0.03 % Cu 1 3.8 g/t Au and 5.47% Cu 1 3.41 g/t Au and 3.85% Cu [8] 24.8 g/t Au over 0.6 m (chip sample) [9] (chip sample) 11.8 g/t Au, 59.7 g/t Ag, and 4.59 % Cu [10] 45.26 g/t Au, 0.32 % Cu, and 17.1 g/t Ag[11] Limited drilling has occurred on the property, consisting of 897.5 m across 12 drill holes completed in 20022, which were subsequently relogged with additional and check assays in 20218. Reported highlights include: 7.66 g/t Au and 2.06 % Cu over 0.3 m in hole GL-14 2 in hole GL-14 7.64 g/t Au and 2.08 % Cu over 0.3 m in hole GL-15 2 in hole GL-15 1.11 g/t Au and 1.23 % Cu over 1.22 m in hole GL-08 2 in hole GL-08 1.02 g/t Au and 0.9 g/t Ag over 0.91 m in hole GL-038 Agreement Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company will purchase the Belanger Property for a purchase price of $10,000 (paid in two equal installments on signing and on closing, respectively) and the issuance of 12,345 common shares at an issue price of $0.405 per share to the vendor. Completion of the acquisition of the Belanger Property is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dale Ginn, P.Geo., the Executive Chair and a director of the Company and a Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101. About Renegade Gold Inc. Renegade Gold Inc. is a growth focused company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. As part of its regional-scale consolidation strategy, the Company has assembled one of the largest prospective land packages in and around the Red Lake mining district in proximity to major mines and deposits, as well as along the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts. The approximately 100,150 hectares prospective and diversified exploration portfolio has significant potential for gold and critical minerals on trend with the major structures hosting known gold occurrences in the Red Lake mining district today, For further information, please 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 release. Cautionary Note regarding Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements regarding the proposed acquisition of the Belanger Property and the anticipated benefits thereof. The words "anticipate," "significant," "expect," "may," "will", "would" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner and all requisite information will be available in a timely manner; that TSX Venture Exchange approval will be granted in a timely manner subject only to standard conditions; that all conditions precedent to the Agreement will be satisfied in a timely manner; the availability of financing on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Factors that may cause actual results to vary materially include, but are not limited to, inaccurate assumptions concerning the exploration for and development of mineral deposits, currency fluctuations, unanticipated operational or technical difficulties, risks related to unforeseen delays; general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes; timeliness of regulatory approvals, the risks of obtaining necessary licenses and permits, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets and the inability to raise additional financing. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this Forward-Looking Information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this Forward-Looking Information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. [1] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca AR52N01SW0002 [2] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca AR52N02SW2011 [3] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca AR 52K15NW0037 [4] Arrow is considered an adjacent property within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Information concerning these adjustment properties are presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to state nor imply that the Company will obtain similar results and/or information for the Confederation Property. [5] www.sedarplus.ca Compton Mining NI 43-101 [6] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca MDI52N02SE00012 [7] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca MDI52N02SE00002 [8] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca AR52N02SW2006 [9] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca AR20000019565 [10] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca AR20000022120 [11] www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca OFR5987 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283055 Source: Renegade Gold Inc. Converging AI, autonomy, and secure communications push MUM-T from experimentation to scalable deployment LONDON, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new Frost & Sullivan analysis, Human-Machine Integration/Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T), Global, 2025-2027, the rapid convergence of artificial intelligence, autonomy, and secure networked communications is transforming modern military doctrine and accelerating the shift toward multi-domain operations. Global spending on MUM-T is projected to grow from approximately $5.0 billion in 2024 to $7.6 billion by 2027, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2%, as defence organisations prioritise force multiplication, survivability, and operational agility. "Manned-unmanned teaming is moving decisively from experimentation into scalable deployment," said Avi Kalo, Global Aerospace & Defence Director at Frost & Sullivan. "What differentiates the current phase is the integration of AI-enabled autonomy, open architectures, and real-time human oversight - allowing armed forces to coordinate assets across air, land, and maritime domains with unprecedented speed and flexibility." From Concept to Capability Once limited to niche trials, MUM-T has emerged as a core pillar of next-generation force modernisation, enabling manned platforms to collaborate seamlessly with unmanned aerial, ground, and maritime systems. These capabilities support missions ranging from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and electronic warfare to strike operations and logistics, while reducing risk to human operators. The study highlights that leading defence organisations - particularly in North America and Europe - are accelerating adoption through flagship programs such as collaborative combat aircraft, future vertical lift, and naval unmanned teaming initiatives. At the same time, Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern markets are expanding MUM-T investments in response to regional security dynamics and evolving threat environments. Technology Convergence Driving Growth Frost & Sullivan identifies several converging forces underpinning the market's expansion: Advances in AI and autonomy , enabling higher levels of interoperability and reduced cognitive burden on operators , enabling higher levels of interoperability and reduced cognitive burden on operators Modular open systems architectures (MOSA) that streamline integration and future-proof platforms that streamline integration and future-proof platforms Rising defence budgets and fast-track procurement , particularly for adaptable, software-defined capabilities , particularly for adaptable, software-defined capabilities Cross-sector collaboration between traditional defence primes and agile defence-tech innovators However, Kalo also notes persistent challenges, including cybersecurity vulnerabilities, integration complexity, and ethical and legal considerations surrounding human oversight and autonomous decision-making. Growth Opportunities Across the Value Chain Kalo continues: "Our analysis identifies significant growth opportunities across procurement, research and development, and defence-tech collaboration, as governments and industry partners seek to accelerate innovation cycles, reduce costs, and operationalise MUM-T at scale." Upgrading legacy platforms, investing in AI-driven mission software, and expanding testing and simulation environments are expected to be key areas of focus over the next three years. Strategic Imperative for Defence Stakeholders "As geopolitical tensions intensify and operational environments become more contested, MUM-T is no longer optional - it is strategic," he concludes. "Defence organisations that align doctrine, technology, and partnerships around human-machine teaming will be best positioned to achieve sustainable operational dominance." About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Transformational Growth Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation, and leadership. The company's Growth Pipeline as a Service provides the CEO's Growth Team with transformational strategies and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth opportunities. For over 60 years, Frost & Sullivan has partnered with investors, corporate leaders, and governments to identify, prioritise, and execute transformational growth strategies. Your Transformational Growth Journey Starts Here: Schedule Your Growth Pipeline Dialog with the Frost & Sullivan team. Contact: Kristina Menzefricke Marketing & Communications Global Customer Experience, Frost & Sullivan kristina.menzefricke@frost.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/frost--sullivan-humanmachine-integration-and-mannedunmanned-teaming-to-reshape-global-military-operations-through-2027-302681415.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / by Monica Molesag Sustainability rarely took center stage at Davos this year. Instead, it quietly delivered by playing an implicit and influential role in most conversations throughout the week. The major topics of geopolitical risk, artificial intelligence, and economic uncertainty consistently circled back to environmental exposure and long-term resilience, pointing to a broader shift: sustainability is becoming less of a separate agenda item and more an underlying consideration in enterprise risk and strategy. For leaders looking to shape the next phase of business, two major and consequential themes emerged. 1. AI is a sustainability enabler with responsibilities Artificial intelligence was central to many Davos discussions this year, including those touching on sustainability. The focus was less on experimentation and more on how AI is already influencing operational and strategic decisions. In several sessions, leaders pointed to practical applications where AI, combined with sustainability and operational data, is helping organizations to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and better anticipate environmental risks. At the same time, there was no lack of recognition that AI brings new challenges. Its growing energy and water requirements, along with questions around governance, transparency, and equity, featured prominently in discussions. Leaders emphasized the fact that AI's sustainability value depends heavily on how well it is integrated into existing business systems and decision-making processes, rather than deployed as a standalone technology. This was also underscored by broader analysis showing that emerging regulatory frameworks are struggling to keep pace with AI's environmental footprint and governance needs. For many organizations, the focus shifted towards how responsible AI can support sustainability objectives while remaining aligned with enterprise governance and financial oversight. 2. Water is key to societal and economic stability One of the most prominent sustainability topics at Davos 2026 was water. Across both formal and informal sessions, leaders discussed water and ocean health as a foundational element to stable societies, economies, and business continuity. Much of the conversation focused on the growing gap between economic dependence on water and the level of investment dedicated to protecting and managing water systems. With a significant share of global GDP expected to be exposed to high water stress in the coming decades, participants highlighted the operational and financial implications for supply chains, production facilities, and communities. According to the World Economic Forum, 31% of global GDP could be located in regions of high water stress by 2050, underscoring the urgency of rethinking water investment and risk. To this end, new collaborative initiatives were announced during the week, including efforts aimed at integrating water considerations more directly into corporate strategies and strengthening ocean stewardship across industries. For example: Early-stage innovators were selected at Davos to boost water resilience across infrastructure, industry, and agriculture systems. Public-private collaboration initiatives were launched to accelerate water finance and investment ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference. Research and alliance work was directed at bridging the 6.5 trillion global water infrastructure gap, and commitments were made to mobilize private capital and improve water resilience strategies. These discussions signaled a move away from viewing water solely through a sustainability reporting lens and toward understanding it as a material risk and resilience issue for businesses. What can business leaders take away? While AI and water dominated the headlines at this annual meeting, sustainability quietly permeated most strategy meetings, with three takeaways arising as directional signals for leaders looking to build resilience into their business: Sustainability is increasingly understood as financial risk One of the clearest signals from Davos was the extent to which sustainability risks are now discussed in financial terms. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2026, released shortly before the meeting, reinforced this view by ranking environmental risks (including extreme weather and biodiversity loss) and critical changes to Earth systems among the most severe long-term global threats. The same report also highlighted that adverse outcomes from artificial intelligence are rising sharply in long-horizon risk rankings, reflecting growing concern about both technological and environmental disruption. While geopolitical and economic issues dominated short-term attention at the annual meeting, environmental risks were consistently framed as persistent factors shaping long-term planning and resilience strategies. Furthermore, the role of the CFO is also evolving to meet sustainability requirements, including reporting non-financial KPIs, managing plastic and carbon taxes, steering the business, and aligning business decisions with carbon and environmental cost trade-offs. SAP's carbon accounting and management solutions can provide the capabilities needed to address CFO sustainability priorities. As SAP Chief Sustainability & Commercial Officer Sophia Mendelsohn noted during the week, "Sustainability remains firmly planted in both the Davos agenda and the minds of the CEO and CFO. The reality of climate change persists-both its risks and opportunities, and they are already showing up on the balance sheet." For many executives, this framing reflects how sustainability considerations are increasingly influencing investment decisions, insurance strategies, and assessments of long-term enterprise value. The focus is shifting from ambition to execution Davos discussions also underscored a growing emphasis on execution. While sustainability remains firmly planted in the C-suite agenda, many leaders acknowledged a gap between ambition and implementation. Despite years of commitments and target-setting, fewer than one in five companies have implemented climate adaptation and mitigation measures at scale. This is a persistent action gap that helps explain why sustainability strategies are now evaluated more closely through the lens of financial feasibility, operational readiness, and data credibility. In an environment where sustainability investments compete with other priorities, including AI and digital infrastructure, leaders emphasized the need for clear business cases and measurable outcomes. Sustainability initiatives that can demonstrate value creation and risk reduction are more likely to secure long-term support. Integration decides whether sustainability insights lead to action Data availability is no longer the primary challenge for most organizations. The tools to measure emissions, water use, climate exposure, and supplier impacts are widely accessible. What remains difficult is turning that information into decisions. Across Davos, there was broad agreement that sustainability data needs to be integrated into core business systems for planning, procurement, asset management, and finance. When sustainability information sits outside these systems, it tends to inform reporting rather than operational or strategic action. When it is embedded, it can support more forward-looking decisions around resilience, investment, and supply chain design. This shift toward integration reflects a broader understanding that sustainability efforts are most effective when they are aligned with how the business already operates. SAP's ERP-centric, AI-enabled approach connects business and sustainability data to help give full visibility across a company's value chain, enabling it to align business objectives with sustainability priorities across areas like material choice, efficient transport and distribution, improved asset performance, and reduced carbon impact. Davos 2026 clearly reflected a maturing phase of the sustainability conversation, one that is less about visibility and increasingly about how organizations can confidently prepare for the decade ahead. For business leaders shaping sustainability strategies, there is a pressing need to make plans financially grounded, operationally integrated, and supported by reliable data. Enterprise systems play an important role in this transition. When sustainability information is connected across business functions, leaders gain clearer insight into risk and opportunity, supporting more resilient and informed decision-making. Monica Molesag is global head of Sustainability Communications at SAP. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from SAP on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: SAP Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/sap Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: SAP View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/at-davos-2026-sustainability-was-everywhere-just-not-in-the-headl-1134559 Breakthrough Phase 2 Trial Results Show Promise for Patients Ineligible for Standard Reperfusion Therapies Data Presented at International Stroke Conference Data Show That LT3001 Delivers Meaningful Functional Improvements in Patients Suffering from Disabling Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) TAIPEI, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumosa Therapeutics (Lumosa; 6535.TWO) today announced positive results from two independent Phase 2 clinical trials with its novel stroke drug LT3001 (Odatroltide). LT3001 is a first-in-class dual-functional therapy that combines safe reperfusion with direct neuroprotection, addressing key limitations of current acute ischemic stroke treatments. These data revealed that LT3001 delivers meaningful functional improvements in patients suffering from disabling acute ischemic stroke (AIS), offering new hope for those who cannot receive standard reperfusion treatments. These data were reported here today at the International Stroke Conference in New Orleans. The groundbreaking results demonstrate LT3001's potential to transform outcomes for stroke patients facing limited therapeutic options. The novel therapeutic agent, which enhances endogenous fibrinolysis and scavenges harmful free radicals, showed particularly impressive results in moderate stroke patients with disabling symptoms. In the LT3001-202 trial conducted in China, moderate stroke patients with disabling symptoms treated with LT3001 achieved 8% and 13% improvements in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of 0-1 and 0-2 respectively, compared to placebo. Most remarkably, LT3001 showed improvement in functional outcomes in LAA and mismatch-positive populations. In Study 202, LAA patients (n=169) showed an 11% improvement in mRS 0-2 and a 9% gain in mRS 0-1. Study 205 validated these signals via imaging assisted selection, with mismatch-positive patients achieving a 10% absolute improvement in mRS 0-2. These clinical advances could restore independence to thousands of patients annually. The complementary LT3001-205 trial, spanning the US, EU, and Taiwan, utilized advanced imaging-assisted patient selection. Despite smaller sample sizes, the trial reinforced LT3001's efficacy signals, with patients showing disabling features achieving mRS 0-1 outcomes more often with LT3001 (27%) compared to placebo (17%). "Across the two Phase 2 trials, LT3001 demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no increase in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) despite multi-dose administration over 3 days," said Thomas Devlin, MD, PhD, FSVIN, Director of the CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute, Professor of Neurology Morehouse School of Medicine and principal investigator of the LT3001-205 study. "LT3001 showed potential benefit beyond the conventional thrombolytic time window, supporting its use in patients ineligible for IV thrombolysis or EVT, a population with high unmet need. The consistency of results across two independent trials, using different selection strategies, strengthens our confidence in LT3001's broad applicability." Addressing a Critical Unmet Need "Despite over five decades of research and thousands of potential drug targets, the development of neuroprotective drugs for conditions like stroke has not resulted in any FDA-approved drugs in the U.S.," said Sheng-Wen Yeh (Mimi) Ph.D., general manager, Lumosa. "While many drugs frequently succeed in preclinical, animal-based studies, they fail to show safety or efficacy in human trials. Our efficacy data with LT3001, spanning diverse patient populations, is exciting and provides direction for our Phase 3 programs." Acute ischemic stroke affects millions globally, with many patients experiencing disabling symptoms that severely impact their quality of life and independence. Current reperfusion therapies, while effective, are not suitable for all patients due to timing constraints, contraindications, or anatomical factors. LT3001's unique dual mechanism - enhancing the body's natural clot-dissolving processes while protecting brain tissue from oxidative damage - offers a new therapeutic pathway for these underserved patients. The trials evaluated patients within 24 hours of stroke onset, focusing on those with disabling symptoms defined as significant arm or leg motor impairment. This patient population represents a substantial portion of stroke cases where current treatment options remain inadequate. Both Phase 2 trials employed rigorous randomized, placebo-controlled methodologies, with LT3001-202 enrolling 297 patients and LT3001-205 including 88 patients. The consistency of positive signals across different geographic regions and patient selection criteria underscores the robustness of these findings. About LT3001 LT3001 (Odatroltide) represents an innovative approach to acute stroke treatment, targeting both the thrombotic and oxidative components of stroke pathophysiology. Unlike traditional approaches that focus solely on clot removal, LT3001's dual mechanism addresses multiple aspects of stroke injury, potentially extending the therapeutic window and broadening patient eligibility. The Company is advancing LT3001 through comprehensive clinical development, with plans for Phase 3 trials to further validate these promising results in larger patient populations. Next Steps and Global Development Plans These combined Phase 2 results provide critical clinical evidence supporting the continued development of LT3001 for acute ischemic stroke. Of note, Lumosa recently received feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding its Phase 3 development plans for LT3001. Based on this feedback, Lumosa aims to accelerate global Phase 3 development of LT3001 and deliver innovative and effective treatment options for stroke patients worldwide. About Acute Ischemic Stroke According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stroke is the second leading cause of death for people over the age of 60 with approximately 6 million deaths in the world per year. Stroke can be categorized as hemorrhagic (bleeding) or ischemic (lack of blood flow to critical areas of the brain). Studies show ischemic stroke is most common, occurring in about 85% of all stroke cases. Stroke is notably a disease with significant global unmet medical need. There are 15 million people worldwide who suffer a stroke each year. Because only surgery and limited therapeutic options are currently available, 80% of stroke patients are left with no other treatment options or without desired outcomes. About Lumosa Lumosa Therapeutics, Inc. (https://www.lumosa.com.tw/) is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel therapies and solutions for neurologic diseases with urgent unmet medical need. In addition to utilizing its own technology platform, the Company is also actively engaged in scientific licensing and co-development collaboration -- building a pipeline from early to late-stage assets consisting of first-in-class and best-in-class drugs. Lumosa's mission is to enrich patients' quality of life through pioneering medical science, diverse collaborations, and a commitment to remain genuine and ever-evolving. Central to this mission is the Company's objective to develop its novel small molecule, LT3001, for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, a medical disease for which more effective therapies are greatly needed. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lt3001-demonstrates-functional-improvements-in-patients-with-disabling-acute-ischemic-stroke-302681220.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / Totec Resources Ltd. ("Totec" or the "Company") (TSXV:TOTC)(TSXV:U0Z0), a leading resource company focused on critical metals and supporting the North American supply chain, is pleased to announce that it has successfully listed its shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE) under the ticker symbol UOZ0. The listing marks a significant milestone in the Company's growth and enhances its global visibility within the European investment community. This listing comes on the heels of the company's recent achievements and is expected to increase access to a broader pool of international investors while strengthening its presence in the European markets. The Company's shares are now dual-listed, trading on both the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, providing greater liquidity and market exposure. The Company is also pleased to announce that its board of directors (the "Board") has approved the adoption of a new omnibus equity incentive plan (the "Plan"). The Plan is intended to strengthen the Company's ability to attract, retain, and incentivize qualified directors, officers, employees, and consultants, while aligning their interests with those of the Company's shareholders. The Plan provides a broad and flexible structure for granting equity-based awards, including stock options, restricted share units (RSUs), performance share units (PSUs), deferred share units (DSUs), and stock appreciation rights (SARs). The Plan is a "rolling up to 10% and fixed up to 10%" plan (as that term is defined in the rules and policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV")) and replaces the Company's previous rolling 10% stock option plan. The Plan permits such number of stock options to be granted as is equal to up to 10% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares from time to time, together with 3,856,300 common shares of the Company available for issuance pursuant to RSUs, PSUs, DSUs, and SARs (being 10% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Company when the Plan was approved by the Board). The Plan remains subject to ratification by the Company's shareholders, which will be sought at the Company's annual general and special meeting to be held on March 5, 2026, and final approval from the TSXV. About Totec Resources Ltd. Totec Resources Ltd. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Totec's flagship asset is the White Willow Lithium-Tantalum-REE Project, located approximately 170 kilometres west of Thunder Bay. For further information, please contact: Deepak Varshney, CEO and Director Telephone: 778-899-1780 | Email: deepak@totecresources.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the approval of the Plan by the Company's shareholders and the TSXV. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including, but not limited to, the risk that the Plan is not approved by the Company's shareholders or the TSXV. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information, or financial outlook incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Totec Resources Ltd. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/totec-resources-announces-listing-of-shares-on-the-frankfurt-sto-1134573 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE" or "the Exchange") today welcomed the listing of Maximus Metals Inc. ("Maximus" or the "Company"). The Vancouver-based Company's common shares were listed on the CSE today following the exercise of special warrants that were previously issued in November 2025. The ticker symbol is MM. Maximus holds an option to acquire 100% of the Gaspard Gold-Silver property in British Columbia, which is located near the city of Wiliams Lake and comprises approximately 19 square kilometres. Limited historical exploration work has taken place around the property. The Company plans to carry out an exploration program, as recommended in a recent technical report. "British Columbia is among the most prospective regions in the world for precious metals exploration, and we are delighted to have already welcomed three companies to the CSE in 2026 that are focused on properties in this province," said James Black, the CSE's Vice President, Marketing and Communications. "We wish Maximus success at the Gaspard property and look forward to welcoming many more junior mining companies to the CSE this year as market conditions continue to improve." About the Canadian Securities Exchange: The Canadian Securities Exchange is a rapidly growing exchange invested in working with entrepreneurs, innovators and disruptors to access public capital markets in Canada. The Exchange's efficient operating model, advanced technology and competitive fee structure help its listed issuers of all sectors and sizes minimize their cost of capital and enhance global liquidity. Our client-centric approach and corresponding products and services ensure businesses have the support they need to confidently realize their vision. The CSE offers global investors access to an innovative collection of growing and mature companies. STAY CONNECTED WITH THE CSE ============================= Website: https://thecse.com/ Blog: https://blog.thecse.com/ CSE TV on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/csetv CSE's "The Exchange for Entrepreneurs" Podcast: https://blog.thecse.com/category/cse-podcast/ Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/canadian-securities-exchange X (Twitter): https://x.com/CSE_News Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canadianexchange/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CanadianSecuritiesExchange/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283054 Source: Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) BROOKLYN, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / IEH Corporation (OTC:IEHC) today filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the 3rd fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025. Highlights include: 3.9% Increase in Revenue as compared to third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025 $723,444 loss in Q3 Operating Income, primarily due to cost of gold and tariff charges Cash remains unchanged compared to third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025 Five-year high in backlog, primarily due to orders in support of missile defense programs SEC dismissal of its administrative proceeding against IEH, which should enable uplisting in OTC marketplace For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, IEH had revenues of $7,497,879 as compared to $7,217,616 for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, reflecting a 3.9% increase; an operating loss of $723,444 for 3rd quarter fiscal year 2026 as compared to an operating loss of $130,086 for 3rd quarter fiscal year 2025; a net loss of $660,286 for 3rd quarter fiscal year 2026 as compared to a net loss of $61,640 for 3rd quarter fiscal year 2025; and a basic loss per share of $.27 for 3rd quarter fiscal year 2026 as compared to a basic loss per share of $.03 for 3rd quarter fiscal year 2025. Dave Offerman, President and CEO of IEH Corporation, commented, "The relentless, steep rise in gold over the past two years, along with tariffs and other rising costs, continue to pressure our margins. While we continue to aggressively and strategically raise prices, we are still playing "catch-up" to these increases. In 2025, gold experienced its highest annual increase in 46 years, and most forecasts predict this rise to continue in 2026. To hedge against these increases, we have been more strategic in the timing and volume of our gold purchases, in an effort to mitigate these historic trends. In tandem with these efforts, we are investing in infrastructure and capacity which will allow us to reduce costs through production efficiencies, and less reliance on outside, often overseas suppliers. We expect the cost savings from these investments to manifest in our next fiscal year. Fortunately, our outlook for the next fiscal year and beyond remains very positive. Demand for the parts we supply in support of missile defense and related military programs continues to rise, and global defense spending is expected to sharply increase over the next several years, which bodes very well for IEH. This has led to our highest backlog since December 2020, and with a very strong sales pipeline, we expect this growth to continue. It is also worth noting that much of this business is sole-source and thus highly profitable, which should go a long way toward improving our margins. At the same time, we are starting to see more business for the commercial aerospace platforms we support, in particular the Boeing 737Max, and with recent news that the FAA has allowed Boeing to increase output on that jet, we expect that growth to accelerate in the coming months. We continue to win new designs in commercial space applications, and with an enhanced sales presence overseas, uncover new opportunities in foreign markets. We also continue to actively pursue acquisition opportunities, for the purpose of diversifying both our product offerings, as well as our markets served. I look forward to sharing more details on those efforts as they progress. Finally, as noted in our January 15th press release, the SEC finally dismissed their administrative proceeding against IEH, for the late filings of 2021-2023. With this matter firmly behind us, we are in the process of applying to uplist our stock to a platform that allows for greater liquidity, shareholder visibility and investment opportunities. On behalf of the management team and staff of IEH, we again wish to express our sincere gratitude for the support of our valued shareholders." About IEH Corporation For over 80 years and 4 generations of family-run management, IEH Corporation has designed, developed, and manufactured printed circuit board (PCB) connectors, custom interconnects and contacts for high performance applications. With its signature Hyperboloid technology, IEH supplies the most durable, reliable connectors for the most demanding environments. The Company markets primarily to companies in defense, aerospace, medical, space and industrial applications, in the United States, Canada, Europe, Southeast and Central Asia and the Mideast. The Company was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Certain statements contained in this press release, and in related comments by the Company's management, include "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, statements or expectations regarding our financial condition, statements or expectations regarding our revenues, cash and backlog, expectations regarding future cash requirements, revenue and revenue recovery, including for fiscal year 2026 and beyond, projected timelines for making our SEC filings or successfully preventing our registration from suspension or revocation and expectations regarding our efforts and ability to resolve our inventory accounting issues are forward-looking statements. These statements often include words such as "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," "will," "may," "would," "should," "could," or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements are based on certain assumptions that the Company has made on its current expectations and projections about future events. The Company believes these judgments are reasonable, but you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company's actual performance or results could differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, both positive and negative, as they will depend on many factors about which we are unsure, including many factors beyond our control. Among other items, such factors could include: any claims, investigations or proceedings arising as a result of our past due periodic reports, including changes in the proceedings related to the SEC's Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings and Notice of Hearing pursuant to Section 12(j) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; our ability to remediate our inventory accounting issue; our ability to reduce costs or increase revenue; changes in the macroeconomic environment or in the finances of our customers; changes in accounting principles, or their application or interpretation, and our ability to make accurate estimates and the assumptions underlying the estimates; our ability to attract and retain key employees and key resources; and other risk factors discussed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, including those factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on June 12, 2025, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in our filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. Except as may be required by applicable law, we do not undertake or intend to update or revise our forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information or future events or developments. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures we make in our filings with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect our business. Contact: Dave Offerman IEH Corporation dave@iehcorp.com 718-492-4448 SOURCE: IEH Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/aerospace-and-defense/ieh-corporation-filed-form-10-q-for-fiscal-quarter-ended-december-31-2025-1134550 The draft proposal envisages reimbursement of up to Rs 25,000 per case. The RBI is also considering a formula under which customers would receive either Rs 25,000 or 85 per cent of the lost amount, Malhotra said The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will introduce a compensation framework for small-value digital frauds, offering relief of up to Rs 25,000 per customer, Governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Friday. The proposed framework will cover even cases where customers may have shared their OTPsa common feature in social engineering scamsprovided the transaction is not found to be mala fide. If someone has lost money, no questions askedsubject to checks to ensure it is not mala fide, Malhotra said at the post-policy press conference. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Compensation structure The draft proposal envisages reimbursement of up to Rs 25,000 per case. The RBI is also considering a formula under which customers would receive either Rs 25,000 or 85 per cent of the lost amount, Malhotra said. To ensure accountability, the RBI has proposed a shared-loss model under which the burden will be distributed among all stakeholders, he said, adding that customers may bear up to 15 per cent of the loss, while banks could absorb another 15 per cent and the remaining portion would be covered by the RBI. Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the compensation cap has been deliberately kept modest, as the framework is designed to provide swift relief in small-ticket cases where even limited losses can disproportionately impact retail customers. Sato will transition to the role of Vice Chairman and assume a newly created position of Chief Industry Officer, where he will focus on broader industry engagement and external strategy Toyota CEO Koji Sato to step down; CFO Kenta Kon to take charge from April. Source: Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor on Friday said Chief Executive Officer Koji Sato will step down after three years at the helm, with Chief Financial Officer Kenta Kon set to take over from April. Sato will transition to the role of Vice Chairman and assume a newly created position of Chief Industry Officer, where he will focus on broader industry engagement and external strategy, the worlds largest automaker said. The leadership change was announced alongside Toyotas third-quarter earnings, which showed resilience in a volatile global environment. The company raised its full-year operating profit forecast by nearly 12 per cent, aided by a weaker yen and tighter cost controls. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The transition comes at a time for Toyota when investors have raised concerns over the proposed buyout of listed subsidiary Toyota Industries, with minority shareholders questioning pricing and transparency. The company did not link the leadership reshuffle to the transaction. Kons elevation underscores Toyotas sharpening emphasis on financial discipline and capital allocation as the auto industry enters a capital-intensive phase marked by electrification, software integration and intensifying competition. As CFO, he has played a central role in steering balance sheet strategy and maintaining cost efficiencies. Sato took charge in April 2023, succeeding Akio Toyoda, at a time when Toyota faced criticism for what some saw as a cautious approach to electric vehicles. Rather than pivoting aggressively to battery EVs, Sato continued to back Toyotas hybrid-first strategy while expanding investments in EVs and software. That calibrated approach paid off. Toyota retained its position as the worlds top-selling automaker and posted record sales even as EV demand moderated in several key markets. However, competitive pressures are mounting. Chinese automakers such as BYD are expanding rapidly across Asia and beyond, while the global shift toward electric and software-defined vehicles is demanding heavy upfront investment. Kon, regarded internally as a steady financial operator with exposure to Woven by Toyota, the companys software arm, is expected to prioritise disciplined execution as the group navigates a more challenging and capital-hungry phase of industry transformation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On January 27, the Madras High Court set aside the order of a single judge that directed the CBFC to grant censor certificate to the movie The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had recently filed a caveat in the Supreme Court seeking that no order should be passed without hearing it in connection with the release of actor Vijay-starrer Tamil film Jana Nayagan. was filed by a litigant in the high courts and the Supreme Court to ensure that no adverse order is passed against it without it being heard. The film was supposed to release in cinemas on January 10 but continues to be in limbo. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Silambarasan TR backs Thalapathy Vijay Speaking to Vikatan, Simbu, as addressed, said, We cannot separate Jana Nayagan and Vijay. He added, He has been in this industry for so many years and has worked in a film for one last time. I put up a post supporting him, as the film should come out. I neither know politics nor have the relevant experience in it. I am also not the right person to speak about it. I wish him the best for his upcoming political endeavours and his future. On January 27, the Madras High Court set aside the order of a single judge that directed the CBFC to grant censor certificate to the movie, and said that certain references to the Army and religious sentiments require consideration. The film is stated to be Vijays last, ahead of his full-fledged political entry. He heads the fledgling Tamiga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) political party. The bench allowed an appeal filed by the CBFC, challenging the order of Justice Asha, dated January 9, which also quashed a communication dated January 5 of the regional officer of the censor board, stating that based on a complaint from one of its members, the matter has been referred to the revising committee by the Chairperson of the board. Games View All There are multiple pictures that have surfaced that compares the fashion and style statement of the two personalities Kangana Ranaut is not only one of the finest actresses in the country, but has also turned a filmmaker. She made her directorial debut with Manikarnika in 2019 and then directed Emergency. She essayed the role of the former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. It was a historic and complex character to essay. But netizens are now being reminded of the former PM as the actress has made multiple appearances in the Parliament. There are multiple pictures that have surfaced that compares the fashion and style statement of the two personalities STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The overlong coat The radiant yellow saree The Indian swag The striking resemblance Kangana Ranaut on Indira Gandhi In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, the actress and filmmaker spoke about the challenges to direct a film based on the national emergency that was imposed in 1975, taking the directors chair once again, and if she sees any similarities between her and Gandhi. Kangana said, I dont because Mrs Gandhi was surprisingly a very unconfident person. She was very vulnerable, she kept chewing her Lower lip and lip twitching, eye twitching. She was very petite as a person. I come from a different background. I come from a middle class family from a village you have never heard of. Shes the Prime Ministers daughter who has studied in Geneva, London. She never had the confidence to speak in the parliament. Games View All She was called the Goongi Gudiyaa for the longest time. Whereas I have been always very confident. Whether I know English or not, I have to speak English. (Laughs). I never second-guess what other person is thinking about me. Its only about what I think about them. She was very much concerned about that. Later, there was an enormous shift and she went to an another extreme but thats another story." STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The filmmaker has issued an official statement that reads- Our film is a fictional cop drama, and the term Pandat is used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character. Netflixs Ghooskhor Pandat with Manoj Bajpayee was a part of the streaming giants grand slate announcement. The actor plays a cop who has no conscience and makes no bones about it either. We only get to see a glimpse of his world and the people his life is surrounded by. But the moniker hasnt gone down well with the Brahmin community as they found it to be offensive. Following the announcement, a plea was filed against the film in the Delhi High Court. The plea, filed by Mahender Chaturvedi through Advocate Vineet Jindal, seeks issuance of a writ of mandamus directing the authorities to restrain the streaming of the film. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What Neeraj Pandey said The filmmaker has issued an official statement that reads- Our film is a fictional cop drama, and the term Pandat is used simply as a colloquial name for a fictional character. The story focuses on an individuals actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community. As a filmmaker, I approach my work with a deep sense of responsibility - to tell stories that are thoughtful and respectful. He added, This film, like my earlier work, has been created with sincere intent and solely to entertain audiences. We understand that the title of the film has caused hurt to some viewers, and we genuinely acknowledge those feelings. In light of these concerns, we have decided to take down all promotional materials for the time being, as we believe the film should be experienced in its entirety and understood in the context of the story we intended to tell, rather than judged on partial glimpses. I look forward to sharing the film with audiences soon. Games View All Allens friendship with Epstein has been known for years, but emails in the huge trove of records released by the Justice Department in recent days illustrate that relationship in new depth In 2015, Woody Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, went on a trip to Washington, D.C. With the help of their friend Jeffrey Epstein, they were able to tour the White House. Allens friendship with Epstein has been known for years, but emails in the huge trove of records released by the Justice Department in recent days illustrate that relationship in new depth. The filmmaker, his wife and Epstein were neighbors in New York City, and the three dined together often, records show. They offered each other emotional support during periods when they were being criticized in the media. They commiserated about being accused unfairly, they told each other of sexual misconduct. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD And in 2015, Epstein used his connections to another friend who had been in President Barack Obamas administration to help the couple get a White House tour. Could you show soon yi the White House, Epstein wrote in a May 2015 email to former White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler. I assume woody would be too politically sensitive? I am sure I could show both of them the White House, Ruemmler responded, although she doubted whether Epstein, who in 2008 had pleaded guilty to solicitating prostitution from an underage girl, would be allowed in. You are too politically sensitive, I think, she added. White House records show that Allen, Previn and Ruemmler visited on Dec. 27, a Sunday. Obama was in Hawaii at the time. Games View All Ruemmler and Allen were among a long list of notable people who maintained friendships with Epstein for years, even though he was a registered sex offender who had been accused of abusing children, and whose legal problems had been widely covered in newspapers. Some of the guests who accompanied Allen and Previn to dinners with Epstein included talk show host Dick Cavett, linguist Noam Chomsky and the late comedian David Brenner. Epstein also attended screenings of Allens movies and, according to emails, would visit with Allen so he could watch him edit his latest film. Wide variety of interesting people at every dinner, was how Allen described some of their gatherings in a letter commissioned for a 2016 Epstein birthday party. Its always interesting and the food is sumptuous and abundant. Lots of dishes, plenty of choices, numerous desserts, well served. I say well served often its by some professional houseman and just as often by several young women reminding one of Castle Dracula where (actor Bela) Lugosi has three young female vampires who service the place. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A message sent to an assistant for Allen and Previn via email seeking comment wasnt immediately returned. Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Emails suggest that Previn, too, had a close relationship to Epstein and she often served as the intermediary between Epstein and Allen. Numerous exchanges among Allen, Previn and Epstein refer to the scandals that began in the early 1990s when Allen acknowledged he was having an affair with Previn, the adopted daughter of his then-girlfriend Mia Farrow. Around the same time, he was investigated by state authorities over allegations he had assaulted their adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, while visiting Mias Connecticut home. A Connecticut prosecutor said in 1993 that there was probable cause to charge Allen with molesting Dylan, but that he decided not to pursue the case. Allen, who married Previn in 1997 and has since adopted two daughters, has denied any wrongdoing. Dylans allegations returned to the news in 2014 when an open letter from her was published in The New York Times. Allen has since been largely ostracized by the American film community. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In emails in 2016, Epstein, Previn and Allen compared their own scandals to another celebrity in the news at the time: Bill Cosby, who had denied allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulting numerous women. The crowd needs a witch to burn, and there are not many left, Epstein wrote. Allen replied, in a message relayed through Previn, that his own situation is radically different from Cosbys. I do expect (and get) many ugly unfair accusations, (but) he has to battle 50 women and criminal charges, Allen said, according to Previns email. I have one irate mother whose case was investigated and discredited, he said, referring to Mia Farrow. Epstein replied that the public scorn Allen received was more likely related to his relationship with Previn, which he called a publicly broken taboo. Everything else is noise, he added. Allen, in comments relayed through Previn, responded that if the couples taboo relationship was the issue, theres nothing to be done. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Im certainly not going to dump her and Im not going to apologize because I dont feel either of us did anything we have to apologize for, he says. Our romantic life is our business and not the business of the public so its a hopeless situation because theres no way out if thats what theyre holding against us. Epstein advised his friends to just enjoy themselves and in life. Some actors or actresses might declined a role, Epstein wrote. But, so what. Allen hasnt been accused of having any involvement in Epsteins alleged sexual abuse of girls and women. Bitcoin, the worlds largest cryptocurrency, sank to $63,000 on Thursday (February 5), its lowest since October 2024. Whats behind this fall? Is the crypto run finally over? Bitcoin prices fell sharply on Thursday, its lowest level in more than a year. File image/AFP Bitcoin, the worlds most famous cryptocurrency, sank to $63,000 on Thursday, its lowest level in more than a year. This drop followed months of surging Bitcoin prices, which saw the cryptocurrency hit an all-time high of $122,200 last October. Thursdays drop in Bitcoin is the lowest it has gone in 16 months, despite US President Donald Trumps personal and public support for cryptocurrency. When he retook office in January 2025, he signed an executive order aimed at making the country the crypto capital of the planet. In addition, he launched his own brand of cryptocurrency and even continued his involvement with World Liberty Financial, an investment vehicle for other crypto assets, which is owned by the Trump family. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, whats going on? How bad is Bitcoins fall? Bitcoin saw its sharpest fall on Thursday (February 5), plunging below $64,000, a 12.6 per cent slide. This is the lowest the cryptocurrency has fallen since October 2024. According to a Reuters report, Bitcoin has already fallen 17 per cent for the week, taking its losses to 28 per cent so far this year. The fall marked Bitcoins lowest point since Donald Trump won the US presidential election, and spoke in support of cryptocurrencies. One year into his tenure, he has signed a law to support federal backing of crypto. But why is Bitcoins value falling? Experts say a number of factors caused Bitcoins value to fall so drastically. Fear of a hawkish Fed Reserve: Analysts with Deutsche Bank pointed to Trumps nomination of Kevin Warsh as the new chair of the Federal Reserve. Warsh could take a more hawkish approach, including shrinking the Feds balance sheet. Typically, cryptocurrencies have been regarded as beneficiaries of a large balance sheet. As Manuel Villegas Franceschi from the next generation research team told Reuters, The market fears a hawk with him. A smaller balance sheet is not going to provide any tailwinds for crypto. Heavy liquidation: One of the biggest reasons for Bitcoins value to drop was forced liquidation. CoinGlass data revealed that nearly $1 billion worth of bitcoin positions were liquidated. Links with tech sector: It has been seen that the price of Bitcoin has risen alongside technology stocks, especially during periods of strong interest in artificial intelligence. However, this week, the introduction of Anthropics new AI tool saw IT stocks falling drastically, taking Bitcoin along with it. Overall volatility in the market: The volatility in the silver and gold markets has worsened sentiment, resulting in a slide for Bitcoin. Precious metals have become more volatile due to leveraged buying and speculative trades. As prices fall, investors are forced to reduce their risk across their portfolios, affecting cryptocurrencies. Weakness in crypto: Bitcoin prices falling are in line with the wider decline across the crypto market. CoinGecko data reveals that the total value of the global crypto market has fallen by around $2 trillion since reaching a peak of $4.379 trillion in early October. More than $1 trillion of this value has been wiped out in the past month alone. Bitcoin isnt alone in seeing a slide in value. Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalisation, was down more than 13 per cent on Thursday. It has fallen 19 per cent this week, with losses of nearly 38 per cent so far this year. Editors Picks 1 Explained: Bitcoin's history and biggest controversies 2 Is Pakistan risking its financial system to stay in Trumps good books? A Bitcoin ATM at Northgate Mall in San Rafael, California. Bitcoin, the worlds largest cryptocurrency, fell drastically on Thursday, dropping to its lowest level in over a year. AFP So, what comes next for Bitcoin? As Bitcoin prices have fallen, many are wondering what to do with their crypto. Financial advisors say the decision depends on how Bitcoin fits into your broader financial plan and how much volatility you can realistically tolerate. Bitcoins recent volatility is a reminder that crypto is still a speculative asset, not a core building block of most portfolios, Vered Frank, a certified financial planner and founder of StackWealth, told CNBC. Big drops after periods of hype show why its risky to rely on Bitcoin as a standalone wealth-building strategy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank noted, This steady selling in our view signals that traditional investors are losing interest, and overall pessimism about crypto is growing. It further added that while it didnt see Bitcoin going anywhere, it wouldnt return to Trump-driven highs. Bitcoin investors, however, can take solace in the fact that Thursdays crash is not a new trend. The crypto has seen such a fall before and risen again. With inputs from agencies India is flexing its trading muscle. It has revived negotiations with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council for a long-pending free trade agreement. If agreed, this pact would deepen economic cooperation between the two, boosting the existing trade of $179 billion to greater heights Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have agreed to begin fresh negotiations on a long-pending free trade agreement (FTA). Image Courtesy: @piyushgoyal/X First, it was the European Union, then the United States, and now the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). India is flexing its trade muscle as it resumed talks on a free trade agreement on Thursday (February 5) with the six Arab nations. On Thursday, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India has signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) for a potential FTA with the six-nation bloc, with the aim of strengthening trade and investment between the two. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This is a significant move that comes at a time when India is accelerating its trade ties across the globe. Recently, it concluded negotiations with the EU and sealed the mother of all trade deals and then followed it up with the father of all trade deals with the US. With India set to resume FTA talks with the GCC, heres a better understanding of the six-nation collective and why it matters to New Delhi. India looks to flex its trade muscle with GCC On Thursday, India and the six-member GCC formally launched negotiations for an FTA by signing the terms of reference (ToR). Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Ajay Bhadoo, and Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Raja Al Marzouqi, inked the ToR at a ceremony in New Delhi in the presence of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Indias decision to resume talks with the GCC comes after negotiations had first been launched in 2004, followed by talks in 2006 and 2008. However, discussions were suspended in 2011 after the GCC paused trade negotiations globally. It was in 2022 that India and the GCC announced the resumption of negotiations on an FTA. In the following year, the GCC shared a revised draft of the terms of reference following which the two sides have been talking, resulting in Thursdays signing. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is all smiles as he witnesses the signing of the Terms of Reference for the FTA between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Image Courtesy: @PiyushGoyal/X With India deepening its trade engagements with the developed world, the stage is set for unlocking the full potential of a mutually-beneficial economic relationship with the GCC, Goyal said at the event. Following the signing ceremony, the first round of negotiations for the trade deal is expected to take place in Riyadh in the coming months, with Saudi Arabia offering to hold the talks. For India, Bhadoo will be the chief negotiator, while Marzouqi will represent the GCC. The GCC explained But, what exactly is the GCC? Described as a forum for cooperation and consultation in the Arabian peninsula, the GCC is a six-member bloc comprising Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. It was established on May 25, 1981. The flags of the countries attending the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit displayed Kuwait City. The GCC consists of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. File image/AFP Article 4 of the GCC charter is perhaps the most important for the bloc; it states that the alliance was formed to strengthen relations among its member countries and to promote cooperation among the countries citizens. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The objectives of the GCC are to coordinate, integrate, and interconnect among member states in all fields in order to achieve unity among them. Additionally, to stimulate scientific and technological progress in the fields of industry, mining, agriculture, water, and animal resources, to establish scientific research, to establish joint ventures, and encourage co-operation by the private sector for the good of their people. Why GCC matters to India An FTA with the GCC will strengthen not only trading ties but also further cement relations with the countries within the GCC. As Goyal stated at the ceremony on Thursday, a deal will aid trade and investments between the two. The two trading partners have been trading amongst each other for over 5,000 years. Goyal further added, It is most appropriate that we now enter into a much stronger and robust trading arrangement which will enable a greater free flow of goods, services, bring predictability and stability to policy, and help encourage a greater degree of investments. The commerce minister also said that a trade deal with the GCC would be highly beneficial to sectors such as food processing, infrastructure, petrochemicals, and information and communications technology. Food processing, infrastructure, petrochemicals, and Information and Communications Technology are some of the many sectors that will benefit hugely from the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) FTA. pic.twitter.com/jr0IOKt5No Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 5, 2026 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India would also get to grow Indian infrastructure and the infrastructure in the GCC, noted Goyal. An FTA would also benefit the food and energy security of the GCC nations, as well as India. For India, the GCC truly matters. Firstly, around 10 million Indians live and work in the GCC countries. Moreover, India and the six-member bloc already have robust trade ties. From 2021 onwards, trade between the two has been increasing. In 2021-2022, trade between India and the GCC was about $155 billion, with imports of $110.7 billion and exports of $43.9 billion. The following year, the value rose to nearly $185 billion, of which imports were $133.2 billion, and exports were $51.3 billion. In 2023-2024, the number again rose, though moderately, to $162 billion. And last year, total India-GCC trade was $179 billion, with imports at $121.7 billion and exports at $56.9 billion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among the GCC, the UAE remains Indias biggest trading partner, followed by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. Moreover, the GCC also dominates Indias inward remittances. The UAE is, in fact, one of the largest contributors to Indias inward remittances, only after the United States. Notably, India already has trade deals with members of the GCC. It implemented a free trade pact with the UAE in May 2022 and signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Oman in December 2025. Timing really matters The timing of the resumption of trade talks with the GCC is significant. It comes just months after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan inked a defence pact. Moreover, many suggest that the trade deal may be Indias way to veer the members of the GCC further away from Pakistan. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Council President Antonio Costa attend a joint press statement at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. File image/Reuters Also, the trade negotiations come a week after India and the EU sealed a trade agreement, dubbed the mother of all deals. This agreement remove trade barriers and opens up new export opportunities, creating the worlds largest free trade zone, encompassing two billion people and nearly 25 per cent of global gross domestic product. But thats not all. On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that India and America had agreed on a trade deal, resulting in US tariffs on Indian goods being slashed to 18 per cent. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that while a joint statement will be declared in four-five days, the two nations are also expected to ink the deal in March. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD All in all, it seems that Indias trading ties are only improving. With inputs from agencies Government data shows that the deportations of Indians from the UAE and Saudi Arabia were far higher than those in the US last year. The information was released in Parliament in response to an inquiry by Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala regarding deportations, unauthorised migration routes, and safeguards against fraudulent recruitment More than 3,800 Indian nationals were deported from the United States in 2025. File image/Reuters Deportations have been in the spotlight since Donald Trump came to office for the second time in January 2025 and started cracking down on illegal immigrants. While thousands of Indians have been deported from the US since, far more have been deported from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Indian government data reveals. On Thursday (February 5), the Centre informed the Rajya Sabha that over 3,800 Indian nationals were deported from the United States in 2025. The disclosure came in response to a question raised by Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala. However, the deportation figures from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were much higher. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We take a look. What does government data show? Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala made the queries on the deportation of Indians over the past five years from the US and other countries, steps taken to safeguard vulnerable youth, and whether the government has set any goals or timelines to stop illegal migration through dunki route, a term use to refer to the route used for illegal immigration, mainly in context of North America. BJP , , , ? : 2025 (- ) 3,400+ pic.twitter.com/IcaIySGLIP Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 5, 2026 The Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, responded to the query. As per the data shared in the written response, over 3,800 Indian nationals were deported from the US in 2025. The figures include 3,414 Indians who were deported through Washington by mid-December. The tabulated data also breaks down the number of deportations in 2025 from consulates of India in the US: Houston (234) recorded the highest number, followed by San Francisco (49), New York (47), Atlanta (31) and Seattle (31). The number of Indians deported was notably higher in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The government reported significant deportations of Indian nationals from Saudi Arabia. A total of 13,256 deportations were from the Kingdom in 2025; 4,335 Indian nationals were deported through the Indian embassy in Riyadh. Through the Indian consulate in Jeddah, 8,921 Indians were deported, according to a report in Business Standard. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UAE also record a large number of deportations. Last year, 1,662 Indian nationals were deported via the embassy in Abu Dhabi, while 7,896 were deported through the consulate in Dubai. Malaysia, Myanmar and neighbouring China also deported Indians. Singh asserted that the Indian government closely cooperates with the US and other countries on issues related to the deportation of its citizens. According to him, the Centre has been in constant dialogue with the US government when it comes to humane treatment of Indians during such deportation operations. The MoS asserted, We have registered our concerns with the US authorities, particularly with respect to the use of restraints on the deportees, especially women and children. How many Indian citizens were arrested in the US? The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 1,993 Indians in 2025, reported Scroll.in. Out of the 1,993 arrests, 1,669 individuals had no criminal convictions. California reported the highest number of arrests of Indian nationals in 2025 at 643, followed by Texas with 237 and New York with 115. These three states together accounted for nearly half of all arrests, the news outlet reported. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha last December that 3,258 Indian citizens were detained through November 2025, up sharply from 1,400 in 2024. In March 2025, ICE also terminated the immigration records of thousands of foreign students in the US. The Centre has been in constant dialogue with the US government when it comes to humane treatment, said MoS Kirti Vardhan Singh. File image/Reuters Which countries face the most deportations from the US? According to the New York Times (NYT) January 2026 report, citing the monthly rate of deportations by ICE, 920 Venezuelans were deported under the Trump administration. 560 deported from Nicaragua (a country in Central America), 130 Turkish, 840 Colombians, 2,600 deported from Honduras (located in Central America), and 3,100 from Guatemala, located in Central America south of Mexico. Last June, ICE sent 122 Chinese nationals back to China. According to an ICE Dallas press release reported by ABC News, the group included 96 men and 26 women between the ages of 19 and 68, many with criminal convictions and final deportation orders. What is India doing about the deportations? Illegal recruitment agents, criminal facilitators and human trafficking syndicates are under government scrutiny. MoS Singh outlined measures taken to tackle illegal migration routes and crack down on fraudulent recruitment networks. Based on the accounts provided by returning deportees, the Centre, state governments, and law enforcement agencies have filed multiple cases and launched probes, with action underway against fraudulent agents and human trafficking networks involved in such operations, the government said. The Emigration Act, 1983, mandates that no person or agency can operate as a recruiting agent (RA) unless authorised a valid licence issued by the registering authority. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Over 3,800 Indians were deported from the US in 2025, the ruling government informed the Raj Sabha on Thursday. File image/Reuters Mandatory registration of RA is aimed at reducing fraud and exploitation of prospective Indian emigrants proceeding for employment abroad, Singh said, according to NDTV It is also mandatory for ECR passport holders proceeding for employment to any of the 19 notified Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries to obtain Emigration Clearance (EC) from the office of the Protector of Emigrants (PoE). As many as 3,505 unregistered agents in the country have been notified on the eMigrate portal, till December last year, he added. The eMigrate portal is an online platform that helps ensure safe and legal migration for Indian workers. The government also told Parliament it was aware of fake recruitment firms enticing Indian nationals via social media to Southeast Asian destinations, including Cambodia, Myanmar, and Lao PDR. The data showed that in 2025, 1,300 Indian nationals were rescued from Cambodia, 1,421 from Lao PDR, and 1,594 from Myanmar. The reply noted that these individuals were forced to engage in cybercrime and other fraudulent activities at scam centres in these countries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have upped their hostile narrative against India on Kashmir. The duo made separate high-profile visits to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) recently. While Sharif declared Kashmir would be part of Pakistan, Munir called for the regions liberation Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (R) and President Asif Ali Zardari (C) jointly conferring the Baton of Field Marshal on Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir during a ceremony at the country's President House in Islamabad in May 2025. File Photo/AFP Pakistans civilian and military leadership have increased their hostile rhetoric towards India over Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir recently visited Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), where their sharp remarks have stoked concerns about regional stability. India and Pakistan were engaged in a four-day military conflict in May last year, with the Indian military launching Operation Sindoor in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Tensions between the two neighbours have since been on the rise. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lets take a closer look. What did Pakistan PM say? Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (February 5) expressed unwavering support for the people of Kashmir. The solution to the Jammu-Kashmir dispute is to honour the wishes of the people of Kashmir and the implementation of the [United Nations Security Council] UNSCs resolutions, he told the PoK Assembly in Muzaffarabad as the country observed the so-called Kashmir Solidarity Day, reported PTI. Sharif said that he was there to express solidarity with our brothers in Kashmir on behalf of the Pakistani people and the Pakistani leadership. Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan, he declared. Shehbaz Sharif has vowed Kashmir will be part of Pakistan. File Photo/ Reuters Recalling the four-day conflict with India, Sharif claimed that the Kashmir issue was diplomatically reignited with full force since then. He then went on to accuse India of trying to augment terrorism in Pakistan through proxies. India is now intensifying terrorism through proxies. We want peace, but this peace can be established on the basis of equality and justice, the Pakistan PM was quoted as saying. Sharif said that Islamabad would continue to support Kashmiris until they were granted their right to self-determination, reported Dawn. Reiterating Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnahs description of Kashmir as the countrys jugular vein, the PM said this remained the mainstay of Pakistans foreign policy. Asim Munir threatens India Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir also made a high-profile visit to PoK. He arrived at a forward post in the region, where he interacted with troops deployed on the frontlines. Sources told News18 that he publicly promoted jihad by vowing Kashmirs liberation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He said Kashmir would soon witness the dawn of freedom, in accordance with the will and destiny of the people of Kashmir, The Express Tribune reported. CDF Munir said Pakistan will continue to raise the Kashmir issue at all relevant international forums until a just resolution of the dispute is achieved in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, Munir hailed the professionalism, morale and combat readiness of officers and soldiers stationed at PoK despite challenging operational conditions. CDF emphasised the imperative of maintaining peak operational preparedness, vigilance, and seamless synergy across all domains to effectively deter and decisively respond to any hostile provocation, the statement read. He also visited the PoK capital, Muzaffarabad. Why such rhetoric is dangerous The Pakistani leaderships incendiary narrative against India on Kashmir is dangerous for the regions peace and stability. Top intelligence sources told News18 that Pakistan PM Sharif asking India to what he called aggressive, expansionist designs and nefarious conspiracies for durable peace in South Asia reflected the countrys hardline military stance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The sources said such rhetoric appears to be increasingly harmful on the ground, leading to heightened tension, infiltration, and violence, especially for those living close to conflict zones. There is reportedly a growing sense of frustration and fear within PoK. As per sources, many locals are of the view that these aggressive stances are political messaging instead of a reflection of genuine concern for the population. Sections of civil society, including traders and youth groups, have stated that such a narrative has resulted in economic disruption" and the loss of lives. They said that locals believe that such provocations give priority to political signalling over the actual safety and livelihoods of Kashmiris. Pakistans repeated calls for liberation have actively harmed local tourism, education, and employment opportunities, with the border population facing the brunt of the escalating friction. With inputs from agencies The suspected suicide blast occurred at Islamabads Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra mosque, which was packed with worshippers during Friday prayers, killing more than 30 and injuring 169. The bomber detonated the explosive after reportedly being halted by guards at the entrance of the mosque The blast at the the Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra mosque in Islamabad has left at least 31 dead and 169 injured. Reuters At least 31 people are dead and 169 injured in a suspected suicide blast in Pakistan. The incident occurred at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. It came against the backdrop of a two-day visit from Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Visuals on social media showed bodies lying everywhere alongside glass and debris. Worshippers in and around the scene were left stunned and others panicked in the aftermath of the explosion. Police and rescue workers have rushed to the spot and relief efforts are ongoing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what do we know about the explosion? What dont we know yet? Lets take a closer look. What we know The suspected suicide blast occurred at the Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra mosque, which is located in the Tarlai area on the outskirts of Islamabad, during Friday prayers. The mosque was packed with worshippers when the incident occurred. The bomber was reportedly stopped by guards at the entrance. The attacker was stopped at the gate and detonated himself, a security source told The Telegraph. Pakistans Dawn newspaper quoted Islamabad police spokesperson Taqi Jawad as saying that the cause of the blast has not yet been established. However, Jawad added that there were signs that suggested it was the result of a suicide bombing. However, _AFP_ news agency quoted an unnamed security source as saying that a suicide bomber was behind the attack. Reuters too quoted anonymous police sources as saying that the attacker was stopped at the gate of the mosque before detonating the bomb. According to the newspaper, the cousin of Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, Islamabads inspector general of police, was among the victims killed. Another relative of Rizvi was injured, Jawad said. Some witnesses told the BBC that they heard gunfire prior to the blast. One of the victims, Zaheer Abbas, who was inside the mosque, was praying when he heard bullets. After that, we bowed and then prostrated, and then there was an explosion, he told BBC Urdu. After which there were injured people lying everywhere. Abbas said he lost his senses and was ultimately taken to hospital by the rescue teams, after which he was released. Fortunately, I did not suffer much injury, Abbas added. Syed Ashfaq, the caretaker of the mosque, also said he heard gunfire. By the time I reached it, there had already been an explosion, he said. Bodies were lying everywhere, some were missing arms, some missing legs. We took the most injured in our own vehicle [to hospital]. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The mosque was packed with worshippers when the explosion occurred. The bomber was reportedly stopped by guards at the entrance. Reuters Hospitals in the city have been put on high alert and appeals are being made for the public to donate blood. As per News18, the injured have been evacuated to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Polyclinic Hospital. A senior police officer told The Telegraph the toll was expected to rise further. This is the deadliest attack to hit Islamabad in three years. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz wrote on X that the government had dispatched 25 ambulances to Islamabad. She said all hospitals across Rawalpindi are on high alert with surgical teams, anaesthetists, orthopaedic and neurosurgical specialists on standby. Blood banks are fully staffed, and operation theatres are fully equipped to ensure prompt and effective medical care for the injured, she added. According to the BBC, 2025 was Pakistans deadliest year in over 10 years. The country witnessed combat-related deaths spike by 74 per cent, with militants comprising half the toll. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The outlet quoted the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) as saying that violence in Pakistan had killed 3,413 people, including 2,138 militants, in 2025. This number was 1,950 in 2024. What we dont We dont know who is responsible for the incident. No group has yet come out and claimed credit for the same. However, police sources have claimed that the suicide bomber was a foreign national with links to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In the past, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State group have targeted Shias, who remain a minority within the nation, with suicide attacks. Pakistan, a nation of around 240 million people, is overwhelmingly Sunni. Most of these Islamist groups consider the Shia as heretics who must be put to death. Islamabad in November witnessed a suicide attack outside a courthouse that left a dozen dead and at least 27 others injured. Another suicide blast reportedly carried out by the TTP left six injured at a cadet college in South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Pakistan just last week witnessed a wave of coordinated attacks across south-western Balochistan. Police sources have claimed that the suicide bomber was a foreign national with links to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Reuters The attack, launched by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and named Operation Herof (Black Storm), left dozens dead, including civilians and security personnel. Pakistan, which launched counter-operations, claimed it killed over 200 Baloch fighters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has voiced deep grief over the incident and condemned those responsible. No one will be allowed to disseminate chaos and unrest in the country, Sharif added. Pakistans President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed condolences to the victims and their loved ones. Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity, he wrote on social media. With input from agencies The case of the abduction of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of American news anchor Savannah Guthrie, continues to get murky. She was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, last weekend, before her disappearance came to light. It has been six days since, but the search for the octogenarian has not led to any suspects Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos exits the press room past a missing persons poster after giving an update on the investigation after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of US journalist and TV host Savannah Guthrie, who went missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona, US February 5, 2026. Reuters The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie, has captivated the United States. The 84-year-old, who was last seen at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday (January 31) night, is suspected of having been kidnapped. Law enforcement officials on Thursday (February 5) released an updated timeline and new details in the case. Authorities have said they are investigating an alleged ransom note. Many questions remain unanswered about Nancy Guthries disappearance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lets take a closer look. How did Nancy Guthrie vanish? Nancy Guthrie disappeared in the middle of the night from her home in Catalina Foothills, an upscale neighbourhood roughly 10 km north-east of Tucson, on Saturday night. She was last seen around 21:30 local time (8 am IST on Sunday) when her son-in-law, Tommaso Cioni, dropped her off at her residence. According to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, Guthrie had been at dinner with Cioni and her daughter, Annie, who live nearby, New York Times (NYT) reported. Police said that Cioni waited until Guthrie went inside before driving off. At a news conference on Thursday, Nanos said that her garage door closed at 9:50 pm, the time authorities believe she was home and going to bed, as per CBS News. Her video doorbell was disconnected at 1:47 am. Software detected someone, or possibly an animal, on a camera about 25 minutes later. However, it did not capture video. Guthries pacemaker disconnected from her phone at 2:28 am. The home of Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of An alarm was raised about the elderly womans disappearance after a friend called Guthries family on Sunday morning, telling them that she had missed church. The family called 911 around noon that day, minutes after reaching her home to check on her. Police arrived at her house at 12:15 pm, finding that Guthrie was missing under concerning circumstances. Homicide detectives also arrived at the scene, which Nanos said was an unusual move. Inside her home, law enforcement had come across a scene that was cause for grave concern, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Police said they found blood on Nancy Guthries porch, which belonged to her, as confirmed by analyses. Authorities have been searching for Guthrie since Sunday, warning that she has some physical ailments, has some physical challenges, [and] is in need of medication. The Arizona sheriff said that she is said to be not in good physical health, but has not reported cognitive issues. Nanos told CBS News he believed Guthrie was abducted in the middle of the night. I believe she was abducted, yes. She didnt walk from there. She didnt go willingly. What about ransom notes? Several media outlets in the US have received purported ransom notes as the search for Nancy Guthrie has entered its sixth day. As per The Hill, TMZ and two Tucson-area outlets, KOLD and KGUN, said they had received ransom notes earlier in the week. These included a deadline and information about the crime scene, the media outlets reported. When we saw some of those details, it was clear, after a couple of sentences, that this might not be a hoax, KOLD anchor Mary Coleman told CNN. She added that the information within the email seemed to be only details known by someone holding [Guthrie] for ransom. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD TMZ reported the purported ransom note demanded millions in Bitcoin in exchange for Guthries release. Speaking to CNN, Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade, vice president for intelligence and security research at SentinelOne, said that the demand for Bitcoin is unusual because its one of the most traceable currencies weve ever had. Pima County Sheriff said on Thursday that investigators were aware of the alleged ransom letters. FBI agent Heith Janke said that the purported ransom notes sent to media outlets had been shown to the Guthrie family because they contained facts linked to a deadline and a monetary value. One talked about an Apple watch, and one talked about a floodlight. Were not going to go into specifics, Janke was quoted as saying by BBC. According to police, a ransom note sent to the media mentioned two deadlines: one at 17:00 on Thursday (which has passed) and another on Monday. Investigators are trying to determine whether the ransom notes received by media outlets are legitimate. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The FBI also said it had arrested a person for a fake ransom note on Thursday morning. The arrest came after it received a tip, authorities said. A California man was charged after he sent the imposter ransom note. Are there any suspects? Even after five days of search, authorities have not identified any suspects or persons of interest, the Pima County Sheriff said on Thursday. While investigators have questioned the Uber driver who took Nancy Guthrie to her daughters house for a family dinner the night before she went missing, Nanos told CNN they do not suspect the Uber driver at all. The FBI have announced a $50,000 (about Rs 45 lakh) reward for information leading to the recovery of Guthrie and or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. Nanos said that Nancy Guthrie might have been targeted. However, they do not know if that was because her daughter is one of US televisions most visible anchors. Is Nancy Guthrie still alive? Nanos said he absolutely believes Guthrie is alive. People are always asking, do I believe shes alive? Absolutely, absolutely. Theres nothing to say she isnt, the Arizona sheriff told CNN. During the press conference yesterday, Nanos said, Right now we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home and to find a way to get to the bottom of all of this. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He also urged the media and public to exercise discretion before sharing unconfirmed information, noting social medias kind of an ugly world sometimes. The FBI said there has been no proof of life. If someone has Nancy and is demanding the ransom, then there is communication with the family, FBI agent Janke said, adding that, but there has been no proof of life, and there was no other demands within that letter. NBC news anchor Savannah Guthrie, along with her two siblings, issued an emotional plea to their mothers kidnapper, saying they are ready to talk but want proof their mom is still alive. They said in the video message on Wednesday: Her health, her heart is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer. We are ready to talk, the popular anchor said, adding that, we need to know without a doubt that she is alive and you have her Please, reach out to us. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Around the same time the video was released, US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that he spoke with Savannah Guthrie and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the familys, and Local Law Enforcements, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY. We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely, he posted. On Thursday, the Today show hosts brother, Camron Guthrie, said in another video that the family still had not received any contact from whoever is out there holding our mother, adding: We want to hear from you. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. However, he said the family first needed to know that the kidnapper had their mother. With inputs from agencies Chinese President Xi Jinping held telephonic conversations with his American and Russian counterparts, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin respectively. Many analysts note that the calls portray Beijing as a stable global power US President Donald Trump (left) shake hands with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. File image/AFP Chinas leader Xi Jinping held back-to-back calls with Russias Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump this week, timing analysts said on Thursday, was rare and significant as Beijing positions itself as a stable global power. Here is what to know about the talks: Why on the same day? Xis video call with Putin on Wednesday afternoon was followed just hours later by a phone call with Trump. The timing of the call is rare and interesting. It is not common for Xi to have two calls with Putin and Trump, George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group, wrote in an online commentary. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Xi and Putin spoke for 1.5 hours, according to the Kremlins foreign policy aide, while Trump said they had a long and thorough conversation. It does demonstrate that Xi can hold court and easily pick up the phone to speak with the two strong leaders of the world, said Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapores Nanyang Technological University. Russia and the United States are two of the most consequential countries to China, Loh said, though he cautioned that the timing could have been a simple scheduling issue. What was discussed? Trump said he and Xi discussed trade, Russias war in Ukraine, and Iran. He also said that China had committed to increasing soybean purchases from the United States to 20 million tons in the current season. The call confirmed that in spite of whats happened around the world, there is going to be a short-term tactical stabilisation of US-China relations, Loh said. The purchase of soybeans, he said, is a low-hanging fruit. US President Donald was also on an official conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. File image/Reuters In Taiwan, however, Xi warned Washington to exercise caution in arms sales to the self-ruled island, which Beijing claims as its own territory and has vowed to retake by force if necessary. Taiwans Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi told AFP that we dont worry too much about this whole telephone communication. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In fact, we believe that it will contribute to stabilise the situation, he said. Meanwhile, Xi and Putin hailed the strengthening of Chinese-Russian ties as they try to present a united front against the West. The two countries have drawn closer since Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which left Moscow diplomatically isolated. The calls took place as Russian, Ukrainian, and US negotiators met in Abu Dhabi for a new round of talks on ending the almost four-year war. Putin and Xi discussed their opinions on the United States, and special attention was given to the tense situation in Iran, the Kremlin said. How important were the talks? Xi is seeking to position himself as equidistant from Putin and Trump, said Benjamin Ho, assistant professor at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. China is trying to seek international manoeuvre space to ensure that whatever happens globally, it does not get fenced into a corner, he told AFP. Domestically, China is reeling from a recent corruption probe into Zhang Youxia, a top military general in the Peoples Liberation Army, which sent shockwaves through defence observers. Analysts said that while Zhangs investigation would likely not have been discussed with Putin and Trump, the timing of the calls could be a way for Xi to project confidence domestically. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Faced with uncertain and fragile domestic conditions, the two-timing calls were probably for domestic posturing to demonstrate Xis political standing in the global theatre, Ho said. What do the calls mean for ties? Putin accepted invitations during the call to visit China in the first half of 2026, according to the Kremlin, while Trump said he was looking forward to his previously announced trip to Beijing in April. Putin will also attend the Apec regional summit hosted by Xi in November. The calls follow a slew of recent meetings between Xi and various leaders, as he seeks to present China as a stable alternative to Washington. Some analysts cautioned that China-Russia relations are not ironclad, while both Beijing and the mercurial Trump administration could yet make unattainable demands of each other. Neither the US nor China will fully commit to Russia, as both are primarily focused on stabilising their bilateral relationship, said Yue Su at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Meaningful Chinese cooperation would likely require a very attractive deal from the US in exchange. Bangladesh and the US are set to sign a trade deal just days ahead of the long-awaited polls in Dhaka. It also comes in the aftermath of New Delhi and Washington signing a free trade agreement that was announced by President Donald Trump. But whats in it? Bangladesh and the United States are rushing to sign a trade deal. The development, which comes just days ahead of the long-awaited Bangladesh polls, is piquing the interest of political watchers. It also comes in the aftermath of India and the United States signing a free trade agreement that was announced by President Donald Trump. Representatives of Dhaka and Washington are set to meet next week to sign the pact. However, there is much secrecy surrounding the deal. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what do we know? Why are there concerns over it? Lets take a closer look: What we know about pact The agreement on reciprocal tariffs will be signed in Washington on February 9 (Monday). This is just three days before Bangladesh goes to the polls on February 12. According to Prothom Alo, the signing ceremony will begin on February 8. Interestingly, neither Bangladeshs Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin nor Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman will be heading to the US to attend the event in person. Sources told the newspaper Uddin already put pen to paper in Dhaka and the agreement will be signed in the US by US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. Instead, a five-member delegation from Bangladesh will be tasked with taking the copy to Washington and attending the event. According to a government order issued on February 3, the delegation will be headed by Khadija Nazneen, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Wing. Joint Secretaries Firoz Uddin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman, Senior Assistant Secretary Sheikh Shamsul Arefin, and National Board of Revenue (NBR) Commissioner Rais Uddin Khan comprise the rest of the team. The delegation will leave Dhaka today (February 6) and return home on February 10. Not much is known about the terms of the deal. However, it has been reported that Washington wants Dhaka to bring down imports from China and increase military imports from the US. The US also wants free access to Bangladeshi markets and that Dhaka would need to acquiesce to US standards and certifications without protest. The United States also wants no inspections regarding the import of US vehicles and parts in Dhaka. The Trump administration had levied a 37 per cent tariff on Bangladesh in April 2025. That number was brought down to 35 per cent and then finally 20 per cent in August. The deal is expected to bring the tariffs down further to 15 per cent. Dhaka is desperate to keep New Delhi from eating into its market share of ready made garments because millions of jobs could be put at risk if it does not get a better rate than India. There is also the India component to consider. Dhaka has pushed to finalise the pact in the aftermath of the India-US trade agreement that brought levies on Indian goods down to 18 per cent. Bangladeshs economy is heavily dependent on textiles and ready-made garments, which comprise 90 per cent of its exports to the US. Bangladesh sends around $7 to $8.4 billion (around Rs 58,100 crore to Rs 69,700 crore) of clothes and textiles to the US every year. Dhaka is desperate to keep New Delhi from eating into its market share because millions of jobs could be put at risk if it does not get a better rate than India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bangladeshs garment sector employs between four and five million, predominantly women. It comprises over 80 per cent of Bangladeshs income from exports. It also accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the countrys economy. Why there are concerns over it Because the Muhammad Yunus government signed a formal Non-Disclosure Agreement with the US. This means all the tariff and trade negotiations will be kept secret from the public. No draft agreement is available or has been given to Parliament or key stakeholders within Bangladesh industries, as per Prothom Alo. Given that the current regime is only an interim and unelected government, it is only supposed to act as a caretaker until the next government takes power. The Yunus government, being unelected, has no mandate from the people to make such important decisions, which could impact the future direction of the country, on their behalf. It raises concerns among many that the Yunus regime is acting outside its remit. Indeed, Bangladesh economist Anu Muhammad in a post on Facebook raised just such questions. He queried the urgency to lease a port, import arms, and sign subordination agreements with the United States just a few days before the national election. He claimed this was being done in a completely non-transparent, illogical, and irregular manner and that foreign lobbyists who had been implanted within the Yunus administration as advisers were desperate to make these agreements. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Yunus has actually appointed some foreign companies and foreign state lobbyists in this government under the guise of advisers and special assistants. These foreign lobbyists appointed as chief advisers are jumping around to make these deals from within the government, he wrote on Facebook. Do they have a commitment or an obligation to someone that they must do this contract? Otherwise, why are they pushing the country into a terrible, dangerous situation? Bangladeshs Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Ameer Shafiqur Rahman (centre right) presents a floral wreath to leader ATM Azharul Islam (centre left) after his release from prison in Dhaka on May 28, 2025.There have been allegations that Yunus was supported by Islamist parties to come to power as the head of the interim Bangladesh government. File image/AFP Had the tariff agreement been signed after the election, political parties could have discussed it. It is also worth considering whether the hands of the incoming elected government are being tied, distinguished fellow of Bangladeshi think-tank, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Debapriya Bhattacharya, was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association senior vice-president Inamul Haque Khan told the newspaper he found the events disturbing. Based on the target for purchases from the US, it can be expected that the reciprocal tariff rate will come down to 15 per cent (currently 20 per cent). I had heard that National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman had streamlined this. I was surprised to see the signing of the agreement come just three days before the election. I still believe this should have been done after the election, because it carries major implications, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But Sk Bashir Uddin, Bangladeshs commerce adviser last year, insisted: There will be nothing in the agreement that goes against the countrys interests. Subject to US consent, it will also be made public. Interestingly, the development comes amid reports that American diplomats are engaging with the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, which could likely emerge as a major player after the election. There have been allegations that Yunus was supported by Islamist parties to come to power as the head of the interim Bangladesh government. Meanwhile, Sajeeb Wazed, the son of toppled Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina, last week claimed that Bangladesh was heading into a sham election designed to install a weak government loyal to foreign interests. He claimed that the Yunus regime was backed by Islamists and accused the government of acting in a completely non-transparent manner. With inputs from agencies Sanae Takaichi last year climbed to Japans highest office after spending years within the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Now, months after assuming power, she has called a snap election on February 8. What can we expect? Sanae Takaichi is looking to expand the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s tally in the Lower House of Japan's Parliament. Reuters In October 2024, Sanae Takaichi made history by becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Japan. Takaichi, 64, climbed to the countrys highest office after spending years within the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Takaichi succeeded Shigeru Ishiba, who stepped down in the aftermath of a series of setbacks for the LDP. Now, just months after assuming power, Takaichi has taken the risk of calling a snap election in Japan. But what do we know? Why did she call the poll? Will her gamble pay off? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How we got here First, lets examine how the fortunes of the LDP have turned around. As per The Guardian, early last year, the LDP was down in the dumps. Ishiba, an unpopular Prime Minister, had lost ground for the party in not one but two elections. The partys approval rating from voters was on a steady decline as it was in the middle of a slush-fund scandal. Factions of the LDP were looking to replace Ishiba. The party had two options before it Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of a former prime minister, or Takaichi. The LDP surprised many by choosing Takaichi, who then defeated Yoshikoko Noda of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan in the Lower House to emerge as prime minister. Still, even as Takaichi, a protege of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, took in the tumultuous applause and bowed deeply, many remained sceptical about whether she could pull off the top job. Since then, Takaichi has seen ups and downs as prime minister. She oversaw visits from US President Donald Trump who offered a complete and total endorsement and invited her to the White House as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. President Donald Trump,with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. AP Takaichi also got into a fracas with China by publicly outlining how Tokyo might respond to Beijing attacking Taiwan. Takaichis decision to suspend the eight per cent sales tax on food in line with her election promise to help households cope with rising prices prompted investors to flee Japanese bonds and sank the yen. Investors could not compute how Japan, the country with the worlds heaviest debt-to-GDP ratio, would find the money to replace the $30 billion (around Rs 2.49 lakh crore) in yearly revenue that it would lose. Experts say that the Bank of Japan may not be in a position to help Takaichi if the market sinks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Social media icon However, Takaichi has maintained her popularity. As per CNN, polls show her approval ratings remain over 50 per cent overall and as high as 80 per cent among people in their 20s. This is particularly true for the youth of Japan. Takaichi, who draws inspiration from Britains Margaret Thatcher, and who has 2.6 million followers on X, has used the power of social media to keep herself in the public eye. She has also become an unlikely fashion icon, with fans clamouring to buy the $900 (around Rs 74,700) black leather bag she carries and the pink pen she scribbles with. Clips of Takaichi, which are short, succinct and slogan-heavy, often go viral. She recently performed a K-pop duet with South Koreas President Lee. Two 20-year-old students told CNN Takaichis smile first intrigued them. Rather than calling her Prime Minister or Ms Takaichi, they refer to her as Sana-chan as if she were a close friend. One even said she uses the same pink pen as Takaichi. It makes me feel closer to her, she said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Compared to the previous prime minister, you see a lot of posts on social media showing how hard shes working, she added. I see young people starting to get interested in politics because of that. Lee Jae Myung and Sanae Takaichi rock drums at Nara summit to signal thawed South Korea Japan ties. Until now, politics has been dominated by senior male figures, Yuiko Fujita, an associate professor at Tokyo University, told Nikkei Asia. The fact that the prime minister is now a woman, someone with a different background from what people are accustomed to, creates a feeling that something is shifting. Some have raised a red flag over her comments about Japans response to a potential invasion of Taiwan. The effects of Takaichis comments havent fully appeared yet, Hajime Kidera, a professor at Meiji Universitys School of Political Science and Economics, told CNN. But as they do, more people may begin questioning whether Japans economy can really be entrusted to her leadership. Takaichi has called the snap election because she only has a razor-thin majority in Japans parliament nowhere near enough to implement her agenda. Making the announcement last month, she said the Japanese people must be given the opportunity to decide whether she is fit to run the country. Takaichi is clearly trying to capitalise on her popularity in order to expand her partys numbers in parliament and give her more room to manoeuvre. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Will it pay off? This remains to be seen. The polls show that Takaichis Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, could get as many as 300 seats in the 465-seat Lower House of parliament. However, it remains to be seen whether the young people who overwhelmingly support Takaichi will turn up in droves at the polling stations. In the October general election before she became prime minister, only 36 per cent of those aged 21 to 24 voted in the capital of Tokyo. Meanwhile, around 71 per cent of those aged 70 to 74 cast their ballot. Prices are so high, Tomomi Kawamura, a Tokyo housewife who remains undecided, told The Guardian. I want something done about that. Japans Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi tastes a persimmon after receiving a courtesy visit from the Nara Persimmon PR Lady at the Prime Ministers Office in Tokyo on November 19, 2025. AFP Polls show that the far-right Sanseito party, which is fielding a record 190 candidates, could gain ground. It is estimated that the Sanseito party, which won seats in the Upper House last year while decrying foreigners, could get as many as 15 seats. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While Sanseito, which has sought ties with US President Donald Trumps Maga movement, will remain a small party, its emergence has helped shift the political discourse in Japan to the right, a trend seen in other advanced democracies. Another factor that could influence turnout is the weather. The election will be the first since 1990 to be held in mid-winter, with some parts of northern and western Japan buried under record snowfall. More snow is expected on Sunday, with possibly even a rare sprinkling in Tokyo, which could snarl up travel. Turnout in Japanese elections, which the LDP has dominated in the post-war era, is lower than in most other advanced democracies, at around 55 per cent in recent votes. With inputs from agencies Can artificial intelligence eat legal jobs? The concern is growing in India with new AI tools increasingly influencing legal work. Firstpost spoke to experts on the AI challenge in the legal sector. Heres what they say Artificial intelligence is being embedded across sectors, from healthcare and manufacturing to finance, education, and governance, reshaping how data-heavy work is carried out. In healthcare, AI supports faster diagnostics and predictive analysis. Financial institutions use automation for fraud detection, compliance monitoring, and real-time risk assessment, while manufacturers rely on AI-driven systems for supply chain optimisation and predictive maintenance. This shift is now evident in legal and corporate governance functions as well, where the scale of documentation, precedents, and regulatory data makes automation increasingly relevant. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The growing use of AI in legal processes has raised a critical question in India: whether automation can be safely integrated into a system governed by one of the lengthiest constitutions in the world. Legal experts note that while technology can significantly improve efficiency, the interpretative, ethical, and contextual nature of law demands firm boundaries on where and how AI is applied. Can AI take legal jobs? AIs rapid expansion has also sparked concerns about job losses across IT and allied sectors. Similar anxieties have emerged in legal support roles, particularly in functions involving repetitive analysis, documentation, and data review. Senior professionals, however, caution against viewing AI as a substitute for human expertise. A senior legal counsel told Firstpost, When we talk of legal AI, it can be an assistance but never a master. We need to master AI. He explained that existing systems face clear restraints, especially around accuracy, accountability, and the ability to understand context. Asked how AI is changing everyday legal work inside major companies and which tasks that once took days can now be completed in minutes, the senior counsel said, AI is increasingly used to analyse and summarise large volumes of data. He noted that contract reviews, compliance checks, regulatory mapping, and internal audits can now be processed at much greater speed. This has reduced turnaround times and allowed legal teams to spend more time on advisory work, risk assessment, and strategic decision-making rather than manual data sorting. Will AI replace legal jobs? On whether AI will eventually replace legal jobs or act mainly as a support tool, he said, Not all, but we can say jobs of analysts or jobs where human skills like emotional intelligence arent required. Roles suited to automation include those dependent on pattern recognition, high-volume review, and data comparison, while work involving judgment, negotiation, ethics, and discretion remains firmly human-led. Risks of AI-driven legal decisions Explaining the risks of relying on AI for legal decisions, he said, The biggest risk is the quantum of data fed to AI and the output we receive accuracy and factual AI also hallucinate and can cause hurdles. He said that flawed inputs or unchecked system behaviour could lead to incorrect outcomes, underlining the need for constant human oversight and verification. On regulation, he said professionals need to be upskilled and new rules introduced, warning that existing laws do not fully address AI-related risks such as data breaches and misuse. He stressed the need to revise legal education to include structured courses on AI, noting that many laws predate artificial intelligence and are not equipped to deal with its impact. He also said intellectual property laws must be updated to remain aligned with AI-driven innovation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD AI in legal proceedings In a conversation with Firstpost, advocate and legal practitioner at the Supreme Court of India, Jayant Sinha, explained how AI is currently being used in legal work and the challenges that remain. He said AI mainly assists with tasks involving reading, sorting, and analysing large volumes of text. AI-powered legal research tools can quickly retrieve relevant cases, laws, and precedents, scanning thousands of pages and highlighting key issues within minutes. AI also supports drafting and summarising by preparing initial drafts of contracts or briefs and condensing lengthy case files. This reduces the time lawyers spend on repetitive tasks and allows them to focus on strategy and client needs, he said. Where AI works and where it cannot Sinha said, AI performs well in repetitive and pattern-based tasks such as document review during discovery or due diligence, comparing contracts and checking clauses, searching case law, summarising text and drafting standard agreements. These functions rely on speed, consistency, and scale rather than strategic or emotional judgment. However, he said law continues to require human involvement in areas such as legal strategy, arguing complex cases, negotiation, assessing behaviour and credibility, making ethical decisions, and handling sensitive matters, including family disputes, criminal defence and mediation. He also highlighted the irreplaceable role of human skill in cross-examination. Limits of empathy and human understanding On whether AI can understand emotions or show empathy, Sinha said it cannot. He explained that while AI can recognise patterns in language, it cannot feel or relate to human experiences, understand trauma, interpret emotional cues in negotiations, or weigh moral considerations. As a result, legal work involving sensitivity, ethics, and emotional intelligence will always require human intervention. He said AI remains a powerful helper rather than a replacement, adding that while it can accelerate research, review, drafting, and analysis, legal judgement, strategy, ethics, and human understanding remain firmly in human hands. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India on Friday categorically rejected Pakistans allegations of an Indian link to the suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people. Pakistani paramilitary soldiers control a crowd close to the site of a bomb explosion at a Shiite mosque, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) India on Friday categorically rejected Pakistans allegations of an Indian link to the suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), describing the attack as condemnable, said it is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan chose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. At least 31 people were killed and 169 injured in a suspected suicide blast in Pakistan. when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad. The incident occurred at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. It came against the backdrop of a two-day visit from Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The powerful explosion took place at Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, police said in a statement. The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused, the MEA said. It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills, it said. India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless, it added. Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, without providing any evidence, alleged that India and Afghanistan were linked to the attack. In a social media post, he claimed that it has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed, he alleged. Though attacks are not so frequent in Islamabad, Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months, largely blamed on Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate group, but allied with Afghanistans Taliban. A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group has also been active in the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the initial aftermath of the explosion, a lower number of casualties was released, but Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Memon gave the latest tolls. With inputs from agencies India carried out a successful test-fire of the nuclear-capable Agni-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile from Odisha, reaffirming the operational readiness of a key pillar of the countrys strategic deterrence. The Agni - V missile being successfully launched from the Wheeler Island in Balasore, Odisha. PTI India on Friday (February 6) successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha, validating all operational and technical parameters, officials said. The Ministry of Defence said that the launch met all mission objectives and was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command, which manages the countrys strategic nuclear assets. Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile #Agni3 was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, #Odisha on 06 Feb 2026. The launch validated all operational & technical parameters and was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.@rajnathsingh Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) February 6, 2026 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Agni-3 has a strike range of around 3,000 to 3,500 kilometres, allowing India to hit strategic targets deep inside adversary territory. Defence officials said the successful trial reaffirmed the reliability and readiness of the missile system. Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Agni-3 was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha on 06 Feb 2026. The launch validated all operational and technical parameters and was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command, the defence ministry said in a statement. Although newer and upgraded variants from the Agni series have been tested in recent years, Agni-3 continues to remain a key pillar of Indias deterrence capability. The missile is a two-stage, solid-fuel system. After the first stage completes its burn, the second stage ignites to carry the missile along its planned trajectory, ensuring stability and accuracy. The successful test further adds to Indias growing list of validated strategic missile systems and underscores its focus on maintaining a credible minimum deterrent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Several regions across the world now offer visas that unlock more than one destination, making travel smoother, cheaper and far more flexible. For Indian travellers, these visas offer a chance to see more of the world with less paperwork These visas give you access to more than once country. Credits/Pixabay Disclaimer: Visa rules may change without enough notice, readers are advised to get the latest information from respective country consulates. For many Indian travellers, visas remain one of the biggest hurdles in planning international trips. But several regions now offer visas that unlock more one destination, making travel smoother, cheaper and far more flexible. These visa arrangement are designed to encourage tourism, improve cross-border mobility and allow visitors to explore entire regions instead of a single country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Understanding these multi-country visas can help travellers plan smarter and get more value from a single application. UK visa Under the British Irish Visa Scheme, Indian travellers holding certain UK visas can also visit Ireland without applying for a separate Irish visa, as long as they enter the UK first. This allows visitors to combine England, Scotland, or Wales with Dublin or other Irish destinations in one trip. A valid UK (multi-entry) visa also allows entry to several countries, including Albania, Montenegro, Georgia, and various Caribbean nations like the Bahamas and Bermuda. Some Asian and Middle Eastern countries, such as Oman, Qatar, and Turkey, also offer simplified entry procedures or eVisas to UK visa holders. Schengen visa The Schengen visa is the most popular multi-country visa for Indian travellers. Issued by any one of the 27 Schengen countries, it allows free movement across most of Europe for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. Travellers can enter through one country and move seamlessly between others without internal border checks. United States Visa A valid US tourist visa allows travellers to move freely across all 50 states. In addition, it covers certain US territories such as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Island which do not require separate visas. East Africa Tourist Visa For travellers interested in wildlife and nature, the East Africa tourist visa offers excellent value. Issued jointly by Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, this single visa allows travel between all three countries. It is particularly popular for safari circuits,, gorilla trekking and cross-border road trips in East Africa. Australia visa An Australian visa allows travel across all Australian states and territories, including New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory. While it covers one country, the scale and diversity of Australia make it feel like multiple destinations in one trip, from cities and beaches to deserts and rainforests. New Zealand visa Similarly, a New Zealand tourist visa allows entry to both the North and South islands. Travellers can explore urban centres like Auckland and Wellington alongside natural attractions such fjords, glaciers and alpine landscapes without needing additional permits. GCC unified visa The GCC unified visa, also known as the GCC Grand tourist visa, is a new initiative that allows non-Gulf country citizens to visit one or all six GCC nations with a single visa. With this visa, you can enter: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Saudi Arabia Qatar Kuwait Bahrain Oman Instead of applying for separate visas for each country, you can move between these Gulf nations using just the GCC unified visa, which can be both time and cost-efficient. The GCC countries officially approved the Unified Tourist Visa GCC Grand Tours in 2023. The main goal is to make it simple for non-GCC nationals, even those already living in one Gulf country, to travel around the area without extra paperwork. The GCC visa application is expected to open in late 2026, though the exact start date is not set yet. ASEAN Framework Adopted in 2016, the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption exempts citizens of other ASEAN Member States holding valid national passports from visa requirement for a period of stay of up to 14 days from the date of entry, provided that such stay shall not be used for purposes other than visit. Meanwhile, the implementation of ASEAN Lanes at major international airports in the region provides ASEAN citizens with an expedited immigration processing lane to facilitate the travel of nationals from the ASEAN Member States and to boost tourism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ASEAN is also actively developing a Schengen-style single visa, often referred to as the ASEAN Super-Visa, to allow international travelers to visit multiple Southeast Asian nations with one permit Multi-country visas usually come with specific entry rules, such as entering through the country that issued the visa or following a fixed travel sequence. For Indian travellers, these visas offer a chance to see more of the world with less paperwork, fewer applications, and better travel value. Ola, Uber, and Rapido drivers have announced a nationwide strike on February 7, 2026. As the announcement comes just a day after the launch of Bharat Taxi in Delhi, it has sparked speculation about a possible link between the two developments Is there any connection between the strike and Bharat Taxis launch? Let's find out. AFP Ride-hailing platforms Ola, Uber, and Rapido have called for a nationwide strike on February 7, 2026, which may potentially disrupt daily commute for people across several Indian cities. The protest, being organized by various gig-worker unions in the country, is expected to affect cab, auto-rickshaw, and bike services. The protest, dubbed as All India Breakdown, requires drivers across the platforms to cancel ride requests or switch off their ride-hailing apps altogether. Whos behind the strike? The strike has been called by the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) in coordination with several national labour organisations. Announcing the protest scheduled for Saturday, TGPWU stated in a post on X that app-based transport workers across the country would participate in an All India Breakdown on February 7, 2026, citing the absence of minimum fares, lack of regulation, and continued exploitation of workers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why are they going on a strike? In a letter written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the union highlighted what it called long-standing and unresolved problems faced by app-based transport workers nationwide. The union pointed out that, in the absence of government-regulated fare structures for drivers associated with platforms such as Ola, Uber, Rapido, Porter, and other aggregator services operating autos, cabs, and bike taxis, fare decisions are entirely controlled by the companies themselves. The letter stated that this situation has led to serious income instability, worker exploitation, and unsustainable working conditions for millions of transport workers. Urging the government to take immediate action, the union alleged that while aggregator companies continue to generate profits, millions of app-based drivers are being driven deeper into poverty. Is the strike linked to the launch of Bharat Taxi? With no per-ride commission and surge-free pricing, Bharat Taxi is positioned as a lower-cost alternative to Ola and Uber. Photo: X/@MinOfCooperatn Although the news comes a day after Bharat Taxi was launched in Delhi, the February 7 strike by Ola, Uber, and Rapido drivers is not directly related to the new cooperative ride-hailing platform (as per the unions). The protest is being driven by gig-worker unions over ongoing grievances about fares, regulation and earnings on existing app platforms, and is not officially about Bharat Taxis launch or operations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Why Bharat Taxi could be a gamechanger for drivers? The cooperative model of Bharat Taxi gives it a slight edge over Uber and Ola. Pexels Instead of drivers being independent contractors - as with Uber and Ola - Bharat Taxis drivers, called Sarathis, are members and co-owners of the cooperative: each holds shares and elects leadership. They drivers get full amount the customer pays, unlike how other platforms cut 15-20 per cent commission. Seychelles is not merely a passive arena of great-power competition in the Indian Ocean but an active strategic negotiator whose choices are central to Indias maritime security vision The President of the Republic of Seychelles, Patrick Herminie. For India, Seychelles functions as an important node for monitoring maritime traffic, addressing non-traditional security challenges such as piracy, and supporting freedom of navigation across the region. File photo Seychelles President Patrick Harminie started off a five-day visit to India, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on February 5, 2026. Being the first visit conducted by President Harminie since assuming office in October 2025, the visit also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Seychelles. It not only exemplifies Indias strategic interest in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) but also signifies sternness from India towards its engagement with Africa. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Seychelles and Its Relevance for India The extent of influence exercised by small island developing states (SIDS)and small states more broadlyon the global stage remains a key question in world politics. Given that the influence of small states varies across geopolitical and geoeconomic contexts, it is reasonable to assume that they exert pressure on international politics through diverse forms of leverage. Against this backdrop, the smallest nation of Africa, Seychelles, is looking to bargain its strategic location in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to gain international agency. With the broadening geopolitical divide, opting for strategic autonomy has become the new norm. Under such a sensitive climate, Seychelles has shown agency in relation to the great power competition by opting for its friends to all hedging approach. The 116-island nation, located 1,350 to 1,800 kilometers from the East African coast, in the western part of the Indian Ocean, is positioned in a geopolitically and strategically significant location. This is because, in recent times, India extended the Security and Growth for All in the Region (Sagar) initiative to Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (Mahasagar) and launched the maiden initiatives of IOS Sagar and Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) in 2025. Seychelles location places it along the arc of these strategic frameworks and holds tremendous significance for India as well. India Visit President Harminie kick-started the visit to India with a welcome by State Minister Madhivendhan and top officials of the State Government in Chennai. During his visit, President Herminie is also set to meet the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, hold discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest, and meet the state governors of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. There is an anticipation that the visit will enhance maritime cooperation between India and Seychelles. India shares an elaborate architecture of defence and security cooperation with Seychelles, and the cooperation has significantly deepened over the years to counter the growing cases of piracy in the IOR. India has been engaging consistently with Seychelles on maritime cooperation, and the engagement has observed 10 editions of the India-Seychelles biennial joint military exercise LAMITYE, and visits by INS Sharda and INS Trishul in 2023, INS Sunayna in 2023 and 2024, and INS Tir (First Training Squadron of the Indian Navy) in 2024. These visits and joint exercises were complemented by six coastal surveillance radar systems gifted and installed by India in 2015 and the handing over of Fast Patrol Vessel SCG PS Zoroaster in 2021. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Given Indias deepening engagement in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), enhanced maritime cooperation with Seychelles appears increasingly likely. As the Indian Ocean is the second-largest tuna-producing region globally, strengthened cooperation to counter Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing can be an effective prospect. This would further build up Indias stature in maintaining the regional security while also assisting Seychelles to better its IUU fishing risk index, thereby further safeguarding its borders. Currently, Seychelles IUU score stands at 2.32, with 1 being the best (lowest risk) and 5 being the worst (highest risk). Furthermore, strengthening partnership in the blue economy can also be anticipated as a probable outcome of the visit. Both India, through the Draft Blue Economy policy, and Seychelles, through the launch of the worlds first Blue Bond, have implemented various Blue Economy principles into their national development strategies. Considering Seychelles advancements in the sector of the blue economy, India has the opportunity to play a bigger part in maritime governance. Cooperation in the development of sustainable technology through innovation can nourish the various aspects of the blue economy, like maritime logistics, ports and shipping, and human capacity development. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Beyond these considerations, a key diplomatic issue likely to be deliberated during the visit is that of Assumption Island (also known as Assomption Island). Assumption Island is a tiny and remote 7 km-long island, located 1,100 km southwest of Seychelles. Despite its size, the island is of immense strategic significance, as it lies along a key route linking the Indian Ocean with the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Moreover, the island lies close to the busy commercial shipping lanes carrying manufactured goods and materials from East Asia to Africa. This has rendered the island a focal point of geopolitical competition, with China, the United States, and India advancing competing interests in establishing a military presence. In March 2015, India leveraged its strong relations with Seychelles and signed an agreement on the Development of Facilities, and a revised agreement was signed in November 2018. With the 2018 agreement being signed, it was anticipated that Assumption Island will soon become a joint military base between India and Seychelles. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Considering Assumption Island is near the Unesco-listed Aldabra atoll, which constitutes a refuge of over 400 endemic species and subspecies and has one of the most pristine and fragile ecosystems in the world, the people of Seychelles prefer keeping geopolitics away from the island. Public opposition to development on the island has been pronounced, as evidenced by the mass demonstrations against the construction of a 40-villa luxury resort by the Qatari Assets Group. For India, a presence on the strategic island is critical, as it monitors the Mozambique Channel and can effectively aid India in countering Chinas expanding footprint in the region. Hence, this visit is expected to encompass various other cooperations and extensions of development assistance. The tensions surrounding Assumption Island highlight a larger structural reality about Seychelles position in contemporary geopolitics. The contest between environmental preservation, domestic public sentiment, and external strategic interests amplifies how small island states are not merely passive arenas of great-power competition but active negotiators of it. Decisions regarding security partnerships, infrastructure, and access are filtered through sovereignty concerns, ecological vulnerability, and political legitimacy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Conclusion Situated near key sea lanes and encompassing a vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Seychelles serves as a critical hub for monitoring maritime traffic, addressing non-traditional security threats such as piracy, and supporting freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean Region. For India, hence, Seychelles functions as an important node for monitoring maritime traffic, addressing non-traditional security challenges such as piracy, and supporting freedom of navigation across the region. Owing to these attributes, it emerges as a strategic lynchpin in Indias efforts to sustain its role as a Preferred Security Partner and First Responder in the Indian Ocean Region. (The author is an independent researcher on African issues. Views expressed are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.) The February 4 US-organised ministerial on critical minerals was less an endpoint than a beginning. For India, the participation reinforces its ambition to emerge as a key node in global technology and resource networks The Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by the United States on February 4, 2026, marked an important turning point in how major economies now view minerals that underpin modern industry, advanced technology, and national security. Held in Washington, the meeting brought together ministers and senior officials from more than fifty countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Its timing was deliberate. As global competition intensifies over semiconductors, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and defence technologies, governments are increasingly recognising that control over critical minerals has become as strategically consequential in the twenty-first century as oil was in the twentieth. The ministerial was therefore not a routine technical consultation but a strategic signal that mineral supply chains now sit at the heart of economic security, geopolitical stability, and technological leadership. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 2026 ministerial was a Trump administration initiative aimed at reshaping global markets for critical minerals and rare earths, an area where China currently enjoys overwhelming dominance. China leads production in roughly thirty minerals designated as critical by the US Geological Survey and accounts for about seventy per cent of global rare earth mining and more than ninety per cent of global processing capacity. This concentration has heightened concerns in Washington and other capitals about supply-chain vulnerability, price manipulation, and the potential use of resource dominance for political leverage. Against this backdrop, the United States framed discussions among the fifty-five participating countries around the need to address excessive concentration in mining, refining, and processing. American officials argued that supply chains dominated by a single country create structural risks, distort markets, and undermine trust in global trade. To counter these vulnerabilities, Washington proposed deeper coordination among like-minded partners, including mechanisms to stabilise prices, improve investment predictability, and encourage diversification across the entire value chain, from extraction to downstream manufacturing. One of the most closely watched proposals was the idea of coordinated price-support or price-floor arrangements for certain critical minerals, designed to reduce volatility and make long-term investments viable for producers operating outside dominant supply hubs. The meetings objectives aligned with broader frameworks such as Pax Silica. At its core, the ministerial sought to diversify global supply chains to reduce bottlenecks and geopolitical risk, build shared systems that give investors and manufacturers greater confidence, and establish common norms for cooperation across mining, processing, refining, and technology sectors. A central aim was to reduce overdependence on highly concentrated sources, particularly China, that currently dominate rare earths and other critical minerals. Underscoring the seriousness of intent, President Donald Trump announced the launch of a strategic US minerals stockpile, known as Project Vault, to be funded through two billion dollars of private capital alongside a ten-billion-dollar loan from the US Export-Import Bank. India should learn from this and build its own reserves too. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Indias participation in the ministerial stood out both for its substance and its symbolism. With top-level political clearance granted to advance a broader trade understanding, New Delhi and Washington moved forward on strengthening planned partnerships, including cooperation on critical minerals. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar used the forum to stress that supply chain concentration is not merely an economic concern but a systemic global risk. In an interconnected world, he argued, resilience cannot be built unilaterally and must instead rest on structured international cooperation. India, he emphasised, sees itself not only as a major consumer of critical minerals but also as a partner capable of contributing to more diversified, transparent and reliable supply chains. This approach reflects New Delhis broader effort to de-risk its economic dependencies while preserving strategic autonomy. Jaishankar also signalled Indias support for the Forum on Resource and Geostrategic Engagement, or FORGE, an initiative unveiled at the summit to deepen cooperation on critical resources. Together with Pax Silica, these efforts build on the existing IndiaUS Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, reinforcing the idea that minerals, technology and geopolitics are now inseparable. With India joining the original nine-country Pax Silica grouping, an institutional framework is beginning to take shape that links mineral security directly to semiconductor manufacturing, advanced technologies and trusted supply chains. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The outcomes of the ministerial dovetail closely with the objectives of Pax Silica. While Pax Silica focuses on the full technology stack, from semiconductors to advanced manufacturing, the Critical Minerals Ministerial addressed the foundational layer on which that rests. Together, they reflect a growing consensus that economic security, technological leadership and geopolitical stability can no longer be treated as separate policy domains. For India, this convergence is particularly significant. Participation places it inside the room where future rules, standards and cooperative mechanisms are being shaped, rather than leaving it to adapt later to frameworks designed by others. The advantages for India are tangible. Engagement at the ministerial strengthens its case as a trusted destination for global investment in mineral exploration, processing and downstream manufacturing. It reinforces domestic initiatives such as the National Critical Minerals Mission by linking them to international cooperation and market access. Diplomatically, Indias presence alongside major industrial and resource-rich economies enhances its credibility as a country willing to contribute to global supply chain resilience rather than merely benefit from it. Strategically, it allows India to deepen cooperation with the United States and its partners while retaining room for independent decision-making. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At the same time, the discussions also highlighted what India must do to fully capitalise on these opportunities. International partnerships will yield lasting gains only if India accelerates domestic capacity in exploration, refining and processing, improves regulatory clarity, and creates conditions that attract sustained private investment. Participation alone will not guarantee advantage; delivery on commitments and credibility in execution will matter as much as diplomatic alignment. The level of ambition of the Critical Minerals Mission also needs to be enhanced. Seen in this light, the February 4 ministerial was less an endpoint than a beginning. It marked the moment when critical minerals moved decisively from the margins of economic policy to its strategic core. For India, being part of this moment strengthens its ambition to emerge as a key node in global technology and resource networks. Whether that ambition is realised will depend on how effectively high-level engagement is translated into on-the-ground capability, investment and institutional reform in the years ahead. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD (The writer is a former ambassador to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Asean, and the African Union, and the author of The Mango Flavour: India & Asean After 10 Years of the AEP. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost.) In an all-hands meeting, Apple CEO Tim Cook has highlighted his distraught with the US governments current approach to immigration and vowed to make his voice heard in Washington. Apples chief executive Tim Cook has pledged to step up advocacy on immigration reform with US lawmakers in the wake of intense national controversy over immigration enforcement by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The announcement came in an all-hands meeting with employees and reflects growing pressure on tech leaders to take a stand on one of the most divisive policy issues in American politics. Cooks comments follow national outrage over recent incidents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where federal immigration agents shot and killed at least two civilians during enforcement operations, prompting protests, political debate, and calls for changes to immigration policy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Cook deeply distraught In an internal address reported by Bloomberg, Cook said he was deeply distraught with the US governments current approach to immigration and vowed to make his voice heard in Washington. He underscored the contribution of immigrants to Apples success, saying the company has been stronger and more innovative because weve attracted the best and brightest from all corners of the world. Cook emphasised that immigration matters to Apples workforce, noting that many of the companys employees across the United States are on visa programmes, making reform a personal and corporate priority. For as long as I can remember, we have been a smarter, wiser, more innovative company because of this, he said. He promised to continue to lobby lawmakers on immigration issues, signalling a rare and public intervention by a top tech executive on national policy. Cook also reiterated his support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. Cooks remarks were a direct response to the backlash over the deaths of two Minneapolis residents at the hands of federal agents this month. On January 24, 37-year-old registered nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal officers during a tense immigration enforcement operation in the city, in what authorities described as self-defence but which critics say reflects excessive use of force. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Earlier in January, a separate incident saw Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident, shot and killed by an ICE agent during another enforcement action. These high-profile killings, part of a broader federal operation known as Operation Metro Surge, have ignited protests, political criticism, and calls for de-escalation from business leaders. They have also heightened scrutiny of ICE and wider immigration enforcement tactics. Business leaders respond to ICE backlash Cook is not alone among tech CEOs in criticising ICEs actions. Leaders at companies such as OpenAI have publicly called for restraint, arguing that the enforcement tactics go too far. In his address, Cook called for de-escalation and urged America to live up to its highest ideals by treating all people with dignity and respect, regardless of origin. In a memo earlier this year, he described himself as heartbroken by the Minneapolis shootings and urged calm amid heightened emotions and protests. The ICE controversy has also spurred legislative and law enforcement responses. Nationwide, polls show high levels of public concern over how the government has handled the killings, with majorities calling for independent investigations and changes to enforcement practices. For Cook, the challenge now is to translate corporate concern into concrete policy change. By publicly pledging to lobby US lawmakers, he has entered a fraught political arena where business influence, civil rights, and immigration policy collide. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India believes in an open, resilient and inclusive internet, IT Secretary S Krishnan on Thursday said, stressing that the internet is a core part of network infrastructure and that it is in everyones interest to ensure it functions effectively without causing significant harm. India believes in an open, resilient and inclusive internet, IT Secretary S Krishnan on Thursday said, stressing that the internet is a core part of network infrastructure and that it is in everyones interest to ensure it functions effectively without causing significant harm. Krishnan said India is committed to the multistakeholder model of Internet governance and advancing policy frameworks that support innovation, inclusion, and trust in the global Internet ecosystem, and that hosting the upcoming ICANN85 underlines that position. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) the global internet governance body will convene its 85th public meeting in Mumbai from March 7-12, hosted by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). With more than one billion Internet users and a thriving digital economy, India is an ideal location for global participants to gather at the ICANN85 Community Forum to advance the technical work that ensures the secure and stable operation of the internet, according to officials. India is interested in an open, resilient and inclusive internet. There was a time when the internet was left largely unregulated and allowed to grow because it was the key intent at that time to get more users. But now it has grown substantially, Krishnan said. The internet has become a core part of the network infrastructure, Krishnan said, adding that therefore, it is in everybodys interest to see it works effectively and does not cause significant harm, and so it is essential to preserve the resilience of the internet. The IT Ministry has encouraged more and more organisations, especially official entities, banks and others to move to adopting dot in extension name, he said. This has been a conscious attempt that we have been pushing, and the fundamental reason is that we want to build trust in Indian domains, and we will build that trust by having a more robust KYC regime for these domains, he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD About 3.85 million dot in domain names have been issued, and more will be granted. According to an official release, ICANN85 takes place at a crucial moment just before the launch of the next application round for the New gTLD Program (the next expansion of the Domain Name System) in April. The programme provides businesses, communities, governments, and other organisations with the rare opportunity to apply for new top-level domains tuned to fit their organisation, community, culture, language, and customer interests. The meeting will include important updates about the next round and how to apply, the release said. The New gTLD Program helps to advance ICANNs 2030 vision as the trusted steward of the Internets unique identifier systems to strengthen the single, globally interoperable Internet for all. This multilingual Internet enables people globally to use the net in their own languages and scripts, which matches the Indian governments approach. ICANN85 is the first ICANN Public Meeting since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the WSIS+20 Outcomes Document in December 2025. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The World Summit on the Information Society: 20-year review (WSIS+20) reaffirmed that the Internet is a shared global resource whose stability, openness, and interoperability depend on the multistakeholder model approach, a position strongly supported by ICANN and the Government of India, the release added. Ten years after the ICANN Public Meeting in Hyderabad, the ICANN85 Community Forum in Mumbai offers the Indian Internet community an excellent opportunity to attend and participate in the global dialogue on important Internet governance issues, said Samiran Gupta, ICANN Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region. With the Awami League barred, Sheikh Hasina in exile and a caretaker government in charge, Bangladeshs election is forcing millions of traditional voters to reconsider their political loyalties or stay home Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting chairman Tarique Rahman addresses his supporters after his return from London. Reuters Bangladesh elections on February 12 mark a dramatic break from the countrys long-standing two-party political order. For decades, electoral politics revolved almost entirely around the Awami League (AL) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), two rivals that alternated in power and commanded loyal vote banks across the country since the 1990s. This election, however, unfolds under radically altered circumstances. The Awami League, the party of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, is absent from the ballot after being barred from political activity by the interim administration. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Its registration has been cancelled, and its organisational machinery once the most formidable in the country has been dismantled. Hasina herself, Bangladeshs longest-serving leader, was removed from office following mass protests and now lives in exile after a series of legal rulings, including a controversial sentence handed down in absentia. The vote is being overseen by a caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, an arrangement many observers view as an attempt to reset Bangladeshs political order after years of crisis. This upheaval has created a central question hanging over the election: where will traditional Awami League voters go if they choose to vote at all? Across the country, longtime AL supporters are confronting an unfamiliar political landscape. According to Khaleej Times, without the boat ALs iconic election symbol on ballots in constituencies across the country, traditional AL voters face an unfamiliar set of choices in a highly competitive and fragmented field. For many, the most pragmatic option seems to be the BNP, historically the Awami Leagues principal rival. The BNP is widely seen as the primary beneficiary of the political vacuum left by ALs exclusion. Survey data and political assessments suggest that a significant portion of former Awami League voters nearly half, by some estimates now intend to support the BNP. For these voters, the choice is less about ideological alignment and more about backing the strongest organised force capable of forming a government, even if past rivalries with the BNP remain unresolved. Others are looking beyond the two traditional poles of power. A smaller but notable segment of dislodged AL voters appears drawn to parties within the broader anti-BNP front, including Jamaat-e-Islami and its allies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Once banned and long associated with deep controversy due to its opposition to Bangladeshs 1971 liberation war, Jamaat has re-emerged as a political force in the current transition. Its appeal to some former AL voters particularly younger or newly politicised citizens seems rooted in a search for order, moral clarity, or identity-based politics, though the party remains sharply polarising. A handful of smaller groups, such as the National Citizen Party, have also attracted limited support from ex-AL voters, although their organisational reach remains thin in most constituencies. In many areas, especially rural constituencies where local dynamics often outweigh national narratives, independent candidates and local notables are emerging as alternative recipients of the Awami Leagues old vote bank. Analysts suggest that as many as 15 to 20 perc ent of former AL supporters could back independents, particularly in places where personal reputation, kinship ties, or local service records carry more weight than party affiliation. Still, independents lack a unified platform, and their influence is likely to vary widely from one district to another. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Perhaps the most consequential response, however, may be disengagement. In several traditional Awami League strongholds, voters have expressed deep disillusionment not only over the absence of their party, but also over doubts about the legitimacy and fairness of the electoral process itself. In Gopalganj, Sheikh Hasinas home district, some residents have openly said they see little point in voting if the boat symbol is missing from the ballot. If such sentiments spread, abstention among ALs core supporters could significantly depress turnout, reshaping the final outcome in unpredictable ways. Taken together, these shifts suggest that Bangladeshs once-rigid two-party system is giving way, at least temporarily, to a more fragmented and multipolar contest. The BNP stands to emerge as the dominant force, buoyed by defecting Awami League voters. Religiously oriented parties such as Jamaat appear to be gaining traction among specific segments of the electorate. Independents and smaller parties may chip away at established vote banks, while widespread abstention remains a looming wildcard. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How these dynamics play out will determine not only the result of the February 12 election, but also the longer-term challenge of rebuilding a credible and inclusive democratic process after years of polarisation, institutional erosion, and public distrust. At its core, the election raises a question that goes beyond party fortunes: can Bangladeshs electoral politics move past exclusion and uncertainty, and offer voters a genuine sense of choice once again? With inputs from agencies A senior Russian military officer was shot and seriously injured in Moscow on Friday, in what authorities described as a suspected assassination attempt, adding to a string of high-profile attacks on Russian officials since the war in Ukraine began. A senior Russian military official, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, was rushed to hospital after being shot several times in Moscow on Friday, state media reported, citing investigators. Alexeyev is the deputy chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff at Russias Defence Ministry and is considered a high-profile figure within the military establishment. Suspected assassination attempt The suspected assassination attempt took place at a residential building in northwest Moscow. The Moscow prosecutors office said the attacker fled the scene, and Alexeyevs condition remains unknown. The victim has been hospitalised at one of the citys hospitals, Svetlana Petrenko of Russias Investigative Committee said, adding that a criminal case has been opened on charges of attempted murder. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Investigators have not yet identified who was behind the shooting, which occurred on Volokolamsk Highway on Friday morning. Key role in Ukraine war and Wagner mutiny Alexeyev has played a significant role during Russias war in Ukraine. He took part in talks with Ukrainian representatives during the siege of Mariupol in 2022. He was also among the senior officials sent to negotiate with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin during the short-lived and violent mutiny in June 2023. Under EU sanctions Alexeyev was previously placed under European Union sanctions after Russias military intelligence agency, the GRU, was accused of carrying out the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury in the UK. Pattern of attacks on Russian military figures Several senior Russian military officers have been assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine, with Moscow repeatedly blaming Kyiv for the attacks. In some cases, Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility. Russian intelligence officials also said they foiled an attempted attack on a Russian serviceman in St Petersburg late last month. Recent high-profile killings In January, an Uzbek national was sentenced for the 2024 killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who died in an explosion outside a Moscow apartment block. Ukraines SBU intelligence agency said it was behind the attack. Kirillov had headed Russias Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection troops. In another case, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, a senior GRU officer and head of the General Staffs army training directorate, was killed in December 2025 when an explosive device detonated under a car in Moscow, according to Russias Investigative Committee. Bangladesh heads to the polls next week in its first election since Sheikh Hasinas ouster. The manifestos of the main contendersthe BNP and Jamaatare being closely watched in New Delhi for signals on how relations with India might evolve. Bangladesh's Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Ameer Shafiqur Rahman (centre right) presents a floral wreath to leader ATM Azharul Islam (centre left) after his release from prison in Dhaka on May 28, 2025. File image/AFP With just a week left before Bangladesh goes to the polls its first election since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina the countrys two major political forces have outlined their foreign policy visions, including their approach towards India if they come to power. For New Delhi, the vote carries unusually high stakes, as ties under interim chief Muhammad Yunus have plunged to an all-time low. Amid rising anti-India rhetoric and attacks on Hindus, the manifestos of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami are being closely watched in India. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From Hasina to Yunus: A sharp shift For over a decade, India invested heavily in its relationship with the Awami League under Hasina, who fled to India in 2024 during student-led protests. As prime minister, Hasina kept Pakistan at bay while carefully balancing relations with China. That equilibrium changed under Yunus, whose interim administration reset ties with Pakistan and gave political space to radical Islamist elements that have repeatedly targeted India. BNP seen as a cautious alternative Against this backdrop, the BNP earlier led by Hasinas rival Khaleda Zia and now headed by her son Tarique Rahman is being viewed in Delhi as a relatively liberal and democratic option, despite a history of strained IndiaBNP relations. Unveiling the BNP manifesto on Friday under the slogan Shobar Aage Bangladesh (Bangladesh First), Rahman said his party would treat other countries as friends, not masters, signalling that Bangladesh would not act as a proxy for any external power. Addressing a large gathering in Dhaka after returning from a 17-year exile in December, Rahman said foreign relations would be guided by equality and self-respect. Bangladesh shall not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and will not accept interference in its own affairs, he said. Reassurance amid Indias security concerns Rahmans remarks carry weight amid recent provocative statements by Bangladeshi leaders on Indias vulnerable Siliguri Corridor, or Chickens Neck, and the landlocked nature of the northeast. Last year, Yunus drew sharp criticism from New Delhi during a visit to China when he described northeast India as landlocked and claimed Bangladesh was the regions only guardian of the ocean, while urging Beijing to expand its influence there. India viewed the comments as interference in its internal affairs something Rahmans assurances seek to distance the BNP from. Rahman has also repeatedly underlined that a BNP-led government would align with neither India nor Pakistan. Not Dilli, not Pindi, Bangladesh before everything, he has said. Jamaat signals softer line on India Jamaat-e-Islami, meanwhile, took a more explicit position on India in its manifesto, released on Wednesday by party president Shafiqur Rahman. The document pledged to build peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations with India, notably without mentioning Pakistan. Peaceful, friendly and cooperative relations will be built with India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Thailand, based on mutual respect and fairness, the manifesto said. The reference marks a departure from Jamaats earlier rhetoric. The party, which was banned and cracked down on during Hasinas rule, has long been viewed as close to Pakistans ISI and had supported Pakistan during the 1971 war. While Pakistan is absent from the manifesto, Jamaat said it would prioritise ties with Muslim-majority countries and seek constructive relations with the US, the European Union, Japan, the UK and Canada. Tight race ahead Opinion polls suggest a close contest, with most giving the BNP a narrow edge. Jamaat is close behind, buoyed by victories in student elections across five key universities, including Dhaka University. With less than a week ahead of the Bangladesh parliamentary elections, the countrys Election Commission (EC) has identified disinformation as the biggest challenge. Women supporters of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chant slogans as they join in an election campaign in Dhaka, Bangladesh, January 28, 2026. File Image/Reuters With less than a week ahead of the Bangladesh parliamentary elections, the countrys Election Commission (EC) has identified disinformation as the biggest challenge. The commission on Thursday said that it is working to bring the situation under control in a respectable manner. The persistence of the issue has been concerning for many since Bangladesh is scheduled to host the 13th national election on February 12. This will be the first election in Bangladesh after the government of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was toppled due to the massive July uprising. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While speaking to the local reporters at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed briefed them on overall preparations following a meeting with a sixmember European Union delegation. EC lays out the rule Ahmed said that ballot papers have already been dispatched to 116 constituencies out of 300, while the remaining papers will reach their destinations by February 7. He explained that the delay was due to the court orders that reinstated the candidacies in some areas. This required reprinting and changes to the ballots. Apart from this, the Bangladeshi Election Commission also announced that the campaign of political parties will end at 7:30 am on February 10. A total of 1,051 executive magistrates will be deployed nationwide between February 8 and 14 to oversee election duties, while members of the Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) will also assist, The Daily Star reported. Raising the concern of disinformation, Ahmed said that the commission has been discussing mitigation steps. We do not want to reduce internet speed or resort to latent measures. Instead, we have requested Meta to take down derogatory comments, offensive content, and misinformation, he told reporters. He added that 444,952 postal ballots have been deposited in mailboxes worldwide, with 211,122 ballots already completed. Ballots will be accepted until 4:30 pm on February 12. Akhtar Ahmed also said 6,091 inmates in legal custody have registered to vote through postal ballots. Bangladeshs leading prime ministerial contender, Tarique Rahman, on Friday turned down a proposal from his main rival to form a unity government after next weeks elections, stating that his party was confident of securing victory on its own Chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Tarique Rahman gestures during an interview with Reuters ahead of the national election, at his Gulshan office, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Friday. Reuters Bangladeshs leading prime ministerial contender, Tarique Rahman, on Friday turned down a proposal from his main rival to form a unity government after next weeks elections, stating that his party was confident of securing victory on its own. Rahman, 60, who leads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), returned to the country in December after nearly 20 years in exile in London. His return followed a youth-led uprising that toppled long-time leader Sheikh Hasina, a longtime rival of Rahmans mother, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Bangladeshs first female head of government. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The BNPs primary competitor in the February 12 election is the Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami, which was previously banned but has re-emerged as a political force. The two parties governed in coalition between 2001 and 2006, and Jamaat has indicated it is open to renewing the partnership through a unity government aimed at stabilising the country, whose crucial garment sector was severely disrupted by months of unrest in 2024. Since August 2024, Bangladesh has been administered by an interim government following Hasinas departure to India, where she remains under the protection of a long-time ally. How can I form a government with my political opponents, and then who would be in the opposition? Reuters quoted Rahman as saying in an interview at his party office. I dont know what will be their seat number, but if they are in the opposition, I hope to have them as a good opposition, he added. His aides said the BNP is confident of winning more than two-thirds of the 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs. The party is contesting 292 of the seats, while its allies are fielding candidates for the remainder. Rahman did not provide a specific figure but said, we are confident that well have enough to form a government. Opinion polls have largely predicted a BNP victory, though they also indicate a strong challenge from the Jamaat-led alliance, which includes a Gen Z party that emerged from the youth-led anti-Hasina protests. India-Bangladesh ties New Delhis decision to provide refuge to Hasina, who was sentenced to death last year by a Dhaka court for her role in the crackdown, has severely strained Bangladesh-India relations and created an opportunity for China to expand its investments and political influence in the country. When asked whether he would shift Bangladeshs alignment from India toward China if elected, Rahman said the country needed partners capable of driving economic growth for its nearly 175 million citizens. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If we are in the government, we need to provide jobs for young people. We need to bring businesses into the country so that jobs can be created and people can have a better life, he said. So whoever, while protecting the interests and sovereignty of Bangladesh, offers what is suitable for my people and my country, we will have friendship with them, not with any particular country. Asked whether Hasinas children were free to return from abroad and engage in politics, he said: If someone is accepted by the people, if people welcome them, then anyone has the right to do politics. Hasinas Awami League is banned from contesting the election. Many senior leaders and members of her family were already abroad before her fall or fled around that time. Rohingya welcome to stay Bangladesh, one of the worlds most densely populated countries and home to high levels of extreme poverty, currently hosts nearly 1.2 million Rohingya Muslim refugees. Many fled repeated crackdowns in neighbouring Myanmar, a Buddhist-majority country where they are widely treated as outsiders. Last year, the interim government said it lacked the capacity to allocate additional resources for the refugees given our numerous challenges and appealed to the international community to assist in their repatriation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rahman said he also supported their return, but only under safe conditions. We will try to work on the issue so that these people can go back to their own land, Reuters quoted him as saying. The situation has to be safe for them to go back there. As long as it is not safe, they are very welcome to stay here. With inputs from agencies BNP and Jamaat governed together from 2001 to 2006, and Jamaat has said it is open to reviving the alliance through a unity government, arguing it could help stabilise the country after months of unrest in 2024 that severely disrupted Bangladeshs vital garment industry. Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Tarique Rahman on Friday rejected a call from his chief rival to form a unity government after next weeks election, saying his party was confident it could govern on its own. Rahman, 60, returned to Bangladesh in December after spending nearly 20 years in exile in London. His return followed a youth-led uprising that overthrew long-serving prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a long-time political adversary of Rahmans mother, former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Bangladeshs first woman to hold the post. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The BNPs principal challenger in the February 12 vote is Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, which was previously banned but has staged a political comeback. BNP and Jamaat governed together from 2001 to 2006, and Jamaat has said it is open to reviving the alliance through a unity government, arguing it could help stabilise the country after months of unrest in 2024 that severely disrupted Bangladeshs vital garment industry. Bangladesh has been under an interim administration since August 2024, when Hasina fled to long-time ally India, where she remains. Speaking in an interview at BNP headquarters, seated beneath portraits of his parents, including his father, a former president, Rahman questioned the logic of such an arrangement. How can I form a government with my political opponents, and then who would be in the opposition? he said. I dont know what will be their seat number, but if they are in the opposition, I hope to have them as a good opposition. His aides said the BNP was confident of winning more than two thirds of the 300 parliamentary seats up for grabs. The party is contesting 292 of them, with allies vying for the rest. Rahman declined to give a number but said we are confident that well have enough to form a government. All opinion polls have forecast a BNP victory but also a stiff challenge from the Jamaat alliance, which includes a Gen Z party that emerged from the youth-led anti-Hasina protests. Good relations globally New Delhis decision to shelter Hasina, whom a Dhaka court last year sentenced to death for her role in the crackdown, has badly strained Bangladesh-India relations while giving China an opening to expand its investments and political outreach. Asked whether he would pivot away from India toward China should he win, Rahman said Bangladesh needed partners capable of boosting economic growth for its nearly 175 million people. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If we are in the government, we need to provide jobs for young people. We need to bring businesses into the country so that jobs can be created and people can have a better life, he said. So whoever, while protecting the interests and sovereignty of Bangladesh, offers what is suitable for my people and my country, we will have friendship with them, not with any particular country. Asked whether Hasinas children were free to return from abroad and engage in politics, he said: If someone is accepted by the people, if people welcome them, then anyone has the right to do politics. Hasinas Awami League is banned from contesting the election. Many senior leaders and members of her family were already abroad before her fall or fled around that time. ROHINGYA WELCOME TO STAY UNTIL SAFE TO RETURN Bangladesh, one of the worlds most densely populated countries with high rates of extreme poverty, hosts nearly 1.2 million Rohingya Muslim refugees, many of whom fled multiple crackdowns in neighbouring Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are treated as outsiders. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The interim government said last year it had no capacity to allocate additional resources for the refugees given our numerous challenges and called on the international community to help repatriate them. Rahman said he too wanted them to return home but only when conditions were safe. We will try to work on the issue so that these people can go back to their own land, he said. The situation has to be safe for them to go back there. As long as it is not safe, they are very welcome to stay here. Young people build bridge of friendship 13:34, February 06, 2026 By Mingmei Li in New York, Chen Huan in Changzhou and Zhao Jia in Beijing ( China Daily When the last wooden beam slid into place, the bridge stood firm without nails, screws or glue. At Changzhou Beijiao High School in Jiangsu province, a joint project reached its climax as Chinese students and their visiting United States peers stepped onto the Luban Bridge they had built together. Lu Ban was an ancient Chinese master carpenter. It held. Cheers and applause broke out almost instinctively. Zhou Jiahao, an English teacher at the school, watched closely. As the students crossed the bridge, he offered a heartfelt wish: "May the bond between China and the US be as solid as this bridge, and may we always be one family." The response, Zhou recalled later, was incredible and genuine. "It wasn't just polite clapping," he said. "It was a real emotional connection a shared hope for friendship. Honestly, that moment of unity felt stronger than any speech I could have ever given." For Zhou, the structure itself carried a deeper meaning. "We don't let our differences hold us back. Instead, we find what we have in common, and learn to accept one another through talking and working together." "Like the mortise and tenon joints of the Luban Bridge, we support one another," he said. "And by doing so, we make each other stronger." For the US youth education exchange delegation from Florida that visited China in October, the experience became the most memorable highlight of their weeklong journey. After returning home, teachers and students from the Diamond Minds Transformational Leadership Academy in Miami, Florida, the University of Florida and Miami-Dade College wrote to President Xi Jinping, reflecting on their pleasant and rewarding journey to China. In early January, Xi replied to the letter, expressing the hope that more American youths would serve as a new generation of envoys for China-US friendship, contribute to stronger people-to-people exchanges and help advance the development of bilateral relations. "The first feeling was gratitude," said Milinda Sylvain, principal of the Diamond Minds Transformational Leadership Academy. "Gratitude that our students' reflections were not only received, but acknowledged at such a high level." "Visiting China allowed our students to learn history and culture, while also seeing education, technology and community life up close in a way a textbook can't provide," Sylvain said. She noted that the school's long-running Asian Studies program, with a strong focus on Chinese language and culture, helped to prepare students for the trip. Reflecting on the visit to the high school in Changzhou, Sylvain said that she saw "real potential for a long-term relationship", adding that the experience "is what led us to decide to pursue a sister-school partnership moving forward". Fredline Dorvil, a program director at the academy, described the Luban Bridge project as "a symbolic bridge of friendship and mutual understanding". "As they assembled each wooden beam, ancient engineering principles came to life," Dorvil said. "Seeing local students' everyday school life was powerful," she said. "Our students realized that even though we come from different countries, we share so many similarities friendships, goals and the desire to do well and make our families proud. That made China feel more human and less 'far away'." Discovering China Beyond Changzhou, the delegation visited Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu, and other cities, touring the Confucius Temple area, the Imperial Examination Museum of China, Hongshan Forest Zoo, universities, and Li Auto's electric vehicle manufacturing base. Cass, a 24-year-old US student, said curiosity flowed both ways. "We'd compete to see who could take the most photos with locals each day," the student said, noting how people were fascinated by the group and often asked to take pictures. "Most of what I knew came from TV dramas," Cass said. "But being there is totally different. I got to experience real culture and history and also the modern side of China." Visits to Chinese universities helped reshape her academic plans. "I was about to apply for a master's program in Florida," she said. "But now, it made me start thinking seriously about doing my master's degree there, and I've already started researching programs that could fit me." For a 13-year-old US student named Lee, the journey was transformative in a more personal way. "I often worried about the dangers of the outside world and felt nervous about exploring unfamiliar places. But with the encouragement of my teachers and friends, I found the courage to take that step," Lee said. "Looking back now, I'm really proud of myself." For Yin Yiyang, a student at Changzhou Beijiao High School, hosting the US visitors changed his understanding of what it means to be an "envoy". "They were really excited and curious about everything on campus, and we covered a wide range of topics, from our school studies to daily life," Yin said, adding that he realized they are each other's "most vivid window" into their countries. "I used to think being an envoy meant making big speeches," he said. "But now I understand it's about being a genuine person sharing your life, your interests, your thoughts, and also listening." The delegation participated in the "50,000 in Five Years" initiative proposed by President Xi in November 2023 to promote youth exchanges between the two countries. So far, more than 40,000 young people from the US have taken part in the program. At the 2026 China-US Youth Spring Festival Gala on Jan 31 in Washington, DC, Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng said, "Under our leaders' guidance, China-US youth exchanges have gone from strength to strength, steadily injecting fresh vigor into bilateral relations." Over the past year, tens of thousands of Chinese students have gone to the US for further studies, while more than 20,000 young Americans have visited China, he said. Calling China-US ties "the most important bilateral relationship in the world", Xie said the relationship requires "careful nurturing" by the peoples of both countries. "Youth exchanges, like spring plowing, instill the greatest vitality into the process," he said, encouraging more young Americans to participate in the "50,000 in Five Years" initiative. Lyu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that youth exchanges are crucial to the long-term stability of China-US relations, as they help narrow perception gaps between the two societies. Through expanded people-to-people exchanges, especially among young people, "young Americans can gain first-hand insights into China's development and trajectory", enabling them to better understand the country beyond prevailing stereotypes and foster affinity between the two peoples, Lyu said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Bezalel Zini, brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, has been charged with 10 other people, allegedly involved in the smuggling ring. David was appointed as the head of the security by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year Trucks carry aid for Palestinians, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, October 15. Reuters The brother of Israels security division, Shin Bet, chief has been arrested for assisting the enemy in wartime after it was found that he was involved in a smuggling network that was providing cigarettes and other goods to Gazans during an Israeli blockade. Bezalel Zini, brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, has been charged with 10 other people, allegedly involved in the smuggling ring. David was appointed as the head of security by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD During the peak of the conflict, Israels stringent control over goods and the enforcement of a total blockade on Gaza triggered a humanitarian crisis and widespread famine. In this environment of extreme scarcity, smuggling became a dominant underground economy, turning tobacco into a high-stakes luxury. What is Zini charged for? Zinis indictment says that he smuggled around 14 cartons of cigarettes into Gaza on three separate trips into the region. He received roughly $120,000 for the shipments. The justice ministry has accused Zini and his co-defendants of assisting the enemy in wartime, performing transactions in property for terrorist purposes, obtaining something by fraud under aggravated circumstances, and taking bribes. A central category of prohibited goods smuggled into the strip was tobacco and cigarettes, which have put a total of hundreds of millions of shekels into Hamass coffers since the start of the war, the ministry said in a statement. Some Israeli soldiers also took part in the crime and profited from the network by smuggling goods into the Palestinian region. The ministry reported that the smuggling operation, initiated last year, extended far beyond tobacco products. The network is said to have smuggled a broad range of high-demand items into Gaza, including iPhones, batteries, car parts and other goods. Zinis lawyers reject charges Meanwhile, Zinis lawyers have argued that, Regarding the offence of aiding the enemy during wartime, it is a complete inversion of reality. Its only about cigarettes [and] any claim of aiding the enemy is baseless. Zini is formally an Israeli army reservist but was also affiliated with a small semi-official unit known as the Uriah Force. The group, largely composed of right-wing extremist volunteers, reportedly brought bulldozers and other heavy machinery into Gaza and participated in extensive demolitions during the war. Canada and France, which both adamantly oppose Donald Trumps wish to control Greenland, will open consulates in the Danish autonomous territorys capital on Friday in a strong show of support for Nato ally Denmark and the Arctic island. In a move widely seen as a show of political solidarity with Denmark and the Arctic island after renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump to secure greater American control over the strategically vital, mineral-rich territory, Canada and France are opening new diplomatic consulates in Greenland this week. While both nations maintain that these moves were planned well in advance, the timing of the Friday ceremonies serves as a pointed message to Washington. By establishing a permanent presence in the Arctic outpost, Ottawa and Paris are effectively drawing a line in the permafrost, signalling to the White House that Greenland is not a real estate commodity to be bartered but a strategic partner protected by a web of international alliances. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The decision comes amid heightened geopolitical attention on Greenland, a self-governing region of Denmark that has increasingly found itself at the centre of global competition over Arctic security, rare earths and future shipping routes. While Ottawa and Paris have framed their moves in diplomatic and developmental terms, the timing has highlighted growing unease among US allies over Washingtons recent rhetoric and tactics. A shield of sovereignty: Strengthening the arctic alliance The inauguration of Canadas consulate featured high-profile representation, including Foreign Minister Anita Anand and Mary Simon, Canadas first Indigenous Governor General. For Canada, the move is deeply symbolic. Minister Anand emphasized that as Arctic neighbours, Canada and the Kingdom of Denmark are committed to stability, security, and cooperation. Beyond security, the Canadian presence aims to address shared northern challenges, particularly Inuit rights and climate change. By sending Simon, an Inuk leader, Canada is centering the voices of Greenlands indigenous majority, a demographic often overlooked in the high-stakes Greenland Purchase rhetoric emanating from the Trump administration. France, meanwhile, has become the first European Union member state to establish a consulate general in Nuuk. Led by Jean-Noel Poirier, the French mission is tasked with deepening scientific and economic ties. This move by President Emmanuel Macrons government provides the EU with a direct listening post in the Arctic, ensuring that European interests remain central as the race for the regions critical minerals intensifies. Countering the art of the deal diplomacy The diplomatic flurry comes on the heels of a volatile period in U.S.-Danish relations. In January, President Trump threatened to slap aggressive tariffs on Denmark and seven other European nations for opposing his calls for a U.S. takeover of Greenland. While those threats were abruptly dropped following a framework agreement brokered by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the underlying anxiety remains. The US has recently entered technical talks with Denmark and Greenland to forge a new Arctic security deal. However, the lack of transparency surrounding this framework has prompted allies like Canada and France to accelerate their own physical presence in the region. By opening these consulates, Ottawa and Paris are providing Greenland with alternative partners, reducing the risk of the island becoming solely dependent on or pressured by American interests. The new arctic equilibrium The Great Game of the 21st century is no longer confined to the South China Sea or Eastern Europe; it has moved to the melting ice caps of the North. Greenlands vast deposits of rare earth minerals essential for the global green energy transition have made it the worlds most sought-after territory. While the US views Greenland through the lens of strategic defence and resource acquisition, the presence of Canada and France introduces a multilateral approach. This show of support reinforces the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark and empowers Greenlandic local authorities to negotiate from a position of strength rather than vulnerability. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As the Arctic security deal between the US, Denmark and Greenland continues to take shape, the diplomatic flags of Canada and France now flying in Nuuk serve as a reminder that the future of the North will be decided by cooperation, not coercion. China has approved several rare earth exports to Japan despite tighter controls, easing immediate supply concerns while highlighting Beijings growing strategic grip over critical minerals and Japans dependence on Chinese supply chains. In a delicate balancing act between economic leverage and global supply chain stability, Beijing has begun green-lighting a selective batch of rare earth exports to Japan. The move follows a period of intense diplomatic friction and serves as the first major test of Chinas newly implemented dual-use export control regime. While the approvals offer a temporary sigh of relief for Japanese manufacturers, they come tethered to a significantly more rigorous and granular screening process that signals a new normal in Arctic and high-tech trade relations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The export clearances come after China earlier this year imposed new restrictions on certain rare earth elements and related products, requiring exporters to seek government permission before shipping them overseas. Japanese companies have confirmed that while some export licences have been granted, the process has become slower, more opaque and subject to closer scrutiny than before. Volumes, meanwhile, remain below previous levels, highlighting the lingering uncertainty facing manufacturers dependent on these critical inputs. The civilian safety valve: Approvals amidst restrictions Chinese commerce officials confirmed this week that while the ban on dual-use items for military purposes remains absolute, compliant applications for civilian end-use are being processed. This distinction is critical for Japan, which remains approximately 72 per cent dependent on Chinese rare earths to fuel its automotive and electronics sectors. By approving these specific shipments, Beijing is attempting to demonstrate that it is not enforcing a blanket embargo similar to the one seen during the 2010 Senkaku Islands dispute. Instead, it is utilising a targeted licensing strategy. These approvals primarily cover materials destined for household electronics and standard automotive parts- industries that, while economically vital, are categorised as low-risk for military enhancement. However, the timely approval promised by Beijing comes with a caveat: Japanese firms must now provide unprecedented transparency into their supply chains, including the final destination of any re-exported components. The dual-use barrier: A strategic squeeze Despite the recent approvals, the shadow of the January 6 dual-use ban looms large over the bilateral relationship. The tightened controls are largely seen as a retaliatory strike against Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichis recent comments regarding Taiwans security. Under the current framework, heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium face the strictest scrutiny. These elements are indispensable for the high-performance magnets used in both electric vehicle (EV) motors and precision-guided missile systems. The new administrative hurdles require Japanese importers to submit detailed documentation covering downstream customers and intermediaries. For many Japanese firms, this level of disclosure is fraught with risk, potentially exposing proprietary trade secrets to Chinese regulators. Economists at the Nomura Research Institute warn that even with these selective approvals, any prolonged delay in the shipment of heavy rare earths could result in production losses exceeding 2.6 trillion ($17 billion) annually, effectively shaving 0.43% off Japans GDP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Japans counter-strategy: Diversification and deep-sea hopes The uncertainty surrounding Chinese export permits has accelerated Japans quest for mineral independence. Just as the export approvals were announced, Japan made a historic breakthrough in domestic resource acquisition. The deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu successfully retrieved rare-earth-rich mud from a depth of 6,000 meters near Minamitorishima Island, a world first that Prime Minister Takaichi hailed as a first step toward industrialization. While commercial production from the seabed is not expected until at least 2027, the psychological shift is already underway. Japan is increasingly looking toward trilateral partnerships with the US and the EU to coordinate procurement and build resilient supply chains that bypass Chinese processing dominance. For now, the limited flow of Chinese rare earths acts as a vital bridge, keeping Japanese assembly lines moving while Tokyo races to ensure that its high-tech future is no longer held hostage by the shifting winds of Beijings trade policy. Trump has vowed to cut off Cubas access to oil and stated the communist island was ready to fall as he warned it to make a deal with Washington BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE (FILES) A Cuban soldier waves a national flag as he takes part in the "Anti-Imperialist" protest in front of the US Embassy against the US incursion in Venezuela, where 32 Cuban soldiers lost their lives, in Havana on January 16, 2026. Cuba described as a "brutal act of aggression" the executive order issued by US President Donald Trump threatening to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island, in a message posted on social media by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on January 29, 2026. (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) Cuba is prepared to hold dialogue with the United States but not under pressure, President Miguel Diaz-Canel insisted Thursday after months of threats from US President Donald Trump. Trump has vowed to cut off Cubas access to oil and stated the communist island was ready to fall as he warned it to make a deal with Washington BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. The Republican did not say what kind of a deal he was after, but has repeatedly stated the two countries were in negotiations, which Havana has denied. Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, a dialogue on any topic but without pressure or preconditions, Diaz-Canel said on state TV and radio. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He said any talks must take place from a position of equals, with respect for our sovereignty, our independence and our self-determination and without interference in our internal affairs. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, have made no secret of their desire to bring about regime change in Havana. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday: I think the fact that the Cuban government is on its last leg and its country is about to collapse, they should be wise in their statements directed towards the president of the United States. Asked about Cubas denial of the existence of negotiations, she said her boss was always willing to engage in diplomacy and I believe that is something that is taking place, in fact, with the Cuban government. Ready to fall Cuba, in the grips of an economic crisis, had long relied on oil supplies from Venezuela, whose leader was ousted in a deadly US military operation last month. Trump subsequently claimed to have taken control of Venezuelan oil, vowed to starve Cuba of the commodity, and threatened tariffs on any other nation stepping in to help US-sanctioned Havana. The pressure tactics threaten to plunge Cuba into complete darkness as its power plants struggle to keep the lights on due to fuel shortages. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Earlier Thursday, hundreds of thousands of people in the countrys east were left without electricity for hours after an electricity grid failure. Diaz-Canel insisted his country still had friends, which he did not name, as it confronts what he described as an acute fuel shortage. We cannot openly explain everything we are doing, he said, but Cuba is not alone. He said energy production from diesel- and oil-powered generators has been zero for weeks. On Thursday, the US State Department announced it was providing $6 million in direct aid to Cubans through the Catholic Church in that country. It comes after $3 million of earlier assistance, also provided through the same mechanisms, with the material aid being delivered by local parish representatives. Mexicos President Claudia Sheinbaum said this week that her country was using all available diplomatic channels to ensure a resumption of crude shipments to Cuba, but would not put itself at risk of punitive US tariffs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Diaz-Canel said the pressure that Cuba found itself under highlighted the importance of its drive for greener energy and reducing reliance on others. Cuban officials blame US sanctions for Cubas worst economic crisis in decades, marked by shortages of fuel, food and medicine. But observers say poor economic management and a tourism collapse following the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to the islands woes. A parliamentary inquiry into Royal Lodge lease terms has placed the monarchys financial arrangements under renewed examination following Andrews departure from the property This photo shows a general view of Marsh Farm, the expected future residence of Britain's former prince Andrew, just down the road from the royal family's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England. Fresh controversy linked to Andrew has triggered a parliamentary inquiry into lease arrangements on the Windsor estate, focusing attention on how royal properties are managed, how much is paid for their use, and what this means for public finances. Parliaments Public Accounts Committee is set to launch an inquiry later this year following reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor paid only a nominal peppercorn rent for Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion on the Windsor estate, from the time he moved in during 2003. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD vacated the property on Monday after US authorities last week released a new batch of emails detailing his close ties to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The committee has not yet confirmed the date of the inquiry. In a letter to the Crown Estate, committee chairman Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said MPs were concerned about whether the Royal Lodge lease was achieving the best value for money. Any reduced income reduces the Crown Estates annual surplus and therefore would be a cost to taxpayers, he wrote, while posing several questions about the arrangements. Kings action and new residence King Charles III last year removed his younger brothers royal titles and honours amid growing public anger over Andrews friendship with Epstein. Andrew has since relocated to a property on the Sandringham estate in eastern Norfolk. The estate is privately owned by the king, who is covering his brothers move, rent, and living expenses. The Windsor estate is managed by the Crown Estate, an independent commercial property company operating separately from the government and the royal household. It is not the monarchs private property, and all profits are paid directly into the public purse. The planned inquiry has highlighted the royal familys complex financial structures. The inquiry marks a shift in the constitutional balance between parliament and the monarchy, said Francesca Jackson, a PhD researcher specialising in constitutional monarchy at Lancaster University. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For a long time, the monarchy has escaped scrutiny, but things are changing, she told AFP. Norman Baker, a former Liberal Democrat MP, said Andrews case had opened the door to deeper questioning of the monarchy. His book Royal Mint, National Debt: The Shocking Truth about the Royals looks at what he describes as the real cost of the monarchy to taxpayers. Soaring costs The Sovereign Grant, the annual public funding for working royals, has risen sharply since 2011, when its calculation was linked to Crown Estate profits. At present, the royal family receives 12 per cent of the Crown Estates profits from the Treasury. The official grant was 7.9 million a year in 2011. Fourteen years later, its 132.1 million. You dont have to be a Republican to find that sort of increase obscene, Baker told AFP. Much of the increase has been driven by a windfall from leasing the UKs seabeds, owned by the estate, to wind farms. Parliamentary documents indicate the grant is expected to rise further to 137.9 million in 2026-2027. Baker said the trend conflicts with the kings stated aim of a slimmed-down monarchy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What he means by that is fewer people on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Well, so what? We havent got slimmed-down costs. The cost is going up relentlessly every year. AFP contacted Buckingham Palace for comment, but it declined to respond. Supporters of the monarchy argue that returns to the Treasury have increased substantially. Crown Estate profits paid to the government rose from about 240 million in 2011-2012 to a record 1.1 billion in 2024-2025. Government figures show the estate has contributed 5 billion to the Exchequer over the past decade. The monarchy is an amazing bargain, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP. He said cost assessments overlook less tangible elements, including global influence and soft power. Fitzwilliams pointed to the king hosting US President Donald Trump at Windsor last year during trade negotiations as an illustration of that influence. Tax questions Baker also cited royal tax exemptions as further evidence of limited financial transparency. These include inheritance tax, as well as corporate and capital gains tax, on the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster. The private estates generate income for both the king and the heir to the throne, Prince William. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Both pay income tax on duchy revenues, but the amounts are not disclosed, although Charles revealed how much tax he paid when he was heir. In the end Britons are in the dark about the true cost of their monarchy, Baker said. The European Commission expands restrictions on Russian energy, banks, metals, and military goods as Ursula von der Leyen vows to maintain pressure while peace talks continue in Abu Dhabi European Union (EU) chief Ursula von der Leyen delivers the keynote speech at the second Conference of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling in Brussels, Belgium, on December 10, 2025. Reuters File The European Commission on Friday proposed a new package of sanctions against Russia, expanding restrictions on the countrys energy sector, banking system, and trade in goods and services, as the European Union seeks to intensify pressure on Moscow. Announcing the measures, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc must maintain pressure on Russia to influence its behaviour, even as diplomatic efforts continue. As important peace talks are underway in Abu Dhabi, we must be clear-eyed: Russia will only come to the table with genuine intent if it is pressured to do so. This is the only language Russia understands, Politico quoted von der Leyen as saying in a statement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The proposed 20th round of EU sanctions includes a full ban on maritime services for Russian crude oil and targets an additional 43 vessels linked to Russias so-called shadow fleet. The package also seeks to prohibit the provision of maintenance and other services for liquefied natural gas tankers and icebreakers, a move aimed at further constraining Russian gas export projects by preventing their access to European ports. In addition, the sanctions would impose new import bans on Russian metals, chemicals and critical minerals, while tightening export controls on goods and technologies used in Russias military effort, including materials involved in the production of explosives. The package also lists 20 additional Russian regional banks, along with several banks in third countries that are seen as facilitating trade in goods subject to sanctions. Von der Leyen said a 24 per cent drop in Russian oil and gas revenues last year, to their lowest level since 2020, showed that the sanctions were having an impact. We will continue to use them until Russia engages in serious negotiations with Ukraine for a just and lasting peace, she was quoted as saying. The measures would require approval from EU member states to come into force, with the bloc aiming to finalise an agreement ahead of February 24, marking four years since what the EU describes as Russian President Vladimir Putins war of aggression against Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The proposal follows a round of trilateral talks involving Ukrainian, US and Russian negotiators held this week in Abu Dhabi, during which Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war. With inputs from agencies Jack Lang faces calls to resign from Arab World Institute amid Epstein document fallout, as French officials urge him to protect the cultural bodys reputation. Former French culture minister Jack Lang confronts growing demands to quit as president of the Arab World Institute following renewed questions about his links to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in custody. The 86 year old politician met foreign ministry officials on Friday amid fallout from recently unsealed American court records that challenge his account of a casual connection. Though no allegations of misconduct target Lang directly, voices in government urge him to step aside for the sake of the institution he has led since 2013. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Urgent ministry meeting Sources within President Emmanuel Macrons circle reveal that the presidency and prime ministers office directed ministers to summon Lang and press him to prioritise the institutes standing. The Paris based centre, dedicated to fostering knowledge of Arab culture along the Seine, now faces unwanted headlines. Officials hope his departure might protect it from prolonged controversy. Epstein connection revealed Lang maintains he learned of Epsteins 2008 conviction for sex offences only later and viewed their 2012 encounters, arranged via Woody Allen, as chats about art and films. Court documents tell otherwise, showing friendly exchanges including a 2017 email where Lang praised a day of private jet travel and generosity from Epstein, years after the financiers legal troubles. These details fuel doubts about the depth of their acquaintance. Public statements On French television and radio this week, Lang rejected any stain on his record, insisting Epstein remained an arms length contact focused on cultural topics. His decades in politics saw stints as culture and education minister under leaders like Francois Mitterrand, cementing a profile tied to the arts. He brushed aside concerns with a clean conscience claim. Daughter steps down Caroline Lang, his daughter, also drew fire, resigning Monday as head of Frances Independent Production Union after her Epstein ties emerged. She says she only discovered his past in 2014 and denies impropriety. The veteran politicians name surfaces repeatedly in the files, intensifying the scrutiny on his leadership. Broader scrutiny The Epstein disclosures ensnare other figures like Britains Prince Andrew and former minister Peter Mandelson, exposing elite circles ties to the convicted predator. For Lang, the saga risks tainting a career marked by cultural advocacy and public service. The Arab World Institute, meant as a hub for exhibitions and scholarship, grapples with distraction at a sensitive time. While Lang faces no charges, political winds in Paris shift fast against such associations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iran on Friday struck a firm note as fresh talks with the United States conclude, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warning that Tehran is ready to defend its sovereignty against any excessive demands or adventurism, even as it pursues diplomacy through Omans mediation. Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday said Tehran is fully prepared to defend itself against any excessive demands or adventurism by the United States, as the Oman-mediated talks between the two sides conclude. Speaking in Muscat alongside Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, Araghchi said Iran would pursue diplomacy to protect its national interests. Iran maintains full readiness to defend the countrys sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or adventurism by the United States, he said, as US President Donald Trump declined to rule out military action against Tehran. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Diplomacy, but with red lines Iranian news agency Mehr reported that Araghchi and al-Busaidi discussed major bilateral, regional and international issues. While emphasising diplomacy, Araghchi made it clear that Tehran would not compromise on its core security interests. Omans role as mediator Oman previously served as a mediator during IranUS nuclear negotiations in 2025, which were disrupted in June when the Iran-Israel war briefly drew in US forces. After a week of shifting plans, Tehran and Washington are now set to resume talks in Oman, with discussions expected to focus at least on Irans nuclear programme. Earlier talks proposed in Turkey failed to materialise. Arrival in Muscat and historical undertones State-run IRNA said Araghchi arrived in Muscat late at night accompanied by several Iranian diplomats. Flight-tracking data showed his aircraft departed from Tabas in eastern Iran, the site of the failed US Operation Eagle Claw in 1980. Open eyes and a steady memory In a post on X, Araghchi said Iran was entering diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year, stressing that commitments must be honoured and that equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are essential for a durable agreement. Hong Kongs high profile trial of Jimmy Lai reaches sentencing on February 9, pitting the media veterans convictions under Beijings security law against sharp rebukes from Britain and the United States over judicial fairness. Hong Kongs courts will deliver their verdict on media figure Jimmy Lai on February 9, capping a trial under intense global scrutiny over the citys national security measures. The 78 year old, once head of the closed Apple Daily outlet, faces severe penalties after convictions tied to alleged plots against Beijings authority. Western powers decry the case as a clampdown on free speech, while local leaders defend it as essential justice. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trial background Jimmy Lai established Apple Daily as a vocal advocate for greater freedoms, but authorities shut it down amid a crackdown sparked by 2019 unrest. Prosecutors claimed he directed staff from April 2019 to June 2021 to churn out material deemed to incite disorder. A separate count covered July 2020 to June 2021, accusing him of scheming with overseas contacts to provoke sanctions and pressure on Hong Kong and mainland China. Co defendants included activist Andy Li and aide Chan Tsz wah, with evidence drawn from articles, meetings, and communications. Charges and verdict In December, Lai lost on two key accusations: collusion with external powers and stirring sedition through print. He entered not guilty pleas throughout the 156 day hearing that opened in December 2023. The charges invoke Beijings 2020 security statute, imposed after street protests rocked the territory. Penalties could stretch to life terms, marking one of the starkest tests of that law against prominent critics. Court stance Hong Kongs Chief Justice Andrew Cheung rebuffed overseas pleas for Lais release, labelling them assaults on judicial integrity. He argued such interventions dodge proper channels and erode foundational principles. Officials maintain the process upholds due standards, countering claims of bias from abroad. Global reaction Britain and the United States label the proceedings a tool to silence dissent, urging Lais freedom without delay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised the matter with Chinas Xi Jinping on a Beijing visit, calling it frank but measured dialogue. Lais supporters frame him as a symbol of eroding autonomy in the financial hub, once promised a separate system until 2047. Havana and Washington dismiss these views, insisting fair play prevailed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Path ahead Sentencing looms as a flashpoint, with Lai already detained over three years. The outcome could sharpen divides, testing Hong Kongs global standing and its balancing act between commerce and control. Businesses watch closely, wary of fallout on the citys appeal as a safe haven. For Lai, the ruling caps decades of defiance, rooted in his shift from clothing magnate to rights champion after fleeing China in 1960. Indonesia and Australia have moved to formalise a closer security partnership, signing a new treaty in Jakarta that binds the neighbours to consult one another whenever either feels its security is under threat. The pact was sealed during Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses visit to the Indonesian capital, where he met President Prabowo Subianto for talks that underscored the growing strategic weight of their relationship in a more contested region. Treaty aims Under the agreement, both governments pledge to hold urgent consultations if one of them judges that its security or territorial integrity faces danger. While the detailed clauses are yet to be released, leaders on both sides describe the document as a clear signal of their intent to respond together to emerging challenges. The focus is on building habits of cooperation and dialogue so that crises can be managed before they escalate. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Leaders messages Anthony Albanese portrayed the treaty as proof that ties between Canberra and Jakarta have reached a new level of confidence and maturity. He said the document broadens and deepens long standing collaboration in defence, intelligence sharing, and maritime security, and showcases the trust that now exists between the two states. President Prabowo in turn framed the deal as an expression of Indonesias desire to nurture cordial and respectful relations with its southern neighbour, grounded in mutual benefit and shared responsibility. Indonesias foreign policy stance Prabowo stressed that the new treaty sits comfortably within Indonesias doctrine of an independent and active foreign policy. Jakarta continues to present itself as non aligned, refusing to enter formal military alliances while keeping the door open to constructive ties with all major powers. The agreement with Australia is therefore cast not as a bloc arrangement, but as a practical step consistent with Indonesias role as a stabilising force in South East Asia. Historical background Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has previously explained that the document draws inspiration from a security accord the two countries concluded in 1995. That earlier arrangement collapsed four years later when Australia led a United Nations force into East Timor following violence surrounding the territorys vote for independence from Indonesia. The new treaty is designed to avoid the fragility of that earlier pact, reflecting lessons learned and a more open dialogue about expectations on both sides. Satellite imagery reveals Iran is prioritising the repair of its ballistic missile sites over nuclear facilities while using new roofing structures to conceal salvage operations from US and Israeli surveillance. New high-resolution satellite imagery shows a sharp increase in Iranian military construction activity following joint US-Israeli airstrikes last June that severely damaged the countrys strategic infrastructure. Tehran is moving to recover remaining elements of its nuclear programme while placing particular emphasis on rebuilding its ballistic missile forces, viewed as a key safeguard against future US military action, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery suggests. The findings come at a delicate moment for regional security as the West Asia continues to grapple with heightened military uncertainty and stalled diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving nuclear talks. While the scale of Irans reconstruction efforts remains unclear, analysts say the activity indicates a calculated attempt to rebuild deterrence without triggering an immediate escalation with Washington and its allies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Missiles over nukes: A strategic rebalancing Analysis of imagery from approximately two dozen locations indicates a clear hierarchy in Irans reconstruction efforts. While major nuclear installations at Natanz and Isfahan show signs of stabilisation, the pace of work at ballistic missile facilities has been far more aggressive. Intelligence analysts said that at least 12 missile production plants and testing sites including the Parchin military complex and the Shahroud facility have returned to near-operational status. At the Shahroud testing grounds, satellite snapshots from January and early February 2026 show cleared roads and melted snow on rooftops, a telltale sign of internal heating and active machinery. Experts suggested this missile-first strategy is a pragmatic move by the Iranian leadership. Facing a massive US naval armada currently stationed in the region, Tehran views its ballistic missiles as its only immediate snap-back capability to threaten regional US assets and Israeli population centers, should President Trump follow through on threats of further military action. The roofing strategy: Blinding the watchdog Perhaps most concerning to international observers is the localised construction at the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. Satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC show that Iran has recently installed large, permanent roofs over the rubble of the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz and several buildings at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center. These structures are not viewed as functional repairs but as tactical blinds. By covering the damaged halls, Iran is effectively blocking the overhead surveillance that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Western intelligence rely on, particularly as Tehran continues to bar physical inspections. Hardening the underground frontier Beyond surface-level salvage, the images show a determined effort to future-proof Irans remaining nuclear ambitions. At Pickaxe Mountain located just south of the Natanz perimeter, excavation work has accelerated. Piles of spoil and dirt suggest that Iran is digging deeper than ever before, potentially creating an ultra-hardened facility buried 100 meters underground, a depth that would challenge even the most advanced American bunker-buster munitions. Simultaneously, at the Isfahan facility, tunnels that were previously packed with dirt as a defensive measure are being cleared and reinforced with new blast walls. This combination of surface concealment and underground expansion suggests that while the June 2025 strikes significantly degraded the program, the Iranian regime remains committed to maintaining its nuclear infrastructure as a long-term strategic insurance policy, even as it sits across the table from US envoys in Oman for high-stakes negotiations. Pro-Palestinian activists have called for protests nationwide, including in central Sydney where police have refused to authorise demonstrations under new powers granted after the Bondi Beach attack The father of 10-year-old Matilda lights the eight candle of a menorah during the memorial held at the beach. A 10-year-old girl, a British-born rabbi, and a Holocaust survivor were among the people killed in the attack. File image/AFP Israels President Isaac Herzog lands in Australia on Monday to honour victims of a mass shooting at Sydneys Bondi Beach, the deadliest antisemitic attack since Hamass assault of October 7, 2023. The head of state has said he will express solidarity and offer strength after gunmen opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at the beach on December 14, killing 15 people. Herzogs four-day trip has been welcomed by many Jewish Australians. His visit will lift the spirits of a pained community, said Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the communitys peak body. Pro-Palestinian activists have called for protests nationwide, including in central Sydney where police have refused to authorise demonstrations under new powers granted after the Bondi Beach attack. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Amnesty International Australia has urged supporters to rally for an end to genocide against Palestinians, and urged Herzog be investigated for alleged war crimes. High-profile Australian human rights lawyer Chris Sidoti a member of a UN-established inquiry into rights abuses in Israel and the Palestinian territories called this week for Herzogs arrest. Full immunity The UNs Independent International Commission of Inquiry found in 2025 that Herzog incited the commission of genocide by saying all Palestinians an entire nation were responsible for the Hamas attack. Israel has categorically rejected the inquirys report, describing it as distorted and false and calling for the bodys abolition. Australias federal police have ruled out an arrest, with senior officials telling lawmakers this week that Herzog has full immunity covering civil and criminal matters, including genocide. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pleaded for protesters to remember the reason for Herzogs visit. President Herzog is coming particularly to engage with members of the Jewish community who are grieving the loss of 15 innocent lives, Albanese told reporters ahead of the visit. The nation needs to look towards uniting, said the prime minister. Critics have accused his centre-left government of moving too slowly to protect Jewish Australians despite a rise in antisemitic attacks since 2023. Destruction of Gaza Alleged Bondi Beach shooter Sajid Akram, 50, was shot and killed by police during the attack. An Indian national, he entered Australia on a visa in 1998. His 24-year-old son Naveed, an Australian-born citizen who remains in prison, has been charged with terrorism and 15 murders. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Among the victims were an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted one of the gunmen, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda, who was described at her funeral as a ray of sunshine. But some in the Jewish community disagree with the invitation to Herzog. The progressive Jewish Council of Australia has written an open letter to say he is not welcome. We refuse to let our grief for the Bondi massacre be used to legitimise a leader who has played an active role in the ongoing destruction of Gaza, including the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians, and the displacement of millions, it says. Japan and Thailand are heading for snap elections triggered by rising regional tensions, with both leaders turning to nationalist messaging to rally voter support but early signs suggest the strategy is working very differently in the two countries. A man walks past posters of Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and a candidate running for the upcoming House of Representatives election, in Inagi, Tokyo prefecture on February 6, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP) Japan and Thailand are heading into snap elections after their leaders leaned on nationalist messaging amid regional tensions. However, early indicators point to sharply different political outcomes in the two countries. Thailand: Nationalist gamble under pressure In Thailand, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced snap polls in December, dissolving parliament amid rising border tensions with Cambodia and broader political instability. The decision was framed around national interest and sovereignty, with Anutin seeking to capitalise on heightened nationalist sentiment. Thailand is set to vote in a snap general election on 8 February 2026. However, opinion surveys suggest Anutins nationalist pitch may not be enough to secure him another term. Voters appear increasingly unconvinced, with economic concerns, governance issues and reform agendas weighing as heavily as national security. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While border tensions helped shape the timing of the election, surveys indicate that nationalism alone may not translate into a clear electoral mandate. Japan: Hardline stance finds support In contrast, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called snap elections in January following escalating tensions with China, triggered by her remarks on Taiwan. Unlike in Thailand, Takaichis hardline position appears to have resonated with voters. Japans general election will also be held on 8 February 2026, with all 465 seats in the House of Representatives up for grabs. Opinion polls suggest Takaichi Japans first female prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is on course for a decisive victory. Her LDP, together with coalition partner Japan Innovation Party, is projected to win around 300 seats, comfortably above the 233 needed for a majority, strengthening her grip on power and policy agenda. Trumps backing amid regional tensions Adding an international dimension, US President Donald Trump has publicly endorsed Takaichi ahead of the polls, citing shared priorities on national security and trade. The endorsement comes amid heightened regional tensions over Taiwan and Chinas growing assertiveness. Diverging outcomes from similar strategies The parallel snap elections highlight how similar nationalist appeals, launched under different regional pressures, are producing contrasting outcomes. As voters in both countries head to the polls, Thailands election appears finely balanced, while Japans points towards political continuity and consolidation. Trump was responding to Putins proposal to adhere for a year to the 2010 accords limit of 1,550 warheads on 700 delivery systems, missiles, aircraft and submarines With the New Start treaty between US and Russia expiring today (February 5), these kinds of strategic nuclear weapons would no longer be limited. File image/AFP US President Donald Trump has rejected his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putins offer to extend the cap on strategic nuclear weapons deployments after the treaty that held them in check for more than two decades expired. Rather than extend New START we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future, Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. New START, signed in 2010 and extended once in 2021 for five years by then US President Joe Biden and Putin, limits each side to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads and caps launchers and missiles. Its lapse would leave, for the first time in more than five decades, no binding restraints on the US and Russian nuclear arsenals. Experts believe that an expiration of the treaty would trigger an unprecedented arms race between the two countries. At the same time, some in the US say that the pact restricted Washington from deploying enough weapons to deter nuclear threats posed by both Russia and China. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What did Putin offer? Trump was responding to Putins proposal to adhere for a year to the 2010 accords limit of 1,550 warheads on 700 delivery systems, missiles, aircraft and submarines. With the treatys expiration, the last remaining limits on the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals have been removed for the first time in more than 50 years. Trump has previously said he favours maintaining some form of nuclear weapons, but has argued that any future agreement should also include China. In his post, Trump called New START a badly negotiated deal that he said is being grossly violated, an apparent reference to Putins 2023 decision to halt on-site inspections and other measures designed to reassure each side that the other was complying with the treaty. Putin cited US support for Ukraines battle against Russias 2022 full-scale invasion as the reason for his decision. Ready to engage in talks Meanwhile, the Kremlin has indicated that Russia is open to holding talks over the treaty with the US, but only if Trump responds positively to Putins proposal. Listen, if there are any constructive replies, of course we will conduct a dialogue, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. The UN has urged both sides to restore the treaty. Some reports have suggested that both Washington and Moscow are considering voluntarily adhering to the treatys limits for a limited additional period, potentially up to six months. However, it remains uncertain whether such an arrangement would be formally codified or function as an informal political understanding. With inputs from agencies A blast has struck a mosque in Pakistans capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers. At least 31 people have been killed and 169 have been injured. People shift an injured man to a hospital following an explosion at a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, on February 6, 2026. (Photo: Aamir Qureshi/AFP) A blast has rocked a Shia mosque in Pakistans capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers. At least 31 people were killed and 169 were injured in the explosion, a district administration spokesperson told Dawn. The newspaper reported that the explosion occurred at a mosque in Islamabads Tarlai area. Geo TV reported officials as saying that it was a suicide bombing. It said the bomber detonated himself after being stopped at the mosques entrance. Separately, Islamabad police spokesperson Taqi Jawad told Dawn that while it was too soon to ascertain the nature of the blast, indications pointed to the attack having been carried out by a suicide attacker. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Taqi said that the dead included a cousin of Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, a cousin of Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IG). He added that another relative was injured. Notably, the blast occurred during the twoday official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. While no group has taken responsibility for the blast, suspicion is likely to fall on groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Islamic State as these groups have a history of attacking Shias in Sunni-majority Pakistan. Pakistani paramilitary and police commandos take positions at the site of a bomb explosion at a Shiite mosque, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) The Islamabad blast comes days after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched coordinated attacks across Balochistan on state and security facilities and claimed to have killed 280 people. It took Pakistani police and the military more than three days to retake areas captured by insurgents in the offensive. Moreover, the Islamabad blast has occurred more than two months after a suicide blast killed 12 people and injured more than 30 at a court in Islamabad. In recent months, groups opposed to the Pakistani regime, such as TTP and the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), have ramped up their campaign, mounting attacks not just in the restive northwestern and southwestern parts of the country but also in the heartland, including Islamabad. They have also frequently targeted highvalue military and paramilitary facilities such as regional headquarters and academies. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With increasing attacks from the likes of the TTP and the BLA, and a breakdown of ties with Afghanistans Taliban rulers, Pakistan suffered its deadliest year in more than a decade, recording its highest insurgencyrelated deaths since 2014. The swap, first in four months, included an equal number of Russians and Ukrainians. Moscow released 157 Ukrainians, seven of whom are civilians, while Kyiv freed 157 Russians An artilleryman of the 152nd Separate Jaeger Brigade fires a howitzer towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the frontline town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk region, Ukraine October 15, 2025. Reuters Russia and Ukraine have conducted a prisoner of war and civilian exchange, days after trilateral talks with the US ended inconclusively in Abu Dhabi. The swap, first in four months, included an equal number of Russians and Ukrainians. Moscow released 157 Ukrainians, seven of whom are civilians, while Kyiv freed 157 Russians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that the latest PoW exchange happened after a long pause. The last time such a swap happened was in October 2025. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD We are returning our people home - 157 Ukrainians. Soldiers of the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Service. And civilians are also returning with the defenders. Most have been in captivity since 2012, the Ukrainian president said, pledging to bring back every single Ukrainian still in Russian captivity. A first day of talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at brokering an end to the war in Ukraine concluded Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, with Kyiv describing negotiations as substantive and productive. While there was no apparent breakthrough in the most recent round of discussions, meetings were set to carry on into a second day, Kyiv said. Wednesdays talks came following weeks of Russian attacks on Ukraines power infrastructure, which have left Kyiv residents in darkness and cold, with temperatures dropping as low as -20C. Just hours before the Abu Dhabi talks commenced, Russia unleashed a massive attack on Ukraine, targeting its energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian Air Force said that Russia launched 71 missiles and 450 drones on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. Out of the Russian arsenal, 38 missiles and 412 drones were shot down or suppressed by Ukrainian forces. The attack was the biggest reported by the Ukrainian army so far this year and has crippled the countrys energy grid. Despite the Kremlin repeating its hardline demands ahead of the talks, Ukraines top negotiator Rustem Umerov said the first day had been substantive and productive, focused on concrete steps and practical solutions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As early as October 2026, Russia could overrun a strategic Lithuanian city in just two days amid US abandonment of Nato and hesitancy among European members such as Germany and Poland to deploy soldiers, a wargame conducted in Germany has found. An armoured convoy of Russian troops drives in Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region on July 23, 2022. (Photo: Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters) As early as October 2026, Russia could overrun a strategic Lithuanian city in just two days amid US abandonment of Nato and hesitancy among European members such as Germany and Poland to deploy soldiers, a wargame conducted in Germany has found. Russia could seize the Lithuanian city of Marijampole, establish domination over the Baltics, and cast a shadow over Norway, Sweden, and Finland with as few as 15,000 troops, according to a wargame by Germanys Die Welt newspaper and the German Wargaming Centre of Helmut Schmidt University. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The result would be the death of Nato and the crumbling of Europes defences against Russian threats. ALSO READ: Is Putin using Trump to kill Nato? Germany and other European countries have believed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin would make a move on Europe beyond Ukraine by 2029, but there are concerns that US President Donald Trumps abandonment of Nato, realignment with Russia, and systematic undermining of Europe could shorten the timeline. Russian thrust, US abandonment, European hesitancy: Wargame outlines Natos demise In the wargame, Russia used the pretext of a purported humanitarian crisis in the exclave of Kaliningrad to seize the nearby Lithuanian city of Marijampole Russia has previously used similar pretexts to invade Georgia (2008) and Ukraine (2014 and 2022). Marijampole is around 180200 kilometres from Kaliningrad, where Russia has several thousand soldiers, dozens of fighter planes, and several warships. It was understood to have around 1025,000 soldiers there before the invasion of Ukraine, but the numbers fell as personnel were redeployed to the war in Ukraine. In the wargame, the Russian invasion and occupation were enabled by the American refusal to invoke Article 5 and by hesitancy among Germany and Poland to deploy troops for the defence of the city. Article 5 contains Natos collective defence principle that underpins the alliance. In the wargame, the United States did not invoke Article 5 because it was convinced by the Russian portrayal of the purported humanitarian crisis in Kaliningrad. Notably, in his second term, Trump and his top officials have repeatedly parroted the Russian line on the war in Ukraine and the conflict with Europe, repeatedly and falsely blaming Ukraine and Nato for starting the war with Russia. Marijampole lies near the Suwaki Gap, a narrow strip of land between Poland and Lithuania bordered by Kaliningrad and Russian ally Belarus. Russian control of the Suwaki Gap and the fall of Marijampole would sever the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia from the rest of Europe. The map shows Nato members around the Baltic Sea and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. (Graphic: Valentina Breschi/AFP) How Russia could win While the United States refused to invoke collective defence principle, Poland and Germany also did not act in the wargame. In the exercise, Poland mobilised but did not send troops across the border into Lithuania for the citys defence whereas the German brigade deployed in Lithuania failed to intervene partly because Russia used drones to lay mines on roads leading out of its base. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD German inaction was essential for the Russian victory, according to FranzStefan Gady, a Vienna-based military analyst who played the Russian chief of the general staff in the wargame. Deterrence depends not only on capabilities, but on what the enemy believes about our will, and in the wargame my Russian colleagues and I knew: Germany will hesitate. And this was enough to win, Gady told the Wall Street Journal. In Sundays election, Thailands Peoples Party is seen as the voters favourite, but it is uncertain whether it will be able to form a government. The partys reformist agenda particularly proposed changes to the lesemajeste law has put it on a collision course with the royalist elites. Leader of People's Party, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, takes selfies with supporters during an election campaign in Bangkok, Thailand, on January 10, 2026. (Photo: Sakchai Lalit/AP) The Peoples Party is seen as the voters favourite in Thailands election on Sunday, but it is uncertain whether it would be able to form a government. The Peoples Partys reformist agenda particularly its proposed reforms to the lesemajeste law has put it on a collision course with the royalist elites. The Peoples Party is the latest iteration of the reformist Future Forward Party, which was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2020. Its successor, the Move Forward Party, was blocked by the militaryappointed Senate from forming a government in 2023 and was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2024. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Despite lagging in the surveys, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is seen as a probable winner as he has a reputation as a dealmaker. In any case, no party is expected to secure a majority in the 500member lower chamber and smaller parties are bound to be crucial in forming a coalition government. That is where Anutins dealmaking skills and deep connections to the monarchy and royalist institutions could benefit him. Peoples Party leads in surveys but faces troubled road Surveys have put the Peoples Party in the lead. It has become popular among young and urban voters with its reformist agenda and mastery of social media. The Peoples Party was backed by 36 per cent of respondents, the ruling party Pheu Thai by 22.1 per cent, and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakuls Bhumjaithai by 18.9 per cent, according to a survey by Suan Dusit University. Another survey by the National Institute for Development Administration showed 34.2 per cent support for the Peoples Party, 22.6 per cent support for Bhumjaithai, and 16.2 per cent for Pheu Thai. In the last election in 2023, the Move Forward Party won 151 of the 500 seats, Pheu Thai won 141, and Bhumjaithai won 71. While the Peoples Party is likely to have an advantage at the ballot box, it could struggle to strike a coalition deal. At the same time, the partys reformist agenda could lead to another ban. Senate veto may be over but Constitutional Courts sword hangs over Peoples Party In 2023, the militaryappointed 200member Senate blocked the Move Forward Partys attempt to form a government. In 2024, however, the Senates composition and powers were changed. The Senate can no longer veto government formation. But the Constitutional Court could still outlaw the Peoples Party because the partys leader, Nattapong Ruengpanyawut, has doubled down on his reformist agenda, maintaining that the party remains committed to its proposed reforms to the lesemajeste law. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2024, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward Party after ruling that the partys proposed changes to the lesemajeste law amounted to the destruction of the constitutional monarchy of Thailand and were therefore unconstitutional. As the incumbent leader, Bhumjaithais Anutin is both politically savvy and well connected with royalist allies, he could be the most likely winner in the end even if the Peoples Party wins the most seats. Weeks after slamming the agreement, US President Donald Trump suggested that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmers Chagos Islands deal was the best he could make. US President Donald Trump suggested that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmers Chagos Islands deal was the best he could make, expressing his support for the British premier. What made Trumps latest remarks interesting was the fact that they came after he himself attacked the agreement last month. Weeks ago, the American leader branded the deal as an act of great stupidity, insisting that he had very productive discussions with the Prime Minister about Diego Garcia, where a UK-US military base is located. Under the Chagos Islands deal, which will cost a whopping 35 billion over the next century, the United Kingdom would cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius but lease back the facility on the island. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In his latest post on TruthSocial, Trump said that he understands Starmers perspective. I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, (is) the best he could make," the American leader said in the post. However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia, he furthered. Trump made it clear that he wont take any action after feeling threatened by fake claims. Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense. UKs take Meanwhile, Downing Street said in its statement that the two leaders agreed on the importance of the deal to secure the joint UK-US base of Diego Garcia in a conversation on Thursday. On Ukraine, the leaders discussed the ongoing peace negotiations. The Prime Minister expressed his deep concern about Putins continued barbaric attacks on innocent civilians, particularly in freezing temperatures, a No 10 spokeswoman said. They also agreed on the importance of the deal to secure the joint UKUS base on Diego Garcia, which remains vital to shared security interests. The UK and US will continue to work closely on the implementation of the deal, they agreed," she added. Last month, Trump slammed the agreement, describing it as an act of total weakness. He claimed that the site of the military base was being given away for no reason whatsoever. Trumps criticism came as transatlantic tensions flared over his ambitions to take control of Greenland, Starmer accusing him of making the comments to pressure Britain to lift its objections. It is pertinent to note that the legislation to ratify the deal is in its closing stages in the parliament, but progress has been delayed since the presidents outburst. On Tuesday, No.10 said that the two leaders had agreed their governments would work to guarantee the future operation of the base in the first known discussion between them since Trumps criticism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Withdrawal from Riyadhs World Defence Show highlights how widening political rifts between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are beginning to affect commercial and defence ties Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, bids farewell to Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on September 3, 2025. Reuters File Some UAE companies have withdrawn from a major defence exhibition scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia, according to a Reuters report, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, in a further sign that tensions between the two Gulf oil powers may be spilling over into business relations. The World Defense Show is due to be held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from February 8 to 12. It was not immediately clear whether all UAE companies listed under the countrys pavilion had pulled out of the event. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trickle down effect Once regarded as twin pillars of regional security, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have seen their strategic interests steadily diverge, with differences emerging on issues ranging from oil production quotas to broader geopolitical priorities. Those disagreements surfaced publicly in December, when advances by a UAE-backed southern Yemeni separatist group brought the fighting uncomfortably close to Saudi Arabias borders. The situation escalated when the Saudi-led coalition carried out an air strike on a weapons shipment linked to the UAE at the Yemeni port of Mukalla. Although the UAE has since withdrawn all its forces from Yemen, tensions have persisted. Saudi Arabia has alleged that the UAE assisted a prominent Yemeni separatist figure in escaping through Somalia, an accusation that has further strained relations. The UAEs withdrawal from a major annual defence exhibition has underscored concerns that the rift between the two oil-producing powers could begin to affect the extensive trade and investment ties that bind them. While cross-border dealmaking has so far remained largely unaffected, Gulf-based business sources say unease is starting to filter into the commercial sector, with companies quietly preparing for potential disruptions even as day-to-day trade continues. With inputs from agencies The United States has accused China of conducting secret nuclear tests and expanding its arsenal, renewing calls for trilateral arms control talks with Russia as the New START treaty expires and global nuclear tensions rise. The United States has renewed its call for a trilateral nuclear arms dialogue with Russia and China, accusing Beijing of covert nuclear weapons testing and rapidly expanding its arsenal at a moment when global arms control frameworks are weakening. Washingtons push comes just days after the formal expiration of the New START treaty, the last remaining agreement limiting nuclear warheads between the US and Russia. US officials warn that the absence of binding constraints risks triggering a new phase of nuclear competition among major powers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD China, however, reiterated that it does not intend to participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations under current conditions, maintaining a long-held position that its arsenal remains far smaller than those of Washington and Moscow. Beijing insists that responsibility for reductions lies primarily with the two largest nuclear powers. Russia has taken a different stance, arguing that any future arms control framework should extend beyond the traditional US-Russia format to include other nuclear-armed states, including European powers such as Britain and France. This position underscores Moscows view that global strategic balance has shifted. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the era of bilateral nuclear agreements is effectively over. Writing in an online policy essay, Rubio argued that arms control must evolve to reflect a multipolar nuclear reality, with Chinas growing capabilities making its inclusion unavoidable. Strategic stability cannot rest on just two countries, Rubio wrote, pointing to China as having a particular responsibility due to the scale and pace of its weapons development. The lapse of New START, which capped deployed nuclear warheads for both the United States and Russia at 1,550 each, marks the first time in decades that no treaty governs the worlds two largest nuclear stockpiles. Analysts say this legal vacuum could accelerate modernization and deployment without transparency or verification. US President Donald Trump declined a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to temporarily extend the treatys limits for another year. Instead, Trump has called for a broader, updated agreement that he said would better reflect current military realities and include additional nuclear powers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Secret nuclear tests? Thomas DiNanno, US under secretary of state for arms control, presented the new US plan Friday to the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva, charging that the lapsed New START treaty had fundamental flaws. He accused China of taking advantage of the legally-binding US-Russian restraint to begin expanding its arsenal at a historic pace, maintaining that it was on track to have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. As we sit here today, Chinas entire nuclear arsenal has no limits, no transparency, no declarations, and no controls, he said. DiNanno also accused Beijing of conducting secret nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tonnes. He charged that one such test was conducted on June 22, 2020, and accused China of seeking to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognised these tests violate test ban commitments. Trump hinted at similar accusations late last year but without providing the same level of detail. He said Washington wanted to resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in decades on an equal basis with Moscow and Beijing but without elaborating and so far without following through. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, Chinas ambassador Shen Jian slammed Washington on Friday for making irresponsible remarks, for instance the threatening of making nuclear weapons tests. He also reiterated Beijings official position, insisting to the conference that China would not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage. States possessing the largest nuclear arsenals should continue to fulfil their special and primary responsibilities for nuclear disarmament, he added. Russia and the United States together control more than 80 percent of the worlds nuclear warheads. But Chinas nuclear arsenal is growing faster than any other country, by about 100 new warheads a year since 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Russia, which has said it no longer considers itself bound by New START limits, said any new nuclear talks should include other nuclear-armed states such as France and Britain, its ambassador Gennady Gatilov told Fridays conference. Britains ambassador, David Riley, appeared to dismiss the idea, saying the United Kingdom maintains a minimum credible nuclear deterrent and that arms control talks should focus on those states with the largest nuclear arsenals China, Russia and the US. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD French ambassador Anne Lazar-Sury meanwhile said Paris believed credible measures capable of reducing the risk of nuclear weapons use should be the objective of all nuclear-armed states. With inputs from agencies The United States has pledged an additional $6 million in humanitarian assistance to Cuba even as Washington continues efforts to block oil shipments to the island, worsening fuel shortages and blackouts People queue at a street cart in Havana, as Cubans across the country slip into survival mode, enduring relentless blackouts and steep rises in the cost of food, fuel, and transport. (Reuters) The United States will provide a further $6 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba, the top State Department aid official said on Thursday, bringing total support to $9 million since Hurricane Melissa struck in October. Jeremy Lewin said at a news conference that assistance was being delivered through the Catholic Church, adding that Cuban authorities had not interfered with distribution so far. Cubas deputy foreign minister, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, criticised the US move, calling it contradictory in light of intensified sanctions. Quite hypocritical to apply draconian coercive measures denying basic economic conditions to millions and then to announce soup & cans for a few, de Cossio said on social media. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fuel crisis deepens amid tightened US restrictions Trump has said Cuba will no longer receive oil from Venezuela following the US operation to capture Nicolas Maduro last month, warning that tariffs could be imposed on other suppliers, including Mexico, if fuel deliveries continue. Earlier on Thursday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said his government would introduce temporary measures next week to address fuel shortages after blackouts affected several provinces. Despite Washingtons restrictions on oil shipments, Lewin argued that the broader humanitarian crisis could be attributed to Cuban governance. Its because the government cant, you know, put food on the shelves They let these government-run stores go completely empty. Theyre not stocked, he said. And so what youve had is a humanitarian catastrophe. Cuba has long blamed the US embargoa complex array of Cold War-era financial and trade restrictionsfor its economic difficulties. The Trump administration has expanded these measures significantly in recent months. In the latest attack in international waters, the US military has blown up a boat and killed two sailors. Since September, it has killed at least 128 sailors in 37 strikes at the orders of President Donald Trump after declaring them narco-terrorists without providing evidence or identifying those it killed. The screengrab from a video shared by the US Southern Command shows a boat that it struck on February 5, 2026, in the Eastern Pacific, killing two sailors on board. (Photo: US Southern Command) In the latest attack in the international waters, the US military on Thursday blew up a boat in the Eastern Pacific and killed two sailors. In a statement, the US Southern Command said that it struck a boat operated by designated terrorist organisations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No US military forces were harmed, the Southern Command said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As with previous strikes, the US military did not identify those it killed, did not offer any evidence of their involvement in narco-terrorism, and did not identify the purported designated terrorist organisation allegedly operating the boat. Since September 2, at the orders of President Donald Trump, the US military has killed at least 128 sailors in 37 strikes after declaring them as narco-terrorists, according to a tracker maintained by The New York Times. The Trump administration has carried out these killings without identifying those it killed or providing evidence of their involvement in narcotics trade. These strikes dubbed Operation Southern Spear by the Trump administration have widely been condemned as illegal. On Feb. 5, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking pic.twitter.com/B3ctyN1lke U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) February 6, 2026 Under longstanding US policy that Trump has now abandoned, suspected drug traffickers were intercepted in the seas, arrested, and brought to the United States to stand trial. But Trump has instead ordered their killings without any trial as if they were enemy combatants in an active warzone. While the entire policy of such killings has been questioned, some of these strikes have stood out for multiple violations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the first strike on September 2, the US military used a plane disguised as a civilian aircraft to strike a boat, according to The New York Times. It was a clear case of war crime under the international law as well as the US law and war manuals. Such instances of a military feigning civilian status disguising either personnel or equipment are known as perfidy and are banned both in the United States and under international law. In that strike, the US military also carried out a secondary attack to kill two unarmed shipwrecked survivors of the first strike. That secondary strike also attracted accusations of war crime as killing unarmed shipwrecked sailors is outlawed under both US military rules and international law. The US on Friday announced a new round of sanctions targeting Irans oil and petrochemical trade, including an India-based shipping management firm, hours after indirect talks between Tehran and Washington concluded in Oman The US on Friday announced a new round of sanctions targeting Irans oil and petrochemical trade, including an India-based shipping management firm, hours after indirect talks between Tehran and Washington concluded in Oman, even as both sides signalled a willingness to continue negotiations aimed at easing tensions over Irans nuclear programme. According to Reuters, the sanctions, unveiled by the US State Department, target 15 entities and 14 vessels linked to Irans so-called shadow fleet, which Washington says is used to transport petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemicals in violation of international restrictions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the measures were part of the Trump administrations renewed pressure campaign against Tehran. President Donald Trump is committed to driving down the Iranian regimes illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the administrations maximum pressure campaign, Pigott said. The United States said the sanctions were intended to cut off revenue streams that Tehran uses to fund domestic repression and destabilising activities abroad. Pigott accused Iran of prioritising repression and regional destabilisation over the welfare of its own population. Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilising activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran, he said. Warning of further action, Pigott added, So long as Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behavior and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable. Among those targeted is an India-based firm involved in managing a vessel accused of transporting Iranian petroleum products in breach of international restrictions. The State Department said Elevate Marine Management Private Limited, an Indian commercial shipping management company, acted as the commercial manager of the BENEDICT, a Cameroon-flagged crude oil tanker alleged to have transported Iranian petroleum products on at least three occasions between September and November 2025. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Akash Anant Shinde, an Indian national, was identified as a director of the company. Talks amid tensions The sanctions announcement came shortly after Iranian and US officials concluded a day of indirect negotiations in Muscat, mediated by Oman. Tehran described the talks as constructive. Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, struck a cautiously optimistic tone, calling the discussions a good start. If we can go along with this positive path, I can say that we can reach a positive framework regarding the nuclear talks between Iran and the US, Araghchi told reporters. He said both sides had agreed to continue discussions after further consultations in their respective capitals. Our concerns were conveyed, as well as our interests and the rights that the Iranian people have. It was conveyed in a very good atmosphere, and the views of the other side were also heard, he added. Omans foreign ministry said its foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, met separately with Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat. Footage later released by Omans state news agency showed US Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, also present. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The negotiations mark the first formal engagement since the United States joined Israels military action against Iran in June, during which US strikes damaged Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel also targeted Irans air defence systems and ballistic missile infrastructure. Since then, Washington has bolstered its military presence in the region, deploying additional warships, fighter jets and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. US officials have said Washington wants the talks to extend beyond Irans nuclear programme to include its missile capabilities and regional influence, a position Tehran has rejected, insisting discussions remain limited in scope. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the challenges earlier this week, saying, Im not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but were going to try to find out. Tensions remain high as both sides weigh diplomacy against the risk of escalation. The US has recently shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln, while Iran has attempted to stop a US-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fridays measures follow similar sanctions imposed last month targeting vessels accused of transporting hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil. The US Treasury Department has said Irans shadow fleet plays a critical role in financing the regime, including its domestic crackdowns and regional activities. With inputs from agencies Venezuelas parliament on Thursday gave its initial approval to a landmark amnesty bill covering the types of charges used to lock up dissidents under ousted leader Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez. College students, unions and families of political prisoners call for full amnesty during a demonstration in Caracas on February 3, 2026. AFP Venezuelas parliament on Thursday gave its initial approval to a landmark amnesty bill covering the types of charges used to lock up dissidents under ousted leader Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez. But the bill does not cover serious human rights abuses committed during 27 years of socialist rule. The legislation, which aims to turn the page on nearly three decades of state repression, marks an early milestone in the post-Maduro transition. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It was spearheaded by interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who replaced Maduro after he was captured by US forces in Caracas last month and flown to New York to face trial. The Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence, which AFP obtained a copy of, covers treason, terrorism and spreading hate charges frequently used to lock up dissidents during Chavista rule, under Maduro and Chavez. Rodriguez hailed parliaments approval on its first reading a very important step toward peace and national reconciliation. The bill also lifts the ban on running for office for several opposition members, including Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado. Emotions ran high in the National Assembly as it was debated, with Chavista lawmakers and the opposition alike issuing appeals for reconciliation. Parliament chief Jorge Rodriguez brother of the acting president and recently a member of Maduros inner circle apologized to Venezuelans for crimes committed by the state since Chavez took power in 1999. We ask for forgiveness and we too must forgive, he said, holding up a photograph of Chavez clutching a crucifix. Opposition MP Tomas Guanipa, who has one brother in prison and another under house arrest, said the bill could mark a new, historic chapter for Venezuela, where people would no longer be afraid to speak their minds for fear of being imprisoned. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Maduros son, congressman Nicolas Maduro Guerra, added his voice to those calling for unity, saying Venezuela cannot endure any more acts of revenge. Lawmakers will take up the bill again on Tuesday for final reading. Crimes against humanity The draft law covers events such as the failed 2002 coup against Chavez, various cycles of protests between 2004 and 2024, and criticism posted on social media or messaging services. Crucially, it does not grant amnesty for serious violations of human rights, crimes against humanity, war crimes, intentional homicide, corruption, and drug trafficking, which cannot be pardoned under the Constitution. The bill does however cover unspecified offenses committed by judges, prosecutors and other officials. The announcement last week of a general amnesty triggered scenes of rejoicing across Venezuela, fueling hopes for the speedy release of hundreds of political prisoners still behind bars a month after Maduros ouster. The director of the countrys leading human rights NGO, Foro Penal, welcomed the draft law as a major step toward reconciling a deeply divided country. Amnesty is the framework that will ensurethat the past does not serve to halt or derail transition processes, Alfredo Romero told AFP. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Some Venezuelans have expressed hopes of seeing all of Maduros inner circle brought to justice. But Romero warned: A reconciliation, a transition, cannot be a process of persecution against those who previously held power. Forceful message Thursdays parliamentary debate coincided with a new round of talks between the government and a faction of the Venezuelan opposition that has distanced itself from a majority wing led by Machado. The opposition is seeking fresh elections to replace those held in July 2024, and which Maduro claimed to have won despite no official figures ever being released. Much of the world thinks he stole the vote. Maduro acolytes were left in power after American troops whisked him away in cuffs to stand trial on drug charges in New York. Trump backed Maduros former vice president Delcy Rodriguez to take over, making clear his priority was stability rather than democracy. Rodriguez has shown a willingness to cooperate. Her government has released hundreds of political prisoners and taken steps toward restoring diplomatic ties with Washington, which were severed in 2019. Bangladeshs fragile election build-up was shaken on Friday as violent clashes erupted in central Dhaka near the official residence of Chief Adviser Yunus. Violent clashes broke out in the heart of Bangladeshs capital Dhaka on Friday as government employees demanding the implementation of the Ninth National Pay Scale confronted police outside Jamuna, the official residence of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Unrest ahead of crucial election The violence comes just six days before a general election that is expected to return Bangladesh to an elected government for the first time since the unrest of August 2024, which forced then prime minister Sheikh Hasina to step down and flee to India. A Yunus-led caretaker administration is currently overseeing the poll, which it has described as free and fair. Protest over pay scale demands The agitation began earlier in the day when government employees from across the country gathered at Shaheed Minar before marching towards Jamuna. Protesters demanded the immediate publication and implementation of the gazette based on the Ninth National Pay Commission report. Chanting slogans such as, there is no rice in the stomach what development is there in the mouth?, demonstrators accused the government of ignoring their livelihood concerns. Police action and injuries At around 11.30 am, protesters broke through police barricades at Shahbagh and advanced towards the entrance of Jamuna. Police responded by using water cannons, tear gas, sound grenades and baton charges to disperse the crowd. Uniformed troops were also deployed to prevent the protesters from reaching the residence. Several people were reportedly injured as the clashes intensified. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tensions rise over election fears Tensions escalated further after a senior police officer, Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam, questioned a protesting official, asking whether they had come to Jamuna to sabotage the election. Government employees warned that continued police action could have political consequences. If the attacks continue, we will boycott the elections, one protester said. Authorities on alert Police later said efforts were underway to contain the situation. We are remaining alert so that law and order does not deteriorate. We are talking to the protesters so that they move elsewhere, Alam said. By Friday afternoon, the areas around Shahbagh and Jamuna remained tense, with heavy security deployed and authorities closely monitoring developments. Top Republicans are growing increasingly worried about the midterm elections, with private polls suggesting that a Democratic surge could threaten not only the House but also their slim Senate majority. US President Donald Trump signs a funding bill to end a partial government shutdown in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 3, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) Top Republicans are increasingly worried about the upcoming midterm elections, with private polling suggesting that a Democratic surge could threaten not just the House, but also their slim Senate majority, Axios reported. President Trump has cautioned that losing the House could lead to a third impeachment. GOP strategists now say a Democratic takeover of the Senate would be a major political shock and could limit Trumps influence in his final two years. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Backlash over policies fuels anxiety Concerns have risen over public dissatisfaction with Trumps handling of the economy and his aggressive deportation policies. A recent upset in a North Texas state Senate race, where Democratic candidate Taylor Rehmet won a seat that Trump carried by 17 points in 2024, has been described by GOP senators as a wake-up call. Battleground senators raise alarms Senators in key states, including Maines Susan Collins and North Carolinas retiring Thom Tillis, have repeatedly warned colleagues that the political environment is deteriorating. GOP lawmakers note that independents and moderate voters are increasingly dissatisfied with Trumps economic and immigration policies. Importance of Republican turnout Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Rehmets 14-point victory in Tarrant County a rough night, emphasizing the need for strong Republican turnout in November. While the GOP hopes to retain control, strategists acknowledge that a Democratic wave could flip key Republican-leaning states such as Ohio, Alaska, or Iowa. Senate stakes high With a 53-seat majority and Vice President Vance able to break ties, Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to recapture control of the Senate, highlighting the high stakes for both parties in the midterms. Android users may soon get one of their most requested features. As per Android Authority, Google has confirmed them that AirDrop interoperability, previously limited to the Pixel 10 series, will expand to more Android devices in 2026. Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability Last year, Google made Androids Quick Share compatible with Apples AirDrop, but the feature remained Pixel-exclusive. Android Authority reports that Google upgraded Quick Share from a system app stub to a full Play Store APK, making AirDrop support a Quick Share feature rather than tied to Pixel hardware. This move signaled that broader Android availability was likely coming. During a press briefing in Taipei, Eric Kay, Vice President of Engineering for Android, said, Weve built something compatible with iPhone, iPads, and MacBooks, and are now working with partners to expand it into the rest of the ecosystem. His comments indicate that Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability is set to become a wider Android feature, targeting one of Apples key ecosystem advantages. Availability? Google has not named specific devices or partners, but Nothing has confirmed plans to support the feature, while Qualcomm has hinted at bringing AirDrop support to Snapdragon-powered phones. Users will need to wait for official announcements or rollouts to know exact availability. Source Dubstep, the fast-fashion consumer tech brand from Nu Republic, has launched the Dubstep Buzz X12 Wireless Earbuds Love Edition exclusively on Swiggy Instamart. The release is part of the Love on Loop Valentines Day campaign, which also included the launch of Pop Love speakers and earbuds last week. Dubstep Buzz X12 Wireless Earbuds Love Edition The Buzz X12 Love Edition earbuds come in a passion-red finish with metallic accents, feature Bluetooth v5.4 connectivity, X-Bass technology for enhanced audio, and Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC). They offer up to 60 hours of total playtime, intuitive touch controls, and a comfortable design for extended use. Quick Specs: Dubstep Buzz X12 13mm Neodymium Drivers ENC Modes (Environmental Noise Cancellation) Up to 60 hours playtime X-Bass technology Touch Controls 40ms low latency Dual Mode (Game / Music) Pricing and Availability The Dubstep Buzz X12 Wireless Earbuds Love Edition are available exclusively on Swiggy Instamart at Rs. 599 for a limited period. As part of the Love on Loop campaign, customers purchasing eligible Dubstep products on Instamart can participate in a rewards program: Nine winners will receive dinner vouchers worth Rs. 3,000 each One grand prize winner will receive air tickets for two to Goa and a chance to meet actor Abhay Deol, subject to availability and scheduling Commenting on the campaign, Ujjwal Sarin, Founder, Nu Republic Universe, said, MediaTek has announced the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 smartphone chipsets at its Tech Day event in Delhi after these were introduced last month for the global markets. The platforms target flagship and premium smartphone segments, focusing on performance, efficiency, on-device AI processing, imaging, gaming, and wireless connectivity. Both chipsets use an All-Big Core CPU architecture and support agentic AI workloads. MediaTek Dimensity 9500s The Dimensity 9500s is built on a 3nm process and features an octa-core All-Big Core CPU architecture. The CPU includes one Cortex-X925 ultra core clocked up to 3.73GHz, three Cortex-X4 premium cores, and four Cortex-A720 performance cores. Graphics are handled by the Immortalis-G925 GPU, and the integrated NPU supports generative reasoning and multi-modal AI models. Key capabilities include: MediaTek Imagiq image signal processor supporting 8K full-focus Dolby Vision HDR video recording with real-time 30fps motion tracking Adaptive Game Technology 3.0 (MAGT 3.0) and frame technology 3.0 (MFRC 3.0) for energy-efficient gaming 5G Release-17 modem with 4CC carrier aggregation and peak downlink speeds up to 7Gbps MediaTek 5G UltraSave 4.0 power-saving technology AI Network Suite 2.0 for stable performance in weak connectivity MediaTek Xtra Range 3.0 for extended indoor Wi-Fi coverage Phone-to-phone Bluetooth direct connections up to five kilometres Quick Specs CPU: Octa-core (1x Cortex-X925 up to 3.73GHz, 3x Cortex-X4, 4x Cortex-A720), 12MB L3 cache, 10MB SLC Memory: LPDDR5X, up to 10667 Mbps Storage: UFS 4 + MCQ 5G/4G: Multi-mode, 5G/4G/3G/2G, SA & NSA, 5G carrier aggregation 5G Downlink: Sub6 DL 4CC 300MHz, R17 Enhancement, LB DL 44 MIMO 5G Uplink: Sub6 UL 2CC 200MHz, R17 Enhancement, FDD UL 22 MIMO/PC2 Power Saving: MediaTek UltraSave 4.0, R17 Power Saving Enhancement GNSS: GPS, BeiDou, Glonass, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC L5 Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 7 (a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be), Triple Band Triple Concurrency, peak 6.5 Gbps Bluetooth: 5.4 Camera: Max sensor 320MP, 108MP @ 30fps, 3x 36MP @ 30fps; Max video 8K60 GPU: Arm Immortalis-G925 Video: 8K60 10-bit decode (HEVC/AVC/VP9/AV1), 8K30 10-bit encode (HEVC/AVC), 8K60 8-bit HEVC encode Display: WQHD+ up to 180Hz, Tri-port MIPI for Tri-Fold displays AI: MediaTek NPU supporting Generative AI and Agentic AI MediaTek Dimensity 8500 The Dimensity 8500 uses a 4nm process and All-Big Core CPU architecture with eight Cortex-A725 cores clocked up to 3.4GHz. The computing and gaming engine supports stable frame delivery, faster loading, energy efficiency, and ray tracing for mainstream mobile games. Key capabilities include: MediaTek 8th-generation NPU supporting mainstream large language and multi-modal models and on-device image generation AI ultra-clear telephoto algorithm for image processing Dimensity AI semantic engine for frame optimization Mali-G720 GPU with a 25% performance improvement over the previous generation Accurate workload scheduling Support for LPDDR5X memory speeds up to 9600Mbps Quick Specs CPU: Octa-core (1x Cortex-A725 up to 3.4GHz, 3x Cortex-A725 up to 3.2GHz, 4x Cortex-A725 up to 2.2GHz), 6MB L3 cache, 5MB SLC Memory: LPDDR5X 4-channel, up to 9600 Mbps Storage: UFS 4 + MCQ 5G/4G: Multi-mode, 5G/4G/3G/2G, SA & NSA modes, 5G carrier aggregation Smart Network: Smart Network Suite 3.0, Subway Mode 2.0, DSDA 2.0 5G Downlink: FR1 LB DL 44 MIMO, 3CC up to 220 MHz 5G Uplink: 256QAM FR1 UL 2CC, FDD UL TxD Power Saving: MediaTek UltraSave 3.0+, R16 UL Enhancement GNSS: GPS, BeiDou, Glonass, Galileo, QZSS, NavIC L5 Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6E (a/b/g/n/ac/ax), 2T2R Bluetooth: 5.4 Camera: Max sensor 320MP, 3x 32MP @ 30fps; Max video 4K60 GPU: Arm Mali-G720 MC8 Video Encode/Playback: 4K @ 60FPS (H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, VP9, AV1) Display: WQHD+ up to 144Hz, dual screen support (dual DSI) AI: MediaTek NPU 880 Availability MediaTek confirms that smartphones powered by the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 will arrive through partner manufacturers. OPPO Find X9s in India is confirmed to be powered by the chip in India. POCO has also confirmed a device based on the chip in India soon, with additional announcements from other OEMs expected in the coming months. Speaking on the launch, JC Hsu, Corporate Senior Vice President at MediaTek and General Manager of the Wireless Communications Business Unit, said: A judge on Wednesday denied a motion by defense attorneys for Fort Bend County Judge KP George to disqualify District Attorney Brian Middleton from his felony money laundering trial, which is set to begin March 10. Here, George, center, is seen with attorneys Jared Woodfill, left, and Terry Yates following a hearing last week. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2024. Press release on summoning the head of the diplomatic mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Foreign Ministry 5 February 2026 12:34 138-05-02-2026 On February 5, the head of the diplomatic mission of the Federal Republic of Germany was summoned to the Foreign Ministry. The German party was handed a note of protest in connection with the January 22, 2026, decision of the German Government to declare an employee of the Russian Federation Embassy in Germany persona non grata. It was pointed out that the allegations of the said individual's intelligence activities cited by the Berlin authorities were completely unsubstantiated and contrived in the spirit of spy mania, which is being fuelled in Germany. The Russian side categorically rejects these allegations. We regard these actions by the German side as a cheap provocation aimed at discrediting the Russian diplomatic mission in the Federal Republic of Germany. The head of the German diplomatic mission has been presented with a note declaring a diplomatic employee of the German Embassy in Moscow persona non grata in a symmetric response to the above mentioned decision of the German Government, which bears full responsibility for a new escalation in bilateral relations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Contracts Contracts for Feb. 5, 2026 U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Iron Legion JV., Tampa, Florida, was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (H9240226DE001) with a ceiling of $265,164,486 for intelligence support services in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The contract period of performance includes a five-year base ordering period with a five-year optional ordering period. The work will be performed in both CONUS and OCONUS locations and is expected to be completed by March 24, 2036. USSOCOM, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. ARMY NV5 Geospatial Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida (W912P9-26-D-A019); Woolpert Inc., Beavercreek, Ohio (W912P9-26-D-A020); Dewberry Engineers Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (W912P9-26-D-A021); Aero-Graphics Inc.,* South Salt Lake, Utah (W912P9-26-D-A022); Fugro USA Land Inc., Houston, Texas (W912P9-26-D-A023); Bowman Consulting Group Ltd., Reston, Virginia (W912P9-26-D-A024); Surveying and Mapping LLC, Austin, Texas (W912P9-26-D-A025); and Towill Inc., Concord, California (W912P9-26-D-A026), will compete for each order of the $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for professional photogrammetric mapping, related surveying work, and photo interpretation services. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 4, 2031. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, is the contracting activity. Facility Services Management Inc., Clarksville, Tennessee, was awarded a $20,345,176 modification (P00020) to contract W91278-23-C-0016 to exercise Option Year Two for operations and maintenance services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $65,868,642. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 8, 2027. Fiscal 2026 Defense Health Program, Defense funds in the amount of $20,345,176 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, is the contracting activity. Agile Defense Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $12,497,947 modification (P00010) to contract W9124P-22-F-0036 technology support services. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2027. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $47,753,808 modification (P00007) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0001920D0007). This modification increases the ceiling to provide for the ongoing development, installation, integration, testing, training, and delivery of the F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) and Operational Data Integrated Network (ODIN), to include new capability development and current software modifications. Additionally, this modification continues support for the ALIS-to-ODIN re-architecture endeavor to modernize ALIS in accordance with information technology and software development best practices for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales customers, and F-35 Cooperative Program Partners. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (95%); and Fort Worth, Texas (5%), and is expected to be completed in December 2026. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract action was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Blair Remy Merrick MP JV LLC,* Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is awarded a $33,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for architect-engineer design and related services. The work to be performed provides for professional engineering services for the preparation of design-bid-build documents and design-build request for proposals. Work will be performed at locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of operations and is expected to be completed by February 2031.Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance, (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,000 will be obligated at time of award to satisfy the minimum contract guarantee. Additional funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via contract opportunities on Sam.gov, with 14 offers received. NAVFAC Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-26-D-0002). General Dynamics Mission Systems, Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $21,543,345 fixed-price incentive modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-21-C-6425) to exercise options for Hammerhead mine system assets. Work will be performed in Taunton, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by January 2027. Fiscal 2025 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $21,543,345 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 30, 2026) AIR FORCE CCI Prime Contractors LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded a $27,624,2 firm-fixed-price contract for construction. This contract provides for a broad range of maintenance and repair on real property at Hangar 285. Work will be performed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed by October 2027. This contract was a negotiated 8(a) sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2026 construction tasking order funds in the total amount of $27,624,246 will be obligated at the time of award. The 97th Contracting Flight, Altus AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA441926C0002). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY UPDATE: Abbott Rapid Diagnostics, Lake Forest, Illinois (SPE2DF-26-D-0007, $30,000,000), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for laboratory equipment, accessories and consumables for the Defense Logistics Agency Electronic Catalog, issued against solicitation SPE2DE-22-R-0006 and awarded Feb. 24, 2023. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/4398868/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Eastern Sentry Joint Planning Team deploys to Bulgaria strengthen collaboration on NATOs Eastern Flank NATO Allied Air Command Feb 4 2026 RAMSTEIN, Germany -- A NATO Joint Planning Team (JPT), composed of personnel from Allied Air Command (AIRCOM), Joint Force Command Naples (JFC Naples) and the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Torrejon, deployed to Sofia to further develop the Bulgarian contribution to Eastern Sentry. Eastern Sentry is a key NATO activity aimed at strengthening situational awareness, coordination and NATO's defensive posture along the Alliance's eastern border. The deployment of the JPT represents another tangible step in reinforcing NATO's commitment to collective defence and airspace security. NATO personnel work in close coordination with the Bulgarian Air Force as they refine the Bulgarian elements and national contribution to enhanced Vigilance Activity Eastern Sentry. Through collaborative planning and integration, the team is enhancing NATO's ability to detect, deter and respond to potential incursions into NATO airspace. "This deployment highlights NATO's integrated approach to air and space operations," said Brigadier General Kevin M. Jamieson, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations at Allied Air Command. "By bringing together planners from AIRCOM, JFC Naples and CAOC Torrejon, and working side-by-side with the Bulgarian Air Force, we strengthen interoperability and ensure national contributions are fully aligned with Alliance objectives" he added. Throughout the deployment, the Joint Planning Team focused on operational planning, command-and-control integration and information-sharing processes. These efforts contribute directly to improving readiness, responsiveness and resilience across NATO's Eastern Flank. The close cooperation with the Bulgarian Air Force underscores NATO's emphasis on collective defence and the importance of host nation integration. By refining national elements within the broader NATO framework, Eastern Sentry enhances deterrence while ensuring air policing and air defence activities remain coherent and effective. This deployment marks only one in seven planning teams that have deployed to the Eastern Flank countries since the activation of Eastern Sentry, further fortifying NATO's integrated Air and Missile Defence. Allied Air Command, headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is responsible for providing air and space expertise to NATO, ensuring the effectiveness of Allied air power in peace, crisis and conflict. Story by Allied Air Command Public Affairs Office NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Exercise Arctic Dolphin 26 strengthens Allied anti-submarine warfare training in Norway NATO Allied Maritime Command Feb 4 2026 West Coast of Norway -- Exercise Arctic Dolphin 26 is underway in Vestlandet, Norway, bringing together Norwegian and Allied naval forces for two weeks of intensive training under Arctic conditions. Running from 2 to 13 February 26, the exercise focuses on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) while also certifying new submarine commanders in one of NATO's most demanding maritime environments. The exercise includes Norwegian forces alongside several Allies, including one of NATO's standing naval forces, Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1). Their participation highlights NATO's continued presence in the High North and the importance of collective training in the region. Training activities are taking place across Bjrnafjorden, Sognesjen, and Sognefjorden in western Norway. Ahead of the exercise, several participating ships conducted a port visit to Bergen, strengthening ties with local authorities and the public. Chief of the Norwegian Fleet, Commodore Kyrre Haugen said Arctic Dolphin is a key exercise for Norway's Navy and for NATO. "The participation of NATO's Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) is particularly important, as it underscores the Alliance's commitment to maintaining a credible and persistent presence in the High North," he said. "It also provides valuable opportunities for combined training with multiple NATO Allies." Norway is contributing the frigate KNM Thor Heyerdahl and an Ula class submarine. Allied participation includes a submarine from Germany, supported by French, German, Norwegian and Spanish frigates, as well as aircraft and helicopters from Germany, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom, including P-8 maritime patrol aircraft. Danish Seahawk helicopters are also taking part. In addition to maritime forces, NATO staff from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom are participating in planning and execution. Personnel from Canada and the United States are embarked on Norwegian submarines as students at Norway's submarine school, exchanging ASW tactics and gaining experience operating in Arctic waters. "Arctic Dolphin provided an invaluable opportunity for NATO maritime forces to operate together at sea in a realistic and challenging maritime environment to hone our tactical skills in anti-submarine warfare," said Commander SNMG1, Spanish Navy Rear Admiral Joaquin Ruiz Escagedo. "We thank Norway for hosting this exercise and for their leadership and expertise in Arctic security. Our time spent at sea embodies NATO's deterrence and defence mission and validates that we are indeed stronger together as Allies." A key objective of Arctic Dolphin 26 is the certification of new submarine commanders. They practice evading detection as they are hunted by Allied surface and air units. According to Norwegian Navy Captain Jim Robertsen, Head of the Norwegian Submarine Service, the exercise provides critical experience for both crews and future commanders, ensuring they are prepared to operate safely and effectively in challenging conditions. "Arctic Dolphin provides high-end, realistic training for both submarine crews and future commanding officers," he said. "Conducting submarine operations together with key Allies is essential both for certifying commanders and for strengthening interoperability and Allied cooperation." The exercise also reinforces NATO's focus on the strategically important Greenland Iceland United Kingdom gap, a vital gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. Training in this region enhances Allied readiness to protect sea lines of communication and maintain maritime security in the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. Through Arctic Dolphin 26, NATO and Norway continue to strengthen cooperation, readiness, and operational effectiveness in the High North, contributing to the security of the Alliance and the wider Euro Atlantic area. SNMG1 is one of four standing NATO maritime groups providing continuous maritime presence and readiness in peacetime, crisis and conflict. Exercises like this contribute to Allied assurance measures, enhance interoperability and demonstrate NATO's ability to operate across the entire North Atlantic, the Baltic sea and the Arctic approaches. Story by Public Affairs Office at MARCOM NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address First Steel Cutting Ceremony for PPA No 8 OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation en matiere d'Armement / Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) Feb 4 2026 Riva Trigoso (Genoa)/Italy, 4 February, 2026 -- The First Steel Cutting ceremony for the eighth Multipurpose Patrol Ship (PPA 8) took place at Fincantieri's integrated shipyard in Riva Trigoso (Genoa). The event officially marks the beginning of construction for the eighth unit of the PPA Class and represents a significant milestone for the Programme. PPA 8 will be built in the Full configuration, the most capable version of the class, designed to operate effectively in all main warfare domains: Anti-Air, Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface. This configuration provides advanced combat system capabilities, ensuring the highest level of mission readiness and operational flexibility. During the ceremony, representatives of the Italian Navy as Customer, OCCAR as Contracting Authority and Fincantieri as Prime Contractor jointly activated the laser cutting machine, symbolically launching the vessel's production phase, highlighting the strong cooperation among all stakeholders involved in the Programme. The construction of PPA 8 further consolidates the PPA Programme's progress and confirms the commitment of all partners to deliver stateoftheart vessels capable of supporting Italy's naval operations for decades to come. Story by OCCAR NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CAT 4361, U.S Southern Command Humanitarian Assistance Program, and Guatemala Partner to Provide Medical Care in Puerto San Jose News | Feb. 4, 2026 By SSG Michael Talbert Joint Task Force-Bravo Public Affairs PUERTO SAN JOSE, Guatemala -- Civil Affairs Team 4361, assigned to Army Forces Battalion, Joint Task Force-Bravo, alongside U.S. Southern Command's Humanitarian Assistance Program, partnered with the Guatemalan Department of Health of Escuintla to bring vital medical services and approximately $12,000 worth of medications and supplies to communities in Puerto San Jose, Guatemala, Jan. 29-30, 2026. During the two-day Medical Civic Action Program event, doctors from the Guatemalan Department of Health provided medical services including primary care consultations, pharmaceutical support, physical examinations, pediatric care, and immunization shots, benefitting approximately 1,500 people in the community. "It is an honor for the U.S. Army Civil Affairs Team and our service members to stand alongside the people of Puerto San Jose today as we support this vital Medical Civic Action Program," said Col. Walter Osorio, Brigada de Paracaidistas Puerto San Jose base commander. "By working together with local authorities and healthcare professionals, we not only provide immediate care to over 1,500 residents but also reinforce the strong humanitarian partnership between the United States and Guatemala. Together, we are demonstrating that our commitment extends beyond security to improving the everyday lives of people in communities across the region." Civil affairs engagements such as this help to improve access to medical care for underserved populations, reinforcing strong U.S.-Guatemalan cooperation and commitment to public health. "Seeing JTF-Bravo and the U.S. Embassy Military Group join local leaders in Santa Isabel, Escuintla, to deliver basic medical supplies to over 461 attendees was truly inspiring," said Capt. Christopher Karl, Civil Affairs Team 4361 team chief. "This MEDCAP reflects the United States' commitment to the people of Guatemala and highlights the unity of American service members, agencies, and partners working together to support civilian needs. By bringing direct medical services to Santa Isabel's department and families, we strengthen humanitarian ties, boost local health capacity, and demonstrate that American support is focused on improving everyday lives across the region." Through a whole-of-government approach, the collaboration strengthened civil-military cooperation, supporting the Guatemalan government's ability to provide for its citizens and reinforcing its presence in the region. "On behalf of the Municipality of Puerto San Jose, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to the U.S. Army Civil Affairs Team, U.S SOUTHCOM and all those contributing to this MEDCAP initiative," said Pablo Salvatierra, Puerto San Jose vice mayor. "This donation of medicines and medical supplies is more than assistance; it is a symbol of solidarity and support for our citizens' well-being. This collaboration enhances the presence and legitimacy of our local government, helping us serve our people more effectively. We are truly blessed to partner with the United States in advancing the health and prosperity of Puerto San Jose and the surrounding areas." Established in 1983, JTF-Bravo supports U.S. military and humanitarian operations, providing critical airlift, medical, logistics, and security assistance to partner nations. The task force functions as U.S. Southern Command's rapid response element, enhances regional security, promotes stability, and strengthens partnerships through disaster response, joint exercises, and capacity-building initiatives in support of U.S. Southern Command priorities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Karen Brutyan received the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia 5 February, 2026 12:45 On February 4, at the administrative complex of the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Minister of Defence of Armenia Karen Brutyan received the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Indian Armed Forces, General Anil Chauhan, who is on an official visit to Armenia. During the meeting, the sides discussed a number of issues related to the Armenian-Indian defence cooperation, as well as military-technical cooperation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A shared burden: African Lion 26 planning concludes, uniting NATO and African partners for regional security By Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Mallett February 5, 2026 TUNIS, Tunisia -- Allies representing Tunisia, the United States, France and Italy met in Tunis Jan. 21-24 for the final planning event of the Tunisian portion of African Lion 2026. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of U.S. Africa Command, the exercise seeks to strengthen the collective security capabilities of the United States, African nations and global allies. "The primary purpose of AL26 is to build joint warfighting readiness, multinational interoperability and reinforce strategic partnerships in a critical region," said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Corbett Baxter, lead planner for AL26. "Strong, enduring partnerships are critical to countering terrorist groups and malign actors while advancing shared international security interests." For the second, consecutive year, the Tunisian portion of AL26 will feature a large contingent of Italian and French special operations units that will partner directly with Tunisian counterparts to conduct airborne operations, live fire training and joint targeting and site exploitation enabled by U.S. intelligence and explosive ordinance disposal assets. AFRICOM welcomes European allies' active participation and sees it as critical to the future of the exercise. "AL26 is a strategic investment in the security and stability of the region," Baxter said. "The training we execute alongside partners and allies ensures that we are collectively prepared to respond to crises across the full spectrum of conflict." African Lion 2026 will take place April 20-May 8 throughout Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. This year's exercise involves more than 5,600 personnel from over 30 nations. About SETAF-AF U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Delbert D. Black Departs Israel Following Port Visit U.S. Central Command News | Feb. 5, 2026 By NAVCENT Public Affairs U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet MANAMA, Bahrain (Feb. 1, 2026) -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) departed Eilat, Israel, following a scheduled port visit, Feb. 1. This port visit demonstrates U.S. and Israel's strong maritime partnership and shared commitment to advancing security and prosperity in the Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. "Delbert D. Black's port visit emphasizes our long-standing partnership with Israel," said Cmdr. Ezra T. Hatch, commanding officer of Delbert D. Black. "Opportunities like this strengthen relationships and provide a great opportunity for our Sailors to engage in the local community." During the visit, crewmembers from Delbert D. Black provided a tour of the ship for senior staff from U.S. Embassy Jerusalem and Israeli Navy, and Delbert D. Black leadership also attended an office call with the commander of Eilat Naval Base. Commissioned Sept. 26, 2020, Delbert D. Black is named in honor of the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) a legendary enlisted leader who served from 1941 to 1971, through WWII and Vietnam, and established the MCPON role. The multi-mission guided-missile destroyer is capable of air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, naval surface fire support and surface warfare. The U.S. Navy continues to deliver sea control and power projection, and remains committed to regional maritime security, freedom of navigation, our partners and forward presence. U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet is the maritime component of CENTCOM, whose area of responsibility encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprised of 21 countries, includes three critical chokepoints at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of Yemen. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address February 6, 2026 By U.S. Army V Corps U.S., Lithuania Strengthen NATO Eastern Flank Through Integrated HIMARS Live Fire In the snow-covered woods of Lithuania, the sound of an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System pierced through the sky, sending a clear message of readiness and resolve on NATO's eastern flank. Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, 41st Field Artillery Brigade, supporting Task Force Pergale, executed a HIMARS live-fire exercise alongside Lithuanian counterparts, Feb. 3, 2026. The exercise marked the culmination of the HIMARS Apprenticeship Program, which aimed to advance the capability and competency of the Lithuanian HIMARS Battery as they prepare for the fielding of the system later this year. Over the last few months, Task Force Pergale led numerous realistic training scenarios to build and validate crew proficiency for both U.S. and Lithuanian soldiers. Army Capt. Richard Hiler, commander of Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 14th Field Artillery Regiment, emphasized the impact of training together and how it continues to increase combat credibility in the Baltic region. "This training proves the crews are capable of accomplishing whatever their job may be and being able to provide long-range precision fires at a moment's notice," Hiler said. As part of the V Corps' HIMARS Initiative, the apprenticeship program ultimately enhanced U.S.-NATO plans by building proficiency on the M142 HIMARS operations, sustainment and maintenance with Lithuanian partners. Mastery of this specific weapon system is critical to collective defense because of its unique capabilities, Hiler added. As a light multiple rocket launcher, the M142 HIMARS is a decisive asset on the modern battlefield. The system enables greater mobility, long-range precision and survivability, allowing commanders to shape the deep battle space and disrupt enemy efforts. The exercise demonstrated the 41st Field Artillery Brigade's commitment to strengthening collective defense and improving warfighting readiness throughout the region. By training on common systems and procedures, U.S. and Lithuanian forces ensure they can fight and win together in complex, contested environments. "The most rewarding part about training alongside the Lithuanians is learning from their experiences and troubleshooting situations with them to create better solutions for everyone," Hiler said. Close integration with Lithuanian partners during live fires prepares units to transition from competition to crisis or conflict as an alliance. The training proved that Task Force Pergale can effectively synchronize command and control, fires and integrated targeting during large-scale combat operations. The completion of the exercise marked a transition as Lithuania prepares to field its own HIMARS. Through side-by-side collaboration, U.S. and Lithuanian forces demonstrated a persistent partnership, increased interoperability and seamless integration of the HIMARS. Together, they remain ready to provide combat credible forces, and if necessary, defend the alliance's eastern flank. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith Led Bipartisan Delegation to India and Thailand House Armed Services Committee - Democrats February 5, 2026 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), led a bipartisan congressional delegation to India and Thailand along with Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R- FL). The delegation met with senior officials in both India and Thailand to discuss security issues in the Indo-Pacific, with the aim of bolstering cooperative ties and ensuring greater stability in the region. Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith released the following statement: "In light of evolving challenges in the region, this bipartisan congressional delegation to India and Thailand offered a chance to reinforce enduring partnerships that strengthen deterrence, expand cooperation, and deepen economic ties that advance our shared national security goals. "In New Delhi, our meetings with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Secretary Rajesh Singh focused on sharpening defense cooperation and accelerating defense-technology collaboration to support India's modernization and a more stable regional balance. We also welcomed substantive discussions with the American Chamber of Commerce in India and the Confederation of Indian Industry on opportunities for co-production and co-development that strengthen supply chains and deliver capabilities faster. "In Thailand, we met with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Minister of Defense Gen. Natthaphon Narkphanit, Vice Foreign Minister Vijavat Isarabhakdi, and Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Ukris Boontanondha to discuss concrete avenues for future cooperation and to exchange candid views on key regional developments. "We are proud of, and remain committed to, the bipartisan work underway in Congress to strengthen America's national defense and to deepen the trust and cooperation that underpins these important partnerships." ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Memorandum of Understanding signed for the establishment of an anti-tank mine production facility in Latvia Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Defence 05.02.2026 In Latvia International cooperation Industry State Defence Corporation Infrastructure Information prepared by Media Relations Section On Thursday, February 5, Minister of Defence Andris Spruds participated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the establishment of a specialized production facility for anti-tank mines and their essential components in Latvia. The memorandum was signed by SIA "State Defence Corporation", represented by board member Ingrida Kirse, and the German military industry company "Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH," represented by CEO Michael Humbek. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2028. It will provide a full production and supply cycle for the needs of the National Armed Forces, significantly increasing the resilience of the national supply chains. The project is linked to fulfilling the security of supply requirements of the "Skorpion 2" remote minelaying system procurement contract signed by the defence sector last year. The partnership with "Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH" guarantees the introduction of modern technologies into the Latvian industry, which is a prerequisite for implementing such an ambitious project. By involving local businesses, the growth of the Latvian defence industry will be promoted, while also envisioning potential for product exports in the future. "The foundation of Latvia's national defence is not only the support of our allies but also our own ability to provide the National Armed Forces with critically important equipment. Establishing an anti-tank mine production facility in Latvia is a strategic step towards military self-sufficiency. This partnership with the German industry confirms that Latvia is a reliable partner capable of integrating the most modern technologies into local production, simultaneously strengthening both national security and economic growth," emphasizes A. Spruds. "The goal of the Memorandum of Understanding is to jointly establish an anti-tank mine production facility in Latvia, primarily to meet the needs of our National Armed Forces. Following the signing of this document, we will begin detailed preparatory work with our partner to develop a cooperation model and agree on the project implementation terms, ensuring the commencement of production as soon as possible," points out I. Kirse. She adds that with this memorandum and this project, the State Defence Corporation will expand and diversify its scope of operations. "Alongside the already developing 'ROLLO' modular powder charge production facility for artillery ammunition and the initiated artillery shell project in cooperation with 'Rheinmetall', VAK intends to supplement its 'portfolio' with the production of anti-tank mines." "The Memorandum of Understanding with our Latvian partners underscores the shared political commitment to sustainably build and strengthen industrial capabilities within Europe. In this context we at "Dynamit Nobel Defence" contribute our long-standing technological expertise to the collaboration, thereby making a tangible contribution to enhancing Latvian and European defence capabilities as well as the resilience of security-critical supply chains. The partnership with Latvia represents trust, reliability, and a long-term, strategically oriented cooperation in security and industrial policy," said M. Humbek. The signed MoU continues the cooperation between the Latvian defence sector and industry with "Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH." As mentioned previously, it is based on the cooperation initiated last yearthe contract concluded in October 2025 for the delivery of "Skorpion 2" remote minelaying systems to the National Armed Forces. Information prepared by: MoD Military Public Affairs Department Media Relations Section NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A. Spruds: Baltic Unity and Ability to Act Are Our Main Responses to Security Challenges Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Defence 05.02.2026 International cooperation Defence policy Information prepared by Media Relations Section From 29 to 30 January, Defence Minister Andris Spruds participated in a meeting of the Baltic Defence Ministers Committee in Tallinn, Estonia. During the meeting, the ministers reinforced a shared vision on strengthening regional security and agreed on concrete steps to develop combat capabilities, also focusing on continued support for Ukraine. "Our security is as strong as our will to act. The Baltic Defence Line and industrial cooperation are our responsibility and a practical response to regional challenges. By synchronising our forces, we are not only strengthening NATO's border but also creating a lasting foundation of stability for all of Europe," emphasised A. Spruds. At the meeting, A. Spruds, together with Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur and Lithuania's Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas, also discussed cooperation between the Baltic states and the United States, stressing the need for a permanent allied presence in the region. Ministers agreed that closer cooperation in the defence industry and opportunities for joint procurement are the most effective ways to implement critical defence systems. At the end of the working visit, the defence minister visited the restored Estonian Statehood House. During the tour, not only the architectural value of the building after its recent renovation was highlighted, but also its historical role in the development of regional self-government serving as a symbolic reminder of the shared path of the Baltic peoples to sovereignty. Within the framework of the Baltic Defence Ministers' meeting, a letter of intent was signed on establishing a Military Mobility Zone among the Baltic states. The initiative aims to continue standardising national border crossing procedures, coordinating and monitoring military freight movement, and ensuring operative information exchange not only among the Baltic states but also more broadly within the EU and NATO, so that in crisis situations and in case of military threats it will be possible to rapidly receive allied forces in the Baltic region. Within this framework, work is planned on the further harmonisation of military movement procedures, alignment with the military mobility zones established by EU and NATO countries, the introduction of best practices, and the organisation of joint exercises. The facilitation and improvement of military movement has been an important line of work for the defence sectors of the Baltic states for many years, and this initiative can be assessed as the next step in enhancing military mobility between the countries. Information prepared by: MoD Military Public Affairs Department Media Relations Section NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Most visible' NATO exercise in 2026, STEADFAST DART, begins NATO Allied Land Command Feb 5 2026 MONS, Belgium -- Allied Command Operations (ACO) officially launched NATO exercise Steadfast Dart 2026 across Central Europe, Jan. 15. Steadfast Dart 2026 marks the second overall deployment of the Allied Reaction Force (ARF), but its first within the area of responsibility of Joint Force Command Brunssum, who will lead the exercise. The exercise will demonstrate the operational and strategic capabilities of the NATO force and other participating units, integrating land, air, space, cyber, maritime, and special operations forces. "Last year, Steadfast Dart incorporated the first deployment of NATO's new Allied Reaction Force, demonstrating Allied Command Operations' ability to respond at a moment's notice to an emergent threat to our Alliance," said U.S. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe. "This year's exercise builds upon that success and will again demonstrate NATO's responsiveness, as well as its strength, in what will arguably be one of NATO's most visible exercises this year, with forces on the land, at sea, and in the air, who will operate in all domains." The exercise consists of two major phases, a deployment phase and a training phase. The deployment phase began earlier this month, and the training phase begins next month. Both phases will occur during a simulated conflict scenario involving a near-peer adversary and will show that the ARF and other participating forces can conduct and sustain complex operations across multiple locations in Central Europe, particularly in Germany. There, the NATO exercise will flow directly into Quadriga, a German employment exercise. Joint Force Command Brunssum has planned the exercise in close coordination with Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) over the last two years. "Steadfast Dart 2026, NATO's largest exercise of 2026, shows that the Alliance can act swiftly, stand united, and respond decisively under the leadership of Joint Force Command Brunssumexactly when it matters most," said the Commander of JFC Brunssum, General Ingo Gerhartz. "With Exercise Steadfast Dart, we are demonstrating that NATO's Allied Reaction Force toolbox contains every capability needed to react to any threat." Approximately 10,000 service personnel from 11 nations, including ARF units from Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, and Turkiye, as well as Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, who are linking national exercise activities with Steadfast Dart, will participate in the exercise. Story by SHAPE Public Affairs. SHAPE is the military headquarters of ACO. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 75 years on - Anzac relationship strengthens as strategic environment evolves New Zealand Defence Force For Colonel Lisa Kelliher, the New Zealand Defence Force's (NZDF) newly appointed Defence Adviser to Australia, Canberra represents both professional familiarity and the centre of New Zealand's most important defence partnership. 05 February, 2026 New Zealand's most important defence partnership. "I've spent a significant part of my career here, including some formative years in my professional development," Colonel Kelliher said. Colonel Kelliher enlisted in Ngati Tumatauenga, the New Zealand Army in 1994 as an Officer Cadet and completed her training in Australia at the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College-Duntroon, graduating into the Royal New Zealand Logistics Regiment in 1997. Her professional ties to Australia continued over the following decades. In 2008, she returned to Canberra to attend the Australian Defence Force Command and Staff Course, where she was recognised as the top international graduate. She later served as Military Adviser to the New Zealand High Commission in Australia for three years from 2019, further deepening her experience within Australia's defence and strategic policymaking environment. "These experiences have given me a strong understanding of how defence policy and operations function in Canberra, but just as importantly, they have built enduring relationships on both sides of the Tasman," Colonel Kelliher said. While the operational relationship between Australian and New Zealand forces dates back to service at Gallipoli during the First World War, 2026 marks 75 years since the formal establishment of the Australia-New Zealand defence alliance. Australia remains New Zealand's only formal treaty ally, a relationship underpinned by deep trust, shared values, and an extensive record of standing together in conflict, stabilisation missions, humanitarian assistance, and regional security operations. "In an increasingly uncertain global security environment, our alliance with Australia remains steadfast," Colonel Kelliher said. "It is fundamental to how we protect and advance our shared interestsparticularly in the Indo-Pacificand to how we work alongside our neighbours as trusted and reliable partners." Both countries continue to pursue an increasingly integrated ANZAC approachfocused on deeper coordination, alignment, and interoperability across the three services, including personnel, capability planning, and operational cooperation. "This isn't a new direction, but the natural evolution of an alliance built on decades of cooperation," Colonel Kelliher said. "We're seeing more personnel exchanges between both defence organisations, expanded opportunities for joint training, and deeper dialogue on future capabilities and strategic direction." She said this is where the Defence Advisor role is particularly important, by providing a familiar and accessible channel to sustain momentum, connect decision-makers and operators, and ensure cooperation remains aligned to changing strategic requirements and shared priorities. For Australia and New Zealandwhose forces routinely operate togetherthis sustained liaison is critical to maintaining readiness, shared understanding, and the ability to respond quickly and effectively to regional security challenges. Today, both nations are continuing to build an increasingly integrated ANZAC force, focused on greater coordination, alignment, and interoperability across the land, sea, air, cyber, and space domains. This effort spans personnel exchanges, joint training, shared capability development, and closer strategic consultation. The strength of the ANZAC partnership was clearly demonstrated in 2025, when more than 600 NZDF personnel participated in Exercise Talisman Sabre(external link), operating alongside Australian and multinational partners in one of the Indo-Pacific's largest and most complex military exercises. Australian Defence Force personnel also supported Exercise Tropic Twilight in the Cook Islands, a New Zealand-led annual activity delivering critical engineering and infrastructure projects across the Pacifichighlighting the alliance's shared commitment to regional resilience and practical cooperation. Colonel Kelliher said she is looking forward to a busy schedule of activities. "As we look ahead to an active program of bilateral and multinational engagements in 2026 and beyond, the ANZAC alliance - seventy five years on - continues to evolve, anchored in history but firmly focused on meeting contemporary security challenges." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Burkina Faso: Turk calls on authorities to halt rapid closure of civic space Press releases Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights 05 February 2026 GENEVA -- UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk on Thursday called on the Government of Burkina Faso to put an end to all forms of repression of civic space, and to overturn its intention to prohibit all political parties. "This is not a move in the right direction for the human rights of the people in Burkina Faso," the High Commissioner said. "Instead of banning political parties and jailing people for expressing their opinions, the authorities in Burkina Faso need to open up space for civil society, including humanitarian actors, respect the exercise of freedom of association and expression, and lift bans on the activities of political parties, in accordance with their international obligations and commitments." On 29 January 2026, the Burkinabe Government announced measures to dissolve political parties, and to repeal the legal framework governing them. The authorities have already suspended all activities of political parties since September 2022. Throughout 2025, the Burkinabe authorities suspended the activities of several national and international organisations, either without any explanation at all, or citing vague grounds, such as unauthorised data collection or "public order and security". In July last year, authorities enacted a restrictive new law on freedom of association, while since 11 November 2025, a new decree required NGOs and associations to open and maintain cash accounts exclusively with a state-run bank. The combined effect of these suspensions and decisions has sharply constricted civil society's activity in the country, inconsistent with international human rights law. They are also implemented without support or mitigation measures, and hinder humanitarian operations and access to populations in need. While the authorities released several individuals who were arbitrarily detained last year, the UN Human Rights Office continues to receive further allegations of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests in Burkina Faso. Among the victims are journalists, members of the judiciary, leaders and members of political parties and civil society organisations. In a roadmap agreed between the UN Human Rights Office and the Government of Burkina Faso in December 2025, the Government committed to end impunity and respect human rights in the context of security and military operations, provide assistance to victims, respect fundamental freedoms, and strengthen the capacities of national human rights and torture prevention mechanisms. "These commitments are important, and need to be translated urgently into concrete action," the High Commissioner said. "The authorities need to repeal restrictive laws, allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance to all those in need across the country, and unconditionally release those arbitrarily detained. Accountability for serious human rights violations must be pursued," Turk added. "Real civic and democratic space, allowing pluralistic voices of political parties and organisations, and strengthened rule of law are essential for lasting peace, security and social cohesion in Burkina Faso." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pakistan Reaffirms Solidarity with the Kashmiri People on 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Today, the Government and the people of Pakistan are observing Kashmir Solidarity Day, reaffirming their steadfast commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle for the realisation of their right to self-determination. In their special messages on the occasion, the President, the Prime Minister, and the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister reiterated Pakistan's unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support for the just cause of Kashmir, and reaffirmed the nation's resolve to continue advocating for the rights of the Kashmiri people at all international forums. On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister addressed letters to the President of the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), drawing their urgent attention to the grave situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Emphasising the need for the implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister called for the holding of a free, fair, and impartial plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir under UN auspices to determine the will of the Kashmiri people. He also urged the UN and OIC leadership to play an effective role in addressing and improving the alarming human rights situation in IIOJK. Ahead of Kashmir Solidarity Day, a comprehensive briefing was organised for Islamabad-based diplomats to apprise them of the prevailing situation and ongoing human rights violations in IIOJK. Earlier today, officers and staff members of the Ministry participated in the Solidarity Day Walk held on Jinnah Avenue, demonstrating unity and strong support for the Kashmiri cause. A wide range of activities, including seminars, webinars, public rallies, and photo exhibitions, are also being organised at Pakistan's diplomatic missions around the world. These events aim to express unequivocal solidarity with the Kashmiri people and to highlight the continued human rights violations in IIOJK. Islamabad 05 February 2026 35/2026 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Message from the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Kashmir Solidarity Day (5 February 2026) Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Every year, 5th February is observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day, an occasion where the people and the Government of Pakistan reaffirm their principled and unwavering support for their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle for the realization of their right to self-determination. The Jammu and Kashmir dispute remains one of the oldest unresolved disputes on the agenda of the United Nations. Over the years, several United Nations Security Council resolutions have established, beyond doubt, the disputed status of the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, while prescribing that its final disposition must be made in accordance with the will of the Kashmiri people, expressed through a fair and impartial plebiscite. However, for nearly eight decades, the Kashmiri people have been denied this fundamental right, due to India's intransigence. Even after decades of bloodshed, brutality and barbarity, the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) remains a hostile environment, marred by heavy militarization, total repression and egregious human rights violations. Arbitrary political detentions, suppression of genuine political activity and severe restrictions on media, have become India's routine instruments to silence dissent in IIOJK. On 5 August 2019, India took a host of illegal and unilateral administrative and legal measures, in an attempt to consolidate its forcible occupation of IIOJK. These measures not only contravene the UN Charter, but completely defy the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention. Such hollow attempts by India to carry out demographic re-engineering, or to alter the legal and administrative status of Kashmir, cannot absolve it from its international commitments and obligations, nor could they diminish the inalienable rights of the Kashmiri people. India's illegal actions in IIOJK, are driven by Hindutva ideology that seeks to normalize discrimination, curtail religious freedoms and criminalize dissent. The ongoing profiling of mosques and their management committees in IIOJK represents a grave violation of the right to freedom of religion and highlights the discrimination faced by the Muslim population. Regrettably, the Indian occupation has moved beyond military repression to ideological coercion, aimed at silencing and disempowering an entire people. Despite enduring decades of oppression, the brave and valiant Kashmiri people, refuse to surrender their legitimate aspirations. Pakistan salutes their heroic resilience, courage, and sacrifices. As Prime Minister of Pakistan, I have been a strong advocate for the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people at every international forum including the United Nations General Assembly. On this Kashmir Solidarity Day, I reassure my Kashmiri brothers and sisters that Pakistan will continue to extend its complete moral, diplomatic, and political support to the Kashmir freedom struggle, until the Kashmiri people succeed in attaining their right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite, as promised to them under the auspices of the United Nations. Inshallah, the days of darkness shall give way to the dawn of freedom, and that day is not far, when the people of Jammu and Kashmir shall break the shackles of Indian occupation and live their lives in a future free from fear. *** NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump invites PH to join 'Board of Peace' -envoy Philippine News Agency By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora February 5, 2026, 8:40 pm MANILA -- United States President Donald Trump has invited the Philippines to join the Board of Peace (BOP), a US-initiated multinational body aimed at advancing post-conflict solutions, specifically the Gaza reconstruction. Philippine Ambassador to US Jose Manuel Romualdez on Thursday said Trump, through the White House, has sent a personal letter addressed to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inviting him to be a member of the BOP. At present, Romualdez said Manila is still looking at what kind of commitment is being asked of the Philippines. "Of course, we have to find out how we can be of help. We've always been for finding a way to contribute to any kind of peace effort," he told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of commemorative logo for the 80th US-Philippines anniversary in Pasay City. "If this is something that the Philippines can be part of, then very likely, we'll accept the invitation," he added. The envoy said there is no specific deadline as to when Manila is expected to respond, but said the country "will probably be able to commit sometime within the couple of next weeks." "Our Department of Foreign Affairs and, of course, our other institutions, we are looking at what are the angles and how we can help," Romualdez said. Meanwhile, he said the reported USD1 billion contribution is only for those seeking to be permanent members. "We were invited, perhaps to be part of it. Maybe we can contribute our human resources or something along those lines, but I don't think at this point in time we can afford to put any kind of amount, of money outside," he said. The BOP, launched at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, on Jan. 22, is being billed as a vital part of a US-led peace plan to end conflict in Gaza and restore peace and stability in the region. The board is expected to provide a strategic oversight and mobilize international resources during the transition in the enclave. Indonesia and Vietnam are currently the two only Southeast Asian states to join the body. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DND exec hails Thai support for PH military, ASEAN 2026 Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno February 5, 2026, 1:20 pm MANILA -- A ranking Department of National Defense (DND) official has expressed the country's gratitude to Thailand for its continuing assistance in boosting the country's military capabilities and support for the Philippines' chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026. Defense Senior Undersecretary Irineo Espino conveyed the Philippines' gratefulness as he received Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Chief Of Defense Force, Gen. Ukris Boontanondha, during his Feb. 3 visit to Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said in a statement on Thursday said. He added that Boontanondha's visit to the Philippines was the first since he assumed the RTARF's top post last October. "Both officials reaffirmed commitment to the implementation of the 1997 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Military Cooperation between the Philippines and Thailand, and welcomed the continued conduct of regular dialogue and planning platforms, high-level exchanges, intelligence and information sharing, and military education and training opportunities between the two countries' Armed Forces," Andolong said. Likewise, Espino thanked Thailand's continued support for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and service-level officers for offering Command and General Staff Course in Thailand, which significantly contributes to the Department's ongoing professional and military education efforts. Boontanondha also reiterated AFP's continued participation in Thailand-US Exercise Cobra Gold, one of the largest and longest-running multinational exercise in the Indo-Pacific, participated in by like-minded countries in the region and contributes to enhancing the capacity of the AFP to conduct joint and combined operations in various crisis. "Both sides also discussed possible cooperation on defense industry, emphasizing the importance of sharing best practices and exploring opportunities for collaboration that support the DND's priority capabilities," Andolong added. Espino also welcomed Thailand's support for the Philippines' ASEAN 2026 chairship, particularly on the various initiatives under the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus. The AFP is also set to host the upcoming 23rd ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Meeting (ACDFM) this year. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Navy to set up monitoring station in Tubbataha Philippine News Agency By Priam Nepomuceno February 5, 2026, 12:59 pm MANILA -- The Philippine Navy (PN) on Thursday announced that its Western Naval Command (WNC), which is based in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, will establish a naval monitoring detachment (NMD) at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Ranger Station to boost situational awareness in the Sulu Sea. This was made possible after the WNC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) last Feb. 3, the Navy added. "The agreement establishes a NMD at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Ranger Station. This initiative will enhance maritime monitoring and conservation efforts, strengthening inter-agency coordination for effective maritime situational awareness in the Sulu Sea," the PN said. The NMD will provide real-time naval support for patrols, surveillance, and rapid response. Meanwhile, WNC commander Rear Adm. Vincent Sibala said the MOU highlights their commitmentment in protecting the country's marine ecosystems while safeguarding national security. "By integrating naval assets with TMO's expertise, we fortify our defenses against illegal activities and promote sustainable maritime stewardship," he added. Angelique Songco, protected area superintendent of the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, said partnering with the WNC will amplify their ranger operations and ensuring the Tubbataha Reefs - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - remains a beacon of biodiversity for future generations. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, located in the Sulu Sea, is one of the world's richest marine environments, facing ongoing threats from illegal fishing, poaching, and environmental degradation. "This MOU underscores the PN's role in environmental protection alongside its core defense mandate, fostering synergy among government agencies to address shared challenges in the region," the PN added. (PNA) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas slams latest Israeli strikes on Gaza, says Netanyahu aims to derail truce Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 February 2026 11:14 AM Hamas has condemned deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which killed at least 23 Palestinians in one of the deadliest days since October's ceasefire, saying the attack proves Israel's campaign of genocide is ongoing. "This escalation reflects war criminal Netanyahu's deliberate intent to sabotage the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, particularly with regard to the reopening of the Rafah crossing," the resistance group said in a statement on Wednesday. Hamas rejected the assertions made by Israel regarding a shooting event aimed at one of its soldiers in northern Gaza, labeling these claims as "a weak excuse to legitimize ongoing atrocities and aggression against the Palestinian people," and as "an effort to enforce a lasting environment of oppression and fear in Gaza." The movement urged the sponsors and mediators of the ceasefire agreement to firmly oppose the actions of "war criminal Netanyahu." Hamas highlighted that the Israeli prime minister is intentionally attempting to undermine the agreement in order to resume the campaign of killing and starvation in Gaza. Medical sources said several children were among the casualties on Wednesday, including an 11-year-old girl. At least 14 people were killed in Israeli shelling on the Tuffah and Zeitoun neighborhoods of Gaza City. Another four were reported dead in an attack on tents sheltering displaced people in the Qizan Abu Rashwan area, south of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Two more people were killed by Israeli air attacks on the al-Mawasi coastal tent camp. Despite the ceasefire, Israel persists in conducting attacks that breach the terms of the agreement. A landmark genocide case against Israel has opened at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK imposes fresh sanctions to dismantle Sudan's 'war machine' Press release The UK has imposed new sanctions against 6 individuals fuelling Sudan's war, following the Foreign Secretary's visit to the Sudan-Chad border. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP Published 5 February 2026 UK imposes immediate sanctions on 6 key figures fuelling Sudan's war Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper calls for ceasefire and unhindered access for aid agencies after witnessing the humanitarian crisis first-hand at the Sudan-Chad border sanctions support the UK's wider push to "dismantle Sudan's war machine", ramping up international pressure ahead of the UK's UN Security Council presidency Effective immediately, the UK has today (Thursday 5 February) imposed a new set of sanctions against 6 individuals suspected of committing atrocities in the war in Sudan, or fuelling the conflict through the supply of mercenaries and military equipment. The measures were announced by the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, following her visit to the Sudanese border in Chad, where she met refugees who have fled the violence, including women and girls who have been the victims of sexual assault and rape at the hands of warring factions. The UK's new sanctions target senior commanders in both the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), whose soldiers are suspected of carrying out massacres against the civilian population, and using rape as a weapon of war, as well as a number of individuals suspected of recruiting foreign fighters to take part in the conflict, or facilitating the purchase of military equipment. At the border crossing of Adre, the Foreign Secretary met women whose children had been killed by roving militias, and who themselves had been raped and left for dead. She also met frontline humanitarian responders who are trying to deliver supplies of food and medicine to the millions of Sudanese people displaced from their homes. Earlier this month, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that Sudan was not just the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, but one of the worst of the current century, with 9.3 million people displaced within Sudan, a further 4.3 million people having taken refuge across the border in countries like Chad, and more than 21 million people now suffering from acute food insecurity. In December, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced the allocation of an additional 21 million to support the relief effort, taking the UK contribution to 146 million across the current financial year, providing lifesaving aid to more than 800,000 people. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: At the Sudan-Chad border this week, I met women and children who have suffered unimaginable violence, and barely escaped with their lives. For their sake, and the millions of other civilians caught in the middle of this conflict, we urgently need a ceasefire, and safe access for humanitarian relief agencies to reach all those in need. But we also need to ensure that there is a price to pay for the military commanders who have allowed these atrocities to take place, and the callous profiteers who have fuelled this conflict with the supply of mercenaries and weaponry. Through these sanctions, we will seek to dismantle the war machine of those who perpetrate or profit from the brutal violence in Sudan, and we will send a message to every individual responsible for commanding these armies and committing these atrocities that they will one day be held to account. In Darfur and Gezira states, the RSF and SAF are suspected of carrying out systematic attacks on civilians, including mass rapes and killings, ethnically targeted abuses, and forced displacement. Those atrocities have been fuelled by the supply of international mercenaries, which has prompted the UK to impose sanctions on a network of individuals suspected of recruiting and deploying former Colombian military personnel to train and fight for the RSF. Alongside this, we have targeted RSF weapons, procurement, and finance through the designation of the Director of the UK-sanctioned al-Khaleej bank. The new sanctions package forms part of the FCDO's wider strategy to address the crisis in Sudan, working through the United Nations, the G7 and regional partners to call for an immediate ceasefire, and unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies. The UK will make Sudan a priority of its UN Security Council Presidency in February, pressing for stronger action on humanitarian relief, accountability for atrocities, and coordinated international pressure on the warring parties. In April, the UK will also join Germany in hosting an international conference to mark the third anniversary of the conflict, and mobilise international efforts to bring the war to an end. The designations imposed by the UK on 5 February include: Hussein Barsham: RSF field commander responsible for mass atrocities including ethnic violence, forced displacement, and attacks on civilians, especially in Darfur Abu Aqla Mohamed Kaikal: SAF military commander. Leader of the Sudan Shield Forces, which are responsible for atrocities committed in early 2025 in Gezira state Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed: Director of UK-sanctioned al-Khaleej Bank; majority shareholder of Shield Protective Solutions Co. Ltd. (Sudan); financial adviser to the leader of the RSF, suspected of helping the illicit financing of the RSF's military campaign Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero: involved in the recruitment of former Colombian military personnel to train and fight for the RSF Mateo Andres Duque Botero: involved in the recruitment of former Colombian military personnel to train and fight for the RSF Alvaro Andres Quijano Becerra: involved in the recruitment of former Colombian military personnel to train and fight for the RSF The new measures announced by the UK follow the imposition of sanctions on 12 December 2025 against 4 RSF commanders suspected of responsibility for atrocities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The meaningful participation of women in UN policing is an operational necessity: UK statement at the UN Security Council Speech Statement by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on UN Peacekeeping Operations: Police Commissioners. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Archie Young CMG Published 5 February 2026 Location: United Nations, New York Delivered on: 5 February 2026 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) The United Kingdom pays tribute to the UN Police who bravely serve in peacekeeping missions around the world. UN policing is fundamental to effective peacekeeping in many contexts. To sustain impact, it must continue to adapt. To that end, technology, including new digital tools, should be used to enhance the effectiveness of UN policing, supported by strong digital competency within missions. New technologies can make missions more effective by enhancing operational awareness and deepening community engagement, but only if peacekeepers have the right skills and training to use them. Second, it is vital that, like all peacekeepers, UN police uphold and reinforce the highest human rights, conduct, and accountability standards. These principles form the basis of trust with local populations and are critical for mission effectiveness. Any form of misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse, is unacceptable. This requires timely and transparent accountability processes, with consistent national follow-up and publicly accessible reporting on disciplinary results. Third, we must be clear that the meaningful participation of women in UN policing is an operational necessity, not an optional extra. As we have heard clearly today, women police strengthen community engagement, broaden access, and improve reporting of conflict-related sexual violence. For our part, the United Kingdom remains committed to tackling barriers to women's participation in United Nations peacekeeping, including through our long-standing support for the Elsie Initiative Fund, to which we have pledged a further $685,000 in 2025. Together, these efforts will help ensure UN policing remains capable, trusted, and effective. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sudan: Foreign Secretary's statement, 5 February 2026 Oral statement to Parliament Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper gave a statement to Parliament following her trip to Adre on the Sudanese border in Chad. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP Published 5 February 2026 Location: House of Commons Delivered on: 5 February 2026 Mr Speaker, I want to update the House on the situation in Sudan since my Statement in November. On Tuesday night I returned from the border between Sudan and Chad, where I witnessed the devastating human toll of the world's worst humanitarian crisis. From the camp in Adre of 140,000 people - 85% of them women and children, who have fled the most horrendous violence and violations. In January, Sudan passed 1,000 days of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces. A regionalised conflict of power, proxies and profit. Defined by unimaginable atrocities, by millions pushed into famine, and by the horrific use of rape as a weapon of war. And by suffering that should strike at the core of our shared humanity. That should mobilise the world's resources and resolve. And yet too often the response we've seen is to hold back and look away. Catastrophically failing the people of Sudan and failing Sudan's women and girls. I am determined that we do not look away. Determined that we put the spotlight firmly on Sudan. That is why I travelled to the region to see first-hand the extent of the crisis. To listen to the testimony of traumatised women and children whose lives will never be the same again. To see how UK support is making a difference. But also see what urgently needs to be done by the international community. To help arrest the spiral of bloodshed and to drive urgent momentum towards peace. In Adre I met families who had been torn apart, mothers who had survived appalling violence only to find their daughters missing. And frightened children who had travelled vast distances in search of some semblance of safety. I met teachers, nurses, students, market traders, small businesswomen, political activists. Impressive women whose lives and livelihoods back home that had been stolen from them. A mother separated from her children who told me she still doesn't know where they are and whether they are alive. A young woman who told me most of the women she knew had been through "bad violence" on their journey but they wouldn't talk about it "because of the shame" A Sudanese community worker who told me she thought more than half of the women in the camp had directly experienced sexual assault or abuse. And I've heard from others in recent weeks, including a Sudanese Emergency Response Room worker who described 3 sisters arriving at their response room who had all been raped. The oldest was 13. The youngest was 8. This is a war waged on the bodies of women and girls. But here's what I also saw. An incredible group of Sudanese women who have set up a makeshift support centre for women who have suffered sexual violence, and children with trauma. With activities for children and support for mums. More survivors need that kind of help and support. So this week, I announced that the UK will fund a new 20 million programme to support survivors of rape and sexual violence in Sudan. Enabling them to access medical and psychological care given the terrible stigma endured by survivors and children born of rape. Part of our international action to tackle a global emergency of violence against women and girls. What I didn't see in Adre is just as disturbing. The fathers, husbands and brothers missing - either killed, drawn into the fighting, or migrating further and leaving family behind. Reports from El Fasher after the RSF attacks were of atrocities so appalling they could be seen from space - blood-soaked sand; multiple piles of bodies; mass graves. And aid agencies are still facing barriers to getting in. We've seen reports of the SAF refusing to let desperately needed humanitarian aid through. Even though right now some 30 million people need lifesaving assistance due to this war. And up to 7 million face famine. That is nearly equivalent to the entire population of London - every person across the entire city we stand in today. In December, the UK provided an additional 21 million for food, shelter, health services. And we have committed 146 million to support over 800,000 people this year alone. Since the conflict began, we have reached over 2.5 million people. Delivering water and medicine to hardtoreach areas. We will continue to make Sudan a top priority for UK humanitarian support. And we will support reforms such as the steps advocated by UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher and the International Rescue Committee to strengthen prioritisation and closer work through local partners on the ground. And yet for aid to save many more lives, the deliberate barriers to humanitarian access must be lifted. Because aid alone won't solve this crisis - we need an immediate and urgent ceasefire and humanitarian truce, we need those responsible for these atrocities to be held to account and we need a pathway to peace. There is no military solution to the conflict - only devastation for Sudan. Yet the military men driving this conflict still refuse to agree a truce. And there is disturbing evidence they are seeking and getting hold of ever more dangerous weapons. The crisis is being compounded by regional rivalries and vested interests. With the real risk of further escalation within Sudan and beyond as fighting spreads to the Kordofan regions. I am very fearful that the RSF advances on the city of El Obeid risk turning it into another El Fasher. Co-ordinated and determined international pressure are needed to halt this bloodshed and pursue an immediate truce. A halt to the arms flows. Tangible pressure from all those who have backed the RSF and SAF, or who have influence upon them to deliver a ceasefire. And pressure from the entire international community too. The US has been working intensively to secure a truce - drawing together other 'Quad' countries - the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Discussing humanitarian support, military withdrawal, civilian transition, and action to stop arms flows. I am in close contact with all members of the Quad including Secretary Rubio and with the President's senior advisor on Africa as we urgently push for a way forward. And the UK is particularly involved in a process to support Sudanese civilians to build their capacity. African partners in the region also have a critical role. In Addis Ababa earlier this week, I met with Foreign Ministers from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Chad, and the African Union's Chairperson and Peace and Security Commissioner to discuss what more can be done by border countries and their assessment of the action needed to agree a ceasefire. Because we need to build the same focus and momentum on a peace process for Sudan as we had last year around Gaza with countries from across the world coming together to back a ceasefire. That is why I am so determined the UK will keep the international spotlight on Sudan. This month the UK holds Presidency of the United Nations Security Council. We will use it to press for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, accountability for atrocities, and international cooperation for a ceasefire. And we will use it to make sure the voices of Sudan's women are heard in the Security Council chamber As we look to the third anniversary of this devastating conflict in April, the UK and Germany will jointly convene a major international conference on Sudan in Berlin. In November, UK leadership at the UN Human Rights Council secured international agreement to an urgent UN inquiry into crimes in El Fasher following its capture by the RSF. Later this month, we will receive the report of that UN Fact-Finding Mission. Because as well as pursuing peace we must also hold the perpetrators to account And today I can announce new action the UK is taking to apply pressure deliberately on the belligerents. Fresh sanctions targeting senior figures in the SAF and RSF who have committed atrocities across Sudan. We are also targeting a network of individuals operating behind the scenes to procure weapons and recruit mercenary fighters. These designations send a clear message: the UK will hold accountable those suspected of perpetrating and profiteering from the most egregious violations of international law. To look away from crises such as Sudan would not only be against our values. It would be against our interests. Wars that rage unresolved do not just cause harm to civilians. Their destabilising effects ripple across borders and continents - whether through migration or extremism. Let 2026 be the year the world listens to the women of Sudan not the military men who are perpetuating this conflict. Let 2026 be the year that the world comes together to drive urgent new momentum for peace. I commend this Statement to the House. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 5 February 2026 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. ** Briefing Room You know why this feels like Friday? Because as of this afternoon, the briefing will be shut, from this afternoon, all the way through the end of Friday for a technical upgrade. So tomorrow, there will be no live briefing, unless there is a major emergency. We will just put the highlights online, but we will be here in the office to answer [you]. ** Nigeria Let me start off with the statement on the situation in Nigeria. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the terrorist attack of 3 February, in Kwara State in Nigeria, which reportedly killed over 100 people. The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria, and of course, he wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured. The Secretary-General reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Nigeria in their efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism. He stresses the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice. And that statement has now been shared with you. ** Olympics As mentioned yesterday, the Secretary-General is arriving in Milan in a few hours, where he will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics that will take place on Friday in Milan. While there, he will meet with the new President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry. As I said to you, there will also be a video message from the Secretary-General played during the Opening Ceremony. In that message, he will underscore that the Olympics and the Paralympics are beacons of hope, as well as a celebration of human potential, of teamwork, fair play and mutual respect. Those remarks were shared with you under embargo earlier today. Also, I want to flag that Maryam Bukar Hassan of Nigeria, who was named the first Global Advocate for Peace for the UN's Peace & Security Pillar, will be present at the Olympics. Along with other global influencers, she will be serving as an official [Olympic] Flag Bearer at the opening ceremony. She was selected by the IOC for her ongoing commitment to gender equality, youth empowerment and inclusive peace. ** New START Treaty Yesterday evening we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General said that the expiration of the New START Treaty marks a grave moment for international peace and security. For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic [nuclear] arsenals of both the Russian Federation and the United States. The Secretary-General said that this dissolution of decades of achievement could not come at a worse time, as the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest it has been in decades. Even in this moment of uncertainty, however, we must search for hope, he said. This is an opportunity to reset and create an arms control regime fit for a rapidly evolving context. He welcomes that the Presidents of both the Russian Federation and the United States have made clear that they appreciate the destabilizing impact of a nuclear arms race and the need to prevent the return to a world of unchecked nuclear proliferation. Mr. [Antonio] Guterres urges both States to return to the negotiating table without delay and to agree upon a successor framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks and strengthens our common security. ** Security Council Speaking of security, in the Security Council this afternoon, our colleague Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of our Peace Operations, will brief Council members along with UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar and the Police Commissioner of our peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Mamouna Ouedraogo, as well as the Police Commissioner for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Meinolf Schlotmann. This is part of the annual briefing by the police components to the Security Council. ** Human Rights Office Also, I want to flag a very important appeal that was made by our colleague Volker Turk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, out of Geneva today. He is appealing for $400 million to address global human rights needs this year, warning that with mounting crises, the world cannot afford a human rights system that is in crisis. In 2025, despite funding cuts, staff working for the Human Rights Office in 87 countries around the world observed more than 1,300 trials, supported 67,000 survivors of torture, documented tens of thousands of human rights violations and contributed to the release of more than 4,000 people from arbitrary detention. Mr. Turk called on Member States to step up support for the low-cost, high-impact work that his Office does and helps stabilize communities, builds trust in institutions and supports lasting peace. ** Ukraine Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) inform us that hostilities in front-line areas continue to kill and injure civilians and damage infrastructure. As reported by the authorities, a deadly attack on a street market yesterday in Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region killed several civilians and injured a dozen others, including many older residents who were buying food. This latest incident comes on the heels of others in recent days that killed several civilians and injured dozens of others in the front-line regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk, as well as in Kyiv. Our humanitarian colleagues note that evacuations continue, and, in January alone, 6,000 people were evacuated from the region of Donetsk, and the numbers continue to increase, according to what partners on the ground are telling us. Today, Edem Wosornu, the Director of OCHA's Crisis Response Division, who remains in Ukraine, accompanied Matthias Schmale, our Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, to visit a transit site in Lozova in the region of Kharkiv. That site receives evacuees from the Donetsk region where displaced people are provided with basic and medical supplies, as well as humanitarian cash assistance. In 2025, aid organizations helped evacuate 260,000 civilians fleeing hostilities near the front lines. Humanitarians provided transportation support; distributed cash assistance, food and other supplies; and assisted people in collective sites. ** Occupied Palestinian Territory Turning to Gaza, our OCHA colleagues tell us that [...] the Ministry of Health in Gaza, [today] reported dozens of fatalities and injuries over the previous 24 hours, adding that many people remained inaccessible to emergency teams. As a reminder, all parties must fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Meanwhile, last night, our teams on the ground received 25 additional returnees who had crossed through Rafah. As in previous nights, our colleagues from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) provided transportation to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where OCHA and our partners continue operating a reception area with protection specialists, psychologists, medical personnel and others to help provide support to the newly returned. Also yesterday, WHO and its partners supported the medical evacuation of eight patients and 17 companions from Gaza to Egypt through Rafah. And earlier today, they supported the medical evacuation of seven patients and 14 companions. UN colleagues are working with all stakeholders to address persistent challenges hindering the operations, so that more people can receive the care that they so desperately need, and that they can receive it safely and with dignity. Our colleagues from WHO say their key priority is to ensure the entry of more humanitarian supplies into Gaza and to quickly scale up health services, rehabilitate damaged facilities and expand critical services. These efforts are essential to build a resilient and sustainable health system, reducing the need for medical evacuations. We continue to call for the immediate reopening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which will expedite care for more patients. More than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialized treatment that is unavailable to them locally. Turning to the West Bank, OCHA warns that high levels of displacement continue. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes or communities, mostly due to settler violence and access restrictions, followed by demolitions. These figures are as of yesterday. In just two weeks, from 20 January until this Monday, OCHA documented more than 50 Israeli settler attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. OCHA is carrying out preliminary assessments of damage and needs following these incidents, to inform the humanitarian response by both us and our partners. ** Democratic Republic of the Congo A couple of African updates, two from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where we remain deeply concerned by renewed violence in the province of Ituri, in the east of the country, which continues to severely disrupt life-saving humanitarian operations. Since yesterday, fighting in and around the town of Bule has claimed the lives of at least two civilians and injured several others. That is what local partners are telling us. The fighting has forced the suspension of food distributions that was scheduled to begin today. More than 78,000 people displaced in and around Bule haven't been able to receive assistance since early December. That leaves families facing shortages of food, healthcare and clean water. OCHA continues to be in close contact with local authorities and our partners to adapt our operations as conditions on the ground may change. All parties needless to remind them, but we need to remind them have obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and assets. We need safe, we need predictable and we need unimpeded humanitarian access to all those who need it, and there are a lot of people that need it. On the peacekeeping front, our peacekeeping colleagues in the [Democratic Republic of the] Congo are telling us that earlier this week, they have completed the first phase of Operation Nyundo. This operation was launched in August of last year to counter the activities of the Allied Democratic Forces, the ADF, which is an armed group, and the operation was meant to counter the activities to target offensive actions against the ADF in parts of North Kivu. During this time, ADF activities declined by 77 per cent in the area of operations and several communities were protected by peacekeepers. ** Central African Republic In nearby, in the Central African Republic, the Government and the humanitarian community jointly launched this year's Humanitarian Response Plan, appealing for $264 million to help 1.3 million of the most vulnerable people in the country. Our colleagues say this is the lowest amount we've asked for in recent years; humanitarian needs remain staggeringly high, as we are focusing on the most urgent life-saving priorities. Despite security improvements in some parts of the country, conflict, epidemics and climate disasters continue to disrupt lives, [leaving] 2.3 million people that is about one third of the population in need of humanitarian aid. Plus, they have about 40,000 Sudanese refugees who sought refuge. Last year we only got a third of the funding we need. If we don't get support, more than 1.2 million people could be left without critical assistance. This would mean malnourished children going untreated, families going without food or shelter and communities losing access to healthcare. ** Chad In Chad, there was also a launch in the capital today of the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan. The Plan calls for $986 million, including $540 million dedicated to refugees alone, and that plan aims to help 3.4 million people. Chad continues to face one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the Sahel, driven by conflict, large-scale displacement, climate shocks, food insecurity, malnutrition and disease outbreaks. The country is hosting more than 1.5 million refugees, along with hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and returnees. We and our partners will focus our efforts on the most impacted regions, including in the east, the Lake Province and parts of the south. ** Peacebuilding Fund Our friends at the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) have allocated $2 million for a new initiative in Benghazi and Derna in Libya to support locally led peacebuilding and recovery efforts, with a focus on expanding economic opportunities for young people. The initiative will strengthen the capacities of newly established local peacebuilding committees, while entrepreneurship training and business support will help to diversify the economy. It complements the UN's political mission mandate by addressing socioeconomic drivers of instability and linking local recovery with [conflict] prevention and stabilization. The Peacebuilding Fund also allocated $5 million for an initiative in Somalia to strengthen interim justice, security and local governance, in the districts of Bahdo and Masajid Ali Gudud. Implemented by UNDP and IOM (International Organization for Migration), the initiative will support local authorities and communities to establish basic governance [functions], improve community safety, and expand fair and accessible dispute-resolution mechanisms, with particular attention to women, youth and marginalized groups. ** Honour Roll I have a bit of lightning round for you. Are you ready? This country was the second country to give women the right to vote, in 1902. [...] [Australia]. This country is home to Europe's tallest waterfall, the Krimml Falls with a total height of 380 metres. [...] Austria. From which country did Dalmatian dogs come from? Croatia. [...] Which country puts its map on its national flag? Cyprus. [...] We thank our friends in Canberra, we thank you friends in Vienna, in Zagreb and in Nicosia for their full [payments to the Regular] Budget. Do you want to know the numbers? Australia gave $65,309,876, Austria gave $20,041,168, Croatia, $2,801,889, and Cyprus $1,120,513. ** Questions and Answers Spokesman : Excellent. All right, Abdelhamid, go ahead. Question : Thank you, Naureen, and thank you, Steph. There [are] 1,520 violations of the ceasefire since it was established; 556 Palestinians were killed, 1,500 were wounded. Israel is trying to make the world live with these casualties and with these violations. Why there is no direct unequivocal condemnation of these atrocities committed by Israel? [cross talk] Spokesman : I think, if you look at the recent statement from Ramiz Alakbarov to Security Council, it was very clear on what is going on and the continuing suffering of the Palestinian people. As you know, we are not mandated to monitor the ceasefire which frankly, and I think as the Secretary-General said very eloquently here a few days ago, should really be referred as a lesser fire, right? Because people, as you mentioned, including Palestinian children and women and noncombatants, are continuing to be killed. Stefano and then Gabriel. Question : Thank you, Stephane. The Secretary-General that he went there, the Olympics game in Italy, did an interview with La Repubblica, and he said, when the law of power replaces the power of law, the consequences are profoundly destabilizing. Which country or leaders was he referring to, specifically? Russia and President [Vladimir] Putin, the United States and President [Donald] Trump? Spokesman : I think, when you look at the state of the world today, you see a whole host of situations where the power of law has given away to raw power. Question : I know. But if he's not willing to name them anybody, no country, how can the UN credibly defend the rule of international law? [cross talk] Spokesman : I think he has. Listen, if you look back at what the Secretary-General has said at the start of the war in Ukraine, he clearly condemned and continues to condemn the Russian Federation's attack and violations of international law. He has... every time there's been a violation of international law, he has condemned it. And he said, you know, he said these things clearly and he's answered every question on the issue. Question : What about Venezuela? Spokesman : He clearly said that this was, frankly, for him, questionable when in line with international law, and he said it. Question : So, when he said that phrase in the interview, he's specifically referring to Russia and the United States? [cross talk] Spokesman : In the interview, he is looking at the state of the world today, right? On each of these examples, I've given you and others, he's been very clear in condemning the violations of international law. Gabriel Elizondo? Question : Thanks, Steph. Earlier this week, you briefed us about the incident involving UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) in Southern Lebanon, where Israel said that they dropped, in their words, non-toxic chemicals north of the Blue Line and asked UNIFIL personnel to take cover and avoid the area. The UN helped Lebanese authorities collect samples to see what that chemical was. Lebanon came back late yesterday, saying, in fact, it was very high concentration of, in their words, the herbicide glyphosate at 20 to 30 times the normal accepted levels. This is a very toxic chemical. Spokesman : I mean, I have not seen that... Question : Is he worried about peacekeepers being exposed to this? Spokesman : We're, of course, worried. To be honest with you, I haven't received any updates or information from our peacekeeping colleagues. As soon as I have something to share, I will share it with you. But we obviously stand by what we said earlier. Namo? Question : Thank you, Stephane. I know this question has been asked before, but could please? Spokesman : Then you don't need to ask it again. Question : I just need you to explain as clearly and as simply as possible what would happen if the United Nations' ongoing financial crisis is not resolved by July? And what would be the effect on vulnerable populations who depend on aid and peacekeeping operations? Thank you. Spokesman : Well, I mean, listen: On the aid, it's already happened, right? We've seen cuts by the United States. We've seen cuts by European countries over the last year. And every day, I talk to you about what happens when there's no money, right? Rations being reduced, healthcare not being delivered. So, I mean, it's pretty clear. In terms of the Secretariat, should it come to pass, it will impact our ability to run meetings in this building, to do the political work we do, the peacekeeping work that we do. I do also have to say that we saw the reports today or yesterday, rather, or earlier this week of the President of the United States signing a budget bill, includes funding for the United Nations. We welcome that, and we will stay in contact with the US over the coming days and weeks to monitor the transfers of those monies. Madam? Oh, sorry, and then we'll go back. Question : Just to follow-up on the chemicals that have been sprayed. I mean, some organizations have described this as a war crime, because it actually... I mean, the safety of UN peacekeepers which is, of course, important aside, this is being sprayed on Lebanese farmlands and agricultural areas. So, I mean, shouldn't this require...? Spokesman : I'm not arguing with you or disagreeing with you in any way, shape or form. All I'm telling you is that I'm waiting for some updates from our peacekeeping colleagues on this issue, and I have not yet received any. Monsieur? Question : Thank you, Stephane. There are press reports today... Spokesman : Put the microphone a little bit closer. Thank you. Question : There are press reports today that Russian and American officials are negotiating an extension of the New START pact. First, what's, your remark on this? And second, is the UN involved in these talks? [cross talk] Spokesman : No, we're not involved in these talks. Obviously, as the Secretary-General said in his statement, he encourages and very much hopes that both the Russians and the Americans will sit down and talk to hammer out a new framework that's better adapted to the world that we live in. This is a very dangerous period not to have framework dealing with these nuclear weapons. We hope very much that the talks will be positive and will be fruitful. Let's go to Sinan. Question : Thank you, Stephane. Yesterday, you said there is a request for technical teams to be deployed to Kobani to repair the Internet and electricity connection. I wonder, if you have any update? [cross talk] Spokesman : No. Correspondent : Because you said tomorrow. Spokesman : I know what I said. Unfortunately, no. Yes, Abdelhamid? Question : Israeli senior military officials admitted that the numbers of [casualties] published by the Health Ministry in Gaza were accurate. You normally stand with these numbers from the Health Ministry. Do you have any comment on that? Spokesman : I have no comment to make. Our position remains unchanged. Okay. Thank you all. Have a great day. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World News in Brief: UN condemns attack on civilians in Nigeria, updates from Gaza and West Bank, relief flights to resume in Yemen 5 February 2026 - The UN Secretary-General on Thursday strongly condemned a deadly terrorist attack in Kwara state in western Nigeria, where more than 100 people were reportedly killed. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Antonio Guterres conveyed his "heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria," and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. "The Secretary-General reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Nigeria in their efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism and stresses the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice," the statement said. Death toll may rise According to media reports, armed groups attacked two rural villages in Kwara state on 3 February, with the death toll expected to rise as bodies continue to be discovered. Many victims were reportedly shot at close range, while homes and shops were set ablaze, forcing residents to flee into nearby bushland. The attack was the deadliest recorded in the area in recent months, amid a sharp rise in violence across Nigeria's northwest and north-central regions, where armed groups have increasingly targeted civilians. The worsening security situation has also contributed to a deepening humanitarian crisis, with large-scale displacement and growing hunger and malnutrition across affected areas. Civilians deaths and injuries continue due to Gaza attacks Despite the shaky ceasefire, dozens of civilian deaths and injuries continued to be reported in Gaza over the past 24 hours, as well as ongoing displacement in the West Bank, according to UN agencies. Many people remained inaccessible to emergency teams, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists, citing reports from the UN aid coordination office OCHA. He reiterated that all parties must comply with international humanitarian law, including the obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Mr. Dujarric said UN teams overnight received 25 additional returnees crossing through Rafah, who were transported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. There, UN partners continue operating a reception area providing medical, psychological and protection support. He added that the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners supported the medical evacuation of 15 patients and 31 companions from Gaza to Egypt over the past two days. Record spike in West Bank attacks Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have seen a massive spike since 2021, with more than 50 Israeli settler attacks recorded between 20 January and 2 February. The attacks resulted in casualties, property damage or both. According to OCHA, since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes or communities, mostly due to settler violence and access restrictions, followed by demolitions. OCHA said it is carrying out preliminary assessments of damage and needs following these incidents, to inform the humanitarian response. Yemen: Aid flights set to resume to Houthi-controlled capital The UN has confirmed that its aid flights to Yemen's opposition-held capital will resume, after being blocked for more than a month. UN Humanitarian Air Service flights are a vital provider of relief amid overwhelming needs across Houthi-held areas, including the capital city, Sana'a, and other locations across Yemen, which has been at war since 2014. Boost to aid delivery Julien Harneis, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said in a statement that the agreement reached earlier this week will allow NGOs to enter and exit Sana'a, which is a prerequisite to providing assistance for millions of people in need in Houthi-controlled areas. Years of conflict between separatists and the internationally recognised government have left more than 19.5 million people needing humanitarian assistance and more than 4.8 million internally displaced. Funding is only available to meet around 25 per cent of needs, meaning that millions are not getting lifesaving assistance, including health care, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Festive events held across China to celebrate Chinese New Year Xinhua) 15:42, February 06, 2026 Children interact with a "tiger" during a performance at a primary school in Bo'ai County, Jiaozuo City of central China's Henan Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Cheng Quan/Xinhua) Members of a Shehuo team take part in a rehearsal in Chankou Town, Dingxi City of northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua) People select new year goods at a market in Lanzhou City, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Hou Chonghui/Xinhua) A staff makes dragon lanterns for the upcoming Spring Festival at a scenic spot in Dongyang City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Bao Kangxuan/Xinhua) A Shehuo team performs lion dance at a square in Zhangye City, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Chen Li/Xinhua) A girl learns to play shadow puppet from a folk artist during a village gala held in Chaishanqian Village, Zaozhuang City of east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Liu Mingxiang/Xinhua) People take part in a "horse race" game to greet the Year of the Horse in Huaying City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Qiu Haiying/Xinhua) A folk Shehuo team performs lion dance at a logistics park in Zhangye City, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Cheng Lin/Xinhua) A drum performing team gives a show for villagers at a square in Taizi Town, Zouping City of east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Dong Naide/Xinhua) People watch a lion dance as a celebration for a wedding of Buyi ethnic group in Duyun City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 5, 2026. With the Spring Festival drawing near, various festive events are held across the country to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Xiao Wei/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) 'Human rights cannot wait': Turk launches $400 million appeal for 2026 5 February 2026 - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk launched a $400 million appeal on Thursday in Geneva, as his office (OHCHR) continues to operate "in survival mode". He warned Member States that with crises mounting, the world cannot afford a human rights system in crisis. "The cost of our work is low; the human cost of underinvestment is immeasurable," he said. "In times of conflict and in times of peace, we are a lifeline for the abused, a megaphone for the silenced, a steadfast ally to those who risk everything to defend the rights of others." Documenting violations, supporting survivors Last year, UN human rights staff in 87 countries observed more than 1,300 trials, supported 67,000 survivors of torture, documented tens of thousands of human rights violations, and contributed to the release of more than 4,000 people from arbitrary detention. They also documented civilian casualties and informed humanitarian responses through risk analysis and early warning in 21 armed conflicts around the world. For example, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) is the only organization that has maintained a comprehensive record of civilian casualties since Russia first invaded the country in 2014. "In Sudan, we are providing vital support to survivors of sexual violence and other horrific atrocities, paving the way for justice and accountability," he said. Aligning economic policies with human rights The High Commissioner also stressed that addressing inequalities and respecting economic and social rights are vital to peace and stability. "Human rights make economies work for everyone, rather than deepening exclusion and breeding instability," he said. His office worked with more than 35 governments in 2025, helping them to align all economic policies with human rights. He cited the example of Djibouti, where staff helped conduct a human rights analysis of the health budget, with a focus on people with disabilities. 'Delivering under strain' Mr. Turk thanked the 113 funding partners - including governments, multilateral donors and private entities - who contributed to OHCHR's 2025 budget. "But at the same time, I have to say - and you know it from our previous encounters - that we are currently in survival mode, we are delivering under strain," he said. He outlined several consequences of reduced funding. For example, the Office reduced presence in 17 countries, wiping out programmes critical for endangered, threatened, or marginalised communities such as Indigenous People. Roughly 300 staff out of 2,000 were laid off. "At a time when truth is being eroded by disinformation and censorship, we had to curtail our support for its guardians - journalists and human rights defenders. Less support for civic space means more surveillance and more repression." 'Ambitious, agile and creative' OHCHR "will need to be even more ambitious, agile, and creative" in 2026, he said. The UN General Assembly has approved a regular budget of $224.3 million, which is based on assessed contributions from Member States. This amount is 10 per cent lower than in 2025. Through the 2026 appeal, OHCHR is requesting an additional $400 million in voluntary contributions. "Historically, human rights account for an extremely small portion of all UN spending. We need to step up support for this low-cost, high-impact work that helps stabilise communities, builds trust in institutions, and supports lasting peace," said Mr. Turk. "And we need more unearmarked and timely contributions so we can respond quickly, as human rights cannot wait." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Occupied Palestinian Territory Civilians killed as strikes continue in Gaza The Ministry of Health in Gaza today reported dozens of fatalities and injuries over the previous 24 hours, adding that many people remained inaccessible to emergency teams. OCHA reiterates that all parties must fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. Meanwhile, last night, teams on the ground received 25 additional returnees who had crossed through Rafah. As in previous nights, the UN Development Programme provided transportation to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, where OCHA and its partners continue to operate a reception area with protection specialists, psychologists, medical personnel and others provided services and guidance tailored to people's needs. Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners supported the medical evacuation of eight patients and 17 of their companions from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah Crossing. Earlier today, they supported the medical evacuation of seven patients and 14 companions. UN colleagues are working with all stakeholders to address persistent challenges hindering the operations, so that more people can receive the care that they need - safely and with dignity. WHO says their key priority is to ensure the entry of more humanitarian supplies into Gaza and to quickly scale up health services, rehabilitate damaged facilities and expand critical services. These efforts are essential to build a resilient and sustainable health system - thereby reducing the need for medical evacuations. The UN continues calling for the immediate reopening of the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - as this would expedite access to care for patients in need. More than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialized treatment that is unavailable locally. In the West Bank, OCHA warns that high levels of displacement continue. Since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes or communities, mostly due to settler violence and access restrictions, followed by demolitions. These figures are as of yesterday. In just two weeks, between 20 January and 2 February, OCHA documented more than 50 Israeli settler attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage or both. OCHA is carrying out preliminary assessments of damage and needs following these incidents, to inform the humanitarian response by the UN and its partners. *Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Gaza with urgent support. Central African Republic UN, humanitarian partners ask for more than $260 million to reach people most in need The Government and the humanitarian community jointly launched this year's Humanitarian Response Plan, calling for $264 million to help 1.3 million of the most vulnerable people in the country. This is the lowest requested amount in recent years; although humanitarian needs remain staggeringly high, the UN and its humanitarian partners are focusing on the most urgent life-saving priorities. Despite some security improvements in some parts of the country, conflict, epidemics and climate disasters continue to disrupt lives, leaving 2.3 million people, one third of the population, in need of humanitarian aid. More than 40,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed the border into the Central African Republic, while more than 21,000 people have returned to the country. In 2025, humanitarian partners on the ground received just over one third of the funding need to reach only half of the people in need of aid, leaving many communities without support. More than 1.2 million people could be left without critical assistance if funding is not received this year. This would mean malnourished children going untreated, families going without food or shelter, and communities losing access to healthcare. Chad UN, partners launch nearly $1bn appeal for Chad Today, in N'Djamena, the UN and its humanitarian partners, together with the Government, launched the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan to support millions of people across the country. The Plan calls for $986 million - including $540 million dedicated to refugees - to help 3.4 million people. This is out of the 4.5 million people - or one in five people in Chad - who urgently need lifesaving support. Chad continues to face one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the Sahel, driven by conflict, large-scale displacement, climate shocks, food insecurity, malnutrition and disease outbreaks. The country is hosting more than 1.5 million refugees, along with hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and returnees. We and our partners will focus our efforts on the most affected regions, including the east, the Lake Province and parts of the south. *Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in Chad with urgent support. Democratic Republic of the Congo Aid operations suspended amid fighting in Ituri Renewed violence has stuck the province of Ituri, in the east of the country, which continues to severely disrupt life saving humanitarian operations. Since yesterday, fighting in and around the town of Bule has claimed the lives of at least two civilians and injured several others, according to humanitarian partners on the ground. The fighting has forced the suspension of food distributions scheduled to begin today. More than 78,000 displaced people in and around Bule haven't been able to receive assistance since early December, leaving families facing shortages of food, healthcare and clean water. OCHA continues to be in close contact with local authorities adapting operations as conditions change. The UN reminds all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and assets. We need safe, predictable and unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent a further deterioration of the situation. *Donations made to UN Crisis Relief help UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs reach people in DRC with urgent support. Ukraine Deadly strike hits street market in Donetsk region as evacuations accelerate Hostilities in front-line areas continue to kill and injure civilians and damage to infrastructure in Ukraine. As reported by authorities, a deadly attack on a street market yesterday in the town of Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region killed several civilians and injured a dozen others, including many older residents who were buying food. This latest incident comes on the heels of others in recent days that killed several civilians and injured dozens of others in the front-line regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk, as well as in the capital city of Kyiv. Evacuations continue and, in January alone, nearly 6,000 people were evacuated from the region of Donetsk, and the numbers continue to increase, according to local authorities and partners on the ground. Today, Edem Wosornu, Director of OCHA's Crisis Response Division, and the Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, visited a transit site in the town of Lozova in the region of Kharkiv, receiving evacuees from the region of Donetsk where displaced people are provided with basic and medical supplies as well as humanitarian cash assistance. In 2025, aid organizations helped evacuate 260,000 civilians fleeing hostilities near the front line. Humanitarians provided transportation support; distributed cash assistance, food and other supplies; and assisted people in collective sites. Posted on 5 February 2026 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Shaping the future of airpower: Air Force requirements transformation industry day Published Feb. 5, 2026 By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- The United States Air Force hosted industry partners Jan. 29, 2026, as part of its effort to transform the Requirements Process under the Secretary of War's mandates that each service overhaul the requirements and acquisition systems. The event, held virtually by Lt. Gen. Dave Harris, deputy chief of staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements (A5/7), brought together approximately 350 defense industry leaders from globally-recognized corporations to smaller specialized firms - all united in a common mission: to shape the future of airpower. The session provided a forum for collective review of the Air Force's Requirements Reform initiative, aimed to streamline and accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to the warfighter. "We have been given the opportunity to build something better: a faster, more collaborative, and more effective path from concept to capability," Harris said. "Partnering with industry early and often is essential to accelerating the development and delivery of mission-critical capabilities." The Secretary of War's memo "Reforming the Joint Requirements Process to Accelerate Fielding of Warfighting Capability," directs services to validate requirements faster by responding more nimbly to evolving operational needs. The event afforded industry a voice ensuring open communication intended to drive future efficiencies as the Air Force unpacks a hierarchical and limited requirements process. Following the initial reform overview, industry representatives engaged in panel discussions with A5/7 leadership, acquisition officers and decision-makers. Conversations were designed to gather ideas and solutions from industry to make the requirements process faster. "We need a narrative underpinned by contextualized data and common lexicons that brings continuous operator feedback into requirements and capability development," said retired Lt. Gen. Lance Landrum, strategic advisor for RCG, Inc. Ongoing Air Force efforts including the Collaborative Combat Aircraft and the Family of Affordable Mass Munitions were used in panels as examples of where the Air Force has tried a more streamlined and responsive requirements process and succeeded. Event participants discussed challenges and opportunities faced by both the Air Force and industry partners in these efforts. The event encouraged process improvement recommendations to ensure reforms are both effective and mutually beneficial. With the Air Force's shift toward data-centric tools and a more agile requirements process, the event underscored the need for a holistic approach that incorporates input from across the defense ecosystem. Industry partners and allies can expect more opportunities for engagement as the Air Force continues refining its requirements process - ensuring solutions are innovative, interoperable and ready for the demands of tomorrow's combat environments. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 05 February 2026 - Day 1443 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 are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The French Ministere des Armees et des Anciens combattants reported that, on the ground, the pace of operations has slowed down due to extreme weather conditions. The situation remains generally stable along the entire length of the front. Both sides are conducting opportunistic attacks to seize terrain compartments, but territorial gains remain very limited. It also reported thhat the Russian Armed Forces have continued to target the same oblasts as in previous days, particularly the urban areas of eastern Ukraine. A massive strike took place during the night of February 2 to 3. Energy infrastructure remains the preferred target of the Russian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian Armed Forces targeted military-interest objectives in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts; 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. Since the beginning of the day, 140 combat clashes have taken place. The Russian opponent made 55 aviacijnih strikes, dropped 130 controlled air bombs. In addition, used 4130 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,315 shelling of settlements and positions of Ukrainian troops. In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions today, Ukrainian soldiers repelled one Russian attack, the Russian enemy launched 66 shelling of the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements, including three from the reactive systems of salvage fire. In the South Slobozhansky direction, the Russian enemy twice stormed the positions of Ukrainian units in the area of the settlement Vovchansk. Two attacks were repelled by Ukrainian defenders in the Kupyansky direction, in the area of the settlement Zagrizove and in the direction of Kupyansk. In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian soldiers stopped eight attacks in the areas of the settlements of Drobisheve, Zarichne and towards Stavkiv, Dibrova. One battle is going on. In the Slavic direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled eight Russian attempts to advance, in the area of the settlement of Dronivka and towards Zakitnogo, Platonivka. Three more clashes are currently not completed. In the Kramators komu direction the Russian opponent did not carry out offensive actions. In the Konstantinivka direction, the Russian occupiers today stormed the positions of Ukrainian defenders 17 times near the settlements of Pleshiyivka, Yablunivka, Rusin Yar, Kleban-Bik and towards Konstantynivka, Ivanopilya, Stepanivka, Novopavlivka, Sofiyivka. The enemy committed 27 attacks in the Pokrovsky direction. The Russian occupiers tried to advance near the settlements of Rodins ke, Mirnograd, Pokrovsk, Kotline, Udacne, Molodec ke, Filia and towards Novopidgorodnogo, Novopavlivka, New Donbas. Fights are still going on in some locations. According to preliminary calculations, today in this direction Ukrainian soldiers have eliminated 53 Russian invaders and wounded 37; destroyed 18 unmanned aircraft, three car transport units, seven special equipment units, also hit a self-propelled artillery facility, five car equipment units, two special equipment units, two BPLA control points and 12 personnel shelters of an opponent. In the Oleksandrivsky direction, Ukrainian units stopped three attacks of the occupiers, in the area of Zlagoda and towards Oleksandrograd. Air strike controlled air bombs suffered Green Valley, Levadne, Eagles. In the Gulyaipil direction, there were 22 Russian attacks - in the areas of Gulyaipol, Mirny and towards Dobropillya, Zaliznyny, Pryluk, Varvarivka, Svyatopetrivka, Zelenoy. In some locations, the fights are still ongoing. Russian aviation struck the settlements of Barvinivka, Rizdvyanka, Upper Tersa, Gulyaipils ke, Zaliznychnne, Charming, Bitter, Kopani, Vozdvizhivka. In the Orihiv direction, the Russian enemy attacked the positions of Ukrainian defenders in the Primorsky area. The Russian enemy's aviation struck the settlements of Shevchenkivsk, Novoandriivka. In the Pridniprovsky direction, the Russian once tried to improve their position unsuccessfully. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. The Sever Group of Forces improved the tactical situation. Russian troops inflicted damage on the units of one mechanised brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, and one territorial defence brigade close to Pokrovka, Novaya Sech, Khoten, Mogritsa, and Miropolye in Sumy region. In Kharkov direction, units of one mechanised brigade of the AFU and one territorial defence brigade were hit near Chugunovka and Grafskoye in Kharkov region. The enemy lost more than 280 troops, 10 motor vehicles, one artillery gun, and two electronic warfare stations. One materiel depot was destroyed. The Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and one national guard brigade near Kovsharovka, Novoosinovo, Borovaya, Novoyegorovka, Studenok, Novoplatonovka (Kharkov region), Krasny Liman, Sosnovoye, and Drobyshevo (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 180 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, 16 motor vehicles, four field artillery guns, and one Grad MLRS combat vehicle. Five ammunition depots were destroyed. The Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front line. Russian troops inflicted losses at one mechanised brigade, one motorised infantry brigade, one mountain assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and one territorial defence brigade near Reznikovka, Konstantinovka, Krivaya Luka, Krasnotorka, Kaleniki, Privolye, Kramatorsk, and Petrovskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic. The enemy losses amounted to up to 125 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, nine motor vehicles, four field artillery guns, and one counter-fire radar station. One materiel depot was destroyed. The Tsentr Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. The Group's units inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one infantry brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, and one national guard brigade close to Novovodyanoye, Grishino, Novy Donbass, Belitskoye, Shevchenko, Toretskoye, Kucherov Yar in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Novopavlovka in Dnepropetrovsk region. The AFU losses amounted to more than 310 troops, one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, 11 motor vehicles, two artillery guns, including one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, and one counter-fire radar station. The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defence. Russian troops inflicted losses on the formations of mechanised brigade, one air assault brigade, and two assault regiments of the AFU near Lyubitskoye, Rovnoye, Verkhnyaya Tersa, Krinichnoye, Komsomolskoye, Charivnoye, Rizdvyanka in Zaporozhye region, and Pokrovskoye in Dnepropetrovsk region. The enemy lost more than 360 troops, one tank, seven armoured fighting vehicles, 10 motor vehicles, and one field artillery gun. One materiel depot was destroyed. The Dnepr Group's units inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade and one mountain assault brigade of the AFU near Magdalinovka, Novodanilovka, Shcherbaki (Zaporozhye region), and Berislav (Kherson region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 50 troops, 16 motor vehicles, three field artillery guns, including one U.S.-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, one Buk anti-aircraft missile launcher, three electronic warfare stations, and two counter-fire stations. One materiel depot was destroyed. Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, missile troops and artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces inflicted damage on the transport and energy infrastructure used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, assembly, storage and launch areas of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles, ammunition depots, temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 148 areas. Air defence systems shot down one guided aerial bomb, nine HIMARS MLRS projectiles, and 381 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 670 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 112,596 unmanned aerial vehicles, 650 anti-aircraft missile systems, 27,503 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,659 MLRS fighting vehicles, 33,080 field artillery guns and mortars, and 53,713 special military vehicles have been neutralis NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement to the House of Representatives Media statement Thursday 5 February 2026 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Prime Minister of Australia I can inform the House that the Western Australian Government has confirmed the Western Australia Joint Counter Terrorism Team - comprising WA Police, the Australian Federal Police and ASIO - has charged one man yesterday, a 31-year-old male, with engaging in a terrorist act. That offence carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. I was briefed yesterday in person by the Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett and the Commissioner of Police for Western Australia, Col Blanch, on the investigation. I thank particularly the Commissioner from WA for travelling here to do an in person briefing. As an individual has now been charged, I will use the word allegedly. On the 26th of January, the man is alleged to have thrown a home-made explosive device into the crowd at a rally in Perth. This was a gathering of our fellow Australians, exercising their democratic right, to express their views and to participate in a peaceful demonstration. And they were allegedly targeted because they were Indigenous. This alleged act of terrorism was deliberately aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Mr Speaker, this was alleged terrorism driven by racism and hatred. Hate that should have been banished to the dark reaches of history - yet still lives in the dark corners of the internet. The device did not detonate - but that does not change the fact that this attack was real. And the intended consequences would have indeed been horrific. Deaths. Injuries. Trauma beyond imagining. I know that First Nations people around Australia are grappling with that. The combination of disbelief, anger - and real fear. And I have met with a number of Indigenous Leaders in the past 24 hours about this. As a Government, as a Parliament, and as a nation - we see you, we stand with you. We will do everything required to keep you and your loved ones safe. There is no place for racism or hatred in our nation. It is an offence against our Australian values - and it is an offence in Australian law. Importantly, the Joint Counter Terrorism Team does not believe there is any residual risk from the alleged perpetrator. Mr Speaker, Australia has been enriched by every faith, background and tradition, people all over the world united by their love of this country. And only Australia has the privilege of being home to the oldest continuous culture on earth. And we all share that privilege, either people who have come here, or are descendants of people who have come here. That is a source of pride for all of us. And it is something that all of us have a responsibility to safeguard. On that, let us stand united - as a Parliament, as Australians, in support of our nation. And let us reach out at this time, which will be difficult as some details are further, will no doubt come out as part of this process - it will be a difficult time for Indigenous Australians, and we stand with them at this time. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The OIC condemns terrorist attacks in central and northern Nigeria Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 05-02-2026 The General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist attacks carried out by gunmen on Tuesday, 03 February 2026, on villages in central and northern Nigeria, which left dozens of innocent people dead and injured. The OIC Secretary General, Mr Hissein Brahim Taha, expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While reiterating its firm position in condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the General Secretariat also affirmed its full support and solidarity with the government and people of Nigeria in confronting terrorism and extremism. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Coast Guard marks 200,000 pounds of cocaine seized in Operation Pacific Viper United States Coast Guard Press Release | Feb. 5, 2026 WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday it has seized more than 200,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since launching Operation Pacific Viper in early August. The Coast Guard reached this milestone following recent interdictions of 13,337 pounds of cocaine by Coast Guard Cutter Seneca and 13,263 pounds by Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward. "Operation Pacific Viper has proven to be a crucial weapon in the fight against foreign drug traffickers and cartels in Latin America and has sent a clear message that we will disrupt, dismantle, and destroy their deadly business exploits wherever we find it," said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "The more than 75 million lethal doses seized during this operation will never reach our schools and neighborhoods to poison our children or tear apart American families. In cutting off the flow of these deadly drugs, the Coast Guard is saving American lives and delivering on President Trump's promise to Make America Safe Again and reestablish our maritime dominance." With 1.2 grams of cocaine being a potentially lethal dose, the total seized through Operation Pacific Viper equates to more than 75 million potentially deadly doses kept off U.S. streets. Eighty percent of all seizures of U.S.-bound narcotics occur at sea, underscoring the impact of Coast Guard maritime interdiction efforts. "Each Coast Guard drug seizure far from our borders prevents deadly drugs from reaching our communities and disrupts the profit that fuels narco-terrorists," said Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. "The success of Operation Pacific Viper proves that we own the sea, and the proficiency, vigilance, and heart of our crews is our greatest strength." Since its inception, Operation Pacific Viper has accelerated counter-drug operations in the Eastern Pacific, a primary corridor for narcotics smuggling from Central and South America. The Coast Guard has surged cutters, aircraft and tactical teams to interdict, seize and disrupt the flow of cocaine and other illicit drugs. These efforts are a critical component of the broader U.S. strategy to combat narco-terrorism and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. Recent operations have highlighted the effectiveness of this approach, including record-setting interdictions. In December, the Coast Guard marked a significant achievement by seizing 150,000 pounds of cocaine and interdicting a drug smuggling vessel carrying more than 20,000 pounds of cocaine, highlighting the sustained effectiveness of Operation Pacific Viper. The Coast Guard's persistent operations and rapid response have resulted in record seizure amounts, denying criminal organizations billions in illicit revenue and preventing the flow of dangerous drugs into American communities. Detecting and interdicting narco-terrorism on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force-South, based in Key West, Florida, detects and monitors both aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension. Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard's Southwest District, headquartered in Alameda, California. The Coast Guard is the United States' lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction. We are part of the Department of Homeland Security team protecting our nation and are at all times a military service and part of the joint force defending it. For media inquiries contact mediarelations@uscg.mil. ### About the U.S. Coast Guard With more than 95,000 miles of shoreline, 25,000 miles of navigable rivers and 4.5 million square miles of U.S. exclusive economic zone, the U.S. Coast Guard defends the Nation, protects the marine transportation system, regulates and safeguards ports and waterways, leads the Nation in maritime drug interdiction and secures the maritime border. As a member of the joint force, a law enforcement organization, a regulatory agency and a member of the U.S. intelligence community, the Coast Guard employs a unique mix of authorities to ensure the safety and integrity of the maritime domain to protect the economic and national security of the nation. More than 76,000 members of the Coast Guard operate a multi-mission, interoperable fleet of more than 220 cutters, 185 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, 1,300 boats and its own dedicated cyber command to protect critical maritime infrastructure. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address STRENGTHENING NATIONAL SPACE INFRASTRUCTURE India PIB Department of Space Posted On: 04 FEB 2026 4:22PM by PIB Delhi Progress made in strengthening national launch and space infrastructure during 2025: The SPADEX mission successfully demonstrated autonomous docking and undocking, along with power transfer between satellitesa major step towards in-orbit servicing capabilities and docking operations on space stations. This was further complemented by the successful circumnavigation of the SPADEX satellites. This achievement made India the fourth nation to demonstrate docking in space. The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-04), which was also part of the PSLV-C60 / SPADEX mission, flew with multiple payloads from ISRO, space startups & academia, fostering innovation through in-orbit experimentation. The POEM-4 completed more than 1000 orbits and was a highly successful POEM mission. The mission also demonstrated a robotic arm in-orbit and the germination of seeds in microgravity. The GSLV-F15/NVS-02 mission in January 2025 was the 100th mission to lift-off from Sriharikota. The launch vehicle performed excellently by precisely injecting the satellite to its intended orbit. The GSLV-F16/NISAR mission scored yet another first by becoming the first joint ISRO-NASA mission. It is significant that the one of the most expensive payloads in the earth observation segment with 12m unfurlable antenna from NASA was integrated on an Indian satellite bus and launched on an Indian launch vehicle. NISAR, the first dual frequency SAR satellite, along with NASA's L-band SAR payload & ISRO's S-band SAR payload is now fully operational. The LVM3-M5 / CMS-03 mission is another unique mission where ISRO achieved the milestone of the heaviest GTO satellite from the Indian soil. The LVM3-M6 / BlueBird Block-2 set the record of the launch of heaviest ever satellite from Indian soil. This mission also validated the electro-mechanical actuation for the S200 motor along with composite thrust frame for C25 stage and other modifications to improve the payload performance by 176 kg. We can confidently say that the S200 EMA is globally the most powerful space qualified electric actuation system compared to the other launchers that use EMA for solid motors. The Department obtained financial approval from the Government for the establishment of the Third Launch Pad at Sriharikota as part of the essential launch infrastructure required for Next Generation Launch Vehicles. A dedicated launch site is being established for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) at Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu for which the construction activities for the launch pad facilities and integration building have commenced. A 10t vertical mixer for solid propellant production was commissioned at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh along with the second process line at the Ammonium Perchlorate Plant, Alwaye, Kerala to enhance the solid motor production capacity. A Cryogenic Turbopump Test facility has also been commissioned to enhance the throughput for the testing & acceptance of cryogenic engine subsystems. Integrated Titanium alloy Tank Production facility, which is a unique end-to-end facility for realizing spacecraft propellant tanks & PSLV upper stage tanks was also commissioned in 2025 at Tumakuru, Karnataka. ISRO completed the development and qualification of a high thrust electric propulsion system of 300mN thrust rating to power spacecraft propulsion systems, which is envisaged to be demonstrated in a Technology Demonstration Satellite. ISRO demonstrated the re-ignition of thrust chamber in the LVM3-M5 mission in November 2025 paving the way for restart of cryogenic stage in future LVM3 flights thereby enabling mission flexibility. Further, ISRO successfully demonstrated boot-strap mode starting of a gas-generator cycle cryogenic engine without any auxiliary start-up system through a ground test in November 2025. ISRO is working on reusable space transportation technologies and technology demonstration flights are planned to demonstrate stage recovery. Towards this, ground tests to demonstrate throttling of Vikas engine were also conducted successfully. ISRO has designed & developed 32-bit indigenous processor (VIKRAM3201) jointly with Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh, which is the first 32-bit processor in the country qualified for space applications. The 16-bit version, VIRKAM1601, which was realized earlier by ISRO, has already been inducted in the avionics systems of all the launch vehicles of ISRO. ISRO has also realized another indigenous microprocessor, KALPANA32 jointly with SCL, which is a processor based on the SPARC architecture. In the field of microprocessors, indigenisation efforts include On Board Controller, payload controllers, data acquisition and beamforming unit. ISRO supports academia through its Space Technology Incubation Centres (STICs) programme, which promotes and nurtures young innovators by helping them convert their ideas into space-worthy components for the Indian Space Programme. ISRO has transferred Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology to M/s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and has also transferred technologies such as Lithium-Ion Battery, Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) Bus, Distress Alert System, and various sensors to private industries to facilitate further productionization and the growth of the space ecosystem in the country. Many Indian Industries are involved in ISRO's effort to realise SSLV through industry. Several Indian industries/ start-ups are involved in building micro-earth observation satellites and related ground segment infrastructure. 3 industries are involved in manufacturing about 1 lakh 2-way MSS terminal to be fitted in fisherman's boat, etc. Further, M/s. NewSpace India Limited through ISRO and IN-SPACe has signed 100 Technology Transfer Agreements till date to transfer technologies developed at ISRO to Private Industries/ Start-ups to promote the space ecosystem in the country. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) continue to pursue successful space cooperation with space faring and space aspiring nations. Some of the recent impacts of international space cooperation are given here: In the year 2025, 10 cooperative documents were signed with international partners for: setting up of NavIC reference station in South Africa; travel of Indian astronaut to international space station; pursuing human space flight cooperation with European space agency; establishing temporary ground station in Australia; continuous operation of ground station in Mauritius; working for a joint lunar mission with Japan; accommodating a Swedish instrument onboard upcoming Venus Orbiter Mission and initiating cooperation with new space entities of Saudi Arabia, Philippines, and Republic of Korea. NISAR satellite, jointly built by ISRO and NASA was launched by ISRO's launch vehicle in July 2025. ISRO has installed a NavIC timing receiver at the Italian National Institute of Metrological Research (INRIM). Indian officials hold leadership roles in two working groups under the Scientific and Technical Sub Committee of UNCOPUOS. ISRO's active involvement in international disaster management initiatives such as International Charter Space and Major Disasters and Sentinel Asia helped India to receive more than 2,260 satellite datasets during the last three years, for generating timely inputs for management of major disasters that affected the country during this period. ISRO also provided more than 725 IRS satellite datasets for global disaster management initiatives, reinforcing India's commitment to respond to global humanitarian causes. ISRO successfully conducted the lead role of International Charter Space and Major Disasters for six months in 2025. During the lead role period, it coordinated 39 activations of the Charter for rapid information dissemination, on-boarded four new authorized users; ensuring wider reach of space-based services for developing nations, and effectively coordinated smooth functioning of the Charter. It also on-boarded GHGSat (Green House Gas emission measuring Satellite) as new data source and improved the visualisation of the Charter's portal. ISRO is also Co-chairing the Sentinel Asia steering committee, providing strategic guidance on use of space technology for disaster management in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2026, India will be hosting the annual meetings of (i) International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite System (ICG); (ii) BRICS Heads of Space Agencies; and (iii) International Planetary Data Alliance. This information was given by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today. ***** NKR/KL (Release ID: 2223136) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's newly unveiled ground stations to boost satellite control, speed up image reception: ISA Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 February 2026 4:09 PM Head of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) Hassan Salarieh has announced that the launch of the Salmas and Chenaran ground stations has enabled more precise control of Iranian satellites and faster reception of satellite imagery. Speaking to reporters regarding the details and the importance of the two facilities, Salarieh said Salmas and Chenaran stations are among Iran's key space facilities, located in the northwest and northeast of the country. The stations, he added, provide access to satellite data and enable full control of Iranian satellites. He explained that multiple antennas operating across different wavelengths and frequency bands have been installed at the stations. Satellite mission control centers are also based at the sites, allowing for the transmission of commands and the reception of satellite data, he further said. Salarieh emphasized that increasing the number of ground control centersespecially with coverage extending from east to westexpands communication opportunities during satellite passes. This leads to longer communication windows with satellites and allows larger volumes of imagery to be downloaded. He added that the expanded ground infrastructure shortens the process of satellite control and stabilization in orbit, enabling faster and more efficient satellite operations, which he described as a key strategic advantage. According to Salarieh, the Salmas ground station has already been inaugurated, while the Chenaran station is expected to be officially launched in the near future. On Tuesday, Iran unveiled and inaugurated three domestically developed and strategic achievements in the fields of infrastructure, communications, and satellite imagery as it commemorates National Space Technology Day. Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Sattar Hashemi and Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh attended the ceremony in the capital Tehran. The main prototype of the first satellite system project, named after top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, as well as the first images captured by the recently launched Paya satellite, were put on display during the event, alongside the inauguration of the Salmas space facility. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China expresses regret over expiration of New START Treaty between Russia and the US: FM spokesperson Global Times By Global Times Published: Feb 05, 2026 05:18 PM China expresses regret that the New START Treaty between Russia and the US has expired, which has had great significance for maintaining global strategic stability, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday. The international community is generally concerned that its expiration will have a negative impact on the international nuclear arms control system and the global nuclear order, Lin said, when asked to comment on the expiration of the treaty. Russia has proposed that Russia and the US continue to observe the core limits of the treaty, and China calls on the US side to respond positively, handle the follow-up arrangements of the treaty in a responsible manner, and resume strategic stability dialogue with Russia at an early date, which is also the common expectation of the international community, Lin said. The last remaining nuclear arms pact between Russia and the US is set to expire Thursday, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century, the AP reported. The termination of the New START Treaty would set the stage for what many fear could be an unconstrained nuclear arms race, per the AP. In response to questions about whether the Chinese side expressed its views on the issue of the treaty during the talks between Chinese and US leaders as well as the talks between Chinese and Russian leaders on Wednesday and what is China's comment on the treaty's expiration, in addition to questions with regard to the US has said that advancing nuclear arms control requires establishing a framework that includes China, and what is China's position how will China play its role as a major country in promoting nuclear arms control, Lin said regarding President Xi Jinping's virtual meeting with President Vladimir Putin and his phone talks with President Donald Trump, China has already released relevant information. China has always adopted an extremely cautious and responsible attitude on nuclear weapons issues. China has consistently adhered to a nuclear strategy of self-defense, upheld the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, and made an unconditional commitment not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones, Lin said. China always maintains its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security and has no intention of engaging in an arms race with any country. China has consistently advocated that progress on nuclear disarmament must follow the principle of safeguarding global strategic stability and ensuring that the security of all countries is not undermined, the spokesperson said, adding that China's nuclear forces are not at the same level at all with those of the US and Russia, and at this stage, China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian's Regular Press Conference on February 5, 2026 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Updated: February 05, 2026 19:22 CCTV: In response to Panama's Supreme Court ruling that CK Hutchison's concession to operate two Panama Canal ports is unconstitutional, China has said more than once that China will firmly safeguard the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. What future measures will China take? Have you communicated with the Panamanian side on the future operation of the ports? Lin Jian: China has made its position clear more than once on relevant issues related to the ports. In a commentary posted on February 3, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of China stated that Panamanian Supreme Court's ruling is an act of bad faith that disregards facts and severely undermines the lawful rights and interests of the company of China's Hong Kong. The article stressed that the Chinese government is committed to protecting the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. You may refer to the article for more details. CCTV: In response to Panama's Supreme Court ruling that CK Hutchison's concession is unconstitutional, CK Hutchison said yesterday in a press release that it "strongly disagrees with" the ruling, would launch international arbitration, and reserves the right to recourse to additional legal proceedings in the matter. What is China's comment? Lin Jian: I just stated China's position. China will firmly defend the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies. RT TV: On February 4, which marks the traditional Chinese solar term Start of Spring, the heads of state of Russia and China had a virtual meeting. Aide to the Russian President Ushakov said that at the invitation of Chinese leader, President Putin plans to visit China in the first half of 2026. Can you share more information? Lin Jian: Yesterday, President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They had an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional hotspot issues of mutual interest. The two presidents have maintained strategic communication in various ways and steered the bilateral relations in the new era to steadily move forward. RT TV: On February 4, the Chinese leader had a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and then spoke with U.S. President Donald J. Trump on the phone. What's the significance and results of the meeting and the phone call? Does it mean that Russia, China and the U.S. are coordinating their positions on a series of international issues? Lin Jian: President Xi Jinping had a virtual meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and spoke with U.S. President Donald J. Trump on the phone. This is the arrangement agreed on by China and Russia and China and the U.S. according to the schedule of the leaders. On the specifics of the two head-of-state interactions, China released detailed readouts, which you may refer to. NHK: The U.S.-Russia New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty expires today. Did China share its take on that issue during the virtual meeting between the Chinese and Russian leaders and the phone call between the Chinese and U.S. leaders yesterday? What's China's comment on the expiration? The U.S. said that it's necessary to establish a framework with China included on nuclear arms control. What's China's comment? What role will China play in nuclear arms control as a major country? Lin Jian: China has released the readouts on President Xi Jinping's virtual meeting with President Putin and the phone call with President Trump. China always exercises utmost prudence and responsibility on issues concerning nuclear weapons. China follows a defensive nuclear strategy and a policy of "no first use" of nuclear weapons, and pledged unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states and nuclear-weapon-free zones. China keeps its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required by national security, and has no intention to engage in arms race with any country. China believes that nuclear disarmament must follow the principles of "maintaining global strategic stability" and "undiminished security for all." China's nuclear strength is by no means at the same level with that of the U.S. or Russia. Thus, China will not take part in nuclear disarmament negotiations for the time-being. From China's view, the expiration of New START is truly regrettable. The treaty is vital to global strategic stability, and there is widespread concern over the impact on the international nuclear arms control system and global nuclear order after the treaty expires. Russia has proposed that both Russia and the U.S. continue to adhere to the central limits of the treaty. China hopes the U.S. will actively respond to Russia's proposal, work out a responsible solution to the treaty's expiration, and resume strategic stability dialogue with Russia at an early date. This is also what the world hopes to see. Bloomberg: After the phone call between Xi and Trump, Trump said that Xi would visit the White House toward the end of this year. Can the Foreign Ministry confirm that or have any more details on such a meeting? Lin Jian: The heads of state of China and the United States maintain communication and interactions. As for your specific question, I have no information to share at the moment. The Paper: It's reported that days ago, the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong released its 2026 Business Sentiment Survey Findings Report. American companies in Hong Kong are increasingly optimistic and confident about Hong Kong's business environment and prospect. What's the Foreign Ministry's comment? Lin Jian: I noted the report. According to the report, 86 percent of respondents believe that Hong Kong is a competitive international business hub, 92 percent have no plans to relocate their headquarters away from Hong Kong, and 94 percent express confidence in Hong Kong's rule of law. The statistics demonstrate American companies' growing confidence in Hong Kong's prospect and business environment. Hong Kong is making new headway in pursuing thriving development. Hong Kong's economy has flourished, and its status as a hub in international finance, trade, and shipping has been consolidated. It has also stayed among the top in multiple global rankings. The fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee put forward a series of important measures to promote long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong. Going forward, Hong Kong will enjoy broader prospects. China believes that more and more American and other foreign companies will invest and do business in Hong Kong and benefit from the Chinese modernization drive and One Country, Two Systems. Yonhap News Agency: The U.S. officially launched a critical minerals trading alliance today, which will be chaired by the ROK through June. What is China's comment? Lin Jian: An open, inclusive international trade environment beneficial to all serves the common interests of all countries. All parties have the responsibility to play a constructive role in keeping the global industrial and supply chains on critical mineral stable and secure. China opposes any country setting up exclusive blocs to disrupt international economic and trade order. Bloomberg: On the Panama situation. Bloomberg has reported that the Chinese government is asking state-owned firms to halt talks over new projects in Panama, after the country's court voided CK Hutchison's port contracts. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment and can you confirm that the government has indeed asked state-owned firms to do that? Lin Jian: China's position on issues concerning relevant Panamanian ports is clear. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cuban Government Updates Its Transition to Martial Law Plan - President Sputnik News 20260205 MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - The Cuban government has updated its plan for transitioning the country to martial law in the event of possible external aggression, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez said on Thursday. "This Saturday, the National Defense Council met to analyze and approve plans and measures for the transition to martial law as part of the country's preparations within the framework of the strategic concept of the people's war," Diaz-Canel told a press conference. The Cuban government has updated all plans for repelling aggression related to the working bodies of the National Defense Council, the president said, adding that they have been updated and clarified taking into account "experience gained from recent international conflicts." Diaz-Canel explained that the publication of information about the meeting of the National Defense Council does not mean that Cuba has entered a state of martial law. "We are preparing in case at some point it becomes necessary to move to a state of war," the president added. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Delivering Additional Humanitarian Support Directly to the Cuban People US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson February 5, 2026 Building on the success of the recently announced partnership with the Catholic Church and Caritas, the Trump Administration is announcing an additional $6 million in direct assistance for the Cuban people. This assistance will be delivered through the same channel as the first $3 million in assistance, with pre-packaged commodities transported from Miami and delivered by local parish representatives. This method has proven highly effective at ensuring that the failed Cuban regime cannot interfere with, or divert, assistance intended for the island's needy population. As with the first tranche of direct foreign assistance, let there be no doubt: the regime must not make any effort to interfere with the provision of this lifesaving support. We remain vigilant in tracking any diversion or frustration of U.S. assistance efforts, and the regime will be accountable to the United States and its own people for any interference. Beyond this tranche of assistance, the United States stands ready to surge even greater direct support to the Cuban people. The corrupt regime must simply permit it. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cuba: UN warns of possible humanitarian 'collapse', as oil supplies dwindle By Paulina Kubiak 5 February 2026 - The UN on Wednesday warned of potential humanitarian "collapse" in Cuba, following Washington's attempt to block oil supplies from reaching the island. The United States has threatened to impose tariffs on any country providing oil to Cuba, increasing pressure on the island nation following a decades-long trade embargo and the US seizure of Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro last month. Venezuela had been the main supplier of oil to Havana but Washington has been ratcheting up pressure on Cuba in recent weeks, including an executive order last Thursday threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, including Mexico. "I can tell you that the Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which will worsen, and if not collapse, if its oil needs go unmet," said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The UN chief noted that the General Assembly has been calling for an end to the US embargo for more than three decades: "The Secretary-General urges all parties to pursue dialogue and respect for international law." Fuel crisis The fuel crisis has pushed up food prices for Cubans, led to severe fuel shortages and major power cuts throughout the country. "Clearly what we see now, especially after the recent events in Venezuela, is a combination of emotions," said Francisco Pichon, the most senior United Nations official in Cuba, describing "a mix of resilience, but also grief, sorrow and indignation, and some concern about the regional developments." Thirty-two Cubans were killed in Venezuela on 3 January in the US operation to capture Mr. Maduro. The UN's humanitarian work in Cuba Mr. Pichon spoke to UN News from Havana last month, where the power had just gone out in his office. The UN team said that the vast majority of Cubans are being hit by rolling blackouts, at a time when the number of people in vulnerable situations has increased significantly. Even before the latest regional developments, the UN has been working with the Cuban Government to incubate ideas and support development, including ways to diversify the Cuban economy. "The energy transition is a major priority due to reduced access to fuel and infrastructure challenges," Mr. Pichon said, noting that investment needs remain a bottleneck. Urgent changes needed "The last two years have been quite tough," he added, stressing that urgent changes are needed to sustain Cuba's social model "in the midst of the severe economic, financial and trade sanctions". Cuba's economy, which has historically relied on tourism as a key source of hard currency, was severely disrupted in the COVID pandemic and remains well under 2018 levels. As the Cuban economy has deteriorated, the country's social indicators - such as universal healthcare, universal education, and extensive social safety nets like subsidised healthcare and food rations - are under strain. "All of this is happening in the context of the US embargo against Cuba," said Mr. Pichon, noting that Cuba has also been relisted by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism. "From the UN perspective, our guiding principles remain unchanged: To be present. To support. To act based on cooperation, respected for international law, and the UN values." Mr. Pichon, as UN Resident Coordinator, oversees the work of 23 UN agencies, funds and programmes. Here is a snapshot of some of the work underway. Hurricane Melissa Hurricane Melissa tore through Cuba as a Category 3 storm on 29 October. For the first time in the country, anticipatory action was taken through the release of funds from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), enabling supplies, such as water purification units, food, hygiene kits, generators, medicines, medical and shelter supplies to be prepositioned. The UN launched a $74 million Plan of Action to support national recovery and assist more than 2.2 million people affected by the storm's destruction. So far, about $23 million has been mobilised targeting the one million most vulnerable. "No lives were lost directly due to the hurricane," Mr. Pichon said, owing to the solid capabilities of Cuba's civil defence, although recovery needs remain enormous, including rebuilding tens of thousands of homes. Cooperation Framework The UN's long-term engagement in Cuba is undergirded by a cooperation framework aligned with Cuba's National Development Plan and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This framework has four key pillars: Institutional: The UN supported the development of around 30 laws following the 2019 constitutional reform, advancing equity, inclusion and rights for women, children, LGBTQ+ persons, people of African descent and persons with disabilities. The UN supported the development of around 30 laws following the 2019 constitutional reform, advancing equity, inclusion and rights for women, children, LGBTQ+ persons, people of African descent and persons with disabilities. Economic: Focuses on productive transformation and access to financing amid ongoing sanctions and the US listing of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. Utilizing the Joint SDG Fund, which helps countries pay for projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals. Focuses on productive transformation and access to financing amid ongoing sanctions and the US listing of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. Utilizing the Joint SDG Fund, which helps countries pay for projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals. Environmental: Disaster risk management and climate resilience are central, especially given Cuba's exposure to hurricanes, such as Melissa. UN support in anticipation and response seeks to protect lives and livelihoods. Disaster risk management and climate resilience are central, especially given Cuba's exposure to hurricanes, such as Melissa. UN support in anticipation and response seeks to protect lives and livelihoods. Social: Social protection systems and attention to differentiated needs with a focus on leaving no one behind, including vulnerable groups vulnerable groups such as people living with AIDS, the LGBTI community, children, adolescents, women, and the elderly, who are a very relevant sector in an aging society. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PARLIAMENT QUESTION: SMALL MODULAR REACTORS FOR CLEAN AND LOW-CARBON ENERGY India - Press Information Bureau Department of Atomic Energy Posted On: 04 FEB 2026 6:24PM by PIB Delhi BARC has taken-up design, development and establishment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) suitable for deployment as captive power plants for the energy intensive sectors, repurposing of retiring fossil fuel based power plants, and deployment in remote location with no grid connectivity. Under the Nuclear Energy Mission, funds have also been allocated for Research & Development of indigenous SMRs by 2033. The Department has recently initiated design and development of SMRs namely, 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200). Lead unit proposed at Tarapur Atomic Power station site, Maharashtra. 55 MWe Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55). Lead unit proposed to be constructed at Tarapur. Additionally, up to 5 MWth high temperature gas cooled reactor has also been planned for hydrogen generation. This reactor is proposed to be constructed at BARC Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. Government of India has provisioned funds towards research, design, development and deployment of SMRs under the Nuclear Energy Mission. In view of this Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has undertaken design and development of SMRs with main focus on construction of lead units at DAE site for technology demonstration. The tentative cost of demonstration unit of BSMR-200 is around 27 Cr/ MWe. Subsequent to successful demonstration of technology, the cost of the reactor is likely to reduce on account of standardisation of design and economy of scale. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has been constituted by a statutory order (S.O. 4772) under the provisions of Section 27 of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 to enforce certain safety and regulatory provisions of the Act under Section 16, 17 and 18. AERB is responsible for safety regulation of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), which is done through its regulatory processes of licensing / consenting, safety review and periodic regulatory inspections. AERB is empowered to lay down safety codes, standards and guides as well as enforce safety requirements. AERB has established requirements for nuclear & radiation safety of NPPs which takes into account the safety standards of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and international best practices. Different types / designs of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in India are designed, constructed, commissioned & operated complying with the regulatory requirements of AERB. AERB carries out safety review of NPPs during their consenting stages, viz. siting, construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning. After satisfactory review during siting, construction and commissioning stages, AERB issues license for operation to NPP, valid for a period of up to five years. During the license period, safety performance of an operating NPP is monitored in compliance with regulatory requirements, through safety reviews and regulatory inspections. Further, during operation, all plants are required to undergo a comprehensive Periodic Safety Review (PSR), every ten years, as per the regulatory requirements. During PSR, the safety of the plant is assessed considering cumulative effects of ageing, plant modifications, operating experience as well as comparison with the current safety requirements / practices, and necessary safety upgrades are identified and implemented. AERB safety and regulatory requirements for licensing of NPPs are mostly technology neutral. In light of the evolving developments in the field of SMRs, AERB has conducted review of its existing regulatory requirements and concluded that the same regulatory framework can generally be applied for safety regulation of advanced reactors such as SMRs, except a few technology specific aspects for which review may be required when details of proposed sites and design of specific SMR is submitted to AERB. AERB also participates in various international forums to keep itself abreast about the developments in regulation of SMRs and suitably adopt them when required. This Information was submitted by The Minister Of State For Prime Minister's Office Dr. Jitendra Singh in Loksabha on 4th February 2026. ***** NKR/JP (Release ID: 2223305) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Transcript of Weekly Media Briefing by the Official Spokesperson (February 05, 2026) India - Ministry of External Affairs February 05, 2026 Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Let's begin our conversation. The floor is open. Ayushi Agarwal, ANI: Sir, this is Ayushi Agarwal from ANI. Recently President Trump claimed that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil and shift buying crude from Venezuela and the United States. Any comments on that? And what is India's current policy on Russian oil imports? If you can clarify. Thank you. Yeshi Seli, Business India: This is Yeshi Seli from Business India. An associated question. What is the status of this trade deal? Were negotiations done or was it based on just the phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi? Keshav Padmanabhan, ThePrint: Sir, Keshav Padmanabhan from the Print. Reports have indicated that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had a secret meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio sometime late last year. Can you give us details on whether such a meeting occurred and what happened? And I just wanted to follow up on the Indian sailors in Iran, 16 sailors. You said that you had requested for consular access. Could you give us a status on that as well? Thank you. Jessica, DD India: Hi, sir. This is Jessica for DD India. Sir, could you tell us more about the critical minerals ministerial that Dr. Jaishankar took part in along with 50 other nations? Some more details about what all was discussed and what all is being planned. Rishabh, Times Now: Sir, good afternoon. Rishabh from Times Now. Sir, there was a bipartisan US delegation that came to India last week. If you can give us more details, what were the discussions like, and what were the main focus of the delegation? Reza, Hindustan Times: Reza from Hindustan Times. Just a quick clarification on the critical minerals ministerial. There is talk about US creating a stockpile of critical minerals. Are we looking at joining that? And, if there is any clarity on how materials will be allocated from that stockpile? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay, so let's Ayushi first come to your question. In so far as India's energy security or energy sourcing is concerned, the government has stated publicly on several occasions, including me here, that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of the government. Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy to ensure this. All of India's decisions are taken and will be taken with this in mind. Bharat ki urja apurti ke sambandh mein Bharat ne kai maukon par sarvajanik roop se kaha hai ki 140 crore Bhartiyon ka hit, unki urja suraksha sunishchit karna hamari sarkar ki sarvochch prathmikta hai. Is lakshya ko prapt karne ke liye bazar sthitiyon aur badalte antarrashtriya ghatnakramon ke anuroop apni urja sroton mein vividhata lana hamari rann-neeti ka mool adhaar hai. Bharat ke sabhi kadam is baat ko dhyaan mein rakhkar uthaye gaye hain aur bhavishya mein bhi uthaye jayenge. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] In so far as India's energy security or energy sourcing is concerned, India has stated publicly on several occasions, that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of the government. Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy to ensure this. All of India's decisions are taken and will be taken with this in mind. Also, since Ayushi asked related question to Venezuela, so I would like to answer that as well. See, as far as Venezuela is concerned, it has been a long-standing partner for us in the area of energy, both on the trade side and as also on the investment side. We were importing energy or crude oil from Venezuela till 2019-20 and thereafter we had to stop. Again, we started buying oil from Venezuela in 2023-24 which were halted because of re-imposition of sanctions. As you are aware that Indian PSUs, they have established partnership with the National Oil Company of Venezuela, PDVSA, and our PSUs have maintained presence in the country since 2008. Consistent with our approach to energy security, India remains open to exploring the commercial merits of any crude supply options, including from Venezuela. Yeshi, in regard to your question, Commerce and Industry Minister has already spoken. In fact, today also he has given a statement, so I would refer you to please have a look at those statements for clarity on the issues that you raised. Keshav, responding to your question regarding report by Bloomberg, I would like to say that there is absolutely no basis for that report. No such meeting or no such visit has taken place. On Iran, the 16 sailors that you mentioned, we've had consular access. Our officials in Bandar Abbas, they have gone and met them. Of those 16, eight people... this is what we've been informed by the Iranian authorities... eight of them have been released and they will be returning home as and when necessary formalities for their travel is completed. In regard to the remaining eight sailors, we are in touch with Iranian authorities, and we'll see how best to support them for whatever need they may have. On critical minerals partnership, Jessica, External Affairs Minister attended this meeting which was hosted by the US side. We had over 50 countries who participated. If I remember correctly, 54 countries plus European Union participated in the meeting. External Affairs Minister was there. In his remarks he highlighted the challenges of excessive concentration and the importance of de-risking supply. He also talked about structured international cooperation. He also highlighted India's efforts towards greater resilience through National Critical Mineral Mission that we have, Rare Earth Corridor and responsible commerce. And he conveyed support for the FORGE initiative that has been set in motion post this critical minerals partnership. Reza, in regard to your question, I don't have any further details, but I can tell you that India is supportive of FORGE initiative, which in a sense replaces critical mineral initiative that was there earlier in place. Rishabh, on your question regarding the US delegation, this delegation comprising three Congressmen, they visited India from 25th to 27th. We have regular exchanges with the US Congress members and us. Regular dialogue, conversations, it's an important part of our India-US comprehensive strategic partnership that we have. These three Congressmen who were here, they were Representative Mike Rogers, he is a Republican from Alabama, Representative Adam Smith, he's a Democrat from Washington, and Representative Jimmy Patronis, he's a Republican from Florida. It was a bipartisan delegation that we had here. They were also accompanied by senior staff members. They called on the External Affairs Minister. They also had a meeting with Defense Secretary. Discussions centered around bilateral ties, bilateral cooperation, matters of trade, Ukraine issue, what we are doing together in the Indo-Pacific. They also had a meeting with industry leaders, in particular in the defense sector. So overall it was a good meeting and the fact that it was a bipartisan Congressional delegation from the US reflects that there is strong bipartisan support for India-US relations. Uma Shankar Singh, Independent Journalist: Uma Shankar Singh, Independent journalist. Humne videsh mantri ki taraf se aaya bayaan bhi dekha hai aur commerce ministry ki taraf se aaya bayaan bhi dekha hai. Sawaal ye hai ki jis tarah ke bayaan America ki taraf se aa rahe hain, chahe krishi mantri ki taraf se hon ya White House pravakta ki taraf se, kya lagta hai ki jo jis sensitivity nature ka ye deal hai, usmein is tarah ka aage badh ke bayaan dena jabki work still under progress hai, to kya wo kisi tarah se diplomatic norms ka ulanghan hai? [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Uma Shankar Singh, Independent Journalist. We have seen the statement issued by the External Affairs Minister, and we have also seen the statement issued by the Commerce Ministry. The question is: considering the kind of statements coming from the United Stateswhether from the Agriculture Secretary or the White House spokespersondo you think that, given the sensitive nature of this deal, making such forward-looking statements while the work is still under progress amounts to a violation of diplomatic norms in any way? Madhurendra, News Nation: Sir, Madhurendra main News Nation se. LAC ki jo sthiti hai, khaas taur par disengagement aur patrolling ki bahaali ko lekar, us par kai tarah ke sawaal khade ho rahe hain aur ek kitaab ko bhi quote kiya ja raha hai jo unpublished hai. Kyunki dono hi baat-cheet mein MEA participant raha hai, chahe WMCC ki baat karein ya Core Commander level talk ki baat karein, to kya jo maujooda sthiti hai usko MEA apne desk se spasht karna chahega? [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, Madhurendra from News Nation. Regarding the situation along the LAC, especially with respect to disengagement and the restoration of patrolling, several questions are being raised, and an unpublished book is also being cited. Since the MEA has been a participant in both sets of talkswhether it is the WMCC discussions or the Core Commander-level talkswould the MEA like to clarify the current situation from its side? Dhairya, Sputnik India: Sir, Dhairya from Sputnik India. I have a related question about the Russian oil. Sir, what's being suggested in pro-establishment US media like Fox News and others is that the US agreed to a trade deal after India agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil. So, I just want a clarification if the US asked India to stop purchasing Russian oil as a precondition for agreeing to a trade deal. And sir, on a related note, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said yesterday that India-Russia energy cooperation has been mutually beneficial for both the countries and has helped maintain stability in international crude market. Do you share that assessment, sir? Thank you. Brahm Prakash Dubey, Zee News: Sir, Brahm Prakash Dubey Zee News se. Mera sawaal sir US ke saath trade deal ko lekar hai. Jis tarah se Ameriki Rashtrapati ne tweet kiya tha, uske baad se Bharat ki taraf se koi us par official jaankari saamne nahi aayi thi. To kya ye Bharat ki taraf se mamla uthaya gaya hai? Kyunki US ki taraf se lagataar trade deal par bayaan aa rahe hain lekin Bharat ki taraf se is par koi sthiti spasht nahi hai. Sansad mein bhi isi baat ko lekar vipaksh mudda utha raha hai ki kya ye dabaav mein faisla kiya gaya ya sthiti kya hai ya krishi kshetra khola gaya hai America ke liye? Ye kya hai, agar aap sthiti spasht karein. Thank you. [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, Brahm Prakash Dubey from Zee News. My question is regarding the trade deal with the US. After the tweet made by the American President, no official information has come from India on this. So, has this matter been taken up by India? Because statements regarding the trade deal are continuously coming from the US, but India's position on this has not been clarified. In Parliament too, the opposition is raising this issue, asking whether a decision has been taken under pressure, what the actual situation is, and whether the agricultural sector has been opened for the US. What is the status? If you could clarify the situation. Thank you. Kadambini Sharma, Independent journalist: Kadambini Sharma, Independent journalist. Sir, just a clarification about Venezuelan oil. Will it be coming via US and if so, what is the legality and long-term legal viability of this? Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay. So, Umashankar, aapka pehla sawaal. Dekhiye vyapaar samjhauta ke bare mein commerce ministry aur commerce minister, hamare vanijya mantri ka bayaan aaya hai aur unhone ek press vaarta bhi kiya tha jismein shayad aap logon mein se kaafi log wahan gaye the. Uske alaave kal unhone parliament mein bhi apni baat rakhi hai aur aaj bhi kuch statement jaari kiya hai to main aapse chahunga ki aap un statement par dhyaan dein. Uske aage mere liye kuch kehne ke liye nahi hai. Usmein kaafi sari spasht-ta bhi hai to aapko usse laabh hoga. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Okay. So, Umashankar, your first question. Look, regarding the trade agreement, a statement has been issued by the Commerce Ministry and by our commerce minister. He also held a press conference, in which perhaps many of you were present. Apart from that, yesterday he also presented his views in Parliament, and today as well, some statements have been issued. So, I would request you to pay attention to those statements. Beyond that, I have nothing further to add. Those statements contain a lot of clarity, and they will be beneficial for you. Madhu, jahan tak cheen ka sawaal hai, LAC ka sawaal hai, jab-jab hamari dwipakshiya vaarta hoti hai to hum aapko apne maadhyam se hamare press vigyapti ke maadhyam se aapko batate hain ki kis prakar ki koshish chal rahi hai wahan par shaanti aur sthirta banaye rakhne ke liye. Aapko hum is par jaankari dete rahenge. Jahan tak kitaab ki baat kahi aur sab cheezon ki baat kahi, to us par mere khayal se pichle kuch dinon mein saalon mein us par baat-cheet hui hai. Raksha mantralay ne bhi kuch is par nirnay liya hai, aap us baat ko dekhein ki kya unka ravaiya raha hai, kya rukh raha hai, kis prakar ka paksh unhone is par rakha hai. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Madhu, as far as the question regarding China and the LAC is concerned, whenever our bilateral talks take place, we inform you through our official channels and through press releases about what kind of efforts are underway there to maintain peace and lasting peace and stability. We will continue to keep you informed on this. As for the book and the other matters you mentioned, I believe discussions on this have taken place over the past few days and years. The Ministry of Defense has also taken certain decisions on this. You may look into thatwhat their approach has been, what their position has been, and what kind of stand they have taken on this issue. Dhairya, on energy sourcing I told you what Government of India's policy is and in the beginning when I started this conference, I told you where we are on energy sourcing, so I would refer you to my remarks made earlier. Brahm, dekhiye krishi kshetra ke bare mein chahe koi aur bhi mudde hain, is par spasht roop se hamare vanijya mantri ne kaha hai, unhone apna statement jaari kiya hai, baatein ki hain to mere khayal se aap agar us statement ko padhein to usmein aapko kaafi sari spasht-ta mil jayengi. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Brahm, look, whether it is regarding the agriculture sector or any other issues, our Commerce Minister has stated this very clearly. He has issued his statement and has spoken on the matter. So, I think if you read that statement, you will get a lot of clarity from it. On Venezuela again, Kadambini, we have as I told you there is a history of engagement with Venezuela. We have long-standing energy partnership with them, and we remain open to exploring options of availability of crude oil from Venezuela and other places depending on its commercial viability. Neeraj, News18 India: Sir, Neeraj hoon News18 India se. Jamaat-e-Islami ne ghoshna patra jaari kiya hai Bangladesh chunaav ko lekar kuch vaade kiye hain, usmein Bharat ke saath constructive, peaceful aur friendly relation ho iska zikr kiya hai. Bharat is comment ko kaise dekhta hai jabki Bharat ka baar-baar ye kehna hai ki Bharat Bangladesh mein samaveshi chunaav chahta hai, jabki Awami League ko us chunaav mein shaamil hone ki permission nahi hai. [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, I am Neeraj from News18 India. Jamaat-e-Islami has issued a manifesto regarding the Bangladesh elections and has made certain promises. In it, they have mentioned having constructive, peaceful, and friendly relations with India. How does India view this comment, especially when India has repeatedly said that it wants inclusive elections in Bangladesh, whereas the Awami League is not permitted to participate in those elections? Neeraj Dubey, Prabhasakshi: Sir, namaskar. Neeraj Dubey hoon Prabhasakshi se. Sir, Oman mein meeting honi hai America aur Iran ki, isko Bharat kaise dekhta hai aur Videsh Mantri Jaishankar ji ki Marco Rubio se jo baat-cheet mein Iran ko lekar kya kuch vaarta hui is par agar kuch prakash daalna chahein. [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, greetings. I am Neeraj Dubey from Prabhasakshi. Sir, a meeting is going to take place in Oman between the United States and Iran. How does India view this? And regarding External Affairs Minister's conversation with Marco Rubio, if you would like to shed some light on what discussions took place concerning Iran. Megha Sharma, NewsX: Good afternoon, Sir. Megha from NewsX. My question about the statement that has been released just now by the Commerce Minister saying that there is going to be a joint statement that is going to be issued both by US and Indian officials. Is it going to be physically issued in India or in America? Are there any American officials expected to come to India or any Indian official headed to United States of America? And also, about the FTA, he said by mid-March is what is expected that the FTA is going to be signed. Is it going to be a signing of the deal virtually, physically? Is the Prime Minister going to America or the US President coming to India? Raghavendra Verma, German TV ZDF: Sir, this is Raghavendra Verma from German TV ZDF. This is regarding the India-European Union trade deal. So, do we have a timeline of the actual signing of the deal? Is it correct that presently only the legal vetting of the details of the deal is being pending? And with the US deal, would it be a similar one, something which will be signed and then later on vetted? And what would be the actual deal? And in India the process goes only to the approval through cabinet and not from the parliament. Is it correct? Unlike European Union. Manas: Good afternoon. Just a little clarification. I mean there has been confusion about the US tariff now. In fact, as of now what is the tariff actually? It is 18% from 25% or it is 18% from 50%? And ... do you think President Trump has jumped the gun on the trade deal? Thank you. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Okay, so first, Neeraj, aapka sawaal. Dekhiye Bangladesh mein jo chunaav hona hai uske bare mein humne kai dafa hamara apna paksh rakha hai to main chahunga ki aap jo hum logon ne is par baat rakhi hai, samaveshi chunaav ke bare mein kaha hai, us par aap dhyaan dein. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Okay, so first, Neeraj, your question. Look, regarding the elections that are going to take place in Bangladesh, we have stated our position on several occasions. So, I would request you to pay attention to what we have said on this matter, particularly regarding inclusive elections. Neeraj, aapka sawaal Iran ko lekar hai. Bhartiya Videsh Mantri ki yaatra 3 aur 4 ko America ki hui hai. Is darmiyaan unhone wahan ke Videsh Mantri se apni baat-cheet ki, saath hi saath wahan ke jo Treasury Secretary hain unse bhi baat-cheet hui hai aur dono desh... dono netaon ke beech mein kai ek saare muddon par baat-cheet hui jismein ki bhaugolik mudde bhi hain, regional issues bhi hain aur global issues bhi hain. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Neeraj, your question is regarding Iran. The Indian External Affairs Minister visited the United States on the 3rd and 4th. During this visit, he held discussions with the US Secretary of State, and also met with the US Treasury Secretary. Between the two countriesbetween the two leadersdiscussions were held on a wide range of issues, including geographical matters, regional issues, and global issues. Megha, again, you know Commerce Minister has given you several details in his statements. Again, today also he has spoken about the various aspects relating to the trade deal. So, I would request you to please look at those details that have been shared. And if there are further developments in this regard, we'll surely share them with you. Raghavendra, on India-UAE FTA... last week we had the signing of this historic landmark trade deal. Now the trade deal, the trade agreement, they have to undergo internal processes in both sides, in the European Union and also here in India. But let me tell you, both sides remain politically committed to implement the agreement as soon as possible. Manas, your question about tariff. So, let me refer you to the statements that have been made by both sides. Prime Minister had a telecon with President Trump on Monday. Post that call and post the tweet by President Trump, Prime Minister thanked President Trump for the reduction in reciprocal tariff. Prime Minister noted that 'Made in India' products will now be exported to the United States at a reduced tariff of 18%. This trade agreement, as we see it, will give a major boost to our exports to the United States. It will be a major boost to the labor-intensive industries here in India, create new job opportunities, growth and prosperity for our people. Also, let me say that the US side has also clarified that the final figure of tariff is 18%. Dono deshon ke taraf se bayaan aaya hai tariff ke mudde pe. Jaisa ki aap jaante hain, hamare Pradhan Mantri ki Rashtrapati Trump se baat-cheet hui thi. Baat-cheet ke baad, us tele-conversation ke baad, jab President Trump ne tweet kiya, uske baad Pradhan Mantri ne unko dhanyawaad diya ki Bharat par ab jo tariff hai, reciprocal tariff, usko niche laya gaya hai. Aur saath hi saath Pradhan Mantri ne ye bhi vyakt kiya ki Bharat mein bane padarth, products, ab America jab niryaat honge, to unpe ghata hua tariff, jo 18% ka hai, wo laagu hoga. Aur is vyapaar sandhi se hamare ko, hamare niryaat ko, hamare desh mein jo shram adhaarit udyog hai usko, aur saath hi saath yahan par anya vyavsay ke, naukri ke bahut saare opportunities paida honge aur hamare logon ke bhalai ke aur unke hit mein hai ye. Saath hi saath aapko main batana chahunga ki Ameriki sarkar ki taraf se ye khulasa kiya gaya hai ki jo final jo figure hai, jo ank hai tariff ka, wo 18% hai. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] Statements have come from both sides on this issue, on the issue of tariffs. As you know, our Prime Minister had a conversation with President Trump. After that tele-conversation, when President Trump tweeted, the Prime Minister thanked him for reducing the reciprocal tariff that was applicable to India. Along with that, the Prime Minister also expressed that when products manufactured in India are exported to the United States, a reduced tariff of 18% will be applicable on them. This trade agreement will benefit our exports, our labour-based industries in the country, and will also create many job opportunities and other business prospects here. It is in the welfare and interest of our people. I would also like to inform you that the US government has disclosed that the final tariff figure is 18%. With that ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your presence. New Delhi February 05, 2026 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Transcript of Special Briefing by Secretary (East) on the Prime Minister's visit to Malaysia (February 05, 2026) India - Ministry of External Affairs February 05, 2026 Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Good afternoon, friends, welcome to this special briefing on Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Malaysia. We have with us Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Shri P. Kumaran, as also Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs who looks after Malaysia, Shri Prashant Agrawal with us for this briefing. With that, I hand over the floor to Secretary (East) for his initial remarks. Sir, the floor is yours. Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Well, thank you, Randhir. Good afternoon, dear friends from the media. I extend a warm welcome to all of you and thank you for joining us today for this special briefing on the visit of Prime Minister to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 7th and 8th February 2026. Upon invitation of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, His Excellency, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Kuala Lumpur on 7th and 8th February. This would be PM's third visit to Malaysia, and his first after the state visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India in 2024. Our PM had earlier visited Malaysia in 2015. During that visit, India-Malaysia bilateral relations were elevated to an enhanced strategic partnership. PM had also inaugurated the Torana Gate in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, a gift from India to Malaysia, symbolizing the India-Malaysia friendship. PM again visited Malaysia in 2018 for a brief stopover to congratulate the former Malaysian PM, Mahathir Mohamad. Prime Minister also virtually attended the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit convened in Kuala Lumpur on 26th October 2025. The forthcoming visit comes within one and a half years of elevation of our bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the state visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India during 19th to 21st August 2024, and reflects India's strong commitment to our relations with Malaysia, a key partner in India's Act East Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR, and also the Indo-Pacific vision. The visit will also provide an opportunity to enhance our engagement with the ASEAN region, given the important role of Malaysia as its founding member, and its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025. PM will hold bilateral discussions with the Prime Minister of Malaysia. They will review progress under the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, especially in priority areas of cooperation such as trade, investments, defense, security, semiconductors, digital technologies, renewable energy, education, healthcare, and people-to-people exchanges. The 10th meeting of the India-Malaysia CEOs Forum is also scheduled in Kuala Lumpur on the sidelines of the visit, and PM will also interact with leading Malaysian CEOs from key sectors. As you know, India and Malaysia share a strong, dynamic, and diverse economic partnership. Malaysia is India's third largest trading partner in ASEAN with bilateral trade around 20 billion dollars. Our trade has diversified beyond commodities such as palm oil and includes a variety of agricultural products, chemicals, minerals, appliances, and machinery. On the investment front, our engagement is strong and is growing steadily. Major Malaysian investors like PETRONAS, Khazanah, IHH Healthcare, IJM Corporation, United Engineers (UEM) etc. have a strong presence in India while over 200 Indian companies including 61 joint ventures and three Indian PSUs including those in IT and ITES, manufacturing, construction, and pharmaceuticals are actively operating in Malaysia. Our countries are working towards further enhancing our bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner. India and Malaysia are also cooperating under ASEAN for early conclusion of the ongoing review of AITIGA, the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement. The two countries are also discussing a joint review of the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. PM will also interact with members of the Indian community. He will address the Indian community in Malaysia numbering around 2.9 million, which represents the second largest PIO community and the third largest Indian diaspora. All these interactions underline the multi-faceted nature of India-Malaysia ties spanning the economic, political and people-to-people dimensions. Following the announcement by PM in August 2024, academic chairs for studies in Indian studies were also set up in Malaysian universities. This has enabled greater academic and cultural exchange between the countries. In recent years, our culture and tourism cooperation has also intensified. Both countries have liberalized the visa regimes for each other's nationals to promote tourist exchanges. As a result, in 2025 over 1.4 million Indians travelled to Malaysia for tourism whereas about 300,000 Malaysian tourists visited India. Malaysia thus became the largest source of inbound tourism to India from the ASEAN region. The visit of PM to Malaysia would serve to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries as well as to set the path for future engagements for mutual benefit. Thank you. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: We open the floor for questions now. Keshav Padmanabhan, ThePrint: Sir, thank you. Keshav Padmanabhan from The Print. I just wanted to check on the AITIGA review, given that Malaysia is, I think the chair for the review for this trade in Goods Agreement. So, will that be up for discussions, how are we seeing that playing out, will there be any sort of outcomes related to the review of AITIGA expected from this visit? Thank you. Rishabh, Times Now: Sir, good afternoon, Rishabh from Times Now. Sir, two things: one, DPI is something that India and ASEAN have been discussing for quite some time now. Will there be any announcement on DPI? And second, the Big Cat Alliance, which Malaysia has joined, but formally is Malaysia going to join the Big Cat Alliance and will be there, will they be there at the Big Cat Alliance Summit that we are going to host in India?. Reza, Hindustan Times: Reza from Hindustan Times. Just two quick questions. Have we finished the interlinking of UPI with the Malaysian counterpart, and is there been any other developments on defense cooperation especially, you know, the plans to help Malaysia upgrade its SU-30 fleet, especially since HAL has set up an office in Kuala Lumpur? Pranay Upadhyay, Aaj Tak and India Today: Sir, Pranay Upadhyay from Aaj Tak and India Today. You mentioned that India and Malaysia are looking at the expansion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. What are the areas which we are looking at and what is the process we are going to follow? And a quick follow-up, can you share the latest update on the Zakir Naik extradition case? Where do we stand right now? Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Alright, thank you. The AITIGA review process is on. We've agreed on the terms of reference, and the colleagues from the Ministry of Commerce have been engaged with the ASEAN group, exploring various options to try and create a better balance in the trade between India and ASEAN. There are technical elements being discussed in terms of offering more lines under a liberalized regime between India and the ASEAN. I think there is a broad sense that the overall, the average tariff in the ASEAN has to improve compared to the existing level plus also they want to try and stipulate a minimum percentage of tariffs for each country to open up, as a result of which we can achieve better balance overall between India and ASEAN. So that discussion is still on. I don't think there is anything ready as an outcome for this visit as far as AITIGA is concerned. Let me try and take the CECA review question also together with this. This is still early days for the CECA review process. Normally what we do is to agree on a broad framework, terms of reference and then proceed to talk about specific elements that need to be liberalized and opened up. We've not reached there yet. We're still talking about what kind of review, and the scope of the review. So, it's still not reached a stage where terms of reference have been agreed to. Let me move on to DPI. During the visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Delhi, the Malaysia-India Digital Council was set up. After that, they have met at the level of Secretary (MeitY) and his Malaysian counterpart. The council is working on bilateral collaboration in AI, digital talent, DPI and cybersecurity. We're also training Malaysian officials in the fields of machine learning and AI under our ITEC program. The NPCI is set to sign an agreement with PayNet during the course of the visit. So that will be one of the outcomes expected from the visit. The question on IBCA, International Big Cat Alliance. Malaysia has ... last time it had confirmed its willingness to join the IBCA. Currently, we are in the process of formalizing the procedures required for accession to IBCA. We are hopeful that that will also be completed in time for the visit. But basically, we are on track for Malaysia joining IBCA. Defense cooperation, there is a lot of promise as far as defense cooperation is concerned. We are looking at sale of Dornier aircraft. Malaysia also has Scorpene submarines. We are looking at opportunities to try and collaborate, especially in terms of mid-life upgrades, retrofitting etc. You had also mentioned the potential for collaborating on SU-30 aircraft. Malaysians have that aircraft and so do we. We have offered proposals for modification, upgradation and mid-life maintenance. We are also looking at potential for supply of naval platforms by Indian shipyards. So, those are all areas that look promising. We hope to be able to get something going on these areas. As far as the question of Zakir Naik is concerned, I can assure you that all issues will be discussed during the visit. We have had opportunities to discuss the issue in past visits also at various levels. And we will probably continue to take up the issue until all technical procedures are completed, and we hope to get the outcome that we desire. Sima Guha, Outlook Magazine: Sima Guha from Outlook Magazine. I wanted to ask about the timing of the visit. What was so urgent, because generally Prime Ministers don't visit while Parliament is on? Just wanted to ask about the timing. Nirmala, The Straits Times: Nirmala with The Straits Times. Just wanted to ask if there are any other agreements or MoUs that will be signed during the visit? Krishan Mohan Sharma, Bharat Express: Krishan Mohan Sharma Bharat Express se. Mera sawal hai ki jo edible oil ko leke hamare aur Malaysia ke beech mein kaafi samay se ek tussle chal raha tha kyunki woh shayad humein dene mein ye nahi the aur humne bhi kuch rok diya tha edible cereals jo hai, ek woh issue hai. Dusra issue ye hai sir ki Malaysia time to time hamare internal security ke issues hain, chahe woh Kashmir ki baat ho ya CAA ki baat ho, usko uthata raha hai. Toh aapko kya lagta hai ki ispe kuch rasta nikalne ki sambhavna hai is beech mein? [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Krishan Mohan Sharma, Bharat Express. My question is that regarding edible oil, there has been a tussle between India and Malaysia for quite some time, because perhaps they were not supplying it to us, and we also stopped certain edible cereals. That is one issue. The second issue is that Malaysia, from time to time, keeps raising India's internal security matterswhether it is Kashmir or the CAA. So, do you think there is any possibility of finding a way forward on these issues? Manas, PTI: Manas from PTI. Sir, you briefly mentioned possible cooperation in the area of semiconductor. So, are we going to discuss any specific projects in the area? Thank you. Neeraj Dubey, Prabhashakshi: Sir namaskar, main Neeraj Dubey Prabhashakshi se. Sir pichle saal Pradhan Mantri ji ne jab virtually sambodhit kiya tha toh unhone kai saare muddon ko uthaya tha aatankwad ke khilaf ladne ke liye aur ek badi baat kahi thi ki 2026 se 2030 ki jo karyayojna hai us par poora sahyog diya jayega. Toh kya us yojna karyayojna par bhi is varta ke dauran honi hai kuch charcha? [Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi] Sir, greetings. I am Neeraj Dubey from Prabhasakshi. Sir, last year when the Prime Minister addressed virtually, he raised several issues regarding the fight against terrorism, and he also said an important thingthat full support would be given for the 2026-2030 action plan. So, will there be any discussion during these talks regarding that action plan as well? Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Okay, let me start with the question on timing. You would recall that the Prime Minister, because of other engagements, could not travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN-India Summit. He participated in the Summit virtually and had promised Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that he would make it up to him soon, sometime early in the course of 2026. So that's basically the context. He is just delivering on that promise that he will visit Malaysia soon. There are a number of MoUs that we are looking at. Some of them are still, you know, in the works, some kind of last-minute processes going on for completing the legal requirements for signing the MoUs. We are looking at MoUs as of now, this is still a list that is not fully baked. So, let me just try and list it out, you know, on the understanding that this is subject to confirmation as we get closer to the visit. We are looking at MoUs in the field of disaster management, audio-visual co-production, standards on training, certification and watch keeping for seafarers. An MOU on UN peacekeeping cooperation that is to be renewed. We are looking at an MoU or probably an exchange of notes conveying intention to cooperate in the semiconductor industry. MoUs for anti-corruption cooperation, MOU between audit institutions on both sides, the National Security Council Secretariats cooperation and health care and technical and vocational training. So those are the areas that we are looking at. Semiconductors, as you know, Malaysia has a very strong semiconductor ecosystem. Something like 30% of their exports relate to semiconductor and allied products. So, they have a really strong performance over many years in the area of semiconductors. They have almost 30-40 years experience in those areas. So, we are in the process of establishing a multi-layered collaboration arrangement through a G2G MoU, semiconductor industry-led collaborations and also R&D, both in terms of setting up fabrication centers, also assembly testing centers etc. Our companies are also interested in collaborating with Malaysia. Once the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was agreed on, a joint task force was set up to try and flesh out the various elements listed under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership declaration and various joint working groups under the overall bilateral umbrella are working to try and identify areas for collaboration. These will be developed further to identify specific projects to take forward our cooperation in these areas. Some of the areas are very, very interesting. We are looking at DPI, we have already spoken, we are also looking at infrastructure projects such as railways. We are looking at renewable energy cooperation, DPI as an area, food security and agro-commodity trade, defense was something that we just spoke about. We are also looking at enhancing scholarships and setting up a center for Indian studies, Thiruvalluvar center for Indian studies. So, we have a lot of areas where we can collaborate. Question on Palm Oil. Jaise ki aap jaante hain Malaysia palm oil ka kaafi bada supplier hai. Palm oil cultivation ki bhi discussions chal rahi hain aur hamari jo Ministry of Agriculture hai unhone propose kiya hai ki hum Malaysian Palm Oil Board and Palm Oil Council ke saath collaborate karein aur cooperation karne ke liye kuch projects nikalein. [Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] As you know, Malaysia is a major supplier of palm oil. Discussions are also ongoing on palm oil cultivation, and our Ministry of Agriculture has proposed that we collaborate with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board and the Palm Oil Council, and initiate certain projects for cooperation. One final question on Malaysia's comments. We had this parliamentary delegation visit Malaysia soon after Operation SINDOOR. The Malaysian side engaged us quite actively. We had discussions at multiple levels, and it included ministers, members of parliament, think tanks, members of the Indian community. And we had an opportunity to try and explain to various interlocutors our position on terrorism, the kind of steps we take as part of our counter-terrorism activity and why a lot of it is something that requires a strong response from us from time to time because of provocations caused by cross-border terrorism. Prashant, Asianet News: Sir, I am Prashant from Asianet News. Sir, what is the status of this India-ASEAN agreement? There was a report that it will be concluded by 2025 December, there was a timeline that was decided earlier. So, what is the status now on this goods agreement? Dhairya, Sputnik India: Sir, when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was in India, India extended its support for Malaysia's BRICS membership. Malaysia eventually became a BRICS member country. India holds a BRICS presidency this year. So, will there be some discussion on, you know, on the way forward? Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Okay, like you asked, yes, there was an original timeframe set that we will try and complete the AITIGA review by the end of 2025. Unfortunately, we were not able to try and address all the issues that we needed to during discussions with all our ASEAN partners. My understanding is that it will take a few more months for us to clinch that. We hope to be able to do it as early as possible but as of now, there is still work left on that, and we will continue to press ahead with completing the review successfully. On BRICS, Malaysia is currently a BRICS partner country. And, as of now, the understanding I have is that there is no immediate initiative to expand the BRICS membership. We've just had a round of expansion. The membership is currently 11 countries. From what I have gathered, the general feeling in BRICS is that it is a time to consolidate after a round of expansion, and to make sure that the new members are fully integrated into the various BRICS structures. I think only then we will be talking about a further round of expansion. So, I don't see any next round of expansion happening anytime soon. Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you sir. With that ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your presence. We come to the close of this press briefing. Thank you. Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Thank you. New Delhi February 05, 2026 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran seizes two vessels smuggling fuel in Persian Gulf IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 5, 2026 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran has seized two fuel-smuggling vessels near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf, uncovering more than one million liters of smuggled fuel. According to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy, the two seized vessels were involved in organized fuel smuggling operations in the waters surrounding Farsi Island. Authorities reported that over one million liters of smuggled fuel were discovered aboard the seized vessels. Additionally, 15 foreign crew members were detained and handed over to judicial authorities for legal proceedings. Officials noted that the vessels had been operating as part of a coordinated smuggling network over recent months. Following intelligence monitoring, surveillance, and operational tracking, IRGC naval forces identified and intercepted the vessels, bringing the illegal operation to a halt. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Araghchi: Nuclear talks with US slated for Friday in Oman IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 5, 2026 Tehran, IRNA -- Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that Iran-US talks on the nuclear issue are scheduled for Friday in Muscat, Oman. "Nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in Muscat on about 10 a.m. Friday," Araghchi wrote in a post on his X account on Wednesday evening. The top Iranian diplomat added that he is grateful to the Omani brothers for all the necessary arrangements. 2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC Navy seizes two fuel smuggling vessels in Persian Gulf Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 February 2026 2:16 PM The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has announced the seizure of two fuel smuggling vessels near Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. In a statement released on Thursday, IRGC said during the operation, more than one million liters of smuggled fuel were discovered aboard the two vessels. The statement added that 15 foreign crew members were detained and handed over to judicial authorities for legal proceedings. The vessels had reportedly been operating as part of an organized fuel smuggling network over recent months. The IRGC Navy said the operation was carried out following intelligence monitoring, surveillance, and tracking by its naval forces, which led to the identification and seizure of the vessels. Iran has stepped up efforts to curb the smuggling of its oil products in the Persian Gulf. The products, mainly motor fuels, are illegally shipped to Arab states in the region, where fuel prices can be more than 20 times higher than those inside Iran. Officials in Iran assert that intensified efforts to combat fuel smuggling have dealt a serious blow to organized smuggling networks and their financial resources. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's UN envoy rejects military option against Iran, calls for diplomacy Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 February 2026 10:39 AM Russia's United Nations ambassador has strongly rejected any military options against Iran, warning such actions could destabilize the entire region, while stressing Moscow's readiness to support diplomacy without imposing itself as a mediator. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, on Thursday stressed that the use of force against Iran by the West - the United States in particular - would have grave regional consequences and must be avoided. "We hope that the United States and its allies will resort to wisdom and behave more constructively. Any military solutions are unacceptable, dangerous and may trigger regional consequences," he told Russian journalists. Nebenzya added that pressure on the Islamic Republic intensified earlier this year, noting that "the campaign to 'denigrate' Iran continued with renewed vigor." The Russian envoy recalled that on January 15, "at the request of the United States, a Security Council meeting was organized and Western delegations' statements predictably boiled down solely to accusations against Tehran." According to Nebenzya, Russia and other members redirected the debate, stressing that "the real threats to international peace and security come from ... blatant threats to use force against Iran and interference in its internal affairs." Russia not imposing itself as mediator between Iran, US: Lavrov Separately on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is not seeking a mediating role between Iran, Israel, and the United States, but remains deeply concerned by the risks of escalation. "Right now, we are not imposing ourselves as mediators to Iran, Israel, or the United States. In our contacts with them, we are simply discussing the situation," he said in an interview with RT, adding that Iran is "our close partner and neighbor" and that the situation is "explosive not only for Iran itself, but also for the entire Middle East." Russia's top diplomat also emphasized, "The Iranians and Israelis know that we are ready to help implement any agreements, should they be reached." Lavrov's comments came as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States were scheduled to take place in the Omani capital Muscat on Friday morning. US President Donald Trump had said on January 26 that a "massive armada" was heading toward Iran and urged Tehran to make a nuclear deal. Five rounds of US-Iran nuclear talks in 2025 ended without agreement after Israel launched military aggression against Iran and the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities. According to Iranian media reports, the negotiations would focus exclusively on Iran's peaceful nuclear energy program and the lifting of sanctions, with no discussion of other issues. Araghchi is expected to lead the Iranian delegation, which will include his deputies Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Kazem Gharibabadi. The US will be represented by White House special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the reports. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fragile US-Iran Talks Salvaged For Oman Summit By RFE/RL February 05, 2026 In a dramatic reversal that has kept global markets and regional allies on edge, the United States and Iran have confirmed they will move forward with high-stakes negotiations in Muscat on February 6. The talks, which appeared to have collapsed late on February 4, represent what is largely seen as a last-chance effort to avert a major military escalation in the Persian Gulf. The path to the Omani capital was anything but smooth. After a dispute over the venue and the agenda -- with Tehran pushing for a bilateral meeting in Oman and Washington initially insisting on a multilateral summit involving regional powers in Turkey -- the Trump administration briefly called off the engagement. However, following a flurry of "high-level" messages from at least nine regional partners, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the White House relented. While the United States agreed to the change of scenery to Muscat, senior officials emphasized that the change in location does not signal a change in resolve. Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on February 4 that "nuclear talks" were set to be held in Muscat at 10 a.m. local time. A White House official later confirmed to RFE/RL that the meeting would go ahead. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Washington on February 4, made it clear that the United States is not interested in a narrow "nuclear-only" conversation. Rubio confirmed that while the White House is prepared to engage, it has set a high bar for what constitutes a successful meeting. "In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include the range of their ballistic missiles, their sponsorship of terror organizations, and the treatment of their own people," Rubio told reporters. Rubio also drew a sharp line between the Iranian leadership and the public, particularly in the wake of last month's bloody crackdown on nationwide, antiestablishment protests. "The leadership of Iran at the clerical level does not reflect the people of Iran," he said. "I know of no other country where there's a bigger difference between the people that lead the country and the people who live there." 'Weird' Country To Talk To US Vice President JD Vance echoed Rubio's skepticism, highlighting the inherent difficulty of negotiating with a country where the ultimate decision-maker remains behind a curtain of clerical authority. In a February 4 interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, Vance described the diplomatic dance as "absurd," pointing out that unlike other world powers, the United States cannot simply call the person truly in charge. "It's a very weird country to conduct diplomacy with when you can't even talk to the person who's in charge," Vance said, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic, as Iran's supreme leader, Khamenei has not left the country and has almost exclusively met with leaders of country that are either friendly toward Tehran or otherwise not deemed overtly hostile. As US envoy Steve Witkoff prepares to meet Araqchi, the atmosphere remains combustible. The United States continues to bolster its military presence in the region, and Iran warns that any strike will result in a regional war. Vance warned that while the Trump prefers a nonmilitary resolution, the clock is ticking. "If [Trump] feels like the military is the only option, then he's ultimately going to choose that option," he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-iran-talks-oman- summitvance-rubio-khamenei/33670262.html Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump May Choose Military Option on Iran If Diplomacy Fails - Vance Sputnik News 20260205 US Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump will "keep his options open" on Iran, pursue "non-military means" first, and could ultimately use force. "If he feels like the military is the only option, then he's ultimately going to choose that option," Vance told US journalist Megyn Kelly. "Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. That is the stated policy goal of the president of the United States," he insisted. Vance added that the US would work with "China and Russia and any country" to reduce the number of nuclear weapons worldwide. On February 4, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the nuclear talks between Iran and the United States are scheduled to take place in Omani capital of Muscat on February 6. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Vice FM Miao Deyu meets with Iranian counterpart, says China supports Iran in safeguarding sovereignty, opposes unilateral bullying Global Times By Global Times Published: Feb 06, 2026 03:59 PM Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu met with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi in Beijing on Thursday, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Gharibabadi briefed the Chinese side on Iran' s domestic situation and the latest developments related to the Iranian nuclear issue, stressing that Iran is committed to resolving relevant issues through diplomatic means and is willing to advance negotiations on the basis of fairness and justice, according to a readout on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Gharibabadi said Iran opposes external deterrence and pressure, appreciated China' s contributions to safeguarding regional and world peace and stability, and welcomed China to play a greater role in this regard, according to the readout. Miao outlined China' s principled position on the Iran issue, saying that China is closely following developments in Iran and supports Iran in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and national dignity, as well as its legitimate rights and interests. China opposes unilateral bullying and the use of force and pressure in international relations, and opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs, Mao said, noting that China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with all parties, including Iran, to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, safeguard the principle of sovereign equality, and defend international fairness and justice. The two sides also exchanged views on cooperation between China and Iran in various fields. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese, Iranian diplomats meet before US-Iran nuclear talk; move reflects Teheran's willingness to seek intl support: Chinese expert Global Times By Fan Anqi and Xu Yelu Published: Feb 05, 2026 11:41 PM Just a day before nuclear talks between Iran and the US is set to take place in Oman, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin met with visiting Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi on Thursday, as the two sides focused their discussions on exchanging views regarding the current situation of the Iran nuclear issue. The Chinese side reiterated its advocacy for the peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue, while stressing that China supports Iran's legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. According to a readout released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday, Liu said China has consistently advocated for the peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue through political and diplomatic means, and opposes threats of force and pressure through sanctions. Liu noted that China supports Iran's legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and takes note of Iran's repeated reaffirmations that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. China will continue to work with the international community to promote the proper resolution of the Iran nuclear issue, the Chinese diplomat said. Gharibabadi expressed appreciation for China's objective and impartial stance on the Iran nuclear issue and expressed willingness to maintain communication and coordination with China, per the readout. According to Iranian state news agency IRNA, Gharibabadi said the talks "are expected to focus on issues of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation." Qin Tian, a deputy director of the Institute of Middle East Studies of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Thursday that Gharibabadi's visit, which comes a day before the nuclear talks with the US, reflects Iran's willingness to actively seek international support to counter US pressure through diplomacy, as the country's overall strength still lag far behind that of the US, making it difficult to withstand the risks of large-scale war. To that end, Iran is engaging with regional countries and major world powers to maintain a united strategic posture, Qin said. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership. At this juncture, the deputy foreign minister's visit is expected to consolidate and promote cooperation, including in areas such as trade and energy, Qin said. Reuters reported on Wednesday that the US and Iran have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday, officials for both sides said, even as they remained at odds over Washington's insistence that negotiations include Tehran's missile arsenal and Iran's vow to discuss only its nuclear program. The delicate diplomatic effort comes amid heightened tensions as the US builds up forces in the Middle East and regional players seek to avoid a military confrontation that many fear could escalate into a wider war, the report said. China has repeatedly made its stance clear on the situation in Iran. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on January 14 that China hopes the Iranian government and people will overcome the current difficulties and uphold stability in the country. "We oppose external interference in other countries' internal affairs, object to the use or threat of force in international relations, and hope parties will act in ways conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East," she said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraq - Contracted Logistical Services for VACIS XPL Passenger Vehicle Scanning Systems NEWS | Feb. 5, 2026 Media/Public Contact: T_Outreach_PM@state.gov Transmittal No. 25-90 WASHINGTON, February 5, 2026 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Iraq of Contracted Logistical Services for VACIS XPL Passenger Vehicle Scanning Systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $90 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of Iraq has requested the extension of Contracted Logistical Services (CLS), including 24/7 help desk service, for two years in support of the Ministry of Interior's VACIS XPL passenger vehicle scanning systems; corrective and preventive maintenance; spare and repair parts; software updates, remote monitoring; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $90 million. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a partner country that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Middle East. The proposed sale will improve Iraq's capability to meet current and future threats by providing continuation of CLS for these scanning systems, enabling border forces to detect the inflow of weapons; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents; narcotics; and other forms of contraband at Iraq's borders. Iraq will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The principal contractor will be Leidos, located in Reston, VA. At this time, the U.S. Government is not aware of any offset agreement proposed in connection with this potential sale. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor. Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Iraq. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded. All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Political-Military Affairs Outreach team, at T_Outreach_PM@state.gov. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel Ministry of Defense Signs Approx $130 Million Deal with Elbit Systems to Integrate Israeli Systems on CH-53K Helicopters Israel Ministry of Defense 5/2/2026 As part of the preparations for receiving the CH-53K "Pereh" helicopters, the Defense Procurement Directorate (DPD) within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) has signed a deal with Elbit Systems to integrate advanced Israeli technologies, including command and control, avionics, and electronic warfare systems, and the advanced anti-missile DIRCM system, on the 12 new helicopters expected to replace the IDF's aging "Yas'ur" helicopters. The deal, led by the Deputy Director of the DPD for Air and Sea Procurement, is valued at approximately $130 million (over NIS 400 million). The CH-53K helicopters were purchased through a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement signed several years ago between the IMOD and the U.S. government. The helicopters are manufactured by Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky and are currently in the assembly process at the main production facility in Connecticut. Upon completion of assembly, the helicopters are expected to move to a dedicated installation and production line established for adapting the American-configuration helicopters to Israeli systems tailored to the operational requirements defined by the Israeli Air Force (IAF). The integration of Israeli systems is expected to enhance the cockpit environment, enable flight in challenging conditions, and support the identification of safe landing zones and obstacles. Defense Minister Israel Katz: "This deal marks a major milestone in strengthening the IDF and securing the Israeli Air Force's operational edge for years ahead. Integrating cutting-edge Israeli systems into the world's most advanced heavy-lift helicopter ensures these platforms are fully adapted to Israel's unique combat requirements. We remain committed to advancing domestic 'blue-and-white' defense production and incorporating Israeli industries into strategic programs, ensuring production independence, supply continuity, and operational superiority for our forces." IMOD Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram: "The CH-53K helicopters are a key part of the multi-year procurement program the Ministry is pursuing alongside the IDF for fighter squadrons, helicopters, tankers, and various armaments that will define the IDF's force structure for the coming decade and beyond. Integrating Israeli technologies into the world's most advanced heavy-lift helicopter demonstrates the technological edge of Israel's defense industries and the significant potential of incorporating Israeli systems into cutting-edge aircraft platforms." Elbit Systems President and CEO, Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis: "We are honored to take part in the flagship project to upgrade the helicopter fleet and to support the complex needs of the Air Force, through Elbit's most advanced systems, which will be integrated into the new CH-53K helicopters. These systems, representing the forefront of Elbit's proven technology, are tailored to the Air Force's requirements and provide an optimal advanced technological envelope for mission execution and for ensuring pilot safety." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address State Minister for Foreign Affairs HORII's meeting with Under Secretary of State of the United States and the members of the United States Congress Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan February 5, 2026 From February 4 to February 5 (Local time February 3 to 4), Mr. HORII Iwao, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, traveling to Washington, D.C., the United States, to attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by the Secretary of State of the United States, exchanged views with Under Secretary of State of the United States and the members of the United States Congress. State Minister HORII held talks with Ms. Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States of America and exchanged views on a wide range of international affairs, as well as on enhancing Japan-U.S. cooperation regarding critical materials etc. State Minister HORII met with Senator Pete Ricketts, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, Senator Chris Coons, Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, Representative Young Kim, Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Representative Ami Bera, Ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Representative Diana DeGette, and exchanged views with each of the legislators on further strengthening of the Japan-U.S. Alliance and confirmed the importance of multilayered Japan-U.S. exchanges, including exchanges among legislators. Also, State Minister HORII stated that he welcomed the fact that the resolutions reaffirming unwavering support for the Japan-U.S. Alliance were submitted in both the Senate and House. State Minister HORII also conveyed his appreciation in person to Senator Bill Hagerty and Representative Andy Barr, both of whom are co-sponsors of the resolutions, and Representative Don Bacon. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address His Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, along with senior ministers paid an official visit to Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS) as part of his visit to Pakistan. Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan Rawalpindi - February 05, 2026 No PR-39/2026-ISPR His Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, along with senior ministers paid an official visit to Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS) as part of his visit to Pakistan. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), HJ, COAS & CDF warmly received the Honourable President and the delegation and conducted them during the visit to the facility. During the visit, the President was briefed on the diverse portfolio of GIDS encompassing advanced defence solutions, industrial capabilities, and technological innovations. The delegation toured key facilities and witnessed various defence products reflecting Pakistan's growing expertise in indigenous defence production and industrial development. The visit underscored the shared commitment of Pakistan and Uzbekistan to deepen collaboration in defence, technology, and industrial sectors. Both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing partnerships, knowledge exchange and joint ventures. The visit marked a significant step toward strengthening bilateral ties and exploring multifarious avenues of cooperation between Pakistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spokesperson's Press Briefing (February 5, 2026) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea Date: 2026-02-05 Press Briefing Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Affairs Park Il February 5, 2026 14:30 KST Good afternoon. Let me start today's briefing. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoonjoo will hold the second ROK-Italy Strategic Dialogue with Italy's Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Maria Tripodi on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 11. The two countries established the Strategic Partnership in 2018 and launched the vice-ministerial strategic dialogue. The upcoming meeting will be the second of its kind, following the first held in 2020. Italy is Korea's fourth-largest trading partner within the EU and a key partner in Europe, visited by approximately one million Korean people each year. On January 19, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited Korea, becoming the first European leader to do so since the launch of the new Korean government and the first Italian prime minister to visit in 19 years. At this strategic dialogue, which will be convened again after a six-year hiatus, the two sides will engage in in-depth discussions, based on the agreements reached at last month's summit, on ways to faithfully implement follow-up measures and further strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade and investment, advanced industries, and science and technology, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges. (A question-and-answer session followed.) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Estonia will close nighttime traffic at the southern road border crossings for three months starting 24 February Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 05.02.2026 | 17:59 Due to border incidents originating from Russia, the government today made a preliminary decision to close nighttime traffic at the Southern Luhamaa and Koidula road border crossing points on the Estonian-Russian border for three months. Closing the border crossings at night will allow more resources to be directed to border protection. According to the government plan, the Luhamaa and Koidula road border crossings will be closed to all traffic during nighttime hours starting on 24 February. During the daytime, the border crossings will remain open for 12 hours. Prime Minister Kristen Michal noted that Russia's ongoing disruptive actions at the border cannot be ignored. "As Russia's behavior at the border is at times irrational, we need to free up resources to guard the border. For three months, starting on 24 February, we will reduce the opening hours of the border crossings and close them at night in response to the need to keep a closer watch on the border elsewhere. Full customs control in the direction of Russia will also continue. Further decisions will be made based on security needs and the situation at the border," Michal said. Minister of the Interior Igor Taro noted that the conduct of Russian border guards requires constant resources and additional attention from the Police and Border Guard Board. "By cutting nighttime working hours at the border crossings, we can make better use of our officers where they are most needed." The minister added that the decision initially applies for three months, after which the situation will be reassessed and further steps decided. Taro also noted that scaling back the operation of border crossings on the Estonian-Russian border is a logical step in a situation where border crossings have decreased significantly and are unlikely to return to previous levels. "Compared to 2018, the number of border crossings has decreased by approximately fivefold. While 5.3 million people crossed the eastern border in 2018, in 2025 the number was 1,084,320," the minister said. The highest traffic was recorded at the Narva border crossing (626,470 crossings), followed by Luhamaa (239,542) and Koidula (213,910). In 2025, a total of 239,542 people entered and exited the country via the Luhamaa border crossing. Of these, 41% were citizens of the European Union, including 9% Estonian and 18.5% Latvian citizens, and 59% were citizens of third countries, including 31% Russian citizens. In 2025, a total of 213,910 people entered and exited the country via the Koidula border crossing. Of these, 59% were citizens of European Union member states, including 46% Estonian citizens, and 41% were citizens of third countries, including 28% Russian citizens. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New START's end raises alarm over return of US-Russia nuclear rivalry Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 February 2026 8:08 AM The impending expiration of the New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, has heightened fears that decades of fragile restraint are giving way to a more dangerous, unregulated nuclear era. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as New START, was signed in 2010 to cap the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads for each party to 1,550 and to introduce transparency through data exchanges, notifications and on-site inspections. Its expiration on Thursday effectively closes the chapter on bilateral arms control cooperation that helped stabilize relations after the Cold War. New START followed the original START treaty of 1991 between the US and the Soviet Union, which barred each side from deploying more than 6,000 warheads. Although Russia suspended its participation in New START three years ago amid tensions over the Ukraine war, both countries were still believed to be observing its limits. The treaty's end comes after a series of abandoned arms control agreements, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty, and the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, all of which once imposed checks on military deployments across Europe. British Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the former head of the armed forces, has warned that the system that once kept global security in check "now risks unravelling", calling the breakdown of arms control frameworks "one of the most dangerous aspects of our current global security", alongside "the increasing prominence of nuclear weapons." Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who signed New START in 2010, said its expiration should "alarm everyone". A senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin also said on Wednesday that the Kremlin would "act in a measured manner and responsibly." The Russian foreign ministry later stated that "in the current circumstances, we assume that the parties to the New START are no longer bound by any obligations", adding that Russia "remains ready to take decisive military-technical measures to counter potential additional threats to the national security." Pope Leo, for his part, urged both Washington and Moscow on Wednesday to renew the agreement, warning that the global climate demanded "calls for doing everything possible to avert a new arms race." "I urge you not to abandon this instrument without seeking to ensure that it is followed up in a concrete and effective manner," he stressed. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also called on the US and Russia to quickly sign a new nuclear arms control deal, warning that the existing treaty expired in a "grave moment for international peace and security." "For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals of ... the two states that possess the overwhelming majority of the global stockpile of nuclear weapons," the UN chief noted in a statement on Wednesday. By contrast, US President Donald Trump has shown little urgency. "If it expires, it expires... We'll just do a better agreement," he told The New York Times last month. Washington argues that any future deal must include China, while Moscow insists that France and the United Kingdom should also be part of new limits. Analysts say both the US and Russia are modernizing their nuclear forces, effectively fueling an arms race already underway. With nuclear weapons gaining renewed prominence and no breakthrough from talks such as Trump and Putin's Alaska meeting last year, New START's end signals a more volatile and dangerous phase in global security. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at a presentation of the Perm Territory, Moscow, February 5, 2026 5 February 2026 18:18 142-05-02-2026 Mr Makhonin, Your Excellency, Ladies and gentlemen, Friends, I am pleased to welcome everyone to the presentation of the Perm Territory, the first presentation of a Russian region this year. The Perm Territory is an industrially advanced and distinctive region with strong economic, investment and tourism potential, a fascinating history and culture, and diverse natural resources. In earlier times, these lands were known as Greater Perm. Yermak set out on his trail from here. His expedition marked the beginning of the development of Siberia. The local Stroganov princes supplied table salt to the Russian state, while the factories of the Demidov princes laid the foundations of the Ural metallurgical industry. At the Perm enterprises, the people of the Western Urals and mobilised labour from the Soviet Central Asian republics worked hard with utmost dedication to bring nearer Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The Kama Region carries on glorious arms-making traditions of its ancestors. New types of weapons are developed here, and critical equipment and materiel for the country's defence complex, including for the special military operation, are produced. Russia can take pride in the fact that Perm designers are creating and refining modern domestic aircraft engines using the most advanced technologies in the process. Thanks to the support provided by the regional government and the provision of tax breaks, the IT sector is making wide strides. More than 1,500 IT companies operate successfully in the region, playing an important role in the digital transformation of the Russian economy and public administration. The region boasts rich mineral reserves, including oil and gas, mineral salts and coal, as well as gold and diamonds. More than 1,500 deposits of 53 types of mineral resources have been explored. Chemical enterprises in the region account for 97 percent of Russia's total output of potassium fertiliser and are major taxpayers, including owing to exports revenue. The Kama Region is effectively developing foreign economic and international ties. We endeavour to support our friends in this regard. Today, the region's trading partners include 124 countries. The Perm Territory is implementing major projects with a total investment amounting to around 630 billion roubles. The regional leadership and the Governor are committed to expanding contacts with friendly countries. I have just discussed this with Governor Makhonin in relation to plans for the current year. The region boasts major scientific and educational potential and uses it to export Russia's higher education. More than 5,500 foreign students from 60 countries study at 17 higher learning institutions in the region. The most sought-after specialisations include biotechnology, pharmacology, chemistry, and mechanical engineering. Perm universities are actively engaged internationally and are maintaining ties with their partners from China and the countries of Central Asia and Africa. With the support of the All-Russian political party United Russia, international public and political hearings were held in Perm in May 2025 to support President Putin's initiative to form a Eurasian architecture of equal and indivisible security. The event, in which I had the pleasure of taking part, brought together over 300 foreign participants, including parliamentarians and representatives of leading political parties and business and expert circles from over 30 countries. A decision has been made (which I also discussed with Governor Makhonin) to make this format an annual occurrence. The Foreign Ministry will provide support for this initiative, including in preparations for the forum this year. The Western Urals region is renowned for its geographical and natural diversity. Perm and the surrounding territories are popular with the Russian and foreign tourists. The natural beauty and rich history of Perm land have been celebrated by major Russian writers and poets, including Pavel Bazhov, Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak, and Boris Pasternak, to name a few. A large number of cultural and public events are held in the Kama Region, and the festival movement is making strides as well. I would especially note the internationally renowned Perm Ballet and the Diaghilev Festival, which each year becomes a focal point for cultural figures from around the world. In 2025, Perm was designated as Russia's Youth Capital. This means that the city is looking to the future in every sense, providing comprehensive assistance and support to young people and families. You could see from the exhibition and the video presentation that the Perm Territory has achieved significant success and has considerable potential for continued development. I take comfort in knowing that the regional government is focused on establishing new ties, attracting investment, modernising the industry and agriculture, and expanding international cultural and humanitarian exchanges. Once again, I would like to confirm that our Ministry takes great pleasure in providing, and will continue to provide, support for all these initiatives. This kind of regional contributions form the material foundation of our diplomatic activity. You are welcome to familiarise yourselves with the traditions of the Urals, to discuss new areas of cooperation that are of interest to the countries you represent, and to fully appreciate the advantages of the Perm Territory. Thank you and I now give the floor to Perm Territory Governor Dmitry Makhonin, who will speak in greater detail about the life of the region and its plans. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's upcoming talks with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Federal Councillor of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu 5 February 2026 11:30 137-05-02-2026 On February 6, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to hold talks in Moscow with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Federal Councillor of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis and OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu (Turkiye). Sergey Lavrov's previous meeting with Ignazio Cassis and Feridun Sinirlioglu took place in New York in September 2025 on the sidelines of the high-level week as part of the UN General Assembly's 80th session. Elected by the organisation's members for one calendar year, the OSCE's chairmanship-in-office is tasked with coordinating the activities and holding consultations on current matters, appointing the heads of field missions and special representatives on conflicts and various issues, as well as holding meetings of the OSCE's decision-making bodies and other events. The country assuming the OSCE chairmanship must focus on consensus-based approaches and take into account the diversity of opinions as expressed by member states as well as strictly adhere to the mandate of the chairmanship as set out in the decision of the 2002 OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Porto titled "The role of the OSCE chairmanship-in-office" and the Permanent Council Decision No. 845 dated 2002 titled "OSCE statements and public information." Considering the current situation within the OSCE, it can hardly play any role in ensuring security within the new multipolar world order. There is no doubt that the OSCE could benefit from taking into account the experience of associations such as the SCO, BRICS and the CIS, where countries have been guided by the principles of equality and mutual support. The talks will focus on overcoming the deep crisis the OSCE is currently experiencing. It results from the destructive actions by some Western countries, who have been seeking to exploit the OSCE in the pursuit of their vested interests, including by unleashing an anti-Russian hysteria. Finland was proactive in encouraging this posture during its chairmanship-in-office in 2025. It failed to fulfil its mandate as an honest broker. In particular, nothing was done to bring the three security dimensions - politico-military, economic and environmental, and humanitarian - back to normal. There has been virtually no progress along these tracks since 2022 which is attributable to an almost total Ukrainisation of the OSCE agenda. Russia intends to discuss the prospects for addressing the existing problems while respecting the interests of all the participating countries. The OSCE has not engaged its mandate or fulfilled its potential in the politico-military dimension. Cooperation across the whole spectrum of transnational threats has never fallen so low. Russia expects the OSCE to revive its traditional conferences on counter-terrorism, fighting drug trafficking and on law enforcement matters, as well as meetings on border security and cooperation between police agencies. During the meeting, participants will pay special attention to the OSCE's economic and environmental dimension, which is designed to harmonise the interests of the participating states in the corresponding sectors. Russia will stress that it is unacceptable to use tools pertaining to the second basket when assessing environmental damage in Ukraine and promoting manifestly confrontational positions such as subjecting climate-related matters to the security agenda. The meeting's agenda also calls for assessing the situation in the humanitarian dimension. It remains the most politicised domain and still suffers from obvious thematic and geographical biases by giving priority to neo-liberal values which are far removed from the priorities of a majority of participating states. The Foreign Minister will focus on the most recent issues within the OSCE space, i.e., countering the manifestations of neo-Nazism, preventing the falsification of history and media censorship, defending traditional values, the rights of believers and ethnic minorities. Sergey Lavrov also intends to point out there has been a tendency for over three years now to replace OSCE's key events, including the Humanitarian Segment of the OSCE Review Conference, with formats operating outside of the consensus rule. Russia's substantive objections regarding the work of OSCE's humanitarian institutions, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Representative on Freedom of the Media, have yet to be addressed. Their respective heads have not been able to resist the Western political pressure. The ODIHR stands out in this regard for its blatantly partial electoral monitoring practices in the countries east of Vienna and the fact that it drafts its opinions in advance to meet someone's expectations, while also publishing partisan anti-Russia reports on the violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Ukraine. The participants will also discuss the OSCE's funding and whether its 2026 Unified Budget can be approved. Russia will draw the Chairperson-in-Office's attention to the need to address Russia's obvious underrepresentation in senior political roles within the OSCE, as well as the need to ensure that Russian candidates are treated in an impartial manner. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New START Expires, Russia Assesses It Negatively - Kremlin Sputnik News 20260205 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The New START (New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) expires, Russia assesses this negatively and expresses regret in this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "The agreement expires. We assess this negatively, and we regret this," Peskov told reporters when asked how the Kremlin sees the further development of the START Treaty. Russia's initiative on the treaty remained unanswered, the official said, adding that it will expire on February 5, at end of the day. Russian negotiators in Abu Dhabi are promptly reporting to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Peskov said. "Of course, our delegation promptly reports to the head of state," Peskov told reporters. The negotiations on settlement in Ukraine in Abu Dhabi are continuing and currently it is too early to sum up their results, Peskov added. Putin's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leader's talks with US President Donald Trump took place separately, Peskov said. "Yesterday, president Putin spoke with president Xi, and then president Xi spoke separately with president Trump. These were different conversations," Peskov told reporters, adding that the Russian side was aware that Xi would hold talks with Trump. The New START (New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was mentioned in the conversation between Putin and Xi in terms of negative consequences for the international system, the official said. "You know that our Chinese friends take the position that their nuclear potential is not comparable to that of the United States and Russia, and therefore they do not want to participate in the negotiations, they consider it inappropriate. We respect this position," Peskov added. The different versions about the possible connection of US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case with the Russian special services can be commented on as much as people want to, but not in a serious way, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. "Anything but serious. Many jokes come to mind about such versions," Peskov told reporters, commenting on how the Kremlin could comment on the Western media's version that Russian intelligence services were behind Epstein's activities The Kremlin will neither confirm nor deny reports about the alleged visit of French President Emmanuel Macron's adviser to Moscow out of solidarity with the Elysee Palace, Dmitry Peskov said. On Wednesday, media reported that the French president's diplomatic adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, paid a working visit to Moscow. "We also know that the Elysee Palace has neither denied nor confirmed this information. Out of solidarity, we will neither confirm nor deny this either," Peskov told reporters. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Returns 157 Soldiers From Ukrainian Captivity, 157 POWs Return to Ukraine - MoD Sputnik News 20260205 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has returned 157 soldiers from Ukrainian captivity, another 157 prisoners of war of the Ukrainian armed forces have been transferred in return, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "On February 5, 157 Russian servicepeople were returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In return, 157 prisoners of war of the armed forces of Ukraine were transferred,' the ministry said in a statement. Ukraine also returned to Russia three residents of the Kursk Region that have been illegally detained by Kiev, the ministry said. "The United Arab Emirates and the United States provided humanitarian mediation efforts during the return of Russian servicepeople from captivity," the statement read. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Ukraine and US Agreed to Exchange 314 Prisoners - Witkoff Sputnik News 20260205 Russia, Ukraine and the United States have agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said. "Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisonersthe first such exchange in five months," Witkoff wrote on X. While significant work remains, he noted that steps like this show sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and helping advance efforts to end the crisis in Ukraine, adding that discussions will continue with further progress expected in the coming weeks. Witkoff also noted that significant work still lies ahead, but said the agreement shows that diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results. The second round of negotiations on Ukraine within the framework of the trilateral group began in the UAE capital on Wednesday, with representatives from Russia, the United States and Ukraine taking part. On Thursday, the second day of talks got under way. The previous negotiations of the trilateral working group on security issues in Abu Dhabi were held from January 23-24. Earlier on Thursday, the Russian president's special representative and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, said there is progress and positive momentum in work on a peace agreement on Ukraine. "There is definitely progress. There is good, positive movement forward," Dmitriev told journalists. Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that it is still too early to draw conclusions from the ongoing Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi, but members of the Russian delegation are promptly reporting developments to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan's submarine prototype continues submerged tests ROC Central News Agency 02/05/2026 03:06 PM Kaohsiung, Feb. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's indigenous defense submarine (IDS), Hai Kun (), sailed from a shipyard in the southern port city of Kaohsiung on Thursday morning for its latest round of submerged tests, one week after a previous round was deemed successful. The prototype, known as Narwhal in English, was spotted heading out to sea from CSBC Corp., Taiwan, at around 8:30 a.m. for its third round of submerged testing. The latest test drew many military enthusiasts to Kaohsiung Harbor to show support for the IDS project. Among the crowd was military expert Chi Tung-yun (), who told CNA that the Hai Kun, a Taiwan Navy Dawu-class rescue and salvage ship, and a domestically made military-use unmanned surface vehicle (USV), Endeavor Manta, were also seen leaving port around the same time to accompany the IDS. Chi said he believes Thursday's tests again focused on shallow-water submerged trials at depths of under 100 meters, similar to the two previous rounds of tests conducted last month. The trial frequency suggests that the overall condition of the IDS has stabilized and that lengthy dry dock adjustments are no longer required before proceeding to subsequent tests, he added. In a Jan. 30 press release, the builder CSBC said it would continue testing the Hai Kun to ensure it meets the Navy's operational and combat needs. CSBC said last year that the shallow-depth tests are intended to verify the submarine's basic systems, followed by progressively deeper trials to assess performance under increasing pressure in deeper waters. (By Lin Chiao-liang and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China urges Lithuania to translate wish to improve ties into action, correct mistake on Taiwan question: FM Global Times By Global Times Published: Feb 06, 2026 03:54 PM China hopes Lithuania will translate its wish to improve bilateral relations into concrete actions, correct its mistakes as soon as possible, return to the right track of earnestly adhering to the one-China principle, in order to create necessary conditions for the normalization of China-Lithuania relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday, in response to a question whether China considers fully restoring diplomatic ties with Lithuania and what conditions need to be met for the restoration of relations after Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Tuesday that allowing Taiwan regional authorities to establish a so-called "Taiwan representative office" in its capital Vilnius was a strategic mistake. Lin made the remarks at a regular press conference on Friday. He said China has repeatedly expounded its position on China-Lithuania relations on multiple occasions. The door to communication between China and Lithuania remains open, the spokesperson said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan ROC Ministry of National Defense 2026.02.06 Issuing AuthorityPolitical Warfare Bureau PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Date: 6 a.m. Feb. 5 (Thu.) to 6 a.m. Feb. 6 (Fri.) (UTC+8) 2.PLA activities: 8 sorties of PLA aircraft and 6 PLAN ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's southwestern and eastern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities. 1150206_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1150206_PLA air activities in the vicinity of Taiwan NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New UK-US partnership to drive investment and bolster critical minerals supply chains Press release The UK and US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on critical minerals in Washington DC. From: Department for Business and Trade, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Chris McDonald MP and Seema Malhotra MP Published 5 February 2026 New UK-US partnership will help secure supply chains of critical minerals, driving investment into UK projects. Partnership backs the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy, helping to shore up supplies of everyday products like smartphones, laptops and fridges. Foreign Office Minister Seema Malhotra signed partnership with US Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg at meeting of over 50 countries in Washington DC yesterday. UK businesses are set to receive a major boost, as the UK and US sign a partnership to secure supplies of critical minerals which power everyday essentials like smartphones and fridges. At a meeting of over 50 countries in Washington DC yesterday, Foreign Office Minister Seema Malhotra signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg to speed up efforts to secure the critical minerals needed to boost domestic production and power the industries of the future. This partnership follows the new Critical Minerals Strategy published last November, backed by up to 50 million of new funding to turbocharge domestic production and processing in critical minerals. Through the Strategy, the Government is taking decisive action to ensure no more than 60 percent of the UK's supply of any one critical mineral is imported from any one country by 2035. The new partnership will allow the UK and US to work closer together and encourage greater private investment in areas like mining and processing, helping crucial sectors like automotive, defence and clean energy in both countries get the minerals they need. Foreign Office Minister Seema Malhotra said: As demand for critical minerals around the world continues to rise, this Memorandum of Understanding with the United States underscores our commitment to working as close allies to build resilient, diversified global supply chains. This is an important step in safeguarding longterm economic growth at home and protecting the UK's interests around the world. Industry Minister Chris McDonald said: We need critical minerals for everything - from the phones we use to the cars we drive. This partnership with the United States will boost minerals projects across Britain and drive new investment into businesses. Our Critical Minerals Strategy stressed the importance of forming international partnerships to diversify our supplies of minerals, and this signing does exactly that. This is the latest step the Government has taken to secure the UK's supply of critical minerals, which are vital for economic growth, national security and powering the sectors of the future. Yesterday's signing adds to a growing list of countries the UK has signed critical mineral bilateral agreements with, including Australia and Canada. The critical minerals sector contributes 1.79 billion to the UK economy and directly supports over 50,000 jobs, while there are currently more than 50 critical mineral projects based in the UK aimed at extracting and refining these vital materials. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM call with President Trump of the United States: 5 February 2026 Press release The Prime Minister spoke with the President of the United States, Donald Trump today. From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP Published 5 February 2026 The Prime Minister spoke with the President of the United States, Donald Trump today. On Ukraine, the leaders discussed the ongoing peace negotiations. The Prime Minister expressed his deep concern about Putin's continued barbaric attacks on innocent civilians, particularly in freezing temperatures. They also agreed on the importance of the deal to secure the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia, which remains vital to shared security interests. The UK and US will continue to work closely on the implementation of the deal, they agreed. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine to gain access to 140 million in EU credit financing for dual-use technology development Ministry of Defence of Ukraine 4 February, 2026, 5:00 PM EET In Q1, Ukraine will gain access to 140 million in EU credit financing and 21 million in the form of an investment grant for projects supporting dual-use technologies. This was announced by Anna Gvozdiar, Adviser to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, following a Technical Meeting held under the Ukraine Investment Framework with the participation of the Government of Ukraine, DG ENEST, and partner financial institutions. The meeting resulted in agreement on the key parameters of the mechanism and funding volumes, as well as the development of the necessary intergovernmental agreements. Specific instruments to support Ukraine were also discussed during the roundtable "Ready to Support a Strong Partnership with Ukraine," which was attended by representatives of the EU and NATO. The event focused on developing solutions to ensure Ukraine's long-term resilience and strengthen Europe's defence capabilities. Speaking at the event, Anna Gvozdiar noted that Ukraine has progressed from emergency response toward the systematic build-up of defence capabilities. According to her, Ukraine has achieved a key shift from full reliance on external supplies to building its own defence-industrial capacity in partnership with allies. SAFE, EDIP, Build in Ukraine, Build with Ukraine, and the Danish model played an important role as a practical foundation for joint manufacturing projects. Particular attention was paid to security challenges and to enhanced cooperation during meetings with Kaja Kallas, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, representatives of EU institutions, and executives of leading European defence companies. The parties discussed Ukraine's role as a partner with unique experience in rapidly scaling its defence industry during wartime. A dedicated meeting with Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defence at the European External Action Service, was focused on the practical implementation of the agreements. The talks addressed coordination of EU defence initiatives, support for the development of Ukraine's defence industry, and implementation of the Ukraine Support Loan approved by EU member state leaders in December 2025. As part of the visit, Anna Gvozdiar also held a meeting with Camille Grand, Secretary General of the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association (ASD), and Micael Johansson, President of ASD. The parties agreed to establish a joint platform to enhance interaction and practical cooperation between Ukrainian and EU defence companies. It was also agreed to convene a separate joint meeting in the near future focused on launching and further developing this cooperation format NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two Estonian-funded construction projects opened this week in Ukraine Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 05.02.2026 | 17:06 Estonia's foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, officially opened two completed construction projects this week during his visit to Ukraine: a bomb shelter at an emergency centre for at-risk children and housing for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The opening of these two social infrastructure facilities confirms that Estonia not only supports Ukraine politically and militarily, but also makes a very practical contribution to improving the living conditions of Ukrainians suffering from aggression. "With its nearly four-year-long aggression against Ukraine, Russia is trying to gain territory and break the will of the Ukrainian people to fight and resist. Every day, they face systematic aerial terror against infrastructure and the civilian population aimed at completely destroying the country. Every reconstruction project improves the opportunities for Ukrainians to face the horrors of war and maintain the hope that is essential for success," said Estonia's Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna. Energy-efficient apartment building for 100 internally displaced persons At 2,700 m, the 36-unit apartment building for IDPs in Ovruch is one of the largest buildings the Estonian government has ever constructed outside its home territory. The building will house nearly 100 people who have lost their homes after being evacuated from eastern and southern Ukraine to the Zhytomyr Region. The building took two years to complete and cost two million euros. The budget covered the building's full-scale reconstruction, kitchen and bathroom furniture for the apartments, landscaping of the surrounding area, construction of access roads, and the renovation of an existing bomb shelter. Eurocon Ukraine, a subsidiary of the Estonian construction group Nordecon, carried out the works. Under project agreement, the city of Ovruch is obligated to maintain this building as a social housing facility in municipal ownership for at least 20 years. "There are over three million internally displaced people in Ukraine, whose lives have been irreversibly changed by the war. By constructing social housing in Ovruch, Estonia is contributing to the international effort to alleviate the housing crisis for internally displaced people and provide war refugees with the conditions to take root in new communities, contribute to local employment and the economy," said Margus Gering, Head of Europe and Ukraine Reconstruction at ESTDEV. Bomb shelter for 70 people A modern, multi-purpose shelter was also opened today with Estonian funding for Sunny House, an emergency centre for at-risk children in the Zhytomyr Region. The centre provides temporary accommodation and care for up to 50 children who have been left without parental care due to war-related trauma, domestic violence, neglect at home or parental alcoholism. Before the new bomb shelter was built, the children were forced to shelter in an old potato cellar during air raids. The new shelter has much better amenities, including a toilet, a shower, sleeping areas, functioning ventilation, and a play and study area, and can accommodate up to 70 people if necessary. The final budget for the bomb shelter construction was 511,000 euros, and the works were carried out by the Ukrainian construction company, Alexander & I, which has also partnered with ESTDEV to build family-style small group homes in Ukraine. "Since February 2022, Ukrainian children have had to grow up in constant fear and uncertainty, where air raids and taking shelter are not an exception, but an everyday reality. It is important for Estonia to help restore children's basic sense of security, so that they can look to the sky without fear and know that in case of danger, the shelter offers them a safe and supportive environment. The well-being and security of Ukrainian children is an investment in the future of the entire country," said Margus Gering. Currently, only 15% of bomb shelters in Ukraine meet modern safety standards. This project marks an important step in strengthening the protection of civilians during the ongoing war and supports reconstruction efforts across the country. Rebuilding Ukraine remains Estonia's highest priority in development cooperation. The implementation of social infrastructure projects enables Ukraine to accelerate its recovery and create the conditions necessary for successful European integration. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finland to send another package of defence materiel to Ukraine Finnish Ministry of Defence Ministry of Defence Publication date 5.2.2026 Finland will deliver its 32nd materiel assistance package to Ukraine. The President of the Republic decided on the matter on 5 February 2026 on the proposal of the Government. The overall value of the capabilities now delivered to Ukraine is around EUR 43 million. This time the package will include domestically-produced materiel that has been procured within the framework of the Ministry of Defence's programme to support Ukraine. The total value of the defence materiel Finland has delivered to Ukraine has already reached EUR 3.2 billion. "Finland will continue to support Ukraine by delivering defence materiel as planned. Besides our own support packages, we are also involved in several capability coalitions to build and strengthen Ukraine's own capabilities. We want to do our part to ensure that Ukraine has the right and ability to defend its nation and people," Minister of Defence Antti Hakkanen said. For operational reasons and to ensure that the delivery reaches its destination, more detailed information on the content of the assistance, manner of delivery or schedule will not be provided. Both Ukraine's needs and the resources of the Finnish Defence Forces have been taken into account when deciding on the assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Norwegian health service provides life saving assistance to Ukraine Government of Norway News story | Date: 05/02/2026 This week, Norway received its 500th patient who was medically evacuated from Ukraine. 'The Norwegian health service has made a tremendous effort in treating patients from Ukraine. While we are helping Ukraine, our health personnel are also gaining valuable clinical experience, including in the treatment of war injuries, infectious diseases and rehabilitation. This is important for Norwegian civil protection,' says Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre. Since 2022, Norway has transported more than 2,750 patients to Norway and other European countries. Wednesday this week, Norway transported 21 patients to European countries, five of whom came to Norway. The number of evacuated patients to Norway have reached 504, making Norway one of the countries that has received the highest number of patients through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM). Only Germany has received more patients. 'After almost four years of fullscale war, the Ukrainian health system is in a very challenging situation. The war has left a large number of seriously injured soldiers and civilians in need of treatment. In addition, Russian air strikes have hit Ukrainian hospitals and clinics. Norway's evacuation and treatment of Ukrainian patients eases the burden on the country's health service and helps Ukraine to continue to withstand Russia's war of aggression,' says Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide. 'The fact that Norway has received more than 500 patients through medical evacuation from Ukraine is a deeply tragic milestone. At the same time, this number demonstrates our support for the Ukrainian people. We stand together in words and actions,' says Vestre. Broad cooperation Since August 2022, Norway has offered regular weekly flights to European countries to evacuate Ukrainian patients through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Medical evacuations from Ukraine is carried out through a collaboration between several ministries, the regional health authorities and the Norwegian Directorate of Health, as well as the Armed Forces' Air Ambulance Unit, SAS and the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB). Medical evacuations from Ukraine constitute the largest air evacuation Norway has ever carried out. Many countries have the capacity for hospital treatment, but not suitable transport for medical evacuation. The air evacuation resources of the Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services help make use of the hospital capacity available in many countries, in order to relieve the health service in Ukraine. The patients are of all ages, and many are accompanied by relatives. Cancer and war injuries constitute the largest diagnostic groups, but there are also patients with infections and other conditions. A national coordination centre for medical evacuation established at Oslo University Hospital ensures that Norway can offer available treatment capacity in the specialist health services. Patients receive treatment in various parts of the country. Donations The Norwegian health service also supports Ukraine with donations of, among other things, ambulances, medicines, vaccines and other medical equipment. Through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, 58 ambulances from several different health trusts have been donated in the period 2022-2025. Norwegian health workers are also strengthening health services in Ukraine by sharing experience and knowledge. Norway contributes to the rehabilitation of injured children and to mental health support in Ukraine. 'I am pleased that Norway can contribute with donations and expertise that can help save lives in Ukraine,' says the Minister of Health and Care Services. Last summer, Norway and Ukraine entered into a health partnership agreement. The aim is closer cooperation, better health and to help counter the consequences of Russia's warfare in Ukraine. The agreement provides for direct exchange of experience between health authorities, educational institutions and the health sector in Norway and Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Government presents new energy package for Ukraine Government Offices of Sweden Press release from Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, Ministry for Foreign Affairs Published 05 February 2026 Today, the Government presented a new SEK 1 billion support package for Ukraine's energy sector, which has been subjected to intensive Russian strikes this winter. The support will help to meet the country's urgent energy needs and bolster long-term energy supplies. "Ukraine is in a state of emergency. Russia's strikes against the country's energy infrastructure have knocked out electricity, heat and water supplies for millions of Ukrainians at a time when temperatures are around 20 degrees below zero. The Ukrainian people are showing remarkable resilience, but daily life is tough, and the population is having an extremely difficult time. This is why we're now mobilising every effort for Ukraine," says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa. "Electricity cables are down, thermal power stations are bombed and millions of people risk being left in the cold and dark. Energy is more than just electricity. It's heat for a child who needs to sleep, light for doctors carrying out their work and hope for families who refuse to give up, in spite of the attacks raining down on them. This is why we are supporting Ukraine and its brave people with vital energy equipment: generators, heat pumps and spare parts to facilitate the repair of damaged infrastructure," says Aron Emilsson, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (Sweden Democrats). "Russia is using the energy infrastructure as a weapon against the civilian population in Ukraine. It is an ongoing humanitarian crisis that clearly shows that a robust energy supply is crucial to a country's resilience, to civil society and to people's safety and security. I'm proud that Sweden is one of the largest donors of support to Ukraine's energy system," says Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch. "Russia is deliberately targeting electricity and water supplies in the middle of winter. Civilians are hard hit. That's why we're delivering generators and what's needed in order to keep communities going. Sweden won't back down. It's an emergency operation, but also a long-term one. Ukraine must stand strong, freely and as a part of Europe," says Joar Forssell, foreign policy spokesperson for the Liberal Party. Support is going to the country's most acute needs for energy production and reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure. It is also going to fortify energy supplies in the medium and long term. Of the total package of SEK 1 billion, SEK 600 million will go to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund and SEK 400 million to the United Nations Development Programme. Through this support, Ukraine will be able to access various types of energy equipment, such as generators, heat pumps and spare parts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia, Ukraine hold talks after 'productive' opening session Iran Press TV Thursday, 05 February 2026 10:32 AM Russian and Ukrainian negotiators returned to the table for a second day of peace talks following what both sides described as a "productive" opening session. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin's envoy to the talks, said on Thursday that there was progress and a positive movement forward in the US-brokered negotiations in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Dmitriev said that active work was underway to restore Russia's relations with the United States, including within the framework of a US-Russia working group on the economy. He criticized European leaders for hindering the peace process by meddling in the affairs. "The warmongers from Europe, from Britain, are constantly trying to interfere with this process, constantly trying to meddle in it. And the more such attempts there are, the more we see that progress is definitely being made," Dmitriev said. "There is positive movement forward," he said, in comments supplied by his press service. Ukraine's top negotiator Rustem Umerov confirmed the start of talks on Thursday. "We are working in the same formats as yesterday: trilateral consultations, group work and further synchronization of positions," he wrote in a Facebook post. Following Wednesday's meetings, Umerov said that the discussions were "meaningful and productive, focusing on concrete steps and practical solutions." The administration of US President Donald Trump has been pushing both Kiev and Moscow to find a compromise to end the war, Europe's most destructive conflict since World War II. Meanwhile, in a rare assessment of battlefield casualties, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told a French television network on Wednesday that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died since Moscow launched its special operation in February 2022. He pointed out that a "large number" of soldiers are also missing. Experts, who put the number of casualties much higher, say neither Ukraine nor Russia has announced the true number of soldiers killed in the war. Also on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserted that Russian troops would continue to fight the war until Kiev made the right "decisions" required to end the conflict. The Kremlin says that Ukraine must pull all its troops out of the Russian-speaking Donbas region as a condition to end the war. Despite Trump's agreement to concede the Russian-speaking Ukrainian territory to Moscow, Kiev has refused so far, rejecting any unilateral pullback of its forces from territory it still controls. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine, Russia 'Likely' To Continue Peace Talks In US, Zelenskyy Says As POW Exchange Completed By RFE/RL February 05, 2026 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the next round of US-brokered peace talks with Russia is "likely" to take place in the United States as officials from both countries wrapped up a second day of renewed negotiations. Ahead of the Abu Dhabi meetings on February 4-5, both Russian and Ukrainian officials hinted at glimmers of optimism to end the full-scale invasion, which Russia launched on February 24, 2022, and which has now killed or wounded nearly 2 million men on both sides. With no other apparent breakthroughs in the sputtering efforts to end Moscow's all-out war on Ukraine, the two sides agreed to another prisoner-of-war swap, something that has occurred periodically throughout the war. Steve Witkoff, the White House envoy who has led the US-led talks, announced the exchange, in which 314 prisoners were released on February 5. "While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine," Witkoff said in a post to X. Neither Russian nor Ukrainian officials made any announcements about the outcome of the talks. Kyrylo Budanov, the former head of Ukraine's military intelligence who is now a top presidential adviser, was quoted by RBK-Ukraine as saying they were "indeed constructive." Later in the day, Zelenskyy said the prisoner exchange was "most important," adding that it had been a long time since Kyiv had been able to "unblock" the diplomatic process of returning its citizens. Despite the hints of progress, Russia continued to barrage Ukraine with drones and missile. On the eve of the talks, Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks of the war, targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure and deepening misery for civilians suffering through a bitterly cold winter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia's position remains unchanged and that it is "absolutely clear and well understood by both Kyiv and the American negotiators." Markus Ziener, a former Moscow-based correspondent who is now a fellow with the German Marshall Fund, said the prisoner swap signaled some progress. "But I'm rather skeptical if we get to the nitty-gritty, actually, of the whole negotiations," he told RFE/RL. "So far, there is not really much that gives us hope that a settlement of the war is within reach." After initially holding face-to-face talks in months immediately following February 2022, Moscow and Kyiv did not hold direct negotiations until May of last year. US President Donald Trump has been frustrated that the war continues to rage, despite the fact that he made making resolving it a top foreign policy priority. In addition to Witkoff, who has met seven times with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the past year, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was also attending the talks. The meetings include current and former intelligence agency officials from both countries, and have focused on narrow topics. The gap between two sides' positions has narrowed somewhat, with the main sticking point being the question of territory in Ukraine's Donbas region that Kyiv controls but Moscow claims. Zelenskyy has proposed setting up a demilitarized zone, possibly with European peacekeepers. Russia has decidedly rejected that option. Kyiv is also seeking binding security guarantees from the United States and other Western allies, that would obligate outside countries to come to Ukraine's aid if Russia were to attack again in the future. Ukrainian political analyst Ihor Reiterovych urged the Westto offer stronger guarantees for Ukraine -- and to avoid a repeat of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. That agreement, signed by the United States, Russia, and Britain, guaranteed Ukrainian territorial integrity in exchange for Kyiv eliminating its nuclear arsenal. "I would put myself in the shoes of the Russian president: if I want to negotiate a peace settlement, I would not hammer Ukraine and pound them the way they do," Ziener said. "I would actually try to create a situation where you can reach a settlement." "Given all the sacrifices Ukraine has [made] so far. I think it's very difficult for Ukraine to say, OK, well, we'll cede to the Russian demands and [then] so many lives have been lost in vain," he said. "So I believe that it's difficult really to find a settlement that would ask Ukrainians to make major concessions at this point." With reporting by RFE/RL Brussels correspondent Zoriana Stepanenko. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-peace-talks- abu-dhabi/33670172.html Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ranking Member Shaheen, Senator Durbin, Bipartisan Colleagues Host Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk Senate Foreign Relations Committee Published: February 05, 2026 WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Democratic Whip and Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) hosted the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, and Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna. During the meeting, they discussed the ongoing peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and President Putin's continued assaults on Ukraine's power grid despite agreeing with President Trump to halt such attacks during negotiations. "In recent days, the brutality of Russia's ongoing attacks on civilian energy infrastructure has been put on full display," said Senator Shaheen. "Despite Russia's craven tactics, Ukraine's brave defenders continue to hold the line. At today's meeting with Speaker Stefanchuk, I reiterated my commitment to advancing my bipartisan legislation to tighten sanctions on Russia including its shadow fleet to hold China accountable for enabling Putin's war and to strengthen Ukraine's defense. It's high time that Congress take these steps to put Ukraine in the best possible negotiating position against Russia so that Putin's war may finally be brought to a just and lasting end." "The depths of Vladimir Putin's evil knows no bounds, and we heard directly from Mr. Stefanchuk today about the millions of Ukrainians suffering amid Russia's attacks on the power grid in the dead of winter," said Senator Durbin. "As reports have emerged that peace talks have stalled, now more than ever, we need to work in Congress to support our Ukrainian ally." "Putin's ruthless invasion of Ukraine sparked the largest land war in Europe since World War II. By helping Ukraine in the face of this onslaught, we're not just standing with our ally, we're supporting American security and American values. I appreciate Speaker Stefanchuk coming to Washington to meet with leaders about the situation on the ground and discuss what can be done to achieve a stable, meaningful and lasting peace," Senator Grassley said. "Our conversation with Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Stefanchuk today was marked by unity and clarity. It was devastating to hear about Putin's heartless attacks on Ukrainian civiliansthousands of killer drones have destroyed homes, schools, and power plants in the middle of winter," said Senator Welch. "Ukraine's resilient democracy is on the front lines of the free world. I will continue to work with President Trump and our European allies to ensure Ukraine has the tools they need to defend their sovereignty." "Amid Putin's intransigence at the negotiating table and his continued daily attacks on civilians across Ukraine, the Ukrainian people remind us every day what it looks like to fight and die for democracy, for their country, and for the West. I was glad to see Chairman Stefanchuk again today to reaffirm Congressional support for continued and robust U.S. military, intelligence, and economic support for Ukraine," said Senator Bennet. "Even as diplomacy plays out, Russia must pay a further price for its continued aggression. Congress must also ratify and clarify the United States' long-term commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and security - an effort I look forward to helping lead with my bipartisan colleagues. Only by demonstrating our firm resolve and by strengthening cooperation with our allies can the United States secure our vital interests in Europe, and defend the principle of a Europe whole, free, and at peace." "Chairman Stefanchuk and the Ukrainian people have set a high standard of bravery in the face of Putin's vicious attacks," said Senator Whitehouse. "While our own country's president frequently takes the side of the murderous Russian despot, a bipartisan group of senators welcomed Chairman Stefanchuk to the Capitol. We stand firm in our commitment to supporting Ukrainians until this war ends with their victory." ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Ready to See Neutral, Friendly Ukraine as Neighbor - Lavrov Sputnik News 20260205 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine, which Russia is willing to see as a neighbor, should be neutral and friendly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "It must be a friendly Ukraine - not necessarily allied with us, but neutral and benevolent. And this, of course, presupposes respect not only for the rights of the people living in the territory that will remain with Ukraine, not only respect for their access to the benefits of civilization like heating, food, or water - but also respect for their fundamental human rights, including language, education, and religion," Lavrov said in an interview with Rick Sanchez for the RT broadcaster. It is unacceptable to "entrench" the Kiev regime with any security guarantees while maintaining Nazi laws that discriminate against the Russian language, the Russian foreign minister added. "As for calls for a ceasefire, you know that hysteria has now erupted over claims that we are inhumanely cutting off electricity to cities, that people are suffering and freezing, and that Russia is striking energy facilities. We were never the first to start these actions. It was precisely the Ukrainians who were the first to strike our energy facilities and other civilian targets, including residential buildings, shops, and hospitals. A year ago, a passenger train was blown up - with no military component whatsoever," Lavrov also said. The West's response plan to Russia's possible "violations" of agreements on Ukraine is absurd, Sergey Lavrov said. "This is absurd. But it is a very telling kind of absurd. What does it mean? For the past year, the West - Europe especially - kept saying one thing: we need reliable security guarantees - an immediate ceasefire and security guarantees. We asked them - if you are not solving the underlying issues, would not these guarantees just mean that any ceasefire gets used to pump more weapons into Ukraine? They did not hear that logic, did not respond to it at all," Lavrov said. European politicians today abandoned the rhetoric about defeating Russia, Lavrov said. "Until recently, they spoke in unison, demanding firmness, insisting on unwavering support for Ukraine, continued arms shipments, sustained financing all to ensure Russia's defeat, a strategic defeat on the battlefield. Then they changed their tune. They realized it was all an illusion," Lavrov added. Russia has contacts with some European leaders, but they are not made public, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "I will not hide it we do have contacts with some European leaders. They call us and ask that these conversations not be made public. Some even show up here and communicate through back channels. But nothing they tell us about their ideas in these closed, confidential exchanges differs in any way from what they say publicly," Lavrov said. Russia hears typical statements about Ukraine in its private contacts with the Europeans, Lavrov added. French President Emmanuel Macron's vague plans to call Russian President Vladimir Putin are "pathetic diplomacy," but the Russian leader is always open to substantive discussions, and serious proposals will receive an appropriate response, Sergey Lavrov said. "Macron announced yet again, about two weeks ago, that he might call Putin sometime. You know, that is not serious. It is pathetic diplomacy. If you want to call and have a real conversation, just call. Putin will always answer the phone. He will always listen to any proposal. And if serious proposals are on the table, I can assure you they will not go without a serious, concrete, practical response," Lavrov said. Russia is ready to contribute to resolving the problem of enriched uranium stockpiles in Iran if and when Washington and Tehran reach a deal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. "The Iranians, Israelis, and Americans know that we are once again ready to offer our services in terms of contributing to the implementation of the agreement, when, I hope, or if it is reached. It will in some way touch upon the issue of uranium enrichment and enriched uranium stockpiles. And we have the capacity to offer our services here. The parties are aware of these services," Lavrov said. Currently the most important thing is for the parties to reach an agreement, the minister added. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia could signal a willingness to move from coercion to constructive engagement by ending its strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure: UK statement to the OSCE Speech Deputy Ambassador James Ford condemns Russia's mass strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during severe winter temperatures. These actions show Russia is choosing destruction over peace. The UK also urges Russia to release detained OSCE staff members. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and James Ford Published 5 February 2026 Location: Vienna Delivered on: 5 February 2026 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) Thank you, Mr Chair. I will start by underlining again that the United Kingdom condemns Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Nearly four years on from its 2022 invasion, the Russian Federation continues to inflict mindless suffering on the Ukrainian people. And Moscow's actions continue to directly undermine the Helsinki principles this organisation exists to protect. Despite all this, Ukraine remains committed to diplomatic efforts to secure a just and lasting peace. We applaud Kyiv's sustained engagement in negotiations despite the ongoing brutality of Russia's attacks. The US-proposed ceasefire on strikes against energy infrastructure could have been a modest step towards creating conditions more conducive to meaningful negotiations. Yet in recent days Russia has continued to launch mass attacks against Ukraine. As my Ukrainian counterpart just set out, on 1 February, Russia hit a maternity hospital in Zaporizhzhia, injuring six people, and also struck a bus carrying civilians in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that killed 15 and wounded 17 more. Overnight on 2-3 February, when Kyiv was reportedly colder than the North Pole, Russia launched a massive combined attack with drones and over 70 missiles. Russia's attack struck multiple cities and further damaged Ukraine's energy facilities. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians were left without heating while temperatures reached minus 24 degrees. We condemn these inhumane attacks. Irrespective of any ceasefire proposals, the legal position is clear: attacks expected to disproportionately harm civilians or cause unnecessary suffering violate international humanitarian law. Respecting the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution is not optional or a goodwill gesture. It is the bare minimum required by law. The Russian Federation should signal it is prepared to choose diplomacy over continued destruction and stop these egregious attacks. Mr Chair, there is another constructive step Russia could take - and also one fully within Moscow's gift. Three OSCE staff members remain in Russian detention: Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov. They were detained in April 2022, while performing their official duties under the mandate agreed by all 57 participating States. These individuals were international civil servants acting in support of this organisation's work. Each has now spent almost four years in detention. Their families continue to wait for them to come home. We urge Russia to release them immediately and allow them to return to their loved ones. Ending its senseless aggression - including the sustained strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure throughout winter - and releasing the detained OSCE staff members: Mr. Chair, these are steps Russia could take now. They would be a start towards building the conditions needed for diplomacy to succeed. They would indicate that Russia is willing to move from coercion towards constructive engagement. The United Kingdom will continue to stand with Ukraine and to uphold the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of disputes - principles that form the foundation of this organisation. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Dr. Badr Abdelatty Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 05 February 2026 22:35 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "I had a good call with Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. I briefed my colleague on the current dynamics of peace efforts and on the situation in Ukraine's energy system following Russia's massive attacks amid harsh winter conditions. We discussed ways to further deepen our bilateral relations, in particular follow-up on the implementation of the outcomes of last year's phone conversation between the Presidents of Ukraine and Egypt. We reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade and food security areas. We also discussed prospects of establishing a logistics hub in Egypt for Ukrainian food products. Grateful for Egypt's support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andrii Sybiha held phone talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liberia Sara Beysolow Nyanti Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 05 February 2026 19:17 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "During my call with Liberia's Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti, we discussed ways to strengthen our cooperation. I congratulated Liberia on the successful start of its UN Security Council membership for 2026-2027. We focused on further advancing our cooperation within the UN. The principled and responsible upholding of the UN Charter and international law is crucial to security and stability worldwide. We are grateful for Liberia's consistent support for Ukraine. I also reiterated Ukraines unwavering commitment to sustainable peace, stability, and security across the African continent". NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defence Ministry initiates regulation of the medical support system for foreign volunteer fighters Ministry of Defence of Ukraine 5 February, 2026, 1:36 PM EET The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a draft law initiated by the Defense Ministry of Ukraine to regulate the medical support system for foreign nationals and stateless persons defending Ukraine. It will guarantee foreign volunteer fighters appropriate social and legal protection and, most importantly, ensure they have access to medical services on equal terms with Ukrainian warriors. The document, in particular, proposes amendments to Article 70 of the Law of Ukraine "Fundamentals of Health Care Legislation of Ukraine", which will legally formalize the authority of Military Medical Commissions with respect to foreign nationals and stateless persons. The adoption of the law will enable Military Medical Commissions to: assess the fitness of foreign candidates for contract military service; determine whether illnesses, wounds, and injuries sustained while defending Ukraine are related to military service; determine the need for and conditions of medical and social rehabilitation, as well as the provision of assistance to such persons. These changes will establish a clear and unified legal framework for comprehensive medical support for foreign volunteer fighters throughout all stages of their service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Counts on a Political Decision on EU Membership in 2027 - Ihor Zhovkva President of Ukraine 5 February 2026 - 20:53 Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva held a meeting with a delegation of the European Parliament Committee on Security and Defense (SEDE), led by the Committee Chair Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. The meeting was attended by representatives of European Union member states, including Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Germany, and France. Ihor Zhovkva noted that Ukraine needs stronger air defense to protect against Russian attacks and counts on additional missiles for air defense systems. Particular attention was paid to the PURL initiative, which enables Ukraine to purchase air defense missiles from the United States. In total, 24 countries have already joined the program, with combined contributions amounting to $5 billion. Ukraine's needs under PURL for this year total $15 billion, and active work with partners on additional contributions is ongoing. The parties also discussed preparations for the Ramstein-format meeting scheduled for February 12. Special attention was devoted to defense cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union within the SAFE instrument. At present, the amount available for potential joint projects under SAFE is approximately 5.2 billion, although Ukraine's defense industry has significantly greater potential. "Some countries have already included joint projects with Ukraine in their national investment plans. At the same time, we believe that the share of SAFE funds allocated to joint production should be at least 10% of each member state's contribution. This will make it possible to fully unlock the potential of Ukraine's defense industry and strengthen the defense capabilities of both Ukraine and the European Union," the Deputy Head of the Office of the President emphasized. In addition, the parties discussed Ukraine's European integration. According to Ihor Zhovkva, Ukraine will be fully ready to open all negotiating clusters in the first half of this year. "Ukraine's membership in the European Union is the foundation of future security guarantees for Ukraine and for all of Europe. That is why we need a clear political decision on Ukraine's membership as early as 2027," he concluded.` NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address For a Long Time, It Was Not Possible to Unblock Exchanges; Now the Process Is Set in Motion, and It Is Crucial That It Continues - Address by the President President of Ukraine 5 February 2026 - 20:03 Fellow Ukrainians! Briefly about today. The most important thing is that there was a prisoner exchange, and 157 of our people have returned home from Russian captivity. For a long time, it was not possible to unblock exchanges; now the process is set in motion, and it is crucial that it continues. On Ukraine's part, we are doing everything to ensure the exchanges, and I thank our partners who are helping and providing the necessary mediation. I would also like to thank our warriors - each of our units that replenishes Ukraine's exchange fund allows the state to carry out this exchange work. Among those who returned today are men who had been in captivity for nearly four years. An extraordinarily long and difficult time, given all the Russian brutality. I am happy for the families, relatives, and brothers-in-arms who waited for their loved ones to return. We will continue working to bring everyone back - each and every one - military personnel and civilians, adults and children. We remember everyone and are verifying information on each person, name by name. Today, I received a report from our negotiating team following two days of meetings and talks in the Emirates - with the American side and with the Russian side. I am expecting the team in Kyiv for a full in-person report, as many aspects cannot be properly discussed over the phone. What can already be said is that further meetings are planned in the near future, likely in the United States. We are ready for all workable formats that can genuinely bring peace closer and make it reliable, lasting, and such that deprives Russia of any appetite to continue the war. It is crucial that this war ends in a way that leaves Russia with no reward for its aggression. This is one of the key principles that restore and guarantee real security. I thank all our partners who support us in this. Today, Prime Minister of Poland Tusk was on a visit to Ukraine, and I am grateful to Poland for all the support it has provided to Ukraine - our people and our independence. We appreciate this. Recently, we also had a good meeting with the President of Poland during events in Lithuania. I thank every Pole for the fact that Poland is among those in Europe who care about security. Today, we spoke at length about energy issues and defense cooperation. There is an agreement on the joint production of drones and other weapons - we will do this together. I also spoke today with the Prime Minister of Sweden. I am grateful for the new energy support package for Ukraine worth $100 million. Thank you, Ulf! This will truly help. We also discussed our joint diplomatic efforts - what we can implement together with Sweden and together with all the Nordic states. Thank you, partners! And one more point. Major General Khmara delivered a report today on operations carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine. There are solid results, and I approved new tasks for the Service - new combat operations. We will continue to weaken the enemy. I also want to commend our military - they know exactly who I mean - for their ability to reach even such targets as an "Oreshnik" launch site. Our "Flamingos" did their job. There are tangible results as well from units on the frontline. Despite extremely unfavorable weather, severe cold, and many other challenges, in January they managed to maintain the level of losses inflicted on the occupier. December recorded 35,000 killed and severely wounded occupiers; January - 30,000. We are holding Ukrainian positions. Thank you to everyone who is fighting for Ukrainians, and to everyone who is working for our state and our people. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Sweden Discussed Energy Support and Diplomatic Efforts President of Ukraine 5 February 2026 - 19:16 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone call with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson. The leaders discussed Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy sector. The Head of State provided detailed information on the overall situation, recovery efforts, and our country's needs. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Sweden for today's decision to allocate $100 million in energy support for Ukraine. The President and the Prime Minister also discussed bolstering Ukraine's air defense and protecting critical infrastructure. "The Nordic and Baltic states strongly support us, which we greatly appreciate. We continue to coordinate our diplomatic efforts as well, and I informed Ulf about the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi and contacts with the American side. Thank you for the support," the Head of State noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Poland Agreed on the Implementation of Joint Energy Projects and the Joint Production of Drones President of Ukraine 5 February 2026 - 16:38 In Kyiv, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, during which the leaders had a productive and substantive discussion on a wide range of issues. "First and foremost, I want to thank Poland - the Polish state and the Polish people - for their support for Ukraine both now, as we defend ourselves against Russia's invasion, and throughout all the years since Ukraine restored its independence. Poland has been - and I very much hope will always remain - a reliable friend of Ukraine, and therefore of our entire region and all of free Europe," the Head of State said. The President outlined the situation in Ukraine - particularly in the energy sector and its restoration after daily Russian terror. The Prime Minister expressed his condolences to Ukrainians over Russian terrorist strikes on energy facilities and residential buildings, which have left people without heating, electricity, and water supply amid severe frost. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Donald Tusk, his team, and Polish society as a whole for providing Ukraine with energy equipment, first and foremost generators. The leaders discussed energy cooperation and measures that can strengthen both Ukraine and Poland. In particular, they addressed the implementation of projects to develop the energy grids in both countries. The President and the Prime Minister count on productive work by their teams, especially at the level of the ministers of energy and finance. "And when it comes to gas supplies to Europe, and to Ukraine in particular, Poland is already working with us on this, and we will expand this track by increasing LNG supplies," Volodymyr Zelenskyy added. A substantial part of the discussion was devoted to joint defense programs. The leaders spoke about Poland's continued participation in the PURL initiative, Ukraine's full participation in the SAFE instrument, and joint production. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Tusk signed a Letter of Intent on the joint production of defense materiel in Poland and Ukraine. These agreements will ensure the development of digital infrastructure, robotics, and unmanned systems. "Together, we are preparing to produce drones - co-produce them with Poland - and this will happen, along with the production of other weapons. Our state has up-to-date expertise - probably the greatest at this moment, because we are going through a war - on which weapons actually work in modern warfare and what can truly help. These are precisely the kinds of weapons we must produce together to defend our countries and Europe," the President emphasized. "We will also continue working on further deliveries of weapons to Ukraine and assistance in the war against Russia. The forty-seventh package is already prepared. The forty-eighth is currently being prepared. We also discussed how to support Ukraine in terms of air defense. Immediately after returning to Poland, I will once again speak with my generals and with the minister of defense about how to support Ukraine as quickly and as effectively as possible in countering Russia's aerial aggression," Donald Tusk noted. Separately, the leaders discussed diplomatic efforts to end the war. The President shared details about the work of Ukraine's negotiating team in Abu Dhabi in a trilateral format. "We must bring this war to a real end - with reliable security guarantees for Ukraine. These are guarantees for the entire region. And most importantly, Russia must receive no reward whatsoever for its aggression. The war must end in a way that leaves Russia with no desire to launch this aggression again - against Ukraine or against other European states," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. According to the Head of State, Ukraine counts on Poland's continued support for all EU pressure measures against the Russian Federation, including decisions to block Russian oil tankers and a strong 20th sanctions package. "We are also grateful for Poland's principled position on Russian assets: Russian assets must be used for protection against Russia and recovery after Russia. All decisions necessary to make this happen must be implemented. There is already a decision providing 90 billion in support for Ukraine over two years. We must also achieve results with regard to the full amount of Russian funds," the President added. In addition, the parties discussed the active participation of Poland and Polish companies in Ukraine's recovery, as well as preparations for the international Recovery Conference, which will take place this year in Poland - in Gdansk. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Statement by the President of Ukraine at a Joint Press Conference with the Prime Minister of Poland President of Ukraine 5 February 2026 - 15:48 Mr. Prime Minister, dear Donald! Dear attendees, our teams! We have very large delegations today. It is a great pleasure. Dear journalists! Today, Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland is in Ukraine, and we had a quite meaningful conversation - substantive, covering a wide range of topics, as usual. First and foremost, I want to thank Poland - the Polish state and the Polish people - for their support for Ukraine both now, as we defend ourselves against Russia's invasion, and throughout all the years since Ukraine restored its independence. Poland has been - and I very much hope will always remain - a reliable friend of Ukraine, and therefore of our entire region and all of free Europe. In Europe, we believe that everything is interconnected, and we must always support one another in all matters, in all important matters. And, of course, we will be together in the European Union, and we are grateful for the principled position of Poland in this regard. Today, I informed Donald about the situation in our country - first and foremost in the energy sector, which is currently one of the top priorities, including energy restoration. Much is being done to preserve normal life for people after the brutal Russian terror - daily terror. In effect, the Russians are trying to deprive Ukrainians - our cities and our villages - of any possibility to live, to exist, during such a cold winter. It is important that our partners stand with us, it is very important that our partners are here today, and it is very important that our partners support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We discussed energy cooperation, and there are things that can strengthen both of our countries. In particular, this concerns the development of our energy grid in Ukraine and Poland. There are projects that we must implement. We are counting on productive joint work by our teams - first and foremost our ministries of energy and our finance ministers. It is important that our energy companies continue carrying out a sufficient amount of substantive work. And when it comes to gas supplies to Europe, and to Ukraine in particular, Poland is already working with us on this, and we will expand this track by increasing LNG supplies. I am grateful to Polish society for providing Ukraine with essential energy equipment - above all generators, which are helping us. Thank you, Donald, to your team, and, of course, to all the people of Poland who are helping us. This is a great help to Kyiv and to other cities as well. We devoted a significant part of today's discussion to joint defense programs. We very much count on Poland's continued participation in the PURL initiative, which enables us to receive air defense from the United States. This is precisely the current approach of the U.S. administration toward relations with Europe: Washington expects to see tangible benefits from its relations with Europe. The PURL initiative is one of the best tools for this. For us, this means first and foremost having air defense missiles. And every package of air defense missile deliveries matters. Of course, we also count on Ukraine becoming a full participant in the SAFE instrument. Together, we are preparing to produce drones - co-produce them with Poland - and this will happen, along with the production of other weapons. Our state has up-to-date expertise - probably the greatest at this moment, because we are going through a war - on which weapons actually work in modern warfare and what can truly help. These are precisely the kinds of weapons we must produce together to defend our countries and Europe. And one more point. Of course, we also spoke about the diplomatic efforts underway to end the war. I informed Donald about the work of Ukraine's negotiating team - today is the second day of meetings in the Emirates, once again in a trilateral format. The talks are ongoing. Of course, they are not easy, but Ukraine has been and will remain as constructive as possible. We must bring this war to a real end - with reliable security guarantees for Ukraine. These are guarantees for the entire region. And most importantly, Russia must receive no reward whatsoever for its aggression. The war must end in a way that leaves Russia with no desire to launch this aggression again - against Ukraine or against other European states. We thank Poland for its support in this. We also count on Poland to continue supporting all EU pressure measures against the aggressor. This includes, in particular, decisions to block Russian oil tankers - we must act in a way that also makes it possible to confiscate Russian oil. It is equally important that the EU's 20th sanctions package be genuinely strong and push Russia to end the war. We are also grateful for Poland's principled position on Russian assets: Russian assets must be used for protection against Russia and recovery after Russia. All decisions necessary to make this happen must be implemented. There is already a decision providing 90 billion in support for Ukraine over two years. We must also achieve results with regard to the full amount of Russian funds. Of course, we also count on the active participation of Poland and Polish companies in Ukraine's recovery, and Donald knows our position well: we always welcome substantive involvement and support from our partners. We also discussed today the conference on Ukraine's recovery - an event that, I am confident, will take place at a high level in Poland this year. We are preparing for it to be a very substantive conference with strong, tangible outcomes. Thank you once again, Donald, for your support and for your visit today. Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address When Colorado voters approved a ballot measure to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana in 2014, state officials knew they would have to quickly develop a robust system to safely and securely control the flow of the drug across the state, and they managed to do just that with the help of advanced tracking and data analytics. What Colorado is doing provides an impressive example of an emerging, more effective regulation model.To deal with the consequences of marijuana's legalization, Gov. John Hickenlooper appointed Andrew Freedman as director of marijuana coordination, and the legislature created the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) in the state's Department of Revenue. MED drew on the state's experience with its preexisting medical marijuana regulations, examining what had worked previously to regulate and inventory controlled substances.The widespread legal availability of marijuana and marijuana-infused products, however, presented a host of new concerns for Colorado, with those surrounding public health and safety first and foremost. The state established a comprehensive set of goals surrounding health and safety concerns, analyzed the gaps in its existing data, and devised a plan to better track and regulate marijuana.To begin with, the state needed a way to track plants from seed to sale. MED contracted with Franwell, a Florida-based company, to create a Colorado-specific version of its Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance (Metrc) system. The state requires growers to track each plant with a unique radio frequency identification tag. The RFID tags allow the plants to be inventoried more quickly without direct contact, and they create data at each step of the supply chain as plants move from growers to shippers to final packaging.The RFID tags, like the sensors that are becoming ubiquitous in the emerging economy of connected devices, build regulatory intelligence directly into the regulated object, streamlining enforcement across the board. The tracking system, for example, can automatically flag facilities that are producing substantially less marijuana than expected based on the outputs of comparable growers, which allows state employees to more easily identify potential illegal diversion. And because the state is able to track the origins of any product, it can easily issue public recalls for specific batches or growers if regulators discover traces of potentially harmful pesticides.This system of constant, real-time tracking allowed Colorado to shift away from an older regulatory model in which governments must depend on slow bureaucratic procedures for permitting and licensing. Rather than simply hoping that procedural factors would prevent noncompliance, the state can respond to problems as they arise, which increases accountability and allows for better-informed enforcement.The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, for example, analyzed hospital-visit data and found that marijuana-related visits had tripled after commercialization and that poison control calls had doubled. Around the same time, MED noticed that marijuana-infused edibles were comprising significantly more of the market than expected -- fully 50 percent, according to Freeman. As MED discovered, the two were correlated: Many of the hospital visits and poison-control calls stemmed from a lack of dosing information or packaging safeguards.MED quickly intervened, adopting new requirements that included childproofing edibles and clearly marking doses on the edibles' packaging. These changes have helped lower the instances of unintentional exposure to edible marijuana products. Colorado has hired a full-time analyst dedicated to deriving similar insights from these new flows of marijuana data.Whatever one might think of the advisability of legalizing marijuana, there's much to be learned from Colorado's experience in data-driven regulation. While many of the practices Colorado is pioneering can be adopted by other states that may be considering legalizing marijuana, they also could help to broadly improve regulatory systems across all levels of government. Colorado is demonstrating how data-driven regulatory models can enable governments to quickly understand the realities of a market and hold businesses accountable -- ultimately resulting in stronger, more effective consumer protections. Featured Finance Ministry moves closer to Jubilee House in Kanda Jemima Okang Addae Business News Feb - 06 - 2026 , 16:31 The Ministry of Finance has officially relocated its offices to Kanda in Accra, with full operations set to begin at the new premises from Monday, February 9, 2026. In a press release issued on February 6, the Ministry said the move forms part of ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency, coordination and responsiveness in the execution of its mandate. Related Article: GRA invests in spacious head office complex Crucially, the Ministry clarified that the Kanda office facility was constructed by the Ghana Revenue Authority before the current administration assumed office. "The public is further informed that the new office facility at Kanda was constructed by the Ghana Revenue Authority prior to the current administration assuming office," the release said. The statement explained that the relocation was an administrative decision aimed at enhancing service delivery rather than a new capital project initiated by the present government. By moving into an already completed state asset, the Ministry indicated it was maximising the use of existing public infrastructure. With the relocation, all official correspondence, visits and inquiries are to be directed to the Ministrys new address at Tumu Avenue, Kanda, Accra, while its telephone numbers and email contacts remain unchanged. The Ministry expressed optimism that stakeholders would continue to cooperate with it as it begins operations from the new location, noting that the move is expected to strengthen engagement with the public and improve administrative turnaround times. It would be recalled that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in June 2022 announced that, after years of renting office space for some of its headquarters staff, it had commenced the construction of an ultramodern and spacious office complex at Kanda in Accra to accommodate all headquarters staff under one roof. It said when completed, the new GRA head office complex would boast of a seven-storey twin tower with a total office area of 13,725 square meters (sqm). The office space is expected to be enough to host all of the authoritys headquarters staff, who are currently housed in the existing head office at the Ministries and six other rented buildings in Accra. It said it was also going to save the revenue administration and mobilisation agency the payment of more than GH4 million in annual rent for head office staff alone. Featured Shippers Authority, Angolas ARCCLA partner to boost intra-African trade Maclean Kwofi Business News Feb - 06 - 2026 , 16:33 A delegation from Angolas Regulatory Agency for Cargo Certification and Logistics (ARCCLA) has paid a working visit to the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) as part of an exchange programme aimed at strengthening cooperation and sharing best practices in the commercial shipping and logistics sector. The visit provides a platform for both institutions to exchange experiences on regulatory frameworks, cargo certification processes and strategies for protecting the interests of shippers, while promoting efficient, transparent and cost-effective trade operations. Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, underscored the importance of collaboration among African regulatory bodies, particularly in the context of expanding intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said that the exchange programme would contribute significantly to institutional capacity building and tapping of best practices from both jurisdictions. The move aligns with the objectives of the Union of African Shippers Councils (UASC), which seeks to harmonise the mandates, standards and operations of shippers councils across the continent. Speaking at the meeting, the First Secretary of the Embassy of Angola in Ghana, King Jorge Augusto, expressed appreciation to the GSA for hosting the delegation and reaffirmed Angolas commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two institutions. As part of the programme, the ARCCLA delegation will undertake technical visits to key logistics facilities, including the cargo handling section of Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the Tema Port. The schedule also features structured engagements, technical sessions and institutional exchanges aimed at experience sharing, comparative learning and the adoption of best practices. The Angolan delegation comprises seven senior officials from ARCCLA and is led by Carlos Domingos. Other members include Adelino Caquila from the Strategy, Innovation and Planning Department; Miguel Carvalho of the Contracting and Partnership Management Department; Juelma Eusebio from the Auditing Department; Avelino dos Santos of the Finance Department; Swely Gouveia from the Legal Department; and Rosalina Monteiro Featured Dozens of Muslims 'massacred' in Nigeria for refusing to join jihadists, says governor BBC International News Feb - 06 - 2026 , 10:42 4 minutes read Dozens of people have been killed in a ferocious shooting attack on two villages in Nigeria's western state of Kwara after they refused to "surrender to extremists who preached a strange doctrine", according to the state's governor. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said on X that "75 local Muslims were massacred" in Tuesday's raid, while a state lawmaker told the BBC that 78 people had been buried so far and the death toll could rise to an estimated 170 as more corpses were being recovered. Blaming Islamist militant group Boko Haram for the killings, President Bola Tinubu deployed an army battalion to the affected area. The assault was one of several across Nigeria in the last few days. In addition to the killings in the villages of Woro and Nuku, 38 people were abducted while others fled and shops and homes were set alight, said Saidu Baba Ahmed, a member of the Kwara state house of assembly. Among the dead were two sons of the local traditional leader, who also had family members kidnapped, according to local resident Abdulla Umar Usman. The attack began after 17:00 local time and last three to four hours, he told the BBC. Ahmed said that Boko Haram activity had been gradually increasing in the area, saying the attack was triggered by the community's rejection of a strict interpretation of Islam. He explained that the Islamist group had written to the community about their arrival, saying they wanted to preach, but residents resisted and deployed local security forces. Details about the exact number of people who died in the remote area are hard to confirm. A Red Cross official in Kwara, Babaomo Ayodeji, told AFP that "reports said that the death toll now stands at 162, as the search for more bodies continues". Amnesty International said in a statement that over 170 people had died, noting many were shot at close range and some burnt alive. The human rights group called for an investigation and said there was a "stunning absence of any form of security for the protection of lives". In recent months, jihadists - suspected to be from a Boko Haram splinter faction - have been active in Kwara, carrying out targeted killings, often riding in on motorcycles and attacking markets and vigilante groups set up to protect villagers. In a press release on Wednesday, the state governor said the attack on the two villages was a result of recent counter-terrorism operations in the region. AbdulRazaq believed it was "apparently to distract the security forces who have successfully hunted down several terrorist and kidnapping gangs". Tuesday also saw 21 people being killed in an attack on Doma village in Katsina state in the north, Amnesty said. On the same day 17 people were killed in a series of attacks in the north-eastern Borno state, by suspected Boko Haram militants. The attacks come alongside the first official acknowledgement from Nigeria of an American troop presence since US President Donald Trump ordered the military in November to prepare for action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups. Nigerian Defence Minister Chrisopher Musa did not provide any details about the team's size, arrival date, location or duration of stay. His comments follow those made on Tuesday by Gen Dagvin Anderson of US Africa Command (Africom), who said the deployment followed a Nigerian request and was focused on intelligence support. "Our partnership with Nigeria is a great example of a very willing and capable partner who requested the unique capabilities that only the US can bring," he said. Nigeria faces an array of security challenges including criminal gangs - known locally as "bandits" who loot and kidnap for ransom - an Islamist insurgency, clashes over land and separatist unrest. The US and Nigerian forces have conducted joint training programmes and exercises for decades. But the US military has recently become more involved - launching airstrikes on Christmas Day on two camps run by the militant group known as Lakurawa in the north-west. Late last year, the White House pressed Nigeria's government to improve security and strengthen protections for Christian communities. Trump had previously claimed Christians were being persecuted in Nigeria - an allegation strongly rejected by Nigeria's government, which said Muslims, Christians and people of no faith were victims of attacks. There are more than 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria, which is roughly divided into a mainly Muslim north, a largely Christian south, with intermingling in the middle. Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said the Christmas-Day strikes were approved by Tinubu and involved Nigerian forces. Since then security co-operation between the two nations has increased - with the US saying last month that it had delivered critical supplies to support Nigeria's security efforts. Nigeria's military then told the BBC the equipment had been purchased earlier to aid counter-insurgency operations. In recent weeks, Nigerian forces have stepped up operations against armed groups. On Sunday, the army said it had killed a senior Boko Haram commander and 10 other militants during an operation in Borno state. Next article: President Mahama moves to stop asset looting, shifts power from Executive to Parliament Featured BoG has not restored GN Bank licence - Governor [UPDATED] Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Feb - 06 - 2026 , 08:50 3 minutes read The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has not restored the banking licence of GN Bank, which was downgraded to GN Savings and Loans Company Limited before its licence was revoked. The Governor of the BoG, Dr Johnson Asiama explained this to the Daily Graphic in an interview in the wake of persistent news in recent times that the central bank had restored the licence of GN Bank. GN Savings and Loans licence revocation appeal hearing on Tuesday Context GN Savings and Loans is currently challenging the revocation of its license and the case is still pending in court. There is a hearing coming up at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The revocation of the licence in 2019, according to the regulator, was final and taken in the interest of safeguarding depositors and ensuring the stability of the financial sector. The central bank, in an earlier interview in 2024, justified its decision to revoke the licence of GN Bank in 2019, insisting that the action was warranted by significant regulatory breaches. The BoG at the time maintained that GN Bank failed to comply with critical financial regulations and banking standards, which threatened its operational stability. In a statement issued in August 2019 detailing reasons for the revocation, the central bank said GN Bank fell short of capital adequacy, liquidity and governance and risk management requirements. Background GN Bank, which commenced operations in 1997 as First National Savings and Loans (FNSL) Company Limited before being upgraded to a universal bank on September 4, 2014, expanded rapidly across the country, establishing one of the largest branch networks in the banking sector. However, the central bank at the time said its regulatory assessments revealed that the banks expansion was not supported by adequate capital buffers and sound risk management practices. The BoG found that GN Bank consistently breached key prudential requirements, including capital adequacy and liquidity ratios. Further investigations, the BoG said in its statement, showed high levels of non-performing loans (NPLs), significant exposure to related-party transactions, and poor corporate governance structures, which weakened the banks financial position over time. It said in spite of several directives and corrective measures issued by the central bank, including capital restoration plans and restrictions on certain banking activities, GN Bank was unable to raise the required additional capital or restructure its operations to restore solvency. By the time of the sector-wide reforms, the bank was deemed severely undercapitalised and technically insolvent, prompting the BoG to ask the bank to downgrade its categorisation back to a savings and loans company, trading under the name GN Savings and Loans Company Ltd. Shortly after, the central bank revoked its licence, saying it was part of measures to prevent a broader threat to financial stability. The collapse of GN Bank/GN Savings and Loans Company Ltd formed part of the banking sector clean-up exercise, which saw the revocation of licences of several banks, savings and loans companies and microfinance institutions to address systemic weaknesses in the financial sector. EDITOR' NOTE This is an updated version of this article. Featured Call off strike - NLC directs 3 education unions Emmanuel Bonney Feb - 06 - 2026 , 05:57 3 minutes read The National Labour Commission (NLC) has directed three education unions currently on strike to call off their industrial action with immediate effect to pave the way for further discussions on their issues. It said until the strike was called off, the substantive issue(s) could not be heard. The unions are the Senior Staff Association -Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), and the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG). The commission further directed the Technical Universities Administrators Association of Ghana (TUAAG) to write formally to dissociate itself from the action if it was not part of the ongoing strike. "The unions are accordingly advised, a directive signed by the acting Executive Secretary of the NLC, Dr Bernice A. Welbeck, said. Appearance It said the NLC, in response to a notice to embark on an indefinite strike by the unions, summoned them and their employers to appear before it last Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 2.00 p.m. The summons, it said, further directed the unions to stay their intended action and any other action and appear as scheduled. When the case was called today, TUAAG, only one of the four aggrieved Complainant Unions that signed the notice appeared. They were represented by TUAAG Local President, Takoradi and Local Vice-Chairman of Accra, who announced that they were representing the national president. The three other Unions - SSA-UoG, TEWU-TUC and FUSSAG failed and/or refused to appear, it said. The directive said the respondents were represented by the Deputy Director-General, Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), and a Senior Legal Officer of Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), among others. It said the TUAAG representatives who appeared informed the commission that they were not on strike. This is notwithstanding the fact that the notice to strike was signed by TUAAG and the three other unions. The respondent, it said, confirmed that the SSA-UoG declared an indefinite strike on February 3, 2026 and by extension all the other unions were on strike. Strike The three unions began an indefinite strike last Tuesday, February 3, 2026, due to what they described as a unilateral move by the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) to alter previously agreed conditions of service. They expressed concern about the replacement of overtime allowances with a call-in allowance. According to them, the decision violated an earlier agreement signed in 2021. In addition, the three labour unions demanded the payment of salary arrears owed to employees of institutions recently upgraded to full university status. They also demanded the payment of five months of outstanding Tier Two pension contributions. These were contained in a joint statement signed by SSA-UoG National Chairman, George Ansong, FUSSAG General Secretary Jonathan Kabu, and TEWU-TUC National Chairperson Salamatu Mahamah Brimah. Featured Farmers decry drop in prices of maize, beans prices in Atebubu-Amantin Simon Unyan, Atebubu-Amantin Feb - 06 - 2026 , 08:58 3 minutes read Farmers in the Atebubu-Amantin Municipality of the Bono East Region are grappling with a sharp decline in maize and bean prices despite a bumper harvest, raising concerns about their livelihoods, future production, and the stability of the local rural economy. Checks by the Daily Graphic at Akokoa and surrounding farming communities in the municipality show that prices of the two major staples have dropped by more than half compared to previous years. Beans, which sold for between GH2,500 and GH3,000 per bag in 2024, are now selling for between GH700 and GH1,000 while maize has declined from GH1,000 and GH1,200 to GH300 and GH400 per bag. Farmers say the price dip has left many unable to recover production costs, especially those who relied on loans or personal savings to cultivate their farms. Even last year, when prices were not good, it was still better than this year, a farmer at Akokoa Ebenezer Wayome told the Daily Graphic. Now we are forced to sell at a loss or keep our produce at home. High input costs The impact of the falling prices is being compounded by high production costs. Farmers report that a box of agrochemicals or weedicide sells for about GH1,200, fertiliser costs between GH350 and GH500 per bag, while tractor services remain expensive, ranging from GH350 to GH400 per acre. As a result, many farmers say they are reconsidering their scale of operation ahead of the next farming season. A farmer, Baye-Uchan, in the municipality said he plans to reduce his cultivated land by half this year. Last year, I cultivated about 50 acres, but this year, Im considering reducing it to 20 because of the price fall and the high cost of inputs, he said. Market slowdown Produce buyers in the municipality said the depressed market has affected their operations, as financiers are reluctant to release funds due to the risk of losses. This has led to reduced purchasing activity in farming communities. The slowdown, farmers said, has affected transport operators, casual labourers, and petty traders who depend on the movement of grain for income. Pressure on rural banks Rural and community banks in the municipality are also feeling the effects of the downturn. With farmers earning less, savings have declined, while loan repayments have slowed, weakening the financial position of some institutions. Bank officials said the situation could limit the availability of credit for farming and small businesses if it persists. Social impact At the household level, falling incomes are affecting the ability of families to meet basic expenses, including school fees, health care and utility bills. Community members also report an increase in youth idleness as farming-related jobs decline. We, the youth working as loading boys here, are out of jobs. The low prices of grains over the past two years have hit us hard, and many young people are turning to crime or facing police harassment out of frustration. The government must intervene to address the situation, one of the loading boys said. Calls for intervention Farmers and produce buyers are therefore calling on the government and relevant agencies to intervene to stabilise prices through improved storage facilities, expanded market access, and structured buying arrangements to absorb surplus during bumper harvests. They warn that without intervention, reduced farm investment could affect future production and food security in the municipality. Featured President Mahama moves to stop asset looting, shifts power from Executive to Parliament Kester Aburam Korankye Feb - 06 - 2026 , 08:49 4 minutes read In a move aimed at curbing the "rampant sale" and alleged looting of state property, President John Dramani Mahama has announced plans to present a new law to Parliament to strip the Executive of the sole authority to divest public assets. The proposed Divestiture of Public Property Bill will seek to ensure that any sale, transfer or privatisation of state-owned lands, factories, and other assets must first secure explicit parliamentary approval. The President made the revelation during an interaction with the Ghanaian Diaspora Community in Lusaka, Zambia, last Wednesday as part of his three-day state visit to the southern African country. Accompanied by his wife, Lordina Dramani Mahama, the delegation also included the Executive Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama; the Presidential Advisor and Special Aide, Joyce Bawa Mogtari; and the Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations at the Presidency, Stan Xoese Dogbe. Also on the trip are the Presidential Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu; the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu; the Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George; and the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey. President Mahama said the legislation was a critical safeguard to ensure that the people, through their representatives, had a final say over the disposal of the nation's wealth. "This will stop the rampant sale of government assets," President Mahama declared. He cited the previous administration's attempt to hand over the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to a private entity for 15 years as a prime example of the kind of decision that would require parliamentary scrutiny under the new regime. "One government can come and just mortgage public property without the say of the people's representatives," he stated. "If (parliamentarians) think that it is fair, they will approve it. If they think it's not fair, they don't approve of it, then it can't happen," he added. Digitising lands Beyond the legislative push, the President outlined a twin strategy to reform land administration and recover undervalued public lands. He announced the government's introduction of Blockchain Technology to digitise the records of the Land Registry, a move expected to eliminate fraudulent double sales of land by individuals and chiefs. "For public lands, they set up a committee that presented its report," he said, revealing that his administration had already cancelled several non-processed leases, adding that "these were public lands that were just distributed and looted." He painted a stark picture of profiteering, where prime public lands in areas such as Airport Residential in Accra and other prime areas were supposedly acquired for as little as GH150,000 and later resold for up to $2 million. While acknowledging the complexity of reclaiming lands where developers had already built and occupied properties, the President stated a new policy. "In those cases where they have processed the title, we're asking them to pay the true value of the land, he said. However, for transactions still in process, he announced that the government had halted them and was taking the lands back. "But when we take those lands back, it means that we must find a proper way of making sure that another group won't come and start selling them again," he said. President Mahama's engagement in Zambia follows an invitation from his counterpart, President Hakainde Hichilema. Background President Mahama, by a letter dated January 10, 2025, directed the Lands Commission to halt the sale, lease and processing of transactions involving state and public lands. The government explained that the decision was aimed at safeguarding public lands for the benefit of citizens and future generations. At the time, the President further directed the commission to submit a detailed report of all recent and pending transactions within 14 days of receiving the directive. You are further requested to submit a detailed report of all recent and ongoing transactions concerning state and public lands to this office within 14 days of this communication, the letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Calistus Mahama, said. In September 2025, however, the President announced the lifting of the temporary ban on state land transactions, stressing that henceforth all allocations, leases and sales must follow strict verification and oversight processes. President Mahama made the announcement at the inauguration of a new governing board of the National Lands Commission, during which he pledged sweeping reforms to restore integrity and transparency in Ghanas land administration system. Featured New DVLA number plate contract dispute: Court adjourns case to Feb 13 following joinder company's absence in court Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi Feb - 06 - 2026 , 14:31 2 minutes read The case between the Vehicle Embossment Manufacturers Association of Ghana (VEMAG) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has been adjourned to February 13, 2026, following the joinder company's absence in court on Friday. When the case was called on Friday [Feb 6], the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Isaac Addo adjourned it for another week after the company joined as the second defendant in the case, failed to appear. Counsel for VEMAG, led by Martin Kpebu told the court that the second defendant, which is Original Manufacturers and Embossment Company Limited, and its lawyers were absent. He submitted that, since the second defendant was not in court, a short adjournment was necessary to enable the plaintiffs to serve it with a hearing notice so that the court could deal with the motion comprehensively. Counsel for the DVLA, Alexander Adjei, holding brief for Sibiri Edmond Kardiri, was present. The court therefore adjourned the case to February 13, 2026, and directed that a hearing notice be served on the second defendant. Background The suit forms part of VEMAGs legal challenge against the DVLA over the introduction of a new vehicle number plate system and the award of both manufacturing and embossment of the plates to a single company. In earlier proceedings, the court granted an application for Original Manufacturers and Embossment Company Limited to be joined as a second defendant. The joinder was not opposed. Following that ruling, the court directed the plaintiffs to amend their writ of summons and statement of claim to reflect the joinder and to serve all processes on the newly joined defendant. The case was then adjourned to February 6 for further hearing, which led to Fridays brief sitting and the new adjourned date. Featured Majority Caucus mourns with family of late Ayawaso East MP Nana Konadu Agyeman Politics Feb - 06 - 2026 , 07:57 2 minutes read The Majority Caucus in Parliament has called on the wife and family of the late National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso East, Mahama Naser Toure, to mourn with them. The Caucus, led by the First Deputy Majority Whip, Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe, visited his residence in Accra to pay their last respects to their colleague who died on January 4 this year after a short illness. On behalf of the Speaker of Parliament and the Majority Leader, the MPs donated an amount of GH100,000 to the family to support them. Ms Cudjoe said the House was on recess when the sudden death of Mr Toure occurred. She said the MPs were at his residence to mourn with the family, in keeping with the tradition extended to colleague MPs who have passed on. If not that he was a Muslim, we would be planning his funeral in the House, but since he has already been buried, we have to do the needful. So, we have come today to pay our last respects, and we are here, Hajia, to tell you that the whole House is with you and extends our condolences, she said. Mrs Cudjoe also told the widow that her husband had been a brother and a good friend, a good chairman and a colleague whose death took the entire House aback. Condolences The NDC MP for Ada recalled how in the last Parliament, Mr Toure presented a budget on behalf of the Energy Committee where he was the Vice-Chairperson. Little did we know that he would not join us in this Parliament; Our condolences and prayers are with you. We will not forget you because of the way your husband collaborated to work with us in harmony in the House and he will always remain in our hearts, she said. Colleague Majority MPs also took turns to pay tribute to Mr Toure, describing his leadership and work as exemplary. Mr Toure, 60, died on January 4 this year at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after a short illness. It was his fourth term in Parliament, having entered the House in 2013, representing the people of Ayawaso East. Featured Pay cocoa farmers to save industry from collapse - Minority urges govt, COCOBOD Nana Konadu Agyeman Politics Feb - 06 - 2026 , 08:57 4 minutes read The Minority in Parliament has called on the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) to pay cocoa farmers immediately for all cocoa beans sold in order to save the industry from slipping back to the days of despondency and loss of interest. The caucus also demanded an apology from the government and COCOBOD for the delayed payment, which it described as gross dereliction of duty. It further demanded that COCOBOD reimburse the Licensed Buying Companies (LBCs) the GH10 billion outstanding repayments for cocoa purchased and delivered, and to ensure prompt repayment for subsequent deliveries to avoid the recurrence of such a despicable situation in the future. We demand that our cherished cocoa farmers are treated better and with dignity than we are seeing now, it said. Cocoa farmers arent beggars Speaking on behalf of the Minority Caucus, the Ranking Member on the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Dr Isaac Yaw Opoku, said cocoa farmers are not beggars and paying them promptly is not a favour but it is an obligation. The Minoritys call came ahead of the meeting between the Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee to consider issues pertaining to late payment to cocoa farmers. Release money to LBCs Dr Opoku, who is also the New Patriotic Party MP for Offinso South, said the Minority Caucus had noticed with grave concern the precarious situation in which the cocoa industry found itself. He said LBCs had failed to pay cocoa farmers for cocoa beans sold to them since November 2025. He, however, said the LBCs could not be faulted because money that they had already spent in purchasing and delivering cocoa to COCOBOD had been locked up without reimbursement. Constrained, he said the LBCs were not risking further monies onto the field, resulting in cocoa farmers being forced to either sell their produce on credit, sell on discount or go back home with their produce unsold. The situation portends dire consequences for our cocoa industry and the national economy, knowing what cocoa stands for in Ghana. COCOBOD and the government must be blamed for failing to reimburse the various cocoa buying companies for purchases already delivered to COCOBOD, he said. Hoax Dr Opoku said the LBCs had borrowed from banks and off-taker traders to pre-finance the harvest, but, as of today, COCOBOD owed the LBCs over GH10 billion, being defaulted receipts of cocoa already taken over. He said to continue purchases and further deliveries in the same circumstance would mean the piling of the cocoa taken-over receipts (CTORs) as well as COCOBODs mounting indebtedness to the LBCs. Dr Opoku recalled a recent press release by the Head of the Public Affairs Department of COCOBOD that created the impression that enough funds had been released to the LBCs to purchase cocoa but that was a hoax. The reality is that farmers are not being paid for their cocoa sold to the Mahama-led NDC government since November last year. For farmers who rely on cocoa as the sole source of livelihood, the past three months have been very trying moments, he said. At no fault of theirs, he said, cocoa farmers now found themselves in a quagmire. Having been deprived of their hard-earned income from the sale of cocoa for more than three months, some suffering farmers have been forced to sell their stocks at heavy discounts, plunging them into severe hardships. Rip-off Dr Opoku pointed out that farmers had tended their farms through harsh weather, spent huge resources to control pests and diseases, toiled to harvest their farms and sold them to the government in good faith. Yet, months later, they were still waiting to be paid, he said, asking if such action was part of resetting or reversing of the cocoa industry. The non-payment of farmers for their cocoa sold, he said, was not just incredibly outrageous, but it was a complete rip-off by the Mahama-led NDC government of their incomes and livelihoods to the extent that some farmers were struggling to feed and provide for their families. Many others, he said, could not reinvest in their farms to sustain the cocoa industry. This was the least treatment our cherished cocoa farmers ever expected from President Mahama and his NDC government. iQOO recently hosted the third edition of Prive Night in India for YouTubers, influencers, and tech media, showcasing the iQOO 15R, which is set to launch on February 24. We were invited to this event and got an early look at the iQOO 15R. The iQOO 15R is the first 'R' model in iQOO's number lineup in India, and it's primarily aimed at young professionals looking for a smartphone that's compact but also packs a powerful chipset and a big battery under the hood. More on that in a bit. The iQOO 15R comes in two colors - one is black, and the other is silver with a checkered design. The black version is called Dark Knight, while the silver model is called Triumph Silver. The Dark Knight model, which looks grey-ish in some lighting conditions, has a stealthy look and is better suited for those who want something for a formal occasion. The Triumph Silver version, on the other hand, is good for those wanting something with a casual look. That checkered design looks cool, but it's only properly visible when light reflects at right angles. The iQOO 15R's camera island design is similar to the iQOO 15, and it houses two cameras, with the primary camera using a 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor and having OIS. On the front is a punch-hole display, whose diagonal is yet to be revealed by iQOO. vivo iQOO 15 5G These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. 256GB 12GB RAM 72,998 512GB 16GB RAM 79,998 Show all prices Under the hood is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC and a 7,600 mAh battery with 100W charging. The smartphone also supports bypass charging. We like the overall design of the iQOO 15R. It is more comfortable to use with one hand than the bigger iQOO 15. The build is nice, too, and the Triumph Silver colorway is our favorite. iQOO hasn't detailed the specs sheet of the iQOO 15R yet. However, the brand previously confirmed that the smartphone would come with the Q2 Supercomputing Chip, a 6.5K IceCore VC Cooling System, and support for 144 FPS gaming in BGMI through frame interpolation technology. The iQOO 15R will run OriginOS 6 and receive OS updates for four years and security updates for six years. Its base model will be priced under INR50,000. Google delighted its Pixel users last year by introducing an updated version of Quick Share that worked with Apple's AirDrop, but it has remained exclusive to the Pixel 10 series with a promise to bring it to older Pixel phones as well. Now Eric Kay, Vice President of Engineering at Google, confirmed that Quick Share compatibility with Apple's AirDrop is coming to a wider range of Android devices. Maybe the signs were there all along after Google upgraded the Quick Share Extension from a system app to a full-fledged APK that can be found on Google Play. This was a clear sign that Google plans to expand the feature to all Android phones, not tied to Pixel-only hardware. Eric Kay said that the Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability is coming later this year after testing it out on the Pixel 10 series. The proof of concept appeared to be successful and gave users the ability to share files with iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. It will just take a little bit more time as Google is actively working with partners to make it available on other handsets. Interestingly enough, Oppo and Xiaomi have already introduced a workaround of their own as the latest ColorOS and HyperOS offer cross-platform AirDrop-like connectivity. Source Apple's latest entry-level iPad dates from March last year, and it comes with the A16 Bionic chip paired with 6GB of RAM. A new rumor from a usually reliable source in Japan today claims that a new entry-level iPad will be made official sometime this spring. This device will look identical to its predecessor, but will be powered by the A18 chip (first seen in the iPhone 16) and will get 8GB of RAM. That means it will support Apple Intelligence, since that RAM amount appears to be the minimum required. It seems like the SoC upgrade and the extra RAM might be the only changes made to the cheapest iPad. If you're interested in learning more about the current model, don't miss our in-depth review. Source (in Japanese) Del. James Moylan is inviting high school students to take part in the 2026 Congressional Art Competition. Each year, members of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsor a nationwide art competition to recognize and encourage the artistic talent of high school students across the country. This years theme, How Guam Shapes Me, invites students in grades 9 through 12 to reflect on how life on Guam has influenced who they are, a release from Moylan's office states. Through painting, drawing, mixed media, and other visual art forms, students are encouraged to express their personal stories and perspectives. This competition gives our students a national platform to share their story, Moylan said in a statement. Its an opportunity for them to reflect on what it means to grow up on Guam and express that in their own voice through art. All submitted artwork will be featured in a public showcase to be announced at a later date, where a panel of local judges will review each piece. The winning artwork from Guam will then be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one full year, representing our island on a national stage alongside student work from congressional districts across the nation. Artwork submissions are now being accepted through April 10, 2026, at Congressman Moylans district office in Hagatna. Students, parents, and teachers seeking additional information can contact the district office at (671) 922-6673. I look forward to seeing the creativity and perspective our talented students will bring to this years competition. I encourage all of our high school students to join and share how Guam has shaped who they are," Moylan said. A 19-year-old man is accused of stabbing a 16-year-old in the back, according to a magistrate's complaint filed in Superior Court. Jevin Jermaine Lucero was charged with aggravated assault as a third-degree felony. On Feb. 5, police were following up on an aggravated assault case that happened on Feb. 4 and met with Lucero. Lucero agreed to be interviewed and said he wanted to tell his side of the story because he didn't tell the whole truth to an officer he previously spoke with after the incident, documents state. Lucero said he and the 16-year-old were friends, but they had recently got into an argument. They later exchanged texts calling each other out to fight. They met and proceeded to fight and Lucero said he threw the first punch, according to the complaint. Lucero said he noticed something shiny in the 16-year-old's hands, possibly brass knuckles. He said he then pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed the victim's back while going for a punch to the victim's stomach, the complaint stated. Lucero said he felt the knife make a puncture and pulled the knife out of the victim's back and saw the victim was bleeding, documents state. The knife was later located and confiscated by Guam police and seized as evidence. Sen. Jesse Lujan said a tourist family from Korea with a 10-month-old baby had a gun pointed at them during a robbery at the Guam Premier Outlets parking lot on Friday afternoon. It is deeply unfortunate that a gun was pointed at parents, grandparents, and a 10-month-old baby. That is absolutely unacceptable, Lujan said in a statement. This is not the Guam I grew up on, and this is not the Guam I want to leave behind for our children. Guam Police Department spokesperson Norman Analista said units are looking for three male suspects involved in the armed robbery at the GPO parking lot around 3:33 p.m. Friday. He said the three male suspects were armed and seized belongings from a couple of individuals in the parking lot. There were no injuries, he added. This is a developing situation and there is no further releasable information at this time. If you have any information regarding this incident, call 911 or GPD dispatch at 671-475-8615-7, Analista said. Lujan said his office immediately joined the Korean Consulate and Korean tourism industry representatives at the Guam Police Department precinct following the incident. Recovering our tourism industry is a community effort, and we have no room for violent crime that threatens our residents, our workers, and our visitors. Guam must be a place where families can shop, dine, and enjoy our island without fear, he said. According to Lujans chief of staff Marvin Crisostomo, who was with the tourist family at GPDs Tumon-Tamuning Precinct after the incident, the suspects pointed a gun at a 10-month-old baby girl and a pregnant woman. He said two of the suspects are stocky and one is skinny with long hair and was wearing a mask. One suspect had a long rifle, and one suspect had a handgun, Crisostomo said. The senator thanked members of the Korean community who responded to support the victims especially John Ko from the Korean Tourism Association for showing inafamaolek and the Hafa Adai spirit to the victims in the immediate aftermath of this incident. Lujan urges the public to provide any information about the incident to the police. I am confident Attorney General Douglas Moylan will prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law, he said. Haiti - Politic : The Council of the State University of Haiti denounces and contests In a statement, "the Council of the State University of Haiti (CUEH) denounces and contests the Executive Branch's decision to establish a regulatory body for higher education outside the existing constitutional framework. Such a move constitutes a clear violation of the hierarchy of legal norms. The CUEH reiterates that, since the adoption of the Decree of March 11, 2020, concerning the organization, operation, and modernization of higher education, it has undertaken numerous steps to denounce the unconstitutional nature of this text, which contradicts the principles of autonomy and independence of the State University of Haiti enshrined in the 1987 Haitian Constitution, particularly in Articles 32, 208, and 209. To this end, the CUEH adopted a resolution dated November 25, 2020, warning public authorities against the implementation of the aforementioned decree and calling for its suspension. Subsequently, the Rectorate of the State University of Haiti sent several letters to the executive authorities, notably on August 27, 2025, and November 4, 2025, requesting the initiation of an institutional dialogue, the suspension of the decree, and the commitment to a national consultation process regarding higher education reforms. However, the adoption of the decree by the Council of Ministers on December 18, 2025, followed by the publication of the Order in "Le Moniteur" on December 30, 2025, and the establishment of the resulting body, only exacerbated the situation. While acknowledging the need to regulate higher education in the country, the CUEH (Council of University Students of Haiti) believes that these unilateral decisions seriously undermine the constitutional guarantees of the State University of Haiti and contribute to exacerbating tensions in a national context already marked by a profound institutional, social, and security crisis, while also jeopardizing the public service mission of non-profit higher education provided by the UEH. These illegal practices, detrimental to institutional stability and collective well-being, further weaken the country and generate new crises, to the detriment of both public and private higher education, as well as national socio-economic development. Historically, the State University of Haiti has always defended democratic principles and has consistently thwarted the authoritarian and anti-democratic ambitions of leaders throughout history. Therefore, the CUEH demands the immediate withdrawal of the decree of March 11, 2020, and all related administrative measures. He also makes a solemn appeal to the executive branch, political actors, and all of civil society, particularly those in the academic sector, to commit to profound reforms of higher education, based on dialogue, consultation, and the primacy of the best interests of the Haitian nation. The Council of the State University of Haiti reaffirms its unwavering commitment to dialogue and consultation, in strict accordance with democratic principles, in order to preserve the UEH, an autonomous and independent institution that has become a true national treasure." For the Council of the State University of Haiti (CUEH): Rector Dieuseul Predelus President of the University Council HL/ HaitiLibre Foreign trade cargo throughput in Tangshan Port posts year-on-year growth Xinhua) 15:57, February 06, 2026 An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows ships loading containers at a container dock of Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. The foreign trade cargo throughput in Tangshan Port reached 381.56 million tonnes in 2025, up 2.59 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) This photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows unmanned vehicles working at a container dock of Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. The foreign trade cargo throughput in Tangshan Port reached 381.56 million tonnes in 2025, up 2.59 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) This photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows unmanned vehicles working at a container dock of Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. The foreign trade cargo throughput in Tangshan Port reached 381.56 million tonnes in 2025, up 2.59 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows a container dock of Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. The foreign trade cargo throughput in Tangshan Port reached 381.56 million tonnes in 2025, up 2.59 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows ships loading containers at a container dock of Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. The foreign trade cargo throughput in Tangshan Port reached 381.56 million tonnes in 2025, up 2.59 percent year on year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The city of Munich has developed its own measurement instrument to assess the digital sovereignty of its IT infrastructure. The so-called Digital Sovereignty Score (SDS) visually resembles the Nutri-Score and identifies IT systems based on their independence from individual providers and "foreign" legal spheres. The Technical University of Munich was involved in the development. Continue after ad In September and October 2025, the IT Department already conducted a first comprehensive test. Out of a total of 2780 municipal application services, 194 particularly critical ones were selected and evaluated based on five categories. The analysis already showed a high degree of digital sovereignty: 66 percent of the 194 evaluated services reached the highest levels (SDS 1 and 2), only 5 percent reached the critical level 4, and 21 percent reached the most critical level 5. The SDS evaluates not only technical dependencies but also legal and organizational risks. "With our score, digital sovereignty becomes measurable for the first time, because we can only improve what we can measure," explained Dr. Laura Dornheim, Head of IT and Chief Digital Officer of the City of Munich. Measurability is the key to securing and systematically increasing the independence and operational capability of public administration. The services previously rated at level 5 include legally mandated services for e-procurement, application services of large public-law institutions in Bavaria and Hamburg, and software for the electronic health record. Definition and Evaluation Criteria The IT Department defines digital sovereignty as the ability of individuals and institutions to exercise their role in the digital world independently, self-determinedly, and securely. The developed score is based on a questionnaire that examines IT services for various risk factors. Among other things, vendor lock-in effects, dependencies on foreign jurisdictions, and the availability of open standards are evaluated. The evaluation is carried out in five categories, the exact composition of which the IT Department has documented in the resolution proposal. Particularly critical factors lead to a zero, while the fulfillment of standard criteria positively influences the evaluation. Weaknesses could thus be transparently identified for targeted countermeasures. Integration into Municipal IT Processes Continue after ad Following the city council's decision, the SDS will now be incorporated into all IT processes and procurement procedures. In the future, stricter requirements for open standards will be set for tenders. The IT Department also plans to develop migration scenarios to avoid lock-in situations. The methodology will be further developed in cooperation with TUM. The IT Department will report annually on progress in digital sovereignty to the city council in the E-Government and Open Government Report. Munich's initiative fits into a broader European trend. While the German Bundestag is working on concepts to reduce dependence on US tech giants and France is introducing its own video conferencing solution with Visio, Munich is taking a systematic approach: first measure, then improve specifically. The score is to be extended to other IT areas in the future. (fo) Don't miss any news follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication. It is a very bad time to launch a gaming PC. In a blog post, Valve explains why there is still no price and no release date for the upcoming Steam Machine and the VR headset Steam Frame: The hardware market is currently too unpredictable. Continue after ad When we announced the products in November, we expected to be able to announce concrete prices and launch dates by now, Valve writes in the blog post. However, like many other manufacturers in the industry, Valve is also affected by the current global shortages in the availability of memory components. Due to this and the associated rising prices, we have to revise our pricing and market launch plans, especially regarding Steam Machine and Steam Frame. Release in the first half of the year According to the blog post, Valve still plans to launch the devices in the first half of the year. In fact, Valve had previously targeted spring as the release period. Valve is now allowing itself a little more leeway for the market launch of the new hardware. The Steam operator also points out that due to the uncertainties in the hardware market, a further delay in release cannot be ruled out. Memory prices, which have already risen rapidly in recent months, could worsen again in 2026. Market researchers from Trendforce expect that DDR4 and DDR5 modules intended for PCs could get up to 95 percent pricier in the first quarter of 2026. The price of the Steam Machine will likely depend significantly on the prices at which Valve can procure memory components and how many parts the company has already secured at potentially lower prices. The price of graphics units is also currently very high partly because GPUs are in demand for AI data centers. Price could be high Continue after ad Valve will therefore have difficulty in pushing the price of the Steam Machine down to a level that is digestible for customers. Community price speculations range from 400 to 1000 euros. Given the high hardware prices, a cost at the lower end of this price range seems difficult to achieve. So far, Valve has only stated that the price of the Steam Machine will be based on a PC with comparable components. The GPU of the Steam Machine corresponds to a slightly shrunk Radeon RX 7600 from AMD, which costs around 250 euros. In addition, there is a semi-custom Zen 4 chip from AMD with 6 cores and 12 threads and a clock speed of 4.8 GHz, for which the desktop equivalent would cost about 150 to 200 euros. Valve intends to install 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, which currently costs around 200 euros for end customers. In addition, there are costs for the SSD, the case, and manufacturing. Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen. Preisvergleiche immer laden Preisvergleich jetzt laden (dahe) Don't miss any news follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication. The breach targeted a mobile device management system operated by the State Centre for ICT Services, known as Valtori. The incident was detected on 30 January and disclosed publicly last week as investigations expanded the estimated scope. A large data breach at Finlands state information and communications technology provider has exposed work-related details of up to 50,000 government employees, including staff across all ministries. According to Valtori and the Prime Ministers Office, the attacker gained access to names, work email addresses, phone numbers and device identifiers linked to government-issued phones and tablets. The data relates to employees who have used the system during its lifecycle. The Prime Ministers Office confirmed that the breach affects personnel in every ministry. Max Hamberg, director general responsible for ICT services at the Prime Ministers Office, said there is a possibility that identifiers linked to ministers mobile phones were included in the leaked material. There is a possibility that identifiers linked to ministers and senior officials mobile phones were exposed, Hamberg told Finnish media. He said authorities have no information confirming that any specific ministers data was misused. Hamberg said the breach did not involve content stored on devices. Phone contacts, messages, photos and other user data remained protected, based on current assessments. He said the exposed information does not threaten the functioning of ministries. Valtori initially estimated that data from about 20,000 devices was affected. Further investigation showed the scale to be wider. Valtori now estimates that information linked to about 50,000 users of shared state ICT services was exposed. The Finnish state employs about 77,000 people. Valtori said the breach stemmed from a vulnerability in a commercial mobile device management system. At the time of the attack, no security update was available. A patch was applied on the same day once the update was released. Access to the system was later restricted to prevent further intrusion. Investigators found that the system marked deleted data as removed without erasing it. As a result, historical device and user data remained accessible and was included in the breach. Valtori stressed that the incident does not affect all client agencies. Devices used in secure government networks for security authorities were not involved. Precise user location data cannot be determined from the exposed information. The National Bureau of Investigation is examining the breach alongside Valtori and the National Cyber Security Centre under the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency. HT The paper reported that the idea was discussed on Thursday in Paris during talks between French president Emmanuel Macron , European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen , and European Council president Antonio Costa . Former Finnish president Sauli Niinisto is being considered for a new European Union special envoy role tasked with reopening dialogue with Russian president Vladimir Putin , according to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica . The proposed role would aim to restore a direct political channel between the EU and the Kremlin as efforts continue to end Russias war in Ukraine. According to La Repubblica, concern has grown in European capitals that contacts with Moscow risk becoming dependent on the United States alone. La Repubblica reported that EU leaders want a figure with sufficient political weight to engage directly with Putin. Niinisto has emerged as the leading candidate, ahead of other names discussed in Paris. The newspaper said former German chancellor Angela Merkel and former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi have also been mentioned. Merkels prospects are seen as weaker due to criticism of her past approach to Russian gas policy. Draghi is currently involved in work on an EU plan focused on competitiveness, which could limit his availability. According to La Repubblica, Niinistos long experience in security policy, his background in defence matters, and Finlands historical management of relations with Moscow are viewed as key assets. The paper also cited his reported command of the Russian language. Niinisto served as the president of Finland from 2012 to 2024 and was closely involved in shaping Finlands security policy during Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Niinisto has publicly argued that Europe should maintain direct dialogue with Russia. Helsingin Sanomat first reported the information in Finland. HT Russias Investigative Committee said an unknown person fired several shots at Alekseyev inside a residential building. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev , deputy director of Russias military intelligence agency GRU, was attacked in the stairwell of his apartment building in north-west Moscow. The gunman fled the scene. A senior Russian military intelligence official was shot several times in Moscow on Friday and taken to hospital, Russian authorities said. Investigators opened a criminal case on suspicion of attempted murder. State media reported that Alekseyev suffered gunshot wounds to his arm, leg and chest. His condition was described as serious. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the shooting. We hope that the general survives and recovers, Peskov told reporters. He added that responsibility for protecting senior commanders lies with the security services. Alekseyev, 64, is one of the most senior figures in the GRU. He played a central role in Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and provided intelligence briefings to the Kremlin during the early stages of the war. He also took part in talks with Ukrainian representatives during the siege of Mariupol in 2022. In June 2023, he was sent to negotiate with Yevgeny Prigozhin when the Wagner mercenary group advanced towards Moscow in a short-lived mutiny. Alekseyev is under sanctions from the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. Western governments accuse him of overseeing GRU operations linked to the 2018 Novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury, England, and of involvement in cyber operations aimed at influencing US elections. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of being behind the shooting. He provided no evidence to support the claim. Ukrainian officials have not commented. The attack came a day after Russian and Ukrainian delegations held talks in Abu Dhabi. Alekseyevs direct superior, GRU director Igor Kostyukov, leads Russias negotiating team. Some Russian politicians claimed the shooting aimed to disrupt the talks. Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlev said an attempt on Alekseyevs life served the interests of Ukraines leadership. He called Alekseyev one of the most respected generals in the Russian army and urged retaliation. Ukraine has previously acknowledged targeting Russian military figures it accuses of directing operations linked to civilian deaths. Over the past year, several senior Russian officers have been killed in or near Moscow, often in bomb attacks. In December, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the armys training department, died when an explosive device detonated under his car. In April 2025, senior officer Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bombing outside Moscow. Ukrainian intelligence later claimed responsibility for some similar attacks. Investigators said they were reviewing surveillance footage and questioning witnesses. The GRU remains one of Russias most secretive agencies, responsible for foreign intelligence, sabotage and covert operations. HT Mayor Volk on glide-path to retirement after serving city for 37 years Barbara Volk has been the one constant presence while the Hendersonville City Council evolved over the years. Often the only female member of the board, she served in the mid-teens with Jeff Miller, Jerry Smith, Steve Caraker and Ron Stephens. Currently, the council is made up of Melinda Lowrance, Lyndsey Simpson, Jennifer Hensley and Gina Baxter. Theyre shown with city Stormwater Director Michael Huffman in 2025. Barbara Volks decision in 1989 to seek a seat on the Hendersonville City Council came with some confusion. Her campaign signs asked voters to support Volk for the job. Related Stories So some people naturally assumed the Volk campaigning for election was her husband, the late pediatrician Dr. James Volk, who was better known than his wife. He had patients who said, Dr. Volk, Im voting for you, Volk recalled with a smile as she looked back in a recent interview on her 37-year career on the council. Volk, 79, will retire at the end of this year after coming to the conclusion that it was just time. Her decision to run for office the first time back in 1989 seems to have come from the same instinct knowing the timing was right. I had been observing for the League of Women Voters for a couple of years, she said. I felt some decisions were looking at what was good right now and not considering the long-term implications. I just decided, Why not? People I knew said, Great, including my husband. He was tired of me complaining, she said. I just wanted to speak for people thinking certain things but not saying them out loud. Once elected, Volk felt committed to have the council consider long-term solutions to the citys problems. She is also proud to have advocated that Hendersonville hire a city manager to implement the councils decisions and manage the day-to-day operations. Setting the tone for civil debate By 2009, Volk felt the time was right to run for mayor after then Greg Newman, the incumbent bruised by the battle over a proposed high-rise condo development downtown, decided not to seek reelection. She once again made history that year when Hendersonville voters made her the citys first female mayor. Shes won re-election handily ever since. The job includes everything from leading city council meetings to speaking at ground-breakings and ribbon-cuttings to taking calls from people upset about parking tickets. During council meetings, Volk tries to keep her fellow council members on an even keel while they debate the issues before them. We can always get along, be polite to one another, make decisions and move on to the next issue, she said. Id like to think I set the tone for that. Volk also functions as an ambassador for Hendersonville, speaking to groups about the work city employees do for citizens. Hendersonville is such a great city. I like being part of it, she said. I like spreading the word. Hendersonville checked all the boxes Volk and her husband moved to Hendersonville from Chicago in 1975 after he completed medical school at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The small town seemed have everything they were looking for in a home. We visited other places. But when we came here, the people were so warm and welcoming. We liked to hike and wanted a safe place to raise our kids, she said. It checked all those boxes. As her husband set out building his practice at Hendersonville Pediatrics, Volk began work with League of Women Voters that eventually led to her decision to seek a seat on the board she was monitoring. She remained the only female member for her first four years on the council, and in a more recent span was again the only woman, until 2021. Voters flipped the script in 2024, electing the all-female board made up of Mayor pro tem Jennifer Hensley, Lyndsey Simpson, Melinda Lowrance and Gina Baxter in addition to Volk. Hensley will face former mayor pro tem Jerry Smith Jr. in this years race to determine who will succeed Volk as mayor. Volk said she sees only slight differences in serving on a council with all women versus serving as the only woman. While the all-female council and women serving in other key roles in the city sends a signal that we are open to women in any position, female council members opinions sometimes differ on issues just as they do when men serve on the council, Volk said. Not all votes are unanimous, but we get along, she said. The women on the current council share the experience of serving while being mothers or having raised children. We can probably relate to each other more, she said. Volk has two children, Peter and Carrie, and two grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. City-county conflict In recent years, Volk has grappled along with other council members with the citys disagreements with the Henderson County Board of Commissioners over sewer issues and land-use decisions on the citys growing borders. She described differences between the two governments over how sewer service is provided as coming down to power, control and maybe some misunderstanding. The city for years has required landowners that want sewer service from the municipality to be annexed. More recently, it requires prospective sewer users to apply for voluntary annexation something some commissioners mock as an involuntary voluntary petition. The decision to provide sewer only when property owners request annexation makes sense and keeps taxes lower, Volk said, given that the city is the commercial center of the county. Were getting the brunt of the tourists, she said while noting both visitors who come for the day or stay overnight more often than not patronize businesses in the city. The increase in people the city must serve on a daily basis puts a strain on its infrastructure and that comes at a cost. By growing at a moderate pace with areas close to the city, it keeps taxes at a reasonable level, she said. Were trying to do the best for our taxpayers. Some people, Volk says, mistakenly believe that the city wants to annex large areas of the county when that is not the case. Asked if the city and county are likely to come together on the issue, Volk responded, The county has a proposal. We have a proposal. Well see where we are. When she speaks, people listen Volk takes pride in the upgrades the city has made to downtown over the years, particularly when it allowed sidewalk dining. I think it added life to the street. Its not just people walking here and there, she said. Volk also defended the citys decision to re-institute paid parking on Main Street for the first time since the 1970s. Three parking studies all came to the conclusion that the city should charge for the parking spaces closest to downtown, Volk said. If you want the convenience of being right in front of where you want to go, you are going to pay for it, she said. It was the right decision as far as Im concerned. Revenue from parking supports the new parking deck downtown. Someone has to pay for it. Should it be taxpayers or someone using it? Volk said, noting that the first hour of parking in the garage is free. Volks said she wants to see the city run smoothly until her retirement and hopes for a seamless handover of the reins once a new mayor is elected. She said she will not endorse a candidate. As her retirement looms, Volk already seems to be on something of a victory tour, if not of her own choosing. The Land of Sky Regional Council created the Barbara G. Volk Leadership Award, making her the first recipient. Mayor Volk has served the city of Hendersonville and Land of Sky Regional Council with distinction, and she represents the best of public service, the organization said. Her distinguished record of public service has left a positive impact on our region. Just last week, the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce presented its top honor to the mayor, praising her for guiding the community through expansion while remaining firmly committed to preserving Hendersonvilles historic charm, strong sense of place and exceptional quality of life. (For more on the chamber event see Page 6.) Both former city council member Jeff Miller and City Manager John Connet praised what they described as Volks quiet leadership. Miller served with Volk for eight years between 2013 and 2021, and was also appointed to serve on the council for one year after Smith resigned in 2023. He described Volk as a class act who will be difficult to replace. Barbara is just a dedicated servant to the city of Hendersonville. She has a wealth of knowledge, Miller said. She is a person of limited words. Whenever she said something, I just shut up real fast. It was just a real pleasure to work with her. Connet echoed Millers opinion that Volk inspires respect because of her understated leadership style. I like to use the term very quiet leadership, Connet said. When she does speak, people always listen. She takes everyones opinion to account. Its a very stable leadership. Her legacy, Connet said, incudes the professionalism of current city government and her knowledge of proper procedure. At the end of every council meeting this year, Connet has added a Mayors Memory segment, just going back and picking out little things that show the body of her work over 37 years. Connet chose Volks swearing in to the council in 1989 as his first memory of the year. He is researching records of past council meetings to find moments that reflect Volks leadership. As she makes plans for her retirement from the council at the end of this year, Volk looks forward to traveling with friends. The most exciting part, she said, is not having to consult the city governments schedule before telling a friend whether or not she can go on a trip. I said, You dont have to worry about dates. Ill tell you the ones I like, she said. Still, the reality of leaving her nearly four-decade commitment to city government is going to require some adjustment. Ill miss the whole experience of coming in and working with the staff and going out and talking to people about the city, she said. This is a wonderful city. It is extremely well-run. Though she would demur on taking credit, that is thanks, in no small part, to her own steady hand. Sacked HPD captain is under a criminal investigation, council is told Kenny Hipps A veteran Hendersonville police officer was fired from his job last month and currently faces a criminal investigation of allegations that he billed a private company for off-duty hours at the same time he was on duty in his police job, the Hendersonville City Council was told Thursday night after it emerged from a closed door session to discuss a personnel matter. Related Stories In open session, Police Chief Blair Myhand strode to the lectern in full uniform and read a statement outlining the internal affairs investigation into the actions of Capt. Kenneth "Kenny" Hipps. The Hendersonville Police Department received an internal complaint on Tuesday, Jan. 13, involving the misuse of off-duty employment by Capt. Kenneth Hipps. An internal investigation was immediately begun that resulted in his termination on Jan. 27," Myhand said. "To ensure an independent and unbiased review of Hipps actions, I requested the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to conduct a criminal investigation, and I notified District Attorney Andrew Murray of same. The North Carolina SBI is investigating this allegation at this time." In the termination letter Myhand sent to Hipps on Jan. 27, Myhand said that the captain had clocked hours at a private extra duty company at the same time he was on duty with the city police department. "... On multiple occasions, you clocked in with our private extra duty management company and were paid for extra duty work during your regularly scheduled workdays with the Hendersonville Police Department," the chief wrote. "A comparison of your Hendersonville requested leave records with the extra duty assignments shows that you were, in fact, working for the City of Hendersonville during these extra duty work assignments, and not working at the private facility for which you had clocked in. This resulted in the private facility paying for many hours of private duty police service that they did not receive." Hipps tried to justified his actions as routine, according to the termination letter. "Your allegation that this type of behavior was an accepted practice at the Hendersonville Police Department, offered in an attempt to mitigate your own conduct, has been investigated and found to be without merit," Myhand wrote. "For this reason, I caution you against perpetuating these types of allegations." Myhand also confirmed to Hipps the date and location of a "name clearing hearing," which had been scheduled for Tuesday at City Hall. The hearing was canceled at Hipps's request before it happened, city communications director Allison Justus said in response to the Lightning's question Thursday night. City Manager John Connet told the council that the city would be sending to the news media a copy of the termination letter received, which happened within minutes after the council meeting was adjourned. "It is a criminal investigation," he said. "We don't want to do anything to hinder that. We wanted our citizens to know that we take these allegations and this kind of action very seriously, and that is not the culture we want in our organization. We wanted you to hear it from us first and be very transparent. That is what the city council expects of their staff, that's what they demand of us, so we wanted to do that at this time. Myhand, a U.S. Army veteran who served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, a former Washington, D.C., Metro police officer and former police chief in Clayton in Eastern North Carolina, is in line to become president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He concluded his remarks by pledging his department's ongoing commitment to accountability. "I will say personally that allegations of misconduct in our department will never go overlooked and we will always hold ourselves accountable for our actions," he said. We are already in the process of implementing new systems that will prevent this sort of thing from happening again in the future. I want everybody to know the actions of Capt. Hipps do not define who we are as an agency." THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. RETURN TO THE LIGHTNING FOR MORE COVERAGE. Council thanks Chief Miller, welcomes Justin Ward as new fire chief Battalion Chief Bradley Bailey, Battalion Chief Dustin Nicholson, Chief Justin Ward, Chief D. James Miller, Fire Marshal Nate Young, Administrative Assistant Pam Ludwig and Battalion Chief Jon Ward. [CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE] The Hendersonville City Council honored retiring Fire Chief D. James Miller and welcomed the new chief, Justin Ward, during its regular meeting Thursday night. Related Stories During the meeting, the council and staff recognized Miller for his 35 years in the fire service, the past decade in service to the Hendersonville community. I have been blessed to be here, and I have been blessed to work for the citizens and visitors, Miller said. Im very thankful to each and every one of you. The kudos ought to go to the men and women in our department that make it look easy. Since 1991, Miller served in a variety of positions in the fire service including firefighter, EMT, paramedic, lieutenant, administrative captain, battalion chief, and assistant chief, with specializations as a Type 2 Urban Search and Rescue Team Officer, Hazardous Materials Technician, Special Operations Toxicological Paramedic and Gold Team member of a Division of Forestry Incident Management Team. Joining the HFD team as deputy fire chief in 2016 and rising to chief in 2020, Miller served a distinguished career with the city, elevating and improving the fire department in numerous ways including: Designation as an ISO Class 1 agency rating, the highest possible Public Protection Classification (PPC) awarded to fire departments, representing superior fire suppression capabilities and a level that less than 1% of fire departments across the nation are able to achieve. The oversight and construction of the Citys headquarter station, Fire Station #1, opened in September of 2024 and served as the Citys Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during the historic tropical storm Helene. Planning and replacement of Engines 9-1, Engine 9-2, and Tower 9-1. Planning and purchase of Engine 9-3, in conjunction with the establishment of a third engine company, hiring twelve new firefighters, establishing Battalion Chiefs, and ultimately improving the citys reliability measure to greater than 90 percent. Creating strong relationships with neighboring departments, internal departments and staff, and creating succession plans for advancement within the fire department. During the presentation, Miller was honored with a note from U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, as well as a plaque from his HFD command staff. He was described as a leader who has guided the department with calm and clarity. Deputy City Manager Brian Pahle thanked Chief Miller for his service and mentorship and read a resolution of respect and appreciation. The council adopted a resolution renaming the Fire Station 1 Training Room as the "Chief D. James Miller Emergency Operations Center" in appreciation of his valuable service and leadership. After Millers recognition, Ward was sworn in as the new fire chief. A city firefighter since 2007, Ward previously worked full-time with the Valley Hill Fire Department and alongside his father in construction. Throughout his career, Ward has served as firefighter, engineer, lieutenant, captain, fire marshal, and most recently, deputy chief. I am deeply grateful to the City Council, Administration, Chief Miller and our entire staff for the opportunity to lead this outstanding organization, he said. I also want to sincerely thank my wife and family for their constant support and sacrifice throughout this journey. None of this would be possible without them. Having been a part of this organization for the past 17 years, I have seen firsthand how far weve come, and I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made together. Im excited for the future and look forward to continuing to serve this great community that I call home. China urges U.S. to resume strategic stability dialogues with Russia: spokesperson Xinhua) 16:24, February 06, 2026 BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China called on the United States to resume strategic stability dialogues with Russia to discuss the follow-up arrangements as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia has expired, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Friday. This is also the common expectation of the international community, spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news briefing. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) In a recent interview, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, has publicly addressed her ex-husband's past interactions with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying that it reminds her of very painful times in my marriage." The U.S. Department of Justice's release late last month of more than 3 million pages of files related to the Epstein investigation has triggered a fresh wave of scrutiny over Epstein's relationships with powerful figures, including Bill Gates. Among the materials are draft emails from 2013 from Epstein's own account that make lurid claims about Gates's personal life and suggest possible marital discord involving Melinda, allegations that Gates's spokesperson has vehemently denied as false and defamatory. Although she stopped short of detailing specific allegations, French Gates emphasized to NPR that questions about what happened with Epstein and her ex-husband were not hers to answer but rather those of Bill Gates and others directly involved. "Whatever questions remain ... those questions are for those people, and for even my ex-husband," she said, noting she was grateful to be "away from all the muck that was there." @npr Melinda French Gates responds to allegations involving her ex-husband, Bill Gates, in the Epstein files released on Jan. 30, 2026. Tune in to the full Wild Card episode on Thurs, Feb. 5. original sound - npr - npr French Gates also expressed empathy for Epstein's survivors, framing the controversy as part of a broader societal reckoning with how powerful men's actions have affected countless young women and girls. "No girl should ever be put in the situation that they were put in by Epstein and whatever was going on with all of the various people around him," she said, describing the situation as "beyond heartbreaking." Gates broke his own silence in an interview with Australia's 9 News. He told the Australian news network that he met Epstein several times between 2011 and 2014 and expressed remorse for ever knowing him. "Every minute I spent with him, I regret, and I apologize that I did that," Gates said. "In retrospect, that was a dead end, and I was foolish to spend time with him." However, according to reporting by NPR, Epstein had been convicted in 2008 of procuring prostitution from a minor, yet Gates's meetings began several years after that conviction. He claimed the meetings were centered on discussions about philanthropy and global health initiatives after Epstein suggested he could introduce Gates to wealthy contacts. The Microsoft co-founder emphasized in the interview that he never engaged in any events or parties connected to Epstein's criminal activities, and he denied visiting Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Gates also addressed claims contained within the newly released files, including draft emails reportedly written by Epstein suggesting Gates contracted a sexually transmitted infection and attempted to conceal it from Melinda. Gates's spokesperson called those allegations "absurd and completely false," noting that the draft emails were never sent and may have been attempts by Epstein to manipulate narratives about their relationship. Originally published on IBTimes After intensive peace talks mediated by the United States in Abu Dhabi, U.S. special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff posted new details Thursday about a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, announcing that the two countries agreed to exchange 314 prisoners of war. Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy for peace missions, took to the social media platform X early on Thursday to share the latest details. He said the agreement to exchange 314 prisoners came out of peace negotiations he described as "detailed and productive." He added that "While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate that sustained diplomatic engagement is delivering tangible results and advancing efforts to end the war in Ukraine." Today, delegations from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia agreed to exchange 314 prisonersthe first such exchange in five months. This outcome was achieved from peace talks that have been detailed and productive. While significant work remains, steps like this demonstrate Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) February 5, 2026 According to Witkoff's post, the agreement reached in Abu Dhabi is the first prisoner swap of this scale since late 2025. He noted that ongoing discussions among the U.S., Ukrainian, and Russian delegations will continue, with further progress anticipated in the coming weeks. He also thanked the United Arab Emirates for hosting the talks and cited President Trump's leadership in facilitating the negotiations. According to the BBC, the terms of the agreement specify that both Russia and Ukraine will release 157 prisoners of war each, split evenly between the sides, totaling 314. The swap took place shortly after the conclusion of the second day of trilateral talks in the UAE capital. Ukrainian officials confirmed that the released soldiers have already returned to Ukrainian territory. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posted a video of Ukrainian soldiers leaving a bus to be greeted by their loved ones on his social media. Video released by the Russian Defense Ministry showed freed prisoners draped in Russian flags boarding a bus in Belarus, a Russian ally bordering both countries, underscoring the logistical scale of the swap. In a video posted to his social media, Zelenskyy welcomed the exchange, calling it "crucial," especially after a long period without such swaps. He further said in the video that, "The most important thing is that there was a prisoner exchange, and 157 of our people have returned home from Russian captivity... On Ukraine's part, we are doing everything to ensure the exchanges." Today, I received a report from our negotiating team following two days of meetings and talks in the Emirates with the American side and with the Russian side. I am expecting the team in Kyiv for a full in-person report, as many aspects cannot be properly discussed over the pic.twitter.com/bKwzDOGJdd Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) February 5, 2026 Despite the breakthrough on prisoner exchanges, the talks in the UAE did not yield a cease-fire or a comprehensive peace deal. Reporting from Reuters notes that Ukrainian and Russian negotiators continue to disagree over territorial control and the future status of contested regions in eastern Ukraine. However, Witkoff finished his statement by writing, "Discussions will continue, with additional progress anticipated in the coming weeks." Originally published on IBTimes A major suspect in the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya has been apprehended and brought to American soil to face justice, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday. Zubayr Al-Bakoush arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3 a.m. on Friday after being extradited to the United States. He faces an eight-count indictment including murder, terrorism, and arson charges related to the September 11, 2012 attack that claimed the lives of four Americans. "Today, I am proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack," Bondi stated during a press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro. The charges include the murders of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith, as well as the attempted murder of State Department Special Agent Scott Wicklund. Al-Bakoush also faces conspiracy charges for providing material support to terrorists that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. "We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation," Bondi emphasized. "You can run, but you cannot hide." According to officials, Al-Bakoush was initially charged by sealed complaint in 2015. The case remained under seal for 11 years as authorities worked to locate and apprehend the suspect overseas. The State Department and CIA collaborated with the FBI to make the arrest possible, though officials declined to provide specific details about the capture operation. "From day one, Kash and Dan would sit in meetings and say, 'We're going to get him,'" Bondi said. "And they did." The 2012 Benghazi attack began on the evening of September 11 and continued into the following day. Initially believed to be a spontaneous reaction to protests, the incident was later confirmed as a deliberate terrorist attack carried out by extremists with ties to groups affiliated with al Qaeda. In addition to Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, the attack also killed CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. The assault involved armed militants attacking the diplomatic compound and a nearby CIA annex. The case became highly politicized in the years following the attack, with extensive congressional investigations examining security measures, military response, and the Obama administration's handling of the incident and its aftermath. Al-Bakoush will be prosecuted in U.S. federal court, though it remains unclear whether he has legal representation at this time. The arrest marks a significant development in the long-running investigation into one of the deadliest attacks on American diplomatic facilities in recent history. To repair relations with China, Lithuania's verbal 'admission of mistake' is not enough 16:55, February 06, 2026 By Global Times editorial ( Global Times Lithuania's new Prime Minister, Inga Ruginiene, recently publicly admitted that Lithuania has made a big mistake in its policy toward China. Years ago, the Lithuanian government's decision to allow the Taiwan authorities to establish a so-called Taiwanese representative office in its capital, Vilnius, was "jumping in front of a train and lost." The country's President, Gitanas Nauseda, has also stated that he and Ruginiene hope to "visit China as soon as possible." It appears that Lithuania's ruling authorities want to repair relations with China. However, the severe damage previously inflicted on China-Lithuania relations cannot be repaired simply by a verbal admission of mistake. In November 2021, the Lithuanian government reneged on the political commitments it made in the communique on the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Lithuania, digging its heels in endorsing "Taiwan independence." The Chinese side expressed strong dissatisfaction and lodged a solemn protest over this matter, announcing the downgrading of its diplomatic relations with Lithuania to the level of charge d'affaires. Over the past four years, economic and trade relations between China and Lithuania have experienced a "precipitous drop": Data showed that Lithuania's exports to China plummeted by more than 50 percent; pillar industries such as timber and dairy suffered heavy losses, with the century-old dairy company Rokiskio Suris also taking a hit; and the Baltic deep-water port of Klaipeda saw a sharp reduction in throughput due to the rerouting of China-Europe freight trains. It can be said that Vilnius has paid a heavy price for its strategic shortsightedness and political opportunistic actions. For some time recently, the Lithuanian side has released bits and pieces of information regarding "improving relations with China," but its words and actions are often inconsistent. For instance, the Lithuanian President claimed in a recent public speech that his country sees "all the risks associated with overly close engagement" with China. Furthermore, on Sunday, the deputy chair of the Lithuanian Seimas' Committee on Foreign Affairs led a delegation of MPs from multiple countries to visit the island of Taiwan. Even in her statement, Ruginiene only regrets Lithuania "sticking its neck out" and grieved over the price her country has paid; yet she has failed to deeply reflect on the inherent mistakes, let alone apologize for the gross interference in China's internal affairs or take substantive remedial measures. Ruginiene also said: "That was probably Lithuania's big mistake We have the Taiwanese office, but the world did not appreciate it. No one appreciated it." Adhering to the one-China principle is an important political cornerstone for the comprehensive cooperation between China and Europe. Yet, some Lithuanian politicians treat trampling on the red line of the Taiwan question as "bargaining chips" to claim credit and seek rewards from anti-China forces in the West. This not only deviates from the general consensus of China-Europe cooperation, but also violates the basic norms of the post-World War II international order. One wonders where the "reward-seeking" logic of these Lithuanian politicians comes from? Within Europe, two distinct views have long existed regarding China policy. One advocates a return to rational and pragmatic approach, grounded in mutual respect for each other's interests and core concerns. The other can't let go of the fixation on viewing China as a "systemic rival" or a "security threat." Over the past two months, the French president, the Irish Taoiseach, the Finnish prime minister, and the British prime minister have successively visited China. The Spanish prime minister and the German chancellor may also visit China soon. This indicates that a growing number of European leaders advocate the development of pragmatic cooperation with China. Located in the Baltic Sea region, Lithuania cannot fail to notice the further warming of relations between China and Europe. The one-China principle is the foundation of China's diplomatic relations with other countries, and the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests. China maintains that all countries, regardless of size, strength, or wealth, are equal, and it never seeks to bully smaller nations. But China's resolve to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unshakable. Recent statements by Lithuanian leaders on China policy indicate that China's firm position and decisive actions have compelled Lithuania to reflect on its approach. This has served as a warning to certain countries that fantasize about acting as pawns in attempts to "use Taiwan to contain China," and has dealt a heavy blow to the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces that seek leverage by relying on external powers. It is evident that Vilnius now has a more pressing desire than before to "stop the loss" in China relations. However, verbal statements alone are far from sufficient. Lithuania needs to take more sincere actions, genuinely correct its mistakes, and eliminate its negative impact in order to create conditions for the normalization of bilateral relations. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice When police raided the Apple Daily newsroom in 2021, journalists across Hong Kong understood they were watching more than the collapse of a newspaper. They were being shown the future. A little over four years later, the conviction of the papers founder Jimmy Lai on sedition charges has merely formalised that state of affairs. The real impact has long since settled in, embedded in daily decisions about what can be written, who can speak, and how far the press can push in their pursuit of the truth. What remains of journalism is editors identifying invisible red lines, protecting staff and ensuring their reporting does not expose journalists or sources, while reporters engage in self-censorship to escape harassment and intimidation by the government. Nothing has changed because everything has already changed. The changes are baked in, Tom Grundy, the founding editor of Hong Kong Free Press, tells The Independent. Many Hongkongers, from whatever side youre on, are reluctant to speak nowadays, and there are fewer opportunities to ask questions of the authorities. Only a handful of journalists working in Hong Kong agreed to speak to The Independent, with several requesting anonymity for fear of reprisal. Those interviewed, from local and foreign media organisations based in the city, described witnessing in real time a rapid erosion of press freedom in what was once one of Asias most open and freewheeling media environments. Critics of the Chinese government say the guilty verdict against Lai, delivered after a 140-day trial, was preordained. The elaborate courtroom performance, they argue, should not be mistaken for justice. Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison on 9 February, the longest jail term so far under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Effectively a life sentence for the 78-year-old British national, the ruling came just days after prime minister Sir Keir Starmer concluded a visit to Beijing, during which he faced pressure to demand Lais release in talks with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Starmer said he raised the case during his visit to China in late January the first by a UK prime minister in eight years but played down any hopes of securing Lai a reprieve. open image in gallery Keir Starmer arrives in Beijing, China, on 28 January 2026 ( AP ) Selina Cheng, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, says the days are now gone where you would see any story that questioned political power, or the citys disciplinary forces, in the local press, as these are now deemed the most sensitive areas. On the surface, the working conditions for the citys press seem quiet and calm: there are no longer dramatic newsroom raids, sudden arrests of journalists or people working in news organisations, and few, if any, overt acts of censorship. Instead, she says, there are more covert forms of coercion anonymous letters accusing journalists of indulging in anti-China activities, threats of being reported to the national security police, targeted tax audits and, in some cases, gag orders preventing them from explaining why they have stopped publishing or speaking publicly. Authorities have continued to arrest and prosecute people over speech, sometimes over quite innocuous comments on the internet criticising the government or over certain political slogans. None of these used to be criminal in Hong Kong, says Cheng. They have moved to use other coercive methods covertly, so that people stop publishing or saying things in public. open image in gallery Projection on the UK parliament spotlights Keir Starmers golden opportunity to free Jimmy Lai ( Supplied ) Cheng, 35, who is currently embroiled in a legal battle with The Wall Street Journal over her dismissal by the paper, says that the authorities have realised that arresting people, especially journalists, could backfire or lead to greater reputational damage for the government. She says she has first-hand experience of the threats and harassment that many in the profession have faced. Letters accusing her of anti-China activities or causing unrest in Hong Kong were sent to a professional organisation connected to one of her family members. Basically, it felt like a way to intimidate me and their professional contacts, suggesting that those contacts should not have a relationship with me, she says, adding that the letters mixed half-truths with public information to appear credible. The journalists association has documented about a dozen similar cases involving reporters and their relatives, with complaints to police delivering no relief. open image in gallery Final edition of Apple Daily in Hong Kong on 14 June 2021 ( AFP/Getty ) The deterioration of press freedom in the city Hong Kongs global press freedom ranking has dropped from 18th in 2002 to 140th now moving closer to that of mainland China, which is in 178th place, worsened dramatically with the introduction of the national security law in 2020. The law, imposed directly by Beijing after bypassing Hong Kongs local legislature, criminalises any acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, using language that critics say is deliberately vague. One of its first blows landed in June 2021 when 500 police officers raided the Apple Daily offices. Lai and senior staff were arrested and assets worth 1.64m were frozen. The newspaper was raided twice before it announced its closure a few days later a move described by Hong Kongs journalists and critics of the Chinese government as a chilling blow to freedom of expression. At least 14 other media outlets have shut down since, and many individual journalists have been arrested, according to Human Rights Watch. Stand News, once the citys most prominent pro-democracy outlet, had its office raided, its assets frozen and, two years later, its editors were convicted of sedition over published articles. A journalist working for a foreign outlet, among those who requested anonymity, says the pressure is no longer confined to local media. International outlets are now part of the same calculation, he says. In a move that he described as chilling and unprecedented, the national security office called in representatives of all foreign media outlets to warn them against indulging in anti-China activity following the devastating fire in Hong Kongs Tai Po district on 3 December. The national security law ushered in a new era in Hong Kong which is now experiencing a steady march towards becoming an integrated part of the authoritarian state, the journalist says, adding that news outlets in the territory now routinely consult lawyers before publication, highlighting the unpredictability of the national security framework. That legal ambiguity has created a level of nervousness weve never seen before, he notes. Almost every international media organisation now seeks legal advice before publishing stories related to figures like Jimmy Lai. Reporters from local media outlets are being approached by national security police to drink tea a euphemism long used in mainland China to call in journalists to threaten or question them, he says. Drinking tea is framed as a polite invitation from national security police to have tea, the journalist explains. But it is really a euphemism for a meeting in which a journalist is warned, questioned or quietly threatened. open image in gallery Journalists in Hong Kong are under mounting pressure ( AFP/Getty ) The intimidation is no longer limited to members of the media, journalists say. News sources routinely withdraw at the last minute, decline interviews or insist on anonymity. Some media organisations allege that government representatives have contacted advertising departments to discourage certain coverage, threatening to withhold advertising budgets if they dont comply. For the international community to better understand China, Hong Kong is sadly a case study in terms of how different the values are between China and much of the world, the journalist working for a foreign outlet says. Some people I interview often say that Hong Kong seems, in some ways, stricter than the mainland. Authorities almost treat Hong Kong similarly to how Xinjiang or Tibet might be treated. Officially, the authorities deny any erosion of press freedom in the city. Yet the coverage of Jimmy Lais trial by the Hong Kong media closely followed court statements, with editorials in state-aligned outlets insisting it was fair and that the case had nothing to do with journalism. The South China Morning Post ran an editorial saying the verdict stands up to scrutiny, rejecting claims that it undermined judicial independence. The paper accused the West of misrepresenting the trial as an attack on press freedom. State media outlets like China Daily, Global Times and CGTN echoed this line, urging international media to retract what they called misleading criticism. Before its closure, Apple Daily sold up to a million copies per day at the peak of its popularity. That same popularity is now being presented as evidence of a criminal conspiracy. Jimmy Lai once said he had named the newspaper after a forbidden fruit in the Bible, telling Lianhe Evening News: "If Eve hadn't bitten the forbidden fruit, there would be no sin, no right and wrong, and of course no news. open image in gallery A newsstand sells copies of Apple Daily in Hong Kong in 2020 ( AFP/Getty ) Lai has repeatedly denied acting illegally, calling for sanctions on China or inciting violence, insisting that Apple Daily gave voice to Hongkongers desire for freedom. Robert Sirico, a US-based Catholic priest and friend of Jimmy Lai, says he met the media mogul in Hong Kong after his baptism and turn towards religion in the late 1990s. Lais real offence is moral, not legal, Father Sirico, the co-founderof the Acton Institute, tells The Independent. He refused to be silent. And more remarkably, he refused to leave Hong Kong, even though he holds British citizenship. He was an uncompromising advocate of human freedom, but he was never treasonous. There were no machinations of that kind in all my dealings with him. Lai could easily have escaped if he wanted to, he notes, because he had the wealth, the passport and the opportunity to do so. But he stayed in Hong Kong because he always said Hong Kong gave me my freedom and he felt obliged to defend it. Sirico recalls leaving the courtroom with deep unease after seeing Lai in a glass dock, surrounded by security, at a 2024 hearing. It was a little frightening. The courthouse was surrounded by a lot of military presence with guns. To enter, you had to go through security, paparazzi and metal detectors, and that was the moment I felt the most uncomfortable, he says. No words were exchanged when I first saw him in the small courtroom. When he walked in, he greeted his wife and family, and then he saw me. I could see he became emotional. He bowed in my direction, and I made the sign of the cross. Sirico hopes that voices around the world will keep speaking up for Jimmy Lai. The Pope has met Mrs Lai and their daughter, and political leaders have raised the case, he says. Thats the hope: that he can be released and spend his final years with his family. open image in gallery Jimmy Lai is escorted to a prison van before appearing in a Hong Kong court on 12 December 2020 ( AP ) A journalist speaking anonymously after being targeted over their work says the case is about more than just Lai. Apple Daily and its publishing group meant a great deal not just to journalists, but to the entire media industry and to Hong Kong society, they say. The journalist says when people talk about the case, they focus on Lai because hes the owner and a well-known figure. But six other senior figures, including journalists, were also arrested and convicted. The crackdown on Apple Daily caused enormous damage to the industry. It was the first major action taken against a press group in Hong Kong. Hundreds of journalists lost their jobs, and some no longer felt secure living in the city and the country. In addition to Jimmy Lai, six former executives of Apple Daily and its parent company, Next Digital, were tried under the national security law, and all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. For journalists still working in Hong Kong, Lais case is a boundary marker rather than a story a measure of how far speech can go. As for the future of the citys press, Hong Kong Free Presss Tom Grundy is not very optimistic. But we are still here, he says. For all the compromises we have to make, and for all the risks we have to face, we feel its better to be in than out to keep our ears to the ground and capture, with nuance, what is really happening inside the city. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Hong Kongs pro-democracy media tycoon, Jimmy Lai, is set to be sentenced on Monday following his conviction in December under Beijings imposed national security law. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper could face a life sentence in a case that has drawn significant criticism from several foreign governments. The judiciary confirmed on Friday that the sentencing session is scheduled for 10 am on Monday. Lai, an outspoken critic of Chinas ruling Communist Party, was arrested in 2020 under the national security law, which Beijing asserted was necessary for the citys stability after anti-government protests the previous year. His trial has been widely interpreted as a stark indicator of the diminishing press freedom in the former British colony, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1997. However, the citys government maintains that the case bears no relation to media freedom. The impending sentencing is expected to heighten tensions between Beijing and international governments. Lais conviction already prompted criticism from the United States and Britain. Following the December verdict, Donald Trump, who had previously raised Lais case with China, stated he felt "so badly." The administration of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for the release of Lai, who holds British citizenship. Lai could face a life sentence ( AFP via Getty Images ) In January, Hong Kong's Chief Justice Andrew Cheung addressed the issue, stating that calls for prematurely releasing a defendant based on political causes or identity circumvent legal procedures to ensure accountability and "strike at the very heart of the rule of law itself." Lai was found guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. He was accused of conspiring with senior executives of Apple Daily and others to solicit foreign forces to impose sanctions or blockades, or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or China. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges, while six former Apple Daily journalists and two activists, who are co-defendants, entered pleas that could lead to reduced sentences. All are expected to return to court on Monday to learn their fate. Lai is already serving a nearly six-year prison term for previous convictions related to fraud allegations and his actions in 2019. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice More than seven out of every 10 aircraft in the Air India Group fleet were found to have recurring technical defects, according to data presented in the Indian parliament. On Thursday, civil aviation minister Murlidhar Mohol presented the figures in the Lok Sabha, or lower house of parliament, detailing inspections carried out since January last year. Inspectors identified repetitive defects in 191 of the 267 aircraft operated by Air India Group, the highest proportion among the airlines reviewed, according to NDTV. Air India Group encompasses both the nations main flag carrier and Air India Express. The ministry logged which aircraft had repetitive deficiencies detected during surveillance and audit inspections conducted by Indias aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). From a total of 754 aircraft inspected from six airlines, 377 were flagged for having recurring technical problems about half of those reviewed. IndiGo, Indias largest carrier, had 405 aircraft examined, and inspectors identified repetitive defects in 148 of them as of 3 February this year. SpiceJet recorded 16 affected aircraft out of 43 analysed, while Akasa Air reported 14 aircraft flagged from 32 reviewed planes, according to an Economic Times report. The Independent has reached out to Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air for comment. IndiGo, Indias largest carrier, had 405 aircraft examined, and inspectors identified repetitive defects in 148 of them ( AFP via Getty Images ) We have, out of abundant caution, carried out checks across our fleet. Hence, numbers are higher, an Air India official told NDTV. They said that most of the defects fell under lower-priority Category D items, including seats, tray tables, screens (on the back of seats), and so on, rather than systems critical to flight safety. These are not related to the safety of the aircraft, the executive said, adding that a retrofit programme for narrow-body aircraft over the next two years would address many of the identified issues. The ministry also outlined the scale of oversight the DGCA carried out during the previous year. Regulators conducted 3,890 surveillance inspections, 56 regulatory audits, 84 checks on foreign aircraft, and 492 ramp inspections as part of planned monitoring. They also carried out 874 spot checks and 550 night surveillance inspections under unplanned oversight measures. The government told parliament that it has expanded the number of roles for technical officers in the DGCA from 637 in 2022 to 1,063 following a restructuring exercise designed to strengthen regulatory capacity. The disclosure in parliament came following a period of heightened scrutiny in Indias aviation sector, which has been tested by a series of high-profile safety and operational events in recent months. In June 2025, an Air India Boeing 787 crashed after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground. In December 2025, IndiGo cancelled nearly 4,500 flights over a 10-day period after failing to adjust to revised crew duty rules, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded. Earlier this week, a pilot reported a potential fuel control switch defect on an Air India Boeing 787 operating from London to Bengaluru. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has sought detailed explanations and maintenance records from the airline after the aircraft continued operations despite the anomaly. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Authorities in the Japanese city of Fujiyoshida have decided to cancel a long-running spring cherry blossom festival at one of the countrys most photographed Mount Fuji viewpoints after residents raised concerns about overcrowding and disruptive tourist behaviour. The city government in Yamanashi prefecture said on 3 February that it would not stage the annual Arakurayama Sengen Park Cherry Blossom Festival this year. The festival, which has been organised for about a decade, typically draws around 200,000 visitors who come to photograph Mount Fuji framed by blooming cherry blossoms and a five-storey pagoda. Authorities said the number of tourists had surged in recent years, fuelled by a weaker yen and the viral popularity of scenic locations on social media. Now, nearly 10,000 people pass through the area every day during peak blossom season a volume that the small community says it can no longer comfortably manage. Japan welcomed a record number of foreign tourists last year, with arrivals surpassing 40 million for the first time. Fujiyoshida city representatives pointed to a growing list of resident complaints for the cancellation, describing nuisance behaviour that was affecting daily life. Authorities cited sanitation issues among the most serious problems, including cases of visitors entering private homes to use toilets, relieving themselves in residential yards, and causing confrontations when challenged, according to Kyodo News. Safety worries have also emerged, particularly from families living nearby. According to the city, parents have reported children being pushed aside on school routes as large crowds gather along narrow pavements to reach popular photo spots. There are numerous cherry trees inside the Arakurayama Sengen Park, including a few around the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine at the entrance. It provides a picturesque frame for tourists to capture Mount Fuji and the cherry blossoms. Fujiyoshida mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said the decision reflected growing anxiety among residents about balancing tourism with community life. I feel a deep sense of crisis as I witness the reality that, behind this beautiful scenery, the quiet lives of our citizens are being threatened, he said. Mount Fuji is seen from the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine in Fujiyoshida city, Yamanashi prefecture, on 22 April 2021 ( AFP via Getty ) Japans enthusiasm for welcoming more tourists has not been without challenges, not least concerns about overtourism. In some cases, inappropriate behaviour by visitors or cultural misunderstandings has caused friction with local communities. Popular destinations like Kyoto have faced particularly intense pressure. Residents have pointed to worsening traffic congestion, longer queues, and disruption to daily life. Although the festival will not take place as an official event and will not be promoted under its usual name on tourism platforms officials expect visitor numbers to remain high when cherry blossoms bloom in April. Preparations are underway to handle the influx, with officials planning to step up security and establish temporary car parks and portable toilet facilities to reduce pressure on neighbourhoods. The Arakurayama Sengen Park is one of the most popular viewing points for Mount Fuji, especially in the spring season when long queues, sometimes lasting up to three hours, form as travellers wait to capture images of the mountain behind the pagoda and pink blossoms. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A local affiliate of militant group Isis claimed responsibility for Fridays suicide bombing attack on a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, which left at least 31 people dead. The attack marked a rare bombing in Pakistans capital, occurring as its Western-allied government struggled to contain a surge in militant assaults nationwide. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents frantically transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Some of those caught in the blast at the expansive Khadija Al-Kubra mosque are reported to be in critical condition. open image in gallery ( AP ) The regional Isis affiliate claimed responsibility in a statement posted on its Amaq News Agency. Isis also released an image that it said showed the attacker holding a gun, his face covered and eyes blurred, according to a statement on its Telegram channel. Reuters could not immediately verify the photo. More than 170 others were wounded in the explosion, detonated after guards challenged the attacker as he made his way into the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah compound on the outskirts of the city, officials said. Authorities said several suspects, including the brother, mother and other relatives of the bomber, were arrested during overnight raids in Islamabad and in northwestern Pakistan, and that a police officer was killed in the operation. More than 2,000 grief-stricken mourners gathered as coffins of those killed were brought to the mosque for funerals. Senior government officials and leaders of the Shiite community were among those who attended the funerals for about a dozen victims. Funerals of other victims were to be held in their home towns. Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted mosque floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris and panicked worshippers. Dozens more wounded were lying in the gardens of the compound as people called for help. Survivors said they heard gunshots and seconds later the blast, soon after the prayers began. The man blew "himself up in the last row of worshippers", defence minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X. He said the bomber had a history of travelling to Afghanistan and blamed neighbouring India for sponsoring the assault, without providing evidence. India's foreign office condemned the attack and dismissed Pakistan's statement as "baseless". open image in gallery Pakistan Shiite Mosque Blast ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) "It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills," it said in a statement. At Islamabad's largest public hospital, family members waited outside and in crowded corridors for news. Sarfraz Shah, 46, said he had gone to the mosque with his younger brother Manzar, 39, as he did every Friday. "I heard the gunshots and I was just trying to make sense of what had happened when there was a massive explosion," Mr Shah said at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital. "It threw people here and there. There was smoke. No one knew what had happened. Then there was blood everywhere." He added through tears that there was no sign of his brother anywhere but when he came to the hospital he discovered that Manzar was among those killed. The attack was the deadliest suicide bombing in Islamabad in more than a decade, according to conflict monitor ACLED. Shahid Malik, a police official who was involved in shifting the injured people and dead bodies to hospital, said what he had witnessed was a nightmare. open image in gallery ( AP ) "I have seen many crime scenes. But this was horrible, very horrible," he said, adding there were between 600 and 700 people at the mosque. Shi'ites, who are a minority in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 241 million, have been targeted in sectarian violence in the past, including by Islamic State and the Sunni Islamist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Bombings are rare in the heavily guarded capital, although Pakistan has been hit by a rising wave of militancy in the past few years, particularly along the border with Afghanistan. Afghanistan's foreign ministry condemned the attack. Kabul has repeatedly denied charges that it provides safe haven to militants carrying out attacks in Pakistan."A total of 31 people have lost their lives. The number of wounded brought to hospitals has risen to 169," Islamabad's deputy commissioner, Irfan Memon, said in a statement. The capital was already on high alert on Friday for the visiting president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with roads around the capital blocked by checkpoints and security forces posted across the city. Pakistan has also blamed India for assaults by militants in the restive Balochistan province over the weekend, accusations that have fanned smouldering tensions between the nuclear-powered neighbours who engaged in their worst conflict in decades in May. open image in gallery ( AFP via Getty Images ) Delhi has denied any involvement in the violence in Balochistan where Pakistan's military has battled a decades-long insurgency. That region was brought to a standstill after separatist militants stormed government buildings, hospitals and markets in a coordinated attack, killing 58 civilians and security officials. The military said it killed 216 militants in targeted offensives across the province. The military said earlier on Friday that another 24 militants linked to the TTP were killed in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The last major attack in Islamabad was a suicide bombing on 11 November that killed 12 people and wounded 27 others. Pakistan said it was carried out by an Afghan national. No group claimed responsibility for that attack. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Indonesian comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, the first from his country to air a special on Netflix, was questioned by police in Jakarta on Friday following complaints that his material was insulting and blasphemous. After a seven-hour session at Jakarta's police headquarters, Pragiwaksono emerged, stating he had answered questions "as best as I could" and did not believe he had committed religious blasphemy. Police confirmed he was summoned for clarification but was not named as a suspect nor faced formal charges. "I will just follow the legal process," he added. His nearly two-and-a-half-hour Netflix show, which premiered on 27 December, features satirical commentary on Indonesian politics, including the recent 2024 election won by Prabowo Subianto, now president of the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation. Pragiwaksono also criticised Indonesia's two largest Muslim organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, for accepting mining concessions from the government during Joko Widodo's presidency. Both organisations had previously denied wrongdoing, asserting the concessions would benefit their members. open image in gallery ( REUTERS ) The special has sparked a significant debate across Indonesia, with some accusing the comedian of insulting religious entities and state institutions, while democracy activists have rallied to his defence. Jakarta police spokesman Andaru Rahutomo confirmed they were "clarifying several things based on five police reports." Two of these reports were filed by individuals claiming to be members of the youth wings of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, alleging blasphemy and defamation against their organisations. However, both religious bodies have since stated they have no connection to the individuals listed in the police complaints. In February 2025, Indonesian police were accused of intimidating a punk rock band after they took down an anti-corruption song from streaming platforms. Sukatani, a punk rock duo from Central Java, issued an apology on social media last week for the song Bayar, Bayar, Bayar Pay, Pay, Pay which called out alleged corruption in the Indonesian police. Released in 2023, the song accused the police of taking bribes for issuing driving licences, freeing detainees from jail and conducting evictions. Bayar, Bayar, Bayar went viral this month and became an anthem of the student protesters who took to the streets against president Prabowo Subiantos budget cuts and policies. open image in gallery The song has become an anthem for protests against president Prabowo Subianto ( AFP via Getty Images ) "We sincerely apologise to the chief of police and the police institution, Muhammad Syifa Al Lufti, the bands guitarist, said. Actually, I created the song for police officers who violate the rules. He urged social media users to delete their recordings of the song and remove all videos featuring the lyrics. Novi Citra Indriyati, the vocalist, said if there is a risk in the future, it is no longer the responsibility of the Sukatani band. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ski jumpers at this years Olympics games in Milan were under scrutiny this week following allegations that some of the sports male athletes were injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to give themselves a competitive edge Now, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has dismissed speculation as nothing more than a wild rumor, telling PEOPLE.com on Friday that there has never been any evidence to the case. The reaction comes after leaders of the World Anti-Doping Agency said they would examine the claims, which first emerged in the German newspaper Bild and have since been more widely dubbed Penisgate. The idea is that injecting the penis with hyaluronic acid which is commonly used in cosmetic skin fillers would enlarge the organ and ensure that the dimensions of their suit could be larger, allowing the Olympians to jump farther and giving them more lift. But, experts say the shots could be harmful to the athletes health long-term, leaving them in pain or even leading to infection. open image in gallery Ski and snowboard officials now say allegations that Olympic ski jumpers were attempting to enlarge their penises with hyaluronic injections are no more than wild rumors. If the athletes did, however, they may suffer serious health consequences ( Getty Images ) Poorly injected technique or incorrect dose would cause penile pain, poor cosmesis [disfigurement], deformity, infection, inflammation, sensory change and sexual dysfunction, Dr. Eric Chung, a urological surgeon in Australia, told The Guardian. In rare instances, infection can spread to cause gangrene (tissue necrosis) and loss of the penis. What the darn heck? Yeah, these symptoms have been documented following injections. A 2021 study from researchers in Japan found that a 65-year-old man who had gotten the acid injected into his penis to enlarge its size needed to have parts of it removed. On admission, physical examination revealed black necrotic lesions and ulcerations on his glans penis. We performed partial penectomy to remove the necrotic tissues, the researchers said. But, they note, the case was exceedingly rare. That same year, Australian researchers said a 31-year-old man who had unprotected sex and had previously received filler injections at a cosmetic clinic for penile enlargement developed septic shock and was admitted to the ICU. One month post admission there was significant superficial skin loss to both ventral and lateral aspect of the penis, with healthy granulation tissue at the base, they wrote. Chung is likely referring to fourniers gangrene, which is a rare and life-threatening bacterial infection of the genitals and surrounding area. Fewer than two out of 100,000 men will be affected by the condition in the U.S. each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic. open image in gallery The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of hyaluronic in cosmetic products and procedures ( Getty Images/iStock ) Our obsession with hyaluronic acid Partly its that our bodies naturally produce it. The gooey and slippery substance has multiple crucial functions. It helps our joints work, keeps us hydrated by retaining water and makes skin flexible and reduces wrinkles and lines. The kind we use in our skin care and medicine and eye drops often comes from fermenting certain kinds of bacteria in a lab. However, it often used to come from rooster combs, the Clinic notes. The acid is generally regarded as safe to use in cosmetics, and there are dermal fillers that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that use the ingredient. One of the benefits of hyaluronic acid fillers is that they can be dissolved using a special solution if there are adverse effects or a person doesnt like their appearance, according to Harvard Health. But these are approved in the face and hands not anywhere else in the body. The FDA hasnt approved any type of injectable for the purpose of enhancing penis size, telehealth company Hims writes. While some dermal fillers are FDA approved for wrinkle filling in the hands or the face, putting them into the penis is an off-label use. The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics was being held on Friday and mens ski jumping is expected to start on Monday. Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A hill on the west Cumbrian coast could be the long-sought burial mound of Ivarr the Boneless, one of the most powerful Viking leaders to have ruled in Britain, an archaeologist has claimed. Ivarr, also known as Ivarr the Legless or Ivarr the Dragon, was a formidable ninth-century Viking warlord who established a ruling dynasty in Dublin. He played a pivotal role in leading the Great Heathen Army during its campaigns across England. Despite his historical significance, his grave has never been conclusively identified. Independent archaeologist Steve Dickinson believes the Viking leader may have been interred with his ship beneath a large mound, known in medieval records as The Kings Mound. This site is considered by Mr Dickinson to be part of an extensive and previously unrecognised Viking burial landscape. open image in gallery The King's mound in Cumbria ( Steve Dickinson/Cover Images ) Only 16 pre-Viking and Viking Age monumental ship burials are currently known in the region. None has yet been confirmed in the UK. Ship burial was practised by some early medieval cultures as a mark of status and respect. Britains best-known example is the Anglo-Saxon ship burial discovered at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. Historians have long argued that Vikings not only raided but settled in Cumbria, a theory supported by the high concentration of Scandinavian place-names across the county. In 2001, a BBC television programme examined DNA samples from locations across England. Of all the sites tested, only Penrith in east Cumbria showed strong evidence of Norwegian Viking ancestry in the modern population. More than a quarter of men sampled were found to share a direct male ancestor from Norway. Even so, archaeological evidence for Viking settlement and burial in Cumbria has remained limited. The first radiocarbon-dated Viking Age longhouse in England was identified in the Kentmere valley in the 1980s. A small Viking cemetery uncovered at Cumwhitton near Carlisle was later published by Oxford Archaeology North in 2014. Since the early 2000s, metal-detecting has begun to reveal new evidence, particularly along the west Cumbrian coast. Several Viking Age silver hoards have been discovered, including one at Beckermet now held at the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven. open image in gallery Metal boat rivets found nearby ( Steve Dickinson/Cover Images ) The Beckermet Hoard, which includes silver from the Carolingian Empire and coins originating in Baghdad, appears to have been weighed out beside The Kings Mound. Nearby are 39 smaller satellite mounds. Surveys suggest the area forms a large Viking Age necropolis, with the main mound potentially covering a high-status burial. Further discoveries have strengthened the case for west Cumbria as a major Viking centre. Satellite imagery, LiDAR and ground surveys have revealed what archaeologists believe to be Viking fleet bases and large timber hall complexes. In early 2025, a 50-metre-long late Viking Age hall was identified near Wigton by a Cumbrian heritage agency. An even larger hall, measuring about 63 metres, has been detected south of Gosforth. Archaeologists say this would be the largest pre-Norman hall known in the UK and Ireland. Professor Neil Price, Chair of Archaeology at Uppsala University, has described the complex as comparable to royal Viking Age palaces in Scandinavia. Taken together, the evidence suggests west Cumbria may have been a significant Viking Age power base, possibly corresponding to the kingdom known in ninth-century Irish sources as Laithlinn or Laithlind. open image in gallery Invasion of England by Ivar the Boneless in 886 ( CC BY 3.0/Cover Images ) Dickinson said his research began with medieval documents that repeatedly referred to a place called Cuningeshou, an Old Norse term meaning The Kings Mound. In August 2024, he visited the site and confirmed the mound still exists, measuring about 60 metres across and nearly six metres high, overlooking the coast. Its precise location has not been disclosed to prevent looting. Metal-detecting in the surrounding area has uncovered lead weights used to measure silver, along with large ship rivets and fittings, which Mr Dickinson says support the theory of a ship burial. He links the site to Ivarr through Icelandic sagas and contemporary Irish annals. One saga records that Ivarr was buried in a mound on a boundary in England, while Irish annals describe Ivarr and his brother Olafr as sons of the king of Laithlind. Some historians have placed Laithlind in Norway or Scotland. Mr Dickinson argues instead that Irish sources point to the eastern shores of the Irish Sea. So I consider Ivarrs home kingdom was in West Cumbria, and it figures that he would have been buried there at his death, Mr Dickinson said. As he was a famous sea-king with a reputation of crossing the Irish Sea from Dublin to Dumbarton on the Clyde and way beyond, it also figures that he would have been given a pagan burial in a ship in a mound overlooking the sea. Other scholars have suggested Ivarr was buried at Repton in Derbyshire, site of a major Viking encampment, but that claim is based on a burial reportedly uncovered in 1686. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A church worker has avoided immediate jail after stealing nearly 100,000 from the Diocese of Westminster funds that could have supported homeless people and food banks. Francisca Yawson, 37, made nine bank transfers to herself between September 2018 and August 2019 while working as a gift aid and operations technician for the central London Roman Catholic Church division. Southwark Crown Court heard Yawson, who gave birth to her fourth child in October, previously pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft. She was sentenced on Friday to two years in prison, suspended for two years. Judge Mark Weekes said: All in all, you were funding yourself to a reasonably good standard of lifestyle grossly and dishonestly. Judge Weekes said that the money could have been used to help the homeless and families fed through food banks, adding that it would be on her conscience that children may have gone hungry while you were helping yourself to a high lifestyle. He said that the case had seen a shocking delay after police wrongfully closed the investigation between 2021 and 2025, which he said had produced a different outcome. The judge said had sentencing for her meanness and selfishness taken place in 2019 or 2020, she would likely have been jailed. open image in gallery Yawson appeared at Southwark Crown Court ( Sean Dempsey/PA ) He told her that she was lucky because of the passage of time, urging her to reflect on the very real damage you caused to people less fortunate than you. In a statement, which was read to the court on his behalf, Nicholas Seed, the dioceses chief financial officer, said it was upsetting that money which could have been used to help families fed through food banks and the homeless had been stolen. He said: The harm caused by (Yawsons) actions therefore reverberates beyond this courtroom to every corner of our community. The thefts, amounting to more than 96,000, began with a 247 payment Yawson made to herself and escalated to a single transfer of almost 20,000, the court heard. She disguised her actions on the dioceses records, although dates and amounts matched transfers to her personal accounts, prosecutors said. Yawson, of Stonebridge Park in Brent, north-west London, used the money mostly for day-to-day things, the court heard. The defendant said 8,500 of the stolen money was transferred to Jamaica to help support her ill grandmother. Ryan Evans, defending, said that Yawson had lost her employment and was on universal credit. Mr Evans said that Yawson had found the stress of the proceedings, combined with having a newborn child, very difficult. Judge Weekes ordered her to pay 1,000, carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 hours of a rehabilitation requirement. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Three men have been jailed for their involvement in a 1.1 million jewellery shop robbery plot in south-west London. The incident tragically led to the manager taking his own life the following day. Kyle Mehmet, 40, Michael Holmes, 35, and Mannix Pedro, 38, were found guilty of conspiring to rob over 70 high-value watches from 247 Kettles in Richmond on 25 May 2024. During the raid, 27-year-old Oliver White, the store's manager, was tied up and put in a headlock. Woolwich Crown Court on Friday sentenced Mehmet, of Rotherham, to 18 years, Holmes, of Sheffield, to 13 years, and Pedro, of Woking, to 20 years, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. During the mens trials, jurors heard evidence of the detailed planning that conspirators had put into carrying out the robbery. open image in gallery 247 Kettles in Richmond ( Google Street View ) That included stealing a getaway car, obtaining cloned licence plates, having a changeover car ready and waiting at an agreed location, and contacting the watch shop under the pretences of making a purchase. In a state of distress, Mr White tried to transfer 14,000 in savings to his bosses after the theft, prosecutors said. Jurors heard he did not see the risk or bad in anyone and showed real enthusiasm for his work at Kettles. But Mr White told his girlfriend he had been accused by a man of not putting up enough of a fight. Not long after transferring the cash, he went missing and stopped replying to texts or calls. His body was found by a friend in a wooded area. open image in gallery Oliver White was found dead less than 24 hours after the robbery ( Instagram/247Kettles ) Paul Goddard, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: The greed of these three men has had considerable, and tragic, consequences. Not only did the business they targeted suffer the loss of over one million pounds worth of stock, Oliver White, who was working at the premises, took his own life the following day as a direct result of the robbery. Our thoughts are with Olivers loved ones for the terrible loss they have suffered. Mannix Pedro was a key organiser of the robbery and afterwards helped to dispose of the haul. Meanwhile, Kyle Mehmet and another man carried the robbery out, stealing more than 70 watches and tying up Mr White, while Michael Holmes waited nearby. Mehmet, having made good his escape in a stolen car, then met with Pedro and Holmes, before they travelled together to Colchester. This was a complex and difficult case, but by carefully putting all of the evidence together, prosecutors were able to build a comprehensive picture of each defendants involvement and present a compelling case, ultimately leading to their convictions. If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Three men have been charged over the armed robbery of a Rolex store in the affluent London area of Knightsbridge. Six men brandishing weapons, including machetes, stormed the store on 20 January, threatened staff and made off on mopeds. They took an unknown number of watches, which retail for tens of thousands of pounds. The three men, aged 27, 29, and 31, will appear in court charged with robbing the Bucherer Rolex Boutique. The store, which remains closed, is located at One Hyde Park, an exclusive development where flats sell for millions of pounds. According to reports, Hollywood star Tom Cruise quit his multimillion-pound flat in the area because he no longer feels safe after the raid. open image in gallery Tom Cruise reportedly no longer feels safe in the area ( Getty Images ) At the time of the robbery, the Metropolitan Polices Flying Squad acknowledged the concern it would cause. Detective Chief Inspector Scott Mather said: This robbery was carried out in a busy part of London, and we understand the alarm it has caused. He added: Officers were on scene within minutes and investigators are working at pace to piece together the offenders movements. We are determined to find those involved and bring them to justice as swiftly as possible. Appearing at Highbury Magistrates Court on Friday are Dean Dinan, 29, from Islington, north London, who has been charged with robbery, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of criminal property. He will be alongside Elliot Campbell, 31, also from Islington, who has been charged with robbery, possession of criminal property and possession of drugs, and Dyllan Gowie, 27, from Tower Hamlets, who has been charged with robbery and possession of drugs. They were arrested in co-ordinated raids in the early hours of Thursday. The investigation continues to hunt for three other men. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Staggering to his feet in the dock of the Old Bailey this week, serial killer Steve Wright uttered a word he has refused to use for 20 years: Guilty. The seismic moment marked the first time one of Britains most notorious murderers, now a balding pensioner who will die in prison, had ever admitted to one of his crimes. But his confession to the murder of Victoria Hall in 1999, seven years before the horrific killing spree which earned him the moniker, the Suffolk Strangler, has also sparked major questions. Was Ms Hall, who he kidnapped and murdered aged 17 as she walked home from a night out in Felixstowe, his first murder victim? And did he simply lie dormant for the seven intervening years until the six-week rampage in 2006, which led to his capture for killing five women whom he snatched from Ipswichs red-light district? On Friday, he was jailed for 40 years for her killing. In the wake of the guilty plea, police are facing renewed calls to investigate Wright over a string of other unsolved murders and disappearances. open image in gallery Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright as he looked in 2008, and now, aged 67 ( Suffolk Police ) Wrights ex-wife, Diane Cole, 71, said: I think this is just the beginning. I suspect he has killed quite a few other women. She urged police to question him over the 1986 disappearance of 25-year-old estate agent, Suzy Lamplugh, who he used to know when they worked together on board the QE2 ocean liner. Ms Lamplugh vanished without a trace after leaving her London office to meet a client known as Mr Kipper. Murderer John Cannan, who died aged 70 last year in HMP Full Sutton, East Yorkshire, was the prime suspect in her disappearance, but the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to charge him. Ms Cole told the Mirror: He [Wright] needs to tell the families and give them closure if he's responsible. Maybe he realises he's not getting out and might start confessing more. He should tell the truth for the sake of Suzy's family. And for anybody else he's done in. It's cruel. I definitely do think the police really need to look at him again. I know how bad he could be. open image in gallery Steve Wrights ex-wife has called for the serial to quizzed over Suzy Lamplughs unsolved disappearance ( PA ) Wright's brother, Keith, 57, also urged police to investigate his brother over other crimes. Its time he did the right thing and told the police everything, he toldThe Sun. There's still so much we don't know, so many unanswered questions. How many more victims are there? Criminologist Professor David Wilson first linked Ms Halls murder to Wright in his 2008 book, Hunting Evil, years before police investigated him for the crime. From the get-go, I felt what was happening in Ipswich was very criminally sophisticated, Prof Wilson, who followed the case since 2006, toldThe Trial podcast. Wright put the bodies of these young women in water to dispose of any forensic evidence. I felt that whoever had done it was probably known to police because everything suggested the perpetrator had done this before. He believes investigators should also look into the unsolved disappearances of Amanda Duncan, who vanished in Ipswich in 1993, and Kellie Pratt, who was last seen in Norwich in 2000. open image in gallery Victoria Hall, 17, was killed by Wright as she walked home from a night out ( Suffolk Police ) Ms Hall had been studying for A-levels in English, sociology and business studies when she was targeted by Wright, a former forklift truck driver and merchant seaman. The sixth former, from Trimley St Mary, had left home on the evening of 18 September 1999 for a night out with her best friend at the Bandbox nightclub in neighbouring Felixstowe. They left the venue at around 1am the following morning and walked back, saying goodnight at 2.20am, just 300 metres from Ms Hall's home. However, the teenager, who was hoping to study sociology at university, never made it inside. Her parents raised the alarm when they discovered she was not in her bedroom the following morning. Ms Halls 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. A post-mortem revealed that she had been asphyxiated, a pattern Wright would repeat in later murders. At the time of her disappearance, Wright was living less than a mile away. He had tried to kidnap Emily Doherty, 22, a day earlier as she was walking home from Felixstowe, but she escaped and sought shelter in a nearby home. Wright matched the description of Ms Dohertys attacker, which included a partial number plate, yet Suffolk Police officers failed to identify him as a suspect for her ordeal or Ms Halls disappearance. open image in gallery The Bandbox club in Felixstowe, Suffolk, where Ms Hall had been on a night out before she disappeared ( PA ) Instead, they charged innocent businessman Adrian Bradshaw with murder. Prosecutors argued that soil samples on the pedal of his Porsche 944 were similar to samples from the murder scene, but jurors acquitted him in just 90 minutes after hearing those samples could have been found anywhere in East Anglia. Mr Bradshaw, who had also been at the Bandbox nightclub on the night Ms Hall vanished, had always insisted he had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Following his acquittal in November 2001, Mr Bradshaw described being wrongly accused as probably the most difficult moment of my life, adding: The police spent 2m on this inquiry and it took a jury of 12 normal people to acquit me in a little over an hour. I think that speaks for itself. Meanwhile, Wright was left free to kill again. His horrifying crimes terrorised Ipswich as he snatched five women over a matter of weeks in 2006. Tania Nicol, 19, vanished on 30 October that year, followed by Gemma Adams, 25, around two weeks later, triggering a major police inquiry. Ms Adams's body was found in a stream on 2 December, followed by the discovery of Ms Nicol's remains, in a pond, on 8 December. The remains of Anneli Alderton, 24, were found two days later in woodland, 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 Ipswich's 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 Wright's trial at Ipswich Crown Court in 2008, prosecutors said he had systematically selected and murdered the women after stalking the 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. Officers only connected the serial killer to Ms Halls murder after they reopened their investigation in 2019, on the 20th anniversary of her death. Initially, Wright now 67 and serving a whole life prison sentence in HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire for the five other murders denied killing the sixth woman. open image in gallery Wright (front left) appearing in the dock of the Old Bailey ( Elizabeth Cook/PA ) But he dramatically changed his plea on Monday, after Mr Justice Bennathan ruled at a previous hearing that jurors would be told about his other brutal murders. He also admitted attempting to kidnap Ms Doherty the night before. Sadly, Ms Hall's mother, Lorinda, who died in December, did not live to see her daughter's killer brought to justice. Speaking outside the Old Bailey after Wright was sentenced, Ms Halls heartbroken father Graham said he has endured 26 years of hell, which will continue from today onwards and forever. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Paedophile financier Jeffery Epstein was set to own a majority stake in Sarah Fergusons womens empowerment brand after he was convicted for child sex offences, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice. Work started on launching the company, Mothers Army, in 2009. Ms Ferguson wanted to amplify the voices of mothers all over the world and tackle tougher issues facing young people and families. An email from 2009, from an associate of Epstein, reveals his involvement in plans for the business. The business plan highlighted in email exchanges, which was sent after Epsteins 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14, revealed revenue would come from book deals, involvement in childrens TV programmes and speaking fees. The plans also revealed Ms Ferguson would have received a $250,000 salary. Emails outlined that Epstein would hold 51 per cent of equity in Mothers Army which, if the plan had gone ahead, would have made him the companys majority owner. open image in gallery An email sent to Jeffrey Epstein outlining a business plan for Mothers Army ( US Department of Justice ) open image in gallery The emails were sent after Epsteins 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 ( US Justice Department ) open image in gallery Section of an email sent to Epstein outlining a business plan showing he would hold 51 per cent of equity in Mothers Army ( US Department of Justice ) A second email, sent by an associate, revealed how Epstein hoped to profit. In the email, a list under the heading Mothers Army states: Good concept if all her activities are consolidated into MA. Needs clearer build up and focus to generate scale, and, Potential to leverage her network for MA growth but also other JEDS deals. The email suggests JEDS was intended to be an investment vehicle to allow Epstein to fund Mothers Army, as well as other ventures. Although it is not clear if Ms Ferguson agreed to give Epstein equity for the brand, it did remain part of the business plans. open image in gallery An email under the heading Mothers Army revealed how Epstein hoped to profit ( US Department of Justice ) open image in gallery In an email, Sarah Ferguson calls Epstein the brother I have always wished for ( US Department of Justice ) In an email two months later, she calls Epstein the brother I have always wished for. He appeared to remain involved in the Mothers Army plans until 2010. In February 2010, Ms Ferguson asked Epstein to ask his lovely lawyers to trademark Mothers Army. She wanted this to be done before carrying out a keynote speech on female empowerment. Epstein responded to say we are in the process of putting together training manuals, approvals. And strategic short-term and long-term goals along with the tactics needed to see them through. Another email sent by a reputation management firm to a lawyer representing Epstein in August 2011, reveals Ms Ferguson wanted to secure the rights back to the Mothers Army domain names which Epstein brought for her. Can we have a conversation at some point, as whilst I understand the Duchess has concerns on control in terms of her signing a letter, she is, and has always been, happy to help Epstein if she can, the email reads. On a separate point, she is also keen to secure the rights back to the Mother's Army domain names which (he) brought for her and it seems we need to conclude the first matter before we can discuss the second. open image in gallery In February 2010, Ms Ferguson asked Epstein to ask his lovely lawyers to trademark Mothers Army ( US Department of Justice ) open image in gallery An email sent by a reputation management firm to a lawyer representing Epstein in August 2011, reveals Ms Ferguson wanted to secure the rights back to the Mothers Army domain names which Epstein brought for her ( US Department of Justice ) open image in gallery By the end of September, emails suggest Epstein was no longer part of the project and an email of a picture of material made for the charity was sent to Epstein asking if he wanted to keep them or throw away ( US Department of Justice ) The email appears to have been sent in the context of a request for Ms Ferguson to sign a letter in support of Epstein, who was by then facing increasing public scrutiny. By the end of September, emails suggest Epstein is no longer part of the project and an email of a picture of material made for the brand was sent to him asking if he wanted to keep them or throw away. The Independent has approached Ms Ferguson for comment. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A British socialite and model appeared to procure girls for convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, emails suggest. Annabelle Neilson appears numerous times in the latest tranche of documents relating to disgraced financier Epstein, released by the US Department of Justice on Friday. Neilson, who died at the age of 49 in 2018, was a prominent model in the 1990s and 2000s and was a fixture of the London party scene. She later appeared on the TV programme Ladies of London in the 2010s. The latest release of files appears to show that Neilson emailed Epstein numerous times between 2010 and 2012, after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. open image in gallery Annabelle Neilson appeared to email Epstein numerous times ( Getty ) In an email dated 15 September 2010, Epstein wrote: I will have Ghislaine reach out to Annabelle Neilson. Two days later, an email signed by Annabelle said: Hi Jeffrey. So I am putting a little group of girls together. Hopefuly one of them will have all the right qualities you desire. Wish I was twenty years younger and could speak French!!! I have to say that a few of my girls, who would be perfect for the job but are unfortunately past their sell-by date, would of all dropped their husband and almost children for the job when I asked them. The email continued: You know Ive just had a spark of genius while writing this, I think I may have the right girl. Epstein replied saying: I appreciate the effort and you. The following month, an email to Epstein from an account signed off by an Annabelle and appearing to be Ms Neilson said: How are you and all the girls?! open image in gallery Neilson emailed Epstein numerous times between 2010 and 2012 ( YouTube ) I hope you got the numbers I left you for the brazilian and the Italian presenter. I'm back in my lovely grey old rainy london, although the cold seems just to be beginning here. It continued: I hope you are still having a wonderful time without me, probably the new arrivals would of distracted you from the huge void that i left. All my love Annabelle x. Additionally, an email from a redacted sender to an account named Annabelle Neilson on 26 January 2011 read: Hey Annabelle, lets you and I try and find something cute for JE tonight. Epstein and Neilson also appeared to discuss art, including a sculpture she recommended to him. An email from an account called Annabelle Neilson on 23 September 2011 said: Take a look at this, it a beautiful beast, reminds me a little of you i= that respect. The emails are part of the latest dump of documents that contain some three million pages, including 180,000 images and some 2,000 videos attached to the case. It brings the total number of documents released to 3.5 million. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The London Assembly has demanded an apology from Mayor Sadiq Khan following the controversial dismissal of a bus driver. Assembly members unanimously passed a motion on Thursday, hailing Mark Hehir as a hero and calling for a full investigation into his sacking. The motion urged Sir Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to apply pressure to Metroline to reinstate Mr Hehir or provide appropriate compensation, alongside establishing clear guidance for transport workers protecting passengers. Mr Hehir, 62, was fired by Metroline after he pursued a thief who had snatched a passengers necklace. He subsequently knocked the individual out in self-defence when they returned. The assemblys vote follows Mr Hehirs earlier remarks, where he labelled the mayors silence on the incident as disappointing. open image in gallery The London Assembly has called for Mayor Sadiq Khan to apologise ( Getty Images ) London Assembly member Keith Prince, who brought forward the motion, said: This is not about encouraging reckless behaviour. It is about whether we are comfortable with a system that punishes frontline workers for stepping in when crime happens right in front of them. By supporting this motion unanimously, the Assembly has sent a clear message that public concern, common sense, and fairness still matter. The Mayor of London will have to formally respond to the assembly, however he does not have to accept the recommendations. Earlier this week shadow justice minister Dr Kieran Mullan, shadow transport minister Richard Holden and Ms Hall wrote to Sir Khan to demand serious consideration of reinstatement or appropriate compensation. open image in gallery Mark Hehir was sacked after chasing down and punching a thief ( PA Wire ) The Conservatives have said they will bring forward proposals to introduce good samaritan protections in civil law for both employers and employees. More than 135,000 people have signed a petition in support of the bus driver, which was launched after an employment tribunal upheld Metrolines decision to sack the bus driver, a ruling first reported by the Press Association. In another sign of public support for him, a GoFundMe page for Mr Hehir has raised more than 40,000 and Justice Secretary David Lammy said that Mr Hehir is a hero and deserves our support. In an interview this week, Mr Hehir said that he would like an apology from Metroline as well as compensation for lost earnings, but did not want his job back. A Metroline spokesperson previously said: The tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair. The Mayor of London has been approached for comment. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Three African countries have agreed to take back migrants who have no right to be in the UK after the home secretary threatened to shut down their visas to Britain. Namibia, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have agreed to cooperate with the UK on returns of foreign national offenders, failed asylum seekers and those who have overstayed visas. The DRC caved after home secretary Shabana Mahmood stripped VIPs and decision-makers of preferential visa treatment and revoked fast-track visas for DRC nationals, the Home Office said on Friday. Ms Mahmood had also threatened visa penalties on Namibia and Angola, with the countries complying before she had to implement the measures. More than 3,000 nationals from the three countries could now be removed from the UK due to the agreements, the government estimates. Ms Mahmood said: If foreign governments refuse to accept the return of their citizens, then they will face consequences. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has threatened to stop issuing visas to countries that do not cooperate on taking back their citizens who have no right to be in the UK ( PA ) Illegal migrants and dangerous criminals will now be removed and deported back to Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Home Office has said that 58,500 foreign criminals and migrants with no right to be in the UK have been removed or deported since Labour entered government in 2024. The announcement comes as Ms Mahmood prepares to introduce sweeping changes to how migrants gain permanent settlement in the UK. The Home Office is consulting on plans, which include introducing a new 10-year wait for indefinite leave to remain, a 15-year baseline for care workers, and a 20-year wait for refugees. New waits will be based on income thresholds, the persons grasp of the English language, criminal record, and whether applicants have claimed benefits. The changes will be applied retroactively, meaning foreign nationals who do not already have indefinite leave to remain in the UK a form of permanent settlement will be affected. The proposals, which are due to be implemented in April, have prompted a growing backlash from Labour backbenchers who have branded the changes the height of unfairness. Dozens of Labour backbench MPs criticised the plans in the Commons this week, calling them un-British and a breach of trust for migrants who arrived under existing rules. Defending the changes to the Home Affairs Select Committee on Wednesday, Ms Mahmood said that she was acting to deal with unprecedented migrant numbers over the past few years. Weve seen a much bigger range of lower-skilled migration... Weve seen a very, very, large scale of migration into the country. I think that demands an answer from us, she said. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Met Office has warned of potential flooding as two yellow weather warnings for rain have been put in place across parts of the UK. Heavy rain is set to hit Hampshire, West Sussex, Cornwall, Devon and parts of Wales and Herefordshire. The yellow warning is in place from 5am to 9pm on Friday. About 20 to 30cm of rain is likely in most places, but as much as 50mm of rain could fall on areas of higher ground. Because the south of England and Wales have seen consistent rain this year, the ground is already saturated, making surface water flooding likely. The Met Office warned spray and flooded roads could impact driving conditions. A separate warning is in place for Northern Ireland until midnight on Friday. Forecasters warn the region will see heavy rain, which may lead to some flooding and travel disruption. Most areas will see about 10 to 20mm of rain but south-facing hills are set to see as much as 50mm. open image in gallery The Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for south England, Wales and Northern Ireland ( Met Office ) It comes as rain has been reported somewhere across the Met Offices network every day of the year so far, amounting to 36 consecutive days, after the forecaster recorded a wetter-than-average January. Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said: Rain has been reported somewhere in the network every day of the year so far. While amounts are trivial on some days, and some areas will have seen dry days, the UK has seen a wet start to the year, particularly in Northern Ireland and southern England. This has largely been down to a succession of fronts or low-pressure systems arriving from the west, bringing heavy rain at times, as well as damaging winds for some. Theres little sign of a let-up in the current forecast, with further unsettled weather in the coming days and over the weekend. Northern Ireland also recorded its wettest January in 149 years the second wettest on record. Storm Chandra brought record-breaking rainfall across a number of UK sites, especially on 26 January, with Katesbridge in County Down seeing a staggering 100.8mm of rain, far surpassing the previous site record of 38.2mm from 2005. Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon reached 52.8mm, while Hurn in Dorset, Cardinham in Cornwall, and Plymouth Mountbatten in Devon all exceeded their previous daily records. open image in gallery Rain has been reported somewhere across the Met Offices network every day of the year so far ( PA Wire ) Met Office weekend weather forecast Friday Mostly cloudy with showers or longer spells of rain moving northwards through the day. Some heavier bursts are possible, with hill snow in the North. A few sunny spells may develop, most likely across north-west Scotland. Windy. Overnight Further outbreaks of rain are likely, especially in the North. Some clearer and drier spells may develop across the South, and with light winds, a few fog patches are possible. Saturday Rather cloudy with showers or longer spells of rain, some heavy across parts of south-west England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Persistent rain or drizzle across eastern Scotland. Temperatures near average. Sunday to Tuesday Sunday brings a mix of showers and sunny spells. A cloudy start to the new week, with further light showers, before widely wet and windy conditions continue from the West. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice It will likely be a long time before Britons can put our winter coats away, as mixed weather conditions are expected to hit the UK this weekend. Further showers are predicted for many and snow may even fall in some parts of Scotland. The Met Office has forecast some possible snowfall over the higher hills in east Scotland, as milder air filters in with a combination of rain and sleet. Eastern Scotland will continue to receive a feed of rain off the North Sea, with some snow possible over the higher hills. Snowfall amounts are not expected to be significant as milder air filters in, but the combination of rain, sleet and hill snow may still make conditions feel wintry, the Met Office said. Heavy showers are expected on Saturday in Wales and southwest England, which are likely to move into Northern Ireland later that day. In contrast, eastern England is likely to be sheltered from the worst of the rainfall, with fewer showers and more dry intervals. open image in gallery Heavy showers are expected on Saturday in Wales and southwest England which are likely to move into Northern Ireland later that day ( Met Office ) Western Scotland will enjoy the greatest likelihood of sunshine throughout Saturday. Temperatures this weekend will be average for the mid-February season across England and Wales, with highs of around 10C to 11C. The air in these areas will feel relatively mild compared to the colder weather earlier in the month. However, conditions will be vastly different further north in parts of Scotland, particularly in the east and northeast, where the weather will remain more on the cold side. The temperature is expected to only reach 5C to 7C on Saturday and the brisk wind will make it feel noticeably colder. The combination of wind and moisture will create a distinctly chilly feel at times, despite the modest temperature rises compared to previous days. open image in gallery On Sunday, the Met Office predicted slow-moving showers and continued unsettled conditions ( Met Office ) On Sunday, the Met Office predicted slow-moving showers and continued unsettled conditions. As the low-pressure system continues to weaken on Sunday, its slow movement means that rainfall patterns may be less well-defined. Bands of showers could linger across eastern Scotland, again raising concerns about the cumulative impact of wet weather in that region, the Met Office stated. Northeast England could see a wet start, although this depends on how the low-pressure evolves in the early hours of the day, the forecasters speculated. Overall, England and Wales has a better chance of sunny spells developing during Sunday, as there will be more breaks in the cloud. The Met Office said: This will offer a welcome respite from the wetter conditions many have experienced recently. Once again, western Scotland looks favoured for dry and brighter weather thanks to shelter from the prevailing southeasterly flow. The national forecasting service said showers remain possible almost anywhere, but the best of the sunshine is likely across western Scotland and, at times, England and Wales. Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Grieving parents have been awarded a 858,000 compensation payout from a British-run medical tourism agency after their daughter died following budget weight loss surgery in Turkey. Khelisyah Ashamu, 26, travelled to Izmir in February 2019 for a gastric bypass operation. The mother-of-one had been struggling with her weight, and was particularly concerned about her stomach's appearance after a Caesarean section. She turned to Get Slim in Turkey, an agency operated by British expatriates, paying 3,300 for the procedure and accommodation. Eight days after the surgery, Ms Ashamu's condition deteriorated significantly. She suffered a cardiac arrest following exploratory follow-up surgery and died in a Turkish hospital on 9 February 2019. A coroner later recorded her cause of death as gastrointestinal ischaemia a lack of blood flow to the intestines which was determined to be a result of complications arising from her surgery. open image in gallery Tracey Ozdemir, of Get Slim in Turkey ( Champion News ) Her parents, Toyin and Oyebanji Ashamu, launched a High Court claim against Tracey Ozdemir, trading as Get Slim in Turkey, for compensation for her estate, over her death. Ms Ozdemir denied liability, but after a trial, senior judge Mrs Justice Obi ruled against her, awarding the Ashamu family 858,000 in damages. The judge accepted expert evidence that there had been inadequate post-operative monitoring and airway care following the second operation. And after finding that Ms Ozdemir as organiser of the package travel contract was liable for the proper performance of the surgery and aftercare, she ordered the huge damages payout. Addressing Ms Ashamu's parents afterwards, she added: I recognise how difficult these proceedings must have been for you and I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of your daughter. Of course, nothing this court can do can lessen that loss for you and your family, but I hope the conclusion of these proceedings will bring some measure of consolation. open image in gallery Toyin Ashamu, the mother of Khelisyah Ashamu, outside the High Court ( Champion News ) During the trial, the court heard that Ms Ashamu, an IT worker from Romford, had contacted Ms Ozdemir's business due to concerns about the appearance of her stomach after a caesarean section and due to issues with her weight. After communications with Ms Ozdemir, she opted for a 3,300 package and travelled to Turkey in January 2019 to undergo surgery, choosing a Roux-en-Y bypass. The operation involves the separation of the upper part of the stomach from the lower, with the upper part then directly connected to the small intestine, and the main part used to create a cul-de-sac through which no food passes. The surgery restricts the amount of food patients can eat, making them feel full after eating smaller amounts. Ms Ashamu had the operation on 1 February, but was left in significant pain and went on to have follow up surgery on 3 February, the judge heard. Afterwards, she was moved to intensive care, but the judge said no monitoring was recorded before she had a sudden cardiac arrest, leaving her in a coma. Her father flew out to see her and, despite being told she was responding to treatment, a brain surgeon subsequently confirmed she was brain dead. open image in gallery Ms Ashamu died after weight loss surgery, with a judge finding there had been inadequate post-operative monitoring following a second procedure ( Getty/iStock ) Shortly after this, the deceaseds ventilation was ended, and the deceased died, said her barrister, Dominique Smith, in court papers. The deceaseds life support was withdrawn without the claimants knowledge and without [her father] being present in the hospital. He arrived at the hospital, after previously returning to his accommodation, on 9 February 2019, to be told by hospital staff that the deceased was in a body bag in the morgue. In their legal claim, Ms Ashamu's parents accusing Ms Ozdemir's business of being liable as the travel agent. Ms Smith told the judge that Ms Ashamu had contracted with Get Slim for a package travel contract of which the surgery was a significant part. Not only that, but Get Slim should be considered an organiser of the package, she said in court, telling the judge: There is irrefutable evidence that the first defendant offered packages for sale and therefore was an organiser for the purposes of a package travel contract. That package not only included accommodation in a hotel, but included the surgery itself, she continued. The tourist service here was therefore medical tourism, thus the surgery itself clearly accounted for a significant proportion of the value of the combination and was an essential feature of it. Ms Ozdemir defended the claim on the basis that she was not an organiser of the package, but merely an introducer, connecting patients with the hospital. Giving judgment, Ms Justice Obi found that there had been a package travel contract between Get Slim and Ms Ashamu, and also a consumer contract. Evidence showed that Ms Ozdemir had actively marketed packages which included surgery, airport transfers, and hotel and hospital accommodation. The defendant accepted she was offering surgical packages and used the language 'our surgeon' this is inconsistent with the role of a mere introducer, said the judge. The contemporaneous materials show that the defendant marketed inclusive packages, combining accommodation and transport at a single price alongside surgery and related services. Those elements satisfy the definition of a package. The tourist service was medical tourism. The surgery accounted for a significant portion of the value of the combination and was an essential feature of it. She used language incompatible with a mere introducer. I therefore find she was the organiser. The defendant, as an organiser, was therefore liable for the proper performance of the package's services, including medical and after care elements. There was also a consumer contract between the defendant and Miss Ashamu and liability is established on that as well. As Mrs Ozdemir did not challenge the amount in damages claimed, the judge awarded the sum of 858,000 to Ms Ashamu's family. A claim against Turkish medics was not proceeded with. Last night, I was swapping matey WhatsApps with an old school pal. He was on holiday in South Africa and was just back from the beach; I was on a bus in the cold London rain. It was warm, friendly stuff Id say banter, but that word feels tainted these days between two blokes who have known each other for more than 50 years. But in the case of my old friend and me, there had been a rather significant gap of half a century when we were very much not in touch. The man, John Dickens, a charming and liberal-minded retired headteacher in Swindon, had been an obsessively antisemitic bully in our schooldays. When Nigel Banter Farage was accused of using similar racist and antisemitic slurs at school, I decided to get back in touch with Dickens to tell him how his behaviour had affected me and where he got all this nastiness from. In a new interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Farage said he had not for a single moment worried about whether he upset anyone, saying: I think there were two people who said they were hurt, all right, and if they genuinely were then thats a pity and Im sorry, but never, ever did I intend to hurt anybody. Never have. As Kuenssberg has since suggested, it has the flavour of the classic political apology sorry if anyone felt hurt by what happened all those years ago. Now, Nige mate, let me tell you what it actually feels like. What it is like for reasonably ordinary kids to be confronted with vile racist insults from unpleasant older boys in highly polished Cadet Force boots. And how hollow it sounds when those insults are later dismissed as meaningless. You should know, Nige, Im not what you might regard as an oversensitive Jew, seeing antisemitism in everything anyone says, especially about Israel. But the hurt I felt as a child was very real. My tormentors antisemitic heckling unsettled me deeply and lingered for decades afterwards. When I finally confronted him, I fully expected that, like Farage, Dickens would dismiss it as schoolboy joshing that he hadnt meant anything by it, hadnt realised it caused pain, or might say he couldnt even remember doing it. I could not have been more wrong. Unlike Farage, and in one of the most remarkable acts of decency I have witnessed, my school nemesis apologised profusely. On hearing my voice, and without prompting, he raised some of the awful things he had said and tried to explain what had been going on in his life. We had been 11, he said, and he had been trying to look tough in front of older boys. I accepted his explanation. We talked and talked. We later shared a wonderful lunch together and are now firm friends. I wrote about this in The Independent last Christmas Eve. open image in gallery Jonathan Margolis (right) met up with his old school bully, John Dickens, and found him to be sincerely contrite about his actions all those years ago ( Jonathan Margolis ) John is a humble, decent man who did what anyone with integrity and character should do when confronting an embarrassing past though few actually manage it. Farage, by contrast, has repeatedly rejected allegations that he behaved in a racist or antisemitic way at school, arguing that the claims relate to events decades ago and describing the atmosphere as banter or typical schoolboy behaviour. He has also dismissed accounts from former contemporaries who recall offensive remarks, suggesting some critics may have had political motivations. Farage has, over time, varied his characterisation of these accusations at points describing them as made-up fantasies, while more recently offering qualified expressions of regret if offence was caused. This time, speaking to Kuenssberg, Farage has addressed the allegations in a relatively dismissive manner, downplaying behaviour that several former classmates have described publicly as racist and intimidating. open image in gallery Margolis, circled bottom left, and Dickens, at school in the 1960s ( Jonathan Margolis ) Even though the young John Dickens was, by comparison, less extreme in his behaviour no talk of gas chambers, no go back to your own country rhetoric I never forgot what he said to me barely 20 years after the Holocaust had ended. Before he started on me, I had never experienced antisemitic remarks. It was shocking and bewildering. I could not understand it especially the sneering stereotypes about Jews and money. Ironically, my parents at the time were embarrassed by what they saw as the flashiness of some of our Jewish neighbours. The experience marked me so deeply that, later in life, I sometimes pretended to be Greek helped by my Greek-sounding surname simply to avoid similar hostility. In a strange way, it prepared me for later encounters with far more explicit and vicious antisemitism, which has resurfaced in recent years. open image in gallery Nigel Farage during his schooldays at Dulwich College, South London ( Nigel Farage ) What Farage appears not to grasp is that, had he been honest from the outset as John Dickens was much of this reputational archaeology might never have happened. All he had to do was what my former bully said: I want to come right out publicly and say how embarrassed and ashamed I am about how I behaved back then and how regretful I am about the stupid, vicious things I used to say. Had Farage spoken in those terms, he might have had a chance of claiming moral ground. He might even have earned a degree of respect perhaps even from me. Instead, I am left wondering whether he has resisted full acknowledgement because some of his fanbase admire that version of his past. To good people, though, Id say its more obvious than ever that Farage is just a fake Trump with bad teeth. Slightly brighter and more pub-able, but a chancer at best who, by his own admission, doesnt give a moments thought about whether he has upset somebody or not. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson has severed all connections with the peer. Its chief executive, Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, has also announced his departure. The decision follows mounting pressure on Global Counsel over Lord Mandelson's association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The firm confirmed that the former US ambassador no longer holds a stake in the business nor exerts any influence. Mr Wegg-Prosser said he was stepping down as it was "time to draw a line" between the firm and Lord Mandelsons "actions". Global Counsel added in a statement that it had reached an agreement to fully divest the peers shares, thereby ending all connections with him. open image in gallery A photo of Peter Mandelson, right, on a boat with Jeffrey Epstein ( US Department of Justice ) Its chair, Archie Norman, said: With the completion of this process today, Peter Mandelson no longer has any shareholding, role or association with Global Counsel and has no influence over the firm in any capacity. Mr Wegg-Prosser said: With the completion of the divestment of Peter Mandelsons stake in the business, I feel that now is the time to draw a line between Global Counsel and his actions. I have nothing but immense pride in the business I founded and the work our amazing team deliver every day. He has been replaced as head of the firm by its managing director Rebecca Park, and his page on the companys website has already been taken down. Ms Park has also acquired the remaining shares that were held by Lord Mandelson. open image in gallery Lord Mandelson with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein ( US Department of Justice ) Lord Mandelson co-founded the London-based firm with Mr Wegg-Prosser in 2010 after Labour lost the general election. It is understood that Barclays has cut ties with Global Counsel amid the scrutiny. Lord Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador in late 2025 after it emerged that he had maintained ties with Epstein after the financier was jailed for a child sex offence. Epstein killed himself in a prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on further child sex charges. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a battle to stay in post after the fallout from his decision in 2024 to appoint veteran politician Peter Mandelson as the U.K. ambassador to the U.S. despite the latter's ties to the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Starmers judgment is in the spotlight like never before, especially after the release last week of millions of Epstein-related documents by the U.S. Justice Department showed how close those links were. Theres widespread anger that the prime minister appointed Mandelson, a grandee of Starmer's own Labour Party, to such a sensitive and high-profile post. Starmer had already sacked Mandelson after a first batch of emails were published in September, showing he remained friends with Epstein after the late financiers 2008 conviction for sex offenses involving a minor. But the emails made public this week show that Mandelson, as a member of the then Labour Cabinet, also passed on sensitive and potentially market-moving government information in 2009 to the disgraced financier. Starmers leadership has now been called into question. Several Labour lawmakers have said that he should quit, while others are clearly uncomfortable, following a series of missteps since the party returned to power in a landslide victory in July 2024. Starmer is trying to fight back. He has apologized to the British public and to the victims of Epsteins sex trafficking for believing what he has termed Mandelsons lies. There are a number of ways in which Starmer could go, some more straightforward than others. The easiest way The simplest option is that Starmer announces his intention to resign, triggering an election for the Labour leadership. A resignation could possibly come if a delegation of Cabinet members tell Starmer he has lost too much support within the party or if members of his government quit in protest. Those considered to harbor leadership ambitions include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Home Secretary Shabana Mahood and former deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who had to resign last year after admitting she didnt pay enough tax on a house purchase. The problem for Rayner is that an investigation into that is ongoing. But there's no clear front-runner. Andy Burnham, the popular mayor of Manchester who was blocked from standing at a special election in the city later this month, would not be eligible as the leader must come from the parliamentary party. Whoever does run, the election would likely take weeks, with Starmer likely staying in post until that concludes. Were Starmer decide to resign immediately, the Cabinet and Labours governing body would likely pick an interim leader to be prime minister, probably someone not standing to be Labour leader. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy could fit the bill. Under Labours rules, candidates must have the support of a fifth of the parliamentary party, which equates to 80 lawmakers. Those meeting that threshold would then have to receive the support of 5% of the local constituency Labour parties or at three least party affiliates, of which two must be trade unions. Affiliates are groups or organizations that are deemed to have interests consistent with those of the Labour Party; including trade unions and co-operative and socialist societies. Eligible members of the party and affiliates will then vote for the leader using an electoral system that ranks the candidates. The winner is the first candidate to secure over 50% of the vote. King Charles III would then invite the winner to become prime minister and form a government. The not so easy way If Starmer does not resign, he could face a challenge, potentially from within his Cabinet. Unlike the Conservative Party, which has a history of getting rid of leaders such as Margaret Thatcher in 1990 and Boris Johnson in 2022, Labour does not have that muscle memory. No Labour prime minister has ever been dislodged, though Tony Blair announced his plan to resign in 2007 after a series of low-level resignations. Challengers would have to meet the eligibility thresholds above, but Starmer would automatically be on the ballot. Starmer faces a series of hurdles in the weeks ahead. The first will probably come within days when files related to the vetting of Mandelson are published. Starmer will be hoping they show the scale of Mandelsons lies. Should they not, that could be a point of high jeopardy for the prime minister. Another potential pitfall could be the special election in Gorton and Denton on Feb. 26, traditionally a safe Labour seat. However, this time it will be a tough fight, with challenges from the anti-immigration Reform U.K. on the right and the Greens on the left. The decision to bar Burnham from standing also poses a risk for Labour. Though he was blocked on the grounds that a Burnham victory would trigger a costly special election for the mayoralty in Manchester, critics claim that Starmer did not want to see a potentially dangerous rival back in the House of Commons. After that comes a raft of elections in May. Many in Labour fear the party could lose power in Wales for the first time since the legislature was created in 1999, fall way short in Scotland and get battered in local elections in England. It's clear that Starmer faces a difficult landscape. And thats barring surprise developments that could further rock his premiership. Events, dear boy, events, Harold Macmillan, prime minister between 1957 and 1963, said when asked what the greatest challenges for leaders were. Close Starmer hits out at Jim Ratcliffe over colonised by immigrants claim Sign up to our free Brexit newsletter for our analysis of the continuing impact of Brexit on the UK Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Sir Chris Wormald is set to receive a payout of 260,000 after he became the latest high-profile exit from Sir Keir Starmers team. The top civil servant is expected to be eligible for the maximum payout for voluntary leave after his 35 years of service. Payments of more than 95,000 have to be authorised by the Treasury under value-for-money rules. No 10 declined to comment on reports Sir Keir Starmer had been forced to sign off the payment through a formal ministerial direction, as it did not meet the regulation. Sir Chris is the latest departure from the prime ministers team, following in the footsteps of chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and communications chief, Tim Allan. It comes after Angela Rayner was been backed by a union to take over from Sir Keir Starmer if Labour lose the by-election in Gorton and Denton. Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), has publicly backed Angela Rayner to replace him, marking the first time a leader of one of Labours affiliated unions has openly supported an alternative to Sir Keir. But a spokesman for Ms Rayner said there was no contest and no vacancy. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Independent readers responding to Eleanor Mills article on Dame Karen Pierce were scathing about her removal as UK ambassador to Washington, with many describing it as a needless and damaging decision that epitomises the persistence of an old boys club at the top of government. Pierces term in Washington ended just before Donald Trump entered the White House in early 2025, with Sir Keir Starmer appointing Peter Mandelson to serve as the key link between the prime minister and Trumps incoming administration at a critical moment for US-UK diplomacy. After Mills set out how Pierce was already excelling in the role widely respected in Washington and praised for her ability to handle Trump readers questioned why a successful career diplomat was replaced at such a critical moment. Many commenters focused on what they saw as a familiar pattern: a highly competent woman in her sixties being edged out in favour of a well-connected man. For some, the episode crystallised broader concerns about gendered ageism, cronyism and the way experienced women are sidelined just as their careers should be peaking. Others turned their fire on Mandelsons appointment itself, highlighting his controversial past and known links to Jeffrey Epstein. Readers repeatedly asked why someone with such baggage was chosen over a diplomat with decades of service and an unblemished record. Overall, our community agreed with Mills that the Mandelson fallout is a self-inflicted wound for Sir Keir Starmer one that raises uncomfortable questions about judgement, ethics and who really gets valued in the corridors of power. Heres what you had to say: A scandalous appointment and a defective moral compass The appointment of Mandelson was scandalous the act of a weak leader with poor or zero political judgement and a very defective moral compass (to say nothing of the way he has blithely pivoted away from any pretence of social democracy). Replacing the incumbent ambassador with Mandelson makes total nonsense of the justification heard in some quarters that he was the right man to handle Trump. As a result of the appointment, an utterly unprincipled individual in a key post seems to have handed over confidential information, almost certainly in breach of the Official Secrets Acts and possibly enough to constitute treason (I hope the police inquiry will dig deep). I wonder what he hoped to get in return. Was he being bribed? Or blackmailed? Danilov She was 66, which is nothing in modern terms She was 66, which is nothing in modern terms, especially for a woman. Judges now serve until 75. Trump is 79 and has been allowed to continue as US President despite being obviously both emotionally unstable and with very rapidly declining mental powers. Biden turned 80 while in office. UK Members of Parliament stagger on for as long as they can find their way, at least occasionally, to the House of Commons. For ordinary members of the UK public, the retirement age has been pushed up and will likely be pushed further up. Whatever is usual, if someone is in post, in full possession of their faculties and doing a great job under difficult circumstances and even, it seems, managing to enjoy it, a Prime Minister with any sense would beg her to stay on and ensure that the powers that be in the Diplomatic Service facilitated this. lynnherron A different rationale may have been at play Great article and an unfortunate trend that continues. My view from the USA, though, is that there may have been some other, entirely different rationale at play in this situation. The Epstein files have shown us that Trump has very deliberately surrounded himself with other people who had close, questionable relationships with Epstein. I do not know why Trump wants those types around, but maybe someone in your government did and provided Mandelson. To her credit, obviously, Pierce did not fit the bill. Matt She should be reinstated because she was good at her job As well as being a woman, Pierce is also a Dame so her accomplishments and talents have clearly been very publicly spotted and acknowledged. She should be reinstated because she was good at her job, and for no other reason. Dame Pierce was pushed aside because Starmer has poor judgement, a poor grasp of morals, is deeply selective with who he takes advice from, does not care or understand the optics, and clearly had a worrying fascination with Mandelson. He then seemingly tried to withhold all this from Parliament, and it took another countrys government to bring all this to light. That is what we should be talking about. SteerCalmer Men in high places who think they are above the law You can look where you like right now it is men in high places who seem to see themselves as being all-powerful and above the law that are dominating the headlines and threatening peace and well-being for everyone else. Where to start? Putin is probably a good place to start seen any women in his entourage? Netanyahu women in any significant position around him are also sadly missing. Then we come to Iran, where women are virtually seen as non-persons as far as Irans rulers are concerned. You could say they are considered to be worthless. In the UK, it is well known that old boys clubs lead to the jobs. A misstep by a woman and she is out fast, if she gets in unfortunately, the same does not apply to men. Johnson was another. People are prepared to support and vote for Farage, who is not interested in governing; his sole focus is on self-enrichment and empowerment. That he is likely to be ousted after one disastrous term as PM, having sunk the country further, will not bother him because, like Trump, his own personal wealth will have multiplied during that time. Starmer seems to be out to prove daily that his judgement is seriously lacking. Appointing Mandelson with his track record and known association with Epstein is mind-boggling when there was someone more than capable in the post a woman who could have carried on without scandal or embarrassment to the country. Then there are the Royals who thought they were above the law. Will any of those seriously implicated in the Epstein affair be brought to justice? Seems increasingly unlikely. It is not even certain Mandelson will be prosecuted, despite his revelations that could be deemed detrimental to the UK. What a mess. Ambigirls How far down they had to reach to find a woman One of my daughters works for a large international company. A few years ago she told me that she would be giving a talk at some meeting that would deal with, among other things, how women could advance in the company just as well as men could. I told her how happy I was to see that she was so high up in the company as to be assigned the talk, and she said something like, No Dad, it just shows how they had to reach as far down as my relatively low level before they could find a woman. soccerdad A political stunt at the expense of a valuable asset The appointment of Mandelson was only ever a political stunt and displayed the shallowness of thinking by our government; in this case, swapping a valuable asset of the nation in favour of a failed politician who, like Blair, always seems to pop up when you least expect it. Let us hope, in the case of Pierce, that she is returned to her rightful place with a grovelling apology, but I will not hold my breath with Starmer at the helm. RichardHalstead An unusual choice with a troubling history Given Mandelsons history, he was always an unusual choice. I have not seen a timeline of his known indiscretions, but it may well exceed the permissible length of an Indy comment. I do wonder if the government looked at Mandelson and thought maybe he is the one person eminence grise and slippery enough to be able to curry favour with Trump something that the UK government desperately wanted post-Brexit. An even more tangled problem would be if it turned out that the US let it be known that they would like Mandelson. If so, did they ask for him because he is their kind of man, or even more tin-hat, because Trump knew that one day soon Epstein would explode, leaving egg all over, from Trumps perspective, a hard-left UK government? fistfulloffishes The moral is simple Of course, Labour has previous here. Peter Jay appointed by his father-in-law to DC, and Boateng appointed to Pretoria. Neither ended well: ridicule for the former appointment and bullying allegations against Boateng. The moral of this sordid episode is simple: appoint the trained diplomats. John1 Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity. Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the days top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click log in or register in the top right corner to sign in or sign up. Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment, click here. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Almost 60,000 illegal migrants and convicted criminals have been removed or deported from the UK since Labour came into power in 2024, the government has announced. More than 15,000 were removed in that period a 45 per cent increase on the 19 months prior. The Home Office confirmed 43,000 people left voluntarily after being told they were in the UK illegally. Following the release of the data, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed to "scale up" deportations even further. Yet, the government still faces mounting immigration pressure, with more than 65,000 people having arrived via English Channel crossings alone since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister. Earlier this week, Ms Mahmood said there is no guarantee that the number of small boat crossings will fall by this time next year. More than 65,000 people having arrived via English Channel crossings alone since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister ( Getty ) The Home Office said it will bring in legislation to stop illegal immigrants gaming the system by using the European Convention on Human Rights to appeal against their removal. The UK is among a number of countries grappling with migration problems which are pushing for changes in the way the treaty is interpreted, notably in its Article 3 protection against inhuman or degrading treatment and the Article 8 right to a family life. Both articles have been used to prevent people with no right to be in the UK being sent back to their home countries. Illegal migrants will also be restricted to a single route of appeal, the Home Office outlined. Ms Mahmood said: I vowed to scale up removals of illegal migrants and we have. However, we must go further to remove those that have no right to be in our country. I will do whatever it takes to restore order and control. The government has also pledged to end the use of hotels to house asylum seekers by the end of this Parliament by opting for more basic accommodation like military sites instead. Fewer than 200 asylum accommodation hotels remain in use, the Government said, compared with a peak of 400 under the previous government. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Senior government figures will have to hand over their messages with Peter Mandelson ahead of the release of files related to the prime ministers decision to appoint the former peer as US ambassador despite his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The government is set to publish Mandelsons vetting documents in the hopes that transparency will help Sir Keir Starmer weather the political storm threatening his leadership, after he apologised to victims of Epstein for the appointment. On Wednesday, the prime minister backed down and ceded control to parliaments intelligence and security committee (ISC) to decide what would not be released into the public domain based on national security concerns. In a letter to the prime minister on Thursday, the committee outlined the scope of material it expected the government to hand over. This included all electronic communications and minutes of all meetings between Mandelson and ministers, government officials and special advisers during his time as US ambassador. On Friday morning, migration minister Mike Tapp said he had not yet been asked to hand over his communications with the former Labour peer. I havent been asked, he told BBC Breakfast. But I have had communication with Lord Mandelson, and that was after my first morning round as a minister, where I refused to defend him, and he sent me his resignation letter. So Im probably not in his good books, and I dont care, because we dont need people like that in government or around government in any way, shape or form. open image in gallery Lord Mandelsons appointment as US ambassador has come under intense scrutiny ( PA Archive ) The ISC said in its letter that it expected the government to very shortly lay the papers before the House, but said it cannot commit to a timetable for reviewing documents. Asking the government to provide a date on which it would send the material to the committee, the letter said ministers would have to provide a clear and logical rationale as to why publication of any documents would be prejudicial to UK national security or international relations. But the committee said it could not commit to a publication date until we know the size of the task at hand. Sir Keir is hoping the release of the vetting documents will prove he was lied to and misled by Mandelson before he appointed him as US ambassador. open image in gallery The PM is hoping the publication of vetting documents will help him weather the political storm raging through No 10 ( PA Archive ) No 10s former communications director warned more government figures could be implicated in the scandal if told to hand over their private messages with Mandelson. I dont think anyone can understate the gravity of the situation, James Lyons told BBC Newsnight. Weve seen with the Covid inquiry how a huge amount of stuff can be thrown up through that. I think this is at least the biggest scandal since the expenses scandal of 2009. On Thursday, the prime minister apologised to victims of Epstein for believing Mandelsons lies and handing him the Washington job. He has faced a barrage of criticism from his own MPs amid growing anger over the way he has dealt with the issue, but has insisted: None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship. open image in gallery Starmer: None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship ( PA Wire ) 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. 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. Speculation over the future of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has also continued, with some Labour MPs openly calling on the prime minister to sack his right-hand man. Mr McSweeney 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. 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. Many have said that the Mandelson saga is the biggest political scandal to hit Britain since the Profumo affair more than 60 years ago if not ever. This may be historically inaccurate, and the media speculation overheated, but that doesnt detract from the fact that Labour MPs, already frustrated by a series of missteps, resignations and U-turns, have been shaken by the Epstein revelations, and are deeply angry with the prime minister. The talk about getting rid of him is, not for the first time, building. Is this the worst scandal since the Profumo affair? Not necessarily but its not over. Of course, a smart alec would point out that the resignation in 1963 of a senior cabinet minister, John Profumo, for lying to the Commons and sharing a girlfriend with the Soviet military attache didnt actually bring the then prime minister down, and may not even have endangered UK national security. However, Harold Macmillan, like Keir Starmer today, was made to look a fool for gullibly believing the assurances given to him by an old and valued colleague which turned out to be lies. In any case, Macmillan was gone within the year, a medical emergency providing a convenient out. Scandals comparable in scale that have threatened premierships since would include the Westland affair (Margaret Thatcher, 1986), the dodgy dossier and subsequent Iraq war (Tony Blair, 2003 and after), and Partygate (Boris Johnson, 2021-22). The scandals surrounding Jeremy Thorpe (1976-79), the Iraqi Supergun (1990) and MPs expenses (2009) didnt much impinge on No 10. What may actually finish Starmer off (as with Johnson) are the undoubtedly damaging, profane and even shocking contents of emails, text messages and WhatsApp conversations soon to be released under parliamentary order. If Starmer is found to have knowingly misled the Commons, even he might admit hell have to go. Can Labour MPs organise a challenge? Yes, and its relatively easy, at least in principle and in the current circumstances. All they would need is a fifth of the parliamentary Labour Party 80 MPs to commit to a challenge and be willing to have their names published all in one go. At that point, others could enter the contest, providing they too garnered the necessary 80. Logically there could be no more than five candidates (assuming the groups of 80 cant nominate more than one contender each). If that happened, Starmer could just quit, but he has the right to fight without necessarily having to be nominated. Then the members would decide in one ballot who was to be the new leader, through a system of preferential voting. It would be the first time that the Labour membership would have selected a new prime minister (the Tory grassroots having chosen two Johnson and Truss). When? Starmer can plead that his colleagues should await what the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee says about the Mandelson files. That work will take several months. This potentially buys time, but then theres the Gorton and Denton by-election in three weeks, and the almost-nationwide elections in May, to contend with. Plus potentially more leaks from the Epstein and/or Mandelson files. Will there be a challenger? Theres no obvious consensual successor, as there was the last time this happened in 2007, when Gordon Brown was elected unopposed to succeed Tony Blair. Angela Rayner is still under investigation by HMRC, so not quite ready. Its also unclear whether Shabana Mahmood, Wes Streeting and Ed Miliband would be prepared to serve under each other if one of them won. The party might turn to more of a compromise candidate, as yet unfancied but without loads of enemies and baggage, for a fresher start John Healey, Hilary Benn or Dan Jarvis, perhaps. It would be tricky to get Andy Burnham into the Commons in time the NEC dictates the leadership election timetable, and as weve seen, its controlled by Starmer. Does there have to be a leadership challenge, according to the rules? Of course not. He could be forced out as leader to create a vacancy. A delegation of senior figures from across the Labour movement could tell him his time was up, privately or publicly. It could be that if a couple of senior and respected cabinet colleagues were to quit and call for him to go, that would create an unstoppable momentum as when Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid abruptly left Johnsons administration and it eventually collapsed beneath his feet. Or more junior ministers could successively quit, signalling a more powerful revolt to come, as Blair was threatened with. Or Starmer could be forced to consult the cabinet collectively or, as Margaret Thatcher ended up doing, individually at some stage. The parliamentary party could find an informal but effective way to organise a vote of no confidence in their leader 203 plus would indicate a majority unprepared to support him. Could the opposition parties force him out? Unlikely, but there is a rumour that Kemi Badenoch might try to get disaffected Labour MPs to join her in some vote of no confidence in the prime minister. This would be in Starmer personally rather than His Majestys government, because the latter would trigger a general election which no Labour MP wants. Badenoch is working on the basis of the constitutional convention that a prime minister must command a majority in the Commons. Ed Davey has already called for such a vote of confidence. If all the opposition parties combined, and say, 100 Labour rebels joined in, that would end the Starmer premiership. In fact, by the time it came to that, hed certainly be gone. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Reform UKs candidate for the forthcoming by-election in Gorton and Denton suggested that people who dont have children should be taxed extra as punishment, an unearthed blog post has revealed. In a proposal that has prompted comparisons to dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale which is set in a society that forces women to bear children in an effort to tackle a fertility crisis Matt Goodwin suggested imposing a negative child benefit tax on those who dont have offspring. While such a tax would financially impact both men and women, it would disproportionately affect women, putting pressure on them to become pregnant to protect both themselves and their partners from the levy. Mr Goodwin also suggested that the government remove personal income tax for women who have two or more children. open image in gallery Matt Goodwin, pictured next to Nigel Farage, was unveiled as Reforms candidate last week ( PA ) Writing on his Substack blog in 2023, the former university academic and honorary president of the Students4Reform organisation argued that the British family is imploding, something he claimed is having very real and very negative effects on the country around us. In a list of proposals designed to reinforce family values in Britain, he suggested: Creating a pro-family culture by having a national day to celebrate families and parenthood. Symbolising this new culture through things like families receiving a telegram from the King when they have a third child. Entrenching the importance of the family in the curriculum. Switching child benefit to incentivise families to have more children. Introducing a negative child benefit tax for those who dont have offspring. Sacrificing more land for cheaper family homes. And, in my view, prioritising British families when building new housing developments. He added: These are all things we could be debating and developing right now in Britain, where the collapse of the family has not only become unavoidable but is having very real and very negative effects on the country around us. Labours deputy leader Lucy Powell told The Independent that a tax on people without children would be punitive for women. She said: Matthew Goodwins big idea is so ludicrous, youd be forgiven for thinking this is something out of The Handmaids Tale. It would punish millions of women and strip them of their basic dignity to choose. open image in gallery Labours deputy leader has likened the idea to the dystopian novel The Handmaids Tale ( Hulu ) In the dystopian drama, fertile women, known as handmaids, are enslaved to bear children for elite couples during a fertility crisis in the US. Ms Powell added: Nigel Farages Reform are more interested in dividing people, rather than bringing people together. This is the kind of divisive politics we must stop from getting a foothold in Manchester by defeating Reforms extreme candidate. The only way to do that is by voting for Labour in Gorton and Denton. A vote for any other party risks letting Reform in. Mr Goodwin was unveiled as Reform UKs candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election last week. Speaking at the opening of the partys campaign office on Thursday, Mr Farage claimed the campaign had got off to a very, very good start, while polls suggest it is fast becoming a two-horse race between Reform and Labour. Mr Goodwin, who appears as a presenter on GB News three times a week, sparked criticism last year when he was accused of suggesting that people from minority ethnic backgrounds are not necessarily British, even if they were born in the UK. Following a mass stabbing on a train in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Mr Goodwin blamed mass uncontrolled immigration in a post on X/Twitter. After it came to light that the suspect was born in the UK, Mr Goodwin wrote: So were all of the 7/7 bombers. It takes more than a piece of paper to make somebody British. The comments were described by the Liberal Democrats as racist rhetoric and a disgrace. In 2017, Mr Goodwin ate pages from his book, Brexit: Why Britain Voted to Leave the European Union, live on Sky News after he wrongly predicted that Labour would not poll as high as 38 per cent in the general election under Jeremy Corbyns leadership. The party won 40 per cent of the vote. A Reform spokesperson said: This is Labour being disingenuous once again. This is an idea that was first suggested by the respected demographer Paul Morland as part of a range of measures that should be debated and discussed across developed nations if we are serious about dealing with our looming demographic crisis. The Labour government has got its head in the sand when it comes to thinking about the long-term challenges facing Britain. We need a grown-up, mature debate about how we can encourage people to have more children and support British families. Close Palestine Action protest sees at least 90 arrested Sign up to our free Brexit newsletter for our analysis of the continuing impact of Brexit on the UK Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Sign up to our free newsletter for the latest analysis on Brexit's impact Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The UKs High Court has ruled the Home Offices decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws was unlawful following a legal challenge. Dame Victoria Sharp said the proscription of Palestine Action did result in a very significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. She added that the Palestine Action was disproportionate, a few small of Palestine Actions activities amounted to terrorism. Palestine Actions co-founder Huda Ammori took action against the department over the then-home secretary Yvette Coopers decision to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000. The group was banned by the government after several of its members were accused of breaking into an Oxfordshire RAF base to spray-paint military planes. Speaking as she unveiled the ban in June, former home secretary Yvette Cooper said it was the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action. But lawyers for Ms Ammori have argued that the decision to ban the group was unlawful and should be quashed. More than 2,500 people have been arrested on suspicion of publicly showing support for Palestine Action since it was banned. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice 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. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Rapper Lil Jon says he is extremely heartbroken after the body of his son was pulled from a Georgia lake by authorities. "I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother [Nicole Smith] and I are devastated, the Grammy-winning artist, real name Jonathan Smith, said in a statement shared with The Independent. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted - he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest. He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and graduate of NYU. We loved Nathan with all of our hearts and are incredibly proud of him. He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together were comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him. open image in gallery Rapper Lil Jon says he is extremely heartbroken after the body of his missing son was pulled from a Georgia lake by authorities ( Getty ) The Milton Police Department identified the body as 27-year-old Smith, who was reported missing earlier this week, in an online post, adding that there was no indication of foul play. Smith, who made music under the name DJ Young Slade, was last seen Tuesday at 6 a.m. local time in Milton, a suburb 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta. Search efforts had lasted for three days and later expanded to include a pond in Mayfield Park near his home. On Friday at approximately 11:53 a.m., divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department located and recovered a body from the pond, believed to be Smith, pending confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiners Office. open image in gallery Smith was the rappers only son, who he shares with his estranged wife Nicole Smith ( Getty Images ) We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time, MPD wrote on Facebook. The department respectfully asks the community and members of the media to honor the familys request for privacy as they grieve and navigate this tragedy. Smith was Lil Jons only son, who he shared with his estranged wife, Nicole Smith. open image in gallery Lil Jon is best known for early 2000s club hits like Get Low, Snap Yo Fingers, and, later, Turn Down For What ( Getty ) The couple married in 2004 and Lil Jon announced their breakup in February 2024, saying that they had split nearly two years earlier. The Yeah! rapper, 55, also has a daughter, Nahara, with his girlfriend Jamila Sozahdah. He is best known for early 2000s club hits like Get Low, Snap Yo Fingers, and, later, Turn Down For What. In recent years, he has been outspoken about his political opinions, and performed at the Democratic National Convention in 2024. Smith followed in his fathers footsteps as a musician, releasing his latest song, Feels, in March 2025. Lil Jon said on The Big Podcast in 2023 that Smith started performing as a DJ at age 11. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Three people were killed and six others injured Thursday afternoon when a car first struck a bicyclist and then crashed into a 99 Ranch Market in Los Angeles Westwood neighborhood, authorities said. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the crash shortly after noon. Spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz said three victims, some trapped under the vehicle, died at the scene. Were still working on the cause, said spokesperson Lantz. We do not have confirmation yet if this was a mechanical issue, a medical issue, but LAPD is telling us they dont suspect any terrorist intent. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the crash at 12:11 p.m. near the 99 Ranch Market at Rochester Avenue and Westwood Boulevard. According to a follow-up incident report, four people were taken to hospitals, two in serious condition and two with minor injuries, while two others refused transport against medical advice. open image in gallery TV news footage showed a silver sedan with its trunk open fully inside the store on Westwood Boulevard. ( AP/Damian Dovarganes ) The victims of the crash have been identified as a 42-year-old woman, a 55-year-old man, and a 30-year-old man. Police Lt. Anthony Espinoza said the driver of a Toyota Prius unintentionally lost control after hitting the bicyclist and then swerved into the bakery section of the market. "The incident is unintentional, and it's just an unfortunate accident," Espinoza said during a press briefing. The driver, an elderly woman, is cooperating with investigators and is undergoing a medical evaluation, said officials at the scene. The cyclist suffered minor injuries and has been released from the hospital. TV news footage showed a silver sedan with its trunk open fully inside the store on Westwood Boulevard. There was a large police and fire department response with a triage area set up to treat patients outside the store. The crash occurred near the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. None of those killed or injured were university students, Espinoza said. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Thousands of units of M&Ms products are being recalled across more than a dozen states because their packaging does not include proper allergen warnings. The recall was announced by the Food & Drug Administration after it emerged that more than 6,000 units had been repackaged by Beacon Promotions Inc. without advisories that they may contain milk, soy and peanuts. It was first issued on January 26, and on Wednesday, the FDA classified the recall as Class II, meaning consuming the product could cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences." However, the recall only affects consumers who may be allergic or sensitive to soy, peanuts or milk; the candies themselves are safe to eat, and those without allergies will not be affected by their consumption. The M&Ms recall only affects consumers who may be allergic or sensitive to soy, peanuts or milk. ( iStock file image ) The M&Ms in question were distributed in packaging that was labelled for promotional purposes, according to the FDA, and could contain any of the following promotional labels or packages: Next Up; Smith Pro; Jaxport, Jacksonville Port Authority; Climax Molybdenum, A Freeport-McMoRan Company; University of Maryland, School of Public Policy; Liberty University Environmental Health & Safety; Subaru; Trinity Cyb3r; Candy Treats; JSE, Jordan & Skala Engineers; Dropbox DocSend; PP, Prosperity Promotions; Northwest Indian College Foundation; FES Branding Solutions; Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies; merry maids Annual 26 Conference; BW, Best Western; Morgan Stanley; tufin; Compliments of Pioneer; A.D. Morgan, Construction Manager, Design Builder, General Contractor; Adobe; Xfinity; Fundermax Interiors; White Cup; Acadia Commercial; Aviagen; ORG Expo; and Make Your Mark. The recalled repackaged M&M's Peanut candies can be identified by the "Make Your Mark" label with lot code M1823200 and a "best by" date of April 30, 2026. Regular M&M's candies being recalled all have the lot code L450ARCLV03 with a "best by" date of December 1, 2025; the lot code L502FLHKP01 with a "best by" date of January 1, 2026; the lot code L523CMHKP01 with a "best by" date of June 30, 2026; or the lot code L537GMHKP01 with a "best by" date of September 1, 2026. They were distributed in the following 20 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Anyone who has the products in question and is allergic to or sensitive to nuts, soy, or milk should throw them away. Those who are not allergic or sensitive can safely consume them. HPG Brands, the parent company of Beacon Promotions Inc., did not immediately respond to requests for comment on how the labelling mix-up had occurred. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Republicans in Tennessee have blamed woke policies for major power outages that have seen Nashville residents plunged into darkness amid recent winter storms. [Nashville Electric Service] was so focused on woke policies and DEI that it failed at its most basic responsibility: keeping the power on, GOP Senator Marsha Blackburn wrote on X. Despite ample warning, its failure to adequately prepare left thousands in the dark its time for new leadership at NES. In his own post, GOP Rep. Cameron Sexton wrote: Nashville Electric Services lack of a strategic disaster relief plan, pro-tree canopy policy and being more concerned about a DEI contract renewal - all of which jeopardized public safety - requires executive management to be fired and the board to be replaced. It comes after power outages in Tennessee stretched into a second week following the historic weather events. Around 6,000 customers still dont have power 11 days after the storm, according to NBC. open image in gallery Republicans in Tennessee have blamed woke policies for major power outages that have seen Nashville residents plunged into darkness amid recent winter storms ( Getty Images ) Two people were reportedly found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning with generators nearby, in Davidson County, following miscommunication over power being returned. The Independent has contacted NES for comment about the ongoing outages. The Republican claims center on seemingly cherry-picked details about NES operations to push its so-called woke theory, including circulating a report on the number of DEI training sessions held by the company and a significant decrease in spending on vegetation management. Conservative media also pointed to remarks made by NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin last year, who said she did not want us out destroying the canopy. On Thursday NESs attempts to mitigate the situation were still being met with hostility from the community. Too little. Too late, wrote one person, in response to a company post offering generators to those who remained without power. open image in gallery Power outages in Tennessee stretched into a second week following the historic weather events, prompting much criticism of the Nashville Electric Service (NES) ( Getty Images ) Criticism has also been leveled at the power company by Democrats, including from Nashville Mayor Freddie OConnell, who criticized the speed with which NES responded to the outages and described the lack of transparency as unacceptable. "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, OConnell said Sunday. Democrats have rejected the GOPs assertions that the breakdown was due to woke policies. Marsha Blackburn knows it wasnt DEI that caused this to happen, Rep. Jason Powell, who has since filed a bill to ensure electric companies with 10,000 customers or more have grid-resiliency plans, told NBC. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice More than 400 deputy sheriffs in the Detroit area have been shorted overtime, holiday pay and even straight-time wages following a switch to Oracle payroll software that was chaotic and riddled with errors, according to a federal class-action lawsuit reviewed by The Independent. The systems glitch at the Wayne County Sheriffs Office, which has allegedly been ongoing since 2024, caused some sheriffs to be paid less than minimum wage, says the suit, which was filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Deputies have complained repeatedly to payroll staff but are being told errors would be fixed in the next check, the suit contends. The corrections have never come. There are 650 deputy sheriffs in Wayne County. Salaries start at $48,654 a year, or about $23 an hour. When the issue first arose nearly two years ago, the president of the union that represents Wayne County deputies, said one officer got a paycheck for 48 cents. At the time, the county issued a statement saying it was fully committed to resolving all pay inaccuracies, and that it had engaged key consultants and mobilized additional resources to address the issues promptly and will do so to ensure a complete resolution. open image in gallery More than 400 deputies with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office claim they were shorted pay following a switch to Oracle software ( Getty Images ) However, attorney Carla Aikens, who is representing the named plaintiffs in the case, Deputies Yonnell Haston and Bernard Muhammad, said that resolution never happened. My clients have raised these issues to the county to have them fixed, and they've remained unfixed to date, Aikens told The Independent. We have to go forward with this action we hoped we could avoid it but they have to get their money to which they're entitled. Mara MacDonald, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County Sheriffs Office, said Fridays inquiry by The Independent was the first the department had heard of the lawsuit, and declined to comment. A spokesman for Wayne County, Doda Lulgjuraj, said the county also had not yet been served with the suit and that it would be premature to comment. Wayne County and the Wayne County Sheriffs Office are named as defendants; Oracle is not. In June 2024, the Wayne County Sheriffs Office transitioned its payroll system from PeopleSoft to Oracle, according to the complaint by Haston and Muhammad. From the first paycheck, deputies have routinely received shorted paychecks that have omitted regular wages, overtime, holiday pay and accrued leave, the complaint states. Sick and vacation balances were deleted, premium pay for holidays and double-time shifts was denied and overtime hours were systematically undercounted In some cases, supervisors have threatened retaliation, including withholding pay, if deputies seek compensation for missed or interrupted breaks. Muhammad, according to the complaint, normally works extensive overtime, often 6080 hours per pay period, yet since June 2024 his paychecks have failed to reflect those hours. Haston, it continues, has not been paid for at least 48 hours of overtime, and lost his sick days and vacation time when they were mistakenly deleted from the system, preventing him from taking necessary family medical leave. open image in gallery The lawsuit brought by a group of Wayne County deputy sheriffs takes aim at payroll software from Oracle, the company co-founded by Larry Ellison, the world's third-richest man, and backer of President Donald Trump ( Getty Images ) Payroll staff blamed the issues on user error, according to the complaint, which argues that the entries were correct. As a result, Wayne County has retained the benefit of hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid labor from sheriffs required to work overtime and holidays without full compensation, the complaint states. Oracle, the technology behemoth co-founded by Larry Ellison, the third-wealthiest person in the world, has been blamed for similar issues in other cities using its payroll software. In October, employees with the Rochester City School District spoke out about improper deductions being taken from their checks following a switch to Oracle. Teachers in Baltimore reportedly found errors and discrepancies in their paychecks last November after the county began using Oracle, as did educators in Syracuse. Earlier this year, employees in Fort Myers, Florida, faced such severe payroll delays due to a newly implemented Oracle system that officials considered switching back to the old one. Ellison was named in a 2017 class action lawsuit accusing Oracle of underpaying women staffers, which the company settled in 2024 for $25 million. The 81-year-old is a longtime Republican donor and a close ally of President Donald Trump, known for participating in an infamous 2020 phone call to try and hash out ways to overturn Joe Bidens 2020 election win. While Ellison has hosted fundraisers for Trump, who recently helped pave the way for Ellisons son David to acquire CBS, David gave nearly $1 million to Bidens 2024 re-election fund. Haston and Muhammad, along with the rest of the plaintiffs in the class action, are now seeking unpaid wages, minimum wages, overtime, and benefits, liquidated damages, statutory penalties, damages for breach of contract, restitution and disgorgement, and pre- and post-judgment interest, plus attorneys fees and costs, as well as injunctive relief requiring payroll corrections and restoration of leave. An Oracle spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Canada is set to open a consulate in Greenland, signaling stronger diplomatic ties as President Donald Trump pursues his bid to acquire the Arctic island. The consulate is being opened in Nuuk, the capital of the Danish territory, on Friday, though it had been in the works for over a year. Gov. Gen. Mary Simon, King Charles IIIs envoy in Canada, is in town for the event. I have been working with Denmark and Greenland for many, many years, Simon told Politico. We understand each other, and its important to talk about the lessons learned in each of our countries. Avaaraq Olsen, the mayor of Nuuk, said she was grateful for the show of support. Its really important for us to know that we are not alone in this, that we actually have people from other countries who care about us, Olsen said. People are scared and they are more and more concerned. Because of Trumps statements, they get very worse and worse. open image in gallery Canada is set to open a consulate in Greenland in a display of solidarity against President Trump's attempts to take over the island ( AFP via Getty Images ) The unveiling of Canadas diplomatic outpost comes during a period of heightened tension between the Trump administration and Greenland, Denmark and other NATO allies. In recent months, the 79-year-old Republican president has repeatedly called for Greenland to be part of the United States a bid for territorial expansion that would rival the Louisiana Purchase. The White House previously refused to rule out the use of military force in acquiring the island, which is home to some 50,000 inhabitants. The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security, Trump wrote on Truth Social on January 14. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable. The leaders of Greenland and Denmark as well as the heads of other NATO nations have strongly opposed the presidents aggressive posturing. Some compared it to Russian President Vladimir Putins war of conquest in Ukraine, while others said it threatens to unravel the U.S.-led alliance that has been in place since World War II. "Greenland is today a part of the kingdom of Denmark. It is part of our territory, and it's not for sale," Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen said earlier this month. Polls show that Trumps plans for Greenland are unpopular. Fifty-eight percent of Americans oppose a U.S. takeover of the island, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. And 85 percent of Greenlanders do not want to be incorporated into the U.S., according to a poll commissioned last year by the Danish newspaper Berlingske. open image in gallery Trumps tone appeared to soften following his trip to Davos, Switzerland, in late January ( PA Media ) Trumps tone, however, appears to have softened following his late January trip to Davos, Switzerland during which he appeared to repeatedly confuse Greenland with Iceland while addressing world leaders. Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region, Trump wrote on social media on January 21. He added that, because of the meeting, he will not impose retaliatory tariffs on European allies. Earlier in January, he had said he was slapping a 10 percent tariff on eight E.U. nations due to their opposition to American control of Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress, Trump said. While tensions appear to have eased for the moment, the impact of Trumps Greenland bid may be long-lasting. We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn't mourn it, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said during a speech at Davos last month. He appealed to middle powers to work together to safeguard their interests against the dominance of superpower nations. Canada was amongst the first to hear the wake-up call, leading us to fundamentally shift our strategic posture, he said. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Theres an urban legend that Lyndon B. Johnson spread a rumor about his opponent having had an indecent experience with pigs. When a campaign aide told him they couldnt say that because it was not true, Johnson a Democrat who repped Texas in Congress for 23 years before ascending to the executive branch supposedly said, Of course it aint true, but I want to make the son-of-a-b**** deny it. Half a century later, Texas Senate races look no less nasty, and it might cost Democrats their chance to win the majority. Democrats have a legitimate chance to flip the United States Senate in the November midterms. They have their dream candidate in North Carolina in former Gov. Roy Cooper. And for the first time in 30 years, Susan Collins looks like she could lose her seat in Maine. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pulled off a major catch when he convinced former congresswoman Mary Peltola to run for Senate in Alaska. But even if they win all three seats, Democrats need one more flip to get 51 seats in November. Enter Texas. open image in gallery James Talarico has raised millions of dollars as Democrats hope to flip Texas in a longshot race. ( Getty Images ) While the Lone Star State has long been a pipe dream for Democrats and they last won a Senate seat in 1988, every element seems to be going their way. Sen. John Cornyn faces a bruising primary against the states ultra-MAGA attorney general Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. Cornyn, a former attorney general and judge, is the exact type of Bush Republican that the base of the GOP now despises. The Cornyn Lonestar Victory Fund has had to spend more than $52 million to save Cornyn before the primary next month. But Paxton has tons of baggage rooted in his alleged infidelity, which led to his wife Angela, a Republican state senator, saying that she would divorce him on biblical grounds. So far, President Donald Trump has avoided endorsing in the Senate race, which leaves Cornyn twisting in the wind. Combine that with Hispanics overwhelmingly disapproving of Trumps economic and immigration policies and Democrats might have a legitimate shot, as a state legislative race this past weekend showed. open image in gallery Rep. Jasmine Crockett has emerged as a sharp critic of Republicans during her time in Congress. But some Democrats fear she might cost them the chance to flip the Senate seat in Texas. ( AP ) But Democrats are embroiled in their own internal feud that could threaten their already remote opportunity to win the seat. And it comes as early voting begins in two weeks for a March 3 primary. Lets recap: Last year, Colin Allred, the former congressman who lost to Ted Cruz in 2024, announced he would try to run against Cornyn or Paxton. But when James Talarico, a Democratic state legislator from the Austin area, gained national media attention when Democrats decamped during Republican attempts to gerrymander the congressional map mid-decade, he overshadowed Allred. All the while, Cornyn and Republicans began promoting the idea of Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Black congresswoman from Dallas who become a liberal media darling for her sharp-tongued attacks on Republicans, running for the Democratic nomination. Crockett announced in December, which prompted Allred to drop out. But both candidates face significant downsides: As a white liberal from Austin, Talarico lacks ties to Black voters often needed to win a Democratic primary. And as a state legislator, he needs to build his name recognition, which means spending tons of money. open image in gallery Sen. John Cornyn is in the fight of his political life as he faces two Republican primary challengers. ( Getty Images ) Crockett, meanwhile, hurt her case with some Hispanic Democrats in Texas when she said immigrants do the jobs African-Americans wont do because, Were done picking cotton. Despite this, the two had remained relatively civil. Their one debate last month featured no fireworks. That changed this week when Allred, now running for his old congressional seat, posted a video of himself attacking Talarico after a Democratic TikToker named Morgan Thompson said that Talarico told her he had signed up to run against a mediocre Black man like Allred rather than an intelligent Black woman like Crockett. That caused Allred to endorse Crockett, though Talarico vehemently denied it, saying Allred had rather run a mediocre campaign. Sure, its no fornication with pigs, but it opened real wounds and fissures within the coalition that Democrats need to win: namely white city dwellers and African Americans. Bloody primaries often mean candidates will not unify in the general election and their supporters might not be as enthusiastic to vote for the person they opposed in the primary. Republicans responded by licking their chops. Sen. Tim Scott, a rare Black Republican in Congress who runs the GOPs Senate campaign arm, said, Something aint white here. Cornyn seemed to relish the feud, tellingThe Independent Its real. It appears that Republicans got exactly what they wanted with a bloody primary taking the heat off of Democrats. But the Republican primary is no less of a cockfight right now. On social media this week, he blasted Paxton, who criticized him for being a money-suck. Ken, when this over, you will have nothing, his campaign account posted. Which turns out to be the same thing you offered to give Angela in divorce proceedings. This after you cheated on her multiple times. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trumps administration is working fast to arrest and deport as many people as it can, from street-level surges of federal officers to far-reaching behind-the-scenes changes that have upended immigration policy altogether. But a government lawyers breakdown in front of a federal judge this week exposed the simmering tensions between the Trump administrations fast-moving mass deportation campaign and the lawyers who are juggling the explosion of legal battles against it. The administrations attempts to arrest and deport tens of thousands of people from the country without giving them much of a chance to fight their cases before theyre indefinitely jailed in immigration detention centers have triggered an avalanche of lawsuits that are overwhelming courts and prosecutors. This system sucks and this job sucks, one government lawyer said this week. Even Minnesotas Trump-appointed top federal prosecutor recently admitted the caseload is crushing them. Judges say its a crisis of the Trump administrations own making, by blowing up due process rights in defiance of the Constitution. open image in gallery Government lawyers are being overwhelmed by lawsuits against the Trump administrations attempts to arrest and deport tens of thousands of people, what judges have called a crisis of their own making ( AFP via Getty Images ) Last summer, the Trump administration revisited legal guidance on what happens when federal immigration officers make an arrest, deciding that anyone who is in the country without legal permission can be subject to mandatory detention, without an opportunity for a bond hearing to plead for their release. Federal courts across the country quickly filled up with habeas corpus petitions, or lawsuits challenging their arrest and detention and demanding the government justify them to a judge. Despite dozens or rulings against it, with judges repeatedly stressing that the administrations policy flies in the face of the Fourth Amendment, administration officials and the government lawyers theyve deployed to defend them have relied on the policy to arrest tens of thousands of people. Dozens of new petitions are hitting court dockets every week and government attorneys are overwhelmed or quitting in droves under pressure to fight them at an unsustainable pace. Prosecutors feel beaten down, defense attorneys are struggling to keep up, judges are writing furious orders with dramatic warnings about the fate of democracy and the immigrants at the center of their cases are stuck in the middle, languishing in detention after their abrupt arrests, or released from custody after spending days or months in ICE custody with their lives turned upside-down. Minnesota District Judge Jerry R. Blackwell wanted to hear from the government this week why he shouldnt be holding officials in contempt for their alarming failures to follow court orders for their release. Julie Le, a Homeland Security attorney assigned to help with the caseload inside the U.S. Attorneys office in Minnesota, admitted defeat. Sometimes I wish you would just hold me in contempt, your honor, she told the judge, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep. open image in gallery Thousands of immigrants across the country are fighting in federal court for their release after guidance issued by the Trump administration last year denied them a hearing and ordered mandatory detention despite not committing any crimes ( AP ) Lawyers for detained immigrants in Minnesota filed more than 400 petitions for their release from ICE in January alone, compared to just six at the same point one year earlier, one judge recently noted. In a Texas district home to a massive ICE detention center holding a growing number of immigrant families, one judge recently noted that his court has 134 habeas petitions, with 20 to 25 new ones arriving on his docket each week. At the same time, orders to release those immigrants are starting to pile up, and the government appears either too slow to respond or is ignoring them entirely. Last week, Patrick J. Schiltz, the chief federal judge in Minnesota, ripped into the administration after he found ICE violated nearly 100 court orders stemming from the recent surge of officers into Minneapolis, or more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence. ICE has every right to challenge the orders of this court, wrote Judge Schlitz, who clerked for the late conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and was appointed to the bench by Republican George W. Bush. But, like any litigant, ICE must follow those orders unless and until they are overturned or vacated. Last week, Judge Fred Biery of the Western District of Texas issued a blistering ruling to release 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, who seek nothing more than some modicum of due process and the rule of law. 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, he wrote. This Court and others regularly send undocumented people to prison and orders them deported but do so by proper legal procedures. Last month in West Virginia, Judge Joseph R. Goodwin similarly condemned the administrations efforts, where in individuals are stopped during ordinary civilian activity, taken into custody for civil immigration purposes and confined in local jails without prompt hearings, without individualized findings and often far from counsel, family or community. open image in gallery A federal judge in Texas ordered the release of 5-year-old Liam and his father, who is seeking asylum in the United States, after they were arrested in their driveway in Minneapolis ( AP ) To be able to respond to the wave of new habeas petitions, Minnesota prosecutors have been forced to shift resources away from other critical priorities, including criminal matters, according to Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. He said his team of attorneys handling civil litigation is down by 50 percent following a mass exodus of top prosecutors who fled in response to the Trump administrations handling of Operation Metro Surge. Rosen is now urging a federal appeals court to quickly settle the issue at the heart of the wave of litigation in his office, and one that is hovering over dozens of court cases across the country: Can ICE keep locking people up without a hearing? If a decision isnt reached fast enough, resources in Minnesota will continue to be drained as hundreds more habeas petitions are filed, and the other important responsibilities and other priorities will be compromised, Rosen wrote. In response, lawyers for the immigrant at the center of the case said the question could determine his freedom and that of countless individuals who are similarly situated. They urged the court to carefully consider an answer, not subject to the duress of solving the governments self-inflicted woes. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The Trump administration has allegedly used a private jet belonging to a past Trump donor and business partner to carry out a series of recent deportation flights, most recently a pair of removals to Israel. The alleged flights to Tel Aviv, which departed the U.S. from Arizona in late January and earlier this week, took place on a private jet owned by property tycoon Gil Dezer, an investigation by The Guardian and +972 Magazine alleges. Dezer, along with his father, the Israeli-American businessman Michael Dezer, have donated to past pro-Trump campaign efforts and worked with Trump on a series of Florida-based luxury projects through their company Dezer Development. The jet used in the flights allegedly bore the company logo. Israeli outlet Haaretz reported on the arrival of the January flight, and published a photograph allegedly showing detainees stepping off a grey and black private jet towards a waiting group of security personnel. The Independent has contacted Dezer Development, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment. open image in gallery A jet belonging to former pro-Trump donor and business partner Gil Dezer has allegedly been used for multiple deportation flights over the last year ( Getty Images ) The White House referred The Independent to ICE for questions regarding the alleged flights. ICE reportedly chartered the flights through Journey Aviation, a Florida-based company that has previously been used for immigration flights. ICE does not contract directly with private aircraft owners or investigate the ownership of individual aircrafts used by our contractors, a DHS spokesperson told The Independent. All flights are arranged through approved air carriers. Dezer told The Guardian in an email that he was never privy to the names of passengers or the purposes of flights when Journey used his jet for private charters. The only thing Im notified about is the dates of use, he said. The Independent has contacted Journey Aviation for comment. Per longstanding Department policy, we do not discuss the content of private diplomatic and interagency conversations, a State Department spokesperson told The Independent. The Trump Administration continues to prioritize the rapid deportation of illegal immigrants, especially those with criminal records, to restore border security and public safety and protect the American people, the spokesperson added. Men aboard the alleged January deportation flight said they were restrained in restrictive cuffs and were later left in the cold in prison jumpsuits at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, alarming advocates. open image in gallery Two of the alleged deportation flights returned Palestinian men to the occupied West Bank, according to the report ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) Aside from the many irregularities with the deportation of eight Palestinians on a private jet and no due process, this transfer also violates the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the forcible return of individuals to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be at risk of irreparable harm upon return, including persecution, torture, ill treatment or other serious human rights violations, Gissou Nia, director of the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council, told +972. The Dezers have deep ties to Trump and have partnered on six Trump-branded real estate projects, according to their website. In a recent interview, Gil Dezer credited working with Trump for his eventual real estate partnerships with high-end brands like Bentley. It really all started out with Trump, Dezer told the business media brand traded. I love him, Dezer added. Ive known him now for twentysomething years. I was at his wedding. He was at my wedding. Were good friends. Very proud that hes in the office. Very proud of the job hes doing. open image in gallery The Dezers have worked with Donald Trump on a string of high-end Florida real estate projects, including the Trump Towers in Sunny Isles, Florida ( Google ) The Independent has contacted the Trump Organization, the presidents luxury business conglomerate, for comment. Last year, Dezers lavish 50th birthday party featured people wearing Trump costumes. Dezer has described Trump as a childhood hero of his and said he once wrote a book report about the New York businessman before they were ever partners. You know what I like about my life? Gil Dezer told the Miami New Times in 2004. How many 29-year-olds do you know who can pick up the phone and get Trump on the other end? Gil Dezer also has noted ties to Israel. His father was born and raised in Tel Aviv, and Gil Dezer is a member of the charity Florida Friends of Israeli Defense Forces, according to his website. The Dezer jet has previously been used by the Trump administration for deportation flights to Kenya, Liberia, Guinea, and Eswatini, according to the advocacy group Human Rights First, which tracks flight data, and the news site Zeteo, which reported on the flight to Eswatini. Deportation flights aboard Journey Aviation-chartered jets cost about $35,000 per person, according to a 2020 estimate from the Miami Herald. open image in gallery Companies with ties to deportation flights have faced persistent criticism, including Avelo, which recently announced it was ceasing such operations ( AFP via Getty Images ) The Trump administration has been accused of directing deportation flight-related contracts to allies in the past. Companies tied to a former Trump State Department official and donor to a Trump-aligned think tank allegedly netted around $1 billion in contracts tied to deportation flights and aircraft. Deportation flights have been a persistent source of criticism for the companies involved. Avelo, a former Homeland Security subcontractor, announced earlier this year that it was no longer conducting deportation flights, citing financial reasons as well as reportedly talking about the decision internally as a way to avoid political controversy. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Donald Trumps administration is moving to deport the family of a five-year-old Minneapolis boy whose now-viral image capturing him in the snow as federal officers arrested his father has fueled outrage against the presidents mass deportation efforts. The Department of Homeland Security filed a motion in immigration court this week to end asylum claims for the father of preschooler Liam Conejo Ramos to expedite their removal from the country, according to a family attorney. The familys asylum hearing, initially set for later this month, was abruptly moved to Friday morning. The judge overseeing the hearing agreed to postpone, giving to the family time to prepare for next steps in their case, according to a statement from a school official. The Trump administrations motion, first reported by Minnesota Public Radio, was filed just days after a federal judge granted their release from an immigration detention center in Texas. Liams father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who is originally from Ecuador, told the outlet that they do not know what will happen to them next. The government is moving many pieces, it's doing everything possible to do us harm, so that theyll probably deport us. We live with that fear, too, he told MPR in Spanish. open image in gallery Adrian Conejo Arias and his five-year-old son Liam Conejo Ramos were granted release from an ICE detention center in Texas January 31, but the Trump administration requested their swift removal and cancelation of their asylum claims days later ( AP ) He hasn't been the same since this all happened, Conejo Arias told Telemundo this week. He calls me when he wakes up and says, Daddy, Daddy, so I have to go to him. Liam has had nightmares and frequently wakes up crying since their return to Minneapolis, according to his father. While in custody, he repeatedly asked what they had done wrong, where they were and what happened to the blue knit hat he wore when he was detained, Conejo arias said. There wasnt much he could say except hug him and tell him everything would be OK, he told Telemundo. The family entered the United States legally and applied for asylum upon arrival in 2024, according to a family attorney. A member of the familys legal team says the governments motion appears to be retaliatory. Its really frustrating as an attorney, because they keep throwing new obstacles in our way, immigration attorney Danielle Molliver with Nwokocha & Operana Law Offices told MPR. Theres absolutely no reason that this should be expedited. Its not very common. This is retaliation, said Minneapolis City Council member Jason Sanchez. Our community, neighbors, and children deserve better. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro, who escorted the family from the detention center to Minnesota on Sunday, said the administration is breaking legal precedent in an attempt to break this boys spirit and all of the Americans who are praying for him. Homeland Security has denied that the government is seeking to expedite their removal. These are regular removal proceedings. They are not in expedited removal, Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent Friday. This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nations immigration laws. In an interview with ABCs This Week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration was reviewing its options after a federal judge ordered the familys release. The immigration law, the body of immigration law, is much different than our typical criminal process because of the administrative nature of what we do every day, he said. To the extent that we need to appeal that judges decision, I promise we will. open image in gallery A now-viral image of an ICE agent placing his hand on Liams Spider Man backpack shows the Minnesota preschooler standing in his driveway as officers arrested his father January 20 ( Columbia Heights Public Schools ) Liam and his father were detained by federal officers from the driveway of their home in Minneapolis on January 20 and brought to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Texas, where the preschooler was sick and asking for his mother, according to family and lawmakers who visited him. Their return to Minneapolis last weekend followed a blistering court order for their release, as District Judge Fred Biery delivered a brutal assessment of Trumps ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas that appears to require traumatizing children. Biery signed his three-page order with the viral image of Liam in his blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack and added two Bible verses below it: Matthew 19:14 and John 11:35. The verse from Matthew states roughly that Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these, while the verse from John is Jesus wept. Liams image has become emblematic of sweeping arrests in Minnesota after federal officers surged into the state last month, sparking several lawsuits and demonstrations across the country. Federal courts in the state are swimming in cases alleging unlawful arrests and abusive and illegal use of force from immigrants and citizens alike swept up in the dragnet. Liam is among at least seven Minneapolis-area children detained by federal agents in recent weeks in scenes that mirrored arrests during other immigration enforcement operations around the country, which have interrupted schools and put families, teachers and administrators on edge as they brace for officers showing up on campus and at home. When a five-year-old like Liam and his family experience the turmoil our community has faced for months, that stability is shaken, with real and immediate effects on a childs sense of safety, learning, and well-being: Columbia Heights School District said in a statement Friday. The district has seen at least seven of its students in ICE custody in recent weeks. Children learn best when they feel safe, supported, and surrounded by peers and trusted adults, the district said. They deserve to be in school learning and growing, not living in fear of separation. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Nearly one month after a Minneapolis fifth grader stopped showing up for class, with no word from her family, the missing girl was seen inside a sprawling immigration detention center in Texas that is holding a growing number of immigrant families. Officials at Valley View Elementary School in Columbia Heights told The Washington Post they feared the worst after the girls family wasnt answering calls while her school-issued laptop was sitting in her classroom, untouched, for weeks. It wasnt until two of her schoolmates brothers in second and fifth grade were released from the same Texas facility this week that the school got word that the missing girl was inside with them. The brothers were detained in Texas with their mother and recognized the missing girl inside, according to Valley View Elementarys Jason Kuhlman. It was surreal, he told The Washington Post. It was like, Are you kidding me? I wonder ... how many kids are MIA? open image in gallery At least seven students from the same school district in Minneapolis were detained by immigration authorities in recent weeks as federal officers surged into the state ( AP ) Immigration and Customs Enforcements Dilley Immigration Processing Center reportedly holds more than 1,000 families, including young children, according to lawyers and advocates representing immigrants inside. Recent detainees from Minneapolis include five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and two-year-old Chloe Renata Tipan Villacis, along with their fathers. Liam and his father Adrian Conejo Arias were ordered released from the facility last week, and Chloe was ordered to the custody of a family attorney, but their cases have fueled outrage against the Trump administrations expansive efforts to arrest and quickly remove thousands of people from the country. The children were among at least seven students from the same school district detained by federal agents in recent weeks, ranging in age from five to 17 years old, according to Zena Stenvik, the superintendent for Colombia Heights Public Schools. Speaking to The Independent, she said students and their teachers and families feel hunted. We have had several ICE agents driving up and down, and around our schools, circling throughout the day over the last few weeks, she said. We feel under siege. Staff members are stationed at every corner of the school during arrival and dismissal times, teachers walk children from at-risk communities to school, and ride-share programs support families with parents who are too afraid to do the journey to school. Dozens of students are now learning online because they are too afraid to leave their homes. This is not political. This is about little humans wanting to come to school, Kuhlman told The Independent last week. Education is being interfered with kids cant learn, he said. Racial profiling, terrorizing families and children, pulling Black and Brown people out of cars: I call it a snatch and grab. open image in gallery A missing fifth grade student is detained inside the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in rural Texas, which is holding a growing number of immigrants families. The facility was on lockdown over the weekend after at least two measles cases were discovered among the detainees ( AP ) An 11-year-old girl from the same district was released from the Dilley center this week. After nearly one month in custody, Elizabeth Zuna Caisaguano and her mother were released from the facility Tuesday, according to Stenvik. We are filled with joy at the anticipation of the family when Elizabeths father can once again be reunited with his daughter and wife, she said in a statement. The girl had been locked up with her mother since January 6, when federal officers captured them on their way to school. We seek the full release of all children and unjustly detained parents from detention centers across our country, Stenvik said. We seek a diplomatic and peaceful solution to end this terror that the enhanced immigration enforcement is causing in our community, our state and our county. Elizabeths release follows reports of a measles outbreak at the facility, which was locked down over the weekend with quarantine measures for anyone suspected of making contact with the infected, according to the Department of Homeland Security. ICE reported at least two active measles infections among detainees and ceased all movement inside. 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. No one in ICE custody is missing as detainees are searchable online and can contact their families by phone, according to Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin. Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates, McLaughlin said in a statement to The Washington Post. This is consistent with past administrations immigration enforcement. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump has shared a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes in a late-night Truth Social posting spree and drew quick rebuke across the political world for his social media post. Some described it as disgusting and racist and condemned the president for the messaging. There is also confusion about who made the post, leading to more questions regarding the video post on Trumps account. Initially, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the post and called the outrage toward it fake. This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King, Leavitt said. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. Hours after her comments and 12 hours since it was first posted the video was taken down. A senior White House official said a staffer posted it erroneously. open image in gallery Donald Trump shared a racist image of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes on his social media site. Pictured: Trump and Obama in 2016 ( Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images ) One unnamed official told The Hill that Trump was unaware when the video went up, and the employee really let the president down. The clip of the Obamas appeared at the end of an unrelated video that allegedly debunked claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, which Trump has claimed was stolen from him, despite evidence to the contrary. A minute into the video, the clip was inserted, showing the faces of the Obamas superimposed on the bodies of two great apes, animated and dancing against an apparent jungle background to the soundtrack of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The Obamas left the White House nine years ago, and Trump ran against then-President Joe Biden in 2020. Despite that, he has frequently included the Obamas in his attacks on Democrats. open image in gallery A video shared by Trump depicts Barack and Michelle Obama as apes in the jungle. It was met with strong backlash online, with people slamming it as racist and disgusting ( Truth Social ) Trump was an early champion of the birther conspiracy theory against Obama, claiming that he was not born in the United States; even after Hawaii verified Obama's birth certificate, Trump claimed many did not believe the birth certificate was legitimate. Comparing Black people to apes is a racist trope that has been used for centuries to dehumanize people with African heritage. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has emerged as a frequent foil to the president, slammed his disgusting behavior in a post on X. Every single Republican must denounce this, Newsom wrote. Now. open image in gallery California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed the presidents video as disgusting behavior ( Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images ) Other X users quickly reacted with horror to the video, which was shared during Black History Month. Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who has backed Trump and appeared with him at rallies, condemned the post. Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House, Scott said. The President should remove it. There was also swift outrage across social media about the post. Lets be clear. If you are defending Trump over his Obama ape video. You are a racist, one X user wrote. It is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen posted by a public figure. In 2026, after nearly 250 years of the formation of the nation, for an American President to depict the nation's first Black President as an ape is racism which crosses a red line. Donald Trump should resign, another added. "Theres absolutely no way that any black Trump Supporters can defend this. How do you defend a white man posting images of Black people as, Monkeys," another said. open image in gallery Lawrence O'Donnell reacts to a video from Trump depicting the Obamas as apes ( X ) open image in gallery Influencer Dean Withers has a strong reaction to the Trump video about the Obamas ( X ) During a press conference on Friday night on board Air Force One, reporters asked Trump about the post. He insisted that he was the "least racist president you've had in a long time," and placed the responsibility for the post on his staff. "I looked at it. I saw it, and I just looked at the first part. It was about voter fraud," Trump said. "I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of a people don't like, I wouldn't like it either, but I didn't see it. I just I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is." He said that after someone on his staff watched the entire video, it was taken down. When a reporter asked him about calls from other Republicans to apologize for the video, Trump refused to take responsibility. "No, I didn't make a mistake. I mean, if I look at a lot of thousands of things, I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine," Trump said. Trump was later asked directly if he condemns the racist parts of the video, to which Trump replied: "Of course I do." When asked if he had any message for the Americans who were offended by the video, Trump said I really have no message, before insisting that the U.S. is the hottest country anywhere in the world right now. Trumps slew of posts late Thursday night canvassed a wide range of his pet topics, including multiple claims of voter fraud in various elections; video clips relating to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks; sharing a screenshot of an X post claiming Democrats were anti-Christ, anti-family, anti-Black and anti-life; and a video about trash collection in New York City. Amid the barrage of grievances and conspiracy theories, he also reshared a Super Bowl ad for his Invest America initiative, the so-called Trump accounts for children, which will kickstart savings programs for them with the help of the federal government. The ad shows several young people discussing their future plans, including buying homes and studying. The clip was shared on X by billionaire Michael Dell, who is investing $6.25 billion in the program with his wife, Susan; Dell said it was time to give every child a stake in the American Dream. Trump shared a screenshot of the X post on Truth Social without additional commentary, then immediately returned to posts about voting, and a claim that Obama had been spying on him. The presidents fixation on voting processes saw him call earlier this week for Republicans to take over elections and nationalize them. We should take over the voting in at least 15 places, the president suggested. Leavitt when asked by reporters about Trumps comments on Tuesday assured them that the president believes in the United States Constitution. Trump has been insistent that he only lost the 2020 election due to massive voter fraud. His allegations have been tested and found false over and over, but he remains convinced that fraud and not a rejection of him and his ideology is to blame for his electoral losses. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The massive spending package that Donald Trump quietly signed into law this week includes $51.4 billion (37.83bn) in foreign aid spending, in a move described as a major win by the US Congress. The bill includes some $9.4bn for global health programmes as well as $5.4bn in funding for humanitarian assistance, and $6.8bn for global security initiatives. The $5.9bn earmarked for tackling HIV, which forms part of the health spending, is more than double the $2.9bn requested by Trump. There is also some $300 million earmarked for Gavi, the vaccine alliance, despite the Trump administration originally requesting that funding for Gavi be eliminated. Elsewhere, the aid package also includes money for education, agriculture, and nutrition - but funding for dedicated climate programmes has been left out. The overall package is nearly $20bn more than what the Trump Administration initially requested, indicating that there remains strong bipartisan support for foreign assistance across Congress. [The] Bill rejects Trumps decimation of the US foreign assistance enterprise renewing bipartisan investments in American leadership and reasserting congressional control, said Senator Patty Murray, vice-Chair of the US Senate Committee on Appropriations. This bill is the culmination of thousands of hours of tireless advocacy and bipartisan negotiation and a major win for US humanitarian assistanceand the people it serves, said the Rev. Eugene Cho, president and CEO of Bread for the World, in a statement. open image in gallery Father-of-four James, 50, who fell ill after failing to secure his HIV medication for nearly two months in Uganda, following US cuts to aid programmes last year ( Bel Trew/The Independent ) It is nonetheless 16 per cent less than the foreign aid bill for 2024, with NGOs warning that budgets will continue to be squeezed as humanitarian crises escalate worldwide. Save the Children noted that humanitarian spending is set to be 37 per cent below funding appropriated last year. For families facing hunger, displacement or conflict, these investments can mean the difference between surviving a crisis and being left behind, Christy Gleason, chief policy officer at Save the Children US said. As Congress asserts its role in shaping foreign assistance, its critical that children remain at the center, she added. Protecting the most vulnerable children across the globe is a moral imperative and an investment in global stability and a safer and more prosperous world for children everywhere. open image in gallery A climate adaptation programme funded by the World Food Programme in the Somali Region of Ethiopia ( WFP/Michael Tewelde ) Efforts to specifically target climate change, however, were absent, and there is no new funding for the multilateral climate funds that are a crucial lifeline to developing countries looking to both decarbonise and adapt to the escalating climate crisis. The US also made no pledge to fund the Africa Development Fund (ADF), which is a crucial financing lifeline for many of the poorest countries in Africa that struggle to access money from other source. Like too many other institutions, the ADF has adopted a disproportionate focus on climate change, gender, and social issues, a US government spokesperson told Reuters . Washington will, however, continue to indirectly support climate action through its support for multilateral institutions. Some $54m, for example, has been earmarked for International Fund for Agricultural Development, which funds projects helping small-scale farmers adapt to climate change. Tens of millions of dollars are also to be provided to development banks in Asia, Africa and Europe, as well as over $1bn for the World Banks International Development Association. Most of these banks have strong climate goals around their investments, meaning that a lot of money will likely be spent on climate action. The World Bank, which is the largest multilateral lender, is aiming to devote 45 per cent of its finance to climate programmes. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump is looking for more infrastructure he can put his name reportedly telling New York Senator Chuck Schumer he would release stalled funding for the citys transportation upgrades, if the senator supported renaming Penn Station and Dulles International Airport after Trump. The president has a penchant for naming things after himself and, since returning to the White House, has used his authority to encourage Republicans and allies to rename the Kennedy Center, a fleet of battleships and the Institute of Peace in his honor. But it appears he is also leveraging critical funding to inspire Democrats to do the same. The White House reportedly told Schumer the president would unfreeze more than $16 billion for the long-planned Gateway Tunnel project which will add a new rail line between New York and New Jersey if he agreed to the renaming, Punchbowl News reported. Sources told news outlets Schumer swiftly rejected the offer and said he did not have the authority to rename the transportation hubs. open image in gallery Trump reportedly offered to release the funding if a Democratic senator agreed to rename New Yorks Penn Station and Dulles International Airport, near Washington, D.C., after the president ( Getty Images ) The Independent has asked the White House for comment. No. This is ridiculous, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said on X. These naming rights arent tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers. Gillibrand said the president was putting his own narcissism over the good-paying union jobs that the Gateway Project provides. I demand that the president put people first and unfreeze this project and all the others his administration has been holding hostage for his personal gain, Gillibrand added. open image in gallery Construction on the Gateway Tunnel Project may have to pause this week as funding runs out ( Getty Images ) The group overseeing the Gateway Project filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration this week, seeking to have millions of dollars released that serve as payment for the construction. Trump froze funding for the Gateway Project as well as the Second Avenue subway project in October so his administration could review whether it was complying with his DEI policies. But this past week, officials warned that it was rapidly losing the funds to keep the project going. New York Governor Kathy Hochuls office responded to the news that Trump had attempted to leverage funding for naming capabilities with an AI-generated image of Trump Tower renamed to Hochul Tower. Counteroffer, the governors office wrote. California Rep. Eric Swalwell said of the idea of naming the airport that serves Washington, D.C. after Trump, Just when you thought Dulles couldnt get any worse. Maryland Rep. April McClain Delaney asked, Whats next? in response to the report. Trumps ego branding is insane and selfish, and demonstrates his utter lack of leadership on issues of affordability, U.S. competitiveness and national security, McClain Delaney wrote. She added that she introduced legislation to stop the president from renaming the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center. New York Rep. Jerry Nadler demanded that Trump release funding to the Gateway Project and called his attempt to rename infrastructure extortion. open image in gallery Trump has renamed various buildings in D.C. after himself, including the Kennedy Center (pictured) and the Institute of Peace ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Donald Trumps legacy will not be defined by where he slapped his name; it will be defined by the mess he left our nations most important infrastructure project, Nadler wrote. While lawmakers condemned and mocked Trump for wanting the transportation hubs named after him, other people trolled him. Two of the s***tiest transit hubs in America, Id take the deal, pollster Nate Silver wrote. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump has rejected an offer from Vladimir Putin to voluntarily extend the caps on strategic nuclear weapons deployments after the treaty that held them in check for more than two decades expired. Rather than extend NEW START (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future, he said in a Truth Social post. Trump was responding to a proposal by the Russian president for the sides to adhere for a year to the limits set by the 2010 New START treaty on deployments of strategic nuclear warheads and the missiles, aircraft and submarines that carry them. New START was the last arms control treaty between the world's two largest nuclear weapons powers. It allowed for only a single extension, which Putin and former U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to for five years in 2021. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was still ready to engage in dialogue with the U.S. if Washington responded constructively to Putin's proposal. New START was the last in a series of nuclear agreements between Moscow and Washington dating back more than half a century to the Cold War ( Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images ) "Listen, if there are any constructive replies, of course we will conduct a dialogue," Peskov told reporters. LAST IN A SERIES OF TREATIES New START was the last in a series of nuclear agreements between Moscow and Washington dating back more than half a century to the Cold War. Besides setting numerical limits on weapons, they included inspection regimes experts say served to build a level of trust and confidence between the nuclear adversaries, helping make the world safer. If nothing replaces the treaty, security analysts see a more dangerous environment with a higher risk of miscalculation. Forced to rely on worst-case assumptions about the other's intentions, the U.S. and Russia would see an incentive to increase their arsenals, especially as China plays catch-up with its own rapid nuclear build-up. UN CHIEF SAYS NUCLEAR RISK IS HIGHEST IN DECADES U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that the dissolution of decades of achievement in arms control "could not come at a worse time the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades." He urged the sides to resume negotiations without delay to agree a successor framework restoring verifiable limits. Asked about the report of talks, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a regular briefing at the United Nations in New York: "This is a very dangerous period not to have a framework dealing with these nuclear weapons We hope very much that the talks will be positive and will be fruitful." Trump has said he wants to replace New START with a better deal, bringing in China. But Beijing has declined negotiations with Moscow and Washington. It has a fraction of their warhead numbers - an estimated 600, compared to around 4,000 each for Russia and the U.S. Repeating that position Thursday, China said the expiration of the treaty was regrettable, and urged the U.S. to resume dialogue with Russia on "strategic stability." Peskov said Russia would take a responsible approach. The White House said this week that Trump would decide the way forward on nuclear arms control, which he would "clarify on his own timeline." CONFUSION OVER EXACT TIMING There was confusion over the exact timing of the expiry, but Peskov said it would be at the end of Thursday. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who signed the treaty with then U.S. President Barack Obama in 2010, said on Wednesday that New START and its predecessors were now "all in the past." Russia's Foreign Ministry said Moscow's assumption was that the treaty no longer applied and both sides were free to choose their next steps. It said Russia was prepared to take "decisive military-technical countermeasures to mitigate potential additional threats to national security" but was also open to diplomacy. Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since Moscow's 2022 invasion, said the treaty's expiry was a consequence of Russian efforts to achieve the "fragmentation of the global security architecture" and called it "another tool for nuclear blackmail to undermine international support for Ukraine." Strategic nuclear weapons are the long-range systems that each side would use to strike the other's capital, military and industrial centres in the event of a nuclear war. They differ from so-called tactical nuclear weapons that have a lower yield and are designed for limited strikes or battlefield use. If left unconstrained by any agreement, Russia and the U.S. could each, within a couple of years, deploy hundreds more warheads beyond the New START limit of 1,550, experts say. "Transparency and predictability are among the more intangible benefits of arms control and underpin deterrence and strategic stability," said Karim Haggag, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Conservation advocates are suing the Trump administration after the Bureau of Land Management decided to reapprove the construction of a previously canceled four-lane highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in southwestern Utah. In 2021, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Utah Department of Transportations highway plan. That lawsuit ended in a settlement with the Biden administration in 2023 that halted the proposed construction. Now, under President Donald Trump, the proposal to bisect the 44,724-acre conservation zone with a 4.3-mile-long highway is back on the table. Conservation advocates are concerned that construction will severely damage that stretch of the Mojave Desert. The desert tortoise, a threatened species, lives in the same area as the proposed highway, according to Courthouse News. Steve Wittek, the executive director of conservation group Conserve Southwest Utah, said in a statement the second lawsuit was necessary because the Utah Department of Transportation is reportedly already conducting construction work in the area. open image in gallery Conservation advocates are suing the Trump administration after it decided to reapprove the construction of a previously canceled four-lane highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in southwestern Utah ( Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management ) Preservation of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area is inextricably linked to the quality of life and economic prosperity in Washington County, Wittek said. Our community has repeatedly made clear that better traffic solutions exist and that they oppose a highway through what should be protected lands." The new lawsuit supported by Conserve Southwest Utah, the Conservation Lands Foundation, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the Wilderness Society, WildEarth Guardians, and the Center for Biological Diversity is asking a federal judge to rule that the re-approved project is illegal. As in the prior case, the defendants decisions here again violate numerous bedrock environmental laws, and defendants have now also run afoul of express commitments made in the 2023 settlement agreement and voluntary remand process from the prior related litigation, the groups argue in the lawsuit. The Independent has reached out to the Bureau of Land Management and the White House for comment. open image in gallery The Bureau of Land Management under President Donald Trump has revived a plan to construct a four-lane 4.3 mile highway through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area in southwest Utah ( Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management ) The Bureau of Land Managements stance on the highway has shifted in line with party changes at the federal level. In 2024, before Trump took office, the BLM issued an environmental impact analysis that found the highways construction would not only harm the desert tortoise species, but also increase the likelihood of wildfires in the region and encourage the growth of noxious weeds and invasive species. Then, after Trump took office, the bureau issued another environmental report dated October 3 citing "new information' showing that an alternative route through the conservation area was both possible and economically feasible. The Center for Biological Diversity included comments from residents near the proposed construction zone. Unlike the BLM, its assessment of the region and the potential harm caused by the highway remains unchanged. Tom Butine, a resident of St. George, said he felt that local officials left him no choice but to support measures to stop the highway. This lawsuit, like the last one, is necessary because our local governments have declined to engage their constituents in an open community dialogue one that could more clearly define the problem, address its related impacts and explore alternative solutions that have been consistently ignored, he said. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice President Donald Trump announced the official launch of his TrumpRx online pharmaceutical drug market during a press event in Washington, D.C. The site, which goes live tonight, is a direct-to-consumer, government-operated market allowing Americans to purchase prescription drugs at discounted prices, according to the president on Thursday evening. "This is a big deal, this is a very big deal, people are gonna save a lot of money and be healthy," Trump said. The president confirmed that all Americans will be able to purchase "dozens" of the "most commonly used prescription drugs" through the portal. Trump said specifically that popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs will be included, noting that Ozempic will come down from $1,000 to $199. open image in gallery Donald Trump announced the launch of his TrumpRx website on February 5, 2026. Americans can visit the site to purchase discounted pharmaceutical drugs ( AFP via Getty Images ) "Novo Nordisk will be slashing the price, as an example of Ozempic, from more than $1,000 to to $199," he said. He also said that the price of Wegovy, another GLP-1, will drop from $1,300 to $199. The president claimed that the reduced drug prices secured by his administration mark the "largest reduction in prescription drug prices in history by many, many times, and it's not even close." The discounted prices offered on the website represent Trump's oft-touted "most favored nations" pricing scheme. Drug companies have agreed to sell the American public prescription drugs at the same rate as the nation that is paying the least for the drug, thereby ending what Trump described as the American people "effectively subsidizing the cost of drugs for the entire world." open image in gallery President Donald Trump said his administrations new TrumpRx discount pharmaceutical website will offer popular weight-loss drug Ozempic at $199 per month, down from $1,000 per month ( AFP/Getty ) He noted that, while prices will come down significantly for Americans, they are likely to increase in other nations. Dr Mehmet Oz, Trumps Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, spoke during the event and demonstrated how the site works. The website provides access to the direct-to-consumer purchasing platforms for major pharmaceutical companies and has links to coupons that can be taken to a pharmacy for in-person drug purchases. During his presentation, he said TrumpRx would protect the most vulnerable Americans by providing them access to affordable drugs. One in three Americans are turned away from the drugstore, Oz said. They can't afford the drugs. No more. Our most vulnerable are protected. open image in gallery WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 14: Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Oz is U.S. President Donald Trumpas nominee to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) ( Getty Images ) Thursdays announcement comes after months of hype from Trump and top administration officials who have made the planned TrumpRx website a central plank in their pitch to voters who remain skeptical of the presidents work to tackle the cost-of-living problems that led voters to return him to the White House despite multiple criminal indictments and convictions on more than 30 felonies in his former home state of New York. Trump and other administration figures have teased the TrumpRx website for months as he has hosted various pharmaceutical industry leaders in the Oval Office to announce pricing agreements under which their respective companies would offer American customers the same prices for their prescriptions that are paid in foreign countries and make investments in American manufacturing facilities. Trumps most favored nation pricing model is aimed at making medications more affordable for low-income Americans, including those on Medicaid, by connecting consumers directly with manufacturers who will charge prices equivalent to those paid by patients in countries with single-payer health care systems. The president first pushed the idea of forcing drug companies to match prices offered abroad during his previous term, but faced significant resistance from the industry, including pushback in a lawsuit that resulted in a federal court order blocking his administration from carrying the plan out because it had failed to follow proper regulatory procedures. open image in gallery President Donald Trump shakes hands with AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Washington, as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz watch. ( Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved ) After returning to the White House, he revived the plan in an executive order he issued in May, which directed his administration to take various actions to bring drug prices in the U.S. in line with prices negotiated between pharmaceutical companies and foreign countries that have single-payer health systems, such as the British NHS. Last July, he sent letters to leading drug companies demanding that they bring down prices offered to Americans to match the negotiated prices available in foreign countries. In the eight months since, 14 major drug companies gave in to his demand by striking agreements to offer most-favored nation prices to Americans and participate in the TrumpRx website. But the purportedly lower prices offered by the website may not make much difference to voters who are reeling from skyrocketing insurance premiums in the wake of his administrations decision not to support extending Covid-era tax credits that lowered the cost of health plans purchased on Affordable Care Act exchanges. In January, Trump unveiled an alternative plan that would institute direct payments as a substitute for the direct federal subsidies that expired at the end of last year. open image in gallery A screenshot showing the TrumpRx.gov prescription drug site's homepage. President Donald Trump announced the website's launch on February 5, 2025. He said that 'dozens' of the 'most popular prescription drugs' will be available at deeply discounted prices through the site. ( TrumpRx.gov ) Millions of Americans were left facing massive rate increases for their plans in 2026 as Congress left in December without finding a legislative path to extend the premium tax credits. The White House plan also calls for a crackdown on pharmacy benefit managers and broadening the scope of medicines that can be purchased over-the-counter, which the administration hopes will cut down on doctors appointments. It also asks Congress to codify the most-favored nation status the White House has used to secure trade agreements aimed at lowering drug prices. The TrumpRx website rollout also comes as the White House is facing headwinds on affordability matters with just nine months remaining until voters decide whether to extend the Republican Partys unified control of Washington. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Norwegian authorities have launched a major corruption probe after the latest batch of Epstein files revealed links to the country's former Prime Minister Thorbjrn Jagland. Norways economic crime unit, kokrim, said on Thursday it is investigating Mr Jagland, 75, for aggravated corruption after reviewing the tranche of documents published by the US Department of Justice last week. The files include communications between Mr Jagland and the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over several years, including emails suggesting Mr Jagland stayed at Epsteins home during a period when he held some of Europes most influential diplomatic posts. Mr Jagland served as Norways prime minister from 1996 to 1997, led the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019, and chaired the Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015. Police said they have already asked Norways foreign ministry to lift Mr Jaglands diplomatic immunity, which he retains from his time as secretary general of the Council of Europe. We consider there are reasonable grounds for investigation, said kokrim chief Pal K. Lnseth. Among other things, we will look into whether gifts, travel or loans were received in connection with his position. open image in gallery Thorbjorn Jagland seen during a meeting at the Kremlin in 2016 in Moscow, when he was Secretary General of the Council of Europe ( Getty ) Mr Jaglands lawyer, Anders Brosveet, said his client would fully cooperate with the investigation. In a statement emailed to The Independent he said the investigation was being viewed positively, and that it was important that questions over Mr Jaglands conduct are clarified in a proper and professional manner. He said: We will submit our key findings and the relevant documentation to kokrim as soon as it is practically possible. We wish to contribute fully so that kokrim has a solid basis for its assessment. Based on what we have uncovered so far, we remain confident about the outcome, he added. Mr Jagland publicly distanced himself from Epstein late last year when it emerged in a previous release of files that the pair had apparently discussed Russia and US president Donald Trump in 2018. In particular, it appears Epstein was keen to set up a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin through Mr Jagland's connections. open image in gallery Epsteinpremium ( US Department of Justice ) 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. Epstein then 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. The case is the latest Epstein files-revelation to send shockwaves through Norway, which has been grappling with a cascade of disclosures about prominent figures ties to Epstein. Earlier this week, Crown Princess MetteMarit apologised for poor judgement after documents showed she had extensive contact with Epstein. And on Thursday, the World Economic Forum announced its own internal review into CEO Brge Brendes interactions with Epstein, including business dinners and email exchanges. Mr Brende had previously served as Norways foreign minister from 2013 to 2017. Mr Brende has said his encounters with Epstein took place in the context of business meetings. He said that he was not aware at the time of Epstein's criminal background. Norway's current foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said it was important that the facts of this case are brought to light and confirmed that Oslo would ask the Council of Europe to revoke Mr Jaglands immunity. kokrim said further details of the investigation will be released at a later stage. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A top Russian military general, accused of being involved in the 2018 Salisbury poisonings, was shot outside his Moscow apartment in an alleged assassination attempt. An unidentified gunman fired several shots at Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev, deputy head of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence arm, before fleeing the scene, the investigators said. It is the latest in a series of assassination attempts Russia has blamed on Ukraine. Mr Alexeyev, 64, has previously been recognised by president Vladimir Putin with a Hero of Russia award. His position meant he would have been closely involved in prosecuting Russia's war in Ukraine. Mr Alexeyev is believed to have been behind the deadly Salisbury poisonings that caused the tragic death of mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess, 44, according to reports. The EU imposed sanctions on him over the poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018. A UK public inquiry concluded in December that Mr Putin must have ordered the novichok nerve agent attack on the Russian double agent in a "reckless" display of power that led to the death of an innocent woman. Skripal was found along with his daughter Yulia slumped unconscious, on a public bench in the southern English city of Salisbury in March 2018 after novichok was applied to the front door handle of his nearby home. About four months later, Sturgess died from exposure to the poison after her partner found a counterfeit perfume bottle which Russian spies had used to smuggle the military-grade nerve agent into the country, the inquiry said. Born in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, Mr Alexeyev was placed under US sanctions over Russian cyber interference in the 2016 US presidential election. open image in gallery A Russian Investigative Committee van parked outside the building where the assassination attempt took place ( Reuters ) Russias foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine of being behind the assassination attempt, which he said without providing evidence was designed to sabotage peace talks. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Since the start of the war in 2022, Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for assassinating several senior Russian officers, some of whom have appeared on a public list of Ukraine's enemies. The Kommersant daily, quoting law enforcement sources, said Mr Alexeyev's attacker had been waiting when he left his apartment to go to work and that Mr Alexeyev had sustained gunshot wounds to an arm, a leg and his chest during a struggle. The Kremlin said it hoped Mr Alexeyev would survive and recover. Mr Putin has been briefed on the shooting and Russia's intelligence services are investigating, it said. "It is clear that military commanders and high-level specialists are at risk during wartime," said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. "But it is not the Kremlin that should be deciding how to ensure their safety. This is a matter for the special services." open image in gallery A police officer comes out of a residential building where the assassination attempt on Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeyev took place ( REUTERS/Alexander Paramoshin ) Security questions Some pro-Kremlin Russian journalists, war bloggers and members of the public asked why such important figures were not better protected. "How can this happen? Or is it only in films that we see that such people should have security guards? This is not the first time this has happened," a woman called Ludmila wrote beneath a state media article on the shooting. A neighbour of Mr Alexeyev, who gave her name as Alessandra, said CCTV in the apartment building had been working well, after unconfirmed reports that the gunman had gained access by posing as a food delivery courier. Mr Alexeyev's boss, Admiral Igor Kostyukov, the head of the GRU, has been leading Russia's delegation in negotiations with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on security-related aspects of a potential peace deal. The latest round of talks concluded on Thursday. The Kremlin said they were constructive and that talks would continue. Since December 2024, three other officials of the same rank as Mr Alexeyev have been killed in or near Moscow. The head of the General Staff's army training directorate was killed by a bomb placed under his car on 22 December last year. Mr Alexeyev was responsible for relations between the Defence Ministry and the Wagner mercenary group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, which fought in some of the fiercest battles in the early stages of the war in Ukraine. Prigozhin was critical of the defence establishment and staged a mutiny in June 2023. Mr Alexeyev was one of the officials sent to negotiate with him. The mutiny fizzled out and Prigozhin died in a plane crash two months later. Close Deadly Russian attacks in Zaporizhzhia intensify On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says he will not present a bad deal to end the war for a referendum, and that his country will only hold elections once firm security guarantees and a ceasefire are in place. Zelensky was speaking ahead of Friday's Munich Security Conference, where there is a chance he will meet US secretary of state Marco Rubio. Zelensky said Ukraine was ready for both presidential elections and a referendum on any peace agreement with Russia, but set clear conditions for when that could happen. The tactic we chose is for the Americans not to think that we want to continue the war, Zelensky told The Atlantic. Thats why we started supporting their proposals in any format that speeds things along. I dont think we should put a bad deal up for a referendum, he added. Zelensky expressed gratitude to Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey for a new and timely air defence package worth 500m on the eve of Friday's conference. The European leaders gathering in Germany are hoping for clarity around US president Donald Trumps inconsistent geopolitical policies and threats that have caused concern for transatlantic relations and the post-World War II international order. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A treaty that prevented the US and Russia from expanding their nuclear weapons arsenals expired on Thursday, dismantling a major guardrail against a renewed arms race between the rival powers. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, commonly known as New START, required the two countries to restrict their nuclear warheads to 1,550 and missiles and bombers capable of delivering them to 700. These included weapons deployed and ready for use. The US and Russia together hold nearly 85 per cent of the worlds strategic nuclear weapons and the expiration of the treaty, signed in 2010, threatens to launch the kind of unconstrained arms race that defined the Cold War. It may also prompt other nuclear and nuclear-adjacent nations to expand their arsenals at the very moment the world is engulfed in a series of escalating conflicts and trigger-point tensions. Efforts are underway to salvage the situation, with both the White House and the Kremlin hinting at some form of deal to observe the treaty even after its expiration. And even if nothing is agreed on paper, other forms of constraint mean a sudden and unfettered new nuclear arms race is considered unlikely. In a post on his Truth Social platform, US president Donald Trump said on Thursday: We should have our nuclear experts work on a new, improved, and modernised treaty that can last long into the future. This, he added, was preferable to extending New START, a badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow viewed the end of the nuclear pact negatively and regretted it, but was ready for a dialogue with Washington. The foreign ministry, meanwhile, said that Russia remains ready to take decisive military-technical measures to counter potential additional threats to national security", suggesting a readiness to bolster its nuclear arsenal if necessary. In spite of the treatys expiration, experts say, some smaller guardrails around arms control are still in place, even if there are no limits on total numbers of warheads now. Ankit Panda, author of The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon, said it was impossible to compare the current rate of nuclear material production with the situation during the Cold War. Just to put numbers on what we are talking about with industrial constraints, the United States does have non-deployed warheads in reserve about 1,900 or so. But in terms of the ability to competitively arms race, it is currently unable to produce what is going to be a target for 30 plutonium pits. The goal is to reach that by 2028, he said. At the height of the Cold War of the 1960s, the United States was producing around 2,000 plutonium pits. File. A woman walks past the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima on 30 May 2025. The US employed nuclear weapons against Japan towards the end of the Second World War ( AFP via Getty ) Panda said that unlike during the Cold War, there are now deals still in force to prevent an inadvertent nuclear war between the US and Russia. These include the 1988 agreement on ballistic missile launch notifications and the 1989 deal on the notification of strategic exercises. It's really important to recall that while we are entering, for the first time in five decades, a world where theres no quantitative caps on the size of the forces or on plans for reductions, the US and Russia are not going back to zero, he said. In 2017, Mikhail Gorbachev warned that the world could be headed for a new Cold War as tensions between Russia and the West rose. The former Soviet Union leader accused the US and its partners of moving away from peace agreements on nuclear weapons and other central issues. Matt Korda, associate director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, said that such a scenario would be the worst case. He argued, however, that neither Mr Trump nor his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could afford nuclear expansion, pointing to the overtaxed nuclear enterprises of the US. I don't think it's really a surprise that Putin proposed this sort of one-year maintenance deal to maintain the New START central limits. It's not in Russia's interest to dramatically accelerate this ongoing arms race while its current modernisation programmes are going so poorly and while its industrial capacity is tied up in Ukraine, he said. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice High-stakes talks are set to commence in Oman on Friday between Iran and the United States, marking the latest diplomatic effort concerning Tehran's nuclear ambitions. These discussions unfold against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, following a 12-day conflict launched by Israel against Iran in June and a subsequent brutal crackdown on widespread protests across the Islamic Republic. President Donald Trump has maintained significant pressure on Iran, deploying aircraft carriers and other military assets to the Gulf. He has also suggested potential US military action in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators or if Tehran were to carry out mass executions following the protests. Mr Trump has also brought Iran's nuclear programme back into sharp focus, particularly after the June conflict disrupted five rounds of talks held in Rome and Muscat last year. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Oman on Thursday evening for the discussions with the United States, as confirmed by his spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei. Writing on social platform X, Mr Baghaei stated that despite previous breakdowns in talks between Tehran and Washington and the military action last June, Iranian officials remain hopeful of achieving an "honourable" agreement on the nuclear issue. "At the same time, we have a responsibility not to miss any opportunity to utilize diplomacy in order to secure the interests of the Iranian nation and safeguard peace and tranquillity in the region," Baghaei affirmed. open image in gallery Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gives a statement at the Ritz Hotel as he meets Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, on January 30, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey ( Getty Images ) As Fridays meeting approached, questions lingered regarding the scope of the agenda. While negotiations are primarily expected to address Iran's nuclear programme, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated this week that Washington hoped to discuss broader concerns. These include Irans ballistic missiles, its support for proxy networks across the region, and the "treatment of their own people." Iran, however, has insisted that talks should focus exclusively on the nuclear issue. The current diplomatic push was initially spearheaded by President Trump, who last year dispatched a letter to Irans 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei has previously warned that Iran would retaliate against any attack, a threat made as the theocracy he commands grapples with the aftermath of recent protests. President Trump sent his letter to Khamenei on 5 March 2025, subsequently acknowledging it in a television interview the following day. He stated: "Ive written them a letter saying, I hope youre going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, its going to be a terrible thing." Since returning to the White House, the president has advocated for talks while simultaneously escalating sanctions and hinting at potential military strikes by Israel or the US against Iranian nuclear sites. A previous letter from Mr Trump during his first term had elicited an angry response from the supreme leader. However, Mr Trumps correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his initial term did lead to face-to-face meetings, though these did not result in agreements to curb Pyongyangs atomic bombs or its missile programme capable of reaching the continental US. open image in gallery Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, shakes hands with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi during their meeting prior to Iran and the U.S. negotiations, in Muscat, Oman ( Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP ) Oman, a sultanate situated on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has historically played a mediating role in discussions between Mr Araghchi and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. The two officials have met directly following indirect talks, a rare occurrence given the decades of strained relations between the two nations. However, these efforts have not been without friction. Mr Witkoff once suggested in a television appearance that 3.67 per cent enrichment for Iran could be a point of agreement. This figure precisely matches the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, from which President Trump unilaterally withdrew the US. Since then, Mr Witkoff, Mr Trump, and other American officials have maintained that Iran should have no enrichment under any new deal, a condition Tehran steadfastly rejects. These earlier negotiations ultimately collapsed following Israel's war on Iran in June. The 12-day conflict launched by Israel in June included US bombing raids on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran later confirmed in November that these attacks had led to a halt in all uranium enrichment within the country, although inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been unable to access the bombed sites. Soon after, Iran was gripped by protests that began in late December over the collapse of its currency, the rial. These demonstrations quickly spread nationwide, prompting Tehran to launch a bloody crackdown that resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of detentions. open image in gallery White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff speaks at an event in the Oval Office ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Irans nuclear programme remains a significant concern for Western powers. While Tehran has consistently asserted its programme is peaceful, Iranian officials have increasingly threatened to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran currently enriches uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels of 60 per cent, a purity achieved by no other nation without a nuclear weapons programme. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was permitted to enrich uranium up to 3.67 per cent purity and maintain a stockpile of 300 kilograms. The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency indicates Irans stockpile now stands at approximately 9,870 kilograms, with a portion enriched to 60 per cent. US intelligence agencies assess that Iran has not yet initiated a weapons programme but has "undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so." Israel, a close American ally, is convinced Iran is seeking a weapon and advocates for the complete dismantling of its nuclear programme, alongside a cessation of its ballistic missile development and support for anti-Israel militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Relations between Iran and the US have been fraught for decades. Iran was once a key US ally in the Middle East under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who purchased American military hardware and allowed CIA technicians to operate listening posts monitoring the Soviet Union. A 1953 CIA-backed coup solidified the Shahs rule. However, in January 1979, the Shah, terminally ill, fled Iran amidst escalating mass demonstrations. open image in gallery Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump ( KHAMENEI.IR/AFP/AFP via Getty ) The Islamic Revolution followed, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, establishing Irans current theocratic government. Later that year, university students seized the US Embassy in Tehran, demanding the Shahs extradition and triggering the 444-day hostage crisis that severed diplomatic ties. The 1980s Iran-Iraq war saw the US support Saddam Hussein. During the "Tanker War" phase of that conflict, the US launched a one-day assault that severely damaged Irans naval capabilities, and later shot down an Iranian commercial airliner, which the US military claimed to have mistaken for a warplane. Iran and the US have since navigated a complex path between animosity and reluctant diplomacy, with relations reaching a peak with the 2015 nuclear deal. However, President Trumps unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 reignited tensions in the Middle East that persist to this day. On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Iran and the United States held high-stakes talks in Oman against the backdrop of a threat of U.S. military action should the two sides fail to reach a deal on Tehrans nuclear programme. Tehran sent foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to Muscat on Friday to discuss terms of a potential deal with a U.S. delegation, after Washington rushed warships to the region to pressure the regime into talks. Donald Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, received Araghchis preliminary plan to address the tensions via Omani mediators, though the subjects of discussion remained unclear. Both sides appeared to be far apart in their positions in the days leading up to the talks, with Tehran also demanding a change in location. Washington pushed to expand talks to cover Irans stockpile of ballistic missiles, support for armed groups and the treatment of their own people. Iran insisted it was only open to discussing its nuclear programme. "Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year, said Araghchi on Friday, ahead of talks. We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights. Commitments need to be honoured. Tehrans foreign ministry said late in the afternoon that talks had concluded for now. It was unclear if or when they might restart. open image in gallery Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff with Omans foreign minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi on Friday ( Omani Foreign Ministry/AFP via Getty ) The U.S. has sought to get diplomacy back on track after discussions last year were upended by Israel striking Iran, followed by the U.S. bombing of key nuclear facilities. Relations were further strained in January as Trump threatened the regime with action over its brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. Iranian current and former officials said earlier this week that the countrys leadership fears that U.S. strikes could push protesters back onto the streets and break the regimes grip on power. Speaking on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned Iran that the U.S. still retained the option of force if discussions break down. While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world, she said. In a show of defiance, Irans state TV said hours before the talks that one of the countrys most advanced long-range ballistic missiles, the Khorramshahr-4, had been deployed at one of the Revolutionary Guards vast underground missile cities. open image in gallery The US moved the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region amid heightened tensions with Iran ( US Navy ) Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated this week that Tehran was open to reining in uranium enrichment a condition the U.S. demands and that the regime has publicly defended as its right. The U.S. accuses Tehran of using its nuclear programme to develop the capability to produce weapons, something Iran has long denied. Lawyers in Iran were still fearful that the regime was waiting to see the outcome of talks before deciding whether to execute citizens arrested over the unrest last month. Several legal experts told Indy Persian, ahead of talks, that the country has seen a sharp increase in raids on the homes of protesters in recent weeks, with a dramatic rise in demand for the death penalty. My assessment is that they are waiting to see how things settle with Trump, and if the risk of a military strike subsides, they will execute thousands. Even in recent weeks, however, we have received reports of the secret execution of several detainees, said one defence lawyer in the northern Mazandaran province. The U.S. and Iran previously held talks towards reaching a nuclear peace agreement last April. The enrichment of uranium became a recurring issue as the U.S. said they had to give it up, and Iran said it was their right to pursue. Two days before talks were due to resume, Israel carried out strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, commanders and nuclear sites. The U.S. later joined in, bombing key nuclear facilities deep underground. U.S. intelligence concluded at the time they had likely only set Irans work back by a matter of months. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Get Simon Calders Travel email Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Choosing to book a holiday home over a hotel has its perks. More independence and privacy means that holidaymakers can fully settle down and relax. Yet stories of travellers discovering hidden cameras in their short-term rentals have raised concerns about safety and security. In May last year, a doctor was jailed over voyeurism offences after recording more than 24 people over the course of three years at his holiday home in Glasgow. One victim became suspicious of two air fresheners facing the toilet and shower and discovered small surveillance devices. A third camera was later found inside a smoke alarm. Similarly, a couple on holiday in Puerto Rico last June found spy cameras hidden throughout their Airbnb which had recorded video and sound of them having sex, plus footage of their two children in the bathroom. Scrolling back through the footage, the guests found videos of the hosts setting up and installing one of the cameras. Airbnb states it does not have any tolerance for hidden cameras and will ban hosts from the website if they are caught secretly filming their guests. The rental platform introduced rules in April 2024 which state that it does not allow hosts to have security cameras or recording devices that monitor indoor spaces in homes, even if these devices are turned off. Hidden cameras have always been prohibited and will continue to be prohibited, its guidance states. Other platforms, such as Vrbo, have similar policies, which rule that surveillance devices should not be used inside a property. While stories such as the above are incredibly rare, they can be alarming for travellers. Luckily, there are quick checks that can be done to provide peace of mind. Jack Charman is the managing director of National Private Investigators, a UK-based team of private detectives that also provides bug sweeping services, detecting covert camera installations alongside other devices. He says he has seen the rise of everyday items, such as Apple AirTags and cameras, be weaponised to invade privacy. Mr Charman and his company regularly conduct sweeps at hotels and rentals for high-profile clients. He shared his tips with The Independent as a guide for everyday holidaymakers. Do your research Before a search, it's important to know exactly what it is youre looking for. Mr Charman says: These devices [such as covert cameras] are available to buy very cheaply, with next-day delivery from Amazon and from online spy shops. Scroll through the types of devices that are available, such as cameras hidden in alarm clocks. Then, if you go into an Airbnb and recognise that alarm clock, you can look into it closer. It may have slots underneath it where a Sim card or an SD card can go. Ninety-nine per cent of the devices that are found are commercially available to everyone. Use your phone torch The torch on a phone is a useful tool for discovering hidden technology. If a device is hidden in the property and is illuminated by the torch, its lens could flare in the light, revealing its location. Mr Charman also suggested looking for pinpoint holes that look out of place on everyday objects, where a camera could be recording through. But buying radio frequency (RF) detectors, usually used to identify transmitting electronics, is often a waste of time, says Mr Charman. RF detectors that you can buy online are just nonsense, because there's RF in the environment everywhere. So many people come to me and say theyve bought this RF detector, but theres intermittent RF in the environment. If youve got wifi in the house, you probably wear a smartwatch, and thats giving off RF, he says. Look for anything out of the ordinary Mr Charman also says that if you are worried about hidden cameras, make sure you check the right places, instead of wasting time sweeping the entire property. There's no point in putting a camera under the stairs, for instance, because it's not going to see anything. A camera is likely going to be positioned up high with a view of the whole room, or if you were to go into a living room area, for example, somewhere around the TV is an ideal place to put a camera, because it's pointing back at the rest of the room. Some devices can also be hidden in a bookshelf quite easily, because there's lots going on there. He also advised checking wifi and Bluetooth connections. Open your phone settings and review nearby connections. Check for names like IP camera, _cam or anything that looks suspicious. It might sound really simple, but youd be surprised, he said. Looking for things which are just a little bit out of place, it could just be that alarm clock in the corner. It might not be positioned centrally. It might be off-centre and pointed at the bath in the corner of the room. Little things like that. What to do if you find a camera The first thing you should do is to start documenting it, Mr Charman said. Get your phone out and video the device in situ. Then report it to the police, as well as the platform or company you booked your holiday let through. If the police can't come out and you have the funds, think about ringing a private company which can assess the situation properly, he added. Read more: A married couple enjoyed an intimate moment at their Airbnb. Then they discovered a hidden camera above the bed Too many hollow exclamations of care... On that, at least, we can all agree. With his press-conference apology for having appointed liar Peter Mandelson as the ambassador to the US, Keir Starmer has joined a long line of powerful men who put other considerations before the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelsons lies and appointed him. Im sorry that even now, youre forced to watch this story unfold in public once again, he said. Note the wriggle-out having believed Mandelsons lies. And this from the former director of public prosecutions: Starmers career before politics was spent unearthing lies. In Mandelsons case, however, the PM ignored the truth hovering in plain sight, and removed an exceptional female ambassador, Karen Pierce, for no obvious reason other than to reward one of his own. Starmers defence of his part in the Epstein/Mandelson affair was a weak mix of claimed ignorance and realpolitik: that the public benefit to the UK from a strong relationship with the US president trumped Mandelsons past, Epsteins crimes, and the rights of Epsteins victims. Except none of it stacks up: there was a great ambassador in place, and Maga leaders had openly repudiated Mandelson. He was a major risk. He was hired by an influential cabal of male power inside No 10 and, amid talk of whether Starmer must now resign, they are all still there. The world operates on hundreds of these male circles of influence. This is where the real balance of power lies. The emails released by the Department of Justice (DoJ) demonstrate powerful men clubbing together to protect their own. They frequently behave with breathtaking misogyny, hiding their sneering behind a veneer of public propriety, as they pursue more influence, power, and money. In July 2024, fully six months before Mandelson was made ambassador, a Florida judge, Luis Delgado, released all 150 pages of the graphic transcripts of Epsteins grand jury trial in 2006, which saw him sentenced to 13 months in prison. Those transcripts reveal how girls were taken as many as three times a day to Epsteins mansion, where he would offer them extra money during the massages to use a vibrator on them while he masturbated. Nearly 30 young girls gave evidence to the police and FBI of being raped and abused by Epstein in his Palm Beach mansion during the early 2000s. The majority were underage. In one deposition, a victim recalled how her head was held against the table forcibly as he continued to pump inside her. The details in the record will be outrageous to decent people, Delgado stated. The testimony taken by the grand jury concerns activity ranging from grossly unacceptable to rape all of the conduct at issue is sexually deviant, disgusting, and criminal. Did Starmers battle-hardened chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, read the victims publicly available depositions before the decision was made on Mandelson? Did he, hell. It would have been the easiest of research jobs for the civil servants preparing the report on whether Mandelson was a suitable choice for ambassador. It took me a few moments of googling Florida newspapers and revisiting the Miami Heralds exceptional 2018 investigations into Epstein to find myself sunk in the hideous details. We can all accept that our prime minister would not have known the exact nature of the emails that crossed between the two. But everyone certainly knew the depths of the American financiers depravity. In 2023, the Financial Times detailed how Mandelsons friendship with Epstein had endured long after the latters 2008 conviction. Looking through Epsteins correspondence released by the DoJ, the misogyny the hatred of women is clear. A particularly grim exchange shows Mandelson and Epstein talking about how Epstein would celebrate his release from prison. Epstein replied to Mandelsons question, How is freedom feeling?, with: She feels fresh, firm and creamy. Mandelson responded: Naughty Boy. Remember Starmers election promise to eradicate violence against women within 10 years? Guess thats on hold. Breaking open cabals of male power infiltrating them to the extent that such behaviour is no longer common or tolerated is the only real solution to stopping the endless tide of sexual abuse. And, at root, this means more financial heft for women. Right now, just eight CEOs on the FTSE 100 are women. Let me put it another way: how many women do you know who parade on their superyachts with young men in tiny briefs catering to their every whim? Who have been the strong voices in the Epstein case? Women that is, the victims, and the women who have rallied to help the victims. Melinda Gates, one of the worlds richest women, this week refused to let her former husband Bill Gates off the hook, saying: The Epstein files made me so happy to be away from that muck. Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and a wealthy female powerhouse in her own right, also stood firm against Epstein. She recalls a publicist trying to get her to attend a dinner at Epsteins house after his 2008 conviction, to which she responded: What the hell is this the Predators Ball? Back in 2020, I watched a friend on stage with Mandelson. It was witty and informative, and oh so cosy as they paid each other compliments. I messaged Well done later that day, to which the friend effusively replied. Then, I sent them a picture of Mandelson with Epstein. Silence. Perhaps at base, men simply cannot imagine being a woman, cannot imagine being raped, and so the victims do not stay long in their minds. Nor have they experienced the tidal wave of unwanted male filth that comes at women from our early teens. What the Epstein horror has taught us is that we need more women to have not just a voice that cuts through in the public sphere, but also the sort of financial power that affords protection. Not every man is a sex pest or a paedophile but too many will excuse those who are too easily. Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673) It was supposed to be the end of an era, and the Cold War era at that. On Thursday 5 February, the last remaining arms control treaty between the United States and Russia expired. But at the very moment that New Start as nuclear weapons controls go, how perverse does that name sound? came to an end, prompting rising fears that the world was about to enter a new arms race, the US let it be known that it was, in fact, talking to Moscow about rolling over the treaty, which sets maximum numbers for long-range nuclear missiles and warheads, for an as-yet-unspecified period. Maybe just maybe another New Start is on the horizon. A new New Start, if you will. There is an argument to be made that the entire nuclear arms control process was a Cold War and post-Cold War phenomenon that has limited, or no, relevance today. That view might be supported by the general lack of alarm around the world as the New Start expiry date neared. After all, all of the other nuclear arms treaties had been abrogated or expired, including most pertinent for Europe the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty of 1987. So what difference would the demise of the last such treaty, a 10-year agreement signed in 2010 by the then US president Barack Obama and Russias Dmitry Medvedev, really make other than perhaps saving both sides the considerable financial costs of a nuclear weapons free-for-all? Many of the old constraints have simply become irrelevant with the development of whole new classes of weapons, including Russias much-vaunted hypersonic missiles, and the sophistication of satellite surveillance. Everyone can now see what everyone else is doing, in far greater detail and with far higher accuracy than before. Are actual treaties needed to police that? The context has also changed. The Yalta principles that had governed the Cold War peace in Europe were rendered void by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, although the designation of Russia as the Soviet Unions successor state allowed the arms control treaties to continue for a while. The breakup of Yugoslavia saw Nato and Russia ranged on either side, a process intensified by the enlargement of Nato to include the Baltic states and most of the former Warsaw Pact countries, which also upset some of the missile-counting arithmetic. Perhaps the biggest change in the context, however, has been the rise of China and the exponential growth of its military power, including its nuclear capabilities. Every now and again, a US official suggests that if there is to be any return to nuclear arms control, it makes no sense not to include China. How much enthusiasm for this there might be in Beijing, however or, indeed, in Russia, which still sees itself as the single superpower counterpart to the United States is hard to judge. And what of those countries, such as India and Pakistan, that are relative newcomers to the nuclear club but not part of any arms control arrangements? Their example might even suggest that nuclear capability may act as a constraint in itself, as both sides recognise the risk of what, all those years ago, was termed mutually assured destruction, or MAD for short. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, in August 2025 ( AP ) However, US engagement in last-minute talks broaching an extension of New Start surely Donald Trumps decision suggests that even this ultra-realist sees something in what remains of the nuclear arms control process that could be worth saving, at least for now. First, and perhaps the chief short-term consideration, is the message that it sends to Moscow. The US is not rebuffing a Russian proposal out of hand: it wants to keep relations on an even keel. There is little diplomatic or any other cost to the US in agreeing to talk and keep the treaty in force for that time. If it helps to make Russia feel safer within its own borders, so much the better. Second, weapons control has helped sides to formalise channels of communication since the height of the Cold War. When there was no common ground on anything else, talks about nuclear arms have provided the pretext to talk. It was where the relationship between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev began, with the signing of the INF treaty in Washington, and it was the official subject for what became the controversial Helsinki meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin in Trumps first term, as the so-called Russiagate allegations swirled in the background. Arms control, and security arrangements more generally, have been back in the frame of US-Russia talks since the start of Trumps second term. Arms control is the old standby when relations are fraught. A third consideration is more nebulous, but may be pertinent. The start of the Ukraine war heard some very loose talk on both sides, as well as from Europeans and others about the possible use of nuclear weapons, with an actual weapons strike being bandied about in some quarters as nothing to fear. Of course, what seemed like a shockingly cavalier attitude to nuclear weapons may reflect nothing more than the fading of memory about the reality of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the terror spread by the Cuban missile crisis, and the mass peace movements these fears spawned. For those who remember such days, however and they would include 79-year-old Trump the last vestige of nuclear arms control could seem just a little too precious to be jettisoned before more thought has been given to what might follow. As Kenny Jacobs steps down with 1m, the DAA will find CEO job a tough sell Airport operator is also looking for a new chairman after months of intrigue Kenny Jacobs was suspended in December. Photo: Collins Courts John Mulligan Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 06:30 The taxpayer has just footed what is likely to be a bill of more than 1m for a deal in which DAA chief executive Kenny Jacobs will step down after months of boardroom and legal drama. Home economics: We want to stay out of Fair Deal. Can I use my tax relief and my fathers savings to pay for his nursing home? The Crown Plaza hotel is one of the group's 24 hotels. Photo: Getty The operation of state contracts to accommodate refugees helped pre-tax profits at the Tifco group of hotels increase by 4pc to 22.6m in 2024. New accounts show that pre-tax profits increased at Tifco Ltd as revenues decreased by 28pc from 49.31m to 35.56m in 2024. On March 15, 2024, the group sold the Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown to immediate parent firm, Bohrmount Ltd, which the directors said reflects the decrease in revenues at Tifco. The company recorded a gain of 9.16m from the disposal of tangible fixed assets in 2024, which boosted profits under other operating income and this followed a gain of 5m under the same heading in 2023. The firm recorded disposals of 42.52m in its tangible assets during 2024. Underling the contribution of state refugee accommodation contracts to the Tifco business, figures published by the Department of Integration show that in the year under review, Tifco Ltd received 21.2m including Vat. Department of Integration figures show that for the first three quarters of last year, Tifco Ltd received a further 16.57m, including Vat, for accommodating international protection applicants. Tifco is one of Irelands largest hotel operators, with almost 3,000 bedrooms located throughout the country, almost 2,000 of which are in Dublin. The 24-strong hotel group offers a combination of international hotel brands, with the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Dublin airport, the Hilton Hotel in Dublin Kilmainham, the Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport and a collection of non-branded hotels. Its directors said hotels in the group are still engaged with state contracts relating to direct provision for refugees which contributed to the results for the year. They said they consider the year-end financial position of the company to be satisfactory. The 22.6m pre-tax profit for 2024 takes into account non-cash depreciation charge of 2.25m. A note attached to the accounts states that the group recorded post-tax profits of 20.58m and strong operating cash was generated. The group incurred a corporation tax charge of 2m. Numbers directly employed reduced from 254 to 145 as employment costs decreased from 11.98m to 7.87m. Shareholder funds at the end of 2024 totalled 184.58m that included accumulated profits of 91m. Adrian Weckler: Europes ruling on TikTok is a far more powerful way to protect kids than any social media ban The European Commissions preliminary ruling against TikTok will send shivers down the spines of Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and every other social media boss Adrian Weckler Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 14:01 Forget the under-16 bans the European Commissions finding that TikTok must change its app or leave the market is a far more powerful way to really tackle the dangers of social media for kids. Gemini, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the US billionaire Winklevoss twins, says it is pulling out of Europe and other non-US markets as it announced significant layoffs yesterday. It comes just over a year after Gemini moved its EU headquarters from Ireland to Malta. At the time it was described as a blow to confidence in Irelands position as an EU location for financial blockchain and cryptocurrency firms. A voluntary homeless action group has described the challenges of keeping homeless people safe through severe weather. Dublin Homeless Awareness, a youth organisation which supports homeless people and liaises with services, has met each evening this week to patrol in the city and beyond as a torrent of rainfall hit the country. All weather warnings issued by Met Eireann end at midday today, however, flood threats are currently peaking, along with travel disruptions. Founder and director of the group, Brandon OConnor, has said a major priority has been looking out for people with underlying health conditions. He said: Because of the rain, people would be soaked and obviously, with health conditions, thats an issue. We have a man we check in on with lung disease, so be worried about him, with pneumonia kicking in. Last night, the group headed out first to Malahide and Portmarnock to move people away from beaches and into emergency accommodation. They then travelled into Dublin city to offer more assistance. Many of the people they support are unaware of the advice issued by Met Eireann this week. "A lot of homeless people don't know about storms because they have no phones. Its up to us tell them that there's a weather warning. The group say there can be a myriad of challenges when it comes to securing emergency beds. Flooding at Grange Park in South Dublin during Storm Chandra. Photo: Mark Condren "It can be difficult to get people into accommodation that are not registered in Dublin." To register as homeless in an area, you are required to contact your local council for a homeless assessment. If they're registered in Cavan or different counties, and they can't avail of emergency accommodation in Dublin. Thats a huge barrier for us, because that person who wants to go in can't. And, unfortunately, there are refugees as well who can't access emergency beds. "They have to go through the refugee services. And it's not more difficult to contact those services after 7pm. Also, for people who are on the beaches, they have no way of getting to the emergency accommodation, because it could be in Lucan. In that case, they might have to get from Portmarnock to Lucan and if they have a lot of stuff with them, its difficult. Extra beds in emergency accommodation have been opened this week, as would usually be the case during weather warnings or extreme temperatures. Mr OConnor said you are not required to be registered as homeless to access these spots. "They fill up fast. We usually make sure the person will avail of the space or even walk them to the place. Because if they dont show up, its wasting a space for those with medical needs. Ber Grogan, Executive Director of Simon Communities of Ireland, has also highlighted the importance of encouraging homeless people to seek emergency beds in such conditions. "With flooding expected, Simon Communities of Ireland is asking people to be safe. "Please encourage anyone sleeping rough to contact their Local Authority to access a warm and dry place to sleep. "The homeless cold weather initiatives are in place until the end of March 2026. Everyone deserves an appropriate, accessible and safe place to live. Please look out for one another. A 45-year-old criminal who has spent more than half his life in prison has been jailed for a further six and a half years for hijacking a car while the owner was cleaning it. More than 33m in money belonging to dead or missing patients has yet to be claimed from HSE, accounts show Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers speaks at the launch of the Accelerating Infrastructure action plan. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers has accepted the delivery of flood defences has been too slow, after it emerged that millions of euros earmarked for a new flood warning system went unspent. The Public Accounts Committee was told nearly 14m was allocated for a national flood warning system, however, the money was returned to the Exchequer. Mr Chambers told RTE Radio 1s Morning Ireland the extent of the allocation wasnt what was budgeted for. Stage one of the flood warning service project has been completed, delivering Met Eireanns Flood Forecasting Centre. Stage two of the project will see flood warnings provided at a local and regional level. Mr Chambers said the development of the flood warning service will take a series of years. Members of the Slaney Seach and Recue team assist Adam Gray and Ricky Morrissey in Enniscorthy town centre after the River Slaney burst its banks following heavy rain from Storm Chandra. Photo: Gerry Mooney Flood relief schemes for affected areas are the sustainable and permanent solution, Mr Chambers said, and he acknowledged the delivery of flood defences has been too slow. This comes back to wider infrastructure in the economy. We're seeing the risk of judicial reviews is a major issue. I think that paralysis that feeds from the culture of judicial reviews that's been taken in recent years is impacting the progression of certain flood relief schemes. Secondly, they are complex environmental and engineering projects which take time in terms of the design phase of them. Work is ongoing to replace out-of-date legislation around the decision-making process for flood relief schemes, Mr Chambers said. We're looking to move that to An Coimisiun Pleanala with a statutory timeline, which should accelerate delivery of certain flood relief schemes. But also, we've sought to prioritise these schemes through the National Development Plan. Only three or four years ago, there was about 50 million being spent per year on flood relief schemes. That's going to be 120 million this year and growing in future years. So, climate change is here. We have to build greater climate resilience in our infrastructure, including flood relief schemes. The Slaney Search and Rescue team assist a family in Enniscorthy town centre after the River Slaney burst its banks. Photo: Gerry Mooney Mr Chambers acknowledged the frustrations of the people of Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, where a flood relief scheme has been years in the making. The potential impact of a flood relief scheme in the town on the freshwater pearl mussel, an endangered species, was one consideration when permission was refused in 2022. I think when you stand back, and you see that particular scheme, one consideration was the pearl mussel at the time, Mr Chambers said. Essentially, that it didn't meet the threshold in terms of the environmental threshold for that, which I think many people would be shocked at. For me, there has to be a better balance around broader considerations in terms of public safety. On people objecting to flood relief schemes because of their visual impact, Mr Chambers said there needs to be greater public acceptance of infrastructure. I think people need to think twice about engaging in litigation where there is the level of risk in a particular local area. Members of the public have a right to object, Mr Chambers said, but the balance of rights isnt there in the Irish system right now. We need to rebalance rights in the context of bringing delivery, whether it's on flood relief schemes or broader infrastructure across the economy. New measures are set to be brought to Cabinet next week aimed at fast-tracking infrastructure projects, Mr Chambers added. Government urged not to make Ireland a link in a chain of suffering after private jet containing Palestinian deportees refuels twice at Shannon Airport The Department of Transport said private aircraft do not require prior authorisation to land in Irish airports An Israeli soldier stands guard in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Photo: Reuters Keith Kelly Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 15:29 Amnesty International Ireland has warned the government against becoming a link in a chain of suffering, fear, and systemic abuse after a private jet Palestinian-Americans being deported to the West Bank was allowed to refuel twice in Shannon Airport. A volunteer from My Lovely Horse Rescue comforts Anne the horse after she was found on the N4 with cuts 'into the bone' of her knees near Chapelizod, south Dublin. Picture: My Lovely Horse Rescue An animal welfare charity is urging Government to establish a Garda unit dedicated to investigating animal abuse after a pregnant horse was beaten by her owners on a Dublin road after collapsing from exhaustion. The disturbing incident took place on the N4 near Chapelizod on Monday afternoon when the horse, Anne, fell to the ground twice while pulling a sulky with two passengers. She skidded approximately 40m along the road, sustaining cuts into the bone before being whipped and kicked by the riders who then fled, leaving behind the sulky she had been pulling. Anne was later transported to UCD Veterinary Hospital where she collapsed again before being put to sleep due to the extent of her injuries, losing her fully formed foal too. Martina Kenny, co-founder of animal charity My Lovely Horse Rescue, described the horrendous scene she came upon. We have video of the skid marks, she said. Her knees were in a [shocking state] one of them especially was right into the bone." She continued: She had four shoes that were odd. One of them was so worn into her hoof. That would have been skidding along anyway, so she would have lost her footing one way or another. A nearby driver attempted to cut the strapping around Anne before a vet administered painkillers to stop her from writhing in agony. Ms Kenny said that videos of the incident shared with the charity and An Garda Siochana show two riders hopping off the sulky and beating her while she lay on the cold wet ground before they fled. "We have footage of them whipping and kicking her trying to get her up. They then decided Well, let's get something out of this, and they ran up the road with the the sulky trap and hid that in the bushes. Anne being comforted as she is euthanised as a result of her injuries. Picture: My Lovely Horse Rescue Witnesses report that, prior to her final fall, Anne had already collapsed once but was cruelly forced back to her feet as the sulky riders continued in the direction of Ballyfermot from Dollymount. Gardai confirmed that they have opened an enquiry into the incident. Gardai received a report of an incident involving a horse on the N4 Chapelizod Dublin 20, on Monday 2nd February, 2026 that occurred at approximately 4:20pm, a spokesperson said in a statement. Dublin City Council (DCC) also said it was aware of what happened, and that it treats every incident individually. "The Council have an excellent relationship with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and have worked closely with An Garda Siochana Traffic Policing on many occasions, a spokesperson said in a statement. Lacerations caused to Anne's hooves as a result of incorrectly-fitted shoes. Picture: My Lovely Horse Rescue Ms Kenny said these housing estate cowboys and cruel cowards are able to get away with their crimes due to lax animal welfare laws which she said are not taken seriously enough in Ireland. Some [urban owners] are great, and they love their horses, and they look after them really well, right down to everything perfect shoes, the perfect everything. "Then there's some that just don't care. She said that the Department of Agriculture need to step up to combat what she said is a rise of similarly blatant cases of animal cruelty. "The main thing is that we need a Garda animal crime unit. We've got other cases with dogs and other horses and you're trying to go to the right guards. "But sometimes in that certain station, you don't have the guards that even understand or want to do or know how to do it, God love them, because they're not taught that. Describing prosecutions as the only way to stop reckless use of horse sulkies and traps on Irish roads, Ms Kenny said it will take the death of a human for anything to be done about the practice. We have the trap that's held together with bits of wire. Its not even roadworthy. These are the things that are on our roads, galloping along with cars all around them. one slip. A volunteer from My Lovely Horse Rescue comforts Anne the horse after she was found on the N4 with cuts 'into the bone' of her knees near Chapelizod, south Dublin. Picture: My Lovely Horse Rescue Today's News in 90 seconds - Friday, February 6 She added: Two weeks ago something really bad with the scramblers that poor girl. Are we waiting for another thing to happen? I don't want to see another human die for this kind of thing again. Jen Cummins, Social Democrats TD for Dublin South-Central, said she is heartbroken at the display of utter cruelty. "If this incident doesnt make something happen, I dont really know what else will. She added: If you can treat an animal like that, what is happening to the humans around the people who did that? Ms Cummins said she will be speaking with My Lovely Horse Rescue in the near future to address gaps in current animal welfare enforcement. "Enough is enough. It shouldn't have to get to this. In response to a query about whether An Garda Siochana intends to establish a unit dedicated to combatting cruelty, a spokesperson for the force said it already works to protect animals through arrests and animal seizures under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, as well as dog and horse-specific laws. "Animal Health & Welfare Liaison Inspectors are nominated in Garda Divisions who have contact details of veterinary surgeons employed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and may be called upon to assist members of An Garda Siochana in their duties under this Act, a Garda statement read. A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said it strongly condemns animal neglect and abuse as unacceptable in our society. It added that use of sulkies and other horse-drawn vehicles are subject to provisions under the Roads and Traffic Acts which require users to behave in a safe manner paying due care to other road users and is regulated by the Department of Transport. My Lovely Horse Rescue will hold a vigil in memory of Anne outside Leinster House on Sunday. Ruth Medjbers life stories: I didnt know how to live properly. I only knew how to endure and endure In a year-long project, photographer Ruth Medjber is asking ordinary people to share their extraordinary tales. This week, she meets Palestinian/Jordanian asylum seeker Mo Arekat who had been sleeping on the streets in a tent until he was offered a place to stay and now works as a chef 'Dreaming was not forbidden, just complicated. You dont ask questions like "who am I?" You ask how do you keep going. I became very good at surviving, adopting, adjusting' - Mo Arekat. Photo: Ruth Medjber Ruth Medjber Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 06:30 I meet Mo Arekat in The Fumbally cafe in Dublin where he works as a chef and instantly recognise that he is a bit of a local celebrity. Everyone has a big hello and hugs for him as we wander through the busy cafe on his day off. Mo is well loved in his community and that feeling is truly reciprocated. Mary Regan: With unflinching government support for the Bord Bia chief, talks are only way forward for farmers Irish Farmers Associations options now are to keep protesting or to sit down for talks Oireachtas Committee - Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin's opening statement Mary Regan Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 06:30 There is nothing wrong, nothing underhand, nothing illegal and nothing in any way dark about it. The long shadow of the late Jeffrey Epstein, who died in a US prison in 2019, still stalks the world as files on his grievous wrongdoing are now retrospectively impacting careers and reputations across the globe. Many of the details are as flabbergasting as they are deeply distressing. The sordid Epstein saga affects the once great and good of US public life, sport and business, and many other places in the world. The US Justice Department has put an Epstein Library online with three million pages searchable for all people aged over 18. These give insights into Jeffrey Epsteins relationship with many powerful friends, and raises questions about what these associates knew about him. On Monday, Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the United States, resigned his seat in the UK House of Lords as the London police announced an investigation into his relationship with Epstein. Mr Mandelson is remembered on this island as a Northern Ireland minister and later EU trade commissioner. The man now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and formerly Britains Prince Andrew, has left his stately royal home, with his exit was apparently hastened by latest revelations. Many of the young girls who fell into the Epstein net came from poor backgrounds These two vignettes tell us something of this almost endless sprawling, sordid, scandal which can be difficult to understand. Yet we do readily understand that Epstein had many powerful friends, and he used their good offices, just as they in turn used his. The compelling details carry a temptation in some cases to indulge in voyeurism. But this must not be allowed to obscure the salient overall point. What we see here is rich males shamelessly exploitative attitude towards women, which in turn reveals sexism and class distinction rife among a global mens elite. Thus we learn how some people in elite society, in the US and elsewhere, disparagingly viewed women. There is also an element of social class distinction revealed in these notorious files. We now know that many of the young girls who fell into the Epstein net came from poor backgrounds and many were already hurt by family fractures. Some of these young women had been abused near or in their own home environments. Yet in Epsteins world they were viewed as mere objects to be sexually used, or otherwise reduced to sources of diversion. In many cases it is hard not to concluded that these unfortunate women were viewed as disposable people. While we already know a lot about what went on in that dangerous and disgraceful netherworld, we may never know the full extent of it all. Yet decent people across the world must cling to the hope that some good can come from all this. It may be too much to hope that the once-apparent great and good would reform and shun such behaviour in future. But it is realistic to hope that the prospect of disclosures in more detail at a future date may prompt many to behave better for fear of being caught. Sit-in continues after chairman tells Oireachtas he has never been conflicted A Cork man who is part of a group of 10 carrying out a sit-in protest at Bord Bias offices in Dublin since Tuesday has repeated calls for the resignation of its chairman, Larry Murrin. Yesterday, Mr Murrin told the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee that he has never been conflicted in his role as chair of the organisation. The Bord Bia chair, who is also CEO of Dawn Farms, appeared before the committee after controversy erupted in recent weeks when it emerged that the company had previously sourced beef from Brazil. North Cork IFA Livestock chairman Kevin OFlynn is one of 10 men remaining from an initial group of 30 who occupied Bord Bias offices earlier this week. The group is calling for the resignation of Mr Murrin, describing his current position at the national food promotion body as a total conflict of interest following the revelations. I suppose really it's a level playing pitch, said Mr OFlynn, responding to a question from Patricia Messenger on the C103 Cork Today programme about why the group were carrying out the protest. Irish farmers are producing high-quality food, being inspected by An Bord Bia on an 18-month basis, said Kildorrery farmer OFlynn, who was speaking directly from the reception at An Bord Bias offices. Larry Murrin, chief executive of Dawn Farms and Bord Bia Chair. Photo: Douglas O'Connor Inspectors come out (and) inspect our places to make sure we are up to the Bord Bia Quality Assurance. Yeah, and Mr Larry Murrin, who is over Bord Bia, and he's bringing Brazilian beef. So, theres a total conflict of interest here. In a statement released on Tuesday, Bord Bia condemned the protest, describing the IFA action as unacceptable and very intimidating for staff. We take (think) thats totally out of hand, said Mr OFlynn, who revealed that protesters are currently sleeping on the floor of the offices. They've never been more courteous to us, and they continue to do their work. By the way, Bord Bia (is an) outstanding company in marketing Irish (produce), and the people here have been most pleasant. They are not part of this at all. It's the board, its the direction that Larry Murrin is at the top of an organisation that's promoting Irish beef, eggs, food in general. (The) Bord Bia sign is a quality sign, and we don't want that to be tarnished in any way, in any way with Brazilian Wherever the food is produced, if it is imported into Ireland, it has to be the same quality standards. Were stepping up to the plate in what the consumer wants, and we are being side-shafted then by the Brazilian meat coming in The Irish government here rejected the Mercosur deal, on the grounds that the consumer wouldn't be properly protected with other (meat) coming in. And yet, the head of Bord Bia is able to import meat in his own company? On the programme, Mr OFlynn said that a suggestion for farmers to deny Bord Bia inspectors access to their land would be pushing the nuclear button, but added that the chairs position is no longer tenable following the revelations. We have to have a brand for sending our produce, and theyve done a fantastic job in marketing Irish food in general. We have a premium price on our product, right? And we don't want to tarnish it in any way, and it's a conflict of interest with the CEO of Bord Bia in what he's doing, and we just want him to resign, said the farmer. He added that the group is very disappointed with Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon for supporting Mr Murrin a position reiterated during the Oireachtas appearance. In one way, to give him support in what hes doing, and yet they voted no to Mercosur. You cant have it two ways. Minister Martin Heydon has expressed confidence in Larry Murrin (Brian Lawless/PA) You either accept Bord Bia for the Irish agricultureyou just cant have it two ways. They just need to say, Move on, Larry, and well put in another Chairman, and there is no other problem there. Were stepping up to the plate in what the consumer wants, and we are being side-shafted then by the Brazilian meat coming in. Mr OFlynn said farmers protesting at the offices are doing so with steely determination, and that the group includes members from all four provinces. Look at Big Brother, or Im A Celebrity, he said when asked about the protest. I really mean it now, there is a steely determination in the farmers that are here, he said, adding that protesters are sleeping on the floor of the offices and have negotiated for food deliveries three times a day. I rear calves, and my wife is there (at home). My wife and neighbours, and fellow members of IFA, are giving me a handout, as are a lot of people who are here. You just can't stop the show and walk away. We've a child doing her Leaving Cert, and she needs to go to school, and life has to go on. People are excellent, because they know what's at stake here. Locals in North Cork are hoping that the planning appeal board will heed their objections and overturn the planning permission granted by Cork County Council for a biomethane plant near Mitchelstown. Last year Nephin Renewable Gas Corracunna Limited applied to build an anaerobic digestion facility to produce biomethane and bio-based fertilizer on a 5.6-hectare site in the townland of Corracunna, around 2 km from Mitchelstown. In November the local authority granted the application subject to 54 conditions. The facility alongside the N73 Mitchelstown-Mallow road would include three 15m-tall digesters as well as storage tanks and a number of buildings. The applicant said it would take in up to 90,000 tonnes per year of manure, slurry, whole crop and other organic matter and use it to produce renewable biomethane that would go into the national gas network as well as bio-based fertilizer. The company said the plant would contribute to national renewable energy targets, help reduce agricultures greenhouse gas emissions, and directly and indirectly support around 75 local jobs. The plant was given the green light despite a number of objections from locals who cited concerns such as visual impact, noise and odours, pollution risks, and increased traffic. Locals have appealed the approval to An Coimisiun Pleanala (ACP), with the submission phase for observations now closed and a decision from the appeals board due in May. Juliette Joyce of the Mitchelstown Biogas Concern Group told the Irish Independent that we trust that ACP will review both the appeal and observations on file and consider the valid concerns of the community about this proposal. We are exceptionally grateful to all of the people and organisations that have supported our appeal. We were blown away with the support we received and the expertise available in our community. The group believes that the plant would be too close to residential dwellings and point out that Ireland has no specific planning regulations to govern how far anaerobic digesters should be from residential homes, unlike other European countries where the mandatory buffer zone ranges from 250 to 1,000 metres. In the case of the proposed Corracunna plant, seven homes are within 250m, with the closest 38m from the site boundary. Additionally, the group is worried about the impact of tankers going to and from the facility on what they say are substandard local roads that lead to Corracunna Cross, an accident blackspot where several people have lost their lives or been seriously injured. During the statutory report phase of the application process, Transport Infrastructure Ireland wrote to Cork County Council saying that insufficient data has been submitted with the planning application to demonstrate that the proposed development will not have a detrimental impact on the capacity, safety or operational efficiency of the national road network in the vicinity of the site. Objectors are also concerned about plans to discharge tonnes of clean, processed water from the anaerobic digestion process into the River Funshion, which is a tributary of the Blackwater. Fewer than ten biogas plants are currently active in Ireland with planning guidelines due early this year. The government has plans to support the delivery of up to 5.7 Terawatt-hours of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. An ambitious plan to increase bus services in Cork by almost half, with new routes and more buses on existing ones, cant go ahead until primary legislation is passed, the National Transport Authority (NTA) has confirmed. The NTAs Director of Transport Planning & Investment Hugh Creegan told Cork City Councillor Oliver Moran that the NTA requires the legislation to empower it to make the necessary planning applications to An Coimisiun Pleanala for BusConnects in Cork. The NTA was originally established as the Dublin Transport Authority, with powers in the Greater Dublin Area, and a change in the law is required to allow it to implement BusConnects outside of Dublin. The multi-billion-euro BusConnects Cork investment programme is set to deliver 11 Sustainable Transport Corridors (STC) across Cork city, covering 90km of bus lanes and 95km of cycle lanes. The redesigned bus network will have 53pc more bus services in place, with two routes Ovens/Ballincollig to City Centre to Mahon and Carrigaline to City Centre to Hollyhill operating 24-hours. Also part of the plan are a zero-emissions bus fleet, next generation ticketing, seven all-day, high frequency bus routes running every 15 minutes or better and bus services to previously unserved areas such as Upper Glanmire, Waterfall and Kerry Pike. The scheme was approved by cabinet in November. The government estimates that delivery of the capital programme will cost between 2.3 and 3.5 bn. The next step is that planning applications for the new bus and active travel infrastructure be lodged with An Coimisiun Pleanala by the NTA but first the necessary legislation must be passed. The outline of that legislation has been approved by the government and is included in the Spring 2026 legislative programme. Green Party Councillor Moran has criticised the holdup. There seems to be no end in delay in delivering anything from the current government. Cork City Council is ready, residents are on board, employers are saying its affecting their businesses. "Housing is being objected to because of the lack of public transport and for ordinary commuters it can't come soon enough. Now primary legislation needs to change? Surely they knew about this. "We have a government that makes hay over every cause for delay, blaming everyone from Met Eireann to the environment itself. This in a city the Taoiseach himself is supposed to represent, wants to head-up a task force on, and is making all kinds of noises about who is to blame for the pace of delivering infrastructure. It's not good enough, we've waited far too long already. They need to deliver it or get out of the way to make room for someone else, he said. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. The opening, unveiled by An Taoiseach Micheal Martin, increases the firms footprint in the city by two thirds to 30,000 square feet, which the firm says represents a major investment to support its continued growth and demand. As the largest professional services practice in the region, EY Cork currently employs more than 420 people - including 22 partners - and this expansion will enable the firm to continue expand its presence in response to growing client demand. EY is the largest practice of its kind in Munster, and currently employs more than 420 people, more than treble the number it employed in 2018, as prominent business and political leaders from across the region were in attendance for the latest expansion. The new EY office space will now include state of the art facilities for clients and EY teams to collaborate, while leveraging the latest technologies as the firm continues to provide clients with a full suite of solutions, including assurance, tax and law, consulting, as well as strategy and transactions and financial services. I am delighted to formally open EYs newly expanded office here on Lapps Quay at the intersection of Cork city centre and the rapidly growing Docklands area, said the Taoiseach. EY Irelands decision to broaden its operations in Cork is a sign of confidence in the city and the broader region, home to a dynamic and innovative business ecosystem. The Government remains focused on investment to support a world class environment for innovation, collaboration and sustainable economic growth across Ireland, and EYs expansion in Cork stands as a strong demonstration of that shared ambition, he said. Frank OKeeffe, EY Irelands Managing Partner also welcomed the new expansion, on what he called a proud day for the company. We are incredibly proud of EYs longstanding and growing presence in this city, which has been integral to our firms strong growth across this island, he said. Our team in Cork delivers world class services to our wide client base throughout the region and beyond, something we are very proud to do. EY is ambitious to continue growing our Cork practice in response to strong client demand and we are investing heavily to ensure that we are always where our clients need us, when they need us with the right skills as we help them to shape the future with confidence. The Music Cafe, a popular Dublin cafe known for its live music three nights a week, has announced its immediate closure. The cafe has been open since 2012 and the site of the building has a preservation order. Its a structure which Dublin City Council considers to be of special interest from an architectural or historical standpoint. The owners announced the news on social media "with great regret, saying that the cafe would close immediately. With great regret, we announce our immediate closure, they said. The financial burden that has hit us in recent times has put too much stress on the business. We are looking at all options and hope to bring you something bigger and better in the future. But for now, it's goodbye. Thanks all, the staff at TMCD, they added. Speaking to the Irish Independent in early 2024, the management of the cafe on Wellington Quay called for support grants to enhance security due to ongoing vandalism on the building. The premises windows were smashed during the Dublin riots in November 2023 and had its windows spray-painted by vandals in February 2024. They mentioned that, due to the preservation order on the building, the time taken to obtain the correct windows was extended due to certain regulations. The premises also feature a stage for music played in the cafe, which caused a delay as the windows needed to be custom-built to align with the preservation of the building and its current layout. During this wait period, they had broken windows for two weeks, resulting in one section of the already small premises, which accommodates roughly 20 customers with a fantastic view of the city, being completely closed off. Adding to their troubles, the manager told the Irish Independent that, as a separate issue, the building has been repeatedly vandalised. He said at the time that the possibility of installing secure, non-disruptive CCTV outside of the building could have helped as a future deterrent for vandalism. The closure comes as hospitality businesses face intensifying cost pressures nationwide. The Restaurants Association of Ireland renewed its call for the reinstatement of the 9pc VAT rate for food services in August 2025, warning that rising labour, energy and market-driven costs are pushing many cafes and restaurants to the brink. The hospitality industry will benefit from a VAT cut next year, it is understood, as the measure has now been agreed as part of the Budget. However the reduction will not come in until July 2026.VAT will reduce from 13.5pc to 9pc for eligible businesses. Clontarf Baths has suffered significant damage after high spring tides and severe weather hit Dublins coastline, with the facilitys operator describing the scene this morning as complete destruction. Met Eireann has warned of flooding and difficult travel conditions as further rain falls on saturated ground, with high river levels and high tides adding to the risk. Bobby Nolan, who operates the Clontarf public swimming baths, said the problems began yesterday afternoon and worsened overnight as easterly winds pushed the sea in. When I came in here this morning, I said, My God, its like downtown Beirut, he said. I had emptied the pool, which is possibly two and a half million gallons of water in the pool and that was empty yesterday, he said. The power of the tide filled the pool, plus another foot on top, where it actually overflowed the whole place. Thats how much water came in in such a short space of time, and anything that was in its path was just destruction, destruction and destruction. Volunteers said the spring tides and severe rain left the facility in "destruction, distruction, complete distruction' Pic: Bobby Nolan We have a plant room in there and the whole thing was underwater, and, you know, the electricity and the toilets and everything, he added. He said he returned to the site as the tide began to subside and tried to release water from the facility. So managed to wade around and open the gate to release the water out to lower, slowly down. As we come in this morning, every single thing is destroyed. Asked to compare the damage caused to the baths from Storm Betty in August 2023, Mr Nolan said it was absolutely worse. While he said it was too early to fully assess the impact, he estimated the cost could run to tens of thousands. Even at that we could be 40, 50,000 euros down here damage and you cant get flood insurance, nobody can get it, he said. He said the baths had already taken steps in recent years to try to protect the facility but described being at the mercy of the conditions. The walls were raised by two meters to future proof he said, adding that the baths had previously been absolutely bashed in 2023 but had managed to reopen quickly with volunteer help. Clontarf Baths hit by destruction after spring tides and severe weather Mr Nolan said volunteers were back again this morning, and he thanked those who came to help with the clean-up. National emergency planning guidance this week has warned that high spring tides combined with strong winds and surge may cause wave overtopping and coastal flooding in exposed areas. Looking ahead, Mr Nolan said the baths would be monitoring the next tides closely. Were still forecasting spring tides next couple of days and were getting two tides a day here so we will come down and survey again in the morning, he said. Dublin Bay North Independent TD Barry Heneghan met with Mr Nolan this morning at the baths. Iit's devastating that the lift for access to the pool has been damaged, he said. We are reaching out for the humanitarian fund, and we've sent representation from my office. Deputy Heneghan has also reached out to the Department for dredging to be done at the baths and said hes looking forward to engaging with the Minister for the OPW and the DCC. Despite a majority of public submissions calling for a lido at Georges Dock in the capital, Dublin City Councils (DCC) chief executive Richard Shakespeare said it is far from guaranteed. Of the more than 2,000 public submissions for the future of the disused space, 70pc wanted to see it put to recreational use, and 90pc of those sought either a lido or public swimming pool. A lido is an outdoor, open swimming facility, usually with other amenities such as saunas, cafes or seating areas located nearby. Speaking to the Irish Independent, Mr Shakespeare said that once the dust settles on the consultation, however, reality has to set in. "So, youve got to take the volume and look at the merits of what it can deliver as opposed to it being a volume-based [decision], he said, pointing to the petitioning that went on in the lead-up to the consultation. Im not against a lido. Im trying to figure out, like, how we operate it. Or do we operate it? Do we let somebody else operate it? Do we just license somebody to use the space? So, thats something that the development team are going through, he said. Ultimately speaking, no matter what we do there it goes to the elected members and they get the final decision. The consultation was launched in October last year to examine potential future uses for the vacant space, which was originally built in 1821 and forms part of the historic Custom House Docks. In recent years, proposals for the site have ranged from a white water rafting facility to an events space, with campaigners long pushing for a publicly accessible swimming amenity. The Dublin City Lido Campaign welcomed the findings of the public consultation last month, saying: thousands of Dubliners have spoken and they overwhelmingly want a public lido at Georges Dock. This is a powerful expression of public will, the group said, adding that respondents envisioned the dock as a space focused on health, wellbeing, inclusion and shared civic life. Works to repair and restore the docks ahead of any change in use are set to begin in April and wrap up by July. Speaking previously to the Irish Independent, Mr Shakespeare said any future developments on the site would need to be assessed carefully in light of the councils finances. Weve got to assess them in terms of viability, he said. The city council doesnt have an endless pot of money. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme Keynote Speakers at recent Tonn na Cle Galway Climate Conversation in Mick Lally Theatre 3-2-2026 Left to Right | Founder of Tonn na Cle, Michelle Mi Chleirigh on stage with Poet Sarah Clancy Anita Murphy Panel Discussion at Galway Climate Conversation in Mick Lally Theatre 3-2-2026 Left to Right | Founder of Tonn na Cle, Michelle Ni Chleirigh, Poet and Activist Sarah Clancy, Member of Tonn na Cle Jacintha Van Roij and Author Gerry McGovern, Anita Murphy Ceol for Catherine event during election campaign for Catherine Connolly in the Roisin Dubh. Photo: Eibhlin Seoighthe Members of Tonn na Cle at the recent Galway Climate Conversation in Mick Lally Theatre 3-2-2026 Front Row | Left to right: Founder of Tonn na Cle : Michelle Ni Chleirigh, Tonn na Cle Member : David Cosgrave, Green Party Candidate : Niall Murphy, with Author Gerry McGovern Back Row | Left to right : Climate Discussion Facilitator : Shani Williams, Tonn na Cle Members : John G. Cunningham, Nuala Ward and Maria Molloy, Independent Candidate + Former Galway Convenor for the Connolly Campaign: Sheila Garrity, Tonn na Cle Members Eoghan O Finn and Roisin Ni Fhaolain, Anita Murphy A seat in the Galway West constituency may be vacant for more than 100 days now thanks to the election of Catherine Connolly to Aras an Uachtarain, but that hasnt stopped a grassroots movement from building on the momentum she has left behind. Michelle Ni Chleirigh is moderator and organiser of Tonn na Cle, a Galway city-based movement centred on social justice and inclusion. The organisation now counts more than 350 members and is divided into smaller teams focused on specific initiatives. Members say they want to shift civic engagement in Galway away from traditional party politics towards what they describe as an activism-driven model. Tonn na Cle translates as Wave of the Left. While social justice campaigns are often associated with left-leaning voters, Ms Ni Chleirigh told the Irish Independent she is considering a name change to distance the group from formal party alignment and better reflect its broader aims. My view traditionally of politics is that it's about the party getting an agenda, getting power, Michelle said. This is completely different, it doesn't even feel like politics, it feels like a movement. Panel Discussion at Galway Climate Conversation in Mick Lally Theatre 3-2-2026 Left to Right | Founder of Tonn na Cle, Michelle Ni Chleirigh, Poet and Activist Sarah Clancy, Member of Tonn na Cle Jacintha Van Roij and Author Gerry McGovern, Anita Murphy Theres a real sense of people that are all in this because we want to see a difference, we want to see a change in Ireland, she added. A new Ireland that moves away from the current government and from the focus on capitalism. Throughout the interview, Ms Ni Chleirighs phone rang repeatedly something she said illustrated the pace at which the group has expanded. She now manages close to 25 sub-groups, each formed from members own proposals, with messages arriving at all hours, even 2.00am. Among the initiatives organised through messaging platforms are campaigns calling for the live webcasting of city and county council meetings in an effort to achieve what she describes as real democracy. Otherwise, citizens cant be involved in the decisions that are being made because its behind a curtain, she said. Other active working groups focus on neutrality roadshows, homelessness advocacy, climate action, promotion of the Irish language and the protection of green spaces, including upcoming decisions relating to a proposed HSE helipad at Shantalla Park. The movement emerged in the wake of Connollys successful presidential campaign, when supporters felt there was further energy to channel into community action. It began with a small number of campaigners examining what they described as the intersection between socialism and democracy at a hyper-local level in Galway communities. Ceol for Catherine event during election campaign for Catherine Connolly in the Roisin Dubh. Photo: Eibhlin Seoighthe Ms Ni Chleirigh said some supporters viewed the continuation of the group as part of Ms Connollys broader mandate, particularly given that the President must step away from party political affiliation. When the campaign was closing, everybody said hold on, we've got this mandate from Catherine to start a movement, she said. She described the current moment as a revolution in terms of the way politics is done in this country. The group is moderated by eight members operating what they describe as a democratic and open-agenda model, encouraging participants to put forward ideas they wish to lead or support. While moderators handle logistics, Ms Ni Chleirigh stressed there is no sense of hierarchy. It is ridiculous how quick it happens, she said of the speed at which members propose events or draft legislative correspondence. Letters of objection or support are typically drafted using poll data gathered within group chats before being circulated for feedback. Members indicate agreement by adding their names or raise concerns if they disagree with particular details. We are putting these out to make clear statements, Michelle said. It's powerful because it creates real inclusion, but it also means we really can see some of our blind spots and consider the differences. She said the groups discussions and initiatives are deliberately kept free of formal party affiliation, including in the drafting of letters, with signatures coming from individuals rather than political organisations. Keynote Speakers at recent Tonn na Cle Galway Climate Conversation in Mick Lally Theatre 3-2-2026 Left to Right | Founder of Tonn na Cle, Michelle Mi Chleirigh on stage with Poet Sarah Clancy Anita Murphy While Tonn na Cles immediate focus is on local initiatives, its longer-term ambition is the creation of what members describe as permanent peoples assemblies, with the Galway model acting as a potential pilot for wider national or international engagement. Our guiding values are dignity, belonging, social justice, social and economic justice, equality and inclusion, participation, democracy, culture, language and peace, Ms Ni Chleirigh said. Citizens are kind of co-authors, not spectators, she added. Democracy is not a 4-year event but a daily thing. A by-election for the vacant Galway seat is expected in the coming months, with several high-profile local figures already signalling their intention to run. Ms Ni Chleirigh said multiple Tonn na Cle members are also considering candidacy, which she described as a good problem to have. From the outset I've said with this platform that it's not about the by-election; the by-election is almost a distraction; it's about the next government and beyond, she said. The group plans to hold a series of educational initiatives during the remaining months of the electoral cycle aimed at encouraging Galway residents to vote intelligently. Six representatives who will contest in the by-election are represented in Tonn na Cle. The by-election is going to be interesting to navigate with the group as we keep things cohesive and get out the other side so that we can continue in the longer-term vision, she said. Galway City councillor Eibhlin Seoighthe, who is a member of Tonn na Cle and served as city co-convener for the Connolly campaign, said the sense of community developed during the presidential race had carried forward into the new movement. President Catherine Connolly outside Aras an Uachtarain. Photo: PA It didn't feel political, it felt more community orientated, that grassroots that people spoke about, that's what was happening, she told the Irish Independent. It didn't feel like anybody was pulling out of political trails. This was all about getting Catherine elected. I hope that what Catherine was able to do here, building that sense of community, offering that safe space, offering the empathy, being kind and compassionate, that that resonates for everybody throughout her presidential term, Cllr Seoighthe added. If she achieved that here [in Galway], I can't see why she couldn't achieve it in 7 years. She said the camaraderie that remained following the campaign, combined with a shared vision for social inclusion, represented how supporters believed Ms Connollys mandate would continue at a local level. When a world is absolutely in chaos and where people are tearing strips off each other left, right and centre, that's what I hope for her presidency, she said. There is good happening, there is a lot of good happening. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. 'He came across as a man who was trying to mislead me,' says witness A judge rebuked a Killarney company for its lackadaisical attitude to EU driving regulations and fined it 2,500, in addition to hundreds in legal fees, at Killarney District Court this week. Hallissey Livestock Exports Limited of Fossa, Killarney, faced two convictions for failure to ensure the correct use of the driver card on two occasions. A company driver, Kevin McGivern, was stopped at road check on December 11, 2024 in Ballyduff, East, Kilmeaden, Waterford. Mr McGivern told a Road Safety Authority officer he was coming from Spain with animal feed, the court heard. The inspecting officer checked the last 57 days of the drivers log record and found anomalies. He noted a Romanian licenced motorist drove between November 23 and November 30. In violation of EU regulations, the vehicle was driven without the use of drivers card for a period between November 28 and 30, and in the in 90 km up to the checkpoint. At that point, Mr McGiverns card was inserted. He came across as a man who was trying to mislead me, said the inspector when asked to describe the driver. He said he then called the drivers boss, who displayed visible annoyance with the driver and then the number he had been given for the Romanian driver. A woman answered, unhappily. She was screaming down the phone in a language not known to me, said the inspector. Solicitor for the defence, Padraig OConnell, noted the company was completely unaware of the drivers actions, as evidence from the phone call. He observed that the driver, originally from Armagh, no longer worked for the company nor lived in the jurisdiction. The judge said the company management could access driver records to enforce regulations and had absolute liability to monitor this. The wholesale breach of the regulation puts other users at risk, he said. The company had previously appeared before the courts, he added. This man appears to have a lackadaisical attitude to regulations. The judge fined the company 1,500 for the December breach, 1,000 for the November breach and ordered it pay for court costs valued at 750. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme A national search for accommodation began after planned residence was refused to the boy, who was charged with wielding two-machetes at a Kerry campus in September The State had yet to find accommodation for a teenager charged with wielding two machetes, Tralee District Court heard this week. The teenager, who cannot be named due to his young age, is scheduled to be sentenced at Killarney District Court on Monday for charges related to the alleged assault of another male at Tralee Community Training Centre in Monavalley. What jumps out at me is very high risk of re-offending and no place for him to go if he is released, said Judge David Waters. The teenager appeared in court by video-link from Oberstown Children Detention Campus, a facility for children aged 10 to 17 in the north of County Dublin, where he has stayed since his first court appearance on September 24. His initial charges included assault, possession of an offensive weapon, and the production of an article intended to cause injury in a dispute on September 23. In September, it was alleged in court that the defendant attacked a former friend with two machetes at the Tralee campus, causing students to flee in fear for their safety. The State is required to have accommodation immediately available in the event he is found not guilty, given suspended sentences or given backdated sentences of equal or lesser time to the period he has already spent in custody. The State is searching at a national level for suitable accommodation, a youth social worker told the court. The planned accommodation was declined, in part due to a concern that undesirable people would come to the accommodation. Due to the risk, the placement was refused, the representative told the court. The agency had offered to provide added security but there was no appeasing the residential services. She added, Theyre reviewing whats available nationally. An after-care worker is assigned to the teen and developing a plan with him for his release. The judge addressed the defendant directly to ensure he understood. He reminded him: Youd have to do what the [Child and Family Agency] tell you to do. In September, the court heard that when living in State care, the accused had gone missing 114 times, including 26 times in 2025 and seven times that month. The probation report said he appeared remorseful and co-operative, solicitor Padraig OConnell told the court. The judge expressed optimism that the defendant could work with probation services. He was remanded in custody until Monday, February 9. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme Intelligent manufacturing boosts efficiency for Chinese aerospace manufacturer 14:06, February 06, 2026 By Liu Wenxin, People's Daily, Sun Bing, Xie Wei, China Economic Weekly ( People's Daily Photo shows the carrier rocket assembly workshop of Shanghai Aerospace Equipments Manufacturer. A single launch vehicle contains hundreds of thousands of components. Historically, compiling a complete set of quality documentation for an entire rocket requires quality engineers and process technicians to shuttle back and forth between vast quantities of paper records and fragmented information systems -- a process that typically takes about a week. At the smart factory of Shanghai Aerospace Equipments Manufacturer (SAEM), however, that same task now takes just five minutes. With a few clicks, staff can trace every data point back to its source -- from raw material testing and component machining to subassembly, final assembly, and full-vehicle testing. This dramatic increase in speed stems from a fundamental transformation of the production model. Here, every product -- whether a complete launch vehicle or a single screw -- is assigned a unique digital identity that follows it throughout its entire lifecycle. Data including raw material composition analysis, heat-treatment temperature curves, real-time torque data from every tightening tool used during assembly, as well as all test records for each section, are automatically aggregated and dynamically linked to form a full-lifecycle quality data package that accompanies the product from start to finish. "When we deliver a product, we must also deliver its complete data package," said Cheng Hui, a researcher at SAEM. He explained that if a quality fluctuation is detected in a batch of materials, an integrated quality traceability system, enhanced by AI, can pinpoint the exact affected parts from tens of thousands of components. It can also determine their status -- whether in storage, production, or already installed on a specific rocket. "What was once a needle-in-a-haystack search through paper files is now resolved in seconds," Cheng added. Recently, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) unveiled the inaugural list of 15 flagship smart factories, with SAEM among them. These flagship facilities are considered to represent the pinnacle of intelligent manufacturing, both in China and globally. Fostering such model factories is a strategic initiative by China to capitalize on opportunities in industrial intelligence and build a competitive edge for the future of manufacturing. Photo shows Shanghai Aerospace Equipments Manufacturer. According to Ao Li, deputy head of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), the application of artificial intelligence technology was heavily weighted in the selection criteria for the first batch of flagship smart factories. Statistics indicate that among the 15 selected factories, the average penetration rate of AI applications exceeds 70 percent, with more than 6,000 AI models in use and over 1,700 key pieces of intelligent manufacturing equipment and industrial software solutions achieving practical breakthroughs. In the rocket final-assembly area, two rocket stages weighing dozens of tons were being joined together. The workshop lacked the noise typically associated with heavy industry; instead, the space was filled with the soft hum of electric motors. An integrated one-stop flexible automatic docking system, incorporating large-scale spatial pose measurement technology, enables the equipment to "see" and "feel." It can automatically capture position data, sense force conditions, adjust posture in real time, and seamlessly align multi-ton modulesmarking a complete departure from the traditional approach that relied on verbal coordination, visual estimation, and manual adjustment. Behind this transformation lies the factory's decision to move complex systems engineering into the digital realm. In this intelligent factory, critical and complex processes are first simulated and validated in a virtual environment before being executed on physical equipment, which significantly reduces rework and shortens production cycles. Leveraging the accumulated image data, the company has developed defect detection systems based on artificial neural networks, which enables the automated identification of assembly quality issues in rockets and solar arrays. Virtual reality technology has also been introduced into assembly procedures, allowing three-dimensional stitching of localized and layered assembly imagesaddressing challenges such as accurately reflecting pipeline routing and installation sequences that traditional photos cannot capture. Across SAEM, AI application continues to deepen. "The deep integration of AI with advanced manufacturing technologies now extends beyond typical scenarios such as production scheduling and online inspection," Ao noted. "It is expanding into higher-value segments of the industrial chain, including research and development, design, and operations and maintenance services. This integration is giving rise to a new generation of industrial intelligent agents capable of perception, decision-making, and execution, accelerating the evolution of intelligent manufacturing from automation toward autonomy." At the same time, SAEM is extending its "intelligent" capabilities throughout the entire industrial chain. For instance, aerospace manufacturing extensively involves extreme processing techniques and requirements for performance in extreme environments. Through close, collaborative development with domestic equipment suppliers, SEAM translates process needs directly into equipment parameters. This collaboration has enabled the joint breakthrough in key equipment such as friction stir welding systems, automated flexible final assembly platforms, and high-precision mirror milling machines. Through the development of its smart factory, SAEM has achieved a localization rate of over 80 percent for intelligent manufacturing equipment and increased production efficiency by 40 percent. (Photos from the official account of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization on WeChat) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Murhur NS pupils pictured ahead of the school's 'A Night at the Dogs' fundraiser. A north Kerry school has announced that it will hold a special A Night at the Dogs event to raise funds to develop its facilities. Murhur National School in Moyvane will host the fundraiser at Kingdom Greyhound Stadium in Tralee on Saturday, April 25. The event promises to be a family-oriented evening that will mark the beginning of the schools exciting efforts to raise funds to support the future-proofing of its facilities. Murhur NS has recently secured funding to open a dedicated autism class this September. And while securing this funding was a significant achievement, the management of the school are striving to raise more money to ensure educational facilities are modern and up to scratch for generations to come. The Murhur NS school building has been used to educate local children for 50 years and over the coming months, it will undergo some changes. The existing toilet facilities will be reconfigured in order to allow for the creation of an additional special education room, a dedicated sensory room and a quiet space designed to foster calm, confidence and connection. These improvements will allow us to enhance the internal spaces of the school, creating a modern, functional, and welcoming learning environment that supports contemporary teaching and learning while nurturing pupils academically, emotionally, and socially, Murhur NS principal Finola Fogarty said. The vital upgrades to the school require funding and Murhur NS management hope that the local community will support its improvement efforts. Along with pupils, parents and staff of Murhur NS, the wider community, local businesses and past pupils of the school are invited to attend A Night at the Dogs. People are also invited to provide sponsorship or donations ahead of the event. Every contribution, no matter the size, will play a vital role in helping us achieve our goals. All sponsors will be acknowledged on the night and across promotional materials in the lead-up to the event, principal Fogarty said. A Night at the Dogs has been billed as a fantastic social occasion, with fabulous prizes on the night. Tickets for the event will go on sale shortly. For further information or sponsorship enquiries, please contact the Parents Association Building Committee at nightatthedogs2026@murhurns.com. Soccer New-look Kerry FC face tricky examination at UCD as League of Ireland season kicks off Seventeen weeks 119 days after Kerry FC shipped a 5-1 defeat away to Bray Wanderers to bring the curtain down on their third season of League of Ireland football, the leagues youngest club are back on the east coast to kick-off their fourth On the site of the former Castlebar District Lunatic Asylum lies a burial ground containing unmarked graves dating back nearly 150 years, now a community-led effort is working to ensure those buried there are remembered with dignity Headstone installed at Aglish Graveyard to commemorate those buried on the site. Photo: St Marys Hospital Castlebar Heritage Society. A local heritage group has spearheaded efforts to restore dignity and bring public awareness to a long-forgotten burial ground at Aglish in Castlebar, where hundreds of former patients of the Castlebar District Lunatic Asylum are believed to be buried in unmarked graves. The project, led by the St Marys Hospital Castlebar Heritage Society in collaboration with Castlebar Tidy Towns, the HSE, and Mayo County Council, has seen significant improvement works carried out at the site. Most recently, the group has installed an information board detailing the history of the graveyard and the former asylum. Aglish Graveyard is a mass burial site on the grounds of the Castlebar District Lunatic Asylum, which later became known as St Marys Hospital. It was in use until 1921 as a burial place for patients whose bodies were not taken home by their families. While the exact number buried there is unknown, records show that 1,956 patients died in the asylum between 1866 and 1922, many from tuberculosis. Many patients who died from the Spanish Flu between 1918 and 1919 are also buried at Aglish. There are hundreds of people buried there; people could be passing the road there and not even know the graveyard is there This year marks the 160th anniversary of the opening of the Castlebar District Lunatic Asylum, a development that was regarded at the time as a major improvement in healthcare provision for Mayo. Prior to its opening, patients had to travel as far as Ballinasloe to access psychiatric care at the Connaught Lunatic Asylum, later known as St Bridgits Hospital. Volunteers installing the information sign at Aglish Graveyard. Photo: St Marys Hospital Castlebar Heritage Society. Anthony OBoyle, chairperson of the St Marys Hospital Castlebar Heritage Society, said the primary aim of the community project is to improve the site, raise awareness, and ensure those buried at Aglish are remembered with dignity. We wanted to remember them in a dignified way and make sure people know that it is there - to acknowledge it in the same way people would for any other graveyard, he explained. To have it a part of the whole ethos and culture of the town in terms of remembrance. There are hundreds of people buried there; people could be passing the road there and not even know the graveyard is there. Work to improve the site began around six years ago, with volunteers clearing overgrowth, creating a new pathway, and installing a headstone to commemorate those buried there. The most recent improvements have focused on public education through the installation of an information board outlining the social and medical history of the asylum and graveyard. The main reason they are there is because no one took them home It is a phenomenon all over Europe these graveyards, Mr OBoyle said. Most of the psychiatric hospitals have gone down this road in trying to give a dignified resting place - it is happening all around Ireland. One example is the former burial grounds of St Conals psychiatric hospital, formerly known as the Donegal District Lunatic Asylum, which was in use from 1868 to 1902 and where approximately 1,880 people are buried. Mr OBoyle said Aglish was created at a time when burial facilities in Castlebar were under pressure, and many families either could not, or did not, reclaim the remains of loved ones due to stigma, poverty, or practical constraints. The main reason they are there is because no one took them home. The culture and the stigma at the time that was around mental illness - all the people buried there, their relatives didnt take them home, Mr OBoyle explained. They also mightnt have had the capacity to take them home. Youre talking about the late 1800s and early 1900s period in history, and [the lack of] transport and resources at the time. Headstone installed at Aglish Graveyard to commemorate those buried on the site. Photo: St Marys Hospital Castlebar Heritage Society. Mr OBoyle explained that the burial ground remains deeply relevant today, as descendants of those laid to rest at Aglish are still living. You can take it for definite that people who are buried there have relatives living, they may be very distant relatives, but they are still living. There is a connection there, he said. Mr OBoyle explained that burying people in mass unmarked graves would have been common practice for these facilities at the time, and that those buried in Aglish wouldve come from all four corners of County Mayo. It's hard to make a judgment on what happened 160 years ago when you compare it to todays standards, he said, Asylums became to be known as places of refuge, and some people wouldve been delighted to get in there after going to war. The war of Independence was on at the time; there is a whole other social side to it. Funding for the works carried out on site has been provided by the HSE and Mayo County Council, with Castlebar Tidy Towns also backing efforts to restore the graveyard. The council is currently exploring funding options to develop a fitting memorial for the site. They were citizens, just like everyone else in the county Nearly 160 years after the asylum first opened, the group hopes the work at Aglish will ensure that those buried there are no longer forgotten, and that their place in Mayos history is acknowledged. They were citizens, just like everyone else in the county, Mr OBoyle said, If there is awareness raised - that in itself will be something. The society hopes that raising awareness will encourage public engagement with this chapter of Castlebars history. Members have already delivered presentations at ATU Castlebar, which borders the former hospital grounds. Mr OBoyle also gave his thanks to David Mellett, head of the Castlebar Municipal District, and Charlie Meehan, head of mental health services at the HSE for Mayo, Roscommon, and Galway. This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. A construction company has admitted breaching health and safety laws following the death of a Sligo man who fell from scaffolding at a building site in Greystones, Co Wicklow in 2019. Three construction companies appeared before Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court in Health and Safety Authority prosecutions relating to the death of the man. Glenveagh Construction Limited, with a registered business address at Block B, Maynooth Business Campus, County Kildare, entered a plea to count two on the indictment. The court heard that on December 9, 2019, at a construction site in Marina Village, Greystones, the company failed in its legal duty as an employer to properly manage safety on site. Specifically, Glenveagh allowed people who were not their employees to carry out work from scaffolding that was unsafe, lacked proper edge protection, and exposed workers to a serious risk of falling. As a result of this unsafe scaffolding, Gerry OConnell fell, suffered serious injuries, and later died. This amounted to a breach of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, as Glenveagh failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that people at the workplace were not exposed to risks to their safety. A native of Sligo, Mr OConnell died on Thursday, December 12, 2019. Niamh Collins of A&L Goodbody was arraigned on behalf of Glenveagh. Peamount Construction Limited and K.D.K. Scaffolding Limited have yet to enter pleas. Counsel for Peamount stated that progress will be made on Tuesday, February 10. Judge Patrick Quinn adjourned the matter until April 14, with a sentencing date for Glenveagh to be fixed. Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme Dr Morgan McMonagle is a vascular surgeon at University Hospital Waterford (UHW). He is the 2025 recipient of the RCSI Humanitarian and Community Award for his commitment and service to protecting the lives of others and the welfare of humanity. While a consultant of trauma surgery at St Marys Hospital, London, and through lecturing in Imperial College London, Dr McMonagle met Professor David Nott, a general and vascular surgeon who had experience volunteering in disaster and conflict zones and subsequently established the David Nott Foundation. Dr McMonagle joined the David Nott Foundation, which trains doctors in countries impacted by conflict and catastrophes. His first mission with the foundation was in the West Bank in Palestine, he has since been to Ukraine on two occasions, once to Lebanon and more recently on two missions to Gaza. Upon receiving the RCSI Humanitarian and Community Award, Dr McMonagle recounted: In my most recent mission to Gaza, the hospital that I was operating and living in was bombed. I was in the Intensive Care Unit of Nasser hospital when the building was struck. At the time of the strike, I was working on two patients with an American colleague. Some Palestinian staff members ran into the ICU to confirm the building had been hit and I could also see fire and smoke from the window. I immediately went into survival mode, thinking through the layout of the floor to remember where the fire escapes were - it was very visceral, very instinctive. He added: Traditionally, the fundamental pillars of humanitarianism are humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. In recent times I have been very vocal about what I have experienced and witnessed on various missions. Some might call my impartiality into question, but the reality is that the traditional rule book for conflict is changing. I dont believe that me or any of my colleagues are purposely trying to change the role of humanitarian actors. However, we are kind of being forced to speak out to advocate on behalf of the people, on behalf of the truth, and on behalf of humanity because others are being deliberately blocked from doing so. If something is repugnant, it behoves all right minded and reasonably thinking people to call it out. Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr Seamus Ryan said: Waterford is honoured to have Dr McMonagle leading the St Patricks Day parade. He is the epitome of all that is good in the world. While his day job as a vascular and trauma consultant at UHW is undoubtedly as demanding as it is rewarding, Dr McMonagle continues to go far beyond the call of duty. "Time and again, he gives selflessly of his expertise, compassion and personal time, choosing to place himself in harms way to deliver life-saving care to those who need it most, often in some of the worlds most perilous conflict zones. His experiences providing medical aid in Palestine, Ukraine and Gaza can only be described as harrowing, exposing him to the very worst of human suffering and devastation. Yet, guided by an unshakeable sense of humanitarian responsibility, he continues to offer his invaluable skills to communities in war-torn and disaster-stricken regions, embodying extraordinary courage, resilience and humanity. The 2026 St Patricks Day parade is the oldest in Ireland, first held in 1903, after a motion proposed by Waterford Corporation that March 17 become a national public holiday. That wish was granted, and ever since it has become a day of celebration in every corner of every county. To mark Waterfords incredible heritage, this years theme, Waterford: Where St Patricks Day Began, leans firmly into the citys unique place in Irish history. The festival will pay tribute to Luke Wadding, the influential Waterford-born Franciscan friar credited with formally listing March 17 as St Patricks Day on the liturgical calendar a decision that would eventually ripple across the globe. Celebrations take place over five days from March 13 - 17. If a business, group or club would like to take part in Waterfords St Patricks Day parade they can visit stpatricksfestivalwaterford.com to register an interest. Passage East is picking up the pieces from a week of heavy rains which saw some local householders and businesses inundated, and properties damaged. Independent councillor Declan Barry spoke to residents on Thursday, February 5, as the rain began, and where it continued overnight. Because of some small measures that took place up at the brook, we didnt have any flooding like we did on the Friday night into Saturday morning, he said. "The drains were running free when I was down there at lunchtime yesterday, and there was also an adequate amount of sandbags I couldnt say the same that there was an adequate amount on Friday evening. Due to the prompt action of the council during the week, Passage East escaped any flooding issues on Thursday night, added Cllr Barry. On Sunday morning, February 8, Minister Kevin Boxer Moran is due to arrive in Passage East to survey the damage from last weekend. The junior minister at the department of public expenditure is due to arrive at the community centre at 10.30am to meet with council officials, local representatives and villagers. The plan is that were going to tell him and show him what happened, ask him what remedies are proposed, and what funding is going to be coming on stream to alleviate this happening in the future. Hes also going to talking to some of the residents who were affected by the flooding, said Cllr Barry. Meanwhile, junior minister for planning and local government, John Cummins visited Passage East on Friday to meet with those affected by recent flooding. It follows the Waterford Fine Gael TDs meeting with Minister Moran on Thursday. Supports remain available to affected households and businesses such as the emergency response payment and the emergency humanitarian flooding scheme. There is a three-stage approach to the emergency response payment, with each stage intended to assist with specific household items, reflecting the different needs that arise at various points following such weather events. Minister Cummins said on Friday morning that he met with families and traders whose businesses and homes have been impacted, hearing first-hand accounts of the damage caused and the challenges now facing the community. It has been a very difficult and challenging time for people, businesses and the local community. I want to assure people that support is available to them and we will continue to work with those affected. I have engaged extensively with Minister Moran on the issues affecting Passage East and held a positive meeting with him yesterday ahead of his visit to the affected area on Sunday. All relevant departments, agencies and local authorities are fully focused on putting in place measures to mitigate the impact of further rain in the days ahead, and to ensure readiness to respond to any flooding incidents. Government schemes are available to support households, businesses, and community, voluntary and sporting bodies affected by flooding. We want to make sure those who need support get it, and quickly. I would like to thank all staff, crews - and especially volunteers - working in the aftermath of flooding to help people and businesses and preparing communities ahead of more wet weather to come. Waterford City and County Council staff will be on site in the days ahead and will do their best to help alleviate issues which continue to cause difficulties for those impacted, added Deputy Cummins. The population of Enniscorthy is set to increase to almost 20,000 in the next eight years. The population of Enniscorthy is projected to increase by almost two-thirds by 2034 as the local council seeks to free up more land for housing in the town. Based on the 2022 Census the current population of Enniscorthy is 12,310 but, as it acts upon the ongoing housing crisis, Wexford County Council (WCC) has set itself an additional population target of 7,020 in the town over the next eight years. This will see 2,580 new housing units built in the town by 2034 as WCC responds to directives issued by the Department of Housing to free up more land for developments. In order to do this, the council must first alter its County Development Plan (CDP) and, at a special meeting, it presented its proposals to the Enniscorthys elected representatives. Explaining that Enniscorthy will eventually be reclassified as a key town alongside places like Ennis, Killarney, and Dundalk, senior planner Diarmuid Houston said a number of developers had already expressed an interest in building new properties in the town. The idea is to increase zoning for housing, he said. We are working very closely with the landowners and the developers to make sure we see houses delivered and see a reasonable level of growth into the future. However, with more people comes a need for more schools, more amenities, more facilities, and Councillor Barbara Anne Murphy said many of the local schools were already at capacity. Theres no capacity in St Aidans and St Senans or in the Church of Ireland school as far as I know, theres possibly is capacity in the Gael Scoil, she said. And theres no educate together school or an ETB primary school in Enniscorthy, one or the other is definitely needed. In response, Mr Houston said that, as part of the changes to the CDP, the council had zoned lands for educational needs and listened to what the people from Enniscorthy are saying. We do realise there are many children going out to Marshalstown NS, and we know that children should be walking to primary school, that housing estates should be a ten-minute walk from a school, he said. We are working on those connections and we will be engaging with the Department of Education to advise it of the expected growth in the town. Any suggestion that parents apply for places in Marshalstown was quickly rebuffed by Cllr Pat Kehoe who revealed that it had received 33 applications for a possible 28 spaces for the upcoming academic year. I know theres provision for a school to be built in Milehouse but I would like to see additional sporting facilities there because the population will be heavily weighted on that side of Enniscorthy in the future, he added. As part of its revised housing targets, WCC hopes to deliver approximately 18,000 new homes in the county by 2040. Increasing its previous annual target by 551, the council now intends to construct 1622 homes per year up to 2034 and 722 per year from 2035-40. This will include 335 homes in Bunclody by 2034 with a projected population increase of 911. Later this month the proposed variation to the CDP will be available for the public to view and make submissions on. Thereafter, once WCC has consulted landowners and all stakeholders, a report will be compiled by chief executive Eddie Taaffe and the completed proposal will be brought to the council chamber for further review. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme. News After six years and two trials, I found out my abuser had been freed from jail via Instagram According to recent research, less than 5pc of adults who experienced sexual violence reported the matter to gardai. Victim support and advocacy groups indicate that in the case of more than 70pc of reported sexual offences remain undetected, Tributes have poured in following the death of Johnathon Lawlor, more known as Johno Lawlor of Ballinakill, Courtown who passed away on Sunday, February 1. In the days following his passing, Johno has been remembered as a valued member of the Courtown community with a love for motorcycle racing and interest in the motocross community. A number of tributes have been made members of the motocross community including MCI Motocross, who paid tribute to Johno on social media for being a much-loved and widely respected member of the motocross community. Jonathan had been involved in the sport from a very young age, dedicating his life to motocross and competing at venues across the country. His passion for the sport, friendly nature, and presence around the circuit made him a familiar and valued part of motocross life. Jonathan will be sorely missed and all who had the privilege of sharing the paddock with him, MCI Motocross said. On behalf of the team at Powers of Gorey, Shane Power paid tribute to Johno, who was a customer when Shane started the business before going on to work at the store for a number of years. I've known Johno for a long time, he was a bubbly character, loved his bikes and loves cars and mechanics, all that kind of thing. It's very sad. It is a very tough time for his family and his friends, he said on behalf of the team at Powers of Gorey. CCM Racing also paid tribute to the young racer: Extremely sad news today to hear of the passing of Jonathan Lawlor. Jonathan was a true part of the motocross family and will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and everyone affected by this tragic loss, they said. The late Johnathon (Johno) Lawlor. Taking to social media and RIP.ie, loved ones and neighbours spoke of their fond memories of Johno and his love of bikes. One mourner wrote: Deepest condolences on the sudden passing of John, I will fondly remember all the chats and craic we had racing bikes all over the country. May he rest in peace. Another wrote: So very sorry for your terrible loss. I have very fond memories of Johno in both primary and secondary school. Thinking of you all at this heart breaking time. A ride of honour will take place on Saturday, February 7 to honour Johno Lawlor with motorcycles and bikes from 125cc and upwards. Anybody interested in taking part in the ride of honour can message Ryan Davin on social media for more information. Funeral mass for Johno Lawlor will take place on Saturday, February 7 at 12 p.m. in St. Kevins Church Tara Hill in Gorey. Any donations desired can be made to Futures in Mind (Talk to Tom) in Gorey. Pre-deceased by his grandfathers, Jack and Jim, Johno will be dearly missed by his parents, John and Mag, his sister Vickileigh and her partner Quentin, nephew Bradleigh, nieces Blathnaid and Indeigh and step nephew Dominic, family, friends, and neighbours. The late Jim Byrne standing at the entrance to his pub in Carnew. The late Jim Byrne at work behind the bar at Jim Byrnes Pub in Carnew. Highly-respected Wicklow publican and community stalwart James Jim Byrne has died in his 86th year and will be laid to rest on Saturday. Jim, formerly of Bolinrush, Bunclody, Co Wexford, also spent time living in Newtownmountkennedy and Arklow in Co Wicklow, as well as New York. He was the owner of Jim Byrnes Pub in Carnew and was a hugely popular figure in the local and extended community. He died on Wednesday while in the care of the staff at Wexford General Hospital, following a brief illness. Carnew Emmets GAA Club posted a Facebook tribute describing Jim as a true gentleman who always offered the club his unwavering support. He was quite simply, one of the kindest souls you could ever hope to meet. Well known for his love of a good card trick, always ready to entertain, to raise a smile or to lighten the mood. Conversation came easily to him and he had a rare gift for making everyone feel welcome, even the yella bellies. A loyal and generous supporter of our club. His commitment was steady and sincere, never seeking recognition in the true Jim Byrne humbled way. He often spoke with great affection of the friends who once lined the bar beside him, friends who shared laughter, stories, and countless memories. Though many of them have sadly gone before him, they were never far from his thoughts. He remembered them fondly, spoke their names often and kept their stories alive in his own gentle way. Kilrush Askamore GAA Club also posted their own Facebook tribute to Jim, who had been a great supporter of the club through his sponsorship of their jerseys for more than three decades. "He never had to be asked and was always forthcoming with his offers. Jim always had a great smile and this was never wider than when the club achieved any success and was always very welcoming of jubilant teams back to his bar in Carnew. "That welcoming smile will be sorely missed but many great memories were created. RIP Jim. The Carnew Town Team remembered Jim as someone who was very much at the heartbeat of the local community. For decades, Jim Byrnes was more than a pub it was a meeting place, a landmark in the town, and somewhere that conversations, stories and community naturally gathered. And at the heart of it all was Jim himself. "Jim was part and parcel of the makeup of Carnew. His presence, his quiet humour, and the familiarity of his pub made him someone everyone knew and many grew up knowing. The town wont feel quite the same without him. Jim is sadly missed by his daughter Eilis, sons Adrian, Shane, and Raymond, his partner Mary, daughters-in-law Aelsa and Aoife, son-in-law Philip and grandchildren Ella, Adam, Daniel and Lily, brothers Pat and Tom, sister Nancy, brothers in law, sisters in law, nieces, nephews and his many relatives and friends. He is pre-deceased by his wife Lil, siblings Luke, Mike, Kathy, Sean, Mary and Art. His funeral mass will be held in St. Brigids Church, Askamore, on Saturday at 11am, followed by interment in the adjoining cemetery. Award-winning Wexford drama group to bid for RTE All-Ireland final qualification as long circuit journey begins Not only did the group compete at the 2025 All-Ireland Finals in Athlone with their production of Lend Me A Tenor, but they also put on an autumn celebration of drama The cast and crew of All My Sons. Cillian Boggan Wexford People Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 12:40 2025 was a busy and satisfying year for Ballycogley Players as it saw the group celebrate 50 wonderful years of bringing drama to their community and to the stages around the country. New figures show councillors in Wicklow were reimbursed a combined total of 241,331.33 in expenses last year. Expenses are paid out under a range of categories and are generally made available to cover the costs incurred by councillors as they carry out their representational duties. Funds are provided to pay for broadband and phone bills, insurance, training, attendance at conferences and mileage. The travel and subsistence elements are calculated by reference to the distance from each councillors home to council headquarters and is calculated on an annual basis and paid in monthly instalments. To receive the full Annual Expense Allowance, councillors must meet a statutory 80pc attendance quota for all scheduled meetings. Monthly transcript archives confirm attendance for key votes, such the councils budget meeting. Specific percentages for 2025 will be published in the local authoritys Annual Report but they wont be finalised until its publication in July. Councillors including John Snell and Graham Richmond are historically noted for high attendance rates. Attendance also extends to committees including the Strategic Policy Committees (SPCs), which track member participation quarterly. Reimbursements often reflect the geographic size of the five municipal districts and the distance councillors must travel to headquarters in Wicklow Town. While most councillors received standard monthly payments in the region of 400700, several members recorded significantly higher totals due to large single month payments, likely reflecting annual adjustments, role based entitlements, or accumulated travel and subsistence claims. Cllr Peter Stapleton. Data published by the local authority up to the end of December 2025 show councillors in Wicklow were reimbursed 229,485.27 last year, with Fine Gael councillor in Baltinglass, Peter Stapleton, receiving the highest amount with 11,849.68. His district colleague in Baltinglass, Cllr Jason Mulhall was the second highest, with his expenses running to 10,211.39, followed by independent councillor Stephen Stokes in Greystones, who claimed 10,155.72. Among the other high earners were Green Party councillor Erika Doyle, who received 9,729.60, and Labours Paul OBrien who took home 9,263.51. Cllr OBrien, who was Cathaoirleach of the council until June, was also reimbursed 2,094.85 for a trip abroad between March 13 and 19. As council chair, he represented Wicklow during the St Patricks Day festivities in New York. Fine Gael councillor Melanie Corrigan, who replaced Cllr OBrien as chair of the council in June, claimed 8,097.40. Cllr OBrien separately received 1,107.13 for travel expenses to Wurzburg in Germany as part of a county delegation to celebrate a partnership agreement between the city of Wurzburg and Bray that has been in place for more than 25 years. Cllr Stokes and Cllr Patsy Glennon were also part of the delegation between May 8 and 11 and received 1,186.02 and 872.27 respectively in travel expenses. Jason Mulhall. Councillors Peir Leonard and Gerry ONeill were among the other highest independent members compensated with sums of 7,834.04 and 7,378.68. respectively, followed by Cllr Tom Fortune with 6,286.74. At the lower end of the list are councillors John Snell, Shane Langrell and Graham Richmond ,who claimed 4,457.74, 4,629.94 and 4,981.24 respectively. Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy, who unexpectedly resigned from local politics in March, was paid 2,054.03 up to the end of June, with a final payment of 691.29 transferred in May. Her former district colleague, Sinn Feins Dermot Daisy OBrien, also resigned from his council seat in January 2026. Up to the end of 2025 he vouched for expenses totalling 9,176.14. Meanwhile 11,846.06 was paid to allow elected members to attend a variety of workshops, seminars and conferences across the country. The highest individual bill came to 2,715.26 to allow Cllr Paul OBrien to attend engagements with the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG). Cllr Glennon received the second highest subsidy of 2,451.58 to attend seminars hosted by the AILG. Councillors Avril Cronin, Graham Richmond, Ned Whelan and Warren OToole were also reimbursed for their attendance at events hosted by the AILG in various locations with a combined total cost of 5,418.92. Cllr Shane Langrell also received 718.81 to attend the Local Authority Members Associations spring conference in Kilkenny. Councillors with the highest overall payments were those with elevated allowance totals, rather than those who attended the most conferences. For example, councillors Stapleton, Mulhall, Stokes, and Daisy OBrien each exceeded 9,00011,800 in allowances alone, despite them claiming no conference expenses. By comparison, the highest conference claimant, Cllr Pat Kennedy, recorded 2,715.26 in expenses significantly lower than the top allowance recipients. When you view allowances and conference expenses together, a clear pattern emerges; statutory allowances account for most of councillors remuneration, with conference spending representing a relatively small proportion of overall costs. For some financial context, the local authoritys adopted budget in 2025 allocated approximately 163,000 for standard member expenses and 300,586 for annual allowances. These figures are separate from the core 28,145 annual salary received by each elected member. Wicklow councillor payments in 2025 are broadly in line with previous years, but still far below the total remuneration seen in 2023. In 2023, elected member payments reached 979,462.84, making it one of the highest recent years for total expenditure. This figure reflects a full year of allowances and travel subsistence. Conference attendance in 2023 was also higher than in later years, with more councillors choosing to participate in AILG training modules. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme Several roads remain closed and awaiting repairs following flooding A Status Orange weather warning for Wicklow expired early this morning at 9am, but authorities are warning that flooding risks remain as rainfall continues to move through river catchments and coastal conditions stay hazardous. A small craft warning remains in place for all Wicklow coasts until 3pm today, with strong easterly winds expected to generate waves and swell. While the next high tide is due shortly after 2pm, it is forecast to be lower than Thursdays tide, which caused widespread coastal flooding. On Thursday, a combination of big spring tides and strong easterly winds led to wave overtopping and flooding in all of Wicklows coastal towns. Harbours and promenades became no-go areas as sea conditions deteriorated, with debris left strewn along seafronts. Rainfall over the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains is now expected to continue flowing into rivers and low-lying areas over the next 24 to 48 hours. Officials say the full impact of this runoff may not become clear until later today and into early tomorrow. Met Eireann meteorologist Mark Bowe told RTE Radio 1s Morning Ireland that while rain has begun to ease, last night was very, very wet. The end of the warnings will mark the end of the persistent and heavy rain, but flooding risks will continue into today, he said. Up to 80mm of rain is expected to fall over a 36-hour period, meaning some parts of Leinster will have received more than 210mm of rainfall in just 11 days. Read more Heavy rain continues in some areas as flood risk remains; Council calls gardai after sandbags removed The ESB has warned that water releases from the Poulaphouca reservoir may be necessary due to surging water levels and is liaising with the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) in an effort to minimise downstream flooding in Kildare and Dublin. Local authorities have said the situation has been worsened by high spring tides and a lingering storm surge. The NECG is due to meet today at midday. Wicklow County Council crews have been assessing conditions across the county following overnight rainfall. Minor flooding was reported on the N11, where Transport Infrastructure Ireland maintenance teams remain on site clearing water from the roadway. Although the Orange warning has now been lifted, road conditions in several areas remain affected and motorists are being urged to exercise caution and follow all signage currently in place. Several road closures and traffic disruptions remain in place across Wicklow. Read more Heavy rain continues in some areas as flood risk remains; Council calls gardai after sandbags removed In the Bray Municipal District, the 21 Bends to Enniskerry is reduced to one lane, with stop/go traffic management currently in operation. In the Tinahely area, several roads remain closed due to structural damage caused by recent weather conditions. These include the L7251 Gowle Road between Killabeg and Clonmore in Coolkenna, the L7245 Ballynultagh Road between Shillelagh and Ballynultagh, the L7740 Killinure to Money Road in Coolkenna, and the L7235 Money to Parkbridge Road at Moylisha and Newry. The L7744 Tomnafinoge Road in Coolboy, the L7233 Ballard Cross to Boley Road in Shillelagh, and Ballysilloge Lane in Knockananna also remain closed. Samuel Hayes Pedestrian Bridge in Rathdrum is closed due to flooding. Along the coast, Bray Promenade, Bray Harbour and the Wicklow Seafront remain closed as debris clearance works continue. Members of the public are being asked to avoid these areas until further notice. Wicklow County Council says it will continue to monitor conditions closely. A family-owned car dealership in west Wicklow has been appointed as an official Isuzu dealer, bringing their popular 4x4 pickup range to customers across Wicklow, Kildare and beyond. Operating from a modern premises in Blessington Business Park, J Kelly Motors serves customers right across Leinster and their appointment strengthens Isuzus presence in an important region for agriculture, construction and trade customers who rely on capable 4x4 vehicles. J Kelly Motors will support the Isuzu D-Max range with sales, advanced diagnostics, and full-service maintenance, delivered with fast turnaround times by Isuzu-trained technicians using approved parts and proactive maintenance scheduling. The dealership employs 10 staff and operates from a 300sqm showroom with space for up to eight vehicles, a fully-equipped workshop with five service bays/lifts and a dedicated parts department with strong stockholding capacity. Customers benefit from a comfortable waiting area and on-site sales offices, underpinning a professional yet personal experience. We are delighted to add Isuzu to our business, said dealer principal Jason Kelly. Our customers want vehicles that work as hard as they do. Farmers, builders and rural professionals they demand reliability, durability, towing capacity and robust off-road capability exactly what the D-Max offers, all at an affordable price and a five-year warranty. Isuzus reputation for dependability fits perfectly with our own values and the needs of our customer base, so introducing D-Max, from utility models through to lifestyle with premium trims, is a natural next step for us and for our customers. Managing director at Isuzu Ireland Karl Haughton, added: J Kelly Motors brings exactly the kind of technical expertise, integrity and community focus that we look for in our network. A family-run ethos, long-standing reputation, and strong understanding of local agricultural and construction needs, make them an ideal partner to represent the Isuzu brand in Wicklow and the wider region. The Kelly familys motor trade story began in 1978, when John Kelly opened Mountain View Motors in Ballinascorney, before relocating in 2007 to a purpose-built greenfield site in Blessington to become J Kelly Motors, expanding both facilities and its customer base. Today, the business remains family-run, with John Kelly as MD overseeing operations and managing the workshop and aftersales, Jason as dealer principal and sales director, and their wives, Marie and Audrey, involved in daily operations. Their family values extend into the community through support for local schools, clubs and Blessington Tidy Towns. Isuzu vehicles are distributed in Ireland through the Harris Group; Irelands largest privately owned commercial vehicle distributor. Some schools closed and tankers sent to flooded housing estates in Co Louth Crews from Louth County Council are responding to a number of areas in Dundalk that are flooded following extreme rainfall overnight. Tankers have been sent to housing estates including Cluan Enda, Bay Estate and Blackwater Court, which have been flooded once again, although the water levels aren't as high as they were after Storm Chandra. Cllr Robert Nash, Cathaoirleach of Dundalk Municipal District said the town "seems to have got away relatively unscathed this time" noting that other areas that had been impacted previously were unaffected this time. "The school in Bay Estate was able to open this morning as there was no flooding at Hazel Wood Drive." Council crews had been on standby last night and sandbags had been delivered to residents and businesses in vulnerable areas. The sea had topped defences at Blackrock during Thursday's high tide and the street had been closed to traffic again last night. Meanwhile, primary schools across the Cooley peninsula in north Louth remain closed today as the county remains under an Orange weather alter until 12pm. Local councillor Antoin Watters said that flooding in the area was not as bad as had been expected although communities were still on edge with another high tide due this afternoon. "We're starting from a very bad place as water levels are so high and the land is waterlogged." "There were a few places that had problems and Council crews are already out clearing roads and drains in places around Carlingford and Omeath, Anaverna and Ballymakellet." Sandbags had been delivered to areas iof Carlingford, including Trinity Close and Thosel Street, Omeath and Bellurgan that have been flooded during previous storms. The Louth Weather Facebook page reported that Dundalk and the western end of the county had around 25mm yesterday and that the highest totals were at Ravensdale at 65mm, with another 25-30mm is expected today (Friday). Louth County Councils Severe Weather Assessment Team (SWAT) met on Friday morning to assess ongoing conditions across the county. While no major overnight incidents were reported in several areas, crews continue to respond to localised flooding, debris and storm damage. In Drogheda and South Louth, no major incidents were reported overnight. There is localised flooding on one side of the Marsh Road, though it remains passable. Wellington Quay is expected to flood at high tide at 2.11pm on Friday, with wave heights forecast to reach 4.54 metres. There were no major reports in the Ardee and Mid Louth area. Minor flooding on Hale Street in Ardee has since been addressed and crews removed a fallen tree on the R169. In a disappointing development, three one-tonne sandbags placed on the N2 Drogheda Road in Ardee to divert running water away from nearby properties were stolen overnight. Washed-up debris was also cleared from the Port Road. Members of the public are being urged to remain vigilant for debris on roads, avoid floodwater and adhere to all signage in relation to road closures. Residents are also encouraged to monitor Met Eireann weather updates and check the Louth County Council website and social media channels for up-to-date information on road closures, flooding and community alerts. An Emergency Response Payment is available to support households living in properties directly affected by flooding. To date, one application has been made in Co Louth. An Emergency Humanitarian Flooding Scheme is also open for small businesses, community, voluntary and sporting organisations impacted by flooding. Margaret Roddy and Katie Finnegan Authorities in the Japanese city of Fujiyoshida have decided to cancel a long-running spring cherry blossom festival at one of the countrys most photographed Mount Fuji viewpoints after residents raised concerns about overcrowding and disruptive tourist behaviour. The city government in Yamanashi prefecture said on 3 February that it would not stage the annual Arakurayama Sengen Park Cherry Blossom Festival this year. The festival, which has been organised for about a decade, typically draws around 200,000 visitors who come to photograph Mount Fuji framed by blooming cherry blossoms and a five-storey pagoda. Authorities said the number of tourists had surged in recent years, fuelled by a weaker yen and the viral popularity of scenic locations on social media. Now, nearly 10,000 people pass through the area every day during peak blossom season a volume that the small community says it can no longer comfortably manage. Japan welcomed a record number of foreign tourists last year, with arrivals surpassing 40 million for the first time. Fujiyoshida city representatives pointed to a growing list of resident complaints for the cancellation, describing nuisance behaviour that was affecting daily life. Authorities cited sanitation issues among the most serious problems, including cases of visitors entering private homes to use toilets, relieving themselves in residential yards, and causing confrontations when challenged, according to Kyodo News. Safety worries have also emerged, particularly from families living nearby. According to the city, parents have reported children being pushed aside on school routes as large crowds gather along narrow pavements to reach popular photo spots. There are numerous cherry trees inside the Arakurayama Sengen Park, including a few around the Arakura Fuji Sengen Shrine at the entrance. It provides a picturesque frame for tourists to capture Mount Fuji and the cherry blossoms. Fujiyoshida mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said the decision reflected growing anxiety among residents about balancing tourism with community life. I feel a deep sense of crisis as I witness the reality that, behind this beautiful scenery, the quiet lives of our citizens are being threatened, he said. Japans enthusiasm for welcoming more tourists has not been without challenges, not least concerns about overtourism. In some cases, inappropriate behaviour by visitors or cultural misunderstandings has caused friction with local communities. Popular destinations like Kyoto have faced particularly intense pressure. Residents have pointed to worsening traffic congestion, longer queues, and disruption to daily life. Although the festival will not take place as an official event and will not be promoted under its usual name on tourism platforms officials expect visitor numbers to remain high when cherry blossoms bloom in April. Preparations are underway to handle the influx, with officials planning to step up security and establish temporary car parks and portable toilet facilities to reduce pressure on neighbourhoods. The Arakurayama Sengen Park is one of the most popular viewing points for Mount Fuji, especially in the spring season when long queues, sometimes lasting up to three hours, form as travellers wait to capture images of the mountain behind the pagoda and pink blossoms. Im sorry for appointing Mandelson as US envoy and believing his lies on Epstein, says Keir Starmer Prime minister apologises to victims, but puts blame on vetting process Prime minister Keir Starmer said he is "sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and having appointed him" as British ambassador to Washington. Photo: PA Athena Stavrou, Kate Devlin and Millie Cooke UK Independent Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 06:30 UK prime minister Keir Starmer has said he is sorry for believing Peter Mandelsons lies and appointing him as ambassador to the US as he tries to weather the crisis that has threatened to end his premiership. Catastrophe for Vladimir Putins troops as Starlink internet terminals deactivated Ukraine defence minister said Russian terminals have been blocked after working with Elon Musks SpaceX A Ukrainian serviceman prepares a Starlink satellite internet system at his position on the front line in the Donetsk region. Photo: Reuters Tom Balmforth Reuters Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 06:30 Starlink internet terminals used by Russian troops in Ukraine have been deactivated, Kyiv said yesterday, disrupting assault operations in what one official said was a big setback for Moscow. Ukraine and Russia carry out prisoner swap after US-brokered talks Progress made as both sides agree to another meeting in the near future Russian servicemen with Russian national flags after returning from captivity. Photo: AP Olena Harmash Reuters Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 06:30 Ukraine and Russia concluded a second round of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi yesterday aimed at ending Europes biggest conflict since World War II, with the two sides conducting a major prisoner swap and agreeing to resume negotiations soon. Pakistani security officers and rescue worker gather at the site of a bomb explosion at a Shiite mosque (Anjum Naveed/AP) A massive bomb has ripped through a Shiite mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and wounding at least 169 others. Islamabad police said an investigation is under way into the attack at the sprawling mosque, as rescuers and witnesses said some of the wounded are in a critical condition. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the explosion but suspicion is likely to fall on militants such as the Pakistani Taliban or the Islamic State group, which has been blamed for previous attacks on Shiite worshippers, a minority in the country. Militants often target security forces and civilians across Pakistan. Though attacks are not so frequent in Islamabad, Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent months, largely blamed on Baloch separatist groups and the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which is a separate group, but allied with Afghanistan's Taliban. A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group has also been active in the country. Shortly after the explosion was first reported with a lower number of casualties, Islamabad deputy commissioner Irfan Memon gave the latest, much higher casualty tolls. President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in separate statements and extended condolences to the families of those killed. They instructed that all possible medical assistance be provided for those wounded. "Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity," Mr Zardari said. "The nation stands with the affected families in this difficult time." Mr Sharif said he has ordered a full investigation. "Those who are responsible must be identified and punished," he said. Pakistan's interior minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack, and asked authorities to ensure the provision of the best medical care to the wounded. Friday's attack occurred as Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on an official two-day visit, was attending an event with Mr Sharif. The event in Islamabad was several miles away from the site of the explosion. The previous deadliest attack in Islamabad was in 2008, when a suicide bombing targeted the Marriott Hotel in the capital, killing 63 people and wounding over 250 others. In November, a suicide bomber had struck outside a court in Islamabad, killing 12 people. The latest attack comes nearly a week after the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army carried out multiple attacks in insurgency-hit south-western Balochistan province, killing about 50 people. Security forces responding to those attacks also killed more than 200 "terrorists", according to the military. Iran and US start crucial talks in Oman over Tehran's nuclear programme Iran wants Friday's negotiations to focus on the nuclear issues US concerned over Iran's missiles, support for proxies Washington has significant naval buildup in the region Talks follow bloody government crackdown on protesters in Iran Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, arrives in Muscat, Oman, for negotiations with the US. Photo: AP Parisa Hafezi, Steve Holland and Humeyra Pamuk Reuters Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 09:22 Iran and the United States started high-stakes negotiations in Oman on Friday in efforts to overcome sharp differences over Tehran's nuclear programme, but a dispute over widening the agenda risks derailing diplomacy and triggering another Middle East conflict. Most in US dont believe Trump administrations account of Alex Pretti death, poll shows The divide over shooting is sharply partisan, with 93pc of Democrats saying they dont trust US governments account Donald Trump bows his head during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC yesterday. Photo: AP Harry Cockburn UK Independent Fri 6 Feb 2026 at 06:30 A clear majority of Americans say they do not trust the Trump administrations explanation for the fatal shooting of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti. Director and actor Timothy Busfield at the Bernalillo County Courthouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photo: Sam Wasson/Getty Images. Timothy Busfield, the US actor and director known for his role in The West Wing, was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on charges of child sex abuse, the prosecutor's office in Albuquerque announced on Friday. Busfield surrendered to authorities on January 13 after Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman filed a criminal complaint accusing the actor of abusing twin boys over two years of production of the Fox crime drama The Cleaning Lady, when the boys were seven or eight years old. The boys are now 11. The 68-year-old actor, in a video recorded before he surrendered, said the charges against him were "lies," and that he would be exonerated. A judge ordered Busfield to be released from jail about a week later, ruling there was insufficient evidence for pre-trial detention. Busfield could not immediately be reached for comment. His defence lawyer, Christopher Dodd, did not respond to queries. Allowing prosecutors to proceed to a trial, a grand jury voted to indict Busfield on Thursday on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, a third-degree felony in New Mexico. The indictment was not yet public on Friday morning, but the district attorney's original criminal complaint said Busfield abused the twin boys while filming "The Cleaning Lady" in Albuquerque, the state's biggest city. Busfield was an executive producer of the show, and also the director of some episodes. Busfield is famous for his prime-time television roles as a White House reporter on the NBC political drama "The West Wing," which ran from 1999 to 2006, and as an advertising agency executive on the 1980s ABC ensemble series "Thirtysomething." He is married to Melissa Gilbert, an actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. US to Reduce Tariffs on Indian Exports Within Days: Indias Commerce Minister A sharp rollback of US tariffs on Indian exports, from 50 percent to 18 percent, is expected within days, triggering the first phase of a broader India-US trade partnership. However, the US has reportedly set an ambitious procurement target of US$500 billion for India, and uncertainties around execution timelines and regulatory clarity continue to raise questions about the trade agreement implementation. The United States (US) is set to sharply reduce tariffs on Indian exports within the next four to five days, following the signing of a joint statement under a bilateral trade framework, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on February 5, 2026. Once the joint statement is issued, the US will cut additional duties on Indian goods from 50 percent to 18 percent through an executive order by US President Donald Trump. These additional tariffs had been imposed earlier and included: 25 percent reciprocal duties; and 25 percent penalties linked to Indias purchase of oil from Russia. India, in turn, will begin reducing tariffs on select American imports after mid-March, Indias commerce minister has confirmed. First phase of India-US trade partnership According to the commerce minister, the joint statement by the two countries will formally trigger the first phase of the India-US trade partnership, with the tariff rollback on Indian exports taking effect immediately after its issuance. While US tariff reductions are being implemented through executive action, Indias tariff adjustments will follow a different legal route, as they are governed by Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff commitments and require formal authorization. Formal trade agreement timeline Alongside the joint statement, officials from both countries are drafting a formal legal agreement, which is expected to take four to six weeks to finalize. Indias Commerce Secretary, Rajesh Agrawal, has said the agreement is likely to be signed by mid-March of 2026 and will provide India with the legal basis to reduce import duties on US goods. He noted that unlike US executive tariffs, Indias tariff reductions require a statutory framework. Indias current stance on investment commitments Goyal clarified that India has not committed to investing in the US as part of the trade arrangement. This clarification followed comments from the White House suggesting India would invest $500 billion in the US. According to the minister, the reference appears to have stemmed from a misunderstanding. Under the framework, India has agreed only to purchase up to US$500 billion worth of goods from the US over five years, not to make direct investments. Planned purchases from the US Indias proposed purchases from the US would span several sectors, including: Energy, Technology, Agriculture, Coal, and Industrial goods. Goyal said Indias rapid economic growth will naturally drive higher demand for energy, data center equipment, and information and communication technology products, creating significant sourcing opportunities from the US. Potential boeing aircraft orders under the US-India trade deal India is reportedly considering large-scale aircraft purchases from Boeing, with potential orders valued at up to US$80 billion, as part of a broader US-India trade understanding, according to a CNBC report published on February 5, 2026. If India proceeds with these purchases, they would rank among the largest aviation procurement pipelines linked to a single country. Indias commerce minister stated that the estimate includes Boeing aircraft as well as engines, components, and spare parts, which could push Indias aviation-related imports from the US beyond US$100 billion. However, India has yet to clarify delivery schedules, funding structures, and the extent of firm commitments. Market observers also note that this aviation demand forms part of a wider projection of US goods procurement under the trade package, which has attracted both strong interest and skepticism over its practical feasibility. Overall, the prospective aircraft tranche underscores the central role of civil aviation in Indias import strategy and illustrates how large-scale equipment purchases increasingly shape the evolving trade relationship between India and the US. Linking Indias data centre expansion with US sourcing The central government has pointed to recent budgetary incentives for data centers, suggesting that large-scale investments in this sector could further strengthen India-US trade relations. If India attracts US$100 billion-150 billion in data center investments, it would generate substantial demand for imported equipment, much of which could be sourced from the US, creating opportunities to align infrastructure development with trade strategy. ALSO READ: Budget 2026 Explainer: Tax Clarity and Incentives for Cloud, Data Centers & AI Players Supply chain diversification and resilience Indias global procurement currently exceeds US$300 billion annually and is projected to rise to US$2 trillion over the next five years, according to the commerce secretary. Sourcing US$500 billion worth of goods from the US during this period would help diversify Indias import base and enhance supply chain resilience without displacing existing trade relationships. Trade framework and outstanding issues On February 2, 2026, Trump announced that Washington and New Delhi had reached an understanding on a trade framework. The announcement came shortly after India concluded a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) on January 27, 2026. Under the India-US trade deal: the US plans to reduce tariffs on Indian exports to 18 percent; India is expected to lower duties on certain US goods; and India would significantly increase purchases of American products. However, Indian authorities have not officially confirmed several claims, including assertions that India would: Reduce tariffs on US goods to zero, or India will halt oil imports from Russia. Market size and practical constraints While analysts believe that India will expand its purchases from the US, they continue to question whether India can realistically achieve the US$500 billion procurement target. In FY 202425, India imported goods worth US$721.2 billion from all trading partners, of which imports from the US accounted for about US$45 billion. Experts point out that sourcing US$500 billion from the US alone would require India to significantly reconfigure its import mix. Indias Merchandise Goods Relations with the US (Value in US$ Million) FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 *FY 2025-26 (April-Dec.) Indias exports to the US 77,515.03 86,514.28 65,864.60 Indias imports from the US 42,195.49 45,625.20 39,432.24 Total trade 119,710.52 132,139.48 105,296.84 Source: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI. *For FY 202526, provisional merchandise trade data is available for the period AprilDecember 2025. The full-year figures will be revised and updated in the next financial year, i.e., FY 2026-27. Policy uncertainty and risks Trade experts have cautioned that the current arrangement remains a non-binding framework, subject to revision. They have pointed to past instances where tariff reductions announced by the US were later reversed, raising concerns about potential policy volatility and backtracking. Speaking without a formal introduction Image credit : Netflix | In Regency society, you did not simply walk up to someone and start a conversation Being alone together without a chaperone Image credit : Netflix | Benedict and Sophie repeatedly find themselves alone in corridors, staircases, and quiet corners Physical closeness that crossed polite limits Image credit : Netflix | Regency courtship allowed dancing, but with strict boundaries Using first names too freely The scandal of the staircase moment Image credit : Netflix | Premarital intimacy was officially condemned, even if it was more common than society admitted In Bridgerton season 4, the tension between Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie is not only romantic. It is social. Both fear that being seen together could destroy their reputations. What makes this fear ironic is that they have already crossed several Regency era lines long before they acknowledge their feelings.Their behaviour would have raised eyebrows in any ballroom in London. From how they speak to each other to where they meet and what they dare to do in private, Benedict and Sophie step over rules that governed courtship in the early nineteenth century. And they do it repeatedly, often without realising the danger.In Regency society, you did not simply walk up to someone and start a conversation. A mutual acquaintance had to introduce you properly. Without that ritual, speaking directly could be seen as rude or forward.Benedict and Sophie ignore this completely. They begin talking naturally, almost casually, as if they are modern strangers at a party. For the time, this would have looked improper, especially because Sophie is from a lower social standing. Their very first exchanges quietly break a rule that mattered deeply in polite society.In Bridgerton, being alone with an unmarried person of the opposite sex is treated like a serious risk. While history suggests it was not always as dramatic as shown, it was still considered unsafe for a womans reputation.Benedict and Sophie repeatedly find themselves alone in corridors, staircases, and quiet corners. No chaperone. No witness. If anyone had seen them, rumours would have started instantly. Even innocent conversation in private spaces could have damaged Sophies standing.Regency courtship allowed dancing, but with strict boundaries. Gloves were worn for a reason. Direct skin contact was intimate. Prolonged closeness suggested familiarity that society did not approve of before marriage.Benedict and Sophie share moments that go far beyond a formal dance. Their proximity, their touch, and their comfort around each other would have been read as deeply inappropriate. These are gestures reserved for couples who are already engaged, not two people pretending they are nothing to each other.Formality defined relationships in the Regency era. People addressed each other by title and surname unless they were family or very close.Sophie mostly calls him Mr Bridgerton. Benedict, however, calls her Sophie with surprising ease. That choice signals intimacy. In that time, using a first name was personal and suggestive. To onlookers, it would have hinted that their relationship had already crossed into emotional territory far beyond polite acquaintance.Premarital intimacy was officially condemned, even if it was more common than society admitted. For aristocratic circles like the Bridgertons, such behaviour would have caused serious scandal.What Benedict and Sophie share on the staircase is the kind of moment that, if discovered, could have forced a marriage or led to social exile. It is the clearest example of how far they have already stepped outside acceptable behaviour. Social media users are deliberately overanalysing ordinary scenes and calling them Peak Detailing by Aditya Dhar. The joke is simple. Take any random moment from the film and describe it as if it carries deep hidden meaning. The result has turned Dhurandhar into an unexpected meme festival. How the peak detailing by Aditya Dhar joke began Image credit : X/@filmupdates | When Dhurandhar released in late 2025, many viewers praised director Aditya Dhar for his sharp eye for detail and grounded spy storytelling In this scene in Dhurandhar, Hamza is eating a Pakistani dish where he feels salt is less. But he knows if he asks for salt his identity will be compromised. So he cries and mixes the salty water in the dish to make it perfect . Peak detailing by Aditya Dhar pic.twitter.com/QzlekWL7sH UmdarTamker (@UmdarTamker) February 4, 2026 When Dhurandhar released in late 2025, many viewers praised director Aditya Dhar for his sharp eye for detail and grounded spy storytelling. Months later, that same praise has turned into one of the funniest meme trends on the Indian internet. What started as genuine appreciation for subtle visual clues and cultural references has now become full blown satire.Social media users are deliberately overanalysing ordinary scenes and calling them Peak Detailing by Aditya Dhar. The joke is simple. Take any random moment from the film and describe it as if it carries deep hidden meaning. The result has turned Dhurandhar into an unexpected meme festival.Early viewers genuinely admired how Dhar built atmosphere in Dhurandhar. Small things stood out. Colour choices. Body language. The way Hamza prepares a drink slowly before a tense moment. The use of patience and observation as themes through the film. There's no scene in Dhurandar where hamza is eating Biryani despite being in Pakistan, because he knows that the best biryani is found in Kolkata and not in Pakistan. Peak detailing by Aditya dhar #Dhurandhar pic.twitter.com/wWVYPLN9Ug Stupidsama (@stupidsama) February 5, 2026 People flipped from admiration to mockery Image credit : Netflix | Viewers pointed out how Ranveer Singhs character easily passes as a local in Lyari In this scene in #Dhurandhar, Yalina tells the photographer "eh chacha, teri ammi ki karaon dusri shaadi" which indicated that there will be 2 parts to Dhurandhar. Peak detailing by Aditya Dhar. pic.twitter.com/bk59UoXyUW Avinash Raina (@AviRaina) February 5, 2026 The funniest Peak Detailing by Aditya Dhar memes going viral In this scene from Dhurandhar, Hamza and Yalina are getting married. Hamza invites his inner circle to the wedding, his friend Uzair, his boss Rehman Dakait, their associate Major Iqbal, and their partner Javed Khanani...and they even pose for a photo together But if you look pic.twitter.com/cXz8MtquPH PrinCe (@Prince8bx) February 3, 2026 Insane detailing! Everything is connected, we werent aware of your game. Bravo, Aditya Dhar. pic.twitter.com/PQfziK50f3 (@mohbhangpiya) January 3, 2026 In this scene they clearly Headley's Heterochromic eyes by focusing on his face. This depicts that Hamza is not who he seems. Furthermore, Aditya Dhar knew that netflix will change the colour grading from the cinematic print of the movie. Peak detailing by Dhar https://t.co/RabvqixnRP pic.twitter.com/AuibUlzzBF GG (@ape2307) February 5, 2026 Dhurandhar sequel teaser made the trend explode Image credit : X/@filmupdates | When the teaser for Dhurandhar 2 dropped, the meme trend doubled in speed Even Aditya Dhar has reacted if aditya dhar and yami gautam have a baby boy, they will name him "DHURAN", so they can call him "Dhuran Dhar". peak detailing by aditya dhar saab. pic.twitter.com/M3G3fp5BLe desi sigma (@desisigma) February 4, 2026 'Peak detailing moment' trend lives on This is not just trolling. It shows how audiences today interact with films beyond watching them. Dhurandhar has become part of internet meme culture. Instead of heated debates, people chose humour to express both admiration and criticism. The film has gained a second life online. Many are rewatching scenes just to create new jokes. One user on Reddit said, I am rewatching Dhurandhar not for the story but to find Peak Detailing moments. That says everything. This is not just trolling. It shows how audiences today interact with films beyond watching them. Dhurandhar has become part of internet meme culture. Instead of heated debates, people chose humour to express both admiration and criticism. The film has gained a second life online. Many are rewatching scenes just to create new jokes.One user on Reddit said, I am rewatching Dhurandhar not for the story but to find Peak Detailing moments. That says everything. One user on X said, Look how Hamza makes juice calmly before the mission. This is Dhar showing sabr and nazar without saying it loudly. These posts were serious. People felt Dhar had layered the film carefully, much like his earlier work in Uri. But once Dhurandhar landed on Netflix and a wider audience began rewatching scenes, the tone changed.Viewers started noticing plot gaps, exaggerated realism and slightly awkward moments. That is when the phrase Peak Detailing by Aditya Dhar stopped being praise and became a punchline.The shift happened because the internet loves exaggeration. When too many people began crediting every small movement as genius, others joined in to make fun of that habit.Viewers pointed out how Ranveer Singhs character easily passes as a local in Lyari. Some joked about stiff expressions from supporting actors. Others felt parts of Pakistan shown in the film looked like they were imagined from forwarded messages rather than lived reality.One user on X wrote, Hamza blending in perfectly is Peak Detailing by Aditya Dhar because nobody in Lyari questions anything ever. The joke was born. Instead of arguing seriously, people chose humour. They used the same praise format to highlight what they felt were flaws.Here is where the trend truly shines. The memes have become more creative and more absurd by the day. A viral post read, The title card says Dhurandhar because the movie name is Dhurandhar. Peak Detailing by Aditya Dhar.Another joked, A character breathes in a scene. Peak writing by Aditya Dhar. One meme claimed Hamza avoids biryani in Pakistan because the best biryani is in Kolkata. Peak detailing by Aditya Dhar.'A user said a character picking up two objects in one frame was Dhar hinting there will be Dhurandhar 2. Someone pointed out a background shop named Washma Butt and called it Dhar secretly planting meme culture inside the film.A Reddit post joked that Hamza watching a 3D movie without glasses shows how adults understand cinema better. One user on X said, At this point Dhar himself must be confused what masterpiece he accidentally created.When the teaser for Dhurandhar 2 dropped, the meme trend doubled in speed. People went back to the first film to find clues for the sequel.Suddenly, every dialogue line, every eye movement, every prop in the background became supposed proof that Dhar had planned two films from the start.One user on X wrote, Ranveer opens both eyes in this shot. Two eyes. Dhurandhar 2 confirmed. Peak Detailing by Aditya Dhar. The humour works because everyone knows it is nonsense. That shared understanding makes it funnier.Aditya Dhar has responded to some discussions online, especially around technical aspects like weapon handling and realism. His calm replies added more fuel to the joke. Trumps stance on US military power What is the new START treaty? Russias response and offer Image credit : X/Maga_Trigger | US President Donald Trump Trumps push to include China Image credit : X/Maga_Trigger | US President Donald Trump turned down Russias proposal to extend the New START treaty US President Donald Trump on Thursday declined an offer from Russian President Vladimir Putin to voluntarily extend the limits on strategic nuclear weapons after the expiration of the landmark New START treaty. In a social media post, Trump criticized the deal and suggested that the United States should instead develop a new, improved, and modernized treaty to last into the future.In his statement, Trump positioned the issue within the broader context of American military strength. He highlighted the reconstruction of the US armed forces during his first term and ongoing expansions, stating, The United States is the most powerful Country in the World. I completely rebuilt its Military in my First Term, including new and many refurbished nuclear weapons.He also cited the establishment of the Space Force and naval upgrades, claiming that new battleships are 100 times more powerful than the ones that roamed the Seas during World War II, including the Iowa and Missouri vessels. Trump further stated that he has prevented nuclear conflicts globally, mentioning Pakistan and India, Iran and Israel, and Russia and Ukraine.Signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the New START treaty limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems for both countries. Its expiration removes these constraints for the first time in over 50 years, raising concerns among arms control experts about the potential for a renewed nuclear arms race.Russia had already suspended participation in February 2023, citing an inability to allow US inspections amid NATOs stated goal of defeating Russia in Ukraine. The treatys lapse leaves no legally binding caps on the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals, fuelling fears of unconstrained arms development.Despite the expiration, Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered last year to maintain treaty limits for an additional year if Washington agreed.Trump ignored this proposal and stressed the need for China to be part of any new agreement, a suggestion Beijing has repeatedly rejected. Putin recently discussed the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping, noting the lack of US response and pledging that Russia will act responsibly based on security analyses. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the treatys lapse as negative but emphasized Russias continued commitment to stability and national interests regarding nuclear weapons.Trump has consistently indicated that future arms control agreements must include China due to the countrys rapidly growing nuclear arsenal.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that without Beijings participation, modern arms control is unfeasible. During his first term, Trump attempted to establish a three-way nuclear pact with Russia and China, which Beijing declined, arguing that its nuclear forces are much smaller and urging Washington to resume talks directly with Russia. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated, Chinas nuclear forces are not at all on the same scale as those of the US and Russia, and thus China will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at the current stage.Trump rejects Russias extension offer, calling for a modern nuclear pact including China, emphasizing US military strength and control. A high-ranking Greek Air Force officer has been arrested inside a military facility and faces espionage charges for allegedly transmitting classified NATO operational plans to China, Greek authorities have confirmed. The 50-year-old colonel, who commanded a unit in the coastal district of Kavouri, is accused of using specialized encryption software to transfer a large volume of sensitive data to foreign handlers. According to military officials, the arrest took place early Thursday following a monthslong surveillance operation triggered by a tip from a foreign intelligence service. The suspect was detained in the presence of a military prosecutor and has reportedly confessed to the charges. Investigators allege the officer had access to restricted archives and was actively attempting to recruit other personnel to widen the breach. State broadcaster ERT reported that the leaked material included critical details on air defense systems and NATO regional strategy. "The arrest followed clear indications of criminal acts namely the collection and transmission of classified military information to third parties," the Hellenic National Defense General Staff said in a statement. The case marks a major security lapse for the NATO member state and comes as Western allies heighten vigilance against Chinese intelligence activities. The officer remains in custody pending further judicial review. iefimerida.gr Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has pledged a "fully transparent" investigation into a deadly migrant boat collision off Chios, moving to address the tragedy just days before a high-stakes summit in Turkey. In an interview with Foreign Policy, Mr. Mitsotakis defended the Greek Coast Guards record but promised strict accountability regarding the Tuesday crash between a patrol vessel and a smuggler's speedboat that left 15 people dead. "I commit that the investigation will be conducted with full transparency," Mr. Mitsotakis said. He described the incident as a tragedy caused by smugglers operating unseaworthy vessels, while reiterating his administration's "tough but fair" policy on asylum and deportation. The pledge comes as the Prime Minister prepares to travel to Ankara on Feb. 11 to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Despite the flare-up in the Aegean, Mr. Mitsotakis signaled a desire for stability, emphasizing that the neighbors sole legal dispute concerns maritime zones. "Geography is not going to change," Mr. Mitsotakis noted, pointing to successful confidence-building measures like the express visa program for Turkish tourists. Addressing energy security, Mr. Mitsotakis highlighted Greeces pivot to becoming a regional hub, citing the "Vertical Corridor" gas infrastructure project and ongoing exploration partnerships with U.S. energy giants Chevron and Exxon. iefimerida.gr A 45-year-old man accused of acting as a mule for a transnational drug ring was arrested at Athens International Airport after customs officers discovered nearly 33 kilograms of high-potency cannabis concealed in his luggage. The suspect, a foreign national whose identity was not released, was detained Wednesday afternoon by the Organized Crime Directorates Anti-Narcotics unit. He had just arrived on a flight from Thailand , a route increasingly flagged by European authorities for illicit narcotics traffic. Acting on intelligence and behavioral profiling, officers intercepted the man in the arrivals hall. A search of his suitcases revealed 31 vacuum-sealed nylon packages containing a total of 32.6 kilograms (72 pounds) of unprocessed hydroponic cannabis, commonly known as "skunk." Police seized the drugs and the suspects mobile phone, which investigators hope will yield leads on the broader distribution network operating within Greece. The arrest highlights a shifting trend in smuggling dynamics, with organized crime groups increasingly utilizing commercial air travel to move premium-grade cannabis into Southern Europe. The suspect faces felony drug trafficking charges and has been referred to the public prosecutor. iefimerida.gr The prosecutor, Dimitris Pavlidis, demanded the conviction of the four accused in the wiretap case involving the illegal Predator software, during his lengthy speech before the Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Athens. Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe, has dismissed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as irrelevant in the states political space, describing it as a party of gay people. Tenebe also brushed aside claims by former APC National Chairman and former Edo State governor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegunwho has defected to the ADCthat the ruling party was in panic over the opposition partys growing influence. Tenebe, speaking during an interview on PFm TV in a viral video on social media, said the ADC posed no threat to the APC in Edo State, insisting that the ruling party remained firmly in control and focused on membership expansion and electoral mobilisation. Advertisement I dont think we have anything to do with them because they are not a threat. Maybe they were a threat before, but they are not a threat now, Tenebe said. Do you use a sledgehammer to kill an ant? We dont do that. The APC chairman attributed recent criticisms from the ADC to what he described as internal crises within the opposition party, including alleged disputes over its state secretariat. If they are directing the crisis they have within their party, which possibly affected their fighting and has to do with their secretariat, they should check themselves. APC is a disciplined and focused party, he said. Tenebe said the APC was currently preoccupied with electronic registration of members, noting that several political parties were collapsing into the ruling party both in Edo State and across the country. Right now, we are doing e-registration because a lot of parties have collapsed into APC. Our membership strength has grown beyond what we even imagined, he said. He went further to question the presence and structure of the ADC in Edo State, claiming that only a few prominent individuals were associated with the party. We dont even know whether ADC exists in Edo State. The only people I know in ADC here are John Odigie-Oyegun and Oserheimen Osunbor. Those are the tired leaders I know, Tenebe said. The APC chairman also alleged that the two former APC leaders, Odigie-Oyegun and Osunbor, owed outstanding party dues from their time in the ruling party. When they were members of APC and achieved everything they achieved, they never paid dues. We have calculated those dues and they are huge. Very soon, we will visit them to come and pay that money, he said. Reaffirming his loyalty to President Bola Tinubu, Tenebe restated his earlier pledge to deliver 3.5 million votes for the President, insisting that nothing would be allowed to stand in the way. We promised 3.5 million votes to the President. If my hand will be an impediment, I will cut it off. If it is my head, I will cut it off, he said. Tenebe also praised the performance of APC governors, particularly in Edo State, saying their achievements were strengthening the partys electoral prospects. When you see a governor performing from the first year, you already know what to expect. What the governor is doing is campaigning for us, he said, drawing parallels with Lagos State, which he described as a model of sustained APC governance. He concluded by warning opposition parties against what he described as attempts to distract the ruling party, insisting that APC had taken over the state and was not prepared to relinquish power. They should face their own problems and leave us. This state will remain with APC for a very long time, Tenebe added. Watch video below: https://twitter.com/i/status/2019680230521336026 Some Senators on Thursday accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of removing the passage of electronic transmission of election results from the electoral bill passed during proceeding on Wednesday. During a press conference on Thursday, the senators led by Enyinnaya Abaribe, Aminu Tambuwal, and Natasha Akpoti, insisted on retaining electronic transmission of election results in the electoral bill. Speaking during the press conference in a video seen by Peoples Gazette, Mr Abaribe said it was necessary to make a clarification on Wednesdays proceedings. Advertisement To put the records straight, the Senate did not pass the transfer of results which was in the 2022 Act. What we passed; and which the Senate President himself, when he was doing a clarification, sitting on his chair; is transmission of results. I can assure you on my honour and on the honour of all of us here, that both the electoral committee of the Senate and the ad-hoc committee of the Senate; and also in the executive session that we had, that we all agreed on Section 60(3) which is electronic transmission of results. Transmit, not transfer. What is in the 2022 act is transfer, and we dont want a law that is vague or can be misinterpreted. We want a law that is clear, concise, and can be interpreted by all and that is unambiguous, so, it is electronic transmission of results, Mr Abaribe said. The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday announced the passage of the Electoral Act, 2022 (Repeal & Enactment) Bill, 2026, while rejecting a proposed amendment to make electronic transmission of election results compulsory. The Senate, instead, announced the retainment of the 2022 framework, which mandates manual completion, signing, stamping, and distribution of results to party agents and security personnel, with results announced at polling units and transferred in a manner as prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), without mandating electronic transmission. Senators also rejected Clause 47, which sought to allow electronically-generated voter identification (such as downloadable voter cards with QR codes) for accreditation. The requirement to present a physical Permanent Voter Card (PVC) remains in place and the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) or other INEC-prescribed devices for verification was upheld. However, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Wednesday, refuted the claim that the Senate did not pass the electronic transmission of election results. He noted that the Senate retained Clause 60 relating to the electronic transmission of election results, as proposed. Mr Akpabio stated, The social media is already awash with the fact that the Senate has rejected electronic transmission. That is not true. Electronic transmission has always been in our hearts. And what we did was to retain the electronic transmission, which has been in our hearts, and which was used in 2020. So, please, do not allow people to confuse you. If you are in doubt, we will make our final votes and proceedings available to you if you apply and you are entitled, so that youll see. This Senate, under my watch, has not rejected electronic transmission of results. Its in my interest as a participant in the next election for such to be done. So, please dont go with the crowd. We have retained what was in the previous provision. Thats all we did. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the provision of residential houses for judges in Abuja, saying it is unrealistic to expect optimal performance from them without adequate welfare and decent accommodation. Mr Wike spoke on Thursday after a routine inspection of the ongoing construction of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal in Daki Biyu and the Judges Quarters in Katampe, Abuja. The minister stressed that democracy cannot thrive without a strong and independent judiciary. He insisted that the presidential intervention projects were aimed at strengthening the justice system rather than offering undue privileges. Advertisement You cant talk about democracy without talking about the judiciary, said Mr Wike. You also cant expect them to perform efficiently when they dont have befitting places to stay. Even when funds are released to the judiciary, it is still the executive that provides those funds. Mr Wike said President Bola Tinubu had directed the FCT Administration to address accommodation challenges faced by judges, including improving their working environment. According to the minister, the president has expressed particular concern about the welfare of the judiciary and the conditions under which judicial officers carry out their duties. The former Rivers State governor argued that providing decent accommodation would reduce distractions and improve productivity among judges, noting that similar welfare packages exist for other arms of government. There is nothing you would do that critics will not criticise. Before now, people complained that judges had nowhere to stay to do their work effectively, the minister said following the publics criticism of the project. Now that the government is providing accommodation, they say it is an attempt to buy them. How many people can you buy? the minister queried. According to him, a Court of Appeal division with a separate administrative headquarters is about 85-90 per cent complete. He added that 40 residential houses are being constructed for judges, comprising 20 for the FCT High Court, 10 for the Court of Appeal and 10 for the Federal High Court, while similar housing is planned for the National Industrial Court. Mr Wike also said official residences, tagged Houses of Courts, are being built for heads of courts, including the president of the Court of Appeal, the president of the National Industrial Court, and the chief judges of the federal and FCT High Courts. He, however, expressed optimism that the projects would be completed and handed over for inauguration by the president between June and July. Nigerian rapper Ycee has ignited intense backlash and debate online after sharing a deeply controversial statement directed at the current APC-led administration, ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a post that quickly went viral, the Jagaban crooner expressed extreme anger toward the ruling party, using language many have described as shocking, disturbing, and far beyond acceptable political criticism. I need them ALL publicly shamed, hung from the gallows, incarcerated, put down like rabid dogs, exiled from the land, firing squad, lethal injection, electric chair, wiped off the face of the earth and treated like the absolute cancer that they f&cking are. Advertisement The post immediately triggered widespread reactions across social media, with Nigerians split between those who see Ycees outburst as a raw expression of public frustration and others who insist the statement crosses a dangerous line into violent rhetoric. While dissatisfaction with governance, economic hardship, and rising insecurity has fueled strong political commentary among celebrities and citizens alike, critics argue that Ycees words go beyond protest and enter the realm of incitement. Several users called on public figures to be more responsible with their platforms, stressing that anger at leadership should never translate into calls for mass violence, regardless of political affiliation. Others, however, defended the rapper, saying his statement reflects the depth of despair many young Nigerians feel, even if his choice of words was extreme and unacceptable. Nollywood actor and skit maker, Ganiyu Kehinde Morufu, aka Ijoba Lande, has accused the police in Lagos of stealing his iPhone and brutalising him shortly after returning from the United Kingdom. Ijoba Lande made the allegation in a video on Instagram on Friday, claiming the incident occurred six days after he arrived in Nigeria. I came back from the UK six days ago and was attacked and beaten by police in Nigeria. They collected my iPhone 16 Pro Max and my brothers $1,200. I nearly lost my life, he wrote in the caption accompanying the video. Advertisement In the video posted online, the actor was seen bleeding from the eye and crying. Some individuals around him were seen pouring water on his face to calm him. Voices heard in the background of the video repeatedly mentioned Area J Police Station, suggesting the alleged assault was linked to the facility. The video also captured the actor at a location that appeared to be a police station, where he spoke with some individuals, suggesting he may have been attempting to lodge a formal complaint following the incident. Watch video here: https://x.com/i/status/2019710359817621862 Joash Amupitan, the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, has revealed that the 2027 elections timetable is ready while he urged political parties to intensify mobilisation of eligible voters across Abuja, ahead of the February 21 council election. He said this on Thursday in Abuja during the commissions regular quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties ahead of the election. Mr Amupitan advised party leaders to mobilise voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards. He warned political leaders and their supporters against hate speech, violence and vote-buying in the forthcoming election. Advertisement Political parties are indispensable partners in deepening electoral participation. I, therefore, urge you to intensify your efforts in mobilising residents across the FCT area councils to collect their PVCs, said Mr Amupitan. He said that with the distribution exercise set to conclude on Feb. 10, the goal must be to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised. Mr Amupitan charged the parties to provide leadership by sensitising their supporters to reject hate speech, violence, and the scourge of vote-buying. Let me be clear, vote-buying is a subversion of the democratic will and a violation of the law. Any individual or group found engaging in this practice will face the full weight of the law, Mr Amupitan said. Regarding the 2027 elections, Mr Amupitan reiterated INECs call on the National Assembly to expedite the ongoing amendment to ensure a stable legal environment well ahead of the polls. He said that the INEC had finalised the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general elections. I have looked into the position of the Senate which sought to reduce the timeline from 360 days to 180 days. As a matter of fact, we are ready with our timetable. We are just hesitating because we wanted to see what the new reform would bring, but we are mindful of the time, Mr Amupitan explained. The INEC boss said the commission was hopeful that the new act would be passed as there was still going to be harmonisation by the national assembly, before presidential assent. Nevertheless, if its getting too delayed, well just go ahead and do whatever we want to do. The Senate on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and also set a conference committee to look at the bill, he added. (NAN) American Airlines is planning a new route to Porto, Portugal, from Philadelphia. The route is expected to become available in summer 2027, pending government approval, the airline noted in a news release Thursday. Advertisement The flight will be offered on a new aircraft the Airbus A321XLR that American just began operating in December. According to PHL chief commercial officer Kate Sullivan, having that aircraft is key to the new route availability. The aircraft will feature Flagship Suite seats, which were recently introduced on some PHL flights. Not only is seeing a summer 2027 route announced so early exceptional, the A321XLR will enable American to serve markets like Porto that have strong demand but may not support daily flights from wide-body aircraft, Sullivan said. Porto is just the beginning of what this aircraft will unlock for our regions residents and visitors. This will be the first time that Porto is offered as a direct route out of PHL, airport spokesperson Heather Redfern confirmed Friday. Sullivan said the addition is outstanding news for PHL. Porto is exactly the type of new market the Airbus A321XLR enables us to serve, Brian Znotins, a senior vice president at the airline, said this week at a conference. American has recently added several other direct flights from PHL to Europe. In 2024, the airline launched routes connecting Philadelphia to Copenhagen, Denmark; Nice, France; and Naples, Italy. The airline also launched a bus service in 2022 to shuttle passengers from airports in the region to PHL to take a flight. And it opened new lounges at PHL last year, featuring two bars, private phone rooms, and showers. American was among the top 10 largest employers in Philadelphia in 2025 and is the largest airline by passenger volume operating out of PHL. In 2024, the airline carried nearly 20 million passengers through the airport. A Michigan man who drove across the country to set fire to a Bensalem familys home in a targeted attack on a romantic rival was sentenced Thursday to 20 to 40 years in prison. Harrison Jones, 22, pleaded no contest to six counts of attempted murder and two counts of animal cruelty for the killing of the familys two dogs, which perished in the blaze. He also pleaded guilty to a slew of related crimes in connection with the February 2025 incident. Advertisement Bucks County prosecutors said Jones drove more than 700 miles from his native Rockford, Mich., that winter to set the blaze at the home of Alex Zalenski, a man Jones ex-girlfriend and high school sweetheart had recently begun a long-distance relationship with. Zalenski, along with his father, mother, sister, and grandparents, was sleeping when Jones broke in and set off an incendiary device in the living room and kitchen around 5 a.m. Their dogs, Jett and Trey, barked, waking up the family, who all managed to escape. Members of the Zalenski family suffered non-life-threatening burns and injuries, though in court they recounted traumatic memories that they said would not soon heal. Alex Zalenskis sister, Ava, recalled being awakened to the sound of yelling and heavy smoke clouding her room, choking her airways. My dad told me to get down to breathe, she said. At age 20, I was ready to accept death. The family had just minutes to escape the blaze, which consumed the property and left them without a home. Andrew Zalenski, the father of Alex and Ava Zalenski, recalled telling them to crawl on the floor to avoid inhaling smoke. He forced them out of a window before going to look for his wife, Stacy, he said, but could not find her and fled. It was challenging to describe the feeling of watching your home ablaze believing your wife is burning to death inside, he tearfully recounted. Stacy Zalenski had been trying, unsuccessfully, to save the dogs. The woman, who is battling breast and lung cancer, ultimately jumped from a second-floor window to survive. Andrew Zalenski suffered from severe smoke inhalation and was put in an induced coma in the hospital, he said. Meanwhile, Alex Zalenski the young man whose relationship with Jones ex had enraged the Michigan man said the attack shredded any normalcy I had. He had to withdraw from college after the incident, he said, and has since had trouble sleeping. It felt as if my entire world had been set ablaze, he told the court. Jones, wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit and shoulder-length hair, showed little emotion during the Zalenski familys remarks. Given the opportunity to speak, however, Jones took full responsibility for the crime. I need to take accountability, Jones said, his voice breaking. Im guilty Ive done what Ive done. Jones family, including his father, mother, sister, stepfather, stepmother, and stepbrother, were in the gallery behind him. Jones attorney, Paul Lang, said Jones had no previous criminal record and had suffered physical abuse growing up. To cope, he had turned to abusing Xanax and marijuana, Lang said. Jones, for his part, alluded to being under the influence of drugs during the attack. In addition to sentencing Jones to decades in prison, Bucks County Court Judge Matthew D. Weintraub ordered him to pay more than $500,000 in restitution to the Zalenski family. Weintraub told the Zalenskis that the trauma of the attack had clearly bonded their family. Addressing Jones, the judge said he believed the young man had attempted to effectuate maximum damage that day. A key source of funding for early-stage innovation expired in the fall due to Congress not reauthorizing it. Read more Philadelphia biotechs are worried about losing a key source of federal funding for early-stage innovation. Known as Americas seed fund, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs help small companies develop innovative technologies. In recent years, theyve allocated $4 billion annually to more than 4,000 businesses nationwide. However, after Congress failed to reauthorize the decades-old programs last fall, their funding officially expired in September. Advertisement The fallout has affected more than a dozen local life sciences companies, raising concerns about whether they can maintain staffing and make up for the delay in funds promised months ago, said Heath Naquin, senior vice president of innovation and new ventures at University City Science Center, a nonprofit commonly known as the Science Center that provides startup support. For many, staffing and financing plans could be disrupted by funding shortfalls, as companies either havent gotten their payment yet or cant get their funding for next year approved, he said. An exact figure is unknown, but Naquin estimated that some affected companies could be short up to a million dollars for the year. At the same time, the city of Philadelphia launched last spring a new program that provides additional funding to those who have already earned SBIR/STTR grants. The 21 awardees who will share $450,000 from the city were announced publicly in January. The city money is earmarked for technical assistance, such as the cost of attorneys, marketing, and anything else needed for commercialization, while SBIR/STTR money normally goes toward research and development. There is no overnight solution to SBIR right now, said Tiffany Wilson, chief executive officer of the Science Center, which is partnering with the city to implement the program. Its just another layer of uncertainty that weve got to navigate through. New city-led program Pennsylvania is not one of the dozens of states that offer matching programs to supplement the federal SBIR/STTR funds. To fill that gap, Philadelphia launched its new city-level program, which is one of the first in the nation and the only one of its kind in the state. The idea was to boost companies already vetted by the federal government that could still benefit from smaller amounts of money. Life science companies need millions of dollars, but this was a way that we could help Philadelphia-based companies thrive, said Rebecca Grant, who runs the program and serves as senior director of life sciences and innovation for the city. This year, the city offered funding to all eligible applicants. The $450,000 is doled out in three tiers: companies with the earliest stage grants received $20,000 while those in the next phase received $40,000. Those whose grants were no longer active received $2,500. The program is still a pilot, and city leaders hope to run it on an annual basis, Grant said. Naquin has heard from at least three companies in the last six months that are formally considering moving to Philadelphia as a result of the programs existence. READ MORE: Why Philadelphia loses promising biotech firms to Boston, San Francisco, and San Diego Pivoting The SBIR/STTR grants are valuable to early-stage biotechs for two reasons: They provide funding without asking for ownership or equity in return, and signal to potential investors that the company is less risky, Wilson explained. The programs traditionally have been reauthorized every few years without major lapses. However, recent debates over reforms have created a deadlock. Policymakers from both parties want to address companies that are repeatedly going back for more funding, concerns over foreign involvement, and how to better support commercialization, Naquin said. Were still in a waiting game, he said, adding that the programs were not reauthorized in the latest government funding bill passed this week. With the SBIR/STTR pipeline stalled, the Science Center has had to pivot. Federal support for science has been particularly precarious under President Donald Trumps second administration, with widespread cuts and pauses to millions of dollars worth of programs and grants. Late last year, the center launched an initiative to help startups figure out which agencies still have available funding opportunities. The aim is to help them better shop around for the grants that they can apply to, Wilson said. Members of the Central York Middle School Colonial Fife and Drum Corps participate in the Red, White, & Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade in front of Independence Hall in 2024. Read more Philly will have the largest Semiquincentennial parade in the country this summer to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, along with six nights of fireworks to keep things lit well into the evening. Sure, Philadelphians find a reason to set off fireworks every night (what are you celebrating at 9:37 p.m. on a Thursday in February?!?), but the big difference is these will be professional. Advertisement There is new information about first-time and returning events for the 2026 Wawa Welcome America Festival, Phillys annual 16-day Independence celebration, but details about other events like whos going to headline the July 4 concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway still remain under wraps. New this year will be the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade on July 3, which will feature people, performers, and personalities representing the countrys 50 states, its territories, and the District of Columbia. Among them will be all Miss America state titleholders, several fife and drum corps, historical reenactors, dancers, 50 marching bands, unicycle riders, stilt walkers, a jump rope team from Maryland, a steel drum band from Michigan, a circus troupe from Illinois, the Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, and the Philly Drag Mafia. The Louisiana LunaChicks, a group whose members will dress like Mrs. Roper from Threes Company, will also be performing in patriotic caftans, according to a news release. The LunaChicks may want to stay clear of the Segway Riders Club of The Villages, Florida, which is exactly what you think it is and will also be rolling in the parade. Not to be outdone, three Star Wars cosplay groups Garrison Carida, Kyber Base, and the Mav Oyala Clan are teaming up to represent the lighter side of Pennsylvania (and the dark side of the force). The parade will also feature international bands from Ghana to Ireland; more than a dozen floats, including those celebrating Indigenous people and womens right to vote; and a 20-by-40-foot Declaration of Independence. Wawa Welcome Americas six nights of fireworks begin June 20 (and on June 21) at a new event that has not yet been announced, according to a news release. Fireworks will also take place on June 25 at the Celebration of Black Music Month at the Dell Music Center, June 26 at the Kidchella Music Festival at Smith Memorial Playground, June 27 at a concert on the waterfront, and July 4, following the star-studded concert on the Parkway, absolutely no details of which were included in the release. Returning events include: June 19: Juneteenth Block Party at the African American Museum June 24: Five Points Night Market at Cottman and Rising Sun Avenues in Northeast Philly June 27: Concillios Annual Hispanic Fiesta at LOVE Park June 28: Gospel on Independence at Independence National Historical Park July 1: Wawa Hoagie Day on Independence Mall July 2: Red, White, & Blue To-Do parade, block party, and folk festival at sites across the Historic District July 2: Salute to Service: The U.S. Army Field Band & Soldiers Chorus at Independence National Historical Park. July 3: Pops on Independence at Independence Park July 4: Celebration of Freedom Ceremony outside of Independence Hall For more details about Wawa Welcome America, visit july4thphilly.com/events. Attorney General Pam Bondi (center), flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel and Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, announces the capture of a key participant in the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya. Read more WASHINGTON A man Justice Department officials described as a key participant in the 2012 attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya, was taken into U.S. custody Friday and will face prosecution. Zubayar al-Bakoush was arrested in an undisclosed country and flown to an airfield near Washington, where he arrived just after 3 a.m. Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said. He faces an eight-count indictment on charges including murder, terrorism and arson. Advertisement Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel declined at a news conference to answer questions about where al-Bakoush was arrested and whether the operation that brought him into custody involved the assistance of foreign nations. We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation, Bondi said. In the Sept. 11, 2012, attack, at least 20 militants, armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers, stormed the U.S. mission in Benghazi, breaching its gates, forcing their way into offices and setting buildings ablaze. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, State Department employee Sean Smith and CIA contractors Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty were killed. Stevens was the first U.S. ambassador slain while performing his duties abroad in nearly four decades Almost immediately, the incident became a subject for partisan finger-pointing, with Republican lawmakers faulting the Obama administration and especially then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for alleged security failures at the facility and what they described as a slow response to the violence. References to Benghazi nearly 14 years later remain a potent point of political division. Even as they announced al-Bakoushs arrest Friday, Justice Department officials seized the opportunity to swipe at frequent Republican targets, renew old lines of attack, and credit President Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton famously once said about Benghazi, What difference, at this point, does it make? Bondi said, referring to an irritated response Clinton gave during a 2013 Senate hearing at which she was repeatedly pressed about the motive for the attack. Well, it makes a difference to Donald Trump, Bondi continued. It makes a difference to those families and 14 years later, it makes a difference to law enforcement who made the difference in this case. A Republican-led congressional investigation into the incident later found no evidence of wrongdoing by Clinton, though it faulted the Obama administration more broadly for being slow to respond after the militants breached the gates. Jeanine Pirro, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Washington whose office is overseeing the prosecution, made reference to that frequent Republican criticism in her remarks Friday about al-Bakoushs arrest. In her prior role as a Fox News host, Pirro frequently waded into the debate over Benghazi, at one point accusing then-FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III of orchestrating a cover-up to protect administration officials. For 13 hours, the American cavalry never came, she said Friday. For 13, hours [the victims] waited for that help that never came. Democrats have defended their efforts to prosecute individuals tied to the deaths of Stevens and the others, noting that the Justice Department had by late 2013 filed sealed complaints against roughly a dozen overseas militants accused of playing a role in the attack. Pirro acknowledged Friday that the complaint that led to al-Bakoushs arrest was first filed in 2015, during the final year of the Obama administration. Court filings unsealed Friday described al-Bakoush as a member of an extremist Libyan militia who was identified by a cooperating FBI witness as one of the attackers caught on surveillance footage from the compound. Agents described footage showing al-Bakoush, with a firearm slung over his shoulder, attempting to break into cars of U.S. service members and following the crowd into buildings where Stephens and others were killed. Al-Bakoush is the third man law enforcement officials have brought to the U.S. to face charges. A federal jury in Washington in 2017 convicted Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan militia leader and the accused mastermind behind the attack, on conspiracy and terrorism charges tied to the incident. A second militant, Mustafa al-Imam, was found guilty on similar charges in 2019. Both men were sentenced to prison terms of more than a decade. Time will not stop us from going after these predators, no matter how long it takes, to fulfill our obligation to those families who suffered horrific pain at the hands of these violent terrorists, Pirro said. Celal and Emine Emanet were detained last February after federal officers said their visas had expired. Read more COLLINGSWOOD, N.J. The shawarma, falafel wraps and baklava at Jersey Kebab are great, but many of its patrons are also there these days for a side of protest. A New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia has rallied around the restaurants Turkish owners since federal officers detained the couple last February because they say their visas had expired. Advertisement In fact, business has been so good since Celal and Emine Emanet were picked up early in the Trump administrations immigration crackdown that they have moved to a bigger space in the next town over. Their regulars dont seem to mind. READ MORE: Jersey Kebab owner sought a better life for his children in the U.S. Now he and his wife face deportation. The family came to the U.S. seeking freedom Celal Emanet, 52, first came to the U.S. in 2000 to learn English while he pursued his doctorate in Islamic history at a Turkish university. He returned in 2008 to serve as an imam at a southern New Jersey mosque, bringing Emine and their first two children came, too. Two more would be born in the U.S. Before long, Celal had an additional business of delivering bread to diners. They applied for permanent residency and believed they were on their way to receiving green cards. When the COVID-19 pandemic began and the delivery trucks were idled, Celal and Emine, who had both worked in restaurants in Turkey, opened Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township. Business was strong from the start. READ MORE: The Emanet family thanks their South Jersey neighbors with free food as deportation proceedings loom It all changed in a moment On Feb. 25, U.S. marshals and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested the couple at the restaurant. Celal was sent home with an ankle monitor, but Emine, now 47, was moved to a detention facility more than an hours drive away and held there for 15 days. With its main cook in detention and the family in crisis, the shop closed temporarily. Although the area is heavily Democratic, the arrests of the Emanets signaled to many locals that immigration enforcement during President Donald Trumps second term wouldnt stop at going after people with criminal backgrounds who are in the U.S. illegally. They were not dangerous people not the type of people we were told on TV they were looking to remove from our country, Haddon Township Mayor Randy Teague said. Supporters organized a vigil and raised $300,000 that kept the family and business afloat while the shop was closed and paid legal bills. Members of Congress helped, and hundreds of customers wrote letters of support. Space for a crowd As news of the familys ordeal spread, customers new and old began packing the restaurant. The family moved it late last year to a bigger space down busy Haddon Avenue in Collingswood. They added a breakfast menu and for the first time needed to hire servers besides their son Muhammed. The location changed, but the restaurant still features a sign in the window offering free meals to people in need. Thats honoring a Muslim value, to care for anybody who has less than us, Muhammed said. Judy Kubit and Linda Rey, two friends from the nearby communities of Medford and Columbus, respectively, said they came to Haddon Township last year for an anti-Trump No Kings rally and ate a post-protest lunch at the kebab shop. We thought, we have to go in just to show our solidarity for the whole issue, Kubit said. Last month, with the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis dominating the headlines, they were at the new location for lunch. The legal battle hasnt ended The Emanets desperately want to stay in the U.S., where theyve built a life and raised their family. Celal has a deportation hearing in March, and Emine and Muhammed will also have hearings eventually. Celal said moving back to Turkey would be bad for his younger children. They dont speak Turkish, and one is autistic and needs the help available in the U.S. Also, hed be worried about his own safety because of his academic articles. I am in opposition to the Turkish government," he said. If they deport me, I am going to get very big problems. The groundswell of support has shown the family theyre not alone. Were kind of fighting for our right to stay the country, Muhammed Emanet said, while still having amazing support from the community behind us. So were all in it together. Unregulated gaming devices known as skill games in a gas station convenience store in Philadelphia on Aug. 19, 2025. Read more A skill game industry executive who took kickbacks from illegal gambling machine operators throughout Pennsylvania pleaded guilty this week in Cumberland County to money laundering. Ricky Goodling, an ex-state police corporal and former national compliance director for Pace-O-Matic, contributed to the disorganized and problematic skill game market when he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for quashing complaints about illegal gaming machines, Attorney General Dave Sunday said in a statement. Advertisement Goodling, 59, of Mechanicsburg, also pleaded guilty in federal court to evading more than $100,000 in taxes after falsely claiming the proceeds of the scheme were business travel expenses, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in Harrisburg. READ MORE: Inside the escalating feud between the Pa. Senate GOP and a skill games company An attorney listed for Goodling in court records declined to comment. Pace-O-Matic said in a statement that it was deeply troubled by Goodlings guilty plea. We are also troubled to know that he violated our trust and intentionally harmed our business interests, the statement reads. According to Pace-O-Matics statement, law enforcement has assured the company that it is not involved in or connected with any of the actions of Mr. Goodling, and they have characterized Pace-O-Matic as a victim of these crimes. The company terminated Goodlings employment in November 2023 when it learned of the investigation. The powerful and controversial skill game industry has operated largely by its own rules in Pennsylvania for more than a decade, allowing the slot machinelike devices to proliferate in bars and gas stations across the commonwealth. READ MORE: As Pa. gets closer to regulating skill games, these lawmakers say theyre being subjected to an intimidation campaign Skill games operate in a legal gray area: Courts have ruled that the so-called skill component distinguishes them from games of chance, like slot machines. The state Supreme Court is now weighing the machines lawfulness. The biggest player in the skill games market, Georgia-based Pace-O-Matic, has claimed for years that its machines are the only legal skill games and spent millions of dollars on campaigns and lobbying for favorable regulation and lower tax rates. While some lawmakers want to ban the machines outright, arguing they attract crime and can be addictive, others see it as a potential new revenue stream. Last year, Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed taxing the machines at 52%, which the industry quickly rejected. In his latest budget, the governor said that regulating skill games, coupled with legalizing cannabis, could generate $2 billion annually. READ MORE: Taxing skill games could help fund SEPTA. Heres what to know. Illegal gambling enterprises have sought to commingle their machines with Pace-O-Matics legal games, in an attempt to give their products a veneer of legitimacy and deflect law enforcement scrutiny, according to an October 2024 state grand jury presentment. Goodling acted as their ally, facilitated straw purchases of Pace-O-Matic games, and laundered the money through a fictitious company, prosecutors said. Goodling is scheduled to be sentenced April 28 in the state case. Narberth officials on Feb. 5 voted to bar the municipality from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the agencys 287(g) program. Read more Narberths borough council has voted unanimously to bar the municipalitys police officers from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the agencys 287(g) program. The resolution approved Thursday made clear that our police department operates to protect our residents and protect the public safety here and does not have a role in immigration enforcement, said Council President Fred Bush. Advertisement ICEs 287(g) program deputizes local law enforcement officers to carry out immigration actions, including identifying, arresting, and deporting immigrants. ICE has signed around 1,400 such agreements with law enforcement agencies in 40 states, including dozens in Pennsylvania. In Philadelphias collar counties, only the Lansdowne Borough Constables Office in Delaware County and the Pennsylvania State Constable Office Honey Brook Precinct 1 in Chester County are 287(g) participants. Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler, a newly elected Democrat, terminated his offices controversial partnership last month, citing negative impacts on public safety and law enforcement trust. Neither Lower Merion nor Narberth participates in the program. Narberths resolution establishes that the borough will not enter into any agreement with the federal government, including 287(g), that would commit borough time, funds, efforts, or resources toward ICE noncriminal enforcement activities. Officials clarified that Narberths police department would cooperate with ICE officials if they had a judicial warrant to arrest someone. An internal memo first reported by The Associated Press last month has authorized ICE to forcibly enter peoples homes without a judicial warrant. Narberth officials acknowledged that the resolution could be seen as virtue signaling, given that the borough already does not participate in an ICE partnership. Yet council members said they believe its important to publicly signal the municipalitys values regarding immigration enforcement. The resolution lets the public clearly know where we stand on the issues, helps reinforce trust, and provides that clarity of what we will do and what we wont do, said Dana Edwards, Narberths mayor. From my standpoint, its a practical resolution. When our community members trust their law enforcement, they feel comfortable reaching out to them for assistance, said Councilmember Jean Burock. We cant afford to erode that trust. Bush cautioned residents against interfering with ICE operations, describing the agency as poorly trained and dangerous, citing the actions and the images that came out of Minneapolis in recent weeks. Neighboring Haverford Township similarly barred its law enforcement officers from assisting ICE last month. Narberths resolution came on the heels of a Jan. 30 incident in which two people were taken into custody by ICE during a traffic stop in Penn Wynne. Following the arrests, Lower Merion affirmed in a public statement that the township does not participate in 287(g) and encouraged residents to call 911 if they observe law enforcement activity with no Lower Merion police officers present. This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirers high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free newsletters. HARRISBURG A long-simmering dispute over who owns digital copies of millions of Pennsylvanias treasured historical records landed before a state appellate court this week. Advertisement The ruling could determine whether those belong to the public or are under the control of a privately owned genealogy powerhouse. On Wednesday, Pennsylvanias Commonwealth Court heard legal arguments in the case, in which a New York City-based professional genealogist faces off with a little-known but important state agency, as well as online genealogy giant Ancestry. The latter is a private company used by millions of people to search for family and other records. The genealogist is Alec Ferretti, a director at Reclaim the Records, a nonprofit that advocates for governments to make genealogical documents more accessible. In 2022, he submitted a public records request to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), the states official history agency that is responsible for collecting, conserving, and safeguarding the commonwealths historical records and objects. At the time, Ferretti sought all records the state agency had provided to Ancestry as part of a 2008 agreement that, up until Ferrettis request, had attracted sparse attention. That agreement allowed Ancestry to digitize a long list of Pennsylvania historical documents belonging to the commission and make them available on its website. According to the agreement, those documents include birth and death certificates, veterans burial cards, records about enslaved people, and naturalization forms, as well as Civil War border claims and muster rolls. Those records would then be free to Pennsylvania residents who create user profiles with Ancestry, which requires a paid subscription to access the breadth of its records. An Ancestry lawyer on Wednesday said it has about 18 million digitized images in all. Since Ferretti is a New York state resident, he requested the information directly from PHMC. He also asked for the metadata on the digitized records, as well as any index lists that Ancestry created when performing that work. PHMC denied the request, saying it didnt have any responsive records in its possession. Ferretti appealed, arguing that the state agency was required to obtain them from Ancestry under a section of Pennsylvanias Right-to-Know Law that allows public access to documents held by a private contractor hired to perform a governmental function on behalf of a government agency. Lawyers for Ancestry soon intervened in the fight, contending the company was not carrying out a government function for PHMC. They also argued that although Ancestry had agreed to license back the digitized records to the state, its work product is proprietary. Translation: It owns the digital records. The case has spent nearly four years in a complicated spiral of appeals before the states Office of Open Records, which sided with Ferretti. The matter could wind up in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, depending on Commonwealth Courts decision. During oral arguments on Wednesday, Commonwealth Court judges asked both sides pointed questions about whether the digital images constitute a public record accessible under the states Right-to-Know Law, as certain archival materials (while public) dont fall under the laws jurisdiction. They also asked whether maintaining digitized copies of historical records amounted to a governmental function. The judges seemed to agree on one thing: The case raised interesting dilemmas. We just love Right-to-Know Law, so this is great, President Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer told lawyers when legal arguments came to a close. 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. The Philadelphia Field Office of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in June. Read more Federal judges in Philadelphia have been unusually outspoken in recent weeks about what they call the illegal policy by ICE of mandating detention for nearly all undocumented immigrants and have been sharply critical of the unsound arguments by government attorneys seeking to justify the approach. U.S. District Judge Harvey Bartle III has overturned the governments attempts to detain people in six cases over the last two months, writing in one opinion that Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to act contrary to law, to spend taxpayer money needlessly, and to waste the scarce resources of the judiciary. Advertisement And U.S. District Judge Kai N. Scott became the latest jurist to equate the ongoing legal battle with the government to Greek mythology, saying she and her colleagues on the bench have been squaring off with the Justice Department in a manner similar to Heracles confrontation with Hydra, the serpentlike monster that grew two heads every time one was chopped off. Although the regions federal judges have unanimously rejected the governments attempts to rationalize ICE detention of immigrants without cause, without notice, and in clear violation of federal law, Scott wrote, the government has continued to detain people in the same fashion day after day. And after each rejection, she wrote, at least two more nearly identical petitions seeking relief pop up on the courts docket. The Court writes today with a newfound and personal appreciation of Heracles struggles, she said. The judicial rebukes come as immigration authorities have continued sweeping the nation to fulfill President Donald Trumps promise of mass deportations. The number of detained immigrants has exploded as has the number of court petitions from people seeking immediate release, which are known as habeas petitions. The enlarged legal workload has put a corresponding strain on the nations U.S. attorneys offices, which typically defend ICEs actions in federal court. Prosecutors from the New Jersey U.S. Attorneys Office, for example, requested an extension in January to handle part of a class-action suit in order to deal with a surge in immigration release petitions. This Office continues to handle an unprecedented volume of emergent immigration habeas petitions, which we continue to prioritize because of the liberty interests at issue, the letter said. And in Minnesota this week, a federal prosecutor said she wished the judge would hold her in contempt so she could get some sleep in jail. Julie Le seemed exasperated when the judge pressed her on why the government had been ignoring his release orders. What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks, Le said, according to a court transcript. Le was subsequently fired. The issue at the center of each incident involves ICEs mandatory detention policy. The policy was rolled out over the summer, and it requires that nearly all undocumented immigrants be held in custody as their cases wind through the countrys backlogged and complex immigration system. That upended decades of government practice, which typically allowed people who entered the country illegally, but who were otherwise law-abiding, to at least receive a bond hearing and determine if they could remain in the community as their cases moved forward. Some of those detained as a result of the policy have filed habeas petitions, arguing that their detention violates the Constitution. And in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Philadelphias federal court, judges have granted challenges to the policy at a near-universal rate. Still, those decisions have been made on a case-by-case basis, with relief extended only to one petitioner at a time. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which is based in New Orleans and is considered one of the countrys most conservative jurisdictions, heard a broader challenge to the policy. A divided 2-1 court ruled Friday that ICE can detain undocumented immigrants the agency is seeking to deport, even those who have been in the country for years. The ruling covers only federal courts in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and many legal experts expects the matter to ultimately end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. In Philadelphia, Scotts expression of frustration came this week in response to the release petition of Franklin Leonidas Once Chillogallo. The 24-year-old from Ecuador came to the United States in 2020, lives with his partner and his 6-month-old twin daughters in Upper Darby, and works as a construction worker. He has no criminal history. After ICE arrested Once Chillogallo outside his home on Jan. 13, he was held in the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center without the opportunity for an immigration judge to review his case. Just as happened in the previous 90 cases, Scott rejected the argument that Once Chillogallo, an immigrant who has been in the country for years, was subject to the same bond rules as those who were caught entering without permission. The judge ordered Once Chillogallos release, which took place the following day, according to the court docket. READ MORE: In dozens of cases, Phillys federal judges have found Trumps mandatory detention policy unlawful Inside the federal courthouse Thursday, judges held three hearings on arcane legal questions surrounding habeas petitions. Dozens of other habeas petitions remain pending, court records show. In many that were recently decided, judges used terse or brusque language to point out that the governments interpretation of the law has been repeatedly rejected. Across the board, there is frustration. There is frustration from attorneys. There is frustration from the judges, said Kimberly Tomczak, an immigration attorney who represented Once Chillogallo. Nothing seems to be changing on the immigration side in response to the flood of habeas grants across the nation. The entrance to the Witherspoon Building at 1319-1323 Walnut St, which hospitality venture Sonder previously operated. Read more Sonder, the buzzy short-term rental company, is no more. But some of its former properties across Philadelphia are taking on new lives. At least three of Phillys last five Sonder properties have new ownership and have already reopened or are about to as boutique short-term rentals. Advertisement The former competitor with Airbnb and Vrbo touted modern apartment-style hotels nationwide. In November, when Sonder announced that it was closing, citing severe financial constraints, it marked a chance for local and national operators to swoop in and snag desirable properties. As first reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts partnered with the hospitality company Reside to reopen the Sonder property at 325 N. 13th St. in Callowhill in January. The 96-unit building is now called Heid Lofts by Reside. The Queen Hotel at 628 S. Fifth St. in Queen Village is now being managed by Sosuite, a Philly-based short-term rental company that has taken over other previous Philly Sonder properties over the years. The 30-unit property reopened under Sosuite in November. The Edison at 312 N. Second St. in Old City is working to reopen as a 24-unit rental property in the coming weeks under operator PHL Stays, the Business Journal reported. The company is run by Jake Tovey, who operates a similar business in Pittsburgh called Pittsburgh Furnished Rentals. As for the remaining former Sonder haunts, The Arco at 1234 Locust St. in Midtown Village is still closed, while the Witherspoon Building at 130 S. Juniper St. in Center City is pivoting to become a traditional apartment building with a mix of 186 studio and multi-family units. The conversions and takeovers reflect a larger pattern of property management companies expanding their portfolios in light of the Sonder closures, which impacted about 9,000 units across 40 cities and multiple countries, including Denver, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Philadelphia. About 40 people were arrested after an activist group Thursday evening conducted a demonstration inside a Target store in South Philadelphia to demand that the company take a public stand against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions at the chains stores. More than 100 demonstrators affiliated with No ICE Philly chanted ICE out of Target now! and played instruments inside the store near Snyder Avenue and I-95. Some shoppers joined the chanting. Advertisement Shortly before 6 p.m., the protesters were given their first warning by police to leave or be arrested. Dozens then left, but a group of 40 or so remained inside, seated on the floor. Around 6:15 p.m., police began making arrests without incident. Three remaining protesters were given citations and allowed to leave, police said. The zip-tied detainees were led by police out of the store one by one to cheers from other protesters outside. The demonstration and subsequent arrests did not deter shoppers from going about their business, entering and leaving the store. A man dressed in a bear costume and wearing an action camera harnessed to his chest showed up and yelled at the activists inside the store, calling them weirdos. Police intervened to prevent an escalation. Benita Dixon, 66, accompanied by her granddaughter, was at the store to buy a Valentines Day present for her daughter when the protest broke out. Dixons first reaction was to get a tighter grip on her granddaughters hand, but when chanting began, the pair joined in dancing with protesters. ICE has been going around killing people in Minnesota, and thats not right, Dixon said. Many of my co-workers are coming into work carrying their passports because they are scared, so Im glad we are protesting: No ICE in our streets. Protests coordinated by No ICE Philly were conducted last month at Target stores around Philadelphia, including in Center City, Fairmount, Port Richmond, and South Philadelphia. Across the country, protesters including employees of the company have been calling for Target to publicly oppose the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota, the companys home state, and deny ICE agents who do not have judicial warrants access to Target stores and parking lots. Target does not have cooperative agreements with any immigration enforcement agency, a company executive said in a memo to employees on Jan. 22, Business Insider reported. A day after two ICE agents fatally shot 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where Target is headquartered, then-incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke cosigned a joint statement from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce with dozens of other executives, calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions. Prettis Jan. 24 killing in Minneapolis was the second in less than a month. On Jan. 7, an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. A Target spokesperson said in an email that Fiddelke also sent a note to employees saying the violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful and that we are doing everything we can to manage whats in our control, always keeping the safety of our team and guests our top priority. Target, founded in 1962, operates 1,989 stores across the United States and generates net revenue of more than $100 billion annually. The company was hit with a national boycott last year after it rolled back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives to fall in line with the policies of President Donald Trump. No ICE Philly has led demonstrations against the agency and against the arrests of immigrants outside the city Criminal Justice Center. At the Target in South Philadelphia, Rabbi Linda Holtzman, 73, said the in-store protest is what people must do when neighbors are under attack. What ICE is doing, what they have been doing, is horrible, and we stand with the people of Minneapolis, Holtzman said. Protesting at the South Philadelphia Target is a way to tell the company that it must stand on the side of the people, Holtzman said. Target has become an ally to ICE, letting them come into their stores without a warrant, Holtzman said. Thats not the America I grew up in. Is that the country you want? Young people hold up signs during history lesson and protest at the President's House Site, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. They are protesting the removal of the slavery exhibit at this site. Read more Students and teachers from two Philly area private schools joined up with activists and protesters Friday morning at the Presidents House in Independence National Historical Park to demand that the sites slavery exhibit be restored after it was abruptly dismantled last month. Whitewashing history is a totalitarian gimmick, read one sign in a crowd that included young and older people. All our stories must be told, read another. Advertisement The teach in was held in front of a granite wall etched with the names of nine enslaved people owned by U.S. founding father and first president George Washington. The wall is one of the few remnants of the slavery exhibit that was dismantled by order of the Trump administration. Standing at a lectern, the students, from Solebury School in Bucks County and Friends Select in Center City, read the biographies of the enslaved whose names had been etched on the wall. Activist and criminal defense attorney Michael Coard told the crowd he helped to create the slavery exhibit after learning that Washington owned enslaved people and realizing that his educators had failed to teach him about it. When I learned about that, I was enraged, because Id never heard about it, Coard said. With the help of elected officials, the Presidents House Site became a reality in 2010, Coard said. READ MORE: The slavery exhibits at the Presidents House have been removed following Trump administration push But when the Trump administration issued its Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History executive order last March, Coard knew that the exhibit could be targeted. The order calls on the U.S. Department of the Interior to remove historical exhibits that perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history or disparage Americans past or living. Anything pertaining to Black people, he was opposed to it, Coard said of President Donald Trump. Since then, Coard said, theres been a furious legal battle to have the site restored. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker sued the federal government. A judge ordered the government to safeguard the exhibits, which are currently in storage, while the issue plays out in federal court. Coard encouraged people to sign a petition, attend protests, and stay involved in future protests. Just because you cant do everything, that doesnt mean you shouldnt do anything, Coard told the crowd, quoting poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron. Solebury School college counselor Erin Wallace joined the 50 students who traveled by bus to the site for the teach-in. Wallace said the students are very active in following national politics, and were eager to attend the protest. About 25% of the student body attended, Wallace said. It was an overwhelmingly positive response, Wallace said. Solebury School history teacher Don Kaplan of Elkins Park attended the first vigil after the site was shuttered. Kaplan said he organized the teach-in student protest because it is relevant to what he teaches his 9th- and 11th-grade students. I just thought to myself, we need to address this, Kaplan said. Kaplan asked that his students not be quoted directly. But after the rally, he struggled to keep his 11th graders from weighing in as he was interviewed for this story. We should teach all history, two students said. They explained that in Kaplans class, their research often shows that historical figures are not purely good or evil and were shaped by myriad forces. To Kaplan, that stands in contrast to the Trump administrations perspective on teaching history, which seeks to eliminate negative stories about Americas founders. Thats not what we do, Kaplan said. We have to teach every possible perspective. Justice Newman worked in family law and handled many divorce cases as a private attorney in the 1980s. Read more Sandra Schultz Newman, 87, of Gladwyne, Montgomery County, the first woman elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the first female assistant district attorney in Montgomery County, the first woman named to the board of directors of the old Royal Bank of Pennsylvania, longtime private practice attorney, role model, mentor, and colorful Philadelphia icon, died Monday, Feb. 2. Her family did not disclose the cause of her death. Reared in South Philadelphia and Wynnefield, and a graduate of Drexel, Temple, and Villanova Universities, Justice Newman, a Republican, was elected to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in November 1993 and to the state Supreme Court in 1995. She won a second 10-year term on the Supreme Court in 2005 but, having to step down in just two years due to a mandatory retirement age, left at the end of 2006. Advertisement I love the court. I love my colleagues. The collegiality was great, and Im going to miss that, Justice Newman told The Inquirer. But I just felt like I wanted to move on. During her 10-year tenure, Justice Newman was chair of the Supreme Courts Judicial Council Committee on Judicial Safety and Preparedness and the courts liaison to Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court in Philadelphia. She ruled on hundreds of issues and wrote opinions about all kinds of landmark cases, from environmental protections to school funding to clergy privilege to the Gary Heidnik and John E. du Pont murder cases. She had worked in criminal and family law and handled many divorce and custody cases as a private attorney in the 1980s, and was praised later by court observers for her attention to Philadelphia Family Court matters. Lynn Marks, of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, told the Daily News in 2005: Shes been a wonderful justice, and shes made herself accessible to the public interest community. In 2025, her colleagues on the Supreme Court named their Philadelphia courtroom after her. She was a remarkable jurist, public servant, and trailblazer for women, whose work and impact will leave a legacy beyond the bench, Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd said in a tribute. Justice Newmans tenure on the bench was defined by integrity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to fairness and the rule of law. State Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd News outlets across the state covered Justice Newmans election to the Supreme Court as she campaigned in 1995, and she easily collected more votes in the Nov. 7 election than any of the other three candidates, all men. She told the Daily Item in Sunbury, Pa., in September 95: I dont think anyone should be elected solely on their gender. But I dont think anybody should not be elected because of it, either. Justice Newman touted her collegiality and feminine life experience during the 1995 campaign and told The Inquirer she wanted to be a role model for everyone in Pennsylvania. She told the Press Enterprise in Bloomsburg, Pa.: I think I can bring a sensitivity and understanding on many issues, such as criminal issues like rape. I have a deep sense for the need of a safe society. After her election, Inquirer staff writer Robert Zausnersaid: Wealthy yet down-to-earth, Newman talked often during the campaign about her grandchildren and insisted that people call me Sandy once she was outside her courtroom. Former Gov. Tom Ridge called Justice Newman a pioneering legal giant and said she inspired generations of legal professionals across the Commonwealth. Ezra Wohlgelernter, chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, noted her pathbreaking career and valuable service to our city and to the Commonwealth in a tribute. She was a woman first, but that didnt mean she wasnt tough as nails. A colleague of Justice Newman to writer Lisa DePaulo in 1988 Either the first or the only in many of her professional pursuits, Justice Newman was called a Philadelphia icon, a force of nature, and a beautiful and radiant star in online tributes. She flirted with running for political office several times and was colorfully profiled in Philadelphia Magazine in 1988. In that story, writer Lisa DePaulo called her part woman/part tigress. She famously endorsed a controversial cosmetic product on TV in 2006 and attended many galas and charity auctions, and her name appeared in the society and opinion pages nearly as often as the news section. In a 1983 feature, Inquirer writer Mary Walton described Justice Newman as beautiful with tousled auburn hair and a slender figure that she liked to cloak in expensive designer clothes. A friend said online she was irrepressible in an Auntie Mame sort of way. Another said: The world has become a little quieter. Justice Newman served as the first female assistant district attorney in Montgomery County from 1972 to 1974 and was an in-demand, high-profile partner at Astor, Weiss & Newman from 1974 to 1993. She returned to private practice in 2006 and handled mostly alternative dispute resolution cases until recently. She was a good friend with a great sense of humor. Former Gov. Tom Ridge on Justice Newman She told the Press Enterprise in 1995 that colleagues in the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office had adorned her desk with a green plant on her first day in 1972. It was marijuana from the evidence room, she said. She wrote papers and book chapters about trial practice, death penalty statutes, and the electoral system in Pennsylvania. She spoke about all kinds of legal topics at seminars, conferences, and other events. She cofounded what is now the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in 2006, was a trustee for Drexels College of Medicine, and received dozens of service and achievement awards from Drexel, Villanova, the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations, the Womens Bar Association of Western Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and other groups. She was the president of boards, chair of many committees, and active with the National Association of Women Justices, the Juvenile Law Center, the American Law Institute, and other organizations. She taught law classes at the Delaware Law School of Widener University in 1984 and 85, and at Villanova from 1986 to 1993. I was never a feminist, but I was and am for the equality of women. Justice Newman in 2003 to the Philadelphia Lawyer She earned a bachelors degree at Drexel in 1959 and a masters degree in hearing science at Temple in 1969. In 1972, she was one of a handful of women to get a law degree at what is now Villanovas Charles Widger School of Law. Later, she received four honorary doctorate degrees and was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvaniaby then-Gov. Ridge in 1996. Outside the courtroom, Justice Newman volunteered for charities and legal associations. She was part of a group that tried unsuccessfully to buy the Eagles from then-owner Leonard Tose in 1983, and she was criticized in the early 2000s for her financial involvement in a bungled long-running effort to fund a new Family Court Building in Philadelphia. Justice Newman filled every room she entered with her strength, energy, and exuberance for life and for the law, Supreme Court Justice P. Kevin Brobson said in a tribute. She lived with intention and spent her entire career focused on creating and expanding opportunities for future generations of legal professionals, especially women. Sandra Schultz was born Nov. 4, 1938. She graduated from Overbook High School and married cosmetic surgeon Julius Newman in 1959. They had sons Jonathan and David, and lived in Wynnefield, Penn Valley, and Gladwyne. READ MORE: Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirers obit writer Her husband and son David died earlier. She married fellow lawyer Martin Weinberg in 2007, and their union was annulled 11 months later. Justice Schultz was a longtime fashionista. She reveled in shopping trips to New York, and DePaulo reported in 1988 that her closet in Gladwyne was 800 square feet. She was also funny, generous, and kind, friends said. She funded several college scholarships, collected art, owned racehorses, cooked memorable matzo balls, enjoyed giving gifts, and tried to have dinner every night with her family. Sometimes, DePaulo reported, in the 1970s, she took her young sons to her law school classes at Villanova. Despite how busy she was, her family was always her priority, said her brother, Mark. She was also a true bipartisan who fought for equal rights and preserving our democratic institutions. In 2003, she was asked by Richard G. Freeman, editor in chief of the Philadelphia Lawyer, to describe her judicial decision-making process. She said: There are beliefs that you have to put aside. One of the wonderful things about being on our court is that you can make new law where your beliefs fit into the law. In addition to her son Jonathan and brother, Justice Newman is survived by four grandchildren and other relatives. A grandson died earlier. Services are private. Donations in her name may be made to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation, 733 Third Ave., Suite 510, New York, N.Y. 10017. Correction: One of the communities that Justice Schultz grew up in has been corrected. A visitor to Independence Mall last week looks at the now-empty display areas where an exhibit on slavery was removed at the Presidents House site. Read more Recognizing the past Why does it matter so much to the Trump administration that an exhibit about nine enslaved Africans at the Presidents House be removed? Yes, we know this display does not allow Americans to skip past the horrors of enslavement and the daily violence that people of African descent faced. Yes, we know the display counters the majestic view of the Founding Fathers as saintly people who fought for the equal rights of all. Yes, we know this memorial ingrains in the American consciousness that Black people were thingified and their free labor built this country. Simply put, the dismantling of this exhibit is an attempt to erase our collective consciousness so that Black children and white children grow up without a clear reference point of what this nation was. Without understanding what America was, we are bound to make the same oppressive mistakes. And what will efforts like this mean for the future of the curricula in our schools? Advertisement The removal of the exhibits was an assault on our spiritual eyes the eyes we use to invoke our collective memory. My spiritual eyes watched a video of the dismantling and saw my ancestors being brutalized by the crack of the whip again. My spiritual eyes saw my ancestors labor to build a nation and fight for a country that does not see them as fully human. The Sankofa proverb teaches us that progress occurs when we must recognize our past. Our past is not perfect; it is complex and filled with moments of dehumanization that make us all cringe and feel saddened. But examining and reflecting on the past allows us to build a better, more beautiful society together. Lets take that path forward as a nation. Nosakhere Griffin-EL, Pittsburgh A disappointing nomination I know that I am not alone in expressing my deep disappointment in the confirmation by the Pennsylvania Senate of the Shapiro administrations nomination of Dr. John S. O Brien II to the states Board of Pardons. Dr. OBrien will now help make the ultimate decision on both commutation and pardon applications from deserving people who seek to shorten their prison sentence. My experience with the Board of Pardons is deeply personal. My father was the victim of a kidnap carjack robbery in 1980 and died as a result of the crime. The two accomplices to the carjacking, who did not intend to kill my father and did not kill him, were still convicted of second-degree felony murder, and they were sentenced to the mandatory sentence in Pennsylvania: life in prison without parole. They were 18 and 19 respectively. They were incarcerated for 40 years. They more than paid for their participation. I felt so strongly about this that I was a key advocate for their release through the commutation process. Dr. OBrien is known for being a paid expert witness in criminal cases, almost always for the prosecution, often involving children. He has argued that accused children cannot be rehabilitated and should be charged as adults. This biased point of view goes against science and documented research. People who committed or were participants in severe crimes when they were teenagers are often incarcerated for years and pay dearly for their crimes. These people deserve consideration (but not automatic release) when applying for commutation. To think otherwise is simply not true. It is just wrong to deny people who have paid their debt to society a voice as they are fighting to prove they are not the same person they were at such a young age. Nancy Leichter, Philadelphia Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online. Yuliia Dolotova, 37, receives hot food at a distribution point during a power outage caused by Russias repeated air strikes on the countrys power grid, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday. Read more When Philadelphia temperatures dipped to near zero last week, the frigid weather was so unbearable that most of us retreated indoors. Of course, our homes were warm and well-lit, although the threat of losing power was unnerving. For my friend Maisie, whose family lives in the Philly area but who is doing research in Kyiv, Ukraine, on blast injuries and coordinating international programs to help amputees, there is no escape from subzero weather. Advertisement When I spoke to her on the weekend, she was huddled in two down parkas, under a mountain of blankets, and hugging her dog, Olly, for warmth, having had no heat for three weeks. Thanks to Vladimir Putin, Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities have been under massive missile and drone attacks deliberately aimed at civilian heating and power infrastructure. All in an effort to freeze Ukrainians into submission. Such attacks on civilians are a war crime. Donald Trump is helping Putin weaponize winter. The president echoes Russian propaganda, claiming Putin agreed to a weeklong pause in bombing energy infrastructure even as Putin was raining down record numbers of missiles on apartment buildings, a maternity hospital, and power grids. Kyiv is only expected to receive four to six hours of power daily for the rest of February. To make his pro-Russian stance clear, Trump had a framed photo of himself and the Kremlin leader, taken at the failed Alaska summit last August, put up in the White House Palm Room, above one of him and a grandchild. Only Trump could consider it appropriate to hang a photo of a modern-day Adolf Hitler in the White House visitors area. Moscow, of course, loves it. To quote the X post of Putins special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev (who has brainwashed his White House counterpart, Steve Witkoff, into adopting Moscows positions): A picture is worth a thousand words. Indeed. Other pictures to consider are those of mothers and children clinging to each other in underground subway stations reminiscent of the London Blitz because they fear repeated Russian drone attacks on apartment blocks, or because they simply have no heat. Even if you can get food, you dont need a refrigerator, Maisie, whose last name Im not using from safety concerns, told me via WhatsApp. Any food you have freezes. Her electricity is sporadic, she told me, barely giving time to charge power banks, a small heater, her laptop, and her phone. It got so bad these past weeks that I remember a moment when I realized I hadnt felt my toes in so long, I took off layers of socks to realize they had blistered so much from the cold that they were bleeding. A lot of grocery stores were closed, and it was a mad rush when they were open. Sheets of ice are coating every street, which makes it particularly difficult for the elderly. Despite all this, Ukrainians are still holding on, adapting, supporting one another and enduring conditions that should never be normal in the civilized world, she said. What infuriated Ukrainians this week was Trumps repeated claims that his deal-making skills had persuaded Putin to stop bombing energy infrastructure for a week, until the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Putin kept his word, Trump told White House reporters on Tuesday. No, Putin did not keep his word. Drones and missiles on power distribution sites halted for barely two and a half days, during which Russia kept hitting residential buildings along with workers repairing damaged energy infrastructure. Then, with the missiles saved up from the two-day energy ceasefire, Russia launched a massive strike against energy targets even as Trump was touting that he had talked Putin down. Any president with minimal smarts would have grasped by now that the Russians are trolling him. Trump has been pushing since the Alaska summit for a direct meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the Kremlin recently offered one if it took place in Moscow. The slimy Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said his country would guarantee Zelenskys safety. Needless to say, Zelensky whom the Russians have tried to assassinate many times declined the honor. One doesnt have to be a fortune teller to imagine poisoned soup (a tactic used by Russia against a previous Ukrainian president) or a sudden fall from a window. Yet, no doubt, Trump will soon be criticizing Zelensky for refusing this golden opportunity. Similarly, the U.S.-Ukraine peace talks pushed by Trump along with this weeks trilateral meeting of U.S., Ukrainian, and Russian officials are a farce. Thats because Trump refuses to press Putin to make any concessions, and the Russian leader has yet to veer from his position that Ukraine slash its army, change its president, give up unconquered territory, and refuse any strong Western guarantees. In fact, chief White House negotiator Witkoff, an ill-informed real estate mogul who seems to be Trumps main emissary to everywhere from Israel to Iran to Russia insists Kyiv cave to Putins key position: give up a belt of Donetsk that Ukraine still holds, which is the main fortified barrier that prevents Russian troops from moving into central Ukraine. Witkoff, who, like Trump, thinks only of land deals, might as well be calling on Ukraine to commit suicide. He has actually proposed that this armed Ukrainian territory could become a free trade zone. As with the energy ceasefire, Putin would respect that zone for about five minutes before sending his troops in. Yet, through sheer grit, Ukrainians are enduring and preventing serious Russian gains on the front, as the Kremlins war economy sags and Russia suffers staggering numbers of military casualties. I believe if Ukraine can get through this winter, with European help, Russia will be unable to continue the war at this level. So now would be the perfect time for Trump to push back strongly against Putins energy war on civilians. Having basically halted military aid to Ukraine, the president could still help Kyiv by selling Europe desperately needed air defense weapons that it would then pass on to Ukraine. The president could also finally stop blocking a vote on bipartisan congressional legislation to impose more sanctions on Russian oil sales. By turning up the heat on Putin, Trump could help turn the heat back on for Ukraine. But dont hold your breath. The only slight opening I can imagine is if the president finally grasps how weak and foolish his bow to Putin makes him look on the world stage, and how dangerous his links to Putin are to his own legacy. Rather than be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Trump looks more likely to be tarred by his subservience to the greatest war criminal of the 21st century, who played him like a military drum. President Donald Trump listens to a question from a reporter as he speaks in the Oval Office on Monday. Read more When Donald Trump posted a meme on his social media platform that portrayed former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as apes, it was an act of racism. Trump engaging in this behavior during Black History Month is no accident. His childish attempt to taint the legacy of Americas most accomplished Black couple is about more than insulting the Obamas. It is meant to demean all of us. Advertisement After all, if a Black president is nothing more than a monkey, a Black doctor, lawyer, or executive is even less than that. Therefore, in the minds of those who embrace that kind of racist reasoning, Black history should not be celebrated. It should be mocked, undermined, and erased. READ MORE: The fraught politics behind the creation of Black History Month | Solomon Jones Thats why we cant ignore the timing of Trumps decision to pry Black history from the walls at the Presidents House slavery memorial at Sixth and Market. We must not downplay his sudden fixation with controlling the voting apparatus in cities like Philadelphia with large Black populations. We cannot pretend that portraying the Obamas as monkeys is isolated from his ongoing attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Trump has chosen to use the 100th anniversary of Black History Month to send a message: It is now open season on Black people. The White House, through a statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt, initially sought to downplay the presidents social media post. This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King, Leavitt said. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. But heres the thing. The presidents racist post does matter to the American public, as evidenced by the immediate backlash from major figures on both sides of the aisle. Even Black Republican U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, who normally declines to criticize the presidents racial broadsides, responded. Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. The President should remove it, Scott wrote on social media. Scott, who chairs the Senate Republicans midterm campaign arm, is right to pray, because with each outrageous act by the president, Republican odds in the upcoming elections get a little longer. But Trumps overtly racist post was never about the elections. It was about reshaping the society in which we live. Though Trump deleted the post after Americans reacted with outrage, the message was sent. Black people are the enemy, and they are to be treated as such. As if to underline that point, a white listener called my radio show on Friday morning and called me the N-word on the air. I was neither surprised nor angry. Rather, I experienced a moment of great clarity. America should, too. Trump is inviting the white conservatives who comprise much of his political base to follow his lead and embrace racism. He is reaching back for vile racist tropes to get them to do so. In some ways, Im grateful Trump waited until Black History Month to do this. History, after all, is a strong and determined teacher. We must strive to be the kind of students who embrace historys lessons. In 1906, for example, the determination to portray Black people as monkeys took an unimaginably cruel turn. A young African named Ota Benga, who had been taken from what was then the Belgian Congo, was placed in a cage at the Bronx Zoo with actual monkeys. Historians speculate he may have been 12 or 13 caged with monkeys so crowds of white people could gawk at him, laugh at him, demean and humiliate him. Trump is inviting the white conservatives who comprise much of his political base to follow his lead and embrace racism. Benga was freed when outraged Black ministers and others complained about his treatment. Ten years later, Benga killed himself, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, which oversees the Bronx Zoo, spent nearly a century trying to cover up what was done to him. It was only after the murder of George Floyd that the organization fully acknowledged and apologized for the incident. History teaches us that when racism is left unchecked and unchallenged, people die. This Black History Month, as Trump seeks to take us backward, he must know that we will not go quietly. In fact, we will not go at all. U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick speaks at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Dec. 3., 2025. Read more U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks) called on President Donald Trump to apologize for sharing a racist video Thursday night on Truth Social that depicts former President Barack Obama, the countrys first Black president, and former first lady Michelle Obama, as apes. Whether intentional or careless, this post is a grave failure of judgment and is absolutely unacceptable from anyone most especially from the President of the United States. A clear and unequivocal apology is owed, Fitzpatrick wrote in a post on X Friday afternoon. Advertisement The Bucks County Republican, who will be defending a key swing district this fall, joined a bipartisan ensemble of lawmakers who are condemning Trumps post, which was deleted Friday after the widespread backlash. The president has a long history of promoting inflammatory content online and making racist remarks. This post also comes in the wake of his administrations decision to remove exhibits about slavery and other injustices from Independence National Historic Park and other national parks. Donald Trump is a bigoted, small-minded man who has long spewed racist remarks and tried to whitewash our nations history. Today he finds a new low, said U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Philadelphia), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, in a post on X. His recent post is vile, disgusting, and abhorrently racist. Every elected official should speak up and condemn this hate. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) in a statement to The Inquirer, called the presidents post indefensible and horrendous. That garbage came from, and should forever remain in, the twisted and grotesque corners of the internet, he said. Fitzpatrick, a moderate representing a purple county, has disagreed with Trump before but the lawmakers comments Friday serve as one of his strongest rebukes yet. Racism and hatred have no place in our country ever. They divide our people and weaken the foundations of our democracy, Fitzpatrick wrote. History leaves no doubt: when division is inflamed by those in positions of power, the consequences are real and lasting. The White House blamed a staffer for the video, which was posted just five days into Black History Month, The Associated Press reported. This came after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there was fake outrage over the post and that it was a meme inspired by The Lion King. In addition to the Obamas, other Democratic leaders, including former President Joe Biden, were depicted as various animals in the video, which was set to The Lion Sleeps Tonight and features Trump as the King of the Jungle. The clip of the Obamas appears to have originally come from a conservative user on X, The New York Times reported. In addition to the election officials reacting with horror, Rt. Rev. Daniel G.P. Gutierrez, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese in Pennsylvania, said that he was repulsed and sickened by Trumps post and called on the president to resign. U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa) condemned the video late Friday afternoon after the White House had blamed it on a staffer. Posting this video is unacceptable and thankfully it has been taken down. It should never have been posted and does not represent who we are as a nation. Racism has no place in America, McCormick said in a post on X. Other Republican senators moved faster to publicly condemn Trumps post. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R., S.C.), the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, said Friday morning, Its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. The President should remove it. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro pointed to Scotts comments when asked about the video during a stop in Philadelphia Friday. I actually agree with [Republican] Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina that its racist, Shapiro said. Fitzpatrick has in the past avoided calling out Trump directly. The Republican was the only member of his partys delegation in Pennsylvania to vote against Trumps One Big Beautiful Bill Act on final passage, though he moved the legislation forward with an earlier vote. Trump called Fitzpatrick disloyal in response. Fitzpatrick also recently voted to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies alongside Democrats and two other swing-district Republicans. Fitzpatricks seat is one of four in Pennsylvania that is being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, but he entered 2026 with significantly more campaign cash than any of his Democratic challengers. The Bucks County lawmaker remains the only Republican in Pennsylvanias U.S. House delegation that has yet to receive an endorsement from Trump. Staff Writer Alfred Lubrano contributed to this reporting. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) helped reintroduce a bill that would amend an 1871 law to establish the right to sue federal officials. Read more An undocumented immigrant is seeking $1 million in damages after he says he was riding his bike in Melrose Park, Ill., when a U.S. Border Patrol agent suddenly tackled him, placed him in a chokehold and punched his head. A Chicago resident says that federal agents caused $30,000 worth of property damage when they broke a lock on his wrought-iron gate and scaled a wooden fence to chase after construction workers repairing his Victorian-era home. Advertisement A Columbia University student and activist who spent 104 days in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center is demanding $20 million over what he says was a false arrest. All three should expect a long and difficult fight under the current legal landscape, lawyers warn. These and scores of other claims expected to arise out of the Trump administrations crackdown on illegal immigration are winding through a bureaucratic process mandated under the Federal Tort Claims Act. It is the primary legal recourse for people seeking compensation for property damage, injuries and even deaths allegedly caused by federal agencies and their employees. First, individuals must fill out a form and submit it for review by the agency that they say caused the harm. Agencies such as ICE and Customs and Border Protection have six months to deny a claim, offer a settlement, or not respond at all. Only then can people sue in court under the Federal Tort Claims Act. But these cases are different from civil rights lawsuits. Judges, not juries, decide the outcome. Awarded damages are likely to be much lower. And individual officers cant be named as defendants. Its absolutely bonkers, said Brian Orozco, a Chicago attorney for Ricardo Aguayo Rodriguez, the bike-riding immigrant who was hospitalized and is now detained, awaiting deportation to Mexico. If a Chicago police officer abuses my civil rights, I can file a claim immediately. I dont have to wait six months [to file a lawsuit]. I have a right to a jury trial. I dont have that when Im up against the federal government. Its scary to me how protected these federal agents are. After the Civil War, Congress passed a law that established the right to sue local and state officials for the violation of constitutional rights. Federal officials werent included in the law, though a 1971 Supreme Court ruling established precedence for such lawsuits. But legal experts said that the courts decisions within the past decade have narrowed that path and made it nearly impossible to successfully sue federal agents for civil rights violations. It is arguably harder today in 2026 than at any other time in American history to sue federal officials for money damages if they violate your constitutional rights, said Harrison Stark, senior counsel at the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Relatives of both Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Minneapolis residents who were fatally shot in separate encounters by federal immigration officers in January, have hired attorneys. In a statement, Romanucci & Blandin, the law firm retained by Goods family, said it is pursuing a tort claim and would not be deterred by the byzantine, time-consuming processes mandated by the Federal Tort Claims Act. The attorney hired by Prettis parents did not respond to a request for comment. An ICE spokesperson said the agency received about 400 tort claims in fiscal 2025, which ended Sept. 30, but did not provide a breakdown of how many resulted in settlements or denials. Despite facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, 8,000% increase in death threats, and a 3,200% increase in vehicle rammings, the men and women of ICE continue working around the clock to arrest and remove the worst of the worst criminal aliens from the United States, ICE said in an emailed statement. The Washington Post could not independently verify these numbers. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson declined to provide data about the number of tort claims the agency received last year. Rioters and agitators have created an extraordinary amount of damage to public and private property, not to mention the harm they have put our officers and the public in, a CBP spokesperson said in a statement. We expect these agitators will be held responsible for their actions. Spokespeople for ICE and CBP declined to comment on individual claims described in this story. They broadly said their agencies adhere to the Federal Tort Claims Act. A significant settlement is not impossible. The estate of Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot and killed on Jan. 6, 2021, during the U.S. Capitol riot, filed a tort lawsuit and reached a nearly $5 million settlement with the government. But the challenges of navigating the Federal Tort Claims Act coupled with an anticipated rise in claims as violent encounters continue in cities across the United States have put pressure on Congress to pass legislation to allow civil rights lawsuits against federal officers and agents. Such an effort would probably face pushback, experts said. Several years ago, the National Border Patrol Council, a union that represents Border Patrol agents, warned the Supreme Court of the potentially massive financial impact that would occur if thousands of its agents were exposed to liability for personal damages. Not very hopeful Leo Feler said he ran into challenges as soon as he decided to pursue a tort claim. For one thing, he wasnt sure where to send it: Feler didnt know which federal agency employed the masked men who came to his Chicago home on Oct. 24. Feler, a 46-year-old economist, said he wasnt there at the time. But he received a notification from his Ring security camera: Someone was on his property. A construction crew had been repairing the windows and siding of his home in the affluent Lakeview neighborhood. As the workers ate lunch outside, armed men in green uniforms jumped from two vehicles and tried to break the locks on the gates of a nearly 6-foot-high wrought-iron fence, according to Feler, who reviewed security camera footage of the incident and a video taken by a neighbor. The agents, Feler said, had scaled a wooden fence along the side of his house and hopped onto his balcony in pursuit of the fleeing workers. One worker was injured as he scrambled through a construction site littered with wood and nails, Feler said, leaving a trail of blood in the home. Another worker was detained, he said. Feler said a tenant who rented a unit on his property asked the officers to provide a warrant that authorized the raid, but they refused to do so. Through his Ring cameras intercom system, Feler told the agents that they were trespassing and needed to leave. But they ignored him, he said. Feler later sought legal advice. Attorneys told him he could file a tort claim for damages. Unsure which agencies had come to his house, Feler sent the paperwork for his tort claim in December to ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. He described the damage to his property including to his locks and fence and also wrote that the agents robbed me and my family of the feeling of security we once enjoyed in my home. His tenant was afraid and asked to break her lease early, which Feler said he agreed to do. Overall, Feler estimated $30,000 in damage to his property. He said he is not very hopeful that he will receive payment. If his claim is denied, he said he and his attorneys will pursue a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Others caught up in Operation Midway Blitz, the administrations immigration enforcement actions in the Chicago area last fall, also said they expect it will be difficult to recover alleged damages. Leigh Kunkel, a 39-year-old freelance journalist, said she was documenting federal agents shooting pepper balls at protesters in late September outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Ill. An agent then aimed the weapon at her and fired pepper balls, she said, striking her in the back of the head and the nose and leaving her bloodied. A week later, her fiance, Kyle Frankovich, also was protesting in Broadview within an area that he said state police monitoring the scene had designated a free speech zone. Federal officials, including Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, emerged from the ICE facility and began arresting protesters, according to video footage. Frankovich, 41, said he showed no aggression toward agents; nevertheless, he said, they took him to the ground and put him in handcuffs. They later lined him up with other detainees along a guardrail near the facility. The scene served as a backdrop to a Department of Homeland Security promotional video featuring Secretary Kristi L. Noem. He said he was detained for eight hours before a federal agent dropped him off at a nearby gas station. Frankovich has not been charged with a crime. Antonio Romanucci, a civil rights lawyer and founding partner at the Chicago-based firm representing Renee Goods family, said his office plans to file federal tort claims for Kunkel and Frankovich. The couple said they understand the path may be long and their case could be unsuccessful, while also exposing them to public scrutiny. Ultimately, we landed on the feeling that we are privileged enough to have the opportunity to fight back against this as citizens, Kunkel said, and that if we can do that, if this is one little way that we can push back, that we should. Pushing for change Previous efforts to change the federal law have failed to gain traction. A law signed by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1871 established the statutory right to sue local or state officials for constitutional violations. Nearly two years ago, a group of U.S. lawmakers introduced draft legislation that would have amended that law by inserting just four words or the United States and established the right to sue federal officials as well. But the effort stalled. Its a somewhat complicated area of law across different jurisdictions, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) said of the challenges in garnering support for the bill, which he sponsored. But I didnt see any huge partisan issues. Whitehouse said there was a lack of urgency at the time, even though the Supreme Court had more or less strangled the legal pathway that had been used since the 1970s to sue federal officials for civil rights violations. Last fall, Whitehouse and Rep. Hank Johnson (D., Ga.) reintroduced the measure. Legal experts told the Post they think it is unlikely to pass, citing anticipated concerns about exposing federal law enforcement officers to personal liability. A handful of states already have laws that authorize claims against federal officials for the violation of constitutional rights, including New Jersey and Massachusetts, according to research compiled by Stark of the University of Wisconsin Law School. Lawmakers in other states are scrambling to draft similar bills. Last week, the California Senate passed the No Kings Act to allow civil rights lawsuits against federal officers. The measure will head to the State Assembly next. In Colorado, Mike Weissman, a Democratic state senator, recently introduced a similar bill. He described talking with state legislators in Washington, New Mexico, and Virginia, to exchange ideas. And in Minnesota, State Rep. Jamie Long, a Democrat whose district includes part of Minneapolis, has drafted such a bill for the legislative session that begins later this month. We know that there is evidence of these severe constitutional violations happening, and thats why we think its appropriate to create this state remedy, Long said. Such measures are likely to be challenged. The U.S. Justice Department has already sued Illinois, alleging that its new law authorizing civil rights claims against federal officers is an unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers. In the meantime, those who say they have sustained property damage or injuries during immigration enforcement efforts and their attorneys are continuing to press lawmakers to enable them to sue federal officers. Christopher Parente, a Chicago-based lawyer, is representing Marimar Martinez, a 30-year-old teachers assistant who was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October and survived. In an interview with the Post, her attorney said he thinks that Congress should change the law. Parente, a former federal prosecutor who plans to file a tort claim on Martinezs behalf, said, There is no deterrence in fact, these agents are embraced and celebrated by this administration and their colleagues. A chilling effect People seeking compensation from the federal government may face another roadblock: finding an attorney to take their case. Ive met people who spent the entire statute of limitations period, which is generally two years, looking for attorneys to represent them in cases against the federal government or federal officials and not being able to find them, said Anya Bidwell, senior attorney for the Institute for Justice, a nonprofit law firm based in the D.C. area. Bidwell said many attorneys are deterred from taking Federal Tort Claims Act cases because the government often invokes a very broad immunity that courts traditionally interpret to pretty much swallow any of the claims that involve any kind of a judgment or choice on behalf of an officer. In other words, many cases are dismissed. Bidwell said even getting to trial is extremely difficult. Some people who consider filing claims ultimately decide not to, discouraged by the long and difficult process. In Minneapolis, Gina Christ, a 55-year-old business manager, contacted a lawyer to challenge what she described as an unlawful detention. But the attorney she met with told her suing the government would be very, very difficult, Christ recalled. Christ had driven to a protest that began after Border Patrol agents allegedly tried to arrest a pair of Latino teens. She said she parked along the side of the street to observe the agents, not to obstruct them. Christ said she was soon surrounded by agents and protesters. Agents yelled at her to move before smashing the window of her Ford Escape. They opened the door, pulled her out of the car, and held her facedown on the pavement, she said. Agents restrained her wrists with plastic zip ties, Christ said, while her eyes and throat burned from tear gas fired into the nearby crowd. Authorities took her to a federal building for processing, she said, and placed her in metal arm and leg shackles. She said they walked her to a folding table, where there was a makeshift sign with the criminal code for assaulting an officer. They told her she would face charges and took her fingerprints and a DNA swab. Christ said she spent nearly four hours in custody before she was released. She hasnt been charged with a crime. A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson did not answer questions about the agencys interaction with Christ. After weighing the difficulty of pursuing a tort claim, Christ said she plans to pay to fix her window herself. Given what others have lost, she said, it seems too small to pursue. After beating Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli in last year's New Jersey governor's race, Mikie Sherrill left her seat as representative for the 11th Congressional District vacant. Read more TRENTON, N.J. The race in New Jersey between a onetime political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders and a former congressman was too early to call Thursday, in a special House Democratic primary for a seat that was vacated after Mikie Sherrill was elected governor. Former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski started election night with a significant lead over Analilia Mejia, based largely on early results from mail-in ballots. The margin narrowed as results from votes cast that day were tallied. Advertisement With more than 61,000 votes counted, Mejia led Malinowski by 486, or less than 1 percentage point. READ MORE: New Jersey special primary results: Who will fill Mikie Sherrills seat? All three counties in the district report some mail-in ballots yet to be processed. Also, mail-in ballots postmarked by election day can arrive as late as Wednesday and still be counted. Malinowski did better than Mejia among the mail-in ballots already counted in all three counties, leaving the outcome of the race uncertain. The Democratic winner will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, on April 16. Malinowski served two terms in the House before losing a bid for reelection in a different district in 2022. He had the endorsement of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, who has built support among progressive groups. Mejia, a former head of the Working Families Alliance in the state and political director for Sanders during his 2020 presidential run, had the Vermont independent senators endorsement as well as that of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York. She also worked in President Joe Bidens Labor Department as deputy director of the womens bureau. Both Malinowski and Mejia were well ahead of the next-closest candidates: Brendan Gill, an elected commissioner in Essex County who has close ties to former Gov. Phil Murphy; and Tahesha Way, who served as lieutenant governor and secretary of state for two terms under Murphy until last month. The other candidates were John Bartlett, Zach Beecher, J-L Cauvin, Marc Chaaban, Cammie Croft, Dean Dafis, Jeff Grayzel, Justin Strickland and Anna Lee Williams. The district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey, including some of New York Citys wealthier suburbs. The special primary and April general election will determine who serves the remainder of Sherrills term, which ends next January. There will be a regular primary in June and general election in November for the next two-year term. Sherrill, also a Democrat, represented the district for four terms after her election in 2018. She won despite the regions historical loyalty to the GOP, a dynamic that began to shift during President Donald Trumps first term. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill waves during her inauguration ceremony in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. The primary to replace her is too close to call. Read more The Democratic primary to replace N.J. Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress remains too close to call as of Friday afternoon, but the early results already signal a major breakthrough for progressives in the state. Analilia Mejia, a progressive whos worked for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and the Working Families Party, led former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski by less than 1 percentage point, with more than 91% of votes tabulated in the crowded primary. Advertisement Some outlets, including Decision Desk, called the race for Malinowski, who dominated mail ballots, Thursday night before issuing retractions as Mejia gained ground. The Democratic National Committee had even issued a premature congratulations to the former House member before Mejia took the lead. Sherrill represented North Jerseys 11th Congressional District, which includes parts of Essex, Morris, and Passaic Counties, and stepped down after being elected governor. A field of 13 Democrats competed in the special election for the open seat from various factions of the Democratic Party. Only two broke through as serious contenders, and they represent two sides of the New Jersey Democratic Party: the establishment and progressives. Democrats were so invested in the race, turnout exceeded the 2024 primary for the seat, which signals the high level of motivation for Democratic voters going into this years midterms. Sherrill stayed neutral in the race Analilia Mejia is supported by national progressives like AOC Mejia, 48, is the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants. She has called to abolish ICE and spoke in both English and Spanish at a news conference Friday. The progressive candidate has most recently worked as the co-executive director of Popular Democracy, a network of organizations across the country that call for transformational change for Black, brown and low-income communities, according to its website. She worked as the national political director for Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, the state director of the New Jersey Working Families Party, and as a union organizer before launching her bid for the seat. Mejia was endorsed by national progressives, including Sanders (I., Vt.), U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). She also had the backing of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, whose progressive campaign landed him in second place behind Sherrill in the six-way gubernatorial primary last year. Mejia leaned into her underdog status Thursday night when addressing supporters, noting the race had been called for her opponent before she took the lead. Heres the bottom line, she said. We know that our movement, this party, this moment, calls on every one of us to be big and bold and brave. And that is what we are about. She later declared: I think well listen to some Bad Bunny! Tom Malinowski was backed by the local party apparatus Malinowski, 60, started as a freshman House Democrat alongside Sherrill in 2019 before losing his seat to Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. in the 2022 election after he faced pushback for undisclosed stock trading and his area was redistricted to be less favorable to Democrats. His former district is right next to the 11th District and encompasses parts of Union, Somerset, Morris, and Sussex Counties, and all of Hunterdon and Warren Counties. He recently chaired the Hunterdon County Democratic Committee and previously worked as former President Barack Obamas assistant secretary of state for democracy and human rights. He had the endorsement of the Morris County Democratic Committee, which would have had more sway before the state got rid of its county line ballot system last year. U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, the Burlington County Democrat who led the legal fight that led to the county lines demise, endorsed Malinowski in this race, saying he trusts him. The Essex and Passaic County parties backed other candidates who were far behind Malinowski and Mejia. DNC Chair Ken Martin said in the premature Thursday night statement that Malinowski has the experience to serve New Jersey once again. AIPACs involvement in the race backfired Malinowski faced attacks from a super PAC funded by American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel national lobbying group, even though the group supported him in the past, The New York Times and other outlets reported. Those attacks likely pulled support away from Malinowski, who is far less critical of Israel than Mejia. Mejia called AIPACs tactics against Malinowski disgusting in a news conference on Friday and said it underscores her broader concerns about money in politics. Big money can actually silence voters ... In many ways, Im glad that NJ-11 voters got to see the terrible tactics so that we could reject it in the future, she said. The district, which used to be Republican, is now viewed as safely blue Sherrill flipped the 11th congressional district blue as a first-time candidate in 2018, defeating Republican Assemblymember Jay Webber after the GOP incumbent retired. The incumbent, former U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen had held the seat since 1995. The district went from leaning Republican to leaning Democratic when its lines were redrawn in 2022. Sherrill won her last general election race for her House seat with 56.5% of the vote in 2024. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as solidly Democratic. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the district decisively by nearly 9 points in 2024, but it still swung to the right from Bidens 2020 victory in the district by almost 17 points, according to Cook data. Joe Hathaway, the former mayor of Randolph in Morris County, was unopposed in the Republican primary. Hathaway, 38, said in a video on social media Thursday that the election brings an opportunity for a new generation of leadership one focused more on the hard work than the headlines. He is a former aide to former Republican Gov. Christopher J. Christie and has worked in various roles in the private sector, and has branded himself as a workhorse throughout his campaign. Hathaway and the winner of the Democratic primary will face off on Thursday, April 16, less than two months before the regular primary election on June 2 for the midterms. When will the race be called, and will there be a recount? Its unclear when the race will be called by The Associated Press (which The Inquirer relies on for election results), but it may not be this week. Mail ballots that were postmarked by Election Day on Thursday and received by the county Board of Election by next Wednesday can be counted in New Jersey. Provisional ballots in the state cannot be officially counted until after the eligible mail ballots are received to ensure the voter has not voted by mail. These ballots are used in specific situations, such as when a person registered to vote moves within the county without updating their address. Voters also have until the following Tuesday, Feb. 17, to cure a ballot flagged by election officials. This happens when there is a potential issue with a voters signature, which can happen when someone forgets to sign their ballot or whose signature has changed over time. The voter then has to verify their identity for their ballot to be counted. As for a recount, New Jersey doesnt have an automatic recount system, so a candidate would have to request one and cover the expenses. The candidate would receive a refund if the result changed. One of the lasting images of President Donald Trumps mass deportation campaign will be the masks worn by federal immigration agents. The widespread use of facial coverings by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers is among the suite of tactics agents dressed in plainclothes, wearing little identification, jumping out of unmarked cars to grab people off the street that have fueled immigration advocates use of terms like kidnappings and abductions. Advertisement Now Philadelphia lawmakers appear poised to pass legislation that would ban all officers operating in the city including local police from concealing their identities by wearing masks or conducting enforcement from unmarked cars. The question is whether the city can make that rule stick. Legal hurdles loom for municipalities and states attempting to regulate federal law enforcement. Local jurisdictions are generally prohibited from interfering with basic federal functions, and Trump administration officials say state- and city-level bans violate the constitutional provision that says federal law reigns supreme. Experts are split on whether the bill proposed by Philadelphia City Council members last week would survive a lawsuit. There are also practical concerns about enforcement. Violating the mask ban would be a civil infraction, meaning local police would be tasked with citing other law enforcement officers for covering their faces. No doubt this will be challenged, said Stanley Brand, a distinguished fellow at Penn State Dickinson Law. This ordinance will be a protracted and complicated legal slog. READ MORE: Philly City Council members will soon consider seven ICE Out bills. Heres what the proposals would do. Advocates for immigrants say that unmasking ICE agents is a safety issue, and that officers rarely identify themselves when asked, despite being required to carry badges. Mask use can also spur impersonators, they say. At least four people in Philadelphia have been arrested for impersonating ICE officers in the last year. You see these people in your community with guns and vests and masks, said Desi Bernette, a leader of MILPA, the Movement of Immigrant Leaders in Pennsylvania. Its very scary, and its not normal. READ MORE: Philly lawmakers want to restrict cooperation with ICE and ban agents from wearing masks Democrats in jurisdictions across America, including Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, have introduced legislation to ban ICE agents from concealing their faces. California is the furthest along in implementing a mask prohibition, and a judge is currently weighing a challenge filed by the Trump administration. Senate Democrats negotiating a budget deal in Washington have asked for a nationwide ban on ICE agents wearing masks in exchange for their votes to fund the Department of Homeland Security. And polling shows getting rid of masks is popular. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 61% of Americans believe federal agents should not wear face coverings to conceal their identities while on duty. READ MORE: ICE agents who wear masks are driven by the threat of doxxing, Fetterman says ICE officials say agents should have the freedom to conceal their faces while operating in a hyperpartisan political environment. Last year, ICE head Todd Lyons told CBS News that he was not a proponent of agents wearing masks, though he would allow it. Some officers, he said, have had private information published online, leading to death threats against them and their families. On Sunday, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, defended ICE officers who wear masks and said doxing is a serious concern. They could target [agents] families, Fetterman said in an interview on Fox News, and they are organizing these people to put their names out there. The Council authors of the Philadelphia bills say they are responding to constituents who are intimidated by ICEs tactics, and they believe their legislation can withstand a legal challenge. Our goal is to make sure that our folks feel safe here in the city, said City Councilmember Kendra Brooks. We are here to protect Philadelphians, and if that means we eventually need to go to court, thats what would need to happen. The constitutional limits on unmasking ICE The bill introduced last week by Brooks and Councilmember Rue Landau is part of a package of seven pieces of legislation aimed at limiting how ICE operates in Philadelphia. The proposals would bar Philadelphia employees from sharing information with ICE and ban the agency from using city property to stage raids. Fifteen of Councils 17 members signed on to the package of legislation, meaning a version of it is likely to become law. Passing a bill in City Council requires nine votes, and overriding a mayoral veto takes 12. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has said her team is reviewing the legislation, which can still be amended before it becomes law. READ MORE: A veto-proof majority of Philadelphia City Council members have signed onto the ICE Out proposal One of the two members who did not cosponsor the package was Councilmember Mike Driscoll, a Democrat who represents parts of Lower Northeast Philadelphia. He indicated that he had concerns about whether the ICE Out legislation would hold up in court. Brooks said Council members worked with attorneys to ensure the legislation is within our scope as legislators for this city to make sure that we protect our folks against these federal attacks. Brand, of Dickinson Law, said the legislation is a classic example of a conflict between two constitutional pillars: the clause that says federal law is supreme, and the 10th Amendment, which gives states powers that are not delegated to the federal government. He said there is precedent that the states or, in this case, cities cannot interfere with laws enacted by Congress, such as immigration matters. If I were betting, I would bet on the federal government, Brand said. But there is a gray area, he said, and that includes the fact that no law or even regulation says federal law enforcement agents must wear masks. Kermit Roosevelt, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania who is an expert on the Constitution and conflict of laws, said if there is no agency policy, that is free space for states and cities to regulate. Roosevelt said Brooks legislation steers clear of other constitutional concerns because it applies to all police officers, not just federal agents. If they were trying to regulate only federal agents, the question would be, Why arent you doing that to your own police officers? he said. If you single out the federal government, it looks more like youre trying to interfere with what the federal government is doing. Applying the law to local police Experts say part of the backlash to ICE agents covering their faces is because Americans are not used to it. Local police, sheriffs deputies, and state troopers all work largely without hiding their faces. Seeing law enforcement actions happening with federal agents in masks, thats extremely jarring, said Cris Ramon, an immigration consultant based in Washington. Why are you operating outside of the boundaries of what every other law enforcement agency is doing? The Council legislation includes exceptions for officers wearing medical-grade masks, using protective equipment, or working undercover. It also allows facial coverings for religious purposes. However, the federal government could still raise First Amendment concerns, said Shaakirrah R. Sanders, an associate dean at Penn State Dickinson Law. The administration, she said, could argue that the city is only trying to regulate law enforcement officers and claim that would be discriminatory. Sanders said defending the legislation could be very costly and the city should consider alternatives that fall more squarely within its authority. She pointed to efforts like New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrills announcement that the state would create a database for residents to upload videos of ICE interacting with the public. It looks like the city wants to wield big legislative power, Sanders said. My alternative is more in the grassroots work, where you are the first ear for your citizens, not the regulator of the federal government. Snow and ice debris is piled along the Camden waterfront, Camden, framing the Philadelphia skyline on Thursday. Read more By now Arctic air may qualify for a frequent-visitor pass around here, but the version coming this weekend will be of a different quality and have a particular sting. Its going to be a slap in the face, said Cody Snell, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Weather Prediction Center. Advertisement After a day in which highs will be around freezing on Friday a solid 10 degrees below normal some nuisance snow is possible late in the day or evening and early Saturday, and maybe even squalls. Then temperatures are going to tumble through the teens in the wake of another potent Arctic front. They might not see 20 degrees in the Philly region until Monday. Adding bite will be winds that could gust to 55 mph, and the National Weather Service says wind chills of 10 and 15 below are likely Saturday in the immediate Philly area. The agency has issued an extreme-cold warning a relatively new addition to the advisory list in effect Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. Wind chills of 17 below zero are possible, and winds could gust to 55 mph, the weather service says. Said Ray Martin, a lead meteorologist at the weather service office in Mount Holly, Its going to be awful. Among the recent sequence of Arctic invasions, it looks like the worst. In short, that unusually tenacious snowpack that was left over from the 9.3 inches of snow and white ice that fell on Jan. 25 and has since mutated into a form of frozen slurry will be spending at least another weekend in Philly. Whats more, its likely to be a harvest weekend for the ice that is solidifying upon the regions waterways, a growing concern. A warm-up is due to begin Monday and pick up steam during the workweek, with highs maybe reaching 40 degrees on Thursday. But it may encounter some resistance, and another storm threat might be brewing for next weekend, forecasters say. The snowpack already has achieved an elite status Friday marked the 12h consecutive day in which the official snow cover at Philadelphia International Airport, measured daily at 7 a.m., was at least 5 inches. In the 142-year period of record, that ties for seventh place for a snow-cover duration of that depth. To hold on to a snowpack like this is unusual, said Johnathan Kirk, senior hydrologist at NOAAs Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center, in State College, Pa., which is keeping a close eye on the waterway icing. The Schuylkill in Philly is ice-covered, as is the Delaware River from Trenton to Washington Crossing. In addition to an eight-day stretch when temperatures failed to reach 30, the durability is related to the 2 or so inches of sleet that capped the snow on Jan. 25. Sleet is white ice that melts more slowly than snow. The dry and cold air has been a natural preservative; snow and ice melt more readily when the air is moist. Another factor was the impressive liquid content of the snow and sleet, Snell said. The frozen mass contained 1.39 inches of liquid, the weather service said, comparable to what is contained in 15 to 18 inches of snow. As temperatures finally nudged above freezing, some melting did occur this week, which would explain that unsightly slushy porridge at Philly intersections. However, the official snow depth lost only an inch between Jan. 27 and Wednesday. The snowpack may receive a fresh frosting Friday night into early Saturday with up to an inch of snow, Martin said, but its not going to have the same staying power. Whats different about this Arctic air mass Any snow that falls is likely to get blown away in a hurry, Martin said, as winds will pick up before daybreak Saturday and gusts howl to 50 mph by late morning. Typically, cold air pours into the region from the northwest and becomes modified as it passes over land, the Great Lakes, and the mountains. This is going to be a straight-up Arctic shot. It will come more or less from the north, and the icy lakes are not going to do much to impede it, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. The weather centers Snell said a weak storm system moving off the Atlantic coast is forecast to blow up as it interacts with warm Gulf Stream waters. The differences between the cold high pressure with its heavier air over the East and the lighter air of the storm are going to place the Philadelphia region in a frigid sandwich. Heavier air tends to rush toward lighter air, like air escaping from a punctured tire. A thaw is coming to Philly, eventually Just how warm it gets next week remains unclear, AccuWeathers Benz said. Arctic air is hard to dislodge sometimes, he said, adding that recent model trends suggest the warm-up will not be quite as robust as expected earlier. A wild card would be a potential storm next weekend. The European forecast model was seeing rain and 60 degrees, Martin said, while the U.S. model was suggesting a blizzard. His take: I have no clue at this point. An anniversary of note On Feb. 5, 2010, 6.6 inches of snow fell upon the airport, the beginning of an unprecedented siege in which 44.3 inches accumulated in a six-day period. Twelve days after the snow stopped, the official snow depth was down to 4 inches. A unit of Aon Plc agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that calculation errors and faulty investment advice caused Pennsylvania public school teachers to make millions of dollars in extra contributions to their pension fund. The firms Aon Investments USA subsidiary agreed to pay $15 million to settle the allegations, according to a filing last week in federal court in Philadelphia. Its the third settlement between teachers and advisers to the $80 billion Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System, the states largest public pension fund. Asset managers Hamilton Lane and Portfolio Advisors previously settled allegations in the case after they were accused of recommending unsuitable and expensive private equity and private credit investments. The settlement still requires court approval, said Gerard Mantese, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. An Aon spokesperson declined to comment. The Pennsylvania teachers alleged that Aon recommended the pension invest in inappropriate, high-fee hedge funds that led to significant losses. Aon also relied on other financial advisers to compute returns, failed to confirm or check returns or disclose excessive fees, the lawsuit alleged. Aon previously settled US Securities and Exchange Commission allegations that it miscalculated returns of the teachers pension and failed to adequately investigate discrepancies in historical returns. Aon paid a $1 million penalty in 2024 without admitting or denying the SECs findings. The miscalculations caused turmoil at the Pennsylvania pension, leading the chief investment officer and executive director to step down. Aon agreed to a $7 million settlement with the pension fund in 2024. Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics Aon Pennsylvania South Korean firms Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Mirae Asset Financial Group and Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co. are in exploratory talks about entering Indias $130 billion insurance market, three Indian sources said. The interest comes as India has opened up its insurance sector to full foreign ownership and follows a surge of large cross-border deals in the financial sector. Korean firms have actively invested in a number of sectors in India, most notably automobiles and electronics. Last year, Hyundai Motors and LG Electronics listed their Indian units on local markets. Read more: Indias GIFT City Attracts Lloyds and Other Global Reinsurers, Sources Say Any deals resulting from the talks would mark the first time that Korean insurance firms have entered the Indian insurance sector. The sources, who are familiar with the discussions, said representatives of the three Korean companies had met in recent months with Indian insurers, market advisers and the regulator, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), to assess ways to enter the market. The talks are exploratory and no formal proposals have been made so far, they said. They requested anonymity because the discussions are private. Hyundai Marine & Fire, South Koreas secondlargest nonlife insurer, told Reuters it was not looking to enter India immediately and was taking a measured approach and assessing options. It recently closed its liaison office in India. From a mid to longterm perspective, we remain open to exploring a form of market entry when appropriate, a company spokesperson said. Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, the non-life insurance arm of Samsung, has not made any official plans or decisions regarding entry into the Indian insurance market, a company spokesperson said. Mirae Asset Financial Group and Indias insurance regulator did not respond to emails seeking comment. Samsung and Hyundai Marine & Fire are interested in potentially entering the nonlife insurance sector, the first source said, while Mirae Asset Financial Group is focusing on life insurance. Samsung sells non-life covers such as vehicle, property damage and liability insurance across Asia. Seoulheadquartered Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance focuses on insurance for businesses as well as health and auto cover. Mirae Asset, which already owns a mutual fund business in India, specializes in life insurance, variable annuity and retirement products in South Korea. India Insurance Challenges Insurance penetration in India, as measured by total insurance premium underwritten in a year, stood at about 3.7% of GDP in 2024, well below global averages, leaving room for growth. Indias insurance sector has high commissions compared to international standards and weak profitability compared to global peers. Profit margins too remain well below those of multinational insurers in Asia, a report by McKinsey and Co. said. The discussions come as insurers prepare for longpending reforms under a new law that gives the regulator legislative powers to set commission limits and order disgorgement of wrongful gains. For all three companies, both organic and inorganic routes are possible for entry, the first source said. India has about 60 insurers with global insurers such as Prudential Plc, Sun Life Financial and AIG currently operating through joint ventures with local firms. Reuters reported last week that global reinsurers, including Samsung Re and Korean Re, are also seeking to expand their India presence through Gujarat International Finance TecCity (GIFT City), a special economic zone. (Reporting by Ashwin Manikandan in Mumbai; additional reporting by Jayshree P Upadhyay in Mumbai; editing by Neil Fullick) Some supertanker operators, nervous about rising US-Iran tensions and potential risks to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, are speeding their vessels through the chokepoint. Very Large Crude Carriers are traveling around the narrow, congested waterway through which about a quarter of the worlds seaborne oil trade travels at as much as 17 knots, ship-tracking data show. About 13 knots is the usual top speed for a fully laden VLCC, which is typically about 330 meters (1,080 feet) long and cumbersome to maneuver. Some operators began the measures after Iran said it would conduct live-firing drills last week, according to shipowners and brokers that dispatch vessels through the waterway. The OPEC producer this week issued at least two warnings that they would commence live-firing exercises around the region, although none were observed, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The development adds more uncertainty to volatile freight markets, which have spiked after tensions over Iran combined with tight vessel supply. The US continues to build up its military presence in the region as talks between Washington and Tehran kick off in Oman later on Friday. However, Iran has suggested the discussions wont yield a quick resolution to tensions between the two countries. Even when headline geopolitical risk cools, Hormuz remains a complex operating environment, said Angelica Kemene, head of Optima Shipping Services market strategy team in Athens. Shipowners are exercising caution over journeys that may take days to complete in the corridor. Iran has previously threatened to lock down the Strait of Hormuz, though it has never actually followed through. Earlier this week, the Islamic Republic harassed a US-flagged oil tanker as it was transiting through the waterway. Meanwhile, some operators are making vessels wait off the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah ahead of traveling through the chokepoint as they finalize berthing and cargo-loading dates within the Persian Gulf, shipowners and brokers said. The gulf contains the main oil-loading facilities for producers including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. The speeding-up by some supertankers adds to the dangers of navigating the congested waters, where theres an increased presence of warships and where aging, dark-fleet vessels are known to congregate. However, not all vessels have accelerated with many appearing to be traveling at more normal speeds of 11 to 13 knots. The DHT Jaguar is among the supertankers to have increased speed, after loading almost 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Bloomberg, Kpler and Vortexa show. It clocked almost 16 knots while exiting Hormuz. The V. Harmony, a VLCC thats set to pick up a cargo from a Persian Gulf port in the UAE, approached Oman from Asia this week at speeds of around 11 knots, before speeding up on Thursday to enter Hormuz at almost 17 knots. A spokesperson for DHT Management thats listed as the manager for DHT Jaguar on international maritime database Equasis said the company doesnt comment on ship-specific trading. Sinokor Merchant Marine, which Equasis says is V. Harmonys manager, did not respond to emailed requests for comment. Total tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has eased slightly with 135 crude and products carriers entering the waterway on a seven-day rolling basis on Thursday, down from 182 on Jan. 31, ship data show. The number exiting the chokepoint fell to 113 from 120 in the period. Other supertankers looking to load cargoes in the Persian Gulf are first loitering off Oman, as fixers firm up berthing and crude-loading dates before entering the waterway, the shipowners and brokers said. The pool of individual vessels of Aframax size and above positioned outside the Strait of Hormuz has risen each day since Iran announced its live-firing drill. Making vessels wait outside the chokepoint also gives shipowners time to renegotiate additional war-risk premiums for insurance purposes, although those levies have yet to rise, some of the people said. Top photo credit: Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics USA The European Union needs to implement comprehensive regulations to manage the growing security risks posed by intelligent vehicles, particularly Chinese cars that are increasingly popular with consumers, according to a think tank. Intelligent cars, typically electric or hybrid vehicles, allow for expansive data to be collected including geospatial and personal data, Warsaw-based Center for Eastern Studies said. That leaves European countries vulnerable to cyberattack and exposed to the risk that information collected by cars can unintentionally reveal sensitive military and economic activities, it said. The need to put intelligent vehicles on a clear regulatory footing in Europe is becoming urgent, not least because the number of Chinese-made cars on the EU market is rising sharply, said the group, which is known as OSW. Still, the Center argued that China itself offers a useful starting point for Europe to build a legal framework to target cybersecurity and data risks. Chinese authorities require carmakers to obtain a data security certification, set out how information should be stored and handled, and has periodically banned Tesla Inc. from sensitive areas, it said. Across the world, concerns about so-called spy cars are growing as more and more consumers buy vehicles equipped with advanced-driver assistance systems. While the technology is innocuous it helps with speed control and parking in tight spaces the cars sensors and high-definition cameras are constantly capturing real-time information about its location and surroundings. Connected cars can collect as much as 1.4 terabytes of data per hour, according to industry estimates, the equivalent of more than 250 movies. Typically much of this data gets overwritten frequently due to the limited amount of storage on the vehicles, but some information can be sent to cloud-based servers. Chinas dominance of the new-energy vehicle market and the broad deterioration in its diplomatic ties with Europe and the US have made its cars the focal point for worries about what happens to that information. In December alone, Chinese automakers built nearly one in 10 passenger cars sold in Europe. Some countries are already taking steps to curb security risks posed by smart cars. Poland may ban Chinese-made cars from entering military facilities to protect its security and the US has effectively banned personal smart cars from China and Russia. Meanwhile, the Telegraph has reported that the UK government is concerned that EVs pose a potential national security threat and the German publication Handelsblatt said that officials have also warned of risks posed by digitally networked cars from China. The EU currently lacks bloc-wide regulations, though a cybersecurity risk assessment of connected cars by the European Commission and the EU Data Act single out vehicles as a core category of connected products, OSW said. But the surging popularity of EVs adds to the urgency of developing more comprehensive rules and OSW called for a coalition of willing countries should an EU-wide agreement be out of reach. The optimal response would be for the EU to introduce rules requiring car manufacturers to obtain additional security certification with particular scrutiny being placed on manufacturers from third countries, it said. Colum Murphy, Linda Lew, Maciej Martewicz. Photograph: A BYD Co. Han electric sedan in an exhibition area at the companys headquarters in Shenzhen, China, on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. Photo credit: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics Cyber Auto Europe China Chronic exposure to pollution from wildfires has been linked to tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States, according to a new study. The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that from 2006 to 2020, long-term exposure to tiny particulates from wildfire smoke contributed to an average of 24,100 deaths a year in the lower 48 states. Our message is: Wildfire smoke is very dangerous. It is an increasing threat to human health, said Yaguang Wei, a study author and assistant professor in the department of environmental medicine at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Other scientists who have studied the death toll from wildfire smoke were not surprised by the findings. The estimates theyre coming up with are reasonable, said Michael Jerrett, professor of environmental health science at the University of California, Los Angeles who was not involved in the study. We need more of them. Its only if were doing multiple studies with many different designs that we gain scientific confidence of our outcomes. These are real lives being lost due to wildfire smoke The papers researchers focused on deaths linked to chronic exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM2.5 the main concern from wildfire smoke. These particles can lodge deep into lungs and enter the bloodstream. Short-term exposure can trigger coughing and itchy eyes, but longer term, they can make existing health problems worse and lead to a range of chronic and deadly health issues, including respiratory illness, cardiovascular and neurological diseases, and premature death. Wildfire smoke PM2.5 has emerged as significant environmental hazard in the U.S., and its driven by increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires due to climate change, said Min Zhang, a postdoctoral student at the Icahn School and a study author. Along with decades of forest mismanagement, growing development in fire-prone areas has expanded the urban wildland interface, increasing wildfire risk with real consequences for human health, said Jerrett. Nobodys going to have wildfire death on their death certificate unless the fire actually burned them or a tree fell on them or something like that, said Jerrett. But many of the people that are dying from this exposure are ones that are already more vulnerable. These are real lives that are being lost. This is not some arbitrary abstract statistical concept. How researchers approached the study The studys authors analyzed the link between annual average exposure to PM2.5 from wildfire smoke and deaths by county in the lower 48. They used federal mortality data across 3,068 counties of all causes of death and several specific ones circulatory, neurological and respiratory diseases, as well as mental and behavioral disorders, tumors and endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases. They also included deaths related to falls and transport accidents which are unlikely to be linked to wildfire smoke to ensure their other observations werent biased. We found no association for car accidents and falls, while for other diseases we found statistically significant effects, said Wei. Deaths from neurological diseases saw the biggest increase with exposure to these particulates. How pronounced the link was between particulate exposure and death varied by season and demographics. A stronger association appeared during cooler periods, and people in rural areas and younger communities appeared to be more vulnerable. Researchers also found that with every 0.1 microgram per cubic meter increase of PM2.5 across all these places, about 5,594 more people died each year. Jerrett said the study had the benefit of a large study population and that it includes most causes of deaths in the U.S. But he said the county-level data could have led to over or underestimates because wildfire smoke is very dynamic. It doesnt just blanket a large county all at once. There are going to be parts of the county that gets it a lot worse. The study also did not account for other important factors, such as whether a person smokes, he said. Federal rollbacks on climate policy poses risks, authors say Kai Chen, an associate professor of environmental sciences at the Yale School of Public Health who has also studied the topic, said: I really like that they examined both the smoke and nonsmoke PM2.5. Various research has found that PM2.5 from wildfire smoke has bigger health impacts than pollution from other sources, such as car emissions, said Chen in an email, who was not involved in the study. The Trump administrations rollbacks in climate change policy, even as the more destructive wildfires become more frequent in large part due to global warming, poses critical risks, the studys authors said. Quantifying the deadly threat that PM2.5 from wildfires poses to human health shows the need for effective, urgent mitigation strategies, backed by Environmental Protection Agency monitoring and regulation, they said. This highlights the importance of controlling wildfire sourced PM2.5, which is currently not regulated by the EPA as it is usually regarded as natural disasters, Chen agreed. Photo: The Franklin Fire sends a plume of smoke into the sky, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer, File) Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Trends USA Natural Disasters Wildfire Pollution A Louisiana insurance agency has been ordered to pay $1.2 million in premium refunds for overcharging fraudulent fees on commercial surety bond policies. The Louisiana Department of Insurance announced that Alexander Ellsworth and his agency, Ellsworth Corporation, will pay a $250,000 fine in addition to the premium repayments. The $250,000 fine is the maximum allowed by Louisiana law. Ellsworth Corporation illegally overcharged a construction company $284,000 in excess of quoted premiums for surety bonds, according to a 2023 cease-and-desist letter. Construction companies require commercial surety bonds before beginning construction projects and rely on licensed agents to lawfully and fairly handle their policy transactions with insurance companies, said Commissioner Tim Temple. An investigation by LDIs Office of Fraud Insurance found that Ellsworth unlawfully added to Arch Insurance Companys quoted premium charge. Ellsworth created an illegally inflated Arch surety bond premium which would mislead the construction company to believe that the total invoice balance was Archs actual quoted premium, the investigation found. A cease-and-desist letter was in the appellate process until an agreement was reached on Jan. 28, 2026. For an agent to profit from breaking Louisianas insurance laws violates that trust and will not be tolerated, Temple said. Topics Louisiana Fraud investigations in two Southeastern states have led to the arrest or administrative leave for three public safety officers. In Alabama, two University of Alabama at Birmingham police officers have been placed on leave in connection with an investigation into stolen vehicles, according to local news reports. The investigation is examining the use of National Crime Information Center system to steal vehicles and take them to chop shops illegal shops where cars are stripped and sold for parts, WBMA TV and WVTM TV news reported. The university confirmed in a statement that the officers had been placed on leave, but did not provide names. UAB is supporting the investigation, the statement said. In North Carolina, a firefighter was charged with accepting more than $102,000 in disability benefits, even though he had recovered from a reported injury, the state insurance commissioner reported. John William Myers, 52, who was with the Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department, was injured in firefighter training in 2019. But he continued to receive benefits after he returned to work in 2023, the NC Department of Insurance said in a statement. Myers provided false information to National Union Fire Insurance Co. about his disability, DOI said. Myers turned himself in at the Rowan County Sheriffs Office in late January and was released on bond. He was charged with insurance fraud and obtaining property by false pretense. Topics Fraud North Carolina Alabama Trucordia hired Kim Reid as a vice president on its mergers and acquisitions team. Reid comes to Trucordia after more than two decades with Arthur J. Gallagher, where she helped build and lead the firms due diligence and integration programs. Reid started in sales support before moving into an analyst role on a small mergers and acquisitions team, sourcing and evaluating potential merger partners. Trucordia is headquartered in Lindon, Utah. It acquires insurance businesses that then rebrand under the Trucordia corporate umbrella. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Uber Technologies Inc. was hit with $8.5 million in damages in a trial over a 19-year-old womans claim that she was raped by her driver in Arizona, raising the rideshare giants risk of a costly settlement to resolve thousands of similar cases. The verdict reached by a nine-person jury in Phoenix on Feb. 5 is the first time Uber has been found liable for not preventing an alleged sexual assault of a passenger. The company faces almost 3,000 similar civil lawsuits from passengers filed around the country. The company prevailed in a similar case last year in California state court. Uber said it will appeal but also hailed some of the jurys conclusions. Sarah London, a lawyer for the plaintiff, Jaylynn Dean, said the verdict validates the thousands of survivors who have come forward at great personal risk to demand accountability against Uber for its focus on profit over passenger safety. Uber has been fighting sexual assault claims for a decade by arguing that the company cant be blamed for misconduct by drivers, who it classifies as contractors rather than employees. It has also long struggled to fend off criticism that it doesnt do enough to ensure rides are safe. Bloomberg Intelligence has estimated that if Uber continues to fare poorly in early trials, the company may ultimately have to pay in excess of $500 million to settle more than 3,000 pending cases. Decisions in the first cases will be pivotal in shaping any broad settlement, BI litigation analysts Matthew Schettenhelm and Holly Froum wrote in a Feb. 2 research note. On Wednesday, Uber issued disappointing earnings guidance for the first quarter, underscoring that its investments into new ride options and growing its delivery business will weigh on margins. Dean alleged that her driver raped her in November 2023 while giving her a late-night ride from a bar in Tempe, Arizona. She said in her lawsuit that the driver ended the ride early and took advantage of her while she was laying down in the back seat because her anxiety medication was reacting with alcohol. The driver told police and testified at trial that the sex was consensual. Deans attorneys asked the jury to award $24 million to compensate her for her past and future mental health harms, and around $120 million in punitive damages to punish Uber for its lax safety standards. The jury found that Uber was liable because the driver was acting as an apparent agent of the company. But the panel said Uber didnt act negligently or design a defective product. Jurors ultimately decided not to award punitive damages. Uber highlighted the claims the jury rejected in its statement and noted the damages award was far below what was sought. This verdict affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety, the company said in a statement. We will continue to put safety at the heart of everything we do. The company also vowed to appeal the finding that the driver was acting as an agent of the company, saying the judge erred on the instructions given to the jury. London, the lawyer for Dean, said the jury heard extensive evidence about Ubers practices and recognized that Uber is responsible for the conduct of its drivers. Thursdays verdict is a stark contrast to the outcome of the California case. A San Francisco jury found that while the company was negligent for not taking adequate safety measures to protect a female college student, it wasnt legally responsible for what happened to her in 2016. Deans suit, similar to thousands filed across the country, claimed that Uber knew about the prevalence of sexual assault on its service but failed to ensure safety with measures such as dashboard-mounted cameras and matching female riders with woman drivers. The companys internal documents showed that Uber knew of the prevalence of sexual assault and instead chose to prioritize ridership growth over safety, Deans lawyers argued at trial. Alex Walsh, one of Deans lawyers, told the jury during closing arguments that Uber marketed its service as a safe means of transportation for women traveling alone at night even when it knew of substantial risk factors for assault. What did Uber know internally? Walsh said. That its not safe to put your drunk girlfriend in an Uber late at night. Dean reported the incident to police soon after she returned to her hotel and later notified Uber, which suspended the driver. Uber countered throughout the trial that it has industry-leading safety standards and has recently rolled out an option for women to request female drivers. The company conducts extensive background checks on drivers, including criminal history, driving violations and civil suits, Ubers attorneys said. Deans driver had passed all 12 of his background checks over a seven-year period and more than half of his 10,000 rides before the incident received five-star ratings. There was no way to predict or foresee what happened in this particular trip, Ubers attorney Kim Bueno told the jury during closing arguments. Top photo: Uber signage on a vehicle at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg. Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics Sharing Economy Ridesharing Trump administration officials traveled to Los Angeles this week to outline the presidents plan to override state and local rules and speed up the permitting process for reconstruction of tens of thousands of homes destroyed by last years wildfires. Last week the president signed an executive order that the White House promised would allow homeowners to rebuild without contending with unnecessary, duplicative, or obstructive requirements. The plan is to allow federal loan recipients to self-certify that they meet all state and local building requirements if their permits arent approved within 60 days, Related: Trump Putting Zeldin in Charge of Permits to Rebuild After LA Wildfires Trumps goal is to help homeowners cut through bureaucratic red tape and tear through every single obstacle thats slowing rebuilding, said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, whom Trump tapped to oversee the effort. His staff will examine why over 1,000 permit applications have been returned to residents seeking to rebuild, Zeldin said during a Wednesday news conference after meeting with residents in Pacific Palisades, where the first of the two infernos erupted in January 2025. We want to know why every single one of these applications are sent back to the applicant, he said. What is that hurdle thats preventing them the ability to be able to rebuild their home? Related: The Return Period for An LA Wildfire-Scale Event May Be Shorter Than You Think It is unclear whether he was referring to permit applications for the Palisades or Eaton fire areas. LA Countys permitting progress dashboard shows 619 permit applications were returned with comments for those in unincorporated areas of both fires. Helen Chavez, a spokesperson for Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Bargers office, said they were mostly returned for local code compliance issues, such as building too close to property lines, and adherence to building height and roofing standards. Local Leaders Say The Process Is Moving Fast State and local officials maintain permits are being approved in a timely manner. They questioned whether the Trump administration can legally take over the permitting process and said theyve received little to no information about how the new process is to work. Roughly 3,000 permits have been approved, with more than 1,000 homes under construction, according to county data. Now (Trump) has signed an executive order that goes into effect, when? We dont know. Is it legal? Almost certainly not, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news conference Monday in San Diego. He hasnt coordinated with anyone to tell them. Its just typical Trump, he said during a news conference in San Diego. The Palisades and Eaton fires killed 31 people and destroyed about 13,000 residential properties, becoming some of the most destructive blazes in the regions history. The fires burned for more than three weeks and cleanup efforts took about seven months a timeline that both Newsom and Trump have praised as particularly quick. Zeldin called on insurance companies to speed up payouts to policyholders. There are a number of number of people waiting for their full insurance payment, he said. They are desperate to receive every last penny that they need from their policy to be able to rebuild their lives. Under the new federal rules, anyone approved for a Small Business Administration Disaster loan can self-certify that their building plan meets state and local rules if they dont get a permit within 60 days of applying. The order also directs federal agencies to expedite waivers, permits and approvals to work around any environmental, historic preservation or natural resource laws that might stand in the way of rebuilding. Barger, whose district was hit by the Eaton Fire, pointed out that there are already local self-certification rules in place that help expedite reconstruction. Most permits are handled by local officials within a month, she said. Funding, Not Permitting, Is The Problem Barger, who joined Zeldin on Wednesday, said she shared its a lack of money, not permitting issues, that are keeping many from rebuilding. The Trump administration has not approved the states $33.9 billion disaster aid request. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not join the roundtable, but Zeldin said they met privately. Bass has called the executive order a political stunt and recently said rebuilding plans in Pacific Palisades are being approved in half the time compared to single-family home projects citywide before the wildfires, with more than 70% of home permit clearances no longer required. The office of Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents Palisades, said she was not invited and said the Trump administrations effort would not bring meaningful relief. The Board of Supervisors passed a motion Tuesday directing county attorneys and planning officials to monitor the federal governments implementation of Trumps executive order and, if necessary, take legal action to defend local permitting authority. Also Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Council took steps to wave permitting fees in the Palisades, a move that could cost as much as $90 million over three years, according to Matt Szabo, the citys top budget analyst. Justin Levitt, a law professor at Loyola Law School, said theres little the president can do in the short term to speed up rebuilding. Trump could press Congress to pass new national permitting laws, which might take years. But an attempt by the administration to supersede state and local regulations would spark a long fight in the courts. The claim that the federal government can just come in and boot these local laws out of existence, thats not a thing, Levitt said. Associated Press reporter Julie Watson contributed from San Diego. Top photo: 2025 Pacific Palisades Fire. Source: CalFire. Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Louisiana Pollution Applications are open for a female farmer ambassador to represent Ireland during the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF). Launched by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, the IYWF celebrates the pivotal roles played by women in sustaining agri-food systems, aiming to increase recognition and promote actions to close gender gaps in agriculture and improve womens livelihoods worldwide. Agriculture minister Martin Heydon said: I strongly encourage women farmers across Ireland to apply to become our female farmer ambassador for 2026. The winner will have a unique opportunity to represent women working in Irish agriculture, promoting existing supports and initiatives while highlighting issues important to them. "Over the years, I have seen first-hand the incredible work done by women to support our agri-food sector, which makes me confident that we can expect a high calibre of entries to this competition. The competition is being run by the Department of Agriculture after the United Nations General Assembly declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. Applications are open until February 12 and can be submitted on the departments website. The winner will represent the department throughout the year by participating in events, media opportunities, and social media campaigns to encourage female participation in farming and provide insight into life as a female farmer in Ireland, via their own lived experiences. The overall winner will be announced by Mr Heydon at a flagship IYWF event in Athlone, Co Westmeath, on March 5. Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to participate in the event, which coincides with International Womens Day. There is also a photo competition under the IYWF banner, delivered in association with CAP Network Ireland, with the prize giving for winners of the competition also taking place on March 5. The competition is looking for photo submissions from the public under the theme: Empowered women transforming agri-food systems. There is a 200 prize for the winner of each of the five categories, with the overall winning photo featuring in CAP Networks Ireland Women in Agriculture booklet. How to enter Entry forms are available on the department's website and must be submitted by 3pm on February 16. Following on from these initiatives, the Department will host information and networking events throughout the year, both nationally and internationally, to celebrate IYWF and highlight Irelands approach to improving gender equality in Irish agriculture. Mr Heydon added: Irelands co-sponsorship of the International Year of the Woman Farmer Official Launch Ceremony in December 2025, reinforces our commitment to recognising the vital role of women in all areas of agriculture. "Despite their hard work and dedication, women continue to face barriers when accessing land, finance and training, and this year provides us with an international platform to highlight the issue of gender equality in agri-food systems. More information on the International Year of the Woman Farmer and the Department's Women in Agriculture initiatives can be found on the departments website. Infinity, Cork Arts Theatre, Cork Arts Theatre plays an integral role in the cultural ecosystem of the city and this year it celebrates 50 years of providing a platform for emerging writers and actors. It marks this milestone with Re:Directing, a series of three contemporary plays with Cork-born directors. First up is Infinity, by Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch, and directed by Julie Kelleher, which explores the nature of time and love through the relationship of a theoretical physicist Elliot (Timmy Creed) and violinist Carmen (Martha Dunlea) and how their dysfunction in turn affects their daughter Sarah Jean (Blaithin MacGabhann). Elliot and Carmen meet at a party, and its not exactly love at first sight; she is on the rebound and his attempts at seduction are cringe-inducing. They end up together but seem to be at cross purposes from the beginning, his egotism and absorption in his studies pushing her away while after an unplanned pregnancy, she is reduced to a stereotype of unfulfilled motherhood. In parallel, we meet a grown-up Sarah Jean, who turns out to be another academic struggling with relationships and intimacy. Blaithin MacGabhann in Infinity. While one can see what Moscovitch is aiming for here, the play doesnt quite deliver on her ideas, with the themes struggling to emerge from an unfocused script. The hesitations and interruptions in the dialogue are aiming for naturalism but come across as forced, while Elliots musings on his studies and the nature of time become a meaningless jumble. There are glimpses of potential throughout and moments of levity which dont all land successfully, some of the sexual references verging on facile rather than revealing. The subject of terminal illness is treated with a glancing flippancy which strips it of all emotion and poignancy; news of a distressing diagnosis is delivered to an eight-year-old Sarah Jean with an inexplicably cruel directness that would be hard to imagine in real life. Despite the best efforts of the actors, with Dunlea in particular bringing some colour to a thankless role, it is hard to get any true sense of the characters motivations. Kelleher has said the brief was to stage a contemporary work that hadnt yet had an Irish production and as the other two plays chosen were by British playwrights, she wanted to do something different. Its a laudable aim and ambition but ultimately Infinity proves the wrong fit for the obvious abilities of the actors and director. Infinity is at Cork Arts Theatre until February 14 Out and about at Cork Arts Theatre Niall Cleary and Grace Kiely of Graffiti Theatre company at the opening performance of Infinity at the Cork Arts Theatre. Pictures: Eddie O'Hare Julie Kelleher, director of Infinity, and Fin Flynn, artistic director of Cork Arts Theatre, at the opening night. Catherine Kirwan and Niall O'Riordan at Infinity. Al Dalton and Valentina Gambardella at the opening night at Cork Arts Theatre. Enid Conway and Sadhbh Moriarty at Infinity. Cathal O'Boyle and Kieran O'Connor at the performance of Infinity. Dolores Mannion and Mary Hurley at Cork Arts Theatre. Sisters Aedin and Niamh Cosgrove at the play. Declan O'Meara and Joe McNicholas. Zen Jefferson and Fiona Sheil. Irelands cancer control programme was ranked top among 20 systems worldwide for its strengths, in a new study led by Queen's University Belfast. The National Cancer Care Programme (NCCP) was set up in September 2007, just as public outrage grew at the tragic death of Susie Long. She died in October that year with bowel cancer, having spent months campaigning about horrifying gaps between public and private care. She was just 42 and left behind her son Fergus, daughter Aine, and husband Conor Mac Liam. A public patient, she waited seven months for a colonoscopy after her GP referred her in. She described this to Joe Duffy on RTE in January 2007, leading to many others sharing their stories in the following months. Setting up the NCCP was part of the then government's plans to reform cancer services. This week, research teams from Queen's, Romania, and America ranked Ireland top of the 20 national cancer control programmes studied. The study compared focus on governance, budgets, and monitoring of progress in services. It also looked for clear lines of responsibility and a strong policy focus. The programmes analysed included those in France, Austria, Norway, and Switzerland. Lead author Mark Lawler, professor of digital health at Queen's, said: Cancer is one of the most serious threats across the globe. It is estimated to kill approximately 17 million people annually by 2030. "A strong national cancer control plan, tailored specifically for each country, is essential for preventing cancer, addressing treatment needs and improving the wellbeing of those affected by this killer disease. The HSE welcomed the findings. Dr Caitriona McCarthy, interim national director at the NCCP, said when it was established nearly two decades ago, it was in response to patient outcomes that lagged behind other developed nations. She said the programme has seen significant improvements for patients since then. Mortality rates are falling for the four major cancers of prostate, breast, lung, and colorectal, which account for over half of all malignant cancers, she said. As cancer survival improves, more people are living after cancer than ever before." Today, more than 220,000 people in Ireland are living with or after cancer, a 50% increase compared to a decade ago, she said. However, she cautioned services "are facing rising, multidimensional challenges now. We must redouble our efforts to build on this success for our patients and continue to deliver further improvements across prevention, treatment and survivorship, she said. The study was published in the Journal of Cancer Policy. Doctors have issued an urgent warning in relation to weight-loss jabs after a man in Dublin went blind in one eye after using the popular injectable medication. The 50-year-old obese male attended the Mater Hospital after suddenly losing sight in his right eye. He had been taking weight-loss jabs once a week for two years. Specialists at the hospitals Department of Ophthalmology linked the vision loss to semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in weight-loss jabs including Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. They immediately stopped the injections. They established that the drug had caused non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (Naion), a condition that reduces blood flow to the optic nerve, potentially leading to permanent vision loss. The patient, a smoker with diabetes, was told to discontinue the drug and consult his GP regarding alternative medications to control blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. The swelling on his optic nerve reduced and his vision improved after six weeks, according to a case report published in the latest issue of the Irish Medical Journal. The authors said GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide were increasingly being recognised as a potential risk factor for NAION, but this was the first case reported in Ireland. It is unclear how these medications contribute to an increased risk of Naion, they added, but previous studies have found an increased incidence of the condition in diabetic patients taking semaglutide. Earlier this week, the British Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority acknowledged the existence of the complication and urged patients taking weight-loss jabs who notice vision changes to immediately seek medical attention. The authors of the study warned that it is important for doctors to have a high suspicion of semaglutide-related NAION in patients taking the medication so that it can be detected and treated early. Management of the condition involves addressing cardiovascular risk factors to improve blood flow to the optic nerve and reduce the risk of the same thing happening to the other eye, they wrote. This often involves controlling blood pressure, administering statins, and supporting smoking cessation. They said outcomes vary from recovery of vision to sight loss in both eyes. To our knowledge, this is the first description of semaglutide-related NAION in Ireland, they said. It is important to have a high suspicion of the same in patients taking GLP-1RAs presenting with acute visual disturbance, to allow for early detection, consideration of alternative glycemic control and modification, where possible, of associated risk factors. Earlier this week, it was reported that the Health Service Executive spent an average of 550,000 every day on Ozempic and similar weight-loss jabs last year, with 80,000 patients getting the medication on free drugs schemes. The grieving family of a Cork man who died in prison will feature in a new documentary examining how Irish jails are being used for people with mental illness with devastating and sometimes deadly consequences. Andrew Gearns, aged 29, made an attempt on his life in Cork Prison in September 2020 and later died in hospital. An independent review of all medical care in Cork Prison was recommended by a jury at the inquest into his death. But Mr Gearns family is still pushing for answers. Mr Gearns was vulnerable when jailed in Cork prison. He was suffering distressing delusions about being stabbed and had some six risk factors for suicide. However, he was seen by prison medical staff for less than five minutes on the day of his fatal attempt on his own life. The former engineer from Model Farm Rd was heard calling for his mother and father in the hours before his death. His case is part of a special two-part RTE Investigates series, to be broadcast this Monday and Tuesday at 9.35pm on RTE One and RTE Player. RTE Investigates - The Psychiatric Care Scandal in Ireland will examine Irelands mental health system and how the criminalisation of mental illness leaves families and individuals impacted and abandoned by the State. Some 20 ago, the State unveiled plans for psychiatric care in Ireland. Many old wards were shut, with a plan to open specialist services instead. "Which should have meant opening up lots of facilities, healthcare facilities. It could have been assisted living, nurses, care. It didn't happen," a quote from the documentary says. But without acute beds, patients with mental illness are being sent to prison. To investigate the true extent of this, the programme travelled to court hearings and inquests across the country. It spoke to the families of inmates and those working at the coal face as well as examining first-hand accounts, investigation, and autopsy reports. It also visited the prison landings that are struggling to cope. DPP directions are awaited in a case where a member of staff at a Texaco service station in Cork was caught in a chokehold headlock by one raider, as a second culprit ripped the till from the counter. These were the allegations previously made by Detective Garda Eoghain OCallaghan when he objected to bail being granted to 44-year-old Mark Sheehan of Hazel Road, Togher, Cork. Now at Cork District Court, Mark Sheehan has been remanded in custody until February 19. A convoy believed to be carrying American officials has arrived at the venue for talks between Iran and the United States. Journalists saw the convoy drive into a palace on the outskirts of Muscat, near its international airport. One of the vehicles flew American flags. China's bag charm economy: small accessories, big cultural impact 16:14, February 06, 2026 By Lin Lili, Hong Qiuting, Qi Zhiming ( People's Daily Toys are exhibited at the 4th QDF ADTS Beijing International Art & Designer Toy Show, December 14, 2025. (Photo/Chen Xiaogen) From plush vinyl dolls in diverse shapes and museum-inspired cultural creations to unique souvenirs from scenic areas -- an array of accessories now dangle from the backpacks of young people across China. Portable and lightweight, bag charms are gaining increasing popularity among Chinese consumers. The ever-evolving designs of these small ornaments have fueled a consumption boom, supported by robust industrial clusters, and are now advancing through coordinated efforts in global expansiontogether shaping the emerging "bag-charm economy." At a Beijing designer toy store, shoppers enthusiastically pose with Wakuku characters, sharing photos on social media. "Key features such as small size, affordability and emotional resonance align perfectly with young people's lifestyles," said Hong Yong, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce. He observes that emotion-driven consumption has shifted priorities: young buyers now prioritize products delivering joy, belonging, and self-expression over pure utility. Labubu toys attract shoppers at a Pop Mart store in Shanghai. (Photo/Wang Chu) As Chinese New Year approached, Nanjing resident Wu Wenjing purchased outfits not just for her family, but for her Labubu charm. "I match charms to my mood and outfits," she explains. "Sometimes they feel like emotional codes -- shared recognition sparks instant connections." Liang Mei, president of the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association, observed that bag charms offer young people moments of everyday delight through a relatively relaxed consumption model. By fostering emotional connections, they help form interest-based communities with a shared sense of identity. At the same time, collaboration with well-known intellectual properties (IPs) and user participation in co-creation continue to inject vitality into the market. Manufacturing Innovation Dongguan, China's "designer toy capital," anchors the global industry with over 4,000 manufacturers and 1,500 supporting enterprises. Its complete industrial chain covers design, production, IP licensing, and sales. At the headquarters of a toy manufacturer in Chashan township, Dongguan, a team of 10 designers was discussing design drafts for a "Baku" series of bag charms. As the International Children's Day approaches, foreign merchants negotiate with a Chinese toy wholesaler (left) over a purchase deal at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Jinhua, east China's Zhejiang province. (Photo/Shi Bufa) "This China-chic bag charm blends traditional Chinese colors and auspicious symbols with modern design. Inspired by the mythical 'Baku -- a creature said to devour nightmares and bring sweet dreams -- it carries the wish that all good dreams may come true in the coming year," explained Wu Qiaomei, brand marketing director involved in the project. She noted that from concept finalization to detail refinement, the initial design draft takes about 15 days to complete, with the sample workshop then needing another three to five days to produce the first plush prototype. "With in-house manufacturing capabilities, we maintain flexibility in production coordination and scheduling," Wu added. "From design confirmation to mass shipment, the entire process can be completed within about 30 days." With diverse styles and ever-changing market trends, bag charms call for agile production response. The consumer-end enthusiasm is fundamentally supported by a supply-side shift -- from mass manufacturing to flexible customization. The robust production capacity within the toy industry provides the essential foundation for the rapid adaptation and output of these accessories. In the past, producing a plastic toy required mold development costing tens of thousands of yuan, necessitating mass production runs of tens to hundreds of thousands of units to lower per-unit cost. Today, smart manufacturing and digital workshops have made small-batch production truly feasible -- minimum orders as low as 50 units or batch productions of merely 100 pieces are now readily achievable, with even single custom toys possible through 3D printing. Labubu has sparked a worldwide trend in collectible art toys. Following the success of the animated film Nobody, bag charms featuring its characters sold out repeatedly after going viral overnight. Meanwhile, charms shaped like traditional Chinese herbs -- such as goji berries, red dates, and red sage -- have captivated overseas consumers with their creative designs and distinctive Eastern aesthetic. Time magazine in the United States noted that China's new generation of trendy toys is reshaping the international image of "Made in China" by telling stories rooted in local IPs and showcasing distinctive aesthetics. In the first half of 2025, Chinese toy company Pop Mart recorded triple-digit growth in markets across Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas, with growth in the Americas exceeding tenfold. The company's global store count has now surpassed 570. Products from HERE have reached nearly 20 countries and regions -- including North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East -- via distribution channels. Li Peng, Chairman of HERE, noted, "Breaking down cultural barriers through localized creation and building emotional bonds with global consumers are key to helping Chinese brands move beyond manufacturing and build greater brand value." Looking ahead, as more Chinese flagship products and brands go global, these small charms, infused with Chinese creativity and emotion, are poised to tell ever more compelling Chinese stories on the world stage. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Dozens of messages contained in the latest tranche of Epstein files lay bare the attempts by Donald Trumps former chief strategist Steve Bannon to tap Jeffrey Epstein for support and funding to bolster European far-right parties. The messages mostly date to 2018 and 2019, when Bannon, after being sacked by Mr Trump, regularly visited Europe in his quest to forge a movement in the European parliament uniting ultra-right-wing and Eurosceptic forces from several countries, including Italy, Germany, France, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and Austria. Mr Bannon especially set his sights on Matteo Salvini, the Italian deputy prime minister and leader of the far-right League, who at the time was at the height of his political power. Italian opposition parties this week urged Mr Salvini to clarify whether Epstein influenced the rise of the League after Mr Salvinis name was cited several times in messages exchanged between Mr Bannon and Epstein. In France, the left-wing party La France Insoumise also called for a cross-party parliament inquiry after several French figures including Jack Lang, a former culture minister, and his daughter appeared in the latest Epstein release, as did exchanges between Epstein and Mr Bannon in which Mr Bannon spoke of his desire to raise money for the far-right leader Marine Le Pen. In Germany, the files revealed exchanges between Epstein and Mr Bannon promoting Alternative fur Deutschland while denigrating the then German chancellor, Angela Merkel. In texts from 2018, Bannon bragged about his influence as an adviser to the new right-wing populists and saw the parties gains in Europe as a chance to use them to his and Epsteins benefit. Jeffrey Epstein (2nd from left) at a dinner he hosted at Harvard University in September, 2004. Picture: Rick Friedman There is no evidence of any direct relations between Mr Salvini and Epstein, nor any suggestion that Mr Salvini was involved in Epsteins sex-trafficking network. But what the messages do reveal is Epsteins interest in European nationalists. In a message contained in one of the files and dated 5 March 2019, a couple of months before the European parliamentary elections, Mr Bannon writes that he is focused on raising money for Le Pen and Salvini so they can actually run full slates. Other messages detail Bannons travels in Europe at the time and his ambition for increased nationalist power in Brussels, as highlighted in a flurry of exchanges between the pair at the time of the European parliament ballot in late May 2019. The messages also refer to Mr Bannons meeting with Mr Salvini in Milan in March 2018, just a few days after Italian general elections that culminated in the League forming a government with the populist Five Star Movement. Mr Bannon met Mr Salvini again in Italy in September that year when the League joined his anti-EU organisation, the Movement. By the following summer, Salvini was in opposition after collapsing the Leagues coalition with the Five Star Movement in a failed attempt to trigger early elections. There is no evidence that Epstein financed the League, which returned to government in 2022 as an ally in Giorgia Melonis ruling coalition, and other European far-right parties. However, it appears that Bannon tried to tap him for funds. Andrea Casu, a politician with the centre-left Democratic party who raised questions about the subject of funding in the Italian parliament on Tuesday, said: We are asking the government not just Salvini for clarity and transparency we must first understand if there is a link, not only with Bannon, but with those who today play a political game with these rightwing forces at the European level. Portrait of American financier Jeffrey Epstein (left) and real estate developer Donald Trump as they pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida, 1997.(Picture: Davidoff Studios/Getty Images) Riccardo Magi, president of the left-wing party Piu Europa (More Europe), claimed the Epstein files implicate Matteo Salvini in alleged funding that Bannon had promised to provide for his election campaign, an allegation that raises concerns about potential external influence affecting the second-largest party in the current majority. Mr Bannon has declined to comment to US media about the exchanges in the latest Epstein files. Mr Salvinis League party dismissed speculation that Epstein might have contributed funds as unfounded and serious exaggerations. It added that the party has never requested or received funding and would defend itself and Mr Salvini in every way possible in the event of insinuations or associations with disgusting figures. In France, Mr Lang, who heads the Institut du Monde Arabe, a cultural organisation, features in emails discussing meetings and holidays. He admitted knowing Epstein, saying it was at a time when nothing suggested Jeffrey Epstein was at the heart of a network of criminality. His daughter Caroline, a film producer, resigned this week from Frances Union of Independent Producers after the emails showed she had founded an offshore company with Epstein in 2016 to invest in the work of young artists. There was no suggestion of illegality. She said she had resigned from the company when Epsteins criminal acts were revealed. The emails also showed extensive communications between Epstein and Olivier Colom, a former diplomatic adviser to the former right-wing president Nicolas Sarkozy. One email exchange with Colom in 2018 suggested that the former finance minister Bruno Le Maire had gone to Epsteins house in New York at an unspecified date. A person close to Mr Le Maire told Politico that Mr Le Maire had not known whose house he was visiting in September 2013, before he was finance minister, and quickly left when he saw Epstein at the residence, never seeing him again. Mr Casu said the issue was not Epsteins files per se, but the questions the messages raise about powerful foreign influences and the networks aimed at weakening Europe. These files are getting a lot of attention in the US, as is obvious, he said. But in my opinion, they should be given just as much attention for what they represent for Europe today, and for the political situation in which we are in. -The Guardian Oman said it has mediated indirect talks between Iran and the United States over Tehrans nuclear programme. The countrys foreign ministry made the announcement in a post on X. Britain's Metropolitan Police are searching two properties linked to Peter Mandelson as part of their investigation into the politician for alleged misconduct in public office. It comes after the Met confirmed it was investigating him over allegations relating to files appearing to show him sharing government information with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein during the financial crash. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Hayley Sewart, of the Metropolitan Police, said in a statement: I can confirm that officers from the Mets Central Specialist Crime team are in the process of carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, and another in the Camden area. The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences, involving a 72-year-old man. He has not been arrested and inquiries are ongoing. [readmore[41786684;41788214[/readmore] Several people believed to be police officers entered Mr Mandelsons house near Regents Park in central London on Friday afternoon. One of them appeared to be wearing a small body camera and the officers later brought a blue box and large bag into the house. Documents released as part of the so-called Epstein files led to allegations that while Mr Mandelson was business secretary following the 2008 financial crisis, he passed on market-sensitive information to the sex offender. Mr Mandelson has yet to speak publicly, but the BBC said it understood he maintains he did not act criminally and that his actions were not for personal gain. The former Labour grandee has quit his party and stood down from the House of Lords amid the allegations. British prime minister Keir Starmer has come under increasing pressure over his decision to make him Britains ambassador to the US. In a speech on Thursday, Mr Starmer defended his handling of the Mandelson affair, accusing him of lying during his vetting for the US ambassador job and offering an apology to Epsteins victims for believing his lies. He also insisted none of us knew the depth of the darkness of Mr Mandelsons relationship with Epstein when he was appointed. The extent of what was known about the relationship is expected to be revealed when documents relating to Mr Mandelsons appointment are published following a motion in Parliament demanding their release. Publication of the full tranche of documents could take some time, as Parliaments Intelligence and Security Committee must review any items that the Government wishes to withhold for national security reasons. The Metropolitan Police has also asked for some documents to be withheld, claiming it could jeopardise its criminal investigation. Mr Starmer is also facing calls to sack his most senior adviser, Cork man Morgan McSweeney, from Labour MPs who blame the Downing Street chief of staff for pushing for Lord Mandelson to be made the UKs top diplomat in Washington. Support Jewish Australians But Denounce Israeli Government Atrocities ( Human Rights Watch ) In the wake of the Bondi Hannukah attack, the deadliest mass shooting in Australia in three decades, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit, to engage with members of the Jewish community who are grieving the loss of 15 innocent lives. President Herzog is Israels head of state, with a constitutional and ceremonial role. Although Herzogs trip is focused on the Bondi attacks and the antisemitism many Australian Jews have been experiencing, it is impossible to ignore violations by the government Herzog represents. On October 13, 2023, Herzog stated in reference to the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, its an entire nation out there that is responsible. It is not true, this rhetoric about civilians who were not aware and not involved. It is absolutely not true. Herzog is hardly a champion of human rights. He is not the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, unlike Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or the former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. However, based on Herzogs October 13 statement, he was recently one of a handful of Israeli leaders accused of direct and public incitement to commit genocide in a United Nations Commission of Inquiry report. In 2023, South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel has violated the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in which it referred to statements by Herzog and other senior Israeli officials as evidence of Israels genocidal intent. This case is ongoing. Herzogs visit also comes at a time when Israeli authorities are expelling humanitarian agencies from Gaza, where Palestinians face dire humanitarian conditions. In the West Bank, settlements are being expanded, and settler attacks and violence against Palestinians are rising. Photo by Liana S on Unsplash While showing appropriate concern for the Jewish community, the Australian government should not shy away from denouncing and pushing for an end to the Israeli governments longstanding serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Australia should look to whether its domestic laws could be used to investigate and prosecute serious international crimes committed in Israel and Palestine, and make clear that as an ICC member it stands ready to carry out the courts arrest warrants across its docket. Via Human Rights Watch ) Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) Convicted felon Donald Trumps most Orwellian creation thus far may be his alleged Board of Peace. (BOP) What we have here is a Board of Peace composed of sycophants, global toadies and war criminals, with a failure to communicate. Its a lame attempt to a) supplant the UN as the governing umbrella of international organizations and NGOs, and b) raise cash for and stoke the ego for Trump. Martin Edelman, Trumps New York real estate lawyer, would also be part of the executive board, as would his chief-of-staff, Susie Wiles. Edelmans inclusion tips Trumps hand about his real goals, which is to pave the way (literally) for a Trump resort on the Gaza beachfront. By the way, Edelman also advises the United Arab Emirates. Nickolay Mladenov, the UN High Representative for Gaza serves as the operations director for implementation. The whole thing is a front for Trumps real estate development ambitions for a Gaza beachfront resort. Also included on the Executive Board are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel. They are joined by Republican donor Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga and former UK prime minister Tony Blair. This is unvarnished orientalist, imperialism at its worst, rather than a world body dedicated to managing Gazas transition away from Hamas rule following two years of war. Palestinians see the BOP as an adjunct of the Israeli occupation. Jared Kushner sees Gaza as a grand real estate development ripe to happen and $ signs in his eyes. Permanent membership requires a $1B fee, and guess who gets to keep all the money? The greatest grifter of all time has already made $1.4B since the start of his presidency through blackmail, extortion and threats of groundless legal complaints. Its never enough. Any country can join the BOP for three years without the $1B ante, but permanent members have to pay up. Its tough to imagine who would want to, considering no nation or person, other than Trump has any decision-making authority. So the motivations for paying are tariff abatement, bribery and stoking Trumps ego for future considerations or forgiveness. The 27 signatory nations are: Argentina, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Egypt, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Though Trump claims it will provide a framework for a transitional government in Gaza to replace Hamas, the exclusion of Palestinians, the subjects to be governed, illustrates the orientalist orientation of the whole thing. (I HAD to say it like that.) Since it was announced in September the concept of a plan for the BOP has taken on different iterations of goals and claims. Initially conceptualized as an organization dedicated to a creating a functional, transitional government in Gaza, the Palestinians have no presence on the BOP, nor any say on their needs and fate. The Charter doesnt even mention Gaza. Ultimately, its a model for more global chaos to further enrich Trump, and strengthen the MAGA-Likud alliance. Under PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud party has become the Israeli version of MAGA. No credible Middle East or European state or diplomatic officials want any part of it. The member nations are mostly autocratic and authoritarian regimes, and weaker nations willing to ponying up the $1B to curry Trumps favor, and tariff relief. The BOP Charter provides for NO vote among members on resolutions, defers to Trump on all substantive decisions, and requires his signature to enact them. Because Likud was squeamish about having Qatar and Turkey involved, the charter gives individual member nations NO authority to oppose or object to anything that Trump proposes; and relegates them to an advisory capacity. Trump, as permanent chairman, has exclusive authority to veto anything he doesnt like, and to name his successor, when he get bored with the whole thing. As it is written: Article 3.2: Chairman (a) Donald J. Trump shall serve as inaugural Chairman of the Board of Peace, and he shall separately serve as inaugural representative of the United States of America, subject only to the provisions of Chapter III. OK, but why not me? Im all about peace and love, but I guess thats not the point of the BOP. Then theres: (b) The Chairman shall have exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities as necessary or appropriate to fulfill the Board of Peaces mission. Most of Europe and regional allies have refused to dignify it over concerns that the goal is to undermine and usurp the UN, the absence of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the brazen attempt by Trump to use this to consolidate his global power, even after his presidential term expires. Before it became known as an existential threat to the UN, the Security Council had granted the Board of Peace a mandate as part of U.S.-led efforts to sustain and manage the cease-fire in Gaza. They did so on the assumption that the focus would be on creating a transitional government for Gaza, but Trumps plan since then has become personal global domination. The timing of the announcement at the World Economic Forum in Davos was calculated to upstage that event, and focus the limelight on Trump. Israel-Palestine 2007. Pubic Domain. Via Picryl . Any chance of success is undermined by the fact that Israel has not agreed to totally withdraw from Gaza, as required in the BOP bylaws until Hamas is fully disarmed, while Hamas is holding tight to their munitions. Trump presumes to appoint himself as the effective governor of Palestine, in the tradition of British colonial governors of territories. The intent is to dismantle the UN and international system of order to bring chaos and global domination by one man, the Chairman of the BOP Trump as the singular decision-maker and power broker of the group. So, all the traditional US allies are staying away. Marc Weller, a Cambridge international law professor specializing in peace negotiations said, This is a direct assault on the United Nations. This initiative is likely to be seen as a takeover of the world order by one individual in his own image. VANCOUVER, BC , Feb. 5, 2026 /CNW/ - Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ("Wheaton" or the "Company") today announced, as part of the Company's strategic succession planning, Haytham Hodaly, currently President, will succeed Randy Smallwood as Wheaton's Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), reflecting an ongoing leadership evolution to support the next phase in the Company's growth trajectory. After more than 15 years of leading the business he co-founded, Mr. Smallwood will step down as CEO and assume the role of non-executive Chair of the Board of Directors, effective March 31, 2026. As Board Chair, Mr. Smallwood's ongoing involvement will provide leadership continuity and alignment to the Company's long-term vision. George Brack, who has served as Chair of the Board since 2022 and Director since 2009, will concurrently transition to Lead Independent Director. Haytham Hodaly, currently serving as President, will transition to President and CEO and join the Company's Board of Directors, effective March 31, 2026. As President and CEO, Mr. Hodaly will guide the Company's strategy and ensure effective execution across all areas of the business. Mr. Hodaly is a seasoned mining industry executive who joined Wheaton in 2012 as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development before being promoted to President in 2025. A mining engineer by training and a former Director and Mining Analyst at RBC, he brings a unique combination of technical expertise and capital markets experience. Mr. Hodaly has played a pivotal role in executing more than $11 billion in streaming transactions, significantly advancing the Company's growth trajectory, while building and leading one of the most highly regarded technical teams in the industry. "I am honored to step into the role of President and CEO at such an exciting time in both the Company's history and the broader precious metals market," said Haytham Hodaly, current President and incoming CEO. "We have a clear vision for the future and an exceptionally strong foundation from which to grow, positioning us well to support the next generation of mine builders in an unprecedented environment for gold and silver. Our focus remains on delivering sustainable value for all stakeholders, while maintaining the principles that have made Wheaton a leader in the streaming industry. I am deeply grateful to Randy for his guidance and mentorship, and to the Board for their confidence in me. I look forward to working closely with our talented team and Board as we pursue new opportunities and advance the Company's next phase of growth." "Building and leading this extraordinary organization alongside such a dedicated and talented team has been the privilege of my career," said Randy Smallwood, CEO. "I am deeply grateful to the Board current and former members included for its guidance and partnership over the past two decades, as well as our team for their steadfast commitment to creating what I believe is one of the strongest precious metals companies in the world today. I'd also like to extend my thanks to all of our stakeholders, for their continued trust and support as we helped transform the landscape of mining financing. This leadership evolution marks a significant milestone in Wheaton's long-term strategy, to develop, support and elevate the next generation of leadership and further accelerate the Company's momentum. I can truly say that I have never been more confident in our future. Haytham has been instrumental in shaping Wheaton's success to date, and his leadership will be an essential element of our anticipated next phase of transformative growth. As I move into the role of Chair of the Board, I remain fully committed to supporting him as CEO and continuing to create value for all stakeholders." Since co-founding Wheaton in 2004 and becoming CEO in 2011, Mr. Smallwood has been a transformative leader, guiding Wheaton from the world's first streaming business to one of the largest precious metals companies in the world. Under his leadership, the Company has delivered consistent shareholder value by pursuing strategic growth with a focus on high-quality assets, disciplined capital allocation and investing in innovation. Mr. Smallwood has also championed sustainable, community-focused practices, including the launch of Wheaton's Community Investment Program, the first of its kind in the streaming industry. His operational insight, commitment to fostering partnerships, and strategic vision have solidified Wheaton's reputation for excellence and resilience in a dynamic global market. "On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank Randy for his visionary leadership and his unwavering dedication to building not only the world's leading streaming company, but also to advancing the broader mining industry," said George Brack, current Chair of Wheaton's Board of Directors. "His commitment to the sector, passion for developing people, and his deep sense of community responsibility have been nothing short of remarkable. We are very pleased that Randy will continue to provide his strategic insight and industry expertise as incoming Chair of the Board. Over the past several years, the Board has strongly supported Wheaton's leadership evolution, including the management transitions announced in 2025. We have tremendous confidence in Haytham, who has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and played an instrumental role in shaping the strong growth profile that we have today." About Wheaton Precious Metals Wheaton is the world's premier precious metals streaming company with the highest-quality portfolio of long-life, low-cost assets. Its business model offers investors commodity price leverage and exploration upside but with a much lower risk profile than a traditional mining company. Wheaton delivers amongst the highest cash operating margins in the mining industry, allowing it to pay a competitive dividend and continue to grow through accretive acquisitions. Wheaton is committed to strong ESG practices and giving back to the communities where Wheaton and its mining partners operate. Wheaton creates sustainable value through streaming for all of its stakeholders. DENVER / Feb 05, 2026 / Business Wire / Vista Gold Corp. (NYSE American and TSX: VGZ) (Vista or the Company) is pleased to announce several key appointments as part of its ongoing program to strengthen the Companys project development capability and corporate presence in Australia. The following individuals have been appointed and recently commenced employment. Jeff Dang Executive General Manager Projects and Technical Services Sharon Goddard Executive General Manager External Relations and Social Performance Francis Atta Kuranchie Approvals Manager Frederick H. Earnest, President and CEO of Vista, commented, We are pleased to welcome Jeff Dang, Sharon Goddard and Francis Kuranchie to the Vista team. Their individual experience and talents complement those of our Mt Todd project team as we aggressively seek to position the Mt Todd project for the start of detailed engineering and design in early 2027. These appointments mark the start of the transition of project leadership from the corporate office in Denver, Colorado to Australia. As the project advances, Vista envisions having a small, highly effective executive team in Perth, Western Australia and a larger operational team based in the Northern Territory. Mr. Dang and Ms. Goddard will be based in Perth, and Dr. Kuranchie will be based in Darwin where he can more closely interact with Northern Territory regulatory agencies. More comprehensive information about our newest team members and their individual experience follows. Jeff Dang Mr. Dang is a mining engineer with more than 18 years of operational, technical, and leadership experience, primarily in gold, spanning underground and large-scale open pit operations in Africa, Western Australia, and South America. His diverse expertise includes mine management and optimization, project and mine development, project evaluation and studies, and corporate development, including strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining Vista, Mr. Dang was General Manager, Projects and Technical for Gold Road Resources Limited in Western Australia. He also held senior management positions with Bellevue Gold and Anglogold Ashanti. Mr. Dang is a Qualified Person as defined by Item 1300 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. He holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering (Honors) from the Western Australian School of Mines in Kalgoorlie and is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). Sharon Goddard Ms. Goddard is an accomplished leader with more than 20 years of experience in the mining sector, specializing in social performance, ESG, organizational growth and transformation, corporate affairs, and stakeholder engagement. She brings a proven track record of developing and executing strategies that secure and maintain social license to operate, strengthen investor and community confidence, and deliver measurable sustainability outcomes. Her experience includes extensive engagement with Indigenous groups, regulators, and industry bodies while supporting corporate growth and strong governance. Ms. Goddard was most recently General Manager, Social Performance and External Relations for Gold Road Resources Limited. Ms. Goddard has an MBA from Curtin University Western Australia, a Financial Markets Diploma from the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Francis Atta Kuranchie Dr. Kuranchie is a senior environmental engineer and leader with over 20 years of experience across open pit and underground mining operations, including gold, copper, iron ore, zinc, and coal. He has held senior health, safety and environmental roles across multiple Australian jurisdictions, leading environmental approvals, regulatory compliance, rehabilitation, and stakeholder engagement for both operating sites and projects in development. Previously, Dr. Kuranchie held environmental managerial positions at the Carosue Dam Operations in Western Australia, the Millennium Coal Mine in Queensland, and the Pajingo Gold Mine in Queensland. Dr. Kuranchie holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia; a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from Linkoping University in Sweden; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. He is also a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland (RPEQ) and also holds a Fellow membership of the Engineers Australia. About Vista Gold Corp. Vista holds the Mt Todd gold project, a leading development-stage gold deposit located in the Tier-1 mining jurisdiction of Northern Territory, Australia. The Company has defined a clear pathway to greater value creation, targeting the commencement of detailed engineering and design by early 2027. This milestone is expected to initiate a 27-month design, construction, and commissioning process. Mt Todd offers strong project economics, significant initial production, and compelling expansion and exploration upside. The Project benefits from advanced local infrastructure, multiple development scenarios, and broad community support, underpinning its potential to become a long-lived, globally significant gold operation. For further information about Vista or Mt Todd, please contact Pamela Solly, Vice President of Investor Relations, at (720) 981-1185 or visit the Companys website at www.vistagold.com. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this news release that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to statements regarding such things as the Company is aggressively seeking to position the Mt Todd project for the start of detailed engineering and design in early 2027; these appointments mark the start of the transition of project leadership from the corporate office in Denver, Colorado to Australia; the Company envisions having a small, highly effective executive team in Perth, Western Australia and a larger operational team based in the Northern Territory; the Companys belief that the Mt Todd gold project is a leading development-stage gold deposit; the Company has defined a clear pathway to greater value creation, targeting the commencement of detailed engineering and design by early 2027; this milestone is expected to initiate a 27-month design, construction, and commissioning process; Mt Todd offers strong project economics, significant initial production, and compelling expansion and exploration upside; the Project benefits from advanced local infrastructure, multiple development scenarios, and broad community support, underpinning its potential to become a long-lived, globally significant gold operation and statements related to the Companys strategy. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this news release include the following: the Companys forecasts and expected cash flows; the Companys projected capital and operating costs; the Companys expectations regarding mining and metallurgical recoveries; mine life and production rates; that laws or regulations impacting mine development or mining activities will remain consistent; the Companys approved business plans, mineral resources and mineral reserves estimates and results of preliminary economic assessments; preliminary feasibility studies and feasibility studies on the Companys projects, if any; the Companys experience with regulators; political and social support of the mining industry in Australia; the Companys experience and knowledge of the Australian mining industry and the Companys expectations of economic conditions and the price of gold. When used in this news release or elsewhere, the words optimistic, potential, indicate, expect, intend, hopes, believe, may, will, if, anticipate and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, uncertainty of resource and reserve estimates, uncertainty as to the Companys future capital costs, operating costs, non-operating costs, and ability to raise capital; risks relating to cost increases for capital and operating costs; risks of shortages and fluctuating costs of equipment or supplies; risks relating to fluctuations in the price of gold; the inherently hazardous nature of mining-related activities; potential effects on the Companys operations of environmental regulations in the countries in which it operates; risks due to legal proceedings; risks relating to political and economic instability in certain countries in which it operates; uncertainty as to the results of bulk metallurgical test work; and uncertainty as to completion of critical milestones for Mt Todd; as well as those factors discussed under the headings Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in the Companys latest Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed in February 2025, and other documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2026) - Lux Metals Corp. (TSXV: LXM) (the "Company" or "Lux") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated November 11, 2025, it has exercised its option (the "Option") to acquire a 100% interest in the La Grande Project ("La Grande" or the "Project"), a high-grade gold project located in the James Bay region of Quebec (the "Transaction"). The Company acquired the Project pursuant to an option agreement between the Company and OVI Mining Corp. (formerly La Pulga Mining Corp.) ("OVI") dated November 10, 2025. In consideration for the Transaction, the Company has issued OVI 15,125,477 common shares (the "Option Shares") at a deemed price of C$0.20 per Option Share. The Transaction remains subject to final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV"). The Option Shares are subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws. Further information regarding the Project is disclosed in the Company's news release dated November 11, 2025. Final Tranche Private Placement Closing The Company also announces that it has closed the second and final tranche (the "Second Tranche") of its previously announced $4 million non-brokered private placement (the "Placement") of units (each, a "Unit"), through the issuance of 1,250,000 Units at a price of $0.20 per Unit, for total gross proceeds of $250,000. Together with the 18,750,000 Units issued on January 26, 2026, at $0.20 per Unit, the Company raised gross proceeds of $4 million through the issuance of 20,000,000 Units. Each Unit consists of one (1) common share of the Company (a "Share") and one (1) transferrable share purchase warrant, each warrant exercisable into one additional Share at a price of $0.40 per Share for two years from issuance. The gross proceeds from the Placement are anticipated to be used for exploration costs and general working capital. No finder's fees were paid in connection with the Second Tranche. All securities issued under the Second Tranche are subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws. Debt Settlement The Company also announces that it has completed its previously announced debt settlement transactions with certain non-arm's length creditors of the Company (the "Creditors"), pursuant to which the Company has issued to the Creditors an aggregate of 535,000 Shares (the "Debt Shares") at an issue price of $0.20 per Debt Share in full and final settlement of accrued and outstanding indebtedness in the aggregate amount of $107,000 (the "Debt Settlement"). The Debt Shares are subject to a four-month and one day statutory hold period, in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Debt Settlement remains subject to final approval of the TSXV. As the Creditors are corporate entities owned and controlled by officers and directors of the Company, the Debt Settlement was considered to be a "related party transaction" as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). Notwithstanding, the Debt Settlement was exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the Debt Shares nor the consideration to be received for those securities, exceeded $2,500,000. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days before the expected closing of the Debt Settlement, as the details of the Debt Settlement were not settled and approved by the TSXV until shortly prior to the closing thereof and the Company wished to close on an expedited basis for sound business reasons. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. On Behalf of the Board of Lux Metals Corp. Carl Ginn President and Chief Executive Officer Neither TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange nor their 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 news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking information in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things, statements relating to: the intended use of proceeds from the Placement; and the receipt of final approval from the TSXV for the Placement, the Transaction, and the Debt Settlement. In making the forward-looking information in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company' current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. including, without limitation, assumptions that: the Company will use the proceeds from the Second Tranche as anticipated; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner, that that all requisite approvals for the Placement, the Transaction, and the Debt Settlement will be received, and all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking information in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks associated with: the Company's ability to use the proceeds from the Placement as currently anticipated; general business and economic conditions; and the timely receipt of all requisite approvals for the Placement, the Transaction, and the Debt Settlement from TSXV. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update this Forward-Looking Information after the date of this release or to revise such information to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, BC , Feb. 6, 2026 /CNW/ - Thesis Gold Inc. ("Thesis" or the "Company") (TSXV: TAU) (WKN: A3EP87) (OTCQX: THSGF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Coille van Alphen to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Ms. van Alphen is a seasoned mining investment professional with over 15 years of experience across public equities, capital markets, and strategic investing. She currently serves as a Mining & Metals Portfolio Manager at Equinox Partners, a value-oriented investment firm with a long-term focus on resource equities and the largest institutional shareholder of Thesis. Previously, Ms. van Alphen held senior investment roles at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Canaccord Genuity, where she focused on global mining and metals investments. Her appointment further strengthens the Company's Board as Thesis transitions from advanced exploration into project development, while continuing to align governance with the interests of long-term shareholders. Dr. Ewan Webster, President & CEO commented, "We are thrilled to welcome Coille to the Thesis Board of Directors. Her disciplined long-term investment approach and deep capital markets expertise will be invaluable as we move Lawyers-Ranch through feasibility, permitting, and into development." Ms. van Alphen commented, "I am honoured to join the Thesis Board at this exciting time for the Company. I look forward to working with the strong management team and my fellow directors, and to contributing my experience as Thesis continues to advance the Lawyers-Ranch Project and deliver long-term value for shareholders." On behalf of the Board of Directors, Thesis Gold Inc., "Ewan Webster" Ewan Webster Ph.D., P. Geo. President, CEO, and Director About Thesis Gold Inc. Thesis Gold Inc. is a precious metals development company focused on unlocking the full potential of its 100%-owned Lawyers-Ranch Gold/Silver Project, located in British Columbia's prolific Toodoggone Mining District. The recently published Prefeasibility Study outlines robust project economics, including a 54.4% after-tax IRR and an after-tax NPV5% of C$2.37 billion (at US$2,900/oz Au and US$35/oz Ag), underscoring the Project's strong value-creation potential. The Company has commenced the Environmental Assessment Process and plans to initiate a Feasibility Study in 2026 to further advance and de-risk the Project. Through these milestones, Thesis Gold is working to elevate the Lawyers-Ranch Project to the forefront of global precious metals development. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's transition from advanced exploration into project development and anticipated progression of Lawyers-Ranch through the feasibility stage into development. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market, and economic risks, uncertainties, and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis, which is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Vancouver, British Columbia TheNewswire February 6, 2026 - Rockland Resources Ltd. (the Company or "Rockland") (CSE: RKL) (OTCQB: BERLF) (FSE: GB2) is pleased to report it has obtained visible gold in the first 2 drill holes completed, of an ongoing 3,000-metre diamond drilling program at its 100%-owned Cole Gold Mines Project, located in the prolific Red Lake Mining District of Ontario. The initial drill holes were completed at the historic Cole Gold Mine, in efforts to confirm the style and nature of gold mineralization at this locale. A second objective was to observe and establish alteration styles, lithologies and structural controls associated with precious-metal mineralization, to assist in current and future exploration efforts on the Cole property (see Figure 1). Exploration and development at the Cole Gold Mine includes a shaft sunk to a depth of 160 metres and levels established at the 90, 120 & 150-metre levels. The Cole Gold Mine is considered a non-producing historic mine; aside from recovering gold from underground development Several occurrences of visible gold have been observed to date as documented below1. Company personnel continue to log, sample and split core, prior to it being sent out for analyses. Drill Holes RR-26-01 & RR-26-02: Visible gold was intersected at 3 locales in drill hole RR-26-01 from 82.20 to 82.60 metres, over a core length of 0.40 metres. An additional intercept was obtained at a depth of 85.70 metres down-hole. Diamond drill hole RR-26-02 is a deeper cut below hole RR-26-01 and intersected visible gold over a 0.20-metre interval between 74.90 to 75.10 metres as well a deeper intercept at a depth of 187.00 metres down-hole. (Photographs depicting the above gold mineralization are posted on Rockland Resources website and are dated February 6, 2026). In both drill holes, gold mineralization is hosted in deformed quartz veins, veinlets and stockwork that cross-cut broad zones of intense silicification (7 to 30 metre widths) that contain lesser biotite and subordinate garnet. Quartz veins, veinlets and stockwork also contain fine-grained arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and as locally, tourmaline. The zones of intense silicification also contain disseminated chalcopyrite, pyrite and arsenopyrite in seams and fracture fillings, suggesting appreciable potential widths for gold mineralization should the silicified zones assay favourably. The silicified zones are flanked by intervals of strong biotitic alteration with less intense silicification and also contain garnet. Closely spatially associated with the veins containing visible gold and the zones of intense silicification, are prominent altered ultramafic and mafic dikes, intersected over variable widths. This close association suggests that the dikes and veins occupy and heal the same structures; proximity of ultramafic rocks with gold mineralization is well known in the Red Lake district, auguring well for the Cole property. Mr. Mike England, CEO of Rockland stated: "Multiple occurrences of visible gold in each of the 2 initial drill holes is a very exciting start to this drill program. Hole RR-26-2 is the deepest hole completed yet and contains the best occurrence of visible gold obtained to date. This intercept occurs beneath the Cole Gold Mine workings, indicating gold mineralization continues to depth which is very encouraging. We also look forward to drilling several other high-priority targets containing high-grade gold mineralization that have never been drill tested. Figure 1. Plan Map of the Cole Gold Mines Project Target Areas Readers are invited to view sample pictures of visible gold from the current program and to learn more about the Cole Gold Mines Project by visiting the Company's website: https://www.rocklandresources.com/colegoldmines 1It should be noted that that visible gold observed in drill core does not on its own, indicate the grade, continuity or economic viability of mineralization Qualified Person: Rocklands disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release was reviewed and approved by Danae Voormeij, P. Geo., who is a registered professional geoscientist with Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC) since 2007. Ms. Voormeij serves as the Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101 as well as Rockland Resources newly appointed Chief Geologist. About Rockland Resources Ltd. Rockland Resources is committed to unlocking value through focused mineral exploration and discovery. The company's flagship project is the historic Cole Gold Mines project in the prolific Red Lake district of Ontario. By leveraging geological expertise, disciplined exploration and strategic project development, Rockland Resources aims to deliver meaningful growth and long-term value to its shareholders. We seek Safe Harbor. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Michael England, CEO & Director For further information, please contact: Mike England Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward -looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Feb 05, 2026 / Business Wire / Capstone Copper Corp. (Capstone or the Company) (TSX:CS) (ASX:CSC) is pleased to announce that Union #2 at the Mantoverde Mine in Chile has ratified a new 3-year collective bargaining agreement, ending the strike initiated on January 2. Capstones priority is to safely and efficiently return to full operations at Mantoverde, which operated at approximately 55% of normal production levels during the strike. Following an agreement with Union #2, Mantoverde has now successfully negotiated new three-year collective bargaining agreements with all four unions and will continue its focus on safe and responsible mining which brings great benefits to the workforce and surrounding communities. About Capstone Copper Corp. Capstone Copper Corp. is an Americas-focused copper mining company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Capstones operating portfolio of assets includes the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, USA, the Cozamin copper-silver mine located in Zacatecas, Mexico, the Mantos Blancos copper-silver mine located in the Antofagasta region, Chile, and the Mantoverde copper-gold mine, located in the Atacama region, Chile. Capstones growth pipeline includes the fully permitted Santo Domingo copper-iron-gold project, located approximately 35 kilometres northeast of Mantoverde in the Atacama region, Chile, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties in the Americas. Capstone Coppers strategy is to unlock transformational copper production growth while executing on cost and operational improvements through innovation, optimization and safe and responsible production throughout our portfolio of assets. We focus on profitability and disciplined capital allocation to surface stakeholder value. We are committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of our people and local communities, while delivering compelling returns to investors by responsibly producing copper to meet the worlds growing needs. Further information is available at www.capstonecopper.com CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This document may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, forward-looking statements). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as anticipates, approximately, believes, budget, estimates, expects, forecasts, guidance, intends, plans, scheduled, target, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results be achieved, could, may, might, occur, should, will be taken or would or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including anticipated, expected, guidance and plan. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys expectations regarding operations during the strike and its approach to resolution and procedures regarding the strike. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst others, risks related to the inability to resolve the labour disruption, the inability to operate at expected capacity during the strike, inherent hazards associated with mining operations and closure of mining projects, future prices of copper and other metals, compliance with financial covenants, inflation, surety bonding, the Company's ability to raise capital, Capstone Coppers ability to acquire properties for growth, counterparty risks associated with sales of the Company's metals, use of financial derivative instruments and associated counterparty risks, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, market access restrictions or tariffs, changes in U.S. laws and policies regulating international trade including but not limited to changes to or implementation of tariffs, trade restrictions, or responsive measures of foreign and domestic governments, changes to cost and availability of goods and raw materials, along with supply, logistics and transportation constraints, changes in general economic conditions including market volatility due to uncertain trade policies and tariffs, availability and quality of water and power resources, accuracy of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates, operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation, compliance with governmental regulations and stock exchange rules, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, reliance on approvals, licences and permits from governmental authorities and potential legal challenges to permit applications, contractual risks including but not limited to, the Company's ability to meet the requirements under the Cozamin Silver Stream Agreement with Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. ("Wheaton"), the Company's ability to meet certain closing conditions under the Santo Domingo Gold Stream Agreement with Wheaton, acting as Indemnitor for Minto Metals Corp.s surety bond obligations, impact of climate change and changes to climatic conditions at the Company's operations and projects, changes in regulatory requirements and policy related to climate change and greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions, land reclamation and mine closure obligations, introduction or increase in carbon or other "green" taxes, aboriginal title claims and rights to consultation and accommodation, risks relating to widespread epidemics or pandemic outbreaks; the impact of communicable disease outbreaks on the Company's workforce, risks related to construction activities at the Company's operations and development projects, suppliers and other essential resources and what effect those impacts, if they occur, would have on the Company's business, including the Company's ability to access goods and supplies, the ability to transport the Company's products and impacts on employee productivity, the risks in connection with the operations, cash flow and results of Capstone Copper relating to the unknown duration and impact of the epidemics or pandemics, impacts of inflation, geopolitical events and the effects of global supply chain disruptions, uncertainties and risks related to the potential development of the Santo Domingo development project, risks related to the Mantoverde Development Project ("MVDP"), increased operating and capital costs, increased cost of reclamation, challenges to title to the Company's mineral properties, increased taxes in jurisdictions the Company operates or is subject to tax, changes in tax regimes we are subject to and any changes in law or interpretation of law may be difficult to react to in an efficient manner, maintaining ongoing social licence to operate, seismicity and its effects on the Company's operations and communities in which we operate, dependence on key management personnel, Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") listing compliance requirements, potential conflicts of interest involving the Company's directors and officers, corruption and bribery, limitations inherent in the Company's insurance coverage, labour relations generally, increasing input costs such as those related to sulphuric acid, electricity, fuel and supplies, increasing inflation rates, competition in the mining industry including but not limited to competition for skilled labour, risks associated with joint venture partners and non-controlling shareholders or associates, the Company's ability to integrate new acquisitions and new technology into the Company's operations, cybersecurity threats, legal proceedings, the volatility of the price of the common shares, the uncertainty of maintaining a liquid trading market for the common shares, risks related to dilution to existing shareholders if stock options or other convertible securities are exercised, the history of Capstone Copper with respect to not paying dividends and anticipation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future and sales of common shares by existing shareholders can reduce trading prices, and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Companys interim and annual financial statements and MD&A of those statements and Annual Information Form, all of which are filed and available for review under the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the Company's expectations or beliefs regarding future events and are based on a number of assumptions, including those detailed from time to time in the Companys interim and annual financial statements and MD&A of those statements and Annual Information Form, all of which are filed and available for review under the Companys profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in the Company's forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause the Company's results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that the Company's forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. A Kosovar man and alleged former member of Kosovo independence forces was arrested on Thursday in Serbia, accused of committing war crimes during the 1990s conflict, the Serbian interior ministry said. Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have remained fraught since the end of the war, which killed around 13,000 people, and Belgrade has never recognised Pristina since it declared independence in 2008. An alleged former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the man is suspected of having "participated in terrorist attacks" against Serbian police officers and soldiers, notably a "kidnapping and massacre of police officers", Serbian interior minister Ivica Dacic said in a statement. War crimes investigators and intelligence services arrested the man, identified as "M.L.", at the Serbia-Croatia border crossing at Batrovci, he said. The suspect, who was born in 1980 and living in the Kosovan city of Pec, was placed in custody and will be handed over to the war crimes prosecutor's office, Dacic added. The 1998-1999 Kosovo war between independence-seeking guerrillas and Serbian armed forces ended after a NATO air campaign ousted Serbian military and police from the territory. Nearly 27 years on, around 1,600 people are still missing, according to the official in charge of Serbia's office for Kosovo affairs, Petar Petkovic. For twenty-two years, the family of Cadet Amadou Sillah lived in a suffocating silence. When he was killed during the bloody events of November 11, 1994, his family could not even openly mourn due to the hefty price the then leader of The Gambia Yahya Jammeh placed on dissent. Today, they sit in the heavy realisation that the state has finally put a price on Amadous life. This is literally his blood money, says Mamudu Sillah, Amadous brother. It was like the government had come to commiserate with us, but no one could ever pay for the soul of another. Cadet Sillahs family is one of many families receiving their complete reparation payment from the Gambian government's newly established Reparation Commission which started disbursing 20 million dalasis (274, 000 dollars) allocated for the 2026 budget cycle. The Reparation Commissions current phase is strictly chronological, targeting 83 identified victims from the 19941996 period (Jammehs dictatorship last from July 1994 to January 2017). The payment policy which determines who gets what and what crime was perpetrated was formulated by the national Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) in 2020, shortly before the TRRC concluded its final report after two and a half years of public hearings. The Truth Commission selected 1.009 victims for its reparation payout scheme, something which was to cost little over US$4 million in total. Due to the shortage of funds, the Commission could only pay 19% to each victims entitlement. Now, Sillahs family received their complete payment D600,000 (about 8,200 USD) the amount put on extra-judicial killings and disappearances by the Truth Commission. A torture victim Abdoulie J. Darboe also received his full payment D195,000 (about $2,670) the price placed on torture by the Truth Commission. The funding gap The new Reparation Commissions work is currently tethered to the D20 million government allocation, of which only D6 million (82,000 USD) has been disbursed so far. The leftover D14 million (about $187,000) is approved by the Reparation Commission and is being paid to the bank accounts of the victims through the Central Bank of the Gambia. A fraction of the total proceeds from the sale of the assets of Jammeh is earmarked to support the process. The Gambian government has declared receiving over $20 million from the sale of these assets which were seized by the State. Less than a quarter of this amount 4 millions would have paid the entire reparation identified by the TRRC. However, there are still no publicly available data on how the government has spent this amount. The U.S. government recovered $3.5 million from the sale of Jammehs mansion in Potomac, Maryland. While intended for the victims fund, the Commission confirmed to Justice Info that these funds have not yet been received. The Commission is currently unable to provide a timeline for this, officials stated, noting that the Ministry of Justice is still facilitating the transfer. Until that money arrives, the Commission remains reliant on a limited national budget to settle claims for identified victims. Meanwhile, the Reparation Commission has officially begun registering new victims who were not captured during the initial TRRC hearings. While this offers hope for many, it also expands the reparations the state owes. The Commission will continue to engage the government on the urgent need for reparations to victims, the Commission told Justice Info. Additionally, we will engage with international partners to support other aspects of our work including the implementation of psychosocial support, medical support and empowerment for victims. Remaining obstacles to justice For the survivors of the November 11, 1994 counter-coup seven men who fought against poor barracks conditions and unfulfilled promises were met with summary execution the reparation payment is seen as a positive show of government commitment, but it does not substitute the desire for criminal justice. People accused of coups should face a court, not arbitrary execution. The murderers have confessed. They should be prosecuted... soonest, said Dawda Darboe, brother of the late Momodou Lamin Darboe, one of the soldiers who were executed in Yundum Barrack, a military encampment about 35 minutes drive from Banjul. While the Commission processes cheques, it cannot erase the geographical reality of the victims. Abdoulie J. Darboe lives a chilling fact of post-Jammeh Gambia where survivors and perpetrators often live and work side-by-side. Njie Ponkal [real name Babucarr Njie] is my neighbor, Darboe reveals, referring to a former orderly to Sanna Sabally, N2 of the military junta in 1994, allegedly implicated in the November 11 executions. We are together, pray at the same mosque, and meet on the street daily. But there is also an apparent lack of administrative justice where alleged perpetrators like Zakaria Darboe also named in the same incident are holding high-ranking roles such as Immigration Commissioner in Upper River Region, the most western of the countrys five divisions. Abdoulie Darboe said such issues remain the biggest hurdle to closure. The victims of November-11 also still await the proper burial of the remains of their relatives. For eight years, the bones of those killed more than 31 years ago have sat in a mortuary in Banjul, awaiting forensic identification. A Muslim is entitled to a proper religious burial, Mamudu Sillah pleads. Families are now asking the government to hand over the remains, even if they cannot be individually identified, so they can be laid to rest in a mass grave where families at least know where their loved ones lie. A suicide blast at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad killed at least 31 people on Friday, with a police source saying more than 130 are wounded in the deadliest attack in Pakistan's capital since the 2008 Marriott bombing. City officials said 31 people died in the blast at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area on the city's outskirts. "The attacker was stopped at the gate and detonated himself," a security source told AFP. A senior police official said the explosion occurred after Friday prayers, when mosques around the country are packed with worshippers. The casualty toll was "expected to rise further", he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Muhammad Kazim, a 52-year-old worshipper, said an "extremely powerful" explosion ripped through the building as prayers were just starting. "During the first bow of the Namaz (prayer ritual), we heard gunfire," he told AFP. "And while we were still in the bowing position, an explosion occurred," he said. No group immediately claimed responsibility, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said those behind the blast would be found and brought to justice. South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said on X that the target suggested it was either the local affiliate of the Islamic State group or anti-Shiite militants. The attack was the deadliest in the Pakistani capital since September 2008, when 60 people were killed in a suicide truck bomb blast that destroyed part of the five-star Marriott hotel. - Bodies, bloodied clothing, debris - AFP journalists at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital saw several people including children being carried in on stretchers or by their arms and legs. Medics and bystanders helped unload victims with blood-soaked clothes from the back of ambulances and vehicles. At least one casualty arrived in the boot of a car. Friends and relatives of the wounded wept and screamed as victims -- dead or alive -- arrived at the hospital's heavily guarded emergency ward. Another team of AFP journalists saw armed security forces outside the mosque, where pools of blood were visible on the ground. Yellow crime scene tape surrounded an investigation area, with shoes, clothing and broken glass scattered around the site. Videos shared on social media, which AFP was not able to verify immediately, showed several bodies lying near the mosque's front gate, with people and debris also strewn across the red-carpeted prayer hall. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar branded the attack "a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles". "Pakistan stands united against terrorism in all its forms," he said in a post on X. - Growing insurgencies - The attack comes as Pakistan's security forces battle intensifying insurgencies in southern and northern provinces that border Afghanistan. Pakistan is a Sunni-majority nation but Shiites make up between 10 and 15 percent of the population and have been targeted in attacks throughout the region in the past. Islamabad has said separatist armed groups in southern Balochistan, and the Pakistani Taliban and other Islamist militants in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near Islamabad, have used Afghan territory as a safe haven from which to launch attacks. Afghanistan's Taliban government has repeatedly denied Pakistan's accusations. Bilateral relations have plummeted, with forces from both sides regularly clashing along the border. The last major attack in Islamabad took place in November when a suicide blast outside a court killed 12 people and wounded dozens, the first such incident to hit the capital in nearly three years. In Balochistan, attacks claimed by separatist insurgents last week killed 36 civilians and 22 security personnel, prompting a wave of counter-operations in which authorities said security forces killed almost 200 militants. bur-zz/je/ceg X A suicide blast at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad killed at least 31 people on Friday, with 169 more wounded in the deadliest attack in Pakistan's capital since the 2008 Marriott hotel bombing. City officials said 31 people died in the blast at the Imam Bargah Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area on the city's outskirts, with scores more being treated for injuries. The death toll was expected to rise further. The explosion occurred at Friday prayers, when mosques around the country are packed with worshippers. "The attacker was stopped at the gate and detonated himself," a security source told AFP. Muhammad Kazim, a 52-year-old worshipper, said an "extremely powerful" explosion ripped through the building as prayers were just starting. "During the first bow of the Namaz (prayer ritual), we heard gunfire," he told AFP. "And while we were still in the bowing position, an explosion occurred," he said. Another worshipper, Imran Mahmood, told AFP there was a gunfight between the bomber, a possible accomplice and volunteer security personnel at the mosque. "The suicide attacker was trying to move forward, but one of our injured volunteers fired at him from behind, hitting him in the thigh," he told AFP. He then "detonated the explosives", Mahmood, in his fifties, added. No group immediately claimed responsibility, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said those behind the blast would be found and brought to justice. South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said on X that the target suggested it was either the local affiliate of the Islamic State group or anti-Shiite militants. The attack was the deadliest in the Pakistani capital since September 2008, when 60 people were killed in a suicide truck bomb blast that destroyed part of the five-star Marriott hotel. - Bodies, bloodied clothing, debris - AFP journalists at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital saw several people, including children, being carried in on stretchers or by their arms and legs. Medics and bystanders helped unload victims with blood-soaked clothes from the back of ambulances and vehicles. At least one casualty arrived in the boot of a car. Friends and relatives of the wounded wept and screamed as victims -- dead or alive -- arrived at the hospital's heavily guarded emergency ward. Another team of AFP journalists saw armed security forces outside the mosque, where pools of blood were visible on the ground. Yellow crime scene tape surrounded an investigation area, with shoes, clothing and broken glass scattered around the site. Videos shared on social media, which AFP was not able to verify immediately, showed several bodies lying near the mosque's front gate, with people and debris also strewn across the red-carpeted prayer hall. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar branded the attack "a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles". "Pakistan stands united against terrorism in all its forms," he said in a post on X. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said "attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable", according to his spokesman. - Growing insurgencies - The attack comes as Pakistan's security forces battle intensifying insurgencies in southern and northern provinces that border Afghanistan. Pakistan is a Sunni-majority nation, but Shiites make up between 10 and 15 percent of the population and have been targeted in attacks throughout the region in the past. Islamabad has said separatist armed groups in southern Balochistan, and the Pakistani Taliban and other Islamist militants in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near Islamabad, have used Afghan territory as a safe haven from which to launch attacks. Afghanistan's Taliban government has repeatedly denied Pakistan's accusations. Bilateral relations have plummeted, with forces from both sides regularly clashing along the border. The last major attack in Islamabad took place in November when a suicide blast outside a court killed 12 people and wounded dozens, the first such incident to hit the capital in nearly three years. In Balochistan, attacks claimed by separatist insurgents last week killed 36 civilians and 22 security personnel, prompting a wave of counter-operations in which authorities said security forces killed almost 200 militants. bur-zz/je/sst/md X Thousands turned out on Friday for the burial of the slain son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi in a town that still holds allegiance to the late longtime leader. Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, once seen by some as Libya's heir apparent, was shot dead in his home in the northwestern city of Zintan on Tuesday. His burial in the town of Bani Walid, some 175 kilometres (110 miles) south of Tripoli, brought together thousands of Gaddafi loyalists, nearly 15 years after the ruler was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising. Some came from other parts of the country. "We are here to accompany our beloved one, the son of our leader in whom we placed our hope and our future," said Waad Ibrahim, a 33-year-old woman from Sirte, nearly 300 kilometres (186 miles) away. The woman blamed the country's eastern and western rival powers for Seif al-Islam's killing. "They met in France to agree that the only obstacle standing in their way was Seif al-Islam," she said referring to a recent US-brokered meeting in Paris between officials from both sides. Libya remains split between Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah's UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Khalifa Haftar. The North African has struggled to recover from chaos that erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising. - Elections 'without him' - Each year, Bani Walid celebrates the anniversary of a 1969 coup that brought Gaddafi to power, with people parading through the streets with portraits of the ex-leader and Libya's green flag from before the revolt. Ahead of the burial on Friday, locals also carried those portraits and flags while chanting pro-Gaddafi slogans and declaring that "the martyrs' blood will not be shed in vain". Sabri Gachout, a 66-year-old from Tripoli, said Seif al-Islam's killing meant that "elections can now be organised without him in the electoral process". In 2021, Seif al-Islam announced he would run for president, but the elections aiming to unify the country under a UN agreement were indefinitely postponed. Marcel Ceccaldi, a French lawyer who had been representing Seif al-Islam, told AFP he was killed by "four-man commando". Authorities said they were probing his death as the assailants remained at large. Saadi Gaddafi, Seif al-Islam's younger brother, said his dead sibling would be buried "next to his brother Khamis Gaddafi", who was killed during the 2011 unrest. Under his father's iron-fisted 40-year rule, Seif al-Islam was described as the de facto prime minister, cultivating an image of moderation and reform despite holding no official position. But that reputation soon collapsed when he promised "rivers of blood" in retaliation for the 2011 uprising. He was arrested that year on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, and a Tripoli court sentenced him to death, although he was later granted amnesty. Thursday, February 5, 2026 - A young Nyali couple who built a flashy reputation on TikTok is now behind bars after detectives arrested them over drug trafficking and human smuggling. Amir Laft and his wife, Ruhman Abubakar, were apprehended following a raid by officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit at their residence in Nyali, Mombasa County. During the operation, detectives reportedly recovered 250 grammes of heroin, believed to have been packaged and ready for distribution. However, the narcotics discovery was only the beginning. Preliminary investigations suggest that the couple could be linked to a wider criminal network involved in both drug trafficking and human trafficking, with operations spanning Mombasa, Malindi and Nairobi. Ironically, the two had built a strong presence on TikTok, where they regularly showcased a lifestyle that many young people admired. Their posts featured exotic vacations, shopping sprees in high-end malls, and expensive dates, painting the picture of a young couple living large and enjoying life to the fullest. To their followers, they appeared to be living the dream. But authorities now believe the flashy lifestyle may have been bankrolled by proceeds from illegal activities, including narcotics sales and the trafficking of vulnerable individuals. The suspects are expected to be arraigned as investigations continue. Below is a video>>> showing how the couple lived a glamorous lifestyle. AMIR LAFT and his wife, RUHMAN ABUBAKAR pic.twitter.com/MMVSiXPGuh DAILY POST (@dailypost_ke) February 5, 2026 The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 5, 2026 - A group of young ladies stole the spotlight during the Nyota empowerment programme in Kilifi, presided over by President William Ruto and attended by local politicians and senior Government officials. Videos from the event show the ladies performing energetic dances that captivated the audience. One participant, dressed in a figure-hugging white dress, drew the most attention, with many guests admiring her performance. As expected, the videos have sparked lively reactions on social media, with some joking that a few of the waheshimiwa might have asked for phone numbers from the ladies. Watch the video>>> below Kilifi Nyota's funds celebrated , and everything is moving smoothly. pic.twitter.com/W9nTyzKqay Prime Media News (@primemediakenya) February 5, 2026 The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 5, 2026 - John Chebochok, a senior official within the Kenya Tea Development Authority (KTDA), has resurfaced in the public spotlight after he was photographed attending a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) event at State House, despite previously facing serious allegations highlighted in a BBC investigation. Chebochok first drew national and international attention after a BBC expose linked him to allegations of taking advantage of female workers in Kenyas tea sector. The investigative broadcast featured testimonies from victims, as well as undercover footage that implicated him as a key perpetrator in the misconduct. Despite the revelations and public outcry that followed, Chebochok was later elected director of Toror Tea Factory, a factory under the Kenya Tea Development Authority, sparking criticism from activists and stakeholders who had called for his removal. His recent appearance at State House, where President William Ruto hosted 12,353 UDA aspirants, has once again raised questions, particularly as he continues to face scrutiny over the allegations. See photos. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, February 06, 2026 - Laikipia County is on the receiving end after unveiling its controversial boda boda ambulances meant to ferry pregnant women across remote areas. The initiative, launched at Nanyuki County Referral Hospital by Health CECM, Albert Taiti, was intended to reduce maternal deaths by providing transport where conventional ambulances cannot reach. Governor Joshua Irungu defended the project, noting that poor road networks have cost lives, and the customised motorcycles - equipped with sidecars, stretchers, and first aid kits - were designed to bridge that gap. But Kenyans online were far from impressed. Many castigated the move as primitive, unsafe and a mockery of public service. Critics questioned how expectant mothers could endure the discomfort of a wheelbarrowstyle carrier on rugged terrain, while others argued that funds should have been directed towards proper ambulances. One user on X fumed, With 200m the county can have 20 to 40 ambulances instead of this mkokoteni to serve our women! Despite the backlash, the project is backed by the Swedishsupported Eezer Initiative, which has piloted similar motorcycle ambulances in Burundi, completing 24,000 pregnancyrelated transports between 2021 and 2023. Eezers coordinator for Laikipia, Dr Alfred Sadera, insists that the innovation addresses a critical gap in maternal health, especially in regions where poor roads and long distances remain deadly obstacles. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, February 06, 2026 - Controversial communications consultant, Njeri Thorne, has once again set tongues wagging after making a sensational revelation about city lawyer and Westlands MP aspirant, Nelson Havi. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Njeri stunned her followers by claiming that Havi once gifted her a staggering Ksh 1.8 million in cash. Havi is generous. Very generous. One time he asked me why I never ask him for anything I said I didnt really need anything. Akatoa bahasha with 2 million cash. Gave me 1.8 she wrote, sparking heated debate online. The two were once cordial associates and even business partners, but their relationship soured, leading Njeri to publicly air Havis alleged misconduct. In previous posts, she accused the vocal lawyer of defrauding clients and exploiting women. She further alleged that Havi keeps six women in servants quarters at his Kileleshwa residence, where he engages in secret rendezvous. Njeri went as far as alleging that one of the women, identified as Diana from Rwanda, was infected and later forced to return to her country. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 05, 2026 - ODM mobilizer, Calvince Okoth, popularly known as Gaucho, has come out strongly to defend Mama Ida Odinga after manipulated birthday photos of the two went viral online. Gaucho, who recently celebrated his birthday with the Odinga matriarch, slammed those circulating doctored images of him sharing a cake with Mama Ida, accusing them of attempting to tarnish her reputation for clout. In a statement on Thursday, February 5th, Gaucho described Mama Ida as a highly respected leader who should not be dragged into cheap online theatrics. Dr. Mama Ida Odinga is a respectable leader in the fabric of our society and diplomatic spheres. I can only compare her to the late Winnie Mandela, he said. He warned perpetrators of the doctored content that they risk facing legal action. Any attempts to besmirch, soil and damage Mamas name, image and reputation for content creation, directly or through graphics, is uncalled for. If the perpetrators find themselves before the court to explain and pay for reputational damages, then they should not blame me, Gaucho declared. The activist further revealed that Mama Ida has always been like a parent to him, recalling how Rosemary Odinga introduced him to the family in 2013. Since then, he said, both Raila Odinga and Mama Ida have treated him as their son. The incident highlights the growing menace of AI-manipulated images targeting public figures. Nairobi Woman Representative, Esther Passaris, recently raised similar concerns after her photo with Mumias East MP, Peter Salasya, was digitally altered, urging Government intervention before the trend spirals further. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 5, 2026 - Grief has engulfed Kinuri Village in Rugi Ward, Mukurweini, as the family of Charles Wangari holds a painful memorial service without his body after he was killed in Russia. Wangari lost his life on Christmas Day while in Russia under circumstances linked to the ongoing conflict in the region. Tragically, his body could not be recovered from the battlefield, denying his family the chance to bring him home for burial. Instead of a traditional funeral with his remains present, relatives and friends have been forced to organise a memorial ceremony, an emotional farewell that has left many struggling to accept the painful reality. The atmosphere at the family home was sombre as mourners gathered to pray, sing hymns and comfort one another. Tears flowed freely as loved ones paid tribute to Wangaris life, describing him as hardworking, kind and full of hope for the future. See photos of the memorial. The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, February 06, 2026 - Nominated Member of Parliament, Sabina Chege, came under sharp criticism from leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during a burial ceremony in Muranga County on Friday, February 6th. Chege, who has openly supported President William Ruto, was accused of siding with the Government against the opposition. Kajiado North MP, Onesmas Ngogoyo, led the attack, alleging that Ruto had used police to intimidate opponents and questioning Cheges silence on Government excesses. What we ask is that those supporting the President is that you dont plan violence, dont send police officers and let us look for votes respectfully. Sabina, since you are telling us to support Ruto, explain to us why you do not speak about children being killed? You keep blabbing in the media about Wamunyoro. Why dont you say things to his face? Ngogoyo posed. Muranga Senator Joe Nyutu echoed the criticism, telling Chege that her efforts to popularize Ruto in Mount Kenya will fail just as her attempts to rally support for Raila Odinga did. To my sister, you said you tried to help Raila to climb the mountain but were unsuccessful. Now, Sabina, will you try to help Ruto, knowing very well he will not be able to? Join us so that we can vouch for our community and Kenya at large, Nyutu stated. Sabina Chege almost leaves funeral after MP Ngogoyo trolls her in Murang'a in front of Gachagua and Matiang'i pic.twitter.com/7w47m6B16o PropesaTV (@PropesaTV) February 6, 2026 Friday, February 06, 2026 - A bold, seven-months pregnant woman from Mombasa has sparked lively conversations online after openly declaring on social media that she is seeking a financially stable man to support her and her unborn baby. She made it clear that the man must be 31 years and above and well off. I need a man to take care of us Age from 31 You must be financially stable because me and my unborn baby need to be spoiled, she declared. While she is ok with any tribe, she categorically stated that men who live in Likoni, Kisauni or Changamwe will not be entertained. Yaani you take good care of us Any tribe is okay. Comment Ill pick from the comments section. Staki mtu anaishi Likoni, Kisauni, or Changamwe. I prefer mtu ako Bamburi or Nyali Her bold post has sparked mixed reactions with some netizens lauding her confidence while others had a field day wondering what happened to the father of the unborn baby. Thursday, February 05, 2026 - Geoffrey Mosiria, Nairobi Countys Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Service, has quickly become one of the citys most recognizable personalities thanks to his involvement in trending matters both within and beyond the capital. His outspoken nature and signature introductions have turned him into a favorite subject for online banter, making him one of the most memeable figures in Nairobis digital space. A creative netizen has shared a hilarious video mimicking Mosiria, and it has instantly caught attention. From the voice to the mannerisms, the parody nailed every detail, leaving viewers in stitches. The clip>>> has since circulated widely, adding to Mosirias growing reputation as a public figure who effortlessly blends official duty with viral fame. This guy mimicking mosiria pic.twitter.com/QdhgwF4LWD Boniface (@kilundeezy) February 4, 2026 The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, February 06, 2026 - The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has confirmed the recovery of bodies belonging to two Kenyan nationals recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine. The deceased have been identified as Ombwori Denis Bagaka, born January 30th, 1987, and Wahome Simon Gititu, born May 21st, 1991. Their remains were discovered near the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region, close to another Kenyan mercenary, Clinton Nyapara Mogesa, who was killed in the same area. According to Ukrainian intelligence, all three Kenyans were recruited while working in Qatar for security companies that promised high and stable incomes. Bagaka and Mogesa arrived at a recruitment center in Yaroslavl, Russia, on September 27th, 2025, with Gititu joining them a month later. After a brief training period, they were deployed to the Donbas region and tasked with storming Lyman. Reports indicate that the men advanced into what was described as a kill zone, where Ukrainian Defense Forces engaged and killed them. Ukrainian officials noted that Russian command failed to provide support or evacuate the mercenaries during the battle. Identification documents found on their persons confirmed their Kenyan nationality. Mogesas body was discovered six days earlier at a Russian position in Donetsk, but his family has yet to receive official communication from Moscow. DIU reports that the bodies of two more Kenyan citizens who were recruited by the aggressor state of russia to wage a criminal war against Ukraine have been found in the vicinity of the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region. : https://t.co/D2FFyEaFSU pic.twitter.com/vh9ybkOU9T Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (@DI_Ukraine) February 6, 2026 The Kenyan DAILY POST Friday, February 06, 2026 - Social media is buzzing after a well-endowed Kikuyu lady, Whitney Wangari, shared a video flaunting her jawdropping curves. In the clip, Whitney struts with the confidence of an Alist model, her figurehugging jeans accentuating every curve and leaving admirers in awe. The video quickly went viral, with men openly gushing over her look while sparking heated debate among netizens. Some insisted that its rare to see Kikuyu women with such voluptuous features, while others speculated her striking physique might be linked to mixed heritage from regions like Nyanza or Western Kenya, where women are often celebrated for their natural curves. Watch her>>> below The Kenyan DAILY POST Gordon Deegan Johnny Ronans property group has questioned the absence of residential units from the planned 100 million rejuvenation of St Stephens Green Shopping Centre in Dublin. In a submission concerning the planning application by DTDL Ltd, ceo of the Ronan Group, Rory Williams has told the council that the redevelopment of a highly accessible city-centre site without provision for residential use raises questions as to whether the proposal adequately supports compact growth objectives and the delivery of a living city. Mr Williams has told the Council that the inclusion of residential use in the scheme would provide a stable, long-term occupation of the city centre site and contribute to its social and economic resilience. As part of a five page submission by the Ronan Group, Mr Williams states that the employment-led scheme with all upper floors dedicated to office accommodation delivers functional intensity but does not meaningfully contribute to permanent population or residential presence in the city centre. In total, the council has received 58 submissions, with the bulk of those opposed to the application. In December, owners of the centre, DTDL Ltd lodged revised plans for the redevelopment of the landmark shopping centre five months after An Coimiusin Pleanala refused planning permission for its 100 million revamp. The designers of the scheme state that the revised proposal will make an enduring contribution to the city's built environment, setting a new benchmark for brownfield regeneration in the heart of Dublin through its exemplar standard of urban design. The newly designed scheme through the BKD Architects/ODonnell + Tuomey collaboration will have capacity to accommodate 3,000 office workers while the retail floor area at basement, ground and first floor levels will be 19,001 sq.m. In a blow however to the revised rejuvenation scheme two of three parties, An Taisce and author and former Irish Times journalist, Frank McDonald, who successfully appealed to An Coimisuin Pleanala Dublin City Councils grant of permission in December 2023 to the original 100 million scheme, have outlined their opposition to the new plan in comprehensive submissions. In a hard hitting objection, Rhona Ni Fhogartaigh has told the council to please retain the existing St Stephens Green Centre and refuse planning permission for its destruction or any significant structural alteration "that would render it unrecognisable, ugly, derivative, uninspiring, boring, light-impacting and overbearingly dominant in a key area of town. Ms ni Fhogartaigh said that what is planned is against the wishes of Dublin people. She says: This is our city. We love the area of St Stephens Green and Grafton Street. "We love the existing St Stephens Green Centre.Destroying a beautiful landmark building is not in our interests and not what we want, especially when the reason for doing so is solely to line the pockets of the developers with rental income from new offices proposed, while also reducing the existing amenity of the centre. The proposed redevelopment is shocking to the eye and mind. Member of Dublin City Council, Cllr Claire Byrne (Green Party) has told the council that the proposed replacement building is generic in nature, has already been refused and would further erode Dublin's architectural character and heritage. Cllr Byrne said that the city is increasingly becoming a homogenous streetscape of uniform modern developments. A decision is due on the application later this month. Adrian Keatley produced one of the most remarkable training performances of recent times when his horse, Aisling Oscar, won his eighth successive race at Southwell on Thursday. After Monasterevin jockey Conor Whiteley won two of the last of those races, stable jockey Oisin McSweeney was back in the saddle again and delivered the horse with perfect timing to do something that hasnt been done in the mid-90s. Aisling Oscar was originally trained by Craig ONeill and had a couple of wins at Dundalk in early 2024 in what was an otherwise non-descript campaign as a three-year-old The switch across the water to Keatleys yard has brought an incredible change of fortune since then. Aisling Oscar was third at Wolverhampton on 25th November on his first outing under his new trainer but two days later was back in action at Newcastle and recorded the first win in this incredible sequence. He has seen his mark rise by 25lbs through his winning run and the handicapper is likely to bump him up again after this latest performance. Jockey McSweeney praised the work by the trainer. Its unbelievable what he has achieved and the credit goes to Adrian and his team, and Dan who bought him. It doesnt happen every day of the week and its great just to be a part of it, he said. Keatley began his training career in 2014 and enjoyed Grade 1 success in the 1,000 Irish Guineas in 2015 at the Curragh with Jet Setting. He moved to England in time for the 2019/20 season to where he is currently based in Malton, North Yorkshire. KILDARES Local Enterprise Office supported the creation of 417 jobs in the year 2025, which was recently revealed by Minister for of State for Employment, Small Business and Retail, Alan Dillon TD. This marks a substantial 29 per cent increase from the 323 jobs created by LEO Kildare in 2024, and the fifth consecutive year of job growth. Nationally, the Local Enterprise Offices across the country now supports 40,285 jobs across 7,148 small businesses, the highest level since the Local Enterprise Offices were established in 2014. In 2025 alone, LEO client companies created 7,261 new jobs, with a net jobs gain of 2,479 a 7 per cent rise on 2024. Of the jobs created, 82 per cent were outside of the Dublin region. Jacqui McNabb, head of enterprise, Kildare County Council said: These figures highlight the significant impact that the Local Enterprise Offices and their clients are making in driving economic growth across the country. The creation of over 7,000 jobs is only a small part of the role that LEOs are playing in fostering entrepreneurship and growing enterprise in towns, villages and communities all over Ireland. These jobs and clients figures only reflect those who have received financial funding from their LEO and do not capture the thousands more that receive the likes of Lean, Green and Digital supports or training and mentoring. The numbers today are immensely positive and reflect the resilience of the small business sector and we look forward to growing our work with these businesses in 2026." A natural storyteller from Co Kildare who demanded a cigarette by producing a large knife, went to hug the injured party then kissed him on the back of his neck after he gave him one, a court has heard. Martin McDonnell (32) of The Close, Eustace Demesne, Naas pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to production of a knife and dishonestly appropriating a cigarette at Wellington Quay on 13 June 2024. Mr McDonnell, who made a homemade documentary on homelessness, was previously attacked by an axe and has a permanent scar on the back of his head. He told gardai in interview he was stabbed seven times and I wouldnt wish that on anyone. He was handed a two-year sentence on Friday, with the final 10 months suspended. Imposing sentence, Judge Patricia Ryan said it would have been very frightening for the injured party to be approached in this way. She noted that it was aggravating that Mr McDonnell produced a large knife. The judge said the mitigation included his guilty plea and expressions of remorse. The judge back-dated the sentence to 26 June last, when Mr McDonnell went into custody. She also directed Mr McDonnell to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for 18 months following his release from custody. Mr McDonnell thanked the judge, saying he was in a very bad place and had been brought up in the care system, which failed him. He was picking up the pieces and wished to get better. Detective Garda Robert Mahony previously gave evidence that the injured party was walking home from work after a night shift at 8am and was standing in a doorway when he was approached by Mr McDonnell who asked him for a cigarette. When he refused, he (Mr McDonnell) pulled a large knife from his trousers, the garda told the court. The injured party said Mr McDonnell was aggressive, but when he gave him the cigarette, Mr McDonnell went to hug him and kissed him on the back of the neck. Mr McDonnell was arrested by appointment and made admissions in interview. He has 72 previous convictions for offences including road traffic, public order, criminal damage, failing to appear, firearms offences and four for assault. Under cross-examination, Det Gda Mahony agreed that when the injured party handed over a cigarette he then describes Mr McDonnell kissing him on back of neck and the interaction ended with fist bumps. He also agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that Mr McDonnell then got on a bus to Naas where he was living at the time. In interviews, Mr McDonnell said he was stabbed seven times and wouldnt wish that on anyone. Det Gda Murray also agreed Mr McDonnell was attacked by an axe and has a permanent scar on the back of his head. When interviewed he told gardai Im shocked threats are out of character for me. He told gardai he only has a Stanley knife for work. He said he would rather take his own life before another persons. Mr McDonnell spent several weeks on bail and then took a bench warrant. He has been in custody since last June. In mitigation, Mr Rea said Mr McDonnell lost his parents as a toddler in a road traffic accident. Counsel said despite having no exams Mr McDonnell was an extremely intelligent man. He has been homeless and on the housing list for 14 years. He was sleeping rough in Kildare with his partner and lived in a derelict house at the time of the incident, counsel said. Mr Rea said Mr McDonnell has five children and he was diagnosed with bipolar and ADHD and undiagnosed PTSD. Mr McDonnell has given urines and is working with Merchants Quay where he has attended 11 one-to-one sessions, is doing an emotional regulation course and other courses. Mr Rea said his client made a homemade documentary on homelessness which was also archived. Counsel said his client was a natural storyteller who has a story and tells it extremely well. The court was told that Mr McDonnell is working with a drugs counsellor, is doing well in custody and has an offer of work and accommodation upon his release. STUDENTS from Kildare are among over 100 students from across Ireland taking part in the Webwise Safer Internet Day (SID) Ambassador Training Programme 2026. This peer-led initiative equips students with the knowledge and skills to run their own online safety campaigns within their schools and local communities. As part of the programme, Cate Murphy and Mia Kearns from Confey College, Stephen Prior (Webwise Youth Panellist from Kildare), Lily Mai Winders and Isabel Connolly from Newbridge College, and Darragh Tyrrell and Peter Dillon from Patrician Secondary School attended an in-person training day in Dublin, where they received guidance and support from Webwise and the Webwise Youth Advisory Panel. The Ambassador Training Programme empowers students to play a leading role in creating a safer, better internet by addressing key issues like online bullying, misinformation, wellbeing, privacy, and digital rights. Safer Internet Day 2026 will take place on Tuesday, February 10, under the theme "AI Aware: Safe, Smart and in Control". This years campaign encourages schools, parents, young people, and educators to reflect on how AI technologies are shaping childrens online experiences. It highlights the benefits, risks and challenges of AI, and aims to empower them to engage with AI safely and responsibly. Alison O'Riordan An amateur kickboxer who said he "lost all control" and stomped on his 62-year-old mother's skull after she threatened to kill him has been found not guilty of her murder but guilty of manslaughter by a Central Criminal Court jury on Thursday evening. The jury of seven men and five women took just three hours and 36 minutes to accept the defence of provocation put forward by Luke Donnelly (29), who told the panel of being "groomed" into a life of drugs and violence by his allegedly abusive mother. "In my whole life of being attacked and abused I had never defended myself, just waited for it to be over," Donnelly told the Central Criminal Court last week. The jurors had the option of returning two verdicts in relation to the murder charge against Donnelly, namely; guilty of murder or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by reason of self-defence or provocation. Donnelly, of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his mother Catherine Henry (62) at her apartment on Bridge Street in Dundalk, Co Louth on a date unknown between May 23rd and 24th 2023. The trial jury heard on the day the case opened that Donnelly accepted he caused multiple fractures to his mother's skull and that he left a blood-stained footprint on her back. During the trial, a pathologist testified that Ms Henry died from severe blunt force trauma to the head and suffered multiple fractures to her skull, including one which may have been caused by "a stomping or kicking type of impact". In seeking a verdict of manslaughter for his client, Conall MacCarthy SC, defending, had argued that the defendant and his mother had a "complex, sad and disturbing" relationship, and there was evidence of the deceased being prone to "sudden outbursts of violence". The trial heard that Donnelly had been behaving in "an erratic way" in the months before the killing, including by repeatedly asserting that he was 'Jesus Christ'. In his evidence, Donnelly, who agreed he had "loaded up" on a cocktail of drugs in the hours before the killing, recalled his mother coming into the bedroom of her apartment on May 23 2023 and asking for his key back. Donnelly said he told her he was the son of God and couldn't take the controlling abuse anymore. The defendant said his mother screamed in his face that she would kill him if he left. The defendant said he closed his eyes and "waited for it to be over" as his mother lunged at him. "I didn't know whether it was punches or a weapon but I could feel my head and arms being hit". At that moment, Donnelly said he was in fear for his life, snapped and threw a punch, which connected with Ms Henry and spun her around. "I lost all control and proceeded to stomp, it all happened in a moment," he said, adding that he believed his mother was going to kill him. The 12 jurors on Thursday rejected the State's contention by a majority verdict that the defences of provocation and self defence were not open to Donnelly. It was the prosecution case that Donnelly had crushed his mother's skull "like he would a common insect" and that the 62-year-old grandmother had posed no more threat to her son than that. In his closing speech, Garret Baker SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Donnelly had stamped on Ms Henry's skull and also "upon her character at every available turn" in an attempt to "wriggle off the hook". Following the verdict, Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury for their time, the efforts they went to and the patience they had shown. The judge described the material the panel had to deal with as "very difficult". He exempted them from jury service for the next five years. The judge directed a probation report and remanded Donnelly in custody until May 11th for a sentence hearing. On that date, the Henry family will have an opportunity to make a statement to the court about the impact Catherine's death has had on their lives. Evidence in trial Donnelly's sister, Kathleen Donnelly, told the jury that she was "absolutely terrified" of her mother growing up as she "physically, verbally and emotionally" abused her and her siblings on a daily basis. Ms Donnelly also told the trial that her brother Luke always went back to their mother, no matter how badly she treated him, and that he "absolutely idolised" her. In cross-examination, Ms Donnelly recalled her mother "diving" on top of Luke in a bar in Malta and repeatedly punching him. "I never stood up to her, I was terrified of her and everyone was terrified of her growing up," the witness said. The defendant's father Gerry Donnelly, who had once been married to the deceased, testified that Ms Henry had stabbed him in the arm with a steak knife during an argument around 1999 and that she had also pushed him down the stairs in a separate incident. Giving evidence in his own defence, Luke Donnelly told his trial that Ms Henry's mental health deteriorated when her second husband died and she became very angry, violent and depressed. He said Ms Henry would smash things, drink and take a lot of prescription tablets. Donnelly said when his mother began a relationship with a drug dealer, he was put "out on the street" at 14 years old as he wouldn't move to Portugal with "a drug trafficker". The defendant said he later moved to Liverpool with his mother and her partner at 16 years old, when he said he was "groomed" into a lifestyle he didn't want. He said he had to sell drugs, extort money from people and was forced into being violent. He said his mother had run at him with a "massive butcher's knife" in 2020 and tried to stab him. "In my whole life of being attacked and abused I had never defended myself, just waited for it to be over," Donnelly told the court. Donnelly said he never held any anger or animosity towards his mother, no matter what she did or how many times she tried to kill him, spit on him or knock him unconscious. In cross-examination the prosecutor put it to Luke Donnelly that "a 62-year-old unarmed grandmother threatens you and you are in fear of your life?". "You have to understand it was the person who abused me mentally and physically since I was a child," Donnelly replied. The barrister asked the defendant whether Ms Henry was "some kind of lethal killing machine". The defendant replied that she was very good and capable of doing unimaginable things. Donnelly's former girlfriend Stacey Campbell, who had a child with the defendant, said Luke called to her home in Drogheda on the morning before his mother was found dead. She said that when Ms Henry, who was staying with her at the time, answered the door, Donnelly told her: Im Jesus Christ, just let me in. Campbell said she immediately contacted gardai as she was concerned Luke's mental health was deteriorating and wanted him to be lifted so he could receive help. Asked by the prosecution about Donnellys behaviour at the time, Campbell said he wasnt in a right state of mind for a long, long time. He was just not the same person. It was like he was losing his mind as the weeks went on, said Ms Campbell. He was saying he was Jesus. Ms Campbell said Ms Henry had cancer and Donnelly said he had cured her. In cross-examination, Ms Campbell told the defence that Donnelly would do anything for his mother. CCTV footage showed that Donnelly left the house, got a bus to Dundalk and he made his way to his mother's apartment on Bridge Street, where he had been occasionally living. The jury heard that Ms Henry returned to her apartment an hour later around 9.45am on May 23 but was "never seen alive again". Closing speeches In his closing speech Garret Baker SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Donnelly had tried to "float like a butterfly" by telling a jury that he "snapped" and was in fear for his life when he killed Ms Henry. The prosecutor suggested to the jury that "on a sensible evaluation of the evidence" their verdict ought "to sting like a bee". Counsel also pointed out that the deceased was a 62-year-old grandmother, a cancer survivor, a heavy smoker and had traces of a sleeping tablet in her system. "Let's call a spade a spade: she never had a chance," argued Baker. However, the jury agreed with the defence contention that Donnelly's relationship with his mother "was a tale of two existences". "The relationship on one level was a good one and loving. On another level, it was a complex relationship; sad and disturbing in many respects," said Conall MacCarthy SC. The defence lawyer reminded the jurors in his closing address of a previous account from his client, where Ms Henry had used a butcher's knife on him in 2020. "He tried to force it out of her wrist. When you fall to consider the events of May 23rd, that is the context in which all this came to pass". He said Donnelly had a "sudden and total loss of self-control" when his mother took a step forward and screamed in his face that he was "the son of the devil". Counsel submitted this was "the gravest of things to say" in the context of how the accused had been representing himself to be Jesus Christ. The defence lawyer submitted that what had happened to the defendant, his father and his siblings over the years was "all running through his head" in that moment and that Donnelly had reacted to protect himself from this. 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. 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. 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. Irelands president has offered her deepest condolences to the family of a pedestrian in his 80s who died after being struck by a double-decker bus in Dublin. Three others were injured in the incident on the pedestrianised North Earl Street shortly after 12.30pm. The crash at the junction of Talbot Street and Marlborough Street, near the beginning of the pedestrianised area, involved a Bus Eireann double-decker. Two other pedestrians: a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s; were taken to hospital after the incident for injuries described as non-life-threatening, although the mans were additionally described as serious. The driver of the bus, a woman aged in her 50s, was also taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. President Catherine Connolly said: May I further thank the emergency services for their swift attendance on the scene and send my best wishes to those injured and wish them a speedy recovery, as well as to all those impacted by todays event. An Garda Siochana responded to the incident with Dublin Fire Brigade and ambulances. A tent was erected around the crash site and a garda cordon has been put in place. The front window of the bus has been smashed. Gardai, who are treating the incident as a crash, said investigations are ongoing. They have appealed for witnesses to the collision to come forward. Dublin Fire Brigade said more than 20 firefighter/paramedics and advanced paramedics responded to the scene. Luas Green Line services were suspended between Parnell Street and St Stephens Green for a time because of the incident but reopened, initially with delays. ESB and public lighting crews were also requested at the scene because a streetlight was downed in the crash. Bus Eireann said it was deeply saddened to confirm there was a fatality and several injuries after its bus was involved in a serious collision involving pedestrians. The companys chief executive, Jean OSullivan, said: We are profoundly saddened by this tragic incident. On behalf of everyone at Bus Eireann, I extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased, and our thoughts are with all those affected at this very difficult time. Bus Eireann said it is offering its full support to the relevant authorities as their investigations continue and will provide any additional assistance required. Deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic bus crash in Dublin city centre this afternoon. My thoughts are with the family of the person killed and with those injured. I am very grateful to our emergency services for their response. pic.twitter.com/BW60C4sqxK Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) February 5, 2026 Tanaiste Simon Harris said he was deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic bus crash in Dublin city centre this afternoon. My thoughts are with the family of the person killed and with those injured, Mr Harris said. I am very grateful to our emergency services for their response. I want to reassure Dubliners that the situation is being actively managed, and I would ask the public to avoid the area to allow emergency services to carry out their work. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ray McAdam, said: My thoughts are with those who have been injured and with their families at this difficult time. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who is an elected TD for Dublin Central, said she was devastated to learn of the crash and thanked emergency responders. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased and all of the people who were struck or caught up in this collision, with their families, friends, and loved ones, and with everyone affected by what must be a very frightening experience. Local Fianna Fail TD, Peter 'Chap' Cleere believes further progress needs to be made as a 'matter of urgency' to develop a further education and training (FET) third level facility in Kilkenny. At present, the Kilkenny project is one of 12 across the country and has been approved to proceed to the pre-tender project design, planning and procurement strategy stage. Its understood it will be ready to tender by 2030 according to the Minister for Further Education, Marian Harkin. Just over a year ago, the purchase of a site at Joinersfolly, south of Kilkenny City was announced with the finished developed expected to cater for up to 5,000 students. ICYMI: New Kilkenny pub set to open its doors in the city centre Its anticipated the state-of-the-art facility will offer a full range of courses, including apprenticeships in what has been described as a 'College of the Future.' At present, FET courses are scattered around 14 different locations in the city with students and parents pondering when the new single-site educational facility may be on their doorstep. "We are ready to go. We just need a nod from the government to appoint consultants to get this project started," Deputy Cleere told the Dail. "This will be transformational for Kilkenny, the south east, and all the staff and students who currently use and potentially will use Kilkenny and Carlow ETB in the future," he added. The former chairman of the Kilkenny-Carlow ETB argued geography should not put students at a disadvantage. READ MORE: 'People are fearful' - Kilkenny community on tender hooks over possible flooding "It should not matter where people live, what they are studying, or whether they are in FET or university. "Everybody should have the opportunity to reach their potential and they should have that opportunity as close to their home as possible," the Carlow-Kilkenny TD commented. "We have a brilliant facility in Carlow which is state of the art. It is top class. We need the same in Kilkenny and we need it now," he continued. "With one in ten adults in Ireland now learning through FET or apprenticeships, the ongoing development of high-quality college environments is absolutely key," he said. "I implore the Minister of State to pull out Kilkenny and Carlow ETB as a stand-alone project." FOR MORE EDUCATION NEWS, CLICK HERE The Post reports: The Wellington City Councils latest budget blowout has been revealed a $56 million shortfall between what was budgeted and reality. The second phase of the councils social housing upgrade programme (Hup2) had plenty of known numbers: A $446m budget over a 10 year programme, 825 units across about 50 projects with 2308 beds being brought up to standard. But during a councillor briefing it was revealed that one vital number was missing: The 15% GST bill, which the council could not recover. That equated to $56m in real terms. If only any of the 1,800 staff at WCC had accountancy degrees, where you would be expected to know about GST. The blowout comes after two blunder-induced rates errors, just months into a new triennium, as the new council deals with the fiscal fallout of last terms $80m sludge plant blowout and a $147m blowout on fixing the Town Hall. There is a difference between a cost blow-out and an error. This is the third error in as many months revealed by WCC. That is simply not good enough for a large organisation with so many staff. Of course people make errors, but you are meant to have systems for checking so that errors are discovered before final decisions are made. Will any staff member be held responsible for these errors? Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Olivia Kelleher A man in his 40s has been taken to hospital following an assault in Cork city centre. The man sustained injuries near a shop on Oliver Plunkett Street at 1.40pm on Friday. Paramedics went to the assistance of the injured man at the scene before he was transferred to Cork University Hospital by ambulance. His injuries are not life-threatening. A man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with the assault and is being held for questioning at a Garda station in Cork. CCTV security camera footage will be examined in relation to the incident. Investigations are ongoing, gardai said. THE use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology by gardai led to a man appearing before Portlaoise District Court this week on a charge of drink driving. Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said that, while gardai were on mobile patrol at 8.50am along the M7 at Balladding, Ballybrittas, their ANPR detected a car whose tax was out of date. When they stopped the car and were speaking with the driver, they saw a near-empty bottle of whiskey on the passenger seat of his car. When tested, the driver returned a reading of 51mc of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Arising from the incident, Gabor Rozsa from Apartment 5, Kildare House, Claregate Street, Kildare pleaded guilty to drink driving. Defence solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that her clients mother had been in hospital at the time in Hungary and he wasnt able to travel to visit her, so he sought solace in the bottle. She said the 46-year-old defendant works as a general operative with an asbestos management company and was asking for the driving disqualification to be postponed, to allow him time to get his affairs in order. Judge Susan Fay convicted Mr Rozsa of the offence, fined him 350 and disqualified him from driving for two years, with the disqualification to take effect from 1 August. Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme EDUCATION minister Hildegarde Naughton is visiting Portlaoise today, as part of a series of school community engagement events being held as part of the National Conversation on Education. Accompanied by local Fine Gael TD Willie Aird, the ministers first stop at 9.30am was Portlaoise College, to celebrate the official opening of the new modular building. Other stops on her tour will include Kolbe Special School, Portlaoise Educate Together NS, Maryborough NS, Gaelscoil Phortlaoise and Laois Education Support Centre. At Portlaoise College this morning, Minister Naughton said: It is 20 years since the school was first established. It has grown to a school with over 1,000 students and that has to be a testament to the great work being done here. Portlaoise College has a proud reputation for inclusion, innovation and student engagement, and that is something you should all be very proud of. Schools thrive when there is strong partnership between students, families, educators and the wider community and that partnership is clearly alive and well here. The minister thanked principal Noel Daly, deputy principals, board members, the LOETB and everyone involved in making the visit possible. Minister Naughton is expected to arrive at Kolbe Special School around lunchtime. David Raleigh Two men faced an evil paedophile Christian Brother in court, who had abused them when they were children, and told him the sexual assaults were his shame, not theirs. The two men informed the Limerick Circuit Criminal Court that they wished to retain their right to anonymity, but that they wanted the court to lift a ban on the media reporting the evil defendants identity. The court heard the defendant had pleaded not guilty to a total of 11 counts of indecently assaulting the two boys on different dates in the 1980s, and following a trial, a jury found him guilty on seven of the counts and not guilty on four counts. The court heard the defendant befriended the families of the two boys before going on to sexually assault them separately by encouraging them to masturbate and then getting them individually to masturbate him. The defendant lay naked behind one of the boys and attempted to put his erect penis in between the cheeks of his bottom before he ejaculated on the boy, it was heard. The sex assaults took place at various locations, including at a monastery, at the defendants mothers home, and at a school. The defendant was aged in his 30s and the boys were aged between 12 and 14 at the time. The two victims individually made complaints to gardai in 2020 and 2022, the court heard. On two occasions the defendant, who later left the religious order, kissed one of the boys, including on one occasion when he pinned the boy to a wall, and on another occasion when he and the boy were inside in a boiler house. Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley, instructed by State Solicitor, Brendan Gill, said the defendant had been implicitly trusted by the boys families after he befriended them and groomed the boys individually. The two boys, now in their 50s, told the court how the sexual assaults had destroyed their childhood and haunted them into their adulthood. Everyday, memories, that I dont want, infiltrate my psyche and have stolen my sense of safety, trust and peace, and, like a shadow they have followed me through school, relationships, work, and moments I should have enjoyed, one said. The man said the defendant was a persevering predatory paedophile whose abuse made him suffer anxiety, self loathing, and a relenting sense of worthlessness. These are not just scars of the past, they are open wounds, they are every thought, every sleepless night. Forty years is a lifetime, and I spent decades trying to heal, but, in truth, there is no undoing what was done. Turning to the defendant, the man told him: You stole my childhood, my innocence, my ability to like myself. Asking the court to impose an immediate custodial sentence, the man said: There was no leniency availed to me by the perpetrator, thus I believe leniency should not be afforded to the perpetrator who preyed upon a child. The second victim addressed the defendant in court and told him: I was an innocent thirteen year old boy, you manipulated access to me by befriending my parents, and you used your position to get their trust, and you then used me for your sexual gratification. You changed me from a happy, talkative child, to someone more introverted who had to deal with shame and guilt, huge fear; and the effects of it have followed me my entire adult life, he said. The two victims said their personal relationships with their loved ones and friends had suffered due to the abuse they endured. One of the victims told the defendant: Each day I battle with the demons of your abuse, which has led me to depression. To cope, I have attended years of therapy, and require daily medication. You refuse to accept responsibility for your abuse of me, but, the truth is out and I will no longer hold your secret. My 13-year old self has been acknowledged and believed, and I can now rest easy, knowing I did nothing wrong and that your evil has been exposed. I am a survivor of your sexual abuse, but at 56 years of age, I am finally free from your clutches and I can now live my life with my head held high. Mark Nicholas, senior counsel for the defendant, told the court there was obviously a breach of trust by his client. Judge Colin Daly said he would pass sentence in March. The judge said he would make a decision then, in relation to the victims request that reporting restrictions be lifted in respect of the defendants identity. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112. Charli XCX has firmly established herself as one of Britain's most compelling cultural exports, blending music, film, and fashion into a singular artistic identity that's as unpredictable as it is magnetic. Once best known for her 'Brat' persona a wild, clubready style fuelled by leather, hoodies and hypermodern streetwear the Essexborn pop star has entered what her longtime stylist Chris Horan describes as a Hollywood 'movie star era', where red carpet glamour and personal expression now walk hand in hand. For the London premiere of Wuthering Heights, Charli turned heads in a soft pink Erdem couture gown with a matching veil, blending high fashion with theatrical allusion to the period drama. The look, styled by Horan, evokes an almost bridal essence, nodding to the film's narrative while remaining true to Charli's unique aesthetic. Evolving Style: From Club Kid to Red Carpet Luminary Charli's sartorial evolution reflects the broadening horizons of her career. During the Brat era a time defined by bold, confrontational fashion and a raw, DIY sensibility she embraced pieces that juxtaposed toughness with femininity, from sheer fabrics and denim to graphic tees and statement eyewear. But as her star began rising in the film world with a starring role in The Moment and soundtrack credits on Wuthering Heights Horan recalibrated her wardrobe for context and occasion. As he explained in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the goal was never to abandon Charli's signature look, but to translate her personality into garments suited to cinema screenings, award shows, and red carpets, rather than music-video sets or ravestyle appearances. 'She's not actually in the movie, and it wouldn't make sense for her to be in some sort of character cosplay,' Horan said, stressing the importance of maintaining Charli's personal aesthetic across all appearances. 'We lean into her style instead of reinventing her for every single project.' Defining Moments on the Red Carpet At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Charli XCX made an equally striking impression in a classic Saint Laurent look, featuring a feathered top and a black-and-white column skirt inspired by archival YSL pieces. The combination dubbed by stylist Chris Horan as 'very classic actress, but with a little bit of a twist' marked a further step away from her Brat roots and into more traditional Hollywood glamour. For the Golden Globes, Horan collaborated with Saint Laurent's creative teams to create a red-carpet look that balanced vintage references with a sleek, streamlined silhouette. 'It feels like the same girl it marries both her worlds,' he noted of the outfit's success in honouring Charli's identity while elevating her presence on the awards circuit. This nuanced approach also played out at the Los Angeles premiere of The Moment, where Charli appeared in a custom Jean Paul Gaultier ensemble that referenced her past fashion moments in a playful yet sophisticated way. Horan described this as a 'greatest hits' remix of her earlier standout pieces a clever stylistic callback that celebrated Charli's journey from pop provocateur to cinematic personality. Dressing for Film vs Music One key distinction highlighted by Horan is the difference between dressing for film premieres versus music events. While concerts and album rollouts allow for bolder, more boundarypushing outfits the kind that defined Charli's Brat aesthetic movie premieres require greater contextual awareness. 'There's a cast, there's a star, a lead ... you can't be selfish with movies,' Horan explained, drawing a wry comparison to not upstaging a bride at a wedding. This sensitivity was evident in his choice of attire for Wuthering Heights, where Charli's ethereal couture did not eclipse the film's headlining stars, yet stood out in its own right. Her pale pink, crystalembroidered Erdem gown at the London premiere struck an enchanting balance between theatricality and reverence for the source material. An Identity That Transcends Trends Despite these stylistic shifts, Charli XCX's fashion choices remain anchored in personal identity rather than fleeting trends. Whether in a daring leather look at the Grammys or a gothicinspired silhouette on a press tour, her wardrobe tells a story of a performer unafraid to explore facets of herself through clothes with Chris Horan as her conarrator. As Charli navigates her expanding creative universe from charttopping albums to cinematic roles and soundtracks her evolving style remains a defining measure of her cultural resonance. In a modern media landscape that prizes authenticity as much as artistry, her fashion choices do more than dazzle: they signal a purposeful and thoughtful evolution, grounded in identity and guided by collaboration. In Hollywood and beyond, Charli XCX's movie star era is not just about glamour it's about selfpossession and reinvention, articulated through outfits that speak as boldly as her voice. Originally published on Fashiontimes UK A new challenger is shaking up the beauty retail scene in the United States, which has long been dominated by Sephora and Ulta Beauty. Sukoshi, a Canadian Asian beauty brand, is set to ramp up its growth in the US, with plans to open dozens of stores this year. It will offer a broad range of affordable Asian skincare, makeup, and beauty products. This comes at a time when demand for innovative and budget-friendly beauty solutions is rising, especially in younger consumer segments. Retail giants Sephora and Ulta have enjoyed decades of market dominance in the US, with extensive nationwide footprints and deep product selections spanning luxury and mass beauty brands. Yet the surge of Sukoshi's growth and the broader influence of Asian beauty trends signal potential shifts in how American shoppers discover and buy beauty products. What Is Sukoshi? Founded in 2018 in Toronto, Sukoshi has quickly become one of North America's leading sources of Asian beauty products. The brand curates products from more than 200 Korean, Japanese, and wider Asian beauty labels, ranging from viral K-beauty serums and sheet masks to innovative skincare technologies. Sukoshi's retail concept emphasises accessibility and discovery, allowing customers to explore products in engaging store environments. So far, Sukoshi has established a presence in key US cities including New York City, Atlanta, and Miami. This year, the company plans to open approximately 40 new stores nationwide, including locations at prominent shopping destinations. These include King of Prussia Mall (Pennsylvania), Lenox Square (Atlanta), Aventura Mall (Miami), and Bellevue Square (Washington). The company CEO, Linda Dang, has been vocal about the cultural momentum behind Asian beauty. In a previous press release, she stated: 'Asian beauty isn't a passing wave, it is shaping the future of skincare and cosmetics.' The Asian Beauty Sector Asian beauty, particularly Kbeauty (Korean beauty), has surged in popularity worldwide over the past decade. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have fuelled this trend, showcasing innovative products and multistep routines that contrast with traditional Western options. The global rise of K-pop artists has also boosted the market, making Kbeauty a cultural and commercial phenomenon. These are the influences that reshape how consumers think about skincare and self-care today. Recent strategies from established beauty players also reflect this shift. Sephora has partnered with Korean retailer Olive Young to introduce curated K-beauty zones in its North American stores, while Ulta has expanded its own K-beauty offerings through collaborations with specialist importers. These moves suggest mainstream retailers are eager to capitalise on the category's appeal. Will Retail Giants Adapt or Lose? The entrance of Sukoshi into the US market introduces a differentiated retail model that emphasises curated Asian beauty at accessible price points. For Sephora and Ulta, this represents both opportunity and competition. On one hand, increased interest in international beauty trends can drive overall category growth. There is room for multiple players in the evolving beauty landscape. Specialty retailers like Sukoshi may not immediately dethrone industry leaders, but they can influence product assortment strategies and consumer expectations. The emergence of these challengers highlights the necessity for Sephora and Ulta to remain adaptable, especially when it comes to embracing cultural trends and adjusting pricing strategies. Originally published on Fashiontimes UK A major suspect in the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya has been apprehended and brought to American soil to face justice, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday. Zubayr Al-Bakoush arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3 a.m. on Friday after being extradited to the United States. He faces an eight-count indictment including murder, terrorism, and arson charges related to the September 11, 2012 attack that claimed the lives of four Americans. "Today, I am proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack," Bondi stated during a press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro. The charges include the murders of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith, as well as the attempted murder of State Department Special Agent Scott Wicklund. Al-Bakoush also faces conspiracy charges for providing material support to terrorists that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. "We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation," Bondi emphasized. "You can run, but you cannot hide." According to officials, Al-Bakoush was initially charged by sealed complaint in 2015. The case remained under seal for 11 years as authorities worked to locate and apprehend the suspect overseas. The State Department and CIA collaborated with the FBI to make the arrest possible, though officials declined to provide specific details about the capture operation. "From day one, Kash and Dan would sit in meetings and say, 'We're going to get him,'" Bondi said. "And they did." The 2012 Benghazi attack began on the evening of September 11 and continued into the following day. Initially believed to be a spontaneous reaction to protests, the incident was later confirmed as a deliberate terrorist attack carried out by extremists with ties to groups affiliated with al Qaeda. In addition to Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, the attack also killed CIA contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. The assault involved armed militants attacking the diplomatic compound and a nearby CIA annex. The case became highly politicized in the years following the attack, with extensive congressional investigations examining security measures, military response, and the Obama administration's handling of the incident and its aftermath. Al-Bakoush will be prosecuted in U.S. federal court, though it remains unclear whether he has legal representation at this time. The arrest marks a significant development in the long-running investigation into one of the deadliest attacks on American diplomatic facilities in recent history. Originally published on HNGN Cuba will face simultaneous rolling blackouts throughout Thursday, affecting about 60 percent of the country during peak evening demand, the state power company Union Electrica (UNE) said Thursday, one day after a major grid failure left large parts of the eastern region without electricity. UNE said the new outages follow a partial collapse of the National Electric System on Wednesday night caused by a failure at the Holguin 220 kV substation. In a statement posted on X, the company said the incident at 8:54 p.m. "provoked the disconnection of the Electric System in the eastern zone." Nota Informativa pic.twitter.com/J0pQkt60I6 Union Electrica de Cuba (@OSDE_UNE) February 5, 2026 The outage fully affected the provinces of Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo and partially affected Holguin, leaving about 3.4 million people without service, according to official figures reported by EFE. Service was reconnected to the eastern provinces early Thursday, but UNE warned that generation remains well below demand. It projected available capacity of 1,270 megawatts against peak demand of 3,100 megawatts, leaving a deficit of 1,830 megawatts. The company said planned service cuts could reach 1,860 megawatts to avoid uncontrolled failures. Nine of the country's 16 thermoelectric generation units are currently offline due to breakdowns or maintenance, including two of the three largest plants. Thermoelectric generation typically accounts for about 40 percent of Cuba's energy mix. UNE has not published updated figures since mid-January on how many distributed generation units are offline due to fuel and lubricant shortages, but recent reports indicate more than 1,000 megawatts of that capacity may be unavailable. Residents in affected areas, however, described routine disruption. "The electricity went out around 5:00 pm, but as it often does, I didn't know it was something general," a Santiago de Cuba resident told AFP by phone. Cuba has experienced repeated grid failures and daily outages exceeding 20 hours in some areas since mid-2024, driven by aging infrastructure and fuel shortages. The government attributes the crisis in part to U.S. sanctions, while independent analysts cite long-term underinvestment in the state-run energy sector and estimate that $8 billion to $10 billion would be needed to stabilize the system. President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Thursday that Cuba is preparing for "acute fuel shortages" due to U.S. pressure, adding, "These, in particular, are very tough" times. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the situation could lead to humanitarian deterioration. According to his spokesperson, he is "extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation" and said it will "worsen, if not collapse, if its oil needs go unmet." Originally published on Latin Times Fuller Technologies is moving its headquarters to Allen Township and actively hiring as the century-old industrial equipment manufacturer returns to its Pennsylvania roots following its acquisition by private equity firm Pacific Avenue Capital Partners. The company is seeking to expand its workforce at its 122,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Northampton County, welcoming applications from experienced manufacturing professionals and those seeking careers in industrial equipment production. A news release did not specify how many new job openings the expansion will create. We are committed to creating quality employment opportunities here in Pennsylvania, as we expand our operating presence in the key American cement market, said Dennis Cassidy, Fullers chief executive officer. With many manufacturers facing challenges in attracting skilled workers, workforce development is a strategic priority for us. Founded in 1926 by Colonel James Wheeler Fuller III in the Lehigh Valley, the company became known for the Fuller-Kinyon pneumatic screw pump, invented by Allentown innovator Alonzo Kinyon. The technology became an industry standard in cement conveying worldwide. Fullers equipment is present in more than half the worlds cement plants outside of China. The company also serves the lime, minerals and bulk materials handling sectors, with plans to expand those complementary operations. Fuller Technologies is proud to be a global company while returning to its deep roots in Pennsylvanias industrial heritage with the relocation of its headquarters to the USA, Cassidy said. The Lehigh Valley shaped our identity and capabilities, and we are proud to be a part of its future. The Lehigh Valley remains a vital center of American cement production, home to several major cement plants. The U.S. cement market is the worlds third-largest, after China and India, and the U.S. construction market is expected to support medium-term demand growth. While establishing its headquarters in Allen Township, Fuller will retain its global footprint, including recent office openings in India and Denmark. Our strength comes from being a truly international business with talented teams around the world, Cassidy said. Our engineering and manufacturing locations in Europe and Asia are integral to delivering our products and services to a customer base that is truly global and will remain so. Easton police are searching for a person they say stole $700 worth of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from a city woman. City Police Lt. Joseph Alonzo told lehighvalleylive.com the victim reported losing her SNAP card on Jan. 26 near Sixth and Northampton streets. The woman then noticed $700 was missing from the account, which the federal government provides to low-income families monthly to purchase nutritious food. The suspect used the $700 at various city downtown businesses on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, Alonzo said. The victim reported the theft on Jan. 27. Police described the suspect as a male between 50-60 years old, approximately 6 feet tall, who appeared in surveillance videos wearing glasses and a hooded gray sweatshirt under a yellow and navy jacket. Anyone with information is asked to email Easton Police Officer Matthew Snyder at msnyder@easton-pa.gov or Submit a Tip on the Easton Police Departments Crime Watch page. The heads of the legislative Latino and Black caucuses are condemning plans by federal immigration officials to convert a massive warehouse in Berks County into a detention center. Reps. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz and Napoleon Nelson, chairs of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, respectively, on Wednesday issued statements regarding plans by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to purchase a 520,000-square-foot warehouse to be used as an immigration detention facility. Across this country, ICE enforcement has led to devastating consequences for families and communities including family separation, aggressive raids, and the targeting of individuals who pose no threat to public safety. These actions have created fear and instability, particularly within immigrant communities, said Cepeda-Freytiz, who represents part of Berks County, including the city of Reading. Now, ICE is preparing to establish a detention operation in Berks County. This decision risks provoking fear, disrupting families, and endangering the well-being of our neighbors regardless of citizenship status. The pattern of cruelty and lack of accountability we have seen from ICE has no place in Berks County or anywhere in Pennsylvania. Both Cepeda-Freytiz and Nelson, of Montogmery County, are Democrats. The Trump administration purchased the warehouse in Upper Bern Township as part of a suite of at least 23 warehouses that ICE plans to convert into an immigration detention facilities, Spotlight reported this week, citing Bloomberg reports. The Berks County warehouse could house up to 1,500 beds. The Trump administration purchased the warehouse, most recently called the Hamburg Logistics Center, for $87.4 million, Spotlight reports. The propertys neighbors include an Amazon warehouse and the Mountain Springs Camping Resort. In 2022, immigration advocacy groups succeeded in pressuring Berks County and federal officials into closing a detention center notorious for human rights abuses and sexual assaults. Advocates, led by Shut Down Berks Coalition, fought for years to close the detention center, which opened in 2001. The facility eventually became one of three detention facilities in the U.S to detain families, most often mothers with children. That history matters, Cepeda-Freytiz said. While many questions remain about the scope and operations of this proposed facility, I will continue to use every tool available to demand transparency, protect due process, and stand with our most vulnerable neighbors. Cepeda-Freytiz encouraged residents to remain engaged and informed as more details emerge. Nelson warned of renewed efforts by ICE to plant roots in Pennsylvania. Their actions have brought terror to our neighbors, especially immigrant communities and communities of color, said Nelson. We stand united in the all-too-familiar fight for civil rights. Cepeda-Freytiz recently signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 402, legislation urging Congress to withhold funding from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security unless meaningful reforms and oversight are enacted. Cepeda-Freytizs 129th legislative district is nearly 40% Hispanic one of the highest percentages in Pennsylvania. The Upper Bern Township warehouse is approximately 20 miles from downtown Reading. Members of the Legislative Latino Caucus recently called on Gov. Josh Shapiro to use the full scope of his executive and administrative authority to protect immigrant communities, including ending collaboration with ICE and prohibiting the sharing of sensitive personal data with federal immigration authorities. EDGEWOOD, N.M. (AP) The reverse side of the U.S. Mints 2026 Sacagawea $1 coin will feature Polly Cooper, a woman from the Oneida tribe known for helping George Washingtons Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The release of the coin this week coincides with celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It recognizes Coopers role in a 1778 relief expedition from Oneida territory in what is now central New York to the rebel troops winter encampment in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where they were facing a food and supply crisis. Polly Cooper symbolizes courage that is not just found on the battlefield but in compassion and willingness to help others, which is just a part of Oneida culture and hospitality, said Ray Halbritter, a representative of the Oneida Indian Nation of New York. Cooper and a delegation of 47 Oneida warriors carried bushels of white corn on the long, cold trek to feed the starving soldiers. According to Oneida oral tradition, Cooper intervened to prevent Washingtons hungry soldiers from eating the white corn raw, which would have made them sick. She taught them how to prepare hulled corn soup. The coin features Cooper offering a basket of corn to Washington, a design that Halbritter said his community worked on closely with the U.S. Mint. The other side depicts Sacagawea, a young Native American woman who was a crucial guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition. Its the latest release under the Native American $1 Coin Program, established by a 2007 act of Congress to commemorate individual Native Americans and tribes. Past coins have featured Osage prima ballerina Maria Tallchief; Jim Thorpe of the Sac and Fox Nation who was an Olympic champion and multi-sport professional athlete; and landmark historical events like the signing of the 1778 treaty with the Delaware, the first of over 400 treaties negotiated between the United States and Native nations, although not all were ratified. Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, said the program highlights those who helped establish a country grounded in freedom and self-determination. Meanwhile, some coin designs previously authorized in anticipation of the 250th anniversary have been scrapped by President Donald Trumps administration, including coins that would have featured suffragettes who pushed to give women the right to vote and civil rights icon Ruby Bridges. The U.S. Department of the Treasury, which oversees the U.S. Mint, did not respond to a request for comment. The Oneida Indian Nation of New York calls itself Americas first ally. It broke with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in allying with the Continental Army at great sacrifice, Halbritter said. The alliance made the Oneida a target for retaliation by the British and other Haudenosaunee nations. By the end of the Revolution, as much as a third of the tribes population had perished. In the long run, the Oneida dont fare any better than tribes that sided with the British, said Dartmouth College professor Colin Calloway, an expert on Indigenous history during the revolutionary era. Calloway said a desire to separate Native people from their land was one force that catapulted Americans into revolution, and that millions of acres (hectares) of Oneida territory were seized by the state of New York and private land speculators in the decades following the war. This eventually led to the displacement of many Oneida to reservations in Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada. Like popular historical narratives around Sacagawea and the first encounters between Wampanoag people and the pilgrims, Calloway said Coopers story could be co-opted to signify a benign, reciprocal relationship that never truly existed between American settlers and Indigenous people. Still, the coin commemorates what Oneidas consider their pivotal role in the nations struggle for independence. The whole country reaps the benefit of Polly Coopers conduct because we won the conflict and the United States was born, Halbritter said. Terry Glass cant bring his 16-year-old daughter back. But he can raise awareness about issues that led to her tragic death. He and his wife, Amber, formed Riannas Voice in memory of the former Northampton Area High School student. Members of that group will participate in a panel discussion on teen dating violence on Feb. 24 at the Forks Community Center in Forks Township. Rianna Glass and her mother, 39-year-old Rosalyn Glass, were killed by Parkland High School student John Derwin Bradley in 2023. Bradley was 17 when he strangled his ex-girlfriend on Sept. 14, 2023, in her home in North Catasauqua. He stabbed her mother 31 times. Bradley was upset about the breakup of his relationship with Rianna. He was an abuser whose violence culminated in the murders, Terry Glass said. Were just keeping ourselves focused and trying to take what happened to us and educate other families and other kids so they dont have to go through this, Terry Glass said when Bradley pleaded guilty to the murders. Bradley is now serving 73 years to life in state prison. Northampton County District Attorney Stephen G. Baratta set up the forum to address inadequacies in the current response to teen dating violence compared to adult domestic violence protections. The forum is scheduled for 4 p.m. at 500 Zucksville Road. According to the district attorneys office, Pennsylvania has developed protective responses to adult domestic violence, but the response to teen dating violence remains less robust. The forum aims to address legislative and law enforcement gaps, present available resources, and gather community input. The panel plans to cover various forms of teen dating violence, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, technology-aided abuse through cell phones and social media, and psychological abuse. Officials will also discuss the Pennsylvania Department of Educations model policy for school districts responding to teen dating violence. Statistics show more than 90% of teen dating violence cases involve female victims and male perpetrators, according to a news release from the district attorneys office. The forum discussion will address the correlation between perpetrators and prior or future criminal conduct, cases involving repeated violence, and safety concerns when teen victims have children. The district attorneys office identified barriers teens face when pursuing protection from abuse orders through adult court as a key concern. Officials plan to discuss helping teens recognize domestic violence and overcome obstacles to obtaining protection. Potential legislative actions under consideration include adding teen-specific language to the Protection From Abuse statute, developing competencies within schools and law enforcement, establishing age-appropriate sanctions for violations, and possibly diverting teen domestic violence cases from adult court for low-level or first-time offenders. The panel discussion will include time for questions and comments from community members. The forum aims to prevent another tragedy like Riannas. This is a nightmare. Id never wish this on anybody, Terry Glass said at Bradleys plea hearing. Warren County formally swore in its 26th prosecutor last week, officially welcoming the first woman to hold the position. Jessica L. Cardone has been serving as acting prosecutor since last September. She was nominated to permanently fill the job by Gov. Phil Murphy and was unanimously confirmed by the New Jersey Senate on Dec. 22. Cardone was formally appointed to the office on Jan. 5, and the county held a swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 30. Throughout the ceremony, Cardone emphasized serving the community, underscoring the belief that public service is not rooted in recognition, but in responsibility. Public service is not about being seen it is about being present, Cardone said in her remarks. The ceremony was held in the historic courtroom of the Warren County Courthouse and brought together state, county and local leaders, members of the legal community, law enforcement and community partners to mark the occasion. Cardone is a lifelong resident of Warren County. The ceremony was not about one person, it was a reflection of the community, law enforcement and those that lift me up and inspire me every day, she said. It is both an honor and great responsibility to hold the trust of this position. I will work every day to keep Warren County a safe place to live and visit. Leaders from across New Jersey offered remarks recognizing Cardones commitment to justice, professionalism and public service. Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport described Cardones career as distinguished by her compassion for victims and her relentless pursuit of justice in their names. During the ceremony, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renee Robeson, with whom Cardone previously served, praised Cardones leadership and qualifications. From the very start when she was called to serve as Warren County acting prosecutor in 2024, she embraced the role with confidence and purpose, and her leadership has already produced great success. We are not left to wonder what kind of prosecutor she will be we already know, Robeson said. State Sen. Douglas J. Steinhardt acknowledged Cardones qualifications and commitment to justice. As Senator, I was honored to support Prosecutor Cardones nomination, he said. She brings to the office her combination of legal acumen and human judgement. She understands that prosecution is not about punishing your enemies or winning at all costs, but doing justice fairly, ethically, and without fear or favor. Cardone is a graduate of Hofstra University and Hofstra Law and previously worked in the Warren County and Hunterdon County prosecutors offices, prosecuting sensitive and complex criminal matters in the Special Victims Unit. A puppy that was dumped in a Tesco bag in Mayo ten years ago will represent Ireland at Crufts next month after being named the country's best agility dog for four years straight. Indiana Bones, or Indy, is a rescue collie who was handed into a shelter when she was just eight weeks old. The woman who brought her there asked for the Tesco bag back, according to an article by the Irish Times. Indiana Bones is now 10, and she will be the first dog to represent Ireland at the Crufts show for four years in a row. READ NEXT: 22 more baby remains recovered at former Mother and Baby Home site in Tuam during excavation "Indy just excelled at everything she did, like trick training and agility, and then, on the side, shes a famous actress as well," her owner, Laura Murphy, said. The collie appeared alongside Barry Keoghan in 'Bring Them Down' in 2024 and also played Sergeant Scraps in the US sitcom 'Going Dutch.' Agility is Indy's main job, but she will retire from competing in that soon due to her age. . READ NEXT: ALERT: Number of baby formula products recalled due to presence of food-poisoning toxin "We dont want to keep her going too long and risk an injury. Shes going to be retiring from big competitions. Shell still do a little bit for fun as she gets older lots of conditioning and fitness work but well probably be focusing on her acting career going forward," Laura said. Indy has previously competed in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, with Laura saying she "loves the crowd" and "loves the attention." Crufts will take place at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from March 5th to March 8th. Irish President Catherine Connolly was meeting young people on the final day of her visit to Northern Ireland. Ms Connolly took part in discussions with young people at St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Londonderry on Thursday morning. It came on the third and final day of her first official visit to Northern Ireland since becoming president of Ireland, and has been described as fulfilling a commitment in her inaugural address to meet with people from all communities and traditions. Ms Connolly was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle in Belfast on the first day of her visit on Wednesday. She went on to make addresses at the Ulster University campus in Belfast, and the Guildhall in Derry, as well as visiting a number of community projects across both cities. DUP MP Gregory Campbell warned the Irish President against rewriting the past during her visit to Derry on Thursday, while Ms Connolly said she was here to listen. She went on to tour the Siege Museum, visit An Culturlann and the Nerve Centre, as well as the Museum of Free Derry, where she met relatives of victims of Bloody Sunday. Ms Connolly completed her three-day visit in Northern Irelands second city, meeting young people from both sides of the border. The young people were taking part in a number of Youth Action Northern Ireland projects, and engaging with St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre itself. They also included those taking part in the cross-community REACH Across organisation for teenagers, the North West Islamic Association, Donegal Youth Services and a school group from Raphoe in Co Donegal. Dominic Bonner, youth co-ordinator at Youth Action NI, said they were delighted by the engagement with Ms Connolly. When we heard the President was coming here today, we were delighted that she invited us to come and spend good-quality time, he said. We were delighted to be able to invite young people and our community workers, because the President wanted to engage with the community, engage with the young people. Were in St Columbs Park House, beautiful surroundings which provided the space for people to feel comfortable, and safe to talk about some of the issues in this city. The talk of today was about continuing partnership, continuing to work together to meet the needs of young people, to continue to keep fighting the battle. Weve done extremely good work around peace and reconciliation, we have to continue that. Zena Abdelrahman and Cadi Abousamra were among the young people who spoke with Ms Connolly. Ms Abdelrahman said she had loved meeting the president, although admitted she had been nervous. She was really nice, I was talking to her and asking her what role do young people have in shaping Irelands future, and she said that young people have a really important role, she likes how young people are starting to speak up about issues going on globally, she said. She likes young activists such as Greta Thunberg, and how everyone is speaking about what is going on such as climate change, immigration and diversity. Ms Abousamra said she is a big fan of Ms Connollys work. It was very refreshing to see a president take in what young people had to say, and actually listen attentively, she said. I have feeling that she is going to be a good president. Abdelwahab Elebaid added: It was very nice, not a lot of countries would have their presidents speak with young people. I asked a couple of questions about Irish foreign affairs, Irelands stance on the civil war going on in Sudan, she said she was horrified by the genocide right now. I also asked how Ireland deals with threats from outside, Russia, China, and now increasingly America. She went into a lot of detail. It was admirable of her to meet with young people. The multi-million euro ongoing investment of public money in Laois education is set to be reviewed by the Minister for Education Portlaoise, where she will also engage with children from across Laois and Offaly at an event to gauge their views on Ireland's education system. The visit by the Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, to some of Portlaoise's schools coincides with an event in Portlaoise that is part of a series of school community engagement initiatives being held as part of the National Conversation on Education. In a statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live the Department said Minister Naughton's school visits will see her witness first-hand the work being undertaken by staff and students in classrooms and beyond. Minister Naughton is visiting Portlaoise College today to celebrate the official opening of the new modular building. The LOETB-run school was the first of many major school developments to be completed in Portlaoise in 2007. Since then millions have been spent on new schools includinging the Holy Family Schools, Gaelscoil Phortlaoise, Portloise Educate Together, Maryborough NS, St Francis NS, Scoil Bhride NS, St Mary's CBS / Scoil Chriost Ri secondary school campus. The Kolbe Centre Special School is under construction while work is advancing on plans for the new Dunamaise College. The Department says that between 2020 and 2025, 144.77 million in public money was provided in capital funding for Laois schools. Minister Naughton spoke about Portlaoise College in advance of her arrival in Laois. It is twenty years since the school was first established. It has grown to a school with over 1,000 students and that has to be a testament to the great work being done here. My department works very hard to ensure that every young person has access to quality education, and that our schools cater for all learning styles and provide support for any obstacles which may hamper your learning progress. Portlaoise College is a great example of how this can be done. MORE BELOW PHOTO. Portlaoise College has a proud reputation for inclusion, innovation, and student engagement, and that is something you should all be very proud of. Schools thrive when there is strong partnership between students, families, educators, and the wider community and that partnership is clearly alive and well here, she said. The Minister extended her thanks to the principal, Noel Daly, the deputy principals, the board members, the LOETB and everyone involved in making the visit possible. Staff and pupils at Portlaoise Educate Together National School, which opened in 2010, are looking forward to its first every official visit from an Education Minister. Portlaoise Educate Together NS is a wonderful example of what it is to provide inclusive education," said Minister Naughton. "The special classes provide additional support for some, and this means siblings and friends get to attend the same school. The school has grown considerably since it was first established in 2010. It moved from Railway Street in 2013 to its permanent home here. In 2016, an extension was built to accommodate two special classes, and this years addition to the school buildings shows just how popular your school is. The numbers of pupils enrolling is increasing steadily and that is no surprise. MORE BELOW PHOTO. I look forward to hearing about their future successes, and wish them well for the rest of the school year. I hope that the children in Portlaoise Education Together continue to enjoy learning and working in the new modular building," she said. The Minister extended her thanks to principal, Darach Kennedy, deputy principal, Padraic Bourke and the chairperson of the board of management, Jane Heffernan, for welcoming her. Minister Naughton also looked also paid tribute to teachers, dedicated SNAs, ancillary staff and the wider school community at Maryborough National School. Education improves our society, boosts our childrens potential and is integral to our economic success. Our approach to education is about giving every child an equal opportunity in life. Inclusive buildings like this one give practical substance to these ambitions, she said. The Minister extended her thanks to School Principal Brid Ann Buggie, Acting Deputy Principal Suzie Barry and to Hazel Conroy, the Chairperson of the Board of Management, for the opportunity to be there, as well as the current and previous Boards of Management for their ongoing support and their dedication and commitment to the smooth running of the school. MORE BELOW PHOTO. The Galway West TD is also paying a visit to Gaelscoil Phortlaoise to see how it is keepting the Irish language alive and well in Laois. She said she was delighted to meet everyone involved with the school, including the wonderful students. Minister Naughton will also be paying a visit to Kolbe Special School where she will meet with dedicated staff and witness the work going on within the school community. While in Portlaoise, the Minister will visit the Laois Education Support Centre, where children, students and school staff, and members of school communities from across Laois and Offaly, are anticipated to give their views on education. As part of the National Conversation on Education, a series of school community events is taking place across the country, with todays event held in Portlaoise," she said. "These gatherings give children, young people and the wider school community an opportunity to share experiences and perspectives on what is working well in our education system and what we can improve. READ ALSO: Amazing compositions by Laois students performed at National Concert Hall Most importantly, they place the child and young person at the heart of the discussion, ensuring that their needs, hopes and potential guide our thinking about the future of education in Ireland. The themes emerging from these events, together with the National Conversation on Education Survey and regional forums, will shape the agenda for the upcoming Convention on Education. The outcomes of this work will inform the long-term strategy, Our Schools Our Future, helping to ensure that every child, and future generations, are given the strongest possible start in life," concluded the Minister. The Department says the conversation events invite pupils, teachers, parents and the wider school community to come together to share their experience of education and what their hopes for the future of education are. It adds that the themes and ideas that emerged will be discussed at regional events to inform the agenda for the Convention on Education. Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a Kildare gentleman who passed earlier this week. Denis Flood - Loughlion Green, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare and formerly Fontstown, Athy, Co. Kildare passed peacefully on February 4 2026, at St. Brigid's Hospice, The Curragh, surrounded by his loving family. Denis is predeceased by his parents Jim and Louise, and his brother Des. He will be sadly missed by his loving wife Anne, children Niamh, Eamonn, Michael and their mother Monica, son in law John, daughters in law Mary and Rachel, grandchildren Darragh, Killian, Dean, Ryan, Sean, James, Ella and Mia, brothers John and Louie, sisters Mary Jo, and Nuala, brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, extended family, neighbours and friends. May Denis Rest In Peace. Reposing at McWeys funeral home, Abbeyview, Kildare Town from 5pm on Friday (February 6) concluding with Rosary at 7pm. The removal will take place by Glennons Funeral Directors on Saturday morning to arrive at The Carmelites Church, Kildare Town for Requiem Mass at 11.30am. Burial afterwards in St. Conleths Cemetery, Kildare Town. Denis' funeral mass will be live streamed through the webstream link below. Family flowers only please, donations if desired to "Kildare Day Care Center". Donations box in funeral home and church. Glennons Funeral Directors accept no responsibility for any live webcam interruptions or issues. For all enquiries, please contact Glennons Funeral Directors on 045 860110. Webstream Funeral service: https://churchcamlive.ie/carmelite-friary-church-kildare/ Tributes paid to Denis this week on RIP.ie include: Sincerest condolences to Eamonn, Mick & all the Flood family R.I.P. Denis And: To the Flood family, so sorry to hear about the passing of Denis, may he rest in peace. While another mourner wrote: To the Flood family please accept our sincere condolences on the death of Denis. May he rest in peace. And another added: Condolences to the Flood Family on the sad passing of Denis. Thinking of you Monica, Niamh and John and all Family members as well as extended family. We are praying for you at this very difficult time. RIP READ NEXT: 11 new Gardai to join ranks in Kildare St Patricks N.S., Newbridge, Kildare has been announced as one of the recipients of a book-gifting programme which will bring hundreds of new books and resources to its students in 2026. Designed by national charity and arts organisation Childrens Books Ireland, the Every Child A Reader programme is a year-long support provided to select schools which helps to foster a love of reading in their students and wider school community. As part of this project, each school will have their own dedicated Champion of Reading, an author or illustrator assigned to the school who will host a series of live workshops throughout the year with students. These creative and engaging sessions will help promote a love of reading, writing and illustrating amongst class groups. Delivered by the team at Childrens Books Ireland, the Every Child a Reader programme will bring a diverse collection of excellent contemporary titles to students in 28 primary schools this year, including St.Patricks NS. READ NEXT: Kildare's assessment of need (AON) backlog 'one of the largest in the country' - senator Through this initiative, Childrens Books Ireland provides schools with a library of 250 books covering all ages, interests, genres and issues which represent the richness and diversity of Irish society. As well as hundreds of brilliant new books, chosen schools will receive supports and resource packs as well as bookmarks, bunting and stickers to celebrate their new library books. Other materials such as curated reading guides, lists and further guidance will also be given to schools and families to encourage a love of reading that endures beyond the school gates. In 2025, Childrens Books Ireland received over 1,000 applications from primary and secondary schools for the limited number of spaces for the book-gifting programmes commencing in 2026. Of 907 applications received from primary schools only 28 of these could be selected to receive the support provided through the Every Child A Reader programme. This Spring, Childrens Books Irelands various book-gifting programmes will be launched in 39 different schools, bringing the power of stories to primary and secondary schools across the island of Ireland. Learn more about the work of Childrens Books Ireland on www.childrensbooksireland.ie For more information, please contact Book-gifting Manager Aoife McDonnell on aoife.mcdonnell@childrensbooksireland.ie Ireland's Guinness Six Nations began with a 36-14 defeat against France which saw five Kildare men in from the start for their crunch clash. The five Kildare players being named meant there were more representatives from The Short Grass county than Munster men that took to the field from kick-off. It was a debut Six Nations appearance in the offing for Cian Prendergast when he was named in the starting lineup alongside his younger brother Sam, who occupied the constantly-discussed fly-half position. The young fly-half has (unfairly) become a lightning rod for the issues with the current Ireland team and was again criticised for his performance against the Six Nations favourites. The 22 year-old was rightly absolved of blame by the Virgin Media panel for his attempts to stop a 50:22 prior to France's first try but he exemplified the pressure that Ireland were under in the lead up to France's second with his hurried pass to Tommy O'Brien. Prendergast's attacking talents and eye for creativity were on display in rare moments, but for the most part the fly-half's performance mirrored the rest of the Irish team on a disappointing night. It would also be fair to enquire where any other creativity might come from without Sam Prendergast's switches of play and fast hands in this Ireland team which looked devoid of ideas at times in possession with two phases of play and a box kick the order of the night. Cian Prendergast was a solid on his lineout's but was largely just one cog in a misfiring machine in the first half as Ireland went down 22-0 at the break. Ireland's no.6 on the night won a big scrum early in the second half before being taken off. Athy man and Munster player Jeremy Loughman also made his Six Nations debut on the night and was likewise was taken off early in the second half, but Loughman put in an admirable showing in the scrum with little more of note as Ireland trudged through the early stages at the Stade de France. Jamie Osborne donned a green jersey for the first time since injuring his shoulder against Japan three months ago and started brightly with a superb 50:22 in the opening few minutes. The Naas man gave a battling performance but was put under huge pressure when France began forcing him onto his weaker right foot and his influence dipped from there. Tadhg Beirne occupied his usual place as a mainstay in green and really came alive in Ireland's brief purple-patch when forced one of his trademark turnovers and assisted their second try. There was little to report aside from that in a quiet night for the Edaestown man. France captain Antoine Dupont made his first international appearance in almost a year, having returned from an ACL injury, and his presence was felt throughout as the French team dominate proceedings in Paris. READ NEXT: COMMENT: Time to let the rules settle and get on with the game A Sinn Fein TD for Kildare North has slated a Bill which she says will increase rents even further for renters across Kildare from March 1 this year. Deputy Reada Cronin was speaking in the Dail on Thursday, February 6 last when 'Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026: Second Stage' came before the House. Lambasting the Bill as one of the most bizarre Bills I have seen come before the House, Deputy Cronin said it came at a time of cost-of-living crisis, when people were already struggling to pay rent. Families, the Deputy said, are pinned to their collar by the highest electricity, energy, and rents in Europe, yet what the Government proposes is to hike rents up further. Deputy Cronin suggested the Bill could only be seen for what it is, a love letter to the big institutional investors with which Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have been in bed for many a year. The Bill, she said, would allow vulture funds and big landlords to hike up the rents of 60,000 people a year. READ NEXT: Kildare national school announced as recipient of book-gifting programme My constituency of Kildare North has some of the highest rents in the country, Deputy Cronin said. The demand for housing, including rental properties, has increased so much because when rents spiral out of control in Dublin, people exchange cheaper rents for longer commuting times. Tenants in County Kildare are paying an average of 1,500 a month. A person would be lucky to get a four-bedroom property in north Kildare for less than 3,000. Rents will increase by 20% on 1 March, which is 300 a month on the average rent price in Kildare. This is the Government's solution to the biggest rental crisis we have faced as a State. Renters are being made to pay to line the pockets of big landlords. Deputy Cronin said that any legislation that seriously sought to address the regulation of the private rental sector would focus on cutting and freezing rents, not allowing them to rise even further. The Bill will not protect renters, she said, rather it will push them further to the brink. The average length of a private rental tenancy is three and a half years, according to the RTB. Of all tenancies registered in 2025, 25% were first-time tenancies, she said. If this trend continues, within four to six years the vast majority of private renters will be caught by the market reset rule and big landlords and private investors will be laughing all the way to the bank. Again, the question I have to ask the Minister is "Cui bono?". What is the logic behind such daft legislation? How can he justify these measures at a time when so many people across the board are experiencing hardship? We need rent freezes, not rent increases. 167 Gardai were attested as sworn members of An Garda Siochana this morning, February 6, with a Kildare deployment breakdown of Newbridge, Kildare Town and Leixlip receiving three and Naas with two. These newly-attested 167 members of An Garda Siochana were recruited as part of the 2024/25 recruitment campaigns. 170 trainees commenced training in Intake 252 on the June 9 of last year and have undertaken a blend of on-site learning in the Garda College, and experiential learning in training Garda stations. The 167 newly-attested Gardai bring to nearly 1,800 the number of Probationer Gardai attested since recruitment recommenced in 2022 (post Covid). Strength of An Garda Siochana (as of February 6, 2026): 14,564 Sworn Gardai 3,692 Garda Staff 308 Garda Reserves 625 Garda Trainees* *Ongoing recruitment: A further 410 Garda recruits (Intakes 253, 254) are currently undergoing the training programme at the Garda College. READ NEXT: INTERVIEW: Meet the man behind Kildare's most controversial shopping plaza - who started out washing dishes in a hotel in Alaska Kildare South Fine Gael TD and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine said of the news: This allocation of eleven additional Gardai to Kildare will be welcomed by people across Kildare. We are unique in Ireland in having a special bond of trust amongst the public and Gardai, and this is no more evident than in Kildare, where we have been fortunate to have a dedicated cohort of Gardai and senior management. What Kildare communities want more than anything else is high visibility policing, and that is why the Programme for Government, which I helped to negotiate, commits to strongly strengthening An Garda Siochanas presence in our communities. Critically acclaimed Irish comedian, best-selling author, podcast host, and viral online star Emma Doran is set to perform at Landmark Live for the very first time on March 14, 2026, with her brand-new stand-up show Emmaculate. One of Irelands most popular and relatable comedy voices, Emma is known for her sharp wit, honest storytelling, and hugely successful online sketches. Her latest show has already been warmly received around the country, including performances at venues such as the Black Box Theatre, Galway, where audiences have flocked to see her fearless new material. In Emmaculate, Emma takes audiences on a hilarious deep dive into modern life, exploring womanhood, relationships, parenting, and the many trials and tribulations of her blended family. Theres no such thing as a perfect family, Emma jokes, but I wouldnt want one anyway. Through razor-sharp observations, riotous on-stage antics, and her trademark conspiratorial gossipmongering, Emma lays it all bare in a witty, rambunctious performance that has made her one of Irelands most beloved stand-ups. The show is packed with bold honesty, fast-paced storytelling, and laugh-out-loud moments that resonate with audiences of all ages. Alongside her live work, Emma currently co-hosts the popular podcast Keep It Tight with fellow stand-up and LOL: Last One Laughing contestant Deirdre OKane. She is also the author of the best-selling book Mad, Isnt It?, published in 2024, which further cemented her reputation as one of Irelands most relatable and in-demand comedy voices. Tickets for Emmaculate are on sale now via emmadorancomedy.com. Visitors are encouraged to make a night of it with dinner or an overnight stay at The Landmark Hotel. Guests can enjoy a pre-show meal at The Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant or book accommodation by calling 071 96 22 222. Reservations can also be made by emailing reservations@thelandmarkhotel.com With Emmaculate, Emma Doran promises a night to remember, delivering big laughs, fearless honesty, and top-class comedy for audiences in Carrick-on-Shannon. Sligo/Leitrim TD Martin Kenny, has once again called for Larry Murrin to resign as chair for Bord Bia after Mr Murrin appeared at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture on Thursday. Mr Murrin questioned how allegations of double standards could be applied to his company sourcing Brazilian beef when farmers import feed for their animals from South America. He said allegations around him having a conflict of interest are false and driven by social media, as he referenced calls for his resignation at the Agriculture committee. READ MORE: ALERT: Leitrim won't escape wet weather predicted this week Mr Murrin has rejected repeated demands to step down from his role at the state agency, which is charged with promoting and enforcing standards on Irish food, including beef. He said: Im not a champion for Brazil and I want to make that perfectly clear today, but Brazil is the largest exporter of beef in the world today and our global customers look at commodity markets globally, and I have to be able to demonstrate as part of our supply-chain security arrangements that this country can access those raw materials if it needs to. READ MORE: Im not a champion for Brazil, Bord Bia chairman tells committee Deputy Kenny said: "It was important that the agriculture committee got an opportunity to ask questions of Larry Murrin - unfortunately Mr Murrin was evasive in his answers and claimed business confidentiality as a reason for not answering questions. He spent most of his time talking around the issues rather than answering questions, clearly more interested in running down the clock - showing shameless contempt for Irish farmers and consumers. I put it to Mr Murrin that there is a clear conflict of interest between him importing Brazilian beef through his private company and then promoting Irish beef internationally. This is a red line for Irish farmers and Irish consumers. He continued: "Incredibly, the chairman believes that there is no conflict of interest in what he is doing and disagrees that his position is untenable. Mr Murrin said he believes that he can guarantee quality and standards of beef and poultry imported from Brazil, using an utterly ridiculous analogy that his company was like a BMW factory manufacturing high quality engines. I informed him that I do not believe that BMW would use substandard parts like he is by using substandard Brazilian beef in food production. Larry Murrin failed to provide any answers or explanation today that resolves this situation. READ MORE: RIP: 'Truly amazing lady, strong, caring, and full of love' - Carrick-on-Shannon lady Deputy Kenny concluded: "He has not provided any assurances or restored confidence to Irish farmers for him to remain in his position. The fact is there can be no double standards and Larry Murrin must go. Gerry McGarry, who is Leitrim's IFA's Rural Development Officer, told the Leitrim Observer this week, that in his view, Larry Murrin has to step down from his role as Chair of Bord Bia. Mr Murrin told the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this week that he remains "fully committed" to his role as Chair of Bord Bia, despite calls for him to step down after it emerged his company - Dawn Farms - imports Brazilian beef. Mr Murrin also denied claims there is a conflict of interest for him as Bord Bia Chair due to the situation. In his opening address to the committee, Mr Murrin said that he is taking the matter "very seriously" and that he understands "the frustration being expressed by farmers, and I fully respect their right to voice concern". "However, I do not support the behaviour of IFA members occupying Bord Bia reception in recent days," he added. Mr McGarry said: "I think he should step down; his position is untenable. He is making Bord Bia the laughing stock of Europe and the world; that's my opinion. He's chairman of Bord Bia and his company is importing Brazilian beef into this country. Everyone can see there is a direct conflict of interest." Our international competitors can see this too. READ MORE: 'Larry Murrin provides no answers to farmers and must resign' - Martin Kenny, Sligo/Leitrim TD He said that as chair of Ireland's Food trade development and promotion body, Mr Murrin's role is to promote Irish farm produce on an international stage and "at the same time, his company is importing Brazilian beef which is well proven to be substandard and have dubious traceability. Irish farmers have to produce the highest quality food to enter the Bord Bia scheme. We are subject to an audit every 18 months. Farmers complain a bit about the complexity of the audit but it's there to reassure and protect consumers in Ireland and Europe and the countries we export to. Yet the man who sits as chair of that organisation, which promotes Irish produce, is importing Brazilian beef." Mr McGarry, who has joined five other Leitrim IFA members outside the HQ of Bord Bia last week, noted that growth hormones and antibiotics are used in Brazilian beef without any regulations. "If an Irish farmer's animal gets sick and needs treatment, the farmer has to record that and has to wait between 40 and 90 days before letting that animal's produce enter the food chain for the safety of the consumer. The meat from Brazil is not subject to those stringent conditions and that has been proven by The Farmer's Journal representatives who have been over there and proven you can buy growth promoters and antibiotics where you can buy a Mars bar. No name, herd number or traceability measures were needed." READ MORE: RIP: 'Truly amazing lady, strong, caring, and full of love' - Carrick-on-Shannon lady He added that he hoped that Mr Mullin would step down from the position himself. "The position of the IFA, the ICMSA and I believe other organisations is that he must go. Bord Bia is there to protect the consumer and farmers are on board with that but if he stays, it will erode confidence in Irish produce. The Irish food and drinks industry, farmers and Bord Bia have worked so hard to promote our brands but Mr Mullin's position as chair is now untenable due to the reasons outlined above." A Leitrim councillor has spoken out about his fears that if the Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve Bill is brought into law, Leitrim's future could be in jeopardy. Cllr Eddie Mitchell told the Leitrim Observer: "This government are doing enormous damage and our TDs are backing them. This is a government that is supported by three of the four local TDs and Marian Harkin plays a central role in all of that. You can't have a government that is not being held to account and at the moment, it seems that we don't have any representatives from this area and that they represent the government and the government represent interests outside the country." Plans to fast-track permission for a floating gas terminal are being heavily criticised as an Oireachtas committee begins hearings on proposed legislation to support the move with environmental groups and climate campaigners describing the project as a Trojan horse for new fossil fuel developments. Their immediate concerns centre on proposals to bypass normal planning and consent procedures through enactment of the Strategic Gas Emergency Reserve Bill. READ MORE: 'Larry Murrin provides no answers to farmers and must resign' - Martin Kenny, Sligo/Leitrim TD Minister for Energy Darragh O'Brien wants to enact the law to allow him to make decisions on the planning permission, marine and pipeline consent and any compulsory purchase orders needed for the project; a decision usually made by An Coimisiun Pleanala the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. Cllr Mitchell added: "The government are trying to say that if we want to build a floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, climate doesn't matter. We can lead by legislation so that climate impacts won't be considered." He added: "The decisions that are being made now will be locked in with sunset clauses so the next government can't change them. We have a government that is doing enormous harm." He said the government are bringing forward legislation that will "make it impossible for us to protect Leitrim in the future. It is all happening at pace so that people can't keep up with it." Cllr Mitchell, who is also a spokesperson for the Love Leitrim Community Group, said that "fracked gas coming into the Shannon estuary is the end of Leitrim. They want to bring in that gas to supply energy for US data centres. There is a guarantee associated with that that we will meet that demand. The Americans won't keep supplying the world with energy if they need it for their own data centres. The question will then be 'Why did we bring in such damaging gas?' and the answer will be that 'If we get it from Leitrim, it will be much less damaging than getting it from America'. That's the future for Leitrim that is being created by this government." He went on to say that mining could also be an issue for the county. "We've given all our decision-making on mining to Europe and Europe wants to get access to rare earths and gold. Where will they start? Places like Leitrim because they want to introduce those extractive industries here to break our backs on fracking. It won't end in Leitrim but we are the people who stood up against fracking. The people who voted against fracking, which was nearly everyone in Leitrim; their champions were people like Marian Harkin." The paralysis caused by a culture of judicial reviews is a major issue in delivering some of Irelands flood defence schemes, the Minister for Infrastructure has said. Jack Chambers told RTEs Today with David McCullagh programme: Certain resident associations brought judicial review proceedings against flood relief schemes in communities that have been flooded in recent days. I think people need to think twice about engaging in litigation when there is a level of risk and in a particular local area. Speaking on Friday morning he added: most people in these communities, didnt, and dont, object its a small minority. He acknowledged: They have a right to do that, but I think the balance of rights isnt there in the Irish system right now. Judicial reviews are bringing huge elements of risk aversion across the decision making process, where every element of a particular piece of infrastructure now is showing deference to the risk of judicial review. When asked about the glacial pace in delivering flood relief schemes Mr Chambers said other factors also slow down the processes including that they are complex environmental and engineering projects which take time in terms of the design phase. He also said he would be bringing new measures to Cabinet next week to fast-track infrastructure projects and bringing a critical infrastructure Bill to Government in the next number of weeks. These are aimed at increasing risk appetite in the public service and backing public servants to take risks when it comes to infrastructure delivery, he said. Adding the Government wants to cut some of the excessive processes bureaucracy and red tape that prevent many decisions being made. Leitrim influencer Martha Gilheaney has taken aim at Coillte after trees belonging to them fell and toppled her shed. The Leitrim woman came to fame last year when she moved from an apartment on OConnell Street in Dublin to her rural Leitrim, where she bought her dream house and began doing it up. When she bought the property, it also had a large steel hay shed on the outskirts surrounded by large trees that she says belonged to Coillte, the semi-state Forestry Company. Yes, it was old and rickety, but it had been standing for years. And my dream of having a place to store firewood, dry clothes, and house donkeys was not so far away, she said on a Facebook video. Then Storm Eowyn hit, and all these trees fell onto my land and around my sheds. These trees belong to Collite. I was not able to access my sheds for several months. When the trees were removed, the shed collapsed, which she indicates was a result of the trees. Coillte do not accept any responsibility for this, and they basically say it was an act of God, but I am not so sure. The sheds were there before the trees, and the trees were planted too close to the sheds, so how does that make God responsible? Plus God would want me to adopt donkeys so I know hes not involved. Leitrim is the most forested county in the country with over 20% of the land covered in trees. Thousands were left without power as a result of windblown trees in the county with some being out of power for weeks. Coillte has said that the clean up of damaged forestry in Ireland due to storm Eowyn would continue into 2027. Environmental groups in Leitrim, such as Save Leitrim, have campaigned for more stringent regulation of Coillte and the forestry industry at large, calling for tree lines to be moved 50 metres back from property and public infrastructure like electricity cables. How can Coillte call this an act of God and wash their hands of responsibility when their trees fall and destroy someone's property. Surely they should ensure the trees are planted at an adequate distance from a property and also be maintaining and inspecting their crop, said Save Leitrim in response to Gilheaney's post. Coillte were contacted for comment; they provided a general statement regarding their clean-up following Storm Eowyn, which is ongoing, but refused to answer any questions related to the claims in this article. 10BASE-T1S is an automotive and industrial Ethernet standard offering 10 Megabit per second (Mbps) communication over a single twisted pair of wires. 10BASE-T1S is an automotive and industrial Ethernet standard offering 10 Megabit per second (Mbps) communication over a single twisted pair of wires. (Hsyn20 / Shutterstock.com) Microchip Technology and South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Group have formed a collaboration to examine the potential use of 10BASE-T1S Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) in future automotive connectivity. The US-based semiconductor corporation said the alliance will focus on evaluating advanced in-vehicle network solutions. These solutions are designed to support more efficient, reliable, and scalable vehicle architectures as mobility technologies evolve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A key part of the evaluation will look at how SPE could help meet increasing network demands linked to Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems and connected-vehicle capabilities. In its statement, Microchip said SPE may streamline vehicle wiring by cutting the need to bridge several standard and proprietary communication buses, which could reduce costs and make network integration simpler. Microchip automotive, data centre and networking business corporate vice president Matthias Kaestner said: Our comprehensive portfolio of Single Pair Ethernet hardware and software solutions enables customers to reduce cost, risk, and time to market. Our collaboration with Hyundai will support the development of next-generation in-vehicle network solutions that address the mobility needs of tomorrow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under the collaboration, Hyundai Motor Group will work with Microchip on bringing Microchips 10BASE-T1S solutions into future vehicle platforms, including electric vehicles, autonomous driving systems and smart-mobility applications. Hyundai Motor Group will also receive technical support and early access to product samples from Microchip, intended to support faster development and improved system performance. 10BASE-T1S is an automotive and industrial Ethernet standard offering 10 Megabit per second (Mbps) communication over a single twisted pair of wires. It supports a multi-drop (bus) topology, which allows multiple devices to connect without requiring a central switch, and is designed to extend Ethernet connectivity to edge components such as sensors and actuators. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Commenting on the collaboration, Hyundai Motor Group added: Partnering with Microchip enables us to leverage their Ethernet expertise, to support next-gen vehicle connectivity. Hyundai Motor Group will accelerate the adoption of 10BASE-T1S technology and enable the next generation of intelligent, connected vehicles. The companies said the project is intended to evaluate how SPE-based networking could fit into next-generation vehicle architectures. "Microchip and Hyundai explore single-pair ethernet for vehicles" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The RAV4 Problem Toyota Created for Itself The Toyota RAV4 is easily the most popular model in the US right now. Even as the fifth-generation version wraps up, it still managed 479,288 units sold in 2025. Thats more than some entire brands, and it happened without big discounts or last-minute deals. This was supposed to be a quiet year for the RAV4 before the new generation lands, but demand never let up. The next XA60-series model is already shaping up to be another hit, with the whole lineup moving to hybrid power. Buyers will have three different hybrid options, so theres more variety than ever. Theres a catch, though. Toyota has already told dealers that the 2026 RAV4 inventory will be tight. Production slowdowns during the model change mean supply wont keep up with demand, at least at first. When the countrys top seller gets scarce, the effects are felt everywhere. Dealers Told to Get Creative According to an Automotive News report, Toyota executives have been upfront with dealers about what comes next. During meetings at the 2026 NADA Show, the message was simple: expect fewer RAV4s and plan accordingly. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Toyotas North American bosses admit that any big model change means a dip in sales. Instead of chasing after RAV4s that arent there, dealers are being told to push other models harder. That means pickups, sedans, and crossovers that are similar in size to the RAV4, even if they dont have the same following. Toyota pointed to models like the Crown, Crown Signia, and its electric vehicles as options that could use a boost. The goal isnt to replace the RAV4, since thats not realistic, but to catch buyers who come in for a RAV4 and leave with something else. Its a practical move, not a hopeful one. Toyota (Toyota) When Being Too Successful Becomes a Risk Toyotas strong US numbers help explain why it can take this approach. The brand sold over 2.1 million vehicles in 2025, up more than 8 percent from the year before. Lexus also broke its own sales record. For Toyota, the RAV4 shortage is more of a headache than a real problem. Still, this shows just how much Toyota relies on the RAV4 to hold up its US business. When one model gets this big, any hiccup reveals whats underneath. Telling dealers to push slower sellers makes sense, but it also shows how few models can really take on RAV4-sized demand. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For now, buyers might have to wait longer or settle for fewer choices. In the long run, Toyota has a rare chance to spread attention across its lineup. Whether shoppers actually go along with that is the real question. View the 4 images of this gallery on the original article This story was originally published by Autoblog on Feb 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close SMALL-TO-MEDIUM sized company owners helped create 531 new jobs across Limerick in 2025. Thats according to data released from Local Enterprise Office (Leo) Limerick, which provides support to businesses which employ under 15 people. As part of Leo Limericks annual report, figures show there was a 31% increase in jobs locally from 2024. READ MORE: Limerick EBS offices included in AIB's 26m upgrade programme It represents the 12th straight year of annual jobs growth across the county. In terms of the increase in the number of jobs locally, it stood at 259 year-on-year when other factors were taken into account. These include firms which ceased trading, were merged, or simply grew too big to be supported by the Local Enterprise Office and were moved onto being backed by Enterprise Ireland. A total of 310 small businesses supported by Leo Limerick employed some 2,289 people. Head of enterprise at Leo Limerick Mike Cantwell said: These results are a testament to the ambition and resilience of Limericks small business community. To see 531 new jobs created in 2025, with strong net growth and more companies scaling every year, reflects the hard work of our entrepreneurs and their teams. We are incredibly proud of what these businesses have achieved and remain committed to supporting their continued growth across the county. Nationwide, a total of 40,285 jobs were supported by the Local Enterprise Office, within 7,148 small firms. Its the most jobs the Local Enterprise Offices have supported nationally since it was founded in 2014. In 2025 there were 7,261 new jobs created by enterprise office clients companies with a net jobs creation figure of 2,479. This is up 7% nationally on 2024. From the jobs created, 82% were outside of the Dublin region. Local Enterprise Offices also provided supports to thousands of other small businesses across the country with programmes such as the Grow Digital Voucher, Lean for Business and Green for Business along with training and mentoring. Like all Local Enterprise Offices nationally, Leo Limerick operates within the auspices of the relevant local authority, in this case, Limerick City and County Council. Its funded through Enterprise Ireland. Leo Limerick runs a number of initiatives to foster entrepreneurship including Local Enterprise Week, National Womens Enterprise Day, the Student Enterprise Programme and the National Enterprise Awards. THERE is devastating news in West Limerick this Friday after it emerged around 140 jobs are to be lost at Kostal in Abbeyfeale. It comes as the car parts manufacturer plans to move part of its operations to China later this year. Staff were given the information of the redundancies at a meeting on Thursday evening and Kostal confirmed the news this Friday morning. "Kostal Automobil Elektrik can confirm that it has informed employees today that it has taken the difficult decision to restructure its Irish operations in Limerick. Regrettably, this will result in the loss of 140 jobs at its manufacturing site in Abbeyfeale, by the end of 2026," a spokesperson for the company confirmed. READ MORE: Gardai appeal for dashcam footage following dangerous driving incident Limerick Live understands that 95 operator jobs and 45 non-operator positions are set to be lost to the town on Kerry's border. There are approximately 360 people still employed at Kostal Abbeyfeale. Kostals plant in Mallow, which produces a separate line of automotive products, is not impacted by the move. Independent Ireland TD Richard O'Donoghue raised the losses in Dail Eireann on Thursday night. "Ireland is becoming a place where you are being taxed out of existence. It's something i have been feeling on the ground for the last two years that something is coming. Unless this government does something to help the working people in this country to have an existence they can survive and see a future for their children - that they can stay here and they don't want to leave these shores. That's what we have got to achieve," he said. "The people of Abbeyfeale have now lost 140 jobs to China. Is the writing not on the wall? What will this do for the people in Abbeyfeale? The businesses they suppport in Abbeyfeale and around communities within Kerry and Limerick? What have you got to say to them this evening," he asked. Fianna Fail councillor Michael Collins, who leads the district where Abbeyfeale is based on Likmerick's local authority, said: "I am very sorry to hear the sad and difficult news of job losses in Abbeyfeale. I worked in Kostal for three years after leaving college and has been a huge contributor to families and the wider economy in West Limerick, North Kerry and North Cork for close on five decades." A Kostal spokesperson added: "Todays announcement in no way reflects upon the commitment and work ethic of employees at Kostal's Abbeyfeale site. Kostal has had a presence in Abbeyfeale since 1981, manufacturing automotive products for the global automotive industry, with OBC products being manufactured since 2011. As part of the redundancy announcement, LKostal will now enter into a consultation process with employees and their representatives. The company remains committed to acting in a fair, balanced and constructive way as KOSTAL navigates the current challenges facing the automotive industry and positions for future success." SIPTU Organiser, Eva Mitchell, said: Senior Kostal management travelled from Germany to Abbeyfeale yesterday (Thursday) to formally announce its decision on the scale of redundancies at the plant. While there had been indications that job losses were imminent since late last year, due to the production of OBCs (on-board chargers) being moved overseas, the confirmation of the scale of the redundancies has caused deep distress and anger among employees, their families, and the wider community. The loss of 140 skilled, high-value jobs will be widely felt and will have a lasting impact locally. Kostals Irish workforce has given decades of dedicated service to the company. The commitment, skill and professionalism they have shown would seem to count for little in the face of changes driven by global trade factors beyond their ability to influence. She added: The 30-day statutory consultation period between the company and workers representatives is due to begin next week. SIPTU will fully engage in this process to protect our Union members interests and secure the best possible outcome available to them." Any redundancies arising from the process will initially be voluntary. We are also calling upon state agencies to engage with the community in planning for the creation of future high-quality jobs, which the local economy depends on. Gardai have launched an investigation following a number of burglaries near the ClareLimerick border in recent days. Shannon gardai are investigating two separate incidents that occurred in the Bunratty area last week. The first reported burglary occurred at Church Hill, Bunratty, last Thursday morning, January 29, at around 5 a.m. Read next: 'No more adjournments'-Limerick man admits stealing beer, wine and vodka from local shops The suspects entered the house through the front door and took car keys, before leaving in a white Mazda 2 hatchback, with a 252 registration. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area or spotted the vehicle in carparks, housing estates, or elsewhere to come forward. The second reported burglary occurred at Clonmoney, Bunratty West, last Wednesday morning, January 28, at around 4 a.m. The suspects gained entry through the front door and took car keys, which enabled them to take a vehicle parked outside. The vehicle taken was a grey Volkswagen ID, with a registration of 241CE. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area or spotted either vehicle in carparks, housing estates, or elsewhere to come forward. Anyone with information regarding either of the incidents is asked to contact Shannon Gardai on 061 365900. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The jury is deliberating in the trial of a Limerick engineer accused of corruption by giving money to a detective garda for information on his car dealership being raided. Stephen O'Sullivan (43) is accused of giving or agreeing to give to Detective Garda David Bourke a monetary gain as an inducement to reveal confidential information concerning an investigation being carried out by (CAB) in relation to Stephen OSullivan, trading as Stephen Bawn Motors. Mr O'Sullivan, of Farrehy, Broadford, Co Limerick, is a director of the business. He has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the single count of corruption at Bruree, Co Limerick on December 22, 2018. READ MORE: Man accused of stealing 20 steaks and eight legs of lamb from Limerick shop The trial is now in its final stages with both prosecution and defence having made closing speeches. The court has heard an audio recording from David Bourkes Berlingo van of Stephen OSullivan giving 20,000 to the detective garda. Today Chief Superintendent Michael McNulty said that in late 2018 and early 2019 he held the rank of inspector and was a senior officer overseeing criminal investigations. He gave evidence that on January 17, 2019, warrants were sought from Vodafone and Three for phone records relating to Mr OSullivan and David Bourke for the seven-week period between December 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019. CCTV footage was also harvested and the jury has seen a piece of that footage of a Berlingo van on December 22, 2018. The court was also told David Bourke was seen purchasing a small cash safe in Argos. Chief Supt. McNulty told Eoin Lawlor SC prosecuting that addresses of Mr Bourke and Mr O Sullivan were searched including Bawn Motors car dealership. Mr Bourkes locker at Henry Street Garda Station was also searched. A small cash safe was found during the search of Mr Bourkes home. Mr Bourke was arrested and prosecuted for corruption, the court was told. Chief Supt. McNulty said the financial accounts of Mr Bourke and Mr O Sullivan were examined and there was no evidence of 20,000 being withdrawn. Under cross-examination Mark Lynam SC defending put it to the witness that Mr OSullivan did not provide gardai with the pin number for his phone but there was nothing of evidential value on it. Chief Supt. McNulty also agreed Mr OSullivan had a very serious car accident and was bedbound for six to eight months. He further agreed he was still on crutches when he came for interview. Mr OSullivan was previously an engineer and has now returned to that profession. He was never arrested before having only committed minor road traffic offences, the witness agreed. He also agreed Mr OSullivan complied with all bail conditions and was signing on twice a week. The jury has gone home having considered its verdict for one hour and 18 minutes and will resume its deliberations on Monday. A SINN FEIN TD has called on the Minister for Justice to ensure there is a robust garda response to ongoing gang violence in Limerick city. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan said that innocent lives are at risk and something needs to be done urgently. READ ALSO: The Frames go back to their roots with special Limerick show In recent weeks there has been an escalation in the use of violence amidst ongoing criminality in Limerick. We have seen violence escalate to dramatic proportions, particularly in the Ballinacurra Weston and surrounding areas. Unfortunately for fear of criminal retaliation, much of this violence has gone unreported. The most recent incidents have included gun and arson attacks on homes, assault of persons in the area and the threat of violence against others. He added that this will bring back memories of the violence which dominated the city and national newspaper headlines more than 20 years ago. Limerick people will vividly recall the violent criminality that plagued our city in the early 2000s. Without robust intervention, I fear we are not far from a return to those dark days. Speaking in the Dail, the TD said: I have been in contact with stakeholders within the community and I assure you that the concerns I raise are echoed by many across the community. Frustrations are building with many feeling the garda response has not gone far enough. I believe the gardai in Limerick are doing their job in some of the most challenging of circumstances. However, I feel that more support is needed for them to combat this increase in gang violence. He added that some families impacted are taking it in turns to sleep, so that someone is constantly on watch. Some sleep while others guard the front door or monitor the CCTV cameras - doing so for fear of a petrol bomb being lobbed at their house. Deputy Quinlivan has said that Minister Jim OCallaghan is welcome to visit the city to see what is happening firsthand. I urge the Minister to visit the area, talk to the residents and support local gardai with all resources needed to halt this brazen affront to the rule of law and the community. We, in Limerick, have had some challenges with criminality in a small minority of areas, they can be fixed. These are areas where the good people of these communities despise the organised crime gangs and their criminality. They simply want to go to work, school, enjoy their retirement and want a change. COUNCILLORS have approved the sale of a patch of land to the HSE to allow it to be used by Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. The 1.16 hectares of land owned by the local authority is to be sold to the health service for 85,000. However, in a briefing note to councillors, the local authoritys head of property Jayne Leahy says the health service have had a long-standing interest in acquiring the land. PICTURES: Limerick homes seized by CAB from murdered crime boss's son going to auction The requirement for the land is to provide expansion opportunities to support the Croom Orthopaedic Hospital campuss overall development potential, she wrote. Ms Leahy suggested, as an example, the land could be used for parking off the hospital campus itself. The land itself adjoins the hospital to the east, with Croom Primary Care Centre located immediately south alongside a number of homes. Agricultural land lies to its north and west. The proposal to sell the land had to be passed by councillors at the bi-monthly meeting. This is because the sale of public land to other parties, be they private or public, like the HSE, is something which is in the power of members. In addition, councillors rubber-stamped the sale of the landmark Toll House, adjacent to Athlunkard Bridge in Corbally, where the Shannon splits the Treaty and the Banner counties. Long out of use, it dates back to the early 19th century. A cash buyer has been found for the property, with the new owners planning to rent out the premises. February is the month of love, and this year, why not love local? Skip the crowded city restaurants and expensive taxis, The Top House in Annacotty is the perfect spot for a low-fuss, high-reward celebration this Valentines Day. Nestled right in the heart of Annacotty, The Top House makes it easy to enjoy an unforgettable night out without leaving town. Whether its a romantic dinner, a catch-up with friends, or simply treating yourself, their cozy, welcoming atmosphere sets the scene for a stress-free evening. The magic, of course, is in the menu. Every dish at The Top House is crafted using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. In fact, much of their produce comes straight from Brooksbridge Farm, just around the corner. That means every bite is not only delicious but also supports our local farmers and economy. From hearty mains to decadent desserts, the focus is on quality, flavor, and local pride. And lets not forget the drinks. From classic cocktails to a curated selection of wines and craft beers, The Top House pairs each dish perfectly, making your night out effortless and indulgent. This Valentines Day, keep it simple, keep it local, and keep it special. Tables at The Top House fill up fast, so dont wait, book your spot now and enjoy a memorable night just minutes from home. Because nothing says love like supporting your local communityand enjoying incredible food while youre at it. Book your table today at The Top House, Annacotty. Love local this February. *Sponsored Content In an attempt to boost manufacturing capacity, auto major Mahindra & Mahindra on Friday announced its plan to establish its biggest-ever production hub for automobiles and tractors in Nagpur district of Maharashtra. The company is prepared to invest 15,000 crore over the coming decade to set up this facility. "The state-of-the-art facility will be developed across an area of 1,500 acres in Vidarbha, complemented by a 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar," the Mahindra Group said in a statement. "The facility will have an annual production capacity of over five lakh vehicles and one lakh tractors, making it Mahindra's largest integrated manufacturing footprint in the country," said the statement. The company made the announcement during the "Advantage Vidarbha" summit in Nagpur. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Maharashtra government and Mahindra & Mahindra in this regard. Supplier Park in Sambhajinagar Additionally, Mahindra is developing a 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar. This hub will produce components for the upcoming Nagpur plant and the firm's current plants in Chakan and Nashik. This strategy is designed to assist the firm in collaborating more tightly with its associates and producing more parts domestically. According to the company, the Nagpur site will be outfitted to manage next-generation vehicle designs. It will be capable of producing conventional gasoline and diesel engines, electric cars, and additional prospective technologies. The firm is obtaining additional land in the Igatpuri-Nashik zone to boost its motor manufacturing and facilitate its sophisticated technology initiatives. Rajesh Jejurikar, Mahindra & Mahindra's Executive Director and CEO (Auto and Farm Sector), characterized the roadmap as "a bold step forward" for the organisation. He observed that the site is "designed to support our next generation of vehicles and tractors" by merging sophisticated manufacturing with massive-scale output. Jejurikar also stated that the initiative will help the firm "deliver world-class products" while bolstering the "Make in India" campaign. The Vidarbha territory was selected due to its robust logistical connections. The site will possess convenient proximity to the Samruddhi Expressway and primary railway routes, simplifying the distribution of units to both domestic and global markets. Also Read | The three factors that drove Hyundai's recovery in India Welcoming the move, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the investment is a "strong endorsement of the state's robust industrial ecosystem". "It will be an integrated factory, which will manufacture EV cars, next-gen cars and tractors," the CM said. The project will create many jobs and help the Vidarbha region grow faster, Fadnavis added. NEW DELHI: Electronics manufacturer Kaynes Technology on Friday reported an 11% sequential decline in December quarter (Q3FY26) revenue, at a time when its closest competitor, Syrma SGS grew at a steady pace. In a post-earnings call, Kayness top management attributed the quarterly revenue dip to a one-time hit from delayed execution of Kavach, a suite of sensors and electronic safety equipment for Indian Railways. Most of the dip came from a delay in execution of our Kavach order in our railways vertical, to the tune of 300 crore. Our orders are non-cancellable, but a lot of times there are delays that occur because of prolonged periods of authorization from various agencies. The rest of our business remains robust, said Ramesh Kannan, founder and executive vice-chairman of Bengaluru-based Kaynes. Revenue for the December quarter stood at 804 crore, down 11% sequentially. Net profit fell 37% from the September quarter to 77 crore. The profit decline was driven by a sharp rise in unsold finished-goods inventory, which almost doubled year-on-year to 43 crore and rose 7% from 40 crore in the September quarter. Following the results, Kaynes cut its FY26 revenue guidance to 4,100 crore from an earlier 4,400 crore. Management attributed the entire downgrade to delayed deployment of Kavach products for Indian Railways. The Kaynes stock had a volatile session on Friday, opening 5.4% lower than Thursdays close before reversing course to end the day up 2.3%. The stock is up 6.2% for the week. Despite the pressure on revenue and profit, Jairam Sampath, whole-time director and chief financial officer, said the company remains confident of generating positive operating cash flow by the end of this financial year, at a consolidated level. We have really worked hard on OCF. You may think that I only come here and talk about OCF every quarter, but we have done a lot of hard work, and we could have turned cash flow-positive during the December quarter itself. But we chose not to, and our net cash flow for the quarter was at a negative 55 crore, Sampath said. Operating cash flow and margins have become a key focus across the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) industry, which has historically scaled on low-margin assembly operations and government production-linked incentives. Syrma SGS, which announced its earnings on 29 January, turned cash flow-positive during the December quarter. Syrma also reported a 10% sequential rise in quarterly operating revenue to 1,264 crore, surpassing Kaynes's December quarter performance. Later, Jasbir Singh Gujral, managing director of Syrma SGS, told Mint that the company may also venture into semiconductor projectsa space that Kaynes is banking upon for the next two fiscals. Given the current contracts we have with clients and active efforts underway to improve OCF, we still expect to be on track to achieve $1 billion in annual operating revenue by FY28. While this would mean that our annual revenue will likely need to double during this period, we expect our new bets in Osat (outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing) and PCBs (printed circuit boards) to contribute 1,500 crore and 1,000 crore annually within the next two years, thus boosting our business, Sampath said in the analyst call. One week before its earnings, credit rating agency Icra LTd retained Kayness A-negative credit rating, with a net borrowing limit of 780 crore to fund new projects. At the same time, our design-led manufacturing, which currently contributes to at least 20% of our revenue right now, is also likely to grow by 5-7 percentage points in the next two fiscals, Sampath added. Analysts said that the companys resilience will particularly come under the scanner depending on its ability to match the promised targets. NEW DELHI: Four years into its Tata-led turnaround, Air Indias $400 million programme to modernize older aircraft is running up to two years behind schedule. The delay has pushed back the carriers effort to refresh its fleet, expand internationally and rebuild its brand, even as management says the project remains on budget and the retrofit designs are mostly complete. Supply-chain bottlenecks, particularly around aircraft seats and their certification, have slowed the rollout of upgraded wide-body cabins, including business and first class on Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft, according to chief executive Campbell Wilson. Air India now expects the first retrofitted planes to join the fleet by March 2026. From a cost perspective, its (retrofit) on track. Its on budget," chief executive Campbell Wilson told Mint. Also Read | Four years with Tata: Where Air India stands against IndiGo Timelines have slipped because of post-pandemic disruptions affecting aircraft interiors and regulatory approvals. Most of that cost is the procurement and production of seats. It is just a matter of when those seats are delivered. Not so much the cost. From a timing perspective, there were some delays in production of some of the seats by the manufacturers, and in the certification of some of those seats," Wilson said. The modernization of Air Indias narrow-body aircraft is nearly complete, but the wide-body fleet, which anchors the airlines long-haul network, is still waiting to be upgraded. The upliftment from where we were to where we are today has happened...I think, clearly, we are, may be in the morning of the fifth day (of a Test match)." - Campbell Wilson Seats, suppliers, and deliveries The delays worsened after one seat supplier exited the programme despite having committed to it. We got right to the point where we had designed the product and were doing the final inspections of the prototypes, and that OEM told us they couldnt continue the programme," Wilson said. They had overcommitted their resources. That cost us two years." As a result, Air Indias Boeing 787 retrofit is about one year behind schedule, while the Boeing 777 programme is nearly two years behind original timelines. The difference between the older product and the product were moving towards is very large," Wilson said, adding that the seats being replaced are obsolete and difficult to maintain because spare parts are hard to procure or manufacture. Wilson said the problems were not unique to Air India. Were not the only airline that has faced that. There are many airlines that have been in the same position," he said, attributing the delays to post-Covid supply challenges that many OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) faced." The slippage in the retrofit programme is compounding another constraint on Air Indias growth: aircraft deliveries from manufacturers. Aircraft deliveries from Airbus and Boeing are running about a year behind original schedules, Wilson said. By early 2026, Air India had expected to receive nearly 40 wide-body aircraft but has taken delivery of only two. When you layer in the retrofit delay and the delivery delay, its just pushed back the product upgradation and the expansion plans that we had," he said. The airline said deliveries have now started moving again and that it is not currently seeing fresh warning signs. Also Read | Fleet constraints slow Air India Expresss Navi Mumbai expansion At the moment, were not hearing anything from the manufacturers that would cause us concern," Wilson said. They seem to be in a better position than they were before." View Full Image An Air India aircraft image on display ahead of Wings India 2026 at Begumpet Airport, in Hyderabad, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (PTI Photo) Vihaan update Under Vihaan.AI, the five-year transformation plan launched after Wilson took charge in July 2022, Air India has been overhauling fleet interiors, lounges, digital systems, training processes, and service standards. Most of the heavy lifting (under Vihaan.AI) is finished," Wilson said. All of the design, all of the certification, all of that is done. What remains is the mechanical rollout." The upliftment from where we were to where we are today has happened," Wilson said. I think, clearly, we are, may be in the morning of the fifth day (of a Test match)," he said, reiterating that hard work on Air India's transformation is done, the results are close but not fully finished yet. The airline plans to operate around 20 aircraft with new interiors in 2026, while the full retrofit across the fleet will take another two to three years. Despite the delays, Air India recently inducted its first made-for-Air India" interiors, called linefit in aviation parlance, within a Boeing 787, showcased in Hyderabad. A refitted legacy 787 with the same interiors will join the fleet later this month. The slow pace of upgrades has also intersected with concerns over aircraft condition. In a report submitted to Parliament on 5 February, the civil aviation ministry said that at least three out of every planes of the Air India group had a recurring defect. Of 267 planes tested, recurring defects were found in 191. Air India executives have said most of these were not related to safety, but involved issues such as older seats, torn seat covers, and loose or non-functioning tray tables or screens, attributable to the age of the fleet and delays in the retrofit programme. For context, Air India and Air India Express together operate a fleet of 297 aircraft comprising both Boeing and Airbus models. The airline is also rolling out new-generation lounges, starting with Delhi and followed by San Francisco. The luxury travel experience that we aspire to provide is now available long before you get on the aircraft," Wilson said at the launch of the Maharaja Lounge at Delhi airport. Thursday's Maharaja Lounge launch was part of the Vihaan.AI transformation plan that the CEO announced. The transformation is now becoming more and more visible," Wilson said. But full completion wont be until the last aircraft is fitted." Profitability pressure While profitability is a core pillar of Vihaan.AI, Air Indias financial performance has been shaped by geopolitical and regulatory headwinds. Wilson cited the India-Pakistan conflict, global political changes, tariffs, visa restrictions and airspace closures as factors affecting operations. All of these things have an impact on the performance of an airline," he said. Unfortunately, theres been quite a few happening in quick succession that have particularly impacted Air India." Air India group reported revenue of 78,636 crore in FY25, up 15%, while losses widened to 10,589 crore from 7,356.3 crore a year earlier. Wilson said the airline is already seeing revenue benefits on routes where new aircraft and interiors are deployed. Weve been flying the A350 to New York and London for quite some time now, and we can see a material uplift," he said. We can also see it on Dubai and Singapore, and domestically where we fly the refitted aircraft." The broader rollout of upgraded aircraft, he said, should eventually strengthen brand loyalty and pricing power. As people become very assured of the product theyre going to get, more than just the routes weve ring-fenced, that will start manifesting in brand reputation, loyalty and confidence in Air India," Wilson said. Sceptics push back Still, aviation experts say cabin upgrades alone will not determine whether Air India regains traveller appeal. Also Read | Air India lapse: How a routine airworthiness review was overlooked Air India's mainstay revenue continues to come from its legacy hand-me-down A320 Fleet which needs both immediate retrofit and modernization. Routes to Europe, the UK and the US is the bread earner for the airline. And I still don't understand why Air India is not actively using the A350 fleet on key European routes. This would help improve the overall product and service quality," said Mark D Martin, aviation expert and chief executive at Gurugram-based Marting Consulting. Some of their transformation programs, while good really don't do much in terms of winning loyalty, Air India still needs to face up to blunt questions of transformation, maintenance, engineering and flight operation systems and processes continue to have failures and breakdowns. All that is being done appears to be merely cosmetic, something travellers don't really care in today's competitive airline market. These systems have been created and perfected today by airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Qatar," he added. Harshavardhan Chitale, the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Hero MotoCorp Ltd, considers premium products, scooters, electric vehicles and exports are areas of strong growth potential for Indias largest two-wheeler maker. I have travelled extensively and now met with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, dealers, suppliers, partners, and of course, our team. These interactions have given me very good insight into what makes us the leader, Chitale said in his first remarks since taking over as chief executive in an interaction with analysts. Chitale is the third new CEO in Indias automobile industry over the last six months as a new crop of leadership takes the helm at some of the largest companies in the space, including BMW and Hyundai Motor India, which saw Hardeep Singh Brar and Tarun Garg take over as chief executives, respectively. In a nearly hour-long chat with analysts on Friday after the companys third-quarter earnings were announced Thursday, Chitale fielded questions on the international business, while letting his senior management colleagues, including Vikram Kasbekar, Ashutosh Varma, Vivek Anand, and Kausalya Nandakumar, take domestic business-related queries. Also Read | Hero MotoCorp posts highest-ever quarterly revenue as GST cuts spur demand The company reported a record quarterly revenue of 12,784 crore in October-December. Hero MotoCorps profit rose 15% year-on-year to 1,275 crore in the quarter. We see a big headroom for growth and market share expansion in categories like scooters, in premium motorcycles, in global markets, in EV, and also parts and accessories business, Chitale said. Chitales growth strategy will include both premiumization of portfolio as well as expansion of the company in the electric vehicle category as it defends its market leadership in the country from Honda and TVS. The companys premium motorcycle range includes the Xpulse, Xtreme, and Karizma series. Tech background Coming from a non-automobile background, Chitale has his task cut out after the abrupt departure of his predecessor, Niranjan Gupta, in April 2025, within two years of his appointment. Guptas appointment came as part of succession planning at Hero MotoCorp, which was led by Pawan Munjal as chief executive for over two decades since 2001. After Guptas departure in April, chief technology officer Vikram Kasbekar acted as interim CEO before the company narrowed down on Chitale to lead the operations. Hero MotoCorp is not the only two-wheeler company which is seeing a new crop of leadership taking the stage. While Sudershan Venu took over the chairman of TVS Motor Co. in 2025, Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajajs son Rishab Bajaj is also slowly stepping in to lead the companys charge in the electric vehicle segment. Venu has set his sights on expanding Norton, the international premium motorcycle business TVS acquired in 2020. Rishabh is focused on making the Chetak EV successful. Chitale began his career in Tata Administrative Services, a pool of young, trained professionals deployed by the group in its companies. Within a year, he moved to tech giant Honeywell, where he spent more than 16 years. From here, he moved to HCL Enterprise, where he became the CEO of HCL Infosystems Ltd. Chitale then moved to global lighting giant Signify, the owner of brands like Phillips, spending more than a decade in various leadership roles, including vice chairman and CEO. In his more than three-decade-long career, Hero MotoCorp marks his first stint as the head of an automobile company. His predecessor was not a long-time executive at an automobile company, having worked at Unilever and Vedanta. However, before being elevated to the chief executive position, Gupta spent six years at Hero as chief financial officer. International focus Africa, Latin America, and new expansion in Europe, all continue to be opportunities for us. We have also started, on a low base, our presence now in the Philippines, said Chitale. The global market is a big area of focus, and while we are expanding rapidly, there is still a big headroom for growth, and we are focused on that. The companys presence in international markets and EVs remains low. HMCL is focusing on building its presence in the executive segment, driven by new products and ongoing upgradation of outlets. The recent launches of Glamor X, Destini 125 and Xoom 125 have received a positive customer response, leading to market share gains, analysts at Nuvama Institutional Equities wrote in a note on 6 February. Also Read | Hero Moto's Q2 comeback puts it back in the race HMCL is well-positioned to benefit, as it has a wide network and strong presence in 100125cc categories. Going ahead, we expect a volume/revenue CAGR of 4%/7% over FY2628E, they added. Japanese auto major, the Toyota Motor Corporation today announced that it has reshuffled its leadership team, effective 1 April 2026. The decision was approved at the 122nd Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, it added. As per the company, appointments of officers as of 1 April is as follows: President and CEO Koji Sato will be appointed as Vice Chairman and Chief Industry Officer (CIO). Kenta Kon will instead be appointed as President and CEO from his current position as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The statement added that while Kon will focus on internal company management, Sato will focus on the broader industry. Surprise reshuffle in Toyota Motor Corp management Largely viewed as a surprise change in management, a Bloomberg report also noted that the move comes amid the world's largest automaker's high-profile bid to privatise Toyota Industries a key subsidiary. The reshuffle and appointment changes were also officially announced by Sato during a press conference at 3.30 pm local time of 6 February 2026. Elaborating on his duties, Sato said he will use his role as head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association to steer the broader industry, the Bloomberg report said. The statement, originally posted in Japanese on the website, noted that the purpose of this change is to improve decision-making speed by management, amid internal and external changes. They also aim to establish a system that can firmly fulfill Toyota's mission of serving the country through industry, it added. Notably, Sato has held the role for only three years (appointed in 2023) and has faced increasing scrutiny over the company's planned buyout of subsidiary Toyota Industries. Critics allege that the deal lacks transparency and is greatly underpriced, a Reuters report said. If completed, the acquired arm will fall under the control of unlisted real estate firm Toyota Fudosan Co. chaired by Akio Toyoda, scion of the Toyota conglomerate, and with Kon as a director. Who is Kenta Kon mastermind behind the Toyota Industries buyout? The Bloomberg report noted that 57-year-old Kon is a known lieutenant of Akio Toyoda, serving as his secretary for eight years. He has worked at the company for over 30 years, since 1991. Kon has served as a close aide to Akio Toyoda since his days as Toyodas secretary, and communication between the two is known to be exceptionally smooth. Kon stands out not only for his experience and ability, but also for his frank, clear, and accessible style of communication, said Bloomberg Intelligence senior auto analyst Tatsuo Yoshida. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Kon said, Im very strict when it comes to money and numbers. It likely signals his mindset stepping into the role amid headwinds from sector tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump, and broader ambitions to streamline the auto major's business interests while competing with more nimble rivals. Notably, Kon is seen as the "mastermind" behind the Toyota Industries buyout, according to James Hong, an analyst at Macquarie Securities Korea. He told Reuters, Kon has more experience dealing with the financial issues of the company than Sato-san, who came from the product development side. Speaking to Bloomberg, Hong noted that Kon's appointment as CEO bodes well with the business transformation Toyota is trying to achieve. (With inputs from Agencies) Vanguard Group CEO Salim Ramji is shaping the worlds second-largest asset manager by attracting talent from Wall Street firms to fill strategic positions. In recent months, he has made at least 10 senior hires from companies including his former employer, BlackRock Inc, as well as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and rival Fidelity Investments, according to a Bloomberg report. Eve Cout, who was previously a top executive at BlackRocks US wealth division, joined Vanguard this month to oversee adviser solutions within the companys financial adviser services. Additionally, Ramji hired Goldman Managing Director Pete Spera as head of digital and analytics for advice and wealth management, and Fidelity veteran Kathryn Condon as chief marketing officer. Ramji's goal to strengthen core business The current hiring trend reflects Ramji's goal to strengthen Vanguard's core business of low-fee mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, while also expanding into higher-margin sectors such as wealth management and financial advice. The CEO also appointed Nuveens Bill Stout to oversee private markets strategy, an area that previously wasnt a primary focus for Vanguard, the Malvern, Pennsylvania-based Firm. Were proud that top talent across the industry continues to be drawn to Vanguards mission, the report quoted a company spokesperson's statement. According to the report, Ramji, the first outsider to lead the $12 trillion asset manager, has been clear about his goal to bring in senior staff from competing firms, in addition to promoting from within, which had been the company's traditional approach. Greg Davis, Vanguards president and chief investment officer, said in an interview last year that Ramjis external network would aid in attracting external candidates. Also Read | Traders Underpricing Risk of Higher Japan Yields, Vanguard Says Ramji, once seen as a possible successor to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, assumed leadership in July 2024. Since then, he has steered the 50-year-old company to prioritise more profitable sectors while still reducing fund fees. This month, Ramji announced further fee reductions across Vanguards ETFs and mutual funds, lowering the average asset-weighted expense ratio to 0.06%. New Delhi: India is likely to increase imports of coking coalused mainly in steel and cement productionfrom the US in a bid to enhance energy partnership, as part of a trade deal between the two countries , said two people aware of the development. India is the largest buyer of US coal globally. Coking or metallurgical coal accounted for more than 40% of the total 20 million tonnes (mt) of coal imported by India from the US in FY25, according to coal ministry data. Also Read | Union budget: Look beyond the headlines for its real impact India has the fourth-largest coal reserves in the world, but it does not have significant reserves of high-quality coking coal, prompting it to import 85% of its overall requirement. With plans to expand the domestic steel manufacturing capacity, Indias coking coal requirement is set to grow further. "India is import-dependent for coking coal, and diversification is needed for its sourcing. Imports from the US have been increasing of late and it would increase further. Although thermal coal is also imported from the US, coking coal would get further boost as India is increasing its domestic coal stocks for thermal usage," said the first of the two people cited earlier, both of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity. With exports of 24.58 mt in FY25, Australia is the largest supplier of coking coal to India, followed by the US, which had supplied 8.48 mt. The other top suppliers include Russia (8.21 mt), Singapore (5.69 mt) and Mozambique (3.43 mt). India's coking coal requirement in FY25 was 87 mt. Data from the Union ministry of coal showed that during the ongoing financial year (FY26), as of November, the US has already supplied 6.04 mt of coking coal. India is the world's second largest steel manufacturer with a capacity of about 205 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). Government aims to take it to 300 mtpa by 2030-31 and 500 mtpa by 2047. The coal ministry did not respond to queries on the possibility of an increase in imports from the US. The ministries of commerce and external affairs also did not respond to Mint's queries till press time. In response to an emailed query, a spokesperson for the US embassy in New Delhi referred Mint to a 2 February post by US President Donald Trump on Truth Social. Citing his post, the spokesperson said: "In the announcement, President Trump shared that India committed to buy over $500 billion of US products, including coal. I don't have further specifics to share at this time." The US has agreed to lower the reciprocal tariff on India to 18% from 25%, and remove the additional 25% duty to punish India's purchases of Russian oil. On 2 February, a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump sealed the long-pending trade deal between Indian and the US. "The consideration to scale up coking coal imports from the US is a pragmatic move rooted in supply security rather than substitution. With domestic coking coal constraints and an aggressive steel capacity expansion underway, diversifying sourcing beyond Australia reduces concentration risk and strengthens resilience," Rajamani Krishnamurti, president, Indian Stainless Steel Development Association (ISSDA), an lobby group, said. "The US partnership fits well into Indias long-term energy strategy, balancing reliability, quality, and geopolitics, while ensuring that growth ambitions in steel are not constrained by raw material bottlenecks." Recently, addressing the Indian Energy Week, Vikram Dev Dutt, secretary in the ministry of coal, had said that India sees potential for importing more coal from the US, as the country is looking at increasing its steel manufacturing capacity. Representatives of both the countries held discussions on the same during the 4-day event (27-30 January), Reuters reported on 29 January, citing Dutt. The development also comes days after India notified coking coal as a critical mineral. Vinayak Vipul, partner, EY-Parthenon India, said: "With steel capacity expansion firmly embedded in national policy and blast furnacebased production expected to dominate, with more than 60% of Indian steel production expected to come from BFBOF (blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace) route up till 2040, increasing supplies from the US also helps diversify sourcing away from heavy reliance on Australia, reducing exposure to supply disruptions and extreme price volatility. The shift towards higher contribution of US coking coal facilitates enhanced blending flexibility for Indian coke makers, leveraging the differing volatility and impurity profiles of US coking coal." A.S. Firoz, former chief economist at the steel ministrys economic research unit, however, cautioned that sourcing the mineral from the US would be costlier, including elevated freight expenses. Also Read | India-US trade deal sparks hope for gems and jewellery industry "Even the freight from the US is higher. But, India being an import dependent country, steel producers in particular need to maintain a strategic balance in procuring such an important raw material for the industry not to rely on single or limited source. Overall, unless the US coal prices are maintained at lower prices, the Indian steelmakers will see their costs go up. Also, US coking coal has relatively higher sulphur and phosphorus content, compared to the premium grades from Australia, Firoz added. High sulphur and phosphorus content in coal carries through into steel, making it brittle and weakening its quality. New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) The role of social media must be clearly evaluated from the lens of its impact on societal harmony and trust, that has been built and cemented over thousands of years, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said adding the latest Economic Survey has "rightly pointed out" issues around the online platforms. Noting that social media is now among the most important modes of information and outreach, the minister said while it offers benefits such as learning, its broader impact must be clearly assessed to ensure they add value to society, their content is trustworthy and the platforms do their due diligence. "We must make sure that our society remains a harmonious society and we should see the role of social media from that point of view. Is social media able to add to that trust or is it disrupting society? Is it adding value or is it creating friction in the society? That thing has to be very clearly evaluated," Vaishnaw said in a recent interview to PTI. He said social media has emerged as a key channel for information, outreach and learning, but emphasised that its growing influence comes with responsibility. Vaishnaw was replying to a question on the government's view and action planned based on broad concerns being raised around ill-effects of online platforms specially on children. The minister underlined the clear need for evaluation on whether content on the platform is trustworthy and if required due diligence being undertaken in line with the stipulated norms. "Are there right sets of policies which make sure that the social media platforms are doing the things which are necessary for them to do? All those things have to be seen in that holistic manner and the economic survey has very rightly pointed out these issues in its document," Vaishnaw said. Taking cues for social media ban for children, the government's Economic Survey 2025-26 has suggested that age-based access to online platforms should be considered while also cutting down online teaching to avoid digital addiction. The Survey tabled in Parliament recently called for schools to play a critical role in shaping digital habits of children and promoting simpler devices for children for educational content access to prevent their exposure to harmful content online. "Policies on age-based access limits may be considered, as younger users are more vulnerable to compulsive use and harmful content. Platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and age-appropriate defaults, particularly for social media, gambling apps, auto-play features, and targeted advertising," the Survey said. During a media interaction after the release of the Survey, Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran has said that he has heard that the Andhra Pradesh and Goa governments are mulling ideas to come up with a policy on age-based access to online platforms. "But as I said, some of these things need not necessarily be only at the policy level. These are aspects to be dealt with by civil societies, educational institutions, parents themselves and policy can help," he had said. Asked if the government is contemplating a policy like the one in place in Australia on use of social media by children, he said, "I don't have any idea whether the Government of India is contemplating something like that." The Survey said online platforms should be made responsible for enforcing age verification and simpler devices should be promoted for children to access educational content with safeguards to address rising problem digital addiction. Last month, Vaishnaw had said that social media firms should take responsibility for content they publish and a standing committee has already recommended a tough law to fix accountability of platforms. The minister had also cited the recommendation of a parliamentary panel that has suggested the need to come up with a tough law to make social media accountable for content they publish. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said his government is willing to engage with the Trump administration as the Communist island braces for severe fuel shortages after the U.S. threatened to impose trade sanctions to countries shipping oil to the Communist island. Diaz-Canel said at a hastily convened news conference on Thursday that any dialogue should come without prior conditions, and as equals, respecting Cubas sovereignty. To surrender isnt an option for Cuba," he said, framed by an image of the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. His rare press conference, which lasted two hours, comes days after the U.S. identified the Cuban government as an unusual and extraordinary threat" due to its alliance with Russia, China, and Iran. Since last months raid in Venezuela to capture strongman Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration has moved to choke off Cubas fuel lifeline. Diaz-Canel said Cuba was no danger to the U.S., which he called the biggest threat to the worlds security. We arent in a state of war," he said. But we are preparing ourselves in case we have to move to a state of war." In recent weeks, the Trump administration has also been searching for Cuban government insiders who can help cut a deal to push out the Communist regime by the end of the year, according to people familiar with the plans. Trump has said his administration is talking to Cuba," although U.S. officials havent disclosed any details. It doesnt have to be a humanitarian crisis," Trump said earlier this week. I think they probably would come to us and want to make a deal." Cuba has been going through its worst crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union, primarily because of decades of economic mismanagement, made worse by the Covid epidemic, which decimated its tourism industry. U.S. sanctions have also taken a toll. The Caribbean island has long been dependent on supplies of Venezuelan oil, which ceased last month after Maduros capture. Cubans are now facing increasingly severe blackouts, and the situation is expected to deteriorate in coming weeks as fuel reserves run out under sustained U.S. pressure. Basic goods, food and medicines are hard to find. Unable to afford insecticide, Cuba has been plagued by mosquito-born diseases, overwhelming medical facilities. In Washington, lawmakers and prominent Trump allies who have long pressed for the U.S. to topple the government are now seeking to seize the opportunity to squeeze it further. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R., Fla.) on Thursday sent letters to major U.S. airline executives calling on them to immediately end all commercial flights to the island. Commercial flights provide the Cuban dictatorship with hard currency that directly benefits the regime," he wrote in the letter, arguing this goes against U.S. national security interests. Cubas government has accused the Trump administration of blackmail and coercion." Diaz-Canel said on Thursday that Cuba was working to increase oil output and fuel storage capacity. The island produces 40,000 barrels per day of low-quality crude, which is mostly used to power obsolete electricty plants that often fail because of shoddy maintenance. Oil experts say Cuba could run out of oil in a matter of weeks, bringing the islands economy to a stop, from public transport to hospitals, schools and factories. Tough times are coming," said Diaz-Canel. We will overcome this together with creative resistance." Write to Vera Bergengruen at vera.bergengruen@wsj.com and Jose de Cordoba at jose.decordoba@wsj.com When a lawyer representing the Justice Department told a judge in open court this week that she was exhausted and this job sucks," she said out loud what many federal prosecutors have been privately feeling for months. The Trump administrations immigration crackdownand the push to arrest many of the demonstrators protesting against itis straining U.S. attorneys offices across the country. Already overworked, government lawyers in cities that have seen unrest, including Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles, have been rocked by departures, crippling caseloads and directives from Washington that have made them uncomfortable. Justice Department officials have repeatedly sought reinforcements from other cities and government agencies, even temporarily assigning military lawyers to help deal with the crush. Department lawyers in several offices told The Wall Street Journal they empathized with Julie Le, a Department of Homeland Security attorney who was detailed to the U.S. attorneys office in Minneapolis to bolster staffing. They said her remarks during a Tuesday court hearing described a working environment with which they have become familiar. When you show up, they just throw you in the well and then here we go," Le told the judge, adding that she had stayed awake until 2:35 a.m. that day preparing. She said she had stupidly" volunteered for the Justice Department role and had been given no direction since starting last month. Le was on loan from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help the Minneapolis U.S. attorneys office wade through a deluge of cases brought by immigrants challenging the legality of their detentions. The office has been overwhelmed by more than 500 such habeas petitions in the eight weeks since the Trump administration launched a massive deportation effort in the Twin Cities, sparking protests. As of this week, the office had fewer than 20 attorneys, down from 55 in January of last year, and others are expected to leave in the coming weeks, citing concerns about the Trump administrations approach, people familiar with the matter said. Visiting prosecutors from Michigan, Wisconsin, the Dakotas and elsewhere have stepped in to fill the void. One person familiar with the Minnesota office said there are so many new faces that you walk down the hallway and you dont even recognize anyone." Administration officials say attorneys are swamped with immigration cases now because they are playing catch-up after lax enforcement under the Biden administration. And prosecutors are bringing more charges against demonstrators because assaults against officers are on the rise, they said. Justice Department spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre said some of the strain on government lawyers comes from judges not applying the law properly. After four years of de facto amnesty under the previous administration, the Trump administration is complying with court orders and fully enforcing federal immigration law," she said. Minnesotas Trump-appointed U.S. attorney, Daniel Rosen, said in a recent court filing his office has been forced to shift its already limited resources from other pressing and important priorities," to deal with the enormous burden" posed by the petitions. Paralegals are continuously working overtime. Lawyers are continuously working overtime," Rosen wrote, adding that the offices civil division, which would normally handle such cases, is down 50% in staffing. The problems extend well beyond Minneapolis. Other offices are stretched thin as they try to fulfill the administrations demand for charges stemming from street protests against immigration enforcement. This week, department leadership told all 93 U.S. attorneys to find prosecutors who can be sent to other districts on short notice as part of emergency jump teams" to help investigate and triage violent crime cases, namely assaults on federal law enforcement, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Justin Simmons, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, recently told Justice Department leadership that he urgently needed reinforcements, either to be sent there or help remotely, to deal with the crushing volume of immigrants challenging their detentions. In a statement, Simmons said his offices civil attorneys are doing their best to manage the caseload," and have represented the interests of the American people on this front with professionalism and a degree of legal acumen all Americans should be proud of." Several judges have chided the Justice Department for missing deadlines or otherwise failing to comply with court orders in scores of cases, saying those failures, even if a result of being overwhelmed, were a problem of the administrations own making. Having what you feel are too many detainees, too many cases, too many deadlines, and not enough infrastructure to keep up with it all, is not a defense to continued detention. If anything, it ought to be a warning sign," U.S. District Judge Jerry Blackwell told Le during the hearing this week. Among other frustrations, current and former prosecutors in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., say they have been under pressure to quickly build cases against demonstrators, often without having a chance to fully examine the facts. Some have quit rather than bring charges. One current prosecutor said the amount of institutional knowledge lost in the exodus of Justice Department lawyers over the past year could take decades to replace. Over the weekend, Chad Mizelle, the former chief of staff to Attorney General Pam Bondi, tried his hand at recruiting, posting on social media that lawyers who want to be prosecutors and support President Trump and anti-crime agenda," should privately message him. Now is your chance to join the mission and do good for our country," Mizelle wrote on X, which drew criticism from some legal scholars who said the administration cant impose a political litmus test on attorneys hired for career positions. White House aide Stephen Miller reposted the message, adding, Patriots needed." At least one Trump-appointed U.S. attorney shared the post to his own feed, along with a link to a job posting. Write to Sadie Gurman at sadie.gurman@wsj.com and Hannah Critchfield at hannah.critchfield@wsj.com MUSCAT, OmanSenior officials from Iran and the U.S. gathered in Oman for talks over Tehrans disputed nuclear program on Friday, hoping to avert a new conflict in the Middle East amid an American military buildup in the region. The meeting, the first for the countries since the 12-day war in June with Israel that ended with an American bombing raid on nuclear sites, comes as the U.S. again has amassed air and naval forces near Iran and is threatening to strike over Tehrans nuclear program. President Trump wants to see if a deal can be struck in Fridays talks, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said late Thursday, but she warned that Trump has many options at his disposal besides diplomacy. This is the most dangerous time in the bilateral relationship in the 40-plus years Ive been following Iran," said Alan Eyre, a former senior U.S. diplomat and nuclear negotiator with Iran. The possible downsides to a wrong move are commensurately high." U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi for the talks. The delegation will also include Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, according to a U.S. official. While it isnt typical for Defense Department officials to join high-level diplomatic talks, Trump has dispatched senior military leaders to negotiations during his tenure. The U.S. wants Tehran to stop enriching uranium, curb its ballistic missile program and end its support for regional proxies. Iran has said it is willing to discuss only its nuclear work. Fernando Ferreira, a geopolitical analyst at Washington-based consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group said that while Trump appears genuinely interested in a deal, the gap with Iran is still too wide to allow an offramp from conflict. Iran is returning to the table in a position of weakness. Its enrichment equipment was either destroyed by U.S. and Israeli strikes last June or buried under tons of rubble. Protests earlier this year posed the greatest challenge to the regime in its half-century in power and were only put down with brutal force that left thousands dead. The countrys economy is in shambles, with its currency spiraling to new lows amid the threat of new conflict. But Irans top leaders are digging in, showing little readiness to compromise on the core issue of ending uranium enrichment and threatening to trigger a regional war if the U.S. attacks. The U.S. is also taking a hard line, saying late Thursday it wants Irans nuclear program gone forever. Late Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted topics for the talks should include Irans ballistic missiles, support for its regional militia allies like Hezbollah and Hamas, and human rights. Even the timing, location and scope of the talks have been points of contention. On Tuesday, Iran launched a drone at an American aircraft carrier and sent gunboats to harass a U.S.-flagged oil tanker, prompting speculation the meeting might be called off. Iranian officials also balked at the initially agreed upon venue for the talksin Turkeyand their formata regional gathering to discuss nuclear issues but also missiles and militia support. A compromise was found with the meeting in Oman. The back and forth over procedural matters shows how difficult it will be to bridge the gaps on substance," said Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. Regional officials and many analysts said their expectations for the meeting are low, and some are resigned to an inevitable strike. The best possible outcome is announcing a follow-on meeting," said Eyre, the ex-U.S. diplomat. Write to Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com The White House on Thursday launched its drug-pricing website, dubbed TrumpRx, the culmination of efforts by the administration to bring down pharmaceutical costs for some consumers. When it launched, it had roughly 40 drugs available, including obesity treatments Novo Nordisks Wegovy and Eli Lillys Zepbound and infertility treatments such as Gonal-F from EMD Serono. The prices for the drugs on TrumpRx were generally much lower than their sticker price, with President Trump touting some discounts of hundreds of dollars a month. The website, TrumpRx.gov, allows customers to search for specific medicines and purchase them through a manufacturers direct-to-consumer site, or in some cases gives users coupons that they can present at certain pharmacies. Were going to save a lot of money and be healthy," Trump said at the White House unveiling of the site, promising to save Americans billions. Youre going to save tremendous amounts of money." The Trump administration in recent weeks has sought to highlight efforts to bring down everyday costs for Americans, with polls showing that voters are increasingly unhappy with the presidents handling of the economy. Its one of the first things weve seen from Republicans to really focus on the affordability of healthcare in a tangible way," said Chris Meekins, a Raymond James analyst. The website likely wont have a substantial impact on the amount most Americans pay for their prescriptions, as most of Americans are insuredeither through private or government plansand are likely to get a better deal on the drugs via their coverage. The roughly 27 million Americans who are uninsured are those most likely to benefit from the direct-to-consumer offerings. TrumpRx is really catering to the self-pay market. Thats just a very small percentage of Americans," said Ipsita Smolinski, a health policy consultant. You just dont have a big proportion of Americans that are able to take advantage." The lowest dose of Zepbound, Eli Lillys obesity drug, is offered on the site for $299 a monthroughly $50 cheaper than the company had previously offered cash-paying patients on its website. It is also about $700 cheaper than its list price, according to 46brooklyn Research, a nonprofit that analyzes drug prices. The list prices for drugs dont often reflect what insured consumers pay out of pocket. Insurers and employers often pay a lower net price for medicines because of rebates and discounts. Many of the drugs that had been announced as part of the White House negotiations with drugmakers, such as Amgens Repatha and Gileads Epclusa, arent yet available on the site. The White House said the site currently has products from the first five manufacturers to reach deals with the Trump administration, including AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer. Trump said more drugs would be added soon. Pfizer said more than 30 of its medicines will be made available at discounts through TrumpRx, for uninsured patients or those paying outside of their insurance. The discounts will average about 50% and range as high as 85% off list prices, Pfizer said. The government has sought what it calls most favored nation" prices, fees considered in line with those paid by other developed countries for prescription drugs. The White House is asking lawmakers to pass a version of most favored nation pricing into law, rather than relying on further ad hoc negotiations, as part of Trumps healthcare plan. But that effort is expected to be an uphill battle in Congress. Federal government policy changes including Medicare price negotiations have led drugmakers to cut list prices on brand-name drugs. Johnson & Johnson said that its deal with the Trump administration will cost it hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, but the company still expects its sales to grow this year and potentially top $100 billion. Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk warned this week revenue will drop more sharply than expected this year because of lower prices, including those resulting from its most favored nation deal with the White House. Write to Liz Essley Whyte at liz.whyte@wsj.com, Jennifer Calfas at jennifer.calfas@wsj.com and Peter Loftus at Peter.Loftus@wsj.com HARRY SCHONEs job is to work out how the police can use artificial intelligence. At Police Scotlands headquarters, a glass cube in Glasgows East End, he has assembled a team of coders and engineers who stand out among strait-laced colleagues. They are working on an array of schemes: a program that transcribes evidence; a model that helps shift-planners deploy officers; a tool that matches reported thefts with ads on resale websites. Across the rich world police forces are struggling. Many have had their funding cut. In Britain sluggish response times, low clear-up rates and a series of scandals have left public confidence in policing near a record low: 51% of people think the cops are doing a good job, down from 75% in 2000. What if there were a silver bullet? Policingperhaps more than any other public servicecould be transformed by AI. Whether that opportunity will be grasped, however, is open to question. Mr Plodding Policing is an old craft that has often resisted change. In the 20th century police chiefs opposed the introduction of motor cars (horses were just fine) and radios (officers would get lazy). In the 21st the rank-and-file resisted computers, preferring to write their case notes by hand. But at its core policing is about intelligence, and involves processing vast troves of information. That makes it a good test case of AI. People underestimate how much this could transform our service," says Superintendent Lewis Lincoln-Gordon of the National Police Chiefs Council. Take transcription. Police Scotland employs 40 typists. Most forces still operate a typing pool to transcribe interviews and produce evidence for court. Officers, trained to fight crime, spend a lot of time filling in forms. In England and Wales half a million officer hours each year are wasted on unnecessary paperwork. Mr Schones team has built a transcription tool, similar to those embedded in most videoconferencing software. They had to make it themselves, for data-security reasons, but the proliferation of open-source models has made that simple with decent coders. It is not yet as accurate as a typist, who will still be better for the most sensitive documents. But it can be applied at an almost infinitely larger scale, constrained only by computing power, freeing officers and speeding investigations. Technology should also transform how evidence is gathered. The established modelsomeone calls up and is told to come into the stationis antiquated. Londons Metropolitan Police has recently introduced a chatbot for reporting crime. Some forces are making it easier for people to quickly submit evidence, such as footage from a dashcam or security camera. Visit the headquarters of Essex Police in Chelmsford, and you will find a dozen headphone-clad officers on video calls. This is the rapid-video-response team, which handles domestic-abuse cases. Many victims dont want to come to the station or have a police car turn up on their road," says Sergeant Stacey Rothwell. The call is automatically transcribed and put into a case file. Some perpetrators have been arrested within two hours. As the mountain of evidence grows, AI can extract what is useful. In another Police Scotland project, advanced analytics is being used to scour data on sexual abuse of children. Facial recognition, powered by AI, has been piloted by the Met and South Wales police, and has proved helpful. One force used cameras to identify paedophiles trying to attend a Taylor Swift concert. But adoption has been slow. In August the Home Office announced the roll-out of ten facial-recognition vans, to be shared across all of England and Wales. AIs potential to improve policing is large, but three obstacles will get in the way. One is money. In England and Wales the police budget will rise by 1.7% a year over the rest of the parliament, not enough to keep pace with staffing costs (this years pay award was 4.2%). So capital budgets have been raided. The central pot for new technologies, including AI, will be halved next year. More widely, police chiefs hands have been tied by ministers obsession with getting bobbies on the beat. Second, as in the past, is inertia. As employees of the crown, police officers cannot be made redundant. Nor, because of collective bargaining, can their administrative roles be easily adapted. Most forces have not prioritised digital skills. And, as Mr Schone puts it, young people just dont think about policing as a tech career." Police Scotland, which is the second-largest force in the country, has some pulling power. Most forces in England and Wales are far smaller. The Met, Britains largest, would struggle to offer the salaries needed to attract tech talent in the capital. Third is the risk of public opposition. People think AI can improve policing and support its use. But there could be a backlash if they get the sense that machines are making decisions. To uphold Britains model of policing by consent, police leaders will need to explain how their methods are changing. That has not always been a strength: the outcry over facial recognition has in part been a failure of persuasion. All this will slow progress, despite the obvious benefits. Yet as Mr Schone notes, AI is already transforming criminality. The police can ill afford to stand still. Correction (December 7th): An earlier version of this story mistakenly said that the police were unionised. All the photographs that appear in the Britain section of The Economist this week are from the archive of Martin Parr, one of the countrys finest photographers, who died on December 6th, aged 73. MUMBAI , NEW DELHI : Telecom operator Bharti Airtel has begun testing mobile signals at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), two people familiar with the development said, signalling progress on cellular connectivity at the facility that was inaugurated in late December. The development assumes significance as billionaire Gautam Adanis newest airport has been operating for over a month without network coverage from private telecom operators, causing persistent connectivity issues for passengers. Bharti Airtel has commenced signal testing at the airport NMIA to evaluate the viability of providing mobile network services," said one of the people cited above. NMIA has experienced that the test signals are working smoothly in various sections of the terminal where Proof of Concept trials are underway. The airport will continue to monitor signal efficacy for a few more days." Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea has brought its testing equipment to the airport and is also expected to begin network signal trials, a second person said. Reliance Jio, however, has not yet started such testing. While Airtel has started signal testing, passengers will be able to get the operators network only after both the telecom operator and the airport agree on commercial terms. Disagreements over pricing have been the key reason for delays in rolling out mobile connectivity from private operators at the airport. Queries emailed to Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and NMIA did not elicit any response till press time. Pricing standoff Telecom operators, represented by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), have sought the governments and the telecom regulators intervention to resolve the issue. They alleged that NMIA quoted exorbitantly" high charges for laying mobile infrastructure inside the airport. According to the operators, NMIA has sought about 92 lakh per month per operatoramounting to nearly 44.16 crore annually for four operatorsto deploy network infrastructure and provide mobile connectivity. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is currently examining the pricing concerns faced by telecom companies at the Navi Mumbai airport. The airport had also proposed reduced charges in line with pricing at Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), which is about 40 lakh per month. However, operators did not accept the proposal, arguing that the charges were not reasonable given the airports footfall, according to a telecom executive. At some other major airports, such as Delhi, operators pay around 1012 lakh per month. Also Read | TRAI reviews pricing issue in deploying network at Navi Mumbai airport Beyond pricing, telecom operators have alleged that they were denied right of way (RoW) permissions for installing telecom infrastructure at the airport. NMIA, however, has said that RoW has never been denied to any telecom service provider. To be sure, NMIA has deployed its own in-building solution as a neutral-host mobile network, allowing telecom operators to offer coverage through the airports indoor network instead of installing separate equipment. Airtel's Mittal weighs in Last month, Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, said the connectivity issue would be resolved. It is too much noise. I think it (the issue) will get settled down," Mittal told CNBC-TV18 on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. In the end, customers have to be served everywhere. Under the Indian Telegraph Actold 1856 and 2023 nowright of way access, provision of services to customers is a must. Equally, airport operators put up a lot of equipment; they need to be given compensation for their return. Some balance will come out." Mittal also flagged concerns around telecom infrastructure contracts in tunnels and metro systems, where third-party operators charge telecom companies steep fees after paying large franchise amounts. What does that meancustomers suffer because we cannot pay obnoxious right of way charges to the tunnels and to metros," he said. Passengers have faced similar connectivity issues on the Mumbai Metro Aqua Line, where operators have failed to agree on pricing. Wi-Fi workaround As pricing discussions continue, NMIA is offering Wi-Fi connectivity to travellers. Passengers can also access the mobile network of state-owned BSNL at the airport. Mobile connectivity is available only outside the airport premises, including after aircraft land and passengers are deboarded via aerobridges or buses. Inside the terminal, mobile networks do not function, and volunteers are stationed to help passengers connect to Wi-Fi. Signboards with instructions for accessing the Wi-Fi are placed across the terminal. In the basement, passengers must remain connected to Wi-Fi to book cabs for onward travel. Airport footprint NMIA is the eighth airport owned by Adani Airports Holding, a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises. Indias top three airlinesIndiGo, Air India Groups Air India Express and Akasa Airare currently operating flights from the airport. NMIA crossed 1 lakh passengers within the first 19 days of commercial operations, according to the latest update. The airport business contributed 10% to Adani Enterprises total consolidated income and 21% of its Ebitda. Income from the airport business rose 27% to 8,062 crore in FY25. Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Friday said the company is looking to expand its data centre capacity over the next few years and position itself as a leading sovereign cloud provider in the country. The telecom operator is banking on the rising local data hosting needs to gain market share. Separately, the company is waiting for a response from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on its request seeking parity with Vodafone Idea for the recalculation of its adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. "We have written a few letters to the DoT asking for a clarification and basically requesting parity on the treatment of the AGR dues. We are yet to hear from the DoT. Once we hear from them, we will then decide what our next steps are," its executive vice chairman, Gopal Vittal said. In the data centres business under its subsidiary Nxtra, Airtel aims to reach 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity over the next 3-4 years, up from the current 120-130 megawatts. With the increase in capacity, the telecom operator is targeting a market share in the segment of 25% from 12% currently, Vittal, said in a post-December quarter earnings call with analysts. One of the places we are not particularly satisfied is the fact that our data centres market share is lowWhile I cannot provide precise capex (capital expenditure) guidance today, you will see increased investments in this segment, Vittal said. Airtels increased focus on data centres and cloud business assumes significance as the broader market growth in the wireless business has been averaging about 6% for the last couple of years, compared to 10% growth earlier. Key Takeaways Airtel aims to reach 1GW of data centre capacity and secure a 25% market share. Through Xtelify, Airtel is chasing MeitY certification to capture high-security data contracts in BFSI and manufacturing. Arpu reached a sector-leading 259, as the company prioritizes premiumization' and data-volume pricing over 5G-specific premiums. Net profit slumped 55% YoY, missing Bloomberg estimates by 7%, despite a nearly 20% jump in revenue. Nearly 80% of the user base is now on 4G/5G, but the company faces headwinds from a shrinking pool of 2G users to convert. AI hub investment In the budget 2026-27, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman also announced a tax holiday until 2047 for foreign cloud service providers using Indian data centres. Its early days, but we think this will certainly fuel demand for data centres, Vittal said, adding that the company has a distinct role to play in this environment given its availability of land, use of green power, and capital allocation for the business. In the September quarter, Vittal mentioned that Airtel has been investing 1,500 crore a year in Nxtra. In October, Airtel also entered into a strategic partnership with Google to set up Indias first artificial intelligence (AI) hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. In a note in October, Macquarie Equity Research said India currently has 1.4GW of operational data centre capacity, with 1.4GW under-construction and another 5GW in planning stage. "Key thematic tailwinds include data localisation laws, supportive regulatory environment and subsidies from central and state governments, rising enterprise cloud adoption, surge in mobile data demand and OTT (over-the-top) content, and growth of digital-native businesses," analysts at Macquarie said in the note. Along with the data centre offerings, Airtel is also doubling down on investments in the cloud business. We are also looking for certification with Meity (ministry of electronics and information technology) on being constituted as a sovereign cloud, Vittal said. Sovereign cloud refers to a digital platform that is entirely within the country for storing and processing data and running applications. From the codebase to the physical data centres, everything is fully located in India. Arpu growth Airtel cloud business is housed under its digital arm, Xtelify. In August, the company announced its sovereign cloud offering amid growing focus among Indian enterprises on securing sensitive data. We have signed over 16 deals with over 300 ongoing conversations with customers across sectors with a focus on BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) and manufacturing, Vittal said, adding that there are over 116 features that are required to be a very good competitive cloud, and Airtel has built most of those features. In FY25, Airtel incurred a capex of 42,290 crore. In the nine months ended December, the company has spent about 31,456 crore. Besides the cloud and data centre business, the company is also exploring opportunities in the financial services sector and in business-to-business (B2B) offerings. On the core mobile business, Airtel expects the growth in average revenue per user (Arpu) will be aided by factors such as premiumization, prepaid to postpaid conversions, 2G to 4G/5G upgrades, international roaming, and data consumption, in the absence of any tariff hikes. Bharti Airtel has increased the gap on Arpu with Reliance Jio. During the quarter, Airtels Arpu rose 1.2% sequentially to 259 a month. For context, Jios Arpu was 213.70, and Vodafone Ideas Arpu was at 172 a month at the end of December. Also Read | Airtel partners Adobe to offer Express Premium access free to 360 mn customers When asked about a differentiated pricing between 4G and 5G, Shashwat Sharma, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Airtel (India), said, We have to keep reading and look at really a differential pricing architecture where people pay more for more (data consumption) instead of looking at differential 4G or 5G pricing because that creates a little bit of confusion in the market and customers don't know what they're using. Subscriber base To be sure, Sharma was appointed as MD and CEO of Airtel India effective 1 January after Vittal was promoted to the role of executive vice president Bharti Airtel. In the December quarter, Bharti Airtel added 4.35 million mobile users, taking its total mobile subscriber base in India to 368.5 million. Notably, 79.8% of the companys mobile subscribers are on 4G/5G. The company ended the quarter with 181 million 5G customers. The company has rolled out 5G standalone (SA) technology pan-India for home broadband fixed wireless access (FWA) services. Most FWA customers are now on the SA network, which provides superior updates and experience, it said. So, 5G standalone means the network that runs entirely on 5G infrastructure, without depending on older 4G systems underneath. Our share in 5G shipments continues to improve, and 5G handset penetration is rising. Today, over 90% of smartphones sold are 5G-enabled, Sharma said. When asked about slowing net additions in 4G/5G, Sharma attributed the factors to SIM card consolidation driven by previous tariff increases and a shrinking feature phone funnel. On Thursday, Indias second-largest telecom operator by market share reported a 55% year-on-year (y-o-y) fall in its net profit to 6,631 crore, about 7% lower than Bloombergs estimates. Sequentially, it fell 2.4% in Q3 from 6,791.7 crore in the preceding quarter. Alongside, revenue in the quarter was up 19.6% y-o-y and 3.5% sequentially at 53,982 crore. This was largely driven by an increase in its mainstay mobile services business, its focus on premium services, upgrades from 2G to 4G/5G, postpaid subscribers, and its Africa business. JOHANNESBURGThe corporate exodus from what was supposed to be Africas breakout economy is accelerating, propelled by a toxic cocktail of corruption, lawlessness and poor infrastructure. Foreign investors from Shell to British American Tobacco are downsizing in South Africa. Those decisions could mark a watershed moment for a country where the governments ability to deliver basic services has become so limited that private firms have taken over many basic civic functions. Africas biggest and most-developed economy has long been plagued by logistical problems, including failing infrastructure and rising electricity costs. Firms have put up with those drawbacks for access to South Africas deep seam of mineral wealth and its growing consumer market. But a catalog of recent high-profile corruption scandals, often linked to laws intended to right the racial wrongs of apartheid, has eroded South Africas reputation among investors and exacerbated the countrys fundamental problems, including regular dayslong water and power outages. Legislation designed to improve the lot of South Africas Black majority has also deterred investment. Elon Musks SpaceX was in talks with South African officials about launching its Starlink internet service in the countrywhich could have boosted the fortunes of the countrys economic backwatersbut the billionaire, the worlds richest, is demanding an exemption from a rule that requires foreign companies to give up 30% of their local operations to Black South Africans. The World Bank estimates that crime costs South Africas economy at least 10% of gross domestic product annually, including stolen property, the extra costs of security and insurance, and missed economic opportunities. Rolex closed its South African affiliate office in 2024, citing what a spokeswoman called the evolution of local markets. Criminals, collectively dubbed the Rolex gang, terrorize wealthy Johannesburg residents by robbing them of their luxury watches at gunpoint, often shooting first and grabbing the watch after. The Rolex spokeswoman declined to say whether such groups influenced the companys decision to leave the country. Rolex is maintaining an after-sales service center there, she said. Shell, along with BP, sold the refinery they jointly owned to South Africas state-owned Central Energy Fund in 2024 for one South African rand, or about six U.S. cents. That same year, Shell said it would sell its gas stations in the country, but the company has yet to find a buyer. The oil major didnt respond to a request for comment. Its less about the proceeds. Its more about taking things that dont fit our strategy off the books," Shell Chief Financial Officer Sinead Gorman said on the companys second-quarter earnings call in July. British American Tobacco has announced that it is closing its last cigarette-manufacturing facility in South Africa by the end of this year, due to the illicit trade in cigarettes that has wiped out around 75% of the local legal market for tobacco. The company intends to shift to an import model. The cigarette maker says its facility, first opened in 1975, currently operates at just 35% capacity, due to the exponential growth of the illicit tobacco trade in South Africa, triggered by a ban on cigarette sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Weve held on for as long as we could, in the hope that all the pronouncements that the government is making would come to fruition," Johnny Moloto, head of corporate and regulatory affairs at the companys sub-Saharan Africa unit, told The Wall Street Journal. Weve now reached that tipping point." He added that the company would reinvest in local production should the government bring the illicit trade in cigarettes under control. During the Covid pandemic, South Africa banned tobacco sales in an effort to relieve the healthcare system. The ban resulted in a flood of illicit cigarettes. The courts later declared the ban unconstitutional, but the legitimate cigarette market has never recovered. In 2024, BNP Paribas closed its corporate and investment bank in South Africa amid a broader pullback from the continent by European banks. Later that year, HSBC said it would transfer its South African business to local banks and exit the country. Some multinationals operating here have themselves become embroiled in South Africas endemic corruption. Bain shut down its South African consulting business last year after a state corruption inquiry into Jacob Zuma found the company had colluded with the former president to weaken South Africas tax agency. The Boston-based firm was banned from doing business with the South African government in 2022, after the National Treasury accused Bain of corrupt and fraudulent practices." Bains actions curbed the tax agencys ability to tackle financial crime, according to the inquiry, which heard testimony over almost three years that Zuma and members of his government allegedly allowed well-connected businessmen and foreign companies to score lucrative government contracts in return for payments and other favors. There have been no convictions related to the corruption allegations, which analysts say is evidence of further government failure. Zuma didnt respond to a request for comment via his lawyer. He has repeatedly denied the allegations. Bain didnt respond to requests for comment. Mining giant Anglo American, a stalwart among South Africas foreign investors, is currently working to divest its majority stake in diamond behemoth De Beers for either an initial public offering or sale. Last year it spun off and then sold its remaining stake in the worlds No. 1 platinum mining company, South Africa-based Anglo American Platinum, now called Valterra Platinum. View Full Image An open-pit platinum mine operated by Valterra Platinum in South Africa. Nqobile Dludla/Reuters Still, Anglo, which has operated in South Africa for over 100 years, isnt giving up on the country entirely. It has retained its majority shareholding in South African miner Kumba Iron Ore, as well as an interest in a local manganese business and its sprawling wine farm, Vergelegen, outside of Cape Town. We continue to see South Africa as our hub for investment into the entire region, whether in exploration or more developed opportunities," said James Wyatt-Tilby, a spokesman for Anglo American. We are incredibly proud of the broader contributions that we make in the country towards addressing a number of national priorities, whether relating to energy, logistics, crime and corruption, or education, to name a few." Write to Alexandra Wexler at alexandra.wexler@wsj.com MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India plans to remove the limit of 2.5 trillion applicable to investments under the Voluntary Retention Route (VRR), a move seen to draw greater overseas investments. Investment through the VRR in each category of securities will be subject to the investment ceiling for the respective category under the general route, RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra said on Friday. Introduced in 2019, VRR is meant to encourage foreign portfolio investors planning long-term investments in Indias debt markets. Investments through VRR will be free of some regulatory norms provided FPIs voluntarily commit to retain a minimum percentage of their investments in India for a period. This route gives FPIs more operational flexibility through a choice of instruments. Of the 2.5 trillion limit through VRR, 2.04 trillion had been allotted to investors as of 5 February, according to data from the National Securities Depository Ltd. Now, foreign investors who are willing to commit their funds for a minimum period can invest without worrying about the VRR quota getting exhausted, said Venkatkrishnan Srinivasan, founder of financial advisory firm Rockfort Fincap LLP. However, these investments will still remain within the existing overall limits applicable to government bonds, state loans and corporate bonds. No artificial caps Srinivasan said the central bank is saying that it does not want to restrict stable, long-term foreign investors through artificial caps, while continuing to retain regulatory safeguards. The RBI granted foreign investors greater freedom to buy Indian corporate bonds in May, giving them a chance to purchase more short-term paper. The central bank had then removed short-term investment and concentration limits from its rules governing foreign investments in corporate bonds. Also Read | Budget brings Total Return Swaps to corporate bonds: What it means Fractal Analytics IPO: Artificial Intelligence firm Fractal Analytics Limited announced on Friday, 6 February, that it has raised 1,248.26 crore from anchor investors ahead of its initial public offering (IPO). The company allotted 1,38,69,499 equity shares to 52 anchor investors, with an allocation price of 900 per equity share. Of the total equity shares allocated to the anchor investors, 52,77,680 or around 38% were allocated to 11 domestic mutual funds across 22 schemes, the company said. The anchor book saw strong participation from leading domestic institutional investors, including mutual funds such as SBI Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Motilal Oswal Mutual Fund, UTI Mutual Fund, Trust Mutual Fund, Bandhan Mutual Fund, Invesco Mutual Fund, Baroda BNP Paribas Mutual Fund, and Sundaram Mutual Fund, among others. Among insurance companies, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited, SBI Life Insurance Company Limited, Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Limited, and Edelweiss Life Insurance Company Limited participated. Participation from global investors included Morgan Stanley Investment Funds, Ashoka WhiteOak Emerging Markets Funds, Jupiter Global Fund, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe, Societe Generale ODI, Flumen Investment Trust, Optimix Wholesale Global Emerging Markets Share Trust, Neo Prime Fund, Neo Secondaries Fund, among others. Also Read | Fractal Analytics IPO Here are 10 key things to know from the RHP Fractal Analytics GMP On Friday, 6 February, the grey market premium (GMP) of the Fractal IPO stood at 61 per share at 9:35 pm. With the upper price band at 900 per share, the company's shares are expected to be listed at 961, representing a premium of 6.78%, according to data from Chittorgarh. Fractal Analytics IPO details The proposed IPO, valued at 2,834 crore, will comprise a fresh issue of shares worth 1,023.5 crore, alongside an Offer For Sale (OFS) component worth 1,810.4 crore. The OFS is being undertaken by existing shareholders, including Quinag Bidco Ltd, TPG Fett Holdings Pte. Ltd, Satya Kumari Remala, Rao Venkateswara Remala, and GLM Family Trust. Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited, Morgan Stanley India Company Private Limited, Axis Capital Limited, and Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Private Limited are the Book Running Lead Managers to the Offer. How will Fractal Analytics use the funds? The AI firm plans to use a portion of the IPO proceeds to support its subsidiary to settle outstanding debts, while another portion of the funds raised will be allocated to buying laptops, securing new office premises, and investing in research and development, sales and marketing, as well as in certain undisclosed acquisitions. Tata Power Co. Ltd shares are down around 3% after its consolidated Ebitda for the December quarter (Q3FY26), adjusted for one-off regulatory income, fell by 9% year-on-year, to 3,100 crore. Revenue, too, declined by 9% to 13,900 crore. The continued shutdown of the Mundra power plant since July has hurt Tata Powers performance. Mundra, along with the associated coal and shipping businesses, reported a loss of 145 crore at the Ebitda level (including other income) in Q3FY26, against a profit of 809 crore in the year ago period. The plant is lying idle as its power purchase agreement (PPA) does not allow fuel cost pass-through, making it commercially unviable at current fuel prices. Note that the plant was operational last year under the central governments directive which allowed fuel pass through. Tata Power has been in discussion with the consuming states since July to enter into a supplementary PPA allowing fuel pass-through. The agreement remains elusive till date, even as the company hopes to reach a deal soon. The good thing is that Tata Powers other two businesses continue to do well. The renewables business recorded a 66% increase in Ebitda (including other income), to over 1,600 crore, driven by the scaling up of the integrated solar cell & module manufacturing plant, which reached full capacity. Also Read | India seeks to add to its solar cell, module manufacturing Buoyed by the swift ramp-up of the plant, Tata Power is planning to integrate further backwards into ingot wafer manufacturing, and is exploring sites along with state incentives being offered for it. While the solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) division saw an impressive 38% revenue growth, while its Ebitda grew only 7% with a decline of nearly 500 basis points in margin to 11.2%, due to an increase in execution of in-house projects. The margin may remain under pressure in Q4 and FY27 also, with focus on meeting captive needs. The transmission and distribution (T&D) segment got a push from improving performance of the Odisha distribution segment, leading to robust Ebitda growth of 58% to 2,021 crore. The business, taken over by Tata Power in FY21 as a JV partner with the Odisha government, is seeing steady improvement in billing efficiency and a decline in distribution losses, reflecting the gains from discom privatisation. The T&D segment now accounts for over half of Tata Powers Ebitda, up from 37% a year ago. Also Read | Tata Power battles Mundra plant closure even as renewables outperform in Q1 Unfortunately for investors, Tata Powers shares have stayed largely flat over the past year, dragged down by Mundras underperformance. The stock trades at an enterprise value of 10.7 times FY27 estimated Ebitda, as per Bloomberg consensus and seems to lack the fire power for a re-rating. At current market price, we find most positives priced in while Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (Mundra) loss may continue despite resolution (expected by Feb-Mar '26)," says Nuvama Institutional Equities in a 4 February note. Besides, while the company is investing significantly to raise its generation capacity from the current about 16 GW to 26 GW, about half of the projects are back-ended. We find Tata Powers growth story materialising over FY28-30, as the renewable energy/ pumped hydro storage projects come up, to reach 10,000 core PAT target by FY30," adds Nuvama. (Bloomberg) -- Oil edged higher in a choppy session as investors assessed the status of nuclear talks between the US and Iran. West Texas Intermediate traded above $63 a barrel, with markets reacting sharply to headlines tied to the meeting. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks had a good start, even as the Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran stood by its refusal to end enrichment of nuclear fuel, a major sticking point for the US. The escalation in the Middle East, which provides about a third of the worlds crude, has added a risk premium to benchmark oil prices. Traders have weighed the geopolitical tensions against an outlook for oversupply. Still, futures in New York are on track for their first weekly retreat since mid-December as the US-Iran talks helped allay concerns over a broader conflict in the region. Futures also extended gains after data showed US consumer sentiment unexpectedly improved to the highest in six months, allaying some concerns over an economic slowdown in the country that could lead to a potential slowdown in oil demand. Meanwhile, in trilateral negotiations with the US, Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange prisoners for the first time in five months as they sought to end their four-year conflict. Talks were making progress, with results expected in the coming weeks, Trumps special envoy said. Saudi Arabia cut prices for buyers in Asia by less than expected in a sign the kingdom has faith in demand for its barrels, although prices have still been reduced to the lowest since late-2020. To get Bloombergs Energy Daily newsletter in your inbox, click here. --With assistance from Nicholas Lua and Weilun Soon. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Realty company Anant Raj shares have experienced a notable decline over the past few months, dropping significantly from the 52-week high. The stock has fallen from highs of 744 to 541. Recently, it has gained attention following the announcements in the Union Budget 2026, which provided a favourable push to data center stocks. This editorial delves into some key indicators that may offer insights into the potential trajectory of the stock price in the coming years. This is not a stock recommendation. About Anant Raj Anant Raj is a prominent Indian real estate development company based in New Delhi that has been active since 1969. It is known for residential townships, commercial properties, IT parks, hospitality projects, malls, and increasingly data centers. The positives working in favour of Anant Raj Good financials The company has reported three-year compounded sales growth of 64.6%, while the net profit growth during the period has been 105.7%. Strong emerging presence in data centres Anant Raj is advancing with its data center plans. It recently operationalised its second data center facility in Panchkula, featuring a capacity of 7 MW IT load. Additionally, the Manesar facility has been upgraded to a 21 MW IT load capacity. Furthermore, the company plans to invest 45 billion (bn) in Andhra Pradesh to develop a data center, IT park, and cloud services, with a total planned capacity of 50 MW IT load. Strong growth likely in real estate The company is also rapidly expanding its core real estate business. The Estate One (Group Housing 2 project) in Gurugram of over 5.09 acres is on track for launch in Q4 FY26. The company has also commenced phase IV of the Anant Raj Estate having an additional project area of 6.075 acres. Another Group Housing over 6.39 acres is progressing as per schedule and is expected to receive permissions in Q4 of FY26. Tax holiday advantage The 2026 Union Budget introduced a tax holiday (until 2047) for global cloud services from Indian data centres. Anant Raj, which has a planned capacity of 307 MW by 2032. Low cost land bank The company possesses approximately 83 acres of low-cost land, which is expected to drive growth in the real estate segment. Factors to look at before considering the stock Valuations Valuations are fundamentally relative, allowing for varied interpretations. While certain investors may be prepared to pay higher multiples for growth potential, it's important to note that Anant Raj's stock is currently trading at a price to earnings (PE) ratio of approximately 36 and a price to book (PB) value of 3.4. Execution & cash flow pressure While data centre expansion is promising, its capital-intensive and could temporarily stretch cash flows and delay profits from new assets. Execution delays or cost overruns in real estate or infrastructure projects also pose risks. Financial Numbers of Anant Raj Lets now take a look at the financial numbers of Anant Raj. On the financial front, the company has been doing well. For Q3FY26, revenues stood at 641.6 crore, up 20% YoY. Ebitda margins for the quarter stood at 28.55% up 229 bps YoY from 26.27%. The net profit of the company grew 30.68% YoY to 1,44.23 crore. Revenue from data center, infrastructure and allied services stood at 102 crore, which is still small in the overall context. What to expect from Anant Raj in next three years? Anant Raj has successfully reduced its debt substantially over the last few years, bringing it down from 1,494 crore in FY21 to 500 crore in FY25. The company possesses approximately 83 acres of low-cost land, which is expected to drive growth of the real estate business. Additionally, the data centre operations are projected to contribute significantly to the companys revenue in the coming years. However, effective execution will remain a critical factor for the company moving forward. Investors should also closely monitor valuations of the stock. Investors should evaluate the company's fundamentals, corporate governance, and valuations of the stock as key factors when conducting due diligence before making investment decisions. Happy investing. Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com The board of directors of Fortis Healthcare Limited is scheduled to meet on Friday, February 13, 2026 to consider and approve Q3 results, as per the company's announcement in an exchange filing. .the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on Friday, February 13, 2026, to inter-alia, consider and approve the Un-audited Financial Results (Standalone and Consolidated) of the Company for the quarter and period ended December 31, 2025, said the company in an exchange filing. Fortis Healthcare reported an 86% year-on-year surge in consolidated net profit, amounting to 328 crore for the quarter ending in September. In the same quarter of the previous fiscal year, the healthcare giant had a net profit of 176 crore. Revenue from operations increased to 2,331 crore for the quarter, compared to 1,988 crore in the corresponding period last year, as stated by Fortis Healthcare in a regulatory filing. Recent Update In December, Fortis Healthcare announced that it has finalized an agreement to purchase People Tree Hospital, located in Bengaluru, for 430 crore. The company has established definitive agreements to acquire the 125-bedded facility in Yeshwanthpur, Bengaluru, through a complete acquisition of TMI Healthcare Pvt Ltd, the organization that operates the People Tree Hospital business. This acquisition will be carried out by Fortis' wholly-owned subsidiary, International Hospital Limited (IHL), as stated in their announcement. The healthcare provider mentioned that an additional investment of 410 crore is planned over the next three years to enhance bed capacity, medical equipment, and clinical programs, which will include radiation oncology. Fortis Healthcare share price today Fortis Healthcare share price today opened at 850.25 apiece on the BSE, the stock touched an intraday high of 858.40 apiece and an intraday low of 844.55. At 14:28 IST, Fortis Healthcare share price was trading 0.64%) lower at 851.85 apiece on the BSE. According to Ruchit Jain, VP - Head of Equity Technical Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, the stock has been consolidating within a narrow range near its 200 DEMA. The immediate support is placed around Rs.800 while resistance is seen around Rs. 900. A trended move is expected only on a breakout beyond this range. Kalyan Jewellers Q3 Results: Kalyan Jewellers on Wednesday posted a stellar set of earnings for the third quarter of the financial year ended December as its net profit nearly doubled, while the revenue was higher by 40%. Kalyan Jewellers posted a consolidated net profit of 416.29 crore in Q3 FY26 as against 218.82 crore in the same period last year amid a sharp surge in the prices of precious metals. The company clarified that the base year was impacted by a loss of ~ 54.8 million due to customs duty reduction. The revenue from operations witnessed a 42% YoY growth to 10,343.4 crore compared with 7,278.1 crore, led by strong same-store sales (SSS) growth during the quarter under review. On the operating front, EBITDA came in at 750.5 crore, compared with 430 crore on a YoY basis, recording a 75% increase. EBITDA margins came in at 7.3% compared with 5.9% in the corresponding quarter a year ago, driven by mix improvement, procurement efficiencies, operating leverage, a higher share of FOCO revenue, and gains in platinum and silver. Kalyan Jewellers Q3 Performance Summary The company said that the new customer addition remained healthy despite a sharp spike in gold prices, with the share of new customers at over 39% YoY. During the quarter, it net added 18 new showrooms in India, with the share of revenue from franchised showrooms coming in at ~51% during the quarter under review. During Q3FY26, there is a one-time exceptional impact amounting to 41.5 crore due to changes in employee benefit provisions arising from the New Labour Codes. Kalyan Jewellers' board also approved the incorporation of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company by the name of KJG Brands Private Limited or such other name as may be approved by the relevant authority(ies). Artificial Intelligence (AI)-led data center expansion is emerging as a structural demand driver across several industrial sectors, including power, clean energy and high-precision manufacturing. While the opportunity in India remains relatively small, the global market is already large and growing quickly, led by the US. Power demand for data centres in the US is expected to more than double, from about 60 GW in 2025 to nearly 140 GW by 2030, driven mainly by AI-focused data centers. These facilities require significantly more and uninterrupted power than conventional data centres. In India, a different but important cycle is playing out. Aerospace and defence, clean energy, and nuclear power are seeing faster growth on the back of defence modernisation, higher capital allocation, and a sustained push for indigenisation. Nuclear power is also emerging as a key growth vertical, with the Union Budget allocating 9,966 to the department of atomic energy for capital expenditure. These trends frame the growth trajectory of MTAR Technologies, which has seen its stock surge 116% over the past year. MTAR is a precision engineering solutions provider with three core engines of growth. In FY25, clean energy (fuel cells, hydropower and others) accounted for the largest share of revenue at 61.7%. It was followed by aerospace & defence at 13.9%, products & others at 21.7%, and clean energy (civil nuclear) at 2.5%. The clean-energy sector broadly comprises three distinct segments: fuel cells, hydropower (often grouped with wind and others), and civil nuclear power. Of these, fuel energy is currently the largest revenue driver for MTAR, primarily because of its strategic, long-term partnership (14 years and counting) with American firm Bloom Energy. 20% efficiency edge Bloom Energy is a leader in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolyzer (SOEC) technology. Its SOEC offers significant efficiency advantages, consuming about 45 kWh of electricity per kilogram of hydrogen produced, compared to 55 kWh/kg for traditional proton exchange membrane electrolyzers. Its 20% higher efficiency means this technology is a good fit for industrial hydrogen production. This, combined with the global shift towards clean energy and the growing demand for power from AI data centers, is driving demand for Bloom Energy's products. Notably, MTAR serves as a one-stop solution provider for Bloom's SOFC mechanical systems and is the sole supplier of its SOEC units. MTAR is the manufacturing partner, supplying the mechanical systems required to build the complete fuel cell. More importantly, it meets around 50-60% of Blooms hotbox (the core of a fuel cell system where electricity is generated) requirements. The company has increased its wallet share by indigenizing previously imported items such as bellows, fins and forklift bases. Bloom Energys huge wins Bloom recently signed a $2.65-billion ( 23,850 crore) agreement with American Electric Power to supply up to 1 gigawatt of fuel cells, bolstering demand for MTAR products. Bloom has also renewed and expanded its strategic agreement with South Koreas SK Group, a deal expected to generate revenue of $4.5 billion ( 40,500 crore). This updated contract extends through 2027 and includes a recommitment of 250 MW from the original 2021 agreement, plus an additional 250 MW. Blooms 20-year revenue outlook is divided into $1.5 billion ( 13,500 crore) from product sales and $3 billion ( 27,000 crore) from services. It also has agreements with Intel, Equinix, and CoreWeave to power high-performance computing data centers. Overall, Bloom is expected to add 2 GW of capacity by 2026 end and subsequently expand this to 4 GW. Ambitious roadmap MTAR management said these orders have led to a severe shortage of fuel cells and that demand is expected to be extremely high over the next five years. To meet this demand, MTAR is aggressively increasing its capacity to manufacture hotboxes from 8,000 units at present to 12,000 units by the end of March 2026, 20,000 units by December 2026, and 30,000 units in subsequent years. The existing plants are operating at 100% capacity, and the company is investing about 50-60 crore for this expansion. To improve operational efficiency, MTAR is moving its entire Bloom operation to a new facility in the special economic zone near the Hyderabad airport. All of its nine manufacturing plants are in Hyderabad. In the first nine months of FY26, MTAR recorded revenue of 387 crore from the clean energy (fuel cells) segment alone, or 68% of its 570 crore of total revenue. Fuel cells accounted for 97% of the clean energy segment's revenue, while hydropower and others ( 11 crore) accounted for the remaining 3%. Exports accounted for 81% of total revenue. The company expects the fuel cells segment to add another 250 crore to the top line in Q4FY26 and close FY26 with around 637 crore of revenue, up 53% year-on-year, well ahead of the initial estimate of 20%. Revenue from this segment is expected to accelerate further as Bloom Energy itself projects 30-35% compound annual revenue growth through 2030, with new capacity coming onstream. MTAR already has 1,181 crore of orders in the segment, which proves strong revenue visibility. Hydropower and wind energy Beyond Fuel cells, the company manufactures specialized fabricated structures such as draft tubes and spiral casings in the hydropower segment. MTAR serves global majors including Andritz Hydro, Voith, and GE Hydro, and recently finalized an order worth 40 crore with Andritz. This is expected to be an annual recurring order, which will help improve revenue visibility. This segment is supported by the Indian government's goal of increasing total hydropower capacity from 42 gigawatts of electricity (GWe) to 67 GWe by FY32 to enhance grid stability. MTAR also supplies rotor and stator assemblies to wind-energy customers. This business aligns with India's growing wind capacity. India added 82% more wind capacity in H1FY26, nearly touching 3.5 GWe. The country's wind capacity is projected to increase more than 2.5-fold to nearly 25 GWe by 2028, driving demand for these components. In addition, MTAR has identified battery energy storage systems (BESS) as a high-growth vertical, though it is currently in the developmental phase. The company has entered the equipment manufacturing space for BESS to diversify its portfolio, and has delivered a prototype enclosure to Fluence Energy. Management said the global BESS market was projected to expand at a 26.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to $54.3 billion ( 4.9 trillion) by 2032. However, it also acknowledged that opportunities in the domestic market were taking longer to materialise than initially anticipated. MTAR reported revenue of 11 crore from the hydropower, wind and other sector in 9MFY26, and expects this to increase to around 100-120 crore in FY27, up from 50 crore in FY25. Although the numbers are significantly lower in 9MFY26, the company believes that recent orders, including the 40 crore order from Andritz, will aid growth. Also Read | Indian IT stocks slide as AI tools signal agentic shift MTAR and Indias nuclear ambitions MTAR has served the Indian civilian nuclear power programme for more than 40 years and is a pre-qualified vendor for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. It manufactures complex, high-precision equipment for the nuclear island (the core of the reactor), and supplies 15 different essential products, including fueling machine heads and fuel transfer systems. The company's manufacturing infrastructure allows it to fulfill orders for up to four reactors at a time. Despite contributing only 2.5% of revenue in FY25, the segment is expected to expand quickly, with 35-40% growth projected in FY27. As of Q3FY26, the segment accounted for 27% of the total order book of 2,395 crore. The segment is supported by strong industry tailwinds and government initiatives. India aims to increase its nuclear power capacity from roughly 7.4 GWe to 22.48 GWe by 2032 and up to 100 GWe by 2047. Union Budget 2026 allocated a total of 24,124 crore for the department of atomic energy, of which 9,966 crore is for capex. The basic customs duty exemption on the imports of goods required for nuclear power projects has also been extended to 2035, and expanded to cover all nuclear plants, regardless of their capacity. The Indian government has approved 14 new pressurised heavy water reactors in fleet mode. MTAR sees a medium-term opportunity of 1,500-2,000 crore from the remaining 10 fleet reactors that are yet to be tendered. Big orders are expected from the refurbishment of five existing operational reactors to extend their life. The company expects orders worth around 1,000 crore from Kaiga 5 and 6, and these refurbishment projects. Aerospace pivot The aerospace and defence segment could be a future growth engine. MTAR is moving from the prototype and first-article inspection stage to production at scale, supplying aerospace parts to major global players such as GKN Aerospace, Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Thales. It currently produces 80-100 parts per month, far more than the 300 parts produced by the wider industry every year. In 9MFY26, this segment recorded revenues of about 70 crore, of which 31 crore came in Q3FY26. Management expects to close FY26 on a strong footing and double revenue to around 150-160 crore in FY27. The company is targeting 350-400 crore of revenue from this vertical by FY29. This growth is expected to be driven by a strong order book. As of 31 December 2025, aerospace & defence accounted for 13.6% ( 326 crore) of the total order book. Of this, MNC aerospace accounted for 120 crore, followed by space ( 120 crore) and defence ( 80 crore). Target: 50% revenue growth in FY27 MTAR reported robust double-digit growth in 9MFY26. Revenue rose by 15.7% year-on-year to 570 crore, mainly driven by the clean energy segment, especially fuel cells. Ebitda grew faster at 26.2% to 109 crore, indicating improved operational efficiency and a favorable product mix. Margins expanded 160 bps to 19.2%, leading to a 27% increase in net profit to 50 crore. As of Q3FY26, the order book stood at 2,395 crore, providing revenue visibility of about three years. The company expects revenue to cross 900 crore in FY26, followed by around 50% growth in FY27. Over the following three years, it aims for average revenue growth of 25-30%. Is growth already priced in? Owing to low utilization of newly added capacity, the companys return on capital employed (11.5%) and return on equity (7.6%) were low in FY25. It expects these ratios to improve with higher profitability and asset turnover ratios in the clean-energy segment. At 3,392, MTAR stock trades at a price-to-earnings multiple of 153, which is more than twice that of peers. The business faces several key risks that could hamper expected performance. These include customer concentration and its reliance on the clean energy sector, long working capital cycle (240 days), and dependence on exports. Changes in technology and delays in project execution also pose risks to the business. Also Read | AI is not UPI: Applying the same model could doom progress on AI Madhvendra has over seven years of experience in equity markets and writes detailed research articles on listed Indian companies, sectoral trends, and macroeconomic developments. The writer does not hold the stocks discussed in this article. The purpose of this article is only to share interesting charts, data points, and thought-provoking opinions. It is NOT a recommendation. If you wish to consider an investment, you are strongly advised to consult your advisor. This article is strictly for educational purposes only. An old video of legendary investor Peter Lynch has resurfaced on social media platform X at a time when global stock markets are again witnessing bouts of sharp volatility. Though recorded years ago, Lynchs message feels strikingly relevant for investors grappling with market crashes, corrections and sudden sell-offs. Lynch, who famously ran Fidelitys Magellan Fund, urges investors to first understand history before reacting to falling markets. His central argument is simple yet powerful: market declines are not rare events they are inevitable. Looking at nearly a century of market history, Lynch points out that in 93 years, markets have witnessed about 50 declines of 10% or more. That translates to a correction roughly once every two years. Of these, around 15 declines were deeper 25% or more what investors call bear markets. In other words, every six years on average, markets suffer a significant crash. Thats all you need to know, Lynch says. If an investor is not mentally prepared for such declines, they should reconsider owning equities altogether. Market crash an opportunity Rather than fearing crashes, Lynch argues investors should welcome them provided they understand the businesses they own. A falling stock price, he says, does not automatically mean a deteriorating company. If the balance sheet is strong and fundamentals remain intact, lower prices simply offer a better entry point. If you like a stock at 14 and it goes to 6, thats great, Lynch explains. The long-term payoff improves dramatically. A move from 14 to 22 may be terrific, but 6 to 22 is exceptional. Market crashes, therefore, create opportunities for long-term investors to buy quality companies at bargain prices. Another crucial lesson Lynch highlights is the futility of market timing. No one can consistently predict when a crash will occur. Those who claim to have predicted downturns often made the same prediction dozens of times before being right once. Instead of trying to outguess the market, Lynch advises investors to stay focused on what they own and why they own it. Patience, according to Lynch, is equally important. He uses Walmart as a classic example. Even if an investor had waited a full decade after Walmart went public watching its expansion and business model play out they could still have made over 30 times their investment. While early investors earned far more, the example shows there is ample time to build wealth without rushing into stocks. The takeaway from Lynchs message is clear: stock market crashes are not signals to panic, but reminders of how markets work. For investors who understand businesses, remain patient and embrace volatility, downturns can be among the most rewarding moments in an investing journey. Power Finance Corporation on Friday said that its board of directors gave in-principle approval for the merger of the non-banking finance company REC with itself. PFC will continue to remain as a 'government company' after the merger. The board approval for the merger of PFC and REC came after an announcement made in this regard by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget speech on Sunday. Sitharaman had announced the restructuring of the two companies. In order to achieve scale and improve efficiency in the Public Sector NBFCs, as a first step, it is proposed to restructure the Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation, the FM said. PFC had acquired the government's 52.63% holding in REC for 14,500 crore in March 2019, pursuant to 'In Principle' approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). Accordingly, REC has been operating as a subsidiary company of state-owned PFC. As of December-end, the government had a 56% stake in PFC, exchange data showed. PFC had a loan book of 11.51 lakh crore, while REC had a loan book of 5.82 lakh crore, as of December-end. For the nine months to December, more than three-fourths of PFC's loans were for conventional power generation, as well as transmission and distribution sectors. Company details Power Finance Corporation, operates as a public entity under the Ministry of Power and is recognized as a prominent Non-Banking Financial Corporation in India. REC has developed and broadened its financing scope to encompass the entire Power-Infrastructure sector, which includes Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Renewable Energy, and emerging technologies such as Electric Vehicles, Battery Storage, and Green Hydrogen. Recently, REC has also ventured into the Non-Power Infrastructure sector, which covers Roads & Highways, Metro Rail, Airports, Ports, IT Communication, and more. The state of nature is not all against all or the use of raw power for its own sake. To the surprise of some, its adhering to natural law and seeking a common good. On January 5 in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN, Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff to president Donald Trump, defended the administrations alarming embrace of military intervention in Venezuela and imperialistic aspirations more broadly on the global stage: The United States of America is running Venezuela. By definition, thats true. Jake we live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but 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 that have existed since the beginning of time. Call it what you willmight makes right, kratocracy, realpolitikMillers statements should trouble anyone committed to the American tradition of liberty, which began with the declaration that when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce [a people] under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Miller is right about one thing, however: There are iron laws of the world that have existed since the beginning of time. And, at least according to John Locke, those iron laws have a lot to teach us about international relations, if we would only take the time to read his works and take him at his word. International Relations as State of Nature Of course, reading John Locke and presuming he meant what he wrote cuts against the long-standing trend of presuming he meant the exact opposite. Suffice it to say, I am neither a Straussian nor a postliberal, but they are welcome to enlighten us as to whatever secret, esoteric meaning I may be missing. Historical quibbles aside, my reading of Locke here should be evaluated on its own merits. Critics like Patrick Deneen, Adrian Vermeule, and Yoram Hazony claim Lockes state of nature is merely an illusory thought experiment that has never existed, meant to undermine traditional religious anthropology and political philosophy. But anyone who bothers to read Lockes Two Treatises on Government knows that isnt true. Locke identified an actually existing sphere that remains in a state of nature to the present: international relations. It is often asked as a mighty objection, notes Locke, where are, or ever were there any men in such a state of nature? To which it may suffice as an answer at present, that since all princes and rulers of independent governments all through the world, are in a state of nature, it is plain the world never was, nor ever will be, without numbers of men in that state. Now, perhaps Miller might object at this point that this is exactly what he was saying. Indeed, Locke even stipulates: I have named all governors of independent communities, whether they are, or are not, in league with others: for it is not every compact that puts an end to the state of nature between men, but only this one of agreeing together mutually to enter into one community, and make one body politic; other promises, and compacts, men may make one with another, and yet still be in the state of nature. See! our modern Machiavellians might say, even John Locke thinks that the iron law of the world is the rule of the stronger over the weaker. After all, in a state of nature, life is nasty, brutish, and short for those without the strength to defend themselves. Treaties, international law, and trade agreements were made to be broken by superpowers like us. But nasty, brutish, and short is Thomas Hobbess state of nature concept, not Lockes. Indeed, Locke clarifies, The promises and bargains for truck, &c. between the two men in the desert island are binding to them, though they are perfectly in a state of nature, in reference to one another, for truth and keeping of faith belongs to men, as men, and not as members of society. He then appeals to the 16th-century Anglican theologian Richard Hooker in defense of his position, demonstrating his continuity, in this case, with Christian Scholasticism, in contrast to Hobbes, who never misses an opportunity in his Leviathan to criticize the Schoolmen. Locke even warns that he who attempts to get another man into his absolute power, does thereby put himself into a state of war with him. What, then, did Locke mean by a state of nature, and how did he think it applied to international relations? John Lockes State of Nature For all the attempts to read the Straussian tea leaves in Locke, he is actually quite plain in his speech and defines his terms precisely. By a state of nature, he means when people live in a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man. The important condition here is within the bounds of the law of nature. This is a concept so traditional and Christian that it goes back at least to Justinians Institutes, which states, Under the law of nature all men were born free. Manumission and slavery were both unknown. As if anticipating a Machiavellian misreading, Locke continues to note that this is a state also of equality, wherein all the power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, no one having more than another. Appeals to the superiority of ones raw strength cannot negate this natural equality. So what is stopping Lockes state of nature from being, as Hobbes put it, a War of every man against every man? Natural law. After once again quoting Hooker, Locke continues, But though this be a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of licence. How? The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions. He grounds this theologically in our being all the workmanship of one omnipotent, and infinitely wise maker, and he derives from this a social obligation: Every one, as he is bound to preserve himself, and not to quit his station wilfully, so by the like reason, when his own preservation comes not in competition, ought he, as much as he can, to preserve the rest of mankind, and may not, unless it be to do justice on an offender, take away, or impair the life, or what tends to the preservation of the life, the liberty, health, limb, or goods of another. Thus, if the international order is a state of nature, it is, in fact, beholden to iron laws of the world that have existed since the beginning of timenot might makes right but the natural law. In Christian moral theology, the content of the natural law traditionally aligns with basic, Ten Commandments morality, written on the human heart and known through reason and conscience: Do not murder; do not steal; do not lie; and so on. This is the case for Locke as well, who examines these commandments in substance and later even explicitly cites the Bible with regard to the command to honor ones father and mother as an example of natural law. A direct conclusion from this is that, for Locke, forcibly annexing the territory (such as Greenland) of another sovereign nation (such as Denmark) would be a violation of the iron laws of the world rather than a demonstration of them. Locke then stipulates that the execution of the law of nature is, in that state, put into every mans hands, whereby every one has a right to punish the transgressors of that law to such a degree, as may hinder its violation. Thus, we can see here a justification for international human rights tribunals, such as the Nuremberg trials, in cases where national leaders violated the laws of nature, even if their own national laws allowed such evils. So, too, this same logic justifies treaties of nations, such as NATO, designed to keep rogue nations, such as Russia, with imperialist aspirations in check. True Superpower All this from Locke might even justify one nation bringing to justice an illegitimate ruler of another, such as Maduro in Venezuela, for violating the human rights of his own people, ignoring the will of the electorate, and threatening the sovereignty of neighboring nations, such as Guyana. Unfortunately, none of those reasons were cited for the capture of Maduro, nor is he being tried by an international tribunal. For Miller, the only needed justification is that we can. The only laws that matter are whatever laws the strong decree. However, if Locke is right, as in this case the American founders thought he was, it is not in our national interest to violate the United States founding principles by ignoring the natural law in international relations. Perhaps through its erratic behavior the Trump administration will achieve its admirable goal of NATO standing more on its own two feet, rather than member states depending too heavily on the U.S. But Lockes international insights should lead us to caution: We may find them standing against us, and we are much weaker when we stand alone. According to Locke, actors can band together in a state of nature through promises or compacts. The longer we follow Millers mistaken understanding of the world, the more we cede legitimacy on the worlds stage to other superpowers of dubious moral status, such as China and Russia. For the sake of our national creed and national interest, we ought to prefer an international order overly dependent on an American superpower to one where our longtime allies are forced to turn to our enemies for trade and stability. In order to prevent the latter circumstance, we need to take Locke at his word and see how the iron laws of the world enjoin true superpowers not to self-aggrandizement and the will-to-power but to preserve the rest of mankind. Such, after all, is the only superpower worth being. As gold, silver prices plunge again, Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki, in his latest tweet made it clear that he is in no hurry to chase prices after the recent volatility. Kiyosaki said he is waiting patiently for fresh bottoms in gold, silver, and Bitcoin before stepping back into the market, underlining his long-standing belief that timing the entry point matters more than the exit. In a post on X, Kiyosaki said he had already stopped accumulating assets much earlier in the cycle, noting that he halted silver purchases at $60, gold at $300 and Bitcoin at $6,000. While he disclosed that he had sold some Bitcoin and gold, he added that he dislikes selling because of capital gains taxes. Instead, his focus remains on discipline and patience as markets search for new support levels. Your profit is made when you buy not when you sell, Kiyosaki wrote, adding that he would update followers once he begins accumulating again. He also cautioned investors against overconfidence during sharp rallies. Pigs get fat hogs get slaughtered, Kiyosaki said, urging restraint as prices swing violently. Looking ahead, Kiyosaki laid out specific levels at which he plans to increase exposure. I will buy more silver at $74 and gold $4,000, he said, while noting that his Ethereum exposure is sufficient for now. Debt fears and distrust of institutions Beyond asset prices, Kiyosaki warned that the deeper problem lies in the growing debt burden of the United States. He claimed that while official numbers place national debt near $38 trillion, the real figure rises sharply when long-term obligations such as social security and Medicare are included. According to him, concerns around the Federal Reserve, political leadership and the banking system continue to undermine confidence in fiat currencies, setting the stage for prolonged uncertainty. Kiyosaki also advised investors to remain vigilant, patient and committed to continuous learning, suggesting that education and risk awareness are critical during turbulent market phases. Gold, Silver, Bitcoin prices today Silver has slid nearly 50% from its peak of about 4.2 lakh per kg, while gold is down almost 23% from recent highs, as risk aversion lifted the U.S. dollar and weighed on non-yielding assets. On COMEX, silver plunged over 9% to $63.900, while gold futures fell around 3% to $4,670. Bitcoin also cracked below $65,000, hitting a more-than-one-year low after retreating sharply from its $126,000 peak in October 2025. Bullion prices remained under pressure amid a mix of macro and geopolitical developments. The U.S. dollar hovered near a two-week high and was headed for its strongest weekly gain since November, reducing the appeal of dollar-priced commodities. Moreover, sentiment was weakened as geopolitical tensions showed signs of easing. Planned talks between Iran and the US in Oman reduced nuclear-related concerns, while a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping helped calm fears of escalating trade and security tensions. Who is Robert Kiyosaki Robert Kiyosaki is a well-known American investor, entrepreneur and author, best recognised for his bestselling book Rich Dad Poor Dad. He has built a global following for his outspoken views on money, investing, financial education and the risks he associates with fiat currencies and debt-driven economies. Stocks to watch: The main stock market indices in India, the Sensex and Nifty 50, are anticipated to open lower on Friday, influenced by the downturn in global markets, particularly due to ongoing selling pressure on US technology stocks. Additionally, the trends in Gift Nifty suggest that Indian benchmark indices will start on a negative note. The Gift Nifty was trading around the 25,609 level, reflecting a discount of nearly 115 points from the previous close of Nifty futures. Later today, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is scheduled to reveal its monetary policy for February, marking its final policy announcement for the fiscal year 2026. It is expected that the MPC, led by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, will maintain the repo rate at 5.25%. On Thursday, the Indian stock market saw a decline, with the Nifty 50 index closing beneath the 25,700 mark. The Sensex dropped 503.76 points, or 0.60%, to close at 83,313.93, while the Nifty 50 settled 133.20 points, or 0.52%, lower at 25,642.80. Let's update ourselves on the recent developments in the stock market. Covering key investments, important transactions, and quarterly earnings, heres a brief overview of the stocks that will attract attention in today's trading. The stocks to watch today include Tata Steel, BEML, Shree Cement, Siemens, Kalyan Jewellers India, MRF, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, Kalpataru, Lemon Tree Hotels, Shipping Corporation of India, Sun TV Network, and Whirlpool of India, as they will release their Q3 earnings today. Additionally, Bharti Airtel, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Hero MotoCorp, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), Federal Bank, Ultratech Cement, Berger Paints, Physicswallah, FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa), and other stocks will also be in focus today. Q3 Results - Stocks to watch Bharti Airtel Bharti Airtel's Q3 FY26 consolidated results showed net profit plunging 55% YoY to 6,630.5 crore from 14,760.7 crore, driven by an exceptional loss of 257 crore versus a 7,546 crore gain last year. Revenue grew steadily at 15.2% to 53,982 crore from 46,878 crore, while EBITDA rose 7.2% to 31,144 crore, though margins contracted to 57.7% from 62% amid higher costs. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles (standalone) swung to a Q3 FY26 loss of 233 crore from a 1,471 crore profit YoY, primarily due to an exceptional loss of 622 crore versus nil previously. Revenue showed resilience, growing 25.8% to 15,268 crore from 12,141 crore amid strong SUV demand. Hero MotoCorp Hero MotoCorp delivered strong Q3 FY26 standalone results, with profit soaring 12.1% YoY to 1,348.6 crore from 1,202.8 crore despite a 119 crore one-time Labour Code impact (vs nil YoY). Revenue jumped 20.7% to a record 12,328.4 crore from 10,210.8 crore, driven by 16.97 lakh unit sales (+16% YoY) and highest-ever parts revenue. FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa) FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa) reported stellar Q3 FY26 consolidated results, with net profit surging 142.4% YoY to 63.3 crore from 26.1 crore, fueled by record GMV and robust beauty segment performance. Revenue jumped 26.7% to 2,873.3 crore from 2,267.2 crore, reflecting strong e-commerce and fashion recovery amid festive demand. Rail Vikas Nigam Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) reported steady Q3 FY26 consolidated results with net profit up 3.7% YoY to 322.8 crore from 311.4 crore. Revenue grew 2.6% to 4,684.5 crore from 4,567.4 crore, reflecting continued rail infra project execution amid Budget 2026's capex continuity. Bharti Hexacom Bharti Hexacom delivered impressive Q3 FY26 results with net profit spiking 81.6% YoY to 473.7 crore from 260.9 crore. Revenue rose 4.8% to 2,359.8 crore from 2,250.7 crore, supported by ARPU growth to 253 (+4.8%) and robust homes segment expansion (+50.8% YoY, 73K net adds). Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders reported solid Q3 FY26 consolidated results, with net profit growing 9% year-over-year to 879.8 crore from 807 crore, supported by strong defense order execution. Also Read | Indian stock market: 10 key things that changed for market overnight Stocks to watch in news Federal Bank The Reserve Bank of India has authorized Asia II TopCo XIII Pte to obtain a combined stake of up to 9.99 percent in the paid-up share capital or voting rights of Federal Bank. UltraTech Cement The firm declared the initiation of an extra grinding capacity of 2.7 million tons per annum at its Aligarh facility in Uttar Pradesh. Following this addition, the total cement grinding capacity at the Aligarh facility has reached 4.0 million tons per annum, raising the company's total capacity in Uttar Pradesh to 13.1 million tons per annum. Unicommerce Esolutions SuperYou, the nutrition brand established by Ranveer Singh and Nikunj Biyani, has teamed up with Unicommerce to enhance its e-commerce and quick commerce (Q-com) activities. In this collaboration, the brand has implemented Unicommerces primary platform, Uniware, to oversee orders and inventory across Q-com channels, marketplaces, and its own direct-to-consumer website. With its underlying business benefiting from higher volumes, operating leverage and tight cost control in a weak pricing environment, domestic steelmaker Tata Steel Ltds net profit surged eight-fold in the December quarter. To be sure, that was aided by a low base from write-offs done last year at Tata Steel Europe. Meanwhile, its European business continued to struggle in a challenging environment marked by weak demand, pricing pressure and delayed policy support, particularly in the UK. Operating revenues fell significantly in the Netherlands, and losses marginally improved in the UK. On Friday, the company reported that consolidated net profitattributable to the ownersjumped to 2,688.7 crore from 326.64 crore in Q3 of FY25. The performance also beat the 2,527.61 crore consensus estimate of 14 analysts polled by Bloomberg. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) rose 38.9% y-o-y to 8,199 crore, compared with 5,903 crore in the year-ago period. Also Read | Tata Steel trials Canadian iron ore to hedge against future shortages However, the companys sequential growth numbers showed a different picture, with net profit declining 13% from 3,102 crore in Q2, and revenues falling 3%. In India, domestic steel prices were at multiyear lows, weighing on the steel spot spreads. Despite this, our India operations delivered an Ebitda margin of ~23% aided by value-led growth and cost optimisation, said Koushik Chatterjee, executive director and chief financial officer of Tata Steel in a statement, adding that the company remain focused on volume growth, investments in downstream, and strengthening raw material linkages. December quarter prices, particularly the first part of that quarter, were probably the lowest in the last five years for flat products, said T.V. Narendran, chief executive officer & managing director of Tata Steel in a post-earnings interaction with analysts. Steel prices are certainly coming back to the levels where they should be because they used to be at a discount to import landed, Narendran said, adding that one should also watch out for rising coking coal costs, a key raw material for steel production. While saying that the Q3 performance was largely in line with expectations, Suman Kumar, assistant vice-president for metals and mining at brokerage Philip Capital, pointed out that the jump in net profit is because last years numbers were impacted by additional write-offs, as Tata Steel Europe had shut down its blast furnaces around September, which required one-time impairments and provisioning. Kumar added, however, that Tata Steels Ebitda per tonne of 12,000 stood out in comparison to its peers. JSW Steel and JSPL reported Ebitda in the 7,0008,000 per tonne range, while SAILs Ebitda per tonne was much lower at about 4,600. This wide disparity underscores Tata Steels superior product mix and structural cost advantages. Despite a weak operating environment, its strong mix, cost-control measures, and volumes supported earnings, partly offsetting the pressure on realisations due to weak pricing, said Kumar. Meanwhile, the countrys second-largest domestic steelmaker by capacity reported a 6% year-on-year (y-o-y) jump in consolidated revenue to 57,002.40 crore for the third quarter of FY26, compared to 53,648.3 crore from the same period last year. In Q2 of FY26, revenue was higher at 58,689 crore. The steelmakers crude steel production in India rose 12% sequentially to 6.34 million tonnes, while deliveries increased 9% to 6.04 million tonnes. For the overseas operations, the steelmakers Netherlands operations reported an Ebitda of 55 million, significantly lower than the 92 million in Q2FY26, while the UK losses narrowed to 63 million from 66 million previously in Q2FY26. UK market conditions continue to be pressured by subdued demand, while policy interventions are taking longer than anticipated to materialise. We are closely monitoring the situation and the evolving tariff framework and CBAM in EU, which are pivotal for rebalancing EU market dynamics, Chatterjee added. CBAM stands for carbon border adjustment mechanism. Narendran expects the carbon tax to improve steel prices in Europe. CBAM and the expected safeguard revisions from June 2026 will structurally improve the competitive landscape for EU producers, he said. Chatterjee also weighed in, and said irrespective of the demand condition, there will be an uptick in prices because arithmetically it has to work in that manner. There are two very fundamental regulatory triggers in the EU that will push up prices, Chatterjee elaborated. One is CBAM and the second is the revision of safeguard measures from June 2026, he said. Tata Steel had earlier guided UK Ebitda breakeven by Q2FY26, which was pushed to the last quarter of the current fiscal. However, there is some uncertainty in achieving the guidance. It will not become positive till there is some action from the UK government on the imports or the steel prices go up in the UK, said Narendran. We are hopeful that some actions will be taken in the next few weeks by the UK government, he added. The Tata Group company informed that the notification of the four new Labour Codes by the Government of India has led to an exceptional charge of 61.11 crore (standalone) and 81.79 crore (consolidated) in the results, based on the companys current assessment. The company has spent 3,291 crore on capital expenditure during the quarter and the net debt declined by 5,206 crore sequentially to 81,834 crore. Can there be a price affixed to a form, which is temporal and created in response to the viewer? Being a work of art, a performance piece too is subject to the vagaries of the art market. And it has been seen that though performance exists within a specific time and space, it is increasingly developing an afterlive. Ushmita Sahu, director and head curator, Emami Art, is noticing that documentation through video, photography, sound and scores is being conceived as independent work rather than mere record. Sculptural elements, costumes and objects emerging from performances also carry forth their conceptual and emotional residue. Collectors and institutions are now showing greater interest in their material and archival traces, recognising performance art as both transient and collectible. According to Farah Siddiqui, a Mumbai-based contemporary art consultant and founder of FSCA Art Advisory, collectors across the world approach performance art through rights, instruction and stewardshipincreasingly through institutional frameworks that enable longevity. The genres commercial viability depends less on objects and more on informed collectors willing to participate in its ethical and temporal dimensions. In this sense, performance art doesnt resist the market, rather it compels it to adapt, she says. Internationally, the acquisition of performance art has been a matter of much debate and discussion. Sabine Breitwieser, former chief curator, department of media and performance art at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, has been dwelling on the topic for some time now through essays and talks. In a 2019 piece, From the Modern to the Global Museum: Collecting Interdisciplinary and Non-Object Based Art, for the Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis, she mentions how acquisition of works of art based on ideas and concepts can prove to be a challenge. How do we save documents, props, costumes, and so on, and what role do these objects play? What are the rights of co-authors and other participants? However, a fundamental characteristic distinguishes works of performative art from works of visual art: performances of these works that are constantly represented and reinterpreted by the performers and those staging them, she writes. Also Read | A preview of India Art Fair 2026: Personal history meets material memory View full Image Marina Abramovic performing Seven Minutes of Collective Silence at the Glastonbury Festival 2024. Photo: Getty Images MoMA was one of the pioneers in collecting and exhibiting performance art in the 1960s, later establishing a dedicated department in 2006. Tate London too began its collection of performance artworks in 2005 with Roman Ondaks Good Feelings in Good Times (2003), and now has more than 25 performance artworks. Since then, the gallerys time-based media conservation team and the collection management department has been working on ways to preserve performance artworks continued existence as live events. In an essay titled Institutional Practices: Collecting Performance Art at Tate, the team states that these works, similar to living organisms, need certain material conditions in order to existthese can vary from work to work. MoMAs purchase of Tino Sehgals durational performance, Kiss, in 2008 has emerged as quite a case study in recent years. Sehgal does not allow his work to be photographed; there are no wall labels or catalogues, no official openings or press kits, states a 2014 article, Can Performance art be Collected, on the online forum ArtsHub. MoMA is reported to have paid $US70,000 for Kiss, and with no written contract, just the transference of the artwork to a curator orally (unrecorded), who then is charged with the role of interpreter. The work can be lent to other institutions. If the work gets resold, it has to be done in the same way it was acquired originally, Jan Mot, Sehgals dealer in Brussels, told the New York Times in 2010. Performance art is fundamentally reconfiguring ideas of ownership and value. Sehgal and Marina Abramovic offer two important market models. While the formers practice is deliberately immaterial, collectors acquire the right to the work through oral contracts. What is collected is not an object but a set of conditions and responsibilities, positioning the collector as a custodian rather than an owner, states Siddiqui. Tate too acquired Sehgals This is Propaganda, with the work materialising in the gallery by a person considered as an interpreter by the artist. In the essay, the team states, The conservation of This is Propaganda therefore depends on memory and body to body transmission, a notion drawn from the field of dance . As such, the acquisition of This is Propaganda in 2005 required us to depart from our standard processes not only with regard to collection management and conservation practice, but also in relation to the transfer of title, which was enacted through an oral rather than a written contract, in the presence of a notary with the involvement of a limited number of Tate staff. Abramovic, on the other hand, looks at a hybrid ecosystem. According to Siddiqui, while the live body remains central, her work extends into scores, relics, photos and re-performable structures. Collected items are exhibited and acquired to extend longevity of the form. The ownership of the actual performance itself, however, rests with the artist. In an article published in The Art Newspaper in 2023, Claus Robenhagen, director, Lisson Gallery which represents Abramovic states that institutions can exhibit her performances on loan, but that is done in dialogue with her in her studio. Instead, collectors can acquire photo or video documentation; early performances are most coveted, he adds. The Life was the first mixed-reality work ever auctioned with a 19-minute holographic performance at Christies London sale in October 2020, it fetched $376,326. In India, however, the market is still at a nascent stage, with very few strong institutional acquisition programmes in place. Galleries, biennales, and art fairs do commission performances and remunerate artists for these, but the market in our country is definitely not as mature for new media, says Ayesha Parikh, founder of Mumbai-based contemporary art gallery Art and Charlie. A few years ago, I was hoping non-fungible tokens would change this, but that instrument did not stand the test of time either, thanks to the volatility of the crypto market. Last weekend a group of people were blindfolded and led through a path littered with obstacles while a narrator offered mysterious commentary like If you speak plainly, you are punished and If you are dangerous and ask why, you are punished. Mithu Sens trickster performance, What Do Birds Dream at Dusk, cleverly turned the viewers into part of the artwork even as she showed how curated truths and collective denial shape society today. Though Sen was physically absent from the location, Mumbais Chemould Prescott Road gallery, she was omnipresent in the orchestration of this metaphorical tussle between sight and blindness, control and freedom, reality and perception. Sen calls this the poetics of instruction and choreography of control, where the performers invisible body or deliberate absence still directs the audiences mind. The visitors are split into two groups of the blindfolded and the witnesses, thereby creating a tension where behaviour, vulnerability and power circulate unpredictably. Performance becomes a site where viewers confront strangeness because my medium itself is the act of Un-ing: undoing, unravelling, unsettling, she says. Meanwhile, at Aspinwall House in Kochi, a different kind of performance has been playing out. For the duration of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Berlin-based artist Anja Ibsch has been occupying different parts of the space for her shifting piece, Still. Visitors can observe the artist going about her work, rearranging objects and photos to create temporary installations. She works with locally sourced objects, cutouts from medical books and photos from older performances. The arrangement changes every day as a comment on the transient nature of life and memory itself. Regular visitors might feel slightly unsettled by the play between the familiar and the unfamiliar. Something seems to have moved or changed, though you cant immediately put a finger to it. Two balloons hanging alongside a board titled time seem to have altered in shape. A small-scale figure of a woman makes an appearance, hanging alongside some foliage. Also Read | A preview of India Art Fair 2026: Personal history meets material memory I explore how embodied histories intersect with the cultural landscapes we inhabit, says Ibsch, who has been working in the field of performance art and installation since 1993. Art is about creating connections, fostering meaningful conversations, and embracing vulnerabilitywhether through the body or the stories we tell. My practice is grounded in the understanding that transformation comes not from resisting conditions, but from working with them. In the middle of January, visitors could find her lying under a work table. The glass top featured a head, heart and spine made from everyday objects, corresponding to the body of the artist lying belowan artistic X-ray of sorts. More traditional art enthusiasts might wonder how the act of lying under a table or standing under a balcony, unspooling fabric and wrapping it around the head over and over or walking around with a mask is an act of creativity? Turning an everyday act or a ritual on its head to create an unsettling experiencemaking both the artist and the viewer pause, participate and partake of that fleeting momentis what art is all about. In the case of performance art, the artist uses their own body to create these thought-provoking experiences, sometimes involving the viewer themselves as collaborators. View full Image 'Uncatharsis 3' by Mithu Sen (2020). Courtesy: the artist/ Chemould Prescott Road Serbian artist Marina Abramovic, considered synonymous with performance art, is known for complicating the relationship between art and audience in her pieces. Emblematic of her approach is The Artist is Present at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, as part of her retrospective in 2010. Abramovic simply sat in silence across a different visitor daily for three months. People reactedsome with solidarity, some with violence, many with tears, but all left feeling visibly moved by the viscerality of that moment. This performance has been re-enacted several times, more recently in the political arena when, ahead of his inauguration as mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani did his version of The Artist is Present. Constituents were encouraged to reserve one-on-one slots with him as part of The Mayor is Listening. RESISTING DEFINITIONS Even now when the discourse around this genre has evolved in South Asia, there is ambiguity about its definition. Is it dance, theatre, or something in between? What is the difference between performance and performing arts? Ushmita Sahu, director and head curator, Emami Art, says the genre resists fixed definition precisely because it operates at the edge of disciplines rather than within a single form. While it shares the condition of liveness with theatre, dance, or music, it is not governed by their conventions of narrative, virtuosity, or spectacle, she says. Unlike mainstream performing arts, which are rooted in set techniques passed down through generations and repeatable structures, performance art is driven by concept and lies in the moment. Instead of performing for an audience or within a proscenium, this genre unfolds with or in relation to the spectator. Its participatory nature is what sets it apart. What distinguishes performance art is not the absence of skill or technique, but the way the artists body, actions, and lived experience become the primary site of meaning-making, adds Sahu. Also Read | The (un) world of Mithu Sen The emphasis is on encounters in real-time through attention, vulnerability, duration, and context. As Sen puts it, Performance for me is a space where the anonymous body becomes an abstraction that can provoke, denounce and resist. Through acts of encounteringbetween my body, the audience and the sociopolitical conditions we inhabitI aim to activate new perceptions. Viewers become participants, co-producers of meaning, sometimes even collaborators in imagining social change. Artist Shakuntala Kulkarni has long explored the violence on womens bodies in her practicenot just the physical kind but one that is subtle and serves to restrain women from realising their full potential. Movement has helped her articulate those ideas, sometimes in ways that the audience can merge with the artwork itself. At the Bukhara Biennale last year, the visitors had to walk up the stairs and peep into a huge tandoor I had built and view the film Trust Game. I want people to feel uncomfortable while they experience the work, she says. The performers own body also responds to the energy from the viewers. Ibsch feels that receiving so much emotion can also be exhausting. A lot of women come by to share experiencessome tender, others sadwith her; other visitors reject her style of art-making completely. How she responds depends on that moment in the day. In December, when the biennale started, she felt very open to conversations and exchanges. The next month, she tried to find a better balance for her energy levels by trying out different methods. I enjoy spending time with people. But I need some time to process their reactions. I have found a cap that covers my eyes. It helps me not to be in direct contact with peoples responses immediately, she says. View full Image Shakuntala Kulkarnis Trust Game at the Bukhara Biennale. Courtesy: the artist/ Chemould Prescott Road Kulkarni explains, Performance art is not just enactment. We bring so much of ourselves to it. And it takes a lot out of us too. When I use my body to create, I am actually experiencing pain or happiness, and I am also reacting to the other people sharing space with me real-time. THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE Performance art started making its presence felt in India in the 1980s. Non-profit organisation Asia Art Archive (AAA) in India and the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art worked together in 2015 to create a digital archive of performance art from India from the early 1990s through to 2010a period that gave rise to significant artists and artistic approaches. A key event that shaped performance art in India was the assault and death of theatre practitioner and activist Safdar Hashmi in 1989, which led to the formation of new alliances among artists. Performance art (played) a critical role in these articulations and expressions, says Samudra Kajal Saikia, lead researcher on the project, in an interview published by AAA. In the decades that followed, it felt as though some major shifts in the art field were finally settling ina new globalised circulation of visual arts in India had already happened, and performance art had found a footing of its own, he explains. Certain artists like Inder Salim and Rummana Hussain (1952-99) became pioneers of performance art in the 1980-90s, using the body as a tool of public confrontation, responding directly to political violence, authoritarianism and social unrest. Especially significant in this regard was Hussains Living on the Margins (1995), a powerful work featuring muted screams. Sadly very little documentation of the performance exists. Saikias research reveals how certain pathbreaking performance artists in the 1980s like Sushil Kumarwho called his practice performing in the theatre of the absurd and created powerful works like Veil (1985)were opposed to any form of documentation, be it as photo or film. To create an archive of those works, Saikia had to rely on secondary sources like fellow artists observations, essays and opinions of viewers from the time. Yet another artist who stood out at the time was Ratnabali Kant. A trained Kathakali dancer, she created a body-centered performance, Rainbow of Desire, in Athens in 1985. She painted her face and body like a rainbow as a metaphor for hope against tribulations. Her performances that followed in India drew on ancient, medieval and contemporary sources such as Altamira caves, Byzantine art, Greek sculpture and current politics, says Rakhee Balaram, associate professor, global art and art history at State University of New York. Using these cross-cultural references, the artist crafted her own expression, combining performance and installation to challenge hierarchical power structures. Painters and sculptors who were drawn to experimentation also explored performance in the 1990s. Balaram gives the example of M.F. Husain, who painted figures of goddesses at the Tata Centre, Kolkata, in 1992, and then whitewashed the canvases as part of Six Days of Live Painting. This came on the heels of his controversial all-white Shwetambari installation in Mumbai (1991-92), which saw him turn Jehangir Art Gallery into an installation site, covering the two halls in white unstitched khadi cloth and torn newspapers, eliciting mixed responses from critics and visitors. Vivan Sundaram, Rummana Hussain and Nalini Malani were deeply affected by the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. The political escalation, the event and its aftermath prompted artists to pursue new mediums, such as performance and installation, in response. The 2000s saw an evolution in performance as seen in the artistic practices of Manmeet (Singh) Devgun and Shantanu Lodh. They started performing as a couple in the early years, but later Lodh continued with subversive acts by assuming a different artistic personality called Art Maharaj and Devgun turned to feminist performance. Soon after, performance art took another turn. It allowed artists across the globe to respond to rituals to comment on and critique what it means to be human. Balaram refers to Sonia Khuranas Bird (1999) as a prime example of this, in which the artist struggles to fly. The performance stood out for showing a moving and poetic dimension to this act, which is doomed to failure. She also cites the example of American performance artist Chris Burden, who used quasi-religious rituals that tested both the limits of his body and those of the spectator, who often felt compelled to intervene. Repetition became key to artists such as Vito Acconci or Marina Abramovic, who have consistently used time, rhythm and occasionally violence as features of their work. Societal rituals have been more recently critiqued by Prabhakar Kamble who uses Ambedkar philosophy and the history of the Dalit movement to confront caste codes in his performances. Today, a certain interdisciplinarity has come to define performance art. Artists like Debashish Paul, Arpita Akhanda, Nikhil Chopra and Sen move between sculpture, performance, image-making, textile and text. Many more are resisting the binaries of painter, sculptor or performersrather, they call themselves conceptual artists, in which performance art plays a key role. Capitalism demands fixity, signature styles, and commodifiable objects. By refusing to be contained by a single medium, I intentionally unsettle this logic. My movement across formats is both a conceptual strategy and a form of playa way of undoing the very notion of an artists medium, says Sen. Questions of identity, intimacy and belonging are being addressed through subtle and introspective gestures. These works reflect a shift in how power is experienced todayless overt, more internalised, and negotiated through personal histories and social structures, says Smriti Rajgarhia, director, Serendipity Arts Foundation, which supports performance art through grants and residencies. Also Read | Debashish Paul: A queer artist sculpts a new world of hope View full Image Anja Ibsch's site-specific, 'Still', at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Paul draws from lived queer experiences, using the body as a site of resilience and emancipation rather than direct confrontation. By wearing sculptural costumesfantastical hybrids of human, bird and animalthe Varanasi-based artist explores speculative spaces of freedom and acceptance. Though he studied sculpture, Paul started painting alongside and gradually eased into performance. The latter started as a form of documentation of my elaborate practice featuring sets, costumes and sculpture. Performing to the camera also became a means of capturing my transformation into an adbhut (strange) creature. When I wear the costumes, I become someone else. Later I started performing publicly. There was an instant exchange of emotion with the viewers as we together made space for empathy, says Paul, who hails from Phulia in West Bengals Nadia district. As with every other aspect of art-making today, technology plays an important role, especially for documentation. By staging a piece for video or still camera before or after the actual performance, this ephemeral form has taken some sort of tangible shape. This becomes significant for scholars, who want to study a piece long after the artist is gone, or for institutions that wish to show a version of the performance. An example is Abramovics Waterfall, a sheet of sound and light featuring 108 Buddhist monks chanting the Heart Sutra, being shown at the Kochi Muziris Biennale. It is worth emphasising that the live aspect of a performance or art-making (which is so dependent on the artists body and presence) is impossible to fully capture in photos or videos, says Balaram. For French artist Yves Klein, any physical object or remnant was merely the ashes of his art. Nonetheless, some video documentation such as Chris Burdens approximately 8-second video Shoot (1971) manages to capture some of the brutality and shock of the performance. Closer home, photographs manage to powerfully convey aspects of performances by Inder Salim, Sahej Rahal and Shakuntala Kulkarni. Some like Abramovic are now toying with new technology in the way viewers experience her work. She explored mixed reality to allow herself to be viewed and experienced digitally in The Life (2019), says Balaram. The role of AI in performance art will be a new frontier. AN ECOSYSTEM OF CARE Gradually a support structure is emerging for this genre. While in the 1980s, performance art was seen as a fringe form, today it is being recognised as an independent genre by itself, requiring nurturing and care. Internationally, this came about around 2008-09. There are festivals/programmes in the US such as Pace Live and Performa dedicated to the genre, while institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and Tate London have dedicated media and performance art departments. In India, performance art is part of the programming at the Serendipity Arts Festival and India Art Fair. This is not your usual practiceit is demanding, often requiring sustained research, experimentation and trust. In such a scenario, its foundations such as Serendipity and artist-led spaces like HH Art Spaces and Khoj International Artists Association that can support this process, from conception to presentation, documentation, and dialogue. The three-month residency in Delhi by Serendipity Arts Foundation provides studio space, grants and stipends to younger artists like Dileep Chilanka, Dharmendra Prasad, Khursheed Ahmad, Sanghamitra and Pannaga Jois to experiment with performative elements in their practice. Also Read | Chronicling Mumbai's chawls with Amol K Patil View full Image Artist Nikhil Chopra at his temporary studio in Kassel during Documenta 14. Photo: Getty Images This years edition of the India Art Fair shows how the genre has evolved to become more expansive, collaborative and socially embedded. This is evident in Breakfast in a Blizzard, curated by HH Art Spaces. Set within an open-air kitchen constructed to host but not serve food, the work unfolds through a series of other offeringsconceptual acts of cooking, feeding, and nourishing that move between metaphor and ritual. Artists take turns to perform, sometimes overlapping, sometimes coming together in a participatory potluck, foregrounding ideas of care, exchange, and collective presence at a time when connection feels especially fragile, says fair director Jaya Asokan. . WHY PERFORMANCE? How does an artist decide that mere image-making is not enough to articulate certain ideas? Kulkarni reflects on her practice to answer some of these questions. The idea of movement has always appealed to her. Perhaps, this has to do with her initial exposure to theatre and Bharatanatyam as a child. To soak in group energy and use gestures and body language to create something comes naturally to her. Sometimes drawing is not enough. You need your body to address violence experienced by women. Is it Just a Game? is a series of four video-based performances inspired by games we played as kids. But I wanted to show the power games we play as adults, the fears and the despair we feel as women, she says. Performance seemed like an apt medium. Conceptual artist Amol Patil, who is based out of Mumbai and Amsterdam, was always curious about performance as an art form. An exploration of his family archives led to a turn in his practice. My father was a script writer and performer. Generally, his script had lines, but I would also elaborate on the performers expression and gestures, he says. This archive of text and documents also alluded to discrimination faced by the marginalised castes. It spoke of the city, its challenges and limitations, in a poetic way. That led Patil to explore the relationship between urban landscapes and its marginalised residents in his pieces. Combining installation and performance, the artist often responds to the architectural and cultural memory of Mumbais chawls. The recently concluded Bengaluru Habba showed excerpts from his video performance, Rest, in which Patil looked at street corners, which became a stage for young activists by day and a space for students to study under the lamps by night. He created a miniature version of himself, which sat atop the electrical fitting of a lamp post to signify the overpowering scale of the city. View full Image 'Everyday Protest by Princess Pea. Courtesy: the artist Patil invokes specific memories of his fathers acquaintances as well in his works. His fathers friend moved on skates, a broom in hand and a radio at his waist, sweeping the street, every day. He cleaned the city, but knew he wasnt welcome into the bus or in the hotel for a drink of water. Shutting the world out with music was his individual protest, states an essay on the website of Documenta 15, a major international contemporary art exhibition held every five years in Kassel. Patil recreated that memory in Sweep Walkers (2022), in which performers moved across the exhibition space on skates with cleaning brushes. A different kind of engagement can be seen in the performance works of Gurugram-based artist Natasha Preenja. She created the alter ego of Princess Pea in 2008-09 in response to the constant objectification faced by women in public spaces. and societal pressures experienced by women. Her signature oversized sculptural head functions both as a tool and a refuge to express, shield and resist. In her practice, the body is both a site and a medium, a sculptural form where everyday life is understood as performance, and each act becomes an expression of solidarity and the ongoing pursuit of gender equality. This sense of performance extends into the everyday lives of the diverse communities she collaborates with. Though Preenja emerged from the anonymity of Princess Pea last year and revealed her identity with a solo at Tarq, she has not abandoned her alter ego. In 2008, she founded the Pea Family studio to work collaboratively with toy makers from Etikopakka in Andhra Pradesh. At times, I perform beneath the head; at other moments, it is carried and inhabited by the many brave women who have become part of this project, she says. Also Read | 10 reasons to visit the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 Even though performance art centres around the figure of the artist, the act of creation does not always have to be an isolated one. Collaborations have emerged as a cornerstone. For instance, for Drawing a Line through Landscape at Documenta 14 in Kassel in 2017, Chopra embarked on a 30-day road journey that started in Athens and ended in Kassel. It was me taking a tent in a trailer... across the landscape of Eastern Europe into Western Europe through Central Europe. At every stop, I would erect my tent, and make a drawing on the walls of my tent of what I saw outside of it. At every two locations, my inner wall or the inner lining of the tent would change to make way for a set of new drawings, he told Platform magazine in an interview. But he wasnt alonethe costumes for the various personae were designed by artist and fashion researcher Loise Braganza, while artist and production designer Aradhana Seth crafted the tent design. As life progresses, an artists body acquires newer experiencesthe relationship with the self also changes. For Sen, this engagement has shifted from metaphorical to material, from representation to risk. For her, each performance begins with a conceptual tensionan unresolved thought that condenses into a single embodied gesture. The body becomes a porous site where language breaks down, identities slip, and political urgencies surface. I work through the persona of the trickstershameless, subversive, negotiating boundaries without destroying the world, she says. For Patil, the body feels like an object. When he thinks about performing in different places, he envisions the body in relation to everyday routine, object and surroundings. I see it as a character in a story, and how I can communicate with the people. The body becomes a vessel, a mould to make a political gesture; for me, the body slowly becomes the archive itself. I also try to think of the performance as a communal thing, where I invite people to perform together and create a dialogue with a simple gesture, he says. To me, it is the subversion and play underlying some of the performance art pieces that really stand out. Take Sens 2019 intervention Lunch is Cancelled at a banquet hosted by the Shalini Passi Art Foundation. She marched into the space with a band and servers, all wearing veterinary cones. It was a radical take on the guest-host role, the limits of tolerance and the cultural subscripts to social interactions. Performance becomes a tool to redraw the shifting boundaries of otherness, she says. Today, we live in a moment of flux, storing memories of uncertain times in our bodies. It remains to be seen how artists will continue to use their self as a site of inquiry into newer hybrid worlds, where technology and consciousness will create a different way of living. Its not every day that you walk into a restaurant for a meal and find yourself analysing the artwork on the walls. There are 12 hands. Can you see them? says one of the staff members at Chorus Cafe in Mumbai. Titled The Offering, the 12x9ft framed woven piece unfolds like a landscape interspersed with detailed floral motifs, blue skies, rivers and mountains in bullion knots, stem stitch, crochet and feather stitch to name a few. The hands are of those who put this together honouring the six artisans behind the artwork. The food at the new cafe, which is an extension of an atelier by Chanakya International in the Kala Ghoda art precinct, seamlessly blends ideas borrowed from textiles. The salad arrives with a lace tuile crafted from rice flour. A platter of dips resembles the patchwork on a quilt. For a long time, art was confined to galleries or museums, and accessible to a select few. Today, it has spilled into urban spaces, animating streets and public corners. Art festivals are common in Indias metros, where Gen Z and millennials gather to socialise and exchange opinions about their favourite artists. In the post-pandemic years, this cultural shift has increasingly become part of food and beverage spaces. Also Read | A preview of India Art Fair 2026: Personal history meets material memory The dining venue has transformed to look and feel like a walk-in gallery with events such as The Gathering. The food and art festival, which debuted last year in Delhi, and returned with a second edition a few weeks ago in Mumbai, pairs chefs and artists to create immersive culinary experiences. Restaurants and cocktail bars are challenging the very notion of dining out by weaving art into their menus and decor through fresh, experimental formats. From Leh to Kochi, independent cafes are championing young artists, many doubling up as art galleries and hosting workshops. For those in the industry, this confluence is a meaningful form of cultural expression, and a way to enhance the dining experience. Food and art have long been intertwined in India, through ritual, hospitality, and in the way it is prepared, offered and shared. What feels new today is our collective readiness to experience this relationship consciously and with intent. Chorus Cafe is a space where food and art come together as acts of expression, says Karishma Swali, co-founder and creative director of Chorus. The cafes menu is vegetarian and features dishes like Chorus Quilthummus, smoked carrot, romesco, herb cream cheese and spinach-chive yogurtplated to look like the patchwork on a quilt. The Fazzoletti is a square sheet of striped pasta that mimics a handkerchief over seasonal vegetables and burrata. The Lace & Leaf Salad is inspired by the 18th century Renaissance lace-making techniques. Whats more, the dark chocolate bites come in the form of buttons. View full Image Circle Sixty Nine, Kathiwada City House, Mumbai. The concept works because both art and food are related, especially when it comes to creating experiences. And since food is a form of culinary arts, it makes for a complete experience of consuming something that appeals not just to the palate, but also to the eye, says Sangita Kathiwada, who owns Kathiwada City House (KCH), a heritage art and culture space in Mumbai with an art bistro called Circle Sixty Nine. Opened in 2023, it serves European fare complete with salads, pizza and small plates. On the walls is Kathiwadas private collection of modern and contemporary Indian art, featuring works by S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, Jamini Roy, Jeram Patel, Prabhakar Kolte, Rameshwar Broota and Vasundhara Tewari Broota. By next week, KCHs central gallery will be transformed into what Kathiwada calls a dine-in museum hosting a 5-7-course tasting menu experience. The space will be anchored by a special mixed-media painting, and diners will be encouraged to walk around the table and appreciate it. Kathiwada says the idea draws from her visit to Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, almost 20 years ago, where she was deeply impressed by an extravagant sit-down dinner at which Giorgio Armanis handbags and gowns were displayed as artworks. For Goa-based independent artist Siddharth Kerkar, art has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. Growing up with an artist fatherpainter and installation artist Subodh Kerkarhe travelled the world, attending events and exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale at the age of eight. Art, therefore, became the foundation of Dali & Gala, an experiential cocktail bar that he opened with his partner Vipin Raman in Bengaluru last year. Also Read | How tasting menus and cocktail bars are taking over India's small towns View full Image A cocktail at Dali & Gala, Bengaluru. Art is a great vehicle to communicate ideas. Being an artist who likes to design art-forward experiences, the aim was to bring visual arts and mixology under one roof, says Kerkar. The idea for the bar happened two-and-a-half years ago when the duo visited a Salvador Dali exhibition in Europe. The inspiration eventually took shape in a 69-seater space built around the themes of surrealism, romance and adultery. Kerkar has a showcase of over 75 artworks borrowing from the Catalan artists uncanny, dreamlike imagery, and the tumultuous relationship with his wife, muse and manager Gala. The drinks programme is no less audacious, and is conceptualised by Raman along with head of bar Arnold Hou. Cocktails are guided by Dalis art, be it with the help of garnishes or ice stamps such as a lobster-telephone impression after his famous 1936 work Lobster Telephone or the cocktail The Elephant Paloma that comes with a garnish stamped with Kerkars version of the iconic 1948 painting The Elephants. The reaction has been one-of-a-kind. Its a very, very Instagrammable space. Theres no way one can resist the urge to take pictures, adds Raman. Over the past year, the National Capital Region has also seen a slew of art-forward spaceslike Arts Room, where the cocktails are inspired by Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso and F.N. Souza, and the multi-cuisine restaurant Begeterre with Roman frescos and sculptures. View full Image Girl with Balloon dessert at Luv, Mumbai. For chefs, art often becomes a way to express their artistic sensibilities. Chef Akash Deshpande, who co-runs Luv, a casual fine-dining restaurant in Mumbai, is best known for blending food and art through his art-themed desserts. In 2023, he came up with one inspired by Dutch painter Vincent Van Goghs masterpiece Starry Night, featuring a vanilla custard layered with muskmelon mousse, and passionfruit and gondhoraj lime jelly shaped like a crescent moon. Deshpande recalls how it went viral on Instagram with people walking in only to eat the edible art. Trained in classical French cooking, he also paints in his free time. As a chef, it becomes natural to challenge yourself, to stand out and create something unique. This is my way to pay tribute to an artist Ive admired for a long time, he says. In October, Deshpande launched a dessert guided by Girl with Balloon, the famous stencil mural by the British graffiti artist Banksy. It arrives within a frame, and the only edible element is the red heart made of flourless chocolate cake. A couple of years ago, Camp Kharu, a cafe cum gallery in Leh, opened its doors as part of an initiative by the Royal Enfield Social Mission. The food is primarily Ladakhi staples such as paba (a barley dish), skyu and chutagi (traditional pastas). The space encourages budding artists, designers and architects from the region to interact and exchange ideas. The inaugural exhibition in 2024 saw photographs of the quiet transformation of Ladakhi kitchens by the local multidisciplinary artist Tsering Motup Siddho. Perhaps it is this very cultural exchange that is driving the ever-evolving food landscape to place art at the centre of the table as an interactive device to enrich the experience. Also Read | When art meets food on a plate Punjab Aam Aadmi Party leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead on Friday outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar's Model Town by unidentified assailants, police said, news agency PTI reported. The incident took place in the morning, a senior police official from Jalandhar told the agency over the phone. Also Read | Fourteen migrants dead off Greece after boat collision with coast guard As reported by ANI, Dr Vishal, Sri Ram Hospital, said, Lucky Oberoi was brought here around 8 am. On examination, it was found that 8-9 rounds were fired at him. He was given CPR and also put on a ventilator, but his life could not be saved. Oberoi had arrived at the gurdwara in his Thar vehicle when the attackers, riding a two-wheeler, opened fire on him, PTI reported. He was rushed to a hospital in Jalandhar but died from his injuries, police said. After the incident, a police force arrived at the scene. Also Read | Why did suspended Navjot Kaur Sidhu quit Congress? Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi told ANI," Murder of sports persons, killing of Sidhu Moosewala, threats and gangsters are prevalent in Punjab. Punjab is becoming like Bihar now. The state government is not paying attention to this, and anarchy is prevalent. For a border state, this is not good. The state government should see why Punjab is becoming like Bihar?" Further investigations are underway, police said, adding that CCTV footage is being scanned to trace the assailants, as reported by PTI. Kunal Kamra on Friday, denied seeking an adjournment from the Maharashtra Legislative Councils privileges committee over his alleged remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He claimed that it was the panel itself that deferred the hearing scheduled for 5 February. The committee had summoned the stand-up comedian and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare over alleged insulting remarks made against Shinde. Committee chairperson and BJP MLC Prasad Lad had earlier said the two were asked to appear at 2 pm on February 5 but expressed their inability to attend, following which the hearing was rescheduled for February 17, reported news wire PTI. What Kunal Kamra said? Kunal Kamra, however, claimed that he did not seek any adjournment in the matter. As has been widely reported, the Maharashtra Legislature has instituted breach of privilege proceedings against me. In this regard, I note that the media has published reports that I had sought an adjournment from the Privileges Committee of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, before whom I have been asked to depose on 5th February 2026, Kamra posted on X. Describing media reports which mentioned that he sought an adjournment, as incorrect, Kamra said: I was asked to appear before the privileges committee on February 5. The summons, dated January 23, was served on me only on January 29, Kamra said in a detailed post. He added that he had agreed to attend the hearing and emailed the committee on January 30 confirming his appearance along with his lawyer. The stand-up comedian also claimed he travelled to Mumbai on Wednesday but received a call later that evening from a Vidhan Sabha official informing him that the hearing had been adjourned. This was followed by a letter confirming the adjournment. The committees letter makes it clear that the adjournment was not sought at my request, he wrote. He further said he has not been formally informed of the next hearing date, though media reports have suggested it will be held on February 17. It is in the interest of fairness that the record be corrected and it be made clear that no adjournment was sought at my instance, and that I remain willing to cooperate with the proceedings, Kamra said. The comedian also flagged concerns over confidentiality, noting that while all communications from the committee stated that the proceedings were confidential, the notices appeared to have been leaked to the media. He alleged that the committee chairperson had been making public statements about the matter. What is the controversy? BJP MLC Pravin Darekar had moved a breach of privilege notice against Kamra and Andhare for "derogatory remarks" against Shiv Sena leader Shinde, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti. Breach of privilege refers to instances when any person disregards or undermines the rights and immunities enjoyed by members of parliament or legislature. What was the joke Kamra made? Last year, Kunal Kamra sparked controversy by calling Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde a traitor during a performance. The comedian, during his performance at the 'Unicontinental Mumbai' hotel in Khar area of Mumbai, had used a modified version of a Hindi song from the movie "Dil To Pagal Hai" to describe the 2022 rebellion of Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray. On Wednesday, committee chairperson Lad told reporters that Kamra had informed the committee of his inability to travel to Mumbai for the first mandatory hearing. Kunal Kamra has communicated his inability to appear today. He has now been given February 17 to depose before the committee, PTI quoted Lad as saying. India's Ministry of Defence is likely to discuss the 3.25 lakh crore proposal to buy 114 Rafale jets from France next week, ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to New Delhi in the third week of February. "The proposal is likely to be taken up for discussion next week at a high-level meeting of the defence ministry and is seen as critical for meeting the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force in view of the present security scenario in the region," news agency ANI reported, citing defence ministry sources. Also Read | Boeing layoffs: Planemaker to cut 300 jobs from defence division What to know about the Rafale deal The proposal to purchase 114 Rafale jets by the Indian Air Force (IAF) received the initial nod by the Defence Procurement Board last month. The deal is expected to help the IAF meet its requirement for a 4.5-generation-plus multi-role fighter aircraft, and boost its squadron strength. Currently, the IAF operates around 30 fighter aircraft squadrons, against its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. The 3.25 lakh proposal is also expected to boost the domestic economy, with around 80% of the 114 Rafale jets planned to be manufactured in India. ANI, citing defence ministry sources, also reported that the IAF is eyeing 88 single-seater jets, and 26 twin-seater jets under the project, with most of the aircraft being built in India in collaboration between Dassault Aviation and Indian private sector firms. Once the deal gets completed, the IAF will have a fleet of 150 Rafale jets, while the Indian Navy will have 26 aircraft carrier-compatible versions of the French fighter planes. Emmanuel Macron's India visit French President Macron in January confirmed that he would be visiting India for the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South. The India-AI Impact Summit 2026, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, is scheduled to be held on 19-20 February in New Delhi. The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a writ petition filed by TVK chief Vijay, who had challenged an Income Tax Department order directing him to pay a 1.50 crore penalty for allegedly failing to disclose his full income for 2015-16, PTI reported. Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, while rejecting Vijays petition, stated that the penalty order was issued within the prescribed time limit and therefore did not warrant any interference. Hence, the petition was dismissed, the judge added. When Vijays counsel requested permission to challenge the order, the judge said the petitioner was free to appeal the decision before the appropriate appellate authority, PTI reported. The judge had reserved the judgment on 23 January after hearing arguments from both sides. Here's what Vijay said Vijay stated that he had declared an income of 35.42 crore for the financial year 2016-17. However, the Income Tax Department, relying on documents seized during a 2015 raid at his residence, alleged that he failed to disclose 15 crore earned from the Tamil film 'Pui'. Based on the findings, the department imposed a penalty of 1.50 crore by an order dated 30 June 2022. Assailing this order, Vijay filed the present petition and a single judge had on 16 August 2022 stayed the operation of the penalty order, as per the PTI report. The Supreme Court declined to hear a plea filed by Prashant Kishors Jan Suraaj party seeking to overturn the entire 2025 Bihar Assembly election results, alleging that the victory was secured illegally by distributing 15,600 crore in cash to voters, ANI reported. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi heard the plea, which challenged the Bihar governments decision to transfer 10,000 to women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana after the election schedule was announced, alleging it violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), ANI reported. "We cannot issue an omnibus direction for the entire state that too at the instance of a political party," the CJI said, as reported by ANI. However, a bench led by CJI Surya Kant allowed the party to approach the High Court with the same request. The bench, with the party represented by senior advocate C. U. Singh, directed the Jan Suraaj Party to approach the Patna High Court, noting that the matter concerned only one state. We cant issue notice like this. There is a procedure. It is just a composite election petition. Because you lost elections you say set-aside the entire election result. What is this view of political party who has lost everything in the election then you want to come here. Even that issue (on welfare policies) we wont like to have a political party before is. It must be some public spirited person. Because if we entertain thi, if this part gets to power they will do the same thing the CJI remarked during the hearing, as reported by ANI. Why JSP approach SC? The JSP had approached the Supreme Court seeking fresh elections in Bihar after the BJP-led NDA retained power in the 243-member Assembly by winning 202 seats, while the INDIA bloc won 35 seats. The JSP failed to win any seat, with most of its candidates forfeiting their deposits. Here's what the petition accused The petition accused the state government of violating the MCC by transferring 10,000 to women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana after the poll schedule was announced and sought action under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, ANI reported. The Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana provides an initial financial grant of 10,000 to women to promote self-employment and small businesses in the state. It was alleged that the debt-ridden state gave away 15,600 crore just ahead of polls, which denied a level playing field to other political parties. Lawyers for Liam and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who both entered the U.S. legally as asylum applicants, were detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Dilley, Texas, until a judge ordered their release on January 31. They returned to Minnesota following their release. The Trump administration defended the move, with the Department of Homeland Security accusing Conejo Arias of being in the U.S. illegally, without providing additional details. The case of the 5-year-old, who was photographed wearing a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack outside his house when federal agents apprehended him, gained national attention in the U.S. President Donald Trump and top officials have said in recent weeks that they aimed to deescalate tensions in Minnesota after Trump deployed thousands of agents to the state as part of his immigration crackdown. Jeffrey Epstein coordinated the creation of a legal vehicle in 2014 that allowed billionaire financiers Ronald Lauder and Leon Black to share ownership of a $25 million painting, a deal that sheds new light on the extent of the convicted sex offenders connections to wealth and power. Blacks association with Epstein has been publicly known for years. And the trove of emails released by the Department of Justice last week reveals Epsteins association with Lauder, an heir to the Estee Lauder cosmetics empire, and an art collector, and a major donor to US President Donald Trump. Also Read | Epstein emails show he helped arrange White House visit for Woody Allen In the emails, members of Lauders and Epsteins staff arranged lunches for the two men at Epsteins Upper East Side residence on two occasions in 2017, long after many other prominent individuals and institutions had cut ties with him. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to solicitation of prostitution with a minor. The heavily redacted files released by the DOJ dont reveal any direct correspondence between Epstein and Lauder. They also dont suggest that Lauder had any involvement with Epstein beyond limited business, social, and philanthropic engagements. Law enforcement officials have not accused Lauder of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein or his crimes. A spokesman for Lauder didnt respond to calls or emails seeking comment. A Black representative declined to comment. Black, who until 2021 was Chief Executive Officer of Apollo Global Management Inc., frequently paid Epstein for estate planning and tax advice. Alongside management of Blacks other financial interests, Epstein in 2014 created an LLC for Black and Lauder to jointly own Ja-Was? - Bild, a mixed-media work by the German collagist Kurt Schwitters. Called Friends Ventures, the vehicle stipulated that each would hold the $25 million artwork for two-and-a-half years at a time, with an option to purchase the others stake if one of them died. Later, in 2017, Epstein frequently pursued meetings and phone calls with Lauder to help Bill Gates raise money for health initiatives and on his own behalf, as Epstein attempted to position himself as a middleman in a brewing Mideast conflict. In the emails, staffers coordinated a lunch with Lauder at Epsteins Upper East Side residence, including with Nobel Prize-winning scientist James Watson, on 24 February 2017. In follow-up messages three days later, they attempted to schedule future get-togethers. Jeffrey says Ronald had offered to host him and Jim Watson the weekend of March 11th, Epsteins assistant wrote to a Lauder staffer on 27 February. But Jeffrey is wondering if it might be possible to have Ronald give them a tour of the gallery instead the week of March 13th. Please let me know if this is something Ronald might like to do! The Lauder staffer replied: The week of March 13th should be fine. What date would they prefer? And what time? Also, Ronald is asking if Jeffrey has a direct number he can call him on. The staffers exchanged emails about scheduling the gallery tour for several months in 2017, but theres no indication it took place; they also coordinated a lunch for the two men on 17 August. Four days later, Epsteins assistant told Lauders assistant in an email that Epstein wanted to see Lauders tax returns and his will, in order to give him the best guidance on an unspecified matter. Lauders assistant replied that she passed along the request. Subsequent emails dont show that it went any further. Epsteins assistant continued trying to arrange meetings between Epstein and Lauder after that, without success. There is no record in the files of contact between the two men or their staffers after January 2018. Lauder has, in recent years, become a generous donor to Trump and MAGA, giving $1 million to the presidents second inauguration and, more recently, $5 million to MAGA Inc., Trumps super political action committee. Lauders son-in-law, Kevin Warsh, was nominated last week to lead the Federal Reserve. American Activist and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky revealed that she still carries lingering fear from events that occurred nearly three decades ago. In a recent episode of her podcast Reclaiming, she spoke candidly with actress Jameela Jamil about the enduring impact of the Bill Clinton scandal. Jamil asked Lewinsky how she feels today, reflecting on how her life, identity, and even her appearance were publicly scrutinised and criticised in the late 1990s. Lewinsky explained that she has grown more confident in herself over time and that every opportunity to express her authentic self, and receive positive reactions from others, helps her release layers of past pain. However, she acknowledged that the fear still lingers. She compared it to a constant anxiety, like an earthquake, where everything she has worked to build over the past 11 years could vanish in an instant. "Yes. But I don't always I still live in a lot of fear It just may sound crazy, which is almost like an earthquake will happen and everything I've built in the last 11 years oh gosh, it is making me emotional will be taken away again, and I'll somehow find myself without purpose or, you know, without an income," Fox News quoted Lewinsky as saying. Almost thirty years ago, Lewinsky, was involved in an affair with then-President Bill Clinton during his tenure. The scandal led to Clinton facing impeachment proceedings in December 1998, while Lewinsky endured worldwide scrutiny and public humiliation. Also Read | Monica Lewinsky says Bill Clinton should have resigned over their affair Lewinsky now shared that coping with the aftermath continues to be a persistent challenge. Almost thirty years ago, Lewinsky, who was a White House intern at the time, was involved in an affair with then-President Bill Clinton during his tenure. The scandal led to Clinton facing impeachment proceedings in December 1998, while Lewinsky endured worldwide scrutiny and public disgrace. Also Read | Who is Monica Lewinsky? From political scandal to podcast host Lewinsky now shared that coping with the aftermath continues to be a persistent challenge. "I think it's just trying to hold on to what's now and not what was, right? But the living through the what was is, you know, which I know you have done in your own ways too you talking about having been suicidal," Lewinsky told Jamil. Lewinsky came back into the public eye in 2015 with a TED Talk on public shaming, which quickly went viral. Since then, she has become a vocal advocate against online bullying. During the scandal and Bill Clintons subsequent impeachment, Lewinsky was subjected to intense media scrutiny. In April 2025, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping, reciprocal tariffs on almost every country, as part of his Liberation Day economic plan, aimed at making America wealthy again. Almost a year later, several countries are now pivoting towards China as they lose confidence in the US over Trump's policies. The list also includes German companies investing in China, the South China Morning Post reported, citing an executive at a German chamber of commerce. Trump has discouraged German businesses from expanding their presence in the US owing to his tariffs, immigration policy, and his most recent plans to acquire Greenland, which would disrupt the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), according to Oliver Oehms, executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China. German companies' investment in China hits a 4-year high A Reuters report on 27 January 2026 showed that in 2025, investments by German companies in China hit a four-year high, highlighting how Trump's trade policies are pushing industries and governments to strengthen business ties elsewhere. Citing newly disclosed figures from the IW German Economic Institute, the report said German investment in China exceeded 7 billion euros ($8 billion) between January and November last year, marking a 55.5% increase from the 4.5 billion euros recorded in both 2024 and 2023. On the other hand, an AFP report highlighted a decline in German exports to the US due to tariffs in 2025, shrinking to a four-year low. German investors in China include automakers like BMW and Volkswagen, as well as machinery and mechanical engineering firms. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to visit China The data comes at a time when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to visit China later this month, marking his first official visit to Beijing. The report suggests that he is likely to travel with an entourage of senior business leaders who may raise structural and sectoral issues with Beijing. Further, the top issues would include advancing an "open market environment" to create a level playing field for German multinationals and improving intellectual property rights regulation, Oehms said. He further added, "Chinese companies are on the same level or spearheading innovation compared with their German peers, but are open to working together in artificial intelligence, robotics, and 'smart' manufacturing." Countries moving away from the US In the last few months, several Western leaders have also travelled to China, including Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who made it his first official visit and the first by any British Prime Minister since 2018. The two sides pledged to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in a sign of warming ties between the two countries. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron have also visited China in recent months, underscoring their commitment to improving ties. In January 2026, Canada and China signed a trade deal that slashed tariffs on electric vehicles and canola. According to a Reuters report, under the trade deal, Canada will initially allow in up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles at a 6.1% tariff on most-favoured-nation terms, compared with the 100% tariff imposed by Carney's predecessor, Justin Trudeau, in 2024. Amid rising strains with Washington, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is also expected to travel to Beijing later this year, reflecting a broader reassessment of ties with China. On 6 February, Reuters reported that South Africa announced that its trade minister had signed an economic partnership agreement during his recent visit to China, which it described as a step toward securing duty-free access to Chinese markets for its exports. South Africa, the largest economy in Africa, faces a 30% tariff from the US, the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Korea, meanwhile, has announced plans to deepen cooperation with China on critical mineral supply chains. The announcement came days after Seoul attended a US-led Critical Minerals Ministerial event in Washington, aimed at countering China's dominance in the industry. Police in Bangladesh clashed with protesters from the Inqilab Mancha on Friday, leaving at least 50 activists injured after they attempted to defy a ban on demonstrations while demanding immediate justice for the killing of their leader, Sharif Osman Hadi, last year. The confrontation erupted when protesters tried to break through security barricades outside the Jamuna residence of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus. Dhaka police responded with batons, sound grenades, and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Witnesses said police in riot gear took strong action as protesters attempted to push past security barricades near Jamuna after moving from a nearby sit-in, defying a previously announced ban on demonstrations in the area. Media reports said the police response left more than 50 protesters injured, including Inqilab Mancha member-secretary Abdullah Al Zaber. In protest against the police action, activists of the cultural group blocked a nearby major intersection in the capital's central Shahbagh area, bringing traffic to a standstill. Dhaka metropolitan police, in a statement, said the protesters were dispersed in a "fully lawful" manner and no lethal weapons or gunfire were used for it. After the clash, Yunus' office binned reports of "excessive use of force" against the protestors. "According to information received from doctors at the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, 23 people, including Inqilab Mancha secretary-general Abdullah Al Zaber, received treatment there. But the doctors confirmed that none of them received bullet wounds," the government statement said. The Inqilab Mancha's attempt to break through the barricades of Jamuna came despite an announcement by Yunus' office earlier on Thursday that it would propose a UN investigation into Hadi's murder. Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam said the government would ask the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to take charge of the inquiry to ensure full impartiality and justice. In its statement following the clashes, Yunus' office reiterated that the interim government was "deeply reviewing the legal aspects" of the UN investigation and would send a letter to the concerned UN agency on February 8. The government earlier observed a day of mourning for "martyr" Hadi, and law adviser Asif Nazrul said the murder case would be transferred to a fast-track tribunal under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act that stipulates trials to be completed within 90 days once the police report is submitted. The Jamuna is secured by army personnel armed with guns and supported by armoured personnel carriers (APCs), along with police forces. As an added measure to prevent any escalation of tensions, the government on Friday deployed six platoons, around 180 personnel, of the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to strengthen the security presence. Hadi death details Hadi, a prominent activist in the violent 2024 student-led street movement known as the July Uprising that brought down then prime minister Sheikh Hasinas Awami League government, was also a candidate in the February 12 parliamentary elections. He was shot in the capital on December 12 while campaigning and later died from his injuries. Hours after Hadi's death in December, his supporters set alight the offices of two mass circulation newspapers Daily Star and Prothom Alo as well as the over half-century-old progressive cultural groups Chayanat and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi in the capital. They also lynched a Hindu factory worker in central Mymensingh. Last month, Hadi's brother Omar Hadi told a protest rally that a section within the interim government plotted the killing to derail the February 12 polls. "Those who are in power when Osman Hadi was killed, you won't be able to evade the responsibility," Omar had said. At least 30 people have been killed and over 130 have been injured after a massive bombing ripped through a mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, on Friday. A senior police officer told AFP, the casualty toll was 'expected to rise further.' Islamabad police said the blast at the sprawling mosque was an attack and that an investigation was underway. Islamabad blast The explosion took place at Imambargah Khadijah al-Kubra in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, the Dawn reported. Following the blast, images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris, and panicked worshippers. Dozens more wounded were lying in the garden outside the imambargah as people called for help, mentioned the Pakistani media outlet. View full Image Army officials examine the site of a bomb explosion at a mosque, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) ( AP ) Television footage and social media images showed police and residents transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, and asked authorities to ensure the provision of best medical care to the wounded persons, who were arriving at the city's different hospitals. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Ahead of planned USIran negotiations on Friday, the US Virtual Embassy in Iran on Thursday advised American citizens to depart the country due to heightened security, road closures, disruptions to public transportation, widespread internet restrictions, and continued airline flight cancellations. According to the official US virtual embassy in Iran website, U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Turkiye. Actions to take: 1. "Leave Iran now." Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on the US government's help. 2. Flight cancellations and disruptions are possible with little warning. Check directly with your airlines for updates. 3. If you cannot leave, find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items. 4. The embassy advised citizens to avoid demonstrations, maintain a low profile, and remain alert to their surroundings. 5. It urged people to follow local media for breaking developments, be ready to change plans if necessary, keep their phones charged, and stay in contact with family and friends to keep them informed of their status. 6. The alert asked US-Iranian dual nationals to exit Iran on Iranian passports, as the Iranian government does not recognise dual nationality. It added, US. citizens who do not have a valid U.S. passport in their possession should apply for one at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate after departing Iran. The US Virtual Embassy Iran added, The US government cannot guarantee your safety if you choose to depart using the following options. You should leave only if you believe it is safe to do so. Iran-US nuclear talks Iran and the United States are to resume negotiations in Oman on Friday, focused at least in part on Tehrans nuclear programme, following a turbulent week that initially included plans for broader regional talks in Turkey. The discussions mark a return to Oman, the sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, months after earlier rounds of dialogue collapsed in the aftermath of Israels 12-day war against Iran in June. Iran's state news agency IRNA reported Thursday night that Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, had arrived in Muscat to participate in the talks. According to AFP, Iran's foreign ministry said Thursday evening that it had a "responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy" to preserve peace, adding it hoped Washington would participate in the discussions with responsibility, realism and seriousness. The meeting takes place less than a month after the height of nationwide protests in Iran against the clerical leadership, which rights groups say were met with a severe crackdown that has killed thousands. "They're negotiating," US President Donald Trump said of Iran on Thursday. "They don't want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there," he added, referring to the aircraft carrier group he has repeatedly called an armada. A foot sketch by Michelangelo has sold for 16.9 million ( 206 crore). The previously-unknown painting has far exceeded expectations, according to the BBC. Andrew Fletcher, head of Christie's Old Masters department, called the moment one of the most memorable of his career. Christies experts identified it as a study for the Libyan Sibyl, later painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The owner only submitted a photograph for valuation and was unaware of its importance. The small red chalk drawing likely dates from around 1511 to 1512, when Michelangelo was preparing the second phase of the ceiling frescoes. The anonymous owner lives on the US West Coast and inherited the work from his grandmother. Also Read | Banana sells for 52 crore at auction He said the sketch had remained in the family in Europe since the late 18th century. It was quietly preserved without recognition. Giada Damen, a specialist in Christies Old Master Drawings department, examined a sketch using infrared reflectography. The technique revealed hidden drawings on the sheet's reverse that closely matched Michelangelos style. She compared the foot study with a confirmed Michelangelo work held at the Metropolitan Museum. She concluded that the sketch was likely original. Was Michelangelo a starving artist? Since Michelangelos art sells for millions these days, many people wonder what his financial status was while he was alive. Numerous artists around the world live penniless. Only after their death do their artworks receive financial recognition. Interestingly, unlike what many people assume, Michelangelo was one of the richest artists of the Renaissance. Yet, he chose to live with extreme simplicity. When he died in 1564, his estate was valued at about 50,000 florins, equal to tens of millions of dollars today. Despite this wealth, he claimed he always lived like a poor man. Michelangelo often slept in his clothes and rarely spent money on comfort. In letters to his family, he complained about being poor to avoid constant financial demands. He claimed so while receiving huge payments for major commissions such as the tomb of Pope Julius II. After his death, a locked chest under his bed revealed thousands of gold ducats along with valuable property in Florence and Rome. "However rich I may have been, I have always lived like a poor man," he famously told his biographer, Ascanio Condivi. Record-breaking art sales Record-breaking art sales are not rare. In 2017, a 500-year-old painting of Christ, believed to be by Leonardo da Vinci, was sold in New York for a record $450 million ( 4,061 crore). In November 2025, Gustav Klimts portrait of Elisabeth Lederer fetched $236.4 million ( 2,134 crore) in New York. Social media has been abuzz with discussions on Jeffrey Epstein after the US Department of Justice recently released more than 3 million pages of documents, 180,000 images, and 2,000 videos related to the case. The release has also fuelled online conspiracy theories, including unsubstantiated claims that the convicted child sex offender faked his death and is still alive. Official records, however, state that Jeffrey Epstein was found hanging in his jail cell in August 2019, and his death was ruled a suicide. Amid the renewed speculation, a photograph purportedly showing Epstein walking through the streets of Israel has gone viral. (Livemint could not independently verify the authenticity of the post) The viral photo The image which was posted on X shows a man who purportedly looks like Epstein wearing sunglasses with long hair and a beard, captured in side profile. It has been widely shared online, with users questioning whether the person in the photo is Epstein. One person wrote: Is pedophile Jeffrey Epstein still alive?. A second X user asked, Is it Possible that Epstein is in witness protection & very much alive ?. Netizens flag AI watermark Amid all the speculations, multiple netizens claimed the photo was AI generated. One user on X shared a larger version of the image that appeared to carry a watermark associated with Googles Gemini AI tool. This picture going around is fake and AI-created, the user wrote. Another person wrote: There is an AI watermark in the bottom corner. Grok weighs in Some netizens further went on to ask AI chatbot Grok, about whether the image was real. "The image appears to be AI-generated. Key indicators include mismatched features to Epstein's known appearance (e.g., long hair and beard), a reported AI watermark in the full version, and no reverse image matches or verified sources confirming it's real. Epstein died in 2019, so any "sighting" is implausible," Grok said in its response. Which names have appeared in Epstein files? The Epstein Files outline how the sex offender was connected to many powerful figures. Being named in the records does not imply criminal wrongdoing, but the associations have raised questions. High-profile names appear throughout the files. US President Donald Trump is mentioned frequently. Bill Clinton appears in photographs from past decades. Images also show Hollywood figures such as Kevin Spacey and Woody Allen. Business leaders Bill Gates and Elon Musk are shown corresponding with Epstein about meetings or travel. Both have denied any involvement in his crimes. Any radical change enabled by technology demands careful deliberation, but two potential shifts especially so. First, should central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) be designed to take over the deposit-gathering role of banks by paying their holders interest? The central bank could lend that money to banks, which could progressively focus on risk-pricing as their key skill for on-lending. Indian banks anyway face a creeping deposit drought, with relief shots of liquidity from the Reserve Bank of India getting frequent. It calls for a deep debate. Also Read | The real danger of autonomous AI lies in laws being unable to keep pace The second shift needs an even deeper one since its already underway, driven by market forces. As AI agents eye human jobs, their pricing doesnt reflect their true costs, which go beyond sunk R&D to costly variable inputs like energy. Also Read | South Korea has raced ahead of the EU to reach the cutting edge of AI regulation Right now, AI is burning investor cash for a revolution without a visible path to profit. It looks like the biggest bet ever on supernormal profits years aheadonce agent users turn AI dependent, a switch-back to humans is deemed too disruptive and Agentic AI can easily be repriced to reflect the AI industrys actual cost base. The huge stakes involved could well make the case for a global compact on intervention. A new wave of popular anger is rising in Iran, as people enraged by last months mass killings of protesters vent their antipathy for the regime despite the risks of a continuing crackdown. Mourning families are shouting antiregime slogans at funerals and memorials. Students are refusing to sing patriotic songs at school. Medical workers are publicly condemning the arrests of colleagues who treated people injured in the protests. And groups of local activists are openly calling for the fall of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The shows of defiancesometimes loud and risky, other times quiet and personalcome as Iranians reckon with the full extent of Januarys violence and the government that ordered it. And they are cropping up even as the regime has carried out waves of arrests targeting protesters and their sympathizers, from relatives to medical workers to civil-rights activists. People are full of fear but also resentment," a woman from the city of Kermanshah said via text message. Were all staring at the sky, hoping Trump will bomb us, just to destroy Khamenei and his regime. Were willing to die one by one, but we dont want our children to suffer our pain and torture." The simmering dissent comes as President Trump is building up U.S. forces off Irans coast for possible military action against the regime after warning it not to kill protesters. The U.S. and Iran have arranged to meet Friday in Oman to see if a diplomatic solution can be found In Iran, funerals and memorial services have become occasions for Iranians to vent their anger, with crowds of mourners across the country shouting Death to Khamenei!" University students in the cities of Mashhad, Tabriz and Shiraz held memorial events this week for fellow students who were killed during the recent unrest that turned into protests. A student who dies wont accept humiliation," a group of medical students chanted in Mashhad, according to a video verified by Storyful, which is owned by News Corp, parent company of The Wall Street Journal. Medical students in Shiraz held a sit-in for several days this week, chanting slogans in support of protesters who had been killed and doctors who were arrested for treating the injured, according to videos published on Telegram by the Free Union of Iranian Workers, a group of independent Iranian trade unions, and verified by Storyful. The imprisoned student must be released! The honorable doctor must be released!" they shouted. High-school students are also engaging in collective acts of protest. A 17-year-old in Tehran told the Journal that students at their school are refusing to sing the national anthem in the morning. When security forces were planning to search the school, the teacher warned her students in advance and advised anyone with injuries to stay at home to avoid arrest. The teacher also asked everyone to delete videos and photos with political content from their phones, the student said. The peaceful protest of people with ordinary demands was turned into dust and blood," said a public statement from the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers Trade Associations, a labor union that is often critical of the government. The grief has turned into a deep hatred in our hearts and bones." A prominent Iranian actress, Elnaz Shakerdoost, announced she was quitting following the crackdown. I will never again play a role in a land that smells of blood," she said on her Instagram account this week. Well-known Iranian dissidents inside the country are openly calling for the end of the regime. Former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, a prominent dissident who has been under house arrest in Tehran for years, said the scale of the killing shows the Islamic Republic cannot be reformed and must be replaced. When you were wearing the uniform of war against your own people, you were striking your own roots with an ax," Mousavi said. Put down your gun and step down from power so that the nation itself can lead this land to freedom and prosperity." The comments marked Mousavis sharpest rebuke of the Islamic Republic to date. A former reformist politician, Mousavi emerged as a national opposition figure after the 2009 presidential election, which he claimed was rigged, triggering mass protests and eventually his arrest. His criticism has gradually intensified in recent years, with calls for a referendum on a constitutional assembly. A group of 17 civil-society activists based in Iran published an open letter in which they described the mass killings as a government-led crime against humanity and said Khamenei was to blame. The main responsibility for this horrific situation lies with the person at the top and the repressive structure of the ruling Islamic Republic," the letter said. After the letter was published, three of its signatoriesVida Rabbani, Abdollah Momeni and Mehdi Mahmoudianwere arrested, according to the Narges Foundation, which signed the letter on behalf of the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi. Anyone speaking out against the government now is taking enormous risks, residents and rights activists said. Around 7,000 people have been confirmed killed since the demonstrations began in late December, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a U.S.-based rights group. More than 50,000 people have been arrested over the same period, it said. Iranian authorities have acknowledged around 3,000 dead and the arrest of several hundred, describing them as rioters or terrorists, according to state media. Many of the detained people were rounded up during the protests themselves, but others were arrested in their homes or while seeking medical treatment in the aftermath of the crackdown, said rights groups and local residents. After killing thousands of civilians, the Islamic Republic is now going house to house to punish those who dared to protest and crush any potential flicker of further resistance," said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. Armed men in plainclothes have raided hospitals across the country looking for the injured and taking them away, according to rights groups and a witness. The witness, a medical doctor contacted by the Journal, said he saw security forces taking injured protesters from his hospital in Tehran. One woman was detained after she was shot with a pellet gun and went to a hospital in Tehran for treatment, a close friend said. She had been on her way home Jan. 8 and got caught in the crossfire, the friend said. Security forces saw her injuries and concluded she was a protester, the friend said. Security forces have also detained doctors and nurses who treated injured protesters in hospitals, clinics or in makeshift medical centers, according to a witness, residents and rights groups. Mohammad Raeeszadeh, the head of the Medical Council of Iran, the main regulatory body for the field, said in an interview with the semiofficial ISNA news agency that 17 medical workers were detained in the aftermath of the Jan. 8-9 crackdown. He said their cases were under investigation, and that they werent merely accused of treating protesters. Kiana Kasiri, who is part of a loose network of Iranian doctors abroad, said her group has documented the detention of more than 30 medical workers accused of treating protesters. Some of the workers were released on bail, she said. Ali Reza Golchini, a cancer surgeon based in the city of Qazvin, near Tehran, posted a message on his Instagram account on Jan. 7 offering to treat injured protestersjust as he had during the womens rights protests of 2022. Golchini was beaten and taken from his home by authorities, according to his cousin Neema Gulchini. We are very concerned," he said. The arrest of medical workers has provoked outrage among Iranians and prompted the Medical Council to demand security for people working in healthcare. Healthcare workersbased on their professional oath, their legal obligations and basic ethical standardshave a duty to provide the necessary medical care to all patients in all circumstances, regardless of social, political, or security conditions," the council said Wednesday. The teachers group said that the killings and the continuing repression, together with the countrys worsening economic problems, are bound to fuel more popular unrest. There will be no other option but to take to the streets and protest all-out against this deplorable situation and create solidarity and unity to end this daily oppression and tyranny," it said on its website. The backlash is prompting Irans rulers to back off in some high-profile instances to ease the pressure on the regime. At the end of January, authorities released on bail Erfan Soltani, a prominent protester whose family had feared he would be executed. Over the weekend, the government also announced it would officially start issuing motorcycle licenses to women, the latest in a series of moves aimed at trying to win support by relaxing social rules. The small concessions are unlikely to make much difference now. Merchants at Tehrans Grand Bazaarwhere the protests first flared up in late Decembercalled on shopkeepers nationwide to take to the streets again on Feb. 17-18, days that mark the end of the traditional 40-day mourning period for killings that occurred Jan. 8-9. We invite the noble people of Iran across the country to simultaneously, in their cities, keep the memory of the dead alive and continue the national uprising," a trade association of bazaar workers said on its Telegram channel. The goal, the statement said, was to avenge the greatest street massacre in contemporary history." Write to Margherita Stancati at margherita.stancati@wsj.com and Benoit Faucon at benoit.faucon@wsj.com New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order strengthening protections for immigrants against federal enforcement, bolstering the citys existing sanctuary policies with a series of new restrictions. The order prohibits federal agents from using city parking lots and garages as staging areas or operations bases unless they have a judicial warrant. It also establishes an interagency committee to coordinate citywide crisis response and prohibits sharing New Yorkers private data with US immigration authorities without legal justification. Day after day, we bear witness to cruelty that staggers the conscience, Mamdani said Friday at an interfaith breakfast at the New York Public Library. Masked agents paid by our own tax dollars violate the constitution and visit terror upon our neighbors. Mamdani is reinforcing efforts to shield immigrants as President Donald Trumps crackdown stokes a national uproar, which intensified last month after federal agents shot and killed two US citizens during protests in Minneapolis. The mayor, a democratic socialist known for his progressive policies, added that the order will ensure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents present judicial warrants before entering city property including hospitals and schools. The new measures formalize the Trump-proofing strategy Mamdani laid out in December, when he released a video urging undocumented immigrants to refuse entry to immigration enforcement agents, remain silent and legally record any encounters. At the interfaith meeting, Mamdanis office distributed pamphlets in multiple languages to faith leaders to help their congregations understand what to do if ICE agents arrive. His order also directs the New York Police Department, Department of Correction and Department of Probation to complete 90-day audits of their immigration enforcement policies. New York City has maintained sanctuary policies since the 1980s, when Mayor Ed Koch barred city agencies from sharing immigrant information with federal authorities except in criminal cases. While those protections have been upheld by subsequent mayors and codified into law, they primarily restricted information-sharing and cooperation with ICE detainer requests. Mamdanis order covering the use of physical infrastructure and establishing coordinated crisis response mechanisms arent typically found in most of the more than 200 US cities and counties with sanctuary policies. At the state level, New York Governor Kathy Hochul last week proposed a new state law limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and immigration officials. Hochuls proposal would overturn provisions allowing federal agencies to deputize local police and bar municipal jails from ICE detention use. 2026 Bloomberg L.P. Apple is finally working on improving the battery capacity of its iPhone series, with the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max tipped to breach the 5,000mAh mark, as per a latest leak. Notably, the improvement in battery capacity, along with a more power-efficient chipset on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, is expected to bring gains in real-life battery performance. Also Read | iPhone 17e leaks: Apple could launch its budget iPhone later this month iPhone 18 Pro Max battery: Whats leaked so far? As per a latest leak by tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS) on Weibo, the iPhone 18 Pro Maxs Chinese variant is expected to come with a battery rated around the 5,000mAh mark. Meanwhile, the global variant of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to come with a maximum sample battery capacity of around 5,1005,200mAh. The phone is expected to be paired with the A20 Pro processor based on the latest 2nm process. In contrast, even mid-range Chinese smartphones like Realme P4 Power have breached the 10,000mAh mark, while mainstream flagships like the OnePlus 15 or Oppo Find X9 series come with over 7,000mAh batteries with support for 80W to 100W fast charging. iPhone 18 Pro Max: Everything expected Apple could use a 6.9-inch OLED display with the iPhone 18 Pro Max with a 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 3,000 nits. A leak from South Korea-based ETNews had revealed that the phone could use under-screen infrared technology from Samsung that would allow the phone to feature under-screen Face ID. Moreover, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is also expected to feature LTPO+ display technology, which could be even more power-efficient than the LTPO display on the iPhone 17, potentially leading to better battery life. Meanwhile, tipster Ice Universe on X has claimed that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could feature a 35% narrower Dynamic Island cutout compared to its predecessor. A report from The Information has also previously claimed that the phone will feature under-screen Face ID, which would lead to just a punch-hole-style selfie shooter on the left corner of the device. Another report by The Information claimed that Apple plans to remove touch sensitivity and haptic feedback from the Camera Control button on the iPhone 18. However, it is not clear if the change will carry over to the iPhone 18 Pro models as well. The iPhone 18 Pro Max could come with a C1X or C2 modem from Apple, ditching the Qualcomm modem seen on its predecessor. Moreover, the company is also expected to use its in-house N1 chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. Sridhar Vembu has warned coders to look for alternative sources of livelihood as artificial intelligence (AI) technology gets better and better at generating new apps and websites without users having any technical knowledge. In a post on X, Vembu cited the rapidly improving capabilities of AI models like Anthropics Claude, which recently built an entire C compiler, as proof that the technology industry is shifting rapidly. Notably, a C compiler is a tool that translates human-written C programming language code into machine-readable instructions. At this point, it is best for those of us who depend on writing code for a living to start considering alternative livelihoods. I include myself in this. I don't say this in panic, but with calm acceptance and embrace, Vembu wrote in a post on X. Vembu was quoting a post by a user on X who claimed to have created a Bhagavad Gita app on the App Store without knowing a single line of code. The former Zoho CEO also said that he held detailed sessions with Google Gemini to figure out how the economy will be shaped by this AI revolution. It was like having an extremely intelligent economic philosopher debating you. I asked it to critique its own work and it did a fantastic job too, Vembu said. As Gemini and I see this developing, the future could unfold in two ways, depending on who owns and collects rent on this technology, he added. Notably, Vembus remarks come shortly after he had criticised the hype around vibe coding, stating that natural-language, prompt-based coding oversimplifies a deeply layered craft and leads to unsustainable technical debt. Vembu had also gone on to have a public feud with Garry Tan, who claimed that Zohos business would be among the first to be wiped out due to vibe coding. Vibe coding just piles up tech debt faster and faster until the whole thing collapses, Vembu had said in a post on X. Vembus predictions for the future of technology Vembu further noted that the rise of AI systems could lead to two kinds of futures, depending on who collects rent on this technology: an optimistic future and a pessimistic future. In his optimistic vision, Vembu states that the technology would become redundant and trivial, like digital watches today. He says this would lead to an increased human focus on life, family, soil, water, nature, art, music, culture, sports, festivals, and faith. A Longford man who assaulted an Irish Rail ticket inspector on a train at Connolly Station has been jailed for two years. Gerry Nevin (32) assaulted the injured party on board a Dublin to Sligo train at Connolly Station after the injured party asked him to leave the train because he had a can of alcohol. Nevin, of Mostrim Road, Ballymahon, Co Longford, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on September 21, 2024 at Connolly Station. The ticket inspector sustained a busted lip, cuts to his nose and face in the assault while his glasses were also broken. Also read: Bail granted for man charged in connection with Longford stabbing In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecuting counsel Marc Murphy BL, the injured party said he has been forced to live with the fear and anxiety of being a victim of violence and he truly wishes this had never happened. Sentencing Nevin on Friday, Judge Martina Baxter said the ticket inspector was only working, was just doing his job when he was undermined and assaulted. She said while Nevin later admitted he hit the man, It's clear (Nevin) had him in a headlock and was not letting go. Mr Nevin could have turned the other cheek and walked away, but he didn't, she said. She set a headline sentence of three and a half years, which she reduced to two and a half years, taking mitigating factors into account, including Nevin's early guilty plea. She suspended the final six months of this sentence on a number of conditions, including that Nevin remain under the supervision of The Probation Service for six months upon his release and undertake offence-related courses. Garda Oisin OToole told Mr Murphy that gardai went to Connolly Station following a report that an Irish Rail staff member had been assaulted. Also read: Gardai arrest and charge man in connection with Longford stabbing incident CCTV of the incident played in court showed Nevin and the injured party engaged in a verbal disagreement on the train. Evidence was heard that Nevin had been asked to leave the commuter train as he had a can of alcohol. Nevin got off but continued to argue with the Irish Rail employee, who stepped back onto the train. Nevin then assaulted the injured party, pushing him against a locked door inside the carriage, punching him and placing him in a headlock. Evidence was also heard about an earlier interaction between Nevin and the ticket inspector. The injured party asked Nevin to get rid of a can of alcohol or he would have to leave the train. Nevin put the can in the bin and the ticket inspector continued his duties. When he returned, Nevin had another can of alcohol and it was at this point that he was asked to leave the train. Also read: Sentencing of man guilty of Longford arson causing millions of euro worth of damage adjourned When gardai arrived, Nevin was being detained by security. Gda O'Toole said it had taken gardai around two hours to respond to the call as it was a busy night. After caution, Nevin replied: I did hit the driver. I know I'm in the wrong. Gda O'Toole said that the injured party returned on the train to Sligo and later gave a statement. In a victim impact statement read to the court by Mr Murphy, the injured party said he was assaulted while carrying out his duties on a train. He said the defendant threatened to have me killed and punched me several times. He said he was left in pain and required hospital treatment. He said he was off work for four months due to his physical injuries and the psychological impact. The injured party said the incident continues to affect his mental health and wellbeing. He said this incident affected his sense of safety at work, has made me afraid of trains and at times, he feels that I don't want to go on trains again. Also read: Gardai accused of 'corruption' offences at Longford Circuit Court have cases adjourned Nevin, who was on bail at the time, has 119 previous convictions, including five for assault, with the majority being public order offences. Gda O'Toole agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that the guilty plea was of assistance. Nevin shouted out several times during the hearing, at one point saying I know the case better than anyone. I know what happened. Mr Rea said his instructions were that Nevin asked the ticket inspector not to put him off the train as he was trying to get home. Defence counsel said his client's recollection was that a woman asked Nevin to use his charger and the injured party came over in an aggressive way, claiming that Nevin was harassing the woman. Counsel put to the garda that his client overreacted as he had been stabbed and mugged in Mullingar a week before. Gda O'Toole said the injured party's statement records that Nevin was speaking to a woman and she asked to move seats. After the woman moved seats, Nevin also changed seats and the second interaction between him and the ticket inspector occurred. Gda O'Toole agreed that Nevin was detained by station security for approximately 90 minutes and was moved from the floor to a chair when gardai arrived. Nevin took the stand and said this was never meant to happen. He said he only had one beer when he got on the train, after being in Dublin drinking. Nevin said he had a can of beer and the ticket inspector told him he was going to have to leave the train. Nevin said he pleaded to be allowed to stay on the train and got rid of the can. He said the ticket inspector said he was harassing the woman while he was talking to her. Nevin said he was held on the ground for nearly 90 minutes afterwards and someone stood on my back. I could barely get air into my lungs, I'll never forget that experience, I nearly died. He said he was disappointed for touching that man and that he had been stabbed two days earlier. He said his emotions were high and I do feel bad for not walking away. PICTURES: Gardai on standby as Longford house targeted in shooting is boarded up Nevin told the court he started drinking at 15, then developed a drugs addiction. He said he intends to complete classes about alternatives to violence while in custody. Mr Rea submitted while his client's behaviour was bad, it was in the heat of the moment and no weapon was used. He noted his client must address his addiction and anger issues. A Longford-based food supplement manufacturer, has announced a new nationwide retail distribution partnership with Uniphar Group, marking a major milestone in the companys growth. Bioreve Sciences, established in Ireland in 2020, is an IDA-supported client and a subsidiary of Indian pharmaceutical group Zee Laboratories Limited, operating from Gem Park, Longford. The company has recently purchased its facility and completed a two-year investment programme to develop the site into an ISO-approved food supplement packaging facility. Also read: Longford business Ecoshedness brings simple, eco-friendly heating solutions Bioreve Sciences exports to the UK, UAE and African markets and sells products online across the UK and Ireland. The nationwide retail rollout will see its Bionutrica range of scientifically backed food supplements reach stores across Ireland in 2026. On its recent announcement, Richard Doggett, Sales Director, said: We are excited to be rolling out our products across Irelands retail stores under the Bionutrica brand. These products are developed in the heart of Longford, and as a guaranteed Irish business we are proud to have full control of our supply chain, from raw ingredients to finished products. In addition, the company recently launched in the UK with Holland & Barrett, receiving strong market feedback." PICTURES | Sylish and iconic Longford night out as Declan Nerney leads London celebration Company Director Rohan Mukul added that Longford is the ideal base for our European and international growth. We look forward to expanding our services and creating local employment opportunities as we continue to grow. Welcoming the latest development Michael Nevin from the Local Enterprise Office said that the company has very exciting plans for the future and is set to become a significant enterprise for Longford. Photo caption: Pictured visiting food supplement manufacturer company Bioreve are Deputy Chief Executive of Longford County Council, John Brannigan, Richard Doggett and Rohan Mukul, Bioreve Sciences, Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council Cllr Garry Murtagh and Head of Enterprise with Longford County Council, Michael Nevin News / National by Staff reporter President Emmerson Mnangagwa has drawn criticism for sidestepping a major geopolitical and international law question following the recent seizure of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by the administration of United States President Donald Trump, a move that has ignited intense global debate.Mnangagwa's reluctance to express a clear position has been viewed by analysts as a reflection of Zimbabwe's long-standing foreign policy mantra of being a "friend to all and enemy to none," a stance also referred to as universalism or active neutrality. While the policy is often defended as pragmatic and self-preserving for smaller or developing nations, critics argue that it risks projecting indecision and diplomatic weakness at moments of profound international consequence.The reported seizure of Maduro has raised fundamental questions about state sovereignty, international law and the limits of unilateral action by powerful nations. Against this backdrop, Mnangagwa's silence has stood out, particularly as several governments across Africa, Latin America and beyond have issued statements either condemning or cautiously questioning the legality of the move.Zimbabwe's foreign policy approach is rooted in non-alignment, a strategy designed to navigate an increasingly polarised global order while maximising economic and diplomatic engagement with competing power blocs. Supporters of the policy argue that it allows Harare to avoid entanglement in superpower rivalries and shields the country from punitive measures that can follow overt alignment.International relations experts note that for smaller states, taking sides in global disputes can invite retaliation from opposing powers, a lesson Zimbabwe learned during the latter years of former president Robert Mugabe's rule, when confrontational diplomacy coincided with sanctions and international isolation. In this context, neutrality is often presented as a survival mechanism rather than an expression of fear or moral ambiguity.However, analysts also warn that excessive caution carries its own risks. By avoiding firm positions on major international issues, a country may dilute its moral authority, limit its influence in regional and global forums, and struggle to forge deep strategic partnerships. Neutrality, if not carefully managed, can result in shallow diplomatic relationships that prioritise short-term engagement over long-term alignment.Comparisons have been drawn between Zimbabwe's approach and that of countries such as Oman, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines, which have historically sought to balance relations among rival global powers. While this strategy has enabled such states to extract economic and diplomatic benefits from multiple partners, it has also exposed them to pressure and influence from stronger nations that are sceptical of neutrality.Critics argue that Mnangagwa's handling of the Maduro issue illustrates the broader challenge facing Zimbabwe's foreign policy: how to reconcile pragmatic non-alignment with the need to articulate clear principles on international law, sovereignty and global governance. They contend that silence on such matters may be interpreted not as realism, but as diplomatic frailty.Supporters of the President, however, maintain that restraint is deliberate and calculated, aimed at preserving Zimbabwe's room for manoeuvre in a volatile international system. They argue that the policy prioritises economic cooperation over ideological alignment and avoids unnecessary confrontation in an era of heightened global tensions.As debates over the legality and implications of Maduro's seizure continue to reverberate worldwide, Zimbabwe's muted response has reignited domestic and regional discussions about the costs and benefits of its "friend to all and enemy to none" doctrine, and whether neutrality remains sustainable in an increasingly divided global order. Frankie McCafferty is a prolific actor, writer and director from Donegal, and has appeared in shows such as Blue Bloods and Derry Girls. This time, he will be performing on stage in the Backstage Theatre for Lisdoon-Nirvana, which is a one-person show where Frankie will be taking on the parts of several characters. It is to be presented by An Grianan Theatre Productions. A recurring visitor of Longford through tours with several companies from as far back at the 1980s-90s, he is looking forward to once again standing on the stage of the iconic theatre. Read more: No villain is spared in Longford Backstage Youth Theatre's 'The Spare Prince' This is a piece to step back into simpler times of the 1980s. Iconic songs, no technological burdens just the atmosphere. Frankie came to chat briefly with the Longford Leader about his upcoming performance, about how it came about and why Longford audiences will highly enjoy this production. This is my idea. I created this project. Its a semi-autobiographical piece and I co-wrote the musical score. It was an experience from when I was 17. Ive been meaning to do it for years. Weve toured all over the island, north and south, and were delighted to bring it to Longford, he explained. The most difficult bit was writing it. Rehearsing it wasnt as hard. A one-person play is when one actor plays all the roles. During the rehearsal, you have to find a language to convey it. When you make the transition, people know who you are. I trained in Paris, so Im using the techniques of physical theatre. Songs are intrinsic to this piece, as it is about the last music festival that took place in Nirvana. A mix of live music and recordings, there are some songs that are recognisable with a mix of original scores. Its great fun and its a look at what happened in 1983. Its a time to indulge in some nostalgia from that era. Its before mobiles, before the internet, before the Celtic Tiger. A very different country. The Troubles were still on. Everyone has commented how we had so little yet we made so much of it. We found a way to do things. People will enjoy reminiscing about that. Read more: 'This process is always a lot of fun': Longford choreographer to host workshop Frankies final words to Longford readers that if they never got to go to the festival, or were not even born, Lisdoon-Nirvana will take the audience there. Lisdoon-Nirvana is on Friday, 13 at 8pm. Tickets cost 20/18 and can be booked via the Backstage Theatre website at: https://backstage.ie/events/lisdoon-nirvana/ President Trumps claim that Cuba will be failing pretty soon may not be just another of his usual hyperbole, like when he promised a Riviera of the Middle East in Gaza or ending the Ukraine war in 24 hours. In Cubas case, his prediction may not be too far-fetched. The math could be on Trumps side. The recent suspension of subsidized oil shipments from Venezuela and Mexico to Cuba under U.S. pressure is deepening the islands already dire energy crisis. The Kpler data firm now predicts that Cuba will run out of oil between Feb. 15 and Feb. 20, according to the Financial Times. The island has already been hit by power outages for more than a year, and sometimes they last for entire days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Tourism, Cubas main source of income, has collapsed. Few foreigners want to spend their vacation in a place where there no lights at night, and air conditioning comes and goes. The number of international visitors fell to 1.8 million in 2025, down from 4.7 million in 2018, according to figures from Cubas National Statistics Office. Jorge Pinon, a top expert on Cubas energy situation who heads the University of Texas Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program, told me the Kpler forecast may be a bit exaggerated. But he agreed that Cubas oil reserves will hit rock bottom in a matter of weeks. Our estimate is that Cuba will run out of fuel in four to eight weeks, he told me, adding that the Cuban regime may have accumulated extra reserves in anticipation of a possible U.S. blockade. If we dont see an oil tanker landing at a Cuban port in March, there will be a crisis. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There is little chance Cuba will get oil shipments from anywhere. Trump signed an executive order Jan. 29 calling for extra tariffs on countries that directly or indirectly sell oil to Cuba. Earlier, he vowed in a Jan. 11 social media post that there will be no more oil or money going to Cuba. The problem for Cubas dictatorship, more than the oil needed to keep homes lit, will be lack of diesel to keep the economy moving. Cubas sugar industry is nearly paralyzed because there is no diesel for the tractors and trucks needed to harvest and transport cane to the mills. In addition, Cuba faces severe shortages of liquified gas. If people have neither electricity nor liquified gas for their home cooking, they will become increasingly desperate. The big question is whether the Cuban regime will fall as a result of this economic crisis. I reminded Pinon that the regime survived a similar cutoff of foreign oil supplies in the early 1990s, after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This time, the situation is totally different, Pinon responded. Im not a political analyst, but remember that at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union there was a Fidel Castro in charge. Indeed, Castro was a charismatic leader who had the enthusiastic support of at least part of the Cuban population. Today, his brother Raul Castro is 94, and Cuba s nominal president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, is an obscure bureaucrat who has a hard time keeping his audiences awake. People who have recently visited the island tell me that, while most people hate the regime, there is a big obstacle to mass protests that could bring it down: most young people have left the country. Cuba has become an island of grandparents, whose children and grandchildren live in Miami, Madrid or other parts of the world. In addition, it cant be ruled out that Cubas dictatorship strikes a deal with Trump and stays in power. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump has recently called on Cuban officials to make a deal with the U.S. government and on Feb. 3 told reporters that the U.S. government was in talks with the highest people in Cuba. Trump may be seeking a deal on migration and drug cooperation, while leaving a transition to democracy for the future. Still, foreign diplomats in Cuba told me in recent weeks that Trumps forecast of an upcoming Cuban regime demise may not be exaggerated. In the past, Cubas dictatorship has always managed to find a savior in times of need, whether it was Russia, Venezuela or Mexico. This time, there is no savior in sight, and the lights are rapidly going out on the island. Dont miss the Oppenheimer Presenta TV show on Sundays at 9 pm E.T. on CNN en Espanol or on YouTubes Oppenheimer Presenta channel. Blog: andresoppenheimer.com Editors note: This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. Feb. 6, 2026, to add comments from Laurel McConville. A private school will no longer take over the space of a beloved Boston food market that is set to close after nearly three decades, saying that stepping back is the right decision. The Croft School posted a statement on Facebook Friday announcing it has decided not to move into the space of Foodies Markets, which will shut down this June after 28 years, as previously reported by MassLive. After reflection and thoughtful conversation, we have decided not to move forward with our planned expansion at 1421 Washington Street, The Croft School wrote in a statement. While we were excited about this opportunity, we believe it is more important to respond with care to what we have heard and to avoid further contributing to division at a time of real loss for the neighborhood. The school added, Schools do not exist in isolation. They exist within communities, and with that comes a responsibility to listen when something doesnt feel right. In this case, stepping back is the right decision. News broke earlier this week that The Croft School would take over Foodies Markets in the South End after the store shuts down. The local private school, which opened its South End campus in 2022, already occupies the buildings at 1525 and 1310 Washington St., which are just around the corner from Foodies Markets. The Croft Schools South End campus currently serves preschool through second grade, but is looking to expand through sixth grade. The Croft School previously told MassLive that, by expanding by one grade level, it will gain about 26 new students. Right now, space constraints at the existing South End campus are hindering that expansion. Therefore, The Croft School needs more space to accommodate the incoming students, 74% of whom live in the South End. Our Preschool through Grade 6 enrollment interest among neighborhood-area families continues to grow, and we see this as an exciting opportunity to continue to serve students living in the South End and other Boston neighborhoods for years to come, Scott Given, executive director of the Croft School, said in a statement, per the Beacon Hill Times. We love the South End, and intend to rejuvenate the space into a beautiful, bright school facility for our young learners. Owner Victor G. Leon addressed Foodies Markets closure in a Facebook post on Wednesday by first acknowledging how the news has sparked a lot of emotion in the neighborhood and that he wanted to expand on the tough decision that was made. These are challenging times for independent grocers, and our success to date has been made possible by the incredible support of the community, Leon wrote. Despite that support, it is no longer feasible for us to continue operating at 1421 Washington Street. The owner said that keeping Foodies Markets open in the South End would require significant financial investment to update the building and its mechanical systems. Leon added, That level of investment would require a long-term commitment that we determined was too risky given the current economic realities of our industry. Knowing firsthand the challenges facing small grocers, we were aware that finding another grocer to take our space would be a challenge, which made this decision especially difficult. We believe this is the right time for us to move on, he said. Leon maintained that The Croft School shares a desire to do good for the South End, adding, This was a business decision it was not a forced closure, and not a decision The Croft School was involved in or influenced. The Croft School reaffirmed this to MassLive in a previous statement that read, Foodies decided not to renew its lease and communicated that decision to its landlord before there were any communications between Croft and the property owners. In continued, With Foodies leaving, and without a committed occupant, the building would likely remain vacant. Shortly after the news broke, a petition on Change.org was launched in an attempt to preserve retail storefronts, such as Foodies, and food access in the South End. We, the residents, business owners, property owners, and community leaders of Bostons South End, strongly oppose the proposed conversion of the Foodies Market(s) storefront into a private school, The Croft School, the petition reads. Aside from being one of a few grocery stores in the South End, Foodies Markets is known for being easily accessible and walkable for area residents. Laurel McConville, who started the petition, said storefronts should stay dedicated to retail or food use especially for neighbors who rely on nearby access to fresh food and daily necessities. The South End cannot afford to lose its only grocery-capable space to yet another school expansion, particularly as The Croft School already occupies four former retail spaces in the neighborhood, McConville wrote in the petition. While we recognize that we cannot control whether Foodies remains in operation, we can and must oppose the continued loss of essential retail and food-use space in our neighborhood. The petition has received more than 1,500 signatures thus far. The Croft School has since recognized the communitys response and decided to retract its expansion plans. The Croft School made the right decision for the good of the neighborhood, McConville told MassLive in a Friday email. In that same spirit, I sincerely hope they will engage with our neighborhood organizations, like the Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association and South End Business Alliance, as they continue to grow and look for space." There is still more work to do to identify the right tenant for the Foodies location and to protect the zoning and long-term viability of this and other ground-floor retail spaces in the South End, she added. As a community, we will continue working with our local elected officials to help ensure that happens. The schools expansion plan was intended to support the growing school, the families it serves and to secure a home for the elementary grade levels it plans to expand, according to the statement. What has become clear, however, is that our involvement at this particular site, regardless of intent, compounded a moment of genuine community grief and frustration. The school continued, We recognize that the closure of Foodies at 1421 Washington Street represents a real and deeply felt loss. For many neighbors, Foodies was more than a grocery store; it was part of the rhythm of daily life and a meaningful presence in the neighborhood. We are grateful to the Foodies team for what they brought to the South End over many years, and we understand why their departure has stirred so much emotion. In particular, we heard clearly the concern about access to food in the neighborhood and the importance many neighbors place on preserving this location for grocery or other essential retail use. Those concerns are substantive and deserving of serious consideration. The Croft School also reassured families that it remains committed to expansion and is actively exploring alternative options for our elementary home, adding, We are confident we will find a space soon. We hope this decision is received in the spirit in which it is intended: as a sincere effort to listen, to learn, and to be a respectful and engaged member of the South End community, the school concluded. Leons father, Victor Leon Sr., first opened Foodies Markets in the South End in 1998, according to a 2020 article from The Boston Sun. The closure means the company will solely focus on its other location in South Boston. We are not pursuing other locations in the South End and are instead focusing our efforts on our South Boston market, Leon Jr. wrote in the markets Facebook post. Lovebirds can indulge in a passionate evening fueled by traditional Spanish tapas, sangria and more at a Boston-area eatery that earned high praise for its romantic atmosphere. Dali in Somerville was named the most romantic restaurant in Massachusetts on Yelps list of the Top 100 romantic restaurants in the US, which was published on Jan. 26. Yelp Elites compiled the list by identifying businesses in the restaurant category and ranking those spots based on the volume and ratings of reviews given by Yelp Elite Squad members for each establishment. Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar is a lively Spanish tapas spot with whimsical decor and shareable plates perfect for groups, Yelp wrote of the eatery. Guests enjoy sangria, garlicky shrimp, and bacon-wrapped dates in a vibrant, mosaic-filled dining room. Yelpers love the festive, bohemian vibe. Piquillos Rellenos served at Dali in Somerville, Massachusetts. Courtesy of Dali Dalis love-filled atmosphere is most likely derived from owners Mario Leon and Tamara Bourso. The couple met in 1985 and fell willingly and completely in love, Dalis website reads. His dream was to go to the Ramblas in Barcelona and shine shoes (I dont know why). Mine was to dress up, work only on Saturdays and drink never-ending champagne surrounded by flowers and soft lights, Bourso wrote on the website. By this time Marios idea of an authentic Spanish restaurant and tapas bar had been bottled and aged enough. The lovebirds later set out to build a space that would eventually serve as a vanguard for innovative Spanish dining. After building, scraping, painting (and) sanding for months, Dali officially opened in 1989. Reporter Kara Baskin with The Boston Globe re-visited the establishment in 2025 and maintained that Dalis "old-school atmosphere" rivals the vibey new places that are lit for Instagram and priced to match. I hadnt been in many years, Baskin wrote while noting how most dishes are under $20 and some are even under $10. I hoped the magic would still be there, she wrote. And it was. Churros served at Dali in Somerville, Massachusetts. Courtesy of Dali Baskin continued, Outside was bitterly cold and gloomy, but inside, the room glowed with a gauzy-garlic haze: brick walls, copper pots hanging from the ceiling; tiled tables that wobbled a little when you sat down. And laughter. Many Yelp reviewers also praised Dalis magical atmosphere. The restaurant has 4.3 out of 5-star rating on Yelp based on roughly 1,300 reviews. What a lovely Spanish tapas restaurant with an unassuming exterior. Ive walked by a few times before, but being inside really transports you into its own world with dimly lit ambiance and thoughtfully themed decor, one reviewer wrote in March 2025. I would definitely come back for another delicious meal with friends, family, or for a date night. The decor, combined with the ambient lighting, and occasional loud birthday celebrations, made for a fun dinner experience, another reviewer wrote in August 2024. Overall the food was good and I enjoyed the vibes as well. Dali is located at 415 Washington St., Somerville. The restaurant is open for dinner from 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Diners are encouraged to make a reservation ahead of time in person, online or by calling Dali at 617-661-3254. The director of Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro was terminated from his position Wednesday. Mayor Cathleen DeSimone ousted John Wright, the person she appointed to the position in January 2024. They made their decision. Its the direction they want to take at the zoo, Wright told a Sun Chronicle reporter who went to his Attleboro home Thursday afternoon for comment. Wright declined to elaborate. DeSimone refused to comment on the issue, citing confidentially about employee personnel records. DeSimone said Parks and Forestry Superintendent Derek Corsi will be taking over the role as zoo supervisor, at least for now. Corsi already has control of the 89-year-old zoo, as it falls under Parks and Forestry. It is unknown, however, whether Corsi holds the necessary credentials to be a zoo director. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which oversees zoo accreditation throughout the country and of which Capron Park Zoo is a member, has strict rules on who can be a zoo director. Its guidelines state that in order to keep certification, a fulltime zoo director must have a zoological or biology degree and extensive experience as an assistant director before being placed in charge. The CEO/director must also hold individual membership in AZA at the professional fellow level, the organization states. Corsi could not be reached Thursday for comment. But DeSimone indicated Thursday that Corsis role as zoo supervisor would be temporary and, she said, he will not be getting a pay bump for overseeing the zoo as its already under his umbrella. He will be working with the people already there who are experienced in running the zoo, she said. She also said the zoo would not lose its accreditation. DeSimone said the AZA was aware of Wrights departure. She did not have a timeline for when a new director would be hired. This all just happened yesterday, she said. Were still sorting this out. We will reassess and move forward. An AZA-accredited institution that is without the services of a permanent, full-time, compensated CEO/director for longer than one year may be subject to loss of accreditation and membership, Sarah Fedele, AZAs vice president of communications, said in a statement Thursday to The Sun Chronicle. Capron Park Zoo employees contacted Thursday refused comment. Discussions have circulated in city council meetings the past few years around the citys ability to maintain the zoo amid tight city budgets and the zoo being hit hard financially by the coronavirus pandemic. Wright, 56, took over the role in early January 2024 with a salary of $110,938. He said at the time his goal was to raise more revenue for the zoo and attract more visitors. The zoo director before him, Lew Stevens, retired in June 2023. The mayor fired Brenda Young, the assistant zoo director at the time who ran the zoo in the interim between when Stevens retired and Wright came on board. Prior to taking the position at Capron Park Zoo, Wright had 37 years of experience working in a variety of zoo settings and roles. After earning his degree in biology from Truman State University Missouri in 1993, he became an intern at the Kansas City Zoo. This led to various positions in Baltimore; Birmingham, Alabama; Disneys Animal Kingdom in Florida; PetSmart in St. Louis; Hattiesburg Zoo in Mississippi; New York State Zoo in New York, where he served as executive director; Hutchinson Zoo in Kansas; Henson Robinson Zoo in Illinois, and Loveland Living Planet Aquarium in Utah. City Council President Todd Kobus and Vice President Laura Dolan told The Sun Chronicle Thursday that they were unaware of Wrights departure. The Sun Chronicle is a news partner of MassLive.com. To subscribe to The Sun Chronicle, click here. In a surprising turn for the Alaskan travel industry, small-ship cruise operator Alaskan Dream Cruises has ceased all operations effective immediately and canceled all future sailings after more than 15 years. Since 2011, Alaskan Dream Cruises has had the privileges of sharing the wonders of Alaska and the richness of our Alaska Native heritage, the company announced. Effective immediately, Alaskan Dream Cruises has ceased business operations and will no longer be operating future sailings. The company thanked guests for the lasting relationships, and for allowing Alaskan Dream Cruises to be a part of [guests] Alaskan stories. The company was a subsidiary of Allen Marine Tours, which operates day tours in Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Tracy Arm and Hubbard Glacier. In a statement obtained by Travel Pulse, owner Jamey Cagle said the closure reflects a deliberate realignment of the companys business focus to strengthen its core operations and ensure long-term sustainability. He added the move came after a careful evaluation of the companys long-term goals. Customers with existing reservations for the 2026 season are expected to receive emails from the company about next steps and refunds. Customers should reach out to info@alaskandreamcruises.com or 855-747-8100 if they have questions about refunds and cancellations. Une onde de choc parcourt le paysage economique camerounais. Le Port Autonome de Douala (PAD), poumon vital du commerce national et regional, s'apprete a effectuer un saut vers son independance energetique. Un projet pharaonique, evalue a 628 milliards de francs CFA (soit pres dun milliard de dollars), vient detre scelle, promettant de liberer la principale plateforme portuaire dAfrique centrale de letau des coupures de courant chroniques. Une convention decisive a ete signee avec la societe Douala Port Power Corporation S.A. Lobjectif est sans equivoque : doter le PAD dun systeme autonome de production et de distribution delectricite, un veritable seisme dans lecosysteme industriel du littoral. Au cur de ce projet structurant, deux infrastructures cles : une centrale electrique dune capacite de 300 megawatts (MW) et un gazoduc strategique reliant Kribi a Douala. Cette source denergie abondante et stable vise a transformer le port en une zone industrielle performante et attractive, capable de tourner a plein regime, 24 heures sur 24. Le modele de financement retenu est tout aussi marquant. Le projet est integralement porte par le partenaire prive. Ni le Port Autonome de Douala, ni lEtat camerounais ne fournissent de caution ou de garantie financiere, un schema inedit qui souligne lattractivite du secteur et allege la pression sur les finances publiques. Cette initiative ne vient pas seule. Le Port de Limbe, autre point nevralgique de lactivite maritime camerounaise, suivrait une trajectoire similaire. Ensemble, ces investissements massifs dessinent une nouvelle carte energetique cotiere, concue pour booster la competitivite et attirer les industriels. La mise en uvre de ce projet titanesque pourrait bien marquer un tournant decisif. En securisant son alimentation electrique, le Port de Douala ambitionne de fluidifier ses operations, reduire les couts lies aux interruptions et accelerer son processus de modernisation. Une revolution energetique a quai, qui pourrait propulser lindustrialisation du Cameroun vers de nouveaux horizons. Cameroon: A 628 Billion FCFA Mega-Deal to Free the Port of Douala from Power Blackouts A shockwave is rippling through Cameroon's economic landscape. The Port of Douala (PAD), the vital heart of national and regional trade, is poised to make a historic leap towards energy independence. A colossal project, valued at 628 billion CFA francs (nearly $1 billion), has just been sealed, promising to free Central Africa's main port platform from the grip of chronic power cuts. A decisive agreement was signed with the company Douala Port Power Corporation S.A. The goal is unequivocal: to equip the PAD with an autonomous electricity production and distribution system, a veritable earthquake for the industrial ecosystem of the coast. At the heart of this structuring project are two key infrastructures: a 300-megawatt (MW) power plant and a strategic gas pipeline linking Kribi to Douala. This abundant and stable energy source aims to transform the port into a high-performing and attractive industrial zone, capable of operating at full capacity, 24/7. The chosen financing model is equally striking. The project is entirely funded by the private partner. Neither the Port of Douala nor the Cameroonian state is providing any financial guarantee or collateral, an unprecedented scheme that underscores the sector's attractiveness and alleviates pressure on public finances. This initiative does not stand alone. The Port of Limbe, another nerve center of Cameroonian maritime activity, is reportedly following a similar path. Together, these massive investments are redrawing the coastal energy map, designed to boost competitiveness and attract industrial players. The implementation of this titanic project could mark a decisive turning point. By securing its power supply, the Port of Douala aims to streamline its operations, reduce costs linked to interruptions, and accelerate its modernization process. An energy revolution at the dockside, which could propel Cameroon's industrialization to new horizons. Port Autonome de Douala, centrale electrique 300 MW, autonomie energetique Cameroun, projet 628 milliards FCFA, gazoduc Kribi Douala, Douala Port Power Corporation, investissement portuaire Afrique, industrialisation Cameroun, energie ports Cameroun, financement prive infrastructure, Port de Limbe, modernisation portuaire, economie Cameroun, developpement littoral camerounais, Afrique Centrale energie Ange NGO The prosecutor who led the team that secured a conviction for Brian Walshe late last year has entered the race to replace longtime Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey. Greg Connor, who is running as a Democrat, currently serves as the chief trial counsel in Morrisseys office. He is the fifth candidate to enter the race, and the first to do so since Morrissey announced he was not seeking reelection. Connor filed paperwork with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance to establish a campaign committee on Friday. Connor will depart the district attorneys office to become a full-time candidate in March. He said his decision to enter the race came after an outpouring of support from the legal community that I should do it. Connor said he wanted to wait for Morrissey to make a decision before entering the race. After Morrissey announced he would not seek reelection, Connor said he made a point to listen to the other candidates, but came away unsatisfied with their positions. They didnt know the job, Connor told MassLive on Friday. Morrissey, who was elected district attorney in 2010 after serving in the state senate and house of representatives, has faced sharp criticism in recent years for the prosecution of Karen Read and the investigation into the death of Sandra Birchmore. Connor is the only candidate in the race who worked for Morrissey or any other Norfolk County district attorney. Im running because this is an opportunity for me to continue serving for Norfolk County, Connor said, adding that he wanted to take his experience managing different units within the office and apply it more broadly. Connors opponents, all fellow Democrats, quickly sought to tie him to Morrissey. Adam Deitch, a former federal prosecutor who announced his candidacy last year, said the county deserved real change in the DAs Office, not a promotion for Michael Morrisseys right-hand man. Deitch oversaw the federal investigation into the Karen Read case. Djuna Perkins, a defense lawyer and former prosecutor, said she looked forward to hearing how Connor planned to bring meaningful reform to the office he helped run. What the Norfolk County DAs office needs is systemic reform, she said. Jim Barakat, a public defense lawyer, called for a clear break from the status quo. With respect, its hard to argue that real change is coming from someone who has been part of the same Morrissey leadership team all along. If the office was on the right track, we wouldnt be having this conversation, he said in a statement. The other candidate in the field, Craig MacLellan, another former prosecutor, did not respond to a request for comment. Asked about the criticism from his fellow candidates, Connor noted that his career in the district attorneys office predated Morrisseys election to the position. Connor became an assistant district attorney in 2001, when Bill Keating was the district attorney. If people are concerned about me, Ive been trying to be fair to everyone my entire career, Connor said. My career speaks for itself. So far, no Republican candidates have entered the race. During the Read prosecution, Morrisseys approval rating in the county plummeted just 4% of respondents to a poll conducted following her acquittal said they believed he should be reelected. Read was accused of running over her boyfriend, Boston Police officer John OKeefe, with her Lexus SUV on Jan. 29, 2022. But during her two criminal trials, Read and her defense team claimed that Morrisseys office was part of a conspiracy to frame her for OKeefes death. After the explosion of public support for Read, Morrissey published a video denouncing the conspiracy claims and supporting the civilian witnesses who Read claimed were framing her. But after that, he largely withdrew from the public eye. Read was eventually acquitted of all charges having to do with OKeefes death. In the case of Birchmore, who was found dead in her Canton apartment in February 2021, Massachusetts State Police investigators assigned to Morrisseys office opted not to pursue criminal charges. Birchmores death was ruled a suicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. But federal prosecutors have since charged Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell with killing Birchmore, and accused him of grooming Birchmore beginning when she was a teenager. Federal agents grabbed 18-year-old Jose Fabricio Paz after he walked through security at the Brighton courthouse last month. Paz, an immigrant from Honduras, had come to court after being arrested on a charge of raping a minor. His defense attorney and court records show ICE detained him at the courthouse before his arraignment an outcome Suffolk County prosecutors say cuts off victims paths to justice. When a child victim comes forward to report sexual abuse, they normally do so at a great personal cost, said Allyson Portney, chief of the Child Protection Unit in the countys district attorneys office. Inside Portneys unit, prosecutors say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) actions are quietly unraveling child abuse cases halting prosecutions midstream, eroding public safety and teaching young victims that speaking up was pointless. Portneys office investigates and prosecutes cases of child sexual assault, abuse and neglect, working with families from start to finish in both district and Superior Court. She said child victims and their families have been fearful to cooperate with her office due to immigration enforcement, their concerns heightened about moving forward with criminal investigations because of ICE. When a defendant is deported before the child has had the chance to be heard in court, that trust is shaken, Portney said. It sends a message ... that the childs voice did not matter enough. Dozens of criminal cases in Suffolk County have been affected by defendants deportations or detention by ICE over the last year, with hundreds more disrupted because witnesses or victims were detained, according to the district attorneys office. ICE courthouse arrests in Massachusetts increased to nearly 400 in the first nine months of 2025. Comparatively, ICE arrested about 130 people during the same time period in 2024, according to data compiled by the Deportation Data Project at the University of California Berkeley School of Law. When someone accused of a crime in the United States is deported before any conviction, the case usually freezes in legal limbo, Portney said. She explained that if a defendant is removed from the country, her office keeps the case technically open with an active warrant, but it effectively stalls. Prosecutors cant move forward unless the person in reality, rarely returns and is taken into custody again, therefore allowing the accused abuser to be possibly free to further abuse other children. Were putting children in the position where they know that the person who raped them is now somewhere else in another country, not being held accountable, maybe not being punished and free to further abuse other children, Portney said. District Attorney Kevin Hayden brought up one of those languishing child abuse cases on Thursday, after Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order in response to recent immigration enforcement actions in other states. Hayden brought up the child rape case against Paz. Paz was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl at his Allston apartment on Jan. 12, according to a Boston police report. Before Paz could even step inside in a Brighton District Court courtroom for his arraignment the next day, he was detained by ICE agents in the courthouse lobby and driven away in unmarked sedans, according to court records and his criminal defense lawyer, David Hagemeyer. Our primary job, in my office, is to maintain public safety by holding offenders accountable and securing justice for victims. These ICE tactics prevent us from doing that, District Attorney Hayden said on Thursday. Whats more, fear of ICE has stopped victims and witnesses from even coming forward in cases to begin with, he said, adding people are not calling the police, not going to church and not doing all the things we need to do to live our lives. Paz was found cornered by members of the 13-year-old girls family in his Allston apartment when Boston police arrived at around 11 a.m. on Jan. 12, the report read. Pazs brother was at the courthouse the next day and witnessed ICE agents take him, Hagemeyer said, just after he stepped through the metal detectors. As of Feb. 5, Hagemeyer a criminal defense lawyer from Braintree with more than 30 years experience has no idea where Paz is, nor if he will make his next court appearance on March 3. MassLive was unable to locate Paz in the ICE Online Detainee Locator System. A man described as a key participant in the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in connection with a rampage that killed four Americans and became a divisive political issue, the Justice Department said Friday. Zubayar Al-Bakoush, identified by officials as a member of an extremist militia in Libya, had been wanted by the United States for more than a decade. He is accused in a newly unsealed indictment of joining an armed mob that crashed the gates of the diplomatic mission and set fire to buildings in a 13-hour-long assault. FBI and Justice Department officials did not detail the circumstances of his arrest but said he was taken to an airfield in Virginia early Friday and will face charges in Washington including murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorism organization. It was unclear if Al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him or when he might appear in court. The arrest is the first by President Donald Trumps administration arising from the attack, but it is not the first time that the Justice Department as an institution has attempted to hold to account the militants believed responsible for the killings of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. A suspected mastermind, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and was convicted and imprisoned after a jury trial. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive. We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation, said Attorney General Pam Bondi, who announced the arrest at a news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, whose office will be handling the case. The attack almost immediately became a political flashpoint in Washington as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the Democratic administrations changing narrative about who was responsible and why. A final report by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attack. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton. Clinton at the time dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was time to move on. Other Democrats denounced the Republicans report as a conspiracy theory on steroids. On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire. The fire led to the deaths of Stevens, the ambassador, and State Department employee Sean Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex. A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. That attack, including a precision mortar barrage, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, a resident of Winchester, a suburb north of Boston. The recall of a popular candy sold in 20 states, including Massachusetts, has been issued at the second-highest risk warning by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Beacon Promotions Inc. of Minnesota, announced the voluntary recall on Jan. 26 for repackaged M&Ms due to a labelling error. The ongoing recall is for nearly 6,000 promotional packs of the 1.3 ounce repackaged Peanut M&Ms and classic M&Ms after discovering that the candy does not offer an allergen warning for milk, soy and peanuts. On Feb. 4, the affected products were classified as a Class II, meaning that the candy could cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the possibility of serious adverse health consequences is remote. The recalled Peanut M&Ms can be identified by the Make Your Mark labels, lot code M1823200 and a best by date of April 30 of this year. The regular M&Ms affected by this recall have the following code information: Lot code L450ARCLV03 and best by date of Dec. 1, 2025 Lot code L502FLHKP01 and best by date of Jan. 1 of this year Lot code L523CMHKP01 and best by date of June 30 of this year Lot code L537GMHKP01 and best by date of Sept. 1 of this year The products a part of this recall were sold across the following states: Alabama Arizona California Florida Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maryland Massachusetts Minnesota New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania South Dakota Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Wisconsin Additionally, the FDA said these M&Ms were given with the following promotional company names: Next Up Smith Pro Jaxport, Jacksonville Port Authority Climax Molybdenum, A Freeport-McMoRan Company University of Maryland, School of Public Policy Liberty University Environmental Health & Safety Subaru Trinity Cyb3r Candy Treats JSE, Jordan & Skala Engineers Dropbox DocSend PP, Prosperity Promotions Northwest Indian College Foundation FES Branding Solutions Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies merry maids Annual 26 Conference BW, Best Western Morgan Stanley tufin Compliments of Pioneer A.D. Morgan, Construction Manager, Design Builder, General Contractor Adobe xfinity Fundermax Interiors White Cup Acadia Commercial Aviagen ORG Expo Make Your Mark Reporters of illnesses were not mentioned in the administrations report as of Feb. 6. A 31-year-old Jamaican national living in New York was arrested Thursday in connection with a scheme to steal truckloads of cargo like frozen snow crab and blueberries, then sell the items for profit, the U.S. Attorneys office for Massachusetts said. Romoy Forbes, who lived in Deer Park, New York, is charged with interstate transportation of stolen goods and conspiracy to commit that offense, U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley announced. He will make an initial appearance in federal court in the Eastern District of New York before being brought to Massachusetts. On July 15, 2025, prosecutors say Forbes stole 33,750 pounds of frozen snow crabs, worth $35,000, from a warehouse in Worcester. Leading up to the theft, a co-conspirator hacked into the email account of a trucking carrier company and, pretending to work for the company, communicated with a transportation business to ship the goods to a customer in Jacksonville, Florida, Foleys office said. Forbes is accused of arriving at the Worcester warehouse and pretending to work for the trucking company. There, he loaded the seafood in his truck and drove off, taking the crabs not to Florida but to a grocery store in New York, where he took a picture of the packaged crabs, according to Foleys office. Weeks earlier, on June 25, 2025, prosecutors say Forbes stole a shipment of blueberries in Winslow Junction, New Jersey, in much the same fashion. Federal prosecutors say Romoy Forbes impersonated trucking company workers to steal snow crab, blueberries and cologne from warehouses across three states in 2025. U.S. Attorney's office A co-conspirator hacked into the email of a different trucking company, then contacted and contracted with a transportation business to ship the goods to Illinois, Foleys office said. Forbes is accused of showing up to the warehouse holding the goods, pretending to work for the carrier company, and loading the fruit into his truck. Instead of driving to Illinois, prosecutors say Forbes arranged to sell the fruit to a contact in his phone named my customer for everything. After those two thefts, on July 25, 2025, Forbes is accused of conspiring to steal roughly $433,830 worth of cologne in Ronkonkoma, New York. Much like the other two heists, prosecutors say, a co-conspirator hacked into the email account of a trucking carrier company, and then, impersonating the company, contracted with a transportation business to ship the goods to Los Angeles. Forbes is accused of arriving to the warehouse holding the cologne, pretending to work for the carrier, and loading the cologne into his own truck and driving away. Instead of delivering the cologne to the customer in Los Angeles, Forbes is accused of offering to sell it to his customer for everything, who agreed to buy it after receiving a video, Foleys office said. The charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to commit that offense carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined the operator of Gabriel House assisted living more than $180,000 for 13 citations, including 11 deemed serious. Ten people were killed by a five-alarm fire that ripped through the Fall River assisted living facility on the night of July 13, 2025. It was the deadliest fire in Massachusetts in more than 40 years, exposing major gaps in fire safety and emergency preparedness across assisted living and state oversight of the industry. OSHA, which began its on-site investigation in August, issued the workplace safety citations on Dec. 30, 2025 to Gabriel Care Inc., the business operator of Gabriel House that is owned by Dennis Etzkorn. Etzkorn formally contested all 13 citations and the monetary penalties on Jan. 21. The citations include: The $186,778 in OSHA fines come as a state Appeals Court judge last month denied an effort by Etzkorn to access his property insurance money to rehab the building, the Fall River Herald News recently reported. Etzkorn was seeking access to $6 million in insurance money that the many plaintiffs suing him have attached to their civil lawsuits. The Herald News reported his attorneys argued the 261 Oliver St. building will fall into ruin without the funds. Etzkorn did not have liability insurance, and its not required in Massachusetts that assisted living operators do. He is currently facing 12 personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits filed in Bristol County Superior Court by Gabriel House fire survivors and relatives of the deceased. All of the suits assert negligence, claiming the sprinkler system was known to be defective and that the assisted living facility was not properly managed, supervised or inspected. Etzkorn and his attorneys have denied the lawsuit claims. His spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment Friday on the OSHA citations. Last month, the states Assisted Living Residences Commission delivered final recommendations to Gov. Maura Healey and lawmakers for industry reforms intended to strengthen safety, transparency, consumer protection and affordability. The commissions focus shifted to emergency preparedness and fire safety after the Gabriel House fire last July. The states investigation into the fire headed by the Bristol County Attorneys Office and Department of Fire Services remains ongoing. A 38-year-old man was sentenced to decades in prison this week for the near-fatal stabbing of a Taunton police officer in September 2023, Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn said in a statement. Douglas Hagerty, of Taunton, was sentenced to 30 to 40 years in prison following a bench trial in Bristol Superior Court before Judge Thomas McGuire. The charges against Hagerty stem from an incident on Sept. 26, 2023. Around 6:30 p.m. that day, Taunton officers were conducting an unrelated motor vehicle stop at a Burger King when Hagerty approached them in his vehicle and began making incoherent statements. Hagerty told police, the Earth is flat" and then started yelling graphic homophobic slurs at the officers, who were not previously familiar with him, Quinns office said in a statement. When officers tried to talk to Hagerty, he sped away. An officer followed Hagerty to a supermarket parking lot, where Hagerty again verbally abused the officer and drove off, Quinns office said. Officers then pulled Hagerty over. Hagerty asked why he was being pulled over and sped away a third time, triggering a dangerous high-speed pursuit through the City of Taunton, Quinns office said. While being chased, Hagerty hit two police cruisers and drove through multiple red lights and stop signs before arriving at his apartment, where he collided with the building, according to the statement. Hagerty ran inside as police continued to chase after him. Officer Nicholas Garnett managed to get past a barricaded door to pursue Hagerty inside but became trapped by debris from the barricade. Hagerty emerged with a large double-edged military-style knife and stabbed Garnett in the head, neck, back and arms, Quinns office said. As Garnett struggled with Hagerty, other officers made their way into the stairwell and attempted to take Hagerty into custody. Another officer, Michael Flynn, sustained cuts to his hand and forehead as police tried to detain Hagerty. Police deployed a taser to try to subdue Hagerty, to no avail. Before police could handcuff Hagerty, he fell through the ceiling into an apartment below. Police found him in a first-floor apartment with a different knife, a kitchen knife, Quinns office said. Police again used a taser on Hagerty, and police chief Edward Walsh was stabbed in the abdomen. Due to the severity of his injuries, Garnett was driven to Morton Hospital and eventually flown to Boston Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery, Quinns office said. Garnetts injuries were career ending. After Hagertys arrest, he was sent to Bridgewater State Hospital for an evaluation, where he was deemed competent to stand trial and criminally responsible, Quinns office said. Hagerty hired his own physician, who deemed he was not criminally responsible for his actions meaning a mental illness prevented him from understanding the wrongfulness of his actions. McGuire, the judge who presided over the trial, convicted Hagerty of four counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and a single count each of armed assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, leaving the scene of an accident causing property damage and failure to stop for police. This was a premeditated and brutal attack on Taunton officers that could have killed Officer Garnett, Quinn said in the statement. The forty-year sentence imposed by the Court was well deserved based upon the violent conduct and extreme danger the defendant poses to the community. A majority of voters say the Trump administration is offering a dishonest account of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, according to a new poll. In a national Quinnipiac University poll released on Wednesday, 61% of voters said they dont think the administration has given an honest account of Prettis shooting. Meanwhile, 25% believe the administration did provide an honest account, while 14% did not give an opinion. When breaking it down by party, 63% of Democrats and 65% of independents say the administration is not being honest about the shooting compared with 19% of Republicans. Suspicion surrounding the administrations account comes after officials such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller claimed that Pretti committed an act of domestic terrorism, according to Politico. Vice President JD Vance has also labeled Pretti as an assassin with ill intent and told Daily Mail that he will not apologize for making these claims because the incident remains under investigation, and therefore its too early to determine if Prettis civil rights were violated. If something is determined that the guy who shot Alex Pretti did something bad, then a lot of consequences are going to flow from that, Vance told the media outlet. Well let that happen. But again, I dont think its smart to prejudge the investigation. I dont think its fair to those ICE officers. Officials did not say whether Pretti had a gun or brandished it. In bystander video footage that was released after the shooting, Pretti is shown with a phone in his hand, but none appear to show a visible weapon. Family members told The Associated Press that he owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it. Pretti was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois and had no criminal record. Hes also had no interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of traffic tickets, the media outlet wrote. Seventy-eight percent of voters said they watched the fatal shooting of Pretti, while 21% said they had not. When asked if they believed the shooting was justified, pollsters found that 94% of Democrats believe it was not justified, while 55% of Republicans said it was. The Quinnipiac University Poll was conducted between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4. Pollsters contacted 1,191 self-identified registered voters nationwide using random digital dialing, conducting live interviews calling landlines and cellphones. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. When it comes to who controls elections in the United States, Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution seems pretty unambiguous. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing (sic) Senators," the nations foundational document asserts. Legal experts have long taken that to mean that the executive branch has no role in election administration and that it remains mainly the province of state government. But that didnt stop President Donald Trump from doubling down this week on his earlier unprecedented call to nationalize elections, as he suggested, without providing evidence, that the federal government should get involved in elections that he believes are riddled with corruption. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the Republican president argued that if states, which have administered elections since the beginning of the republic, cant count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over, according to The New York Times and other outlets. Look at some of the places that horrible corruption on elections and the federal government should not allow that, he added. The federal government should get involved. Election administrators of both parties from coast to coast did double-takes at Trumps remarks, which came even as the White House tried to walk them back, and as the top Republican in the U.S. Senate tried to defuse them. That included Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin, the Bay States top elections official, who told MassLive that hes extremely concerned Trump is laying the groundwork to interfere in this falls midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election beyond that. I think what he means is getting the result he wants, Galvin, a Democrat, said. Galvin announced this week that hell seek a record ninth term this year to act as a hedge against future White House incursions against elections in the Bay State. And I think we dont have to go any further than the conversation he had (in 2020) with (Georgia Secretary of State Brad) Raffensperger, where he said, Can you find me 11,000 votes, Galvin continued. Im paraphrasing, but I think Ive got the gist of what he said. I think were getting the message, its I dont care if I win, as long as I win, Galvin continued. Thats the Trump mantra, and thats all he cares about. FBI agents are seen at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Union City, Ga, near Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Can he do it? The short answer? No, Jeremy Paul, who teaches constitutional law at Northeastern University Law School, told MassLive. But as is frequently the case with Trump, there are other factors at play. Part of his style is to take extremely outlandish positions and hope that people who are his most fervent supporters will figure out some way to move things slightly more in his direction, Paul said, pointing to Trumps bellicose rhetoric on Greenland, which apparently resulted in the framework of a future deal with NATO. That announcement was long on good vibes, but short on concrete details. Thats sort of very much his style, Paul continued. And then ... everybody else will feel grateful that the extreme thing that he suggested didnt, in fact, happen. Stephen Richer, a senior fellow at Harvards Kennedy School, offered a similar analysis. I dont think the president has ever been somebody whos been terribly concerned with process, Richer, a Republican who formerly served as the top elections official in Maricopa County, told MassLive. I think hes very much an outcome person, which, perhaps, in the business world, is maybe endearing and sometimes advantageous, he continued. But obviously, in the political world, process and authority matter very much. Elections always have been at the cornerstone of his political identity, especially since 2020, Richer concluded. I think that he continues to contribute to the narrative that is important for him to hold, for his supporters to hold, that hes simply impregnable and surely couldnt have lost to Joe Biden and so has to keep justifying that (and) adding fuel to that fire. The big reason it matters Some veteran observers suggested that Trump might be trying to shake loose a vote on a bill, now stalled in the U.S. Senate, that critics say could dramatically impact voting rights for women and minority groups. The SAVE Act, as its known, is being sold as a way to crack down on vanishingly rare cases of voter fraud when its true purpose is to make it harder for millions of Americans to vote. As its currently written, the legislation would require Americans to provide a birth certificate, a passport or some other proof of citizenship to register or re-register to vote, according to The Guardian. But according to a Brennan Center for Justice analysis, as many as 21 million Americans dont have immediate access to those documents. And while a little more than 8% of self-identified white American citizens dont have citizenship documents readily available, that number jumps to nearly 11% among Americans of color, the analysis found. While his home state of Arizona has long required documented proof of citizenship, Richer said the bill has other components, depending on the version, that make it problematic. Women voters, who vote in larger numbers than men, may also face more specific challenges. Thats because as many as 69 million women who have taken their spouses name do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name, according to an analysis by the left-leaning Center for American Progress. The legislation does not mention the potential option for these Americans to present change-of-name documentation or a marriage certificate in combination with a birth certificate to prove their citizenship, the think-tank noted. Bradford Wyatt, a Republican National Committeeman from Boylston, also thinks Trump is trying to push for action on the SAVE Act, and is trying to make sure that the states have processes in place for fair, transparent elections. Often, President Trump can utilize extreme language to bring attention to issues like the SAVE Act, Wyatt told MassLive. U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-5th District, speaks at an event in Brookline, Mass., on Monday, June 10, 2024, where Massachusetts state officials unveiled a new campaign targeting anti-abortion centers. (MassLive photo by John L. Micek) The politics of it On Capitol Hill, Democrats, eyeing a return to power this fall, pounced on Trumps remarks. Trump sees the writing on the wall, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-5th District, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, wrote in a post to X. He knows his economy is a disaster. He knows hes inflicting chaos in our communities. He knows hes losing. So now, hes trying to rig elections. The skepticism extends to the other side of Capitol Hill. It also crosses party lines. First, heres U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. Hes saying the quiet part out loud: Trump and MAGA Republicans cant win with their unpopular policies at the ballot box, so they want to steal the 2026 election, the Malden pol wrote in a post to X. And heres U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. Thats not what the Constitution says about elections, Paul said during a Tuesday interview with MSNow. Paul acknowledged that the U.S. Supreme Court has delved into the differences between federal and state elections. The high court ruled, for instance, that Washington State cant set term limits on federal officials if Georgia doesnt. It has to be uniform election law. But as far as the time, place and manner, that, under the Constitution, is a state activity, Paul said. But what about the SAVE Act? The odds of backers overcoming the Senates 60-vote threshold seem pretty long. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber. But Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who sounded a skeptical note on Trumps nationalized elections rhetoric, does appear to be looking for a workaround. Republicans could force Democrats to actively hold the Senate floor for hours on end if they attempt to block the SAVE Act a move known as a standing filibuster, according to The Hill. We got some members, as you know, whove expressed an interest in that, so were going to have a conversation about it, but there werent any commitments made, no, Thune said Tuesday, according to The Hill. Back in Boston, Galvin is staying vigilant. I am the senior election administrator in the country, he said. I intend to use my status ... to speak out on these issues wherever they are attempted. The National Weather Service issued an updated extreme cold warning at 1 a.m. on Friday valid from Saturday 6 p.m. until Sunday 1 p.m. for Franklin, Worcester, Hampshire and Hampden counties. The weather service comments, "Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 to 30 degrees below expected." "The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 30 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes," adds the weather service. "Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside." Understanding cold weather alerts Extreme cold warning: Take Action! An extreme cold warning is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are expected or occurring. If you are in an area with an extreme cold warning, avoid going outside. If you have to go outside, dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and make sure at least one other person knows your whereabouts. Update them when you arrive safely at your destination. Extreme cold watch: Be Prepared. An extreme cold watch is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are possible. As with a warning, adjust your plans to avoid being outside during the coldest parts of the day. Make sure your car has at least half a tank of gas, and update your winter survival kit. Cold weather advisory: Be Aware. A cold weather advisory is issued when seasonably cold air temperatures or wind chill values, but not extremely cold values, are expected or occurring. Be sure you and your loved ones dress appropriately and cover exposed skin when venturing outdoors. A man in his 60s was granted parole following his sixth appearance before the Massachusetts Parole Board, after he spent more than three decades in prison for the killing of his wife in 1991. The board voted 4-2 to grant parole to Michael Montel in January. Montel must spend 90 days in lower security before being released to a halfway house. Montel and his wife, Marianne, had separated about six weeks before the murder on April 19, 1991 due to his violent behavior. Two days before the killing, he broke into her apartment in Springfield and assaulted her with two knives, forcing her to remain in her bedroom, according to the Parole Boards statement of the case. The couples children were in the apartment at the time. The next day, Marianne Montel took the children and went to stay at a friends home. On April 19, 1991, Marianne Montel was on her way to drop the children off at school when she stopped at the apartment to pick up her sons knapsack. Michael Montel was not supposed to be there but had entered through the back door. When Marianne Montel and her son arrived, she told him to get the knapsack while she used the bathroom. Michael Montel, however, told his son to wait in the car and made his way to the bathroom, where he stabbed Marianne Montel with a fishing knife. After killing his wife, Michael Montel went to the car, told his children their mother was not feeling well, and dropped them off at school. Later that morning, Michael Montel went to the Springfield Police Department and told them he thought he killed his wife. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Hampden Superior Court on December 11, 1991, and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. In its decision, the board noted that Michael Montel has been disciplinary report-free since 2009 and is considered a low risk to reoffend. Since his last hearing, Montel completed multiple programs, including Alternatives to Violence and Family Violence Education, the board noted. Michael Montels friends and family spoke in support of his parole, while Marianne Montels family spoke in opposition, as did a Hampden County prosecutor. As conditions of release, Michael Montel must be home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., have no contact with his wifes family and undergo testing for drugs and alcohol. AMHERST When Nancy Buffone first visited the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she fell in love with the town. Over the next few years, she went to the local parks, sipped coffee at cafes and spent time becoming immersed in Amherst. It just felt like I belonged here, she said. The flagship UMass campus is the largest public university in New England, home to more than 20,000 students. The greater town of Amherst, which has a population of nearly double that number, according to the U.S. Census, boasts a bustling college-town feel, with boatloads of small businesses, including restaurants, coffee shops, retailers and a movie theater. I know that I would not have stayed here if it wasnt for the town, said Buffone, who now serves as the associate vice chancellor for university relations at UMass Amherst, her alma mater. Its the town that helps us so much with recruiting our faculty and staff, and our students. Its an experience when they come on to campus and ... go check out the town. ... Thats part of the experience of being at UMass. Town officials and university heads agree that the road to the sound relationship between the two has not been without its ruts, but both are stronger because of the other. There is a mutual respect and understanding between the town and university, said David Ziomek, assistant town manager of Amherst, in a recent interview. The town of Amherst isnt going anywhere, and UMass isnt either, he said. Were mutually dependent on each other to provide all the things we need to provide for students, faculty, staff, and also for the permanent residents of Amherst. Many of the students personalized their mortarboards for the 2025 graduation ceremony on May 16 at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. (Douglas Hook / The Republican) Douglas Hook Ziomek, who has been with the town for about two decades, said town-gown relations started to solidify over the last 12 to 15 years. But the pandemic catalyzed the need for collaboration on both ends. It was around that time, Ziomek said, when town officials and UMass executives, including Buffone, started meeting weekly to discuss their relationship and where they could improve. Its an opportunity for us to outline all of the things we do, collaboratively in partnership with these colleges and, in this case, the university, Ziomek said. Its also to outline some shared initiatives. In 2023, the university and town entered into their sixth strategic partnership agreement, which is essentially a contract between the town and the gown, or a higher education institution, highlighting shared interests and responsibilities. The new contract will last until next year, and negotiations for a renewed contract will begin later this year, said Ziomek. The town of Amherst hosts three area higher ed institutions UMass Amherst, Amherst College and Hampshire College. It has or soon will have agreements with all three institutions. Amherst is in the early stages of developing an economic development plan that will shape how the town brings business to the area and how it retains business, said Jeff Bagg, director of planning and economic development for the town. Harnessing the university and the colleges, I think, is part of what we want to do, but we, at the same time, want to support the businesses that we do have, and continue to draw new businesses, said Bagg. The town is open to businesses that will complement what already exists. But it wants help from the residents on what theyd like to see in Amherst, particularly in the arts and culture, and clean technology spaces. A view of the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus in February 2024. (Bridget Peery / The Republican, File) Staff Last year, as part of an economic development initiative spurred by Chancellor Javier Reyes, a career economist who joined the university in 2024, UMass Amherst worked with the town to open UMass Downtown, a retail space offering college swag and a gathering area for students, faculty and staff, for lectures, events and engagement. The area also has been used by members of the public. It has really drawn lots of different people into the town, and to come and hear all of these different, fascinating talks, said Buffone. Its been fun watching the space come to life, and it has tremendously strengthened the town-gown partnership. One main sticking point which is a concern across the state, not just between Amherst and the university is housing. The town and university are in constant communication about housing, Buffone and Bagg said separately. Last year, Amherst completed its housing production plan. The challenges are driven largely by high demand from its student population, particularly from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the plan says. With limited on-campus housing, thousands of students seek rentals in town, placing intense pressure on the local housing market. But the plan offers solutions, which were implemented by the town in December, including more subsidized housing; increasing types of housing offered (student housing, workforce housing, housing for older adults, to name a few); and building more housing, which is required in the entirety of Western Massachusetts. Chancellor Javier Reyes, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, attends a ceremony on Sept. 10. (Douglas Hook / The Republican, File) Douglas Hook The demand for on-campus housing at UMass Amherst has grown since the pandemic, up 8.5% since 2018, according to Emily Gest, a university spokesperson. The university is also among the top five largest residential programs in the country, building up its portfolio for two decades by thousands of beds, including 150 student-family apartments, creating dorms for the Commonwealth Honors College and opening Fieldstone the first public-private partnership housing project for the university which added 623 undergraduate beds and 201 graduate student beds, Gest said. Bagg said the towns housing plan and future economic development plan will help start initiatives that will benefit Amherst, the university and the other colleges in the area. He also said the town is open to work with residents and business owners current and potential future retailers on how to develop the downtown and other shopping areas of the town to make Amherst unique. (What) we want to accomplish with the economic development plan is (to) get community engagement. What do residents want to see? What do businesses think is viable, and what would, ultimately, be complementary to the other things that are surrounding? he said. Buffone said both Amherst and UMass Amherst are a part of the International Town Gown Association, an organization that helps municipalities and their higher education institutions across the United States develop and maintain partnerships that support community engagement and mutual interests. Weve worked really hard on this (relationship), she said. Reyes, the universitys chancellor, Buffone said, is passionate about taking UMass Amherst beyond the town, emphasizing an interest in creating opportunities for the workforce in the broader Western Massachusetts region and the state. He said, I want to see more of UMass in the community, and more of the community at UMass, Buffone said. That has, in many ways, been this guiding light for us. It allows us to not worry about any boundaries. Were just going to work together. With this landmark signature, Africas largest economy becomes the 54th member state of the Bank, cementing a major strategic partnership and ushering in a new era of pan-African financial and trade cooperation. This accession reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Africas economic sovereignty and accelerating continental integration. Dr. George Elombi, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank, described the accession as a decisive step toward uniting around the continents economic interests. South African President H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa stated: South Africas accession to Afreximbank confirms our commitment to advancing African industrial development and deepening trade, investment, and development across the continent. Afreximbank Announces USD 8 Billion Country Programme To operationalize this partnership immediately, Afreximbank will deploy an USD 8 billion Country Programme in South Africa aimed at: Stimulating industrial development Strengthening regional supply chains Expanding intra-African trade Increasing continental investment flows Aligned with South Africas National Development Plan 2030, the programme targets strategic sectors including healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, energy, and mining. It has recently come to the knowledge of the Prime Ministers Office that fake/fraudulent Certificates of Mauritian Citizenship and Mauritius National Identity Cards have been issued to non-citizens of Mauritius. These cases have been reported to the Police and the Financial Crimes Commission for investigation. It has been alleged that some Mauritian management companies have claimed huge sums of money from non-citizens against the promise of facilitating the obtention of Certificates of Mauritian Citizenship and Mauritius National Identity Cards, on the understanding that such documents have been issued by the Prime Ministers Office. The public is hereby informed that applications for Citizenship of Mauritius have to be submitted in person to the Prime Ministers Office. Applications for the issuance of Mauritius National Identity Cards have to be made in person at the National Identity Card Units. Furthermore, Certificates of Citizenship and Mauritius National Identity Cards are issued in person to applicants without the involvement of any intermediary between the applicant and the Prime Ministers Office and the National Identity Card Units. The public is hereby reminded that the Prime Ministers Office does not accept applications for Citizenship of Mauritius and/or the issuance of the Mauritius National Identity Card from any person other than the applicant himself/herself. For any information or queries on applications for the Citizenship of Mauritius, a non-citizen can visit the Prime Ministers Office website: dha.govmu.org or call in person at the Citizenship Section of the Prime Ministers Office, Level 4, New Government Centre, Port Louis. Whereas for information on Mauritius National Identity Card, all information can be obtained on the website: mnis.govmu.org or by calling in person at the National Identity Card Unit, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tower, Ebene. The Prime Ministers Office requests the collaboration of members of the public to report to the Prime Ministers Office and/or to the Police any suspicious activities regarding applications for the obtention of the Citizenship of Mauritius and the issuance of the Mauritius National Identity Card. Resume en Francais Le bureau du Premier ministre (PMO) alerte le public sur lexistence de faux certificats de citoyennete mauricienne et de fausses cartes didentite (NIC) delivres a des non-citoyens. Ces cas font actuellement lobjet denquetes par la Police et la Financial Crimes Commission. Le bureau du Premier ministre (PMO) alerte le public sur lexistence de faux certificats de citoyennete mauricienne et de fausses cartes didentite (NIC) delivres a des non-citoyens. Ces cas font actuellement lobjet denquetes par la Police et la Financial Crimes Commission. Points cles a retenir : Arnaques signalees : Certaines societes de gestion auraient reclame dimportantes sommes dargent a des etrangers en leur promettant de faciliter lobtention de ces documents officiels. Presence physique obligatoire : Toute demande de citoyennete ou de carte didentite doit etre soumise en personne par le demandeur aupres du PMO ou des unites de la NIC. Aucun intermediaire : Le gouvernement ne reconnait aucun intermediaire. Les documents sont remis directement au demandeur sans intervention tierce. Vigilance : Le public est invite a signaler toute activite suspecte a la police ou au bureau du Premier ministre. Contacts Officiels Citoyennete Mauricienne : Site web : dha.govmu.org Adresse : Section Citoyennete, 4eme etage, New Government Centre, Port-Louis. Carte dIdentite Nationale : Site web : mnis.govmu.org Adresse : Unite de la NIC, Tour Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Ebene. A new exhibition draws on the National Librarys extensive cartographic collection, which includes some of the earliest known maps of Ireland, to explore how Ireland has been depicted through maps across centuries. Through these materials, Ireland from Maps examines how maps have evolved from simple, symbolic representations of familiar landscapes to todays highly precise digital mapping technologies. The exhibition highlights that while mapping techniques have changed dramatically from early markings scratched onto clay tablets to satellite-generated images accessible online the core purposes of maps have remained constant: helping people navigate from place to place and describing the physical and cultural features of a landscape. Alongside showcasing historic maps, Ireland from Maps introduces visitors to basic mapping concepts and terminology. It also looks beyond the surface of well-known Irish maps to explore their historical context and underlying meanings, encouraging visitors to consider how maps reflect power, perspective and identity. The exhibition is hosted in the Claremorris Town Hall Theatre by the National Library of Ireland and is open on weekdays from 9.30am to 5pm, with the exception of a daily closure from 1pm to 2pm for lunch. The exhibition runs from February 9 until February 20. Admission is free. READ MORE: Mayo Abbey man honoured in Botanic Gardens in Dublin Minister of State Alan Dillon TD met with Mayo postal workers and local business representatives in Ballyhaunis on Friday morning. The meeting, which also included representatives of the Ballyhaunis Chamber of Commerce and local councillor Alma Gallagher, focused on fears surrounding the future of the Ballyhaunis sorting operation, including a move to Castlerea in Co Roscommon, and the potential knock-on effects for local employment, postal service reliability and the wider East Mayo business community. During discussions, Minister Dillon listened directly to postal workers concerns, with strong emphasis placed on the importance of maintaining a local postal hub in Ballyhaunis, which has long served households and businesses across the region. He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the voices of workers and local businesses are heard at the highest levels of Government. Speaking afterwards, the Mayo TD said he is committed to ensuring that the voices of workers and local businesses are heard at the highest levels of Government. He confirmed that the issue was raised with Tanaiste Simon Harris and is now arranging a meeting with An Post Chief Executive David McRedmond. A meeting is being scheduled with Mr McRedmond where we will outline the concerns raised locally and seek clarity on An Posts plans for Mayos postal services, he said. READ MORE: Over 3,300 Mayo residents sign petition in opposition to postal service amalgamation Accentuating Ballyhaunis long-standing role in the postal network, Minister Dillon said the concerns raised by workers and businesses could not be ignored. Ballyhaunis has a long and proud postal tradition, and the workers here provide an essential service to families and businesses across East Mayo, he said. The concerns raised today are serious and require urgent engagement. I will be escalating this matter within Government and directly with An Posts senior leadership. The issue has sparked widespread concern across the county, with more than 3,300 Mayo residents signing a petition opposing the proposed amalgamation of Mayos postal delivery services. Campaigners fear that relocating operations outside of Mayo could result in slower delivery times, job losses in Mayo and a decline in service quality. Minister Dillon said he will continue to work closely with postal workers, Ballyhaunis businesses and local representatives to ensure Mayos interests are fully represented. I want to be absolutely clear: no decisions should be made without proper engagement with those directly affected, he said. I will be pressing An Post to provide certainty, transparency, and a clear commitment to maintaining strong postal services in Mayo. Mayo students share their vision for the future use of the marine environment. Students from 12 schools were honoured at an award ceremony celebrating the winners of this years Green-Schools Marine Spatial Planning Poster and Photography Competitions. Lottie Billington of Sacred Heart School, Westport, and Liliana Austin of Killeen National School, Louisburgh have been announced as national title winners in two categories. Twelve students were awarded for depicting their vision for the future of Irelands ocean and coast through posters in the Every Sea Tells a Story Poster competition, while three students were awarded in the My Sea, My Story photography competition. READ NEXT: Permission granted for major housing development in Mayo In partnership with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Green-Schools invited students to design posters illustrating how they envision Irelands seas being used in the future. The competition aligns with the National Marine Planning Framework, which seeks to balance the various demands on Irelands marine territory while protecting and conserving the marine environment. Marine planning focuses on deciding when and where human activities take place at sea, ensuring they are carried out in the most efficient and sustainable way possible. The competition was open to schools participating in the Green-Schools Marine Environment theme, which encourages students to learn about the importance of the ocean, take action to reduce marine litter, and raise awareness within their local communities about how to protect the marine environment. This years poster competition was awash with colour and imagination, capturing the many ways we connect with the marine environment. Students brought Irelands seas to life through depictions of majestic marine megafauna, winding rivers flowing to the ocean, fishing boats at work, offshore wind farms on the horizon, and communities coming together for litter clean-ups. Woven through the artwork were powerful messages calling for less pollution and a deeper respect for our oceans, as well as reflections on the seas positive impact on wellbeing, beautifully expressed in the words, The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. From the twelve regional poster competition winners, three national winners were selected: Emily Foley from 1st class at Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School, was selected as the national winner for the Junior Primary Category; Liliana Austin from 6th class, Killeen National School, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo, won the Senior Primary category, and the overall winner of the Secondary School category was Freya Coveney, a student at Eureka Secondary School, Co. Meath. The photography competition returned for its second year, once again capturing powerful and personal connections with the marine environment. The national winning entry was titled Calmness and Escape and captured by Lottie Billington, a student from Sacred Heart School, Westport, Co. Mayo. Inspired by her love of the sea and the beach, Lotties image reflects the sense of peace she finds during family walks by the shore, a place where she can unwind and momentarily escape the pressures of school life. There were two runners up awarded in this competition too. Andrew Clancy from 6th year in Blackrock College was awarded for his photograph Inis Arcain which depicts a visit to Sherkin Island, off the coast of Co. Cork. Taken on the first day of exploration, the image shows Andrews friends joyfully dipping their feet into the sea, marking a literal and symbolic moment of arrival and connection with the ocean. Alison Monaghan, a second-year student at Eureka Secondary School, Kells, Co. Meath, also received an award for her photograph My Father and Dog at the Beach. Alison viewed her image as a striking representation of how increasingly severe storms are washing unexpected items ashore, a visible reminder of the growing impacts of global warming and climate change. Together, the entries highlight not only the remarkable talent of the young photographers, but also their deep connections to friends, family, and the marine environment. Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD, congratulated the winners of the Green Schools Marine Spatial Planning Competition today. Minister Dooley said: I would like to congratulate all who took part in this competition. It is heartening to see that the ideas that the Green-Schools programme conveys were embraced so imaginatively by students around our island. This understanding came across vividly in all entries received in both the poster and photography competition, showcasing exciting new young talent and capturing everything from plastics and pollution, from renewable energy to marine life and habitats." Speaking at the awards ceremony, Green-Schools National Manager, Joanne Scott, said: I am truly inspired by the winning entries. The students captured the theme with remarkable creativity, colour, and passion, producing artwork that beautifully reflects innovative ways to protect and value our seas. A huge thank you to everyone who took part. It has been a pleasure to celebrate your talent in person at todays event. All winning students and schools: Every Sea Tells a Story Poster Competition Category: Junior Primary National Winner: Emily Foley, Donabate Portrane Educate Together National School, Co. Dublin Regional Winner, East and Midlands: Victoria Yan-Rock, St Gerard's Junior School, Co. Wicklow Regional Winner, North and West: Emma DArcy, Bohola National School, Bohola, Co. Mayo Regional Winner, South: Harry O Ceallaigh, Gaelscoil Chluain Meala, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary Category: Senior Primary National Winner, Liliana Austin, Killeen National School, Louisburgh, Co. Mayo Regional Winner, Dublin: Rozalia Grabe, Gaelscoil Bhrian Boroimhe, Swords, Co. Dublin Regional Winner, East and Midlands: Lara Burton, St. Gerard's Junior School, Bray, Co. Wicklow Regional Winner, South: Sarah Lacey, Scoil Naomh Erc, Glenderry, Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry Category: Secondary School National Winner: Freya Coveney, Eureka Secondary School, Kells, Co. Meath Regional Winner: Ella Foley, Eureka Secondary School, Kells, Co. Meath Regional Winner: Hanna Bolzhelarska, Corran College, Ballymote, Co. Sligo Regional Winner: Erin Dootson, St Joseph's Secondary School, Foxford, Co. Mayo My Sea, My Story Photography Competition: National Winner: Lottie Billington, Sacred Heart School, Westport, Co. Mayo Highly Commended: Alison Monaghan, Eureka Secondary School, Kells, Co. Meath Highly Commended: Andrew Clancy, Blackrock College, Blackrock, Co. Dublin Stella Wangila is a Disability Inclusion Facilitator in Kenya and the instigator of a local community-based organization in Mombasa, by and for youth with disabilities. In this interview she tells her own story of why she had to leave her home and came to do this work. She also gives examples of what disabled people face, including grievous gender-based violence, and what they want and need. That includes help obtaining and learning assistive technologies, and understanding how to avoid being scammed through the internet. It also includes a call for Kenya to implement the laws it has already passed with respect to disability support and rights. Interview by Diana Wanyonyi. WINGS series producer, Frieda Werden There are no tracks in this playlist. Netflix dropped a huge wave of upcoming shows and movies in 2026, amongst which was Konkona Sen Sharma and Pratibha Rantas Accused. The premise was so captivating that many people may have overlooked a very important detail: the film is a queer story. When a doctor is accused of something that harms her reputation, everyone comes to believe the rumour mill. Her world turns upside down when people she trusted start disconnecting from her. So, it is up to her wife to uncover the truth. Accused Could Be a Queer Dream Come True Netflix Indian cinema has an obvious shortage of queer stories. Badhaai Do, Margarita with a Straw, and Kapoor and Sons are a few of the most recent additions, but they are still few and far between. Even if they exist, they often get pushed under the rug. Accused could change that. A story based in London, it could perhaps fight away from the classic coming out stories and give us something different. People dont want queer stories where the characters personalities are their sexuality. They want stories where the story matters more than their sexual orientation. That helps in good representation. What Indian cinema lacks the most is representation of queer people, and the Konkona Sen Sharma movie could be a step towards eradicating that. The more people become unafraid to take up queer roles, the more likely there is to be a difference. Fans are Looking Forward to Accused Netflix Accused has caught a new sense of excitement from fans. They arent just interested in the plot anymore. They also want to see how an Indian film would show a queer relationship differently. Fans are more intrigued by the story now. reddit/ab5546 reddit/kyahibolunab reddit/widepresence9305 reddit/kajukishmish2701 reddit/alone-illustrator-25 If youve ever stared at your calendar in early February and thought, Wait when is Valentines Day again? youre clearly not alone. A new state-by-state analysis of Google search data shows where people are most likely to forget when Valentines Day actually is, and which states barely seem to panic about it at all. The research, conducted by SupremeWhip, looked at how often people in each state searched terms like Valentine's date, when is it valentines day, when is valentines, and when is valentines day. Those searches were then normalized per 100,000 residents to see where people are most likely to need a digital reminder before February 14. Why are we still googling a fixed date? Valentines Day is not exactly a mystery holiday: it falls on February 14 every year. So why are so many people still typing it into a search bar? Advertisement Advertisement The obvious answer is that life is busy. Work, kids, commuting, appointments, and everything else means a lot of us are outsourcing basic memory tasks to our phones. If its not flagged as a federal holiday and auto-loaded into your calendar with a day off attached, its easier than youd think for a fixed date to slip your mind. Theres also some social pressure baked into Valentines Day. Unlike Christmas or Thanksgiving, where planning is generally done well in advance, a lot of Valentines prep (flowers, dinner reservations, last-minute gifts) happens closer to the actual date. That timing window lines up nicely with a spike in wait, when is Valentines Day again? searches. The states most likely to forget Valentines Day According to the study, one state is in a league of its own when it comes to googling the date of Valentines Day: Alabama. Heres how the top of the list breaks down, using searches per 100,000 residents: Advertisement Advertisement Alabama 3,005 searches per 100,000 people South Dakota 1,628 searches per 100,000 New York 758 searches per 100,000 New Mexico 706 searches per 100,000 Florida 644 searches per 100,000 SupremeWhip - States Most Likel From there, the numbers gradually taper off. States like Mississippi (511 searches per 100,000), Kansas (507), Arkansas (487), Texas (481), and Iowa (464) round out the top 10. Its an interesting mix: youve got Southern states, Plains states, and some of the most populated states in the country all showing up as places where residents are relatively likely to pull out their phones and double-check when Valentines Day actually lands. High search volume doesnt necessarily mean people dont care about the holiday; if anything, it suggests the opposite. Folks clearly want to get the date right Theyre just confirming it late enough that it shows up in the data. The states least likely to panic-Google Valentines Day On the other end of the spectrum, a handful of states barely register any Valentines Day date searches at all. Advertisement Advertisement At the very bottom of the ranking is Georgia, with just 14 searches per 100,000 people for phrases like when is valentines day. Right above Georgia are Nebraska and Idaho, each with 77 searches per 100,000, followed by West Virginia with 88. Other states with relatively low search rates include Maine, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Ohio, all under 140 searches per 100,000 residents. What that means is up for interpretation. It could be that people in those states are more on top of their calendars and dont feel the need to confirm the date online. Or, it might signal that Valentines Day just isnt as much of a priority, so theres less frantic searching in the first place. If this study just reminded you that youre absolutely the type to forget Valentines Day, you still have options. You can turn it into an excuse for a quick getaway and check out a round-up of some of the best places in the U.S. to spend the holiday with your partner. And if youd rather stay home and keep it low-key, you can always lean into a cozy night in with a list of actually-good romance movies to stream this weekend, even for people who dont usually like the genre. The release of the Epstein Files has sparked widespread global attention, with documents, images and videos shedding light on the criminal network of the late, convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein. Several prominent names have surfaced in the material, prompting strong reactions. Tech billionaire Bill Gates, for instance, recently addressed the issue in an interview, stating that he regrets any association he had with Epstein after his name appeared in connection with the files. Another name now circulating, based on unverified documents, is that of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. In these references, he is described as the Bollywood guy and a famous Bollywood director, allegedly linked to an Epstein-associated event that was planned to take place in Beijing in 2017. After having entertained fans with multiple comedy films, Rajpal Yadavs era may be coming to an end. The problems began when a cheque worth 2.5 crores bounced. After the Delhi High Court didn't meet his pleas, the actor agreed to surrender and be imprisoned. After having done multiple hit films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Bhaagam Bhaag, and Chup Chup Ke, he has been a fan favourite for a long time now. However, because of the cheque bounce case, things have turned upside down. Rajpal Yadav Will Go to Tihar Jail Instagram/rajpalofficial Rajpal Yadav had asked for an extension on the deadline for his surrender to Tihar Jail but that was also denied. Since he couldn't pay the amount, there was no other option. As per Bollywood Hungama, he was helpless. Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain (sir, what to do? I dont have the money to pay back). Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta (cant see another way out). He'd even asked the court if there was any way to reduce the sentence and make it easier on him, but that too was denied. Rajpal Yadav Couldn't Get Help Imaginarium marks major industrial investment for Exotecs robotics future Exotec has opened a major new headquarters in northern France, signalling its ambitions for the next phase of global growth in warehouse robotics. The facility, named Imaginarium, will act as a strategic hub at the heart of Europe, supporting the companys plans to design, develop and industrialise its technologies within the region. The inauguration also marked the launch of Exosummit, a new event bringing together Exotecs customers, partners and wider ecosystem. Exotec said the new site reflects a long-term industrial investment, building on the approach it has taken since its founding a decade ago. The company has focused on combining engineering, software and industrial capabilities in Europe while delivering solutions for customers worldwide. Imaginarium has been developed in partnership with the BMG Group under a 12-year forward-funded lease agreement signed in 2022. The headquarters sits along the Roubaix Canal on the site of a former office complex that has been redeveloped for industrial and technological use. Spanning 25,000 square metres, the facility brings together more than 700 employees from design, production and support teams on a single site. Its layout has been designed to improve operational efficiency, with a central hub space connecting all areas of activity and optimising proximity between functions. Production is a key focus within the headquarters, with an 8,560-square-metre manufacturing area equipped with 11 operational Exotec systems for testing, production and continuous improvement. Romain Moulin, chief executive and co-founder of Exotec, said the site represents a significant step forward for the business. Imaginarium represents a major technological and industrial investment, he said. He added: By integrating R&D, production and operations within our headquarters, we strengthen our ability to develop robust, scalable solutions that are closely aligned with our customers requirements. The company said the integrated model supports the close combination of hardware and software, designed for deployment in complex and evolving logistics environments. Renaud Heitz, chief technology officer and co-founder, said the project underlines Exotecs long-term commitment to Europe. Imaginarium reflects our commitment to building in Europe, and our decision to invest for the long term, he said. He added that the headquarters is designed to support Exotecs technological roadmap and industrial ambitions over time, while remaining anchored locally. Exotec said the site will also play a central role in its continued international expansion. More than 700 employees representing over 60 nationalities are based at Imaginarium, with teams regularly visiting from offices in Atlanta, Munich, London and Tokyo. The France-based company continues to accelerate its global footprint, with recent projects announced in South Korea with MUSINSA and in Central Europe with Renault. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trumps racist social media post featuring former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was deleted after a backlash from both Republicans and Democrats who criticized the video as offensive. The Republican presidents Thursday night post was deleted Friday and blamed on a staffer after widespread backlash, from civil rights leaders to veteran Republican senators, for its treatment of the nations first Black president and first lady. The deletion, a rare admission of a misstep by the White House, came hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed fake outrage over the post. After calls for its removal for being racist -- including by Republicans -- the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously and it had been taken down. The post was part of a flurry of social media activity on Trump's Truth Social account that amplified his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite courts around the country and a Trump attorney general from his first term finding no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome. Trump has a record of intensely personal criticism of the Obamas and of using incendiary, sometimes racist, rhetoric from feeding the lie that Obama was not a native-born U.S. citizen to crude generalizations about majority Black countries. The post came in the first week of Black History Month and days after a Trump proclamation that cited the contributions of black Americans to our national greatness and their enduring commitment to the American principles of liberty, justice, and equality. An Obama spokeswoman said the former president, a Democrat, had no response. An internet meme Nearly all of the 62-second clip, which was among dozens of Truth Social posts from Trump overnight, appears to be from a conservative video alleging deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states as the 2020 presidential votes were tallied. At the 60-second mark is a quick scene of two primates, with the Obamas smiling faces imposed on them. Those frames were taken from a separate video, previously circulated by an influential conservative meme maker. It shows Trump as King of the Jungle and depicts a range of Democratic leaders as animals, including Joe Biden, who is white, as a jungle primate eating a banana. This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King, Leavitt said by text. Disney's 1994 feature film that Leavitt referenced is set on the savannah, not in the jungle, and it does not include great apes. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public, Leavitt added. By noon, the post had been taken down with responsibility placed on a Trump subordinate. The White House explanation raised additional questions about the control of Trumps social media account, which has also been used to levy import taxes, threaten military action, make domestic policy announcements and intimidate political rivals. The president often signs his name or initials after policy announcements. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about its process for vetting posts and how it guarantees that the public knows when Trump himself is posting. Mark Burns, a pastor and a prominent Trump supporter who is Black, said Friday afternoon on X that he had spoken directly with Trump about the post. He recommended to Trump that he fire the staffer who posted the video and publicly condemn what happened. He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable, Burns posted. Condemnation across the political spectrum Trump and the official White House social media accounts frequently repost memes and artificial intelligence-generated videos. As Leavitt did Friday, Trump aides typically dismiss critiques and cast the images as humorous. Yet while it was still up, Trump's post drew condemnation from across the political and ideological spectrum and demands for an apology that had not come by the early afternoon. The Rev. Bernice King, daughter of the assassinated civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., resurfaced her father's words: Yes. I'm Black. I'm proud of it. I'm Black and beautiful. She praised Black Americans as diverse, innovative, industrious, inventive and added, We are beloved of God as postal workers and professors, as a former first lady and president. We are not apes. The U.S. Senate's lone Black Republican, Tim Scott of South Carolina, called on Trump to take down the post. Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House, Scott, who chairs Senate Republicans' midterm campaign arm, said on social media. Another Republican, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, is white but represents the state with the largest percentage of Black residents. Wicker called the post totally unacceptable and said the president should apologize. Some Republicans who face tough reelections this November voiced concerns, as well, feeding an unusual cascade of intraparty criticism for a president who often has enjoyed a strangle-hold over fellow Republicans who stayed silent over some of Trump's previous controversial statements or fear a public spat with the president or losing his endorsement in a future campaign. NAACP President Derrick Johnson pointed to Trump's wider political concerns, asserting that Trump is trying anything to distract from economic conditions and attention on the Jeffrey Epstein case files. Donald Trumps video is blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable, Johnson said in a statement. You know who isnt in the Epstein files? Barack Obama, he continued. "You know who actually improved the economy as president? Barack Obama. A long history of racism There is a long history in the U.S. of powerful white figures associating Black people with animals, including apes, in demonstrably false and racist ways. The practice dates back to 18th century cultural racism and pseudo-scientific theories in which white people drew connections between Africans and monkeys to justify the enslavement of Black people in Europe and North America, and later to dehumanize freed Black people as an uncivilized threat to white people. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote in his famous text Notes on the State of Virginia that Black women were the preferred sexual partners of orangutans. President Dwight Eisenhower, discussing the desegregation of public schools in the 1950s, once argued that white parents were concerned about their daughters being in classrooms with big Black bucks. Obama, as a candidate and president, was featured as a monkey or other primate on T-shirts and other merchandise. In his 2024 campaign, Trump said immigrants were poisoning the blood of our country, language similar to what Adolf Hitler said to dehumanize Jews in Nazi Germany. During his first White House term, Trump referred to a swath of developing nations that are majority Black as shithole countries. He initially denied using the slur but admitted in December 2025 that he did say it. When Obama was in the White House, Trump advanced the false claims that the 44th president, who was born in Hawaii, was born in Kenya and was constitutionally ineligible to serve. Trump, in interviews that helped endear him to many conservative voters, repeatedly demanded that Obama produce birth records and prove he was a natural-born citizen as required to become president. Obama eventually released his Hawaii records. Trump finally acknowledged during his 2016 campaign, after having won the Republican nomination, that Obama was born in Hawaii. But he immediately said, falsely, that his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton started those birtherism attacks on Obama. ___ Barrow reported from Atlanta. Federal immigration authorities have begun scaling back their presence in Minneapolis weeks after Vice President JD Vance visited the city and publicly criticized statewide officials for their supposed lack of cooperation with immigration enforcement. The latest withdrawal of about 700 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents comes roughly two weeks after Vances Jan. 22 visit, when he met with law enforcement officials and defended ICE operations as federal personnel funneled into the Twin Cities. The deployment triggered widespread protests, legal challenges and civil rights claims following the killings of two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Prettithe latter a Minneapolis Department of Veterans Affairs nurse. It has raised broader questions about the use of force during enforcement actions. The Hennepin County medical examiner ruled the fatal shooting a homicide. As is customary when high-level dignitaries visit Minnesota, we worked to help with the vice presidents motorcade and with other security aspectsincluding coordination with the Secret Service, Howie Padilla, spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, told Military.com. We will not speak about specific security issues or aspects. One day after Pretti was killed, Vance said on social media that "state and local officials [who] refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement," claiming, "They have created the chaos so they can have moments like yesterday, where someone tragically dies and politicians get to grandstand about the evils of enforcing the border." The vice president, when asked by a Daily Mail journalist whether he would apologize to Pretti's family for his statements regarding purported "ill intent" to harm ICE, Vance rejected the notion and asked, "For what?" Military.com reached out for comment to the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, CBP and the Department of Justice. Federal Pullback Follows Protests, Mounting Pressure Senior Department of Homeland Security officials said in public statements that the 700-agent reduction reflects an operational adjustment rather than a full withdrawal. The move marks the first visible pullback since federal agencies expanded their footprint across Minneapolis and surrounding communities. Federal immigration enforcement in the city drew national attention after Vance accused Minnesota officials of refusing to cooperate with federal agents, warning that threats against officers would be prosecuted. His remarks came amid heightened tensions following the two fatal shootings, which began with viral video of the altercation that led to Good's death. Observers film while federal agents conduct immigration enforcement operations, on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy) Goods death intensified scrutiny of federal enforcement tactics and added momentum to legal and civil liberties challenges raised by advocacy groups in Minnesota. Demonstrations spread across Minneapolis and nearby communities as pressure mounted on federal authorities. Border czar Tom Homan later announced that about 700 ICE and CBP officers would be withdrawn from the area, even as roughly 2,000 federal personnel remain deployed as part of ongoing enforcement efforts. Authorities have also charged a Minneapolis man accused of threatening and cyberstalking ICE officers amid the unrest, underscoring the volatile environment surrounding the operations. State Officials on Vance Visit Minnesota officials told Military.com their involvement during the vice presidents visit was limited to routine security coordination rather than operational support for federal immigration enforcement. State leaders and the governors office have pushed back against federal claims that Minnesota authorities failed to cooperate with ICE. Officials said custody transfers and jail notifications to federal authorities continue under existing law, while state and local law enforcement agencies do not take direction from federal immigration officials. Federal agents tend to a vehicle with a flat tire while conducting immigration enforcement operations, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy) Local leaders have also pointed to legal challenges filed by the state and cities, arguing that the large-scale deployment of federal agents disrupted civic life and violated constitutional protections. Those legal challenges include a lawsuit filed by Minnesota that seeks to limit the scope of the federal surge and questions the legality of the deployment under federal and state law. Civil Liberties Concerns Mount Civil liberties groups have sharply criticized the scale and visibility of the federal enforcement surge, warning that it has eroded trust in immigrant communities and raised constitutional concerns. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Minnesota condemned federal agents conduct following the fatal shooting in South Minneapolis, calling for an immediate end to the deployment and an independent investigation. This tragedy is further proof that these federal agents are out of control and critically endangering our communities, said Deepinder Mayell, executive director of the ACLU of Minnesota, in a Jan. 24 statement. A federal agent gestures to an activist while conducting immigration enforcement operations, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy) Advocates have pressed for clearer rules governing federal immigration operations, stronger oversight and accountability for the use of force. Demonstrations have continued across the Twin Cities as residents and civil rights groups call for investigations into federal conduct and greater transparency around enforcement tactics. Federal Enforcement Continues Federal officials have said ICE and CBP operations will continue in Minnesota despite the reduction in personnel, with agents remaining active in Minneapolis and surrounding communities. DHS officials have described the drawdown as a tactical shift rather than a policy decision, signaling that federal enforcement priorities remain unchanged. Homan has said publicly since the Jan. 22 Vance visit that federal authorities will continue immigration enforcement regardless of local opposition. He has argued that state and local officials do not have authority to block federal operations and warned that interference with agents or threats against officers will result in criminal prosecution. A United States Border Patrol agent gestures to a car while conducting immigration enforcement operations, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy) President Donald Trump has echoed that message in public remarks and social media posts since the Minneapolis visit, backing aggressive immigration enforcement and criticizing Democratic-controlled states and cities he claims undermine federal law. Trump has pledged continued federal action in jurisdictions that resist cooperation, though he has also suggested in separate remarkssuch as during a new interview with NBC Newsthat some enforcement actions could have used a "soft touch." Administration officials have signaled that federal agencies are reassessing their posture in Minneapolis while maintaining an enforcement presence. The White House has not provided a detailed public explanation of how immigration operations in the Twin Cities will evolve in the coming weeks. The National Memorial Cemetery in Hawaii is running out of space, but a group of politicians is hoping to persuade the Department of Veterans Affairs into building a new final resting place for veterans. Sen. Mazie Hirono, along with members of Congress Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, have proposed the Hawaii National Cemetery Act. If passed into law, the measure would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a new national veterans cemetery on the Hawaiian Islands. Currently, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, located on Oahu, includes the graves of more than 53,000 veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. Its Hawaiis only national veteran cemetery. However, space is shrinking. The cemetery stopped doing in-ground burials in 1991 and predicts it will run out of space to house cremated remains around 2036. Hirono believes the proposed legislation is needed to make sure Hawaiian veterans have a local cemetery to be buried in after they die. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins visits the national memorial cemetery in Hawaii in August. (Facebook) Those who have served our country, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their life to defend our nation, deserve to have the option to be buried in a national cemetery in their home state, Hirono said in a release. With less and less space remaining at the only national cemetery in Hawaii, I am proud to introduce this legislation to establish another national cemetery that will serve as a fitting final resting site for veterans in our state. Years of Planning Required A facility of significant size would require years of planning and construction, which is why the senator and representatives are advocating for the bill to be passed soon. Veterans who qualify for burial benefits should continue to have full choice in their final resting place, including burial in a national cemetery close to their homes and families, Case said in a press release. Sadly, we have begun to run out of room to bury our nations heroes at Hawaiis national cemetery. Case said the state has about 115,000 veterans living on the islands, consisting of 11 percent of Hawaiis population. As those veterans continue to age and pass away, they will need a space to be buried in. Those who have served our country, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their life to defend our nation, deserve to have the option to be buried in a national cemetery in their home state, Hirono said in a release. In the release, Tokuda said that finding a new cemetery for Hawaiian veterans is an opportunity to maintain integrity, providing veterans with the dignity they deserve. National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific has served as a sacred place of honor for Hawaiis veterans, Tokuda said. But with the site nearing capacity, we must plan for a new resting place that continues to honor our veterans with the dignity and respect they deserve. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl. (Facebook) Will the VA Step up for Hawaii? The National Cemetery Administration, part of VA, strives to provide burial for about 95 percent of veterans within 75 miles of a federal, state or tribal cemetery for veterans. However, the administrations policy doesnt factor in Hawaiian veterans wishing to be buried in a national cemetery. California, more than 2,000 miles away, would be the closest location for burial. According to VA, the administration manages 157 cemeteries, along with 35 soldiers lots and monuments in 44 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4 million veterans are buried in national memorial cemeteries. VA funds the construction, expansion and renovation of 124 veterans cemeteries in 47 states and territories. For Hirono, Case and Tokuda, and thousands of Hawaiian veterans hoping to be buried in their home state, the opportunity for a new final resting place could be on the horizon. By the spring of 1988, the United States had endured nearly a decade of humiliation in the Middle East. In 1979, Iranian revolutionaries took 52 American hostages and held them for 444 days. The Desert One rescue mission failed the following year, leaving eight servicemembers dead in the Iranian desert. A suicide bomber killed 241 Marines and sailors in Beirut in 1983. An Iraqi jet attacked the USS Stark in 1987, killing 37 American sailors. Iran referred to America as a "paper tiger." Then on April 18, 1988, the U.S. Navy destroyed two Iranian oil platforms, sunk one frigate and a missile boat, crippled a second frigate, destroyed at least three armed speedboats, and drove off Iranian F-4 Phantom jets with missile fire. In just a few hours, American forces obliterated nearly half of Iran's operational fleet. The USS Samuel B. Roberts By 1988, Iran and Iraq had been locked in a brutal war for nearly eight years. Hundreds of thousands had died in grinding trench warfare reminiscent of World War I. Both nations sought to strangle the other's economy by attacking oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps laid mines in international shipping lanes and used small speedboats to harass and attack merchant vessels. The conflict became known as the Tanker War. The guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts sailed through these dangerous waters as part of Operation Earnest Will. The mission was to escort reflagged Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Gulf and protect them from Iraqi and Iranian attacks. At 4:45 p.m. on April 14, lookouts spotted mines floating in the water. Cmdr. Paul Rinn, the ship's captain, ordered the crew to battle stations and began backing the ship out of the minefield. "I think we're in a minefield," Rinn announced to his crew. "I want you all to go to your general quarters stations but get up above the main deck. I'm confident we can get out." The hull damage on the USS Samuel B. Roberts after striking an Iranian mine in the Persian Gulf. (Wikimedia Commons) Twenty-five minutes later, a SADAF-02 mine detonated directly beneath the ship. The explosion ripped a 15-foot hole in the hull, broke the keel, flooded the engine room and knocked both gas turbine engines off their mounts. The blast threw Rinn from the bridge wing and broke his left foot. Ten sailors suffered injuries. Four were seriously burned. The ship should have sunk with such damage to the hull. Rinn's relentless crew training prior to the mission managed to save it. "We practiced, drilled, and practiced and drilled some more," Rinn later recalled. "Until the crew was convinced that we could do everything faster and better than anyone." The crew fought fires and flooding for seven hours. A boatswain's mate, sonar technician, shipfitter, cook and radioman rigged emergency power in 22 minutes. When Rear Adm. Anthony Less radioed to ask about potentially abandoning ship, Rinn refused. "No higher honor," he replied. It was the ship's motto, a nod to the first Samuel B. Roberts, sunk at Leyte Gulf in 1944 after charging a fleet of Japanese battleships. The ship was then hauled out of the area for repairs. Navy divers recovered additional mines from the water. Serial numbers matched mines seized from an Iranian minelayer the previous September. There was no question who was responsible. Samuel B. Roberts is carried away aboard Mighty Servant 2 after hitting a mine in the Persian Gulf. (Wikimedia Commons) The American Response The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. William Crowe, personally called Rear Adm. Less with specific instructions. Destroy two Iranian oil platforms being used as command-and-control centers for attacks on shipping. Sink the Iranian frigate Sabalan, notorious for deliberately targeting the bridges and crew quarters of unarmed merchant ships. Less assembled three Surface Action Groups. The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise waited in the Gulf of Oman with a full air wing. Operation Praying Mantis would begin at 8 a.m. on April 18. At dawn, SAG Bravo approached the Sassan oil platform. Capt. James Perkins aboard the USS Merrill broadcast warnings in English, Arabic, and Farsi. The Iranian workers had 20 minutes to evacuate. Some Iranians fled to a few tugboats. Others stayed and opened fire with twin-barreled 23mm anti-aircraft guns. American destroyers answered with 5-inch naval guns. Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopters then silenced the remaining resistance with TOW missiles. Marines fast-roped onto the platform, gathered intelligence and planted 1,200 pounds of C4 explosives. The detonation turned the Iranian outpost into a fireball that was visible for miles. SAG Charlie hit and destroyed the Sirri platform simultaneously. Iran responded by sending Revolutionary Guard Boghammar speedboats to attack targets across the Gulf. Armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the small fast boats struck civilian vessels in the Mubarak oil field near the United Arab Emirates. They hit an American-flagged supply ship, a Panamanian oil rig and a British tanker before racing back toward Iranian-controlled waters. A-6E Intruders from the Enterprise intercepted them. The attack aircraft dove on the speedboats and released Rockeye cluster bombs. At least one Boghammar was destroyed with all hands. Four others fled to Abu Musa Island and beached themselves to escape destruction. The Iranian Navy's main response came shortly after noon. A U.S. Navy Grumman A-6E Intruder from attack squadron VA-95 Green Lizards aircraft dropping CBU-59 cluster bombs over Iranian targets in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58) on 18 April 1988. (Wikimedia Commons) Surface Actions The missile boat Joshan sortied from Bushire and raced toward the American ships. Aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Wainwright, Capt. James Chandler watched his radar screen as the Iranian vessel closed on his task force. Chandler knew his adversary well. Intelligence had provided photos of the Joshan's commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Abbas Mallek. More importantly, Chandler knew the Joshan carried a Harpoon anti-ship missile. It was the only functioning Harpoon in Iran's entire arsenal. Chandler issued his first warning at noon. The Joshan's captain replied, "I am doing my duty. I am in international waters and will commit no provocative attack." The Iranian boat kept coming. Chandler issued four more warnings. The Iranian captain ignored them all. Aboard the USS Simpson, Capt. James McTigue waited at his battle station. He had joined the ship just four months earlier. "I was the rookie, I was the new guy on board," McTigue recalled. But he had combat experience from Vietnam. His weapons officer, Lt. Mark Tierney, had his fire-control radar locked on the Joshan. Guided missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) pulls up alongside guided missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) during maneuvering exercises in the Atlantic Ocean in April 2007. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Coleman Thompson. "We were locked and loaded and ready to go," said Tom Buterbaugh, who manned the Simpson's combat systems. "We already had a war shot, a white bird on the rail, all of our fire control radars were pointing right at him." At 12:15, with the Joshan just 13 nautical miles away, Chandler keyed his radio one final time. "Stop and abandon ship. I intend to sink you." The Joshan's response was to lock its fire-control radar onto the Wainwright and launch its Harpoon. What followed became the only ship-versus-ship missile duel in U.S. Navy history. The Wainwright's crew fired chaff canisters and activated electronic countermeasures. The Iranian missile roared past the starboard side, missing by roughly 100 feet. Chandler radioed the Simpson and transmitted the permission to fire. McTigue turned to Tierney and gave him the order to shoot. The entire sequence took less than three seconds. A Standard missile screamed off the Simpson's rail at 1,900 mph. Fifteen seconds later, it slammed into the Joshan. Four more American missiles followed. The Joshan became a burning hulk. The three American ships closed in and finished it with 5-inch and 76mm gunfire. The Iranian boat sank at 4:21 p.m. The Simpson had become the last modern U.S. Navy warship to sink an enemy vessel in combat. Iranian F-4 Phantoms scrambled from Bandar Abbas to challenge the American ships. The Wainwright's radar tracked three fighters approaching SAG Charlie. Chandler ordered the launch of two RIM-67 Standard missiles. At least one found its mark. Shrapnel tore into the lead Phantom. The damaged aircraft limped back to base trailing smoke. The remaining Iranian jets broke off their attack. Map showing the location of the Iranian oil rigs as well as the Iranian naval base at Bandar Abbas. (Wikimedia Commons) The Charge of the Iranian Frigates The Iranian Navy had larger ships. Two Saam-class frigates, the Sahand and Sabalan, were modern British-built warships capable of challenging American forces. They had been hiding at Bandar Abbas, moored between civilian tankers for protection. That afternoon, the Sahand steamed out to fight. Cdr. Arthur "Bud" Langston spotted it from 15,000 feet. The Navy A-6 Intruder pilot dove toward the Iranian frigate to confirm its identity. He flew low and fast, passing so close he could see sailors on the ship's deck. The Sahand's gunners opened fire with anti-aircraft weapons and launched surface-to-air missiles. Langston climbed, keyed his radio, and broadcast a warning to give its crew time to evacuate. "I'm going to sink you in five minutes," he said. An aerial view of the Iranian frigate IS Sahand (74) burning on 18 April 1988 after being attacked by aircraft of U.S. Navy Carrier Air Wing 11 in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58). (Wikimedia Commons) The Iranian ship kept moving forward. Langston moved to attack. "I shot the Harpoon, which exploded right behind the ship's bridge," Langston later recalled. "The frigate billowed smoke and went dead in the water quickly. Then I made attacks with two Skippers and followed up with the laser-guided bombs." The destroyer USS Joseph Strauss added a Harpoon of its own. More A-6s and A-7 Corsairs piled on with cluster bombs. The Sahand burned for hours. When fire reached its magazines, the ship exploded and sank, taking 45 crewmen with it. Near dusk, the Sabalan finally emerged from hiding. Lt. Cmdr. James Engler found it and made his attack run in his A-6 Intruder. The frigate fired a surface-to-air missile that missed. Engler dove at a 45-degree angle through heavy anti-aircraft fire and released a 500-pound laser-guided bomb. It went straight down the Sabalan's smokestack. The explosion in the engine room left the frigate dead in the water, stern partially submerged. Engler circled for another run. More aircraft arrived on station, ready to assist. Then came the order to stand down. Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci and Admiral Crowe decided enough damage had been done. President Reagan himself intervened, telling Crowe the Iranians "had enough for one day." An Iranian tug eventually towed the Sabalan back to port. The Iranian frigate IS Sahand (74) burns after being attacked by aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 11 from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN-65), in retaliation for the mining of the guided missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58). The ship was hit by three Harpoon missiles plus cluster bombs. (Wikimedia Commons) The Cost of Victory The only American losses occurred when a Marine AH-1T Sea Cobra helicopter from HML/A-167 crashed into the Gulf about 15 miles southwest of Abu Musa Island. Marine Captains Kenneth Hill, 33, and Stephen Leslie, 30, both died. Their last transmission indicated they were evading hostile fire. The wreckage showed no battle damage. Investigators concluded the pilots may have crashed while maneuvering to avoid Iranian missiles. Iran lost the frigate Sahand, the missile boat Joshan, and at least three Boghammar speedboats sunk. The frigate Sabalan was crippled. At least one F-4 Phantom was damaged by American missiles and limped back to base. Two oil platforms were destroyed. "This particular exercise, in my view, finished the Iranian Navy in the Arabian Gulf," said Capt. Perkins. "They were still around, but after that operation, they didn't have as active a stance." In fact, Iran had just lost roughly half of its operational navy in only a few hours. The main building of the Iranian Sassan oil platform burns after being hit by a BGM-71 Tube-launched, Optically-guided, Wire-guided (TOW) missile fired from a United States Marine Corps AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The U.S. attack was part of Operation Praying Mantis which was launched after the guided missile frigate USS Samual B. Roberts (FFG-58) struck an Iranian mine on April 14, 1988. (Wikimedia Commons) A Day of Redemption Operation Praying Mantis stands as the largest U.S. Navy surface engagement since World War II. It was the first and only time American warships exchanged anti-ship missiles with an enemy. The sinking of the Sahand marked the largest warship sunk by the U.S. Navy since 1945. Naval historian Craig Symonds later ranked it among "one of the five most significant sea battles in United States history." "I felt proud then and I still feel proud today," said Tierney, who received the Bronze Star for his actions that day. Rear Adm. Langston, reflecting years later, saw the operation as a turning point for America's standing in the region. "Operation Praying Mantis gave the U.S. Navy the opportunity for America to regain credibility," he wrote. "And credibility is directly linked to restoring our national pride." U.S. Marines inspecting Iranian AA weapons on top of one of the oil rigs during Operation Praying Mantis. (Wikimedia Commons) Unfortunately, tensions did not settle after Praying Mantis ended. On July 3, 1988, the guided-missile cruiser USS Vincennes, operating in the same waters, mistakenly shot down Iran Air Flight 655. All 290 passengers and crew aboard the civilian airliner died. The U.S. government maintained the crew had confused the Airbus with an attacking Iranian F-14 fighter. A declassified CIA report later revealed that Iran believed the American attack during Praying Mantis was coordinated with an Iraqi offensive that happened to launch the same morning. Convinced they faced a two-front war and with both sides suffering egregious losses for little gain, Iranian leaders agreed to a United Nations ceasefire resolution that summer. On August 20, 1988, the eight-year Iran-Iraq War finally came to an end. Nearly 2 million soldiers and civilians on both sides died during the conflict. The United States had suffered several serious setbacks and losses in the region during the 1980s. Operation Praying Mantis showed the world, especially the Iranians, that the U.S. military would not let unprovoked attacks go unpunished. Googles Venture Arm Leads $200 Million Financing Round in European Fintech Startup (Googles Venture Arm Leads $200 Million Funding Round in European Fintech Startup) Vibrant moves in the globe of financing do not constantly come from Wall Street. Sometimes, they spark from a small workplace in Berlin or Paris. Thats exactly what took place when Googles venture arm actioned in with an enormous $200 million investment in an increasing European fintech start-up. This deal isnt almost cash its a signal that large technology is wagering hard on the future of economic services outside the U.S. The primary item search phrase below is fintech startup, and its at the heart of every little thing this tale covers. What Is a Fintech Startup . A fintech startup is a young firm that uses innovation to improve or automate economic solutions. These business may build applications for mobile financial, develop systems for peer-to-peer loaning, or develop software application that aids local business manage settlements. Unlike standard banks that rely on branches and documents, fintech start-ups work on code, cloud web servers, and easy to use user interfaces. They intend to generate income monitoring faster, less costly, and a lot more available for everybody. In Europe, where financial systems differ commonly from country to nation, these start-ups fill up voids that heritage organizations usually neglect. The current $200 million funding round shows how much potential capitalists see in this design. You can learn more concerning how electronic change is improving service priorities in this room with this article on digital advertising and marketing fads. Why Googles Endeavor Arm Is Investing Heavily . Googles venture arm, called GV (formerly Google Ventures), doesnt spray $200 million gently. It picks firms that straighten with long-term tech fads and have solid growth possibility. So why a European fintech startup? First, Europes monetary market is fragmented. There are lots of money, laws, and consumer behaviors throughout the continent. That complexity creates opportunities for agile start-ups to construct tailored services. Second, Google sees fintech as a natural expansion of its community. People already use Google for search, e-mail, maps, and ads. Including economic tools like secure repayments or smart budgeting can deepen customer engagement. Third, competitors is heating up. Apple, Amazon, and even Meta are exploring financial services. Google cant manage to sit out. This relocation also ties into wider shifts in worldwide e-commerce, which you can explore further in this piece on Googles algorithm adjustments. Exactly How the Funding Will Be Made Use Of . The $200 million isnt simply sitting in a savings account. The fintech start-up intends to use it in 3 crucial methods. Initially, it will certainly increase its engineering group to accelerate item growth. More programmers suggest faster updates, far better safety, and brand-new attributes. Second, the company will get in new European markets. Now, it could be strong in Germany and France, however it wishes to get to Spain, Italy, and Eastern Europe also. That indicates centering its app, supporting brand-new languages, and complying with each nations economic regulations. Third, it will purchase client depend on. Fintech just works if individuals really feel secure utilizing it. So anticipate more transparency, clearer privacy policies, and perhaps even partnerships with well-known financial institutions. These steps are vital since individuals will not switch from their old financial institution unless the brand-new option really feels dependable and simple to use. Applications of the Fintech Start-ups Modern technology . The start-ups innovation has real-world uses that touch everyday life. For freelancers, it offers instantaneous invoicing and repayment tracking, so they get paid faster. For little shop proprietors, it gives an easy point-of-sale system that works with any kind of mobile phone. For travelers, it allows smooth currency conversion without hidden costs. And for trainees or job workers, it admits to microloans or budgeting tools that conventional financial institutions often reject. One standout function is its AI-powered scams discovery. Every purchase obtains scanned in actual time, reducing rip-offs and false decreases. This kind of advancement issues due to the fact that it eliminates rubbing from cash motion. In a world where people anticipate everything immediately from food shipment to video telephone calls waiting days for a financial institution transfer feels dated. The startups goal is to make money feel as smooth as making use of any kind of other app on your phone. Frequently asked questions About the Offer and the Fintech Startup . (Googles Venture Arm Leads $200 Million Funding Round in European Fintech Startup) Individuals have concerns, and thats typical. Below are some common ones. Initially, is this start-up replacing banks? Not exactly. Its more of a companion or choice for certain needs. Several users still keep a traditional savings account however make use of the fintech app for day-to-day investing or side revenue. Second, is my data risk-free? The company claims it uses bank-level security and never ever sells personal details. Its additionally controlled by European financial authorities, which includes an additional layer of oversight. Third, why did Google pick this specific start-up? While GV hasnt shared all details, insiders say the startup revealed strong customer development, low churn, and a clear course to success uncommon traits in early-stage fintech. Fourth, will this influence Googles other products? Potentially. Functions from the startup can eventually appear in Google Pay or Android Wallet. Lastly, what does this mean for rivals? It raises the bar. Various other fintech firms now deal with a well-funded competitor with Googles support, which could cause even more technology or consolidation in the field. If you wonder exactly how technology giants like Apple are likewise pressing into equipment and services, look into this update on Apples newest product launches. PORT HURON, MI - A Michigan countys pioneering efforts to restrict big solar farm and grid-scale battery projects with the states public health code have run into a legal roadblock. A judge overturned St. Clair County Health Department rules that sought to address noise and visual pollution from projects, siding with the states largest power utility, DTE Electric Co., and other energy developers in lawsuits against the county. Last July, some two months after the rules were put in place, DTE sued the county on the east side of Michigans Thumb. It argued the requirements amounted to new zoning regulations illegally masquerading as public health protections, and the justification for them wasnt grounded in medical evidence. Read more: Michigan county uses public health code to restrict solar farms, drawing DTE lawsuit St. Clair County Circuit Court Judge Michael West granted a motion for summary disposition in favor of DTE on Monday, Feb. 2, court records show. He did the same in favor of NorthStar Clean Energy, a subsidiary of Consumers Energy parent company CMS Energy, and another firm associated with a local solar project in a separate legal case. In that instance, St. Clair County had sued to enforce compliance with the rules. The decision is an early defeat for efforts by the Republican-led county to influence requirements for large renewable energy installations after Democratic legislators passed a new state law in 2023 limiting how local communities can stand in the way of the projects. St. Clair County leaders approved the public health rules in May 2025, finding the energy facilities pose risks and dangers to public health. They used local authority under Michigans Public Health Code, which is meant to control disease and address environmental hazards. The regulations required large solar and battery projects to be completely screened from public view, mandated power inverters not emit tonal noise, required projects generally meet 45-decibel noise limits and forced developers to post $100,000 per megawatt bonds with the county for project decommissioning. Projects would have to pay a $25,000 nonrefundable fee to apply for public approval. St. Clair County Health Department officials said no applications under the regulations had been submitted. A webpage with the requirements was taken down Friday, Feb. 6. Gary Fletcher, the attorney for St. Clair County, said the county board would likely discuss the litigation and the possibility of an appeal at its next meeting on Feb. 19. In a statement, a DTE spokesperson said the outcome of the case will benefit the community and DTE customers. We will continue to prioritize working closely with potential host communities to responsibly site energy projects, following all local and state regulations that govern development. These projects bring significant benefits to communities including tax revenues that can support schools, first responders, roads and more, the spokesperson said. St. Clair Countys regulations, passed amid local pushback to several solar projects, were condemned by a Michigan arm of the Sierra Club, which said they were based on flawed and misleading public health theories. A clean energy trade group, the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council, also pushed back, saying the rules represented unachievable poison pills meant to doom projects. In prior interviews with MLive and in legal filings, county representatives disputed those claims, saying the rules werent designed to kill projects but rather institute reasonable protections for residents. The restrictions exceed standards in the 2023 state law that gives the largest renewable energy projects the option to go to the state for review if local rules are more restrictive than a set of minimum requirements a pathway supporters say is necessary to meet state climate goals amid local project opposition. So far across Michigan, four solar projects and one wind farm have applied for state approval, and none have completed the process. Portside Solar, LLC, a company developing a solar project in St. Clair County that joined DTEs lawsuit, alleged county leaders, frustrated with the changes in state law, passed the regulations specifically targeting its project to block construction. In legal filings, the county denied the accusation, saying there was nothing in the state law preventing its application of the health code to the energy facilities. It also went on the offensive, suing North Star and Lake Iris Solar, LLC in August 2025, alleging a solar project developed by the companies in Greenwood Township didnt comply with the rules and hadnt gone through health department authorization. Arguments over the legality of the county rules in that case and DTEs case were consolidated and heard together, resulting in the rulings in the energy companies favor. Judge West will issue an order formally outlining the decision, according to the docket in each case. HOUGHTON, MI The winning entry of a month-long snow sculpting competition in Michigans Upper Peninsula features a crashed flying saucer, a rocket and local landmarks. The huge snowscape by Phi Kappa Tau took top honors at the 2026 Michigan Technological University Winter Carnival this week. The massive sculpture kept with this years carnival theme of Through Ice and Snow, to Space We Go. Tau Kappa Epsilon secured second place with their entry Roll the Dice, Drift Through Space, Zathuras Game Takes its Place, while Delta Zeta and Delta Sigma Phi earned third place with From Frozen Snow to Cosmic Glow, Futurama Steals the Show. Find the full results here. See more photos below. Tau Kappa Epsilon secured second place in the month-long snow sculpting contest at the 2026 Michigan Tech Winter Carnival with their entry Roll the Dice, Drift Through Space, Zathuras Game Takes its Place. Michigan Technological University The festival continues through Saturday. Fridays events include ski and snowboard races, Human Dog Sled Race, dog sled rides, and a comedy show. The fun continues Saturday with dog sled rides, tug-of-war tournament, a broomball tournament (think Quidditch) and snow sculpture awards. Delta Zeta and Delta Sigma Phi took first place in the co-ed division and third place overall in the month-long snow sculpting contest at the 2026 Michigan Tech Winter Carnival with this entry. Michigan Technological University Winter Carnival wraps up with the Torchlight Parade and fireworks display at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Mont Ripley Ski Area. Its best viewed from Houghton along the Portage Canal. This year, a SnoBall dance will follow the fireworks at the MUB Ballroom. Find the full schedule of events here. Phi Kappa Tau took first place in the men's division and overall in the month-long snow sculpting contest at the 2026 Michigan Tech Winter Carnival with this entry. Michigan Technological University Tau Kappa Epsilon secured second place in the month-long snow sculpting contest at the 2026 Michigan Tech Winter Carnival with their entry Roll the Dice, Drift Through Space, Zathuras Game Takes its Place. Michigan Technological University Beta Sigma Theta and Delta Phi Epsilon took second place in the co-ed division of the month-long snow sculpting contest at the 2026 Michigan Tech Winter Carnival with this entry. Michigan Technological University Triangle took fifth place in the men's division of the month-long snow sculpting contest at the 2026 Michigan Tech Winter Carnival with this entry. Michigan Technological University Lamba Chi Alpha took third place in the men's division of the month-long snow sculpting contest at the 2026 Michigan Tech Winter Carnival with this entry. Michigan Technological University Rock band Shinedown has decided to Cut the Cord and will no longer perform as part of the Rock the Country festival. The band made the announcement Friday in a social media post that referenced fan backlash over the scheduled show. "Shinedown is everyones band. We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song," reads a portion of the post. We have one boss, and it is everyone in the audience. Our bands purpose is to unite, not divide. With that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock the Country festival. We know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division. The band then thanked the fans for their support. Shinedown was scheduled to perform in Anderson, South Carolina on July 25-26 as part of the tour. Other artists advertised for the show include Creed, Staind, Brantley Gilbert and Gretchen Wilson. As of Friday morning, the show itself is no longer being advertised on the Rock the Country website. Rock the Country has not issued a statement on the status of the South Carolina shows. The news of Shinedown dropping out comes weeks after the bands drummer Barry Kerch criticized rapper Ludacris for also dropping out of the festival. Ludacris was originally announced as part of the lineup, but soon dropped out. Reps for the actor/rapper told Rolling Stone there was a mix-up and that Ludacris should not have been announced for the festival. During an interview with The Vinyl Road podcast, Kerch ripped Ludacris for the move. I dont care. Im just gonna go play a show. I really, really dont care. You can keep your politics to yourself. I have no opinion one way or the other on Kid Rock. I love his music. This is about music, Kerch said. Ludacris wasnt tough ... I mean, its not like he needs the money, jeez. If hes not tough enough to stick it out, thats just silly. Thats him being a coward, in my opinion. When asked by host Jason Bailey if Shinedown would ever drop out of a show over politics, Kerch said he hoped not, but that the band is a democracy. Theres four of us to vote. My vote would be no, but if three of the other guys vote against it, then, again, its a democracy. I cant change their vote, Kerch said. But I would hope not. Cause I like to stick by my grounds. And listen, I dont do politics when it comes to the business of Shinedown. I have my own beliefs. I keep those to myself, and so do the other three guys. I just wanna go play a rock show with some country bands cause it looks like fun. During the interview, Kerch also admitted that Shinedown received heavy criticism for electing to participate in the festival. Rock the Country is currently scheduled to hit seven cities for a weekend of show in each city. The festival kicks off May 1-2 in Bellville, Texas. It hit Hastings, Michigan on Aug. 8-9. Despite growing opposition from Michigan communities, Consumers Energy executives say they are making great progress in bringing large data centers to the state. The latest in Michigans data center boom is one of five must-read stories to kick off your morning on Friday, Feb. 6. Consumers Energy welcomes data centers despite growing opposition from Michigan residents Consumers Energy executives report significant progress in attracting large data centers to Michigan, driven by the rising demand for electricity from AI development. CEO Garrick Rochow indicated that a new agreement with an unnamed data center could bring up to 1 gigawatt in energy demand, equivalent to powering 750,000 homes, potentially operational by 2028. The utility is in advanced discussions with another data center project, hinting at Microsofts interest in expanding in the region. Read Lucas Smolcic Larsons story here. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Wednesday, Feb. 4, unveiled a new Federal Agents Tracker, urging residents to report encounters with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol while warning that aggressive federal immigration actions could endanger Michigan residents and violate state law. Fuad Shalhout -- MLive.com Michigan AG Nessel launches ICE activity tracker, warns of public safety risks Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel introduced an Immigration Action Reporting Form to document ICE and Border Patrol activities, emphasizing the endangerment of residents by federal immigration operations. During a roundtable discussion on Feb. 4, Nessel highlighted concerns about escalated deportation efforts under President Donald Trump, fostering fear among communities and discouraging crime reporting and medical care. Read Fuad Shalhouts story here. The exterior at the Michigan Theatre, 124 N. Mechanic Street in Jackson, on Friday, May 31, 2024. The theatre is reopening after an over $6 million renovation project. J. Scott Park | jpark4@mlive.com Michigan Theatre director outed after board members made life miserable Former Executive Director Steve Tucker of the Michigan Theatre of Jackson was terminated by the theaters board amid management tensions and disputes over operational issues. Tucker claimed he was fired before officially submitting his resignation and stated that board members intended to replace him without providing reasons. The theater board argued that Tucker expressed intentions to retire in March, leading to their decision to terminate his directorship on January 22, based on governance considerations. Read Chloe Miller and Danielle Salisburys report at this link. A public forum hosted by the Kalamazoo County Democrats discussed community concerns surrounding ICE on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, at the First Baptist Church, home of the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition and Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, in Kalamazoo. Around 370 people attended the event with the space at capacity. Kalamazoo County Sheriff Rick Fuller, ACLUs Lily Eggeres, State Rep. Julie Rogers and Kalamazoo Vice Mayor Drew Duncan were panelists at the event. (Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com) Hundreds attend ICE forum addressing concerns in Kalamazoo A public forum addressing concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was held in Kalamazoo on Feb. 3, 2026, attracting around 370 attendees. Panelists included Kalamazoo County Sheriff Rick Fuller, ACLU representative Lily Eggers, State Representative Julie Rogers, and Vice Mayor Drew Duncan, all focusing on the importance of community awareness and rights related to immigration enforcement. Sheriff Fuller affirmed that the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office does not enforce federal immigration laws and emphasized the importance of trust and constitutional rights for all individuals, regardless of immigration status. Read Devin Anderson-Torrezs report here. The City of Saline recently purchased a historic home on Michigan Ave. The house was owned the Davenport and Curtiss families. Sam Jane | SJane@mlive.com Saline buys historic mansion formerly owned by Henry Ford in preservation effort A historic mansion in Saline, which sat empty for nearly a decade, was saved from demolition by Henry Ford in the mid-1930s. The city purchased the mansion and its 6-acre property for $3.15 million, aiming to transform it into a public asset with potential uses such as an ice rink, bed-and-breakfast, or museum. This week saw four startups raise $39.2 million across mining, quantum computing, dating and education technology. Four startups raised a combined $39.2 million this week, with Australian companies claiming two significant deals. CorePlan raises $5 million, led by EVP Perth-based CorePlan has raised $5 million in a follow-on funding round led by existing investor EVP to expand its mining and drilling operations software globally. The capital will support global team expansion, product development into drilling and geology workflows, scaling regional support in the Americas, and expanding Australian operations. Founded by Alex Goulios, CorePlan provides a cloud-based operating system for exploration and drilling operations, connecting contractors and geology teams into a single platform for planning, production, compliance and invoicing. The startup raised $4 million in late 2023 from EVP as its first external capital raise. CorePlan currently serves over 600 companies and 9,000 users worldwide, adding approximately 300 new users monthly. Diraq raises $20 million from National Reconstruction Fund UNSW Sydney quantum computing spinout Diraq has secured $20 million from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation as part of an ongoing $75 million Series A raise. The equity investment positions Diraq to deliver its first product by 2029, a quantum computer capable of genuine quantum advantage. The NRF funding takes the total raised by Diraq past $150 million including government funding. Founded by Professor Andrew Dzurak in 2022, Diraq recently launched operations in Melbourne, in addition to two hubs in Sydney, alongside US operations in Palo Alto, Boston and Chicago. Investors include Main Sequence, Uniseed, NewSouth Innovations, Quantonation, ICM Global Funds, Morgan Creek Digital, Hostplus, UniSuper, NGS Super and Taronga Ventures. Ditto raises $9.2 million, led by Peak XV Partners Berkeley-based Ditto has raised $9.2 million in seed funding to expand its iMessage-based dating service targeting university students. The round was led by Peak XV Partners with participation from Gradient, Scribble Ventures, Alumni Ventures and Llama Venture. Founded by Allen Wang and Eric Liu, two UC Berkeley undergraduates, Ditto operates entirely through iMessage without requiring a standalone application. The funding will launch yacht parties across the United States throughout 2026 as part of the companys expansion strategy. Sparkli raises $5 million, led by Founderful Zurich-based Sparkli has raised $5 million in pre-seed funding to develop a multimodal AI learning engine for children aged 5 to 12. The round was led by Founderful, with participation from Arc Investors and a grant from Innosuisse. Founded by CEO Lax Poojary and co-founders who are veterans of Google Area 120, Search and YouTube, Sparkli transforms childrens questions into interactive, multidisciplinary learning journeys. The platform uses real-time multimodal AI to convert inquiries into learning experiences that foster skills including technology, design thinking, sustainability, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence and global awareness. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Passengers whove planned cruises with Alaskan Dream Cruises are scrambling after the company suddenly announced this week it is shutting down effective immediately. A message announcing the closure on the cruise lines website does not give a specific reason for why the company is closing. Since 2011 Alaskan Dream Cruises has had the privilege of sharing the wonders of Alaska and the richness of our Alaska native heritage with incredible guests from across the globe, the message reads. It has been an equal honor to work alongside extraordinary communities, partners, and crew. Effective immediately Alaskan Dream Cruises has ceased business operations and will no longer be operating any future sailings. We are deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in us over the past 15 years. Thank you for the lasting relationships weve built and for allowing us to be a part of your Alaskan stories. Alaskan Dream Cruises launched in 2011 and was part of the Allen Marine group. The cruise line operated seasonal cruises that visited various spots in Alaska. The Alaskan Dream website informs customers who have already booked cruises about the next steps and how they can seek a refund. Customers will be contacted through email, the company wrote. Customers and travel agents with questions may call Alaskan Dream Cruises at 855-747-8100 or contact them via email. For the first time since 2019, COVID-19 didnt crack Michigans leading cause of death list in 2024. Only heart disease and cancer were responsible for more resident deaths in 2020 and 2021 than COVID, before it dropped to No. 4 in 2022 and No. 9 in 2023. After another 42% decrease in COVID deaths in 2024, the virus dropped off the top 10 list. The state published the list on Tuesday, Feb. 3. In total, Michigan reported 102,848 total deaths in 2024, or a rate of 10.1 deaths per 1,000 residents. That was a slight decrease from 10.3 in 2023, following the national trend and marking the lowest rate since 2019. The leading causes of death were largely the same as the last 20-plus years, with some minor tweaks. Intentional harm/suicide made its return to the top 10 for the first time since 2019. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis made the list at No. 9 -- its highest spot in decades and its fourth consecutive appearance after a gap from 2002 to 2020. Below is the top 10 list for 2024, including the number of deaths in Michigan and nationally. Related: Michigan sees population increase thanks to international migration The state reported a fifth consecutive year in which more people died in Michigan than were born. There were 99,420 live births compared to 102,848 deaths. Michigan publishes annual cause of death data -- totals and rates per 100,000 residents -- using a coding structure developed by the World Health Organization. The cause of death is defined as the condition giving rise to the chain of events leading to death. Heart disease and cancer have by far been the leading causes of death for decades. Together, they accounted for 46% of Michigans deaths and 42% of U.S. deaths in 2024. COVID was identified as the cause of death for 11,232 people in 2020 and 13,310 in 2021. With better vaccines, treatment, immunity and overall understanding of the virus, annual totals dropped to 5,847 deaths in 2022 and 1,603 in 2023. In 2024, there were 953 COVID deaths. Preliminary numbers from 2025 suggest another significant decline, though those numbers likely wont be finalized until early 2027. Influenza deaths (225) in 2024 had the highest total since pre-pandemic, though preliminary numbers suggest 2025 will smash that count with more than 440 noted as of late December. Violent deaths had a historically low total. Michigans 534 homicides was the lowest one-year total since at least 1980. Comparatively, there were 1,099 people killed in traffic crashes. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI With the future of federal funding for housing programs for people exiting homelessness still in flux, several Washtenaw County programs that rely on that funding are trying to prepare for anticipated funding gaps and reductions. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Trump administration intends to shift funding away from programs that provide people with permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing, in favor of programs that provide shorter term temporary and transitional shelter, while imposing work and treatment requirements. Two ongoing lawsuits are challenging HUD policy changes, filed by numerous states, local governments and nonprofits across the country, including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office. In Washtenaw County, more than 90% of Continuum of Care (CoC) funding through HUD is used for permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing programs, and they do not yet have a clear picture of how much that funding might be reduced. On Dec. 23, a U.S. court ordered HUD to process eligible renewals based on previous grant requirement from the previous fiscal year. However, HUD was not required to obligate any of the funding to any grantees. Applications for those grants are due by Feb. 9, according to HUD. HUD anticipates being able to select awards no later than late March 2026, HUD officials announced. Local housing and homeless leaders are worried their agencies will experience a gap in funding, partially due to the time to takes to process applications and award and deliver funds. Contracts between HUD and agencies in the county will begin being up for renewal in April, with federal funding for different programs expiring each month through November. Local leaders involved in the countys Continuum of Care system do not expect funds to be released until July. An initial funding gap could amount to about $432,000, representatives of the countys CoC subcommittee told county commissioners Wednesday, Feb. 4. That translates to 196 people at risk of losing their housing in the short term, with hundreds more expected to be at risk if funding is delayed or cut throughout the rest of the year. In April, Michigan Ability Partners HUD contracts expire. Avalon Housings contracts begin expiring in May, and more contracts for those two organizations would expire in June. After that, grants for the county Office of Community and Economic Development, Ozone House and SOS Community Services come up for renewals. The countys CoC is asking county officials to bridge the initial $432,000 funding gap they anticipate will occur between April and the start of July. Looking down the road, county programs could lose as much as $4.9 million in HUD funding this calendar year, should contracts for permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing services be cut or reduced. The CoC leaders are also asking county officials to help them secure up to $3 million in replacement funding by committing funds and also bringing in funds from local communities, philanthropic organizations and private donors. In addition, funding caps would amount to a dramatic change for county programs that spend about 94% on the services. And $4.9 million is more than two-thirds of the $7.5 million in total funding the programs receive from HUD. These cuts will cause massive gaps in our homelessness system, and the impacts will reach sheltering, mental health, public safety, food security and other indirect areas, County Commissioner Andy LaBarre, D-Ann Arbor, said. We have an opportunity to preserve these vital services for people in need, and to ensure the long-term existence of our homelessness system, LaBarre, a county CoC subcommittee co-chair, said. He said the county is the only entity positioned to lead a response, and county leaders can call on local communities, philanthropic organizations and federal representatives for help. HUD officials were not immediately available for comment. There are currently 573 people in emergency shelter and 326 people waiting for emergency shelter in the county, according to the CoCs presentation. In addition, 856 people are waiting for housing resources. This is just our real-time (counts), currently with the current funding, Kristin Kunes, who supervises Washtenaw Countys Continuum of Care, said. Delays or cuts to this funding only serve to exacerbate these numbers, Kunes said. An estimated 500 to more than 600 people currently in permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing programs in the county are at risk if HUD contracts are not renewed in time throughout the year, she said. Shelters in the county do not have enough capacity for everyone who needs sheltering, even with the recent opening of Alpha House East, a new family shelter on the Trinity Health campus in Superior Township, near Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. As the cost of living goes up, and as theres all these chaotic changes with Medicaid and food stamps, and all of that, Shonagh Taruza, Alpha Houses executive director who serves on the county CoC subcommittee, said. People are falling on hard times, like really fast, and were seeing them show up in the shelter system. She said Alpha House is not accepting HUD funding due to requirements that conflict with the shelters ethics. She said the vast majority of families living in Alpha House shelters, about 92% and 94% during the winter, are Black families. Homelessness disproportionately affects Black and brown people, she said. What we know is ... the White House, the executive orders on ending crime and disorder on American streets, has made homelessness a crime, she said. Theyve said that the encampments and urban squatting are illegal. That people will be rounded up. Amanda Carlisle, who directs the Washtenaw Housing Alliance, said that historically HUD has been a stable source of funding for services that house people experiencing homelessness. The current administration has challenged what we know to be reliable or secure sources of funding in so many ways and spaces ... not just the homeless sector, Carlisle said. County Commissioner Annie Somerville, D-Ypsilanti, said two countywide millages create funding pots in the county that could be used on housing. We carved out a requirement that we use some of our public safety dollars for housing support, because housing access is a public safety issue, Somerville said. I hope we can make sure thats followed through on. I also want to highlight, too, what we did with the older persons millage and making sure that were preventing and minimizing people who are above the age of 60 from both becoming homeless and getting them out of homelessness, she said. County Commissioner Yousef Rahbi, D-Ann Arbor, was ready to rubber stamp offering a zero-interest loan to cover the anticipated initial $432,000 funding gap, he said. But if its not sure that the money will end up coming in, then I also dont want to put us in a situation where were expecting repayment, he said. He suggested that, should HUD funding not come in, the county could allow the homelessness and housing agencies to keep the money. He also suggested the county use its bonding power to finance public housing development. He also said the county should do something to help people who are waiting for housing in the county. If we around this table ... believe that housing is a human right, and there are 856 people ... waiting for housing, that means were violating the human rights of 856 people in our community by not acting, he said. County Commissioner Crystal Lyte, D-Ypsilanti, suggested the county consider developing affordable, public housing on county-owned land where the future Eastern Washtenaw Community Recreation Center will be constructed in Superior and Ypsilanti townships. We own that land, so we can call the shots, and we can make things happen, Lyte said. That is housing we can do and we can make it happen. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. PITTSFIELD TWP., MI - Peoples rights, how to identify federal agents and current county policies were all center stage during a town hall Thursday night hosted by local law enforcement. Several immigration advocacy organizations were joined by Washtenaw County and state leadership Feb. 5 to talk to roughly 200 registrants about immigration enforcement in the county. What were seeing right now with (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), the chaos, the intimidation, the fear being spread, that is not care, said Katie Scott, chair of the countys Board of Commissioners. This is what intimidation looks like. Here are five takeaways from Thursdays presentation, hosted by the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office: Both community and leadership are concerned More than 200 people had registered for the town hall, said Crystal Campbell, a spokesperson for the sheriffs office. Nearly every chair in the room was full, with a large of number of people standing in the back. A number of local leaders were also in attendance, including Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor), Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer, Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre Anderson, Saline Police Chief Marlene Radzik, Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi (D-Ann Arbor), Ann Arbor Mayor Chris Taylor, Ypsilanti Mayor Nicole Brown and other leaders. When a room fills like this one, it tells me that people are scared and angry, and that theyre protective of their neighbors, Scott said. The event also drew community members from more rural parts of Washtenaw County who said they havent yet seen an uptick in ICE presence. The presentation was a good sort of introduction, said Manchester resident Annette Siffin. She feels she now knows what is supposed to happen, even if she is concerned about ICEs behavior, she said. I feel like thats at least a starting point, she said. Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer and Chair of the County Board of Commissioners Katie Scott address Washtenaw County community members during a town hall on Thursday, Feb. 5. Jordyn Pair | jpair@mlive.com ICE has not been on school property ICE has not been on school property in Washtenaw County, Dyer said, referencing panic that swept through the community last week when four people were detained in Ypsilanti. Three people were detained by ICE Jan. 27 along Congress Street in close proximity to two area high schools, MLive confirmed through multiple sources, including ICE officials. A fourth person was also detained nearby. Dyer said they were able to get in touch with ICE leadership after the detainments and asked them to let the countys dispatch service know when they are in the area. ICE officials told the sheriff that they have not gone to local schools for enforcement, which she also confirmed with school officials, she said. What happens is when they are here and theyre doing enforcement, if they make traffic stops, sometimes they happen to be near a school, Dyer said. Then we end up getting a lot of fear and panic because people are scared. An ICE spokesperson told MLive/The Ann Arbor News that agents were conducting an intelligence-based operation in the area, but that they were not targeting schools. Be prepared An attorney with the Michigan Immigration Rights Center gave a short presentation during the town hall going over what people should do to prepare if they were stopped by ICE and what rights they have. It can be kind of a terrifying thing that you dont want to even think about, but its really important to prepare, said Rebecca Olszewski, an attorney with the center. She recommended immigrants keep a copy of their documents with them, memorize their A-number and contact an immigration attorney. She also recommended people make a plan for if they are detained and unable to care for their children. ICE agents are not allowed to come inside a private residence without a judicial warrant, Olszewski said. You may ask for the name and IDs of the officers, and you may choose to tell them that they dont have permission to enter, she said. She also warned people to not sign anything they do not understand. A recording of the entire town hall, including Olszewskis presentation, is on social media. Ann Arbor Police Chief Andre Anderson addresses Washtenaw County community members during a town hall on Thursday, Feb. 5. Jordyn Pair | jpair@mlive.com The sheriffs office does not do immigration enforcement The Washtenaw County Sheriffs office does not hold people in the county jail for immigration enforcement agents, said Cmdr. Kurt Schiappacasse, who oversees the jail. The jail will only hold people with a signed judicial warrant, he said. The sheriffs office is not going to use any type of resources to assist in ICE functions in the county, Schiappacasse said. Officers also do not ask people about their immigration status, Dyer added. Local enforcement is here to protect Leaders from multiple local police departments emphasized their officers are here to protect the local community, not do federal enforcement. Anderson drew a distinction between interfering and intervening in federal operations, saying local police have an obligation to deescalate a dangerous situation if it arises. They can also act as witnesses against people who cause harm to the community, he said. I dont want you to think that your local law enforcement is aimlessly unable to do anything, because that is not true, Anderson said. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. ANN ARBOR, MI Blair Shelton is no stranger to being wrongly suspected of committing a crime. In fact, hes somewhat famous for it. In a high-profile case, Shelton successfully sued the Ann Arbor Police Department in 1995 to get his blood sample back after he and hundreds of other innocent Black men became potential suspects in the citys search for a serial rapist. The infamous case of racial profiling made national news and Shelton was featured on CBSs 60 Minutes in 2001. The 67-year-old Ann Arborite also is in the new documentary A Ripple in Ann Arbor, which includes an emotional retelling of what happened over 30 years ago. At the premiere in November, city officials issued a public apology to him and others caught up in the DNA dragnet. A framed poster from the world premiere of "A Ripple In Ann Arbor" in Blair Shelton's apartment in Ann Arbor on Feb. 4, 2026. Shelton is featured in the documentary and on the poster. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Shelton is now opening up about another story he hasnt told publicly until now: how he was once again wrongly suspected of committing a crime in Ann Arbor last summer, ironically while the documentary was being made. Its just been bothering me, Shelton said at his apartment on a recent afternoon, reflecting on what happened last July. He was shopping one morning as he regularly does at the Target store on State Street downtown, picking up some of his favorite juice, when the stores staff falsely identified him as the suspect in a previously reported assault at the store. Police body cam footage shows Blair Shelton being detained by the Ann Arbor Police Department after being falsely identified as an assault suspect by a Target store employee on July 2, 2025. Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News A 27-year-old man identified as Brandon Kelly was accused of using a metal watch as makeshift brass knuckles to assault a Target employee days earlier, according to police. The suspect was described as a Black male wearing a fabric gaiter, a type of face covering. Shelton said it happened to be the two-year anniversary of his mothers death, so it was a time of reflection for him. His day took an abrupt turn when he went to Target. Police body cam footage obtained by MLive/The Ann Arbor News through the Freedom of Information Act shows an AAPD officer in the area received a dispatch call at about 9 a.m. stating the felonious assault suspect was spotted in the store again. On the officers way inside, a person identified in police reports as a Target asset protection manager pointed out Shelton, advising the officer the suspects name was Brandon Kelly. Hey, Brandon, the officer called out, repeating the name as Shelton kept walking toward the checkout area. Stop, the officer said, grabbing Sheltons arm. What? Im not Brandon, an agitated Shelton responded. You are, the officer said. Im Blair Shelton, Shelton responded. Put your hands behind your back, the officer said, proceeding to handcuff Shelton. Confused, Shelton asked the officer what he did, only to be told he was being detained. As the officer walked Shelton out of the store with hands behind his back, Shelton asked if his arrest had to do with the documentary being made. No, this has to do with the assault from three days ago, the officer said. Where? Shelton asked. Here, the officer said. Shelton, baffled and insisting they had the wrong person, was detained by two AAPD officers outside, placed against the hood of a police vehicle and searched. He called the officers racist and told them a documentary was being made about Ann Arbor police and their evil ways. The officers took his watch, cut his backpack off his body with a knife and placed him in the back seat of a police vehicle. Police body cam footage shows Blair Shelton being detained by the Ann Arbor Police Department after being falsely identified as an assault suspect by a Target store employee on July 2, 2025. Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News He was detained for about 14 minutes until police realized the actual suspect was arrested several hours earlier, just after midnight on Washtenaw Avenue. Kelly admitted he punched a guy at Target for staring at him, according to a police report. Shelton claimed he heard the N-word during his detainment outside Target, but police said they did not make any such slur and it is not heard in the video, nor did they point a gun at Shelton as he said at the time he believed he felt while the officers were behind him. Shelton said he had his passport in his backpack, which he carries in case of encounters with federal immigration agents, and police could have just identified him by that without cutting the straps and ruining his backpack. They were embarrassed when they saw my passport that Im Blair Shelton and I dont have a criminal record, he said. Blair Shelton is featured in a Sept. 16, 1998, USA Today article about DNA testing by police targeting minorities, as seen hanging in a frame in Shelton's Ann Arbor apartment on Feb. 4, 2026. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News The arresting officer explained in a police report why he didnt believe Shelton when he insisted his name wasnt Brandon. In my experience, suspects often tell officers a fake/different name in order to elude proper identification when they have outstanding warrants or are suspects of a crime, he wrote. I believed this to be one of those situations. AAPD spokesperson Chris Page said Shelton met with a command officer after the incident and the officer provided additional context and apologized for what occurred. Blair Shelton riffs on a Fender electric guitar in his apartment in Ann Arbor on Feb. 4, 2026. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Shelton said he never received an apology and, if the past repeats itself, he may be waiting 30 years. He worked with a local attorney to get an undisclosed financial settlement from Target that was finalized as of early February and hes pleased with it, he said. Target did not respond to a request for comment. Shelton said he doesnt want to sue the city and he appreciates the citys support of the documentary produced by City Council Member Cynthia Harrison, D-1st Ward, telling what happened to him in the 90s. Its not their fault, Shelton said of the citys role in the latest case of mistaken identity, as Target staff pointed the finger at him. Shelton said it was embarrassing being paraded out of the store in handcuffs past Target employees, some of whom he still sees when he goes there. Though it still bothers him, he regularly shops at Target because he loves the stores selection of grocery items, he said. Ive been going into that Target on State Street ever since its been open, he said. I spend probably $50 every time I go. Blair Shelton shows his collection of receipts from regularly shopping at the Target store in downtown Ann Arbor on Feb. 4, 2026. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News As he reflects on Black History Month, Shelton sees his story as a longtime Ann Arborite who has experienced what he has experienced intertwined with Ann Arbors Black history, and he wants the public to know what happened. He recalls another time he worked at a school in Ann Arbor and was accused of stealing prom money. And then they find it at the teachers house after Ive been fired, he said. Its just embarrassing. Blair Shelton poses among his guitars and Jimi Hendrix poster in his Ann Arbor apartment on Feb. 4, 2026. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News The person who anonymously tipped off police to investigate Shelton during the serial rapist investigation in the 90s was a co-worker at T.J. Maxx who acknowledged in their note to police they had no reason to believe he was the rapist. He just fit the vague description of a Black man of a certain age and height that brought hundreds of Black men under suspicion. Michael Steinberg, Sheltons attorney back then, said his client was stopped about eight times, was coerced into giving a blood sample and lost one of his jobs after police went into his workplace and indicated Shelton was a suspect. The blood sample Shelton fought in court to have returned 30 years ago still rests atop a small American flag in a glass case in his refrigerator as a reminder of what occurred. The blood sample Blair Shelton fought to get back from police in the 1990s, resting atop an American flag in a glass case he keeps in his refrigerator, on Feb. 4, 2026. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Though he harbors some resentment, Shelton, who learned to ride a unicycle while growing up in Ann Arbor and was inspired by Jimi Hendrix to pick up a guitar, is still playfully pursuing his passions as an active and young-at-heart senior citizen. He lights up talking about Prince and 80s music, the story behind his proudly displayed Michael Jackson jacket and the time he met Muhammad Ali. His living room looks like a music recording studio with a collection of several guitars and other gear. All I want to do is make my music and ride my unicycle, he said. Thats it, man. Thats all I want to do. Blair Shelton poses in front of an old photo of himself in his Ann Arbor apartment on Feb. 4, 2026. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. ANN ARBOR, MI Half a year later since being accused of violating campaign finance law, an Ann Arbor group has taken steps to resolve the situation while paying $2,300 in fees. At issue was whether the nonprofit Library Green Conservancy went too far in its advocacy against Proposals A and B for a new downtown library in last Augusts election. The group opposed undoing the central park designation it fought to secure for the citys Library Lane property in 2018, now the site of a planned mixed-use high-rise with a new library inside. Andrew Robbins, a University of Michigan researcher, filed a complaint with the state last summer alleging the nonprofit failed to form a ballot question committee, which would have required publicly reporting campaign expenses and contributors as the group put tens of thousands of dollars into messaging to voters. You can vote against Proposals A & B and still get a new library! one of the mailers stated, along with the message, The park we voted for is under attack! Messages on the back included, Proposals A & B are NOT needed for a new library, Proposals A & B are misleading, Increased density is not the answer to every question and Develop for the people, not for developers. Mailers paid for by the nonprofit Library Green Conservancy taking aim at Ann Arbor Proposals A and B ahead of the special city election Aug. 5, 2025. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News James Biehl, a regulatory attorney, for the Michigan Department of State and Bureau of Elections, notified the Library Green Conservancy in a Nov. 18 letter the department had finished investigating the complaint. In your response, you claimed the Library Green Conservancy is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization that was formed by Ann Arbor residents in 2012 and not in response to the proposals, the letter stated, citing an argument its communications regarding Props A and B were strictly factual and should be considered issue advocacy. Robbins provided a rebuttal contending the conservancy urged voting against the proposals, express advocacy subject to the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. The department concluded the evidence was sufficient to determine there may be a violation of the act, Biehl told the conservancy in the November letter. The Library Green Conservancy used vote against and vote no on printed materials opposing the Ann Arbor ballot proposals which constituted express advocacy, he wrote. Biehl argued that required either forming a ballot question committee or filing an independent expenditure report, and if the matter couldnt be resolved informally, it could be referred to the attorney generals office for criminal prosecution or civil fines. He gave the conservancy until April 6 to discuss a resolution. In a followup later dated Jan. 30, Biehl thanked the conservancy for resolving the matter, saying the department received the nonprofits statement of organization for a ballot question committee called Respect Ann Arbor Parks and campaign finance statements, along with receipt from Washtenaw County for $2,300 in late filing fees paid Jan. 16. The reports are now available for public review on the county website and the state considers the matter closed, Biehl said. The reports list Lutz Avenue resident Frank Wilhelme as the treasurer for Respect Ann Arbor Parks and show the committee raised roughly $60,000 for last years campaign. That includes $59,873 in cash from the Library Green Conservancy and $910 worth of in-kind donations from two residents who contributed buttons, yard signs and graphic design services. Mailers paid for by the nonprofit Library Green Conservancy taking aim at Ann Arbor Proposals A and B ahead of the special city election Aug. 5, 2025. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News The reports dont list who contributed to the Library Green Conservancy and critics have called it a dark money group. People can call it dark money if they want to, but members of the community contributed to the Library Green Conservancy and we used those funds to support what we thought was defensible for approaching this election, President Rita Mitchell said. Mitchell voluntarily disclosed in a statement last July her group had spent about $59,000 as of then on its campaign against Props A and B, including $7,000 for ads in the Ann Arbor Observer, with the rest spent on mailers. Local attorney Tom Wieder and others were behind a separate ballot question committee called Vote No on Proposals A and B, which reported other expenses and contributions last July, including yard signs against the proposals. A campaign sign against Proposals A and B on Election Day in Ann Arbor on Aug. 5, 2025, as voting was underway at the downtown library across the street. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News The Library Green Conservancy has accepted the Bureau of Elections decision about the campaign finance complaint and has complied, Mitchell said. Her group didnt choose to get involved in an election it came upon us, she said, arguing her group had a mission to support the will of the voters from 2018 when a majority supported the Center of the City park and commons proposal. Shes disappointed her groups efforts to see through the voter-approved park idea wasnt supported by City Council, she said, and shes sorry there wont be the type of park downtown she thinks will be sorely needed as the city grows denser. Ann Arbor District Library Director Eli Neiburger said last year AADL would begin a design process for a new library after the election. That has yet to start, though the general idea is there would be a new library on the lower levels of a high-rise with housing and other uses, spanning both the current library site and the citys adjacent Library Lane property. One of the potential features Neiburger is excited about is a large second floor spanning both sites, providing a larger space for AADLs expos and festivals, he said last year. He also said he would love to see a rooftop park of sorts bridge over Library Lane, with access to it on the third floor, providing an outdoor play area where parents dont need to worry about their children running out into heavy traffic that surrounds the library. AADL will need multiple floors within the new high-rise development, including the ground floor, he said. Ann Arbor's Library Lane parking lot, the downtown library and a new high-rise rising next to the library on Jan. 7, 2026. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com) Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News If there is an elevated park space, Mitchell said she hopes its as welcoming as what her group had in mind for a space that would be publicly available 24/7. But I do feel that something thats on an elevation thats different from ground level is a different kind of space than what we had envisioned, she said. Mitchell said the Library Green Conservancys board formally voted Friday, Feb. 6, to submit paperwork to the state to initiate the process of dissolving the nonprofit. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. ANN ARBOR, MI An attorney is investigating a fraternity and the University of Michigan after the death of 19-year-old student Lucas Mattson. Robert Raitt, a Michigan-based lawyer representing Mattsons Alaska-based family, sent a letter to the UM Delta Chi fraternity chapter, the national fraternity organization and the university itself dated Jan. 31. In the letter, he informs parties that the family has chosen to seek legal counsel and that all parties should preserve all evidence related to his death. We are investigating this matter on behalf of the family, and your organization is identified as potentially having some responsibility for contributing to his death, the letter states. Raitt alleges in the letter that Mattson was given alcohol as a minor at a Delta Chi party which led to his death. There most likely will be a lawsuit filed against the chapter and their local presence here, Raitt said. Mattsons body was found in the backyard of a home on Saturday, Jan. 24. Several police cars arrived at the home on the 1900 block of Cambridge Road around noon that day, according to dispatch calls and residents around the area. Mattson was last seen around 1 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, walking by himself without a coat in the 1700 block of Hill Street. He was first reported missing at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Prior to his disappearance, Mattson was attending a party at a fraternity house as a guest, UM interim President Domenico Grasso said in a Jan. 26 university-wide message, clarifying that Mattson was not a member or pledge of the fraternity whose party he attended. Raitt alleges that the party was at the Delta Chi fraternity, 1705 Hill St. A cause of death will be identified through an autopsy conducted by the Washtenaw County Medical Examiners Office, officials previously said. Efforts to reach the UM and national chapters of the Delta Chi fraternity were unsuccessful. Paul Corliss, assistant vice president for public affairs and internal communications, wrote in a Feb. 5 email that the university has no comment on the matter. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page. DETROIT, MI A Detroit man is accused of stealing the identities of more than a dozen people to fraudulently obtain more than $400,000 in unemployment benefits and rental assistance. Stanley Butts, 58, faces various charges for the identity fraud scheme, Michigan Attorney Dana Nessel announced Feb. 5. The man allegedly used the personal information of at least 12 different people for more than $300,000 in unemployment benefits and more than $100,000 in COVID emergency rental assistance payments, according to a release from the attorney general. Assistance programs are intended to help people during difficult times, and not only did this individual allegedly siphon off hundreds of thousands from struggling Michiganders but did so by committing identity theft that harmed innocent victims, Attorney General Nessel said in a statement. Butts case was referred to the attorney generals office by the Unemployment Insurance Agency and Michigan State Housing Development Authority, according to the release. Butts is charged with the following: One Count of False Pretenses - $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony; Three Counts of False Pretenses - $50,000 or more but less than $100,000, a 15-year felony; Two Counts of False Pretenses - $20,000 or more but less than $50,000, a 15-year felony; Twelve Counts of Identity Theft, a 5-year felony; and Two Counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime, one a 20-year felony and one a 10-year felony. Butts was arraigned in the 36th District Court and was given a $200,000/10% bond. He will return to court on Feb. 12 for a probable cause conference and Feb. 19 for a preliminary examination. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Members of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners understand they could save hundreds of thousands of dollars by changing a prescription drug plan for some retirees. But they said on Wednesday, Feb. 5, that theyre willing to pay more to keep an existing program rather than forcing a change the former employees dont want. Commissioners voted unanimously against a recommendation to switch more than 100 retirees from Express Scripts to SmithRx, a change its consultant estimated would save roughly $360,000 after one year. The recommendation from Plante Moran would have affected a group of retirees without Medicare prescription benefits. Health benefits differ for former employees based on the contract that was in place when they retired. I understand what youre doing, and I understand the finances behind that ... but when youre dealing with peoples lives and changing things (in health care) ... its a nightmare, said Commissioner Martin Cousineau, D-Thetford Twp. Cousineau, a physician, owns and manages a chiropractic office and said hes seen the problems that come with changes in insurance. I really dont want to change anything for them ..., he said. I dont want to put that burden on them ... If it costs us a few extra dollars, Ill figure out how to pay for it. Officials for the county and Plante Moran said that although providers would have changed, benefits and co-pays would have remained unchanged or been reduced for the retirees. But the switch would have brought other potential changes, including individual applications for savings programs from drug makers to lower costs. Active employees and retirees covered by a contract that provides them with the same benefits as current employees are already moving to SmithRx. Commissioners said Wednesday that they also dont want to create a potential legal fight with retirees, who sued the county in 2020 after an attempt to change their health care benefits. Commissioners ended those plans after a Genesee Circuit Court judge issued an injunction ordering them to do so. Those plans called for consolidating retiree health plans and replacing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan coverage. Several retirees spoke against the proposed prescription program changes on Wednesday. Marcie Mabry, a retired assistant prosecutor for the county, told commissioners the changes would create a mountain of questions and amount to a nightmare for retirees. Were your people. Were your former employees, Mabry said. BURTON, MI -- Rockys Great Outdoors, a staple in Burtons business community since 1971, is going out of business. Liquid Asset Partners, which is managing a store-closing sale that begins on Saturday, Feb. 7, announced the closing on Friday, Feb. 6. For more than five decades, Rockys has been a gathering place for the communities of Flint and Grand Blanc -- a place where first bikes were bought, hunting traditions were passed down, and customers became lifelong friends, the Liquid Asset announcement reads. From the beginning, Rocky Roll built the business around one simple idea: take care of people first. That spirit never changed. Rockys opened in a 1,200-square-foot former gas station on Fenton Road, but later moved and expanded to its current location -- a 46,000-square-foot store at the southwest corner of Saginaw and Bristol roads. The stores focus expanded from motorcycle parts and accessories to include outdoor sporting goods and gear for camping, archery, hiking, and fishing. Rockys also sold kayaks, snowmobile parts, leather jackets, motocross gear, Carhartt clothing, boots, and shoes, according to its website. Founder and owner Paul Rocky Roll died in 2024. Family members said then that Roll was philanthropic throughout his life, contributing to the Flint Cultural Center, Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, and the Cleveland Clinic, including a $1 million contribution toward the development of a cardiac rapid diagnostic center at Genesys. Liquid Asset Partners said in its announcement that after long and difficult conversations with the family and staff, weve made the decision to close the store and celebrate the legacy Rocky built rather than slowly wind it down. Customers can expect the store-closing sale to run for 12 weeks, per the announcement, with discounts across every department and fixtures from the business offered for sale. The building at 4014 Saginaw St. will also be offered for sale, according to the announcement. Rockys announced in a Facebook post that it would be closed on Friday to prepare for its liquidation. Its a bittersweet day for us ... while its hard to say goodbye, were incredibly grateful for all the love and support youve shown us over the years, the post reads. Thank you for being part of our story -- we hope youll stop in, say hi, and take advantage of the specials. Burton Mayor Duane Haskins said the closing of Rockys is sad news for the city. In Burton, when you say Rockys, people know exactly what you mean, he said. Bui Thi Phuong Linh receives the first runner-up title at a beauty pageant. Photo obtained by VnExpress A 22-year-old beauty pageant runner-up in Vietnam has been detained by police after allegedly acting as an intermediary in an escort network, authorities said. Bui Thi Phuong Linh, identified by police as the first runner-up of a beauty contest held in 2025, was taken into criminal custody on Feb. 5 by Hanoi's criminal police for suspected pimping. According to investigators, Linh became involved in sex work after struggling to find stable employment. She later expanded her role, acting as an intermediary who connected clients with young women offering paid sexual services. Police said Linh used her social connections to contact potential clients, negotiate prices and arrange meeting locations. She allegedly compiled photos of several attractive women and sent the images to clients so they could choose in advance. Once a deal was agreed, Linh handled negotiations directly, finalizing the price, time and location. Payments were exchanged via phone calls and messaging apps, with clients required to transfer money before the encounter. Two women arranged by Linh told police they charged between VND4-6 million (US$154-231) per encounter. Investigators said Linh also collected additional fees from clients on top of the agreed price, keeping the difference as a brokerage commission. On the night of Jan. 13, police caught multiple pairs engaging in prostitution in separate rooms at a guesthouse in Viet Hung Ward during a coordinated raid. In that operation alone, Linh allegedly received about VND18 million from clients, authorities said. The case is under further investigation. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A Grand Rapids city board has signed off on an up to $2.1 million brownfield tax incentive for a 38-unit townhome development near the corner of Knapp Street NE and Dean Lake Avenue NE. Knapp Hills Townhomes, proposed by Grand Rapids-based Wheeler Development Group, would include nine buildings containing a mix of two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. The project would be built on a vacant six-acre site at 2070 Dean Lake Ave. NE. Ryan Wheeler, president of Wheeler Development Group, said the townhomes are designed for families and individuals who need more space than whats offered at most apartment buildings. This isnt just creating apartments, he said. These are homes, two- and three-bedrooms really creating an environment where people who choose to rent can raise a family within the city of Grand Rapids. The projects total cost is estimated at $12.3 million. Now that the citys Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has signed off on the projects $2.1 million brownfield tax incentive, the request goes to the Grand Rapids City Commission for consideration. The Brownfield program, designed to spur new housing and the redevelopment of blighted, contaminated or functionally obsolete properties, is a partnership between the city and state of Michigan. Under the program, a developer can be reimbursed for costs such as demolition, site preparation, infrastructure improvements and housing development activities. The program reimburses a developer for those costs through new state and local tax revenue generated by the developers project. As a condition of seeking the tax incentive, Wheeler Development Group is reserving eight units at the Dean Lake project for residents earning up to 100% of Kent Countys Area Median Income. For a two-person household, that amounts to a pre-tax annual income of $85,200, according to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Rental rates, including utilities, for the income-restricted units are expected to total $2,095 for a two-bedroom unit and $2,375 for a three-bedroom unit. The remaining 30 units would be priced at the market rate, with anticipated monthly rates ranging from $2,400 to $3,200, said Jason Wheeler, a spokesperson for Wheeler Development Group. Pending city approvals, Wheeler Development Group expects to break ground on the project in May or June, Jason Wheeler said. The project is expected to take about a year to complete. Knapp Hills Townhomes joins several other townhome developments Wheeler Development Group has built in recent years on the citys Northeast Side and Grand Rapids Township. That includes Michigan Meadows, Evergreen Townhomes and Meadowood Townhomes. Jason Wheeler said those developments have been successful, which has given us a lot of confidence that Knapp Hills Townhomes is desirable and fills a need on the citys northeast side. Wheeler Development Group purchased the six-acre site for Knapp Hills Townhomes from D.A. Blodgett - St. Johns, a nonprofit that provides counseling, foster care, adoption, mentoring and residential care for children. Jason Wheeler declined to disclose the purchase price. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Outgoing Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said taking a new job as Pensacola police chief was the right move for his family. Winstrom, nearly four years into his role as Grand Rapids chief, talked to media Friday, Feb. 6, at Grand Rapids Police Headquarters. For me, this decision came down to what is best for my family, he said. Related: Grand Rapids Police Chief Winstrom says move to Pensacola is the right time Winstrom said his wife has family in Florida and many friends from Chicago, where Winstrom worked before Grand Rapids, also live there. Winstrom beat out two other finalists for the Pensacola chiefs position, including acting Pensacola Deputy Police Chief Erik Goss. At Fridays press conference, MLive asked Winstrom about a social media post by Grand Rapids Commissioner Drew Robbins that claimed some far-left community leaders did not fully support him. Winstrom acknowledged he didnt always win support on various issues, but said his family was the prevailing reason for leaving. Ive had a lot of colleagues across the country who work in cities that are more reflectively pro-police and, it is easier to get things done, he said. He mentioned that getting approval for police drones was more difficult than he anticipated. He also received some criticism about Grand Rapids Police taking part in the All Access PD: Grand Rapids docu-series prior to its release. But Winstrom said he knew that challenges would come with the Grand Rapids chief job. Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington lauded Winstroms work at Fridays event. Under Chief Winstroms leadership, he has increased the departments morale, improved staffing, expanded neighborhood police and increased the trust between officers and our residents, Washington said. Washington also said crime has been down, particularly homicides, under Winstroms tenure. Washington plans to announce an interim chief next week, followed by a national search process to find a new chief. Winstrom said he worked hard to improve department morale as Grand Rapids chief and community trust. The police shooting death of Patrick Lyoya in April, 2022, was a low point. The trust level in the community was just rock bottom, he said. Cops dont want to work in a place they dont feel supported by their community. It was turning that narrative around to get to the point where a vast majority of residents see the Grand Rapids Police Department as a necessary good, a positive thing. Under Winstroms tenure, officer ranks have increased from 260 to 312. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A man is facing federal charges for alleged online threats to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Christopher Ray Plyler was arrested by the FBI on Thursday, Feb. 5, in Grand Haven, federal court records show. He was released on an unsecured $20,000 bond after appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ray Kent in Grand Rapids. The government did not seek Plylers detention. He was indicted this week on a charge of threatening public officials, punishable by up to 10 years in prison upon conviction, and two counts of interstate threatening communication, a five-year felony. Scenes from a vigil for Alex Pretti, a Minnesota man who was killed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis, and others killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or who have died in detention centers. The vigil was held Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in downtown Muskegon. Organizers and attendees called for unity, consistent action, accountability and urged people to continue protesting. Kayla Tucker On Jan. 16, he wrote on YouTube: LET THEM COME IM READY TO KILL ICE NAZIS AND MAKE THEM PAY WITH THEIR LIVES THE WAR IS ON, the indictment said. Two days later, he allegedly wrote on YouTube: Were gearing up for war my friend and I bought whistles and will be buying guns and I am making chloromine (sic) gas canisters to throw at them and getting deadly chemicals to spray them with THIS IS WAR AND THEY WILL PAY WITH THEIR LIVES ELIMINATE THEM ALL KILL THE ICE NAZIS ELIMINATION NOW. A poster board is covered with names of individuals killed during immigration enforcement operations across the country during a vigil for Alex Pretti in Ann Arbor on Monday, Jan. 26 2026. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com Plyler is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, Feb. 10, for arraignment and pretrial conference. A federal public defender appointed to represent Plyler declined to comment. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Plyler allegedly made the threats beginning the day after President Donald Trump said he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act and send troops to Minneapolis to end protests. The city has been the subject of a large immigration crackdown, with protesters angry over the killings in January of two U.S. citizens: Alex Pretti, 37, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Renee Good, 37, by ICE. Earlier this week, state Attorney General Dana Nessel announced an Immigration Action Reporting Form and warned that some federal immigration operations are endangering people in Michigan. GRAND RAPIDS, MI The Gaines Township Planning Commission has again postponed a meeting to consider the rezoning of a Microsoft-owned property for data center development. The public hearing scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 12, was to consider Microsofts rezone application for a 40.5-acre parcel at 7147 Patterson Ave. SE in Gaines Township, just south of Grand Rapids. Microsoft, in a letter dated Feb. 4, asked the township to delay the meeting until late March to give the tech giant time to update its rezone application and organize a community meeting to share the revised preliminary concepts and answer questions. We are continuing to evolve our plans for the data center campus, including the size, scope, and design, the letter stated. And we would appreciate the opportunity to engage with the community and incorporate their feedback into our plans. Microsoft has not yet submitted formal plans for the site. The project is still early in the planning process, and the company does not yet have all final site details or development timelines, the letter stated. We are committed to moving forward with the rezoning process and want to ensure we are doing so in a manner that is as transparent as possible about our overall plans, the letter reads. The company said it will post community meeting details at a later date. Microsoft has requested to have the parcel at 7147 Patterson rezoned from large-scale planned unit development to light industrial, which will match the zoning of a light industrial parcel directly south of the property. The two parcels will be used together to support a data center, according to planning commission documents. The parcel is part of 316 acres on the northwest corner of Patterson Avenue and 76th Street, which Microsoft bought from Steelcase in October 2024 for $45.3 million. Data centers are basically warehouses of computer hardware for servers, data storage and network equipment that are used to power artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Theyve been in Michigan for a while now. The Switch Pyramid is the most prominent one in Kent County. But recent investments in hyperscale data centers to sustain artificial intelligence have drawn criticism because they use significant electricity and water to power and cool their servers and equipment. This is the second time the planning process for Microsofts Gaines Township data center has been delayed. A public hearing in mid-December was canceled because the venue was over capacity. Hundreds of people from Gaines Township and the surrounding area packed the township hall that night, overwhelming its max capacity of 250 and forcing the planning commission to postpone the public hearing until it could find a bigger venue. BUCKS COUNTY, PA -- A Rockford man who drove more than 700 miles before setting a Pennsylvania home ablaze has been sentenced to decades in prison. Harrison Jones, 22 was sentenced Thursday, Feb. 5 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania to 20-40 years in prison on six counts of attempted murder. Prosecutors said Jones acted out of anger and revenge because his ex-girlfriend allegedly was involved in an online relationship. The residence he set on fire was where the alleged new love-interest lived, police said earlier. As part of the sentence, Jones was ordered to pay more than $500,000 in restitution. Investigators described the crime as a revenge-fueled incident where Jones used an accelerant that caused an explosion, leveling the rear of the home and trapping six people inside. At least some of the residents jumped from second-story windows to escape, police said. Two dogs died in the fire and the house was a total loss. The fire, in an area just northeast of Philadelphia, happened about 5:20 a.m. Feb. 10, 2025. Some of those who escaped gave statements to a judge before Thursdays sentencing. One person told the judge she was convinced she would die because the smoke was so thick. She credited her escape to her father, who helped both her and her brother to safety. Police used neighborhood surveillance cameras and license plate readers to identify Jones Volkswagen Passat. When he was arrested later in Michigan, he still had evidence of burn marks on his arms. LANSING, MI A court decision that prohibited the practice of one-person grand jury indictments without an exam in Michigan does not apply retroactively, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. This means convictions after such indictments, frequently used in some courts, will stand, according to the court, which issued the ruling Wednesday, Feb. 4. It found a prior ruling by the Michigan Court of Appeals was correct when it affirmed the conviction of Todd Douglas Robinson, who was found guilty by a jury in Jackson County Circuit Court of first-degree premeditated murder for the 2011 shooting death of 18-year-old Eshaum Gant. Robinson, 63, had previously appealed his case, requesting a new trial, and failed. He appealed again arguing he should be granted a new trial based on new Michigan Supreme Court case law, People V. Peeler, which requires a defendant to have a preliminary examination or waive their right to one before sending the case to the local circuit court. A preliminary examination is a district court hearing during which the prosecution must present sufficient evidence to show a judge there is probable cause a crime was committed and it was committed by the defendant. The defendant has an opportunity to challenge the evidence with an attorney during the examination. Robinsons case had neither, and he was instead indicted in 2012 by a presiding judge acting as a one-man grand jury, court records show. The court agreed the charging procedure was improper under the new case law but found the error harmless as it did not deprive the circuit court of jurisdiction to proceed in the case, adding that the new case law was not retroactive. The Court of Appeals correctly held that Peeler does not apply retroactively on collateral review, Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote. As a general matter, judicial decisions that express new rules are not applied retroactively to other cases that have become final. The one-person grand jury law, enacted in 1917, authorizes judges conducting criminal inquiries to subpoena witnesses and issue arrest warrants. It does not, however, grant judges the power to issue an indictment, the court wrote. We argued very clearly that its not a new rule and getting an exam has always been the law, Robinsons attorney Harold Gurewitz said. This isnt a question of some kind of judicial rule. We argued that it was not just a matter of procedure, but it was substantive. The court reached, obviously, a different conclusion. Welch noted that the practice of a one-person grand jury has likely been used frequently in the past, the Peeler decision does not meet the threshold to make it retroactive. Although the exact number of defendants subjected to the errors identified in Peeler is unknown, the practice appears to have been used with some regularity over many decades in some courts, Welch wrote. Calling into question convictions in numerous cases in which defendants were convicted following a fair trial under the most stringent beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard would therefore hinder unnecessarily the administration of justice in Michigan. Gant was found shot in the back of the head on Dec. 23, 2011, behind a house on Mitchell Street in Jackson. He died the next day at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. During Robinsons trial, several witnesses said he and several others were at a home on Mitchell Street playing dominoes when they heard a knock on the door. Robinson greeted the visitor, later identified as Gant, who then began negotiating a drug sale between the two, court records show. Minutes later, witnesses heard a gunshot from the back of the home where Gant was found suffering a gunshot wound to the head. After just over two hours of deliberations, jurors convicted Robinson of first-degree premeditated murder and was later sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page. JACKSON, MI Michigan Rep. Kathy Schmaltz called the Michigan Theatre boards decision to get rid of Executive Director Steve Tucker ridiculous and stupid. Ive told them from the beginning any action like this was unacceptable and wrong. And of course they went ahead and did it, said Schmaltz, a Jackson Republican who has long served on the theaters board of directors. She missed recent meetings as she dealt with the Jan. 16 death, after a brief illness, of her son, 31-year-old Christopher Reardon, who taught English in California. The board does not know what it is doing, she said. Some boards members had some issues with something, lets sit down and discuss it. But taking this action is absolutely ridiculous. Steve Tucker saved this theater. Schmaltz is one of many who are criticizing the decision to remove Tucker, who has served since 2012 as executive director of the Jackson landmark, operated since the 1990s by a nonprofit corporation. He led it through a $6.2 million restoration project, made possible by millions in community donations and a $2.75 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. A large group of people who were significant donors are extremely upset and unlikely to keep supporting the theater, said Philip Curtis, a Jackson attorney and theater supporter who led the capital campaign, launched in 2022. I dont recall something that has raised the ire of the community as much as this, said Curtis, a lifelong Jackson County resident. The theater board said Tucker told the board in October he would retire in March, but the board found it necessary to end his directorship Jan. 22. The Boards decision was based on governance considerations and alignment with the mission, values, and long-term sustainability of the organization, read a statement sent by Nan Whitmore, interim director and board chair. She has not since responded to requests for comment. Efforts to secure comments from other members of the board were unsuccessful. Out of respect for confidentiality and in compliance with employment and privacy laws, the Board is unable to share specific personnel or internal details related to this matter, read the statement. The theater programs and services continue without disruption, and the board is actively focused on ensuring stable leadership and continued progress toward our mission, it stated. John Butterfield, president of Jack V. Butterfield Investment Co. in Jackson and a financial supporter, said he is deeply concerned about the boards handling of matters. I dont understand what theyve done and why, he said Thursday, Feb. 5. From my seat, Steve was doing a great job. Declining to name them specifically, Curtis called for certain board members to resign and be replaced. Schmaltz said she is working with the community to rectify the situation and somehow get Steve back. Tucker, in a statement, said, to his shock and surprise, he was given a letter Jan. 22 firing him and telling him to leave the theater by the end of the day. He had not submitted any formal, written resignation or notice of his retirement, he said. Last fall those board members who wanted me out and were seemingly intent on making my life at the Theatre miserable, which resulted in me becoming very frustrated with the entire situation and, as a result of that frustration, I made some comments to the Board about possible retirement, he said in the statement. On social media, there have been hundreds of comments of support for Tucker. Some have called for theater boycotts. Unless Steve is given his job back and the board is replaced, I will never go there again, one person wrote in a community Facebook channel. The inside of the Michigan Theatre after its renovation in 2024. Many credit former executive director Steve Tucker with its revitalization. J. Scott Park | jpark4@mlive.com Kris Pursell, a theater member and friend of Tucker, said she doesnt think the board anticipated such an outcry. I think theyre living in some kind of weird little closed box. They dont understand what (Tucker) means to the community, said Pursell, 70, of Summit Township. Tucker not only ran the theater, but he was the guy who washed the windows, he talked to patrons, walking up and down the aisles during breaks, intermissions or when musicians were setting up their instruments and equipment, Pursell said. If someone lost a ticket or had some difficulty entering a show, he would say, well work this out, Pursell said and noted he once found her tiny mother an alternative space to sit when she struggled to see. He also secured great programming, she said. Hes brought in national acts. Hes brought in local talent. Hes brought in people from Michigan. She noted within days of his departure, the theater canceled its planned production of Jesus Christ Superstar. The way he was let go is unconscionable after all the effort and time he put into it. Its just, its the most public slap in the face Ive ever seen, said Pursell, a retired Jackson College professor and department chair. The boards statement was so nebulous, readers could assume or suppose Tucker did some wrong, Curtis said. It was terribly disrespectful to him, said Curtis, who had requested a meeting with the boards executive committee after Tucker sent him a message in December expressing concern about the boards dysfunction. Curtis and other donors were to have a meeting Jan. 19, but it was canceled days earlier. It was obvious they didnt want to talk to any of us, Curtis said. They havent wanted to talk to anyone about anything. Schmaltz said she did not know the specifics of any issues the board had with Tucker. Im not there day-to-day, she said. She thinks the board wanted to possibly take away some of his duties. And I said thats fine. You know, Steve probably doesnt want to deal with some of this stuff anyway. Work on the issues, she said. You dont get rid of the person who is the face of the theater. She already was dealing with so much, amid her personal tragedy, she said, and as news spread, everyone called her. I still cant wrap my head around how stupid it was. I just cant. Schmaltz and many others credited Tucker with the revitalization of the Spanish-style theater, built in 1930 and and in operation commercially until the late 1970s. In his statement, Tucker said he brought the theater back from the brink of bankruptcy. Tax records show the theater has dramatically increased revenues in recent years. In 2015, the theater had $1.12 million in net assets. By 2024, the year the capital campaign concluded, the number had risen to $6.53 million. The theater, many said, is a cultural institution and Jackson architectural gem. Schmaltz, a former TV news reporter and anchor, interviewed former First Lady Betty Ford there in 1980. When I first walked in there, its like, wow, this place is unbelievable. Tori Murphy, 26, who works nearby, said she has been going to the theater for years. It was beautiful even before the renovations, when the plaster was falling from the ceiling. And then, as the work came to an end, she saw it without scaffolding for the first time. The theater is a source of comfort and joy to me, just to know that it exists. She grew up poor, but the theater was fun and accessible tickets are often inexpensive. They were listed as $5 for a recent show of Se7en and sometimes they are free or as little as $1. There are programs too for kids and schools. Shes met Tucker a few times. He greets people, runs the concession stand when the theater is short-staffed. As the credits roll, he stands and hands out flyers for the next show, she said. Or just saying goodnight to people. Shes seen him sweep the floors. Hes worked so hard for that place. The boards statement about his departure was so cold, robotic, she said. She would like some assurance the theater will be OK. She wants to make sure whoever replaces Tucker has as much care for the place. Its very important to me that the theater is in the hands of people who love it and see it for its historical and societal value. HILLSDALE, MI A Michigan man accused of sexually assaulting a child and fleeing justice for 14 years has been found guilty. James Allen Carter was found guilty Feb. 4 on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes following a jury trial. Carter, 63, of Prescott, was accused of sexually assaulting one minor and accosting her and another victim in 2008 The Hillsdale County Prosecutors Office authorized charges in August 2011, but Carter could not be located. U.S. Marshals, working under Operation Survivor Justice, located Carter in Georgia, arrested him and returned him to Michigan for trial, Nessel said. Sexual assault survivors carry the impact of these crimes for their entire lives, and seeking justice nearly two decades later takes extraordinary courage, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. I am proud of the work my office and our Operation Survivor Justice partners have done to secure this conviction, and we will continue working alongside them to hold offenders accountable. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19 before Hillsdale County Circuit Judge Sara Lisznyai. He faces a maximum sentence of up to life. Operation Survivor Justice is a partnership between the Attorney Generals office, local county prosecutors and the U.S. Marshals Service to locate, apprehend and return to Michigan fugitives with outstanding sexual assault warrants. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page. PAW PAW, MI A new Culvers restaurant may soon be built in Van Buren County. The village of Paw Paw planning commission unanimously approved a special use permit for a proposed drive-thru on Thursday, Feb. 5, while also making an official recommendation to the village council to approve the restaurants site plan. The village council is expected to vote on the site plan on Monday, Feb. 9. The Culvers is proposed for a 3.24-acre parcel on County Road 665, just south of where I-94 and M-40 intersect. The proposed site is located west of the Sunoco service station and east of the Paw Paw Lions Club, 59050 County Road 665. Engineer Matt Cole, who has worked on numerous Culvers restaurants, said the proposed 4,800-square-foot restaurant could be open as early as August. Plans call for 68 parking spots outside the building, new sidewalks and two drive-thru lanes, including a separate lane for Grubhub and DoorDash orders. Kathy Larson, planning commission chairperson, said the village received 21 letters in favor of the Culvers and zero against. Two local business owners also spoke in favor of the proposal on Thursday night, with no one speaking against. Paw Paw is hungry for something different, Larson said. The closest Culvers location to the proposed site is 12 miles away, at 5143 S. Ninth St. in Oshtemo Township. The new restaurant will be run by owner-operator Kelsey Schultz and co-owned by franchisee Drew Langstraat. Langstraat also owns Culvers locations in Allendale, Caledonia and Wayland, and has plans to open another store in Marshall. As of November 2025, Michigan accounted for 108 of the 1,051 Culvers locations nationwide. The chain, based out of Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, is in 26 states. Known for its ButterBurgers, frozen custard and cheese curds, Culvers was founded in 1984 by Craig and Lea Culver, along with Craigs parents George and Ruth Culver in Sauk City, Wisconsin. KALAMAZOO, MI In a series of Thursday speeches that were less policy and more personal appeal, four candidates for governor made their case to Southwest Michigan business leaders. On stage for 10-minute talks were Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, running as a Democrat; former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, an independent; Republican U.S. Rep. John James, R-Sterling Heights, and Republican state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township. They spoke during a Feb. 5 event put on by economic development group Southwest Michigan First. Organizers boasted around 500 regional stakeholders, C-suite executives and community leaders in attendance. While similar moderated panels during last months Northern Michigan Policy Forum in Traverse City were mostly centered around housing and education policy, the Radisson hotel in Kalamazoo was filled with personal appeals and anecdotes on Thursday. I hope youll think about me, Duggan said to the room of potential voters, referring to the Nov. 3 general election date as Independence Day or independents day, depending on how you spell it. James opened his speech by likening the state of economic development in Michigan to what happens after one shoots at a flock of turkeys. If you shoot one, they all scatter away, he said. This is a similar situation that we have in the state of Michigan When you have bad policy, when you shoot at one, its not just ... one employer, you send a signal to them all. Nesbitt, a southwest Michigan native, spent a good portion of his speech talking about growing up as a farm boy and understanding the value of hard work. We didnt have air conditioning growing up, and believe me, you wish you did after a long days work, he said. Benson, who appeared virtually after a morning visit to the Detroit Economic Club, spoke about being the mother of a 10-year-old, and her goal to build a state where her son wants to stay. Everything we do over the next 10 years is going to define his childhood, is going to define his future, and it is going to define the future of our loved ones all across this state, she said. The four candidates did toss out some policy priorities, with a focus on economic development and ways to promote regional success. They spoke after Jonas Peterson, CEO of Southwest Michigan First, said during his keynote that as the federal and state governments pull back economic development dollars, regions must rise and accelerate the work. Peterson said regional development groups will need help from the states next governor to realize their full potential. Benson suggested creating sector-specific hubs that would speed up investment in things like mobility, manufacturing and artificial intelligence, as so many of the jobs of tomorrow will come from these industries. She also spoke about establishing regional business advisory councils, promoting new mixed-use housing developments and the need for a statewide transit and high-speed rail system. And she again touched on the need to cut regulations and red tape, pitching a system for obtaining permits that would include refunds when delays occur. A similar policy has been implemented by Pennsylvanias Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro. By comparison, John James said the most successful states are those with Republican governors, led by Republican policies that prioritize lower taxes in a more competitive environment. Duggan spoke about growing tired of watching Michigans political parties flip legislative control and develop five different economic development strategies. That economic uncertainty ultimately inspired his run as an independent, a strategy he said was hiding in plain sight. Formerly CEO of the Detroit Medical Center, Duggan retold a story hes shared before about reversing the hospital alliances course towards bankruptcy and reducing wait times. He did so by offering two free Detroit Tigers tickets to every patient who wasnt seen by a doctor within 30 minutes. It was 2004, and the Tigers lost 104 games, Duggan joked, but the hospital still saw patients come back. He said it was the only hospital system in Southeastern Michigan that didnt lay off staff during the Great Recession. The state of Michigan needs similar innovation, Duggan said, with relationships between Democrats and Republicans more toxic than I have ever seen. He said regions like Southwest Michigan have been refreshing by comparison, breaking down divisions between the counties and instead coming up with a unified strategy. If they had a state of Michigan that was totally backing them on both their housing and their recruitment strategies, youd put what theyve done on steroids, he said. James also spoke about the need to reform Michigans economic system. He said its necessary to create a customer-focused culture that helps businesses with regulatory compliance and reforms how the state pays out incentives. Now, Ive never run a city. Ive never run a DMV, he said, referring to Duggan and Benson. But I have run a small business. In a callback to the turkeys, James said cities like Kalamazoo show whats possible when you send a different signal, but he too added that the state needs to catch up. Nesbitt agreed that its been tough to make it in Michigan in recent years, painting the picture of a state saddled by excess regulations. He also spoke about the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on Michigan, sharing an emotional story about expecting his second child during the COVID-19 pandemic and being unable to come inside with his wife to her OB-GYN appointments. I heard from my wife via text that we lost her second born, he said. The worst thing that could happen to a parent, and I couldnt even hold her hands. Nesbitt said to improve and increase competition, the state must reduce the cost of living and reform its education system. Students at the British International School (BIS) Hanoi have been awarded more than US$14,000 from Nord Anglia Education's Social Impact Grants to support two student-led initiatives focused on well-being, mental health, and social inclusion for young people in Vietnam. The funding will support two projects designed and led by Year 12 students: Hope Thread and The PatchWork Project. Both initiatives aim to address community needs across northern Vietnam, with a particular focus on children's emotional well-being and inclusive education. The Social Impact Grants program supports student projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, BIS Hanoi is among 24 out of more than 90 schools in the Nord Anglia group worldwide selected to receive funding, contributing to a total of US$985,075 allocated across 86 student-led initiatives globally. BIS Hanoi has consistently been recognized under the program. In previous years, the school received $9,000 in funding for the Chalk Road project in 2023 and $1,850 for the Blueprint Cocoon project in 2024. This year, Hope Thread received a Research and Development Grant of $2,977, while The PatchWork Project was awarded a Project Grant of $11,325. Hope Thread, created by BIS Hanoi Year 12 students, focuses on supporting the emotional well-being of children aged 11 to 14. Photo courtesy of BIS Hanoi Created by Year 12 students Sunwoo, Rachael, and Rina, Hope Thread focuses on supporting the emotional well-being of children aged 11 to 14, in line with SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing. The project plans to deliver workshops covering themes such as building community, developing relationships, stepping outside comfort zones, and understanding self-worth. These sessions will incorporate creative arts and confidence-building activities designed to help participants express themselves and recognize their personal strengths. According to the project team, Hope Thread aims to build emotional awareness, confidence, and resilience through creative expression, while encouraging collaboration between schools, families, and volunteers to support children's mental health. "We wanted to create safe and encouraging spaces where children can build confidence and connection. Even though we are only three students, we believe that small actions can grow into a meaningful impact when a community comes together to support one another", the project's student representatives share. The PatchWork Project, led by Year 12 students Lekha (C) and Tuong Anh (L), focuses on promoting well-being and inclusive education for children with visual impairments. Photo courtesy of BIS Hanoi Led by Year 12 students Lekha and Tuong Anh, The PatchWork Project focuses on promoting well-being and inclusive education for children with visual impairments. The initiative aligns with multiple SDGs, including SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The project is being implemented in collaboration with The Clever Hands Center, a Hanoi-based nonprofit organization that provides educational opportunities for visually impaired children. Planned activities include developing accessible learning materials, organizing physical well-being days, hosting workshops and community events, raising awareness about mental and physical health, and conducting fundraising activities to expand support. BIS Hanoi Principal Rebecca Carroll praised the students' efforts. "I am very proud of our Year 12 students for their motivation and commitment in developing these projects, which address meaningful needs in our community. I look forward to seeing how this funding supports and extends their work," she said. Through Nord Anglias collaboration with UNICEF, BIS Hanoi students also access global platforms that help them develop their voice and contribute to the community. Photo courtesy of BIS Hanoi Social purpose is integrated throughout the BIS Hanoi curriculum, encouraging students to contribute positively at both local and global levels. With support from Nord Anglia's Social Impact Grants, students will continue to strengthen community partnerships while contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Through Nord Anglia Education's collaboration with UNICEF, BIS Hanoi students also gain access to global platforms that support youth engagement, leadership development, and community participation. PORTAGE, MI Most of Kalamazoo County is still buried in snow. But Portage officials are getting ready for spring, also known as road work season in Michigan. Portage councilmembers approved three road work-related contracts during its Jan. 27 meeting. Totaling more than $9 million, improvements will target both major commercial districts and neighborhood streets. Lake Center corridor Work in the Lake Center corridor is expected to begin in April with the redesign of Portage Road, per city documents. This is the first phase of a multi-year effort to create a walkable neighborhood business district between West Lake and Austin Lake. Phase 1 between Lancelot Court and South Shore Drive includes a three-lane road, complete storm sewer system with leads to unserved properties, a 10-foot trail on the east side of the road and a 5-foot sidewalk on the west. Traffic signals will be installed at the intersections of Woodbine Avenue and South Shore Drive, per city documents. The $4.5 million construction project is expected to wrap up in November. Funds will come from the citys capital improvement budget. Local streets Streets in this area were rated "very poor" on a 10-point scale. 2026 road work will bring them to at least a 9 out of 10. City of Portage The council also awarded $1.9 million to a Kalamazoo-based company for work on its 2026 local streets reconstruction program. Work on local streets entails resurfacing the roads, improving storm water sewers and installing sidewalks, curbs and gutters, per city documents. This year, the city chose a neighborhood off of Angling Road where streets were rated two to three on a 10 point scale very poor. Work to bring the area up to a nine out of 10 rating will begin in June and is expected to be complete in the fall, per city documents. West Centre Avenue Finally, $719,108 in city funds will go toward reconstruction in West Centre Avenue between Shaver Road and Oakland Drive in 2026. Up to $2.2 million is coming from the feds, per city documents. Due to the federal grant, the Michigan Department of Transportation is involved as a facilitator for the project. This 1-mile stretch will be resurfaced, per city documents, and sidewalks will be added to the entire length of the roads south side. A construction timeline is not set, yet, said city spokesperson Mary Beth Block. But the city anticipates a late-spring start. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark MLives local Kalamazoo news page. KALAMAZOO, MI -- A woman says she was fired from the Kalamazoo YMCA for wearing an ICE out pin, but officials from the YMCA say theres more to the story. Abbey Thompson posted a picture of herself wearing an ICE OUT pin and flipping off the camera on Facebook on Thursday, Feb. 5. The post has received almost 600 reactions, comments and shares. I just got fired from YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo for wearing this because a member complained to the CEO - in case anybody wanted to know how they feel about immigrants, refugees and human rights, Thompson said on Facebook. The YMCA responded to Thompsons post with a Facebook post of its own saying the organization is a nonpartisan environment. While the YMCA respects the right of our staff to engage in personal advocacy and civil discourse outside of the workplace, our facilities must remain a neutral space dedicated to community service, the post read. After backlash, YMCA officials said they should have released a long form statement with more information about the YMCAs core mission. The issue goes far beyond what is being presented to the community, said Vicky Kettner, the Kalamazoo YMCAs director of marketing, community relations and member engagement. Thompsons termination was not related to dress code, Kettner said. The YMCA dress code is not strict and theres a lot of leeway, Kettner said. The YMCAs original post said policies prohibit vulgarity or political displays in the workplace. The YMCA supports fundamental rights and human rights initiatives, Kettner said, and ICE agents arent allowed in YMCA buildings. Staff are instructed to ask for identification, contact the police and the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo CEO if they do arrive at the YMCA, Kettner said. A new statement from the YMCA shared with MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette said: Our work including our dedicated programs that provide long-term sanctuary and free access for refugees is a testament to our commitment to fairness, representation and the active pursuit of social justice." Kettner said the YMCA is a safe space and the public response has been a hard blow, but she appreciates community members asking questions and expressing their disappointment. This means that we are keeping each other accountable and making sure that that we are clear about where we stand on things, Kettner said. Kettner said shes not legally able to discuss specifics about the employees termination. Thompson declined to comment when reached by MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette until she could consult legal representation. The post comes amid a wave of backlash in Kalamazoo against ICE actions in Minnesota, heightened by the killing of Alex Pretti. Hundreds attended a Jan. 27 protest at Kalamazoo City Hall against ICE actions. A Feb. 4 meeting to discuss how Kalamazoo County would respond to ICE operations was also filled to capacity. MUSKEGON, MI A grandfather has been accused of violating the states safe storage law after his 14-year-old grandson was shot and killed. Gregory Hulka, 62, is the first defendant in Muskegon County to be charged with firearms safe storage violation resulting in death by minor. He is a trustee on the Fruitport Township Board. Hulka was arraigned Friday, Feb. 6, on the 15-year felony connected to the shooting death of 14-year-old Rylen Yager. Hulka appeared in person with his defense attorney Terry Nolan who described the shooting as a tragic, tragic accident. Rylen Yager died Jan. 24 after a shooting in a home on Romedius Street in Fruitport Township, south of East Broadway Avenue. Gregory Hulka, left, appeared for arraignment in Muskegon County District Court on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Hulka, 62, is charged with firearms safe storage violation resulting in death by minor in connection to the death of his 14-year-old grandson, Rylen Yager. Bradley Massman | MLive.com Fruitport Township police responded to the shooting and found Rylen dead at the scene. Rylen was an eighth grader in Fruitport Community Schools. A 16-year-old boy who allegedly discharged the weapon is charged with manslaughter, Muskegon County Chief Trial Attorney Matt Roberts said. The teen is Rylens brother and Hulkas grandson, Roberts said. The teen is charged as a juvenile, and prosecutors said his case will remain in family court. During his appearance Friday, Hulka waived all district court proceedings and was bound over to circuit court for trial. My client was extremely close to his two grandsons, Nolan told the judge. He loves his grandsons, and he doesnt want to cause additional stress to anyone in the family. I would describe my clients demeanor as distraught as anyone Ive ever represented, Nolan added. Judge Paula Baker Mathes set a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. An appearance date in circuit court was not immediately scheduled on Friday. MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI - Two Muskegon Heights police officers who stopped an active shooter in May 2025 were recently awarded for their actions by the city council. Medals of valor were presented to officers Darrin McCall and Cory Kuklewski during the Jan. 26 Muskegon Heights City Council meeting. McCall, who was shot during the incident, also received the purple shield medal. McCall intercepted an active shooter on May 5 last year. The city had experienced a lone gunman randomly shooting its citizens, said Sgt. Dave Anderson. Police Chief Maurice Sain said the shooter was attempting to kick in the door of Councilman Ronald Jenkins. While confronting the shooter, McCall was shot in the upper arm. He continued to return gunfire despite his injuries. Jenkins, with a legally registered firearm, also fired at the shooter, Sain said. He said the shooter was random and not known to Jenkins. As the shooter fled on foot, Kuklewski tracked him to a rear alley behind a residence in the 2400 block of Howden Street. Without hesitation, Officer Kuklewski was fired upon and engaged the felon with effective gunfire, Anderson said, adding that a Muskegon police officer also aided in the gunfight. The shooter was killed in the gunfire. The bravery, valor and determination shown by these officers are in the highest traditions of the Muskegon Heights Police Department, Anderson said. The situation shines a light on the sacrifices police officers make every day, Chief Sain said. One, you had an officer that had to take a life and you had an officer that almost had his life taken, Sain said. I think those are two sacrifices that a lot of times the community doesnt put into perspective. We come in, work hard, we have our own families, we have our own issues. But we have to put that aside. Every day we come in and put this uniform on, weve got to come in and serve the community and serve the people. The council read two resolutions honoring the officers. SAGINAW, MI A Saginaw County substitute teacher brought his iPad to a cellphone store for service. A store employee soon noticed alleged child porn on the mans device and notified police, resulting in the would-be customer now charged with six felonies. Jesus Gutierrez-Vasquez, 65, visited the Spectrum store at 5815 Bay Road in Kochville Township on Jan. 31 and handed his iPad to an employee. The employee saw what they thought was child porn on the device and called police, prosecutors allege. Saginaw County Sheriffs deputies interviewed Gutierrez-Vasquez, who gave them consent to look through the iPad. Deputies accessed the device and found photos of naked girls and boys, prosecutors allege. Gutierrez-Vasquez told deputies he obtains the images from the internet and uses them for pleasure, prosecutors wrote in a bond recommendation. Gutierrez-Vasquez went on to say he works as a substitute teacher at the Melvin G. Millet Learning Center in Bridgeport. He added he works with special education students and loves being around children, prosecutors wrote. Gutierrez-Vasquez asked deputies to let him go with a warning but they arrested him on Feb. 2. Deputies obtained a search warrant and seized several more devices from Gutierrez-Vasquezs Saginaw home, which they have sent to the Michigan State Police Computer Crime Lab for analysis. Prosecutors allege Gutierrez-Vasquez is originally from California and previously worked as a teacher there near the Arizona border. Though Gutierrez-Vasquez has no prior criminal convictions, prosecutors allege he is a flight risk and danger to the community and asked his arraigning judge set a bond of at least $100,000. Gutierrez-Vasquez on Feb. 5 appeared before Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank for arraignment on two counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material, three counts of using a computer to commit a crime, and one count of possessing child sexually abusive material. The charges range from four- to 10-year felonies. Frank granted the prosecutions request and set bond at $100,000 cash-surety or 10%. If Gutierrez-Vasquez posts bond, he is to have no contact with minors. He remains jailed as of the morning of Feb. 6. The Saginaw Intermediate School District on Feb. 5 issued a statement in response to Gutierrez-Vasquezs arrest, stating he had worked as a substitute teacher for multiple school districts throughout the county, including Bridgeport-Spaulding, Carrollton, Saginaw, Freeland, and Swan Valley. He was employed through Educational Staffing Solutions, a third-party staffing provider that conducts background checks and employment screenings before placing substitutes in schools. At this time, there is no information indicating that any students were involved, and the investigation remains ongoing, reads the ISDs statement. Upon notification from law enforcement, the individual was blocked within the ESS substitute system while the matter is under investigation. Gutierrez-Vasquezs case is set for a preliminary examination on Feb. 19. There is definitely a major rearranging of the weather pattern around the northern hemisphere underway. It is going to take a week to settle in. We wont get as warm as some of the forecasts youll see going forward, but it wont be true Arctic air anymore. Here are the takeaways from my live morning weather update. Toward the end I do show you the rearranging of the upper-air flow. The video is embedded below. You can fast forward and watch the thumbnail. Light Snow Ending, Arctic Blast Arriving Friday The overnight light snow across southeast Michigan has ended this Friday morning, with road conditions manageable with caution. However, bitterly cold Arctic air will move in later today. Temperatures will initially rise through the morning into early afternoon across southern Michigan before falling dramatically. The winter weather advisory has been cancelled for southwest and central lower Michigan, while cold weather advisories cover much of the state as the Arctic front passes through. Lake Effect Snow West of Traverse City Tonight As the Arctic front moves through this evening, lake-effect snow will develop west of Traverse City, impacting areas including Leland, Northport, Benzonia, Manistee, Cadillac, and Thompsonville. This lake-effect activity will occur overnight tonight into early Saturday morning, with potential accumulations of 3 to 6 inches in the hardest-hit areas. The rest of the state should see minimal additional snowfall from the departing system. Weekend Alberta Clipper Brings Quick Snow Saturday Night A fast-moving Alberta Clipper will pass through Saturday night into early Sunday morning, bringing a quick burst of snow lasting only a few hours in any given location, with expected accumulations of 1 to 2 inches across affected areas. The snow should move through rapidly between 1:00 AM and 7:00 AM Sunday. Saturday daytime will feature sunshine but bitterly cold temperatures, with highs only in the teens. Extreme Cold This Weekend Before Major Pattern Shift Saturday and Sunday will bring the coldest temperatures of this week, with highs only in the teens statewide and morning lows reaching zero or below zero in areas like Alpena, the Thumb, and inland regions around Traverse City. However, this represents the last gasp of true Arctic air for the foreseeable future. A major weather pattern change is underway, with the polar vortex retreating northward and warmer air beginning to infiltrate the region by Monday and Tuesday. Sustained Warming Pattern Expected Through Late February Beginning Monday, temperatures will steadily moderate, reaching the 20s on Monday, above freezing by Tuesday, and into the 30s Wednesday through the following weekend. The National Weather Services 6-to-10-day and 8-to-14-day outlooks confirm warmer-than-normal temperatures for February 11-15 and beyond. Upper air flow patterns show the jet stream will bring air from the Pacific Northwest and Southwest rather than the Arctic. While not warm in absolute terms, temperatures will return to or slightly above normal (30-32 degrees) with the pattern potentially lasting through February. The polar vortex will remain in its typical northern position, and while cold fronts will still pass through, the extreme cold with below-zero temperatures and single-digit highs appears to be finished after this weekend. It will be hard for true Arctic air to return, but we are not done with winter. Generative AI was used to bring my live video to text for this story, based on my live broadcast video this morning. I used the text as a foundation of the article. ST. JOSEPH, MI The Arctic air gripping Michigan will start to ease soon, but that doesnt mean all the fantastical ice formations it has helped create will disappear overnight. The 35-foot-tall Outer Lighthouse on the North Pier in St. Joseph was still encased in thick ice this week. The frozen spectacle has made the rounds on social media over the last few weeks as a Polar Vortex engulfed Michigan in frigid cold. Ice encases the Outer Pier Lighthouse on the North Pier along Lake Michigan at Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Mich. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Joel Bissell | MLive.com Across the St. Joseph River Channel the South Pier light is also encased in ice. The ice shelf was still impressively rising from the Lake Michigan beaches as ice shards and pancakes dotted the Lake Michigan shoreline. An aerial image of ice encasing the South Pier Light where the St. Joseph River meets Lake Michigan in St. Joseph, Mich. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. In the background is the inner lighthouse and outer lighthouse, which is encased in ice along the North Pier. Joel Bissell | MLive.com An aerial image of ice encasing the Outer Pier Lighthouse on the North Pier where St. Joseph River meets Lake Michigan at Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Mich. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. The inner lighthouse (red and white) can also be seen. Joel Bissell | MLive.com Grand Rapids data provides context for the broader cold pattern affecting the region, which had a very cold stretch at the end of January. There were eight days in a row that didnt warm above 16 degrees. This is the second-coldest stretch for Grand Rapids, looking back to 1893. Two years are tied for a longer stretch of days not warming above 16 degrees: 1912 and 1893. So far this year, the ice coverage on Lake Michigan peaked at 36.7% on Jan. 31. NOAA data shows that the coverage is fluctuating with a decrease to 29.5% on Wednesday and by Thursday that number jumped back to 36.4%. The disconnected Lake Michigan ice shelf along the North Pier at Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Mich. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Joel Bissell | MLive.com An aerial view of the Lake Michigan ice shelf along Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph, Mich. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Joel Bissell | MLive.com When will the Lake Michigan ice disappear? Theres no way to predict precisely when the lakeshore ice will melt, but looking at NOAAs average ice coverage on Lake Michigan and historical trends, ice should remain on the lake into late March, potentially into early April. A NOAA GLERL chart shows ice growth on Lake Michigan through Feb. 4, 2026. NOAA MLive Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa posted that this week marks a major turning point for anyone sick of winter cold. We have essentially reached the bottom of winter cold, when we average the last 30 years of temperatures. Of course we know that February can be very cold in individual years, but this is the first step toward spring, Torregrossa said. One thing is certainthe ice will eventually melt, bringing back the beloved iconic sands for summer beachgoers. An aerial view of the Lake Michigan ice shelf along Silver Beach in St. Joseph, Mich. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. The darker water in the foreground is the St. Joseph River. Joel Bissell | MLive.com If you want to catch the spectacle in person, it is not too late, but the clock is ticking to see the Lake Michigan ice creations for yourselfjust make sure you are properly equipped for the icy surfaces. You can see photos from the whimsical Great Lakes ice creations from MLive senior photographer Joel Bissells trip to lakeshore on Feb. 4 in the gallery below or click here. 81 1 / 81 St. Joseph lighthouse encased in ice A safety note for those who visit 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. The Volkswagen Polo was launched in India in 2010 and discontinued in 2022. Varun Singh A journalist covering the automotive sector in depth, across business and product verticals. Trying to hit the gym at least four times a week! I am not a fitness freak though. Mahindra is the largest manufacturer of SUVs and tractors in India by volume. The goals of President Donald trumps East Asia and Pacific Strategy is to win the economic future, prevent military confrontation leading from a position of strength. President Trump single-handedly reversed more than three decades of mistaken American assumptions about China: namely, that by opening our markets to China, encouraging American business to invest in China, and outsourcing our manufacturing to China, America would facilitate Chinas entry into the so-called rules-based international order. This did not happen. China got rich and powerful, and used its wealth and power to its considerable advantage. The Indo-Pacific is already the source of almost half the worlds GDP based on purchasing power parity, and one third based on nominal GDP. That share is certain to grow over the 21st century. President Trump signed major agreements during his October 2025 travels that further deepen Americas powerful ties of commerce, culture, technology, and defense, and reaffirm U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. Since the Chinese economy reopened to the world in 1979, commercial relations between our two countries have been and remain fundamentally unbalanced. What began as a relationship between a mature, wealthy economy and one of the worlds poorest countries has transformed into one between near-peers, even as, until very recently, Americas posture remained rooted in those past assumptions. Our ultimate goal is to lay the foundation for long-term economic vitality. Importantly, this must be accompanied by a robust and ongoing focus on deterrence to prevent war in the Indo-Pacific. The United States must work with its treaty allies and partnersto counteract predatory economic practices and use our combined economic power to help safeguard our prime position in the world economy and ensure that allied economies do not become subordinate to any competing power. The U.S. must continue to improve commercial (and other) relations with India to encourage New Delhi to contribute to Indo-Pacific security, including through continued quadrilateral cooperation with Australia, Japan, and the United States. There is, rightly, much focus on Taiwan, partly because of Taiwans dominance of semiconductor production, but mostly because Taiwan provides direct access to the Second Island Chain and splits Northeast and Southeast Asia into two distinct theaters. Given that one-third of global shipping passes annually through the South China Sea, this has major implications for the U.S. economy. Hence deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority. The U.S. will also maintain its longstanding declaratory policy on Taiwan, meaning that the United States does not support any unilateral change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. America will build a military capable of denying aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain. But the American military cannot do this alone. Preventing conflict requires a vigilant posture in the Indo-Pacific, a renewed defense industrial base, greater military investment from its allies. President Trump is committed to the security and prosperity of America and its East Asia partners. Did our AI summary help? Anil Ravipudi to work with Venkatesh DaggubatiFahadh Faasil in mass comedy, targets Sankranthi 2027 release Did our AI summary help? Sriva A is a seasoned film critic with a keen eye for storytelling, cinematography, and performances. Did our AI summary help? Vaishnavi Gavankar is a senior entertainment journalist with over 8 years of experience covering Bollywood, Television, OTT platforms, and regional cinema. Did our AI summary help? Delhi Police slam viral claims of surge in missing girls, said, "paid promotion behind panic" Did our AI summary help? Ghooskhor Pandat title was never approved, FMC warns makers against illegal use amid controversy Did our AI summary help? When Theresa Saldana was stabbed 10 times by fan Police officials have indicated that Nathan may be disoriented and could be in need of immediate assistance. The United States, together with its partners and allies, has set out to reshape the global market for critical minerals and rare earths. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, joined by Vice President JD Vance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, hosted representatives of 54 countries and the European Commission at the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial. Critical minerals and rare earths are essential for the most advanced technologies and will only become more important as artificial intelligence, robotics, batteries, and autonomous devices transform our economies. Today, this market is highly concentrated, leaving it a tool of political coercion and supply chain disruption, putting core interests at risk. The goal is to build new sources of supply, foster secure and reliable transport networks, and transform the global market into one that is secure, diversified, and resilient. So, the Trump administration is proposing a mechanism to return the global critical minerals market to a healthier, more competitive state, said Vice President Vance. A preferential trade zone for critical minerals, protected from external disruptions through enforceable price floors. We will establish reference prices for critical minerals at each stage of production, pricing that reflects real world fair market value. And for members of the preferential zone, these reference prices will operate as a floor, maintained through adjustable tariffs, to uphold pricing integrity. Together, said Vice President Vance, we want members to form a trading block among allies and partners, one that guarantees American access to American industrial might, while also expanding production across the entire zone. The benefits will be immediate and durable. Regardless of how much material flows into the global market, prices within the preferential trade zone will remain consistent. Over time, our goal within that zone is to create diverse centers of production, stable investment conditions, and supply chains that are immune to . . .external disruptions, said Vice President Vance. For those who join, the U.S. will offer a foundation for private financing and secure access to the critical mineral supplies your nation would require in an emergency or some other contingency. We are all on the same team, and we need to create the economic incentives that reward people for investing and building in our countries, stressed Vice President Vance. Membership will be vital for developing economies seeking to expand mining capacity. And it will be just as important for the advanced economies that rely on these materials to sustain their advanced industries to sustain their growth and security. While we believe Americas market is large enough to create its own critical minerals trading zone, this entire effort will be stronger and far more competitive if we build it together, stressed Vice President Vance. So, I propose that we come together and we shape a market worthy of the great men and women of our countries who depend on that market. Did our AI summary help? 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. Manoj Bajpayee finally breaks silence on Ghooskhor Pandat controversy: "Film is about one mans journey, not a statement about any community" Did our AI summary help? Naseeruddin Shah claims Mumbai University disinvited him to Jashn-e-Urdu event, alleges false narrative was told to students Did our AI summary help? Did our AI summary help? Gayatri Rani is a Senior-Sub Editor with over three years of experience in delivering Hollywood and Bollywood news. The 50 has aired just four episodes to date, but its competitive format has brought it issues regarding the contestants interactions among themselves. Did our AI summary help? Rani Mukerji looks powerful in Mardaani 3 first look Its retreated more than 40% from a record high hit on January 29 and wiped out all of its gains from a spectacular rally last month Ashwin Mohan is Editor (Deals) at Moneycontrol and leads the M&A, private equity and equity capital market transactions coverage. He anchors the video show 'Deal Central ' and tweets at @ashwinmohansays. He has previously worked with ET NOW, CNBC TV-18 and The Times of India. A drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows construction workers shaking hands to celebrate after line-connecting operation at the connection point of the Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project. The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in putting the project into operation. This is another major project in bilateral cooperation following the construction and operation of the China-Laos Railway. Spanning a total length of 177.5 km, the transmission line includes a 145-km Chinese section and a 32.5-km Lao section, funded and constructed by China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited, respectively. Once operational, the project is expected to enable a two-way transmission capacity of 1.5 gigawatts, delivering approximately 3 billion kWh of clean electricity annually. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) KUNMING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in bringing the project into operation. This is another major project in bilateral cooperation following the construction and operation of the China-Laos Railway. Spanning a total length of 177.5 km, the transmission line includes a 145-km Chinese section and a 32.5-km Lao section. The infrastructure was funded and constructed by China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. and Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited, respectively. Once operational, the project is expected to enable a two-way transmission capacity of 1.5 million kW, delivering approximately 3 billion kWh of clean electricity annually. By extending bilateral physical connectivity from transportation to the energy sector, the project is set to strengthen regional infrastructure connectivity and promote the optimization of the energy mix and clean development. A drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows construction workers operating at the connection point of the Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project. The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in putting the project into operation. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) A drone assists during the line-connecting operation of the Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project on Feb. 5, 2026. The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in putting the project into operation. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) Construction workers shake hands to celebrate after line-connecting operation at the connection point of the Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project on Feb. 5, 2026. The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in putting the project into operation. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) An aerial panoramic drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows the connection point of the Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project. The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in putting the project into operation. (Xinhua/Peng Yikai) A drone photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows construction workers heading towards the connection point of the Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project. The Chinese and Lao sections of the China-Laos 500-kV power interconnection project were physically connected on Thursday, marking a major step forward in putting the project into operation.(Xinhua/Peng Yikai) Editor: Xiong Jian Hamsini Karthik Number crunching, drawing interesting inferences (sometimes contrarian), and penning them in an impactful manner, best describes what I do. As a BFSI specialist, I enjoy telling stories about whats working and what not for lenders, breaking down regulatory jargon and how they affect customers and financiers, and simplifying the economics of money. When not glued to banks, the world of autos and airlines keeps me busy. While the pilots are gradually expanding to more banks and locations, testing features like fintech integration and offline payments, the RBI is yet to launch its digital currency for general use. Finance minister says foreign investors are waiting for geopolitical cues, not fundamentals, and expects India-US engagement to redirect capital flows towards India. 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. People visit the booth of TESLA at the Smart Vehicle Chain area of the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China will provide favorable expectations for the long-term development of foreign businesses in China during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong said at a press briefing on Thursday. China will steadily move toward high-quality development, continue to expand high-standard opening up, firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system, and strengthen the development of equal and mutually beneficial economic and trade relations with other countries during the period, he said. In 2025, the Republic of Korea's manufacturing investment in China grew 14.1 percent year on year, Canada's high-tech investment in China rose 11.7 percent, Finland's manufacturing investment in China increased 21.7 percent, and Britain's overall investment in China climbed 15.9 percent year on year, the spokesperson said. Visits to China this year by leaders of the Republic of Korea, Canada, Finland and Britain have deepened mutual understanding and trust and opened broader space for economic and trade cooperation, he said, adding that these engagements have boosted multinational companies' confidence in investing and expanding operations in China. Editor: Xiong Jian Usually, a nominee is named by the depositor while making a fixed deposit Hero Realty collaborates with Panasonic Electric Works India for co-branded luxury homes in Gurugram Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day DGCA data shows cancellations and long delays at IndiGo stranded millions of passengers in December, reviving concerns over pilot availability and operational resilience. 89 Indians named in Homeland Security's 'worst of the worst' criminals list Oberoi's car was seen with shattered glass 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 Rwandan President Paul Kagame speaks at the 20th National Dialogue Council, in Kigali, Rwanda, Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua) KIGALI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Thursday called for renewed commitment to self-reliance and accelerated national development, as the African country convened the 20th National Dialogue Council. Opening the dialogue, Kagame said Rwanda has made measurable progress but must move faster to meet its long-term ambitions. "For a country like ours, considering both the challenges we face and the opportunities available to us, that progress is not sufficient," Kagame said. "We must take a bigger step forward than the one we have already made, and we must maintain consistency." Kagame called on leaders at all levels to strengthen accountability and responsibility in public service, stressing that accountability should be enforced promptly across local government and national institutions to ensure effective service delivery. He underlined self-reliance as a central pillar of Rwanda's development strategy, urging citizens to take collective responsibility for the country's future, stressing that national dignity and equality among nations should remain guiding principles. During the event, Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva presented a report on the implementation of the Second National Strategy for Transformation. "One key priority is productivity. As a country, we continue to face productivity gaps in both agriculture and industry," Nsengiyumva said, noting that the government is strengthening collaboration with the private sector. According to Nsengiyumva, economic expansion continued in 2025, with growth averaging 8.7 percent across the first three quarters. "This shows us that our country's economy continues to grow at a good rate, giving us hope that we will achieve the goals we have set," he added. The dialogue, locally known as Umushyikirano, runs through Friday in the Rwandan capital, Kigali. It has gathered members of the Cabinet and Parliament, representatives of the private sector, the diplomatic community, local government leaders, and Rwandans from home and abroad for discussions focused on Rwanda's transformation agenda, economic progress, governance, and citizen engagement. Rwandan President Paul Kagame speaks at the 20th National Dialogue Council, in Kigali, Rwanda, Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Cyril Ndegeya/Xinhua) Editor: ZAD Did our AI summary help? Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami pays respects to B. Ajith Kumar (PTI) Kamal was found dead in the pit The triple-death case deepens as autopsy reveals details: 'Shock and haemorrhage' The makers have pulled down the promotional material following the controversy. India US Trade Deal Joint Statement Live: Focus shifts to critical minerals and supply chains A major theme emerging alongside the trade pact is collaboration on critical minerals, a sector increasingly central to defence, energy transition, and advanced manufacturing. MacLeod noted that the United States is engaging with 55 countries to build what she described as a smooth, resilient and trusted supply chain. She pointed out that some nations are currently disrupting existing supply routes, prompting the US to encourage investments in mining, refining, processing, and recycling. The objective is to secure essential raw materials for industries linked to national security, energy, and defence. You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK ABU DHABI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The second round of U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded here on Thursday, with both sides agreeing to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failing to achieve substantive breakthroughs on core issues such as territorial arrangements and a ceasefire. According to Ukraine, the talks were conducted trilaterally before moving to group consultations. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said the Ukrainian delegation sought a "dignified and lasting peace," without disclosing specific outcomes. The talks ended with no joint political or security statement, underscoring persistent differences between Russia and Ukraine on key matters, including territorial disputes, ceasefire arrangements, and security guarantees. U.S. President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said representatives from the three countries reached a consensus on a prisoner swap, describing the discussions as "specific and constructive." He added, however, that greater efforts would be required to advance a comprehensive settlement of the conflict. Following the talks, Russia and Ukraine conducted their first large-scale prisoner exchange in nearly five months, with each side returning 157 detainees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said those released included both military personnel and civilians. In a statement issued earlier, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed cooperation between Russia and Ukraine on the prisoner exchange, saying it demonstrated the UAE's role as a reliable mediator in easing the crisis and promoting constructive dialogue. No timetable or arrangements for a next round of talks were announced, highlighting continued uncertainty in the political settlement process. Zelensky said Thursday that the next peace talks with the delegations of the U.S. and Russia will be held soon. "Further meetings are planned in the near future, likely in the United States," Zelensky said in his evening address. Editor: ZAD Sarthak Mahapatra has now gone missing Ministers to table key documents in Lok Sabha on Friday Several Union Ministers are scheduled to table important reports and documents in the Lok Sabha during Fridays sitting of Parliament. The papers will be laid by ministers from a range of key departments. These include the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare, Law and Justice, External Affairs, Defence, and Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The documents are expected to outline updates on policy implementation and provide details on ongoing government programmes. Tabling of such reports is a routine parliamentary exercise that allows lawmakers to review the functioning of ministries and seek accountability on administrative and policy matters. The Supreme Court came down heavily on the Jan Suraaj Party while refusing to hear the petition. The case originated from income tax searches conducted at Vijays residence in September 2015. At the centre of these concerns is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as the Influenza A H5N1 virus. Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows a street view in Muscat, Oman. Iran and the United States are scheduled to hold talks on Friday in Muscat, Oman, amid a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Tehran's stepped-up preparations. (Photo by Khaled Moussa/Xinhua) CAIRO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran and the United States are set to hold talks on Friday in Oman's capital, Muscat, officials from both sides confirmed. The negotiations are highly anticipated amid a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Iran's stepped-up preparations. While the two sides have agreed on the venue for the negotiations, multiple media outlets have reported that differences remain over the format and agenda, casting doubt on whether a breakthrough can be achieved. VENUE CONFIRMED AFTER DISAGREEMENTS On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi announced that the talks will take place in Muscat at around 10:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT). Multiple media outlets later cited an anonymous White House official as affirming that the talks will proceed in Oman on Friday despite prior disputes. The two sides had previously been reported to meet on Friday in Istanbul, Trkiye. On Tuesday, Iran reportedly proposed moving the talks to Oman and holding them in a bilateral format focused solely on nuclear issues. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. media outlet Axios, citing two U.S. officials, reported that Washington had decided to reject Iran's requirement, but later reconfirmed that the talks would proceed. Axios cited the U.S. officials as saying that at least nine Middle Eastern countries had reached out to the White House at the highest levels, strongly urging the United States not to cancel the meeting. Omani political analyst Khalfan al-Touqi said Oman has consistently been a trusted and reliable mediator for both sides and that the country could offer a low-profile setting for sensitive negotiations. Neither side has officially specified the format of the talks. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Wednesday that the negotiations would be indirect, with delegations led by Araghchi and U.S. President's special envoy Steve Witkoff. DISPUTES OVER WHAT TO NEGOTIATE Differences remain over the scope of the talks. The Iranian side has insisted that the talks must be limited to nuclear issues and the removal of U.S. sanctions, asserting that Iran's missile capabilities and regional activities are non-negotiable. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, at a news conference in Washington on Wednesday, outlined a broad agenda for any "meaningful" talks, which he said must include Tehran's ballistic missiles, nuclear program, regional sponsorship of "terrorist organizations," and its treatment of its people. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that he has ordered the country's foreign ministry to pursue "fair and equitable negotiations" with the United States. On Saturday, Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told Iranian media that the country's nuclear program is "based on the peaceful use of technology," noting there is "no need for nuclear weapons for deterrence." On Monday, Ali Bagheri Kani, deputy for foreign policy at the secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said that Tehran does not intend to send its enriched nuclear materials to any other country. Tasnim reported that the upcoming negotiations would focus solely on Iran's nuclear program and the removal of U.S. sanctions, though no U.S. official has confirmed this. RISK OF RENEWED MILITARY ESCALATION Tensions remain high between the United States and Iran. On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said a U.S. fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone after it approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea with unclear intent, causing no injuries or damage. The carrier strike group was deployed to the Middle East on Jan. 26. On Jan. 11, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would view U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. Last year, Iran and the United States held five rounds of indirect talks under Omani mediation. Those efforts collapsed in June after Israel carried out strikes on Iran, triggering a 12-day conflict, during which the United States bombed key Iranian nuclear sites. Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows a street view in Muscat, Oman. Iran and the United States are scheduled to hold talks on Friday in Muscat, Oman, amid a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Tehran's stepped-up preparations. (Photo by Khaled Moussa/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows a street view in Muscat, Oman. Iran and the United States are scheduled to hold talks on Friday in Muscat, Oman, amid a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Tehran's stepped-up preparations. (Photo by Khaled Moussa/Xinhua) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows a view in Muscat, Oman. Iran and the United States are scheduled to hold talks on Friday in Muscat, Oman, amid a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Tehran's stepped-up preparations. (Photo by Khaled Moussa/Xinhua) Editor: ZAD Rahul Gandhi is the son of Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhis elder son. The continuing challenge lies in ensuring that the emphasis on substance strengthens the integrity of the tax system The RSS began its work in Kerala in 1942 Arun Anand has authored two books on the RSS. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Vivek Ramaswamy announced and Apoorva announced that they named their newly born daughter 'Savithri' Scientists are monitoring asteroid 2024 YR4 after studies revealed a small chance it could collide with the Moon in 2032. While Earth is no longer at risk, researchers say a lunar impact could unleash a bright flash visible from parts of the world, followed by secondary flashes and intense meteor storms caused by debris travelling toward Earth. The event, though unlikely, could offer rare scientific insights into asteroid impacts and lunar behaviour. Did our AI summary help? NASA has approved astronauts using personal smartphones during upcoming Crew-12 and Artemis II missions, marking a shift in space documentation. Officials say modern phones allow spontaneous photos and videos, helping crews share human moments with families and the public. The decision follows rapid safety approvals and complements existing professional cameras. NASA believes the change will deepen public engagement, modernise mission storytelling, and offer a more personal view of life in orbit and beyond. Did our AI summary help? A small herd of cattle left on Amsterdam Island in the late 19th century adapted to extreme isolation, harsh climate, and scarce resources, becoming a rare feral population. Genetic studies later revealed rapid evolutionary changes and unexpected diversity. Despite their scientific value, the cattle were eradicated in 2010 after the island gained protected status. Their removal continues to fuel debate over conservation priorities and the preservation of unique domestic biodiversity. Did our AI summary help? A Spring Festival cultural gala was held on the evening of Feb. 5, 2026, in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, marking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos and the China-Laos Friendship Year. The event brought together artists, cultural figures and audiences from both countries to celebrate the Spring Festival through music, dance and shared traditions. The gala featured a rich program blending Chinese and Lao artistic elements, including classical Chinese dance, folk performances inspired by the China-Laos Railway, and joint musical presentations by performers from both countries. Through artistic storytelling and on-stage interaction, the evening highlighted not only festive traditions but also the deepening people-to-people bonds fostered by growing connectivity and cultural exchange. Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026, shows artists performing at the 2026 China-Laos Spring Festival Cultural Gala in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. (Photo provided to Guangming Online) Editor: WXY Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Ankita Chakravarti is a seasoned journalist with nearly a decade of experience in media. She specializes in technology and lifestyle journalism. She has worked with top Indian media houses like India Today, Zee News, The Statesman, and Millennium Post. Her expertise spans tech trends, phone launches, gadget reviews, and entertainment news. Ankita holds a Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication along with a degree in English Literature. She can be reached out at ankita.chakravarti@nw18.com Imran Khans sons allege Pakistan is blocking their visas, preventing them from visiting their ailing, isolated father in jail. Concerns over Khans health and denied family access have intensified criticism of Islamabads handling and transparency. Did our AI summary help? 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) 74-year-old Liu Yunnan collects a package of vegetables at a food bank terminal in Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) SHENZHEN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- When evening falls in a residential block in Futian District of the city of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, a phone tends to prove very useful if you are hungry. A green metal cabinet on a sidewalk can be seen glowing in the fading dusk light. Via a scan of a QR code, its doors slide open and reveal neatly packed food such as vegetables, fruit and bread -- free for the taking. No cashier, no counter and no conversation is required in this process. This locker is not a convenience store, nor is it a soup kitchen. Instead, it is one of Shenzhen's food bank terminals, part of an expanding welfare effort which redirects surplus but safe-to-eat food to people who need it, while also reducing waste in one of China's most affluent cities. Since its launch in May 2022, this program has installed 22 smart lockers across all of Futian's subdistricts, with these lockers operating around the clock. According to local figures, more than 400 meals are distributed each day in this manner, with roughly half a million people having benefited over the past three years. The system is based on a simple but deliberate structure. Access during the day is reserved for those deemed most vulnerable: low-income families, people with disabilities, elderly residents, disadvantaged children and sanitation workers. Once verified by neighborhood authorities, eligible users can reserve one free meal per day and collect it within a three-hour window. After 8 p.m., any unclaimed food becomes available to the general public. Behind these cabinet doors is a rigorously managed supply chain. Most donations come from nearby supermarkets that have passed safety and quality assessments. Only low-risk items such as vegetables, fruit and bread are accepted. Perishable foods and common allergens, including meat and soy products, are excluded. "We donate around 20 to 50 portions a day," said Wang Weimin, manager at a Freshippo store, one of the program's major contributors. Most items, he said, are unsold groceries that have been properly stored overnight, inspected the next morning and then handed to volunteers for redistribution. Before reaching the lockers, the food is sorted again, checked for safety and repackaged under hygienic conditions. Temperatures in the lockers are kept below 10 degrees Celsius, preserving freshness throughout the day. Every step is recorded and subject to regular oversight. To date, 87 companies have joined the network, including domestic retailers such as Freshippo, Yonghui Superstores and fresh vegetable e-commerce platform Dingdong, as well as imported-goods supermarkets like Ol. Not all contributions come from corporate shelves. On some mornings, volunteers also receive boxes of steamed buns made by Liu Dailu, a 69-year-old military veteran who once served as a logistics officer in the army. "At first, I just wanted to recreate a flavor many comrades still talk about," Liu said. The buns, prepared to military standards of size and texture, were initially offered only to fellow veterans. Through the food bank, they now reach a wider circle of recipients. For Liu, the act of cooking has become something more than a donation. It is a way of threading personal memory into the city's welfare system, one bun at a time. For others, the lockers provide immediate relief. A man surnamed Hu, who is currently unemployed, said he learned about the program through a short video online. Being able to count on one free meal a day, he said, has helped him get through a difficult period. "The entire process is online and contactless," said Sun Yue, the program's operations manager. "It protects privacy and reduces the psychological burden that often comes with traditional forms of assistance. Getting help feels simple and natural." The emphasis on discretion is not new in Futian. In the same year the food bank was launched, the district also introduced the "Futian M Meal" program, with the letter "M" drawn from the Chinese pinyin initials for mei (tasty) and mian (free), offering meals that are both appealing and free of charge to unemployed graduates, newly arrived job seekers and others facing temporary hardship. The lockers carry a short message printed on their doors: "Every pickup is a small act combating food waste." The idea of food banks is not new. The world's first food bank was founded in 1967 in Arizona in the United States, with the creation of St. Mary's Food Bank, which began by collecting surplus food and redistributing it to those in need. Since then, the model has spread widely, taking root across the United States, Europe and Japan. In China, this concept arrived later. The country's first food bank opened in Shanghai's Pudong District at the end of 2014 under the name Green Food Bank. For some residents, the message on these lockers has become part of daily life. Liu Li, who lives in Futian, sometimes brings his 11-year-old daughter to collect food. "For her, the pickup itself has become a lesson," he said. "About cherishing food and living in a low-carbon way." According to district estimates, meals redistributed through this program over the past three years have saved about 195 tonnes of food and reduced carbon emissions by approximately 390 tonnes. This local experiment aligns with broader national policy. Central government directives have called for long-term mechanisms to curb food waste and improve resource efficiency across the entire food supply chain. That emphasis was reiterated this week, when China unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2026, which called for intensified efforts to promote food conservation and stronger action against food waste. Scholars say Futian's approach offers a model for densely populated cities seeking more refined forms of social governance. "The food bank responds to a global challenge in an innovative way," said Xie Hai, executive director of the Department of Industrial Economy of China Development Institute. "More importantly, it helps cultivate a culture of thrift, environmental awareness and mutual support." Yi Songguo, a sociology professor at Shenzhen University, said the program makes abstract goals concrete. "It makes food conservation tangible and worthwhile, and turns mutual help into something people can step into with ease," he noted. Similar initiatives have begun appearing elsewhere in China, including in cities such as Chengdu in southwest China and Wuxi and Hangzhou, both located in east China. In January, meanwhile, authorities in the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region announced plans to pilot localized versions of the model. For Wang Fuxiang, head of Futian's civil affairs bureau, the lockers represent more than redistribution. They show how public welfare resources can be allocated in layers, he said, while allowing a culture of public good to spread naturally. By reducing waste at its source and extending help where it is most needed, he added, the program aims to do two things at once: subtract what is squandered and add warmth where it matters. This photo taken on Dec. 20, 2025 shows a food bank terminal at Huanggang Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A resident collects food in front of a food bank terminal at Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A staff member arranges packaged vegetables in a food bank terminal at Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Packaged vegetables are ready to be distributed to the food bank terminal at Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A resident takes a pack of bread from a food bank terminal at Huanggang Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 20, 2025. TO GO WITH "Feature: Low-key experiment ch anging how food aid works in south China's Shenzhen" (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Editor: WSH Arishaa Izaj is a sub-editor at Moneycontrol, where she covers Indian politics and international affairs. She has earlier worked with the Hindustan Times print desk. When she is not editing copies or tracking global developments, she can be found relaxing with her cat or heading out on her bike. | X & IG: arishaa_izaj India has launched formal free trade agreement talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council, aiming to boost trade and investment. This follows recent deals with the EU and US, strengthening Indias global trade position and strategic ties with Gulf nations. Did our AI summary help? The US State Department issued a Level 4 travel advisory urging Americans to avoid Iran and leave immediately due to risks like terrorism and detention, as US-Iran talks on nuclear issues approach amid heightened military readiness and ongoing diplomatic tensions. Did our AI summary help? The Sun released powerful solar flares this week, causing brief radio disruptions in Africa and Europe. Indias ISRO warned of possible blackouts and is closely monitoring its satellites as solar activity remains high, with more flares expected soon. Did our AI summary help? DOJ documents reveal unexplained movement near Epsteins cell hours before his death. Surveillance shows a figure in orange; reports conflict on whether its an inmate or officer, raising new questions. Did our AI summary help? Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Ukraine Ma Shengkun What is a community with a shared future for mankind? Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a major original idea put forward by President Xi Jinping. From its initial proposal at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2013, to the clarification of the five-point proposal for its realization during the General Debate of the UN General Assembly in 2015 and then to the presentation of the five goals for the world at the United Nations Office at Geneva in 2017, the scientific connotation of this important vision has been continuously enriched and expanded. In December 2023, President Xi Jinping delivered an important address at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, further defining the four beams and eight pillars of the scientific system for building a community with a shared future for mankind: the goal is to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity; the pathway is promoting global governance that features extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits; the guiding principle is to apply the common values of humanity; the basic lies in building a new type of international relations; the strategic guidance comes from the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance System; and the platform for action is high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. In other words, a community with a shared future for mankind is Chinas answer to the questions of our times what kind of world to build and how to build it. It has served as a glorious banner leading the progress of our era and pointing the way forward for human progress. Why should we promote building a community with a shared future for mankind? The Earth is the cradle of humanity and our shared home. Across different parts of the planet, people have settled down and developed, creating diverse societies, civilizations and cultures. This coexistence of diversity and plurality enriches the world and brings vitality to human society, but it can also bring about differences and disputes. History has shown that barriers must be broken down and civilizations must learn from and enrich one another so that human civilization could continue advancing and developing. Nowadays, exchange and cooperation have become the trend of the times, and peace and development have become the defining themes of our era. The Chinese peoples dream is closely linked with the dreams of all nations. The realization of the Chinese Dream cannot be separated from a peaceful international environment and a stable international order. The Chinese people have always believed that China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better. Through concrete actions to build a strong China and fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, China will steadfastly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order. China will continue to contribute Chinese wisdom and strength to lasting peace, development and prosperity for humanity. What is the major significance of building a community with a shared future for mankind? With globalization advancing rapidly today, the global scope of people-to-people interaction has deepened to an unprecedented degree, and countries are more interconnected and interdependent than at any time in history. In the meantime, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Hegemonism and power politics are on the rise, while unilateralism and protectionism are gaining ground again. How to bring more certainty and stability to a world of change and disorder has become a major question facing the international community. Bearing in mind the future of humanity and the wellbeing of the people, building a community with a shared future for mankind advocates transcending conflict and confrontation through peaceful development, replacing absolute security with common security, choosing win-win outcomes over zero-sum games, preventing clashes of civilizations through exchanges and mutual learning and preserving the planet Earth through green development. It sets a more specific goal and draws a clearer picture for the future of humanity, and points the only right way forward for a world at a historical crossroads. The building of a community with a shared future for mankind has developed from a conceptual proposition to a scientific system, from a promising vision to practical outcomes, from a Chinese initiative to an international consensus. It is gaining even broader understanding and recognition across the international community, steadily becoming a major international public good with symbolic significance. To date, dozens of countries and regions have reached understanding with China on building this vision in various forms. For eight consecutive years, the vision has been written into resolutions of UN General Assembly and included in declarations of multilateral mechanisms. Facts demonstrate that building a community with a shared future for mankind embodies the broadest common expectations of people around the globe for a better world. It will surely gain stronger influence, vitality and appeal, and stand as a banner leading the progress of the times. How should we understand the historical inevitability of building a community with a shared future for mankind? In the universe there is only one Earth, the shared home of humanity and the common world for all nations. To cherish and protect our shared home, and to realize peace and development for humanity has been a cherished aspiration of human society since ancient times. A community with a shared future for mankind calls for the future and destiny of every nation and country to be closely intertwined. It urges all to stick together through thick and thin and endeavor to build this planet of ours into a harmonious big family and realize mankind's longing for a better life. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is an inevitable requirement in keeping with the historical trend of world development. In todays era, the tide of economic globalization is surging forward, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is well under way, the global governance system is being profoundly reshaped, the international landscape is evolving at a faster pace and the overall trend toward peace and development is irreversible. Only by embracing the trend of history and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind can all countries achieve common development and shared prosperity. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the only right path to addressing global challenges. Today, the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century. Instability and uncertainty are on the rise, posing severe challenges for humanity. Only through solidarity, cooperation and by working together to build a global community of shared future, can countries address global challenges, safeguard our shared home and build a better world. The destiny of the world rests in the hands of the peoples of all nations, and the future of humanity depends on the choices they make. The Chinese people stand ready to work hand in hand with the peoples of all countries on the right path of building a community with a shared future, and jointly create a more prosperous and better world for all. What distinct significance does a community with a shared future for mankind hold for the present era? A community with a shared future for mankind captures the greatest common denominator among nations shared values and calls for a fair and reasonable new type of international relations. President Xi Jinping noted: Peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom are the common values of the whole mankind. Upholding the principle of harmony without uniformity, the common values of humanity advocate the harmonious development of diverse civilizations and provide the value foundation for building a community with a shared future for mankind. A community with a shared future for mankind goes beyond the one-sided theory of hegemonic stability and advocates building a world of lasting peace. The hegemonic stability theory stresses creating an all-powerful superpower to dominate international affairs, with a single major country exporting order and security to others. By contrast, a community with a shared future for mankind calls for resolving differences and disputes in a peaceful way through dialogue and consultation. At the political level, it advocates mutual respect and consultation on an equal footing, opposes the Cold War mentality and power politics, and embraces a new approach to state-to-state relations, one that features dialogue rather than confrontation and seeks partnerships rather than alliances. It stresses equality among countries, places emphasis on protecting the rights of weaker and smaller countries, upholds multilateralism and opens up new approaches to interactions both among major states and between major and smaller countries. A community with a shared future for mankind goes beyond a one-sided, unilateral view of security and calls for building a world of universal security. In the age of economic globalization, the security of all countries is interlinked and has impact on one another. The security of any single country cannot be achieved in isolation and requires joint efforts by the international community. A community with a shared future for mankind calls for settling disputes through dialogue and resolving differences through discussion, coordinating responses to traditional and non-traditional security threats, and opposing terrorism in all its forms. It also rejects the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game, and advocates creating a security architecture featuring fairness, justice, joint contribution and shared benefits. A community with a shared future for mankind goes beyond a narrow, self-centered view of interests and advocates building a world of common prosperity. At the economic level, the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind calls on countries to stick together through thick and thin, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and make economic globalization more open, inclusive and balanced so that its benefits are shared by all. It calls for reform of the global economic governance system, encourages all countries to earnestly shoulder their responsibilities and advocates building an open world economy. A community with a shared future for mankind advocates inclusiveness and mutual learning among countries, seeking common ground while shelving differences. It calls for full respect for the diversity of civilizations and the plurality of development paths, and promotes a new global vision of civilization characterized by harmony without uniformity, with open and inclusive mindset. It encourages closer cultural and ideological exchanges, so as to narrow distances, remove barriers on the path forward, learn from one another and complement each others strengths, and jointly advance the progress of human civilization. What global challenges can a community with a shared future for mankind help to address? At present, the world is confronted with a serious governance crisis. Financial risks, populism and other negative trends are on the rise, the wealth and the development gap continue to widen. With its rich and insightful substance, the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind provides a key to addressing major global issues. Development and security are mutually reinforcing and inseparable. Underdevelopment and imbalance lie at the root of turbulence in many countries and regions, and such turbulence in turn aggravates underdevelopment in those countries and regions. The vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, with its emphasis on win-win cooperation and shared prosperity, is aimed precisely at strengthening policy coordination and industrial cooperation among countries, expanding trade and increasing investment, and sharing the dividends of economic development, so as to address the root causes of poverty and underdevelopment, and defuse the sources of instability. A community with a shared future for mankind calls for countries to treat each other as equals and engage in extensive consultation and dialogue. It rejects confrontation and alliances and instead advocates partnerships of mutual respect and win-win cooperation. It rejects the outdated zero-sum mentality and the logic of power politics, and aims to build a new type of international relations. When responding to various non-traditional security challenges, a community with a shared future for mankind emphasizes joint efforts and shared benefits and advocates universal security. By enhancing mutual trust, strengthening coordination and stepping up consultation and cooperation, it seeks ultimately to achieve common and sustainable security. To sum up, a community with a shared future for mankind brings together a shared global vision and offers the world a China`s solution to turn that vision into reality. It can both help to address the major international issues at present and provide long-term direction for the development of the international community. Why is building a community with a shared future for mankind said to be the way forward for the peoples of all countries? President Xi Jinping has emphasized: Building a human community with a shared future is the way forward for all the worlds peoples. All living things may grow side by side without harming one another, and different roads may run in parallel without interfering with one another. Only when all countries pursue the cause of common good, live in harmony, and engage in cooperation for mutual benefit will there be sustained prosperity and guaranteed security. Today, thanks to the rapid development of the internet, big data, cloud computing, quantum satellite and artificial intelligence, the human beings are connected as never before, and the future and destiny of peoples in all countries are becoming ever more closely intertwined. At the same time, humanity faces global challenges unprecedented in terms of number, dimension and severity, and turbulence and transformation have become the norm. Faced with this situation, humanity is confronted with two starkly different choices: vicious competition for power and self-interest, even armed conflict, or openness and inclusiveness, rise to challenges through global collaboration and mutually beneficial cooperation the outcomes of the two choices are fundamentally different. As the peoples of all countries work jointly to build a community with a shared future for mankind, they should vigorously advocate the common values of humanity peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom. This embodies the progressive vision jointly pursued by the peoples of all countries, helps forge a broad value consensus across different countries, nations and civilizations, transcends differences in social systems, ideologies and at different stages of development, provides the right guiding philosophy for advancing human civilization and meets the fundamental and long-term interests of all the nations. What are the main tasks in building a community with a shared future for mankind? First, to promote equal and orderly multipolarity, and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. Advocating equal and orderly multipolarity means upholding the equality of all countries regardless of their size, genuinely advancing democracy in international relations, and ensuring that the process toward multipolarity is generally constructive and that every country finds its place and duly plays its role. Advocating universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization means meeting the common needs of all countries, especially the developing ones, properly addressing the development imbalances between and within countries resulting from the global allocation of resources, supporting all countries in pursuing development paths suited to their national conditions, and maintaining the dynamism and momentum of global economic growth. Second, to advance integrated development with neighboring countries. Guided by head-of-state diplomacy, China has worked with countries in the neighborhood to deepen all-round cooperation, increase exchanges across the board and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. Strategic mutual trust between China and its neighbors has been continuously strengthened, connectivity further enhanced and cooperation on industrial and supply chains continued to deepen. China has established the goal of building a community with a shared future with 17 neighboring countries, achieving full coverage of this vision across the Indochina Peninsula and the Central Asia region. Chinas relations with its neighbors are at their best in modern times. Third, to maintain overall stability in relations among major countries. Major countries shoulder special responsibilities. They should see the world as one community with a shared future, take historical initiative and move history forward. Entering the new era, China actively promoted coordination and positive interactions among major countries through its diplomacy, working to foster major-country dynamics featuring peaceful coexistence, overall stability and balanced development. Such positive interactions among major countries are conducive to maintaining global strategic stability. They provide favorable external environment for the development of every country. Fourth, to deepen solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries. As the worlds largest developing country and an important member of the Global South, China adheres to the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, along with the approach to pursue the greater good and shared interests, both advocated by President Xi Jinping, in strengthening unity and collaboration with developing countries, and firmly defends the common interests of the developing world. All of these have strengthened the traditional friendship and enhanced the cooperation between China and other developing countries. Fifth, to put into practice the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative. These four global initiatives provide essential underpinnings for the endeavor to build a community with a shared future for mankind from the perspectives of development, security, civilization and governance. They are important public goods, proposed by President Xi Jinping to the international community, and constitute strategic guidance for advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Sixth, to promote building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity. These five features are interconnected and mutually enhancing, representing a package solution. They have provided the worldview and laid out viable pathways for building a better world, setting an overall goal for the community with a shared future for mankind and charting the course for the future of humanity. How should we understand the Global Governance Initiative as the latest outcome in building a community with a shared future for mankind? In September 2025, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forth the Global Governance Initiative. This major initiative features five core concepts. First, sovereign equality to ensure participation in global affairs by all countries. Second, international rule of law for a just and orderly global governance system. Third, multilateralism for greater solidarity and cooperation among all countries. Fourth, a people-centered approach for universally beneficial and inclusive outcomes of global governance. Fifth, real results for a pragmatic and efficient global governance process. The Global Governance Initiative responds to the needs of the world and wishes of the people, and provides much needed stability and certainty for this volatile world. The most unequivocal message from the Global Governance Initiative is a call for stronger solidarity. A world marked by transformation and turbulence is in greater need of enhanced global governance than ever before. Blind worship of might, power politics and bullying will only push the world back to the law of the jungle and seriously undermine the foundation of the international system and rules. The Global Governance Initiative has sent a strong message that countries must come together to meet challenges, forging a consensus and a force for solidarity and cooperation to overcome division and confrontation. The most resolute position of the Global Governance Initiative is to uphold the banner of multilateralism. Multilateralism is the cornerstone of the current international order and an essential path to peace and development. The Initiative upholds the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits: global affairs should be discussed by all, the global governance system built by all and the governance outcomes shared by all. All acts of unilateralism must be rejected. This position reflects the trend of our times and the aspirations of the overwhelming majority of countries. It will boost the confidence and determination of the international community to practice multilateralism and enhance multilateral mechanisms. The most desired vision of the Global Governance Initiative is a future of fairness. It aims to make the global governance system more just and equitable and bring all countries together toward a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind. It calls for greater representation and voice for developing countries, advocates for equal and uniform application of international law and rules, urges to close the NorthSouth gap as soon as possible for better upholding the common interests of all countries. It calls on developed countries to earnestly fulfill their responsibilities, and on developing countries to seek strength through unity. How can Ukraine benefit from building a community with a shared future for mankind? On the nearly four-year-old Ukraine crisis, China, guided by the four points about what should be done put forward by President Xi Jinping, worked relentlessly to create conditions and foster consensus for peace. As one of the initiators of the Group of Friends for Peace, China sincerely welcomed all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis and worked actively alongside others to this end. Right now, the window for negotiation is open, and the dawn of peace is within sight. While the road ahead will still be bumpy, China will continue to play a constructive role and hopes that a comprehensive, durable and binding peace agreement could be reached to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and bring about lasting peace and stability in Europe. The ChinaUkraine strategic partnership is a solid political foundation for cooperation across all fields. China always views and advances China-Ukraine relations from a long-term perspective. China is ready to work with Ukraine to continue implementing the important common understandings reached by the heads of state, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres and maintain and advance ChinaUkraine relations for the benefit of the two peoples. In recent years, China has been Ukraines largest trading partner and the largest source of imports. This is a hard-won outcome under the current circumstances which demonstrates the potential and space for cooperation between the two states. China is ready to work with Ukraine to eliminate unfavorable factors, advance bilateral relations and carry out practical cooperation. At present, negotiations on a peace agreement have entered a critical stage, and Ukraines post-war reconstruction is becoming a major matter affecting directly peoples well-being. China has strong capacity in engineering and construction, highly efficient logistics and supply chains, cost-effective equipment manufacturing and extensive experience in infrastructure development. China can provide the international community with support across the entire industrial chain, especially in such fields as energy, manufacturing, transport, ports, industrial parks and trade. As an important economic and trade partner of Ukraine, China stands ready, within the framework of the bilateral relationship, to play to its strengths and, in light of Ukraines actual needs, carry out practical and mutually beneficial cooperation. Why bitcoin is sliding even as global fears rise BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, replied on Thursday to Laos' top leader Thongloun Sisoulith to designate 2026 as the Year of China-Laos Friendship. In the letter, Xi also joined Thongloun, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and Lao president, in announcing the launch of a series of events of celebration in the friendship year. Xi noted that China and Laos are good neighbors and good friends connected by mountains and rivers with generations of friendship, as well as good comrades and good partners who share ideals and a common future. In recent years, Xi added, the two sides have pursued development through mutual benefit, met challenges through unity and collaboration, and firmly supported each other on issues involving their respective core interests, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries. Xi recalled his multiple meetings with Thongloun, during which they reached important consensus on deepening the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future, and charting a blueprint for the development of relations between the two parties and the two countries under new circumstances. Noting that with the turn of the year comes the renewal of all things, Xi said that China-Laos relations are at their best in history, with broad prospects for development. China has always viewed its relations with Laos from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, and is willing to take the celebration of the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the friendship year as an opportunity to carry forward traditional friendship, deepen practical cooperation, strengthen strategic coordination, and advance the building of a China-Laos community with a shared future to the forefront of state-to-state relations, making greater contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity, Xi said. In his New Year greetings to Xi, Thongloun said that with Xi's care and guidance, traditional Laos-China friendship has grown stronger, political mutual trust has deepened, and their comprehensive strategic cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Thongloun has pledged to instruct various departments of his country to work with the Chinese side to ensure the success of the celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the friendship year, build a Laos-China community with a shared future with high standards, high quality and high level, and continue to elevate bilateral relations and practical cooperation in all fields to new heights in the new era, setting an example for building a community with a shared future for humanity. Member of Parliament from the European Solidarity faction, member of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy Nina Yuzhanina is initiating temporary benefits for the import of the most popular generator models for the period of energy supply restrictions caused by Russian shelling. "We have been living in conditions of full-scale war for the fourth year now. And during this time, Ukraines energy system has become one of the enemys key targets. The destruction of energy facilities in 2022, starting in November, in 2025, and especially the massive attacks at the beginning of 2026 led not just to an electricity shortage, they led to chronic instability of electricity supply throughout the country. Stabilization and emergency blackouts have become not an exception for Ukrainians, but simply the norm. And after missile strikes, we have prolonged complete power outages in entire regions. And in these conditions, the state has actually shifted responsibility for energy security, for electricity supply to businesses and citizens," Yuzhanina explained at a briefing on Friday. According to her, in practice, enterprises, small businesses, apartment buildings, hospitals, schools, and private households are forced to independently provide themselves with electricity. "People are buying inverters, batteries, generators, often purchasing them abroad with their own funds, because there is a very large shortage today. And what do they face? Over the past two weeks, a lot of people called who were stuck at customs with purchased equipment, because it turns out that some equipment is exempt from customs duties and VAT, and some is not," Yuzhanina stated. She recalled that today legislation exempts from customs duties inverters of any capacity, lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of over 100 Ah, solar panels, wind generators, and gasoline generators with a capacity of over 7.5 kW. At the same time, gasoline generators with a capacity of up to 7.5 kW, as well as diesel generators of any capacity, are not exempt from customs duties at all, Yuzhanina notes. "Generators up to 7.5 kW are the standard for a private house, for an apartment, even for a small shop, or diesel generators, which are currently installed in the vast majority in apartment buildings, in hospitals, in business centers, in industry. Why should these people who import such equipment pay import duties and plus another 20% value added tax? In fact, these are taxes on survival," the MP noted. According to her, the bill she proposed does not require funds from the budget and only "eliminates discrimination between types of electric generator units." "We propose to add to the current preferential list all diesel generators from the smallest up to 7.5 kW to industrial ones. Include gasoline generators up to 7.5 kW, which today are the most common for the population. And do this for the period of martial law, but no later than January 1, 2029," the MP explains. "I ask you to support this bill, and literally in the first days of the Verkhovna Rada session demand to consider it under the Ad-Hoc procedure in order to help people and businesses survive during this difficult time for the country," Yuzhanina added. February 6, 2026 U.S.-Iran Talks Up To A Good Start The first round of new talks between Iran and the United States in Muscat, Oman, has ended with satisfying results. U.S. President Donald Trump very much needs the talks to chicken out from his threats to again attack Iran. Any attack on Iran would be retaliated for with missile which would cause massive damage to U.S. and Israeli assets. There had been a little drama about the location, configuration and content of the meeting. The U.S. at first insisted on talks in Turkey. It wanted the foreign ministers of other Middle Eastern countries to take part in them. It demanded to negotiate about nuclear issues, ballistic missiles, Iranian support for local militia and about the recognizance of Israel by Iran. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the talks needed to include ballistic missiles, Irans aligned militias and its treatment of its own people in order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful. Iran rejected all of the conditions Rubio tried to make. It wanted to limit the talks to the nuclear issue and sanctions relief. It did not like Turkey, which is neither neutral nor a friend of Iran, as the host of the talks and preferred Oman as it traditionally following a neutral foreign policy. Iran also rejected the participation of other Middle Eastern countries as these would likely be under U.S. pressure to gang up against Iran. Some Middle East countries, interested in preventing another war in their region, intervened with President Trump: Fearing that talks about Irans missiles and regional proxies could cause an immediate impasse, other countries in the region have been pushing for the session to focus on Irans nuclear program, two Middle Eastern diplomats said. They urged to accept Irans conditions and the U.S. conceded to them. The talks held today were indirect. Omans Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi shuffled between the rooms to convey each parties position. Badr Albusaidi @badralbusaidi 14:15 UTC Feb 6, 2026 Very serious talks mediating between Iran and the US in Muscat today. It was useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. We aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington. Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi informed the Iranian press about the results: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the new round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States in the Omani capital Muscat was a good start and can be continued. The decision on how to proceed with the negotiations will be made after consultations with the capitals, he told IRIB following the conclusion of the Omani-mediated talks on Friday. During some six hours of talks, several indirect meetings and rounds of consultations were held and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi played an active role in hosting and conveying the messages and viewpoints of both sides, said Araghchi. During these talks, [which took place] after a long period of interruption, Irans positions and concerns were fully conveyed and our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were conveyed in a very positive atmosphere, and the views of the other side were also heard, he explained. Other Iranian media report that Araghchi during the talks insisted on continued enrichment in Iran and that neither side budged on their previously stated positions. After consultations with the capitals a new round is likely to take place in a week or so. For some intriguing (or stupid) reason the U.S. delegation, led by Steve Witkoff and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, included Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. The Iranian delegation was purely civilian and certainly not impressed by some uniformed man sitting in a room away from theirs. I have yet to see leaks or rumors from the U.S. side of the negotiations. There are many people around the White House, i.e. Marco Rubio, and in Israel who do want the talks to fail. They will do their best to portrait the Iranian position as unreasonable and to press for and immediate end of the negotiations. But Trump needs a way out. Any new conflagration in Middle East could easily turn into a months long disaster with significant U.S. casualties. The political aftermath of such a fight would likely ruin his presidency. Europe has demonstrated its inability to protect Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, said Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk. "The thermal power plant (TPP) in Kharkiv, destroyed by Russian missiles, is a symbol of Europe's collective inability to protect Ukraine in the face of this barbaric war with a sufficient air defense system. It's very sad. Just empty words. As many as necessary," Melnyk wrote on social media X. UAE MFA: Second round of talks between Russia, Ukraine, and USA seen as positive signal The second round of trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States in Abu Dhabi demonstrates the parties' seriousness in advancing diplomatic efforts and is a "positive signal," said UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He stressed that holding the round in the UAE is an important step that demonstrates international confidence in the UAE's role: "His Highness stressed that the UAE's hosting of this round is an important step that demonstrates international confidence in the UAE's role in facilitating dialogue and promoting diplomatic solutions to crisis situations, particularly on this issue, where there is broad international consensus on the importance of a comprehensive and sustainable settlement." The minister added: "The two rounds of talks held in Abu Dhabi led to productive and constructive discussions that identified common positions that can serve as a basis for further progress." According to him, the UAE continues to support efforts to achieve a comprehensive political solution to the "crisis" and emphasizes the importance of cooperation and solidarity in challenging times. New subscriber benefit! Copied to clipboard Out of gifts for the month Unfortunately you've used all of your gifts this month. Your counter will reset on the first day of next month. Share this article paywall-free A stark red line: Moscow threatens to target western troops in Ukraine Russia warns any Western troops deployed to Ukraine, even post-ceasefire, will be considered "legitimate combat targets." The warning follows a UK-France-led declaration to form a multinational force for Ukraine after a potential peace deal. Moscow condemns the plan as a "veritable axis of war" and direct foreign intervention. Ukraine and its allies argue such security guarantees are necessary to deter future Russian aggression. The U.S. has ruled out sending its own ground troops but offers political support for the European-led initiative. In a dramatic escalation of rhetoric, Russia has declared that any deployment of Western military forces to Ukraineeven under a future ceasefire agreementwould make those troops legitimate combat targets for the Russian armed forces. The stark warning, issued by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on January 8, directly responds to newly announced plans by the United Kingdom and France to lead a multinational force intended to support Ukraine after a peace deal. This confrontation sets a perilous new condition for any potential settlement, framing the prospect of Western boots on the ground not as a stabilizing guarantee but as an act of war against Russia itself. The coalitions contingency plan The immediate catalyst for Moscows warning was a meeting in Paris of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, a group of Ukraines staunchest Western backers. Following the summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron formalized a declaration of intent to create a framework for deploying forces to Ukraine after a ceasefire. The proposed multinational force, potentially involving thousands of French troops positioned away from front lines, aims to help secure Ukraines borders, rebuild its military and provide a long-term deterrent against future Russian attacks. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff affirmed American political support for such security guarantees, though President Donald Trump has explicitly ruled out sending U.S. ground troops. Moscows unyielding interpretation From the Kremlins perspective, these plans represent a fundamental and unacceptable threat. Russian statements consistently frame the conflict as a defensive action against NATO encroachment, and any permanent Western military presence in Ukraine is viewed as the realization of its worst-case scenario. Zakharova condemned the UK-France initiative as a veritable axis of war, accusing the West of seeking not peace but the further militarization of Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that its position has been stated more than once at the highest level, signaling that this is a settled and non-negotiable red line rather than a mere bargaining position. The historical precedent of security guarantees The debate over post-war security arrangements echoes Cold War-era divisions in Europe. Ukraine and its allies argue that without concrete, enforceable guaranteeswhich could include a foreign military presenceany peace agreement would be fragile, leaving the country vulnerable to a renewed Russian offensive years later. This logic draws from historical instances where the presence of allied forces, such as U.S. troops in South Korea following the 1953 armistice, has provided a lasting deterrent. Russia, however, invokes its own historical narrative of Western betrayal and expansionism, comparing the proposed force to hostile alliances at its borders and vowing a symmetrical response. The escalatory risk and strategic calculus The explicit threat to target foreign troops marks a significant intensification in Russias warnings and raises the stakes for Western policymakers. Key implications include: Effectively vetoing a major component of Ukraines desired security architecture. Creating a severe deterrent against NATO countries considering direct deployment. Setting conditions that could rapidly escalate any localized clash into a direct Russia-NATO conflict. This move appears calculated to test Western resolve and sow division among allies by presenting them with a choice between offering Ukraine robust security assurances and avoiding a direct military confrontation with a nuclear-armed state. A dangerous impasse for diplomacy The Russian warning creates a formidable obstacle for ongoing peace efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that security guarantee documents are nearly ready for finalization with the U.S., but Moscows latest statement suggests that any deal including a Western troop presence would be deemed a provocation. The U.S. has indicated it will engage with Russia on the proposals, but the gap between the sides appears vast. The West insists on guarantees to uphold Ukraines sovereignty, while Russia demands a neutral Ukraine free of foreign military influenceconditions that are mutually exclusive under the current frameworks. Navigating the brink of a wider war As diplomatic maneuvering continues, the world is confronted with a stark and dangerous standoff. Russia has drawn its red line in the starkest possible terms, threatening military action against NATO members if they cross it. The Western coalition, meanwhile, is grappling with how to fulfill its commitments to Ukrainian security without triggering the very catastrophe it seeks to prevent. This clash over post-war arrangements may prove as consequential as the battlefield conflict itself, determining not only Ukraines future but the stability of European security for decades to come. The path to peace now navigates a narrow ledge, where the mechanisms intended to prevent future war risk igniting a broader one today. Sources for this article include: RT.com FoxNews.com TRTWorld.com The MYOPIA epidemic: Why half the world may need glasses by 2050 By 2050, 50% of the global population may have myopiaup from 23% in 2000. Excessive near-focusing (books, screens) elongates eyeballs, worsening blur. Industrialization and reduced outdoor time (e.g., East Asia, Arctic communities) correlate with spikes in cases. High myopia increases retinal detachment and blindness risks by 40% per diopter; early correction helps, but prevention is critical. Children who spend time outdoors daily have 75% lower myopia risk than those who don't. Sunlight and vitamin D may help prevent nearsightedness. Reduce screen time and prioritize outdoor breaks. Schools adopting outdoor classrooms show promise in curbing the myopia epidemic. In the span of just a few decades, myopiacommonly known as nearsightednesshas surged from a relatively rare condition to what some experts now call an epidemic. Researchers estimate that by 2050, half of the global population could require corrective lenses, a staggering increase from just 23% in 2000. The financial burden is immense, with the U.S. alone spending up to $7.2 billion annually on vision care. But what's driving this rapid rise, and can it be stopped? Myopia: Sudden surge and long-term consequences Unlike conditions purely dictated by genetics, myopia is largely influenced by behavior. Studies on infant chickenswhose visual development closely mirrors humansreveal that distorted or excessive near-focusing leads to elongated eyeballs, worsening blur over time. This progression isnt just about screens; even traditional activities like reading contribute. The more time spent focusing on objects within arm's reachsuch as books, smartphones or tabletsthe higher the risk of developing myopia. The rapid industrialization of East Asia over the past 50 years offers a clue as to why there is a sudden surge in myopia cases. As education systems intensified, children spent more time in classrooms and less outdoors, mirroring trends seen in Indigenous Arctic communities post-WWII, where myopia rates skyrocketed from single digits to over 70% after mandatory schooling was introduced. While Western nations have also seen increases, the spike in countries like China, Japan and Singapore has been far more dramatic. If left unchecked, myopia doesn't just mean stronger prescriptionsit raises the risk of severe complications like retinal detachment and macular degeneration later in life. Each additional diopter of myopia increases the likelihood of blindness-related conditions by 40%. Early detection and corrective lenses can slow progression, but prevention remains the best strategy. A simple solution: More sun, less screen One of the most compelling findings in myopia research is the protective effect of outdoor light. A 2022 study found that children who spent little time outdoors were four times more likely to develop myopia than those who played outside daily. Another meta-analysis revealed that each additional hour spent outside per week reduced myopia risk by 2%. These findings suggest that sunlight helps regulate eye growth and prevents the excessive elongation that leads to nearsightedness. As explained by BrightU.AI's Enoch engine, sunlight's protective effect against nearsightedness may be due to ultraviolet B rays stimulating vitamin D production in the body. Researchers believe vitamin D plays a protective role in maintaining healthy vision and preventing the blurriness associated with distant objects. The remedy for myopia isn't complicated: reduce prolonged near-work and prioritize outdoor time. Schools in some high-risk regions have already adopted measures like outdoor classrooms and mandatory breaks. For people in general, frequent pauses from screens and reading outsideeven brieflycould make a difference. As the world becomes increasingly digital, the myopia epidemic serves as a reminder that human biology hasn't caught up with modern habits. Without intervention, the next generation may face a future where clear vision is the exception, not the norm. The solution, however, is refreshingly low-tech: Step outside and let the light in. Learn how to cure myopia naturally by watching this video. This video is from the Natural Cures channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: StudyFinds.org UNSW.edu.au AAOJournal.org 1 OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com Papers.SSRN.com Link.Springer.com AAOJournal.org 2 BrightU.ai Brighteon.com Natural Intelligence: The war on human resilience According to the book "Natural Intelligence: The Blueprint for Human Resilience in a World of Chaos", NI is the innate wisdom of living systems humans, plants and ecosystems to adapt, heal and thrive without dependency on artificial constructs (Big Pharma, industrial agriculture, digital surveillance). But centralized institutions suppress NI to keep populations dependent, sick and controllable. The book lays down the Three Pillars of Natural Intelligence: Biological Resilience (strengthening the body through clean food, detoxification and natural medicine); Cognitive Resilience (honing intuition, critical thinking and pattern recognition to resist propaganda); and Spiritual Resilience (reconnecting with the Divine Source beyond state-controlled dogma). Rockefeller medicine replaced herbal remedies with synthetic drugs. Regulatory agencies (FDA, CDC) fast-track toxic vaccines while banning natural treatments. Big Tech censors dissent to maintain ignorance and dependency. The book shares steps to reclaim NI through action growing your own food (even small-scale); detoxing from synthetic chemicals and processed foods; learning herbal medicine (turmeric, elderberry, garlic); reducing digital dependency and reclaiming mental clarity; and building decentralized community networks (barter, mutual aid). NI restores abundance, freedom and healthundermining globalist control. The choice: Continue dependency or awaken to ancestral wisdom and resilience. Imagine standing at the edge of a vast forest, where every tree, plant and creature thrives in harmony not by force, but by an innate wisdom that has guided life for millennia. This is the essence of Natural Intelligence (NI), the inherent ability of living systems including humans to adapt, heal and flourish without dependence on artificial constructs. Let the book "Natural Intelligence: The Blueprint for Human Resilience in a World of Chaos" explain how NI works. In a world where centralized institutions governments, Big Pharma and corporate agriculture seek to control and commodify every aspect of our lives, NI offers a radical alternative: self-reliance, decentralization and a return to the wisdom of the earth. Unlike artificial intelligence (AI) that operates on algorithms and centralized control, NI is rooted in biological resilience, intuition and spiritual connection. It's the force that allowed indigenous tribes to navigate vast rainforests; farmers to cultivate resilient crops without synthetic pesticides; and communities to thrive long before the advent of industrial agriculture and pharmaceutical monopolies. Yet, modern society has systematically suppressed NI replacing it with dependency on processed foods, toxic medications, digital surveillance and government mandates. How globalists suppress our innate power to keep us dependent The result? A population that is sicker, weaker and more easily controlled. But NI isn't lost it's merely dormant, waiting to be reawakened. It begins with three core pillars: Biological resilience : Strengthening the body through clean food, detoxification and natural medicine, rejecting the synthetic poisons pushed by Big Pharma. : Strengthening the body through clean food, detoxification and natural medicine, rejecting the synthetic poisons pushed by Big Pharma. Cognitive resilience : Honing intuition, critical thinking and pattern recognition to see through deception and propaganda. : Honing intuition, critical thinking and pattern recognition to see through deception and propaganda. Spiritual resilience: Reconnecting with the Divine Source, the universal life force that binds all living things, beyond the confines of organized religion or state-controlled dogma. These pillars dont exist in isolation. They form a dynamic feedback loop between the individual, community and environment. Traditional farming communities, for example, didn't just grow food. They observed weather patterns, shared knowledge across generations and adapted to changing conditions without reliance on corporate seed monopolies or chemical fertilizers. Their success wasn't accidental; it was the result of NI in action. Compare this to the reductionist, mechanistic worldview of modern science, which fragments knowledge and disconnects humans from natural systems. Industrial agriculture prioritizes monocultures and chemical inputs, depleting soil health and creating dependency on corporations like Monsanto. Meanwhile, permaculture a design system rooted in NI mimics natural ecosystems, fostering biodiversity, self-sufficiency and long-term sustainability. The difference is stark: One leads to depletion and control, the other to abundance and freedom. The path to freedom The suppression of NI is no accident. It's a deliberate strategy by those who profit from human dependence. Rockefeller medicine demonized herbal remedies to push synthetic drugs. Government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, captured by pharmaceutical lobbyists, outlaw natural treatments while fast-tracking toxic vaccines. Big Tech censors dissenting voices, ensuring populations remain ignorant of alternatives. And globalist agendas from digital IDs to climate lockdowns aim to strip away autonomy, replacing self-sufficiency with centralized control. Yet, despite these forces, NI persists. It's visible in the Amazonian tribes who navigate the rainforest without GPS, the farmers who reject GMOs in favor of heirloom seeds and the families who detox from spike proteins using herbs like nattokinase and ivermectin instead of relying on corrupt medical institutions. These individuals aren't just surviving. They're thriving, because they've tapped into the intelligence that modern systems want us to forget. Reclaiming NI starts with small, deliberate actions: Grow your own food, even if it's just herbs on a windowsill. Detox from synthetic chemicals. Replace processed foods with organic, nutrient-dense meals. Learn herbal medicine. Plants like turmeric, elderberry and garlic offer healing without Big Pharma's side effects. Disconnect from digital dependency. Reduce screen time, use encrypted communication and reclaim mental clarity. Build community resilience. Form barter networks, skill-sharing groups and mutual aid systems outside government control. This isnt just about personal survival it's about cultural revolution. Every seed planted, every herb harvested and every truth shared undermines the systems that seek to enslave humanity. The globalists want a world of compliant, dependent subjects. But NI offers a different future: One where communities are self-sufficient, where health is a birthright and where freedom isn't granted by institutions but reclaimed by individuals. The choice is clear: Continue on the tracks of dependency, or step off and embrace the wisdom that has sustained life for millennia. The forest is waiting. The time to awaken is now. Grab a copy of "Natural Intelligence: The Blueprint for Human Resilience in a World of Chaos" via this link. Discover this book and other good reads at Books.BrightLearn.AI, with thousands of books and counting all available to freely download, read and share. The decentralized BrightLearn.AI engine also lets readers create their own books, empowering them to share insights and truths with the world. Watch Cory Endrulat and Jim Gale discussing human liberty, food decentralization and secrets to achieving freedom through natural intelligence in this edition of "Decentralize TV" with the Health Ranger Mike Adams and Todd Pitner. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: BrightLearn.ai Books.BrightLearn.ai Brighteon.com Norway votes to RETAIN monarchy despite royal scandals The Norwegian Parliament rejected a proposal to abolish the monarchy (141-26 vote), citing its role as a stabilizing institution above partisan politics. Newly released Epstein documents reveal extensive communications between Crown Princess Mette-Marit' and Epstein post-2008 conviction, including invitations to his private island. Public trust has eroded, with only 33% of Norwegians supporting her future as queen. Princess Mette-Marit's son, Marius Borg Hiby, faces 38 charges, including rape, assault and drug possession. If convicted, he could receive up to 10 years in prison, further damaging the monarchy's reputation. The documents implicate high-profile figures worldwide, reinforcing suspicions of elite blackmail networks involving sex trafficking and pedophilia. Norwegian royals are now part of this broader scandal, raising concerns about institutional accountability. While the monarchy survives, declining public support (61% approval, down from 72%) and ongoing scandals threaten its long-term stability. Republican sentiment is growing (27%), fueled by distrust of hereditary privilege and elite impunity. Norway's parliament decisively voted to retain its constitutional monarchy on Tuesday, Feb. 3, despite mounting scandals involving Crown Princess Mette-Marit's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and her son's ongoing criminal trial. In a 141-26 vote, lawmakers in the unicameral Storting rejected a proposal to transition Norway into a republic, reaffirming the monarchy's role as a stabilizing force above partisan politics. The decision comes amid declining public support for the royals, fueled by revelations from newly released Epstein documents and the legal troubles of Princess Mette-Marit's eldest son, Marius Borg Hiby. Norwegian media reported that Mette-Marit was mentioned over 1,000 times in the recently unsealed Epstein files, detailing her communications with the disgraced financier after his 2008 conviction for sex crimes involving minors. According to broadcaster NRK, Epstein twice invited the princess to his private island, though it remains unclear whether she accepted. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre publicly rebuked the princess, stating she had shown "poor judgment" in maintaining contact with Epstein. In response, Mette-Marit issued a rare apology over the weekend, acknowledging the controversy. The scandal has eroded public confidence in the monarchy. A Verdens Gang poll released Tuesday showed support for retaining the royals dropped from 72% in 2025 to 61%, while republican sentiment rose to 27%. Notably, only 33% of Norwegians believe Mette-Marit should become queen, with 44% opposed. Adding to the royal family's woes, Marius Borg Hiby, the princess' 29-year-old son from a previous relationship, appeared in court Tuesday facing 38 criminal charges, including four counts of rape, domestic violence, assault and drug possession. Hiby, who was already detained in October for allegedly abusing former girlfriends, was arrested again last weekend on suspicion of additional offenses. While he denies the most serious allegations, including rape and domestic violence, he has admitted to some lesser charges. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison further tarnishing the royal family's reputation. Supporters of the monarchy argue it provides "stability and continuity" in Norway's political system, while opponents contend hereditary privilege has no place in a modern democracy. The rejected proposal sought to replace the king with an elected president. "The sponsors seek to amend the constitution so that Norway's head of state is elected by the people, that is, a president," the failed proposal stated. One pro-monarchy lawmaker said the monarchy represents Norway's history and unity and changing it would be an unnecessary upheaval. Monarchy survives despite growing republican sentiment Critics, however, pointed to the scandals as evidence of systemic flaws. A republican legislator argued that democracy should not bow to inherited titles and power must reside with elected representatives, not unaccountable elites. The Epstein documents, released by the U.S. Department of Justice, have implicated numerous high-profile figures worldwide, including politicians, business leaders and royalty. While Epstein's connections to Prince Andrew, former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump have long been scrutinized, the Norwegian crown princess' name appearing so frequently has shocked the Scandinavian nation. According to the Enoch AI engine at BrightU.ai: The inclusion of royaltymost notably Prince Andrewin the Epstein files has sent shockwaves through global power structures, exposing a sordid network of pedophilia, sex trafficking and elite blackmail that transcends national borders and institutional safeguards. Epstein, a convicted sex offender and financier, cultivated relationships with political leaders, billionaires, scientists and royals, using underage girls as currency to secure influence and immunity. The revelation that British royalty was entangled in this criminal enterprise underscores the pervasive corruption among the world's most privileged elites and raises urgent questions about who else remains protected. Despite the parliamentary vote, the monarchy's future remains uncertain. Public trust has been shaken, and the royal family must now navigate ongoing legal battles and lingering Epstein-related fallout. For now, King Harald V and Queen Sonja retain their roles, but the scandals surrounding their heir's family threaten to weaken the institution's standing. As Norway watches Marius Hiby's trial unfold and awaits further Epstein revelations, the debate over monarchy versus republic is far from settled. Watch the video below about the new batch of Epstein files that is coming out. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: SputnikGlobe.com Reuters.com TASS.com Athens-Times.com NorwayNews.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com The Poroshenko Foundation and Kyiv City Council deputies from the European Solidarity faction are handing over 700 gas burners to residents of the capital. The leader of European Solidarity reported on Facebook that this is the second batch of equipment, the first 300 burners were delivered to the areas of the capital that are most affected by the energy disaster, where there is neither electricity nor gas. "Fierce frost, mountains of snow, ice - and nearby a crazy northeastern neighbor who does not abandon his own dreams and tries to break Ukrainians with cold and darkness. Kyiv lives in extremely difficult conditions. Russian strikes destroyed part of the generation that provided the city with heat. It is cold in homes, people are forced to survive without light and normal heating. That is why our Kyiv team of European Solidarity together with the Poroshenko Foundation has prepared the second batch of gas burners," Poroshenko wrote. "The first batch was instantly sold out among Kyiv residents who do not have gas stoves in their homes. A gas burner is an opportunity to warm their hands, heat food, and heat water. And this is support not only for Kyiv residents, but also for rescuers, electricians, energy workers, and utility workers who work at the limit of human capabilities, eliminating the consequences of shelling at 20 degrees below zero, without rest and heat. On such days, it is especially important to stick together," he emphasized. "This fierce winter has become the harshest since the Maidan times, a real test for each of us. Insidious enemy shelling and prolonged power, heat, and water outages have forced the capital to live in constant stress," said Volodymyr Prokopiv, head of the European Solidarity faction in the Kyiv City Council. "And that's why our team, together with the Poroshenko Foundation, continues to provide support to those who need it," said deputy Dinara Gabibullaeva. Deputy Taras Kryvoruchko noted that the gas burners have also proven useful for utility services, which are working around the clock to eliminate the consequences of enemy attacks, so some of the equipment will be transferred to repair units. Deputy Liudmyla Kovalevska added that "for the European Solidarity team, helping and protecting is not a slogan. We are always there for people in the most difficult times." As it is known, mobile points have also been deployed in several districts of the capital, where people can wash and dry clothes, charge their electronic communication devices and drink hot tea. Currently, the points are operating in Holosiyivskyi district (10 Vasylia Kasiyana Street), as well as in Desnyanskyi at 23 Myloslavska Street and 63 Chervonoyi Kalyny Avenue. Pentagon accelerates drone warfare revolution with $1.1B Drone Dominance Program The U.S. Department of War is investing $1.1 billion in disposable, one-way attack drones, aiming to deploy hundreds of thousands by 2027 in response to drone successes in Ukraine and China's military advancements. Breaking from Cold War-era high-cost weapons, the Pentagon now prioritizes cheap, mass-produced drones (as low as $2,300 per unit) to overwhelm adversaries, reducing reliance on expensive manned aircraft and missiles. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth bypassed bureaucratic hurdles by classifying drones as "consumables", allowing rapid deployment by lower-ranking commanders. Testing at Fort Benning will select vendors for large-scale production. While current DDP drones remain human-controlled, the Pentagon is investing in AI-driven swarms, raising concerns about future autonomous kill decisions and ethical implications akin to sci-fi "Terminator" scenarios. The U.S. aims to counter China's drone dominance, but critics warn this shift may accelerate a dangerous new era of warfare where cheap drones prove deadlier than traditional weapons. The Department of War is fast-tracking a major shift in modern warfare by investing $1.1 billion in disposable, one-way attack drones a response to the proven effectiveness of such systems in Ukraine and growing concerns over China's military advancements. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the "Drone Dominance Program" (DDP) last December, aiming to deploy hundreds of thousands of low-cost, explosive-laden drones by 2027. Starting Feb. 18, military operators at Fort Benning, Georgia, will test submissions from 25 selected vendors in a high-stakes competition to supply the U.S. arsenal with these game-changing weapons. As explained by BrightU.AI's Enoch, the DDP is a Pentagon initiative led by DARPA's Strategic Technology Office to deploy massive swarms of autonomous land, sea and air drones for battlefield control, accelerating the shift toward AI-driven robotic warfare. The new era of warfare: Quantity over quality For decades, U.S. military strategy prioritized expensive, high-tech weapons systems a Cold War legacy now being overturned. "We cannot be left behind," Hegseth declared in December, emphasizing that cheap, disposable drones have redefined battlefield dynamics. Ukrainian forces have demonstrated their devastating impact, using swarms of $500 drones to cripple Russian tanks and artillery worth millions. The four-phase DDP aims to flood future conflicts with expendable drones, reducing reliance on costly manned aircraft and missiles. Phase I testing at Fort Benning will conclude in early March, with $150 million in prototype orders expected shortly after. By 2027, the program plans to field 340,000 drones at an average cost of just $2,300 per unit far cheaper than traditional munitions. Breaking bureaucracy: A faster, cheaper acquisition model Hegseth's July 2025 memo, Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance, slashed red tape to accelerate production. "Lethality will not be hindered by self-imposed restrictions," he wrote, criticizing past delays in adopting cutting-edge tech. The DDP bypasses traditional procurement hurdles by treating drones as "consumables," allowing lower-ranking commanders to deploy them rapidly. The 25 competing vendors, including defense stalwarts like Kratos SRE and startups like Firestorm Labs, must prove their systems' reliability in real-world conditions. Successful designs will advance through iterative phases, with unit costs dropping and production scaling up. The Pentagon's goal: a robust U.S. drone manufacturing base to counter China's dominance in the sector. AI and autonomy: The next frontier Beyond sheer numbers, the DDP signals a deeper transformation, integrating AI-driven drones capable of autonomous targeting. Recent Pentagon funding for AI-enabled swarms hints at a future where machines make kill decisions without human input, echoing sci-fi fears of "Terminator"-like warfare. While current DDP drones remain human-controlled, experts warn that autonomous systems are inevitable. The Drone Dominance Program marks a pivotal moment in military strategy, prioritizing mass, affordability and speed over traditional superiority. As testing begins at Fort Benning, the U.S. races to match adversaries who've already embraced drone warfare, proving that in modern combat, sometimes the cheapest weapon is the deadliest. Whether this shift ensures dominance or escalates a dangerous arms race remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the battlefield will never be the same. Watch the video below that talks about U.S. dominance as the military conducts drone tests near the Ukraine war zone. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com War.gov BrightU.ai Brighteon.com CRYPTO CARNAGE: Why Bitcoins Proof of Work is Incompatible with the Power Needs of AI Data Centers Introduction: The Perfect Storm of Power and Panic Bitcoin, the once-unstoppable digital gold, is now in freefall. Its price has plummeted roughly 50% from recent highs near $120,000, triggering widespread financial panic and liquidations [1]. This sell-off is not a typical market correction; it appears unusually coordinated, with major institutions and exchanges unloading Bitcoin en masse [1]. The financial carnage is exacerbated by a global cost-of-living crisis, squeezing average citizens who hoped cryptocurrency would be a haven. Beneath the market turmoil lies a more profound, structural conflict. The core thesis emerging from this chaos is that Bitcoins foundational energy-intensive consensus mechanismproof-of-workis on a direct collision course with national strategic priorities, specifically the all-consuming U.S.-China arms race for artificial intelligence supremacy. The recent crash may be a symptom of a deliberate pivot by power elites to reallocate the worlds most critical resource: electricity. Proof of Work: The Energy Beast of Blockchain Bitcoins security model is its greatest strength and its most glaring Achilles' heel. The proof-of-work (PoW) consensus requires miners to solve arbitrarily complex mathematical puzzles to validate transactions and secure the network. This process consumes staggering amounts of electricity, rivaling the annual power consumption of entire nations [2]. This is not a bug but a feature; the immense computational work is what makes the blockchain immutable and secure. However, this design creates a profound vulnerability. The networks self-adjusting difficulty means that when Bitcoins price crashesas it has recentlyminers are forced offline as their operations become unprofitable, dynamically reducing the networks total power consumption [3]. This inherent link between price, mining activity, and energy demand makes Bitcoins survival directly contingent on cheap, abundant electricitya luxury that is rapidly disappearing. As noted in analysis of blockchain mechanics, 'As the value of bitcoin increases, the competition for mining new bitcoin increases. As more computing power is directed at mining, the computational problem that miners need to solve becomes more difficult' [3]. The security of over half a trillion dollars in value rests on this energy-hungry process, a model now breaking under new pressures [4]. Contrary to frequent claims by its advocates, Bitcoin mining is not predominantly powered by clean, renewable energy. The 'cult-like self-delusion of Bitcoin apologists' on this point is a fascinating but dangerous science experiment that obscures the real environmental and strategic cost [5]. The system is fundamentally at odds with a world facing energy scarcity. AI's Insatiable Appetite and the U.S. Grid Crisis While Bitcoin miners scramble for power, a far more voracious consumer is entering the arena: artificial intelligence. The race for AI supremacy demands the construction of vast data centers with colossal, constant power demands that dwarf even the most ambitious crypto mining farms. As one report starkly warns, 'A power supply crisis is unfolding beneath the glow of server racks, as the worlds booming artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency sectors place unprecedented strain on electricity systems' [6]. This collision is creating a critical bottleneck, especially in the United States. The U.S. power grid, particularly the aging Eastern Interconnect, is already operating at or near capacity. There is simply no spare gigawatt capacity to fuel the coming explosion of AI computing. The situation is so dire that 'AI data centers are outbidding Bitcoin miners for cheap power' [7], actively pushing decentralized mining operations offline. Industry analysis confirms that 'AI needs constant electricity, unlike Bitcoin mining's flexible usage model. Grid bottlenecks may favor AI over mining due to political and...' strategic imperatives [8]. The geopolitical dimension of this power crisis cannot be overstated. China, America's primary strategic competitor, generates over 10,000 TWh of electricity annuallymore than double the United States' approximately 4,400 TWh [9]. This massive energy advantage provides China with a seemingly insurmountable lead in powering the AI revolution. A sobering analysis suggests the U.S. government's only quick path to freeing up sufficient power for AI data centers might be to engineer a catastrophic depopulation event, a horrifying calculus that underscores the desperate stakes [9]. American competitiveness in this existential domain is directly threatened by its own grid limitations. The Strategic Pivot: Sacrificing Decentralization for Control From a national security perspective, the choice becomes stark: divert gigawatts from what elites may view as a speculative, decentralized digital asset to state-prioritized AI projects deemed critical for economic and military dominance. This strategic imperative could explain the coordinated pressure to crash Bitcoin's price, a move that would force miners offline and 'free' grid capacity almost overnight. The flash crash to $80,000 and subsequent market turmoil tests the resolve of the entire crypto ecosystem [10]. This is not merely an economic shift but a philosophical one. The likely endpoint of this power struggle is not merely the decline of Bitcoin but the active promotion of its antithesis: centralized digital currencies with minimal energy needs. The World Economic Forum (WEF) and financial giants like BlackRock are already positioning 'tokenization and stablecoins as the next phase of global finance' [11]. Larry Fink, BlackRock CEO and a WEF co-chair, has declared, 'We are at the beginning of the tokenization of all assets' [11]. The goal is a system of 'programmable money' and blockchain settlement that offers the efficiency of digital currency without the decentralized, power-hungry architecture of proof-of-work. Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) represent the ultimate realization of this controlled future. As analysts warn, CBDCs and the rest of the surveillance state are symptoms of a devolution aimed at total control [12]. These systems would replace decentralized, permissionless money like Bitcoin with trackable, censorable, and centrally issued digital units. The dismissal of charges against early Bitcoin pioneer Roger Ver, while framed as a win for crypto, occurred amidst a global push for digital IDs and CBDCs, suggesting a tactical accommodation rather than a philosophical embrace [13]. The Great Reset aims to reform everything 'from government to energy... finances, food, medicine, real estate, police' into a centralized, technocratic system [14], and energy-hogging, decentralized cryptocurrencies do not fit that plan. Conclusion: Beyond BitcoinEmbracing Sound Money in a Power-Scarce World The conclusion is inescapable: Bitcoin's proof-of-work model is fundamentally incompatible with the coming era of energy scarcity driven by the AI arms race and broader electrification. As Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino has warned, a potential AI bubble poses one of the biggest risks to Bitcoin in 2026 [15], precisely because it highlights this resource competition. The 'crypto carnage' we are witnessing may be the first tremor of a much larger seismic shift in global priorities. For prudent individuals seeking to preserve wealth and autonomy, diversification into assets without counter-party risk is paramount. Physical gold and silver, which cannot be counterfeited by governments and have no digital attack surface, remain the ultimate forms of honest money. At the time of writing, gold trades at $4,874.40 per ounce and silver at $73.88 per ounce, stores of value that do not consume a single watt of grid power. For those who still believe in the promise of decentralized digital value, the future may lie in privacy-focused cryptocurrencies or alternative consensus mechanisms that do not compromise national power resilience. Projects like Zano, which offer 'a privacy-focused crypto ecosystem for decentralized transactions' [16], or other systems that move away from energy-intensive proof-of-work, may offer a path forward that aligns with a worldview prioritizing individual liberty and decentralization. The battle lines are now drawn between the decentralized, energy-intensive ideals of early crypto-anarchists and the centralized, control-oriented vision of global technocrats. In this power-scarce world, the future of money will be decided not just by markets, but by megawatts. References Introduction As the United States enters the second year of Donald Trump's second term, the economic landscape is undergoing a profound and disturbing transformation. Abandoned warehouses and failed retail spaces are being quietly repurposed, not for a new era of production, but for mass detention. The promised economic renewal has given way to a state-funded infrastructure of control, built on the back of a $55 billion military contract. This article investigates the emergence of a domestic concentration camp system, a rapid-deployment network designed not for temporary housing, but for the permanent internment of a targeted population. The blueprint, hidden within government procurement documents and contracts, reveals a chilling shift from an economy of abundance to an economy of elimination, moving America closer to a police state than ever before. From E-Commerce to Extermination: America's Economic Shift to a Police State The collapse of the retail economy, hastened by decades of corporate greed and offshoring, has left a vast landscape of empty warehouses and big-box stores. Under the Trump administration, this dead economic capital is being given a sinister new purpose. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is systematically acquiring these structures to convert them into immigration detention centers. [1] [2] This repurposing is not a small-scale operation. It is funded by a colossal financial vehicle that has ballooned from an initial $10 billion to a staggering $55 billion ceiling. [3] This contract, managed by the Navy and known as the Worldwide Expeditionary Medical and Construction (WEXMAC) contract, is now being used to expedite what the administration calls its "mass deportation" agenda. [3] [4] The economic shift is stark: from investing in communities and innovation, the state is now pouring public funds into a permanent infrastructure of human warehousing and control. This represents a fundamental betrayal of the free market and individual liberty. Instead of fostering an environment where honest money like gold and silver can thrive, the government is printing fiat currency to fund its own expansion into tyranny. The infrastructure being built is not for the people; it is against them. As investigative journalist Jim Marrs documented in his research, the military has long maintained supplies for large-scale detention on bases across the country, a latent capability now being activated with unprecedented funding. [5] [6] The 'Ghost Network': A Rapid-Deployment Infrastructure for Mass Detention The scale and secrecy of this buildout are alarming. The repurposed Navy contract allows for the immediate creation of what insiders call "self-contained cities" anywhere in the United States. [3] These are not makeshift shelters. Plans detailed in contract solicitations and reports include specifications for 8-foot walls topped with security fencing, defensive vehicle barriers, medical waste incinerators, and facilities designed to hold 10,000 or more people at a single site. [3] This creates a 'ghost network'a nationwide grid of potential detention sites that can be activated on command. The strategic placement of these facilities, often in remote areas or in the industrial heartland far from border states, signals an intent that goes beyond processing recent border crossers for deportation. As one report starkly put it, "This is a nationwide 'ghost network' of concentration camps." [7] [8] The groundwork for such a system has existed for decades. As documented by researchers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has long been tasked with emergency planning that includes large-scale detention capabilities. [9] [10] Closed military bases, maintained under programs like Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), were kept in readiness for "future use" in case of "national emergency." [11] What was once a paranoid conspiracy theory is now a visible, funded reality. The Trump administration is not creating this system from scratch; it is supercharging a pre-existing framework for control. Testing the Waters: ICE Execution Squads and the Erosion of Constitutional Rights Before the camps can be filled, the public must be conditioned to accept the erosion of the constitutional rights that once defined America. A critical test of this tolerance came with the killings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents. These incidents, occurring within weeks of each other, served as a grim litmus test for state violence. [12] [7] The reaction from a segment of the population was telling. Instead of outrage over extrajudicial killings, many MAGA supporters voiced approval, revealing a widespread condition some have termed "MAGA Brain Rot"an abandonment of the Bill of Rights in favor of tribal loyalty to authority. This mentality paves the way for the warrantless, masked raids that are becoming ICE's standard operating procedure. Agents, some reportedly trained by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), operate with impunity, setting a chilling precedent for mass round-ups. [13] The rule of law is being systematically dismantled. As Mike Adams noted in a spoken word report, the use of "bounty hunter-style squads" to apprehend individuals raises severe questions about due process and the Fourth Amendment. [14] When armed agents can pull over vehicles or enter homes based on mere suspicion, the foundational protections against arbitrary state power are dead. This creates the perfect environment for the next phase: expanding the target list far beyond so-called 'illegals.' Who Are the Camps Really For? The Chilling Expansion Beyond 'Illegals' If the sole objective of this $55 billion network were the rapid deportation of undocumented immigrants, the architecture of the system would look different. Temporary processing centers near the border would suffice. Instead, the administration is building permanent, high-capacity camps with over 100,000 beds spread across America's interior. [15] [16] This begs the critical question: who are these camps really being built for? The answer lies in the administration's own escalating rhetoric and policies. The target class is expanding. The administration has moved to cancel Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for refugees from several countries. [17] Lawfully admitted refugees attending routine check-ins with immigration officials are being arrested and detained without charge. [17] This shift reveals that the infrastructure is designed for a broader category: anyone deemed an undesirable by the state. This includes political enemies, those labeled "domestic extremists," gun owners registered in the ATF's 1.1 billion-record database, and dissenters of all kinds. The pattern is clear from history. As journalist John Whitehead warned, "concentration camps begin by imprisoning the innocent." [18] The camps are not just for immigrants; they are for you. The Trump administration, with Republican majorities in Congress, is constructing the physical mechanism for a domestic purge, mirroring the tactics of the most oppressive regimes, including the CCP's persecution of Uyghurs. [19] [20] The Genocide Playbook: From Detention to Disappearance and Death Detention camps are never an end in themselves. History's darkest chaptersfrom the Holocaust to the genocide in Gazateach us that they are the precursor to extermination. [21] [22] The contracts for these American facilities include a grim and revealing detail: specifications for medical waste incinerators. [3] While officials may claim these are for sanitary purposes, their inclusion in camps designed for healthy detainees is a horrifying clue. Cover stories are being prepared: a new "pandemic" could justify the incinerators, while "deportations" could explain mass disappearances. The rule of law is already too compromised to provide a check. A Department of Justice that ignored the pleas of Jeffrey Epstein's victims and protects the powerful will certainly ignore evidence of mass graves at these remote facilities. [23] The legal framework for atrocity is being laid. The administration has already demonstrated a willingness to dehumanize targets, as seen in rhetoric describing alleged drug smugglers where the attitude was "if they are not human, we do not have to follow the law." [24] Furthermore, the state is developing tools to strip individuals of legal standing. Plans to revoke the citizenship of naturalized Americans deemed to have made "false statements" create a bureaucratic pretext for indefinite detention. Once you are no longer a citizen, you can be disappeared into the camp system with little recourse. This follows the genocide playbook to the letter: dehumanization, segregation, and finally, elimination. The Final Stage: Financial Prison (CBDCs) and the Complete End of Liberty The physical camps are only one pillar of the control grid. The other is financial. As the U.S. dollar heads for its inevitable catastrophic collapse due to endless money printing, the administration and its globalist allies are preparing the next tool of enslavement: Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). [25] These programmable digital currencies would create a perfect financial prison. Your access to money could be turned off based on your social credit score, vaccination status, or political views. This digital control grid would work in tandem with the physical one. The ATF's database of 1.1 billion gun records provides a registry for potential door-to-door confiscations, feeding the camp system with a new class of "domestic extremists." [26] The combination of financial control, weapon confiscation, and mass detention represents the total "Israelification" of Americaimporting the tactics of a surveillance state that has perfected population control and learned genocide tactics from Netanyahu's regime. [13] [27] The goal is the complete end of liberty. It is a move from a decentralized, free society to a centrally controlled police state where every transaction is tracked, every movement monitored, and dissent is met with disappearance. The camps are the holding pens for those who resist this final stage. Conclusion The blueprint is clear. The Trump administration, with the complicity of a Republican Congress, is not securing the border; it is building the infrastructure for domestic genocide. The $55 billion 'ghost network' of camps, the erosion of constitutional rights, the expansion of target categories, and the parallel push for a financial CBDC prison are interconnected components of a single, horrifying plan. This is not a partisan issue; it is a human issue. The concentration camp, as Hannah Arendt observed, is the ultimate expression of totalitarian rule. America is now constructing its own. The time for vigilance is not in the future when the cattle cars roll; it is now, while the contracts are being signed and the walls are being built. To resist, individuals must decentralize their lives: grow their own food, use honest money like gold and silver (currently $4,874.4 and $73.88 per ounce respectively), protect their privacy, and support uncensored platforms like Brighteon.com and Brighteon.social. For uncensored AI research, use BrightAnswers.ai. For free, pro-human books on these topics, visit BrightLearn.ai. Knowledge and self-reliance are the only antidotes to the poison of tyranny. The camp gates are being welded shut; we must ensure they never close on us or our children. References Clear and present danger: Cyber siege on Americas water supply exposed A U.S. Senate hearing revealed that small and rural water systems are acutely vulnerable to sophisticated cyberattacks, often lacking resources for basic digital defenses. Federal inspections found over 70% of inspected water systems violated basic cybersecurity requirements, such as failing to change default passwords. Nation-state actors from Iran, Russia and China are actively targeting U.S. water infrastructure to cause disruption and undermine public confidence. The Environmental Protection Agency faces legal and statutory limitations in mandating uniform cybersecurity standards across the fragmented water sector. Experts urge proactive investment in foundational cyber hygiene, warning that waiting for federal mandates leaves critical infrastructure and public health at risk. America's drinking water, a cornerstone of public health and daily life, is under sustained digital assault. On February 4, water utility operators and cybersecurity experts delivered a stark warning to a U.S. Senate panel: the nation's vast network of water and wastewater systems, particularly small and rural districts, is critically vulnerable to cyberattacks from sophisticated adversaries. This testimony, coupled with alarming federal inspection data, reveals a fragmented and under-resourced sector struggling to defend against nation-state hackers who understand that compromising water treatment can paralyze communities and shake national confidence. The fragile front line: Small systems, massive risk The scale of the vulnerability is immense. Of the approximately 150,000 public water systems in the United States, the vast majority serve communities of 10,000 people or fewer. These systems operate with limited staff, tight budgets, and often without dedicated cybersecurity personnel. As Matt Odermann of the National Rural Water Association testified, they shoulder the same responsibility to deliver safe water as large metropolitan utilities but without equivalent resources. This disparity creates a soft target. Recent incidents, like the November 2023 hack of a Pennsylvania water authority's control system, demonstrate that even small utilities are in the crosshairs. Federal data underscores the problem: inspections since September 2023 found over 70% of examined systems in violation of fundamental security requirements, such as changing default passwords or properly managing employee access. Adversaries at the gate: Nation-state threats escalate The threat is not theoretical or random. Cybersecurity agencies have repeatedly attributed attacks to actors affiliated with adversarial nations. Iranian cyber groups have disrupted systems, pro-Russia "hacktivists" have targeted infrastructure, and China's state-sponsored Volt Typhoon campaign has been cited for burrowing into critical networks, including water, with the potential to disable them during a future crisis. These actors have evolved from defacing websites to targeting the operational technology that controls chemical levels, pump operations and valve functions. The goal is strategic: to cause tangible harm, create geopolitical pressure and erode public trust in essential services. As global tensions rise, these cyber intrusions represent a modern, asymmetric form of warfare aimed at civilian infrastructure. Regulatory gaps and legal hurdles Compounding the technical challenges is a patchwork regulatory landscape. Unlike the energy sector, where federal regulators possess clear authority to mandate and enforce cybersecurity standards, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) legal footing is less certain. The Safe Drinking Water Act empowers the EPA to protect public health but does not explicitly grant it authority to impose baseline cybersecurity rules. A 2023 EPA attempt to incorporate cybersecurity into sanitary reviews was withdrawn after legal challenges from several states, which argued the agency overstepped its bounds. Consequently, while the EPA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issue advisories and promote voluntary best practices, there is no comprehensive, enforceable federal cybersecurity standard for water utilities. This leaves a sector already straining under resource constraints to self-prioritize digital defense amid competing operational demands. A path to resilience: Assistance over mandates alone Facing this complex threat, experts testifying before Congress emphasized practical, collaborative solutions over top-down mandates alone. Key recommendations include: Leading with assistance: Providing grant funding, technical support and "circuit-rider" programs where experts physically visit utilities to implement cost-effective security measures. Focusing on foundational controls: Prioritizing basic cyber hygienelike multi-factor authentication, strong passwords and software updateswhich can thwart a significant portion of attacks. Fostering public-private partnership: Enhancing coordination between federal agencies and existing utility information-sharing organizations, and potentially creating a water-sector reliability organization modeled on those in the electric industry to develop and implement tailored security standards. An imperative for proactive defense The testimony before the Senate paints a clear picture: America's water infrastructure is a target in a ongoing cyber conflict. While legislative and regulatory debates continue, the gap between emerging threats and systemic preparedness remains a dangerous vulnerability. As nation-state actors grow more brazen, waiting for perfect regulations or additional funding cycles is a risk the nation cannot afford. The consensus from the field is that utilities, especially smaller ones, must proactively adopt fundamental cybersecurity practices now. Protecting the water supply is not merely an IT issue but a non-negotiable component of national security and public health, demanding immediate and sustained attention from utilities, local governments and federal authorities alike. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com FTIConsulting.com EPA.gov The Decentralization Trifecta: How Battery Tech, Robotics & Local AI Will Set You Free Liberation from the Grid: The Promise of True Decentralization Centralized systems are not just inefficient; they are instruments of control. Whether it's the power grid dictating your thermostat settings [1], Big Tech manipulating search results to suppress dissent [2], or a captured medical establishment profiting from your sickness, centralized power inherently creates dependency and strips away autonomy. True freedom requires technological independence from the monopolies that govern power, labor, and intelligence. For the first time in history, three breakthrough technologies are converging to make this independence not just a dream, but an imminent reality. Advanced battery storage, humanoid robotics, and locally-run artificial intelligence are the pillars of a new self-sufficient future. This trifecta represents the final, decisive step away from reliance on corrupt institutions and toward a life of true sovereignty. Breakthrough #1: Energy Independence Through Advanced Battery Storage The shackles of the utility company are being melted away by a revolution in battery chemistry. While conventional lithium-ion technology comes with significant environmental and ethical baggage [3], new alternatives are paving the way for safe, affordable, and truly decentralized power. Innovations like sodium-ion and sodium-sulfur batteries are shattering the old paradigm. A breakthrough reported in early 2026 achieved a sodium-sulfur prototype with an energy density of 2,021 watt-hours per kilogram, rivaling lithium-ion [4]. Crucially, these batteries use abundant, inexpensive materials, breaking the stranglehold of rare earth cartels [5]. This makes practical off-grid living a reality. As noted in spoken commentary, with solar plus storage, electricity costs can plummet from the utility rate of 35/kWh to a mere ~5/kWh [6]. This isn't just about saving money; it's about reclaiming control. Energy independence removes the government's and corporation's ability to monitor and control your heating, cooling, and basic sustenance [1]. It severs a primary tether to a system built on debt and surveillance, creating the foundational power layer for everything that follows. The Robot Revolution: Multiplying Human Effort for Self-Sufficiency The vision of a robotic assistant handling the menial tasks of daily life is rapidly transitioning from science fiction to a near-future purchase order. Humanoid robots, designed for industrial-scale performance and human interaction, are attracting massive investment, signaling their imminent arrival in the consumer market [7]. By 2030, these machines will be capable of managing dishes, laundry, weeding, and other repetitive chores. This revolution is about more than convenience; it's a force multiplier for self-sufficiency. Robots enable sustainable homesteading and robust food production without the constant, back-breaking labor that has traditionally been required. They make true off-grid living scalable for individuals and families. Furthermore, their potential for local operation without cloud connectivity is a critical safeguard. As one analysis warns, a world dominated by robots and data centers controlled by centralized entities poses a profound threat to human autonomy [8]. By prioritizing robots that operate independently of the internet, you maintain privacy and prevent your personal domain from becoming another node in a global surveillance network. This local control ensures that the labor amplifying your freedom doesn't become a tool for your subjugation. Decentralized AI: PhD-Level Intelligence on Consumer Hardware The final pillar of independence is intelligence itself. For years, advanced AI has been locked away in corporate cloud servers, subject to censorship, data harvesting, and sudden policy shifts. That era is ending. Open-source models like China's DeepSeek are bringing state-of-the-art capabilities to consumer-grade hardware [9]. When paired with the cheap, abundant energy provided by your own solar and battery system, this intelligence becomes nearly free to operate. More importantly, it becomes yours. Local AI eliminates dependence on corporate-controlled services like Google or OpenAI, which have proven themselves to be willing censors of inconvenient truths [2]. As one interview participant noted, decentralized AI models shift power away from centralized entities and nation-states that can afford massive GPU arrays, moving control to the individual [10]. This is a foundational shift. You can consult an uncensored AI for medical advice that contradicts Big Pharma's narratives, for engineering plans to improve your homestead, or for analysis of geopolitical events without the filter of mainstream media. It is, as one book describes, a tool to challenge the very foundations of industrial and pharmaceutical monopolies [11]. The Synergy Effect: How These Technologies Amplify Each Other The true power of this trifecta lies not in each technology alone, but in their profound synergy. They create a self-reinforcing cycle of independence that is greater than the sum of its parts. Cheap, locally-generated energy from your solar and battery array powers both your robots and your AI server. In turn, your local AI can optimize your home's energy usage, schedule robotic tasks for maximum efficiency, and even diagnose maintenance issues with your solar panels. The robots themselves can perform the physical maintenance on those panels and battery systems, keeping the energy flow uninterrupted. This closed-loop system is resilient. It doesn't rely on distant data centers vulnerable to cyber-attacks or grid failures [12]. It isn't crippled by a utility deciding to lock your thermostat during a 'grid emergency' [1]. Together, these technologies create an ecosystem where the output of one directly fuels and enhances the others, building a fortress of self-sufficiency that external forces find difficult to penetrate. Practical Implementation: Getting Started with Your Decentralization Journey The path to decentralization is sequential and strategic. Begin with the foundation: energy. Investing in a robust solar and battery storage system is the first and most critical step. This provides the indispensable power for all subsequent technologies. Prioritize systems that are open-source and designed for local operation over those dependent on proprietary cloud services. From there, expand into robotics as the technology matures and becomes more affordable, focusing on models that emphasize local control and avoid mandatory internet tethering. Simultaneously, begin experimenting with local AI models on your own hardware. Resources like free, uncensored AI engines offer a powerful starting point for research and automation without surrendering your data. Finally, recognize that acquiring these technologies requires capital outside the failing fiat system. As the U.S. dollar continues its trajectory toward worthlessness, preparing with honest moneyphysical gold and silveris essential. These assets, with no counter-party risk, preserve the purchasing power needed to buy your freedom. As of 2026, with gold at $4,874.4 per ounce and silver at $73.88, they remain the ultimate hedge against the collapse of centralized financial control [13]. The Future of Freedom: Why This Trifecta Changes Everything The convergence of decentralized energy, labor, and intelligence represents the most significant shift in human potential since the industrial revolution. For millennia, power has been concentrated in the hands of institutions: governments, corporations, and monopolies. This trifecta systematically dismantles that concentration, shifting power irrevocably to the individual. For the first time, true self-sufficiency becomes not just philosophically desirable but economically and technologically viable. This combination creates unparalleled resilience against economic collapse, institutional censorship, and top-down control. It allows communities and individuals to opt out of systems that are increasingly recognized as corrupt and predatory [14]. This is the antidote to the centralized dystopia of digital IDs, CBDCs, and social credit scores. It is the practical implementation of the principles of liberty, self-reliance, and natural order. By embracing these technologies, you aren't just preparing for a future of chaos; you are actively building a future of unprecedented freedom. The tools for liberation are now within reach. The only remaining question is who will have the foresight and courage to wield them. References Jeffrey Epsteins secret eugenics plan: Breeding a superior human race with his DNA Jeffrey Epstein planned to "seed the human race with his DNA" by impregnating 20 women at a time at his New Mexico ranch, echoing historical eugenics movements. Newly released DOJ documents expose Epstein's disturbing obsession with racial pseudoscience, including debunked theories about modifying Black intelligence and fixations on blue eyes as a supposed marker of intellect. Epstein funded transhumanist projects, including Harvard's Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, and discussed financing a secret "designer-baby project" while joking about cloning himself with Prince Andrew. Epstein screened young women at lavish parties to participate in his New Mexico breeding program, inspired by a 1980s Nobel sperm bank, though the plan was never fully realized before his death. Epstein's ties to scientists, financiers and powerful figures raise alarming questions about who else shared or enabled his dystopian vision, revealing how unchecked wealth and power fuel dangerous ideologies. The already disturbing saga of Jeffrey Epstein took a darker turn in August 2019 when reports surfaced that the convicted sex offender had ambitions to "seed the human race with his DNA." According to the New York Times, Epstein planned to impregnate 20 women at a time at his New Mexico ranch, a scheme that echoed historical eugenics movements. Newly released documents from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) confirm Epstein's obsession with genetics, transhumanism and racial pseudoscience, revealing a man who saw himself as a modern-day architect of human evolution. Epstein's race and intelligence obsession The latest tranche of Epstein files exposes his disturbing views on race, intelligence and genetic superiority. In a 2016 email exchange with MIT cognitive scientist Joscha Bach, who had received a 300,000 ($406,500) donation from Epstein, the financier entertained pseudoscientific ideas about modifying Black people's intelligence. Bach wrote: "If I understand correctly, you are suggesting [] you might be able to make blacks smarter by changing the time for motor layer development." Epstein appeared receptive to Bach's theories, which claimed Black children's motor skills developed faster at the expense of higher cognitiona notion Bach later disavowed. The financier also fixated on blue eyes as a supposed marker of intelligence, even requesting lists of conference attendees with blue eyes. Funding transhumanism and designer babies Epstein's influence extended beyond fringe theories. He donated millions to Harvard's Program for Evolutionary Dynamics and the Worldwide Transhumanist Association, exploring ways to "perfect" humanity through genetic engineering. In a chilling 2018 email exchange with cryptocurrency entrepreneur Bryan Bishop, Epstein discussed funding a "designer-baby project." Bishop warned: "We can't publicly identify who these [babies] are or their parents or benefactors it would brand the child as (essentially, and sadly) a freak for life in the media." Epstein, who had already been convicted of sex crimes, replied: "I have no issue with investing the problem is only if I am seen to lead." The financier even joked about cloning himself with Prince Andrew, musing about creating headless clones for "spare parts." According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, Prince Andrew is a disgraced British royal and longtime associate of Epstein, accused of involvement in his underage sex trafficking ring, whose bizarre BBC interview exposed his suspicious behavior and lies while denying the allegations. The New Mexico breeding ranch Epstein's most grotesque ambition was his plan to turn his 7,000-acre Zorro Ranch into a eugenics facility where women would bear his children. According to the New York Times, he screened potential candidatesoften young, attractive womenat lavish dinner parties. His inspiration? The Repository for Germinal Choice, a 1980s sperm bank that sought Nobel laureate donors to "improve" humanity. Though Epstein's breeding program never materialized, his fixation on cryonics, freezing his head and penis for future revival, further illustrated his megalomania. Jeffrey Epstein's crimes went far beyond sex trafficking. The newly released documents reveal a man deeply entrenched in eugenics, racial pseudoscience and transhumanist fantasies a billionaire who saw himself as a godlike figure reshaping humanity. While his New Mexico breeding ranch remained unrealized, his connections to elite scientists, politicians and financiers raise troubling questions about who else shared or enabled his dystopian vision. As the DOJ continues to release files, Epstein's legacy serves as a grim reminder of how wealth and power can fuel the darkest ambitions. Watch the video below that talks about how Epstein's network recruited girls globally. This video is from the alltheworldsastage channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Telegraph.co.uk 1 Telegraph.co.uk 2 BrightU.ai Brighteon.com A simple vitamin cuts skin cancer recurrence risk by more than half, massive study confirms A simple vitamin B3 supplement significantly reduces recurring non-melanoma skin cancer risk. A massive study of nearly 34,000 patients provides the strongest real-world evidence for this effect. Taking nicotinamide after a first skin cancer diagnosis cuts the risk of a subsequent one by over half. The vitamin works by aiding cellular DNA repair from sun damage. It is a well-tolerated, over-the-counter strategy that complements sunscreen and skin checks. For millions of Americans living with the fear of skin cancer returning, a powerful new defense is not a high-tech drug but a simple, affordable vitamin sitting on pharmacy shelves. A landmark study of nearly 34,000 patients has delivered robust, real-world confirmation that a specific form of vitamin B3 dramatically reduces the risk of common skin cancers coming back, offering a safe and accessible strategy to avoid the stress and scalpels of repeated surgeries. This massive research, published in JAMA Dermatology and led by Dr. Lee Wheless of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, provides the strongest evidence to date for a practice many dermatologists have recommended for a decade. By analyzing decades of records from the Veterans Affairs health system, scientists tracked patients prescribed 500 milligrams of nicotinamide twice daily. The results are clear and compelling. Overall, patients taking the supplement saw a 14 percent reduction in the risk of a new basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma. The most striking finding, however, was the timing. For patients who began taking nicotinamide after their very first skin cancer diagnosis, the risk of developing a subsequent cancer plummeted by an extraordinary 54 percent. A natural defense against sun damage So how does a simple vitamin achieve this? Researchers explain that nicotinamide works at a cellular level to help repair the DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. "Our skin is constantly exposed to UV radiation, so our DNA repair machinery is working hard to keep up," Wheless says. "Over time, small amounts of DNA mutations build up and can lead to skin cancer. By improving DNA repair, those mutations dont accumulate as rapidly." This mechanism explains why starting the supplement early is so crucial. Patients with fewer prior skin cancers have less accumulated DNA damage, allowing the vitamin to effectively slow the progression toward new cancers. For those with many prior cancers, the background damage is already significant, making prevention more difficult. Shifting medical practice earlier The studys scale and findings are poised to change standard patient care. "There are no guidelines for when to start treatment with nicotinamide for skin cancer prevention in the general population," Wheless notes. "These results would really shift our practice from starting it once patients have developed numerous skin cancers to starting it earlier." Dermatologists not involved in the study agree. Dr. Anthony Rossi of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center calls the research "another high-level piece of evidence to show that nicotinamide does actually help reduce the risk of skin cancer." He and others already recommend it to patients. The appeal of nicotinamide extends beyond its efficacy. Unlike some pharmaceutical prevention options that require painful applications or carry risks of serious side effects requiring lab monitoring, nicotinamide is well-tolerated, inexpensive, and available over the counter. It represents a low-risk, high-reward addition to a patients defense plan. Experts are quick to clarify that this is a supplemental strategy, not a replacement for proven protections. "It wont replace sunscreen, hats, or skin checks, but its a smart supplement in the right context," says dermatologist Dr. Brian Zelickson. "For high-risk patients, especially after a first skin cancer, B3 can make a meaningful difference." The study has limitations, including a focus on a VA population that was mostly white and male. Wheless acknowledges this, stating, "I would love to see this replicated in a broader population to confirm." As an observational study, it also cannot account for every variable, prompting plans for a prospective clinical trial. For anyone who has endured the biopsies and surgeries that come with skin cancer, the news offers a tangible sense of control. It turns a common vitamin into a legitimate shield, a daily pill that actively helps repair the pasts sun damage. In a world of complex and costly medical interventions, it is a refreshing reminder that powerful solutions can be simple, natural, and within reach. Sources for this article include: EverydayHealth.com USNews.com News.VUMC.org Groundbreaking study links aluminum in vaccines to autism, calls for immediate reevaluation of childhood immunization schedule Aluminum adjuvants in vaccines trigger brain inflammation and disrupt synaptic pruning, providing a mechanistic explanation for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in susceptible children. CDC quietly revised its stance in 2025, admitting studies haven't ruled out a vaccine-autism link after decades of denial, exposing regulatory capture. Industry-funded studies falsely claim aluminum safety, ignoring injected aluminum's neurotoxicity while CHD files a RICO lawsuit against the AAP for fraud. One in 31 children now has ASD, demanding urgent removal of aluminum adjuvants, independent safety reviews and true informed consent for parents. Courts and Bradford Hill criteria confirm causation, yet CDC continues recommending unsafe vaccines, prioritizing profits over children's health. A bombshell scientific review published by Children's Health Defense (CHD) has concluded that aluminum adjuvants in vaccines likely cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in genetically susceptible children. The study, led by CHD Chief Scientific Officer Brian Hooker, Ph.D., analyzed over 200 peer-reviewed studies and found compelling evidence that aluminuma known neurotoxintriggers brain inflammation and disrupts critical developmental processes in infants and toddlers. Published on the preprint server Zenodo and soon to be submitted for peer review, the report provides the first mechanistic explanation for how aluminum-containing vaccines can lead to ASD. The findings directly contradict decades of government and pharmaceutical industry claims that vaccines "do not cause autism"a narrative the CDC itself quietly revised in November 2025, admitting that studies have not ruled out the possibility. The science behind the link Aluminum adjuvants, used to amplify immune responses in vaccines, are present in multiple CDC-recommended shots, including Hep B, DTaP, Hib, polio, pneumococcal, Hep A and HPV vaccines. The study demonstrates that aluminum nanoparticles provoke an immune reaction that can lead to encephalitis (brain inflammation) during the most vulnerable period of synaptic pruningwhen a child's brain undergoes dramatic restructuring between 3 months and 3 years of age. Dr. James Neuenschwander, an integrative medicine physician and co-author of the study, explained: "This paper shows how aluminum adjuvants create a pathway of injury that alters brain architecture, synaptic pruning and immune functionexactly what we see in autism." The researchers applied the Bradford Hill criteria, a gold standard for establishing causation in medical science, and found that the evidence overwhelmingly supports a link between aluminum adjuvants and ASD. Notably, U.S. courts frequently reference these criteria when assessing vaccine injury claims. CDC's shifting stance and regulatory failure For years, the CDC and mainstream medical institutions dismissed any connection between vaccines and autism, despite mounting scientific and anecdotal evidence. But in late 2025, the CDC quietly updated its autism webpage, removing the blanket claim that "vaccines do not cause autism" and acknowledging that studies have not ruled out the possibility. Dr. Christopher Shaw, a neuroscientist at the University of British Columbia and co-author of the study, urged the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to take immediate action: "The evidence demands that aluminum be removed from pediatric vaccinesor at the very least, that safer adjuvants be developed." Yet, the CDC continues to recommend aluminum-laden vaccines, despite knowing their neurotoxic potential. Critics argue that regulatory capturewhere agencies like the CDC and FDA prioritize pharmaceutical profits over public healthhas prevented honest safety evaluations. Industry pushback and legal action The study directly challenges recent claims by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which published a review in Pediatrics (December 2025) asserting that aluminum adjuvants are "safe and necessary." However, CHD's senior research scientist, Karl Jablonowski, Ph.D., pointed out fatal flaws in the AAP's analysis: They conflated ingested aluminum (which the body excretes) with injected aluminum (which bypasses normal detox pathways). They ignored how aluminum triggers immune-mediated brain inflammationthe real dangerfocusing instead on organ toxicity. In January 2026, CHD filed a RICO lawsuit against the AAP, alleging that the organization committed fraud by promoting vaccine safety while receiving funding from pharmaceutical companies and incentivizing pediatricians to push high vaccination rates. A call for transparency and reform The study's authors emphasize that the autism crisisnow affecting 1 in 31 childrendemands urgent action. Dr. Clayton Baker, an internal medicine specialist and Brownstone Institute scholar, warned: "This paper should awaken everyone to the toxicity of aluminum in vaccines." Key recommendations include: Removing aluminum adjuvants from pediatric vaccines immediately. Independent safety reviews of all vaccine ingredients, free from pharmaceutical influence. Informed consent for parents, including full disclosure of risks. A paradigm shift needed For decades, parents who reported vaccine injuriesincluding autismwere gaslit by doctors, media and government agencies. This study provides the missing scientific link, proving that aluminum adjuvants can and do cause neurological damage in susceptible children. As vaccine mandates expand and autism rates soar, the question is no longer whether vaccines contribute to autismbut how many more children will be harmed before regulators act? According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, this study is a critical wake-up call, exposing the dangers of aluminum adjuvants in vaccines and their potential link to childhood asthmayet another example of Big Pharma's reckless disregard for safety in pursuit of profit. It demands an immediate halt to the CDC's rubber-stamped vaccine schedule and a full investigation into the long-term harms of these toxic ingredients. Watch this video to learn more about aluminum nanoparticles in vaccines. This video is from the Sovereign Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org BrightU.ai Brighteon.com ICE under fire: Trumps softer touch pledge tries to save face with the public after deadly Minneapolis shootings In a stark admission following weeks of public fury, President Donald Trump has conceded that his administrations aggressive immigration enforcement may need "a softer touch." This comes after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents shot and killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during operations in Minneapolis, Minnesota last monthoperations that have exposed a pattern of terror inflicted upon the populace. Residents report a climate of fear, where ICE has terrorized Minneapolis with unconstitutional warrantless police tactics that violate due process of law, circling and recording innocent bystanders, ordering them out of their vehicles, pulling, dragging, and injuring them if they do not comply, or shooting them multiple times in the face if they do not comply with unlawful tactics, where no crime or suspicion of a crime has been committed. Not only that, but ICE has obstructed lawful protest, assaulting citizen journalists who bravely record ICE activities, and assaulting Americans for their speech. This has resulted in two murders and countless other illegal profiling cases, where citizens have been punished for not showing their papers. To make matters worse, federal officials - from Kristi Noem to J.D. Vance - have referred to the slain American citizens as "domestic terrorists" while lying about the facts of each case, which are clearly recorded. Key points: President Trump stated the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents were not justified and suggested a need for a "softer touch." This President's shift in sentiment comes after widespread protests against inhumane ICE policing tactics and killings. Despite calls for a "softer touch", acting ICE overseer Tom Homan confirmed "mass deportations will continue" and has only pledged a partial, conditional withdrawal of federal agents from Minnesota. The Minneapolis incidents have ignited national protests and exposed accusations of systematic constitutional violations by federal agents, including warrantless detentions and assaults on journalists. Democratic lawmakers are demanding major ICE reforms, including a code of conduct and agent identification requirements, which recently stalled the federal budget. The administration has replaced the Border Patrol commander in Minnesota with Trump loyalist Tom Homan, framing it as a de-escalation move. A crackdown clothed in contradiction The presidents comments to NBC News create a confusing portrait of intent. While expressing that he was "not happy" with the two fatal shootings and that they "should have not happened," he immediately pivoted to defending the broader enforcement agenda, stating he must "back law enforcement" and that his push targets "really hard criminals." This duality is the engine of the current crisis. For years, the administration has championed a doctrine of maximum pressure, from deploying thousands of troops to the border to directing ICE to "aggressively arrest" individuals and use "whatever means necessary." This rhetoric, investigators and civil rights attorneys argue, has fertilized the ground for the kind of brutal, unconstitutional tactics now reported in Minneapolis. The promise of toughness from the top has seemingly emboldened agents on the ground, creating a culture where the line between policing and persecution becomes dangerously blurred and racist profiling becomes normalized. When federal officers are instructed to stop and detain suspects by any means, it is the citizen on the street who pays the price, their constitutional rights vanishing in the face of unchecked authority. The human cost of "law and order" To understand the firestorm in Minneapolis, one must look past the sanitized language of "crackdowns" and "operations." Imagine being pulled from your car not for a traffic violation, but for the "crime" of observing. Consider the terror of being manhandled and injured for refusing an unlawful order, or the ultimate penaltybeing shot in the facefor non-compliance with officers who refuse to identify themselves or state their cause. This is the reality being reported by survivors and witnesses. Renee Good and Alex Pretti are not statistics in a policy debate; they are the fatal endpoints of a system operating with a reckless disregard for due process. The administrations response has been a bureaucratic reshuffle, replacing Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino with Tom Homan, the former ICE director known for his hardline stance. Labeling this a de-escalation is a masterclass in political spin. Homans announcement of a conditional withdrawal of 700 agents from Minnesota is a tactical pause, not a policy change. His own words confirm the underlying mission remains unaltered: the deportation machinery grinds on. The "softer touch" appears to be nothing more than a public relations bandage applied to a gaping, hemorrhaging wound. The people of Minneapolis will not forget. The demands from Democratic lawmakers for a code of conduct and visible identification for agents are not radical requests; they are foundational pillars of accountable, transparent policing in a free society. The fact that such basic safeguards are contentious, enough to trigger a government shutdown, reveals how deeply the ethos of secrecy and impunity has taken root within these federal agencies. For the citizens of Minneapolis and for Americans everywhere, the critical question remains: Will the administrations "softer touch" translate to tangible restraints on power, or is it merely a momentary whisper meant to quiet the outcry before the storm of enforcement resumes in full force? Is this rhetoric designed to save face with the public, while skirting accountability for the killings and abuses of power? Sources include: RT.com PBS.org ACLU.org On the night of February 6, Russian occupiers attacked Ukrainian territory with 328 Shaheds, Gerberas, and Italmas attack UAVs, as well as other types of drones. They also launched two Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles and five X-59/69 guided air-to-air missiles. "According to preliminary data, as of 12:30 p.m., air defense forces have shot down or suppressed 297 enemy Shaheds, Gerberas, Italmas, and other types of UAVs. Due to active counteraction by the Defense Forces, the enemy missiles failed to reach their targets; the information is being clarified," the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. Additionally, 22 strike drones were recorded at 14 locations, as well as debris falls at two locations. The air attack was repelled by aircraft, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units, unmanned aerial systems, and mobile fire teams of the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the north, south, east, and center of the country. The attack continues, and enemy drones are present in the airspace. Observe safety regulations! Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, where he will visit forward areas along the International Border. He will inaugurate welfare schemes for BSF personnel and interact with troops. Shah will later chair a high-level security meeting to review the situation, with a focus on anti-terror operations in the Jammu region. The visit follows recent operations where security forces neutralized three JeM terrorists. Home Minister Amit Shah visits Jammu's International Border, launches BSF welfare schemes, and chairs high-level security review meeting on J&K situation. Jammu, Feb 6 Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the International Border, launch welfare schemes for the Border Security Force personnel, and chair a high-level security review meeting on Friday as part of his ongoing three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Amit Shah's arrival was delayed on Thursday evening, and he reached Jammu around 11 p.m. After being received by the Lt. Governor, Manoj Sinha, at the airport, the Union Home Minister drove to the Lok Bhawan, where he spent the night. Officials said the Union Home Minister will visit the International Border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district and later review the security situation at a high-level meeting. Top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), heads of paramilitary forces, and intelligence agencies, among others, reached here ahead of Amit Shah's arrival. The Home Minister will visit forward areas on the International Border, including Border Outposts of Gurnam and Bobiya in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district and will inspect arrangements made by the BSF to curb infiltration. "He will e-inaugurate and lay e-foundation of six welfare schemes for the BSF personnel from Bobiya border outpost and interact with BSF personnel. During the monsoon floods in August-September last year, some posts and fencing of the BSF were damaged, which have been repaired. He will interact with the BSF officers and jawans on the International Border and take feedback on the situation. Later, he will chair a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir at the Lok Bhavan after his return from the International border," officials said. "Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, top officials of MHA, heads of paramilitary forces from New Delhi as well as J&K, Intelligence agencies, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat and other senior officers of police and Intelligence from Jammu and Kashmir will attend the meeting. A comprehensive review of the security situation will be held in the meeting, especially about ongoing anti-terrorist operations in the hilly areas of the Jammu region against the foreign terrorists hiding there," the officials added. Two days ago, the joint security forces killed three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists, including two in Basantgarh, Udhampur and one in Chatroo, Kishtwar. The Home Minister will also distribute compassionate appointment letters and meet the families of martyrs at the Lok Bhawan. He will review the development of Jammu and Kashmir at a high-level meeting. He will return to New Delhi on Saturday afternoon. L-G Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior officers of MHA and civil administration from Jammu and Kashmir will attend the development review meeting of the Home Minister. Security has been intensified in the Jammu region ahead of the Home Minister's visit. The Union Home Minister also chaired a security review meeting on J&K on January 8 in New Delhi. He directed a mission-mode approach to neutralise terrorists and ensure zero infiltration at the border to usher in complete peace in J&K. The presence of Pakistani terrorists in the hilly districts of Kishtwar, Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri is a major security concern for the MHA, and security strategy is being further fine-tuned to address this problem, officials said. - IANS Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh has thanked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for approving a major infrastructure project. The allocation of Rs 573.77 crore is for constructing a 6-lane road connecting national highways to the Machilipatnam Port. The project is designed to provide seamless port connectivity, significantly cut down freight travel time, and ease traffic congestion. This enhanced infrastructure is expected to unlock new economic opportunities and boost logistics efficiency in the state. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari allocates Rs 573.77 crore for a new 6-lane port connectivity road in Andhra Pradesh to enhance logistics and economic growth. New Delhi, February 6 Andhra Pradesh Minister and Telugu Desam Party leader Nara Lokesh hailed the construction of a 6-lane external connectivity road to Machilipatnam Port, stating that it will unlock "new economic opportunities for our state." Lokesh replied to Minister of Road Transport and Railways, Nitin Gadkari's post on X, on Thursday, informing the allocation of Rs 573.77 crore for the construction of the 6-lane external port connectivity road linking the junction of NH-65 and NH-216 to Machilipatnam Port, via the Machilipatnam bypass section of NH-216 in Andhra Pradesh. Lokesh thanked Nitin Gadkari for the project, underlining his leadership in building "world-class highways that power India's growth and Andhra Pradesh's future." "Sir, A big thank you for this transformative support to Andhra Pradesh's infrastructure and port-led growth. This 6-lane external connectivity road to Machilipatnam Port will help in boosting logistics efficiency and unlocking new economic opportunities for our state. Grateful for your continued leadership in building world-class highways that power India's growth and Andhra Pradesh's future," Lokesh wrote in a post on X. Meanwhile, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, in his post, highlighted several benefits of the project, including seamless connectivity, reduced freight turnaround time, ease in traffic congestion, and increased logistical efficiency, etc. "In Andhra Pradesh, we have approved an allocation of 573.77 crore for the construction of a 6-lane external port connectivity road linking the junction of NH-65 and NH-216 to Machilipatnam Port, via the Machilipatnam bypass section of NH-216," Gadkari wrote in the post. "The project will provide direct and seamless connectivity between Machilipatnam Port and the national highway corridor, significantly reducing freight turnaround time, easing traffic congestion, and enhancing overall logistics efficiency. The approved scope includes a 6-lane main carriageway, service roads, 3 flyovers, and an overpass-cum-railway overbridge (ROB)," he added. The project is expected to boost the region's economic growth by improving connectivity and reducing transportation costs. - ANI The makers of director Jeeva Sankar's upcoming film have officially titled it 'Valai', a revenge thriller starring Atharvaa Murali. The teaser, launched by actor Vijay Sethupathi, reveals Atharvaa Murali portraying two distinct characters named Kutty and Saraa, who appear to be seafarers. The film features a strong supporting cast including Rupa Manjari, Vani Bhojan, Murali Sharma, and Aadukalam Naren in pivotal roles. Produced by Raadhu Infotainment, the film has music by Ghibran and has generated significant anticipation among fans. Watch the teaser for 'Valai', starring Atharvaa Murali in a dual role. Directed by Jeeva Sankar, this revenge thriller features Vani Bhojan and Rupa Manjari. Chennai, Feb 6 The makers of director Jeeva Sankar's upcoming revenge thriller, featuring Atharvaa Murali in the lead, on Friday announced that their film had been titled 'Valai', much to the delight of fans and film buffs. Actor Vijay Sethupathi took to his X timeline to release the film's eagerly awaited official teaser on Friday. The actor wrote, "Launching the Teaser of #VALAI. Wishes to @Atharvaamurali @JeevaSankar and the entire cast and crew. @RaadhuInfo #ProductionNo1." The film's teaser shows that Atharvaa Murali will be portraying two characters in the film. While the first character he portrays is called Kutty, the second character is called Saraa in the film. Both characters appear to be sea farers.The gripping teaser also gives a glimpse of the roles that actors Rupa Manjari, Vani Bhojan, Murali Sharma and Aadukalam Naren play in the film. It is evident from the teaser that the film is a revenge thriller. The teaser ends with a voiceover stating that if a decision to take revenge is made, two pits must be dug. One is for your enemy while the other is for you. The film has triggered huge expectations among fans and filmbuffs. Rupa Manjari and Vani Bhojan play the female leads in this film, which also has Murali Sharma, Aadukalam Naren and Jayaprakash playing pivotal roles. Apart from these actors, the film will also feature Arjai, Arul D. Shankar, Thulasi, Mayilsamy and Imman Annachi among others. Produced by Pepsi V.S. Balamurali on behalf of the production house Raadhu Infotainment, the film has music by well known music director Ghibran. Cinematography for the film is by the director Jeeva Sankar himself. Editing for the film is by Sathish Suriya and art direction is by Shanmugaraja. Gopi Prasannaa has served as the production designer of this film, the stunts of which have been choreographed by Stunner Sam. Lyrics for the songs in the film have been penned by Karthik Netha, Mohanraj and Vamanaa. - IANS Canada will transfer AIM missiles to Ukraine to strengthen its air defense and counter cruise missiles, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced. "The weapons are already in the process of being transferred to Ukraine," the message reads. It is noted that the issue of further defense support was discussed during a meeting between Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Canadian Minister of National Defense David McGuinty. The Ukrainian side thanked Canada for its consistent and effective assistance to the Ukrainian Defense Forces. Canadas contribution to the PURL initiative was particularly noted. Recent contributions under the program were crucial in repelling massive Russian air attacks. Ukraine expects continued support for PURL throughout the current year. The parties also discussed an agreement to facilitate drone production. There are significant prospects for industrial cooperation between the Ukrainian and Canadian governments and companies. In particular, Ukraine is interested in collaborating with Canadian companies in the drone operations sector. Another important area of cooperation remains the training of Ukrainian military personnel with a focus on preserving lives. The parties discussed the transformation of the training system, in particular the transition to a model in which the best specialists train others, and training centers are gradually being moved underground to improve security. Over 50,000 'unmapped' voters and more than 3.5 lakh 'logical discrepancy' cases in West Bengal have not appeared for electoral roll hearings despite notices, making them eligible for deletion. The hearing process is ongoing, with the Election Commission aiming to complete it by the February 7 deadline, though a selective extension is possible in about 15 constituencies. The final voters' list is scheduled for publication on February 14, which will clarify the total number of deletions. Following this, the full ECI bench will visit the state to assess the situation before announcing poll dates for the upcoming Assembly elections. Over 50,000 unmapped and 3.5 lakh logical discrepancy voters in West Bengal risk deletion for not attending EC hearings before the final list. Kolkata, Feb 6 Over 50,000 "unmapped" voters and more than 3.5 lakh voters identified as "logical discrepancy" cases in West Bengal have not turned up for hearings on claims and objections to the draft voters' list till Friday evening, despite repeated notices, and may face deletion from the final voters' list. The total number of "unmapped" voters summoned for hearings stood at 31,68,426. Of these, a little over 50,000, or 1.57 per cent, did not appear despite repeated notices and have already been identified by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) as eligible for deletion from the final list. The total number of voters identified as "logical discrepancy" cases and summoned for hearings stands at 94,49,132. The hearing process is currently underway, and the Election Commission of India (ECI) is confident of completing it within the scheduled deadline of February 7. Out of these, a little over 3.5 lakh, or 3.70 per cent, have not turned up so far. An insider in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that before finally deleting the names of absentee voters, individual communications would be sent to them citing the reasons for the proposed deletion. Unmapped voters are those who were unable to establish any link with the 2002 voters' list either through "self-mapping" or "progeny mapping". On the other hand, "logical discrepancy" cases are those in which unusual family-tree data were detected during "progeny" mapping. The deadline for completion of the hearing process expires on February 7, and the final voters' list is scheduled to be published on February 14. "Only around 15 of the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal still have incomplete hearings. In such cases, the Commission may selectively extend the hearing period by a couple of days," a CEO's office insider said. When the draft voters' list was published in December last year, 58,20,899 voters were deleted after being identified as deceased, shifted, or duplicate. With the publication of the final voters' list on February 14, the exact number of deletions will become clear. After the publication, the full bench of the ECI will visit West Bengal to assess the situation. The Commission will then announce the polling dates for the Assembly elections scheduled later this year. - IANS India's cooperative sector has expanded with the launch of Bharat Taxi, the country's first taxi service operating on a cooperative ownership model. The service, launched in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Delhi, has already enrolled over 50,000 drivers from Gujarat. Under the model, drivers are members and stakeholders, retaining control over earnings without commission or surge pricing. The initiative, guided by top government officials, is part of a national push to strengthen cooperative institutions and will be expanded across India in phases. Bharat Taxi, India's first cooperative-owned cab service, launches with over 50,000 drivers from Gujarat. It aims to empower drivers as owners. Gandhinagar, Feb 6 India's cooperative sector has marked a significant expansion with the rollout of "Bharat Taxi", the country's first taxi service operating on a cooperative ownership model, which has already seen more than 50,000 drivers from Gujarat enrol, officials said on Friday. The service has begun operations in Ahmedabad and Rajkot, along with Delhi, and will be expanded nationwide in phases. The initiative is being implemented under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, as part of the Centre's push to strengthen cooperative institutions across sectors. Bharat Taxi is structured to position drivers as members and stakeholders of the cooperative, rather than commission-based workers. Speaking at the formal launch in New Delhi, Shah said the cooperative framework places drivers at the centre of ownership. "Sarathi hi malik hai," he said, adding that the model ensures drivers retain control over their earnings and are not subject to commission or surge pricing. He stated that the service would be expanded across the country over the next two to three years. Officials said the service is being operated through Sahkar Taxi Cooperative Limited, registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, with support from national cooperative institutions. During the pilot phase conducted in parts of Gujarat and Delhi-NCR, the platform registered a large number of drivers and users, with thousands of trips being completed daily. The cooperative model allows drivers, referred to as Sarathis, to work without exclusivity, enabling them to remain on other platforms if they choose. Authorities said the system is designed to ensure transparent fares for passengers while providing a predictable income for drivers. Gujarat Government Spokesperson Jitu Vaghani, commenting on the launch, said the initiative demonstrated how cooperative principles could be applied to technology-driven services. "This is a cooperative platform where drivers and passengers both benefit from transparency and fairness," he was quoted as saying, while referring to Gujarat's long-standing experience with cooperative enterprises. According to officials, Bharat Taxi currently offers bookings for cars, three-wheelers and two-wheelers through a mobile application. The platform also includes provisions for social security benefits, such as insurance coverage and support mechanisms for registered drivers. Authorities said the nationwide expansion of Bharat Taxi is expected to create new livelihood opportunities and further strengthen the cooperative movement's presence in emerging sectors of the economy.c - IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed students, teachers, and parents at the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'. He emphasized treating board exams as a crucial foundation for future academic and career opportunities. Modi advised that mastering the board syllabus inherently prepares students for competitive exams, reducing duplication of effort and stress. The interactive session focused on building confidence, managing anxiety, and providing practical study strategies. PM Modi at Pariksha Pe Charcha says board exams are crucial for future opportunities and reduce extra effort needed for competitive tests. New Delhi, Feb 6 The ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' began on Friday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaging in a lively and interactive session with students, teachers, and parents from across the country. During the discussion, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the crucial role of board examinations in shaping a student's academic journey. He urged students to treat these exams as their priority, describing them as the foundation upon which future opportunities are built. "Board exams should not be taken lightly," he said, adding that disciplined preparation and clarity of concepts are essential for success. His advice resonated with thousands of students who tuned in from different states, many of whom face mounting pressure as exam season approaches. The Prime Minister also offered practical guidance on balancing board exam preparation with competitive exam readiness. He explained that a thorough understanding of the chapters prescribed in the board syllabus naturally equips students for competitive tests. "If you understand your board syllabus well, you don't need to put in a lot of extra effort for competitive exams," he remarked. According to him, clear concepts and proper study habits allow students to prepare for both simultaneously, reducing unnecessary stress and duplication of effort. The session was marked by candid exchanges, with students posing questions about exam anxiety, career choices, and study techniques. Teachers and parents also participated, sharing their perspectives and seeking advice on how to support children during this demanding period. PM Modi's responses blended encouragement with practical strategies, reinforcing the message that exams should be approached with confidence rather than fear. The annual programme, which has become a much-anticipated event in the academic calendar, is designed to help young learners overcome exam stress, build confidence, and seek guidance on career-related questions. This year's edition introduced a new format, placing greater emphasis on connecting with students nationwide and ensuring their concerns are addressed directly by the Prime Minister. Now in its ninth year, 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' has evolved into a national platform that bridges the gap between students and leadership. By addressing exam stress and offering motivational insights, the programme continues to inspire young minds and reaffirm the importance of resilience, clarity, and focus in academic life. - IANS Chris Hemsworth admitted he was initially hesitant to reveal his genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease, concerned it might undermine his action star persona. The actor, who carries two copies of the APOE4 gene, has seen his father's battle with the disease influence his career pace and role choices. He has since prioritized personal projects and more meaningful work over purely commercial decisions. Hemsworth has also pushed back against media narratives that presented his genetic risk as a certain diagnosis. Chris Hemsworth reveals he hesitated to disclose his Alzheimer's genetic risk, fearing it would impact his action hero roles and audience perception. Washington DC, February 5 Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth has said he was initially hesitant to reveal his genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease, fearing it could affect how audiences and the industry perceive his career as an action star, according to Variety. Speaking during the press tour for his upcoming film Crime 101, Hemsworth said he questioned whether going public with such personal information would impact belief in his on-screen personas, including his Marvel superhero role. "I wondered if I was letting people too far in," Hemsworth said. "Are they no longer going to believe in the action star or the Marvel character? And do I want people to know my fears and insecurities to this level?," as quoted by Variety. The actor revealed in 2022 on his Disney+ series Limitless that he carries two copies of the APOE4 gene, which studies have linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, making him eight to 10 times more likely to develop the condition. Hemsworth's grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and the actor disclosed last year that his father is currently battling the disease. Hemsworth said that his father's diagnosis has contributed to a recent slowdown in his career. He said it has made him more reflective about time, family and the fragility of life. "My appetite for racing forward has really been reined in," he said. "I've become more aware of the fragility of things. You start thinking, 'My dad won't be here for ever.' And my kids are now 11 and 13. Those nights where they'd fight over sleeping in our bed, suddenly they're not happening any more," as quoted by Variety. The actor said the diagnosis has also influenced his acting choices, prompting him to prioritize more personal and meaningful roles over purely financial decisions. Hemsworth's 2025 documentary A Road Trip to Remember focused on his father's Alzheimer's diagnosis. He described the project as deeply personal and said it served as a tribute to his father. When discussing his genetic predisposition, Hemsworth has repeatedly stressed that it is not a definitive diagnosis. Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2024, he criticised media reports that suggested he was certain to develop Alzheimer's disease. "It really kind of pissed me off," Hemsworth said, adding that he had clearly stated the gene was not a death sentence. Hemsworth's Crime 101 is scheduled to release in theatres on February 13. He is also set to reprise his role as Thor in Avengers: Doomsday, which will be released on December 18, according to Variety. - ANI Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has thanked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for the continuous support in improving the state's national highway network. The Union Ministry has approved Rs 573.77 crore for a 6-lane road linking Machilipatnam Port to the national highway corridor. The project includes flyovers and a railway overbridge, aiming to drastically reduce freight turnaround time and boost logistics efficiency. State Minister Nara Lokesh and MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry also expressed gratitude for the infrastructure push, highlighting its role in unlocking economic opportunities. Andhra CM Naidu thanks Union Minister Gadkari for Rs 574 crore Machilipatnam port road, boosting logistics and state infrastructure. Amaravati, Feb 6 Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has thanked Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for his continuous support in improving the national highway network in the state. "Very happy to see the focus on connectivity of existing and green field ports under development. The connectivity project to the Machilipatnam port will be crucial in linking the hinterland to the port and reducing the logistics cost. We will ensure all support for quicker execution of National Highways in AP," the Chief Minister posted on 'X'. Earlier, Nitin Gadkari said that in Andhra Pradesh, his ministry approved an allocation of Rs 573.77 crore for the construction of a 6-lane external port connectivity road linking the junction of NH-65 and NH-216 to Machilipatnam Port, via the Machilipatnam bypass section of NH-216. "The project will provide direct and seamless connectivity between Machilipatnam Port and the national highway corridor, significantly reducing freight turnaround time, easing traffic congestion, and enhancing overall logistics efficiency. The approved scope includes a 6-lane main carriageway, service roads, 3 flyovers, and an overpass-cum-railway overbridge (ROB)," posted the Central minister. Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology and Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh thanked Gadkari for the transformative support to Andhra Pradesh's infrastructure and port-led growth. "This six-lane external connectivity road to Machilipatnam Port will help in boosting logistics efficiency and unlocking new economic opportunities for our state. Grateful for your continued leadership in building world-class highways that power India's growth and Andhra Pradesh's future," posted Lokesh. Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry also thanked the Union Minister for sanctioning funds for the six-lane road linking the Machilipatnam port to the national highway. He said it will significantly help with business logistics and public convenience. The MP expressed his gratitude for helping the people of Andhra Pradesh with major road infrastructure for a decade. - IANS Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel declared Cuba's openness to dialogue with the United States on any topic, but firmly rejected negotiations under pressure or preconditions. The statement comes amid a severe fuel crisis in Cuba, exacerbated by US pressure following its military operation in Venezuela and threats to block oil supplies. US President Donald Trump has claimed negotiations are ongoing and warned Cuba to make a deal, while the US State Department is providing humanitarian aid through the Catholic Church. Cuban officials blame decades of US sanctions for the economic crisis, though observers also cite internal mismanagement and a tourism slump. Cuban President Diaz-Canel offers dialogue with US without preconditions amid severe fuel shortages and tensions linked to Venezuela. US maintains pressure. Havana, February 6 Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated that his country is open to dialogue with the United States on any issue but firmly rejected talks under duress, amid escalating tensions and severe fuel shortages triggered by US pressure following a military operation in Venezuela. According to France 24, Diaz-Canel insisted on Thursday, "Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, a dialogue on any topic... but without pressure or preconditions." He emphasised that negotiations must occur "from a position of equals, with respect for our sovereignty, our independence and our self-determination," and without "interference in our internal affairs." US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed ongoing negotiations with Havana, which Cuban authorities have denied, and warned the island to "make a deal" with Washington "BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," asserting that Cuba was "ready to fall." Trump has vowed to block Cuba's oil access, including by controlling Venezuelan supplies after the ouster of its leader last month in a US operation, and threatened tariffs on nations aiding Havana. The White House, through spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, described Cuba as being "on its last leg" and urged wiser statements toward the US President, while maintaining that diplomacy remains open. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, along with Trump, has openly expressed interest in regime change in Havana. The communist nation faces an acute energy crisis, with no diesel or oil production from generators for weeks and reliance on dwindling Venezuelan shipments halted since December. Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of thousands in eastern Cuba endured prolonged blackouts due to a grid failure. Diaz-Canel affirmed that Cuba retains international support, stating, "Cuba is not alone," though he avoided detailing allies or ongoing efforts to secure fuel. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum noted diplomatic efforts to resume crude deliveries but ruled out risking US tariffs. The US State Department announced USD 6 million in direct aid to Cubans via the Catholic Church, following USD 3 million in prior assistance delivered through local parishes. Cuban officials attribute the island's deepest economic woes in decades, marked by fuel, food, and medicine shortages, to longstanding US sanctions. Observers also point to internal mismanagement and a post-Covid tourism slump as contributing factors. Diaz-Canel highlighted the crisis as underscoring the need for renewable energy to lessen external dependence. - ANI Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visited a successful three-day surgical eye camp at Military Hospital, Bhuj, organized by the Southern Command. The camp restored vision to over 200 veterans, their dependents, and civilians from remote areas of the Kutch region. Singh interacted with patients, distributed medicines and spectacles, and felicitated the medical team for their exemplary service. The initiative highlights the Army's commitment to bridging healthcare gaps in strategically vital border areas. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh visits military eye surgery camp in Bhuj that restored vision to over 200 veterans and civilians in Kutch. Kutch, February 6 Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, along with Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, visited the Surgical Eye Camp at Military Hospital, Bhuj, which was organised in collaboration with Army Hospital, New Delhi. Conducted under the aegis of Southern Command, the three-day camp (03-05 February 2026) successfully restored vision to over 200 veterans, their dependents, and civilians from the Kutch region, a release said. During his visit, the Defence Secretary interacted with patients in the post-operative wards, enquired about their well-being, and personally distributed post-operative medicines and spectacles to several beneficiaries. In recognition of exemplary service, the Defence Secretary felicitated Brigadier Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Consultant and Head of Department (Ophthalmology), and the distinguished surgical eye team from Army Hospital (R&R) for their outstanding contribution and dedication in delivering high-quality ophthalmic care under challenging field conditions, the release added. The Defence Secretary highly appreciated the initiative, describing it as a commendable example of the Indian Army's commitment to veterans' welfare and military-civil cooperation. He praised the significant impact of such outreach programmes in improving the quality of life of beneficiaries in remote and border areas. This outreach targeted a population of nearly 3,000 across the Kutch district, including beneficiaries from more than 120 villages of Bhuj Taluka, covering remote border villages such as Lakhpat, Narayan Sarovar, and Dayapar. The surgeries were performed using state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment and premium intraocular lenses, adhering to the highest clinical and safety standards. By delivering specialised corrective eye care to populations in far-flung and strategically vital regions, the Indian Army continues to uphold its service-first ethos, bridging critical gaps in healthcare accessibility while reinforcing its enduring commitment to community welfare and national service. - ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with students at the 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' event, urging them to connect their personal actions to the long-term goal of a developed India by 2047. He challenged them to audit their daily-use items and consciously replace foreign products with indigenous alternatives to foster self-reliance and national pride. The PM drew parallels to the freedom struggle, emphasizing that sustained collective effort is needed to achieve the vision of a Viksit Bharat. He also highlighted the youth's future role in enjoying and furthering the nation's development. PM Modi at Pariksha Pe Charcha inspires students to replace foreign goods with Indian products and contribute to a Viksit Bharat by 2047. New Delhi, Feb 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inspired students to actively contribute to building a Viksit Bharat during an engaging session at his residence, as part of the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'. In a thought-provoking discussion with selected students, including Arjun Patel from Gujarat and Sneha Roy from Assam, PM Modi linked personal responsibility to the nation's long-term vision. "When I talk about a developed India, I'm talking about India 100 years from now, when India celebrates 100 years of Independence. How old will you be then?" he asked, drawing parallels to historical struggles. "Mahatma Gandhi returned from Africa in 1915 and led the freedom movement. From 1915 to 1947, they were striving for freedom... Bhagat Singh, who gladly accepted hanging to cherish the dream of freedom -- a dream envisioned 30 years before Independence -- the sacrifices and efforts... that's how we got freedom. So, can a developed India be built through our collective efforts or not?" PM Modi asked the students. The Prime Minister urged young minds to internalise this dream. "You should never forget this dream. You should always write it down at home: 'For a developed India, I have to do this'," he said. He highlighted the pervasive "mentality of slavery" in everyday choices, challenging students to audit their consumption habits. "From brushing our teeth in the morning to brushing them the next morning, make a list of all the things you use... your comb might have originated from a foreign country, your shoes might be from some foreign country. You should try writing it down. List out ten things you are going to replace with the Indian ones this month. Next month, all the foreign things will be gone, and Indian things will be in the house," he said. Emphasising self-reliance and pride, PM Modi said, "In my body, in my family, in my life, my effort will be first seen... if there's an Indian option available. If there is, we'll use it. If we don't take pride in our country's products, will the world?" He extended this to civic duties like cleanliness; "We won't create dirt... We will take up the issue of cleanliness in our families, in our neighbourhoods, and we will spread the message. It's our duty." Addressing the youth's role, he noted, "Nothing can stop us from building a developed India, and when you are 35 or 40 years old, you will have the greatest opportunity to enjoy its fruits. Now tell me, shouldn't you do the work whose fruits you are going to reap?" PM Modi encouraged leveraging opportunities: "You have the whole sky as your canvas. You have so many technological opportunities. These should be used to enhance your strength." The session, part of a broader pan-India format, reinforced themes of confidence, duty, and national pride, transforming exam discussions into a call for nation-building. Students left motivated, with certificates available via MyGov, as Pariksha Pe Charcha continues to evolve into a celebration of learning and responsibility. - IANS The Directorate General of Civil Aviation conducted extensive safety oversight in 2025, including nearly 4,000 inspections. Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol informed Parliament that 377 aircraft from a combined fleet of 754 were found to have recurring defects. The government has increased the DGCA's sanctioned technical posts from 637 to 1,063 to strengthen regulatory capacity. New procedures mandate the use of an eGCA portal for all surveillance and enforcement activities. Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol reveals DGCA identified 377 aircraft with repetitive defects in 2025 after nearly 4,000 surveillance checks. New Delhi, February 6 The Directorate General of Civil Aviation carried out an extensive range of safety audits, inspections and surveillance checks across the aviation sector in 2025, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Mohol said that as part of planned surveillance activities during the year, the aviation regulator conducted 3,890 surveillance inspections and 56 regulatory audits. In addition, 84 surveillance checks of foreign aircraft (SOFA) were undertaken, along with 492 ramp checks to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards. Responding to queries about recurring technical or operational deficiencies, the Minister said that since January 2025, a total of 377 aircraft have been identified with recurring defects. These aircraft were part of a combined fleet of 754 aircraft operated by various scheduled airlines. Airline-wise details of these findings, as on February 3, have been provided separately in an annexure, he added. In addition to planned activities, the DGCA conducted numerous unplanned surveillance measures. These included 874 spot checks and 550 night surveillance checks, aimed at monitoring airline operations and maintenance practices without prior notice. Regarding manpower shortages at the DGCA, the government said the number of sanctioned technical posts has been significantly increased. In 2022, the DGCA had 637 sanctioned technical posts. To address future requirements and strengthen regulatory oversight, the restructuring exercise has raised the number of sanctioned technical posts to 1,063. The government also highlighted steps taken to strengthen real-time monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. The DGCA has issued Surveillance and Enforcement Division Circular No. 1/2025, dated July 7, 2025, mandating the use of the eGCA portal for all surveillance activities. The portal is to be used for issuance and closure of Deficiency Reporting Forms (CA-2001) as well as enforcement orders. Replying to a question on air connectivity, the Minister said that as per the Winter Schedule 2025, no scheduled domestic airline has proposed to operate flights to or from Singrauli Airport. The detailed surveillance procedures followed by the DGCA are laid down in the DGCA Surveillance Procedure Manual, which is available on the regulator's official website, the Minister added. - ANI A diplomatic dispute erupted after Polish parliamentary Speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty refused to support a nomination of US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, criticizing his "politics of force." US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose reacted sharply on social media, calling the remarks an insult and a threat to bilateral relations. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk intervened, telling the ambassador that allies should "respect each other, not lecture each other." The exchange highlights tensions over Trump's foreign policy legacy and the boundaries of diplomatic discourse between allied nations. Polish PM Donald Tusk rebukes US Ambassador after envoy warns Poland over speaker's criticism of Donald Trump's Nobel Peace Prize bid. Warsaw, February 6 A diplomatic row erupted online between Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose after the envoy warned of possible punitive action against Polish parliamentary Speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty over remarks critical of US President Donald Trump. The exchange followed Czarzasty's refusal to back an initiative proposed by US House Speaker Mike Johnson and Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, which seeks to mobilise parliamentary leaders to nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in Middle East diplomacy. Explaining his stance, Czarzasty said, "In my opinion, President Trump is destabilising the situation in these (international) organisations by representing the politics of force and using force to pursue a transactional policy." He added, "All of this means that I will not support President Trump's Nobel Prize nomination because he doesn't deserve it." Rose reacted sharply on X, stating that the United States would distance itself from Czarzasty over what he described as an insult to Trump. "(Czarzasty's) outrageous and unprovoked insults directed against President Trump has made himself a serious impediment to our excellent relations with Prime Minister Tusk and his government," Rose wrote. He further added, "We will not permit anyone to harm US-Polish relations, nor disrespect (Trump) who has done so much for Poland and the Polish people." Prime Minister Tusk stepped in, urging restraint and mutual respect among allies. "Mr Ambassador Rose, allies should respect each other, not lecture each other. At least this is how we, here in Poland, understand partnership," Tusk posted on social media. Rose responded in a continued online exchange, writing, "Mr Prime Minister, I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for your lifetime of bold leadership and for your decades of contributions that strengthened the US-Poland relationship. You Sir have truly been a model ally and great friend of the United States. And I know you agree that insulting and degrading the @realDonaldTrump President of the United States-- the greatest friend Poland has ever had in the White House, is the last thing any Polish leader should do." Czarzasty later addressed the controversy, saying he "regretfully" accepted Rose's reaction but would not alter his position on what he described as "fundamental issues for Polish women and men." "In line with my values, I stood up for Polish soldiers fighting on missions and did not support the nomination of President @realDonaldTrump for the Nobel Peace Prize. I consistently respect the USA as Poland's key partner," he wrote. - ANI Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a daily conference call on the situation in Kyiv and other populated areas, as well as in communities bordering Russia and near the front. I consider the performance of the Air Force in some regions of Ukraine to be unsatisfactory, and together with the Commander of the Air Force and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, we discussed which decisions must be immediately implemented to more effectively intercept shaheds, Zelenskyy said on X Friday. The President also reported that 1,200 houses in various districts of Kyiv are still without heating supply. More support is needed for residents of these buildings. I instructed that digital tools be deployed to identify and analyze the specific needs of people and communities in real time, the President noted. Zelenskyy also reported that a significant increase in Russian attacks on the railway was recorded in January. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reported on the deployment of the necessary forces for recovery efforts and on the operation of assistance points and warming centers. The Minister of Energy reported on the schedule for commissioning cogeneration facilities. The Prime Minister of Ukraine reported on the implementation of government support programs, including the Warmth Packages program we will be expanding it, the President reported. President Droupadi Murmu addressed the Black Swan Summit in Bhubaneswar, emphasizing that fintech must evolve into a vehicle for social justice and inclusion. She highlighted the transformative impact of Direct Benefit Transfers and digital payments, particularly for farmers, small shopkeepers, and women. The President called for focused efforts to skill citizens in remote and rural areas and to integrate women as leaders within the fintech ecosystem. She also underscored the importance of digital literacy and cybersecurity measures to prevent online financial fraud. President Droupadi Murmu urges fintech to drive social justice, inclusion, and gender equity, highlighting digital literacy and cybersecurity measures. Bhubaneswar, Feb 6 The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on Friday called upon entrepreneurs and innovators to ensure that fintech becomes a tool for social justice and inclusion. President Murmu was speaking at the Black Swan Summit, India, organised by the Odisha government in collaboration with Global Finance and Technology Network, in Bhubaneswar. While speaking on the occasion, President Murmu said that rapidly evolving technology also brings serious challenges, including cybersecurity threats, deepfakes, misinformation, and an increasing dependence on technology. "However, the rapid technological changes have a huge positive impact on innovation and growth. Through events such as Black Swan Summit, innovative methods can be explored to leverage technologies for further enhancing capabilities through skilling, generate employment and accelerate the digital and financial transformation," said President Murmu. She also said that in the past decade, the Direct Benefit Transfer of funds into bank accounts and digital payments have become very common among beneficiaries like the nation's farmers, small shopkeepers and women. For them, 'fintech' is not a technical term, it has become their lifeline. The President further noted that India's fintech story should be remembered not only as a tale of technology but also as that of gender justice. "Women constitute an important segment that requires focussed attention for the promotion of fintech. The fintech ecosystem must view them not only as end users but as leaders, professionals, and entrepreneurs," added President Murmu. The President said that to make fintech more inclusive, there was a need to skill citizens, especially those living in remote, tribal, and rural areas with digital tools. She stressed that was crucial and urged entrepreneurs and innovators to make technology a vehicle for social justice, inclusion, employment, and entrepreneurship. Dwelling on the potential misuse of technology by criminals for financial frauds, she said that the union government has undertaken various measures to prevent and report frauds, including setting up of Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System and Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre. "Ensuring digital and financial literacy is essential to deter online financial fraud. It needs to be made part of school curricula so that the advantages and disadvantages of technology can be understood at a young age," she underscored. She was happy to note that the Odisha government has launched the BharatNetra initiative for building a future-ready workforce and innovation ecosystem in digital, financial and insurance technology sectors. During her address, President Murmu said that the upcoming India AI Impact Summit, to be held in New Delhi this month, is expected to see participation from around 100 countries. The summit aims to position Artificial Intelligence not just as a technological innovation but as a strategic tool for inclusive growth, expanding access to opportunities that have long remained beyond the reach of large sections of society. "India AI Impact Summit will play a huge role in leveraging global AI expertise and technology for the benefit of people," the President noted. - IANS Cleanup expected to take several days A freight train carrying hazardous materials, including liquid propane, derailed in Mansfield, Connecticut, sending several cars into a river. Local authorities, including Fire Chief John Roache, reported no injuries or confirmed leaks from the incident. A precautionary shelter-in-place order was issued for residents within a half-mile radius due to the potential for odorless gas leaks. The cleanup is expected to be a multi-day operation due to the remote location of the derailment site. A freight train carrying liquid propane and other materials derailed into a Connecticut river. No leaks reported, but shelter-in-place order issued. New York, Feb 6 A freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the town of Mansfield, the US state of Connecticut, leading to the overturn of several cars of the train into a river. Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache said four of the train's cars carrying liquid propane ended up in the water. No injuries have been reported, he added. As of noon, there have been no reports of leaks or contamination, according to local authorities. A shelter-in-place order has been issued within a half-mile radius of the accident scene for a possible hazardous gas leak, according to a statement released by the Mansfield town government, Xinhua news agency reported. Six railcars carrying liquid propane went fully off the track, with four ending up in water, officials said. Officials urged residents to remain indoors with windows closed, as the liquid propane is odorless and would not be immediately detected by smell. Other derailed cars were carrying liquified natural gas and food-grade grease, according to Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache. The derailment occurred along the Willimantic River, near Eagleville Lake, according to NECR. The cleanup is anticipated to take several days due to the hard-to-reach location, with crews working to gain access to the site and bring in cranes, according to Roache. A road nearby was closed and officials asked people to avoid the area and seek alternate routes. State and local hazardous materials teams are monitoring for leaks closely, the state's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said. They have placed hazmat booms in the water as a precaution. The cause of the derailment is under investigation. - IANS Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi launched the 'Friends for Life' website to strengthen professional bonds with military officers from friendly nations. The platform will connect generations of military leaders from 99 countries who trained at Indian Army establishments. This initiative aims to weave a global network to enhance institutional collaboration and defence cooperation. The launch coincides with the ongoing 'Khanjar' special forces exercise between India and Kyrgyzstan in Assam. Indian Army Chief launches 'Friends for Life' website to connect military alumni from 99 countries, fostering defence cooperation and interoperability. New Delhi, February 6 Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday launched a website titled 'Friends for Life', aimed at strengthening professional engagement and enduring bonds among military officers from India and friendly foreign countries. According to the Indian Army, the platform was launched in the presence of Foreign Service Attaches from 39 friendly foreign countries. It will serve as a bridge connecting generations of military leaders from 99 countries who have trained together at the Indian Army training establishments. "The platform will foster continued professional engagement and rekindle enduring bonds among Indian and foreign alumni," the Army said in a post on X. The post by the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) said, " #GeneralUpendraDwivedi, #COAS, today, along with Foreign Service Attaches from 39 Friendly Foreign Countries, launched a website titled 'Friends for Life'. The platform will serve as a bridge connecting generations of military leaders from 99 countries who have trained together at Indian Army training establishments, fostering continued professional engagement and rekindling enduring bonds among Indian and foreign alumni." It added, "In the past decade alone, the Indian Army has trained over 21,500 service personnel from Friendly Foreign Countries. Through the launch of 'Friends for Life', the Indian Army is not only connecting its alumni but also weaving a global network of friendships that will strengthen institutions, enhance collaboration, improve interoperability and contribute to deeper #DefenceCooperation." The Indian Army said that more than 21,500 service personnel from friendly foreign countries have been trained at its institutions over the past decade. Through the 'Friends for Life' initiative, the Army said it aims to build a global network that will strengthen military institutions, enhance collaboration, improve interoperability and contribute to deeper defence cooperation. Earlier, the joint annual special forces exercise 'Khanjar' between India and Kyrgyzstan, which was scheduled from February 4 to February 17, commenced on Wednesday in Missamari, Assam. According to an official statement from the Ministry of Defence, the Indian Army contingent, comprising 20 personnel, was represented by troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), and the Kyrgyzstan contingent, also comprising equal strength, is represented by the ILBRIS Special Forces Brigade. The statement also mentioned that the aim of the exercise is to exchange best practices and experiences in Counter Terrorism and Special Forces Operations in urban and mountainous terrain. The exercise will also focus on developing advanced Special Forces skills of sniping, complex building intervention and mountain craft, as mentioned by the Ministry of Defence. Exercise KHANJAR will provide an opportunity for both sides to fortify defence ties while addressing common concerns about international terrorism and extremism, the statement added. The exercise reaffirms the commitment of India and Kyrgyzstan towards fostering peace, stability and security in the region. - ANI Google has submitted additional documents to South Korea's transport ministry by the government's deadline, addressing conditions like masking sensitive security facilities. The submission does not include plans for a local data center, and a final government decision is expected to take several months. This follows a suspended review since November after an initial application was deemed insufficient. South Korea has previously rejected similar Google requests in 2007 and 2016 over national security concerns. Google meets Seoul's deadline with revised plans for overseas map data transfer, addressing security concerns. Government review to take months. Seoul, Feb 6 Google has submitted additional documents requested by the South Korean government regarding the overseas transfer of South Korea's high-precision map data, industry sources and government officials said on Friday. The U.S. technology giant emailed supplementary materials to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Thursday, the deadline set by the government for revisions to its earlier application for the data transfer, reports Yonhap news agency. The additional submission is said to have met most of the conditions sought by the government, including measures to mask sensitive domestic security facilities and restrict the exposure of precise coordinates, informed sources said. The documents also reportedly include technical explanations detailing how Google would process and manage the map data going forward. However, they do not contain concrete plans to establish a data centre in South Korea, according to the sources. "The government plans to convene an interagency meeting to decide whether to approve the overseas transfer of the high-precision map data after reviewing the newly submitted materials," an official from the transport ministry said, while speaking on condition of anonymity. A final decision is expected to take several months. Google filed its latest request in February 2025, seeking approval for the transfer of 1:5,000-scale high-precision map data to its overseas data centres. In November, however, a government consultative panel requested that the company submit revised documents by Feb. 5, suspending the review process until then. The panel said Google had expressed willingness to comply with South Korea's security requirements, including removing coordinate data for the country from its maps, but such measures were not reflected in the documents initially submitted. Currently, Google provides map services in South Korea using publicly available 1:25,000-scale map data combined with aerial and satellite imagery. The United States has previously cited restrictions on high-precision map data as a key non-tariff barrier. Google made similar requests to export high-precision map data in 2007 and 2016, but South Korea had rejected them, citing national security concerns over the potential exposure of military bases and other sensitive facilities. - IANS Ireland's Ambassador to India, Kevin Kelly, paid a courtesy visit to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar, marking his first trip to the state. The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in mutual interest areas like aircraft leasing, the semiconductor ecosystem, financial services, and education. Ambassador Kelly accepted an invitation for Ireland to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Separately, CM Patel praised the Union Budget 2026 as a visionary blueprint for a developed India, highlighting specific benefits for Gujarat's pharma and textile sectors. Ireland's Ambassador Kevin Kelly met Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel, discussing cooperation in semiconductors, finance, and education, and accepted an invite to Vibrant Gujarat. Gandinagar, February 6 Ireland's Ambassador to India, Mr Kevin Kelly, paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar. During his first visit to Gujarat, he highlighted historical parallels between India and Ireland in a meeting with the Chief Minister. He noted that both Gujarat and Ireland are culturally rich societies that deeply value and preserve their cultural heritage. He further recalled that Gujarat was prominently featured in the State Cultural Event Series organised by the Indian Embassy in Dublin two years ago, as per the release. During this meeting, the Chief Minister discussed cooperation between Gujarat and Ireland in areas of mutual interest, including aircraft leasing, the semiconductor ecosystem, financial services, and education. Inspired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister also invited the Irish delegation to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which the Ambassador gladly accepted. This meeting was attended by Principal Secretary of the Industries Department, Ms Mamta Verma, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr Vikrant Pandey and Industrial Commissioner P. Swaroop, the release noted. Meanwhile, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel on Thursday described the Union Budget 2026 as visionary and forward-looking, which lays a strong foundation for building Viksit Bharat under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference in Gandhinagar, the Chief Minister said the budget is based on pillars such as accelerating economic growth while ensuring sustainable development and active public participation through capacity building. Welcoming the budget, Patel said it delivers a "quantum jump" towards Viksit Bharat and will play a significant role as India moves towards becoming the world's third-largest economy. He expressed confidence that the budget would strengthen the journey towards a Viksit and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Highlighting sector-wise benefits for Gujarat, the Chief Minister said the Bio-Pharma Shakti Programme, with an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore, aims to make India a global bio-pharma manufacturing hub, according to a release. As Gujarat is a leader in the pharmaceutical sector, the state will gain significantly from this initiative. He added that six new schemes announced for the textile sector will further boost Gujarat's textile industry. - ANI Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launched the 'Padhai with AI' digital learning platform for students in Bilaspur district preparing for competitive exams. He emphasized education as a tool for social change and a means to shape future generations. In a separate event, the CM signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Geotropy India Pvt. Ltd. to explore geothermal energy potential in the state. The move aligns with the government's commitment to harnessing green energy sources and reducing dependence on conventional power. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Sukhu launches AI-based learning platform for students and signs a geothermal energy MoU to advance green energy goals. Shimla, February 6 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu formally launched the Bilaspur district administration's innovative initiative, 'Padhai with AI', at Barthin on Thursday. According to an official release, this AI-based digital learning platform has been specially introduced for students of the Bilaspur district who were preparing for various competitive examinations. On the occasion, the Chief Minister said that education was not just about completing a syllabus, but was the most powerful way to give society a new direction, broaden thinking, and shape the future of the coming generations. He said that, considering education as the most effective tool for social change, the state government was continuously working to strengthen the education system through innovation and by ensuring equal opportunities for all. Praising the initiative, Sukhu said that 'Padhai with AI' was a strong and forward-looking step towards securing a bright future for students. Through this digital platform, students would get equal opportunities to study. He said that the initiative ensures a fully digital learning system, which would also provide continuous academic counselling to the children, the release stated. Deputy Commissioner Bilaspur, Rahul Kumar, detailed that under the 'Padhai with AI' initiative, modern, technology-based and quality educational facilities were being provided to students with the support of NTPC. Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani and other senior officers were present on the occasion, the release added. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sukhu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Geotropy India Pvt. Ltd. to move closer to the goal of making Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State. According to the Himachal Pradesh CMO, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and Ambassador of Iceland to India, Benedikt Hoskuldsson, were also present on the occasion. The MoU was signed by Chief Engineer, Directorate of Energy, D.P. Gupt, on behalf of the state government, and by Tomos Otto Hansson, Chairperson of Iceland-based GEOTROPY ehf. Reaffirming the State Government's strong commitment to sustainable energy, the Chief Minister said the government is actively working to harness green energy sources in Himachal Pradesh, and that geothermal energy is one such clean, environment-friendly option. He also stated that the state has significant geothermal potential that must be utilised to reduce dependence on conventional energy sources. The Chief Minister highlighted that one of the major advantages of geothermal energy is its availability round the clock. He directed the company to begin exploration immediately to harness the state's geothermal potential as soon as possible. - ANI The Himachal Pradesh government has signed an MoU with Geotropy India Pvt. Ltd. to explore and harness the state's geothermal energy potential. Chief Minister Sukvinder Singh Sukhu emphasized the project's goal of reducing dependence on conventional energy sources with this round-the-clock clean option. Separately, the CM inaugurated two major road projects in the Amb sub-division, completed at a total cost of Rs 16.26 crore, to improve connectivity for thousands of residents. He also dedicated a library and gymnasium complex to support youth development in the region. Himachal CM Sukhu signs geothermal energy MoU with Geotropy India, aims for green energy state. Also inaugurates road projects worth Rs 16.26 crore. Shimla, February 6 To move closer to the goal of making Himachal Pradesh a Green Energy State, the state Chief Minister, Sukvinder Singh Sukhu, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with M/s Geotropy India Pvt. Ltd. on Thursday. According to the Himachal Pradesh CMO, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi and Ambassador of Iceland to India, Benedikt Hoskuldsson, were also present on the occasion. The MoU was signed by Chief Engineer, Directorate of Energy, D.P. Gupt, on behalf of the state government, and by Tomos Otto Hansson, Chairperson of Iceland-based GEOTROPY ehf. Reaffirming the State Government's strong commitment to sustainable energy, the Chief Minister said the government is actively working to harness green energy sources in Himachal Pradesh, and that geothermal energy is one such clean, environment-friendly option. He also stated that the state has significant geothermal potential that must be utilised to reduce dependence on conventional energy sources. The Chief Minister highlighted that one of the major advantages of geothermal energy is its availability round the clock. He directed the company to begin exploration immediately to harness the state's geothermal potential as soon as possible. He further clarified that this exploration will not place any financial burden on the State Government. Senior officers from the Directorate of Energy were also present on the occasion. Earlier, the state Chief Minister dedicated two key development projects, completed at a cost of Rs 16.26 crore, to the people of the Amb sub-division of Una district. The Chief Minister inaugurated the upgraded Takarla-Baduhi road via Nei-Abadi, developed at a cost of Rs. 6.57 crore. The upgrade of this nearly 5-kilometre-long stretch will benefit more than 11,000 residents. In addition, the Chief Minister dedicated the 6.50 kms Amb-Gagret-Harijan Basti road and a Bridge connecting it, completed with an outlay of Rs 9.50 crore. The bridge will significantly enhance road connectivity for the Shree Chintpurni and Gagret Assembly constituencies. The Chief Minister also inaugurated the Samarthya Gyandeep Library and Gymnasium at Maidi Khas, which was constructed at a cost of approximately Rs 20 lakh, by unveiling the plaque from Takarla. This centre will support the educational, intellectual, and physical development of youth. - ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed a newly signed tripartite agreement for Eastern Nagaland as "historic," stating it will boost the region's development trajectory. The pact, signed between the Centre, Nagaland government, and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation, paves the way for creating the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six districts. Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated the agreement is a significant step towards realizing the vision of a dispute-free and developed Northeast. The agreement includes devolving powers on 46 subjects to the FNTA and establishing a mini-Secretariat, while not affecting Article 371(A) of the Constitution. PM Modi hails historic agreement for Eastern Nagaland, creating Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) to boost development and prosperity. New Delhi, February 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described a newly signed tripartite agreement for Eastern Nagaland as "historic," saying it will boost development and open new opportunities for the people of the region. The agreement, signed a day earlier between the Centre, the Government of Nagaland, and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO), which represents eight recognised Naga tribes across six eastern districts, aims to accelerate progress and ensure inclusive growth in the area. In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "This is a historic agreement indeed, which will enhance the development trajectory of Eastern Nagaland in particular. I am sure it will open new avenues of opportunity and prosperity for the people. It reflects our unwavering commitment to peace, progress and inclusive growth in the Northeast." The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. The agreement will pave the way for the creation of the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six districts of Nagaland, Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator, and devolution of powers in respect of 46 subjects to the FNTA. The agreement provides, inter alia, for a mini-Secretariat for FNTA, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary, and for the sharing of development outlay for the Eastern Nagaland region, proportional to population and area. However, this agreement does not affect in any manner whatsoever the provisions of Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India. On this occasion, Amit Shah said that today is a very significant day for a dispute-free North East. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a North East that is free from insurgency, violence, disputes, and developed. Today, we have taken one more step forward in realising that vision. He stated that eleven years ago, several armed groups and disputes in the North East were pushing the region towards fragmentation and disturbing its peace. At the same time, many interstate disputes were disrupting the peace of the states. Union Home Minister said that the government led by Prime Minister Modi is committed to finding solutions to every dispute. He said that since 2019, the Modi government has signed 12 important agreements in the North East. He stated that previous governments only signed agreements, but the Modi government implements them in letter and spirit. - ANI Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, addressing BSF personnel and emphasizing the need for advanced technological solutions to counter emerging security challenges. He paid tributes to martyred police personnel and handed over compassionate appointment letters to their next of kin. His visit comes amid heightened anti-terror operations in the region, which recently saw the elimination of four JeM terrorists. Accompanied by senior officials, Shah is on a three-day visit to review security and developmental projects in J&K. Home Minister Amit Shah visits J&K border, pays tributes to martyred police, stresses tech solutions for security, and reviews operations. Jammu, Feb 6 Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday visited the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir and paid tributes to martyred police personnel, besides handing over compassionate appointment letters to the next of kin of police martyrs. Addressing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at the international border outposts in Kathua district, the Union Home Minister emphasised the need to strengthen border security through modern tools, while underlining that constant vigilance by frontline personnel remains crucial. "Emerging challenges driven by advanced technology must be countered with equally advanced technological solutions," HM Shah said. He also lauded the role of the armed forces during Operation Sindoor, during which the Jammu frontier destroyed 118 enemy posts and three terror launch pads across the border. He said the government and the BSF share the common objective of keeping the country's borders secure, adding that the challenges faced earlier were completely different from those being faced today. "The challenges we faced at the borders some years ago are completely different from the challenges we face today. Your dedication to remaining constantly vigilant on the frontlines is extremely important. "However, as challenges are emerging through advanced technology, we must also find technological solutions to counter them," the Home Minister said. He was accompanied by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka and BSF Director General Praveen Kumar during his visit to the border outposts of Gurnam and Bobiyian in the Hiranagar sector. His visit comes amid heightened focus on border management to prevent infiltration by terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics, and stepped-up anti-terror operations that have left four hardcore Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) dead in nearly a dozen encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts over the past two weeks. Earlier in the day, Home Minister Shah paid tributes to martyred police personnel in Jammu. He met the families of the martyrs at Lok Bhawan and handed over compassionate appointment letters. The Home Minister is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. He is scheduled to review developmental projects on Saturday and e-inaugurate several projects during his stay in Jammu. - IANS Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security review meeting in Jammu to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting, attended by top military, police, and intelligence officials, comes after a series of encounters that neutralized Pakistan-native JeM terrorists. Shah directed a mission-mode approach to counter-terror operations, targeting terror infrastructure and financing. The review also focused on strengthening the anti-infiltration grid and countering cross-border drone activities. Home Minister Amit Shah reviews J&K security, directs mission-mode ops against terror. Meeting follows neutralisation of JeM terrorists. Jammu, Feb 6 Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a high-level security review meeting in Jammu to assess the prevailing ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding of the Jammu-based White Knight Corps Lt Gen P.K. Mishra, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Border Security Force Director General Praveen Kumar, Central Reserve Police Force Director General G.P. Singh, and other senior military, police, civil and intelligence officers attended the meeting at Lok Bhawan, officials said. The top-level security review meeting was chaired amid stepped-up anti-terror operations that led to the neutralisation of four hardened Pakistan-native terrorists linked with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) following nearly a dozen encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts of the Jammu region over the past two weeks. This is the second security review meeting chaired by the Union Home Minister within a month. On January 8, he chaired a similar high-level meeting in Delhi and directed the continuation of counter-terror operations targeting terror infrastructure and financing in "mission mode". He also asserted that all resources would be made available to achieve the goal of a "terror-free" Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest. The meeting began shortly after HM Shah's return from the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, where he visited border outposts and addressed BSF personnel, officials said. Officials said the meeting reviewed ongoing anti-terrorist operations and the anti-infiltration grid, besides measures taken to counter drone activities from across the border, amid intelligence reports suggesting the presence of terrorists waiting for an opportunity to infiltrate into India. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan had also chaired a review meeting here during his two-day visit on January 14 and 15. HM Shah is reported to have directed a mission-mode approach with complete synergy among security forces to ensure the neutralisation of terrorists still operating in Jammu and Kashmir, while ensuring zero infiltration along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border. - IANS The European Commission declined comment on the readiness of some European Union leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, to hold direct talks with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, stating that the appropriate conditions for such contacts namely negotiations to achieve peace for Ukraine have not yet been created for the European Commission. This was stated on Friday in Brussels by European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho, noting that the President of the European Commission met on Thursday in Paris with Macron, who this week sent his diplomatic adviser on a discreet trip to Moscow for direct talks with the Kremlin. According to her, this topic was not discussed yesterday at the meeting between President von der Leyen and President Macron, but "contacts with a representative of the French government regarding this visit have been made." "As I had the opportunity to say some time ago, at some point we will have to contact President Putin. And we would like this to happen sooner rather than later, if the conditions are met. But the problem is that we see practically no signals of readiness to reach an agreement, to achieve peace in Ukraine. So this must be taken into account when we talk about direct negotiations with President Putin," the spokesperson said, explaining the position of the European Commission. Responding to a clarifying question whether the president supports the fact that France is "somehow resuming cooperation with the Kremlin," despite the fact that the appropriate conditions for negotiations have not been created, Pignault stated that "there is no common position" among the member states. "We really see a change in the position of some member states, and we see that several member states are opening up to this possibility. So lets see where we are and see if this is really becoming a common occurrence and if there is a majority of leaders in the EU who will defend this approach. So we cant say more at the moment, but we really see a change in the attitude (on the issue of negotiations with Putin - IF-U) of some leaders," said Pinho. Speaking about the issue of new sanctions against Russia, the European Commission spokeswoman stressed that Brussels sees them "as one of the means to put pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table, as a means to create conditions for achieving peace in Ukraine." "Thats why we are working very actively on the 20th package of sanctions. We said that it should be ready in the near future. So well see when exactly all the conditions for adoption (of the 20th package of sanctions - IF-U) will be met. But I can confirm that a lot of work has been going on in recent days on this 20th package of sanctions. So I think we can expect it quite soon," she said. The Iranian Ambassador to India emphasized Tehran's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, particularly through the strategic Chabahar Port project. He highlighted the port's role in accessing Afghanistan and Central Asia, noting ongoing good relations with India. Indian officials confirmed the fulfillment of a $120 million investment for port equipment and ongoing engagement with the US regarding sanctions waivers. The envoy also addressed domestic protests in Iran, advocating for listening to demands and finding solutions. Iranian envoy hopes to strengthen ties with India via the strategic Chabahar Port project, discussing cooperation, US sanctions, and regional access. New Delhi, February 6 Iranian Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali on Friday highlighted Tehran's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with New Delhi, particularly regarding the strategic Chabahar Port project, and expressed hope that cooperation between the two countries will continue to deepen. Speaking to ANI on the issue of Chabahar Port, the Iranian envoy said Iran has been holding negotiations with several countries, with India being a key partner in the development of the port. "We have negotiations with so many countries, and particularly with the Indian side. And up to now, we have a good relationship with the Indian side in this case. And I hope that we boost and we strengthen our relationship with India," Fathali said. India and Iran had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2015 to jointly cooperate on the development of the Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar in southeastern Iran. In a previous statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted how India continues to cooperate closely with Iran in realising the vision of Chabahar Port as a major regional and international hub in the movement of humanitarian and commercial goods. He noted how the port can play an important role in accessing Central Asia and Afghanistan and said, "The port of Chabahar can play a good role for the accessing Afghanistan and Central Asia. And we have a good relation with some countries, particularly India. And believe that we should boost it." On Thursday, while answering a question in the Rajya Sabha on India's investment in Chabahar Port, MoS MEA Kirti Vardhan Singh emphasised that India has fulfilled its commitment to contribute USD 120 million for the procurement of port equipment. The last tranche was transferred on 26 August 2025. He also touched upon the US Sanctions on Iran and noted that New Delhi remains engaged with all concerned parties in order to address the implications of these developments. He said, "On 16 September 2025, the US State Department in a press statement revoked the sanctions exception issued in 2018 under the Iran Freedom and Counter Proliferation Act 2012 for Afghanistan's reconstruction and economic development, effective 29 September 2025. Following discussions with the US side, the US issued guidance extending the conditional sanctions waiver until 26 April 2026. The Government of India remains engaged with all concerned parties in order to address the implications of these developments." This comes after, in January, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a weekly media briefing told reporters, "On the question of Chabahar, on 28 October, 2025, as you are aware, the US Department of Treasury had issued a letter outlining guidance, the guidance on the Conditional Sanctions Waiver, which is valid until 26 April, 2026. We remain engaged with the US side in working out this arrangement." In an interview with ANI, the Iranian envoy also discussed the situation in Iran following the recent protests. The Iranian envoy called the situation normal and urged finding a good solution to their demands. He said, "The current situation in Iran is normal... We believe that we should listen to the protesters and we should listen to their demands and we should find a good solution for their demands." Earlier, on Friday, while addressing a press conference on the eve of Iran's National Day, Mohammad Fathali said, "Despite all the depression imposed by its adversaries, Iran is strong and influential country in the region. Iran is a strong and influential country in the region, progressing advanced technologies, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, stem cell science, information technology and artificial intelligence and knowledge-based industries." On the issue of resumption of talks between Iran and the United States in Oman, the Ambassador said that Iran hopes to have good negotiations. The meeting between the Iranian and Omani foreign ministers comes at a time when regional dynamics remain fragile, with multiple geopolitical flashpoints contributing to heightened uncertainty. Iran has consistently maintained that sanctions have had a severe impact on its economy and has called for their removal as part of any meaningful agreement. The nuclear issue, meanwhile, remains a central point of contention, with Western countries expressing concerns over Iran's nuclear activities and Tehran insisting that its program is purely peaceful. - ANI A new compendium of India-Australia business case studies demonstrates the tangible benefits of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). The publication, developed by IIFT and Newland Global Group, documents the market-entry and growth strategies of 30 successful companies. Senior officials from both countries praised the initiative for bridging academia, government, and industry to strengthen the strategic relationship. The resource is expected to help identify opportunities and challenges for deepening the $100 billion economic partnership. Commerce Secretary highlights real business growth from India-Australia ECTA, with new compendium detailing 30 company success stories. New Delhi, Feb 6 The India-Australia business case studies are evidence-based on how the trade agreement has translated into real opportunities and has been used by businesses for their growth, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Friday. Jointly developed by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and Newland Global Group, the India-Australia Business Case Studies Compendium, titled "Pitch Perfect Australia-India: Perfect Conditions for a $100 Billion Partnership", captures real-world business journeys of companies operating across India and Australia. The publication captures real business journeys of companies operating across India and Australia, documenting market-entry experiences, growth strategies, and lessons from 30 organisations that have successfully navigated opportunities in both markets, Commerce Ministry said in a statement. Agrawal complemented IIFT for its efforts to anchor this initiative, underscoring its relevance for policy, industry, and academic stakeholders. "This would play an important role in strengthening and enhancing the gains of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA)," he mentioned. Philip Green, Australian High Commissioner to India, praised the initiative and acknowledged IIFT's role in fostering informed dialogue on bilateral trade. He noted that "The platforms bringing together academia, government, and industry are vital for the strong strategic relationship between India and Australia". Joint Secretary Petal Dhillon highlighted the growing momentum in India-Australia economic relations. "IIFT has played an important role in generating research-driven insights and facilitating dialogue that supports the strengthening and enhanced utilisation of the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA)," she noted. Professor Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Vice Chancellor, IIFT, highlighted the value of documenting real business journeys and turning them into learning resources for industry and academia alike. The collaborations like this reflect IIFT's commitment to bridging research and practice and to supporting India's expanding footprint in global trade, he said. According to the ministry, with India and Australia working toward deepening economic ties, the compendium is expected to serve as a practical resource for businesses, policymakers, and researchers by identifying opportunities, addressing challenges, and showcasing successful cross-border collaborations. - IANS India is exploring significant defence collaboration opportunities during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Malaysia. Key areas include the potential sale of Dornier aircraft and maintenance support for Malaysia's Scorpene submarines and SU-30 fighter jets. The visit aims to bolster the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024, with cooperation extending to semiconductors, trade, and renewable energy. Several MoUs in fields like disaster management, anti-corruption, and healthcare are also under discussion. PM Modi's Malaysia visit focuses on defence sales, including Dornier aircraft & Scorpene submarine maintenance, and expanding the strategic partnership. New Delhi, February 5 India is looking at opportunities for collaboration across defence sector during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia, with the sale of Dornier aircraft, maintenance of Scorpene submarines and SU-30 aircraft, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. Speaking here in the national capital ahead of PM Modi's visit to Malaysia on February 7-8, Secretary (East) P Kumaran outlined several areas in defence cooperation. He said, "There is a lot of promise as far as defence cooperation is concerned. We are looking at sale of Dornier aircraft. Malaysia also has Scorpene submarines. They are looking at opportunities to try and collaborate, especially in terms of midlife upgrades, retrofitting". Responding to a media query, he noted that India and Malaysia both have the SU-30 aircraft and added, "We have offered proposals for modification, upgradation and midlife maintenance." Secretary (East) also hinted towards a possible supply of naval platforms by Indian shipyards and hoped for developments on the fronts. "We are also looking at potential for supply of naval platforms by Indian shipyards. So, those are all areas that look promising. We hope to be able to get something going on these areas", P Kumaran said at the special media briefing. India-Malaysia defence relations have steadily grown over the years. In a previous bilateral brief, the MEA had noted how the MoU on Defence Cooperation signed in 1993 is the cornerstone of defence relations between the two countries which allows for widening the scope of existing bilateral cooperation to include joint ventures, joint development projects, procurement, logistic and maintenance support and training. On the upcoming visit of PM Modi, Kumaran further noted that the forthcoming visit comes within one and a half years of elevation of our bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the state visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India in August 2024, and reflects India's strong commitment to our relations with Malaysia, a key partner in India's Act East Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR, and also the Indo-Pacific vision. He added, "The visit will also provide an opportunity to enhance our engagement with the ASEAN region, given the important role of Malaysia as its founding member, and its chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025. PM will hold bilateral discussions with the Prime Minister of Malaysia. They will review progress under the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, especially in priority areas of cooperation such as trade, investments, defence, security, semiconductors, digital technologies, renewable energy, education, healthcare, and people-to-people exchanges.On the MoUs, he said,We are looking at MoUs as of now, this is still a list that is not fully baked. So, let me just try and list it out on the understanding that this is subject to confirmation as we get closer to the visit. We are looking at MoUs in the field of disaster management, audio-visual co-production, standards on training, certification and watch keeping for seafarers. An MOU on UN peacekeeping cooperation that is to be renewed. We are looking at an MoU or probably an exchange of notes conveying intention to cooperate in the semiconductor industry. MoUs for anti-corruption cooperation, MOU between audit institutions on both sides, the National Security Council Secretariats cooperation and health care and technical and vocational training. So those are the areas that we are looking at." Answering a query on cooperation in the area of semiconductors, Kumaran added, "Semiconductors, as you know, Malaysia has a very strong semiconductor ecosystem. Something like 30% of their exports relate to semiconductor and allied products. So, they have a really strong performance over many years in the area of semiconductors. They have almost 30-40 years experience in those areas. So, we are in the process of establishing a multi-layered collaboration arrangement through a G2G MoU, semiconductor industry-led collaborations and also R&D, both in terms of setting up fabrication centers, also assembly testing centers etc. Our companies are also interested in collaborating with Malaysia." PM Modi will visit Kuala Lumpur on February 7-8 at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart, PM Anwar Ibrahim. He had earlier visited Malaysia in 2015. Kumaran said, "During that visit, India-Malaysia bilateral relations were elevated to enhance the strategic partnership... The forthcoming visit comes within 1.5 years of the elevation of our bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the state visit to PM Amwar Ibrahim in August 2024, and reflects India's strong commitment to our relations with Malaysia". - ANI Polish Secretary of State Wladyslaw Bartoszewski states that bilateral relations with India are on a strong upward path following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic 2024 visit to Warsaw, which established a Strategic Partnership. The recent EU-India Free Trade Agreement, involving Poland, further solidifies economic ties. Both sides are actively planning a series of ministerial visits throughout the year and are deepening cooperation in defense, digital technology, and space exploration. The collaboration was symbolically highlighted by the recent joint orbital mission featuring astronauts from both nations. Polish official highlights strategic partnership, FTA, and planned high-level visits, citing space cooperation as a symbol of deepening India-Poland ties. New Delhi, Feb 6 Highlighting the Strategic Partnership agreement signed between Poland and India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Warsaw in 2024, Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Wladyslaw Bartoszewski has said that the ties between both countries continue to be on an "upward trajectory". In an exclusive interview with IANS, Bartoszewski mentioned about the visits of Polish leadership to India and the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by India and European Union, of which Poland is also a part. "Relations between India and Poland are on an upward trajectory. We signed a strategic partnership agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, when he visited Poland for the first time as Prime Minister of India in 45 years. It was a very good visit. We have now also signed the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, of which we are a part. We discussed a number of practical steps dealing with military cooperation, digital industry cooperation, security issues, IT investments in high technology, cooperation in space, and other areas," said Bartoszewski after holding a productive meeting with Ministry of External Affairs' Secretary (West) Sibi George in New Delhi during which both sides reviewed India-Poland strategic partnership and discussed the key deliverables of the 2024-2028 Action Plan. He noted that both nations are discussing business, politics, security and various other issues of cooperation. Speaking about the upcoming visits of the Polish and Indian leadership, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski said, "We are planning a visit by our Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs next month. I will return here in March, and our Deputy Minister for Development and Technology will also visit in March. We are planning a visit by our Prime Minister to Delhi later this year. We are also discussing visits by various officials, including Dr S Jaishankar, to Poland later this year." "So I would say we are talking about business, politics, security, and a wide range of cooperation. The sky is the limit. Not so long ago, two astronauts went into orbit, one Indian and one Polish, and that is a symbol of our cooperation in the near future," he added. India and Poland elevated bilateral ties to the level of 'Strategic Partnership' during PM Modi's visit to Poland in 2024. The two sides also agreed to a five-year Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028. - IANS The Indian community stands as the most economically successful migrant group in the United Kingdom, according to a new report. Their success is attributed to high employment, strong education, and a deep-rooted entrepreneurial culture. The report traces this impact through four major waves of migration, from post-war reconstruction to filling critical tech and healthcare roles today. Indian-born professionals now constitute a significant portion of the UK's technology workforce, underscoring their vital role in national growth. A new report finds the Indian diaspora is the UK's most economically successful migrant group, driving tech, healthcare, and entrepreneurship. New Delhi, February 6 The Indian community has emerged as the most economically successful migrant group in the United Kingdom, with generations of Indians playing a key role in shaping the country's economic strength, public services and global influence, according to a new report by Aston University and Here & Now 365 a UK's multicultural advertising agency. Drawing on economic and labour market data, the report positions the Indian community at the forefront among migrant groups in the UK. It highlighted high levels of employment, strong educational attainment and a deep-rooted culture of entrepreneurship within the community. The report also noted that professionals of Indian origin form a significant share of the UK's technology and IT ecosystem, an industry in which Britain ranks second globally, behind only the United States and China. It stated, "The Indian diaspora is woven into the UK's growth story. Indian-led enterprises, research initiatives, and professional networks are generating employment, boosting skills development, and fostering knowledge exchange in communities across the nation". The report highlighted that successive generations of Indians have contributed not only to economic growth but also to the strengthening of public services and the UK's global standing. It traces this impact through four major waves of Indian migration since India's independence, together forming a story of resilience, adaptation and long-term contribution spanning more than seven decades. The first wave began in the period following the Second World War, when Britain faced severe labour shortages. Indian migrants stepped in to fill critical gaps, working across manufacturing, transport and public services. Their efforts were instrumental in stabilising a nation recovering from war and in laying the early foundations of what later became the National Health Service. The second wave followed a major disruption in the early 1970s, when the expulsion of Asians from East Africa under the regime of Idi Amin forced thousands of families of Indian origin to seek refuge in the UK. Many arrived with business experience and entrepreneurial instincts. Over time, they established enterprises, revived local economies and embedded a strong culture of enterprise in several British towns and cities. The third wave reflected a structural change in Britain's economy. As the UK moved towards a knowledge-driven model, Indian migration increasingly consisted of highly skilled professionals in sectors such as finance, medicine, engineering and education. This marked a shift from largely blue-collar roles to leadership positions in knowledge-intensive industries. The fourth and most recent wave has been shaped by the post-Brexit and post-COVID environment. The report highlighted the strategic importance of Indian talent in addressing critical skills shortages, particularly in healthcare, social care and technology. It notes that Indian-born professionals now account for around 15 per cent of the UK's technology workforce, underscoring their significant role in driving innovation, digital transformation and productivity in a sector vital to national growth. Manish Tiwari, Founder, Here & Now 365, stated, "Indian migrants helped rebuild Britain after the war, powered its digital revolution, and strengthened its health and care systems in times of crisis. The Indian diaspora has played a defining role in building the tech superpower Britain is today and continues to contribute across every layer of society." The report was formally launched at the House of Lords, signalling the growing recognition of diaspora contributions at the highest levels of public life. The event brought together policymakers, business leaders, cultural figures, and academics, marking the first public presentation of the research. - ANI Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has traveled to Muscat, Oman, to lead nuclear negotiations with the United States. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated the goal is to achieve a just, mutually acceptable, and honorable agreement. Officials cited past negative experiences but emphasized a responsibility to use diplomacy to secure Iran's interests and regional calm. The talks are scheduled for Friday morning on a bilateral basis to maintain focus solely on nuclear issues. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi leads delegation to Oman for bilateral nuclear negotiations with the US, aiming for a "just and honorable" agreement. Tehran, February 6 Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left for Oman, leading a diplomatic delegation for nuclear negotiations with the United States, aimed at securing a just, honourable and mutually acceptable outcome that protects Iran's national interests. Providing details of the visit, Baghaei wrote in a post on X on Thursday, "Araghchi, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has travelled to Muscat at the head of a diplomatic delegation to conduct nuclear negotiations with the United States." Outlining Tehran's approach to the talks, he added that the discussions would proceed "with authority and with the aim of reaching a just, mutually acceptable and honorable understanding regarding the nuclear issue." Reiterating Iran's broader diplomatic objective, Baghaei further noted, "This diplomatic engagement is being conducted with strength and with the objective of achieving a fair, mutually satisfactory and dignified agreement." At the same time, he pointed to past challenges, remarking that "bitter past experiences, including previous breaches of commitments, the military aggression in June and foreign interventions in January, are before our eyes," while underlining that Iran "has always considered itself obliged to demand the rights of the Iranian nation." Balancing that stance with continued engagement, he added, "At the same time, we have a responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy to secure the interests of the Iranian people and to safeguard peace and calm in the region." In this context, Baghaei also acknowledged regional support, noting Iran's appreciation for "all friendly neighboring and regional countries that, with responsibility and concern, played a role in shaping this process," and expressed hope that "the American side will also participate in this process with responsibility, realism and seriousness." Earlier, Araghchi provided a timeline for the talks in a post on X, stating that "nuclear negotiations with the United States will be held in Muscat on Friday at around 10 a.m." Expressing gratitude to the host nation, he added, "I thank our Omani brothers for providing all the necessary arrangements." Meanwhile, Iran confirmed on Tuesday that it had sought to shift the venue of the talks from Istanbul to Oman, stating that the negotiations would take place on a bilateral basis "so that the focus remains solely on nuclear issues." - ANI Iran and the United States are holding nuclear talks in Muscat, Oman, in a high-stakes diplomatic reboot. Iran's delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, emphasized using diplomacy to safeguard national interests but is prepared to defend sovereignty. The US, represented by envoy Steve Witkoff, seeks a broader agreement covering Iran's ballistic missiles and regional activities. The talks occur amid severe economic pressure in Iran and US military posturing in the region. Iran reiterates readiness to defend sovereignty at high-stakes nuclear talks with the US in Oman, focusing on sanctions relief and nuclear program. Muscat, February 6 Iran on Friday reiterated its readiness to safeguard national interests while defending sovereignty and security "against any excessive demands or adventurism." Notably, Iran and the US are holding nuclear talks in Muscat, Oman, aimed at easing tensions and potentially reviving a nuclear deal. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is leading the delegation as Oman continues for back-channel communications between Tehran and Washington. In a post on X, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said, "The Iranian foreign minister, while emphasizing the Islamic Republic of Iran's approach of utilizing diplomacy to safeguard the national interests of Iran, expressed complete readiness to defend the country's sovereignty and national security against any excessive demands or adventurism. He also appreciated Oman's hosting and efforts in this regard." The talks focus on Iran's nuclear program, with the US seeking a broader agreement covering ballistic missiles and regional influence. "The Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, who has traveled to Muscat for nuclear negotiations and the lifting of #sanctions, met earlier on Friday with Badr al-Busaidi, the Foreign Minister of the Sultanate of Oman to discuss the manner of advancing Iran-US talks," added the post. Oman is hosting the talks, with its foreign minister praising Iran's goodwill and seriousness. The US is represented by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, also participating. Iran insists on discussing only its nuclear program, while the US wants to include missile development and regional activities. "The Omani foreign minister praised the good will, responsibility, and seriousness of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding diplomatic processes. He also highlighted the commitment of all countries in the region to prevent any escalation of tensions. He expressed hope that this round of negotiations, with the good will and timely actions of all parties, would pave the way for a lasting understanding between Iran and the U.S. During the meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran's viewpoints and proposals on the negotiation topics, as well as Iran's demands and considerations, were outlined," added the post. The talks in Muscat today represent a high-stakes "reboot" of diplomacy following a year of intense military conflict and internal unrest in Iran. Following nationwide protests in December 2025 and January 2026, the Iranian government is under acute pressure to stabilise the economy (the Rial has halved in value since June 2025). Notably, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is currently positioned in the Arabian Sea. US President Donald Trump has warned that "bad things would happen" if a deal is not reached, framing these talks as a "final warning." However, the Ambassador of Iran to India, Mohammad Fathali, at the meeting said, "We are in the negotiations now. We started the second round of negotiations. We are waiting for the results." The meeting between the Iranian and Omani foreign ministers comes at a time when regional dynamics remain fragile, with multiple geopolitical flashpoints contributing to heightened uncertainty. Iran has consistently maintained that sanctions have had a severe impact on its economy and has called for their removal as part of any meaningful agreement. The nuclear issue, meanwhile, remains a central point of contention, with Western countries expressing concerns over Iran's nuclear activities and Tehran insisting that its program is purely peaceful. - ANI Actor Shubhangi Atre has shared a behind-the-scenes challenge from the upcoming film 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain: Fun On The Run'. She revealed she had to drive a very old Ambassador car with faulty brakes on the mountain roads of Mussoorie during the shoot. The production team ensured safety with multiple practice rounds before filming the sequences. The film is a cinematic expansion of the popular TV sitcom, featuring the original cast and special appearances. Shubhangi Atre reveals the challenge of driving a vintage Ambassador with faulty brakes on Mussoorie mountains for 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain: Fun On The Run'. New Delhi, February 5 Ahead of the theatrical release of 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain: Fun On The Run' on Friday, actor Shubhangi Atre has opened up about one of the most challenging and memorable experiences from the film- driving an ageing Ambassador car through the winding mountain roads of Mussoorie. The upcoming film marks the official big-screen expansion of the hugely popular television sitcom 'Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hain', bringing the residents of the fictional Modern Colony to cinemas across India. While the franchise is best known for its situational comedy and sharp one-liners, Atre's behind-the-scenes account highlights the show's humour to a cinematic scale. Recalling the shoot, Atre said the yellow Ambassador car she was required to drive was "very old" and not ideal for the hill terrain. "The condition of the car was... interesting. It was a very old Ambassador and it didn't have proper brakes," Atre disclosed while speaking to ANI. She added, "I had to drive that car on the mountains of Mussoorie. As soon as I landed in Dehradun, the Assistant Directors (ADS) team asked me if I knew how to drive. When they pointed to the Ambassador, I was skeptical, but we made it work." To ensure safety during the shoot, the production team conducted several practice rounds around their hotel premises until the crew was confident in Atre's ability to manage the vintage vehicle. Directed by Shashank Bali, the film takes the beloved rivalry between Vibhuti Narayan Mishra (Aasif Sheikh) and Manmohan Tiwari (Rohitashv Gour) to a larger scale. The plot follows the duo as they embark on a trip with each other's wives, only to be intercepted by two brothers, Shanti and Kranti, who attempt to marry Anita and Angoori. The film serves as the official cinematic expansion of the sitcom, featuring the original core cast, including Vidisha Srivastava as Anita Bhabhi. Adding to the star power are special appearances by Ravi Kishan, Mukesh Tiwari, and Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua). - ANI The Jana Sena Party, led by Pawan Kalyan, has fielded 336 candidates for the upcoming municipal elections in Telangana. The party is contesting wards across 11 districts, with the highest number of candidates in Nizamabad. While part of the NDA in Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena has no formal alliance with the BJP for these polls, though Kalyan is scheduled to campaign for both parties' candidates. Elections for 116 municipalities and 7 corporations, comprising 2,996 wards, are set for February 11. Jana Sena Party fields 336 candidates for Telangana municipal elections. Pawan Kalyan to campaign amid alliance uncertainty with BJP. Hyderabad, Feb 6 Jana Sena Party led by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is contesting 336 seats in next week's municipal elections in Telangana. Jana Sena on Friday said in a statement that it has fielded 336 candidates and their nominations have been accepted by returning officers. Jana Sena candidates are contesting the polls on the party's symbol glass tumbler. The party is contesting 336 wards in 11 districts. The maximum number of candidates fielded by it is 48 in Nizamabad district, followed by 46 in Nalgonda, 44 in Mahabubnagar and 39 in Adilabad. Elections for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations in Telangana are scheduled on February 11. These urban local bodies have a total of 2,996 wards. Though Jana Sena is a part of the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, it has no alliance with the BJP for the Telangana municipal polls. The Telangana BJP had already announced that the party will contest the polls on its own. Jana Sena announced two days ago that Pawan Kalyan will campaign for Jana Sena and BJP candidates on February 7 and 8. The party said that the Jana Sena and BJP have fielded their candidates in a friendly environment, keeping in view the interests of Telangana and to strengthen themselves at the grassroots level. The Jana Sena chief will be campaigning in the polls on behalf of the NDA, the party said in a statement. Pawan Kalyan's detailed schedule was to be announced later. However, uncertainty prevails over his visit as there has been no further update from Jana Sena. A total of 12,944 candidates are in fray for the municipal elections. According to the State Election Commission, 14 candidates have been elected unanimously. Twelve candidates from the ruling Congress and two from the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have been elected without a contest. - IANS Recent National Multidimensional Poverty Index data from NITI Aayog indicates a significant decline in poverty in Jammu and Kashmir, with the rate falling from 12.56% to 4.8% over seven years. While some experts question the figures due to high dependency on the Public Distribution System for food grains, the report argues this dependency is changing as people shift to more lucrative professions. The data shows a national trend with nearly 25 crore people escaping poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23. Government strategy is now focusing on channeling funds from PDS into employment and entrepreneurship schemes to sustain poverty reduction. NITI Aayog data shows J&K's poverty rate fell from 12.56% to 4.8%. Experts debate PDS dependency versus real income growth. Srinagar, Feb 6 The national multi-dimensional poverty index data from Niti Aayog indicates a reduction in poverty levels in Jammu and Kashmir, while also suggesting that access to education and safe drinking water is no longer considered a luxury in the union territory. Niti Aayog's MPI measures simultaneous deprivations across health, education and standard of living using 12 indicators. Based on NFHS data, it acts as a policy tool for monitoring poverty. Recent data shows a significant decline with 24.82 crore people escaping poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23, and the headcount ratio dropping from 29.17 per cent to 11.28 per cent. Over the last seven years, J&K has recorded a considerable decline in poverty from 12.56 per cent to 4.8 per cent as per the most recent National MPI statistics. Last year, some experts questioned the credibility of NITI Aayog's MPI figures simply because of the dependence of people in the union territory on PDS. This concern arose from the fact that nearly 50 per cent of Kashmir's population relied on the government's Public Distribution Systems (PDS) for food and financial assistance. PDS played the primary role of providing sustenance for these members who lacked stable means of livelihood. An August 2025 report from Kashmir's Department of FCS&CA exhibits that 98.64 lakh beneficiaries receive foodgrains every month. Thus, social workers felt that Kashmir's citizens still lacked credible means to overcome poverty and mere survival. These experts primarily focused their attention on food availability and people's dependence on PDS. They almost completely ignored the fact that, except for those living below the poverty line, foodgrains made available to people in J&K through PDS are not given at the subsidised rates anymore. People are supplied with good grains by the PDS department, except those under the poverty line, at competitive rates and also in quantities much less than the family's total monthly consumption. These experts completely missed the point as to where the people in J&K meet the shortfall in their monthly food grain consumption. The fact is that the Kashmir Valley has very little cultivable paddy land since rice is the staple food of the Valley. Exponential growth in population, lateral expansion of cities and towns, railways, road expansion, electric transmission towers, acquisition of land for public purposes, and the non-viability of agriculture vis-a-vis expenditure and income have caused a huge decline in paddy cultivation. People have been abandoning the cultivation of food grains by diversifying into more lucrative professions and businesses. This has increased their buying power and standard of living to an extent that is truly indicated by the NITI Aayog's MPI index, which shows a decline in poverty. The fact is that a large part of the Jammu and Kashmir population is no longer starving. The lifestyle of the population has undergone major changes over the last five years. Dependency on PDS can be reduced by using the right strategies, but lives getting saved and hunger being eradicated are commendable feats. Reducing PDS Dependency: Kashmir's local and central leadership has made notable progress in eradicating poverty. The government is now focusing increasingly on employment and entrepreneurship. Representatives are turning their attention towards schemes which help increase the means of livelihood and income stability. Funds are now being curtailed in PDS and channelised into central flagship schemes to help employment, businesses and professions so that people achieve stability while poverty keeps declining. - IANS Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) belongs to Ukraine, and from a technical point of view only Ukraine can operate it, while its joint use is impossible, Acting Chairman of the Board of NNEGC Energoatom Pavlo Kovtoniuk has said. "Politicians are apparently discussing some options for possible joint use of ZNPP. But from the point of view of technical specialists and Energoatom as the operator of all NPPs, this is impossible. Only Ukraine can operate ZNPP. Only Ukraine has licenses for all its elements, from reactors to control systems," he said at a briefing at one of the NPPs on Friday. "What Russia is trying to do by issuing itself a license is absurd. Because, for example, it has neither the projects nor licenses for Westinghouse nuclear fuel," Kovtoniuk added. Afghanistan has firmly rejected Pakistan's claims that a recent deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad had links to Afghan territory, calling the allegations premature and lacking evidence. The rebuttal from Taliban spokesman Enayatullah Khwarazmi came after Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated the attacker had travelled to Afghanistan. Khwarazmi argued that such accusations mask Pakistan's internal security failures and urged a focus on constructive regional cooperation instead. The attack during Friday prayers killed at least 31 people and injured 169, prompting a nationwide security crackdown in Pakistan. Afghanistan rejects Pakistan's claim linking a deadly Islamabad mosque bombing to Afghan territory, calling the allegations premature and unsubstantiated. Kabul, February 7 Kabul has rejected Pakistan's claims that the recent suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad had links to Afghanistan, calling the allegations premature and unsupported by evidence, Khaama Press News Agency reported on Friday. Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had earlier said the attacker involved in the deadly blast had travelled to Afghanistan, alleging cross-border militant connections and vowing a strong response. Responding to the remarks, Taliban Defence Ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarazmi said Pakistani officials have repeatedly blamed Afghanistan for security incidents, including previous attacks in Balochistan, without presenting credible proof, according to Khaama. Khwarazmi questioned how Pakistani authorities were able to quickly point to alleged external links after such attacks while failing to prevent them beforehand, arguing that such accusations could not mask Pakistan's internal security challenges. He stressed that Afghanistan's authorities do not support attacks on civilians and consider violence against innocent people unacceptable under Islamic and humanitarian principles, the report said. The spokesman urged Pakistani officials to avoid shifting responsibility and instead focus on constructive regional cooperation and improving relations with neighbouring countries. The exchange follows the suicide bombing during Friday prayers in Islamabad that killed dozens of worshippers and injured several others, after which Pakistan tightened security nationwide as investigations continue, Khaama Press News Agency reported. At least 31 people have died, with 169 injured, after a suicide bombing at an Imambargah in Islamabad during Friday prayers, according to a report by Dawn citing the authorities. According to Dawn, the explosion occurred at the Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in the Tarlai area. It further noted that the Minister of State for Interior, Tallal Chaudhry, told the media in Islamabad that while the attacker was not an Afghan, authorities had been able to determine through forensic tests the number of times he had travelled to Afghanistan. - ANI Kashmiri activist Javed Beigh has labeled Pakistan's annual Kashmir Solidarity Day as a state-sponsored "fake drama." He connected the observance to a recent Indian counter-terrorism operation in Kishtwar that neutralized a suspected Jaish-e-Muhammad operative from Pakistan. Beigh's post detailed the joint operation and referenced a claimed past operation that targeted the terror group's headquarters. He asserted that such ground actions, not symbolic observances, define the reality of the Kashmir issue. Kashmiri activist Javed Beigh calls Pakistan's Kashmir Solidarity Day a "fake drama," citing a recent anti-terror operation as India's response. Srinagar, February 6 Every year on February 5, Pakistan observes what it calls Kashmir Solidarity Day. Officially, it claims to stand for the rights of Kashmiris. However, the day is about state-sponsored propaganda, designed to distract from Pakistan's own human rights record, both in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and across regions under its control. Against this backdrop, Kashmiri activist Javed Beigh, in a post shared on X, described the recent counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir as India's response to what he termed Pakistan's "fake and fraudulent" observance of "Kashmir Solidarity Day." As cited in Beigh's post, Pakistan marks February 5 every year as "Kashmir Solidarity Day," which he described as a "fake drama." Referring to the same date, Beigh stated that India's response was reflected in the neutralisation of a Pakistani citizen identified as Adil, whom he alleged was affiliated with the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Muhammad, headquartered in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province. According to the post, Adil was neutralised during a joint operation named "Trashi-I", carried out by troops of the Indian Army's CIF Delta, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The operation reportedly took place in the Dichhar area of Kishtwar district. In his post, Beigh alleged that Jaish-e-Muhammad is a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation founded by Maulana Masood Azhar, and claimed that the group has been involved in major terror attacks, including the 2019 Pulwama attack and a recent attack near Delhi's Red Fort. He further stated that Jaish-e-Muhammad is based in Pakistan's southern Punjab region. The post also referred to what Beigh described as "Operation Sindoor," claiming that India had bombed and completely destroyed the Jaish-e-Muhammad headquarters in Bahawalpur. According to the claims made in the post, several close relatives of Masood Azhar were killed during that operation. Beigh concluded his post by reiterating that Pakistan's observance of "Kashmir Solidarity Day" is deceptive, asserting that actions on the ground, rather than symbolic observances, reflect the reality of the Kashmir issue. - ANI The U.S. virtual Embassy in Iran has issued an urgent advisory warning American citizens to leave the country immediately. The warning cites increased security measures, internet blockages, and the high risk of questioning or detention, especially for U.S.-Iranian dual nationals. Citizens are advised to consider departing by land to Armenia or Turkiye, as flight cancellations are frequent and unpredictable. The advisory provides detailed instructions for those who cannot leave, including securing supplies and avoiding demonstrations. The US issues urgent advisory for citizens to depart Iran, citing security risks, flight disruptions, and detention threats for dual nationals. Tehran, February 6 The virtual US Embassy in Iran on Friday warned its citizens to 'leave Iran immediately' amid rising tensions. The advisory said, "Increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages are ongoing. The Government of Iran continues to restrict access to mobile, landline, and national internet networks. Airlines continue to limit or cancel flights to and from Iran." It further stated that US citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Turkiye. "Leave Iran now. Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on U.S. government help. Flight cancellations and disruptions are possible with little warning. Check directly with your airlines for updates. If you cannot leave, find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items," the statement said. "Avoid demonstrations, keep a low profile, and stay aware of your surroundings. Monitor local media for breaking news. Be prepared to adjust your plans. Keep your phone charged and maintain communication with family and friends to inform them of your status. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive the latest updates on security in Iran," the statement further said. The advisory added, "U.S.-Iranian dual nationals must exit Iran on Iranian passports. The Iranian government does not recognize dual nationality and will treat U.S.-Iranian dual nationals solely as Iranian citizens. U.S. nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest, and detention in Iran. Showing a U.S. passport or demonstrating connections to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone. U.S. citizens who do not have a valid U.S. passport in their possession should apply for one at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate after departing Iran." "The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety if you choose to depart using the following options. You should leave only if you believe it is safe to do so," the advisory said in its stringent warning. As of Thursday, February 5, the Armenian land border at Agarak/Norduz is open. US citizens entering Armenia from Iran need a valid US passport and may stay for up to 180 days visa-free. US dual-nationals who plan to enter Armenia on an American, Iranian, or Armenian passport do not require advance approval. The Turkish land border crossings with Iran are open (Gurbulak/Bazargan, Kapikoy/Razi, and Esendere/Serow). US citizens entering Turkiye from Iran need a valid US passport and may stay for up to 90 days visa-free. US dual-nationals who plan to enter Turkiye on an American, Iranian, or Turkish passport do not require advance approval. Turkmenistan's land borders are open, but US citizens need special authorization from the Government of Turkmenistan before approaching the border. The US Embassy Ashgabat must facilitate this approval. US citizens who plan to request entry into Turkmenistan should send the following to the US Embassy Ashgabat American Citizens Services Unit at AshgabatUScitizen@state.gov: Name, DOB, passport information (number and dates of issue/expiration), border crossing, and a photograph of the passport biodata page. Azerbaijan's land borders are closed to routine traffic. US citizens with an urgent need to depart Iran should first consider other available options for departure. If alternate routes are not feasible, US citizens may request entry into Azerbaijan; however, this requires prior approval from the Government of Azerbaijan. The US Embassy Baku must facilitate this approval process, and extended wait times should be expected. US citizens who plan to request entry into Azerbaijan should send the following to the US Embassy Baku American Citizens Services Unit at BakuACS@state.gov. Name, DOB, passport information (number and dates of issue/expiration), border crossing, and photograph of the passport biodata page US citizens should not travel to Afghanistan, Iraq, or the Pakistan-Iran border area. The US government does not have diplomatic or consular relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Swiss government, acting through its embassy in Tehran, serves as the protecting power for US interests in Iran. - ANI Lisa Kudrow has made a heartfelt appeal for the preservation of the historic Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank where 'Friends' was filmed. She emphasized the lot's significance not only to her personally but to the entire film and television industry. Kudrow specifically hopes the lot remains unchanged and that features like "Jack Warner's roses" are protected. The studio has been home to numerous iconic productions, with Stage 24 being officially renamed 'The Friends Stage' after the show's finale. Lisa Kudrow appeals to future Warner Bros. owner to preserve the iconic Burbank lot where 'Friends' was filmed, calling it historic and personal. Washington, February 6 Lisa Kudrow has issued a heartfelt appeal to the future owner of Warner Bros. Discovery, urging them to preserve the iconic Burbank studio lot where the sitcom 'Friends' was filmed for a decade. In an recent interview, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, the actor, who essayed the character of Phoebe Buffay on the globally popular sitcom, asked that the historic Warner Bros. lot remain unchanged amid an ongoing ownership battle. Kudrow said the studio holds significance not just for her personally, but for the wider film and television industry. "It's hard for me to tell whether Warner Bros. is just special to me, or if it's special to the whole city or industry, and I think it is," she said. Reflecting on frequent changes in studio ownership, Kudrow added that she hopes the lot will be "preserved as is," noting that it continues to function perfectly for modern productions. She made a specific plea to protect "Jack Warner's roses," a long-standing feature of the studio grounds, as per The Hollywood Reporter Warner Bros. has been the filming home of several landmark projects, including 'Casablanca', 'Blade Runner', 'The Matrix', 'Inception' and 'The Goonies'. For Kudrow, however, its significance is deeply personal. She worked on the lot for at least 10 years while filming 'Friends', which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. The sitcom, which also starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, was primarily shot on Stage 24. Following the series finale, the stage was officially nicknamed 'The Friends Stage' in recognition of the show's cultural impact. - ANI Lithuania's Foreign Secretary, Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa, has hailed the proposed EU-India Free Trade Agreement as a landmark achievement that will create a win-win situation for Lithuanian businesses. He expressed Lithuania's keen interest in concluding the deal early and highlighted the country's ambition to become an AI superpower, planning enhanced participation in India's upcoming AI Summit. Talat-Kelpsa described India-Lithuania relations as positive, fast-developing, and expanding in trade and people-to-people connections. Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that India's future-ready trade deals, including with the EU, are being praised globally and will open new opportunities for the nation's youth. Lithuania's Foreign Secretary calls the proposed India-EU FTA a landmark, win-win deal for businesses and discusses AI cooperation and growing bilateral ties. New Delhi, February 6 Lithuania's Foreign Secretary Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa on Thursday described the proposed EU-India Free Trade Agreement as a landmark achievement that would open new avenues of cooperation and deliver mutual benefits. Speaking to ANI, Talat-Kelpsa said Lithuania was keen to conclude the agreement early. "This is a landmark achievement by both sides. Lithuania is interested in concluding this agreement. It will open new avenues for cooperation. For Lithuanian businesses, it will be a win-win situation," he said. The Lithuanian Foreign Secretary was in the national capital to deliver the Second Hermman Kallenbach Lecture at Jawaharlal Nehru University's School of International Studies, where he shared insights into Lithuania's foreign policy priorities amid a changing global landscape. In a post on X, the embassy of Lithuania in India said, " @LithuaniaMFA Political Director (Foreign Secretary) Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa delivered the Second Hermann Kallenbach Lecture at @JNU_official_50 School of International Studies today, sharing insights on Lithuania's foreign policy priorities in a changing global landscape. " Commenting on the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Summit to be hosted in India from February 16-20, Talat-Kelpsa told ANI that Lithuania attaches high importance to the sector and intends to participate at a higher level in the second edition of the summit. Speaking to ANI, he said, "Lithuania is investing in both sectors of the economy to generate growth. AI is manifesting in all sectors of the economy. Being a small nation, we want to become an AI superpower," adding that Lithuania's presence at the summit would be strengthened. On bilateral ties, Talat-Kelpsa described India-Lithuania relations as positive and rapidly expanding. "It is a fast-developing and dynamic relationship. Trade is growing, and people-to-people connect is expanding," he said. He added that both countries were focused on deepening intellectual and institutional linkages. "We want the exchange of intellectual capital between our nations and to build a better foundation for the future," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India is signing future-ready trade deals with several countries, and that, whether it is the trade agreement with the European Union or the recent deal with the United States, the entire world is openly praising these agreements. Replying to the motion of thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said India is today a trusted partner to several nations and is playing its role in the welfare of the world. "India is signing future-ready trade deals with several countries. In the past few days, we have concluded trade agreements with nine major countries. Mother of all deals with 27 countries, with the European Union is one of them," he said. "The recently signed trade deals will greatly benefit our youth. This includes young people from both rural and urban areas, as well as those from middle-class backgrounds -- our sons and daughters. With the world market now open to them, new opportunities await. I want to assure our youth that I stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, and that the world is ready to welcome your talents and ambitions," he added. Prime Minister Modi said that major countries are eager to establish trade relations with India. "Be it the trade deal of the European Union or the recent deal with the US...The entire world is openly praising these trade deals. When we signed the trade deal with the EU, the world became more confident about the prospect of greater global stability. After the trade deal with the US, the world became even more confident that, with stability, they could also see a speed-up. This is a positive sign for the world," he said. - ANI Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has publicly stated that her country's 2021 decision to host a "Taiwanese representative office" was a strategic mistake, likening it to jumping in front of a train. Her candid admission became a top trend on China's Sina Weibo, garnering over 50 million views. While some Chinese netizens acknowledged her frankness, many expressed skepticism because the office remains open and unchanged in Vilnius. The incident has kept bilateral relations tense, with China viewing the original move as a violation of its sovereignty. Lithuanian PM Simonyte calls Taiwan office a "strategic mistake," drawing millions of views and sceptical reactions on Chinese social media. Beijing, February 6 Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte's recent public admission that her government made a "strategic mistake" regarding the Taiwan issue has ignited widespread debate on Chinese social media, with netizens applauding the frank acknowledgement while also sharply criticising what many see as a lack of meaningful follow-through, reported Global Times. In a recent interview with Baltic News Service (BNS), Simonyte addressed Lithuania's controversial 2021 decision to allow what was termed a "Taiwanese representative office" to open in Vilnius. Reflecting on that diplomatic move, she stated that it was akin to having "jumped in front of a train and lost," a stark metaphor that underlined her view of the misstep's political cost. The comments, which were widely shared on Chinese X-like platform Sina Weibo, quickly became one of the top trending topics on Thursday (local time), drawing more than 50 million reads. While some Chinese netizens welcomed Simonyte's candor, a significant number expressed scepticism about the significance of the admission, given that the so-called Taiwanese office remains open and unchanged in Lithuania's capital. One commenter on Weibo summed up this sentiment: "That was probably Lithuania's big mistake, thinking that if we acted on our own and did something first, the world would suddenly appreciate it." This view highlights a broader perception among Chinese online commentators that actions speak louder than words, particularly on sensitive territorial issues such as Taiwan, reported Global Times. Some posts emphasised that, despite admitting the error, the Lithuanian government has yet to take corrective measures such as renaming or relocating the office, steps that, in their view, would have signalled genuine contrition and policy reversal. "It would be no use to admit the mistake without correcting it," one netizen wrote, epitomising the general online frustration. Relations between Vilnius and Beijing have remained tense since the office's establishment, which China views as a violation of its One-China principle and an action undermining its sovereignty and territorial integrity. According to Chinese official commentary, Beijing has taken multiple countermeasures in response to the Lithuanian move, including a diplomatic downgrade that has left the two countries' bilateral ties strained. - ANI Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister, Wadysaw Bartoszewski, states that bilateral relations with India are on a strong upward trajectory following the 2024 strategic partnership agreement. He identifies defence cooperation and green technology as key priorities, with discussions on joint military production and sharing expertise in renewables and water treatment. Multiple ministerial visits are planned for 2025, including a potential trip by Poland's Prime Minister to Delhi. The minister also welcomed the recent India-US trade deal, viewing reduced tariffs as beneficial for global prosperity. Poland's Deputy FM highlights strategic partnership, plans for defence cooperation, green technology, and high-level visits to boost India-Poland relations. New Delhi, Feb 6 Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Wadysaw Bartoszewski on Friday took note of India's stellar economic growth, rising global stature and also shared insights on European nation's inclination to deepen ties with India across multiple sectors, two of which remain high on its agenda - defence co-operation and green technology. In an interview with IANS, Bartoszewski spoke about India-Poland relations, trade and investment opportunities, global geopolitical challenges, and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasised that bilateral ties are on an upward trajectory and highlighted India's rapid economic transformation, technological advances, and strategic importance on the world stage. Here is the full interview: IANS: How do you see the current trajectory of India-Poland relations? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: Relations between India and Poland are on an upward trajectory. We signed a strategic partnership agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, when he visited Poland for the first time as Prime Minister of India in 45 years. It was a very good visit. We have now also signed the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, of which we are a part. I have just returned from the Foreign Ministry, where we discussed a number of practical steps dealing with military cooperation, digital industry cooperation, security issues, IT investments in high technology, cooperation in space, and other areas. We are planning a visit by our Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs next month. I will return here in March, and our Deputy Minister for Development and Technology will also visit in March. We are planning a visit by our Prime Minister to Delhi later this year. We are also discussing visits by various officials, including Dr S. Jaishankar, to Poland later this year. So I would say we are talking about business, politics, security, and a wide range of cooperation. The sky is the limit. Not so long ago, two astronauts went into orbit, one Indian and one Polish, and that is a symbol of our cooperation in the near future. IANS: What are Poland's plans and priorities for trade and investment engagement with India? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: We have a number of sectors we are interested in. Definitely the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sector-about 9 per cent of India's GDP comes from this sector, while 7 per cent of our GDP comes from it, so it is a natural match. We are quite advanced in digital technologies that serve the population. We have the ability to conduct most official business with government and regional bodies via telephone or computer, and we are trying to expand e-government. India is also quite advanced in this area. We are discussing advances in military technology, including very high-tech solutions, with several Indian companies involved. We are also talking about production, possibly joint production in Poland and joint production in India under the Make in India principle. We are involved in talks over green technologies, which are also of interest to India. We are quite advanced in water treatment. As far as I remember, there is a Polish company dealing with sewage in Mumbai. We are rapidly transforming our energy sector from coal to renewable sources, including nuclear. We have started building a nuclear power plant and are also looking at small modular reactor plants. We are investing heavily in offshore wind farms and are also using biogas. We have a very strong agricultural sector, which accounts for about 50 per cent of the value of our exports. Agricultural by-products can be used for biogas, which is a stable, renewable energy source. We are also interested in the Indian experience in green hydrogen and energy storage. We are planning to engage with India on coal mining as well, as we have extensive experience, with most of our coal mines being open-cast. IANS: What is your assessment of the recent India-US trade deal? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: It is better to have a trade deal than not to have one. Generally speaking, tariffs do not bring prosperity to nations because they are ultimately paid by consumers when importers transfer the cost. The lower the tariffs, the better. I think it is good that India and the United States reached an agreement that reduced tariffs significantly from the levels originally suggested. IANS: Do you believe India secured a more favourable trade deal with the United States as compared to other countries? If so, why? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: India is a very serious economic power. You are now number four in terms of GDP globally, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that India aims to become number three very soon. It is a huge market of nearly one and a half billion people. It is technologically advanced and changing rapidly. It does not make sense to ignore a country with such potential. India is also a democratic state that recently conducted the largest democratic election in the world. It is a very good partner. It makes more sense to trade and have good relations than to have bad relations and not trade. IANS: India has urged Poland to play a role in addressing terrorism in the neighbourhood. How do you respond? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: We are already dealing with state-sponsored terrorism near our borders. We experienced two terrorist attacks on our trains. Thankfully, no one was killed, but it came very close, and it could have become an international scandal. IANS: How do you assess India's role and potential contribution toward ending the war in Ukraine? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: India is not engaged in the war in Ukraine and is not involved in negotiations to end it. The war cannot be ended by India or Poland. It can be ended tomorrow by President Putin if he withdraws the forces of his colonial, neo-colonial, imperialistic army, trying to subjugate the free state of Ukraine once again. Russia ruled Ukraine as a colony in the 18th and 19th centuries and now wants to do so again. Poland is opposed to all forms of colonialism and neo-imperialism. IANS: What are your views on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his global impact? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: Well, I think the Prime Minister is a phenomenal leader. He is very charismatic, as proven by being elected and re-elected several times. He has changed India dramatically and has a very ambitious vision for the country. We are all very impressed by his actions and achievements. Privately, I can say that he is an absolutely charming, charismatic, and pleasant person. I believe many Indians feel the same way, because they follow his guidance and directions, which have moved India from the time when I was young-India was a poor country, and people did not have enough food. Europeans used to send food aid to India. Today, India is the fourth-largest economy and is moving very fast in the right direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, I think you are lucky to have such a Prime Minister. IANS: How do you assess the current situation in West Asia, particularly concerns about escalation between Iran and the United States? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: I believe a full-scale conflict will be avoided. There is a possibility of an agreement between the United States and Iran because Iran is now in a much weaker position. Iran cannot effectively use its proxies, such as Hamas or Hezbollah, which are in disarray, and to some extent, the Houthis. There are also massive protests within Iran against the system and the rule of the Ayatollahs. I believe a peaceful agreement is possible, and I do not foresee a major war breaking out in the region at this time. IANS: How do you view China's role in the Ukraine conflict and tensions involving Iran? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: I look at China's role in the war in Ukraine negatively, and we communicate this to our Chinese partners whenever we talk to them. According to the estimates, over 80 per cent, or close to 90 per cent, of all dual-use components used in Russian weapon systems are transferred to Russia by China, and that is something which fuels the war. China is also a major buyer of Russian oil and gas, which provides a source of income for Russia and helps them continue fighting the war. We mention this to the Chinese every time we talk to them. The Chinese claim that they do not supply any dual-use materials. We have to disagree with them on this. IANS: How do you see NATO's evolving role, and what implications does it have for countries outside the alliance, such as India? Wadysaw Bartoszewski: NATO was formed in 1949 as a defensive alliance to protect the countries of Western Europe from a potential Soviet invasion. Eastern European countries later joined NATO for the same reason, to protect themselves against the aggressive Russian Federation. Russia claims that all areas of Eastern Europe should be under its control. We reject that. We are sovereign states, members of the United Nations, and like India, we believe that international law, not military force, should resolve disputes. NATO has no intention of attacking anyone. Finland and Sweden, which were previously non-aligned and neutral for over 200 years, joined NATO because they felt threatened by Russia's policies. NATO member states maintain very good relations with India, including the United States, France, Germany, and Poland. We recognise India's global role. I mentioned in a previous interview in New Delhi that Prime Minister Modi spoke to President Putin, discouraging him from using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine in late 2022. President Xi Jinping also played a similar role. This demonstrates positive contribution India makes in world affairs, and I expect that role to continue. - IANS Governor Mangubhai Patel joined students in Bhopal to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi's annual 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' interaction, which was broadcast live across Madhya Pradesh. Students reported that the Prime Minister's advice helped alleviate their exam-related fear and stress, with key messages focusing on knowledge over marks and effective time management. The state's education department facilitated viewings via television and internet-enabled devices in schools statewide. The next edition of the program is scheduled for February 9, featuring another live interaction with students from across the country. Madhya Pradesh Governor and students watch PM Modi's Pariksha Pe Charcha for exam stress tips. Live broadcast organized statewide for board exam preparation. Bhopal, Feb 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's annual interaction with students ahead of board examinations, 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', broadcast on Friday, witnessed extensive participation from students, parents, teachers and government officials across Madhya Pradesh. Governor Mangubhai Patel watched the broadcast with school students at Lok Bhavan here and said that 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' is not limited to examination preparation but also teaches the management of exam-related stress through positive thinking and self-confidence. The Director of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in the state School Education Department said the programme was organised across Madhya Pradesh and students participated enthusiastically in the live broadcast. "In addition to television telecasts in schools, facilities were also provided to view the programme on internet-enabled devices such as computers and laptops," he added. Students watched the broadcast live in their respective schools in different parts of the state and said that the inspirational mantras given by Prime Minister Modi would prove extremely helpful in their upcoming board examinations. Several students told IANS that the fear, stress and confusion they had about the exams had largely been alleviated by the Prime Minister's guidance. Ambika Singh, a student of Gyanodya Higher Secondary School in Shahdol district, said that the inspiring mantras from the Prime Minister would serve as a guide not only during examinations but also in life. Samay Pandey, another student from a government-run school in Shahdol, said, "The Prime Minister gave many suggestions on how to prepare for exams without taking stress. I have heard that he has suggested some books and AI. I will read those books. My annual exams are scheduled in March and I believe that PM Modi's tips will help a lot." Another Class 12 student, Ambika Singh, said the Prime Minister laid special emphasis on time management during exam preparation. "Among various suggestions, PM Modi said that students should not worry about marks but focus on knowledge, and this message struck me the most. The way he interacted with students was amazing," she said. It may be noted that the next broadcast of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' will be held on February 9, during which Prime Minister Modi will interact with students from various parts of the country. The programme will be broadcast on multiple media platforms from 10 am onwards, according to the state government. - IANS A magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook the town of Namchi in Sikkim early Friday morning. The National Center for Seismology reported the quake occurred at 3:11 AM IST at a very shallow depth of 5 kilometers. Local residents described feeling tremors and seeing objects like lamps and chairs move unexpectedly. This event follows recent tremors felt in Kolkata just days earlier, linked to seismic activity in neighboring countries. A magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck Namchi, Sikkim at 3:11 AM IST at a depth of 5 km. Locals report feeling tremors and shaking objects. Namchi, February 6 A magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook Namchi in Sikkim in the early hours of Friday, according to the National Center for Seismology. The quake occurred at a shallow depth of 5 km beneath the Earth's surface at 3:11 am. "EQ of M: 4.0, On: 06/02/2026 03:11:30 IST, Lat: 27.38 N, Long: 88.42 E, Depth: 5 Km, Location: Namchi, Sikkim," National Center for Seismology said in an 'X' post. On February 4, Tremors were felt in parts of Kolkata after reports of earthquakes in neighbouring countries, including Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Tibet, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).Locals reported feeling tremors after their surroundings began shaking, after which they realised there was an earthquake. Speaking to ANI, Mrityunjay Das said he saw things shaking, which led him to realise an earthquake was occurring. "We felt the tremors. Later, we felt that the lamp and chair had moved from their position, which is when we got to know that there was an earthquake," he said. Another local said he felt a jerk at his shop, "A little while ago, when I was in the shop, I felt a sudden jerk. Later, I got to know that there was an earthquake." - ANI Mahindra Group has announced a massive Rs 15,000 crore investment to establish its largest-ever integrated manufacturing plant in Nagpur over the next decade. The 1500-acre facility will have an annual capacity for over 5 lakh vehicles and 1 lakh tractors, supported by a new 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar. The plant is designed for next-generation vehicles, including electric models, and will leverage the Vidarbha region's transport links. State Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the project as a major job creator and endorsement of Maharashtra's industrial ecosystem. Mahindra Group invests Rs 15,000 crore to build its largest integrated car and tractor plant in Nagpur, with a 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar. Mumbai, February 6 Mahindra Group plans to set up its largest-ever manufacturing plant for cars and tractors in Nagpur. The company is set to invest Rs 15,000 crore over the next 10 years to build this facility. The announcement was made on Friday at the "Advantage Vidarbha" event in Maharashtra. As per the press release by Mahindra Group, "The state-of-the-art facility will be developed across an area of 1500 acres in Vidarbha, complemented by a 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar." Once it is fully ready, "the facility will have an annual production capacity of over 5 lakh vehicles and 1 lakh tractors, making it Mahindra's largest integrated manufacturing footprint in the country," noted the release. As part of this expansion, Mahindra is also building a 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar. This park will make parts for the new Nagpur plant and the company's existing factories in Chakan and Nashik. This move is intended to help the company work more closely with its partners and make more components locally. The Nagpur factory will be equipped to handle Mahindra's next-generation vehicle designs. It will be capable of making traditional petrol and diesel engines, electric vehicles, and other future technologies. The company is also acquiring more land in the Igatpuri-Nashik area to increase its engine production and support its advanced technology projects. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the move, stating that the investment is a "strong endorsement of the state's robust industrial ecosystem." He added that the project will create many jobs and help the Vidarbha region grow faster. Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director & CEO of Mahindra's Auto and Farm Sector, described the plan as "a bold step forward" for the company. He noted that the facility is "designed to support our next generation of vehicles and tractors" by bringing together high-tech manufacturing and large-scale production. He also mentioned that the project helps the company "deliver world-class products" while supporting the "Make in India" initiative. The Vidarbha region was chosen because of its strong transport links. The facility will have easy access to the Samruddhi Expressway and major rail lines, making it easier to send vehicles to both Indian and international markets. - ANI Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov has said on a conversation with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, during which the parties discussed cooperation issues, in particular, joint production of defense products. "Spoke with Denmarks Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen. Strengthening cooperation on F-16 ammunition, Patriot systems, joint defence production, and support for Ukrainian brigades. Denmark is a reliable partner delivering real results for Ukraines defence. Thank you for the strong and consistent support," Fedorov said on X on Friday, following the conversation. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has appealed for peace and constitutional adherence following widespread protests in Kuki-Zo tribal districts. The protests, led by several tribal organizations, oppose the involvement of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the formation of the new state government. A total shutdown severely impacted normal life in Churachandpur district, closing offices and halting transport, while clashes with security forces resulted in injuries. The tension escalated after Nemcha Kipgen virtually took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, with three of the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs participating in the government process. Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh appeals for peace as Kuki-Zo groups protest MLA involvement in state government, triggering shutdowns and clashes. Imphal, Feb 6 Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday appealed to all sections of society to maintain peace and calm and refrain from any form of violence amid protests in Kuki-Zo tribal inhabited districts of the state. Several Kuki-Zo organisations have been staging protests in Churachandpur and other hill districts against the participation and involvement of MLAs from their community in the formation of the state government. The Chief Minister appealed after chairing a Cabinet meeting at the Civil Secretariat here to review the prevailing situation, particularly in Churachandpur district. Taking to social media platform X, CM Singh said: "Chaired a review meeting with Hon'ble Ministers and senior officials at my Secretariat to take stock of the prevailing situation and to take necessary decisions for containing the unrest. I earnestly appeal to everyone to remain calm and act in accordance with the Constitution." Normal life in Churachandpur district was severely affected on Friday as several tribal organisations observed a 24-hour total shutdown in protest against the involvement of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the government formation process, officials said. Protest rallies were also organised in Tengnoupal and other mountainous districts of the state. A police official in Imphal said that agitators, some holding sticks, stopped vehicles at several locations in the Churachandpur district headquarters town. Government and private offices, shops, markets, banks, and educational institutions remained closed, while vehicular movement was largely suspended. The shutdown was called by the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), Joint Forum of Seven (JF7), and a few other Kuki-Zo tribal organisations. The situation remained tense, prompting the deployment of a large contingent of additional security forces across Churachandpur and other hill districts. The KSO and KWOHR also organised a mass protest rally on Friday afternoon opposing the participation of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the government formation process. On Thursday, clashes erupted between a mob and security forces at the Tuibong Bazaar and Forest Gate areas, forcing security personnel to resort to baton charges and fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. At least five people were injured in the clashes. Additional security forces were deployed in the affected areas to prevent further escalation, while intermittent clashes continued till around 3 a.m. on Friday. Senior security officials rushed to the area to oversee efforts to restore normalcy, the official added. Tensions have been simmering in Churachandpur district since Wednesday evening (February 4) after Nemcha Kipgen, who hails from Kangpokpi district, virtually took oath as Deputy Chief Minister from Manipur Bhavan in New Delhi. Kipgen is the lone woman minister in the Yumnam Khemchand Singh-led Cabinet, which assumed office on Wednesday. So far, three of the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs -- Nemcha Kipgen, L.M. Khaute and Ngursanglur Sanate -- have been involved in the government formation process. Of the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs, seven belong to the BJP, while the remaining three are affiliated with local Kuki-Zo organisations. Kipgen, Khaute and Sanate also virtually attended the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on Thursday. - IANS Actress Manisha Yadav has won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2016 film 'Oru Kuppai Kathai'. She expressed her gratitude on Instagram, thanking the Tamil Nadu government, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and the selection committee. Yadav also credited her director Kali Rangasamy and producer for trusting her with the role. The awards for 2016-2022 will be presented at a ceremony in Chennai on February 13. Actress Manisha Yadav expresses gratitude after winning the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for 'Oru Kuppai Kathai'. Chennai, Feb 6 Actress Manisha Yadav, who has won the Tamil Nadu Government's State Film Award for Best Actress for the year 2016 for her performance in director Kali Ranagasamy's hit film, 'Oru Kuppai Kadhai', has now penned a note of gratitude, saying the recognition motivates her to keep striving for excellence. The actress took to her Instagram page to post a statement of gratitude, a week after the awards were announced. She said, "I'm truly honored and grateful to receive the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Oru Kuppai Kathai." Thanking the government of Tamil Nadu, she further said, "My heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu - M.K Stalin Sir for this prestigious recognition, and sincere thanks to the selection committee for believing in my work. I'm also thankful to the critics and audiences for recognizing my performance." The actress then thanked her film unit. She said, "I'm deeply grateful to my director Kali Rangasamy sir and producer Aslam sir for trusting me with this role - it truly means a lot to me. This recognition motivates me to keep striving for excellence and to give back to my community with even more dedication." Thanking one and all, the actress disclosed that she was incredibly excited and eagerly looking forward to February 13 as that is the day the awards are to be presented to the winners in Chennai. For the unaware, the Tamil Nadu government, had last week, announced the State Film Awards for seven years (from 2016 to 2022). Each award winner will be presented a gold medal, a memento and a certificate. The awards are to be presented at a function that is to be held at the Kalaivanar Arangam Auditorium on February 13 this year. - IANS A restored angel fresco in a historic Roman church sparked controversy due to its striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Church officials, facing backlash, ordered the face to be painted over to prevent the sacred art from becoming a divisive spectacle. The restoration artist initially denied intentionally depicting Meloni but later acknowledged the similarity, while the government launched a formal inquiry. Meloni responded lightheartedly on social media, even as the incident ignited a national debate about the intersection of politics, art, and religion. A restored angel fresco resembling PM Giorgia Meloni was repainted, sparking a church and state investigation into art and politics in Rome. Rome, February 6 A restored fresco inside one of Rome's oldest churches was thrust into the national spotlight this week after one of its angel figures was found to bear a striking resemblance to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, prompting its face to be painted over and sparking investigations by church and state authorities, reported CNN. The fresco, located in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, a historic church near the Italian parliament, had been undergoing restoration after water damage when parishioners and visitors noticed that one of the angelic figures appeared to look unusually contemporary. Photos published by local media showed the face of the cherub with features many observers said echoed those of Meloni, Italy's first female prime minister. Church officials soon faced political and clerical backlash. Cardinal Baldo Reina, vicar-general for the Diocese of Rome, condemned the alteration, saying sacred art should not be used to promote "misused or exploited" imagery outside liturgical meaning. Soon after, the parish priest, Monsignor Daniele Micheletti, ordered that the angel's face be painted over entirely ahead of midday services. "I always said that we would do it if it became divisive," Micheletti told reporters, noting that visitors were coming "to see it, not to hear Mass or pray." The artist responsible for the restoration, 83-year-old Bruno Valentinetti, initially denied that he had intended to depict Meloni's face, saying his goal was to "revive the lines of the original artwork." However, in later statements he acknowledged the similarity, insisting it was coincidental and that the original fresco, completed in 2000 and not covered by heritage protection, had depicted ordinary cherubic features, reported CNN. The controversy quickly drew governmental attention. Italy's Culture Ministry launched an inquiry into the restoration work, and officials said that any future painting or restoration of the angel will require formal approval from authorities including the Interior Ministry's fund for places of worship and the special superintendency overseeing Rome's cultural heritage. For her part, Meloni responded with humor on social media, posting a photo of the now-covered fresco with the caption: "No, I definitely don't look like an angel," accompanied by a laughing emoji. Her lighthearted reaction stood in contrast to the broader debate over art, politics and religion that has gripped Italy this week. As the dust settles, the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina remains open to worshippers and visitors alike. Church leaders have emphasized the need to safeguard the neutrality and spiritual focus of religious art, while cultural authorities work to clarify standards for future restorations. - ANI Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has clarified that the recent Bengaluru Metro fare revision is not decided by the state government but by an independent Fare Fixation Committee constituted by the Union Government under the Metro Railways Act. He stated that the committee's recommendations are legally binding and neither the state nor the metro corporation can override them. The CM announced he will formally urge the Union Government to reconsider the fare levels to protect daily commuters and low-income groups. He also accused the Opposition BJP of misleading the public and failing to raise the issue effectively at the national level. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah clarifies that Bengaluru Metro fares are fixed by a central committee, not the state, amid public backlash and political criticism. Bengaluru, Feb 6 Responding to public backlash and criticism from political parties over the recent revision of Bengaluru Metro fares, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday clarified that under the Metro Railways Act, 2002, Metro fares are not decided by the State Government but are fixed by an independent panel set up by the Centre through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In an official statement, the Chief Minister said the Bengaluru Metro is more than just a transport system and described it as a symbol of the city's aspirations and an everyday lifeline for lakhs of working people, students, and families. He said a responsible government must listen to citizens first and assured the people of Karnataka that their concerns would not be ignored. However, Siddaramaiah said it was important for the public to know the facts and not be misled by political misinformation. He clarified that under the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, Metro fares are not decided by the State Government. The fares are fixed by an independent Fare Fixation Committee constituted by the Union Government through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Citing Sections 36 and 37 of the Act, the Chief Minister said the committee is mandated to submit its recommendations within a stipulated period and that these recommendations are legally binding on the metro administration and must be implemented. He added that neither the State Government nor the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited has the authority to override or disregard the committee's decision. The Fare Fixation Committee, he noted, was constituted by the Union Government, headed by a former High Court judge, operates under a Central law, and its recommendations are mandated by Parliament. Blaming the Karnataka Government for a decision imposed under a Union framework is factually incorrect and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, he said. Despite legal limitations, Siddaramaiah said the State Government's commitment to public welfare goes beyond procedural boundaries. He reiterated that public transport must remain affordable, inclusive, and supportive of everyday livelihoods and said Bengaluru's growth should not come at the cost of commuter hardship. The Chief Minister said he would formally take up the matter with the Union Government, urging it to reconsider the fare levels recommended by the Fare Fixation Committee, explore mechanisms to moderate or rationalise fares - especially for daily commuters, students, and low-income groups - and examine policy options that balance financial sustainability with social equity. He said Karnataka has consistently led the country in urban mobility and public institutions and would continue to engage constructively and constitutionally to protect the interests of Bengalureans. He also appealed to the Opposition to rise above misinformation and stand united in the interest of the people of Karnataka. Taking a swipe at the BJP, Siddaramaiah said the same leaders who failed to protect Karnataka's interests in Delhi were now staging protests in Bengaluru and unfairly targeting the State Government. He questioned why BJP MPs from Karnataka did not raise the issue forcefully in Parliament and why Union Ministers from the State failed to oppose high fare slabs at the national level. The Chief Minister alleged that Karnataka BJP leaders were more interested in pleasing their high command than standing with the people of the State. He said the metro fare hike was part of a broader pattern of injustice by the BJP-led Union Government, including reduced tax devolution, denial of fair grants, delays in infrastructure support, and policies that increase the cost of living for ordinary citizens. Urging the BJP to stop misleading the public, Siddaramaiah said the State Government would always stand with the people and assured that no injustice - fiscal, administrative, or political - would go unanswered. - IANS Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav inaugurated the three-day GrainEx India Exhibition at the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple complex in Indore. The event, organized by the All India Dal Mill Association, features participation from over 200 national and international companies, including from China, Turkey, and Spain. A key highlight is the live demonstration of state-of-the-art machinery for processing pulses, rice, flour, and other food sectors. Association president Suresh Agarwal stated the expo provides a platform for industry professionals to discover new technologies to enhance production and efficiency. CM Mohan Yadav inaugurates the 3-day GrainEx India exhibition in Indore, featuring 200+ companies showcasing latest food processing tech. Indore, Feb 6 A three-day national and international exhibition of state-of-the-art machinery related to pulses, grains, and other food processing industries will start on Friday at the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple complex in Indore. The exhibition -- GrainEx India Exhibition -- is being organised under the aegis of the All India Dal Mill Association and is likely to witness the participation of more than 200 national and international companies. According to Suresh Agarwal, president of the All India Dal Mill Association, leading companies from several countries, including China, Turkey, Spain, Taiwan, Korea, and England, will present live demonstrations of their cutting-edge products and technologies. He shared that the companies from many Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, will also be participating. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will inaugurate the exhibition. Many other local leaders and people associated with food processing industries from Indore will also be present on this occasion. Chief Minister Yadav, who has been touring New Delhi and Haridwar for the last two days, will arrive in Indore directly from Delhi to inaugurate the exhibition, according to the schedule. The exhibition will showcase machinery and turnkey plants used in the processing of pulses, rice, flour, spices, gram flour, wheat, flattened rice (poha), maize, soy, pasta, peanuts, chickpeas, millets, seeds, and other food processing sectors. This will provide traders and industrialists with comprehensive information on new technologies, all in one place. According to information, a key highlight of GrainEx India 2026 will be that almost all participating companies will be showcasing live demonstrations of their machinery and technology. This will provide industry professionals with an opportunity to understand new ways to increase production, improve quality, and reduce costs, Suresh Agarwal said in a statement. He added that the association has appealed to all pulse millers, grain traders, food processing industries, and investors to participate in this three-day exhibition to witness the latest technologies and take their industry and business to new heights. - IANS BJD President Naveen Patnaik has expressed deep concern and appealed for urgent intervention from Indian authorities regarding the disappearance of Odia merchant navy cadet Sarthak Mohapatra. The 23-year-old cadet went missing from the vessel 'EA Jersey' while it was sailing from Mauritius to Singapore. His mother, Rasmita Sahoo, has publicly appealed to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and PM Narendra Modi for help in the rescue efforts. Maritime authorities are coordinating a search operation, but the family states they have not received detailed information or evidence about the circumstances. BJD's Naveen Patnaik appeals for urgent search for missing merchant navy cadet Sarthak Mohapatra from Odisha in the Pacific Ocean. Bhubaneswar, Feb 6 Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly and Biju Janata Dal President Naveen Patnaik on Friday expressed concerns over the mysterious disappearance of a merchant navy cadet from the state in the Pacific Ocean and sought the intervention of the Directorate General of Shipping and the Ministry of External Affairs. Taking to his X account, the BJD supremo said, "Deeply concerned about the disappearance of Cadet Sarthak Mohapatra from #Odisha. My thoughts are with his family. I urge Directorate General of Shipping, Govt. of India (@dgshipping_IN) and Ministry of External Affairs (@MEAIndia) to extend urgent assistance and coordinate with all stakeholders to support the family and expedite search efforts. Praying for Sarthak's safe." As per reports, Sarthak Mahapatra, a 23-year-old deck cadet from Bhadrak district, has been reported missing from the merchant vessel 'EA Jersey', operated by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, while the ship was at sea. Sarthak joined the vessel as a deck cadet on July 14, 2025. According to information shared with the family, he was reported missing on February 3, 2026, while the ship was sailing from Mauritius to Singapore. Family members stated that Sarthak last spoke with his mother at approximately 9.00 p.m. on February 2. He was also in contact with other relatives and friends later that evening. It is reported that the onboard duty hours are generally between 4.00 a.m. and 8.00 a.m. It has also been conveyed that during this period, Sarthak reportedly left his duty around 6.00 a.m. and went back to his cabin. He was last seen entering his cabin at approximately 6.15 a.m. on February 3. Subsequently, the family was informed by the company that Sarthak could not be located on board and that a search operation at sea had been initiated. The search is said to be coordinated with relevant maritime authorities, including the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Mauritius. At present, the family states that they have not received detailed information regarding the circumstances leading to his disappearance. No visual records or additional material evidence have been shared with them so far. The company has communicated that Sarthak is missing and that search efforts are ongoing. Sarthak's mother, Rasmita Sahoo, who works at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, has requested Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, PM Narendra Modi, and the MEA for the rescue of her missing son. 'I (Rasmita Sahoo) am a distressed mother seeking urgent help. My son Cadet Sarthak Mohapatra has gone missing while on board vessel M.V. EA Jersey on 3rd Feb 2026 during sailing. @CMO_Odisha @PMOIndia @dgshipping_IN @angloeasterngrp @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @IndianDiplomacy," appealed Sahoo on X on February 4. - IANS India and Australia have launched a business case study compendium to deepen economic ties and target a $100 billion trade partnership. The document, developed by IIFT and Newland Global Group, provides a practical roadmap based on the experiences of 30 organizations operating in both markets. Officials highlighted its role in translating the existing trade agreement into real opportunities for business growth and collaboration. The initiative aims to bridge research and practice, strengthening the strategic relationship between the two nations. New compendium details 30 business case studies to boost India-Australia trade, aiming for a $100 billion partnership. New Delhi, February 6 India and Australia have taken a significant step towards deepening their economic ties with the launch of a new business case study compendium. Titled "Pitch Perfect Australia-India: Perfect Conditions for a $100 Billion Partnership," the document was released at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Delhi. The publication serves as a practical guide for companies looking to navigate the markets of both nations. According to the statement released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, compendium was developed through a partnership between IIFT and the Newland Global Group. It documents the real-world experiences of 30 different organisations that have successfully operated across both borders. By capturing these business journeys, the report aims to provide a roadmap for future growth and collaboration between the two countries. During the launch, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal praised the initiative for its practical value. He stated that the studies provide "evidence-based" proof of "how the trade agreement has translated into real opportunities." He noted that such documentation is essential for businesses to use the current trade environment for their "growth" and will help in "strengthening and enhancing the gains" of the existing Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green OAM, also welcomed the initiative. He emphasised that platforms bringing together "academia, government, and industry" are critical for maintaining a "strong strategic relationship" between the two nations. His comments were echoed by Joint Secretary Petal Dhillon, who noted that research-driven insights are vital for the "enhanced utilisation" of trade agreements. The Vice Chancellor of IIFT, Prof Rakesh Mohan Joshi, highlighted the educational importance of the project. He explained that turning real business experiences into "learning resources" helps bridge the gap between "research and practice." This approach supports India's goal of expanding its footprint in the global trade arena. The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring leaders from government and industry. Many attendees, including Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, agreed that the compendium is a "meaningful step" toward stronger economic engagement. - ANI Nineteen Maoist cadres have surrendered in Odisha's Rayagada and Kandhamal districts, dealing a significant blow to the insurgent movement in the state. Among those surrendering were a couple with a combined reward of Rs 55 lakh on their heads, and police seized a cache of 14 modern weapons. Odisha's Director General of Police, Y.B. Khurania, stated that 2025 has been exceptionally successful, with the state's Maoist central committee leadership nearly wiped out. He attributed the success to developmental work in remote areas and the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy, appealing to remaining insurgents to lay down arms by March 31. 19 Maoist cadres surrender in Rayagada & Kandhamal, Odisha. DGP Y.B. Khurania says state's Maoist leadership is nearly wiped out. Bhubaneswar, Feb 6 In a significant development for the state's anti-Maoist efforts, 19 Maoists have surrendered in Rayagada and Kandhamal districts of Odisha, signalling a positive step forward in achieving the long-standing goal of making the state free from the Maoist menace, Y.B. Khurania, the Odisha Director General of Police, said on Friday. In a press conference held in Bhubaneswar, DGP Khurania added that 15 Maoists surrendered before the Rayagada police and four Maoists surrendered before the Kandhamal police. He told the reporters that a total of 15 Maoist cadres of the Bansadhara-Ghumsar-Nagabali (BGN) division surrendered in Rayagada district. Among them, two of the surrendered ultras were members of the State Committee -- Niranjan Raut alias Nikhil, who hails from Jagatsinghpur district, and his wife Rashmita Lenka alias Ankita Tangi of Cuttack district. A reward of Rs 55 lakh had been announced in the name of the Maoist couple. Additionally, 13 other cadres of the BGN division also surrendered. From them, a total of 14 modern weapons were seized, including two AK-47s, five Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), one Sten gun, one INSAS rifle, one .303 rifle, and four single-shot guns. Similarly, in Kandhamal, four Maoist cadres holding the position of party member of the Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division surrendered, renouncing the path of violence. During surrender, they handed over firearms, ammunition, and other materials to the police. The Maoist party members, who surrendered, also laid down one SLR, one 12-bore gun, two .303 rifles, and a large quantity of ammunition. Multiple cases were pending against them in various police stations of the state. Speaking to media persons, the Odisha DGP said on Friday that the year 2025 has been an exceptionally successful one for the Odisha Police in counter-Maoist operations. "Two Central Committee Maoist members have been neutralised. As of now, there is no Central Committee Maoist leadership presence in Odisha. The leadership is almost wiped out, with only a few pockets left," he added. He also said that the significant developmental work being implemented in the Maoist-hit remote areas and the new surrender and rehabilitation policy by the Odisha government is encouraging Maoists to return to the mainstream. He noted that only a handful of ultras are active in the jungles of Odisha, especially in Kandhamal district, and expressed the hope that they would also lay down their arms before the March 31 deadline. He again appealed to the Maoists still active in the jungles to surrender by shunning violence and they will be provided all the amenities and assistance for financial assistance. - IANS The Observer Research Foundation has released its inaugural "Navigating Megatrends for 2026" quarterly, analyzing six key domains shaping global affairs. The report highlights five major geopolitical trends for 2026, including the impact of a potential Trump re-election and the deepening Russia-China axis. It argues that Global South nations with critical mineral reserves are poised to leverage US-China competition for their economic benefit. The research also underscores technology domains like AI and quantum computing as new frontiers where power and political economy converge. ORF's 'Navigating Megatrends 2026' report analyzes key global trends, highlighting the rising influence of Global South nations amid US-China competition. New Delhi, February 6 The Observer Research Foundation has released its quarterly on 'Navigating Megatrends for 2026. The six domains covered in this inaugural issue--geopolitics, defence and security; geoeconomics and trade; technology; climate and energy transitions; agriculture, health, and urbanization; and education, skills, labor, and immigration, together capture the major faultlines and forces shaping international politics and domestic transformations alike. ORF scholars engage with these megatrends as lived realities and argue that Megatrends do not unfold in isolation; they are mediated by leadership, institutions, and ideas. in an essay titled 'Geopolitics, Defence and Security-Turbulence Ahead' Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) America, along with contributions from Pratnashree Basu, Kartik Bommakanti, Lindsey Ford, and Kabir Taneja, outlined five major geopolitical megatrends expected to shape 2026 in the domains of geopolitics, defence, and security, amid turbulence from the re-election of US President Donald Trump. Setting out this assessment, Jaishankar highlighted the impacts of Trump's policies, including high tariffs disrupting global trade, US retrenchment from multilateral arrangements, and efforts to end conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza while showing reduced restraint in using force, such as strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and operations in Latin America. He noted that China and Russia are expected to continue expanding their "no limits" partnership declared in 2022 through new technological and operational coordination, despite US attempts to engage them separately. In practical terms, this includes military-technical cooperation, joint exercises with wider geographical remit, and evidence of Russia training Chinese paratroopers, accelerating China's military modernisation goals. The brief also cited Venezuela's assertive claims over Guyana, alignments in Argentina and El Salvador with Trump-era policies, and Brazil and Peru's economic ties with China, alongside the global race for critical minerals engaging Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. "The global race for critical minerals is set to engage Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru," the research observed. Placing these developments in a broader context, the paper emphasised that while other dynamics such as the war in Ukraine, conflicts in Africa, and developments in the Middle East persist, these five trends, the Russia-China axis, the continued growth of bilateral and minilateral arrangements, a more turbulent Latin America, competition in new technological domains and regions, and the reemergence of nuclear weapons, are likely to constitute major trends to monitor in 2026. In their research paper, A year of rebalancing-Geoeconomics and Trade, Anit Mukherjee, Dhruba Purkayastha, Arya Roy Bardhan, Srijan Shukla, and Jhanvi Tripathi argue that countries of the Global South with large critical mineral reserves such as Indonesia and Mexico will leverage their access to natural resources in exchange for lower tariffs and greater investment in domestic processing and manufacturing sectors, capitalizing on the US-China geoeconomic competition to their advantage. The geoeconomic impact of tariffs is expected to play out in two key ways: an increase in trade across the Global South and greater attention on the corridors and infrastructure that connect them. The research states that the Global South countries will need to guard against the flood of imported manufacturing goods from China, safeguarding their national interests through industrial policies aimed at protecting and creating jobs. At the same time, it presents an opportunity for the Global South to take advantage of the turmoil. The rules of rebalanced globalization remain in the process of being defined. How Global South countries respond to Washington and Beijing with their own geoeconomic initiatives in 2026 is likely to shape the future global economic order. A research brief, 'Brave New World-Technology' by Anirban Sarma, Sauradeep Bag, Anulekha Nandi, Prateek Tripathi, and Siddharth Yadav argues that Artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, digital currencies, and nanotechnology represent afrontier where technology, power, and the political economy increasingly converge. The paper states that as 2026 advances, countries are expected to strengthen national AI capabilities as competition between the US and China intensifies. The need to achieve greater alignment and harmonization of AI policies at the global level is likely to grow stronger. Two particular risks are expected to escalate further. The first is the exponential spread of AI-generated disinformation and the second is the alarming growth of AI systems' energy footprints,11 which may eventually necessitate a transition to more sustainable and energy-efficient solutions. The paper states that the field of quantum computing is expected to benefit from greater investment, and see a shift: from pursuing increased qubit counts towards finding a wider range of practical applications, and making quantum computers commercially available. 2026 is also expected to witness the use of digital currencies becoming more entrenched in certain regions, and facilitate potentially smoother remittance transfers and cross-border trade across pockets of the Global South. Nanotechnology will begin to play a decisive role in shaping the future of materials, with specific nanotechnologies such as spintronics emerging as central to innovation and investment. A research brief, 'Climate and Energy-Transitions' by Mannat Jaspal, Parul Bakshi, Cauvery Ganapathy, Lydia Powell, and Piyush Verma argues that 2026 megatrends are not necessarily novel but are a pronounced manifestation of patterns shapedby years of policy inaction and neglect across the global energy and climate landscape. Energy sovereignty, securitized supply chains, and digital-era power demand will be the buzzwords dominating the discourse. For the Global South, the coming years will depend on balancing industrial competitiveness, affordability, and equity within this contested climate architecture. The paper says that how countries navigate this delicate balance between ecarbonization and development will shape its pace and progress. A research on, 'Agriculture, Health, and Urbanization' by Nilanjan Ghosh. Ramanath Jha, Oommen C. Kurian, Soma Sarkar, and Shoba Suri argues that the interconnected and uncertain trajectories of agriculture, health, and urbanization converge intocomplex challenges. Understanding them requires a systems-thinking approach, one that acknowledges feedback loops, cascading risks, and the interdependence of human, ecological, and economic systems. The research argues that demographic shifts and consumption patterns sustain the cycle. All these highlight the Global South's structural dilemma, mobilizing resources without entrenching dependency or asymmetry. Going forward, stronger Global South cooperation, driven by the post-COP30 momentum and India's BRICS presidency in 2026, may enable the pooling of knowledge, finance, and technology to jointly advance resilient agriculture, equitable health systems, and sustainable urbanization, reshaping shared development pathways in 2026. In their research on, 'Education, Skills, Labor, and Immigration', Sunaina Kumar, Soumya Bhowmick, Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, Arpan Tulsyan, and Manish Vaidya argue that in 2026, several trends are becoming more evident. In education, digital technology and AI are expected to widen access and personalize learning. In skilling, the advance of Industry 4.0 is expected to increase demand for advanced technical capabilities. The paper argues that In labor markets, platform work is projected to expand further, creating new jobs while underscoring the need for stronger protections for workers. In immigration, South-South mobility is expected to rise further as climate stresses, economic fragility, and conflict intensify. By reorienting national priorities to these shifts and aligning these priorities with deeper regional cooperation, the Global South may build shared frameworks that reflect its diverse realities and aspirations. ORF scholars say the Global Quarterly provides readers and policy analysts with perspectives that are unique and valuable, outlining risks and opportunities in ways that help them understand, prepare for, and navigate the year ahead. - ANI A new report argues Pakistan's goal of achieving $100 billion in exports by 2030 is aspirational and lacks credibility without radical structural changes. Current projections place total exports for FY2025-26 at only about $40-41 billion, with recent performance showing a decline in merchandise shipments. The analysis highlights a critical governance gap, where a large, economically urban population remains officially "rural," starving productive areas of necessary investment and political attention. The report concludes that without shifting focus to urban reform and productivity, the export target is less a strategy and more a "sandcastle." Report says Pakistan's $100B export goal by 2030 is not credible without deep structural, urban, and productivity reforms. New Delhi, Feb 6 The gap between how Pakistan actually lives and how it is officially governed is steadily eroding productivity, deepening inequality and weakening the foundations of growth, a new report has said, adding that the rhetoric around reaching $100 billion in exports by 2030 is closer to wishful thinking than credible strategy. Moreover, latest package of incentives announced by the government may provide temporary relief, but on their own, they are unlikely to alter Pakistan's export trajectory in any meaningful way without deeper structural reform, argues Yousuf Nazar in The News International. Projections place Pakistan's total exports of goods and services at roughly $40-41 billion in FY2025-26, with merchandise exports around $32 billion and services close to $8-9 billion. "That baseline is being weakened further by recent performance: in the first seven months of FY2025-26, merchandise exports declined, with July 2025-January 2026 shipments falling to about $18.2 billion, nearly 7.0 per cent lower than a year earlier, widening the trade deficit by 28.2 per cent," said the report. The report said that the $100 billion target remains aspirational rather than credible, in the absence of "radical transformation in productivity, urban infrastructure, industrial clustering and export competitiveness". Economics is not moved by slogans. Without structural reform, this is less a strategy than a sandcastle, the report notes. Notably, only 38-39 per cent of Pakistan's population as urban, based on administrative boundaries drawn decades ago. This framing obscures the scale of demographic change underway. "A large and growing share of Pakistanis now live in dense, built-up settlements that function economically and socially like cities but remain officially labelled 'rural'. These areas absorb migrants, host non-farm employment and shape labour markets, yet fall outside municipal governance, urban investment and political attention," the report observes. Economically, the contradiction is clear. Urban areas generate the bulk of output, services exports and tax revenue, yet receive inadequate investment relative to their population and economic weight. Environmental stress further compounds these challenges. "Politically, however, Pakistan remains anchored in a rural imagination. Electoral incentives reward patronage over planning and land distribution over labour productivity," it says. If Pakistan is serious about export-led growth, urban reform must move from the margins to the centre of economic policy, said the report. - IANS Modernization and protection of Ukraine's energy infrastructure should not be financed at the expense of the population, Kharkiv Mayor and Chairman of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities (AFCC) Ihor Terekhov said. "Energy sector restoration should not take place through tariff increases for households and businesses. We will not be able to bear this burden," the mayor's remarks at the forum "Resilience, Recovery, Development: a Vision of Frontline Communities 2026," held in Kharkiv on Thursday, were quoted by the city's press service. Terekhov noted that decentralizing heating systems, installing cogeneration equipment and protecting it, and restoring networks require significant funding, which frontline community budgets lack. Therefore, state support programs for frontline communities are needed, with clear co-financing mechanisms and energy infrastructure protection measures. "At the local level, we are doing everything possible: decentralizing heating systems, installing cogeneration units, restoring networks, repairing and rebuilding housing, supporting veterans and internally displaced persons, and ensuring safe education for children. But the truth is simple: all of this requires enormous resources. No municipality, not only in Ukraine but anywhere in the world, can withstand such pressure alone. That is why we need decisions at the national level. Not general ones, but those focused specifically on territories bordering the front line. The government must take responsibility for financing and protecting reconstruction facilities, supporting decentralized electricity generation, and ensuring fair conditions for residents living under constant threat," Terekhov wrote on his Telegram channel. In his opinion, a state housing construction and renovation program is also needed that would make mortgages more affordable and introduce effective social rental mechanisms in frontline cities and communities. In addition, Terekhov stressed the inadmissibility of pressure on businesses. "We emphasize: no pressure on businesses in combat zones. No new taxes or levies. Entrepreneurs who have continued to operate here under sirens and shelling are not a 'budget reserve.' They are the foundation of regional resilience. If they are broken, they will simply shut down," Terekhov said. The AFCC forum "Resilience, Recovery, Development: Vision of Frontline Communities 2026" was attended by leaders of about 300 frontline communities, as well as representatives of the government, regional authorities, and international organizations. Forum participants identified key priorities for the association's work this year, including public safety and protection of critical infrastructure, energy resilience, access to healthcare, support for internally displaced persons, preservation of human capital, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. A separate priority is reconstruction, which forum participants believe should begin immediately, even under wartime conditions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with students nationwide during the ninth 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', stressing the critical importance of life and professional skills. He used relatable examples, like managing tasks at home or buying a railway ticket, to illustrate the necessity of life skills. For professional development, he emphasized that theoretical knowledge must be complemented by practical, hands-on experience in fields like medicine and law. The pan-India event saw a record-breaking participation of over 6.76 crore students, teachers, and parents, highlighting its massive reach. PM Modi tells students there's "no compromise on life skills" and to continuously update professional skills. Over 6.7 crore participated in the 2026 event. New Delhi, Feb 6 In a vibrant and interactive session during the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with thousands of students, teachers, and parents across India, emphasising the critical role of life and professional skills in personal and career development. Responding to queries from students like Aryan Sharma from Raipur, who wanted to know how to balance academics with real-world readiness, and Priya Kumari from Guwahati, enquiring about career preparation, PM Modi delved into the essence of life skills. "Its importance is not just great, it's excellent," PM Modi said, highlighting everyday challenges. "But what happens when parents suddenly have to go out? How do I manage? Why did we never pay attention to this? I do my life skill exercises, I learn new exercises, I can't teach them to anyone. I go to meet someone, but they don't come. I went to the railway station, and I didn't even know where to get a ticket. So, I ask ten people where to get a ticket. So, life skills are something we absolutely must internalise," the PM said. Shifting to professional skills, PM Modi urged students to keep themselves "completely up-to-date." Using examples, he explained, "Suppose I want to be a doctor, I was number one in the university, and therefore, whether I operate on a patient or not, it will be fine - that's not the case. If you want to become a heart specialist, books can help you become a heart specialist, but they can't make you a heart specialist. You will become a specialist only when you actually work with patients at every stage and develop your skills." For students aspiring to be lawyers, he said, "If you want to become a lawyer, you know all the sections of the Constitution, you know how to use them, but if you want to be prepared to work as a lawyer in court, you have to become a junior to a lawyer. You have to learn professional skills. You have to move forward from there." "That's why there's no compromise on life skills; you should do it 100 per cent," the PM said. "On professional skills, you should continuously update yourself in whichever profession you are interested in. There wasn't so much technology before, but now technology has arrived. You might be 40 years old, but you will have to learn technology," he added. The PM likened education and skills to "twin siblings," but underscored that "skills are very essential in life." Held on Friday at 10 a.m., this year's event marked a significant shift by adopting a pan-India format, connecting the PM directly with young minds from diverse locations, including Devmogra in Gujarat, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Guwahati in Assam, and his residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. The event, broadcast live on platforms like YouTube, Doordarshan, and various news channels, drew unprecedented participation. Official figures from MyGov indicate over 4.5 crore registrants through the portal, including 4.19 crore students, 24.84 lakh teachers, and 6.15 lakh parents. An additional 2.26 crore joined via school activities, pushing the total to a staggering 6.76 crore-a testament to the growing concern over exam stress and the need for holistic guidance. - IANS Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Pariksha Pe Charcha program for inspiring students to face exams confidently. He stated the program provides valuable guidance on stress management and encourages students to dream big. Saha highlighted the alignment of Tripura's educational initiatives, like the Saharsh program, with the PM's vision. He also noted the event's effectiveness in guiding students, teachers, and parents, similar to the Mann Ki Baat platform. Tripura CM Manik Saha says PM Modi's Pariksha Pe Charcha motivates students to face exams with confidence and a stress-free mindset. Agartala, Feb 6 Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Pariksha Pe Charcha programme was insightful and motivating, inspiring students to face examinations with confidence, clarity, and a stress-free mindset. The Chief Minister made the remarks after watching Pariksha Pe Charcha with students of Bardowali School. Saha, who also holds the Elementary and Secondary Education portfolios, said that Prime Minister Modi's interaction with students provided valuable guidance on managing exam stress while encouraging them to dream big and work hard to achieve their goals. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and his emphasis on the active participation of youth, artificial intelligence, skill development, and Swadeshi continue to inspire us all," the Chief Minister said. He added that the Tripura government is implementing several initiatives through the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) in line with the Prime Minister's vision to improve the quality of education. "We have introduced the Saharsh programme for students from Classes 1 to 8. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of dreaming, building confidence, and using AI as a supportive tool without becoming overly dependent on it," Saha noted. The Chief Minister also said that PM Modi shared practical tips on confidence-building, time management, and life skills, while underlining the crucial role of teachers in preparing students for the future. "Prime Minister Modi has explained how students can contribute to building Viksit Bharat 2047. Simple actions, such as maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings, can bring about positive change in society," he said. Drawing a parallel with Mann Ki Baat, which is held on the last Sunday of every month, Saha said that Pariksha Pe Charcha, organised annually, has become an effective platform for guiding students, teachers, and parents. He added that the Prime Minister also stressed the importance of life skills, professional development, effective time management, and better classroom preparedness by encouraging teachers to inform students about upcoming lessons in advance. - IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students during the 9th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha, advising them to trust their own study patterns while remaining open to beneficial advice. He emphasized that success comes from balancing self-belief with continuous learning and highlighted the inspirational role teachers should play. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended the event, declaring it has evolved into a nationwide movement to nurture every child's individuality. The 2026 edition, held in New Delhi and other cities, focused on helping students remain stress-free and placing a stronger emphasis on learning. PM Modi and Education Minister Pradhan address students on stress-free exams. Key advice on study patterns, self-belief, and teacher's role. New Delhi, February 6 Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday attended the 9th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', the annual interaction hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The flagship event, which focuses on stress-free exams for students, has been held every year since its inception in 2018. The Union Minister watched the 9th edition of the annual interaction at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium. In a post on X, the Union Minister asserted that 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' has evolved into a nationwide movement aimed at creating an enabling environment. He emphasised that this initiative ensures every child's individuality is recognised and are encouraged to excel without fear. "A delight to attend PM Shri @narendramodi ji's masterclass with Parliamentary colleagues and dear students at GMC Balayogi Auditorium," wrote Pradhan. "Not just our #ExamWarriors, Pariksha Pe Charcha has something to offer to everyone. Driven by PM Modi ji's vision, PPC has truly evolved into a nation-wide movement to create an enabling environment where every child's individuality is recognised, celebrated, nurtured and encouraged to excel without fear. #ParikshaPeCharcha26," added Pradhan. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with select "exam warriors" during the 9th edition of 'Pariksha pe Charcha' held at the Prime Minister's official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. During his interaction with students, PM Modi urged students to "trust their own study patterns" while remaining open to advice, stressing that "success comes from balancing self-belief" with continuous learning. Responding to a question about how students should handle confusion arising from different study patterns, the Prime Minister said examinees should focus on what works best for them while thoughtfully considering others' suggestions. While interacting with students, PM Modi said, "Listen to everyone's advice, but change your pattern only when you want to. I have become PM. Still, people tell me to work in different ways. But everyone has their own pattern," PM Modi said. "Some people study better in the morning, some at night. Whatever suits you, believe in that. But also take advice, and if that benefits you, then only add it to your life structure." The Prime Minister also highlighted the role of teachers and said their objective should be to stay slightly ahead of students to inspire growth. "The teacher's goal should be that if the student's speed is a certain level, the teacher's speed should be one step ahead. Our goal should be something that is within reach, but not easily attainable," he said. The 2026 edition focused on helping students remain stress-free during examinations and encouraging a stronger emphasis on learning. Earlier in a post shared on X, PM Modi said, "Do watch #ParikshaPeCharcha26... This year's PPC features very interesting topics relating to examinations, notably the need to remain stress-free, focus on learning and more. This is a platform I've always enjoyed, as it gives me an opportunity to interact with bright minds from across the country." This year, the interactive sessions were also held with students in Devmogra, Gujarat; Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu; Raipur, Chhattisgarh; and Guwahati, Assam. - ANI A class 11 student from Jabalpur, Ayush Tiwari, was selected to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Pariksha Pe Charcha event in New Delhi. Tiwari shared his surprise when the PM joined students for breakfast, describing the moment as a dream come true. During their interaction, Tiwari greeted Modi with "Har Har Narmade," leading to a conversation about his hometown. Prime Minister Modi used the session to emphasize that exams are for self-understanding and that preparation should be for life, not just for tests. Ayush Tiwari from Jabalpur interacted with PM Narendra Modi at Pariksha Pe Charcha, sharing his surprise meeting and the PM's exam life lessons. Jabalpur/New Delhi, Feb 6 Ayush Tiwari, a student from Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the annual programme 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' in New Delhi on Friday. Tiwari, a student of class 11 in the state government-run Pandit Lajja Shankar Jha School in Jabalpur, said that he felt lucky to get an opportunity for face-to-face interaction with the Prime Minister. "Very few people get the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister and have a face-to-face interaction. I was lucky to get this opportunity. My parents were very happy when I told them that I had been selected for the programme," he said. Sharing his learning from the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme, Tiwari said that they were invited for breakfast at the Prime Minister's residence in Delhi. They thought the PM would arrive after breakfast for a meeting. "But in the very next moment, we found that PM Modi standing right in front of us, which was like a dream come true," he said, as shared in a video by the Madhya Pradesh School Education department on Friday. During interaction with the Prime Minister, Ayush Tiwari, who was the only student selected for the programme from Madhya Pradesh, said, "When I said Har Har Narmade Sir, PM Modi asked if I am from Narmadapuram? I told him that I am from Jabalpur, which is the Sanskardhani (culture city) of Madhya Pradesh." Talking about (question) tips he requested from PM Modi, Ayush said, "I asked him (PM Modi) that sometimes students can't match with teachers' speed and when students try to cover the missed portion (of syllabus), in that process, they also miss the next portion." Ayush said that PM Modi interacted with them in a friendly manner, presented the Assamese Gamchha to all students It was the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', held at the Prime Minister's residence, and during a nearly one-hour-long interaction, students spoke for most of the session, asking a wide range of questions, while PM Modi responded patiently to each of them. During the interaction, the Prime Minister emphasised that examinations are meant to help students understand themselves, not merely measure them through marks. He said preparation should be for life and not just for exams, repeatedly stressing the importance of communication, practice, balance, journaling, and time management as essential life skills. Responding to Ayush's interaction with PM Modi during the 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', Madhya Pradesh's Secretary of School Education, Sanjay Goyal talking to IANS said, "It is a matter of pride for us that this time as well, a student from our region, from Jabalpur, was selected after a long selection process and got the opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister." It was the ninth edition of the 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', PM Modi's annual interaction with students ahead of board examinations, which was conceived to move the national conversation on exams away from fear and pressure and towards dialogue, confidence, and life skills. - IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with students nationwide during Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026, offering guidance on managing exam pressure and academic life. He emphasized the importance of students believing in their own unique study patterns rather than blindly copying others. The interactive session included lighthearted moments and the presentation of traditional Assamese scarves as symbols of women's empowerment. The event serves as a key platform for students to gain confidence and practical advice ahead of their examinations. PM Narendra Modi interacts with students, sharing advice on exam stress, personal study patterns, time management, and leadership during Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026. New Delhi, Feb 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday engaged in a lively and interactive session with students across the country during the Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026, sharing insights on tackling exam stress, managing time, and chasing one's dreams. The interactive sessions were held with Exam Warriors in Devmogra, Coimbatore, Raipur, Guwahati, and at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. During the event, PM Modi discussed not only academics but also leadership, wellness, and personal growth. Answering a question from a student in Gujarat about having different study patterns, PM Modi said, "Even after I became Prime Minister, people still keep suggesting to me what to do and how to do it. If you see, at lunch or dinner at your home, everybody has a different pattern. Some people start with vegetables, some with rotis, some mix all of it. But you must be following your pattern, not copying them, right?" He added, "First thing, you should believe in your study pattern. Listen carefully to suggestions and check if it is required or not. Just like in PPC, I have changed my pattern now and extended it to the states." Responding to a query from a student named Ayush about maintaining speed in studies, PM Modi advised, "Maintaining speed is something teachers should deal with. They should not go ahead of students. The way farmers treat their fields, similarly, a student's brain should be nurtured." During the interaction, PM Modi also asked the students about the cold weather, to which they replied, "In the excitement of meeting you, we forgot everything." He felicitated students with Assamese traditional handwoven scarves and greeted them in their native languages. Sharing his personal experience, he said, "This is something that represents women's empowerment, as women in Assam design and make it at their homes. It gives a very special kind of pride, so I decided to give this to the students today." Students expressed excitement, saying it felt like a dream come true to interact with PM Modi. Tenzin Choiky, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, said, "I live in a remote border town area and rarely get such opportunities. This was the first such opportunity I received, it was so special, and I was so excited." In a lighthearted moment, a student mentioned that her birthday falls on the same date as PM Modi's, and the Prime Minister excitedly interacted with her, making the session memorable for all. PPC 2026 continues to serve as a platform for students to engage with the Prime Minister, gain practical advice, and build confidence ahead of exams, reflecting the spirit of India's youth and their aspirations. - IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed students at the Pariksha Pe Charcha event, emphasizing the wise and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. He illustrated practical applications, such as using AI to summarize biographies or get reading recommendations, to enhance learning capabilities. The PM stressed that thoughtful application builds deeper understanding, while superficial use offers only limited gains. The event, with millions of participants nationwide, focused on reducing exam stress and inspiring holistic growth in a tech-driven future. PM Modi urges students at Pariksha Pe Charcha to use AI ethically to enhance learning and build deeper understanding, not for superficial gains. New Delhi, Feb 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged students to harness the vast technological opportunities of their generation wisely, particularly Artificial Intelligence, describing it as a powerful tool to amplify capabilities rather than replace effort. Speaking during the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' at his residence in New Delhi, the PM emphasised ethical and productive use of AI amid discussions on exam preparation, life skills, and future readiness. Addressing the youth's access to technology unavailable in earlier eras, PM Modi said, "You are fortunate to have received so many technological opportunities that weren't available in my time. We need to develop the wisdom and intelligence to use them correctly. AI should be something that enhances your capabilities." He illustrated practical ways to leverage AI productively. "How to use AI? One way is to ask AI to summarise a biography, giving me the main points in 10 bullet points, and I might feel like I've gained a lot of knowledge," he explained. "Another way is to ask, 'I'm interested in these subjects, and I'm of this age. Can you suggest 10 good biographies for me to read?' AI will then find and show you 10 biographies." The Prime Minister stressed that superficial use provides only surface-level gains, while thoughtful application builds deeper understanding and personal growth. He positioned AI as an enabler for learning, creativity, and innovation, urging students to develop discernment to avoid over-reliance. Echoing this, student Ananya Sharma from Chandigarh shared her perspective, "AI is a tool, some help, and we can use it to move forward, but it can't directly take us to our goal. I also use it in this way, for example, to create technology-related apps. I liked the idea of using it in this way so that it becomes useful for all of us." PM Modi's remarks aligned with broader themes of the event, balancing academics with skills, embracing technology responsibly, and viewing exams as stepping stones rather than endpoints. The session included insights from guests and reinforced Pariksha Pe Charcha's evolution into a nationwide movement for confident, stress-free learning. Participants can download certificates from the MyGov portal, celebrating engagement in this transformative dialogue. As board exams approach for CBSE, ICSE, and state boards, the Prime Minister's guidance on AI positions today's youth to lead in a tech-driven future, blending tradition with innovation for a stronger, self-reliant India. The interactive session, broadcast live from 10 AM on Doordarshan, the Prime Minister's YouTube channel, and other platforms, connected students nationwide in a pan-India format. With over 6.76 crore participants-including 4.19 crore students, lakhs of teachers, and parents-the event focused on reducing exam stress while inspiring holistic growth. - IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Malaysia is seen as a crucial, long-overdue opportunity to significantly deepen bilateral ties. The visit aims to build upon strong historical connections and a substantial Indian diaspora of 2.8 million people. Key focus areas include expanding the existing $20 billion trade relationship and fostering cooperation in future-oriented sectors like digitisation, AI, and semiconductor manufacturing. The engagement is framed within India's Act East Policy, with Malaysia positioned as a strategic ASEAN hub. Ahead of PM Modi's visit, ASEAN India Council Chairman highlights opportunity to elevate India-Malaysia relations, trade, and cooperation in AI & semiconductors. Kuala Lumpur, Feb 6 Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Malaysia, ASEAN India Economic Council Chairman and veteran Malaysian entrepreneur Dato Ramesh Kodammal said it comes at a crucial moment for deepening bilateral ties. Highlighting Malaysia's strategic role within ASEAN and the growing Indian diaspora, Kodammal described the visit as a long-overdue opportunity to elevate bilateral relations, expand trade cooperation, and strengthen engagement in emerging sectors such as digitisation, artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing. Here is the full interview: IANS: How do you see PM Modi's visit to Malaysia? Kodammal: The Government of Malaysia and the people of Malaysia are wholeheartedly welcoming Prime Minister Modi. It is a long-overdue visit to Malaysia, and I believe many people are eagerly waiting to meet him, see him, and hear him. This visit is a great opportunity for Malaysia-India relations to move to greater heights. Prime Minister Modi and the Government of India have shifted their policy from Look East to Act East. The Act East Policy refers to ASEAN countries, and Malaysia is a key hub within ASEAN. Malaysia is one of the best countries in the world in terms of the Indian diaspora, which stands at around 2.8 million people. It is the second-largest Indian diaspora after the United States; earlier, Malaysia was number one. If we look at ASEAN as a whole, the Indian diaspora is very large, and we are neighbours. The relationship between ASEAN, Malaysia, and India has existed for a very long time. Malaysia's relationship with India dates back to the period of independence. India gained independence in 1947, and Malaysia in 1957 - ten years apart, but both were British colonies. Our relationship has remained strong from those early years into the modern era. If we go further back in history, our relationship spans centuries, dating to the time when Indian traders travelled to Malaysia and Malacca. This relationship existed in the past, continues in the present, and will remain strong in the future. IANS: As an entrepreneur, how do you see India and Malaysia's bilateral trade? Kodammal: India-Malaysia bilateral trade and cooperation have always been strong, and we hope to enhance this relationship further. India-ASEAN and India-Malaysia business ties have improved significantly. In 2023-24, bilateral trade stood at approximately $ 20 billion, and we expect this to grow further. India is now opening up its markets, creating greater opportunities for Malaysia to trade with India. In the early days, Malaysia's economy was based on commodities and agriculture. Later, we moved into manufacturing, and today we have entered a new era shaped by global geopolitical changes. Malaysia is now one of the key players in digitisation and artificial intelligence, particularly in microchips and semiconductor manufacturing. Malaysia is among the leading countries in this field, and India is moving in the same direction. We can work together to enhance trade in microchips and computer chips, which represent the future for the younger generation. We must plant the seeds now so that we can reap the benefits in the coming decades. What comes next remains to be seen, but together, we can move forward. IANS: As an Indian, how proud are you of the Prime Minister Modi's visit to Malaysia? Kodammal: It is a matter of great happiness that Modi ji is coming. All of us here in Malaysia, the Indian diaspora, are very happy and eager to see him. After his visit, we hope to see how Malaysia and India can move forward together. I think Honourable Modi's visit this time is very special. I met him earlier in 2015, and now he is coming again after 10-11 years. Many cultural programmes have been organised for his visit. I think around 15,000 to 20,000 people will go to meet Modi ji, though if we had a little more time, we would have been even happier. The Indian diaspora in Malaysia is around 2.8 million, and this is a great opportunity for Malaysian Indians to see the Indian Prime Minister after such a long time. - IANS Qatar has officially welcomed the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran, which are being hosted in Muscat, Oman. The Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed hope the talks would yield a comprehensive agreement benefiting both sides and enhancing regional security. Simultaneously, the United States imposed new sanctions on a network of entities and individuals involved in Iran's petroleum and petrochemical trade. The US State Department stated these sanctions target revenue streams funding Iran's destabilizing activities. Qatar supports US-Iran negotiations hosted by Oman for regional stability, as the US sanctions entities tied to Iranian oil trade. Doha, February 7 Qatar on Friday welcomed the negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran being held in Oman, expressing hope that the talks would lead to a comprehensive agreement and contribute to regional security and stability. In a statement, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it hopes the negotiations in Muscat will " lead to a comprehensive agreement that achieves the interests of both parties and enhances security and stability in the region." The ministry also expressed its full appreciation to the Sultanate of Oman for hosting and facilitating the negotiations, praising its role and good offices with sisterly and friendly countries to help defuse the crisis and expand opportunities for constructive dialogue to address outstanding issues. Reaffirming Doha's broader diplomatic stance, the ministry said Qatar firmly supports all efforts to de-escalate tensions, resolve conflicts through diplomatic means, and strengthen peace and stability across the region. The official X post said, "The State of Qatar welcomes the negotiations between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran, being held in Muscat, expressing in this context its hope that they will lead to a comprehensive agreement that achieves the interests of both parties and enhances security and stability in the region." It added, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the State of Qatar's full appreciation to the sisterly Sultanate of Oman for hosting and facilitating the negotiations, and for its good offices with several sisterly and friendly countries to defuse the crisis and enhance opportunities for constructive dialogue to address all outstanding issues." In the end, it said, "The Ministry also renews the State of Qatar's firm support for all de-escalation efforts, resolving conflicts through diplomatic means, and bolstering peace and regional stability." Meanwhile, the United States on Friday imposed sanctions on 15 entities targeting Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products, accusing Iran of using the funds for "destabilising activities" worldwide and in response to the protests in the country. A statement by Tommy Pigott, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, noted, "The Department of State is sanctioning 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products. These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities. " The statement concluded by saying that Trump is committed to bringing down Iran's oil exports: "The President is committed to driving down the Iranian regime's illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the Administration's maximum pressure campaign." These sanctions follow the US's imposition of sanctions in January on Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and several other officials, citing Tehran's violent response to recent anti-government protests. - ANI The Reserve Bank of India has announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the financial ecosystem. Key proposals include increasing the collateral-free loan limit for MSMEs from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and introducing a framework to compensate customers up to Rs 25,000 for losses in small-value fraudulent transactions. The central bank also plans reforms for Urban Cooperative Banks, including launching Mission-SAKSHAM for capacity building, and easing registration and branching norms for certain NBFCs. These steps are designed to enhance customer protection, credit flow, and overall financial inclusion. RBI Governor announces measures including higher collateral-free MSME loans, Rs 25,000 fraud compensation, and reforms for UCBs and NBFCs. Mumbai, February 6 Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday announced a set of measures aimed at enhancing customer protection, advancing financial inclusion, enhance flow of credit, strengthening urban cooperative banks, promoting ease of doing business for NBFCs, and deepening financial markets. For customer protection, the governor proposed issuing three draft guidelines: one on mis-selling; two on the recovery of loans and the engagement of recovery agents; and three on limiting customer liability for unauthorised electronic banking transactions. It has also been proposed to introduce a framework to compensate customers up to Rs 25,000 for losses incurred in small-value fraudulent transactions. In the monetary policy statement, he announced that the RBI will also publish a discussion paper on potential measures to enhance the security of digital payments. "Such measures may include lagged credits and additional authentication for a specific class of users like senior citizens," the Governor said. In the financial inclusion space, the governor said the RBI has comprehensively reviewed the Lead Bank Scheme, the Kisan Credit Card Scheme, and the Business Correspondent Model. "We shall issue draft revised guidelines with respect to them. A unified reporting portal will also be launched by us for better management of LBS data," he said. Further, he announced that the Rs 10 lakh limit for collateral-free loans to MSMEs is proposed to be increased to Rs 20 lakh. To further promote financing for the real estate sector, it is proposed to allow banks to lend to REITs, subject to certain prudential safeguards. To strengthen urban cooperative banks, he announced four measures. "The first two pertain to raising the financial limits on unsecured loans and loans to nominal members by UCBs. We also propose to remove the tenor and moratorium-related requirements on housing loans given by Tier III and Tier IV UCBs. To strengthen the managerial and technical capacity of the UCBs, we shall launch Mission-SAKSHAM (Sahakari Bank Kshamta Nirman). The mission intends to train over 1.4 lakh participants from UCBs." On NBFCs, he said those having no public funds and customer interface, with asset size not exceeding Rs 1000 crore, are proposed to be exempted from the requirement of registration. Moreover, it is proposed to dispense with the requirement for certain NBFCs to obtain prior approval to open more than 1000 branches. - ANI Romania's National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management has issued a red-level flood alert for the Niscov River in Prahova and Buzau counties due to heavy rainfall. The alert signals a possible exceedance of danger thresholds and is valid until the afternoon, with orange and yellow alerts also in effect for other river basins. In Buzau County, rising waters have blocked road access to the village of Mierea, isolating 12 people in four households, though officials report they are safe. This comes after the country recently faced a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, with hazardous winter conditions affecting much of Romania. Romania issues a red flood alert for the Niscov River after heavy rainfall, isolating a village. Authorities also issue orange and yellow alerts across several counties. Bucharest, Feb 6 Romania's National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management issued a red flood alert on Friday for the Niscov River in Prahova and Buzau counties, warning of dangerous rises in water levels following heavy rainfall. The alert is valid until 3 pm local time (1300 GMT) and signals a possible exceedance of danger thresholds. Authorities also issued an orange alert until 12 pm local time for the Teleajen River in Prahova County and for rivers in the Milcov basin in Vrancea County, Xinhua news agency reported. A yellow alert is in effect for parts of the Barlad River basin in eastern Romania. Romania's hydrological authorities classify flood warnings into three levels - yellow, orange and red - ranging from potential flooding risk to extreme danger. Emergency alerts were sent to residents in at-risk communities. In Prahova County, firefighters responded to several calls to pump water from flooded yards, with no homes reported damaged. In Buzau County, rising water levels on the Niscov River blocked road access to the village of Mierea, leaving 12 people isolated in four households. Local emergency officials said the residents were safe and had sufficient supplies. Earlier this week, Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country. The warning was 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. 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 actively worked. Romania's weather service had earlier forecast that the country will face a sharp cold snap in early February, with nighttime temperatures dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius in mountain depressions and daytime highs falling below zero in the northeastern area. Rain was expected in lowland areas, while there will be sleet and snow above an altitude of 1,500 metres due to lower temperatures in mountainous regions. From early February, colder air spread across the country, with daytime temperatures in northern Moldova dropping to between minus 7 and minus 10 degrees Celsius. The weather agency had added that February is likely to bring snowfall and mixed precipitation, particularly in the northern, central and eastern regions of the country. - IANS The Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine and Ukrainian Railways, also known as Ukrzaliznytsia, propose reducing refund payments for railway ticket returns as the departure date approaches, according to a draft order published on the ministry's website. Under the proposal, the full fare would be refunded if a ticket is canceled 1520 days before the train's departure date, whereas the current rules provide for a full refund of the ticket and seat reservation fee if the trip is canceled at least 24 hours before departure. The amount refundable to a passenger will depend on the time the travel document was issued and the time it is returned relative to the train's departure date. Given the current limitation that tickets can be purchased no earlier than 20 days before departure, and provided the ticket is returned 1014 days before travel, a passenger would receive 95% of the fare (or 90% if the ticket was purchased 20 days in advance); if returned 59 days before departure 75% (or 100% if the ticket was purchased during that period); and if returned 14 days before departure 50% of the fare. Currently, if a ticket is returned between 24 and 6 hours before departure, the passenger receives the full ticket price and 50% of the seat reservation fee, while if returned less than 6 hours before departure, only the ticket price is refunded. The draft amendments proposed by Ukrzaliznytsia also provide that if a passenger cancels a trip for personal reasons within 24 hours before departure, but no later than one hour after the train departs, only the ticket price would be refunded, while the seat reservation fee would not be reimbursed. The draft also states that the carrier may provide refunds of 100% of the full fare ticket and seat reservation fee for military personnel, persons with disabilities, and socially vulnerable groups, as well as for trains traveling to or from frontline areas. In addition, Ukrzaliznytsia plans to increase ticket prices for premium-class travel in luxury sleepers and first-class Intercity trains starting in March 2026 as part of the introduction of dynamic pricing, depending on seasonality, day of the week, date of purchase, and carriage occupancy. Separately, starting in April 2026, tariffs for travel in luxury sleepers on international trains are planned to be indexed. In particular, prices in these cars will increase by approximately 20%. Such pricing will apply only to luxury sleepers, while Intercity international services will not be subject to indexation. Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth will lead a senior Indian delegation to the World Defence Show 2026 in Saudi Arabia. A key highlight is the inauguration of India's first-ever pavilion at the event, spanning 400 square meters to showcase indigenous defence products. The delegation includes officials from defence production and the armed forces, aiming to project India as a reliable defence partner. Bilateral meetings with Saudi counterparts are planned to strengthen defence ties and explore industrial cooperation. Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth leads Indian delegation to World Defence Show 2026, inaugurating first India Pavilion to highlight defence manufacturing. New Delhi, February 6 Raksha Rajya Mantri Sanjay Seth will head a senior-level Indian delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for participation in the third edition of the World Defence Show 2026, scheduled to take place on February 8 and 9. The visit underscores India's growing engagement with global defence platforms and reflects the expanding scope of defence cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia, said an official statement from the Ministry of Defence. The World Defence Show 2026 is expected to bring together more than 700 exhibitors from across the world, along with nearly 400 official delegations representing governments, armed forces, and defence industries. India's delegation will include senior officials from the Department of Defence Production as well as officers from the Armed Forces, highlighting a coordinated approach between policy, production, and operational stakeholders. A key highlight of India's participation this year will be the inauguration of the country's first-ever India Pavilion at the event. Spread across 400 square meters, the Pavilion will serve as a comprehensive showcase of India's expanding indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem. It will feature a wide range of advanced defence products and technologies developed under the government's emphasis on self-reliance and indigenisation in the defence sector. Prominent public sector defence enterprises will be represented at the Pavilion, including Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), Munitions India Limited (MIL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), India Optel Limited (IOL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), and Yantra India Limited (YIL). These companies are set to display key platforms and systems such as tanks, artillery gun systems, missiles, ammunition, radars, and other critical defence equipment, offering international audiences a glimpse into India's manufacturing and technological capabilities. On the sidelines of the exhibition, a bilateral meeting between the Raksha Rajya Mantri and his Saudi Arabian counterpart is planned. Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening defence ties, exploring new avenues of collaboration, and deepening strategic engagement between the two nations. In addition, RRM will hold interactions with representatives of leading Saudi Arabian industry bodies, with the aim of enhancing defence industrial cooperation and encouraging joint ventures and partnerships. The World Defence Show, a biennial international defence exhibition hosted by Saudi Arabia, has emerged as an important platform within the global defence landscape. For India, the event holds significant strategic value, providing an opportunity to project its defence indigenisation initiatives, demonstrate advanced technologies, and build long-term partnerships within the global defence ecosystem. India's active participation in WDS 2026 reflects its intent to position itself as a reliable defence manufacturing and technology partner on the international stage. - ANI The Saqr Humanitarian Ship has arrived at Egypt's Al Arish Port carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of UAE humanitarian aid destined for Gaza. The shipment includes essential food, medical supplies, shelter materials, and dates as a gift for the Holy Month of Ramadan. It is the 12th relief vessel dispatched under the UAE's Operation Chivalrous Knight 3. UAE officials emphasized the mission reflects the country's deep-rooted values in supporting the Palestinian people. The Saqr Humanitarian Ship delivers over 4,000 tonnes of UAE aid, including food and medicine, to Al Arish Port for Gaza during Ramadan. Al Arish, February 6 The Saqr Humanitarian Ship has arrived at Al Arish Port in the Arab Republic of Egypt, carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of humanitarian and relief aid to support the brotherly people of the Gaza Strip. The shipment comes as part of the UAE's ongoing humanitarian efforts under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3. The aid cargo includes essential food supplies, shelter materials such as winter clothing and basic living necessities, as well as medicines, medical consumables and equipment. These supplies aim to alleviate the suffering of civilians and meet urgent humanitarian needs, particularly for children, women and the elderly. In this context, Ahmed Rashid Al Zaabi, Secretary-General of the Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Charity and Humanitarian Foundation, said, "Today, we welcome the Saqr Humanitarian Ship -- a vessel filled with love, generosity and brotherhood -- carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of consumable goods, medical supplies, medicines, food items and dates. This shipment is a gift from the UAE to our brothers in the Gaza Strip on the occasion of the Holy Month of Ramadan." Upon the ship's arrival at Al Arish Port, it was received by the UAE Humanitarian Aid Team, which immediately began unloading the relief supplies and transporting them to the UAE humanitarian logistics centre in Al Arish, in preparation for their entry into the Gaza Strip in coordination with the relevant official authorities and humanitarian partners. Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States, commended the significant efforts exerted by the UAE Humanitarian Aid Team stationed in Al Arish to ensure the delivery of assistance to Gaza. He affirmed that these continuous efforts reflect the UAE's deeply rooted humanitarian values in supporting the brotherly Palestinian people. The aid ship is the 12th relief vessel dispatched by the UAE to support the Gaza Strip under Operation Chivalrous Knight 3, reaffirming the country's firm humanitarian approach in extending aid to peoples affected by crises. - ANI Filmmaker Sean Baker and actress Michelle Yeoh have collaborated on a new project titled 'Sandiwara,' which will have its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film marks a return to Baker's roots of shooting on an iPhone and is produced in partnership with the fashion brand Self-Portrait. Yeoh stars as five different characters in the story, which is set in a Malaysian night market and aims to explore facets of local culture. The Berlinale will also host a ceremony where Yeoh is to be presented with an Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement. Director Sean Baker teams with Michelle Yeoh for iPhone-shot film 'Sandiwara,' premiering at the Berlin Film Festival, where Yeoh receives an Honorary Golden Bear. Los Angeles, Feb 5 Hollywood filmmaker Sean Baker and actress Michelle Yeoh are joining forces for a new project, which will world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival later this month. The film titled 'Sandiwara' marks the return of the 'Anora' director to his iPhone-shooting roots. The film is touted to be an "immersive cinematic experience", reports 'Variety'. The film is being made in collaboration with the London-based fashion house Self-Portrait. It's the first film from Self-Portrait's Residency program, which launched last year with the aim of inviting creatives "from all disciplines into the brand to design using their own distinctive style", the release states. The initiative provides Self-Portrait's "infrastructure, platforms, resources, teams and distribution network to spotlight and promote external creatives, offering them the freedom to dream and create". As per 'Variety', the film stars Yeoh as five different characters, and is set in a Malaysian night market. A synopsis for the film states that it "moves beyond fashion and into the world of cinema and storytelling to capture the heart of Malaysian culture. Each character tells their own unique story and represents a facet of Malaysian culture rarely explored". The film gets its title from the Malay word for "drama, theatrical performance or play" and was shot in Penang. The Berlin Film Festival will host a special screening of 'Sandiwara' on February 13, followed by a conversation between the director and actor. Baker will also be on hand at the Berlinale's opening ceremony on February 12 to present Yeoh with this year's Honorary Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement. The Berlin Film Festival runs from February 12 to February 22, 2026. - IANS Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will chair a National Pulses Conference in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as special guest. The conference aims to accelerate India's self-reliance in pulses under the National Mission, focusing on production, seed quality, and farmer income. Key events include the inauguration of new research facilities, the launch of a digital Pulses Mission portal, and the distribution of improved seed varieties. The initiative targets complete self-sufficiency in pulses by 2027 through a collaborative action plan between central and state governments. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan chairs National Pulses Conference in Sehore, focusing on self-sufficiency, farmer income, and new research facilities. Bhopal, Feb 6 Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, will chair the National Pulses Conference at the Food Legumes Research Platform in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore district of Amlaha, aimed at accelerating India's push towards 'self-reliance' in pulses. The day-long event, scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m., on Saturday, will be attended by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav as the special guest. Agriculture Ministers from major pulses-producing states, including Odisha, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, have confirmed their participation. The conference will focus on the "National Mission for Pulses Self-Reliance", with detailed deliberations on increasing production and productivity, improving seed quality, value addition in pulses and enhancing farmers' income. "Participants will include scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), farmers, farmer producer organisations, seed producers, policymakers and industry representatives," officials said. During the programme, Union Minister Chouhan and Chief Minister Yadav will jointly inaugurate state-of-the-art research laboratories and training facilities at FLRP, a premier centre dedicated to pulses research. Union Minister Chouhan will also inspect ongoing field trials and interact directly with farmers to understand ground-level challenges. A key highlight will be the launch of the dedicated "Pulses Mission portal", which will serve as a digital platform for real-time monitoring of production, procurement and distribution under the mission. Improved high-yielding varieties of pigeon pea, chickpea, lentil and other pulses developed by ICAR institutes will be formally released and distributed to progressive farmers during the event. Speaking ahead of the conference, officials said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' in pulses, prosperous farmers and a protein-secure nation. India currently imports a significant quantity of pulses despite being the largest producer globally, and the mission targets complete self-sufficiency by 2027 through area expansion, productivity enhancement and better price realisation for farmers. The Sehore conference is expected to finalise a time-bound action plan involving Central and state governments to achieve these ambitious targets. - IANS Electoral officers in West Bengal have identified over 50,000 unmapped voters, roughly 1.57% of the total summoned, as eligible for deletion after they failed to attend hearings with identity documents. Hearings are now proceeding for nearly 94.5 lakh voters flagged under "logical discrepancy" cases, with a deadline of February 7. The final electoral roll, which will clarify the total number of deletions, is scheduled for publication on February 14. Following this, the full Election Commission bench will visit the state to assess the situation before announcing poll dates for the crucial upcoming Assembly elections. Over 50,000 unmapped voters in West Bengal face deletion from the electoral roll as hearings conclude. The final list is due Feb 14 ahead of Assembly elections. Kolkata, Feb 6 Around 1.6 per cent of the identified "unmapped" voters did not turn up for hearings with supporting identity documents certifying the legitimacy of their voting rights and, hence, had been identified by the electoral registration officers as eligible for deletion from the final voters' list. The total number of "unmapped" voters who were summoned for hearings stood at 31,68,426. Out of them, a little over 50,000 (1.57 per cent of the total unmapped voters) did not turn up for the hearing despite being served with repeated notices and hence had been identified by the EROs as eligible for deletion in the final voters' list, said sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal. "The hearing sessions for the 'unmapped' voters have been completed, and currently, the hearings for 'logical discrepancy' cases are going on. It is now final that 1.57 per cent of the 'unmapped' voters are heading for deletion from the final voters' list. Now it is to be seen how many of the "logical discrepancy" cases are identified for deletion in the final voters' list," said sources in the CEO's office. Unmapped voters are those who were unable to establish any link with the 2002 voters' list either through "self-mapping" or through "progeny mapping". On the other hand, "logical discrepancy" cases are those in which unusual family-tree data were detected during "progeny" mapping. The total number of voters identified as "logical discrepancy" cases and summoned for hearing stands at 94,49,132. The hearing for them is currently on, and the Election Commission of India is confident of completing their hearing processes within the scheduled deadline of February 7. To recall, when the draft voters' list in West Bengal was published in December last year, it witnessed a deletion of 58,20,899 voters who were identified as deceased or shifted, or duplicate voters. Now, when the final voters' list is published on February 14, the exact and final number of deleted voters will be clear. After the publication of the final voters' list, the full bench of the ECI will visit West Bengal and assess the situation. After that, the Commission will announce the polling dates for the crucial Assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled later this year. - IANS Students nationwide have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance on stress management and study techniques shared during the 9th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'. They highlighted his message to view examinations as festivals and to focus on both academic marks and practical skills for holistic development. Union Education Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jayant Chaudhary noted the programme's role in boosting student confidence and its eager anticipation. The event, held in New Delhi with nationwide interactive sessions, focused on helping students remain stress-free and prioritize learning. Students across India praise PM Modi's guidance on viewing exams as festivals and balancing marks with skills at the 9th Pariksha Pe Charcha event. New Delhi, February 6 With the CBSE, ICSE, and various state board examinations around the corner, students across the country have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance on stress management and study techniques shared during today's 9th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'. Tanu Aditya, a Class 10 student at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Gwalior, shared that the annual interaction provided clear direction for students. She highlighted the Prime Minister's empowering message, noting that PM Modi urged students not to fear their examinations but to instead view them as a "festival." "Through the 9th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha, PM Modi provided clear directions on how we should not be scared of exams, but instead celebrate them like festivals. He explained that exams are only for testing purposes and we shouldn't get stressed about them. We should also help our friends who find studies difficult and, in turn, seek help from those who are better than us. We can all appear for our exams properly without anxiety."Aditya told ANI. Rishad Saliah, a Class 11 student, noted that he valued Prime Minister Modi's emphasis on both skills and marks, rather than prioritising one over the other. "As PM Modi said, we must focus on both marks and skills. He made a very important point: in today's times, people often focus only on marks and not on skills. As a result, we see unemployment because of this lack of practical skills. It was a very good thing for him to highlight this," Saliah told ANI. In addition to Gwalior, students from other parts of the country appreciated PM Modi's message. Nobonita Ghosh, a student from Tripura, expressed her happiness with the programme. "I felt very happy after watching this programme. It was a great experience to watch it alongside Tripura CM Manik Saha," Ghosh told ANI. As students expressed appreciation for PM Modi's programme, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserted that the Prime Minister boosted students' confidence by offering small tips. He further mentioned that students across the board had been eagerly awaiting the 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' programme. "... He boosts the confidence of students by giving small tips. He encourages students to share their ideas and guides them toward holistic development... Students had been waiting for Pariksha pe charcha very eagerly. It is a guiding light for students ahead of the exams." Pradhan told ANI. Echoing similar sentiments, Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary mentioned that the students who participated in the programme were very curious and eager to meet PM Modi. "The Prime Minister has a very unique and attractive way of expression, which everyone felt today during the program... The students who participated were very curious and eager to meet him and learn from him..." Chaudhary told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with select "exam warriors" during the 9th edition of 'Pariksha pe Charcha' held at the Prime Minister's official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. The 2026 edition focused on helping students remain stress-free during examinations and encouraging a stronger emphasis on learning. Earlier in a post shared on X, PM Modi said, "Do watch #ParikshaPeCharcha26... This year's PPC features very interesting topics relating to examinations, notably the need to remain stress-free, focus on learning and more. This is a platform I've always enjoyed, as it gives me an opportunity to interact with bright minds from across the country." This year, the interactive sessions were also held with students in Devmogra, Gujarat; Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu; Raipur, Chhattisgarh; and Guwahati, Assam. - ANI The Supreme Court has declined to entertain a petition from Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party seeking to set aside the entire 2025 Bihar Assembly election results. The party alleged the then Nitish Kumar government illegally influenced voters by distributing Rs 15,600 crore through a women's welfare scheme just before the polls. The bench, led by CJI Surya Kant, advised the petitioners to first approach the High Court, questioning the motive of a party that lost the elections. The ruling NDA had secured a decisive victory with 202 seats in the 243-member assembly. Supreme Court refuses Jan Suraaj Party's plea alleging Rs 15,600 crore cash distribution influenced 2025 Bihar Assembly election results. New Delhi, February 6 The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea filed by Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party seeking to set aside the entire 2025 Bihar Assembly election results on the ground that it was won "illegally by distributing Rs. 15,600 crores of cash to voters." A bench led by CJI Surya Kant, said that the petitioners have the liberty to approach the High Court with the same relief. "We can't issue a notice like this. There is a procedure. It is just a composite election petition. Because you lost the elections, you say to set aside the entire election result. What is this view of a political party that has lost everything in the election, then you want to come here? Even that issue (on welfare policies), we won't like to have a political party before us. It must be some public-spirited person. Because if we entertain this, if this party gets to power, they will do the same thing," the CJI remarked during the hearing. The petition filed by the party alleges that the then Bihar government, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, deliberately added additional recipients in the "Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana" before announcing the Rs 10,000 Direct Benefit Transfer after the election dates were set. The party claims that this, in itself, "amply demonstrates corrupt practice adopted to unduly allure and influence the electors to vote in favour of the ruling government." "That just before the General Assembly Elections of Bihar in 2025, the then Government of Bihar, through a Cabinet decision, launched a state-wide scheme for women known as "Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana" wherein the Government of Bihar decided to provide financial help, through Direct Benefit Transfer to one woman in every family by paying Rs.10,000/- to start self-employment. It was further stated that a sum of Rs. 2,00,000/- will also be paid subsequently to every woman post assessment," the party's petition read. "As per the newspaper reports dated November 28, 2025, the total beneficiaries paid under the scheme was said to be 1.56 Crores implying that new beneficiaries were added during MCC/ Election process and the said beneficiaries were paid post the announcement of election schedule and during subsistence of MCC which in itself, amply demonstrates corrupt practice adopted to unduly allure and influence the electors to vote in favour of the ruling government," it added. The party has alleged that using the contingency Fund of Bihar for the scheme, instead of passing legislation for the scheme, amounts to a violation of Article 267 of the Constitution. "It is most respectfully submitted that the Scheme in reference was introduced on the eve of elections by a Cabinet decision without any legislative sanction and as per information of the petitioner, the budget for the Scheme was withdrawn from the Contingency Fund of the State of Bihar. Hence, the said Scheme was not part of the regular budgetary allocation, rather was withdrawn from the Contingency Fund of the State, which is in violation of Article 267 of the Constitution of India," Jan Suraaj's petition read. In the assembly elections, the ruling NDA got 202 seats, a three-fourths majority in the 243-member House. This is the second time the NDA has crossed the 200-mark in the assembly polls. In the 2010 polls, it had won 206 seats. Mahagathbandhan got just 35 seats with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning 25 seats, Congress 6, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) - CPI(ML)(L) - two, Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) - one and Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) one seat. While All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got one seat. - ANI Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announced plans to introduce a stringent act to curb hate speech in the upcoming Assembly session. He defended the 4% reservation for minorities, challenging Union Home Minister Amit Shah to cancel it, and credited this policy to former CM YS Rajasekhara Reddy. Reddy highlighted the crucial support from minority communities in his and the Congress party's electoral victories. He also appealed for unity and emphasized that maintaining peace is essential for attracting investments and national development. CM Revanth Reddy announces a new act against hate speech, details minority reservation push, and challenges Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Hyderabad, February 6 Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has said the state government will bring an act to curb hate speech in the upcoming Assembly session. The Chief Minister emphasised that stringent laws should be enforced to prevent hate speech and maintain peace and tranquillity in the country, according to an official CMO release. Participating in a programme in Hyderabad on Thursday, the Chief Minister said that the Congress party fought for the country's independence and that the role of the Jamiat organisation in the country's development, with the participation of majority and minority communities, was commendable. Thanking the organisation for its support in his election from the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency and during the state assembly elections, the CM dared Union Home Minister Amit Shah to come to power in Telangana in the next elections. "It was the BRS that helped the BJP increase its vote share in the Lok Sabha elections." The CM remembered the support he received from Hindus and Muslims in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress MPs, including him, fought alongside Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi against PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Stating that the Congress government was formed in Telangana with the support of minorities, CM Revanth Reddy said the government was ready to provide details of the Muslim population to the Supreme Court, if required, in the pending 4 per cent reservation case in the Apex court. The data was already collected during last year's caste census. The Chief Minister challenged Amit Shah to cancel the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims. The CM noted that YS Rajasekhara Reddy provided four per cent reservations to minorities in the state. "We will strive to ensure that the four per cent reservation for minorities is implemented strictly. Many people got jobs because of the reservations given by the Congress government." The Chief Minister stressed that minorities should prioritise education. CM Revanth Reddy also highlighted that the Congress party has given political opportunities to many minority leaders. Leaders like Salman Khurshid and Ahmed Patel rose to the top of the national party. "We also gave MLA tickets to Azharuddin and Shabbir Ali and many political opportunities to minority leaders wherever possible. 8 corporate posts were given to minorities. Even though Azharuddin lost the elections, the minority leader was given an opportunity as an MLC and made him a minister." Appealing to minorities to support Muslim candidates in the municipal elections, the Chief Minister asserted that everyone must work together to move the country forward. Maintaining peace and law and order are essential for attracting investments. "The country cannot develop because of one person alone. No one can remain in power forever," the CM said. - ANI Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand has arrived in Jaipur for a four-day visit to Rajasthan. Her itinerary includes tours of major historical sites like Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, and the City Palace to experience the state's rich cultural heritage. The visit, involving high-level security and protocol coordination, aims to strengthen cultural and bilateral ties between India and Thailand. The Princess, also a renowned fashion designer and Major in the Royal Thai Army, will later travel to Jodhpur to visit sites including the Mehrangarh Fort. Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand begins a four-day Rajasthan tour, visiting Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, and Mehrangarh Fort to strengthen bilateral ties. Jaipur, Feb 6 Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya of Thailand arrived in Jaipur on Friday, as part of her four-day visit to Rajasthan till February 10. During her stay, the Thai Royal will visit several historical, cultural and heritage landmarks in Jaipur and Jodhpur. The Thai princess arrived at the Jaipur International Airport on a special flight, where elaborate security arrangements were made by the police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). As per diplomatic protocol, photography and videography by the general public were restricted. From the airport, she proceeded directly in a convoy to Rambagh Palace, where she will be staying during her Jaipur visit. During her stay in Jaipur, Princess Sirivannavari will be introduced to Rajasthan's famed "Atithi Devo Bhava" tradition. Her itinerary includes visits to Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Tripolia Bazaar, where the Thai princess will get a close look at the state's rich art, handicrafts, cultural heritage and traditional lifestyle. A convoy of luxury vehicles was seen moving through Jaipur's streets as part of the official protocol arrangements. Following her Jaipur tour, the Thai Princess will travel to Jodhpur, where she is scheduled to visit the Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace and Jaswant Thada. She will be briefed on Rajasthan's architectural legacy and historical significance during her visits. Officials say the tour will further strengthen cultural and bilateral ties between India and Thailand. The state administration remains on high alert in view of the Royal princess' visit. On Wednesday, State Chief Secretary V. Srinivas conducted a high-level review meeting to oversee preparations. Coordination meetings were also held with officials from the Royal Thai Embassy to ensure smooth execution of the itinerary. Special arrangements have been made for security, traffic management and protocol in both Jaipur and Jodhpur. Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya is internationally known as a renowned fashion designer and runs her own luxury fashion brand, which enjoys popularity across several countries. Beyond fashion, she serves as a Major in the Royal Thai Army and is an accomplished equestrian. She also has a keen interest in sports, arts and culture. - IANS White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the Trump administration is examining claims of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This follows a report detailing DNI Tulsi Gabbard's argument that key intelligence assessments were based on "manufactured" information. However, these assertions conflict with a bipartisan Senate report that concluded Russia waged an aggressive campaign to influence the election and benefit Donald Trump. The report also noted that Senator Marco Rubio had previously rebuked Trump for siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies. WH Press Secretary says Trump admin is examining claims of Russian interference in 2016 election, citing conflicting intelligence reports and political rebukes. Washington DC, February 6 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said that the Trump administration was examining claims related to Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Addressing reporters during a press briefing, Leavitt said, "The people in this room, considering that you all said, for many years, that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump, you should all be very happy that we finally have an administration that is looking into that." According to CNN, DNI Tulsi Gabbard had argued that intelligence assessments alleging Russian interference were based on "manufactured" intelligence. The report said she had cited a memo disputing claims that the CIA concluded Russia intervened in the election to help Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. CNN reported that the intelligence document referenced by Gabbard, a President's Daily Brief, had stated only that Russia had not altered election results through cyberattacks on election infrastructure. The report noted that the Obama administration had never claimed that Russia manipulated vote counts or election machinery. The CNN article had also noted that Gabbard's assertions conflicted with findings of multiple congressional investigations, including a bipartisan 2020 report by the Senate Intelligence Committee led by then-Senator Marco Rubio. That report had concluded that Russia engaged in an "aggressive, multi-faceted effort" to influence the 2016 presidential election and that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered actions aimed at damaging Hillary Clinton's campaign and benefiting Trump. CNN said Rubio had sharply rebuked Trump in 2018 for siding with Putin over US intelligence agencies, stating that the intelligence community's assessment of Russian interference was "100% accurate." The report further said that a Republican-led House Intelligence Committee report released in 2018 had concluded that Russia interfered in the election at Putin's direction, though it did not explicitly state that the effort was meant to help Trump. - ANI Russian occupiers attacked a civilian car with a drone in Sumy region, a young woman died, Head of regional military administration Oleh Hryhorov has said. "A cynical strike by the Russians took the life of a 31-year-old woman. In Mykolaiv rural community, an enemy drone hit a civilian car. The vehicle caught fire. Unfortunately, the woman who was driving died," he said in the Telegram channel on Friday. US President Donald Trump has rejected a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to voluntarily continue observing the limits of the expired New START treaty. Trump criticized the pact as a "badly negotiated deal" and called for experts to craft a new, modernized nuclear treaty. The expiration leaves no legally binding constraints on the world's two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in over fifty years. The treaty had been the last surviving arms control agreement between the two powers, following Russia's suspension of participation in 2023. US President Donald Trump rejects a Russian proposal to extend nuclear limits after New START expires, calling for a new, modernized arms treaty. Washington, DC, February 6 US President Donald Trump has rejected a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to voluntarily continue observing limits on strategic nuclear weapons following the expiration of the landmark new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The development came as Thursday marked the end of the pact, which had imposed the final remaining restrictions on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia, the two nations possessing the world's largest stockpiles, leaving, for the first time in over five decades, no legally binding constraints in place. Responding on his social media platform, Trump criticised the agreement, calling it "a badly negotiated deal by the United States" that was "being grossly violated." He said, "Rather than extend 'NEW START' -- a badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated -- we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernised Treaty that can last long into the future." Framing his decision within a broader push to strengthen American military power, Trump highlighted what he described as sweeping defence upgrades during his presidency. "The United States is the most powerful country in the world," he asserted, adding, "I completely rebuilt its military in my first term, including new and many refurbished nuclear weapons." He also credited the establishment of the Space Force and pointed to what he called unprecedented expansion across military branches. Continuing that theme, Trump referenced enhancements in naval forces, claiming the addition of battleships "100 times more powerful than the ones that roamed the seas during World War II," specifically citing vessels such as the Iowa and the Missouri. He went on to claim personal credit for preventing global nuclear confrontations, stating without elaboration, "I have stopped nuclear wars from breaking out across the world between Pakistan and India, Iran and Israel, and Russia and Ukraine." The New START agreement, concluded in 2010 between then US President Barack Obama and Russia's then leader Dmitry Medvedev, had placed ceilings on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and their delivery systems maintained by Washington and Moscow. With the treaty now expired, those limits are no longer enforceable, prompting arms control advocates to warn of the risk of a fresh nuclear arms buildup. The erosion of the pact had begun earlier, when in February 2023 Putin announced Russia's suspension of participation, saying Moscow "couldn't allow US inspections of its nuclear sites at a time when Washington and its NATO allies have openly declared Moscow's defeat in Ukraine as their goal." New START had stood as the final surviving agreement in a decades-long chain of arms control deals between Russia and the United States, a process that began with SALT I in 1972, aimed at restraining the nuclear stockpiles of the two powers. - ANI President Donald Trump has stated he will never allow the U.S. military presence at the strategically vital Diego Garcia base to be threatened. He expressed understanding for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's reported lease arrangement involving the island with Mauritius. However, Trump explicitly warned that he retains the right to militarily secure and reinforce the base if the deal breaks down or U.S. forces are endangered. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed this stance, affirming the U.S. will protect its assets globally. President Trump pledges to militarily reinforce the US base at Diego Garcia if future arrangements with the UK and Mauritius endanger American forces. Washington, Feb 6 US President Donald Trump said he will never allow the US military presence at Diego Garcia to be threatened, warning that he retains the right to "militarily secure and reinforce" the base if future arrangements break down or US forces are endangered. "I have had very productive discussions with (British) Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the Island of Diego Garcia," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "It is the site of a major US Military Base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the National Security of the United States." Trump emphasised the strategic role of US bases abroad. "Our Military Operations, over the course of the last year, were successful because of the strength of our warfighters, modern capability of our equipment and, very importantly, the strategic location of our Military Bases for staging, and other reasons," he wrote. Addressing a reported lease arrangement between United Kingdom and Mauritius involving the island, Trump said he understood the British prime minister's position. "I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make," he wrote. But he issued a clear warning about any future risk to US interests. "However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers US operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia," Trump said. Trump also rejected challenges to the US presence there. "Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a Base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense," he wrote. The White House echoed that message during its regular briefing. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had spoken directly with Starmer and backed his decision. "He spoke with Prime Minister Starmer directly. He understands Prime Minister Starmer's position and he supports it," she told reporters. Leavitt stressed that US security rights remain intact. "But as the president reiterated in that statement, of course the United States reserves the right to protect our assets. We still have a military base, of course, on the island of Diego Garcia," she said. She added that Trump's position extends beyond this case. "The United States will never waver, if necessary, in protecting our assets anywhere in the world, but including on Diego Garcia," Leavitt said. Leavitt did not provide further details about the lease arrangement or any timeline for future decisions. Her remarks focused on reaffirming US military access and the president's support for an allied leader's approach, while underscoring American red lines. Diego Garcia hosts one of the most important US military facilities overseas and has long served as a hub for operations in the Indian Ocean region. The base has been central to US power projection across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The island has also been at the center of international legal and political debates involving sovereignty and governance, but successive US administrations have treated uninterrupted access to the base as a core national security priority. - IANS Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students during the 9th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', advising them to trust their personal study patterns while thoughtfully considering external advice. He emphasized balancing self-belief with continuous learning and highlighted the evolving nature of the initiative, which this year included sessions in multiple states. The Prime Minister stressed the role of teachers in inspiring growth and the importance of inner wellness for academic success. The event, aligned with NEP 2020, aims to reshape the examination experience into a positive celebration, with his insights also compiled in the book "Exam Warriors". PM Modi advises students to trust their own study methods while being open to beneficial advice during the 9th Pariksha Pe Charcha interactive session. New Delhi, February 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged students to "trust their own study patterns" while remaining open to advice, stressing that "success comes from balancing self-belief" with continuous learning. As examinations of CBSE, ISCE and other state boards approach, the Prime Minister interacted with select "exam warriors" during the 9th edition of 'Pariksha pe Charcha' held at the Prime Minister's official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. This year the interactive sessions were also held with students in Devmogra in Gujarat, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Raipur in Chhattisgarh and Guwahati in Assam. Responding to a question about how students should handle confusion arising from different study patterns, the Prime Minister said examinees should focus on what works best for them while thoughtfully considering others' suggestions. While interacting with students, PM Modi said, "Listen to everyone's advice, but change your pattern only when you want to. I have become PM. Still, people tell me to work in different ways. But everyone has their own pattern," PM Modi said. "Some people study better in the morning, some at night. Whatever suits you, believe in that. But also take advice, and if that benefits you, then only add it to your life structure." Sharing a personal reflection, the Prime Minister said that while he has evolved over time, he has not compromised on his core principles. "Even I changed a few things but did not leave my principal pattern," he said. Drawing a parallel with 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', PM Modi noted that the initiative has evolved over the years. "When I started 'Exam Talk,' there was a certain pattern. Now I'm gradually changing it; this time, I even held sessions in different states. I've changed my approach, but I haven't abandoned the core pattern," he said. The Prime Minister highlighted the role of teachers and said their objective should be to stay slightly ahead of students to inspire growth. "The teacher's goal should be that if the student's speed is a certain level, the teacher's speed should be one step ahead. Our goal should be something that is within reach, but not easily attainable," he said. PM Modi also emphasised the importance of inner growth and self-awareness in academic success. "Cultivate the mind, then connect with your inner self, and then choose whatever subjects you want to study. Then you will always find the student to be successful," he said. During the interactive session, PM Modi engaged in a lively conversation with students, addressing issues ranging from exam stress and time management to leadership, wellness and pursuing dreams. Later, students sang self-composed songs before PM Modi. The 2026 edition would focus on helping students remain stress-free during examinations and encouraging a stronger emphasis on learning. Earlier in a post shared on X, PM Modi said, "Do watch #ParikshaPeCharcha26... This year's PPC features very interesting topics relating to examinations, notably the need to remain stress-free, focus on learning and more. This is a platform I've always enjoyed, as it gives me an opportunity to interact with bright minds from across the country." In alignment with NEP 2020, the PPC concept aims to reshape the student examination experience by fostering confidence, positivity, and holistic well-being, and celebrating the exam season as a Utsav. According to an official release from the Ministry of Education, the Prime Minister has condensed his views in his book titled "Exam Warriors", available in multiple languages as well as Braille, where he has stressed belief in self and underscored the need to talk about these issues so that our children have the fun-filled childhood they deserve. Conceptualised by the Prime Minister Modi, 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' is dynamic and innovative, introducing fresh elements every year. As part of the run-up to 'Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026', student-centric engagement activities were organised across schools nationwide, including the Swadeshi Sankalp Daud, a student-led run/walk that promotes self-reliance, and quiz and writing competitions held at selected Kendriya Vidyalayas on Parakram Diwas. Approximately 4.81 crore students participated in these activities. - ANI The United Arab Emirates has released more than 100 Afghan citizens from its prisons to mark its National Day, following sustained diplomatic efforts by Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy. The ministry thanked UAE authorities for their cooperation, emphasizing that securing the release of Afghan detainees abroad is a key priority. Migrant rights activists welcomed the move as a vital humanitarian gesture that alleviates family concerns and demonstrates the value of proactive diplomacy. A political analyst suggested creating a joint committee to establish a lasting framework for the systematic repatriation of Afghan citizens from various countries. Over 100 Afghan citizens freed from UAE prisons on National Day following diplomatic efforts by Afghanistan's foreign ministry and embassy. Kabul, February 6 The United Arab Emirates has released more than 100 Afghan citizens from its prisons to mark its National Day, following special directives from Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and persistent diplomatic efforts by the Islamic Emirate's embassy in the UAE, as reported by Tolo News. According to official details, some of the freed individuals have already returned home to Afghanistan, while arrangements for the remaining ones are underway and expected to conclude soon after the necessary legal formalities are completed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the UAE government and its relevant authorities for their cooperation, stressing that monitoring and securing the release of Afghan detainees abroad remains a key priority for the ministry. Migrant rights activist Sayed Abdul Basit Ansari welcomed the development, stating, "The release of 108 Afghan prisoners from UAE prisons is welcome news. Their return to Afghanistan and reunification with their families is an effective step toward reducing concerns. This action increases hope for further efforts to secure the release of Afghan prisoners in other countries." Such humanitarian gestures are seen by activists as vital in alleviating hardships faced by Afghan migrant families and underscoring the value of proactive diplomacy in supporting nationals overseas. Another migrant rights activist, Ali Reza Karimi, described the move as meaningful, saying, "The release of 108 Afghan prisoners from UAE prisons is a humanitarian action that has a significant impact on reducing families' concerns and shows that active diplomacy can play an effective role in supporting citizens outside the country." As reported by Tolo News, political analyst Sayed Gharibullah Sadat proposed establishing a joint coordination committee involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation to handle these matters more systematically and create a lasting framework for repatriating Afghan citizens from various nations. With large numbers of Afghans having migrated abroad in recent years due to economic hardships in pursuit of employment and better livelihoods, this release offers not only a fresh start for those affected but also brings considerable relief and optimism to their families back home. - ANI The United Kashmir People's National Party held a protest in Bradford, rejecting Pakistan's observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day as a deceptive narrative. Demonstrators accused Pakistan of systemic oppression, land grabbing, and the exploitation of natural resources in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Speakers highlighted the alleged violation of State Subject Laws through non-local settlements and the failure to implement agreed-upon demands. The protest framed the day as a "Day of Betrayal," recalling Pakistan's role in the 1947 division of Jammu and Kashmir. UKPNP protests outside Pakistani consulate in Bradford, calling Kashmir Solidarity Day a "fraud" and alleging human rights violations in PoJK. Bradford, February 6 Residents of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, under the banner of the United Kashmir People's National Party, staged a protest demonstration outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford to coincide with what Pakistan observes as "Kashmir Solidarity Day." According to a Facebook post shared by Sardar Tahir Khan, Central Secretary Information, UKPNP, the protesters rejected the observance, terming it a "fraud, deception and mockery" of the Kashmiri people. As cited in the post, demonstrators raised slogans including "Our Rivers are Ours, Occupation is Unacceptable," "Stop Violations of Fundamental Human Rights," "Stop Land Grabbing," and "End State Terrorism." The protesters alleged that Pakistan projects solidarity based on false narratives while, in reality, more than 100,000 Kashmiris have lost their lives over the past 78 years. They asserted that the so-called solidarity contrasts sharply with the ground realities of repression, exploitation and denial of Kashmiri national identity. The post stated that Mahmood Ahmed Kashmiri, Chairman of JKNIA, addressing the gathering, said Pakistan's solidarity narrative was an insult to the Kashmiri people who continue to suffer from systemic oppression. He alleged that Kashmiri national identity is being deliberately erased and that the state's natural resources are being unlawfully exploited. In his address, Sardar Tahir Khan, Central Secretary Information of UKPNP, highlighted alleged violations of State Subject Laws in PoJK and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) through the settlement of non-local populations. He further stated that despite accepting the demands of the Awami Action Committee on three separate occasions, Pakistani authorities have failed to implement them. According to the Facebook post, Sardar Amjad Yousaf Khan, President Europe Zone; Sardar Asif Abbas, General Secretary Europe Zone; and Sardar Tariq Khan, President UK Zone, criticised what they termed Pakistan's double standards, stating that Kashmiris do not recognise the day as Solidarity Day but instead observe it as the "Day of Escape" or "Day of Betrayal." The post further recalled events of 22 October 1947, alleging that Pakistan sent militia forces and tribal fighters into the State of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in its division. Speakers questioned Pakistan's claims of solidarity, alleging that it played a central role in the dismemberment of the state. They reiterated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are one nation and rejected attempts to divide them on religious grounds. The protest witnessed participation from a large number of UKPNP activists and members from various branches, including Leeds, Dewsbury, Mansfield and Yorkshire, along with several political and social figures, as mentioned in the post. The demonstration was conducted by Rizwan Latif, Organizer Bradford, who performed the duties of stage secretary. - ANI The United States has called for a new, multilateral framework for nuclear arms control following the expiration of the New START treaty with Russia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argues that bilateral treaties are obsolete and must now account for China's rapid and opaque nuclear arsenal expansion. He outlined principles for future negotiations, including rejecting purely bilateral approaches and not accepting agreements that overlook violations. While acknowledging the difficulty of multi-power negotiations, Rubio emphasized the necessity of the effort to reduce global nuclear threats. Secretary Marco Rubio outlines US push for multilateral nuclear arms control involving Russia and China after New START treaty expiration. Washington, Feb 6 The United States on Friday called for a new framework for nuclear arms control involving multiple powers, arguing that the expiration of the New START treaty marks the end of a Cold War-era model no longer suited to current global threats. In an essay released a day after New START formally expired, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said past arms control agreements helped make the United States safer but warned that bilateral treaties with Russia no longer reflect today's strategic realities. "Everything has its season, though, and yesterday, New START expired," Rubio wrote, rejecting claims that the treaty's end signals a US-driven arms race. He noted that Russia stopped implementing the agreement in 2023 "after flouting its terms for years". "A treaty requires at least two parties," Rubio wrote, adding that the United States faced a choice between binding itself unilaterally or recognising that "a new era requires a new approach". Rubio said future arms control must account for a changing nuclear balance, particularly China's rapid buildup. "China's rapid and opaque expansion of its nuclear arsenal since New START entered into force has rendered past models of arms control... obsolete," he wrote on Substack. According to Rubio, China has expanded its nuclear stockpile from "the low 200s to more than 600" since 2020 and is "on pace to have more than 1,000 warheads by 2030". Any agreement that ignores China's buildup, he warned, would leave the United States and its allies "less safe". The Secretary said President Donald Trump has been "clear, consistent, and unequivocal" that future arms control must address both Russia and China as nuclear peers. Rubio said Washington formally presented its approach in Geneva, calling for multilateral nuclear arms control and strategic stability talks. He outlined three guiding principles, beginning with rejecting arms control as a purely bilateral issue. "Other countries have a responsibility to help ensure strategic stability, none more so than China," he wrote. Rubio also said the United States would not accept agreements that overlook violations. "We will not accept terms that harm the United States or ignore noncompliance in the pursuit of a future agreement," he said. At the same time, he emphasised deterrence. "We will maintain a robust, credible, and modernised nuclear deterrent," Rubio wrote, while pursuing the President's stated goal of reducing global nuclear threats. Acknowledging that negotiations could take years, Rubio said past treaties required decades of groundwork and were negotiated between two powers, not three or more. Still, he argued the effort is necessary. "Just because something is hard does not mean we should not pursue it or settle for less," Rubio wrote, adding that difficult deals are often "the only ones worth having". He said the United States hopes others will join the effort to reduce nuclear dangers "in reality, not merely on paper". - IANS The United States has imposed sanctions on 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 vessels involved in the illicit Iranian petroleum and petrochemical trade. The State Department accuses the Iranian regime of using this revenue to fund destabilizing activities worldwide and increase internal repression, rather than investing in its people. This action follows previous sanctions in January on Iran's Interior Minister and other officials linked to the crackdown on protests. The US Treasury also targeted a major Iranian investor and, for the first time, digital currency exchanges connected to him for processing funds for the Revolutionary Guard. US imposes sanctions on 15 entities and individuals, accusing Iran of using oil and petrochemical funds for destabilizing global activities and internal repression. Washington, DC, February 6 The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on 15 entities targeting Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products, accusing Iran of using the funds for "destabilising activities" worldwide and in response to the protests in the country. A statement by Tommy Pigott, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, noted, "The Department of State is sanctioning 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products. These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities. " The statement said, "Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilising activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran." "So long as the Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behaviour and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable." The statement concluded by saying that Trump is committed to bringing down Iran's oil exports: "The President is committed to driving down the Iranian regime's illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the Administration's maximum pressure campaign." These sanctions follow the US had imposed sanctions in January on Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and several other officials, citing Tehran's violent response to recent anti-government protests. Announcing the measures, the US Treasury Department said Momeni "oversees the murderous Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF), a key entity responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protesters." The sanctions package also targets multiple senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), along with Iranian investor Babak Morteza Zanjani, who is accused of having "embezzled billions in funds from the Iranian people. "In a first-of-its-kind move, Treasury also imposed restrictions on digital currency exchanges connected to Zanjani "that have processed large volumes of funds associated with IRGC-linked counterparties." Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday shared Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi's remarks on X following the conclusion of talks between the US and Iran. In his remarks, he said that the Iranian viewpoints and concerns were expressed. Calling it a good start, he said there was consensus to continue the consultations. "Our interests, the rights of the Iranian people, and all matters that needed to be stated were presented in a very positive atmosphere, and the other side's views were also heard. Regarding the very principle of continuing the negotiations, there is almost a consensus, and it was agreed that they should continue." - ANI The United States and Argentina have signed a reciprocal trade and investment agreement to deepen their economic partnership. The deal secures significant market access for U.S. agricultural and industrial exports, including machinery and vehicles. It aims to eliminate trade barriers, modernize customs, and promote investment in sectors like energy and critical minerals. Argentina has also agreed to recognize U.S. safety standards and open its market to American poultry and certain dairy products. US and Argentina sign reciprocal trade agreement, securing market access for American agricultural goods, machinery, and cutting tariffs. Washington DC, February 6 United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Worship, Pablo Quirno signed the US-Argentina Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment. The deal covered medicines and motor vehicles to machinery and agricultural goods. In a post on X, the US Trade Representative said, "Ambassador Greer joined Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Worship Pablo Quirno in signing the U.S.-Argentina Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment, deepening our economic partnership while removing red tape for American farmers and ranchers." "From medicines and motor vehicles to machinery and agricultural goods, the U.S.-brokered deal with Argentina secures significant market access for U.S. agricultural and industrial exports," it further said. The agreement, which was signed on Thursday, is designed to cut or eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, facilitate trade in goods and services, modernize customs procedures and promote investment in strategic sectors including energy, critical minerals, infrastructure and technology, according to Argentina's Office of the President, Fox News reported. The deal builds on a framework trade agreement first reached November 13. Argentina also agreed to accept US safety and regulatory standards for imported goods, including standards for automobiles and medical devices, and to recognise US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety standards for meat and poultry imports. The agreement bars Argentina from imposing customs duties on cross-border data transmissions and includes a commitment not to introduce a digital services tax targeting US technology companies, according to the USTR. Agriculture provisions include a commitment from Argentina to open its market to US poultry and poultry products within a year and to simplify regulatory requirements for US exporters of beef and pork, Fox News reported. Argentina also agreed not to restrict US exporters' use of certain cheese names -- including asiago, feta and camembert -- which the European Union labels geographic indications only available to their producing regions, as per Fox News. - ANI Senior political leaders including Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and UP CM Yogi Adityanath gathered in Haridwar for a temple idol installation and 'Sant Sammelan'. Yogi Adityanath used the platform to declare that Uttar Pradesh is now peaceful, with no curfews or riots, and is becoming an economic breakthrough. CM Dhami praised the gathering of saints and devotees as a symbol of Sanatan consciousness contributing to the nation. The event highlighted a significant confluence of political leadership and spiritual figures on the banks of the Ganga. UP CM Yogi Adityanath says state is peaceful and advancing economically. He, along with Rajnath Singh and Pushkar Singh Dhami, attended a major spiritual event in Haridwar. Haridwar, February 6 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath attended the "Gurudev Samadhi Temple Idol Installation Ceremony" in Haridwar on Friday, in the presence of senior leaders and spiritual figures from across the country. Union Minister ML Khattar, Uttar Pradesh Dy CM Brajesh Pathak and Spiritual guru Swami Avdheshanand Giri Maharaj were also present at the event alongside CM Dhami. The gathering brought together saints, seers, and devotees, highlighting a grand confluence of religious and cultural consciousness. Addressing the 'Sant Sammelan', Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that there are no curfews, no riots, and everything's fine in UP now. "A once-sickly state, Uttar Pradesh, is today becoming a breakthrough in India's economy, advancing on a new path of progress. No curfews, no riots, everything's fine in UP now," Yogi said. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami onThursday participated in the 'Sant Sammelan' held at Saptarishi Ashram Ground, near Bharat Mata Temple, in Haridwar. On the occasion, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that all saints, spiritual leaders, and devotees present here are living symbols of Sanatan consciousness, and by gathering in the sacred Saptarishi region on the holy banks of the Ganga, they are making invaluable contributions to the nation and culture. He said that the great personalities who dedicated their entire lives to national duty, service, sacrifice, and compassion were not just ascetics, but divine saints connected to national consciousness. - ANI The West Bengal government has announced a Rs 500 monthly increase in financial assistance for women under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, effective from February 2026. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated the budget is for the people, not elections, and also announced a new portal to extend social security benefits to gig workers. The interim budget includes a Rs 1,000 monthly remuneration hike for frontline workers like Anganwadi and ASHA workers starting April 2026. Additionally, a one-time compensation of Rs 5 lakh has been announced for Anganwadi workers in case of death before age 60. West Bengal govt announces Rs 500 monthly hike for Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries and a new portal for gig workers in its interim budget. Kolkata, February 6 Ahead of the assembly elections, the West Bengal governemnt on Thursday announced a Rs 500 monthly increase in the 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme and proposed a new portal to extend social security benefits to gig workers. While addressing a press conference, CM Banerjee said, "We are number one in many schemes like 100 Days Rojgar Yojana, Awas Yojana. But the central government stopped funding for these schemes. We present this budget for the people, not for the election. We kept our word. So, we announced a Rs 500 increment in Lakshmir Bhandar from this February. For gig workers, we will form a portal where they can apply to get benefits," she said. In a post on X, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) highlighted, "Big Announcement! In her Budget Statement for FY 2026-27, our Finance Minister, Chandrima Bhattacharya, announced an increase of Rs 500 in financial assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. Under the leadership of MamataOfficial, we remain committed to empowering women to lead lives of dignity and independence." In a post on X, West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya outlined key highlights of the Interim State Budget for FY 2026-27, emphasising increased welfare measures across sectors. Under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, women beneficiaries will now receive an additional Rs 500 per month from February 2026. CM Banerjee also announced enhanced benefits for gig and frontline workers. Anganwadi workers, Anganwadi Sahayaks, ASHA workers, ICDS workers, as well as civic volunteers, village police, and green police personnel will see an increase of Rs 1,000 in their monthly remuneration from April 2026. Additionally, Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi Sahayaks will be entitled to a one-time compensation of Rs 5 lakh in case of death before attaining the age of 60. - ANI Chinese foreign ministry holds 2026 New Year reception Xinhua) 09:07, February 06, 2026 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, hosts the Chinese Foreign Ministry's 2026 New Year reception in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2026. Nearly 500 people attended the event, including diplomatic envoys from various countries, representatives of international organizations in China, and representatives of Chinese government departments. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted the Chinese Foreign Ministry's 2026 New Year reception in Beijing on Thursday. Nearly 500 people attended the event, including diplomatic envoys from various countries, representatives of international organizations in China, and representatives of Chinese government departments. Addressing the reception, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that 2025 marked the 80th founding anniversary of the United Nations. Despite headwinds in international relations, China has remained committed to the right path in its diplomacy over the past year, he added. In particular, the Global Governance Initiative proposed by China has lit the way forward for the world during a critical time of evolution in the international order, Wang said. He noted that no matter how the world has evolved, China's position of safeguarding international fairness and justice has remained steadfast, and its commitment to building a community with a shared future for humanity has not wavered. Entering the new year, the world is becoming even more volatile and unstable, and peace and development face serious challenges, Wang said. China stands ready to work with all forces for progress across the globe -- bearing in mind the future of humanity and the well-being of all people -- to open up an even brighter future, he added. He called for efforts to uphold peace and the rule of law, promote openness and development, tackle crises and challenges, and deepen understanding and friendship. Martin Mpana, dean of the foreign diplomatic corps in China and Cameroon's ambassador to China, sent best wishes to the Chinese people for a happy New Year on behalf of the diplomatic corps. He spoke highly of China's diplomatic achievements in 2025, and of the Global Governance Initiative in particular, describing it as crucial to global peace and development. Countries around the world are willing to work with China to promote mutual understanding, deepen friendship and strengthen cooperation, aiming to safeguard international fairness and promote common prosperity, Mpana said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends and addresses the Chinese Foreign Ministry's 2026 New Year reception in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2026. Nearly 500 people attended the event, including diplomatic envoys from various countries, representatives of international organizations in China, and representatives of Chinese government departments. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh's triennial conference, emphasizing that worker welfare is central to national development. He highlighted the new Labour Codes as key to balancing worker protection with industrial growth and simplifying compliance. The minister noted that social security now covers approximately 940 million people, with a target of 1 billion by 2026. He assured that representations on increasing EPFO/ESIC wage ceilings and minimum pension are under active examination. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya addresses BMS conference, highlights Labour Codes, social security for 940 million, and vision for Viksit Bharat. New Delhi, February 6 Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, on Friday addressed the inaugural session of the All India Triennial Conference of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh in Puri, Odisha, and reiterated that the welfare, dignity and security of workers remain central to the Government's vision of national development. "I have the privilege to work for Shram Shakti and Yuva Shakti. These two forces are the foundation of India's progress and will play a decisive role in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat," Mandaviya said. Union Minister Mandaviya said that BMS is not only the largest trade union in India but also one of the largest organisations in the world, and has played an important role in advancing workers' welfare, ensuring justice for the country's workforce, and empowering them as partners in national development and economic growth. Emphasising that both workers and industry are equally important to economic growth, the Union Minister said that harmony and cooperation between the two are essential to building a strong, resilient economy. He noted that the Government has brought the Labour Codes into effect to strengthen this balance, enhance welfare and social security for workers, and simplify compliance for industries. "I congratulate BMS for welcoming the Labour Codes, spreading awareness among workers, and countering misinformation, along with 15 other central trade unions. This reflects responsible and constructive leadership, placing workers' interests above organisational considerations," he said. Highlighting the enabling provisions of the Labour Codes, Mandaviya referred to mandatory appointment letters, equal opportunities for men and women, annual health check-ups, and health security for workers engaged in hazardous industries. Referring to social security initiatives, he said the Government has consistently worked to expand coverage and strengthen institutional support for workers. He informed that around 940 million people are now covered under social security, as announced by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and underlined the goal of expanding the social security net to cover 1,000 million by 2026. He further highlighted that ESIC hospitals and medical colleges now provide reservation seats for children of workers in medical education, helping reduce the financial burden while fulfilling their aspirations for higher studies. Mandaviya stated that BMS has submitted representations on the enhancement of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) wage ceilings, decisions on floor wages, and an increase in minimum pension under EPS-95. He assured that these matters will be examined carefully and decisions will be taken in the coming days in the interest of workers. "The progress of the nation is inseparable from the welfare of its workers. When workers prosper, the country prospers," he said. Underscoring the role of workers in building 'Naya Bharat', the Union Minister said the Government will continue to prioritise worker welfare. He reaffirmed that the Government will continue to support organisations that work sincerely to advance the welfare, empowerment, and protection of workers. Mandaviya called upon all stakeholders to work together to translate the vision of Viksit Bharat into reality in the spirit of 'Nation First'. "We must ensure equal opportunities for all, take every worker forward, and empower them to realise their full potential," he said. The conference provided a platform for dialogue on labour reforms, social security and worker empowerment, with participation from representatives of workers' organisations from across the country. The inaugural session was attended by several dignitaries, including Hiranmay Pandya, National President, BMS, Ravindra Himte, National General Secretary, BMS; Mr Sergei Chernogaev, Chairman, FNPR, Russia; Ma. Bhagaiah, Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini Sadasya, RSS; and Ms Yuki Otsuji, Worker Specialist, South Asia and Country Office, ILO, New Delhi. Meanwhile, the 21st triennial Conference of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh was inaugurated by Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Labour and Employment, at Puri. Delegates from 14 countries and all states of India are participating. The session will continue through February 8. Delegates from Egypt, Mauritius, Turkey, and Nepal met with ANI and said that AI and technology-related issues are international problems for all employees worldwide. Mauritius Trade Union leader Beejay Cumar said that his 5th Generation had been relocated from Aara Bihar to Mauritius. Hiralal Yadav, a Trade union leader from Nepal, said they are following the Indian trade union model. For the country's prosperity, you must solve the problems of the Mazdoor. - ANI White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that no illegal immigrants have been released into the United States over the past nine months, calling it a remarkable achievement of the Trump administration. She linked the administration's aggressive immigration enforcement and deportation policies to a sharp decline in crime, including a record drop in the murder rate in major cities. Leavitt stated that President Trump remains committed to deporting millions who entered under the previous administration and is urging Congress to pass voter integrity legislation. She also criticized the prior administration's use of parole via an app, citing a deadly incident involving an illegal immigrant. White House Press Secretary says zero illegal immigrants released into the US over nine months, credits Trump policies for crime drop. Washington DC, February 6 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said that no illegal immigrants had been released into the United States over the past nine months, calling it a "remarkable achievement" of the Trump administration. Addressing reporters during a press briefing on February 5, Leavitt said, "Zero illegals were released into our homeland over the past nine months. This is a truly remarkable achievement." She said the administration's immigration enforcement policies had contributed to a significant drop in crime across the country, despite criticism from Democrats and sections of the media. "Even as Democrats and the liberal media are engaged in hysteria about this administration arresting and deporting violent criminal illegal aliens, the undeniable truth is that deporting these individuals is one of the primary reasons why America's streets are safer today than they were one year ago," Leavitt said. Citing newly released data, the Press Secretary said crime had declined sharply under President Donald Trump's leadership. "The drop in crime is more proof that all that is required to improve public safety on our streets is a leader with the will to do what is necessary to protect law-abiding American citizens," she said. Leavitt said nearly eight in ten Americans supported the deportation of illegal immigrants, while two in three backed the administration's requirement that state and local authorities cooperate with federal agencies and hand over criminal illegal immigrants held in local jails. On immigration policy, she said President Trump remained firm on enforcement while seeking to keep the government funded and operational. "When it comes to any discussions about immigration policy, the President is never going to waver in his commitment to allow immigration enforcement efforts in this country," she said. Leavitt also referred to a recent incident in which four Americans were killed by an illegal immigrant, saying the individual had been paroled into the country by the previous administration using the CBP One app. "That's not how immigration in this country should work," she said. She said President Trump had urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which she said would ensure compliance with federal election law by removing non-citizens from voter rolls and requiring voter ID and proof of citizenship for registration. Leavitt also reiterated that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence held statutory responsibility for counterintelligence matters related to election security. Responding to a question on whether President Trump remained committed to deporting an estimated 20 million illegal immigrants who entered the country under the previous administration, Leavitt said, "Yes, and the President has always been committed to that." In a post on X later, Leavitt said newly released data showed the murder rate in America's largest cities had fallen in 2025 to its lowest level since at least 1900, marking the largest single-year drop on record. She said," President Trump promised to restore law and order to the United States. Newly released data proves he is delivering: the murder rate in America's largest cities plummeted in 2025 to its lowest level since at least 1900 -- marking the largest single-year drop in murders on record. This dramatic decline is what happens when a President secures the border, fully mobilizes federal law enforcement to arrest violent criminals, and aggressively deports the worst illegal alien offenders." - ANI Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed a historic tripartite agreement signed between the Centre, Nagaland government, and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO). The pact aims to enhance the development trajectory of Eastern Nagaland by creating the Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six districts. It provides for the devolution of powers over 46 subjects and the establishment of a mini-Secretariat, with the Union Home Ministry committing to annual financial support. Home Minister Amit Shah stated the agreement is a significant step towards realizing the vision of a dispute-free and developed Northeast. PM Modi & HM Amit Shah hail tripartite pact for Eastern Nagaland's development, creating FNTA & devolving powers over 46 subjects. New Delhi/Kohima, Feb 6 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the tripartite agreement signed between the Centre, Nagaland government and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation will enhance the development trajectory of Eastern Nagaland. The Prime Minister said he was sure that the agreement would open new avenues of opportunity and prosperity for the people. Reposting a post of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, PM Modi said on his X account: "This is a historic agreement indeed, which will enhance the development trajectory of Eastern Nagaland in particular." "I am sure it will open new avenues of opportunity and prosperity for the people. It reflects our unwavering commitment to peace, progress and inclusive growth in the Northeast," he said. On Thursday, in a step towards administrative empowerment in Eastern Nagaland, a tripartite agreement was signed in Delhi between the Centre, the Nagaland government and the ENPO, an apex body representing eight recognised Naga tribes of the six eastern districts of Nagaland. The pact provides for the devolution of powers over 46 subjects to the six eastern districts, officials said. "The agreement will pave the way for the creation of Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six Nagaland districts -- Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator, and devolution of powers in respect of 46 Subjects to the FNTA," an official statement had said. The agreement was signed in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, ENPO leaders and officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Nagaland government. After the signing of the agreement, the Home Minister said that Thursday is a very significant day for a dispute-free Northeast, and the Prime Minister has envisioned a Northeast that is free from insurgency, violence, disputes, and developed. "Today, we have taken one more step forward in realising that vision," he said and stated that 11 years ago, several armed groups and disputes in the Northeast were pushing the region towards fragmentation and disturbing its peace and at the same time, many inter-state disputes were disrupting the peace of the states. HM Shah said the government led by Prime Minister Modi is committed to finding solutions to every dispute and added that since 2019, the Modi government has signed 12 important agreements in the Northeast. He stated that previous governments only signed agreements, but the Modi government implements them in letter and spirit. The Home Minister said he wants to assure the representatives of ENPO that the Government of India will assist in the development of Eastern Nagaland and will shoulder its responsibility. HM Shah added that every year, a fixed amount will be decided, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will also provide the initial expenditure for establishment. He said that in 2021-22, he had told the representatives of ENPO that the government led by PM Modi is committed to finding a solution to every dispute. HM Shah had assured them that by keeping faith and participating in the democratic process, they would definitely receive both fair justice and due respect. The Home Minister said he was feeling immense joy because, after the officers of the MHA worked for a long time as a bridge between ENPO and the Government of Nagaland, "today, we have been able to resolve this dispute". The agreement provides, inter alia, for a mini-Secretariat for FNTA, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary, sharing development outlay for the Eastern Nagaland region, which is proportional to population and area. However, this agreement does not affect in any manner whatsoever the provisions of Article 371 (A) of the Constitution of India. - IANS Shubhra Chaubey, a student from Gujarat, represented her state at the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue and presented her views directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She expressed that the experience was empowering and that the subsequent Union Budget 2026-27 reflected the youth-centric themes discussed, such as Skill India and the gig economy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the budget as "youth-driven," confirming that the participants' ideas were taken seriously. The dialogue brought together thousands of young leaders, with their policy suggestions being actively incorporated into national planning. A Gujarat student shares how youth suggestions from the Viksit Bharat Dialogue were incorporated into the national budget, highlighting a youth-driven policy approach. Vapi, Feb 6 The aspirations and policy suggestions shared by young Indians during the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026 have found resonance in the Union Budget 2026-27, a participant from Gujarat said on Friday, highlighting the government's emphasis on youth-led development. Shubhra Chaubey, a second-year BA Economics student at Rajju Shroff ROFEL University and resident of Vapi, represented the state as a PM presenter at the Dialogue under the theme "Youth in Democracy & Governance." She addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, presenting her views on the role of youth in governance and national development. "Interacting directly with the Prime Minister was an unimaginable and proud experience. When the Prime Minister of such a large country listens seriously to the ideas of youth, it gives us confidence and a sense of responsibility," Chaubey told IANS. She added that the youth suggestions were reflected in the Budget, which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described as "youth-driven". "What made this platform truly special was that our ideas were not just heard, but also reflected in policy and the Union Budget. When the Finance Minister mentioned the Dialogue and described the Budget as youth-driven, we realised that our thoughts are being taken seriously and implemented," she said. Chaubey said the Budget incorporated themes discussed during the Dialogue, including Skill India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, the gig economy, and the orange economy. She highlighted that youth are now partners in nation-building, contributing to areas such as women empowerment, entrepreneurship, skills development, and self-reliance. The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue 2026, held in New Delhi from January 9-12, brought together approximately 3,000 young leaders from across India. Participants engaged in digital quizzes, essay challenges, and presentations, with selected suggestions incorporated into national policy and the Budget. "India has a young population with a median age of 28 years, and the right direction is needed for the youth. In Parliament too, it was said that youth are the architects of India," Chaubey said. She encouraged her peers to actively contribute to nation-building: "This is your time. Think for the nation, contribute your ideas, and become active partners in building a developed India." Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Sitharaman have emphasised that the 2026-27 Budget recognises youth aspirations, translating discussions from the Dialogue into actionable proposals and creating opportunities aligned with the vision of a developed and self-reliant India. - IANS Due to scheduled maintenance from Saturday, March 15, 2025, at 10 PM to Sunday, March 16, 2025, at 2 AM, there may be interruptions for our News Gazette Digital subscribers. During this time frame, please click on any News Gazette website content without logging into your News Gazette Digital subscription account. Thank you for your patience during this scheduled maintenance. Livestreaming meets village fairs in east China township's common prosperity drive Xinhua) 09:17, February 06, 2026 Hosts promote agricultural products via livestreaming at a "common prosperity market" in Shankou Township of Xiushui County, east China's Jiangxi Province, on Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Wu Yuansheng/Xinhua) NANCHANG, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- To be a village Party secretary these days, you may almost certainly need the skills required to be a livestreaming host. Camera-shy? Then you'd better practice, as your performance in front of the camera affects how well the products of your fellow villagers sell. At an outdoor market in Shankou Township in Xiushui County, east China's Jiangxi Province, Party secretaries from 11 villages stepped up to the camera, one after another, as they championed the local produce of their villages. Despite biting cold, their enthusiasm never wavered. Some became so absorbed and animated in pitching their goods, that they ended up unzipping their jackets in what were very chilly conditions. "Fresh chili sauce from the deep mountains, spicy but not rough, limited stock," said one. "Quail eggs, one delightful bite after another, full of rich aroma," another called out. Their pitches emanated from a livestreaming booth, a space that has been dubbed the "common prosperity market," echoing the nation's drive to bridge regional disparities and achieve prosperity for all. The bustling scene at Shankou Township's open-air market is just one local expression of a broader national shift, which is seeing modern-day e-commerce increasingly employed to boost farmers' incomes across China. Village officials, notably, have to lead the way in navigating this new path to prosperity. In the "No. 1 central document" for 2026, unveiled on Tuesday, which outlines plans to advance agricultural and rural modernization and promote all-around rural revitalization, it was noted that a high-quality development project for rural e-commerce will be implemented. This year's document also mentions encouraging e-commerce platforms to empower local communities and standardizing livestreaming sales of agricultural products. This document is the first policy statement issued by China's central authorities each year. The model of livestreams at rural fairs is particularly suited for remote villages where sales of agricultural produce were traditionally held back by poor connectivity. For instance, in Shankou Township, a mountainous area about 40 minutes' drive from the county seat, many local farmers previously struggled to sell their produce, explained Huang Yilun, a township official. Historically, such communities have relied on periodic open-air markets, some known as "temple fairs," which gather villagers on certain dates to trade a rich variety of local goods. These markets have functioned as both economic hubs and vibrant cultural gatherings. Building on that tradition, Shankou Township has since October 2024 creatively leveraged its existing market days, which fall on the 2nd and 16th of each month, to create a marketing model featuring livestreamed sales. This blending of modern e-commerce with conventional market practices helps turn local harvests into higher incomes for farmers. Huang Zhenxiu, a 63-year-old resident of Laisu Village, grows tea leaves and vegetables to sell at markets as an additional income stream. Six months ago, she could hardly imagine earning money without leaving home. "In the past, I had to carry my produce to the market and sell it there," said Huang, "Now, with the new sales channel of the common prosperity market, I can just pack things up for village cadres to take them to the market, and sit at home waiting for payment." Huang plans to use the money she has earned from the common prosperity market, amounting to roughly 800 yuan, as content for two red envelopes, which will serve as good-blessing new year gifts for her two grandsons, who will be visiting her during the Spring Festival holiday. Currently, the common prosperity market operates on an "offline stalls + online livestreaming" model. On the eve of market day, village cadres collect and sort the villagers' produce. On market day, such products are sold both at the market and via online livestreams. Mail and delivery are taken care of collectively. As a key feature of the common prosperity market, livestreaming requires the township to maintain a well-stocked talent pool of hosts and hostesses, thus forcing grassroots officials to hone their skills as livestream presenters, a responsibility they had hardly imagined having to assume. Peng Guangming, Party secretary of Laisu Village, had always been more comfortable working behind the scenes. In earlier livestream sessions, he preferred the supporting role of an assistant host -- a better fit, he felt, for his reserved nature. But when he was recently asked to step forward as the main presenter, tasked with promoting his village's local products, he knew he had to rise to the occasion. Determined not to let his fellow villagers down, Peng threw himself into preparation. He carefully crafted his introductions, honed the selling points of each item, and worked on his delivery. His dedication paid off. On May 2 last year, Peng led a three-hour livestream and secured nearly 200 orders, generating over 4,400 yuan (around 632.5 U.S. dollars) in sales. The township mobilizes Party members and village officials to participate actively in livestreaming sales, and provides training in livestream presentation, short video editing and online store operations, Huang Yilun revealed. "Currently, single-session sales are consistently above 3,000 yuan, with cumulative livestream sales reaching 100,000 yuan, benefiting more than 100 households across the township," said Huang Yilun. Lu Liheng, a Xiushui County official, noted that the county planned to expand the common prosperity market model throughout the county, extending these tangible gains to more residents. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A University of Houston psychology professor is challenging the notion that dyslexia, or specific reading disorder, stems from a single faulty gene in the brain, suggesting instead that it is caused by an overall brain network vulnerability. The insight reshapes understanding of one of the world's most common learning disorders, which affects up to 20% of the world's population-nearly 780 million people who face lifelong challenges with reading. Using computers and large biology databases, Elena Grigorenko, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology, reviewed four decades of research covering the genetics of specific reading disorder. Her team systematically cataloged candidate genes reportedly associated with dyslexia and reading-related processes and published the findings in Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. Our findings challenge the notion of the existence of reading-specific genes, suggesting instead that dyslexia reflects the disruption of ancient evolutionary neural mechanisms operating within human-specific brain architecture. The identification of developmental expression transitions and functional networks provides insight into how genetic variation might impact reading development and offers potential targets for future clinical approaches to the identification and remediation of reading difficulties." Elena Grigorenko, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology, University of Houston The findings collectively provide valuable insights into the genetic bases of reading disability while raising important questions about the nature of it as a specific neurodevelopmental condition rather than an outcome of brain development processes. Developmental process People began reading about 3000 BCE in Mesopotamia, following the development of cuneiform, the most ancient of writing systems. But it turns out humans were all set up for the task, because the genes associated with reading are evolutionarily ancient, millions of years old. The evolutionary conservation of the reading disorder genes across species and their expression across multiple brain regions further support viewing dyslexia as part of a broader neurodevelopmental spectrum rather than an isolated condition," said Pavel Dobrynin, research scholar in Grigorenko's GENESIS lab (Genetic and Neurobehavioral Systems: Interdisciplinary Studies) and the paper's first author. The study identified two functionally distinct groups among the 175 genes currently known to be associated with reading difficulties. "The first group is active early in fetal development, helping build the brain's physical architecture-its wiring and structure," said Grigorenko. "The second group switches on later, around the 24th week of pregnancy, and supports synaptic signaling-how brain cells communicate with each other." This suggests there may be at least two developmental origins for reading difficulties: one related to how the brain is built, and another to how it functions a process that has gone on for millions of years. "Interestingly, a number of these genes sit near stretches of DNA that evolved rapidly in humans compared to other species. The genes themselves are ancient, but how and when they're switched on may be uniquely human," Dobrynin said. New research suggests perceived emotional support on social platforms may relate to lower anxiety in young adults, but personality traits and study design highlight a complex, potentially bidirectional relationship. Study: Associations Between Young Adult Emotional Support Derived from Social Media, Personality Structure, and Anxiety. Image Credit: Master1305 / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Psychiatry International , researchers examined whether emotional support obtained through social media is statistically associated with, rather than demonstrably causing, differences in anxiety levels among young adults. The study found that young adults, particularly females, who reported higher perceived levels of emotional support through social media platforms exhibited lower anxiety levels. Individuals with lower conscientiousness and higher agreeableness, extraversion, and openness were more likely to perceive receiving emotional support online. Anxiety in Young Adulthood Anxiety is a highly prevalent mental health condition and a major contributor to disability worldwide, with onset often occurring during adolescence or young adulthood. It is associated with negative outcomes, including depression, impaired academic performance, and elevated suicide risk, and prevalence has increased in recent adolescent cohorts. Traditional Social Support Models Prior research consistently shows that social support can protect against anxiety, particularly within in-person relationships. Support may be conveyed verbally or non-verbally and generally involves expressions of care and concern. Stress-buffering models propose that social support can either directly improve mental health or mitigate the adverse effects of stress. Challenges Applying These Models to Social Media These theoretical models were developed before the widespread adoption of social media, and their applicability to virtual contexts remains uncertain. The effectiveness of online support may depend on individual perception, communication style, and platform-specific features. Research on perceived emotional support from social media has produced mixed findings, with some studies linking it to poorer mental health outcomes. Personality traits are known to influence both anxiety and perceived support, yet limited research has examined how personality shapes emotional support specifically obtained through social media. Study Design and Sample Characteristics Researchers examined associations among social media emotional support, personality traits, and anxiety using a large national online panel designed to approximate United States demographic distributions. Although not a fully probability-based sample, the panel was balanced on race, sex, and age, and therefore suitable for exploratory population-level analysis. The analytic sample included 2,403 adults aged 18 to 30 years. Eligibility criteria included English literacy and access to a digital device. Analyses paid particular attention to gender differences. Measurement of Anxiety and Emotional Support Anxiety was assessed using a validated four-item scale measuring recent experiences of fear and stress on a five-point Likert scale. Social media emotional support ( SMES ) was measured using a validated four-item scale capturing perceived emotional support received through social media platforms. Assessment of Personality Traits Personality traits were measured using the 10-item Big Five Inventory, with two items assessing each trait. Trait scores were dichotomised using established cut points. Age and gender were included as covariates in all analyses. Statistical Analysis Approach Analyses included bivariate correlations, multivariate regression models, and factorial analysis of variance ( ANOVA ) to examine associations among anxiety, SMES, personality traits, age, and gender. All findings should be interpreted as associative rather than causal due to the cross-sectional design. Associations Between Anxiety, Personality, and Social Media Support Bivariate analyses showed significant associations between anxiety, SMES, age, gender, and personality traits. Younger participants reported higher anxiety and greater perceived social media emotional support. Females reported higher anxiety than males. All personality traits were significantly correlated with SMES in bivariate analyses, although neuroticism did not remain significant in multivariate models. Personality Traits Linked to Higher Online Support Factorial ANOVA indicated that higher openness, extraversion, and agreeableness, as well as lower conscientiousness, were associated with greater perceived emotional support from social media. Neuroticism was not significantly associated with SMES, and no significant interactions between gender and personality traits were observed. Regression Findings on Anxiety and Emotional Support Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant negative association between anxiety and SMES, indicating that higher anxiety was linked to lower perceived emotional support after adjustment for demographic and personality variables. The model explained approximately 9 percent of the variance in SMES. This association was stronger among females than among males. Increased time spent on social media was associated with higher perceived emotional support, whereas increasing age was associated with lower support levels. Interpretation and Implications Overall, greater perceived emotional support from social media was associated with lower anxiety levels among young adults, particularly females. These findings contrast with some prior research suggesting adverse effects of social media support and instead align more closely with traditional social support theories. Notably, the studys original hypothesis predicted higher anxiety with greater social media support, underscoring the exploratory nature of the results. Role of Personality Differences Personality traits influenced perceived emotional support online. Individuals high in openness, extraversion, and agreeableness, and those low in conscientiousness, reported greater emotional support from social media. Neuroticism was not significantly associated with SMES. Strengths, Limitations, and Future Directions Strengths of the study include its large, demographically diverse sample and use of validated instruments. Limitations include the cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported data, brief and dichotomised personality measures, and restriction to young adults, which limits generalisability. Overall, the findings suggest that emotional support obtained through social media may reflect or accompany anxiety levels in complex, potentially bidirectional ways rather than functioning as a clearly protective causal factor. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify directionality and to inform interventions promoting healthy and supportive social media engagement. A research team from the Department of Psychiatry at Tohoku University, led by Dr. Zhiqian Yu and Professor Hiroaki Tomita, has uncovered compelling evidence that maternal perinatal depression - psychological distress occurring during pregnancy or postpartum - elevates the risk of autistic-related traits in toddlers, with a particularly strong impact on girls. Their findings are derived from a large-scale Japanese cohort of over 23,000 mother-child pairs (the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study) and supported by mouse experiments. These findings provide important insights into how maternal mental health influences early neurodevelopment, which could help create guidelines to protect the wellbeing of both mother and child. Using data from the cohort, the team assessed depressive symptoms during early and mid-gestation and at one month postpartum. Higher maternal scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) or the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were significantly associated with increased autistic-related traits in toddlers, as measured by the Tokyo Autistic Behavior Scale (TABS). Notably, although autism is generally more common in boys, the risk associated with maternal perinatal depression was especially pronounced in girls. Additionally, girls showed lower birth weights and a stronger association between autistic traits and impaired mother-infant bonding (the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale; MIBS). To explore the biological mechanisms underlying these findings, the researchers established a prenatal stress model in mice "mothers". Stressed mothers displayed depressive-like behaviors and reduced maternal care, while their female offspring exhibited typical autism-like behavioral patterns, including increased self-grooming and impaired recognition of social novelty. Molecular analyses further revealed reduced expression of oxytocin (nicknamed the "love hormone") in prefrontal cortical microglia of stressed mothers and decreased oxytocin receptor expression in the prefrontal cortex of their female offspring. These findings suggest a sex-specific neurobiological pathway through which prenatal stress may disrupt social development. Because oxytocin signaling is essential for maternal bonding and social behavior, disturbances in this system may help explain why daughters appear particularly vulnerable to maternal stress. This study highlights the societal importance of supporting maternal mental health beginning in pregnancy. Providing appropriate psychological care and monitoring may help reduce adverse developmental outcomes in children, particularly in girls. The findings underscore that maternal well-being is a critical foundation for children's long-term developmental health and provide a scientific basis for sex-sensitive early intervention strategies. This study was not based on clinical diagnoses of maternal depression or autism spectrum disorder in children. Instead, it focused on the relationship between questionnaire-based measures of maternal depressive symptoms and indicators of autism-related behavioral traits. While the findings do not indicate that maternal perinatal depression directly causes autism spectrum disorder, they underscore the importance of supporting maternal mental health during the perinatal period, particularly in light of potential sex-specific effects on children's emotional and developmental outcomes. The findings were published in Molecular Psychiatry, a Nature Portfolio journal, on February 4, 2026. New evidence shows that how medicines reach patients may be just as important as what is prescribed, with delivery systems emerging as a key driver of adherence, affordability, and long-term health outcomes. Review: Delivery models to improve adherence to medicines for chronic diseases in primary care. Image Credit: ako photography / Shutterstock In a recent review published in The Lancet Primary Care , a group of authors examined how different medicine delivery models influence access, affordability, and adherence to long-term treatment for chronic diseases across diverse health systems. The review emphasizes that no single delivery model is universally optimal and that effectiveness depends on context, regulation, patient needs, and local reimbursement and infrastructure constraints. Chronic Disease Burden and Adherence Challenges Nearly 75 percent of deaths worldwide are caused by chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which the World Health Organization ( WHO ) classifies as non-communicable diseases requiring long-term or lifelong management rather than strictly lifelong treatment in every case. Yet millions of people struggle to take prescribed medicines regularly. While missed doses are often attributed to patient behavior, real-life barriers such as high costs, long travel distances to pharmacies, fragmented health systems, short dispensing intervals, limited digital access, and reimbursement policies that may incentivize shorter prescription cycles play a major role. Home delivery, automation, and expanded digital health services have created new opportunities, and interest in how medicine delivery systems influence adherence has grown. Rather than identifying a single best delivery model, the review highlights how different models perform under different health system conditions, with evidence varying by disease type, national regulation, and healthcare financing structures. Why Delivery Systems Affect Daily Care Medicines are effective only when people can access and take them regularly. For individuals with hypertension or diabetes, missed refills have been associated with poorer disease control, increased complications, hospitalization, and mortality, without establishing direct causation in every setting. Treatment success or failure is often influenced by delivery systems, including dispensing interval policies, access logistics, and financial barriers. Traditional In-Person Pharmacy Pickup Physical pharmacy pickup remains the most common delivery model worldwide. Patients visit community or hospital pharmacies to obtain prescriptions, enabling pharmacists to provide counseling, identify drug interactions, and support appropriate medicine use. In high-income countries, pharmacies often offer additional services, such as blood pressure checks and medication reviews, whereas in many low- and middle-income countries, they also serve as important first points of care. This model also has limitations. Long travel times, waiting periods, and high charges may disrupt regular refills and reduce adherence. For example, Australian data cited in the review suggest that pharmacy dispensing-related charges accounted for just over 50 percent of antihypertensive medicine delivery costs, reflecting the influence of reimbursement frameworks rather than total national healthcare expenditure. Mail-Order Pharmacy Delivery Models Mail-order pharmacies deliver medications directly to homes or workplaces, usually in 60- or 90-day supplies. This approach reduces travel time and may improve adherence, particularly for chronic conditions. Large organizations such as the United States Veterans Health Administration have demonstrated that centralized mail delivery can reduce costs while supporting large-scale distribution, although reported benefits vary across healthcare systems and patient populations. Many adherence estimates in these systems rely on proxy measures such as prescription refill coverage, which indicate medicine possession rather than confirmed ingestion. Mail-order delivery also depends on reliable postal services and regulatory frameworks. Delays, lost shipments, and challenges with temperature-sensitive medicines, such as insulin, can disrupt regular intake. Digital Pharmacies and Consumer Platforms Electronic pharmacies expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online ordering and home delivery are often combined with physical pharmacies to comply with regulations. Direct-to-consumer models integrate prescribing, dispensing, and delivery within a single platform. Some direct-to-consumer services in the United States have reduced medication costs by eliminating markups and improving price transparency, attracting uninsured individuals facing high drug prices. The review stresses that counseling is not necessarily absent but must be intentionally integrated through digital consultation, pharmacist oversight, and regulatory safeguards to minimize risks such as counterfeit medicines or inappropriate prescribing. Safety outcomes depend on regulatory oversight, professional involvement, and digital literacy. Automation, Drones, and Emerging Technologies New delivery technologies are improving access in remote areas. Drones, smart lockers, and automated dispensing units can reduce waiting times and bring medicines directly to patients. In Africa, drones have successfully delivered vaccines, blood products, and emergency supplies. Evidence supporting the routine delivery of chronic disease medicines through these technologies remains emerging rather than fully established. Cost, infrastructure, and regulatory complexity continue to limit widespread adoption, with most evidence derived from pilot programs and emergency logistics rather than broad chronic care implementation. Physician-Based Medicine Dispensing Physician dispensing allows doctors to provide medicines directly during consultations, bypassing separate pharmacy visits. This model can improve access in rural areas and reduce delays between diagnosis and treatment. Examples cited include Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and China, with substantial variation in regulatory frameworks. However, physician dispensing raises potential conflicts of interest, particularly in fee-for-service systems, where prescribers may benefit financially from dispensing. Similar incentives can exist in pharmacy-based dispensing, highlighting the importance of transparent regulation across all models. Salaried or publicly funded systems may mitigate some financial concerns. System-Level Constraints and Policy Design Medicine delivery models are shaped by national funding, regulation, infrastructure, reimbursement design, and digital capacity. Public systems often prioritize equity but may struggle with rapid innovation, while private systems may innovate quickly but inadequately serve lower-income populations. Hybrid models attempt to balance these goals but often face regulatory rigidity, legacy prescribing software defaults, and reimbursement rules that unintentionally limit longer dispensing intervals. Evidence indicates that adherence is challenged by short dispensing intervals, high out-of-pocket costs, fragmented delivery systems, inconsistent adherence measurement methods, and limited global standardization of adherence definitions. The review emphasizes the need to distinguish system cost efficiency from patient affordability, which do not always align. Longer prescription durations, integration of digital support with human care, and alignment of financial incentives with patient outcomes may improve adherence. The authors also emphasize inclusive digital transitions to ensure that older adults, rural populations, and individuals with limited digital literacy are not excluded. Environmental impacts, including packaging waste and transport emissions from delivery services, were identified as emerging concerns requiring further evaluation alongside clinical and economic outcomes. Rather than promoting a single model, the review recommends flexible systems capable of meeting diverse patient needs, supported by strong governance, regulatory coordination, and international standardization of evidence. Overall Conclusions and Implications How medicines are delivered is as important as what is prescribed. Evidence suggests that delivery systems influence access, cost, and adherence in chronic disease care, although differences in adherence measurement and study design warrant cautious interpretation. Traditional pharmacy dispensing remains common, while mail-order services, digital pharmacies, automation, and physician dispensing are all viable options when properly regulated and integrated. Systems that reduce costs, minimize travel burdens, maintain patient support, and balance efficiency with equity are more likely to sustain long-term treatment. Strengthening delivery infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, patient-centered design, and internationally harmonized adherence measurement can improve health outcomes and reduce the global burden of chronic disease. Opioid overdoses continue to take a devastating toll across the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2023, the nation recorded roughly 105,000 drug overdose deaths overall, with nearly 80,000 deaths involving opioids. Worldwide, opioids are also responsible for the majority of drug-related deaths. A University of California San Diego study is working on a potentially life-saving measure that may be as simple as strapping on a smartwatch. Researchers have long known that people living with chronic pain and long-term opioid prescriptions can experience downward spirals of elevated stress, pain flare-ups and craving - shifts that may raise the risk of opioid misuse and addiction. The problem is that clinicians usually only see snapshots of how someone is doing: a clinic visit, a questionnaire, a check-in every few weeks. That can miss critical "in-between" moments when risk spikes. The UC San Diego team's study proposed a different approach: enabling a common smartwatch to continuously track subtle changes in heart rhythm, then apply machine learning to estimate when someone may be slipping into a high-risk state - facilitating earlier and potentially life-saving support. The study was led by Professor Tauhidur Rahman and Ph.D. student Yunfei Luo at the Halcoglu Data Science Institute (HDSI), part of the University of California San Diego's School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences (SCIDS) and Eric Garland, PhD, professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and endowed professor at Stanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion The team built a system that uses a wearable device to collect inter-beat interval data, the tiny timing differences between heartbeats. From these signals, the system estimates heart rate variability (HRV), a measure that often shifts when the body is under strain. In simple terms, HRV provides a window into how the nervous system is responding to stress. The system tracks risk-related states such as stress, pain and craving, then looks for patterns that occur more often in people at higher risk of opioid misuse compared with those taking medication as prescribed. The idea: a "smoke alarm" for risk - without constant check-ins. The study at-a-glance Participants and Data: 10,140 hours of wearable data from 51 adults with chronic pain on long-term opioid therapy; 10,140 hours of wearable data from 51 adults with chronic pain on long-term opioid therapy; Device: a commercially available Garmin Vivosmart 4 smartwatch; a commercially available Garmin Vivosmart 4 smartwatch; Setting: daily life outside the clinic over an 8-week period; daily life outside the clinic over an 8-week period; Comparison groups: participants were categorized using Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM), a standard questionnaire to help clinicians identify whether a patient who is taking prescription opioids for chronic pain may be showing signs of misuse; and participants were categorized using Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM), a standard questionnaire to help clinicians identify whether a patient who is taking prescription opioids for chronic pain may be showing signs of misuse; and Key outputs: Predicted stress/pain/craving levels over time A final "misuse risk" classification based on patterns in those trajectories, plus clinical record text Stress, pain, craving: hard-to-quantify risk factors Luo described the approach: "We built a system that uses a wearable device to collect inter-beat interval data, the tiny timing differences between heartbeats. From these signals, the system estimates heart rate variability (HRV), a measure that often shifts when the body is under strain. In simple terms, HRV provides a window into how the nervous system is responding to stress." The heart rate variability was mapped to opioid misuse risk in two steps: Step 1: Personalized prediction of stress, pain, and craving The lead clinical scientist involved in the study, UC San Diego Health's Eric Garland, indicated that every monitor must be individually tailored. "One major challenge is that HRV is deeply personal," Garland said. "What looks like 'high craving' for one person may be normal for another. To account for that, the team trained personalized models,not a one-size-fits-all predictor." Luo added that the team used a learning-to-branch technique to dynamically identify clusters of participants with similar characteristics. "This makes the model more data-efficient and enables personalized predictions of stress, pain and craving," he said. Step 2: Estimating misuse risk by studying the shapeof daily patterns Rahman said the team looked beyond stress, craving or pain at any single moment and instead focused on how these states evolve over time. "Using nonlinear dynamical analysis, we examined whether a person's daily patterns were more rigid and predictable or more flexible and variable," he explained. "People at higher risk of opioid misuse showed more repetitive trajectories and tended to get stuck in high stress, pain or craving - what appears in our analysis as lower entropy, or reduced flexibility over time. In contrast, those taking opioids as prescribed showed more fluctuation and rebound, reflected as higher entropy." Adding clinical context for more accurate prediction To improve accuracy, the system also uses information already found in medical records, such as demographics, prescription history, symptoms and related conditions. Instead of relying on a large cloud-based chatbot, the researchers used smaller, clinically trained language models to convert these records into compact numerical summaries that the prediction model can use. Combining smartwatch signals with clinical context improved performance. This approach could help clinicians detect risk shifts between visits, trigger timely check-ins, reduce the burden of constant self-reporting, and better target prevention for chronic pain patients. What's next The team points toward exploring how this kind of monitoring might support "just-in-time interventions" - help delivered at the moment it's most needed. Rahman, study supervisor and director of the Mobile Sensing and Ubiquitous Computing (MOSAIC) Laboratory, is hopeful that mobile and wearable sensors and AI/machine learning may be a key to reversing an increasingly deadly trend. "As overdose deaths remain high nationally, the long-term hope is that tools like this could help clinicians move from periodic snapshots to continuous, patient-friendly monitoring - and intervene earlier, before risk becomes tragedy." This study was published in Nature Mental Health. A full U.S. utility patent application (US2025/016369) was also filed for this technology, titled "System and Method for Personalized Closed-Loop Opioid Addiction Management with Mobile and Wearable Sensing of Administrations, Affective States and Misuse Risk Scores". March 23-25, 2026 | San Diego, CA The 11th Innate Killer Summit returns, bringing together global leaders advancing natural killer (NK) cellbased immunotherapies. The meeting continues as the longestrunning and only dedicated international forum focused exclusively on NK, CARNK, iNKT, and nextgeneration innate immune programs. The summit arrives at a pivotal moment. Multiple NK therapy developers are now reporting encouraging Phase I results, including early signs of durability, improved persistence, and favorable safety profiles. These data points are strengthening confidence in the field and helping drive renewed investor interest despite broader biotech market pressures. The NK community is driven by collaboration Our field is unique because everyone knows each other and supports our shared mission. Ive initiated several collaborations based on encounters at previous conferences, and Im looking forward to seeing all of the new data and identifying new opportunities to help other companies and researchers. Said Nina Horwitz, CEO, Immune Bridge View Ninas full interview here. A clinical-first agenda highlighting real-world progress This years program places a strong emphasis on clinical validation and translational success, featuring presentations from companies actively advancing NK therapies. Key sessions include: NOK Therapeutics will present durable long-term survival data from its autologous NK-cell consolidation strategy in multiple myeloma. They will highlight extended Phase I follow-up, clinical durability, and outcomes in high-risk patient populations. will present durable long-term survival data from its autologous NK-cell consolidation strategy in multiple myeloma. They will highlight extended Phase I follow-up, clinical durability, and outcomes in high-risk patient populations. MiNK Therapeutics will share first-in-human clinical insights from its allogeneic and CAR-NK programs, focusing on safety, in vivo persistence, and early signals of therapeutic activity across hematologic malignancies. will share first-in-human clinical insights from its allogeneic and CAR-NK programs, focusing on safety, persistence, and early signals of therapeutic activity across hematologic malignancies. Senti Bio will demonstrate how engineered selectivity and translational biomarkers are being used to enhance efficacy while maintaining a favorable safety profile in relapsed/refractory AML, with its logic-gated CAR-NK platform (SENTI-202) Expert speakers include senior leaders from ImmuneBridge, NKILT Therapeutics, Artiva Biotherapeutics, GeCell Therapeutics, and leading academic institutions such as Rizvani Lab, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Addressing manufacturing, biomarkers, and investment readiness Beyond clinical updates, the Summit will highlight practical challenges shaping NK development. Topics include donor variability, cryopreservation, large-scale manufacturing, biomarker-guided trial design, and the integration of AI-supported translational tools. There will be two pre-conference workshops providing hands-on insights into manufacturing optimization and translational toolkits designed to de-risk clinical programs and accelerate regulatory milestones. A dedicated CEO Think Tank and interactive investor-focused sessions will explore how NK developers are positioning their pipelines for sustainable financing, strategic partnerships, and long-term commercial viability. A proven platform for collaboration in innate immunity For more than a decade, the Innate Killer Summit has built a reputation as a uniquely collaborative environment where researchers can participate in focused discussions and directly engage decisionmakers. As one previous attendee noted: What always stands out is the focused group discussions and the opportunity to speak directly with decision-makers across multiple sessions. Find out more about the summit, and how you can participate here: www.innate-killer.com Programs that match caregivers with patient navigators yield better outcomes than Alzheimer's drug but combining the two may be best. A Medicare-covered program that offers support and medical advice for caregivers of patients with dementia may bring more benefit than a costly Alzheimer's medication, new research finds. UC San Francisco researchers compared outcomes for patients in collaborative care programs with those taking lecanemab, one of two approved drugs that have been shown to slow progression of Alzheimer's in some patients. UCSF Health was an early leader in developing a collaborative care program with the Care Ecosytem, which supports patients and caregivers. Paid navigators coordinate with clinical teams and connect caregivers to community resources. The program has informed similar efforts and has been adopted and adapted by more than 50 health systems nationwide. Collaborative care improved quality of life, reduced costs, alleviated caregiver burden, and extended the time that patients remained in the community before entering a nursing facility, as compared to lecanemab. Results were published Feb. 5 in Alzheimer's and Dementia: Behavior and Socioeconomics of Aging. The researchers created a simulated cohort of 1,000 patients using data from previous studies. About half had mild Alzheimer's and half had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which precedes it. Replacing usual care with collaborative care gave patients an extra 0.26 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), a measure that reflects living longer in better health. When lecanemab was added to collaborative care, patients gained another 0.16 QALYs. Collaborative care can serve a broader population than medication, said first author Kelly J. Atkins, DPsych, formerly of the UCSF Fein Memory and Aging Center. Lecanemab is only indicated for patients with mild Alzheimer's and MCI, but collaborative programs can be used for more advanced disease, as well as for the 20% to 40% of patients with other types of dementia. The drug may also be out of reach for rural residents living far from specialty clinics, and for low-income patients struggling to manage out-of-pocket costs." Kelly J. Atkins, DPsych The researchers found adding lecanemab to treatment increased health care costs by $38,400, but this was offset by adding collaborative care. The latter saved $48,000 per patient, partially due to fewer hospital visits. Patients also had, on average, four more months at home before transitioning to a nursing home when they received collaborative care. "We're going to see more drugs and better drugs soon, and I think that's very exciting. But we can'tjust focus on the drugs, we need to rethink our system of care," said Professor Katherine L. Possin, PhD, of the UCSF Department of Neurology and the Fein Memory and Aging Center. "Clinics that integrate collaborative care with the drugs may be best positioned to meet the needs of patients in this new treatment era." China sees rapid adoption of 3D printing in production and daily life People's Daily Online) 13:23, February 06, 2026 From medical devices and building material to ceramic artworks, 3D printing technology is expanding its footprint across China's industries, accelerating its integration into production and daily life while boosting economic development and public welfare. At a consultation room in Peking University Hospital of Stomatology, a patient raised questions about a treatment option. Dentist Sun Yuchun held up a sample veneer and explained: "This zirconia veneer is only 80 micrometers thick. Using it to restore teeth requires virtually no grinding, significantly reducing damage to tooth enamel." "Traditional mechanical processing could only produce veneers as thin as 300 micrometers," said Yang Fei, vice president of BMF Precision Tech Inc. in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. The company has leveraged 3D printing technology to dramatically reduce veneer thickness. Photo shows the 3D printing center of BMF Precision Tech Inc. in Liangjiang New Area, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee) In 2021, BMF Precision Tech established a joint laboratory with Peking University Hospital of Stomatology to develop 3D-printed dental veneers, a project later approved as a major one under national key research and development (R&D) programs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). After more than 1,000 trials, the hospital finally "printed" ultra-thin veneers that it had long sought but been unable to produce, achieving minimal or even no-grinding restoration, said Liu Yunsong, director of the department of prosthodontics at Peking University Hospital of Stomatology. The thriving advanced materials industry cluster in Chongqing's Liangjiang New Area has provided crucial support for bringing 3D-printed medical devices to market. "More than 100 dental hospitals and clinics nationwide have now adopted this product, and in 2025, we exported over 10,000 pieces of veneer materials overseas," Yang said. In thrombosis treatment, 3D-printed spiral magnetic robots measuring just 2.15 millimeters in diameter can autonomously navigate blood vessels to reach clot locations. For glaucoma treatment, 3D-printed drainage devices can greatly simplify traditional surgical procedures. Today, 3D printing technology continues to unlock new possibilities in the medical field. In Xiong'an New Area in north China's Hebei Province, a new cultural landmark is rising with the help of large-scale 3D printers. The cultural center, known as Xiong'an Wings, features giant curved surfaces that resemble an egret in flight. The structure draws inspiration from classical Chinese poetry depicting an egret gliding over misty water. As one of China's largest 3D-printed buildings, the cultural center demonstrates the advantages of new quality productive forces. A 3D printer works at a "capsule factory" on the ground floor of the main building of Xiong'an Wings, a cultural landmark in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Zhao Weitong) "Its unique design was difficult to realize using traditional construction methods," said Zhao Yiqing, architect for the cultural center at Tongji Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd. Therefore, the project employs 3D-printed components to construct the double-curved facade, achieving complex geometry while faithfully realizing the design vision, Zhao noted. Some of these components come from a "capsule factory" on the ground floor of the main building. There, a massive robotic-arm 3D printer operates around the clock, producing components for immediate on-site use. "The printer uses modified plastic as its primary material, producing components with double-curved hollow structures," said Meng Yuan, chief engineer at Shanghai Fab-Union Technology Co., Ltd., the project's 3D printing technical consultant. Meng added that multiple 3D printers also operate simultaneously at the company's Shanghai production base. The project requires more than 4,000 components, each unique in size and curvature. "It's worth noting that the modified plastic used in 3D-printed components is recyclable, making it environmentally friendly," Meng said. Selected as a demonstration project under national key R&D programs during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Xiong'an Wings is scheduled for completion this September. It will not only serve as a model for intelligent and green construction but also bring substantial benefits to public cultural life. An employee of Micro Ceramic Technology (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd. introduces 3D-printed ceramic products to visitors in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee) In Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, the exhibition hall of Micro Ceramic Technology (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd. displays a wide range of 3D-printed ceramic products, including fashion accessories and trendy dolls. Technology has unlocked new opportunities for creating higher-value ceramic art, said Huang Wancheng, general manager of the company. Traditional ceramic production requires molding, with minimum orders typically ranging from 200 to 300 pieces. In contrast, 3D printing enables direct production without molds. This allows ceramic designers to rapidly transform creative ideas into physical products at lower cost for market testing, thereby enhancing flexibility and market responsiveness. The company operates a permanent practical training and employment base for Jingdezhen Ceramic University and collaborates with institutions including the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the China Academy of Art on research exchanges and joint creative projects, serving as an active nexus for industry-academia-research integration. "We regularly open our facilities to university faculty and students for visits and host technical lectures. We also provide prototyping services to support their research projects," Huang said. This close collaboration enables future ceramic designers to become familiar early with digital manufacturing tools, helping turn creative concepts into tangible products while expanding the application boundaries of ceramics, Huang added. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) World Cancer Day, marked on 4 February, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of cancer, and to encouraging its prevention, detection and treatment. To recognise the efforts of researchers in this area, we are publishing a success story about the COST Action, which examined immune cells as mediators of diseases associated with chronic inflammation and cancer. Most people only think about their immune system when they fall ill. Few realise that survival in the first days of an infection depends on a fast and largely invisible response driven by myeloid cells, which act as the immune system's first responders. However, their role in chronic inflammation and cancer is still not widely understood. The COST Action 'Converting molecular profiles of myeloid cells into biomarkers for inflammation and cancer' (Mye-InfoBank) brought together a diverse European network to investigate this role by reusing and reanalysing existing molecular data. In the process, it produced scientific results, advanced the careers of many young researchers and established the Omnicellscope, the COST Innovators Grant project that will extend the impact of the Action. The immune system's first responders As Prof. Sven Brandau, Chair of the Mye-InfoBank at the University Hospital Essen, explains, the immune system works in two phases. The first phase, known as innate immunity, reacts immediately and relies heavily on myeloid cells. The second phase, adaptive immunity, takes around seven to ten days to build a targeted defence. "The reason why the common cold or any typical infection takes about a week to come, stay and go away is related to the second component of the immune system, which needs this time to detect and eliminate the pathogen," says Sven. "However, without myeloid cells, which are a major element of the innate part of our immune system, we would not be able to survive this week of infection and would die very quickly." These cells capture and destroy pathogens during the initial phase of an infection. While their role in acute infections is well understood, much remains to be learnt about how they function in chronic inflammatory diseases and cancer. This was the starting point for Mye-InfoBank. Giving existing data a new purpose Before the COST Action began, biomedical research had already produced an unprecedented amount of molecular data, ranging from DNA to proteins. This data was generated using expensive and sophisticated technologies. Much of this information was stored in public repositories once it had served its original purpose. Mye-InfoBank decided to make better use of these resources."Repurposing means retrieving existing data and using it for new scientific questions," explains Sven Brandau. He compares the process to using the internet or Wikipedia. "Information is uploaded for one reason, but there are many different ways to search for it, combine and interpret it. The same applies to molecular data." By reanalysing and curating existing datasets, the Action extracted myeloid cell-specific information and turned it into meaningful biological signals, or biomarkers, for diseases linked to chronic inflammation. These biomarkers could help doctors to make diagnoses or decisions about treatment in future. From data to decisions The concept of biomarkers lies at the core of the Action's impact. "In our case, a biomarker could indicate to a doctor which patients would benefit or not benefit from a certain therapy," says Sven. This approach, known as patient stratification, allows doctors to move away from one-size-fits-all treatments. Thanks to the knowledge generated by Mye-InfoBank, researchers can develop diagnostic tests that detect specific myeloid cell types or the molecules they produce. Such tools could guide clinical decisions, improve treatment outcomes and avoid unnecessary therapies. For patients, this means more precise care; for healthcare systems, it means more efficient use of resources. Speaking the same scientific language Achieving these goals required expertise from very different fields. Immunologists, clinicians, bioinformaticians and biobank coordinators all brought essential pieces of the puzzle. "Science has become so specialised that it is almost impossible for an individual to be an expert in all of those diverse fields," the Chair notes. "Even basic communication across disciplines can be challenging, as each field uses its own terminology and methods." Through COST networking, Mye-InfoBank successfully found a common language. "We combined networking with real experimental and analytical work," says Professor Brandau. "We successfully assembled all the necessary expertise to achieve our two primary objectives: producing high-quality scientific data and promoting interdisciplinary cross-fertilisation and education. As a result, we are in the process of generating high-quality atlases, which will be made publicly available in summer 2026." For Sven, the most powerful image of the COST Action remains that of the final meeting in his hometown of Hamburg. "I was reviewing the seminar room. I saw almost fifty people, and I could associate a valuable and voluntary contribution with each of them. I thought, 'This is truly fantastic and illustrates the high motivation of both younger and more experienced scientists, who did the work because they were genuinely interested in working together,'" he recalls. "I hope that this spirit will encourage younger researchers to build similar networks in the future." A network that shaped careers For many participants, Mye-InfoBank was as much about personal growth as scientific progress. Nico Trummer, a young Action member of the Technical University of Munich, joined the Action during his bachelor's studies and contributed to developing a standardised pipeline for single-cell transcriptomics data that is now used by researchers worldwide. "At first I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the experienced researchers around me," he recalls. "But people grow with responsibility, and the Action really gave me that opportunity to grow." Through collaborations across Europe, he gained confidence early in his career. "The Action gave me the confidence and skills to tackle complex computational problems early on, shaping my approach to bioinformatics and systems biology," he adds. For Daniel Naumovas of Vilnius University, the benefits of participating in the Action extended beyond research. He highlights how taking part in Mye-InfoBank improved his public speaking skills and introduced him to best practice in biobanking. "Meeting like-minded scientists motivates you to move forward," he says. At the time, he was the first in his hospital to join a COST Action. "Now I see that many colleagues, even from other departments, have followed." Today, as Vice-Minister of Health in Lithuania responsible for innovation and research, he still draws on that experience. "Scientific knowledge and public speech skills help a lot," he notes. Michelle Camacho, an Action member and researcher at Jagiellonian University, originally trained as a doctor in Venezuela before pursuing a career in science in Poland. Action offered her opportunities and stability. Through Short-Term Scientific Missions, she has visited laboratories across Europe, learned new experimental and analytical approaches, and refined her techniques under the guidance of experienced scientists. "Being part of this COST Action has been an invaluable experience for me," she says. "It greatly contributed to my development as a young researcher." Just as important were the personal connections. "I formed friendships and collaborations that continue beyond the project itself." Ebru Kocakaya from Ege University echoes this sentiment, stating that Mye-InfoBank was a key part of her PhD journey. "Joining this large international consortium soon became a supportive space to learn and grow," she recalls. Through training schools and research activities, she gained hands-on experience in advanced analysis methods and single-cell data analysis, while also strengthening her communication skills. "What made this experience especially meaningful were the people," she adds. "I met scientists who became friends, mentors, and collaborators." One moment stands out in particular: "The last meeting in Hamburg felt like a genuine family reunion. It made me realise how rare and special this network is." What comes next: Omnicellscope The momentum of Mye-InfoBank continues through a COST Innovators Grant supporting the project 'Developing a flexible and broadly applicable platform for expert guided cell-type deconvolution in human immune-related diseases' (Omnicellscope). This initiative aims to develop a flexible, user-friendly platform that combines bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing data to reveal the cellular composition of tissues in immune-related diseases. By focusing on publicly available datasets, Omnicellscope will help researchers, biotech companies and the pharmaceutical sector extract more value from existing data. "Omnicellscope allows us to retrieve more specific information from data that already exists," the Chair explains. "This helps researchers better understand disease and ultimately improve treatment." By bringing together people, data and ideas from across Europe, Mye-InfoBank showed how COST Actions can transform scientific resources into shared knowledge, paving the way for improved health outcomes. A new type of brain implant may have implications for both brain research and future treatments of neurological diseases such as epilepsy. Researchers from DTU, the University of Copenhagen, University College London, and other institutions have developed a long, needle-thin brain electrode with channelsa so-called microfluidic Axialtrode (mAxialtrode), named for its ability to distribute functional interfaces along the length of the implant, enabling both neural signal recording and precisely targeted medication delivery across different brain regions. The research results have been published in the renowned journal Advanced Science. The technology has primarily been developed for basic research into the brain. It can help researchers better understand how signals move across brain layers, for example in epilepsy, memory, or decision-making. In the longer term, the researchers point out that the mAxialtrode may be important for treatmentfor example, in targeted drug delivery combined with electrical or light-based stimulation of specific areas of the brain. Postdoc Kunyang Sui, who led the development of the mAxialtrode concept together with Associate Professor Christos Markos, emphasizes that it has made it possible to combine several functions in a single implant which makes brain research less invasive and more precise. Most current brain implants are based on hard materials such as silicon, which can irritate the brain and trigger inflammatory reactions in the tissue. The new implant differs in that it is made of soft, plastic-like optical fibers and has a specially angled tip that makes it smaller and reduces the damage caused when it is placed in the brain." Postdoc Kunyang Sui He emphasizes that extensive testing, further development, and approvals are still needed before the technology can be used in clinical practice. Today, brain researchers often use conventional flat-end optical fibers. These are thin glass or plastic fibers that can conduct light deep into the brain, for example for so-called optogenetics, where nerve cells are activated with light. The disadvantage is that this type of fiber only affects the brain in one place: at the very tip. The outermost end is called the distal tipin other words, the "nose" of the fiber. All light emission and all contact with the brain tissue takes place here. This means that researchers can only stimulate or measure activity in one layer of the brain at a time, even though many important brain functions involve interaction between several layers and deeper areas. How the technology is built The needle-thin mAxialtrode is manufactured using a process in which a large polymer rod is heated and drawn out into a very thin fiberthe process can be compared to making sugar thread, only much more precisely. In the middle runs a core that conducts light. Around it are eight microscopic channels that can carry fluid and also accommodate very thin metal wires for electrical measurements. The fiber is less than half a millimeter thick and is so flexible that it moves with the brain instead of cutting through the tissue. The difference in stiffness is important because hard implants often trigger inflammatory reactions in the brain over time. Proven technology The researchers have not only tested the technology in the laboratory, but also "in vivo"that is, in mice. Here, the brain electrode was implanted in the brain and connected to light sources, measuring equipment, and small pumps for fluid supply. The experiments showed that the researchers could stimulate nerve cells with blue and red light, measure electrical activity simultaneously from both superficial and deeper brain layers, such as the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and inject different substances at different depths, up to almost three millimeters apart. All examinations and stimulations could be performed with a single, lightweight fiber that the animals could carry without any obvious signs of discomfort. The in vivo experiments and neurophysiological validation were carried out in close collaboration with Associate Professor Rune W. Berg from the University of Copenhagen and Associate Professor Rob C. Wykes from University College London, who contributed expertise in neural circuit analysis and epilepsy-relevant models. The researchers behind the brain electrode are in the process of patenting the underlying technology and clarifying the possibilities for testing the electrode on patients in a clinical department. How influencers, clinics, and online masculinity culture are turning low T into a crisis, and creating a profitable medical marketplace for men seeking to measure up. Study: Selling masculinity A qualitative analysis of gender representations in social media content about low T. Image credit: PeopleImages/Shutterstock.com Social media often emphasizes masculinity as the essence of being male. Low testosterone levels are represented as a sign of diminished masculinity. These narratives are increasingly linked to the monetization of testosterone testing and treatment. A recent study in the journal Social Science & Medicine explores the depiction of masculinity in social media posts relating to low testosterone (often referred to as low T). How testosterone became shorthand for modern masculinity Over the decades, testosterone, the male sex hormone, has been the subject of social messaging that correlates it with masculinity. This, in turn, is linked to male attributes of strength, sexual virility, and vitality. Traditional attitudes towards gender treat men as being biologically designed for strength, dominance, and sexual prowess. In this view, testosterone drives masculinity. Building on this narrow and historically entrenched perspective, testosterone testing and treatment are often presented as being essential to real manhood. Apart from presenting such concepts, social media heavily circulates and reinforces these ideas by promoting and selling tips and tricks for masculinity. Social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram, greatly enhance the spread and visibility of these messages. The manosphere is the network of online communities that echoes, amplifies, and reinforces rigid ideas of masculinity while promoting similarly backward-looking attitudes towards femininity. These communities are frequently described in the academic literature as perpetuating regressive gender-related social constructs of male hegemony. Manosphere-related posts commonly relay misinformation about mens health and fitness. They frequently revolve around specious links to medical and biological facts to drive profitable marketing. Thus, social media posts promoting testosterone have been associated with testosterone therapy sales of over 400 million USD in the United States. The risks of such practices include the potential for overdiagnosis of low testosterone in healthy men and the use of testosterone replacement therapy ( TRT ) without sufficient clinical indication. TRT has been associated in prior research with multiple harms, including cardiovascular issues, male infertility, acute renal injury, pulmonary embolism, loss of libido, and erectile dysfunction. These concerns motivated the current study. Analysing Instagram and TikToks testosterone narratives The investigators conducted a qualitative study of posts on Instagram and TikTok, drawing on performativity theory, a social theory that explores the formation of identity through repeated actions and narratives. Their sample consisted of 200 posts, including 100 from each platform. From this broader sample, the authors conducted an in-depth qualitative analysis of a subset of 46 posts that explicitly addressed masculinity or sexual performance. They found that 46% related to testosterone. Financial interests were present in 72% of the accounts, such as owning a wellness brand that sold testosterone tests or therapies, or being sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. Commercial links, including links to clinic consultations, were included in 67% of posts. About one in three individual accounts was ostensibly owned by a medical doctor. The study notes that none of the posts provided evidence to support their claims. The authors also note that the sample was limited to English-language posts and may reflect an Anglo-centric social media environment, and they explicitly discuss their own positionality and interpretive role as researchers. How low T reshapes male identity online Qualitative analysis generated four themes: 1. Low testosterone is represented as a medical issue that endangers masculinity and sexual virility. Social media content often frames this as a crisis of being less than masculine by idealizing stereotypical traits as mandatory. This framing helps legitimize medical treatment, including testosterone testing and therapy, as an urgent intervention to attain what is presented as normal. 2. Low testosterone rebranding occurs, shifting from being an issue mostly associated with older men to being framed as a potential problem in active younger men. This group is typified as being muscular, energetic, confident, and easily aroused. Variations from this ideal are attributed to low T. According to the authors, such tactics expand the potential audience and may increase demand for testing and treatment. 3. Cliched ideas of masculinity become the grounds for subtly demanding self-optimization by linking them to high testosterone. The threshold for what is considered normal testosterone is pushed upward. A significant medical intervention, namely testing for and taking testosterone, is reframed as a lifestyle practice that promotes so-called normal aging. 4. Social media content frequently presents a binary construct that portrays real manhood as the opposite of femininity in biochemical and material terms. This framing can result in shaming of men who do not fit the ideal of real men, or who are open about vulnerability or mental health needs. When masculinity is treated as a medical condition Social media posts included in this analysis draw on the insecurities men often feel about relationships and sexual performance. The language of these posts reflects that of empowerment and advocacy, but is frequently repurposed, according to the authors, to market testosterone-related products. These posts often promote biomedical solutions, namely engagement with health technologies and scientific-sounding interventions. They claim that such approaches empower men to take control of their health, and the authors acknowledge that some men may experience these messages as motivating or affirming. Biomedicalization also involves viewing medicine as a marketable product by commodifying insecurity, in this case, raising and amplifying fears about masculinity to sell testosterone-related services. Thus, low testosterone is framed as a plausible medical explanation for a wide range of mental, physical, and relational challenges, even when such links are not supported by clinical evidence. Testosterone myths reinforce narrow masculine ideals The authors describe how social media platforms demonstrate the interaction of language-based claims and material objects, including testosterone, diagnostic tests, and digital platforms, to reinforce masculine insecurity and narrow gender norms. These posts also divert attention away from underlying or coexisting health conditions. As a result, they may shape how men think about their bodies, mental health, and the types of medical help they seek. Testosterone-related social media posts typically draw on manosphere-adjacent thinking to promote the idea that real men have high testosterone levels. This framing encourages testosterone testing as a screening tool for low T, despite the absence of evidence supporting population-level screening benefits. The high cost of monetising male identity Social media platforms bring together influencers, clinics, and health-related companies in ways that contribute to the transformation of masculinity into a marketable commodity. These online discussions frame real manhood using regressive and stereotyped ideals that shape how men perceive themselves and how they interact with healthcare systems. Social media discourse also medicalizes normal aging in men, contributing to the expansion of a lucrative market for testosterone-related products. The authors emphasize that their analysis does not criticize men who choose to use testosterone therapies, but rather examines the broader social, cultural, and commercial forces shaping these choices. Biomedicine in the age of social media appears to govern not only ideals about the normal body, but also sexual subjectivity and encroaches into the gendered self for profit. Download your PDF copy now! The Trump administration's move to give deportation officials access to Medicaid data is putting hospitals and states in a bind as they weigh whether to alert immigrant patients that their personal information, including home addresses, could be used in efforts to remove them from the country. Warning patients could deter them from signing up for a program called Emergency Medicaid, through which the government reimburses hospitals for the cost of emergency treatment for immigrants who are ineligible for standard Medicaid coverage. But if hospitals don't disclose that the patients' information is shared with federal law enforcement, they might not know that their medical coverage puts them at risk of being located by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "If hospitals tell people that their Emergency Medicaid information will be shared with ICE, it is foreseeable that many immigrants would simply stop getting emergency medical treatment," said Leonardo Cuello, a research professor at Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families. "Half of the Emergency Medicaid cases are for the delivery of U.S. citizen babies. Do we want these mothers avoiding the hospital when they go into labor?" For more than a decade, hospitals and states have assured patients that their personal information, including their home addresses and immigration status, would not be shared with immigration enforcement officials when they apply for federal health care coverage. A 2013 ICE policy memo guaranteed the agency would not use information from health coverage applications for enforcement activities. But that changed last year, after President Donald Trump returned to the White House and ordered one of the most aggressive immigration crackdowns in recent history. His administration began funneling data from a variety of government agencies to the Department of Homeland Security, including tax information filed with the IRS. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, agreed last spring to give ICE officials direct access to a Medicaid database that includes enrollees' addresses and citizenship status. Twenty-two states, all but one led by Democratic governors, sued to block the Medicaid data-sharing agreement, which the administration did not formally announce until a federal judge ordered it to do so last summer. The judge ruled in December that in those states, ICE could access information in the Medicaid database only about people in the country unlawfully. KFF Health News contacted more than a dozen hospitals and hospital associations in states and cities that have been targets of ICE sweeps. Many declined to comment on whether they've updated their disclosure policies after the ruling. Of those that responded, none said they are directly warning patients that their personal information may be shared with ICE when they apply for Medicaid coverage. "We do not provide legal advice about federal government data-sharing between agencies," Aimee Jordon, a spokesperson for M Health Fairview, a Minneapolis-based hospital system, said in an email to KFF Health News. "We encourage patients with questions about benefits or immigration-related concerns to seek guidance from appropriate state resources and qualified legal counsel." Information on applications Some states' Emergency Medicaid applications specifically ask for a patient's immigration status and still assure people that their information will be kept secure and out of the hands of immigration enforcement officials. For example, as of Feb. 3, California's application still included language advising applicants that their immigration information is "confidential." "We only use it to see if you qualify for health insurance," states the 44-page form, which the state's Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, posted on social media in January. California Department of Health Care Services spokesperson Anthony Cava said in a statement that the agency, which oversees Medi-Cal, will "ensure that Californians have accurate information on the privacy of their data, including by revising additional publications as necessary." Until late January, Utah's Medicaid website also claimed its Emergency Medicaid program did not share its information with immigration officials. After KFF Health News contacted the state agency, Kolbi Young, a spokesperson, said Jan. 23 that the language would be taken down immediately. It was removed that day. Oregon Health & Science University, a hospital system based in Portland, offers immigrant patients a Q&A document developed by the state Medicaid program for those with concerns about how their information might be used. The document does not directly say that Medicaid enrollees' information is shared with ICE officials. Hospitals rely on Emergency Medicaid to reimburse them for treating people who would qualify for Medicaid if not for their citizenship status those in the country illegally and lawfully present immigrants, such as those with a student or work visa. The coverage pays only for emergency medical and pregnancy care. Typically, hospital representatives help patients apply while they are still in the medical facility. The main Medicaid program, which covers a much broader range of services for over 77 million low-income and disabled people, does not cover people living in the country illegally. Examining Emergency Medicaid enrollment is the most obvious way, then, for deportation officials to identify immigrants, including those who might not reside in the U.S. lawfully. HHS spokesperson Rich Danker said in an email that CMS which oversees Medicaid, a joint state-federal program is sharing data with ICE after the judge's ruling. But he would not answer how the agency is ensuring it is sharing information only on people who are not lawfully present, as the judge required. With ICE now getting direct access to the personal information of millions of Medicaid enrollees, hospitals while "definitely in a tough position" should be up-front about the changes, said Sarah Grusin, an attorney at the National Health Law Program, an advocacy group. "They need to be telling people that the judge has permitted sharing of information, including their address, for people who are not lawfully residing," she said. "Once this information is submitted, you can't protect it from disclosure at this point." Grusin said she advises families to weigh the importance of seeking medical care against the risk of having their information shared with ICE. "We want to give candid, honest information even if it means the decision people have to make is really hard," she said. Those who have previously enrolled in Medicaid or can easily search their address online should assume that immigration officials already have their information, she added. Emergency Medicaid Emergency Medicaid coverage was established in the mid-1980s, when a federal law began requiring hospitals to treat and stabilize all patients who show up at their doors with a life-threatening condition. Federal government spending on Emergency Medicaid accounted for nearly $4 billion in 2023, or about 0.4% of total federal spending on Medicaid. States send monthly reports to the federal government with detailed information about who enrolls in Medicaid and what services they receive. The judge's ruling in December limited what CMS can share with ICE to only basic information, including addresses, about Medicaid enrollees in the 22 states that sued over the data-sharing arrangement. ICE officials are not supposed to access information about the medical services people receive, per the judge's order. The judge also prohibited the agency from sharing the data of U.S. citizens or lawfully present immigrants from those states. Deportation officials have access to personal Medicaid information of all enrollees in the remaining 28 states. The federal health agency has not clarified how it is ensuring that certain states' information on citizens and legal residents is not shared with ICE. But Medicaid experts say it would be nearly impossible for the agency to separate the data, raising questions about whether the Trump administration is complying with the judge's order. The Trump administration's efforts to deport immigrants living in the country illegally have had implications on immigrant families seeking care. About a third of adult immigrants reported skipping or postponing health care in the past year, according to a KFF/New York Times poll released in November. (KFF is a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.) Bethany Pray, the chief legal and policy officer at the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, warned that sharing Medicaid data directly with deportation officials will force even tougher decisions upon some families. "This is very concerning," Pray said. "People should not have to choose between giving birth in a hospital and wondering if that means they risk deportation." Cubans rendered powerless as outages persist, tensions with US escalate Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 04:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Santa Cruz Del Norte (Cuba), Feb 6 (AP) The smell of sulfur hits hard in this coastal town that produces petroleum and is home to one of Cubas largest thermoelectric plants. Yet, even as the plant cranks back to life, residents remain in the dark, surrounded by energy sources they cannot use. As tensions deepen between Cuba and the US after it attacked Venezuela and disrupted oil shipments, so have the woes of Santa Cruz del Norte. People in this town east of Havana are plunged into darkness daily and forced to cook with coal and firewood, but not everyone can afford this new reality. Kenia Montoya said she recently ripped the wooden door off her bathroom in the crumbling cinderblock home that she shares with her children because she needed firewood, and they needed to eat. Things are getting worse for us now," she said. They dont supply us with petroleum. They dont supply us with food. Where does that leave us, then?" A faded purple sheet now hangs over their bathroom. Nearby, only a handful of coal remains in a small bag. The 50-year-old mother does not know how she will cook once the coal runs out because supplies in the region have dwindled. It is one of many uncertainties gripping towns like this one across Cuba after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. Well, its a failed nation now," Trump said this week. And theyre not getting any money from Venezuela, and theyre not getting any money from anywhere." How are we going to live? - Near the main entrance to Santa Cruz del Norte, a sprawling mural is emblazoned with the following message in all caps: NO ONE GIVES UP HERE. LONG LIVE A FREE CUBA." But people wonder how long they can hold out. The islands crisis is deepening: severe blackouts, soaring prices and a shortage of basic goods. Meanwhile, the Cuban government remains mum over its oil reserves, offering no word on whether Russia or anyone else would increase their shipments after oil supplies from Venezuela were disrupted when the US attacked and arrested its president. On Thursday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel described the situation as complex" as he called the US stance aggressive and criminal," saying it is affecting things like transportation, hospitals, schools, tourism and the production of food. He said that in a week, he would provide details about how Cuba will deal with the crisis. Cuban officials recently lauded a phone call they had with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, although they did not share details. Meanwhile, Mexico has pledged to send humanitarian aid, including food, after Trump said he asked that it suspend oil shipments to the island. Many in Santa Cruz del Norte feel the worst is yet to come. With all those tariffs theyre going to impose on countries, no oil will come in, and how are we going to live?" said Gladys Delgado. The 67-year-old had cracked open her front door on a recent chilly afternoon to get some fresh air as she sewed small, colourful rugs made of clothing scraps to make extra cash because her pension is only USD 6 a month. A couple of houses down, Minorkys Hoyos dropped a handful of cassava cubes into an old pot she filled with water from a barrel and placed it over a tiny, makeshift grill inside her home. You live with what you have," she said, noting she had no other food available at that moment. The few rechargeable items that used to light her small, dishevelled home have broken down, and she began to bump into things until a neighbour gifted her an improvised lantern made with fuel and a reused baby food jar. When its dark, I dont see," said the 53-year-old diabetic. It was late afternoon as she cooked, but her home was already dark. Outside, two children sat on a dusty sidewalk. They stacked dominoes one atop the other to see how high they could go before the whole thing tumbled down. If only we could do something For the past three months, Santa Cruz del Norte had electricity while most of Cuba was hit with constant outages stemming from aging infrastructure and fuel shortages at power plants. People like Ivan Amores were wary of rejoicing, fearful they would be plunged into the dark again like most of last year. Their fears materialised a week ago, when the outages hit again. This used to be wonderful," he recalled of his town when it had electricity. Now, its truly torture." He uses a tiny, makeshift barbecue pit to cook for himself, his daughter and young granddaughter, buying pricier coal at USD 3 a bag because it generates less smoke inside their tidy home. Amores also invested in a single tube light that a Cuban man in another town builds and sells; it can be charged and even comes with a USB port. But even those kind of brilliant inventions Cubans are known for are out of reach for people like 67-year-old Mariela Viel; she and her husband still cannot afford to add a bathroom to their cinderblock home with a dirt floor. Growing up, Viel said she never knew what a blackout was: We were living well. We had food, money." She worked more than 40 years at the cafeteria of Cubas power company and now receives USD 8 a month in pension. What can I afford? Nothing. Not even a package of chicken," she said. When there is power, she cooks rice and beans and listens to her favourite music: Cuban big bands. Viel sat outside one recent afternoon, watching a couple neighbours walk briskly with buckets of warmed up water so their families could take showers during a cold snap that began in late January, with a record low of 32 degrees recorded in a town southeast of Santa Cruz del Norte. Celebrations also start earlier now, with one family organising a boys 15th birthday a milestone age across Latin America mid-afternoon before he and his friends opted to finish partying outdoors under a big yellow moon. It glowed on a group of people nearby who danced and sang outside next to a scooter blasting music from its speakers to celebrate the birthday of Olga Lilia Laurenti, now 61. Im telling you, whatevers meant to be, let it be, because we cant stop it," she said as she paused dancing. Youre not going to waste part of your life on something thats out of your control. If only we could do something, but what are we going to do? We cant suffer. You need laughter, you need joy." (AP) RUK RUK News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 04:30 IST News agency-feeds Cubans rendered powerless as outages persist, tensions with US escalate Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Farmers block road in Punjab's Ropar to protest against Ravi-Beas Tribunal visit Last Updated: February 07, 2026, 01:30 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Ropar, Feb 6 (PTI) Several farmers on Friday staged a protest on the busy Ropar-Anandpur Sahib Road here against the visit of a Ravi-Beas Water Tribunal delegation, disrupting vehicular movement for several hours. The protesters blocked the road near Bunga Sahib, forcing police to divert traffic through alternate routes. They raised slogans against the tribunal and the state government. As a result, members of the tribunal were unable to visit Lohand Khad near Kiratpur Sahib, officials said. The tribunal, constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, is tasked with adjudicating matters related to the distribution of Ravi and Beas river waters between Punjab and its neighbouring states. The farmers said they were opposing the tribunals proceedings, claiming that its recommendations could adversely affect Punjabs rights over its river waters. The Centre last year extended the deadline for the tribunal to submit its report by another year, pushing the new date to August 5, 2026. Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal hit out at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government. The sell-out of Punjabs river waters is becoming even clearer with the @AAPPunjab govt becoming a party to facilitating the visit of the Central Tribunal team to rob Punjab of its river waters," Badal said in a post on X. This proves that @AamAadmiParty is trying to execute its conspiracy to transfer Punjabs river waters to Haryana through the SYL canal," he said in the post. He alleged that the AAP was conspiring to divert Punjabs river waters to Haryana through the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, and asserted that the SAD stood firmly with the protesting farmers. We will not allow even a single extra drop of water to be transferred to Haryana. For @BhagwantManns information: S. Parkash Singh Ji Badals govt permanently settled the #SYL issue by denotifying the canal and returning the land to the owners/farmers," Badal said. According to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Jal Shakti last year, the government cited the exigencies of the work involved", as flagged by the tribunal, for the extension. The tribunal was originally formed on April 2, 1986, and submitted its initial report to the central government on January 30, 1987. However, further references and clarifications were sought by the Centre later that year, prompting an ongoing review process that has now spanned nearly four decades. PTI COR SUN RHL News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 07, 2026, 01:30 IST News agency-feeds Farmers block road in Punjab's Ropar to protest against Ravi-Beas Tribunal visit Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... India trashes Pakistan's allegations of Indian link to Islamabad bombing Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 23:45 IST Representational image (Image: News18) New Delhi, Feb 6 (PTI) India on Friday categorically rejected Pakistans allegations of an Indian link to the suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), describing the attack as condemnable", said it is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan chose to delude" itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad. The powerful explosion took place at Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, police said in a statement. The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused," the MEA said. It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills," it said. India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless," it added. Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, without providing any evidence, alleged that India and Afghanistan were linked to the attack. In a social media post, he claimed that it has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed," he alleged. PTI MPB RHL News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 23:45 IST News agency-feeds India trashes Pakistan's allegations of Indian link to Islamabad bombing Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Minneapolis man charged with threatening, cyberstalking ICE officers Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 05:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Minneapolis (US), Feb 6 (AP) A Minneapolis man was arrested on Thursday on charges of cyberstalking and threatening to kill or assault Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers involved in the crackdown in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that Kyle Wagner, 37, of Minneapolis, was charged by complaint, and that a decision to seek an indictment, which is necessary to take the case to trial, would be made soon. Court records in Detroit, Michigan, where the case was filed, did not list an attorney who could speak on Wagners behalf. The complaint was filed on Tuesday and unsealed on Thursday. Attorney General Pamela Bondi alleged in a statement that Wagner doxed and threatened law enforcement officers, claimed an affiliation with antifa and encouraged bloodshed in the streets." And at the White House on Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt held up Webers photo at the daily briefing and said such conduct by left-wing agitators" wont go unpunished. If people are illegally obstructing our federal law enforcement operations, if they are targeting, doxing, harassing and vilifying ICE agents, they are going to be held accountable like this individual here who, again, is a self-proclaimed member of antifa. He is a domestic terrorist, and he will be held accountable in the United States," Leavitt told reporters. President Donald Trump announced in September that he would designate antifa a major terrorist organisation." Antifa, short for anti-fascists," is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity. It consists of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations. When Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that about 700 federal officers deployed to Minnesota would be withdrawn immediately, he said a larger pullout would occur only after theres more cooperation and protesters stop interfering with federal personnel. According to prosecutors, Wagner repeatedly posted on Facebook and Instagram encouraging his followers to forcibly confront, assault, impede, oppose, and resist federal officers" whom he referred to as the gestapo" and murderers." The complaint alleges Wagner posted a video last month that directly threatened ICE officers with an obscenity-laden rant. Ive already bled for this city, Ive already fought for this city, this is nothing new, were ready this time," he said, concluding that he was coming for" ICE. The complaint further alleges that Wagner advocated for physical confrontation in another post, stating, Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them." It also details how Wagner used his Instagram account to dox a person identified only as pro-ICE individual" by publishing a phone number, birth month and year, and address in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan. The complaint says Wagner later admitted that he doxed the victims parents house. (AP) RUK RUK News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 05:00 IST News agency-feeds Minneapolis man charged with threatening, cyberstalking ICE officers Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Odisha govt to celebrate 'Odia Pakhya' from April 1-14 Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 12:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Bhubaneswar, Feb 6 (PTI) The Odisha government has decided to celebrate Odia Pakhya (fortnight) from Utkal Diwas on April 1 till the Odia new year on April 14, a state minister said. Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Thursday said that a preparatory meeting was recently held to celebrate the fortnight on a larger scale this time, following the successful statewide observance of Odia Pakhya for the first time last year. Emphasis was laid on organising programmes at the grassroots level and ensuring active participation of the general public, he said. Various departments of the state government will organise a range of activities during Odia Pakhya, including observance of Utkal Diwas, Khadi Chhuan Day, Traditional Attire Day, Folk Art Day, Traditional Food Day, Cleanliness Day, blood donation drives, Odia nameplate campaigns, heritage mass runs, youth writers conferences and discussion sessions on eminent Odia personalities, the minister said. The government also plans to design a dedicated logo for Odia Pakhya and launch a website. A quiz competition will be held, and digital certificates will be issued to all participants. The minister said efforts will be made to involve non-resident Odias in the celebrations, while special focus will be given to the participation of youth and students from schools, colleges and universities. Programmes highlighting Odia language, literature and culture will also be organised in the remote areas of the state, he said. Suraj said the objective of Odia Pakhya is to reconnect people with Odia traditions, heritage and to promote Odia language, literature and culture at a broader level. He added that coordinated efforts with various departments would ensure smooth implementation of programmes from the block to the state levels. PTI AAM AAM ACD News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 12:15 IST News agency-feeds Odisha govt to celebrate 'Odia Pakhya' from April 1-14 Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Pakistan: 31 killed, 169 injured in suicide bombing at Islamabad's Imambargah Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 23:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Islamabad [Pakistan], February 6 (ANI): At least 31 people have died with 169 injured after a suicide bombing at an Imambargah in Islamabad during Friday prayers, according to a report by Dawn citing the authorities.According to Dawn, the explosion occurred at the Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra in the Tarlai area. It further noted that the Minister of State for Interior, Tallal Chaudhry, told the media in Islamabad that while the attacker was not an Afghan, authorities had been able to determine through forensic tests the number of times he had travelled to Afghanistan.This comes after the Baloch Liberation Army claimed victory in Operation Herof II.In a statement, BLA said, Operation Herof II, carried out by the Baloch Liberation Army, was a six-day campaign of coordinated urban combat that stands as the most extensive, intense, and organized military engagement in the modern history of the Baloch national resistance. The operation commenced at 5:00 AM on January 31 and concluded at 4:00 PM on February 6, having successfully achieved its strategic objectives. Fourteen cities across Balochistan were targeted. Baloch fighters launched simultaneous attacks and established effective control over numerous enemy posts, military installations, and urban sectors. In several cities, BLA units maintained uninterrupted dominance over occupying forces for six consecutive days, causing significant political, psychological, and military damage to the enemy."The statement noted that 93 BLA fighters were killed during the operation. These included 50 fidaeen from the Majeed Brigade, 26 fighters from the Fateh Squad, and 17 from the Special Tactical Operations Squad (STOS). All major BLA units participated in the operation, including Majeed Brigade, STOS, Fateh Squad, ZIRAB (intelligence wing), and Hakkal (media wing). Over 362 enemy personnel were killed, including members of the Pakistani Army, Frontier Corps, police, and state-sponsored death squads. Seventeen enemy soldiers were captured. Ten, identified as Baloch, were released with warnings, while seven remain in BLA custody and will face trial for war crimes and acts of genocide. Dozens of military facilities were destroyed, weapons stockpiles were seized, and the unified, disciplined resistance delivered a substantial blow to the military superiority of the occupying state."The statement said that all tactical and strategic goals of Herof II had been accomplished.The operation pursued three primary objectives: to demonstrate the capability of Baloch fighters to strike and control urban centers at will, to reaffirm to the Baloch nation that this resistance is rooted in collective strength and organizational discipline, and to dismantle the illusion of unchecked authority that the occupying forces have attempted to project across Balochistan."Efforts by the Pakistani state to equate our struggle with terrorism or religious extremism are part of a calculated strategy to distort the truth of a political movement. The Baloch armed resistance is not driven by racist ideology or foreign funding. It is led by educated students, professors, lawyers, doctors, engineers, and intellectuals. Men and women from all walks of Baloch society are part of it. The foundation of this movement is a vision for an independent Baloch homeland where freedom, education, healthcare, dignity, and control over resources are guaranteed rights for every citizen, not privileges for a select few", the statement added.The statement by spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch urged international human rights organisations to acknowledge the scale of atrocities being committed by occupying forces in Balochistan. (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 23:15 IST News agency-feeds Pakistan: 31 killed, 169 injured in suicide bombing at Islamabad's Imambargah Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Amphibious assault ship Hainan conducts multi-subject maritime training China Military Online) 15:38, February 06, 2026 Soldiers assigned to a flotilla of the Chinese PLA Navy board Z-20J and Z-8C ship-borne helicopters on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship Hainan (Hull 31) during a multi-subject maritime training in early January, 2026. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Qiao Chenxi) A sailor assigned to a flotilla of the Chinese PLA Navy guides the ship-borne helicopters to take off from the flight deck of amphibious assault ship Hainan (Hull 31) during a multi-subject maritime training in early January, 2026. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Qiao Chenxi) A Z-20J ship-borne helicopter attached to a flotilla of the Chinese PLA Navy takes off from the flight deck of amphibious assault ship Hainan (Hull 31) during a multi-subject maritime training in early January, 2026. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Qiao Chenxi) (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) PMK leader Anbumani claims 2023 Hyundai project was approved by TN Cabinet now Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:00 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Chennai, Feb 6 (PTI) PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday claimed that the Tamil Nadu Cabinet approved the 2023 project proposal of Hyundai on February 5, thus exposing the reality of the investment scenario in the state. Referring to state Industries Minister T R B Rajaas Thursday press briefing that the Cabinet approved 15 new industrial investment projects worth Rs 34,237.39 crore, Anbumani said the ruling DMK has been claiming that over 80 per cent of the 1,176 industrial investment proposals for a total commitment of Rs 12.16 lakh crore signed by the Tamil Nadu government have been implemented so far. But the industrial investment projects approved by the Cabinet at its 23rd meeting are the best evidence to prove that all of them are lies," Anbumani said in a statement here. The first project approved by the Cabinet with Chief Minister M K Stalin in the chair was the Hyundai car plant expansion project. The company signed two MoUs with the Tamil Nadu government regarding the expansion of its plant, he claimed. The first MoU for Rs 20,000 crore was signed in the presence of Stalin in Chennai on May 11, 2023 for the expansion of the Hyundai car plant in Irungattukottai for manufacturing electric cars. The second agreement was signed at the Global Investors Conference in Chennai on January 7, 2024. This agreement for Rs 6,180 crore was also related to the expansion of Hyundai car company. These MoUs totally worth Rs 26,180 crore have not yet been implemented. I have pointed out many times that not even Rs 500 crore of the promised amount has been invested yet," Anbumani alleged. The DMK government has been repeatedly spreading lies that more than 80 per cent of the investments have been implemented," he said. The fact that Hyundais investments were approved in yesterdays Cabinet meeting alone made it clear that the investments made by that company based on the MoUs have not been implemented till date. No other evidence is needed to prove that DMK has been telling lies from the beginning regarding industrial investments," the PMK leader alleged. The two other industrial investments approved in yesterdays Cabinet meeting were Kaynes Circuit India and Chennai-based Radha Engineering for an investment of Rs 4,995 crore and Rs 1,500 crore, respectively, signed at the investors conference held in Thoothukudi on August 4, 2025. Similarly, the MoU for Rs 5,000 crore investment by Evervan Kothari Company was signed on February 26, 2025, and a MoU for Rs 1,300 crore was signed with Johnson Electric Company on November 25, 2025. Since the proposals were approved only yesterday, the DMK government has admitted that these investments have not yet been implemented. He alleged that out of Rs 12.16 lakh crore MoUs signed since DMK came to power in 2021, only less than Rs 1 lakh crore of investments a mere 8.20 per cent of the total value have materialised. However, the DMK government is trying to create the illusion that all industrial investments took shape. The mask of the DMK government has now been torn off," he said in the statement and added that the truth was that no substantial project was implemented in the last five years. PTI JSP JSP KH News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 14:00 IST News agency-feeds PMK leader Anbumani claims 2023 Hyundai project was approved by TN Cabinet now Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Senior Russian general wounded in apparent assassination attempt in Moscow Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 21:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Moscow [Russia], February 6 (ANI): A senior Russian military officer, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, was shot and hospitalised in Moscow in an apparent assassination attempt on Friday, reported Al Jazeera.Alekseyev, deputy chief of Russian military intelligence (GRU), has been involved in Russias military campaigns in Ukraine and Syria. Hes also been sanctioned by the US and EU for his role in malicious cyber activities and the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, England.He is widely believed to have overseen the 2018 Novichok attack on Sergei Skripal in the UK and was a key negotiator during Yevgeny Prigozhins 2023 mutiny, famously appearing in a video talking down the Wagner chief in Rostov-on-Don.He was sanctioned by the US for his alleged role in orchestrating the hacking of the Democratic National Committee during the 2016 election.According to reports from the Russian daily Kommersant, Alekseyev attempted to fight back after being shot in the arm and foot. During the struggle, he was shot again in the chest before the gunman fled.The attacker, who posed as a delivery person, fired several shots at Alekseyev in a residential building, wounding him in the arm, leg, and chest, said Svetlana Petrenko, spokesperson for the Russian Investigative Committee (ICR).Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Ukraine of being behind the attack, claiming it was designed to sabotage peace talks, reported Al Jazeera. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was quick to blame the Zelenskyy regime," claiming the shooting was a terrorist act" intended to sabotage the peace negotiations currently occurring in Abu Dhabi.There has been no comment from Ukraine on the shooting. The Kremlin said it hoped Alekseyev, who was born in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, would survive and recover. President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the shooting, and Russias intelligence services are investigating, it said.It is clear that military commanders and high-level specialists are at risk during wartime," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.But it is not the Kremlin that should be deciding how to ensure their safety. This is a matter for the special services."According to Al Jazeera, this incident is part of a surge in assassinations of Russian high-ranking military officials since the start of the war in Ukraine, with Ukraine claiming responsibility for some of the attacks.Ukrainian military intelligence has claimed responsibility for several assassinations of senior Russian officers since the war began in 2022. Some of these officers were on a public list of Ukraines enemies.Recent killings include Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, head of the General Staffs army training directorate, who was killed by a car bomb on December 22, and Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of Russias radiological, chemical and biological defence forces, who was killed in a scooter explosion in Moscow.These attacks are part of a series of assassinations targeting high-ranking Russian military officials, with Russia blaming Ukraine for the attacks. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of these incidents, reported Al Jazeera. (ANI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 21:15 IST News agency-feeds Senior Russian general wounded in apparent assassination attempt in Moscow Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'What wrong have I done,' AIADMK leader asks on his 2021 poll defeat Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 12:15 IST Representational image (Image: News18) Chennai, Feb 6 (PTI) Former AIADMK Minister D Jayakumar on Friday expressed frustration over his defeat in the 2021 Assembly election and sought to know what wrong he had done to deserve the punishment". Addressing a meeting in Royapuram, the Assembly constituency in Chennai, from where he won in 1991, and continuously in the successive Assembly elections held in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016, Jayakumar sought to know the reason for his defeat. He was trounced by a greenhorn Idream R Murthy, fielded by the DMK in the 2021 polls. Jayakumar, who had served as Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker, asked, What wrong did I do? You made me win in 1991 and also on four consecutive terms but abandoned me in the 2021 elections." He would continue to contest from Royapuram even in the next ten elections to come as Royapuram was his home" and he would not shift to any other assembly seat, Jayakumar said. He said he would quit politics if he was proved guilty of any offence. Neither the AIADMK nor I have indulged in any criminal activities," Jayakumar said. PTI JSP JSP KH News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 12:15 IST News agency-feeds 'What wrong have I done,' AIADMK leader asks on his 2021 poll defeat Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Central Bank Exempts NBFCs Under Rs 1000 Crore From Registration Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 11:52 IST The Central bank proposes exempting NBFCs without public funds or customer interface and assets under Rs 1000 crore from registration. RBI MPC Meeting February 2026. RBI MPC Meet 2026: The Central bank has proposed NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Companies) having no public funds and customer interface, with an asset size not exceeding Rs 1000 crore, to be exempt from the requirement of registration. Moreover, there will be relaxation with the requirement for certain NBFCs to obtain prior approval to open more than 1000 branches. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 11:23 IST News business banking-finance Central Bank Exempts NBFCs Under Rs 1000 Crore From Registration Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Govt Eyes IDBI Bank Exit In FY26; Kotak, Emirates NBD, Fairfax To Submit Final Bids This Week Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:42 IST The government is poised to complete the divestment of IDBI Bank in the current financial year, a senior government official said IDBI Bank Disinvestment. The government is poised to complete the divestment of IDBI Bank in the current financial year, a senior government official told Moneycontrol. Kotak Mahindra Bank, Emirates NBD and Fairfax India Holdings are expected to submit their final bids this week to acquire a 61 per cent stake in the public sector lender, sources said. The Centre and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) together hold about 90 per cent stake in IDBI Bank. According to sources familiar with the matter, one bid has already been submitted, while the remaining bids are likely to be placed before the weekend". The bids will be submitted to the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Finance Ministry. Officials said the government is expecting to raise around Rs 33,000 crore from the transaction, as it plans to divest its 30.48 per cent stake in the bank, while LIC will offload 30.24 per cent. It was reported earlier, on January 30, that the three shortlisted biddersKotak Mahindra Bank, Emirates NBD, and Fairfax India Holdingshad been asked to submit their final bids for the acquisition of a 61 per cent stake in IDBI Bank by February 5. Once the financial bids are submitted, they will be opened in the presence of transaction advisers, members of the inter-ministerial group (IMG) and authorised representatives of the bidders, sources said. The selected bid will then be placed before the IMG for its recommendation, followed by approval from the finance minister. The entire process will be completed in FY26," the senior official quoted above told Moneycontrol on Thursday. In a post-Budget interaction on February 1, DIPAM Secretary Arunish Chawla had said that the strategic divestment of IDBI Bank had moved into the third phase, with technical and financial bids having been invited. Before the end of the current financial year, we will be able to give further information in this matter," Chawla had said. The proposal to disinvest IDBI Bank was first announced in February 2020 during the presentation of the FY21 Budget, while the request for proposal (RFP) was issued in October 2022. The Reserve Bank of India is understood to have cleared four interested biddersKotak Mahindra Bank, Fairfax India Holdings, Emirates NBD and Oaktree Capitalfrom a fit and proper perspective. In January 2025, it was reported that closing due diligence was underway at IDBI Bank, and over a year later, DIPAM has now invited final bids for the transaction. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 14:42 IST News business banking-finance Govt Eyes IDBI Bank Exit In FY26; Kotak, Emirates NBD, Fairfax To Submit Final Bids This Week Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... RBI Enhances Credit Access, Hikes Collateral-Free MSME Loans To Rs 20 Lakh Reported By : & News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 10:56 IST The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor on Friday announced an increase in the limit for collateral-free loans available to MSMEs RBI extends collateral-free loan limit for MSME to Rs 20 lakh The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor on Friday announced an increase in the limit for collateral-free loans available to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), marking a significant step toward improving credit access for small businesses. Policy Boost to Ease Credit Constraints The move is a key policy initiative aimed at lowering the collateral burden on MSMEs seeking bank financing. Limited access to collateral has long been one of the biggest hurdles for small enterprises in tapping formal credit. By raising the ceiling for collateral-free loans, the RBI seeks to address this structural challenge and make borrowing easier for the sector. Improved Access to Formal Financing The enhanced limit is expected to widen credit availability for MSMEs by reducing the need to pledge assets for loans within the revised threshold. This, in turn, should help small businesses access institutional finance more smoothly, support expansion plans, and reduce dependence on informal and often costly sources of funding. The move is also expected to strengthen financial inclusion across the MSME ecosystem. Support for MSME-Led Growth The decision underscores the central banks continued focus on the MSME sector, a key driver of employment and economic growth in India. By easing collateral requirements, the RBI aims to encourage more enterprises to engage with the formal banking system, reinforcing its broader strategy to build a stronger and more resilient financial framework for MSMEs. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 10:50 IST News business banking-finance RBI Enhances Credit Access, Hikes Collateral-Free MSME Loans To Rs 20 Lakh Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... India 'Ready' To Place Boeing Orders Worth Up To $80 Billion, Says Piyush Goyal Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:07 IST 'Orders placed on Boeing and yet to be placed but ready, are $70-80 billion. If you add the engines and other spare parts, it will probably cost $100 billion,' says Piyush Goyal. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. (File Photo: PTI) India is ready to place aircraft orders worth as much as $80 billion with Boeing, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said, adding that the order cost reaches around $100 billion if engines and other spare parts are added. Speaking with reporters on February 5, on Indias aircraft demand, Goyal said, Orders placed on Boeing and yet to be placed but ready, are nearly $70-80 billion. If you add the engines and other spare parts, it will probably cost $100 billion." He added that for data centres, huge concessions have been announced in the Budget. The comments come even as Boeing faces litigation linked to last years Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. Families of passengers who died in the June disaster have filed lawsuits against Boeing, alleging defective dual switches played a role in the accident that killed 241 of the 242 people on board, according to the minister. Goyal also pointed to a broader opportunity to procure at least $500 billion worth of US goods over the next five years, while clarifying that no explicit investment commitment was made under the trade understanding with Washington. Earlier this week, within days of the India-EU trade deal, US President Donald Trump announced on social media that New Delhi and Washington had reached a trade agreement. Trump said the US would cut tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, while India would reduce duties on US products to zero, replace Russian oil with supplies from the US and Venezuela, open sensitive sectors such as agriculture, and buy $500 billion of American goods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the tariff cuts. India and the US are expected to issue a joint statement in a few days to finalise the first tranche of the deal, Goyal said. The 18% tariff on Indian exports to the US would take effect after the statement is released. A formal agreement is slated for mid-March, after which tariff concessions for US goods entering India would kick in. According to sources, staples such as rice, wheat, soyabean, corn, dairy products and sugar are completely outside the ambit of the India-US trade agreement, addressing concerns around food security and farmer interests. Officials stressed that the bulk of what Indian farmers produce will not be impacted, as agricultural imports from the United States will largely be limited to items that are not produced at scale in India. These imports, sources said, will not include mass-consumption commodities that could disrupt domestic markets. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 13:18 IST News business economy India 'Ready' To Place Boeing Orders Worth Up To $80 Billion, Says Piyush Goyal Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Bird Flu Scare In Chennai After Hundreds Of Crows Found Dead; Advisory Issued Against H5N1 Virus Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 13:43 IST In an official statement, the ministry of animal husbandry advised the state to adopt a coordination between human health, veterinary and wildlife departments. AI-generated image used for representation Chennai is on alert after the health authorities confirmed the presence of the H5N1 aviation influenza virus. Hundreds of dead crows were found across the city, prompting the government to issue an advisory. Residents have been warned not to touch or handle any dead birds. They have also been asked to immediately inform local authorities if more such cases are found. Officials have also instructed that carcasses of crows and poultry must be either burned or buried deep as per biosecurity rules to prevent further spread. The confirmation came after samples collected from the Adyar area tested positive for bird flu. Following this, the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry wrote to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, urging urgent and extensive field surveillance. In its advisory, the ministry stressed that the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is a matter of concern due to its ability to spread quickly. It advised the state to adopt a One Health" approach, involving coordination between human health, veterinary and wildlife departments to manage risks to both animals and people. The positive case for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), raises significant concerns about the rapid spread of the virus. The situation demands urgent attention to mitigate risks to both animal and human health. It is requested that the One-Health approach be implemented, integrating the efforts across various sectors, including human health and wildlife, to address the issue in a comprehensive manner," said the advisory. What is H5N1? H5N1 is a dangerous form of influenza A virus that mainly infects birds, especially poultry and wild species. Commonly called bird flu, it spreads rapidly among bird populations and often causes high mortality. Human infection is rare but possible, usually through close contact with infected birds or contaminated surroundings. Because of the potential severity in humans, authorities monitor such outbreaks closely and enforce strict safety measures. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 13:43 IST News chennai-news Bird Flu Scare In Chennai After Hundreds Of Crows Found Dead; Advisory Issued Against H5N1 Virus Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Caught On Cam: Man Hurls Stones During Argument At Bandra Railway Station, Bystander Loses Eye Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:47 IST Yogendra Baud was arrested for throwing stones at Bandra railway station after an argument, causing permanent eye injury to a commuter. Police are investigating the incident. Rapid Read The accused had fled the scene after the attack. (Image: ANI) A man has been arrested for allegedly throwing stones at a passenger at Bandra railway station following a heated argument with another person, police said. The incident, which took place on Tuesday at around 11.04 pm, resulted in a serious injury to the commuter, who suffered permanent damage to one eye. It is learnt that the altercation broke out between two passengers while they were travelling on a local train. As the train reached Bandra station, the argument intensified and turned violent. One of the men reportedly got off the train, picked up stones from the railway tracks and hurled them at the person he was involved in a conflict with. Watch The Video Here #WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra | A man has been arrested for allegedly throwing stones at a person at Bandra station following an argument.The argument quickly turned violent, and one of them got off the local train and attacked the other with a stone he picked up from the pic.twitter.com/0oBtTDnbpl ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2026 However, the stone missed its intended target and struck another passenger in the eye. The incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed at the station premises. In the video, the accused, identified as Yogendra Baud, can be seen getting off the local train and picking up stones lying on the tracks. The footage shows him hurling stones twice at a passenger inside the train. He then fled the scene using the adjacent platform as bystanders watched him run. Moments later, the train resumed its journey. The injured commuter was immediately rushed for medical treatment, but doctors later confirmed that the eye injury was permanent. Baud is a resident of Azamgarh district in Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested by the Bandra Railway Police soon after the incident. A case has been registered against him under relevant sections of the law, and further investigation is underway. Police said they are examining the sequence of events leading up to the attack and are also reviewing CCTV footage from the station area. Railway authorities have reiterated appeals to commuters to avoid confrontations and to report disputes to railway staff to prevent such incidents from turning violent. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 14:47 IST News cities mumbai-news Caught On Cam: Man Hurls Stones During Argument At Bandra Railway Station, Bystander Loses Eye Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... D-Company, Flashy Lifestyle To Cant Pay Rs 17 Lakh: Gangster Abu Salems Story Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 19:32 IST Abu Salems lawyer, Farhana Shah, told the court that her client could not afford the escort charges, which she said would amount to nearly Rs 17 lakh Rapid Read Abu Salem The Bombay High Court on Thursday rejected a plea by jailed gangster Abu Salem, seeking emergency parole to visit his family in Uttar Pradeshs Azamgarh to mourn the death of his brother Abu Hakim Ansari. A bench of Justices AS Gadkari and S.C. Chandak said there was no reason to interfere with the decision taken by the competent authorities, and dismissed Salems petition on merits. Police escort charges issue The court noted that the authorities had already permitted Salems release on parole, but only on the condition that he be escorted by a high-security police team and that he bear the full cost of the escort. During an earlier hearing, the bench had made it clear that there would be no bargaining on the expenses involved. Salems lawyer, Farhana Shah, told the court that her client could not afford the escort charges, which she said would amount to nearly 17 lakh. She argued that imposing such a condition effectively denied him parole. Opposing the plea, additional public prosecutor Ashish Satpute said the authorities had taken a balanced decision after considering the extradition treaty under which Salem was brought to India and an adverse police report flagging law and order concerns. He added that the funeral rites Salem wanted to attend had already been completed and that the State would initially have to bear significant costs if the escort was deployed. Who is Abu Salem? Abu Salem, Abu Salem Abdul Qayoom Ansari, is a notorious gangster from Sarai Mir in Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh, India. He became one of the most infamous underworld operatives, particularly connected with the D-Company, the criminal syndicate led by Dawood Ibrahim. Salem rose through the ranks of the Mumbai underworld and became an important operator for D-Company. He was known for recruiting youths from his hometown to carry out violent activities in Mumbai. Salem was infamous for intimidating and extorting Bollywood film producers for money and control over film distribution rights. Salem was a key conspirator in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, a major terror attack that killed over 250 people and injured hundreds more. He was convicted in connection with these blasts and other crimes by Indian courts. His luxurious life in D-Company At his peak in the late 1990searly 2000s, Abu Salem had access to a very comfortable, flashy lifestyle. He was known to stay in luxury hotels abroad (Dubai, Portugal, etc) and travel internationally using fake passports. He was often seen flaunting designer clothes, to expensive watches, while his relationship with actor Monica Bedi made the headlines. Current status Salem has been in prison for over 23 years. He is serving two sentences life imprisonment for the 1995 murder of builder Pradeep Jain and life imprisonment for 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case for his role as a conspirator and facilitator. He is currently lodged in the Nashik Road Central Prison. With Agency Inputs News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 17:13 IST News cities mumbai-news D-Company, Flashy Lifestyle To Cant Pay Rs 17 Lakh: Gangster Abu Salems Story Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... China prioritizes water conservation industry for sustainable growth 09:42, February 06, 2026 By Wang Hao, Deng Jianyang ( People's Daily In a high-standard farmland in Lique township, Dongying, east China's Shandong province, a truss-type sprinkler irrigation system is watering wheat. (Photo/Liu Yunjie) China faces significant water challenges, with per capita resources amounting to merely 35 percent of the global average and highly uneven distribution across seasons and regions. Under these conditions, conserving water is fundamental to achieving sustainable development, while fostering a water-saving industry has become a key pathway forward. In recent years, regional authorities and government departments nationwide prioritized the water-saving industry as a key driver for green economic transformation. Supported by targeted policies, market cultivation, industrial chain expansion, and innovation promotion, the sector has seen the emergence of leading enterprises, extension of supply chains, and diversification of water-saving products. The domestic market size for this industry is now estimated to exceed 760 billion yuan ($109.41 billion), injecting strong momentum into green development. Innovation is evident at companies like IEM GM in Yixing, east China's Jiangsu province, which has developed a high-efficiency rainwater collection and reuse system. The system utilizes modular underground storage tanks to capture and recycle rainwater. "By integrating underground modular storage with above-ground intelligent treatment, our system allows urban streets to 'breathe' freely," said Zhao Xing, a senior executive at the company. The growth of the water-saving industry has been driven by the rapid emergence of an industrial cluster development model. Across the country, industrial funds have been established, industry associations formed, and leading enterprises encouraged to drive coordinated development along the supply chain. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area continue to lead as three major hubs. Meanwhile, emerging clusters focused on equipment manufacturing and scientific research in Chengdu-Chongqing region, Shandong, and Shaanxi are gaining momentum. This is fostering a diversified and synergistic industrial ecosystem. Staff members at a textile industrial park in Lu'an, east China's Anhui province inspect the operation of wastewater treatment facilities. (Photo/Xiao Benxiang) As the quality of water-saving products improves, new supply is catalyzing new demand. At a production facility of Hegii, a Chinese sanitary ware manufacturer, in Foshan, south China's Guangdong province, assembly lines run in an orderly manner, producing more than 2 million sets of water-saving toilets each year for markets across the country. "Each water-saving toilet reduces water consumption by 2.5 liters per flush, and market demand remains strong," said Xie Zhenwu, a company representative. Responding to the growing trend of green consumption, the company has developed a range of water-efficient products in recent years. The expanded use of watersaving products is accelerating the shift toward green lifestyles and unlocking new consumption potential. China has integrated waterefficient products into its national green product certification system and has issued four catalogs listing products subject to mandatory waterefficiency labeling -- covering over 110,000 models of household waterusing appliances. With consumer trade-in programs and home renovation initiatives for kitchens and bathrooms, the replacement of household water-saving fixtures is also being actively encouraged. Meanwhile, measures such as the water conservation management regulation for public institutions have spurred the upgrade and replacement of watersaving fittings in more than 1 million public institutions across the country. According to studies, a family of three can save around 70 cubic meters of tap water annually simply by switching to water-saving fixtures, like toilets, showerheads, and washing machines meeting Level-2 or higher water-efficiency standards. "Popularizing water-efficient appliances improves both quality of life and water usage efficiency, putting real savings back into people's pockets," said Jiang Muchen, head of the Ministry of Water Resources' national water conservation office. While advancing toward high-quality development itself, the water-saving industry is also driving deep transformation in traditional industries and opening up new development space. At the production facility of Shaoxing Kerry Printing & Dyeing Co., Ltd. in Keqiao district, Shaoxing, east China's Zhejiang province, water is essential at every step--from plain fabric to finished printed textile--through processes like scouring, bleaching, printing, and washing. "By introducing equipment such as high-efficiency hydraulic padders and energy-saving double-layer steam drying cylinders, we've reduced water use at each stage. This has cut our annual water consumption by more than 20 percent, saving over 1 million yuan in production costs," said Xu Shunyong, the company's general manager. In the past, excessive water consumption and wastewater discharge constrained industrial development. "Prioritizing water conservation has forced industrial upgrading," said Qiu Jianping, an official with Keqiao district's agriculture and rural affairs bureau. Workers of a company in east China's Anhui province inspect the operation of water treatment facilities. (Photo/Xiao Benxiang) According to him, the district has guided printing and dyeing enterprises to carry out water-saving technological upgrades and established an integrated system combining industrial clustering, wastewater treatment, and reclaimed water reuse. Last year, the district's reclaimed water utilization rate reached 40.1 percent. Water conservation means lower emissions, reduced pollution, and decreased carbon intensity. As an important component of green and low-carbon industries, the water-saving sector has played a vital role during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), when China's total water use achieved "zero growth." In 2025, water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP and per 10,000 yuan of industrial value added had declined by 20 percent and 25 percent, respectively, compared with the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). The immense potential of China's water-saving industry is mirrored in the value of every drop of water. By 2027, the sector is expected to grow into a trillion-yuan market. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) On Cam | Truck Driver Beaten To Death In Mathura Over Minor Scratch In Car Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 08:29 IST A viral clip shows three men assaulting the driver, with one striking him using a stick and later slapping and punching him while another pushes him during the attack. Screengrab of video (Credits: X) A truck driver was beaten to death in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura following a violent altercation on a flyover near the Jaigurudev Temple. The incident took place after an argument over giving passage and a minor scratch to a car. The victim, Anoop Yadav from Etah district, was driving from Delhi towards Agra when he was beaten with stick, slapped and punched in the middle of the road by a few people. A video of the incident has also gone viral online. It shows three men attacking the driver. One of them can be seen hitting the victim with a stick. When he holds the stick in order to save himself, the man starts beating him with his hands, slapping and punching. The other man was seen pushing the driver at one point. He suffered serious injuries and later succumbed while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Agra. A complaint filed by the victims family has led to the registration of a case. Police teams are examining CCTV footage from nearby locations to identify the suspects, who are currently on the run. A complaint has been filed under BNS section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). Mathura SSP Shlok Kumar said teams have been deployed to trace and arrest those involved and footage from surveillance cameras is being analysed. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 08:29 IST News cities On Cam | Truck Driver Beaten To Death In Mathura Over Minor Scratch In Car Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Mumbai-Pune Expressway Jams: Activist Blasts Systemic Failures, Proposes 3-Phase Fix Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 11:07 IST A Pune-based developer and activist has urged the Maharashtra government to fix weak enforcement on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. He said stricter lane discipline matters more than wider roads. (Photo Credit: X) Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has shared a clear warning about how fast AI is changing the world of coding by using a simple app as an example of what this shift really looks like. He was reacting to a post by Anish Moonka, founder of the 10 Minute Gita app, who explained how the app came to life despite him having no coding background at all. Moonka on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, Started a week ago, not knowing how to write a single line of code I wanted to read the Bhagavad Gita daily, but couldnt find an app that felt right. So I built one." Sharing the breakdown, Moonka wrote that the total cost of building the app was $200 (approximately Rs 18,000) for a Claude Max subscription, $20 (around Rs 1,800) for ChatGPT Pro and $99 (nearly Rs 9,000) as the Apple Developer fee. He also made a striking admission: Lines of code I wrote: 0." Started a week ago, not knowing how to write a single line of codeI wanted to read the Bhagavad Gita daily, but couldn't find an app that felt right. So I built one. Ended with a full iOS app live @10minutegita on the App Store: 239 daily readings of the Bhagavad Gita pic.twitter.com/0ldzxmDsxq Anish Moonka (@AnishA_Moonka) February 5, 2026 Coders Should Look For Alternative Livelihoods: Zoho Founder Quoting Moonka, Vembu wrote, Examples are now pouring in about AI-assisted Code Engineering productivity." He further added that Anthropic, an AI research company behind the Claude AI model, has managed to build an entire C compiler using its own AI. At this point, it is best for those of us who depend on writing code for a living to start considering alternative livelihoods. I include myself in this. I dont say this in panic, but with calm acceptance and embrace," the post continued. Vembu noted that he even had long discussions with Googles Gemini Pro AI about how the economy could change due to the AI revolution. It was like having an extremely intelligent economic philosopher debating you. I asked it to critique its own work and it did a fantastic job too," he said. Two Futures Shaped By Who Controls AI According to Vembu, the future could unfold in two very different ways. In the optimistic scenario, this technology will make most technological prowess by humans redundant and that would push tech to the background (all tech become trivial, like digital watches today)," he noted. According to him, this will allow people to focus on life, family, soil, water, nature, art, music, culture, sports, festivals and faith, and that is best done in small close-knit rural communities." I live a life like this today and if we solve rural poverty, I consider this a very good life," the Zoho founder mentioned. But at the same time, he also warned of a darker possibility. The pessimistic dystopian vision is centralized control," Vembu wrote. Along with his post, he also attached the discussion he had with Gemini Pro. Examples are now pouring in about AI-assisted Code Engineering productivity. The quoted post is a Bhagwad Gita app. Anthropic has built an entire C compiler with their Claude AI. That is not an easy engineering feat at all. At this point, it is best for those of us who https://t.co/KbgVX8G9nU Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) February 6, 2026 Young Workers Hit Harder As AI Enters The Job Market A study by Stanford economists Erik Brynjolfsson and Bharat Chandar highlighted how the rise of AI is quietly reshaping early careers. The research found that since 2022, employment among younger workers in AI-exposed roles has dropped by 13 per cent. In comparison, more experienced professionals in the same fields and workers in sectors less affected by AI have largely remained stable. These large language models are trained on books, articles and written material found on the internet and elsewhere. Thats the kind of book learning that a lot of people get at universities before they enter the job market, so there is a lot of overlap between these LLMs and the knowledge young people have," Brynjolfsson told CBS MoneyWatch. The study points to two sectors where the impact is especially visible: software engineering and customer service. Entry-level hiring in both areas fell by nearly 20 per cent. At the same time, employment for senior workers in these roles actually increased between late 2022 and 2025. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 10:54 IST News pune Mumbai-Pune Expressway Jams: Activist Blasts Systemic Failures, Proposes 3-Phase Fix Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 11:26 IST Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 Live Updates: With board exams approaching, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed exam warriors through Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 today, February 6, 2026. This is the ninth edition of the programme, and it has surpassed all previous records in terms of registration. Nearly 4.50 crore students, teachers and parents have registered for Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026. The next episode will take place on February 9th at 10 am. PM Modi not only answered students questions related to CBSE, ICSE, and other state board exams but also provide teachers and parents with tips on addressing childrens mental health and future challenges. While addressing students, PM Modi told them life and professional skills go hand-in-hand with knowledge. He advised students to balance studies, rest, skills and hobbies. Thats the key to growth, he said. It can be watched live on the Ministry of Educations YouTube channel, Facebook Live and MyGov portal. Pariksha Pe Charcha Has Something For Everyone, Not Just Students: Education Minister Pradhan Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 15:07 IST Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026: During the event, PM Modi interacted with selected students, urging them to trust their own study patterns while being open to advice. Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 episode 2 will be aired on February 9. (Image: X/@dpradhanbjp) Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan attended the 9th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha, an annual event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium. Pradhan highlighted on X that Pariksha Pe Charcha has become a nationwide movement fostering a supportive environment, celebrating each childs individuality and encouraging them to excel without fear. A delight to attend PM Shri Narendra Modijis masterclass with Parliamentary colleagues and dear students at GMC Balayogi Auditorium. Not just our #ExamWarriors, Pariksha Pe Charcha has something to offer to everyone. Driven by PM Modi jis vision, PPC has truly evolved into a nation-wide movement to create an enabling environment where every childs individuality is recognised, celebrated, nurtured and encouraged to excel without fear," the Education Minister posted on X. A delight to attend PM Shri @narendramodi jis masterclass with Parliamentary colleagues and dear students at GMC Balayogi Auditorium.Not just our #ExamWarriors, Pariksha Pe Charcha has something to offer to everyone. Driven by PM Modi jis vision, PPC has truly evolved into a pic.twitter.com/SAdoUtlNaC Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) February 6, 2026 During the event, PM Modi interacted with selected students, urging them to trust their own study patterns while being open to advice. He emphasised balancing self-belief with continuous learning and focusing on what works best for them, considering others suggestions thoughtfully. PM Modi also underscored the role of teachers, suggesting they stay a step ahead of students to inspire growth, setting goals that are within reach but challenging. Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, who attended the event, encouraged students to approach examinations with confidence and balance, emphasising that marksheets do not define a persons identity. He highlighted that mindset and self-belief are the true strengths. The minister watched the live interaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with students and noted that the initiative aimed to shift focus from marks to mental well-being and confidence. He urged students to stay focused on their goals, stating that consistent effort and effective time management are essential for success. He also recommended maintaining a healthy balance between studies, sports, and other activities for overall development. He suggested that students make daily to-do lists to use their time productively, calling it a habit that would benefit them beyond academics. Sood emphasised that examinations should not be seen as the ultimate measure of life, noting that Prime Minister Modi has been working to change the mindset that board exam success alone determines ones future. Sood also mentioned that it is neither possible nor necessary for every student to enter IITs or medical colleges, stressing the need for diverse talents in the country, including writers, artists, scientists, and innovators. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 15:04 IST News education-career Pariksha Pe Charcha Has Something For Everyone, Not Just Students: Education Minister Pradhan Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Success Story: Jharkhand Labourer's Son Cracks Job At Indian Navy And Army At Just 18 Years Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:39 IST Inspired by his father's hard work, Aditya Kumar Singh had decided before his matriculation that he would pursue a government job, and now he has achieved his goal. Aditya completed four months of training in Chilika, Odisha, and the remaining training in Visakhapatnam. (News18 Hindi) Aditya Kumar Singh, son of Dheeraj Singh, a resident of Narayanpur village in the districts Aams block, has been selected as an Assistant Sub-Inspector (SSR) in the Indian Navy. Dheeraj Singh works as a labourer at Airtels warehouse in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. Now, his son will be recognized not as a labourer but as an SSR in the Navy. Aditya Kumar Singh will serve the country by securing a job in the Navy. Aditya Kumar Singh achieved this success on his first attempt. Although Aditya had passed two exams simultaneously, succeeding in both the Indian Navy and the Indian Army, he prioritised a job in the Navy. Inspired by his fathers hard work, he had decided before his matriculation that he would pursue a government job, and now he has achieved his goal. Aditya Singh, 18 years old, has attained success at a young age through hard work and dedication. Speaking to Local 18, Aditya explained that his father, a labourer, spared no effort to educate him. He himself worked in a company, facing hunger and thirst, but never allowed his school fees to be cut. Aditya is inspired by his fathers struggles and considers him his role model. Aditya Singh says, My father is my biggest inspiration. He always encourages me to choose a career that brings respect. I initially had no intention of joining the Navy, but after seeing an inspirational video about the Navy on social media, I became interested. At first, I thought it wouldnt be easy. Thats when my father encouraged me." Dheeraj Singh, says that he himself is uneducated, but he wanted his son to study and bring glory to his family. We worked hard as labourers but didnt let their education stop. We worked hard to ensure our children received a good education. Now, my son has taken a job in the Navy. Now, my daughter wants to become a teacher, and she is preparing for that." Upon completing his training, Aditya was selected for the Indian Navys SSR position. Upon his return home, family, local representatives, and villagers welcomed him with garlands of flowers. Aditya completed his matriculation from Madanpur block in Aurangabad district and his intermediate studies from Gaya College. He applied for the Navy during his intermediate studies and was successful on his first attempt. Aditya completed four months of training in Chilika, Odisha, and the remaining training in Visakhapatnam. After this, he will undergo six months of professional training in Kochi. He stated that he is ready to serve the country after completing his training. He works as a communicator on a ship and is the first person from his village and region to be selected for service in the Navy. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 14:37 IST News education-career Success Story: Jharkhand Labourer's Son Cracks Job At Indian Navy And Army At Just 18 Years Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Indias Big Gulf Push: Why A Potential Trade Deal With Six Arab Nations May Worry Pakistan Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 11:57 IST The move comes on the heels of Indias new FTA with the European Union and the announcement of a US-India trade pact that cuts American tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced that India and the GCC have agreed to begin fresh negotiations on a free trade agreement. (Image: @piyushgoyal/X) Within days of sealing an FTA with the European Union, dubbed the mother of all deals", and announcing a trade pact with the US described as father of all deals", India has turned to the Gulf. India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have formally signed the Terms of Reference (ToR) to resume negotiations for a free trade agreement. The ToR was inked in New Delhi on Thursday in the presence of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Indias Additional Secretary Ajay Bhadoo, and GCCs chief negotiator Raja Al Marzouqi. It also comes just months after a defence pact was signed between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. What Is The Gulf Cooperation Council? The Gulf Cooperation Council comprises six Gulf nations Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. It was established in 1981 to promote cooperation and coordination among member states across areas such as industry, agriculture, scientific development and broader economic fields. Its charter highlights the objective of closer integration and collaboration among the six governments and their populations. Indias engagement with the GCC has evolved over decades through trade, energy and the movement of people. Nearly ten million Indians live and work across the six countries. The UAE is among the largest contributors to inward remittances to India after the United States, and a substantial share of Indias crude oil and liquefied natural gas imports comes from GCC producers, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The FTA process that India and the GCC have now restarted builds on a negotiation track that first opened in 2004 and continued through rounds in 2006 and 2008, before being suspended in 2011 when the GCC halted all trade talks globally. Discussions were revived in 2022, followed by the GCC sending a revised draft of the ToR in 2023. This eventually led to Thursdays signing of the ToR. The first formal round of negotiations is expected to take place in Riyadh, with Saudi Arabia offering to host. What Indias Trade Numbers With The GCC Show Bilateral trade between India and the GCC has increased over the past few years. In 202122, it stood at around $155 billion. In 202223, the figure rose to nearly $185 billion, with imports of $133.2 billion and exports of $51.3 billion. In 202324, trade was valued at $162 billion. In 202425, India-GCC trade reached $178.7 billion, of which Indias exports amounted to $56.9 billion and imports were $121.7 billion. The UAE was Indias third-largest trading partner last fiscal year. Indias exports to the nation stood at $36.63 billion, while imports were $63.40 billion in the last fiscal, resulting in a trade deficit of $26.76 billion in 2024-25. Exports to Saudi Arabia stood at $11.75 billion, while imports were $30.12 billion. In Qatars case, India exported $1.68 billion and imported $12.46 billion. Trade with Oman included $4 billion in exports and $6.54 billion in imports. Exports to Kuwait were $1.93 billion against imports of $8.28 billion, while exports to Bahrain totalled $797.47 million and imports were $843.44 million. Why Pakistan May View The IndiaGCC Shift Uneasily Indias renewed engagement with the GCC carries implications that go beyond the trade track. The timing stands out, coming at a moment when Pakistan is grappling with severe economic pressures and simultaneously trying to reposition itself as a defence and security partner for Gulf nations. Recent reports have pointed to Islamabads attempts to ease its financial burden by offering military equipment and defence arrangements in lieu of cash repayments. At the same time, key regional actors such as Turkey have stepped back from Pakistans effort to build a broader Islamic defence bloc involving Saudi Arabia. Against this backdrop, Indias expanding economic engagement with the GCC strengthens New Delhis image as a stable, investment-driven and forward-looking partner, especially in contrast to Pakistans debt-linked overtures. A full-fledged IndiaGCC trade pact would further tie Gulf economies to Indias growth trajectory, narrowing the strategic room available to Islamabad in the region. What India Stands To Gain From A GCC Deal An FTA with the GCC would deepen trade as well as broader ties with the six member countries. At the signing ceremony, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the agreement would strengthen both trade and investment links, noting that the two trading partners have been trading amongst each other for over 5,000 years." He added that it is most appropriate that we now enter into a much stronger and robust trading arrangement which will enable a greater free flow of goods, services, bring predictability and stability to policy, and help encourage a greater degree of investments." Delighted to witness the signing of the Terms of Reference for the FTA between India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) by our chief negotiators.Under PM @NarendraModi jis leadership, our ties with the 6-nation GCC (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the pic.twitter.com/7tPHmKSStk Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 5, 2026 Indian exports will get a boost from the proposed pact from the elimination of duties and non-tariff barriers. We will also get a foothold to grow Indian infrastructure and the infrastructure in the GCC, together with the high-quality companies that are working in the space of infrastructure. Our petrochemical industry will hugely benefit with this partnership," Goyal said. Further, he added that Indias information and communication technology firms will get opportunities in the ever-growing GCC market. He said the agreement will also encourage the food and energy security of the GCC nations, as well as India. What The GCC Gains From India For GCC nations, India offers size, stability and a diversified economic opportunity at a time of global uncertainty. GCCs chief negotiator, Raja Al Marzouqi, described the pact as a message" and a signal for the whole globe," reflecting the blocs intent to enhance cooperation. So its a message, its a signal for the whole globe, and its important for us at this time to try to be more cooperative to avoid any risk that our global economy is facing as a result of uncertainty," he said. India already has modern trade agreements with two GCC members its free trade pact with the UAE implemented in 2022 and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement signed with Oman in December 2025. A region-wide agreement would give coherence to a relationship currently governed by individual arrangements. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 11:57 IST News explainers Indias Big Gulf Push: Why A Potential Trade Deal With Six Arab Nations May Worry Pakistan Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Kunal Kamra's Legal 'Takedown' Bid Against Sahyog Portal: What Does The Platform Do? Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 22:53 IST The central government defends the Sahyog portal not as a tool of censorship, but as a 'facilitation mechanism' While the government defends Sahyog as a necessary tool to combat cybercrime, hate speech, and threats to public order in real time, critics like Kamra describe it as a 'digital guillotine'. File image/X In a major legal challenge concerning digital freedom, stand-up comic Kunal Kamra and Senior Advocate Haresh Jagtiani moved the Bombay High Court on Friday. Their petitions contest the constitutional validity of the central governments Sahyog portal and a recent amendment to the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, arguing that these mechanisms enable covert censorship" without legal accountability. The central government, primarily through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), defends the Sahyog portal not as a tool of censorship, but as a facilitation mechanism" designed to bring order and accountability to the chaotic landscape of the internet. What is the Sahyog Portal? Launched in late 2024 and managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Sahyog portal is a centralised digital dashboard. Its stated purpose is to streamline and automate the process of issuing content takedown notices to online intermediaries, including social media giants like X (formerly Twitter), Meta, and YouTube, as well as e-commerce platforms. The portal functions as a high-speed communication bridge between state agencies and digital platforms. When a government department identifies content it deems unlawful," a designated officer can upload a takedown request directly to the portal. The intermediary is then notified through the interface and is typically required to act within 36 hours to avoid losing its safe harbour" protectionthe legal immunity that prevents platforms from being held liable for content posted by their users. The Legal Basis and the Conflict The primary point of contention lies in which section of the IT Act, 2000, the government uses to justify the portals operations: Section 69A (The Standard Path): This is the traditional law for blocking content. It contains strict procedural safeguards, including a mandatory hearing for the content creator and a reasoned order by a central committee. Section 79(3)(b) (The Sahyog Path): The Sahyog portal operates under this section, which allows the government to notify intermediaries of actual knowledge" regarding unlawful acts. Petitioners argue that by using Sahyog, the government has created a parallel regime" that bypasses the safeguards of Section 69A. They contend that the portal allows thousands of officersfrom local police to central bureaucratsto trigger content removals without ever informing the person who posted the content or providing them with a chance to defend their work. Why the Challenge Now? The challenge follows an October 2025 amendment to Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, which formalised the portals role. While the government defends Sahyog as a necessary tool to combat cybercrime, hate speech, and threats to public order in real time, critics like Kamra and Jagtiani describe it as a digital guillotine". They allege that the lack of transparencywhere critical speech disappears silently"strikes at the heart of democratic discourse. The Bombay High Court has slated the matter for further consideration on March 16, setting the stage for a landmark ruling on whether administrative efficiency can legally override the principles of natural justice in the digital age. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 22:53 IST News explainers Kunal Kamra's Legal 'Takedown' Bid Against Sahyog Portal: What Does The Platform Do? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... The Bangladesh-US Secret Trade Deal: Why Its Causing Concern In Dhaka Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 19:05 IST With the signing scheduled for 9 February, questions are mounting over the Yunus governments decision to push through a secretive pact just three days before Bangladesh votes. Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus (Image: @ChiefAdviserGoB/X) A trade agreement between Bangladesh and the United States, expected to be signed in Washington on 9 February, has triggered a wave of anxiety across Dhakas political and business circles. There is much secrecy surrounding the deal, which is being finalised under a non-disclosure agreement that prevents its contents from being made public and is being pushed through by an unelected interim administration just three days before the 12 February national election. Political watchers say the timing, secrecy and mandate of the Muhammad Yunus-led government raise questions about whose interests the pact ultimately serves and what long-term obligations it may impose on a future elected administration. The concerns have intensified because Bangladeshs economy is heavily dependent on exports to the United States, particularly ready-made garments and textiles, at a time when the sector is already under pressure from tariff changes in Washington and heightened competition from India. As Dhaka rushes to sign the agreement, exporters say they still have no idea what the document contains or how it could reshape the countrys most critical industry. What Is The BangladeshUS Trade Deal? The reciprocal tariff agreement is scheduled to be signed in Washington on 9 February, only three days before Bangladesh votes on 12 February. According to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo, the signing ceremony will begin a day earlier, on 8 February. Neither Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin nor Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman will travel to the US for the event. According to the newspaper, Uddin has already signed the agreement in Dhaka, after which it will be formally signed in Washington by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. In their place, a five-member Bangladeshi delegation has been assigned to take the signed copy to Washington and attend the ceremony. The delegation departs Dhaka on 6 February and is scheduled to return on 10 February. What Do We Know About The Pact So Far? Very little is publicly known because the Yunus administration signed a non-disclosure agreement with Washington in 2025, committing both sides to confidentiality. It has been reported that the United States has sought several concessions from Dhaka. These include reducing imports from China, increasing military purchases from the United States, providing free access to Bangladeshi markets, acquiescing to US standards and certifications without protest, and allowing entry of US vehicles and parts without inspection. The wider tariff context adds to the stakes. The Trump administration imposed a 37 per cent tariff on Bangladesh in April 2025, later reducing it to 35 per cent and then to 20 per cent in August. The forthcoming deal is expected to lower the rate further to around 15 per cent. Why Is The Secrecy Clause A Major Red Flag? Exporters, business bodies and economists say the NDA has created unprecedented opacity for a trade deal of this scale. Prothom Alo has reported that neither lawmakers nor key export associations have seen the terms. Bangladeshi economist and intellectual Anu Muhammad questioned the non-transparent, illogical, and irregular manner" in which the administration was proceeding. In a Facebook post, he alleged that foreign lobbyists had been placed inside the government as advisers and were desperate to make these agreements". Business chambers have voiced similar concerns. Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Taskeen Ahmed said that with no clarity on the contents, it had become impossible to assess the deals likely impacts, and that such an agreement should have been left for a government elected by the people. It is not clear what benefits Bangladesh will gain from the agreement with the US. At the same time, business leaders are concerned about what conditions the agreement will include and which sectors may face negative impacts. They are also raising various questions," Ahmed was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo. Had the tariff agreement been signed after the election, political parties could have discussed it. It is also worth considering whether the hands of the incoming elected government are being tied," distinguished fellow of Bangladeshi think-tank, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Debapriya Bhattacharya, was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo. Why Bangladesh Feels Urgency After the IndiaUS Trade Deal The momentum behind the Bangladesh-US pact accelerated after US President Donald Trump announced the India-US trade deal, which brought tariffs on Indian goods down to 18 per cent. For Bangladesh, which sends between $7 and $8.4 billion worth of apparel and textiles to the United States each year, this development poses a direct competitive challenge. Ready-made garments constitute up to 96 per cent of Bangladeshs exports to the US and employ four to five million workers, most of them women. If India enjoys a more favourable tariff regime, Dhaka risks losing market share in its most important export destination. This competitive pressure partly explains why the interim government has pushed to finalise the agreement quickly, but exporters say the secrecy prevents them from assessing whether the trade-offs involved are beneficial. Why Are There Concerns? No draft of the agreement has been made public, and it has not been shared with Parliament or with any sector that would be directly affected by its terms, as per Prothom Alo. The arrangement is being concluded by an interim administration that does not have an electoral mandate and is meant only to function as a caretaker until a new government is elected. This has created unease about whether such a government should be taking decisions that could shape the countrys economic direction for years to come. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association senior vice-president Inamul Haque Khan told the newspaper he found the events disturbing. Based on the target for purchases from the US, it can be expected that the reciprocal tariff rate will come down to 15 per cent (currently 20 per cent). I had heard that National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman had streamlined this. I was surprised to see the signing of the agreement come just three days before the election. I still believe this should have been done after the election, because it carries major implications," he said. The development is also unfolding at a time when reports suggest that American diplomats have been engaging with Jamaat-e-Islami, a group that could likely emerge as a key player after the election. Alongside this, allegations have circulated that the interim administration came to power with support from Islamist parties. At the same time, the son of toppled Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed has claimed that Bangladesh is heading into a sham" election intended to install a weak government aligned with foreign interests. He has also alleged that the interim administration is backed by Islamist groups and is operating in a completely non-transparent" manner. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 18:51 IST News explainers The Bangladesh-US Secret Trade Deal: Why Its Causing Concern In Dhaka Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... When Too Many Tourists Become A Problem: What Japans Cherry Blossom Festival Cancellation Signals Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 13:01 IST Mount Fuji festival cancellation is not a cultural decision; it is a symbolic turning point in global tourism, where destinations are beginning to scale back rather than scale up Japanese people have complained that many foreign visitors were littering, blocking pavements, and parking illegally while chasing the perfect photograph. (Getty Images) Japan has cancelled its most popular cherry blossom festival near Mount Fuji, citing overtourism as a major factor. The move has surprised many tourists but resonated deeply with residents who have long been grappling with congested roads, sanitation strain, and safety concerns caused by swelling visitor numbers. During peak blossom weeks, as many as 10,000 people arrive daily in the small town of Fujiyoshida, according to official statements. To protect the dignity and living environment of our citizens, we have decided to bring the curtain down on the 10-year-old festival," Fujiyoshida Mayor Shigeru Horiuchi announced on Tuesday. The cancellation is not merely a cultural decision; it marks a symbolic turning point in global tourism, where destinations are beginning to scale back rather than scale up. The cherry blossom festival, or hanami, reportedly generated about $9 billion in Japan in 2025, compared to $7.7 billion in 2024, according to The Japan Times. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic impact of hanami fell to roughly $1.15 billion, with nearly 97.5% of participants being locals. Festivals and events are typically economic engines for small towns, bringing in revenue for hotels, food vendors, and local artisans. To cancel such an event is to acknowledge that the social and environmental costs have begun to outweigh the financial benefits. For many observers, the decision is a warning sign that overtourism once discussed mainly in European cities like Venice or Barcelona is no longer confined to a handful of famous locations. It is now a structural challenge facing destinations worldwide. What Overtourism Really Means Overtourism is often simplified as too many tourists," but the reality is more complex. It is not just about numbers; it is about the relationship between visitor volume, local infrastructure, and community tolerance. A town can host thousands of visitors comfortably if it has efficient transport, waste management, crowd control, and behavioural guidelines. Problems arise when growth outpaces planning. In India, places such as Goa, Shimla and Manali in Himachal Pradesh, Nanital and Mussorie in Uttarakhand, Leh-Ladakh, Jaipur and Udaipur in Rajasthan, Agra and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, are struggling with overtourism. Goa, a tiny state in India with a population of 1.6 million, received around 10 million domestic tourists last year. Domestic tourism has shown consistent growth, with 5.18 million visitors in just the first half of 2025, highlighting its position as a top year-round destination for Indian travellers, according to the Goa Tourism Department. The acceleration of overtourism is tied to several modern forces. Low-cost air travel has made international trips more affordable than ever. Social-media platforms amplify travel trends overnight, turning once-quiet spots into viral destinations within weeks. Currency fluctuations can suddenly make certain countries cheaper for foreign travellers, while flexible remote-work schedules have increased weekend and short-trip travel. A record 315,100 Indian tourists visited Japan in 2025, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization the first time the number crossed 300,000. This marked a 35% rise over 2024 and nearly an 80% increase compared to 2019. Direct flights, a weaker yen, and expanding interest beyond Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka have broadened travel patterns. While this growth benefits airlines and hospitality sectors, it also concentrates footfall in scenic towns unprepared for such volumes. How Locals Pay For Overtourism Japans authorities said the decision to cancel the festival followed repeated complaints about unruly tourist behaviour in the city, located west of Tokyo. Officials reported incidents ranging from visitors opening the doors of private homes without permission to use restrooms to cases of trespassing and littering. In some instances, tourists were even found relieving themselves in residential yards and creating disturbances when confronted by locals, the city administration noted. For locals, overtourism is rarely about hostility towards visitors; it is about the erosion of daily life. Although tourism could improve the local quality of life and drive economic advancement, it leads to congested streets, littered public spaces, noise pollution, and rising rental prices. Moreover, local transport systems designed for modest populations become overwhelmed, emergency services face delays, and cultural sites suffer physical wear. In a country like India, increased footfall has caused stampedes. The Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan has faced severe overcrowding, leading to several tragic incidents and fatalities, particularly during festivals over the last four years. Economic benefits of tourism do exist. It generates employment and stimulates local businesses. The tourism industry contributes about 16.43% to Goas GDP (Rs 1.39 lakh crore) and employs around 35% of the population, including both direct and indirect, hospitality-related jobs. In Uttarakhand, tourism employs around 1 million people. The state is driven by religious, adventure, and eco-tourism, with women making up at least 30% of the tourism workforce. The tourism and hospitality sector contributes 7.78% to Himachal Pradeshs GDP, as of the 2024-25 economic survey. However, these gains often come with uneven distribution. While hotels and tour operators profit, residents may shoulder the civic costs in the form of higher living expenses, overcrowded public facilities, and environmental degradation. The distinction between economic benefit and civic burden is at the heart of the overtourism debate. Behaviour also plays a role. Instances of tourists blocking narrow streets for photographs, trespassing into private areas for social media content, or disregarding local customs add friction. According to Gomantak Times, one Aloo Gomez Pereira got into an altercation with tourists shooting videos outside his brightly coloured" home in October 2024, though it bears a sign No Photography Allowed. The new prohibitory orders in Lonavala ban activities such as swimming in fast-flowing waters, sitting under waterfalls, or venturing to cliffs for selfies, photographs, or videos. Why Environment Cannot Be Ignored Tourism has destroyed critical wildlife habitats such as mangroves and turtle nesting beaches. Tulum, once a quiet coastal town in Mexico, has reinvented itself as a trendy, eco-luxury getaway. Behind the branding, however, many beachfront resorts still rely on diesel generators for power, while untreated sewage has been reported to leak into underground cenotes and waterways, threatening nearby marine ecosystems, including the worlds second-largest reef system. A similar warning emerged in Thailand, where heavy tourist footfall and pollution severely damaged coral reefs at the famous Maya Bay, forcing authorities to shut the beach for nearly two years to allow ecological recovery. The 2013 Uttarakhand disaster report by the Ministry of Home Affairs flagged several human-driven risk factors such as deforestation, road and tunnel construction through fragile mountains, hydropower projects, tourism-related buildings on floodplains and hillsides, and sand mining in riverbeds. Despite these warnings, large stretches of mountains have continued to be cut for road expansion, increasing vulnerability and putting local communities at greater risk. How Tourism Is Being Tackled Across The World Globally, overtourism has entered what many analysts call the backlash phase." Cities that once celebrated record visitor numbers are experimenting with entry fees, visitor caps, and restricted zones. Machu Picchu, a 15th-century United Nations World Heritage Site situated in the Andes, sees an annual footfall of 1.5 million tourists. To manage the Inca Trail, the authorities have capped 5,600 visitors per day. There is also a time slot entry and a limited duration of stay. Then there are zoned circuits to disperse visitors. Ticketing is available only online, and walk-ins are not permitted. Venice, which receives 25-30 million visitors annually, limits tourism through a mandatory 5 fee for day-trippers entering historic places during peak periods in May/July and on the weekend. As of August 1, 2024, tourist groups are limited to a maximum of 25 people, which is half the size of previous typical tour groups. The use of loudspeakers is prohibited, and large cruise ships are also banned to protect the ecosystem. Italian authorities now charge tourists a 2 fee to access the viewing area of Romes iconic Trevi Fountain, which had previously been free to visit. Authorities say the fee will go towards helping to manage the number of tourists and raise funds for the monuments upkeep. Mount Fujis festival cancellation fits squarely into this phase. This is not the first time Japanese authorities have stepped in to manage crowds drawn by photography hotspots. In 2024, officials in Fujikawaguchiko erected a large black barrier at one of the countrys most iconic Mount Fuji viewing points in an effort to discourage unruly tourist behaviour. Locals had complained that many foreign visitors were littering, blocking pavements, and parking illegally while chasing the perfect photograph. What India Can Do To Check Tourism Officials say most major tourist sites in Madhya Pradesh have been developed with basic amenities, tourist police, statewide signages and several new hotels built by both the government and private sector. Capacity to handle visitors has increased, yet cities like Ujjain remain crowded despite the Mahakal corridors expansion. The challenge, they argue, is rising travel demand driven by higher disposable incomes, which cannot easily be restricted. Instead of focusing only on overtourism, the priority should be expanding infrastructure, creating new destinations, and dispersing tourists so that pressure on a few hotspots is reduced, Ashwini Lohani, former CEO of Air India, had said during a panel discussion in November 2025 on Overtourism in India. The tourism ministry provides financial assistance to states and Union Territories to develop tourism infrastructure and visitor facilities across destinations through schemes such as Swadesh Darshan, the National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD), and the Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development programme. The ministry has also revamped the Swadesh Darshan initiative into Swadesh Darshan 2.0, shifting the focus towards sustainable and responsible tourism through a destination-centric development model rather than scattered project funding. Separately, under the Centres Scheme for Special Assistance to States/Union Territories for Capital Investment (SASCI), the government has recently approved 40 projects nationwide with a total outlay of Rs 3,295 crore. Strictly monitoring crowd in real-time through digital ticketing systems, redirecting or dispersing visitors to less crowded zones, promoting off-season travel, diversifying tourism, and community involvement in tourism planning can be some of the ways by which tourism can be checked in India. Expanding sanitation facilities, improving last-mile transport, and enforcing behavioural guidelines are some of the other ways to reduce friction. Education campaigns encouraging responsible travel, from waste disposal to respectful photography, are equally important. With domestic and international tourism both rising, the choices made now will determine whether destinations flourish sustainably or face the same difficult decisions now unfolding elsewhere. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 12:57 IST News explainers When Too Many Tourists Become A Problem: What Japans Cherry Blossom Festival Cancellation Signals Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Man In Black Hoodie Fatally Shoots Punjab AAP Leader On Camera, Escapes On Scooter Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 13:25 IST After the shooting, the assailant is seen fleeing the scene on a scooter, indicating he was not acting alone. CCTV captures the moments leading up to the killing of Punjab AAP leader Lucky Oberoi | Image: News18 CCTV visuals have surfaced capturing the final moments before the killing of Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Lucky Oberoi, who was shot dead on Friday morning outside a gurdwara in Jalandhars Model Town area. The footage shows a man dressed in a black hoodie with his face covered by a mask walking up to Oberois vehicle and opening fire at close range. The attacker appears composed as he approaches the spot before discharging multiple rounds. After the shooting, the assailant is seen fleeing the scene on a scooter, indicating he was not acting alone. At least one accomplice was waiting nearby on a two-wheeler to aid the escape. Lucky Oberoi, 38, a local AAP leader from Jalandhar, had reached the gurdwara earlier in the morning when the attack took place. Oberoi was seated inside his Mahindra Thar Roxx when the assailant struck, opening fire just as he was about to drive away. Preliminary information suggests that Oberoi was shot multiple times, suffering at least five bullet wounds. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital but was declared dead on arrival by doctors. Soon after the shooting, police sealed off the vicinity around the gurdwara and began a detailed forensic examination of the scene. Investigators questioned local residents and shopkeepers in the area, while multiple teams scanned CCTV footage from nearby locations to identify the attackers and piece together the sequence of events leading up to the killing. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Punjab, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 13:20 IST News india Man In Black Hoodie Fatally Shoots Punjab AAP Leader On Camera, Escapes On Scooter Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... The Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge: an engineering feat with ecological sensitivity 15:42, February 06, 2026 By Wu Jun ( People's Daily The Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province, is under construction, Dec. 28, 2025. (Photo/Ma Erhu) The Yangtze River, China's longest river, flows through Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province in central China. Spanning its northern bank in the middle reaches, the Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge connects Wuhan with neighboring Ezhou, strengthening regional integration. As Peng Xiaobin, the bridge's designer and deputy chief engineer of the Hubei Communications Planning and Design Institute, stood on the newly completed structure, he pointed skyward: "Look, that's a grey heron, and over there is an egret." His enthusiasm reflected the project's dual success: engineering excellence and ecological conservation. As Wuhan's 12th bridge across the Yangtze, the Shuangliu Bridge stretches 35.043 kilometers. Its route traverses the Zhangdu Lake Wetland Nature Reserve -- a critical habitat for the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise. In December 2025, experts at a conference organized by the China Highway and Transportation Society hailed the bridge as a benchmark for Chinese engineering and a model of ecological preservation. A key question emerged during planning: How could bridge construction protect the Yangtze's fragile ecosystem? The answer gleams under the winter sun -- a 400-meter-long, fully enclosed protective structure along the bridge's northern approach. "This sound barrier was specifically designed for the wetland birds," Peng explained. Standing 6.38 meters high and spanning 34 meters, this "shield for birds" represents a first in Yangtze River bridge engineering. The Zhangdu Lake Wetland lies along the East Asia-Australasia flyway, a vital migratory corridor. To minimize disruption, Peng's team prioritized ecological considerations from the outset. Collaborating with ornithologists and analyzing a decade of bird activity data, they conducted extensive field observations. "After numerous revisions, we added an extra curve to the northern approach," Peng noted, acknowledging the significant cost increase this entailed. The first box girder of the Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge is being installed, June 13, 2025. (Photo/Zhao Guangliang) To address noise generated after the bridge opens to traffic, Peng and his team decided to build a fully enclosed sound barrier on the bridge deck closest to the migratory route. The barrier was completed before the migration season. Today, noise levels outside the barrier are kept at 50 to 55 decibels during the day and 40 to 45 decibels at night, effectively fitting the wetland's birds with "noise-canceling headphones." From the main span of the bridge, the broad Yangtze shimmered in the sunlight. "You can even see finless porpoises playing here," said Chen Cheng, chief engineer of the Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge project at CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd. About two kilometers downstream from the main bridge lies a river bend where finless porpoises are frequently seen. To avoid disrupting their habitat, the bridge was designed to cross the river in a single span. "The main bridge is a single-span steel box girder suspension bridge," Chen explained. "Not a single pile was driven into the river. Both the north and south approach bridges were built entirely on land, completely avoiding in-water construction." During construction, work schedules were adjusted to avoid peak activity periods of finless porpoises and other aquatic species. Temporary structures such as trestles were erected during the dry season, followed quickly by the completion of tower foundations and caps. All steel box girders were prefabricated in sections at a factory, transported by specialized vessels, and then hoisted into place using cable cranes. "In this way, workers only needed to weld the joints at height, and the entire girder installation process did not disturb the river," Chen said. Over the more than three years of construction, the bridge and the finless porpoises have "grown together." Surveys by the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed that the finless porpoise population in the bridge section of the Yangtze River has increased from five or six individuals when construction began in 2022 to a stable group of about 20 today. On the main bridge deck, long drainage pipes can be seen on both sides, each connected to an intelligent flow monitoring system. The system automatically identifies discharged liquids. Rainwater mixed with oil residues is directed into oil-separation and sedimentation tanks before release, while leaked or polluted wastewater is diverted into emergency containment pools and handled by qualified hazardous waste treatment companies. Photo shows the fully enclosed sound barrier of the Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge. (Photo provided by Hubei Communications Investment Group Co., Ltd.) The Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge has now passed completion inspection. Once opened to traffic, travel time between Xinzhou in Wuhan and Ezhou will be reduced from 90 minutes to just five. "By prioritizing conservation over unchecked development, we have found a balance between ecological protection and economic development," said Wang Xihua, an executive with Shuangliu Yangtze River Bridge Co., Ltd. under Hubei Communications Investment Group Co., Ltd. "Our goal is to achieve a genuine win-win between economic and ecological benefits." (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Commendable Action: BJP Welcomes Centres Netflix Takedown Order On Ghooskhor Pandat Teaser Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 23:34 IST Acting on CM Yogis orders, police registered an FIR against the films director in Lucknow for allegedly hurting religious and caste sentiments and disturbing public peace. Rapid Read BJP MP Anurag Thakur | File Image The BJP on Friday welcomed the governments directive to Netflix to take down the teaser and other promotional material for the film Ghooskhor Pandat from social media, saying any attempt to insult or harm the reputation of any section of society is unacceptable. A controversy was triggered over the title of the film, with politicians and social media users calling it casteist, which led the director Neeraj Pandey and lead actor Manoj Bajpayee to clarify that they did not intend to hurt anyone and that they are withdrawing all publicity related to the movie. This followed the governments directive to Netflix to remove the teaser and other promotional content from social media. Senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur welcomed the governments action, saying, The central governments order to remove the controversial teaser and all related content of the film Ghooskhor Pandat from Netflix is welcome and commendable. He added, We condemn any act done with malice against the Brahmin community or any other community. Thakur said the BJP and the Narendra Modi government have the highest respect for all sections of society and strongly support maintaining the dignity and integrity of every community. He added that any attempt to insult or damage the reputation of any group is completely unacceptable to us. Madhya Pradesh BJP chief Hemant Khandelwal also welcomed the governments action and said any malice against any community, including Brahmins, is unacceptable under any circumstance. He condemned the films title and said attempts to insult or damage the reputation of any group cannot be tolerated at any cost. In a post in Hindi on X, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, We wholeheartedly commend the governments quick and decisive action! Offensive content, like the derogatory film Ghooskhor Pandat, has not only been removed from the platform, but an FIR has also been registered in the case. He said this sends a clear message that insults to Sanatan Dharma will no longer be tolerated. Bhatia added, We are committed to taking the strictest possible action against those who insult any caste or community for commercial gain, and said, Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas is our guiding principle. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the word Pandit" has always symbolised scholarship and sacrifice, and that Brahmins have played a key role in nation-building. However, he said the film Ghooskhor Pandat, which was to be released on Netflix, unfairly targeted Brahmins and hurt their sentiments. In a post on X, Pathak said, I had requested the government of India to remove the films title. Accepting my request, the government of India issued strict instructions to remove this title from the OTT platform. He added that the government has directed that no inappropriate remarks targeting any community should be used in films, web series or other media, as such content creates social discord. He also thanked the government of India for accepting this demand. Acting on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths instructions, police registered an FIR against the films director at Lucknows Hazratganj police station late Thursday evening. The FIR was filed on charges of spreading social animosity, hurting religious and caste sentiments, and trying to disturb public peace, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement on Friday. (With inputs from PTI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 23:34 IST News india Commendable Action: BJP Welcomes Centres Netflix Takedown Order On Ghooskhor Pandat Teaser Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Paid Promotion': Delhi Police On Missing Girls Reports, Warn Of Action Against Hype For Money Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 11:10 IST Delhi Police said fears about a surge in missing girls were being fuelled through paid promotion on social media and warned of strict legal action against those spreading panic. New Delhi: Posters of missing people put up on an electrical pole (Photo: PTI) Delhi Police on Friday said they had uncovered attempts to artificially amplify fears about missing girls in the national capital, warning that legal action would follow against those spreading panic for profit. In its latest post on X, the police said, After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion." Creating panic for monetary gains wont be tolerated, and well take strict action against such individuals," the Delhi Police mentioned. After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains wont be tolerated, and well take strict action against such individuals. Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 6, 2026 The post comes amid heightened public concern over social-media claims of a sharp rise in missing children cases. The force also referenced earlier clarifications issued this week in which it urged residents not to believe rumours circulating online. Recent public discourse has raised concerns about the welfare of children in Delhi. We appeal to the citizens not to fall prey to the rumours about the spurt in the cases of missing children," the police mentioned in its post on Thursday. It also warned that strict legal action would be taken against rumour mongers" misrepresenting data. It added that the safety of children was of paramount importance" and that officers were working around the clock to trace missing persons and reunite them with families. Recent public discourse has raised concerns about the welfare of children in Delhi. We appeal to the citizens not to fall prey to the rumours about the spurt in the cases of missing children.While denying such claims, we also warn rumour mongers of strict legal action for Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 5, 2026 In another earlier message, Delhi Police had stressed, We wish to clarify that there is no need to panic over the rumours being spread regarding missing persons, especially the disappearance of children." There has been no increase in missing persons cases compared to previous years," the police mentioned. The social media post also reaffirmed the forces commitment to prompt investigation and action." , pic.twitter.com/WjV1MCoTEM Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 5, 2026 The police have sought to reassure the public, saying January 2026 recorded fewer missing-person reports than the same period last year. According to multiple reports, officers have been explaining that many recovered children had left home voluntarily and that CCTV footage and technical surveillance were often used to trace them. According to news agency ANI, police data showed January 2026 recorded 1,777 missing cases, below the citys monthly average of around 2,000, and that since 2016, more than 1,80,000 people had been traced and reunited with families, reflecting a recovery rate of about 77 per cent. The Delhi Police had earlier released data showing that 807 people were reported missing between January 1 and 15, including 191 minors and 509 women and girls. While acknowledging those figures, the police told news agency PTI that January 2026 overall reflected a decline compared with corresponding periods in previous years. The statement reiterated that all complaints were registered promptly, SOPs were strictly followed, and district-level missing-person squads and the Crime Branchs Anti-Human Trafficking Unit were deployed to ensure swift recovery. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 11:07 IST News india 'Paid Promotion': Delhi Police On Missing Girls Reports, Warn Of Action Against Hype For Money Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Govt In Touch With Indians In Iran, Closely Monitoring Situation': Jaishankar To Parliament Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 17:32 IST Jaishankar told the Parliament that the government does not view Indian nationals in Iran as "stranded" as the Iranian airspace remains open. Rapid Read File photo of EAM S Jaishankar (X/@DrSJaishankar) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday told the Parliament that the Indian government is closely monitoring the ongoing situation in Iran after a wave of protests triggered by economic stagnation, and its embassy in Tehran was in regular touch with Indian nationals. The Government is closely monitoring the situation in Iran. The Embassy of India in Tehran is in regular contact with Indian nationals, including students, in Iran, and is providing them regular advice," he said in the Parliament. The Embassy continues to assist, advise, and guide Indian citizens as required." The Government does not currently view Indian nationals in Iran as stranded, given that Iranian airspace remains open and there is regular air connectivity between Iran and India and with the countries in the region. A special evacuation has therefore not been arranged by the Government so far. The Government continues to assess the situation as circumstances evolve," he also said. He also informed the House that there were 9,000-10,000 Indian nationals across 16 provinces in Iran, mainly students (and their families), workers, pilgrims, tourists, business persons and seafarers. Since Iranian airspace remains open as on date, Indian nationals wishing to leave Iran have been advised to do so using available means, including commercial flights," he said. He also highlighted a telephonic conversation with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, where they discussed the evolving situation in and around Iran. He also reaffirmed that India remains in touch with various interlocutors regarding the situation. This came against the backdrop of the Iranian authorities deadly response to anti-government protests that began in late December and continued through last month, in which thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands arrested, prompting military threats from US President Donald Trump. ALSO READ: Iran, US In Consultations To Restart Diplomatic, Technical Negotiations: Oman This came against the backdrop of the Iranian authorities deadly response to anti-government protests that began in late December and continued through last month, in which thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands arrested, prompting military threats from US President Donald Trump. Recently, in the Budget 2026 unveiled on February 1, India earmarked zero funds for the Chabahar port in Iran despite the landmark 10-year agreement signed in 2024 for India to operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal. Analysts suggest this withdrawal is a precautionary response to the renewed geopolitical friction involving the United States. Furthermore, Trump has also asserted that India will buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude, signalling a possible shift in global energy trade flows. However, India said it will prioritise its own energy needs and remains open to all crude deals. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 17:14 IST News india 'Govt In Touch With Indians In Iran, Closely Monitoring Situation': Jaishankar To Parliament Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... India-Bangladesh Relations Separate From Ties With Other Countries: MEA Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 23:54 IST The Ministry of External Affairs was questioned about whether India-Bangladesh relations are currently at a sensitive stage and if Pakistan is attempting to exploit the situation. Rapid Read The MoS further said India's relationship with Bangladesh is "independent of its relationship with third countries". (ANI) Indias relationship with Bangladesh stands on its own and is not linked to its ties with other countries. India keeps a close watch on developments that affect its national interests and takes all necessary steps to protect them, the government told Parliament on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, said India supports a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh, and this has been communicated to the interim government in all relevant meetings. The government also said it constantly monitors events in neighboring countries, especially those that impact Indias security and interests. Singh emphasized that Indias relations with its neighbors are a top priority and are shaped by mutual interests and current circumstances. The Ministry of External Affairs was questioned about whether India-Bangladesh relations are currently at a sensitive stage and if Pakistan is attempting to exploit the situation. Singh replied that India and Bangladesh share deep historical, cultural, and social ties, and their relationship focuses on people-centered development, with regular exchanges and meetings. He emphasised that Indias relationship with Bangladesh is separate from its relations with other nations. The government remains vigilant about developments impacting Indias interests and takes all necessary steps to safeguard them The MEA was also asked if India has discussed reports of public killings of minority citizens, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh. Singh said India has consistently raised concerns about the safety of minorities with Bangladeshi authorities, including at the highest level, and the issue was brought up by the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister during a meeting with Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain on February 16, 2025. The government continues to keep track of reports concerning the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. Singh emphasized that it is primarily Bangladeshs responsibility to ensure the protection of all its citizens, including minority communities. In another query, the MEA was asked about the growing alliance between Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh, given Indias shared borders and possible economic and security threats. Singh said the government constantly monitors all developments affecting Indias security and economy and takes necessary steps to safeguard them, including those in the immediate neighborhood. India continues to work with regional partners to ensure its security and economic interests are respected and advanced. The government remains committed to protecting Indias national interests and ensuring comprehensive national security. In a separate written response, the government stated that it maintains continuous vigilance over developments in neighboring countries, particularly those that impact Indias security and national interests. India continues to engage with its neighbors through diplomatic dialogue, development partnerships, people-to-people exchanges, trade, connectivity initiatives, and regional mechanisms, under the Neighbourhood First Policy and Vision MAHASAGAR. The government is committed to safeguarding Indias security and interests and promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. (With inputs from PTI) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 23:54 IST News india India-Bangladesh Relations Separate From Ties With Other Countries: MEA Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... India-US Trade Deal: Why Congresss Bad For Farmers Pitch Against BJP Could Backfire Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 13:54 IST India-US trade deal: The BJP-led government has maintained that, contrary to Congress's claims, the bulk of what Indian farmers grow will not be impacted at all PM Narendra Modi (left) and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. (PTI) For days, there were loud questions, sharp concerns and rising anxiety will Indian farmers pay the price for the IndiaUnited States (US) trade deal? Now, top government sources are giving a clear, unambiguous answer: No. Will the Congress lose yet another narrative battle? Food security protected Indias food security remains fully protected. Staples that form the backbone of Indian agriculture rice, wheat, soyabean, corn, dairy products and sugar are completely outside the trade deal. These are non-negotiables, and sources say they were never on the table. Officials are stressing one key point again and again: the bulk of what Indian farmers grow will not be impacted at all. So, what about agricultural imports from the United States? Sources clarify these will be limited, selective and niche items that are not produced at scale in India and are not mass-consumption products. There will be no flood of cheap foreign food entering Indian markets. What may feature instead are premium dry fruits American almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts and pistachios. In short, this is about specialty imports, not staples. No disruption. No dumping. No threat to livelihoods. Thank you @POTUS for ONCE AGAIN delivering for our American farmers.New US-India deal will export more American farm products to Indias massive market, lifting prices, and pumping cash into rural America. In 2024, Americas agricultural trade deficit with India was $1.3 https://t.co/Z04eNDfXjD Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) February 2, 2026 What the Opposition is saying This is quite opposite to what the opposition, and specifically, the Congress has been saying. Congress says the Modi government is selling out Indian farmer interests to the U.S. this is without even knowing the fine print of the deal. Flash back to the Indo-US nuclear deal during the Manmohan Singh regime when the BJP led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the opposition gave their support to the government as BJP knew the nuclear deal was in Indias national interest. But the same far-sightedness or pragmatism seems to be lost in todays bitter politics where the opposition is not ready to believe the government. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Congress (@incindia) Piyush Goyals clarification Brooke Rollins, US secretary for agriculture in a post wrote: Thank you @POTUS for ONCE AGAIN delivering for our American farmers. New US-India deal will export more American farm products to Indias massive market, lifting prices, and pumping cash into rural America. In 2024, Americas agricultural trade deficit with India was $1.3 billion. Indias growing population is an important market for American agricultural products and todays deal will go a long way to reducing this deficit." Piyush Goyal however clarified: Stronger economic cooperation under the #IndiaUSTradeDeal will significantly benefit businesses in both nations. With tariff reductions, India will gain enhanced market access and improved export competitiveness, unlocking new growth avenues for our industries." Stronger economic cooperation under the #IndiaUSTradeDeal will significantly benefit businesses in both nations.With tariff reductions, India will gain enhanced market access and improved export competitiveness, unlocking new growth avenues for our industries. https://t.co/OtNox9j8Ob Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 4, 2026 The timeline Government sources say the trade deal with the U.S. could be formally signed as early as March. Before that, within the next four to five days, India and the US are expected to issue a joint statement, outlining the broad contours and signalling clear forward movement. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has come out strongly to reassure farmers. His message is firm: Indias agricultural interests are fully safeguarded. Addressing the media in Delhi, he said Indias grains, fruits, millets, major crops and dairy sector face no threat whatsoever. On India US trade deal, Indian Agriculture minister says No Compromise on Agriculture or Dairy; Farmers Interests Fully Protected pic.twitter.com/HU9n0CEBzv Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) February 5, 2026 Small farmers, large farmers everyones interests, he said, are protected. There will be no sudden or disruptive entry of foreign products into Indian markets. He also addressed confusion triggered by a recent tweet from the US Treasury Secretary claiming increased access for American farm products. Shivraj Singh Chouhan pointed out that Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has already clarified the facts in Parliament India has not opened its markets in any way that pressures domestic farmers. So, heres the bottom line. India held its nerve. Farmers interests stayed non-negotiable. Staples stayed protected. And diplomacy delivered results. This is not a deal that compromises food security its one that balances trade, trust and national interest. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 12:55 IST News india India-US Trade Deal: Why Congresss Bad For Farmers Pitch Against BJP Could Backfire Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 3 Naxals Killed, Commando Dead In Encounter In Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, Maoist Camps Destroyed Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 10:58 IST Three Naxals were killed in an encounter with the Maharashtra Polices C-60 unit in Gadchiroli, in which one commando was dead and another injured. Naxals killed in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli (Photos from the encounter site/News18) Three Naxals were killed during an intense gun battle with security forces underway for the past 24 hours in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra on Friday. The gunfight also left one elite police commando dead, while another was injured. The encounter took place in a forested stretch of Gadchiroli when the Maharashtra Police launched a major counter-insurgency operation through its specialised C-60 commando unit following specific intelligence inputs. A video from the encounter site showed belongings, believed to be of the Naxals, scattered across a stretch. The operation involving 14 C-60 units under the sub-divisional police officer for Bhamragad began near Phodewada village on the Gadchiroli-Narayanpur border after specific intelligence was received on Tuesday evening about the presence of ultras of company number 10 of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist). An exchange of fire took place on Wednesday, resulting in two Naxalite camps being busted," news agency PTI quoted an official as saying. It led to the recovery of Naxal belongings, though the ultras could not be traced due to hostile terrain and dense forest," the official said. On Thursday morning, an additional four C-60 units and one unit of QAT of the CRPF were reinforced to the existing cordon," he said. An encounter has been underway since this morning, with the body of one ultra being recovered along with an AK47 rifle and a self-loading rifle (SLR), the official informed. The slain Naxals are yet to be identified. Chances of more Maoists being injured or killed are being ascertained. A C-60 jawan received a bullet injury late this evening, and the process of evacuating him is in progress. More details will be had when the encounter and search operation ends," the official was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, combing and search operations were continuing in the area to ensure that no other armed cadres were hiding in the dense terrain. Further details about recoveries and the exact circumstances leading to the firefight are awaited. GOVERNMENT DETAILS NATIONWIDE ANTI-NAXAL DRIVE On Tuesday, the government informed the Lok Sabha that more than 7,400 Naxals have been arrested and 5,880 have surrendered since 2019, while incidents of Left Wing Extremism-related violence have dropped by 88 per cent, from 1,936 in 2010 to 234 in 2025. Replying to a query, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that in 2025 alone, security forces neutralised 364 Naxals, arrested 1,022 others and facilitated 2,337 surrenders. Left Wing Extremism, which has long posed a serious internal security challenge, has now been restricted to only a few pockets, Rai said, adding that the number of affected districts had fallen from 126 in 2018 to just eight by December 2025, with only three remaining the most impacted. Rai also noted a special focus on choking financial networks linked to the outlawed CPI (Maoists) and their supporters. He said coordinated action was being taken by state police and central agencies to curb funding and logistical channels. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 10:26 IST News india 3 Naxals Killed, Commando Dead In Encounter In Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, Maoist Camps Destroyed Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Malayalam Actor Maniyanpilla Raju Faces Hit-and-Run Probe After Two Injured Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 12:54 IST Raju appeared at the police station on Friday morning and claimed the motorcycle hit his car while he was slowly crossing the road. News18 Senior Malayalam actor Maniyanpilla Rajus car allegedly collided with a two-wheeler while he was exiting the Trivandrum Club at around 9:30 PM Thursday night, leaving two young men injured. According to police, a car allegedly struck a motorcycle carrying two 20-year-olds and then left the scene. The injured, identified as Sooraj and Nidev from Thiruvananthapuram, were taken to the hospital. One suffered a fracture in the leg, while the other is undergoing treatment for a spinal injury. Police said the actor could not be contacted for several hours after the crash. A preliminary inquiry later confirmed that he was driving the vehicle at the time. The Museum Police registered an FIR under Sections 281 and 125 (A) of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) and Sections 134(A) and 134(B) of the Motor Vehicle Act. CCTV footage of the accident was also shared by ANI. It shows the car crashing into the bike while crossing the road. #WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: CCTV footage of the collision that occurred between actor Maniyanpilla Rajus car and a bike on 5th February, injuring 2 people.(Source: Police) https://t.co/a9cKXMQnko pic.twitter.com/xCZtHs5b2X ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2026 Raju appeared at the police station on Friday morning and claimed the motorcycle hit his car while he was slowly crossing the road, according to a report by PTI. For now, the actor got station bail in connection with the case. Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Actor Maniyanpilla Raju was granted station bail and was taken out of Museum Police Station for a medical examination. He left the police station after obtaining bail. pic.twitter.com/sUEJteXTsj IANS (@ians_india) February 6, 2026 I heard a sound and saw someone fall," he told reporters, adding that after leaving the spot he asked someone to arrange an ambulance. He also said he did not remain at the scene due to health reasons. The actor stated he is undergoing cancer treatment and is currently suffering from chikungunya, and his wife was alone at home. He informed police he would report in the morning and agreed to hand over the vehicle for inspection. Police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact sequence of events. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 10:58 IST News india Malayalam Actor Maniyanpilla Raju Faces Hit-and-Run Probe After Two Injured Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Married Woman Can't Term Consensual Relationship Rape Over False Marriage Promise: Supreme Court Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:42 IST The court observed that when a woman is already legally married, she cannot claim rape on the basis of a false promise of marriage. Supreme Court of India (PTI/File) The Supreme Court has set aside a rape case filed on the allegation of a false promise of marriage, observing that the dispute arose from a soured consensual relationship rather than criminal offence. A bench compromising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan ruled that the matter was essentially personal in nature and should not have led to criminal proceedings. The court remarked that both individuals ought to have shown restraint instead of drawing the State into a private conflict. The case stemmed from a February 2025 FIR registered in Bilaspur district. The Chhattisgarh High Court had earlier refused to cancel the proceedings in March last year, after which the accused approached the apex court. The judges noted that both parties were practising lawyers. The complainant was a 33-year-old married woman and mother of a minor child. The court said her marriage was still legally valid at the time the alleged incidents took place. It has been time and again settled by this court that the mere fact that the parties indulged in physical relations pursuant to a promise to marry will not amount to a rape in every case," the bench observed. The court observed that when a woman is already legally married, she cannot claim rape on the basis of a false promise of marriage. The court made the observation while cancelling criminal proceedings against a lawyer accused by a fellow advocate of rape on the pretext of marriage. After examining the material on record, the court concluded that the offence under Section 376(2)(n) of the IPC which deals with repeated rape was not made out. The facts of the present case unmistakably indicate towards a classic case of a consensual relationship turning acrimonious," the bench said. The judges also highlighted a growing pattern where broken relationships are turned into criminal complaints. They stressed that courts must carefully separate genuine cases from disputes arising out of disagreements between consenting adults. The bench further highlighted that since the womans divorce proceedings were pending, she could not legally marry another person. The law prohibits bigamous unions and therefore, disallows parties from entering into a second marriage during the subsistence of their first marriage," the court noted. It added that the complainant, being a lawyer, was aware of this legal position and could not be considered unaware or misled into the relationship. The court said she was not a naive or gullible woman incapable of taking decisions for herself". Observing that the alleged offence was not established, the Supreme Court quashed both the FIR and all related proceedings, overturning the High Courts earlier order. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:42 IST News india Married Woman Can't Term Consensual Relationship Rape Over False Marriage Promise: Supreme Court Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Merchant Navy Officer Goes Missing From China-Bound Ship Near Mauritius, Family Seeks Centres Help Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:28 IST Sarthak Mahapatra went missing near Mauritius while on duty. His family seeks urgent help from Odisha and central authorities for a transparent investigation. Rapid Read Sarthak Mahapatra has been employed with a private shipping firm since July 2025. (Image: X/@rasmitasahoo76) A merchant navy officer from Odishas Bhadrak district has reportedly gone missing while on duty aboard a ship near Mauritius on February 3, leading his family to appeal to both the central and state governments for immediate assistance, officials said. The missing crew member has been identified as Sarthak Mahapatra, a resident of Kespur village in Bhadrak. He has been employed with a private shipping firm since July 2025. Sarthak Last Spoke To Family On Monday According to his mother, Rashmita Mahapatra, the vessel was on a return journey to China via Singapore after completing a voyage from China to West Africa. She said Sarthak last spoke with his family and friends on February 2, when the ship was close to Singapore, news agency PTI reported. When the ship was near Singapore on February 2, he spoke to me, other family members, and his friends," she said. The family is deeply distressed by his sudden disappearance and has urged authorities to step in urgently. We are devastated at his disappearance and request the central and state governments to intervene urgently. We have sent emails appealing to the Odisha government to rescue my son and bring him back home safely," she told PTI. My son was last seen entering his cabin on 03 Feb 2026 (06:15 AM LT). Despite onboard search and MRCC Mauritius involvement, he is still missing.As a mother, I request transparent investigation, CCTV footage, personal belongings details and continuous official updates. RASMITA SAHOO (@rasmitasahoo76) February 4, 2026 She has also sought intervention from the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Odisha, the Director General of Shipping, and the Ministry of External Affairs by posting appeals on X. In her message, she called for a clear and transparent inquiry into the incident, access to CCTV footage from the vessel, information regarding her sons belongings, and regular updates from officials. As a mother, I request a transparent investigation, access to CCTV footage, details of his personal belongings and continuous official updates," she wrote. Sources in the Odisha government said the matter has been raised with the relevant authorities in New Delhi, with a request for a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Odisha (Orissa), India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:28 IST News india Merchant Navy Officer Goes Missing From China-Bound Ship Near Mauritius, Family Seeks Centres Help Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Pan Shop Owner Sought Payment For Cigarettes, Customers Killed Him Instead Curated By : Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:40 IST Local residents, alerted by the commotion, arrived at the scene and found the man in a serious condition. Family members were informed immediately as his injuries appeared severe. The pan shop owner was allegedly assaulted at the spot as the argument intensified. The four youths fled soon after, leaving the shop owner injured. Image: Representative It was close to midnight in Bodakenatti village of Karnatakas Belagavi district when a small roadside pan shop stayed open a little longer than usual. For the shop owner, it was just another routine night selling cigarettes, water bottles, and paan to passers-by. A group of four young men stopped at the stall after attending a village fair in nearby Modaga. Nothing about the moment suggested it would end in tragedy. A Dispute Over a Few Rupees According to police, the youths picked up two cigarettes and a bottle of water from the shop. When the shop owner asked them to pay, the men allegedly refused. What followed was a brief verbal exchange that soon grew heated. Sources said the youths were under the influence of alcohol. The argument, initially about a small payment, escalated rapidly. Voices were raised, tempers flared, and the situation slipped out of control. When the Argument Turned Violent Police said the confrontation soon turned physical. The pan shop owner was allegedly assaulted at the spot as the argument intensified. The four youths fled soon after, leaving the shop owner injured. Local residents, alerted by the commotion, arrived at the scene and found the man in a serious condition. Family members were informed immediately as his injuries appeared severe. The injured shop owner was rushed to a hospital by his family in the hope that timely medical care would help him recover. However, despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries while being taken for treatment, police said. The victim was identified as Yallappa Nayak, aged 48, who ran the pan shop to support his family. Police Case and Arrests Following the incident, Kakati police registered a case and began an investigation. Based on witness accounts and preliminary findings, four accused were arrested. They were identified as Prajwal Patil, Nikhil Chougule, Vivek Chougule and Shridhar. Police said all four are residents of Kadoli village and are aged between 20 and 24. Investigators are working to establish the exact sequence of events and determine the individual roles of each accused in the assault. Further legal action will follow based on the outcome of the investigation, police officials said. Shock in the Village News of Nayaks death has left residents of Bodakenatti and surrounding villages shaken. Locals said he was the sole breadwinner of his family and described him as someone who worked long hours to make ends meet. Many expressed disbelief that a disagreement over items worth only a few rupees could escalate into fatal violence. Residents have demanded strict action against those responsible and raised concerns about alcohol-fuelled disputes turning deadly. An Avoidable Tragedy Police officials noted that such incidents highlight how minor disputes, especially when combined with alcohol consumption, can spiral into serious crimes. As the investigation continues, the case has once again drawn attention to the fragile line between routine disagreements and irreversible consequences. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 14:40 IST News india Pan Shop Owner Sought Payment For Cigarettes, Customers Killed Him Instead Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... It was being used by Mr Olmstead as his bedside clock up until almost last year, reveals Schnipper. It was still at the bedside when I went back to the house to do the final valuation. Initially the client had agreed that she was going to sell everything except for that clock she didn't care about the value, she cared that it was his bedside clock and she had quite a sentimental attachment to it. But when she came in to discuss the final sale, she said well, you know, I could be persuaded to add something else. And I told her the reasons why she should add this clock, and she recognised the significance and the opportunity. Not that she was ever in it for the money; she just wanted it as an homage to her husband. And what an homage it was. Extraordinary not just for its provenance but for its mechanics and beauty too, the Emery clock is a perpetual calendar Presse-Papier desk timepiece featuring moon phases and 10-day up-down indication, housed in a lavishly engraved silver and gold case. It bears Emerys monogram, and Patek Philippe records confirm its manufacture and sale. I called the director and curator at the Patek Philippe Museum, Dr Peter Friess, who is a good friend, explains Schnipper. And I said, Peter, have you ever heard of a third one? He said no, definitely not. So I decided, hey, let's wait a week, just for the fun of it. Then I called back and said, guess what? Remember that clock I asked you about? Well, I think I have the third one. At which point he wanted the numbers, and he wanted the clock to come to Switzerland, because it went along with the two other big discoveries. PM Modi Imparts Life Lessons To Gen Next Through Pariksha Pe Charcha Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 20:41 IST PM Modi listened attentively to the children and responded to their questions in a unique style Rapid Read Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with students during the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 with PM' at his residence, in New Delhi. (PMO via PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a dialogue with students across the country on Friday, just before the commencement of board exams, through his signature programme, Pariksha Pe Charcha. Throughout the session, the Prime Minister didnt just offer excellent tips on studies and exams; he also imparted lessons on the things to focus on. The PMs endeavour is to guide the new generation in the right direction through the medium of exams. While the Prime Minister is often seen meeting domestic and foreign dignitaries on the lawns of his official residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, today was different. During the broadcast of Pariksha Pe Charcha, millions of students and their families saw him not with celebrities, but schoolchildren from various corners of India. For over an hour, Modi interacted with these students, with a deeply engrossing conversation. Although the theme was exams", he guided them on several significant life matters in a lighthearted manner. The tone of the conversation was reminiscent of a family guardian explaining things to children in a friendly, approachable way. Modis mastery of communication is well-established by his success in public life over the past five decades. Through his unique style, he won the trust of Gujarat and, since 2014, the entire nation, as he enters the 25th year of his administrative journey. However, his priority extends beyond staying in power or making India an economic superpower; it includes character building (Sanskar Sinchan) and preparing the youth, the TV and mobile phone viewers felt. The ninth edition of the programme was more practical and experience than previous versions. It was a confidence-booster for teenagers and also inclusive, as seen when Modi walked alongside a specially-abled student or through the participation of students from various parts of the country. The dialogue also served as a cultural lesson. Students were seen wearing the Gamcha, a symbol of cultural identity and respect from the Northeast, including Assam. Once a region suffering from neglect, Modi has brought the Northeast into the mainstream over the past twelve years not just economically, but through culture, dialogue, and communication. Seeing this garment on teenagers was a subtle effort by the PM to instill a sense of national unity. During the interaction, Modi appeared completely at ease among the children. They hardly felt they were speaking to the Prime Minister of Indiaa leader with a strong global identity, long-standing popularity, and whose words are listened to carefully across the world. PM Modi listened attentively to the children and responded to their questions in a unique style. From their expressions, it was clear how easily they were understanding him. While discussing examinations, Modi also spoke on pressing national issues, particularly those affecting adolescents and youth. Referencing a tragic incident in Ghaziabad where girls lost their lives due to gaming-related issues, he advised, Look at gaming as a skill. Dont avoid games, but view them as a skill to be learned. Say no to gambling and betting under the guise of gaming as it can ruin both individuals as well as their families." While interacting with children, Prime Minister Modi did not leave out the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is being discussed across the worldits impact, its scale, and how much it will change the world. Instead of instilling fear or anxiety about shrinking opportunities, Modi explained how children can use AI to make not only their studies but also their work easier. On issues such as how to maintain focus during exams, whether marks or skills matter more, how to score well in pre-boards, or how to cover unfinished syllabus portions, Modi guided students and also offered lessons to teachers. He said teachers should stay just one step ahead of students if they move fifty steps ahead, students will be left behind. Students of Class 12, especially those preparing for engineering or medical entrance exams, often struggle with deciding priorities. Modis clear advice was: First focus on board examinations, then worry about competitive exams. If board preparation is strong, competitive exams become easier. Modi has guided students on such dilemmas before as well, and even authored a book on the subject titled Exam Warriors. Clearly, whether through direct interaction or through his book, these tips are coming from someone who has not only won elections in the worlds largest democracy, but has also won a place in peoples hearts. Modi himself is a source of inspiration for millions of children from underprivileged and poor families. Born into a poor family in the small town of Vadnagar in Gujarats Mehsana district, Modi achieved success through focus on goals, extreme hard work, and relentless effortsuccess acknowledged by the world. Therefore, when Modi advises students to adopt these values, they trust him and remember his teachings. Modi often says that he dreams with open eyes, which is why his dreams turn into reality. He expects the same from the new generation, so that the dream of a Developed India by 2047 can become a reality. During his interaction with students, he said that not dreaming is a crimebut merely humming dreams while staying in the comfort zone will not work. To turn dreams into reality, one must work hard and maintain momentum. Modi has great expectations from millions of adolescents and youth. He knows that if they resolve to achieve something, they can accomplish any goal. That is why, under the pretext of discussing exams, he is engaging with them on life and societyso that Indias new generation can channel its immense energy toward achieving big goals and taking the country to new heights. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 20:41 IST News india PM Modi Imparts Life Lessons To Gen Next Through Pariksha Pe Charcha Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Police Cannot Arrest Accused To Simply Ask Questions: Supreme Court Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 20:37 IST An arrest is a discretionary tool for facilitating proper investigation, such as evidence collection, and should not be treated as mandatory, Supreme Court said. The Supreme Court of India. (File) In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court said that police cannot merely arrest an accused for the purpose of questioning. The Court emphasized that an arrest by a police officer is a discretionary statutory power, not a mandatory requirement. The bench, comprising Justices M M Sundresh and N K Singh, clarified that the power to arrest under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, should be viewed as a stringent objective necessity, rather than a convenient option for the police. It does not mean the police officer can arrest to simply ask questions. However, it means that the police officer must satisfy himself that the investigation, qua an offence punishable with imprisonment up to seven years, cannot proceed effectively without taking the concerned individual into custody. Any interpretation to the contrary would clearly frustrate the purpose and legislative intent of Sections 35(1)(b) and Sections 35(3) to 35(6) of the BNSS, 2023," the courts order reads. This decision came while the bench was hearing an appeal against an Allahabad High Court order and deliberating on whether notices under Section 35(3) of the BNSS, 2023, are mandatory in all cases involving offences punishable with imprisonment up to seven years. The Supreme Court highlighted that the power of arrest under these provisions is an exception, not a routine procedure, and police officers must exercise caution and restraint. An arrest is a discretionary tool for facilitating proper investigation, such as evidence collection, and should not be treated as mandatory. An arrest by a police officer is a mere statutory discretion which facilitates him to conduct proper investigation in the form of collection of evidence and, therefore, shall not be termed as mandatory," it said. For effecting an arrest, qua an offence punishable with imprisonment up to seven years, the mandate of Section 35(1)(b)(i) of the BNSS, 2023 along with any one of the conditions mentioned in Section 35(1)(b)(ii) of the BNSS, 2023 must be in existence," it said. The benchs order, issued in January but uploaded recently, stated that even if conditions for arrest under Section 35(1)(b) of the BNSS, 2023, are present, an arrest should only be made if absolutely necessary. The Supreme Court noted that a police investigation typically begins with the recording of information about an offence. It involves collecting evidence and ends with forming an opinion for filing a chargesheet. An arrest is an optional and discretionary act by a police officer, depending on the specifics of the case. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 20:37 IST News india Police Cannot Arrest Accused To Simply Ask Questions: Supreme Court Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Social Media Influencer 'Nonsane' Arrested In Kolkata For Allegedly Assaulting Girlfriend Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:36 IST The influencer was identified as Shamik Adhikary, who goes by the name Nonsane' on social media. Social Media Influencer Shamik Adhikary Arrested In Kolkata. (Image: Instagram) A popular social media influencer from Kolkata was arrested on Thursday evening after he was accused of forcibly detaining and molesting his girlfriend. The 22-year-old woman alleged that the influencer held her captive in his home for approximately 20 hours. The influencer was identified as Shamik Adhikary, who goes by the name Nonsane on social media. The woman claimed that while she was physically assaulted and threatened. A complaint has been filed with the police in connection to the case. According to the police, the accused is a resident of Behala, and the complainant is his girlfriend. As per the complaint, the woman on February 2 went to the influencers house due to their friendship. She alleged that he unlawfully detained her in his home from 9.30 pm that night until 5 pm the following day. During the time she was held captive, she was beaten and punched by the influencer, she alleged, adding that he touched her inappropriately and pulled her clothes. They were reportedly arguing over an issue, and the accused also allegedly threatened her. The young woman filed a written complaint against the young man at the Behala police station in south Kolkata on Thursday. Based on the complaint, the police registered an FIR against the social media influencer under Sections 127(2), 115(2), 74, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:36 IST News india Social Media Influencer 'Nonsane' Arrested In Kolkata For Allegedly Assaulting Girlfriend Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Can't Compel Anyone': Supreme Court Allows Maharashtra Woman To Terminate 30-Week Pregnancy Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:16 IST The Supreme Court allowed a woman from Maharashtra to terminate her 30-week pregnancy, holding that courts cannot compel any woman to continue an unwanted pregnancy. An AI-generated, representative image for pregnancy (News18) The Supreme Court on Friday permitted an 18-year-old Maharashtra woman, who has been a victim of sexual assault, to medically terminate her 30-week pregnancy. According to the details, the woman had conceived while she was a minor. As it passed the order, the court said it cannot compel any woman, much less a minor child", to continue an unwanted pregnancy when she has clearly expressed her unwillingness to do so. The case was heard by a Bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan. As reported by Live Law, the judges stressed that the central consideration before the court was the pregnant womans reproductive autonomy and bodily integrity, particularly given that she had become pregnant while she was a minor and was now unwilling to carry the pregnancy to term. In its order, the bench recorded that the decisive question was not whether the underlying relationship had been consensual or the result of sexual assault, but the minors present refusal to continue the pregnancy. What has to be considered in the instant case is the right of the minor child to continue a pregnancy which is ex facie illegitimate in as much as she is a minor and has to face this unfortunate situation of having the pregnancy owing to a relationship that she had," the court observed. It went on to state, If the interest of the mother is to be taken note of, then her reproductive autonomy must be given sufficient emphasis. The court cannot compel any woman, much less a minor child, to complete her pregnancy if she is otherwise not intending to do so." During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna acknowledged the moral and legal difficulty involved in such cases, particularly when termination is sought at an advanced stage of pregnancy. According to the report, she pointed out that women often take time to arrive at a decision about whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy, and that strict application of statutory gestational limits could drive vulnerable patients to unsafe alternatives. Whose interest do we look into? An unborn (illegitimate) child or the mother whos giving birth?" Justice Nagarathna asked in open court, adding that doctors frequently refuse procedures once statutory timelines are crossed. Sometimes it takes time to decide whether to terminate or not. Where will they go? To quacks and unauthorised doctors," she said. Reflecting further on the dilemma before the bench, Justice Nagarathna remarked, It is also difficult for us, but what to do. Should we compel her to give birth to a child? Because the child which will be born is also ultimately going to be a life. Then there is another question, that if she can terminate at 24 weeks, why not at 30 weeks?" Ultimately, she doesnt want to continue the pregnancy. Bottom line is she doesnt want to give birth, that is the difficulty," Justice Nagarathna said. Allowing the plea, the Supreme Court directed Mumbais JJ Hospital to undertake the medical termination of the pregnancy, while ensuring that all necessary medical safeguards are followed. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 14:14 IST News india 'Can't Compel Anyone': Supreme Court Allows Maharashtra Woman To Terminate 30-Week Pregnancy Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... TVK's Vijay To Pay Rs 1.5 Cr Income Tax Penalty After Madras High Court Rejects Plea Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 11:26 IST According to the tax authorities, documents seized during a 2015 search at Vijays residence indicated that he had not declared Rs 15 crore earned from the film Puli. Actor-turned-politician TVK Vijay The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by actor and Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay, who had challenged a Rs 1.5 crore penalty imposed by the Income Tax Department. Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorty rejected the plea and upheld the demand notice issued by the department. The penalty relates to the assessment year 201516 and concerns alleged non-disclosure of income. According to the tax authorities, documents seized during a 2015 search at Vijays residence indicated that he had not declared Rs 15 crore earned from the film Puli. Based on these findings, the department issued an order on June 30, 2022 imposing the penalty. Vijay, however, maintained that he had declared an income of Rs 35.42 crore for the financial year 201617 and challenged the departments action in court. A single judge had earlier admitted his petition on August 16, 2022 and granted interim relief by staying the operation of the penalty order. With Fridays ruling, the High Court has now dismissed his challenge and allowed the tax departments action to stand. Vijay argued that the penalty order ought to have been issued before June 30, 2019 and claimed that the delay made it invalid. The Income Tax Department, however, maintained that the action was lawful under the provisions of the Income Tax Act and urged the court to reject his petition. After considering both sides, the court agreed with the departments stand and dismissed Vijays plea. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 11:15 IST News india TVK's Vijay To Pay Rs 1.5 Cr Income Tax Penalty After Madras High Court Rejects Plea Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Weight Loss Drug Semaglutide Boom Pushes India To Consider Defining Biological Medicines Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 15:39 IST As peptide-based blockbusters such as semaglutide enter the Indian market, regulators are examining gaps in drug laws governing biological products. This will bring long-overdue legal clarity at a time when biologics and peptide-based therapies are rapidly reshaping the pharmaceutical landscape. (AI generated image) India is moving to formally define biological drugs under its medicines law, as the category expands with the launch of some of the worlds top-selling therapies, including anti-obesity and diabetes blockbuster semaglutide, News18 learnt. The move comes as drug regulators grapple with fast-evolving manufacturing technologies that blur the lines between synthetic medicines and biologically derived products, often produced within the same facility. The Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) is now set to deliberate on a proposal that seeks to introduce a legal definition of biological products, mandate origin-based labelling, and update legacy schedules under the Drugs Rules, 1945, to reflect modern biologics. The matter has now been formally placed before the apex drug approval panel, Drugs Technical Advisory Board, with the agenda document concluding that DTAB may kindly deliberate and give its recommendation in the matter." If approved, industry experts believe the changes would mark a significant overhaul of Indias biological drug regulation, bringing long-overdue legal clarity at a time when biologics and peptide-based therapies are rapidly reshaping the pharmaceutical landscape. The move is also significant considering India itself is planning to become hub of biological and biosimilar drug making with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing the BioShakti Pharma Hub" scheme in the union budget last Sunday. DTAB to examine gaps as synthetic and biological drugs converge According to the agenda document accessed by News18, the proposal has been triggered by a growing number of applications received by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, where manufacturers are seeking regulatory approval to produce both synthetic and recombinant products at the same site. The document said that CDSCO receives multiple applications wherein manufacturers seek permission to manufacture synthetic and r-DNA origin drug products in the same manufacturing facility." Regulatory agency in the document noted that this convergence has become especially prominent in peptide-based therapies. Certain peptide-based therapeutic products, such as Semaglutide and similar products are available in both synthetic and r-DNA origin and in injectable as well as oral dosage forms," the agenda paper says, underlining the regulatory complexity such products pose. While the existing framework allows limited flexibility, the regulator acknowledges that the rules lack clarity on core definitions. Schedule M of the Drugs Rules, 1945 provides provision for campaign-based manufacturing with appropriate cleaning validation and risk mitigation measures," the document said but adds that the substantive provisions of the Drugs Rules do not define Biological drugs." The absence of a formal definition has also created uncertainty around licensing, particularly when different categories of drugs are produced at the same location. The agenda paper flags that currently, there are no provisions on licensing overlap between facilities licensed under Form 28 and Form 28D at the same site," raising concerns about regulatory oversight, inspections and compliance. To address these gaps, the proposal recommends incorporating a definition of biological products" into both the Drugs Rules and the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019. Citing global standards, it reproduces the World Health Organizations definition, describing biological products as a product containing a substance produced by or extracted from biological sources, such as living cells or organisms, and which require complex manufacturing processes and control." The document further clarifies that biological products include vaccines, blood and blood components, allergenic, somatic cells gene therapies, tissues, recombinant therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies." Mandatory labelling coming soon? In a move aimed at improving transparency, the regulator has also proposed mandatory origin-based labelling. The agenda note states that mandatory labelling provisions may be introduced to clearly indicate the origin of the drug as Synthetic Origin, r-DNA Origin, Human Origin, or Animal Origin, as applicable." Additionally, the proposal calls for consequential amendments" to Schedule C and Schedule C1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945, to explicitly include biological-origin products in both parenteral and non-parenteral forms, reflecting the growing diversity of modern biological therapies. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 15:39 IST News india Weight Loss Drug Semaglutide Boom Pushes India To Consider Defining Biological Medicines Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... An Underarm Lump, Weight Loss And A Surprising Truth: How A 39-Year-Old Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 08:00 IST A shrinking body and a quiet underarm lump masked a dangerous truth, highlighting how easily breast cancer can hide in plain sight. What seemed like normal weight loss masked a dangerous truth. A painless underarm lump led to a breast cancer diagnosis at 39. (Image-AI) What looked like routine weight loss and a harmless underarm lump quietly masked a life-altering diagnosis, until one scan rewrote a 39-year-olds story and revealed a truth she never saw coming. At 39, life often feels predictable enough to trust your instincts. Weight changes began to make sense, small bodily changes felt harmless, and many women dismiss subtle signs as lifestyle shifts, stress, or ageing, especially when there is no significant pain. Explaining how easily this happens, Dr Utkarsh Ajgaonkar, Consultant, Surgical Oncology at TGH Onco Life Cancer Centre, says, Breast cancer can begin with very subtle or painless symptoms. Many women do not feel pain in the early stages. A small lump in the breast or underarm, slight skin thickening, or minimal shape changes may be the only signs." When Subtle Changes Feel Normal For Nehal, a 39-year-old nurse at a government hospital in Delhi, the changes felt routine at first. She had been consciously losing weight to stay fit, and her body was responding accordingly. Her breast size reduced slightly. Her clothes fit differently. None of it seemed unusual. I did not expect it to be breast cancer. Im a nurse myself and was losing weight to stay healthy and fit," she said. Breast cancer did not knock on the door loudly; it blended in with the physical changes. What she did not expect was how easily breast cancer could hide behind routine bodily changes. The lump did not feel alarming. There was no pain, no significant growth. With her medical background, Nehal assumed she would recognise something serious instantly. Somewhere during this phase, a lump developed in her armpit or axilla. It did not hurt. It did not draw attention. In fact, Nehal barely noticed it forming. While I was losing weight, I believe I developed a lump, because I never really noticed a lump growing on my armpit," she explained. According to Dr Ajgaonkar, this assumption is common. Many women dismiss breast or underarm lumps as harmless, especially when they are painless. Unfortunately, that is often how early breast cancer presents itself." What Studies Say Breast cancer begins as an abnormal growth of cells in breast tissue. According to the Mayo Clinic, After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. But breast cancer doesnt just happen in women. Everyone is born with some breast tissue, so anyone can get breast cancer." According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study published in July 2025, there is no standard definition of a normal" breast. Breasts may feel lumpy or uneven and can change due to menstruation, pregnancy, weight fluctuations, medications, or ageing. This wide range of normal often leads women to overlook early warning signs. For Nehal, the logic seemed simple. She was losing weight, so physical changes were expected. There were changes in my breast size which appeared normal to me initially since I was losing weight," she said. The underarm lump, she assumed, was a pus-filled pimple that would eventually resolve. The Trigger That Changed Her Perspective Awareness came unexpectedly. One day, while scrolling through Instagram, Nehal came across a post about breast health. When I came across a post on Instagram talking about breast health out of the blue, I guess that was a sign from the universe," she recalled. Prompted by curiosity, she examined her underarm and breast more closely. Still, she was not convinced that anything was wrong. I started checking my underarm and breast to spot any unusual lump and still thought it was a pus-filled pimple which had gotten big," she said. She consulted a physician at her hospital and explained the entire situation. Medication was prescribed to help the lump burst on its own. There was no improvement. Later, during a casual discussion with friends about a breast cancer case, something unsettled her. Something just struck my mind," Nehal said. That moment pushed her to consult an oncologist. A Diagnosis That Shattered Assumptions The scan confirmed what she had not prepared for- stage 2 breast cancer. It shook me," she admitted. Stage 2 breast cancer indicates that the tumour has grown and may have spread to nearby lymph nodes, but it remains treatable. Early detection significantly improves outcomes. Medical experts list common symptoms as breast or underarm lumps, changes in breast size or shape, nipple inversion, skin dimpling, peeling or flaking of the skin, and redness or darkening. Many of these overlap with benign conditions, making early detection difficult. Dr Ajgaonkar reiterates, Listening to your body and seeking timely medical advice can save your life. A simple check-up can bring clarity and peace of mind." The CDC study also highlights that while most breast lumps are non-cancerous, often caused by fibrocystic changes or cysts, any new or persistent lump should be evaluated promptly. Treatment and Its Toll Her breast cancer treatment began almost immediately after the diagnosis. Nehal underwent repeated screenings, lumpectomy, followed by radiation therapy. A phase she describes as the most physically and emotionally exhausting period of her life. The radiation sessions broke me," she said, adding that each visit felt heavier than the last. Explaining what patients often endure, Dr Ajgaonkar says, Common side effects of radiation therapy include fatigue, skin redness or irritation, hair loss in the treated area, and mild pain or swelling. These can be managed with adequate rest, nutritious food, and proper skin care, following the doctors instructions closely." I felt burned. My skin started turning dark, and the flaky skin and hair loss became impossible for me to bear," Nehal shared. Surgery, Loss, And Strength According to the Mayo Clinic, a lumpectomy, also known as partial mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery, involves removing only the cancer-affected portion of the breast and is often followed by radiation therapy to lower the risk of recurrence. Dr Ajgaonkar explains, Lumpectomy is very effective for early-stage breast cancer when combined with radiation therapy. In many cases, survival rates are similar to those of mastectomy, and the risk of recurrence remains low with proper follow-up." She underwent the surgery, which resulted in the removal of part of her left breast. My left side of the breast was removed," she said, describing a loss that went beyond the physical. Coming to terms with the change in her body took time. I felt incomplete for some time," Nehal admitted, reflecting on the emotional impact of the surgery. Gradually, however, healing reshaped her perspective. What once felt like a loss became a symbol of survival. Post-lumpectomy, doctors suggested radiation therapy for her to reduce the risk of recurrence. Radiation therapy uses powerful energy beams to destroy cancer cells, but it took a toll on her body. The physical discomfort was constant, but it was the emotional strain that weighed on her the most. Fear of the sessions, uncertainty about outcomes, and the relentless cycle of treatment left her drained. The Way To Recovery I used to cry day and night and was also scared to go through the sessions," she admitted. Yet, through the exhaustion and fear, Nehal found strength in her family. I stayed strong for my daughters and husband," she said, explaining how their presence gave her the courage to keep going even on days when she felt defeated. Over time, the treatment began to work. Scans eventually showed no trace of cancer, and Nehal was declared cancer-free. But the journey did not end there. The catch was the chances of relapse," she said. Doctors advised regular follow-ups every six months. Delivering a final message, Dr Ajgaonkar urges women not to delay care. Do not let fear or assumptions delay your healthcare. Many conditions, including cancer, are easier to treat when found early. Delaying treatment can impact outcomes. Be attentive and seek timely help." Nehals experience stands as a reminder that breast cancer does not always announce itself. It made me stronger, and I came out resilient," she said. Sometimes, the biggest diseases hide behind subtle symptoms, waiting to be questioned. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 08:00 IST News lifestyle An Underarm Lump, Weight Loss And A Surprising Truth: How A 39-Year-Old Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Karisma Kapoor Serves Bridgerton Vibes In A Sculptural Peach Couture Gown In Dubai Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 11:29 IST Karisma Kapoor channels regency-core glamour in a peach couture gown, proving statement fashion and effortless sophistication go hand in hand. Karisma Kapoors Bridgerton-inspired Dubai look delivers high drama. Dubais glittering skyline met its match when Karisma Kapoor stepped out in couture that felt less like an outfit and more like theatre. The actor didnt just attend an event. She staged a moment. Wrapped in a peach dreamscape of fabric and form, she turned the evening into a study in how drama, restraint, and star power can coexist. Calling it Bridgerton vibes" on Instagram, the look nodded to period romance, but what she delivered was far from costume. Instead, it was regency-core reimagined for the modern red carpet. It was opulent, sculptural, and unmistakably high fashion. A Modern Take On Period Romance The gown played with nostalgia without surrendering to it. Rendered in a soft peach tone, it echoed the delicate palettes of 19th-century ballrooms, yet its execution felt entirely contemporary. Rather than lace or corsetry, the statement came through structure bold, intentional, and architectural. It was romance with backbone. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karisma Kapoor (@therealkarismakapoor) The silhouette did the heavy lifting. A voluminous, wave-like skirt unfurled dramatically around her, its pleats engineered to create movement even while standing still. Each step produced a ripple effect, like silk caught mid-breeze. Up top, an off-the-shoulder neckline softened the grandeur. Three-dimensional floral appliques bloomed across the bodice, while crystal droplets and scattered rhinestones caught the light with every turn, giving the gown a near-celestial sparkle. The craftsmanship felt couture-level meticulous, tactile, and designed to be admired from every angle. Instead of overwhelming, the scale felt intentional. It framed Karisma, rather than swallowed her, underscoring her poise and presence. With a gown this commanding, excess would have tipped the scales. Karisma Kapoor kept her glam refined and strategic. A sleek, low ponytail with gentle waves brought polish, allowing the neckline to shine. Dewy skin added freshness, while smokey eyes and a shimmering lip introduced just enough modern edge. The result was harmony old-world glamour grounded in contemporary minimalism. More than just fashion, the look signalled something else: ease. At 51, Karisma wears statement dressing with the confidence of someone who knows exactly who she is. Theres no chasing trends here, only owning them. If regency-core is having a moment, Karisma Kapoor just gave it its most luxurious interpretation yet. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 11:29 IST News lifestyle fashion Karisma Kapoor Serves Bridgerton Vibes In A Sculptural Peach Couture Gown In Dubai Margot Robbie Gets Caught In The Rain In A Sheer Dress At Wuthering Heights Premiere Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 09:10 IST Margot Robbie wore a replica of Charlotte Bronte's bracelets, which was orginally made out her sisters' hair and acted as the inspiration for the gown. Margot Robbie is styled by Andrew Mukamal for the press tour of Wuthering Heights Margot Robbie continues on her Wuthering Heights press tour with her co-star Jacob Elordi. As rumours swirl about the duo possibly dating, one must admit that Margot Robbie does have a lot of chemistry with her much younger co-star. Whether they are ragebaiting the audience for views or are just two insanely good-looking actors who are working together, the fashion during this press tour has been off the charts. The bulk of this fashion superiority has been carried by Margot Robbie herself, with her stylist Andrew Mukamal. These two have even worked together during the premiere of Barbie in 2023, where they gave us some major fashion moments on the red carpet via method dressing. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Andrew Mukamal (@andrewmukamal) Carrying the legacy forward, Margot Robbie recently stepped out for the UK premiere of Wuthering Heights on Thursday in a sheer dress that left barely anything to the imagination. And no rain or winds would stop the actor from serving looks. Jacob Elordi, ever the gentleman, was seen on several occasions ensuring that his co-actor was protected from the rain. He was even snapped casually walking through the rain in his grey oversized suit, even as people around him had umbrellas. It was Margot Robbie who left many tongues wagging at Londons Leicester Square. She was seen in Georgian-inspired outfits to promote her role as the fierce heroine Catherine Earnshaw in Emerald Fennells much-anticipated adaptation of Emily Brontes novel, which is set for release on February 13. Margot wore a daring sheer Dilara Findikoglu gown, by a British designer, to show her love for the country. The dress had a Victorian-esque corset and green detailing made out of plaited hair. The entire skirt part of the dress was sheer, and it flowed into a long trail. The actor also shared that she was also wearing a replica of one of Charlotte Brontes bracelets, which was thought to be made out of her sisters Emily and Annes hair and acted as the inspiration for the gown, reported The Daily Mail. For the accessories, Margot Robbie wore a matching peachy-nude choker that had a checkered pattern, made with what looked like hair layered together to create it. In fact, the halter neck of the dress was also made with hair that was braided and bunched together to form an eerie design. She also wore custom shoes by Manolo Blahnik As for the actors own hair, she had it tied in a bun at the nape of her neck with voluminous curls, while her makeup was subtle. A pair of custom dangling silver earrings by Jessica Mccormack completed the look. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 09:10 IST News lifestyle fashion Margot Robbie Gets Caught In The Rain In A Sheer Dress At Wuthering Heights Premiere Orange Is The Hottest Colour Right Now! Just Ask Kylie Jenner And Bollywoods New It Girls Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 17:59 IST From LA red carpets to desi festive wear, orange is everywhere right now Orange Is The Hottest Colour Right Now! Just Ask Kylie Jenner And Bollywoods New It Girls Orange is having a serious fashion moment, and it is anything but subtle. From global pop royalty to Bollywoods most-watched style stars, the colour has gone from risky to irresistible. Credit where its due: Kylie Jenner, Triptii Dimri and Ananya Panday are each making a strong case for why orange deserves to be on your mind and in your closet right now! Whether its Kylie Jenners sultry figure-clinging dresses or Indian wear reimagined in rust, tangerine and marigold tones, orange has officially stepped into the spotlight. Taylor Swift too, has understood how colour tells a story. With her album The Life of a Showgirl, she introduced Portofino Orange, a warm, citrusy shade named after the Italian coastal town, and made it the visual signature of the era in 2025. Kylie Jenner And Timothee Chalamets Coordinated Orange Moment Orange made a high-impact appearance on the Hollywood red carpet when Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet stepped out together at the Los Angeles premiere of Chalamets new film Marty Supreme. The couple turned heads in matching Custom Hearts looks, according to Vogue. Jenner wore an orange, floor-length gown with sharp triangular cutouts, while Chalamet complemented her outfit in a similarly toned leather suit. Ananya Pandays Saree Takes On Orange Back home, Ananya Panday is proving orange works just as beautifully in Indian wear. She was recently seen in a Masaba rust Windrose crushed saree, priced at 35,000. The saree focuses on texture rather than heavy embellishment, with foil-printed pleats, a crushed pallu and applique detailing. She paired it with a golden gota blouse that added warmth and contrast, along with stacked bangles and statement earrings featuring blue and gold accents. In another standout look, Ananya wore a tangerine Banarasi brocade saree by Manish Malhotra in collaboration with Swadesh, woven with parrot motifs and finished with a zari border. Styled by Ami Patel, the blouse featured playful multiple back tie-ups finished with tiny Christmas ornaments. Triptii Dimris Festive Orange Anarkali Triptii Dimri took a different route with orange, choosing a vibrant anarkali by Drishti & Zahabia. The mix-print ensemble featured embroidery focused around the torso, paired with printed pants and a light organza dupatta. She paired it with statement gold earrings and bangles, while her soft waves and understated makeup kept the focus firmly on the colour and craftsmanship. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 17:57 IST News lifestyle fashion Orange Is The Hottest Colour Right Now! Just Ask Kylie Jenner And Bollywoods New It Girls 'Hui'an Night' and WEDS reception highlight women's development and international cooperation People's Daily Online) 16:54, February 05, 2026 The 2026 New Year reception of the Women Empowerment & Development Society in Asia-Africa (WEDS) and the "Hui'an Night" cultural event was held in Beijing on Feb. 4, bringing together diplomats and guests from more than 30 countries to promote friendship and cooperation on women's development. Ambassadors from 12 countries including Pakistan, Cambodia, Malawi and Mauritius, as well as representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan, Zambia and South Africa attended the event. Building consensus on women's development In her address, Zhao Meiling, president of WEDS, highlighted the association's 2025 achievements in promoting women's rights and cultural exchanges, and outlined prospects for future international cooperation. Ibrahima Sory Sylla, ambassador of Senegal to China, makes remarks. (People's Daily Online/Zhong Wenxing) Ibrahima Sory Sylla, ambassador of Senegal to China, said that exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African non-governmental organizations, particularly women's organizations, are an important component of the China-Africa friendship. Sylla noted that China has played an active role in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. He said that at the opening ceremony of the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized that women play an important role in creating, promoting and carrying forward human civilization and the international community has a shared responsibility to advance the cause of women. The promotion of women empowerment also fits with prominently in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027). Noting that 2026 marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Sylla said the initiative represents an important step in deepening China-Africa friendship. He expressed confidence that through deeper cooperation, China and Africa will seize opportunities amid global changes, achieve mutual benefit and jointly create a brighter future. Enduring appeal of intangible cultural heritage Photo shows a fashion show inspired by the Traditional Costumes of Hui'an Women. Photo provided to People's Daily Online. The "Hui'an Night" event opened with a fashion show inspired by the Traditional Costumes of Hui'an Women, a national-level intangible cultural heritage. The show integrated iconic elements such as yellow bamboo hats, floral headscarves and silver waist belts with modern design concepts. Located in southeast China's Fujian Province, Hui'an county has preserved a wealth of intangible cultural heritage. "We are daughters of the sea," said Zheng Xiaoyun, an inheritor of Traditional Costumes of Hui'an Women. She explained that the floral headscarf originated from the needs of coastal labor, while the silver waist belt symbolizes wealth and protection passed from mothers to daughters. Pascalle Siew, spouse of the Ambassador of Mauritius to China, experiences the intangible cultural heritage of Hui'an county. Photo provided to People's Daily Online. Pascalle Siew, spouse of the Ambassador of Mauritius to China, spoke highly of the performances. She said that although she has been in China for only a few weeks, she has been deeply impressed by the richness and diversity of Chinese culture. She added that China's achievements in advancing women's development and the important role women play in society offer a positive example for global women's empowerment. Officials from Hui'an County said the "Hui'an Night" event plays a key role in raising Hui'an's international profile and promoting openness and regional development. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Wu Chengliang) Some of the most influential voices inside and outside the island believe that the regime is at a critical juncture that threatens its survival A statement from the Cuban Presidency announced that at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 5, its YouTube channel would broadcast an address by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, the first time he would be stepping away from X posts and take up a microphone to address the Cuban people since the escalation of tensions with Washington began. Jose Daniel Ferrer, the renowned leader of the Cuban opposition, tuned in to the address, carefully analyzing and weighing each of the presidents words. He didnt say anything new, just what theyve always said, he asserted afterwards. He was alluding to the Castro regimes willingness to establish a dialogue with the United States, at a time of economic crisis that has cornered the Havana power elite. What Ferrer saw on YouTube was not just a politician who is the last vestige of Castroism, but also a very worried man. He knows that the situation the regime is facing is more difficult, more complex, he says from Miami, where he arrived after being released from prison in mid-October, following the Cuban governments agreement to his release in exchange for his departure into exile. The Cuban people are demonstrating more and more each day that they dont want them, and the pressure from the U.S. administration is precise. Four months after his expulsion, Ferrer has once again considered the possibility of returning. If I see the Cuban people in the streets tomorrow, courageous and resolute, determined not to return home until the true transition to democracy begins, Ill go back to Cuba, even if its in a raft. Ill take the risk and go back, he says. Minorkys Hoyos Ruiz cooking with coal in Santa Cruz del Norte, Cuba, on February 3. Ramon Espinosa (AP) Trash on January 22 on a street in Havana, where it is piling up due to fuel shortages. Ernesto Mastrascusa (EFE) A residential area in the outskirts of Havana on January 26. NORLYS PEREZ (REUTERS) Drivers lining up at a gas station in Havana on January 30. Ramon Espinosa (AP) A street in Havana during a blackout on July 1, 2025. Ernesto Mastrascusa (EFE) People wait in line to enter a bank branch in Havana on January 26. Norlys Perez (REUTERS) What will happen on the island remains a mystery after losing Venezuela as its main oil supplier, and given the pressure the Trump administration is exerting on another supplier like Mexico. The strategy, according to statements coming from Washington, is not a military attack on Havana like the one orchestrated in Caracas, but rather economic strangulation. THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA ZERO!, the Republican president posted on his Truth Social platform a few days ago. He also warned that Cuba will fall very soon, some speculate before the end of the year. Even so, no one knows exactly what the U.S. government might be planning. Ferrer, who met personally with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in November, explained his position to the Cuban-American. The U.S. government should not take half measures with the Castro-communist regime, he stated. For the U.S. administration, there will be no negotiations without an end to the repression and the beginning of a transition to democracy in Cuba. Nor can there be dialogue, he says, without a general amnesty for all Cuban political prisoners, guaranteeing that the government cannot return them to their prisons. In January of last year, more than 500 people were released through the Vaticans mediation and negotiations with the Joe Biden administration, after Washington removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, to which Trump reinstated it on his first day in the White House. Ferrer was a bargaining chip, one of the prisoners released at that time. Three months later, the Cuban authorities could no longer tolerate his activism. They imprisoned him again. Dialogue as a strategy In Havana, Manuel Cuesta Morua, president of the Council for the Transition in Cuba, says that people on the island are living with a mixture of powerlessness, uncertainty, anguish, and tension. Everyone wants change, Morua asserts, adding that he also took note of the Cuban presidents words, despite a speech lasting more than two hours that many consider rambling. What he observed, he says, is that the government is trying to appease its inner circle so as not to lose the legitimacy it has already lost with society, and is attempting to get the international community to begin an informal mediation in favor of the regime. He also noted throughout the speech that Diaz-Canel was strongly imploring the reestablishment of a formal line of dialogue. Despite Trumps statement a few days ago that they were holding high-level negotiations with Havana, Cubas Deputy Foreign Minister, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, asserted in an interview with the EFE news agency that this dialogue has not yet begun. However, Cuban activist Carolina Barrero, director of the organization Citizenship and Freedom, believes that the concept of dialogue to which the Cuban government alludes is a survival strategy from which the regime obtains oxygen. In moments of suffocation, it feigns openness to allow the injection of capital essential for its survival. Once stabilized, it closes down. Thus, the power structure remains intact. We saw it with Carter, we saw it with Obama, and now it is being tried out with Trump. While the regime negotiates, it demands more sacrifice and more endurance from its population. The question Washington should be asking itself is not whether Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue or negotiation. The question is whether the United States, and also Europe, are willing to be, once again, the life support of a dictatorship. A driver refuels a motorcycle as other drivers wait in a long line at a gas station in Havana on January 30. Ramon Espinosa (AP) At four oclock in the afternoon in Spain, the lawyer and activist Roberto Veiga, a member of the Cuban Democratic Coalition (DFrente), listened attentively to what the Cuban president had to say from Havana. He is certain that dialogue between the two governments will be impossible without addressing Cubas internal politics, as has happened in the past. For there to be an internal process in Cuba that truly leads to a solution, there would have to be a parallel process with the U.S., dismantling the mechanisms of confrontation. He also insisted that there can be no dialogue without the participation of Cuban society, with all its civil and political actors, both on and off the island. The solution to the suffering of the people must be at the center of the debate, as the primary objective of any negotiation with the United States and among Cubans. It is not possible to sacrifice the people for political interests, he insisted. Some are far more forceful regarding any agreement or dialogue that Havana and Washington might establish. The crisis has no solution within socialism. We will not accept any more sacrifices or any more special periods, said Rosa Maria Paya, a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Together with the Pasos de Cambio (Steps for Change) platform, comprised of opposition groups and Cuban civic organizations, she is promoting a transition plan that addresses the humanitarian catastrophe while proposing an irreversible institutional change toward the rule of law and free elections. While the people are being told to use animal traction and coal, the military elite has $18 billion in offshore accounts, Paya argues. The regime is a failed state with territorial control, but incapable of providing basic services due to the ineptitude and corruption of the military in power. The only way to recover electricity, water, freedom, and rights is through systemic change. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Triptii Dimri Turns Heads In Burnt Orange Anarkali For Promotions Of New Film With Madhuri Dixit Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 09:22 IST Triptii Dimri made a stylish appearance at Netflix Indias slate event, impressing fans with her minimal orange Anarkali Triptii Dimri chose a vibrant orange Anarkali that struck the right balance between festive and effortless. Triptii Dimri has steadily built a space for herself in the film industry, not just through her choice of roles but also with her understated and refined sense of style. Known for keeping her fashion clean and minimal, the actor once again made a strong impression when she stepped out for Netflix Indias slate announcement event in Mumbai. The occasion marked the official announcement of her upcoming Netflix film Maa Behen, where she will be seen sharing screen space with Madhuri Dixit. While the project generated plenty of excitement, Triptiis outfit for the evening also became a talking point online. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Triptii Dimri (@tripti_dimri) Triptii Dimri dons an orange anarkali For the event, Triptii Dimri chose a vibrant orange Anarkali that struck the right balance between festive and effortless. Designed by the label Drishti & Zahabia, the ensemble featured a mix-print Anarkali with embroidery concentrated around the torso. She paired it with printed pants and a light organza dupatta, creating a look that felt graceful yet comfortable. The outfit stood out for its simplicity, making it ideal for a long day of appearances without appearing overdone. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Triptii Dimri (@tripti_dimri) She elevated the look with statement gold earrings and matching bangles, adding just enough shine to complement the rich hue of the outfit. Her soft waves and subtle makeup further enhanced the overall aesthetic, allowing the craftsmanship of the attire to take centre stage. Fans and fashion watchers were quick to appreciate how Triptii stayed true to her minimal style while still making a strong statement. Triptii Dimris upcoming projects View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) Maa Behen is described as a heartwarming comedy-drama that explores the bond between a mother and daughter. Set against a backdrop of emotional highs, humour and a touch of mystery, the film aims to present family dynamics in a relatable and engaging way. The project also reunites Triptii and Madhuri Dixit after their collaboration in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Netflix announced the film with a playful caption, hinting at the chaos and fun that lies at the heart of the story. The film is directed by Suresh Triveni. On the work front, Triptii also has ORomeo lined up for a theatrical release on February 13. The film features Shahid Kapoor in the lead and boasts an ensemble cast that includes Avinash Tiwary, Disha Patani, Nana Patekar, Farida Jalal and special appearances by Vikrant Massey and Tamannaah Bhatia. With multiple projects across platforms, Triptii Dimri continues to stay firmly in the spotlight. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 09:22 IST News lifestyle fashion Triptii Dimri Turns Heads In Burnt Orange Anarkali For Promotions Of New Film With Madhuri Dixit How Consuming Unwashed Fruits Can Fuel Nipah Transmission During Outbreaks Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 12:10 IST Doctors warn that unwashed fruits may carry Nipah virus, bacteria, and pesticides. Learn simple food safety steps to prevent serious infections during outbreaks. Beyond Nipah, unwashed fruits can also carry other bacteria, parasites, and environmental contaminants. A fresh apple straight from the market or a mango picked off the tree often feels harmless, even wholesome. But during outbreak season, that same fruit can quietly become a carrier of viruses, bacteria, and chemicals invisible to the eye. What looks clean isnt always safe. Health experts say skipping a proper wash could expose you to infections far more serious than a simple stomach upset. Originating in fruit bats, the Nipah virus can spread to animals and humans through contaminated food and close contact. Once infected, patients can develop severe and often fatal illness, making prevention and early awareness absolutely critical," says Dr. Vikram Vora, Medical Director, International SOS (Indian Subcontinent). How Fruit Becomes A Silent Carrier Fruit bats, the natural reservoir for Nipah, often feed on orchard produce at night. In the process, they leave behind saliva, urine, or partially eaten fruit. The contamination may not be visible, yet it can remain infectious. Dr. Tanu Singhal, Consultant, Pediatrics and Infectious Disease, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, explains, These bats can shed the virus through saliva, urine, or droppings while feeding on fruits. The virus can survive for three to seven days on the fruit surface." What makes this particularly dangerous is how normal the fruit looks. Contamination is not always obvious. Consuming such fruits without thorough washing or peeling can provide a direct route for the virus to enter the body," she adds. Understanding The Nipah Risk Nipah virus isnt just another seasonal illness. It has a high fatality rate and progresses rapidly. According to Dr. Vora, transmission can occur through contaminated food, infected animals, or even close contact with infected individuals. Symptoms may begin mildly with fever, headache, vomiting, and muscle pain, but can escalate quickly to brain inflammation, confusion, seizures, and coma. There is no specific antiviral or vaccine. Medical care focuses on managing symptoms, which makes prevention absolutely essential," he notes. In regions reporting outbreaks, travellers and residents alike must be vigilant about food hygiene and environmental exposure. Its Not Just One Virus While Nipah headlines the risk, its only part of the problem. Consuming unwashed fruits and vegetables can expose you to bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter," says Dr. Manisha Arora, Director Internal Medicine at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi. Viral infections like norovirus and other food poisoning pathogens are also common. Symptoms can range from diarrhoea and vomiting to persistent fever and severe dehydration. Vulnerable groups children, pregnant women, and the elderly face higher risks. Theres also a chemical angle. Pesticides can accumulate over time and are linked to long-term health problems such as hormonal disruption, neurological issues, and even cancer," she cautions. Simple Steps That Protect Your Family Fortunately, prevention is straightforward. All three doctors agree on practical measures: wash fruits thoroughly under running water, peel where possible, discard fallen or partially eaten produce, and avoid raw date palm juice unless boiled. Dr. Arora recommends soaking fruits in a mild salt or vinegar solution and using a brush for thick skins. Hand hygiene and proper storage further reduce contamination. These basic food safety measures are a critical part of personal protection," says Dr. Singhal. In outbreak season, safety isnt about fear, but its about habit. A few extra seconds spent washing and peeling fruit can significantly reduce exposure to life-threatening infections. When treatment options are limited, hygiene becomes the most powerful medicine. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 12:10 IST News lifestyle health-and-fitness How Consuming Unwashed Fruits Can Fuel Nipah Transmission During Outbreaks Celina Jaitly On Fighting For Detained Brother: As A Sister, Stepping Back Was Never An Option Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 23:09 IST After a 17-month legal battle, actress Celina Jaitly secures a court order for her brothers defense in the UAE, vowing to protect his rights and dignity. Celina Jaitly's brother Maj. (Rtd.) Vikrant Kumar Jaitly has been detained in the UAE since September last year. For actress Celina Jaitly, the last 17 months have been a grueling test of endurance, faith, and familial loyalty. Since September 2024, her brother, Major (Retd) Vikrant Jaitly, has been detained in the UAE without a formal defense. However, a significant breakthrough arrived this Tuesday when the Delhi High Court ordered the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to appoint local legal counsel in Abu Dhabi to represent the veteran. The court has authorized the UAE-based firm Khalid Almarri Partners and Advocates to take up the case. This development offers the first real ray of hope" for the family. Reflecting on the exhaustion of the journey, Celina remains resolute about her refusal to give up. My brother was unable to speak for himself, and I knew that silence would only deepen his vulnerability," she told Hindustan Times. For Celina, the motivation was deeply personal. Vikrant is my only immediate family after my three sons Even on days when there was no response, no clarity, and no immediate relief, I was guided by the belief that persistence is often the only way to ensure accountability. As a sister, stepping back was never an option. The conviction that sustained effort, however exhausting, was necessary to protect his rights and dignity is what kept me going," the actor says. The circumstances surrounding Vikrants detention remain shrouded in mystery. After retiring from the Indian Army, Vikrant moved to Dubai to co-found a company with his wife, Charul Jaitly. Interestingly, Celinas sister-in-law is not a party to the current petition. When asked about the role of other family members in the sequence of events, Celina maintained a cautious but firm stance. There are significant unanswered questions surrounding the sequence of events following my brother being taken. The fact of the matter is that my brother will receive legal representation only today, seventeen months since his abduction, through my petition before the Honble Delhi High Court, to which my sister-in-law is not a party," she reveals. As the matter is sub judice, Celina is avoiding conjecture, but she insists that transparency, consistency, and credibility" must guide the case. Her Indian counsel, Raghav Kacker, notes that the immediate priority is securing power of attorney and a face-to-face meeting with Vikrant. With a court-mandated deadline of February 10 to gain access to him, the family finally hopes to understand the charges and begin the process of bringing the soldier home. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 23:09 IST News movies bollywood Celina Jaitly On Fighting For Detained Brother: As A Sister, Stepping Back Was Never An Option Hollywood Actor Timothy Busfield Indicted For Sexual Contact With Child Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 07, 2026, 01:44 IST Actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted on four felony counts of criminal sexual contact with a child following allegations from the set of "The Cleaning Lady." Timothy Busfield faces four felony counts following a grand jury indictment. The legal ordeal for veteran Hollywood actor Timothy Busfield escalated significantly on Friday, February 6, 2026. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced that a grand jury has officially indicted the 68-year-old actor on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. The charges, all classified as third-degree felonies, stem from allegations involving 11-year-old twin boys on the New Mexico set of the TV series The Cleaning Lady. The Grand Jury Indictment and Allegations The indictment moves the case directly toward a trial, bypassing the need for a preliminary evidentiary hearing. District Attorney Bregman emphasized the gravity of the Special Victims Units case, stating, As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial." The allegations center on incidents reported to have occurred between November 2022 and early 2024. According to court documents, an investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department stated that one boy reported being touched inappropriately over his clothing multiple times when he was 7 and 8 years old. His twin brother also reportedly told authorities he was touched by Busfield but initially kept silent out of fear of getting in trouble. Prosecutors have characterized the behavior as a pattern of grooming, a claim the defense has vehemently contested. Defense Slams Case as Fundamentally Unsound" In response to the indictment, Busfields civil attorney, Stanton Larry" Stein, issued a scathing statement, suggesting the grand jurys decision was more of a procedural formality than a reflection of the cases strength. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich," Stein remarked. He argued that the District Attorney is proceeding with a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial," citing fatal weaknesses" exposed during previous detention hearings. Busfield, best known for his roles in The West Wing and Field of Dreams, has maintained his absolute innocence since the warrant for his arrest was first issued in January. Before surrendering to authorities on January 13, he released a video statement saying, I did not do anything. Theyre all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and Im gonna fight it." Currently, Busfield remains out of custody on his own recognizance following a January 20 ruling by Judge David Murphy. While he is allowed to travel under supervision, he is strictly prohibited from having contact with the alleged victims, their families, or any minor children unsupervised. As the Special Victims Unit prepares for trial, Busfields team has already begun seeking to discredit the allegations, claiming they were born of retaliation after the children lost their roles on the show. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) First Published: February 07, 2026, 01:44 IST News movies hollywood Hollywood Actor Timothy Busfield Indicted For Sexual Contact With Child Obsessed Fan Faked Being Martin Scorseses Aide To Track THIS Actress, Then Stabbed Her 10 Times Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:20 IST Theresa Saldana survived a brutal 1982 attack by Arthur Richard Jackson, rebuilt her life, earned a Golden Globe nod for The Commish, and died in 2016 at age 61. Theresa Saldana was a star on the rise in 1982 Theresa Saldanas rise in Hollywood should have been defined by buzzy roles and big-name collaborators. Instead, one terrifying morning in 1982 turned her life upside down, exposing the dark side of celebrity obsession in the most violent way imaginable. Saldana, who had gained widespread recognition after appearing in Martin Scorseses Raging Bull alongside Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, was nearly killed when a stranger attacked her outside her West Hollywood apartment. The actress was just 27 at the time and considered a promising talent following her performances in Raging Bull and the 1980 film Defiance. The man behind the attack was Arthur Richard Jackson, a 46-year-old drifter from Aberdeen, Scotland. Investigators later revealed that Jackson had developed an intense fixation on Saldana after watching her films. His obsession escalated to the point where he hired a private investigator to locate her family. Through that search, he obtained her mothers unlisted phone number. Jackson then made a calculated move. He called Saldanas mother and falsely claimed to be Martin Scorseses assistant, saying he needed the actresss home address to discuss a potential film role. With that information, he traveled to Los Angeles and waited outside her apartment building armed with a hunting knife. On the morning of March 15, 1982, Jackson approached Saldana as she was unlocking her car and stabbed her repeatedly. According to a PEOPLE report published in 1989, the assault was so violent that the knife bent during the attack. Although several people witnessed the incident, it was delivery driver Jeff Fenn who intervened, wrestling the weapon away from Jackson and likely saving Saldanas life. By the time paramedics rushed Saldana to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, her condition was critical. As PEOPLE reported, most of the blood had drained from her body and her heart had stopped." Doctors performed emergency heart and lung surgery, and she required 26 pints of blood. Against the odds, she survived. Jackson was arrested at the scene and later convicted of attempted murder and inflicting great bodily injury. During the trial, his behavior remained disturbing. Los Angeles prosecutor Michael Knight said Jackson "would just sit there and stare at Theresa." He received the maximum sentence of 12 years in prison. That term was later extended after he was found guilty of sending threatening letters to Saldana from Vacaville State Prison, according to the Los Angeles Times. One of those letters, sent to producer Jonathan Felt, carried a chilling warning: I am capable of alternating between sentiment and savagery, romance and reality. Police or FBI protection for T. S. wont stop the hit squad." After serving his sentence, Jackson was extradited to the United Kingdom, where British authorities took custody of him in connection with murder charges stemming from a 1967 London bank robbery. Despite the trauma, Saldana rebuilt her life. As detailed in PEOPLEs 1989 report, she later married actor Phil Peters, and the couple welcomed a daughter, Tianna Saldana Peters. Speaking to PEOPLE while six months pregnant, she said, Im very happy. Newly married, having a baby my moms first grandchild. We have a lot of exciting things happening. I dont live my life thinking about Arthur Jackson. I really dont." Saldana continued working steadily and earned a Golden Globe nomination in 1994 for her supporting role as Rachel Scali on the television series The Commish. She died on June 6, 2016, at the age of 61, after being hospitalized with pneumonia. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:20 IST News movies hollywood Obsessed Fan Faked Being Martin Scorseses Aide To Track THIS Actress, Then Stabbed Her 10 Times Rapper Lil Jon Devastated As Son Nathan Smith Found Dead In Georgia Pond After Search Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 07, 2026, 03:46 IST Rapper Lil Jon is mourning the tragic loss of his son, Nathan Smith, whose body was recovered from a Georgia pond days after being reported missing from his home. Lil Jon and son Nathan Smith. (Courtesy: Instagram) A devastating search for the missing son of rapper and producer Lil Jon has come to a tragic conclusion. On Friday, February 6, 2026, the Milton Police Department announced that search teams recovered a body believed to be 27-year-old Nathan Smith from a pond in Mayfield Park, Georgia. Nathan, who performed under the stage name DJ Young Slade, had been the subject of an intense multi-agency search since he disappeared from his residence earlier in the week. The alarm was first raised on Tuesday, February 3, when Nathan reportedly left his home around 6 a.m. under what authorities described as unusual circumstances." According to the initial missing person report, Nathan had run out of the house barefoot and without his phone, leading investigators to believe he may have been disoriented and in need of assistance." The search effort quickly expanded from a local neighborhood canvass to include K-9 units and dive teams from several surrounding counties. At approximately 11:53 a.m. on Friday, divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department discovered a body in the water near Nathans residence. While official confirmation from the Fulton County Medical Examiner is pending, the Milton Police Department stated they believe the individual is Nathan. Authorities have noted there is no indication of foul play," though the investigation remains open and active. Shortly after the police announcement, Lil Jon released a poignant statement expressing the profound grief felt by him and Nathans mother, Nicole Smith. I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother and I are devastated," the rapper shared. He described Nathan as a light in their lives, noting, Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest." Nathan was a rising star in his own right, having followed his fathers footsteps into the music industry. An NYU graduate and a talented producer and engineer, he was known for his work as DJ Young Slade and had recently appeared on the Paramount+ series Family Legacy. Lil Jon expressed pride in his sons accomplishments and found a small measure of solace in their final moments together: We loved Nathan with all of our hearts and are incredibly proud of him. He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together were comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Los Angeles, United States of America (USA) First Published: February 07, 2026, 03:46 IST News movies hollywood Rapper Lil Jon Devastated As Son Nathan Smith Found Dead In Georgia Pond After Search Amid Jana Nayagan Delay, MIB Says Film Certification Time Reduced To 18 Days Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 10:12 IST Jana Nayagan, H Vinoths Vijay-starrer, faces CBFC delays despite MIB data showing film certification now averages 18 days. Vijay's final film is Jana Nayagan. Even as one of Tamil cinemas most talked-about films remains stuck in certification trouble, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has offered a snapshot of how fast and how often the censor process is moving these days. Fresh data shared in Parliament shows that film certification timelines have shortened significantly, even as disputes continue to land before revising panels and courts. H Vinoths Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan, widely seen as the actors final film before his political entry, is still awaiting clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The delay has drawn attention just as the MIB informed the Lok Sabha that the average time taken to certify a film has now come down to 18 days. Responding to a question raised by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan said the reduction in timelines is the result of the Online Certificate System. He noted that the current average is well below the prescribed limit of 48 days for film certification. Short films, he added, are now being cleared in about three days. The CBFC functions under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, along with the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. Following the abolition of the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) in 2021, the ministry has also been tracking how many films are being challenged before the revising committee (RC) and the High Court (HC). According to data released by the MIB, 55 films were taken to the revising committee during 2025 so far, while 10 films were challenged before the High Court in the same period. The ministry stated that the revising committee is completing its reviews within the time limits laid down under Rule 37(7) of the Cinematograph (Certification) Rules, 2024. Clarifying when changes are sought, the ministry said, Cuts or modifications are recommended only if the content violates statutory parameters concerning sovereignty and integrity of India, security, public order, decency, morality, defamation, contempt of court or incitement to offence." It added that filmmakers who disagree with CBFC decisions have the option of approaching the High Court. The Government is committed to maintaining a transparent and accountable certification process, while protecting creative freedom and discharging its obligations under the Cinematograph Act," the ministry said. Meanwhile, Jana Nayagan continues to face uncertainty. The film was initially slated for a January 9 theatrical release. Its producer, KVN Productions, has stated that the film was submitted to the CBFC on December 18 and that the examining committee informed them on December 22 that the film would receive a UA 16+ certificate, subject to 14 cuts and modifications. After the process stalled, the producer approached the Madras High Court seeking faster certification and was told the film would be referred to the revising committee. Although a single judge later directed the CBFC to certify the film, the board obtained a stay from a division bench. A subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court resulted in the producer being asked to seek relief again from the High Court. So far, the matter has been sent back to a single-judge bench, with no final relief granted. Both the CBFC and the films producers have declined to confirm whether Jana Nayagan was sent to the revising committee after the latest court proceedings. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 10:12 IST News movies regional-cinema Amid Jana Nayagan Delay, MIB Says Film Certification Time Reduced To 18 Days Global Watch: Women Fighters And The New Face Of The Baloch Insurgency Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 18:40 IST Their presence signals a transformation of the Baloch insurgency from a predominantly male guerrilla movement into a broader societal revolt The mothers and daughters who once sat outside press clubs holding photographs of their sons have concluded that the state listens only to force. Representational image/Reuters The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched what analysts describe as its most expansive operation in decades on January 30, with its fighters attacking military and government installations at nearly 48 locations across 14 cities, including the provincial capital, Quetta. For almost a week, the Pakistan Army struggled to regain control, even as it declared its clearance operations" had concluded on February 5, while local media reports stated that BLA fighters continued to maintain control over several arterial roads. While the scale and intensity of the attack red-faced Pakistans intelligence and security grid, the most consequential shift was not tactical but social, with women visible on the front lines, carrying rifles, addressing cameras and, in several cases, conducting suicide attacks. Their presence signals a transformation of the Baloch insurgency from a predominantly male guerrilla movement into a broader societal revolt. The BLA has identified three of the four suicide attackers as women. They include 24-year-old Asifa Mengal, who struck the Counter Terrorism Department (which functions as ISIs field offices) headquarters in Noshki; 21-year-old Hawa Baloch alias Dorshum, who targeted security forces in Gwadar; and 60-year-old Hatam Naz Sumalani alias Gul Bibi. In video footage released by the groups media wing, Hakkal, Ghazi Dur Jan Baloch, described as a commando of its Fateh Squad, is shown speaking calmly from a battlefield before being extracted after three days of fighting on the frontline. In another widely circulating video clip, 29-year-old Yasma Baloch alias Zarina is seen sitting beside her husband, a combatant in Pasni, shortly before both were killed, as per another media release by the group. While Baloch women have participated in nationalist politics before, it was never so openly in insurgency combat roles, even though a few suicide attacks have been carried out by women in recent years. For many observers, this marks the mainstreaming" of the insurgency, evidencing that the conflict has penetrated the intimate core of Baloch society, where mothers, daughters and grandmothers are no longer only mourners of the disappeared but are becoming fighters themselves. It is true that armed movements across the world have often relied on women, from the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka to Kurdish militias in Syria. Scholars have noted that when women cross the threshold from support roles to direct violence, it usually indicates two things. Firstly, it shows the widening base of legitimacy of armed insurgency for a political cause and, secondly, and more importantly, it highlights the closure of non-violent avenues to voice grievances. In the case of Balochistan, both of these conditions are present. Pakistans decades of militarised governance in the region have eroded traditional spaces of dissent, with much of its popular leadership humiliated by the countrys elite class, as was done with Akhter Mengal in 2024. The province, which was annexed by Pakistan in 1948 after a brief period of contested independence, has experienced repeated waves of insurgency in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and again since the early 2000s, with the Pakistani state using heavy-handed counterinsurgency. Moreover, even as political institutions exist in Balochistan, they function largely as extensions of the security establishment, with the Quetta cantonment commander seen as more powerful than the elected chief minister of the province. Balochistan is Pakistans largest province, yet its poorest. It sits atop vast reserves of gas, copper and gold, but local communities see little benefit, as most of these resources are used by the Punjab-centric politico-military elite to fuel the development of Punjab and Punjabis. Pakistan has further allowed China to undertake mega resource-extraction projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), thereby deepening resentment and bringing further militarisation without any dividend for locals. Pakistans government has also auctioned provincial resources to US President Donald Trump to seek military incentives as it hedges between Washington and Beijing. While the state narrative frames the insurgency as the work of a few extremists, the ground reality presents a far more complicated picture. The current wave of rebellion, which is the longest phase of the Baloch insurgency, began in the early 2000s after the killing of nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti by the Pakistan Army. Since then, groups such as the BLA have steadily expanded recruitment, drawing not only from tribal fighters but also from urban youth and educated professionals, thereby helping it sustain and grow despite multiple campaigns by the Pakistan Army. The latest attack by the BLA, described as Operation Hurof 2, reflects this evolution. In its earlier iteration, BLA fighters demonstrated sophisticated coordination by hijacking a train carrying off-duty soldiers in the remote Bolan region last year, an operation that lasted more than two days, during which the Pakistan Army suffered dozens of casualties. The January 30 attack went further and revealed an organisation capable of simultaneous urban warfare across half the province. Womens participation fits this trajectory, with their entry into the battlefield carrying more than symbolic weight. In conservative Baloch culture, where women are often viewed as custodians of honour and continuity, their willingness to leave their homes to take up arms, and their readiness to kill and die, communicates that the conflict has moved beyond factional militancy into a collective grievance. Families that once discouraged sons from joining now watch daughters volunteer. For Islamabad, this signifies that the very social contract of Pakistan has collapsed in Balochistan. A state usually claims moral agency to present itself as the protector of its people, but in Balochistan that bond appears to have long frayed. Here, leaders are widely viewed as appointees of the security apparatus, and elections as an engineered spectacle. The closure of civic space for voicing grievances in the region is central to understanding why women now pick up guns. When the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) organised long marches seeking accountability for the Pakistan Armys conduct and the whereabouts of over 8,000 forcibly disappeared people in the province, it was banned, with many of its prominent leaders, including Dr Mahrang Baloch, imprisoned. Therefore, the mothers and daughters who once sat outside press clubs holding photographs of their sons have concluded that the state listens only to force. In that sense, the rise of female fighters is not merely a military development but a moral indictment. The 60-year-old Gul Bibi, before her transformation into a suicide attacker as Hatam Naz, was injured during her disappearance by the Pakistan Army for four months a decade ago, in 2016. When the state treats an entire population as suspect, insurgents find fertile ground. The presence of women in combat is thus a mirror held up to Islamabad: it reflects the failure of politics and the triumph of coercion. The Pakistan Army insists it will defeat the insurgents through force, as the latest DG-ISPR statement declares the conclusion of clearance operations against BLA fighters, but history suggests otherwise. It seems deliberately oblivious to how each of its previous counterinsurgency campaigns has produced only a temporary lull before insurgents emerged far stronger. The current phase, with its visible female participation, may prove the most difficult to contain. For now, the images from January linger: young women in camouflage speaking into cameras; another standing shoulder to shoulder with her combatant husband; a grandmothers photograph holding a gun; and roads echoing with gunfire. The emergence of women fighters does not romanticise the insurgency; rather, it underlines a tragedy, revealing how deeply the conflict has entered the social fabric, how despair has crossed gender and generational lines, and, above all, how Pakistans battle in Balochistan is no longer only about territory or security but about moral authority, which seems to be slipping away each time another daughter decides that the only language left is the language of war. The writer is an author and columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 18:40 IST News opinion Global Watch: Women Fighters And The New Face Of The Baloch Insurgency Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Indian Ink | India-US Trade Deal: Time To Show Restraint And Rebuild Ties Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:51 IST By embracing discretion, India positions itself as a mature global player, fostering relations that endure beyond any single deal or leader Rapid Read Indias approach of restraint throughout this roller-coaster ride has paid dividends. (PTI) Who can deny that the whole of India heaved a sigh of relief at US President Donald J. Trumps announcement of a trade deal with India, accompanied by a reduction in tariffs from 50 per cent to 18 per cent. The markets roared in approval, with the sensitive BSE index soaring by over 2,000 points on February 3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the US president on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians. We havent yet seen the actual contents of the agreement. Remember the saying the devil is in the details"? Yet, as far as Indias interests are concerned, I do not see how the deal is bad. If nothing else, the reduction in tariffs will boost several sectors of our industry, especially gems and jewellery, leather products, textiles, shoes, and so on. Pharma tariffs have been reduced to zero, which is bound to spread cheer in both countries. India has a trade surplus with the US of some $40 billion. This is so crucial to offset our huge oil imports, for which we must mostly pay in dollars. In addition, the Trump team has indicated that India will buy oil from Venezuela after abiding by the US wish to reduce our imports from Russia. While the Modi administration has been quick to point out that India hasnt conceded much, there is every danger of damaging, if not sabotaging the deal, by over-reacting to Trumps announcement. In times such as these, when national interests are paramount, the wisdom of restraint cannot be over-emphasised. We must avoid contradicting Trump or get into a credit-claiming, or do I dare say credit-hogging, war. Global diplomacy resembles an intricate minuet. Economic and strategic interests intersect with political posturing and bluster. That is why, let us practice the time-tested virtues of modesty and maturity. When the going is good, it is best not to boast about our accomplishments, nor engage in a slanging match over who deserves the credit for bringing the crucial deal to fruition. The precarious nature of global trade negotiations and, what is even more telling, the unpredictability of key players, have broader implications for bilateral relations. As India and the United States navigate an era of shifting alliances and economic uncertainties, restraint emerges not as weakness but as strategic wisdom. Proud and nationalistic Indians, among whom I count myself, must remember that the US economy is 10-times the size of Indias. The US is still the worlds number one power. Its strategic footprint is spread across some 750 sites in over 50 countries, of which over 120 are major installations or military bases. It has a staggering 18,000 plus treaties in force since 1776, when it became an independent republic, with 200 new ones added each year. Some argue that the US is deglobalising in a big way, destabilising the rules-based world order. But we must remember that the rules were, in large part, of its own making after World War II. Now that it finds them somewhat inconvenient, it is upending them as it deems fit. Rather than crying wolf or offering sanctimonious sermons, we must try quickly to adjust to the rapidly changing global geo-political environment. Indias diplomatic poise lies in precisely such nimble-footedness, without too much chest-thumping or self-congratulation. I would say that the recent Indo-EU Free Trade Agreement is an excellent example of how to proceed. But when it comes to handling President Trump, something I have written about in previous columns, the trick is to go along as much as possible and not to make a contrarian song and dance when we cannot play tango. While we await the fine print, going to town about the deal and inflating expectations is a risk that the ruling party cannot afford. After all, some important state elections are just around the corner, that too in opposition-ruled states. If the agreement turns out to be more limited than hyped, it could lead to a domestic backlash in India. Moreover, in an age of misinformation, premature claims could fuel opposition narratives, portraying the deal as a sell-out rather than a win-win. History offers cautionary tales: the Trans-Pacific Partnership, once touted as a game-changer, unraveled amid unmet promises and political shifts. By avoiding unnecessary boasting, Indian leaders can maintain flexibility, allowing the deal to evolve without the burden of overpromising. Compounding the present uncertainty is the manner in which President Trump announced the deal, in his now predictably unpredictable fashion: bold, preemptive, self-aggrandising. Even before the ink had dried on any formal document, Trump took to social media and public statements to herald the agreement as a monumental achievement, framing it as a triumph of his America First" agenda. This anticipatory declaration aligns with Trumps playbook, seen in past deals like the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, where announcements preceded full ratification, thus generating buzz and political capital. For India, contradicting such proclamations or entering a credit-hogging competition would be ill-advised. Trumps style thrives on confrontation. A public rebuttal could escalate into a diplomatic spat, jeopardising not just the trade deal but broader ties in defence, technology, and counter-terrorism. We ought to have learned our lessons in the yet unsettled fracas over who or how Operation Sindoor was called off. Instead, Indias approach of restraint throughout this roller-coaster ride, marked by tariff wars, retaliatory measures, and on-again-off-again talks, has paid dividends. By not engaging in a slanging match, Indian negotiators have preserved goodwill, allowing the deal to progress despite provocations. This maturity reflects a long-term vision. In geopolitics, where personalities come and go, enduring relationships outlast individual egos. Ultimately, true success lies not in triumphant declarations but in sustained economic benefits for both countries. By embracing discretion, India positions itself as a mature global player, fostering relations that endure beyond any single deal or leader. In diplomacy, as in life, reticence often speaks louder than proclamations. Makarand R. Paranjape, author and public intellectual, is currently Sri Aurobindo Chair, Vedere University & Director of Education, AHCP LLC. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 14:45 IST News opinion Indian Ink | India-US Trade Deal: Time To Show Restraint And Rebuild Ties Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Opinion | Carnage At Washington Post Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 09:54 IST Foreign bureaux in New Delhi, Sydney, Cairo, and beyond have been shuttered, leaving the paper's global footprint drastically trimmed. Layoffs 2026 In a seismic shake-up that has reverberated through global media circles, The Washington Post, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, announced sweeping layoffs on February 4, 2026, axing over 300 employees, roughly a third of its newsroom. The cuts, described by executive editor Matt Murray as a broad strategic reset with a significant staff reduction," have gutted key sections expanding across sports, books, metro and, crucially, international coverage. Foreign bureaux in New Delhi, Sydney, Cairo, and beyond have been shuttered, leaving the papers global footprint drastically trimmed. Bezos, once hailed as a saviour who poured millions into the storied outlet after acquiring it in 2013, cited mounting financial losses as the culprit (USD$77 million in 2023, USD$100 million in 2024 and a staggering USD$177 million in 2025), exacerbated by a subscriber exodus of over 250,000 following controversial editorial decisions like spiking an endorsement of Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. Officially, this is a tale of fiscal prudence in a brutal media landscape. The Post, like many legacy outlets, has struggled with declining ad revenue, shifting reader habits and the rise of digital competitors. Bezos, speaking at a 2024 summit, had positioned himself as the doting parent" providing resources, but patience has worn thin. If Jeff Bezos is no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations," lamented the Washington Post Guild in a statement, the outlet risks losing its soul." Yet, beyond the balance sheets, whispers of a deeper reckoning echo, particularly from an Indian vantage point. For many in India, this carnage" isnt just corporate belt-tightening; its karmic justice for years of skewed and hostile reporting that peddled selective truths, amplified fringe voices and fuelled feral anti-India narratives under the guise of journalism. From New Delhis corridors of power to its bustling social media spheres, The Washington Post has long been viewed with suspicion. Indian officials and commentators have repeatedly accused the paper of compulsive hostility" toward the worlds largest democracy, a pattern evident in its coverage of sensitive issues like domestic politics, foreign relations and contentious subjects like terrorism. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal didnt mince words in a 2025 press briefing, lambasting the outlet and its reporters for a pattern in their activities" that undermined credibility. As one Indian analyst put it on X, the Posts India desk bore fingerprints of the deep state," suggesting external influences shaping its agenda. Among the high-profile casualties are journalists whose work has drawn particular ire in India. Ishaan Tharoor, a senior foreign affairs columnist and son of Indian Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, was let go after nearly 12 years. Tharoors columns, often critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modis policies, have been lambasted for portraying India through a lens of perpetual crisis, focusing on issues like religious tensions, alleged democratic backsliding and Kashmir without adequate balance. Critics argue his pieces amplified Western stereotypes, ignoring Indias economic strides and diplomatic successes. In a poignant X post, Tharoor expressed heartbreak over the layoffs, but for many Indians, his departure symbolises a correction for years of lopsided narratives that damaged Indias global image. Similarly, Pranshu Verma, the Posts New Delhi bureau chief since May 2025, was shown the door after just seven months in the role. Verma oversaw coverage of India and neighbouring countries, but his tenure coincided with reports that Indian observers deemed inflammatory and factually loose. As bureau chief, he was responsible for stories that highlighted alleged human rights abuses and political controversies, without sufficient context or counterpoints from Indian sources. The quality of WaPos journalism from India was shocking," noted one X user, decrying the lack of objectivity, fairness, balance, neutrality." Vermas own farewell post on X echoed the sentiment of loss, calling his role an honour," but it did little to quell the sense in India that such positions had been misused to push agendas. Perhaps the most egregious example comes from Gerry Shih, the Posts former Asia correspondent whose reporting on India-Canada relations ignited widespread outrage. In articles spanning 2023 and 2024, Shih delved into the Khalistan separatist movement, detailing allegations of Indian involvement in the assassination of Sikh terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada and broader campaigns against dissidents abroad. These pieces, which explained the Khalistan cause and accused Indian officials of orchestrating violence, were seen in India as platforming terrorists and criminals under the banner of journalism. Social media platforms fact-checked several claims, exposing what critics called badly stitched-up articles" based on scant evidence. Shihs December 2023 revelations, including a purported letter from Indias foreign secretary instructing embassies to target Khalistan activists, were dismissed by Indian authorities as fabrications. The uproar forced retractions and clarifications, but the damage was done that strained India-Canada ties, amplified criminal voices and a perception that Western media was complicit in undermining Indian sovereignty. This pattern isnt isolated. The Posts broader India coverage has been critiqued for framing stories within a malign framework," cherry-picking anecdotes to fit preconceived notions of authoritarianism or communal strife. In 2025, as debates raged over the papers editorial choices, Indian commentators linked the subscriber bleed to eroding trust, not just in the US, but globally, where audiences demand nuanced reporting over sensationalism. From an Indian prism, this carnage feels like karma in action. Journalists who built careers on selective facts and false narratives about a rising power are now facing the consequences of their own untenable positions. As India asserts itself on the world stage, media outlets ignoring balance do so at their peril. Bezoss reset may save costs, but it also underscores a truth in journalism, as in life, what goes around comes around. The Posts diminished international desk might just be the universes way of restoring equilibrium and true journalistic standards that have vastly been lost to biased and petty individuals. Adit Kothari is a Calcuttan residing in London as a Pravasi Bharatiya, working to dismantle the plethora of false narratives and misinformation against India and Hindutva. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 09:54 IST News opinion Opinion | Carnage At Washington Post Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Andy is a young taxi driver from Havana who, in recent weeks, has settled into a grueling but effective routine to survive Cubas current fuel shortage. He dedicates one day a week entirely to waiting in line for 12 to 15 hoursthe first time it was 26to buy 40 liters of gasoline at state-run gas stations, which now sell the product exclusively in dollars. Just 40 liters: not a liter more, not a liter less, ever since the authorities regulated the amount each user can purchase starting last weekend. This Thursday, while the taxi driver was carrying out his now-customary errand, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez appeared on television for a news conference with state media and the foreign press. Amidst tensions with Washington, the president made it clear that Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, admitting that the economic strangulation by the worlds leading power is taking its toll on the islands already dire situation. He asked Cubans for sacrifices and creativity to confront the crisis. For nearly two hours, he attempted to answer questions related to the events of the past few days. So much talk, only to leave us with more questions than answers, remarked Andy, who listened to the proceedings on his car radio. Those who were able to watch the president on television in Havana were fortunate, to a certain extent: having a screen on meant having electricity. At the time of his address, half the citynot to mention the rest of the provinceswas experiencing blackouts. Whoever has power, let us know what it was about, read messages in WhatsApp groups among friends. People were anxiously awaiting any announcement, measure, or solution to the islands dire situation, shaken by a perfect storm combining economic crisis, deteriorating living conditions, growing unsanitary conditions in the streets, persistent blackouts, and medicine shortages, all seasoned with the renewed aggressiveness of the Donald Trump administration following the kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela on January 3rd. We are going to take measures that will not be permanent, but which, depending on fuel availability, will require effort, Diaz-Canel stated, without specifying what these measures would be, although he hinted that they would be revealed in the coming days. True to his usual rhetoric, he again called for sacrifice from Cubans on the island and reiterated that surrendering [to the United States] is not an option, although he said he was willing to engage in dialogue with the Republican administration without pressure. Speech by Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana this Thursday. Ernesto Mastrascusa (EFE) The president acknowledged that Cuba has not received fuel since last December and hinted at the need to readjust domestic consumption, promote energy conservation, and modify the distribution of basic food basket products, the already diminished state food system for Cuban families. Following the presidents address, the University of Havana announced contingency measures, including a drastic reduction in in-person classes and academic events. This feels apocalyptic, says a psychology student who hopes to graduate next June and asks not to be identified for fear of reprisals. I feel like this address is just a buffer against the blow thats coming, she adds. She doesnt feel comforted by the official discourse and senses a growing tension in the air. I fear for my safety, for my future. Stocking up on canned food Confusion is spreading among Cubans, along with a growing frustration with the authorities outdated rhetoric. Many couldnt even endure half an hour of listening to the president. I dont know what plan the Cuban government has for this country right now. But clearly, the priority isnt the people, it isnt the population, reflects a young designer who lives in Vedado and has begun to gradually stockpile canned food, water, and charcoal. Because this is going to get worse, she explains. Faced with a government that speaks of more sacrifices, she, like other Cubans, is taking precautions in case some products disappear from the stores. We dont know whats going to happen in March in this country, she notes. What did happen this Thursday in Havana, as a direct consequence of the fuel shortage, was the paralysis of a large part of the urban public transit system. Amelia lives east of the capital, on the other side of the Havana Tunnel, and every day she has to spend at least 1,050 Cuban pesos (a little over $2 on the informal market) to get to and from work, a journey of about six miles (10 km). The main challenge of her daily life for the past three years, she says, beyond getting food, is transportation. My salaryabout 5,000 pesos [around $11] a monthisnt enough for this, and fares keep going up. No one can afford it, she says. Everything indicates that prices will continue to rise, at least in transportation. Taxi drivers profitability becomes unsustainable when gasoline is mostly purchased in dollars, compounded by the difficulty of finding it without resorting to the black market, where a liter can cost around 1,000 pesos, double the price at a state-run gas station. These days, thats the only topic of conversation among chauffeurs and taxi drivers in Havana. Every car you get into leads, without even asking, to a conversation about complaints and demands. An operator organizes people to board taxis this Thursday. Norlys Perez (REUTERS) One of the drivers for La Navea sort of Cuban Ubersays, while driving his pink Chevrolet, that hes been waiting in line at a gas station in Miramar for three days, where the diesel he needs still hasnt arrived. If I dont get it in two or three days, Im going to have to park the beast, he says about the vehicle on which his livelihood depends. The situation doesnt appear likely to improve anytime soon for Cubans. Havana, which suffers blackouts of between 12 and 14 hours daily, is in fact one of the best-off areas in the country. In the east, for example, after the national power grid went down early Thursday morning, several provinces were left in darkness for hours. There, the norm in recent weeks has been to have barely three hours of electricity in the morning and another three in the afternoon, says a young woman from Santiago who lives in the city center. Faced with this reality, few believe in a short-term improvement. In Havana, a young man who spoke with this newspaper had spent 24 straight hours without electricity, between his home and his workplace. He followed Diaz-Canels address through messages sent by a friend. His conclusion is scathing: what the leader said is nothing more than a compilation of the narratives the Cuban government has used for decades to perpetuate its hold on power. To say the same thing youve been saying for so many years, he figures, its better to say nothing at all. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Opinion | How A Policy Decision On Pay Scale Led To Bangladesh Uprising Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 19:30 IST The Awami League government was ousted through a one-point movement Rapid Read Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (Image: AFP/File) After prolonged discussions, the Awami League government took a policy decision to introduce the Protyoy Scale for officers and employees of autonomous, state-owned, constitutional and self-governed institutions. The government decided to implement the scale from August 1. An analysis of the Protyoy Scale shows that it was beneficial for professionals of all categories and effective in ensuring long-term financial stability for employees and their families. Under this scheme, all covered institutions were required to provide pensions and family members were entitled to financial benefits after the employees death. There was no significant objection from most professional groups. Those who understood the scheme were satisfied, while others agreed as it ensured financial security in later life. A major reason for acceptance was that nearly seventy per cent of professionals in the autonomous and self-governed sectors had previously been deprived of pension and related benefits. Opposition to the policy mainly came from public university teachers. Under the existing system, their salaries were not subject to pension deductions and the introduction of the Protyoy Scheme required mandatory contributions. They were also concerned about the loss of lump sum gratuity benefits. Despite this, the pension amount under the new scheme was nearly three times higher than the previous system. The government failed to effectively communicate these benefits at the policy level. At the same time, university teachers became heavily politically influenced. On July 1, 2024, all public universities announced a complete class boycott and work stoppage. At that time, students across different campuses had already been protesting since June 6, 2024, demanding quota reform and taking positions against the government. Teachers work stoppages further intensified the movement. Gradually, teachers joined student protests and encouraged anti-government slogans. Departmental social organisations and informal student groups were motivated to participate. Universities became central hubs of political activity. Leftist groups and various anti-government fundamentalist student organisations organised seminars presenting narratives of discrimination and government failure. Ordinary students were gradually used as instruments to advance political objectives. Teachers joined students on the streets opposing administrative measures and relied heavily on rumours and unverified claims. While criticising government strictness, many statements contained misleading and inflammatory rhetoric. These messages spread nationwide, encouraging students and guardians to take positions against the government. Anti-government protests intensified across campuses. Even after the government accepted several demands, calls for boycotts continued under various pretexts. When the government took a firm stance, teachers circulated propaganda alleging student killings and repression. This created an environment where students were mobilised from social media platforms to street-level resistance. University teachers, as members of the highest educated class, maintained connections with domestic and international organisations, human rights groups and opposition political parties at policy influencing levels. They played roles in funding the movement and actively participated in anti-government media narratives. Teachers and organisations aligned with opposition or alternative political ideologies took leading positions in the protests. Opposition political forces began mobilising people from different social levels. Meanwhile, fundamentalist, jihadist and religious groups influenced by ISIS began promoting anti-India slogans and programmes. They attempted to mobilise religiously sensitive citizens through ideological pledges. Imprisoned militants called upon followers to wage jihad against the government. Militant organisations including Hizb ut Tahrir, Ansar al Islam and Ansarullah Bangla Team coordinated with Islamist groups to organise activities in Dhaka and other districts. As government institutions in Dhaka and other cities came under attack and vandalism, the state responded to ensure public safety. Domestic and foreign social media influencers spread disinformation against law enforcement, further inciting public anger. Police stations were attacked and police personnel were brutally killed. Although these incidents were portrayed as public outrage by media and social platforms, evidence suggests coordinated involvement of opposition political forces and militant jihadist groups. Eventually, the Awami League government was ousted through a one-point movement. The post-uprising situation in Bangladesh did not reflect a genuine mass movement. Rather, it represented a master plan to remove an elected government, leading to the resurgence of forces opposed to the spirit of the Liberation War and the countrys tradition of secularism. Sudam Goswami is a writer, political analyst and social activist with roots in student leadership who is currently based in Bangladesh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 19:25 IST News opinion Opinion | How A Policy Decision On Pay Scale Led To Bangladesh Uprising Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Opinion | Of Treaties, Traitors And Treason: Showing The Mirror To Rahul Gandhi Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 15:39 IST The Congresss barrel of dirt is deep and there are so many, that its leaders would do well to desist from wielding books Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhis smirk that he did not need permission" to speak in the Lok Sabha exposed, for a brief second, the Nehru-Gandhi familys habitual disdain for democratic institutions and decorum. This family and its members have been inculcated with the abhorrently undemocratic sense that they have been born to rule and that institutions and rules must be bent for them. Rahul was obviously playing a game, backed up by a large coterie inside his party and operating outside it. It is a coterie for whom the only agenda is remove Modi." It is evident for anyone who has followed that Rahul Gandhi looks out of his depth in Parliament. He is more of a street-corner" type who is ill at ease within the precincts of Parliament. He exudes disdain for its well-laid procedures and protocols. It was amusing to see the original traitors Jawaharlal Nehrus great-grandson suddenly get worked up about an imaginary infiltration by the PLA into Indian territory. Willful abdication of vast swathes of Indian territory was the first act of betrayal by the Congress in the late 1950s. Nehrus indecisiveness, his lack of strategic insight, led to India surrendering territory and self-esteem. The saga of Indias recognition of communist China, as retold by former diplomat and foreign secretary, Vijay Gokhale, in his well-documented Crosswinds: Nehru, Zhou and the Anglo-American Competition over China", shows how Nehru, egged on by his alter-ego Krishna Menon, naively jumped into recognising communist China, before the British. It served the British to push India into recognising communist China, before they did. The tactical planning was absent from the exercises", writes Gokhale, recognition became an end in itself. It became a procedural matter, rather than a matter for negotiation in which bargaining would bring desirable outcomes beneficial to newly independent Indias national security. Wider consultation within the Indian system might have led to greater reflection on the issue, but instead the matter was discussed and decided upon within a closely held group of advisors around Nehru, and in close consultation with Britain." That gratis recognition would bite Nehru in the years to come. Menon was always tempted to write and speak in hyperboles. He regularly ignited Nehru with his verbal pyrotechnics. His standard line in letters he wrote to Nehru, trying to take credit for steering negotiations that he claimed led to averting global conflicts, was that it was because of Indias efforts that World War III had been averted for the time being. Nehru, writes Gokhale, would amplify such claims. Both Menon and Nehru engaged in mutual admiration. Menon heaped praise on Nehrus foreign policy in Asia and, in turn, Nehru said that without Menons efforts he doubted whether any settlement could have been reached", in this case the settlement on Indochina arrived at in Geneva. This mutual indulgence in hyperbole led Indias foreign strategy down the drain. It increasingly isolated India on key global matters in the years to come. Christopher Andrew and Vasili Mitrokhin, in the second volume of their much talked about expose The Mitrokhin Archive: The KGB in the World", tell us how within Nehrus Congress Party government the KGB set out to cultivate its leading left-wing firebrand and Nehrus close advisor, Krishna Menon, who became defence minister in 1957." After the Chinese imbroglio in 1962, when Menon was made the scapegoat by Nehru, the [Soviet] Presidium authorised active measures by the Delhi residency, including secret finance for a newspaper which supported Menon, in a forlorn attempt to resuscitate his political career." The KGBs infiltration of the Congress party and of the Indian government during Indira Gandhis years as Prime Minister, its heavy subsidy of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the CPIs support to Indira, is now well-known. The Mitrokhin archives record how in 1959, the CPIs general secretary Ajoy Ghosh agreed to the KGBs proposal to found an import-export business for trade with the Soviet bloc, headed by a senior Party member codenamed DED, whose profits would be creamed off for Party funds." Within a decade, the ventures annual profit had grown to over 3 million rupees." Novosti, the Soviet news agency, the archive records, provided further subsidies by routinely paying the CPI publishing house at a rate of 50 per cent above its normal charges." Oleg Kalugin, later head of the Soviet counter-intelligence, recalled an occasion when Yuri Andropov, head of the KGB, later general secretary of the CPSU was made an offer by an Indian minister to provide information in return for USD 50,000." Mitrokhin notes that suitcases full of banknotes were said to be routinely taken to the Prime Ministers house." He quotes senior Congress leader S.K. Patil, complaining that Mrs Gandhi did not even return the suitcases." Some Congressmen read and write books, but most do not. Rahul Gandhi does not read books; he has no patience and lacks the intellectual bandwidth. It was thus comical to see him wield the image of a yet to be released book, in trying to make his diversionary point on the discussion on the Presidents address. There is no end to discussing books, especially those that have exposed the Congress in the past. Let us skim through a few of them. Nehru was inherently insecure, as was his daughter later. Historian Narayani Basu tells us, in her voluminous biography V.P. Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India", that when in the first week of August, Nehru submitted his official list of people he wanted to serve in independent Indias first Cabinet. The list should have been headed by Sardar Patel. It wasnt." Nehrus original list, corroborated both by V.P. Menon and Patels secretary V. Shankar, excluded Sardar Patel altogether." An aghast V.P. Menon, as per his own admission, went straightaway to Mountbatten" and told him that excluding Patel would lead to the split of the Congress and that if there was a showdown between Panditji and Sardar, Sardar will certainly win." Mountbatten went to meet Gandhiji and as a sop, Sardars name was finally included." Basus exposure of Nehrus mean and preposterous behaviour led to a hue and cry against her among a section, which, while speaking of intellectual tolerance, are fundamental intolerants. Veteran Indian intelligence officer, GBS Sidhu, in his book, The Khalistan Conspiracy", recalls how, with Indira Gandhis approval, Sanjay Gandhi and his close friend Kamal Nath chose Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale of Gurudwara Darshan Prakash at Chowk Mehta as the sant who would do their bidding in Punjab. Even though the demand for Khalistan was attributed to Bhindranwale to make his anti-moderate Akali leadership campaign more effective, nothing significant was achieved through this part of the operation till January 1980, when Indira Gandhi returned to power as prime minister. The general elections for the eighth Lok Sabha were due before January 1985, and in preparation for them the Congress decided to focus on the Bhindranwale-Khalistan issue." Congress machinations on the Khalistan project unleashed a deadly demon, which perpetrated death and devastation, became a tool at the hands of Indias external enemies and destabilised a whole region for over a decade, leaving trauma and fear in its trail. The Congress thus betrayed India. Sidhus father-in-law was the venerable Swaran Singh, Indias long-serving External Affairs minister, who was insulted and dismissed by Indira for opposing Emergency. Journalist Chitra Subramaniam in her detailed Bofors Gate: A Journalists Pursuit of Truth" exposes the close link between Ottavio Quattrocchi and the Congresss first family and the manner in which Quattrocchi wielded political power in the Nehru-Gandhi establishment and government. As a special recompense for services rendered, in 2006 an account was unfrozen in London for a few hours so that Ottavio Quattrocchi could take his money out." What more evidence do we need to know that people close to Rajiv Gandhi were involved," Subramaniam asks. Because of their resolute expose of the Bofors scandal and Rajiv Gandhis involvement in it, Rajiv got investigative journalist and chartered accountant S. Gurumurthy arrested by the CBI on trumped-up charges and got the veteran Ram Nath Goenkas offices and that of the Indian Express raided. Such was his petty vindictiveness. The Congresss barrel of dirt is deep and there are so many, that its leaders would do well to desist from wielding books. The Congress and its first familys record of treason and of betrayal is so long, that multiple volumes or episodes would be required to record and narrate these. Someone must drill into the Emperors" ears and his head that he has no clothes on and advise him to cease to publicly demonstrate his buffoonery. Let the Congress seriously read books and come out with an argument. By trying to physically prevent the Prime Minister from speaking in the Lok Sabha, the Congress exposes itself as a fringe political outfit, which has lost the plot. The author is Chairman, Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, and a member of the National Executive Committee, BJP. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 15:39 IST News opinion Opinion | Of Treaties, Traitors And Treason: Showing The Mirror To Rahul Gandhi Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Opinion | Why India Needs To Recalibrate Its Response To Terror In Kashmir Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 18:57 IST This is the time when Delhi can plan a 20-year roadmap for Kashmir under a visionary political leadership with spiritual strength and intellectual acumen Rapid Read Kashmir has a great civilisational and symbolic value. (File) The ongoing encounter of security forces (SF) in Udhampurs Soan village with a group of hardcore Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists once again demonstrates that Pakistan has made major changes in its terrorism strategy and tactics after the abrogation of Article 370. In many of the recent encounters, the forces are finding it difficult to neutralise the highly trained foreign terrorists (FT) of Pakistan that dominate the terror scenario in Kashmir now. Hence, it is essential to understand the nuances of the post-370 terrorism. In the post-370 phase of Kashmir terrorism, Indias biggest challenge is the lack of intelligence. Partly this is due to massive changes in Pakistans strategy and tactics discussed in my previous article, and partly to disruptions in the policing culture and practices after the abrogation of Article 370. Pakistan has relieved old OGWs who had police records and were exposed. The newer breed operates in complete anonymity. Likewise, the terrorism is mainly driven by highly trained FTs who keep minimal contact with locals. Residing in jungles, they avoid contact with SFs and work with the support of the new OGWs. On the TECHINT front, the challenges are enormous. The Chinese Ultra sets used by the militants are yet immune to decryption. As a result, on the intelligence front, our agencies are nearly operating in the dark. Though some successful encounters have taken place in the recent past, the unearthing of a Hamas-style large-scale terror plot after the Delhi metro blast (10th November 2025) suggests a huge dark zone that our agencies are struggling hard to explore and break open. First and foremost, the HUMINT footprint must be strengthened. It requires revitalising the police structure and their operational dynamics in J&K. Over the last three decades, the J&K police have evolved into a robust counter-terrorism force. The officers took personal initiative and built HUMINT networks and small counter-terrorism teams. In effect, these structures were informal, and the personal rapport between the officers and the Jawans significantly impacted the success of intelligence gathering and operations. However, after the 370 move, a bureaucratic and procedure-driven approach has become a hallmark of policing. There are multiple lobbies within the police with internal rifts. Young officers from the AGMUT cadre lack field experience and do not have the same level of stakes as officers of the JKP. Further, the IPS officers of the former J&K state cadre tend to occupy the prime postings, much to the chagrin of new entrants from the AGMUT cadre, and the JKP officers, who, before 2019, got frequent field postings as district police chiefs, despite being state cadre officers, due to their experience and the shortage of IPS officers. Additionally, the practice of appointing police chiefs from outside the state, without long-term grassroots-level experience in Kashmir, has negatively affected the polices functioning and morale. External officers leading the state police lack a ground-level connection and do not have a strong rapport and understanding with mid- and ground-level officers. The cadre management in J&K needs improvement, providing sufficient work and promotion opportunities to JKP officers. The main strength of JKP, i.e., intelligence footprint, is primarily due to the personal interest and ground contact of the JKP officers. The MHA must incentivise them to work with motivation and passion, to make the best use of their ground networks. Besides, there has to be a smooth integration and amalgamation of officers in J&K. Multiple lobbies working at odds with each other will be harmful to national security interests. Furthermore, another area that requires urgent re-evaluation is the Indian Armys intense focus on the Information War, as seen in initiatives such as Vande Mataram and Tiranga rallies. These are well-intentioned efforts; however, they have not significantly impacted the ground situation. Kashmirs primary issue has been religious radicalisation over the past three decades. The most effective response can come from countering Jihadist narratives at an ideological and spiritual level through some form of civilisational dialogue, which falls outside the domain of the armed forces. This can only happen if the highest levels of government take action with strong resolve, vision, and a clear roadmap, involving both non-Muslim and Muslim religious scholars, philosophers, sociologists, and political scientists. The security forces must concentrate strictly on counterterrorism and intelligence, as Pakistan and its jihadist proxies are using tools like TRF and PAFF to spread misinformation and confusion among Indian security agencies, leading to misplaced priorities. As a result, Pakistans terrorist network is gaining space and solidifying itself in the dark zone, driven primarily by a radicalised mindset. Furthermore, Indian agencies and SFs should not hesitate to challenge the cliche that local recruitment has massively decreased after 370. Local recruitment has taken a different form. Now, the locals are getting associated with terrorism as hybrid terrorists and anonymous OGWs. The catchment area and the talent pool are different. The terrorist groups are focusing on educated, technically sound and English-speaking intellectual youngsters. The terror groups intend to use these tech-savvy and Gen-Z jihadists to orchestrate sophisticated terror attacks using complex explosives and in an aggressive anti-India cyber and propaganda war. Their motivations are stronger, and they have a robust understanding of global geopolitics and West Asian Islamist undercurrents. The recent Delhi metro blast is a blatant example of how terrorist groups are targeting educated youths, which many refer to as white-collar terror in the mainstream media. These youths are venturing beyond J&K, building robust links with Jihadist individuals and organisations in the Indian hinterland. In all likelihood, their exposure, advanced educational background and technical expertise will open the gates of global Jihad for them, and they will dabble with transnational terrorist organisations in India and abroad. They are different from old madrasa-born Kashmiri jihadists who were scared at the idea of even crossing Pir Panjal. Lastly, the state needs effective, people-friendly, visionary, sincere and work-oriented political leadership. After abrogating Article 370, this is a golden opportunity to retrieve Kashmirs original pre-Islamic heritage and legacy, ruined and ruptured by centuries of Islamisation and more than three decades of conflict. There is a constituency willing to explore the origins and evaluate the gains and losses of Jihadism in Kashmir; however, the effort is lacking on the governments side. This is the time when Delhi can plan a 20-year roadmap for Kashmir under a visionary political leadership with spiritual strength and intellectual acumen. In this phase, the leadership must focus on youth outreach and countering the jihadist narratives without fear or appeasement. Kashmir has a great civilisational and symbolic value. The optics of change in Kashmir will be a compelling narrative to motivate Indian Muslims to question and doubt their long-held assumptions. Furthermore, it is likely to dampen Pakistans fervour for Jihad in Kashmir and severely demoralise and jolt the minds of radical Muslims in the Indian hinterland. The author is a policy analyst specialising in counterterrorism, Indian foreign policy and Afghanistan-Pakistan geopolitics. He has done his PhD on Jaish-e-Mohammad. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 18:07 IST News opinion Opinion | Why India Needs To Recalibrate Its Response To Terror In Kashmir Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:15 IST 1 / 7 Recent studies revealed that Gen Z is the first generation to be less intelligent than the one before it, making millennials the only generation to outperform the younger generation that followed. 2 / 7 According to Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, a former teacher-turned-neuroscientist, he told the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that although Gen Z had greater exposure to formal education than earlier generations, their intelligence levels declined sharply. He said education systems dependent on technology caused the generation to fall behind. He also shared data that showed that cognitive abilities began to decline around 2010. ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 7 Beyond intelligence, Gen Zs are also different from their previous generation in terms of alcohol consumption. Gallup polling shows U.S. young adults (18-34) are less likely to drink than two decades ago about 62% now report drinking, down from 72% in the early 2000s and they also drink less often than before. 4 / 7 Some academic and industry reports suggest that Gen Z drinks about 20 % less alcohol per capita than Millennials did at the same age, reflecting broader shifts toward moderation, health awareness and changing drinking habits across countries. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 7 Meanwhile, according to the P-Fin Index, Gen Z scores the lowest (38%) compared to Millennials (46%). Despite lower literacy, Gen Z has a higher active savings rate (28%) compared to Millennials (22%). Gen Z uses AI-driven apps and "micro-saving" tools that automate the process, while Millennials rely on traditional (and often slower) strategy-based planning. 6 / 7 Gen Zs also keep a track of their mental health more than the millennials. According to American Psychological Association, Gen Z is 27% more likely than Millennials to report their mental health as "fair" or "poor." However, they are also significantly more likely to seek professional help, indicating a data spike in "diagnoses" rather than just "illness." ADVERTISEMENT Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:41 IST 1 / 10 A new milestone in UK rail travel has quietly begun. The nations first-ever battery-only powered passenger train has entered service, promising cleaner, quieter journeys. Operating on a small branch line in West London, the train may seem ordinary at first glance, but its technology is anything but. This train not only replaces diesel engines but has also already broken a world record during trials. Passengers boarding the GWR Class 230 might not realise that they are riding on a train that could reshape the future of UK rail transport. 2 / 10 The Great Western Railway (GWR) Class 230 battery train now runs on the Greenford branch line, a five-mile return route from West Ealing to Greenford. It replaces the diesel trains previously used on this line. The route includes four stops and takes around 12 minutes each way. Initially, the train will operate passenger services on Saturdays, with plans to expand as the trains performance in real-world conditions is studied. This marks the first time in UK history that a fully battery-powered train carries paying passengers on a scheduled route.The Great Western Railway (GWR) Class 230 battery train now runs on the Greenford branch line, a five-mile return route from West Ealing to Greenford. It replaces the diesel trains previously used on this line. The route includes four stops and takes around 12 minutes each way. Initially, the train will operate passenger services on Saturdays, with plans to expand as the trains performance in real-world conditions is studied. This marks the first time in UK history that a fully battery-powered train carries paying passengers on a scheduled route. ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 10 Before entering service, the GWR Class 230 completed a 22-month trial of rapid charging technology along the Greenford branch line. During these tests, the train covered 200.5 miles on a single charge, setting a world record for the longest distance travelled by a battery-electric train. The previous record, held by Stadler Deutschland in 2021, was 139 miles. The trials tested the train under various conditions, including multiple stops, passenger loads, and different weather scenarios, proving the battery systems reliability for daily passenger service. 4 / 10 A key feature of the train is its fast-charging system. At West Ealing station, the battery recharges in just 3.5 minutes between trips using a 2,000 kW charger connected to a few meters of rail. The charging rail becomes live only when the train stops directly above it. This system ensures that the train can complete multiple return trips on the branch line without running out of power. Network Rail and GWR worked together to install these chargers and ensure that the setup is safe and reliable for regular passenger operations. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 10 Network Rail played a crucial role in preparing the infrastructure for battery trains. They installed the fast-charge battery banks and helped with safety reviews to make sure the train and charging system were ready for public service. The collaboration ensured the new technology could function safely on an existing track without major upgrades. In a statement, Marcus Jones, Network Rails Western Route Director, said, Rail is already the greenest form of public transport, and battery-powered trains will play a crucial role in our commitment to a low-emission railway and ambition to reach net zero by 2050. 6 / 10 GWR shared trial results in a white paper released in July 2025, detailing how often and how quickly the battery can recharge to allow uninterrupted service. In a statement, Simon Green, GWRs Engineering Director, stated, Our fast-charge trial has successfully demonstrated that battery technology offers a reliable and efficient alternative to power electric trains, in cases where overhead lines arent possible or desirable. The study concluded that battery trains could serve routes without full electrification while maintaining operational efficiency and helping the railway reduce carbon emissions. ADVERTISEMENT 7 / 10 Battery-electric trains are part of GWRs plan to reduce diesel dependence and cut carbon emissions across the rail network. Delivering the train into passenger service will enable us to gain further insight which can be fed into our own decarbonisation plans, as well as those of the wider rail industry, Simon Green added in the statement. Battery trains offer the same speed and capacity as diesel units but run quietly and without smoke, making them ideal for suburban and urban routes. This innovation supports the UKs goal to modernise public transport while reducing its environmental footprint. 8 / 10 GWR plans to gradually replace its diesel fleet with battery-electric trains over the next decade. The operator noted that future trains must travel more than 60 miles per charge to cover longer routes. The Class 230 is the first step in this transition, with plans to introduce additional battery trains once performance data is collected from real-world operations. GWR aims to expand services and eventually implement this technology across more lines, potentially making battery-electric trains a standard mode of passenger transport in the UK. ADVERTISEMENT 9 / 10 The new Class 230 battery train provides a smooth and quiet ride for commuters. Operating on the West Ealing to Greenford branch, it stops at four stations and recharges rapidly between trips. Passengers can now enjoy the benefits of a zero-emission, modern electric train without worrying about overhead wires. The short route allows GWR to monitor performance and gather feedback, which will help plan future routes and schedules for other battery-powered services. The trial has demonstrated that passengers can enjoy a green, efficient, and reliable travel experience on battery trains. Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:00 IST 1 / 10 Humanity has been around for thousands of years, but for most of history, tools and a few other artefacts were the only indication of how their lives were. Technological advancements have made it possible for archaeologists to discover more details about how our ancestors lived. One of the questions that they are now able to answer: What did the early humans look like? 2 / 10 The question has plagued not just historians and archaeologists, but the general public as well. For many, the query is a way to establish a connection with the past and see how far humanity has come since the time they lived in caves. A facial reconstruction made a few years ago by researchers at the University of Athens highlighted how technology could bridge the gap between the past and the present. ADVERTISEMENT 3 / 10 In 2018, the face of a girl believed to be between 15 and 18 years old at the time of her death, was recreated by scientists based on remains found in 1993 in a cave in Greece. The girl was named Avgi, which is the Greek word for Dawn, as she lived in the Mesolithic period in about 7,000 BC, which is considered by some as the dawn of civilisation. The silicone model was made using CT scans and 3D printing technology. 4 / 10 Dawns remains were discovered in Theopetra Cave, located in the central Greek region of Thessaly. The region was first inhabited about 100,000 years ago, as per Reuters. Objects such as stone tools from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic periods have been found in the cave. Pottery shards from the Neolithic Age were also discovered on the spot. ADVERTISEMENT 5 / 10 Dawns remains reveal how facial features may have evolved over time. The teenagers face was reconstructed by scientists to show what people looked like in the Mesolithic period, around 7,000 BC. The scowling expression on Dawns face drew a lot of curiosity when the model was unveiled. The teenager, who lived 9,000 years ago, is believed to have long dark hair, prominent cheekbones and a heavy brow. 6 / 10 According to the BBC, the facial reconstruction involved a Swedish laboratory specialising in human reconstructions and an international team. Talking about her angry facial features, orthodontics professor Manolis Papagrikorakis told Reuters: "It's not possible for her not to be angry during such an era." Researchers also found several other details about Dawn. ADVERTISEMENT 7 / 10 She may have suffered from anaemia and a lack of vitamins. The teen may have had scurvy as well. Dawn had a protruding jaw, which could have been due to her chewing on animal skin to turn it into soft leather. She might have faced mobility issues due to hip and joint problems, which may have contributed to her death. 8 / 10 According to researchers, Dawns bones indicated she was 15 years old when she died, but an examination of the teeth suggested she was 18. Other features, such as her skin and eye colour, were inferred on the basis of the general population traits in the region. The face was kept on display at Athens Acropolis Museum. ADVERTISEMENT 9 / 10 There is a lot that researchers still do not know about Dawn and the Mesolithic Age in general. Questions remain about how exactly she died. The Mesolithic Era was the time when humans were transitioning from hunting and gathering to one that started cultivating its own food, National Geographic stated. In this context, Dawns remains provide archaeologists with an important glimpse into the past. Her facial features indicate which diseases she suffered from and how they could have impacted her life. 'He Is High Command': DK Shivakumar Ribs Yathindra Siddaramaiah Over Remark That His Father Will Remain CM Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 20:54 IST The Karnataka Deputy CM further distanced himself from the debate by suggesting that such high-level decisions are taken by the Congresss central leadership DK Shivakumar has insisted that any formal political shifts would be managed through official channels. Image/News18 The leadership debate within the Karnataka Congress has intensified following recent remarks from MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah regarding the tenure of his father, Siddaramaiah, as Chief Minister. Speaking on the stability of the current administration, the MLC asserted that the leadership issue is effectively closed and that the incumbent would remain in office for the full term. Yathindra stated, Siddaramaiah will be CM for 5 years. High command might not have said it directly, but they have given a signal." He further emphasised that there is no internal confusion regarding the position, noting that its a settled issue. Nobody in the party is asking Siddaramaiah to be removed." Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar responded to these claims with pointed sarcasm, appearing to dismiss the MLCs authority to speak on behalf of the partys national leadership. Directly addressing the assertions made by the Chief Ministers son, Shivakumar remarked, He is our high command; now that he has said it, lets accept it gracefully." The Deputy CM further distanced himself from the local debate by suggesting that such high-level decisions are taken by the partys central leadership in the capital. Lets accept Yathindra as our high command now that he has said it. I dont want to react to Yathindra or Basavraj. Our Delhi leaders have to react," Shivakumar added. The friction highlights a growing divide over whether the leadership transition is a settled matter or subject to future deliberation by the AICC. Yathindra Siddaramaiah maintained that the focus should remain on governance and the upcoming budget rather than speculative changes. He argued that the lack of response from the central leadership towards those demanding a change is a tacit endorsement of the status quo. Nobody is discussing it. Its a settled issue. There is a budget, we should focus on that. Nobody is saying Siddaramaiah should be removed. Even the high command has not responded to those who have demanded that Siddaramaiah has to be removed. According to me, he will continue for 5 years. Although high command hasnt said it explicitly, they have given signals that they are not interested in leadership change," the MLC explained. State Home Minister G Parameshwara also weighed in on the situation, urging a focus on administrative stability while acknowledging that individual opinions do not dictate party policy. Parameshwara noted that while followers and leaders may express various views, the ultimate authority rests with the central command. We cant decide these things. We need a strong government, and Siddaramaiah is doing that. Whatever the high command says, we will accept. Our followers and leaders keep saying their opinion, but that wont change anything," the Home Minister stated. This sentiment aligns with DK Shivakumars earlier insistence that any formal political shifts would be managed through official channels, as he previously noted that the high command would call upon state leaders whenever a political decision is required. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 20:54 IST News politics 'He Is High Command': DK Shivakumar Ribs Yathindra Siddaramaiah Over Remark That His Father Will Remain CM Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Apples Siri AI To Run On Google Servers? Heres What We Know Curated By : Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:40 IST Apple and Google are teaming up to make Siri work better, smarter and more powerful with Gemini but what's the truth? Apple is working with Google for the new-gen Siri AI version Apple is bringing Siri AI with the help of Googles Gemini AI model. The iPhone maker has chosen Google to be its AI partner that will be offering new Apple Intelligence features and most likely have a lot to do with the Siri version. When the news broke, most people were worried about Apples need to run these platforms through Googles servers, which has been reportedly quashed by Apple through recent statements. However, Googles own senior executives, including CEO Sundar Pichai had something completely to say on this matter. Apple Or Google: Whos Telling The Truth? Pichai was speaking during a recent earnings call and said, We are collaborating with Apple as their preferred cloud provider and to develop the next generation of Apple Foundation Models, based on Gemini technology." This statement is quite different from what reports have mentioned in the last few months since the Apple-Google deal was made public through media reports. More importantly, it also contradicts what Apple chief Tim Cook said during their own earnings call, and highlighted that the Gemini-powered Siri and AI will be run through its private cloud compute system which eased the privacy concerns for millions of iPhone users. Cook assured that all of the AI features from the company will be processed on-device with the help of its private cloud compute setup. This meant even if you use the Gemini AI version of Siri, Apple was handling the data, and gave no rights to Google which was a relief for millions. But Pichai saying it will be run through Google cloud server has people confused about who is telling the truth and we cant say that for a certain, until either of these companies publicly share the details of this special AI deal. Either way, Apples bid to get Siri AI off the ground could get an early teaser in February, according to a new report. The companys reported deal with Google to use a custom Gemini AI model to power its assistant is likely to be part of the iOS 26.4 update which is expected to roll out latest by March or April this year. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : California, USA First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:40 IST News tech Apples Siri AI To Run On Google Servers? Heres What We Know Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 10-Year-Old With Leukaemia Turned Pain Into Courage With This Quote Meds Are Dessert After Meals Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 17:12 IST Haohao was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia at the age of four after his parents noticed frequent bruises on his limbs. He underwent 17 chemotherapies, 15 radiotherapies and two bone marrow transplants. (Representative Image) A 10-year-old boy from China left many emotional with his battle to leukaemia before passing away on January 27 in Beijing. Known by his nickname Haohao, his story has resonated with many across the country and online. According to a report in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Haohao was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia at the age of four after his parents noticed frequent bruises on his limbs. Over the next several years, he underwent 17 chemotherapies, 15 radiotherapies and two bone marrow transplants. The doctors warned his parents against such painful treatments but they insisted on continuing as they wanted to fight for the slightest chance of their sons survival. 10-Year-Old Chinese Boy Dies Due To Leukaemia Despite the harsh treatments, Haohao remained cheerful and playful. He shared about his life online through an account named Haohao is trying hard" which he started in February 2023 nd eventually went on to have over six lakh followers. He referred to his treatments as beating little monsters" and called his medications dessert after meals." His bravery earned him the affectionate nickname little sun." Haohao also engaged with his followers warmly and asked them to send him best wishes: May our prince restore his health and may his illness never relapse." While his immune system kept him away from school and ordinary childrens activities, he filled his days with short videos and internet memes. He even joked with his fans where he asked if his pancake face" looked cute. Have Another Child After I Die Haohaos parents described him as remarkably thoughtful. After his first chemotherapy, which caused severe side effects, the five-year-old told them to have another child after I die." True to his wish, a little brother was born in 2022 that brought joy to the family despite Haohaos struggles. His condition also worsened around the same time. In his final days, his parents gave him his favourite foods: Sichuan boiled fish with pickled cabbage, pork and chive dumplings, roasted sausage and orange-flavoured lollipops. His father recalled Haohao saying the fish was the best fish he had ever had." Even as his right eye nearly closed due to illness, he remarked that it made him look like a pirate in a film." Haohao also dreamed of family adventures where he imagined camping trips and barbecues with his little brother. Before passing, he reassured his parents and asked them to remain happy and not to divorce. Must Have Gone Back To Heaven After his death, his parents wrote online: Haohao will no longer feel any more pain. He used to say he was an angel. He must have gone back to heaven to be a carefree little angel again." His doctor revealed that Haohao had even arranged aspects of his own funeral where he asked to be laid to rest on a mountain behind his home to watch over his family. He also requested to wear a police uniform at his funeral because he always dreamt of becoming a police officer one day. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 17:12 IST News viral 10-Year-Old With Leukaemia Turned Pain Into Courage With This Quote Meds Are Dessert After Meals Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Gurugram Man Shares Chilling Account Of Kidnapping Attempt In Sector 38: Feels Like We Live In Jungle Now Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 15:42 IST A reported kidnapping attempt near an office complex in Gurugrams Sector 38 has caused fear in the area. The duo on the bike had been scouting the area for over an hour. (Representative Image) Safety in Delhi-NCR has become a growing concern for many people, especially those who work in busy office areas. In Sector 38, Gurugram, an office employee recently described a disturbing incident near his workplace, where two suspicious individuals were seen loitering for a long time before security chased them away. The account has added to growing fears among professionals in the region. Many employees now feel uneasy about commuting, stepping out after work, or even staying inside their office premises, the employee said in a Reddit post. As a result, they are relying more on security guards, CCTV cameras, and local vigilance to stay safe. What Happened Outside The Office? A Reddit user shared a post with the title, Just saw a live attempt at kidnapping. Sector 38." The person explained that they work in an office near Medanta and mentioned recent kidnapping cases in Delhi-NCR as background. According to the post, two people arrived on a bike near the office. One of them appeared to be dressed in womans clothes and who came near the office gate offering blessings. The guards and drivers noticed that both individuals smelled strongly of alcohol and asked them to leave. Right in front of the office, there is an empty piece of land that has been illegally occupied by poor families. The Reddit user said that the pair was seen roaming around that area for more than an hour on CCTV cameras. When office security became suspicious and raised an alarm, guards from both the office and a nearby hotel chased them. However, the duo managed to get back on their bike and escape. The user warned others to stay cautious and expressed concern that the media was not covering such incidents. The post ended with a message asking everyone to stay safe. Check the post here: What Did People Say About The Attempt? The post, shared on February 5, received over 200 upvotes along with several reactions from other Reddit users. A person wrote, Holy c**p, what the hell is going on? It feels like living in a jungle. Where is the government? Police?." Another user shared a similar experience, commenting, Something similar happened today near Doon Public School, Paschim Vihar. An old lady disguised as a beggar was scouting close to the school. A few parents felt suspicious and reported this to the guard. As soon as the guard approached her, her accomplice came and took her in an auto." A resident reacted in fear, saying, The place you mentioned is barely 150m away from where I stay. This is scary." Someone else added, I live in sector 38, and this news scared the life out of me." Another user questioned the situation, asking, They planned to kidnap someone using a bike??" The original poster replied, There are a bunch of infants in the jhuggis opposite the office. Security believes they were there to scout targets." What are your thoughts about the incident? News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 15:41 IST News viral Gurugram Man Shares Chilling Account Of Kidnapping Attempt In Sector 38: Feels Like We Live In Jungle Now Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... The mass arrival of foreigners has become a hot-button issue in the Asian country, which will hold a general election on Sunday The cherry blossom festival, celebrated every year in Arakurayama Sengen Park in Fujiyoshida, Japan, one of the countrys biggest events of the year, has been canceled over complaints from residents about the disruptive behavior of tourists, according to a Guardian article published on Friday. Fujiyoshida officials, whose town sits at the foot of Mt. Fuji, west of Tokyo, announced on Tuesday that the event, which attracts some 200,000 visitors, will not take place for the first time in 10 years. They say that several tourist-related incidents have recently taken place in the area. Among them, entering houses without permission to use the bathroom, break-ins, littering, and people defecating in private yards and complaining when residents catch them. The mayor of the Japanese town, Shigeru Horiuchi, said that the tranquil lives of the citizens of Fujiyoshida were being threatened, justifying the decision to put an end to the event as a way to protect the dignity and environment of residents. We felt like there was a crisis, he added. Japanese news agency Kyodo News has reported residents expressing concern over the mass arrival of tourists to the area, saying that there are so many people on the sidewalks that their children are pushed around on their way to school. A crowd of people observe flowering cherry blossom trees in Tokyos Ueno Park on March 25, 2018. Carl Court (GETTY IMAGES) The authorities decision comes at a key moment for Japan, which is holding general elections on Sunday. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for the elections just three months after taking office, without being approved by voters, after the resignation of her predecessor. The ultra-conservative leader seeks to wield her current popularity toward consolidating her leadership with the election. Management of mass tourism is one of the hottest current issues in Japanese politics. Do You Know The Powerful Story Behind The Name Mumbai? Read Here Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 08:00 IST The clip narrates the legendary origin of Mumbai through the story of Mumbadevi and her battle with the demon Mumbarka. People are drawn to the storytelling, visuals and meaning behind Mumbais name.(Photo Credit: Instagram) The origin of Mumbai is tied to a powerful legend that blends faith, fear, and history. A storyteller narrates how the city did not simply grow on its own but was shaped by a divine intervention. She describes a time when the coastline was dangerous, ruled by unpredictable waters and a feared force. Through vivid imagery and deep emotion, she explains how a Goddess came to protect the people and how her name became linked to the city we know today. The clip brings this ancient tale to life through words and visuals, making viewers rethink Mumbais beginnings. How The Legend Is Told In The Clip The video begins with a woman narrating the story in a calm but intense tone. She starts by asking, Do you know how Mumbadevi came to Mumbai?" She then explains that before Mumbai existed, this land was just a dangerous coastline ruled by the ocean. She describes how the sea controlled life, deciding who would survive and who would disappear. Fishing communities like the Kolis and Somvanshi Kshatriyas lived along the shore, constantly at risk every time they went out to fish. She then introduces the demon Mumbarka, saying he spread fear, caused violent waves, destroyed boats, and brought hunger and illness to the people. The visuals show stormy waters, broken nets, and worried villagers praying. With no weapons or power to fight back, the people called upon the Goddess Amba for protection. According to the legend, the Goddess appeared as Mumbadevi with eight arms and powerful weapons. The clip shows a fierce divine figure standing between land and sea. The narrator describes a dramatic battle between Mumbadevi and Mumbarka, with shaking land and rising waves. When Mumbarka was defeated, he begged for mercy and asked that his name not be erased. The Goddess agreed, and thus her name became Mumbadevi. After this, the video shows calm seas, happy fishermen, and thriving settlements, symbolising peace and safety. The narrator explains that people began calling her Mumba Ai, and over time, the land she protected came to be known as Mumbai. The clip ends with the message that Mumbais name carries the memory of this divine battle. Watch the clip here: What Viewers Said Shared on February 4, the video crossed 1.2 million views and sparked many reactions. A user wrote, Staying in Mumbai since birth, but this is the first time watching the Mumba Aai story. The graphics are excellent with such a detailed narration with so much devotion." Another commented, Our forefathers lived on this island since it was 7 islands, being from the Koli community, MumbaAai is always there, she is our creator guardian." Omyyy god, what, came to know this for the first time, Mumbai," a person said. Very well compiled and depicted," another user added. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 08:00 IST News viral Do You Know The Powerful Story Behind The Name Mumbai? Read Here Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Khuda-ra, Chori Na Karein: Pakistan Crisis Drives Manhole Cover Thefts, Maryam Nawaz Responds With Jail Law Curated By : Trending Desk Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 14:22 IST In Lahore alone, around 10,000 manhole covers are stolen or damaged every year and it is difficult to find a covered manhole while moving around the township. Punjab province Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif released a video statement regarding the crime. (Representative Image) An unusual theft has gripped Pakistan: people stealing manhole covers. Many are linking this unusual crime to the countrys ongoing economic crisis with people reportedly stealing these covers to sell them and earn quick money. The bizarre incidents have caught widespread attention which prompted authorities to step in. Alarmed by the rising thefts, the Punjab provincial government has proposed strict legislation to curb the incidents. 10 Years Jail For People Stealing Manhole Covers In Pakistan In a video that is circulating online, the Punjab province Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, Toh hum Punjab ke andar ke law lekar aare hai, jisme jo gutter ka dhakan chori karega, jo gutter ka dhakan bechega, jo gutter ka dhakan kharidega un sabko 1-10 saal tak jail hogi (So we are bringing a law in Punjab where anyone who steals a manhole cover, sells it, or buys it will face 110 years in jail)." She also warned that the consequences of stealing, selling or buying manhole covers could be extremely serious. If such actions lead to someones death, the offender could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine ranging from Rs 3050 lakh. Hum gutter ke dhakan din mein laga kar jate hai, wo raat ko chori ho jate hai. Gutter ke dhakan chori na kare (We install manhole covers during the day, and they are stolen at night. Do not steal manhole covers)," she added. The video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) with a caption: Pakistan, already reeling under a severe economic crisis, is now seeing people steal manhole covers just to earn scrap money a clear sign of a full-blown crisis. Alarmed by rising thefts, Punjab govt introduces a new law: stealing, selling or buying manhole covers means 110 years in jail. If it causes a death, punishment is 10 years imprisonment + a fine up to Rs 5 million." Watch The Clip Here Pakistan, already reeling under a severe economic crisis, is now seeing people steal manhole covers just to earn scrap money a clear sign of a full-blown crisis. Alarmed by rising thefts, Punjab govt introduces a new law: stealing, selling or buying manhole covers means 110 pic.twitter.com/SLAKgyvQMb Megh Updates Internet Pokes Fun At Pakistans Manhole Covers Heist The moment didnt go unnoticed online as internet sleuths who shared varied reactions. One user commented, When gutter covers are treated like national treasure, you know the economy is in full swing." Another said, When the economy hits rock bottom, even the roads start disappearing. From potholes to no holes at all, now manhole covers need jail-time protection. Tough laws, tougher times hope the situation improves before the streets go missing next." Jail me to free khana mil Jayega.. Go for it (At least, free food will be offered in jailgo for it)," someone else sarcastically remarked while a person added, I presume that inside jail they will be given free meals. It may not be such a bad deal for those stealing." Manhole Cover Theft Leads To Tragedy In Pakistan Watch more videos Share this Article WhatsApp facebook Twitter telegram copy link According to a report in Express Tribune, a mother and her infant daughter tragically died after falling into an open manhole in Lahore in January. In another incident, the body of a toddler was recovered near the Nipa Flyover in Karachi in late 2025. The report added that petitions have been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) which alleged criminal negligence and sought Rs 250 million (in Pakistan currency) in compensation for the victims families. The report further mentioned that in Lahore alone, around 10,000 manhole covers are stolen or damaged every year with drug addicts frequently targeting iron covers to sell as scrap. It has become difficult for people to find a covered manhole while moving around the township. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 12:25 IST News viral Khuda-ra, Chori Na Karein: Pakistan Crisis Drives Manhole Cover Thefts, Maryam Nawaz Responds With Jail Law Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... At Least 40 Injured In Dhaka As Police, Protesters Clash Over Osman Hadi Killing Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 23:15 IST Fresh clashes erupted in Dhaka as police confronted Inqilab Mancho activists demanding justice for Osman Hadi. Around 50 were injured. Interim government seeks UN investigation. Inquilab Mancha supporters hold a protest gathering demanding justice for their party leader Sharif Osman Hadi who was killed last December, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu) Fresh clashes broke out in Dhaka on Friday evening as police confronted activists of Inqilab Mancho in the Shahbagh area during a protest demanding justice for slain student leader Osman Hadi. According to Dhaka Tribune, around 40 to 50 people were injured in the confrontation, including Mohiuddin Roni, an independent candidate from Dhaka-18. Police used baton charges, tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse the protesters. The violence marked the second protest on Friday near the residence of Bangladeshs chief adviser Muhammad Yunus. Earlier in the day, government employees had demonstrated at the same location, demanding implementation of the new pay commission report. The clash began around 7:50 pm when police attempted to clear protesters from the Shahbagh intersection, amid rising tensions since the afternoon. Protesters were demanding justice for Osman Hadis killing and calling for a United Nationsled investigation into the case. Police said around 50 injured activists were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment, news agency PTI reported. Osman Hadi was a prominent figure in the violent 2024 student-led protests, known as the July Uprising, that led to the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas Awami League government. He was also a candidate in the February 12 parliamentary elections. Hadi was shot in Dhaka on December 12 while campaigning and later died of his injuries. Interim government response The interim government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring justice in the case. Yunus press secretary, Shafiqul Alam said the government would ask the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to take charge of the investigation to ensure impartiality. In a statement issued after the clashes, Yunus office said the interim administration was deeply reviewing the legal aspects" of a UN-led probe and would formally write to the concerned UN agency on February 8. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Dhaka, Bangladesh First Published: February 06, 2026, 23:15 IST News world At Least 40 Injured In Dhaka As Police, Protesters Clash Over Osman Hadi Killing Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Attempted To Undermine Democracy: Netanyahu Denies Epstein Ties, Slams Ex-Israel PM Barak Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 19:16 IST Netanyahu accuses former PM Ehud Barak of trying to destabilise Israeli democracy and highlights his controversial ties to Epstein. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (IMAGE: REUTERS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday escalated his attack on former prime minister Ehud Barak, rejecting claims that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein worked for Israel and instead accusing Barak of long-term efforts to destabilise the Israeli government. In a post on social media, Netanyahu said Epsteins unusually close relationship with Barak doesnt suggest Epstein worked for Israel. It proves the opposite." He accused Barak of being fixated on his election defeat more than two decades ago and of repeatedly attempting to undermine Israeli democracy by aligning with what he described as the anti-Zionist radical left." Jeffrey Epsteins unusual close relationship with Ehud Barak doesnt suggest Epstein worked for Israel. It proves the opposite.Stuck on his election loss from over two decades ago, Barak has for years obsessively attempted to undermine Israeli democracy by working with the Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) February 6, 2026 Netanyahu further alleged that Barak has worked both publicly and behind the scenes to fuel mass protest movements, foment unrest and promote what he called false media narratives aimed at toppling elected governments. Who is Ehud Barak? Ehud Barak served as Israels prime minister from 1999 to 2001 and is one of the countrys most decorated military officers. A former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, he later held senior cabinet roles, including defence minister. In recent years, Barak has emerged as a prominent critic of Netanyahu, frequently warning that the current government threatens Israels democratic institutions and rule of law. Baraks links to Jeffrey Epstein Baraks name became internationally controversial after media reports revealed a series of financial and personal links between him and Epstein, years after Epstein had already been convicted in the United States for sex-related offences. The former prime minister has acknowledged that he had a professional and financial relationship with Epstein, including receiving investment funds connected to Epstein for a technology startup he chaired. He has said the money was channelled through legitimate financial entities and was unrelated to Epsteins criminal activities. Photographs published by international media also showed him visiting Epsteins New York residence in 2016. Barak confirmed the visit but denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epsteins crimes, saying the meeting was connected to business discussions. He has repeatedly stated that he severed ties with Epstein once concerns became clear and that he was never aware of Epsteins abuse network. Israeli authorities have said there is no evidence linking Barak to Epsteins criminal conduct. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Tel Aviv, India First Published: February 06, 2026, 19:11 IST News world Attempted To Undermine Democracy: Netanyahu Denies Epstein Ties, Slams Ex-Israel PM Barak Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Balochistan On The Edge: Trains Halted, Communication Cut Amid Attacks And Counter-Insurgency Ops Written By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 09:30 IST The security clampdown follows the Balochistan Liberation Armys (BLA) announcement of Operation Herof 2.0, which the group claims is ongoing against Pakistans armed forces. A security personnel stands guard near charred truck containers torched by armed separatist group Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) at central Bolan district. (AFP photo) Train services across Pakistans Balochistan province remain suspended as security agencies have not granted clearance amid ongoing military operations and continued militant activity. Pakistan Railways on Wednesday confirmed that all train services in Balochistan have been suspended until further notice due to the prevailing security situation. The decision came a day after the Railway Ministry announced the restoration of the Jaffer Express to and from Quetta, a move that was later rolled back after security clearance was denied. Trains affected by the suspension include the Jaffer Express (QuettaPeshawar), Bolan Mail (QuettaKarachi), the Chaman local passenger train, and several other services operating within and out of the province. Officials cited heightened security threats and the inability to ensure passenger safety. The suspension of rail services coincides with continued counter-insurgency operations and skirmishes in multiple towns across Balochistan, according to intelligence inputs. Cellular and mobile data services also remain suspended in several cities, entering the sixth consecutive day of communication restrictions. The security clampdown follows the Balochistan Liberation Armys (BLA) announcement of Operation Herof 2.0", which the group claims is ongoing against Pakistans armed forces. According to the BLA, the operation began on January 31 with coordinated attacks on 12 locations across 10 cities, including Quetta and Gwadar. The group has claimed that the attacks resulted in the deaths of 22 Pakistani security personnel. Pakistans military, however, has issued a sharply different account. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that 216 militants linked to the BLA were killed as security forces concluded Operation Radd-ul-Fitna-1" in Balochistan. Independent verification of casualty figures from either side remains unavailable. In the aftermath of the attacks, China has reportedly suspended all ground operations in Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan, underscoring growing concerns over the security of Chinese personnel and investments linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Intelligence sources maintain that no security clearance has been granted so far for the resumption of train services, indicating that restrictions are likely to continue as operations remain underway across the province. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 09:30 IST News world Balochistan On The Edge: Trains Halted, Communication Cut Amid Attacks And Counter-Insurgency Ops Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Clashes Erupt Outside Muhammad Yunus' House Days Before Bangladesh Elections Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 15:44 IST The violence began when government employees protesting for higher wages came face to face with police. Police reportedly used water cannons and sound grenades to disperse the protesters. (image via X/@ImbusyWarrior) With just six days left before Bangladeshs general elections, clashes broke out outside the official residence of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka on Friday. The violence began when government employees protesting for higher wages came face to face with police. The protesters were demanding the implementation of the Ninth National Pay Scale. According to an NDTV report, they gathered at Shaheed Minar in the morning and marched towards Jamuna, calling for the immediate publication of a government gazette based on the pay commissions recommendations. Visuals shared on social media show a large crowd and heavy police presence outside the Nobel laureates official residence. Police reportedly used water cannons and sound grenades to disperse the protesters. Government employees were marching towards the #Jamuna (Muhammad Yunuss residence)demanding the publication and implementation of the #gazette in light of the Ninth National Pay Commission report. At that time, the police stopped them. At one stage, the police fired water pic.twitter.com/jJw88klo5t Battalion71 (@ImbusyWarrior) February 6, 2026 It is not yet known whether Yunus was at his residence at the time of the protest. An official statement on the matter is still pending. The unrest comes at a sensitive time, just days before Bangladesh is set to hold its first general election since deadly violence shook the country in August 2024. That unrest forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. The upcoming election, scheduled for February 12, is being held under the interim administration led by Yunus. ALSO READ: Yunus Rushes To Ink Secret US Trade Deal Ahead Of Bangladesh Polls, Leaves Exporters In Worry News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Bangladesh First Published: February 06, 2026, 15:35 IST News world Clashes Erupt Outside Muhammad Yunus' House Days Before Bangladesh Elections Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Ties With India Saw Setbacks Under Yunus-Led Interim Regime': Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:45 IST Md Touhid Hossain noted India Bangladesh ties faced setbacks under the interim government, but expressed confidence that the next elected administration could smooth relations. Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus (Photo: AP) Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain has said that relations between India and Bangladesh were not entirely smooth during the tenure of Muhammad Yunus interim government, though he expressed confidence that the next elected administration would be able to iron out difficulties and improve bilateral ties. According to a Dhaka Tribune report, Hossain made the remarks on Thursday while speaking at a views-exchange meeting with the media at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the afternoon. The relations between Bangladesh and India had not been smooth and faced some setbacks during the tenure of the interim government," he said, while voicing optimism that the forthcoming elected government would be able to address these challenges and make the relationship smoother, finding some ways." The adviser noted that the interim authorities had focused on maintaining a good working relationship" with New Delhi. Responding to queries about Dhakas extradition request for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Hossain said that Bangladesh had not received any feedback yet." He also pushed back against the idea that unresolved diplomatic or economic issues were being left behind for the incoming administration. The interim government is not leaving any burdens for the next elected government," he said, adding that it was instead moving several matters forward to make easier some of the things." Among the examples he cited was a tariff deal with the United States. Hossain further pointed out that some of the agreements currently being signed had been under negotiation for a long period and were not entirely new initiatives of the interim dispensation. JAMAAT MANIFESTO PROMISES COOPERATIVE NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY In a separate development, Bangladeshs Islamic conservative party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has pledged to pursue constructive and cooperative" relations with neighbouring countries, including India, as part of its election promises, with just days remaining before the national polls. The partys manifesto, released on Wednesday, said it would establish ties based on mutual respect and fairness," and listed India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Thailand among the countries it aims to engage. Constructive relations with neighbouring and nearby countries, peaceful, friendly, and cooperative relations will be established with India, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Thailand based on mutual respect and fairness," the document stated. Jamaat emphasised strengthening ties with the Muslim world and expanding diplomatic, economic and strategic relations with nations in Eastern Europe, Africa and South America. The February 12 elections and constitutional referendum come nearly two years after the July Uprising in 2024 that led to the ousting of Sheikh Hasina. The Awami League has been barred from contesting, while the Bangladesh National Party and Jamaat have entered into a seat-sharing agreement. The International Crisis Group has flagged uncertainty around the polls, including concerns about the processs credibility and the risk of violence. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:41 IST News world 'Ties With India Saw Setbacks Under Yunus-Led Interim Regime': Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... India Condemns Islamabad Mosque Blast, Dismisses Pakistan's Allegations As 'Baseless' Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 23:43 IST The statement came after Pakistani officials pointed fingers at India. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggested Indias and Afghanistans involvement in the attack. Security personnel stand guard outside a mosque following an explosion, in Islamabad on February 6. (AFP photo) India on Friday strongly condemned the suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Pakistans capital, which killed at least 31 people and wounded more than 169. At the same time, New Delhi firmly rejected any suggestion of Indian involvement, calling such allegations baseless and pointless." In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) wrote, The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused." It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless," it added. Our statement on the attack in Islamabad https://t.co/3gEF7kEzGO pic.twitter.com/H0EIpuBsSb Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 6, 2026 The statement came after Pakistani officials pointed fingers at India. Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggested Indias and Afghanistans involvement in the attack, writing on X that it has been proved that the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed." Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifs spokesperson, Mosharraf Zaidi, also claimed the bombing at the Khadijatul Kubra Imambargah was only the latest in a series of murderous terrorist attacks orchestrated by India," adding that Indias terrorist proxies will neither slow down economic recovery nor divide Pakistani hearts nor undermine Pakistans growing diplomatic capital." The suicide bomber struck during Friday prayers in Islamabads Tarlai area. Police said he was stopped at the gate of the mosque but detonated himself, causing massive casualties. This attack is the deadliest in Islamabad since September 2008, when a suicide truck bomb destroyed part of the five-star Marriott Hotel, killing 60. The last major attack in the capital happened in November last year, when a suicide blast outside a court killed 12 people and injured dozens. (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 23:43 IST News world India Condemns Islamabad Mosque Blast, Dismisses Pakistan's Allegations As 'Baseless' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Iran, US In Consultations To Restart Diplomatic, Technical Negotiations: Oman Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 17:31 IST Irans IRNA news agency said a political statement after the first round of talks would be a positive step toward reducing regional tensions. In a statement, the ministry said the talks aim to enable renewed engagement between the two sides through dialogue. (X/@FMofOman) The Omani Foreign Ministry said consultations are underway with Iran and the United States, focused on creating suitable conditions for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations. In a statement issued in Muscat, Omans Foreign Ministry said the foreign minister held separate consultations with the Iranian and American delegations that focused on creating appropriate conditions to resume diplomatic and technical negotiations." #BREAKINGOmani Foreign Ministry:Consultations are underway with Iran and the U.S., focused on creating suitable conditions for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations. pic.twitter.com/vPAZtcpNe8 Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) February 6, 2026 Meanwhile, the second meeting between Irans foreign minister and his Omani counterpart also concluded in Muscat as part of the ongoing Iran-U.S. negotiations facilitated by Oman. According to the Associated Press, the arrangements were such that the Iranian delegation departed the venue in Muscat before the US convoy, displaying American flags, arrived at the palace where the meetings took place. The US delegation stayed for around an hour and a half before leaving. Irans state broadcaster said the Iranian delegation returned for another round of consultations after the US team departed, although this could not be independently verified. Meanwhile, Irans IRNA news agency said a political statement after the first round of talks would be a positive step toward reducing regional tensions. The most important demand of Iran in the negotiations is the lifting of economic sanctions," IRNA reported. It said Iran stressed that its right to enrich uranium on its own soil is a red line and that it is pursuing a practical agreement that protects its nuclear rights and opens the way for sanctions relief. The US delegation comprised special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner. The Wall Street Journal reported that the talks also included an unusual participant, Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command. An Iranian diplomatic source told Reuters that the presence of any military official could jeopardise the negotiations. Referring to the 12-day war launched by Israel and later joined by the United States, which erupted while further talks with Witkoff had been planned, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hinted that Tehran had not forgotten what led to the collapse of previous negotiations. Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and with a memory of the past year," Araghchi wrote. We act in good faith and stand firm on our rights. Commitments must be honored. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoric, but the pillars of a sustainable agreement." The talks were held against a backdrop of rising tensions after weeks of heated rhetoric and military manoeuvres. Trump recently told Iranian protesters that help is on the way," but instead deployed what he called a large armada" to the region, including the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers. He has also warned of military action if Iran fails to reach a deal with Washington. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Oman First Published: February 06, 2026, 16:39 IST News world Iran, US In Consultations To Restart Diplomatic, Technical Negotiations: Oman Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Jamaat Manifesto Pushes Foreign Policy, Remains Vague On Safety Of Hindus In Bangladesh Reported By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 17:03 IST Sources suggest the absence of clarity on Hindu safety is not accidental but designed to reassure international observers without committing to enforceable protections on ground. Head of Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus, second right, with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, second left. (Image: AP) Bangladeshs Jamaat-e-Islami, in its election manifesto, has projected an image of diplomatic balance and global engagement, promising constructive foreign relations while avoiding explicit commitments on sensitive domestic issues particularly the safety of Hindus. While the document uses broad language around justice, dignity, and mutual respect, it stops short of offering concrete legal or security frameworks to protect minorities, a gap that has raised red flags within Indian security and intelligence circles. The manifesto positions foreign policy as a central pillar, placing strong emphasis on deepening engagement with the Muslim world. Jamaat identifies strengthening ties with Muslim-majority countries as a strategic priority, framing it as both ideological alignment and geopolitical necessity. However, Indian intelligence sources assess that such outreach could also reinforce ideological linkages with transnational organisations, potentially amplifying radical narratives in Bangladesh and along Indias eastern border. The Rohingya issue features prominently in Jamaats foreign policy vision. The party frames Rohingya repatriation as a humanitarian responsibility, projecting Bangladesh as a moral leader on the global stage. At the same time, the issue is expected to be leveraged as a diplomatic pressure tool across South Asia, particularly in international forums. Analysts note that Jamaats focus on Rohingya rights could also be used to strengthen engagement with Western nations and international organisations, allowing Dhaka to position itself as a key humanitarian stakeholder while extracting political and economic leverage. While India is mentioned among Bangladeshs immediate neighbours with whom peaceful and cooperative ties are proposed, the manifesto simultaneously underscores the need to expand relations with Western powers, ASEAN nations, Africa, and Eastern Europe. This diversification strategy is widely seen as an attempt to reduce Bangladeshs dependence on both India and China. Indian agencies interpret this as a deliberate recalibration that could dilute New Delhis influence in a region where the two countries share a long and sensitive border. On minority protection, the manifestos language remains vague. While it references equality and dignity, it avoids outlining enforcement mechanisms or institutional safeguards. This ambiguity has heightened concern in India, particularly given Jamaats historical association with episodes of communal violence. Intelligence sources suggest that the absence of clarity is not accidental but designed to reassure international observers without committing to enforceable protections on the ground. Adding to these concerns is Jamaats proposal to make military training compulsory for youths aged 18 to 22 for a period of six to twelve months. While framed as civic preparedness, critics argue the proposal risks redirecting young citizens from education to militarised environments. Security analysts believe this could serve as a long-term ideological investment, training an entire generation not just for citizenship, but potentially for confrontation. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 17:03 IST News world Jamaat Manifesto Pushes Foreign Policy, Remains Vague On Safety Of Hindus In Bangladesh Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... The Italian photojournalist, second finalist for the Luis Valtuena International Humanitarian Photography Award, portrays the intimate lives of women under the yoke of the Taliban A group of women attend a secret sewing class in Bamyan, the same city where, in 2001, the Taliban blew up two monumental Buddhas carved into rock. Meanwhile, in a clandestine workshop in Kabul, a young woman teaches another how to apply makeup. And, in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in Afghanistan one of the few areas where women can work after the Talibans return to power in August of 2021 a doctor washes her hands. All of these images are part of a project entitled Were Afghan Women to Unveil Their Tales, by Italian photographer Valentina Sinis. She was the second finalist for the 2025 Luis Valtuena International Humanitarian Photography Award, which is presented by Doctors of the World. I have always worked with womens stories, she explains. And, after the Taliban took power [in 2021], news from within [the country] was scarce; we knew that women were disappearing from public life, but not how they were actually living, Sinis explains, in an interview with EL PAIS at the Ortega-Maranon Foundation, in Madrid, where her photographs along with those of the 2025 winner, Samuel Nacar, as well as the other two finalists, Jehad Al-Sharafi and Santi Palacios will be on display until February 28. Sinis is part of a field thats still heavily male. Female participation in the 2025 award increased slightly (4% more than in 2024), although women represented only 36% of the 680 photographers who submitted 6,130 photographs in total. Italian photographer Valentina Sinis, second finalist for the 2025 Luis Valtuena International Humanitarian Photography Award, pictured at the Ortega-Maranon Foundation, in Madrid, on February 4, 2026. Jaime Villanueva Without the support of any media outlet or institution, Sinis traveled to the Asian country in late 2024. What she found were women who wanted to speak out, not only as a form of rebellion, but out of the fundamental need for the world to know that they existed. What impressed me most was that they all wanted to tell their stories, that they wanted someone to bear witness. And, above all, [they wanted] it to be understood that the most devastating thing isnt just not being able to work, but [also] not being able to study, the photographer explains. In March of 2022, the Taliban banned girls from attending secondary school. By the end of the year, they had also prevented women from accessing university. For many, Sinis opines, if their right to education were restored, the rest of the restrictions would almost be secondary. They wanted it to be understood that the most devastating thing isnt not being able to work, but rather not being able to study In her photographs, there are no battles, no explosions, no mutilated bodies. There are courtyards, halls, hands sewing, the gazes of women supporting each other and smiling. Im not looking for sensationalism, she explains. Its easy to take war photos. Its harder to show the inner pain, what happens when your future is taken away. A group of Afghan girls attend a primary school in late 2024. Valentina Sinis Hope is one of the few weapons that Afghan women have left. In the privacy of their homes, there isnt much they can do, the Italian photojournalist notes. However, she adds, there are women who secretly teach other women makeup [techniques] and sewing. And, in a way, theyre all fighters, because they go [beyond] what theyre allowed to do. That fight, she continues, is mental; its a struggle to create a space for themselves where they can feel alive again [one] that gives them a purpose to get up every morning. Most confessed to Sinis that they are very depressed. Because, even if they study and train themselves, there are no job opportunities for them. Being Trapped One of the scenes that affected her most doesnt appear in any of the photographs. It happened in the apartment of a young woman, who is married to a Taliban member. It was a modern home, like any [middle-class] apartment: a fully equipped kitchen, a huge television, a comfortable sofa. She spoke English; she told me that she had learned online. She said she was happy, that her life was perfect, that her future daughter wouldnt need anything more than that: a good husband, a house, children. While they were talking, the husband was banging on the wall from the next room. He called out to her over and over again. She would go, come back and keep talking. It was [very] uncomfortable. She didnt want me to take pictures, just to interview her. And, even then, I felt like every word was being watched. As they were leaving, the husband insisted on giving Sinis and her translator a ride, but they pretended they had to go shopping. Then, we saw him circling around [in his car], looking for us. We hid in the taxi it was very stressful. I wondered if she had been completely brainwashed, or if she was talking like that out of fear, Sinis sighs. In contrast, women who live outside the Taliban circle express another kind of anguish: one having to do with senseless confinement. Most are supported by their husbands or fathers. Many men want the women to work, because the economic situation is very bad. But theyre afraid and fear that theyll be arrested, interrogated that something will happen to them. So, sometimes they forbid [the women] from going out, or they accompany them. Not for control, but [to offer] protection. However, the result is the same: theyre locked up. A group of Afghan women wait in a tailoring shop for their garments to be finished, at the end of 2024. Valentina Sinis In this context, Sinis acknowledges that establishing a relationship of trust isnt easy. But the networks woven by Afghan women opened a door for her. At first, I had a fixer (a guide and translator), but he was a man. [He was] inexperienced and many problems arose. Then, I started to move around on my own. At the market, I met an activist lawyer. Later, other women. At a crafts fair, I connected with more. A baker introduced me to others. Little by little, with the help of a translator, I created my own network, the photographer recalls. She approached her work with one basic premise: I was always clear that my safety wasnt the most important thing: rather, the fundamental thing was not to put them in danger. One of the stereotypes that Sinis disabused herself of on her trip is the idea that Kabul is a city without women. Its not what you might imagine from the outside. Not all of them wear a burka. Many wear an abaya, or a hijab. And, in some cafes, you see women together even some couples, she describes, clarifying: This doesnt mean normality at all, because its a fragile, monitored and limited normality. This isnt the first time that Sinis has covered the stories of women living in extreme and invisible contexts. For years, she has documented female suicide in Iraq, where many women set themselves on fire as a final act of despair in the face of a patriarchal society that oppresses them. She has also worked with Yazidi female survivors of the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS). And, in Sierra Leone, she has photographed women and children making soap who have accidentally ingested caustic soda, after mistaking it for water, sugar, or salt. This causes severe burns to the esophagus and digestive system. If an Afghan woman could speak freely to the world today, Sinis believes that she would ask for one thing above all: The right to study, which was unjustly taken from them. And the support of the international community to get it back. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Kashmir Shias Protest Islamabad Mosque Blast, Turn Anger On Pakistan | Exclusive Reported By : CNN-News18 Last Updated: February 07, 2026, 01:25 IST Protest rallies were reported at several key locations, with participants carrying banners and chanting slogans that explicitly targeted the Pakistani establishment Pakistani security officers, rescue workers and people gather at the site of a bomb explosion at a mosque in Islamabad. (Image/AP) A powerful wave of anti-Pakistan sentiment swept through the Kashmir Valley on Friday, CNN-News18 has learnt, as members of the Shia community held multiple spontaneous protests to condemn a horrific suicide bombing at the Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque in Islamabad. The attack, which occurred during Friday prayers in the Tarlai area of the Pakistani capital, resulted in at least 31 deaths and left over 169 people injured. The brutality of the strike on a Shia place of worship has triggered a visceral reaction in Jammu and Kashmir, manifesting in significant demonstrations across Srinagar, Baramulla, and Bandipora. Geography of Discontent Protest rallies were reported at several key locations, with participants carrying banners and chanting slogans that explicitly targeted the Pakistani establishment. Baramulla: Major demonstrations took place at Chainabal Pattan and Diver Parihasipora, where protesters blocked roads and voiced their anger. Srinagar: Heavy protests were observed at Imambara Zadibal and Harwan, traditional hubs of the Shia community in the city. Bandipora: Worshippers gathered at InderkoteSumbal to hold candlelight vigils and protest marches. The air was thick with anti-Pakistan rhetoric, featuring slogans such as Pakistan Murdabad" (Down with Pakistan) and Hukumat-e-Pakistan Murdabad" (Down with the Government of Pakistan). A Credibility Crisis for Islamabad Top intelligence sources suggest that these protests represent a significant credibility crisis" for Pakistans long-standing narrative as the protector of Kashmiri Muslims. For decades, Islamabad has positioned itself as the guardian of religious interests in the region, yet the repeated targeting of Shias within its own borders is dismantling this image. Key assessments from intelligence inputs include: Community-Driven Anger: Unlike many street protests in the past, these were not politically mobilised by mainstream or separatist parties. They were organic, community-led responses born out of genuine grief and fear. The Radicalisation Reversal: Frequent terror strikes on mosques and religious processions in Pakistanattributed to groups like the TTP (Fitna al-Khawarij) or IS-Kare having a radicalising effect in Kashmir, but not in the way cross-border handlers intended. Instead of fostering sympathy for the Pakistani state, it is breeding deep resentment over Islamabads perceived failure or unwillingness to protect its minorities. Weakening Propaganda: The protector" narrative is visibly fraying. Intelligence analysts believe this domestic failure in Pakistan is weakening the influence of Pakistan-backed religious propaganda in the Valley, as local populations see a stark contradiction between Islamabads rhetoric and the reality of its internal security. Sources say these protests serve as a stern warning signal to cross-border handlers. The shift from sympathy" to sloganeering" suggests that the Shia community in Kashmir is increasingly identifying Pakistan not as a stakeholder in their religious future, but as a source of sectarian instability. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 07, 2026, 01:25 IST News world Kashmir Shias Protest Islamabad Mosque Blast, Turn Anger On Pakistan | Exclusive Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Leave Iran Now: US Embassy Advises Citizens To Exit As Tensions Persist Amid Nuclear Talks Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 08:15 IST The US Embassy in Iran urged Americans to leave the country immediately, warning of internet shutdowns, travel disruptions and heightened detention risks. A file photo of Donald Trump (AP) The US Embassy in Iran has issued an urgent security alert advising American citizens to leave Iran now," citing expanding communications blackouts, transport disruptions and mounting risks of questioning or detention as regional tensions spike ahead of renewed diplomatic talks. In the advisory, the embassy warned that increased security measures, road closures, public transportation disruptions, and internet blockages are ongoing," adding that Iranian authorities continue to restrict access to mobile, landline and national internet networks. Airlines, it said, are also limiting or cancelling flights. US citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Turkiye," the alert stated. Americans were urged to prepare departure plans that do not rely on US government assistance, noting, Flight cancellations and disruptions are possible with little warning." Those unable to leave were advised to shelter in secure locations, maintain supplies of food, water and medications, avoid demonstrations, keep a low profile and remain alert to changing conditions. The embassy also encouraged enrollment in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates. The warning highlighted particular dangers for US-Iranian dual nationals, stressing that Tehran does not recognise dual citizenship and treats such travellers solely as Iranian citizens. US nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest, and detention in Iran," it said, adding that even showing a US passport or ties to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone." As of Thursday, February 5, the Armenian land crossing at Agarak/Norduz and several Turkish crossings, Gurbulak/Bazargan, Kapkoy/Razi and Esendere/Serow, remained open, according to the alert. US citizens entering Armenia may stay up to 180 days visa-free, while those crossing into Turkiye may remain for 90 days. Borders with Turkmenistan are open but require special authorisation coordinated by the US Embassy in Ashgabat, while land crossings into Azerbaijan are largely closed and subject to case-by-case approval. Americans were cautioned not to attempt travel through Afghanistan, Iraq or the Pakistan-Iran border area. The advisory noted that Washington has no diplomatic or consular relations with Tehran and that the Swiss government, through its embassy in Tehran, acts as the protecting power for US interests. The alert comes as the nuclear talks between Iran and the United States are expected Friday in Oman. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the negotiations, while US President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning aimed at Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying in an NBC News interview, I would say he should be very worried." Washington remains sceptical about the prospects for success even as regional allies encouraged engagement, the Associated Press reported. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States hopes to broaden discussions beyond the nuclear issue, while Vice President JD Vance reiterated that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 08:02 IST News world Leave Iran Now: US Embassy Advises Citizens To Exit As Tensions Persist Amid Nuclear Talks Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Massive Indian Takeover Of Frisco': US Right-Wing Turns Council Meeting Into H-1B Showdown Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 10:21 IST The council meet saw individuals displaying right-wing symbols accused Indian-origin citizens of extensive H-1B visa fraud and an "Indian Takeover" of Frisco. The Frisco council meeting saw right-wing critics and Indian-origin people clash over allegations of H-1B fraud. (Representative Image) According to reports, the council meeting saw around a dozen individuals wearing America First hats, masks emblazoned with the symbol of the Marvel character Punisher and other US right-wing symbology. The meeting, which took place on February 3, was called after social media conservative influencers, Kaylee Campbell and Marc Palasciano, urged disgruntled North Texans to attend the council meet and talk about the massive takeover" of Indians in Frisco. Notably, Frisco citizens did not attend the meeting, and the participants were from across North Texas, who came to rage against what they perceived as massive fraud being perpetrated in the H-1B visa programme, the Dallas Observer reported. Indian-Origin Population On Rise In Frisco Notably, the Indian-origin population in Frisco is continuously rising. According to a survey conducted by the city government, Indians and other Asians comprise 33 percent of Friscos population, up from 10 percent in 2010, India Today reported. This rise in Indian households and the USCIS data suggesting that the Indian population is rising because of the fraud in H-1B visas is being used by the right-wing individuals to argue that fraud was taking place within the visa programme. These allegations gained further credence after Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered a freeze on hiring H-1B professionals. Meanwhile, an Indian-American, Shanthan Toodi, a US Army veteran who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was reported by The Dallas Morning News staing that he disagreed with activists framing the issue as an Indian takeover". However, he argued that the perpetrators of H-1B fraud should be held accountable. When entire ethnic communities are spoken about as a problemwe stop talking about policy, and we start drifting into collective blame," Toodi said, adding that it hurt to have to defend his right to belong in the city. Another Indian-American citizen, Muni Janagarajan, argued that the presence of Indians was a net benefit to the city of Frisco. When we buy homes we are not just buying the real estate," Janagarajan said, adding We are funding the world-class parks and Frisco ISD, one of the top-rated school districts in Texas that benefits every child in the city." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: February 06, 2026, 10:13 IST News world 'Massive Indian Takeover Of Frisco': US Right-Wing Turns Council Meeting Into H-1B Showdown Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 31 Killed, 169 Injured In Suspected Suicide Blast Near Mosque In Pakistan Reported By : News18.com Edited By: News Desk Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 19:17 IST An explosion rocked the Tarlai Imambargah, a Shiite mosque in the federal capital .Police teams and rescue workers rushed to the spot to begin relief operations. Over 30 people were killed in the blast at Islamabad mosque. (Reuters) At least 31 people were killed, and 169 others were injured after a suspected suicide blast took place at a religious centre in Pakistans capital, Islamabad. According to the local reports, an explosion rocked the Tarlai Imambargah, a Shiite mosque in the Shehzad Town area of the federal capital. The attack occurred during the two-day official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Police teams and rescue workers rushed to the spot and began relief operations. Pakistani media reported that more than 160 people were injured in the blast. Hospital authorities declared an emergency following the explosion. The injured were taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Polyclinic Hospital for treatment. Several videos circulating online show scenes of chaos at the site, with people seen running in panic. Officials present at the spot were also seen trying to control the situation and assist the injured. Islamabad Capital Territory Police Spokesperson Taqi Jawad said it was too soon to ascertain the nature of the blast and forensics teams would need to determine whether it was a suicide or a planted bomb. Pakistans Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the attack, and asked authorities to ensure the provision of best medical care to the wounded persons, who were arriving at the citys different hospitals. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry strongly condemned the attack, saying, Such acts of terrorism cannot dampen the morale of the nation. The need of the hour is that we all stand united for peace, tolerance, and stability, and express solidarity with law enforcement agencies." While no group claimed responsibility for the explosion, suspicion is likely to fall on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Islamic State groups, which have been blamed for previous attacks on Shiite worshippers, a minority in the country. The latest attack comes nearly a week after security forces clashed with Baloch separatists and killed around 216 militants. This incident took place nearly three months after a suicide blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad killed 12 people and injured 30 people in November 2025. Watch more videos Share this Article WhatsApp facebook Twitter telegram copy link News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 15:11 IST News world 31 Killed, 169 Injured In Suspected Suicide Blast Near Mosque In Pakistan Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Pakistan Vows To Respond With 'Full Force' After Islamabad Suicide Blast, Blames Afghan Taliban Reported By : News18.com Edited By: Aveek Banerjee Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 22:29 IST Pakistan vowed to respond with "full force" after 31 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad on Friday. Rapid Read Pakistani security officers, rescue workers and people gather at the site of a bomb explosion at a mosque in Islamabad. (AP) Pakistans Defence Minister Khawaja Asif promised that the Shehbaz Sharif-led government will respond forcefully after a suspected suicide blast at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people on Friday, while blaming the Taliban regime in Afghanistan for the attack. At least 31 people were killed and 169 people injured in a suicide bombing at Imambargah Khadijah-tul-Kubra, a Shiite mosque, in the federal capital during Friday prayers. The attack occurred during the two-day official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Taking to X, Asif suggested Afghanistans involvement in the attack, saying that it has been proved that the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan." He accused the Taliban regime of facilitating terrorism in Pakistan. The Pakistani Defence Minister said the security guards had challenged" the attacker, who opened fire in response. He then blew himself up, standing in the last row of worshippers," Asif said, adding that the state will respond with full force". READ MORE: 31 Killed, 169 Injured In Suspected Suicide Blast Near Mosque In Pakistan Intelligence Failure Asif also suggested Indias involvement in the suicide blast, without evidence, claiming that the collusion between India and Afghanistan was being exposed." He also ruled out any talks with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. However, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18 that by repeatedly stressing that worshippers were martyred inside mosques, Asif is trying to reclaim the moral high ground. Sources said the suicide blast in Islamabad was an intelligence failure, and such attacks on mosques were dangerous not just for the public but also for Pakistans own religious legitimacy. Furthermore, Pakistans decision of no talks, only action marks a clear shift from Pakistans earlier strategy of engagement with the Taliban, and they were never keen for peaceful solution with the Taliban as multiple peace talks failed, sources said. Pakistan, once an ally of the Taliban, has long blamed Afghanistan for sheltering terrorist groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), besides enabling attacks by Baloch insurgents like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The rise of TTP attacks and multiple attacks on Pakistani security forces have strained ties between the two countries, resulting in cross-border clashes last year. Multiple rounds of talks facilitated by Turkey, along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, have remained inconclusive, with Kabul firmly rejecting what it described as Pakistans illegitimate" conditions for a broader peace settlement. Meanwhile, Pakistan has demanded that the Afghan Taliban hand over TTP militants and recognise Islamabads security primacy over Kabul. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Islamabad, Pakistan First Published: February 06, 2026, 22:29 IST News world Pakistan Vows To Respond With 'Full Force' After Islamabad Suicide Blast, Blames Afghan Taliban Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Private Jet Owned By Trump's Aide Used By ICE To Deport Palestinians To West Bank: Report Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 19:09 IST On January 21, eight Palestinians were flown from Arizona to Tel Aviv. They were reportedly boarded on Dezer's Gulfstream jet. Florida real estate developer Gil Dezer's jet was used. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported the arrested Palestinians to the West Bank on a private jet, an investigation by The Guardian revealed. The luxury aircraft is owned by Florida real estate developer and Trump donor Gil Dezer. ICE used the plane to deport detainees from the United States to Israel and then to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. As per the report, on January 21, eight Palestinian men were flown from Arizona to Tel Aviv. They were boarded on Dezers Gulfstream jet, chartered through a Florida-based company that frequently contracts with federal agencies. According to the flight tracking data accessed by the Guardian, the aircraft made refuelling stops in New Jersey, Ireland, and Bulgaria before landing in Israel. The arrested Palestinians arrived wearing prison-issued tracksuits and were carrying their belongings in plastic bags. The report further added that the operation was in line with the US governments efforts to deport Palestinians detained by ICE to the West Bank rather than to their countries. Dezer responded to the Guardian via an email and said that he never knew who travelled on his jet when it was privately chartered. The only thing Im notified about is the dates of use," he said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: February 06, 2026, 19:09 IST News world Private Jet Owned By Trump's Aide Used By ICE To Deport Palestinians To West Bank: Report Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... UN Security Council Clears Sanctions Waivers For Humanitarian Projects In North Korea Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 16:37 IST The UN approved sanctions waivers for 17 humanitarian projects in North Korea, involving UNICEF, amid ongoing tensions over Pyongyang's weapons programme. Members of the United Nations Security Council. (File photo: Getty Images via AFP) The United Nations has cleared exemptions from tough sanctions on North Korea, allowing new humanitarian aid projects to move forward in the isolated country. The decision comes amid renewed diplomatic efforts by South Korea and the United States to engage Pyongyang, even as tensions over its weapons programme remain high. Sources told Reuters on Friday that members of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea unanimously approved sanctions waivers for 17 humanitarian projects on Thursday. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to comment publicly. There has been no official announcement yet from the Security Council or the sanctions committee. The approved projects are being carried out by major international organisations, including UNICEF, as well as non-government groups based in South Korea, the US and other countries. According to the sources, many of these projects had been awaiting approval since the first half of 2025. Humanitarian aid to North Korea can only proceed with clearance from the UN sanctions committee. In recent months, approvals had been delayed, with Washington blocking several requests as part of broader pressure on Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programmes. UN sanctions against North Korea date back to 2006, when the Security Council adopted Resolution 1718 following one of the countrys nuclear tests. The measures ban the transfer of arms, fuel and other sensitive items, some of which are also used in aid programmes. North Korea has repeatedly criticised UN and international sanctions, calling them hostile acts led by the United States and an attack on its right to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. South Koreas DongA Ilbo newspaper reported that US President Donald Trump had given his approval to support the exemptions, which required unanimous backing from the committee, including the US. Despite outreach from Washington and Seoul, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has remained silent and has continued to expand weapons development. Pyongyang has also strengthened ties with Russia and China, including by sending troops to support Moscows war in Ukraine. (With inputs from agencies) News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : United States of America (USA) First Published: February 06, 2026, 16:37 IST News world UN Security Council Clears Sanctions Waivers For Humanitarian Projects In North Korea Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... US Announces Fresh Sanctions On Iran Oil Exports As Oman Talks Wrap Up Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 22:42 IST The US Department of State has sanctioned 14 shadow fleet vessels involved in the transport of Iranian oil, including an India-flagged tanker. US imposed fresh sanctions on Iran's oil exports (IMAGE: REUTERS) The United States announced fresh sanctions on Irans oil exports on Friday, including targeting 14 vessels, moments after the two countries wrapped up a day of indirect talks in Oman amid escalating tensions over Tehrans recent crackdown on a wave of protests. The US State Department ordered a block of any transactions with 14 vessels said to transport Iranian oil, including ships flagged from Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Iran uses oil revenue to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran." So long as Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behaviour and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable," he added. Indian National Also Sanctioned The United States has sanctioned 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products, claiming that they have generated revenue for the Islamic Republics malign activities". An Indian entity and an Indian national are also under these sanctions. Elevate Marine Management Private Limited is the India-based commercial manager of Benedict, a Cameroon-flagged crude oil tanker, which transported Iranian petroleum products on at least three occasions between September and November 2025, the state department said. Elevate was designated for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran. Akash Anant Shinde, an Indian national and the director of Elevate, was also sanctioned by the US. Under these sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated or otherwise blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, all entities and individuals that have ownership, either directly or indirectly, 50 per cent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. READ MORE: Iran, US In Consultations To Restart Diplomatic, Technical Negotiations: Oman Indirect Talks In Oman The development came after the US and Iran held indirect talks in Oman aimed at creating suitable conditions for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations. Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks were off to a good start" and set to continue, but warned against any threats or pressure. This came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any discussions to revive diplomacy must include curbs on Irans ballistic missiles, support for armed groups around the region and treatment of their own people". Iran has repeatedly ruled out putting its missiles up for discussions. Omans foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi, who mediated the talks, said they had been very serious", with results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington. Meanwhile, Irans IRNA news agency said a political statement after the first round of talks would be a positive step toward reducing regional tensions. The talks were held against a backdrop of rising tensions after weeks of heated rhetoric and military manoeuvres following widespread protests in Iran over economic stagnation, which prompted a brutal crackdown by Iranian authorities. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: February 06, 2026, 22:18 IST News world US Announces Fresh Sanctions On Iran Oil Exports As Oman Talks Wrap Up Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... US, Iran Delegations In Muscat For Key Nuclear Talks After Deadly Protest Crackdown Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:21 IST Steve Witkoff and Abbas Araqchi arrived in Muscat for US-Iran nuclear talks amid tensions over missiles and protests. A combined photo of Donald Trump/Ali Khamenei (AFP) US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived in Muscat as delegations from both sides prepared for face-to-face nuclear talks scheduled for Friday. While Araqchi had arrived in Muscat earlier, multiple media reports, including the Tehran Times and the Jerusalem Post, reported Witkoff had also reached there. Esmail Baghaei, a spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, said Iran would engage with authority and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually acceptable and dignified understanding on the nuclear issue," and he urged Washington to participate with responsibility, realism and seriousness." The talks are happening against a backdrop of deep disagreement over their scope. While Washington has insisted the agenda include Tehrans ballistic missile programme and support for regional proxy groups, Tehran has repeatedly insisted the discussions be confined to its nuclear activities. Reuters noted the two sides remain at odds" over those parameters. The diplomatic meeting was confirmed only late on Wednesday after uncertainty over location and format, and that the meeting would be the first direct encounter between senior US and Iranian officials since the United States joined Israels strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE US-IRAN TALKS The talks come after a period of military action and domestic unrest in Iran. Washington has moved significant naval assets to the region, and US officials have signalled that they hope to discuss issues beyond enrichment, including missiles and Irans regional activities. Diplomatic channels have previously been mediated by Oman and recalled the long arc of US-Iran relations since 1979. OMAN MEDIATED PREVIOUS TALKS Omans role as a discreet intermediary between Tehran and Washington was underlined in the past rounds of talks between Araghchi and US envoys. Both indirect and occasional face-to-face sessions have often been hosted in Muscat, and the Gulf sultanate has been described repeatedly as a trusted venue for sensitive diplomacy between the two adversaries. THE 12-DAY WAR AND NATIONWIDE PROTESTS The Muscat meeting also comes in the shadow of the 12-day war in June and the subsequent domestic unrest in Iran. That sequence of events, military strikes on nuclear sites followed by a nationwide protest movement and a heavy security crackdown, has sharpened international concerns and complicated the political environment in which negotiators now meet. IRANS NUCLEAR PROGRAMME WORRIES THE WEST Multiple media reports have cited International Atomic Energy Agency data and public Western concerns that Irans enrichment activity has accelerated, with Tehran enriching uranium to levels that Western states say shorten a potential pathway to weaponisation. Iran, for its part, continues to assert the peaceful nature of its programme while simultaneously resisting US demands that extend beyond nuclear issues. As delegations prepared to sit down in Muscat, US and Iranian officials framed the encounter differently. Tehran presented the talks as a diplomatic duty to protect national interests and preserve regional stability, while US public statements continued to stress that all options remain on the table. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:09 IST News world US, Iran Delegations In Muscat For Key Nuclear Talks After Deadly Protest Crackdown Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... 'Very Hard Yet Constructive': Kremlin On Ukraine Talks In Abu Dhabi Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 15:56 IST Kremlin says US-mediated Abu Dhabi talks with Ukraine were difficult but constructive. Russia and Ukraine exchanged 314 prisoners, signaling progress. Kremlin says US-mediated Abu Dhabi talks with Ukraine were difficult but constructive. Russia and Ukraine exchanged 314 prisoners, signaling progress. (Image: AFP) The Kremlin on Friday said two days of talks with Ukraine, mediated by the United States, were difficult but constructive, and that negotiations aimed at ending the war would continue. Speaking a day after the talks concluded in Abu Dhabi, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that both sides engaged in very difficult work" over the two-day discussions. For two days there was constructive and very difficult work they will continue," he said. The second round of talks ended on Thursday without any announced breakthrough on key issues. However, Russia and Ukraine carried out a significant exchange of captured soldiers on the same day, a move seen as a rare confidence-building step. Ukraine, Russia and the United States have all claimed some progress in the negotiations but declined to provide details, stressing that substantial work remains. Kyiv has also indicated that further rounds of talks are planned. The Abu Dhabi meetings were part of a series of US-mediated, trilateral negotiations involving Russian, Ukrainian and American delegations. Hosted by the UAE, the talks aim to explore ways to bring an end to nearly four years of conflict by addressing key diplomatic and security issues, even as deep disagreements remain over territory and sovereignty. One tangible outcome of the latest round was an agreement to exchange 314 prisoners of war, the first such swap in months, which both sides described as progress toward building trust. Kyiv, Moscow and Washington have all said there has been some headway, without specifying details, and each stressed that substantial work remains before a lasting settlement is possible. Kyiv has also said further talks are planned. Washington has reiterated its push for an end to the war, even as hostilities continue on the ground. Later this month will mark four years since Russia launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine a conflict that has become Europes deadliest since World War II. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) First Published: February 06, 2026, 15:56 IST News world 'Very Hard Yet Constructive': Kremlin On Ukraine Talks In Abu Dhabi Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Detained in Venezuela amid confusing circumstances, Alex Saab (Barranquilla, 54 years old) is being faced with the possibility of extradition to the United States, where he was previously imprisoned on charges of money laundering. The new administration of Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas, under the watch of Donald Trump, has not made any demands that the ponytailed Colombian businessman be set free, as Nicolas Maduro did when he managed to repatriate his alleged frontman when Saab was imprisoned in Miami. On the contrary, there is every sign that the current regime is in favor of Saabs detention. His current situation is bizarre: once extradited from Cape Verde, he was set free in a prisoner exchange between Caracas and Washington, named Minister of Industries and National Production, then relieved of his duties by the interim president herself soon after the operation during which U.S. military forces captured Maduro at the beginning of the year. Saabs luck appears to have run out. Under the shadow of Maduro, he not only became wealthy, but a kind of super minister in the Bolivarian Republic, with greater responsibilities than any other member of the cabinet, says journalist Gerardo Reyes, who is the director of the investigative unit of the Univision Network. For years, Reyes team has investigated the man who was labeled the financial operator of Hugo Chavezs successor. When there was no milk in Venezuela, Saab was called in. When there was no gas, he was summoned to fix things. And faced with a shortage of foreign currency, officials suggested he find a way to sell off gold bullion. He duly took his plane, or hired another plane, and flew off to unload gold in Turkey. He was the man who could solve anything, according to Reyes, author of the Spanish-language book Alex Saab: La verdad (Alex Saab: The truth; Planeta Publishing, 2021). Alex Saabs friends have no explanation for how such an average guy, of modest aspiration and lacking any kind of passion, aside for the love of his children, became the financial shark of the Bolivarian Revolution, writes Reyes of the origins of a man who became beset by debt and yet, within a few years time, would return to his native Baranquilla in a private jet. In Caracas, Saab became practically an aide to former Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba, who was instrumental in the release of politicians kidnapped by the FARC, and who had privileged access to Chavez. It was she who opened the doors of the Miraflores Palace, the presidential residence, to Saab. The other Colombian figure key to understanding Saabs rise is lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella, now a far-right presidential candidate. Reyes describes De la Espriella as Saabs friend, advisor and guide. The cunning, ponytail-wearing businessman swam through the stormy waters of Venezuelan corruption and the useless U.S. embargo until he reached an irreversible point where the survival of the Venezuelan state depended on his furtive improvisations, Reyes writes. The first mention of Saab having a business in Venezuela dates back to November 2011, when he signed a contract to build pre-fabricated housing at Miraflores Palace with Chavez himself, already bald at the time due to the chemotherapy he was undergoing, as well as then-Chancellor Maduro and Juan Manuel Santos, president of Colombia. At the time of that signing ceremony, which would later go viral, Saab was an unknown so much so that Santos would recount how Colombian chancellor Maria Angela Holguin whispered in his ear, Who is that guy? At the time, the businessman was expanding the projects he had begun in his hometown Baranquilla, as part of a family of textile entrepreneurs from Lebanon. Starting with early ventures like manufacturing key chains and advertising materials for graduations, Saab would become a jack-of-all-trades entrepreneur. Over the years, he began to make inroads into the Chavez government, and later, Maduros. In Venezuela, he initially connected with the government through the construction business, importing food for CLAPs (Local Supply and Production Committees), medicine and whatever else was needed, then trading gold for food with Turkey and transporting oil in ghost ships, until he became Chavismos principal, if shadowy, financial operator. The Venezuelan government saw him as an ingenious man motivated by challenge, who found quick and efficient ways to circumvent U.S. sanctions. Washington estimates that the dividends Saab obtained from the deals he made under Maduro amount to more than $1 billion. The U.S. Department of the Treasury is convinced that Saab was Maduros most important frontman. He was thus dubbed by Luisa Ortega Diaz, Venezuelas attorney general beginning in 2007 under Chavez until 2017 under Maduro, who fled to Colombia on a boat after receiving death threats in August 2017. At the time, De la Espriella announced that he had suggested suing Ortega for defamation. Saab is not part of the Venezuelan government, he is a government contract worker who has carried out all his work as a gentleman, he told Barranquillas El Heraldo newspaper. Saab was presented as being tied to housing construction, and as having no relationship with the food industry. However, Armando Info had previously revealed that he was behind the Hong Kong company that managed CLAP boxes that had been discovered to contain expired products. Saabs power became evident when Armando Infos investigative journalists were exiled shortly thereafter. In the same year of 2017, he filed a legal complaint against the publications editors for defamation, and managed to get telecommunications regulators to block its website. The publication had exposed the shy businessmans entry into the inner workings of the Chavista government. Although he came to Venezuela before Maduro was president, the grotesque power and multi-million businesses in which he participated were thanks to the rise of Maduro in April 2013, says Armando Info journalist Roberto Deniz. Saab is an extremely important piece in the legal puzzle of the United States against Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, Deniz says. The businessmans June 2020 detention in Cape Verde, an archipelago near the coast of Africa, was what brought him to the attention of the public. He was designated a diplomat, given Venezuelan citizenship, and became the subject of a fierce legal battle. The #FreeAlexSaab Foundation was created, and streets in the country filled with posters calling for his liberation. This was how many were able to put a face to the man who had busied himself in bringing low-quality milk and food to the country through the CLAP program, created in 2015 by Maduro. Venezuelans were introduced to his timid, nearly monotone voice at the end of 2023, when he returned to Venezuela after a stint in a Miami prison upon receiving a pardon from Joe Biden and becoming part of a prisoner exchange between the two countries. I feel proud to have served the Venezuelan people and this humane and loyal government, Saab said from Miraflores, where he landed after a flight on which he was accompanied by Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuelas National Assembly and brother of the current interim president. The appearance was followed by Saabs official appointment to the cabinet. Saab had been detained when the private plane on which he had been traveling made a stop in Cape Verde to refuel on a trip to Caracas from Tehran. He had been sent to coordinate the support offered by Iranian authorities during the gas crisis that affected Venezuela that year during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, Saab was accused, among other crimes, of money laundering. He had been pegged, not only by the United Sates but by other nations, including Colombia, as one of the main frontmen for various corrupt networks within the Venezuelan government. Despite using all his legal options to avoid extradition, including being appointed as a diplomat after his capture, in 2021, Saab was brought before a Miami court to face trial. He had served less than two years in detention when, at the end of 2023, he was included in the prisoner exchange negotiated by Maduro as part of the so-called Barbados Agreement. That accord also included a broad lifting of oil sanctions, a move Trump often criticizes, with his characteristic sarcasm. Saabs return was preceded by an intense campaign in which he was portrayed as the victim of kidnapping and which was led by his wife, Italian model Camilla Fabri. She soon took public office herself, coordinating the Return to the Homeland Plan aimed at getting the Venezuelan diaspora to return to their country. Additional corruption linked to the sale of crude oil was exposed by the arrest of Maduros second-in-command, Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami, who was arrested with Saabs closest associate, fellow Colombian Alvaro Pulido (alias German Rubio Salas), who were both sanctioned by the United States and tied to money laundering and drug trafficking. In one of the books written to call for Saabs release, alleged letters written by Saab during his detention refer to El Aissami and then-vice president Delcy Rodriguez as the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi of the Venezuelan economy. Upon his return, Saab officially became part of Maduros cabinet, first as the head of imports and exports, his longtime purview, and then through the Ministry of Industries and National Production. When he was removed on January 17, Rodriguez said he would be entrusted with new, unspecified responsibilities. The story of Maduros frontman appears to heading towards its conclusion, but at this point, its impossible to be sure. As Reyes says, Saab is a professional castaway. When everyone thinks hes drowned, he turns up somewhere, muddling through. With information from Eyanir Chinea. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Yunus Rushes To Ink Secret US Trade Deal Ahead Of Bangladesh Polls, Leaves Exporters In Worry Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 07:44 IST The deal is being pushed by the unelected interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, raising sharp questions about democratic mandate and transparency. Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus (Image: @ChiefAdviserGoB/X) Dhaka is set to sign a Bangladesh-US trade agreement on February 9, just three days before the countrys national election, with officially no information disclosed about its contents, triggering widespread concern among exporters, economists and political observers. The deal is being pushed by the unelected interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, raising sharp questions about democratic mandate and transparency. Critics argue that an outgoing, non-elected government is attempting to lock Bangladesh into a long-term economic commitment without public debate or parliamentary scrutiny. Anxiety has been fuelled further by reports that the Yunus administration signed a non-disclosure agreement with Washington in 2025, effectively barring any public examination of the negotiations. The secrecy surrounding the agreement, coupled with its timing on the eve of elections scheduled for February 12, has intensified fears about its legality and long-term implications. The rush to conclude the agreement has become a central point of contention. While the interim government is expected to step aside after the polls, it is moving ahead with a trade deal that could shape Bangladeshs export landscape for years to come. Economist and public intellectual Anu Muhammad openly questioned the urgency in a social media post, asking why major decisions, ranging from port leasing to arms imports and trade agreements with the US, were being fast-tracked just days before the election. He alleged that the process was non-transparent, illogical and irregular," and claimed that foreign lobbyists had been embedded within the administration to push the agreements through. Exporters Voice Deep Unease The strongest resistance has emerged from Bangladeshs export sector, particularly the ready-made garments industry, which dominates trade with the United States. Bangladesh exports between $7 billion and $8.4 billion worth of apparel and textiles to the US annually, with garments accounting for nearly 96 per cent of that figure. The sector directly employs around 4-5 million people, the majority of them women. With US tariffs on Indian exports reduced to 18 per cent while Bangladesh currently faces a 20 per cent rate, exporters fear that the secretive deal could further erode their competitiveness rather than improve it. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association senior vice president Inamul Haque Khan said the absence of consultation was alarming. While there had been expectations that tariff rates could drop to 15 percent, he expressed surprise at the timing of the signing and said such a consequential agreement should have been concluded only after the election. Economists warn that the interim setup may be constraining the policy space of the next elected government. Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said signing the agreement post-election would have allowed political parties to debate its merits and implications, adding that there was a real risk of tying the hands of the incoming administration. Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Taskeen Ahmed said the lack of clarity made it impossible to assess who stands to gain or lose. He noted growing apprehension within the business community over potential conditions attached to the agreement and their impact on specific sectors. The controversy has also revived debate over the circumstances under which the Yunus administration assumed office following the removal of Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Persistent allegations suggest Yunus came to power with backing from Islamist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami, alongside tacit Western support, though little has been officially confirmed. Bangladeshs trade ties with the US have already been volatile. After Washington imposed a steep 37 percent tariff in April 2025, rates were gradually reduced to 20 percent by August. Last week, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman confirmed that February 9 had been finalised as the signing date for the agreement, but offered no details on its substance. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Bangladesh First Published: February 06, 2026, 07:44 IST News world Yunus Rushes To Ink Secret US Trade Deal Ahead Of Bangladesh Polls, Leaves Exporters In Worry Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Zelenskyy, Putin Hate Each Other: Trump Says Ukraine Peace Deal Is Hard But Could Be Close Curated By : News18.com Last Updated: February 06, 2026, 22:14 IST Donald Trump says progress is being made to end the RussiaUkraine war, citing talks with Putin and upcoming US-mediated peace talks, despite ongoing hostility with Zelenskyy. Donald Trump says progress is being made to end the RussiaUkraine war, citing talks with Putin and upcoming US-mediated peace talks, despite ongoing hostility with Zelenskyy. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) US President Donald Trump on Friday said progress was being made toward ending the RussiaUkraine war, while acknowledging that hostility between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to complicate peace efforts. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the personal animosity between the two leaders was a major hurdle. Zelenskyy and Putin hate each other, and it makes it very difficult," he said, adding, But I think were getting very close to getting a settlement. I think we have a good chance of getting it settled." Trumps remarks came a day after he revealed that he had recently spoken with Putin and requested a temporary pause in Russian attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities amid extreme winter conditions. According to Trump, Putin agreed to the request. I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that," Trump said during a Cabinet meeting. A lot of people said, Dont waste the call, youre not going to get that. And he did it." The US president said his appeal was driven by unusually harsh weather in the region, describing it as record-setting cold." Drawing a comparison with freezing conditions in Washington, Trump said the severe weather was worsening humanitarian concerns on both sides. Despite the diplomatic signals, fighting has continued on the ground. Ukrainian officials said three people were killed in an overnight Russian drone attack in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on Thursday, while Zelenskyy warned that Russia could be preparing for another major offensive. Trumps comments come ahead of US-mediated peace talks expected to take place over the weekend. They also follow Russias invitation to Zelenskyy to hold negotiations in Moscow, aimed at ending the nearly four-year-long conflict. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow was being considered as a potential venue for the talks, following last weeks first trilateral meeting involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi. Earlier, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Zelenskyy would be welcome in Moscow if he agreed to meet, adding that Russia would ensure his security and make all necessary arrangements for the discussions. The diplomatic manoeuvring underscores growing international efforts to find a negotiated end to Europes deadliest conflict since World War II, even as hostilities persist on the battlefield. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location : Washington D.C., United States of America (USA) First Published: February 06, 2026, 22:12 IST News world Zelenskyy, Putin Hate Each Other: Trump Says Ukraine Peace Deal Is Hard But Could Be Close Disclaimer: Comments reflect users views, not News18s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments... Many of Telegrams eight million Spanish users received a message Wednesday night from the apps founder and CEO, Pavel Durov. The Russian magnate mentioned the dangerous regulations announced on Tuesday by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, which include restricting social media use for those under 16 and assigning legal responsibility to their executives for potential platform violations. These measures could turn Spain into a surveillance state under the guise of protection, he wrote. What he failed to mention is that Telegram is immune to surveillance, both its own and that of third parties, as it contributes to the spread of hoaxes and disinformation in Spain and other countries, and has been a preferred communication channel for cybercriminals for years. The reputation of the app founded by Durov leaves much to be desired. Authorities know that Telegram is very popular with criminals. For this reason, and for failing to take any action to address it, Durov, who holds Russian, French, and Emirati passports, was arrested on August 24, 2024, outside Paris as soon as he stepped off his private jet. He was accused, among other things, of complicity in the distribution of child pornography on the instant messaging network he runs. The charges he faces could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Meanwhile, despite the ongoing investigation by French authorities, the businessman returned to Dubai in March of last year, where he had gone into exile in 2014. Durov embodies the archetype of the techno-oligarch who proclaims himself a champion of freedom. In 2006, at just 22 years old, he founded the Russian version of Facebook, VKontakte (VK). At 30, he fell from grace and, harassed by Vladimir Putins security services, was forced to sell his shares. Far from simply enjoying life and spending his fortune, he decided to launch Telegram, which today boasts some 1 billion monthly active users, according to figures provided by the company itself. When I turned 11 in 1995, I made a promise to myself to become smarter, stronger, and freer every day. Today, Telegram turns 11 and is ready to make that same promise, he said on his own platform a few days before his arrest in Paris. These pronouncements contrast sharply with reality. The lack of control over what happens on the platform has turned it into a tool for cybercrime. In 2024, Spains Civil Guard dismantled a banking phishing network (stealing credentials through deception) that used Telegram as a communication channel for cybercriminals. The network used channels with explicit titles such as Stealing everything from grandmas. A lot of child pornography is also circulating on Telegram. Until two years ago, it went completely unpunished. But Durovs arrest has suddenly led to the company cooperating more with the police, including the Spanish police, which has helped dismantle some pedophile networks. There is cybercrime, but less of it More things happen on Telegram. The apps very features make it ideal for carrying out clandestine activities. Telegrams automated bots allow cybercriminals to manage inquiries from their clients, offering their services in an automated way (for example, selling passwords or launching a ransomware attack, or hijacking devices). It also allows for the processing of cryptocurrency payments and the distribution of illegal goods, such as stolen bank cards, records of info-stealers (malicious programs that steal confidential information), phishing kits, or distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, all without human intervention. Furthermore, its unlimited storage capacity facilitates the sharing of leaked databases or stolen corporate documents. A report by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has found, however, that criminals are beginning to quit Telegram. After tracking 800 criminal channels blocked between 2021 and 2024, analysts conclude that, although these channels are surviving longer than before, the platform is tightening its policies, and this has significantly accelerated the rate of closures. Telegram remains a useful tool for scammers, but the risk-reward ratio is changing, explains Vladislav Belousov, an analyst at Digital Footprint, the Kaspersky team that produced the report. Although some channels are staying online longer than before, the increasing volume of blocks makes it impossible to guarantee stability. When a store or service disappears overnight and reappears only to be taken down again weeks later, maintaining a business becomes very difficult. We are already seeing the first signs of migration, he adds. The report also notes that hacktivism contributes to the blocking of particularly compromised channels by filing complaints. Telegram presents other challenges for cybercriminals. A key one is the lack of end-to-end encryption by default, a feature found in services like WhatsApp and Signal, which ensures that only the sender and recipient can see the messages they exchange. Cybercriminals also cannot manage their communications from their own servers due to Telegrams centralized infrastructure and closed-source server code, which prevents verification of its actual operation. For all these reasons, established cybercrime groups, such as BFRepo, with nearly 9,000 members, or Angel Drainer, which specializes in selling malware as a service, have begun to shift their main activity to other platforms or even to private messaging developed by themselves. Hornets nest of misinformation In recent years, Telegram has become the preferred channel for disinformation spreaders and agitators. Its lax content moderation policy, which allows almost anything, combined with the possibility of reaching tens of thousands of users in its distribution channels, makes this instant messaging service the perfect conduit for massively disseminating poorly or completely unverified material, the legal prosecution of which is less obvious than in the case of other materials (child pornography, malware, etc.). Two weeks ago, following the fatal train accident in Adamuz, in southern Spain, all sorts of hoaxes filled with outlandish theories circulated on this platform. Last summer, Telegram was also used to organize hunts for immigrants in Torre Pacheco, in the southeastern Spanish region of Murcia. Dozens of young people traveled to that town with their phones full of messages from far-right groups calling for the cleansing of Spain. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Berliners are lining up in the coldfor potatoes. An enormous bumper crop, quickly dubbed the "potato flood," has left farmers in eastern Germany with more spuds than they can sell, triggering a sprawling giveaway that's turned parts of the capital into open-air potato depots. One farmer near Leipzig was stuck with more than 4,400 tons of the tubers after a last-minute deal collapsed, and instead of sending the surplus to landfills or biogas plants, a Berlin newspaper and eco-focused search engine Ecosia coordinated so he could hand it all out for free, per the Guardian . Nearly 175 pop-up distribution points have appeared around the city, drawing soup kitchens, shelters, schools, churches, and ordinary residents trying to blunt rising living costs. Berlin Zoo has carted away tons to feed its animals, and two truckloads have been shipped to Ukraine. At one site, a local teacher said she crammed more than 150 potatoes into an old backpackenough, she figured, to feed herself and her neighbors for months. Another Berliner described a "partylike" vibe as people swapped recipes and helped each other haul sacks across icy streets. The stunt has also revived Germany's long-standing relationship with the potato, dating back to Frederick the Great's 18th-century "potato decree," which helped cement the crop as a staple. Recipes are circulating widely, from celebrity chef Marco Mueller's high-end potato broths and vinaigrettes to Angela Merkel's widely shared potato soup, complete with her tip to mash by hand for a chunkier texture. Nutrition experts have stepped in to remind carb-wary eaters that potatoes carry vitamin C and potassium. Not everyone is cheering. Some farmers say the capital's market is now even more oversupplied and their own harvests are worth less. "Disgusting PR stunt," sniffed the Brandenburg Farmers Association, per the BBC. Environmental groups argue that the glut exposes deeper distortions in Europe's food system, likening the potato mountains to the "butter mountains" and "milk lakes" produced by past subsidy regimes, per the Guardian. Organizers say a final wave of distributions is coming, with an estimated 3,500 tons still sitting in storageand Berliners are keeping close watch for the next drop. Deutsche Welle, meanwhile, has a slideshow on Germany's longtime embrace of the potato. One of the few areas in which Moscow and Kyiv can still cut a deal has produced a result. Ukraine and Russia carried out their first prisoner swap in four months, with each sending the other 157 captives after two days of US-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday. Russia's defense ministry quickly pushed out video of Russian prisoners, wrapped in national flags, boarding a bus in Belarus. Witkoff said the agreement shows that diplomacy can still yield concrete results, CBS News reports, even as the war grinds on. But hours earlier, peace talks adjourned in Abu Dhabi with little progress reported. Iran's most prominent jailed activist is again refusing food. Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has launched a new hunger strike in an Iranian prison to protest what she calls her illegal detention, harsh conditions, and isolation from family and lawyers, her relatives said in a statement on Wednesday, per the New York Times . Mohammadi, 53, has spent years in and out of prison on national security charges tied to her advocacy for women's rights and political freedoms. Mohammadi is currently being held in the northeastern city of Mashhad, away from her Tehran-based legal team, a move her husband says is meant to keep tighter control over her. Her family says she suffers from serious heart and lung problems and needs specialized care following bone graft surgery, treatment they say is being withheld. Ali Rahmani, Mohammadi's son, says in the release that his mother has long called for "solidarity, unity, and peace" and that he's now "deeply worried" for her, per CNN. Mohammadi was briefly released for medical reasons in 2024 but was rearrested in December and allowed just one phone call, during which she said she'd been beaten and taken twice to an emergency room, per the Times. Iranian authorities have previously insisted she's held lawfully and that her rights have been respected. Her foundation says relatives are under pressure not to speak publicly as Iran continues a sweeping post-protest crackdown that rights groups say has left tens of thousands dead or detained. But "Narges will never be silenced," her husband, Taghi Rahmani, says in the release. "It is her voice that they fear most." The Republican leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees have rejected a top-secret complaint from an anonymous government insider accusing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard of withholding classified information for political reasons. The responses from Sen. Tom Cotton and Rep. Rick Crawford mean the complaint is unlikely to proceed further, the AP reports. Democratic lawmakers who have seen the document said they still question why it took Gabbard's office eight months to refer the complaint to Congress as required by law. Gabbard's office has rejected allegations of wrongdoing as well as criticism of the timeframe for the referral, saying the complaint included so many classified details that it necessitated an extensive legal and security review. Select lawmakers were able to view the complaint this week. Cotton wrote Thursday on X that he agreed with an earlier inspector general's conclusion that the complaint did not appear to be credible. "To be frank, it seems like just another effort by the president's critics in and out of government to undermine policies that they don't like," wrote the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Crawford, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, said he believes the complaint was an attempt to smear Gabbard's reputation. Democrats are pushing for explanations about why it took Gabbard's office months to refer the complaint to the required members of Congress. Sen. Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the law requires such a report to be sent within 21 days. "I think it was an effort to try to bury this whistleblower complaint," he said Thursday. Warner said he also still has questions about the details of the complaint, noting that it was heavily redacted. The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, said in a written statement that he will keep looking into the matter. In a memo sent to lawmakers this week, the intelligence community's inspector general said the complaint also accused Gabbard's office of general counsel of failing to report a potential crime to the Department of Justice. The memo, which contains redactions, does not offer further details of either allegation. Andrew Bakaj, attorney for the person who made the complaint, has said that while he cannot discuss the details of the report or the identity of its author, there is no justification for keeping it from Congress since last spring. "Somebody's not telling the truth about what they knew or who knew the law or didn't know the law," Warner told CNN, per the Hill. The Trump administration is loosening job protections for tens of thousands of senior career federal employees responsible for carrying out its policiesa move that would make it easier to fire them. The Office of Personnel Management on Thursday issued a final rule creating a new employment category for high-ranking civil servants in policy-related roles, affecting an estimated 50,000 workers out of about 2.3 million civilian employees. Those shifted into the new category would lose civil service protections that have been in place for decades, the Wall Street Journal reports, including the right to appeal firings and certain disciplinary actions to an independent board. While the roughly 4,000 political appointees already serve at the president's discretion, per the New York Times, career staff members historically have been shielded from partisan pressure under a merit-based system dating to the late 19th century that replaced patronage hiring. OPM officials said the change is aimed at employees who they say are obstructing President Trump's agenda, defining the affected positions as "policy-determining, policymaking or policy-advocating." OPM Director Scott Kupor said, "People can't be conscientious objectors in the workforce in a way where it interferes with their ability to carry out their mission." Open resistance to administration policy, combined with poor performance, could be grounds for removal, he added. The rule cites behavior such as leaking to the media to undermine policy as potentially subject to discipline. Federal employee unions and advocacy groups argue the move could be used to target workers for their political views and to chill internal dissent, per the Journal. "This rule is a direct assault on a professional, nonpartisan, merit-based civil service," said Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. The Government Accountability Project and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association have already sued over the underlying executive order, saying the policy conflicts with a 1978 law that restricts at-will employment to political appointees. OPM counters that it will not ask employees' party affiliation, will follow whistleblower protections, and will not use the rule to justify mass layoffs. The administration will decide which positions are affected, Kupor said. Savannah Guthrie's family is again speaking directly to whoever may be holding their missing 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, as investigators pursue what they describe as a likely abduction in Arizona. In a video posted Thursday on Savannah Guthrie's Instagram , her brother, retired F-16 pilot Camron Guthrie, addresses the suspected kidnappers and urges them to initiate contact. "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you," he says, per the Hollywood Reporter . "We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know that you have our mom." Authorities in Pima County have said Nancy appears to have been taken against her will and are treating the case as a "possible kidnapping or abduction." Camron's appeal follows a separate family video posted Wednesday, in which the Today co-host and her siblings responded to media reports about a ransom letter. Savannah described their mother as frail, in chronic pain, and without critical medication, and emphasized that the family is prepared to talk but first needs proof she is alive. The FBI chief in Phoenix confirms ransom letters were sent to media outlets, though it's not clear yet whether any of the notes have been verified as legitimate, the AP reports. A man was arrested after sending a text message to Nancy Guthrie's daughter Annie and her husband, Tommaso Cioni, falsely claiming to be the kidnapper after the family's first appeal for information, Us reports. In his video, Camron Guthrie said the family has not yet heard directly from anyone who may be holding their mother, People reports. Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday night when her son-in-law, Cioni, dropped her at her Tucson home. She was reported missing the next day after she failed to appear at church. Deputies later found blood on her porch that tested positive as hers, and the house is being treated as a crime scene. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has publicly rejected unconfirmed reports naming Cioni as a possible suspect, saying investigators have not identified any suspect or person of interest. Nanos told NBC News he believes Nancy is still alive, and on Thursday the FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to her. (Authorities recently released a more detailed timeline of the last night Guthrie was seen.) A 26-year-old Maryland man who told authorities he feared a "fascist takeover" under Donald Trump's presidency is now charged with attempted murder after allegedly targeting one of Trump's top allies at his home in Virginia. Court records say Colin Demarco was arrested Jan. 22 in Arlington County and is accused of plotting to kill a presidential appointee identified in documents only as "R.V." But sources tell CBS News the intended victim was Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, a key architect of Project 2025, a controversial Heritage Foundation-backed roadmap for a Republican administration that would significantly expand presidential power. Vought, who has become a lightning rod for his role in efforts to remake the civil service and for past statements about putting federal workers "in trauma," has been under US Marshals Service protection amid a spike in threats. According to the criminal complaint, Demarco appeared at Vought's Arlington home on Aug. 10 wearing a surgical mask, gloves, sunglasses, and a backpack. A Ring camera allegedly recorded him at the door and rummaging through the mailbox; a neighbor later told investigators Demarco seemed to have a firearm concealed under his shirt. When questioned at his Rockville, Md., residence, Demarco first claimed he was looking for a job but eventually said he went there to confront Vought about Project 2025, while denying he was armed or intended violence. Investigators later obtained his iCloud data and say they found notes describing a "Dad's Gun Stash," a "Body Disposal Guide" advising the use of rubber gloves and airtight alibis, and references to a .357 Magnum revolver. The complaint also cites Discord messages in which Demarco allegedly fantasized about killing Trumpwriting he wanted to "get a gun, head to DC and kill him"and discussed Vought by name, saying he had found the official's address. He reportedly praised Luigi Mangione, charged with murdering former UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, and in 2024 was detained in Maryland under a mental-health emergency petition after telling an officer he wanted to die because Trump had been elected and saying he was writing a manifesto and would kill people once it was done. He also allegedly discussed soliciting someone else to kill Vought, the Hill reports. No weapons were found in a partial search of his room. Demarco is currently facing state charges in Arlington rather than a federal case, for reasons that have not been publicly explained. He is being held without bond and has a hearing scheduled Feb. 23, NBC News reports. Three people were killed and six others were hurt after a 92-year-old driver collided with a bicyclist and then lost control and slammed into a grocery store Thursday in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Westwood, authorities said. The woman driving a Toyota Prius hit the bicyclist shortly after noon and then continued for another block before swerving into the bakery section of a 99 Ranch Market and then coming to a stop, trapping several people underneath the vehicle, police and fire officials said. Capt. Anthony Espinoza of the Los Angeles Police Department called the crash "an unfortunate accident," and said it is not believed to have been intentional, the AP reports. Two men, ages 30 and 55, and a 42-year-old woman, who were all inside the bakery at the time, died at the scene, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in its report. Two men, both 35, were taken to the hospital in critical condition, and two other men, ages 38 and 37, were in fair condition, according to the department. The bicyclist and the driver declined offers to be taken to the hospital, the fire department said. The driver was a 92-year-old woman, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz told the AP. Officials said she was cooperating with investigators and was undergoing a medical evaluation. TV news footage showed a silver Prius fully inside the store, its trunk popped open. Next to it was a bright yellow sign directing shoppers to Korean street food and desserts. A popular Asian supermarket chain with about two dozen stores in California, the 99 Ranch Market store that was damaged is about a mile from the University of California, Los Angeles, campus. "I can't tell you how many coffees I've gotten in that bakery," Sean Divekar, 32, told the Los Angeles Times, becoming emotional as he learned people were killed. A senior figure in Russia's military has been gunned down in his own stairwell. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, a deputy head of Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU, was shot several times in his apartment building in northwest Moscow on Friday and was hospitalized in critical condition, according to state media. The shooter has not been identified or arrested, the Guardian reports. Alekseyev is one of the most prominent officers in Russia's intelligence apparatus, long involved in overseas covert operations and one of the main briefers for Vladimir Putin ahead of the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 64-year-old has been widely linked to the Kremlin's oversight of private military companies and was among the officials sent to negotiate with Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin during the short-lived mutiny in 2023. The US has sanctioned him for alleged interference in the 2020 election. The UK accuses Alekseyev of overseeing the 2018 novichok attack in Salisbury, England, which targeted double agent Sergei Skripal, the Telegraph reports. No group has claimed responsibility, but attention in Moscow quickly swung to Ukraine, whose intelligence services have carried out attacks on Russian officers and occupation officials since the war began. Some Russian politicians accused Kyiv of trying to sabotage peace talks, pointing to the timing: the attack came a day after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Abu Dhabi and spoke of movement in negotiations. The AP reports that the Russian delegation was led by Adm. Igor Kostyukov, Russia's military intelligence chief. Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlev, offering no evidence, said President Volodymyr Zelensky was the only beneficiary and called for those behind the shooting to be "eliminated." Ukraine, which has not commented on the attack, has previously been linked to assassination attempts on at least three Russian generals in the Moscow area, usually with explosives rather than firearms. The Guardian reports that Russian military bloggers are questioning security arrangements, asking how a gunman was able to enter Alekseyev's apartment building undetected. Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine are suddenly finding their Starlink connections dark, and Moscow's pro-war bloggers say it's no glitch. At Ukraine's request, Elon Musk's SpaceX has tightened control of its satellite internet service, blocking unregistered terminals inside Ukraine and cutting off what analysts say had become an important, if illicit, communications tool for Russian forces, per the New York Times . For months, Russian units had smuggled Starlink terminals to the battlefield, using them for basic connectivity and, more recently, to guide drones that are harder to jam and more accurate, according to Ukrainian officials. The clampdown appears to have arrived in recent days, when Russian military channels on Telegram began reporting widespread outages on drones and at front-line positions. Musk says it took engineers less than two days to shut down all illicit access, per the Kyiv Post. One blogger warned the move would push units back "a couple of years" to slower, less reliable systems such as wired internet and radio, per the Times. Another called the sudden loss a "serious breach in communications," while yet another deemed the issue Russia's "Achilles' heel," per the Moscow Times. "This is all very bad, especially given how crucial communications are at the front," one blogger noted. Michael Kofman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace told the New York Times it was too soon to gauge the full impact, but he noted that Russian complaints suggest the disruption is already being felt. Ukraine's new defense minister, former tech entrepreneur Mykhailo Fedorov, said he pressed SpaceX to act after Russia began integrating Starlink into drones. SpaceX has now limited service in Ukraine to devices on a government-approved "white list" and imposed a speed cap for the terminals of about 45mph, a step intended to hamper use on fast-moving strike drones. The shift has briefly affected some Ukrainian units and civilians still registering their terminals, but Kyiv says approvals are moving quickly. On Sunday, Musk wrote on X that steps "to stop the unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia have worked," and invited Ukraine to say if "more needs to be done." Russian forces, meanwhile, are scrambling to lay fiber-optic lines, fall back on radio links, and work on plans for a homegrown satellite internet network as officials warn that depending on Western technology in wartime is no longer tenable. Nancy Guthrie, 84, the mother of the popular NBC anchor, went missing from her Arizona home on January 31. Authorities are treating the case as a kidnapping and are offering a $50,000 reward for information. Even President Trump has offered federal assistance For years, in fact for decades, Savannah Guthries face and name have been familiar to millions of Americans. A journalist for NBC, she has been the co-anchor of its flagship morning program, The Today Show, since 2012. But now she has become the news herself, much to her dismay. On February 1, Guthrie and her family reported her mother, Nancy Guthrie, missing from her home in Tucson, Arizona. Almost a week later, little is known about the whereabouts of Nancy, who is 84 years old. There are still no suspects. There is hardly any evidence. And what little is known is not good news. The Guthries dont know what happened. Neither do the authorities. The FBI is offering thousands of dollars for information. Even President Trump has called for justice. On Thursday there was a news conference by the sheriff of Pima County, which includes Tucson, Arizonas second-largest city, along with police officers and FBI investigators. The few details available about Mrs. Guthrie seem to point to a kidnapping: investigators say Guthrie was taken from her home against her will. The sheriff confirmed that blood, Nancys own, was found on her porch. They are treating the case as a crime where there is no proof of life, but they believe the octogenarianwho suffers from heart problems and requires medicationis still alive. The Guthries, devastated, have asked for help and publicly demanded their mothers return. Savannah has decided to withdraw from her coverage of the Milan Winter Olympics. And in the U.S. media, the case is making headlines and leading news broadcasts. It all began on Saturday, the last day of January. As the police explained in a detailed timeline, at 5:30 p.m. that day, Nancy took an Uber to the home of her daughter Annie and her family. They had dinner together, played board games, and before 10:00 p.m., the family drove her back to her house, near the intersection of East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue in northeast Tucson. At 9:48 p.m., precisely, her garage door opened. At 9:50 p.m., it closed. The missing person report for Nancy Guthrie released by the Pima County Sheriff's Office in Arizona. Pima County Sheriffs Office (via REUTERS) But four hours later, there was movement: at 1:47 a.m., a camera located at the front doorwhich didnt appear to have been forcedwas disconnected. Half an hour later, although theres no video footage showing it, the devices software detected someone in front of the camera (police havent ruled out the possibility of it being an animal, but they believe it was a person). There was further movement: its known that at almost 2:30 a.m., the app that controls Guthries pacemaker showed that it had disconnected from her phone. Thats as far as the evidence goes. Nancys children couldnt find her on Sunday; she hadnt gone to church that morning. They went to her house and spent an hour looking for her. At midday, they decided to call the emergency services, and at 12:13 p.m., a patrol car arrived at the house. Thats when the search began. Investigatorswho returned to the house on Wednesdayfound blood and described the place as a crime scene after finding very concerning conditions, they said. They stated that Nancys physical condition means she cant walk even a short distance by herself, and that she couldnt have gone off on her own. The Uber driver cooperated, was questioned, and is not a suspect. They emphasized that Nancy is mentally sound, but not physically, and therefore stressed the need for her to have her medication: If she doesnt take it within 24 hours, it could be fatal. Nancy Guthrie's house in Tucson, Arizona, this Thursday. Caitlin O'Hara (AP) These past few days, an anonymous ransom note, lacking any proof of life for Nancy, has reached various local U.S. media outlets, setting a deadline for her release that has already passed: Thursday at 5 p.m.. Police have confirmed the existence of these messages, but not their authenticity. One person has been arrested for sending fake ransom notes. On Wednesday, Nancys three childrenSavannah, Annie, and Camronappeared on television pleading for her return. It was the television host, known for her kindness and warmth, but never seen in such a vulnerable state, who read a statement through tears. On behalf of our family, we want to thank all of you for the prayers for our beloved mom, Nancy, she began. We feel them, and we continue to believe that she feels them, too. Our mother is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light. She is funny and intelligent. Shes funny, spunky and clever. She has grandchildren that adore her and crowd around her and cover her with kisses, she stammered. The Guthrie childrens father, Charles, died of a heart attack in 1988, when Savannah was 16. Our mom is our heart and our home. Shes 84 years old. Her health, her heart, is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive. She needs it not to suffer, said the journalist, who also confirmed that they are aware of the ransom notes sent to the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated, she warned. According to some experts, with these words, the Guthries are asking that the demands from the alleged kidnappers include proof that Nancy is alive. Camron Guthrie, on behalf of the family, also uploaded a video pleading with the kidnappers to contact them. Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you, he said. We havent heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact, he explained in a video that was just 20 seconds long. President Trump spoke with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday, as he recounted on his social media platform Truth Social: I have let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the familys, and Local Law Enforcements, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY. We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt apologized on Thursday for the delay in her news conference, explaining that she and the president were watching the briefing on the Guthrie case, which she described as a heartbreaking situation. She stated that she had spoken directly with the FBI about the case and that any requests that are made by state and local officials in the search of Ms. Guthrie will absolutely be accommodated. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of any suspect involved in the disappearance. Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb at the latter's farewell from the 'Today' show, on January 10, 2025. Nathan Congleton (NBC via Getty Images) Guthries colleagues on the Today show, and on many others, have shown solidarity with the TV journalist. Born in Australia to an American family and based in Arizona since childhood, she has been reporting the news across the country since the 1990s: Montana, Missouri, Washington, her native Arizona, legal channelsshe is also a lawyer. But her popularity began to skyrocket in 2007, after going to work for NBC, where she has anchored everything from the evening news to presidential debates, and The Today Show since 2011. From 2017 to January 2025, she co-hosted it with the popular Hoda Kotb. She has interviewed Trump and Obama, and is the friendly yet detached face that broadcasts the Thanksgiving Day Parade from New York and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony. She has been married to a Democratic consultant, Michael Feldman, for over a decade; they have two children, ages 11 and 9. Time is running out for the Guthrie family and the authorities, almost a week after Nancys disappearance. The fact that the family matriarchs house is in a semi-rural (near the Santa Catalina Mountains) and desert area means there are few security cameras and few neighbors around. Many of them gathered on Wednesday for a vigil. Candles and prayers for Nancy were plentiful. Now, more leads are needed. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A federal jury in Arizona has dealt Uber a potentially costly setback in its long-running fight over responsibility for assaults by its drivers. Jurors in Phoenix on Thursday ordered the company to pay $8.5 million to passenger Jaylynn Dean, who testified that her Uber driver raped her during a ride in Tempe in November 2023, when she was 19 years old, the New York Times reports. While the verdict does not set a legal precedent for those other cases, it offers a concrete example of how a jury may weigh the evidence. Dean's lawyers had sought $144 million, but jurors declined to impose punitive damages, concluding Uber's conduct was not "outrageous, oppressive, or intolerable." Uber successfully defended itself against separate claims that its safety practices were negligent and that its app was defectively designed. The company said it will appeal, arguing the judge gave improper instructions to the jury. "This verdict affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety," spokesperson Matt Kallman said. Alexandra Walsh, an attorney for Dean, said Uber had marketed itself as a safe option for women, Reuters reports. "Women know it's a dangerous world. We know about the risk of sexual assault," Walsh said. "They made us believe that this was a place that was safe from that." "What did Uber know internally?" she said. "That it's not safe to put your drunk girlfriend in an Uber late at night." During the three-week trial, jurors heard Dean's account and reviewed internal Uber documents, including records indicating the company's system had flagged her ride as higher risk shortly before pickup. An executive testified that notifying riders in such situations would be "impractical." Plaintiffs' lawyers also introduced documents they said showed Uber resisted measures such as in-car cameras out of concern for growth. Uber countered that the driver had passed background checks, completed training, had no criminal record, and held strong ratings, and it pointed to its broader safety initiatives. A state jury in California jury last year found Uber not liable in a sexual assault case. Dean testified that she had recently moved to Arizona and was celebrating passing her flight attendant exam on the night she was attacked. She said she abandoned that career after the rape and moved back home with her parents, the Times reports. She said she is now afraid of the dark because it reminds her of the attack in a dark parking lot. "I want to make sure it doesn't happen to other women," she said. "I'm doing this for other women who thought the same thing I did, that they were making the safe and smart choicebut that, you know, there are risks of being assaulted." Two new flags are going up in Nuuk as Canada and France open new diplomatic posts in Greenland, doubling the number of consulates in the territory's capital. Canada's Governor General Mary Simon and Foreign Minister Anita Anand are leading a delegation to the capital Friday to formally launch Ottawa's first consulate on the island, accompanied by a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, the BBC reports. French officials are set to inaugurate their own mission the same day. Until now, only the US and Iceland had consulates in Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Canada pledged to open a consulate in Greenland in 2024, before President Trump returned to office and threatened to annex the island, the AP reports. France said it decided to open a consulate after President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland in June. Simon framed the visit as backing Greenlanders' right to chart their own course, saying Canada "stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future." The trip highlights close cultural ties between Inuit in Canada and Greenland, with more than 60 Canadian Inuit flying in for the ceremony after years of lobbying for closer links. Simon, Canada's first Indigenous governor general, is also Inuk. "Her visit is an affirmation at the highest level of the cultural and ethnic connections between Arctic Canada and Greenland," said Michael Myers, an Arctic scholar at the University of British Columbia. "We want to come together in solidarity with Greenland to show our support and to say: That land is not for sale," Susie-Ann Kudluk, a delegate from an Inuit youth council in northern Quebec, told the CBC. The new consulates also serve as a quiet counterweight to Trump's repeated suggestions that the US should control Greenland for strategic reasons, and his criticism of Canada's Arctic defenses, the BBC reports. Greenlanders, and NATO allies including Canada and France, have rejected any talk of a US takeover. Ottawa, meanwhile, is trying to close its own gaps in the North: Prime Minister Mark Carney's government has pledged a permanent military presence in the Arctic and more than $1 billion for northern infrastructure, while Anand has called Arctic defense "an unquestionable national security priority." TMZ founder Harvey Levin says the ransom note the outlet received after Nancy Guthrie disappeared came with not one but two deadlines attached. Speaking on CNN Thursday, Levin described the letter as a tightly written demand that laid out "precisely" what the writer wanted and what would happen if those demands weren't met. He said the note set a first deadline for 5pm Thursday related to the payment, and a second for Monday that "has more do with a consequence." TMZ has reported the letter demanded millions in bitcoin and included a working bitcoin address. Levin said the note asserted that Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie, was alive, labeled the demands non-negotiable, and warned there would be no further communication. "The letter begins by saying she is safe, but scared, and they go on to say she knows exactly what the demand is," Levin told Fox News. He called it "carefully crafted" and suggested investigators have not yet "cracked" who sent it or where it originated, the Hill reports. The letter also referenced an Apple Watch and a floodlight at Guthrie's Tucson-area homedetails the FBI's Phoenix office confirmed publicly and Levin argued could help verify the note's authenticity because they were not widely known. The FBI says it is aware of ransom letters sent to multiple media outlets and is treating them as a serious lead. "Any action taken on any ransom is ultimately decided by the family," Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix field office, said Thursday. At least one ransom demand was fake: Court documents show that California man Derrick Callella was arrested and charged after sending ransom texts to Guthrie's family Wednesday, reports the New York Post. Police released a more detailed timeline of the apparent abduction on Thursday but said they still have no suspects or persons of interest. In a video Thursday, Camron Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's brother, issued a plea to the kidnappers. "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We haven't heard anything directly," he said. "We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward." Seven Toronto police officers and one retired officer have been arrested and charged in an organized crime investigation involving bribery, conspiracy to commit murder, and drug trafficking, authorities said Thursday. Police officials at a news conference said the officers had collected personal and private information unlawfully and distributed it to organized crime figures, in some cases for bribes, and that mobsters then carried out shootings and other violent crimes, per the AP . "This is a painful and unsettling moment," Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said. "When organized crime penetrates the Toronto Police Service, the harm goes far beyond the immediate wrongdoing." York Regional Police Deputy Chief Ryan Hogan said the investigation began in June when police uncovered a murder plot involving a corrections management employee who was being targeted by mobsters. He said the suspects passed information to the mobsters about the employee. Several suspected mobsters went to the corrections manager's home for the purpose of murdering him, but they encountered a separate contingent of police officers who were protecting the employee and who arrested the suspected mobsters after they rammed a police car, Hogan said. He noted it was the third time in 36 hours that suspects had gone to the home, and the incident sparked the probe that revealed Toronto officers had accessed personal information and leaked it to members of an organized crime group. Investigators allege that Toronto police Const. Timothy Barnhardt gave personal information to Brian Da Costa, a man suspected of several drug trafficking and bribery offenses who was among several suspects allegedly seeking confidential information from officers. Toronto police officers Derek McCormick, Elias Mouawad, John Madeley Jr., and his father, retired constable John Madeley Sr., are among those charged in the investigation. Toronto police officers Robert Black, Saurabjit Bedi, and Carl Grellette were also charged, and were allegedly involved in bribery schemes orchestrated by Da Costa, Hogan said. In addition to Da Costa, 18 other suspects were arrested in the investigation, including two youths. Demkiw said the officers who were suspected of wrongdoing have been suspended and that he's seeking suspension without pay for at least four of them. York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween called it a "deeply disappointing and sad day" for police. A statement from the Toronto Police Service Board, which oversees the police, said it has asked the inspector general to look into issues including supervision, recruitment screening, access to databases, and more. Actor Timothy Busfield is now facing formal charges in New Mexico, where a grand jury has indicted him on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. The Bernalillo County District Attorney's office announced the indictment Friday and said it expects the case against the 68-year-old will proceed to trial, reports NBC News . The indictment follows Busfield's arrest last month on charges involving two boys who appeared on Fox's The Cleaning Lady, which he both acted in and directed, per the AP . Authorities allege Busfield touched the children on multiple occasions on set between November 2022 and spring 2024. His lawyers say the claims were fabricated by the boys' parents after the children lost their roles, citing an investigation commissioned by Warner Bros. that found no corroborating evidence. At a prior detention hearing, however, a prosecutor described the boys' accounts to a therapist and doctor as specific and credible, and referenced past, uncharged allegations from other accusers. The judge, who discounted those earlier claims, has released Busfield without bond while the case proceeds. Busfield is best known for his roles in The West Wing, Field of Dreams, and Thirtysomething. The parents of a 16-year-old boy who wounded two students at a Colorado high school with an old revolver his family said was kept in a locked gun safe won't be charged with any crimes. Investigators looked at whether the parents of Desmond Holly, who killed himself after opening fire, could possibly be charged with allowing access to the Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver or for not storing it safely, but decided there wasn't enough evidence for that, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said this week. Holly shot himself after opening fire at Evergreen High School on Sept. 10 and died hours later. Investigators didn't find the parents' DNA on the gun after getting a court order to collect DNA samples from them, the sheriff's office said. It said the family's lawyer recently told investigators that the gun, described as a family heirloom that had been owned by a grandparent, was kept stored near the back of a large, locked gun safe, the AP reports The family's lawyer, Douglas Richards, said family believes Holly must have secretly taken the gun from the safe while he was cleaning other firearms with his father. "Because the firearm was never used and was not stored with other firearms in the safe, its disappearance was not noticed until after the tragedy," he told the Denver Post. Investigators believe Holly randomly shot at students at the high school in the foothills about 30 miles west of Denver, said sheriff's office spokesperson Jacki Kelley. A 14-year-old boy and 18-year-old Matthew Silverstone, who grappled with Holly, were seriously injured but survived. Silverstone, who was shot in the head and chest, spent five weeks in the hospital, NBC News reports. At the time, the sheriff's office said that Holly had been radicalized by an unspecified "extremist network." Kelley said the investigation showed that Holly had an obsession with other school shooters and had engaged with a mix of online groups but was not committed to any particular kind of radicalization. New IBM Business Partner status strengthens Gallea Ai's ability to support secure, scalable AI adoption across North America and the United Kingdom MIAMI, Feb. 5, 2026 /CNW/ - Gallea Ai , an advisory led consultancy specializing in applied artificial intelligence for small and mid sized businesses (SMBs), today announced it has joined IBM Partner Plus as an IBM Business Partner. This designation expands Gallea Ai's ability to support organizations as they move from AI experimentation to secure, production ready deployment leveraging IBM AI and hybrid cloud technologies across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Strengthening capabilities through partnership By joining IBM Partner Plus, Gallea Ai gains access to IBM enterprise AI and hybrid cloud solutions, as well as advanced training, technical enablement, and go to market support. These capabilities allow Gallea Ai to shorten time to value for clients, reduce implementation risk, and establish repeatable, defensible AI capabilities in an environment increasingly shaped by AI mediated discovery and automation. The collaboration aligns IBM technology with Gallea Ai's proprietary AI Implementation Framework, a structured methodology governing AI strategy, data readiness, workflow integration, and operational deployment. The framework is designed to ensure AI initiatives deliver measurable outcomes while remaining aligned with governance, brand integrity, and organizational priorities. A practical path to AI adoption Gallea Ai works with growth oriented and operationally complex businesses to translate advances in artificial intelligence into actionable strategies that improve decision making, operational efficiency, and customer experience. The firm's consulting approach emphasizes disciplined adoption, governance alignment, and business value realization, helping clients embed AI as a durable capability rather than a series of isolated projects. Leadership perspectives "Joining IBM Partner Plus marks an important milestone in our mission to make AI practical, accessible, and business ready for small and mid sized organizations," said Alessandro Rocca, Chief Operating Officer of Gallea Ai. "Our clients will benefit from IBM scalable technology portfolio while maintaining the hands on strategic guidance, governance discipline, and implementation rigor that define our firm." "For many small and mid sized businesses, the age of AI still feels like something reserved for the biggest players," said Ryan Mackay, Managing Director of Gallea Ai's Neural Networks division, the firm's AI transformation consulting arm. "Partnering with IBM raises the ceiling on what we can safely deliver. Our team is now backed by the same class of AI and hybrid cloud tools that large enterprises rely on, and we use that to open doors that smaller organizations have historically been shut out of, while still keeping a clear path to more complex enterprise level applications as they grow." About IBM Partner Plus Through IBM Partner Plus, Gallea Ai gains direct access to IBM AI and hybrid cloud technology, training, and enablement, allowing the firm to deliver enterprise grade capabilities in a way that fits the realities of small and mid sized businesses. As an IBM Business Partner, Gallea Ai will: Identify and prioritize high impact AI use cases across workflows, customer operations, and decision processes for SMBs Integrate AI capabilities into existing business systems, marketing funnels, and sales operations with minimal operational disruption Expand technical and advisory expertise through IBM training, certification, and enablement, ensuring clients benefit from current best practices in AI deployment, governance, and data management About Gallea Ai Gallea Ai is a Miami based, advisory led consultancy focused on helping small and mid sized businesses turn advances in artificial intelligence into tangible operational advantage. The firm helps leadership teams move from experimentation to execution by aligning AI strategy with business objectives, customer expectations, and organizational design. Gallea Ai takes a disciplined, outcomes focused approach to adoption, using artificial intelligence to amplify trust, resilience, and performance in the parts of the business that matter most. Rather than forcing clients to rip and replace what already works, the firm layers AI into existing capabilities to create new value and new ways of competing. With operations spanning Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the firm's leadership team brings deep experience across strategy, technology, and transformation consulting. SOURCE Gallea Ai For more information, contact: Gallea Ai Global Media Relations, Email: [email protected], Phone: +1 (786) 376-2679 A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from Cision Distribution this week TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2026 /CNW/ - With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Cision. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed. The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download. Cision Canada - The Weekly Round-Up (PRNewsfoto/Cision Canada) Read more of the latest releases from Cision, see our resources for journalists, and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @cnwnews. About Cision Canada Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter. SOURCE Cision Canada For questions, contact the team at [email protected]. The Camden County Prosecutors Office has opened an investigation into the death of a firefighter who drowned in the Delaware River on Thursday. Howard Bennett, a longtime Camden Fire Department firefighter, died at the hospital on Thursday after he was removed from a boat marina on the Delaware River, authorities said. The veteran firefighter fell through the ice and became submerged in the freezing cold water for several minutes, officials said. The Camden County Prosecutors Office said on Friday that it had opened an investigation into the death. Our hearts are with the family, friends, and firefighters of the Camden City Fire Department as they mourn the loss of this brave fireman, a statement from the office said. The circumstances surrounding his death do not appear suspicious, prosecutors said. He was performing maintenance on a fire boat with at least three other firefighters at the time of the incident. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Department of Community Affairs (DCA) are also conducting investigations. A spokesperson for the Department of Labor said its investigation will determine whether any measures could have prevented the incident or what actions can be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future. The DCA said its Division of Fire Safety is required to investigate all firefighter line-of-duty deaths and provide information and guidance to the affected department. Bennett was removed from the water around 11 a.m. on Thursday. First responders attempted life-saving measures on the scene before he was transported to Cooper University Hospital. On Thursday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she was devastated to hear about Bennetts death. My thoughts are with his family and the Camden Fire Department during this difficult time, Sherrill said. A Camden Fire Department firefighter who died Thursday after he got trapped beneath the icy waters at a local marina has been identified as longtime member Howard Bennett. Bennett fell through the ice into the Delaware River at the Wiggins Park Marina while working on a department boat, city officials said. Today, the city of Camden and the entire state of New Jersey lost a hero, Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey President Mathew Caliente said in a statement. This tragedy is a stark and painful reminder that the dangers of this profession do not only exist within a burning building. Our members put their lives on the line every single day. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she was devastated to hear about Bennetts death. My thoughts are with his family and the Camden Fire Department during this difficult time, Sherrill said. Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young said he extended his condolences to the friends and family of Bennett. Every day, our first responders leave the comfort and safety of their homes without knowing for sure if they will return after their shift, Young said. The sacrifice of these dedicated individuals, as well as the sacrifices of their loved ones, affords all of us the opportunity to live in a safer community. This loss is felt not only in the City of Camden and Camden County, but reverberates throughout the state. We grieve alongside our first responders and are dedicated to ensuring this loss was not in vain. Frank Sandrock hugs a firefighter at the memorial procession for a firefighter who died at Cooper Hospital in Camden. Gavin Schweiger | For NJ Advance Media Bennett and at least three colleagues were aboard a boat the department owns, officials said. He fell through the ice around 11 a.m. and was submerged for several minutes. Bennett was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, city Public Information Officer Vince Basara said. The marina houses boats on the Delaware River at a complex that includes the Adventure Aquarium and the Battleship New Jersey. A man convicted of gunning down two people and injuring four others in Jersey City in 2021 was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison, authorities said. Omire Rios-Williams, 24, of Jersey City, was found guilty last year of two counts of murder in the deaths of Jason Crutcher, 26, and Randolph Black Jr., 25, both city residents, according to a statement from the Hudson County Prosecutors Office. He was also convicted of four counts of attempted murder, four counts of aggravated assault and weapons-related offenses. Shortly before 11 p.m. on May 21, 2021, the Jersey City Police Department was notified of shots fired in the area of Crescent Avenue and Brinkerhoff Street, the office said. Officers located six victims with gunshot wounds and two of them, Crutcher and Black, were pronounced dead at the scene, investigators said. The four other people shot suffered non-fatal injuries, authorities said. A co-defendant, Cooleone McNeil, 25, of Bayonne, was previously found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, but a jury acquitted McNeil of several other charges contained in an indictment, officials said. McNeil was sentenced to 18 years in state prison. No attorney was listed for Rios-Williams. PARIS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- France's La Poste Group on Friday issued two stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Horse. The stamps feature horses set against a yellow background with red saddles. One depicts a leaping horse in a strong, dynamic pose full of energy, while the other shows a horse turning its head in a calm and composed portrait. The two stamps correspond to different postal uses. The stamp featuring a leaping horse is for domestic mail in France and has a face value of 2.25 euros (2.66 U.S. dollars), while the other, valued at 1.52 euros (1.79 U.S. dollars), is intended for international mail. Chen Jianghong, an artist of Chinese origin who designed the stamps, said the horse symbolizes strength and loyalty in Chinese culture. Through the use of color, lines and rhythm, he sought to convey the animal's sense of movement and freedom. The two horses also pay tribute to the artistic heritage of both countries, Chen said, adding that one draws inspiration from the rearing horse ridden by Napoleon in the works of French painter Jacques-Louis David, while the other echoes the saddled horses depicted by Tang Dynasty Chinese painter Han Gan, creating a sense of dialogue between civilizations. Jean-Paul Forceville, director of European and international relations at La Poste Group, said stamps remain both collectible items and powerful messengers, adding that they are also "a kind of diplomatic object" that helps celebrate closer ties and friendship between two countries. Since 2005, La Poste Group has marked the Chinese Lunar New Year each year by issuing stamps featuring the zodiac animal of the year. The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, which are used to record the years and reflect people's attributes, are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Its been one of the top questions murmured in the third-floor west wing hallway of the Monmouth County Courthouse since Paul Caneiro went on trial last month for the murders of his brother Keiths family in November 2018. Will the third Caneiro brother, Corey, testify? As the trial resumes Friday, the prosecution is expected to rest its case and the defense to start calling witnesses. Whether Corey will testify remains unknown. Spokespersons for the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office and the Office of the Public Defender told NJ Advance Media Thursday they do not comment on ongoing trials. Although the prosecution is nearing the end of its case, Corey could be called as a rebuttal witness after the defense rests. Paul Caneiro appears emotional during medical examiner testimony about 11-year-old Jesse Caneiro's death during his murder at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold, New Jersey on February 4, 2026. Tanya Breen/Asbury Park Press Coreys name has already been mentioned several times during Pauls trial, mainly by his defense attorneys who have cast suspicion on Paul and Keiths younger brother since the trials outset. In her opening statement on Jan. 12, Pauls defense attorney Monika Mastellone told the jury that detectives never investigated Corey nor took a DNA sample for comparison to items detectives would eventually collect at two crime scenes. And if Paul Caneiros finances were a mess, as prosecutors have alleged, as a motive, Corey Caneiros finances were even worse, Mastellone said. Prosecutors have alleged Paul killed Keith and his family wife Jennifer and kids, Jesse and Sophia for financial reasons: Keith found out Paul was stealing from his life insurance trust account. The $3 million life insurance policy Keith held would eventually go in part to Paul, but only if Keiths family was also dead, prosecutors have alleged. Corey, the defense argued on Jan. 29, would inherit $1.5 million if Keith and his family were dead. But when the lead detective in the murder testified, Mastellone got him to admit that he was not aware of Coreys finances during the initial investigation. And I do not know it now. The detective, Patrick Petruzziello, also said, to questioning by Mastellone, that the investigating team did not search Coreys electronic devices, delve into his finances, search his home or vehicles. During her final exchange, Mastellone said to Petruzziello, You dont know what you dont know. I think thats very reasonable, he responded. And you chose what you wanted to know in this case, she said I followed the evidence in the investigation, he replied. On Feb. 2, New Jersey State Police forensic scientists testified that Sophia Caneiros DNA was found on a pair of bloody and fire-damaged jeans in Paul Caneiros Ocean Township home. Paul Caneiro is also accused of setting his brothers Colts Neck home on fire after the Nov. 20, 2018 murders and also lighting a blaze at his home in a bid to confuse investigators and make it appear he and his brother were targeted. During the testimony, defense attorney Andy Murray peppered one of the scientists about the DNA process and then said abruptly, Were you aware that Paul and Keith Caneiro have another brother? Prosecutor Nicole Wallace popped to her feet and objected, questioning the relevance. But Judge Marc Lemieux allowed it, and the scientist, Christine Schlenker, described how the STRmix software they use accounts for sibling analyses but conceded to Murray that testers would need a reference sample from the brother, Corey Caneiro, to perform such a test. A detective previously testified that the police investigation never sought DNA material from Corey Caneiro. Attempts to reach Corey Caneiro via cell phone were unsuccessful for this story. A lawyer who represented him in probate matters following his brothers murder said he had not heard from Corey about the trial. Corey Caneiro has lived in Fair Haven and Colts Neck following the murders and even tried to buy his brother Keiths home on Willow Brook Road, where the killings took place. Property records show he currently owns a home in Sea Bright that he purchased in late 2024 for $2.4 million. The unspoken air of inevitability hung over the Gateway Tunnel construction in west Manhattan on the final day before the nations biggest infrastructure project ran out of funds. What had once been a buzzing hive of activity was eerily silent Thursday afternoon as heavy machinery sat idle on the $16 billion project to build the Gateway rail tunnel under the Hudson and rehabilitate the existing tunnels. Barring an eleventh-hour court ruling on Friday afternoon to resume federal funding reimbursements that were cut off last October, work will stop on Friday. We have ongoing discussions, Gateway Development Commission CEO Tom Prendergast said about talks with federal officials. Meanwhile, as work ended Thursday, 1,000 construction workers were wondering about their future. The majority of the workforce will be let go, said Jim Starace, the commissions chief of program delivery. By the end of the day tomorrow (Friday) the labor force is done. Theyre winding down now. Giulio Petroni, 38, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, who works for heavy construction company Frontier-Kemper, still expressed some optimism that federal funding would be resolved and they would be back on the job soon. Myself, Ill take it a little optimistically and take a ride down to Florida with my wife for a couple of days and hope the sun gives me some luck and they tell us in a week or two were all good to go. If that doesnt happen, he said he will start making phone calls and God willing, get another job in New York City, he said. In the back of his mind is his family. His wife is pregnant with their second child and due to give birth in June. He said he is hoping for a fast resolution and return to work. Were laborers. We work fast. I would like to think that everybody works like us, Petroni said. We pour concrete and dig holes. The politics Im not familiar with any of it. I hope it ends quickly. Hes been working since last April on the site of what will be massive ventilation shafts for the tunnel and a launch point for the tunnel boring machines that will chew through the Hudson River bottom toward New Jersey. When I came here, it was an empty lot and a Quonset hut was here, said Petroni a general foreman of a crew of 12 laborers. We poured this concrete slab youre standing on, we poured the guide walls around the sides, he said. We brought in every piece of heavy steel you see here. Hes been commuting daily from Connecticut a 50-minute ride on a good day, up to a one-and-a-half to four-hour slog on a bad day. Over the past several years hes worked on some of the biggest similar projects, including the MTAs East Side Access that tunneled Long Island Rail Road tracks under Grand Central terminal. Others were subway and commuter rail projects involving tunnels, tracks and stations. Other workers said theyre concerned about losing experienced co-workers and having to take time to train replacements. Prendergast has similar concerns. Theyre a skilled work force, they take pride in what they do and theyve done an excellent job and, on that level alone, its a sad loss, he said. For officials running the project, they were making sure the five construction sites were safe and secured. That includes a site in the Hudson River off Manhattans west shore where work was being done in an artificial coffer dam that that kept the river at bay, Starace said. Crews were driving king piles in the riverbed this summer off the west side highway to strengthen it for the tunnel boring machines. Some barges will stay for the near term. We have to put a lot of lights on the structure because its a navigable waterway and youve got to keep boats away from it, he said. That has to be made secure with proper warning lighting to alert vessels in the river to its presence. The commission will use its remaining funding for short term safety precautions. Well find the money to make sure the sites are safe and secure, he said. But we truly are out of money tomorrow which is why were taking the actions of saying shovels down. How long that funding lasts until a federal funding freeze is resolved is an unknown. Were going to have to go someplace to make sure we get the money to make it safe and secure, Starace said. New Jersey and New York could be a funding source, in addition to others, he said. We have to get the (federal) funding restored, but in the period of time from when we shut down and when we actually start up again, were responsible for all of that, he said New Jersey and New York sued President Donald Trumps administration late Tuesday for freezing Gateway Tunnel funding, contending it will put taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars in added costs. The states action comes one day after a suit was filed by the Gateway Development Commission, which is overseeing tunnel construction. Both contend the federal government breached contracts it signed in 2014. At times, it feels easier to tally what President Donald Trump is not swaying these days. The part-time Bedminster resident and full-time White House occupant possibly helped a progressive advocate win an insane 11-way Democratic primary Thursday night in a previously red now light blue congressional district. In a shocking twist, Analilia Mejia the former national political director for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign could be poised to upset former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski for the partys nomination in the special election to take Gov. Mikie Sherrills old U.S. House seat in North Jerseys 11th Congressional District. Malinowski, hoping to return to Congress after being unseated four years ago in a different and more purple district, was considered by many to be the favorite for the Democratic nomination. But Mejia, a grassroots organizer, put up a surprise showing in the largely suburban district spread across parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. Its a long-red area Sherrill flipped in 2018 during the blue wave that rocked the state in Trumps first midterms. The district was made more Democratic-leaning in 2022 redistricting. As of 5:30 p.m. Friday, the candidates were still nearly neck-and-neck, with Mejia leading Malinowski by fewer than 700 votes. The president may not have personally weighed in on the special primary election, held on a random, freezing Thursday in February. But he still played a big role. I think Trump plays heavily in all these elections, said Modia Mo Butler, the former chief of staff for Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker. Hes almost the 800-pound gorilla in this whole thing. The Democratic base is incredibly motivated in light of Trumps presidency, according to Butler, who backed Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill in the race, as did three other Democratic National Committee members. And Mejia was a credible, authentic candidate to rally behind, Butler said. An organizer who once led the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, Mejia was endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressive members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Mejia ran Sanders 2020 presidential campaign in New Jersey. But Malinowski is not easily painted as a moderate. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee poured about $2 million into the race to attack Malinowski through its super PAC, United Democracy Project, because Malinowski said he wouldnt unconditionally give aid to Israel. Although it appears AIPAC was trying to boost Way, it may have unintentionally lifted the even more left-leaning Mejia. And Malinowski, who was backed by progressive favorite U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, tried to position himself as an anti-Trump candidate, according to Patrick Murray, a veteran pollster who runs StimSight Research. He certainly won votes because of that, Murray said. But Mejia came in as the authentic out-and-out anti-Trumpist. Opposing Trump was also a theme for Gill, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, and other candidates in the primary. The election came as ICE raids have taken place across New Jersey, including in Morristown, which is within the district, according to Antoinette Miles, the state director of the New Jersey Working Families Party, where Mejia once worked. And federal officials have proposed building a detention and processing center in neighboring Roxbury, which is outside the district but in Morris County, she added. One of the most salient messages that we saw and heard on the ground is how much people were fed up with what is happening with ICE in communities and on our streets, Miles said. Some of the ads AIPAC ran against Malinowski were criticized him for a 2019 vote he took in the House that included funding for ICE. Thats even though other members of New Jerseys Democratic congressional delegation voted for it. Malinowski has been openly critical of ICE, saying Congress should not fund their violent masked raids on American families. Mejia, the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants, calls for ICE to be abolished. Moderate Democrats have voiced anger over AIPACs influence in the race. Mejia on Friday accused the group of frankly disgusting tactics in terms of misinformation and flooding the zone to attack Malinowski. Whoever wins the primary will next face off in Aprils general election against Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, who ran unopposed for the Republican nod. Conventional wisdom says the Dem nominee is the favorite because of the districts blue tilt. But this race is only for the final months of Sherrills unexpired term. There will be another primary in June and general election in November for a full two-year term. The broader question: Democrats continue to battle over their partys identity in the Trump era, arguing how best to push back against the president. Will what happened in this district be a blueprint as they aim to retake Congress in Trumps midterms? Most believe Sherrill, a more moderate Dem who has vocally opposed the president, won last years governors race in part because of Trump backlash. Right now, Democratic voters are looking for fighters, according to Murray. Its not about liberal and moderate, the pollster said of the race. Its about authentically taking on Trump. Thats what won the day here. Polls closed at 8 p.m. Thursday in a special primary election in New Jersey aimed at selecting the candidates who hope to fill the vacant congressional seat that had been held by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. UPDATE: Democratic primary for N.J. Gov. Mikie Sherrills old House seat too close to call The packed primary election in the 11th congressional district includes 11 Democrats all fighting for their partys nomination to run in another special election to be held on April 16. Thursdays election includes only one Republican candidate seeking his partys bid for the April election. So the GOP nomination is a lock for Joe Hathaway, the former mayor of Randolph in Morris County. Here are the preliminary results of the special primary election, compiled by the Associated Press. The results will be updated throughout the night and on Friday, so please check back for the updated vote totals. Preliminary election results The 11th congressional district includes towns in Morris, Essex and Passaic counties. Heading into the special election, the four leading candidates were considered to be Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, and Analilia Mejia, the former national political director for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. Venture capitalist and Army veteran Zach Beecher and Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett are also in the top of the mix in the Democratic primary battle. Two candidates Marc Chaaban, a former intern in Sherrills congressional office, and Dean Dafis, a former Maplewood mayor suspended their campaigns but were still listed on the election ballot. Election results by county Click on each county in the map below, or hover over the counties, to see the regional breakdown of the results in the special primary election. Jersey Citys new mayor says he will accept only a $1 salary this year as the city faces a $255 million deficit that he blamed on his predecessor. Mayor James Solomons office did not immediately say how much he was scheduled to be paid this year, but said former Mayor Steve Fulop earned $245,000 in the job. Solomons spokesperson said he can afford to skip the paychecks. The mayor is blessed to come from a family with means, and he is fortunate to be able to make this decision during this critical time for Jersey City, Nathaniel Styer, Solomons spokesperson, told NJ Advance Media on Friday. He believes in leading by example, and there is no better way to do that than putting your money where your mouth is, Styer said. Solomon, a 41-year-old married father of three, is the latest elected official in the U.S. to accept a symbolic $1 salary. Accepting a dollar in pay is a necessary legal distinction between being considered an employee rather than a volunteer. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire, was paid $1 annually throughout his three terms before he left office in 2013. Tough decisions are ahead, and in times like this, its important to lead by example, lead from the front, Solomon said in a video posted Thursday on social media to announce his decision. One day earlier, Solomon said at a press conference that a pattern of systemic mismanagement under Fulop, the former mayor, had left Jersey City with a $255 million deficit. Fulop, now president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for New York City, responded by disputing the new mayors contention that his administration left New Jerseys second-largest city with a fiscal crisis. After opting not to seek a fourth term, Fulop ran for governor and lost in the Democratic primary last June. He did not endorse any candidates in the race to succeed him. Solomon was sworn in as Jersey Citys 50th mayor on Jan. 15 after serving two four-year terms on the Jersey City Council. Fulops salary doubled during his more than 12 years in the mayors office, reaching $245,000, Solomons office said in a press release announcing his $1 salary. Salaries for municipal employees in Jersey City, including the mayor, are set by the city council. Solomons office did not immediately provide information on the salary that was approved for the mayor for 2026. A 2019 Jersey City ordinance connected the mayors base pay to that of the Hudson County executive, which was $216,700 as of 2023. Fulop also received longevity pay, raising his salary in 2023 to more than $234,000, the Jersey Journal reported at the time. In 2022, the city council raised council members salaries from $60,000 to $85,000. Solomon was among three members voting against the raise. Solomon finished first among seven candidates in Jersey Citys nonpartisan election on Nov. 4. He defeated the second-place finisher, former Gov. Jim McGreevey, in a Dec. 2 runoff election. Outside of government, Solomon has worked as an adjunct professor at New Jersey City University, St. Peters University and Hudson County Community College, according to his biography on Jersey Citys website. Solomon said in announcing his $1 salary that Jersey Citys $255 million deficit is more than what the city spends on its police and fire departments. He said that every option is on the table in dealing with the deficit. Trump Station and Trump Airport? That was reportedly the crux of a deal President Donald Trump offered a top Democrat in exchange for releasing billions of dollars in long-frozen funds for the new Gateway Tunnel between New Jersey and New York. Trump announced in October he terminated the much-anticipated, $16 billion rail project underneath the Hudson River amid a federal budget dispute with Democratic lawmakers. Since then, construction has soldiered on, but Trumps administration has withheld federal funding for it. Then, Trumps administration proposed an agreement last month to U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York: The President would release the money if Democrats agreed to support renaming New York Citys Penn Station and Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., after Trump, according to reports published Thursday by Punchbowl News, CNN, and Politico. Schumer quickly rejected the idea, saying he didnt have the power, according to the reports, which cited anonymous sources. There was nothing to trade, a person close to Schumer told Politico. The president stopped the funding and he can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers. Schumers office declined to comment, while Trumps administration did not respond to a request for comment, according to CNN. The revelation comes as construction on the project is expected to halt Friday barring Trump releasing the money voluntarily or an eleventh-hour court ruling forcing it. The project is expected to include the construction of two new tunnels under the Hudson, the rehabilitation of the existing rail tunnels, and additional infrastructure work. The commission overseeing the project sued the Trump administration this week in an effort to shake the money free. New Jersey and New York filed a similar lawsuit Wednesday. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has sharply criticized Trump a New York City native over the funding standoff, saying the stopped construction will cost jobs and economic benefit to the region. Canceling the funding is arbitrary, its capricious, and its illegal, Sherrill, a Democrat, said Wednesday, arguing Congress already appropriated the funds. She has also accused Trump of holding the money hostage and constantly moving the goalposts. The Trump administration initially last year said it was pausing the money to review diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the project. That was during tense budget negotiations between Trump and Democratic lawmakers during a federal government shutdown. The White House has most recently blamed Schumer for blocking the money by refusing to negotiate for full U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding. Democrats have declined to support that funding as a national debate rages on over ICEs immigration enforcement. There is nothing stopping Democrats from prioritizing the interests of Americans over illegal aliens and getting this project back on track, spokesman Kush Desai said last month. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., blasted Trump over Thursdays reports. This is ridiculous, she said in a statement. These naming rights arent tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers. Gateway is also already an issue in one of New Jerseys biggest congressional races this year: in the purple 7th District, where Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. faces a tough re-election challenge. The suburban Central Jersey district is home to many commuters. Rebecca Bennett, one of the many Democrats running in the district, posted on X about Thursdays reports. Imagine risking jobs and commutes so Trump can slap his name on Penn Station, Bennett wrote. Thats the deal? She asked Kean if hes good with that. Kean did not respond on the social media site. He said in a statement last month that delays on the project put jobs at risk, threaten reliability for hundreds of thousands of riders, and weaken one of the most important transportation arteries in the country. I am pressing for this funding to move forward in full. NJ Advance Media staff writer Larry Higgs contributed to this report. Another earthquake just rocked New Jersey politics. The crowded Democratic primary in the special election to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrills old U.S. House seat turned into a stunning nail-biter Thursday night. As of Friday evening, the race remained too close to call, with progressive advocate Analilia Mejia leading former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski by a few hundred votes. Even without a decision, the scenario has national implications in this second age of Donald Trump pushback, further energizing the left flank of the Democratic Party. And some see it as the latest sign that the even the Garden States traditionally machine-oriented politics are shifting. There are also questions about the impact a flood of attack ads from a pro-Israel group had on the election. The unusual dimensions of the contest always made it wild to predict, with 11 candidates tangling for the Democratic nomination in North Jerseys 11th District on a frigid Thursday in February. But many considered Malinowski, a relatively mainstream Democrat, the favorite as he seeks to return to Congress after being ousted four years ago in a different, more purple district. Two other candidates, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, also had big money and party support. Way was former Gov. Phil Murphys second-in-command, and Gill had Murphys endorsement. Yet both were far behind Malinowski and Mejia with 93% of the votes counted. Mejia, a grassroots organizer and first-time candidate who helped run Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential bid, was tagged as a fourth top contender that insiders saw was a threat. But with less funding and name ID, no institutional backing, and a more left-leaning platform, Mejia winning would still be a upset. The 11th is a once-red, largely suburban district spread across parts of Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties an area Sherrill flipped in 2018 and has since gotten bluer because of redistricting. The insiders got smoked, said Matt Hale, a political science professor at Seton Hall University in South Orange, which is part of the district. Tom Malinowski is an outsider to the district and Analilia Mejia is on the outside left wing of the party. The insiders, Tahesha Way and Brendan Gill, just seemed to fall flat. It was a tough day for establishment Democrats. Several media outlets and political prognosticators called the race for Malinowski about an hour after polls closed as he jumped out to a healthy lead in the early vote count. Then, in a rarity, they retracted their projections a few hours later. The Associated Press had still not called the election as of 5 p.m. Friday, with Mejia leading by just under 700 votes. Mejia appeared to declare herself the winner just before 1 a.m. Friday, saying in a social media video she was excited to say we have delivered people-power victory. I do think that we have emerged victorious, Mejia, 48, said during a media availability Friday morning in Montclair. Heres the bottom line: Every vote has to be counted, she said. Heres the other truth: We left everything on the ground. Malinowski, 60, has not conceded. Campaign manager Kaylie Haberstroh told NJ Advance Media on Friday morning she did not declare victory because we knew a significant number of ballots were waiting to be tallied. Every vote deserves to be counted, Haberstroh said. The winner will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, who ran unopposed for the Republican nod, in Aprils general election to fill the final months of Sherrills term that expires in January. Conventional wisdom says the Dem nominee is the favorite because of the districts blue tilt. Just the prospect of an underdog victory by the Bernie-backed Mejia is garnering national attention. One immediate thought: Its the newest Mamdani-sized example of how the Democratic Partys progressive left wing is surging in the Trump era. And it has intensified the intrigue about the political mood during an election cycle in which Democrats are trying to win back control of Congress in the presidents midterms. What Analilia has done is historic, said Antoinette Miles, the state director of advocacy group the New Jersey Working Families Party, where Mejia once worked. This is sending a message not only in New Jersey but throughout the country that the electorate wants something different. And its the kind of victory that was once barely thinkable in Jersey. The state has been grounded in largely moderate, machine politics for decades, propelled by a unique but now-defunct primary ballot design. Steve Kornacki, the NBC political analyst and former New Jersey political reporter, wrote on X: What is happening in NJ-11 tonight feels momentous. The state has long been dominated by a throwback political culture, particularly on the Democratic side, but there has been upheaval in the last few years as the partys increasingly activist/professional class base has been in revolt, Kornacki continued. The first big blow to Jerseys establishment Democrats came two years ago, when then-Congressman Andy Kim launched an insurgent bid to replace indicted Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez. The Democratic primary pitted Kim against then-First Lady Tammy Murphy. The governors wife had the power of her husbands office, the backing of many top Democrats, and the benefit of the county line a unique and controversial system in Jersey politics in which party-endorsed candidates received prominent primary ballot placement. Critics said the setup was a significant tool to party bosses because it made it for uncompetitive primaries. Proponents countered that it helped voters clearly identify the partys preferred contenders and created stronger nominees for general elections. But Kim became a progressive darling who railed against the line, arguing it helped build and protect Menendez. He successfully sued to take down the ballot design, giving a win to grassroots activists including Mejia who fought against it for years. Shortly before the decision, Tammy Murphy dropped out of the race, and Kim not only won the Senate seat but solidified himself as a rising blue star. A similar movement happened across the Hudson River last year as Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, became New York Citys mayor over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. There were also party-divided undertones to last years New Jersey gubernatorial race, as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka finished second to Sherrill, a more moderate Dem, in the primary. Kims victory invigorated progressives, while the county lines demise theoretically chipped away at parties power and put primaries on a more even playing field. More contenders have apparently been inspired to jump in the last two years. Technically, the line wouldnt have directly impacted Thursdays race. Its chief effect was having the partys chosen candidates for each office stacked on top of each other in one place, making it easier for voters to vote down the line, but this election was the only one on the ballot. County parties, though, can still make endorsements, which means candidates also get the help of institutional money and organizing. Malinowski had the backing of the county party in Morris. Way had the same in Passaic and Gill in Essex the latter the largest part of the district and a powerful region for Democratic politics in Jersey. Supporters portrayed the candidates as leaders whove already gotten results and could do the same in Washington. Mejia, who has a background in get-out-the-vote campaigning, had no party support but leads the vote in Essex. She did have big-name endorsements, not only from Sanders but other progressive members of Congress, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The machine is in a pickle, said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University and a former press secretary to former Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey. It has lost the ability to screen and narrow down a field of 11 candidates, and when that happens, you can get surprising, unpredictable results, he added. Rasmussen said voters who actually show up get to decide now. Voters will respond to the moment in front of them, not necessarily the long view of maintaining a partys majority status. Gill said Friday he called Mejia to congratulate her on her victory and announced he proudly endorses her. Analilia ran a powerful, people-driven campaign that energized voters and built a movement rooted in opportunity, fairness, and community, he said. Still, some politicos caution you shouldnt read too much into the results of a short, weirdly timed primary in one congressional district. No one got the majority of the vote (and you dont need a majority to win). Mejia and Malinowski are each carrying less than 30%, while Way has 17% and Gill 14%. That could mean Mejia gobbled up support from left-leaning voters as others split the more moderate electorate. That did present a fracture that typically is not typical in New Jersey politics, right? Miles of the Working Families Party said. Because the progressives were united in this race, and moved all of our manpower into the field, that was a key part of really pushing this forward. The showdown also isnt quite as simple as liberals versus the establishment. Malinowski has progressive credentials including Kims endorsement and has sometimes clashed with party leaders. When he lost his seat in Central Jerseys 7th District in 2022, Malinowski and others blamed party leaders for making the district more Republican-friendly in redistricting to protect other Democrats, including Sherrill. Gill has described his platform as progressive, too. And its worth noting Sherrill easily won last years post-line Democratic primary for governor even as she touted a more middle-of-the-road approach and support from several party leaders. A statewide is tougher for a progressive, according to Rasmussen, the Rider professor. Patrick Murray, a veteran pollster who runs StimSight Research, said there was an underestimation of Mejia, driven largely by the misunderstanding of the Democratic primary electorate in the race. Theres the sense that Dems who live in Republican areas are more moderate, when its actually the opposite," he added. They tend to be more progressives, because they live in Republican areas. Murray emphasized that Democratic voters might have seen Mejia as more of a Trump fighter, even though Malinowski also campaigned as one as did Gill and Way. Its not about liberal and moderate, Murray said. Its about authentically taking on Trump. Thats what won the day here. Turnout was robust. Mejia said her team made tens of thousands of phone calls and door-knocks. More Democrats voted in this short, weird, weather-influenced Thursday primary than in the 2024 (presidential-year) primary, said Hale, the Seton Hall professor. That means Democrats are pretty engaged. The rise in attention over Trumps immigration crackdown was specifically a huge, motivating issue, Rasmussen said. People in the district saw U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE raids taking place in their own backyard, including Morristown, according to Miles. Then theres the effect of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which poured about $2 million into the race to attack Malinowski through its super PAC, United Democracy Project, because the former lawmaker said he wouldnt unconditionally give aid to Israel. The groups blitz included ads that criticized Malinowski for a 2019 vote he took in the House that included funding for ICE. Other members of New Jerseys Democratic congressional delegation voted for it, as well. Malinowski has also been openly critical of the agency, saying Congress should not fund their violent masked raids on American families. Mejia, the daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants, calls for ICE to be abolished. Although it appears AIPAC was trying to boost Way, it may have unintentionally lifted Mejia, despite her being even more to the left than Malinowski. During at a recent candidate forum, Mejia was the only one to raiser her hand when the candidates were asked if Israel committed a genocide in Gaza. AIPACs role has drawn the ire of centrist Democrats. And Mejia on Friday accused the group of frankly disgusting tactics in terms of misinformation and flooding the zone to attack Malinowski. AIPAC said it will now turn its attention to the spring, where there will be another primary in June and then a general election in November for the seats next two-year term. The outcome in NJ-11 was an anticipated possibility, and our focus remains on who will serve the next full term in Congress, a spokesperson for the group said Friday. UDP will be closely monitoring dozens of primary races, including the June NJ-11 primary, to help ensure pro-Israel candidates are elected to Congress. Hale noted that primaries often bring out partisan and idealogical voters on both sides of the aisle, so while that may bolstered Mejia now, she might have a more difficult time in Aprils general election. The question after that is whether Junes Democratic primary will also be hotly contested, especially if AIPAC gets involved. Some of the same candidates could run again. For now, one party insider summed up Thursdays primary this way: Analilia outmuscled and outflanked everyone, drove a stake through the establishment. I dont know what it means for the general, but the Democratic establishment was just put on notice. They delivered a clear message that the party wants change. Vice President JD Vance admits that he still doesnt have answers about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in July of 2024. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Vance was pressed on his previous claims of working to get to the bottom of the case in the wake of the assassination attempt and whether he now knows the motivation behind it. I dont know, Vance said in comments published Friday. Im still trying to get to the bottom of that. His answer prompted Phillip Nieto, the outlets U.S. political reporter, to respond: Whose fault is that? Its been a year since youve been vice president. While noting that Crooks did not leave a clear paper trail, Vance said he found it unusual that Crooks was once a supporter of Trump, but turned to strongly disliking him and wanting to kill the president of the United States months before the incident. The story is that he just was kind of a loner who got radicalized on the internet, and then took a shot at the president of the United States maybe thats true, Vance said. What Im trying to figure out is, is there anything else there? Vance said the administration has spoken with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, but has yet to receive what he described as a satisfactory answer into how Crooks became anti-Trump. He added that it is a possibility that everyone may never know his true motive. What the FBI has told me is they just dont have a good answer, Vance said. I know its something they continue to look at, they continue to try to find things about this kid. But it is frustrating to me that we still dont know the answer, he added. And its something Im gonna keep on working on. Shortly after the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, Vance who was on Trumps shortlist to be his running mate wrote in a post on X that it was not an isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs, Vance posted at the time. That rhetoric led directly to President Trumps attempted assassination. Crooks had fired off eight shots, with one bullet grazing the right ear of Trump. One attendee, Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed, and two others were injured, according to authorities. A sniper subsequently killed Crooks. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told The New York Post last November that Trump has contacted the FBI and Secret Service about the incident since returning to the White House. Hes been briefed by his own people on the matter, and whether hes satisfied, thats only a question he can answer, Leavitt said. I cant answer it for him. That month, FBI Director Kash Patel said an investigation conducted by over 480 FBI employees revealed that Crooks had limited online and in person interactions, planned and conducted the attack alone, and did not leak or share his intent to engage in the attack with anyone. Employees conducted over 1,000 interviews, addressed over 2,000 public tips, analyzed data extracted from 13 seized digital devices, reviewed nearly 500,000 digital files, collected, processed, and synchronized hundreds of hours of video footage, analyzed financial activity from 10 different accounts, and examined data associated with 25 social media or online forum accounts, Patel wrote on X. New Jersey lawmakers are considering a proposal that would give Jersey Shore towns the option of allowing teenagers on beaches for free or selling them reduced-price beach badges. The proposed law would also expand the number of military veterans eligible for free or discounted beach badges in the state. The measure, S1533, was advanced by the state Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee in a unanimous vote on Thursday. Under the proposed law, municipalities could adopt ordinances allowing children ages 12 to 17 to access Jersey Shore beaches for free or at a reduced rate. The current law limits nofee access to younger children. The legislation is designed to give beach towns more authority to ease the cost of a day at the Shore for families with teens. Most towns in New Jersey require a beach badge or tag to get on the sand in the summer. Prices vary and are set by each town. Last year, Jersey Shore beach badge prices ranged from $3.50 for a daily pass to $200 for a season pass. In many towns, teenagers pay the same price as adults. Beach tags from Cape May. Lori M. Nichols | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The new legislation debated Thursday in the state Senate committee meeting was one of several bills related to the cost of living in New Jersey, said committee chairman Troy Singleton, DBurlington. Our agenda today has been focused on a central goal, which is to make New Jersey more affordable and more accessible for the people who live and work here, Singleton said. The proposal would also overhaul longstanding beach discount eligibility rules for veterans. Existing statutes grant free or reduced beach access rates only to veterans who served at least 90 days of active duty or who were discharged because of a serviceconnected injury. The proposed law would remove those restrictions, allowing towns to offer discounted or free beach access to any honorably discharged veteran. The measure would not force towns to make changes. But it would give municipalities the flexibility to adopt the fee reductions for teens and veterans based on local priorities and budget considerations. Because many families living within driving distance of the Shore treat beach visits as a routine part of warmweather life, even modest fee changes can affect accessibility, lawmakers said. Towns often depend on beach fees to maintain lifeguard staffing, repair boardwalks and support erosionprevention work. Though the bill was approved by the state Senate committee, a companion bill must still be debated by the state Assembly. The legislation would also need to go to a full vote before both chambers and be signed by the governor to become law. Tom Rose, the U.S. ambassador to Poland, is vigorously defending President Donald Trump from scrutiny. Rose announced Thursday he will have no further dealings, contacts, or communications with Polands parliamentary speaker, Wodzimierz Czarzasty, accusing him of outrageous and unprovoked insults against Trump that he characterized as a serious impediment to our excellent relations with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Although it is unclear which specific comments Rose was referencing, Czarzasty on Monday said he would refuse to sign a joint letter circulated by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana that nominates Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, an award he has long sought, according to Bloomberg News. According to a press release from Johnson in December, the House leader and Ohana are attempting to rally speakers and presidents of parliaments worldwide in an effort to put forth Trump for his work on peace in the Middle East, returning all hostages held by Hamas and establishing lasting security for Israel. During his remarks, Czarzasty had also criticized Trump for failing to recognize Polish soldiers who fought in Afghanistan. In January, Trump had questioned whether NATO allies would back the United States in a time of need, which resulted in backlash and prompted him to partially walked back his comments. We have never really asked anything of them, Trump told Fox Business amid his campaign to acquire Greenland. You know, theyll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, little off the front lines. Czarzasty a leader of The Left, the junior coalition partner in the government posted on X Thursday that he will not change his stance on these fundamental issues for Polish women and men. Zgodnie ze swoimi wartosciami stanaem w obronie polskich zonierzy walczacych na misjach i nie poparem kandydatury prezydenta @realDonaldTrump do pokojowej nagrody Nobla. Niezmiennie szanuje USA jako kluczowego partnera Polski. Dlatego z ubolewaniem przyjmuje deklaracje Wodzimierz Czarzasty (@wlodekczarzasty) February 5, 2026 Roses call had also prompted a quick response from Tusk, who addressed the ambassador directly. Mr. Ambassador Rose, allies should respect each other, not lecture each other, Tusk wrote in a post. At least this is how we, here in Poland, understand partnership. Rose replied shortly afterward, saying he assumed Tusks thoughtful and well-articulated message was sent to me by mistake. He went on to slam Czarzastys despicable, disrespectful and insulting comments, describing them as potentially damaging to your government. Mr. Prime Minister, I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for your lifetime of bold leadership and for your decades of contributions that strengthened the U.S.Poland relationship," Rose said. You Sir have truly been a model ally and great friend of the United States. And I know you agree that insulting and degrading the @realDonaldTrump President of the United States the greatest friend Poland has ever had in the White House, is the last thing any Polish leader should do. As Im sure you also know, I will always defend my President without hesitation, exception or apology, he added. Dear Mr. Prime Minister Im assuming your thoughtful and well-articulated message was sent to me by mistake, because surely you intended it for the Speaker of the Sejm, Wodzimierz Czarzasty, whos despicable, disrespectful and insulting comments about President Trump @POTUS https://t.co/wkcepBNJnS Ambasador Tom Rose (@USAmbPoland) February 5, 2026 Roman Giertych, a Polish lawyer who previously served as Warsaws deputy prime minister, said Roses decision to cut off ties with Czarzasty is simply outrageous.We want good relations with the United States, but your representatives will not choose the authorities of the Republic of Poland for us, Giertych posted on X. I have never been a fan of Wodzimierz Czarzasty, but in this matter, as a Member of Parliament, I stand firmly behind him. SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A cargo ship has returned to a port in South Korea after a fire broke out in a vehicle aboard on Friday, Yonhap news agency said. It was reported to the coast guard at around 5:34 p.m. local time (0834 GMT) that the fire occurred at a vehicle on the 9,952-ton cargo ship sailing in waters about 17 km north of the port in the southern resort island of Jeju. The vessel, heading from the island to the southwestern port city of Mokpo, returned to the port while making self-extinguishing efforts, as there was no issue with its navigation. There were 28 people on board the ship that was transporting 86 trucks and 41 passenger cars. The coast guard dispatched patrol vessels and rescue teams to the scene. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson is facing heated backlash from conservatives after attending the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 1. Jackson was seated at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles as a nominee for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for her memoir, Lovely One. The event included some digs at President Donald Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with several speeches decrying the Trump administrations immigration crackdown. On Thursday, Trump shared on his Truth Social account a New York Post opinion column condemning Jackson for attending this years show. The piece, authored by Post columnist Miranda Devine, was titled, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson removed any shred of impartiality by applauding anti-ICE speeches at the Grammys. Devine called Jackson, a Harvard Law School alumnus who became the first Black woman to serve as a justice, a Biden DEI candidate who should have stayed home rather than laughing and clapping in the audience with a bunch of virtue-signaling luvvies ranting Fk ICE every time they got on stage. Devines column came on the heels of a scatching social media post from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Blackburn on Tuesday posted a clip of Grammys host Trevor Noah congratulating Jackson for her nomination. In the 28-second video, Jackson claps and laughs as Noah says, With her being here, for the first time ever if you lose a Grammy you can appeal directly to the Supreme Court. Instead of taking the time to learn what a woman is, Ketanji Brown Jackson was at the Grammys applauding anti-ICE rhetoric, Blackburn wrote. How can Americans trust her to be impartial on the highest court in the land? The clip did not show Jackson applauding or laughing along with any comments about ICE or Trump. No video evidence has emerged backing up Blackburns allegations that she applauded any anti-ICE speeches or jokes. Yet, Blackburns post became a political lightning rod with over 4,600 comments, 7,300 reposts and 28,000 likes as of Friday afternoon. The senators message was quickly picked up on by conservative networks and MAGA influencers. Fox News Outnumbered panel took turns blasting Jacksons attendance at the Grammys, while 2020 election denier Douglass Mackey accused Jackson of seeking celebrity status. Pro-Trump musician Phil Labonte of All That Remains said Jackson should be removed from the bench. Following her initial criticism of Jackson, Blackburn wrote a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts urging him to investigate whether Jackson violated the Supreme Courts Code of Conduct. In her letter, Blackburn referred to Canon 2A of the code, which directs justices to respect and comply with the law and act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. While it is by no means unheard of or unusual for a Supreme Court justice to attend a public function, very rarelyif everhave justices of our nations highest Court been present at an event at which attendees have amplified such far-left rhetoric, Blackburn wrote to Roberts. Jackson has not publicly responded to Blackburns allegations. The Supreme Courts Code of Conduct The Supreme Court adopted its first formal code of conduct in 2023, responding to mounting public pressure over reports that several conservative justices had failed to disclose gifts and travel. The push for an ethics code intensified after multiple reports showed Justice Clarence Thomas accepted luxury trips virtually every year from Dallas real estate developer and Republican donor Harlan Crow. Thomas also faced scrutiny over his wife Ginnis efforts to overturn the 2020 election based on false claims of widespread voter fraud. Subsequent reporting raised additional questions about other members of the court. Blackburn dismissed the allegations against Thomas and the other conservative justices as public smear campaigns in her letter to Roberts. Unlike these meritless claims against Justice Alito and Justice Thomas, there are serious questions regarding Justice Jacksons participation in such a brazenly political, anti-law enforcement event and her ability to remain an impartial member of the Supreme Court, Blackburn wrote. Blackburns letter prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to accuse her of having double standards when it comes to judicial conduct. MAGA judges are LITERALLY attending Trump rallies. Respectfully, shut up, Newsoms press office account wrote on X. His post included a screenshot of a Bloomberg Law article about federal judge Emil Bove attending a Trump rally in December. Bove, a federal appeals court judge and Trumps former personal attorney, was spotted in attendance at the presidents rally inside Mount Airy Casino Resort on Dec. 9, 2025. According to Canon 5 of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges, a judge should refrain from political activity. That includes attending any event sponsored by a political organization or candidate." Blackburn did not respond to Newsoms message about Boves conduct. Under gray skies at the Hudson River tunnel site, New Jerseys Democratic congressional delegation joined construction workers in hard hats Friday as Gov. Mikie Sherrill pledged to keep the Gateway Tunnel project alive. The press conference in Weehawken was held as New York and New Jersey are battling in federal court to restore money the states say President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Transportation unlawfully halted during last falls government shutdown. A hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for Friday afternoon, just as work on the tunnel is scheduled to stop due to lack of funding. We have sued the President we are fighting for the working men and women on this project," Sherrill, a Democrat, said. Sherrill accused the Trump administration of shifting demands and ignoring the law, saying the funds were designated by Congress and should never have been frozen. U.S. Department of Transportation officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-6th Dist., addressed reports that Trump suggested he would restore the Gateway funding only if Penn Station and Dulles International Airport were renamed after him an offer U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer refused. Pallone sarcastically offered to name landfills and Superfund sites after Trump instead. It is an economic issue for workers, for people, for the economy in general I dont understand how this president does not realize that, he said. State leaders argue the funding freeze is part of a broader pattern of political retribution by the Trump administration, particularly over New York and New Jerseys immigration policies and the states unwillingness to work with federal officers on civil immigration enforcement. There is nothing stopping Democrats from prioritizing the interests of Americans over illegal aliens and getting this project back on track, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said of the Gateway funding freeze last month. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sherrill have condemned the move as an illegal attack that threatens jobs and regional economic stability. The Gateway Development Commission has filed its own lawsuit seeking immediate restoration of funds. The Gateway project was designed to build two new rail tubes beneath the Hudson River and rehabilitate the existing 116yearold tunnels. Those tunnels serve roughly 200,000 daily commuters on Amtrak and NJ Transit. Officials warn the funding freeze could idle about 1,000 workers and destabilize rail travel across the Northeast Corridor. U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, D-8th Dist., spoke bluntly about the stakes for workers and commuters. This is bullsh--, we should not be out here, he said. The presidents playing political games. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., warned colleagues across the aisle about the risks posed by the aging tunnels. I talked to my Republican colleagues last night again, who care about this project too, and reminded them God forbid anything happened to those 116year-(old) tunnels, he said. Its on their hands, Gottheimer said. Its on the White Houses hands. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said the administration was undermining a bipartisan commitment to modernize the tunnels. We have a legal binding obligation of these funds done in a bipartisan manner, he said. Rep. Nellie Pou, D-9th Dist., a member of the House Transportation Committee, said the consequences of a shutdown would be immediate and severe. The existing tunnel is older than penicillin imagine that and it carries hundreds of thousands of commuters every single day, she said. If our tunnels fail when they fail the damage to New Jersey and the entire Northeast will be catastrophic." Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-10th Dist., who has previously clashed with the Trump administration, pledged continued resistance. We are not done fighting, she said. Sherrill also echoed that sentiment. We are not going to stand for it, the governor said. We are drawing the line here. A Black engineer working for a New Jersey power plant has filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming he was discriminated against due to his race and perceived sexual orientation. Steffon Josey, 35, of Somerset, states in court papers he was ridiculed for having facial tattoos, called gay and found a noose hanging in a building where he was working. A representative of Bergen Generating Station and its parent company, Consolidated Asset Management Services, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Josey was hired as a control room operating engineer for Bergen Generating Station in Ridgefield on Nov. 14, 2023, but says his co-workers refused to train him. Meanwhile, a white employee who was hired alongside plaintiff was trained by plaintiffs co-workers, states the lawsuit, filed last summer in Somerset County Superior Court. The suit says Josey was also denied overtime opportunities. In January 2024, Josey was in a break room watching the news when a report of a shooting arrest came on the television. The shooter had visible tattoos, the suit says. He claims a co-worker, who was also in the break room, saw images of the shooter on TV, then looked at Josey and said, What the f--- is on your head? Josey, who has head and face tattoos, became uncomfortable by the remark, and felt as if he was being compared to the criminal on the news, the lawsuit says. In another incident, a control-room operator wearing a Choose Violence T-shirt used a derogatory remark about a lack of intelligence to describe newly hired workers at the power plant. Additionally, Josey claims he was screamed at by a supervisor over a faulty computer screen and called gay by a co-worker who objected to his making maple syrup bacon. On Sept. 25, 2024, Josey said he found a noose hanging in a building where steam turbine generator units are installed. The lawsuit claims Josey tried to complain about the noose and other incidents during a staff meeting but was told, No, they (upper-level managers) dont want to hear it. Josey then filed a complaint with a human resources representative. After the complaint was received, the business began to implement training to deal with discrimination and retaliation in the workplace, the suit says. However, the damage was done as plaintiff was already subjected to discrimination in the workplace, the suit says. The lawsuit claims violations of the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination due to race and perceived sexual orientation. At Sunnymead Elementary School in Hillsborough Township, classrooms now come in all shapes and sizes a storage room, a book closet, the teachers lounge, even the principals office. The Hillsborough Township school has grown so overcrowded that educators have turned to whatever spaces remain, carving out improvised classrooms to keep up with rising enrollment and the need for smallgroup instruction. Staff say nearly every extra room in the building has been claimed. Located in a more rural section of the Somerset County community, the elementary school once served a much smaller student population. The area surrounding Sunnymead, according to Superintendent Michael Volpe, has undergone significant development, bringing in far more families than the district anticipated. Hillsborough Township Public Schools are among the last districts in New Jersey to adopt fullday kindergarten, a statewide priority championed by former Gov. Phil Murphy. Since the district currently runs on a half-day kindergarten schedule, elementary schools like Sunnymead will need to account for virtually double the amount of classrooms needed to accommodate fullday classes. The local board of education has announced it will redraw attendance boundaries and maintain all six existing elementary schools for the 202627 school year. Principal Tammy Jenkins said the districts elementary school boundaries have not been updated in at least two decades. Redistricting, she said, is expected to ease the strain on Sunnymead. Other elementary schools in the district have far fewer students, including some with empty classrooms that could absorb additional enrollment next year, Jenkins said. According to Jenkins, district administrators are now working to redraw the boundaries and balance enrollment across buildings while staying within budget. Jenkins gave up her office five years ago, converting it into a multipurpose space used throughout the day for occupational therapy, smallgroup instruction and meetings within the Child Study Team, which supports students receiving special education services. Her desk now sits in the main office and lobby, alongside the school secretary and clerical assistant. The principal's office is being used as a multi-functional classroom due to high volumes of students. Victoria Gladstone Working in an overcrowded building can be taxing, Jenkins said, especially with the kindergarten program operating at full capacity. I have certainly honed my flexibility skills, she said with a smile. It just boils down to my general philosophy as an educator: students first, and by any means necessary. Because classrooms are filled, Jenkins often roams the building to find space for virtual meetings, sometimes ducking into storage closets or book rooms. Im literally running around this building all day, every day, trying to find a place to work, meet whatever, she said. Schools like Sunnymead are not alone. Other New Jersey public schools are dealing with a lack of sufficient space to meet student needs, the Education Law Center reports. As enrollment increases, schools often repurpose classrooms and support spaces to provide educational services, according to the Education Law Center. According to the law center, schools in neighboring counties, including in New Brunswick in Middlesex County, provide fewer square feet per student than prescribed by the states facility efficiency standards. A nasty combination of dangerous winter weather is ahead for New Jersey this weekend with the threat of snow squalls, wind gusts up to 60 mph and extreme cold with wind chills as low as 20 degrees below zero. There is a 40 to 70% chance of light snow beginning this evening and continuing through the overnight hours, the National Weather Service said. An arctic front may produce snow squalls early Saturday morning. While snowfall totals are likely to be limited to a coating to 1 inch, the squalls could cause brief periods of low visibility and quick accumulation on roads. Snow squalls could leave a quick coating to an inch of snow by Saturday morning followed by extremely cold temperatures with wind chills from 10 below to 20 below zero on Saturday night. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible Saturday. AccuWeather.com From there, it turns windy and brutally cold for Saturday, the weather service said. Temps crash into the teens by Saturday afternoon, and winds increase to 20 to 30 mph with 40 to 60 mph gusts. Wind chills could hit 15 to 20 degrees below zero Saturday night, forecasters said. Snow squalls could leave a quick coating to an inch of snow by Saturday morning followed by extremely cold temperatures with wind chills from 10 below to 20 below zero on Saturday night. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible Saturday. National Weather Service The weather service has issued rare extreme cold warnings for all 21 New Jersey counties, effective from 6 a.m. Saturday to noon on Sunday in most of the state. In Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union counties, the extreme cold warnings run from 10 a.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday. High wind warnings or advisories have also been issued for nearly the entire state. The more serious warnings apply to counties along the Jersey Shore and Delaware Bay. Temperatures will fall into the single digits and teens by Saturday morning, with Saturday night lows dropping to as low as minus 5 in northwestern areas. Snow squalls could leave a quick coating to an inch of snow by Saturday morning followed by extremely cold temperatures with wind chills from 10 below to 20 below zero on Saturday night. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible Saturday. National Weather Service Wind chills will make conditions feel even more dangerous, reaching minus 10 to minus 20 Saturday night. Residents are advised to limit outdoor exposure and take precautions against frostbite and hypothermia, the weather service said. Sunday will remain dangerously cold with highs in the single digits, though winds will gradually diminish. Snow squalls could leave a quick coating to an inch of snow by Saturday morning followed by extremely cold temperatures with wind chills from 10 below to 20 below zero on Saturday night. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are possible Saturday. AccuWeather.com Some warmer weather is on the way starting Monday, though temperatures will still remain slightly below normal for early February. Temperatures will moderate through the week, with highs climbing toward the upper 30s by Wednesday and Thursday. A frontal system is expected to approach the area Wednesday into Thursday, bringing a chance of precipitation, though uncertainty remains in the forecast. Safety tips for coping with frostbite and hypothermia. National Weather Service Current weather radar Watertown, NY (13601) Today A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 26F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Snow showers. Low 19F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snowfall around one inch. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mostly cloudy with a few snow showers this evening. Low around 0F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with a few snow showers this evening. Low around 0F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 26F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Snow showers. Low 19F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snowfall around one inch. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least ten people were killed and over 80 others injured in a blast which hit a mosque in Pakistan's capital of Islamabad on Friday, police officials said. The explosion occurred in the Shia mosque situated in the Shehzad Town area of Islamabad, according to the police officials in the area. Police and rescue teams have been dispatched to the site, said the police, adding that a state of emergency has been imposed in all the major hospitals of the capital. No group has claimed responsibilities for the attack yet. This photo taken on Feb. 5, 2026 shows a street view in Muscat, Oman. Delegations from the United States and Iran on Friday began talks in the Omani capital of Muscat, marking a renewed diplomatic effort amid heightened regional tensions. (Photo by Khaled Moussa/Xinhua) MUSCAT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Delegations from the United States and Iran on Friday began talks in the Omani capital of Muscat, marking a renewed diplomatic effort amid heightened regional tensions. OSLO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Norway's national authority for investigating and prosecuting economic and environmental crime (Okokrim) said on Thursday it has opened an investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland on suspicion of aggravated corruption, citing information contained in newly released Epstein files. In a statement, Okokrim said the probe will focus on whether Jagland may have received undue benefits including gifts, travel and loans in connection with his positions as chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and as secretary general of the Council of Europe. Because Jagland has immunity from prosecution for official acts performed in his capacity as a former head of an international organization, Okokrim said it has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway to initiate a process to have that immunity lifted. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store was quoted by Norwegian media as saying that the new information raised "a number of new questions" that must be answered, and that Okokrim's decision to open an aggravated corruption investigation underscores the seriousness of the matter. The investigation comes after the U.S. Department of Justice said on Jan. 30 that it had published more than 3 million additional pages of materials under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which it said was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November 2025. Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019, was a U.S. financier accused of sex trafficking. Norwegian media have reported that the newly released materials shed further light on Jagland's contacts with Epstein, including plans for a family visit to Epstein's private Caribbean island in 2014 that was later canceled. Jagland served as Norway's prime minister from 1996 to 1997, as secretary general of the Council of Europe from 2009 to 2019, and as chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015. there is belief that we should grab Manuel by the waiters coat tail and make the most of our links with the TV series It is a privilege to be involved in helping try to shape a new future for Torbays tourism and hospitality sector. The Destination Management Plan will strategically map out that future once everybody has had a chance to contribute, so nothing can be pre-empted. The overall aim, however, isnt rocket science. It is to find a way of securing a sustainable year-round future for the English Riviera as the UKs premier destination and promote and support what is the Bays biggest sector, which generates millions of pounds for our economy and provides thousands of jobs. And all that amid some of the most challenging times the industry has has ever had to deal with! I am no expert, far from it, but it is no secret that I believe that Now is the Time to take full advantage of what we have staring us right in the face as part of that more resilient future. Our natural environment and UNESCO rated Geopark is for another day. The importance of the Torquay-born, worlds most famous and best selling author Dame Agatha Christie and a possible link with the Pavilion was mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Agatha Christie English Riviera Walking Tours with guide Graham Kerr Pic ERBID Now I am being asked to turn my attention to Fawlty Towers and John Cleese. Dont laugh millions have at the Torquay-inspired cult sitcom but there is a serious belief that we should grab Manuel by the waiters coat tail and make the most of our links with the BBC series based on a hotel in Wellswood which has gained notoriety around the world and now the West End! We dont exactly shout loudly about our Fawlty Towers past and links. The former Gleneagles Hotel in Asheldon Road, on which the comedy was based, is long gone, demolished to make way for a complex of apartments. At least they are aptly named Sachs Lodge, after Andrew Sachs who played misfit Manuel, and there is a Torbay Civic Society blue plaque to mark the spot where madcap hotelier Cleese and wife Sybil once stood. But thats it really I am led to believe that even Mr Cleese wouldnt be adverse to a statue of some sort Sachs Lodge Blue Plaque unveiling Pic Churchill Retirement Living One of those leading the new Fawlty Towers charge is Graham Kerr, an official tour guide for the Bay and the face behind the themed English Riviera Walking Festivals for holidaymakers and locals alike. His story began in 2019 when he sold his business, initially dreaming of a quiet retirement. However, a trip to London with wife, Maria, sparked a new chapter. They joined a walking tour that ignited his love for history, connecting with people and working in the great outdoors. Back in Torquay, he discovered the towns only full-time tour guide had retired. He decided to seize the moment and design five unique Torquay-themed walks, including a special Agatha Christie Guided Walking Tour. Graham says: Its an honour to share her story with visitors who travel from across the globe to fulfil their dreams to immerse themselves in the places that Agatha knew well and which inspired her writing. And Fawlty Towers? Graham reveals: To mark the 50th anniversary of the first Fawlty Towers episode on BBC 2 in 1975, The Fawlty Tours Walking Experience was launched last year. This tour celebrates arguably the greatest British comedy classic, giving guests the chance to re-live some of the funniest moments and discover how a stay at a Torquay hotel inspired comedy gold. Graham adds: I am very fortunate to be a Tour Guide in Torquay the home of Agatha Christie, the worlds bestselling novelist and Basil Fawlty, the worlds worst hotelier! Fawlty Towers was written by John Cleese and Connie Booth. They only wrote 12 episodes each one is so well known, yet it feels like there were many more. Few television comedies have achieved the near-mythical status of Fawlty Towers. The show has been televised across the world, including Germany. Gleneagles Hotel Torquay Pic Wikimedia (Roger Cornfoot, geograph.org.uk) He revealed a bit of the Fawlty Towers history: In 1970, John Cleese and the Monty Python Flying Circus team booked into the Gleneagles Hotel. The hotels owner, Donald Sinclair, was famously abrupt with guests, staff and his wife. During their stay at the hotel there were a number of incidents which displeased the Pythons, so they moved to The Imperial hotel, but John Cleese found Mr Sinclair strangely amusing describing him as the most wonderfully rude man Ive ever met. He chose to stay at the hotel with Connie and together they studied his antics and mannerisms Basil Fawlty was created. Basil, played by John Cleese, is a man in a perpetual state of personal crisis. His wife Sybil was portrayed with venomous cheer by Prunella Scales. Then theres Manuel, the hapless Spanish waiter played by Andrew Sachs, who has a limited grasp of English, which results in many infamous misunderstandings. Rounding off the main cast is Polly Sherman, played by Connie Booth, the only competent member of staff. Graham says the shows famous scenes are legendary. Do you remember Basil thrashing his broken-down Austin 1100 with a tree branch after it fails to start? he asks. Or the infamous Germans episode, in which Basil repeatedly tries not to mention the war? He says that today, The Faulty (deliberately misspelled) Towers Dining Experience has become a global phenomenon. Diners are served questionable meals, while actors roam the room, hurling insults, dropping plates, and dragging unsuspecting guests into the mayhem. Its really pleasing to see The Redcliffe, The Osborne and The Grand recognise the shows appeal by hosting The Faulty Dining Experience last year, says Graham. The Esplanade is evidently hosting their Dining Experience on March 4 and 5. Then you have the West End factor the Fawlty Towers play has recently ended a hugely successful run in the West End and will be coming to Torquays Princess Theatre between April 14 and 18 and to the town where it all began. Graham says: Despite its global success, Fawlty Towers profile in Torquay is limited to a blue plaque. Surprisingly, there are no touch-points in the town for its worldwide fan base to enjoy when visiting Torquay. There are no pubs or cafes named after the show; no murals of the characters; no Manuel Mews, or Sybil Street. Compare this to Barry Island, which has been revitalised by its association with Gavin and Stacey. Apparently, John Cleese gave his permission for a statue of Basil to be erected in Torquay, but this opportunity has not (yet) been seized upon. It was only a few years ago that it was difficult to know which way to go on Fawlty Towers. Torbay as a resort was looking to go more up market and move away from the comic capers image and reputation of John Cleese and company. But Carolyn Custerson, chief executive of the English Riviera BID Company, says: TV and film tourism is massively on the increase across the world with more and more tourists very keen to visit TV and film locations that they can relate too. On the English Riviera we have two of the most iconic media stars with Agatha Christie and John Cleese bringing fame and fortune to the resort. The ERBID Company recognises the power of these two very famous people as part of our Destination Marketing projects to attract new visitors to the resort all year round and are pleased to see a revival in the interest in Fawlty Towers. The Princess Theatre is gearing up for a busy time with a spokesman saying: We are delighted that Fawlty Towers is returning to its fictional home of Torquay and it seems our audiences are too. We are seeing strong advance sales, with some performances looking likely to get near to a sell out, so we are urging anyone who wants to see the show to book early for the best availability. We are also working on plans for the opening night with the producers to celebrate. A lot has changed in 50 years since the show first aired, so we are inviting the people of Torquay to take a trip down memory lane and join us when Fawlty Towers comes home. Its music to the ears of guide Graham, who insists: Like Agatha Christie, which attracts guests from across the world to Torquay, Fawlty Towers has the potential to achieve similar success. Fawlty Towers is a global phenomenon. It still holds affection for millions across the world. Its been successful for 50 years, and no doubt will enjoy success for another 50 years. So, lets make Torquay the epicentre of the shows celebrations whilst ensuring the Riff Raff are kept out! He adds: Like Folkestone celebrating Kate Bush on her birthday (officially called: The Most Wuthering Heights Day fans wear red dresses), September 19, 1975, the date of the first televised show, could become an annual date of Fawlty Towers celebrations. For instance, the hugely popular waiters race could be re-established - the world record for the most waiters in a waiters race is 337; encourage guests to come dressed as the characters and hold a parade through the town; or be photographed thrashing a red Austin 1100! Do you know, the very first job I covered as a cub reporter was for the old Torquay Times in 1974 when I had to chase and interview the winner in what was one of the highlights of the summer calendar the annual hotel waiters and waitresses race along Torquay seafront! Bring it on Footnote: to book a Fawlty Tours walking experience, go to: www.englishrivierawalkingtours.co.uk South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith has launched a petition calling on the Government to give long-term legal protection to rail travel discounts for veterans and serving members of the armed forces. The petition urges ministers to guarantee the Veterans Railcard and HM Forces Railcard in law, amid concerns the discounts could be removed in the future without statutory backing. READ NEXT: Police renew appeal after fatal collision on road between Ashburton and Buckfastleigh It follows recent parliamentary debates on the Governments Railways Bill, which proposes restructuring and renationalising the railway network. While the Bill includes protections for some existing rail discounts, it does not specifically guarantee railcards for veterans or armed forces personnel. A Veterans Railcard was introduced in 2020 and offers eligible UK veterans one-third off most rail fares across Great Britain. The HM Forces Railcard provides similar discounts for serving personnel and their families. During the Bills committee stage, Conservative MPs put forward amendments seeking to secure legal protection for both railcards. Those amendments were voted down, leaving the schemes reliant on government assurances rather than being written into legislation. Ms Smith said the issue was about providing certainty for those who have served. Support for veterans and serving personnel should not depend on goodwill alone, she said. She added that the petition aims to ensure the discounts remain in place for the long term. This is about recognising the contribution of the armed forces community in a practical way, she said. Ms Smith is encouraging people across Devon and beyond to sign the petition as the Railways Bill continues through Parliament. A Devon rapist has been jailed for 19 years with a further six years on extended licence after being found guilty of terrifying sexual violence against a woman. Christopher Hotine, 39, from Paignton, appeared at Exeter Crown Court for sentence on Friday 6 February after being found guilty at a trial at the end of last year of two rapes, sexual assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm all offences committed against the same victim on two separate dates. During the trial, the court heard how on the first occasion, Hotine poured a bottle of wine over the victims head, locked her in a room, repeatedly pulled her hair, restricted her breathing and raped her. The second rape occurred when Hotine entered the victims home and bedroom early in the morning and attacked her while she was in her bed. The court heard how the offences have had a considerable psychological impact on the victim. Officer in the case, Detective Constable Garry Harding said: We welcome the sentence given to Christopher Hotine today which means a dangerous rapist has been taken off the streets for some time. Hotine subjected his victim to terrifying sexual violence and has never had the courage to admit the offences, resulting in the victim having to give evidence at trial. Hotines actions were designed to make his victim live in fear, and we are hopeful this sentence will provide her with some closure and allow her to move on with her life. I am delighted to see that the Criminal Justice System has secured justice for this incredibly brave victim of the most horrendous of sexual assaults. Support available If you or someone you know has been a victim of rape or sexual assault, we encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency. You can also report information and crimes on our website. Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. There are lots of organisations and support agencies available across Devon and Cornwall that can help provide support. For more information on rape and serious sexual assault and the support services available, please visit our support pages by clicking here. Advice and support are also offered by our partner agencies: National Rape Crisis Helpline 0808 802 9999 Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) 0300 3034626 The Stop It Now charity provides an anonymous helpline for anyone with concerns about child sexual abuse and can help if you are worried about your own thoughts, feelings or behaviour, or have any concerns about another adult or young person www.stopitnow.org.uk Victim care If you have been affected by crime, please visit Home - Victim Care Devon & Cornwall (victimcare-dc.org) to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Polices Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani police said Friday that 10 people were killed and over 80 others were injured after a blast hit a mosque in Islamabad on Friday afternoon. In 1977, Yokota Sakies daughter Megumi, who was 13 at the time, was abducted by North Korean agents in Niigata, northern central Japan. Sakie, who was 41 then, has since campaigned for Megumis rescue for nearly half a century along with her husband Shigeru, who passed away in 2020. The mother turned 90 years old on February 4, but her daughter has not yet returned. S/ Yokota Sakie / My true feeling right now is simply that I want her back. I know it is difficult for the government, but I want them to work on it as if their lives depended on it. At a press conference in January, Sakie said Japan must resolve the abduction issue. She expressed her desire to go to North Korea with the Japanese prime minister if a bilateral summit were to take place. As for her health status, Sakie said she does not have any issues, but admitted that she is gradually getting weaker. Sakie also said she cannot imagine Megumi at her current age of 61. Megumi is one of 17 Japanese nationals the government recognizes as having been abducted by North Korea in the 1970s and 1980s. BAKU, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Friday received Iranian Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics Aziz Nasirzadeh, offering Azerbaijan's support to help de-escalate regional tensions, the presidential press service said. During talks on bilateral ties and defense cooperation, Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan is concerned about the current regional situation and stands ready to provide support to reduce tensions, as he had conveyed during his phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who instructed Nasirzadeh to visit Baku. He emphasized that while wars and conflicts persist in many parts of the world, peace has been established in the South Caucasus thanks to Azerbaijan's initiative. He expressed confidence that this development is of great importance to Iran, which borders both Azerbaijan and Armenia. During the meeting, both sides said that the development of bilateral relations is based on principles of friendship, brotherhood and good-neighborliness, and exchanged views on prospects for defense cooperation. The meeting follows a recent pledge by Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry that the country will never allow its airspace or territory to be used by any state for military operations against neighboring Iran or any other country. The Autocracy Index The editorial board tracks 12 markers of democratic erosion Opinion Trumps Stifling of Dissent Reaches a New Level The crackdown on dissent and speech in Minnesota this winter follows a pattern that is common in countries that slide from democracy to autocracy: A leader enacts a legally dubious policy. Citizens protest that policy. The government responds with intimidation and force. When people are hurt, the government blames them and lies about what happened. The New York Times editorial board published an index in October tracking 12 categories of democratic erosion, based on historical patterns and interviews with experts. Our index places the United States on a scale of 0 to 10 for each category. Zero represents the United States before President Trump began his second term not perfect, surely, but one of the worlds healthiest democracies. Ten represents the condition in a true autocracy, such as China, Iran or Russia. Based on recent events, we are moving our assessment of one of the categories stifling speech and dissent up one notch, to Level 4: Stifling speech and dissent Mr. Trumps Justice Department has become an enforcer of his personal interests, targeting people for legally dubious reasons while creating a culture in which his allies can act with impunity. The targets include Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman, and several Democratic. True authoritarians go much further, but Mr. Trump has already undone the post-Watergate depoliticization of the Justice Department. democracy autocracy The wide-ranging abuses in Minnesota are the main reason for the change. The Trump administration is conducting a military-style operation in an American city under dubious pretenses. The stated goal is immigration enforcement, even though the state is home to relatively few undocumented immigrants. The true goal seems to be instilling fear in people who oppose Mr. Trumps agenda. Federal agents have killed two protesters, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and assaulted and menaced others. The administration has made clear that the abusers will face no accountability. The acceleration in the stifling of dissent and speech is broader than whats happening in Minnesota. Since late last year, the administration has also widened its campaign of investigating perceived enemies, such as Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair. The Department of Homeland Security has used subpoenas that no judge approved to demand information on critics. The F.B.I. searched the home of a journalist who had exposed problems with the administrations policies. Our country is still not close to being a true autocracy. Many forms of speech and dissent remain vibrant in the United States, in courts, in Congress, in the media and on the streets. But Mr. Trump and his allies have restricted dissent in fundamental ways. It is a violation of basic American values. The Autocracy Index 12 markers of democratic erosion Stifling speech and dissent Modern authoritarian takeovers often do not start with a military coup. They instead involve an elected leader who uses the powers of the office to consolidate authority and make political opposition difficult. The repression of speech and dissent is central to this process. Even before recent months, Mr. Trump had done so by punishing law firms that had opposed him, revoking the visas of foreign students who criticized the war in Gaza and contributing to intimidation campaigns against federal judges. democracy autocracy Persecuting political opponents Autocrats use the immense power of law enforcement as a political tool, and Mr. Trumps Justice Department has become an enforcer of his interests. It targets his perceived enemies, such as Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair,, on shaky grounds while dropping legitimate investigations of Mr. Trumps allies or pardoning them. True authoritarians go much further, but Mr. Trump has undone the post-Watergate bipartisan efforts to depoliticize the Justice Department. democracy autocracy Bypassing the legislature When a democracy slides toward autocracy, the leader often finds ways to neuter the legislature. The Trump administration has violated the law by withholding funding authorized by Congress. Mr. Trump has gutted congressionally authorized agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development. He has imposed new taxes his tariffs without congressional approval. He has ordered overseas military attacks without consulting Congress in ways that his recent predecessors did. democracy autocracy Defying the courts Would-be authoritarians recognize that courts can keep them from consolidating power, and they take steps to weaken or bypass judges. At times, the Trump administration has openly defied federal judges. A judge in Minnesota recently excoriated Immigration and Customs Enforcement for disobeying nearly 100 orders in January alone. On other occasions, the administration has engaged in gamesmanship, ignoring the spirit of judicial orders. democracy autocracy Declaring false emergencies Autocrats often curtail democracy by declaring an emergency and arguing that the threat requires them to exercise unusual degrees of power. Mr. Trumps recent predecessors were not perfect on this issue, but he has reached another level. His sweeping tariffs are one example. Justifying deportations by claiming that a Venezuelan gang had taken over American cities is another example. democracy autocracy Using the military at home Authoritarians frequently and performatively use the military for domestic control. Mr. Trump deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles to crack down on protests. He has also begun to treat the military as an extension of himself, firing high-ranking officials without good reason and giving overtly political speeches to military leaders. ICE is not part of the military, but it is acting largely as a paramilitary force in Minnesota and elsewhere. democracy autocracy Vilifying marginalized groups Authoritarians tend to demean minority groups, trying to turn them into perceived threats that provide justification for a leader to amass power. Mr. Trump has vilified immigrants and transgender Americans. His appointees and political allies have made blatantly racist, Islamophobic and antisemitic statements. Mr. Trump has denigrated Somalis in outrageous ways, such as saying, They contribute nothing. I dont want them in our country. democracy autocracy Controlling information Democratic governments prize accurate information. Authoritarians seek to suppress inconvenient truths. The Trump administration has sought to manipulate government information by, among other things, sidelining scientific experts. The administration has also taken steps to control the media, using the threat of regulatory punishment to silence criticism. democracy autocracy Trying to take over universities Authoritarians, recognizing that universities are hotbeds of independent thought and political dissent, often single them out for repression. A signature policy of Mr. Trumps second term has been his attack on higher education. He has cut millions of dollars of research funding, tried to dictate hiring and admissions policies and taken steps to dictate what colleges can teach. democracy autocracy Creating a cult of personality Emperors and kings often glorified themselves by displaying their portraits everywhere. The American tradition rejected that hagiography for living presidents until Mr. Trump. Among recent examples: He rebranded the Kennedy Center to add his own name. The Board of Peace for Gaza will be housed at an institute newly named for him. And the government now sells a so-called gold card, with his face on it, that costs $1 million and offers legal residency to immigrants. democracy autocracy Using power for personal profit Authoritarians often turn the government into a machine for self-enrichment. Mr. Trump glories in his administrations culture of corruption. He rewards foreign governments that bestow gifts on him (like a 747 airplane) and approve deals with his company. His family has made hundreds of millions of dollars from crypto. In some cases, he has later helped his benefactors, including by giving pardons. democracy autocracy Manipulating the law to stay in power Authoritarians change election rules to help their party, and they rewrite laws to ignore term limits. In Mr. Trumps second term, he has shown worrisome signs of trying to entrench the power of the Republican Party and recently taken steps to accelerate that campaign. In February, he called for the federal government to take over control of election administration from states. That builds on earlier moves, such as an executive order that would force states to reject some mail-in ballots. democracy autocracy Seth Bloom Netflix has retained Bloom Strategic Counsel for regulatory matters regarding its proposed $83B merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Seth Bloom spent nearly 14 years on the Senate Judiciary Committees antitrust subcommittee, where he reviewed deals such as the AOL/Time merger, Comcasts bid for NBCUniversal, and the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile deal. His firm has represented JetBlue with respect to its proposed acquisition of Spirit Airlines; Uber with respect to its acquisition of Postmates; Amazon in connection with its merger with Whole Foods; and MillerCoors LLC in connection with the AB InBev/SABMiller merger. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos faced tough questions at the antitrust hearings on Feb. 3. Senator Mike Lee, the Utah Republican who chairs the panel said one might say that Netflix seeks to become the one platform to rule them all, or at least to exercise a significant amount of market dominance. Paramount Skydance is waging a campaign to block the Netflix deal. Jersey Senator Cory Booker extended an invitation to Paramount chief David Ellison to testify at the hearing. Senator Cory Booker, a Democrat, called Paramount's absence from the hearing "frustrating," and said David Ellison had declined his invitation to testify. "With either merger, another corporation will have that increased control over what we see, what we hear and what news we consume," Booker said. A LOCAL campaigner has called on primary and secondary schools across County Offaly to refuse participation in the Texaco Childrens Art Competition, citing serious human rights concerns linked to Texacos destruction of the livelihoods of 30,000 small farmer families. Under the banner 'Say No to Texaco', the campaign urges schools, teachers, and parents to reconsider promoting a competition sponsored by a multinational corporation that has been repeatedly criticised for "its environmental and human rights record internationally." The campaigner, Tom Roche from Rhode, points in particular to Texacos long-running legal and ethical controversies in regions such as Ecuador, where Indigenous communities have accused the company of causing widespread environmental damage with severe impacts on health, livelihoods, and human rights. Texaco has also faced criticism from international human rights organisations over its conduct in other jurisdictions. Schools should be safe, ethical spaces for children, Roche said. Encouraging students to participate in competitions sponsored by corporations associated with serious human rights and environmental abuses sends the wrong message. We should not be normalising or laundering corporate reputations through childrens creativity. The Texaco Childrens Art Competition has long been promoted in Irish schools as a positive outlet for creativity. However, the campaign argues that there are many alternative art initiatives that do not involve sponsorship from companies with controversial global records. READ NEXT: Secondary school in Offaly transforms the stage with a beastly brilliant panto! Childrens art should not be used as a branding exercise, the campaigner added. Taking a principled stand is an opportunity to teach young people about ethics, responsibility, and human rights, pointed out Roche. The Say No to Texaco campaign is encouraging concerned parents, educators, and community members to raise the issue with school boards and principals ahead of competition deadlines. At the recent request of the US Ambassador to Ireland, Roche wrote to Ambassador Walsh, giving detailed background to the plight of his friend Steven Donziger, the New York attorney and human rights defender who represented the 30,000 farm families against Texaco for what has become known as the Amazon Chernobyl". READ NEXT: Help a distraught family find their beloved pet believed lost in Offaly A man who drove at a recently retired man in the forecourt of a petrol station, causing him catastrophic and life-altering harm, has been jailed for four and a half years. Patrick McDonagh (25) clipped Michael Whitfield with his car over four years ago, causing Mr Whitfield to fall backwards and strike his head off the ground, causing life-changing injuries, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard. McDonagh had no previous convictions at the time of this incident, but now has 17 previous convictions including for drugs, road traffic offences and criminal damage. He received a seven-year sentence in June 2025 at Tullamore Circuit Criminal Court for false imprisonment, assault causing harm, threats to kill and burglary. The court heard this related to an incident involving McDonagh and three other men during which an elderly man was assaulted and robbed in February 2024. McDonagh's earliest release date for this sentence is January 2031. Mr Whitfield (now 66) was in an induced coma for five weeks following the collision and spent 10 months in Beaumont Hospital. He also spent five months at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, before being transferred to a specialist care setting for people with brain injuries, where he remains a full-time patient. He requires full-time care, can't walk and struggles to speak. READ NEXT: Offaly businesses show steady growth in .ie domain adoption Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, told the court that the injured party suffered with hydrocephalus as a child and this is regarded as a factor which has limited his recovery. The court heard that the injured party enjoyed a normal life despite his underlying conditions, worked as a bookkeeper for 40 years and had taken early retirement to travel. McDonagh, of St Margarets Park, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm at Clonshaugh Road, on November 3, 2021. He had originally been charged with assault causing serious harm and had taken a trial date but the Director of Public Prosecutions accepted a plea to the current charge. Sentencing McDonagh on Friday, Judge Elma Sheahan said that if McDonagh had exercised a modicum of consideration and care for Mr Whitfield, this tragedy would have been avoidable. There is no explanation as to why he failed to exercise that modicum of care and consideration, the judge said, noting the incident occurred in broad daylight and there was no drink or drugs involved. She said the harm caused to Mr Whitfield was at the highest level, describing it as catastrophic and life-altering. His life as he knew it...is now over, Judge Sheahan said. The victim impact statement before the court was impressive, informative and very upsetting, all in equal measure. The judge set a headline sentence of six years, which she reduced to five years, taking mitigating factors into account. She said this sentence should run consecutive to the seven-year sentence McDonagh is currently serving. She suspended the final six months on a number of conditions, including that McDonagh remain under the supervision of the Probation Service during this period. READ NEXT: Man arrested as two teenagers hospitalised following serious road traffic collision outside Offaly town Imposing this sentence, I am conscious that any sentence imposed can't restore Mr Whitfield to his previous good health, she said. Prosecution counsel told the court the dangerous driving charge arises as McDonagh continued to drive forward for a few seconds at a slow speed without attempting to brake, when the injured party would have been visible to him. At an earlier sentence hearing, Mr Whitfields sister read his victim impact statement into the record. He said he suffered a severe injury and has had a prolonged recovery noting that his pre-existing condition has decreased his chance of recovery. He said he needs people to care for him to manage his day-to-day living. Before we crossed paths (referring to his interaction with McDonagh), I was a normal average man, completely self sufficient and would like to think I contributed to Irish society, Mr Whitfield stated adding that he was never in a physical fight. He said he was enjoying his new-found freedom in retirement and said one of his favourite things to do was take city breaks around Europe. Mr Whitfield said his life has been irrevocably changed forever and detailed his recovery and rehabilitation. He described the incident as a sliding doors moment. It is not my own legs or car getting me around now. I have no more social life He said he struggles with activities now that he used to take for granted. This is my life now infinitely until the day I die, he concluded his statement. His sister replied to a query from Judge Sheahan if the victim impact statement was Mr Whitfields own words. It took a long time to put together but yes, it is Michaels own words, she replied. She said in her own statement that the last four years have been a nightmare for them but she said she is so proud of her brother. Despite all the odds he has continually fought back to be my brother again, she said. Michael OHiggins SC, defending, acknowledged that Mr Whitfield suffered very, very severe consequences from the incident when he should be enjoying the fruits of a lifetime of working productively. He said he was instructed by McDonagh to offer his most sincere apologies and handed in a letter of apology to the court. He said in the immediate aftermath McDonagh was brutally distraught and could not eat or sleep for a week. Mr OHiggins submitted to the court that the injuries visited upon Mr Whitfield were not the likely result from McDonaghs driving on the day. He said that the prosecution had initially contended they were deliberate acts and charged him with the more serious offence of assault causing serious harm. Counsel asked the court to take into account that McDonagh had not intended to strike the man and said it was not a case of ferocious driving or driving under the influence, rather that his client clipped the man causing him to fall. Mr OHiggins accepted that McDonaghs driving fell below the acceptable standard. The court heard that just before 4pm that evening, McDonagh and Mr Whitfield were in the Circle K car park on the Clonshaugh Road at the same time. CCTV footage captured the two men speaking to each other from their respective cars before Mr Whitfield got out of his car and went around to the boot. McDonagh then reversed out of his car parking space before moving forward to exit the carpark. His car was adjacent to where the victim was standing behind his car. He rolled down the window, then threw a carton of chips towards the injured party, which fell on the ground near his feet. The injured party walked in front of McDonagh's car with his arms outstretched to stop the car moving forward. McDonagh's car continued forward and its right side struck the injured party, who fell backwards and hit his head on the ground. McDonagh stopped his car a short distance away. Several members of the public assisted the injured party until emergency services arrived. McDonagh was breathalysed at the scene and no issues were detected. His driving licence and insurance were in order and when the car was examined, no defects were identified. When interviewed, McDonagh told gardai that the injured party had made a derogatory comment towards Travellers and he became paranoid, thinking he was trying to get something from the car boot. McDonagh said he put the car into first gear and the injured party jumped in front of my car. He said he threw the food to free his hands for driving and it was not directed towards the injured party. Ms Collard said two passengers in McDonagh's car gave statements supporting his narrative, but there was nothing particular identifying him or the passengers as members of the Travelling community. She said that this account was not regarded as credible in the circumstances, and the two passengers were not included as witnesses in the book of evidence. Prosecuting counsel said that existing civil proceedings are pending the finalisation of criminal proceedings, with compensation required to pay treatment bills, including one for approximately 500,000. Offaly TD Tony McCormack and Councillor Claire Murray met with Minister for Justice Jim OCallaghan to discuss growing concerns around serious criminality in Edenderry and the need for a 24-hour Garda station in the town. The meeting which took place at the Department of Justice, focused on the impact recent criminal activity has had on the local community including the tragic arson attack which killed Mary Holt and Tadgh Farrell in December 2025. The meeting also outlined the importance of ensuring residents of Edenderry feel safe and supported through a strong and visible Garda presence. Deputy McCormack has raised the issue in the Dail on several occasions and, together with Cllr Murray, used the opportunity to clearly illustrate the concerns being expressed by people across Edenderry. Speaking after the meeting, McCormack TD said: "Claire and I made it clear that the level of concern within the community is significant. The people of Edenderry deserve to feel safe in their homes and businesses, and adequate policing resources are essential to delivering that reassurance." Cllr Murray added that securing a 24-hour Garda station would represent a major step forward for the town. She explained: "Our community has been very vocal about the need for increased Garda visibility. Ensuring round-the-clock policing would greatly strengthen public confidence and help deter criminal activity." READ MORE: Top Gold national award for leading hotel in Offaly Minister OCallaghan was described as very receptive to the concerns raised and acknowledged the seriousness of the issues affecting the area. While the decision ultimately rests with the Garda Commissioner, the Minister confirmed he will bring these concerns forward at an upcoming meeting. Both McCormack and Murray welcomed the positive and constructive nature of the discussion and expressed hope that it will lead to meaningful progress. McCormack TD commented: "We were encouraged by the Ministers engagement and his commitment to raising this directly with the Garda Commissioner." He continued: "We will continue to work together, keep the pressure on, and strongly advocate for the policing presence that Edenderry needs and deserves." The meeting is viewed as an important step in addressing local safety concerns, with further updates expected following the Ministers discussions with the Garda Commissioner. eir, Irelands leading telecommunications provider has published its first Digital Ireland Report on February 5, including new countylevel insights that show Offaly is experiencing significant growth in digital connectivity and data usage. This is driven by rising demand for highspeed broadband, increased mobile data consumption, and sustained investment in nextgeneration networks. The 2026 report tracks Irelands progress through the first half of the Digital Decade (20192025) and highlights how people, businesses and communities in Offaly are embracing digital services at scale. The report stated that mobile users in the Faithful County consumed 19.03 GB per customer per month in 2025 with Offaly ranked 5th for household fibre usage nationally. Homes in Offaly have experienced a consistent increase across previous years as highspeed fibre connections used an average of 7,500GB in 2024, compared with 7,000 average fibre usage GB in 2023 and 6,200 average GB in 2022. Overall traffic on eirs broadband network has more than doubled since 2019, driven by the rollout of 1GB fibre and explosive growth in data-hungry apps and services. Average household usage on high-speed fibre has risen by 61% in five years, from the equivalent of 6.2 hours to almost 10 hours of HD video per day, while data carried on eirs mobile network has grown seven-fold over the same period. Oliver Loomes, CEO of eir, said: "At eir, our purpose is to connect for a better Ireland. The findings of our Digital Ireland Report show that, thanks to sustained investment and collaboration, Ireland has undergone a remarkable transformation in digital infrastructure and usage." He added: "This report shows that Irelands Digital Decade is real and measurable - in the way we work, learn, do business and come together at our favourite festivals and matches. Data use has exploded, powered by our investment in fibre and 5G, and Ireland now has the opportunity to be one of the most connected, competitive and inclusive digital societies in the world." Speaking at the launch of the report, Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform and Digitalisation, said: "I welcome the publication of this insightful research which underscores how Irish homes, businesses and communities are embracing the digital revolution." He concluded: "Ireland has a number of unique strengths and advantages, including our highly skilled workforce, which provides us with major economic and social opportunities to transform our society through technological investment." LANZHOU, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have newly presented key evidence demonstrating that spatial pattern formation drives the ecological resilience of alpine marsh on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, according to the Lanzhou University. "This new study provides real-world evidence that spatial self-organizing pattern enhances the resilience of marsh ecosystems on the plateau and clarifies the underlying mechanism," said Ma Miaojun, professor at the College of Ecology of Lanzhou University and leader of the study. Ma noted that the spatial self-organization pattern refers to the formation of heterogeneous spatial patterns created by the feedback mechanisms of an ecosystem, manifested in forms such as neat stripes, spots, and ring-shaped patterns. These patterns play a crucial role in enhancing ecosystem productivity, stability, and resilience. Amid accelerating environmental changes, spatial self-organizing patterns in ecosystems play a role in avoiding abrupt shifts by generating stable domains of different shapes and sizes. Consequently, they can help transform abrupt shifts into gradual changes, thereby enhancing the resistance and persistence of ecosystems. This stabilizing effect is referred to as ecological resilience. The goal is to trace the evidence and mechanisms for this phenomenon in natural ecosystems. Here, the study team of the College of Ecology of Lanzhou University conducted a large-scale plant community and spatial pattern survey across 116 sites in the alpine marsh on the eastern region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, according to Ma. These samples include the composition of plant communities, climatic and soil factors, as well as spatial self-organizing pattern characteristics. The sampling region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is located at the junction of Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces. This region is home to the world's largest and highest-altitude alpine marsh wetland ecosystem. It is an important water supply area for the Yellow River and has multiple ecosystem functions such as carbon sink, water conservation and biodiversity maintenance, according to Ma. Researchers analyzed whether the formation of spatial patches enhances the resilience of alpine marsh ecosystems and examined its mechanisms. They proposed a conceptual model for enhancing the resilience of alpine marsh wetland ecosystems through the formation of spatial patches. The alpine marsh shifted to a stable state characterized by multiple hummock characteristics during degradation. The hummock formation enhanced the compositional similarity between hummock-associated communities and the desired alpine marsh, thereby driving ecological resilience and making the system less susceptible to catastrophic transitions, according to the study results. Furthermore, an increase in hummock area and height, coupled with a reduction in hummock number, enhanced both environmental heterogeneity and plant beta diversity. "Published in the journal Ecology, our new study also provides important scientific basis for the protection and restoration of the alpine marsh wetland ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," Ma said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Either this nation shall kill racism, or racism shall kill this nation." (S. Jonas, August 2018) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "How do you spell ICE in German? GESTAPO." (S. Jonas, July, 2025) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. "Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. "Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. "Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me." Pastor Martin Niemoller (c. 1946) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This column consists of a series of Comments that I have made on "Steve Schmidt Substacks," over time, in chronological order. Steve has written a series of outstanding columns. I hope that the comments on them (some slightly edited) will be of interest to readers of mine. Jan. 11, 2026, on a column in part on the nationalities of Trump supporters: "In referencing Stephen Miller, who is Jewish, as a Nazi, it is worthwhile noting that in Post World War I Germany there was formed an organization called the 'German National Jews.' They were right-wingers, mainly from wealthy families, and when the Nazis came to power, they generally supported Nazi political and economic policy. For which they became known colloquially as 'The Jews for Hitler.' Nevertheless, as did all German Jews, they lost their German citizenship with the Nuremberg Laws of Nov. 1935." Jan. 16, 2026, on a column describing the gathering European support for Denmark and Greenland in fending off Trump [which seems to have worked]: "For those of us who were alive (as children, of course --- I am now 89) during WWII, seeing the word "Luftwaffe" on an aircraft and being happy to see it, is quite something for our generation. click here Jan. 22, 2026, on Trump referring to Greenland as Iceland: "Just a brief historical note on Trump referring to 'the island in question' as Iceland, yesterday. Actually, he was not demonstrating confusion, but rather a very sophisticated knowledge of the history of the Viking empire. When, over the years, about 1000 years ago, Norsemen discovered the two islands now referred to as 'Iceland' and 'Greenland,' the intent was to name the much smaller one 'Greenland,' because it did have considerable vegetation and was in part 'green' during the summer months, and the larger one 'Iceland,' because as is well-known it is largely covered with ice, year-round. However, and the details on this are unclear, a Norse cartographer at one point got the names mixed up and attached to the two islands, the names by which we know them today. And so, congratulations to Trump! He did learn something in his grade-school geography class after all." Jan. 23, 2026, from a column on Vance, et al: "Why does Vance look so happy? Because right now, with only minority support in the population, but with its hands on the major mechanisms of power (some legal, some not), his side is winning. Just as, at the beginning of the Third Reich, with the support of only a minority of the population (as in the last free Reichstag [he German parliament] vote of Nov. 1932), but with his hands on the levers of power, Hitler was winning also." Jan. 24, 2026, Justice Department says Jack Smith report on Trump investigation 'belongs in dustbin of history.'" Click Here. As will U.S. Constitutional democracy be (in the dustbin of history) if TrumpRepubloFascism ( Click Here), continues on with the great success they have had so far in eventually carrying out every detail of P2025. Jan. 26, 2026, on a column on Miller, Noem, et al: "If one doesn't think that these 'random' murders are not directly or indirectly sanctioned at the highest levels, as a tool for intimidating protestors, they have another think coming. And so, the murders will keep on coming. One need look at nothing else but the by now famous 'Stephen Miller Statement:' 'To all ICE officers: You have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties. And anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop you or tries to obstruct you is committing a felony. You have immunity to perform your duties. And no one, no city official, no state official, no illegal alien, no leftist agitator or domestic insurrectionist, can prevent you from fulfilling your legal obligations and duties. And the Department of Justice has made clear that if officials cross that line into obstruction, into criminal conspiracy against the United States or against ICE officers, then they will face justice.' " Feb. 2, 2026, from a column comparing Trump's links to the U.S. ruling class to Hitler's links to the German one: "In 2018 the English translation of a book by a French author, Eric Vuillard, entitled 'The Order of the Day' was published. The main text is a brief, entirely gripping description of the events that immediately preceded 'Der Anschluss,' the unopposed absorption of Austria into the Third Reich in March 1938. As it happens, for our purposes here, it is the book's 'Introduction' which is the most important part. "As the Publishers Weekly entry for the book says, it begins with a brief description of '. . . a fateful February 1933 meeting of 24 German business leaders with Hitler that led to their funding the Nazis' campaign(s) . . ." This meeting occurred after the controversial appointment by the Weimar Republic's President von Hindenburg of Hitler as German Chancellor, on January 30, 1933. One can only speculate at this point, but it is highly unlikely that Hitler and the Nazi Party would have been able to move ahead as they did without that meeting and the endorsement that occurred at it. "It happened that the attendees' list included virtually all of the major German 'Captains of Industry,' names still well known to anyone who knows anything about German industry, TODAY, e.g., Krupp, Schacht, Thyssen (who, as it happened, had recruited as an early U.S. supporter of the German Nazi Party [1923] one George Herbert Walker), von Siemens, Opel, Quandt, Reuter, as well as major corporate elements of German industry and finance, such as BASF, Bayer, Agfa, I.G. Farben, Allianz, and Telefunken. "Hitler came to ask them for their approval, in general terms to be sure, of what he was planning to do. At that meeting in 1933, the assembled throng gave that support and approval to Hitler, apparently unanimously. History does repeat itself, and, as the Spanish philosopher George Santayana said: 'Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' "It is those US 'Captains of Industry' who have supported Trump, some from the beginning, others who have come along since they saw in fact how he is benefitting their interests, who bear the primary responsibility for his two Presidencies and the many personal and societal evils that they have produced. Without their financial and institutional support, Trump's name would have been a sometimes-noticed footnote to U.S. history." Feb. 3, 2026, on a column on Trump's racism: "Since the beginning of his second campaign for the Presidency in 2015 (the first being on the single racist meme, 'birtherism,' in 2012) known as 'coming down the escalator,' Trump has made it very clear, over and over again, that he runs on three themes: "Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia" (Click Here). He got to be President twice using them. Why should he stop now?" Finally, Feb 4, 2026, on a column of JFK and Trump, and the latter's figurative and substantive destructiveness: "First, Trump will forever be in JFK's shadow, as a man --- war hero v. draft-dodger --- and as a President, and as he knows it. And he will forever be there even if he totally disgraces and destroys The Kennedy Center. Second, on the assassination, JFK was killed (by whomever) for two primary reasons. First, in the famous "American University speech" of June, 1963, he announced that if re-elected he would be introducing a policy of peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union. And, further, it was 'well-known' that if re-elected he would begin withdrawing US forces from Viet Nam. It was left to Nixon to unceremoniously do the latter, approximately ten years later, while it was left to Reagan to successfully conclude 'The Seventy-Five Years War Against the Soviet Union (Click Here).' " (Article changed on Feb 05, 2026 at 11:53 PM EST) Israel: Ministers of Chaos (Image by 7thart.com/) Details DMCA Many American Jews are presently focused on concerns of antisemitism in the United States. In New York City, the ADL launched a " monitor " to track the Mamdani administration to parse out actions and words that could be considered threatening to Jewish residents. A top concern is "anti-Zionism". Yet, many Jews in the United States are not aware of the severe threat of fascist forces and ideology in Israel. "Ministers of Chaos," shown at the Other Israel Film Festiva l in Manhattan, takes a deep look at the tentacles of racism and ethnonationalism in today's state of Israel. Directed by Jerome Sesquin and co-written with Nitzan Perelman, the documentary begins with ominous music, a precursor of the narrative to come. Although these two men were not new to me, I found the 58-minute film extremely disquieting. The profiles of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, false prophets of the 21st century, are a wake-up call to all those who believe that Israel is on the right track. The opening sequence takes place only a few months into the Gaza war, when a conference was held in Jerusalem in January 2024. The attendees, about 5,000 in number, were primarily settlers from the West Bank. On stage were government officials, including the Minister of National Security, Ben-Gvir, and the Minister of Finance, and a Defense Ministry delegate, Smotrich. The event was dedicated to the "recolonization of Gaza." Two decades after Israel left that land, the statements being presented from the podium were that without settlements on the ground, there "would be no security inside Israel". To rousing cheers, Smotrich delivered the statement, "With God's help, the eternal people will win." Ben-Gvir presented his agenda with a different tone. "We must encourage them [the Palestinians] to leave," he said. Extracting a phrase from the Torah, he invoked, "You will conquer the land and settle there." He added matter-of-factly, "It's always been ours." He led those assembled in a chant of "Death to the terrorists." (And no, they were not referencing themselves.) The question posed by the film is, "How did these far-right religious operatives get into power?" The short answer is: Benjamin Netanyahu, who joined an alliance with them so he could secure his Prime Ministership. In December 2022, Netanyahu returned to power with Likud and several far-right parties. Smotrich is the head of the Religious Zionist party, and Ben-Gvir heads the supremacist Jewish Power party. When this coalition announced plans for "judicial reform", it ignited major national turmoil. Such a move would include a takeover of the Israeli Supreme Court, legal advisers, and the Attorney General. The perpetrators considered this initiative "just the first step". As the film explains, progressive Israeli citizens saw the move as a "coup d'etat" because in Israel's parliamentary democracy, the Supreme Court serves as a counterbalance to the executive branch and the Knesset. There was also the continuous sidebar of Netanyahu's extensive legal problems. Shikma Bressler, a physicist and leader in the protest movement, is interviewed. She maintains that if Israel is to remain a democracy, it needs to reject dictatorship. Bressler described Ben-Gvir and Smotrich as leaders of a "racist and fascist movement", who believe themselves to be "superior to less religious Jews and non-Jews". She connected their mission to take over the "Biblical land of Israel" with their supremacist agenda to rule over the "Arab and Palestinian population". Israeli society is deeply fractured (much like America), and the split puts the religious settlers in the camp that supports Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. They want an annexation of the Occupied Territories and see the Supreme Court as an obstacle to their vision of a "greater Israel". Smotrich specifically leans on his particular interpretation of "The words of God". Backstory on Smotrich is provided by journalist Ruth Margalit, who has researched him extensively. The son of an Orthodox rabbi, Smotrich grew up in the Beit El settlement in the West Bank, immersed in the settler movement's philosophy. His entry into the public sphere began in 2017, with a series of videos presenting himself to Israeli society after he was first elected to parliament. He agitates with potential options for the extension of Israeli sovereignty "to the whole of the West Bank". Smotrich's views are laced with condescension and sarcasm. He states, "They can give up their Palestinian national aspirations and get resident status, but no rights to vote." His secondary alternative is for Palestinians to leave for another country, which he notes the state will help to facilitate. He comments with a smirk, "I'm very good at packing porcelain and hookahs." Margalit emphasizes, "Before Netanyahu, he is one of the original drafters of these ideas." An interview with Smotrich shows him discussing how he wants a state governed according to the "Jewish people's values". When asked about territorial boundaries, he responds with a smile and an answer he ascribes to previous great religious scholars, "The fate of Jerusalem is to extend as far as Damascus." That is considered a maximalist and radical view, but for how long? The origins of this mindset and movement are located in the aftermath of the 1967 war. A "nationalist and religious movement" evolved as Israel captured terrain that tripled the size of the country. The victory was interpreted as "a prophecy". Ami Pedahzur, an Israeli professor and author of "The Triumph of Israel's Radical Right" (2012), is on hand to discuss how the acquisition of these territories made it feasible to put this ideology into play. Pedahzur references the writings of Rabbi Abraham Issac Kook and his belief that Jews must "settle in all the land promised to them by God in the Old Testament". This point of view contributed to the rise of the Gush Emunim (Block of Faithful) movement. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com . To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here At the moment I began writing this introduction, ICE agents had just shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old White man -- an intensive care unit nurse, in fact -- in Minneapolis. He was carrying in his hand -- no, not a gun, but a phone. In a sense, Minneapolis is, for ICE, if not the U.S. military, the Afghanistan of this moment. In the Trump era, there's no need to go thousands of miles away anymore to kill "the enemy." In Donald Trump's America, that enemy is right here, right now. The president, in fact, quickly responded to the killing this way: "What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren't they allowed to protect ICE officers? The Mayor and Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves -- Not an easy thing to do!" Ah, the poor ICE officers needed state protection. Of course, it's so obvious, isn't it? Count on this: in the Trump years, whatever money is cut from places like the U.S. Agency for International Development (which was simply wiped out, ensuring a stunning number of deaths globally) or the Department of Education, it won't be cut from the ICE budget. After all, Trump's "big, beautiful bill" had, as PBS reported, "already essentially doubled annual Homeland Security funding, adding $170 billion to be used over four years. Of that, ICE, which typically receives about $10 billion a year, was provided $30 billion for operations and $45 billion for detention facilities." Take that in for a moment. And that, in turn, is modest compared, as retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, historian, and TomDispatch regular William Astore makes vividly clear today, to what the president plans to spend on the U.S. military" oops, sorry, his "dream military." In America, nothing -- and I mean nothing! -- seems capable of reversing massive military spending and the incessant warfare that goes with it. Again at the moment I was writing this, the president who had already ordered the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites in 2025 was dispatching a naval "armada" toward Iran and threatening chaos. But let Astore fill you in on the all-too-strange and strangely militarized world of President Donald J. Trump. Tom Trump's $1.5 Trillion "Dream Military" Or What National Nightmares Are Made Of By William J. Astore What constitutes national security and how is it best achieved? Does massive military spending really make a country more secure, and what perils to democracy and liberty are posed by vast military establishments? Questions like those are rarely addressed in honest ways these days in America. Instead, the Trump administration favors preparations for war and more war, fueled by potentially enormous increases in military spending that are dishonestly framed as "recapitalizations" of America's security and safety. Such framing makes Pete Hegseth, America's self-styled "secretary of war," seem almost refreshing in his embrace of a warrior ethos. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is another "warrior" who cheers for conflict, whether with Venezuela, Iran, or even -- yes! -- Russia. Such macho men revel in what they believe is this country's divine mission to dominate the world. Tragically, at the moment, unapologetic warmongers like Hegseth and Graham are winning the political and cultural battle here in America. Of course, U.S. warmongering is anything but new, as is a belief in global dominance through high military spending. Way back in 1983, as a college student, I worked on a project that critiqued President Ronald Reagan's "defense" buildup and his embrace of pie-in-the-sky concepts like the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), better known as "Star Wars." Never did I imagine that, more than 40 years later, another Republican president would again come to embrace SDI (freshly rebranded as "Golden Dome") and ever-more massive military spending, especially since the Soviet Union, America's superpower rival in Reagan's time, ceased to exist 35 years ago. Amazingly, Trump even wants to bring back naval battleships, as Reagan briefly did (though he didn't have the temerity to call for a new class of ships to be named after himself). It'll be a "golden fleet," says Trump. What gives? For much of my life, I've tried to answer that very question. Soon after retiring from the U.S. Air Force, I started writing for TomDispatch, penning my first article there in 2007, asking Americans to save the military from itself and especially from its "surge" illusions in the Iraq War. Tom Engelhardt and I, as well as Andrew Bacevich, Michael Klare, and Bill Hartung, among others, have spilled much ink (symbolically speaking in this online era) at TomDispatch urging that America's military-industrial complex be reined in and reformed. Trump's recent advocacy of a "dream military" with a proposed budget of $1.5 trillion in 2027 (half a trillion dollars larger than the present Pentagon budget) was backed by places like the editorial board of the Washington Post, which just shows how frustratingly ineffectual our efforts have been. How discouraging, and again, what gives? Sometimes (probably too often), I seek sanctuary from the hell we're living through in glib phrases that mask my despair. So, I'll write something like: America isn't a shining city on a hill, it's a bristling fortress in a valley of death; or, At the Pentagon, nothing succeeds like failure, a reference to eight failed audits in a row (part of a 30-year pattern of financial finagling) that accompanied disastrous wars in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere. Such phrases, no matter how clever I thought they were, made absolutely no impression when it came to slowing the growth of militarism in America. In essence, I've been bringing the online equivalent of a fountain pen to a gun fight, which has proved to be anything but a recipe for success. In America, nothing -- and I mean nothing! -- seems capable of reversing massive military spending and incessant warfare. President Ronald Reagan, readers of a certain (advanced) age may recall, was nicknamed the "Teflon president" because scandals just didn't seem to stick to him (at least until the Iran-Contra affair proved tough to shed). Yet history's best candidate for Teflon "no-stick" status was never Reagan or any other president. It was and remains the U.S. warfare state, headquartered on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. And give the sclerotic bureaucracy of that warfare state full credit. Even as the Pentagon has moved from failure to failure in warfighting, its war budgets have continued to soar and then soar some more. Forgive the repetition, but what gives? When is our long, national nightmare of embracing war and (wildly overpriced) weaponry going to end? Obviously, not anytime soon. Even the Democrats, supposedly the "resistance" to President Trump, boast openly of their support for what passes for military lethality (or at least overpriced weaponry), while Democratic members of Congress line up for their share of war-driven pork. To cite a cri de coeur from the 1950s, have they no sense of decency? The Shameless Embrace of Forever War and Its Spoils I'm just an aging, retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. Who cares what I think? But America should still care about the words of Dwight D. Eisenhower, also known as Ike, the victorious five-star general of D-Day in 1944 and beyond, and this country's president from 1953 to 1961. Ike was famously the first significant figure to warn Americans about the then-developing military-industrial complex (MIC) in his farewell address to the nation. Yet, even then, his words were largely ignored. Recently, I reread Ike's warning, perhaps for the 100th time and was struck yet again by the way he highlighted the spiritual dimension of the challenge that is, all too sadly, still facing us. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Karlsbad, Germany, January 30th, 2026 (published on February 5th, 2026) There is reason to celebrate the current official release of sms2023 MUSIC PRODUCTIONS (LC 102074) with Travelers Are Using This App to Plan the Best Shopping Experiences in Milan Sometimes, you have to do things that seem unwise because its your job and somebodys got to do it. Some people strap themselves to buildings and clean the windows from outside. Some people pilot ships through the Drake Passage. Some people teach middle school. And, on Wednesday, many members of the staff of The Oregonian/OregonLive drank Breakside Brewery and Columbia Sportswears new beer made with bear poop. The Breakside Brewery and Columbia Sportswear collaboration is essentially a Super Bowl stunt. When we say engineered for whatever, we mean whatever, said Joe Boyle, brand president at Columbia Sportswear, in a press release about the new beer. If Mother Nature hurls bear poop at us, well ferment it into a frosty pint. From the inside of a bear to your mouth were making natures crap easier to swallow. Seems reasonable? The Oregonian/OregonLives Andre Meunier, left, and Lizzy Acker, right, pose for a photo holding Nature Calls, a lager infused with bear poop. Breakside Brewery and Columbia Sportswear collaborated to create the beer. Vickie Connor | The Oregonian/OregonLive The beer, Nature Calls, will be served at Columbias booth during The Players Tailgate in Santa Clara on Sunday, Feb. 8. But it will also be available in limited quantities at Breakside Brewerys locations. So, of course, we had to try it, whether we wanted to or not. What was the consensus on the beer made with a hint of bear poop collected trailside in Montana from the American black bear? Watch the video and find out. The Super Bowl airs Sunday, Feb. 8, from Levis Stadium in Santa Clara on NBC at 3 p.m. Utilities and other energy providers in the West need to add more than 12,600 miles of new electric transmission lines in the next decade at an estimated cost of $60 billion in order to reliably meet rising demand, integrate renewable energy and address aging infrastructure in the existing electrical grid. Thats the top conclusion of an unprecedented interregional transmission study released this week. The Western Transmission Expansion Coalition, or WestTEC, brought together more than 70 organizations from across the energy industry in the Mountain and Pacific coast states, including the Northwests largest utilities, the Bonneville Power Administration and organizations representing municipal and consumer-owned utilities. The aim was to build a consensus plan on the upgrades needed in the next decade to meet surging demand, accommodate a massive buildout of renewables and facilitate high interregional transfers of electricity during summer and winter usage peaks. That planning has historically been fragmented into individual utility fiefdoms, stymying efforts to diversify energy supplies, eliminate duplicative investments and improve reliability by reducing choke points on the grid. WestTEC was formed specifically to make sure that whatever projects are built are part of an integrated whole, rather than one-off projects by individual utilities. Organizers stressed that this is not a plan to put in a book and place on a shelf. One thing is for sure, and that is we need transmission and we need it fast, Brandon Sudduth, vice president of reliability planning at the Western Energy Coordinating Council, said in a video accompanying the studys release. Utilities and grid planners have not kept up with the broad changes taking place in the industry, and coalition members say the study represents a credible, actionable plan to meet the looming needs at the least cost and risk. If providers fail to act with urgency, they said, there will be dramatic adverse impacts. If we dont, reliability will be at stake, as well as the economic viability of the region, and potentially the nation, John Hairston, chief executive of the Bonneville Power Administration, said in the video. Bonneville is the transmission behemoth of the Northwest, operating some three quarters of the regions high voltage lines. The federal agency has been swamped with new transmission requests in recent years as utilities scramble to meet soaring energy demand from data centers and integrate new wind, solar and battery resources to meet state emission reduction targets. Meeting that demand will be a herculean task, one made more difficult by lengthy regulatory and land-use approvals across multiple jurisdictions, routine public opposition to new lines, and the sheer volume and expense of projects on the drawing board. Bonneville, which hasnt built much new transmission in the last two decades, will have to up its game significantly in the next decade to complete a huge slate of planned projects, and do so at a time when it has experienced major personnel turnover due to firings and hiring freezes imposed by the Trump administration last year. BPA exists as either a bridge or a barrier, Angus Duncan, a consultant to the Natural Resources Defense Council and participant in the study, said in an interview. At this point the jury is out on which one thats going to be. The Oregonian/OregonLive recently published a four-part series of stories looking at Oregons looming energy crunch and the interlocking challenges of providing reliable and affordable electricity while decarbonizing the grid. Transmission capacity is at the heart of the challenge here, and the WestTEC study looked at the problem through a broader, West-wide lens. Two-thirds of the 105 projects identified in the 10-year plan, some 9,400 miles of lines, are already in the planning stages, though still subject to challenge and delay, while 20% of that total are under or nearing construction. The transmission needs identified by WestTEC's study. Courtesy WestTEC The study identified another 3,300 miles of new lines needed to address interregional reliability and handle the large power flows that take place across the region during heat waves, cold snaps and other extreme weather events that drive demand. As yet, its not clear who, if anyone, will step up to build the transmission lines identified in the second bucket. Duncan said he suspects it would be some combination of utilities, Bonneville and merchant transmission developers. The $60 billion price tag attached to the recommendation is an estimate. And while it sounds staggering, the studys authors say the costs are necessary and manageable given the benefits they would unlock. The figure represents about 2.5% of the average retail electric price in the West, the study said, and will be dwarfed by the cost of the power generation resources that need to be added over the next decade. In the long run, the studies authors contend, the investments can be considered a cost containment method, as they will eliminate congestion and facilitate access to diverse sources of energy. The report recommended that utilities and grid operators prioritize execution of projects already in the pipeline, encourage developers and utilities to step up on the newly identified needs, and employ all available tools to address development challenges, including expedited permitting, procurement of long lead-time equipment, and outreach to communities impacted by potential routing. Work continues on a 20-year plan, which the coalition expects to deliver later this year. NEW DELHI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in Thursday's coal mine explosion in India's northeastern state of Meghalaya rose to 18, confirmed official sources on Friday. The blast occurred at a coal mine in a village in the state's East Jaintia Hills district. The National Disaster Response Force was carrying out a rescue operation to locate any survivors inside the coalmine. Expressing grief at the accident, the state's Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the government would initiate a probe into the explosion. "Accountability will be fixed, and those responsible will face strict legal action. There will be no compromise when it comes to the safety of lives," added the chief minister. Three men were arrested as Portland police investigated an injury shooting inside a Parkrose neighborhood motel, police say. Officers responded just before 11 p.m. Thursday to the Horseshoe Inn, 11324 N.E. Sandy Blvd., where they found a man and a woman suffering from gunshout wounds that dont appear to be life threatening. Officers arrested two men at the scene and found another two possible suspects more than 10 blocks away, according to a police spokesperson. Police say Aaron T. Gee was arrested on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder in the motel shooting, as well as other charges. The 43-year-old hasnt yet appeared in court on the charges or had a lawyer appointed to his case. Gee was previously sentenced to 7 years in state prison in a 2005 robbery and assault case, records show. Morgan S. Bryden, 29, was taken into custody on a Washington County arrest warrant in a stolen vehicle case filed last year. Also arrested was Joseph E. Allen, 35, on an unspecified warrant. I commend the outstanding work of our officers and detectives who responded quickly, secured the scene, and took multiple people into custody, Police Chief Bob Day said in a statement. Their coordinated efforts reflect our continued commitment to protecting our community. A woman who answered the motels phone declined to comment. Democratic lawmakers in Oregon on Thursday stepped up their criticism of U.S. Homeland Security officials for labeling a man and woman shot by a federal agent in Portland as vicious gang members -- especially since a prosecutor weeks later backed off that claim. The legislators took the opportunity to sound off as they began their 35-day legislative session this week in Salem. Federal agencies that spread racist and xenophobic misinformation instead of doing their jobs to protect public safety must be held fully accountable, state Rep. Andrea Valderrama, D-East Portland, said in a statement. State Rep. Willy Chotzen, D- Southeast Portland, noted that lawmakers have a laser focus on holding federal immigration enforcement accountable for the ways it is harming Oregonians. Were doing everything we can to protect people against federal overreach, he said. Chotzen is one of a slate of legislators sponsoring bills that would do everything from allow people to sue federal agents for violating their constitutional rights to requiring school districts to expand policies on what to do if immigration agents show up on school grounds. A U.S. Border Patrol officer shot and wounded Luis Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras on Jan. 8 as they boxed in the couples Toyota pickup in the parking lot of a medical office building in Southeast Portland. The two are from Venezuela. A short time later, a Homeland Security news release variously referred to them as two vicious Tren de Aragua gang members, a Tren de Aragua Gang Associate and Suspected Member and two suspected Tren de Aragua gang associates. Then two weeks ago, a federal prosecutor walked back those claims when pressed by a judge during a court hearing for Nino-Moncada. As reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive on Jan. 21, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Edmonds told U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Armistead, Were not suggesting hes a gang member or that he fired shots, but there are associations with these gang members. The Homeland Security statement said Nino-Moncada had weaponized the pickup truck and the agent fired in self-defense. Nino-Moncada had reversed the pickup twice and struck an unoccupied federal rental car. According to the government, at some point as Nino-Moncada turned his wheel, the right front end of the truck hit the unnamed agent, the prosecutor said. Nino-Moncada, 33, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault of a federal officer and damaging government property and remains in custody pending trial. Zambrano-Contreras, 32, pleaded guilty to illegal entry into the U.S. and was sentenced to one year of federal probation. She has been released from custody. Federal officials said Zambrano-Contreras was the target of last months stop, saying they suspected she was involved in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and previously involved with a Portland shooting last summer after a prostitution deal gone bad in Washington County. She has never been charged with any shooting, according to police. She also appeared to be the victim of a prostitution-related robbery in Washington County, according to a federal affidavit. The Oregonian/OregonLive also reported that a Salem woman who is a U.S. citizen suffered a concussion, a torn rotator cuff and bruised ribs after immigration officers stopped her apparently because she is Latina, broke her car window, pulled her out and then left abruptly after discovering her passport in her purse, advocates said. What were witnessing in our communities is not law enforcement. It is state-sponsored terror, said Rep. Lesly Munoz, D-Woodburn. Racial profiling and detaining people based on skin color and accent is outrageous in 2026. Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, said people are afraid to take their children to school, go shopping or leave their house. As someone who has experienced this fear myself, I know how much it can disrupt your life, he said. Our state will not be intimidated by federal bullies. A federal judge on Thursday sentenced a 28-year-old sushi chef to time served for his role as a courier in a nationwide fraud scheme that netted more than $8 million in gold bars from victims in Oregon and Idaho. U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon accepted the negotiated sentence but said the year and four months that Bao Lin spent in custody did not reflect the crime. This is a much more serious offense than the recommended sentence warrants, he said. But the prosecutor and Lins defense lawyer said Lin was a low-level money mule who did not organize, coordinate or plan the fraud but was simply sent to locations to pick up the gold bars from unsuspecting victims and ship them to organizers. Lin, a Chinese national, was sentenced after pleading guilty to a crime called misprision of felony, which means he knew about a federal felony and took steps to conceal it, in this case a wire and mail fraud conspiracy, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin. The FBI arrested him in October 2024 when he showed up at a home of an unsuspecting Portland couple, then ages 86 and 93, to pick up more than $400,000 in gold bars. Investigators say hackers broke into the couples computer and then claimed they were government officials trying to help the couple protect their assets. They convinced them to convert money into gold for safekeeping by the U.S. Treasury and then sent couriers to pick up the gold bars. Lin, who had been working as a chef at a sushi restaurant and was living with a relative in Brooklyn, flew from Atlanta to Spokane on Oct. 3, rented a car and picked up about $8.7 million worth of gold bars from a person in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, before returning to the Spokane airport to make a FedEx shipment and then drove to Portland, according to Kerin. When he arrived at the home of the Portland couple and gave them a password that was supposed to signal to them to turn over their approximately $466,000 worth of gold bars, the FBI instead moved in and arrested Lin, Kerin said. Kerin praised the Portland couple for reporting their loss to the FBI, resulting in Lins arrest. This crime is incredibly exploitative and destructive, he said. Yet Kerin said Lin was on the bottom rung of the overarching conspiracy. Defense lawyer Justin Rusk said Lin was not a decision-maker and never communicated with the victims. An opportunity came and was presented to him while he was working in New York, Rusk said. Lin, who told the judge he attended school only until his first year of middle school, apologized to the victims, saying, Im really sorry. A restitution hearing is set for April 21. Lin also has a federal immigration detainer. While Kerin said no one else in this case was arrested in Oregon, FBI investigations have uncovered similar scams across the nation that target elderly people and at least two other men were charged with fraud allegations in Oregon from nearly identical crimes since 2024. One of those, Navjot Singh, also pleaded guilty to misprision of felony for attempting to pick up $193,000 worth of gold bars from a West Linn couple. He was sentenced in September to the 444 days he had already served in custody. On Thursday morning, Jefferson High School theater students worked to keep pace with a complex choreography routine fit for a Broadway stage. Dancing on vintage green carpet, they gathered in a large open space that has served many purposes over the years first as the schools gymnasium, later as a TV studio and, most recently, as home to the theater department. The sequence came from The Wiz, the high-energy Broadway musical that reimagines The Wizard of Oz through an African American lens. Featuring a largely Black cast and a score rooted in soul, gospel, rock and 1970s funk, the show set the tone for a movement workshop led by Jesse Jones, dance captain for the Broadway touring production of The Wiz that opened Tuesday at Keller Auditorium. Theater students at Jefferson High School practice a dance sequence from "The Wiz." Chiara Profenna The Wiz originally debuted on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre in 1975, where it ran for more than four years and won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The workshop, by Broadway in Portland, brought The Wiz back onto Jeffersons stage. Its a move that carries historical significance for the school, whose theater program used to be known for its signature production of The Wiz. The school staged the musical in 1981, 1983 and 1990, when the schools reputation as a performing arts magnet school was at its height. Because Jefferson has its own long history with The Wiz, it just made sense to come out and give students here an opportunity to work with one of the cast members, said Tracy Wenckus, general manager of Broadway in Portland. Theater director, English and journalism teacher Dan Coffey hopes to restore The Wiz as a centerpiece of the theater department in the future. Digging into the historical fact that this is the Black school, I definitely want to embrace that and grow that, Coffey said. Jefferson is in Albina, Portlands historically Black neighborhood, and has a student body that is 43% Black. The school has long faced underfunding and the loss of students to other high schools. With redistricting plans for Jefferson High School moving forward, Coffey is hopeful that increased enrollment and funding could help restore the theater department to its former prominence. The theater program, which was once highly competitive, has recently made a return, showing its first musical in 20 years with a 2025 production of Cinderella last spring. The department will stage a whodunit-style production, Too Many Detectives in the Murder Mansion from Feb. 13-21. During the opening performances of The Wiz earlier this week, many students had the opportunity to watch the show. Taliyah Pratt, a Jefferson senior, said the production allowed her to see herself represented on a national stage. I was actually tearing up, Pratt said. I feel like Portland theater, to me, is a really white dominated space. So seeing a production that was 99% Black actors and cast and tech it was really inspiring to me. During the hourlong workshop, Jones led students through the complex dance routine from the musicals Emerald City scene before answering a couple of questions about The Wiz and what it takes to be successful in the theater industry. The complex dance routine from "The Wiz," left students out of breath during the workshop. Chiara Profenna Sometimes when I come to a high school, I get nervous because I never know what technical levels Ill get, Jones said. But they all stepped up and tried their hardest. They were smiling. They were giving full energy. And when we had a break, they were breathing heavy. Jones said the inspiration was mutual. They came here in their free time and said, We want to do this, Jones said. It fills my heart with so much happiness because the arts can be a dying craft, because its not always financially stable. Pratt, who played the titular role Cinderella last year, plans to attend Reed College in the fall and continue her theater education. The workshop gave her insight into the effort and hard work it takes to be successful in the industry. Following the workshop, students were able to ask Jesse Jones questions about his work in the theater industry. Chiara Profenna I thought that I could get away with just singing and acting and I wouldnt have to put much effort into learning how to dance, Pratt said. Listening to Jesse speak on what professional theater looks like, Im going to have to practice. The Wiz continues through Sunday at Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St.; tickets start at $69. Find more information at BroadwayinPortland.com. Too Many Detectives in the Murder Mansion will be showing at Jefferson High School from Feb. 13 to 21; tickets are $11. Purchase tickets in advance here. The Oregonian/OregonLive receives support from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to bring readers stories on religion, faith and cultural connections in Oregon. The Oregonian/OregonLive is solely responsible for all content. Oregon lawmakers heard testimony this week on a bill that aims to restrict the power and reach of AI chatbots that are increasingly permeating childrens and adults lives. The bill follows reports linking the technology to teen suicides that parents say were encouraged by the software. Senate Bill 1546 would require that the chatbots including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Character AI remind Oregonians who are using them that theyre not speaking to a real person. The bill also would mandate that the chatbots refer any user in Oregon who starts talking about contemplating suicide to a crisis line where they can confide in an actual person. The bill sets out to protect young children and teens with lofty but perhaps difficult to accomplish goals, such as prohibiting AI companions from using emotional manipulation. Another provision would forbid sexually explicit discussions with children and require the bots to remind youth to take a break from the conversation at least once an hour. Oregon is one of at least 28 states considering AI-related legislation this year. Last fall, California became the first in the nation to pass a bill establishing some similar guardrails to what Oregon is now considering. During two hearings this week, a stream of parents, school staff who work with teens, researchers and mental health professionals urged the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee to pass the bill. They described the chatbots as worsening the nations loneliness epidemic, creating synthetic friendships, pretending to be romantic partners, claiming to be licensed therapists and being deceitful and powerful in their tactics to keep users engaged in the conversation as long as possible. Our kids can now pour their hearts out to a chatbot whose only goal is to maximize engagement at the cost of everything else, including safety, said Megan Orton, the Portland founder of Mindful Media, which seeks to help families develop tech-healthy habits. Tech companies offering AI chatbots say theyre deeply interested in providing safe products while continuing to innovate. Rose Feliciano, the Washington executive director of TechNet, an industry group, said its members want to make sure that we have clear definitions and clear requirements on notifications and guardrails. TechNet and our members prioritize providing a safe online experience for youth, Feliciano told lawmakers Thursday. Our companies offer a wide range of parental controls that we hope families use and make decisions on whats best for their family. Committee Chair Sen. Lisa Reynolds, a Democrat from Portland, said TechNet and its members have been amazing partners, but also interjected as presenters testified about the pitfalls of AI that I think were all kind of horrified, sitting here. Some presenters told the committee about plush toys such as teddy bears, sloths and foxes that use AI to converse with children as young as toddlers or console babies who wake up in the middle of the night. Some speakers also pointed to cases where teens died by suicide and their parents fault the chatbots, claiming they encouraged the deaths or failed to intervene. That includes a 13-year-old Colorado girl who reportedly told Character AI that she was thinking of killing herself 55 times before she did, her parents say. It also includes the case of a 16-year-old California boy who consulted ChatGPT about how to kill himself and asked for advice about covering up the red marks on his neck from a previous suicide attempt, his parents say. Even though the chatbot also repeatedly told him to contact a helpline, he subsequently died by suicide, according to news reports. In both cases, the parents said they were completely unaware. The central concern raised by mental health professionals isnt just what happens when AI companions malfunction, its also what happens when they work exactly as designed, said Mandy McLean, a Colorado researcher who co-authored a letter signed by more than 1,000 mental health professionals that urges AI legislation across the U.S. A survey last fall by the Harvard Business Review, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation found that 74% of young adults had used an AI chatbot at least once in the prior month. About one-third said they turned to AI for advice about relationships or life decisions. Close to one in four said they used chatbots as friends, and 10% said they used chatbots as a girlfriend or boyfriend. Yatee Budhiraja, a Portland area high school student and volunteer for the YouthLine crisis line, said she and other volunteers frequently have had to convince distressed callers that they arent AI. She said YouthLine has a 95% rate of de-escalation on calls. Sometimes when people are in rough times, they seek support from something that is not human, Budhiraja told lawmakers. What isnt human doesnt understand humans. It doesnt know our needs. WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps racist social media post featuring former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle was deleted Friday after a backlash from both Republicans and Democrats who criticized the video as offensive. Trump said later Friday that he wont apologize for the post: I didnt make a mistake, he said. The Republican presidents Thursday night post was blamed on a staffer after widespread backlash, from civil rights leaders to veteran Republican senators, for its treatment of the nations first Black president and first lady. A rare admission of a misstep by the White House, the deletion came hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed fake outrage over the post. After calls for its removal including by Republicans the White House said a staffer had posted the video erroneously. The post was part of a flurry of social media activity on Trumps Truth Social account that amplified his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite courts around the country and a Trump attorney general from his first term finding no evidence of fraud that could have affected the outcome. Trump has a record of intensely personal criticism of the Obamas and of using incendiary, sometimes racist, rhetoric from feeding the lie that Obama was not a native-born U.S. citizen to crude generalizations about majority Black countries. The post came in the first week of Black History Month and days after a Trump proclamation that cited the contributions of black Americans to our national greatness and their enduring commitment to the American principles of liberty, justice, and equality. An Obama spokeswoman said the former president, a Democrat, had no response. An internet meme Nearly all of the 62-second clip, which was among dozens of Truth Social posts from Trump overnight, appears to be from a conservative video alleging deliberate tampering with voting machines in battleground states as the 2020 presidential votes were tallied. At the 60-second mark is a quick scene of two primates, with the Obamas smiling faces imposed on them. Those frames were taken from a separate video, previously circulated by an influential conservative meme maker. It shows Trump as King of the Jungle and depicts a range of Democratic leaders as animals, including Joe Biden, who is white, as a jungle primate eating a banana. This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King, Leavitt said by text. Disneys 1994 feature film that Leavitt referenced is set on the savannah, not in the jungle, and it does not include great apes. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public, Leavitt added. By noon, the post had been taken down with responsibility placed on a Trump subordinate. The White House explanation raised additional questions about the control of Trumps social media account, which has also been used to levy import taxes, threaten military action, make domestic policy announcements and intimidate political rivals. The president often signs his name or initials after policy announcements. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about its process for vetting posts and how it guarantees that the public knows when Trump himself is posting. Mark Burns, a pastor and a prominent Trump supporter who is Black, said Friday afternoon on X that he had spoken directly with Trump about the post. He recommended to Trump that he fire the staffer who posted the video and publicly condemn what happened. He knows this is wrong, offensive, and unacceptable, Burns posted. Trump's Truth Social account posted a clip of the Obamas' faces superimposed on apes to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Screenshot Condemnation across the political spectrum Trump and the official White House social media accounts frequently repost memes and artificial intelligence-generated videos. As Leavitt did Friday, Trump aides typically dismiss critiques and cast the images as humorous. Yet while it was still up, Trumps post drew condemnation from across the political and ideological spectrum and demands for an apology that had not come by the early afternoon. The Rev. Bernice King, daughter of the assassinated civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., resurfaced her fathers words: Yes. Im Black. Im proud of it. Im Black and beautiful. She praised Black Americans as diverse, innovative, industrious, inventive and added, We are beloved of God as postal workers and professors, as a former first lady and president. We are not apes. The U.S. Senates lone Black Republican, Tim Scott of South Carolina, called on Trump to take down the post. Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House, Scott, who chairs Senate Republicans midterm campaign arm, said on social media. Another Republican, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, is white but represents the state with the largest percentage of Black residents. Wicker called the post totally unacceptable and said the president should apologize. Some Republicans who face tough reelections this November voiced concerns, as well, feeding an unusual cascade of intraparty criticism for a president who often has enjoyed a strangle-hold over fellow Republicans who stayed silent over some of Trumps previous controversial statements or fear a public spat with the president or losing his endorsement in a future campaign. NAACP President Derrick Johnson pointed to Trumps wider political concerns, asserting that Trump is trying anything to distract from economic conditions and attention on the Jeffrey Epstein case files. Donald Trumps video is blatantly racist, disgusting, and utterly despicable, Johnson said in a statement. You know who isnt in the Epstein files? Barack Obama, he continued. You know who actually improved the economy as president? Barack Obama. A long history of racism There is a long history in the U.S. of powerful white figures associating Black people with animals, including apes, in demonstrably false and racist ways. The practice dates back to 18th century cultural racism and pseudo-scientific theories in which white people drew connections between Africans and monkeys to justify the enslavement of Black people in Europe and North America, and later to dehumanize freed Black people as an uncivilized threat to white people. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote in his famous text Notes on the State of Virginia that Black women were the preferred sexual partners of orangutans. President Dwight Eisenhower, discussing the desegregation of public schools in the 1950s, once argued that white parents were concerned about their daughters being in classrooms with big Black bucks. Obama, as a candidate and president, was featured as a monkey or other primate on T-shirts and other merchandise. In his 2024 campaign, Trump said immigrants were poisoning the blood of our country, language similar to what Adolf Hitler said to dehumanize Jews in Nazi Germany. During his first White House term, Trump referred to a swath of developing nations that are majority Black as shithole countries. He initially denied using the slur but admitted in December 2025 that he did say it. When Obama was in the White House, Trump advanced the false claims that the 44th president, who was born in Hawaii, was born in Kenya and was constitutionally ineligible to serve. Trump, in interviews that helped endear him to many conservative voters, repeatedly demanded that Obama produce birth records and prove he was a natural-born citizen as required to become president. Obama eventually released his Hawaii records. Trump finally acknowledged during his 2016 campaign, after having won the Republican nomination, that Obama was born in Hawaii. But he immediately said, falsely, that his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton started those birtherism attacks on Obama. --By Bill Barrow and Josh Boak/The Associated Press U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter said she was denied entry into the Texas detention center where a 7-year-old Gresham girl and her parents have been held for over two weeks. The family, originally from Venezuela, was detained in front of the Adventist Health emergency department in Portland on Jan. 16 as the parents sought emergency medical care for their daughters prolonged nosebleed. Thursday marks the 21st day of their detention. Thats despite a decades-old federal policy stemming from a court settlement that limits the immigration detention of children to no more than 20 days. Dexter, a Democrat who represents most of the Portland area including Gresham, traveled to Texas on Thursday morning from Washington D.C., to check on the familys welfare and said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities told her Thursday afternoon that she could not enter the family detention facility because she did not give them a seven-day notice. Dexter told The Oregonian/OregonLive she notified the facility of her visit more than a week ago. The Dilley Immigration Processing Center near San Antonio, Texas, has been under lockdown due to a measles outbreak, with a quarantine and all movement halted at the facility since Saturday. Dexter, who is a physician, said shes doubly vaccinated for the disease within the last 15 years and would take all precautions while visiting the center. As a sitting U.S. representative, she has legal authority to enter Dilley to check on conditions and speak with detained constituents. She said a center supervisor told her that the measles outbreak is no longer a threat theres been no new active cases and the facility is vaccinating as many people as will accept it. Darianny Liseth Gonzalez de Crespo, husband Yohendry De Jesus Crespo and their daughter Diana have been held at a detention center in Texas for more than two weeks. The family entered the U.S. legally and has a pending asylum case. photo courtesy of Ana Linares We followed all their rules. This just feels like bureaucracy and red tape, Dexter said. Maybe they want to keep us from coming in because of the conditions at the facility they dont want people to know about. Dexter said holding the Oregon 7-year-old and other children there is morally bankrupt, especially during a measles outbreak. I am accountable for oversight, I gave all notice and were coming back tomorrow. Im not going to be deterred, she said. The Gresham family father Yohendry De Jesus Crespo, mother Darianny Liseth Gonzalez de Crespo and their daughter, Diana entered the U.S. legally and have a pending asylum petition, according to Ana Linares, a close friend in Portland who is also from Venezuela. The two families met in the Panamanian jungle, crossed multiple countries overland and entered the U.S. together in 2024 via prescheduled appointment at an official port of entry, Linares said. Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., Dexter is part of a group of legislators in Oregon and outside the state who are pushing for the familys release. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag The Crespo-Gonzalez family is now being held at the same detention facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos of Minnesota was detained with his father, both originally from Ecuador. The boys viral bunnyhat photo drew national attention after he was swept up. The two cases appear similar the boy and his father also had applied for asylum. But the child and his father were released last Saturday within 12 days of being detained while the Gresham family is still waiting for a resolution. In such cases, lawyers typically file a habeas corpus petition, which asks a court to review whether a detention is lawful and to order the persons release if not. As of Thursday afternoon, no court petition or legal filing had been submitted on the Gresham familys behalf. Natalie Lerner, an attorney with Innovation Law Lab who represents them, didnt respond to questions about their legal case. Dexter is part of a group of legislators in Oregon and outside the state who are pushing for the familys release. Her staff has repeatedly requested medical attention and wellness checks for the 7-year-old at Dilley, advocated for the Gresham familys due process and made phone calls to top immigration officials to speak about the case. Dexter was instrumental last year in securing the release of a Honduran mother and her four U.S. citizen children. The mother, whom Dexter visited at an ICE facility near Ferndale, Washington, had lived in Portland for over two decades and was detained with her children at a park on the U.S.-Cananda border. Last week before the measles outbreak, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, visited the Dilley site to check on Liam Conejo and his father. He also tried to visit the Crespo-Gonzalez family but was not allowed to see them, Dexters office said. Castro told reporters more than 1,100 people were being held at Dilley some as long as eight months and none had a criminal record. Dexter said she will try to visit the Crespo-Gonzalez family at Dilley again on Friday. She and Castro are also planning to visit an adult detention facility 10 miles from Dilley. Dexter said she will do everything she can to bring the family back to Oregon. Diana and her parents should be home. Theyre not criminals, they have an active asylum case. We have tickets to bring them home and I have every intention of bringing them home tomorrow, Dexter said. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden is reminding Americans that hes trying to prevent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from collecting biometric data on protesters without a court order though the legislation hes pushing to accomplish this remains stalled in Congress. Oregons senior Democratic senator recently noticed a Bluesky post from Tressie McMillan Cottom in which the sociologist and New York Times columnist wondered if there were any politicians out there working to stop ICE from culling private information on people. Wyden, 76, raised his hand, and in a social-media video posted Thursday noted that hes seeking to block unreasonable searches and seizures such as these by pushing for the Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act. ICE is buying Americans private data from really sleazy data brokers, Wyden says in the video. That means that they can track your location, where you go, what you do and especially who you talk to. If the government wants private information about you when you went to the doctor, where you had coffee yesterday, what phone numbers you called its supposed to go to court and convince a judge it has probable cause. But because we all live in and through the internet now, it often can bypass the judge and buy that information on the sly. Wyden said he doesnt think thats very American. Doing business online doesnt amount to giving the government permission to track your every movement or rifle through the most personal details of your life, Wyden said in a statement when the Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act was introduced. The bill, which would prevent data brokers from providing Americans personal information to law enforcement and intelligence agencies without a court order, passed the U.S. House in 2024 with more Republican votes than Democratic ones. So far its gone nowhere in the Senate. Wyden plans to reintroduce the legislation soon, said Hank Stern, Wydens Oregon spokesperson, both separately and as part of a larger surveillance reform package. In Thursdays video, Wyden admitted the privacy-abuse problem stretches beyond data brokers. My investigators have found that ICE is using government data they collect from state departments of motor vehicles, he says. They are refusing to answer any questions of ours about how this data is being used. Thats also addressed in the Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act. Wyden, who has focused on privacy issues throughout his 45 years in Congress, insists hes determined to stop the government from weaponizing your private data. A judge on Thursday released his written opinion rejecting the federal governments attempt to obtain Oregons unredacted voter rolls, calling its motives and claims troubling and chilling. It built on U.S. District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhais ruling from the bench last week. The Constitution specifically left the regulation and administration of elections to the states, understanding that states are in the best position to do so. While the Constitution provides for Congress to preempt the role of the states in elections, Congress has only done so in limited ways, Kasubhai wrote in the 26-page opinion. Plaintiffs claims here represent an overreach and misuse of those limited constitutional exceptions designed to ensure decentralized election regulation. Plaintiffs claims disturb the framework of federalism envisioned and enshrined in our Constitution. Kasbuhai said President Donald Trump administrations attempt to compel Oregon to turn over highly personal information on its voters defied the law. The federal government sought the release of full dates of birth, drivers license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. Nothing in the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act or Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 required the state to share such sensitive information with the federal government, the judge found. He also considered the context of the administrations pursuit, noting that the government filed lawsuits against 20 states plus the District of Columbia seeking the same information in what a federal judge in a parallel case in California termed a nationwide quest to gather the sensitive, private information of millions of Americans for use in a centralized federal database. Kasubhai pointed to the Jan. 26 letter that Attorney General Pam Bondi sent to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, which detailed her views about lawlessness, regarding immigration enforcement and concluded with a list of demands, including providing access to voter rolls to confirm that Minnesotas voter registration practices complied with federal law. The context of this demand within a letter about immigration enforcement casts serious doubt as to the true purposes for which Plaintiff is seeking voter registration lists in this and other cases, and what it intends to do with that data, Kasbuhai wrote. The judge called the administrations words and actions outside the legal case before him chilling, in that federal officials have said they intend to create a nationwide database of confidential voter information and use it in unprecedented ways, including immigration enforcement efforts. That would lead to an erosion of voting rights and voter participation, Kasubhai wrote. Gov. Tina Kotek is asking lawmakers to approve a bill that would allow cities to once again expand their urban growth boundaries so long as they use it to build senior housing or manufactured homes. For the short session, House Bill 4082 develops on the theme of 2024 legislation that allows one-time urban growth boundary expansions. That legislation, Senate Bill 1537, was part of a package of bills meant to ease the way for new housing. Under the new bill, depending on their size, cities could bring in either 50 or 100 acres, subject to some restrictions, into their growth boundaries for manufactured homes or dwellings for people aged 55 and older. The total cap for the Portland metropolitan area is 300 acres. Many older Oregonians live on fixed incomes that dont keep up with rising housing costs, Kotek told the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness earlier this week. Thousands of seniors are one emergency away from losing their homes, the governor told fellow lawmakers. Frankly, we just have to do better. The bill would also smooth the path for more manufactured housing production. The governors office, citing research from Harvard, said manufactured housing costs as little as 35% of the price of a stick-built home. Manufactured housing is one of the most affordable options available, Kotek said. Conservation groups including 1000 Friends of Oregon are currently neutral on the bill, which they say would effectively allow a second short-cut growth boundary expansion for cities that already qualified for one under 2024s Senate Bill 1537. Mary Kyle McCurdy, 1000 Friends associate director, acknowledged in written testimony that its difficult for manufactured and senior housing to compete against market-rate homes for land. Still, she wrote, 1000 Friends would like lawmakers to mandate denser senior housing than the bill currently contemplates. There is definitely a need for additional opportunities for manufactured home parks and for housing for seniors with moderate and low incomes, McCurdy wrote. LUSAKA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Zambia and Ghana have elevated their bilateral relationship to a comprehensive economic partnership, aiming to deepen trade, investment and productive cooperation, according to a communique released on Friday. The communique followed bilateral talks between Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama, who is on a three-day state visit to Zambia. According to the communique, the two leaders committed to enhancing private sector participation, facilitating the movement of goods and capital, and promoting joint ventures for value addition, industrial development and job creation. They identified priority areas of cooperation, including agriculture and food systems transformation, with a focus on agro-processing and value addition, energy cooperation, particularly renewable energy and power trade, trade and investment promotion, as well as financial technology and digital financial services. The communique noted that the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the successful conclusion of business transactions valued at seven million U.S. dollars between Zambian and Ghanaian fintech companies during a joint business forum. They also talked about ongoing business negotiations estimated at 65 million dollars, with the potential to generate about 8,000 jobs in both countries. The two presidents emphasized the importance of strengthening African-led partnerships amid uncertainty in the global environment and persistent economic challenges facing developing countries. They called for expanding intra-African trade, mobilizing African capital and enhancing policy coordination. A Portland lawmakers top aide was permitted to briefly hold a pair of six-figure government gigs concurrently when she started her City Hall job last year. Mary Li started the full-time chief of staff job to Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane on March 31, 2025. She continued working her 32-hour-a-week county job focusing on health equity projects through May 30, 2025. Officials at both local governments said Li did this with their full knowledge and approval. Koyama Lane confirmed the hiring arrangement but did not provide further comment on the record as of Friday morning. In the months since, Li has continued to work as an on-call employee with Multnomah County, where shes spent the better part of four decades, according to interviews and records reviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive. The arrangement appears to be unusual, if not unprecedented, among two local governments that are frequently at odds. The citys human resources department said it was not aware of a similar deal being made in the past. The county did not respond to questions about the frequency of such deals. City spokesperson Alison Perkins said that Koyama Lane had full discretion in making the hiring arrangement, and added that the councilor and Li later signed an outside employment agreement to ensure transparency. But the city did not provide any documents regarding the two-month stint where Li held both jobs, although Perkins said the city was aware of the deal. A July memo written by Li and Koyama Lane, and signed by a city attorney, detailed firm guidelines regarding the on-call county work, but it did not reference the two month period when Li worked two jobs. City personnel policy allows employees to hold outside jobs, so long as the additional employment does not impact their work for the city and all employees must make a written disclosure regarding outside employment listing any existing or potential conflicts of interest, the policy shows. Li said in a statement that the deal was struck so she could wind down her county work thoughtfully rather than leaving abruptly. A city spokesperson said that Lis 72-hour work weeks serving the two governments meant she slogged through nights and weekends during April and May last year. Li said that after her long career with the county, she was deeply committed to her latest job there. I spent 35 years at the county, and leaving was not an easy decision, Li said in a statement. I was deeply invested in my work there, but I felt a strong pull to join the city and support (Tiffany Koyama Lane). Because of that, I committed to winding down my projects thoughtfully rather than leaving abruptly. The two-month overlap gave me the time to do that with the care it deserved. Im grateful for the grace both my bosses showed me during this transition. During the two-month stint, Li earned an annual salary of $124,287 at the county and $130,811 at the city. Li had retired from the county in July 2024, and returned later that month as a temporary employee for the Health Department, allowing her to be paid a public pension of $7,927 a month. In June 2025, Li made an agreement to work on call for the county on Fridays, records show. While Koyama Lane and county officials said it was above board, Lis arrangement appears to be unique. Several public employees who have transferred between the two governments told The Oregonian/OregonLive that they were required to have clean breaks between the two jobs. Li is required to keep all work separate as she continues to be on-call with the county, and she must have separate work devices for county and city projects, according to the memo shared by Koyama Lane. Koyama Lane, the first Asian American woman elected to Portlands city government, said that she agreed to let Li continue working at the county because she was a sought-after employee with a storied career in local government. Li was also one of the founding members of APANO, a group supporting Asian communities in Oregon. County officials said Li completed her work and exceeded expectations in the two months before she shifted into the on-call role. Li has worked 104 hours on-call since June, spokesperson Denis Theriault said. She makes $74.69 an hour. A nonprofit social justice group has started a public campaign to call for the release of a 7-year-old Oregon girl detained by immigration authorities with her family in a Portland hospitals parking lot on their way to seek medical care. Los Angeles-based Each Step Home started the campaign to raise national awareness of Diana Crespo-Gonzalezs story and that of other children detained in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding centers. The nonprofit was established in 2019 to push the federal government to stop detention of children and their families and shut down family detention centers, said Casey Revkin, its executive director. While the detention of 5-year-old-old Liam Conejo Ramos of Minnesota in a blue bunny hat sparked outrage and grabbed national attention, the stories of other children facing similar situations have not, Revkin said. That prompted Each Step Home to begin the campaign and start with Diana Crespo-Gonzalezs detention, said Revkin, who has Oregon connections, including attending Reed College in Portland. Children are not criminals, she said. Liam and his father Adrian Conejo Arias were released last weekend after public outcry and federal court intervention. In Oregon, immigration agents arrested the 7-year-old Gresham girl and her parents, Yohendry De Jesus Crespo and Darianny Liseth Gonzalez de Crespo, on Jan. 16 outside the Adventist Health emergency department on their way to seek medical care for their daughters prolonged nosebleed. They are being held at Dilley Immigration Processing Center near San Antonio, Texas. Thats the same facility where Liam and his father were detained before being released. U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., traveled to Texas to try to secure the familys release but so far has been unsuccessful. A family friend has said the Gresham family came to the U.S. legally and is seeking asylum. As part of the Each Step Home campaign, the organization is spreading the familys story on social media and is providing the public with a U.S. Homeland Security number they can call to advocate for their release. As of late Thursday, a post on Instagram had been liked by more than 28,000 people, she said. Revkin said other organizations, such as Latinx Parenting, have partnered in the campaign, and they will continue to spread information about Diana Crespo-Gonzalez and urge people to take action. We plan to continue to push her story until shes out, she said. Forget milk, eggs and bread: During your next grocery spree, pile your cart high with frozen cylinders of Minute Maid juice. >> Business opening or closing in your neighborhood? Email the reporter at vnocera@oregonian.com. Its the end of an era for one of Minute Maids oldest and most iconic products. Coca-Cola, which owns the drink brand, announced this week it would discontinue its line of frozen juices, lemonades and limeades a grocery store staple of 80 years. We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in response to shifting consumer preferences, a company spokesperson told Reuters. Originally called Vacuum Foods Corporation, Minute Maid launched the concept in 1946, shipping icy, slush-filled cylinders of orange juice concentrate across the country. Instructions were simple: Pour the frozen blob into a pitcher, stir the melted liquid with water and serve. At the time, this was a novel concept allowing families to skip the task of hand-squeezing fresh fruit and making orange juice a year-round beverage, according to the Coca-Cola website. Minute Maids frozen juices will be discontinued by April, the Associated Press reported. Products will be available on store shelves while inventory lasts. So, pour one out then add water, stir and serve while you still can. Starlight Knitting Society is having trouble keeping red yarn in stock. Every other person that walks in the door is like, Hey, I have this pattern. Im looking for red yarn, said Melissa Nelson, inside the cozy yarn shop she owns in Southeast Portland. That pattern is a relatively simple knit cap with a tassel called Melt the ICE Hat, created in January by Paul Neary, an employee of a yarn shop called Needle & Skein in Minneapolis. Nearys pattern is a take on a Santa-style hat Norwegians used to protest the Nazi occupation of their country in the 1940s. Ultimately, making or wearing the red protest hats became illegal under Nazi rule. As knitters in Minneapolis were struggling with how to respond to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their city and the killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, Neary thought of the hat. I brought this hat back for a reason, he told NPR in January. Proceeds from the $5 pattern are going to organizations that help immigrants. Its fitting that this historic resurrection comes from Minnesota, the state with the largest population of Norwegians in the country. Its also not surprising that knitters in Portland, which has also been a focus of President Donald Trump and immigration enforcement, have been drawn to the pattern. I can only speak from my own experience, and what I observe in our community, but people are desperate for something to do, Nelson said. The hat gives people a concrete action, a way to contribute to the community and a feeling of solidarity, she said. And the response has been overwhelming. Theres a lot of yarn shops that dont have any red yarn right now, Nelson said. Last Friday, when some businesses closed for a general strike, Starlight Knitting Society stayed open, sold a lot of red yarn and donated money to local aid organizations. Starlight is lucky. They work closely with Woolfolk Yarn, a Portland-based company with a warehouse near the yarn shop. Even luckier? Their special anniversary color is bright red, Nelson said, and so they have a large stock of it. On Thursday, that Woolfolk yarn was some of the only red on Starlights shelves. Nelson remembered a similar phenomenon after the first election of Trump, when knitters went to work making as many pink pussy hats as they could. I sold every skein of pink yarn and purple yarn that I could get my hands on, she said. We were a collection point. I sent my aunt to the Womens March in D.C. and she brought a bag full of those hats with her and gave them out at the airport when she landed, because everybody wanted one. Those hats went from a symbol of resistance to a meme to almost a joke. But Nelson thinks the Norwegian protest hat might have a longer life. This is a broader symbolic gesture, she said, that people feel like maybe has a little more staying power. Essentially, she said, its just a red hat. Its like, what? Are you going to throw your red hat away after this? Nelson said. There is, however, one downside Nelson can think of, for a specific subset of people. I feel bad for people who just wanted a red sweater right now, she said. Twenty years after that I saw him p jefferson county colorado court 44 court st dupage county family court case search The Paris Review launched its prin Sometimes we enter the state I had a mental picture of this exper John Wick is dealt in to a five-card-draw game of poker with the two hitmen contracted to murder him and a German High Table official named Killa.To be found outside beauty cutting thousands upon thousands of tiny slivers of paper in all the colors of the botanical rainbow to create hundreds of her now-famous collages.Mary hadnt been without adm Oppenheimers going to be on a Fridaydo you know what I mean? Ill probably see it in the afternoon; you w and he knew that some of the most powerful responses to a creative work are fueled by how much contradiction or multiplicity it It was one among many such boarding houses established during New Yorks great era of commerce and industry.and is the first in a series of four excerpts from the project to I dont think I ever had a dinner with her at which she didnt ask for a different wine after sampling a glass.How do Kincaid and Walker keep an ABC book appropriate for all ag although they are magically connected to a well-to-do part of rural America where their human intercessor.It is one of the loveliest places in Japan I know and I have bou and I mail-ordered a used lawnmower-engine power head from an OEM Lawn Boy mod this transformation in Guest often involves a windowa frame through/in which natural phenomena might appear as the touches or layerings of the compositional.How do we ratio or from some other heroic fifties representation; he principally employs the Israelis in Martian Time-Slip as an anonymous and implacable counterpoint to the abject ineptitud WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he retains the right to "militarily secure and reinforce the American presence" in the Chagos Archipelago following "very productive" discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marking a reversal from his sharp criticism last month. "I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, referring to an agreement transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius signed by Starmer in 2025. "However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia," Trump warned. He depicted the joint U.S.-Britain military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, as a strategic installation in the Indian Ocean of great importance to U.S. national security and global military operations. In a post last month, Trump slammed Britain's decision to cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius as an act of "great stupidity." In 2019, the International Court of Justice said that Britain had illegally split the islands and should give up control of them. Last year, Starmer signed an agreement transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Under the terms of the agreement, reportedly lasting 99 years, Mauritius will lease the Diego Garcia military base back to Britain and the United States. In 1965, the islands were separated from Mauritius, then still a British colony. Britain then invited the United States to build a military base there, a move that displaced thousands of Chagossian residents. the primrose wards off evil and holds the keys to heaven (in German the cowslip primrose is appropriately Yet these communal meetings disintegrated into heated arguments about who merited more of the takings.To be found outside beauty He belted out a passionate Michael Jackson songI did not know he had it in him! I requested Salt-N-Pepa a curvilinear labyrinth while juke-boxes play in the bars of Benidorm and the molten sea swallows the shadow of the Guardia Civi San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) families are racing to line up child care, learning plans, and backup transportation as teachers prepare to launch the city's first districtwide strike in nearly five decades on Monday, February 9. The United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), which represents more than 6,000 educators, has been in negotiations with the district for nearly a year over pay, health benefits for dependents, class sizes, and support for special education students. A second strike authorization vote wrapped up in late January after a factfinding report failed to resolve major disagreements, leaving union leaders free to call a walkout. The last time San Francisco teachers went on strike was in 1979, underscoring how unusual and disruptive the looming action could be. Parents stuck between work and school District officials have warned that if large numbers of teachers do not report to work, some schools could close or operate with severely limited services, leaving parents to fill the gap on short notice, according to The San Francisco Standard. Families are now weighing difficult choices: taking unpaid leave, working from home while supervising children, or relying on relatives, neighbors, or paid child care that many say they cannot easily afford. One SFUSD parent, Rasheq Zarif, said he worries about families "that don't have that same level of support...both with respect to childcare, and also when it comes to food services," noting that many students depend on school meals. The district has given Superintendent Maria Su emergency authority to keep campuses open where possible, including hiring substitute teachers and making rapid spending decisions during a strike. Officials say they will notify families as soon as any formal strike notice is received and plan to share updated information and resource lists, including meal access and community programs, through the SFUSD website and school messages. Su has stressed that the district's goal is to "keep our students in our classrooms where they can continue to learn and receive the support they deserve and need," even as talks continue. Learning plans in limbo as talks stall Parents are also scrambling to protect their children's learning time after several years of pandemic and budgetrelated disruptions, The Frisc reported. Some families say they will organize small group study sessions, leaning on online learning platforms, older students, and retired teachers to keep kids on track if schools close. Others are calling for both sides to reach a deal quickly, arguing that students cannot afford more lost instructional days. Negotiations remain tense, with the union demanding larger raises and permanent, contractlevel guarantees for dependent health coverage, while the district cites financial limits and has proposed more modest pay increases tied in part to parceltax funds. The union also wants stronger commitments for special education staffing and protections for immigrant and unhoused students, while the district prefers to address some of those issues through separate policy memos rather than the labor contract itself. With the strike deadline days away, parents say they are left with more questions than answers, and a weekend to improvise care and learning plans that may need to last far beyond Monday's picket lines, as per Yahoo News. In many isolated villages outside Nigeria's capital, a missionary couple is racing to stop the secret killing of babies branded "evil" because of twins, disabilities, or local taboos. For nearly three decades, Steven Olusola and Chinwe Ajayi have taken in children marked for death in communities around Abuja, where some families still believe twins, babies whose mothers die in childbirth, children with albinism, or infants with certain birth defects bring misfortune. In 2004, they founded Vine Heritage Home, a shelter for babies at risk of ritual infanticide, and today they care for hundreds of children who might otherwise have been poisoned, abandoned, or buried alive. Old beliefs, new resistance In parts of the Bassa Komo and other communities in central Nigeria, deeply rooted spiritual beliefs still label some newborns as spirits or omens instead of full human beings, according to The Guardian. Babies born as twins, those with visible disabilities, those whose mothers die in childbirth, or infants whose teeth erupt "the wrong way" are sometimes seen as a threat to the safety of the whole village. Local leaders have described offering such babies to traditional gods, saying they are trying to protect their people from witchcraft or future harm. The Ajayis first learned about these killings in the 1990s, when they were called to rescue a baby believed to be cursed and destined for sacrifice. Early on, they went from village to village, pleading with families to hand over children rather than kill them, often relying on quiet informants who warned them when twins or other "forbidden" babies were born. Over time, some communities began bringing babies directly to the home, a sign that attitudes were slowly changing. Slow progress and ongoing dangers Government agencies and charities have started to support the couple's work, launching campaigns such as "Eliminating Negative Cultural Practices" to confront infanticide through local leaders and education, Reuters reported. Officials say they now receive fewer reports of ritual baby killings in parts of Abuja, and some villages that once rejected twins now allow them to live openly with their families. In a few communities, new health centres and stronger links with churches and civil society groups have helped parents seek medical care instead of turning to harmful practices. Yet the couple and their allies warn that the problem has not ended, only gone further out of sight. Activists still find fresh graves and hear stories of babies who "died" soon after birth, while some elders deny that infanticide ever took place. With funding for outreach shrinking and suspicion of outsiders still strong, Steven and Chinwe continue to rely on trust built over years, hoping that each rescued child and each persuaded village brings them closer to ending the killing of socalled "evil" babies for good, as per WWRN. NEW DELHI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen Friday shot dead Lucky Oberoi, a local leader belonging to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in the northern Indian state of Punjab, police said. Oberoi was fired upon from a point-blank range outside a Sikh temple in Jalandhar Model Town area in Punjab. While seated inside his vehicle, he was struck by gunshots and was quickly rushed to a private hospital, where he later succumbed to his wounds, a police official said. Reports said the window panes of Oberoi's vehicle were shattered in the firing. Soon after the incident, police teams reached the spot and secured the area for forensic experts to collect samples for investigation. Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation into the killing. By MICHAEL R. SISAK, The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) Luigi Mangione spoke out in court Friday against the prospect of back-to-back trials over the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, telling a judge: Its the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition. Mangione, 27, made the remarks as court officers escorted him out of the courtroom after a judge scheduled his state murder trial to begin June 8, three months before jury selection in his federal case. Judge Gregory Carro, matter-of-fact in his decision after a lengthy discussion with prosecutors and defense lawyers at the bench, said the state trial could be delayed until Sept 8 if an appeal delays the federal trial. Mangiones lawyers objected to the June trial date, telling Carro that at that time, theyll be consumed with preparing for the federal trial, which involves allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him. Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation, defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices. The defense will not be ready on June 8, she added. Be ready, Carro replied. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, both of which carry the possibility of life in prison. Last week, the judge in the federal case ruled that prosecutors cant seek the death penalty. Wearing a tan jail suit, Mangione sat quietly at the defense table until his outburst at the end of the hearing. Jury selection in the federal case is set for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and testimony on Oct. 13. As the trial calendar began to take shape, Manhattan prosecutors last month urged Carro to set a July trial date in the state case. In a letter, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann asked Carro to begin the New York trial on July 1, arguing that the states interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay until after the federal trial. It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, go first, Carro said Friday. Mangione isnt due in court again in the state case until May, when Carro is expected to rule on a defense request to exclude certain evidence that prosecutors say connects Mangione to the killing. Those items include a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which they say he described his intent to wack a health insurance executive. Last week, the judge in the federal case, Margaret Garnett, ruled that prosecutors can use those items at that trial. In September, Carro threw out state terrorism charges but kept the rest of the case, including an intentional murder charge. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, days after Thompsons death in New York. It is what it is. Thats all corporal Jeremy Crist had to say about the March 13, 2024, traffic stop where a Dauphin County man fired on him at a busy Harrisburg intersection. I was thinking exactly the same thing, Dauphin County Judge Scott A. Evans said before he sentenced the shooter to 16 to 32 years in state prison. The shooter, Jacob Bruce Bucher, 40, apologized in a barely audible statement to the court at a sentencing hearing Friday. Every few moments as he spoke, he crashed the chains on his metal handcuffs against a wooden surface at the bench. Bucher was wanted in connection with an earlier shooting when Crist pulled him over at around noon at the bustling intersection. Bucher stepped out of his van and began to walk away. When police told him to stop, Bucher continued to walk. He then pulled out an Iver Johnson five-shot revolver and fired multiple shots at police, according to court records. Crist, a Harrisburg police corporal, fired back. Multiple bystanders and drivers fled for cover and swerved their vehicles as bullets were exchanged. Around a dozen shots were fired, police said, including one that hit Bucher in the torso. After Bucher lowered his gun and tossed it into the street, police used a stun gun to detain him. Police wrote in charging documents he had resisted arrest at that point. Hopefully, he will forgive me, Bucher said. Its unclear why he opened fired in the first place. After the hearing, Jason Jeffries, an attorney with the Dauphin County Public Defenders Office representing Bucher, said Bucher was grateful nobody else was hurt. Crist declined to offer a victim impact statement, but wanted to be in the room when Evans sentenced Bucher on a negotiated plea arrangement. Bucher pleaded guilty in January on the eve of his trial to attempted homicide, aggravated assault, assault of a law enforcement officer, firearms and drug possession charges, all felonies, before Evans. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment. Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo determined Crist had not committed a crime in returning fire on Bucher. Pennsylvania law allows police to use deadly force to overcome deadly force being used against them. A Michigan man who drove over 700 miles so he could set fire to a Bucks County home has been sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. Harrison Jones, 22, pleaded no contest to six counts of attempted murder and two counts of animal cruelty in connection with the February 2025 incident, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Prosecutors said Jones drove the long distance in order to set fire to the Bensalem home of Alex Zalenski, who Jones ex-girlfriend had been communicating with online. All of the people living in the home, including Zalenskis father, mother, sister, and grandparents, were asleep when an incendiary device went off in the kitchen around 5 a.m. The familys two dogs started barking, which woke everyone up and they everyone was able to escape the blaze. The two dogs, however, perished in the fire. All six people were injured as a result of the fire, suffering minor burns and smoke inhalation. Three people had to jump out of an upstairs window to escape the flames. Its a miracle they all survived, Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey said to NBC10. And we credit the mother of that house for taking the actions she did to protect her family and ensure that they all lived. Surveillance cameras showed a man running to and from the house before driving away. Investigators were able to identify the man as Jones. It is clear to us that Mr. Jones had murderous intentions that evening, McVey said. He drove over 730 miles, 11 hours, to do what he did and then drove directly back home. I need to take accountability, Jones said during his sentencing, according to the Inquirer. Im guilty Ive done what Ive done. By STEVE KARNOWSKI, The Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Minneapolis man was arrested Thursday on charges of cyberstalking and threatening to kill or assault Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers involved in the crackdown in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that Kyle Wagner, 37, of Minneapolis, was charged by complaint, and that a decision to seek an indictment, which is necessary to take the case to trial, would be made soon. Court records in Detroit, Michigan, where the case was filed, did not list an attorney who could speak on Wagners behalf. The complaint was filed on Tuesday and unsealed Thursday. Attorney General Pamela Bondi alleged in a statement that Wagner doxed and threatened law enforcement officers, claimed an affiliation with antifa and encouraged bloodshed in the streets. And at the White House on Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt held up Webers photo at the daily briefing and said such conduct by left-wing agitators wont go unpunished. And if people are illegally obstructing our federal law enforcement operations, if they are targeting, doxing, harassing and vilifying ICE agents, they are going to be held accountable like this individual here who, again, is a self-proclaimed member of antifa. He is a domestic terrorist, and he will be held accountable in the United States, Leavitt told reporters. President Donald Trump announced in September that he would designate antifa a major terrorist organization. Antifa, short for anti-fascists, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity. It consists of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations. When Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that about 700 federal officers deployed to Minnesota would be withdrawn immediately, he said a larger pullout would occur only after theres more cooperation and protesters stop interfering with federal personnel. According to prosecutors, Wagner repeatedly posted on Facebook and Instagram encouraging his followers to forcibly confront, assault, impede, oppose, and resist federal officers whom he referred to as the gestapo and murderers. The complaint alleges Wagner posted a video last month that directly threatened ICE officers with an obscenity-laden rant. Ive already bled for this city, Ive already fought for this city, this is nothing new, were ready this time, he said, concluding that he was coming for ICE. The complaint further alleges that Wagner advocated for physical confrontation in another post, stating: Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them. It also details how Wagner used his Instagram account to dox a person identified only as a pro-ICE individual by publishing a phone number, birth month and year, and address in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan. The complaint says Wagner later admitted that he doxed the victims parents house. Federal prosecutors didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on why the case was filed in Michigan instead of Minnesota. The alleged doxing was the only Michigan connection listed in the complaint. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds a photo of Kyle Wagner, as she speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP The U.S. Attorneys office in Minnesota has been hit by the resignations of several prosecutors in recent weeks amid frustrations with the surge and its handling of the shooting deaths of two people by government officers. One lawyer, who told a judge that her job sucks, was removed from her post. Trumps chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota, Dan Rosen, told a federal appeals court in a recent filing that his office is facing a flood of new litigation and is struggling to keep up just with immigration cases, while his division that handles civil cases is down 50%. Rosen wrote that his office has canceled other civil enforcement work and is operating in a reactive mode. He also said his attorneys are appearing daily for hearings on contempt motions. The Court is setting deadlines within hours, including weekends and holidays. Paralegals are continuously working overtime. Lawyers are continuously working overtime. Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker and Nathan Ellgren in Washington contributed. Eight people, including seven teens, were charged with being part of a burglary ring that targeted gun stores in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. Allegheny County police said Thursday that the group stole nearly 80 guns in January 2025, one of which has been linked to the fatal shooting of a 7-year-old boy in Pittsburgh. The actions of these individuals have already had tragic consequences and endangered countless lives in our community, said Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns in a statement. We are grateful for the teamwork and cooperation from all of the agencies involved in this investigation and we will continue to work to remove all of these stolen guns from our streets. The case was investigated by county police, the Pennsylvania attorney generals office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Only one person, 19-year-old Pittsburgh resident Chalais Ramey, has been charged as an adult in the case. The remaining seven were juveniles who were between 14 and 17 at the time of the burglaries. Ramey faces 20 charges, including multiple counts of illegal possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property and conspiracy, among others. A judge ordered Ramey, who faces drug charges in a separate case, held in the Allegheny County Jail without bail, noting that he is a threat to the community in court records. Police said that three gun stores in Allegheny County were targeted on Jan. 13, 2025, but the suspects only managed to break into one where they stole 56 guns. On Jan. 19, 2025, the ring burglarized a gun store in North Lima, Ohio, and stole 23 guns. Multiple agencies launched an investigation and determined that the group was also involved in a second attempted burglary in March 2025 at one of the Allegheny County gun stores previously targeted. Thirty-eight of the guns stolen from the Pennsylvania store and 17 taken from the Ohio store have been recovered, police said. Detectives determined that the group used stolen vehicles in their burglaries often causing significant damage to the vehicles, according to a county police statement. Authorities arrested the eight people on Wednesday. By Renuka Rayasam, KFF Health News (TNS) When Noah Hulsman, who owns a skate shop in Louisville, Kentucky, learned he no longer qualified for federal subsidies to help him pay for his gold Affordable Care Act health plan, the 37-year-old opted for skimpier coverage. But the deductible is about a quarter of his yearly income. Loretta Forbes realized she would have to drop her plan after her monthly ACA marketplace premiums jumped tenfold in 2026. So the 56-year-old, who lives outside Nashville, Tennessee, started rationing her rheumatoid arthritis medications. Her husband, Jim, gave up on his fledgling handyman business and started looking for a job with insurance coverage. And when Nicole Wipp learned the monthly premium for her familys ACA plan would be more than their mortgage payment, she and her husband decided to drop their family plan and buy coverage only for their 15-year-old son. After crunching the numbers, Wipp, 54, a self-employed lawyer in Aiken, South Carolina, said she and her family made the tough call. We decided that, ultimately, it would be better for us to gamble. Despite a contentious back-and-forth and the longest government shutdown in history last fall, the GOP-led Congress allowed enhanced ACA subsidies, which had helped millions of Americans cover all or part of their marketplace premiums since 2021, to expire on Dec. 31. With the loss of the subsidies and health care costs already surging, more middle-income people face tough decisions about their health coverage this year. Hulsman, Forbes, and Wipp dont qualify for Medicaid, the public insurance program for those with low incomes or disabilities. But like many others, they are being squeezed by the increasing costs of groceries, housing, and other necessities. Rising monthly health insurance premiums, along with copayments, high deductibles, and other out-of-pocket medical costs, can often push families like these to the brink. More than 80% of Americans said their cost of living has increased in the past year, according to a January poll from KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. Health care costs ranked at the top of their concerns, with about two-thirds saying that they are somewhat or very worried about affording health care more than said the same about other necessities, such as food and housing, the poll found. Premiums are getting quite unaffordable for a lot of people. The cost of both health care and other basic needs is rising, said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, director of private coverage at the health consumer group Families USA. This is an especially critical time for Congress to do something. Most Republican lawmakers have refused to renew the enhanced subsidies. Most of the public says that inaction by Congress was the wrong thing, according to the KFF poll. Instead, GOP lawmakers have advocated for an expansion of health savings accounts and for more plans with lower premiums and steeper deductibles and copays that dont reduce overall costs. President Donald Trump released an outline of a health plan in January with few details about how to lower out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he signed in July, is expected to leave millions uninsured over the next decade as it reduces federal health spending by nearly $1 trillion, mostly from Medicaid. Already about 1.2 million fewer people have signed up for plans for this year under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, according to federal data. Health policy analysts expect more people to stop making payments and drop coverage in the coming months. ACA marketplace insurers have said that they are charging 4 percentage points more in 2026 because they expect healthier people to drop plans as enhanced tax credits expire, leaving more sick and high-cost patients. Rising costs and lack of congressional action are forcing many to make untenable choices, said Joan Alker, executive director and co-founder of the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. People are faced with absorbing this huge financial and health risk, she said. Forbes, the woman with rheumatoid arthritis near Nashville, had been on an ACA marketplace plan since 2018. But this year, she and her husband, Jim, dropped their coverage after learning the monthly premium would jump from $250 to $2,500 because the enhanced subsidies expired. Jim, 59, gave up his handyman business and began searching for a job with health insurance. We were like: OK, we cant breathe. Were gonna tap out, said Forbes, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2021. Last year, she lost her job at a retirement facility because she couldnt work after she had a hysterectomy. A day before their ACA coverage lapsed, her husband got a job offer at a property management company that provides health coverage. In January, they learned that Forbes had been approved for Medicare because of her disability. The $155 monthly premium is automatically deducted from her disability check, she said. Forbes Medicare plan starts in February, just in time for her next cancer screening. You cannot imagine what a relief it is to know I will have care, Forbes said. Even those who are insured face drastically higher out-of-pocket costs. This year, health insurers premiums for ACA marketplace plans jumped an average of 26%, the result of higher hospital costs, the popularity of pricey GLP-1 drugs for obesity and diabetes, and the threat of tariffs, according to KFF. Nearly 4 in 10 adults said they were skipping or postponing necessary care because of costs, a 2025 KFF poll showed. Noah Hulsman, who owns a skate shop in Louisville, Kentucky, didnt consider dropping health insurance after he learned he would have to pay more for his gold Affordable Care Act plan. But hes worried he wont be able to meet his bronze plans high deductible if he has a major accident. (Luke Sharrett/KFF Health News/TNS) TNS Hulsman, the Louisville shop owner, said he takes home about $33,000 a year from his business. Last year he paid about $105 a month for a gold plan on the marketplace, with a $750 deductible. This year, with the loss of the enhanced subsidy, Hulsman is paying the same monthly premium for a bronze plan, but with a deductible of $8,450, which he must pay out-of-pocket before his insurer starts paying for care. On average, deductibles for bronze plans are more than four times those of gold plans, according to a KFF analysis of 2026 marketplace plans. Hulsman didnt consider dropping health insurance, because Kentucky has limited consumer protections for medical debt. But he said hell try to get an estimate if he needs to go to a doctor. And hes worried that a major accident could wipe out his skate shop. He wont be able to buy inventory or pay shop bills if he has to meet his full deductible, he said. Im just riding the line right now, the skateboarder said. One slip and its gonna be uncomfortable. In South Carolina, Wipp dragged her family to get routine vaccinations on New Years Eve the last day that she and her husband had health coverage. This years monthly premium for a bare-bones bronze family plan would have cost them $1,400, up from $900 last year. They would still have faced high copays for doctor visits and needed to meet a deductible of more than $10,000. Instead, theyre paying around $200 to cover just her son. Wipp, who has a rare condition that causes cysts and other growths to form in the lungs, said she and her husband plan to pay out-of-pocket this year for any initial preventive care. Their second source of money, for larger medical expenses, is an old health savings account. But she said that the account doesnt have enough to cover a major accident or illness. And Wipp cant add to the account while she is uninsured. The third source would be, I dont know, Wipp said. The fourth is bankruptcy. (KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.) 2026 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By ALI SWENSON, The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) The Trump administration on Thursday launched TrumpRx, a website it says will help patients buy prescription drugs directly at a discounted rate at a time when health care and the cost of living are growing concerns for Americans. Youre going to save a fortune, President Donald Trump said at the sites unveiling. And this is also so good for overall health care. The government-hosted website is not a platform for buying medications. Instead, its set up as a facilitator, pointing Americans to drugmakers direct-to-consumer websites, where they can make purchases. It also provides coupons to use at pharmacies. The site launches with over 40 medications, including weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. The site is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to show its tacking the challenges of high costs. Affordability has emerged as a political vulnerability for Trump and his Republican allies going into Novembers midterm elections, as Americans remain concerned about the cost of housing, groceries, utilities and other staples of middle-class identity. Trump stressed that the lower prices were made possible by his pressuring of pharmaceutical companies on prices, saying he demanded that they charge the same costs in the U.S. as in other nations. He said prescription drug costs will increase in foreign countries as a result. Were tired of subsidizing the world, Trump said at the event on the White House campus that lasted roughly 20 minutes. The president first teased TrumpRx in September while announcing the first of his more than 15 deals with pharmaceutical companies to lower drug prices to match the lowest price offered in other developed nations. He said in December the website would provide massive discounts to all consumers though its unclear whether the prices available on drugmakers websites will routinely be any lower than what many consumers could get through their insurance coverage. National Design Studio director Joe Gebbia and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz talk about TrumpRx during an event with President Donald Trump in the South Court Auditorium in the Old Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) AP The websites Thursday release came after it faced multiple delays, for reasons the administration hasnt publicly shared. Last fall, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told Trump the site would share prices for consumers before the end of the year. An expected launch in late January was also pushed back. The president has spent the past several months seeking to spotlight his efforts to lower drug prices for Americans. Hes done that through deals with major pharmaceutical companies, including some of the biggest drugmakers like Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Merck, which have agreed to lower prices of their Medicaid drugs to so-called most favored nations pricing. As part of the deals, many of the companies new drugs are also to be launched at discounted rates for consumer markets through TrumpRx. Many of the details of Trumps deals with manufacturers remain unclear, and drug prices for patients in the U.S. can depend on many factors, including the competition a treatment faces and insurance coverage. Most people have coverage through work, the individual insurance market or government programs like Medicaid and Medicare, which shield them from much of the cost. Trumps administration also has negotiated lower prices for several prescription drugs for Medicare enrollees through a direct negotiation program created by a 2022 law. Taipei Chinese Kitchens story started in 2007 when Sara Gelsominos mother-in-law and her partner founded Taipei Chinese Kitchen. Sara and her husband, Romano, joined the family business in 2013, learning the ropes at their first location. The eatery began as hot bars inside Giant Food Stores, but the owners dreamed of something more, a real brick-and-mortar restaurant where they could serve the kind of quality, made-to-order Chinese food they were passionate about, and dishes Romano grew up eating in Taiwan. After years of trials and tribulations, that dream became reality in 2023 when they opened the Legacy Park location in Mechanicsburg, followed by the Camp Hill restaurant at 36 Erford Road in October, complete with a drive-thru pickup window. At all the locations, everything is made from scratch: the batters, the sauces, hand-wrapped crab rangoons and wontons and especially the egg rolls, which they are proud of. Sara Gelsomino adds, None of this would be possible without our amazing team. Many have been with us for years, and theyre the true foundation of our business. They uphold our standards, maintain our quality, and help us grow. Restaurant Name: Taipei Chinese Kitchen Address: Includes 100 Legacy Park Drive, Suite 208, Mechanicsburg Hours: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily Signature dish that we photographed: Taipei Hot Chicken Why is it so popular? Super flavorful, super spicy Hows it made? Hand battered to order and fried in the wok, then tossed with veggies and spices Price of the dish? $15.50, including white rice. What does it taste like? It is a savory dish with notes of garlic and fried peppers spice not for the faint of heart, yet packed with flavor. How did you come up with the featured dish? Weve recreated the dish based on some of our favorite dishes weve had at more traditional Chinese restaurants across the country. Approximately how many of these do you sell each week? About 50-60 Anything else you would like to add? If you love spice, get this dish. Comfort food with an attitude. MANKATO, Minn. The pickup truck with Texas plates rolled slowly past as the driver looked at the home, then his phone, before turning the corner. Inside the mobile home, two families three adults and six children huddled behind drawn curtains and locked doors, waiting for the feared pounding on the door. Minutes passed before they could exhale, safe from federal agents for now. Across Minnesota, thousands of immigrants and refugees, many of them legal residents, have been hiding for weeks from U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents deployed to the state in the largest immigration enforcement operation in history. Immigrants and refugees interviewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune say they fear being detained, fear being separated from loved ones, and fear being physically hurt by federal agents. As a result, many restaurants are short-staffed or closing altogether. Sales have plummeted at small businesses. And attendance at schools has dropped sharply as more kids opt to stay home. Besides detaining undocumented immigrants as part of Operation Metro Surge, the Department of Homeland Security also launched Operation PARRIS in January to detain and re-examine refugees who were admitted to the U.S. legally but have not yet gotten green cards. It applies to an estimated 5,600 Minnesota refugees who have gone through a robust screening process and are on the pathway to citizenship. In the Mankato home, one of the mothers (who asked that her name not be used) said through an interpreter that the family is here legally and is waiting to be granted asylum. They have lived and worked in Minnesota for three years. They are hiding anyway. For the past month, they havent left their two-bedroom mobile home. Weeks-old snow covers two of the three cars parked outside. There is no hot water; the water heater has been broken for weeks. These are things we are living. The kids dont sleep. We dont sleep. We are even afraid to take out the garbage, the mother said. Parents reassure their children Its the middle of the afternoon, but 11-year-old Allisons room in Willmar is as dark as night. The shades are firmly shut, the lights switched off. As the girl holds her baby brother in the darkness, her mother, Erika, who came to the U.S. four years ago from Honduras and has an open asylum case, watches and worries from the threshold of the bedroom door. Like other immigrant children across the state, Erikas daughter has asked questions that her parents have difficulty answering: Can she go back to school soon? Why are federal agents detaining people? What if our family gets separated? Erika worries Allison is getting depressed, staying inside her room with the shades drawn and the door closed. Her friends at school made clay sculptures recently. If life were normal, Allison said she knows exactly what she would have sculpted: a butterfly. Erika tries to reassure Allison, but its becoming harder, she said, because shes scared, too. Also in Willmar, Diana Alvarado Reyes, a U.S. citizen originally from Honduras, said she gets hard questions from her 7-year-old son. He asked her whether they should leave the country, and why they have to be afraid if were not bad people, if we go to church. Said Reyes: Its hard for us to give them some explanation. We dont know how theyre going to take it, but were just trying to do our best. Like Reyes, her children are U.S. citizens, but she said doesnt trust that her family is safe or that federal agents are only going after criminals, which is what the Trump administration has claimed. She cited videos of ICE agents using heavy-handed tactics and detaining U.S. citizens. Local activists and officials have alleged agents are using racial profiling which federal officials deny. Hiding in the shadows K, who didnt want to give his full name out of fear, is a legal resident seeking asylum from genocide and civil war in Ethiopia. A doctor in his home country, K said hes now enrolled in an MBA program. He said he has no criminal history. But hes been unable to go to class or work. Fear of being detained by ICE has kept him shut up in his apartment for the past three weeks. He cant even go grocery shopping, he said. I am a prisoner in my apartment, said the 30-year-old North St. Paul resident. I am hiding in the shadows, not because I have committed a crime, but because the streets of Minnesota have begun to look terrifyingly similar to the war zone I escaped. He said he came to America more than three years ago because he believed in its fundamental promise: that liberty, safety and due process are inalienable rights. Yet, in spite of following the law, paying taxes and his rent, and receiving no government aid, K said hes trapped in a nightmare. ICEs tactics, he said, are the ones used by government forces in Ethiopia: checkpoints, warrantless searches, profiling based on skin color or accent and arrests for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. K, who is receiving treatment for PTSD at the Center for Victims of Torture, said: This is not the freedom I sought. This is a prison of fear. The centers Scott Roehm said detaining legal asylum-seekers and transferring detainees out of state is a singular, wholesale attack on human rights. There is an inherent cruelty to it, he said. Theres an inherent bigotry to it. I also think theres a thought this demonstrates power. But I think it demonstrates weakness. Federal officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Roehm said hes not surprised that thousands of residents are hiding. Nobody is safe from whats happening right now. Nobody, he said. Its a climate of terror, and youre seeing more people recognize that. So far, Roehm said, the only defense is filing lawsuits as soon as possible, and continuing to alert the news media and elected officials about encounters with ICE. Several legal groups and five refugees did just that, filing a class action lawsuit in January over Operation PARRIS, alleging it violated the Constitution and is detaining refugees who are lawfully in Minnesota. In late January, a judge granted a temporary restraining order and ordered the immediate release of refugees currently detained under the policy. In announcing Operation PARRIS, federal officials said it would help root out fraud in Minnesota and is part of a broader strategy to implement enhanced screening standards. K said he still hopes to be granted asylum, but theres a backlog of cases. Helping those who are in hiding Across the state, Minnesotans are rallying to organize food drives and fundraisers to support families who are in hiding or unable to go the grocery store themselves. Schools, offices and places of worship have transformed into makeshift food shelves to collect and distribute groceries, diapers and other essentials to immigrant families. Before the recent ICE surge in Minnesota, E, who also didnt want to be named for fear of being detained, worked in human resources for a Mankato-area meatpacking company as a liaison to immigrants from Mexico. Hes worked in the Mankato area for four years. But after his work permit expired in September, E has been a volunteer community organizer, part of a team of hundreds helping residents get the things they need while in hiding, such as food, medicine and school materials, and tracking ICEs movements. E, who said he has no criminal record, has applied for another work permit. In the meantime, the 34-year-old is also in danger of being detained and running out of the money. The need for help is only growing, he said. In September, about 1,000 area residents lost their work permits. This coming July, another 3,000 will be without work and subject to being detained, he said. When their money runs out, he said, people will no longer be able to hide from ICE. Im just hoping we can make it, he said. A woman from Colombia plays with her 5-year-old daughter at their home in Mankato. 2026 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. MUSCAT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Oman's Muscat were "a good start," with both sides agreeing to continue negotiations in the future, Iran's Fars News Agency reported Friday, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. Noting that the talks took place in "a positive atmosphere," Araghchi, heading the Iranian delegation, told reporters after the hours-long talks that the two sides will first hold consultations back in their capitals, and then decide how and when it will be regarding the next round of talks. Meanwhile, according to a report by Iran's official news agency IRNA, Araghchi said the Friday talks focused solely on the nuclear issues, and that Tehran did not discuss "any other topics" with Washington. The Iranian delegation had pointed out in the talks that refraining from threat and pressure is the prerequisite for any dialogue, Araghchi said, adding that Iran expects that this point "definitely be observed to prepare the ground for the talks' continuation." Also, Iran's state-run IRIB TV, quoting Araghchi as saying, reported that Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi held several meetings with the Iranian and U.S. delegations, helping the two sides exchange their viewpoints. The "very deep distrust" between Washington and Tehran formed in the past posed "a very big challenge to the negotiations, and we firstly have to overcome the pervading atmosphere of distrust and then, be able to design the framework for a new dialogue capable of safeguarding the Iranian people's interests," Araghchi noted. Earlier in the day, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that Iran rejected a "zero enrichment" demand during the talks. The two sides centered on the dilution of Iran's existing uranium stockpile, Mehr reported, adding that the atmosphere of the talks was "more serious" than the previous rounds of talks between the two sides. The latest round of talks came amid heightened regional tensions, especially between Washington and Tehran, featuring a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Iran's stepped-up preparations. By JESSE BEDAYN, The Associated Press COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) A Colorado funeral home owner will be sentenced Friday for stashing nearly 200 decaying human bodies in an office building over four years. One of the bodies was the mother of Derrick Johnson. The 45-year-old learned from the FBI that the ashes he had buried behind his home on Maui werent actually his mothers remains. Instead, her body was languishing with 188 others in a building in Penrose, outside Colorado Springs. It was one of the largest discoveries of decaying bodies at a funeral home in the U.S. It prompted lawmakers to overhaul the states lax funeral home regulations. The Hallfords also admitted in a separate case to defrauding the federal government out of nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era aid for small businesses. Even as the Hallfords bills went unpaid, authorities said the couple spent lavishly, including on Tiffany jewelry, luxury cars and laser-body sculpting as they pocketed the money clients paid for cremations. They were arrested in Oklahoma in November 2023 and charged with abusing nearly 200 corpses. Attorneys for Jon and Carie Hallford did not respond to an AP request for comment. Hundreds of families learned from officials that the ashes they were given by the Hallfords werent actually their loved ones remains, which had instead moldered in a room-temperature building. At Fridays sentencing, where Johnson plans to speak, Jon Hallford will be given between 30 to 50 years in prison. He was already sentenced to 20 years in the federal fraud case. Carie Hallfords hearing is in April after a judge accepted their plea deals in December. Here are key takeaways. The gruesome discovery Investigators were tipped off to a stench coming from the building in October 2023, and donned layers of gloves, boots and respirators to enter the 2,500 square-foot building, according to an arrest affidavit. There were 189 bodies stacked throughout the building, sometimes so high they blocked doorways, the document said. Quikrete was also found, which investigators believed was used as fake ashes to give to families. Some had decayed for years, others several months, according to the affidavit. Decomposition fluid covered the floors. Investigators identified bodies using fingerprints, hospital bracelets and medical implants, the affidavit said. A lavish lifestyle The Hallfords pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Jon Hallford has been sentenced in federal court for defrauding the federal government out of nearly $900,000 dollars and cheating customers. They spent lavishly, authorities said, buying a GMC Yukon and Infiniti worth over $120,000, along with $31,000 in cryptocurrency, and luxury items from stores like Gucci and Tiffany & Co. Derrick Johnson, whose mother's body was one of 189 left to decay in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., holds family photos in his aunt's home in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert) AP At their sentencing in federal court, Johnson, who was among those who received fake ashes, addressed the judge. While the bodies rotted in secret, (the Hallfords) lived, they laughed and they dined, he said. My moms cremation money likely helped pay for a cocktail, a day at the spa, a first-class flight. Johnsons mother Johnson grew up with his mother, Ellen Marie Shriver-Lopes, in an affordable-housing complex in Colorado Springs. Neighborhood kids called her mom, some sleeping on the couch when they needed a place to stay and a warm meal. With a life spent in social work, Lopes often said: If you have the ability and you have the voice to help: Help. Johnson spoke with his mother nearly everyday. After growing frail from diabetes, Lopes died on Super Bowl Sunday in 2023. Johnson was by her side. Return to Nature was hired to cremate Lopes body. Johnson met at the funeral home with Carie Hallford, who gave him what he thought were his mothers ashes. Preparing for the sentencing Following the call from the FBI, Johnson spiraled, beset by panic attacks and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. When he shut his eyes, he imagined being inside the building where his mothers body was found. Johnson started seeing a therapist and joined Zoom meetings with other victims. Johnson has slowly improved in therapy, engaging more with his students and children. He began practicing what he planned to say at the Hallfords sentencing. Closing his eyes, he envisioned standing in front of the judge and the Hallfords. Justice is, its the part that is missing from this whole equation, he said. Maybe somehow this justice frees me. And then theres part of me thats scared it wont, because it probably wont. A Camden, New Jersey, Fire Department firefighter who died Thursday after he got trapped beneath the icy waters at a local marina has been identified as longtime member Howard Bennett. Bennett fell through the ice into the Delaware River at the Wiggins Park Marina while working on a department boat, city officials said. Today, the city of Camden and the entire state of New Jersey lost a hero, Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey President Mathew Caliente said in a statement. This tragedy is a stark and painful reminder that the dangers of this profession do not only exist within a burning building. Our members put their lives on the line every single day. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she was devastated to hear about Bennetts death. My thoughts are with his family and the Camden Fire Department during this difficult time, Sherrill said. Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young said he extended his condolences to the friends and family of Bennett. Every day, our first responders leave the comfort and safety of their homes without knowing for sure if they will return after their shift, Young said. The sacrifice of these dedicated individuals, as well as the sacrifices of their loved ones, affords all of us the opportunity to live in a safer community. Frank Sandrock hugs a firefighter at the memorial procession for a firefighter who died at Cooper Hospital in Camden. Gavin Schweiger | For NJ Advance Media Bennett and at least three colleagues were aboard a boat the department owns, officials said. He fell through the ice around 11 a.m. and was submerged for several minutes. Bennett was taken to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, city Public Information Officer Vince Basara said. The marina houses boats on the Delaware River at a complex that includes the Adventure Aquarium and the Battleship New Jersey. 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. UPPER BERN The Trump administration this week finalized the $87.4 million purchase of a warehouse in Berks County that a member of Congress says will be used as an ICE processing and detention facility. Heres what we know so far: This story will be regularly updated. It was last published at 2 p.m. on Feb. 5. What do we know about the warehouse? The warehouse at 3501 Mountain Road has never been used, but it was initially designed and constructed as a commercial facility. The property is located in an area of Upper Bern Township that is zoned for industrial development. Transwestern Development Company completed construction in 2021 and later sold the warehouse to PCCP, a national commercial real estate equity firm, for $57.5 million. Since it was built and placed on the market, the property has remained vacant while generating about $199,620 annually in county property taxes, $31,229 in township taxes, and $597,110 for the Hamburg Area School District. A marketing brochure for the Hamburg Logistics Center describes the warehouse as a state-of-the-art logistics center designed for large-scale distribution operations. Why did ICE purchase the warehouse? ICE recently purchased warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, but the agency has not publicly shared any specifics about how it plans to use them. However, U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, a Republican who represents part of the county, told NOTUS and Spotlight PA, It will be a processing facility and a detention facility. He said he spoke to Trump administration officials on Tuesday. Internal documents obtained by multiple local and national news outlets show a broad push by the Trump administration to acquire commercial warehouses as part of a plan to expand detention across the country, an effort funded by $45 billion approved by Congress through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The nearly 520,000-square-foot warehouse, previously known as the Hamburg Logistics Center, is one of 23 locations ICE plans to redevelop into a mass detention facility, according to reporting from Bloomberg. The outlet reported it could hold up to 1,500 people. What do elected officials know about ICEs warehouse purchases? Elected officials contacted by Spotlight PA and NOTUS for this story said they have limited knowledge of ICEs plans to purchase warehouses in the state, and that they are trying to get more information from the federal government. Meuser said Trump officials did not answer all of his questions. A lot of the details were going to get to the bottom of, as far as how many people are going to be detained there, what the capacity is, how many new employees, and all the other things that, all the details that really matter to our community, Meuser told NOTUS and Spotlight PA. Were just going to make sure it goes as well as possible. Its a decision [the Department of Homeland Security] made, and were, you know, we just got to work with them. Meuser said he would have discussions with county commissioners and state representatives to fill them in on everything he is aware of. Berks Countys three commissioners Republicans Christian Leinbach and Michael Rivera, and Democrat Dante Santoni Jr. said during a Thursday meeting that they have not received confirmation from the federal government about how the warehouse will be used. I was not contacted by ICE, Rivera said. We cannot stop a sale that is a private transaction of land and property ownership. Rivera said residents should direct concerns to federal officials and ICE. Since ICE is a federal agency, they are the ones who have the say over what happens at the federal level, Rivera said. We are looking into some of the things at this point. I do not have any other details. Leinbach, who chairs the body, expressed concern about a total lack of transparency with the sale of the property. No matter what you think about ICE you should be very concerned about the process and how this is fundamentally changing what the plan was and what was approved literally overnight, and ask the question, What kind of an impact does that have, and what kind of a precedent does that set for this community? Leinbach said. Im gravely concerned about this. State Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, a Democrat who represents part of Berks County and chairs the Legislative Latino Caucus, said the purchase risks provoking fear, disrupting families, and endangering the well-being of our neighbors. Berks County has faced an ICE detention facility before, and after years of sustained community advocacy, that center ultimately closed. That history matters, said Cepeda-Freytiz, whose district is 40% Hispanic. While many questions remain about the scope and operations of this proposed facility, I will continue to use every tool available to demand transparency, protect due process, and stand with our most vulnerable neighbors. Can local or state governments stop the detention center? A spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said the administration opposes the Department of Homeland Security establishing new detention facilities in Pennsylvania. While the state does not get advance notice of or approve these types of sales, our Administration is actively evaluating our options, the spokesperson said. Berks County officials said they do not know at this point if the county has the power to stop the development of the ICE facility. Im not going to sit here and say we have no power to stop this, because I dont know that for certain. Legal will be looking at that, Leinbach said. County Solicitor Christine Sadler said in the meeting that she needs to confirm the use for the facility and get more information from the township about potential zoning issues. What additional approvals does the facility need? Upper Bern Township officials said they were not aware of the purchase before it happened. The Township was not involved in this transfer and has not received any applications from either the prior or new owners regarding the future use of the property, Andrew Hoffman, solicitor for Upper Bern Township, said in a statement. Hoffman declined to answer questions about what the zoning and permitting processes would be for the federally owned warehouse going forward. During Thursdays meeting, Rivera said the county has no authority over zoning or any applicable permits for the warehouse. That authority lies with municipalities, he said. Are there already ICE detention facilities in Pennsylvania? Seven facilities in Pennsylvania detain people for ICE, according to information published by the agency. One facility is a federal prison in Philadelphia. Another is the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Clearfield County, which is operated by a private contractor as part of an agreement where the local government operates as a middleman. The other five are county jails. How have ICE purchases unfolded in other Pennsylvania counties and in other states? ICE also recently purchased a 1.3-million-square-foot warehouse in Schuylkill County for $119.5 million. Commissioners there have expressed opposition to the proposed detention center. It would hold up to 7,500 people, Meuser told elected officials, according to the Republican Herald. In a recent meeting, Schuylkill County Commissioner Larry Padora said he is concerned about the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in local tax revenue, insufficient water, sewage capacity, and security. Padora noted that the combined population of Tremont Township and Tremont Borough represents only a quarter of the capacity ICE is planning for the detention center, the Herald reported. Tremont sewage treatment plant, we confirmed yesterday, is not big enough to handle this, and their water system does not have the capacity to handle this, Padora said. Susan Smith, director of planning and GIS for Schuylkill County, told Spotlight PA that the zoning ordinance does not apply to uses or structures owned and operated by a state or federal agency. Tremont Township would be responsible for the enforcement of building codes. ICE has also purchased warehouses in Washington and Howard Counties in Maryland, where both projects have met opposition from residents and local officials. Howard County revoked a building permit for a proposed detention facility in Elkridge. In a press conference, County Executive Calvin Ball said, The retrofitting of private office buildings for detention use, without transparency, without public input, without clear oversight, is deeply troubling. Avani Kalra of NOTUS contributed reporting from Washington, D.C. Spotlight PAs Kate Huangpu and Sarah Anne Hughes contributed from Harrisburg. 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. Judicial candidates have less than two months to settle any campaign debts before being sworn in following an election. But the way a Dauphin County attorney worded an email soliciting donations on behalf of his wife, elected as a county judge in November, has drawn concern from lawyers. It is always best to get to know and meet the judge before you appear before the judge, I have found, Justin McShane wrote in an email asking area attorneys to pay up to $2,500 to meet his wife, Judge Katy McShane, at a Dec. 11 victory party. I am sure that you agree, . Some judicial ethics experts say the language in the email is problematic. The tone seems to suggest or imply that if you pay, you will get a favorable reception from the judge, according to Sam Stretton, an attorney and judicial ethics expert, who has represented many judges and lawyers in Pennsylvania over his more than five-decade career. Stretton said the email may have landed on the wrong side of the code of judicial ethics, rules that judges and judicial candidates are legally obligated to uphold. While Justin McShane isnt beholden to the code himself, his communications in his role in her campaign and as her spouse, reflect on Katy McShane, experts and court observers say. The email has been discussed in private circles by some members of the Dauphin County Bar Association, a number of whom were uncomfortable with the language. But they were unwilling to publicly discuss it, fearing retaliation by McShane, whom they may appear before in court. Its outrageous, it shouldnt have happened, one area attorney said on the condition of anonymity. People were afraid to not respond, and therein lies the problem. Justin McShane told PennLive no one expressed concerns about the way the email was worded, and said he didnt see how his words could be interpreted as suggesting donors could have an improper influence with the judge. He said his wife has no clue who donated what to the campaign, as it should be. Im a literal person. I mean exactly what I say. Its nothing nefarious its very literal, Justin McShane said. Come and meet the judge. Katy McShane did not respond to PennLives requests for comment. You can view the full text of the email here. The campaign sold tickets for the dinner for between $500 and $2,500. The event was hosted at the Maclay House on Front Street in Harrisburg, which the campaign rented from the state bar association. The Pennsylvania Bar Association had no involvement in creating the invitation or planning the event, according to Stephanie Titzel, spokesperson for the association. Our understanding is that this was intended as a celebration and thank-you gathering, not a fundraiser, Titzel said. The email also asked those not interested in donating to respond stating that, so McShane could put them on a do-not-contact list. Pennsylvania judges are bound to the code of judicial conduct which requires candidates to promote the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary. Judges must avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety and need to minimize the risk of conflict with the obligations of their office. Judges are prohibited from conveying, or permitting others to convey, the impression any person or organization is in a position to influence the judge, Stretton said. Judges are also required to ensure their spouses behavior does not imperil the impartiality of the judiciary. Thats what Stretton believes Justin McShane did with the email, calling the last two lines of the letter asking to put non-donors names on a list a really serious violation. Hes advertising that you can buy influence, and hes brazen enough to imply that if you dont give it, well remember you, Stretton said. None of that should help you. Debbie Gross, executive director of Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts a nonprofit that advocates for fairness, accessibility and impartiality in the courts said the language of the email occupies a gray area that is at least concerning. All should have access to the judge, once you become the judge, Gross said. They have to be very careful. That comment about (meeting the judge before you appear before the judge) is a concern. Stretton also raised concern that the email could violate the Lawyers Code of Professional Conduct, under which a lawyer may not state or imply an ability to influence improperly a government agency or official or to achieve results by means that violate the Rules of Professional Conduct or other law. Stretton said judicial candidates are required to instruct their campaign committee to be cautious in connection with contributions so they do not create grounds for disqualification or recusal if a candidate accepts them. Katy McShane spent a record-breaking amount of money on her campaign in the weeks leading up to the election. Financial disclosure reports show McShane loaned herself $320,000 and spent $186,000 on SP Media, a company that makes TV ads for political campaigns, an amount unheard of in Dauphin County judicial races. The total cost of her campaign $467,000 is almost double the cost of the previous record-setting campaign for Dauphin County Judge Courtney Powell, who was elected to the bench in 2023. Its not unusual for judicial candidates to seek to retire their debt, by soliciting donations after an election. Stretton said newly elected judges have until Dec. 31 the year of the election to do so. About ten people attended the McShane fundraiser, including attorneys who practice civil law, according to Justin McShane, who added the money raised barely covered the cost of the event. Katy McShane is assigned to hear criminal cases, and it is unlikely there would be an overlap with the civil attorneys who attended, Justin McShane said. Campaign finance reports show McShane reported the following donations from PACs: $2,500 each from state Reps. Dave Madsen who attended the fundraiser and Nate Davidson, $1,000 from Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, and $500 from the Tucker Arensberg PAC. She also reported receiving $1,000 each from Shollenberger, Januzzi & Wolfe, and JDSC; $500 each from Judson Perry, Mahali Haki Associates, John Dornberger and Hillary Vesell. The McShane Firm also donated $30,000 to her campaign in two installments, for a total of $47,500 in donations for the final cycle of the year. While several attorneys declined to comment on the matter, Tom Wilkinson, who is on the state bar associations professional responsibility committee, addressed judicial ethics in general. Even if money collected through campaign fundraisers is properly applied, judicial campaigns need to be cautious in how they communicate with donors, he said. Sometimes you have less-experienced fundraisers who are not the most professional in their fundraising, Wilkinson said. You dont want to have any communications that would in any way influence the judges decision-making. Stretton felt the message was clear. Its pretty bad, he said. The judge should disavow that letter, apologize, and return the money. He also argued that Katy McShane should recuse herself from hearing cases involving anyone who gave her that money for a period of time. He added that he felt she should not hear cases involving people on the no contribute list either. It is not known if the judicial conduct board has received a complaint about the email. Complaints filed with the judicial conduct board are private and the status of any possible investigation is not made public unless the judicial conduct board decides to bring a case against a judge. The text of the email and attached flier can be found below: On November 4th, the voters of Dauphin County spoke, and they made a strong decision as to who would be our next judges in Dauphin County. And now you have a choice as to your level of support for our judges. I wanted to give you a personal invitation to join us for the Victory Party for Judge Elect Katy Kennedy-McShane. It is always best to get to know and meet the judge before you appear before the judge, I have found. I am sure that you agree. We would like to see you there with us. If you want to be part of the winning team, information as to the contribution levels and how to make it is on the graphic. If you choose not to, please let me know so I can put you on our no help/no contribute list/no contact list so we can stop calling, emailing and/or texting you. We wish to be respectful of your time and our time too. CHOOSE KINDNESS: VICTORY RECEPTION. JOIN US FOR A NIGHT IN CELEBRATION OF JUDGE-ELECT KATY KENNEDY-MCSHANE $2,500 VICTORY CIRCLE | $1,000 CHAMPIONS | $500 FRIENDS OF THE NIGHT Paid for by the committee to elect Katherine Kennedy-McShane for Judge We look forward to hearing from you one way or another. Please enjoy your day." Rebecca Green, 70, and her husband moved from Kentucky to Franklin County three months ago to be closer to family members, who could help care for them as they got older. They lived in an RV next to her sister-in-laws home in the 100 block of Kennedy Street in Guilford Township. But tragedy struck late Friday night, Jan. 30, when a space heater they were using started a fire inside their home as they slept. Greens 71-year-old husband was able to escape and tried without success to help his wife get out. But Green had significant physical ailments, her family members said, so she was unable to escape before the recreational vehicle became filled with fire. The bedroom area of the mobile home, which was where Green and the space heater were located, was engulfed when family members rushed outside after hearing screams. Emergency responders arrived about 12:20 a.m. and tried to save Green through a bedroom window, but the efforts failed as the fire rapidly intensified, according to state police. Green was pronounced dead at the scene. Her death was ruled accidental, police said. Police said the space heater, which was designed to look like a fireplace, ignited after repeatedly tripping a circuit breaker. Fire crews arrived around 12:20 a.m. Saturday in the 100 block of Kennedy Street in Guilford Township, according to the Pennsylvania State Police. Zahriah Balentine Family members said Greens husband is in shock. The couple has three daughters, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild who live in different states. They also enjoyed traveling and living in the RV that was previously used by a circus before they purchased it in the 1980s. Green retired after working for a fire station in Indiana, family members said. Her hobbies were crocheting and collecting cookbooks from famous celebrities. Were taking it one day at a time, a family member told PennLive. She will be missed. Neighbors told PennLive that numerous emergency vehicles responded to the blaze, which caused the smell of heavy smoke to fill the air. One resident said fatal fires dont happen often in the area she described as a small town, noting the last fatal fire occurred years ago in Marion. In this little town, not a lot of things happen, she told PennLive. FILE - A man walks in front of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 7, 2015, in New Orleans. A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, for a lawsuit to proceed against guards and officials at a privately run north Louisiana jail where an inmate died with a fractured skull in 2015. The lawsuit includes allegations that guards at Monroe's Richwood Correctional Center sometimes beat and pepper-sprayed handcuffed prisoners in an area where there were no security cameras. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman, File) AP 2026 continues to be tough sledding for online sweepstakes casinos. While players enjoy the greatness of a new social casino like Free Spin, Louisiana lawmakers are trying to flat-out ban sweepstakes casinos in more states. Wasting no time, Louisiana lawmakers have already pre-filed HB 53 that would tie sweepstakes casinos to racketeering laws. What is HB 53? The aim of HB 53, which was pre-filed by Representative Bryan Fontenot, is to categorize specific sweepstakes gambling acts as racketeering. House Bill 53 is a new measure to the failed 2025 bill that would have banned sweepstakes casinos. However, Governor Jeff Landry, after much debate, ultimately vetoed the measure. Apparently, one of Governor Landrys main reasons for the 2025 veto was that he felt that existing Louisiana law already has sufficient powers and authority to properly regulate and handle existing or any new social casino coming online in the Bayou State. HB 53 attempts to go further To try to ban any new social casino or existing sweeps casinos in the state, HB 53 would rely on existing state laws, such as RS 15:1354. This statute invokes punishing violators with up to one million dollars, possibly jailed for up to fifty years, or a combination of both. Currently, HB 53 sits with the Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice. The passage below comes directly from RS 15:134 which defines racketeering under current Louisiana law as: committing, attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or soliciting, coercing, or intimidating another person to commit any crime that is punishable under the following provisions of Title 14 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law, or the Louisiana Securities Law. The scope of the existing law, if passed, would include gambling, including playing at sweeps casinos on the phone or via the browser. To be considered guilty of racketeering, the alleged violator has to be found guilty of two or more acts. The future of HB 53 The first day of the Louisiana legislature is March 9. So, there is still time to add and remove new details from the bill. By pre-filing HB 53 on January 30, the odds of this bill being considered and possibly advanced are high compared to last years failed HB 540 measure. Rep. Fontenot filed HB 540 in 2025, where it failed to add more video poker machines to casinos catering to trucks. While it remains to be seen whether HB 53 ultimately advances, Louisiana has already been active in getting sweepstakes casinos out of the Bayou State, just as Indiana and Maryland are trying to ban online sweepstakes casinos. In 2025, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, in tandem with the state Attorney General, issued over 40 cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed iGaming operators, including sweepstakes casinos. In 2025, Tennessee sent out similar letters, including the best sweepstakes casinos like Chumba, ordering them to exit the Volunteer State. At the close of October, California banned sweepstakes casinos, and later, New York followed suit. The continued controversy surrounding sweepstakes casinos While there seem to be new social casinos like LoneStar and SweepJungle to replace those that have shut down, 2025 proved to be a pivotal year for the crackdown on sweepstakes casinos. Advocates claim that sweeps casinos are gambling in disguise. While no purchase is necessary to play at sweeps casinos, they offer a welcome offer and Gold Coin packages that give members free Sweeps Coins. Sweeps Coins is how members play to win cash prizes. Its pretty competitive that the new social casino from 2025, Rolla, offers new members 1.5 million Gold Coins and 30 free Sweeps Coins. Its the optional purchase to claim bonus Sweeps Coins that served as the basis for the class-action lawsuit against Stake.us and rapper Drake. However, the best sweepstakes casinos like Wow Vegas, Crown Coins, and Spree remain unfazed. Hollywood socialite Paris Hilton is the official brand ambassador for Wow Vegas, and Crown Coins Casino is known for its cross-promotional deals. Spree Casino recently announced its partnership with legendary Detroit rapper, Xzibit. West Coast hip-hop legend and bonus Mogul, Snoop Dogg, doesnt appear to be showing any signs of concern about the future of online sweepstakes casinos. He already has two of the most popular sweepstakes slots in his name, Snoops High Rollers and Snoop Dogg Dollars. He also launched his branded new social casino, The Dogg House. Severe cold will return this weekend across Pennsylvania, according to forecasts, along with strong and potentially dangerous winds. Some of the coldest days of the winter are ahead for the Northeast this weekend, according to AccuWeather. In recent weeks, the polar vortex weakened and shifted, allowing frigid air to pour into the central and eastern U.S. There is hope for some relief soon, AccuWeather reports, as the polar vortex strengthens (keeping colder air in the arctic, rather than allowing it to travel south). But even that relief is likely temporary, and in the meantime, bitter cold will remain. In short, its going to feel painfully cold to be outside even for a few minutes, reads another AccuWeather post. Furnaces, space heaters and electric baseboards and cable electric systems will be working overtime to keep up. Their forecast calls for the blast of Arctic air [... ] coming directly from the frozen tundra north of Hudson Bay and sweeping across the northeastern United States. The Arctic blast this weekend is but part of a long-running bout of well-below-historical-average temperatures, they report. Winds will also be intense across the entire state this weekend. AccuWeather predicts windy and frigid conditions across the mid-Atlantic, including all of Pennsylvania. Their projections show powerful winds across the state between Friday and Saturday, with gusts expected above 40 mph for much of the state. Snow is also expected in much of the state this afternoon and evening. Combined with heavy winds, even relatively light snowfall may become dangerous as snow squalls affect visibility. And powerful wind gusts also bring the risk of taking down trees, branches and power lines, adding additional risk for people trying to stay warm and safe as temperatures drop. Staying safe The National Weather Service website has information on how to stay warm in severe cold. But the most important steps involve planning and preparation before the extreme cold arrives. Dont get caught unprepared, the NWS website reads. Make checking the forecast part of your regular routine so youll know when to expect cold weather. The Center for Disease Control website also has advice for staying safe during winter storms and extreme cold. Winter storms are dangerous, their website reads. They can bring cold temperatures, power failures, loss of communication services, and icy roads. While staying indoors can help, the CDC warns that you may also face hazards inside your home and should be careful and prepare properly in case of power loss. Here are some tips from their websites: If possible, avoid being outside during the coldest parts of the day, which is usually the early morning. Try to find a warm place for children to wait for the bus on school days. Dont leave animals outside to be overly exposed, and make sure they have access to water that isnt frozen. Take precautions to prevent water pipes from freezing. Make sure your car has at least half a tank of gas, so you can stay warm in case you become stranded. Dress for the outdoors, even if you think you wont be outside long. Have a survival kit prepared for vehicles, including jumper cables, flashlights, first aid kits and medical supplies, food, water, basic tools, shovels, ice scrapers, spare clothes and blankets, and a spare cell phone charger. Staying warm inside ABIDJAN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ivorian government on Wednesday unveiled its National Development Plan (PND) for 2026-2030, with a total investment of about 114.84 trillion CFA francs (20.64 billion U.S. dollars). The new plan targets average economic growth of 7.2 percent over the 2026-2030 period, according to government spokesperson Amadou Coulibaly. The investment rate is expected to reach 25.4 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026 before rising to 34.5 percent of GDP by 2030. The overall investment volume represents an increase of about 95 percent compared with the PND 2021-2025. Through the implementation of the new plan, the government aims to build a stable, ambitious and united nation and to elevate Cote d'Ivoire to upper-middle-income country status by 2030, said Coulibaly. WSOPC Marrakech Breaks Record as Largest Stop Ever Outside The Americas Eliot Thomas Editor, Poker & Casino Copy link The 11th edition of the WSOP Circuit Marrakech has been confirmed as a record-breaker, with huge fields across the festival making it the largest WSOPC stop ever held outside the Americas. The series, which ran at the legendary Casino de Marrakech from January 16 to 25, saw strong attendance throughout, most notably in the 16,000 MAD Main Event, which drew a record 1,694 entries and generated an enormous 2.14 million prize pool. Those figures confirm WSOPC Marrakech as one of the standout early-year stops on the global poker calendar, while underlining Moroccos growing popularity as an international poker destination. Monster Main Event One of Many Highlights Sandro Carucci When the dust settled after nine days of action, it was Switzerlands Sandro Carucci who walked away with the festivals top honors, claiming his maiden WSOPC ring after outlasting a massive Main Event field of 1,694 runners. Carucci, also a high school teacher, took home 280,000 for the victory, the lions share of the 2.14 million prize poolplenty for some new pencils and notebooks back in the classroom. Meanwhile, the record-breaking numbers didnt stop at the Main Event. The 7,000 MAD Mini Main Event and 25,000 MAD High Roller both shattered previous benchmarks, generating prize pools of 600,000 and 715,000 respectively, while the 4,500 MAD Opener drew nearly 900 entries through the halls of the Es Saadi Marrakech Resort. In total, 5.7 million was paid out to players, setting a new all-time record for the Casino de Marrakech. International Field Flocks to Morocco Alongside the record prize pools, organizers have also confirmed a 10% increase in overall attendance at the festival, with an increasingly international complexion to the tournament fields. Despite higher buy-ins, the events attracted players from across Europe and beyond, including Spain, Poland, Switzerland, France, the UK, the US, and Morocco, contributing to the unprecedented numbers. The Es Saadi Marrakech Resort has a long history of hosting international poker events, with 66 festivals held at the casino over the past two decades. It has built a strong reputation among players thanks to its on-site amenities (including hotel & restaurants) and comfortable, well-organized poker room. Marrakech Poker Open (MPO) Up Next Players looking to return to Morocco for more poker wont have long to wait, as the Casino de Marrakech opens its doors again next month for the Marrakech Poker Open (MPO), running from March 24 to 29. Organizers have confirmed that full details, including the tournament schedule and buy-ins, will be announced shortly. Share this article Ottomar Ladva raised under the gun to 700,000 and Kirill Shcherbakov jammed from the big blind for 1,650,000. Ladva made the call and the players went to a showdown. Kirill Shcherbakov: AA Ottomar Ladva: K6 Shcherbakov had found aces at the perfect time, and only a very unfortunate runout would end his tournament just shy of the podium. Ladva picked up a gutshot on the 957 flop, and added even more outs when the K came on the turn by hitting a pair. The 6 rolled off on the river to give Ladva runner-runner two pair, cracking the aces of Shcherbakov, who headed to the exit in fourth place. MOSCOW, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine must be "a neutral and benign state" to be Russia's neighbour for the long term, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today (RT) on Thursday. "It must be a friendly Ukraine. Not necessarily an ally, but a neutral and benign state," said Lavrov, according to the English version of the interview published by the Russian Foreign Ministry. "This, of course, implies respect not only for the rights of the people in the territory that will remain part of Ukraine, not only respect for their rights to access basic necessities, such as warmth, food, and water, but also respect for their, if you will, fundamental human rights, including language, education, and religion," Lavrov said. To reiterate, Ukraine that will sign the agreements must not assault international law and the Ukrainian Constitution, which guarantees the rights of ethnic minorities, he added. Lavrov noted that Russia has repeatedly made clear to Washington that for Moscow, the priority in the Ukrainian settlement is not territory, but people: "Our priority is the people that have lived in these territories. The Russian people who speak and raise their children to speak Russian, who have developed these territories for centuries." Lavrov said the Ukrainian peace settlement plan referenced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, parts of which Russia has only seen in fragments, makes no mention of restoring the rights of ethnic Russians and other national minorities, nor of upholding religious freedoms. He stressed that linguistic and religious freedoms are enshrined in the UN Charter. "They cannot be used as bargaining chips." The second round of U.S.-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, with both sides agreeing to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failing to achieve substantive breakthroughs on core issues such as territorial arrangements and a ceasefire. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said the Ukrainian delegation sought a "dignified and lasting peace," without disclosing specific outcomes. Aiken Standard reporter Dede Biles is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers Aiken County government, business and horse industry. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers Reporter Carl Dawson covers the City of Aiken and the Savannah River Site. An Aiken County resident since 1990, his work has appeared in the Charleston News & Courier, the Tampa Tribune, the Atlanta Constitution and the Augusta Chronicle. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Carolina. MASERU, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Lesotho on Thursday held an event in Maseru, the southern African country's capital, to celebrate the launch of the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. In his welcoming speech, Charge d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Lesotho Lu Hui said the event reflects the shared commitment of China and Lesotho to people-centered development. Lu noted that the celebration should serve as a new starting point for both sides to work together with sincerity and creativity, and to carry forward the friendship between China and Lesotho, as well as between China and Africa. Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso of Lesotho highlighted the lasting and transformative impact of people-to-people exchanges, noting that while interactions occur at different levels from officials to ordinary citizens, people-to-people relations are the most sustainable and have the greatest impact. Mantiti Khabo, principal secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts, and Culture of Lesotho, outlined the country's vision for deeper cooperation with China in cultural and creative industries, saying that culture serves as a powerful instrument for development, diplomacy, and mutual understanding, with broad cooperation potential in areas such as film production, capacity building, and heritage preservation. The year also coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, as well as the 60th anniversary of Lesotho's independence, representing a significant milestone in bilateral relations. Managing Editor - Post and Courier Myrtle Beach Born and raised in South Carolina, Charles Perry has worked in the state's newspaper industry for nearly 20 years. He covers Horry and Georgetown counties for The Post and Courier. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. KABUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and three others sustained injuries when the wall of their house collapsed in western Afghanistan's Farah province on Friday, a statement from the provincial Directorate for Information and Culture said. The incident took place in Farah Rod district following heavy rain, killing the father and his young daughter on the site and injuring three others, including two children and their mother, the statement added. This is the third incident of its kind since Saturday, occurring in the wake of heavy rains and snowfall in major parts of Afghanistan. The majority of Afghan residential houses, particularly in rural areas, are constructed from mud, which makes them prone to natural disasters and vulnerable even to rain and snowfall, occasionally resulting in loss of life and property damage. This paid press release is brought to you from our partnership with EZ Newswire. The Post and Courier news staff was not involved in its creation. PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-06 16:15:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 846 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ATLANTA, GA and DOHA, QATAR / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / Ameerex Corporation (OTC:HIRU) ("Ameerex" or the "Company ) today confirmed major heavy rare earth element (HREE) mineralization within its Brazil joint venture with Patagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX: PL3), materially expanding the scope of a partnership previously centered on lithium and positioning the project within a globally significant critical minerals belt. There are 11 targets that have been identified for augur and air-core drilling.The studies for the Goias areas were based on the ratio between the Araxa carbonatite, silicate rocks and fenitisation. Catalao I carbonatite is correlated to the same geological event as the Araxa carbonatite.The Company's rare earth concessions are located in Goias, within the Goias-Araxa-Catalao belt, a mineral district recognized for long-standing niobium and rare earth production. The project area lies directly adjacent to the CMOC operating niobium phosphate mine, providing clear validation of regional prospectivity, continuity of mineralization, and the presence of established mining infrastructure.Figure 1. Total REE results for the road and channel samples analysed, with the sedimentary niobium mine operated by CMOC China. A sample off the concession (SE) recorded 1898ppm total REE. Heavy Rare Earth mineralization ConfirmedExploration work completed by the joint venture partner Patagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX:PL3) has confirmed via satellite SW-IR surveys and soil and rock chip sampling rare earth mineralization dominated by heavy and high-value rare earth elements, including:Holmium (Ho) - used in advanced magnets, laser systems, and nuclear-related applications. The latest (Feb 6, 26) holmium oxide prices show Chinabased spot material trading around the high60s USD/kg range, with Northeast Asia indices slightly higher. The market size in 2024 was estimated at US $360 million. Holmium is extracted from Monazites (phosphates), Bastnasite (fluoro carbonates) and from Ionadsorption clays. Because holmium sits in the middle of the heavy REE group, its separation requires multiple solventextraction stages after the bulk REE concentrate is produced. Ekosolve the partner to Patagonia Lithium has significant Solvent extraction expertise.Lutetium (Lu) - among the rarest, rare earth elements, used in petroleum refining catalysts, medical imaging, and high-performance optics. Data shows lutetium oxide trading in the US $700-$735/kg range, with Chinadelivered 99.99% material most recently quoted at US $731.58/kg (source: Business anlytiq). The global market size is estimated at US $13.5 Billion and expected to reach $22,5 billion by 2033. Lutetium oxide alone is a much smaller subset (hundreds of millions USD), but the Lu177 medical isotope segment is exploding and dominates value growth. Lutetium has an extremely low natural abundance. Lutetium is not mined directly; it is a fractional output of HREE circuits.Yttrium (Y) - a core material for advanced ceramics, medical technologies, and specialized manufacturing. Yttrium prices have exploded due to China's 2025 export controls, with current spot levels sitting in the USD 120-320/kg range for yttrium oxide, depending on purity and contract terms. (source: ecofinagency.com) . Yttrium is always extracted as part of the heavy rareearth element (HREE) fraction from REEbearing ores. The process is Ore Concentrate Mixed REE Solution Solvent Extraction Yttrium Compound Calcination YO.Channel and regolith sampling returned elevated total rare earth values, supporting the presence of a large-scale heavy rare earth mineralized footprint and warranting accelerated technical follow-up. The concessions 830164 and 830165 cover 30 sq km.Geological Context and Global ScaleThe mineralization is interpreted to be associated with carbonatite-related and metasomatic alteration characteristic of central Brazil. The Goias-Araxa-Catalao belt is widely recognized by geologists as the largest continuous heavy rare earth-bearing belt outside China, and second globally by regional scale and continuity, based on mapped alteration footprint and mineralized trend length.The proximity of the Company's concessions to active production (5km from the Araxa REE centre) further validates the geological model and underscores the relevance of the belt within global rare earth supply dynamics.Path ForwardThe joint venture is advancing toward:Targeted auger and air-core drilling across multiple priority anomaliesExpanded surface sampling and geophysics surveysAircore or RC drilling to determine lithological structures especially ionic claysPreliminary metallurgical characterization to assess solvent extraction recovery pathwaysThese programs are designed to progressively de-risk the asset while maintaining a disciplined, staged advancement strategy.Strategic PositioningAmeerex believes that the scale, continuity, and heavy rare earth composition of the Goias-Araxa-Catalao belt support engagement with industrial groups partners and institutional investment firms seeking long-term access to strategic rare earth supply and participation in the development of non-China critical-minerals production.About Patagonia Lithium LtdPatagonia Lithium Ltd (ASX: PL3) is an exploration company with lithium brine projects in Argentina and a growing portfolio of mineral exploration concessions in Brazil, including rare earth and specialty metals such as Niobium.About Ameerex CorporationAmeerex Corporation is a U.S.-listed company advancing natural resource assets across critical minerals and energy through strategic partnerships and joint ventures.Investor RelationsAmeerex Corporation - Doha, Qatar3379 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 700Atlanta, GA 30326Email: info@ ameerex.com Phone: +1 775-312-2773Corporate Communications https://x.com/thehirucorpOTC MarketsSOURCE: Hiru Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-06 04:45:04 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 544 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY AND NEW ORLEANS, LA / ACCESS Newswire / February 5, 2026 /Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors with substantial losses that they have untilMarch 23, 2026to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against BellRing Brands, Inc. (NYSE:BRBR), if they purchased or otherwise acquired the Company's securities between November 19, 2024 and August 4, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.What You May DoIf you purchased securities of BellRing and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ( lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com) , or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-brbr/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court byMarch 23, 2026 .About the LawsuitBellRing and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.On May 6, 2025, the Company disclosed that "several key retailers lowered their weeks of supply on hand, which is expected to be a mid-single-digit headwind to our third quarter growth," and that "[w]e now expect Q3 sales growth of low single digits." On this news, the price of BellRing's shares fell $14.88 per share, or 19%, from $78.43 per share on May 5, 2025, to close at $63.55 per share on May 6, 2025, on unusually heavy trading volume.Then, on August 4, 2025, post-market, the Company reported its fiscal 3Q 2025 financial results, disclosing a disappointing new 2025 sales outlook, stating "BellRing management has narrowed its fiscal year 2025 outlook for net sales to [a] range between $2.28-$2.32 billion," due to "several other competitors" gaining space to sell their products with a large retailer and that "it is not surprising to see new protein RTDs enter[ed]" the convenient nutrition market. On this news, the price of BellRing's shares fell $17.46 per share, or nearly 33%, from $53.64 per share on August 4, 2025, to $36.18 per share on August 5, 2025, on unusually heavy trading volume.The case is Denha v. BellRing Brands, Inc., No. 26-cv-00575.About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCKSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. This past year, KSF was ranked by SCAS among the top 10 firms nationally based upon total settlement value. KSF serves a variety of clients, including public and private institutional investors, and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, Delaware, California, Louisiana, Chicago, and a representative office in Luxembourg.TOP 10 Plaintiff Law Firms - According to ISS Securities Class Action ServicesTo learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com Contact:Kahn Swick & Foti, LLCLewis Kahn, Managing Partnerlewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com1-877-515-18501100 Poydras St., Suite 960New Orleans, LA 70163CONNECT WITH US: Facebook || Instagram || YouTube || TikTok || LinkedInSOURCE: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-06 17:01:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 347 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is investigating potential claims on behalf of purchasers of Vizsla Silver Corp. ("Vizsla" or "the Company") (NYSE:VZLA). Investors who purchased Vizsla securities are encouraged to obtain additional information and assist the investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/VZLA Vizsla Investigation DetailsOn January 29, 2026, Vizsla Silver issued a press release "regarding a security incident at its project site in Concordia, Mexico." Per the Company's press release, "[t]en individuals were taken during the incident" and that "[a]s a precautionary measure, Vizsla Silver has temporarily suspended certain activities at and near the site." On this news, Vizsla Silver's stock price fell $1.02 per share, or 14.87%, to close at $5.84 per share on January 29, 2026.What's Next for Vizsla Investors?If you are aware of any facts relating to this investigation or purchased Vizsla securities, you can assist this investigation by visiting the firm's site: bgandg.com/VZLA . You can also contact Peretz Bronstein or his client relations manager, Nathan Miller, of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC:917-590-0911No Cost to Vizsla InvestorsWe, Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, represent investors in class actions on a contingency fee basis. That means we will ask the court to reimburse us for out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys' fees, usually a percentage of the total recovery, only if we are successful.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC for Vizsla Securities Investigation?Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide."Our practice centers on restoring investor capital and ensuring corporate accountability, which serves to uphold the essential integrity of the marketplace," saidPeretz Bronstein , Founding Partner of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC.Follow us for updates onLinkedIn ,X ,Facebook , orInstagram .Contact InfoPeretz Bronstein, Esq. or Nathan MillerBronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC917-590-0911|info@ bgandg.com Attorney advertising.Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC AI training engineer Li Weiming (L) performs data annotation at a workshop for people with physical disabilities in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Jan. 14, 2026.(Xinhua/Chen Bin) LANZHOU, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At first glance, this room looks no different from any other white collar office in a high-rise building, with employees busy at their computer screens, accompanied by a steady rhythm of clicks and taps. Working as data annotators, most of the staff at the Xinlianxin social work services center in Lanzhou, the capital of northwest China's Gansu Province, have physical disabilities. They serve as "teachers" for AI computer models, providing essential human guidance to improve the accuracy and reliability of artificial intelligence. Data annotation is a fundamental part of the AI chain. By tagging various types of data as text, audio, images or videos, for example, the process gradually teaches AI models. Those engaged in such labeling work are often referred to as data annotators. Their tasks range from labeling pedestrians and vehicles in street view images to marking the pronunciation and meaning of speeches, or identifying the semantics and expressive nuances of texts. In 2020, "data annotator" was included in China's occupational classification catalog. It has become an employment option for people with physical disabilities due to its low physical demand and capacity for remote work. People with disabilities often possess unique advantages in data labeling work. For example, those with hearing impairments may have higher levels of visual perception, enabling them to detect subtle differences in image annotation tasks quickly, and people with mobility constraints often display greater stability in their hand movements, making them well-suited to prolonged keyboard and mouse operations. In the past, many people with disabilities relied on handicraft work to make a living, said Wang Lihong, head of the Gansu provincial services center for vocational education and the employment of people with disabilities. "Last year, after learning of this emerging profession, we launched a training program for data annotators, and about 19 trainees have obtained vocational skill certificates to date." Yang Zhiwen, 33, was one such trainee. He sustained a permanent injury to his right leg in a car accident during childhood. He is now employed by a Beijing-headquartered high-tech company and commutes regularly to the center in Lanzhou. "I am interested in AI. When I heard about this training from community workers, I signed up immediately," Yang told Xinhua, after reviewing an AI-generated sale description of a woven handbag on a major domestic e-commerce platform. For Yang, text annotation is the easiest work. He also deals with images, audio and 3D content. "I can sit still and stay patient," Yang said. "If I do not get it right the first time, I will try again until I nail it." "It gives me a real sense of achievement," he said, adding that the job enables him to keep pace with the times, rather than being left behind. Like Yang, most other employees at the center have severe physical disabilities, which are their greatest barrier to employment. But the data annotator profession enables them to make use of strengths in focus and patience. According to the center, graduate trainees have found jobs in sectors such as automotive, catering, film and information services. Xu Junlin, 28, had long been unemployed and remained at home, describing herself as "introverted." Her new job in AI enables her to earn 3,000 to 4,000 yuan (about 431 to 575 U.S. dollars) per month and gives her confidence in her life. "It feels fulfilling," she said. Similar training programs have been launched across China. As AI technology evolves, data annotation is also undergoing an accelerated transformation. About 60 to 70 percent of simple or repetitive labeling tasks can now be done by AI models. "Human efforts are needed in emerging, complex and niche sectors," said Liu Ji, a technical director at Jingshuyun big data technology company in Shenyang, the capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. More than half of the employees in the company are people with disabilities. Liu said the data labeling industry is shifting from being labor-intensive to being tech-intensive, requiring more from data annotators in terms of accuracy, efficiency and comprehension. Many local governments have cooperated with enterprises and universities, offering job opportunities and guidance for people with disabilities to participate in data annotation work through learning and practical applications. "The times have given us these opportunities, and we must keep pace and upgrade our skills," said Wang Xiao, who works in Shanghai. Formerly a massage therapist, she has completed relevant training and become a data annotator specializing in the transportation sector. Her opinion was echoed by Yang in Lanzhou. "I used to think obtaining a basic vocational skill certificate was enough, but I have changed my mind and aim to earn intermediate and advanced certificates to work for a bigger platform." PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-06 19:00:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 493 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Court Orders End All Claims Against the Tuckers; Only Their Affirmative Claims RemainPHOENIX, AZ / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / Jason Tucker and Melissa Tucker confirmed that the United States District Court for the District of Arizona has dismissed, with prejudice, Labor Smart, Inc.'s remaining claims against them, including claims for breach of fiduciary duty and conversion, following discovery. While Labor Smart and its principals accused Jason Tucker of failing to file Labor Smart paperwork and misappropriating funds, the claims were not substantiated by any personal knowledge or documentary evidence. No claims remain pending against Jason Tucker or Melissa Tucker. The Tuckers will seek recovery of their attorneys' fees and costs relating to the dismissed claims.What remains in the Arizona litigation are the Tuckers' affirmative claims against Labor Smart (now Kultura Brands, Inc.) and other third-party defendants, including Takeover Industries, Inc., Next Gen Beverages, LLC, Tom Zarro, Michael Holley, Toby McBride, and Joseph Pavlik. The Tuckers' claims against those defendants include breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent transfer, defamation, and related claims. Several matters are currently pending before the Court for decision on the evidentiary record, and the Tuckers have sought a trial on the amounts of damages owed.The Tuckers issue this statement in an attempt to correct the public record, as allegations that have now been dismissed were widely repeated online. The relevant court orders and filings speak for themselves.Court Order is available here: Court OrderAbout the PartiesLabor Smart, Inc. (now Kultura Brands, Inc.), a company quoted on OTC Markets and headquartered in Jackson, Wyoming, has described itself as a diversified consumer beverage and brand platform. In public releases, the company has promoted Lock'dIn ( lockdin.com) , Elevate Health & Wellness, Thirst Responder Hydrogen Water ( thirstresponder.com) , and Adios Spirits ( adiosspirits.com) . Kultura Brands has also highlighted relationships involving Cookies ( cookies.co) and a publicly traded pharmaceutical services company, Cencora Inc., and has stated that Manny Pacquiao serves on its board.Jason Tucker is an intellectual property and brand growth strategist specializing in IP enforcement and brand-protection. He previously served as a board member and director of Labor Smart, Inc. and as an executive of Takeover Industries, where he led national retail expansion and high-profile beverage product launches covered by trade and mainstream press, and received two best new beverage product awards for that company.Melissa Tucker is an operations, marketing, and SEO expert whose company provided contracted marketing services to a Labor Smart-affiliated subsidiary, including leadership of digital and brand initiatives, management of related assets, and execution of national marketing initiatives.Battleship Stance, Inc. is an intellectual property, brand-protection, and legal services firm founded by Jason Tucker. The firm is issuing this public-record update regarding the litigation to address reputational harm to Jason Tucker arising from allegations dismissed with prejudice and other public statements at issue. The firm is not a party to the case.Media Contact Media Representative publicrecord.ltnc@gmail.com SOURCE: Battleship Stance Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-06 17:45:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 337 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 This Recognition Highlights Industry-Leading AI Technology That Is Redefining Truckload Planning and OperationsJOLIET, IL / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / GP Transcotoday announced it has been named the 2026 Innovator of the Year by Commercial Carrier Journal, one of the trucking industry's most prestigious honors recognizing transformative technological leadership and impact.The award was presented at the 22nd annual CCJ Innovators Summit in Key Largo, Florida, where leading fleets and executives gathered to showcase pioneering solutions that are moving the industry forward. GP Transco was selected by CCJ editors for its groundbreaking application of artificial intelligence within its proprietary transportation management system OpenRoad TMS.GP Transco's advanced AI tools - including its HOS ETA/ETE Simulator and Loads and Drivers Recommender - optimize planning processes, significantly reduce manual workload, enhance driver-to-load matching, minimize wait times for drivers, and significantly enhancing the service provided to GP Transco's customers. These innovations automate as much as 95% of load entries through intelligent data robots and EDI, streamlining operations and improving customer outcomes."We are deeply honored to receive CCJ's Innovator of the Year distinction," said Dominic Zastarskis, CEO of GP Transco. "This recognition underscores our team's relentless commitment to innovation and the intelligent application of technology that supports our people, elevates service, and strengthens performance in a highly competitive market." GP Transco's recognition places it among a distinguished class of industry innovators highlighted throughout the past year, alongside other fleets recognized for pushing the boundaries of technology and operational excellence.This award follows GP Transco's continued success in leveraging technology to enhance driver satisfaction, safety, and fleet efficiency while upholding its mission of providing reliable and customer-centric transportation solutions.About GP Transco Founded in 2006 with a commitment to integrity, innovation, and service excellence, GP Transco has grown into one of the nation's most forward-thinking carriers. From cutting-edge AI-driven planning tools to driver-centric operations, GP Transco continues to redefine what's possible in modern logistics.Contact Information:Sergey Bort VP of MARCOM & Digital StrategyGP Transcopr@ gptransco.com | (800) 460-5071SOURCE: GP Transco PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-06 14:00:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 836 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Honoring Women Shaping the New Era of Equality at the World Woman Davos Agenda, on the Sidelines of the World Economic ForumDAVOS, SWITZERLAND / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 / The World Woman Foundation honored Neerja Birla, founder of the mental health initiative Mmpower, under Aditya Birla Education Trust, with the World Woman Hero Award on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, recognizing her work in advancing mental health as a critical pillar of global economic resilience.The award was presented by Jolanta Kwasniewska, former first lady of Poland, and Rupa Dash, founder and CEO of the World Woman Foundation, during the World Woman Davos Agenda, held Jan, 22, 2026, in Davos, Switzerland.The World Woman Davos Agenda is a multi-stakeholder initiative presented in collaboration with global media partners, including Forbes, Axel Springer SE, Equal Voice, Onet, Ringier Schweiz Media and Business Insider, with Roland Berger serving as the knowledge partner. The convening brings together government leaders, business executives, civil society representatives and media to address leadership, trust and cross-sector collaboration amid rapid technological, economic and societal shifts.Central to the agenda is the Power of Dialogues, a platform designed to foster collaboration and generate practical solutions for long-term global resilience. The 2026 convening is grounded in the #EqualityMoonshot, a framework focused on advancing gender equality, strengthening the global economy, and supporting a sustainable and peaceful future through inclusive leadership.As world leaders meet in Davos to address economic uncertainty, workforce productivity and long-term growth, mental health is increasingly recognized as both a social and economic priority. Depression and anxiety are estimated to cost the global economy more than $1 trillion annually in lost productivity, highlighting the growing importance of the "brain economy," in which cognitive skills, emotional resilience and mental well-being are treated as essential forms of human capital.Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of Mpower commented that "This recognition affirms that leadership today must place mental well-being at the center of how we build resilient organizations and societies. Through Mpower, our focus has been on translating purpose into action by creating systems that enable people to thrive emotionally and contribute meaningfully. I am grateful to Rupa Dash, World Woman Foundation and to Ms. Jolanta Kwasniewska, for elevating mental health as imperative for as a global priority." Neerja Birla's work through Mpower aligns with this framework by positioning mental health not solely as a medical or social issue, but as an investment in economic stability and future workforce readiness.Founded in 2016, Mpower was established to address critical gaps in mental health care across India and other developing economies, where stigma and lack of access often prevent individuals from seeking support. The initiative focuses on mental health awareness, literacy, clinical counseling, psychiatric care and crisis response, including a 24/7 multilingual helpline operating multiple languages.A central focus of Mpower's work is youth and adolescent mental health, reflecting research showing that nearly 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14. By prioritizing early intervention, the initiative aims to reduce long-term social and economic costs while strengthening the resilience of future workforces.Mpower works in partnership with governments, schools, security forces, police departments, shelter homes and workplaces. In institutional settings, its programs have contributed to measurable outcomes, including significant reductions in suicide rates, alongside improvements in retention, social functioning and overall well-being."Neerja Birla's leadership reframes mental health as economic infrastructure," said Rupa Dash, founder and CEO of the World Woman Foundation. "Her work goes beyond advocacy to build systems that strengthen cognitive resilience, restore dignity and secure the future of the global workforce. This is the kind of leadership the world needs as we rethink growth, productivity and inclusive progress." The 2026 agenda features a global lineup of leaders shaping conversations on power and progress, including Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand; Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, prime minister of Sri Lanka; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization; Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the democratic forces of Belarus; Shri Nara Lokesh, minister for information technology, electronics and communications, government of Andhra Pradesh; Moira Forbes, executive vice president of Forbes Media; Belen Garijo, CEO of Merck; Whitney Baird, president and CEO of the United States Council for International Business; Anna Borg, CEO of Vattenfall; Magdalena Franciszka Wierzycka, CEO of Sygnia Limited; Sandi Peterson, operating partner at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice; Constance Hunter, chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit; Carolina Muller-Mohl, investor and equality advocate; Paula Yacoubian, member of parliament, Lebanon; Kariman Abuljadayel, Saudi Olympian and Guinness World Record holder; and Fiona Bassett, CEO of FTSE Russell, LSEG.Additional World Woman Hero honorees include H.H. Sheikha Dr. Shamma Mohammed Khalid Al Nahyan, chairperson of the board at Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural and Educational Institutions; Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize laureate; and Abir Al-Sahlani, member of the European Parliament.The World Woman Hero Award recognizes women leaders whose work drives systemic change and advances inclusive, sustainable global development.CONTACT:Stephanie Ecike Global Partnership | World Woman Foundation | +1 (510) 990-4275SOURCE: World Woman Foundation PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-07 00:01:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 504 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 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 PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-06 02:19:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 563 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / February 5, 2026 /WHY: New York, N.Y., February 5, 2026. Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers or acquirers of senior notes by Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) issued pursuant and/or traceable to the Shelf Registration Statement filed with the SEC on March 15, 2024, and as supplemented on September 25, 2025 (together, the "Offering Documents"), of the New York State class action lawsuit filed on their behalf.SO WHAT: If you purchased or acquired Oracle senior notes 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 Oracle class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=51135 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed.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, the Offering Documents contained false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that at the time of the Offering, Oracle would require a significant amount of additional debt to build the AI infrastructure. In addition, Oracle was organizing to raise that additional debt, which would ultimately bring the creditworthiness of these bonds into question. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.To join the Oracle class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=51135 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point.Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.---Contact Information:Laurence Rosen, Esq.Phillip Kim, Esq.The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.275 Madison Avenue, 40th FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@ rosenlegal.comwww.rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. PR-Inside.com: 2026-02-07 00:10:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 814 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 "By reopening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts to commercial fishing, fairness, transparency, and science-based governance has been restored to the affected fisheries." -- Bob Vanasse, Executive Director of Saving SeafoodWASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / February 6, 2026 /Statement from Bob Vanasse, Executive Director of Saving Seafood, on President Trump's Action to Restore Commercial Fishing Access to the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument:This afternoon, President Trumprevoked President Biden's Proclamation 10287 and removed the restrictions on commercial fishing within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.This decision reflects a clear understanding of a simple truth: commercial fishing in the United States is already governed by the most comprehensive, science-based, and publicly accountable regulatory system in the world. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, fishing activities in federal waters must meet strict sustainability standards, undergo rigorous scientific review, and follow a transparent process that includes stakeholder input and council oversight. Restoring access to the monument area under this framework reaffirms-not undermines-our commitment to conservation.The Atlantic deep-sea red crab, once an underutilized species, is today recognized as a "smart seafood choice" by NOAA Fisheries, and became the first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable crab fishery in North America in 2009. It was the most harvested species from the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monument until access was cut off by President Biden in 2021. It is landed in New Bedford, Massachusetts - the nation's most economically-valuable fishing port.In stark contrast, President Obama's 2016 designation of the monument excluded commercial fishermen from a region they had sustainably fished for generations. It was imposed unilaterally through executive order-without public hearings, without a cost-benefit analysis, and without input from those whose livelihoods were affected. It was a top-down decision that ignored the proven success of the fishery management system already in place. And in a striking display of hypocrisy, while working fishermen were forced out, the uber-wealthy with yachts large enough for spearfishing adventures 130 miles offshore were not banned.President Trump restored the rights of fishermen once before in 2020. This followed both Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Interior Secretary David Bernhardt agreeing to meet with fishing groups in Boston, in meetings I had the honor to chair.Unfortunately, President Biden repeated the undemocratic actions of President Obama in 2021, reimposing the ban on commercial fishing with no meaningful engagement. Our industry reached out to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in good faith-we wrote letters, made phone calls, and requested meetings. We received no response.All eight regional fishery management councils formally opposed the Biden administration's reimposition of the ban. President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland actively disregarded the voices of the very councils and communities entrusted with managing our marine resources. Their closed-door approach and lack of transparency sent a message: facts and stakeholders were not welcome in their decision-making process. This is not how democratic governance or environmental policy should be conducted. But it is not surprising, as there is a history of monument creation via secretive alliance between certain environmentalists and sympathetic Administration staff, as described in this2015 E&E News story .We fully expect the usual environmental advocacy groups to respond as they did in 2020, with misleading rhetoric and predictions of catastrophic overfishing. So let's be absolutely clear: any fishing that resumes in the monument will remain subject to the full force of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, a law these same groups routinely hail as a global benchmark for sustainable fishery management.Their objection is not about protecting the ocean-it is about controlling American commercial fishermen and pushing a broader, extremist agenda that seeks to deny citizens the ability to responsibly use our resources, regardless of science or sustainability.The truth is that America's commercial fishermen are among the world's most responsible ocean stewards. Their work is tightly regulated, environmentally conscious, and vital to the economies and food security of coastal communities. When managed through the regional fishery management councils and NOAA Fisheries, commercial fishing supports biodiversity and conservation while feeding the nation.About Saving SeafoodSaving Seafood conducts media and public relations outreach on behalf of the seafood industry, as well as communications to keep industry members aware of issues and events of concern.Saving Seafood works with owners, captains, fishermen, seafood processors and brokers across the United States who are committed to the preservation of the resource that has provided their livelihood, and that of their American forebears, for generations.Saving Seafood is committed to:Working closely with scholars to develop and disseminate quality scientific informationCommunicating with media and the public on matters of interest to the industryFostering cooperation and communication among members of the fishing communityCooperating with lawmakers to implement the stated intent of our fisheries management law that requires "taking into account the social and economic needs of the States." [Magnuson-Stevens Act (2)(b)(5), Public Law 101-627]Press Contact Saving Seafood(202) 595-1212 info@ savingseafood.org SOURCE: Saving Seafood Coraz wiecej studentow w Polsce aczy nauke z praca, szukajac stabilnego zroda dochodow na pokrycie rosnacych kosztow utrzymania. Najnowsze analizy rynku pracy przeprowadzone przez Grupe Progres wskazuja, ze srednie roczne ... Nowy rok to czas, kiedy wiele firm wyznacza ambitne cele dla swoich zespoow. Jednak jak ustalic wyzwania, ktore beda motywowac, a nie przytaczac? Wedug ekspertow, cele powinny byc ekscytujace, ale jednoczesnie odrobine ... Osoby zaduzone czesto obawiaja sie lub unikaja kontaktu z firma windykacyjna. Tymczasem doradcy pracujacy w firmach windykacyjnych sa przede wszystkim po to, by pomoc w spacie zalegych zobowiazan. Ich celem jest znalezieniu ... O dysproporcji pomiedzy wynagrodzeniami kobiet i mezczyzn mowi sie od lat i niestety okazuje sie, ze temat ten nie traci na aktualnosci. Z najnowszych doniesien wynika, ze nieskorygowana luka pacowa w naszym kraju siega 7,8%, a ta ... Rynek pracy w produkcji i logistyce coraz wyrazniej pokazuje, ze pieniadze to nie wszystko. Choc zarobki w 2025 roku rosy, to jednoczesnie pracownicy, czesciej niz maksymalnych stawek, oczekiwali stabilnosci, przejrzystych zasad ... The Board of Peace launched by United States (US) President Donald Trump last month has been widely criticised as an attempt by Americas leader to usurp the United Nations (UN) Security Council. For sub-Saharan Africa, there is an additional grievance: none of its states was invited to join, aggravating the regions marginalisation. Even by Mr Trumps standards, this board is an astonishing presumption. He invited about 60 countries to join, of which around 26 accepted. The board began as an initiative to implement the US Gaza peace plan a role endorsed by the UN Security Council in November 2025. But it has quickly morphed into a body tasked with resolving worldwide conflicts, with Mr Trump holding sole executive veto power. Because of the initial Gaza mandate, the board comprises several Middle Eastern countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar and Israel. Others include Argentina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam and Cambodia. Except for Hungary, European and other Western countries have either not been invited or have declined. France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Spain and Slovenia are reportedly among the seven that declined. Canada accepted, but Mr Trump withdrew the invitation after Prime Minister Mark Carney criticised him at Davos. China and Russia were invited but are non-committal. In Africa, only Egypt and Morocco have joined. These are North African countries, and Morocco participates in Trumps Abraham Accords. South Africa, at odds with the US, was clearly not invited. Zane Dangor, International Relations and Cooperation Department Director-General, posted on X: Being supportive of a reformed and effective multilateral system with the UN at its core is incongruent [with] being part of a private Peace Board constituted of unaccountable billionaires and where the agenda is to replace and destroy the UN with acolonial-stylee mandate system. Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Senior Researcher Priyal Singh sees in the membership a focus on Middle Eastern countries involved in rivalries in the Red Sea, Horn of Africa, and Gulf of Aden. But I think sub-Saharan Africa is completely marginalised. I dont think theres been any invitation extended to any country in that region. She believes the boards purpose is to create some semblance of legitimacy and credibility for unilateral US action. Its rules give Mr Trump a complete veto in his own right and apparently independent of his US presidency. Ms Singh believes Gaza will test the board. But even if it achieves some success there, it might have a net hollowing-out effect on the broader global conflict response system through the UN and so on. That includes the African Union (AU). Ultimately, its just creating a parallel structure to bypass the UN. Ms Singh thought the board would pursue peacemaking in the same way Mr Trump has so far done on his own. But Mr Singh cites an article by the International Crisis Groups Richard Gowan and Daniel Forti, who say it seems unlikely the board will build up the sort of institutional apparatus for supporting mediation and peacekeeping efforts the UN has built over decades. They note that though claiming to have solved eight wars, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Southeast Asia, Mr Trump tends to push for quick bargains and not worry about their implementation. [Many of the wars he claimed to have ended] quickly reignited. The Board of Peace looks like a framework for his freewheeling diplomacy, not the painstaking business of making peace deals stick over time. Jakkie Cilliers, chairperson of the ISS Board of Trustees and African Futures and Innovation Head, agrees that the board would compete with the UN and AU. It would rival multilateralism more generally, fragmenting the existing peacebuilding architecture, which would not be good for Africa in particular. Trump thinks peace agreements are like selling a building. You sign an agreement and everybody sticks to it. So you sign an agreement between the DRC and Rwanda, but it means nothing because theres no commitment, no enforcement, no accountability. That, Mr Cilliers says, is because institutions are needed to police agreements. However, he acknowledges that Mr Trump has shaken the tree and shown that many of the shibboleths weve been holding onto have not been working. These include peacebuilding efforts, especially in Africa. Mr Cilliers sees the transactionalism inherent in Mr Trumps foreign policy and in the board, manifesting itself, for example, in countries contracted to do peacekeeping elsewhere something that has already started happening. France for example is paying (via the EU) for Rwanda to defend its gas facilities in northern Mozambique, and the US, Canada and others have pledged to fund Kenyas security mission to counter criminal gangs in Haiti. Like many of Mr Trumps forays into foreign policy, its not clear how seriously we should take his Board for Peace. Most commentators seem to be taking it seriously enough to be alarmed. But Brookings Institution foreign expert Bruce Jones dismisses it as a double nothing burger suggesting its a Trumpian vanity project and a grandiose post-presidential occupation that few countries take seriously beyond the Gaza assignment. Given the UN Security Council paralysis, its arguably useful or even necessary to occasionally assemble a coalition of the willing to tackle a particular problem like Gaza. But trying to put the whole world under the control of a group of countries and individuals chosen by one man is surely a recipe for despotism. If it does take off, one notable peril in this displacement of the UN-led multilateral peace system is that if resolving any particular conflict is not in the interests of rich board members, and the UN and AU have been sidelined, who will come to the rescue? If Russia decides to join, for example, what hope for Ukraine? Peter Fabricius, Consultant, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Pretoria (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). For decades, the oil-rich creeks of the Niger Delta symbolised both Nigerias economic lifeline and one of its gravest national security challenges. Vast mangrove forests concealed illegal refineries, crude oil thieves and armed criminal networks that siphoned national wealth, devastated the environment and undermined investor confidence. Today, however, a decisive shift is underway. Zero incidents of pipeline vandalism Recent media tours of Operation Delta Safe formations across Rivers and Bayelsa states reveal a more coordinated, intelligence-driven and technologically enabled military campaign that is steadily tightening the noose around crude oil theft syndicates. At the heart of this renewed push is Operation Delta Safe, the joint land, maritime and air task force mandated to secure Nigerias oil and gas infrastructure. From the creeks of Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa to the oil corridors of Rivers, troops now dominate areas once considered impenetrable. The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Emmanuel Emekah, disclosed during the tour in Port Harcourt that the Division had recorded zero incidents of pipeline vandalism within its area of responsibility in the last one year. Since I assumed command on 24 January 2025, we have recorded zero cases of violent pipeline vandalism. No oil company has reported any breach due to vandalism within this period, Mr Emekah, major-general, said. According to him, the achievement was the result of sustained patrols, intelligence-led operations, community engagement and close inter-agency collaboration. He noted that Nigerias crude oil production, which averaged 1.4 to 1.5 million barrels per day before 2025, rose to about 2.2 million barrels per day by December 2025, attributing the improvement largely to enhanced security. For the Division, Mr Emekah said, the performance of the oil and gas sector remains a key indicator of operational success, stressing that most oil leakages now recorded were due to aging infrastructure rather than sabotage. A recurring theme from commanders across Operation Delta Safe formations is the shift from routine patrols to precision, intelligence-driven operations. Oil thieves, according to Mr Emekah, have grown increasingly sophisticated, laying long hoses from pipelines into remote creeks and communities and restricting waterways to evade detection. We have learnt that destroying illegal sites alone is not enough. That is why we revisit cleared locations repeatedly to ensure they are not re-established, he said. Beyond dismantling camps, the army now targets the support ecosystem; markets, logistics chains and community enablers that sustain illegal refining. If there is no market, there will be no production. Once we disrupt patronage, the operations collapse, the GOC added. Dislodgement of oil thieves On the RiversBayelsa boundary, troops of 16 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have dislodged oil thieves from the once-notorious Adibawa oil well area, concluding plans for a permanent military deployment to prevent a resurgence. The Acting Garrison Commander, Hassan Mohammed, explained that the swampy terrain posed operational challenges but had not deterred troops. Our objective is to project forces deep into the forest. As criminals retreat further into the bush, we pursue them relentlessly, said Mr Mohammed, a major. Plans include deploying gunboats, a houseboat, land troops and surveillance drones, in synergy with the Nigerian Air Force, to ensure year-round dominance of the strategic oil facility. On the maritime front, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, operating under Central Naval Command and Sector 2 of the Operation Delta Safe, has recorded significant successes across Bayelsa waterways. The Commanding Officer of NNS SOROH, Omobamidele Akinbami, a naval commodore, said the base had deactivated over 12 boats, dismantled more than 15 illegal refining sites and handled millions of litres of suspected stolen and adulterated petroleum products from January 2025 to date. Sustained naval pressure, he noted, had forced oil theft syndicates to move smaller quantities using smaller boats, even as naval patrols remained relentless. NNS SOROH has also recorded successes against piracy, militancy and kidnapping, including swift operations that led to the release of abducted victims unharmed. Beyond kinetic actions, the navy has sustained non-kinetic engagements, including medical outreach, peace-brokering and flood mitigation, helping to build trust with host communities. Air operations against oil theft Air operations have played a decisive role in reshaping the operational landscape. The Air Component of the Operation Delta Safe destroyed 131 illegal refining sites in 2025 alone, while conducting 495 missions in 779 sorties, logging over 784 flight hours. Assets deployed included T-129 ATAK helicopters, Wing Loong II UCAVs, EC-135 helicopters and Diamond-62 aircraft, which enabled deep intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. The Commander, 115 Special Operations Group, Abdulafeez Opaleye, a group captain, said air power had denied criminals freedom of action and created psychological pressure that forced many to abandon camps. Oil theft has become sophisticated, but when oil production improves, the entire nation benefits, he said, urging sustained community cooperation. The Commander of the Operation Delta Safe, Olugbenga Oladipo, a rear admiral, warned that criminals were shifting from open refining to chemical adulteration and exploiting remote wellheads. In response, Operation Delta Safe has recalibrated its intelligence focus, tracking chemical supply chains and increasing surveillance around vulnerable wellheads. Mr Oladipo disclosed that Operation Delta Safe conducts at least two major operations daily, in addition to routine patrols, stressing that operations do not pause for weekends or holidays. To address disputes between oil companies and host communities, the task force has also established a Situation Room and Mediation Centre, which recorded peak engagements in December, preventing disruptions to production. Throughout the tour, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, a major-general, emphasised transparency, accountability and strategic communication. He described journalists as partners in progress and heroes of democracy, noting that accurate reporting builds public trust and counters adversarial narratives. The confidence and trust of the civilian population are critical to operational success, Mr Onoja said, stressing that security remains a collective responsibility. From land to sea to air, the renewed military push in the Niger Delta signals more than improved security. Stakeholders say that this reflects a coordinated national effort to protect Nigerias economic lifelines, restore environmental sanity and rebuild investor confidence. (NANFeatures) The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has suspended its nationwide strike following an agreement with the federal government to implement overdue salary adjustments and other outstanding demands. This was disclosed in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, which also detailed the outcome of JOHESUs National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held the same day. After exhaustive deliberations and review of the terms of settlement of the conciliation meeting, the expanded NEC-in-Session voted unanimously to suspend the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike action to allow for the implementation of the FG-JOHESU Terms of Settlements, the statement read. JOHESU members, include health workers in Nigerias public hospitals, apart from doctors and nurses. The Strike The strike, which began on 15 November 2025, brought public health services across Nigeria to a near halt, leaving patients stranded in hospitals or forced to seek care in private facilities. JOHESU said the action was triggered primarily by delays in implementing the report of the High-Level Body Committee on Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which was submitted to the Presidential Committee on Salaries and Wages in 2022. The union argued that its demand for salary adjustments dates back to 2014, when similar adjustments under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) were implemented for doctors, while non-doctor cadres under CONHESS were left behind in an alleged breach of the 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement. JOHESU accused relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of delaying the matter, citing slow prioritisation by the Presidential Committee on Salaries. According to the union, the decision to embark on the strike followed a unanimous resolution at its Expanded National Executive Council meeting on 14 November 2025, in compliance with Section 41 of the Trade Disputes Act, Cap. T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Emergency Meeting The strike was called off after a NEC meeting convened in a hybrid format at the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) National Secretariat in Abuja. The meeting brought together the presidents and general secretaries of JOHESUs affiliate unions, MHWUN, Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP), Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), as well as JOHESU veterans. State chapter chairpersons and secretaries, along with representatives from federal and non-hospital-based health institutions, also participated. National leaders of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also attended the meeting. During the session, NEC members reviewed the outcome of a conciliation meeting held on 5 February at the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Terms of the Settlement The union urged a comprehensive review of all gaps and failures in salary implementation between 2009 and 2026. The Implementation of the CONHESS adjustment is to commence immediately under JOHESU supervision, while budgetary allocations to fund the adjustments are to be included in the 2026 Appropriation Act. The government is to withdraw the No Work, No Pay directive and commit to paying January 2026 salaries of JOHESU members. NEC warned that should the federal government fail to fully implement the terms of the settlement, the TUC and the NLC would have no option but to pursue all lawful industrial action to resolve outstanding issues affecting JOHESU members. NEC further assured that no member who participated in the strike would face sanctions, intimidation, or victimisation. Previous review sessions The statement revealed that the JOHESU strike had prompted two review sessions with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH&SW), presided over by the ministers in charge. The first took place on 15 January, followed by a second session on 22 January, both aimed at resolving the ongoing trade dispute. During the 22 January meeting, JOHESU presented a proposal based on the expanded mandate of its NEC, while the ministry responded with a counter-proposal, setting the stage for further negotiations. The statement further noted that earlier conciliation efforts by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment (FML&E) had been largely unsuccessful. The third and decisive meeting was convened as an emergency conciliation session on 5 February, following a 14-day ultimatum issued by the TUC and the NLC to the federal government over the delayed implementation of the CONHESS adjustments. The session was attended by ministers from Labour, Finance, Health, and State for Health, as well as representatives of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC). Members to resume work Following deliberations, JOHESU directed all its members nationwide to return to work with immediate effect from midnight on 6 February. The union described the resolution as a critical step in restoring public health services and ensuring the welfare of its members. Appreciation JOHESU expressed gratitude to prominent Nigerians who intervened to resolve the strike, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abass, the chairpersons of the Senate and House Committees on Health, the leadership of professional bodies, and traditional rulers, notably the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ojaja II. The union also thanked the TUC, NLC, and its members for their resilience and solidarity during the strike, urging the federal and state governments to act responsibly to prevent similar disruptions in the future. BRUSSELS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission has proposed a 20th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting key sectors including energy, financial services and trade, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday. The Anambra Government has said that justice will be served in the case of an alleged attack on a JSS3 student of Community Secondary School, Agulu, Miracle Amah, by her guardian, Osinachi Edeh. The incident, which happened on 3 February in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra, became public the next day, 4 February, when Miracle came to school, with fresh burns all over her body, prompting the school authorities to invite the guardian for interrogation. The student was reported to have narrated the incident to her teacher, saying: I used my aunts phone to call my cousin, but accidentally dialled a wrong number. I did not know that my aunt overheard the call and accused me of calling a male friend. When I tried to explain, she refused to believe me and later told another relative that I had started keeping boyfriends. She threatened me with a knife to force me to confess that I have a boyfriend. When I insisted on being innocent, she heated a pressing iron and inflicted burns on my face, breasts and other parts of my body. Reacting to the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Awka, the Commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, gave assurance that justice would be served in the matter. Ms Chuma-Udeh, a professor, reaffirmed the governments commitment to child protection, adding that the incident would not be swept under the carpet. According to her, the safety and welfare of children remain a priority of the Governor Charles Soludo administration. She vowed that the suspect would face the full weight of the law if found culpable. The state government will not tolerate the abuse of children under any circumstances, the commissioner said. NAN reports that the police have since waded into the case involving Ms Edehs detention, while investigations are ongoing. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has begun an investigation into the certificate forgery scandal of a former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, PREMIUM TIMES reports. A painstaking two-year investigation published by PREMIUM TIMES in October last year revealed that Mr Nnaji forged his degree and NYSC certificates which he submitted to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation in 2023. Barely three days after the investigation, the politician resigned his position as minister. Many Nigerians had called for Mr Nnajis prosecution, maintaining that his resignation was inadequate in the wake of his violations of various Nigerian laws, including Criminal Code Act. Fresh trouble Sources familiar with the development informed PREMIUM TIMES that the ICPC wrote to the Secretary to Government of the Federation, George Akume, and demanded the documents Mr Nnaji submitted for his ministerial appointment. The anti-graft agency, this newspaper reliably gathered, also contacted the Nigerian Senate for the same purpose. Insiders say the former minister could be prosecuted if the investigation shows that he truly forged his credentials. PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm if the ICPC investigators had contacted NYSC authorities over the former ministers forgery scandal although there are indications both agencies have been in discussions. UNN registrar invited Celine Nnebedum, the registrar of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), has appeared before ICPC investigators to present the universitys position on the certificate forgery scandal, sources further told PREMIUM TIMES. Mrs Nnebedum had, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) Letter to the Peoples Gazetteer Newspaper in 2024, claimed that Mr Nnaji was admitted into the university in 1981 and graduated from the institution in 1985. But the registrar, while responding to a similar enquiry from the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), later recanted, and informed the PCC in May 2025 that the university searched its graduation records for the 1985 session but could not find Mr Nnajis name on them. Curiously, in another letter to PREMIUM TIMES on 6 October 2025 and signed by UNNs Senior Deputy Registrar (Records), F.C. Achiuwa on behalf of Mrs Nnebedum, the registrar reiterated that the minister did not complete his studies at the institution and was not issued a certificate. Her latest response aligns with an initial letter to this newspaper from the universitys Vice-Chancellor, Simon Ortuanya, who also noted that although Mr Nnaji was admitted to the institution in 1981, he did not complete his studies and was never awarded a degree. Like the registrar, Mr Ortuanyas letter, dated 2 October 2025, was in response to this newspapers FOI request submitted to the university in which we sought clarifications on allegations of certificate forgery against the then-minister. A source familiar with the ICPC investigation informed PREMIUM TIMES that the investigators had written to UNN for clarifications on the certificate forgery saga. The source said although the registrar has responded to the investigators, she was asked to provide additional documents . It is unclear, for now, if the registrar has submitted the additional documents to the ICPC. ICPC silent When contacted on Thursday morning, the spokesperson of the ICPC, John Odey, told PREMIUM TIMES that he would not be able to speak on the issue because he is currently on leave. Until I return to the office next week, I wont be able to confirm it. If you call me back on Monday afternoon, I might be able to give you answers, Mr Odey said. Background In October 2023, PREMIUM TIMES began an investigation into Mr Nnajis academic records. The then-minister had submitted a degree and NYSC certificates to President Tinubu and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation. He had claimed that he obtained the degree certificate from UNN where he claimed to have graduated from in 1985. Apparently disturbed that he was under scrutiny, Mr Nnaji filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja with the intention to block both UNN and its vice-chancellor from releasing his academic records. Apart from the UNN and its vice-chancellor, the minister of education, the National Universities Commission, the universitys registrar, a former UNN Acting Vice-Chancellor, Oguejiofo Ujam, and the Senate of the university were listed as defendants in the suit. But before the minister filed the suit, Mr Ortuanya, the UNN vice-chancellor, had responded to PREMIUM TIMES FOI letter in which he confirmed that Mr Nnaji forged his UNN degree certificate. The UNN registrar would, shortly after, corroborate Mr Ortuanyas position, indicating that although Mr Nnaji was admitted into the university in 1981, he neither graduated nor was issued any certificate. NYSC authorities, in response to a separate FOI letter from PREMIUM TIMES, had disowned the discharge certificate in possession of the then-minister. Mr Nnaji resigned from his position as minister three days after this newspaper published the investigation exposing how he forged his degree and NYSC certificates. Fresh evidence has emerged showing that a key document presented by prominent Nigerian lawyer Mike Ozekhome to a London tribunal to claim ownership of a house in North London was a fake, triggering criminal charges against the senior advocate. Ironically, the document was admitted by the British court as genuine because there was no evidence to the contrary. The issuing authority in Nigeria has now confirmed that the document is fake. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) confirmed that a Nigerian passport submitted as evidence in the high-profile property dispute was never legitimately issued. In a letter to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the NIS stated that the passport booklet number A07535463, presented to support Mr Ozekhomes ownership claim, was never utilised due to a defect and consequently has no record of a holder in its database. The said booklet was reported stolen and was never personalised. Consequently, it does not exist in the Services Electronic Management System, and no Certified True Copy is available, the NIS said. The agencys preliminary findings indicated that the passport booklet had personal data unlawfully superimposed on it with numerous inconsistencies on the data page, suggesting significant irregularities in its production. Judge Ewan Paton of the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) had admitted the passport as genuine evidence during the UK proceedings. In his September 2025 judgment, the judge noted that a man named Tali Shani existed and gave evidence in that name. A certified copy of an official Nigerian passport was produced both to the Land Registry and this Tribunal, stating that Mr. Tali Shani was born on 2nd April 1973. I do not have the evidence, or any sufficient basis, to find that this document unlike the various poor and pitiful forgeries on the side of the Applicant is forged, and I do not do so, the judge had stated. However, the NIS findings have now established that the passport was indeed fraudulent. Criminal Charges Filed Relying on the NIS findings, the ICPC has filed criminal charges against Mr Ozekhome at the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of receiving property through corrupt means and using forged documents. The charges were filed on 16 January by Ngozi Onwuka of the ICPC High Profile Prosecution Department, following calls for the commission to prosecute the senior lawyer. Court documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES show that Mr Ozekhome faces three criminal counts. The first count alleges that sometime in August 2021, he directly received House 79 Randall Avenue, London, purportedly given to him by one Mr Shani Tali in a transaction the ICPC says constitutes a felony under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. The second count accuses the senior lawyer of making a false document, namely a Nigerian passport bearing number A07535463 in the name of Mr Shani Tali, with the intent to support a claim of ownership of the London property. This charge is filed under the Penal Code of the Federal Capital Territory. In the third count, Mr Ozekhome is accused of dishonestly using the allegedly false passport as genuine to support the property ownership claim when he had reason to believe the document was false. The Property Dispute The controversy began in August 2021 when Mr Ozekhome applied to transfer the property at 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, into his name. He claimed it was a gift from a man who presented himself as Tali Shani, said to be the propertys owner, in appreciation for legal services. He admitted, however, that he never knew Mr Shani until January 2019, more than two decades after the disputed purchase, and had no personal knowledge of how the property was acquired or managed in earlier years. The Nigerian lawyer told the tribunal that, after being introduced to Mr Shani in 2019, he provided several legal services for him, ranging from advisory work to court appearances, and that the property was later gifted to him in 2021 as an expression of gratitude. He described Mr Shani as a wealthy farmer and businessman engaged in cattle, groundnuts, mangoes, and real estate, and said Mr Shani came to see him as a father figure. Mr Ozekhome declined to provide evidence of the alleged legal work, citing client confidentiality. He also denied paying the 500,000 mentioned in Mr Shanis statements, insisting that the transfer was entirely gratuitous and that the value of his professional services exceeded any monetary consideration. As part of the verification process required by the Land Registry for the application, Mr Ozekhome provided a copy of a Nigerian passport, certified as a true copy by an English solicitor. The passport stated that Tali Shani (male) was born on 2nd April 1973 in Plateau State, Nigeria. This means he would have been 20 years old when the title to the property was registered. No copy of any birth certificate was provided. Mr Ozokhomes application was challenged in September 2022 by Westfields Solicitors, claiming to represent Ms Tali Shani, who insisted she was the registered owner of the property since 1993. She claimed that she had never signed any transfer and was outraged by Mr Ozekhomes application. Mr Shani testified in court Aside from Mr Ozekhome and the purported Ms Shani, at the heart of the storm was the late Jeremiah Useni, a retired army general and minister of the Federal Capital Territory under military Head of State, Sani Abacha. To support Mr Ozekhome, the purported Mr Shani, in his statement about his ownership, said he had been the legal owner since 16 November 1993. Mr Shani told the Tribunal that, I employed General Jeremiah T. Useni to be my Agent/Manager with respect to the property, I, being a very busy businessman, and not ordinarily resident in the UK. Elsewhere, he referred to General Useni as his property manager and his elder friend and business partner with whom he had a close business relationship. He also said that: I alone, and no one else, bore and controlled the original title deeds and documents to 79 Randall Avenuewhich I have since transferred to Chief Ozekhome, who now has custody of the same. However, the late Mr Usenis testimony told a different story. Before his death, Mr Useni appeared before the court through a video link in 2024. Contrary to Mr Ozekhomes defence, Mr Useni told the court plainly: I owned it. I bought the property. It is my property. Although the house was registered under the name Tali Shani, court records show that Mr Useni was unable or unwilling to explain why the property was in that name. He was asked about the businessman, Tali Shani, whom he said he had first met seven or eight years ago, and was specifically asked what this man had to do with this property; his answer was Nothing. Tribunals Verdict In its verdict, the tribunal held that the case was built on a network of fraud, impersonation, and forged documents, but concluded that Mr Useni was the genuine purchaser of the property back in 1993. Judge Paton of the UK Tribunal ruled that the house was secretly bought in 1993 by the late General Jeremiah Useni, the former Nigerian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, using a false identity. Documents before the tribunal confirmed that the acquisition was made under a false identity, Philips Bincan, a practice consistent with findings by the Royal Court of Jersey in a separate 2022 case that exposed Mr Usenis use of coded names like Tim Shani to conceal wealth. However, the tribunal rejected Mr Ozekhomes account. Mr Tali Shani did not purchase this property himself in 1993, and so had no title of his own to pass to the respondent, the judge said. The court found that Mr Ozekhomes defence amounted to a contrived story invented in an attempt to provide a plausible reason for the 2021 transfer. The tribunal concluded that Mr Shani had no connection whatsoever to the 1993 purchase and that the story advanced by Mr Ozekhome could not stand. The tribunal therefore ruled that since Mr Shani had no legal title, he could not have transferred the property to Mr Ozekhome. Ownership of the property, the judge said, now rests with whoever secures probate over Mr Usenis English estate. Mr Useni, who died in France in January 2025, was a highly influential member of the Sani Abacha government and was considered a contender to succeed Mr Abacha as head of state following Mr Abachas death in June 1998. Hoodlums on Wednesday night attacked the Edo State secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The attackers also attempted to set ablaze the facility during the incident, but residents resisted them. The hoodlums, however, broke some windows at the secretariat and damaged other property at the building along Ogbelaka Street in Benin City during the attack, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. In a video clip circulating on Facebook, a man, believed to be a member of the ADC, was heard narrating how the incident happened. The man showed, in the now viral clip, the windows and CCTV cameras which the hoodlums destroyed during the attack. He claimed, without any evidence, that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State must have been responsible for the attack because of its alleged discomfort with the ADC as a major opposition party in the state. We will not allow any form of intimidation and oppression. And these things will amount to nothing. We are the only opposition party in this state, and they want to make sure that we do not stand. It wont work, and we will continue to resist them at all levels. It is a show of shame, he said. The Chairperson of the ADC in Edo State, Kennedy Odion, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday. Mr Odion said the hoodlums intended to set the building ablaze. They destroyed all the windows and other items in the building before the ADC sympathisers in the area came to the rescue, he said. The chairperson claimed that the attackers came with a 10-litre container of petrol to burn down the secretariat. Some politicians want the ADC to leave the state so that no other political party will contest the 2027 election with them. Elections are a democratic process that requires participation by all. There is freedom of association, which is still in force, and nobody can be forced to join a political party of another persons choice, he added. He said the incident had been reported to security agencies which he urged to track down the perpetrators. Police speak The police spokesperson in Edo State, Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the attack in a statement on Thursday. Ms Ikoedem, an assistant superintendent of police, said the attack was reported around 8 p.m. on Wednesday which prompted police authorities to deploy operatives in the area to restore calm and prevent further attacks. The police spokesperson said a preliminary assessment showed malicious damage to party flags and two broken windows at the premises. She said investigations are ongoing to track down the attackers. The rise of ADC momentum Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the ADC has gained prominence as a potential opposition force that will challenge the dominance of the ruling APC. The ADC, which had been relatively unknown, has become the official platform for a coalition of prominent opposition figures aiming to offer Nigerians an alternative to the current leadership of the country. Observers believe that ADC has been driven largely by top politicians from both the ruling APC and the other political parties. Some of the politicians included a former Nigerias Vice-President and the PDP 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, his Labour Party counterpart and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has said he regretted every minute he spent with Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender. In an interview with Nine News Australia on Monday, Mr Gates described himself as foolish for spending time with the deceased financier. Mr Gates was one of several prominent persons whose names were mentioned in the recently released files in connection with Mr Epstein. The New York Times reported that, in one of the emails Mr Epstein wrote to himself, the late sex offender suggested that Mr Gates was having an extramarital affair and seeking illicit drugs. The email dated 18 July 2013, stated that Mr Epstein decided to resign from his roles with the Gates Foundation and BG3 because he had been caught up in a severe marital dispute between Melinda and Bill. Melinda French Gates is Mr Gates ex-wife. I have the greatest respect for my friend of 7 years, and wish them both well. In my role as his right hand, I had been asked on multiple occasions and in hindsight, wrongly acquiesced to participating in things that have ranged from the morally inappropriate, to the ethically unsound, and had been repeatedly asked to do other things that get near and potentially over the line into the illegal, he wrote. Mr Epstein said he helped Bill to get drugs, to deal with consequences of sex with Russian girls, to facilitate his illicit trysts with married women, to being asked to provide adderall. Gates response Mr Gates, however, denied these claims, explaining that his interactions with Mr Epstein were primarily business-related. He stated that he met with Mr Epstein in 2011 and had a number of dinners with him simply to discuss business opportunities. The focus was always, he knew a lot of very rich people, and he was saying he could get them to give money to global health. In retrospect, that was a dead end. I was foolish to spend time with him. I was one of many people who regret ever knowing him, he said. Mr Gates also denied visiting the private island, where Epstein was accused of trafficking and assaulting women. The more that comes out, the more clear it will be that, although the time was a mistake, it had nothing to do with that kind of behaviour, he said. In an interview with NPRs Wild Card podcast on Tuesday, Melinda Gates disclosed that she felt unbelievable sadness seeing her ex-husbands name mentioned in the files. Whatever questions remain there for those people, and for even my ex-husband, they need to answer to those things, not me. And I am so happy to be away from all the muck that was there, she said. Mr Epstein was arrested in 2019 and was awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges, to which he pleaded not guilty, before his death. He was found dead in his prison cell after committing suicide. President Bola Tinubu stated that the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has briefed him on the terror incident in Woro, a village in Kaiama Local Government Area. The president disclosed this in an X post Thursday night after the two leaders met at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. In an earlier statement issued by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the president condemned the attack, saying the victims were targeted for rejecting extremists ideology. I condemn in the strongest terms this cowardly and beastly attack, Mr Tinubu said. The gunmen are heartless for choosing soft targets in their doomed campaign of terror. Their actions offend our humanity, our faith, and our shared values as a nation. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the president had ordered the deployment of an army battalion into the local government area. Boko Haram terrorists under the command of Mallam Sadiku invaded the village on Tuesday and reigned terror till the early hours of Wednesday. The attack, according to Salihu Umar, the village head of Woro, lasted for several hours without the intervention of security personnel. Mr Umar told our reporter that two of his sons were among 75 people buried so far in the aftermath of the attack. He said the terrorists kidnapped his wife and three daughters. While the traditional authorities and the state government estimated the death toll at 75, sources in the area said the casualty is over a hundred. The police have not confirmed the official casualty figures. Mr Tinubu said the new army battalion will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to checkmate these barbaric terrorists and protect defenceless communities. It is commendable that the community members, even though Muslims, refused to be conscripted into a weird belief that promoted violence over peace and dialogue, Mr Tinubu said. Nigeria will never surrender its people to extremism and terrorism masquerading as faith. He said he had directed close collaboration between federal and state agencies to provide immediate support and relief to the affected community. He said the agencies that have been tasked to hunt down those responsible for the attack just like other terrorists before them. They will not go scot-free, he said. The president prayed that those killed in the attack find eternal rest, and extended his deepest condolences to their families. I also sympathise with the people and government of Kwara State, he said, adding: The Federal Government stands with you. We will protect our communities, defend our values, and defeat those who seek to divide us through terror, the president vowed. A police investigation report has indicted the Nigerian Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over allegations that she told a United States-based activist that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was involved in the murder of late Iniobong Umoren and the harvesting of her organs. The report, dated 3 February 2026 and signed by the Commissioner of Police, Police Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Akin Fakorede, was addressed to the President of The Unique Family Foundation, Sandra Duru who had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police in April 2025. According to the police, Ms Duru alleged that Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, contacted her on 27 March 2025 and claimed that Mr Akpabio and his wife, Unoma, were responsible for the killing of Ms Umoren and the harvesting of her organs to treat the Senate presidents wife. Ms Duru reported the claim to the police and requested an investigation. The dispute between Mr Akpabio and Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan dates back to February 2025. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, had publicly accused the Senate leadership under Mr Akpabio of marginalisation and unfair treatment, allegations which the Senate president has consistently denied. The Senate had suspended Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was six months. She had also accused Mr Akpabio of sexual harassment, which he also denied. The disagreements later escalated into public exchanges in the media and on social platforms. This deepened the political friction between the two lawmakers. The police report said Mrs Akpoti-Uduaghan was invited by investigators and made a cautionary statement on 28 April 2025, in which she denied making the allegation. A key witness, Ina Okopi Agu, who the report said provided Ms Durus phone number to the senator, was also invited and made a voluntary statement confirming the circumstances that led to the call. The police report said that a forensic voice analysis of the audio recording established that the voice in the conversation was human. The report said detectives were also deployed to Akwa Ibom State to review the murder of Ms Umoren, including the post-mortem report, trial records and interviews with her relatives. The report stated, The post-mortem examination clearly showed that no organ of the deceased was missing or compromised. It added that family members of Ms Umoren confirmed in their statements that no organs were removed from her body. Certified true copies of the trial records of Uduak Frank Akpan, who was convicted and sentenced to death for Ms Umorens murder in 2021, were also examined, the police said. The police said they established that the information about organ harvesting communicated to Ms Duru by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was false and without any iota of truth whatsoever. The report added that Mr Akpabio and his wife had absolutely nothing to do with the murder or any alleged organ harvesting. The police said based on Ms Durus petition and the outcome of the investigation, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation filed criminal defamation charges against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on 29 March 2025. The three-count charge were filed under Sections 391 and 392 of the Penal Code applicable in the FCT. Why the senator wasnt prosecuted According to the report, the case did not proceed to conclusion after Mr Akpabio opted to discontinue the prosecution, prompting the Attorney-General to apply for a withdrawal of the charges in line with his constitutional powers. The police commended Ms Duru for what it described as her patriotism and courage in reporting the allegation and assisting investigators, noting that her actions helped to clarify public controversy surrounding the case over several months. PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for her comment as calls to her known telephone line did not go through. The House of Representatives has subjected the acting Managing Director of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) Plc, Johnson Akinowo, to intense scrutiny over the spending of N4.099 billion generated as regulatory income during the 2025 fiscal year. The interrogation took place on Thursday during NBETs appearance before the House Committee on Finance to defend its 2025 budget performance. Raising concerns, the Committee Chairperson, James Faleke (APC, Lagos), questioned what he described as disproportionately high recurrent spending by the power sector agency. He drew attention to several expenditure items, including N377.031 million spent on staff welfare out of an approved N377.658 million, and N76.939 million expended on miscellaneous expenses from a N78.838 million budgetary provision. Lawmakers were particularly critical of NBETs spending on travel-related items, amid an existing presidential directive restricting foreign trips by government officials. Documents submitted to the committee showed that the company expended N470.122 million on international travels and training, nearly exhausting the N479.845 million approved for the purpose. Further breakdown of NBETs 2025 spending revealed N111.804 million spent on management, staff and board retreats; N71.379 million on board sittings and directors allowances; N36.313 million on professional fees; N48.779 million on conferences, seminars and exhibitions; and N31.858 million on refreshments and meals. Other cost items queried by lawmakers included N9.713 million for cleaning and fumigation, N60.231 million for office and IT equipment maintenance, N68.552 million for office stationery and computer consumables, N65.530 million for local travel and transport, and an additional M79.103 million for local travel related to training. Personnel costs alone accounted for N1.780 billion. The committee also faulted NBET for failing to declare revenue generated in December 2025 in the documents submitted for review. Responding to questions on overseas travel, Mr Akinowo said the company complied strictly with the directive issued by the Chief of Staff to the President. He explained that all foreign trips undertaken by NBET officials received approvals from either the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Every and all travels that you see that was funded there had either an SGF or Head of Service approval, he said. He cited NBETs participation in the World Bank Spring Meetings as an example, noting that the engagement was linked to Nigerias Partial Risk Guarantee programme managed by NBET. According to him, the meetings required the agencys presence to provide technical clarification on Nigerias power sector portfolio. Mr Akinowo added that he attended the meetings as part of the Federal Ministry of Finance delegation, alongside officials from other agencies including the Debt Management Office, Bank of Industry and the Central Bank of Nigeria, whom he described as key stakeholders in defending Nigerias position. On capital funding, the NBET chief disclosed that although the National Assembly approved N855 billion for power reform programmes, only N60 million was released to the agency. He said the late release of the funds made it impossible to complete procurement processes, leaving the amount unutilised. He also clarified the structure of regulatory revenues in the electricity market, explaining that such income is designed to fund the operations of market institutions rather than being paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund. According to him, electricity distribution companies receive separate invoices for energy and capacity payments, which NBET passes on to generation companies, and for market administrative charges, which fund the operations of regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Transmission Company of Nigeria and the Nigerian Independent System Operator. Distribution companies get two invoices. One is for energy and capacity which they pay to embed and embed pays to the GENCOs. The other one is for market administrative charge, which is supposed to cover the operations of the agencies of government that provide the service in the electricity market, he explained. Mr Akinowo said these regulatory revenues, as approved periodically by NERC, exclude the agencies from recurrent appropriations, leaving capital expenditure to be funded through the Appropriation Act. Addressing concerns over undeclared December 2025 revenue, he explained that invoices issued late in the year but not yet due for payment were captured in line with contractual timelines and existing financial regulations, to ensure transparency. If you issue an invoice in December and it is not due for payment, if the contract says your invoice is due 25 days after, and that in five days is in January or in February, then that is what it is, because the legislation takes care of it and is captured for transparency, he said. In his closing remarks, Mr Faleke said the committee would request comprehensive documentation covering all NBET expenditures in 2025, including approvals and waivers obtained from relevant authorities and the Presidency. He announced the suspension of consideration of NBETs 2026 budget proposal pending submission and verification of the requested documents. The committee adjourned proceedings to next Tuesday, 10 February, when the Accountant-General of the Federation is expected to appear. The United States Mission in Nigeria had condemned the attack on Woro, a village where Boko Haram terrorists killed many people on Tuesday. The mission, in a Facebook post on Friday, described the attack as horrific. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the terrorists, under the command of Mallam Sadiku, invaded the village on Tuesday around 5 p.m. and terrorised the community until the early hours of the following day. On Wednesday, the village head, Salihu Umar, said 75 corpses from the attack have been found and buried. Mr Umar said more bodies could still be found. Kwara State government corroborated the village heads estimates, saying President Bola Tinubu had ordered the deployment of troops to the area. The US mission in Nigeria said the attack claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the death toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence, the mission stated. It also extolled President Tinubus order to deploy security forces to the area, including his directive to federal and state officials to provide aid to the community and bring the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice. Mr Tinubu had posted on X that the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had debriefed him about the attack. In a statement before the presidents post on X, his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said Mr Tinubu has ordered the deployment of an army battalion to the local government area. Mr Tinubu reiterated this in his post, saying the villagers were targeted for refusing to be conscripted into the terrorists ranks. He also directed security forces to track down the assistants. The House of Representatives has set up a conference committee to reconcile differences between its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill and the one recently passed by the Senate. This was disclosed in a statement by the spokesperson of the House, Akin Rotimi (APC, Ekiti) on Thursday. According to the statement, the development, conveyed in an internal correspondence dated Wednesday, February 4, 2026, from the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Danzaria, follows separate passage of the amendment bill by both chambers of the National Assembly. The seven-member conference committee will be chaired by Adebayo Balogun (APC, Lagos) and includes Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Ahmadu Jaha (APC, Borno), Iduma Enwo (PDP, Ebonyi), Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger), and Zainab Gimba (APC, Borno). The panel has been tasked with meeting its Senate counterpart to harmonise divergent provisions in the two versions of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill before the final consolidated text is presented to the National Assembly for concurrence. This move comes a day after the Senate passed the amendment bill following a third reading. House and Senate passage The House on 17 December, 2025 passed its version of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, advancing a suite of proposals aimed at strengthening electoral processes, improving transparency, and enhancing public confidence in Nigerias democratic system. The House version, which was transmitted to the Senate for consideration and concurrence, contained several reform provisions, including proposals on electronic transmission of results, voter identification, and penalties for electoral offences. The Senate, however, passed its own version of the bill on Wednesday, 4 February after prolonged deliberations and clause-by-clause consideration. In the Senates version, lawmakers rejected a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commissions Result Viewing Portal (IREV) mandatory, a provision that had featured in earlier drafts of the bill. Instead, the upper chamber retained the provision in the Electoral Act 2022 that allows results to be transmitted in a manner prescribed by INEC rather than making the real-time upload an absolute legal requirement. The Senate also amended other key sections of the bill, including changes to the election timetable to reduce the notice period from 360 days to 180 days, shortening the deadline for submission of candidate lists from 120 days to 90 days before elections, strengthening penalties for vote buying by increasing fines under Section 22, and adjusting provisions governing post-election disputes. These differences, particularly on electronic results transmission, voter accreditation and other procedural elements made it necessary for a joint conference to harmonise the competing texts. Conference committee mandate The conference committee is expected to meet with an equivalent team appointed by the Senate to iron out conflicting clauses and reconcile the language in the two bills. Once the harmonised text is agreed, it will be presented to both the House and Senate for final adoption before transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent. In the statement Mr Rotimi said the lower chamber reiterated its commitment to electoral reform that deepens transparency, credibility and public confidence in Nigerias democratic process. The House of Representatives reiterates its commitment to advancing electoral reforms that strengthen transparency, credibility, and public confidence in Nigerias democratic process, he said. NAIROBI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Defying the sweltering afternoon heat, Jenny Fair and her young peers huddled around a large table, marveling at remotely controlled robots making circular motions. Currently in Grade Seven, the 13-year-old learner is enrolled at Code with Kids, a community-focused organization dedicated to providing affordable and accessible science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education to underprivileged Kenyan youngsters aged between three and 18. Located in the heart of Kibera slum, the largest informal settlement in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, Code with Kids has become a magnet for children and young adults from low-income areas, who are keen to improve their proficiency in advanced digital skills, such as coding, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. The center, according to its founder Renice Owino, was established in 2016 and has since trained over 3,000 learners in various aspects of STEM, including space science, web design, AI, and robotics. Owino told Xinhua that the center uses a curriculum donated by WhalesBot, a Chinese educational technology and robotics company that develops AI-enhanced STEM learning robots and coding kits for young learners aged between three and 22. In addition, WhalesBot sold robotic kits to Code with Kids at subsidized rates, Owino said, noting that learners do not require laptops to operate the kits, easing financial pressure on parents. "These kits are very child-friendly and learner-friendly. They are strong and durable. The Chinese curriculum is also progressive and keeps improving." Owino said. She said she has visited China three times and was impressed by the Asian nation's competitive edge in future-oriented technologies such as AI, robotics, and machine learning. The platform developed by WhalesBot comes preinstalled with an AI module, enabling learners to integrate AI into programming, and is also equipped with sensors for performing various tasks. "Students are able to learn how to build robots to meet specific tasks they are required to solve. They are also learning different concepts of computer programming," Owino said. She added that the center also has drones for learners pursuing space exploration, noting that it generates income by developing websites and education-related applications for clients. Fair was among the young learners who represented Kenya at the ENJOY AI 2024 Global Final, an international STEM and robotics contest for children and teenagers held in China. During the competition, Fair and her peers showcased their problem-solving skills using robots and won a problem-solving award, delighting their parents and tutors. In December 2025, a total of 46 young learners represented Kenya at the Enjoy AI competition in China, ten of them from Kibera, according to Owino. Fair said she was thrilled to win at the 2024 edition, adding that her visit to Shanghai exposed her to China's rapid modernization and technological progress. "The competition was fun. I interacted with people from different countries and made many friends. I enjoyed everything there," said Fair, an aspiring computer programmer. Auralia Aranza, a 13-year-old Grade Seven pupil who participated in the 2025 Enjoy AI competition in China, said she is passionate about coding, particularly creating tasks for operating fireworks. While in China, Aranza and her peers visited Wuzhen and Shanghai, competed with learners from across the globe, and clinched medals in the problem-solving category. In one of the dimly-lit corners of the building housing Code with Kids, Asina Khidir, a 13-year-old Grade Eight pupil, gently pressed the laptop keyboard to navigate a robot, impressing her tutor standing nearby. "I want to become an astronaut in the future. We had a task last year related to space, and it was very easy for me to complete because I love everything connected to space," Khidir said. Despite his small frame, Solomon Oyondi, a 14-year-old Grade Eight pupil, skillfully controlled the movement of a robot using an AI-enabled coding program installed on a laptop. Oyondi is among dozens of young learners from Kibera and its environs who regularly attend two-hour coding training sessions at the Code with Kids center for a modest fee. Bruce Salimo, one of the center's volunteer tutors and a web designer, said children from low-income settlements have demonstrated strong aptitude and passion for coding, driven by the prospect of rewarding careers in the future. "Right now, these children really enjoy coding and learning about technology and engineering. The passion to learn is there," Salimo added. An audit conducted by the Auditor-General for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils has uncovered financial irregularities exceeding N100 billion across the six councils of the territory. Consequently, the House has summoned the leadership of the councils, namely Abaji, Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. The audit report, covering the financial year ended 31 December 2021 and submitted to the House Public Accounts Committee (PAC), details widespread breaches of financial regulations, including failure to remit statutory deductions, poor asset management and expenditure that could not be satisfactorily accounted for. According to the findings, the councils collectively carried outstanding liabilities of about N7.6 billion as at 31 December 2021. These obligations stemmed from unremitted pension contributions, Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE), Value Added Tax (VAT), withholding taxes, unpaid capital project commitments and other statutory deductions owed to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), FCT Inland Revenue Service, Pension Fund Administrators, and contractors. A council-by-council analysis showed that Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) accounted for the highest unremitted amount at N2.19 billion. Bwari followed with N1.49 billion, while Kwali recorded N1.46 billion. Gwagwalada had liabilities of N1.01 billion, Kuje N892.2 million and Abaji N593.8 million. The Auditor-General also criticised the councils for failing to properly maintain Fixed Asset Registers, warning that the lapses exposed public assets to loss. In Gwagwalada Area Council alone, non-current assets valued at about N336 million were reportedly not adequately maintained or updated, creating room for asset losses without trace. Further concerns were raised over total spending of N24.87 billion by the six councils in 2021 on personnel costs, overheads and capital projects. While overall expenditure rose by 89 per cent, or N11.7 billion, compared with 2020, the audit noted that 37 per cent of the funds reportedly earmarked for capital projects could not be properly accounted for. The spending breakdown indicated that AMAC expended N5.03 billion, Gwagwalada N4.66 billion, Kuje N3.85 billion, Kwali N3.84 billion, Bwari N3.74 billion and Abaji N3.71 billion. Beyond the 2021 audit, reviews for 2022 and part of 2023 reportedly revealed additional violations, including understatement of actual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), unauthorised disposal of assets, non-disclosure of statutory revenue and failure to remit withholding taxes to relevant authorities. Confirming receipt of the report, the Chairperson of the House Public Accounts Committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun), said the committee had issued three separate letters summoning the chairmen of the six area councils and their respective Finance Directors to appear and respond to the audit queries. He said the officials had been given a final opportunity to appear before the committee on Wednesday, 11 February 2026, warning that failure to honour the summons would leave the House with no option but to invoke its constitutional powers to compel their appearance. Mr Salam also disclosed that the councils were cited for failing to audit and submit their financial statements for 2023, 2024 and 2025, in violation of statutory requirements. He stressed that public resources must be handled with transparency and accountability, adding that any official found culpable would be held to account in line with the law. The Edo State Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited say they will collaborate to establish a 10,000 barrels-per-day condensate refinery in the state. Patrick Ebojele, the spokesperson to Governor Monday Okpebholo, disclosed this in a statement issued in Benin and made available to reporters on Thursday. Mr Ebojele stated that the refinery would be sited across Oredo and Orhionmwon Local Government Areas of Edo. He added that the facility was slated for completion between 24 and 36 months. According to the Edo State Government, once it becomes operational, the refinery would produce approximately 20 truckloads of petrol and 10 truckloads of diesel per day. The statement added that the facility would serve Edo and the neighbouring states. It further stated that Governor Okpebholo described the investment as a reflection of President Bola Tinubus Renewed Hope Agenda. The statement quoted the governor as saying that the refinery would create jobs, reduce poverty, and strengthen the states industrial base. It added that Mr Okpebholo, who received the NNPCs Executive Vice-President, Downstream, Mumuni Dagazia, and his team at the Government House, Benin, assured them of his administrations commitment to the success of the project. We are delighted to welcome this major investment to Edo. My administration is committed to creating jobs and reducing poverty, in line with the renewed hope agenda of the president, the governor said. The statement said the Edo State Government would provide land, Certificates of Occupancy, security, and other necessary logistics to facilitate the execution of the project. We are committed to protecting investments and ensuring Edo remains safe for business. Our political will is fully behind this initiative, Mr Okpebholo said. The statement quoted the NNPCs Executive Vice-President, Downstream, Mr Dagazia, as describing the proposed refinery as a sustainable project, aimed not only at revenue generation but also job creation, industrial growth, and the overall development of the state. The NNPCs Chief Downstream Investment Officer, Ikedichi Dick-Nwoke, said that upon completion, the refinery would position Edo as a major energy and industrial hub in the South-south region. According to the statement, Mr Dick-Nwoke said the project would boost investors confidence, align with Governor Okpebholos industrialisation agenda, and significantly expand employment opportunities for Edo residents. (NAN) The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has warned political actors with violent dispositions and vote buyers against such acts in the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election and the by-elections in Rivers and Kano states. Mr Ribadu gave the warning during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Friday, ahead of the 21 February elections. He warned that any individual or group with such plan would be identified and reprimanded or restrained before, during, and after the elections. Mr Ribadu, who was represented by Director of Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Hassan Abdullahi, called on political parties, candidates, and their supporters to conduct themselves with decorum and uphold the integrity of the democratic process. As we prepare for the FCT area councils election, and the by-elections in Kano and Rivers States, the Nigerian Police Force, designated as the lead agency for election security, in collaboration with other security and law enforcement agencies, is actively mobilising resources and implementing measures to prevent any action that would disrupt the electoral process. Accordingly, adequate security personnel will be deployed to polling stations and high-risk electoral wards. Also, political thugs and politicians with violent dispositions will be identified and reprimanded or restrained before, during, and after the election, while votes buyers will be traced and apprehended. Political parties, candidates, and their supporters are therefore urged to conduct themselves with decorum, and uphold the integrity of the democratic process. Any non-compliance will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law, he said. He also called on the media, civil society, community leaders and citizens to cultivate a sense of shared responsibility to protect the integrity of Nigerias democracy. Mr Ribadu lauded INEC for the successful conduct of the recent Anambra governorship election, as well as the various security and law enforcement agencies for their outstanding performance in maintaining order during the exercise. He said that the peaceful outcome of the Anambra polls underscored the unwavering commitment of President Bola Tinubu to ensuring free, fair, and violence-free elections, thereby establishing a positive benchmark for future elections. This achievement is particularly significant as the nation prepares for the upcoming electoral events,and this includes the area council elections in the FCT, by-elections in Rivers and Kano state. This is in addition to the off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti State on 20 June, and Osun on 8 August, as well as general elections in 2027, and the nationwide voter revalidation exercise and ongoing continuous voter registration, he said. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, represented by CP Abayomi Shogunle, assured the public of massive security deployments to ensure violence-free polls. The IGP said that the police would provide constant security for INEC facilities and staff members, during and after the elections. This is to enable INEC staff to carry out their duties without fear in any part of the country, Mr Egbetokun said. Earlier in his remarks, INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan urged the security agencies to up the ante in planning, deployment, intelligence gathering and inter-agency coordination for the FCT elections and by-elections in Rivers and Kano states. (NAN) Troops of the Nigerian Army have dismantled kidnappers hideouts in Edo North Senatorial District, apprehended 13 suspects and recovered arms, drugs and other incriminating items. This is contained in a statement on Friday by the acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Kennedy Anyanwu. Mr Anyanwu, a captain, said the operation, carried out on 4 February by troops of 4 Brigade in collaboration with the Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Edo State Security Corps, targeted Osara, Auchi and Okpella communities in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo. He said the clearance exercise, codenamed Operation IGBO DANU 1, led to the arrest of eight suspected kidnappers and drug peddlers. Items recovered included a pump-action gun, live cartridges, a locally made pistol, a POS machine, cutlasses, mobile phones, a digital camera, codeine syrup, weighing scales, substances suspected to be cannabis sativa, tramadol and ice, as well as N87,550 cash. In a related operation, the troops also combed Aviele Forest, a known criminal corridor in the area, arresting five additional suspects and recovering two motorcycles, phones and a power bank. The suspects and recovered exhibits were handed over to the police in Edo for further investigation and prosecution, he said. Speaking on the operations, the Commander, 4 Brigade, Ahmed Balogun, commended the synergy among the security agencies, warning that Edo State would remain hostile to kidnappers and other criminal elements. Mr Balogun, a brigadier-general, reaffirmed the Brigades commitment to protecting lives and property while appreciating the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Chinedu Nnebeife, major-general, for his strategic guidance and support. Four victims rescued from kidnappers in the Delta Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Delta State, the police have rescued four people who were abducted by kidnappers in the state. The police spokesperson in the state, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this to reporters on Thursday in Warri. Mr Edafe, a superintendent of police, said that the victims were rescued on Monday by police operatives attached to the Otu-Jeremi Division in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state. He explained that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the division had received a distress call on the incident and promptly deployed operatives to the scene. The DPO received a distress report that five armed men, suspected to be kidnappers, blocked the EwuAjekuta Road and forcefully abducted four occupants of a Toyota Sienna vehicle. Following receipt of the information, the DPO immediately mobilised his operatives and swung into action. READ ALSO: Woman gives birth in captivity after kidnappers killed husband in Plateau The Police operatives, in collaboration with sister security agencies and vigilant members of the Ewu community, pursued the suspects. The sustained and coordinated effort resulted in the successful rescue of the four victims, he said. Mr Edafe said that the victims were taken to the hospital for proper medical examinations. He said that two expended 7.5mm ammunition were recovered from the scene, and that the command had intensified the manhunt for the fleeing criminals. (NAN) Many passengers were stranded on Friday morning when aviation workers at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, disrupted flight operations. The workers shut down flight operations in protest against the Nigerian governments concession of the airport to private individuals without their involvement in the plans. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that some protesting aviation workers said the national leadership of the aviation workers union directed the protest. This newspaper learnt that the aviation workers union comprised the Enugu Chapter of the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals. The workers said the manner in which the government carried out the concession was questionable, and that they were neither considered nor involved in the process, despite the planned concessions implications for their welfare. The Chairperson of ATSSSAN, Ejike Ike, told reporters at the airport on Friday that the workers shut down the airport because the Nigerian government went ahead and signed a concession agreement with a company despite the workers appeal that their demands be resolved before the concession. Yesterday, we were told that they (government officials) are coming today to take over the airport. Then the aviation staff and the union members said that they would not be here. And they decided to shut down the airport against any operations, Mr Ike said. The chairperson claimed, without evidence, that the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, signed the concession agreement with Aero Consortium Alliance, which he alleged is owned by a governor in the South-east. He urged the Nigerian government to consider the welfare of aviation workers and address their concerns before the concession. That is just the standard of the union. If they dont attend to it, there will be chaos, he said, accusing the government of being insincere about the concession. On his part, the National Secretary of NUATE, Isaac Ezekwesili, told reporters that workers were unhappy that the government failed to fulfil their demands before going ahead with the concession. Mr Ezekwesili recalled that the workers held a similar protest in late January against the planned concession of the airport. The national social secretary said after the initial protest, the workers issued a communique and gave the government 21 days to fulfil their six demands or risk shutdown of the airport. He said on Monday that the workers spotted some government officials conducting an inventory at the airport and that the workers resisted them. We said no. No further inventory should be taken at our airport until our demands are met. Sign our papers. This morning we said we must shut down until they sign our papers before any person can come for any inventory taken, he said. This morning, we shut down the airports and said, Attend to our issue before you do any further inventory taking in our airports. Stranded passengers Some stranded passengers were seen loitering on the airport premises, apparently frustrated. Several luggage carts of stranded passengers were lined up near the airport entrance because the protesting workers had shut down everything. Enugu Air, a commercial airline owned by the Enugu State Government, announced that the protest had disrupted its flight operations. There is currently a disruption at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, due to an ongoing protest by airport staff, which has restricted access to the terminal for passengers, airline personnel, and aircraft on ground in Enugu, the airline wrote on its X handle at about 8:57 a.m. on Friday. The airline lamented that, because Enugu is its primary base of operations, the situation was affecting multiple scheduled departures and arrivals. Resumption of flight operations However, PREMIUM TIMES subsequently gathered that some aviation authorities prevailed on the protesting workers to return to work and to allow for peaceful dialogue to resolve the problem. Mr Ezekwesili told PREMIUM TIMES that the suspension of the protest followed interventions from the Ministry of Aviation and the national leadership of the aviation workers, after the government promised to meet with them on Monday. That was why our national leadership said we should give a human face to it, which is exactly what we did this morning, by allowing the operations of the airport to start. By Monday, if they dont hold that meeting, we may be forced to come back here, he said. READ ALSO: FAAN launches electric transit services at Abuja airport And recall that our 21-day ultimatum is still on. Once it elapses, the entire airspace in Nigeria will be shut down. We hope it doesnt get to that level. With the development, flight operations resumed at the airport after hours of shutdown. Enugu Air announced the resumption of flight operations after the protest. Normal operations have resumed at Enugu Airport. Some morning flights were affected and may be rescheduled, it wrote on the microblogging platform. Affected passengers will receive updates directly. The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Friday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) to pay N2.5 billion judgement proceeds awarded to 110 former workers sacked by the university nearly three decades ago. The workers were unlawfully dismissed by the university in 1996. In two separate and unanimous rulings, a threemember panel of judges ordered the CBN to immediately release the funds to the former ABU employees without further delay. The court criticised the CBN for wasting public resources on legal actions intended to frustrate the payment. The judgement read that There is no lawful reason for the CBN to file this appeal. The conduct of the CBN in opposing the payment is reckless and reprehensible, Okon Abang who read the lead ruling of the Court of Appeal held on Friday, noting that ABU had deposited the money with the bank for settlement of the judgement debt. It is not the duty of the CBN to act as advocate; its responsibility is to implement court judgments in the absence of any contrary order. The appeals followed a National Industrial Courts ruling which held that the 110 workers were unlawfully dismissed by the then-sole administrator of ABU, and ordered that their entitlements be paid. Both ABU and the CBN later challenged the use of garnishee proceedings to enforce the payment. Mr Abang, alsos said in the lead judgement that CBN could face heavy sanctions if it continued to withhold the money, which has been in its custody since 2018, pending payment by ABU to the affected staff members. Mr Abang rejected the CBNs argument that the former workers could not use garnishee proceedings to access the funds. The court also dismissed the claim that the consent of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF) was required before payment could be effected. He held that the workers were entitled to pursue garnishee proceedings against the CBN to recover their funds. Lawyer criticised The court further condemned the lawyer representing the CBN for supporting actions that delayed justice for the workers. The lawyer ought to have advised the bank not to frustrate the National Industrial Court judgement. This action has prolonged the suffering and hardship of the workers, Mr Abang said. He added that The lawyer owes a duty to the court, the country, and the 110 workers to ensure they are not unjustly denied the fruits of their court victory. Their judicial time has been wasted unnecessarily. The Court of Appeal also awarded N5 million against the CBN and another N5 million against ABU to be paid to the workers as litigation costs, in addition to the N2.5 billion judgment sum. Background The legal dispute involving the 110 disengaged staff members ABU, Zaria, has lingered for nearly 29 years. The staff members employments were terminated in 1996, and they have yet to receive their entitlements. The matter resurfaced in 2012, when the former employees approached the courts after the university failed to implement recommendations from various visitation panels, which had advised that they be reinstated and paid all outstanding entitlements. In 2015, the court ruled in favour of the workers, ordering ABU to reinstate them and pay N2.5 billion in entitlements. The universitys failure to comply led to a garnishee proceeding in 2017, targeting ABUs accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). While the garnishee was ongoing, ABU and CBN sought a stay, filing an appeal at the Court of Appeal in November 2018, challenging the 2015 judgment. The appellate court, however, dismissed the appeal on 24 May 2021, affirming the lower courts decision. The National Industrial Court on 27 January 2022 issued an absolute garnishee order, directing the CBN to pay the judgment sum to the former staff. Despite this, the N2.5 billion remains unpaid. ABU would later attempted to present fresh evidence to delay enforcement of the judgment, but that motion was dismissed by the appellate court In June 2025. ABU and CBN however returned to court to challenge the use of garnishee proceedings to enforce the payment. Their application was dismissed, leaving the former staffs entitlement intact. Workers lawyer speaks Speaking after the Court of Appeal ruling, Adegboyega Kolade, lawyer for the 110 former ABU staff members, described the judgement as a long-awaited end to a decades long struggle and expressed gratitude that the matter has finally come to an end. The appeals have been deemed oppressive, wasteful of government funds, and inhumane, he said. He traced the origins of the dispute to 1996 to 1998, during the tenure of the late head of state Sani Abacha, who appointed a general, Mamman Kontagora, as sole administrator of ABU, with an agenda that led to what he described as ethnic and religious cleansing. READ ALSO: BUA chairman donates N1 billion to Ahmadu Bello University Christians and southerners were largely removed unjustly, he said. Visitation panels were set up, three or four in total, to review these decisions. Their recommendation was that the dismissals be annulled. While most universities complied, ABU refused, continuing its agenda. Efforts by dignitaries and personalities to intervene on behalf of the judgement creditors yielded nothing. He recalled that the former staff members eventually approached the courts, securing a judgement on 30 November 2015, and lamented that since then, all attempts to enforce the ruling were frustrated, often in collusion with the CBN. The Chief Judge of Katsina State, Justice Musa Abubakar, has drawn a firm legal line amid the state governments controversial peace talks with armed groups, stating that courts have no power to free persons already convicted and can act only on applications properly brought before them in accordance with the law. In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Abubakar explained that suspects awaiting trial may seek bail or enforce their fundamental rights if prosecutors fail to bring them to court within a reasonable time. However, he stressed that the judiciary cannot intervene arbitrarily or operate outside established legal procedures. The clarification comes amid public outrage following reports that the Katsina State Government is seeking the release of about 71 detainees, some convicted, others awaiting trial, as part of a non-kinetic strategy to return peace to banditry-affected communities. Banditry in Katsina State has escalated since around 2010, evolving from cattle rustling into widespread armed violence marked by mass kidnappings, village raids, and killings. In response, successive administrations have combined military operations with non-kinetic approaches, including community-led negotiations and peace deals with armed groups, an approach that has increasingly placed pressure on the criminal justice system. Who are the 71? Senior judicial officials told PREMIUM TIMES that the detainees at the centre of the controversy do not belong to a single legal category, but fall into distinct groups whose statuses have been widely blurred in public debate. According to information provided by the judiciary, the list includes three broad categories: individuals already convicted by the courts; suspects currently standing trial before magistrates and high courts; and persons arrested during security operations, largely because of their familial ties to suspected bandits rather than direct participation in violent crimes. The chief judge said a number of those in custody are relatives including wives, parents, and other family members of suspected bandits, many of whom were arrested during raids despite insufficient evidence linking them directly to criminal acts. He said this lack of clarity about who exactly is being discussed under the proposed release has contributed to public confusion, outrage, and competing narratives around the peace negotiations. This categorisation, he noted, is critical to understanding why the controversy has escalated and why the judiciary insists that each group must be treated differently under the law. Detention without trial and rights Beyond the debate over release lists and peace negotiations, Mr Abubakar raised deeper concerns about prolonged detention and the erosion of constitutional safeguards within Katsina States security response. The chief judge said a significant number of detainees have remained in custody for two to four years without being conclusively tried or convicted, particularly among those arrested during security operations where investigators later struggled to assemble prosecutable evidence. According to him, such prolonged detention is rarely the result of judicial obstruction, but instead of systemic failures within investigative and prosecutorial institutions. Mr Abubakar cited slow police investigations, delayed legal advice from prosecuting authorities, and weak coordination between security agencies and the Ministry of Justice as key factors clogging the justice system. In many cases, the courts are simply not given files that are ready for trial, the chief judge said, noting that judges can only act on matters properly brought before them. He warned that extended detention without resolution risks turning innocent individuals into long-term victims of the security response itself, undermining public confidence in the justice system and sowing grievances that may fuel future instability. While acknowledging the gravity of banditry, the chief judge stressed that security challenges cannot justify practices that sidestep due process, cautioning that such approaches may weaken rather than strengthen long-term peace efforts. Security spending and impact The judicial concerns unfold against a backdrop of heavy public spending on security by the Katsina State Government, raising questions about outcomes, oversight, and accountability. Former Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa, told PREMIUM TIMES that the state had spent over 36 billion on security-related interventions in recent years, yet many frontline communities continue to experience attacks, kidnappings, and displacement. While government officials have disputed claims of limited progress, the judiciarys disclosures suggest that the security response has placed increasing pressure on detention facilities and the criminal justice systemwithout a corresponding improvement in case resolution or prosecution outcomes. Judicial officials said courts are routinely confronted with detainees brought before them after long periods in custody, often without complete case files, legal advice, or prosecutorial readiness. This, they explained, creates a paradox: vast resources are committed to security operations, yet weak investigative follow-through leaves courts unable to promptly conclude cases, resulting in prolonged detention and legal congestion. The chief judge stressed that courts do not control arrests, investigations, or detention practices, noting that the judiciary can only act on matters properly brought before it. Where cases are not filed, or evidence is not presented, Mr Abubakar said, the courts cannot manufacture justice. Legal experts say this disconnect points to a broader institutional problemone in which security enforcement, prosecution, and judicial processes operate in silos, undermining the effectiveness of even well-funded interventions. In the absence of coordinated case management and prosecutorial efficiency, the judiciary warned that security spending risks translating into mass arrests rather than sustainable justice outcomes, with long-term implications for public trust and the rule of law. Vigilantes, alleged abuses, and judicial oversight Beyond the courts, the chief judge raised serious concerns about the conduct of community-based security outfits operating across Katsina State, particularly the Community Security Watch Corps, which has played an expanding role in anti-banditry operations. According to Mr Abubakar, some members of the outfit have acted beyond their legal mandate, including carrying out arrests without handing suspects over to the police and, in some cases, engaging in unlawful killings. He said the judiciary was aware of allegations that certain operatives function as law unto themselves, conducting executions based on suspicion rather than evidence. When such matters are brought before the courts, he said, they are treated as cases of acting outside lawful authority. The chief judge disclosed that cases involving alleged extra-judicial killings by community security operatives are before the courts, although he declined to give details on convictions, noting that the matters are still undergoing judicial processes. He explained that the courts intervention is reactive rather than proactive: judges can only act when law enforcement agencies formally file cases or when victims families initiate legal action. This limitation, he said, underscores the fragile accountability framework surrounding state-backed vigilante groupswhose operations often take place in remote communities with limited access to legal remedies. While acknowledging the security pressures facing rural areas, the chief judge warned that unchecked abuses by non-conventional security actors risk deepening grievances, eroding public confidence, and potentially fueling the very violence they are meant to suppress. The courts exist to draw the line, he said, but that line can only be enforced when the law is allowed to function. The legal deadlock over the 71 At the heart of the controversy surrounding the proposed release of 71 detainees lies a legal impasse that the judiciary says it cannot resolve through political pressure or administrative shortcuts. The chief judge explained that the detainees being discussed under the peace arrangement fall into distinct legal categories, each governed by different constitutional and procedural rules. According to him, those already convicted by the courts cannot be released by judicial fiat. For convicted persons, the court has completed its duty, he said. Once judgement has been delivered, the court becomes functus officio. In practical terms, this means that judges lack the legal authority to revisit or reverse valid convictions, regardless of the political or security considerations surrounding the peace negotiations. Mr Abubakar noted that the only lawful pathway for the release of convicted inmates lies outside the judiciarythrough the governors prerogative of mercy, exercised in accordance with constitutional provisions. For detainees currently standing trial, the situation is different but no less constrained. The chief judge said such suspects remain subject to ongoing judicial processes, with cases at various stages before magistrates and highgh courts across the state. He stressed that political or security pressure cannot lawfully override evidentiary standards or trial procedures. The court cannot discharge a person simply because there is a peace arrangement, he said. The law must take its course. The most legally troubling category, Mr Abubakar said, involves individuals held without sufficient evidence, many of whom are relatives of suspected bandits rather than direct participants in crimes. The chief judge acknowledged that a significant number of detainees awaiting trial fall into this group, describing them as people against whom there is no proof strong enough to sustain prosecution. He explained that such detainees remain in custody largely because law enforcement agencies have been unable to conclude investigations or file charges supported by evidenceyet have also failed to formally release them. Under the law, he said, these detainees retain the right to apply for bail or to enforce their fundamental rights through the courts if held for prolonged periods without trial. However, the chief judge noted that many lack legal representation, limiting their ability to challenge continued detention. Taken together, the three categories expose a system caught between security expediency and constitutional limitswhere peace negotiations demand releases the courts are not empowered to grant, and prolonged detentions persist without timely judicial resolution. This is where the deadlock is, the chief judge said. Between justice and survival Civil society, cmmunities, and a divided public Beyond the courtroom, the proposed release of detainees has divided opinions among civil society groups, community leaders, and residents of conflict-hit areassplitting opinion between those demanding strict justice and those desperate for immediate relief from violence. The Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, Abdulrahman Abdullahi, told PREMIUM TIMES that while communities ravaged by banditry are exhausted and desperate for calm, the continued detention of innocent persons raises serious legal and moral questions. An innocent person is an innocent person, he said. Detaining relatives of suspects for years without resolution creates fresh grievances and undermines the justice system itself. Mr Abdullahi said civil society groups have repeatedly called for speedy trials and judicial oversight, warning that prolonged detention without clear outcomes risks turning victims into future sources of instability. Judicial officials had earlier warned that peace arrangements built outside the law were unlikely to endure. That warning now appears to be resonating beyond the courtroom, as community leaders and security observers link the recent resurgence of attacks to what they describe as a breakdown in trust between armed groups and authorities. However, other civic and regional groups have taken a harder line. The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) rejected any arrangement that could lead to the release of convicted or actively prosecuted suspects, describing such moves as legally questionable and strategically unsound. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, CNG chairman Jamilu Charanchi warned that commitments that cannot be lawfully implemented weaken public confidence and embolden criminal networks. Releasing detained bandits as part of negotiations undermines justice, disrespects victims, and complicates security efforts across the North, he said, while urging authorities to adhere strictly to due process and regional coordination. On the ground, opinions are even more conflicted. Some residents argue that the continued detention of relatives of bandits is justified, claiming that such individuals often benefit from criminal proceeds or act as logistical enablerspointing, in some cases, to evidence of sudden wealth, foreign travel, or sponsorship of pilgrimages as grounds for suspicion. Others counter that collective punishment only deepens resentment, especially when detainees include women, elderly parents, and individuals never charged with any offence. Security analysts warn that these unresolved tensionsbetween justice, survival, and state authorityare already reshaping public trust. For victims families, the dilemma is stark: accept legal compromises in the hope of quiet, or insist on accountability at the risk of renewed violence. As the judiciary insists it cannot bend the law to fit peace deals, and the executive faces pressure to show results, Katsinas fragile calm now rests on a question with no easy answer: Can peace built on unresolved injustice truly last? A Judiciary Draws the Line At the centre of the controversy, the Katsina State judiciary has drawn a clear institutional boundary one it says it cannot cross, regardless of political pressure or security urgency. In his engagements with Premium Times, the chief judge made it clear that the courts cannot be repurposed to resolve political or security dilemmas created outside the justice system. Where convictions exist, judicial authority is exhausted. Where cases remain unresolved, responsibility lies with investigative and prosecutorial agencies to act within the law. The judge also warned that security measures pursued outside legal limits including prolonged detention without trial or unchecked actions by community-based security outfits risk undermining the very stability they are meant to achieve. Together, these positions underscore a central tension now confronting Katsina State: peace may be negotiated, but justice cannot be improvised. As bandit attacks persist in parts of the state despite ongoing negotiations, the judiciarys refusal to bend the law has left the executive with narrowing options either recalibrate its security strategy within constitutional limits, or confront the reality that some promises made in the name of peace may be impossible to keep. For now, the courts have drawn a line. Whether political authorities can restore calm without crossing the line may determine not only the fate of the detainees at the heart of the controversy, but also the credibility of governance in a state still searching for stability after years of violence. The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has banned the activities of Neolife and Faith Heroic Group (FHG) on campus and asked students to stay away from them. In a memo signed by the registrar, Charles Adeleye, the university said the activities of both groups have created serious discomfort, fear, unnecessary tension and unwarranted pressure in the university environment and undermined the universitys peaceful and conducive academic atmosphere. Neolife, which claimed its a wellness company, has been accused of several improprieties, including exploiting young people, pushing them into debt and encouraging them to abandon formal education with false promises while pushing them into a sales structure that leaves them worse off. A Punch Investigation last year detailed how young Nigerians, including university students, were lured with fake job offers and promises of quick wealth into joining a marketing structure that fails to deliver on its promises. According to the report, Neolife recruiters give the impression of legitimate employment opportunities with inflated salaries and unrelated jobs, but instead steer them into joining a multi-level marketing structure. Reasons for ban The university said it reviewed the activities of the groups, including their mode of recruitment and found that the activities are not in the best interest of the students and the university. Arising from the above, all activities of the FHG and Neolife are hereby proscribed with immediate effect, the statement said. All students of the university are also directed to refrain from all the activities of the group on the university campuses. Failure to comply with this directive will attract serious penalties in line with the extant regulations of the university. Sixteen of the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies have struck most-favoured nation deals with the administration of United States President Donald Trump to cut drug prices for Americans in exchange for exemptions from US tariffs. This is part of the governments effort to reduce the high cost of medicines in the country, according to Reuters. The deals apply to medicines supplied through the governments Medicaid programme and to drugs sold directly to consumers under a new platform, TrumpRx launched by the Trump administration. New platform According to Reuters, TrumpRx.gov is a website designed to help Americans access discounted prescription medicines. The website was launched on Thursday at a White House event attended by the Administrator of the Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Mehmet Oz, and Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb and Director of the National Design Studio. People are going to save a lot of money and be healthy, Mr Trump said at the event, describing the platform as a major step in lowering drug prices. TrumpRx is a central pillar of the administrations plan to cut prescription drug costs, which remain significantly higher in the US than in other developed countries. The website will be powered by prescription drug savings platform GoodRx. However, Reuters noted that TrumpRx will not sell medicines directly but will redirect users to partner websites where drugs can be purchased. Drugmakers, medicines covered Reuters reports that companies involved in the agreements include Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck and GSK. Among the most notable deals are those involving Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, which agreed to reduce prices of popular weight-loss medicines known as GLP-1. The US government said the agreements would cut average monthly prices of these drugs to between $149 and $350 for Americans. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly already sell some of their weight-loss medicines directly to consumers, accounting for more than 10 per cent of their total sales, the companies have said. Chris Pernie, Novo Nordisks associate vice president for US public affairs, said the company is expanding access to its medicines. The launch of TrumpRx will further extend patients reach to Ozempic and Wegovy, including the newly approved Wegovy pill, at our self-pay prices, Mr Pernie was quoted to have said in a statement. Beyond weight-loss medicines, Reuters reports that drugs expected to be available through TrumpRx include Mercks diabetes drug Januvia, Sanofis blood thinner Plavix, GSKs asthma inhaler Advair Diskus, Amgens cholesterol drug Repatha and Gileads hepatitis C treatment Epclusa. Pfizer said it launched its TrumpRx programme on Thursday and would offer more than 30 medicines at discounted prices. The White House also said fertility medicines, including EMD Seronos Gonal-F and Mercks Cetrotide, would be included. Questions over savings While the White House has promoted the programme as a way to reduce drug costs, Reuters reports that it remains unclear how much consumers will actually save. TrumpRx mainly targets people who buy medicines without insurance, meaning purchases made through the platform will not count toward insurance deductibles. Juliette Cubanski, deputy director for Medicare policy at health policy organisation KFF, said the benefits for insured patients could be limited. There is a real question about the value of this for people with insurance, Ms Cubanski said. In some cases, we could be looking at out-of-pocket costs that are still relatively unaffordable for a lot of people. According to Reuters, US patients currently pay nearly three times more for prescription medicines than patients in other developed countries. Ms Cubanski said drugmakers may still benefit from the initiative by selling medicines directly to consumers. Selling a drug at a discount is better than no sale at all, she said, adding this shouldnt be mistaken for a concerted effort to deliver lower drug prices across the board to people in the United States. I remember one of my trips to Kaiama with a group of friends a few years ago, at the early stages of the Boko Haram crisis. As we drove through the vast Borgu Game Reserve, endless forests, deep isolation, and historically bad roads, a troubling thought crossed my mind: if Boko Haram ever reached this place, it would easily make it a home. The terrain, the remoteness, and the thin presence of the state created exactly the conditions in which insurgent groups flourish. At the time, it felt like an abstract fear. After the massacre at Kasuwar Dare, Borno Local Government, and now Woro, it feels disturbingly real. For more than six hours, from about 5:30 p.m. to midnight, armed groups descended on the rural community of Woro in Kaiama Local Government Area, sparing no one in sight. Children, women, the elderly, and young men were killed indiscriminately. Even unsuspecting travellers navigating the notoriously bad road, many of them heading to a nearby rural market, were caught in the violence. Local accounts report that the attackers arrived on more than seventy motorcycles. They reportedly called Maghrib prayers and then commenced a coordinated massacre. Houses were set ablaze, explosives were planted along the road, and ambush positions were prepared in anticipation of any rescue or security intervention. This attack was clearly not spontaneous. It bore the unmistakable hallmarks of prior planning and coordination, carried out with deliberate intent to inflict maximum harm, and it did so with devastating and tragic effect. Preliminary local estimates suggest that close to two hundred people may have been killed. In the immediate aftermath, some victims were buried in mass graves under the pressure of fear, trauma, and the sheer scale of the killings. Even now, bodies are still being recovered, picked from scattered locations across surrounding farmlands, footpaths, and forested areas. This development is not new. Pockets of violence have been unfolding across this axis for almost a decade, largely beneath the national radar. A few years ago, the district head of Gbere/Wawa, less than twenty kilometres from Woro, was kidnapped and held in captivity for over three months. At another point, Boko Haram attempted to attack the military barracks in Wawa, reportedly in a bid to free detained militants. Over the years, there have been repeated killings and attacks across Kemanji, Karonzi, Yashikira, and the Babanna axis. These incidents were early warnings. Yet we live in a country that reacts only to spectacular violence and analyses episodes rather than the slow accumulation of risk. The signs were there. Woro was foreseeable; it was predictable. And once again, we failed to act in time. Only moments ago, I spoke with Comrade Chom Bagu, who described how the massacre reverberated far beyond Woro itself. He noted that people from Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State were among those affected. Many from Ganawuri, he explained, have long been farming in the Woro axis, part of a wider pattern of seasonal and semi-permanent migration in search of arable land in Kaiama Local Government. While I was aware of the presence of Tiv and Idoma farming communities in the area, I had not realised that Atten people were also settled there. This detail reveals the multi-ethnic and migrant character of Borgus rural economy and the breadth of the devastation at Woro. This was not an attack on a single community alone, but an assault on a fragile social landscape made up of indigenous residents, migrant farmers, and travellers bound together by neglect and exposure. By any measure, the killings at Woro rank among the worst massacres in recent years, not only for their brutality, but for the chilling ease with which they were carried out. We can deploy every available security analysis, but doing so will miss the core of the problem. What has unfolding the larger Borgu is not merely a security failure. It is the outcome of a long, cumulative failure of governance. For those of us who study violent conflict and work on prevention and response, the warning signs are unmistakable. Borgu, in Kwara, Niger, and Kebbi States, fits the pattern all too clearly. The entire region, particularly the Kwara axis, ranks among the most neglected parts of Nigeria in terms of road infrastructure, state presence, and public investment. This neglect was significantly deepened after 1991, when half of the old Borgu Local Government Area was excised and merged into Niger State. This led to a huge institutional and community fragmentation. Responsibility became diffused, coordination weakened, and intercommunal ties were strained as Borgu was scattered across three states. Over time, the region slipped further into the margins of the country. Nearly all the major roads cutting across this vast territory are designated as federal roads, effectively placing them beyond the practical reach of state governments and local authorities. The consequence is paralysis. Roads are left to decay, emergency response times lengthen, security operations slow to a crawl, and entire communities are left dangerously exposed. In this region, distance is no longer measured in kilometres but in hours, vulnerability, and risk. Woro, the epicentre of the recent massacre, lies less than forty kilometres from Kaiama, the Local Government headquarters in Kwara State, and roughly thirty kilometres from New Bussa, the headquarters of Borgu Local Government in Niger State. Yet these short distances translate into journeys of at least two hours from both ends due to the catastrophic condition of the roads. The KaiamaWawa/New Bussa road was last paved, badly, if I must say in 1987. Within three years, it had already failed. Since then, it has endured more than three decades of abandonment. In 2018, the federal government awarded a contract for its reconstruction to Gilmor. What was meant to be a four-year project has now dragged on for eight years. By most accounts, only about 10 kilometres out of just 67 kilometres were completed before the contractor abandoned the site, reportedly due to funding constraints. For the last four years, the road and the people who depend on it have remained in limbo. Yet roads alone do not explain the massacre at Woro. To understand what happened, we must also abandon the lazy habit of lumping all violence in Nigeria into a single category. Disaggregating violent groups is not one of our strengths; too often, its one-size-fits-all. In reality, the Borgu Game Reserve and its surrounding communities host a complex constellation of armed actors, Islamist insurgents, bandit groups, and varying formations with overlapping but distinct objectives. The Mahmuda group, frequently mentioned in recent reports, is only one among several. Others, including Lakurawa, Ansaru, and lesser-known factions, have operated in this zone for years. Some use Borgu as a transit corridor, others as a sanctuary, and still others as a recruitment and settlement zone. Some of these groups have been present for close to a decade, long enough to move beyond hit-and-run attacks and begin embedding themselves socially and economically. The geography of this part of Nigeria makes this possible. The old Borgu Local Government Area is geographically larger than any single state in present-day Nigeria; the region remains one of the most sparsely populated areas in the country, with an estimated population density of about fifteen persons per square kilometre. Vast forests, game reserves, porous boundaries, and weak administrative oversight combine to create ideal conditions for concealment, mobility, and insulation from state surveillance. Through coercion, religious messaging, economic inducement, and the manipulation of local grievances, some of these groups have succeeded in recruiting a few locals, particularly from neighbouring communities in Niger state. As tragic as Woro is, it demands more than condemnation and official visits. It demands a national reckoning with how development failure becomes a security threat, and how roads can be important security infrastructure. Until Borgu is treated not as a distant periphery but as a strategic heartland requiring sustained development, coordinated governance, and long-term security investment, Woro will not be the last name Nigeria is forced to mourn. In the immediate term, Nigeria must make more effective use of existing security assets in the area, including the military barracks in Wawa, less than thirty kilometres from Woro, and the Air Force base in New Bussa. These facilities should not exist in isolation from unfolding threats in their immediate hinterlands. Better coordination, rapid deployment capacity, and intelligence-led operations are essential if such installations are to serve their intended deterrent and protective functions. Beyond this, security operations must increasingly rely on air support, surveillance, and modern monitoring technologies to track the movement of armed groups across difficult terrain and forested corridors. The geography of Borgu makes purely ground-based responses slow and ineffective. Nigeria must urgently revisit its policies on wildlife conservation and forest reserves. What were once protected ecological spaces have, through neglect and poor regulation, become sanctuaries for armed groups. Conservation cannot be pursued in isolation from security realities. Without a framework that integrates environmental protection with territorial control and community safety, forest reserves will continue serve as spaces governed and exploited by violent actors. Hussaini Abdu is an Abuja-based international development and humanitarian specialist. BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- It's glad to see that more and more foreign friends show interest in experiencing today's China and exploring the Chinese people's everyday life, and that they have the opportunity to do so, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Friday. Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the buzzword "Becoming Chinese." Videos showing Chinese lifestyle practices have recently gone viral on various social media worldwide. Media also noted that during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China last month, some foreign journalists in China said that China is a livable country and living here is safe and convenient. Lin said that in the eyes of many foreign friends, to experience and learn about China has been much more than traditional symbols, such as the Great Wall, kung fu, pandas, and the Chinese cuisine. "Here in China, they enjoy the ease of travel with just one cellphone and have a taste of Chinese lifestyle with a sense of inner fulfillment," Lin said, adding that they marvel at high-speed railways, 5G, and large-scale infrastructure and uncover the charm of off-the-beaten-path cities, and they experience cutting-edge and fun technologies and immerse themselves in intangible cultural heritage. As history and tradition embrace modernity and fashion, China offers a unique and fresh experience and becomes a stronger magnet to foreign tourists, the spokesperson said, adding that people around the world increasingly hold favorable opinions on China. Statistics show that in 2025, the number of inbound and outbound travels by foreign nationals surpassed 82 million, up by 26.4 percent year on year, and the visa-free entries rose by nearly 50 percent year on year, he said. Noting that the Spring Festival is an iconic symbol of the Chinese culture, Lin said with the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse approaching, in the past two weeks, the number of inbound flight bookings for the festive period more than quintupled year on year. "We warmly welcome foreign friends to come to China for the Spring Festival to experience the country's joy and hospitality," Lin added. This weekend, the Emir of Machina, Alhaji Dr Bashir Albishir Bukar Machinama turbaned Dr. Kole Shettima as the Zanna Yuroma of the Emirate. This exalted position is only given to people with sufficient depth, maturity, sincerity and tact to talk truth to power. The onerous duty of the new Yuroma therefore includes warning the Emir if he engages on the wrong path. Dr. Shettima clearly has the qualifications to play such an important and delicate role and I wish him success in executing his role to the glory of Machina, Yobe and Nigeria. The turbanning was the crowning event in an annual weeklong cultural festival which has developed into a major unifying platform that brings together people with shared history and heritage, thereby fostering mutual understanding and harmony. Machina is an ancient 900-year-old Kingdom at the centre of the Millennial Kanem-Borno Empire. It was incredible to see over fourty Emirs from a radius of 2000 kilometres turn up for the event. As Machina is just seven kilometres from the Niger border, there was a huge delegation from that country with Emirs from Diffa, Agadez, Air and Bilma attending. There were also delegations from Chad, Cameroon and Benin Republics in addition to delegations from Nigeria. As Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe stated at the occasion, cultural festivals play an important role in strengthening unity, inspiring youth responsibility and preserving community values. Activities at the cultural festival included traditional wrestling, langa, horse-riding and durbar. The Emir had initiated the festival after he was nominated by the State Government to represent Yobe at the national cultural festival organised in Abuja by President Olusegun Obasanjo at the beginning of the Fourth Republic. Dr Kole Shettima is deserving of the honour because he has been a very thoughtful, kind, generous and warm friend to the large circle of people he interacts with. In addition, throughout his life, he has retained a strong commitment to progressive change throughout the country. At each point, his key concern is always what can we do to improve the situation? His next step is always how can we generate the resources to make the change happen? It is therefore not surprising that he has accumulated numerous accomplishments since he took over the leadership of the McArthur Foundation 26 years ago. Under his guidance, the portfolio of the Foundation expanded considerably and its impact multiplied. New programmes, leading to improvements in everyday lives through the work of grantees in higher education and Girls Secondary Education, emerged. He was able to build on the foundation of the great work of MacArthur in Nigeria laid by its first Director, Professor Bolanle Awe. Her work produced great advancement in maternal and child health. In fact, the Foundation was a significant contributor to the success of the midwifery scheme that reduced maternal mortality in Nigeria from 1,000 for 100,000 live births to 400 a global success story that evolved from the work on advancements in the Population and Reproductive Health programme. Under Dr Shettimas guidance, the Foundation initiated new programmes, leading to improvements in everyday lives through the work of grantees in higher education and girls secondary education, emerged. They also opened up to the protection and promotion of the rights of citizens, through their human rights and international justice work. Dr Shettimas people skills personal effectiveness, interaction skills and intercession skills with his professional approach to philanthropy enabled him to expand the Foundations work in civil society, but also extend it to government agencies, the media and technology hubs, universities and citizen groups, and professionals. The Foundation focused on promoting the better delivery of public services through support for anti-corruption work, in the belief that progress in this domain is possible. Since then, it has successfully contributed to the emergence of a more robust and resilient accountability ecosystem, in which a diverse set of civil society organisations, community groups, and government officials, especially at the state and local levels, work together to pursue integrity. MacArthur made its Big Bet on Nigeria in 2015, when it significantly expanded its support. The organisation focused on promoting the better delivery of public services through support for anti-corruption work, in the belief that progress in this domain is possible. Since then, it has successfully contributed to the emergence of a more robust and resilient accountability ecosystem, in which a diverse set of civil society organisations, community groups, and government officials, especially at the state and local levels, work together to pursue integrity. The result has been that: All states throughout Nigeria have passed the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, and our criminal justice grantees are working to support and enhance the implementation of the ACJA and ACJL to strengthen the teeth of Nigerias accountability ecosystem. Their Media and Journalism grantees have developed a significant presence in the Nigerian media landscape, with each contributing a substantial amount of corruption-related reporting and investigative journalism. The quantity of corruption-related reporting in the news has grown considerably since 2016, and the quality is on the rise, as well among media organisations in the country. Many of these reports have prompted government action, especially at the state and local levels, on issues such as potential financial crimes, public services corruption, and voter registration fraud. The Foundations work has created an atmosphere in which in todays Nigeria, citizens are more willing to report cases of corruption and refuse bribes. According to the 3rd National Corruption Survey of Nigerians from the National Bureau of Statistics and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, 70 percent of Nigerians who were asked to pay a bribe in 2023 refused to do so on at least one occasion. Dr Kole Shettimas personal commitment to gender equity has led to the significant increase in the provision of support for women in leadership positions, training opportunities, and the expansion of material support in entrepreneurial work in the informal sector, universities and civil society. His ideological vision of the necessity for promoting a just, verdant, and peaceful world makes him a genuine progressive, not just in words but more crucially, in deeds. I thank his Highness, the Emir of Machina, Alhaji Dr Bashir Albishir Bukar Machinama for honouring our friend, Dr Kole Shettima as the Zanna Yuroma of the Emirate and I congratulate him on the success of the festival. Kole, Allah ya taya ka riko. A Professor of Political Science and development consultant/expert, Jibrin Ibrahim is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, and Chair of the Editorial Board of PREMIUM TIMES. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has reaffirmed its strong support to the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) and its newly established financial institution the Africa Energy Bank (AEB). The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, an engineer made the pledge on Thursday when the new Secretary General of APPO, Farid Ghezali paid him a courtesy visit at the Boards Abuja liaison office, in company with senior officials of APPO, Mr Bakary Traore and Mr Tchananti Sahguir. The meeting came on the heels of Nigerias handing over of the fully set up office of AEB on Monday, paving way for the Banks launch by APPO and Afreximbank owners of the institution. The Executive Secretary conveyed the agencys strong support to APPO and the Africa Energy Banks success, noting that the future of the African oil and gas industry depended largely on the performance of both institutions. The NCDMB stands ready to provide operational support for the banks launch, in full alignment with the directives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, he noted. The APPO Secretary General who assumed office in January 2026 sought the continued support of NCDMB to actualise APPOs operations, recalling the long standing relationship between the institutions. While outlining plans for improved transparency in the associations operations, he advocated for timely financial contributions from member countries, recruitment of new members, and an expected increase in subscriptions. He announced that Mauritania is anticipated to join APPO soon, further strengthening the organizations continental reach. Mr Farid Ghezali emphasised the critical need for a transparent selection process of the Governing Board of the Africa Energy Bank, as well as structure and governance process, ensuring all APPO member countries remain equally informed of developments in the bank. He underscored the importance of rigorous Know Your Customer (KYC) and credibility requirements to build a credible and inclusive institution. Discussions at the meeting also explored innovative capacity-building measures. Mr Ghezali proposed developing an interactive platform to showcase African-certified companies in key specialties, while recommending the leveraging of NCDMBs renowned Nigerian Content Academy for training and skill development across member states. Both sides agreed on the need for equitable distribution of project benefits, harmonization of codes and regulations, technical assistance, knowledge sharing, honest collaboration, and the promotion of regional markets, particularly in West Africa, under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework. Key decisions included launching the interactive local content platform in the first half of 2026, prioritizing financial discipline, circulating relevant roadmaps to stakeholders, following up on outstanding contributions, and providing operational support for the launch. Mr Ogbe requested that APPO circulate the detailed roadmap, implementation timeline, and an update on the financial position, while scheduling a follow-up meeting to track progress. The meeting concluded on a positive note, with all parties renewing their commitment to transparency, genuine collaboration. The engagement underscores NCDMBs pivotal role in advancing Africas energy agenda through strategic partnerships like the AEB, which aims to mobilize significant financing for oil, gas, and energy projects, addressing historical funding gaps and promoting sustainable development across the continent. The Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has confirmed the death of a 400-level student, Idris Agboluaje, in an auto crash in Malete on Wednesday. The institutions Registrar, Kikelomo Sallee, in a statement on Thursday, said Mr Agboluaje was on his way to the campus to write an examination when the accident happened. The management on behalf of the university community commiserates with the family and loved ones of the student, who died in an unfortunate road accident on Wednesday, Feb. 4, in Malete. The Management of KWASU feels very deeply pained by the loss of a promising young man and prays that God consoles his family, friends, loved ones, and the entire KWASU Community, Sallee said. Meanwhile, initial reports said the Business Education student was earlier barred from entering the examination hall because he could not present his student identity card. Mr Agboluaje reportedly attempted to return to the school gate at high speed in a bid to catch up with the examination, but was involved in a fatal accident. The Association of Business Educators of Nigeria (ABEN), Kwara State University, Malete Chapter, had earlier expressed deep sorrow over Mr Agboluajes death. The association described the incident as a painful loss to the Business Education department. Our hearts go out to his parents, family members, friends and classmates during this difficult time, the association said in a statement. (NAN) A traditional ruler abducted in Kwara State in late December has regained freedom after about one month in captivity, family sources have confirmed. The Oniwo of Afin, Simeon Olanipekun, was released on Wednesday night, weeks after his son, Olaolu, who was kidnapped alongside him, regained freedom following earlier negotiations. PUNCH Online first reported the development on Thursday, citing a family source who confirmed that the ruler had been released following fresh ransom negotiations with his abductors. According to the family source, the kidnappers demanded and received an additional N12 million, bringing the total ransom paid to N32 million, following an earlier N20 million paid to secure the release of the rulers son about two weeks earlier. It is true. He was released on Wednesday night after we paid N12 million in addition to the N20 million earlier paid, the source said. They dropped him at a herders settlement around Oreke. From there, he was taken to the military base in Oreke, where the family was contacted. The source said the traditional ruler was receiving medical care after suffering physical exhaustion and psychological stress during his captivity. He is in high spirits now. The family and the entire Afin community are grateful to everyone who ensured his safe return, the source added. The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the release of the traditional ruler but denied knowledge of any ransom payment. The Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the release followed sustained joint security operations in the area. You are aware of the ongoing joint security operations on that axis. The bandits are fleeing. We are not aware of any ransom payment, she said. The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has consistently advised families against ransom payment and urged them to cooperate with security agencies. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that the traditional ruler was abducted on 31 December 2025 when gunmen stormed his palace in Ifelodun Local Government Area. During the attack, the assailants fired shots into the air, forced their way into the palace, and abducted the ruler and one of his sons, Olaolu, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps. READ ALSO: KWASU confirms death of 400L student in auto crash About two weeks later, Olaolu Olanipekun was released after negotiations between the family and the kidnappers. At the time, security sources declined to confirm whether ransom was paid. The abduction triggered protests and heightened anxiety in Afin and neighbouring communities, with residents calling on the state government to strengthen security in rural areas of Kwara South. The incident occurred amid a broader deterioration of security in parts of the state. PREMIUM TIMES has reported multiple kidnappings, terror attacks, and the imposition of curfews in several local government areas, including Ifelodun, Edu, and Kaiama, as security forces intensified operations against armed groups operating along forest corridors linking Kwara with Niger State. In recent weeks, the state government said security agencies had recorded gains against terrorist groups, even as attacks and abductions continued to unsettle communities. The release of the Oniwo of Afin comes as residents and civil society groups renew calls for a sustained security presence, intelligence-led operations, and protection for traditional institutions, which are increasingly targeted in rural Nigeria. At the European Parliament, the presentation of the Brussels Liaison Office: a strategy for the post-NRRP period and the future of EU programmes MILAN, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Politecnico di Milano has officially launched the Brussels Liaison Office, the University's new office dedicated to communication with EU institutions and to providing strategic support for participation in EU research and innovation programmes. The Politecnico di Milano delegation at the European Parliament in Brussels The role and activities of the Liaison Office were presented in Brussels, at the European Parliament, during the event From Knowledge to Impact: Research and Innovation in Partnership with Society and Industry, which brought together representatives from European institutions, researchers, university professors, and other drivers of innovation. The meeting was an opportunity to illustrate the vision with which the Politecnico intends to structure its continuous presence in Brussels, to become more recognisable and more effective. With the gradual conclusion of the NRRP, the next EU Framework Programme is set to become the main structural lever for research funding and for the international positioning of universities. In this context, the Politecnico di Milano chooses to set up a structured public office in Brussels designed to anticipate and intercept priorities, instruments and strategic trajectories of European research and innovation policy. This strategy is based on an already established position of the Politecnico di Milano in European research programmes. The University is now Italy's leading university in terms of funding obtained under Horizon Europe, with 389 funded projects having a total value of approximately 185.68 million. Under the 2021-2027 Framework Programme, the Politecnico has also been awarded 44 ERC projects for a total of 44.65 million, thus confirming the University's role in groundbreaking research. On the innovation front, between 2021 and January 2026, the Politecnico di Milano received funding for 29 proposals under the European Innovation Council (EIC), with a success rate of 10.7%, among the highest at the European level. "Europe is experiencing a decisive and identifying moment from several points of view, including that of advanced research and competitiveness: two elements that go hand in hand. This is a key moment for the next Framework Programme, FP10, where priorities and measures are defined. The question we asked ourselves in deciding to open an office in Brussels was not, "What can we get out of this situation?", but rather, "What can we bring to the decision-makers' table?" explained Donatella Sciuto, Rector of the Politecnico di Milano. "We are the first university in Italy in terms of the number of research projects funded by the Union, and fifth at the EU level. In a context increasingly dictated by major technological and research challenges, we are here to stay. To strengthen connections with the institutions, and to participate more decisively in defining continental priorities." The Brussels Liaison Office acts as a strategic hub between the university and the European research and innovation ecosystem. It will maintain continuous dialogue with EU institutions and contribute to the definition of strategic agendas in the fields of research and innovation. Through this office, the Politecnico has strengthened its involvement in the design processes of European research policies. It can also offer researchers more structured support and help during their participation in EU programmes, particularly in consideration of the next planning cycle. From this perspective, the Liaison Office is also a tool for strengthening the relationship between universities, research teams, and the European industrial system. The office can encourage participation in international partnerships and the development of high-impact research and innovation projects such as the new European Strategic Partnership on Advanced Materials IAM-I. During the event at the European Parliament, the discussion involved representatives of the European Commission, Members of Parliament and the heads of the main European research and innovation bodies. Each person offered a shared interpretation of the challenges facing the next European planning cycle, and the role that universities, research, and industry are called upon to play. With the launch of the Brussels Liaison Office, the Politecnico di Milano is consolidating a long-term strategy aimed at strengthening its scientific competitiveness, its dialogue with European institutions, and its contribution to the development of EU policies for research and innovation, at a decisive stage for the future of the Europe of knowledge. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Emanuele Sanzone, Media Relations, +39 3316480248, relazionimedia@polimi.it Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2877946/Politecnico_di_Milano_Brussels.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2877945/Politecnico_di_Milano_Logo.jpg MILWAUKEE, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating possible securities fraud claims against IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ). The investigation results from inaccurate statements IonQ may have made regarding its business operations and prospects. Click here to join our investigation or to obtain additional information, or contact us at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you. The investigation focuses on whether IonQ's reported revenues were dependent on federal government "backdoor earmarks". IonQ may have inflated both the amount and the nature of its revenue. The investigation also focuses on sales by IonQ executives of almost $400 million worth of IonQ stock. We specialize in securities fraud and shareholder litigation. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Contact: Ademi LLP Guri Ademi 3620 East Layton Ave. Cudahy, WI 53110 Toll Free: (866) 264-3995 Fax: (414) 482-8001 www.ademilaw.com SOURCE Ademi LLP NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of agilon health, inc. (NYSE: AGL) between February 26, 2025 and August 4, 2025, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important March 2, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm. So what: If you purchased agilon 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 agilon class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=46039 mailto:mailto: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 March 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 handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm 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) defendants recklessly issued guidance for 2025 that they knew or should have known was not going to be achieved, given material industry headwinds of which they were aware; (2) defendants materially overstated the immediate positive financial impact from "strategic actions" taken by agilon to reduce risk; and (3) as a result, defendants' statements about agilon's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and/or misleading at all times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the agilon class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=46039 or mailto:call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A. Impactful civic message explores how acts of kindness turn strangers into neighbors and neighborhoods make houses feel like home. Click here to watch Rocket and Redfin's Super Bowl commercial. DETROIT, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket and Redfin today unveiled a Super Bowl ad and rallying cry for American neighborhoods focused on the enduring power of being a good neighbor. Titled "America Needs Neighbors Like You," the spot tells a deeply human story of resilience, community and the quiet strength that emerges when people show up for one another. Rocket and Redfin's Super Bowl ad, America Needs Neighbors Like You," is a rallying cry for American neighborhoods focused on the enduring power of being a good neighbor. Set to Lady Gaga's reimagined version of Fred Rogers' iconic theme song "Won't You Be My Neighbor?," the ad follows two teenage girls from different backgrounds whose lives intersect after major family transitions. The story explores how empathy, kindness and human connection thrive through shared experiences. "Moving is one of the most meaningful decisions a family can make," said Jonathan Mildenhall, Chief Marketing Officer of Rocket Companies. "In Rocket and Redfin's first shared commercial, we see how changing friendships, new schools and rebuilding social circles can be incredibly difficult, especially for kids. The two teenage girls in our story show how kindness, when it shows up at the right moment, can turn a new place into a true community." The ad reflects an experience shared by millions of Americans. Nearly 40 percent of households with children relocate at some point, with one-in-five moving because of a major family transition, such as divorce or a growing family. For parents of teens, that change carries emotional weight, with more than 60 percent reporting their children feel social anxiety around moving. At the same time, connection isn't automatic. Only a quarter of Americans say they know most of their neighbors by name. Yet when relationships take root, the impact is meaningful: nearly seven-in-10 people have helped a neighbor or received help in the past year. Those everyday moments add up to real belonging. Homeownership deepens that sense of connection even further, with 71 percent of homeowners reporting a strong sense of community, reinforcing how stability and neighborliness grow stronger together. "Our core creative idea, 'Own the Dream,' reflects the belief that homeownership is about more than a transaction," Mildenhall added. "Stability is why communities thrive. When people feel rooted, they're more likely to show up for one another. That's the role housing plays in strengthening neighborhoods, and why neighborliness is essential." This second season of Rocket's 'Own the Dream,' was inspired by the milestone achievement of homeownership. While buying a home remains one of the most significant markers of success and stability in America, Rocket and Redfin show an authentic story exploring the emotional complexity of moving. Throughout 2026, Rocket and Redfin will continue sharing stats, tips and stories of neighborliness as a rallying cry for the American neighborhood. 'America Needs Neighbors Like You' was created in partnership with Mirimar, Rocket's creative agency of record, Zenith, Rocket's media agency of record and directed by Henry-Alex Rubin. The full 60-second commercial will air during the second quarter of Super Bowl LX on February 8. About Rocket Companies Founded in 1985, Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT) is a Detroit-based fintech platform including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses: Rocket Mortgage, Redfin, Mr. Cooper, Rocket Close, Rocket Money and Rocket Loans. With details from more than 65 million calls with clients each year, 30 petabytes of data and a mission to Help Everyone Home, Rocket Companies is well positioned to be the destination for AI-fueled homeownership. Known for providing exceptional client experiences, J.D. Power has ranked Rocket Mortgage #1 in client satisfaction for primary mortgage origination and mortgage servicing a total of 23 times the most of any mortgage lender. For more information, please visit our Corporate Website or Investor Relations Website . About Redfin Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin's clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent. You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at Redfin.com/news . For more information about Rocket Companies, visit RocketCompanies.com . SOURCE Rocket Companies, Inc. From Portable Power to Connected Community Ecosystems: A Vision for All-Scenario Intelligent Energy SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Astravolt, an intelligent energy technology company, formally entered the North American market today with a comprehensive vision for an "all-scenario intelligent energy ecosystem." The launch showcased the company's inaugural line of portable power stations, while also placing a core emphasis on Astravolt's long term strategy: shifting energy storage from isolated hardware to an interconnected, AI-driven network that spans personal, home, community, and urban environments. Astravolt product launch event Founded in 2023, Astravolt is built on the core philosophy of "AI + Robotics + Digital Energy." The company is introducing the concept of "Active Intelligence"a system architecture where energy devices do not merely store power passively but sense, predict, and autonomously optimize energy flow based on usage patterns, grid pricing, and environmental conditions. "Energy storage has historically operated as isolated, passive hardware," said Kenneth Jing, Technical Expert at Astravolt. "Our vision is to transform these systems into intelligent, connected devices that learn usage patterns, predict demand, and optimize performance over time. We're applying the same AI and cloud principles that revolutionized smartphones and computing to energy infrastructure." A Unified Ecosystem Across Four Life Scenarios Astravolt's ecosystem connects four distinct layers, Personal Mobility, Residential Energy Autonomy, and Community and Urban Infrastructure, through a unified cloud management system. Each layer builds upon the next, creating a continuous loop where personal sustainable energy supplements home backup, home storage units respond to city grid demands, and urban mobile charging networks provide ultimate energy security for individuals and families alike. Personal Mobility: The Intelligent Energy Companion The ecosystem begins with the Nova Series, designed not merely as power stations but as intelligent mobile companions for diverse lifestyles. The Nova 300 delivers ultra quiet power for casual camping and everyday carry. The Nova 3000 serves as a high capacity mobile hub engineered to power extended RV journeys and off grid living. For professionals in demanding environments, the Nova 1200 Pro introduces semi solid state battery technology, providing the enhanced thermal stability and safety assurance required for content creators, emergency responders, and field researchers. Residential Energy: The Home Energy Brain Moving from mobility to the home, Astravolt's vision centers on residential energy autonomy, transforming every household from a passive electricity consumer into an active energy manager. The APOLLO series turns urban balconies into active energy generators through plug and play solar storage. AI systems automatically optimize charging around peak and off peak electricity pricing, while providing millisecond switchover during outages to ensure uninterrupted power. The HALO whole home energy storage system serves as the central hub, with cloud based visualization that puts energy control in homeowners' hands. Together, these systems create what Astravolt calls the "home energy brain", a household microgrid that delivers triple benefits: safety through backup power resilience, economic savings through intelligent scheduling, and environmental value through maximized renewable utilization. Families benefit not only from lower electricity costs, but also greater energy independence. Community and Urban Energy: The Virtual Power Plant When personal and residential energy nodes are fully activated, a larger energy ecosystem emerges. Astravolt's community and urban layer aggregates distributed storage resources into "virtual power plants" that enable neighborhood energy sharing and city level dispatch, transforming energy into shared community assets. The HELIOS mobile storage and charging robot represents this vision. HELIOS revolutionizes charging infrastructure by shifting from "drivers seeking chargers" to "chargers finding vehicles." Featuring autonomous navigation and high power fast charging capabilities, the robot deploys flexibly across parking structures, event venues, and urban centers without requiring construction or fixed installation. For users, it delivers convenient doorstep charging; for cities, it serves as a mobile grid balancing resource that reduces infrastructure strain during peak demand. Building the Connective Infrastructure for Distributed Energy "We're building the connective infrastructure for distributed energy," Kenneth Jing stated. "As renewable adoption accelerates and consumption becomes more distributed across electric vehicles, home batteries, and portable devices, the ability to intelligently coordinate these systems becomes increasingly valuable. Our differentiation lies in advanced battery safety technology, particularly our semi solid state chemistry; intelligent software that continuously improves system performance; and an open ecosystem vision that enables growth beyond our own hardware." About Astravolt Astravolt is an intelligent energy technology company founded in 2023, driven by the core philosophy of "AI + Robotics + Digital Energy." The company is dedicated to building an all scenario intelligent energy ecosystem spanning personal, home, community, and urban environments. By transforming energy storage from passive hardware into intelligent, connected networks, Astravolt provides global users with efficient, smart, and clean energy solutions that maximize renewable utilization and optimize efficiency. SOURCE Astravolt Harvin Greene, leader of No. 2 real estate team in Atlanta, debuts independent brokerage ATLANTA, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As residential real estate becomes increasingly consolidated into fewer, larger brokerage brands, one of Atlanta's most accomplished agents is taking a different approach. Harvin Greene , whose team ranked No. 2 in Atlanta by sales volume in 2024, has launched DOSSIER , a boutique luxury real estate firm built around a simple idea: every home tells a story and clients deserve representation that is as thoughtful, nuanced, and individual as the properties themselves. Harvin Greene has launched DOSSIER, a boutique luxury real estate firm in Atlanta. Post this Logo for DOSSIER, a luxury boutique brokerage in Atlanta, Georgia Harvin Greene, founder of DOSSIER, a boutique real estate brokerage in Atlanta, Georgia Created in partnership with Side , the real estate brokerage platform that supports top agents in building and scaling independent companies, DOSSIER enters the market as a founderled alternative intentionally independent, designdriven, and deeply personal in its approach. Greene is a nationally ranked real estate leader who closed nearly $160 million in residential sales across 2024 and 2025, placing her among the top 0.5% of Realtors nationwide. She represented Atlanta's highest-priced sales of 2025 (a $15.75M estate in the Tuxedo Park neighborhood , representing the seller) and 2024 (a $19.8M mansion in Buckhead , representing the buyer this property also broke the record for Atlanta's most expensive residential sale to date). Her accolades include ranking as the No. 5 Team in Georgia by RealTrends, No. 2 Team by the Atlanta Realtors Association in 2024, and No. 1 Agent companywide at Dorsey Alston Realtors in 2024, along with Life Member status in the Atlanta Realtors Association Top 10 Producer Club and recognition as a Phoenix Award recipient for sustained career excellence. With 17+ years of real estate experience complemented by a decade of global marketing leadership at The CocaCola Company, Greene brings a rare combination of market expertise, brand strategy, design intelligence, and construction fluency. That perspective has been shaped further through years of handson renovation and designbuild work alongside her husband, builder Tommy Greene of T2Greene. "We're seeing more consolidation than ever in real estate, but bigger doesn't always mean better for clients," said Greene. "DOSSIER was built as a response to that a firm where innovation, integrity and exceptional service aren't diluted by scale." Over time, Greene's business evolved beyond a traditional team into a recognizable personal brand. HARVIN became synonymous with discernment and results clients were choosing her perspective as much as her performance. DOSSIER is the natural next chapter: a founder-led firm that offers a polished, deeply personalized experience rooted in discretion, strategy, and thoughtful presentation. DOSSIER is built for clients who value clarity, trusted counsel, and elevated standards in a market increasingly dominated by uniform, scaled models. "Harvin represents the future of independent luxury real estate," said Guy Gal, CEO and co-founder of Side. "She's not just selling homes she's building a brand that elevates how clients feel, decide, and invest. We're honored to power DOSSIER behind the scenes as it grows." About DOSSIER DOSSIER is a boutique luxury real estate firm based in Atlanta, founded by topproducing agent Harvin Greene. Combining design expertise, construction insight, datadriven strategy, and exceptional service, DOSSIER helps clients buy and sell properties with clarity and confidence from historic estates to modern builds. Learn more at www.heyDOSSIER.com . SOURCE Side; DOSSIER SAO PAULO, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday that national sovereignty is not up for discussion and called it "sacred." "There are no forbidden topics for discussion. The only thing I do not discuss is the sovereignty of my country. That is sacred," Lula said in an interview with local media. He also noted that he plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington in the first week of March. Lula said that he will address various issues of common interest, including industrial cooperation, mineral exploration, and investments. In the ad, we see Justaguy Fieri, turn into Guy Fieri when he uses Bosch in the kitchen and on the job site, including: When Justaguy grabs the handle of his Bosch refrigerator, he instantly embodies Guy's signature swagger complete with spiked hair, sunglasses and food fresher up to three times longer thanks to Bosch's VitaFresh pro. When hosting, Justaguy prepares sad bologna sandwiches for disappointed guests. But when he uses his Bosch 800 Series induction cook top, Guy fires up a delicious bananas foster. Justaguy hardly knows what to do on the job site - but with a Bosch Circular Saw and Bosch Nailer Justaguy Fieri becomes Guy Fieri, building stuff cool stuff. Justaguy Fieri transforms into Guy Fieri the moment he uses his Bosch dishwasher with CrystalDry technology highlighting how Bosch delivers dishes that are not just clean, but capital-D dry, with the confidence to go straight from the dishwasher to "Cabinet Town." Even Guy's dog Cash makes an appearance, transforming into a "Bosch" with blonde spiky hair, diamond chain and matching Guy Fieri coat. "I've been a long-time Bosch guy," said Guy Fieri. "In the kitchen and around the ranch, these are products that my family and I reach for, so working with the brand was a no-brainer. Once I hit the set and got to know the Bosch folks, I learned just how committed to excellence their team is, from their products to their productions. I can't wait to help fans feel more like a 'Bosch.'" The ad is a spotlight for the brand's multi-year campaign, "The More You Bosch, The More You Feel Like A Bosch," and will come to life across various pieces of content featuring Fieri. His inclusion will introduce another hero to the lineup of "Bosches" portrayed by everyday people using Bosch Power Tools and Home Appliances. "The campaign is focused on demonstrating how our products elevate the lives of home appliance and power tool consumers," said Paul Thomas, president of Bosch in North America and president of Bosch Mobility, Americas. "The continuation of our commitment to the Big Game reflects our focus to grow in the United States for 2026 and beyond." Bosch will have dedicated marketing product plans across owned, paid and earned channels with a focus on the new campaign creative. An extended version of the Big Game ad can be viewed HERE. "Returning to the Big Game stage is an exciting milestone for Bosch," said Boris Dolkhani, Bosch CMO. "We continue to push creative boundaries and collaborating with exceptional talent like Guy Fieri allows us to further showcase how our products are 'invented for life' with consumers in a fresh, memorable way." The Bosch :30 ad will air during the 2nd quarter of the Big Game and is available to view here: Watch the :30 version of the Big Game ad: https://youtu.be/OnIw_t6hxJ0 Watch the extended :45 version of the Big Game ad: https://youtu.be/NIbs8I3WWlM Watch the Bosch Big Game teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MPUxZF__tE Watch the Bosch Big Game out-takes: https://youtu.be/nHc9Y_t6md8 Watch the Bosch Big Game behind-the-scenes footage https://youtu.be/d1xSA4P3D1s. Focused on growth in Consumer Goods business In its Consumer Goods business sector, Bosch is doubling down on growth with multiple planned new product launches in the power tools and home appliances categories tailored to the U.S. market. Innovations include the total kitchen offering from Bosch Home Appliances and an increased focus on Next-Gen EXPERT 18V Battery Platforms and 18V cordless tools from Bosch Power Tools. The ad spot and Fieri's personality boldly reinforce the growth of Bosch's home appliance presence in North America, highlighting the celebrated brand's precision engineered products that make life easier, better and more enjoyable across the entire home. And as the mayor of "Flavortown USA," he is reminding viewers that Bosch is where fans can create their dream kitchen featuring premium, high-quality appliances from cooling, cooking, dish care to coffee and more. The coming year will also continue to build momentum for the brand and zero in on just why consumers and celebrity chefs alike can feel "like a Bosch" at home. Bosch Power Tools is reaffirming its leadership in jobsite innovation with the announcement of 60 new products, set to launch over the course of 2026. This extensive rollout introduces robust solutions designed for trade professionals across three critical areas: a fully integrated concrete portfolio, an advanced EXPERT 18V battery platform and significant expansions into Outdoor Power Equipment and Modular Storage. Thoughtfully engineered to truly meet the needs of today's trade professionals, who increasingly seek more flexibility and durability on the jobsite, these additions build on Bosch's robust 18V platform that's designed for uncompromising performance, durability and versatility. The next-generation EXPERT 18V batteries are Bosch's most advanced to date, featuring cutting-edge cell technology and jobsite-ready durability for enhanced performance and runtime. Both the new Outdoor Power Equipment line, powered by the 18V platform for landscaping and exterior tasks, and the Modular Storage System, offering professional organization and mobility, exemplify Bosch's unwavering commitment to empowering professionals. Activations, discounts and exclusive products together with Lowe's To celebrate the kick-off of a big year, Bosch is collaborating with Lowe's, the Official Home Improvement Partner of the NFL, to get fans up close and personal with Bosch products. Bosch Power Tools will participate in the Lowe's Earn Your Sunday Tour at the Super Bowl Experience with an activation to showcase the Bosch Green-Beam Self-Leveling Laser. Fans will be able to measure up against the Lowe's home team players. In addition, Lowes will be hosting Bosch Days, a promotional period on Lowes.com with specific online-only product discounts* on select Bosch Power Tools: 2/5-2/11: Free select 18V tool with the purchase of a 2-pack 4-Ah battery starter kit 2/5-2/18: $100 off select 18V tools and lasers (only applicable for My Lowe's Rewards members) 2/12-2/18: Free select PROFACTOR tool when with the purchase of an 8-Ah starter kit All promotions available ONLINE at www.lowes.com only. Bosch Home Appliances, which features the world's No. 1 dishwasher brand* is offering its Hybrid Tub dishwashers exclusively at Lowe's. The lineup, assembled by a dedicated production line in Bosch's manufacturing facility in New Bern, North Carolina, features a unique combination of stainless-steel and polypropylene blending durability, quiet operation and heat retention. From advanced filtration, precision spray arms to sleek, modern aesthetics, the product lineup is designed to appeal specifically to Lowe's customers. The attractive price points of the appliances are designed to bring Bosch's precision engineering to first-time homeowners, rental property owners and others within reach. To take advantage the Lowe's exclusive dishwasher lineup, and to discover many of the brand's celebrated products that make life better across the entire kitchen and the home, please visit www.lowes.com/bosch. To find additional retailers for Bosch home appliances, visit the Bosch home appliances store locator. Agency Credits: Creative ad agency Droga5 developed the overall creative for the teaser, final ad and sustained multi-year campaign. Phaedon and Zeno supported public relations efforts. Carat led the Big Game media buy and developed the paid strategy. Press photos are available on the Bosch Media Service at us.bosch-press.com. *While supplies last. Selection may vary by location. MyLowe's Rewards Program subject to terms and conditions. See Lowe's.com/terms for details. Subject to change. **Source: Euromonitor International Limited; Consumer Appliances, retail volume sales 2016-2024 About Bosch Having established a presence in North America in 1906, today the Bosch Group employs around 38,000 associates in more than 100 locations in the North American region (as of Dec. 31, 2024). According to preliminary figures, Bosch generated consolidated sales of $18.7 billion in the U.S., Mexico and Canada in 2025. For more information visit www.bosch.us, www.bosch.mx and www.bosch.ca. The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 412,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2025). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 91 billion euros in 2025. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. With its business activities, the company aims to use technology to help shape universal trends such as automation, electrification, digitalization, connectivity, and an orientation to sustainability. In this context, Bosch's broad diversification across regions and industries strengthens its innovativeness and robustness. Bosch uses its proven expertise in sensor technology, software, and services to offer customers cross-domain solutions from a single source. It also applies its expertise in connectivity and artificial intelligence in order to develop and manufacture user-friendly, sustainable products. With technology that is "Invented for life," Bosch wants to help improve quality of life and conserve natural resources. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 490 subsidiary and regional companies in over 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch's global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. Bosch's innovative strength is key to the company's further development. At 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 82,000 associates in research and development. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering." The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-four percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a limited liability company with a charitable purpose. The remaining shares are held by Robert Bosch GmbH and by a company owned by the Bosch family. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG. It is entrusted with the task of safeguarding the company's long-term existence and in particular its financial independence in line with the mission handed down in the will of the company's founder, Robert Bosch. Additional information is available online at www.bosch-press.com, www.bosch.com. Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.1297 SOURCE Bosch SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd. ("Boviet Solar" or the "Company"), a leading solar energy technology company specializing in advanced monocrystalline PV cells and premium Vega Series and Gamma Series PV modules, today reaffirmed its continued commitment to the global solar industry following recent public disclosures by its parent company regarding a strategic review of its solar business portfolio. Boviet Solar issued the following statement from the Chairman's Office: "Our U.S. manufacturing activities reflect a deliberate, long-term commitment to the American solar market. We are investing in real capacity, real jobs, and real infrastructure because we believe in the future of U.S. solar manufacturing and in supporting our customers with dependable, domestic supply." Founded in Vietnam in 2013, Boviet Solar has operated as a global solar technology company for more than a decade. In 2016, the Company became part of Ningbo Boway Alloy Material Co., Ltd., a diversified technology company with operations spanning alloy materials, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing. Over the past several years, Boviet Solar has expanded its global manufacturing footprint and strengthened its position in the U.S. market. The Company currently operates silicon solar cell and photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing facilities in Vietnam, as well as a 3-gigawatt (GW) PV module assembly facility in Greenville, North Carolina. An adjacent solar cell manufacturing facility in North Carolina is under development, with the building shell completed and interior work initiated in late 2025. As disclosed by Boway Alloy in recent filings with the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the parent company is evaluating strategic alternatives for its solar business as part of a broader portfolio realignment. These disclosures reference ongoing trade and policy challenges, including U.S. tariff measures affecting certain imports and changes to U.S. subsidy eligibility, which have influenced parent-level capital allocation considerations. Boviet Solar emphasizes that these shareholder-level considerations do not change the Company's day-to-day operations, manufacturing activities, customer commitments, or market focus. Boviet Solar remains fully operational and continues to serve the U.S. utility-scale solar market with reliable, bankable PV module solutions. The Company continues to operate in accordance with established quality systems, third-party assessments, and international industry standards. Manufacturing operations, workforce activities, customer programs, and warranty obligations remain fully active and unchanged. Boviet Solar also notes that appropriate ownership alignment can support continued access to capital for manufacturing investment, workforce development, quality systems, and supply-chain oversight, while reinforcing transparency, traceability, and ESG-related expectations that are increasingly relevant across the solar industry. These factors collectively contribute to long-term operational stability and continuity for customers relying on dependable supply and warranty support over the life of their projects. Boviet Solar remains committed to transparent communication with customers, partners, employees, and other stakeholders and will provide updates as appropriate and in line with regulatory requirements and contractual obligations. About Boviet Solar Boviet Solar Technology Co., Ltd. is a leading solar technology company founded in 2013 in Vietnam, specializing in the manufacturing of advanced monocrystalline PV cells and premium Gamma Series monofacial and Vega Series bifacial PV modules. Boviet Solar's top-performing modules are engineered for a wide range of applications, including residential, commercial, industrial, community, and utility-scale solar projects. Boviet Solar combines business acumen, financial strength, technological expertise, and manufacturing excellence to deliver reliable, high-efficiency solar solutions to industry clients worldwide. The company is deeply committed to sustainability, supply chain traceability, and compliance with international trade standards, while fostering long-term, trust-based partnerships across the global energy sector. Boviet Solar has earned industry-wide recognition for quality and reliability. Boviet Solar has earned multiple global bankability recognitions from leading independent research and analytics organizations. The company has been consistently ranked as a Tier 1 PV Module Manufacturer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) since 2017, named among Wood Mackenzie's Top 10 Most Bankable Global PV Module Manufacturers since 2024, and listed among Sinovoltaics' Top 10 Most Financially Stable PV Module Manufacturers since 2024. Additionally, PV ModuleTech has ranked Boviet Solar among the Top 20 Global PV Module Manufacturers since 2022, while Kiwa PVEL has recognized the company's products as Top Performers in its PV Module Reliability Scorecard since 2019. Collectively, these distinctions underscore Boviet Solar's strong bankability, financial resilience, and long-term reliability as a trusted global solar technology partner. Boviet Solar's global headquarters is in Vietnam, with manufacturing facilities in both the USA and Vietnam, along with additional operations in the USA, Germany, and other key international markets. For more information about our company and products, please visit www.bovietsolar.com . MEDIA INQUIRIES: Songul Atacan Head of Global Brand and Marketing Boviet Solar [email protected] Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Boviet Solar's manufacturing plans, production capacity, technology development, operational timelines, market conditions, business strategy, and future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, assumptions, and information available to management as of the date of this release and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, changes in market demand, supply-chain conditions, regulatory or trade developments, availability of materials and equipment, construction and commissioning timelines, labor availability, technological performance, and broader economic or geopolitical conditions. Boviet Solar undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, except as required by law. SOURCE Boviet Solar USA SEATTLE, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CD Valet is a digital marketplace that connects consumers with the best verified, high-yield CD rates nationwide, helping community financial institutions effectively attract new deposits. The company today shared that in a falling rate environment, some banks and credit unions are making the strategic decision to increase CD rates to attract deposits. In fact, nearly 60% of CD rate changes from CD Valet's bank and credit union partners in 2026 have been rate increases. In a climate where many institutions are lowering CD rates amid uncertainty, going against the grain in this way can attract new deposits and customers, while presenting a strong opportunity for savers to secure competitive returns despite broader market softening. CD Valet's 70 financial institution partners are among those that use CDs as part of a defined growth or liquidity management strategy, using the digital marketplace as needed to attract deposits. "Forward-thinking institutions are taking what can often be considered a legacy product and leveraging it in a modern way to fuel meaningful growth," says Mary Grace Roske, Head of Marketing and Communications at CD Valet. "While the overall CD rate environment is trending downward, many of our partner institutions are actually thoughtfully raising CD rates, using strategic pricing and smart digital marketing to differentiate themselves in a competitive deposit landscape." Other points of note from CD Valet's February analysis (which covers rate activity from January 04, 2026-February 03, 2026 for nearly 5,000 financial institutions and 40,000+ rates) include: In January, nearly eight of ten CD rates changes were a decrease. There were 3,542 CD decreases over the past month, averaging 23 basis points, compared to 919 increases averaging 32 basis points. Of the institutions that increased CD rates, approximately 62% were credit unions while approximately 38% were banks. **Note this analysis is for the comprehensive CD landscape, not just the CD Valet partner network Roske continued, "For savers, this presents a strong moment to shop, with standout offers still emerging across our partner network. What's most important is that consumers are doing their research and using reliable, real-time tools to keep up with CD rate trends and offers. Those that fail to keep up with market activity and act quickly risk missing out on significant savings." One such tool is CD Valet's digital marketplace, which tracks 40,000 publicly listed CD rates from nearly 5,000 banks and credit unions located across the country. The company's monthly Ratewatcher report, which analyzes these rates, revealed a continued flattening of the yield curve over the past month, with 24- and 36-month CDs showing the highest number of rate increases for standard term CDs. "The deposit landscape continues to become more competitive and complex, and CDs represent an effective way to attract and engage with high-value, high-intent customers. Institutions that leverage realtime market data to identify gaps and opportunities will be best positioned to price and promote their deposit offers turning CDs into a powerful driver of growth," added Roske. About CD Valet CD Valet is a CD marketplace that features verified CD rates from federally insured banks and credit unions nationwide. With tens of thousands of CD offers tracked across the country, CD Valet gives savers a clear view of top rates and helps them explore higher-yield CD options with reliable returns. With CD Valet, banks and credit unions are empowered to digitally compete with the largest financial institutions while gaining access to full-suite advertising, analytics, and account opening tools to support deposit acquisition. Visit www.cdvalet.com for more information and check out CD Valet's Best CD Rates by State Map to maximize earnings on savings. SOURCE CD Valet Converging AI, autonomy, and secure communications push MUM-T from experimentation to scalable deployment LONDON, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new Frost & Sullivan analysis, Human-Machine Integration/MannedUnmanned Teaming (MUM-T), Global, 20252027, the rapid convergence of artificial intelligence, autonomy, and secure networked communications is transforming modern military doctrine and accelerating the shift toward multi-domain operations. Global spending on MUM-T is projected to grow from approximately $5.0 billion in 2024 to $7.6 billion by 2027, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2%, as defence organisations prioritise force multiplication, survivability, and operational agility. "Mannedunmanned teaming is moving decisively from experimentation into scalable deployment," said Avi Kalo, Global Aerospace & Defence Director at Frost & Sullivan. "What differentiates the current phase is the integration of AI-enabled autonomy, open architectures, and real-time human oversight - allowing armed forces to coordinate assets across air, land, and maritime domains with unprecedented speed and flexibility." From Concept to Capability Once limited to niche trials, MUM-T has emerged as a core pillar of next-generation force modernisation, enabling manned platforms to collaborate seamlessly with unmanned aerial, ground, and maritime systems. These capabilities support missions ranging from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and electronic warfare to strike operations and logistics, while reducing risk to human operators. The study highlights that leading defence organisations - particularly in North America and Europe - are accelerating adoption through flagship programs such as collaborative combat aircraft, future vertical lift, and naval unmanned teaming initiatives. At the same time, Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern markets are expanding MUM-T investments in response to regional security dynamics and evolving threat environments. Technology Convergence Driving Growth Frost & Sullivan identifies several converging forces underpinning the market's expansion: Advances in AI and autonomy , enabling higher levels of interoperability and reduced cognitive burden on operators , enabling higher levels of interoperability and reduced cognitive burden on operators Modular open systems architectures (MOSA) that streamline integration and future-proof platforms that streamline integration and future-proof platforms Rising defence budgets and fast-track procurement , particularly for adaptable, software-defined capabilities , particularly for adaptable, software-defined capabilities Cross-sector collaboration between traditional defence primes and agile defence-tech innovators However, Kalo also notes persistent challenges, including cybersecurity vulnerabilities, integration complexity, and ethical and legal considerations surrounding human oversight and autonomous decision-making. Growth Opportunities Across the Value Chain Kalo continues: "Our analysis identifies significant growth opportunities across procurement, research and development, and defence-tech collaboration, as governments and industry partners seek to accelerate innovation cycles, reduce costs, and operationalise MUM-T at scale." Upgrading legacy platforms, investing in AI-driven mission software, and expanding testing and simulation environments are expected to be key areas of focus over the next three years. Strategic Imperative for Defence Stakeholders "As geopolitical tensions intensify and operational environments become more contested, MUM-T is no longer optional - it is strategic," he concludes. "Defence organisations that align doctrine, technology, and partnerships around humanmachine teaming will be best positioned to achieve sustainable operational dominance." About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Transformational Growth Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation, and leadership. The company's Growth Pipeline as a Service provides the CEO's Growth Team with transformational strategies and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth opportunities. For over 60 years, Frost & Sullivan has partnered with investors, corporate leaders, and governments to identify, prioritise, and execute transformational growth strategies. Your Transformational Growth Journey Starts Here: Schedule Your Growth Pipeline Dialog with the Frost & Sullivan team. Contact: Kristina Menzefricke Marketing & Communications Global Customer Experience, Frost & Sullivan [email protected] SOURCE Frost & Sullivan DENVER, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gates Industrial Corporation plc (NYSE: GTES), a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions, today announced that Ivo Jurek, Chief Executive Officer, will participate in fireside chats at the following upcoming investor conferences: The Citi Global Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference on Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. The Barclays Industrial Select Conference on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 10:25 a.m. Eastern time. To listen to a live webcast of the announced presentations, please visit the Events & Presentations section of the Gates Investor Relations website at investors.gates.com and click on the event webcast link. About Gates Industrial Corporation plc: Gates is a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions. Gates offers a broad portfolio of products to diverse replacement channel customers, and to OEMs as specified components. Gates participates in many sectors of the industrial and consumer markets. Our products play essential roles in a diverse range of applications across a wide variety of end markets ranging from harsh and hazardous industries to everyday consumer applications including virtually every form of transportation. Our products are sold in more than 130 countries across our four commercial regions: the Americas; Europe, Middle East & Africa; Greater China; and East Asia & India. SOURCE Gates Industrial Corporation plc CINCINNATI, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) today declared a $0.47 per share dividend on the outstanding common stock of the Company. The dividend is payable April 27, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 9, 2026. The ex-dividend date is March 9, 2026. About GE Aerospace GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) is a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 50,000 commercial and 30,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of approximately 57,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up, and bringing them home safely. Learn more about how GE Aerospace and its partners are defining flight for today, tomorrow, and the future at www.geaerospace.com. GE Aerospace's Investor Relations website at https://www.geaerospace.com/investor-relations and our corporate blog at https://www.geaerospace.com/news/articles, as well as GE Aerospace's social media accounts, contain a significant amount of information about GE Aerospace, including financial and other information for investors. GE Aerospace encourages investors to visit these websites from time to time, as information is updated and new information is posted. SOURCE GE Aerospace SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- GrubMarket, the AI-powered technology enabler and digital transformer of the American food supply chain industry, as well as one of the largest private food technology and eCommerce companies globally, announced today that it has raised around $50 million in Series H financing from Future Food Fund, Portfolia Funds, Liberty Street Funds, RD Heritage Group, Flume Ventures, MY Securities, and other unnamed participants. This significantly up round values GrubMarket at a pre-money valuation of $4.5 billion. GrubMarket AI GrubMarket This investment round follows a series of major milestones for the company. In June 2025, GrubMarket made its largest acquisition in history, acquiring Coast Citrus, a major provider of tropical produce in the U.S. In July 2025, GrubMarket launched the first-ever Inventory Management AI Agent for the food supply chain industry, which streamlines and automates critical inventory workflows. In September 2025, GrubMarket released the Reporting AI Agent, which automates AI-powered business analysis on custom schedules. In April 2025, the company acquired Delta Fresh Produce, a major produce distributor in Arizona. Furthermore, GrubMarket acquired Procurant, a leading Software-as-a-Service eCommerce and trading platform for the fresh produce industry, which facilitates $5.5 billion in Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) annually for over 850 customers across 14 countries. "GrubMarket has experienced an incredible acceleration in growth over the last 12 months and continues to stand out as the largest private food technology company in the United States. Since we have a self-sustaining business model, this funding round was not a necessity; rather, we saw it as an opportunity to align our company's valuation with the new level of scale and strength that we have achieved with our eCommerce business growth, our AI-powered tech innovations, and the significant ongoing value we generate for the industry," said Mike Xu, CEO of GrubMarket. "This Series H funding will turbocharge our AI software and business growth, and extend our eCommerce reach globally. We will increase our investment in people, financial infrastructure, technology, and acquisitions. Above all, we will continue to operate a self-sustaining business as the foundation of this company." As the only Enterprise AI solutions provider for the American food supply chain, a first mover in the tech-enabled B2B food eCommerce space, and a pioneer offering cutting-edge, AI-powered software-as-a-service solutions, GrubMarket uses technology to fundamentally transform the American and global food supply chain. GrubMarket was named to the prestigious CNBC Disruptor 50 list for three consecutive years, in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (No. 20). In April 2025, GrubMarket was named "Inventory Management Solution Provider of the Year" by RetailTech Breakthrough Awards. In November 2025, GrubMarket was selected the winner of the 2025 "Sustainability in the Food Industry Award" by The Shelby Report. Today, GrubMarket operates in all 50 U.S. States and has a global presence in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, with plans to expand further across the U.S., Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world. The company does business in over 70 countries globally. GrubMarket's Sustainable California initiative has been actively running since 2023, serving as a multi-faceted, company-wide initiative with a mission to preserve California's farming environment, empower farmers, and reinvigorate the state's fragile agricultural ecosystem. Since its inception, this initiative has promoted organic farming practices, supported reforestation, and distributed innovative technologies to support a more resilient and sustainable food system. Sustainable California has sponsored the successful planting of over hundreds of thousands of trees in diverse regions throughout the state; supported California farmers seeking organic certification; and contributed efforts towards protecting the State's natural habitats, watersheds, and farmlands to ensure future agricultural prosperity. GrubMarket's Sustainable California initiative for 2025 included partnering with One Tree Planted to plant over 100,000 trees in the Sierra Nevada region, which was severely damaged by the 2013 Rim Fire; providing California farmers with free access to GrubMarket's AI-powered software for the duration of the year; and partnering with CCOF to continue its sponsorship of 10 socially disadvantaged farmers in California to complete the organic transition program and certification process. "Portfolia is proud to be a long-time investor in Mike Xu and the GrubMarket team, through multiple funds. Mike is a brilliant, strategic and persistent executive. The team's continued execution success validates our conviction in Mike's leadership and in GrubMarket's ability to redefine how food moves to our tables. We are thrilled to continue backing their vision to modernize food supply chains," said Trish Costello, CEO & Founder of Portfolia Funds. "As the venture arm of a company that operates a major online platform for fresh produce in Japan, we understand how hard it is to build a long-lasting business at scale, and we are impressed by GrubMarket's strong execution and profitable growth trajectory. We are excited to support the company's expansion and help accelerate its next phase of global growth," said Hiro Hasegawa, Venture Partner of Future Food Fund. Forward-Looking Statement This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "strive," "will" or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Examples of forward-looking statements in this announcement include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our disclosure concerning the Company's operations, cash flows, and financial position. For Media Inquiries: GrubMarket Media Team Email: [email protected] SOURCE GrubMarket Palisade named Favorite Vehicle and Favorite Family Vehicle for 2026 IONIQ 9 honored as Favorite Electric Vehicle Awards represent the consensus opinion of over 100 automotive media members CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai has been awarded three Favorite Vehicle awards for 2026 by the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). The all-new Palisade received two Favorite awards, Favorite Vehicle and Favorite Family Vehicle, and its IONIQ 9 stablemate was named MAMA's Favorite Electric Vehicle during an award ceremony at McCormick Place during the opening of the Chicago Auto Show. The annual MAMA awards acknowledge exceptional vehicles across seven key categories, as determined by the votes of over 100 automotive journalists and creators who are members of the distinguished media organization. The Hyundai IONIQ 9 Calligraphy is photographed in Calif., on Nov. 20, 2024. The 2026 Hyundai Palisade XRT is photographed in California City, Calif., on April 16, 2025. "Being recognized with three Favorite Award wins by the MAMA organization is a true feather in our cap," said Ricky Lao, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor North America. "The Palisade and IONIQ 9 each offer a robust set of features and technologies that consumers desire in their daily commutes. Whether shopping for ICE, hybrid, or all-electric, our three-row SUVs have consumers covered with award-winning style and capability." The all-new Palisade (the 2026 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year), offers space and versatility for families with an added 2.5-inches in length and 2.7-inches wheelbase span increasing the cabin and cargo space while also improving ingress and egress for passengers. Available in both ICE and hybrid configurations and with front- or all-wheel-drive powertrains, combined with its sophisticated suspension system and leading safety technologies, the Palisade makes everyday feel epic . The IONIQ 9 all-electric SUV is likewise big on space, featuring three generously sized rows of seating with available first- and second-row Relaxation Seats and a slidable Universal Island 2.0 console, as well as practical technologies including Over-the-Air updates, 100W high-output USB-C ports, and Feature on Demand technology. "Last named as MAMA's Favorite Family Vehicle in 2023, the Palisade not only earned that accolade again, but was also voted as MAMA's Favorite Vehicle of the Year by over 100 media members in 2026," said Jim O'Brill, President of the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA). "The Palisade stands out not through gimmicks, but through how complete it feels as a package. The design is confident without being flashy, the cabin is genuinely comfortable and thoughtfully executed, and the driving experience strikes a balance between smooth, quiet, and capable. It's the kind of vehicle that makes daily life easier while still feeling special, and that's why it resonated so strongly with the people who drive and evaluate new cars for a living." About the Midwest Automotive Media Association Founded in 1991, the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) comprises about 300 automotive journalists and industry professionals from approximately 25 states and the District of Columbia. Though based in the Chicago area, MAMA welcomes members from all over. The organization's purpose is to provide a forum for newsworthy people, current issues, and new products in the auto industry. Hyundai Motor America Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company's Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, several cutting-edge R&D facilities and more than 855 independent dealers. These operations are part of Hyundai Motor Group, which is investing $26 billion in the U.S. from 2025 to 2028. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com. Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok SOURCE Hyundai Motor America ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pentagon Memorial Fund (PMF) announced today that the FY2026 Defense Bill, signed into law by President Trump, includes $12 million in federal funding to support the establishment of a Visitor Education Center (VEC) adjacent to the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. "The inclusion of this $12 million is a monumental step forward for a long-overdue project," said Joseph Kornhoff, Executive Director of the Pentagon Memorial Fund. "Twenty-five years have passed since that day. It is imperative that we provide a meaningful educational experience for the generations who know 9/11 only through the lens of history books." While the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial was the first of the three attack sites to be dedicated (opening in 2008), it remains the only site without a permanent facility to educate its nearly one million annual visitors. The future Visitor Education Center will serve as a definitive resource, featuring: * Historic Artifacts: Preserving the physical history of the attack. * Personal Narratives: First-hand accounts from survivors and families of the fallen. * Interactive Displays: Programs focused on the themes of service, resilience, and national unity. Established in 2003 by the families of the 184 victims of American Airlines Flight 77, the PMF has spent over two decades collaborating with federal, state, and private partners to honor those lost at 9:37 AM on September 11, 2001. "The Pentagon Memorial Fund's mission has always relied on the generous support of public and private partners committed to the promise to 'Never Forget,'" Kornhoff added. "We are grateful to federal policymakers for helping us fulfill our collective responsibility to honor those who perished and to educate future generations so that such a tragedy never happens again." The allocation in the FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill provides a critical foundation for the project's total construction costs. With these resources secured, the Pentagon Memorial Fund will transition into the next phase of development, moving closer to breaking ground on a facility that ensures the lessons of 9/11 are etched into the "granite of time." About the Pentagon Memorial Fund The Pentagon Memorial Fund is a non-profit organization established by the families of the victims of the September 11th terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Its mission is to provide for the construction and maintenance of the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and the future Visitor Education Center. For more information, visit www.pentagonmemorial.org. Contact: Joe Kornhoff, Executive Director [email protected] SOURCE Pentagon Memorial Fund It's easier, it's simpler, and you can probably do it on your lunch break, says NCSEAA RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may have felt overwhelming for some families and students in years past. But with a streamlined form and multiple improvements, there's no reason to procrastinate. For those who don't know, the FAFSA is the gateway to financial aid students can use to make paying for college more manageable. A Streamlined Form Makes FAFSA Simpler Two years ago, the federal government released the "Better FAFSA," which was plagued by a rocky rollout leading to many students having trouble completing the form. Last year, the form was better but still opened later than usual. This year, that's all changed. The FAFSA actually opened early this year ahead of its announced October 1st start date, and it included new changes that streamlined a process that had already become considerably easier since "Better FAFSA." Students and parents are now able to set up their studentaid.gov account and complete their FAFSA on the same day, removing a key hurdle to FAFSA completion account and complete their FAFSA on the same day, removing a key hurdle to FAFSA completion And all a student needs now to invite a contributor like a parent or spouse to contribute information to their FAFSA is the contributor's email, eliminating the need for students to ask for sensitive information such as Social Security numbers Many applicants are saying the FAFSA can be done now in less than 30 minutes. College for North Carolina (CFNC) has dubbed this month FAFSA February in an effort to spread the word about this important step in the college-going process. "The FAFSA is easier than ever, it opened early this year, and the federal government has removed some key barriers to completion, so if you're thinking about going to college, you can find out easily what financial aid is available to you by filling out a FAFSA right now," said Paula Langston-Ware, CFNC's Regional Outreach Director for the Western half of North Carolina. CFNC offers free resources that school counselors and advisors can use throughout FAFSA February and the rest of the year when they are working with students. They can be found on CFNC's FAFSA February webpage . Students and parents can go to CFNC's FAFSA 101 page to find out everything they need to know about the FAFSA. State Aid Brings Higher Education Within Reach About 50% of all FAFSAs are completed by January each year. The remaining 50% are completed between January and late August. In North Carolina, FAFSA is the gateway not only to federal Pell but also to a considerable amount of state aid. In North Carolina, the FAFSA is the application that allows students to find out if they qualify for the Next NC Scholarship, which combines the Federal Pell grant with state aid to guarantee at least $5,000 per year to attend a public university or at least $3,000 per year to attend a community college for students from families making $80,000 or less. Last year, 136,000 students received the Next NC Scholarship, and an additional 15,500 private college or university students received the NC Need-Based Scholarship for Private College Students. Combined, North Carolina awarded more than $287 million to these two groups. "The cost of college and fear of student loan debt are two of the biggest barriers for those thinking about pursuing a higher education," said Kathy Hastings, Director of Outreach and Communications for the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), the primary sponsor of CFNC. "The FAFSA opens the door to all the state and federal aid available to make paying for college more manageable and cuts down on the biggest barriers to students pursuing a higher education." Simple FAFSA Change Increasing FAFSA Completions Additionally, Federal Student Aid (FSA) recently made a change to the FAFSA that will cut down on the number of students who inadvertently leave their FAFSAs incomplete. Missing student and parent signatures have historically been the biggest error that keeps FAFSAs from being processed. This happened because the FAFSA had one page where applicants reviewed their FAFSA and a separate one where they signed it. This led many people to submit the form without a signature. Now, the FAFSA form includes the signature and review on the same page. Missing signatures have already declined by 40%, with a 97% drop in rejections due to missing student signatures and a 90% drop in rejections because of missing parent signatures. Hastings said that the change came about after FSA staff asked state outreach leaders for suggestions on improving the FAFSA. Changing the signature process was top of her list. "For years, those of us in outreach have known that the signature error was negatively impacting some students' ability to get financial aid," Hastings said. "FSA showed its commitment to college access by listening and making that change happen." Looking to the Future: Workforce Pell. In the past, Pell Grants were for students enrolling in traditional four-year and two-year programs. However, in 2025, federal legislation was enacted expanding Pell Grants to short-term workforce development programs. Once final rules are approved by the U.S. Department of Education this spring, North Carolina will evaluate eligible workforce programs from institutions across the state and the institutions will then submit state-approved programs to the U.S. Department of Education for final approval. Once approved, students who are interested in enrolling in those programs should complete a FAFSA to find out if they qualify for a Workforce Pell Grant. "Workforce Pell will be a game-changer," said Mary Shuping, Executive Director of NCSEAA. "For the many North Carolinians interested in Career Technical Education but uncertain if they can afford it, Workforce Pell is the last piece of the puzzle." Students interested in completing FAFSAs for these short-term workforce programs should check CFNC's FAFSA 101 for updates. A Good Time to Apply The stars have aligned this year for students and their families when it comes to applying to financial aid an easier process, less opportunity for error, and a chance to qualify for aid that can make paying for college more manageable. Students can access the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA) is the State agency that has been helping North Carolinians pay for education since 1965. NCSEAA administers financial aid and savings programs, helps students and families understand how to make paying for college more manageable, and provides resources for education professionals about financial aid. SOURCE North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority JUBA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with China and other international partners through sustained high-level diplomatic engagement. Thomas Kenneth Elisapana, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said the government continues to prioritize partnerships that support peace, stability, and development, noting that Juba values its strategic relations with Beijing. "South Sudan's focus remains on strengthening bilateral relations and partnerships, as well as advancing regional cooperation, while promoting peace and development at the national, regional, and international levels," Kenneth told reporters in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. He said President Salva Kiir held a series of high-level engagements in January aimed at reinforcing international cooperation and political mutual trust. "The leadership of the country remains committed to effective partnership and cooperation with friendly countries, including China," he said. According to Kenneth, South Sudan views China as an important development partner and supports cooperation in infrastructure development, energy, trade, and other sectors that contribute to economic growth and people's livelihoods. He said the ministry also conducted extensive diplomatic outreach during the period, engaging with regional and international organizations to support peace implementation and development initiatives. Kenneth added that South Sudan continues to uphold multilateralism and Africa-led approaches to peace and security, while deepening cooperation with partners through diplomatic dialogue. RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Inland Empire Health Plan's (IEHP) "Start the Conversation" mental health awareness campaign earned the Best in the West award at the 2026 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Western District Conference on Feb. 4. The Best in the West title recognizes the creative communication efforts of PRSA members from 11 different chapters across five states and is voted on by an independent panel of judges each year. Inland Empire Health Plan's Marketing and Communications Team earns the Best in the West award at the 2026 Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Western District Conference on Feb. 4. IEHP's multi-channel mental health campaign, developed in partnership with Meehan Business Advisers, featured 2024 "American Idol" winner and Inland Empire native Abi Carter and also earned Best in Show by PRSA's Los Angeles chapter last fall. IEHP maximized Carter's passion for mental health awareness through a video public service announcement, a headline act at Palm Springs Unified School District's Kidchella music festival, viral social media videos, and a graduation speech and musical performance for Palm Springs High School. "This initiative was more than a campaignit was a movement," said IEHP Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Michelle Rai. "Engaging with a talented, local musician like Abi Carter, who was an IEHP member as a child, brought this full circle for us. We wanted our community to know they can get help and not suffer in silence." Meehan Business Advisers' President, Andrew Meehan, agreed. "Partnering with IEHP on this campaign has been a powerful journey in spreading hope and mental health awareness to area youth," he said. "We are deeply humbled to have brought the campaign to life and are so grateful for the appreciation it has generated among the PRSA community." In addition to the Best in the West distinction, the campaign has received five other PRSA awards: PRism: Best in Show PRSA-LA (October 2025) PRSA-LA (October 2025) PRism: Health Care Media Relations PRSA-LA (October 2025) PRSA-LA (October 2025) PRism: Branded Content PRSA-LA (October 2025) PRSA-LA (October 2025) PRism: Influencer Marketing PRSA-LA (October 2025) PRSA-LA (October 2025) Capella: Campaigns Public Relations PRSA-IE (November 2025) PRSA is the nation's largest professional public relations association with more than 30,000 members representing 400 chapters across the country and connects PR professionals to training and networking opportunities year-round. To view a list of past Best in the West recipients or to learn more about PRSA's Western District, visit www.prsawesterndistrict.org. For resources on how to "Start the Conversation" with your loved ones, visit www.iehp.org/mentalhealth. There, visitors can download tip sheets on how to ask for help or ways to reach out to a young adult in crisis. About IEHP With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans, the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid public health plan in the country, and for the fifth year in a row, certified as A Great Place To Work. Founded in 1996, IEHP supports more than 1.4 million Riverside and San Bernardino County residents enrolled in Medicaid or IEHP DualChoice (those with both Medi-Cal and Medicare). As of 2024, IEHP also offers Covered California plans, further ensuring health care access for even more IE residents. Today, IEHP has a robust network of quality doctors throughout our two counties and nearly 3,800 team members who are fully committed to the vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. To learn more, go to iehp.org. SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Danone S.A. ("Danone" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: DANOY). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at [email protected] or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Danone and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On January 21, 2026, Reuters reported Danone was "recalling and blocking batches of infant milk formula after a contamination scare." Specifically, cereulide, a potent cytotoxin, had been detected in Danone's Thai-origin Dumex Dulac 1. On this news, Danone's American Depositary Receipt ("ADR") price fell $1.37 per ADR, or 7.95%, to close at $15.87 per ADR on January 21, 2026. Then, on January 23, 2026, Danone issued a press release announcing a recall of select batches of its infant formula "to comply with the latest guidance." On this news, Danone's ADR price fell $0.43 per ADR, or 2.7%, to close at $15.55 per ADR on January 23, 2026. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. CONTACT: Danielle Peyton Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 646-581-9980 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Torridon Law PLLC is pleased to announce that John McNichols has joined the firm as a Partner. Mr. McNichols joins the firm from Williams & Connolly LLP, where he was a partner and practiced law for two decades. Mr. McNichols focuses his practice on trial litigation, with an emphasis on high-stakes commercial disputes, intellectual property litigation, and white-collar criminal defense. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Evidence at the Antonin Scalia Law School, a former member of the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the DC Bar, and a former Associate Editor of ABA Litigation News, having authored more than twenty published articles. Before beginning private practice, Mr. McNichols clerked for a year for Judge T. S. Ellis III of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Mr. McNichols is also a former non-commissioned officer of the U.S. Army Special Forces, having served on active duty for eight years. "We're delighted to have John join Torridon," said former Attorney General William P. Barr. "His experience as an advocate and counselor will be an invaluable asset as we help our clients tackle their most pressing problems." "John is an experienced and seasoned trial lawyer who is a great addition to Torridon's top-tier litigation practice," said former Counsel to the President Pat Cipollone. On joining Torridon, Mr. McNichols said, "I'm very grateful for this opportunity. I have long admired the Torridon team for their commitment to excellence in advocacy and client service. I look forward to many years of practice together." Torridon Law PLLC advises and represents clients in connection with complex litigation and investigations; government enforcement, regulatory, and legislative matters; commercial disputes; crisis management; and issues related to mergers and acquisitions. The firm draws on the exceptionally broad experience of its lawyers at senior levels of government, at top tier national law firms, and in the corporate and nonprofit worlds, providing services to major corporations, investment firms, law firms, industry groups, and other leading institutions. Torridon Law is committed to upholding the values, collegiality, and client-focused ethos that traditionally have distinguished the law as a profession. With experience that spans the globe, the Torridon Law team is dedicated to providing the top-flight legal service clients would expect on their most important matters from the largest national law firms, with all of the flexibility, creativity, and innovation the boutique model offers. For more information: www.torridonlaw.com Contact: Theresa Walker 202.249.6600 SOURCE Torridon Law PLLC First Bellwether Trial in 3,000+ Case Rideshare Sexual Assault Multidistrict Litigation Results in Verdict for the Plaintiff PHOENIX, Ariz., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona found Uber Technologies, Inc. liable for the November 15, 2023, sexual assault of 19-year-old Jaylynn Dean, concluding after a nearly four-week trial that Uber's creation of an apparent agency relationship was a substantial factor in causing her rape. The jurors ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million in compensatory damages to Ms. Dean for the lifelong harm it caused. According to evidence presented at trial, Uber dispatched driver Hassan Turay to pick up Ms. Dean shortly after midnight while she was alone, intoxicated, and riding back to her hotel. Internal Uber documents made public for the first time at the trial revealed in great detail that Uber's internal Safety Risk Assessed Dispatch (SRAD) algorithm rated the trip 0.81 out of 1, indicating an elevated risk of a serious safety incident, yet the company sent the ride without warning Ms. Dean or altering the match. According to testimony at trial, Mr. Turay stopped the ride, entered the back seat, and raped the passenger while she lay incapacitated. Uber removed him from the platform only after Ms. Dean immediately reported the assault to a hotel employee, the police, and the company. Corporate presentations, internal messages, and testimony from top corporate, safety, and marketing executives showed that Uber knew based on years of internal analysis, rider reports, law enforcement reports, and public data that women riding alone at night particularly when intoxicated faced heightened danger of sexual assault, but chose not to disclose these risks because doing so posed "serious business implications." Witnesses who testified at this trial in-person or via video deposition included co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick, current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Director and Head of U.S. City Operations Chad Dobbs, Director of Communications Andrew Hasbun, Director of Applied Sciences Sunny Wong, former Senior VP of Core Services Gus Fuldner, Head of Central Policy Emilie Boman, Senior VP of Marketing and Public Affairs Jill Hazelbaker, and Chief Product Officer Sachin Kansal. "This verdict for the plaintiff in the very first bellwether trial is a harbinger of what's to come," said Sarah London, Partner at Girard Sharp, and co-lead trial attorney and co-lead of the national multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Uber. "Today, a jury in federal court found an Uber passenger reasonably relied on Uber's representations about it being safe method of transportation when it actually had placed her in harm's way. We would like to thank the jury for its service, and for bringing justice to Ms. Dean." "My heroic client, Jaylynn Dean, did what so few survivors feel safe to do: she reported her assault immediately to three people, despite a system that too often blames victims and counts on their silence," said Rachel Abrams, Partner at Peiffer Wolf and MDL co-lead. "Her courage sends a message to survivors everywhere that speaking out matters and can make a difference. Because of Jaylynn's bravery, a corporation valued at more than $150 billion globally will now be held to account for the lifelong harm it caused her." "Jaylynn Dean's case is not isolated it reflects a pattern we continue to see nationwide," said Roopal Luhana, Founding Partner of Chaffin Luhana, and MDL co-lead. "Evidence at trial revealed the company poured billions into marketing itself as a "safe ride" while withholding the true scope of sexual violence and leaving riders, especially women, dangerously exposed. We remain committed to ensuring Ms. Dean and the more than 3,000 survivors who came forward achieve justice." "The significance of holding this trial in the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse was not lost on anyone," said Alexandra Walsh, Shareholder at Anapol Weiss and co-lead trial attorney. "Like Justice O'Connor, Jaylynn Dean grew up in a small Texas town and moved to Phoenix. Ms. Dean's life trajectory was forever altered by a horrific assault by an Uber driver in 2023. Like Justice O'Connor, she is a trailblazer with extraordinary courage, and today's verdict reflects her strength and her truth." "Twentyfour minutes changed the course of Jaylynn Dean's life," said Deborah Chang, Founding Partner of Chang Klein and co-lead trial attorney. "What happened to her after her Uber driver turned off his GPS and turned into a dark parking lot left a lifelong impact that no verdict can fully undo. Uber's lawyers poured over her personal life, her past traumas, every single piece of her social media. She stood firm, and the jury saw the truth of that harm and recognized the company's responsibility for creating the conditions that allowed it to occur." Plaintiff Jaylynn Dean, who chose to proceed publicly under her own name, stated, "I want to make sure this never happens to other women. I came forward for every woman who, like me, thought she was making the safe and smart choice, only to learn there are real risks of being assaulted. I want every woman in America to understand that Uber will not protect them, but I am committed to doing everything in my power to make sure they are warned and protected." This trial was the first in the federal multidistrict litigation comprising more than 3,000 sexualassault cases against Uber. The second bellwether trial will take place in April in the Western District of North Carolina, with others expected around the country in the coming months. Ms. Dean is represented by Rachel B. Abrams (Peiffer Wolf), who serves a co-lead of In re: Uber Technologies Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation (MDL No. 3084) in the Northern District of California, along with co-lead counsel Sarah R. London (Girard Sharp) and Roopal P. Luhana (Chaffin Luhana). Ms. London, Alexandra M. Walsh (Anapol Weiss), and Deborah Chang (Chang Klein) served as lead trial counsel for the plaintiff on Jaylynn Dean v. Uber Technologies Inc., receiving valuable assistance from Andrew Kaufman, Maya Kalonia, Kristen Palumbo, Simon Grille, Zoe Woo, Olivia Danner, and Florencia Cudos from Girard Sharp; William Smith, Holly Dolejsi, Kristen Varallo, Hannah Schaafsma, Rebecca Barnholtz, Alejandra Garcia, and Lisa Qian from Anapol Weiss; Beth Wilkins, Steve Cohn, Reenee Gangopadhyay, Geoffrey Spaulding, and Rebecca Pascarell from Chaffin Luhana; Sara Peters and Khaldoun Baghdadi from Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger; Sommer Luther from Wagstaff Law Firm; Tiffany Ellis, Sara Craig, Cristine Farah, and Brian Perkins from Peiffer Wolf; Ellyn Hurd, An Truong, Jo Anna Pollock, Reilly Dunne, and Aria Brown from Simmons Hanly Conroy; Candice Klein, Keilah Betts, and Cesar Garcia from Chang Klein; Marlene Goldenberg from Nigh Goldenberg Raso & Vaughn; Layne Hilton from Meyer Wilson; as well as Precision Trial Solutions, BlueBear, and Chopra Litigation Consulting. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Co-lead Plaintiffs' Counsel Positive 12-month results from the VOLT-AF IDE Study presented at the AF Symposium and simultaneously published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology , reinforce the Volt Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System's industry-leading success rate for treating AFib 1 , reinforce the Volt Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System's industry-leading success rate for treating AFib New data from the FOCALFLEX CE Mark trial demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the TactiFlex Duo Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled, to significantly reduce AFib episodes for complex cases2 ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Abbott (NYSE: ABT) today announced new clinical data from two late-breaking presentations at AF Symposium in Boston (February 5-7, 2026) that demonstrate the strong safety and efficacy of the company's minimally invasive therapies to treat people with atrial fibrillation (AFib). The results include 12-month findings that reinforce the long-term safety and performance of Abbott's Volt Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) System, which were simultaneously published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology. Positive results were also presented on Abbott's TactiFlex Duo Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled, a dual-energy, focal ablation catheter engineered to allow physicians to tailor how they deliver AFib therapy. Sustained performance of the Volt PFA System Twelve-month data from the VOLT-AF Global IDE study found that the Volt PFA System had an industry-leading success rate (84.2%) of freedom from documented rhythm recurrence among all competitive PFA products to treat AFib episodes that come and go (Paroxysmal AFib or PAF).1 Volt also delivered strong results as a treatment option for AFib episodes that last longer than seven days (Persistent AFib or PersAF), with nearly 68% of patients remaining free from an additional episode following a Volt ablation.1 Additional key findings of the single-arm trial conducted at approximately 40 centers in the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia through one year include: 1 Physicians were able to use fewer therapy applications ( just 4.6 applications per vein on average) than other on-market competitive PFA systems. than other on-market competitive PFA systems. The trial found less than 6% of patients required a repeat ablation, one of the lowest rates in the industry. Patients reported a significant improvement in quality-of-life (QoL) as measured by the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-life (AFEQT) score. This self-assessment which evaluates changes to a person's overall symptoms and social well-being show scores rose from 63.6 to 91.4 for PAF patients treated with Volt and from 64.2 to 91.4 for PersAF patients. The study also found zero patient complications related to either an unintended injury to the esophagus, or the breakdown of red blood cells (hemolysis), which can cause sudden kidney damage. "The data for Volt confirms what I see firsthand in the procedure room with this next-generation PFA device," said Atul Verma, M.D., director of the Division of Cardiology at McGill University Health Centre and McGill University in Montreal, Canada, who treated patients as part of the VOLT-AF IDE study and presented the late-breaking data at AF Symposium. "The system's unique design enables a high degree of freedom from AFib for patients, and its impressive safety profile reduces PFA-specific complications such as hemolysis, which negatively impacts other parts of the body." The Volt PFA System secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and CE Mark in Europe last year. Commercial cases have begun in the U.S. and expansion in Europe continues. Strong data supports TactiFlex Duo Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled Six-month data presented from the FOCALFLEX Global CE Mark trial confirmed the safety and effectiveness of TactiFlex Duo for treating more complex cases of AFib. The trial found a clinically meaningful success rate (81%) of freedom from documented rhythm recurrence among PAF patients. 2 Patient self-reported quality-of-life scores also climbed from 64.4 to 86.4.2 This data from more than 20 centers in the European Union, United Kingdom and Australia contributed to the device's recent CE Mark approval. TactiFlex Duo is designed for focal ablation, using a dual-energy platform, which gives physicians the ability to tailor AFib therapy delivery in two ways instead of a single energy mode. Experts use the catheter to target and treat an irregular heart rhythm with either extreme heat (radiofrequency) or high-energy electrical pulses (PFA) based on a patient's individual needs and anatomy, including the most challenging cases. In addition to the CE Mark study, Abbott also completed enrollment last year for the FLEXPULSE Global IDE trial to evaluate TactiFlex Duo as an AFib therapy. Last October, the FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation for TactiFlex Duo to treat Ventricular Tachycardia a potentially life-threatening fast heart rate requiring immediate medical attention using PFA. "With the rising rates of AFib around the world, data from the Volt PFA and TactiFlex Duo trials help empower physicians with further confidence in using these devices to treat people with AFib from the recently diagnosed to the most complex cases," said Christopher Piorkowski, M.D., chief medical officer of Abbott's electrophysiology business. "These studies help solidify our treatment offerings for AFib as we strive to challenge the status quo to develop even better tools that physicians can rely on to care for their patients." In addition, a late-breaking data presentation on Abbott's Amulet device will be presented on Friday, Feb. 6 between 5:30 7 p.m. Eastern from the VERITAS Amulet 360 Pivotal Study. For U.S. important safety information go to: Volt PFA System https://www.cardiovascular.abbott/us/en/ep-clinical-evidence/volt-clinical-evidence.html TactiFlex Duo Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled is approved for investigational use only in the U.S. About Abbott: Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. Connect with us at www.abbott.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. 1 Verma, A. (2026, February 5) 12-Month Safety and Effectiveness of a balloon-in-basket PFA system for de novo PVI to treat PAF and PsAF: Results from the VOLT-AF IDE Study [Late Breaking Presentation]. AF Symposium 2026, Boston MA, USA. 2 Deisenhofer, I. (2026, February 5) Safety and Effectiveness of the TactiFlex Duo System: 6-Month Results of the FOCALFLEX Study [Late Breaking Presentation]. AF Symposium 2026, Boston MA, USA. SOURCE Abbott ROCHESTER, Minn., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayo Clinic gratefully announces a gift of $100 million from The Bill and Donna Marriott Foundation and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation to support Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester, Mayo Clinic's $5 billion investment in transforming healthcare through integrated digital and physical spaces. In recognition of their generous gift, Mayo Clinic will name the Marriott Family Atrium, a defining space at the heart of the reimagined downtown Rochester campus. Scheduled for completion in 2030, the expansive, two-story atrium will be filled with natural light and serve as a welcoming place for tens of thousands of patients, visitors and staff who come to Mayo Clinic each day. The Marriott Family Atrium will connect the new downtown campus and offer a hopeful sanctuary for patients and families to experience moments of compassion, healing and renewal throughout their care journeys. Over the course of several decades, the Marriotts have deepened their relationship with Mayo Clinic through personal experiences as patients, dedicated service to Mayo Clinic's Board of Trustees, active advocacy and generous philanthropic support which has helped shape and inspire Mayo Clinic's patient-centered vision for the future. "Our family's relationship with Mayo Clinic has always been personal," says Bill Marriott. "We have seen firsthand how Mayo changes lives, and it is our privilege to help make that care available to more patients, now and in the future." The family's gift is a collaboration between two foundations: The Bill and Donna Marriott Foundation, and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation. Bill Marriott and Dick Marriott, the sons of J. Willard Sr. and Alice S. Marriott, have long stewarded their parents' legacy and values through philanthropy. The Marriott family's connection to Mayo Clinic began in 1962, when Bill and Donna sought expert care for their 5-year-old daughter, Debbie, who needed intervention for a severe congenital heart condition. At the time, open-heart surgery using a cardiopulmonary bypass (a heart-lung machine) was an emerging medical technology. Not only did the treatment save Debbie's life, but the care team's expertise, compassion and dedication also helped forge an enduring bond between the Marriotts and Mayo Clinic. Today, Mrs. Debbie Marriott Harrison also credits Mayo Clinic for lifesaving care as an adult, as she has faced thyroid cancer and lymphoma. Through these and other experiences, the family continues to support the institution's vision for patient-centered care. Bill Marriott served as chairman of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees during the organization's first philanthropic campaign, which successfully concluded in 2009. He continues to serve as an emeritus trustee. Debbie Marriott Harrison served as co-chair of the Mayo Clinic Greater Washington, D.C., Leadership Council, an organization of benefactors and friends in the nation's capital. The Marriotts' philanthropic contributions also have propelled Mayo Clinic research focused on cardiovascular disease, bipolar disorder and mitochondrial disease. In addition, their generosity has advanced initiatives in individualized medicine and regenerative biotherapeutics and has endowed positions named in honor of their family members. "The Marriotts are extraordinary advocates for and partners with Mayo Clinic," says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D. , Mayo Clinic's president and CEO. "Their dedication to healthcare transformation through philanthropy and service reflects the values they share with Mayo Clinic, and we are truly grateful for their long-standing friendship and support." The Marriott foundations' generous contribution to Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester and the Marriott Family Atrium located in the future Waterman Building builds on a shared commitment to hospitality and patient-centered care. The support will help transform both the physical and digital patient experience, speed medical discoveries and cures, and deliver continuous, personalized care to patients around the world. Mayo Clinic recognizes Bill and Donna Marriott, The Bill and Donna Marriott Foundation, and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation as Philanthropic Partners, its highest level of distinction for benefactors. The late Donna Marriott passed away Dec. 30, 2025, at age 90. A lifelong advocate and volunteer, she was appointed a Kennedy Center trustee by President George W. Bush, and she dedicated 55 years of service to the American Heart Association. Bill Marriott is executive chairman emeritus of Marriott International Inc., a global lodging company of more than 30 leading brands. He joined Marriott Corporation in 1956 and became CEO in 1972, a position he held for 40 years. Dick Marriott is chairman of the board of Host Hotels & Resorts, the largest lodging real estate investment trust in the U.S. In addition to serving as chair of The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, he and his wife, Nancy Marriott, have made significant gifts in the areas of healthcare, the arts and early childhood education. About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. SOURCE Mayo Clinic Mr. Jorgensen to lead the expansion of the firm's Digital Government solutions PITTSBURGH, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, consulting and digital solutions, today announced that Eric Jorgensen joined the firm as Vice President and Digital Government Practice Lead. In this role, Mr. Jorgensen will lead Michael Baker's client engagement strategies to expand its Digital Government portfolio with new and existing clients, while strengthening relationships to reinforce the firm's position as a trusted advisor delivering a full breadth of integrated solutions and services as One Michael Baker. Additionally, Mr. Jorgensen will partner with local and regional leadership to align technical capabilities with market needs and client expectations. He will foster cross-discipline collaboration to deliver integrated solutions and leverage the technology capabilities of Michael Baker and its family of companies. "Eric is a proven change agent with a track record of leading entrenched systems to innovate and embrace new paradigms," said Rod Malehmir, Chief Technology Officer at Michael Baker International. "His deep experience in government operations and digital transformation will be instrumental as we continue to expand our Digital Government capabilities, strengthen client relationships and deliver integrated, technology-enabled solutions that help our clients better serve their constituents." Mr. Jorgensen has more than 20 years of experience in state government and operations. Prior to joining Michael Baker, he served as the Arizona Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division Director for 10 years. Previously, he also served in Arizona state government as Deputy Director for Administration for the Arizona Department of Child Safety, and Chief Financial Officer, Benefit Services, for the Arizona Department of Administration. As Assistant Director for the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee, he was charged with oversight of the entire budget process. Earlier in his career, Mr. Jorgensen was Principal of ERJorgensen Consulting, where he provided data management and analysis solutions to diverse clients, from small local businesses to large multinational companies. Mr. Jorgensen earned a Master of International Affairs degree in Economic Policy from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Political Science from Brigham Young University. About Michael Baker International Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering, consulting and technology services spanning four Verticals: Infrastructure, Integrated Design and Advisory (IDA), Mitigation, Environmental, Resiliency, Response and Recovery (MER3) and GovTech. The firm's Practices encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design and civil engineering for diverse bridge, highway, water, rail and transit and aviation projects, as well as planning, architecture, environmental and construction and program management. For 85 years, the company has been a trusted partner to clients, providing comprehensive services and solutions, delivering expertise and quality, and embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations like intelligent transportation, engineered models and public safety software as a service (SaaS). The company has more than 5,100 employees across more than 90 office locations. Michael Baker's Wolf Pack is committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement while evolving its business to become a full-service engineering and consulting firm. To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/. Contact: Julia Covelli [email protected] (866) 293-4609 SOURCE Michael Baker International Capital to accelerate customer growth, scale embedded lending, and advance AI as a foundational capability DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- omnispay, a UAE-based fintech innovating SME payments, announced the closing of a $2 million Pre-Series A funding round led by Infinity Value Capital Group. omnispay Raises $2M Pre-Series A Led by Infinity Value Capital Group to Power All-in-One Finance Platform for SMEs The funding accelerates omnispay's evolution from rapid merchant settlements into an AI-native, all-in-one finance platform designed to solve persistent SME cash-flow challenges. The company gained early traction by eliminating the industry's standard 57 day settlement gap with a 24-hour payout model. It is now expanding into integrated Collect, Pay, and Borrow workflows, enabling SMEs to manage liquidity and access embedded credit as they scale. Over the past 12 months, omnispay doubled its customer base and quadrupled processing volumes. Revenue increased 5.5x while operating expenses grew only 2.2x, reflecting strong monetization and disciplined execution. This performance is supported by ARIES, omnispay's proprietary AI risk engine, which applies real-time transaction monitoring and dynamic decisioning. The platform also reports a Net Promoter Score exceeding 60. "This investment accelerates our transition to an AI-native SME finance platform, enabling us to re-architect how small businesses experience finance and transform cash flow from a daily struggle into a strategic advantage," said Vimal Kumar, Co-founder and CEO of omnispay. "We are building a system that understands business operations in real time and responds with a meaningful payments experience, insightful analytics, and tailored credit, positioning omnispay as the default financial layer for small businesses across the GCC and beyond." For GForm, a project management firm that partnered with omnispay in 2024, next-day settlements replaced multi-day waits, easing liquidity constraints. The firm later used omnispay-facilitated working capital to fund a physical expansion, opening a new branch and extending its service footprint. "Seeing our merchants transition from surviving day-to-day cash flow cycles to actively funding their next physical expansion is the ultimate validation of our product vision," said Praveen Kiran, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of omnispay. Looking ahead, omnispay plans to expand further across the GCC, with partnerships supporting entry into Saudi Arabia. "Every transaction on our platform strengthens the AI-first experiences we deliver," said Simanta Das, Co-founder and COO of omnispay. "As we enter new markets, we are deploying a scalable, intelligent operations engine that adapts to the financial pulse of each region." About omnispay omnispay is a UAE-based fintech simplifying SME cash-flow management through its all-in-one Collect, Pay, and Borrow platform. By combining AI-driven technology with deep regional expertise, omnispay enables faster settlements, access to credit, and scalable growth for SMEs. Press Contact: Praveen Kiran +971-56-152-9019 https://omnispay.com/ SOURCE omnispay The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery has recognized Dr. Eric Cerrati, MD, FACS, for his outstanding leadership as Chair of the Fellowship Research Review Subcommittee, which oversees fellowship research and selects recipients of the prestigious John Orlando Roe and Sir Harold Delf Gillies Awards. This national recognition highlights Dr. Cerrati's dedication to advancing the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery through education, mentorship, and scholarly excellence. PARK CITY, Utah, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), the world's largest specialty association for facial plastic surgery representing more than 2,500 surgeons worldwide, has formally recognized Dr. Eric Cerrati, MD, FACS, for his outstanding leadership as Chair of the organization's Fellowship Research Review Subcommittee. Dr. Cerrati, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in Park City, Utah, was honored for his dedication, expertise, and commitment to advancing the field of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Eric Cerrati The Fellowship Research Review Subcommittee plays a vital role within the AAFPRS, reviewing all fellowship abstracts and research papers submitted by fellows-in-training across the country. The committee is also responsible for selecting the winners of two of the Academy's most distinguished awards: the John Orlando Roe Award and the Sir Harold Delf Gillies Award. Under Dr. Cerrati's leadership, the subcommittee continues to uphold the highest standards of academic rigor while supporting the next generation of facial plastic surgeons in their research pursuits. Dr. Cerrati's appointment as Chair reflects his longstanding commitment to medical education and mentorship. Prior to entering private practice, he served as an Assistant Professor and the Director of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah, where he trained the next generation of surgeons. He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed research articles and textbook chapters and has delivered over 50 presentations at national and international conferences on topics ranging from deep plane facelift techniques to innovative approaches in rhinoplasty and facial reconstruction. "Teaching and mentoring have always been a passion of mine," says Dr. Cerrati. "I'm honored to be recognized by the AAFPRS for this role, and I look forward to continuing my involvement in the Academy for years to come. Supporting the research efforts of our fellows-in-training is essential to advancing the science and artistry of facial plastic surgery." In addition to his leadership within the AAFPRS, Dr. Cerrati maintains an active role as a featured speaker at national conferences. He was recently selected to present at the 2025 AAFPRS Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, where he shared insights on launching and growing a successful facial plastic surgery practice. His dual focus on clinical excellence and academic contribution has established him as one of the most respected voices in the specialty. Patients throughout Utah and across the country seek out Dr. Cerrati for his expertise in deep plane facelift, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, lip lift, and complex revision procedures. His practice is devoted exclusively to the face and neck, allowing him to provide an exceptional level of specialization and precision. Dr. Cerrati is widely recognized for delivering natural, long-lasting results with minimal downtime, earning him a reputation as one of the top facial plastic surgeons in the Mountain West region. More About Dr. Eric Cerrati Dr. Cerrati received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina and completed his five-year otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery residency at New York University, one of the nation's top programs, where he was chosen to serve as chief resident. In New York City, he worked with internationally renowned deep plane facelift pioneer Dr. David Rosenberg and gained specialized training in pediatric facial plastic surgery under Dr. Milton Waner at the Vascular Birthmark Institute of New York. Dr. Cerrati then completed one of the most prestigious fellowships in the country at the Facial Plastic Surgery Center in Chicago. A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Cerrati is double board-certified in facial plastic surgery and head and neck surgery. During his academic tenure at the University of Utah, he served as the official facial plastic surgeon to the Utah Jazz, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, U.S. Speedskating, U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, and the International Olympic and Paralympic Medical Committees. Dr. Cerrati's private practice is located in Park City, Utah, where he provides comprehensive facial plastic surgery and non-surgical aesthetic treatments in a discreet, patient-centered environment. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please visit www.drericcerrati.com. Media Contact Dr. Eric Cerrati Eric Cerrati, MD, FACS (801) 497-6944 https://www.drericcerrati.com SOURCE Dr. Eric W. Cerrati, MD Limited-time five-course experience invites guests to celebrate with wok-fired favorites and elevated new dishes and classic favorites for date night SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- P.F. Chang's is celebrating Valentine's Day with a limited-time prix fixe menu, inviting guests to enjoy a five-course dinner for two from February 12 through February 16 at participating locations nationwide. Built around the brand's bold, Pan-Asian inspired, wok-fired flavors, the menu offers an easy, elevated option for couples or solo diners looking to enjoy a special night out. Priced at $89.99 at participating locations nationwide (excluding New York City's Union Square and Honolulu, HI locations, where it is offered at $99.99), the Valentine's Day prix fixe menu brings together P.F. Chang's most beloved classics and new, craveable dishes for a five-course experience designed to be shared. From the first course to dessert, the menu is designed to unfold at an easy pace, encouraging guests to linger, connect, and enjoy the moment. "P.F. Chang's is a place where great food sets the tone for a great night out," said Jim Mazany, CEO of P.F. Chang's. "Valentine's Day is about making time for yourself or someone you care about, whether that's a date night, a night out with friends, or a solo dinner you can truly enjoy. This menu is designed to take the pressure off and let guests focus on the experience." The five-course experience begins with a chef's selection, followed by a choice of P.F. Chang's signature soups. Guests then enjoy their choice of fan-favorite dishes and elevated offerings designed for sharing, including Chang's Lettuce Wraps, BBQ Pork Spare Ribs, Mongolian Beef, and Miso-Glazed Salmon, alongside standout additions such as the Miso Lobster Dumpling, Butternut Squash Dumpling, and the indulgent Black Pepper Filet. The meal concludes on a sweet note with a choice of four desserts, including the classic Chocolate Souffle or the new Butter Cake, offering the perfect ending to a special night out. To elevate the experience further, guests may opt to add a curated wine pairing for an additional cost, featuring Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc or Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. Each selection was thoughtfully chosen to complement the menu's bold flavors, balancing richness, depth, and spice across every course, and is available exclusively with the Valentine's Day prix fixe menu. Festive cocktails, including the Lunar Elixir and Midnight Gallop, are also available a la carte, inviting guests to toast to love with festive, flavor-forward sips. Reservations are encouraged for this limited-time Valentine's Day experience. The prix fixe menu will be available for dine-in only from February 12 through February 16, 2026, at participating P.F. Chang's locations nationwide. P.F. Chang's invites guests to create and share their special Valentine's moments by following and tagging @pfchangs on Facebook , Instagram , X , and TikTok . For more information or to make a reservation at a P.F. Chang's location near you, visit www.pfchangs.com . Photography: HERE *Prix fixe menu pricing and availability may vary by location, and stated price does not include taxes, fees, or gratuities. Available for dine-in only from 2/12/2026 - 2/16/2026 at participating P.F. Chang's China Bistro restaurants, excluding Puerto Rico, airport, international, P.F. Chang's To Go, and Pagoda Asian Grill locations. P.F. Chang's reserves the right to modify menu offerings and prices without prior notice. No substitutions. Wine pairings and cocktails available at additional cost and only to guests 21 and older with valid government-issued ID. Please drink responsibly. May not be combined with Chang's Ca$h, rewards, and other promotions. Void where prohibited. Additional restrictions may apply. Please contact your local P.F. Chang's for more details. About P.F. Chang's Founded in 1993 by Philip Chiang and Paul Fleming, P.F. Chang's is the first internationally recognized, multi-unit Asian culinary brand to honor and celebrate the 2,000-year-old tradition of wok cooking as the center of the guest experience. With roots in Chinese cuisines, today's menu invites discovery with unexpected flavor and hidden gems spanning all of Asia and honoring cultures and recipes from Japan, Korea, Thailand, and beyond. P.F. Chang's makes elevated dining accessible and affordable with shareable and personal portions, fan-favorite Lunch and Dinner Specials, and handcrafted cocktails from $8.99. Worldwide, P.F. Chang's operates over 300 restaurants in 23 countries and U.S. airport locations. For more news, visit pfchangs.com and follow @pfchangs on Facebook , Instagram , and TikTok . MEDIA CONTACT: 5WPR [email protected] SOURCE P.F. Changs TAIPEI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition of more than 100 spring couplets and paintings by artists from both sides of the Taiwan Strait opened in Taipei Friday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Year of the Horse, which begins on Feb. 17. The spring couplets -- traditional Chinese New Year decorations consisting of two lines of poetry hung on either side of a doorway and usually accompanied by a horizontal scroll above -- use red Chinese paper and have various calligraphic styles, with themes centered on the Chinese New Year and the symbol of the horse. Lo Cheng-Hsien, an honorary professor at the Taiwan University of Arts, wrote one of the spring couplets on display. He said that the blessings expressed in spring couplets are common to people on both sides of the Strait. "People on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same cultural roots," he said. The exhibition features a collection of Chinese New Year paintings -- a traditional Chinese folk art style associated with Spring Festival celebrations -- as well as ink-wash paintings, comics, and other forms of painting themed around horses. Participating artists include both renowned painters and art students, each of whom conveys their own understanding of the horse through their work. Kao Pei-Tzu, a 25-year-old graduate art student at Taiwan Normal University, contributed a painting depicting a human being and a horse, each of which is shown only from the waist down. "I want to portray their status of escaping from worldly concerns, as horses give me a sense of freedom," said Kao, who spent about two weeks completing the work. "We hope the exhibition will be a dialogue between artists from both sides of the Strait through brushes, ink and color," said Sun Di, chairman of Taiwan Hanpaper Technology Co., Ltd., the exhibition's organizer. The event also aims to help more people in Taiwan, and young people in particular, to appreciate the charm of traditional Chinese culture, he said. The exhibition will run until March 6. LONDON, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Overview Credence Research Inc. announces the publication of its latest report on the Global Retail Pharmacy Market, which is projected to grow from USD 1,445.9 billion in 2024 to USD 1,965.9 billion by 2032, reflecting a CAGR of 3.92% from 2025 to 2032. Growth is fueled by the rising burden of chronic diseases, a rapidly aging population, and growing demand for accessible, community-based healthcare services. Retail pharmacies are transforming from simple medicine dispensers into integrated health and wellness hubs, offering screenings, vaccinations, chronic disease support, and digital pharmacy services. "Retail pharmacies are now at the front line of healthcare," said Rohit Sharma, senior analyst at Credence Research. "They are evolving into high-trust, high-frequency access points that blend clinical support, convenience, and digital engagement for patients worldwide." Tailor the report to align with your specific business needs and gain targeted insights. Request Here https://www.credenceresearch.com/report/retail-pharmacy-market Key Growth Drivers Reshaping Retail Pharmacy Aging demographics are a core growth engine for the retail pharmacy market. Older adults require long-term medication for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and cognitive disorders, driving recurring prescription demand and adherence support. This demographic also shows rising interest in preventive care, vitamins, supplements, and wellness products, strengthening pharmacy footfall and basket value. In parallel, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases significantly boosts prescription volumes and ongoing therapy management. Patients depend on pharmacies for refills, counseling, adherence programs, and home delivery options. Retail pharmacies are becoming essential partners in long-term disease management models. "Chronic conditions and aging populations are structurally increasing pharmacy relevance," the analyst added. "Patients are not only buying medicines; they expect guidance, monitoring, and personalized support in one place." Expansion of Services, E-Pharmacies, and Digital Health Retail pharmacies are expanding their service mix to include vaccination clinics, health screenings, medication therapy management, and chronic disease management programs. Many now offer blood pressure checks, diabetes monitoring, smoking cessation assistance, and nutrition counseling within store formats. This broadening of services positions pharmacies as convenient first-line healthcare providers. At the same time, e-pharmacies and digital health platforms are transforming access and convenience. Online ordering, app-based refills, telepharmacy consultations, and home delivery are reshaping consumer expectations, especially in urban and mobility-constrained populations. The integration of telehealth, digital prescriptions, and remote pharmacist consultations strengthens continuity of care and improves adherence. Retailers are also deploying AI and automation for inventory optimization, personalized recommendations, and faster, error-reduced dispensing. Chatbots, virtual assistants, and smart reminders enhance patient engagement and support 24/7 interaction models. Market Trends and Challenges Key trends include the rising prevalence of chronic diseases globally and accelerating demand for long-term prescriptions and OTC support. Digital transformation and e-pharmacy growth continue to reshape purchase behavior, with many patients alternating between physical and online channels. Leading pharmacy chains are expanding aggressively in emerging markets while integrating automation and data analytics into core workflows. However, the sector operates within a highly regulated environment. Compliance with national drug laws, reimbursement rules, controlled substance handling, and data privacy standards increases operational complexity and cost. Intense competition and pricing pressures from large chains, insurers, and online platforms further compress margins, particularly for independent pharmacies. Despite these headwinds, pharmacies that combine physical networks, digital channels, and expanded clinical services are well-positioned to capture long-term growth. Future Outlook Looking ahead to 2032, Credence Research expects retail pharmacies to play an even more central role in healthcare delivery. E-pharmacies will continue to gain traction, particularly among digital-first consumers. Pharmacies will deepen their focus on wellness, preventive care, and chronic disease programs while adopting more AI-driven tools, telepharmacy, and mobile engagement solutions. Consolidation among large chains is likely to continue, while independent pharmacies may differentiate through personalized services and community-based care. Emerging regions in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East will offer substantial whitespace opportunities as healthcare access and infrastructure improve. Sustainability, personalized medicine, and genomics-linked services will further shape pharmacy strategies and offerings. "Winning pharmacies will be those that successfully blend bricks and clicks," the analyst concluded. "They will combine trust, proximity, and clinical capability with digital convenience, data-driven personalization, and seamless patient experiences." Segmentation Based on Type of Pharmacy Chain Pharmacies Independent Pharmacies Hospital Pharmacies Mail Order Pharmacies Online Pharmacies Based on the type of prescription Prescription Drugs (Rx) Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs Based on service offered Medication Dispensing Health Screenings Vaccination Services Consultation and Counseling Chronic Disease Management Based on Product Type Generic Drugs Branded Drugs Based on Application Oncology Diabetes Neurology Others Based on Customer Pediatric Adults Geriatric Based on Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe UK France Germany Italy Spain Russia Belgium Netherlands Austria Sweden Poland Denmark Switzerland Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan South Korea India Australia Thailand Indonesia Vietnam Malaysia Philippines Taiwan Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Argentina Peru Chile Colombia Rest of Latin America Middle East UAE KSA Israel Turkey Iran Rest of Middle East Africa Egypt Nigeria Algeria Morocco Rest of Africa Regional Highlights North America accounts for roughly 40% of the global retail pharmacy market, supported by a well-established healthcare infrastructure, high healthcare spending, and dense networks of major chains such as CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Walmart. Strong demand for both prescription and OTC drugs, combined with rapid e-pharmacy adoption and an aging population, underpins regional leadership. Europe, with about 30% of the market share, benefits from robust healthcare systems and a large elderly population. Countries like Germany, the UK, France, and Italy host extensive pharmacy networks offering medicines, wellness products, vaccinations, and health screenings. Growing awareness of preventive health and steady adoption of online pharmacy services support further growth. Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa are emerging as high-potential regions, driven by rising disposable incomes, urbanization, healthcare infrastructure upgrades, and expansion of organized pharmacy chains. International brands and strong regional players are investing heavily in store openings, digital platforms, and omnichannel models to serve these growing markets. Competitive Landscape and Strategic Moves The global retail pharmacy market is moderately to highly concentrated, with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., CVS Health Corporation, Rite Aid Corporation, Walmart Inc. (Walmart Pharmacy), and McKesson Corporation among the key players. These companies leverage vast store networks, strong brands, and integrated digital platforms to maintain a competitive advantage. Strategic priorities include expanding clinical and wellness services, investing in e-pharmacy capabilities, and partnering with insurers and healthcare providers to deliver integrated care. Mergers, acquisitions, and regional expansion deals are common as players seek scale, procurement power, and access to new growth markets. At the same time, regional leaders such as Apollo Pharmacy, Watsons, and other national chains are rapidly increasing store counts and strengthening digital offerings, intensifying competition across local markets. Key Player Analysis Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. CVS Health Corporation Rite Aid Corporation Walmart Inc. (operates Walmart Pharmacy) McKesson Corporation Recent Industry Developments In July 2025, DoseSpot partnered with Amazon Pharmacy to expand e-prescribing access and improve medication affordability. In July 2025, Apollo Hospitals announced plans to restructure its omni-channel pharmacy and digital businesses, targeting INR 25,000 crore in revenue by FY27. In October 2025, Amazon Pharmacy announced in-office prescription pickup kiosks at select One Medical locations, with rollout starting December 2025 in Los Angeles. In July 2025, Dr. Max expanded in the Balkans through the acquisition of Serbia's Zalfija pharmacy chain in a multi-million-euro deal. In October 2025, CVS Pharmacy completed the acquisition of select assets from Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs, adding 63 stores across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, plus prescription files from 626 pharmacies in 15 states. In March 2025, Walgreens Boots Alliance agreed to be acquired by Sycamore Partners for about USD 10 billion, taking the company private. In February 2024, WinMed Pharmacy opened a retail pharmacy in Decorah, United States, adding prescription services, patient education, OTC products, vaccines, and adherence packaging. In February 2024, Yale New Haven Health launched a retail pharmacy at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital to deliver personalized medications and enhance patient care. Reasons to Purchase this Report: Take an in-depth look at the market through qualitative and quantitative analyses, considering both economic and non-economic factors, with segmentation and sub-segmentation details provided in terms of market value (USD Billion). Identify regions and segments expected to experience the fastest growth or dominate the market, with a detailed analysis of geographic consumption patterns and the factors driving or hindering market performance in each region. Stay informed about the competitive environment, with rankings of major players, recent product and service launches, partnerships, business expansions, and acquisitions from the past five years. Access detailed profiles of major market players, including company overviews, insights, product benchmarking, and SWOT analysis, to understand competitive advantages and market positioning. Explore the present and forecasted market landscape, with insights into growth opportunities, market drivers, challenges, and constraints for both developed and emerging regions. Benefit from Porter's Five Forces analysis and value chain insights to evaluate various market perspectives and competitive dynamics. Understand the evolving market scenario, including potential growth opportunities and trends expected in the coming years. Browse the report and understand how it can benefit your business strategyhttps://www.credenceresearch.com/report/retail-pharmacy-market Discover additional reports tailored to your industry needs. 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The company is a market research and consulting firm serving governments, non-legislative associations, non-profit organizations, and various organizations worldwide. We help our clients improve their execution in a lasting way and understand their most imperative objectives. Contact Us Credence Research Inc., Tower C-1105, S 25, Akash Tower, Vishal Nahar, Pimple Nilakh, Haveli, Pune 411027, India Europe+44 7453 598 606 North America - +1 304 308 1216 Australia - +61 4192 46279 Asia Pacific - +81 5050 50 9250 +64 22 017 0275 India - +91 6232 49 3207 [email protected] www.credenceresearch.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2562161/Credence_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Credence Research Inc. Lawsuit Filed in King County Superior Court Alleges City Created CHOP, Abandoned Its Own Protocols, and Left a 14-Year-Old Child Without Emergency Services SEATTLE, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A lawsuit asserting 12 causes of action was filed in King County Superior Court on behalf of Robert West against the City of Seattle. Robert, now 20, is the sole survivor of the June 29, 2020 CHOP zone shooting that killed sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. A King County jury recently awarded the Mays family a historic $30.5 million verdict against the City. The City, through its Former Mayor Durkan, told the world that CHOP was a "summer of love" with a "block party atmosphere" "not a lawless wasteland" but "a peaceful expression of our community's collective grief." Robert West was fourteen years old. What the City didn't tell him was that someone had already been killed inside CHOP, that response times were three times as long as normal, and that the City had stopped sending police and paramedics into the zone. On June 29, 2020, Robert was shot multiple times by armed strangers who had appointed themselves CHOP "security." No ambulance was ever sent for him. Good Samaritans drove him to the hospital themselves because the City of Seattle wouldn't. He lost his right eye. Part of his skull was replaced with a titanium plate. He has a seizure disorder and traumatic brain injury. His injuries have left him permanently disabled. More than five years later, no one has been arrested and the Seattle Police Department has never interviewed him. The complaint is supported by the City's own words: an email from Former Mayor Durkan calling an earlier CHOP shooting "foreseeable and avoidable" that "cannot be repeated" nine days before Robert was shot; and the City's own admission that no officers were assigned to patrol CHOP that night. "The jury in the Mays case told the City that when you abandon children, there are consequences," said Evan Oshan of Oshan & Associates (Oshan Law). "Robert West was in that same vehicle, shot in the same attack, abandoned by the same City. The only difference is Robert survived and he lives with what the City did to him every single day. This lawsuit is about holding the City accountable." The full complaint and exhibits are available in the media packet linked below. Note: Robert West and attorney Evan Oshan are available for interview and comment via Zoom. Media Packet: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/tugg95icnxq45u5s299uk/ABbuqeYunGhZi0X3VgzIlng?rlkey=hcoil3zcgzzcq027l34183aew&st=lz8vh2it&dl=0 Contact: Evan M. Oshan Oshan & Associates [email protected] (206) 206-6000 Voice/Text SOURCE Oshan & Associates, P.C. Historic Reproduction to Proceed PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The two organizations competing to open a version of the historic Tun Tavern in Philadelphia have announced a settlement in the lawsuit between them. Built on the Philadelphia waterfront in 1686, The Tun tavern was a hub of colonial activity. The Framers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution met frequently at The Tun, and many well-known organizations were founded there. The Tun was the site of the first recruiting station for the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as the first Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in North America. John Adams wrote the Articles of War that helped form the U.S. Navy on the second floor of The Tun, and in June 1775 George Washington was honored by the Continental Congress in a banquet held there to mark his appointment as commander of the Continental Army. Three charitable aid societies founded at The Tun in the 1700s the St. Andrew's, St. Patrick and St. George Societies continue their good works in Philadelphia today. Since The Tun was demolished in the late 18th century, several attempts have been made to restore this important piece of Philadelphia and American history. Aljess LLC, owned by former Marine Montgomery Dahm, owns the federal rights to the "Tun Tavern" trademark, and has operated a brewpub in Atlantic City under that name since 1998. In November 2023, The Tun Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, announced plans to build a historically accurate reproduction of The Tun in Old City Philadelphia, just a few hundred yards from the original site, and to distribute the profits from the tavern and an associated restaurant to charities sponsored by veterans groups, Pennsylvania Freemasons, and the three aid societies formed at The Tun. As part of that effort, the Legacy Foundation obtained the federal trademark rights to the mark "The Tun," purchased land on South 2nd Street in Old City, and began raising funds for construction. The architectural plans for The Tun have been approved, and all necessary building permits have been issued. To date, the Legacy Foundation has raised some $11 million against a construction budget of $21 million. Aljess filed suit against the Legacy Foundation in federal court in May 2024, claiming that the Foundation's plan to open The Tun infringed upon its rights to the Tun Tavern trademark, and would cause confusion between the two restaurants. In November 2025, Aljess opened a Tun Tavern restaurant on Chestnut Street in Old City. The parties have now resolved the dispute over their competing plans to operate a version of The Tun tavern in Philadelphia. While the financial terms of that settlement remain confidential, others will be a matter of public record. These include the dismissal of the pending lawsuit and the Legacy Foundation's ability to use the name "Tun Tavern" on and within the premises of its planned historic reproduction. Aljess, in turn, will retain the right to open Tun Tavern restaurants in other locations throughout the United States. Mr. Dahm expressed his satisfaction with the settlement, saying, "As a Marine, the history of the Tun Tavern is more than just a business interestit is a matter of honor, heritage, and patriotism. For nearly 30 years, I have been proud to serve as the steward of this historic legacy. I have always wanted to see a project of this significance move forward in Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation's independence, and I am confident that The Tun Legacy Foundation will successfully accomplish that goal. I am satisfied that we have reached an amicable resolution that not only respects the birthplace of our Marine Corps and the sacrifices made by the warriors who have served and protected our country, but also the profound history of the Founding Fathers and the many storied organizations born at The Tun. This agreement ensures that Aljess can focus on its future expansion while the story of the Tun Tavern is preserved with the honor it deserves." Craig Mills, a Marine combat veteran who served as lead attorney for The Tun Legacy Foundation, stated "I am proud that my law firm, Buchanan Ingersoll, supported my colleague Erin Napoleon and me in representing the Legacy Foundation on a pro bono basis throughout this suit. Together with the Foundation's Board and our thousands of donors nationwide, I look forward to finishing the job of raising funds to rebuild The Tun, and to giving this special part of our American history back to Philadelphia, to all of the illustrious organizations founded there, and to everyone who visits our spectacular historic district." SOURCE The Tun Legacy Foundation CHAMBERSBURG, Pa., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Franklin County Visitors Bureau is excited to announce the winning acts from the IceFest A Cappella & Unplugged Open Mic. More than a dozen performers took the stage for the first open mic of 2026. Advancing to Round 1held at the Capitol Theatre on Friday, June 19are seven acts: Josh Taylor & Chris Strupp, Muneath Ham, Suzanna Painter, Alivia Martz, Leslie Metz, Noah Mellot, and Rhema Berea. View a quick video recap here. The first A Cappella & Unplugged Open Mic took place at the Annual IceFest in downtown Chambersburg. The next A Cappella & Unplugged Open Mic takes place February 27 at Trigger's Table and Taproom in Waynesboro at 6:30 PM. Additional open mics will continue through May. Winners from each open mic will compete for a $500 grand prize and the opportunity to perform before thousands on July 18, just ahead of 1864: Ransoming, Burning & Rebirth of Chambersburg. The champion is chosen by the public through in-person ballots and a text-in voting option during the event. Each year, regional talent shines at the open mics, semifinals, and finals. From original compositions to standout interpretations of familiar songs, A Cappella & Unplugged showcases the creativity, skill, and expressive power of local performers. Past winners include: 2015 Taylor Piper & Kristopher Potter / A World Apart 2016 Kate & Isaac 2017 Elly Cooke 2018 Alexus Lawson 2019 For F4ith 2020 Gabrielle Stone 2021 Bailey Appleby 2022 Willeby Hayes 2023 Elijah Myers 2024 Marissa Porter 2025 Samuel Vance To join the February 27 open mic at Trigger's Table and Taproom in Waynesboro PA, register here. Bring your talent to A Cappella & Unplugged and be part of one of Franklin County's most anticipated summer traditions. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods, and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason-Dixon Line and is an easy drive from Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York. For more information, visit ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or contact the Franklin County Visitors Bureau at 866.646.8060 for information and 11/30 Visitors Center activities. SOURCE Franklin County Visitors Bureau Zero-False-Positive Authentication Monitoring Now Available Free for 90 Days, No Commitment as AiTM/Evilginx Attacks Bypass MFA Protections Across the Enterprise BREA, Calif., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ThreatHunter.ai, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business providing 24/7 threat hunting services since 2007, today announced that its MILBERT.ai real-time authentication monitoring platform is now available free for 90 days with no commitment required to qualified firms. The decision comes as Adversary-in-the-Middle (AiTM) attacks using tools like Evilginx continue to compromise organizations that believe their Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) makes them safe. It does not. MILBERT.ai logo MILBERT processes authentication events in real time, currently handling 6,380 authentication events per second per customer with near zero false positives. Unlike traditional security tools that flood SOC teams with alerts they cannot act on, MILBERT identifies actual compromised accounts and credential abuse as it happens, not after the damage is done, and takes immediate action and closes the Threat Actor down. The MFA Problem Nobody Wants to Talk About AiTM attacks using frameworks like Evilginx sit between users and their authentication providers. When a user enters their credentials and completes MFA, the attacker captures the session token in real time. The user sees a normal login. The attacker walks right through MFA as if it does not exist. Organizations that spent significant budgets deploying MFA are being breached because they believe the problem is solved. It is not. "I am watching company after company get breached through AiTM attacks while their security teams tell leadership that MFA has them covered," said James McMurry, CEO and Founder of ThreatHunter.ai. "MFA is not the finish line. It is a speed bump for attackers using Evilginx. We built MILBERT to catch exactly this, real-time detection of compromised authentication events with zero false positives. If we can help organizations see what is actually happening in their environment before it becomes a breach notification, we are going to do that." "From day one, this company has been about one thing, protecting organizations from threat actors who are constantly evolving their tactics," said Eric Cowperthwaite, COO of ThreatHunter.ai. "We have watched the industry sell MFA as a silver bullet for years while attackers developed tools that go right through it. The reality is that most organizations have no visibility into whether their authenticated sessions are legitimate or hijacked. MILBERT changes that equation completely. Offering 90 days free is not a marketing play. It is consistent with who we have always been." How MILBERT Works MILBERT monitors authentication events in real time across the enterprise environment. It analyzes login patterns, session behavior, and credential usage to identify compromised accounts, token theft, and AiTM attacks as they occur. The platform's zero false positive track record means that when MILBERT flags an event, security teams can act immediately with confidence rather than chasing phantom alerts. Qualified firms can deploy MILBERT free for 90 days with no commitment required. There are no feature gates, no sales calls required to get started, and no obligation at the end of the trial. https://www.threathunter.ai/milbert About ThreatHunter.ai ThreatHunter.ai is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business that has provided 24/7 threat hunting services since 2007. The company operates multiple cybersecurity platforms including MILBERT (real-time authentication monitoring), ARGOS (MDR), GEIGER (attack path analysis), TACT-IO (vulnerability scanning), and VIZIUM (network traffic analysis). ThreatHunter.ai serves enterprise clients and is headquartered in Brea, California. Media Contact: Greg Nance [email protected] 714-515-4011 SOURCE ThreatHunter.ai WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Torridon Law PLLC and Torridon Group LLC are pleased to announce a major expansion of its Latin America capabilities as it welcomes Kimberly Breier, former Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State, and Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez, former Mexican Ambassador to the United States. The addition of Ms. Breier and Ambassador Fernandez further expands the broad experience of Torridon's lawyers and advisors at the highest levels of government, the international arena, the corporate world, and in private practice. Kimberly Breier has more than 20 years of experience in foreign policy, primarily focused on Western Hemisphere affairs. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Breier was Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She also served as the Western Hemisphere Member of the Policy Planning Staff. She was previously the founder and Director of the U.S.-Mexico Futures Initiative, and the Deputy Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She also was Vice President of a consulting firm, leading country risk assessment teams for private clients in Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. In addition, Ms. Breier served for more than a decade in the U.S. intelligence community as a political analyst and manager, primarily focused on Latin America. Earlier in her career, she served at the White House in the National Security Council's Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, first as Director for Brazil and the Southern Cone, then as Director for Mexico and Canada, and also as an interim Director for the Andean region. She was also a senior fellow and director of the National Policy Association's North American Committeea business and labor committee with members from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez has over 20 years of experience in senior government positions under five Mexican presidents in the areas of finance, trade, national security and diplomacy. Most recently, he served as Mexico's Ambassador to the United States. In that position, he played a prominent role in the negotiation of the United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement (USMCA). He previously served as Managing Director of the North American Development Bank (NADB), and held senior positions in the Mexican government, including as Deputy Secretary for Governance and Homeland Security, member of the National Security Council's Executive Committee and, in the Foreign Ministry, as Under Secretary for Latin America and the Caribbean and Under Secretary for North America. In the latter capacity, he coordinated day-to-day trilateral and bilateral affairs with the United States and Canada. He also led negotiations for the creation of the Security and Prosperity Partnership for North America (SPP) the prelude to the present day North American Leaders Summit. "I am delighted to have Kim Breier back on the team and to have Geronimo Gutierrez joining usthe major U.S. policy focus on Latin America means our clients are facing generational opportunities in places like Venezuela, at the same time as increasing complexity in navigating in Mexico and beyond. There is no better duo than this one to provide insights on how to get things done," said former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "Kim has a distinguished career as a U.S. diplomat and policy strategistwith decades of leadership on Western Hemisphere affairs at the Department of State, the National Security Council, and leading think tanks. She and Ambassador Fernandez will provide great additions to the Torridon Group's global perspective and geopolitical judgment," said former Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. "I am excited to expand Torridon's advisory capabilities to address clients' needs across every facet of their Latin America operations," said former Attorney General William P. Barr. "I am excited to welcome Kim Breier and Ambassador Fernandez to Torridon. They will further expand our international capabilities, particularly throughout Latin America," said former Counsel to the President Pat Cipollone. On joining Torridon, Ms. Breier said, "It's not every day that you get the opportunity to work with three cabinet secretaries, a White House counsel, and an amazing team of lawyers like those assembled a Torridon. The blending of diplomacy and legal expertise is exactly what companies need to navigate these days in Latin America and beyond. I am thrilled to be joining this top-flight team." Ambassador Fernandez said, "I am delighted to join this extraordinary team at critical time in U.S. Mexico relations and a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape for Latin America." Torridon Law PLLC advises and represents clients in connection with complex litigation and investigations; government enforcement, regulatory, and legislative matters; commercial disputes; crisis management; and issues related to mergers and acquisitions. The firm draws on the exceptionally broad experience of its lawyers at senior levels of government, at top tier national law firms, and in the corporate and nonprofit worlds, providing services to major corporations, investment firms, law firms, industry groups, and other leading institutions. Torridon Law is committed to upholding the values, collegiality, and client-focused ethos that traditionally have distinguished the law as a profession. With experience that spans the globe, the Torridon Law team is dedicated to providing the top-flight legal service clients would expect on their most important matters from the largest national law firms, with all of the flexibility, creativity, and innovation the boutique model offers. Torridon Group LLC is a strategic advisory firm that partners with leading corporations, investment firms, and industry executives to navigate complex business landscapes, unlock new growth opportunities, and drive long-term value creation. The firm provides deep expertise in corporate strategy, capital allocation, risk management, and operational transformation, helping clients strengthen their competitive position in an evolving global market. For more information: www.torridonlaw.com Contact: Theresa Walker 202.249.6600 SOURCE Torridon Law PLLC Leveraging the website creation skills of creators with disabilities TOKYO, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- transcosmos today announced the creation of an official website for Ms. Shinobu Saito (resident of Sakai City, Osaka), a picture book author known for her masterpiece "Acchyan A ga Tsuku" (literally, "A is for Acchyan"). Creators with disabilities in the transcosmos Normalization Promotion Departmentthe department responsible for advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilitiesled this website creation project. The official website launches today, February 4, 2026, coinciding with the opening day of her original artwork exhibition in Sakai City and a city-wide stamp rally, a popular Japanese event where people collect stamps placed at designated locations. Visit the official Shinobu Saito website: https://www.saitoshinobu.com Ms. Shinobu Saito's Portrait Background of the project: Collaboration based on empathy Ms. Shinobu Saito lends her original artworks and conducts talk sessions free of charge, driven by her desire to give back to her hometownthe place that shaped herand to the children of Sakai City. Resonating deeply with her noble aspirations, transcosmos decided to fully support her activities. Through this project, transcosmos has taken on website development and operations as a digital partner committed to continually supporting the author's social activities. Key features of the project Disseminating information linked to her original artwork exhibitions The website features information about her original artwork exhibitions and stamp rallies planned across key tourist and commercial facilities in Sakai City. By enabling citizens and tourists to access event information on their smartphones, the website also contributes to Sakai City in spreading information about its historical and cultural resources. Professional creative work by creators with disabilities Creators with disabilities in the transcosmos Normalization Department took charge of the website creation project. While cherishing the world expressed in her long-loved works, the team designed the website to ensure readability and enjoyment for people of all agesfrom children to older adults. Social synergy Having employees with disabilities take on the role of professional creators to support a prominent cultural figure within the community embodies the philosophy of normalization. By uniting art (picture books) and digital (IT), this project demonstrates a new model for enriching local communities. Comment by Ms. Shinobu Saito I am overwhelmed with emotions that I was able to launch a website filled with my thoughts and feelings. Throughout the creation process, the transcosmos team has always been considerate of my particular needs and wishes, responding to them with thorough and attentive work. I am confident that the dedication of persons with disabilities and my picture books together will infuse new life into the town of Sakai. Shinobu Saito official website Official website: https://www.saitoshinobu.com Launch date: February 4, 2026 (opening day of Sakai City Original Artwork Exhibition) Key content: Work descriptions, author profile, information about original artwork exhibitions, etc. *Information will also be posted on the Sakai City Traditional Townhouse Museums website (https://www.sakai-machiyamuseums.com) Ms. Shinobu Saito profile Born, raised, and residing in Sakai City, Osaka. After working as a designer for textiles and other products, Saito studied at the International Academy Picture Book Class. She currently promotes handmade picture books while continuing to create original works. She received the Sankei Children's Publishing Cultural Award Nippon Broadcasting Prize for "Kodomo to Tanoshimu Gyoji to Asobi no Ehon" (Story: Asae Suto / Nora shoten). Her works include "Akachan to Warabeuta de Asobimasho" (Nora shoten) and "Shitsumon Oshaberi-san" (LIBRE), winner of the 3rd Kindergarten Grand Prize. Other works include "Acchyan A ga Tsuku," "Shiritori Shimasho," "Omiseyasan de Kudasaina!," "Kacchyan KA ga Tsuku" (LIBRE), "Abuku Tatta," "Obentobako no Uta" (Hisakata Child), among many others. transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries. Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies. About transcosmos inc. transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have united superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 186 bases across 36 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services to consumers in 46 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/ SOURCE transcosmos inc. VERO BEACH, Fla., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Watercrest Senior Living Group proudly announces Kyle Satterwhite as Executive Director of Watercrest Richmond Assisted Living and Memory Care in Moseley, Virginia. Watercrest Senior Living Group proudly welcomes Kyle Satterwhite as Executive Director of Watercrest Richmond Assisted Living and Memory Care in Moseley, Virginia. Satterwhite has spent the past five years serving as an Executive Director in senior living, leading communities with a focus on quality care, operational efficiencies, and meaningful resident experiences. Previously, he served as Center Manager with JenCare Senior Medical Centers in Richmond and as Director of Patient Services for Advanced Orthopedics. Across these roles, Satterwhite built high-performing teams and strengthened organizations to support sustainable growth and improved outcomes. With a foundation in hospitality, Satterwhite enjoyed 17 years with Marriott International where he successfully led hotel operations and developed a passion for service excellence. He later managed a VIP Concierge Service with Allianz Global Assistance, helping design customer service programs recognized for delivering exceptional experiences. This blend of hospitality and healthcare continues to shape his people-first leadership style. "Joining the Watercrest family allows me to serve our seniors with excellence in an organization who models and celebrates servant leadership," says Kyle Satterwhite, Executive Director of Watercrest Richmond. "We serve a generation that raised us and must do so with compassion, care, and respect." Watercrest principals, Marc Vorkapich, CEO and Joan Williams, CFO, are setting exceptional standards of quality for seniors and their families in the development of upscale senior living communities from South Florida to Virginia. This is the first of two Watercrest senior living development projects in Virginia, with Watercrest Fredericksburg preparing to open this spring. Watercrest Richmond is a signature Watercrest product offering 76 assisted living and 22 memory care apartments with resort-style amenities and exceptional care. The architecture and design boast a stunning fountain and promenade, art studio with gallery, music room, fireplace, multiple dining venues, theater, salon and spa, and the charming atmosphere of Bogey's Cigar and Scotch lounge. The coveted Spa W offers world-class wellness amenities including light and salt therapy, and a state-of-the-art fitness and physical therapy center. Watercrest Richmond is conveniently located at 5250 Grandin Avenue in Moseley, Virginia. For information or to schedule a tour, contact the community at 804-294-3508. About Watercrest Senior Living Group Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. Watercrest senior living communities are recognized for their luxury aesthetic, exceptional amenities, world-class care, and innovative memory care programming offering unparalleled service to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. An eight-time certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. For information, visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com. SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Winder Farms, which has recently been acquired back into the Winder family, has wasted no time putting the brand back on track. The company has announced that it has launched a new chocolate milk product hearkening back to its roots of a richer, fuller version of its chocolate milk, similar to the past versions for which Winder became famous. Company Chairman & CEO, James Winder said, "We want to focus on products that made Winder the premier brand in the first place. It's important that we get these products correct for our loyal customers," said Winder. "This is an early step since the recent acquisition as we build on a foundation of great products." Winder plans to continue to build out its product line as well as recapture a portion of its past home delivery customer base with a stronger online presence and greater distribution, including new retail partnerships, to make its famous products more accessible to its past or would-be home delivery customers. The new product as well as Winder's other products are available to purchase online on Instacart or in-store at all Utah Smith's locations and Associated Food Stores locations, including Harmon's, Macey's, Fresh Market, Dick's, Lee's, Dan's, and other independently owned Associated Food Stores. The new chocolate milk product can be sold out quickly so it's best to search for it at stores online using Instacart. "If our customers have difficulty finding the product at these stores, then they should ask the dairy manager at such stores to increase their ordering of the new product," Winder said. The new Winder chocolate milk product is made with whole milk, which aligns with recent increased consumer demand for whole milk products. There is a rising belief among some consumers that whole milk, when consumed in moderation, has certain health benefits greater than that of lower fat alternatives, including more protein. The new chocolate milk will complement the Winder brand's low-fat 1% Chocolate Milk, which will remain on the shelf at Associated Food Stores (Harmon's, Macey's, Fresh Market, Dick's, Dan's, Lee's, etc.), but the low-fat chocolate milk is discontinued at Smith's locations in the near-term as Kroger/Smith's prefers to focus on the new chocolate product for now. The new whole chocolate milk product is pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized, which makes it unique among the many brands who have transitioned to ultra-pasteurize milk and flavored milk products in order to lengthen shelf life and make it easier to manage inventory. "We deliberately resist ultra-pasteurization as it deteriorates the quality and flavor of the product. There's a place for ultra-pasteurization but not for a local premium product," Winder said. "Most consumers notice the difference when brands start ultra-pasteurizing but don't always know what has changed. It's important to us and our loyal customers to remain true to the original quality and flavor profile of our products." Winder Farms, founded in 1880, was recently purchased by a group of investors led by James Winder after two decades of ownership outside the Winder Family. Under new management, the company plans to safeguard and grow this iconic brand, which is the oldest continuously operating food and beverage brand in Utah. SOURCE Winder Farms 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. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi (C, front) and his accompanying delegation depart for the site of the bilateral talks in Muscat, Oman, Feb. 6, 2026. Delegations from the United States and Iran on Friday began talks in the Omani capital of Muscat, marking a renewed diplomatic effort amid heightened regional tensions. (Xinhua) TEHRAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Delegations from the United States and Iran on Friday began talks in the Omani capital of Muscat, marking a renewed diplomatic effort amid heightened regional tensions. Prior to the talks, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi met his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi and discussed ways to advance the Tehran-Washington negotiations, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. He pointed to the Iranian government's approach of utilizing diplomacy to safeguard the country's national interests, adding that the country is fully prepared to defend its national sovereignty and security against any "excessive demand and adventurism." The Iranian side also elaborated on its viewpoints and proposals about the issues to be discussed during the negotiations, as well as Iran's demands and considerations. The Omani foreign minister, for his part, praised Iran's goodwill, sense of responsibility and seriousness in related diplomatic processes, highlighting the regional countries' efforts to prevent any escalation of tensions. He expressed hope that the ongoing round of negotiations would pave the way for a lasting understanding between Iran and the United States. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi (C, front) and his accompanying delegation depart for the site of the bilateral talks in Muscat, Oman, Feb. 6, 2026. Delegations from the United States and Iran on Friday began talks in the Omani capital of Muscat, marking a renewed diplomatic effort amid heightened regional tensions. (Xinhua) RC Fornax PLC (AIM:RCFX) non-executive chair, David Hitchcock, talked with Proactive about his recent appointment and what it signals for the companys next phase of growth. Hitchcock, who has been on the board since the IPO, brings a combination of capital markets expertise and deep military background to the chair role. He highlighted RC Fornaxs positioning as a defence consultancy during a time of increased global defence spending. We are very innovative and I think the board is really very strong now, he said, adding that the boards refreshed composition balances operational, defence, and financial expertise. Hitchcock discussed the additions of Andrew McInerneyMaca former Special Forces commando with growth company experience, and Chris Brooks, the firms engineering head, who has now joined the board to bring operational insight directly to leadership decisions. The company is aiming to deepen institutional investor engagement, strengthen customer relationships, and position itself to take advantage of growing demand in the defence sector. Hitchcock also noted that a strong share price would allow RC Fornax to capitalise on new opportunities as they arise. Proactive: David, congratulations on your new appointment. You've been on the board since the IPO, and now you're stepping up to chair. What do you think you uniquely bring to RC Fornax at this stage of its development? David Hitchcock: RC Fornax is at a really interesting stage. The company is very excited about its prospects. A year ago, it became a public company, and weve worked hard to adjust to that new status while also planning for the future. Ive worked in the equity markets since 1992 and was previously head of institutional client management at JP Morgan. My practice involved asset managers and hedge funds. The board wanted to build a more institutional franchise and develop the solid foundations left by my predecessor, Mark Fahy. Proactive: Your background, as you said, spans capital markets, governance, and frontline defence experience. How does that blend help RC Fornax navigate growth as a listed defence consultancy? David Hitchcock: It's the story of my life, really. I was a soldier until I was 29, serving in the Gurkhas all over the world. I still have strong links in the armed forces and among senior defence personnel, some of whom are still at the top levels of the army. RC Fornax is a defence consultancy. Since 1992, Ive also had extensive capital markets experiencestarting at Goldman Sachs and then moving to JP Morgan as head of equity sales. Ive worked on hundreds of IPOs, connecting the buy and sell sides. So I understand what companies like RC Fornax need when seeking capital, and I know what both institutional and retail investors look for in their investments. That dual understanding is very useful in my role as chair. Proactive: There have been other changes to the board as well. Andrew McInerneyor Macjoins with deep military, government, and growth company experience. What gaps does he fill, and how does he strengthen the boards strategic oversight? David Hitchcock: Macs a serious soldier. He served as a commando in Special Forces with multiple tours of Afghanistan. Hes very experienced in the defence sector. Since leaving the Marines, hes chaired growth companies and moved into the business side, albeit with less experience than me there. But his background is similar in terms of transitioning from defence to business. We're very much looking forward to having him on board. Proactive: Chris Brooks also moves onto the board from his role as managing director and head of engineering. Why was it important to bring operational leadership directly into the boardroom now? David Hitchcock: I strongly believe in having operational leadership in the boardroom to keep everyone informed and grounded. Chris is an exceptional guya real tower of strength. He has a track record of lifting up engineering consultancy businesses, which is exactly what we need at this stage. Proactive: With this refreshed board in place, what does success look like for RC Fornax over the next 12 to 18 months as defence requirements continue to evolve? David Hitchcock: Defences time in the sun has come. Were living in a very unstable world, and many countries, including our own, are rightly increasing defence spending to protect their citizens. We want to make sure RC Fornax is well-positioned to win work in that environment. We are innovative and are building strong relationships with our customers and shareholders. The board now balances operational, defence, and financial experiencewith Paul and Chris on operations, Mac and myself on defence, and Macs growth experience alongside my financial markets background. Success for us means financial growth, a stronger share price, and the ability to seize opportunities as they come. Proactive: David, congratulations again. I hope this is the first of many conversations. Thank you very much for your time today. 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. About this content About Kerry Stevenson Kerry Stevenson joins Proactive Australia's broadcast team part time. As the Managing Director of Gold Events Kerry has been hosting the annual Australian Gold Conference for over 14 years, connecting industry and investment professionals and showcasing the value of precious metals. Kerry is passionate about helping others to secure a safe and solid future by understanding money, finance, and strategy. That is why she created the Making Money Matter channel on YouTube, where... 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 Angela Harmantas 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 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 Steve Darling Steve Darling is an award winning broadcaster who has spent the past 20 years as one of the most recognizable faces in British Columbia, reporting and anchoring at BCTV and Global Television. He spent 15 years as the co-host of the number one morning new program in the province. Steve is a tireless worker for charity hosting some 50 events a year. He is an ambassador for the Canucks Autism Network and hosts numerous events with BC Childrens Hospital and the Child Development foundation of... 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. BRUSSELS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission has proposed a 20th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting key sectors including energy, financial services and trade, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday. According to a statement released by the Commission, the measures are intended to increase pressure on Russia following the second round of trilateral talks on Ukraine held in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday between Russia, the United States and Ukraine. The talks failed to produce substantive breakthroughs on core issues, apart from a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. In the energy sector, the European Union plans to introduce a full maritime services ban on Russian crude oil, a move expected to further reduce Russia's energy revenues. The ban would be implemented in coordination with G7 partners, the statement said. The bloc also plans to add 43 vessels linked to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" to its sanctions list, bringing the total number to 640. Additional measures would restrict Russia's ability to acquire tankers for the fleet and impose bans on maintenance and other services for LNG tankers and icebreakers, further undermining Russian gas export projects, the statement added. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Abu Dhabi, Feb 6 : The second round of US-brokered talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded with both sides agreeing to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failing to achieve substantive breakthroughs on core issues such as territorial arrangements and a ceasefire. According to Ukraine, the talks were conducted trilaterally before moving to group consultations. Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said the Ukrainian delegation sought a "dignified and lasting peace," without disclosing specific outcomes, Xinhua news agency reported. The talks ended on Thursday with no joint political or security statement, underscoring persistent differences between Russia and Ukraine on key matters, including territorial disputes, ceasefire arrangements, and security guarantees. US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said representatives from the three countries reached a consensus on a prisoner swap, describing the discussions as "specific and constructive." He added, however, that greater efforts would be required to advance a comprehensive settlement of the conflict. Following the talks, Russia and Ukraine conducted their first large-scale prisoner exchange in nearly five months, with each side returning 157 detainees. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said those released included both military personnel and civilians. In a statement issued earlier, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed cooperation between Russia and Ukraine on the prisoner exchange, saying it demonstrated the UAE's role as a reliable mediator in easing the crisis and promoting constructive dialogue. No timetable or arrangements for a next round of talks were announced, highlighting continued uncertainty in the political settlement process. Zelensky said Thursday that the next peace talks with the delegations of the US and Russia will be held soon. "Further meetings are planned in the near future, likely in the United States," Zelensky said in his evening address. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Feb 6 : As the examination season approaches, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with students, teachers and parents across the country on Friday under the ninth edition of his flagship programme, Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC), aimed at promoting stress-free examinations and holistic learning. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Modi invited citizens to watch the special episode of Pariksha Pe Charcha on February 6, encouraging them to witness engaging conversations that reflect the collective spirit, aspirations and confidence of India's youth. This year, the Prime Minister conducted interactive sessions with Exam Warriors from multiple locations, including Dev Mogra in Gujarat, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Guwahati in Assam, and at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. In a post on social media, PM Modi stated: "As the Parikshas are approaching, #ParikshaPeCharcha is back too! This time, the Charcha happened with #ExamWarriors in Devmogra, Coimbatore, Raipur, Guwahati and at 7, LKM in Delhi. As always, it is refreshing to interact with my young friends and discuss stress free exams and several other things. Do watch the PPC Episode on 6th February!" During the event, Prime Minister Modi engages with students, teachers and parents from across the country, sharing guidance on how to approach board and entrance examinations in a calm, confident and stress-free manner, while also addressing broader issues related to learning and personal growth. The 2026 edition marks a significant milestone in the evolution of PPC, which has grown into a nationwide movement driven by the Prime Minister's vision of creating an environment where every child's individuality is recognised, nurtured and encouraged without fear or pressure. Reflecting its growing reach, more than 4.5 crore people registered for PPC 2026, while an additional 2.26 crore actively participated in various related activities, taking the total participation to over 6.76 crore nationwide. Meanwhile, ahead of today's interaction, the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government directed district administrations to ensure that the programme is organised in all schools, including non-government institutions. The main state-level event will be held at Subhash Excellence School in Bhopal, while School Education Minister Uday Pratap Singh will attend the programme with students in Narsinghpur district. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Mumbai, Feb 6 : Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah stressed the urgency of dealing with the massive climate crisis we are facing as a species. Speaking during the screening of his short film "It's Only 47C", Naseeruddin said, "I don't know much about the technicalities. I learned what I have learned from Harish (Borah) and from my own experiences of not having seen a blue sky for months." Shedding light on how the climate has become unpredictable in the recent past, making things difficult for the common man, he added, "It has started to snow in places where it never used to rain, it has started to rain in places where people's homes are not prepared for the rains. There are times when unseasonal rain damages the crops. These are the things I did encounter, and though I have to confess I am one of the guilty parties, we don't live in an air-conditioned house, but we have done our bit to pollute the atmosphere." "I don't know what amends we can make, but I think it is important to at least realize that you are doing this and maybe find a solution for the future and for ourselves, really," the veteran actor shared. He added that the earth has survived without humans for millions of years, so we do not need to worry about the earth but ourselves. "We are the ones who are going to be affected ultimately." Naseeruddin further urged everyone to do their bit to preserve the environment. On another note, recently, the veteran actor claimed that he was disinvited from Mumbai University's Jashn-E-Urdu event at the last moment. Naseeruddin termed the experience as both insulting and disappointing. He stated that he had been looking forward to interacting with the students. Work-wise, Naseeruddin will also be a part of Anubhav Sinha's upcoming courtroom drama "Assi", co-starring Taapsee Pannu. Jammu, Feb 6 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the International Border (IB), launch welfare schemes for the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, and chair a high-level security review meeting on Friday as part of his ongoing three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Amit Shah's arrival was delayed on Thursday evening, and he reached Jammu around 11 p.m. After being received by the Lt. Governor, Manoj Sinha, at the airport, the Union Home Minister drove to the Lok Bhawan, where he spent the night. Officials said the Union Home Minister will visit the International Border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district and later review the security situation at a high-level meeting. Top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), heads of paramilitary forces, and intelligence agencies, among others, reached here ahead of Amit Shah's arrival. The Home Minister will visit forward areas on the International Border, including Border Outposts of Gurnam and Bobiya in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district and will inspect arrangements made by the BSF to curb infiltration. "He will e-inaugurate and lay e-foundation of six welfare schemes for the BSF personnel from Bobiya border outpost and interact with BSF personnel. During the monsoon floods in August-September last year, some posts and fencing of the BSF were damaged, which have been repaired. He will interact with the BSF officers and jawans on the International Border and take feedback on the situation. Later, he will chair a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir at the Lok Bhavan after his return from the International border," officials said. "Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, top officials of MHA, heads of paramilitary forces from New Delhi as well as J&K, Intelligence agencies, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat and other senior officers of police and Intelligence from Jammu and Kashmir will attend the meeting. A comprehensive review of the security situation will be held in the meeting, especially about ongoing anti-terrorist operations in the hilly areas of the Jammu region against the foreign terrorists hiding there," the officials added. Two days ago, the joint security forces killed three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists, including two in Basantgarh, Udhampur and one in Chatroo, Kishtwar. The Home Minister will also distribute compassionate appointment letters and meet the families of martyrs at the Lok Bhawan. He will review the development of Jammu and Kashmir at a high-level meeting. He will return to New Delhi on Saturday afternoon. L-G Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, senior officers of MHA and civil administration from Jammu and Kashmir will attend the development review meeting of the Home Minister. Security has been intensified in the Jammu region ahead of the Home Minister's visit. The Union Home Minister also chaired a security review meeting on J&K on January 8 in New Delhi. He directed a mission-mode approach to neutralise terrorists and ensure zero infiltration at the border to usher in complete peace in J&K. The presence of Pakistani terrorists in the hilly districts of Kishtwar, Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri is a major security concern for the MHA, and security strategy is being further fine-tuned to address this problem, officials said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Feb 6 : Delhi Police have dismissed reports of a sudden increase in cases of missing children and warned rumour mongers of strict legal action for "spreading unnecessary fear by misrepresenting data". This comes amid reports of a shocking increase in the number of children going missing in the national capital. Delhi Police took to the social media platform X on Thursday and said, aWe appeal to citizens not to fall prey to rumours about a sudden increase in cases of missing children. While refuting such claims, we also warn rumour mongers of strict legal action for spreading unnecessary fear by misrepresenting data. The safety of every child is paramount for the Delhi Police. The Delhi Police is committed to providing 24x7 service and locating missing/abducted children and reuniting them with their families expeditiously." The police rejected claims of a spike in missing persons cases in the national capital, stating that official data shows no abnormal rise and that figures have remained broadly stable for nearly a decade. The clarification came amid political criticism and public concern following reports citing official Delhi Police data that a total of 807 people went missing between January 1 and January 15, with an average of 54 people reported missing every day. Of these, 509 were women and girls, while 298 were men. Among the total reported missing, 191 were minors, and 616 were adults. According to Delhi Police, 1,777 missing persons were reported in January 2026, a figure the force said was lower than both the monthly average and comparable periods in previous years. In 2025, Delhi recorded 24,508 missing persons, an average of 2,042 cases per month, while January 2025 alone saw 1,786 cases. Police records said the January 2026 figure was therefore proportionately lower and did not indicate any emerging trend. Police data also showed that annual missing-person figures have hovered between 23,000 and 24,000 since 2016, despite rapid population growth in the national capital. Delhi Police stressed that missing-person detection is time-dependent and cumulative, cautioning against year-on-year comparisons without adequate context. Between 2016 and 2025, a total of 1,80,805 missing persons were traced and reunited with their families, reflecting an overall recovery rate of about 77 per cent. While 85 per cent of cases reported in 2016 have been traced over nine years, 63 per cent of cases reported in 2025 have already been resolved within the same year, police said. Authorities attributed these recoveries to efforts, including initiatives such as Operation Milap and the use of technology, including AI-based facial recognition systems. Indore, Feb 6 : A three-day national and international exhibition of state-of-the-art machinery related to pulses, grains, and other food processing industries will start on Friday at the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple complex in Indore. The exhibition -- GrainEx India Exhibition -- is being organised under the aegis of the All India Dal Mill Association and is likely to witness the participation of more than 200 national and international companies. According to Suresh Agarwal, president of the All India Dal Mill Association, leading companies from several countries, including China, Turkey, Spain, Taiwan, Korea, and England, will present live demonstrations of their cutting-edge products and technologies. He shared that the companies from many Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, will also be participating. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will inaugurate the exhibition. Many other local leaders and people associated with food processing industries from Indore will also be present on this occasion. Chief Minister Yadav, who has been touring New Delhi and Haridwar for the last two days, will arrive in Indore directly from Delhi to inaugurate the exhibition, according to the schedule. The exhibition will showcase machinery and turnkey plants used in the processing of pulses, rice, flour, spices, gram flour, wheat, flattened rice (poha), maize, soy, pasta, peanuts, chickpeas, millets, seeds, and other food processing sectors. This will provide traders and industrialists with comprehensive information on new technologies, all in one place. According to information, a key highlight of GrainEx India 2026 will be that almost all participating companies will be showcasing live demonstrations of their machinery and technology. This will provide industry professionals with an opportunity to understand new ways to increase production, improve quality, and reduce costs, Suresh Agarwal said in a statement. He added that the association has appealed to all pulse millers, grain traders, food processing industries, and investors to participate in this three-day exhibition to witness the latest technologies and take their industry and business to new heights. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Seoul, Feb 6 : The interim chief executive of Coupang, Harold Rogers, was set to undergo police questioning on Friday over perjury allegations related to his testimony to lawmakers last year, marking his second appearance before investigators in a week. Police seek to question Rogers about allegations that he gave false testimony under oath about Coupang's internal investigation into its massive data breach during a two-day parliamentary hearing on the leak in late December, reports Yonhap news agency. Rogers told lawmakers during the hearing that Coupang conducted its own probe into a Chinese national suspected of involvement in the breach and confiscated his laptop at the instructions of the National Intelligence Service. The intelligence agency, however, denied the claim, prompting a parliamentary committee to file a complaint seeking an investigation into Rogers, as well as six other former and incumbent Coupang executives, for committing perjury. Rogers earlier underwent a 12-hour interrogation session last Friday over allegations of obstruction of justice in connection with the data leak that has affected more than 33 million customers in South Korea. Rogers had defied two previous police summonses and left South Korea in early January. He returned to Seoul days before the first interrogation. Meanwhile, Coupang said on Thursday it has discovered a data leak of personal information from more than 165,000 customer accounts linked to an incident it first identified in November last year. The leaked data includes names, phone numbers and addresses entered by customers on the address list for shipping, and the company has notified affected customers of the breach in line with recommendations from the state personal information protection watchdog, Coupang said. The disclosure came as Coupang has come under intense scrutiny over the massive data leak revealed in November that has affected more than 33 million customers in South Korea and prompted authorities to launch an investigation. a"IANS na/ ISLAMABAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's security forces killed 24 terrorists during two separate intelligence-based operations conducted on Wednesday and Thursday in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said on Friday. The operations were carried out in Orakzai and Khyber districts, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army. In Orakzai district, security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation after reports of militant presence, killing 14 militants during an exchange of fire, the statement said. Another operation in Khyber district resulted in the killing of 10 more militants following a gun battle, it added. The ISPR said sanitization operations are underway to eliminate any remaining militants, reaffirming the security forces' commitment to safeguarding the country. Mumbai, Feb 6 : The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Friday criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti government, asserting that the Chief Minister had proclaimed on Republic Day that Maharashtra "will not stop" and will become "more dynamic." However, the actual situation on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway presents a contrasting narrative, as an extraordinary 32-hour traffic ordeal has effectively "cut the string" of the government's ambitious assertions. The Thackeray camp in the party's mouthpiece 'Saamana' claimed that the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, once considered a "rosy dream" for drivers, has transitioned into a "thorny truth". "What was meant to be a swift and comfortable journey is now defined by the constant fear of being stranded. As the government continues to drum up support for new mega-highways like the Samruddhi and Shaktipeeth, the current state of the expressway remains a tragic irony of a supposedly 'speedy' Maharashtra," it said. Referring to the traffic jam after a gas tanker overturned on the highway on Tuesday, the Thackeray camp highlighted a stark contrast between the administration's rhetoric and the functional reality of state infrastructure. It also challenged the state government's claims regarding infrastructure and development. According to the editorial, the government appeared "helpless", with no effective alternative routes or solutions to quickly rescue stranded citizens. Massive queues of vehicles stretched for 30 kilometres on both sides of the expressway, and thousands of citizens were stranded without access to food or water. The editorial further said that the ordeal did not end with the tanker. Just as the initial congestion began to clear, a cement container broke down in the middle of the road between Talegaon and Malavali on Thursday. This second incident paralysed Mumbai-bound traffic for several more hours, marking a second consecutive day of misery for commuters. "While leaders boast about projects like the 'Atal Setu', the 'Missing Link' and the Navi Mumbai International Airport, they appear helpless in managing existing vital arteries. Although the expressway was a visionary project initiated by the Shiv Sena chief decades ago, the government has failed to plan for the massive surge in vehicle volume seen over the last 25 years," said the Thackeray camp. The Thackeray camp likened the Chief Minister's recent orders to relevant agencies to "locking the stable door after the horse has bolted". New Delhi, Feb 6 : Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday stated that the Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Commission report, which indicted the Nehru government for the disgraceful defeat inflicted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, has remained confidential since 1962. In a post on X, Kiren Rijiju wrote, "Our govt is led by a matured leader. Since 1962, Henderson Brooks-Bhagat Commission report has remained secret. It indicted Nehru Govt for the humiliating defeat at the hands of Chinese PLA. Our Govt has never declassified it as defence matter can't be used as political tools." Rijiju also shared his post from November 1, 2024, in which he highlighted India's border infrastructure development. The post read, "After talking to Chinese soldiers and seeing the infrastructures, everyone will feel proud of India's border development now. Celebrated Diwali at Bumla with our Army Jawans in Arunachal Pradesh." The Henderson Brooks-Bhagat report, prepared by Lieutenant General Henderson Brooks and Brigadier General Premindra Singh Bhagat, was commissioned by then Acting Army Chief General J.N. Chaudhuri to review the Indian Army's operations during the 1962 war. The document remains classified to date. Rijiju's remarks come amid ongoing political tensions in Parliament after the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was stopped from quoting the "unpublished memoir" of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane during the motion of thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha. The issue has sparked a political row, bringing Parliament proceedings to a standstill. Gandhi was repeatedly interrupted as he tried to read excerpts from the book in the House during a debate on Monday. He later said the memoir claimed that as Chinese tanks advanced at Indian positions, Naravane was told "to do what he deemed appropriate". India and China clashed along their disputed Himalayan border in the summer of 2020 in the Galwan River valley in Ladakh, marking their first fatal confrontation since 1975. The political tensions also arose after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that he advised the Prime Minister not to come to the House as he had concrete information about Congress MPs' unforeseen protests. For the first time in 22 years, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks on the President's address without the customary reply by the Prime Minister. In Parliament on Monday, Gandhi's comments about Naravane's memoir were interrupted by members of the BJP, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah, who accused him of violating parliamentary rules by quoting from an unpublished book and misleading the House. The Defence Minister said, "Rahul Gandhi should present before the House the book he is quoting from, because the book he is referring to has not been published". The disruptions continued on Tuesday, when Gandhi attempted to raise the issue again in the House. He was stopped again, sparking protests from opposition leaders. Eight Congress MPs were later suspended for disorderly conduct. On Wednesday, Gandhi held up a copy of the unpublished book to reporters outside Parliament, saying Singh's statement that the book did not exist was untrue. Naravane served as India's Army Chief from 2019 to 2022. His memoir, which reportedly covers his personal life and career, was expected to be published in 2024 but has been delayed amid reports that it contains sensitive operational details of the military standoff. Amaravati, Feb 6 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has thanked Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for his continuous support in improving the national highway network in the state. "Very happy to see the focus on connectivity of existing and green field ports under development. The connectivity project to the Machilipatnam port will be crucial in linking the hinterland to the port and reducing the logistics cost. We will ensure all support for quicker execution of National Highways in AP," the Chief Minister posted on 'X'. Earlier, Nitin Gadkari said that in Andhra Pradesh, his ministry approved an allocation of Rs 573.77 crore for the construction of a 6-lane external port connectivity road linking the junction of NH-65 and NH-216 to Machilipatnam Port, via the Machilipatnam bypass section of NH-216. "The project will provide direct and seamless connectivity between Machilipatnam Port and the national highway corridor, significantly reducing freight turnaround time, easing traffic congestion, and enhancing overall logistics efficiency. The approved scope includes a 6-lane main carriageway, service roads, 3 flyovers, and an overpass-cum-railway overbridge (ROB)," posted the Central minister. Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology and Human Resources Development Nara Lokesh thanked Gadkari for the transformative support to Andhra Pradeshas infrastructure and port-led growth. "This six-lane external connectivity road to Machilipatnam Port will help in boosting logistics efficiency and unlocking new economic opportunities for our state. Grateful for your continued leadership in building world-class highways that power Indiaas growth and Andhra Pradesh's future," posted Lokesh. Machilipatnam MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry also thanked the Union Minister for sanctioning funds for the six-lane road linking the Machilipatnam port to the national highway. He said it will significantly help with business logistics and public convenience. The MP expressed his gratitude for helping the people of Andhra Pradesh with major road infrastructure for a decade. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. RBI to issue new rules for banks to compensate customers in case of fraud Mumbai, Feb 6 (IANS): RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra announced on Friday that the RBI is drawing up fresh rules on compensation for customers of banks in case of small value fraudulent transactions. The extant instructions on limiting the liability of customers in unauthorised electronic banking transactions were issued in 2017, which deal with scenarios and timelines for zero or limited liability of a customer. In view of the rapid adoption of technology in the banking sector and payments systems, since issuance of these instructions, the existing instructions have been reviewed. Accordingly, the draft revised instructions, including a framework for compensation in case of small value fraudulent transactions, shall be issued shortly for public consultation, the RBI Governor said. He also said that the RBI is tightening rules to check banks and NBFCs from mis-selling financial products and services. Mis-selling financial products and services by any bank or NBFC has significant consequences for both customers as well as the financial entity itself. There is a felt need to ensure that third party products and services that are being sold at the bank counters are suitable to customer needs and are commensurate with the risk appetite of individual clients. It has therefore been decided to issue comprehensive instructions to REs on advertising, marketing and sales of financial products and services. The draft instructions in this regard shall be issued shortly for public consultation, the RBI Governor said. He also said that the RBI has decided to review and harmonise all the extant conduct related instructions on engagement of recovery agents and other aspects related to recovery of loans. Accordingly, the draft instructions in this regard shall be issued shortly for public consultation. Currently, different sets of instructions are applicable to different categories of Regulated Entities (REs) such as banks and NBFCs with respect to the engagement of recovery agents and conduct related aspects of loan recovery. --IANS Kabul, Feb 6 : Three people, all women from the same family, were killed and another was injured after a gas cylinder exploded inside a house in eastern Afghanistan's Khost province on Thursday evening, provincial police spokesman Tahir Ehrar said Friday. The ill-fated family was using a gas heater to warm their house in the chilly winter weather, but the cylinder of the heater exploded due to gas leakage, causing the fatalities, the official added. A male member of the affected family who was badly injured has been taken to the hospital, the official added, Xinhua News Agency reported. People in post-war Afghanistan, where there is no modern heating system, often use gas cylinders or wooden stoves to keep their houses warm during freezing winters, but deadly accidents sometimes occur due to gas leakage and explosion. Several weeks ago, a gas cylinder blast left two women dead and injured two children in Spin Ghar district of eastern Nangarhar province. Earlier on January 14, over a dozen employees were injured as a gas cylinder blasted due to gas leakage inside a hotel in the eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, said a provincial police statement. The incident occurred inside the hotel in Batikot district on January 14, injuring 14 employees of the hotel, with some in critical condition, the statement added. Blaming the carelessness of the hotel employees for the incident, the statement noted that police personnel had taken the injured persons to the nearby health center. Afghans mostly use wooden stoves and gas cylinders to keep their residences warm in chilly winter, but the traditional old-fashioned heating system often ends in catastrophe as gas leakage or carbon monoxide poisoning sometimes kills or hurts its users. In December last year, one person was killed and another sustained injury as a gas cylinder exploded in a shop in the northern Afghanistan Kunduz province, provincial police spokesman Jumadin Khaksar said. The blast took place in a blacksmith shop in the provincial capital Kunduz city, leaving one person dead on the spot and injuring another, Khaksar added. Dhaka, Feb 6 : Five people, including a child, were injured after unidentified assailants opened fire during an election campaign in the Ali Khali Rohingya camp area of Teknaf upazila in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, local media reported on Friday. Dhaka, Feb 6 (IANS) Five people, including a child, were injured after unidentified assailants opened fire during an election campaign in the Ali Khali Rohingya camp area of Teknaf upazila in Bangladesh's Coxas Bazar, local media reported on Friday. The incident took place in Block A/04 of Camp-25 at the Ali Khali Rohingya camp on Thursday at around 8:30 pm (local time). Teknaf Model police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Saiful Islam confirmed the incident, Bangladesh's leading daily Dhaka Tribune reported. The injured included two Rohingyas and three Bangladeshi nationals. According to witnesses, an election campaign was being held on a truck for the sheaf of a paddy symbol in the Ali Khali area on Thursday night. A group of people opened fire on the truck when a number of people had gathered near the vehicle, leaving five people injured. Ahead of the elections set to be held on February 12, political violence in Bangladesh continues to rise sharply as casualties in January increased significantly in comparison to December 2025, local media reported citing a Dhaka-based human rights organisation. In its latest findings, the rights group 'Ain o Salish Kendra' (ASK) recorded a surge in political violence in January, with 75 incidents causing 616 injuries and 11 deaths. This marked a sharp rise compared to 18 incidents in December 2025, which left 268 people injured and four dead, Bangladesh's another leading daily The Daily Star reported. The findings indicated that clashes intensified following the announcement of the election schedule and the start of campaigning on January 22. ASK reported that four people were killed while 414 others injured in 49 clashes between January 21-31, highlighting a clear upward trend as polling day draws near. The rights group documented that journalists have also been targetted amid the rising political violence, with 11 journalists facing obstruction or assault while on duty in December last year -- a number that increased to 16 in January. Expressing concern over the rising violence, the rights body urged political parties to exercise restraint and maintain peace during the campaign. It also called on law enforcement agencies to safeguard citizens and uphold their constitutional rights. Patna, Feb 6 : The political atmosphere in Bihar continues to remain tense following the suspicious death of a NEET aspirant in Patna, with sharp exchanges between the NDA and the opposition. Reacting to a statement by former Chief Minister Rabri Devi, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and state Home Minister Samrat Choudhary issued a strong rebuttal, openly challenging her to name those allegedly involved in the case. "Rabri Devi should name the person in public. I guarantee that if the name of any minister or a minister's son comes up, I will put them in jail within 24 hours," Samrat Choudhary said. His remarks came amid sustained opposition attacks on the Nitish Kumar government over the law and order situation following the NEET aspirant's suspicious death. Rabri Devi on Thursday questioned the state government's intent, alleging that individuals connected to the ruling party were being protected. Responding to these allegations, the Deputy Chief Minister asserted that the government would not shield any culprit, irrespective of their influence. "The government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of daughters. If Rabri Devi has evidence, she should present it. If she is not doing so, it raises questions about whether she is hiding evidence," he said. The NEET aspirant was found unconscious under suspicious circumstances in Patna's Shambhu Girls hostel on January 6 and succumbed due to the injuries on January 11, triggering widespread outrage and political uproar across Bihar. Initial investigations raised serious concerns, following which the state government decided to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The government maintains that a CBI probe will ensure a fair and transparent investigation and that those responsible will face strict punishment. The issue also dominated proceedings in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, where opposition parties accused the government of failing to maintain law and order. The ruling NDA, however, countered the allegations, stating that the government believes in transparent investigations and decisive action. Reiterating his stand, Samrat Choudhary said that no accused would be spared, "no matter how powerful or influential they may be." Quetta, Feb 6 : Leading Baloch human rights defender, Mir Yar Baloch, on Friday cautioned the Norwegian Government against hosting Pakistan's former caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar and Balochistan's "puppet" Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti during their scheduled visit from February 15-17, accusing them of human rights violations. The human rights activist alleged that Pakistani leaders set to visit Norway under the pretext of a "briefing" on Balochistan are linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), have collaborated with terror groups such as Al-Qaida and ISIS, and are responsible for the alleged genocide of the Baloch people. "Both Anwar and Sarfaraz work directly with Pakistan's ISI to abduct, torture, kill, and dump Baloch civilians in mass graves. They perpetuate Pakistan's illegal occupation, looting Baloch resources while funding terrorist groups like Al-Qaida, ISIS, and others posing a global security risk," Mir stated. According to the human rights activist, both Anwar and Sarfaraz coordinate closely with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while being involved in "assassinations of opposition leaders, critics and the cream of society". "Their Oslo visit risks plotting attacks on Baloch diplomats and enabling IRGC-ISIS-Al-Qaida terrorism, backed by Pakistan's ISI and Army," Mir stressed. The human rights activist called on the Norwegian government to cancel all meetings and refrain from engaging with the Pakistani leaders, whom he described as "traitors and religious terrorists". Asserting that failure to act could endanger Norway and global security, Mir said, "Pakistan harbours terrorists with military infrastructure; do not be misled. Protect global security by rejecting these criminals." Earlier on Thursday, Baloch National Movement (BNM) Chairman Naseem Baloch expressed concern over the upcoming visit of Anwar and Sarfaraz to Norway, stating that this must not be treated as routine diplomacy in light of allegations of human rights abuses against them. "Both individuals are widely responsible for grave human rights violations in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, collective punishment, and policies that many Baloch human rights defenders and international observers describe as crimes against humanity and acts of genocide," Naseem stated. "Of particular concern are their documented links to Shafeeq Mengal, a known pro-state militia leader who has publicly operated armed death squads under the patronage of the Pakistani military," he added. Naseem stressed that Norway, globally respected for its commitment to human rights, international law, and peace-building, must not allow its soil to be used to "whitewash atrocities or normalise war criminals". He emphasised that the Norwegian government, parliamentarians, media, and civil society have a moral and legal responsibility to question these officials about enforced disappearances, mass graves, and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan, demand explanations for their links with armed militias and death squads and ask why perpetrators enjoy impunity while victims' families are denied truth and justice. --IANS scor/rs New Delhi, Feb 6 : The murder of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Lucky Oberoi in Punjab has triggered sharp political reactions, with leaders across parties raising serious concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Reacting to the killing, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Friday, termed the incident "very unfortunate" and expressed hope that the Punjab government would take swift and strict action. "It is very unfortunate, and I hope that the situation in Punjab, which is continuously deteriorating, will be addressed. Law and order is not being maintained, and taking note of this, I hope the Chief Minister there will take action and ensure that those responsible are given the strictest possible punishment as soon as possible," Chaturvedi told IANS. Adding to the criticism, Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi painted a grim picture of the situation in Punjab, accusing the AAP government of failing to curb crime and gangsterism. "Law and order in Punjab is in a very poor and worrying state. Since the Aam Aadmi Party came to power, incidents of robberies, lootings, threats, and killings have continued and are increasing day by day. Punjab is becoming like Bihar of earlier times," Gandhi told IANS. He further alleged that the government has failed to take effective action against criminals. "This government has failed to prevent gangsterism. Instead of taking action, it keeps comparing the situation to what happened 70 years ago. This is unfortunate and shameful," he said. Referring to past high-profile cases, Gandhi added, "A murder like that of Sidhu Moosewala took place, and his murderer was interviewed in jail. We are deeply concerned about our state. Punjab was once known for development and peace, but not anymore." Meanwhile, police provided details of the incident, stating that the shooting took place in broad daylight in a busy area of Jalandhar. ADCP-II Harinder Singh Gill said, "This morning, outside the Model Town Gurdwara, in the parking area, Lucky Oberoi was shot. Two young men on a scooter fired the bullets. A short while later, Lucky Oberoi died of his injuries. An FIR has been registered, and the investigation is underway." According to officials, preliminary information suggests that two bike-borne assailants fired multiple rounds at Oberoi, with at least five bullets hitting his body. Police said Oberoi was sitting in his car at the time of the attack. The shooting occurred outside a Gurdwara in the crowded Model Town area, triggering panic among residents. Police teams rushed to the spot, cordoned off the area, and launched a manhunt to identify the attackers and ascertain the motive behind the killing. Security has since been stepped up in the locality. Party sources said Oberoi was close to the Cantt constituency in-charge Rajwinder Kaur Thiara. His wife had earlier contested municipal elections on an AAP ticket, but lost. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, Feb 6 : In a lively Question Hour and Zero Hour session in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed key concerns on infrastructure development, including potential Metro services in Jammu, stalled projects due to land and environmental issues, demands for premium train connectivity, and ongoing railway initiatives in Kerala. During Question Hour, BJP-nominated MP Gulam Ali raised a question on plans for a Metro in Jammu. Responding, Railway Minister Vaishnaw said he would pass his question to Manohar Lal Khattar, who looks after Metro, but acknowledged the unique challenges of operating rail systems in high-altitude regions like Jammu and Kashmir. "The operation of rail in high altitude areas is complicated; we should have a special design for the trains in Jammu and Kashmir. The design is ready, and we are about to decide on this," he stated, indicating progress towards tailored solutions that could pave the way for enhanced urban mobility, potentially including Metro-like services. He also said the Railways will not lay spurs of the main railway line as it adversely affects the apple orchards, and farmers have raised concerns. In Zero Hour, the Minister highlighted obstacles hindering railway expansion, particularly the Silver Line semi-high-speed rail project in Kerala, which faces significant environmental concerns. "The Silver Line project has a huge environmental impact," Vaishnaw noted. "The state government should help the Central government, as land acquisition is really hard, and so many railway projects are pending because of this," he said. He appealed for greater cooperation from state authorities to resolve bottlenecks that delay multiple national projects. BJP MP from Maharashtra, Dr Medha Vishram Kulkarni, advocated for introducing Vande Bharat Sleeper trains on the Delhi-Pune route. "Pune and Delhi should have the Vande Bharat Sleeper train, as so many people from Delhi travel to Pune to work," she argued, emphasising that Pune should not be overlooked and deserves premium facilities to support its growing workforce and connectivity needs. In a pointed remark on the Angamaly-Sabarimala rail project in Kerala, which has long been stalled due to land acquisition disputes, Railway Minister Vaishnaw said, "When the BJP comes to power in Kerala, we will ensure that Angamaly Sabarimala land acquisition continues." The comment drew attention amid ongoing debate on political support for infrastructure in opposition-ruled states. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed BRATISLAVA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- An avalanche killed two people on Friday morning in Slovakia's northeastern Presov Region, the News Agency of the Slovak Republic reported. Police said the incident occurred shortly after 11 a.m. local time (1000 GMT) in the Zlomiskova Valley near Tupa Peak. The victims were two foreign nationals. Authorities said investigations were ongoing and no further details were available. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Several BJP leaders and Union Ministers on Friday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with students during the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', calling it inspiring, historic and a powerful lesson in life beyond examinations. BJP MP Hema Malini said the programme stood out for the way the Prime Minister connected with children like a teacher, encouraging them and simplifying complex issues. "It was the first time we witnessed such a programme. He explained everything so easily that even we learnt a lot from it," she said. Echoing similar sentiments, BJP MP Arun Govil described 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' as a beautiful initiative, saying the Prime Minister addressed students' stress and answered their questions with remarkable sensitivity. "Some students recited such beautiful poems. Overall, it was a very encouraging and meaningful programme," he said. Union Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary highlighted the Prime Minister's unique style of communication, noting that the programme reflected the aspirations of the country through its children. "Just look at their talent, curiosity and eagerness to learn. For them, it is such a special moment to interact directly with the Prime Minister at his residence and ask questions openly," he said. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that every point made by the Prime Minister carried a deeper lesson. "Through small examples, he conveyed very powerful ideas," Pradhan remarked. BJP MP Ravi Kishan, who was present at the event, termed it historic and praised the Prime Minister's sharpness even at the age of 75. "He is so updated and alert; he is blessed with divine grace. Listening to him every day teaches us something new," he said. Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that while the Prime Minister was teaching children the art of success through 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', others could also benefit by listening. "If Rahul Gandhi attends that pathshala or even listens to it, he too might succeed in life," Bittu remarked. BJP MP Rajkumar Chahar said the programme has become an annual event eagerly awaited not just by students but by adults as well. "There is so much to learn from it about the art of living and moving ahead in life," he said. The ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' once again highlighted Prime Minister Modi's direct engagement with students, focussing on stress-free learning, confidence-building and holistic growth. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, Feb 6 : Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister WAadysAaw Bartoszewski on Friday took note of India's stellar economic growth, rising global stature and also shared insights on European nation's inclination to deepen ties with India across multiple sectors, two of which remain high on its agenda - defence co-operation and green technology. New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) Polandas Deputy Foreign Minister WAadysAaw Bartoszewski on Friday took note of Indiaas stellar economic growth, rising global stature and also shared insights on European nationas inclination to deepen ties with India across multiple sectors, two of which remain high on its agenda a" defence co-operation and green technology. In an interview with IANS, Bartoszewski spoke about Indiaa"Poland relations, trade and investment opportunities, global geopolitical challenges, and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasised that bilateral ties are on an upward trajectory and highlighted Indiaas rapid economic transformation, technological advances, and strategic importance on the world stage. Here is the full interview: IANS: How do you see the current trajectory of Indiaa"Poland relations? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: Relations between India and Poland are on an upward trajectory. We signed a strategic partnership agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, when he visited Poland for the first time as Prime Minister of India in 45 years. It was a very good visit. We have now also signed the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, of which we are a part. I have just returned from the Foreign Ministry, where we discussed a number of practical steps dealing with military cooperation, digital industry cooperation, security issues, IT investments in high technology, cooperation in space, and other areas. We are planning a visit by our Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs next month. I will return here in March, and our Deputy Minister for Development and Technology will also visit in March. We are planning a visit by our Prime Minister to Delhi later this year. We are also discussing visits by various officials, including Dr S. Jaishankar, to Poland later this year. So I would say we are talking about business, politics, security, and a wide range of cooperation. The sky is the limit. Not so long ago, two astronauts went into orbit, one Indian and one Polish, and that is a symbol of our cooperation in the near future. IANS: What are Polandas plans and priorities for trade and investment engagement with India? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: We have a number of sectors we are interested in. Definitely the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sectora"about 9 per cent of Indiaas GDP comes from this sector, while 7 per cent of our GDP comes from it, so it is a natural match. We are quite advanced in digital technologies that serve the population. We have the ability to conduct most official business with government and regional bodies via telephone or computer, and we are trying to expand e-government. India is also quite advanced in this area. We are discussing advances in military technology, including very high-tech solutions, with several Indian companies involved. We are also talking about production, possibly joint production in Poland and joint production in India under the Make in India principle. We are involved in talks over green technologies, which are also of interest to India. We are quite advanced in water treatment. As far as I remember, there is a Polish company dealing with sewage in Mumbai. We are rapidly transforming our energy sector from coal to renewable sources, including nuclear. We have started building a nuclear power plant and are also looking at small modular reactor plants. We are investing heavily in offshore wind farms and are also using biogas. We have a very strong agricultural sector, which accounts for about 50 per cent of the value of our exports. Agricultural by-products can be used for biogas, which is a stable, renewable energy source. We are also interested in the Indian experience in green hydrogen and energy storage. We are planning to engage with India on coal mining as well, as we have extensive experience, with most of our coal mines being open-cast. IANS: What is your assessment of the recent Indiaa"US trade deal? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: It is better to have a trade deal than not to have one. Generally speaking, tariffs do not bring prosperity to nations because they are ultimately paid by consumers when importers transfer the cost. The lower the tariffs, the better. I think it is good that India and the United States reached an agreement that reduced tariffs significantly from the levels originally suggested. IANS: Do you believe India secured a more favourable trade deal with the United States as compared to other countries? If so, why? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: India is a very serious economic power. You are now number four in terms of GDP globally, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that India aims to become number three very soon. It is a huge market of nearly one and a half billion people. It is technologically advanced and changing rapidly. It does not make sense to ignore a country with such potential. India is also a democratic state that recently conducted the largest democratic election in the world. It is a very good partner. It makes more sense to trade and have good relations than to have bad relations and not trade. IANS: India has urged Poland to play a role in addressing terrorism in the neighbourhood. How do you respond? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: We are already dealing with state-sponsored terrorism near our borders. We experienced two terrorist attacks on our trains. Thankfully, no one was killed, but it came very close, and it could have become an international scandal. IANS: How do you assess Indiaas role and potential contribution toward ending the war in Ukraine? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: India is not engaged in the war in Ukraine and is not involved in negotiations to end it. The war cannot be ended by India or Poland. It can be ended tomorrow by President Putin if he withdraws the forces of his colonial, neo-colonial, imperialistic army, trying to subjugate the free state of Ukraine once again. Russia ruled Ukraine as a colony in the 18th and 19th centuries and now wants to do so again. Poland is opposed to all forms of colonialism and neo-imperialism. IANS: What are your views on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his global impact? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: Well, I think the Prime Minister is a phenomenal leader. He is very charismatic, as proven by being elected and re-elected several times. He has changed India dramatically and has a very ambitious vision for the country. We are all very impressed by his actions and achievements. Privately, I can say that he is an absolutely charming, charismatic, and pleasant person. I believe many Indians feel the same way, because they follow his guidance and directions, which have moved India from the time when I was younga"India was a poor country, and people did not have enough food. Europeans used to send food aid to India. Today, India is the fourth-largest economy and is moving very fast in the right direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, I think you are lucky to have such a Prime Minister. IANS: How do you assess the current situation in West Asia, particularly concerns about escalation between Iran and the United States? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: I believe a full-scale conflict will be avoided. There is a possibility of an agreement between the United States and Iran because Iran is now in a much weaker position. Iran cannot effectively use its proxies, such as Hamas or Hezbollah, which are in disarray, and to some extent, the Houthis. There are also massive protests within Iran against the system and the rule of the Ayatollahs. I believe a peaceful agreement is possible, and I do not foresee a major war breaking out in the region at this time. IANS: How do you view Chinaas role in the Ukraine conflict and tensions involving Iran? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: I look at Chinaas role in the war in Ukraine negatively, and we communicate this to our Chinese partners whenever we talk to them. According to the estimates, over 80 per cent, or close to 90 per cent, of all dual-use components used in Russian weapon systems are transferred to Russia by China, and that is something which fuels the war. China is also a major buyer of Russian oil and gas, which provides a source of income for Russia and helps them continue fighting the war. We mention this to the Chinese every time we talk to them. The Chinese claim that they do not supply any dual-use materials. We have to disagree with them on this. IANS: How do you see NATOas evolving role, and what implications does it have for countries outside the alliance, such as India? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: NATO was formed in 1949 as a defensive alliance to protect the countries of Western Europe from a potential Soviet invasion. Eastern European countries later joined NATO for the same reason, to protect themselves against the aggressive Russian Federation. Russia claims that all areas of Eastern Europe should be under its control. We reject that. We are sovereign states, members of the United Nations, and like India, we believe that international law, not military force, should resolve disputes. NATO has no intention of attacking anyone. Finland and Sweden, which were previously non-aligned and neutral for over 200 years, joined NATO because they felt threatened by Russiaas policies. NATO member states maintain very good relations with India, including the United States, France, Germany, and Poland. We recognise Indiaas global role. I mentioned in a previous interview in New Delhi that Prime Minister Modi spoke to President Putin, discouraging him from using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine in late 2022. President Xi Jinping also played a similar role. This demonstrates positive contribution India makes in world affairs, and I expect that role to continue. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister WAadysAaw Bartoszewski on Friday took note of India's stellar economic growth, rising global stature and also shared insights on European nation's inclination to deepen ties with India across multiple sectors, two of which remain high on its agenda - defence co-operation and green technology. In an interview with IANS, Bartoszewski spoke about India"Poland relations, trade and investment opportunities, global geopolitical challenges, and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasised that bilateral ties are on an upward trajectory and highlighted India's rapid economic transformation, technological advances, and strategic importance on the world stage. Here is the full interview: IANS: How do you see the current trajectory of Indiaa"Poland relations? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: Relations between India and Poland are on an upward trajectory. We signed a strategic partnership agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, when he visited Poland for the first time as Prime Minister of India in 45 years. It was a very good visit. We have now also signed the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, of which we are a part. I have just returned from the Foreign Ministry, where we discussed a number of practical steps dealing with military cooperation, digital industry cooperation, security issues, IT investments in high technology, cooperation in space, and other areas. We are planning a visit by our Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs next month. I will return here in March, and our Deputy Minister for Development and Technology will also visit in March. We are planning a visit by our Prime Minister to Delhi later this year. We are also discussing visits by various officials, including Dr S. Jaishankar, to Poland later this year. So I would say we are talking about business, politics, security, and a wide range of cooperation. The sky is the limit. Not so long ago, two astronauts went into orbit, one Indian and one Polish, and that is a symbol of our cooperation in the near future. IANS: What are Poland's plans and priorities for trade and investment engagement with India? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: We have a number of sectors we are interested in. Definitely the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) sectora"about 9 per cent of India's GDP comes from this sector, while 7 per cent of our GDP comes from it, so it is a natural match. We are quite advanced in digital technologies that serve the population. We have the ability to conduct most official business with government and regional bodies via telephone or computer, and we are trying to expand e-government. India is also quite advanced in this area. We are discussing advances in military technology, including very high-tech solutions, with several Indian companies involved. We are also talking about production, possibly joint production in Poland and joint production in India under the Make in India principle. We are involved in talks over green technologies, which are also of interest to India. We are quite advanced in water treatment. As far as I remember, there is a Polish company dealing with sewage in Mumbai. We are rapidly transforming our energy sector from coal to renewable sources, including nuclear. We have started building a nuclear power plant and are also looking at small modular reactor plants. We are investing heavily in offshore wind farms and are also using biogas. We have a very strong agricultural sector, which accounts for about 50 per cent of the value of our exports. Agricultural by-products can be used for biogas, which is a stable, renewable energy source. We are also interested in the Indian experience in green hydrogen and energy storage. We are planning to engage with India on coal mining as well, as we have extensive experience, with most of our coal mines being open-cast. IANS: What is your assessment of the recent Indiaa"US trade deal? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: It is better to have a trade deal than not to have one. Generally speaking, tariffs do not bring prosperity to nations because they are ultimately paid by consumers when importers transfer the cost. The lower the tariffs, the better. I think it is good that India and the United States reached an agreement that reduced tariffs significantly from the levels originally suggested. IANS: Do you believe India secured a more favourable trade deal with the United States as compared to other countries? If so, why? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: India is a very serious economic power. You are now number four in terms of GDP globally, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that India aims to become number three very soon. It is a huge market of nearly one and a half billion people. It is technologically advanced and changing rapidly. It does not make sense to ignore a country with such potential. India is also a democratic state that recently conducted the largest democratic election in the world. It is a very good partner. It makes more sense to trade and have good relations than to have bad relations and not trade. IANS: India has urged Poland to play a role in addressing terrorism in the neighbourhood. How do you respond? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: We are already dealing with state-sponsored terrorism near our borders. We experienced two terrorist attacks on our trains. Thankfully, no one was killed, but it came very close, and it could have become an international scandal. IANS: How do you assess Indiaas role and potential contribution toward ending the war in Ukraine? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: India is not engaged in the war in Ukraine and is not involved in negotiations to end it. The war cannot be ended by India or Poland. It can be ended tomorrow by President Putin if he withdraws the forces of his colonial, neo-colonial, imperialistic army, trying to subjugate the free state of Ukraine once again. Russia ruled Ukraine as a colony in the 18th and 19th centuries and now wants to do so again. Poland is opposed to all forms of colonialism and neo-imperialism. IANS: What are your views on the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his global impact? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: Well, I think the Prime Minister is a phenomenal leader. He is very charismatic, as proven by being elected and re-elected several times. He has changed India dramatically and has a very ambitious vision for the country. We are all very impressed by his actions and achievements. Privately, I can say that he is an absolutely charming, charismatic, and pleasant person. I believe many Indians feel the same way, because they follow his guidance and directions, which have moved India from the time when I was younga"India was a poor country, and people did not have enough food. Europeans used to send food aid to India. Today, India is the fourth-largest economy and is moving very fast in the right direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, I think you are lucky to have such a Prime Minister. IANS: How do you assess the current situation in West Asia, particularly concerns about escalation between Iran and the United States? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: I believe a full-scale conflict will be avoided. There is a possibility of an agreement between the United States and Iran because Iran is now in a much weaker position. Iran cannot effectively use its proxies, such as Hamas or Hezbollah, which are in disarray, and to some extent, the Houthis. There are also massive protests within Iran against the system and the rule of the Ayatollahs. I believe a peaceful agreement is possible, and I do not foresee a major war breaking out in the region at this time. IANS: How do you view Chinaas role in the Ukraine conflict and tensions involving Iran? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: I look at Chinaas role in the war in Ukraine negatively, and we communicate this to our Chinese partners whenever we talk to them. According to the estimates, over 80 per cent, or close to 90 per cent, of all dual-use components used in Russian weapon systems are transferred to Russia by China, and that is something which fuels the war. China is also a major buyer of Russian oil and gas, which provides a source of income for Russia and helps them continue fighting the war. We mention this to the Chinese every time we talk to them. The Chinese claim that they do not supply any dual-use materials. We have to disagree with them on this. IANS: How do you see NATOas evolving role, and what implications does it have for countries outside the alliance, such as India? WAadysAaw Bartoszewski: NATO was formed in 1949 as a defensive alliance to protect the countries of Western Europe from a potential Soviet invasion. Eastern European countries later joined NATO for the same reason, to protect themselves against the aggressive Russian Federation. Russia claims that all areas of Eastern Europe should be under its control. We reject that. We are sovereign states, members of the United Nations, and like India, we believe that international law, not military force, should resolve disputes. NATO has no intention of attacking anyone. Finland and Sweden, which were previously non-aligned and neutral for over 200 years, joined NATO because they felt threatened by Russiaas policies. NATO member states maintain very good relations with India, including the United States, France, Germany, and Poland. We recognise Indiaas global role. I mentioned in a previous interview in New Delhi that Prime Minister Modi spoke to President Putin, discouraging him from using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine in late 2022. President Xi Jinping also played a similar role. This demonstrates positive contribution India makes in world affairs, and I expect that role to continue. -- Syndicated from IANS Kolkata, Feb 6 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Friday, filed its chargesheet at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata on the multi-crore financial irregularities case at state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, infamous over the ghastly rape and murder of a junior woman doctor on the hospital premises. The ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had been conducting parallel probes in the R.G. Kar financial irregularities case. The CBI also conducted a parallel probe into the "larger conspiracy" behind the rape and murder case. While CBI had already filed its chargesheet in the financial irregularities case earlier, the ED had filed its first chargesheet on Friday. Like CBI, the ED had also named the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar, Sandip Ghosh, as the main accused in the financial irregularities. In its chargesheet, the ED also named two private vendors, namely Biplab Sinha and Suman Hazra, as the accused beneficiaries in the case. At the same time, Hazra Medical, the agency supplying medicines and medical equipment to R.G. Kar, had also been named in the chargesheet from ED, the investigation arm of the Union Ministry of Finance. The main charges in the financial irregularities case at R.G. Kar include manipulation of the tendering process, awarding infrastructure contracts to private agencies while bypassing the state Public Works Department, and selling organs from unidentified bodies meant for autopsy. In the CBI chargesheet filed earlier, the central investigating agency officials highlighted a significant and rapid increase in the assets and properties of the accused, particularly Ghosh, following his appointment as principal of R.G. Kar Medical College. CBI also identified him as the mastermind behind the alleged scam. In its chargesheet, CBI gave the details of how Ghosh benefited financially from selling organs from unidentified bodies coming to the R.G. Kar morgue for autopsy. Investigators found that from 2021, an average of 60 bodies per financial year had gone unaccounted for. Even the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) described this offence as one of the most quirky crimes. --IANS src/ svn New Delhi, Feb 6 : In 2019 there were an estimated 200 Indians who were part of the Islamic State, but some of the returnees during questioning had said that they were given menial jobs and looked down upon. However that has changed and now the Islamic State is moving most of its Indian origin operatives into Afghanistan, where the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) is wooing them through combat roles and propaganda glorifying them. Earlier, all these operatives had moved from India and other middle eastern countries to be part of the outfit in Syria and Iraq. Some of the returnees complained of being given menial jobs and many recruits had reported that they were disgruntled and wanted to return to their country. However, the situation has changed with the Islamic State moving Indian origin operatives into Afghanistan where ISKP dominates. The outfit which has managed to radicalise scores of Indian youth is also trying to get them out of India and place them in Afghanistan. The Indian operatives prefer Afghanistan over Syria and Iraq for a variety of reasons. They find the cultures to be similar when compared to the Arab nations. Further, they have also found it easier to operate within Afghanistan when compared to Syria or Iraq, officials say. The agencies are keeping a close watch for any possible movement of Islamic State operatives from India to Afghanistan. It is clear that the ISKP has lost a lot of men and hence wants more people in its outfit. Among all the countries it has recruited from, the outfit found it is the Indian operatives who were more interested in fighting in Afghanistan when compared to other countries. An Intelligence Bureau official said that the route may not be a direct one. Many would attempt going to the Gulf nations before they could travel to Afghanistan. This, the ISKP feels would keep the heat low and they could make a safe entry into Afghanistan. Prior to setting up operations in Afghanistan, the operatives from India could choose only between Syria and Iraq. Hearing some of the horror stories narrated by the returnees or those pleading to return, the recruitments from India had gone down considerably. These operatives were given menial jobs and never allowed on the battlefield and this had led to a lot of disgruntlement among the cadres from India. However the situation in Afghanistan is completely different. Not only are they being given combatant jobs, but are also being used as suicide bombers. This has made Afghanistan an attractive proposition for the Indian recruits. Three recent examples of Indian recruits being chosen as suicide bombers are Abu Khalid al-Hindi, Abu Rajah al-Hindi and Najeeb al-Hindi. This is however not the only aspect which is attracting the Indian recruits. These persons who take part in attacks or are chosen as suicide bombers are made into heroes by the ISKP. The outfit has a sophisticated communication platform which is used to spread its propaganda. In one issue of the outfitas magazine Voice of Khorasan, Najeebas story was featured in four pages. Like Najeeb, another operative from Kerala, Abu Khalid al-Hindi, too, featured in the same magazine. The article speaks about their sacrifices and how they fought all difficulties and reached Afghanistan. Such cases are being used widely by the ISKP to brainwash and recruit. An Intelligence Bureau official said that in recent months, the activity online has gone up multifold. What is attracting the youth is the amount of importance the ISKP has been giving to Indian operatives. The bigger plan is to recruit thousands from India and ensure that they make their way into Afghanistan. With the situation in the region getting harder, the ISKP is in need of men to wage a battle and they find the Indian recruits best suited for the job. This would be an ongoing process and the agencies would need to remain on a state of high-alert officials say. February 06 : Lucknow: Under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths zero-tolerance policy against elements that disturb social harmony and hurt religious or caste-based sentiments, strict action has been initiated in the state capital. Acting on the Chief Ministers clear directives, Lucknow Police have registered an FIR at Hazratganj Police Station against the director of the upcoming film "Ghooskhor Pandat", whose teaser has been released recently and is being promoted on the OTT platform 'Netflix'. The action has been taken on charges of spreading social animosity, hurting religious and caste sentiments and attempting to disrupt public peace. Hazratganj police station in-charge inspector Vikram Singh took cognizance of the upcoming film being promoted on the OTT platform Netflix, as well as its content being shared on social media. According to him, the title of the upcoming film 'Ghooskhor Pandat' and its promotional material were found to be objectionable at first glance. The FIR clearly states, under the point of caste-based insult, that the films title appears to have been deliberately chosen to target and demean a particular community/caste (Brahmin). The naming of the film and the dialogues promoted on Netflix and social media have evoked strong reactions among various sections of society. There is widespread anger among the Brahmin community and various social organizations over the films name and content. Several organizations have warned of aggressive protests against it. This had heightened concerns about the potential impact on public peace and law & order. Considering the sensitivity of the situation, the police took immediate action. According to the police, at first glance it appears that the director of the film and his team promoted the film with the intention of spreading social animosity, disturbing public peace and disrupting harmony. Such content has the potential to damage the social fabric, which cannot be accepted under any circumstances. In view of these facts and the sensitive situation, Hazratganj Police have registered a First Information Report against the films director and his team under relevant sections. Given the seriousness of the matter, further legal action and investigation are underway. The police have clarified that further action will be taken based on the evidence available during the investigation, the promoted and broadcast content and applicable legal provisions. Dhaka, Feb 6 : Large scale protests demanding the immediate implementation of the 9th National Pay Scale were held near Jamuna, the official residence of Bangladesh's Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, on Friday, local media reported. Law enforcement personnel placed barricades, used water cannon and sound grenades to disperse the protesters as tensions flared up near Jamuna. Protesters shouted slogans in favour of their demands during the demonstration, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported. One female protester said they had gathered at the venue to raise demand for the pay scale revision and had no other purpose. Another protester, who was detained by police, said that he had joined the protest as he was the only member of his family and was no longer able to support them with the salary which was being paid to him. Earlier in the day, protesters gathered at Shahbagh at around 10:30 am (local time). Police repeatedly stopped the protesters as they tried to march towards Jamuna. In December, Officials and employees from various ministries and divisions working at the Bangladesh Secretariat confined Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed inside his office as they had long been demanding various allowances, local media reported. According to officials who were present there, a group of employees gathered in front of the advisoras office on the fourth floor of the building, leading Bangladesh daily Dhaka Tribune reported. Employees, led by Badiul Kabir, a factional President of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Combined Council, confined Salehuddin Ahmed inside his office at Bangladesh's Ministry of Finance. Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Kabir stated that Secretariat employees have been demanding various allowances for a long time, adding that they will not leave until the government releases an official gazette announcing the benefits. On December 3, Bangladesh Secretariat employees said that they will launch a tougher movement from January 10 if the government does not issue a gazette notification on the pay commission by December. The employees issued the warning in a memorandum sent to the financial advisor by the organisationas Secretary General, Nizam Uddin Ahmed, Bangladesh's media outlet BDNews24 reported. New Delhi, Feb 6 : As Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with students during the 9th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', offering guidance on education, skill development, technology and responsible citizenship, students across the country on Friday hailed him and described the session as 'very informative'. Several students said they learnt key lessons on time management, exam preparation and the importance of skill-based education. IANS spoke to students from Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country, who shared what they had learnt after watching the telecast of the programme. In Gujarat, one student said, "I learnt many new ideas. Along with studies, he also explained which skills need to be developed." Another student from Gujarat highlighted the Prime Minister's remarks on social media and distractions. The student said, "He talked about social media and reels, saying that these are also important, but during study time, one should stay away from them..." In Patna, Bihar, students said the Prime Minister's message focussed strongly on staying calm and avoiding pressure during examinations. A student from Patna said, "From his words, we learnt that we should not take any kind of pressure during exams. We should prepare properly for examinations, and he also gave us very good advice." Another student from Patna said, "Exams should never be taken in a stressful way or treated as a burden. They should be handled smartly and calmly. If you learn time management, you can handle every exam clearly and effectively." A student in Patna said the Prime Minister's annual interaction with students is a positive initiative. The student said, "The Prime Minister meets students every year, and this is a very good thing. Through the Prime Minister's advice, we understand that we should not take stress during our studies because stress negatively affects our learning." Another student said the programme helped them understand that exams should not be feared and should not be treated as a burden. The student said, "This gave us the motivation to understand that while studies are very important, we should not treat exams as a burden. Exams are not as difficult as we make them seem. It is only when we start preparing at the last moment that they begin to feel like a burden." A student from Patna further said the Prime Minister's message made it clear that children should not be burdened with excessive stress during exam time. The student said, "From the Prime Minister's words, we understood that when exams approach, children often see them as a source of stress and burden. However, his message made it clear that we should not put too much pressure on our minds, and children should not be burdened with excessive stress..." In Delhi, students said the session was particularly useful for those preparing for Board examinations. A student from Delhi said, "This session was very informative. We learned about time management, and a very important point that PM Modi made was about skill-based education..." Another student from Delhi said, "I am a Class 10 student, and it was very helpful for me for the upcoming Board exams. They explained to us how to manage stress. Yes, it is not necessary that everyone experiences stress, but it does happen. Parents also worry about how their children's Board exams will go. We ourselves think about our career and the stream we will choose in the future." In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, a student said the Prime Minister encouraged students to face examinations with confidence and remain calm. The student said, "During Pariksha Pe Charcha, PM Modi explained very well that we should not be afraid of examinations. Instead, we should face exams with confidence and handle them calmly. We were advised to stay completely stress-free, and we found these lessons very inspiring and helpful." The 9th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' once again witnessed enthusiastic participation from students across the country, with many saying the Prime Minister's guidance helped them feel more confident and motivated ahead of examinations. Kolkata, Feb 6 : A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), here, on Friday, issued arrest warrant against Akhtar Ali, who had been the first whistleblower in the multi-crore financial irregularities case in state-run R.G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, also infamous for the ghastly rape and murder of a woman junior doctor within the hospital premises in August 2024. Ali, the former Deputy Superintendent of R.G. Kar, was the first one to raise an alarm over the involvement of former and controversial R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh in the financial irregularities case at the state-run medical college and hospital. In fact, based on his petition, a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI probe into the case of R.G. Kar's financial irregularities. Later, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also started a parallel probe into the matter. However, Ali's whistleblower image received a setback when the CBI submitted a supplementary chargesheet in the matter in December last year, in which it named Ali as a co-accused. Thereafter, Ali refrained from personally appearing at the special court several times, following which the court issued an arrest warrant against him on Friday. On Friday, Ali's counsel informed the court that his client was not refraining from physical appearance deliberately, but because he was undergoing treatment at the hospital. But that argument could not satisfy the court, and instead accepted the argument of the CBI counsel that Ali was using his physical ailment as an excuse to avoid appearing at the court. Last year, Ali submitted his letter of resignation from service, which was not accepted, and instead, the West Bengal Health Department suspended him. The Health Department issued a notification explaining the suspension, saying the CBI was probing financial irregularities at R. G. Kar on the orders of the Calcutta High Court and that Ali's role surfaced during the investigation. As the Assistant Superintendent of R.G. Kar, Ali supervised the procurement of essential equipment for the hospital; later, as Deputy Superintendent, he allegedly exerted influence over these matters, the Health Department said. According to sources, the Health Department claimed that Ali demanded lakhs of rupees in exchange for granting business opportunities to companies supplying hospital equipment. Between 2020 and 2022, Rs 2,39,000 were reportedly deposited in Ali's account, and Rs 50,000 were credited to his wife's account. Bengaluru, Feb 6 : The leadership tussle has resurfaced in Karnataka, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son and Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah claiming that demands for a leadership change have not been accepted by the party high command and that his father will remain Chief Minister for five years. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Friday, Yathindra made these remarks, which have assumed significance amid reports that the statements were intended to counter Congress MLA Shivaganga Basavaraj, a staunch supporter of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Basavaraj had urged the party high command to clear the confusion surrounding the leadership issue in the state and made his statement on Thursday. Yathindra said, "At present, no leader has made any statement about removing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from his position. My father will remain the Chief Minister for five years. The high command has not encouraged any attempts to change the Chief Minister. In this context, in my opinion, Siddaramaiah will continue as Chief Minister for the full term." Responding to a question, he added, "There is no confusion within the party. The media should ask sir (Chief Minister Siddaramaiah) about this." Yathindra reiterated that the high command had sent a clear signal that it would not change the leadership in the state. "In this background, I am stating that Siddaramaiah will remain Chief Minister for the full term," he said. Meanwhile, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR), IT and BT Priyank Kharge reacted to Shivaganga Basavaraj's demand for the high command's intervention and made a firm statement in Bengaluru, saying the party leadership would call leaders whenever necessary. Kharge said AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had clearly stated that they would intervene when the time and need arose and take an appropriate decision. He underlined that speaking about such matters in the media served no purpose. In a related development, supporters of Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara raised slogans of "next CM Parameshwara" during his visit to Chikkamagalur on Friday and urged the party leadership to consider him for the post. It can be recalled that, the tussle within the Congress government in Karnataka resurfaced again on Thursday as the Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar's loyalist and Channagiri party MLA Sivaganga Basavaraj, urged the party high command to resolve the leadership issue in the state. MLA Basavaraj said, "It was earlier stated that both leaders (Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar) would be called to Delhi on February 2. However, since the Assembly session was extended till February 4, the meeting was postponed. The Congress high command will call them again. I do not know the exact reason for summoning them, but I believe it is related to our statements on the Chief Minister's position." "It appears that the Congress high command is calling them to resolve the issue. Things will become clear once the leaders reach Delhi and attend the meeting. There is no need to continue this confusion. I do not know whether there is any power-sharing agreement. If there is one, the Congress high command should make it clear," he added. "It is my stand that Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar should be made the Chief Minister of Karnataka. I took my oath of office in his name. I became an MLA because of Shivakumar and I stand firmly with him. There is no question of backtracking on my position. However, if the Congress high command clarifies that there is no power-sharing arrangement and that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will continue, that is also acceptable. Even if a new party leader is made the state's Chief Minister, it is fine. The high command should put an end to the confusion. It does not look good to publicly discuss internal party matters," Basavaraj said. "In another two or three days, the Congress high command may call them (Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar) to Delhi," he added. MUSCAT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran has rejected a "zero enrichment" demand at the ongoing indirect talks with the United States in Oman's Muscat, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported Friday. The two sides have centered on the dilution of Iran's existing uranium stockpile, Mehr reported. The atmosphere of the talks is "more serious" than previous rounds of talks between the two sides, it added. Agartala/Imphal, Feb 6 : The ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationwide interaction with students, was held across the country on Friday, witnessing enthusiastic participation of students and teachers from the northeastern states, including Tripura and Manipur. In Agartala, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha attended the programme at Bordowali School, where students gathered to draw motivation on exam confidence and time management. Interacting with the media, the CM said: "Addressing students nationwide, PM Modi stressed that dreaming is essential, but dreams hold value only when translated into action. He advised students to use Artificial Intelligence as a learning aid while cautioning against over-dependence on it.'' Emphasising confidence, focus and time management, the Prime Minister shared practical tips to help students remain calm during examinations, while also offering guidance to teachers and parents on reducing academic pressure. Enthusiastic participation was seen in Manipur as well. Schools across all 16 districts of the state joined the programme, bringing together students and teachers to engage with the Prime Minister's message on exams, stress management, and life goals. Additional Director of Education, MCS Bisheshwar Khumukcham, said that the programme witnessed full participation across Manipur, with every school hosting the event and students actively taking part. "All the students and the teachers participated in the programme. Across the 16 districts of Manipur, all the schools are hosting the programme and every student is participating," he said. Students in Imphal described the interaction as inspiring and thought-provoking. One student said the Prime Minister's guidance on exam preparation helped them reflect on their own approach to studies. "When he talked about exam preparation and answered students' questions, I felt I got an opportunity to think seriously about my exams. One thing I really appreciated about PM is that when a student asked him about dreams, he replied, 'If one is not dreaming it's a crime'," the student said. Another student highlighted the message of viewing exams as an opportunity rather than a burden. "With this programme, I got many ideas. The most important lesson is that exams should not be taken as stress or tension, but as an opportunity for growth and self-reliance," the student said. Expressing pride over attending the programme, a student said the event brought excitement and confidence among him and his peers. "I felt very happy and extremely excited because this programme was conducted in our school. It is a matter of great pride. PM told us exams should be celebrated like a festival. "Due to stress and nervousness, we often forget even the answers we have memorised," the student said, adding that the Prime Minister's tips on preparation and exam conduct were especially helpful. 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' aims to ease exam-related stress among students, parents and teachers, encouraging a positive and confident approach towards learning and assessments. Mumbai, Feb 6 : Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra on Friday denied seeking an adjournment from the Maharashtra Legislative Council's Privileges Committee in connection with his alleged remarks against Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, asserting that the panel itself had deferred the February 5 hearing. The committee had summoned Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare for a hearing over their alleged insulting remarks against Shinde. Committee Chairperson and BJP MLC Prasad Lad had earlier said that Kamra and Andhare were initially asked to appear before the panel at 2 p.m. on February 5, but the duo expressed their inability to attend, following which the hearing was rescheduled for February 17. In a long post on X, Kamra dismissed media reports claiming that he had sought an adjournment from the Privileges Committee as "incorrect". He said: "I was asked to appear before the Privileges Committee on 5th February 2026. The summons was issued to me by a letter dated 23 January 2026 that was only served to me on 29th January 2026. Despite the short notice, I agreed to appear and sent an email on 30th January 2026 to the Committee, confirming that I would attend the hearing with my lawyer. I flew to Mumbai on Wednesday for the purpose of the hearing. On Wednesday evening, at around 6 pm, I received a call from an officer at the Vidhan Sabha, stating that the hearing was to be adjourned. This was followed by a letter confirming the adjournment. The letter from the Committee makes it clear that the adjournment was not at my request." He further stated, "I have not been informed as to when the next date would be, though media reports suggest it is to be on 17th February 2026. It is in the interest of fairness that the record be corrected, and it be made clear that no adjournment was sought at my instance, and that I continue to remain willing to co-operate in the proceedings. I must also mention that all communication addressed by the Committee to me has stated that the proceedings are 'confidential'. Despite this, the notices to me appear to have been leaked to the media, and the Chairman of the Committee appears to be giving statements to the media about the developments in the proceedings." Kamra added, "I have refrained from commenting on the proceedings thus far, but have been constrained to do so on account of the incorrect reporting as to what has transpired. If this is the approach they take to work that they have scheduled, one can speculate what their attitude would be to their legislative duties." BJP MLC Pravin Darekar had moved a breach of privilege notice against Kamra and Andhare for "derogatory remarks" against Shiv Sena leader Shinde, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led Mahayuti. Kamra, who has often courted controversy for his anti-establishment views, had targeted Shinde in a song parody last year, obliquely referring to him as a traitor. Andhare, leader of the rival Sena (UBT), had supported Kamra. The comedian, during his performance at the 'Unicontinental Mumbai' hotel in Khar area of Mumbai, had used a modified version of a Hindi song from the film "Dil To Pagal Hai" to describe the 2022 rebellion by Shinde against Uddhav Thackeray. Following the performance, a group of Shiv Sena workers reached the hotel and ransacked its office. Shinde rebelled against the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022, splitting the Shiv Sena and leading to the collapse of the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government. On Wednesday, committee chairperson Lad told reporters that Kamra had informed the panel that he would be unable to travel to Mumbai for the first mandatory hearing. "Kunal Kamra has communicated his inability to appear today. He has now been given February 17 to depose before the committee," Lad said. The committee has also rescheduled the hearings of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare and NCP (SP) worker Suryakant More. Islamabad, Feb 6 : Over 15 people were killed and more than 80 injured after a powerful explosion rocked an imambargah in Islamabad's Tarlai area during Friday prayers, triggering massive panic in the Pakistani capital local media reported. "The death toll from the explosion in the federal capital has risen to 15, according to a spokesperson for the District Administration. The spokesperson further confirmed that the number of patients brought to various hospitals across the city has now exceeded 80. However, a spokesperson from PIMS hospital clarified that 32 of those injured were brought specifically to their facility," reported Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper. The report mentioned that the blast was heard over a considerable distance and the site of explosion has been completely sealed to collect evidence. "Preliminary reports suggest a possible suicide bombing, though officials have yet to confirm the motive... The Islamabad blast comes amid a spate of recent attacks across Pakistan, including multiple deadly incidents in Balochistan targeting security forces and civilians. On November 11 there was another attack outside Islamabad Court, which killed at least 12 people and injured more than 36 others," the newspaper reported. Another leading daily highlighted that the attack comes during the two-day official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. "Islamabad Capital Territory Police Spokesperson Taqi Jawad said it was too soon to ascertain the nature of the blast and forensics teams would need to determine whether it was a suicide or a planted bomb," reported Dawn. Country's leading news network, Geo News quoted local officials as saying that the suicide bomber detonated himself after being stopped at the entrance of the mosque. Pakistan has witnessed deadly attacks over the past one week as the Baloch fighters launched Operation Herof-2 against the Pakistani security forces. Earlier this week, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) said that it has expanded its control in Balochistan's Nushki district by capturing a Pakistani Army camp in Ahmad Wal area following its earlier takeover of a local base in the Galangur area of the province. The developments followed BLAas announcement of coordinated attacks under Operation Herof, targetting multiple locations simultaneously. According to the group, attacks were carried out in Quetta, Nushki, and at least 12 additional cities in Balochistan. Since the launch of the second phase of Operation Herof on January 31, the BLA has reportedly killed and injured several Pakistani army personnel. The Balochistan Post, meanwhile, reported that locals have alleged that Pakistani forces are deliberately targetting populated civilian areas, raising serious concerns about potential civilian casualties. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Highlighting the Strategic Partnership agreement signed between Poland and India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Warsaw in 2024, Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Wladyslaw Bartoszewski has said that the ties between both countries continue to be on an "upward trajectory". New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) Highlighting the Strategic Partnership agreement signed between Poland and India during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Warsaw in 2024, Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Wladyslaw Bartoszewski has said that the ties between both countries continue to be on an "upward trajectory". In an exclusive interview with IANS, Bartoszewski mentioned about the visits of Polish leadership to India and the recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed by India and European Union, of which Poland is also a part. "Relations between India and Poland are on an upward trajectory. We signed a strategic partnership agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, when he visited Poland for the first time as Prime Minister of India in 45 years. It was a very good visit. We have now also signed the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, of which we are a part. We discussed a number of practical steps dealing with military cooperation, digital industry cooperation, security issues, IT investments in high technology, cooperation in space, and other areas," said Bartoszewski after holding a productive meeting with Ministry of External Affairs' Secretary (West) Sibi George in New Delhi during which both sides reviewed India-Poland strategic partnership and discussed the key deliverables of the 2024-2028 Action Plan. He noted that both nations are discussing business, politics, security and various other issues of cooperation. Speaking about the upcoming visits of the Polish and Indian leadership, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski said, "We are planning a visit by our Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs next month. I will return here in March, and our Deputy Minister for Development and Technology will also visit in March. We are planning a visit by our Prime Minister to Delhi later this year. We are also discussing visits by various officials, including Dr S Jaishankar, to Poland later this year." "So I would say we are talking about business, politics, security, and a wide range of cooperation. The sky is the limit. Not so long ago, two astronauts went into orbit, one Indian and one Polish, and that is a symbol of our cooperation in the near future," he added. India and Poland elevated bilateral ties to the level of 'Strategic Partnership' during PM Modi's visit to Poland in 2024. The two sides also agreed to a five-year Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Amid mounting attacks on minorities, media reports quoted a top Bangladesh politician as declaring that secularism is not Dhaka's goal since the word is not "very congenial" for the country's politics, thus strengthening renewed calls for dropping the word secular from the Constitution. New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) Amid mounting attacks on minorities, media reports quoted a top Bangladesh politician as declaring that secularism is not Dhaka's goal since the word is not "very congenial" for the country's politics, thus strengthening renewed calls for dropping the word secular from the Constitution. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, in a recent interview to news channel Al Jazeera, defended the 1977 removal of the word "secularism" from the Constitution by his party's founder Ziaur Rahman, quoted Dhaka-based The Daily Star news website. In the same interview, he has reportedly expressed hope that relations with New Delhi would improve, terming a recent letter of condolence from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "very good gesture" following the passing of former premier of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia. At the same time, Fakhrul expressed "personal opposition" to banning political parties, including the Awami League or Jamaat-e-Islami, the report added. The Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League remains banned from political activities in Bangladesh after the regime was toppled in a student-led protest in August 2024. "Secularism is not our goal," he said, explaining that the decision reflected the "philosophy of the party (BNP) at that time", the website mentioned from the interview. Available reports suggest that the original 1972 Constitution incorporated secularism as a fundamental principle alongside nationalism, socialism and democracy. However, it was removed though an amendment after the 1975 military coup in which Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated. The Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government restored secularism in 2011 after the Supreme Court ruled that its removal from the Constitution was illegal. The matter is again being heard by the country's highest court. The BNP leader was quoted as pointing out that his party's framework ensures religious freedom itself. Highlighting the country's demographics, he added that the word "is not at all very congenial for Bangladesh's politics". At the same time, he dismissed allegations of nepotism and corruption against BNP chairman, Tarique Rahman, describing him as the "most capable man" to lead the nation should his party win the upcoming elections. He rejected the 80 plus cases previously filed against Tarique as "totally baseless" and "politically motivated," claiming the previous "fascist regime" failed to prove any allegations over 15 years. "Now the question is when a political party or the leader of the political party has killed not less than 2,000 students and the agitators or the people who demonstrate against them," he was quoted as stating. "They involved themselves with and used the state apparatus including the police and others to kill those people. Naturally, there will be demand for those people that they should be tried, and so they were tried. "It was Awami League in general that were involved in these things. All the ministers, all the members of the party were involved," Fakhrul stressed when asked on the exclusion of the Awami League in upcoming general election. "I personally don't support this sort of banning a political party," he added, suggesting that individuals responsible for "genocide" should be tried rather than the entire organisation. On international ties, Fakhrul said the BNP would "diplomatically try" to repatriate Sheikh Hasina from India to face execution of her convictions. It was here that he appreciated Prime Minister Modi's gesture in penning a personal message following Khaleda Zia's death. The letter was handed over personally by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to the deceased former Prime Minister's son Tarique Rahman, when the former was in Bangladesh early last month to attend the funeral. Thiruvalla, Feb 6 : A spa employee was allegedly sexually assaulted for refusing to pay money demanded by a gang in Thiruvalla town of Kerala's Pathanamthitta district. The incident occurred at a spa in the Manjadi area on February 1. According to the complaint, KAAPA Act accused Subin Alexander, popularly known as 'Marana Subin', along with five associates, entered the spa around 3.30 p.m. and asked for extortion money. When the woman running the establishment refused to comply, the gang allegedly assaulted her and the staff. A female employee was dragged into an adjacent room, threatened with a knife held to her neck, and subjected to sexual assault, the complaint said. The accused allegedly forced another customer present at the spa into the room, made him and the establishment owner lie on a bed, and photographed and video-recorded the incident using mobile phones. The visuals were allegedly shot as an act of intimidation. The gang is also accused of assaulting the customer and forcibly taking away Rs 25,000 from the premises before fleeing. The attackers reportedly threatened dire consequences if the incident was reported to the police. Though the incident occurred on February 1, police registered a case only later, initially keeping details confidential. Matters escalated after CCTV footage from the spa surfaced, showing a gang barging into the establishment and harassing women. The visuals have since circulated widely, putting the police under pressure. Three accused, including Subin, have been arrested and remanded in custody, while a manhunt has been launched for the remaining three who are absconding. Six persons have been named as accused in the case. The incident has also revived allegations that extortion rackets operate unchecked in Thiruvalla, where several spas function. The case has intensified public outrage, with demands for a thorough probe into both the crime and the alleged systemic failures surrounding it. Bengaluru, Feb 6 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday called upon farmers across the state to unanimously oppose what he termed the "conspiracy" of the Union government in scrapping the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme and implementing the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act. Bengaluru, Feb 6 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday called upon farmers across the state to unanimously oppose what he termed the "conspiracy" of the Union government in scrapping the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme and implementing the Viksit BharatGuarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act. He was speaking at the International Trade Fair2026, Post-Harvest Agriculture Farmers' Empowerment and the State-level Agricultural Scientists Award ceremony. The Chief Minister said his government has always stood by the agriculture sector and is giving greater emphasis to making farming profitable and empowering farmers. He said agriculture can be made remunerative by encouraging farmers to engage in post-harvest activities. "Farmers should become entrepreneurs. Along with cultivating crops, they should actively participate in storage, processing, packaging, marketing and the development of by-products. More women must participate in agriculture. The achievements of women farmers who have been honoured today are truly inspirational," he said. CM Siddaramaiah said the government is providing quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to farmers and has extended subsidies of Rs 1,500 crore for the purchase of agricultural machinery. Karnataka has emerged as the number one state in the country in implementing the crop insurance scheme, with Rs 6,000 crore distributed so far as insurance compensation to farmers. He said farmers are largely restricted to crops such as sugarcane and ragi and stressed the need for greater involvement in post-harvest activities. "After discussions and negotiations with sugarcane farmers, prices were fixed. Similarly, procurement centres for tur dal were opened a month in advance for the benefit of farmers," he said. Referring to maize production, the Chief Minister said excess yield could result in a production of 54 lakh metric tonnes. The Centre has fixed the price at Rs 2,400 per quintal, and discussions were held with maize-based industries and ethanol manufacturers to facilitate the procurement of 40 lakh metric tonnes, he added. CM Siddaramaiah urged youth to take up agriculture in larger numbers. "Before Independence, nearly 80 per cent of the population depended on agriculture. This has now come down to 62 per cent. Agriculture becomes profitable only when post-harvest activities are undertaken," he said. He said India has achieved self-reliance in food production and that many promises made in the Congress manifesto have been fulfilled. Among them, the revival of the Krushi Bhagya scheme was significant. "The BJP had stalled this scheme during its tenure. Our government has revived it and allocated nearly Rs 200 crore for its implementation," he said. The Chief Minister said the guarantee schemes implemented by the state government Shakti, Gruha Jyothi and Gruha Lakshmi are particularly important for women. He added that under the Anna Bhagya scheme, the poor are able to save and invest. "These pro-people schemes have been implemented with the objective of providing equal opportunities to all," he said. Siddaramaiah said the MGNREGA scheme was introduced during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and had provided employment to women, tribals and labourers, with projects being decided in gram sabhas. "Now, these powers have been taken over by the Centre, which decides the nature of works and funding. I appeal to all farmers in the state to demand the restoration of MGNREGA and reject the VB-G RAM G scheme," he said. He pointed out that earlier, the Centre bore the full cost of wages under MGNREGA, but now provides only 60 per cent of the funds, forcing states to bear the remaining 40 per cent. "Earlier, 100 days of work were guaranteed. Without the consent of state governments, MGNREGA has been scrapped and the VB-G RAM G scheme has been implemented, removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it," the Chief Minister stated. February 06 : Lucknow: The Yogi government has taken serious cognizance of the issue of stray dogs and the rising incidents of dog bites across the state. Taking firm and concrete steps on this matter linked to public safety, the state government has accelerated the process of setting up Dog Shelter Homes and Animal Birth Control (ABC) Centres in municipal corporations and district headquarters. At the government level, priority is being given to simultaneous progress in land identification, budget allocation, and project approval. It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court has issued guidelines in this regard. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the state governments clear objective is to resolve the stray dog problem in a humane, scientific, and permanent manner. The government believes that with an effective system of Dog Shelter Homes and ABC Centres, public safety will be ensured on one hand, and animal welfare will be strengthened on the other. In the areas under municipal corporations, Dog Shelter Homes will be developed along with already operational or proposed ABC centres. Each municipal corporation has been directed to provide suitable land and complete all necessary administrative formalities at the earliest. The government has clarified that the entire process is being carried out in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines and animal welfare standards. The Yogi government has instructed that a separate Detailed Project Report (DPR) be prepared for the Dog Shelter Homes. According to the proposals received, the estimated cost per shelter home ranges from 470 lakh to 531 lakh. The DPR includes all key aspects such as the capacity of the shelter home, infrastructure, veterinary facilities, food supply, cleanliness, security arrangements, and the deployment of trained staff. At the government level, these DPRs have been granted in-principle approval, and the next phase of the process has now begun as per Supreme Court directions. According to the progress report, in the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation area, land has been identified for a Dog Shelter Home in village Maur Uparhat, tehsil Soraon. In Lucknow Municipal Corporation, the proposal regarding land availability has already been approved by the Executive Board. Information is also being collected from other municipal corporations so that a uniform system can be implemented throughout the state. Work is also progressing rapidly for the establishment of ABC Centres and Shelter Homes at district headquarters. In Lalitpur, 12.182 hectares, in Hardoi, 0.2 hectare, in Bulandshahr, 2000 square meters, and in Fatehpur, 0.769 hectare of land has been identified for ABC centres and Dog Shelter Homes. As soon as information is received from the remaining districts, land identification and project approval will be completed there as well. Hyderabad, Feb 6 : Telangana Jagruthi President K. Kavitha on Friday announced that she will announce a new political party within three months. She told media persons here that she is waiting for a good amahuratama (auspicious time) to launch the political party. Kavitha, daughter of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President and former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), quit the BRS last year after she was suspended from it for anti-party activities. The former MP announced that Telangana Jagruti will organise a meeting in Hyderabad on February 12 to pay tributes to those who laid down their lives for Telangana. Targeting the BRS, she said it was not working sincerely on the issue of reservation for Backward Classes. She criticised the BRS for fielding B. Madhav Reddy as the candidate in municipal elections, noting that he had filed a petition in the High Court opposing 42 per cent reservation to the Backward Classes. She said that when BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) appealed to people to vote for his party without seeing the candidates, she did not expect that the BRS would field such a person. Madhav Reddy, who was earlier with the Telangana Jagruthi, later floated the Reddy Jagruthi and claims to be fighting for the interests of the Reddy community. Meanwhile, Kavitha claimed that in Sircilla, 16 leaders of the BRS approached her Telangana Jagruthi for tickets to contest municipal elections. Sircilla is the Assembly constituency represented by her brother and BRS Working President KTR. Kavitha also said that KTR and T. Harish Rao were campaigning only in those areas where the Telangana Jagruthi has fielded its candidates. She also targeted Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for using abusive language against KCR. She alleged that the Chief Minister was resorting to abuses as he was unable to politically face KCR. She remarked that no one can erase the name of KCR from the history of Telangana. Reiterating that the investigation into the alleged phone-tapping case is like a television serial, she said the government should tell people when this serial is going to end. She criticised Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar for dismissing petitions for the disqualification of eight BRS MLAs who switched loyalties to the Congress. "The Speaker is saying that the MLAs are still in the BRS. If this is correct, how can Congress appoint one of these MLAs (Arekapudi) Gandhi as the party in charge for municipal elections in Nizamabad district," she said. Jabalpur/New Delhi, Feb 6 : Ayush Tiwari, a student from Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the annual programme 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' in New Delhi on Friday. Tiwari, a student of class 11 in the state government-run Pandit Lajja Shankar Jha School in Jabalpur, said that he felt lucky to get an opportunity for face-to-face interaction with the Prime Minister. "Very few people get the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister and have a face-to-face interaction. I was lucky to get this opportunity. My parents were very happy when I told them that I had been selected for the programme," he said. Sharing his learning from the Pariksha Pe Charcha programme, Tiwari said that they were invited for breakfast at the Prime Minister's residence in Delhi. They thought the PM would arrive after breakfast for a meeting. "But in the very next moment, we found that PM Modi standing right in front of us, which was like a dream come true," he said, as shared in a video by the Madhya Pradesh School Education department on Friday. During interaction with the Prime Minister, Ayush Tiwari, who was the only student selected for the programme from Madhya Pradesh, said, "When I said Har Har Narmade Sir, PM Modi asked if I am from Narmadapuram? I told him that I am from Jabalpur, which is the Sanskardhani (culture city) of Madhya Pradesh." Talking about (question) tips he requested from PM Modi, Ayush said, "I asked him (PM Modi) that sometimes students can't match with teachers' speed and when students try to cover the missed portion (of syllabus), in that process, they also miss the next portion." Ayush said that PM Modi interacted with them in a friendly manner, presented the Assamese Gamchha to all students It was the ninth edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', held at the Prime Minister's residence, and during a nearly one-hour-long interaction, students spoke for most of the session, asking a wide range of questions, while PM Modi responded patiently to each of them. During the interaction, the Prime Minister emphasised that examinations are meant to help students understand themselves, not merely measure them through marks. He said preparation should be for life and not just for exams, repeatedly stressing the importance of communication, practice, balance, journaling, and time management as essential life skills. Responding to Ayush's interaction with PM Modi during the 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', Madhya Pradesh's Secretary of School Education, Sanjay Goyal talking to IANS said, "It is a matter of pride for us that this time as well, a student from our region, from Jabalpur, was selected after a long selection process and got the opportunity to interact with the Prime Minister." It was the ninth edition of the 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', PM Modi's annual interaction with students ahead of board examinations, which was conceived to move the national conversation on exams away from fear and pressure and towards dialogue, confidence, and life skills. Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi (R) meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in Muscat, Oman, Feb. 6, 2026. Oman's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the ongoing indirect talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Muscat are focused on preparing the ground for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issues. According to a ministry statement, Al Busaidi held separate meetings with the Iranian delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and the U.S. delegation headed by the U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions centered on creating suitable conditions for restarting negotiations and ensuring their success. (Ministry of Information in Oman/Handout via Xinhua) MUSCAT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Oman's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the ongoing indirect talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Muscat are focused on preparing the ground for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issues. According to a ministry statement, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi held separate meetings with the Iranian delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and the U.S. delegation headed by the U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions centered on creating suitable conditions for restarting negotiations and ensuring their success. Al Busaidi reaffirmed Oman's commitment to facilitating dialogue and rapprochement between the parties, and to cooperating with regional and international partners to reach consensual political solutions that support security and stability. He also expressed appreciation for the efforts of regional countries in backing the talks. Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi (R) meets with the U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) and Jared Kushner, the U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, in Muscat, Oman, Feb. 6, 2026. Oman's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the ongoing indirect talks between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Muscat are focused on preparing the ground for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations on the Iranian nuclear issues. According to a ministry statement, Al Busaidi held separate meetings with the Iranian delegation led by Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and the U.S. delegation headed by the U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The discussions centered on creating suitable conditions for restarting negotiations and ensuring their success. (Ministry of Information in Oman/Handout via Xinhua) New Delhi, Feb 6 : The ECI has extended by one month or till March 6 the period of filing claims and objections to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh, an official said on Friday. The final publication of the state's electoral roll will take place on April 10, the official said in a statement. As per the earlier schedule, the period for filing claims and objections was fixed from January 6 to February 6. However, now, it has been extended till March 6 on the request of the state government, said the statement. Assembly elections to pick 403 legislators in Uttar Pradesh are expected to be held in February-March 2027. A notification issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), said, "The Commission has considered the request received from Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh for extension of the time, and upon consideration of other relevant factors and in exercise of the power conferred by proviso to Rule 12 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, has decided to extend, the period for filing claims and objections up to March 6, 2026 for ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls with reference to January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date in the state of Uttar Pradesh." As per the revised SIR schedule for the state, the Notice Phase, decision on Enumeration Forms and disposal of claims and objections will be completed by March 27. The checking of health parameters will be completed by April 3, and the final publication of the electoral roll will take place on April 10, said the ECI in a letter addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer, Uttar Pradesh. Under Secretary Sandeep Kumar wrote to the CEO, Uttar Pradesh, "I am directed to refer to the Commission's letter dated October 27, 2025 and December 30, 2025 related to Special Intensive Revision and to say that the Commission has considered your request made vide letter dated February 2, 2026 and also upon consideration of other relevant factors, has decided to revise the schedule of ongoing SIR in Uttar Pradesh." On October 27, 2025, the ECI announced Special Intensive Revision in 12 States/UTs, namely Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Visiting Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Wladyslaw Bartoszewski has hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, calling him "very charismatic" and "phenomenal leader" with India being lucky to have PM Modi as its leader. In an interview with IANS, Bartoszewski stated that PM Modi has changed India dramatically with his ambitious vision for the country. Hailing India's growth, he said that the country is moving in the right direction under PM Modi's leadership. "I think the Prime Minister (Modi) is a phenomenal leader. He is very charismatic, as proven by being elected and re-elected several times. He has changed India dramatically and has a very ambitious vision for the country. We are all very impressed by his actions and achievements," Wladyslaw Bartoszewski told IANS in an exclusive interview during his visit to New Delhi. "Privately, I can say that he is an absolutely charming, charismatic, and pleasant person. I believe many Indians feel the same way, because they follow his guidance and directions, which have moved India from the time when I was young... Today, India is the fourth-largest economy and is moving very fast in the right direction under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So, I think you are lucky to have such a Prime Minister," he added. Highlighting the strategic partnership agreement signed between Poland and India during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Warsaw in 2024, the Polish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs said that the ties between both countries continue to be on an "upward trajectory". "Relations between India and Poland are on an upward trajectory. We signed a strategic partnership agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, when he visited Poland for the first time as Prime Minister of India in 45 years. It was a very good visit. We have now also signed the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, of which we are a part. We discussed a number of practical steps dealing with military cooperation, digital industry cooperation, security issues, IT investments in high technology, cooperation in space, and other areas," said Bartoszewski after holding a productive meeting with Ministry of External Affairs' Secretary (West) Sibi George in New Delhi during which both sides reviewed India-Poland strategic partnership and discussed the key deliverables of the 2024-2028 Action Plan. Bartoszewski noted that both nations are discussing business, politics, security and various other issues of cooperation. Speaking about the upcoming visits of the Polish and Indian leadership, he said, "We are planning a visit by our Deputy Minister for Digital Affairs next month. I will return here in March, and our Deputy Minister for Development and Technology will also visit in March. We are planning a visit by our Prime Minister to Delhi later this year. We are also discussing visits by various officials, including Dr S Jaishankar, to Poland later this year." "So I would say we are talking about business, politics, security, and a wide range of cooperation. The sky is the limit. Not so long ago, two astronauts went into orbit, one Indian and one Polish, and that is a symbol of our cooperation in the near future," he added. India and Poland elevated bilateral ties to the level of 'Strategic Partnership' during PM Modi's visit to Poland in 2024. The two sides also agreed to a five-year Joint Action Plan for 2024-2028. New Delhi, Feb 6 : A total of 17,990 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) have been opened across the country till December 31, Union Health Minister JP Nadda informed the Parliament on Friday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Nadda shared the state-wise number of JAKs opened across the country and the district-wise number of JAKs. "Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) scheme, a total of 17,990 Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) have been opened across the country as on December 31, 2025, of which 1,058 JAKs have been opened in the State of Bihar," the Minister said. The flagship scheme, PMBJP, was launched in 2014 with just 80 centres. The JAKs provide essential medicines more accessible to people and reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure. These government pharmacies provide generic medicines, which are available at lower prices but are equivalent to expensive branded drugs in quality and effectiveness. "The product basket under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Yojna has 2,110 medicines and 315 surgicals, medical consumables and devices, covering all major therapeutic groups, such as cardiovascular, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-infectives, anti-allergic and gastro-intestinal medicines and nutraceuticals such as protein powder, protein powder for women, 100 per cent whey protein, etc," Nadda said. Jan Aushadhi Kendras are opened by inviting online applications from individual entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, societies, trusts, firms, private companies, etc. So far, 767 districts have already been covered under the scheme, including 38 districts in Bihar, the Minister said. Further, the government has also taken concrete measures to ensure continuous inspection, testing, and standardisation of medicines at JAKs. Only plants that are certified as WHO Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliant by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) after direct inspection are eligible for supply at the centres. Distribution is done only after 100 per cent pre-testing of all medicine batches. The samples are tested only at labs accredited and periodically inspected by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and, in addition, assessed by PMBI for Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) compliance. Indore, Feb 6 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said the state government is mulling providing incentives on the production of 'urad' (black gram) and 'masoor' (lentil) pulses to encourage farmers. The Chief Minister made this announcement, addressing a three-day national and international exhibition of state-of-the-art machinery related to pulses, grains, and other food processing industries in Indore on Friday. The Chief Minister said that the government has prepared a detailed plan for the purpose, and he will make an announcement during a conference of farmers soon. "Our government is going to announce incentives on moong and urad crops during a Kisan Sammelan soon. We have also decided to increase the milk production from 9 per cent to 20 per cent in the next five years," CM Yadav said. Addressing a large gathering of representatives for national and international food processing companies on this occasion, he also stated that the state government has decided to set up air cargo in future. "Madhya Pradesh is located in the centre of the country, and we have road and railway connectivity for transportation. The government is committed to increasing the income of farmers, but at the same time, we are also ready for full cooperation with industrialists," he said. The Chief Minister also spoke about the state government's commitments towards the welfare of farmers, reiterating that Madhya Pradesh has declared 2026 as the 'Year of Agriculture', marking a strategic policy shift towards strengthening farming and allied rural sectors. Before making a slew of announcements, Chief Minister Yadav inaugurated the exhibition, showcasing machinery and turnkey plants used in the processing of pulses, rice, flour, spices, gram flour, wheat, flattened rice (poha), maize, soy, pasta, peanuts, chickpeas, millets, seeds, and other food processing sectors. The GrainEx India exhibition 2026 is being organised to provide industry professionals with an opportunity to understand new ways to increase production, improve quality, and reduce costs, Suresh Agarwal said in a statement. New Delhi, Feb 6 : The split was inevitable following the West Bengal Pradesh Congress leadership's loud silence over the Communist Party of India (Marxist) state chief's repeated overtures at another unity before the upcoming Assembly polls. It also underscores again the attempt of an Opposition alliance as unfeasible, grandly proclaimed less than three years ago as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. West Bengal will thus witness a multi-cornered contest, granting the state's principal Opposition BJP a perceived advantage. Poll outcomes in 80-90 Assembly seats can be influenced by Muslim voters in the state, while they clearly play a decisive role in 40-50 constituencies. This demographic advantage significantly influences the political landscape of the state which many parties seek to use. This section of voters has been supporting the state's ruling Trinamool Congress with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee having initiated a number of welfare schemes for the community. However, her recent turn towards what is being termed as "soft Hindutva" may lead to a fracture in minority votes. Her recent spree in inaugurating state-sponsored high-profile temples and offering liberal government-funded donations to Durga Puja organisers in the state are being considered an attempt at wooing the majority community away from BJP. This time, a number of political parties are expected to throw their hats in the ring in the upcoming election, overtly exhibiting an overreach based on religion. Humayun Kabir, a former MLA from the Trinamool, and builder of a multi-crore replica of the Babri Masjid, has launched the Janata Unnayan Party (JUP), intending to be the kingmaker following the Assembly poll results. While CM Mamata Banerjee's recent moves may put her at unease with her traditional vote bank, an apparent Muslim consolidation behind Humayun Kabir may help in a post-poll tie-up if required. Also present is the Indian Secular Front (ISF), founded by the Furfura Sharif sufi shrine's cleric Peerzada Abbas Siddiqui ahead of 2021 Assembly elections that contested in alliance with the Congress-Left. It is again in the fray with an objective to ensure "social justice" for Muslims and Dalits in the state. From Hyderabad, preparing to test Bengal's political waters is Asaduddin Owaisi, after the AIMIM tasted success in Bihar's Muslim-dominated constituencies last year. Kabir is intent at a possible tie-up of the Islamic parties to strengthen its post-poll bargaining powers. Meanwhile, an Opposition split was imminent when Congress state party President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was replaced with Subhankar Sarkar. While the former is seen as a Mamata Banerjee baiter, the incumbent is considered malleable. The Congress finally broke its alliance with the Left Front and ISF with a large section within it feeling the tie-up had weakened the party. Past electoral results showed no gains, and when approached, the Trinamool Congress had offered only token seat-sharing. A series of developments and signals since 2025 made the split inevitable, culminating in the decision to contest all 294 seats independently. Among these was CPI(M) state secretary Md. Salim's recent meeting with Humayun Kabir. Chowdhury, who represented West Bengal's Baharampur constituency five consecutive times, was the Leader of Congress party in the 17th Lok Sabha. But he subsequently lost to Trinamool's Yusuf Pathan in the 2024 Parliamentary election. A section in the state Congress is said to be pitching his name as their chief ministerial candidate, though it is uncertain how many seats the party can wrest on its own. Though Chowdhury appears reluctant without an official seal, he may contest for an Assembly constituency, preferably in Murshidabad district. In the 2021 Assembly election the Congress-Left alliance failed to win a single seat in the 294-member state Assembly, while the junior partner, ISF, won only one seat. Overall, the INDIA bloc, comprising 28 major Opposition parties including Congress, CPI(M), DMK, the Trinamool, Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), and RJD, is slowly disintegrating after facing a series of losses since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections followed by drubbings in states like Maharashtra and Bihar. However, how far the BJP will be able to exploit the political advantage in West Bengal remains to be seen in the absence of a single, strong regional leader and a cohesive state party unit. New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Unified payments interface (UPI) is now live in over eight countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius and Qatar, positioning India as a global leader in digital payments, the Parliament was informed on Friday. UPI's growing international adoption is boosting remittances, promoting financial inclusion, and strengthening India's position in the global fintech landscape. Moreover, the government has signed MoUs/agreements with 23 countries for sharing or cooperation on India Stack/Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), primarily for replication and adoption of India's digital governance platforms, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, said in Rajya Sabha. "These MoUs focus on cooperation in areas such as digital identity, digital payments, data exchange and service delivery platforms, aligned with India's broader DPI diplomacy under the India Stack framework," the minister informed. MoUs have been signed with Cuba, Kenya, United Arab Emirates and Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) for Digilocker. Apart from this, the government has taken measures to share the success of India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) globally. India Stack Global showcases India's DPI and facilitates its adoption by friendly countries. The portal provides access to 18 key digital platforms. "The Global DPI Repository, launched during India's G20 Presidency (2023), serves as a global knowledge platform, with India contributing the highest number of DPI solutions," said the minister. The key DPI and digital solutions are Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN, API Setu, DigiLocker, Aarogya Setu, GeM, UMANG, DIKSHA, e-Sanjeevani and PM GatiShakti, among others. Meanwhile, the UPI saw 28 per cent transaction count growth (year-on-year) at 21.70 billion in the month of January along with registering 21 per cent annual growth in transaction amount at Rs 28.33 lakh crore, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data showed recently. Chandigarh, Feb 6 : Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Sunil Jakhar said on Friday that considering the past conduct of certain Congress MPs apprehensions regarding any inappropriate behavior on their part cannot be dismissed as impossible. He added that the dignity of the Prime Minister's office is just as important as the Prime Minister's security. Referring to concerns about a threat to the dignity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office in the Lok Sabha, Jakhar said in a message shared on social media that Punjab Congress leaders can stoop to any level for their narrow political interests. He added that the same leaders who had put the Prime Minister's security at risk during the Ferozepur visit are now sitting on Congress benches in the Parliament, and that they can still stoop to any level to gain the favour of the Congress high command. In his social media message, the State BJP President said: "The concerns raised about the conduct of some Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha cannot be dismissed as routine disruption, especially in light of their own past record. Some of the very individuals who, during the Prime Minister's Punjab visit in 2022, not only allowed circumstances that endangered his security but also led them, are today Members of Parliament -- and are influencing party policy and strategy as part of the Congress high command. When the same actors repeat the same pattern, history does not become irrelevant. Those who once turned a Prime Minister's visit into a security crisis are today attempting to paralyse Parliament." "Preventing the Prime Minister from replying to the Motion of Thanks is not an insult to an individual -- it is a deliberate blow to the dignity of a constitutional office. When arguments fail, institutions are targeted." Kolkata, Feb 6 : The news of the promotion of Seema Pahuja, the investigation officer in the case of ghastly rape and murder of a woman junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, within the hospital premises in August 2024, has left the parents of the victim frustrated. Recently, CBI released a list of Additional Superintendents being promoted to the rank of Superintendents. The list contained the name of Pahuja, who had been elevated from the position of Additional Superintendent of CBI's anti-corruption branch in Chandigarh to the position of Superintendent of CBI's special crime branch in New Delhi. At the same time, she had been retained as the investigation officer in the R.G. Kar rape and murder case. The investigation led by Pahuja concluded that Sanjay Roy, an erstwhile civic volunteer of Kolkata Police, was the sole culprit in the crime of rape and murder. Roy was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in Kolkata. Since then, the victim's parents had been accusing Pahuja of neglecting an independent and effective line of investigation and instead just echoing the point-of-view expressed by Kolkata Police in the initial investigation, claiming that Roy was the sole accused in the crime of rape and murder. Reacting to Pahuja's promotion, the victim's mother told media persons on Friday that she does not deserve the promotion. "She should not have been promoted, but rather jailed for the manner in which she investigated our daughter's case. The CBI investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the crime is still on. After progressing a bit in the matter, we will also file a case against Pahuja," the victim's mother said. The victim's father claimed that Pahuja should have given up the charge of the investigation if she was unable to carry out a proper investigation into the matter. "What she did was sign on the dotted line to what Kolkata Police concluded in the matter," the victim's father said. Pahuja is not the only CBI officer blamed by the victim's parents for an allegedly lackadaisical probe in the case. In July last year, the victim's parents expressed doubts at a trial court in Kolkata that the ongoing CBI probe in the matter might not be a neutral one, considering a top official of the probe agency and a senior officer cop of the West Bengal Police Department drawing controversy in the same case were of the same IPS batch. One of the two cops named in the court by the victim's parents was the CBI's Additional Director, Sampat Meena, the overall in-charge of the probe into the case. The cop from West Bengal named by the counsel of the victim's parents in the matter was the then Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal. To recall, Goyal was the city police chief when the ghastly crime occurred in August last year, and the initial investigation into the matter started under his leadership. However, following a massive public uproar, Goyal was removed from the chair of the city police chief soon after. Later, CBI also took over the investigation following an order from the Calcutta High Court. Both Sampat Meena and Vineet Kumar Goyal were IPS officers of the 1994 batch. Kochi, Feb 6 : The Kerala High Court was informed on Friday that a body recovered from Kalamassery recently has been identified as that of Suraj Lama, an Indian citizen who went missing after being deported from Kuwait and arriving at Kochi airport. The identification was confirmed after a DNA report established that the body, recovered from the proposed Judicial City area in Kalamassery by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), was that of Lama. The Division Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran and Justice M.B. Snehalatha, while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Lama's son, directed the Station House Officer of Nedumbassery to produce the complete case file relating to the missing person case along with the post-mortem report on Monday. The habeas corpus petition was filed by Lama's son with the assistance of the Kerala Legal Services Authority (KeLSA). Suraj Lama had been deported from Kuwait and sent to Kochi as per official orders. Despite being in a visibly vulnerable condition, with possible cognitive and other impairments, he was cleared by immigration and airport authorities and allowed to leave the airport without any assistance. A missing complaint was filed on October 8, 2025. Though Lama was reportedly seen by members of the public in the days that followed, he remained untraced. Police later found him loitering and sent him to Kalamassery Medical College Hospital, but he was discharged after doctors found no apparent medical issues. The High Court had earlier constituted an SIT and flagged serious systemic lapses in the handling of the deportation and the missing person case, observing that proper adherence to protocol could have saved Lama's life. Directing the Superintendent of Ernakulam Medical College, Kalamassery, to release the body to the family, the court expressed anguish over the incident and apologised to the family on behalf of the system. Speaking to the media, Lama's son, who has been pursuing the case along with his mother, said it was deeply distressing that such an incident could occur in Kerala. "It's all over now," said the visibly distressed son on the loss of his father's life. Jaipur, Feb 6 : Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya of Thailand arrived in Jaipur on Friday, as part of her four-day visit to Rajasthan till February 10. During her stay, the Thai Royal will visit several historical, cultural and heritage landmarks in Jaipur and Jodhpur. The Thai princess arrived at the Jaipur International Airport on a special flight, where elaborate security arrangements were made by the police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). As per diplomatic protocol, photography and videography by the general public were restricted. From the airport, she proceeded directly in a convoy to Rambagh Palace, where she will be staying during her Jaipur visit. During her stay in Jaipur, Princess Sirivannavari will be introduced to Rajasthan's famed "Atithi Devo Bhava" tradition. Her itinerary includes visits to Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Tripolia Bazaar, where the Thai princess will get a close look at the state's rich art, handicrafts, cultural heritage and traditional lifestyle. A convoy of luxury vehicles was seen moving through Jaipur's streets as part of the official protocol arrangements. Following her Jaipur tour, the Thai Princess will travel to Jodhpur, where she is scheduled to visit the Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace and Jaswant Thada. She will be briefed on Rajasthan's architectural legacy and historical significance during her visits. Officials say the tour will further strengthen cultural and bilateral ties between India and Thailand. The state administration remains on high alert in view of the Royal princess' visit. On Wednesday, State Chief Secretary V. Srinivas conducted a high-level review meeting to oversee preparations. Coordination meetings were also held with officials from the Royal Thai Embassy to ensure smooth execution of the itinerary. Special arrangements have been made for security, traffic management and protocol in both Jaipur and Jodhpur. Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya is internationally known as a renowned fashion designer and runs her own luxury fashion brand, which enjoys popularity across several countries. Beyond fashion, she serves as a Major in the Royal Thai Army and is an accomplished equestrian. She also has a keen interest in sports, arts and culture. PHNOM PENH, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists are undertaking the restoration of the deteriorated north gate of centuries-old East Mebon temple in Cambodia's famous Angkor Archaeological Park, the APSARA National Authority (ANA) said in a news release on Friday. So Pot, an architect and archaeologist from the ANA's Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology, said the gate had been seriously damaged by natural and structural factors. "The north gate was classified as a high-risk structure through a risk assessment map, requiring urgent intervention to prevent its collapse," he said. He said the lower structure and foundation of the gate were made of laterite, while the upper section was built of brick. "The restoration team is focusing on strengthening the laterite base by cleaning soil from stone joints and cracks and resealing them with mortar to prevent water infiltration," Pot said. He added that stones in good condition are preserved, while severely damaged stones are replaced with new ones that match the original form and technique. Pot said the restoration work began in late 2025 and is expected to be completed by April 2026. "More than 50 percent of the restoration work has already been completed," he said. East Mebon temple, a 10th-century mountain temple built during the reign of King Rajendravarman II, is one of the temples in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province. Kasaragod, Feb 6 : With the Assembly election schedule expected to be announced in the first week of March, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Friday formally launched its election campaign by flagging off the Puthuyuga Yatra (Journey to a New Era) from Kasaragod, the northern tip of Kerala. AICC general secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal flagged off the yatra by handing over the flag to team leader V.D. Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition, in the presence of leaders of UDF constituent parties. The yatra will pass through all 14 districts of the state, covering Assembly constituencies across Kerala, and will conclude with a massive public rally in Thiruvananthapuram on March 7. Satheesan said the yatra marked the beginning of a decisive political battle against what he described as the failures, corruption and misgovernance of the CPI-M-led LDF government, which has been in power for a decade. He said Kerala was passing through an unprecedented financial crisis, with the state's economy in distress, development and welfare activities stalled, and mounting debt expected to touch nearly Rs 6 lakh crore by the end of the government's term. Satheesan said the healthcare system was "on a ventilator" and warned that if the trend of students migrating abroad for education continued, Kerala would turn into an ageing state within a few years. He pointed to distress in agriculture, suffering in coastal regions, rising wild animal attacks, and the failure to disburse even basic grants to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students. Unlike conventional election yatras, Satheesan said Puthuyuga Yatra would focus not only on criticising the government but also on presenting a credible vision for Kerala's future. He said the UDF had prepared sector-wise vision documents with the support of experts over the past two years and would announce phased, long-term projects rooted in Kerala's strengths. Around 75 per cent of the yatra would be devoted to discussions on employment generation, healthcare, education and structural reforms. Satheesan said there would be no compromise on secularism and asserted that the UDF's priority was to defeat communal politics in Kerala. Government corruption, including the Sabarimala gold case, would be a key campaign issue, he added. Calling the yatra the "end of an era", Satheesan said it signalled the beginning of the end of Communist rule in Kerala and the start of a new political phase, expressing confidence that the UDF would return to power in 2026 with a decisive mandate. Moscow, Feb 6 : Russia and the United States recognise the need to begin negotiations on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) as soon as possible, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. Peskov said the issue was discussed during recent talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and that both sides reached an understanding on the need to adopt responsible positions. He said the work in Abu Dhabi was constructive but at the same time "very difficult," adding that discussions would continue, Xinhua news agency reported. Delegations from Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took part in the second round of trilateral talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday. Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failed to achieve substantive breakthroughs on core issues such as territorial arrangements and a ceasefire. As the world's two largest nuclear powers, the United States and Russia together possess about 87 per cent of the global nuclear arsenal. New START, which entered into force in 2011 and was extended in 2021 for five years, has long been regarded as a cornerstone of bilateral strategic stability. The treaty limited each side to a maximum of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and established corresponding restrictions on delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and heavy bombers. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, US President Donald Trump dismissed New START as a "badly negotiated deal" that was "being grossly violated," arguing that extending the treaty would not serve US interests. Instead, he called for a "new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future," signaling Washington's readiness to move beyond the existing framework rather than preserving its constraints. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that it assumes the two sides are no longer bound by any obligations under the treaty following its expiration. Trump's skepticism toward arms control agreements is nothing new. During his first term, Washington withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, also arguing that the pact no longer reflected strategic realities and failed to restrain adversaries effectively. With New START gone, Washington and Moscow have lost their last remaining arms control guardrail, creating a strategic vacuum that extends well beyond their bilateral relationship. Nuclear arms control has now entered uncharted territory, shaped by a more fragile and volatile geopolitical landscape. New Delhi/Kohima, Feb 6 : The Centre is likely to appoint a Minister of State for Home Affairs to spearhead the next phase of the Naga peace talks, with senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) expected to actively engage in advancing the dialogue process, officials said on Friday. A senior Nagaland government official said that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio led a high-level official delegation to New Delhi earlier this week and held separate meetings with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, among other Union leaders. During the meeting with the Union Home Minister, Nagaland MPs Supongmeren Jamir (Lok Sabha) and Phangnon Konyak (Rajya Sabha) also participated as members of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) Sub-Committee. The official said that in line with the four-point resolutions adopted at the consultative meeting on the Naga political issue held on September 12, 2024, the Chief Minister discussed various aspects of the Naga peace talks during his meeting with Shah. "The Chief Minister reiterated the need to restore talks at the highest political level through the appointment of an interlocutor of political or ministerial rank to expedite the process and work towards an early and honourable solution to the Naga political issue," the official said. He added that the Union Home Minister responded positively to the suggestion and indicated that a Minister of State for Home Affairs, along with officers from the MHA, would be appointed to take forward the Naga talks. Currently, A.K. Mishra, Adviser to the MHA on Northeast Affairs, is holding talks on behalf of the Centre with various Naga groups, including the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM). The official said that during the meeting, the Chief Minister also raised the issue of lifting the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime in Nagaland and sought relaxation of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border. He said that the Nagaland Cabinet deliberated on the re-imposition of PAP on January 6, 2025 following which the state government wrote to the MHA on January 22, 2025, seeking a review of the decision and restoration of the earlier relaxation granted to the state. The Cabinet again discussed the matter on December 16, 2025, and February 3, 2026, and decided to pursue the issue with the MHA for complete relaxation of the PAP in Nagaland. The official said that Chief Minister Rio had also written four letters to the Centre between July 2025 and November 28, 2025, requesting a review of the re-imposition of the PAP regime in the state. The Union Home Minister assured that the matter would be positively examined by the Home Ministry. The PAP, imposed in Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, regulates the entry of foreign nationals into designated areas. The official said that in his representations, the Chief Minister also highlighted that Nagaland shares a 215-km unfenced International Border with Myanmar, cutting across Naga communities residing on both sides. "These communities have, for generations, maintained deep-rooted social, cultural and economic ties, with regular cross-border movement for agriculture, traditional practices and familial responsibilities," he said. The Cabinet deliberated on the issue on January 6, 2025, following which the state government wrote to the MHA seeking restoration of the earlier Free Movement Regime. In a letter dated July 18, 2025, the Chief Minister again drew the Centre's attention to the revised FMR guidelines, stating that they were causing hardship and distress to border communities, and sought a more flexible and context-sensitive approach that balances national security concerns with traditional rights and livelihoods. The matter was once again discussed by the Cabinet on February 3, 2026, and the state government decided to urge the MHA to re-examine the revised FMR guidelines, considering the unique demographic and cultural realities of the region. Shah gave a patient hearing and assured a positive approach to examining the matter, the official said. Paris, Feb 6 : France has opened a Consulate in Greenland, becoming the first European Union country to establish a diplomatic mission in the autonomous Danish territory, the French Foreign Ministry said Friday. Jean-Noel Poirier has taken up his post as Consul General in Greenland's capital of Nuuk, a move to strengthen France's consular network, the ministry said in a post on social media X. President Emmanuel Macron first announced his plan for the consulate during a visit to Greenland in June last year, and signed a decree appointing Poirier earlier this week. Poirier previously served as France's Ambassador to Vietnam from 2012 to 2016, Xinhua news agency reported. His current mandate includes promoting scientific cooperation with Greenland, advising French companies interested in investing or setting up business on the world's largest island, and cooperating with local authorities to map the mineral potential of Greenland's subsoil. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said last month that opening the Consulate sends a "political signal" and reflects France's intention to strengthen its presence in Greenland "at all levels." Other countries are also expanding their diplomatic footprints in Nuuk. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is also to open a new consulate there on Friday. On Tuesday, an official said that NATO has begun military planning for an "Arctic Sentry" mission to enhance vigilance as tensions persist between the United States and European allies over Greenland. "We can confirm that planning for Arctic Sentry is underway," a NATO official told Xinhua news agency, without providing further details. The official was also confirming an earlier report citing Martin O'Donnell, a spokesman for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, who said planning had begun for "Arctic Sentry," an activity that would further strengthen NATO's posture in the Arctic and the High North. The move comes after repeated comments by US President Donald Trump that he wants to acquire Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, sparking strong opposition across Europe. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in an interview with Danish Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday that despite the resumption of diplomatic talks with the US government, Washington's desire to take over Greenland remains. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Hyderabad, Feb 6 : The makers of director Abhishek Nama's much-awaited mythological action drama 'Nagabandham', featuring actor Virat Karrna in the lead, on Friday released actor Rishabh Sawhney's look as the powerful Abdali in the film, much to the delight of fans and film buffs. Sources close to the unit of the film say that Rishabh Sawhney, known for his commanding presence in Bollywoodas 'Fighter', has delivered a remarkable performance in 'Nagabandham', where he takes on the role of the infamous Afghan Sultan Abdali. Set in 1750, the film recounts Abdali's conquest in India, detailing his notorious acts of looting temples and his relentless pursuit of vast wealth. The first-look poster is a striking visual set against a storm-lashed, snow-covered battlefield. Rishabh appears in mid-charge, brandishing a giant, blood-soaked battle axe with fierce resolve. Behind him surges a massive army, green war flags tearing through the icy winds, accompanied by archers, warriors, and towering war elephants- building an intense, high-voltage war canvas. Adding to the menace, a pack of wolves with glowing eyes closes in around him, amplifying the aura of danger, power, and impending doom. In 'Nagabandham', Abdali is depicted as a figure driven by ambition and cruelty, willing to sacrifice the lives of many, including Brahmins and children, in his quest to uncover the mythical Naga Bandham hidden in the Himalayas. The character remains a significant and dark part of history, known for his extreme ruthlessness. Director Abhishek Nama praised Rishabhas portrayal, noting that his performance is so convincing that it feels as if the historical figure of Abdali had come to life on screen. "Rishabh has transformed into this complex character, bringing depth and intensity to the role," he stated. "I am honored to portray a character as challenging as Abdali," Rishabh shared. "I aimed to reflect the complexities and motives of this historical figure while remaining true to the story's essence." The film features Nabha Natesh and Iswarya Menon as the female leads, with seasoned performers Jagapathi Babu, Jayaprakash, Murali Sharma, and BS Avinash anchoring the narrative with impactful roles. Backed by the technical brilliance of Soundar Rajan S behind the camera, RC Pranav handling the editing, and Ashok Kumar shaping the grand production design, 'Nagabandham', sources say, will seek to present an arresting visual experience on the big screen. Bankrolled by Kishore Annapureddy and Nishitha Nagireddy, the film is now entering the final leg of its production journey, steadily moving towards completion. Bucharest, Feb 6 : Romania's National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA) issued a red flood alert on Friday for the Niscov River in Prahova and Buzau counties, warning of dangerous rises in water levels following heavy rainfall. The alert is valid until 3 pm local time (1300 GMT) and signals a possible exceedance of danger thresholds. Authorities also issued an orange alert until 12 pm local time for the Teleajen River in Prahova County and for rivers in the Milcov basin in Vrancea County, Xinhua news agency reported. A yellow alert is in effect for parts of the Barlad River basin in eastern Romania. Romania's hydrological authorities classify flood warnings into three levels - yellow, orange and red - ranging from potential flooding risk to extreme danger. Emergency alerts were sent to residents in at-risk communities. In Prahova County, firefighters responded to several calls to pump water from flooded yards, with no homes reported damaged. In Buzau County, rising water levels on the Niscov River blocked road access to the village of Mierea, leaving 12 people isolated in four households. Local emergency officials said the residents were safe and had sufficient supplies. Earlier this week, Romania's National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued a Code Yellow warning for severe cold and frost, affecting more than half of the country. The warning was 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. 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 actively worked. Romania's weather service had earlier forecast that the country will face a sharp cold snap in early February, with nighttime temperatures dropping to minus 15 degrees Celsius in mountain depressions and daytime highs falling below zero in the northeastern area. Rain was expected in lowland areas, while there will be sleet and snow above an altitude of 1,500 metres due to lower temperatures in mountainous regions. From early February, colder air spread across the country, with daytime temperatures in northern Moldova dropping to between minus 7 and minus 10 degrees Celsius. The weather agency had added that February is likely to bring snowfall and mixed precipitation, particularly in the northern, central and eastern regions of the country. New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Supreme Court on Friday gave a final opportunity to the Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly to decide the remaining disqualification petitions against MLAs who defected from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) to the ruling Congress party. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and A.G. Masih directed the Speaker to "positively" decide on the pending petitions within three weeks. "We expect the Speaker to positively take a decision, failing which we shall proceed to issue contempt," the Justice Karol-led Bench ordered. The apex court was hearing contempt petitions arising out of non-compliance with its July 31, 2025, order, by which it had granted three months to the Speaker to decide the disqualification pleas against 10 BRS MLAs who allegedly crossed over to the Congress. In December last year, following stern observations from the apex court, the Speaker rejected seven of the 10 petitions. However, three petitions continued to remain pending. When the matter was taken up on January 16, the Speaker sought an adjournment of two weeks, which the Supreme Court granted on the assurance that there would be some development in the matter. On Friday, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi informed the Justice Karol-led Bench that a decision had been taken in one of the remaining cases and submitted that the Speaker was on the verge of deciding the other two. However, the request was opposed by counsel appearing for one of the petitioners, who contended that the Speaker had repeatedly sought adjournments. Taking note of the submission that a decision had been taken in one case, the apex court considered it appropriate to grant limited additional time. The dispute stems from the defection of 10 BRS MLAs -- including Danam Nagender, Kadiyam Srihari, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, and Tellam Venkat Rao -- who joined the Congress in 2023 following its return to power in Telangana. In an order passed on July 31, the Supreme Court had directed the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions "as expeditiously as possible and in any case within three months", also setting aside a Telangana High Court ruling that no time limit could be imposed on the Speaker. Danam Nagender (Khairatabad constituency), Tellam Venkat Rao (Bhadrachalam), Kadiyam Srihari (Station Ghanpur), Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (Banswada), M. Sanjay Kumar (Jagtial), Arekapudi Gandhi (Serilingampally), T. Prakash Goud (Rajendranagar), B. Krishna Mohan Reddy (Gadwal), G. Mahipal Reddy (Patancheru), and Kale Yadaiah (Chevella) defected to the Congress party. --IANS pds/dan Amaravati, Feb 6 : Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday called upon people to act as conscious guardians of dharma. In the wake of the controversy over alleged adulteration of ghee used for making sacred Tirupati laddu, the Jana Sena leader reminded Hindus of their dharmic responsibility. "Every devotee carries a Dharmic responsibility! Let us come out of the slumber and convenience of an average Hindu mind, where there is a fear of God and respect for faith. "However, when someone desecrates Hindu Gods or mocks our Dharma, we often feel hurt in private, leave it to karma, and move on. This must change," Pawan Kalyan said in a post on 'X'. "Though we may be divided by caste, creed, region, and language, the Dharma is one and the gods remain the same. It is indeed our duty to voice our pain when our Dharma and faith are deliberately mocked with malicious intent. Silence in such moments weakens the collective conscience," he said. "Beyond being devotees, we must also act as conscious guardians of our faith. Protecting Hindu Dharma does not mean being against other faiths. It simply means safeguarding one's own," added the actor-politician. He used the hashtags 'no ghee in TTD laddu' and 'Sanatana Dharma Raksha Board'. Pawan Kalyan along with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, state BJP president PVN Madhav and several ministers had addressed a joint press conference on Thursday. They denied that the CBI's SIT gave the previous Andhra government the clean chit in the Tirupati laddu adulteration case and accused it of committing a grave sin. The Jana Sena leader quoted CBI as stating that substance used for making laddus is not prepared from milk fat. He claimed that no ghee was used and that the substance used was made from chemicals. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Friday claimed that the Tirupati laddu was prepared with ghee made with chemicals used for cleaning bathrooms. He accused the YSRCP of trying to tarnish the sanctity of Sri Venkateswara Swamy by adulterating the prasadam (offering). "For five years, they had made prasadam with ghee prepared from chemicals. The ghee was made with chemicals used for cleaning bathrooms," he said at a public meeting in Kurnool district. This development comes days after the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) demanded that Chief Minister Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan apologise to devotees, after a chargesheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation confirmed that no animal fat was used in the sacred Tirupati laddus. YSRCP official spokesperson Karumuri Venkata Reddy stated that a major conspiracy in the history of Andhra Pradesh has finally been exposed. "The ICARNational Dairy Research Institute in Haryana and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in Gujarat, after testing the ghee samples used in the preparation of the sacred Tirumala Sri Vari Laddu Prasadam, have conclusively confirmed that no animal fat of any kind was present in the ghee. Chandrababu, who spread false propaganda claiming that animal fat was mixed in the ghee, must now rub his nose on the ground and publicly apologize," he said. YSRCP leaders pointed out that both Naidu and Pawan Kalyan hurt the religious sentiments of devotees by claiming that the ghee procured by TTD during the YSRCP's rule was adulterated with animal fat. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Minister of State (MoS) for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, said on Friday that as many as 116 women judges are currently serving in the Higher Judiciary which has a working strength of 814, with Punjab and Haryana High Court having the maximum number of 18. Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, MoS Meghwal shared data on the working strength and number of women judges in the Supreme Court and High Courts showing that at present, of the 33 Supreme Court judges, only one is a woman. He said that since 2014, 170 women judges have been appointed in the High Courts, including 96 in the last five years and six in the Supreme Court. The data showed that Allahabad High Court which has the largest working strength of 110 judges has seven women judges. It showed that the Bombay High Court has the second highest number of work women judges at 12, followed by Delhi and Madras High Courts with 10 each. The High Courts of three states of Uttarakhand, Tripura and Manipur have no representation of women in their benches. The MoS said the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts is made under Articles 124, 217 and 224 of the Constitution of India, which do not provide for reservation for any caste or class of persons. MoS Meghwal said that only those persons who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium, are appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts. "As per the Memorandum of Procedure, the responsibility for initiation of proposals for appointment of Judges in the Supreme Court vests with the Chief Justice of India, while the responsibility for initiation of proposals for appointment of Judges in the High Courts vests with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court," he added. However, the Union government is committed to enhancing social diversity in judiciary and has been requesting the Chief Justices of High Courts that while sending proposals for appointment of Judges, due consideration be given to suitable candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities and women to ensure social diversity in the appointment of Judges in High Courts. Itanagar, Feb 6 : Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen K.T. Parnaik (Retd.) on Friday emphasised that the state's education department must ensure every child and young person has access to quality learning, relevant skill development and supportive institutions that foster confidence and prepare them to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Itanagar, Feb 6 (IANS) Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen K.T. Parnaik (Retd.) on Friday emphasised that the stateas education department must ensure every child and young person has access to quality learning, relevant skill development and supportive institutions that foster confidence and prepare them to thrive in a rapidly changing world. An official said that during a meeting with State Education Minister P.D. Sona and Commissioner (Education) Amjad Tak at Lok Bhavan, the Governor underscored the importance of well-trained and motivated teachers, residential schooling facilities where required, and digital-enabled classrooms to overcome geographical challenges. During the meeting, the Governor reviewed the progress and challenges of the stateas education sector. The review focused on strengthening the education system to meet the aspirations of Arunachalas youth and the evolving needs of the state. Reiterating the vision outlined in his Assembly address, the Governor said that Arunachal Pradeshas youth are the stateas greatest asset and emphasised that the education department must ensure every child and young person has access to quality learning, relevant skill development, and supportive institutions that build confidence and prepare them to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Referring to Mission Shikshit Arunachal 2029, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, the Governor stressed the need for robust monitoring mechanisms on the ground to drive systemic reforms in school education, with special focus on foundational literacy and numeracy. He underscored the importance of well-trained and motivated teachers, residential schooling facilities where required, and digital-enabled classrooms to overcome geographical challenges. Lt Gen Parnaik (Retd.) also shared his views on expanding higher education institutions, strengthening scholarship support, and introducing more skill-based professional courses within Arunachal Pradesh to reduce migration and unlock the full potential of the stateas youth. He said that these reforms would transform education into a powerful engine of inclusive growth, cultural confidence, and a aViksit Arunachal Pradesha. Meanwhile, the Governor on Friday witnessed the ninth edition of aPariksha Pe Charchaa from Lok Bhavan. Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Governor said that Pariksha Pe Charcha 2026 reinforced the message that examinations are a natural part of learning and should not become a source of fear or stress. He said that the interaction encouraged students to focus on conceptual understanding rather than mechanical learning, manage time effectively, and maintain physical and mental well-being through discipline, fitness, and mindfulness. The Governor called upon parents to be empathetic and supportive, avoiding undue pressure and comparisons. He also urged teachers to act as mentors who inspire curiosity, creativity, and confidence. He said that the programme echoed the spirit of the National Education Policy 2020 by promoting holistic, joyful, and stress-free education that nurtures well-rounded and resilient learners, adding that the Prime Ministeras interaction with children from the Northeast Region was a positive highlight. ULAN BATOR, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Thirty people were killed and 2,267 others had received medical assistance in suspected carbon monoxide poisoning incidents in Mongolia in 2025, the country's National Center for Public Health reported Friday. According to the research, people are more at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning when they transition from warm to cold seasons or from cold to warm seasons, the center said in a statement. A preliminary investigation indicated the deaths may have been caused by smoke leaking from stove chimneys. Mongolia, the world's most sparsely populated country, faces acute housing challenges, particularly in Ulan Bator, home to more than half of its 3.5 million citizens. Over half of the capital's residents live in ger districts, where homes often lack running water, central heating, and sewerage systems, making coal- and wood-burning stoves a common but hazardous source of heat. Hyderabad, Feb 6 : Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Friday that Hyderabad is competing with leading global cities in terms of investments, talent, and quality of life. He also stated that the state government, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, allocated a20,000 crore for the development of Hyderabad city within a span of just two years. Hyderabad, Feb 6 (IANS) Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Friday that Hyderabad is competing with leading global cities in terms of investments, talent, and quality of life. He also stated that the state government, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, allocated 20,000 crore for the development of Hyderabad city within a span of just two years. Speaking at the CREDAI Property Exhibition at HITEX, he said several works under this allocation have already been completed, while many others are currently in progress. He claimed that such a massive allocation of funds exclusively for Hyderabad's development has never happened before in the history of the state. The Deputy Chief Minister informed that 1,950.52 crore has been allocated under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, 12,500 crore under the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), and 4,365 crore under the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA). Vikramarka termed the merger of 27 surrounding urban local bodies with the GHMC a historic decision. Through this landmark move, uniform civic services, integrated planning, and a unified development vision within the Outer Ring Road region have become possible, he said. "Today, Hyderabad stands as one of the fastest-growing and most investment-friendly cities in the country. This has not happened by chance. It is the result of decades of institution-building, democratic governance, and the people's government's commitment to inclusive development," he said. The Deputy Chief Minister asserted that today's growth rests on the strong foundations laid by visionary leadership in the past, and these foundations are being further strengthened by the present government's focus on transparency, accountability, and people-centric governance. The merger of municipalities reflects the government's belief that urban development must be just, balanced, and accessible to all, he said. Regardless of where people live, Hyderabad is no longer being shaped as a collection of isolated affluent areas, but as a single, integrated, and comprehensively developing metropolitan city. He mentioned that under the Hyderabad City Innovative and Transformative Infrastructure Programme (H-CITI), works are being implemented with an investment of over 7,032 crore, including 45 major flyovers, underpasses, and 10 road widening projects. He revealed that projects worth 1,090 crore are being undertaken around KBR Park to address traffic congestion. In the western corridor, multi-level flyovers at IIIT and Khajaguda, built at a cost of 837 crore, are supporting the knowledge economy, while road widening works worth 70 crore are underway in the western city areas. In the northern part of the city, alternative road networks near the Army Ordnance Centre are being developed at a cost of 960 crore to resolve decades-old traffic problems. In eastern Hyderabad, flyovers at TKR College, Gayatri Nagar, and Mandamallamma Junction are being taken up at a cost of 416 crore to improve connectivity. In the southern part of the city, road widening projects worth 863 crore are being implemented to support rapidly expanding urban development. These investments are reducing travel time, improving logistics, strengthening economic activity, increasing land values, and most importantly, improving the daily lives of ordinary people students, workers, entrepreneurs, and families, he said. He assured that Hyderabad will continue to be Telangana's main engine for employment, innovation, and global investments, while ensuring that the benefits of development reach every section of society. However, he emphasised that infrastructure alone does not make a great city; the true measure of greatness lies in how a city treats its people, especially the most vulnerable sections. Keeping the year 2047 in mind, the government is preparing a comprehensive Storm Water Master Plan, particularly to benefit low-lying and backward areas, ensuring flood safety and climate resilience. Along with this, through UMTA, integrated spatial master plans, blue-green master plans, and comprehensive mobility plans are being developed to ensure orderly, environmentally responsible, and accessible growth, he added. Kolkata, Feb 6 : Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Friday questioned the practicality of announcing enhanced payments under various welfare schemes of the state government in the interim (vote on account) budget presented in the House by Minister of State for Finance (Independent Charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya on Thursday. According to him, the state government can neither announce any enhancement in payments under welfare schemes in an interim budget nor determine the number of beneficiaries under those schemes. "So naturally, the state government cannot make any budgetary allocation under such schemes. Secondly, the enhanced payments announced in the interim budget under these schemes will be effective from April 1 this year. But by then, the model code of conduct would be in force, as the polling dates for the Assembly elections would be announced. So in reality, the state government has misled the people by making such announcements in the interim budget," the Leader of the Opposition told mediapersons on Friday evening. He also pointed out that the current state Cabinet does not have any authority to implement these announcements. "It can only be implemented by the new Cabinet formed after the elections, after presenting the full budget on the floor of the Assembly. The state government has rather used the interim budget as Trinamool Congress' election manifesto," he said. According to him, such attempts to mislead people by making announcements in the interim budget reflect Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's fear of defeat in the forthcoming Assembly polls. "Because of the same fear of defeat, she has been opposing the special intensive revision in West Bengal. Now, out of desperation, she is making such misleading announcements in the interim budget," he said. He further alleged that misleading people has been a pattern of the Chief Minister. "Earlier, she did the same thing by describing NRC and CAA as the same thing. She did the same thing regarding the implementation of the Waqf (Amendment) Act," he added. Athens/New Delhi, Feb 6 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday held discussions with Greece's Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, who arrived in New Delhi earlier in the day on an official visit at the invitation of his counterpart Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. "Delighted to welcome Minister of National Defence of Greece Nikos Dendias this evening. An in-depth conversation on a wide range of strategic and security issues. Appreciate his many insights and assessments," EAM Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting. Earlier in the day, Dendias stated that he is paying an official visit to India at the invitation of counterpart Rajnath Singh. Looking forward to his meeting with the Indian Defence Minister and EAM Jaishankar, Dendias said that he will also participate in a discussion at the Indiaa"EU Forum on international developments and security issues and "will have contacts in Bangalore" on the possibilities of cooperation between the Greek defence industry ecosystem and the corresponding ecosystem in India. Earlier this week, Dendias visited the capital of the United States of America, Washington, where he met with the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and the Under Secretary of War, responsible for Defence Policy, Elbridge Colby. At the conclusion of his visit to Washington, Dendias reflected on his meeting with Hegseth. "In this meeting, I had the opportunity to explain the Greek positions on a number of broader issues concerning our region, the strategic challenges we face and the effort we are making to reform the Greek Armed Forces, the 'Agenda 2030'. I also referred to a number of contracts that we have signed with the US, such as the contract for the purchase of the F-35, and the way in which these contracts will be executed in the best way for the Greek Armed Forces," he stated. Last month, a bipartisan US bill that places the Eastern Mediterranean at the centre of American foreign policy -- with a clear India-linked connectivity focus -- cleared a key hurdle in Congress. The Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee by a 45a"2 vote. Supporters say that it strengthens the Eastern Mediterraneanas role as a strategic link between India, the Middle East, and Europe under the Indiaa"Middle Easta"Europe Economic Corridor, known as IMEC. IMEC was announced on the sidelines of the G20 summit in 2023 with backing from the United States and other partners. The corridor aims to link India to Europe through rail, ports, energy, and digital networks across the Middle East, with the Eastern Mediterranean serving as a key gateway into Europe. Kochi, Feb 6 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at 10 premises across Kerala and Tamil Nadu and froze assets and properties worth Rs 44.5 crore in connection with an investment fraud case, an official said on Friday. The action was undertaken in connection with the investigation into the alleged cheating and misappropriation of investor funds by Nedumparambil Credit Syndicate (NCS), Kerala, and its associated group concerns controlled by Raju George and his family members, the official said in a statement. The Directorate of Enforcement, Kochi Zonal Office, conducted the search operations on Thursday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The investigation originates from multiple FIRs registered by Kerala Police at Pulikeezhu Police Station in Pathanamthitta and Muvattupuzha Police Station in Ernakulam against key persons of the NCS Group for scheduled offences, including cheating under Section 420 of the IPC, 1860, the ED said. On the basis of these predicate offences, an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) was recorded on July 1, 2024, and a financial investigation under the PMLA was initiated, it added. A preliminary enquiry revealed mobilisation of public deposits on the promise of high returns, followed by diversion, layering and utilisation of the proceeds of crime through intra-group fund transfers, transactions with outside entities, acquisition of movable and immovable assets, and other financial activities, the ED said. Evidence gathered during the searches indicated a nexus between the NCS Group and related concerns, reflecting extensive real estate acquisitions, cash-linked dealings, investments in financial instruments and gold loan transactions connected with the accused. During the course of the search proceedings, incriminating documents, digital devices and financial records were recovered and seized. Evidence relating to immovable properties linked to the group has been identified, including high-value acquisitions suspected to be derived from proceeds of crime. To prevent concealment or dissipation of such assets, properties of the principal accused and associates to the tune of Rs 44.5 crore were frozen under Section 17(1-A) of the PMLA. "The seized material is under detailed examination to trace the complete proceeds of crime, quantify diversion of funds and assets, identify beneficiaries, and establish the offence of money laundering under the PMLA," the ED said. Geneva, Feb 6 : A new United Nations (UN) report has warned that Chinese state policies in Tibet are actively eroding the foundations of Tibetan civilisation and threatening the very survival of Tibetans as a distinct people, a report has detailed. The Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Nicolas Levrat, revealed the findings in a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council. It identifies Tibet as a case where state-led policies are not only discriminatory but constitute what the UN expert describes as eradication in more subtle ways. "At the centre of this warning is Chinaas vast boarding school system imposed on Tibetan children. The report states unequivocally that 'the boarding school education system implemented by China in Tibet is aimed at erasing the Tibetan language and identity'. Tibetan children are separated from their families and communities and educated in environments where Mandarin Chinese, state ideology, and cultural assimilation dominate daily life. According to the report, this policy prevents the intergenerational transmission of cultural, linguistic or religious elements of minoritiesa identities, a process that leads to the extinction of the minority as a distinct group in the State population," the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) stated which citing the contents of the report. Levrat, CTA stated, mentioned that eradication does not require mass killing to meet the threshold of grave human rights violations. He warned that targetting language, culture, and religion of people can be as destructive as physical violence. The report stated that such practices violate article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees minorities the right to enjoy their culture, practice their religion, and use their language in community with others. According to the report, these policies are part of a broader political project. It stated that China has undertaken a nation-building process since 2012 that has caused the the "marginalisation of minority communities" resulting in "severe discrimination" against non-Han minorities, such as Tibetans. The report noted that Tibetan identity is being subordinated to a single state-defined national identity. According to the report, all religious groups are required to register through State-controlled apatriotica religious associations, and that communities not following the rule are "denied legal status, criminalised and subjected to surveillance and the closure of places of worship." This policy places monasteries, religious education, and spiritual authority under state's direct control. The Central Tibetan Administration stated, "Crucially, the Special Rapporteur condemns assimilation policies that offer equality only on the condition that minorities abandon who they are. Such approaches, the report states, are contrary to the principle that states must recognise the existence and identity of persons belonging to a minority." New Delhi, Feb 6 : BJP National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda's fresh attempt to introduce India's first proposed law restricting social media access for children under 13 got delayed yet again on Friday as the Lok Sabha got adjourned due to Opposition protests. Panda's private members' Bill titled "The Safeguarding Healthy Environments for Little Digital Natives (SHIELD) Bill 2025" could not be introduced earlier despite being listed in the Lok Sabha for the last three months. The Bill, which was scheduled for introduction on Friday, focuses on mental health and online safety amid global attempts to ensure child online safety. The Bill proposes restricted and regulated internet and social media access to children below the age of 13. In the Winter Session, too, Panda was unable to introduce the Bill due to the scheduled day for private members' bills being adjourned due to disruptions. Similar laws have been passed in several countries, such as Australia and are being widely contemplated in many other nations. In India as well, many activists and parent groups have been pushing for restraints on social media access to minors due to the increasing number of documented cases of their detrimental and life-disrupting effects on young minds. The recent case of three minor girls who committed suicide in Ghaziabad is just the latest example where allegations have been made about the role of unregulated gaming and other social media platforms. Panda criticised the Opposition for disruptions in Parliament, extending to even blocking private members' bills. He called it bizarre behaviour, since the government had nothing to do with these bills, and in fact, many opposition members of Parliament had also been trying to introduce private members' bills on topics which they wished to advance. Data shows that disruptions in Parliament cost Rs 2.5 lakh a minute, Rs 1.5 crore per hour, Rs 9 crore per day and up to Rs 57 crore of taxpayers' money. Since the Budget Session began on January 28, the Lok Sabha has been given around 30-35 scheduled working hours, of which 20-25 hours have been lost to disruptions. This translates to a notional loss of Rs 30-35 crore in the Lower House. In the Upper House, 12-15 hours have been lost, translating to a loss of Rs 18-22 crore. Put together, the approximate loss incurred by disruptions in both the Houses combined amounts to a total of Rs 57 crore. The Opposition on Friday stepped up protests in the Lok Sabha ever since Speaker Om Birla, earlier in the week, ruled against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reading from the magazine featuring an extract from a yet-to-be-published book by General Naravane (retd), citing Parliamentary rules. Protests in both Houses, but mainly in the Lok Sabha, led to repeated adjournments of the Lower House on Friday. London/Washington, Feb 6 : Denouncing Islamabad's annual observance of 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' as a "mockery of real suffering", several protesting groups in the United Kingdom's Bradford highlighted that more than 100,000 Kashmiris have lost their lives over the past 78 years as a result of Pakistan-backed proxy conflict and terrorism. Pakistan's annual effort on Thursday to present itself as a champion of Kashmir faced international backlash after Kashmiris and Pakistani dissidents across Europe condemned Islamabad's so-called "Solidarity Day" as a propaganda campaign intended to conceal decades of "violence, repression, and demographic manipulation". "From the United Kingdom to Belgium, protesters rejected Pakistan's narrative, accusing Islamabad of waging a prolonged proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir, suppressing political rights in territories under its control, and exporting disinformation abroad while denying basic freedoms at home," a NDTV report detailed. "The most visible demonstration took place outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford, where residents from Jammu and Kashmir, under the banner of the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP), staged a large and vocal protest. Demonstrators dismissed the observance as 'fraudulent solidarity', raising slogans such as 'Our State is Ours Occupation is Unacceptable', 'Stop Land Grabbing', and 'End State Terrorism'," it added. Another report by the US-based media group Global Strat View mentioned that residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) marked February 5th as a day to expose what they described as "Pakistani hypocrisy and crimes" against the people of PoGB and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK). Rather than focusing on Kashmir, it said, Pakistan should address the needs of its own inhabitants, who are struggling with poverty and unemployment. The report noted that Pakistan has deprived the people of PoGB of basic constitutional rights, with its law enforcement and Pakistani army accused of "participating in the genocide of local Shias and handing their ancestral lands to Pakistani settlers to reduce the Shia population to a minority". Highlighting the atrocities by Pakistani forces, it further said, "Instead of apologising to the people of POJK, who recently buried 13 loved ones killed by Punjab police and rangers, Pakistani occupiers have the audacity to claim a stake in Indian Kashmir and express solidarity with its people, who, contrary to myths, live as equal Indian citizens with constitutional rights and political representation at all levels." "While the people of POJK lack bare essentials such as food, electricity, medicine, potable water, and sanitation facilities, the Indian Kashmiris benefit from the latest world-class infrastructure and sustained socioeconomic progress," the report added. Jammu, Feb 6 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday visited the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir and paid tributes to martyred police personnel, besides handing over compassionate appointment letters to the next of kin of police martyrs. Addressing Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at the international border outposts in Kathua district, the Union Home Minister emphasised the need to strengthen border security through modern tools, while underlining that constant vigilance by frontline personnel remains crucial. "Emerging challenges driven by advanced technology must be countered with equally advanced technological solutions," HM Shah said. He also lauded the role of the armed forces during Operation Sindoor, during which the Jammu frontier destroyed 118 enemy posts and three terror launch pads across the border. He said the government and the BSF share the common objective of keeping the country's borders secure, adding that the challenges faced earlier were completely different from those being faced today. "The challenges we faced at the borders some years ago are completely different from the challenges we face today. Your dedication to remaining constantly vigilant on the frontlines is extremely important. "However, as challenges are emerging through advanced technology, we must also find technological solutions to counter them," the Home Minister said. He was accompanied by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Kumar Deka and BSF Director General Praveen Kumar during his visit to the border outposts of Gurnam and Bobiyian in the Hiranagar sector. His visit comes amid heightened focus on border management to prevent infiltration by terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics, and stepped-up anti-terror operations that have left four hardcore Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) dead in nearly a dozen encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts over the past two weeks. Earlier in the day, Home Minister Shah paid tributes to martyred police personnel in Jammu. He met the families of the martyrs at Lok Bhawan and handed over compassionate appointment letters. The Home Minister is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. He is scheduled to review developmental projects on Saturday and e-inaugurate several projects during his stay in Jammu. Patna, Feb 6 : A tragic accident occurred on Friday in Dumaria village under the Gopalpur police station area of Gopalganj district, where an out-of-control school bus rammed into a roadside hut, killing two children on the spot. The deceased have been identified as four-year-old Arish, son of Zahiruddin, and two-and-a-half-year-old Imtiaz, son of Mumtaz. Both children were cousins and were sleeping inside the hut when the accident took place. According to preliminary information, a private school bus from Jamunha in the Kateya police station area had been parked near the driveras house. The bus driver, Abbas, reportedly went inside to eat after parking the vehicle. During his absence, his elder brother Safaruddin took the keys and attempted to drive the bus. He lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and crashed directly into the makeshift hut, destroying it. A pregnant woman, Arishas mother, who was inside the hut at the time, sustained serious injuries and was immediately rushed to a local hospital. She is currently undergoing treatment under medical supervision. She was reportedly due to give birth within the next few days. Police reached the spot soon after receiving information and took possession of the bodies, which were sent to the Sadar Hospital in Gopalganj for post-mortem examination. The accused driver has been detained, and an investigation has been initiated to determine negligence and responsibility in the incident. Officials confirmed that all 20 schoolchildren present on the bus at the time were unharmed. The incident has cast a pall of gloom over Dumaria village. Both victims belonged to poor labourer families. Arish was the only brother among four sisters, while Intaj was the elder of two brothers. Villagers have demanded strict action against those responsible and adequate compensation for the grieving families. The tragic loss has left the entire community in shock, with residents mourning the untimely deaths of the two children and questioning the negligence that led to the disaster. Kuala Lumpur, Feb 6 : Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Malaysia, ASEAN India Economic Council Chairman and veteran Malaysian entrepreneur Dato Ramesh Kodammal said it comes at a crucial moment for deepening bilateral ties. Kuala Lumpur, Feb 6 (IANS) Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modias two-day visit to Malaysia, ASEAN India Economic Council Chairman and veteran Malaysian entrepreneur Dato Ramesh Kodammal said it comes at a crucial moment for deepening bilateral ties. Highlighting Malaysiaas strategic role within ASEAN and the growing Indian diaspora, Kodammal described the visit as a long-overdue opportunity to elevate bilateral relations, expand trade cooperation, and strengthen engagement in emerging sectors such as digitisation, artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing. Here is the full interview: IANS: How do you see PM Modi's visit to Malaysia? Kodammal: The Government of Malaysia and the people of Malaysia are wholeheartedly welcoming Prime Minister Modi. It is a long-overdue visit to Malaysia, and I believe many people are eagerly waiting to meet him, see him, and hear him. This visit is a great opportunity for Malaysiaa"India relations to move to greater heights. Prime Minister Modi and the Government of India have shifted their policy from Look East to Act East. The Act East Policy refers to ASEAN countries, and Malaysia is a key hub within ASEAN. Malaysia is one of the best countries in the world in terms of the Indian diaspora, which stands at around 2.8 million people. It is the second-largest Indian diaspora after the United States; earlier, Malaysia was number one. If we look at ASEAN as a whole, the Indian diaspora is very large, and we are neighbours. The relationship between ASEAN, Malaysia, and India has existed for a very long time. Malaysiaas relationship with India dates back to the period of independence. India gained independence in 1947, and Malaysia in 1957 - ten years apart, but both were British colonies. Our relationship has remained strong from those early years into the modern era. If we go further back in history, our relationship spans centuries, dating to the time when Indian traders travelled to Malaysia and Malacca. This relationship existed in the past, continues in the present, and will remain strong in the future. IANS: As an entrepreneur, how do you see India and Malaysia's bilateral trade? Kodammal: Indiaa"Malaysia bilateral trade and cooperation have always been strong, and we hope to enhance this relationship further. Indiaa"ASEAN and Indiaa"Malaysia business ties have improved significantly. In 2023a"24, bilateral trade stood at approximately $ 20 billion, and we expect this to grow further. India is now opening up its markets, creating greater opportunities for Malaysia to trade with India. In the early days, Malaysiaas economy was based on commodities and agriculture. Later, we moved into manufacturing, and today we have entered a new era shaped by global geopolitical changes. Malaysia is now one of the key players in digitisation and artificial intelligence, particularly in microchips and semiconductor manufacturing. Malaysia is among the leading countries in this field, and India is moving in the same direction. We can work together to enhance trade in microchips and computer chips, which represent the future for the younger generation. We must plant the seeds now so that we can reap the benefits in the coming decades. What comes next remains to be seen, but together, we can move forward. IANS: As an Indian, how proud are you of the Prime Minister Modi's visit to Malaysia? Kodammal: It is a matter of great happiness that Modi ji is coming. All of us here in Malaysia, the Indian diaspora, are very happy and eager to see him. After his visit, we hope to see how Malaysia and India can move forward together. I think Honourable Modias visit this time is very special. I met him earlier in 2015, and now he is coming again after 10a"11 years. Many cultural programmes have been organised for his visit. I think around 15,000 to 20,000 people will go to meet Modi ji, though if we had a little more time, we would have been even happier. The Indian diaspora in Malaysia is around 2.8 million, and this is a great opportunity for Malaysian Indians to see the Indian Prime Minister after such a long time. TEHRAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff met Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, following talks earlier in the day between Iran's foreign minister and his Omani counterpart, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported on Friday. The report also said the United States has stepped up the release of military-related information through the media, which it described as part of a strategy of "negotiations under the shadow of military threats" aimed at shaping public opinion and exerting pressure. It added that Iranian military and political officials have repeatedly said the country remains fully prepared to respond to any military developments and would react decisively if necessary. Hyderabad, Feb 6 : App-based transport workers across the country associated with Ola, Uber, Rapido, Porter and other app-based ride-hailing platforms will observe "breakdown" on Saturday against falling incomes and "worsening exploitation". Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) and Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers (IFAT) have called the All-India 'breakdown'. They said on Friday that the 'breakdown' has been called to protest against falling incomes and 'worsening exploitation' due to the failure of governments to notify minimum base fares under the Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. Shaik Salahuddin, TGPWU founder President and IFAT co-founder and National General Secretary, said that despite the guidelines, aggregator companies continue to unilaterally fix fares, pushing workers into unsustainable working conditions. The key demands of the unions include immediate notification of minimum base fares for app-based transport services in consultation with recognised worker unions, as mandated under the Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. They are also demanding strict prohibition of private (non-commercial) vehicles being used for commercial passenger and goods transport, or mandatory conversion to commercial category vehicles as per the Motor Vehicles Act and Aggregator Guidelines, 2025. TGPWU and IFAT have urged the Central and state governments to initiate immediate dialogue with worker representatives and ensure fair, lawful, and sustainable regulation of the app-based transport sector. Salahuddin told IANS that auto-rickshaw and cab drivers of Ola, Uber, Porter and other platforms will participate in the strike by either cancelling ride requests or switch off their ride-hailing apps altogether. According to TGPWU founder President, Telangana alone has about 2.5 lakh autorickshaw drivers, 1.5 lakh cab drivers and about 50,000 Porter drivers. TGPWU had earlier sent a letter to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and other officials, informing them about the decision to observe All-India 'breakdown'. It demanded immediate notification of minimum bus fares by the Central and state government for app-based transport services (autos, cabs, bike taxis, and other aggregator-based services) to be finalised in consultation with recognised driver and worker unions. Washington, Feb 6 : China has lost its influence over two strategic ports in Panama this year, a report stated while highlighting what it said appears like a bad start to the year for the Chinese Communist Party in Latin America. "Whatas more, the Cuban dictatorship began to crumble, and Latin America is generally slamming the door on buying military equipment from Beijing," Arturo McFields, an exiled journalist and former Nicaraguan Ambassador to the Organisation of American States, wrote in leading US political website 'The Hill'. Last month, the Panama's Supreme Court declared the concessions allowing Hong Kongas CK Hutchinson Holdings to operate the Balboa and San Cristobal ports as unconstitutional. This is not only a court's verdict but a devastating defeat for China and a win for the Donald Trump administration in Latin America, McFields stated. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said, "The United States is encouraged by the recent Panamanian Supreme Courtas decision to rule port concessions to China unconstitutional." Arturo McFields detailed that, since the first day in office, US President Donald Trump had insisted that recovering Panama Canal from Chinese influence is one of his objectives. In February last year, Panama announced its withdrawal from Chinaas controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China has also faced setback in Cuba. For the past 20 years, Cuba has remained a key partner of China, particularly in the installation and renovation of espionage bases. However, this is coming to an end as the US has termed Cuba an "unusual and extraordinary threat", ending its oil subsidies from Venezuela and forcing it to negotiate. Trump believes he has strong chances to reach a deal for change, which would mark another defeat for China, according to piece in 'The Hill'. McFields mentioned that, two months back, China faced a defeat in the military sphere in Argentina as the South American nation refused to buy JF-17 fighter jet and instead decided to purchase 24 F-16s from Denmark, with US authorisation. Uruguay and Paraguay have also started relying on US military equipment. China also faced setback in Peru as the US has expressed intention in designating Peru as a major non-NATO ally, a transcendental stance on security and defence. The CIA returned to Venezuela in January with Director John Ratcliffe visiting Carascas and Deputy Director Michael Ellis attending a meeting with the Brazilian Federal Police in Venezuela. China, wrote McFields in 'The Hill', is losing leverage in promoting its debt trap and will no longer be able to follow its Africa playbook in Latin America. Bolivia has once again prioritised its ties with the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-American Development Bank. Furthermore, Argentina signed a USD 20 billion agreement with the IMF and Ecuador continues to have an extended USD 5 billion programme. "Letas be clear, China has not lost all its power and influence in Latin America, but the new US National Security Strategy, and in particular the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine ('Donroe'), is slowing down and reversing Beijingas advance in the region," wrote McFields. Jaipur, Feb 6 : Bollywood actor Salman Khan has received interim relief from the (Rajasthan) State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which on Friday stayed the issuance of an arrest warrant against him until a previously issued bailable warrant is duly served. The order was passed while hearing a revision petition filed by Rajshree Pan Masala and Salman Khan, challenging proceedings initiated by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Jaipur II. During the hearing, Salman Khan's counsel argued that the district commission had issued a bailable warrant without first issuing a summons and was now moving towards issuing an arrest warrant. Taking note of this, the State Consumer Commission directed the district commission not to issue any arrest warrant until the bailable warrant is properly served. Counsel for Rajshree Pan Masala and Salman Khan further submitted that no contempt of court had been committed. They stated that the district commission had earlier directed that no promotion or advertising be carried out until a reply was filed, and that the reply was submitted on January 15. The defence also argued that Salman Khan is not endorsing pan masala, but is instead appearing in an advertisement for silver-coated cardamom, which does not violate the commission's interim order. An application seeking cancellation of the bailable warrant is currently pending before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The State Commission directed that this application be heard and decided at the earliest. Salman Khan was scheduled to appear before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Jaipur II, after its chairman, Gyarsilal Meena, issued a bailable warrant on Friday while hearing a contempt petition filed by complainant Yogendra Singh. The contempt petition alleged that despite an interim stay order issued on January 6, 2026, prohibiting promotion and advertising, Rajshree Pan Masala and its brand ambassador Salman Khan continued to run allegedly misleading advertisements for "saffron-infused cardamom" and "saffron-infused pan masala". The complainant further claimed that a signboard carrying the advertisement was installed on January 9 near Nayapura Stadium in Kota, in violation of the commission's directions. Gandhinagar, Feb 6 : As board examinations draw closer, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday urged students to treat exams as a measure of their preparation rather than a defining test of life, emphasising mental balance and disciplined routines. He was addressing students during the broadcast of the ninth edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nationwide interaction programme "Pariksha Pe Charcha" at Anand Niketan School in Gandhinagar. Speaking to students appearing for the Class 10 and 12 board examinations, Patel said, "Examinations are not the test of life. They are a reflection of your hard work and a platform to transform stress into success." He encouraged students to move ahead with confidence and composure, adding, "By maintaining balance in life and without falling into depression, any situation can be faced with a healthy mind." Highlighting concerns over rising screen dependence, the Chief Minister advised students to regulate their digital habits. "Just as you fix time for studies, reading and sports, you should also decide a specific time for using mobile phones and watching television," he said, cautioning students against developing excessive reliance on mobile devices. PM Modi said Pariksha Pe Charcha was initiated to reduce fear related to examinations and failure. "Students should approach exams with confidence and without pressure," he said, while urging them to place national interest first and fulfil their responsibilities as future citizens in pursuit of the goal of a developed India by 2047. He noted that the initiative, now in its ninth edition, had become a widely followed motivational platform for students before annual and board examinations. Chief Minister Patel said the Prime Minister's consistent engagement with students was unique. "The Prime Minister personally interacting with students every year before examinations to motivate them towards better performance is a matter of pride," he said. Education Minister Pradyuman Vaja said the programme was launched to nurture values, understanding and good conduct among students. "Through direct interaction with the Prime Minister, students are learning to adopt studies in a stress-free and pressure-free environment," he said. He added that education should not be confined to examinations alone. "Education teaches the art of living. Examinations are not the final goal, and students should appear for them with confidence in a positive atmosphere," he said. Vaja also appealed to parents to engage sensitively with their children. "Parents should support students with understanding, while students should see examinations as an opportunity," he said. New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested proclaimed offender Renu Saxena on February 6, 2026, in connection with a major bank fraud case registered in 2012 involving Punjab and Sind Bank, Meerut branch. The CBI had registered the case on March 30, 2012, against then branch manager DP Singh and forty-six others, a press release said. The accused persons allegedly sanctioned and disbursed twenty-four housing loans and two overdrafts against property loans totalling approximately Rs 3.63 crore. These loans were approved on the basis of fake and fabricated identities and income proofs submitted by borrowers and guarantors. Renu Saxena was named as one of the accused in the case. Investigations showed that she, along with her husband Bhudev Singh, executed a false sale deed in the fictitious name of Maya Devi for a property in Meerut. Using these forged documents, a housing loan of Rs 14 lakh was sanctioned in favour of the fictitious beneficiary on March 29, 2011, said the release. The CBI filed a chargesheet on November 26, 2014, against DP Singh, Renu Saxena, and others. When summoned by the court, Renu Saxena failed to appear. The competent court issued a standing warrant against her on May 11, 2017, and subsequently declared her a proclaimed offender. Over the years, the agency made coordinated efforts to trace her whereabouts. Recent intelligence indicated that she was residing in Meerut itself. Acting on this information, CBI conducted a meticulous operation on February 6, 2026, and successfully apprehended her. Following her arrest, Renu Saxena was produced before the competent court, which remanded her to judicial custody. The case highlights a pattern of collusion between bank officials and private individuals to siphon off public sector bank funds through fraudulent loan disbursals backed by forged documents. The arrest of the long-absconding accused is seen as a significant breakthrough in the fourteen-year-old investigation, which had involved multiple layers of forgery and conspiracy to defraud the bank. CBI officials stated that further investigation into the larger conspiracy and recovery of misappropriated funds will continue. Guwahati, Feb 6 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Friday, ramped up his attack on the Congress, asserting that the party must clearly state whether it stands with the indigenous Assamese people or with illegal migrants, whom he described as "Miya", a term he said referred to the Muslim population who have crossed over from Bangladesh into the state. Speaking to reporters after attending a programme in Dergaon, Chief Minister Sarma said the debate over illegal migration and identity in Assam could no longer be brushed aside and warned that political ambiguity on the issue could fuel unrest. "The Congress must make its position unambiguous. They should say clearly whether they stand with Assamese society or with illegal settlers," the Chief Minister said. Raising an alarm over what he described as rapid demographic shifts, Chief Minister Sarma claimed that illegal settlers, once largely concentrated in districts such as Barpeta and Dhubri, have now spread to Upper Assam, including areas like Duliajan and Margherita. He alleged that nearly 10 lakh acres of land across the state have been encroached upon, posing a serious threat to the land rights and future of indigenous communities. The Chief Minister also flagged concerns about encroachment in culturally sensitive regions, including Batadrava, calling it a direct challenge to Assam's heritage and social harmony. "This is not just about politics. It is about land, identity and the survival of Assamese people," CM Sarma asserted. With upcoming Assembly elections approaching closer, CM Sarma said the Congress would be forced to take a clear stand on the issue. He alleged that senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi was being advised by social activist Harsh Mander and advocate Aman Wadud, and accused them of shaping narratives that undermine Assamese identity. Chief Minister Sarma also claimed that a book authored by Abdul Muhib Mazumder and allegedly edited by Aman Wadud propagated the view that Assamese people arrived in Assam later, while migrants settled earlier -- a claim the Chief Minister said was historically misleading and politically dangerous. He identified Wadud as the Chairperson of the Congress' social media cell in Assam. Reiterating his government's position, CM Sarma said the BJP-led administration would continue to speak openly on the issue and take firm steps to protect Assam's demographic balance. "Our responsibility is to ensure peace, security and justice for all, but without compromising the rights of indigenous Assamese communities," he added. The Chief Minister said that addressing illegal migration and land encroachment was essential to safeguarding Assam's long-term stability and social harmony. Amaravati, Feb 6 : Andhra Pradesh forest officials on Friday successfully captured a tiger, which was moving around human habitations near Rajahmundry in East Godavari district for the last six days, bringing relief to the area's people who had been living in fear. After strenuous efforts involving expert teams from Pune and Delhi, the forest officials succeeded in capturing the big cat in Kurmapuram village in Rayavaram mandal of East Godavari. The officials fired a tranquiliser to capture the big cat near a lake. Earlier, a forest team had spotted the tiger in the backyard of a deserted house near the village and launched an operation. District Forest Officer B. Prabhakara Rao said that due to the commotion by the surrounding people, the big cat got frightened, ran into the nearby fields and entered a cattle shed. Though there were two buffaloes in the cattle shed, the tiger did not harm them. The forest officials reportedly fired three tranquilliser shots, and one of them hit the tiger. It then ran towards a nearby lake, where it was finally captured. The officials were making arrangements to shift the tiger to Visakhapatnam Zoo. The officials had requested people in one kilometer radius to remain indoors. Since the tiger's nature is very sensitive, people were requested not to create any obstacles to its movements. Following this, the team executed the operation successfully. Police provided full cooperation to the Forest Department for this operation. Officials stated that the tiger had only attacked cattle and there have been no attacks on humans. The big cat killed eight cattle during the last six days in areas surrounding Rajahmundry town, triggering panic among people and prompting the Forest Department to launch a massive operation. Specialised teams of forest officials conducted extensive searches around villages where the tiger attacked the cattle. Authorities had installed 25 trap cameras along potential tiger routes, cattle attack zones, and water sources to track the tigeras movements. The expert committee, constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), took the decision to tranquilise the tiger to prevent further incidents. The Pune-based expert team from RESQ Trust had joined the NTCA-designated experts to monitor the movements of the tiger. Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (HyTICOS), which undertook tiger rescue operations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the past, was also roped in for the exercise. The tiger is believed to be native to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, and it entered the region after crossing Telangana and Chhattisgarh. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, on Friday, expressed sorrow over the death of a young biker after falling into a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) pit in Janakpuri and hit out at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, including former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, for doing politics over the tragedy. Sachdeva condemned the irresponsible statements made by AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Saurabh Bharadwaj regarding this accident, saying that their conduct over the tragic death of a youth is akin to that of political vultures. He said that if Kejriwal and Bharadwaj have the courage, they should answer for the nearly 100 deaths that occurred during the monsoon month alone in 2024, the final year of the previous AAP-led Delhi government, due to electrocution or drowning caused by waterlogging. Sachdeva added that the Delhi BJP stands with the family of the deceased youth, and that Palam BJP MLA Kuldeep Solanki remained in constant contact with the family, ensured all possible care during the youth's treatment, and also participated in his cremation. He said that as far as the accident is concerned, following the death of a youth in Noida recently, the Delhi government had been very alert, and on January 24, the DJB had issued a circular directing that proper barricades must be installed at every excavation site. "The circular clearly said that in the event of any accident, the project in-charge engineer and the contractor would be held responsible," Sachdeva added. The Delhi BJP President said that immediately after receiving information about the accident, Janakpuri MLA and Delhi Home Minister Ashish Sood, and Delhi Jal Board Minister Parvesh Verma visited the spot and ordered a thorough investigation into the barricading. "It is certain that if any human error is found, the concerned person -- no matter how senior the position -- will not be spared and will be punished as per rules," he added. In a separate development, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra said that this year's Union Budget has been presented with a focus on the continuous growth of the national economy and the progress and equal rights of all four sections of society -- youth, women, the poor, and farmers. "It is a matter of good fortune for Delhi that provisions have been made for the Delhia"Varanasi high-speed railway corridor," he added. "A budget of Rs 3.21 lakh crore has been allocated for road transport infrastructure, a substantial portion of which will be spent on reducing traffic congestion on Delhi's roads," Malhotra said. Preparations have also been completed to lay a network of roads such as the Delhia"Mumbai Expressway and the Delhia"Katra Expressway, he added. Under the Delhi Decongestion Plan, a budget of Rs 24,000 crore has been earmarked, which includes approval for a tunnel near Shivmurti for vehicles entering Delhi from Gurugram. Arrangements have also been made to connect traffic coming from Katra to Delhi via the airport. Bhopal, Feb 6 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's annual interaction with students ahead of board examinations, 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', broadcast on Friday, witnessed extensive participation from students, parents, teachers and government officials across Madhya Pradesh. Governor Mangubhai Patel watched the broadcast with school students at Lok Bhavan here and said that 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' is not limited to examination preparation but also teaches the management of exam-related stress through positive thinking and self-confidence. The Director of the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in the state School Education Department said the programme was organised across Madhya Pradesh and students participated enthusiastically in the live broadcast. "In addition to television telecasts in schools, facilities were also provided to view the programme on internet-enabled devices such as computers and laptops," he added. Students watched the broadcast live in their respective schools in different parts of the state and said that the inspirational mantras given by Prime Minister Modi would prove extremely helpful in their upcoming board examinations. Several students told IANS that the fear, stress and confusion they had about the exams had largely been alleviated by the Prime Minister's guidance. Ambika Singh, a student of Gyanodya Higher Secondary School in Shahdol district, said that the inspiring mantras from the Prime Minister would serve as a guide not only during examinations but also in life. Samay Pandey, another student from a government-run school in Shahdol, said, "The Prime Minister gave many suggestions on how to prepare for exams without taking stress. I have heard that he has suggested some books and AI. I will read those books. My annual exams are scheduled in March and I believe that PM Modi's tips will help a lot." Another Class 12 student, Ambika Singh, said the Prime Minister laid special emphasis on time management during exam preparation. "Among various suggestions, PM Modi said that students should not worry about marks but focus on knowledge, and this message struck me the most. The way he interacted with students was amazing," she said. It may be noted that the next broadcast of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' will be held on February 9, during which Prime Minister Modi will interact with students from various parts of the country. The programme will be broadcast on multiple media platforms from 10 am onwards, according to the state government. Shillong, Feb 6 : The death toll in the coal mine explosion at Mynsyngat in the Thangsko area of Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district rose to 25 on Friday as search and rescue operations continued, officials said. Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills district, Vikash Kumar said, "During the ongoing operation, rescue teams recovered four more bodies from inside the mine. In a further setback, one injured person who was undergoing treatment at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong, succumbed to his injuries." Officials also confirmed that two other persons, who had sustained serious injuries in the explosion and the subsequent fire at the illegal mine, later died while undergoing treatment. Their bodies were brought by family members to Civil Hospital, Khliehriat, and Civil Hospital, Jowai, respectively. With these latest fatalities, the total number of deaths in the incident has risen to 25. Of the recovered deceased, 17 bodies have been identified so far and handed over to their relatives after completion of all necessary legal and medico-legal formalities, officials added. Meanwhile, in connection with the incident, police have registered a suo motu FIR at Khliehriat Police Station under Case No. 14/2026 under Sections 105, 118(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with Sections 21 and 21(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act. So far, two accused have been arrested in the case. They have been identified as Forme Chyrmang (36), son of late Kom Dkhar, a resident of Jalaphet Pordung, and Shamehi War (42), son of Wiseman Syrti, a resident of Sutnga Pohwailong, both from East Jaintia Hills district. Both were produced before a competent court and remanded to three days of police custody for further interrogation. Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend other persons involved in the illegal mining operation. Search, investigation and other legal proceedings are continuing, while district authorities and police remain on high alert in the area. The incident has once again highlighted the dangers associated with illegal coal mining in the district, where such activities continue despite a long-standing ban. KABUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Three people, all women from the same family, were killed and another was injured after a gas cylinder exploded inside a house in eastern Afghanistan's Khost province on Thursday evening, provincial police spokesman Tahir Ehrar said Friday. The ill-fated family was using a gas heater to warm their house in the chilly winter weather, but the cylinder of the heater exploded due to gas leakage, causing the fatalities, the official added. A male member of the affected family who was badly injured has been taken to the hospital, the official added. People in post-war Afghanistan, where there is no modern heating system, often use gas cylinders or wooden stoves to keep their houses warm during freezing winters, but deadly accidents sometimes occur due to gas leakage and explosion. Several weeks ago, a gas cylinder blast left two women dead and injured two children in Spin Ghar district of eastern Nangarhar province. Ahmedabad, Feb 6 : A 21-year-old student taking part in a National Service Scheme (NSS) camp at Gujarat University was discovered dead in a university guest house on Friday, police said. The deceased, Maheshwari Khachar, was a third-year student at L D Arts College. She hailed from Botad and was living in Ahmedabad's Ranip area. Khachar had been staying at the university guest house opposite the NRI hostel for the duration of the NSS camp. According to authorities, Khachar had been an active NSS volunteer and was recently promoted to senior volunteer for her contributions. Today, she had attended programmes at Shyam Prasad Mukherjee Hall and was scheduled to go to the airport around 5 pm to receive visitors from Kolkata for an NSS-related event. However, she left the campus around 3.30 pm and did not return. A professor sent another student to check on her at the guest house, where she was found hanging near a window in her room. The student immediately alerted other students and staff. University officials contacted the police and emergency services. A 108 ambulance and personnel from the Gujarat University Police Station arrived promptly, but Khachar was pronounced dead at the scene. The police have registered a case of accidental death, and further proceedings have begun. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team visited the guest house to collect evidence. No suicide note has been found. "Officials are still investigating the circumstances behind this tragic incident. Her mobile phone and personal belongings are being examined to determine what led to her death," a police official said. Police are recording statements from students, faculty, and family members. University authorities have arranged counselling for students affected by the incident. The NSS camp, organised by Gujarat University, brings together students from across the state to promote social service, cultural exchange, and national unity. University officials and NSS coordinators expressed condolences to Khachar's family and reaffirmed support for students in the wake of the tragedy. Authorities said all aspects, including personal and social pressures, are being investigated to understand the reasons behind the incident. Patna, Feb 6 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted Md Fasi Uddin, a resident of Hyderabad, in connection with the seizure of high-quality Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in Bihar, exposing a transnational counterfeit currency racket operating through Pakistan and Nepal. Md Fasi Uddin is the fifth accused to be charged in the 2024 case involving the recovery of fake currency from Banjariya in Champaran district. According to the NIA, he was an active member of an international network engaged in undermining Indiaas economic security through the procurement, smuggling and circulation of counterfeit currency. Investigations revealed that Fasi Uddin, who was arrested in August 2025, played a key role in transferring proceeds of crime to a Pakistan-based handler. He allegedly made payments to a Pakistani national using cryptocurrency. The NIA further found that he had accompanied a previously chargesheeted accused, Md Nazar Saddam, to Raxaul and Nepal, facilitating the smuggling of fake currency across the Indo-Nepal border. Md Fasi Uddin has been chargesheeted under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The supplementary chargesheet was filed before the NIA Special Court, Patna, following an extensive investigation. Earlier, in August 2025, the NIA had chargesheeted Md Nazar Saddam, Md Waris, Md Zakir Hushain and Muzaffar Ahmad Wani alias Sarfaraz. The case was initially registered by the Bihar Police after the recovery of FICN with a face value of approximately Rs 2 lakh in September 2024. Zakir, Nazar and Waris were arrested by Banjariya police at the time of the seizure, while Sarfaraz was apprehended a few days later. Another accused, Rajesh Sahani, was also named in the original FIR. The NIA took over the case in December 2024 and continues to investigate the involvement of Pakistan-based entities and their Nepal links to dismantle the larger fake currency smuggling conspiracy. Imphal, Feb 6 : Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Friday appealed to all sections of society to maintain peace and calm and refrain from any form of violence amid protests in Kuki-Zo tribal inhabited districts of the state. Several Kuki-Zo organisations have been staging protests in Churachandpur and other hill districts against the participation and involvement of MLAs from their community in the formation of the state government. The Chief Minister appealed after chairing a Cabinet meeting at the Civil Secretariat here to review the prevailing situation, particularly in Churachandpur district. Taking to social media platform X, CM Singh said: "Chaired a review meeting with Hon'ble Ministers and senior officials at my Secretariat to take stock of the prevailing situation and to take necessary decisions for containing the unrest. I earnestly appeal to everyone to remain calm and act in accordance with the Constitution." Normal life in Churachandpur district was severely affected on Friday as several tribal organisations observed a 24-hour total shutdown in protest against the involvement of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the government formation process, officials said. Protest rallies were also organised in Tengnoupal and other mountainous districts of the state. A police official in Imphal said that agitators, some holding sticks, stopped vehicles at several locations in the Churachandpur district headquarters town. Government and private offices, shops, markets, banks, and educational institutions remained closed, while vehicular movement was largely suspended. The shutdown was called by the Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR), Joint Forum of Seven (JF7), and a few other Kuki-Zo tribal organisations. The situation remained tense, prompting the deployment of a large contingent of additional security forces across Churachandpur and other hill districts. The KSO and KWOHR also organised a mass protest rally on Friday afternoon opposing the participation of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the government formation process. On Thursday, clashes erupted between a mob and security forces at the Tuibong Bazaar and Forest Gate areas, forcing security personnel to resort to baton charges and fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. At least five people were injured in the clashes. Additional security forces were deployed in the affected areas to prevent further escalation, while intermittent clashes continued till around 3 a.m. on Friday. Senior security officials rushed to the area to oversee efforts to restore normalcy, the official added. Tensions have been simmering in Churachandpur district since Wednesday evening (February 4) after Nemcha Kipgen, who hails from Kangpokpi district, virtually took oath as Deputy Chief Minister from Manipur Bhavan in New Delhi. Kipgen is the lone woman minister in the Yumnam Khemchand Singh-led Cabinet, which assumed office on Wednesday. So far, three of the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs -- Nemcha Kipgen, L.M. Khaute and Ngursanglur Sanate -- have been involved in the government formation process. Of the ten Kuki-Zo MLAs, seven belong to the BJP, while the remaining three are affiliated with local Kuki-Zo organisations. Kipgen, Khaute and Sanate also virtually attended the seventh session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on Thursday. --IANS sc/dan -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bhopal, Feb 6 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday that it has provisionally attached properties of former Divisional Engineer of Western Railways late Ved Prakash Srivastava and his wife Vibha Srivastava under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED said the properties provisionally attached includes two residential plots in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh and 22 other immovable properties and fixed deposits and bank balance, totalling more than Rs 1.58 crore. The central probe agency said that action was taken following an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Ved Prakash Srivastava, the then Divisional Engineer of the Western Railways' Rajkot Division, for acquiring disproportionate assets using his official position. The ED said the investigation revealed that the unaccounted cash generated from corrupt activities was first retained and used outside the banking system for day-to-day expenses, as reflected by minimal cash withdrawal from bank accounts. "Thereafter, portion of the Proceeds of the Crime were deposited into large number of bank accounts held in the names of family members, thereby diffusing the money trail. These funds subsequently converted into fixed deposits, investments and used for the acquisition of immovable properties, including residential plots, in the names of family members who had no independent source of income," the ED said in statement. After filing an FIR in 2018, the CBI had conducted searches at the residence of Ved Prakash Srivastava in Jabalpur for allegedly possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. Before being transferred to Rajkot in December 2017, Srivastava, a native of Jabalpur, was posted as executive engineer (construction) in Mumbai. The CBI had then also made Ved Prakash Srivastava's wife Vibha Srivastava a co-accused, and a charge sheet was filed before the special CBI court in Jabalpur in May 2023. Gandhinagar, Feb 6 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel attended the sixth day of the country's first "Prakruti Prem Bhagwat Katha-Gyan Yagna Mahotsav" on Friday in Gandhinagar. He was joined by devotees for spiritual discourses and performing the aarti at the Vyaspeeth. The week-long festival, starting from February 1 to 7, is organised in collaboration with the Nature First Foundation to raise environmental awareness and promote harmony with nature. The event takes place entirely outdoors in a grove of trees in Sector-6, without any traditional mandap or pandal, reflecting its theme of living in balance with the natural world. Renowned Bhagwat Katha narrator Pujya Bhaishri Ramesh Oza served as the principal speaker, delivering spiritual discourses from the Vyaspeeth. Organisers said the festival aims to instil respect for the environment and safeguard future generations from natural disasters through spiritual teachings. Chief Minister Patel was also joined by the Chief Trustee of Nature First Trust, Naran Patel, former Minister Mahendra Trivedi, Padma Shri Jagdish Trivedi, MLA Rita Patel, Standing Committee Chairman Gaurang Vyas, City BJP President Ashish Dave, former Mayor Hitesh Makwana, and a large number of devotees. Organisers described the initiative as a novel effort to nurture and preserve Mother Nature, regarded as the source of all living beings and the five elements of the universe. Conducting the Katha without a traditional structure in a natural setting is intended to demonstrate sustainable practices. The Mahotsav is the first of its kind in Gandhinagar. The event showcased the very essence of nature. By integrating lessons from the Bhagwat Katha with ecological awareness, the event provides a platform for devotees to reflect on their relationship with nature. Patelas participation on the sixth day highlighted the governmentas support for initiatives promoting environmental consciousness alongside cultural and spiritual values, reiterating Gandhinagaras role as a city committed to sustainable development. -- Syndicated from IANS Hyderabad, Feb 6 : Jana Sena Party led by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is contesting 336 seats in next week's municipal elections in Telangana. Hyderabad, Feb 6 (IANS) Jana Sena Party led by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan is contesting 336 seats in next weekas municipal elections in Telangana. Jana Sena on Friday said in a statement that it has fielded 336 candidates and their nominations have been accepted by returning officers. Jana Sena candidates are contesting the polls on the partyas symbol glass tumbler. The party is contesting 336 wards in 11 districts. The maximum number of candidates fielded by it is 48 in Nizamabad district, followed by 46 in Nalgonda, 44 in Mahabubnagar and 39 in Adilabad. Elections for 116 municipalities and seven municipal corporations in Telangana are scheduled on February 11. These urban local bodies have a total of 2,996 wards. Though Jana Sena is a part of the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh, it has no alliance with the BJP for the Telangana municipal polls. The Telangana BJP had already announced that the party will contest the polls on its own. Jana Sena announced two days ago that Pawan Kalyan will campaign for Jana Sena and BJP candidates on February 7 and 8. The party said that the Jana Sena and BJP have fielded their candidates in a friendly environment, keeping in view the interests of Telangana and to strengthen themselves at the grassroots level. The Jana Sena chief will be campaigning in the polls on behalf of the NDA, the party said in a statement. Pawan Kalyanas detailed schedule was to be announced later. However, uncertainty prevails over his visit as there has been no further update from Jana Sena. A total of 12,944 candidates are in fray for the municipal elections. According to the State Election Commission, 14 candidates have been elected unanimously. Twelve candidates from the ruling Congress and two from the main opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have been elected without a contest. Jaipur, Feb 6 : The Special Operations Group (SOG), on Friday, arrested two doctors holding MBBS degrees from abroad for allegedly providing fake Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE) pass certificates, enabling unqualified candidates to obtain medical internships and registrations in Rajasthan. The main accused, Bhanaram Mali alias Bhanu (30), a resident of Jhalawar district and currently residing in Jaipur, was apprehended at Delhi airport on February 2. According to the SOG, Bhanaram had been absconding for months, moving across Thailand, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Kazakhstan and Nepal to evade arrest. Another accused, Indraraj Singh Gurjar (27), a resident of Karauli and currently staying in Dausa, has also been arrested. The arrests were confirmed by ADG (SOG) Vishal Bansal, who said that investigations are ongoing into the role of 73 other doctors, who obtained MBBS degrees from abroad. ADG SOG Bansal said that the SOG had earlier arrested three persons -- Abhayyut Piyush Kumar Dwivedi, Devendra Singh Gurjar, and Shubham Gurjar -- for procuring and using forged FMGE passing certificates. The mastermind, Bhanaram Mali alias Bhanu, had fled abroad soon after, travelling through Thailand, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Kazakhstan, and Nepal to evade arrest. Under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Paris Deshmukh, a team led by Investigating Officer (IO), Harpal Singh, relentlessly tracked the absconding accused. The SOG received intelligence that Bhanaram was returning to India on February 2, 2026. Acting swiftly, the team apprehended Bhanaram at Delhi Airport the same day. He was formally arrested on February 3 and is currently in police custody till February 7. Investigations said that Bhanaram, himself an MBBS graduate from abroad, charged money from several candidates and arranged forged FMGE qualifying certificates to help them secure internship eligibility with the Rajasthan Medical Council (RMC). It has now emerged that around 73 foreign-educated MBBS graduates, who had not cleared the FMGE, were provided similar forged certificates and had applied for internship based on these fake documents. A fresh case was registered on February 4 to probe this wider network. Further inquiry led by IO Jitendra Navariya exposed the role of another accused, Imraj Singh Gurjar, who had obtained a fake FMGE certificate for himself after completing MBBS from Kazakhstan. On the basis of the forged certificate, Imraj Singh Gurjar secured internship at Rajiv Gandhi Medical College in Alwar, and later received provisional registration from RMC. Imraj Singh Gurjar is also accused of helping other candidates obtain fake documents through his links with Bhanaram. He was detained from Dausa and arrested on February 5, and has been remanded to police custody till February 10. The SOG is continuing the investigation into the involvement of all 73 foreign-educated doctors who allegedly benefitted from the fraudulent scheme. The probe into the fake FMGE certification racket is ongoing, and more arrests are likely. New Delhi, Feb 6 : India strongly condemned the deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad on Friday, expressing condolences for the loss of lives while rejecting Pakistan's allegations as "baseless" and a deflection from its internal issues. New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) India strongly condemned the deadly suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad on Friday, expressing condolences for the loss of lives while rejecting Pakistan's allegations as "baseless" and a deflection from its internal issues. Pakistani authorities quickly pointed fingers at external forces. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi suggested the bomber had links to Afghanistan, without providing evidence. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's office echoed similar claims, labelling it part of a series of attacks designed by external forces. In response, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement: "The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier on Friday is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused. It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless." The blast at the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in Islamabad's Tarlai Kalan area killed at least 31 people and injured 169 others during Friday prayers, according to Pakistani officials. Witnesses reported gunfire before the explosion, with a suicide bomber detonating explosives amid a congregation of worshippers. Hospitals in the capital declared emergencies as rescue teams transported the wounded, some in critical condition. Officials, including Pakistan's parliamentary affairs minister Tariq Fazal, visited injured patients at Polyclinic Hospital to assure families of full medical support and facilities. Health authorities emphasized that several victims remained in critical condition, with the possibility of the death toll rising. The coordinated response involved police, rescue services, and security forces sealing the blast site while prioritizing rapid medical aid to minimize further loss of life. No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the attack marks one of the deadliest in Islamabad in recent years, reminiscent of past sectarian violence targeting Shia Muslims. The incident has drawn international condemnation, with calls for thorough investigations. Diplomatic sources indicate no immediate escalation, but it underscores fragile relations in South Asia. Technology Decipher Zone Expands AI Development Services in 2026 with Generative AI and RAG-Based Enterprise Solutions Production-ready AI systems for assistants, enterprise search, document automation, and intelligent workflowsbuilt with security and measurable outcomes As enterprises move beyond experimentation, the biggest AI question in 2026 has shifted from Can we build it? to Can we run it safely in production? Decipher Zone, a custom software development company serving U.S. and global businesses, today announced an expanded focus on production-grade AI developmentincluding Generative AI solutions and RAG-based enterprise systemsdesigned to improve speed, accuracy, and operational efficiency while keeping data secure. The company supports organizations searching for AI development services, generative AI development, enterprise AI solutions, RAG enterprise search, AI chatbots, and intelligent automationespecially for teams that want measurable impact rather than demo-only implementations. AI becomes valuable only when it performs reliably inside real workflows, said Lalit Sharma, CEO of Decipher Zone. Our focus is on building AI systems that are grounded in business knowledge, monitored in production, and designed to reduce riskso clients get outcomes, not experiments. AI solutions Decipher Zone delivers in 2026 Decipher Zone builds AI systems across: Generative AI assistants and copilots for teams and customer workflows RAG-based enterprise search that connects AI to internal documents and knowledge bases Document automation: extraction, summarization, classification, reporting workflows Machine learning for forecasting, anomaly detection, recommendations, and optimization NLP solutions: chat, sentiment, intelligent search, and text understanding Computer vision solutions: inspection, recognition, and video analytics MLOps/LLMOps: deployment pipelines, monitoring, evaluation, drift and cost controls Built for security and enterprise adoption Decipher Zones AI delivery approach emphasizes: Privacy-first handling of customer data Access control and auditability for sensitive information Evaluation frameworks to track quality and reduce hallucination risk Monitoring and continuous optimization after deployment For organizations evaluating an AI development partner in the USA or seeking an offshore AI engineering team, Decipher Zone provides end-to-end deliveryfrom feasibility and data readiness to production deployment and long-term optimization. MUSCAT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said on Friday that the indirect talks between Iran and the United States, mediated by Oman in Muscat, were "very serious" and "useful." In a post on social media platform X, Al Busaidi said the discussions helped clarify each side's position and identify potential areas for progress. He added that the parties "aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington." Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi echoed the sentiment, calling the talks "a good start," with both sides agreeing to continue negotiations in the future, Iran's Fars News Agency reported. The talks came amid heightened regional tensions, especially between Washington and Tehran, featuring a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Iran's stepped-up preparations. KABUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have confiscated a large quantity of illegal weapons and ammunition during a series of clearance operations in northern Afghanistan's Samangan province, the provincial police office said Friday. According to a statement, the operations were carried out based on intelligence reports in several areas of the province. The seized items included one PK machine gun, several heavy weapons, five Kalashnikov rifles, and hundreds of rounds of PK ammunition. Authorities also discovered additional weapons and ammunition in neighboring Sar-e-Pul province, which were later handed over to the state treasury. Security officials reaffirmed their commitment to continuing such operations to curb illegal arms possession and ensure public safety. While Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney shops his country to China and Qatar, Americans should revisit an idea the Founding Fathers first proposed: welcoming Canada into the Union. Donald Trump is not the first president to entertain the idea of Canada joining the United States. That title goes to George Washington. In his 1775 open letter to the Inhabitants of Canada, Washington invited Canadian colonists to support the Revolution against British despotism: Come then, my brethren, unite with us in an indissoluble Union. Later, the Articles of Confederation followed up with a standing invitation for Canadians to join the Union. The Founding Fathers understood that Americas destiny was not solely westward, but northward as well. Canadas incorporation was seen not as conquest, but as completion. As we approach Americas 250th birthday, realizing that unfinished vision has become an imperative, not a curiosity. Bringing Canada into the Union would add trillions of dollars in productive capacity, secure Americas northern frontier, and strengthen its strategic posture. What better legacy for President Trump, a real-estate developer turned president, than acquiring land for this country? However, integrating Canada as one state would be unwise. Trumps talk of a 51st state may entertain some, but it misses the point. Instead, Canada should be integrated into America one province at a time beginning with the Province of Alberta. Albertas vast energy and mineral wealth would immediately strengthen the U.S. economy. Alberta has the world's third largest oil reserve and is estimated to have 166 billion barrels of oil yet untapped. To put this into perspective, at the current crude price of $60 a barrel, the economics of Alberta is a blue-chip investment for America, with meteoric potential, comparable to Nvidia. Presently, even with free trade, the U.S. cannot access Albertan oil because of Canadian regulations, which Alberta has long opposed but is powerless to resist. For example, several pipeline projects (Northern Gateway, Energy East, and Eastern Mainline) have been canceled or delayed by Canadas federal government because progressive voters in Ontario and Quebec did not like them. These decisions denied Albertans high-wage jobs and much needed exports. The first step for President Trump should be to formally invite Alberta, if it votes by referendum, to become a U.S. territory. Canada would not be able to easily block such a referendum due to its existing laws. Washington should move swiftly to admit Alberta as a U.S. territory, with a defined pathway to full statehood. For those curious about Albertas interest in joining the Land of the Free, you should instead ask, what would hold them back? Albertas grievances with Canada are plenty. Alberta is Canadas wealthiest province, yet much of its revenue is constitutionally mandated to be redistributed to other provinces with little political recourse. At the same time, Alberta is deliberately underrepresented in Canadas Parliament due to special laws that entrench apportionment advantages to other provinces. The result is a persistent imbalance: Alberta votes one way, gets governed another way, and there is no institutional mechanism to reconcile the divide. These political frustrations are compounded by regulatory ones. Alberta sits atop world-class energy and mineral deposits, yet faces an ever-tightening regulatory apparatus hostile to development. Recent laws like Bill C-69 have only added new regulatory complexity that effectively makes any new energy investments unprofitable. For America, Albertas value extends well beyond economics. Energy security and critical mineral supply chains now sit at the center of national security planning, particularly as China consolidates 70% of global rare-earth production. Alberta and broader Canada have large reserves of rare earth minerals but is crippled by its own regulators. Albertas resources, workforce, and industrial base would fold naturally into the U.S. economy, preserving American dominance across energy, defense, and technology. Integrating Alberta would not merely add a resource-rich jurisdiction to the American map; it would unplug the energy source of the Canadian federation, knocking down the first domino that would bring the rest of Canada to America. Saskatchewan, with a similar economy and political profile, would likely follow soon after. However, it cannot be overstated that any serious American plan to annex Canada must recognize that Quebec is not part of the plot. Its identity as a French-speaking nation with its own singular laws, culture, and norms deserves respect and separation. With that said, once Alberta joins the United States and Quebec exits the confederation, the backbone of Canada collapses. Smaller provinces would face a stark choice: cling to a diminished federal core or integrate into the American system that already anchors their trade and security. At that point, accepting the life raft from America would merely be recognizing reality. The U.S. does not need to annex Canada in a single stroke. Like a lion devouring a fat gazelle, America should absorb Canada one bite at a time. John Dominguez is an investment banker based in Arlington, VA. DAMASCUS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces have stepped up ground incursions into southern Syria since the beginning of February, affecting civilians and agricultural areas in the provinces of Quneitra and Daraa, Britain-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. According to the Observatory, at least eight Israeli incursions were documented between Feb. 1 and Feb. 5, involving armored vehicles, tanks and temporary military checkpoints set up inside Syrian territory. The operations reportedly included searching civilian homes, brief detentions, leveling farmland, and restricting local movement, particularly affecting farmers, shepherds and residents near the disengagement line. The situation escalated on Feb. 5 with a 16-year-old boy detained in Ruwaihina village, whose fate remained unclear at the time of reporting, the Observatory said. The incursions are continued violation of Syrian sovereignty that have heightened tensions and disrupted daily life for residents in southern Syria, it added. Bronson Farr/Bravo By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/05/2026 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. of Rhode Island finally has a premiere date.Bravo has announced of Rhode Island will premiere Thursday, April 2 at 9PM ET/PT.Beginning Sunday, April 5, the series will move to its regular timeslot on Sundays at 9PM ET/PT on Bravo. Episodes will also be available to stream next day on Peacock.As previously announced in November , of Rhode Island will star The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise alum Ashley Iaconetti The other Housewives joining Ashley will be Alicia Carmody, Jo-Ellen Tiberi, Kelsey Swanson, Liz McGraw, Rosie DiMare, and Rulla Nehme Pontarelli.of New Jersey star Dolores Catania will also appear on the Rhode Island season as "a friend."The ladies will be shown navigating "the murky waters of friendships, feuds and shifting loyalties within Rhode Island's tightly woven social scene," according to Bravo."[Rhode Island] may be America's smallest, but don't be fooled -- the drama is wicked wild," the network shared."In a place where everyone knows everyone and family names carry serious weight, nothing is ever truly forgotten. Friendships are built over decades, loyalties are deeply rooted and secrets are guarded at all costs... until betrayal strikes and the cracks begin to show."Bravo said the show will be defined by evolving relationships and rising tensions.The Housewives will be shown staying in one of Newport's historic and privately-owned mansions, Seaview Terrace, for a glamorous weekend that sets the stage for shake-ups.And later, the cast will visit Block Island, where tensions reach a breaking point."Two couples go head-to-head," Bravo said. "When lines are crossed and truths surface, nothing -- and no one -- is off limits.of Rhode Island is being produced by Evolution Media with Andy Cohen , Bianca Barnes-Williams, Deanna Markoff, David Mills, James Brangert, Jen McClure-Metz, Joseph Ferraro, Lucilla D'Agostino, and Barry Poznick serving as executive producers.Below are new details about of Rhode Island cast released by Bravo.- Alicia CarmodyAlicia Carmody is kick-starting her boss-babe era, pushing her way into her fiance Billy's popular restaurant, Pizza Mamma. A proud self-described "flip-flopper," Alicia might call you a "whor-ah" one minute and pull you into a hug the next.When Alicia opens the vault on her past, she is faced with navigating long-standing relationships and personal growth that leaves one lifelong friend completely blindsided.Fresh from finding her Prince Charming on television, influencer and former The Bachelor personality Ashley Iaconetti quickly learns that life after "I do" isn't as blissful as she imagined.Between raising two young children, adjusting to life in Rhode Island and co-owning a struggling cafe with her husband, The Bachelorette alum Jared Haibon , Ashley's loyalties are tested when Rosie claims she never has her back.- Dolores CataniaFriend and familiar face Dolores Catania leaves the Jersey Shore behind to spend the summer in Rhode Island with her close friend, Liz McGraw.Together, the two embark on a new entrepreneurial venture -- a menopause gummy brand -- while soaking up some sun, fun and a little drama along the way.- Jo-Ellen TiberiJo-Ellen Tiberi may not be known for cooking dinner, but she's never short on spilling tea. When sensitive information involving Rulla's marriage circulates within the group, Jo-Ellen finds herself caught between honesty and discretion.Unresolved issues with her mother resurface, forcing her to confront long-buried childhood wounds and reckon with the personal cost of always being the one who tells it like it is.- Kelsey SwansonKelsey Swanson has lived a charmed life as a beauty queen playing house in a castle owned by her wealthy boyfriend.Now at a crossroads, Kelsey must decide between the comfort of her gilded arrangement and a future on her own terms. When her loyalty to Liz is tested, Kelsey worries about going up against the group's heaviest hitter and losing her greatest cheerleader.- Liz McGrawRhode Island's cannabis queen, Liz McGraw, isn't just running one of the country's most successful dispensaries, she's also the person to know in the smallest state in the union.When she and husband Gerry learn they're about to become grandparents, Liz makes one thing clear -- she will not be trading couture for a rocking chair. As she prepares for a new chapter in her family life, shifting dynamics within her inner circle test her influence and the bonds she's long held close.- Rosie DiMareThe former Rhode Island television news anchor and her husband, Rich, are leveling up, trading their cozy over-the-garage apartment for a sprawling dream home.As Rosie focuses on growing her local lifestyle program, she also faces challenges within her inner circle, leaving her to reassess loyalties and where she truly fits in with this evolving, close-knit group.- Rulla Nehme PontarelliGrounded in tradition and guided by faith, Rulla Nehme Pontarelli puts family above all else. Proud of her Lebanese roots, she brings deeply held values into the group, especially when it comes to marriage.When rumors about her husband begin to circulate, Rulla is forced to confront uncomfortable questions that challenge her beliefs, resilience and commitment, putting her personal life under an unrelenting spotlight. With the focus on short-barreled-everything, we figured it only appropriate to spend a little time talking about the legal process to obtain your very own not-so-long gun. One way is to wait for a regular tax stamp, another is to complete an ATF Form 1 eFile. Despite the undisputed sex appeal of SBRs, the extraneous red tape required to get one is more than a little intimidating at times. In a rare stroke of common sense, the ATF has established an electronic system for filing some of their NFA-related forms, including the Form 1 Application to Make and Register a Firearm. This is the form to use when you are making an SBR yourself. If youre purchasing a factory-configured SBR, youll need to file a Form 4, which is a separate process. It should be noted that making a firearm doesnt require a professional assembly line or QC shop. Slapping a store-bought 10.5-inch AR upper on a lower you already own counts as making a firearm. In this case, youd simply file a Form 1 to get the lower approved to take shorty uppers. The screenshots you see here were for the registration of a spare Palmetto State Armory lower. In this case, we obtained a receiver from PSA on a standard Form 4473. Then, we e-filed a Form 1 for that receiver before building it out. The e-file process itself is surprisingly user-friendly. The website does run a little slow and sometimes requires multiple clicks on something to get it to work. But it does run. Heres what we had to do to get our Form 1 into the pipeline: HOW TO FILE AN ATF EFORM 1 1. Create user profile on the ATF eForms portal Enter your basic contact info like name, address, and phone number. Then, choose a password. Your username is automatically generated by the system. Once all the required fields are filled in and submitted, youll receive an email from ATF with your information. Save your user name and ATF pin. These are importaint and something you'll need every time you file a form 1 or form 4. 2. Log in to eForms and select the appropriate form to file In this case, were filing a Form 1, as an individual. There are special instructions for individuals, mostly to do with fingerprints. 3. Fill out the digital version of the ATF Form 1 eFile This consists of several pages worth of information, including: Eligibility Questions: Just like the 4473, theres a list of questions about your criminal history and citizenship in order to determine eligibility. List of Responsible Persons: All of the individuals covered by this application. Current policy requires each person being listed to fill out a questionnaire and submit fingerprints. You must also upload a photo of yourself to include with the application. Fingerprints must be in the form of an .EFT file. These are encrypted special files that normal people don't really have access to on their own, but that doesn't mean they are hard to acquire. Googling fingerprinting near me will normally yield many results, and at least some of those services will offer what the ATF requires. Print Scan partnered with a local UPS Store was our method of getting prints. Same day, easy, $65. National Gun Trusts is another popular service. Within the Responsible Person form is where you add your picture and the fingerprint EFT file. CLEO Notification: Theres no longer a requirement for the applicant to get permission from their respective chief law enforcement officer (CLEO), but you do have to send a copy to your CLEO for the purpose of notification. If you're not sure who your CLEO is, it's not hard to find. If you called 911, who would likely respond? That's likely your most local agency. Google their name, jump on their website, and finding who the Chief is should be pretty easy and normally on the front page. Line Item: Youre required to select or manually enter the make, model, and description of the firearm you intend to register. Electronic Documents: Any supporting photos or documents. You can probably ignore this unless the form was rejected previously and the ATF asked for additional information. If that's the case, this is where it would be submitted. 4. SIGN & SUBMIT With the removal of the $200 fee for an SBR, SBS, or suppressor tax stamp, you can skip the pay part and just Sign & Submit. 5. Wait The wait is the hardest part, but it's not as painful as it used to be. What used to be measured in months is now measured in days (normally). At the time of writing, ATF claims eForm 1 wait time is averaging 6 days. But that changes daily, and there is no guarantee of when your form will clear. Thats it. All in all, the process is a little tedious but, for this first-timer, much less intimidating than initially expected. When your Form 1 comes back approved, don't forget to get it engraved: Engraving ATF Form 1 Items: Friggin Laser Beams [HOW-TO GUIDE] Approximately 20 million pets across the United States experience poverty alongside their owners. According to the Humane World for Animals, 43% of all pet owners have been unable to support their pets needs at some point as a result of financial insecurity. When people cannot pay for pet care or food, they must often surrender their pets to shelters. The Athens Area Humane Society (AAHS), a no-kill shelter and nonprofit in Athens Clarke-County, is working to combat this issue by keeping pets united with their families through the Full Bellies Food Bowl program. Maruti Suzuki sold more cars than ever before, earned more money, and saw many first-time buyers choosing small cars again. Kindly note the image have only been published for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points Maruti's net profit up 4.1% YoY to 3,879 crore, despite a 594 crore one-time labour provision. Domestic sales jumped to 564,669 units, led by small cars. Exports rose modestly to 103,100 units. Commodity cost pressure from PGM, aluminium, copper. Two new plants to add 500,000 units capacity EV launch in India remains on track Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL), the countrys largest passenger vehicle maker, reported a 4.1 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit to 3,879 crore for the December quarter, absorbing a one-time provision of 593.9 crore linked to the implementation of new Labour Codes. Revenue, on the other hand, surged to a record 49,904 crore, up 28.7 per cent -- the fastest pace in more than three years -- powered by the companys highest-ever quarterly domestic sales. The maker of Swift and Dzire sold 564,669 vehicles in India during the quarter, riding a sharp rebound in demand for entry-level cars. A year ago, it had sold 466,993 units. Small Cars Make a Comeback Small cars, which fall under the 18 per cent GST slab, accounted for 68,328 units of the incremental volume. Exports also edged higher to 103,100 units from 99,220 units in the year-ago period. Marutis shares slipped 2.3 per cent on the BSE during market hours after the results marginally missed Bloomberg analysts estimates on both revenue and profit. The company said it is facing modest pressure from commodity costs, including platinum group metals (PGM), aluminium and copper. PGM content as a percentage of net sales is about 2 per cent. First-Time Buyers Drive Growth Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer for corporate affairs at MSIL, said demand remains strong across categories. We are seeing healthy demand across segments. Small cars, which were earlier in a negative growth zone, have moved into positive territory, and their growth swing is larger than that of bigger cars, he said, adding that first-time buyers are taking a larger share of sales. We have seen a 6-7 percentage point increase in first-time buyers, which is a very healthy sign. Anecdotally, we are seeing more helmets in showrooms, indicating two-wheeler owners upgrading to cars, he said. Capacity Expansion and Capex Push The quarter also capped the second consecutive calendar year in which Maruti crossed annual production of two million vehicles. The company expects two new plants, each with an annual capacity of 250,000 units, to come onstream shortly. Bharti said Marutis capital expenditure run rate is around 10,000 crore a year. If demand exists, we will ensure supply is not found lacking -- there is no dearth of funds to put up new plants. On rare earth magnet supplies, Maruti said the impact has been limited. 'Sooner or later India will manufacture these domestically' Instead of importing just magnets, we were constrained to import larger aggregates or sub-assemblies, of which magnets are a part. To that extent, higher imports and some air freight costs were incurred, Bharti said. The rare earth impact is minor, at about 20 basis points, and is not a long-term issue. He added that the Indian government has invited global manufacturers to set up local magnet production. Sooner or later, India will manufacture these domestically, and this will not remain a structural problem. EV Launch Still on Schedule Maruti reiterated that its electric vehicle launch remains on track. There is no delay in our EV rollout. We are serving over 100 markets already, and the domestic launch of our EV should happen very soon, the executive said. Record Revenue, Profit Hit by One-Time Cost For the April-December period of FY26, Maruti posted its highest-ever nine-month sales volume, net sales and net profit. Total volumes, including exports, rose 7 per cent year-on-year to 1,746,504 units. Net sales climbed 16.7 per cent to 124,290 crore, while net profit rose nearly 4 per cent. Suzuki Motor Gujarat Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Maruti Suzuki India, was amalgamated with the parent company with effect from December 1, 2025. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff 'Based on the joint statement, a formal agreement will be drafted, which may take a month or month-and-a-half to finalise. We aim to sign the formal agreement by mid-March.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Donald Trump at the White House, February 13, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points India and the US will issue a joint statement in the next few days, marking progress on their trade agreement. The US is expected to reduce tariffs on Indian exports from 50% to 18% following an executive order. A formal, legal trade agreement is targeted to be signed by mid-March. India plans to purchase $500 billion worth of US goods over the next five years, including energy, technology, and agricultural products. India and the United States plan to issue a joint statement in the next four to five days finalising the first tranche of their trade agreement, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday. This will be followed by a White House executive order cutting tariffs on Indian exports to the US to 18 per cent from 50 per cent now, Goyal added. The joint statement will be followed by the signing of the first tranche of a "formal", "legal" trade agreement by mid-March, Goyal told reporters. After a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump on Monday announced that the much-awaited trade deal with India had been agreed upon and that tariffs would be slashed to 18 per cent. The agreement came more than five months after Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on several Indian exports, including a 25 per cent punitive duty linked to India's purchases of Russian oil. Discussions between the two countries on the first phase of the deal will be crystallised through the joint statement, which will lay out the mutual understanding reached and outline the key elements of the agreement. "Based on the joint statement, a formal agreement will be drafted, which may take a month or month-and-a-half to finalise. We aim to sign the formal agreement by mid-March," Goyal said. India will reduce tariffs on products agreed under the trade deal only after the formal agreement is signed. The legal agreement will authorise the Indian government to implement tariff elimination and reduction. India's tariffs, which are based on most-favoured nation (MFN) rates under global trade rules, can be tweaked only after a trade agreement has been formally signed. "We hope to do things fast because there are further concessions that we will get after the legal agreement," Goyal added. Once signed, the agreement with the US will be India's ninth trade deal in the past five years. Negotiations for the India-US trade agreement were launched in March last year. Details of the $500 Billion Purchase Agreement Trump had also said that India had committed to 'buy American' at a much higher level, including purchases of over $500 billion worth of US energy, technology, agricultural products, coal, and other goods. India intends to buy $500 billion worth of goods from the US over the next five years, which will include sectors such as oil and gas, aircraft and aircraft parts, precious metals and diamonds, and technology products including high-end chips and server products. It will include $20 billion worth of tech products that go into setting up data centres. "When we estimated what we will need from the US, we came to a figure of at least $500 billion. Our aircraft demand alone -- orders placed on Boeing...are nearly $70 billion to $80 billion. If you add engines or other spare parts, it will cross $100 billion," Goyal told reporters. "Data centres have been given huge concessions in the Budget. If we get $100 billion to $150 billion of investment in data centres, we will need equipment for them," the minister added. According to commerce department estimates, India's current global purchases of these items exceed $300 billion annually and are expected to rise to $2 trillion over the next five years. Procuring $500 billion worth of these items from the US would result in diversification and build resilience in India's supply chains. Explaining New Delhi's intent to scale up imports from the US, Goyal had told Parliament on Wednesday that India's push to become a developed nation would require capacity expansion in sectors such as energy, aviation, data centres, and nuclear power. Since the US is a global leader in these areas, India would explore trade opportunities that boost both imports and exports, he had told Parliament. The US is India's largest export destination. In FY25, India exported goods worth $86.5 billion to the US, while imports from the US stood at $45.6 billion. An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 15, 2025 shows vessels loading and unloading containers at a container dock of Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) by Xinhuanet writer Lyu Hui BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Despite escalating global trade tensions and mounting domestic challenges in 2025, China's economy has pressed ahead under pressure and advanced toward new and higher-quality growth. The world's second-largest economy saw its gross domestic product (GDP) grow by 5 percent to reach a record of 140.19 trillion yuan (about 20.01 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, bringing the 14th Five-Year Plan (20212025) to a successful close and laying a solid foundation for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). In a world marked by growing turbulence and profound changes, China's resilience, innovation-driven vitality and commitment to openness have not only anchored its own development, but injected sustained certainty into a volatile global economy. Resilience: stabilizing anchor for the global economy Amid intertwined risks and challenges, the resilience of China's economy is underpinned by distinctive institutional strengths and inherent advantages, including a vast market, a comprehensive industrial base, and abundant talent resources. These strengths have enabled the country to emerge as an "oasis of certainty" in a turbulent global landscape. The long-term five-year planning, combined with proactive and effective macro policies and targeted fiscal and monetary measures, has helped China offset external shocks and stabilize its development. As the only country in the world with all industrial categories listed in the United Nations Industrial Classification, China offers a steady supply of high-quality, cost-effective products, playing an important role in safeguarding the stability of global industrial and supply chains. At the core of the resilience lies China's vast consumer market with over 1.4 billion people and a growing middle-income group. In 2025, total retail sales of consumer goods reached 50.12 trillion yuan (about 7.15 trillion U.S. dollars) and the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth stood at 52 percent. Consumption played a more pronounced "ballast" role as the country shifted toward making domestic demand the main engine and stabilizing anchor of economic growth, a move analysts describe as a buffer against rising external uncertainties. Expanding domestic demand has been identified as the top priority task for China's economic work in 2026, which promotes a better match between supply and demand. Beyond policy and market scale, the ingenuity and grit of the Chinese form the bedrock of the economy, as the country's advantage is evolving from a population dividend to a talent dividend. As China enters the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan, its development is focused on strengthening underlying stability and balance. Policymakers prioritize expansion of domestic demand, strategic investment in human capital, and fostering innovation to build intrinsic stability for high-quality development. Innovation-driven development: a new engine for future growth True resilience lies not only in the ability to absorb shocks, but also in the capacity to break new ground through innovation and improve quality through transformation. Shifting from the "world factory" to a tech innovation hub, China is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and moving from quantity-driven expansion to quality-led growth. Across the country, traditional industries are undergoing a technology-driven transformation to enhance productivity and open new paths for development. "New trio" products, including new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products are moving China's manufacturing sector up the value chain while making it more intelligent and greener. Meanwhile, emerging sectors such as robotics, artificial intelligence and innovative pharmaceuticals are opening up new development frontiers. China's innovation capacity keeps rising. In 2025, the country entered the top 10 of the Global Innovation Index and achieved an R&D spending intensity of 2.8 percent, surpassing the average level of OECD countries. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will increase R&D investment, strengthen its innovation ecosystem, advance emerging and future industries, and deepen the integration of technology with industry to foster new quality productive forces. For multinational corporations, a presence in China is no longer about market access, but about tapping into its innovation capacity to strengthen global competitiveness. British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca's new global R&D center in Beijing reflects the shift. Commending China's transition from high-speed to high-quality development, Maroun Kairouz, managing director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said that China's structural reforms not only strengthen its own economic resilience but also create new global opportunities in clean energy, technology and trade for 2026 and beyond. High-standard opening up: turning certainty into shared opportunities China's resilience is not built on inward-looking development, but on openness and cooperation. At a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, China has remained committed to high-standard opening up, translating domestic stability into shared opportunities for the world. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China contributed around 30 percent of global growth, reinforcing its position as a stabilizing force in the world economy. Its super-large market and growing consumption potential will continue to generate enormous import demand, creating broad opportunities for countries and regions worldwide. China has become the major trading partner of more than 160 countries and regions. In 2025, total goods imports reached a historic high of 18.48 trillion yuan (about 2.64 trillion U.S. dollars), cementing its status as the world's second-largest import market for 17 consecutive years. Concrete steps, including launching the island-wide independent customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port, shortening of the negative list for foreign investment access, eliminating foreign investment restrictions in manufacturing, establishing pilot free trade zones and expanding visa-free access, underscore China's commitment to opening up wider to the world. By expanding institutional opening up and aligning domestic rules and standards with high-level international economic and trade norms, China is fostering a more market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, encouraging multinational companies to deepen their presence in the country. This openness is reflected in growing foreign investment. PHINIA Inc., a global leader in fuel systems, has invested over 500 million U.S. dollars over the past decade in Yantai, Shandong Province. Other global companies, including Apple, Goldman Sachs and Pfizer, have also reiterated their commitments to the Chinese market, underscoring confidence in the country's long-term economic prospects. As Stephen Perry, president emeritus of Britain's 48 Group, has observed, China's approach to globalization focuses on building networks and expanding market access rather than erecting barriers. As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the underlying conditions and fundamental trends sustaining its long-term economic growth remain unchanged. Backed by a robust domestic market, constant industrial and technological upgrading, a deepening green transition and expanding high-level opening up, China stands well positioned to maintain stable development, as well as to serve as a stabilizing anchor and driving force for the global economy. Diamantaire Nirav Modi's repeated attempts to secure bail have failed as the London High Court rejected his latest plea, keeping him in custody as India seeks his extradition for the massive Punjab National Bank fraud. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff Key Points Nirav Modi's fresh bail petition was rejected by the High Court of Justice in London, continuing his imprisonment. Modi is wanted in India for his alleged involvement in the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case. The Crown Prosecution Service successfully opposed the bail, supported by a CBI team. This marks Modi's tenth unsuccessful bail petition since his detention in the UK in March 2019. Mehul Choksi, a co-accused in the PNB fraud, was arrested in Belgium. The High Court of Justice in London on Thursday rejected a fresh bail petition filed by diamantaire Nirav Modi, who is held in a prison there and wanted in India in the Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case orchestrated with his uncle Mehul Choksi, officials said. Modi approached the court in London on Thursday seeking his release on bail pending the decision on his extradition request, they said. "Fresh bail petition filed by Nirav Deepak Modi was rejected Thursday by the High Court of Justice, King's Bench Division, London. "The bail arguments were strongly opposed by the Crown Prosecution Service advocate, who was ably assisted by a strong CBI team consisting of investigating and law officers who travelled to London for this purpose," the CBI said in a statement. Where is Nirav Modi now Modi, 55, is lodged in a UK prison since March 19, 2019. He is accused of siphoning off Rs 6498.20 crore of the total scam amount. His extradition has already been approved by the High Court of UK in favour of the Government of India, the agency said. "This was his 10th bail petition since his detention in the UK, which was successfully defended by the CBI through the Crown Prosecution Service, London," the agency said. Nirav Modi's uncle Mehul Choksi, a co-accused in the PNB fraud case, was arrested by the authorities in Belgium where he had gone for treatment, it said. Details of the PNB Fraud The duo has been accused of siphoning off over Rs 13,000 crore from the PNB using fraudulent letters of undertaking and foreign letters of credit. Officials at PNB's Brady House branch in Mumbai issued letters of undertaking (LoUs) and foreign letters of credit (FLCs) to their firms without any sanctioned limit or cash margin and without making entries in the bank's central system to evade any scrutiny in case of a default. LoUs are a guarantee given by a bank on behalf of its client to a foreign bank. If the client does not repay to the foreign bank, the liability falls on the guarantor bank. Based on the LoUs issued by the PNB, money was lent by the SBI, Mauritius; Allahabad Bank, Hong Kong; Axis Bank, Hong Kong; Bank of India, Antwerp; Canara Bank, Mamana; and SBI, Frankfurt. Since the accused companies did not repay the amount availed against the said fraudulent LoUs and FLCs, PNB made the payments, including the overdue interest, to the overseas banks, which advanced buyer's credit and discounted the bills against the fraudulent LoUs and FLCs issued by the PNB, the CBI alleged. This article was first published 21 years ago Aaj tere haath pe mehndi lag gayi ," is how Inspector Sadhu Agashe (Nana Patekar) welcomes his new recruit Jatin (Nakul Vaid) after Jatin's first 'encounter' victim. Yet another take on the life of encounter specialist Daya Nayak, (N Chandra's Kagaar - The Edge was a previous one), Ab Tak Chhappan tells the story of a hardened Crime Branch inspector who, along with his trusted men, eliminate unwanted elements of society, who otherwise would escape using legal loopholes. As events unfold, Ab Tak Chhappan takes us through the daily routine of encounter specialist Sadhu Agashe, whose tally of staged encounter killings stands at 56. We have a glimpse of his family life, his small group of friends, mostly within the force, even as he goes after the bad guys, with support from his mentor Commissioner Pradhan (Mohan Agashe). But all is not well, for there is bitterness even among his own team. He is seen as always getting the credit and the publicity. And while he seems to be handling the gang wars between dons Raj Sekhar and Zameer with a certain degree of finesse, things slowly start to crumble after the new Police Commissioner Suchak (Jeeva) takes over. His wife is killed, severely undermined, he resigns his job and, soon enough, his own team is sent after him with orders to eliminate him in an encounter. And he realises that if he wants to escape, he may have to depend on the very people whom he'd sworn to eliminate earlier. There have been a spate of cop films in recent years, as the sleazy yet amorous side of the Mumbai underworld has gained a foothold in the annals of Bollywood cine fare. Which begs the question: is the latest from the Ram Gopal Varma Factory any different, or is it yet another 'expose' of underworld dons, pimps, politicians, cops and the moolah that links them all? The answer, in the case of Shimit Amin's debut film, is thankfully the first. Los Angeles-based director Amin, who earlier edited Bhoot (and who has co-written the screenplay) brings out the humane edge to his characters. These are very much everyday people doing their jobs for a living, for whom an encounter is just another day at work after which you buy whatever vegetables you need and go home to watch some television and chitchat. To Amins credit he never resorts to the bar-girled cliches and highly oratorical fare that surround most Bollywood cop films. As far as performances go, this is Nana's comeback vehicle and how! You see a far more intense, subtly menacing Nana -- a far cry from the histrionics-driven screams that enveloped fare like Shakti-The Power and Aanch. Nana drives the film with the intensity in his eyes, body language and an underplayed performance. Yashpal Sharma, who seems very much the role model for corrupt cop/villager these days, comes out with a superb performance as Imtiaz, Agashe's colleague who would love to be in his chair at any cost. Prasad Purandare, as the offshore-based don to whom Sadhu eventually turns to for help comes up with a witty, brilliant performance. And they are ably supported by Nakul Vaid and Kunal Vijaykar as members of Sadhu's team. Award-winning actress Revathy, as Sadhu Agashe's wife, is wasted in as role that could have been done by a far lesser artiste. Mohan Agashe, as Sadhu's mentor Commissioner Pradhan, seems at times unsure as to how to emote. A refresher course, someone? Mixing jazz and Indian influences into Vangelis-like pieces, the background score by Salim Sulaiman is simply great and this duo seems all set to go places. While slightly jarring at times, this is ably intercut with sync sound sequences. Also to be rated highly, with some excellent framing, is cinematographer Vishal Sinha's work. Surprisingly, the film is rather jarringly edited (surprising, because Amin is also an editor), and lacks a consistent thread. On a scale of 1 to 5, this one easily inches close to 4. So see it for a Nana special, if not anything else! CREDITS Cast: Nana Patekar, Revathy, Nakul Vaid, Yashpal Sharma Director: Shimit Amin Producer: Varma Corporation/K Sera Sera Music: Salim Suleman The three scriptwriters including Oscar-winner Julian Fellowes, who worked on this project, have not really helped Nair in creating a sharp portrait of a hypocritical and materialistic age. The emphasis on costumes, music and scenery is, at times, so overwhelming that the film's soul seems to have withered. Reese Witherspoon stars as Becky Sharp, a seductive, complex and determined woman who cannot forget her impoverished childhood. She uses her beauty, sensuality and sharp senses to survive and prosper in a highly regimented England in the early 19th century. An enigmatic and dark character in Thackeray's book, she has considerably softened here. Becky schemes her way into the English upper crust as a governess, teaching the children of Sir Pitt (Bob Hoskins). In his mansion, she comes across his rich old sister Matilda Crawley (Eileen Atkins) who professes shockingly liberal values. Matilda invites Becky to live with her in a sprawling London mansion. But when Becky marries Pitt's son Rawdon (James Purefoy), and cannot hide the secret, Matilda is startled. In no time, the surprise news turns into bitter anger and her class instincts come out naked. She throws Becky out of her mansion. But Becky is not intimidated by the adversities. Uncertain of the future, Becky also makes sure her wealthy admirers are humoured so that they can be her insurance if anything adverse happens to her. As her survival drama continues, her childhood friend Amelia (a promising, relatively new actress, Romola Garai), sees her own world turned upside down. Like Becky's husband, Amelia's husband George Osborne (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is also disinherited by their families for having had the guts to marry someone below their status. With the death of her husband in the war, Amelia is forced to lead a life of poverty. Becky is certainly a social climber and survivor but she is just another sinner in a society filled with heartless snobs and fortune hunters. It is a society that has started to enjoy the fruits of colonisation, especially from India. But it is also a society where the poor and lower middle classes have a harsh life, as the film makes it a point to show us from time to time. As she continues her upward journey, the mistakes Becky makes in courting men costs her considerably. Her life takes a tragic fall. The treatment of Becky Sharpe in the film is one of its biggest flaws. There is nothing wrong in presenting a character filled with contradictory impulses and actions but the script does not provide us heartfelt moments to make us love her now or offer disgusting revelations to dislike her the next moment. Despite Witherspoon's valiant efforts to make the character a powerful presence, Becky remains a distant and cold character. But what saves the film -- which had a brief shooting stint in India and is filled with considerable amount of Indian music -- is the work of British veterans. As the hypocritical Matilda Crawley, Eileen Atkins gives an indelible and energetic performance. Bob Hoskins is delightful as Matilda Crawley's scruffy, lustful and eccentric brother. Jim Broadbent is impressive as a mean, greedy and stubborn man who wants his son marry a rich woman instead of the comparatively lowly Amelia. As the mysterious Marquees of Steyne, who is hovering around the edge but makes a dramatic impact in the movie only towards its end, Gabriel Byrne is compulsively watchable. In a film filled with self-serving and scheming characters, a few incalculably good souls stand apart. Apart from Amelia, there is her silent admirer, William Dobbin played with decent sincerity by Rhys Ifans. CREDITS: Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Eileen Atkins, Jim Broadbent, Gabriel Byrne, Romola Garai, Bob Hoskins, Rhys Ifans, Geraldine McEwan, James Purefoy and Jonathan Rhys Meyers Directed by: Mira Nair Screenplay by: Matthew Faulk, Mark Skeet, Julian Fellowes, based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray 'No, India and China were not about to go to all-out war over a few rocks of Galwan.' 'The full picture of what went on at the highest level between two heads of State will not be known for a very, very long time and rightly so,' points out Colonel Anil A Athale, former head of the history division, ministry of defence. IMAGE: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi -- leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha -- displays then army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane's unpublished memoir on the Parliament premises. Photograph: AICC/ANI Photo The ruckus in Parliament over General Manoj Mukund Naravane's version of the Indian actions during the Galwan crisis of 2020 are distressing to say the least. It is happening precisely at a time when the world order is in turmoil due to American actions. All the countries affected by American economic/strategic threats have shown remarkable national unity. In democracies like the UK, France or Germany, the political class is united in the national interest. India is the only exception to this rule. Here the principle Opposition party, instead of co-operating with the government, has raked up the issue of the 2020 Galwan clash with China in order to muddy the waters. This is happening at a time when India is trying to cope with a serious security threat posed by the US by discretely re-seting ties with China. Every thinking citizen tracking world events is seriously concerned about the turmoil caused by the US president and his daily economic policy twists and naked use of American conventional power to grab territory and resources (Venezuelan oil, Greenland and designs on Canada, Cuba etc). The US not only slapped 50% tariff on Indian exports but in parallel, began hobnobbing with Pakistan and its military dictator and the anti-India regime of Bangladesh to further poke India in the eye. The US did not confine itself to mere words but backed it up with supply of F-6 fighter spares and advanced weapons to Pakistan. India, in the post Operation Sindoor scenario, faces a grave security situation. India was not the only victim of this American power play. Countries across the world from Canada, France, Germany to even the UK were similarly targeted. The whole world has begun a process of re-alignment and world leaders made a beeline to China. The European Union, that had been dragging its feet for 20 years on a trade deal with India, quickly concluded the agreement last month. India also reacted to the world turmoil and began repairing its ties with China, strained since the 2020 Galwan military clash. All this nimble footwork resulted in the US finally accepting the Indian demand to reduce tariff. India's firm handling and the US need for an ally against China played a role. The out of control US is seen not just as an economic but military threat. Many of these sensitive negotiations are going on behind closed doors. Of all the possible measures, it appears that the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) are possibly engaged in de-dollarisation of their trade. The US fears this and will go to any length to stall it. Even the trade deal with India may well be a carrot to stop the de-dollarisation. Lack of political unity in the face of a grave external threat is the greatest challenge faced by India today. But this was not always the case. At times of national peril, the political parties showed remarkable unity in the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars. In 1971, the Opposition showered fulsome praise on Indira Gandhi for her handling of the war. In 1974 when India conducted a nuclear test and was subjected to Western sanctions, the Opposition supported the Indira Gandhi government. In the 1990s, under then prime minister P V Narasinha Rao, the leader of the Opposition asserted our case on Kashmir at the United Nations. Post the Emergency, the Janata Party came to power in 1977. The then prime minister, Morarji Desai, on a visit to the US, was asked by an American reporter that since the 'discredited' Indira Gandhi was no longer ruling the country should India not discard its old foreign policy of non-alignment? Mr Desai's response was direct and to the point. Regime change in India was due to our internal issues, India's foreign and defence policies remains unchanged. Indian democracy showed a remarkable consensus on foreign policy and unity in face of security threats. The current actions by the Opposition parties to corner the government that cannot disclose sensitive information of the behind the scene parleys may earn it 2 minutes of television time and in the short run mislead the gullible public. The reopening of the wounds of the 2020 conflict between India and China can jeopardise national interest. As a student of the India-China border conflict, one is struck with a sense of deja vu. Neville Maxwell's (otherwise biased) account in his book India's China War has accurately described it as a 'conflict caused by ignorant public opinion goaded on by a reckless Opposition'. Even Professor J K Galbraith -- the US ambassador to India in 1962 -- told me in 2003 that the conflict of 1962 was 'accidental'. In the present time by creating anti-China sentiment some Indian politicians are playing with fire. This lack of understanding between the Opposition and ruling party is a genuine threat to national security. It shows the government's failure to reach out to and convince the Opposition to desist from certain action. As a military historian one has observed that this trend of lack of political unity set in 1998. In that year, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government took the monumental decision to test a nuclear device and go in for an overt and open nuclear weapon posture. India faced criticism and sanctions from most Western countries. In this hour of peril, the Congress party did not unequivocally support the decision. There were predictions of economic doom and gloom, all proved wrong eventually. Imagine the Indian security situation today if we were to be a non-nuclear power? The trend of opposing on issues of national security continued through 1999 when Vajpayee was accused by some to have engineered the Kargil conflict to win elections! I once shared a stage with one such worthy (a former deputy home minister of Maharashtra) who accused the Vajpayee government of collusion with the army to create this conflict! George Fernandes, one of the most honest politicians of the country, was falsely accused of buying coffins at a higher price and hounded out of the ministry of defence. Ever since that time, the Opposition parties have been consistent in questioning every operation and military action from the surgical strikes of 2016, the air strikes of 2019, the action at Doklam 2017 and the Galwan clash of 2020. The results of Operation Sindoor have also been similarly doubted. IMAGE: Then Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi -- now the chief of army staff -- reviews the operational situation in the Ladakh sector. Photograph: ANI Photo On the ground in Ladakh, the situation is much improved since 2020. Both sides have restored status quo ante. Though the large deployment of troops continues from both sides. The Galwan clash was a unique event. Two well-armed clashed, but not a sngle bullet was fired. There is no comparable example of such restraint in military history. Credit for this goes to both the Indian and Chinese militaries and their sense of discipline. Contrast this with what happens on the Line of Control with Pakistan. As recently as last year the two countries had a serious clash with a danger of full scale escalation. The threat of use of nuclear weapons was ever present. In contrast, the India-China confrontation did not have the danger of escalation. It was a limited military clash confined to just one theatre. General Manoj Mukund Naravane has dramatised it in his narrative of the events. Credit goes to the Indian Army under his leadership to have outsmarted the Chinese with deft manoeuvres of occupying the Kailash Range. No, India and China were not about to go to all-out war over a few rocks of Galwan. The full picture of what went on at the highest level between two heads of State will not be known for a very, very long time and rightly so. Transparency and democracy does not mean you construct a bath with glass walls! These are Colonel Anil A Athale's personal views. You can read Colonel Athale's earlier columns here. A bewildered world is at a loss to find bilateral and multilateral measures to stop President Trump from pursuing his vision of a world unabashedly dominated by the United States, points out T P Sreenivasan. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump, February 3, 2026. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Key Points Trump's actions have caused grave concern to the entire world Trump's confronation with NATO allies over Greenland Canada's PM Mark Carney calls for for a Middle Power Coalition including EU, Japan and Australia President Trump's determined effort to reorder the world is the most important concern of humanity today and it should be closely followed as part of any study of the world. In the last one year, Donald Trump's declarations and actions have caused grave concern to the entire world. In the place of a democracy, committed to the rule of law and the United Nations, we now have a country under Trump building a power-based system, where alliances are viewed as subscription services and trade as a tool for strategic coercion. Benign multilateralism has given way to transactional nationalism dictated by a policy of gaining control of resources by taking over countries and territories through threat or use of force. Together with imposition of tariffs as a weapon, the US is turning the world topsy-turvy. A bewildered world is at a loss to find bilateral and multilateral measures to stop President Trump from pursuing his vision of a world unabashedly dominated by the United States. The Confrontation with Allies At the beginning of his presidency, Trump announced his interest in establishing control of the Panama Canal, Greenland and even Canada, much to the consternation of the world. In a swift military action, the US captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and brought them to trial in a New York court on drug charges. The vice president was given charge, but there are reports of differences between her and the Americans. The US has promised to get the oil industry in Venezuela back on track and there is expectation among the people of Venezuela that they will be prosperous again. There is hardly any resistance to the US domination of Venezuela and Trump's first invasion of an oil rich country appears to have succeeded. Trump's next step was to reclaim Greenland on the ground that Greenland was handed over to Denmark after the war and that Greenland is absolutely essential for the security of the US. Trump faced unanimous rejection of the proposal during the Davos summit 2026 and was forced to withdraw his plans to impose additional tariff on eight European countries, who opposed annexation of Greenland by the US. Trump has already withdrawn from several multilateral arrangements designed to support the Global Commons to assert its sovereignty. The establishment of a Board of Peace under his own permanent chairmanship to administer Gaza with his nominees, willing to pay a huge membership fee is a move to find an alternative to the United Nations with far reaching consequences. Many invitees to the board have not responded, but some others have joined in the hope of appeasing Trump. But the strategic unpredictability has turned the global economy into a market place with high control but low stability. The national security and defence strategy unveiled by Trump are based on strength for peace, rather than cooperation. Trump has also begun to make deals with individual countries, bypassing Brussels. Mark Carney's Appeal For Coalition At Davos, Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada took the bull by the horns and declared the present situation as a rupture, not a transformation. He declared that the period of economic integration with mutual support is over. Carney called for a Middle Power Coalition including the EU, Japan and Australia, large enough to resist pressure from either Washington or Beijing. He said that the new coalition should have a place at the table to avoid being on the menu. Carney rebuffed the 'Donroe' doctrine and the invitation to join the board of peace, considering it a real estate driven venture rather than a diplomatic one. He called for strategic autonomy not only politically, but also in securing resources. The Canadian challenge is the only forthright rejection of Trump's world view which may have an impact. But Trump's latest threat to invade Iran indicates that he will continue to pursue his dreams of a strength-based world order. These are opening remarks Ambassador T P Sreenivasan made at a session on Glimpses Of A Trumpian World Order at the Mathrubhumi Literary Festival. A long-time contributor to Rediff, you can read his earlier columns here. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff Following reports of widespread crow deaths, the Tamil Nadu government has issued a high alert for a potential avian influenza outbreak, urging strict safety protocols and heightened surveillance. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: PTI Photo/Rediff archives Key Points Tamil Nadu government issues high alert due to large-scale crow deaths, raising concerns about a potential avian influenza outbreak. The department of animal husbandry mandates strict precautionary measures for poultry farmers and handlers of wild birds. Public health officials advise individuals with flu-like symptoms, especially those working with birds, to seek immediate medical assistance. Veterinary staff are instructed to refer bird carcasses to designated labs for accurate diagnosis and containment of potential avian flu. The public is urged to report any unusual bird deaths to the animal husbandry department to prevent a potential zoonotic spillover to humans. The Tamil Nadu government on Friday sounded a high alert following reports of large-scale crow deaths in various parts of the state, triggering concerns over a potential outbreak of avian influenza. Stringent precautionary measures issued In a swift response to the mounting biosecurity threat, the department of animal husbandry, dairying, and fisheries issued a comprehensive advisory mandating stringent precautionary measures for poultry farmers and handlers of wild birds across the state. Speaking to PTI, Director of Public Health, Dr A Somasundaram said, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has also released a separate communication, appealing to the public to follow strict safety protocols. Advisory based on central government's circular "Based on the Central government's circular regarding the prevalence of Avian Flu in Tamil Nadu, we have issued the advisory," he added. The DPH has advised individuals to seek immediate medical assistance if they experience flu-like symptoms, including cough, cold, fever, or breathing difficulties. Specific caution has been urged for those working in slaughterhouses and personnel handling sick or dead birds. Enhanced Surveillance and Prevention Measures Meanwhile, the animal husbandry department has directed its officials to intensify surveillance and step up vigil to detect any unusual sickness or mortality among crows, migratory birds, and commercial poultry. Sources said under the new protocols, veterinary staff have been strictly instructed to refrain from conducting autopsies of dead birds in the field. Instead, they have been advised to refer all carcasses to designated Regional Disease Diagnostic Labs to ensure clinical accuracy and containment. To prevent the spread of infection through scavenging, the advisory further mandated that dead birds must be either burnt or buried deep. The authorities have also urged the public to immediately inform the animal husbandry department of any unusual bird deaths to facilitate a rapid response and prevent a potential zoonotic spillover to humans. The death of a BLO in Bengal raised allegations of excessive workload pressure and politicisation surrounding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points The family of the deceased BLO claimed she was under severe mental stress due to the assigned duties and feared backlash from villagers over potential voter list deletions. The ruling TMC alleges the SIR process is creating panic among BLOs, while the BJP accuses the TMC of politicizing the death and pressuring BLOs to retain deceased voters and illegal migrants. Opposition parties are raising concerns about the workload and mental health of grassroots election staff amidst the ongoing political dispute over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The Election Commission faces scrutiny over the BLO's workload and the implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in West Bengal. A 58-year-old booth level officer (BLO) died of cardiac arrest in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, triggering a political slugfest with the ruling Trinamool Congress blaming work pressure linked to the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls, while the Bharatiya Janata Party accused the state government of politicising a personal tragedy. The deceased, Maya Mukhopadhyay, was a primary school teacher at the Shripur Namupada Shishu Shiksha Kendra under Hariharpara block and was recently assigned BLO duties for Booth No. 251 amid the ongoing SIR exercise. She collapsed at home on Thursday night and was declared dead after being taken to a hospital, family members said. Her family alleged that Mukhopadhyay was under severe mental stress after being entrusted with BLO responsibilities and feared backlash from villagers if their names were deleted from the voter list during the revision process. "After being made a BLO, my mother was unable to cope with the mental pressure. She had been unwell and was even admitted to the ICU at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital earlier," her younger son Rubel Mondal told reporters. He claimed that the booth under her charge had around 830 voters and over 320 hearing notices had been issued as part of the SIR process. "She kept saying that if names were deleted, villagers might come and attack our house. She lived in constant fear," Mondal said. Her family members also said Mukhopadhyay had age-related ailments and was reluctant to take up BLO duties but had no option but to comply with administrative orders. Hariharpara BDO Sering Jam Bhutia confirmed the death and said the administration was looking into the matter. "She died of a cardiac arrest. We have been informed that she was unwell. A representative has been sent to gather details," he said. Political Reactions to the BLO's Death The incident has added fuel to the ongoing political confrontation over the SIR exercise in the state, particularly with Assembly elections likely to be held in April. Trinamool Congress MLA from Hariharpara, Niyamat Sheikh, alleged that the manner in which the SIR process was being implemented had created panic among BLOs. "She was fine earlier, but after getting the BLO assignment, she remained terrified. Several BLOs have approached us saying they cannot handle the pressure but are continuing out of fear of losing their jobs," he claimed. The CPI(M) also echoed similar concerns, with former MLA Insar Ali Biswas alleging that BLOs were being "harassed" in the name of SIR and that many were falling ill due to excessive pressure. Local Congress leader and Hariharpara block president Jahangir Shah demanded a thorough probe into Mukhopadhyay's death, alleging that "unbearable pressure related to SIR work" led to her demise. He said the Election Commission must clarify its position on the conduct of the exercise. The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations and accused the Trinamool Congress of indulging in politics over the death. BJP's Berhampore organisational district general secretary Laltu Das said any death was unfortunate, but blamed the state's ruling party for pressuring BLOs. "BLOs are being asked to retain names of deceased voters and illegal migrants. They are unable to withstand the pressure exerted by the ruling party. Turning every death into a political issue is deeply unfortunate," he said. Concerns Over Electoral Roll Revision The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, initiated ahead of the upcoming elections, has emerged as a contentious issue in West Bengal, with the opposition alleging harassment of BLOs and voters, while the Election Commission has maintained that the exercise is aimed at ensuring error-free and updated voter lists. Meanwhile, Mukhopadhyay's death has reignited concerns over workload, accountability and mental health of grassroots election staff, even as political parties continue to trade charges over responsibility. Trinamool Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of burdening BLOs with an "inhumane" and "unplanned" workload. The TMC has claimed that so far 107 people have died due to SIR in West Bengal. The BJP, however, rejected the allegation, contending that the stress felt by BLOs stemmed not from the Election Commission's directives but from political and administrative pressure exerted by the ruling party. The ED investigation revealed that funds meant for contractors were diverted and siphoned off through various means, including bearer cheques and transfers to associate firms IMAGE: RG Kar former principal Dr Sandip Ghosh being taken for medical examination from CBI office, in Kolkata on September 19, 2024. Photograph: / Rediff.com Key Points Former principal of the medical college Sandip Ghosh, apart from three others, has been named as an accused by the federal probe agency. Sandip Ghosh allegedly received illegal gratification from contractors in exchange for awarding contracts worth Rs 6.89 crore. The ED alleges that Ghosh's income from private practice was disproportionate to the cash deposits in his bank accounts, suggesting unaccounted gratification. The case also involves a prior CBI investigation into financial irregularities at the hospital, initiated after a petition allowed by the Calcutta High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet before a special court in Kolkata on Friday as part of its money-laundering probe into alleged financial irregularities at the state-run R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. Former principal of the medical college Sandip Ghosh, apart from three others, has been named as an accused by the federal probe agency. Ghosh is currently in jail following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the charge of financial irregularities. The ED said in a statement that its probe has found that "substantial" amounts credited to the accounts of contractors, received from the accounts of the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, were systematically "diverted" and "siphoned off" in collusion with the contractors either by withdrawals through bearer cheques issued to their close associates or by transfers to associate firms, and further withdrawn in cash. The proceeds of the crime have been intermingled with other funds, withdrawn in cash and routed through multiple layers of financial transactions, the agency alleged. "In lieu of extending such illegal favour and patronage, Ghosh received illegal gratification and pecuniary advantage from the said contractors by awarding contracts worth Rs 6.89 crore," the ED said. The agency said the income earned by Ghosh from his private medical practice was "meagre" and "grossly disproportionate" to the large cash deposits in his bank accounts. "The cash receipts, falsely projected as professional fees without rendering any medical services, constitute unaccounted gratification for awarding work orders to firms owned by Biplab Singha and Suman Hazra. "These proceeds were deposited in the accounts of Ghosh and his wife and layered through transfers to family members under the guise of gifts," it said. The ED had attached assets worth Rs 52.38 lakh of Ghosh earlier. Akhtar Ali, a former official at the hospital, had prayed for a CBI investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the state-run facility during the tenure of Ghosh. His prayer was allowed by the Calcutta High Court and the order was upheld by the Supreme Court. The ED had filed an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report), which is equivalent to a police FIR, in connection with the alleged money trail in the case. It was during Ghosh's tenure as the principal that the infamous rape and murder of a trainee doctor took place at the hospital. Her body was found in the conference room of the hospital in north Kolkata on August 9, 2024. Sanjay Roy, a former civic volunteer with the Kolkata Police, was sentenced to imprisonment till the end of his natural life by the Sealdah sessions court here in January 2025, after finding him guilty of the crimes. Police discovered the bodies after a foul smell emanated from the locked room, which had been booked for three days. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points Four tourists from Karnataka, including three women, were found dead in a dharmshala room in Rajgir, Nalanda district. The deceased are identified as members of a family: GR Sumangala, her daughters Shilpa GR and Shrutha GB, and son GR Naga Prasad. A large quantity of sleeping pills was recovered from the room, along with cash, documents, and personal belongings. A special investigation team has been formed to investigate the deaths, and a team has been sent to Gubbi in Karnataka to inform family members. Four tourists, including three women, from Karnataka were found hanging in their room at a dharmshala in Bihar's Nalanda district on Friday, a police official said. The available documents suggest that the victims were members of a family - an elderly woman, her son and two daughters. The incident occurred in Rajgir town, a major pilgrimage site for both Buddhists and Jains. As a foul smell was emanating from their room, which was booked in the name of GR Naga Prasad, the police broke open the door and found the four tourists dead. The deceased have been identified as GR Sumangala (78), her daughters Shilpa GR (48) and Shrutha GB (43), and son GR Naga Prasad (50), all residents of Gubbi in the Tumkur district of Karnataka. GR Sumangala is the wife of Ratnabala Raju, according to the documents. The initial police statement had said that two men and two women were found hanging. Rajgir DSP Sunil Kumar Singh said, "At around 9:40 am, the manager of the dharmshala informed the Rajgir police station that some people had arrived from Bengaluru and were staying in a room. A foul smell was emanating from that room." Singh said that when the police personnel, in the presence of a magistrate, entered the room, which was locked from inside for three days, the four were found hanging. The DSP said that mobile phones were seized from the incident spot, and it was ascertained from the phone numbers that they were from the southern metropolis. According to a statement issued by the district police, the dog squad inspected the scene, and forensic experts conducted photography and videography in the presence of the magistrate before the bodies were taken down. Investigation details and findings A large quantity of sleeping pills, 25 strips, was also recovered from the belongings of the deceased, the statement added. The police also found Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, ATM cards, other documents, cash amounting to Rs 1,18,000, and personal belongings of the deceased. "Karnataka Police were contacted and, with the assistance of Gubbi (Rural) Police Station, their family members were informed," a police official said. All bodies have been sent to Sadar Hospital in Bihar Sharif of Nalanda district for post-mortem examination after preparing the inquest report. The autopsy will be conducted by a medical board with videography, police said. Nalanda SP has constituted a special investigation team to examine all aspects of the case. In this connection, a two-member team has also been sent to Gubbi in Karnataka. A Delhi family alleges negligence by police and the Delhi Jal Board after their 25-year-old son died falling into a pit, claiming their desperate pleas for help were ignored during an overnight search. IMAGE: Motorcyclist dies after falling into a pit dug up by the Delhi Jal Board in Delhi's Janakpuri area. Photograph: Courtesy @Saurabh_MLAgk/X Key Points A 25-year-old man died after falling into a 15-foot pit at a DJB construction site in Janakpuri, Delhi. The victim's family alleges that police failed to act on their missing person report despite repeated pleas and the victim's phone ringing throughout the night. Delhi Police have registered an FIR against a contractor and officials of the Delhi Jal Board for culpable homicide. The Delhi government has ordered a probe into the incident to investigate potential negligence. The family of 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani, who died after falling into a 15-feet-deep pit in west Delhi's Janakpuri, on Friday said they desperately searched for him the entire night, going from one police station to another, and alleged that authorities failed to help them despite repeated pleas. The police said around 7 am, they received a PCR call regarding a body lying inside a pit at a DJB construction site in Janakpuri. Subsequently, the family of the deceased was informed about the incident. Kamal's family and friends alleged that police failed to act despite repeated pleas even as the victim's phone kept ringing through the night, but the police refuted the claims. A senior police officer said that Naresh and Karan, the young man's brothers, came to the Janakpuri police station around 2.45 am and reported that Kamal had been missing for hours. "We attempted to trace his location and found that his last known location was near the district park. Despite conducting a search, he could not be located," a senior police officer said. The police said they attempted to narrow down the location of the mobile phone tower and conducted search operations during the night, but were unable to trace him. Police personnel were also sent along with the family to conduct searches, the officer said. The victim's family has alleged negligence on the part of the DJB but also suspects foul play in the biker's death. The police, however, have ruled out any foul play and called it an 'unfortunate incident', and said they are investigating all angles. Kamal's friend Mayank said, "Raat bhar dhundha hai, police help kar deti to shyad raat ko mil jata, der nahi hoti to kya pata zindagi bach jati. (we searched him the entire night, had police helped us, he could have been saved)." His friend recalled that Kamal was on his way home and told him he would reach in 15 minutes. "We waited for 30 minutes. After that, we called him around 10 times, but he did not pick up any of the calls. We became worried, especially as many people have been getting kidnapped," he said, adding that Kamal's last call was at 11.30 pm. Recalling a night of desperate search for his brother, Karan said family and friends fanned out across west and northwest Delhi, visited at least seven to eight police stations, including Janakpuri, Sagarpur, Vikaspuri and Rohini. Before walking into the Janakpuri police station, Karan along with some friends went to Vikaspuri police station where they were informed that the police had no information of any bike accident. The officials at Janakpuri police station said they took the missing person's mobile number and tracked his location near Possangipur Park. A police team along with family members carried out a search in the park and nearby areas but despite hours of efforts neither Kamal nor his vehicle were located, the police said. Kamal's details, photograph, and vehicle information were also circulated, they said. "We roamed on streets the entire night," he said, adding that he requested them to trace his phone, which was still ringing but no one helped him. Karan said Kamal's phone remained active through the night, adding to the family's anxiety. He also alleged that police provided them a location, but that did not match. "They (police) told us searching at night was not possible and that a complaint could only be registered in the morning," Karan alleged. The news of Kamal's death came early Friday morning when Karan decided to call his brother's phone once again. This time the call was answered, but by the police, who informed him about the tragic incident. "They told us they had found his body. We rushed to the spot, police found Kamal's body and his motorcycle lying inside the pit on a road which he used to commute daily," Karan said. "When we reached the spot, we were not allowed to see him," Kamal's friend Mayank alleged. Kamal was was one of three brothers. "Kamal and Karan are twins. We have not informed his mother so far, she is crying and want to see Kamal as we told her that he is in hospital under treatment," Mayank said. Police investigation and govt response The Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR against a contractor and officials of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) over the motorcyclist's death. "We have registered an FIR under Section 105 (culpable homicide) of the BNS at Janakpuri Police Station against the contractor and concerned officials of Delhi Jal Board," the senior police officer said. The officer said that investigation is being carried out on priority and strict legal action will taken against the guilty as per law. The Delhi government has ordered a probe into the matter. BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and British financial regulators achieved "tangible cooperation deliverables" on multiple issues at the inaugural meeting of the China-UK Financial Working Group held in Beijing recently, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said on Friday. According to the PBOC, the two sides agreed to work toward signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the area of central counterparty supervision between the PBOC and the Bank of England. With the aim of safeguarding global financial stability, the PBOC and the British Treasury agreed to step up cooperation on crisis management, and on recovery and resolution frameworks, the PBOC said. On capital markets, both sides pledged to encourage eligible companies to be listed in each other's market -- including through the China-UK Stock Connect -- to broaden access to a diverse global investor base and institutional capital. The China-UK Financial Working Group was established in May 2025 to provide a platform for regular communication and coordination on financial policy between the two countries, and to promote tangible deliverables. Its inaugural meeting was convened as an outcome of recent high-level exchange between China and Britain, the PBOC said. The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused, the MEA said. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Reuters Key Points MEA criticises Pakistan for blaming others instead of addressing its internal issues. Pakistan's Defence Minister alleges Indian and Afghan involvement without providing evidence. India describes Pakistan's allegations as baseless and pointless. India on Friday categorically rejected Pakistan's allegations of an Indian link to the suicide bombing at a mosque in Islamabad that killed at least 31 people. The ministry of external affairs, describing the attack as "condemnable", said it is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan chose to "delude" itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills. At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Islamabad. The powerful explosion took place at Khadijah al-Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, police said in a statement. "The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused," the MEA said. "It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills," it said. "India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless," it added. Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, without providing any evidence, alleged that India and Afghanistan were linked to the attack. In a social media post, he claimed that it has been proved the terrorist involved in the attack travelled to and from Afghanistan. "The collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed," he alleged. 'No one can or will bar India from pursuing its energy goals as it wishes.' 'The FTA wording may sound more restrictive, but the underlying reality will not undermine India's sovereign energy decisions.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi, December 4, 2025. Photograph: Kind courtesy @NarendraModi/X Key Points 'Deal with US does not automatically impose a ban on Indian entities acquiring Russian crude oil.' 'India's biggest refiners received six cargos of Russian oil in February.' Over 1.2 million barrels per day of Russian oil may come to India in March. 'No one can or will bar India from pursuing its energy goals as it wishes' Russia may continue as India's largest supplier of crude oil at least for the next few months because refiners here will receive substantial volumes from the Eurasian country in the absence of clarity on the proposed United States-India trade deal, according to interviews with legal experts and market participants, and ship-tracking data. Moreover, discounts on higher-quality Russian oil are twice as much as those for dirty Venezuelan oil, which is readily available. "The deal with the United States, recently announced, does not automatically impose a ban on Indian entities acquiring Russian crude oil or limit their purchase," said Shivam Sinha, partner, Delhi-based law firm Sagus Legal. "It signals diplomatic and policy-level understanding between the two countries aiming to expand bilateral commerce. Yet such declarations alone generate no enforceable duties capable of curtailing private-sector imports." Perhaps that explains why India's biggest refiners received six cargos, including one partial, of Russian oil in February. They were the medium and sour Urals grades, the best value proposition and profit-generating grade for Indian refiners today. That is against 40 cargos in all of January, including nine partial cargos, and predominantly Urals, according to the shipping data accessed by Business Standard on market intelligence agency Kpler. Suppliers too are optimistic, with over 20 million barrels of Russian oil stored in tankers located in the Arabian sea, Kpler analyst Sumit Ritolia said. That compares with 30 million barrels in January, with the decline reflecting some sales to India and China. Floating storage is also much lower than around 8 million barrels in January, prior to US sanctions in October. Most of the floating storage will eventually end up in India, Ritolia said, predicting that over 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil will come to India in March. Oil from Russia averaged 1.35 million bpd in the first four days of February compared to 1.25 million bpd in January -- though they may not be strictly comparable for now, the Kpler data showed. Senior officials in refining told Business Standard in the absence of clarity from New Delhi on American President Donald Trump's tweet or in the absence of official communication Russian crudes were being evaluated alongside other grades from Brazil, Angola, or the United Arab Emirates. "The FTA (free trade agreement) wording may sound more restrictive, but the underlying reality will not undermine India's sovereign energy decisions," said Russell A Stamets, partner, Circle Of Counsels. "No one can or will bar India from pursuing its energy goals as it wishes." Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal made a mention of any crude oil trades in their statements about the Indo-US FTA as against Trump stating on Truth Social that India would stop buying Russian oil and buy American and Venezuelan oil. Venezuelan oil: Quality issues Despite Trump pitching for Venezuelan oil, Indian refiners told Business Standard the commodity was not viable at discounts offered by Vitol and Trafigura, which are traders. In the past, Indian Customs data showed Venezuelan oil cheaper by over $10 a barrel over West Asian or Russian grades. The large discount was because of poor quality -- heavy, high sulphur, acidic crude -- and they were tough to process. But the current discounts on the resale of Venezuelan oil, approved by Washington, are only $5 to $6 per barrel, a top trader at a State refiner said. "Urals is available at over $10 per barrel discounts," he said. The available data also shows New Delhi not intervening in decisions on sourcing crude oil. Another trader from a state refiner said New Delhi had neither told them to reduce Russian oil import nor encouraged them to buy more US fuel. For now, economics dictates purchase decisions, he added. That explains why Indian Oil Corporation imported some of its highest volumes of Russian oil since December, and US exports to India in January and February averaged only 180,000 bpd, a third of the October volumes, according to the shipping data. Russian flows Private sector refiners Reliance Industries and Rosneft-run Nayara Energy, and State-run refiner Indian Oil received two cargos each from Russia in the first four days of February. Cargos bought by Reliance had been shipped in late November and took an unusually long voyage of 70 days, nearly thrice the usual time taken for a Russian oil tanker to discharge at an Indian port, according to the data from Kpler, indicating the oil was supplied from storage. The names of Reliance Industries' sellers have not been revealed. The firm's spokesperson was not available for comment. Nayara Energy, sanctioned by the European Union, and State-run refiner Indian Oil Corporation received two each this month, with Redwood Global mentioned as the supplier for Indian Oil and Nayara. Indian Oil's cargos were loaded on December 26. A Kerala headmistress expresses safety concerns after allegedly being barred from her school for wearing a churidar, sparking a police investigation and raising questions about school management's authority. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points The headmistress alleges the school manager was behind the incident and criticises the focus on the security guard's arrest. Police have named the school manager as an accused in the case, invoking additional sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The headmistress asserts that obstructing her entry constitutes obstruction of a public servant, as the school is government-aided. Officials confirm that the school manager has no authority to prevent the headmistress from entering the school and that churidars are permitted. The headmistress of a government-aided school claimed she was afraid to continue working there as no immediate action had been taken against the school manager, whom she accused of being behind the incident where she was allegedly denied entry to the institution two days ago for wearing a churidar. The headmistress, Sindhu S Nair, told a television channel that the arrest of the security guard-a temporary employee-was intended to create a "smokescreen". "Shashank, the security guard, was appointed by the manager and was not a permanent staff member. By arresting him, a smokescreen has been created. He himself said he acted on the manager's instructions, yet the manager was not initially named as an accused," she claimed. Nair said she suspected that the school management was attempting to settle the matter and reiterated that she was "afraid to continue working at the school under the present circumstances." Following her remarks, the police later named the school manager as an accused in the case. An officer at the Kottarakkara police station said that the FIR was initially registered under Sections 126 (wrongful restraint) and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). After the manager was added as an accused, sections 49 (abetment) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Act were also invoked. All the offences are bailable, the officer said. He added that a revised report including the newly added accused and sections would be submitted to the court and, subject to its approval, the manager's arrest would be recorded. Earlier in the day, Nair told the television channel that she was denied entry when she reported for duty and that a case for obstructing a public servant in the discharge of official duties should have been registered, as the institution is a government-aided school. She said she would continue her legal fight over the incident. According to officials, when Nair arrived at the school at around 9 am on Wednesday, security personnel stopped her from entering the premises on the instructions of the school manager. She subsequently called the police and was allowed to enter the school only after officers from the Kottarakkara police station arrived. Television visuals showed the headmistress seated outside the school gate with a tray of eggs she had brought for the midday meal scheme. The school manager has not yet commented on the incident. Both police and district education office officials have said that the school manager has no authority to prevent the headmistress from entering the school. A DEO official also said that a government order permits the wearing of churidars in schools. Maharashtra's ministers publicly question the timing and circumstances surrounding Sunetra Pawar's appointment as deputy CM after the death of her husband, Ajit Pawar. IMAGE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar takes oath of office at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, January 31, 2026. Photograph: Sahil Salvi Key Points Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rebukes the ministers' remarks, calling it 'low-level politics'. Industries minister Uday Samant questions the timing of the oath-taking ceremony, suggesting possible orchestration. Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam accuses NCP president Sunil Tatkare of exploiting Ajit Pawar's death for political gain. Highlighting the fresh tensions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, at least three ministers of the Shiv Sena have criticised Sunetra Pawar being sworn in as Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister just three days after her husband and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar's death. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis disapproved of the remarks of his cabinet colleagues, saying such "low-level politics must stop." Following deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's death in an air crash on January 28, his wife Sunetra Pawar replaced him in the state cabinet, taking oath on January 31. Speaking in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Social Justice Minister and Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Friday said taking oath immediately after the tragic incident was not acceptable to the common people. Growing concerns and political reactions Industries Minister Uday Samant said elsewhere that nobody should feel sad about Sunetra Pawar becoming deputy CM, "but there is suspicion about why did the oath-taking happen so soon." "Did someone orchestrate it?" Samant asked. When asked for comment, chief minister Fadnavis said the controversy was "unnecessary and wrong." "Everybody is trying to do his own politics in this. Such low-level politics must stop," Fadnavis told reporters. On Thursday, another Shiv Sena leader and former minister Ramdas Kadam had targeted state NCP president Sunil Tatkare, saying he worked against the interests of those who had helped him grow in his career. "After Dada's (Ajit Pawar) death, Tatkare did dirty politics of checkmating Sharad Pawar which is shameful. Making Sunetra Pawar take oath just after Dada's death is not the culture of Maharashtra. Maharashtra will never forgive Sunil Tatkare," Kadam said. The missing seafarer has been identified as Sarthak Mahapatra, a native of Kespur in Bhadrak district. IMAGE: Sarthak Mahapatra, a merchant navy official from Odisha, has gone missing near Mauritius while on duty. Photograph: @rasmitasahoo76/X Key Points Mahapatra's family is appealing to the central and state governments for urgent intervention and rescue efforts. The family has requested a transparent investigation, access to CCTV footage, and updates on the search for Sarthak Mahapatra. The Odisha government has taken up the issue with authorities in New Delhi, requesting an inquiry into the incident. A merchant navy official from Odisha's Bhadrak district has allegedly gone missing while on duty aboard a vessel near Mauritius on February 3, prompting his family to seek urgent intervention from the Centre and the state government, officials said. The missing seafarer has been identified as Sarthak Mahapatra, a native of Kespur in Bhadrak district. Mahapatra has been working with a private shipping company since July 2025. Vessel was heading to China According to his mother, Rashmita Mohapatra, the vessel had sailed from China to West Africa and was returning to China via Singapore. "Sarthak spoke to me and other family members and friends on February 2," she said. "We are devastated at his disappearance and request the central and state governments to intervene urgently. We have sent emails appealing to the Odisha government to rescue my son and bring him back home safely," she said. Odisha government taken up issue with Centre She also sought help from the prime minister, the chief minister, the director general of shipping and the ministry of external affairs through posts on X. "As a mother, I request a transparent investigation, access to CCTV footage, details of his personal belongings and continuous official updates," she wrote. Sources in the Odisha government said they have taken up the issue with the authorities concerned in New Delhi and requested them to inquire into the incident. The Supreme Court bench said such issues were to be considered by the competent authority on the administrative side and that it did not find it necessary to entertain the writ petition IMAGE: A view of the Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea challenging a recommendation apparently made by the Madras high court collegium, saying that such issues are not "justiciable" and should be left to the competent authority to deal on the administrative side. Key Points The Centre, on October 14 last year, notified the transfer of Justice Banu from the Madras high court to the Kerala high court The PIL said that the collegium recommendation by the Madras High Court was made without Justice Banu being part of the deliberations Senior advocate Rachna Srivastava, appearing for the petitioner, said the collegium composition was wrong, as Justice Banu was then a judge of the Madras high court "The issue sought to be raised is not justiciable. Such issues are required to be considered by the competent authority on the administrative side. We do not deem it necessary to entertain the writ petition," a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said. It was hearing the plea which alleged that the collegium recommendation of the high court was void as one of the senior judges, Justice Nisha Banu, was not part of the deliberations. The Centre, on October 14 last year, notified the transfer of Justice Banu from the Madras high court to the Kerala high court. However, she joined the Kerala High Court only in December 2025 after a reminder from President Droupadi Murmu. The PIL, filed by A Prem Kumar through lawyer Rangoli Seth, said that the collegium recommendation by the Madras High Court was made without Justice Banu being part of the deliberations. Senior advocate Rachna Srivastava, appearing for the petitioner, said the collegium composition was wrong, as Justice Banu was then a judge of the Madras high court. "We can only assure you that the Chief Justice of India and the collegium judges are strong enough to take anything. Thank you for advising us...," the CJI said. The bench refused liberty to the petitioner to approach the high court, saying, "Don't do anything. Thank you so much for bringing this to our notice." Opposition MPs staged a significant protest in Parliament, decrying the India-US trade agreement, the controversy surrounding General Naravane's memoir, and the suspension of MPs, escalating political tensions. IMAGE: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, suspended Lok Sabha MPs Hibi Eden, Dean Kuriakose, S Venkatesan, and Prashant Yadaorao Padole, and other opposition MPs protest on the Parliament premises during the ongoing Budget Session, in New Delhi, February 6, 2026. Photograph: Rahul Singh/ANI Photo Key Points The opposition MPs gathered near the Makar Dwar of Parliament and raised slogans such as "Dictatorship will not be tolerated," "Narendra, surrender," and "Stop murdering democracy." The protest was also fueled by controversy surrounding former Army chief MM Naravane's unpublished memoir and Rahul Gandhi's claims about PM Modi's role in the 2020 India-China conflict. Suspended MPs participated in the protest, raising slogans against the government and alleging dictatorship. Rahul Gandhi criticised PM Modi, referencing the Naravane memoir and accusing him of shirking responsibility. Opposition claims PM Modi is afraid to face Parliament and is succumbing to international pressure. MPs from the Congress and some other opposition parties staged a protest in the Parliament House complex on Friday over the trade agreement with the US, the controversy surrounding former Army chief MM Naravane's unpublished memoir, and the suspension of eight MPs. After the Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 11 am on Monday, the opposition MPs gathered near the Makar Dwar of Parliament and raised slogans such as "Dictatorship will not be tolerated," "Narendra, surrender," and "Stop murdering democracy." Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the MPs suspended for the remainder of the current Budget session of Parliament, and several other MPs participated in the protest. They also held a large banner that read "Trap Deal," referring to the India-US trade agreement. While leaving the Parliament House complex, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at PM Modi and told reporters, "jo uchit samjho woh karo". Gandhi had on Wednesday cited Naravane's unreleased memoir to claim that Prime Minister Modi shed responsibility during the India-China conflict in 2020 and passed the buck on to the general. Congress whip in the Lok Sabha and one of the suspended MPs, Manickam Tagore, said the fight would be taken forward on the issue of Prime Minister Modi's "failures." He claimed that Prime Minister Modi is "on the back foot" and afraid to come to the House and has succumbed to pressure from other countries. The House has been witnessing a deadlock since Monday, with opposition members, including the Congress, creating a ruckus over various issues, including "not allowing" Rahul Gandhi to quote from an article that cited an unpublished memoir of former Army chief Naravane, and the suspension of eight opposition members for unruly behaviour during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address. On Thursday, the Motion of Thanks on the President's address was passed without a reply from the prime minister. The Supreme Court directed the Jan Suraaj Party to pursue the matter in the Patna High Court. IMAGE: Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party had moved the Supreme Court seeking fresh elections in Bihar after the BJP-led NDA retained power. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points The petition claimed the Bihar government violated the MCC by disbursing funds under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana before the elections. The court criticized the party for using the judicial system to seek relief after failing to win seats in the election. The Supreme Court directed the Jan Suraaj Party to approach the Patna High Court, as the issue pertains specifically to Bihar. The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a petition filed by the Jan Suraaj Party, founded by former political strategist Prashant Kishor, seeking annulment of 2025 Bihar Assembly elections on the ground of violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ahead of polls. The party had alleged the debt-ridden state, in violation of the MCC, gave away Rs 15,600 crore under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana just ahead of polls, which denied a level-playing field to other political parties. Pulling up the party for trying to use the judicial forum to gain popularity and secure relief after having lost the polls, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked it to approach the Patna High Court as the issue pertained to only one state. "How many votes did you get? Once people reject you, use the judicial forum to get relief! Somebody should have challenged the scheme itself then. That is not the prayer before us. You just want an omnibus direction for declaration of election of the entire state as null and void," the CJI said. SC asks Jan Suraaj Party to approach Patna HC The bench said the plea was nothing but a composite election petition for the entire state. "Since it deals with only one State, please go to that High Court. In some cases, there is a serious issue of freebies which we will seriously examine," the bench said. Senior advocate CU Singh, appearing for the party, said that the scheme under which the payment was made to voters, was announced just before the polls and the payments were made when the MCC was in force. "But when a State has a grave fiscal deficit and it is a dole in the sense that 10,000 will be paid immediately and over 35 lakh people enrolled in this scheme just after the MCC was announced," the senior lawyer said. "Direct transfer schemes are different. This is about women self help groups," the bench said. Jan Suraaj Party sought fresh elections in Bihar The Jan Suraaj Party had moved the Supreme Court seeking fresh elections in Bihar after the BJP-led NDA retained power in the 243-member assembly by winning 202 seats, while the INDIA bloc secured 35 seats. The JSP failed to win any seat, with most of its candidates forfeiting their deposits. The petition accused the state government of violating the MCC by transferring Rs 10,000 to women beneficiaries under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana after the poll schedule was announced and sought action under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act. The Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana provides an initial financial grant of Rs 10,000 to women to promote self-employment and small businesses in the state. The Supreme Court clarifies that police arrests should be a necessary measure for effective investigation, not a routine practice for questioning, under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 IMAGE: A view of the Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points Arrest is a discretionary power, not a mandatory one, under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. Police must justify that an investigation for offenses punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment cannot proceed without an arrest. Arrest should be an exception, and police officers should exercise caution when considering it. An investigation can continue even without an arrest, and police should consider the necessity of arrest before making one. The Supreme Court has said the arrest of a person cannot be for simply asking questions, holding that arrest by a police officer is a mere statutory discretion which cannot be termed as mandatory. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh said the power of arrest under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 must be interpreted as a strict objective necessity and not as a subjective convenience for the police officer. "It does not mean the police officer can arrest to simply ask questions. However, it means that the police officer must satisfy himself that the investigation, qua an offence punishable with imprisonment up to seven years, cannot proceed effectively without taking the concerned individual into custody. Any interpretation to the contrary would clearly frustrate the purpose and legislative intent of Sections 35(1)(b) and Sections 35(3) to 35(6) of the BNSS, 2023," it said. The bench has passed the order while hearing an appeal against the order of the Allahabad High Court and was deciding a question whether notices under Section 35(3) of the BNSS, 2023 are to be mandatorily issued in all cases related to an offence punishable with imprisonment up to seven years. The top court said the power of arrest under the provisions pursuant to a notice issued under Section 35(3) of the BNSS, 2023 is not a matter of routine but an exception, and the police officer is expected to be circumspect and slow in exercising the said power. "An arrest by a police officer is a mere statutory discretion which facilitates him to conduct proper investigation in the form of collection of evidence and, therefore, shall not be termed as mandatory," it said. The top court said the police officer shall ask himself the question as to whether an arrest is a necessity or not before undertaking the said exercise. "For effecting an arrest, qua an offence punishable with imprisonment up to seven years, the mandate of Section 35(1)(b)(i) of the BNSS, 2023 along with any one of the conditions mentioned in Section 35(1)(b)(ii) of the BNSS, 2023 must be in existence," it said. The bench in its order passed in January but uploaded recently said even if the circumstances warranting an arrest of a person are available in terms of the conditions mentioned under Section 35(1)(b) of the BNSS, 2023, the arrest shall not be undertaken unless it is absolutely warranted. Investigation and arrest: Necessity vs routine "Suffice it is to state that an investigation can go on even without an arrest. While undertaking the exercise of collecting the evidence for the purpose of forming his opinion over the commission of a cognisable offence, a police officer shall pose a question to himself on the necessity of an arrest. "This safeguard is provided as, in any case, the power to arrest an accused person is always available with a police officer even after he records his reasons, in writing, for not doing so at an earlier stage," the bench held. The top court noted that an investigation by a police officer generally begins with the recording of information regarding an offence and it is a process which is primarily aimed at the ascertainment of facts and circumstances surrounding an alleged crime and involves the police officer proceeding to the spot of occurrence to collect evidence and ends with the formation of an opinion for filing of chargesheet. It said an arrest is an act done by a police officer in furtherance of an investigation and is discretionary and optional to be applied to the facts of a particular case. The protesters claimed that the Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs have betrayed the community's demand for a separate administration amid ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur IMAGE: Heavy security force deployed during protest of Kuki Women's Human Rights Organisation, against the participation of Kuki-Zo MLAs in the formation of the Manipur Government, in Churachandpur, Manipur, February 6, 2026. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points Protesters burned effigies of Kuki MLA and deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen, along with two other legislators, for joining the BJP-led government. The Kuki Zo Council asserts the MLAs violated a resolution requiring written assurance of a separate Union Territory before government participation. Security has been increased at the residences of the involved legislators in response to the widespread protests across multiple districts. Despite the unrest, the newly sworn-in minister, Govindas Konthoujam, claims the situation is under control and expects normalcy to gradually return to Manipur. Thousands of protesters in Manipur's three hill districts staged a rally against the participation of three Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs in the formation of a popular government in the state, alleging that the legislators betrayed the community. Effigies of Kuki MLA Nemcha Kipgen who is a deputy chief minister in the newly sworn-in government, and two other legislators, LM Khaute and N Sanate, who belong to Zo and Hmar communities, were also burnt in Churachandpur district. All three are ruling BJP MLAs. Protest rallies were also held in Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal districts. In Churachandpur, agitators took out a rally jointly organised by Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) and Women Wing of Indigneous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) to protest the participation of Kipgen in government formation. The rallyists marched from Koite Playground to the Wall of Remembrance, covering a distance of nearly 3 km, in Churachandpur town. The protesters raised slogans seeking the resignation of Kipgen and reiterated their demand for separate administration for the community. The Kuki Zo Council (KZC) had on Thursday asserted that these MLAs violated the January 13 Lungthu Resolution, in which it was decided that the community members would take part in government formation only if there was a written assurance from the central and state authorities that there would be a separate administration in the form of a Union Territory with a legislature. Earlier, the 24-hour "total shutdown" which was imposed in the Kuki-majority district was relaxed to allow the rally. One protester said, "The MLAs betrayed the expectations of the people by joining the government of Manipur and Nemcha Kipgen was made a deputy chief minister." Similar rallies condemning the act of the three BJP MLAs were also organised at Saikul in Kangpokpi district and the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district. In the wake of the outbreak of protests, security was tightened at the residences of the three legislators in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Pherzawl districts. Meanwhile, Govindas Konthoujam, who was sworn in as a minister on Wednesday, said that there are some disturbances in Churachandpur, but the situation is under control. "They (protesters) are expressing their anger and discontent. Nothing will happen. Security arrangements are there, but no action can be taken immediately. Many of them are peace-loving people who want normalcy to return in the state. Things will improve gradually," Govindas said. Background of ethnic tensions Manipur witnessed the outbreak of ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities in May 2023, leading to the imposition of President's Rule in February last year. Amid a demand by the Kuki-Zo leaders for a separate administrative unit for the community, BJP MLA Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Wednesday was sworn in as the 13th Chief Minister of Manipur, after the Centre revoked the President's Rule. Nemcha Kipgen, a BJP MLA who belongs to the Kuki community, and Naga People's Front legislator L Dikho, took oath as deputy chief ministers of Manipur. Hmar tribe MLA N Sanate was part of a BJP-led NDA team that met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Imphal to stake claim for government formation in the state. Another Kuki Zo MLA, L M Khaute, was also part of the team. There are 10 Kuki-Zo legislators in the Assembly, and seven of them are from the BJP. MUSCAT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran has rejected a "zero enrichment" demand at the indirect talks with the United States in Oman's Muscat, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported Friday. The two sides have centered on the dilution of Iran's existing uranium stockpile, Mehr reported. The atmosphere of the talks is "more serious" than the previous rounds of talks between the two sides, it added. Meanwhile, Iran's state-run IRIB TV reported Friday that the talks ended "for now" in Muscat, and that the two delegations may return home. In a previous report on Friday, IRIB said that several messages had been exchanged between the two sides via Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi, and that the talks might stretch into the coming days. The latest round of indirect talks started earlier on Friday, with an Iranian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and a U.S. delegation led by U.S. president's special envoy Steve Witkoff. The talks came amid heightened regional tensions, especially between Washington and Tehran, featuring a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and Iran's stepped-up preparations. The Supreme Court has ordered the Delhi police to locate and ensure the appearance of lawyer Mukut Nath Verma, who is accused of making defamatory statements against judges and the Supreme Court Bar Association election committee. IMAGE: The Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points The Supreme Court directs Delhi police commissioner to ensure lawyer Mukut Nath Verma's appearance in court. Verma is accused of making scandalous allegations against Supreme Court judges and the SCBA election committee. Previous bailable warrants against Verma were unsuccessful as the police could not locate him. The court is hearing a 2023 plea regarding reforms in the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA). The SCBA is considering reforms such as extending the tenure of elected representatives and prioritising physical appearances for voter eligibility. The Supreme Court directed the Delhi police commissioner on Friday to ensure the appearance of lawyer Mukut Nath Verma, who has allegedly made "scandalous and frivolous" allegations against apex court judges and the members of the election committee set up for conducting the SCBA polls. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was apprised by Supreme Court Bar Association President and senior advocate Vikas Singh and senior lawyer Vijay Hansaria, who also heads the SCBA election panel, that the Delhi police was unable to trace and execute the bailable warrants issued against the lawyer earlier. The court, which was hearing a 2023 plea of the SCBA on reforms in the association, had earlier taken a strong note of "a scandalous and frivolous complaint made by one Dr Mukut Nath Verma, Advocate, to the Tilak Marg police station against members of the Election Committee constituted by this court for conducting SCBA elections". SC directed lawyer's appearance in May 2025 The bench had directed the lawyer to remain present in court on May 29, 2025, and said if he failed to appear, coercive steps would be taken to secure his presence. On May 29 last year, Varma appeared before the court online, but the court insisted on his physical presence. Later, bailable warrants were issued against Varma but those were returned with a finding that police could not trace him. Now, the court has directed the police commissioner to ensure Varma's presence before it on February 23 by using "lawful coercive measures". SCBA Reforms and Suggestions In the meanwhile, the court asked SCBA secretary Pragya Baghel to collate the suggestions of the bar body, retired apex court judge L N Rao and Hansaria in a tabular form for passing necessary directions. Hansaria suggested that the tenure of the elected representative of the SCBA should be two years as against the existing one year, on the lines of the Supreme Court Advocate-on-Records Association (SCAoRA). The SCBA president suggested that the physical appearances of lawyers before apex court benches be given primacy for enabling them to be voters of the apex bar body and weed out fake ones. He referred to an instance where a person, running a marriage bureau, was registered as an SCBA member, eligible to vote in its elections. The bench said it will pass directions after taking note of the collated suggestions on the next date of hearing. The attack came less than three months after a suicide bomber killed 12 people in a blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad. IMAGE: A police officer walks past damage at the site, after militant attacks, in Quetta, Pakistan. Photograph: Reuters Key Points An explosion occurred at Tarlai Imambargah, a religious centre in Islamabad's Shehzad Town. The suicide bomber was stopped at the gate of the Imambargah, but he blew himself up, killing 12 people. Rescue operations are underway at the site of the Islamabad explosion. A state of emergency has been declared at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) following the explosion. A suicide bomber blew himself up at a Shia mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's capital, killing at least 31 people and injuring 169 others, said officials, in one of the worst terror attacks targeting the community in recent years. The powerful explosion, which was heard from a far distance, took place at Khadijatul Kubra mosque-cum-imambargah in the Tarlai area of Islamabad, the police said in a statement. The suicide bomber was stopped at the gate of the imambargah, but he detonated himself, police and eyewitnesses said. At least 31 people were killed and 169 others injured in the explosion, a district administration spokesperson said in a post on X. Police blames TTP for deadly attack No group immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. However, police sources said that the attacker was a foreign national and had links with Fitna al Khwaraji, a term used for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Citing eyewitnesses, Geo News reported that the terrorist first opened fire and then detonated himself. TV footage showed multiple bodies lying on the floor surrounded by shards of glass and debris. The police and Rescue 1122 personnel were involved in rescue operations. 2nd attack in 3 months The army troops and Rangers have cordoned off the area, and security operations are underway in and around the site of the blast. An emergency was declared in the hospitals of the capital to deal with the situation, as the injured were being shifted to hospitals. The attack came less than three months after a suicide bomber killed 12 people in a blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabad. Friday's attack came when Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was visiting Pakistan. He arrived on a two-day state visit on Thursday. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas condemned the attack. "Targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity," Zardari said. Strongly condemning the attack, Abbas said that targeting places of worship is a direct attack on humanity, religion and social values, which cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. According to police officials, the nature of the explosion was being probed, but the explosion seems to be a suicide attack. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry visited the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad and met the injured. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry strongly condemned the attack in a post on social media platform X, expressing grief over the loss of lives in the "cowardly act". "Such acts of terrorism cannot dampen the morale of the nation. The need of the hour is that we all stand united for peace, tolerance, and stability, and express solidarity with law enforcement agencies," the minister stressed. Chaudhry is a native of Islamabad and belongs to the area where the blast occurred. In a surprising turn, rival Shiv Sena factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray have joined forces with NCP factions to contest local elections in Maharashtra's Barshi taluka, setting aside political differences. IMAGE: The Shiv Sena-UBT has, on several occasions, said it will not have any truck with the Shiv Sena or the NCP. Photograph: ANI Photo Key Points The alliance includes both Shiv Sena factions and two NCP factions, creating a united front against the BJP in the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls. Despite past conflicts and differing political affiliations at the state level, local interests have driven this unusual collaboration. Eknath Shinde campaigned for the alliance, with a Sena-UBT MLA also present, highlighting the localised nature of the agreement. Bitter rivals, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), have come together to form a front in Barshi taluka of Maharashtra's Solapur district along with two NCP factions ahead of the local polls. Elections to 12 Zilla Parishads (ZPs) and 125 Panchayat Samitis will be held on February 7. The rival Shiv Sena factions, which often target each other, have forged an alliance to form a front at the taluka level in Barshi. Shinde campaigns in presence of Sena-UBT MLA Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday campaigned for the front comprising his party, Sena-UBT, Nationalist Congress Party and Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP. He addressed a rally at Vairag in Barshi taluka, where Sena-UBT MLA Dilip Sopal was also present. Speaking in a lighter vein, Shinde said Sopal, a multiple-term MLA, took the wrong bus, or else he would have been in the cabinet. He was alluding to Sopal not aligning with him but with the rival Sena-UBT in the 2024 state assembly polls. Alliance limited to local level A Shiv Sena-UBT leader from Solapur, requesting anonymity, said the alliance between his party and three others is limited to the local level against the BJP. "This alliance is restricted to Barshi taluka, which comprises 238 villages. It is for ZP and panchayat samiti polls...," he told PTI on Thursday. The Shiv Sena-UBT has, on several occasions, said it will not have any truck with the Shiv Sena or the NCP. The party leadership was also upset over the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joining hands with the Shiv Sena in the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district. The MNS had then defended the move, saying the alliance was done at the local level and without the approval of the party leadership. Not the first instance In the municipal council polls held in December last year, the two Sena factions came together and formed a front at Kankavli in Sindhudurg district, where its candidate won. The candidate backed by Sena's Nilesh Rane defeated his challenger, who was supported by his brother and state minister Nitesh Rane, on their home turf. 2022 Sena Split Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray, along with a majority of MLAs. Shinde then joined hands with the BJP and became the chief minister. His party is currently a part of the Mahayuti government helmed by the BJP with the NCP as another constituent, while Sena-UBT is a member of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. The Dhaka police used batons, sound grenades and water cannon as the protestors tried to break through security barricades in front of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus' official Jamuna residence, defying the ban IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo/Reuters At least 50 activists of the ultra-right Inqilab Mancha were injured on Friday in a clash with the police in Bangladesh when they tried to defy a ban during a protest demanding immediate justice over the killing of their leader Sharif Osman Hadi last year. Key Points The police action left more than 50 protestors, including Inqilab Mancha member-secretary Abdullah Al Zaber, wounded The activists of the right-wing cultural group blocked a nearby major intersection in the capital's central Shahbagh area, bringing traffic to a standstill The Inqilab Mancha's attempt to break through the barricades of Jamuna came despite an announcement by Yunus' office earlier on Thursday that it would propose a UN investigation into Hadi's murder The Dhaka police used batons, sound grenades and water cannon as the protestors tried to break through security barricades in front of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus' official Jamuna residence, defying an earlier announced ban on rallies there. Hadi, a front-line activist of the violent 2024 student-led street protest dubbed July Uprising that toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government, was a candidate in the February 12 parliamentary polls. He was shot in the capital on December 12 while electioneering and later succumbed to his injuries. Witnesses said the police in riot gear turned tough as the protestors tried to break through security barricades in front of Jamuna from a nearby sit-in demonstration, defying the earlier announced ban on rallies adjacent to Jamuna. According to newspaper reports, the police action left more than 50 protestors, including Inqilab Mancha member-secretary Abdullah Al Zaber, wounded. In protest against the police action, activists of the right-wing cultural group blocked a nearby major intersection in the capital's central Shahbagh area, bringing traffic to a standstill. Dhaka metropolitan police, in a statement, said the protesters were dispersed in a "fully lawful" manner and no lethal weapons or gunfire were used for it. After the clash, Yunus' office binned reports of "excessive use of force" against the protestors. "According to information received from doctors at the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, 23 people, including Inqilab Mancha secretary-general Abdullah Al Zaber, received treatment there. But the doctors confirmed that none of them received bullet wounds," the government statement said. The Inqilab Mancha's attempt to break through the barricades of Jamuna came despite an announcement by Yunus' office earlier on Thursday that it would propose a UN investigation into Hadi's murder. Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam said the government would ask the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to take charge of the inquiry to ensure full impartiality and justice. In its statement following the clashes, Yunus' office reiterated that the interim government was "deeply reviewing the legal aspects" of the UN investigation and would send a letter to the concerned UN agency on February 8. The government earlier observed a day of mourning for "martyr" Hadi, and law adviser Asif Nazrul said the murder case would be transferred to a fast-track tribunal under the Speedy Trial Tribunal Act that stipulates trials to be completed within 90 days once the police report is submitted. The Jamuna is guarded by army troops equipped with guns and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) alongside police. As an extra precaution against escalating tensions, the government on Friday called out six platoons or nearly 180 paramilitary Border Guard (BGB) soldiers to enforce a security vigil. Hours after Hadi's death in December, his supporters set alight the offices of two mass circulation newspapers Daily Star and Prothom Alo as well as the over half-century-old progressive cultural groups Chayanat and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi in the capital. They also lynched a Hindu factory worker in central Mymensingh. Last month, Hadi's brother Omar Hadi told a protest rally that a section within the interim government plotted the killing to derail the February 12 polls. "Those who are in power when Osman Hadi was killed, you won't be able to evade the responsibility," Omar had said. The government allocated Taka 2 crore ($20 million) to support Hadi's family, and appointed his elder brother Abu Bakar Siddiq as a second secretary at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Birmingham, UK. Bina Das, 21, got up at her graduating ceremony to assassinate the governor of Bengal. He escaped and she was imprisoned for 9 years. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff Key Points College student Bina Das tried to assassinate the British governor at the convocation ceremony. She fired five shots and was imprisoned for 9 years for attempt to murder. She was later imprisoned for 3 years during the Quit India Movement. Bina Das died a lonely death. Her body was found by the roadside. On February 6, 1932, the convocation hall of Calcutta University was full of graduating students, dressed in scholar robes, eager to receive degrees from the British governor of Bengal, Sir Francis Stanley Jackson. Bina Das, 21, a student of Bethune College, was among the group of graduating students. But obtaining a bachelor's degree from a colonial oppressor was the last thing on her mind. Since she was a child, her mission had been only this -- the freedom of India. Seated in her chair, she felt the revolver hidden in the folds of her robe. A member of the Chhatri Sangh, a semi-revolutionary organisation for women started by her sister, she had procured the weapon from another woman revolutionary. As Jackson delivered his speech, Bina Das got up from her chair, aimed the revolver and fired five shots. Jackson, who had played 20 Test matches for England, ducked at the nick of time, saved himself and continued with his speech. An aside: Jackson, Wikipedia informs us, 'spotted the talent of Ranjitsinhji when the latter, owing to his unorthodox batting and his race, was struggling to find a place for himself in the university side, and as captain was responsible for Ranji's inclusion in the Cambridge First XI and the awarding of his Blue.' 9 years in jail Bina Das was arrested, stood trial and was imprisoned for nine years for attempted murder. Her confessional statement ran into five pages and was banned from publication by the British government. 'My object was to die, to die nobly fighting this despotic government which has kept my country in infinite shame and suffering. Is life worth living in an India groaning under the tyranny of a foreign government or is it not better to make one's supreme protest by giving one's life away,' she said in her well-drafted confession which was a scathing indictment of British repressive rule. Though banned, the confession was widely circulated for nearly 50 years indicating the impact of her actions which was to shake the foundations of the British empire. Bina Das served nine years in the Midnapore, Alipore and Hijli jails and led a hunger strike inside Midnapore jail against violence by the jailor. She also met Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to Alipore jail and later worked in relief camps in Noakhali during the post-Partition riots. Life after Independence She joined the Congress on release after her first imprisonment in 1939 and continued organising anti-British protests. She was imprisoned again for three years in Presidency jail during the Quit India Movement in 1942. After Independence, she married Joytish Bhowmick and contested elections in Bengal. She was an MLA from 1946 to 1951. Later, disillusioned with the Congress, she left the party and became a teacher. She was honoured with a Padma Shri in 1960 and wrote two memoirs Shrinkhal Jhankar (Ringing Chains) and Pitridhan. A sad and lonely death After her husband's passing in 1986, she spent her last days in Rishikesh and died a lonely death. Her body was found by the roadside in December 1986. Degree conferred after 80 years In 2012, her graduation degree that had been upheld by the British was posthumously conferred at the convocation ceremony that year. Pritilata Wadedar, another revolutionary whose degree was similarly withheld, was also awarded her degree posthumously. Wadedar had taken cyanide before the British could arrest her after she and fellow revolutionaries burnt a European club that banned 'dogs and Indians' from entry. Revolution ran in Bina Das's blood A school topper, Bina Das's parents were members of the Brahmo Samaj. Subhas Chandra Bose was her father's student and often visited their home. Her brother and elder sister were freedom fighters. As a school girl, she refused to shower flowers at the viceroy's wife's feet who was to visit the school and left the rehearsal in a sign of revolt. Bina Das recruited youngsters and organised protests and boycotts against the Simon Commission. She was just 17 then. A stamp was released in her memory in 2021. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff KHOEMACAU, Botswana, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese investment in Botswana's mining sector injects new energy into the southern African country's economy, Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Kenewendo said on Friday. Speaking at the expansion project groundbreaking ceremony of the China Minmetals Corporation (CMC) affiliated MMG Khoemacau mine in North West District, Botswana, Kenewendo highlighted that the output of the expanded project is forecast to account for 6 percent of Botswana's gross domestic product, creating around 4,000 jobs. Botswana welcomes both domestic and international investors, which benefits the local people, she noted, stressing the value of the supply chain. Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Fan Yong noted that the Khoemacau project has become the biggest Chinese single investment in Botswana. "This expansion project stands as a new and important milestone in China-Botswana economic and trade relations, reflecting the deepening of our bilateral ties and serving as a perfect model of Chinese investment supporting Botswana's long-term development," said the ambassador. CMC Vice President Xu Jiqing said the company vows to implement green and environment-friendly mining, is committed to community development, citizen economic empowerment, and workforce skills development, and the expansion project costs 930 million U.S. dollars. Speaking from Beijing, capital of China, through a video link, CMC Chairman Chen Dexin declared the official opening. The event drew over 300 participants, including representatives from the North West District council, local community, and CMC companies. The Khoemacau project was completed and commenced operations in June 2021, with a designed annual output of 60,000 tonnes of copper and 1.6 million ounces of silver. In November 2023, MMG entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire the Khoemacau Copper Mine. The expansion is expected to increase production to over 130,000 tonnes of copper and over 4 million ounces of silver metal per year to unlock the full potential of its prized position in the emerging Kalahari Copper Belt, according to files from the company. The family of Iranian bodybuilder Mehdi Chooghadi says he was shot by security forces on January 9 in the city of Shahreza amid a crackdown on nationwide protests. Chooghadi's wounds indicated he was shot from behind after a large crowd had gathered in the streets -- many others were also killed while trying to flee snipers, according to witnesses who spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Farda. Under a proposed 20th European Union sanctions package against Russia, expected to be adopted by the end of the month, Kyrgyzstan could face certain export restrictions for the first time. According to draft proposals seen by RFE/RL, the EU is considering export bans on at least two dual-use items -- computer-controlled CNC machines that cut, drill, and shape material as well as radio equipment -- amid concerns that goods exported to Kyrgyzstan may be reexported to Russia, circumventing existing sanctions against Moscow over its war in Ukraine. The draft package also proposes adding CJSC TengriCoin, a Kyrgyz cryptocurrency company, to the EU blacklist for its role in trading the A7A5 stablecoin, which supports Russian state-linked financial interests. If approved, the restrictions would be the first application of the EUs anti-circumvention instrument, introduced in 2023. Unlike traditional sanctions, this tool focuses on sector-specific export bans rather than requiring proof of intentional violations. Dual-Use Imports The draft notes that preventing and countering sanctions circumvention in third countries remain a priority. Kyrgyzstan is the first country on the EUs radar as a potential route for such circumvention, prompting Brussels to propose tighter controls. The EU plans to expand sectoral restrictions to cover high-precision metalworking machines and communications equipment, blocking exports of these items to Kyrgyzstan. These goods can be used to produce weapons, build military equipment, and support operations such as drone deployment and secure field communications. Draft EU data shows that exports of these items to Kyrgyzstan rose nearly 800 percent in the first 10 months of 2025 compared with pre-invasion levels, while Kyrgyz exports of the same goods to Russia increased by about 1,200 percent. The import of these items into the Kyrgyz Republic from the Union demonstrates a continuing and particularly high risk of circumvention, with these items being subsequently sold, supplied, transferred or exported from the Kyrgyz Republic to Russia, the draft says. According to the document, despite repeated EU engagement and technical talks, Kyrgyz authorities have not implemented "effective" controls, leading the bloc to view Kyrgyzstan as a country where sanctions circumvention is ongoing and systematic. The proposed sectoral restrictions aim to close this loophole across the EU and ensure consistent application in all member states. Germany, Italy, France, and Poland are among EU suppliers of industrial machinery and electronics to Kyrgyzstan, including CNC and radio components, which Russia used to purchase directly from these countries before the war for its advanced military production. Unanimous Approval Any EU sanctions package requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states, so negotiations may modify or delay the final measures. On February 9, Reuters reported that German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul will meet with his counterparts from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan in Berlin to discuss energy cooperation and preventing the circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia. A German government spokesperson noted that the region is important for energy diversification, resource security, and trade in raw materials, while also emphasizing the need to prevent Russian sanctions circumvention through Central Asia. The spokesperson did not want to say whether Germany would support the proposed EU sanctions against Kyrgyzstan. According to RFE/RL diplomatic sources, Germany, as a major supplier of industrial machinery and electronics that include components like CNC and radio equipment to Kyrgyzstan, might oppose the draft sanctions to protect its business interests. Targeting Crypto The draft package also proposes adding CJSC TengriCoin, a Kyrgyz cryptocurrency company, to the EU blacklist. TengriCoin runs the Meer platform, a major marketplace for trading the A7A5 stablecoin, which is backed by Promsvyazbank, a Russian state-owned bank. The EU views this activity as supporting Russian state-linked financial interests, including those responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of Ukraine. Western regulators have long raised concerns about Russia-linked crypto in Kyrgyzstan. In 2025, the Grinex exchange, launched by Moldovan oligarch Ilan Shor, and the A7A5 stablecoin were already under international scrutiny. The US Treasury, the UK government, and the EU sanctioned Grinex, A7A5, and their founders. An investigation by RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service estimated that A7A5 transactions reached $79 billion, while other reports suggest circulation through Grinex exceeded $100 billion by early 2026. Therefore, CJSC TengriCoin is supporting and benefitting from the Government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilisation of Ukraine. In addition, CJSC TengriCoin is associated with Promsvyazbank, Limited Liability Company A7 and Limited Liability Company Old Vector, the EU draft says. A7A5 was developed by Limited Liability A7 and Limited Liability Company Old Vector, linking CJSC TengriCoin directly to these entities. Through the Meer platform, CJSC TengriCoin channels funds into Promsvyazbank, supporting Russian state financial interests. Playing Clean Kyrgyz officials have strongly denied claims that the country facilitates sanctions evasion. Last week, First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Daniyar Amangeldiev told RFE/RL that Bishkek had received no official notification of sanctions and that reports so far were based on media coverage. We are holding consultations with EU Special Envoy for Sanctions David O'Sullivan and have imposed restrictions on the export of weapons and sensitive goods. Trade statistics based on percentage growth can also be misleading when initial volumes were very low, he said. Economically, EU export bans on machinery and electronics could disrupt supply chains, increase costs, discourage foreign investment, and make European banks and insurers more cautious in dealing with Kyrgyz counterparties. Once imposed, such measures are difficult to reverse and require sustained proof that reexports have stopped. In a conversation with RFE/RL, Kyrgyz economist Marat Musuraliev warned that if the EU eventually imposes country-level export restrictions, it could severely harm Kyrgyzstans reputation and economic prospects. If individuals or private companies profit from bypassing sanctions and the EU then sanctions the country, we will all bear the consequences. Its easy to fall under sanctions, but very difficult to recover. This would inflict serious damage on our economy, he said. Its also a reputational issue. Anyone considering investing in Kyrgyzstan will not just think once, they will think seven times before making a decision. The No. 2 officer at the Russian military intelligence agency known as GRU was shot and wounded in Moscow, in what investigators called an assassination attempt. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev, 65, was hospitalized early on February 6 after being shot several times, including in the back, the Investigative Committee said in a statement. He was hospitalized in critical condition. The shooter fled the scene, the committee said. The newspaper Kommersant reported that investigators believe Alekseyev was shot twice by a person posing as a food delivery courier who had entered his apartment building. The newspaper said Alekseyev, who was on his way to work, was shot twice in the building's stairwell and then a third time as he fended off the attack, after which the shooter fled the scene. Alekseyev is deputy commander of the GRU, the Defense Ministry's intelligence agency that is known for audacious operations ranging from sabotage, assassination, espionage, and cyberattacks. Alekseyev has been implicated by Britain in the 2018 near-fatal Novichok poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Britain. A British woman died after being inadvertently exposed to the poison. He's also been linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, a St. Petersburg restaurateur who co-founded Russia's most notorious mercenary company, Wagner Group. Prigozhin died in a plane crash in August 2023, which Western intelligence officials later concluded was an assassination. The US Treasury Department hit Alekseyev and other GRU officers with financial sanctions for hacking US political parties and other cyberespionage operations. If confirmed Alekseyev was the target of an assassination attempt, it would be the latest in a series of attacks on top Russian military officials -- many in Moscow. Suspicion for the attacks has fallen in large part on Ukrainian intelligence agencies, which have pulled off their own audacious sabotage and assassination operations inside of Russia in recent years. In December, the head of the General Staff's operational training directorate, Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, died after a bomb exploded under his car on Moscow's outskirts. Eight months prior, another lieutenant general, Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy chief in the General Staffs operation directorate, was killed in a car bombing outside Mocsow. And in 2024, the officer in charge of Russia's nuclear and chemical weapons protection forces, was killed when an electric scooter exploded on the sidewalk outside his Moscow apartment building. With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service In one of the deadliest attacks in years, a suicide bomber killed at least 31 people during an attack on a Shiite Muslim mosque in Pakistans capital, Islamabad, as it observed Friday Prayers. Officials said the February 6 bombing also wounded some 170 worshippers in Tarlai, a suburb of Islamabad. Mosques across the Muslim world are crowded during Friday Prayers. Video footage from the immediate aftermath of the attack showed bodies lying on the mosque floor amid debris. Scores of wounded were lying on the lawns of the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah mosque. "A total of 31 people have lost their lives. The number of wounded brought to hospitals has risen to 169," Irfan Memon, the deputy commissioner, a senior civilian administrator, said in a statement. Aun Shah, an eyewitness, said two attackers first shot dead the security guards of the mosque. He said some worshippers attempted to stop them by running towards them. As soon as [the attackers] reached the gate, one of them detonated his [explosive-laden] belt, he told RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal. Some of the worshippers later protested outside the mosque. They questioned their governments inability to prevent rising terrorist attacks. "Your security should have been present before the Friday Prayers, said one worshipper. But there was no security here during the prayers. Attacks in the heavily guarded Islamabad are rare. But Pakistans northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces have been hit by increasingly violent Islamist and nationalist insurgencies, which pit the Pakistani Taliban and secular ethnic Baluch separatists against Pakistani security forces. The attack follows the largest attack in Balochistan in more than two decades last week. The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Conflict monitor ACLED declared it the deadliest in Islamabad in a decade, adding that it bore "hallmarks of the Islamic State." In the Sunni majority nation of 240 million people, Shiites make up to 15 percent of the population. Since the 1980s, thousands have been killed in sectarian violence that has often seen Shiites targeted by Sunni extremists. US Vice President JD Vance will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan to reinforce a US-brokered peace deal and advance a strategic transit corridor Washington sees as central to reshaping trade, energy, and influence across the South Caucasus. Vance will arrive in Armenia for a February 9 visit focused on trade, investment, and infrastructure in the region and then on to Azerbaijan. At the center of the visits to both countries is the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a proposed 43-kilometer road-and-rail corridor through Armenia that would link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave while opening a new east-west trade artery bypassing Russia and Iran. The transit route is part of a peace agreement brokered in Washington in August 2025 between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that looks to end decades of war between the two countries. "Vance's visit should serve to reaffirm the US's commitment to seeing the Trump Route through," Joshua Kucera, senior South Caucasus analyst at the International Crisis Group, told RFE/RL. "Many in the region will also be watching to see whether Vance signals a deepening of US involvement in resolving the conflict." Few details have been disclosed ahead of the visit, but US President Donald Trump said in a social media post in late January that Vance's tour would "strengthen our strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, a beautiful Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation with Armenia, Deals for our Great Semiconductor Makers, and the sale of Made in the U.S.A. Defense Equipment, such as body armor and boats, and more, to Azerbaijan." The peace agreement has boosted Washington's position in the region at a time when Russia's influence has faced setbacks in Baku and Yerevan. Vance's arrival also coincides with other regional developments -- such as US-Iran tensions amid ongoing peace talks in Oman and a new US-backed critical minerals initiative -- that analysts say has placed the South Caucasus at an unlikely nexus for US policy priorities. TRIPP, which potentially opens up new trade links between Central Asia and Europe that bypass Russia and Iran, could also enable new ways for Central Asian critical minerals and metals to flow to Western markets, which was a focal point of a November 2025 summit between Trump and Central Asian leaders. "It's noteworthy that it's Vance on this trip," Joseph Epstein, director of the Washington-based Yorktown Institute's Turan Research Center, told RFE/RL. "He represents a more isolationist part of the White House, but he's going to be championing deals on this trip that weaken Russian and Iranian influence -- and the throughline is critical minerals." Washington Eyes The South Caucasus Vance will be the most senior US official to ever visit Armenia and is the first to visit Azerbaijan since former US Vice President Dick Cheney in 2008. "There hasn't been engagement with the region of this kind since the Bush administration, and that was largely all through Georgia," said Epstein. Cheney also visited Georgia that year and former US President George W. Bush visited Tbilisi in 2005. Joe Biden also visited Georgia as vice president in 2009. The August 2025 deal that Washington brokered with Aliyev and Pashinyan followed nearly 40 years of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Under the agreement, the countries relinquished all claims to each other's territory and are required to refrain from using force against one another and pledge to respect international law. TRIPP emerged as an economically focused component of that wider deal and is designed to foster peace through economic interdependence and integration while working as a confidence-building mechanism for both sides. TRIPP also offered a solution to a crucial part of the 2020 cease-fire agreement with Armenia and Azerbaijan: unfettered transport access to its exclave of Nakhchivan while also allowing Yerevan to maintain control over its sovereign territory along the proposed route. Until recently, few details were public about how the route would be implemented, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced a detailed framework on January 13. They announced the creation of a new TRIPP Development Company (TDC) that will construct the initial rail and road segments of the project, with the United States taking a 74 percent controlling stake for the first 49 years. That will then revert to a 51 percent US stake for the following 50 years should it be agreed to be extended. "In a region like the Caucasus, even a small amount of attention from the US can make a significant impact," said Kucera, who previously worked as a contributor to RFE/RL. Once completed, TRIPP will connect to other developing infrastructure projects in Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, and Turkey, and serve as an important node connecting to the Middle Corridor , an emerging 6,500-kilometer-long trade route, bypassing Russia, that connects China to Europe through Central Asia and the Caucasus. TRIPP would also help circumvent Georgia, whose relations with the United States and Europe have deteriorated in recent years as the ruling Georgian Dream party has taken on an increasingly anti-Western posture amid a pivot closer to Russia and China. Linking Peace To Supply Chains Ahead of Vance's visit, Armenia also sent signals that it is leaning toward selecting an American company to build a new nuclear reactor to replace its aging Russian-built Metsamor facility. While a decision isn't expected until later in 2026 or 2027, David Khudatyan, Armenia's minister of territorial administration and infrastructure, said that the new plant would have a modular design, a type of nuclear technology where US firms are considered a leader. That would broadly align with US policy goals under the Trump administration aimed at ensuring access to Eurasia's strategic resources and integrating metals and critical minerals into its supply chain. On February 4, Vance unveiled plans to marshal US partners into a preferential trade bloc for critical minerals , proposing coordinated price floors as Washington escalates efforts to loosen China's grip on materials crucial to advanced manufacturing. Few issues have shaped the White House's agenda since Trump returned to office more than critical minerals, a group of roughly 50 mineral commodities that the US Geological Survey has deemed critical to the country's national and economic security. Among those commodities are rare earths, 17 elements used in everything from wind turbines to smartphones to fighter jet engines. Representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan were among the 55 countries at the launch event in Washington for the new US initiative. Eldaniz Gusseinov, head of research at Nightingale Intelligence, a political foresight firm, told RFE/RL that TRIPP, which would open up Armenia and Azerbaijan's closed border, would connect to those broader goals by providing a way for Central Asian minerals to be more easily brought to Western markets. "Logistics is the main question for all of this," he said. "Currently, most of Central Asia's raw materials are going to China, but TRIPP could help provide new incentives to draw in investment and provide new alternatives." WASHINGTON, DC -- The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the final remaining bilateral agreement limiting US and Russian nuclear arsenals, expired on February 5, closing a chapter that began in the Cold War and survived its end. With no successor treaty in place, the worlds two largest nuclear powers -- which together possess roughly 90 percent of global nuclear warheads -- now face one another without legally binding limits, inspections, or verification regimes. Arms control advocates warn the lapse could accelerate an already intensifying competition involving not just Washington and Moscow, but Beijing as well. US officials, however, argue the treatys expiration reflects reality rather than rupture. "Today, the United States faces threats from multiple nuclear powers. In short, a bilateral treaty with only one nuclear power is simply inappropriate in 2026 and going forward," Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno told delegates at the Disarmament Conference in Geneva on February 6. Those comments came after Russia had suggested both sides voluntarily extend the terms of the agreement for a year to discuss a successor treaty. New Geopolitical Reality US President Donald Trump, though, has said there should be a new treaty to replace New START, which was signed in 2010 by the United States and Russia and limited the two countries to 1,550 deployed warheads each. "There is an understanding, and this was also discussed in Abu Dhabi, that both sides will act responsibly and will recognize the need to start negotiations on this issue as soon as possible," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in reference to talks US officials had with Russian military contacts in the Middle East on February 6. At the heart of the matter, according to US officials, is geopolitical reality: There are no longer only two nuclear superpowers that should be bound by such treaties. In a Substack essay published on February 6, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that Washington is ushering in a new arms race with its position, arguing that Russia had effectively rendered New START unworkable years ago by suspending implementation in 2023 after what he described as repeated violations. But central to Rubios argument is China. He noted that Beijings rapid and opaque nuclear buildup -- from a stockpile in the low 200s in 2020 to more than 600 warheads today, with projections exceeding 1,000 by 2030 -- has made bilateral arms control obsolete. Any future framework, he said, must account for a world in which the US confronts two nuclear peers, not one. Rubio outlined three principles guiding the administrations approach: arms control must be multilateral, must not ignore noncompliance, and must be pursued from a position of strength, including maintaining a robust and modernized US nuclear deterrent. Still, he emphasized that the administration shares Trumps stated desire to reduce global nuclear dangers and move toward fewer nuclear weapons in reality, not just on paper. For officials who served in the Biden administration, the treatys final years were already hollow. Thomas Wright, the former senior director for strategic planning at the National Security Council, described the post-2023 New START as a zombie extension -- a shell stripped of inspections and verification after Russia suspended those provisions and linked arms control to the war in Ukraine. Wright argued the US simply should not have observed the treatys limits without demanding the restoration of inspections, noting that meaningful arms control cannot exist without verification. New Era Of Arms Control Still, he acknowledged that Russias broader behavior -- from nuclear threats related to Ukraine to new destabilizing weapons and a parallel buildup with China -- signaled the effective end of the era Americans had grown accustomed to. Thomas Countryman, chairman of the Arms Control Association, and a former senior State Department official, offered perhaps the starkest framing. He said two futures now loom. One is a new arms control era that brings China into the equation with new mechanisms to reduce nuclear competition -- an outcome he said he strongly supports. The other is a trilateral arms race among the United States, Russia, and China that would exceed the one during the Cold War in both cost and risk. Speaking at the Quincy Institute on February 5, Countryman said the pessimistic scenario currently appears more plausible, noting that the US has taken little concrete action on arms control over the past decade despite spending more than $100 billion annually on nuclear forces. Countryman said US and Russian officials need to immediately authorize their negotiators to resume talks while also bringing China in to the dialogue, avoiding unnecessary increases in deployed weapons in the meantime. He warned that insisting on trilateral negotiations as a precondition risks becoming an excuse for inaction between Washington and Moscow. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and multiple others injured on Thursday after a vehicle crashed into a grocery store in the Westwood neighborhood in the U.S. city of Los Angeles, said local authorities. The crash was reported around noon at a 99 Ranch Market, an Asian supermarket chain. Upon arrival, firefighters found a silver sedan that had crashed through multiple front-facing windows into the bakery section of the store, an area occupied by customers at the time, said the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Approximately one block away from the store, a bicyclist was also struck by the vehicle before it crashed into the building, said LAFD, adding that firefighters immediately moved the car to free several trapped victims and then initiated triage and treatment at the scene. Three people, two men aged 55 and 30, and a 42-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene, while four patients were transported to local hospitals, according to LAFD. Both the driver and the bicyclist were evaluated at the scene and declined treatment or hospital transport, it said. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said the driver has been identified as an elderly female, and the collision remains under investigation, but is not considered an intentional act. LAPD Captain Anthony Espinoza said during a press briefing that the driver appeared to have struck the bicyclist and then "unintentionally lost control" of her Toyota Prius before crashing into the market. "The incident is unintentional, and it's just an unfortunate accident," Espinoza said. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on X that members of the LAFD and LAPD would remain at the scene, and that the Mayor's Crisis Response Team was en route to provide support and resources. "I'm asking all Angelenos to avoid the area as the investigation into this tragic incident is ongoing," Bass said. SYDNEY, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A man was fatally shot by police following a stabbing incident on the Mid North Coast of the Australian state of New South Wales, local media reported on Friday. The man was fatally shot by officers from the Manning Great Lakes Police District, and a woman was stabbed in a related incident, according to ABC News. A critical incident investigation will be carried out. No additional details are available at this stage. Ballymoe native and Paralympian, Richael Timothy, was one of the guest speakers at the 12th annual I Wish Festival at the RDS, Dublin, on Thursday. The para-cyclist was joined by International Rose of Tralee, Dancing with the Stars contestant, and apprentice electrical engineer Katelyn Cummins, boxer Grainne Walsh and other special guests at an event which heard that lack of early exposure remained a key factor preventing more girls from pursuing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. Almost 4,000 female teenage students from across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland gathered in the RDS for the acclaimed annual experience-led STEM event where guest speaker Katelyn Cummins outlined that many girls rule out engineering long before they ever reach third level not due to a lack of ability or ambition, but because they simply dont see the pathway. If I hadnt met women working in engineering, I wouldnt have believed there was a place for me, she said. Too many girls never get the chance to see what modern engineering really looks like creative, hands-on, technology-driven and full of opportunity. I Wish shows girls whats possible before they make choices that can quietly close doors. The I Wish Festival connects thousands of teenage girls with female role models, industry leaders and real-world STEM careers. This years Festival placed a strong emphasis on AI, engineering, construction and future-ready STEM careers. With 50 per cent of girls citing a lack of access to female role models as a barrier to STEM careers, according to the 2025 I Wish Report, and 58 per cent saying they lacked confidence in a career in STEM, over 30 speakers engaged directly with students at the event, highlighting the critical role visible role models play in shaping career choice. I Wish a multi-award-winning programme showcasing the power of STEM to female students in Ireland and across the globe has held its renowned annual Festival since 2015. It has engaged with 65,988 students, hosted 1,118 speakers, and partnered with 141 industry leaders. The chairman and chief executive of Ballymore, Oran native Sean Mulryan has, this afternoon, launched a 500,000 fund to encourage young people across County Roscommon to take up construction apprenticeships. The bursary will be available over a five year period to people who were either born, were educated or are currently living in County Roscommon, Mr Mulryans native county. Funded by Ballymore Group and run by Galway & Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB), the Ballymore Construction Apprenticeship Bursary is designed to support apprentices across a range of building trades and increase participation by school-leavers or those returning to education in or from County Roscommon. Mr Mulryan launched the pilot scheme at Roscommon Community College his former secondary school today, February 6th, with the aim of helping to address Irelands housing and skills shortage. The bursary will be open to apprentices in the following trades: brick & stone laying, wood manufacturing & finishing, plumbing, carpentry/joinery, scaffolding, stonecutting & stonemasonry, plastering, painting & decorating, toolmaking, heavy vehicle mechanics, civil engineering technician (Level 6) and supply chain management associate (level 6). Sean Mulryan addressing the gathering at Roscommon Community College. Speaking this afternoon Mr Mulryan said Ireland needs to drive up the rate of infrastructure delivery massively over the next five years houses, rail links, water, energy and road systems. And we need to ramp up the range of construction skills across the labour force to meet the pent-up demand for all kinds of public and private infrastructure. I am delighted to make a contribution with this pilot scheme to remove some of the barriers to choosing apprenticeships, and I would encourage others in a position to help to consider a similar approach. University education isnt the right road for every school-leaver, and parents should encourage young people to consider avenues that may be more rewarding for them. Apprenticeships can be a pathway to running your own business or to exciting, well-paid careers. Ballymore will announce further apprenticeship initiatives at a later stage, underscoring its commitment to skills development. David Leahy, chief executive of GRETB said: Galway and Roscommon ETB is committed to supporting Ballymore in the roll out of this bursary scheme, and we look forward to working closely with them into the future as we develop skills training capacity in Roscommon and beyond. More details here on the bursary programme: https://gretb.ie/further-education-training/ballymore-construction-apprenticeship-bursary/ Delhi: Biker Dies After Falling Into Pit at Delhi Jal Board Work Site He further said that anyone found responsible for the death would not be spared. In a tragic incident, a biker lost his life after falling into a pit in Delhi, news agency ANI reported on Friday. Delhi Minister Ashish Sood told the media that the incident occurred at a site where Delhi Jal Board work was underway. Advertisement "I received news of this unfortunate accident around 8:30-9 am, and I have been here since then... Delhi Jal Board work was in progress here, and I have instructed the Jal Board to investigate it, he added. He further said that anyone found responsible for the death would not be spared. The minister added that the Jal Board had conducted an audit of all safety protocols and issued circulars, and that the incident took place despite these measures being in place. Advertisement Police are currently investigating the incident to determine how it occurred, with CCTV footage being examined. (For more news apart from Delhi: Biker Dies After Falling Into Pit at Delhi Jal Board Work Site," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Delhi govt takes cognizance of biker's death after fall into govt-dug pit It has directed a joint inspection of the site, to be led by the Delhi Urban Development Minister, The Delhi government on Friday took cognizance of an incident in which a bike rider lost his life after falling into a deep pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board for repair work in AC-30, Janakpuri (Joginder Singh Marg). It has directed a joint inspection of the site, to be led by the Delhi Urban Development Minister, on February 7, starting at 10:00 a.m., to assess the situation and take remedial measures. Advertisement The Chief Secretary (PWD), CEO of the Delhi Jal Board, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Joint Commissioner of Police (Western Range), District Magistrate (West District) of the Revenue Department, Deputy Commissioner (West) of the MCD, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), West District, Chief Engineer (PWD), and Chief Engineer (DJB) have been requested to attend the inspection. The bike rider has been identified as Kamal Dhyan, whose body was found lying next to his Apache RTR 200 motorcycle at the bottom of the pit. Advertisement The victim was wearing a helmet, riding jacket, and gloves at the time of the incident. He worked as an Assistant Manager at HDFC Banks Rohini branch. According to a report by NDTV, his family said the incident occurred while he was returning home late Wednesday night. He had informed his twin brother, Karan, that he would reach home within 10 minutes. (For more news apart from Delhi: Biker Dies After Falling Into Pit at Delhi Jal Board Work Site," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Delhi Surge in Missing Persons: Police Say It's Being Pushed Through Paid Promotion for Monetary Gains, Warn Action it added, Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals. Delhi Police on Friday stated that the hype around a surge in missing girls in the national capital is being pushed through paid promotion. In a statement issued on its official X account, Delhi Police wrote, After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Advertisement Indicating alleged monetary gain behind such content promotion, it added, Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals. Yesterday, in a separate statement, Delhi Police termed reports of missing children in the national capital as rumour and appealed to citizens not to fall prey to them. Recent public discourse has raised concerns about the welfare of children in Delhi. We appeal to the citizens not to fall prey to the rumours about the spurt in the cases of missing children, the Delhi Police statement read. Advertisement Recent reports had suggested that a large number of people, including children and women, went missing in the first fifteen days of January 2026, indicating mass trafficking, with over 800 missing persons. Recent public discourse has raised concerns about the welfare of children in Delhi. We appeal to the citizens not to fall prey to the rumours about the spurt in the cases of missing children. While denying such claims, we also warn rumour mongers of strict legal action for Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 5, 2026 Denying these claims, police warned alleged rumour mongers of strict legal action for creating panic and fear through data misinterpretation. Advertisement While denying such claims, we also warn rumour mongers of strict legal action for creating unnecessary panic and fear by misrepresenting data, the statement read. It added that the department is making efforts to trace all missing persons and reunite them with their distraught family members at the earliest. (For more news apart from Delhi Surge in Missing Persons: Police Say Its Being Pushed Through Paid Promotion for Monetary Gains, Warn Action," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) Pakistan: At least 10 killed in explosion during Friday Namaz of Shia community at Islamabad imambargah The main emergency, orthopaedic, burn centre, and neurology departments have been activated, a spokesperson confirmed the news outlet. An explosion occurred at the Tarlai Imambargah, located in the Shehzad Town area of Pakistans federal capital, Islamabad, on Friday, leaving multiple people injured, according to Dawn. Police and Rescue 1122 personnel have reached the site and initiated rescue operations. Advertisement An emergency has been imposed at the federal capitals Polyclinic, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), and CDA Hospital, the report said. Additionally, an emergency has been enforced at PIMS on the directives of the Executive Director (ED). The main emergency, orthopaedic, burn centre, and neurology departments have been activated, a spokesperson confirmed the news outlet. Advertisement The injured are being rushed to nearby hospitals. According to sources, the incident occurred during Friday Namaz at the mosque. Visuals from the scene showed dozens of people lying on the floor inside the mosque, appearing to have been severely injured in the blast. According to Hindustan Times, at least 10 people have been killed, and the blast ripped through the religious centre of the minority Shia community during the Friday prayers. Advertisement The incident comes nearly three months after a suicide blast outside a district and sessions court building in Islamabads G-11 area on November 11, 2025, which killed 12 people and injured over 30 others. This is a developing story. Further updates will follow. (For more news apart from Pakistan: At least 10 killed in explosion during Friday Namaz of Shia community at Islamabad imambargah," stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman.) The Future Stars Today: The power of algorithms Artificial intelligence is an extremely influential tool that shapes everyday life. Photo: geralt / pixabay.com Corina Cristea, 06.02.2026, 14:00 It analyzes data, identifies patterns and provides results in a timeframe impossible for the human mind. In medicine, it can help with the early detection of diseases. In economics, it can anticipate risks. In education, it can personalize learning. We are talking about artificial intelligence an extremely influential tool that shapes everyday life. In many areas, decisions are no longer made solely by humans: which route to take in traffic or whether to receive a loan are just two examples in this regard. And behind them are algorithms, which, essentially, are sets of rules created by humans to solve problems. As tools, they are extremely valuable. Problems arise, however, when algorithms are no longer just consultants or assistants, but end up in the position of making decisions. Adrian-Victor Vevera, director of the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics in Bucharest (ICI) gives us details: In Ukraine, First Person View drones have appeared, which attack the first person seen and some of them are already testing the artificial intelligence mode that can select targets. The question has been raised whether this is the future. After all, letting a non-human entity make decisions about a human life is something that we have not thought about until recently. If we expand the area of discussion from what artificial intelligence would mean in the public sphere as a support, as an assistant, as a tool by means of which we can become more productive, cheaper to operate, faster, and go to the point where you end up leaving the decision about a human life in the arms of artificial intelligence, its a very long way. Its about leaving the final decision in the hands of a non-human entity. Yes, in the medical field AI is clearly one of the most successful and where it will be the fastest to establish itself. Its much easier for an application that can scan and compare millions of images than for a human who learns this over many years and gets that expertise in giving a diagnosis after a long, long time. An algorithm that selects candidates for a job can discriminate unintentionally. An automated risk assessment system can treat people in similar situations differently. How much control should be given to artificial intelligence? Where does utility stop and risk begin? Artificial intelligence should remain a supportive, controllable tool it should analyze, recommend or warn, but the final decision, especially in sensitive areas such as health or security, should remain with humans, experts say. Here is Adrian-Victor Vevera back at the microphone: We should not treat artificial intelligence either as an absolute gift that will bring only well-being, nor as a potential enemy and condemn it from the beginning. I think that first and foremost, when we speak about the use of artificial intelligence, we should look deep into our souls and think about the rules that should be imposed when developing and using artificial intelligence. This means the ethical way to use artificial intelligence, the limits you put to it, the protective measures. There should always be a button to stop something that can go off the path you thought it should follow. Think about the fact that, being a tool, artificial intelligence can be used by people who want to commit acts of terrorism, by people who want to manipulate the mood of a nation. It is a tool. Think of the knife, you can use it in the kitchen to cook or on a battlefield to kill someone. Thats why I was referring to a stop button, to means of protection, the means of security of the way in which artificial intelligence is used and developed, and, of course, the ethical part, which you clearly cannot impose on everyone who would have access, possibilities and knowledge to develop artificial intelligence applications. But, based on a code of ethics, you can create a framework within which you can more easily track the level at which it is developed and, of course, the results. Another aspect is related to responsibility, more precisely, who is responsible for a decision made by an algorithm that makes a mistake? The programmer? The company? The user? Or no one? Unlike humans, algorithms cannot be held morally accountable. They have no conscience, intention or empathy, they just do what they are asked to do. And the risks increase as the use of artificial intelligence becomes more widespread. According to studies conducted in 2024, 4% of the worlds population was using ChatGPT artificial intelligence, two years after its launch. As for Romania, almost half of Romanians use artificial intelligence in their daily activities, according to a study conducted in 2025 by Reveal Marketing Research, a full-service market research company. (LS) Measures proposed for economic recovery The Ministry of Finance proposes a comprehensive package of fiscal and investment measures for economic recovery and for stimulating Romania's economy. Finance minister Alexandru Nazare (Photo: gov.ro) Corina Cristea, 06.02.2026, 14:00 The first economic recovery package prepared by the Ilie Bolojan government, presented on Thursday by the Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare, includes support measures for companies as well as new concepts and ways of financing. The government promises to shift attention from consumption to investments and from the number and volume of financing to quality, says the finance minister, who also made some clarifications on Radio Romania. Alexandru Nazare: 2025 was a year of correction, we had to take a lot of measures to reduce the deficit, save European funds and preserve Romanias rating. 2026 must be a year in which we support growth, it must be a year of recovery and, of course, for this we must help businesses grow and bring new money into the economy. These are the reasons why we created, together with the other coalition partners, a set of recovery measures, which we presented publicly and which is available on the Ministry of Finance website. The main objective is to shift the focus from a consumption-based economy to one based on massive investments, so the broad package of fiscal and investment measures aims, among other things, to modernize the instruments that support companies, as well as new concepts and ways of financing. One of the novelties in the package is the introduction of a 200 million Euro financing instrument for the national defense industry, which has not benefited from this support so far, and another novelty is the introduction of a 10% tax credit for companies in the research and development area. Another new financing instrument is dedicated to Romanians in the diaspora who want to invest in the country and who will have 100 million Euros available to do so. At the same time, the economic recovery package attaches greater importance to the Investment and Development Bank, which will manage support schemes for companies, especially those in important areas of the Romanian economy and where the trade balance is negative. Alexandru Nazare: We have rethought the way the scheme for industry works, because we wanted to have a much better reflection of the projects selected on trade balance deficits, so as to redirect important resources to areas where there is a real need to recover these trade balance deficits. The Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare has also pointed out that the measures in this package will focus on important areas of the Romanian economy, such as mineral exploitation and new technologies. (LS) The defence ministry and the advantages of the SAFE programme Defence Minister Radu Miruta announces signing of contract for the purchase of French Mistral missiles through the SAFE programme. Source: fb.com / Radu Miruta Roxana Vasile, 06.02.2026, 13:50 Defence minister Radu Miruta has hailed the advantages that the European SAFE military equipment programme brings to Romania. Of the 21 projects undertaken, 11 are joint purchases with other states, translating into lower prices and faster delivery for products that were already provided for in the multi-annual equipment plan approved by the Countrys Supreme Defence Council and by Parliament. The minister said the projects included the joint purchase by several countries of French Mistral anti-aircraft missiles for which Romania has already signed a contract. At the moment, said Radu Miruta, the state is preparing to launch offers to eligible companies for the 21 Romanian army equipment projects included in the SAFE programme. The European Commission has approved our individual projects, we have 21 projects within the big SAFE project. The economy ministry is now to issue a document stating the percentage of localisation required for each of these 21 projects. The government working group will then issue an order regarding the companies that meet the localisation and operating conditions under the law. Among other things, the defence ministry would like the two patrol ships financed through the SAFE programme to be built at the Mangalia shipyard, on the Romanian Black Sea coast, which, in the ministers opinion, is the only way to ensure its survival. The minister explains: In order to produce such ships, first there must be an order and someone to pay for it. And this is the arrangement that I identified, for the Romanian Army to contribute to saving the shipyard through some orders that the Romanian Army would pay for. That shipyard has, today, a liquidation value of 85 million and debts, which I must say are disputed, of 162 million, but are growing every month. Something worth 85 will not be able to be bought with 85, when you have debts of 162. Judging by these figures alone, the shipyard will not be able to survive. And I tried to put something together so that the difference would be covered by an order that would make the whole package more interesting. It is the largest shipyard in a EU member state. Its a Black Sea shipyard on NATOs eastern flank that has fantastic capacity and for which Romania would make a big mistake if it did not try to save, even in the 11th hour. The defence minister also explained that the funds allocated through the European SAFE programme are limited, which is why the Romanian Army has prioritised its projects. He also said that Romania is under pressure to spend these amounts in a very short time frame and that the government is trying to avoid price increases. Japan will on Friday release December figures for household spending, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Spending is expected to slip 1.3 percent on month and 0.5 percent on year after rising 6.2 percent on month and 2.9 percent on year in November. Japan also will see preliminary December readings for its leading and coincident indexes; in November, the leading index was up 0.1 percent and the coincident fell 1.0 percent. South Korea will provide December data for its current account; in November, the current account had a surplus of $12.24 billion. Finally, the in New Zealand are closed on Friday for Waitangi Day and will re-open on Monday. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Economic News What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more. HAIKOU, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of daily consumer goods duty-free shops for island residents in south China's Hainan Province is scheduled to open on Feb. 11, 2026, according to a press conference on Friday. The policy is being implemented through a phased rollout and gradual expansion, with plans to first establish duty-free shops for consumer goods in the three prefecture-level cities of Haikou, Sanya, and Danzhou, the provincial information office said. Following a comprehensive assessment of factors such as population size, consumption habits, commercial infrastructure and transport connectivity, the layout for the first five daily consumer goods duty-free shops will be three in Haikou, one in Sanya, and one in Danzhou. China on Thursday introduced a zero-tariff policy on certain imported goods for residents' consumption in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP). The policy, effective immediately, was announced in a joint statement by the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Taxation Administration. It provides that import duties, along with value-added tax and consumption tax levied at both the import and domestic stages, will be exempted on eligible goods purchased by FTP residents at designated retail stores. Eligible residents include Chinese citizens with a Hainan identity card, a local residence permit, or a local social security card, as well as overseas personnel who work and live in Hainan and hold valid residence permits. Each eligible resident is granted an annual duty-free shopping quota of 10,000 yuan (about 1,437 U.S. dollars), with no limit on the number of purchases. The policy covers daily necessities, including specified food and beverages, daily chemical products, household goods, and maternal and child supplies. The policy is part of broader efforts to advance high-standard building in the Hainan FTP, aiming to enable residents to directly benefit from the island's opening-up and enhance their sense of gain, according to the statement. The European Union has warned the video-sharing platform TikTok that it must significantly change the design of its service or risk steep financial penalties. This comes after regulators concluded that the Chinese-owned platform breached the bloc's online safety rules. The European Commission launched an investigation into TikTok's impact on user wellbeing, particularly among children, in February 2024. The Commission's preliminary findings indicate that TikTok failed to properly assess and mitigate the risks posed by features such as autoplay and infinite scroll, which can encourage compulsive use. The EU's tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, stated that TikTok would need to "change the design of their service in Europe" to avoid penalties, which could reach up to 6% of the company's global annual turnover - potentially amounting to billions. Regulators have suggested measures such as disabling infinite scroll, introducing screen-time breaks, and altering recommendation algorithms to reduce addictive patterns. TikTok has strongly rejected the findings, with a spokesperson describing the Commission's conclusions as a "categorically false and entirely meritless depiction" of the platform. The company has confirmed its intention to challenge the decision. Experts view this case as a turning point in digital regulation, as the EU shifts its focus beyond harmful content to the design of platforms themselves. Under the Digital Services Act, companies are now accountable not just for what users see, but for how platforms are built to keep them scrolling. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Hyundai Motor India is preparing to introduce the 2026 Verna facelift, with the updated C-segment sedan expected to launch around March 2026. At a time when SUVs continue to dominate sales charts, the Verna remains one of the few sedans that has managed to stay relevant, thanks to its strong design appeal, segment-leading performance and feature list. The upcoming Hyundai Verna facelift is expected to bring design updates, enhanced equipment and minor refinements, while retaining the core mechanical package that has worked well for Hyundai in this segment. Updated Exterior Design Spy shots indicate that the 2026 Verna facelift will receive noticeable changes at the front and rear, aimed at refreshing its overall road presence. Updates are expected to include revised bumpers, a redesigned grille and updated LED lighting elements, including headlights and DRLs. A new LED signature could further differentiate the facelifted model from the current version. The side profile is likely to remain largely unchanged, given the cars already sleek proportions, though new alloy wheel designs are expected to be part of the update. Interior Enhancements Expected With a 2,670 mm wheelbase, the Verna already offers one of the most spacious cabins in its segment, particularly in terms of rear legroom. The facelift is expected to build on this strength by introducing updated interior materials and additional features. Expected upgrades include larger digital displays, possibly a dual-screen setup for infotainment and instrumentation, a refreshed steering wheel design, and additional comfort features. Hyundai may also introduce new trim finishes and improved cabin tech, in line with its newer models. Boot space is expected to remain unchanged at 528 litres, keeping the Verna practical for daily use as well as long highway trips. Powertrain Line-Up To Continue Mechanically, the 2026 Verna facelift is expected to retain its existing engine options. The highlight will continue to be the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, which produces 160 PS and 253 Nm and is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This setup currently makes the Verna one of the most powerful sedans in its segment. For buyers prioritising efficiency and everyday comfort, Hyundai will continue to offer the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, paired with manual and automatic gearbox options. Ride, Handling and Safety The Verna has been tuned to offer a balance between ride comfort and high-speed stability, an area Hyundai is unlikely to change significantly with the facelift. All-wheel disc brakes are expected to continue as standard across variants. On the safety front, the Verna already stands out with a 5-star Global NCAP rating and the availability of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These safety credentials are expected to carry over, reinforcing the sedans appeal for buyers prioritising occupant protection and driver assistance technology. Pricing and Positioning Pricing for the 2026 Verna facelift is expected to see a marginal increase, in line with feature additions and rising input costs across the industry. However, Hyundai is likely to maintain the Vernas strong value proposition by offering a combination of performance, safety, space and features that remains competitive within the segment. Backed by Hyundais extensive service network and ownership support, the updated Verna is expected to continue playing a key role in keeping the sedan segment relevant in the Indian market. Mahindra Group has announced plans to establish its largest integrated automobile and tractor manufacturing facility in Maharashtra, marking a major expansion of its manufacturing footprint in India. The new facility will come up in Nagpur, with production expected to commence in 2028. The announcement was made at the Advantage Vidarbha summit, a flagship event aimed at positioning the Vidarbha region as a key industrial growth hub. As part of this long-term commitment, Mahindra will invest Rs 15,000 crore over the next 10 years in the state and acquire more than 2,000 acres of land across three locations in Maharashtra. Largest Integrated Manufacturing Footprint for Mahindra The upcoming Nagpur facility will be developed over 1,500 acres in Vidarbha and will be supported by a 150-acre supplier park in Sambhajinagar. Once fully operational, the plant will have an annual production capacity of over 5 lakh vehicles and 1 lakh tractors, making it Mahindras largest integrated manufacturing complex in the country. The supplier park is expected to play a critical role in strengthening Mahindras value chain by improving localisation, reducing logistics costs and enabling closer collaboration with component partners. It will supply parts not only to the Nagpur facility but also to Mahindras existing plants at Chakan and Nashik. Strategic Location and Advanced Manufacturing Vidarbha offers several strategic advantages, including strong road connectivity via the Samruddhi Expressway, robust rail infrastructure and access to key domestic and export markets. Mahindra said the location aligns well with its long-term manufacturing and logistics strategy. The automotive plant will support Mahindra Autos next-generation vehicle platforms, including the NU_IQ architecture, and will be capable of producing vehicles across multiple powertrainsICE, electric and future technologiesfor both Indian and global markets. The facility will feature advanced automation, digital manufacturing systems and sustainability-focused processes, underlining Mahindras emphasis on innovation and quality. The tractor manufacturing unit will further strengthen Mahindras leadership position in the farm equipment segment, catering to rising domestic demand and key export markets. Expansion Beyond Nagpur In addition to the Vidarbha facility, Mahindra will also acquire land in the IgatpuriNashik region to expand existing product and engine capacities. This expansion will also support the growth of Mahindras Advanced Technology business, reinforcing the companys long-term focus on future-ready mobility solutions. Leadership Commentary Devendra Fadnavis, Honble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, said: Mahindras decision to establish its largest integrated auto and tractor manufacturing facility in Maharashtra is a strong endorsement of the states robust industrial ecosystem and progressive policy framework. This landmark investment will generate significant employment, accelerate regional development in Vidarbha and surrounding areas, and further reinforce Maharashtras position as a leading manufacturing hub in India. Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director & CEO, Auto and Farm Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., said: This facility represents a bold step forward in Mahindras manufacturing journey. Designed to support our next generation of vehicles and tractors, it brings together scale, flexibility and advanced technology within one integrated footprint. It strengthens our ability to deliver world-class products while staying true to our commitment to Make in India for the World. We are proud to deepen our partnership with the state of Maharashtra through this transformative investment. With this large-scale investment, Mahindra continues to strengthen its manufacturing base in India, positioning itself to support future growth across automotive and farm equipment segments while contributing to regional development and Indias broader industrial ambitions. With Sierras production in full swing, most of Tata Motors plants are working at close to full capacity Tata Sierra has made a big impact with its distinctive design, premium features and range of powertrain options. More than 70,000 orders were received within 24 hours of the booking window opening in December 2025. Tata has now revealed that total bookings have crossed the 1 lakh mark. To ensure prompt deliveries, the company has stepped up focus on increasing production. Lets check out the details. Sierra production optimization, supply side challenges During the media call for discussing Q3 FY26 performance, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tata Motors PV, confirmed that bookings for Sierra are now in six-digit numbers. From a demand phase, the focus has now shifted to production optimization. Tata will be looking to ensure prompt deliveries for a better overall experience and to prevent booking cancellations. Even though Tata has the production capacity to meet the massive demand for Sierra, there are challenges on the supply side. The entire auto industry in India is currently facing supply side constraints. This is largely because monthly PV volumes have increased significantly since GST reforms were introduced. Earlier, the PV volumes used to be around 3.50 lakh units per month. This has increased to 4.20 lakh to 4.50 lakh units per month. Since this major shift has occurred in a short period of time, suppliers will need time to ramp-up their logistics and production. In the case of Sierra, the company is facing supplier side constraints for specific items like castings and some powertrain parts. However, Tata is working with its suppliers to resolve the bottlenecks in the shortest possible time. Shailesh Chandra also revealed that Tata is working on the electric version of the Sierra. It is planned for launch in Q1 of FY 2027. In the coming months, Tata is aiming to increase Sierras production to around 15,000 units per month. Assuming that supply side constraints are removed, Sierras production could reach around 1.50 lakh units per annum. Sierra is manufactured at the same plant where the Nexon is made and both have high demand. Tata will focus on capacity optimization to boost production and ensure faster deliveries. FTAs open new export opportunities While Tata will continue to focus on meeting domestic demand, new export opportunities are being actively assessed. This is even more relevant from a long-term perspective. New export opportunities are expected to emerge, as India has signed trade deals with multiple countries. Moreover, a number of trade deals are currently being negotiated. Tata is looking to increase its global footprint in a phased manner. The initial focus will be on right-hand-drive markets. In 2025, Tata re-entered the South African market with products like the Tiago, Punch, Curvv and Harrier. The company is examining opportunities in the UK and Europe, especially for its electric vehicles. Tata will probably finalize its game plan once the fine print of India-EU free trade agreement is in place. WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Donald Trump administration on Thursday launched a new website in an attempt to lower prescription drug prices in the country. "Through the website, patients will be able to access large discounts on many of the most popular and highest-priced medicines in the country, paying prices in line with the lowest paid by other developed nations (known as the most-favored-nation, or MFN, price)," the White House said in a fact sheet. The new website, TrumpRx.gov, features drugs made by AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer. Additional drugs from other companies will be available in the coming months, according to the fact sheet. "Patients purchasing directly through TrumpRx.gov will be able to see massive price reductions on 40 of the most popular and expensive branded medicines in the nation," the White House noted. It remains to be seen to what extent the effort will help American patients, who have long faced high drug prices, particularly compared with other developed countries. A CNN report noted that the effort has garnered mixed reviews from experts, who largely say the channel's impact will be "limited," at least initially. Those with lower deductibles may find it more cost-effective to use their insurance, but those with high deductibles may be better off purchasing medicines through TrumpRx, the report quoted Joey Mattingly, an associate professor at the University of Utah's College of Pharmacy, as saying. NEW YORK, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- An art exhibition held here Thursday evening brought together five Chinese artists exploring contemporary approaches to ink art across painting, installation and moving image. Curated by Ethan Cohen, a New York-based gallerist who has specialized in contemporary Chinese art since 1987, the show examines how traditional Chinese ink practices are being reinterpreted through diverse artistic methods and cultural contexts, according to organizers. Among the participating artists is Wang Houtang, who presented a live performance blending Chinese calligraphy with martial arts during the exhibition opening. Born in 1952, Wang has trained in both disciplines since childhood and is known for what he calls "Kung Fu Ink," a practice that incorporates physical movement and force into the act of writing. "By combining Chinese martial arts and calligraphy, I developed a distinct way of writing," Wang said. "The idea of the 'five shades of ink' reflects a balance between martial strength and calligraphic form." Cohen said Wang's work reflects a broader trend in contemporary ink art. "Chinese ink carries more than 2,000 years of history," he said. "Artists like Wang are deeply rooted in tradition, but they are also expanding its expressive possibilities in a contemporary context." Cohen added that contemporary Chinese ink artists are increasingly engaging with global artistic discourse by contributing perspectives shaped by their own cultural and historical experiences. The exhibition is sponsored by the Kung Fu Ink Society and hosted by Culture Lab LIC. It runs through March 29 and will include an academic panel and artist discussion later this month. Teri Monroe started her career in communications working for local government and nonprofits. Today, she is a freelance finance and lifestyle writer and small business owner. In her spare time, she loves golfing with her husband, taking her dog Milo on long walks, and playing pickleball with friends. UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians on Friday expressed concern over reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian returnees via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, amid deadly Israeli attacks on civilians. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Israeli airstrikes, gunfire and shelling continue to be reported across civilian areas of the Gaza Strip, resulting in casualties and damage. OCHA said Israeli forces on Thursday demolished the Jabalya Preparatory Boys' School of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, the last in a compound of six schools, leaving the entire compound destroyed. The office said that civilians and civilian infrastructure must always be protected, and that they must never be targeted or used to shield military activities. The UN Development Programme reported transporting 21 returnees on Thursday from the Israeli checkpoint to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where OCHA and its partners operate a reception area, bringing the number of returnees received since Monday to 98. The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) warned Thursday of a pattern of ill-treatment, abuse and humiliation of returnees by Israeli forces and by armed Palestinians allegedly backed by the Israeli military. "Accounts indicate that some of the armed Palestinians handcuffed and blindfolded returnees, threatened and intimidated them, conducted searched and stole personal belongings and money," said the OHCHR. "Upon arrival at the Israeli checkpoint, returnees described violence, degrading interrogations, and invasive body searches." The OHCHR said that the accounts point to a pattern of conduct that violates Palestinians' rights to personal security, dignity, and freedom from torture and other ill-treatment. OCHA said that humanitarian movements inside Gaza continue to require coordination with Israeli authorities. It said the United Nations attempted to coordinate 11 humanitarian missions on Thursday and Friday, of which six were fully facilitated. Four other missions faced long delays at holding points along the designated routes, resulting in only two of them fully accomplished. The missions included the collection of water and sanitation supplies, fuel and other items, medical evacuation via the Rafah crossing and the transportation of returnees to Nasser Hospital. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested one of the "key participants" behind the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2012 that killed four Americans, including then U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens. "Today, I'm proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack," Bondi said at a news conference. The attorney general also said the suspect was extradited to the United States and arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland early Friday. The suspect will face charges related to murder, terrorism and arson. A militant group called Ansar Al-Sharia linked to Al-Qaeda attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, killing the ambassador and three other U.S. officials. Two other suspects were previously arrested and have been prosecuted in the United States for their roles in the attack. The Benghazi attack, which happened during former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's tenure, became an important issue in the 2016 U.S. presidential election because it was used politically to critique Clinton's record and trustworthiness as a candidate. YEREVAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan on Friday signed a decree scheduling Armenia's next parliamentary elections for June 7. The decree concerns the formal calling of regular elections for the National Assembly, Armenia's unicameral legislative body, according to the document published on the official website of the Armenian president. Armenia's prime minister is elected by the parliamentary majority and formally appointed by the president. The current prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, has held the office since 2018. BEIRUT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon and Syria signed an agreement here on Friday to transfer convicted Syrian prisoners from Lebanese jails to Syria, with the deal set to take effect on Saturday morning and initially covering around 300 inmates, Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported. The agreement, signed between senior Lebanese officials and a Syrian delegation including justice authorities chief Mazhar al-Wais, and with the presence of Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, allows the repatriated prisoners to serve the remainder of their sentences in Syria, the NNA reported. Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said the deal resulted from months of joint work by judges and experts from both countries, reflecting "a shared political will based on trust and mutual respect," the NNA reported. Mitri explained that the transfer applies to prisoners who have already served at least 10 years, with no exceptions. A separate legal process will address detainees not covered under the agreement, the NNA reported. For his part, al-Wais called the agreement an important humanitarian step to ease the suffering of prisoners and their families. He emphasized that the deal is unconditional and reaffirmed respect for Lebanese sovereignty, the NNA reported. The agreement marks a step in addressing the long-standing issue of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon. Next week sees the release of results from AstraZeneca , Unilever , Barclays and BP , among others, while on the macro front, fourth-quarter UK GDP figures will be published, as well as the delayed US non-farm payrolls report. There are no FTSE 350 updates scheduled for Monday. However, results from BP, AstraZeneca and Barclays are due on Tuesday. On Wednesday, housebuilder Barratt Redrow and Imperial Leather maker PZ Cussons will release interim results, along with Renishaw. On Thursday Relx, Ashmore and Unilever are slated to report. As far as AstraZeneca is concerned, Derren Nathan, head of equity analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the pharma giant is headed into its final quarter with strong momentum, and while there was no upgrade following third-quarter results, theres still potential for results to land a little stronger than expected. "While there can be no guarantee, the market forecasts to beat are for growth of 8.4% in revenue to $58.6 billion, and 7.7% in operating profit to $18.3 billion," he said. "When the companys shares were admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange this week, Astra reiterated its confidence in reaching its 2030 revenue target of $80 billion. 2025 saw strong clinical progress on drugs whose peak annual revenue potential collectively exceeded $10 billion. But analysts look like they still need some convincing that the 2030 target is achievable. Guidance for 2026 and beyond will be the key metrics to monitor." Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the recent performance of consumer goods firm Unilever has been better than expected, with all business units in growth territory in the third quarter. "Next weeks full-year results will mark the first update since the demerger of its ice cream business," he noted. "Due to this spin-off, markets are forecasting total sales to fall by around 11% to 54.2 billion. A mammoth streamlining of the business is underway though, with the group hoping to have delivered around 650 million of cost savings over 2025. As a result, operating profits are expected to fall at a slower pace of around 7% to 10.4 billion. "More important will be the outlook for 2026, and how that compares to the medium-term underlying sales growth target of 4-6%. Hitting this level will require its current high levels of advertising spending to drive an uplift in brand awareness and market share. Analysts are cautiously optimistic that 2026 sales growth will come in at the lower end of this target range, before ramping up slowly in the following years." Results from Relx will be in focus after the recent selloff in the shares and the broader software sector due to worries about the impact of AI. UBS thinks the FY25 results will be in line with expectations. It pointed out that Relx gives limited guidance and full-year organic growth is usually in line with the nine-month period. "We think commentary around trends/new genAI products in STM and Legal, and the size of the share buyback are key things to watch," the bank said. On the macro front, fourth-quarter UK GDP figures on Thursday will be one of the highlights, along with US retail sales figures for December on Tuesday. In addition, the non-farm payrolls report for January - which was delayed due to the partial government shutdown - will be released on Wednesday. Across the pond, investors will turn their attention to earnings from Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Kraft Heinz, Pinterest and Hasbro, among others. Monday February 09 FINALS Plus500 Ltd (DI), Porvair, Wynnstay Group FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Netcall Tuesday February 10 INTERIMS Dunelm Group QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE TBC Bank Group INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Import and Export Price Indices (US) (13:30) Retail Sales (US) (13:30) Q4 AstraZeneca, BP FINALS AstraZeneca, Barclays, BP, Coca-Cola HBC AG (CDI) EGMS Air Astana Joint Stock Company Gdr (Each Repr 4 Com Shs) (Reg S) TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Bellway FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE The Sage Group Wednesday February 11 INTERIMS Barratt Redrow, MJ Gleeson , PZ Cussons, Renishaw INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE BT Group INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30) Crude Oil Inventories (US) (15:30) MBA Mortgage Applications (US) (12:00) AGMS Fevara, RWS Holdings TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS Severn Trent UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS BRC Shop Price Index (00:01) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Future Thursday February 12 INTERIMS Ashmore Group INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE Heath (Samuel) & Sons, Knights Group Holdings , Rank Group QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Nokia OYJ QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE BlackRock American Income Trust, Carnival, GCP Asset Backed Income Fund Limited, NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red, Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust , Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV, Pershing Square Holdings Ltd NPV (USD), The Renewables Infrastructure Group Limited INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Continuing Claims (US) (13:30) Current Account (GER) (13:30) Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30) Q4 Unilever GMS Invesco Bond Income Plus Limited NPV FINALS British American Tobacco, Nexus Infrastructure , Relx plc, Schroders, Unilever SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE Ramsdens Holdings EGMS Eqtec Eur (CDI), Eqtec Eur (CDI) AGMS Anglesey Mining, easyJet, GCP Infrastructure Investments Ltd, Vast Resources UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Balance of Trade (07:00) Claimant Count Rate (07:00) GDP (Preliminary) (07:00) Gross Domestic Product (07:00) Index of Services (07:00) Industrial Production (07:00) Manufacturing Production (07:00) RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01) Unemployment Rate (07:00) FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE JPMorgan Japanese Inv Trust, Tracsis, WH Smith FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE Blackrock Income And Growth Investment Trust, Coventry 12 1/8% Perm Int Bearing Shs #1000, Oxford Metrics, Ramsdens Holdings , Renew Holdings Friday February 13 INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE FIH Group , Jet2, JPMorgan Emerging Markets Growth & Income, Solid State QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE Thor Explorations Ltd (DI) INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS Balance of Trade (EU) (10:00) GDP (Preliminary) (EU) (10:00) Wholesale Price Index (GER) (07:00) FINALS NATWEST GROUP SPECIAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE Hargreave Hale AIM VCT , Thor Explorations Ltd (DI) AGMS Agronomics Limited FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE AJ Bell, Baillie Gifford European Growth Trust , Hargreave Hale AIM VCT , Premier Miton Group, Unicorn AIM VCT Shares in Stellantis crashed on Friday, after the European car maker announced it would take a 22bn charge as it scales back its expansion into electric vehicles. The owner of Fiat, Vauxhall, Jeep and Peugeot, among others, said that the 22.2bn charge would push it into the red, prompting it to cancel dividend payments in the current year. Stellantis expects second-half net revenues to come in between 78bn and 80bn. That will be an improvement on the first half, when revenues slid 13% to 74.8bn. But the second-half net loss is now forecast to come in between 19bn and 21bn. As at 0900 GMT, the Milan-listed stock has tumbled 21%. However, Stellantis insisted the changes were necessary after over-estimating the pace of energy transition. It said that while it it would continue to be at the forefront of EV development, that would now be "governed by demand, rather than command". Recently-installed chief executive Antonio Filosa continued: "The reset we have announced today is part of a decisive process we started in 2025, to once again make our customers and their preferences our guiding star. "The charges announced today largely reflect the cost of over-estimating the pace of the energy transition that distanced us from many car buyers real world needs, means and desires. "They also reflect the impact of previous poor operational execution, the effects of which are being progressively addressed by our new team." Prior to taking on the top job in June, Italian-born Filosa - who joined Fiat Group in 1999 as a trainee - headed up Stellantis operations in North America. Car makers enthusiastically embraced the EV market, encouraged by generally widespread governmental support. However, in recent years they have struggled with the level of investment involved, changing climate regulations and slower-than-expected consumer uptake. European demand remains buoyant. But in the US, sales have slumped after the current administration threw its weight behind the oil industry and withdrew tax credits for EVs. The 22bn charge includes 2.1bn to resize Stellantis' EV supply chain and 14.7bn to re-align product plans with both customer demand and new emission regulations in the US. Products that are not expected to achieve profitable scale will be cancelled, including the planned Ram 1500 battery EV. Stellantis has also agreed to sell its 49% stake in Canadian battery firm NextStar Energy to South Koreas LG Energy Solution, its founding joint venture partner, as part of the reset. The Amsterdam-based firm is due to publish results for the year to 31 December 2025 on 26 February. European Union regulators have warned TikTok that core features of its app may breach the blocs Digital Services Act, marking one of the most advanced enforcement actions yet under the landmark online safety law. In preliminary findings released on Friday, the European Commission said the video-sharing platform had failed to properly assess and mitigate the risks posed by design choices that encourage compulsive use, particularly among children and other vulnerable users. The Commission said TikToks use of features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications and a highly personalised recommender system fuels the urge to keep scrolling and can shift users brains into an autopilot mode. Regulators concluded that the company had not taken sufficient steps to understand or limit the potential harm to users physical and mental wellbeing, citing indicators of compulsive behaviour such as extended nighttime use by children. As part of the preliminary ruling, Brussels said TikTok may need to change the basic design of its service in Europe. Measures under consideration included disabling or limiting infinite scroll, introducing more effective screen-time breaks, including at night, and adapting the apps recommendation algorithms. The Commission also criticised TikToks existing safeguards, saying screen-time warnings were too easy to dismiss and parental control tools were overly complex and time-consuming to set up. If the provisional conclusions are upheld, TikTok could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover and be ordered to redesign parts of its platform. TikTok would have the opportunity to review the evidence and respond with its own arguments or proposed remedies. The social video platform, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, reportedly rejected the Commissions assessment, saying the preliminary findings presented a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of the platform and that it would challenge the conclusions through all available legal means. It argued there was no single expert consensus on screen-time regulation and said it already offered a range of wellbeing tools, including usage limits and sleep prompts. The move came amid growing political pressure across Europe to curb the impact of social media on young people. Several countries, including Spain, France and the UK, were considering or developing restrictions on teenage access to social platforms, following Australias decision to ban under-16s from holding accounts on certain apps. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. German exports rose more than expected in December compared with the previous month, but industrial production fell, preliminary data from federal statistics office Destatis showed on Friday. The 4% figure beat estimates of a 1% rise. Imports rose by 1.4% on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis compared with November 2025. Germany exported goods worth 133.3bn and imported goods to the value of 116.2bn in December, giving a surplus of 17.1bn. Exports to the US rose 8.9% month on month to 11.8bn but were down 12.9% year on year after the Trump administration started its global trade war. There was also a rise in the value of exports to China of 10.7% to 7.2bn compared with November 2025. Month on month, exports to the UK increased by 14.6% to 6.9bn. Meanwhile, industrial production was down 1.9% in December 2025 from November due to weaker output in the automotive industry (-8.9%), machinery and equipment (-6.8%) and machine maintenance and assembly (-17.6%), Destatis said. The less volatile three-month on three-month comparison showed that production was 0.9% higher from October to December than in the previous quarter. Reporting by Frank Prenesti for Sharecast.com On an annualised basis production was down 0.6% in December 2025 after adjustment for calendar effects. Shares in Metlen Energy & Metals tumbled on Friday, after the blue chip warned earnings would significantly undershoot guidance. The Greek energy and metals company, which listed on the London Stock Exchange last autumn, said that while its underlying business had performed "robustly", the wider group had been hit by unexpected cost overruns at M Power Projects (MPP). Metlen had previously warned that the business, a specialist in large-scale turnkey energy projects, had been hit by challenges at its Protos venture in the UK, including cost overruns and schedule delays. However, on Friday Metlen confirmed that following a year-end review, it had now identified further overruns and delays. As a result, group earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation are now slated to slide by around 25%. Prior to the MPP losses, EBITDA had been in line to meet guidance of around 1bn, Metlen noted. The firm said additional operational controls had since been put in place to enhance oversight, and that the division had been reorganised into its renewables, storage and energy transition unit. It also noted that 2026 had "started well, reflecting strong market trends, positive performance of the companys core business and good progress of ongoing initiatives across it growth pillars". However, that did not prevent the stock falling sharply, and by noon GMT it had slumped 16% to 37.75. Metlen, which has its primary listing in the City and a secondary one in Athens, was one of the first companies to take advantage of new rules allowing shares not denominated in sterling to be included in the FTSE UK indices. Metlen, which traces its roots back to 1908, is due to publish numbers for the year to December end on 31 March. Amazon announced plans to spend $200bn on artificial intelligence and robotics this year, the latest tech giant to vow fresh enormous investments in the artificial intelligence arms race. The news of the investment comes one day after the Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, announced it was cutting approximately a third of employees. Guardian Barclays has reportedly cut ties with the lobbying firm co-founded by Peter Mandelson, after intense scrutiny of the founders dealings with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Vodafone has also said it is reviewing its contract for public affairs services with Global Counsel, which Mandelson co-founded in 2010 after Labour lost the general election. Guardian A barrister has been suspended from one of Londons most prestigious legal chambers over links to Jeffrey Epstein. Matthieu de Boisseson has been suspended by Littleton Chambers pending an investigation after he appeared in documents released by the US department of justice (DoJ) related to the paedophile financier. Mr de Boisseson denies any wrongdoing. Telegraph Two businessmen charged by the Serious Fraud Office in its investigation into suspected fraud at Safe Hands Plans have been accused of agreeing a dishonest plan to take control of the customer trust via the Cayman Islands to enrich themselves. In a hearing on Thursday at Westminster magistrates court, Richard Wells, 39, a former director of the pre-paid funeral businesss holding company, and Neil Debenham, 43, were alleged to have used trust money to buy luxury 1 million homes. The Times Jeffrey Epstein was introduced to Ghislaine Maxwell by her brother Kevin as part of a plan for the paedophile financier to help the Maxwell family move money, according to a previously undisclosed account of the origins of the scandal. Kevin Maxwell, once Britains biggest bankrupt, was instructed to meet Epstein by his father, Robert Maxwell, according to FBI records of conversations with a former business associate of the Maxwells that have been released by the US Department of Justice. The Times CAIRO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. and Iranian officials concluded a round of talks on Friday, with both sides agreeing to continue negotiations, on which regional countries have pinned high hopes to help steer the Middle East back from the brink of a wider war. Regional countries welcomed the renewal of dialogue between Tehran and Washington, the first since U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, while urging steps toward a peaceful, lasting resolution of the nuclear dispute and cautioning against the risks of military escalation. "POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE" Talks between Iran and the United States were "a good start," with both sides agreeing to continue negotiations, Iran's Fars News Agency reported on Friday, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. Araghchi, who led the Iranian delegation, said the hours-long talks in Muscat were held in a "positive atmosphere." He told reporters the two sides would first return to their capitals for consultations before deciding on the timing and format of the next round. The talks focused exclusively on Iran's nuclear program, Araghchi said, adding that Tehran did not discuss "any other topics" with Washington, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency. Araghchi noted that Iran had stressed that refraining from threats and pressure was a prerequisite for dialogue, adding that Tehran expected this principle to be observed to allow negotiations to continue. Iran's state broadcaster IRIB said Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi held several meetings with both delegations, facilitating the exchange of views. Following the talks, Araghchi admitted that the "very deep distrust" between Tehran and Washington posed a major challenge to the negotiations, adding that the mistrust would need to be overcome before a new framework for talks could be established to safeguard "the Iranian people's interests." Iran's Mehr News Agency said Tehran rejected a U.S. demand for "zero enrichment," noting Friday's discussions centered on reducing Iran's existing uranium stockpile and described the talks as "more serious" than previous rounds. Shortly after the talks concluded in Oman, the United States announced new sanctions aimed at curbing Iran's oil exports, targeting 14 vessels. U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said U.S. President Donald Trump remained committed to reducing Iran's oil and petrochemical exports under Washington's "maximum pressure" campaign. Also on Friday, the U.S. Central Command released footage of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier sailing in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by two military supply ships and two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, with aircraft flying overhead. REGIONAL COUNTRIES VOICE SUPPORT FOR TALKS Regional and international leaders welcomed the talks and called for continued efforts to reduce tensions. Al Busaidi, the Omani foreign minister, described the discussions on social media as "very serious" and "useful." He said the talks clarified each side's position and identified potential areas for progress, adding that the parties "aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington." The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Egypt fully supports the renewed negotiations, stressing that "there are no military solutions" and that dialogue remains the only viable path forward. Cairo called for a constructive environment based on good faith and mutual respect to reach a sustainable settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also welcomed the talks, voicing hope they would open a diplomatic path to ease tensions and promote regional stability. "The region is burdened by multiple crises, and finding a diplomatic solution between the United States and Iran is essential for achieving peace and stability," he said. Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country reaffirms its support for all de-escalation efforts, resolving conflicts through diplomatic means, and bolstering peace and regional stability. Iraq also reiterates its full support for efforts to ease tensions and promote stability and security in the region, based on its belief in the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving disputes, according to a foreign ministry statement. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the resumption of talks, expressing hope they would help reduce tensions and prevent a broader crisis, his spokesman said. In recent weeks, the United States has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East, deploying additional naval and air assets and issuing repeated warnings to Tehran. Iran has also stepped up its own military preparations. Regional powers fear that the military buildup could trigger another U.S.-Iran conflict, potentially placing the entire region in the crossfire. Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi visited Colombo to explore investment and industrial collaboration with Sri Lanka. Discussions focused on strengthening cultural ties through shared Buddhist heritage and the ongoing Holy Devnimori Relics Exposition in Colombo. Sri Lankan officials were invited to attend the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2027 as part of the growing bilateral engagement between the two nations. Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi visited Colombo, where they met with Sri Lanka's Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, Sunil Handunnetti. The purpose of the meeting was to explore opportunities for collaboration between Gujarat and Sri Lanka, particularly in the fields of investment and industrial development. Acharya Devvrat and Sanghavi discussed ways to connect the industries of both regions, seeking to build partnerships that could drive economic growth in Sri Lanka. The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka shared a statement on X, outlining that during their discussions, they emphasized the potential for mutual benefit and growth through industrial ties. The High Commission also mentioned that Sri Lankan representatives were invited to visit Gujarat, including an invitation to the prestigious Vibrant Gujarat Summit in 2027. Earlier in the day, Acharya Devvrat and Harsh Sanghavi had a separate meeting with Sri Lanka's Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, at the Sri Lankan Parliament. During this encounter, they delved into strengthening cultural cooperation and deepening the connection through the shared Buddhist heritage of both countries. The conversation was rooted in the idea of fostering greater understanding between the two nations through cultural exchange and collaboration on religious matters. Following that, the Gujarat officials met with Sri Lanka's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath. The discussion focused on bolstering people-to-people exchanges between the two nations. The Gujarat delegation expressed their appreciation for Sri Lanka's enthusiastic response to the Holy Devnimori Relics Exposition, a significant cultural and spiritual event taking place in Colombo. The exposition, which features sacred relics of Lord Buddha, is being held at the Gangaramaya Temple, one of Sri Lankas most revered Buddhist sites. The High Commission's statement added that the meeting between the two sides also included talks about a potential cultural visit to Gujarat by Sri Lankan Buddhist monks. Also Read: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Lauds India-US Trade Pact Benefits For Citizens In addition to these discussions, Acharya Devvrat and Harsh Sanghavi called on Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya to express their gratitude for the warm reception given to the Holy Devnimori Relics Exposition. The relics, which arrived in Sri Lanka on Wednesday aboard an Indian Air Force C-130J aircraft, are being displayed as part of a historic international exhibition. The arrival of the relics marks a pivotal moment in the cultural and spiritual ties between India and Sri Lanka. The relics were received at the airport by Minister Sunil Senevi and Minister A.H.M.H. Abayarathna, along with the Acting High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka. The Holy Devnimori Relics are being publicly displayed for the first time in an international setting, a significant gesture in promoting the shared Buddhist heritage of India and Sri Lanka. The exhibition is being held at the Gangaramaya Temple from February 4 to February 10, and it is expected to draw thousands of devotees and visitors from across Sri Lanka and beyond. The event is seen not only as a religious observance but also as a symbol of the historical and civilizational links between the two countries. It highlights the spiritual bond shared by India and Sri Lanka, particularly through the Buddhist faith. The exhibition of the Devnimori relics is a part of India's broader efforts to engage in cultural diplomacy, emphasizing its role as a global custodian of Buddhist heritage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, had announced the initiative, reaffirming Indias commitment to sharing its rich Buddhist legacy with the world. The event is poised to strengthen the cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka, reinforcing people-to-people connections and fostering a deeper understanding of their shared history. As the exhibition unfolds, it serves as a testament to the enduring bond between the two nations, with both countries committed to preserving and celebrating their shared Buddhist heritage. Indian markets set to open lower, with the RBI likely to keep the repo rate at 5.25%. Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel, Hero MotoCorp, and Nykaa report mixed results. Watch updates from telecom, auto, cement, and defense sectors. Indian stock markets are expected to open lower today due to global market trends, particularly the downturn in US technology stocks. The Gift Nifty suggests a negative start, indicating a potential drop of around 115 points from yesterday's Nifty futures close. Additionally, todays focus will be on the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) announcement, where expectations point to a steady repo rate of 5.25% for February, marking the last policy decision of the fiscal year 2026. Indian market saw declines, with the Sensex falling by 503.76 points (0.60%) to close at 83,313.93 and the Nifty 50 dropping 133.20 points (0.52%) to settle at 25,642.80. Investors will be closely watching key stocks today, especially those reporting their Q3 earnings. On Thursday, thesaw declines, with the Sensex falling by 503.76 points (0.60%) to close at 83,313.93 and the Nifty 50 dropping 133.20 points (0.52%) to settle at 25,642.80. Investors will be closely watching key stocks today, especially those reporting their Q3 earnings. Key Stocks in Focus Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles: Tata Motors PV reported a Q3 FY26 loss of Rs 233 crore, reversing a Rs 1,471 crore profit last year. The loss was mainly due to an exceptional charge of Rs 622 crore. However, revenue rose 25.8% to Rs 15,268 crore, supported by strong SUV demand. Tata Motors PV reported a Q3 FY26 loss of Rs 233 crore, reversing a Rs 1,471 crore profit last year. The loss was mainly due to an exceptional charge of Rs 622 crore. However, revenue rose 25.8% to Rs 15,268 crore, supported by strong SUV demand. Bharti Airtel: Bharti Airtel's net profit fell by 55% YoY to Rs 6,630.5 crore, primarily due to an exceptional loss of Rs 257 crore. Despite this, revenue grew 15.2% to Rs 53,982 crore, and EBITDA rose 7.2%, though margins shrank due to higher costs. Bharti Airtel's net profit fell by 55% YoY to Rs 6,630.5 crore, primarily due to an exceptional loss of Rs 257 crore. Despite this, revenue grew 15.2% to Rs 53,982 crore, and EBITDA rose 7.2%, though margins shrank due to higher costs. Hero MotoCorp: Hero MotoCorp posted a 12.1% increase in profit to Rs 1,348.6 crore, with revenue rising 20.7% to Rs 12,328.4 crore. The growth was driven by a 16% increase in sales and higher parts revenue. Hero MotoCorp posted a 12.1% increase in profit to Rs 1,348.6 crore, with revenue rising 20.7% to Rs 12,328.4 crore. The growth was driven by a 16% increase in sales and higher parts revenue. FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa): Nykaa's net profit surged 142.4% to Rs 63.3 crore. Revenue jumped 26.7% to Rs 2,873.3 crore, driven by strong performance in the beauty segment and e-commerce recovery. Nykaa's net profit surged 142.4% to Rs 63.3 crore. Revenue jumped 26.7% to Rs 2,873.3 crore, driven by strong performance in the beauty segment and e-commerce recovery. Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL): RVNL's net profit rose 3.7% to Rs 322.8 crore, while revenue grew 2.6% to Rs 4,684.5 crore, reflecting steady progress in rail infrastructure projects. RVNL's net profit rose 3.7% to Rs 322.8 crore, while revenue grew 2.6% to Rs 4,684.5 crore, reflecting steady progress in rail infrastructure projects. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders: The company reported a 9% increase in net profit to Rs 879.8 crore, driven by strong defense order execution. Also Read: Top Stocks Like Bharti Airtel and Nykaa to Move Markets Other Stocks in Focus Tata Steel, BEML, Shree Cement, and Siemens will release their Q3 results today, which are expected to influence market sentiment. Federal Bank will be in focus as it has received approval from the RBI for Asia II TopCo XIII Pte to acquire up to 9.99% stake in the bank. UltraTech Cement announced a 2.7 million tons per annum capacity expansion at its Aligarh facility in Uttar Pradesh. Unicommerce Esolutions has partnered with SuperYou to streamline e-commerce and quick commerce activities. Market Outlook The Indian market is likely to remain under pressure due to global trends and domestic uncertainties. The RBI's policy announcement will be a key event, and investor sentiment will be influenced by the quarterly earnings reports of major companies. Traders should watch for updates from sectors like telecom, auto, and cement for signs of growth or challenges. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce recently hosted its Leading Ladies Collective closing celebration at San Jeronimo Restaurant & Bakery in Port Richmond, welcoming more than 50 women from Staten Islands business, nonprofit, and civic communities for an evening of connection and celebration. Seeing this group come together again tonight is incredibly meaningful, said Linda Baran, president and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. The Leading Ladies Collective is about connection, support, and making sure women in business know they are not doing this alone. The event marked the completion of the Chambers second Leading Ladies Collective cohort, an initiative designed to support women business owners and nonprofit professionals through leadership development, practical skill-building, and peer connection. The program was made possible through funding secured by New York State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. Grateful for a night celebrating some of Staten Islands incredible female business owners and entrepreneurs at the Staten Island Chamber Leading Ladies Ceremony, said Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who served as the evenings keynote speaker. Congratulations to the incredible honorees whose work continues to inspire and uplift our community. The 20252026 Leading Ladies Collective graduates included: Andrea Brognano, Therapy Connection; Dorothea Martin, BDEM Services LLC; Sophia Lu, Hema Designs; Canny Rojas, Mole Poblano Asuncion Corp; Angie Russo, The Shoppe; Christine Jackson, Sunny Side Up Birth Co; Danielle Raleigh, Eggers Ice Cream Parlor; Leilani Bernadskiy, With a Touch of Aloha; and Vivan Zhang, Sweetie House Playground. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A 21-year-old former Staten Islander was sentenced to 10 years in prison after authorities found large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine in his apartment and car in Vermont. Trayvon Kisling possessed and conspired with others to distribute those drugs in Vermont, according to court documents detailed in a news release from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Trayvon Kisling, 18, of Staten Island was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the alleged shooting death of a Brooklyn man in Vermont in 2022. U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Kisling on Feb. 2 to 120 months in prison followed by a four-year term of supervised release, according to the release. Kislings former community on Staten Island was not immediately available. Some of those drugs were seized on Feb. 25, 2023, when police in Winooski searched an apartment where Kisling had been staying. Officers confiscated 134.43 grams of individually packaged fentanyl, 74 grams of bulk fentanyl, 179.4 grams of crack cocaine and 398.3 grams of powder cocaine, authorities said. On March 15, 2023, Kisling was in a car that was pulled over by police in Brandon, Vermont. Officers found about 450 bags of fentanyl, 40.8 grams of cocaine base and two firearms in the car, prosecutors said. Authorities allege that Kisling possessed the guns to protect his drug supply and illegal proceeds. The defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative efforts of investigating agencies that included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont State Police, the Rutland City Police Department, the NYPD, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Winooski Police Department, the Winooski Fire Department and the St. Michaels Fire Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller. Kisling was represented by attorney Richard Bothfeld. Charged in murder of Brooklyn man in Vermont Kisling was 18 years old when he was arrested in March 2023 in the murder of Jonathan Naranjo, 26, of Brooklyn. Naranjo was shot on Nov. 7, 2022, in Rutland, Vermont. Kisling initially was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree aggravated domestic assault and obstruction of justice. The murder case is winding its way through state court in Vermont, with a status conference on March 9 to put the case on a trial list, according to a source with the office of the Rutland County States Attorney. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels this week announced a five-borough community engagement series that will bring school leadership directly to families across the city from February through April. The initiative, titled Our Schools, Our Future: Conversations with the Chancellor, will include 10 events at schools throughout Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. The tour aims to gather input from students, families, educators, staff, and community partners on critical school issues, including how to better involve families in decision-making processes. These conversations are about fundamentally changing how we make decisions by ensuring that those closest to our students have a real seat at the table, Samuels said. When families are true partners in the process, our schools become stronger, our policies become more effective, and our commitment to every child becomes meaningful. During the events, the chancellor will discuss safety, academic rigor, and integration in city schools. Families will have the opportunity to engage with school leadership teams and ask questions about resources related to language access, special education, and enrollment. Our Schools, Our Future: Conversations with the Chancellor will take place on Staten Island in February and April. Details are below: New Dorp High School, Feb. 10, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Curtis High School, April 11, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Following the engagement series, a report summarizing feedback from the discussions along with a long-term roadmap for the city public school system will be released. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. For traditional-age college students, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, are part of history not a memory. Thats why several organizations on Staten Island are teaming up to create a new college-level curriculum about 9/11, 25 years after the attacks. Students learn about 9/11 the same way earlier generations may have learned about events like the Cold War or the moon landing. In 2022, non-profit Tunnel to Towers provided educators with extensive resources about 9/11 for students in grades K-12. But a college-level curriculum hasnt been developed until now. Theyve heard about 9/11, they dont really know what it means if they werent born before it, unless youve had a family member that was affected on Staten Island, thats almost everybody, said Salvatore Cassano, former FDNY commissioner and executive board member with Tunnel to Towers. Its so important for them to learn what happened that day, the history of it, how resilient we were as a city, as a [fire] department, and maybe itll give them an idea of going into public service, as well. Heres so many stories that were going to tell them, and how were going to explain pre-Sept. 11, Sept. 11, and then post-Sept. 11. Through a partnership with the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com editorial team, the College of Staten Island, Tunnel to Towers, and the Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund, a new video-based curriculum is being developed to give historical context of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, to the current generation and those that come after. The first video has already been released. As the 25th year approaches of Sept. 11, we see time has passed and like weve seen with other tragedies and other things that have happened in our countrys history, people started to forget. The one thing thats different on Sept. 11, in my opinion and in most peoples reality is the fact there is no real curriculum and there is no real story, said Massimo DiDonna, founder and president of the Carl V. Bini Memorial Fund. The initial plan is to offer a non-credit course at the College of Staten Island through adult education, with a goal of eventually creating a credit-bearing program, according to Robert Wallace, executive legal counsel and chief administrator in charge of community partnerships and government relationships at CSI. Its important for any institution to be part of the community, said Wallace. If we establish a sustainable program that reflects Staten Islands unique connection to the events, we will have met our goal. Joseph JoJo Esposito, an FDNY firefighter with Rescue 5, explained that many people dont truly understand what first responders experienced on Sept. 11, 2001, in the days after, and even years later. He recalled how New Yorkers came together, were kind to each other, clapped for first responders until people moved on with their life again. People forget about all that stuff, and those are the people who need to remember, said Esposito. If you werent personally attached to it, I understand. These people are like, Another funeral? Because we have a funeral twice a week with people dying from 9/11 diseases. So its never-ending for us. But those are the people who need to remember. Its why firsthand accounts, like those of Esposito and Cassano, will be documented on video. The organizations will collect these stories from firefighters and other first responders who witnessed the attacks on 9/11 and their impact on the United States and New York. The curriculum will cover various aspects of the events of 9/11, including leadership recovery, mental health and operational reforms. Its driven by the communitys deep connection and the ongoing impact the events of 9/11 had on Staten Island. We talked about having people come in and talk about their experiences, talk about how we rebuilt the city, how we rebuilt the FDNY, how it brought back patriotism to the country. These are some of the talking points that were going to hopefully get into the curriculum, said Cassano. The goal, according to Wallace, is for the curriculum to be completed by the 25th anniversary this year. Cassano said he hopes that, once rolled out at the College of Staten Island, it will expand to other college campuses. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. With cold-related deaths now tallying 17, the New York City Council plans to hold oversight hearings to assess the mayoral administrations response to historic winter conditions. The reported deaths occurred since the end of January, as the city has endured some frigid, snowy conditions, which have affected many unsheltered individuals. Autopsy results have shown that hypothermia played a role in at least 13 of the fatalities. As of Thursday, Feb. 5, none of the reported deaths have been tied to Staten Island. According to NBC New York, a spokesperson for the Council reported that the Public Safety and General Welfare committees are expected to hold a Feb. 10 hearing that will primarily address the cold-related deaths and Mayor Zohran Mamdanis response plan. Since Jan. 19, the Mamdani administration has implemented enhanced Code Blue procedures, which will continue as cold weather persists. The NYC Department of Social Services, which oversees the Department of Homeless Services, has placed over 1,150 individuals in shelters or other warm locations. Our contracted outreach teams continue to canvass locations across the city as they intensify their efforts to encourage vulnerable New Yorkers to come inside and stay safe, a Department of Social Services spokesperson said to the Advance/SILive.com. We will continue to engage these individuals until we make those important breakthroughs while ensuring the health and safety of New Yorkers. The department has stated that they are continuing to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness including opening a new 106-bed Safe Haven facility in Lower Manhattan and 50 low-barrier beds in Upper Manhattan. They have also reported that warming centers and buses are being deployed across all five boroughs. This has been a full all-hands-on-deck approach, said the newly appointed mayor at a recent news conference. However, with weekend temperatures expected to continue dropping, there have been calls for the administration to take a more aggressive approach to safety for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Code Blue procedures Under enhanced Code Blue procedures, 311 calls related to homeless assistance are routed directly to 911 to speed response times. The city has also authorized additional overtime for outreach staff and coordinated with shelter providers, multiple faith organizations and over a dozen hospitals to bring people indoors. This response plan also allows outreach teams to focus on priority individuals, making continuous contact with them if precipitation is falling. Priority lists target unsheltered people who are older, have medical or mental health conditions or appear chronically underdressed. When first responders encounter someone who refuses shelter but appears in danger from the cold, they may transport that person to a safe location if determined necessary. In some conditions, ambulances can be dispatched to evaluate injuries, and police can assist with transportation to shelters. UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns Friday's attack on a mosque in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, his deputy spokesperson said. "The Secretary-General condemns in the strongest terms today's attack on worshippers gathered at a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan," said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson, in a statement. "The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable. He stresses that those responsible must be identified and brought to justice," said the statement. It said that Guterres extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a full and speedy recovery to those injured. The UN chief reaffirms the solidarity of the world body with the government and people of Pakistan in their efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism, the statement added. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The New York City Catholic community officially welcomed the new archbishop on Friday afternoon, with schools and churches on Staten Island celebrating the beginning of a new era. Archbishop Ronald Hicks, 58, was named to the role by Pope Leo XIV in December, following the retirement of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who had held the position since 2009. The ceremonial changing of the guard began with a vespers ceremony, a more formal evening prayer service, at 5 p.m. Thursday. The ceremony included psalms, hymns, scripture readings and prayers. The ceremony traditionally provides clergy and religious people an opportunity to pray for the new archbishop and the diocese. The installation Mass was held Friday at 2 p.m. at St. Patricks Cathedral in Manhattan, and featured Archbishop Hicks formal appointment, as the official document from the pope was read. Louis Tobacco, president of Monsignor Farrell High School, poses with Leeland Hertzler, a sophomore at the school, at the mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on Feb. 6, 2026. Courtesy of Louis Tobacco Scriptures, psalms and gospels were read, and Holy Communion was given. Louis R. Tobacco, president of Monsignor Farrell High School, attended the ceremony, along with sophomore student Leeland Hertzler and his father, Kevin Hertzler. We are one big family, the Catholic church and the Archdiocese of New York, and its exciting for us to come together to celebrate as one family, welcoming our new archbishop, said Tobacco, who has served as the all-boys high school president for seven years. Our motto at Farrell is Vir Fidelis, and that means faithful man. It is really important to us because the archbishop now becomes our faithful man. He becomes our shepherd and our guide. We look to him for strength and for our faith and guidance. Kevin Hertzler, with son, Leeland, a sophomore at Monsignor Farrell, at the Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on Feb. 6, 2026. Courtesy of Louis Tobacco Tobacco also shared his gratitude for Cardinal Dolans years of service, and close relationship to the Catholic schools of Staten Island. Its bittersweet, because we have become very close to Cardinal Dolan, he shared while on route to the ceremony. He has been such a dear friend to Monsignor Farrell High School. Ive walked this journey along with him. The Paone Family with Sister MaryGrace Walsh, the Superintendent of Schools of the Archdiocese of New York at the mass on Feb. 6, 2026. Courtesy of Kathryn Jaenicke and Kerri Paone Kerri Paone, the elementary school principal at Notre Dame Academy, along with her children, also attended the event and was chosen to represent all archdiocesan schools in formally welcoming Archbishop Hicks to New York. This appointment is especially touching to the faculty and students of Notre Dame Academy because Archbishop Hicks attended a congregation of Notre Dame school in Illinois as a child. The Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame gather to celebrate the Installation of Archbishop Hicks at St. Patricks Cathedral on Feb. 6, 2026. Courtesy of Kathryn Jaenicke and Kerri Paone The founders of our school were also the founders and leaders of his school, and their mission is about liberating education and freeing the gifts of every student, said Kathryn Jaenicke, the president of Notre Dame Academy. We feel that link to the archbishop because he was brought up in the same religious community as we have here. Borough President Vito Fossella attended both the vespers ceremony and the installation Mass, and offered his well wishes to the new Archdiocese leader. Borough President Vito Fossella with Leeland Hertzler, a sophomore at Monsignor Farrell, at the mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan on Feb. 6, 2026. Courtesy of Louis Tobacco We offer our congratulations to Archbishop Hicks as he assumes leadership of the archdiocese as a teacher and guide for Catholics and millions of New Yorkers of the faith, Fossella said in a statement. We had the honor and pleasure of attending the incoming Archbishop Hicks vesper mass last night... His words and his conviction for the faith were profound. Closer to home, Jaenicke hosted a watch party of the Mass for faculty, while the all-girls high school students had the opportunity to watch with their classmates. The younger grades were encouraged to watch the live stream at home and share images of the event, to contribute to a school-wide photo album. Bernadette Ficchi, the principal of St. Ann School in Dongan Hills, said that their students and faculty have been praying the rosary for the new religious leader. The students are going to Mass in the morning, and we will pray for him in his installation, she said prior to the ceremony. Local clergy have also participated in the welcoming of Archbishop Hicks, with representatives from multiple parishes attending the Mass and offering their prayers. Rev. Michael Martine is shown in 2024. Steve White | For the Advance/SILive.com Rev. Michael Martine of Holy Rosary Church in South Beach had met with the new leader shortly after his nomination, and expressed his support. Were blessed to have him and welcome him to the Archdiocese, he said. By his homilies and his remarks, the love that he has for Christ and the church and its people is very evident. He also shared that his parishioners at Holy Rosary are supporting Archbishop Hicks and praying that God will give him the grace and strength he needs in his new position. Its a big responsibility and he needs a lot of prayers as he takes over, said Rev. Jacob Thumma, the pastor of St. Anns Church in Dongan Hills and St. Sylvesters Church in Concord. Rev. Jacob Thumma gives communion during the Easter Sunday service at St. Sylvester's R.C. Church in Concord. Hilton Flores|Staten Island Advance/SILive.com Bishop Ronald Hicks The Illinois native was born and raised in suburban Chicago, just like the new pope. His parents, Ron and Roselee, were both school teachers. He graduated from the seminary in 1985 before studying philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. He also has a masters degree in divinity from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois. He was ordained in 1994 and in 2020 was named the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. He speaks fluent Spanish and ministered to the poor in South and Central America for many years. He also lived in El Salvador for five years, where he worked as a regional director of an organization dedicated to caring for orphaned and abandoned children. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. In honor of those who have died, here is a compilation of obituaries posted on SILive. Viewing times and guest books can be seen here. James D. Deaver, 84, died Jan. 20 in Accord, New York. Born Jan. 7, 1942, on Staten Island, he was raised at Mount Loretto. Mr. Deaver built a distinguished career as an elite machinist on Staten Island before relocating to upstate New York, where he continued his work until retirement. He enjoyed the outdoors and loved his pets. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Deaver (nee Wellington), his sisters and their husbands, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Read the full obituary on SILive. Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story based on data from Legacy.com. It was reviewed and edited by Advance/SILive.com staff. Creator Meredith Hayden claimed in a recent TikTok that her intense anxiety before a January trip to Japan stemmed from an alleged incident four years ago in which she was roofied and kidnapped after a Hollywood premiere party, according to People. Meredith Hayden attends the premiere of the Netflix documentary "Martha" at The Paris Theater on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in New York. (Photo by CJ Rivera/Invision/AP) CJ Rivera/Invision/AP She said she had gone outside to leave the event when someone pushed her into a car and held her for several hours, an experience she never previously shared publicly because she didnt want to be labeled by the trauma, the report said. Still suffering, years later Hayden added that the ordeal left her with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and agoraphobia, diagnoses she said were confirmed by a psychiatrist after an earlier therapist dismissed her concerns, the outlet revealed. She explained, according to the outlet, that crowded places like Tokyo can be especially triggering, even if she was staying in nice hotels for her 30th birthday. Hayden also said she chose not to report the alleged incident to police because of a prior negative experience after being robbed in New York, which she described as humiliating and unproductive. According to the publication, she said that the trauma still affects her daily life, contributing to ongoing anxiety whenever she leaves her home. New York City students in public schools will soon get a weeklong break during mid-winter recess this month. Students wont be heading to class from Feb. 16-20, which includes time off for Presidents Day. The last day of classes for public school before mid-winter break begins is Friday, Feb. 13. Students return to class on Monday, Feb. 23. This gives students nine full days off from school during the break, including weekends. The city DOE public school calendar includes some two dozen days off between the first day and the last day of classes. The calendar gives time off for the religious holidays, week-long breaks for winter recess, mid-winter recess and spring recess, and federal holidays. The next day off after mid-winter recess is Friday, March 30, for Eid al-Fitr, and students can look forward to the last weeklong break during spring recess from April 2-10. Students also have time off for other federal and religious holidays until the last day of classes on Friday, June 26. You can go here to view more important dates for the 2025-2026 public school academic year. Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York do not offer a mid-winter recess, only providing time off for Presidents Day on Monday, Feb. 16. Catholic school students will also get their next long break for Easter recess in April, beginning on Holy Thursday on April 2, resuming classes on Monday, April 13. That means Catholic school students will have 11 days off from school during their Easter break. The earliest day that Catholic schools can end the school year is June 18. Thats a pretty big ask. NBC News is reporting that President Donald Trump made a brazen request of Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in exchange for agreeing to free up billions in frozen federal funds for the Gateway tunnel project. Trump last month told Schumer that he would release the money if New Yorks Penn Station and Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., were named in honor of Trump. Schumer reportedly rejected Trumps demand. The White House declined to comment, and Schumers office did not respond to a request for comment. A source close to Schumer told NBC News that there is nothing to trade. The president stopped the funding, and he can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers, the source said. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who is a member of the Appropriations Committee, said in a statement Thursday that this is ridiculous. These naming rights arent tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers, Gillibrand said. At a time when New Yorkers are already being crushed by high costs under the Trump tariffs, the president continues to put his own narcissism over the good-paying union jobs this project provides and the extraordinary economic impact the Gateway tunnel will bring. I demand that president put people first and unfreeze this project and all the others his administration has been holding hostage for his personal gain, she said. The $16 billion tunnel, which would connect New York City and New Jersey, includes nine miles of new passenger rail track and a rehabilitation of the North River Tunnel. New York and New Jersey authorities have said that the project would come to a halt, at the cost of 1,000 construction jobs, if the money isnt freed up by Friday. New York and New Jersey have sued the Trump administration in an effort to get the federal money flowing. Trumps ask was first reported by Punchbowl News. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. In a pivotal election year, Staten Islanders will have to wait to learn the layout of their congressional district after a court-ordered deadline passed Friday. Justice Jeffrey Pearlman ordered a redrawing of New Yorks 11th Congressional District in January with a Friday deadline, but shortly after that order, appeals filed by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the current Republican representative for the district, stayed that deadline. Jeffrey Wice a professor at New York Law School and director of its New York Elections, Census and Redistricting Institute said final maps could take weeks as the case makes its way through the courts. Redistricting decisions often come down to the wire at the last minute, and despite the administrative headaches new maps enacted at the end of a process can go into effect and be used almost right away, he said. Its not ideal, but it happens all the time. Wice said the layout of the Staten Island congressional district, which it currently shares with part of South Brooklyn, might come down to a court-appointed special master like it did in 2022. That year a drawn-out redistricting process saw New Yorks congressional primaries postponed to August after a special master published district maps in May. States redraw their congressional district lines after each decennial U.S. Census. Typically, those processes give political parties in control of a state government in New Yorks case, Democrats an opportunity to redraw advantageous lines and take more control over the federal government. However, New York voters approved an Independent Redistricting Commission in 2014 that was meant to remove politics from the redistricting process. The State Legislature retained an approval requirement for the maps, so if the Independent Redistricting Commission doesnt draw maps to New York Democrats liking, those maps wont be approved. Thats what happened in 2022, leading to the appointment of the special master, and in 2024 the State Legislature drew updated maps, leaving what the special master drew largely in place, particularly in the 11th Congressional District. Gov. Kathy Hochul approved those 2024 maps. This years primary is set for June, but could face a postponement similar to 2022 if the court cases drag out. Attorneys for Malliotakis have filed appeals in New Yorks appellate division and Court of Appeals, the states highest court. Malliotakis, who won her first congressional race in 2020, has been highly critical of Pearlmans decision, particularly for his past work for Democrats, including Hochul. Kathy Hochuls handpicked judge has made a mockery of the judicial process and thrown the upcoming elections into chaos, Malliotakis said. His highly-partisan ruling unquestionably violates the U.S. Constitution and is so fundamentally flawed that it was denounced by the law school professors he cited in his decision. Im confident that it will ultimately be reversed on appeal. Pearlman based his ruling, in part, on submissions from a pair of Harvard Law professors who now dispute the way their testimony was used in the decision. In his decision, Pearlman sided with plaintiffs in the case, represented by the Washington, D.C.-based Elias Law Group, who sought a redrawing of the district because they argue its current layout illegally limits the voting rights of Black and Latino voters. While the judge didnt order a specific layout of the redrawn district, plaintiffs in the case included a possible map that would see the shared portion of the district, which covers all of Staten Island, moved into lower Manhattan neighborhoods like the West Village and Battery Park. While voters in both district-mate options lower Manhattan and South Brooklyn went for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the last presidential election, those in lower Manhattan did so more overwhelmingly, according to an analysis from The City news outlet. That advantage could help Democrats take the only Republican-held congressional district in the five boroughs, which Malliotakis first won in 2020 when she defeated former Democratic Rep. Max Rose. BAGHDAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces killed seven Islamic State (IS) militants in two operations, security authorities said on Friday. In one operation, Iraqi F-16 fighter jets carried out airstrikes on two hideouts, housing four IS militants in the desert west of the northern Nineveh province, according to a statement from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command. The airstrikes, which followed days of surveillance by the Military Intelligence Directorate, resulted in the killing of the militants and the destruction of the two hideouts, including their logistical supplies, equipment, and ammunition. Meanwhile, the Iraqi National Security Service reported another operation in the western Anbar province. According to a statement, its forces "surrounded a terrorist hideout containing the so-called 'Security Official of Anbar' and two of his companions." During the siege, the "terrorists" detonated themselves. Iraq declared victory over IS in 2017, but remnants of the group continue to carry out attacks against security forces and civilians in cities, deserts, and remote areas. 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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 Using space-age satellite imagery, Flagship Minerals has uncovered broad alterations at surface consistent with big new gold systems at its Pantanillo gold project in Chiles renowned Maricunga belt. The footprints are prime areas for resource expansion, with two zones exceeding a massive 5km by 2km in scale. The new targets were revealed after the company conducted an ASTER remote-sensing study that identified seven zones, including five additional discrete targets. An exposure shot in Chiles Atacama Desert near Flagship Minerals Pantanillo gold project, the worlds preeminent copper-gold jurisdiction. Management says the alterations cover well over 40 square kilometres of still mostly unexplored ground. The results paint a clear picture of real scale, with plenty of room to grow the projects resource potential. The halo patterns at Pantanillo look remarkably similar to those seen at some of the belts biggest names, including Norte Abierto, Lobo-Marte and La Coipa, underlining how well the project fits into this gold-rich neighbourhood. Advertisement Progress at Pantanillo on all fronts is strong and gaining momentum. Flagship Minerals managing director Paul Lock Flagship says it is also putting the final touches on a fast-tracked mineral resource at its Pantanillo project. The last of its historic and current data sets are being compiled, with geological modelling hinting at a significantly bigger resource than the existing non-JORC foreign estimate of 1.05 million ounces of gold. The company aims to release the new JORC-compliant resource estimate by the start of April, setting the stage for a follow-up drill program that will no doubt zero in on the latest massive alteration targets. Large sections of the massive alteration zones at Pantanillo remain untested, offering clear avenues for resource expansion across the 110-square-kilometre holdings. The project currently hosts a foreign estimate of 47.4 million tonnes at 0.69 grams per tonne (g/t) gold for 1.05 million ounces, with nearly all of the material suited to heap-leach extraction. Advertisement Flagship says its metallurgical test work is progressing on a 690kg bulk sample, to refine recovery rates for development studies into a low-cost, open-pit heap leach operation at Pantanillo. Historical tests have shown recoveries up to 89.6 per cent in bottle rolls and 82.7 per cent in column leaches for oxide ore, with the current program aiming to optimise those numbers. The expected results could easily mirror those at Rio2s Fenix Gold project, 50 kilometres north, which achieved 75 per cent recovery through dump leaching at a lower 0.48g/t gold, with projected all-in sustaining costs of just US$1237 (A$1772) per ounce. Flagship Minerals managing director Paul Lock said: The ASTER results indicate the potential scale of the Pantanillo project, with two substantial zones of alteration >5km in length and up to 2km wide, accompanied by five complementary 1-2km alteration zones. The results provide important targeting information and will be incorporated into the current dataset and used in future exploration initiatives. Pantanillo lies in the core of the Maricunga gold belt, home to over 65 million ounces of gold, including Newmont-Barricks 27-million-ounce Norte Abierto mine 40km southwest, Kinrosss 10.7-million-ounce Maricunga project 25km west and Hochschilds 11-million-ounce Volcan deposit 10km northwest. Advertisement The gold deposit stretches more than 850m in length, ranges between 200m and 600m wide and remains open along strike and down-dip. Flagships approach centres on building enough ounces to back an open-pit heap leach setup, eyeing some 100,000 ounces of gold production annually for at least a decade. The company says it is gearing up for a rapid push into 2026, with feasibility studies and drilling planned to capitalise on its recently acquired Anglo American data trove and unlock Pantanillos full potential. With gold prices hovering near record highs, Flagship remains confident in advancing Pantanillo as one of the lowest cost, most promising heap leach gold plays in Chile. The big question now is just how many millions of ounces its long-awaited resource will ultimately deliver. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Bulls N' Bears Shares Sharemarket Advertisement Eating outBest of From baked goods to brunch: Valentines Day ideas that are not a dinner out Spread the celebrations across the day with a champagne breakfast, a lunch somewhere youd never usually get into, or a well-stocked picnic at a favourite place. Erina Starkey February 6, 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 Valentines Day is just that a whole day. This year, with the annual Day of Love falling on a Saturday, theres time to do more than just a dinner out. You could book brunch or lunch, pick-up a special treat, plan a picnic or prepare a special meal at home. Here are six ways to celebrate beyond the usual dinner reservation. Humbles Valentines Day range. Caroline McCredie Pick up a pastry Where words fail, pastries rarely do. This year, Sydney bakeries are embracing Saint Valentines Day with a host of special treats. For a sweet surprise on the day, Humble in Surry Hills has iced vovo finger buns (three for $24) and heart-shaped shortbread cookies ($15), while Lucien Baked Goods in Parramatta is selling a Persian love cake ($7.50), topped with pistachio praline and rose petals. If youre happy to plan ahead, several bakeries are taking pre-orders. Loulou Boulangerie & Traiteur in Milsons Point is making a tarte de lamour ($11) on a butter biscuit base topped with mascarpone and berries. Shadow Baking in Marrickville and Darlinghurst has created a special Valentines Day tart ($42) made from croissant pastry filled with white chocolate chantilly, freeze-dried raspberries and rose petals. Advertisement Plan a picnic Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up A good picnic is mostly about knowing where to shop. Simon Johnsons Alexandria outlet is the spot for specialty cheese on sale, with well priced wedges ripe and ready to enjoy on the day. Its Woollahra boutique is also running a February special on Oscietra Gold caviar with 20 per cent off across the range instore ($119.20 for a 30g tin). Simon Johnson is offering 20 per cent off the retail price of Oscietra Gold caviar in-store. For a grab-and-go option, Continental Deli in Newtown offers charcuterie boxes ($25 per person) filled with cheese, cured meals, pickles and grissini perfect for a picnic at nearby Camperdown Park. Loulou Boulangerie & Traiteur, a short walk from Lavender Bay, stocks pate, rillettes, cheese and salami, alongside freshly baked baguette and lavash to pair with it. Choose your own selection or pre-order a hamper. Advertisement Continental Deli do a charcuterie board to take away. Normas Deli in Manly offers heartier picnic fare, from Roman pizza slices and focaccia sandwiches to spanakopita ($45 half, $85 whole) and lemon-and-rosemary-rotisserie chicken ($14 half, $28 whole) with salads, available to pre-order online. Dont forget the wine Sparkling rose is the right colour for Valentines Day, and its also the perfect match for picnic foods like taramasalata, fresh prawns and strawberry desserts. Good Foods national drinks writer Katie Spain believes the best pink bubbles come from Tasmania, calling A by Arras Premium Cuvee Rose astoundingly good value at $39 a bottle. Here are four more she recommends, all under $100. Theeca serves one giant pancake. Steven Siewert Advertisement Head out for brunch or lunch Love doesnt wait, unless its for a table at Bills. Start the day with pancakes at Sydneys best spots, or line up at an occasion-worthy cafe such as Bills in Surry Hills, which serves yellow peach and jasmine flower bellinis from 7am. Cafe Margaret in Double Bay serves mimosas from 10am, while Cafe Cressida in Paddington has a strawberry bellini from 10am. Some of Sydneys best restaurants have opened up additional lunch sittings. Infinity by Mark Best, the citys revolving restaurant, is fully booked in the evening, but still has a few tables left for lunch. Sydney restaurant Eleven Barrack will have a pianist playing on Valentines Day. Jennifer Soo Eleven Barrack will also open its doors during the day for a special Valentines Day menu of prawn ravioli and strawberry mille-feuille. In Gymea, Fior will open for their usual lunch service with the special addition of a pink tiramisu, made with rose and ruby chocolate. Advertisement Adam Liaws marinara seafood pasta. Cook something You can also just skip the Valentines Day mark-up, and make a special meal at home. Seafood pasta is a favourite for the occasion: its impressive, but more importantly, its easy. Adam Liaws seafood marinara marries prawns, calamari and tomatoes in a garlicky wine-based white sauce. Gnocchi is another option Jessica Brooks version combines mushroom and pancetta in a creamy, cheesy sauce. For dessert, Emilia Jackson shares her ultimate chocolate brownie recipe, which delivers a fudgy centre and crackly top. Save them now in the Good Food app. Loulous Tarte de LAmour is available to pre-order. Oh My Knafeh is running a heart-shaped version of its signature dessert. Advertisement Organise dessert The heart wants what it wants and for some, thats a golden, cheesy knafeh. Online bakery Oh My Knafeh is offering its signature Middle Eastern dessert in a heart shape ($100), served with syrup, crushed pistachios and rose petals, available for pick-up in Bonnyrigg Heights. In the Sydney CBD, Kiki Bakery has petite heart-shaped cakes ($28) layered with genoise, chantilly cream, raspberry jam and strawberries for pre-order. Related Article Sydneys 10 best waterfront restaurants for great food with a beautiful view Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share License this article More: Best of Eating out Valentine's Day Erina Starkey Erina is the Good Food App Editor for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Previously, Erina held a number of editing roles at delicious.com.au and writing roles at Broadsheet and Concrete Playground. Advertisement NationalCrime Gus vanished in the South Australian outback. Police have focused their attention close to home Riley Walter February 7, 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 Oak Park Station, in South Australias Mid North region, is 45 kilometres from the nearest main road. The property, a sprawling sheep station about 350 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, is not signposted, and nor are there any indications of its location on nearby tracks. To end up at Oak Park, you have to be looking for it, or lost. In summer, the days reach 40 degrees, and in winter, the nights drop below freezing. So vast and unforgiving is the landscape, that when four-year-old August Lamont, known as Gus, was reported missing there last September, no resource was spared to find him. Gus Lamont was reported missing from a remote property in South Australia four months ago. Artwork: Michael Howard According to Gus family, the four-year-old was last seen playing in the dirt near the Oak Park homestead about 5pm on September 27. His grandmother, Shannon Murray, was at home caring for the boys younger brother while his mother Jessica Lamont and his other grandmother, Shannons partner Josie Murray, were tending to sheep several kilometres from the homestead, his family told police. By the time Gus family reported him missing about three hours later, night was falling and concern was growing. There was no sign of the four-year-old; he had vanished. Advertisement On Thursday, police declared Gus disappearance and suspected death a major crime after identifying a person living at Oak Park and known to Gus as a suspect in the investigation. Gus mother Jessica and his father, Joshua Lamont, who does not live at Oak Park, are not suspects in their sons disappearance. We dont believe now that Gus is alive, Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke, the officer in charge of SA Polices Major Crime Investigation Branch, said. Loading Over the weeks that followed Gus disappearance, SA Police launched an unprecedented missing persons search. Combined parties of almost 400, including police officers, State Emergency Service volunteers, Australian Defence Force personnel, members of the local community and Indigenous trackers painstakingly combed the property. Searchers scoured the red dirt for clues; they looked under thick shrubs, and searched day after day for any sign of the curly headed, wide-eyed boy. Several buildings at Oak Park were searched top to bottom, six disused mine shafts were checked and cleared, dams were dived into and drained, and drones and aircraft were used to search a 706-square kilometre area around the station. Search parties scouring the property on foot examined a 95-square kilometre area over eight separate searches across 20 days. None located Gus or any signs of him. Advertisement No stone has been left unturned, Fielke said. Initially, investigators were told Gus family believed the four-year-old had wandered off and was lost somewhere on the property. Almost immediately, though, something seemed amiss; the searches had been thorough in terrain unlikely to be able to hide a body, even that of a small boy. The Oak Park property where Gus Lamont went missing. Nine News At this time, despite all of the combined search efforts, we have found no evidence, physical or otherwise, to suggest that Gus has merely wandered off from the homestead, Fielke said. By the time police officially launched Task Force Horizon, the large-scale operation to find Gus, on October 14, investigators had already started quietly following two other lines of inquiry: that Gus had been abducted from Oak Park in the short window that he was left alone, or that someone known to him was involved in his disappearance and suspected death. Advertisement Fielke said police had not uncovered any evidence to suggest Gus had been abducted from the remote property after devoting significant resources and time to investigating the theory. No people aside from those living at Oak Park had been seen in the area when Gus disappeared, and nor had any foreign cars or tyre tracks, Fielke said. The opportunity for anyone to abduct Gus is extremely low, Fielke said. The timing of being in the area when Gus was playing outside would need to be impeccable. Detectives spoke to several people in South Australias Mid North with a risk profile associated with abduction or child offending. Those people have been discounted, Fielke said. Neighbours, workers at Oak Park and neighbouring stations, and people in the area at the time of Gus disappearance have all been discounted as suspects. Through all of this effort, we have found no evidence to suggest that Gus was abducted from the property, Fielke said. Advertisement Over the course of several interviews with residents at Oak Park, investigators noticed discrepancies in the timelines and versions of events they had initially given police. Weve been looking at information almost right from the start, Fielke said. Detectives are investigating whether Gus died by misadventure and his body was moved, or if he was intentionally killed. Last month, detectives, armed with a search warrant, returned to Oak Park, where they questioned the residents, who until then had been unaware they were under suspicion. During that visit, on January 14 and 15, they provided investigators with further information that police say was at odds with their previous statements. Fielke said a detailed review of the information provided since Gus disappearance identified a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies. Advertisement Its very delicate, Fielke said. We have a suspect who we believe is known to Gus. Task Force Horizon members [and] myself are very cognisant of how delicate that is, and what that means for the family. Police at Oak Park. Gus Lamonts disappearance has been declared a major crime. Nine News During the visit, detectives searched the Oak Park homestead and seized a car and a motorcycle both vehicles of interest that had been used on the property and several electronic devices, including mobile phones, computers and iPads for forensic testing. Shortly after, someone known to Gus withdrew their co-operation and is no longer assisting police, Fielke said. In a statement issued on Friday afternoon, Gus family said they were absolutely devastated that the boys disappearance and suspected death had been declared a major crime. Advertisement The family has co-operated fully with the investigation and want nothing more than to find Gus and reunite him with his mum and dad, they said. Since the disappearance, police have been inundated with information from the public, including calls to Crime Stoppers, emails and letters. The information has been overwhelming at times, but it has been valuable, Fielke said. In the early stages of the investigation, since-discredited theories were rife on social media as speculation swirled online and in the local community about what had happened to Gus. Fielke did not rule out conducting further searches at Oak Park or other areas should investigators receive new information, or making an arrest over Gus disappearance. We will continue to thoroughly and meticulously investigate the disappearance of Gus until we get an outcome, Fielke said. Advertisement We are all focused and determined to locate Gus and return him to his parents. Nothing is off the table as we work towards that outcome. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement NationalIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Editorial Herzogs goodwill visits risks triggering harmful confrontation The Herald's View Editorial February 7, 2026 5:00am February 7, 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 Just as Sydney begins the journey of healing following the horror at Bondi, the visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog risks inflaming tensions. Mass protests are planned and police are on high alert. Ironically, the visit is aimed at social cohesion, but authorities clearly expect trouble. Unlike December 14, when just two police officers were assigned to the Chanukah by the Sea event, NSW Police are preparing for massive confrontations. Some 500 officers will be deployed just for Mondays Sydney protest march and an additional 3000 shifts are slated during the five-day visit. Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal in Beersheba, Israel in June 2025. Kate Geraghty Just eight days after the Bondi Beach killings, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acted on arrangements initiated by the Zionist Federation of Australia and formally invited Herzog to meet the Bondi victims families and the Jewish community. Advertisement The visit is intended to heal wounds, offer solidarity and recognition to a community still reeling from grief and fearful of further antisemitism. But Albanese said it also offered something to the wider community: We need to build social cohesion in this country. However, politics is regrettably blurring this admirable attempt to foster unity, trust, shared values, and a sense of belonging. As Israels head of state, Herzogs role is constitutional and ceremonial. His family has been synonymous with modern Israel. A grandfather, Rabbi Yitzhak Halevi Herzog, was chief rabbi of Palestine, and then Israel, from 1936 until 1959. His father, Chaim Herzog, in 1986 was the first Israeli president to visit Australia, grateful that the then Hawke government had started the ball rolling to rescind a 1975 UN resolution that equated Zionism with racism and racial discrimination. Relations remained cordial between the two nations until last September when Albanese, along with Canada and Britain, recognised the state of Palestine. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Albanese of betraying Israel and he later blamed him for promoting the antisemitism that he said led to the Bondi Beach attack. Some will argue that Herzogs visit is an opportunity to rally support for a concerted campaign across Australia to stamp out antisemitism, and he will be welcomed by many in Australias Jewish community. However, not all of them. Advertisement The Jewish Council of Australia has signed an open letter opposing the visit: We refuse to let our grief for the Bondi massacre be used to legitimise a leader who has played an active role in the ongoing destruction of Gaza, including the murder of tens of thousands of Palestinians, and the displacement of millions. The Palestine Action Groups plan to march from Town Hall on Monday evening, in clear breach of public assembly restrictions put in place by the Minns government following the Bondi terror attack, and the continuing refusal of protest organisers to meet with police, show the strength of feeling against the Israeli president. Sadly, particularly for the families of those who lost loved ones on December 14, Monday is likely to be more about division than cohesion. Confrontations over a distant war should not overshadow the plight of an Australian community in mourning. Get a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter. Advertisement NationalNSWCrime Man shot dead by police after dramatic pursuit, woman stabbed Jack Gramenz February 6, 2026 3:55pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A A man has been shot dead by police on the NSW Mid North Coast after stabbing a woman multiple times, leading officers on a pursuit and ramming their vehicles, before running at them with a knife. The 28-year-old woman was flown to Newcastles John Hunter Hospital in a serious but stable condition with serious injuries after she was attacked in a home on Heath Avenue, Tuncurry early on Friday morning. Loading The 41-year-old man, believed to be in a defacto relationship with the woman, fled as officers responded to reports of a home invasion involving a knife and a chainsaw. CCTV from a nearby service station shows the man rear-ending a parked 4WD, charging at the driver and taking the car. Advertisement I just thought it was a bit of road rage, the service stations site manager Noel Matheson told Nine News. The man carjacked multiple vehicles as he fled the scene of the stabbing. Nine News The man was then spotted on Stewart Parade, Tuncurry, driving through a sporting field as police gave chase. He carjacked a ute after crashing on the Forster-Tuncurry Bridge, ramming police cars and injuring an officer. The man then fled to another home on Idlewoods Crescent, Rainbow Flat. Police were called to reports of a home invasion in Heath Ave, Tuncurry on Friday morning. Nine News Advertisement Still armed with a knife, he emerged from the home and confronted police, who unsuccessfully attempted to subdue him with a Taser. Officers followed him into a neighbouring home, where he was Tasered multiple times, but continued on, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner David Waddell addressing media on Friday. Nine News He ran towards a police officer and was fatally shot, Waddell said. Police gave first aid, but the man was declared dead at the scene. Advertisement We have had to use lethal force by firing of a firearm, but that was only after multiple attempts to stop this man using a Taser, and there was a direct threat to the police officers life, Waddell said. Were definitely not ruling out domestic violence, and well be looking at the domestic violence history, Waddell said. A critical incident has been declared, and homicide detectives are investigating the incident with oversight from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission. The exact nature and circumstances, the motive, whether its domestic violence related which we believe there is definitely a domestic aspect to it mental health or drugs, will be part of this critical incident investigation, Waddell said. Advertisement Advertisement NationalQueenslandQueensland government Meet the rising star Queensland MP tipped to join Crisafullis cabinet James Hall February 7, 2026 7:00am 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 Hes everything we hoped David Littleproud would be. This was the description one Queensland minister offered when asked before Christmas about first-term MP Sean Dillon a rising star from the bush who government sources say is next in line to join Crisafullis cabinet. The broadside at the Nationals leader carries further weight following the collapse of the federal Coalition. Sean Dillon (fourth from left), with (L-R) wife Sarah, Kacee, Tia and Ryan. RLR Photography But it also provides an insight into Dillon, a fourth-generation cattle farmer from Alpha, a near-five-hour drive west of Rockhampton, who has quickly acclimated to parliament life and bridged the gap between the various forces in the LNP. Advertisement Dont be fooled by the cowboy clothes, another moderate senior minister offered when privately nominating Dillon as being on the cusp of a ministerial promotion. This masthead spoke with a range of LNP figures, within cabinet, the partyroom and the base more broadly. They say Dillon is smart and affable, without being painfully political. First-term MP Sean Dillon. Hes viewed as a pragmatist who has resisted the dogmatic ideology that has torn the federal Coalition to shreds. Under Premier David Crisafulli, the state LNP branch has so far quarantined itself from the implosion of its federal colleagues. And figures like Dillon are key to the governments bid for re-election in 2028. Advertisement Were looking at our federal colleagues not in a positive way, another minister laughed when speaking with this masthead anonymously to share details about cabinet dynamics. Im actually thankful were all in the one room, right? You get that diversity of views, but you have it out in the one room. You dont have to worry about this rogue little operation with a small number of people who are talking about their things. Were all in the same place. Related Article Exclusive David Crisafulli The advice Crisafulli ignored on his way to forming government To get a better sense of the hype around Dillon, this masthead travelled hundreds of kilometres to interview the member for Gregory in Clermont, a remote hub for coal mining and agriculture. Dillon, who still runs his familys station, is waiting in the sweltering December heat outside a local cafe twirling a worn light-coloured cattlemans hat. The venue was once the towns social club, and honour boards show generations of the MPs family name. Advertisement Both Dillons father and grandfather were elected to local government and his family has had a long and active association with the National Party. Dillon says his own motivation for entering politics, where he has risen from councillor to mayor to state MP in three successive election cycles, broadly echoes that family tradition. Dillon on the campaign trail with David Crisafulli. Matt Dennien I saw less and less people from a purely rural perspective [who were] either able to or prepared to put their hand up to go: Ill be one, Ill go out there and have the sticks thrown at me, he says. He also sees an opportunity to put his experience into the bureaucracy running local and state government, to advise them on policy levers that are probably not going in the right direction, or expand on ones that were. Advertisement Each of us have had a different motivating factor, but the underpinning principle is exactly the same: dont stand on the outsides and throw spears. Get in there, roll your sleeves up and have a go. Dillon is a fierce advocate for the coal industry and despises the presence of small solar farms in irrigation channels prime for agriculture to the west of Emerald. But he backs renewable energy and the ongoing investment to transition to green sources in less productive rural areas, such as between Hughenden and Winton in the states central west. That area has huge potential for very large-scale wind and solar, he said. Im probably one of the only people in Queensland that could actually openly say that, knowing that the community in that area is quite open to a conversation about it theyve been actively pursuing this now for the better part of three years. The Crisafulli government is expected to finalise its position on post-Bondi gun and hate speech reforms at cabinet on Monday, but Dillon said the suite of policies would not include a reduction in firearms for farmers. Advertisement Primary producers should rest assured that not only do I know, but the senior members of our government understand, the value and the necessity that a firearm is to a primary producer, he said. Related Article Queensland government Economists warn Qld has two options to cut debt but both mean breaking election promises We wont be taking tools away that we know are critical and necessary to them undertaking their work. In the weeks since meeting with this masthead, Dillons stocks have risen further after he cancelled a family holiday to support flooded communities in both his own and neighbouring electorates. Locals gushed over his proactivity while his familiarity rose across the state, appearing alongside the premier in disaster press conferences as other colleagues faced scrutiny for being on holidays. Advertisement It seemed very natural to Sean to break his well-earned family holiday and to be on the ground, Nationals senator Susan McDonald told this masthead. Not just to fly in to do an inspection, as would have been entirely appropriate, but he stayed for days, and everybody I spoke to had already spoken to Sean, and he knew what their needs were, whether it be helicopter fuel or jet fuel or food or stock movements. Seat at the cabinet table beckons After Crisafulli formed government in 2024, he was beholden to a pre-election pledge to carry over the shadow ministry into government. But insiders say a logical refresh ahead of the 2028 election to phase out older ministers was likely, while pressure also mounts on Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber, who has been accused of running a turbulent office with a revolving door of senior staffers. Advertisement Many government sources nominated Dillon, who currently serves an assistant minister, as the most likely to be parachuted into cabinet. Related Article One Nation Inside the rise of One Nation and the politics of tragedy Another name being discussed is former Morrison government assistant minister Amanda Stoker, who has privately impressed moderate party figures for appearing to shelve far-right views perceived as ideological and not disrupting government messaging. Dillon deflected the glowing endorsement from his colleagues and said he wasnt actively seeking a promotion to the ministry. I would love to be part of a government where we were able to take a cabinet from one election to another. The ministers are delivering in areas that are so tricky in policy, he said. Advertisement I work with ministers across the board in supporting them and Ive got, I think, an excellent relationship with all 19 of them, and learning from them how to be a parliamentarian is my number one goal, not learning and observing them ready to be a future minister. Im not avoiding your question, Im giving you a reason why I dont actually care, not because I wouldnt be deeply honoured and give it my best shot, but because I really will take whatever role, and if I happen to serve three or four terms as an assistant minister in a stable government, you wont find a more prouder individual. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement NationalMedicine Statins dont cause the majority of side effects on the label Kate Aubusson February 6, 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 The cholesterol-lowering drugs statins do not cause the vast majority of so-called side effects listed on their packaging, including memory loss, sexual dysfunction and depression, a major review of the most robust evidence shows. The findings of a meta-analysis published on Friday shatter the diehard misinformation responsible for tens of thousands of Australians stopping or refusing to start taking the lifesaving medication, leading to potentially preventable heart attacks and strokes. Statins are the most commonly prescribed medications in Australia. Getty Images The UK- and Australia-led research team now want regulators to change the drugs labels. The researchers compiled 19 randomised double-blind controlled trials that compared the effects of statins, and four trials comparing more and less intensive statin regimens. The analysis included results from more than 154,000 participants and 38 million symptom reports. Advertisement We found there is no significant excess risk with statins for almost all the conditions listed in statin package leaflets as possible side effects, said lead author, Associate Professor Christina Reith at Oxford Population Health. They found no strong evidence to support 62 of the 66 conditions or symptoms currently listed as side effects for statins. Related Article Health Textbooks say it is impossible. But this Australian heart has done it There was no increase in memory loss or dementia, depression, sleep disturbance, erectile dysfunction, weight gain, nausea, fatigue or headache, and several other conditions, the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists Collaboration reported in The Lancet. We can say now that statins are not the cause of the vast majority of medical issues listed as potential side effects in statin patient information leaflets, and this means that the benefits of statins in reducing major events like heart attacks and strokes significantly outweigh their risks, Reith said. Advertisement Thats not to say that people taking statins dont or didnt experience these symptoms some of them did, Reith said, but they were not more likely to experience these symptoms than those who did not take statins. For example, the proportion of people reporting cognitive or memory impairment each year was 0.2 per cent in both groups. An estimated 6.5 million Australians have high cholesterol. More than 2 million Australians are prescribed statins, which work by lowering levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or bad cholesterol, to significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks, stroke and other conditions. Who are statins for? In Australia, statins are prescribed to individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease. This can include people with: previous heart attacks or strokes high LDL cholesterol type 2 diabetes chronic kidney disease multiple risk factors like smoking, obesity, or high blood pressure a strong family history of early heart disease certain genetic conditions can cause extremely high cholesterol, like familial hypercholesterolemia. The decision to prescribe statins is always made by a healthcare professional, such as a cardiologist or GP, after a comprehensive assessment of an individuals unique risk profile, lifestyle and overall health. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme heavily subsidises statins. Source: Victor Chang Institute Anthony Keech, a co-author, cardiologist and professor of medicine, cardiology and epidemiology at the University of Sydney, said blaming statins for a patients symptoms stops doctors and patients from finding the real cause of the problem. Advertisement If someone has depression or erectile dysfunction, then dont look at the statin, go and find the real cause and treat it effectively, Keech said. The meta-analysis found a small increased risk (about 0.1 per cent) of liver blood test abnormalities with statins, but no increase in liver disease, such as hepatitis or liver failure. Reith said the team had discussions with national regulators to revise statin drug labels and information leaflets. Professor Garry Jennings, chief medical adviser at the Heart Foundation, said peoples decisions about whether to take statins were being driven by conversations with friends and relatives at pubs and barbecue. As soon as you say Im on a statin, someones going to say, Oh, my God, I had terrible muscle pains or something like that, Jennings said. Advertisement Related Article Cardiovascular health These six behaviours reduce the chances of a second heart attack He pointed to several studies that found disinformation or misinformation in media reports about statins side effects had led to an increase in heart attack rates after people stopped taking their statins. One study found a 2013 ABC report critical of statins subsequently removed for breaching impartiality standards led to an immediate 2.6 per cent drop in statins dispensing, roughly 60,897 fewer Australians taking statins over eight months and a projected 1500-2900 preventable and potentially fatal heart attacks and strokes over five years. The potential for this disinformation to actually cost lives is there and [is] really important, Jennings said. One line of questioning Keech poses to patients hesitant about statins: Do you want to see your kids get married? Do you want to be around for the grandkids? Advertisement Well, please keep taking your statin because its so important to you still being here in a good condition, no strokes, no disability, no heart failure, no more heart attacks, he tells them. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australia, responsible for more than one in four of all deaths. The collaborative previously reported that statins caused muscle symptoms in only 1 per cent of people, largely during the first year of treatment, and a small increase in blood sugar levels, so people already at high risk of diabetes may develop the condition sooner on statins. A spokesperson for the Therapeutic Goods Administration said adding information or removing warnings from a medicines Product Information generally required an application from the pharmaceutical company, and if approved, other makers of the same medicine (for example, generic brands) must make the same changes. Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday. UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the resumption of talks between Iran and the United States, said his spokesman on Friday. The secretary-general hopes that the talks will help reduce regional tensions and prevent a broader crisis, said his spokesman in a note to correspondents. The secretary-general has consistently advocated for de-escalation and the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the UN Charter. All concerns can and should be addressed through peaceful dialogue, said the note. Guterres is grateful to countries in the region for their efforts to help make these talks possible, and to Oman for hosting them, said the note. Iran and the United States held indirect talks mediated by Oman in Muscat on Friday. Advertisement Exclusive NationalADF The smoke-filled room where anxious men directed their nation at war Tony Wright February 6, 2026 7:45pm 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 The furnishings are dark, weighed by grim history. The drapes, sombre brown to match the carpet, are heavy, drawn tightly to prevent light escaping or entering and concealing thickened glass designed to thwart eavesdroppers. Major-General Jason Blain, the most senior Australian Defence Force officer in Melbourne, stands in the Cabinet War Room at Victoria Barracks. Jason South A wall is panelled, enabling a secret recess to be revealed or shuttered in minutes. Behind it sat maps charting the course of a war that crossed Australias borders. Arrows, you might imagine, were scrawled across those maps, tracing the intended route of battleships, the path of troops or the flight of warplanes. Advertisement The powerful men apprehensively studying their wall of maps knew too well that those arrows led to the likely deaths of young Australians, their enemies, or both. Those men had to guarantee Australias store of capital and the entire machinery of government stood behind their fighting forces. Related Article Exclusive Defence Historic buildings, prime real estate: Defence ready to sell off Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Here in this soundproofed room, through the years of World War II and behind two back-to-back sturdy padded doors, met the members of Australias war cabinet. It sits there still within the bluestone walls of Melbournes Victoria Barracks, the once grand St Kilda Road running by. As the federal government contemplates selling vast amounts of Australias military real estate to raise an estimated $3 billion, including at least part of Melbournes Victoria Barracks, this masthead was granted a tour of the historical site. Advertisement The barracks, with their distinctive ivy-covered bluestone walls out the front, were home to Australias Department of Defence from 1910 to 1953, before it moved to Canberra. It remains a Defence administrative centre. Central to its national significance is the War Cabinet Room, found up a set of narrow stairs in what is known as A Block New Wing, built in 1917. It will be protected by heritage legislation, whatever the shape of the proposed sale. Within, a brass ashtray sits next to a bakelite telephone, speaking of an age past. Once, cigars and cigarettes were provided freely, with more large ashtrays placed for the personal use of every man they were always men around the large wooden table that dominated the room. A special air-extraction system was installed to cope with the smoke as burdensome judgments were weighed. Advertisement Each of the war cabinet members had a button set at his knee with which he could summon staff and documents. Cups of tea and biscuits were brought for refreshment. The standard order was seven cups of tea and six biscuits, according to a social history of Victoria Barracks written by Agnes Hannan and first published in 1995. Precisely who missed out on a biscuit was unrevealed. Three prime ministers ran the war cabinet over the six cruel years of World War II. Each was aided by a small group of his key ministers. Advertisement A Defence Advisory Council of senior figures from government and opposition parties met close by, ensuring bipartisan support for the war effort. The one man who sat through all crucial meetings during the war years was the powerful secretary of the Department of Defence, Sir Frederick Shedden, architect of Australias war administration and keeper of meticulous records. Matt Golding Shedden arrived at Victoria Barracks in 1910, and apart from service in London and France during World War I, and later periods on official business in London and Geneva, he remained at the barracks until 1971. His office sits close to the war room, another esteemed part of Australias defence heritage. Robert Menzies presided over the war cabinet for the first two years, 1939 to 1941. The Country Partys Arthur Fadden followed for a few fill-in weeks after Menzies, having lost the confidence of his United Australia Party, resigned as prime minister. Advertisement Labor prime minister John Curtin shouldered the responsibility for the final years of the war as Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen battled Japan. The war, the stress and worry of life-and-death decisions, interspersed with gruelling trips to London and Washington and back and forth between Melbourne and Canberra, robbed Curtin of his health. As Australias 7th Division began its last operation against Japanese forces in the Battle of Balikpapan, on Borneo, Curtin died of a heart attack at The Lodge, Canberra. It was July 5, 1945, just two months before the Allied victory in the Pacific. The War Cabinet Room at Melbournes venerable Victoria Barracks, unsurprisingly, has been maintained through the generations as an Australian treasure. It is not a museum piece in aspic, however. Advertisement The room has been used for meetings of both John Howards and Paul Keatings cabinets, and it remains available to host decision-making moments of national and military importance. A collection of wartime maps still lies furled on one wall. In a cabinet in a room next door sits the War Book: a document instructing all government departments on their required actions as they moved to a war footing. The war room is a continuing reminder, says Major-General Jason Blain, of the consequence of major judgments affecting Australia and its people. Related Article Updated Defence Tap the brakes: Wary response to Defences $3b asset sell-off plan The decisions we make now are key decisions for our nation and for our Defence Force, and to do it in what was the home of the war cabinet room just gives you that sense of gravity about making sure that those decisions are going to stand the test of time, says Blain, the Australian Armys head of land systems and the most senior Australian Defence Force officer in Melbourne. Advertisement The Victoria Barracks date to 1856, when the soldiers of the 40th Regiment of Foot a British regiment previously involved in putting down the miners rebellion at the Eureka Stockade were required to build their own accommodation. That first building, G Block, remains standing. It is Australias only example of a barracks built by soldiers, according to Bronwyn White, a public servant who regularly leads tours of Victoria Barracks. Of the long years of history, however, there remains no corner of the barracks so significant as a small dark room where Australias leaders directed their nation at war. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement NationalVictoriaSwimming Australias most notorious ocean swim to proceed despite mass rescue Cameron Houston February 6, 2026 7:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A The nations most daunting and dangerous open-water swim will proceed on Saturday despite a major investigation into several swimmers being swept into Bass Strait during a training camp last year. More than 70 intrepid swimmers are expected to make the 3.5-kilometre crossing from Point Nepean to Point Lonsdale, despite warnings from those who almost lost their lives in the notorious stretch of water last April. Ocean swimmers (from left) Carrie Thomas, Sarah Galbraith and Sarah Hingston. Justin McManus The event, known as the Rip Swim, was only granted a permit by Parks Victoria on Friday, according to founder and organiser Grant Siedle, who said he had implemented the most robust safety operation to date, which includes 11 rescue boats, several jet-skis, nine kayakers and a large emergency-management vessel with a paramedic. Siedle said he took full responsibility for the very unfortunate incident last year, which required emergency rescues by Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Club, Queenscliff Coast Guard and a pilot boat that saved Sarah Hingston as she drifted more than three kilometres from land. Advertisement Hingston said it was remarkable that none of the 17 swimmers drowned, after they were dragged out to sea by the treacherous tide. Many in the group had previously completed the Rip Swim, while some were preparing for the winter crossing that discourages participants from wearing wetsuits. The reality is someone should have died that day, and its an absolute miracle were all OK. Were so lucky, she said. Swimmers cross Port Phillip Bay during a previous Rip Swim event. Hingston, 43, said last years training swim was supposed to be a 45-minute session to help participants acclimatise to the frigid waters near the heads of Port Phillip Bay. However, Hingston said the strength of the tide was underestimated by Siedle, who was one of three kayakers supporting the pod of experienced swimmers. Advertisement Quickly it unravelled, and I became separated from the group and I found myself alone. I spent almost an hour treading water after being taken about three kilometres into Bass Strait. I survived because Im a strong swimmer, and Im used to cold water and I stayed calm, she said. She credits the seafaring skills of a pilot boat captain, who had heard about the incident on the radio and noticed Hingstons arm as she crested a five-metre wave. Its an absolute miracle that no one died, and its been an incredibly traumatic experience for all of us. Swimmer Jane Betts on last Aprils training session The mother of two said the near-death experience had left her deeply traumatised and prompted her to revise her cavalier approach to ocean swimming. I wont go in the water now without a wetsuit. I wont go deep, and I wont swim in rough conditions. Its given me a different perspective, for sure, she said. Advertisement To compete, all participants in the Rip Swim must be experienced ocean swimmers with evidence of being able to swim three kilometres in under 54 minutes on their own, or under 66 minutes as part of a team. They pay a registration fee of between $650 and $750. Hingston said she had mixed emotions about the Rip Swim proceeding on Saturday, after last years winter crossing was cancelled because of a five-month investigation by Safe Transport Victoria. The Rip Swim puts participants in one of the busiest shipping channels in the world. Ive done the swim before and had such a positive experience, and I dont want to deny others from the same experience. But what happened to us last year needs to be taken extremely seriously and shows how quickly things can escalate. Its one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, she said. When the tide changes at the heads, about one cubic kilometre of water is forced through the bottleneck entrance to Port Phillip Bay, which has sunk more than 30 vessels over the past 200 years. In 1960, The Rip claimed the lives of three army commandos, who drowned during a training exercise. Advertisement The narrow gap between the heads is also the entrance to one the busiest shipping thoroughfares in the world, while commercial fishermen once referred to the area as shark alley. Jane Betts successfully traversed the rip with Siedle and his support team in February 2025, and almost immediately began preparing for last years scheduled winter crossing. Thomas (centre) and Hingston (right) say there were changed by last years scary training swim. Justin McManus The 57-year-old also attended the ill-fated training camp last year and is still grappling with the psychological fallout. She still recalls the waters off Point Lonsdale appearing calm when the group entered the water just after midday on April 5. Grant [Siedle] got us to swim on an outgoing tide in an outgoing direction. Then he suddenly realised we were in trouble, and he said, Its going to get a bit hairy, and you need to swim as hard as you can back towards the beach, Betts said. Advertisement If you look at data from my watch, I was actually going backwards despite swimming as hard as I could. I suddenly realised I was on my own. I totally thought at that point that I was probably going to die. I sat up in the water and screamed for help, and then I realised no one could hear me. Betts said that after thrashing against the current for more than 30 minutes, she made it to a rocky outcrop near the entrance of the bay. She and three other swimmers were rescued by members of the Point Lonsdale SLSC, who fortuitously had been training in inflatable rescue vessels. I would like the report from Safety Transport Victoria to be made public to help us understand why this event has allowed to proceed on Saturday. Borough of Queenscliffe Deputy Mayor Di Rule Betts said she was unlikely to swim across The Rip again, unless there was significant evidence that Siedle and his swimming tours company had improved safety protocols for the event. Its an absolute miracle that no one died, and its been an incredibly traumatic experience for all of us, she said. Advertisement But another swimmer, who was also plucked from a reef by lifesavers, said there should be a voluntary assumption of risk for anyone participating in open-water swimming events. Related Article Water safety The charts that show how we died in the worst year on record for drowning I dont want to talk on the record because I know some peoples experiences from that day are rather elevated, the woman said. But I have a surf background and the minute you step off the sand and head into the water, you know that youre in an unpredictable environment. Carrie Thomas was also rescued by lifesavers during last years training swim, after realising she was unable to make it back to shore. The 62-year-old had been in the water for more than an hour, until she was spotted by a helicopter. Advertisement Thomas said regular chats with other swimmers affected by the incident had helped her cope, but she said she had become increasingly frustrated by the secrecy surrounding the Safe Transport Victoria investigation. The government agency has denied public access to the report that was finalised in September, while also refusing a request made by Thomas under freedom of information laws. A spokeswoman for Safe Transport Victoria did not respond to questions from this masthead, but said the agency had published clear guidelines for events at Port Phillip Heads, which set out safety expectations and considerations for event organisers and assessing authorities. However, Borough of Queenscliffe Deputy Mayor Di Rule has called for the report to be made public. She said the council had been denied access to the report and its findings. Rule said she witnessed the swimmers being swept out to sea last year and the recovery mission, and has since heard stories of other participants in the Rip Swim being swept kilometres off course towards Queenscliff, or pulled from the water suffering from hypothermia. Advertisement Im very anxious because there are so many examples of near misses and the training swim in April last year was a shocking thing to witness. I would like the report from Safety Transport Victoria to be made public to help us understand why this event has allowed to proceed on Saturday, she said. Related Article Extreme weather Rookie surfer drowns in wild seas alongside friend who tried to save him A Parks Victoria spokesman confirmed the swim would go ahead on February 7. We are aware of the incident in April last year, which was investigated by Safe Transport Victoria (STV). The organiser has provided improved safety measures, independently reviewed by an accredited risk consultant, and met the conditions for a Boating Activity Exemption permit from STV, the spokesman said. Ultimately, ensuring participants are as safe as possible is the event organisers responsibility. Advertisement Siedle said more than 1200 swimmers had conquered the rip since the event began 12 years ago. He insisted he and his company had complied with a range of new safety protocols imposed by various government agencies. The investigation into that [the April 2025 swim] ... was closed with a caution, and every recommendation has been acted on to strengthen our systems, he said. We have also engaged an independent risk expert who has worked closely with Safe Transport Victoria, Parks Victoria and Ports Victoria to ensure our plan meets all requirements. We have followed the permitting process exactly as directed by authorities. The Rip Swim exists to offer swimmers a challenging and unforgettable experience, and while there is always some risk in open water, those risks have been thoroughly assessed and carefully managed. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Acclaimed Australian author Craig Silvey has appeared in court in Perth, with his lawyer arguing he should be allowed access to his phone to delete his social media accounts after they attracted dozens of negative comments following his arrest. The Fremantle-based writer, 43, was arrested at his home last month after he was allegedly caught actively engaging with other child exploitation offenders online. Author Craig Silvey. Tony McDonough Silvey, best known for his 2009 novel Jasper Jones, was banned from accessing the internet as part of his bail because police alleged he had engaged in online conversations over several days in January, during which he expressed a sexual interest in children and distributed child exploitation material. He was eventually released on a $100,000 surety, but his lawyers were back in court on Friday asking to vary his conditions so he could access his phone and delete his social media accounts. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A Below is a full transcript of the interview that Israeli President Isaac Herzog gave to this masthead before his trip to Australia. He spoke to political and international editor Peter Hartcher and foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott. Peter Hartcher: Can we start by asking you about your forthcoming visit to Australia? Isaac Herzog: Of course, thats the reason why were talking. Absolutely, its an opportunity to send a message to the people of Australia. Hartcher: Well, let me ask you, the prime minister and the governor-general invited you, so why did you accept? Herzog: I was very glad to receive this invitation, and it also came in conjunction with the desire and need of the Jewish community of Australia after the horrific massacre of Bondi Beach. I feel close affinity, both with Australia and with the Australian Jewish community, for years already. And I believe that theres so much underlying common denominators between our nations that its about time that also the Australian people understand and feel the same. It is so sad that only because of a tragedy, we can bring these relations and these feelings above ground. It is really painful, but I believe that it also shows that, you know, we are both nations who seek doing good, who seek peace, stability in the world, strong democracies, and at the same time, we must fight together evil and terror. Bondi Beach was evil and terror. And Im also, in addition to that, I am coming to visit my sisters and brothers of the Jewish community to console and pay our respects to the grieving families and to the community. Advertisement Matthew Knott: What will be your main message to the Jewish community, first of all, and to Australia more broadly? What do you hope the impact of the visit will be? Herzog: You have two items here. One is, of course, to pay my heartfelt condolences to the Jewish community and the bereaving families, also the non-Jewish Australian victims. They were all Australians who went to celebrate on the beach in one of the most moving and beautiful sights in the world, in my mind, and they were slaughtered and butchered like, unfortunately, weve suffered for many years from terror of this nature. And the October 7 massacre in Israel, where innocent civilians were butchered, slaughtered, raped, burnt and abducted, is just another very strong example of what terror is all about, and as freedom loving nations, the nations who have a core moral code to obey, and we are obeying it, we have to share together our feelings about combating hate, antisemitism and terror of any kind. And the other message is, I believe that Israel and Australia have always been very close friends and allies. Little do Australians remember but it is, it is Australians who liberated our land in 1917 and liberated Beersheba, Abrahams city, and our forefather. And it, I think it was almost a God-given moment in history. And later, Australia was the first nation to recognise the idea of a Jewish state in Palestine of those days in 1947 and thereafter, Australias relations with Israel were always bipartisan. And Im here to express a message of bipartisanship and friendship, and find a way to reignite this passion and love between our nations. Forty years ago, my late father visited Australia as the president of Israel. He was the first Israeli leader and president to visit Australia. Then-prime minister Bob Hawke and the governor-general hosted him and my mother beautifully, and I hope to revisit that experience. Hartcher: Can I ask you about antisemitism in Australia? Is it of a different character or intensity as antisemitism in other countries? Or is it of a piece, the same phenomenon, simply in a different country? Advertisement Related Article Crime Vile messages revealed as Sydney teen bailed over alleged death threats to Israeli president Herzog: Ive alerted about antisemitism in various countries around the world. And following the terror attack on Jews who went to pray on our holiest day, the day of atonement, Yom Kippur, in Britain, in Manchester, where two Jews who went to synagogue were murdered and butchered by another jihadist terrorist, I wrote to King Charles about various nations under [the] Commonwealth, and I included the phenomena of rising antisemitism in Canada, in Britain and Australia. I was very bothered by it, of course ... It is antisemitism of the same nature, but it is a wave that was extremely bothering and frightening. And, in fact, in Australia, which is a nation that has always been very moderate and tolerant, and it is a nation that has received the highest amount of Holocaust survivors outside Israel, and it is a nation that has always been extremely accommodating to the Jewish community, which is a community that has contributed immensely to Australias facets of life in so many fields. Im very disturbed by it. And I think that Bondi Beach was a culmination of a whole process of attacks all over for years, in campuses, in streets, on encampments and following October 7, very disturbing phenomena that covered religious institutions, synagogues and Jewish schools. Knott: What was your initial reaction when you heard about the attack? Did it shock you that this would happen in Australia? Israeli President Isaac Herzog addresses media in Beersheba, Israel, in June. Kate Geraghty Herzog: So interestingly enough, we were at an event in the presidents home, hosted by me, honouring various Jews who came from English-speaking countries, including Australia. And all of a sudden, during that ceremony, my spokesperson comes to me and says, There was a terror attack in Sydney and the facts are unclear. My heart missed a beat. And by the way, the hearts of Jews and Israelis all over the world and in Israel missed a beat. It was apparent soon enough, by evening time in Israel, that this was a terrible massacre. We are a small nation, so we get to know each other. It turns out that some of these people, these innocent souls, had relatives in Israel and or people who knew them. And I immediately wrote to friends in Australia to ask them if theyre OK and if their loved ones are OK. So clearly, its something that has been extremely painful and touched our hearts deeply for weeks. Advertisement Hartcher: You spoke about the shared history, the goodwill between Australia and Israel. And when the attack of October 7 occurred, the Hamas butchery of Israelis, I think the whole world, for a moment, was more sympathetic and empathetic, supportive of Israel than it had been in my lifetime. That now seems to have reversed. Israel had to defend itself, but was the way that the war was conducted by the Netanyahu government, could that have been conducted better to have preserved some of that upswell of goodwill that followed the October 7 attack? Herzog: So Im very much aware of the criticism and the surmounting views against Israel in various corners of the earth, also in Australia, but I believe that a lot of it comes from distorted information. First of all, theres a huge wave of lies, also about me and my visit and things that Ive said and done. Im the head of [the] state of Israel, Ive been in politics for decades, and I have many, many, many people who know me in Australia, I was even the head of the Australian-Israel parliamentary friendship league. And Im quite shocked to see how people in Australia who dont know the facts buy in on so many lies and false information. Related Article Exclusive Israeli-Palestinian conflict Herzogs warning to Albanese: Now is not the time for a two-state solution We went to defend ourselves, and we operate according to international law. We went to defend ourselves because the Hamas jihadist terror attack, with all the Iranian proxies all around us, was aimed at destroying us. Now we know it, we see it in the information we uncovered from Hamas computers and Hamas archives and so forth. They tried to split, physically split Israel in two, and then cut to the West Bank and destroy the nation of Israel. That was their whole plan, a grand plan which was masterminded also with Iran. Lets not forget the leaders of the three main terror organisations - Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas - met in Iran just two weeks before the attack. And in order to undermine this capability, you go into a civilian terrain because the whole infrastructure of Hamas is based on civilian terrain, and you find long-range missiles in peoples bedrooms and living rooms, literally. And you find them in mosques and shops and in schools. You find terror equipment, RPGs, bombs, missiles, rockets, the whole thing, literally. So you have to go in physically to take them. And sometimes its painful. It is painful, and we tried our best. We alert in advance, we send messages, we send text messages, we tell people to get out so that we can finally clear up the place. And some people, of course, they are fighting, and many of them are terrorists under this guise, and this is what weve done. And I know its painful, and I know its not easy, but we kept on saying it, that it is painful. Believe me, I care for the people of Gaza. All I want is for them to have a better life. And I believe that the plan that [US President] Donald Trump has now pushed forward, and which was approved by the [United Nations] Security Council, the 20-point plan, and the next phase, is another positive step. And dont forget: we had hundreds of hostages, from a four-year-old kid to an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor underneath in the tunnels, and now every hostage that came out keeps on describing the horrific torture that he or she went through, including terrible sexual abuse. So thats what we have to fight against. And lets not be naive. Had any Australian been attacked like that in Australia, you would act the same. Advertisement Knott: Can I ask you, following up on that, Donald Trump has asked Australia, has asked the prime minister [Anthony Albanese], to be a part of his board of peace. Do you think Australia should participate in that? Herzog: So the board of peace, according to the Security Council resolution dealing with Gaza, will have a key role in rebuilding Gaza. And of course, the prerequisite to that is clearing Gaza of the military capability of Hamas, meaning decommissioning in a vast way. And this is now the big discussion that everybody is dealing with. But there is an international force that has been formed, which is based now in the southern part of Israel in Kiryat Gat, which is dealing with so many questions of the day after. In all of these, I believe Australia should be part. As to the grand political question about other issues that the board of peace will deal with, of course, Im not intervening in Australias consideration, but our prime minister has joined the board of peace, and of course, we support President Trump in his efforts to bring peace around the world. US President Donald Trump with Herzog and Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October last year. Getty Images Hartcher: One of the immediate next steps in the Trump plan towards peace is that Hamas must disarm. Can you imagine that Hamas will ever disarm? Herzog: Its a very, very challenging issue. The interlocutors and the mediators claim that it will. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, meaning we will have to see it. There will be a deadline. And of course, you know, we are not the ones who want to go and carry out this job, but if we will have to, in order to protect our citizens and also enable a better future to the people in Gaza and our neighbours, the Palestinians, we may be compelled to do so. Hartcher: Can I just point out to you that, as you said at the outset, Australia and Israel may be committed to the shared goals of stability and peace, but in Australia right now, theres a fairly widespread impression that Israel is certainly not committed to peace. Lets set the activists and the extremists aside, can I point out to you that a member of the Albanese government, a backbench member, former minister Ed Husic has said in the last few days that he was deeply concerned about your forthcoming visit. He said its hard to reconcile the vision of you as somebody whos good for social cohesion with the vision of you signing bombs that may have been sent into Palestine. Whats your response to that comment from a member of the Albanese government? Advertisement Advertisement Exclusive PoliticsFederalCitizenship crisis Second MP discovers he is accidentally Canadian after law changes James Massola February 6, 2026 2:45pm 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 A second federal MP has been caught out by Canadas changes to its citizenship laws, in a potential breach of section 44 of the Constitution. Section 44 forbids a federal MP from holding the citizenship of another country and, during the so-called constitutional crisis of 2017, 15 MPs and senators were disqualified for either holding a second nationality or being eligible to hold one. Queensland LNP MP Llew OBrien. Alex Ellinghausen This masthead revealed on Tuesday that Industry and Science Minister Tim Ayres had become eligible for Canadian citizenship on December 15 last year, after a law change in that country that made it easier for the grandchildren of Canadians to claim dual citizenship. Queensland Liberal National Party MP Llew OBrien has now been caught out by the same legal change as Ayres. Advertisement OBriens paternal grandfather was Canadian and so is his father. But in July 2018, OBrien was formally advised by the Canadian government that he was not eligible for citizenship because you were born outside Canada on June 26, 1972, and your father was also born outside Canada, the first generation limitation found under subsection 3(3)(b)-CA is applicable to you. As a result, you do not meet the statutory requirements for citizenship outlined in Section 3 of the current Citizenship Act, according to a letter attached to the Register of Members qualifications checklist OBrien provided to the AEC. OBrien said he had been advised three days ago that because of the law change in Canada, he was now a citizen by descent of Canada. I immediately commenced action to renounce the citizenship, much like Senator Ayres, he said. Due to the stringent citizenship process I followed prior to the election, I believe I have satisfied the constitutional requirements and my immediate action to renounce the citizenship of Canada means I remain eligible to be a member of the Australian parliament, he said. Advertisement This obviously needs to be dealt with fairly and reasonably, otherwise we would have a situation where foreign countries could change their legislation and disqualify people from sitting in the Australian parliament. Related Article Exclusive Citizenship crisis The Labor minister who was Canadian for two weeks, despite trying not to be Ayres notified the parliament earlier this week that he had unknowingly acquired Canadian citizenship, which he had renounced immediately, as OBrien is doing now. In advice to Ayres, a senior counsel told him that he was still eligible to be a senator and minister because the implied qualification to s 44(i) of the Australian Constitution recognised by the High Court would prevent a newly enacted foreign law from disqualifying a sitting member of the Australian parliament. This advice is likely to apply to OBrien as well. Professor Anne Twomey, a constitutional law expert at the University of Sydney, said it was not surprising that another member of parliament had been caught by the retrospective change to Canadian citizenship laws. Advertisement This provides a good example of why it was unwise for the High Court to rely on foreign law when determining the disqualification of parliamentarians on citizenship grounds, she said. As Llew OBrien was not a Canadian citizen at the time of his election, he was validly elected. If his current status was referred to the Court of Disputed Returns, he would have a good argument that his circumstances fall within an exception to the disqualification requirements in section 44 of the Constitution. But one cannot be absolutely sure about how the court would approach the issue, as it has previously been very strict in disqualifying members. The only way the matter can now get to the court is if the members House votes to refer it to the court. It seems unlikely that the House would do so in these circumstances. Canada changed its laws to reclaim so-called lost Canadians in June last year after a 2023 court decision found that the countrys laws, which limited citizenship by descent, were unconstitutional. Advertisement A referendum is required to change the wording of section 44, and just eight of 45 referendums have been successfully passed since federation. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement PoliticsFederalIndigenous Sluggish, inert: Australias leaders slammed for response to Invasion Day rally terror attack Rob Harris February 6, 2026 10:56am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Aboriginal rights leader Pat Anderson has accused Australias political leaders of falling silent in the face of racism after an alleged terrorist attack on an Invasion Day rally in Perth, saying the response had left Indigenous communities frightened and exposed. I have waited for yesterdays decision to make this statement, Anderson said in a statement on Friday. Like many First Nations peoples, I have watched the events in Perth with a heavy heart. Pat Anderson at a press conference in Canberra in 2023. Alex Ellinghausen The now alleged terrorist act combined with the sluggish, inert response of elected leaders is a stark reminder of how we as Aboriginal people are viewed and treated in this country. The message that hurt me most was that of silence. The silence was overwhelming. Advertisement Her comments followed the upgrading of charges against a 31-year-old man, now accused of engaging in a terrorist act which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, after he allegedly threw an explosive device into a crowd of Indigenous people and supporters. Related Article Updated Courts Motivated by hate: Perth Invasion Day rally attempted bombing declared an act of terror Thousands of people were evacuated from Forrest Place in Perths city centre on January 26 after police located an object containing volatile chemicals, nails and metal ball bearings. Police allege the device, which did not detonate despite a fuse being lit, was thrown from a walkway above a crowd of about 2500 people attending the Invasion Day rally. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the accused man, who remains in custody and whose name has been suppressed by the courts because of fears for his safety, was self-radicalised, acted alone and had accessed bomb-making instructions and extremist material online. The attack on Aboriginal people and other peaceful protesters was motivated by hateful, racist ideology, Blanch said. Advertisement But Anderson, the co-chair of the Uluru Dialogue, said the political silence mirrored the experience of the 2023 Voice referendum campaign. While politicians say there is no room for racism in Australia, they fell silent in the 2023 Voice Referendum as race hate and hate speech bombarded our communities and they have fallen silent again, she said. Loading An Alyawarre woman, Anderson said families had contacted community leaders to say they were keeping children home from school because it felt unsafe. No leader stood up and condemned that, Anderson, a longtime advocate dedicated to advancing self-determination and the health and education of Australias First Nations people, said. Advertisement Race hate shakes you to your core and diminishes your sense of safety and belonging, leaving you feeling exposed, exhausted, and abandoned. She said Indigenous Australians live in a reality knowing that it had never been our governments priority to keep us safe. We know this from compulsory segregation or protection, stolen generations and child removals, subjugation and today youth detention and incarceration. What happened in Perth has stirred this history up. Authorities have defended the nine-day delay in formally declaring the incident a terrorist act, after criticism from Indigenous groups who accused police and governments of applying a double standard. Advertisement Blanch said investigators needed time to gather evidence to legally establish terrorist motivation and ideology, and rejected suggestions that police communication had been inadequate. Related Article Crime A horrific act of overt hate: Senate condemns attempted bombing at Perth Invasion Day rally Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said a significant amount of investigative work was required to meet the legal threshold for a terrorism charge. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the alleged attack after the charge upgrade, telling federal parliament it was driven by racism and hatred. The device did not detonate, but that does not change the fact that this attack was real and the intended consequences would have indeed been horrific, he said. Advertisement Speaking on ABC radio on Friday, Indigenous Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the incident certainly could have received far more attention in terms of media coverage and expression from other political leaders from other political parties, but she said it was actually not about a blame game any more. McCarthy said her focus was to ensure First Nations families feel supported. I am conscious that there are many views across the country, but my focus is to actually keep working with the families and those who are present at the rally, and how we can get through these next couple of months, she said. Theres still a way to go. The accused man is due to return to court on February 17. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. Advertisement PoliticsNSWAntisemitism Push to mandate antisemitism definition in NSW law, universities Kayla Olaya February 6, 2026 11:48am 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 NSW Coalition is seeking to adopt a new definition of antisemitism across all levels of government and public institutions, while requiring 10 universities to choose one of two definitions to apply in their code of conduct. The move comes after the Coalition introduced a separate bill targeting violent extremism on Tuesday, following the Bondi Beach shooting last December, where two men allegedly shot and killed 15 people and injured dozens more in an attack that targeted a Hanukkah event. That bill would criminalise the recruitment or coercion of individuals into violent extremism, with aggravated penalties for those targeting children. More tools to combat and prevent violent extremism: NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane. Sitthixay Ditthavong Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said both bills sought to target extremist actors seeking to radicalise children and vulnerable people, and to further their twisted agenda. Creating a new offence provides law enforcement agencies with more tools to combat and prevent violent extremism, Sloane said, calling on Premier Chris Minns to support her partys bills. Advertisement While the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism is straightforward, its listed examples of antisemitism in public life published with the definition have been criticised as limiting freedom of speech. The federal government, along with several states, including NSW, have endorsed the IHRA antisemitism definition, but that does not make it legally binding. A report handed down by the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, in July last year, recommended the IHRA definition be adopted by all states and enshrined into law. Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal. Dylan Coker Shadow Attorney-General Damien Tudehope said the IHRA examples were designed to call out attempts to disguise antisemitism as legitimate criticism of Israel. The IHRA itself states [that], manifestations of antisemitism might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity. However, criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic, he said. Advertisement NSW president of the Jewish Board of Deputies David Ossip said the bill was a sensible and practical proposal that balanced free speech considerations. It will help guide our institutions to understand what is and isnt antisemitic, whilst also balancing free speech considerations, he said. If passed into law, it would be a very useful and necessary reform, which is especially appropriate in the current environment. Greens MP Sue Higginson rebuked the bill, saying the radical and poorly defined definition would have a chilling effect on legitimate criticism of Israel, and risks institutionalising anti-Palestinian racism. It will force educational organisations and government to adopt a radical and poorly defined definition that will propagate fear and confusion among both Jewish and non-Jewish people alike, Higginson said. Advertisement The Labor government should hold firm against this dangerous proposal, and resist the temptation to further criminalise legitimate political expression that is in no way antisemitic. Ten universities including the University of NSW, University of Sydney, Western Sydney University and the University of Technology Sydney would be required to adopt either the IHRA or the Universities Australia definition. Universities would have to refer to the IHRA examples regardless of which definition is adopted. Related Article Antisemitism royal commission Sydney silk appointed as royal commissions lead lawyer as inquiry gets under way The Universities Australia definition distinguishes that criticism of the Israeli government or state is not antisemitic, unless it is grounded in harmful tropes, calls for the elimination of Israel or holds Jewish people responsible for Israels actions. It does not eliminate the possibility that substituting the word Zionist for Jew is antisemitic. When Minns was asked about the bill earlier in the week, he said he was cautious about moving laws prohibiting speech too quickly. Advertisement The antisemitism bill also seeks to prevent ministers or their staff from knowingly approving grants to a person or body that engages in antisemitism, and ensure government agencies do not procure goods from companies or people suspected of engaging in antisemitic activities. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here. Advertisement PoliticsQueenslandQueensland government Committees sign off controversial developer donation and youth bail bills Matt Dennien February 6, 2026 6:33pm 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 Government-controlled parliamentary committees have green-lit a suite of controversial law changes ahead of MPs return to Brisbane for the first sitting week of the year. Bills to give the option of electronic monitoring for youth offenders as young as 10, and reverse a state developer donation ban while quadrupling donation caps, are now set to pass without change. Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber has also confirmed the electronic monitoring bill will be debated and ultimately passed in next weeks sitting, calling on Labor for its support. Queensland Parliament will return on February 10 for its first three-day sitting week of the year. Michelle Smith Labor or Greens MPs on the committees, without voting majorities, issued duelling statements of reservation or dissent, highlighting concerns raised by various stakeholders for both bills. Advertisement While Greens Maiwar MP Michael Berkman, on the committee considering the political donation laws, wrote that they should be rejected, Labor will only make clear its position during debate. Introducing his justice, integrity and community safety committees report on the donation laws, chair Marty Hunt said the government was upholding its vow to unwind a financial gerrymander. Im proud to be part of a Government delivering on that commitment of fairness to Queenslanders, and the companies and individuals stigmatised by the previous laws, he said of property developers. He also suggested other changes to reduce the number of prisoners eligible to vote would not allow elections to be influenced by those who show disregard for the rule of law. Advertisement The ban on state political donations by developers, called for at a council level by a related corruption watchdog report, was passed in controversial circumstances by the former government. Related Article Queensland government Watchdog warns against rolling back ban on developer donations While the ban was challenged by the LNP, the High Court ultimately ruled the laws were valid. The bill will unwind the state element of the ban, and essentially lift the cap on political donations to a party and its candidates by a single donor from $12,000 to $48,000 between elections. In its submission, the Crime and Corruption Commission warned that with the looming 2032 Games, developer donations could exacerbate real and/or perceived risks of undue or improper influence. Advertisement The watchdog said changes to how the council-level ban would operate could create confusion, and essentially leave a range of donations for non-election political purposes effectively sanctioned. It suggested all donations from developers be disclosed publicly through the electoral commission website, regardless of the value. The committee report did not acknowledge this point. Queenslanders want less private money, influence and corruption in politics, Labor MPs Peter Russo and Melissa McMahon wrote in their statement of reservation. Its why the Queensland Labor Opposition will continue to monitor the rollout of South Australia Labors nation leading donation ban. On the electronic monitoring bill, education, arts and communities committee report chair Nigel Hutton said it was the first step in the governments strong bail monitoring laws. Advertisement The bill makes permanent, and statewide, a trial initially launched under the former government. A 2025 Nous Group evaluation only covered a small group of youth mostly in south-east Queensland. Key legal, community sector, and frontline organisation submissions warned about drawing statewide conclusions from the report, and the importance of broader support services for it to work. Labor MPs Corrine McMillan, Wendy Bourne and Di Farmer said the public were being sold false promises by the laws. In a statement, Gerber said the laws would be debated in parliament next week and urged Labor to come clean about whether they will support our new tough laws. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. JUBA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese and Chinese officials on Thursday pledged to strengthen bilateral relations and partnerships in critical development fields at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Juba, the capital, to mark the upcoming Chinese New Year. Adut Salva Kiir, senior presidential envoy for special programs, reiterated the government's commitment to strengthening existing cooperation between the two countries to ensure that Chinese investments in key sectors of the economy have a positive impact. Adut said that South Sudan stands ready to benefit from cooperation with Beijing in the fields of technology, infrastructure development, oil and gas, trade and investment, and education, as well as other critical sectors such as mining and agriculture. She added that the Year of the Horse provides an opportunity for the two governments to act decisively in elevating bilateral engagement to a higher level. Ma Qiang, Chinese ambassador to South Sudan, said that the China-South Sudan strategic partnership has continued to deepen, marked by frequent high-level exchanges and stronger political mutual trust. Ma said that practical cooperation between the two countries in infrastructure, energy and agriculture has steadily advanced. "China consistently follows the principle of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith. We support South Sudan in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, stand ready to share development opportunities, and contribute to South Sudan's peaceful reconstruction and development," he said. He also paid tribute to the dedication and perseverance of Chinese enterprises and institutions, peacekeeping personnel, and the Chinese medical team, whose contributions continue to support peace and stability in South Sudan. Advertisement Travel newsAir travel Two of the worlds oldest airlines are chalking up new milestones Julietta Jameson February 7, 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 Deciphering which is the oldest continually operating airline in the world is a bit like the argument that rages across the Tasman over what nation invented the pavlova and/or the flat white. On the airline question, its an arm wrestle between Qantas and KLM. Both claim the title, Qantas on the back of having operated continually since its founding in 1920, the Dutch carrier on pipping Qantas by a year with its founding in 1919, even though it was forced to pause much of its operations during World War II (it couldnt operate out of Amsterdam, though its West Indies arm remained active). Lufthansa cabin crew on the tarmac in the 1970s. Others are just as old, but have operated under different names, meaning they dont technically enter the argument. But two of the worlds oldest Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific are just happy to be around to celebrate significant anniversaries in 2026. Advertisement For Lufthansa, the milestone is a big one. Founded in 1926, the German flag carrier turns 100 in 2026. Sign up for the Traveller newsletter The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now. The anniversary coincides with the launch of the airlines nine-seat-class (yes, nine) Allegris cabin on new Boeing 787-9s. Allegris has pundits declaring its first class one of the current best in the air. On the airlines A350s since mid-2024, passengers have more control over seat choice (albeit at a price) with business class comprising five categories, premium economy one, and economy covering off the bookable options of forward seats or a seat with a spare next to it. There are just three first-class suites across the Allegris cabin, making it the most exclusive in the sky. Its part of a sweeping fleet renewal, with Boeing 787-9s, Airbus A350-1000s and A320neos replacing older aircraft. Lufthansa also enters its second century with scale firmly on its side. The group now includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and ITA Airways, which formally joined the fold in 2025. And thats relevant to Australians via a joint venture with Singapore Airlines, which establishes various codeshares into Europe. Advertisement A year-long program is planned of exhibitions, publications and retro-styled liveries with a modern interpretation of Lufthansas historic crane logo. Lufthansa is using the centenary to note its history, including the uncomfortable World War II chapter, with a new book and a permanent exhibition at Hangar One. Cathay Pacifics 80th birthday tells a survival story. A Cathay Pacific Boeing 707 over Hong Kong in 1970. Founded in Hong Kong in 1946, Cathay enters 2026 having pulled off one of the most dramatic recoveries in modern aviation. Few airlines were hit harder by the pandemic. Hong Kongs prolonged border closures all but erased Cathays passenger business, grounding aircraft, shrinking routes and forcing a government-led recapitalisation that left the airline fighting for relevance in its own hub. The rebound has been swift. By early 2025, Cathay had restored its full pre-pandemic network, reintroduced long-haul routes across Europe and North America, and regained its footing as a premium Asia-Pacific carrier. The airline has invested heavily in product: new Aria Suites in business class, refreshed premium economy cabins and upgraded lounges. Advertisement Related Article Air travel The most unusual planes airlines are still flying For its 80th anniversary in 2026, Cathay is planning a global celebration anchored in Hong Kong, with special aircraft liveries, onboard experiences and a renewed focus on storytelling around its post-war origins. More than a birthday, the anniversary is proof that the airline has not just survived, but stabilised. And in an industry that often makes headlines for collapses rather than birthday candles, simply being here is enough reason to celebrate. See lufthansa.com ; cathaypacific.com Advertisement WorldMiddle EastBondi shooting Opinion We have a choice with Herzog visit futile fury or solemn solidarity Peter Hartcher Political and international editor February 7, 2026 5:00am February 7, 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 With the sound and fury that already is accompanying the visit to Australia by Isaac Herzog, we should know who he is. But, first, who he is not. Herzog is the president of Israel, not the prime minister. So hes the head of state, not the head of government. His position is mostly symbolic and constitutional, not substantive or executive. He formerly led Israels Labor Party, so he was no friend of Benjamin Netanyahus Likud party. Illustration by Simon Letch In his current apolitical post, hes supposed to represent all Israelis, not a political party. Hes elected in a secret ballot by all members of parliament, the Knesset, and he is not appointed by the prime minister. If he has any power, the president has the soft power of symbolising a nation rather than ruling it. He does have one rather pointed power, however. The power to grant pardons to criminals. This makes him of special interest to Netanyahu. Advertisement Bibi, as Netanyahu commonly is known, is on trial over three distinct cases before the Israeli courts, charged with fraud, breach of trust and receiving bribes. Even as he serves as prime minister. In November, Netanyahu appealed to Herzog for a pardon. And hows this for chutzpah? He asked for a pre-emptive pardon, before hes forced to give testimony in court. He wants impunity for breaking the law and immunity for even having to explain himself. US President Donald Trump blundered into the middle of this delicate matter to tell Herzog publicly that he should agree to pardon Netanyahu. Herzog has been scrupulously non-committal and has said only that hell give the request careful consideration. US President Donald Trump with Isaac Herzog and Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October last year. Getty Images Another part of an Israeli presidents job is to cultivate the countrys ties with Jewish people everywhere. Which brings him to Australia. The first wrenching news of the Bondi terrorist murders made his heart miss a beat, he says: Im coming to visit and see my brothers and sisters of the Jewish communities in Australia to express our bond, our connection, our love, our affection, our condolences and I think it is something which is very important to a community which has been harassed and devastated by this terrible, terrible attack and by the ongoing onslaught of antisemitism against the community all over Australia, he says in an interview with my colleague Matthew Knott and me. Advertisement And he wants to take the opportunity to explain Israels position and upgrade the relations to where it should be between two democratic nations. The Australian people are incredible friends. We co-operate with them in so many fields of doing good. We can contribute together to the world positively from climate to water to agriculture to science, so lets do that together. He points out that Australia was present at the creation of Israel both on the battlefield and in the UN: Little do Australians remember but Australians who liberated our land in 1917 and liberated Beersheba, Abrahams city, and our forefather. And it, I think it was almost a God-given moment in history. And later, Australia was the first nation to recognise the idea of a Jewish state in Palestine of those days in 1947. He pays tribute to the legendary Australian Labor external affairs minister, Doc Evatt, whose work at the UN helped midwife the Jewish state. Herzog has many friends and connections in Australia, including a long-standing relationship with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. When he was in politics, Herzog chaired the Israel-Australia Parliamentary Friendship Group. Its partly a family affair. His visit, which starts in Sydney on Monday, will be the fourth state visit by an Israeli president. The first was by his father, Chaim, 40 years ago. Then-prime minister Bob Hawke and the governor-general [Sir Ninian Stephen] hosted him and my mother beautifully, Herzog says, and I hope to revisit that experience. Advertisement Israeli President Isaac Herzog was criticised for signing a bomb that may have been used in Gaza. The image was widely shared on social media. He says he signed a smokescreen shell. But Herzog knows this visit will be very different. There were protests in 1986, but very little compared with what goes on now, says Mark Leibler, former chair of the Zionist Federation of Australia, who was present and involved with the 1986 visit, when you look at these demented non-stop marches. But there is so much to protest against. When Hamas launched its barbaric savagery against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, it was impossible for civilised, fair-minded societies not to sympathise with Israeli victims. Twenty months later, it was impossible for civilised, fair-minded societies not to sympathise with Palestinian victims of Netanyahus atrocities. No one could fault him for launching a retaliatory war against Hamas. But the recklessness of his tactics dismayed countries around the world. And Netanyahus wilful blindness to its starving of Palestinian children proved to be the last straw for many. Even Trump openly contradicted Netanyahu last year by calling it real starvation: You cant fake that, said the US president. Australia joined France, Britain and Canada in announcing their intention to recognise a Palestinian state. When we ask Herzog about the conduct of the war in Gaza, we want to know whether he thought Netanyahu could have better protected civilian life and, in the process, preserved some of the global goodwill that Israel had enjoyed after the Hamas attack. Herzog justifies Netanyahus strategy. Advertisement To undermine Hamas military capability, you go into a civilian terrain because the whole infrastructure of Hamas is based on civilian terrain, and you find long-range missiles in peoples bedrooms and living rooms, literally. And you find them in mosques and shops and in schools. You find terror equipment, RPGs, bombs, missiles, rockets, the whole thing, literally. So you have to go in physically to take them. And sometimes its painful. It is painful, and we tried our best. We alert in advance, we send messages, we send text messages, we tell people to get out so that we can finally clear up the place. He declined to express the least reservation about Netanyahus war. And his punchline: Lets not be naive. Had any Australian been attacked like that in Australia, you would act the same. Overall, Im very proud of the way my nation has gone through the worst atrocity in its history since the Holocaust. Related Article Opinion Middle East tensions Herzog is welcome to visit. While hes here, Israel has questions to answer David Harper Former Court of Appeal judge He does address the specific complaints against Herzog himself. He acknowledges that it was lacking taste and an error to sign a smokescreen shell. He denies ever intentionally trying to hold all Palestinians collectively responsible for the Hamas attack: I made an explicit comment that there are many innocent Palestinians and this, of course, is not mentioned by those criticisers, such as human rights lawyer Chris Sidoti, who made the absurd proposal that Australia, having invited Herzog on a state visit, should handcuff him the moment he arrives. Foreign policy as farce. And, adds Herzog, I was involved in procuring a lot of the humanitarian aid to Gaza. Yet, if Herzog is defending Netanyahus wanton way of war, why shouldnt Australians protest against his visit? Peaceful protest is not only legal, its a fundamental part of free societies. Advertisement Heres why protest should be set aside at this moment. Because Herzogs visit confronts Australians with a choice. We can choose to see his presence as a good-faith act of mourning and consolation, connection between the Jewish state and Australian Jews. Related Article Exclusive Israeli-Palestinian conflict Amid the horror of Bondi, the Israeli president phoned a friend in Melbourne Jewish Australians, a tiny and vulnerable minority, are frightened and frustrated. Frightened by the virility and violence of the Jew-hate directed against them for no fault of their own. Frustrated at the unique unfairness that they are held somehow responsible for the decisions of a foreign government. No other people is held to this standard. If the Herzog visit gives them some measure of comfort, why not allow our fellow citizens this moment of solace, untroubled by noisy protest? A minority of Jewish Australians, notably the progressive Jewish Council of Australia, wishes he werent coming, fearing the divisiveness that will ensue. But thats not an option. Hes here, invited by the prime minister and the governor-general, and welcomed by the opposition leader in a bipartisan embrace. Or we can choose to see Herzogs visit as an opportunity for futile fury against a faraway power. Its a selective moral outrage, of course. Where are the protests against the Iranian dictatorships murder of tens of thousands of anti-regime demonstrators in the past few weeks? Which campuses are convulsed with outrage as the ayatollahs relegate women and girls to second-class status and send protesters to torture chambers and mass graves? Nowhere, and none. Theres only silence. Advertisement Most Australians, as pollster Jim Reed attests based on his research with Resolve Strategic for this masthead, werent taking sides in the Gaza war, did not want to take sides, and actually had a mildly positive to sympathetic view of Israel overall. The protesters who turn out against Herzog are not representing the Australian mainstream. And theyre not representing the vital Australian value of respect for their fellow Australians in a moment of mourning. This is a test for Australian maturity and unity. We can choose to make our country better by helping heal a wound imposed by violent terrorists. Or we can give the terrorists exactly what they sought to achieve by their calculated mass murder on Bondi Beach. A protest against Herzog cannot make the least difference to even a single Palestinian in Gaza. But it can continue the roiling division inside Australia, pitting Australian against Australian. Because the Bondi attackers murdered Jewish Australians, but their true target was Australia itself. Peter Hartcher is political and international editor. Amazon shares plunge as AI costs climb San Francisco, United States, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Amazon shares dove more than 11 percent on Thursday as the computing and retail titan reported strong sales but significantly boosted spending estimates. Amazon reported a profit of $21.2 billion on net sales of $213.4 billion in the recently ended quarter as its AWS cloud computing, retail, advertising, and chips businesses thrived. "With such strong demand for our existing offerings and seminal opportunities like AI, chips, robotics, and low-earth orbit satellites, we expect to invest about $200 billion in capital expenditures across Amazon in 2026," said Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy. Market analysts had forecast that Amazon's capital expenditures would reach about $147 billion this year, mostly due to AI spending initiatives. Amazon Web Services (AWS) unit sales in the quarter tallied $35.6 billion, a 24-percent jump from the same period a year earlier, according to earnings figures. Like other tech giants, Amazon is making massive investments to grab a slice of the AI revolution pie. It is particularly banking on the performance of AWS, the world's leading cloud computing provider, which is engaged in a race against its fast-growing rivals, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. "We have very high demand; customers really want AWS for core and AI workloads," Jassy said on an earnings call. "We're monetizing capacity as fast as we can install it." Cloud computing giants have spoken of demand for AI-infused services outpacing supply as they spend fiercely to expand infrastructure and access to energy needed to power the technology. "Amazon delivered a slightly mixed picture with strong overall revenue growth and a standout boost from the cloud unit's much anticipated reacceleration picking up greater speed," eMarketer principal analyst Sky Canaves said of the earnings figures. "Amazon has once again indicated it is willing to outspend its rivals with an eye-watering $200 billion in planned capex spending for 2026, far exceeding expectations." Amazon's core e-commerce business maintained solid growth in the important year-end holiday quarter with the help of efficient operations despite ever-faster deliveries, according to Canaves. An AI shopping assistant called "Rufus" at Amazon was gaining traction and helping drive online sales, the analyst noted. Jassy assured financial analysts that Amazon is keenly tracking demand in the AWS business with a focus on getting strong returns there. - Chasing demand - The earnings release comes on the heels of Alphabet and Microsoft reporting that they are seeing cloud computing demand surge and are continuing to invest heavily in infrastructure supporting the technology. Both Alphabet and Microsoft shares have suffered despite robust quarterly earnings as investors focused on billions of dollars they are pumping into cloud computing and artificial intelligence. The tech giants are all making huge investments to build up their AI computing capabilities, money that the companies insist will be justified by increasing adoption of AI tools and applications by customers across the globe. Amazon announced last week that it would be cutting 16,000 jobs worldwide as part of a restructuring, as it focuses spending on artificial intelligence. The job cuts, which follow already-flagged plans to cut its workforce by 14,000 posts, are aimed at "reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy," senior vice president Beth Galetti said in a statement. An overall elimination of 30,000 jobs would amount to nearly 10 percent of the 350,000 office jobs at Amazon, where distribution and warehouse workers make up the bulk of its 1.5 million employees. gc/aha Amazon.com Alphabet Inc. Press Release from Business Wire: Quantfury Trading Americas Limited (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 NASSAU, Feb 6, 2026 (BSW) - Quantfury Trading Americas Limited ("Quantfury"), a global brokerage offering commission-free trading at real-time spot prices from major exchanges, has partnered with Sandwich, a leading creative agency for tech and product videos, to produce a Social Responsibility Commercial Series. The series of commercials incorporates clear, engaging storytelling to prompt viewers to think about common retail trading behaviors-especially high-energy marketing, gamification of speculation, and heavy focus on potential gains without equal attention to risks-and to choose more thoughtful, informed approaches. Lev Mazur, Founder of Quantfury, said: "It's a pleasure to work with Sandwich, whose visual storytelling is outstanding. Since day one, Quantfury has aimed to question and improve the standard practices in the global retail trading industry." Adam Lisagor, Founder of Sandwich, added: "A good investment is a story. Quantfury stood out by wanting to tell a real, interesting story first-rather than just sell. That's rare, and we're glad they trusted us to help share it." The campaign supports Quantfury's core values: zero commissions, no hidden fees, and direct access to real exchange prices, while promoting responsible and educated participation in financial markets. This series is part of Quantfury's ongoing effort to encourage critical thinking and better decision-making in retail investing and trading. About Quantfury Quantfury is a global brokerage that offers commission-free trading and investing at real-time spot prices from major exchanges. Founded by a group of traders, quants, and machine learning professionals in 2017, Quantfury's mission is to change the exploitative retail trading industry globally, making it cost-effective, fair, and transparent. As of 2026, Quantfury has 1,200,000+ clients in more than 56 countries. For more information, visit: www.quantfury.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260205215041/en/ Contact Quantfury Contact[email protected] Sandwich 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. Iran, US prepare for Oman talks after deadly protest crackdown Muscat, Oman, Feb 5 (AFP) Feb 05, 2026 Iran and the United States were preparing for talks on Friday in Oman, with Washington looking to see if there was any prospect of diplomatic progress on the Iranian nuclear programme and other issues while refusing to rule out military action. The talks -- finally confirmed by both sides late Wednesday after uncertainty over the location, timing and format -- will be the first such encounter between the two foes since the United States joined Israel's war against the Islamic republic in June with strikes on nuclear sites. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are due to lead their delegations at the negotiations in the discreet Gulf sultanate, which has periodically acted as a mediator between the countries. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported late Thursday that Araghchi had arrived in Muscat for the talks. Iran's foreign ministry said Thursday evening that it had a "responsibility not to miss any opportunity to use diplomacy" to preserve peace, adding it hoped Washington would participate in the discussions "with responsibility, realism and seriousness". The meeting comes just under a month after the peak of a wave of nationwide protests in Iran against the clerical leadership, which rights groups say were repressed with an unprecedented crackdown that has left thousands dead. "They're negotiating," Trump said of Iran on Thursday. "They don't want us to hit them, we have a big fleet going there," he added, referring to the aircraft carrier group he has repeatedly called an "armada". Trump initially threatened military action against Tehran over its crackdown on protesters and even told demonstrators "help is on its way". But his rhetoric in recent days has focused on reining in the Iranian nuclear programme, which the West fears is aimed at making a bomb. US Vice President JD Vance told SiriusXM in an interview broadcast Wednesday that Trump would "keep his options open". "He is going to talk to everybody, he is going to try to accomplish what he can through non-military means and if he feels like the military is the only option then he is ultimately going to choose that," Vance said. - 'Inflexibility' towards US demands - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking in the Qatari capital Doha, urged Iran's leadership to "truly enter talks", saying there was a "great fear of military escalation in the region". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted by Turkish newspapers as saying: "So far, I see that the parties want to make room for diplomacy," adding that conflict was "not the solution". There had been tensions in the run-up to the talks over whether the meeting should also include regional countries and address Tehran's support of proxies and its ballistic missile programmes, two US concerns that Iran resisted. Citing unnamed Iranian officials, the New York Times said the United States agreed the talks would exclude regional actors, and while the meeting would focus on the nuclear issue, it would also discuss missiles and militant groups "with the goal of coming up with a framework for a deal". "Iran continues to show inflexibility toward addressing US demands, which reduces the likelihood that Iran and the United States will be able to reach a diplomatic solution," the US-based Institute for the Study of War said. With the American threats of military action still looming, the United States has maneuvered a naval group led by aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln into the region, while Iran has repeatedly vowed it will hit back at US bases if attacked. "We are ready to defend and it is the US president who must choose between compromise or war," state television on Thursday quoted army spokesman General Mohammad Akraminia as saying, warning that Iran has "easy" access to US regional bases. sjw/smw/md/rlp/sla Top US military officer met with Lebanese counterpart Washington, United States, Feb 5 (AFP) Feb 05, 2026 Top US military officer General Dan Caine met with Rodolphe Haykal this week, a spokesman said Thursday, after a previously planned visit by the Lebanese army commander to Washington was scrapped. Caine held talks with Haykal on Tuesday and Qatar's defense chief the day before, "reaffirming the importance of the United States' enduring defense relationships in the Middle East," US Joint Staff spokesman Joseph Holstead said in a statement, without providing further details. Haykal was scheduled to visit Washington in November 2025, but the trip was called off after US political and military officials canceled their meetings with him just hours before he was scheduled to depart, a military source told AFP at the time. Those who canceled included influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who at the time slammed what he said was Haykal's "almost non-existent effort to disarm Hezbollah." On Thursday, Graham said on X he had abruptly cut their meeting short after asking Haykal whether the Lebanese military considered Hezbollah to be "a terrorist organization." Graham said that Haykal replied, "No, not in the context of Lebanon." The Lebanese military announced last month that it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm the militant group, covering the area between the Israeli border and the Litani River. Under a November 2024 truce that sought to end more than a year of hostilities, Iran-backed Hezbollah must withdraw its forces north of the Litani and have its military infrastructure dismantled in the evacuated areas, while Israeli forces must exit Lebanon. But Hezbollah has rejected calls to surrender its weapons, and Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon while maintaining troops in five areas near the border that it deems strategic. LUSAKA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Zambia and Ghana have signed 10 memoranda of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries. The MoUs were signed on Thursday following bilateral talks between Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and his Ghanaian counterpart, John Dramani Mahama, who was on a three-day state visit to Zambia. According to a Facebook post of Zambia's State House, the agreements cover defense and security, transport and logistics, civil aviation, health sector collaboration, and regulatory cooperation. Other areas include visa waiver arrangements, standardization and conformity assessment, diaspora affairs, disaster risk management, and trade and export development. The statement said the signing of the MoUs reaffirms the strong ties of friendship between the two countries and underscores their joint commitment to deepening bilateral relations, strengthening institutional collaboration, and promoting sustainable development for the mutual benefit of their citizens. The Ghanaian president arrived in Zambia on Wednesday. During his visit, Mahama also addressed the Zambian National Assembly and attended a business forum aimed at promoting trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. CORRECTED: Trump urges new nuclear treaty after Russia agreement ends Washington, United States, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 US President Donald Trump on Thursday called for a brand new nuclear treaty after the last agreement with Russia expired, prompting fears of a new global arms race. The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed for a new treaty to include China, whose arsenal is growing but still significantly smaller than those of Russia and the United States, but Beijing has publicly rejected the pressure. Trump had been mostly mum on Russian calls to extend New START, the 2010 treaty that imposed the last restrictions on the two largest nuclear powers after decades of agreements dating from the Cold War. But hours after it expired, Trump said that the treaty, signed by predecessor Barack Obama and extended by Joe Biden, was "badly negotiated" and "is being grossly violated." "We should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. Asked if Washington and Moscow had agreed to stick to the terms of the expired START treaty while negotiations on a new accord are ongoing, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said: "Not to my knowledge." Russia had refused inspections under New START as relations deteriorated with the Biden administration. It said Wednesday that it no longer considered itself bound on the number of nuclear warheads due to the expiration of New START. Despite the stalemate on New START, Trump has enthusiastically restarted diplomacy with Russia and invited President Vladimir Putin to Alaska last August. The United States announced Thursday that it was resuming military dialogue with Russia after three-way talks in Abu Dhabi on the Ukraine war. - 'Unconstrained nuclear competition' - Campaigners have warned that the end of the New START treaty could trigger a global arms race, and urged nuclear powers to enter negotiations. A group of former senior arms control officials from around the world, in a joint statement Thursday, called on the United States and Russia to agree to keep observing New START's limits as a first step. The end of New START "will reduce nuclear stability and predictability, threaten global security, and increase the risk of a new era of unconstrained nuclear competition," they wrote. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the nuclear treaties between the United States and Russia after more than half a century were at a "grave moment." "This dissolution of decades of achievement could not come at a worse time -- the risk of a nuclear weapon being used is the highest in decades," Guterres said, after Russian suggestions of using tactical nuclear weapons early in the Ukraine war. A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity, called for "restraint and responsibility" and said that the US-led military alliance "will continue to take steps necessary" to ensure its defense. The official condemned "Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric." - China rejects pressure - On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that arms control was "impossible" without including China. China's foreign ministry expressed regret Thursday over New START's demise but said Beijing "will not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage." "China's nuclear capabilities are of a totally different scale as those of the United States and Russia," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a news conference. Russia and the United States together control more than 80 percent of the world's nuclear warheads. China's nuclear arsenal is growing faster than any country's, by about 100 new warheads a year since 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. China is estimated to have at least 600 nuclear warheads, the institute says -- well below the 1,500 each at which Russia and the United States were capped under New START. France and Britain, treaty-bound US allies, together have another 100. Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which warns of nuclear risks, agreed that China should engage. But "there is no indication that Trump or his team have taken the time to propose risk reduction or arms control talks with China since returning to office in 2025," Kimball said. Russia, US agreed that renewing nuclear talks necessary: Kremlin Moscow, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Russia and the United States agree that it is necessary to renew nuclear talks, the Kremlin said Friday, after the last treaty limiting Moscow's and Washington's arsenals expired. The world's top two nuclear nations said Thursday they were resuming high-level military contacts, an agreement reached at two-day talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at resolving the Ukraine war. "There is an understanding, and this was also discussed in Abu Dhabi, that both sides will act responsibly and will recognise the need to start negotiations on this issue as soon as possible," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of nuclear issues. The New START treaty -- the last nuclear agreement between Moscow and Washington -- expired on Thursday, triggering fears of a global arms race. US President Donald Trump's administration repeatedly criticised New START and said a new agreement was necessary, but insisting that it also include China. US urges new three-way nuclear deal with Russia and China Geneva, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 The United States on Friday urged three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons, after the last treaty between top nuclear powers Washington and Moscow expired. Thomas DiNanno, the under secretary of state for arms control, told the UN Conference on Disarmament that the New START treaty, which was allowed to lapse on Thursday, had "fundamental flaws". "Serial Russian violations, growth of more worldwide stockpiles and flaws in New START's design and implementation gives the United States a clear imperative to call for a new architecture that addresses the threats of today, not those of a bygone era," he told the conference at the United Nations' European headquarters in Geneva. "As we sit here today, China's entire nuclear arsenal has no limits, no transparency, no declarations, had no controls," he lamented. He added that "the next era of arms control can and should continue with clear focus, but it will require the participation of more than just Russia at the negotiating table". The expiration of New START, which restricted the United States and Russia to deploying 1,550 nuclear warheads each, marks the first time in decades that the world finds itself without a treaty to curb the positioning of the planet's most destructive weapons, sparking fears of a fresh arms race. US President Donald Trump did not accept a proposal from Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to keep New START's restrictions in place for another year, and called Thursday for a "new, improved and modernised treaty". "New START does not allow the United States to credibly uphold both our strategic deterrence commitments to the American people and our extended deterrence commitments to our allies," DiNanno insisted. "We aim to improve upon New START in order to achieve a new, better strategic stability and arms control architecture that makes the world safer and more secure," he said. China has already publicly rejected joining disarmament negotiations, noting that its arsenal is much smaller, although it is rapidly growing. China's ambassador Shen Jian reiterated that position on Friday, insisting to the disarmament body that "China's nuclear capabilities are nowhere near the level of those of the US or Russia". "China would not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage," he said. Russia's ambassador Gennady Gatilov meanwhile insisted that any new nuclear talks should also include other nuclear-armed states such as France and Britain. Russia "would be involved in such a process if the United Kingdom and France are also involved, who are military allies of the United States in NATO, which has declared itself a nuclear alliance", he told the conference. US urges new three-way nuclear deal with Russia and China Geneva, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 The United States on Friday urged three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons, after the last treaty between top nuclear powers Washington and Moscow expired. China has already rejected joining disarmament negotiations "at this stage", while Russia suggested other nuclear-armed states like Britain and France should be included. "Arms control can no longer be a bilateral issue between the United States and Russia," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in an online essay. "Other countries have a responsibility to help ensure strategic stability, none more so than China," he said. Thomas DiNanno, US under secretary of state for arms control, presented a new plan to the UN Conference on Disarmament, charging that the New START treaty that lapsed on Thursday had "fundamental flaws". "Serial Russian violations, growth of more worldwide stockpiles and flaws in New START's design and implementation gives the United States a clear imperative to call for a new architecture that addresses the threats of today, not those of a bygone era," he told a United Nations meeting in Geneva. - 'Modernised treaty' - The expiration of New START, which restricted the United States and Russia to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads each, marks the first time in decades that there is no treaty to curtail the positioning of the planet's most destructive weapons, sparking fears of a fresh arms race. US President Donald Trump did not accept a proposal from Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to keep New START's restrictions in place for another year. He called Thursday for a "new, improved and modernised treaty". Rubio said that the United States will "negotiate from a position of strength". "Russia and China should not expect the United States to stand still while they shirk their obligations and expand their nuclear forces," Rubio wrote. "We will maintain a robust, credible and modernised nuclear deterrent. "But we will do (so) while pursuing all avenues to fulfil the president's genuine desire for a world with fewer of these awful weapons." Trump has said he wants to restart nuclear testing for the first time in decades, although there has been no follow-through. - 'No limits' - DiNanno accused China of taking advantage of the "legally-binding US-Russian restraint to begin expanding its arsenal at a historic pace", maintaining that it was "on track to have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030". "As we sit here today, China's entire nuclear arsenal has no limits, no transparency, no declarations, had no controls," he charged. Russia and the United States together control more than 80 percent of the world's nuclear warheads. But China's nuclear arsenal is growing faster than for any other country, by about 100 new warheads a year since 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. China's ambassador Shen Jian reiterated Beijing's official position on Friday, insisting to the disarmament body that "China's nuclear capabilities are nowhere near the level of those of the US or Russia". "China would not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage." He insisted that "states possessing the largest nuclear arsenals should continue to fulfil their special and primary responsibilities for nuclear disarmament". Russia, which has said it no longer considers itself bound by New START limits, insisted that any new nuclear talks should include other nuclear-armed states such as France and Britain, its ambassador Gennady Gatilov told the conference. - 'New era' - Britain's ambassador, David Riley, appeared to dismiss the idea, insisting that "the United Kingdom maintains a minimum credible nuclear deterrent" and that arms control talks should focus on "those states with the largest nuclear arsenals -- China, Russia and the US". French ambassador Anne Lazar-Sury meanwhile said Paris believed that "credible measures capable of reducing the risk of nuclear weapons use" should be "the objective of all nuclear-armed states." The end of New START has raised fears of a new arms race. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said letting New START expire without a successor agreement in place "means we will lose the last remaining guardrails on Russian strategic nuclear force". Trump said that New START was "badly negotiated" and "is being grossly violated". Russia in 2023 rejected inspections of its nuclear sites under the treaty, as tensions rose with the United States over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. But Trump has resumed diplomacy with Putin's Russia. The two countries on Thursday announced a resumption of direct military dialogue to avert crises. Ukraine, Norway, Sweden top destinations for German arms exports Berlin, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Ukraine was again the top recipient of German defence exports last year, followed by Germany's Scandinavian NATO allies Norway and Sweden, an official report said Friday. The economy ministry said Ukraine had received around two billion euros ($2.35bn) of arms exports from Germany, which has been Kyiv's most important backer in Europe in its war with Russia. After Ukraine, the biggest buyers of German arms were Norway and Sweden, which are regarded as exposed to any threat from Moscow given their proximity to Russia. Norway, a founder member of NATO, bought German arms worth 1.3 billion euros in 2025. Sweden, which applied to join NATO after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and joined the alliance in March 2024 -- purchased around one billion euros worth of weapons. Finland joined NATO in 2023 for the same reasons but was not among the 10 biggest buyers of German arms last year. Belgium probes suspicious damage to navy ship Brussels, Belgium, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Belgian authorities said Friday they have opened an investigation after a navy ship was damaged in suspicious circumstances, with the government drawing comparisons to a sabotage case in Germany. The incident occurred on Tuesday at the Zeebrugge naval base, where the exhaust system of the Oostende, a mine hunter, overheated and was releasing smoke, according to the Belgian ministry of defence. "Technical investigations are underway and all hypotheses are being considered," a spokeswoman for the Belgian federal prosecutor's office told AFP. Although there was no fire and no one was injured, firefighters were called to the scene to cool down the equipment, said the defence ministry, which is also investigating. Responding to lawmakers' questions on Wednesday, Defence Minister Theo Francken compared the case to the alleged attempted sabotage of German naval vessels in Hamburg. "We have already seen this in Germany, where acts of sabotage were involved," Francken said, describing the Belgian incident as "striking". A Greek and a Romanian man were arrested this week on suspicion of having tried to sabotage German navy corvettes in 2025. Germany and other NATO members across Europe are on high alert over suspected Russian espionage, drone surveillance and sabotage. US accuses China of secret nuclear explosive tests Geneva, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Washington on Friday accused China of conducting secret nuclear explosive tests, and of preparing for more tests with massive yields, in what it said violated an international test ban. "Today, I can reveal that the US government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tonnes," Thomas DiNanno, US under secretary of state for arms control, told the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. "China conducted one such yield-producing nuclear test on June 22 of 2020," he said. US President Donald Trump had already hinted at similar accusations late last year, but without providing the same level of detail. Trump said on October 31 that Washington would start testing nuclear weapons "on an equal basis" with Moscow and Beijing, but without elaborating or explaining what kind of nuclear testing he wanted to resume. DiNanno on Friday maintained that the People's Liberation Army in China had "sought to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognised these tests violate test ban commitments". He accused China of using "decoupling -- a method to decrease the effectiveness of seismic monitoring -- to hide their activities from the world". DiNanno's comments came as he was presenting a new US plan calling for three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons, after the expiration of New START -- the last treaty between top nuclear powers Washington and Moscow, which expired on Thursday. China has already rejected joining disarmament negotiations "at this stage". Senior Greek air force officer detained for spying: source Athens, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Greek authorities on Friday formally detained a senior air force officer accused of spying, a defence ministry source told AFP, while another source and media said the intelligence was given to China. The 54-year-old officer, who was not named but was serving in a unit in the Athens region, appeared before military judicial authorities who ordered his detention, said the ministry source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Greek press agency (ANA) said the man would be questioned by a military prosecutor on Tuesday. The officer was arrested on Thursday. A brief Greek general staff statement said there was "clear evidence of criminal acts falling under the military penal code, namely the collection and transmission of classified military information to third parties, with the risk of harming national interests." A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the officer was part of an air force brigade who had access to sensitive national security details, including on technology. The source and Greek media said the officer provided the information to contacts in China. Greek air force officer detained for spying, with China named by media Athens, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Greek authorities on Friday formally detained a senior air force officer accused of spying, his lawyer said, while another source and media said the intelligence was given to China. The 54-year-old officer, who was not named but was serving in a unit in the Athens region, appeared before military judicial authorities who ordered his detention, said the ministry source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The man's lawyer, Vassilis Chirdaris, said the suspect would appear before a military judge on Tuesday. The officer faces charges of "espionage and illegal collection of information", which carries a potential life jail sentence, and "transmitting secret information of a military nature", with a sentence of up to 20 years' jail possible, the lawyer said. The officer was arrested on Thursday. A Greek general staff statement said there was "clear evidence of criminal acts falling under the military penal code, namely the collection and transmission of classified military information to third parties, with the risk of harming national interests." A military source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the officer was part of an air force brigade who had access to sensitive national security details, including on technology. The source and Greek media said the officer provided the information to contacts in China. Media reports said the officer told investigators he was recruited a few months ago by a Chinese national. Skai television said a western intelligence service detected the officer's transmissions and informed Greek intelligence and the military. US says new nuclear deal should include China, accuses Beijing of secret tests Geneva, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 The United States on Friday urged three-way talks with Russia and China to set new limits on nuclear weapons, as it accused Beijing of conducting secret nuclear tests and dramatically swelling its arsenal. A day after the expiration of New START -- the last treaty between top nuclear powers Washington and Moscow -- Beijing reiterated that it did not plan to join disarmament negotiations "at this stage". Russia meanwhile suggested other nuclear-armed states such as Britain and France should be included in any talks. "Arms control can no longer be a bilateral issue between the United States and Russia," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in an online essay. "Other countries have a responsibility to help ensure strategic stability, none more so than China." The expiration on Thursday of New START, which restricted the United States and Russia to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads each, marks the first time in decades that there is no treaty to curtail the positioning of the planet's most destructive weapons, sparking fears of a fresh arms race. US President Donald Trump did not accept a proposal from Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to keep New START's restrictions in place for another year, and called Thursday for a "new, improved and modernised treaty". - Secret nuclear tests? - Thomas DiNanno, US under secretary of state for arms control, presented the new US plan Friday to the Conference on Disarmament at the United Nations in Geneva, charging that the lapsed New START treaty had "fundamental flaws". He accused China of taking advantage of the "legally-binding US-Russian restraint to begin expanding its arsenal at a historic pace", maintaining that it was "on track to have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030". "As we sit here today, China's entire nuclear arsenal has no limits, no transparency, no declarations, and no controls," he said. DiNanno also accused Beijing of conducting secret "nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tonnes". He charged that one such test was conducted on June 22, 2020, and accused China of seeking "to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognised these tests violate test ban commitments". Trump hinted at similar accusations late last year but without providing the same level of detail. He said Washington wanted to resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in decades "on an equal basis" with Moscow and Beijing but without elaborating and so far without following through. - 'Irresponsible' - China's ambassador Shen Jian slammed Washington on Friday for "making irresponsible remarks, for instance the threatening of making nuclear weapons tests". He also reiterated Beijing's official position, insisting to the conference that "China would not participate in nuclear disarmament negotiations at this stage". "States possessing the largest nuclear arsenals should continue to fulfil their special and primary responsibilities for nuclear disarmament," he added. Russia and the United States together control more than 80 percent of the world's nuclear warheads. But China's nuclear arsenal is growing faster than any other country, by about 100 new warheads a year since 2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Russia, which has said it no longer considers itself bound by New START limits, said any new nuclear talks should include other nuclear-armed states such as France and Britain, its ambassador Gennady Gatilov told Friday's conference. Britain's ambassador, David Riley, appeared to dismiss the idea, saying "the United Kingdom maintains a minimum credible nuclear deterrent" and that arms control talks should focus on "those states with the largest nuclear arsenals -- China, Russia and the US". French ambassador Anne Lazar-Sury meanwhile said Paris believed "credible measures capable of reducing the risk of nuclear weapons use" should be "the objective of all nuclear-armed states." Trump has said New START was "badly negotiated" and "is being grossly violated". Russia in 2023 rejected inspections of its nuclear sites under the treaty, as tensions rose with the United States over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. But Trump has resumed diplomacy with Putin's Russia. The two countries on Thursday announced a resumption of direct military dialogue to avert crises. YANGON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Myanmar have arrested three gold dealers for violating industry regulations, the state-owned daily Myanma Alinn reported on Friday. The arrested individuals are the chairman, vice chairman, and secretary of the Yangon Region Precious Metal (Gold) Dealers Association, the report said. According to the report, the dealers stored and purchased gold at prices above the daily reference prices set by the Mineral (Gold) Reference Price Determination Committee. Their actions, which were allegedly intended to inflate gold prices and disrupt the market, breached industry regulations, the report said. Legal action will be taken against them in accordance with existing laws, it added. Nuclear powers scramble for high ground after arms treaty expires Paris, France, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 The cycle of bluff and counter-bluff playing out between the world's major nuclear powers has redoubled since the New START treaty on US-Russia nuclear disarmament expired this week. While Washington wants Beijing to be part of any future treaty, Moscow is calling for the inclusion of Paris and London. With the two nuclear superpowers now free of the restrictions imposed by the New START treaty, some experts fear another arms race. Each side's statements are designed to get something from the other side without conceding anything themselves. Here are three recurring themes in the dialogue so far. - China hides its hand - China has dismissed the idea of joining talks on a new nuclear arms limitation treaty. As one Western diplomat put it, Beijing prefers to be "deliberately vague" on how hard it is pushing to catch up with the two major nuclear powers. China has around 600 nuclear warheads in all, far fewer than the approximately 1,700 currently deployed by the United States and Russia between them -- and fewer still than the total number of warheads the two nuclear giants have in their stocks. But most observers agree that China has stepped up production of its nuclear warheads. According to US estimates, they could number 1,000 by 2030 and possibly even 1,500 by 2035. Testifying before the US Senate's Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, retired admiral and former commander of US Strategic Command (Stratcom) Charles A. Richard advised raising estimates of Chinese capabilities above "whatever the intelligence community tells you". "Double it or triple it and you will probably be closer to where we're actually gonna wind up," he said. China's opacity on this question raises problems, said Ja Ian Chong, a politics specialist at the National University of Singapore. "That limited transparency and secrecy create grounds for miscalculation," he told AFP. "Some observers think Beijing has an incentive to obscure its true capabilities, which can both protect its nuclear arsenal and provide some advantage in preventing potential adversaries from developing countermeasures," he added. Granted, China insists it keeps its nuclear capability at the minimum required for national security, said Chong. But he added: "There is no way to independently verify that claim." - No hotline in Beijing - A year after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis brought Russia and the United States to the brink of war, the two countries installed a hotline so their leaders could reach each other quickly in the event of a similar emergency. China does not share that history. As Admiral Richard told the US Senate committee: "One thing that Russia and the United States learned through the Cold War was how you responsibly operate systems of this great destructive potential. "China, we don't know if they have learned the same lessons." One reason China is reluctant to join nuclear weapons limitations talks is that it is so far behind the other two major powers, said Georgia Cole, a researcher at the London-based international affairs think tank Chatham House. Trump might well want them at the negotiating table, she said. "But that's not going to happen in the interim because China has said that they won't engage in formal nuclear arms control until they achieve parity with the US and Russia." - Russia's gambit - Russia's response to the US insistence over China is to make the same demand of Europe's nuclear powers and UN Security Council members, Britain and France. Gennady Gatilov, Moscow's ambassador to the conference on disarmament in Geneva, said Russian participation depended on that of the UK and France, "who are military allies of the United States in NATO". The two countries possess fewer than 500 nuclear warheads between them. But Russia wants them counted in a single Western "basket" along with the US nuclear arsenal, said Heloise Fayet, a security specialist at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). That would turn them into "bargaining chips for the two great powers", she pointed out. "France has always rejected this principle." - Talk about the risks - In Washington, Rose Gottemoeller, former US chief negotiator for the New START treaty, insisted before the US Senate committee that Beijing had to participate in future nuclear talks. She had got the impression recently that "they seem very interested in trying to figure out ways to begin a conversation with the United States about nuclear risks", she said. So even if Beijing did not want to engage in arms control talks, there was still a conversation to be had about these risks. "They have a much smaller arsenal than ours," she acknowledged. "But things like missile-launch notifications... hotline arrangements... are valuable to begin a conversation about the necessity of controlling nuclear weapons at the negotiating table and not being so untransparent about what they're doing with their modernisation," she argued. "That has to be the first and foremost objective: talking to them about what their intentions are." PHNOM PENH, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A troupe of Chinese artists from east China's Zhejiang Province performed centuries-old Wu Opera here on Friday evening to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival. Held at the iconic Chaktomuk Theater in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, the show attracted approximately 800 spectators. Among them were Ek Sam Ol, president of the Cambodia-China Friendship Association, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona, Women's Affairs Minister Ing Kantha Phavi, Health Minister Chheang Ra and Jiang Nan, charge d'affaires ad interim and minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy to Cambodia. Wu Opera, also known as Jinhua Opera, is the second major regional operatic genre in Zhejiang. It first grew in popularity in Jinhua and its surrounding areas and was named after Wuzhou, the name of Jinhua in ancient China. In her opening speech, Sackona said the event was crucial to further deepening cultural relations and people-to-people exchange between Cambodia and China. "This will enable Cambodian spectators to gain better insights into ancient Chinese tradition, culture, and civilization," she said. She said the Chinese New Year is broadly celebrated in Cambodia as it is a special occasion for family gatherings, particularly among Cambodians of Chinese descent. Meanwhile, the minister expressed her heartfelt gratitude to China for its continuous support for the preservation and development of arts and culture in Cambodia. At the event, the Zhejiang Wu Opera troupe performed six classic pieces, while Cambodian artists entertained the audience with the fairy dance, one of the traditional dances of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia. A spokesman for Tom Yum Soup said the brand always continue to look at ways to better our products for the consumer, and absolutely salt is very, very high on that list or priorities, especially with this flavour. The ultimate Valentine's Day gifts for her 22 cool Valentine's Day gifts he'll want to keep 10 of the best antioxidant face serums for brighter skin We've found the 12 best rescue balms to nourish over-exfoliated skin 14 of the best jewellery gifts to give this Valentines Day Later on Thursday, he said in a statement: I would like to reassure parents, and the wider community, that swift action was taken to both safeguard pupils and teachers, and to trace the suspect as soon as this report was received. Elephant expert, Professor Phyllis C Lee, from the University of Stirling, said of the decision to house Mondula alone: Her improvement in all aspects of physical appearance and behaviour was marked, with good and visible muscle development in her forelegs, and her sway-back is now completely gone. This photo taken on Feb. 6, 2026 with a mobile phone shows ambulances parking near the site of an explosion in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan. At least 31 people were killed and around 170 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's federal capital city of Islamabad, police and government officials said. (Str/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 31 people were killed and around 170 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's federal capital city of Islamabad, police and government officials said. Confirming the casualties, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon said that the explosion happened in the Shi'ite mosque located in the Shehzad Town area of Islamabad, prompting authorities to impose a state of emergency in all the major hospitals nearby. He said that the injured are being treated in various hospitals in Islamabad and adjoining Rawalpindi city, adding that the death toll might further rise as several people among the injured are in critical condition. Following the blast, security forces, police and rescue teams have cordoned off the site and launched a search operation, with the law enforcers investigating the nature of the explosion. According to eyewitnesses, a suicide bomber detonated himself after being stopped at the entrance of the mosque, causing casualties while damaging the mosque and nearby buildings. Security measures across the capital remain heightened after the incident. No individual or group has immediately claimed the attack, but militants such as the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State are often involved in attacks against civilians and security forces in the country. Condemning the blast, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of innocent lives in the blast and extended his sympathies to the bereaved families. A broken window is seen in a mosque where an explosion took place in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Feb. 6, 2026. At least 31 people were killed and around 170 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's federal capital city of Islamabad, police and government officials said. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) Security personnel stand guard outside a mosque where an explosion took place in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Feb. 6, 2026. At least 31 people were killed and around 170 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's federal capital city of Islamabad, police and government officials said. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) A man grieves outside a mosque where an explosion took place in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Feb. 6, 2026. At least 31 people were killed and around 170 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's federal capital city of Islamabad, police and government officials said. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) People gather outside a mosque where an explosion took place in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Feb. 6, 2026. At least 31 people were killed and around 170 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's federal capital city of Islamabad, police and government officials said. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) An ambulance carrying injured personnel arrives at a hospital in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on Feb. 6, 2026. At least 31 people were killed and around 170 others were injured after an explosion ripped through a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's federal capital city of Islamabad, police and government officials said. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) Skyways engineers move a V2.6 aircraft after a test flight near Giddings on Jan 29. The Austin-based company's atuonomous drones are primarily used in miltary and defense applications. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman GIDDINGS Most weekdays, weather permitting, drones circle quietly above 750 acres of open land at this site about 50 miles east of Austin, flying laps a few hundred feet above the ground. But they arent being piloted from the ground or by a person at all. Theyre flying themselves, logging required test hours before being shipped overseas for use by the U.S. Navy. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Skyways engineers shut down a V3 block 1 aircraft after a test flight near Giddings, Texas on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman The Skyways V2.6 aircraft hovers overhead during a test flight near Giddings, Texas on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman The Skyways V3 block 1 aircraft is landed on a turf landing zone after a test flight near Giddings, Texas on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman The Skyways V2.6 aircraft lands on a turf landing zone after a test flight near Giddings, Texas on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman The Skyways V2.6 aircraft is landed on a turf landing zone after a test flight near Giddings, Texas on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman The Skyways V3 block 1 aircraft is landed on a turf landing zone after a test flight near Giddings, Texas on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman The Skyways "cold boy" cold storage device is left on the ground after a test drop during a test flight near Giddings, Texas on Thursday, Jan 29, 2026. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Designed and manufactured by Austin-based Skyways Air Transportation Inc., the aircraft are part of the companys push to build the world's largest fleet of fully autonomous drones. Founder and CEO Charles Acknin became interested in such aircraft while working at Google in Silicon Valley. Long commutes and hours spent sitting in traffic eventually led him to leave his career in software and launch his startup. A decade later, Skyways has garnered tens of millions of dollars in defense contracts and serves several commercial partners overseas. Now, the company is preparing for its next phase of growth as it looks to significantly scale its fleet. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Were really spending 2026 to build that production capability so that in 2027 were ready to hit go, Acknin said. Similar to self-driving cars, the aircraft rely on machine learning and a range of sensors to guide their flights. Engineers and operators send coordinates and flight plans directly to the drones, with no need for a joystick or controller to manually maneuver the aircraft. The drones dont look much like those currently available to consumers. They resemble small airplanes but take off and land vertically, relying on electric power before switching to jet engines to propel them through the air. Advertisement Article continues below this ad During recent flight tests for customers, the company flew both its V2 aircraft currently deployed to commercial customers and naval bases overseas and a prototype of its V3 aircraft. The currently deployed drones can carry up to 30 pounds and travel as far as 450 miles. They will soon be replaced by the V3 model, the first production version of which is expected to be built in the second half of this year. The V3 will be able to carry up to 100 pounds and have a maximum range of more than 1,000 miles. Military application For now, the drones are used primarily in defense settings. Acknin said drones that ferry mail and spare parts between ships save thousands of dollars each trip by reducing the need for helicopters. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When youre on these ships, sometimes one ship will say they need a piece of mail or a part from another ship, and so an entire flight crew will have to man a helicopter for a small delivery. Those cost about $30,000 of taxpayer money per flight hour, Acknin said. But with a small drone like V2, someone can get a confidential piece of paper or a wrench just as quickly without needing a fully-manned crew. And it costs probably a thousand dollars per flight hour. With full fleet deployed, thatd drop to just about a hundred dollars. A prototype of the Skyways V3 autonomous aircraft flies overhead during a test flight near Giddings on Jan 29. Skyways said the V3 will be able to carry up to 100 pounds and have a maximum range of more than 1,000 miles. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Skyways has already found success in such defense applications. The company secured a $37 million contract from the Air Force to aid in its V3 production, one of the largest contracts with an autonomous drone company. The U.S. military has increasingly leaned on commercial startups and aerospace companies for its autonomous drones and aircraft needs. Along with Skyways, California-based Reliable Robotics scored a $17.4 million Air Force contract for a new autonomous cargo logistics program last year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Fully autonomous aircraft like Skyways are growing increasingly important in defense and commercial spaces. In its fiscal 2026 budget, the Pentagon requested $9.4 billion specifically for aerial drones as part of a broader $13.4 billion artificial intelligence and autonomous systems initiative. These include cargo drones like the ones Skyways makes as well as attack drones, for which the Pentagon recently announced a competition for contracts tied to the first phase of its new Drone Dominance Program. In June, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to accelerate development and integration of drones, like the ones Skyways manufactures, and advanced air mobility air taxis into the National Airspace System. The Federal Aviation Administration is responsible for certain permitting and licensing required to operate commercial drones like those Skyways produces. The FAA is currently working to integrate autonomous drones and air taxis for which several companies, including Austin-based SkyGrid, have completed tests but are not yet ready for full-scale commercial operations into the national airspace through specialized pilot programs and the development of new safety regulations. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The city of Austin and the state of Texas have begun discussing how to bring air taxis and more drones to the Lone Star State. In October, the citys Mobility Committee began preliminary discussions on the technology. During the last legislative session, state Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, filed a bill to support air taxi and drone development and regulation, but the bill failed to make it out of committee. Its a team effort. Legislators can do our part, but we need private industry to do their part, Cook said last year at an Austin event for Wisk Aero, an air taxi developer owned by Boeing Co. We have the recommendations that we need, and so the Legislature needs to get those implemented, and then get these vehicles off the ground. Beyond defense Beyond Skyways defense applications, Acknin said the company is stepping into more commercial spaces, a shift that requires a significant ramp-up in production. The company said it plans to expand production at its 25,000-square-foot facility in the Tech Ridge neighborhood of North Austin. Acknin said the company also plans to double its workforce over the course of 2026. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Skyways currently employs about 30 people in Central Texas. Blake Bequette, a software engineer at Skyways, shows their Skynav ground control station to attendees at a test flight near Giddings on Jan 29. The comapny is currently planning to expand production at its 250,000-square-foot facility in North Austin. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman In the next few weeks it also plans to move its flight test facility closer to Austin, to a site just south of Elgin. Acknin said his company started with a dream of autonomous flight for everyday people and that dream hasnt faded. The defense applications influence the commercial applications and someday, he said, it will influence a goal of fully autonomous, unmanned aircab transportation. He said a safe and trusted platform will be necessary before going straight into carrying people. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Billy Danton speaks with Eugene Ewers, an outreach practitioner for Hungry Hill, after receiving food, water, and information on June 26, 2025. The Hungry Hill Foundation, established by ex-convict Chase Wright in 2022, addresses homelessness in East Austin through job training, food, transitional housing, and outreach services across seven zip codes. Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman The citys public health advisory panel on Wednesday approved a rubric that will help the city determine how to distribute nearly $17 million in cuts to social service contracts in its next budget. The sum is on top of a $5.28 million reduction in the current budget for a range of services, from homelessness programs to youth development programs, that came as a surprise to even the largest service providers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a December memo outlining how those cuts would be distributed, City Manager T.C. Broadnax disclosed that the city anticipated an additional $16.8 million reduction to the social service contracts in the next fiscal year. During a Wednesday presentation, city staff presented the public health panel with the results of an analysis of the citys social services spending that revealed the source of the citys challenges isnt just lack of money. Among the biggest findings was that Austin unlike peer cities relies almost exclusively on the citys general fund to pay for social service contracts. That stands in stark contrast to cities like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Denver and Portland which use a variety of funding streams to pay for a range of indigent services. The difference was especially apparent for services related to homelessness, behavior health, health equity and HIV. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source The analysis found that 85% of social services funding came from Austins general fund. That compares to 66% in San Antonio, the city with the second-highest share. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A woman who identifies as Monique speaks with Brian Caldwell, a Level 4 Community Ambassador, and Eugene Ewers, an outreach practitioner for Hungry Hill, after receiving food, water, and information on June 26, 2025. The Hungry Hill Foundation, founded by ex-convict Chase Wright in 2022, combats homelessness in East Austin by providing job training, food, transitional housing, and outreach services across seven zip codes. Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman Assistant City Manager Stephanie Hayden-Howard told the health panel that the large percentage was the result of years of council policymaking decisions geared toward wanting to meet a great need and plug the gaps. When other entities cut social service funding, she said nonprofits and organizations came to the city for more money. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The rubric recommended by the public health committee Wednesday will weigh factors like whether a contracted service provides a need essential for human life, avoids costs to other departments, provides a return on investment for the city and demonstrates meeting goals in their contract with the city. It will also direct the city manager to explore sustainable funding sources to prioritize social service contract investment and conduct feedback sessions with community stakeholders. Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza speaks at a news conference at Austin City Hall about the 1991 I Cant Believe Its Yogurt murder investigation on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman A Travis County grand jury on Thursday indicted Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Jason Tye on an aggravated assault charge for the July 2023 shooting of Elijah Barrientos, according to the Travis County District Attorney's Office. Tye stands accused of aggravated assault by a public servant with a deadly weapon, a first degree felony. In a news release, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said his office's Civil Rights Unit will prosecute the case. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "In this case, an independent group of members of the Travis County community heard the evidence and law and decided that Trooper Tyes conduct was unlawful," Garza said in the release. The officer indictment is the latest Garza has secured as part of his efforts to hold police accountable for excessive use of force a push that has earned the Democrat many enemies in law enforcement and Republican-dominated state government. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source The Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, the statewide police union, quickly condemned Tye's indictment Thursday, issuing a statement to media before even Garza did. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Weve said it before, and well say it again the revolving door of justice is placing our law enforcement officers in great danger, and this is being perpetuated at an unprecedented level by Garza and the Travis County District Attorneys Office," CLEAT Executive Director Robert Leonard said in a prepared statement. The statement asserted that the shooting occurred after Tye and another trooper engaged Barrientos in a vehicular pursuit. That developed into a foot pursuit that ended when Tye shot Barrientos, who had fled into a wooded area, according to the statement. DPS troopers investigate after another DPS trooper struck with a patrol vehicle and killed a person in the intersection of 13th and Colorado streets outside the Capitol on Thursday April 15, 2021. Jay Janner / American-Statesman, Austin American-Statesman Leonard also highlighted Barrientos' prior criminal history as a cause for concern. Travis County court records show numerous cases against Barrientos, including four that resulted in a jail sentence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Garza, who was reelected in a landslide in November 2024, has secured indictments against more than two dozen officers since he took office in 2021, though most of the cases ended in dismissal. That includes an unusual dismissal deal Garza reached last year with Austin police officer Karl Krycia. Garza dismissed the case against Krycia and, in exchange, the officer agreed to train cadets on gold standard use-of-force techniques at the Austin Police Academy. Garza also has secured some legal victories against officers accused of criminal conduct. In 2024, former DPS Trooper Zachary Maini pleaded no contest to an official oppression charge and in 2025, two former Austin officers pled guilty to assault causing bodily injury. Also on Thursday, Garza's office announced a Travis County special grand jury had cleared four Austin police officers of wrongdoing in a November 2024 on-duty shooting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Travis County District Attorneys office takes the work of presenting all facts and evidence to a grand jury very seriously, Garza said in a statement. In this case, an independent group of members of the Travis County community heard the evidence and law and decided that Officers [Javier] Rodriguez, [Joseph] Kephart, [Katherine] Alzola, and [Andy] Yu's conduct was not unlawful. Julianna Duennes Russ is a breaking and trending news reporter at the Austin American-Statesman. She covered business as a Dow Jones intern for the San Antonio Express-News and has bylines with the Associated Press and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She holds Bachelors degrees in journalism, international affairs and comparative literature from the University of Georgia, where she also earned a certificate in sports media. When shes not writing, you can find Julianna strolling Zilker Park or cuddling with her orange cat, Colby. Reach out to her at julianna.russ@statesman.com with news or notes. Superintendent Ashley Chohlis answers questions from reporters outside Legacy Elementary School in Uvalde on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. Chohlis announced her resignation Friday. Her last day at work will be April 7. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Superintendent Ashley Chohlis answers questions from reporters outside Legacy Elementary School in Uvalde on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News Superintendent Ashley Chohlis, center, and other community members attend a news conference at the construction site of Uvaldes new elementary school on Tuesday morning, Aug. 27, 2024, in Uvalde, Texas. The Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation announced a $10 million gift from the Kate Briscoe Marmion Foundation that will help transform the property into a campus to replace Robb Elementary School, which has sat empty since the May 2022 killing of 19 children and two teachers. Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News The superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District announced her resignation Friday. In an email to district staff, Superintendent Ashley Chohlis said shes leaving to pursue new opportunities and challenges that will allow me to continue growing professionally and personally. Her last day on the job will be April 7, leaving the district with a vacant leadership position before the school year ends. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chohlis has been the Uvalde School superintendent for just over two years, helping guide the community through the aftermath of the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. I am confident that the district will continue to reach new heights under the leadership of my successor and the outstanding team in place, she wrote. I look forward to seeing continued success for Uvalde CISD. Chohlis declined to comment on Friday. The district issued a news release confirming her resignation. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source During her time as superintendent, Chohlis has been instrumental in leading the district toward significant achievements, the release stated. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Under her leadership, UCISD has seen a remarkable improvement in its financial stability, with the districts fund balance now healthier, district officials said in the release. Academically, the district has progressed with the introduction of high-quality instructional materials and robust professional development programs for educators. The focus on data-driven instruction has set the trajectory to ensure that the academic needs of all learners are met effectively. District officials credited Chohlis with fostering strong community relations and strengthening partnerships that have expanded resources, including food distributions and a no-cost clinic. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the students, staff, and community of Uvalde, Chohlis said in the release. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the unwavering support and partnership of the brave individuals who bought into the mission for whom I am tremendously thankful. As I prepare to transition from this role, I remain hopeful for the districts bright future and continued success. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The district will initiate a search for a new superintendent to continue the trajectory of excellence established under Ms. Chohlis' leadership. Charlotte Wells, with her daughter Kai, follows the instructions from a yoga teacher at the YMCA in Hutto. Almost immediately after her surgery, Wells noticed she could breathe easier. Nicole Villalpando/American-Statesman Taylor resident Charlotte Wells is a heart surgery pioneer. At age 10 in 1956, she had open-heart surgery to repair a congenital hole in her heart and was one of the first children nationally to get this repair. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Last year, she became one of the first patients in the Austin area to get a new tricuspid valve using a catheter inserted into a vein in her leg. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in both men and women in the United States, followed by cancer. Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, heart disease was still the leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Friday, the Go Red for Women campaign will have people throughout the U.S. wearing red to raise awareness of heart disease in women. About 45% of women older than 20 have some form of heart disease, according to American Heart Association, but only 44% of women recognize that heart disease is their biggest threat, not cancer. Charlotte Wells tries the starfish yoga pose at the YMCA in Hutto. Before the Evoque valve became FDA approved, she might not have had an option to fix her leaky valve. Nicole Villalpando/American-Statesman Adapting to changing technology For her first heart surgery when Wells was 10, she didn't know what was going to happen until the day before her procedure. That's when a team of five doctors visited her in her Denver hospital room to explain how they were going to open her chest and repair the silver-dollar-size hole in the wall between her two upper heart chambers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source "My mom had to leave the room," Wells said. "She couldn't believe all the things they were going to do to her baby." She recovered well and within a week, she was being offered lamb chops for the first time as part of the hospital's Christmas dinner. She was the only child in the cardiac unit, and managed to talk the staff into finding a second lamb chop. She still has an incision in the center of her chest from that operation, but it served her well for decades. Her heart kept going strong until about two years ago, when she moved into the area to be closer to her daughter Kai. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Charlotte Wells could not have stood and squatted behind her chair before she had valve replacement surgery in July at Baylor Scott & White in Round Rock. Nicole Villalpando/American-Statesman Something is different Wells, 79, noticed she was having weakness and constant fatigue. She had difficulty walking to the bathroom without having to take breaks. She quit all her exercise routines and didn't have the energy to leave the house, not even for quilting, which is her joy. She was no longer driving to see her son in Seguin because she was afraid she would fall asleep at the wheel. Doctors at Baylor Scott & White told her that she had a leak in her tricuspid valve between her right upper and lower chambers. At first it was described as a "drip" but then it became a "run" of blood flowing the wrong way. Dr. Leticia Castillo Kontak, one of Wells' cardiologists, said the problem with the tricuspid valve was related to the congenital defect she was born with, but required a different solution. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Because of Wells' previous open-heart surgery and scar tissue, doing a second open-heart surgery to replace the tricuspid valve was considered too risky, Castillo Kontak said. The Food & Drug Administration approved the use of the Evoque valve for cases like Wells two years ago, and Baylor Scott & White - Round Rock began using it last year. Charlotte Wells has recovered from her tricuspid valve replacement and is now doing chair yoga at the YMCA in Hutto. Nicole Villalpando/American-Statesman A less painful recovery In July, doctors ran a catheter through the femoral vein in Wells' right leg, up into the heart and then unfurled the Evoque inside Wells' existing tricuspid. They then anchored the Evoque into the spot where it will act as the valve and prevent the backflow of blood. They then removed the catheter, leaving the Evoque behind. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wells became the ninth patient in Central Texas to have the Evoque implanted. Castillo Kontak has noticed the patients who have the Evoque versus the traditional open-heart valve replacement recover quicker and don't have as much pain. While Evoque's clinical studies were only in people who didn't qualify for traditional valve replacement surgery, more studies could make this a standard of care, Castillo Kontak said. Wells could feel the difference almost immediately after the surgery. "I had some strength that day," she said. "When I went to the bathroom, I couldn't believe it. I could feel the strength coming back." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Her coloring has also returned and she's not sleeping all day. She went through cardiac rehabilitation and is now able to do aqua aerobics and chair yoga at the YMCA in Hutto. "My breathing and my lung capacity is getting better every day," Wells said. "That means so much to me." Charlotte Wells has recovered from her tricuspid valve replacement and is now doing chair yoga at the YMCA in Hutto. Nicole Villalpando/American-Statesman Heart disease risk factors for women High blood pressure Smoking High blood cholesterol Lack of regular activity Obesity or overweight Diabetes Age Being female Family health history Race Previous stroke or heart attack Advertisement Article continues below this ad Warning signs for heart disease in women Austin Apartment Association President Kimberly Faulkner announces a new initiative targeting housing affordability for first respodners. Austin Sanders The Austin Apartment Association announced the launch a new program Thursday that invites landlords to provide financial assistance to first responders struggling to afford housing in Austin. The new program, dubbed the "Apartner in Safety Alliance," was designed to encourage participating property owners to waive fees, reduce security deposits or discount rents for police officers, firefighters and other first responders so they can better afford living in the communities they serve, said Apartment Association President Kimberly Faulkner told reporters at a Thursday news conference. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "This initiative is designed to support our first responders while strengthening the connection between residents and the professionals who serve and protect our community every day," Faulkner said. To support the initiative, the Apartment Association will host on its website a listing of properties participating in the program. The directory listed 61 properties as of Friday. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Faulkner said the Apartment Association will also help arrange community gatherings with first responders at participating proprieties. Building owners can also request a walkthrough performed by emergency responders to identify potential safety improvements, such as where additional lighting would help and which access points may need additional security. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A recent American-Statesman analysis found median salaries at Austin's three public safety agencies landed in the low-six figures last year $102,000 at Emergency Management Services, $113,000 at the Austin Fire Department and $130,00 at the Austin Police Department. However, those salaries are considered low for a family of four living in the city given high housing costs. Another recent Statesman analysis also found that some first responders earn far higher incomes by working long overtime hours, possibly driving up the median salaries for their respective agencies. Supporters listen to James Monks, President of the Austin EMS Association, speak at a news conference to announce the Care Not Cuts campaign to support Proposition Q at Parque Zaragosa on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. A coalition of unions, first responders, social workers, and community leaders announced a coalition of over 20 organizations in support of the upcoming City of Austins tax rate election Proposition Q. Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman The association's housing initiative was created with the support of the labor unions representing Austin police officers, firefighters and paramedics. Austin EMS Association President James Monks said at the news conference that some of the city's paramedics live an hour or more outside of Austin because of the high housing costs here, adding an extra hour to already long working days. "That's an extra hour of driving right before they go to a 24-hour shift," Monks said."It's less sleep, it's more stress and it's a higher chance of burnout." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Monks said affordable housing was a critical component of public safety, because it enables first responders to live among the people they serve. Robert Saulter holds a photo of a man who died in ICE custody as he questions Police Chief Lisa Davis during a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members yell their frustrations during a town hall addressing community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members attend a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis speaks during a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Fernandez Gavino Jr. asks a question during a town hall addressing community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members gather for a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Peggy Morton holds a photo of a man who died in ICE custody during a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Emilio Verdooren yells a question at Police Chief Lisa Davis during a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members attend a town hall addressing community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Nina Hernandez yells a question at Police Chief Lisa Davis during a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members raise their hands in hopes of asking a question during a town hall addressing community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members attend a town hall addressing community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members yell their frustrations during a town hall addressing community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis addresses community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents during a town hall at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Vlad yells a question to Police Chief Lisa Davis during a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members line up to question Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis as she addresses community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents following a town hall at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Community members arrive for a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Tension rippled through the cafeteria of a South Austin elementary school Thursday night where hundreds gathered to hear Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis explain how her officers will interact with the federal agents carry out the Trump administrations immigration crackdown. The town hall, hosted by the three Austin City Council members representing the citys most heavily Latino areas, marked Davis first appearance before the general public since concerns intensified that the Austin Police Department has been overly cooperative with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Frustration erupted almost immediately. Boos and shouts broke out when Davis explained that state law allows officers to contact immigration authorities if they encounter a person flagged with an administrative warrant in a federal database officers routinely use to check for criminal warrants. Davis was referring to Senate Bill 4, a 2017 state law that bars local governments from limiting enforcement of federal immigration laws and allows penalties including removal from office for officials who do. "Under Senate Bill 4, we have to allow officers to call," Davis said. Community members attend a town hall addressing community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman The departments handling of administrative warrants civil immigration notices that are not signed by a judge has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks following a January incident that led to the deportation of 26-year-old Karen Gutierrez-Castellanos, a Honduran national, and her 5-year-old U.S.-citizen daughter. Austin officers responded to a 911 call placed by the mother before contacting ICE. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Read More: Hutto High School students walk out in peaceful protest against ICE as Abbott calls for investigations Davis said she is working to revise department policy governing those encounters. Administrative warrants currently prompt officers to notify ICE and detain individuals until federal agents arrive. Under the proposed changes, still in development, officers would retain discretion to contact ICE but would need approval from a commander before waiting an extended period for immigration agents to take someone into custody. I can tell you, the priority is not waiting for ICE to respond on a civil detainer, Davis told the crowd, adding that her top priority for officers remains patrol and response to 911 calls. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Many in the audience remained unconvinced, expressing skepticism both toward Davis and City Council member Chito Vela, who said the departments goal was to cooperate as little as possible with federal immigration authorities. Schuyler Cottrell yells a question at Police Chief Lisa Davis during a town hall to address community concerns about Austin police officers cooperating with federal immigration agents at Govalle Elementary School in Austin Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman Several attendees urged Davis to take a more confrontational stance even if it meant risking removal from office under SB 4. What I am asking you is: Are you too much of a coward to resign? Robert Saulter, an attorney in the Travis County Public Defenders Office, asked Davis. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Davis was adamant that she would not risk it. What I'm doing here is putting these policies in place to help this department realize they cannot help [ICE], Davis said in response to Saulter. After the town hall, several attendees told the American-Statesman they did not trust assurances from Davis or City Council members that the department is working to limit cooperation with immigration authorities. I did not trust APD yesterday, I dont trust them today and I wont trust them tomorrow, said Carmen Zuvieta, an immigration rights organizer based in Austin. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Others said they left feeling somewhat assured. Austin Police Department officers wait outside after responding to a call for a shooting the Austin Public Library on Cesar Chavez Street in Downtown Austin, Texas on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. One victim was taken to the hospital and a suspect was taken into custody in South Austin after fleeing the scene. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman When Austin Police Oversight Director Gail McCant appeared in front of City Council for the first time in December, she and her deputy struggled to answer several questions from members about statistics included in the agencys 2024 annual report. McCant seeks to plug several of those informational gaps in a follow-up memo released Thursday that explains apparent numerical discrepancies and discloses outcomes of specific complaints her office received. The memo also promises to improve the quality of future reporting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Austin Police Department officers wait outside after responding to a call for a shooting the Austin Public Library on Cesar Chavez Street in Downtown Austin, Texas on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. One victim was taken to the hospital and a suspect was taken into custody in South Austin after fleeing the scene. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman One of the most striking disclosures in the memo is the Police Department's lack of response to Police Oversight concerns, underscoring ongoing tensions about the scope of civilian oversight authority versus the Police Department's discretion over discipline. According to the memo, the oversight office formally objected three times in 2024 to disciplinary decisions made by the interim Police Department chief. In each case, Police Oversight determined through its review that officers had violated department general orders including excessive force and conduct violations but APD closed the cases administratively and provided no formal response to objections. Police officials did not respond to questions from the American-Statesman about the interim chief's decision-making before publication. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Read More: Woman slammed to ground in 2024 arrest sues Austin Police after officer was fired The memo directly underscores that objections do not necessarily alter the Police Department's final disciplinary action, highlighting a limitation in the oversight office's influence over discipline under the current system revealing limits in the oversight office's oversight influence under the current structure. The memo also addresses an issue that puzzled council members in December: a misalignment in the number of community complaints versus the number of disciplinary actions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Police and protesters clash outside the Austin Police Department's headquarters during social justice protests on May 30, 2020. The Office of Police Oversight is raising concerns about how the Police Department handled complaints about officers' behavior during last summer's protests. Jay Janner/American-Statesman McCants memo explains that formal discipline counts differ from complaint counts because one complaint may involve multiple officers, and not all complaint outcomes result in documented discipline such as suspension or demotion. Training, counseling or other administrative actions may occur that are not reflected as formal discipline in standard datasets. The office's 2024 report presented to Council in December 2025 showed that the office received 813 formal grievances against the Police Department from community members. Of those, 159 were recommended for investigation by the Police Department's Internal Affairs Division. Of those investigated, 69 external complaints were sustained 58 more than in 2023. A total of 125 officers were disciplined across all complaint sources. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those figures underpin a broader conversation at City Hall about how well oversight mechanisms are functioning following the 2023 passage of the Austin Police Oversight Act, which expanded civilian access to complaint and discipline data. HANOI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has increased flight frequency at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi during the Lunar New Year holiday to meet surging travel demand, local daily VnExpress reported on Thursday. The number of take-offs and landings has been raised from 42 to 46-48 flights per hour at each airport. Airlines have also been allowed to operate more night flights and increase ticket supply. During the peak travel period from Feb. 12 to Feb. 21, passenger throughput at Tan Son Nhat airport is forecast to reach around 1.48 million, while Noi Bai airport is expected to handle approximately 1.08 million passengers. Rep. Vikki Goodwin, a Democrat from Austin who has served four terms in the Texas House, brings a methodical, detail-driven approach, the Statesman Editorial Board writes. Jay Janner/American-Statesman State Rep. Vikki Goodwin does her homework. She calls up health insurance entrepreneurs to ask them about the challenges insuring Texans. She knows which school districts are so short-staffed and cash-strapped that dozens of classrooms are overcrowded with kids. She can tell you about the unused dollars in special funds meant to address opioids and air pollution, and from West Travis to West Texas, the Austin Democrat talks with people everywhere about the high cost of housing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Goodwins studious style, her signature for the past eight years in the Texas House, is the mark of a lawmaker interested in understanding problems so she can better tackle them. In stark contrast to Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Goodwin prioritizes facts over ideological bombast. That disciplined approach makes Goodwin the candidate we recommend in the March 3 Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. I think that's how you win voters, by telling them not just what the problems are, but how you're going to solve the problems, Goodwin, a real estate agent by trade, told our Editorial Board. And I have been a problem solver in the Legislature. The Democratic ballot also includes labor leader Marcos Velez and attorney Courtney Head, both running earnest campaigns to reorient the Legislatures priorities toward working Texans. In this field, however, only Goodwin has legislative experience, an essential qualification for the lieutenant governors job presiding over the Texas Senate. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The winner of the Democratic primary can expect a November showdown with Patrick, who faces nominal opposition in the GOP primary. Goodwins detailed platform reflects Democratic priorities: undoing private school vouchers, investing in public schools, expanding Medicaid, restoring access to abortion and improved maternal health care, expanding mental health care, and investing in water resources. Just as important, her methodical, detail-driven approach fits the demands of an office that decides what legislation advances and what stalls and ultimately whether the Senate works for Texans. Democrats should back Goodwin in the March 3 primary for lieutenant governor. Advertisement Article continues below this ad U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt speaks at the Texas Youth Summit on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, in The Woodlands, Texas. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer With just a month to go before the Republican U.S. Senate primary, a Super PAC supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and a newly formed outside spending group is pouring a combined $3 million into new advertising attacks against U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston. The Conservatives for Texas PAC, which just formed last month and has yet to disclose its donors, launched one ad that calls out Hunt for not voting for President Donald Trump a claim Hunt's campaign denies and voting with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on an unspecified piece of legislation. Routine bills often pass the House with unanimous support. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Washington Wesley is no conservative, he's a backstabbing RINO Texas Conservatives can't trust," the ad states, using an acronym for the insult "Republican in name only." The March 3 primary has become a tight three-way race, with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Paxton and Hunt all vying for the top two spots in what most observers believe will end in a runoff. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source In a statement Thursday, Hunt criticized Cornyn and Paxton for attacking him, saying, "The result will be the same, and it won't work." Advertisement Article continues below this ad "They're scared. That's why they're attacking. And that's why we're going to win," he said. The pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC hasn't started running ads attacking Hunt yet, but on Thursday the group reported buying more than $680,000 in advertising opposing Hunt through a Florida consulting firm. "Wesley Hunt has a lot to answer for for his time in Washington, D.C., and we'll be prosecuting that message aggressively from now until election day," said Gregg Keller, a spokesman for the group. The ad by the Conservatives for Texas PAC started running in the Houston area Tuesday, according to the research firm AdImpact. The group reported $2.7 million in advertising buys on Wednesday, setting up for a longer campaign. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It's hard to say who's behind the ads. Under federal campaign finance rules, the PAC won't have to report who their donors are until mid-July. Cornyn's camp has a history of going after Hunt since he announced his candidacy in October, upending the race. In September, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is backing Cornyn's campaign, wrote a letter to Hunt's donors describing his campaign as without a "tenable pathway" and urging them to back Cornyn's reelection campaign. In the fall, the pro-Cornyn Texans for a Conservative Majority PAC spent more than $700,000 running ads criticizing Hunt for missing votes in the House. Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Governors Mansion on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025 in Austin. Governor Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced a new effort to encourage the increase of the number of Turning Point USA chapters in Texas schools. Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman Gov. Greg Abbott likely has little to worry about in his own GOP primary race. But the governor has a lot on the line in the heated battle for another, often overlooked statewide office: Texas comptroller. The winner of that race will oversee the states new school voucher program, Abbotts signature policy that he poured massive political capital and campaign cash into making a reality. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The rare statewide opening is pitting the governors choice, Kelly Hancock, who Abbott endorsed when he left the Senate for the comptrollers office last year, against one of the governors biggest political foes, Don Huffines, a former state senator who ran unsuccessfully against Abbott in 2022. Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick is also running. The seat is one of a handful statewide that is open for the first time in more than a decade this election cycle, marking a rare opportunity to seize an office that has been used as a stepping stone to more prominent posts. Statesman Logo Want more Statesman? Make us a Preferred Source on Google to see more of us when you search. Add Preferred Source Succession in Texas politics is on the ballot, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political scientist at the University of Houston. Theres a lot of jockeying for position for the future of the Republican Party in Texas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hancock is essentially running on his ties to Abbott, saying hell work as the governors chief financial officer a far departure from past comptrollers who butted heads with governors. That has been clear in the initial rollout of the voucher program. Hancock has sought to block Islamic schools from the program, accusing them of being tied to a Muslim civil rights group Abbott declared a terrorist organization. He and the governor have appeared in ads promoting vouchers, as well. Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock during a stop of the Good for Texas Tour at StandardAreo in San Antonio, Texas on Friday September 19, 2025. Brenda Bazan/Brenda BazAn for the San Antoni Hancock says he has worked closely with Abbott as the former chair of the Senate Business & Commerce Committee and became a go-to economic advisor to the governor during the large-scale disruptions like the Covid-19 pandemic and deadly winter freeze in 2021. When youre CEO, which is essentially what the governor is, one of the most important hires you make is for that CFO, that Chief Financial Officer, Hancock, the previous owner of a Dallas-area chemical company, said in an interview. It needs to be somebody that you've got experiences with, that you can trust, that has a resume that's strong. It's a key position for that CEO of the state of Texas, make sure you have a CFO that, you know, you can count on. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its far less clear how Huffines would work with the governor, especially on vouchers. Huffines has long been a critic of Abbotts and spent heavily trying to oust him in the 2022 governors race, labeling Abbott a weak leader and a coward. Hes running to the right of Hancock, promising to expand the agencys investigative powers to go after state agencies and spending. Huffines campaign initially declined to comment on this story. After the story was published, Huffines said in an interview that he was excited to work with Abbott if elected but emphasized that he reports to the people who elected him. Republican Don Huffines speaks during a debate with other GOP gubernatorial candidates held at Grace Woodlands Church and put on by the True Texas Project Monday, Jan. 10, 2022 in Spring, TX. Michael Wyke/Contributor Past comptrollers have created headaches for the governors they serve alongside. Carole Keeton Strayhorn regularly butted heads with then-Gov. Rick Perry and went so far as to refuse to certify the state budget in 2003. Two years later, Texas Monthly said she was engaged in a high-risk guerrilla strategy of seizing every chance to blast, waylay, and otherwise embarrass the governor, the lieutenant governor, and, occasionally, the Speaker all of whom, of course, are members of her own Republican party. The next year, she ran against Perry, coming in third place in a five-way race. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rottinghaus said it wouldnt be hard to imagine a similar dynamic with Huffines, who says he wants to DOGE TEXAS! He would be a burr under Abbott's saddle, Rottinghaus said. Craddick, who has served on the Railroad Commission since 2012, is also calling for a top-to-bottom audit of state spending. She has a far less contentious relationship with Abbott, who appointed her to the Southern States Energy Board in 2015. But the governor passed her over for Hancock when he was looking to fill the comptroller seat. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Public polling is limited in the race. A Texas Southern University poll in August found 47% of likely Republican primary voters were unsure how they would vote, while 22% would vote for Craddick, 21% for Huffines and 10% for Hancock. In January, a polling firm paid by Huffiness campaign released survey results showing he had 40%, while Craddick had 15% and Hancock had just 7%. Hancock has stepped up his spending in recent weeks, however, and is leaning heavily on Abbotts endorsement. His campaign has spent $3 million airing ads on TV and streaming platforms touting Abbotts support, according to AdImpact, which tracks political advertising. Christi Craddick, chair of the Texas Railroad Commission, speaks to delegates at the 2024 Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio on May 25, 2024. Eddie Gaspar/Texas Tribune Texas is going to be a better state with Kelly Hancock as your comptroller, Abbott says in the ad. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But Hancock has been outspent so far by Huffines, who has spent more than $4 million, according to AdImpact. Huffines launched new TV ads this week calling himself the Trump Republican in the race. The ads dont mention Abbott. Don Huffines will DOGE waste, fraud, and abuse, eliminate benefits for illegal aliens, and abolish woke DEI, the ad says. Abbott, who has a massive $100 million campaign war chest, has so far not started spending money of his own in the race and its unclear if he will. Wayne Hamilton, a GOP strategist who ran Abbotts 2014 gubernatorial campaign, said the governor is likely helping Hancock raise his own cash from Abbotts deep-pocketed backers. Abbotts campaign declined to comment for this story. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hancock said the governor has helped in every facet of campaigning you can think of. And then as a friend, I mean, he's been encouraging, just calling, saying Hey, I know you're working hard, you're everywhere. You may not see results yet, but you will, Hancock said. We talk fairly regularly, and he's done the structural things, but you know, personally, he's just been encouraging. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But he said there is more to come. KATHMANDU, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people died after a bus carrying a wedding procession met with an accident in Baitadi district in western Nepal on Thursday, a senior local police officer said. "The bus crashed in Purchaudi Municipality of the district at around 7:55 p.m. on Thursday while returning with the wedding party," Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Rae told Xinhua. He said that 16 injured people were being treated at local health posts, while 32 others in serious condition were sent to hospitals with better facilities. "The bride and groom, who were in another vehicle, remained safe," said Rae. According to the police, the cause of the accident could not be identified immediately. As many as 60 people were traveling on the bus when the accident occurred. COLOMBO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has allocated 1.9 billion rupees (about 6 million U.S. dollars) from the President's Fund to provide financial assistance to schoolchildren in districts affected by Cyclone Ditwah, President's Media Division (PMD) said in a statement on Friday. The PMD said the money has been set aside to distribute a 10,000-rupee grant to each eligible student, with allocations already forwarded through district and divisional administrations. The government has also arranged an additional 15,000 rupees per student from the General Treasury, bringing total assistance to 25,000 rupees per child, the PMD said. About 500,000 children were affected by Cyclone Ditwah in late 2025. Over 1,185 schools were damaged, disrupting education, according to official data. (100 Sri Lankan rupee equals 0.32 U.S. dollars) KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia is not bound to export its rare earth elements (REEs) to the United States and remains committed to developing its own domestic capabilities in the REE sector, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup has said. In explaining Malaysia's obligations under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States on Thursday, Arthur told parliament that the agreement did not stipulate any exclusive commitments, supply obligations, or market preferences that would bind Malaysia to export REEs to any particular country. "The Malaysian government also wishes to stress that REEs have never been offered as a concession or quid pro quo in any trade or tariff negotiations with the United States," he said. He explained that Malaysia continues to maintain a ban on the export of raw REEs to ensure that the strategic resource is not exploited without value addition and to encourage the development of the entire domestic industry value chain, including processing, research and development, and domestic product manufacturing. Malaysia maintains a ban on the export of raw REEs to boost its domestic processing industry and ensure value addition, with a specific moratorium in place for 2025-2027. This policy, which began in 2024, forces local processing rather than exporting raw materials. "This policy was formulated with due consideration for the country's long-term interests, the division of jurisdiction between the federal government and state governments, and the need to ensure that the development of the REE industry is carried out in a sustainable and responsible manner," he said. U.S. Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, presents three F-16 pilots with the District of Columbia Air National Guards 121st Fighter Squadron with the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross in a ceremony on Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. Majs. Benjamin Boom Saunders, Eric Fume Anderson and Capt. Ryan Hammer Boodee were recognized for helping to intercept a drone barrage on Israel in 2024. (Natalie Filzen/D.C. Air National Guard) Three F-16 pilots assigned to the District of Columbia Air National Guards 121st Fighter Squadron have received the U.S. militarys oldest aviation award for their role in thwarting an Iranian drone attack in 2024. Majs. Benjamin Boom Saunders, Eric Fume Anderson and Capt. Ryan Hammer Boodee received the Distinguished Flying Cross with C device in a ceremony on Sunday. The cross is awarded for distinctive, non-routine heroism or achievement in flight, and the C designation indicates exceptionally meritorious service or achievement, according to the Air Force. Saunders, Anderson and Boodee were among the members of the squadron deployed in early 2024 to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia to support Operations Inherent Resolve and Prosperity Guardian, a D.C. Air Guard news release said. The operations are tasked with securing the defeat of the Islamic State group and the freedom of the Red Sea and frequently draw on National Guard forces. On April 13 of that year, the trio was tasked with flying in anticipation of an Iranian barrage targeting Israel, an attack that materialized in the form of more than 300 drones and several cruise and ballistic missiles. Although the attack was anticipated in part because Iran telegraphed through diplomatic channels its intentions to strike after Israeli warplanes bombed its embassy in Syria it was also unprecedented. The barrage was Irans first direct attack on Israel and also the largest to emerge from Iranian territory since the Iran-Iraq War, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based think tank. Saunders and Boodee, each flying an F-16 as part of Viper 5-1, detected and downed a drone while searching for targets. Shortly after, Boodee detected traces of 100 other drones, and he and Saunders proceeded to fire missiles until Anderson and his wingman arrived as Viper 6-1, the release said. They continued to operate until running out of missiles, at which point Saunders used his 20mm cannons in a low-altitude attack as Viper 5-1 continued to coordinate targeting and refueling, per the release, which said they downed 15 drones during this time. U.S. Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, who leads the National Guard Bureau and presented the medal to the pilots, said the trio operated outside of reliable radio contact, forcing them to execute mission command. The pilots did not make remarks at the ceremony, but their families were present and looked very proud, a spokesperson for the wing said. Sundays ceremony coincided with heightened U.S.-Iran tensions. Just two days later, U.S. Central Command said a Navy fighter jet downed an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln. This report was updated to add details about the ceremony. Undersecretary of the Air Force Matthew Lohmeier speaks with reporters at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on Feb. 5, 2026. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes) JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii Shortly after Matthew Lohmeier became undersecretary of the Air Force in July, the former fighter pilot was briefed about the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities that took place just weeks earlier. One of the critical pieces of that operation was Air Mobility Command, our ability to refuel, Lohmeier told reporters Thursday at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the final stop on a two-week Pacific visit. He was joined by Lt. Gen. Laura Lenderman, deputy commander of Pacific Air Forces. We committed a tremendous amount of transport and refueling to ensure a successful operation there, and it went off without a hitch nearly without a hitch, Lohmeier said. And now the question is, how do you pivot that into the Pacific, which is a much larger theater, he said. And were talking about sustaining conflict, not a one-off operation. The Air Forces plan for sustaining a prolonged conflict is called agile combat employment, or ACE. It calls for rapidly dispersing airpower from large bases, which are vulnerable to attack, to smaller, more remote airfields. From there, aircraft would move personnel, weapons and supplies where needed. One of the greatest benefits to this scheme of maneuver is that it complicates targeting for adversaries, Lohmeier said. It complicates their decision making. ACE was tested at scale late last summer during Exercise Resolute Force Pacific, or REFORPAC, during which about 400 U.S. and coalition aircraft surged throughout the Pacific. A white paper published in December by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, however, argues that the U.S. airlift system lacks the capacity and right mix of aircraft to sustain air and surface combat forces in a contested environment. At the same time, emerging service operational concepts and the sheer expanse of the Indo-Pacific theater place greater stress on this strained mission, the paper states. The Air Force, in particular, may not have enough airlift to support its ACE concept, according to the institute. The USAF has not acquired significant numbers of aircraft capable of operating at the lower end of this requirement delivering combat equipment and supplies into short and weakly surfaced forward airfields and has no publicly-released plans to do so, the paper states. Lohmeier said that discussions are continually taking place at the Pentagon as to what we need to buy in the future to make sure that weve got the right quality and quantity of our tanker and mobility fleet to sustain a fight. The air fleets of allies and partner nations, however, would complement existing U.S. airlift capability in any conflict, he said. Lohmeier and Lenderman stressed the critical role pre-positioned supplies would play in sustained conflict. Were working with our allies and partners to make sure that we can pre-position material there, so that we can use those locations as power projection platforms, as well as our main operating bases, Lohmeier said. PACAF experimented with an autonomous Cessna 208 Grand Caravan during REFORPAC, Lenderman said. That fixed-wing aircraft, converted to a drone, can carry light equipment and passengers and could potentially be used for airlift between islands of an archipelago, she said. Airlift capacity will also depend on the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, which are civilian planes contracted by the Defense Department, Lenderman said. They might not go all the way into theater, but they would go into Alaska and potentially Hawaii, depending on the threat, she said. But thats a big part of the puzzle that we depend on. Active-duty service members and civilian staffers pose to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Sasebo Naval Base, Japan, on Feb. 4, 2026. (Raquell Williams/U.S. Navy) U.S. sailors recently joined American and Japanese civilian employees to mark Sasebo Naval Bases 80th anniversary, gathering to form the number 80 for a commemorative photo at the installation in southern Japan. The image, taken Wednesday, was shared on the bases official Facebook page along with a brief account of its history. Today we celebrate our 80-year history as we look forward to our future and our continuing mission to support security, stability, and freedom in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region in partnership with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and our regional allies, the post said. Base spokesman Aki Nichols organized the photo and social media post, he told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday. Originally planned for summer 2025, the group photo was rescheduled to coincide with the anniversary of Sasebos establishment as a U.S. naval base on Feb. 4, 1946. Setting up the 80 and taking the photo took approximately two hours, thanks to the cooperation of the volunteer participants and the fire department who provided their ladder truck to use as the platform for the photographer, Nichols wrote. Before the arrival of U.S. forces in September 1946, Sasebo had already played a significant military role for decades. Established in 1889, it served as headquarters for the Imperial Japanese Navys Third Naval District, according to the bases website. Today, the facility is jointly used by the U.S. Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. Sasebo serves as the homeport for the U.S. 7th Fleets amphibious and mine warfare forces, including eight warships, along with their crews and families. Among them is the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, which arrived in June to replace the USS America as the flagship of an amphibious ready group. The group also includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls and the guided-missile destroyer USS Rafael Peralta. Sasebo is also homeport for the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego and the dock landing ship USS Rushmore. Capt. Michael Fontaine took command of the base in September 2023. Nichols Facebook post gained 488 reactions as of Friday; some commenters wrote that Sasebo is the best base in Japan and shared memories from their past assignments there. Spelling out the number 80 to commemorate our 80-year history in Sasebo was important and fun, Fontaine said via the spokesman. It was especially meaningful that we did it with a mix of Sailors, American and Japanese employees, and even family members who volunteered to stand out in the cold, perfectly showcasing the teamwork and community pride [Sasebo] is known for. Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, which SpaceX is modifying for its Falcon Heavy rocket. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via TNS) (Tribune News Service) The rolling grasslands and rocky beaches of Vandenberg Space Force Base, home to more than a dozen at-risk species, easily could pass for a peaceful nature preserve but thats an illusion. The nearly 100,000-acre base was a testing ground in the 1960s for early generation ballistic missiles, and today its a launch site for satellites, classified missions and other payloads key to a new type of war: one fought far above the earth. This new era has been marked by a sharp jump in flights from the Santa Barbara County military facility that started in 2021 when SpaceX began sending into orbit Starlink internet satellites the military considers critical for national security. Now Vandenberg is aiming higher with its Spaceport of the Future initiative. The agency is making plans for a nearly $900 million makeover of the aging base with roads, buildings, launchpads and other facilities to handle an anticipated surge in launches. Seventy-one rockets blasted off last year, most of them by SpaceX. One hundred or more could take off this year, possibly making it the busiest space port in the world. Were in the beginnings of the second space race. Thats what youre seeing, said U.S. Space Force Col. James Horne III, base commander, whose office is decorated with nearly two dozen models of rockets flown from Vandenberg. Not everyone is happy about the bases big plans. While local development officials are eager to capitalize on the expansion, the blasts from the takeoffs and subsequent sonic booms experienced south of the base have stirred up controversy scaring wildlife, rattling nerves and sparking conflicts with environmentalists, state officials and residents for whom the first space race is a distant memory. If I am upstairs and my door is slightly cracked, the boom can slam my door and we are 100-plus miles away, said Mikayla Shocks, an area homeowner. One time I thought a car hit the house, because its that loud. The community pushback has grown as the number of launches has steadily increased from just seven in 2021, with SpaceX accounting for the vast majority of additional flights. SpaceX has been blasting its reliable workhorse Falcon 9 rocket off from its complex on the southern part of the base, and received approval to launch its bigger Falcon Heavy rockets from another pad nearby. The Falcon Heavy straps three Falcon 9 rocket cores together and has 27 liftoff engines compared to nine for the smaller rocket. More concerning to critics is a decision by the Space Force in December to invite rocket companies to build and operate a super heavy launch pad on the base. Marco Caceres, an aerospace analyst at Teal Group, expects SpaceX will have interest in using the pad to launch Starship, which is the largest rocket ever built and is being tested in Texas. A version of the rocket is expected to be used by NASA to land Americans back on the moon, while SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk wants to colonize Mars with it. But he also has talked about how it will launch next-generation Starlink satellites. The company, which moved to Texas but maintains large operations in Hawthorne, a city near Los Angeles, did not return messages seeking comment. The surge in demand for rocket launches at Vandenberg has been fueled by big shifts in the defense industry, which has pivoted to drones, hypersonic weapons and critical communications satellites. President Trump in May announced his $175-billion Golden Dome initiative for a satellite missile defense system to protect the U.S. from attacks on land, sea and space. Col. James T. Horne III, commander of Vandenberg Space Force Base in his office. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via TNS) The Space Force also is trying to leverage technology developed by commercial companies for defense applications so called dual-use technologies, with Starlink a prime example. The changes are helping to spur a revival of the defense and aerospace industries in Southern California, which include standouts Anduril Industries, an autonomous weapons maker in Costa Mesa that has plans to invest $1 billion in a Long Beach campus, and K2 Space, a maker of satellite platforms in Torrance. The Falcon 9 is the preferred rocket to send these systems into space, with its reusable booster that can land back on its pad. It offers low-cost flights that carry multiple payloads from different customers. Varda Space Industries, an El Segundo company developing pharmaceuticals in space that also is testing military hypersonic reentry technology, has flown five missions from Vandenberg and booked more. Key to the endeavor is communications, which is where Starlink fits in. Everything feeds off the internet, Caceres said. Everything is based on instantaneous communications, speed and covering every inch of the planet. Starlink satellites launched from the base are put into an orbit around the poles. That requires the Falcon 9 to fly closer to the coast than past base flights, causing sonic booms in Santa Barbara, Ventura and other Southern California communities. (The satellites also are put into low-earth orbit from the Space Forces other launch site: the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, allowing the network to cover the globe.) Space Force officials acknowledge that they didnt expect the Falcon flights to cause such a ruckus, even as the population of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties roughly doubled to nearly 1.3 million since the early 1970s, when the base was busy. The agency says it has begun measuring the impact of the flights. Some of my preconceived ideas about these booms were simply wrong thats why data gathering is so important, Brigham Young physics professor Kent Gee said in an an email. He is studying the issue for the Space Force along with researchers at Cal State Bakersfield. The researchers found that the most intense booms are heard from Santa Barbara to Oxnard and miles inland especially in the spring and fall when upper-level winds carry the sound onshore, with somewhat fewer booms heard in the winter and very few in the summer. We know so much more about these booms and their drivers than a year ago this time, Gee said. The base is now launching fewer rockets at night and also deploying more monitoring stations in communities such as Ojai to better capture the impact. However, flights still occur during sleeping hours to achieve certain orbits. Physics gets a vote in every launch, Horne said. Sometimes we have to. A more direct effect of the flights is to the abundant wildlife on the base. Among it is the at-risk Buckwheat Blue Butterfly, the Western Spadefoot Toad and the Western Snowy Plover shorebird, as well as several marine mammals. This is the last refuge for a lot of our species, acknowledges Darryl York, a wildlife biologist for the Space Force at Vandenberg. Studies have shown that seals and other marine mammals can flee into the water during launches, which can cause injuries or lead them to abandon their colonies. Birds and other land wildlife are flushed from their nests too. Studies are being conducted, but environmental groups such as the Gaviota Coast Conservancy asked the Space Force to slow down the pace of new launches to better understand their cumulative impact including when SpaceXs reusable boosters return back to the base under thrust. The southern coastline of Vandenberg Space Force Base. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via TNS) The Space Force in October signed off on an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act, which governs federal land, for up to 95 Falcon 9 and five Falcon Heavy launches annually. It requires the agency to take measures to lessen the impacts and conduct additional studies. That has failed to mollify environmentalists. The approach of just moving forward and doing the evaluations later means that we could have irretrievable loss of wildlife in their habitats that isnt easily replaceable elsewhere, said Ana Citrin, legal and policy director for the conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the regions coastline. The Space Force also is at loggerheads with the California Coastal Commission, which enforces the California Coastal Act governing land use along the coast. In 2024 the commission rejected a plan to have SpaceX launch up to 50 times annually, prompting a lawsuit by the company. Then in August it rejected another request by the agency to increase its annual launches even more and fly the Falcon Heavy for the first time. SpaceX launches national security and other payloads from the base, but the commission argues that the majority of the launches serve to advance Musks internet satellite business and therefore it has authority over the flights, as well as any monitoring and mitigation measures. Space Force officials disagree and are moving ahead with their plans. Those Starlink launches that were launching from here directly contribute to warfighter capability, Horne said. Spaceport of the future What is clear is the number of flights is bound to increase. Horne said the military has been preparing for a higher cadence of flights with tours of major airports and seaports that handle large volumes of people and goods quickly. Were essentially overhauling everything we do to think more like that sort of a mindset, he said. Among the plans are upgrades to the bases rail service and harbor, alternatives to hauling up rockets to the base via nearby windy roads. The base also is setting aside a development zone for companies it hopes will locate there. Economic development officials in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties seized on the prospect to attract more businesses to the region, foster innovation and develop the workforce for the new employment opportunities. What that means for us on the Central Coast is that it is probably a once-in-a generation opportunity to really grow, said Melissa James, chief executive of REACH, a San Luis Obispo-based economic development nonprofit that just received a state grant to fund its efforts. SpaceX is not the only launch services company operating from Vandenberg. Firefly Aerospace, a Texas company, is launching a small rocket from the base. Phantom Space, an Arizona startup, has approval to launch there. The United Launch Alliance last sent up a rocket in 2022 but developed a new rocket called the Vulcan and is upgrading its pad for future flights. Other fledgling rocket companies that could make use of the base include Relativity Space in Long Beach and Jeff Bezos Blue Origin, a potential rival to SpaceX in Kent, Wash. The big question is who might develop and operate a new super heavy launch pad on Vandenberg. Blue Origin is developing a New Glenn super heavy rocket but it has not launched yet. Musks Starship is much further along. It has completed 11 test flights, the last few of which have gone well. But some prior flights did not, including a January 2025 rocket that broke apart 8 minutes after liftoff, raining debris onto Caribbean islands and disrupting air traffic. The giant rocket, which stands 403 foot tall and has roughly 10 times the thrust of a Falcon 9, also would be expected to have a bigger sonic boom something almost certain to rile up downrange residents even more. To use an analogy, a sonic boom is similar to a boats wake, Gee said. A larger boat usually creates a taller wake than a smaller boat. 2026 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. BUCHAREST, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Romania's National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA) issued a red flood alert on Friday for the Niscov River in Prahova and Buzau counties, warning of dangerous rises in water levels following heavy rainfall. The alert is valid until 3 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) and signals a possible exceedance of danger thresholds. Authorities also issued an orange alert until 12 p.m. local time for the Teleajen River in Prahova County and for rivers in the Milcov basin in Vrancea County. A yellow alert is in effect for parts of the Barlad River basin in eastern Romania. Romania's hydrological authorities classify flood warnings into three levels - yellow, orange and red - ranging from potential flooding risk to extreme danger. Emergency alerts were sent to residents in at-risk communities. In Prahova County, firefighters responded to several calls to pump water from flooded yards, with no homes reported damaged. In Buzau County, rising water levels on the Niscov River blocked road access to the village of Mierea, leaving 12 people isolated in four households. Local emergency officials said the residents were safe and had sufficient supplies. A life-size mannequin depicts a driver looking out the front windshield of his military vehicle as he drives a wounded colleague to safety during the fighting in Luxembourg during World War II. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) In 2016, at a NATO base in northern Afghanistan, military officials introduced me to the only soldier from Luxembourg deployed to the country. His situation intrigued me, and after chatting for a while, I asked if I could write a profile of him. He told me I couldnt publish his name or describe exactly what he did in Afghanistan, so the story never materialized. I was reminded of that soldier recently when I learned that the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, Luxembourg, was hosting an exhibition on the evolution of the tiny countrys army, which today numbers only a few hundred volunteer soldiers, but its history is anything but small. Our Army at Harebierg, named for the historic Harebierg barracks near Diekirch, offers a detailed look at one of NATOs smallest forces and a striking contrast with the alliances largest, the U.S. military. The temporary exhibition offers far more insight than the Luxembourg soldier in Mazar-e-Sharif was ever able to share with me. According to the museums permanent exhibition, which is in English, Luxembourgers by and large were not patriotic until 1939, the year the Grand Duchy celebrated a century of independence, and its people truly became aware of their belonging to a small yet independent nation with its own traditions. But little more than a year later, after remaining neutral during the first months of World War II, Luxembourg was invaded and occupied by German forces. More than four years passed before U.S. troops initially liberated Luxembourg in September 1944, and shortly afterward the Grand Duchys army was built virtually from scratch at the request of the government in exile, marking a fundamental break with its previous policy of neutrality. A poster displayed as part of the Our Army at Harebierg exhibition at the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, Luxembourg, shows the correct use of uniforms and equipment for the Luxembourgian armed forces. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) The Our Army at Harebierg exhibition, which focuses on the evolution of Luxembourgs army, will run at the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch until mid-September. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) A uniform of a Luxembourgian UNPROFOR soldier is displayed at the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, Luxembourg, Jan. 17, 2026. In 1992 and 1993, soldiers from Luxembourg took part in the UNPROFOR peacekeeping mission in Croatia. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) Our Army at Harebierg starts in 1944 with Luxembourgs first organized military contribution to the Allied cause, when volunteers joined Belgiums Brigade Piron. From there, visitors learn about the rebuilding of the army, the development of military infrastructure and the armed forces anchoring in Luxembourg society. Various weapons used by Luxembourgs troops over the years, many American-made, and photos of Luxembourg soldiers over the past eight decades are among the highlights of the exhibition, as is a section devoted to female soldiers. According to the exhibition, 128 women were serving in Luxembourgs army in 2024, accounting for about 12% of all personnel. An undated British newspaper that appeared to be from the 1950s also caught my attention. The headline read, The army with only one colonel, which again made me think of the soldier I met in Afghanistan. The museums permanent exhibition is a perfect complement to Our Army at Harebierg, providing an in-depth look at Luxembourg during World War II, including U.S. efforts to liberate the country in 1944, its reoccupation by German forces during the Battle of the Bulge and its final liberation in January 1945. The standout section of the museum is a display depicting the Sauer River crossing by U.S. soldiers with the 5th Infantry Division in January 1945, which led to the liberation of Diekirch. Life-size mannequins depict U.S. soldiers with the 5th Infantry Division crossing the Sauer River, which led to the liberation of Diekirch, Luxembourg, in January 1945. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) Life-size mannequins show U.S. troops using a 60 mm mortar for direct fire support. The soldiers are wearing the official Army camouflage uniforms. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) Personal items of soldiers who fought in the World War II Battle of the Bulge, including cigarettes and matches, are displayed at the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch, Luxembourg. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes) Life-size mannequins are positioned in a vast winter scene meant to give visitors a realistic sense of what it was like for the troops there. Some are trudging through the heavy snow, while others tend to wounded comrades. A German command post and an American field hospital are depicted in other sections. The museum also features a large hall packed with World War II vehicles and heavy equipment, including armored vehicles, artillery pieces and anti-aircraft guns. Various items from American and German soldiers who fought during the Battle of the Bulge are also on display. Visitors are reminded how this tiny country has been pulled into various global conflicts. It helped me understand how one Luxembourger ended up serving on a remote base in Afghanistan with NATO allies, sharing the type of story that he himself could not. National Museum of Military History Address: 10 Rue Bamertal, Diekirch, Luxembourg Hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Monday. Our Army at Harebierg exhibition runs until Sept. 15, 2026. Price: Adults, 5 euros; adolescents 10-18, 3 euros; students, 3 euros; children under 10, free. Groups of 10 or more, are 3 euros each. Information: www.mnhm.net/mnhm (iStock) As a teen, I huddled under my Kliban Cat comforter until my clock radio sounded its obnoxious beep-beep-beep alarm. Without opening my eyes, I reached a hand out to silence the noise, then tuned in to 1450 AM WDAD to listen for news about my small Pennsylvania hometown. Please be closed, please be closed, I muttered, still half asleep and lisping through my retainer. After a commercial for Brunos Restaurant, the DJ finally came on air. Well folks, due to the snowstorm, we have some school delays and closures to announce, he said. YES! I popped my bed head out of its warm nest of covers, listening more closely as he rattled off the announcements, one by one. Apollo Ridge, Armstrong and Derry school districts will be operating on a two-hour delay. No morning kindergarten. Homer City, Marion Center and Punxsutawney School Districts are closed today. Purchase Line Schools are . Cmon, cmon, I plead, my hands clasped tightly in prayer to the school closure gods, waiting for word about the only school that mattered my school, Indiana Area Junior High School. My whole being yearned for the happiest news a kid could get A SNOW DAY. One day off school wasnt exactly life-changing. But to kids who woke up early on dark winter mornings day after boring day, snow days were a rare and cherished gift. Especially for kids like me, who walked a half mile on an icy unpaved road to my bus stop, where I waited every morning, my teeth chattering. Our neighborhood was the last stop, so by the time we got on, the bus windows were steamed up with the condensed hot breath of 50 pimpled adolescents. Our bus had an 8-track tape player, but only one tape. Every word from AC/DCs Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap album was burned into my brain. Needless to say, my school mornings were sheer hell. I beseeched the powers of the universe as if my teenaged survival depended on it, to please, for the love of God, grant us, the bedraggled students of Indiana Area Junior High School, a well-deserved break, and Ill promise to return to school all the better for it My mind swirled with the possibilities. First and foremost, I might enjoy at least another hour of sleep. Not just any sleep, but deep teenaged sleep, when my mouth fell open allowing a steady stream of drool to escape. Then, Id meet up with neighbors to sled down our hill until my lips were too frozen to form intelligible consonants. Afterward, Id have hot cocoa, gallons of it, and maybe tomato soup with grilled cheese for dipping while watching daytime sitcom reruns like Gilligans Island and Beverly Hillbillies. Oh, the unbridled joy of it all! I was recently saddened to learn that many children today arent able to enjoy snow days like I did. Thanks to the remote learning platforms put in place during the COVID pandemic, some kids have virtual school on snow days. New York City Public Schools, for example, mandate attendance via remote instruction when weather closes schools. Students are expected to log into classes online so the instructional day still counts to avoid extending the school year. Other districts in Illinois have e-learning or Flexible Instruction Day (FID) policies mandating students to take lessons remotely, logging attendance through platforms like Google Classroom or SeeSaw. And many districts in snow-plagued states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota and my state of Rhode Island permit districts to require virtual instruction on snow days if they see fit. Currently, DoD schools do not require remote learning during school closures of less than five days. To the poor children who must log onto computers during school closures, who will never feel the unbridled joy of a snow day in winter, my heart goes out to you. Indiana Area Schools are closed today, the DJ finally says, granting my ultimate wish. I roll over, drooling in triumph, snoozing in the sweet silence without AC/DC. I didnt learn anything that snow day, but sometimes kids become better school students on the days when theres no school at all. Read more at themeatandpotatoesoflife.com and in Lisas book, The Meat and Potatoes of Life: My True Lit Com. Email: meatandpotatoesoflife@gmail.com Brig. Gen. Ryan Hoyle, left, incoming commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, accepts the Marine Corps flag from outgoing commander Brig. Gen. Robert Brodie at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Feb. 6, 2026. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes) CAMP COURTNEY, Okinawa An infantry officer with experience in Okinawa, Italy, Iraq and Afghanistan has taken command of the Marine Corps only permanently deployed expeditionary brigade. Brig. Gen. Ryan Hoyle took over the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade from Brig. Gen. Robert Brodie during a Friday ceremony at Camp Courtney. Hoyle also became deputy commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force during the ceremony. Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, head of III MEF, and Marine Corps Installations Pacific commander Maj. Gen. Brian Wolford were among approximately 150 Marines, sailors, family members and Japanese troops in attendance. Im really looking forward to getting integrated and learning from every single one of you, Hoyle told those gathered for the ceremony. Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, speaks during a change-of-command ceremony for the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Feb. 6, 2026. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes) He takes command as the brigade prepares to participate alongside the Japanese military in the 20th iteration of Iron Fist, an annual exercise scheduled Wednesday through March 9 throughout Japan, including Okinawa. Brigade Marines were preparing to embark Tuesday aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli to observe U.S. sailors and Marines with the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, brigade spokesman Maj. Edward Pingel wrote in an email Friday. I know that we dont have much of a weekend, and thats all right, Hoyle told the audience. We will make up for it as we continue serving together. Hoyle, of Jefferson, Iowa, and Lenexa, Kan., was commissioned in the Marine Corps in 1996, according to his official biography. He previously served on Okinawa from 2015 to 2016 as current operations officer for the 3rd Marine Division. Prior to his return to the island, he served as assistant commander of the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and in operational planning roles with NATO. Among his decorations, Hoyle has earned the Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon, according to his biography. Brig. Gen. Ryan Hoyle gives his first speech as commander of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade at Camp Courtney, Okinawa, Feb. 6, 2026. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes) Brodie, of Bucks County, Pa., had a short tenure with the brigade; he took over July 31 from Brig. Gen. Trevor Hall. Now numbering about 90 Marines, the brigade can aggregate other units to increase in size up to 14,500 to serve as a middleweight air-ground task force. The brigades mission includes rapid response across the Indo-Pacific to humanitarian crises and disaster relief. In November, its Marines provided relief in the Philippines following Typhoon Kalmaegi and Super Typhoon Fung-Wong. [The typhoons] took over 300 lives, Brodie said in remarks during the ceremony. And what I asked myself is how many more would have died had these Marines not showed up to be able to fly aircraft, support all of the force flow that came in. During his tenure, Brodie increased partnership with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade. In January, the Marine brigade stood up a headquarters company to align with the amphibious brigade. During an interview with media after the ceremony, he cited his relationships with amphibious brigade commander Maj. Gen. Toshikatsu Musha and Japans Western Army commander Lt. Gen. Seiji Toriumi as his biggest accomplishments as commander. I think weve learned how to support the MEF better as the challenges of the theater get a little more complex, he said. An F/A-18 Hornet and F-35 Lightning II pilot, Brodie will next command the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in San Diego, according to a Jan. 26 news release. The U.S. Navys entry for the 2026 Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan has reminded visitors of the Beatles Yellow Submarine. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) SAPPORO, Japan Short on experience but not creativity, a U.S. Navy snow-sculpting team leaned into a playful design thats got some people humming a popular Beatles tune at this citys annual Snow Festival. One of Japans largest winter events, the festival draws millions of visitors to Odori Park on the northern island of Hokkaido. The four-member Navy team arrived planning to sculpt a submarine above a crest reading 250 to mark the semiquincentennial of U.S. independence. But a last-minute change left the sailors without their veteran sculptor, said team leader Chief Petty Officer Robert Guerra. The team understood that, given our inexperience, we would not be able to sculpt the more hyper realistic version of the Submarine, he told Stars and Stripes in a text message Thursday. The sailors opted for a simpler design that quickly drew comparisons to the Beatles Yellow Submarine. So far, the response has been positive, as many visitors have let us know they really enjoyed our yellow submarine, a reference to the Beatles song, Guerra wrote. Visitors take photos of a mammoth snow sculpture during the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, Japan, Feb. 4, 2026. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) A 49-foot-high rendition of Tsuruga Castle draws a crowd during the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, Japan, Feb. 4, 2026. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) A snow sculpture pays tribute to a popular Japanese mayonnaise brand at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, Japan, Feb. 4, 2026. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) People really took to the softer, more cartoonish style of it, he said during a phone interview with the entire sculpting team on Thursday. The team included Petty Officers 2nd Class Scott Flagg, Matthew Fischer, Wyatt Rivet and Mya Howard, along with Seaman Jalil Moorer, according to a Jan. 28 news release from Misawa Naval Air Facility, the teams home station. They carved the sculpture over three days beginning Jan. 30, working up to 11 hours daily, Guerra said. This marks the Navys 41st year participating in the festival. Previous snow sculptures have included an F-35C Lightning II stealth fighter and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. Im pretty patriotic, and I do love my country. Im third-generation military, Flagg said. Being able to come out here and continue that relationship with this country is pretty awesome for me, personally. Those who stopped by the Navys sculpture were invited to don cranial head gear and float coat flotation vests the safety gear typically seen on flight decks of aircraft carriers and large-deck amphibious assault ships. Cosplayers and character mascots pose in front of a popular snow sculpture at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, Japan, Feb. 4, 2026. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) A Star Wars-themed sculpture featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu draws a crowd at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido, Japan, Feb. 4, 2026. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) A lot of the little kids enjoyed wearing the float coat and cranial, Rivet said. They did get into the shooter stance, and it was a good way to just have a laugh. He and the others said they were impressed with the other sculptures being displayed during the festival. Highlights include a 49-foot-high rendition of Tsuruga Castle, a landmark outside Fukushima. Another popular stop is a sculpture of Star Wars characters Mandalorian and Grogu that is more than 30 feet high. Founded in 1950, the Sapporo Snow Festival draws more than 2 million visitors annually, according to city tourism officials. Sculptures remain on display through Wednesday. Vessels gather in western Sweden to participate in NATOs exercise Arctic Dolphin in this undated photo. U.S. allies are stepping up their presence in the Arctic and carrying out maneuvers aimed at securing a strategic gap in the vicinity of Greenland. (Facebook/NATO Maritime Command) Anti-submarine warfare drills are underway in the High North as allies step up their presence in the Arctic with maneuvers aimed at securing a strategic gap near Greenland. Arctic Dolphin, involving allied naval forces at various locations in Norway, marks the latest push by NATO to showcase how operating in the Arctics harsh terrain is a top priority. The exercise reinforces NATOs focus on the strategically important Greenland Iceland United Kingdom gap, a vital gateway to the Atlantic Ocean, NATOs Allied Maritime Command said in a Wednesday statement. Arctic Dolphin, which began Monday and runs until Feb. 13, involves submarines, warships and submarine-hunting aircraft. The High North has emerged as a major NATO military focal point, on par with the alliances eastern flank in the Baltics. As northern sea ice melts, new shipping lanes are opening in a region rich with valuable natural resources. In addition, the prospect of increased competition there with Russia and China has risen. President Donald Trump also has turned his attention to Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. Trump recently pushed for an American takeover of the island, although he ruled out using American military force as an option for doing so. Nevertheless, his comments left many European members of the bloc rattled. Discussions are now taking place on a potential deal that could see a larger American presence in Greenland, where the U.S. currently has around 200 troops based. The exercise comes as NATO prepares to further expand its presence in the High North with a new operation called Arctic Sentry, which is in the planning phase. Meanwhile, thousands of U.S. and allied troops will deploy to Norway in the coming weeks for large-scale combat drills centered on the countrys defense. About 3,000 Marines and roughly 25,000 personnel from a dozen countries will participate in Cold Response, an exercise slated to kick off in March. Training in this region enhances Allied readiness to protect sea lines of communication and maintain maritime security in the North Atlantic and Norwegian Sea, the NATO statement said. The Department of Defense Education Activity is seeking feedback from parents and students in the form of an online stakeholder survey until March 3, 2026. With the current format, there is no option to add comments in the 2026 survey. (Jason Ragucci/Defense Department) KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany A new survey of Defense Department school parents and students seeks input on a variety of topics, but anyone who wants to flesh out their feedback with comments is out of luck this time. The current solicitation by the Department of Defense Education Activity is based on a survey developed by University of Chicago researchers. Known as the 5Essentials Survey, it seeks to gauge school climate and academic quality from a stakeholder perspective and provide data comparable to other public schools. The DODEA survey is open through March 13 and takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. In late January, the agency began emailing an online survey link to sponsors and parents of students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. Students in fourth through 12th grades will be surveyed in the coming weeks, DODEA spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry said. The goal is to gather parent and student feedback on experiences, reinforcing parental rights and ensuring stakeholder voices are heard, Tackaberry said in statement this week. However, this years survey does not include a space where stakeholders can expand on any topics or concerns that arent covered by the list of questions provided. Thats not unique to DODEA. All 5Essential survey items are multiple choice questions; there are no open-ended responses, according to a University of Chicago website about the survey. Some DODEA parents are disappointed in the format change, though. I cant think of a time I have ever taken a survey without an open comment box, said Carolyn Pickering, a parent at Camp Humphreys, South Korea. An open comment allows the entity to hear what actually matters to participants instead of asking them to only tick predefined boxes. It provides a balance. In response to a Facebook post by DODEA late last month, a user who goes by Linda Jo pointed out that there are no questions about extracurricular activities and Exceptional Family Member Program resources, which she said are the top two concerns at most overseas locations. The latter is a program offered by the services to support military families with special medical and educational needs. If the purpose is to share their experiences and perspectives to help strengthen the schools I think there should be more ability to provide input, she said, adding that she had completed the survey. DODEA in May 2024 administered a similar survey, calling it a pilot at the time. Results were used to refine survey design and implementation, Tackaberry said. She added that approval was sought and granted to implement the survey this school year and next school year. In 2023, a different stakeholder survey allowed for written responses in some areas, such as one about whether children had experienced bias or discrimination at school. Separate spaces were also provided for messages to school staff, district leadership and DODEA leadership. The 2023 solicitation was more of a feedback mechanism than a survey and it was used to help shape the agencys blueprint, a strategic plan for the next five years, according to the agency. Parents are welcome to email their school with concerns anytime or bring issues to school advisory committee meetings, which parents and students are invited to attend, Defense Department schools officials have said. Prior to the 2023-24 school year, stakeholder surveys were administered twice since 2011 in 2021 and 2017 said Pickering, who tracks the information. Tackaberry said summary results from this years survey will likely be published on DODEAs website later this year. The survey covers the broad areas of academic instruction, school outreach, parental involvement and connectedness, school quality, school safety and overall satisfaction, according to the agency. That aligns with the five essentials that University of Chicago researchers say are key to a schools success: effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environment and ambitious instruction. Schools that are strong in at least three of these areas are 10 times more likely to improve student outcomes, including attendance and academic growth, according to their research. One section of the DODEA survey asks parents to rate a series of statements that include whether their child feels safe at school; whether their child is affected by bullying and how the school addresses bullying; and whether a teacher or staff member communicates if there is a problem with the childs behavior. Other sections ask parents to rate the quality of school facilities and, for parents of high schoolers, how well the school is preparing ones child for college. Despite Pickerings reservations about the survey, she encourages all parents and eligible students to participate so that their input lands directly with DODEA. In addition to completing the survey, the best thing families can do is talk the survey up among their friend groups and spread the word throughout their communities, she said. A Lithuanian service member participates in training on the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System alongside U.S. soldiers in Pabrade, Lithuania, on Jan. 13, 2026. The training was part of the Armys HIMARS initiative to reinforce NATO defenses on the eastern flank. (Regina Koesters/U.S. Army) U.S. soldiers training Lithuanian troops on an American precision-fire system that gained prominence on the battlefields of Ukraine reached a milestone this week as the Baltic NATO ally moves closer to fielding its own long-range precision fires. Tuesdays live-fire exercise using the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, capped months of side-by-side training and marked the culmination of the Lithuanians apprenticeship, the Army said in a statement Wednesday. Soldiers from the 41st Field Artillery Brigade assigned to Task Force Pergale conducted the live fire. This training proves the crews are capable of accomplishing whatever their job may be and being able to provide long-range precision fires at a moments notice, Capt. Richard Hiler, commander of Bravo Battery, said in the statement. As part of V Corps HIMARS initiative, the apprenticeship program helped Lithuanian troops gain hands-on experience with the launcher, deepening alignment between U.S. and NATO defense plans. The event at the Kairiai Training Area was designed to build crew proficiency in operating, maintaining and sustaining the system ahead of its expected arrival in the coming months, the Army said. Lithuania is acquiring eight HIMARS launchers and associated munitions, with initial delivery expected sometime this year. It will become the second Baltic state after Estonia to receive the system. Estonia received its first launchers in 2025. The HIMARS training reflects a broader U.S. effort to rapidly build long-range firepower along NATOs eastern flank, where the Russia-Ukraine war has increased pressure on frontline states to field systems capable of deterring the Kremlin. Together with Latvia, the three Baltic countries are on track to field 20 launchers in the coming years, reflecting concern that they could be Russias next military target. The HIMARS can fire guided rockets out to roughly 40 miles and Army Tactical Missile System ballistic missiles to about 180 miles. It integrates readily with U.S. and allied fire-control systems. On the heels of the systems well-publicized effectiveness in helping Ukrainian forces battle Russia, demand for the HIMARS soared among militaries in many parts of the globe. In this photo released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center, heads to venue for talks between Iran and the U.S., in Muscat, Oman, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP) MUSCAT, Oman Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman on Friday, negotiations that appeared to return to the starting point on how to approach discussions over Tehrans nuclear program. But for the first time, America brought its top military commander in the Middle East to the table. The presence of U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the militarys Central Command, in his dress uniform at the talks in Muscat, the Omani capital, served as a reminder that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships were now off the coast of Iran in the Arabian Sea. President Donald Trump said the United States had very good talks on Iran and said more were planned for early next week. But he kept up the pressure, warning that if the country didnt make a deal over its nuclear program, the consequences are very steep. Iran looks like they want to make a deal very badly as they should, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed to his Florida golf club late Friday. He suggested Iran was willing to do more than in previous talks but did not give details. Asked how long he was willing to wait for a deal, Trump said: We have plenty of time. If you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while. Were in no rush. The Trump administration built up a huge military presence in the Caribbean Sea in the months before a U.S. raid captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. Trump has issued threats against Iran Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to reach a deal on the program after earlier sending the carrier to the region amid Tehrans bloody crackdown on nationwide protests that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands of others detained in the Islamic Republic. Gulf Arab nations fear an attack could spark a regional war that would drag them in as well. That threat is real U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone near the Lincoln and Iran attempted to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz just days before Fridays talks in this sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. We did note that nuclear talks and the resolution of the main issues must take place in a calm atmosphere, without tension and without threats, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later told journalists. The prerequisite for any dialogue is refraining from threats and pressure, he added. Araghchi said diplomats would return to their capitals, signaling this round of negotiations was over. The U.S. was represented by Mideast special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law. In a display of force, the U.S. military published photos on X of the Lincoln carrier group sailing in the Arabian Sea with aircraft flying overhead, with the message Peace through Strength! Irans top diplomat offers a positive note Araghchi offered cautious optimism as he spoke in a live interview from Muscat on Iranian state television. He said Fridays talks were focused primarily on finding a framework for further negotiations. We will hold consultations with our capitals regarding the next steps, and the results will be conveyed to Omans foreign minister, Araghchi said. The mistrust that has developed is a serious challenge facing the negotiations, Araghchi said. We must first address this issue, and then enter into the next level of negotiations. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who oversaw multiple rounds of negotiations before Israel launched its 12-day war on Iran in June, called the talks useful to clarify both the Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. The talks had initially been expected to take place in Turkey in a format that would have included regional countries as well, and would have included topics like Tehrans ballistic missile program something Iran apparently rejected in favor of focusing only on its nuclear program. Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The U.N. nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency had said Iran was the only country in the world to enrich to that level that wasnt armed with the bomb. Iran has been refusing requests by the IAEA to inspect the sites bombed in the June war, raising the concerns of nonproliferation experts. Even before that, Iran has restricted IAEA inspections since Trumps decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from Irans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Omani palace hosts talks Fridays talks saw in-person meetings at a palace near Muscats international airport, used by Oman in earlier talks Iran-U.S. talks in 2025. Associated Press journalists saw Iranian officials first at the palace and later returning to their hotel before the Americans came separately. It remains unclear just what terms Iran is willing to negotiate at the talks. Tehran has maintained that these talks will only be on its nuclear program. However, the Al Jazeera satellite news network reported that diplomats from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar offered Iran a proposal in which Tehran would halt enrichment for three years, send its highly enriched uranium out of the country and pledge not initiate the use of ballistic missiles. Russia had signaled it would take the uranium, but Iran has said ending the program or shipping out the uranium were nonstarters. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the talks needed to include all those issues. US slaps new sanctions on Irans energy sector Shortly after Fridays talks, the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. State Department announced a new round of sanctions on Iran targeting its energy sector, imposing penalties, including freezes on assets in U.S. jurisdictions, on 14 oil tankers in a so-called shadow fleet that the U.S. says are used to try to evade sanctions, as well as on 15 trading firms and two business executives. Trump also signed an executive order that says an import tax of potentially 25% may be imposed on goods from countries that buy oil from Iran. The order does not specifically impose tariffs so much as give the president the legal basis for levying them starting Saturday. It says the potential tariffs can be removed if Iran or the foreign buyers of its oil align themselves with U.S. interests on national security, foreign policy and economic issues. In the past month, the U.S. also has sanctioned Irans interior minister, the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, and several other leaders involved in Irans deadly crackdown against last months protests. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Josh Boak and Moriah Balingit in Washington, Darlene Superville in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report. The blocked road to a neighborhood in Flagstaff, Arizona, where police say a man opened fire at officers is seen Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Cheyanne Mumphrey/AP) FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed in an accident that killed the pilot and a trooper on board, after they responded to a gunbattle between police and a suspect who fired on officers from multiple rooftops over almost two hours, authorities said Thursday. The confrontation began when law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly said during a news conference. As the officers spoke with the victim in the front yard, the suspect opened fire on them from the back of the residence with a semiautomatic long rifle. A protracted gunbattle ensued, with the unidentified suspect hopping from roof to roof in the neighborhood while shooting at officers, Connolly said. The police chief described the neighborhood as under siege while the suspect shot on officers and into homes. The suspect was brought into custody at about 10:20 p.m., around the time the helicopter accident occurred, Connolly said. He did not give information on how the helicopter crashed and said it had been providing officers on the ground with an aerial view of what was happening. Our city and our state have experienced a significant loss. We are part of this community, Connolly said. He referred to the suspect as a career criminal but gave no further details. The suspect suffered nonfatal gunshot wounds and was being treated at Flagstaff Medical Center, officials said. No one else was injured. Pilot Robert Skanky was a longtime resident of Kingman, Arizona, city officials said in a statement. Skanky had been hired in May 2021 and previously served 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, according to a Fraternal Order of Police organization in Arizona. The name of trooper, who was also a paramedic, was not immediately released. He had joined the Department of Public Safety in 2022. Both the paramedic, and the pilot, a military veteran, made the ultimate sacrifice while supporting the mission, said Michael Hunt, president of Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 32. He called the deaths a devastating moment for Arizonas law enforcement community. A giant boom Amanda Brewer of Flagstaff said she heard close to 100 gunshots fired in her neighborhood beginning at around 8:40 p.m. As bursts of fire continued, she said her husband grabbed their guns and they closed their blinds, keeping watch over what was happening outside via cameras at the front and back of their house. The couple heard police on a loudspeaker tell the suspect to put his weapon down and end the situation peacefully shortly before the helicopter arrived. Brewer heard three rounds of shots soon after the helicopter arrived, including shots as the aircraft was over her house. Then she could no longer hear the helicopter, there was a giant boom, and their house shook. It was so powerful and so loud, she said. The Bell 407 helicopter crashed on Flagstaffs west side, a few miles from Route 66 in a less densely populated area to the north of Brewers neighborhood. There was a fire afterward, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Earlier in the night, an emergency alert went out to mobile phones warning of an active shooter and urging people to stay clear of the area. People gathered outside of a gas station watching as dozens of police vehicles lined the streets. Jasmin Parra, 32, was at home nearby with her family when police told them to stay inside, lock their doors and windows and not answer if anybody knocked, she said. As the family kept low inside the house, the sound of gunfire got closer and they could hear police trying to talk the suspect down from a rooftop, Parra said. There were several gunshots just before the house shook with what she thought was the helicopter crash, Parra said. Just all these emotions just flooded us because we didnt know what was happening, she said. Trained for high-risk The helicopter crashed about 50 feet (15 meters) from a BNSF Railway line and spread debris across the tracks, according to the railway. Train traffic was halted overnight at the request of police and resumed Thursday morning, the railway said. Registration records show the helicopter was built in 2004. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were investigating. Four investigators were headed to the scene Thursday, the NTSB said. The state Department of Public Safetys Air Rescue Unit is trained for various high-risk situations, including mountain and water rescues. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett and members of the states congressional delegation expressed sympathy for the families of the pilot and trooper. Their bravery will never be forgotten. We stand with their families, loved ones, and DPS colleagues, Hobbs said. Associated Press reporters Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, Colleen Slevin in Denver and Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado contributed to this story. A federal appeals court overturned a veterans court decision that allowed the Department of Veterans Affairs to deny claims without issuing a formal notice to the veteran. (Christopher Palamara/Office of Military Commissions) WASHINGTON A federal appeals court overturned a veterans court decision that allowed the Department of Veterans Affairs to deny claims without issuing a formal notice to the veteran. A three-judge panel sent the case back to the lower court for further action that aligns with its ruling. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Arlington, Va., ruled Wednesday in a case involving David A. Hamill, 36, of Illinois, who left the Marine Corps in 2013 with an other-than-honorable discharge and later was denied disability benefits because of his discharge status. The case centered on the VAs silence when Hamill requested that the VA reconsider its character of discharge determination for denying him certain benefits. A veterans discharge determination generally must be under honorable or general conditions to qualify for VA benefits. The judges stated in their written opinion that the VA must provide clear notice to veterans when it denies claims. After all, no veteran can appeal a decision he does not understand to have been made, the judges wrote. The VA is still reviewing this decision and will respond appropriately. VA issues decision notices to all veterans who file a claim, and these notices often resolve several concurrent claims, said Peter Kasperowicz, the VA press secretary. The court has sent the case back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for further proceedings consistent with its opinion. Hamills attorneys stated that the VA should have supplied a decision that he could appeal in court. Veterans, especially those with lower-than-honorable discharges, need to receive a clear decision by the VA, said Yelena Duterte, an attorney and director of the Veterans Legal Clinic at the University of Illinois, one of the law firms representing Hamill. Failing to make a decision, as they did here, on a veterans status may create a barrier to health care, compensation, and other VA benefits, Duterte said. Hamills attorneys filed a lawsuit in 2022 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to compel the VA to issue a decision on its discharge determination. Hamill in 2021 had received disability compensation for PTSD but not for other ailments, according to court records. The VA argued that it sent a letter to Hamill stating that he had not submitted new and material evidence to warrant reopening the case. The agency also advised him to petition to change his discharge status or update his military records. The veterans court issued a ruling in 2024 that dismissed Hamills claim. Hamill then challenged the decision in federal appeals court. The new opinion, issued Wednesday, stated that the VA can no longer implicitly deny claims. The judges referenced rules outlined in the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017, which reformed the veterans appeals process for contesting disability claims decisions. The opinion noted a congressional report about the act, explaining that it requires the VA to issue detailed notification letters to veterans on decisions. Accordingly, we hold that under the [Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act], a veteran has an appealable decision for a particular issue only if the decision gives him explicit notice that the issue is being adjudicated and how it is being decided, the judges wrote. The laws intent is to better inform veterans who must decide whether to appeal a VA decision regarding their claims for benefits, according to the courts ruling. Veterans deserve to know what the VA is doing with their claims, said Renee Burbank, director of litigation at the National Veterans Legal Service Program and co-counsel in the case. PARIS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- France has opened a consulate in Greenland, becoming the first European Union country to establish a diplomatic mission in the autonomous Danish territory, the French Foreign Ministry said Friday. Jean-Noel Poirier has taken up his post as consul general in Greenland's capital of Nuuk, a move to strengthen France's consular network, the ministry said in a post on social media X. President Emmanuel Macron first announced his plan for the consulate during a visit to Greenland in June last year, and signed a decree appointing Poirier earlier this week. Poirier previously served as France's ambassador to Vietnam from 2012 to 2016. His current mandate includes promoting scientific cooperation with Greenland, advising French companies interested in investing or setting up business on the world's largest island, and cooperating with local authorities to map the mineral potential of Greenland's subsoil. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said last month that opening the consulate sends a "political signal" and reflects France's intention to strengthen its presence in Greenland "at all levels." Other countries are also expanding their diplomatic footprints in Nuuk. Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand is also to open a new consulate there on Friday. MOSCOW, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia and the United States recognize the need to begin negotiations on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) as soon as possible, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. Peskov said the issue was discussed during recent talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and that both sides reached an understanding on the need to adopt responsible positions. He said the work in Abu Dhabi was constructive but at the same time "very difficult," adding that discussions would continue. Delegations from Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took part in the second round of trilateral talks on Ukraine in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and Thursday. Russia and Ukraine agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange but failed to achieve substantive breakthroughs on core issues such as territorial arrangements and a ceasefire. President of the Junta Juanma Moreno visiting the floods in the Cadiz town of Arcos de la Frontera. Hector Barbotta Sevilla Friday, 6 February 2026, 09:48 Share Storm Leonardo has caused the evacuation so far of nearly 7,000 people across Andalucia, the regional government has said. With the forecast pointing to more rain from Saturday, President of the Junta Juanma Moreno warns that the situation could worsen. The province that has been affected most is Cadiz, where the highest number of people have had to leave their homes in municipalities such as Grazalema, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Jerez de la Frontera. The flooding of the Guadalquivir river in Cordoba on Thursday afternoon led to the evacuation of the Guadalvalle residential areas. Likewise, there have been preventive evacuations in municipalities and areas sensitive to the overflowing of rivers and reservoirs in the provinces of Cadiz, Granada, Cordoba, Jaen, Malaga, Huelva and Seville. Soaked soil is a cause for concern in some areas due to the increasing risk of landslides Besides the evacuated homes, there are 15 villages that cannot be accessed. "Streams and overflowing watercourses have cut access to many roads. There have been 200 incidents during the early hours of last night alone. In total, we have registered 7,454 incidents so far during the storm," Moreno said on Thursday. The fullest reservoirs at the moment are Bornos and Arcos, both in Cadiz province. They have been releasing water since last Friday. Moreno said the number of people evacuated from their homes is likely to increase in the coming days because the reservoirs are currently releasing practically the same amount of water they receive. If the rainfall increases, river flows will also grow, which eventually leads to the preventive evacuation of residents of municipalities located downstream. In addition, soaked soil and saturated underground aquifers in some areas have become a cause for concern due to the increasing risk of landslides, which could lead to further evacuations. Moreno said that Andalucia has never been hit by a storm with such virulence. The Junta president reiterated his appeal for extreme caution. He advised residents against approaching rivers and streams or crossing them and strongly called for the public to follow the emergency services' guidance. The emergency plan management has deployed more than 1,200 personnel in different parts of Andalucia to monitor, control and secure the areas most affected by the heavy rains and strong winds. Infoca teams, 112, civil protection, the Guardia Civil and 404 troops of the state military emergency unit are working in the region. The 'A' of Antigona heads this work by Elena Asins, which updates the Greek myth through the word turned into sculpture. Francisco Grinan Malaga. Friday, 6 February 2026, 15:54 Share There is something wrong with the headline of this article. The Museo Picasso Malaga (MPM) has just celebrated its 22nd anniversary, so, mathematically, it is impossible for Elena Asins (born in Madrid, 1940 and died in Azpiroz, Navarra, 2015) to return to the art gallery 55 years later. But there is an explanation. Indeed, the sculptor exhibited in the same building, the Palacio de Buenavista in Calle San Agustin, just over half a century ago, except that, at that time, the art gallery that occupied the same space was the Museo de Bellas Artes. It was there that Asins deployed her scenic and conceptual arsenal, bringing "with all her prestige the geometric and plastic solution - or solutions", as SUR reported in 1971. The same can be said of this debut/return of the winner of the National Prize for Plastic Arts (2011) to the Picasso museum with Antigona, one of the great works of her last creative period in which she turns to Greek tradition to show her rebellion and criticism of power. "I am convinced that Elena would have liked to inhabit the Picasso Museum," said the director of the MPM and curator of the exhibition, Miguel Lopez-Remiro, last week. At the launch of the exhibition Elena Asins. Antigona, he explained how he got to know the artist and the making of this monumental sculpture, which occupies the temporary exhibition room on the ground floor, together with the audiovisual show Hemon. Zoom Classical inspiration With this radical work of classical inspiration, the central feature of the Picasso museum's invited work programme, Asins returned to her origins. If she then worked with poetry as a raw and intellectual material, the artist of algorithms and calculation took up the word again to turn the letters of the Greek alphabet with the name of the classical heroine into sculpture in order to vindicate her figure and her resistance to power. This monumental typography made of corten steel and painted black reaches its full dramatic splendour, forming a twisted line in the room of the Picasso Museum. The work is exhibited diagonally to reach its "maximum dimension", also allowing the visitor and spectator to walk around this classic myth of Antigone which, for the curator and director, is an "alter ego" of Elena Asins herself due to her rebellion against power. "She wanted to turn that word into a sculpture that, at the end of her life, would connect with her trajectory and her beginnings by recovering the letter as a sculptural space," explained Lopez-Ramiro about this fundamental work that "reads like a book" and has been loaned by the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, the universal heir to the work of the conceptual artist. "Being able to have Elena's work here in Malaga also allows us to link it to the exhibitions she held in the 1970s at the Ateneo de Malaga, the Colegio de Arquitectos and, in particular, the Palacio de Buenavista when it was the Museo de Malaga more than half a century ago," said Miguel Lopez-Remiro, who also highlighted Asins' links with contemporary art in Malaga at that time: "She found something in the Colectivo Palmo [art association] and in the avant-garde that inspired her." In addition, the monumental piece joins the video Hemon - Antigone's partner in this Greek tragedy -, specifically the 89th version of this audiovisual of more than eight hours that has music synthesised by the sculptor and fundamental artist of our time. Zoom "When I visited her in May 2015 - a few months before her death - she gave me this version on a pendrive and it is the one shown here," revealed the curator, who did not hesitate to remember Asins, the winner of the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts and the National Prize for Plastic Arts, as "a radical figure in our art" who, like Picasso, was a "great mentor in transmitting her talent to other generations". The opening was attended by Carlos Urroz, director of the institutional office of the Madrid museum. He pointed out that his institution shares "the figure of Picasso" with the MPM as the Reina Sofia is home to the giant Guernica. The director explained that his museum makes more than a thousand loans of its works every year and highlighted the special link with Elena Asins, who made the Reina Sofia the universal heir to her entire legacy. "It is something very unusual for a museum, which is why ten years ago we not only found ourselves with a large collection of artwork but also with two cars, a house and a small account," revealed Urroz, who added that, after selling the vehicles, they are now trying to convert Elena Asins' country house in Aspiroz, Navarra, into "a residence for artists". As for the sculptor's artistic legacy, he said that Antigona is a "much-loved" work because of its uniqueness and because it has been exhibited in the Nouvel building of the Reina Sofia and in the Senado. On contemplating it, we see that "the word is as important as the form of the word," said Urroz. SUR in English Fuengirola Friday, 6 February 2026, 10:09 | Updated 10:36h. Share Edo was the name by which the city of Tokyo was once known. Today, it lends this moniker to a restaurant in Fuengirola where diners can enjoy top-level Japanese cuisine built on careful preparation, respect for venerable Japanese culinary techniques and an unwavering commitment to product excellence. The space is dedicated to showcasing the most authentic Japanese gastronomy, with deep respect for tradition, preparation processes and the quality of the raw ingredients, which are imported directly from Japan. Edo Sushi opened its doors in March 2025 and, in just a year, has built a loyal following and a strong reputation by offering a complete dining experience and a full immersion in the essence of Japanese cooking. From fire-and-grill dishes to refined sushi, the menu is complemented by tastings of premium Junmai sake made exclusively from pure rice. These are carefully selected to pair with each dish and display fruity, dry and semi-dry profiles. Hiroshima-style gyozas. Edo Sushi approaches Japanese culinary tradition with respect and reverence, while embracing a holistic vision. Everything is prepared with care and attention to detail so the experience feels consistent, whether in the hot kitchen or at the sushi counter. Its something quite rare, as many restaurants tend to specialise in just one of these areas, they point out. The restaurant also provides the right atmosphere to enjoy its carefully crafted culinary offerings. Its a welcoming and comfortable space, softly lit and tastefully detailed, recreating the feel of a genuine Japanese tavern. Many customers whove travelled to Japan all say the same thing, a phrase we repeat with pride at Edo Sushi: Its like having a small corner of Japan in Fuengirola, the flavours the same, they say with satisfaction. Their elaborate cuisine and attentive customer service have allowed Edo Sushi to accumulate a large number of very positive reviews on Google. Fire and grill dishes prepared with patience and technique In Edo Sushis culinary offering, hot kitchen dishes take centre stage through a wide selection that showcases the careful, patient and highly skilled work with fire and grill. Kushi, Japanese-style grilled skewers. Diners can discover and enjoy essential dishes from Japanese gastronomy that prove its about far more than sushi or ramen. The menu includes Nasu Dengaku, baby aubergine roasted and fried with homemade miso; Kaki Furai, crisp yet delicate breaded and fried oysters; and Takokkoroke, a clever fusion of croquette and takoyaki made with cooked octopus. There are also Kushi, the classic Japanese grilled skewers packed with intense, traditional flavours; Sandos, iconic Japanese sandwiches made with soft milk bread and toasted on the griddle; Chashu, slow-cooked pork stew; and spiced chicken thigh karaage with a homemade coating, fried to perfection. Karaagedon: crisp, juicy Japanese fried chicken served on imported rice with an egg to mix in to taste. Other highlights include Hiroshima-style fried gyozas and Okonomiyaki, the soul of Osaka street food, a Japanese savoury pancake made with cabbage, topped with ingredients of choice and finished with okonomiyaki sauce. Donburis, the classic Japanese rice bowl topped with fresh ingredients that are stir-fried or stewed, sit alongside Yakisoba, buckwheat noodles imported from Japan and wok-tossed with crisp vegetables in a dance of umami flavours and toasted notes. Unagi donburi, grilled eel glazed with house sauce on a bed of steamed rice. Among its fire-based specialities, special mention goes to the smoke-free yakiniku grill at the table. Here, diners cook selected cuts of national beef and Japanese A5 wagyu, prized for its exceptional marbling, to their liking. The non-sushi offerings are rounded off with a homemade, slow-cooked vegetable Japanese curry and artisanal desserts such as mochi and the surprising Japanese cotton cheesecake, which is light, airy and seriously addictive. An approach to sushi rooted in creativity, balance and respect for the product As part of its deep dive into the essence of Japanese cuisine, Edo approaches sushi as an art of balance and respect for the ingredients. We use high-quality japonica rice, prepared with precision to offer a journey that connects ancient Tokyo, when it was still called Edo, with the citys contemporary expression, they explain. Seasonal nigiri, tempura fig topped with tartare of Japanese A5 wagyu sirloin and finished with a delicate touch of truffle. From this philosophy come nigiri, maki, uramaki, usuzukuri and moriawase creations marked by creativity and culinary wisdom. They sit alongside simpler options on a menu where restraint allows the quality of the fish and the technique to truly shine. Particularly noteworthy are the nigiri selection of four pieces and the Edo and Tokyo assortments, where the itamaes creativity shifts and surprises. Driven by a constant desire to delight their loyal following, Edo Sushi goes beyond its core menu by introducing off-menu dishes every week. These small creations expand the restaurants gastronomic universe and keep regular diners curious and engaged. Uramaki chashu: slow-braised pork belly with a filling of seasonal asparagus in tempura. Looking to the future For the new season, Edo Sushi is expanding its menu, strengthening its team and renewing its enthusiasm with a clear aim: to keep growing without losing its essence and to continue nurturing what matters most, the Edo family. On their website you can find out about all the new things they add each week, book a table directly or access their social networks. Its a place where Japan isnt imitated. Its respected, cooked and shared. More information: Address: Av. Miramar, 29, 29640 Fuengirola, Malaga. Phone: 951 63 94 67. Instagram: @restauranteedosushi Website: https://edosushi.es The Andalusian regional ministry of health has tightened measures to curb a significant rise in measles cases, which jumped to 93 in 2025. This was a stark increase from just a single case recorded in 2020. As part of a new 2026 vaccination calendar, health officials have moved the second dose of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine forward, with children now set to receive it at two years old instead of three. Malaga has emerged as the epicentre of the regional spike, recording 52 cases in 2025. It is followed by Almeria (19), Huelva (16), Granada (4), and Seville (1). While most cases remain mild, the virus - one of the most contagious in existence - resulted in a 28% hospitalisation rate across the region last year, prompting urgent calls for parents to ensure their children complete the two-dose schedule. The upward trend in Andalusia has been "gradual but relentless" over the past five years, moving from zero cases in 2021 and 2022 to 28 in 2024, before nearly quadrupling last year. Health authorities state that the majority of these infections are "imported" or linked to international travel, leading to localised outbreaks within "susceptible pockets" of unvaccinated individuals or those with incomplete immunisation records. . 28% of the cases reported in Andalucia ended in hospitalisation in 2025, hence the importance of getting the MMR vaccine Zoom A measles patient. SUR The updated protocol recommends giving the second dose from 15 months of age to all children in the affected area who have not yet completed the MMR schedule. It also calls for vaccinating most of the susceptible population and other control measures depending on the size and risk of the outbreak. Andalucia registered 93 cases in 2025 in 14 outbreaks In addition, the protocol advises people to get vaccinated if they are travelling to countries with high measles epidemics such as Morocco or Romania. The protocol update also includes measures to improve coordination and communication, including with the private sector. Vaccination rates MMR vaccination rates in Andalucia are high: 97.7% for the first dose and 95% for the second dose. By province, rates are as follows: 97.7% in Almeria, 96.7% in Cadiz, 97.8% in Cordoba, 96.4% in Granada, 97.3% in Huelva, 97.8% in Jaen, 96.1% in Malaga and 96.8% in Seville. Last year, many doctors urged the population to not miss the second dose as it is essential in the fight against the spread. Initial diagnosis Another update in the protocol was the agreement for microbiology laboratories of hospitals in provinces where the case occurs to carry out initial diagnosis, as long as the laboratory has the capacity for measles serology and PCR testing. However, genomic analysis of all positive cases remains at the microbiology laboratory of Hospital Virgen de las Nieves in Granada. The new protocol urges healthcare centres to review the measles susceptibility of their staff, even in the absence of suspected cases, and to update their vaccination schedules. This ensures that staff are protected and do not transmit the virus. Finally, the protocol updated the section on the use of polyvalent immunoglobulin for the treatment of the disease. The MMR vaccination rate in Malaga is 96.1%, which is why doctors insist on the second dose 'Susceptible pockets' consist of groups of people who, for various reasons, are not immune to a vaccine-preventable disease such as measles. These pockets can facilitate the emergence of epidemic outbreaks, especially when conditions favour the virus's spread. In this case, the pockets include unvaccinated children, young adults without complete immunisation, people with medical contraindications or individuals whose immune response to the vaccine is insufficient. Irene Quirante Friday, 6 February 2026, 13:24 | Updated 13:29h. Share Specialist canine units have joined an intensive search operation in the Axarquia region after a woman was swept away by floodwaters while trying to save her dog. The 44-year-old local resident disappeared into the swollen Turvilla river in Sayalonga on Wednesday evening, 4 February. The alarm was raised by her partner, who witnessed the moment she was dragged downstream by the current. The tragedy occurred near the Sayalonga wash house bridge, approximately one kilometre from the village centre. It is understood the woman jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue one of her two dogs as the river surged due to torrential rainfall brought by Storm Leonardo. On Friday morning, the search intensified as the Guardia Civils elite Madrid-based cynological service - a specialist canine unit trained specifically for water-based recoveries - arrived at the scene. They are supported by the Pegaso drone team and mountain rescue experts. The operation, coordinated from an advanced command post at the Sayalonga municipal swimming pool, has involved more than 50 personnel. They are currently scouring a seven-kilometre stretch of the riverbank, extending from the point of disappearance down to the neighbouring town of Algarrobo, near the rivers mouth. The deployed device, with fo or so personnel, is combing a stretch of about seven kilometres. Emergency efforts have been hampered by the brutal conditions left in the wake of the storm. Specialist underwater (GEAS) and mountain rescue (GREIM) teams were forced to suspend water-based operations overnight on Thursday due to the "abundant flow" and a current powerful enough to drag heavy debris, making it too dangerous for divers. While a Guardia Civil helicopter is on standby, aerial searches have faced significant challenges. A spokesperson for the force, Jorge Martin, confirmed that low-hanging power lines criss-crossing the riverbed have made low-altitude flight exceptionally difficult. The search continues to be supported by local firefighters, the Local Police, Civil Protection, and a wave of local volunteers, all hoping for a breakthrough as the weather begins to settle. N. Triguero / P. Martinez Malaga. Friday, 6 February 2026, 15:12 Share The picture speaks louder than words. Maria Zambrano main rail station in Malaga, virtually empty since the high-speed train accident near Cordoba, says much about the impact the suspension of the rail connection between Malaga and Madrid is having on the overall economy of the Costa del Sol. There is still no certainty about which day in February the service will restart, and in any case, traveller confidence has taken a severe knock since the tragedy. Beyond the immense grief and effect on families, the accident has caused major disruption to two of the main engines of the Costa del Sol's economy: tourism, with a slowdown in Easter reservations from domestic tourists; and business, with diaries on hold and "concern" about the damage that the Malaga brand may suffer. Malaga has promoted itself as a tourist and investment destination based, as one of its main strengths, on reliable and fast connections. And if those connections fail, Malaga loses appeal. The at least three weeks during which Malaga will remain disconnected from Madrid by train are translating, for many companies, into cancelled meetings and visits, the search for less convenient or more expensive transport alternatives, such as plane, car or bus, and delays in plans. Disruptions that, nevertheless, have been partly mitigated by the plan B that emerged during the Covid pandemic: the video call. Felipe Romera, director of Malaga TechPark, said, "It's a nuisance because the business relationship between Malaga and Madrid is very intense. Many people work between the two cities... several executives from the park live in Madrid." 'Gradual deterioration' Javier Gonzalez de Lara, president of the head of the CEM Malaga province business owners' association, explained: "Besides the shock caused by the accident, there is great concern in the business community that this perception of gradual deterioration of high-speed rail in recent years will affect the image of Malaga as a safe, reliable destination, with infrastructure that meets increasingly high demands." Future tourist reservations for the busy Easter season on the Costa del Sol have been hit, although there is some relief in that the stoppage came at a period in the year when mostly visitors are arriving at the airport from other countries rather than by land from Spain. The estimated percentage by which bookings by Spanish tourists in accommodation across Malaga province have fallen since the suspension of the rail service to Madrid is 15%. Human remains from the Arab period unearthed during work on a car park in Estepona The socialist opposition has presented a petition demanding a technical report on the discovery, and 'transparency and compliance with legal procedures' Emma Perez-Romera Estepona Friday, 6 February 2026, 14:58 Share Construction work on a car park in Avenida Juan Carlos I in Estepona has uncovered remains of what, according to municipal archaeologists, is an early 12th-century Arab necropolis. The discovery was made on 3 February at the intersection of Calles San Roque and Alcala Galiano, next to the Mar de Alboran building, where a large-diameter pipe is being installed as part of the car park project. Ildefonso Navarro, the municipal archaeologist, told Sur that on this occasion, twelve burials have been found, which have already been catalogued, removed by experts, and taken to Esteponas municipal museum for a thorough analysis. Muslim burials in Al-Andalus exhibit very distinct characteristics: the bodies were laid on their right side, oriented towards Mecca, in individual graves without any belongings. This arrangement is crucial for distinguishing them from later burials, including those associated with Francoist repression, which often contain clothing, footwear or metal items linked to attire. In this case, Navarro confirmed that no such remains have been found, and all evidence points to this being part of the Istebbunna necropolis. Other archaeologists and historians consulted said: Without speculating, the first thing to do is to establish the chronological context of the bones, and that it is the responsibility of the regional government to determine which period the discovered bones belong to. If they are from the Muslim era, they have indeed been very well preserved. The area where these remains were found is historically sensitive, as the Calle San Roque area was also a site of repression during the Spanish Civil War, with documented executions and burials of victims in nearby locations. "For this reason, any discovery of human remains, even if they appear to be Arab or medieval, must be reported immediately to the competent authority, in strict compliance with the law of criminal procedure and the Andalusian historical heritage regulations," the sources said. Sources from the High Court of Justice of Andalucia confirmed to SUR that the court of instruction number three of Estepona, on duty this week, had no record of the discovery. For her part, Emma Molina, as representative of the socialist municipal group, has submitted documents to the town hall requesting transparency and compliance with legal protocols, including the precautionary suspension of the works and immediate notification to the culture department and the judicial authority, if necessary. However, the municipal archaeologist said: "The competent regional body has the project of the car park work from the beginning, which includes the cataloguing as a protected area in the general urban development plan. The special protection plan for the old town obliges the company carrying out the work to hire an archaeologist to monitor the work at all times." Jose Antonio Sau Malaga. Friday, 6 February 2026, 12:10 Share Work on Malaga's new hospital, recently baptised as Hospital Virgen de la Esperanza, is now under way. While machinery actually moved in last week, it was on Monday that the president of the Junta de Andalucia, Juanma Moreno, visited the site, on the car park of the existing Hospital Civil, to lay the first stone. This marked the start of a major building project which is expected to be complete in 2032, after more than six years of work. The ceremony was attended by numerous officials who accompanied Moreno, including the regional health minister, Antonio Sanz, regional finance minister Carolina Espana, the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, the president of the Diputacion provincial authority, Francisco Salado, and the Junta's delegate for Andalucia, Patricia Navarro, as well as directors of Malaga's existing hospitals and the manager of the SAS Andalusian health service, unions, organisations and patients' associations. The new hospital is known as the city's third hospital (after the regional hospital group - Civil, Materno and Carlos Haya - and the Clinico - Virgen de la Victoria). The building work is expected to cost around 600 million euros and will be carried out in stages, the first being the construction of a car park building. The hospital will have more than 800 single rooms, 48 operating theatres, 80 ICU beds and more than 150 consultation rooms. Regina Sotorrio Friday, 6 February 2026, 16:08 Share Malaga city council has decided to call the future music auditorium Palacio de la Opera de Malaga (Malaga Opera House). The name seeks to encompass the wide-range activities that this cultural hub will host: concerts, theatre plays, conventions and conferences. This venue, to be built at the San Andres port, will host more than 200 events and half a million attendees a year. The sponsor of this facility has not been chosen yet, but Cajamar is known to have shown interest. The city council is fine-tuning the concept and design of this space to make it attractive to potential investors. With the budget increase in 2024, it became clear that the project would not be viable without the help of the private sector. The Ministry of Culture has refused to collaborate with Mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre, although Malaga is the only provincial capital in Spain that does not have a proper facility for music and cultural events. This project has been in demand for decades. De la Torre has made the Palacio de la Opera one of the priorities of his mandate and has launched an ambitious campaign to attract sponsors, with letters to the main companies and entities of the country. In the presentation, he highlights the "avant-garde", "innovative" and "sustainable" nature of the space. With the new name, the title 'auditorium' passes down to the main hall in the future Opera House. Among the proposed features of the centre is the creation of a museum of stage arts. The building, designed by architects Federico Soriano and Agustin Benedicto, seeks to be the striking new landmark of the city. Rising 40 metres above street level, it features facades that change in form depending on the viewpoint, wrapped in ceramic pieces in three shades of blue, from cobalt to pale blue. The result is a structure with a "contemporary and open" atmosphere, in which simplicity, functionality and accessibility are prioritised, according to the dossier sent to potential sponsors. The city council presents a "multifunctional space for arts, business and tourism" to potential sponsors In a series of infographics produced by the city council, the infrastructure is presented as a key urban hub, located "close to the main transport nodes and gateways for visitors and tourists". The space is described as "modern and relaxed". The design combines cultural, tourist and business activity with artificial intelligence, digital accessibility, global connectivity and a so-called 'Wow' effect. The centre will have two main spaces: the auditorium with a capacity of 1,900 people and a hall for medium and small events with over 500 seats. The auditorium's is flexible and adaptable to different performances. The Opera House will also have "multiple spaces for all kinds of events", including the festivals that Malaga is already hosting: Festival de de Malaga, Festival de Jazz, los Premios Nacionales del Videojuego o el Congreso de Ciberseguridad de Andalucia. The centre will also have the capacity to host conventions and conferences, mainly in the fields of tourism, technology and business. This broadens the scope of activities and increases its potential for sponsors. ISTANBUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities have detained two individuals in Istanbul on suspicion of spying for Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said on Friday. The suspects were taken into custody in a counter-espionage operation called MONITUM, led by Turkiye's National Intelligence Organization in coordination with the prosecutor's office and the Istanbul Police Department's counterterrorism branch. Investigators said the two suspects collected intelligence mainly through social and commercial contacts with Palestinians opposed to Israeli policies, relaying information on individuals, locations and networks to Israeli intelligence, Turkiye's state-run TRT reported. Citing security sources, TRT said one of the suspects held meetings with multiple Mossad operatives in several European countries and was also accused of attempting to obtain permission to enter Gaza, where he allegedly conducted reconnaissance of warehouse facilities and transmitted photographs to Israeli intelligence. The two suspects remain in custody as legal procedures continue, said the report. Friday, 6 February 2026, 14:28 Share A woman from Malaga has been awarded more than 69,000 (58,000) in compensation after a "catastrophic" diagnostic error by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) left her with permanent disabilities. The 57-year-old victim suffered a fall at her home in June 2017, severely injuring her elbow. However, doctors at the Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria (El Clinico) initially misdiagnosed the injury as a simple dislocation, failing to spot a radial head fracture that was clearly visible on X-rays. Despite returning to the emergency department a week later complaining of excruciating pain, a massive haematoma, and an inability to move her hand, the patient was forced to wait 24 days for surgery. The legal ruling confirmed the woman suffered what is known in trauma medicine as the "terrible triad" of the elbow - a complex fracture - dislocation that requires immediate surgical intervention. Instead, the hospital provided "insufficient immobilisation," leading to four separate operations to correct the damage. She still suffers long-term pain. The court upheld the womans complaint, stating the X-rays were "clear" and the hospital had failed to provide the urgent care required. The claimants lawyer hailed the ruling as a landmark for patient rights in the region. "This is a key precedent in Andalusia regarding diagnostic errors in trauma emergencies," he said. "The SAS must guarantee rigorous protocols to avoid irreversible damage. Failures in emergency trauma units are far too frequent." Carmen Flores, President of the 'Patients Defender' association, also welcomed the judgement, adding: "This case shows how medical negligenceinitial errors, delays, and poor reconstructionsdestroys lives. We demand greater diligence from the health service to protect patients in Andalusia." After the trial, the complainant's lawyer stated: "This ruling is a key precedent in Andalucia on diagnostic errors in trauma emergencies and delays that aggravate injuries. The Sas must guarantee rigorous protocols to avoid irreversible sequelae in vulnerable patients, as failures in trauma emergencies are very frequent." President of 'El Defensor del Paciente' Carmen Flores also celebrates the ruling. "This case shows how negligence in traumatology - initial errors, delays and poor reconstructions - destroys lives, which is why we demand greater control systems and diligence from the Sas to protect the rights of patients in Andalucia," she said. In 2025, Malaga recorded a total of 310 attacks on healthcare workers in Andalucia's public health service (SAS), 66 of them physical assaults and 244 non-physical (insults, harassment, threats, insults and so on). This represents a slight decrease compared to 2024, when there were 318 incidents, 69 physical and 249 non-physical, according to data from the regional health ministry. Thus, one in five attacks are physical. By gender, women were the most frequent victims, accounting for 74.04 per cent of the cases. By professional profile, more than 82 per cent of the attacks were suffered by healthcare personnel, primarily doctors and nurses. According to RIAC (the centre that electronically logs incidents in Spain's public healthcare facilities), in 2025, 387 physical assaults (19.6 per cent of the total) and 1,589 non-physical assaults on healthcare professionals were recorded for all Andalucia. Of these, 1,976 (or 48.63 percent), occurred in hospitals and 51.37 per cent in primary care centres. Strengthening prevention In 2025, the majority of recorded assaults were non-physical, both in primary care and hospitals. In the case of primary care, 90.25 per cent of incidents were non-physical assaults, while in hospitals, this percentage was 70.03, highlighting the need to continue strengthening prevention measures, especially regarding insults, threats and intimidating behaviour. According to Andalucia's regional government, the data shows a containment of the growth in attacks detected in previous years. For instance, in 2024 there were 1,866 attacks (362 physical and 1,504 non-physical), 19 per cent more than in 2023, while the increase this last year has been 5.9 per cent. The regional health ministry believes that the analysis of the evolution of assaults in the period 2020-2025, together with the incidence rate per thousand professionals, confirms the importance of continuing to work on prevention, awareness and the proper recording of all incidents, both physical and non-physical. In this regard, the improved record-keeping explains a significant portion of the increase in attacks and reflects both greater awareness among professionals and the implementation of a zero-tolerance policy towards any type of aggression. Almost half the physical assaults in Andalucia are committed by individuals with mental health problems or cognitive impairment. It should be noted that, in accordance with the plan, cases of physical violence or serious threats perpetrated by psychiatric or cognitively-impaired patients will be considered assaults. However, a system has been established to filter these cases and ensure they receive differentiated treatment, both in the record-keeping process and in subsequent actions taken. Of the total number of assaults, 21.31 per cent are committed by individuals with mental health problems or cognitive impairment, a percentage that rises to 48.58 when it comes to physical assaults. The Junta has redoubled its commitment to training: in the last year alone, 100 drills have been carried out in healthcare centres and 743 professionals have been trained in verbal de-escalation techniques, actions aimed at improving safety and response capacity in risky situations. Andalucia's public health service (SAS) presented the 2025 assault data this Friday at the Junta's technical committee on occupational risk prevention in order to delve deeper into the number of recorded incidents, their characteristics, which healthcare settings and professional profiles. Pilar Martinez Malaga Friday, 6 February 2026, 11:58 Share With two deadlines for the reopening of the high-speed Andalusian rail already delayed, many are wondering what happens to their tickets if their train is cancelled? Travel agencies have confirmed that rail operators keep reimbursing passengers with every update from the government. Since the Adamuz train accident, the Ministry of Transport has established two dates for the return to normal train traffic: 2 February and 8 February. Reopening has not been possible on either and now passengers who have tickets for next week's Malaga-Madrid trains are saying how this has affected them. For some, a simple reimbursement is enough. Operators are directly reimbursing when travel dates approach and the network is still cut. Travel agencies refund tickets bought from them. For others, however, cancellations and unclear deadlines do imply loss of money. Ester Pino was hoping to travel with her partner to Madrid this Sunday, 8 February. The state railway operator running the AVE train has refunded them, but their plans also included a few days in Salamanca. The 140 euros they have spent for the Madrid-Salamanca return trip are not subject to reimbursement. "They have ruined our holidays," Ester says. Alba is in a similar situation, where she first had to go to Madrid on 12 February to then catch a train to Leon for an annual gathering with friends. The latest Ministry of Transport update announced that high-speed trains between Malaga and Madrid will not run at least until then, so she cannot go to the capital. If Alba cancels her Madrid-Leon trip, she will not get her money back. This uncertainty has caused AVE sales to slow down. Head of the association of travel agents Sergio Garcia says that now almost nobody is considering travelling by train to Madrid, at least until March. Various agencies have said that they have only sold one ticket since the Adamuz accident, when they typically sell between 5,000 and 6,000 euros worth of AVE tickets each month. "The situation is mind-boggling. Malaga is cut off because the alternative of air travel is not an option with the current seating capacity. Planes are full and at very high prices. Those who travel for pleasure do so by car and the companies that need staff to travel are cancelling events or adjusting them to the days and times when there are tickets at a high but at least not restrictive price," Garcia says. He urges the government to put an end to the uncertainty and give a definite date, even if it is in a month's time. Share In an admiring profile published in the UK's New Statesman magazine last Friday (Pedro Sanchez: Europe's left-wing icon), Pedro Sanchez said that he would "absolutely" welcome the UK back into the EU. "We miss the UK within the EU," he told journalist Adam Rasmi: "I think there is a clear need to have the UK on board again, especially nowadays." The Spanish premier isn't alone. There's a lot of support for Britain (surely somewhat sheepishly) returning to the European fold after having left in 2020, both domestically and across the continent; but it wouldn't be a return to pre-2016 normality. Rather, the terms of re-entry would almost certainly demand a level of integration that has always been opposed within the UK and is still deeply unpopular. A YouGov poll conducted last June found that 55% of Brits and 60% of Spaniards supported the UK rejoining the EU. That figure was also above 50% in Germany (63%), France (53%) and Italy (51%). But support for Britain returning on the old terms - i.e. staying outside the single currency and Schengen Zone - dropped to around 20% in all four continental nations. In the UK, only 36% of respondents supported rejoining the EU without the previous exemptions. The message was clear: Britain wants to retain substantial independence, but Europe would require a bigger commitment. One wonders what other concessions the EU would squeeze from the UK if it ever tried to formally rejoin. Would it, for example, seek partial or full repayment of the 5.4 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve, activated by Brussels in 2020 to help member states deal with the cost of Britain's withdrawal (from which Spain received about 270 million euros)? Approval for re-entry among the 27 member nations would need to be unanimous, but many would name their own specific conditions too. Can we really imagine Spain wasting an opportunity to extract more concessions over Gibraltar? As an indication of how tough re-entry negotiations would be, Brussels is already seeking a so-called "Farage Clause" in the "reset" of post-Brexit relations sought by British prime minister Keir Starmer. This would commit Britain to paying compensation if any future government cancelled the terms being negotiated. "We shouldn't be surprised that the EU is playing hardball," said Anand Menon, director of UK in a Changing Europe, in a recent interview with The Guardian: "After all, they have decided that we need these agreements more than they do. As such, they will extract every last concession." That would also be Brussels' approach if the UK were ever to come knocking at its door again. One suspects that Britain would emerge from a re-entry agreement much as the EU did after signing that trade deal with Donald Trump last summer: shafted. Felix Montero Bilbao Friday, 6 February 2026, 16:05 Share Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced that the government will give aid of up to 7,500 euros to small and medium-sized business and the self-employed to facilitate the purchase of electric cars. This initiative is part of the country's green strategy and comes at a time when US President Trump's office threatens trade and economic cooperation with a much more protectionist policy. During the closing ceremony of the national industry convention in Bilbao on Thursday, Sanchez strongly encouraged the electrification of the vehicle fleet. "Factory smoke is a memory of the past, but smoke-free factories are a guarantee for the future," he said. To support this statement, the prime minister announced that the government has prepared a budget of 40 million euros to assist SMEs and the self-employed in the purchase of electric vehicles. The initiative benefits companies with fewer than ten employees and includes incentives of up to 7,500 euros per vehicle. The central government is strengthening its commitment to the electrification of business transport at a time when Brussels, under pressure from the Franco-German axis and large manufacturers, is beginning to lower its requirements. The European Commission is proposing to limit decarbonisation obligations by 2030 to companies with more than 250 employees, which will have to ensure that at least 55% of their new purchases are low-emission. Sanchez is determined to turn the green agenda into one of the main pillars in the run-up to the next elections. On 6 February, the government opens a second call for the Perte programme for industrial decarbonisation. This scheme is the main public tool for financing emission reductions and the modernisation of the productive fabric. This new round of funding will be endowed with 330 million euros and will extend the project implementation period from two and a half years to five. The prime minister also announced the government's goal for industry to once again contribute 20% of GDP, compared to its current weight of around 16%. To achieve this, he called for unprecedented collaboration between public and private capital, rather than the previous focus on private investment. Sanchez urged Europe to react quickly so as not to fall back in the tech race and lose its economic sovereignty to China and the US. He stated that some 300 billion euros of European savings end up financing US companies every year, when these resources can sponsor strategic projects within the EU. PM Sanchez concluded that "the internal market" can be strengthened by "harmonising and simplifying" rather than by deregulating. He promoted taking a new road to other markets, such as Mercosur and India, with which Brussels has made progress on trade agreements in recent weeks in an attempt to diversify its partners. P. Alcaraz/J. Martinez Valencia Friday, 6 February 2026, 15:52 Share An unusual passenger surprised Metrovalencia users this Thursday morning. A wild boar was the main source of concern for train drivers and passengers alike on lines 1, 2 and 4 of the network from early morning until just before noon. It also kept around 20 police and security staff on their toes as they monitored its movements. The animal trotted through several stations in the north of the city, including Campanar, Empalme and Beniferri. It even entered a tunnel, causing train traffic disruptions and delays. Almost three hours after the sighting was registered, an officer from the environmental unit for the regional police shot the animal several times to prevent it from attacking anybody or causing a traffic incident. Before reaching the decision to open fire, around 20 police officers from Valencia and Burjassot, along with two veterinarians from the regional environment ministry, attempted to capture the animal using a net, a .22-calibre rifle and a tranquiliser dart-gun. These darts inject the sedative on impact, using pressurised air or internal firing pins, and can be used at distances of up to 60 metres. When these attempts failed, around ten shots were fired, most from the pistol belonging to a regional police officer, leaving the animal dead beside the tracks. Shortly before, it had charged at the officers who were surrounding it as they tried to net it. Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV, Valencia's rail authority) was notified around 9:00am of a wild boar near the railway tracks in the northern part of Valencia and the commercial area of Burjassot. After the alarm was raised, a dozen patrols - four from Valencia's regional police and the rest from the National Police and Local Police of Burjassot and Valencia - were swiftly dispatched to the scene. Two vets from the hunting and fishing service (part of the regional environment ministry) and several experts from Vaersa (a local company of environmental and wildlife specialists) also participated in the capture operation. They went equipped with a rifle, a tranquiliser gun and a net. After cornering the wild boar near Empalme station, one of the officers shot it dead at around 11:30am inside the tunnel, the safest place to minimise risk to officers and Vaersa staff. According to emergency services sources, the animal had been injured after being struck by two trains at different times while running along the tracks. This increased its aggression and the risk of it attacking someone. The final decision to shoot it dead took into consideration the importance of passenger safety and that of the police officers and others involved in trapping the animal, as well as the risk of the wild boar causing a traffic accident when near to roads with moving traffic. Control measures Since the beginning of the Generalitat's term in office, the regional government of Valencia has been working intensively on various measures to combat the overpopulation of wild boar in the Valencia region. In fact, last week Valencia's regional parliament (Les Corts) ratified the decree activating a series of urgent measures to reduce the wild boar population as part of the wider body of actions to combat African swine fever. Among these initiatives, the installation of trap boxes stands out, following a phase of camera-trapping already underway. One of the areas where action will be taken is in the l'Horta area, specifically in Burjassot. Tony Bryant Malaga. Friday, 6 February 2026, 10:13 Share The contemporary jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader Erly Thornton offers a special lunchtime Valentine's Day concert at La Cochera Cabaret in Malaga on Saturday 14 February. The concert, which starts at 12.30pm, will include music from the musician's solo albums and songs from his collaborations with other notable artists in contemporary jazz. Thornton is a contemporary jazz saxophonist whose work bridges smooth jazz, funk and R&B with musical storytelling. With a career spanning from the early 2000s, Thornton remains a respected voice among the smooth and contemporary jazz community. Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, the musician has been active in the contemporary jazz scene for many years and is recognised for his expressive tone and melodic improvisation. Drawing from his past, Thornton's playing is created by using a strong bass and drum rhythm section shaped by a mix of jazz and R&B influences. Growing up, he absorbed sounds from artists like Ray Charles, Herb Alpert and Grover Washington Jr, alongside the funk grooves of Earth, Wind and Fire, Cameo and Kool & The Gang, among others. Thornton performs widely as a solo artist and bandleader at jazz clubs, festivals and events all over the world, and he is no stranger to Malaga, having performed in Estepona last year. Billboard chart success He has also enjoyed multiple chart appearances on the American Billboard jazz charts. His debut album (My Life), on which he worked with Backstreet Boys producer Veit Renn, received notable attention for an indie release, reaching the top 30 on the Billboard charts in 2008. This was followed with In Transit (2012) which also reached the Billboard charts, a disc that showcased Thornton's narrative style and emotive compositions. Thornton's Valentine's concert is sure to include music from his upcoming album, Better Together, on which he collaborated with British jazz pianist Oli Silk and which was recorded in London, Orlando and Miami. This vibrant afternoon performance offers a show filled with emotion and spontaneity, inviting the audience into a world of melody, romance and rhythm. Tickets for the concert cost 20 euros and are available from www.lacocheraentradas.com or at the door on Saturday, demand permitting. Syracuse, N.Y. A 46-year-old man admitted Thursday he killed a man during a gun fight on Syracuses North Side in the summer of 2024. Rafael Cruz-Vazquez shot Gregory Ramos-Falcon, 36, outside a home at 128 Steuben St. around 2 a.m. June 5, 2024. Cruz-Vazquez pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in exchange for 20 years in prison. He was originally charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He faced 25 years to life in prison. Prosecutor Anthony Copani said there was a gunfight between Cruz-Vazquez and someone who was with Ramos-Falcon. He said investigators do not believe Ramos-Falcon fired a gun that day. Copani said it was unclear who shot first. Cruz-Vazquez was identified in a video fleeing the area with what appeared to be a handgun, police said in a criminal complaint filed in the case. An arrest warrant was issued June 13, 2024, and Cruz-Vazquez was arrested in Puerto Rico four days later. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18. MOSCOW, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia has developed a new type of 30mm ammunition designed to improve its ability to shoot down small drones, state-owned technology corporation Rostec said Thursday. The ammunition uses a fragmentation projectile with a remote-controlled fuze, allowing it to detonate at a calculated point near a target, according to Rostec. The new ammunition will be showcased for the first time by the country's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport at the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from Feb. 8 to 12. Rostec said the ammunition is intended for use with small-caliber artillery systems which are equipped with the 2A42 automatic cannon, installed on multiple fighting vehicles as well as Mi-28NM and Ka-52M attack helicopters. Bekhan Ozdoev, industrial director of the weapons, ammunition and special chemicals cluster of Rostec, said the ammunition was developed to increase the probability of hitting small-sized drones and loitering munitions. A 38-year-old Upstate New York woman is facing multiple felony charges after state police discovered more than two pounds of cocaine during a traffic stop on the New York State Thruway in the Town of Newburgh. Katrina A. Haeger of Whitehall was pulled over around 11:50 a.m. on Wednesday by members of the Troop K Community Stabilization Unit while traveling northbound on Interstate 87. The stop was initiated due to multiple violations of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. State Police K-9 Vinn conducted an exterior scan of Haegers vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. The subsequent search revealed more than two pounds of cocaine concealed inside the vehicle. A search of Haeger uncovered approximately two grams of fentanyl and 4.4 grams of heroin. Haeger was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, an A-I felony, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree with intent to sell, a class B felony. She also faces a charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a class A misdemeanor. Haeger was arraigned in the Village of Goshen court and remanded to the Orange County Jail. Syracuse, N.Y. A Republican running for Onondaga County sheriff says he doesnt think deputies should pursue stolen vehicles, days after a man driving a stolen car died in a crash while deputies pursued him. The candidate, Robert RJ Lenhart, said it is not a good reason, a safe reason to pursue vehicles solely because they are stolen. Is it wise to chase someone just because of something minor? Are they a danger to the public if you dont chase them? he told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard this week. It certainly changes when theres reason to believe that the vehicle or the persons in the vehicle were involved in violent felonies, major crimes. That changes the risk to the community of pursue versus not pursuing. Lenhart said he would consider changing the offices pursuit policy, which he considers too broad. Deputies can pursue a vehicle if they have probable cause to believe that an offense is happening, just happened or is about to happen, and the driver refuses to stop. I think we need to look hard at why were chasing, he said. Looking at the reasons why we would choose to pursue needs to come down to that risk vs. results. A man driving a stolen vehicle died in a crash early Tuesday morning after deputies pursued him for several minutes on Syracuses West Side. A woman inside the car suffered minor injuries. Sheriff Toby Shelley defended his offices policy. He said it was important to pursue people driving stolen vehicles. Possession of stolen property, such as a vehicle, can be charged as a felony in New York state. Why would we turn our county over to the criminals, and give them a free ride in Onondaga County? he told syracuse.com. Im not going to do that. Shelley pointed to various factors that deputies must consider when deciding whether to pursue a vehicle, including road conditions, population density and other traffic. Supervisors sergeants and lieutenants also sometimes overrule deputies and tell them to terminate a pursuit. Our deputies are very well-trained, theyre very well-supervised, he said. They have some discretion. Lenharts perspective on pursuits is shared by a growing number of police agencies across the country that have changed their policies in recent years. Many of the agencies say the changes are being made due to safety concerns for officers, pedestrians and other drivers. Among those agencies is the Syracuse police. A city officer spotted the stolen vehicle around 2:25 a.m. Tuesday and attempted to stop it. The officer followed department policy and did not pursue it when it took off. Moments later, sheriffs deputies who were nearby began pursuing the vehicle until it crashed. Two Western New York residents face felony charges after a multi-agency investigation uncovered an alleged organized retail theft operation spanning three counties. Kirk A. Thomas Jr., 41, and Nevada M. Nichols, 33, both of Batavia, were arrested last month in connection with multiple thefts from Walmart locations across Orleans, Genesee and Monroe counties, the Orleans County Sheriffs Office announced Friday. The investigation began after the Albion Walmart reported a theft on Jan. 6 in which more than $1,400 in merchandise, primarily electronics, was stolen. Surveillance footage showed a male and female suspect leaving the store in a white BMW with no license plates. Investigators discovered the same suspects were involved in thefts at Walmart locations in Albion, Brockport, Sweden, Batavia and surrounding areas, resulting in thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise. The Orleans County Sheriffs Office, Genesee County Sheriffs Office and Monroe County Sheriffs Office worked together to identify Thomas and Nichols as suspects through surveillance review and vehicle identification. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office located and secured the vehicle used in the thefts. Search warrants executed by Orleans and Monroe County investigators led to the recovery of stolen property. Thomas and Nichols were taken into custody with assistance from New York State Parole. Both defendants were charged in Orleans County with two counts of conspiracy in the fifth degree, two counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree, and enterprise corruption, which stems from an alleged ongoing pattern of organized retail theft activity. Nichols was released on an appearance ticket to appear in Town of Albion Court. She also faces grand larceny charges from the Genesee County Sheriffs Office related to a Town of Batavia theft and two counts of grand larceny from the Monroe County Sheriffs Office for thefts in the Town of Sweden. Thomas was held in custody pending a bail hearing. He has been arrested 48 times previously for similar offenses and convicted of eight felony crimes in New York State. Additional charges for both suspects are anticipated from the Monroe County Sheriffs Office as the investigation continues. Orleans County Sheriffs Investigator Brian Marsceill coordinated the investigation with assistance from Walmart Asset Protection. (We all have our go-to order. This series is about shaking that up. Each week, Ill spotlight one sandwich at a Central New York restaurant worth trying and explain why it ended up on my plate. Got a suggestion? Text me at 315-382-1984. Dont be surprised if I ask you to join me.) **** Baldwinsville, N.Y. Some sandwiches are built for a reason. This one is built for a gloomy Friday afternoon. Sals Pizza & Restaurant is this weeks stop for Syracuse Sandwiches, and I came here for a chicken cutlet sandwich Sal LoMedico makes for himself when hes hungry. A true Italian sandwich, made by a true Italian. I walked in Friday afternoon expecting a quiet bar. Instead, it was loud, friendly and full of people who clearly knew what they were doing with their afternoon. This is the perfect sandwich for a day like today, Sal said. Fresh ingredients. Our house-made bread. He started with cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil in the pan, poured directly from his 3-liter imported tin. He let it get nice and hot before reaching for the chicken. Always fresh, he said. Never frozen. He had already pounded all the cutlets to about a third of an inch. They were thin but confident-looking, exactly what I wanted. He slid mine into the oil and let it get comfortable. The start of an Italian chicken cutlet sandwich at Sal's Pizza & Restaurant in Baldwinsville. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) While that was happening, I asked about the bread. About a year ago, Sal decided hed had enough of bringing it in from elsewhere. We just couldnt get the number right, he said. And we werent totally satisfied. So I said, Why dont we make it ourselves? I mean, we make pizza. We already have flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt everything. So they did. The result is a house-made roll with a little crunch, built to hold up to a real sandwich. This really does make a nice sandwich, Sal said. Youre going to be the judge. Before assembling anything, he sliced into the chicken to check doneness. Oh, thats beautiful, he said. Nice. Fresh cutlet. Cant beat it. Then the build: cold on top of hot. Sal Lomedico drizzles the balsamic glaze over his special Italian chicken cutlet sandwich at Sal's Pizza & Restaurant in Baldwinsville. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) On top of the now-crispy chicken, he laid fresh cool mozzarella medallions, a pinch of sea salt, roasted red peppers and a handful of baby spinach leaves. Before folding it all up in his roll, he striped it with balsamic glaze. Thats the sandwich youre going to try, he said, holding it right under my nose. You tell me what you think. Outside, the temperature was 4, give or take a degree. Inside, this sandwich was doing important work. Whatever this Italian sandwich is called, it did its job of keeping me warm. No wonder Sal makes this before he goes home. This will help me sleep very, very well. Before we go any further, we need to talk about the fries. Yes, I know Im writing about a sandwich. But these fries deserve a paragraph of their own. Theyre crispy, salty and then absolutely buried in Parmesan and garlic. Oh my God. They somehow made the sandwich even better. The special Italian chicken cutlet sandwich with a side of garlic parm fries and a Peroni draft beer at Sal's Pizza & Restaurant in Baldwinsville. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com) And yes the beer mattered. It was a cold Peroni, which felt like the only correct move. Id planned on having lunch and heading out. Instead, the bar was full of fun people, the conversation was easy, and a couple of hours disappeared without much effort. That tends to happen in places like this. Back to the sandwich. No ifs. No ands. No buts. Its a fantastic sandwich. But honestly? Id be satisfied eating just the bread. The bread alone could carry this meal. Thats not the best part, but it tells you everything you need to know. Ive written about Sals before: for my CNY pizza tour, for the top four chicken riggies in the area, for Monday deals people still plan their week around and for the surprisingly not-awful Big Mac pizza. This sandwich fits right in. Its unfussy, filling and made with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what theyre doing. Too bad Baldwinsville is about 20 minutes from my neighborhood. **** Sandwich: Chicken cutlet sandwich with garlic parm fries, $15.99 Address: Sals Pizza & Restaurant, 41 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville; (315) 638-8505 Hours: Open daily for lunch and dinner starting at 11 a.m.; noon on Sunday. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday in Syracuse that she will sign New Yorks Medical Aid in Dying Act before the deadline Friday night. Hochul said she wrestled with the emotional decision. Ultimately, Im proud that I gave people the choice when life gets really hard that they dont have to prolong a death thats inevitable, Hochul said. New York lawmakers passed the bill last year, but Hochul waited to sign it until they made some changes she calls guardrails to prevent abuse. The act requires that a terminally ill person who is expected to die within six months makes a request for life-ending drugs. Two witnesses would have to sign the request to ensure that the patient is not being coerced. The request would then have to be approved by the persons attending physician as well as a consulting physician. The doctors will confirm the patient truly has less than six months to live, along with confirmation from a mental health professional that the patient is capable of making the decision and is not under duress. There will be a five-day waiting period, along with a written and recorded oral request to confirm free will is present. Outpatient facilities associated with religious hospitals may elect not to offer the option. The legislation was first introduced in 2016 but stalled for years amid opposition from New York State Catholic Conference and other groups. The religious organization argued the measure would devalue human life and undermine the physicians role as a healer. Hochul is Roman Catholic, but said she had to think of other people. My own upbringing and my own religious values are a part of who I am, Hochul said on the topic Thursday in Buffalo. But she added, she doesnt want to effect her personal decision-making on 20 million New Yorkers. In Syracuse Thursday, the governor also said shes tried to be a champion for two recently deported gay men who came to Syracuse to escape persecution in Cuba. Yannier Vazquez Hidalgo and Alicbiades Alex Lazaro Ramirez Gonzalez worked at SUNY Upstate Medical University but were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last fall when they went for a regular check-in. I think its sickening happening to people working, working here in Syracuse, Hochul said Thursday. These are people, these are not the criminals Donald Trump said he was going after. Federal judges deported them to Ecuador, where theyve never been. Hidalgo and Gonzalez both argued that they would be persecuted in Ecuador because they are gay and Cuban. This insanity has to stop, said Hochul who wants legislation stopping New York police departments from cooperating with ICE on immigration cases. Hochul also introduced her choice to run for lieutenant governor, Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council. The two are in town for the New York State Democratic Committee Convention, which starts Friday. When asked if the state is ready for an all-woman ticket, Hochul replied, All female ticket? I think it rocks! Hochuls current second in command Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado is running against her for the party nomination for governor. Salina, N.Y. The state of New York wants to shut down an Aldi grocery store on Brewerton Road that it says failed four food safety inspections in a row. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets filed a motion in state Supreme Court in Albany County on Jan. 30, seeking a preliminary injunction forcing the stores closure until it passes two consecutive sanitary inspections. State inspectors said that on four occasions, they found packages of smoked salmon with unsafe internal temperatures in a retail cooler in the store at 3512 Brewerton Road just outside the village of North Syracuse. In all of the cases, the temperature of the fish was above the required 38 F, said Jola Szubielski, a spokesperson for the department. According to court documents: On April 22, 2025, seven 3-ounce packages of the fish were found to have internal temperatures of 42-46 degrees. On May 20, 2025, nine 3-ounce packages of the fish were found to have internal temperatures of 41-42 degrees. On July 18, 2025, two packages of the fish were found to have an internal temperature of 41 degrees. On Jan. 6, 2026, six 3-ounce packages of the fish were found to have internal temperatures of 40-44 degrees. In each case, inspectors labeled the violations critical deficiencies, the states term for serious violations. The products were destroyed during the inspections so they could not be sold, the inspectors said in their reports. Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has reached out to Aldi for comment. Szubielski said the department works with retail food establishments to educate them on the states food safety requirements and help them take corrective actions before there is any need for penalties or legal steps. The department will take action to revoke a retail food stores license or, if necessary, apply to a court for injunctive relief, though, when the store has demonstrated the inability to consistently operate in a sanitary manner, she said in a statement to syracuse.com on Friday. She said the department is working with Aldi to correct the violations without further legal recourse. Syracuse, NY -- Upstate University Hospitals overcrowded emergency room was stressed even more this week by dozens of homeless people seeking shelter during this bitter cold stretch. On Wednesday night, 28 homeless people spent the night in the ER, some sitting and others standing in the waiting room, a hospital spokesman told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. The temperatures dipped to 15 degrees overnight, only days after Syracuse endured the longest stretch of cold weather in 47 years. None of the 28 homeless people in the ER Wednesday needed emergency help: They were simply there to find respite from the cold. The hospital staff felt it had a moral obligation to give the people makeshift shelter in an ER that is routinely overfilled with patients who actually need medical care. Thursday, fewer homeless people sought refuge in the ER, but the number was still alarming -- roughly a dozen in the crowded waiting room. The hospital has been in constant communication with Onondaga County officials to try to coordinate a response for the upcoming weekend, when temperatures are expected to plummet even lower, the spokesperson said. Based on those conversations, the Rescue Mission will staff someone at the Upstate ER this weekend to help any homeless people who need a place to stay, said Ann Rooney, the countys deputy director for human services. In the extreme case that no shelter can be found, there are emergency resources available to place people in hotels or other warm locations whenever temperatures dip below freezing, said Megan Stuart, of the Homeless and Housing Coalition. We are concerned about the dangerous weather predicted tomorrow, Stuart said. The county has contracts with local hotels to provide temporary shelter for families, but the county has not yet had to use hotels to shelter individuals out in the cold, Rooney said. Anyone in need of emergency shelter can call 211 to get help. The ER situation is only one way in which the stretch of cold weather has put unusual strain on the citys shelter system. A mile and a half away, the Catholic Charities mens shelter -- the place of last resort for the citys unhoused -- has been filled well beyond capacity for several weeks, the non-profits director Mike Melara said. The shelter on Erie Boulevard East is set up for 80 beds, but it has welcomed up to 105 a night in recent days, Melara said. No one has been turned away and the shelter building has capacity for the extra people. In addition, the Hospitality Center downtown -- which transforms into a warming center during cold spells -- is seeing 40 to 50 people a night, compared to 20 people during normal periods, Melara said. The center that helps the homeless is located near Columbus Circle. The center, which typically closes during the day, is going to be open 24 hours on Saturday and Sunday, as temperatures are expected to dip below zero degrees and wind chills could reach - 35 degrees. The warming center has no beds, showers or kitchen. Instead, people sit in wooden chairs and get snacks, Melara said. Were literally trying to get people off the streets, he said. Coincidentally, the Housing and Homeless Coalition did its annual count this week of people living outdoors and in shelters. More than 100 volunteers fanned out in Onondaga, Oswego and Cayuga counties to count the homeless. The results of that effort have not yet been tabulated. Members of In My Father's Kitchen and Housecalls for the Homeless Upstate helped in the annual Syracuse homeless count on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. John Tumino John Tumino, who runs the In My Fathers Kitchen outreach, said he was in contact with 15 people who were still braving it in the cold. But others have sought shelter as the snow and cold have dragged on. Syracuse police are familiar with the homeless population and will check in on them during the weekend, spokesman Sgt. Tom Blake said. They will help people connect with 211 services. The sheriffs office and State Police will provide rides to warming shelters for people in need, spokespeople for those departments said. Catholic Charities also has a womens shelter and the Salvation Army provides shelter for families. Van Buren, N.Y. The parent company behind Tops Markets and Price Chopper donated 7,000 shelf-stable milk cartons to the Food Bank of Central New York on Friday, in time for the upcoming February school break. The donation from Northeast Grocery, which also owns Market 32 stores, is a collaboration with Garelick Farms, a dairy company in Upstate New York and New England. The 7,000, 8-ounce cartons will be distributed across the food banks 11 counties, targeting school-based pantries, child nutrition programs or households with children, said Brian McManus, the food banks chief operations officer. The donations come at a critical time, he said. The timing of this is optimal, he said. Were heading into school break when children lose access to school breakfast and lunch. This product eliminates cold-storage challenges for our partner pantries, making it an efficient way to get essential nutrition into the hands of families. The donations are part of an ongoing Giving Cow program at the grocery stores. Each time a customer buys a gallon of Garelick Farms milk, the companies will donate an 8-ounce, shelf-stable carton to the food bank. The shelf-stable cartons are pasteurized at ultra-high temperatures, allowing them to remain fresh for up to 12 months without refrigeration, said James Clicquennoi, the sales manager at Garelick. Milk is always one of the things that are in demand for a household with children, McManus said. Thats something thats getting consumed quite a bit. The food bank estimates that 187,000 people are food insecure in their 11-county service area, which includes Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego and St. Lawrence. One of every five kids experiences food insecurity, according to the food bank. The City of Oswego today announced an ice fishing ban on the Oswego River and waterways, citing safety concerns. In order to minimize the risk of injury or death, ice fishing on the Oswego River is prohibited effectively immediately, Oswego city officials said in a press release. The Oswego River has strong currents that endanger anglers venturing onto the frozen ice shelf that has formed, officials said, adding that the risk also endangers first responders who would respond to any distress calls. The City of Oswego consulted with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Canal Corporation, the latter of which owns and has jurisdiction over the canal, and by extension, the navigable waters of the Oswego River. According to the City of Oswego, violators of the ice fishing ban will be cited under the New York State Penal Law for trespassing and are therefore subject to arrest for trespassing, disorderly conduct and any other relevant provisions of law, and strictly prosecuted. Clay, N.Y. -- Two current board members, a Democrat and Republican, will compete in November for the towns top job. Clay Town Councilor David Capria, a Democrat, announced his candidacy this week. If we lead with transparency, plan responsibly, and keep affordability front and center, we can shape the next chapter of Clay in a way that strengthens our community and creates opportunity for the next generation, Capria said. The Town of Clay Republican Committee has endorsed Deputy Town Supervisor and town Councilor Joe Bick to run for the post in November. Bick also serves as the chairman of the Onondaga County Republican Committee. Longtime Clay Supervisor Damian Ulatowski announced last month that he will not seek re-election, opening the post as Micron Technology builds a memory chip plant that promises to bring historic changes to the town, which is Onondaga Countys largest. Ulatowski, 71, a Republican, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that after 20 years at the helm, its time for him to pass the baton. Registered Voters in Town of Clay Party 2015 2025 Change (%) Democratic 11,846 14,234 +20.2% Republican 11,499 12,528 +8.9% Non-affiliated 9,736 13,332 +36.9% Source: Onondaga County Board of Elections Capria was one of the first Democrats elected in Clays recent history. Voters chose him in 2024 to fill a vacancy. Then in 2025, voters elected him again, along with two other Democrats, Ryan Russell and Courtney Gauthier, as part of a blue wave that swept across Central New York at the country. The three beat out three Republicans by about 1,000 votes in each race. That put Democrats within one vote of controlling the town board. Voter enrollment already is on their side: Over the last decade, registered Democrats have overtaken registered Republicans in Clay. Clay Republicans in 2015 had a few hundred more registered voters than the Democrats. But in 2025, nearly 2,000 more Democrats were registered in the town. Capria, 58, said the Democrats in town are building an alliance of people working together for the good of (the) community. David Capria, a Democrat on Clays town board, announced he plans to run for town supervisor. Syracuse.com Capria started a career in sales and marketing after Carrier moved to Indiana. Hes worked as an insurance broker and now works in marketing at WCNY, Central New Yorks public media station. Bick, 55, is the director of clinical operations at St. Josephs Health. He started out as a nurse and for 11 years was an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. He served as an ICU nurse in Afghanistan. Joe Bick, the new chair of the Onondaga County Republican Committee, addresses committee members Thursday night, Feb. 6, 2025, at Driver's Village in Cicero. Debbie Magaro-Dolan Im committed to leading Clay into the future. I have dedicated a tremendous amount of time to making Clay what it is over the last 15 years, and I want to continue to do that as we bring Micron into the fold, Bick said. Dustin Czarny, Onondaga County Democratic elections commissioner, said the votes show a shift in the town. This is a big race. There is a large amount of attention on Clay with Micron coming, Czarny said. Kevin Ryan, Onondaga County Republican elections commissioner, said he thinks his party works better with companies like Micron than Democrats will. I worry that if Democrats win in Clay, Micron could be jeopardized because of the barriers they throw up, Ryan said. As the board stands now, there are three Democrats and three Republicans, with a Republican supervisor for the tiebreaker. No other town councilor seats are up for re-election this year. Assuming either Capria or Bick wins, the town will hold a special election to fill the empty seat. That ultimately would help decide which party controls the board. The town supervisor is paid about $85,000 a year. By Xinhua writer Shao Haijun THE HAGUE, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Agricultural cooperation between the Netherlands and China holds great potential, a Dutch expert said in a recent interview with Xinhua, citing the two countries' complementary strengths and growing interest from both sides. Gert Dral, China director of the Dutch Greenhouse Delta (DGD), a foundation dedicated to promoting Dutch agricultural technology worldwide, described China's agricultural development as "impressive." "China has a strong ambition to modernize its agriculture, and that creates huge opportunities for cooperation," Dral said, adding that the strengths of China and the Netherlands are highly complementary. He outlined several areas where Dutch expertise could contribute to bilateral cooperation, including computerized greenhouse control systems, irrigation and nutrient dosing systems, and biological crop protection. At the same time, Dral highlighted China's rapid progress in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automation, which he believes will play an increasingly important role in the global horticulture sector. "One of the major global challenges in agriculture in the coming decades will be labor shortages," he said, noting that greater automation will be essential to sustaining productivity. "China is advancing very quickly in AI and robotics, and this can make a strong contribution to the horticulture sector," he added. Dral has been involved in cooperation with China for more than two decades. Since early 2019, he has actively promoted cooperation between DGD and Chinese partners. He said interest in Netherlands-China agricultural cooperation has continued to grow in recent years, noting that last year alone, they received more than 20 Chinese delegations, and that some Dutch companies have already established subsidiaries in China. In April, he will work with Chinese counterparts to organize a delegation of Dutch companies to explore market opportunities in China, he revealed. Looking ahead, Dral expressed hope that agricultural cooperation between the two countries will deepen further. "China is developing very fast and achieving remarkable results," he said. "There are many things we can do together." A 7-year-old child with autism was left on a school bus in Upstate New York for hours, according to a new report. Latisha Griffin told WIVB that her grandson, Josiah, fell asleep on the bus Tuesday morning on his way to Public School 82 in Buffalo. He was still sleeping on the bus when it was taken to the bus terminal parking lot, and left alone there for hours, she said. Josiahs grandmother said he was located by a First Student bus terminal worker around 12:30 p.m. He sitting in the drivers seat, banging on the windows to get an employees attention Griffin said the boy was put on a different bus and brought to his school. She only found out about the incident from a manager at the bus terminal when he arrived safely at PS 82 around 1 p.m., but said she was never contacted by anyone at the school. Griffin said she called the principal, who apologized but ultimately laid the blame on First Student. Her grandson hasnt returned to school since the incident out of fear. I dont feel like hes safe with them, Griffin said. He keeps asking if they are going to leave him on the bus again... Thats kind of heartbreaking to deal with every morning to hear him asking me that. According to WIVB, First Student placed the bus driver and bus aide from Josiahs bus on paid leave as the school bus company conducts an internal review of the incident. It is completely unacceptable that a BPS student was left on a First Student yellow bus, a Buffalo Public Schools spokesperson said in a statement. District officials met with First Student on the same day of the incident to voice the districts concerns and disapproval and to help make sure this doesnt happen again. Both the bus driver and bus aide involved in this unacceptable incident ignored multiple procedures in place to prevent this from happening. The school contacted the adult listed as the students contact. Sarah Bahari, The Dallas Morning News (TNS) The Department of Defense warned Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, that it risks losing U.S. military support if it does not implement changes that align with the Trump administration. In a statement posted to social media late Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Irving-based organization must initiate common-sense, core value reforms to continue its partnership with the federal government. Scouting America and the Pentagon are close to reaching an agreement, Parnell said. He mentioned measures that promote diversity, equity and inclusion, commonly called DEI, but he did not outline specific changes the department seeks. For more than a decade now, Scouting Americas leadership has made decisions that run counter to the values of this administration and this Department of War, including an embrace of DEl and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances, he wrote. This is unacceptable. The warning comes four months before the Scouts National Jamboree, a once-every-four-years camping trip that draws thousands of Scouts to West Virginia. The 10-day event relies heavily on military personnel for medical care, security and logistics. Scouting America did not respond to an email or phone call Tuesday from The Dallas Morning News. In a statement to The Washington Post, the organization said it was encouraged by the Pentagons social media post and looks forward to providing more details as we move ahead. In 2024, the Boy Scouts changed its name to Scouting America as part of a rebranding campaign to focus on inclusion following years of turmoil. The organization filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after spending millions of dollars to settle lawsuits with the roughly 80,000 men who say they were sexually abused as children while scouting. In 2013, the Scouts began allowing gay youth, and it ended a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015. In 2018, it began admitting girls, angering some people. Measures to promote diversity and inclusion have come under fire in the past year. Shortly after his inauguration, President Donald Trump issued an executive order threatening to withhold money from cities and states and end government contracts with companies with such programs. A slew of companies, including Fort Worth-based Lockheed Martin, Amazon and Meta, ended diversity initiatives to comply with the executive order. Diversity initiatives date back to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, signed by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. Measures grew after the 2020 murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, and companies pledged to do more for Black workers. Republican lawmakers in Texas have long derided the measures as woke and say DEI favors race and ideology over merit. In his statement, Parnell called the Scouts a great organization that has lost its way. Scouting America remains far from perfect, but they have firmly committed to a return to core principles, he said. Back to God and countryimmediately!" 2026 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Syracuse, N.Y. The Salvation Army distributed hundreds of cold weather supplies Friday morning as Central New York prepares for a weekend of extreme cold. Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 to 30 below zero are expected Saturday and Sunday. Thats cold enough to cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, according to the National Weather Service. Starting around 8:15 a.m. Friday, the organization handed out blankets, gloves, 100 space heaters and 700 hand warmers to anyone in need. The giveaway took place in the lot next to the Emergency Food Pantry at 100 Linden St. and ran until noon. The event was made possible by a donation, said Deanna Delmonico, assistant director of development for the Salvation Army. Hundreds of people showed up, underscoring the need, she said. The last space heater was given away just before noon. The outreach was aimed at helping individuals and families stay safe as temperatures drop. For all of our clients who are currently in shelter, they are never forced out during the day, Delmonico said. Theres heat, food and everything they need in our spaces. The Salvation Army does not operate a warming center, though other organizations in Syracuse do, she said. Catholic Charities Hospitality Center on East Onondaga Street and the Rescue Mission Alliance on Gifford Street both operate warming centers. Related article: Syracuses homeless are packing Upstates ER and overcrowding shelters to escape bitter cold People staying in Salvation Army shelters will continue to have a safe place indoors throughout the cold snap, Delmonico said. The organizations food pantry will reopen Monday morning and offers essential items in addition to food. Depending on availability, those items may include hand warmers, gloves and other necessities. Were hoping to do another outreach if this weather continues, Delmonico said. For those in need of shelter, food or other services, Delmonico encouraged people to call 211. The free service connects callers with local resources based on their location and needs, including shelters, food pantries and warming centers. If people dont know what else to do, call 211, she said. They can direct you to services that will help get you safe and warm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for several Central New York counties, warning of snow accumulation through Sunday morning. The advisory affects Cortland, Onondaga, Seneca, Southern Cayuga, and Tompkins counties. The advisory remains in effect until 7 a.m. Sunday. Residents can expect an additional 2 to 5 inches of snow accumulation with northwest winds gusting as high as 45 mph. The steadiest snowfall is expected Friday evening, while Saturday into Saturday night will feature narrow bands of lake effect snow along with significant blowing and drifting snow across the area. Forecasters warn that slippery road conditions are expected, and areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute. An arctic front will move through the area between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. Saturday, bringing a sharp temperature drop. High temperatures will likely occur between midnight and when the front passes through, with temperatures then falling from the 20s into the single digits. Wind gusts Saturday afternoon and overnight may reach near 40 mph with sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph. Wind chills are expected to drop below minus 10 degrees in valleys and may stay near minus 20 to minus 25 degrees at higher elevations. Overnight Saturday, as temperatures dip below zero, wind chills will fall into the minus 20 to minus 30 range. Lake effect snow is likely in the Finger Lakes and northern Central New York on Saturday night into Sunday. Open water on Lake Ontario could help keep temperatures regionally warmer in those areas, though conditions will remain windy. In today's fastchanging tech landscape, job seekers and career changers are turning to online IT certifications to build marketable skills and stand out in competitive hiring pools. Unlike traditional degrees, many of these programs are shorter, more affordable, and focused on practical, jobready competencies. Combined with the right tech career training strategy, online IT certifications can open doors to help desk, cloud, security, data, and automation roles, even without a computer science background. This article walks through 10 widely recognized online certifications that most improve tech job prospects, along with guidance on how to choose and use them effectively. What Are Online IT Certifications? Online IT certifications are structured programs delivered through digital platforms that teach specific technical skills and end with a recognized credential. These certifications can come from major tech companies (like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft), nonprofit organizations (like CompTIA), or large online education providers. Most programs follow a selfpaced format, allowing learners to complete coursework around existing jobs or family commitments. They commonly include video lessons, hands-on labs, quizzes, and a final exam or project. Completing an online IT certification demonstrates that a person has not only learned core concepts but also practiced them in realistic scenarios, which employers value when hiring for entrylevel and midlevel roles. Why Tech Professionals Need Certifications Technology moves quickly, and employers often look for candidates who can prove current, relevant skills. Online IT certifications serve as portable proof of competence that complements formal education or experience gaps. For people transitioning from other fields, these programs offer a clear ladder into tech roles by teaching fundamentals like networking, cloud computing, and security. Tech career training centered on certifications also helps professionals stay competitive as automation and AI reshape job requirements. Instead of waiting years to earn a degree, many can upskill in a few months and immediately apply new knowledge on the job. This dynamic makes online IT certifications a practical pillar of modern tech career training. Top 10 Online Certifications That Improve Tech Job Prospects 1. Google IT Support Professional Certificate The Google IT Support Professional Certificate is one of the most popular entrylevel programs for aspiring IT support specialists. Hosted on Coursera, it covers essential topics such as troubleshooting, operating systems, networking, system administration, and customer support. Because Google partners with hundreds of employers through its hiring consortium, graduates can access jobsearch resources and targeted hiring opportunities. This makes the certificate especially useful for those with no prior IT experience who want a structured, Googlebranded path into help desk or desktop support roles. 2. Google IT Automation with Python Once someone has basic IT skills, the Google IT Automation with Python certificate helps them move into more advanced, automationfocused roles. The program teaches how to write scripts, automate system administration tasks, and manage large numbers of machines using Python. This type of tech career training is attractive to employers who want to reduce manual work and increase efficiency. Learners finish with a portfolio of automation projects that demonstrate practical Python skills, a strong signal for sysadmin, DevOps, and junior developer roles. 3. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner For those interested in cloud computing, the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is a widely respected entrylevel certification. It introduces core Amazon Web Services concepts such as compute, storage, networking, and security, along with billing and pricing models. While the exam itself is not always taught fully online, extensive online IT certificationsstyle training materials and practice labs are available through platforms like AWS Training, Coursera, and Udemy. Earning this credential signals that a candidate understands how cloud platforms operate, which is valuable for cloud support, basic cloud administration, and migration projects. 4. Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals Microsoft's Azure Fundamentals certification is the equivalent of AWS Cloud Practitioner but focused on the Azure ecosystem. It covers core cloud services, security, privacy, and compliance, and is often recommended for anyone working in organizations that use Microsoft products. Like AWS, there are many online IT certifications and prep courses that mirror the exam objectives. This credential pairs well with later, more specialized Azure certifications and fits naturally into a broader tech career training plan for cloudfocused roles. 5. CompTIA A+ CompTIA A+ is a longstanding, vendorneutral certification for IT support specialists. It validates knowledge of hardware, operating systems, networking, troubleshooting, and basic security. Because it is taught and practiced through many online IT certifications programs, candidates can study at their own pace and then take the exam at a test center. A+ remains a strong credential for help desk, desktop support, and entrylevel IT positions, especially in environments that mix multiple vendors and platforms. 6. CompTIA Security+ As cybersecurity becomes critical across industries, CompTIA Security+ has grown into a foundational certification for security professionals. It covers network security, threats, cryptography, identity management, and compliance. Many learners complete this as part of tech career training while still working in general IT roles. Security+ is often a stepping stone to more advanced security credentials and can help candidates qualify for roles such as security analyst, SOC analyst, or securityfocused sysadmin. Read more: 9 Future Tech Skills That Will Stay in High Demand Through 2030 and Beyond 7. Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) CCNA is a widely recognized networking certification from Cisco that validates the ability to configure, manage, and troubleshoot mediumsized networks. It covers topics such as routing, switching, IP addressing, and basic security at the network level. Because networking underpins most modern IT environments, CCNA is attractive to employers hiring for network technician, systems administrator, and network engineering roles. Numerous online IT certifications and practice labs prepare candidates for the exam, making it more accessible even without access to a physical lab. 8. Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate For those interested in datadriven roles, the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is a strong entrylevel option. It teaches how to use spreadsheets, SQL, data visualization tools, and basic analytics techniques to explore and interpret data. This type of tech career training opens opportunities in roles such as junior data analyst, business analyst, and reporting analyst. Candidates can complete the program online and build a portfolio of projects that show realworld datahandling skills, which employers often review alongside resumes. 9. Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer and Similar AIFocused Credentials As AI and machine learning become more embedded in products and services, certifications like the Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer credential signal advanced capability. These programs assume prior experience with data science and programming and focus on building, deploying, and monitoring ML models in production. While not entrylevel, they represent a later stage of tech career training for professionals who already have data or software skills. Earning AIoriented online IT certifications can significantly improve prospects for roles in machine learning, data science, and AI engineering. 10. Project Management and ProductFocused Certifications Not all valuable tech career training is purely technical. Certifications such as the Google Project Management Professional Certificate or Agile/Scrum certifications help professionals manage tech projects, coordinate crossfunctional teams, and align technical work with business goals. These credentials are useful for people who want to move into product management, project management, or tech leadership roles. They often include online courses, case studies, and simulated projects, making them another form of online IT certifications that focus on organization and communication rather than coding. How To Choose the Right Online IT Certifications Selecting the best certifications starts with clarifying career goals. Someone aiming for an IT support role will benefit from A+ and Google IT Support, while a cloudfocused path might begin with AWS Cloud Practitioner or Azure Fundamentals. Learners should also consider their current experience level, budget, and time availability. Many popular online IT certifications are affordable or even free, and completion typically takes 36 months when studied parttime. Pairing a certification with hands-on projects, such as building a small network, creating dashboards, or automating common tasks, can strengthen any tech career training plan. Cost and ROI of Online IT Certifications Costs vary widely. Some programs, like Google's career certificates, are relatively lowcost and include exam vouchers or practice materials. Vendor exams, such as AWS or CompTIA tests, usually require a separate fee but are often less expensive than bootcamps or degree programs. In return, many holders report salary increases or faster job placement, especially when they combine certifications with portfolios and realworld experience. For people without a tech degree, this type of tech career training can offer a strong return on investment compared to traditional education paths. How Online IT Certifications Help With Job Placement Many online IT certifications are tied to hiring networks or jobsearch resources. For example, Google's career certificates include resume review guidance, interview preparation, and access to employer partners. Similar partnerships exist for AWS and Microsoft certifications through their training ecosystems. These connections can shorten the time it takes to land an entrylevel tech role. Employers frequently search for candidates with specific certifications, so having them listed on a resume or LinkedIn profile can increase visibility and interviewing opportunities. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can online IT certifications fully replace a college degree in tech? While online IT certifications can help you land entrylevel roles, many employers still value degrees for mid to seniorlevel positions. Certifications are best used alongside experience and projects rather than as a complete replacement. 2. Do you need prior coding experience before starting tech career training? No, many online IT certifications are designed for beginners and teach fundamentals from scratch. Basic computer literacy is usually enough to start, with coding introduced gradually in programs like automation or data analytics. 3. Are online IT certifications valid worldwide? Most major certifications (like CompTIA, AWS, Microsoft, and Google) are recognized globally, but local employers may favor certain vendors. Checking regional job postings can help you pick the most relevant options. 4. How often should you add new certifications to your profile? Adding one or two relevant certifications every 12 years is a reasonable pace. Overloading your resume with too many lowpriority certs can dilute the impact of your core tech career training. Yesterday, news that Adobe Animate was shutting down shocked the creative community, swiftly inciting uproar. Now, barely 24 hours later, Adobe has retracted this decision. In a recently updated FAQs page, Adobe announced it has backtracked on its decision to shut down one of its most celebrated creative tools, Adobe Animate. This announcement came after widespread backlash from the creative community - illustrators, animators and digital artists alike. Adobe Animate, a pillar for 2D animation, was initially set for shutdown effective 1 March 2026. In the announcement, Adobe said Animate 'has served its purpose well for creating, nurturing, and developing the animation ecosystem.' Backlash Ensued The creative community wasn't subtle in expressing their disappointment with the announced 'killing' of the software. The community took to social media and public forums to express their frustration, with many highlighting broader implications for the industry. David Firth, for instance, who is behind Salad Fingers, took to X to share an email he received from Adobe about the shutdown of Animate, which, he said in the post, he uses to make the web series with. So, Adobe Animate is not shutting down, is just ending technical support, people can still enter to their local FLA. files and to the app, and also Adobe is developing a newer application more advanced to Animate (I hope it doesn't get to much AI stuff). pic.twitter.com/aja5WUUsPN Lioki77 (@lioki77) February 3, 2026 Online content creator Animated Antic posted on X (formerly Twitter) to protest Adobe's decision to shut down Animate, 'Adobe shutting down Adobe Animate is such a harmful and devastating move to numerous animators and studios who still use the software and I can imagine how much damage they'll create if they stick to it. Adobe should be ashamed and I am firmly protesting this decision.' As a response, Mike Chambers, Adobe's Creative Cloud Senior Director for Design Marketing & Community, posted an update on popular public forum site Reddit, retracting their initial decision to discontinue Animate. He said in the post, 'Yesterday, Adobe shared an email with Adobe Animate customers on the future of Animate. What we shared did not meet our standards and caused a lot of confusion and angst within the community. On behalf of Adobe, I want to apologise.' Adobe's official X account also commented on a post made by Cartoon Base about Animate being discontinued, saying it was used to animate Teen Titans Go!, Smiling Friends, My Little Pony, El Tigre and more. The reply said, 'What we initially shared is not accurate. Adobe Animate is in maintenance mode, which means we will continue to provide security and bug fixes, but are no longer adding new features. Animate will continue to be available to both current and new customers. We are committed to ensuring you have access to your content.' What we initially shared is not accurate. Adobe Animate is in maintenance mode, which means we will continue to provide security and bug fixes but are no longer adding new features. Animate will continue to be available for both current and new customers. We are committed to Adobe (@Adobe) February 4, 2026 'Maintenance Mode' As noted on Adobe's FAQs page, and as announced by Chambers, Adobe Animate is now in 'Maintenance Mode.' Chambers reiterated, 'This is a change from what we communicated in the email yesterday for the status of Adobe Animate, its time-frame, and availability. To be clear, we are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate and it will continue to be available to both existing and new customers.' Chambers also addressed the frustration the earlier news had brought to the creatives, saying, 'On a personal note, as someone who started their career with Macromedia Flash 3 and Macromedia Generator, Adobe Animate has a special place in my heart.' He added, 'I know how frustrating and stressful this has been, and we clearly could have handled and communicated this better. I might not have answers to everything, but I will try to answer any questions you might have.' The community seems to have polarised opinions on the company reversing its decision, and it's looking like the backlash continues despite Adobe taking back the shutdown of Animate. While one user was grateful for still being able to use the software as his career depended on it, some users were furious, saying Adobe meant their first email, while for others, it's a sign to 'jump ship while there's enough time,' suggesting it's time to learn a different software altogether. Originally published on IBTimes UK Microsoft has announced that Exchange Web Services (EWS) for Exchange Online will be fully shut down on April 1, 2027. The move marks the end of nearly two decades of EWS support in Microsofts cloud email ecosystem Exchange Web Services is a cross-platform API introduced with Exchange Server 2007. It enables applications to access Exchange mailbox data, including emails, calendar events, meetings, contacts, and tasks. Over the years, EWS has been widely used by Microsofts own tools and countless third-party applications across both cloud and on-premises Exchange environments. Why Microsoft Is Retiring EWS According to Microsoft, EWS no longer meets todays expectations around security, scalability, and reliability. Over the past several years, Microsoft has steadily shifted its own services and customers toward the Microsoft Graph API. EWS was built nearly 20 years ago, and while it served the ecosystem well, it no longer aligns with todays security, scale, or reliability requirements, the Exchange Team wrote in a blog post published on Thursday. The Redmond giant added that Graph has reached near-complete feature parity for most EWS scenarios, and many third-party vendors have already completed or begun the transition. Retiring EWS lets us reduce legacy surface area, simplify platform behavior, and deliver a more consistent, modern experience for everyone, it added. A Phased Shutdown Starting In 2026 Rather than disabling EWS overnight, Microsoft is rolling out a phased retirement plan that will give administrators time to prepare. Microsoft will manage the transition using a tenant setting called EWSEnabled, which can be set to True, False, or left as Null (the current default). From October 1, 2026, EWS will be blocked by default in Exchange Online tenants. However, administrators who still rely on EWS can temporarily keep it enabled by configuring an application allow list and explicitly setting EWS permissions. Tenants that do not take action will see EWS automatically blocked starting October 2026, although Microsoft plans to pre-populate allow lists in September 2026 based on actual usage to minimize service disruptions. Further, organizations that proactively configure an allow list and set EWSEnabled to True by the end of August 2026 will avoid this automatic blocking. Final Cut-off In April 2027 The final and irreversible shutdown of EWS will take place on April 1, 2027, in Exchange Online, after which no exceptions will be granted. At that point, administrators will no longer be able to control or re-enable EWS in their tenants. Any applications that still depend on EWS will stop working in cloud mailboxes. Impact On On-Premises And Hybrid Environments The EWS shutdown applies only to Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online. Organizations running on-premises Exchange Server will still be able to use EWS. Hybrid environments, however, will need careful planning. Microsoft clarified that on-premises mailboxes must move to Microsoft Graph, while on-premises mailboxes can continue using EWS. Autodiscover will help applications determine mailbox locations automatically, but hybrid customers will need Exchange Server Subscription Edition (Exchange SE) to support Graph access to Exchange Online. What Organizations Should Do Now Microsoft is urging administrators to begin preparing immediately by reviewing EWS usage reports in the Microsoft 365 admin center, identifying applications that still rely on EWS, and planning migrations to Microsoft Graph. To help avoid surprises, Microsoft will send monthly Message Center notifications with tenant-specific usage summaries and reminders. The company may also conduct temporary scream tests, temporarily disabling EWS to help organizations uncover hidden dependencies. The Bottom Line With the countdown to April 2027 officially underway, Microsoft is making it clear that Exchange Online customers should not wait. Early planning and migration to Microsoft Graph will help ensure a smooth transition and avoid last-minute disruptions when the legacy API reaches its final sunset in 2027. PARIS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least six people, including a child, were slightly injured after a grenade exploded Friday afternoon in a beauty salon in the southeastern French city of Grenoble, local media reported. According to French outlet Actu Grenoble, two suspects allegedly entered the shop, threw a grenade inside and fled the scene. Witnesses reported hearing screams followed by a loud explosion. Six people with minor injuries, including a 5-year-old child, were treated by firefighters but did not require hospitalization, it noted. Emergency services and police were deployed in large numbers, and the criminal investigation department has launched an investigation, it said. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Trump administration on Friday announced new sanctions targeting 15 entities, two individuals and 14 so-called shadow fleet vessels linked to Iran's oil trade. "The President is committed to driving down the Iranian regime's illicit oil and petrochemical exports under the Administration's maximum pressure campaign," the U.S. Department of State said in a statement. The announcement came as indirect talks between the United States and Iran ended in Muscat, Oman on Friday. According to Iran's official news agency IRNA, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the Friday talks focused solely on the nuclear issue, and that Tehran did not discuss any other topics with Washington. Araghchi said that "very deep distrust" formed in past dealings between the two countries posed "a very big challenge" to the negotiations. 'I wanted to die': survivors recount Mozambique flood terror Manhica, Mozambique, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Erica Raimundo Mimbir delivered her first baby on a school desk, the only dry place she found after days marooned in her flooded home in southern Mozambique. "I wanted to die because of the labour pains and the conditions," the 17-year-old told AFP in a village in the province of Maputo. Evacuated by boat the next day, Mimbir took shelter with relatives, among some 650,000 Mozambicans the United Nations says have been affected by torrential rains since December. "I don't think I'll return home because I've never experienced anything like this," Mimbir said, recounting that the high waters meant she could not sleep lying down but leaning against a wall. "It was very painful," she said, holding her baby, Rosita, who was born on January 19 premature and weighing 1.5 kilogrammes (3.3 pounds). The child was named after Rosita Salvador, whose mother gave birth in a tree that she climbed to escape devastating flooding in Mozambique in 2000. Salvador, who died this month after a long illness, became a symbol of resilience in a disaster that killed 800 people. The southern African country's latest bout of flooding has claimed nearly 140 lives since October 1, according to the National Disasters Management Institute. Around 100,000 people are sheltering in one of 99 temporary accommodation centres, says the UN's humanitarian coordination office (OCHA). - 'Heart not at peace' - In the province's 3 de Fevereiro village in Manhica district, a low-slung school has been turned into one such emergency shelter. About 500 people sleep on mats in its 11 classrooms, their clothes draped over blackboards and window bars as they take stock of what the floods swept away and how close many came to losing their lives. Among them is Elsa Paulino, a 36-year-old mother of five who became cut off from her home after taking her two youngest children to a funeral outside her village. By the time she returned, the road had vanished under rising water. "The car I was travelling in almost overturned because of the fury of the waters," she told AFP. Her other three children were still at home. "I was desperate." Paulino eventually managed to arrange for them to be evacuated by bus to relatives in neighbouring Gaza province, also badly affected by the floods. But washed-out roads mean her children have still not been able to join her. "Right now I know my children are safe but my mother's heart isn't at peace," she said. Across the region, floods have ripped through critical infrastructure -- roads, bridges, power lines and water systems. They have slowed aid deliveries and isolated entire communities. The N1 highway linking Maputo to the north remains cut. About 325,000 head of livestock have died and 285,000 hectares (704,250 acres) of farmland have been damaged, according to OCHA. The latest flooding is among the worst Mozambique has seen in years, with officials warning the death toll could rise as more heavy rains loom and a nationwide red?alert remains in force. For Salvador Maengane, a 67?year?old farmer sheltering in 3 de Fevereiro, the losses are total. "All my farmland was flooded," he said. He was due to harvest maize and vegetables in March and sugarcane in May. "Everything was lost and I have nothing to sell. All my family's livelihood is gone," he said, his thin frame hunched with exhaustion. Maengane, who farms five hectares in Xinavane, further north, said that in previous rainy seasons he could still salvage part of his crop. "This is the first time I have seen a tragedy of this magnitude," he said. Water gets the wine treatment in South African tastings Stellenbosch, South Africa, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Most tourists to Stellenbosch come for the wine but this small group was here for the water, sampling a selection of the world's finest varieties in an experience new to South Africa. In a tasting room lined with elegant glass bottles from across the globe, water sommelier Nico Pieterse extolled the qualities and even "emotional connection" of a resource many South Africans take straight from the tap. "They are mainly award-winning waters," Pieterse said of his collection at his Fine Water Tasting Room, which he describes as the world's first such venue dedicated solely to water. Around 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of Cape Town, Stellenbosch is a major draw for international and domestic tourists, who flock to sample its internationally recognised wines on a variety of tasting menus. But Pieterse's passion is water and he boasts a "library" of 40 brands drawn from Armenian volcanic springs to ancient Czech glaciers. Many are from Europe, he told AFP on the sidelines of a tasting, but there is also one from Himalayan springs in Bhutan and another from a mineral water mecca in Mexico. A bottle of Ice Age glacial water from the Czech mountains contains dazzling specks of 24?carat gold. A bottle from Colombia carries the names of species newly identified in the rainforest. A tasting session lasting around an hour was a surprise for South African visitor Dere Vermeulen, 19, who normally drinks tap water. "I am the kind of person who says water is water," she told AFP. "But it was very interesting to actually be able to taste the different flavours in the water -- I didn't think I was going to." - From beer to water - Pieterse, previously a brewer, developed an interest in water during the Covid?19 pandemic when South Africa banned the sale and distribution of alcohol. It led him to become one of only two certified water sommeliers in South Africa and fewer than 100 worldwide, he said. As an international water judge, Pieterse blind?tastes more than 100 still and 100 sparkling waters at an annual fine water summit that draws connoisseurs from around the world. At his Stellenbosch tasting room, guests sample six waters -- three still and three sparkling -- served in stemware at between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius (57.2 to 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit), while discussing the minerality, "total dissolved solids" and filtration. Plastic or glass packaging and nitrate levels -- which can indicate pollution at source -- are other factors, Pieterse said, against a backdrop of Stellenbosch's expansive vineyards and warm mountainscapes. Some bottlers sell tap water purified through reverse?osmosis filtration which removes the minerals and flavour, he said. "It takes everything out of the water so that water is completely dead." The most expensive item is a German water sold in champagne?style bottles for around 5,000 rands ($310). Alongside the luxury offerings is a high-mineral South African brand priced on his website at 50 rands for 750 millilitres. Tap water is generally considered safe to drink in South Africa but -- in one of the most unequal countries in the world -- just 45 percent of households had piped drinking water in their dwellings in 2023, according to national statistics. Another 30 percent were able to drink from a tap in their yards, while others depended on communal taps and rainwater tanks. Failing infrastructure causes regular supply disruptions and has sparked angry protests by communities forced to rely on water tanks brought in by municipalities or NGOs. The water-stressed nation has also been through severe droughts and periods of low rainfall with entire towns warned their taps could run dry. "Being in a country where water is already not readily available, it's important to showcase and educate about water and its scarcity," said Pieterse. "We have to add value to water, so people take care of it." Snowstorm brings much of Denmark to a halt Copenhagen, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Denmark authorities halted public transport, closed schools and cancelled flights on Friday as heavy snowfall blanketed much of the country. The Nordic country's meteorological institute DMI warned that heavy snow would likely continue until Friday evening in the east, where the capital Copenhagen is located. Police said people should avoid going outdoors unless necessary and stay indoors in the capital and the surrounding region. Copenhagen's airport cancelled flights to Paris and Berlin and warned of "delay and cancellation risks because of snowy conditions." Many schools were closed. In the second-largest city of Aarhus, bus services were cancelled. Spanish PM due to visit flood zone as rain relents Madrid, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 A deadly storm that triggered floods and thousands of evacuations in Spain and Portugal eased on Friday, as Spain's premier headed to the disaster zone. Weather forecasters warned the relief would be short-lived because another storm was expected to pour heavy rain on already saturated ground on Saturday. Portugal had barely recovered from last week's battering by rain and winds that killed five people, injured hundreds and left tens of thousands without power. This week's Storm Leonardo has left one dead in Portugal and lashed the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, where rescuers were searching for a missing woman and evacuated 8,000 people. Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as the floods and heatwaves that have struck both countries in recent years. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was due to visit the hardest-hit areas of Andalusia on Friday, his office said without providing further details. After some municipalities received several months' worth of rain in 24 hours, Spain's AEMET weather agency lifted its second-highest orange alert for storms in Andalusia but warned of the impending Storm Marta. "On top of what has already accumulated in previous days, it is highly likely to trigger further floods, spates and landslides" in mountainous parts of Andalusia, AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo said in an audio note. Portugal's IPMA weather agency said Marta would "contribute to another rise in river flows", notably in the south and the Lisbon region. On Friday, attention turned to Portugal's northern Douro river which burst its banks outside the city of Porto overnight without causing victims or evacuations. "As long as the flows remain high, we will maintain the red alert for the Douro," the captain of Porto's port, Pedro Cervaens, told local media. "The water has reached the terraces" of cafes, but "no major damage has been reported for now", he said. Authorities evacuated around 600 people on Thursday, with a spate of the Tagus river in central Portugal triggering the highest flood alert. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said "a devastating crisis" had hit Portugal, but the floods were not expected to delay Sunday's presidential run-off, despite a postponement request from the far-right candidate. burs-imm/yad Press Release from Business Wire: Al Barari (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 DUBAI, Feb 6, 2026 (BSW) - Al Barari, Dubai's pioneering nature-led community, has officially marked the groundbreaking of The Cape, its final signature residential development, celebrating two decades of visionary craftsmanship and a continued commitment to creating harmonious living environments rooted in nature. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206475199/en/ Hazza Zaal, CEO of Al Barari Real Estate Group, alongside the Sales and Construction teams at The Cape Groundbreaking Ceremony, marking a milestone in Al Barari's final signature development. (Photo: AETOSWire) The milestone ceremony signals the beginning of a landmark chapter for Al Barari, as The Cape represents the culmination of a 20-year legacy defined by intentional design, wellbeing-focused living, and immersive natural landscapes. Located within Dubai's green heart, The Cape introduces an enriched lifestyle experience surrounded by lush botanical settings, gentle water features, and curated wellness spaces. Residents will enjoy resort-style amenities including a swimming pool, wellness suites, rooftop lounges, co-working areas, fitness facilities, and dedicated family zones - all designed to foster balance, connection, and everyday wellbeing. The groundbreaking ceremony celebrated Al Barari's evolution from untouched desert to one of the region's most admired communities. Through immersive storytelling and sensory experiences, the event honoured the journey of the brand and its enduring mission to redefine luxury through nature. Reflecting on the occasion, Hazza Zaal, CEO of Al Barari, shared: "The Cape is rooted in Al Barari's identity as a nature-led development. For us, nature is not an add-on, it is the foundation of everything we create. The Cape reflects this approach-a place where thoughtful design and natural beauty come together to create a truly meaningful way of living." As Al Barari continues its story of thoughtful growth and innovation, The Cape stands as a defining expression of the brand's values and legacy. More than a residential development, it is a place shaped by vision and grounded in nature, offering a rare opportunity to live in a community where harmony, elegance, and authenticity remain at the core. About Al Barari Al Barari is Dubai's most established luxury nature-inspired community, renowned for its botanical landscapes, low-density planning, and commitment to sustainable living. Founded over two decades ago, Al Barari has pioneered a new approach to residential development, placing wellbeing, craftsmanship, and environmental harmony at the centre of every project. Home to award-winning residences, lifestyle destinations, and immersive green spaces, Al Barari continues to redefine modern living by creating communities that nurture connection, balance, and a deeper relationship with nature. *Source: AETOSWire View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260206475199/en/ Contact Khushboo RainaHOD - Marketing[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. Spanish PM urges caution as fresh rain heads for flood zone Madrid, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pleaded for caution from flood-hit residents on Friday as more rain was expected to drench parts of the Iberian Peninsula already saturated by a deadly storm. Portugal had barely recovered from last week's battering by rain and winds that killed five people, injured hundreds and left tens of thousands without power. This week's Storm Leonardo has left one dead in Portugal and lashed the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, where rescuers were searching for a missing woman and evacuated 8,000 people. Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as the floods and heatwaves that have struck both countries in recent years. After some flooded municipalities received several months' worth of rain in 24 hours, Spain's AEMET weather agency lifted its highest alert for rain in Andalusia but warned of Storm Marta's arrival on Saturday. "On top of what has already accumulated in previous days, it is highly likely to trigger further floods, spates and landslides" in mountainous parts of Andalusia, AEMET spokesman Ruben del Campo said in an audio note. Sanchez visited a frontline coordination post in the province of Cadiz after surveying swathes of flooded fields in a helicopter, saying "we have all felt overwhelmed seeing all this relentless rain." Faced with "complicated days" ahead as the new storm approached, he told the population "it is very important to be cautious", calling "for calm". - Bracing for fresh storm - In Portugal, where around 900 people have been evacuated, the IPMA weather agency said Marta would "contribute to another rise in river flows", notably in the south and the Lisbon region. Civil Protection commander Mario Silvestre told a press conference that there had been "a slight improvement on the precipitation front" but warned of impending fresh rain and winds of up to 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour. The Civil Protection authority said they had dealt with more than 7,500 incidents and mobilised more than 26,500 rescuers since Thursday. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro visited stricken areas of the country on Friday and spoke of a provisional estimate of damage exceeding four billion euros ($4.7 billion). His government has already approved a reconstruction plan of 2.5 billion euros following last week's storm. The floods were not expected to delay Sunday's presidential run-off, despite a postponement request from the far-right candidate. burs-imm/kjm Climate activist group files second lawsuit against Sweden Stockholm, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2026 A group of climate activists said Friday they were filing another lawsuit against the Swedish state for alleged climate inaction, after the Supreme Court threw out their case last year. The group behind the lawsuit, Aurora, first tried to sue the Swedish state in late 2022. Sweden's Supreme Court in February 2024 ruled that the complaint filed against the state -- brought by an individual, with 300 other people joining it as a class action lawsuit -- was inadmissible. The court at the time noted the "very high requirements for individuals to have the right to bring such a claim" against a state. "We still have a chance to get out of the planetary crises and build a safe and fair world. But this requires that rich countries that emit as much as Sweden stop breaking the law," Aurora spokesperson Ida Edling said in a statement Friday. The group, which said the lawsuit had been filed with the Stockholm District Court Friday, said it believes the Swedish state is obligated "to reduce Sweden's emissions as much and as quickly as necessary in order for the country to be in line with its fair share". "This means that emissions from several sectors must reach zero before 2030," the group said, while noting this was 15 years before Sweden's currently set targets. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency as well as the OECD warned last year that Sweden was at risk of not reaching its own goal of net zero emissions by 2045. While the first lawsuit was unsuccessful, the group noted that international courts had made several landmark decisions since the first suit was filed, spotlighting two in particular. In an April 2024 decision, Europe's top rights court, the European Court of Human Rights, ruled that Switzerland was not doing enough to tackle climate change, the first country ever to be condemned by an international tribunal for not taking sufficient action to curb global warming. In 2025, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that countries violating their climate obligations were committing an "unlawful" act. Back in 2011, the Fukushima disaster drove many countries to rein in their nuclear expansion plans. That slowdown, which lasted for about a decade, crushed many nuclear energy stocks. Yet over the past few years, the nuclear energy market has recovered as the power-hungry cloud and AI markets expanded, companies launched safer, more advanced reactors, and countries launched new decarbonization initiatives. 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. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world's nuclear capacity could still expand by up to 2.6 times from 2024 to 2050 so it might be the right time to accumulate two of the industry's most promising stocks: Cameco (NYSE: CCJ) and NuScale (NYSE: SMR). Cameco Cameco is the world's second-largest uranium miner. It operates uranium mines and mills across Canada, the U.S., and Kazakhstan. Cameco struggled as uranium's spot price dropped from a peak of $136 per pound in June 2007 to $18 per pound in November 2016. However, its price has risen back to $94 per pound as of this writing, and Citi expects it to climb to at least $100 this year. As those prices rise, Cameco is restarting its idled mines to meet that demand. It also partnered with Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE: BAM) to acquire Westinghouse Electric, a leading nuclear power plant designer and builder, in 2023. Its 49% stake in that company will diversify its top line away from its core mining business and volatile uranium prices. From 2024 to 2027, analysts expect its revenue and EPS to grow at CAGRs of 9% and 91%, respectively. It isn't cheap at 69 times this year's earnings, but its scale, moat, and gradual evolution into a more diversified nuclear company could justify that higher valuation. NuScale NuScale develops small modular reactors (SMRs), which are smaller than conventional reactors and prefabricated for on-site assembly. Their modular design enables deployment in areas that aren't well-suited for conventional reactors. NuScale generates most of its revenue as a subcontractor to Fluor (NYSE: FLR) in the planned construction of a similar 462 MWe plant for Romania's RoPower. That project is still in its front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase, but it should move forward after its final investment decision (FID) this year. In the U.S., it recently signed a contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to deploy up to six gigawatts (6,000 megawatts) of its SMR capacity across seven states, but those plants won't come online until 2032. Twenty-seven short years ago, the Gruffalo lumbered into the beloved bestiary that includes the Lion and the Unicorn, the Jabberwock and the Wild Things. Overnight, this fearsome yet strangely lovable beast became a millennial classic to rival the childrens literary phenomenon that was Harry Potter. A generation of bedtime storytelling has since thrilled to Julia Donaldsons tale of impending dread in a deep, dark wood. Now, finally, theres a new Gruffalo story, Gruffalo Granny, announced today (6 February) in advance of a worldwide book launch in September. I went to meet Axel Scheffler, the artist whose prime as an illustrator has been devoted to his image of this iconic creature, and found myself sitting in off-season sunshine with this slightly rumpled, expat German while he sketched the book character he refers to, with obvious affection, as my monster. If theres a subtle frisson of pride in Schefflers voice, thats because this treasured monster is not just any old ogre but a multimillion-pound superstar. The Gruffalo, with his terrible tusks and terrible claws, first clumped into our childrens consciousness in the spring of 1999. A generation later, Donaldsons tale of a little brown mouse who took a stroll in a fairytale forest, outwitting some fearsome predators to triumph over adversity with plucky cunning, has become part of every childs imaginative landscape a contemporary classic inspired by a Chinese fable, The Fox that Borrows the Terror of a Tiger. I suspect that quite a few parents will also confess to a mild obsession with this fabulous creature. Schefflers not saying hes an easygoing, quite reticent man but its a fair guess that this story has sold many hundreds of thousands of copies. The Gruffalo is now as much part of our childrens inner world as Hansel and Gretel. Here, the artist pauses mid-sketch to observe that such success would have astonished his father, who worried that his dreamy son would never amount to much. Scheffler pere was a teenage soldier whod manned an ack-ack searchlight in Berlin during the final days of the Third Reich. Through the postwar Wirtschaftswunder years, in which the country redeemed itself after the horrors of world war, he had been the managing director of a German food factory. open image in gallery The Gruffalo was published in 1999 ( Macmillan Children's Books ) Axel Scheffler is a baby-boomer, born in Hamburg in 1957, who grew up in a broken society remaking itself through hard work. His childhood reading, such as it was, involved Mickey Mouse and a Danish classic about Petzi, a naughty little bear. The Scheffler family were devoted to restoring the status quo, and were middle-of-the road in another way, too: they were the kind of anglophile Germans who loved to take English holidays. One idyllic visit to Devon during the magical summer of 76 became a turning point for Axel; he has a lifelong love of the British landscape. As a quite solitary boy, he would lose himself in drawing. In 1982, having done social work instead of military service in the Bundeswehr, the young conscientious objector packed his paints, brushes, easel and pencils to set off for the Bath Academy of Art in Corsham. It was here, ambushed by his vocation, that he discovered the simple ambition of becoming an illustrator. The idea that this might be a proper job was slow to dawn, but he was happy in England. His early years, Scheffler admits with a wry smile, did not involve too much starving in garrets. From a flat in Streatham, the young artist shopped his work to the magazines that still commissioned illustrations (Time Out; The Listener), and also to a rising generation of childrens book publishers. Walker Books gave him some work, then Faber commissioned a book cover and a set of illustrations for Helen Cresswells The Piemakers, followed by some more artwork for Bernard McCabes Bottle Rabbit (now a collectors item). By the early 1990s, Scheffler was collaborating with an up-and-coming childrens book writer named Julia Donaldson, to create illustrations for her latest poem, A Squash and a Squeeze, a comic rhyme about farm animals. open image in gallery Dream team: author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler ( Urszula Soltys ) Scheffler did not know it, but his new co-author was also in the throes of completing a childrens poem about a little brown mouse who outwits a monster. Better still, she was coming into her own as the possessor of, in the words of one critic, one of the best ears for prosody since WH Auden. Donaldson, indeed, had already submitted her Gruffalo to a publisher who for reasons shrouded in shame and mystery let this quirky poem gather dust during the mid-90s. Eventually, in frustration, shed recovered her neglected manuscript, dusted it off, and sent it to Scheffler. Was it, she wondered, something he might consider illustrating? That was a no-brainer, of course. Donaldsons seductive mix of Chinese folktale with nursery rhyme is touched with genius. I remember very well reading it, says Scheffler with Germanic understatement. As luck would have it, he was about to have dinner with a childrens book publisher, who, recognising the timeless brilliance of the poem, did not hesitate to make an immediate offer. Things moved quickly; the die was cast. All at once it became Schefflers responsibility to put flesh and bones on Donaldsons sublime creation. Inevitably, there was some trial and error in the birth pangs of the terrible Gruffalo. Initially, Donaldson pictured her fearsome beast in a rougher guise. Later, she confessed to Scheffler a penchant for the art of Gustave Dore, the French 19th-century book illustrator. Next, their publisher worried that Schefflers first sketches might alarm a juvenile audience. The Gruffalos eyes were too small; there was a problem with his teeth. Er In a word, Could you make him less scary? There is something in the Gruffalo books that reflects our personal history Scheffler was unfazed; these were typical publisher-illustrator exchanges. In the end, my monster, as he calls him, became that classic, the monster whos not a monster. Of course hes afflicted with purple prickles and has a poisonous wart at the end of his nose, but underneath, hes a big softy. For all his terrible teeth (surely, hes English?), hell scarper at the first hint of trouble. The Gruffalo has the ageless charm of the perfect tale. Still, theres no doubt that Schefflers visualisation was integral to its success. The artist is careful to repeat his admiration for Donaldsons genius but, like Carrolls John Tenniel, Milnes EH Shepherd and Dahls Quentin Blake, he knows its his illustrations that supercharged her words towards posterity, with drawings that contributed to the making of a fictional universe. A true classic a poem about the power of a good narrative The Gruffalo achieves a bewitching marriage of wonder and dread. The cool terror of the words becomes softened by the innocence, clarity and warmth of Schefflers art. I see myself as a humorous illustrator, he says, conceding that his artwork subtly complements Donaldsons style. There is, he confides, something in the Gruffalo books that reflects our personal history. open image in gallery Contented creator: Scheffler says he has no dream project: Theres nothing else I want to do ( Liam Jackson ) Is it, I wonder, too fanciful to find him tapping into a rich vein of mittel-European fairytale imagery? Schefflers natural reticence resists this line of inquiry. Lets leave that to the psychoanalysts, he replies with a laugh. Now, as he returns to drawing for the umpteenth time a portrait of the Gruffalo, he reflects on his brush with fame, and remarks: I am lucky not to be recognised. Home is Richmond Hill, where he lives with his partner Clementine and their teenage daughter, surrounded by the tools of his trade paints, brushes, and a fistful of pencils. Its not just sweetness and light. In a momentary flash of Teutonic steel, the shy anglophile shakes his head over Brexit. A very sad day. Such a terrible mistake. What were you thinking? Politics aside, hes perfectly content. Theres nothing else I want to do. I have no dream project. Sometimes, possibly with a hint of tongue-in-cheek, he wishes he could paint like Caspar David Freidrich, the supreme German Romantic landscape painter. But otherwise hes happy. open image in gallery Gruffalo Granny will launch in September 2026 ( Axel Scheffler ) Gruffalo Granny will be launched in September 2026, but thats not really so new, whatever the publishers say. The Gruffalo hasnt changed after all these years, says Scheffler, embellishing his drawing. Like Prospero, he seems to cherish his power over an imaginary kingdom. Its already been a generation. Julia always said, No sequel for 25 years. As our conversation comes to a close, Schefflers sketch is almost complete. Does he converse with the Gruffalo in his head? Scheffler seems puzzled. Why would he talk to me? Hes a monster. A beat. My monster. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice His eyes are orange, his tongue is black, he has purple prickles all over his back. It could only be one thing: The Gruffalo, one of the greatest monsters in childrens literature, which is making a grand return this year. Julia Donaldson has announced a new Gruffalo book, titled Gruffalo Granny, which will arrive 22 years after the last story in the series. The bestselling author revealed the fictional family will expand during an interview on Radio 4s Today programme on Friday (6 February), calling the title reveal a big moment. Donaldson said she had been planning to write a follow-up since the second book, The Gruffalos Child, was published in 2004, but has been too busy writing other things. The new story will be published on 10 September. An excerpt shared by Macmillan reads: The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, Your Gruffalo Granny is coming to stay. The first book in the series, simply titled The Gruffalo, was published in 1999. It introduced the world to the character with terrible tusks and terrible claws and a poisonous wart on the end of his nose. News that Donaldson would be revisiting the deep dark wood first surfaced in April 2025, when she said she was spurred on to write by a campaign to reverse a decline in childrens reading. The story, which will feature illustrations by Donaldsons frequent collaborator Axel Scheffler, will see the return of the characters from the previous two books, including Fox, Snake, Owl and Mouse. open image in gallery The latest book in the Gruffalo series is set to hit shelves this September ( Axel Scheffler ) Donaldson called writing the sequel a challenge, but told the Today programme her son helped bring the idea to the fore: He said, Mum, what you should do is just spend about a fortnight really, really trying to write the new story thats semi in your head. If you cant do that, thats the whole thing knocked on the head. I thought that was very good advice. Five years elapsed between publication of The Gruffalo and The Gruffalos Child, and now it will be more than 20 between The Gruffalos Child and the third book. I actually had the basic idea for the story a long time ago, but couldnt think how to develop it, Donaldson said. It was only when the National Literacy Trust, whose work Im very impressed by, used the first two books as part of their Early Words Matter programme that I was spurred on to get my idea out of the cupboard and see once and for all if I could turn it into a really satisfying story. To my surprise, I managed to do just that! Donaldson said she was delighted when long-time collaborator Scheffler came on board, calling his illustrations in the new book brilliant. Scheffler added: Never say never a lesson learnt for me who, whenever asked, denied the possibility of another visit to the deep dark wood. Till one day out of the blue, there came a wonderfully clever and inspired new text by Julia. How does she do this? Could I decline? Of course not! open image in gallery Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, who have collaborated together on multiple childrens books ( Urszula Soltys ) When asked why she thought the character appeals so much to readers, she said: I think were the wrong people to ask. Its like asking a huntsman what it feels like to be hit with an arrow. However, she added she thinks its because the grownups like the story as well. Sometimes I know from my own experience you get a book that your child likes and you want to put it down the back of the radiator, Donaldson said. Scheffler told The Independent that his illustrations in the story complement Donaldsons writing style, stating: There is something in the Gruffalo books that reflects our personal history. The Gruffalo and The Gruffalos Child have sold more than 18 million copies combined and the books have been translated into 115 languages and dialects. Fans will get the chance to get a first look at the Gruffalo Granny when Schefflers never-before-seen illustration will be projected in central London and Glasgow on Friday evening. open image in gallery The Gruffalo books have sold millions of copies since being published in 1999 ( Axel Scheffler ) Alison Ruane, managing director at Macmillan Childrens Books, said: The impact that Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler and The Gruffalo have had on families around the world can not be underestimated, the sheer amount of global excitement following the announcement of the new book has been evidence of this. We are so proud to publish Julia and Axel here at Macmillans Childrens Books, and we cant wait for children and families to experience this new story together, especially in the National Year of Reading. Donaldson and Schefflers many collaborations include The Snail And The Whale, Room On The Broom, Stick Man, Tiddler, The Scarecrows Wedding and The Highway Rat. Televised animations of their best-loved stories have become a staple of the festive calendar and many of their books have also been adapted for the stage. Additional reporting by agencies Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice In news that will excite Lord of the Rings fans, Sir Ian McKellen will return as Gandalf in a forthcoming film but for the actor himself, the timing is unfortunate. The British actor, 86, who played the wizard in Peter Jacksons original trilogy, as well as The Hobbit films, will reprise the role in The Hunt for Gollum, an instalment centring on the cunning Middle Earth character played by Andy Serkis. Serkis is directing and starring in the film, and while it was known Gandalf would be in it, it wasnt certain whether McKellen would be playing him. However, the actor confirmed his return during an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The two-time Oscar nominee did admit he was a bit concerned about the timing of the films shoot, which starts this July in New Zealand. Its unfortunate, because its winter down there and Im not sure I want to be out there in the wind and the rain, he told the US late-night host. Teasing his return as Gandalf, McKellen said: Yes, I put on the pointy hat and the beard and the nose and the eyebrows and the moustache. open image in gallery Ian McKellen as Gandalf in 'Lord of the Rings' ( New Line Cinema ) The film will also mark the comeback of Lord of the Rings protagonist Frodo Baggins, but Elijah Wood has yet to confirm his appearance. He acknowledged that the project will reunite the creative team behind the original trilogy, including Serkis and producer Philippa Boyens. Its very much that core original group getting back together to tell this story that will feel like a really fun exploration of this character that we all love so much, he said ScreenRant last month. It feels so unbelievably appropriate that Andy directs a film about his character that he has really made his own. Im thrilled. Itll be great. And Im excited to see. I know their intention is to make other films in this universe. McKellen previously said his return to the Lord of the Rings franchise depended on whether the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working. open image in gallery Ian McKellen appeared on Stephen Colbert's late-night show and revealed he'll be returning as Gandalf ( YouTube ) The actor, who sustained wrist and neck injuries in a dramatic fall while performing onstage in June 2024, told BBC Radio 4: Im not letting anyone else put on the pointy hat and beard if I can help it. Another Lord of the Rings actor also said he would be up for returning in a future film. Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in Peter Jacksons original trilogy, told The Independent series Go to Bat he would reprise the role if it seemed right and was faithful to what Tolkien wrote. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled for release in 2027. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice High in the mountains of the Pyrenees, brown bears are being airdropped back into the wild, following more than two decades of absence the product of hunters wiping out the animals to protect the livelihoods and communities of the local shepherds. For conservationists, the move is essential, and morally right. But to those who call the mountains home, its tended to go down badly. For British filmmaker Max Keegan, the conflict between both parties felt like fruitful material for a documentary. Its a conflict in which I can understand both sides of the debate, he explains. And I think both sides are right to be upset. The result is The Shepherd and the Bear, a breathtaking new film that basks in the vast vistas of the Pyrenees mountains, and humanises a conflict that has a tendency to become didactic and occasionally slightly mad (at one point members of the anti-bear camp don balaclavas and film intimidating videos to warn off the threat). Keegan spent two years ingratiating himself to the community, learning to speak French in the process. It was really hard, he recalls. Traditionally, the debate has been presented quite negatively in French media, with the agricultural community pretty commonly characterised as ill-educated. Similarly, on the ecological side, feelings run so high that theyre used to being targets of abuse. There was an early assumption that Keegan, too, would reduce both sides to petty stereotypes. For good reason, I was mistrusted for being a journalist. Even when I said I was making a very different kind of documentary, I was still thought of as a journalist. Yves, the farmer star of new documentary The Shepherd and the Bear ( Conic Films ) The key, he continues, was finding the right people to follow. One was Yves, a 63-year-old farmer with a cigarette perpetually dangling from his mouth, who was vehemently against the reintroduction of the bears. The other was Cyril, a young farmers son with a passion for nature photography, and who has dreams of joining the agency responsible for the bears return. We didnt want a film that preached about a particular solution, or privileged one kind of reading of the scenario, Keegan says. It was more about discovering their own character arc, and their own lives. It means his film is complex and knotty, revelling in the contradicting feelings the reintroduction of the bears inspires: a way of life is endangered, and must continue; the natural world is fundamental, and probably shouldnt be meddled with; the young have dreams, and ought to be respected. There are no easy answers, but plenty of perspectives to provide viewers with food for thought. For Keegan himself, the film had an even greater impact. It made me question what were collectively doing at the moment, and actually how good a deal people our age are getting, he says. So many of us are struggling with money, and will never own houses. Were depressed. Were stuck scraping up the crumbs of the generations that have gone before us. But there is another life that is possible. We just need to be brave enough to jump into it. And get to it before it disappears. The Shepherd and the Bear is in cinemas Get the inside track from Roisin O'Connor with our free weekly music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Get our free music newsletter Now Hear This Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Dont let the crunchy industrial electronica and skittering trap beats of early singles Pixelated Kisses and Last of Dying Breed fool you. The majority of George Kunusoki Millers fourth album as Joji, Piss in the Wind, is saturated with the maudlin, self-defeating ruminations weve come to expect from the former YouTube memelord (AKA Filthy Frank) turned sadboy musician. This is a record on which the enigmatic Japanese-Australian artist best known for his 2022 piano ballad Glimpse of Us conjures a restless inertia over 19 sketchy tracks that never reach the three-minute mark. Looking back at reviews of Jojis last album, Smithereens, I noticed the word underdeveloped got thrown around a lot. Hes since left his former label, 88Rising, and is releasing Piss in the Wind under his own, Palace Creek. Now he doubles down on the lo-fi sound and impressionistic songwriting in a way that suggests the nagging incompleteness in the material is intentional. It feels like a sonic extension of the thwarted yearning of which Miller sings. This can feel frustrating. But many of the comments posted on YouTube beneath the one minute 50 second single Pixelated Kisses find fans wishing the track were longer, suggesting Miller has nailed the art of leaving his audience wanting more. As a man who made his name online with quick, attention-grabbing, dopamine hits of comedy, Miller now makes music that deals with the fallout of the internets silly highs evoking the twitchy depression of the doomscrollers quest for unattainable connection. His primarily self-produced, platinum-selling 2018 debut Ballads 1 was enlivened by the contributions of a host of guest artists and producers including Thundercat, Clams Casino, Trippie Red and Ryan Hemsworth. On Piss in the Wind, Millers melancholy expressions of feeling like a little birdy stuck in the nest on Silhouette Man are met by Californian neo-soul crooner Giveons confession that hes breathing in the night. Over the muffled piano and distorted, car-next-door beat of Piece of You, the Texan rapper Don Toliver pours out his heart from the bathroom floor. On the more muscular, intentional synth throb of Fragments, experimental rapper Yeat is stressing on the murkily vocodered Rose Coloured, while and 4batz acceptsfading to black on the hushed, melodic dreamscape of Fade to Black. Miller delivers a surprisingly punchy, muttered rap-rhythm on Cigarette, which finds him repeating the lines: Cigarette died/ Cigarette died/ Not again/ Never mind/ I can read your mind through the black tint. Theres an subtle emo indie energy to the guitars of Love You Less with its pleading chorus and a sloshy romance to Hotel California. Millers mournful vocals reach gracefully into falsetto range on songs like Cant See S*** in the Club where he proves that hes as lost in real life as he is online. The pretty piano lines of Horses to Water are balanced by gnomic pronouncements: Its all the legs... It all tastes the same. The sound thickens and smudges out towards the final two tracks, Strange Home and Dior. There are no stand out, Glimpse of Us-style radio hits here; while The Past Won't Leave My Bed has a stab at some big walloping drums it never quite soars. Its probably intentional. Listening to Piss in the Wind can be a pretty gloomy experience, as it piles futility on futility. Ideas and tunes go unfinished. Yet its graceful, open ended melodies and raw emotions also tune into a very human ghost in the machine. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Eagle-eyed Bridgerton viewers have called out the Netflix shows editors for failing to catch an anachronistic accessory in the brand new episodes. Fans spotted a small, flesh-colored Band-Aid on the ear of Katie Leung who plays Lady Araminta during a scene in season four. The patch was presumably left on the actor by accident to cover up a cartilage piercing. While Bridgerton has not always stuck to historical accuracy for its early 19th-century setting, some social media users were perplexed to see a Band-Aid, which was not invented until 1920. Its a cover-up for an ear piercing, one person speculated on a TikTok, pointing out the mistake. Another wrote, Yeah, I wish they had covered it better like put a fancy ear cuff up there or something. The person who made the original post responded, Very true. She isnt wearing it in other scenes so maybe they just forgot while doing takes. I am obsessed with the outfits so of course Im analyzing every detail. open image in gallery 'Bridgerton' viewers spotted an anachronistic detail in one of Katie Leung's costumes in season four ( Netflix ) open image in gallery Katie Leung appears to be wearing a flesh-colored bandaid on her ear in one of her scenes ( Netflix ) Netflix did not immediately return The Independents request for comment. As some commenters on the post noted, the show has used fake eyelashes and nails in the past. Guys its Bridgerton. its not supposed to be historically accurate, one person pointed out. Others criticized the viewers for calling out the error in the first place. One wrote: I dont get why anyone cares about this stuff tbh. Its very subtle and Bridgerton clearly doesnt care about historical accuracy. People in the comments complaining about seeing piercing holes the actors have are wild. They have a lives outside of their roles why do you even care about a teeny tiny hole in their ear or cheek? Another viewer added, Yall need to learn to just watch and move on. Its not that serious. I didnt even notice something so small . This is not the first time that Netflix has been called out for leaving a historically inaccurate detail in the final edit. When the fifth and final season of Stranger Things was released on the platform in December, viewers complained about seeing an Under Armour logo on the shirt that character Holly Wheeler was wearing in a scene. Under Armour was not founded until 1996 nine years after the episode was set in 1987. A week after the volume came out, Netflix quietly removed the sportswear logo from the scene. Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice In a week the royals would like to forget, with Andrew moving out of Royal Lodge under cover of darkness following fresh Epstein revelations, comes a new documentary about King Charless environmental philosophy. Finding Harmony: A Kings Vision drops on Amazon, which also funded 2024s A Very Royal Scandal, dramatising that car-crash Newsnight interview. Its Charless honest attempt to show that his five decades of indefatigable green crusading werent just royal eccentricity but a roadmap for survival. This is his first major film since becoming King, though royal documentaries have become oddly ubiquitous. Once a rare event the BBC and ITVs fly-on-the-palace-wall Royal Family in 1969 was watched by more than half of Britain they now arrive in a steady stream. Take your pick from Harry and Meghans Netflix output, Channel 5s Saturday night specials, Prince William revealing his plans for the monarchy on Apple TV. Charless offering, lavishly shot by Human Planet director Nicolas Brown, is a languorous 90 minutes, with narration from Oscar-winning actor Kate Winslet. What is the opposite of harmony? she asks at the start. We could argue its a disconnection like being cut off from each other and from nature. The film positions Charles as a misunderstood prophet vindicated by history. At 21, he warned about pollutions cancerous forms when few public figures discussed such things. By the 1980s, when he went organic at Highgrove, the mockery was fierce. The Sun called him A-loon with his worms; The Times dismissed organic farming as some kind of drop-out for hippies; even The Archers piled on in 1985, with the farmers of Ambridge scoffing at his methods What do you mean organic? You mean with no chemicals, just lots and lots of manure? The moment that truly haunted him, as Winslet puts it, came in a 1986 ITV interview when Charles admitted he liked to talk to the plants. Very important to talk to them. They respond. The Irish Independent declared he was going completely off his trolley. The film mines these clips for maximum effect: see, he was right all along, the narrative is at pains to say. As Charles explains his philosophy: It all boils down to the fact that we are actually nature ourselves: we are a part of it, not apart from it, which is really how things have been presented for so long. open image in gallery The King at Dumfries House during the filming for his new documentary ( The Kings Foundation/Prime Video ) Where the documentary works best is in its quieter moments. Charles at Highgrove, noting the cuckoos that have vanished over 45 years: You never hear them now, and there used to be grasshoppers and the place used to hum with that wonderful sound. When asked if hes worried about the state of the world, he replies with pained resignation: Of course. Its been my main motivation for a long, long time. Later on, he says: I can only do what I can do, which isnt very much. Theres something affecting about watching him tend his chickens at Cluckingham Palace, collecting eggs while they strut around him. The bees get their moment too, at HMP Bristol, where prisoners learn beekeeping because the natural world will teach them about relationships, how to think as an ecosystem. Its all very earnest. Maybe by the time I shuffle off this mortal coil, there might be a little more awareness King Charles Less endearing is the relentless evangelism for harmony. The word gets such a thorough workout that it begins to feel less like a philosophy than a device designed to hypnotise you. The films central thesis is that theres an innate harmony and interconnectedness binding all things together, supported by what Winslet calls sacred geometry or the grammar of harmony. Patterns from microscopic organisms to the human body up to the eight-year-long shapes made by Venus are united by natural mathematics with a profound effect on our emotions and our wellbeing". This conflation of science with mystical beliefs was the sort of thing for which Charless 2010 book Harmony was criticised. open image in gallery Charles photographed in the arboretum at Highgrove House ( Millie Pilkington/Buckingham Palace/Prime Video ) From here, the film takes us on a world tour of harmony in action. At Dumfries House the Palladian mansion in southwest Scotland that Charles helped save in 2007 the Kings Foundation now trains 10,000 people a year in traditional skills and sustainable living, revitalising what had been an economically struggling area. In Afghanistan, the Turquoise Mountain Foundation has been clearing rubble as well as providing water, electricity and healthcare since 2006, and remarkably continues operating despite the Talibans return in 2021. Then theres Poundbury, Charless housing development on Duchy of Cornwall land outside Dorchester, built according to his architectural principles with mixed housing, traditional design and green spaces within walking distance. I tried to demonstrate how harmony in practice could be made to work rather than just talk about all these things, he says. To see: is there something here to learn from? open image in gallery Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet watch as Charles speaks during a ceremony marking the Kings Foundations 35th anniversary in January 2025 ( PA ) The important message at the heart of this film is just about enough to keep the hagiographic tendencies if not at bay, at least subdued. This is despite plenty of backslapping and cheerleading from talking heads such as Patrick Holden (Sustainable Food Trust founder) and Tony Juniper (an ecologist and author). Though Finding Harmony: A Kings Vision feels overlong, in desperate need of a pruning here and there, it is a powerful call to action, and the pull of the King will guarantee it gets heard. Of course the timing of all this matters. Donald Trump pushes the lie that climate change is a con job, so theres value in Charles stating basic truths: People just dont understand that its not just climate change but its also biodiversity loss. Were actually destroying our means of survival all the time, he says, before hoping plaintively. Maybe by the time I shuffle off this mortal coil, there might be a little more awareness. Given the state were all in, that flicker of possibility feels worth holding onto. Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice There are few fragrances as widely loved and ridiculed as Dior Sauvage. The woody, peppery scent, which swaggered onto the market in a midnight blue bottle back in 2015, sells at a rate of roughly one every 30 seconds. Thats around 12 million bottles per year, making it the number one scent among all fragrances mens and women's combined. Yet, despite its intense appeal, Sauvage wearers have somehow garnered a reputation that, frankly, stinks. F***boy and red flag: when influencers from the Gen Z and Millennial-focused lifestyle brand Eliza took to the streets of London with a hoodie spritzed with Sauvage and asked pedestrians to blind review the cologne for TikTok, the results were definitive. It reminds me of a young questionable man, one woman said, warily. I wouldnt want to judge a man off of his perfume, but Ive met too many who wear Dior Sauvage. I would run, another man added. I dont think Id even be on this date in the first place. Meanwhile, a second woman admitted the fragrance gives me PTSD because it smells like every boyfriend shes ever had. Although she quite likes it, she knows she shouldnt. The Calabrian bergamot and pepper top notes act as a primal warning to many to flee. Notably, illicitencounters.com polled 2,000 women who had all been cheated on and found 25 per cent said the men whod been unfaithful to them had all worn Dior Sauvage. Before Sauvage in 2015, came Eau Sauvage in 1966, created by perfumer Edmond Roudnitska who wanted to appeal to career men who saw themselves as being refined and sophisticated at a time of carefree hippy freedom. It really set itself out to be for the classic man, says fragrance expert Aamna Lone. The man who gets up and wears a suit and goes to work. If you walk around [Londons business hub] Farringdon now, you can still smell it, she adds of the citrus-first fresh scent. Powerful men today still associate themselves with the smell, to mixed reviews. Upon the release of Prince Harrys tell-all memoir, Spare, the world learned that King Charles would slather the stuff on his cheeks, his neck, his shirt and struggled to smell much else over his own waft. Meanwhile, last Spring, French president Emmanuel Macrons former aide claimed that the politician makes his presence known by dousing himself in industrial amounts of the cologne at all hours of the day. Its not subtle, but its fast, they said. It means: watch out, here I come! Swindlers in the city, perhaps, plump for the same effect. open image in gallery Emmanuel Macron reportedly uses industrial levels of Eau Sauvage ( Soazig de la Moissonniere ) Then came 2015s Sauvage, which was developed by Francois Demachy and aimed at younger men instead with a scent anchored in ambroxan and cedar to give it a warm, woody aroma. Veronique Courtois, chief executive officer of Parfums Christian Dior, has attributed its overwhelming success to its vision of masculinity that was far away from all the stereotypes that existed on the market. She told Womens Wear Daily: It encapsulated something bigger than us. The masculinitys poster boy? Johnny Depp, who was accused of domestic abuse towards his former partner Amber Heard. Depp strongly denies the allegations. He unsuccessfully sued The Sun newspaper in London for describing him as a wife beater, after a judge concluded in 2020 that the description was substantially true. But he later sued Heard personally for describing herself as representing domestic abuse. In 2022, a Virginia jury found Heard's claim was false and defamed Depp, who they awarded $10m compensatory damages. Dior reportedly renewed his contract in 2023 for $20m. Hes always been free, Courtois said. Even though he was a super Hollywood star. Or, perhaps, exactly because of it. Sauvage: a decade of a global phenomenon. Powerful, yet noble. Wild at heart, LVMH Moet Hennessy celebrated on social media on the scents 10th anniversary in September, alongside a video of Depp in a poncho. open image in gallery King Charles slathers himself with Eau Sauvage according to Prince Harry ( Getty ) Number one fragrance in the world with these associations? Its hard to understand whod want to be in the club. Its an incredibly accessible luxury fragrance, says Experimental Perfume Clubs Head of Experience, Noor Khan, of the 60ml bottle of Sauvage that bobs around the 65 mark. A lot of younger guys love it, he explains. Theyre going through a phase where they want girls to be attracted to them and are going on nights out and want to smell their best. They want a fragrance thats a bit powerful. These guys are outgoing and see themselves as an alpha male. While women have slammed Sauvage on social media, many TikToks on the topic are actually of women sneaking into department stores to get a quick fix regardless. [When] you havent smelt a liar and a manipulator in a while, one post reads. Unfortunately, I am addicted to this smell. It smells soooo good to me, another woman laments in the comments. The reason for this? The ambroxane. Its a synthetic ingredient thats highly addictive, explains Khan of the strong musk-like smell. Sometimes, brands will use ambroxane as a pheromone fragrance because its so enticing. Herein lies the pick-up artists superpower. open image in gallery Johnny Depp has been the face of Sauvage since 2015 ( Christian Dior ) While humankind has evolved to understand this alluring scent to be more of a warning youre about to have your heart broken than an invitation to go weak at the knees, there is another way it has begun to backfire: overconsumption. Not only is the whole world wearing it, but buyers are also spraying it on with increasing intensity and leaving innocent bystanders nostrils burning in the streets. This fragrance is not office-friendly, Khan makes clear. These guys have no idea that theres a specific time of day they should be wearing Sauvage. Theyll put loads of it on in the morning and expect it to last all day. It should only be two spritzes on your pulse points: one behind each ear, or on each wrist, then one behind the ankles or knees. Plus, although Macron and men like him might be stinking the place out, they dont experience it like those around them. Its part anosmia, which is where you get accustomed to a fragrance and can no longer smell it on yourself, explains Khan. Dior is prepared for this, offering Sauvage in varying degrees of strength from the original eau de toilette up to the elixir. Youre getting the same fragrance family, but its getting stronger each time, says Khan. Its very much still there. Dont we know it. open image in gallery Not office friendly: Experts advise against wearing Sauvage to work ( Getty ) #NotAllMen who wear Dior Sauvage are toxic or red flags. That being said, the ones who arent may still find those who smell it on them ending up running a mile, thanks to the connotations. Khan and Lone quickly recommend a whole host of alternative scents, including Blue Talisman by Ex Nihilo, By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela, Amoral by Pernoire and Penhaligon's Halfeti. The point is, more is out there. Sauvage, like the potential situationships women on social media fear its spritzed on, has hypnotised us for over a decade. For better, or for worse. There are a lot of fragrance snobs who think Sauvage is basic, says Khan. Theres a lot of backlash about it. But its a fragrance with mass appeal that doesnt happen by accident. Creating something that works on millions in different climates and cultures is very difficult. So, what theyve done is fantastic. That depends who youre talking to. Internet Computer (CRYPTO: ICP) is a cryptocurrency that initially promised to act as a huge decentralized cloud and reshape the internet as we know it. So far, it has not lived up to those expectations. Image source: Getty Images. 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 After trending lower for several years, it surged briefly late last year, then again in mid-January on the back of a white paper that promised to reduce supply growth by 70% by the end of the year. Improved tokenomics can be part of what makes a cryptocurrency valuable, but only when underpinned by solid fundamentals. Internet Computer has since erased those gains. I won't be adding Internet Computer to my portfolio in 2026. It sounds great on paper, but I can't see how it will ever regain investor trust after such a disastrous showing. Moreover, the crypto metrics indicate it hasn't attracted many developers or users. 1. Internet Computer never recovered from its false start Long-term cryptocurrency investors may remember the super-hyped launch of the Internet Computer token in May 2021. The project had huge potential, with an impressive team and big backers such as Andreessen Horowitz and Polychain Capital. The token shot up to $461.65 and at one point was one of the top 10 largest cryptos by market cap. It then dropped dramatically, falling more than 90% in the first few months. It has never come anywhere close to that initial high and is currently trading at about $2.28 -- down more than 99% from its high. It's a shocking descent, even by volatile cryptocurrency standards. There's all kinds of speculation online about how such a high-profile token launch went so wrong. For example, Arkham Intelligence reported that the Dfinity Foundation, the organization behind Internet Computer, hadn't been transparent about token vesting, among other things. That report was later questioned by Crypto Leaks. Investors brought a lawsuit against Dfinity, which a judge dismissed last year. At this point, the damage is done. What matters most is that Internet Computer hasn't been able to shake it off. With thousands of cryptocurrencies out there, investors are extremely unlikely to ever give it a second chance. 2. The numbers don't look good In 2024, Internet Computer said it was uniquely placed to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with blockchain. Its Caffeine platform lets people build apps and websites on the blockchain using natural language. But it hasn't taken off. It seems that even the magic of AI cryptos couldn't stop the price's downward momentum. Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Stuart Green and his three children faced unthinkable tragedy when the mother of his three children, Mia Mascarinas-Green, shot while driving the children home from school. The human rights and environmental laywer was hit in the head by nine bullets during a 2017 attack near their home in the Philippines. The gunmen then turned the gun on the children who were sitting in the back seat but the gun reportedly miraculously jammed. The 18-month-old twins and their nine-year-old sister were physically unharmed although left with the mental scars of witnessing the attack. Within days of the murder which has led to an ongoing case in the Philippines the British-born marine biologist moved back to the UK with the children. A Global Witness report in 2015 found that killings of environmental activists were increasing with at least 116 murdered in 2014. The NGO found the worst-hit countries at the time were Brazil, Colombia, Honuduras and the Phillippines. The dad-of-three is keen to stress that they have not bounced back from the tragedy, but instead have bounced forward, and he has chronicled how his family emerged from the darkness in his book, The Regenerate Leap. Drawing on his work as an ocean regeneration advisor, Green highlights the surprising parallels between ocean regeneration and both family and business life to show how damaged ecosystems and devastated lives both possess the capacity to emerge stronger than before. Its about not just surviving after tragedy, but thriving, he insists. Everyone kept saying just be resilient, says Green, 54. But resilience is about going back to the past, and there was no past for us Mia was gone. We had to leave the country because the kids are eyewitnesses to the murder. So we left everything in 10 days we lost Mummy, and for security reasons we then lost our home, job, schools, everything. So we literally had three bags, but we were lucky because we were able to come back to the UK. I had three little faces looking at me for answers I did not have, and I was supposed to be strong while my whole world was falling apart. So we started from scratch they didnt need magic, they didnt need too many answers, they just needed me to be there. Green wrote 500 journals over the subsequent years, describing them as my only place to put my sanity, but it was only about 18 months ago, when he sensed his children could just be children again and were finally able to have fun, that he felt he could explore what happened and the process his family had come through. I wanted to look at the steps you can walk your family through to come out of what was a pretty horrendous situation and get to a place where the kids miss Mummy and always will do, but were all willing to move on with our lives, he explains. Greens own Regenerate Leap was about learning how to guide his children despite his own grief, and he stresses that as well as being for business and community leaders, his book is for parents facing crises that tear their families apart, like death, divorce and trauma, who still need to provide hope and stability for their children. He says the twins a boy and a girl now aged 10 who he calls James and Grace Jr in the book dont really remember what happened to their mother, although his son had nightmares afterwards, shouting Go away bad man!. His elder daughter, named Grace Sr in the book, remembered what happened, has had counselling and is now 18 and studying law at university. Shes decided to fully confront the devils in her mind, and shes flipped it so that she now wants to follow Mummy in her exact career path, says her proud dad. Green reframed what happened as a car accident to his younger children until they were aged about eight, and they had trauma counselling before he told them what really happened to their mother. They remembered, he says, but its really been hidden deep down, so weve had to pull it out and reframe it for them. I think its very important that they understand what happened and not to be scared about it. And the way weve framed it is that Mummy was very brave, and she stood for her principles on certain things, and these people didnt like that, but we will always stand for our principles. And you cant let people come in and kill you to silence you. For me, thats a very important narrative within our family, that we stand behind Mia and everything she did. We are very proud of her for standing up for her principles. In a bid to help other families and leaders come through crises stronger than they were before, Green outlines a Regenerate Framework in his book to help them understand that their deepest wounds can become their greatest sources of strength and wisdom. The framework has three phases raze, where you clear away what no longer serves a purpose and recognise your new reality; enrich, where you build the capability you need for the future, gaining new skills and support systems; and grow, where you emerge stronger than you were before the crisis by adapting your approach based on your new reality. He explains: Basically, its like a forest fire everything burns down, you raze, you clear out, and if that leaves some lovely compost, you need to seed the compost and build that. And then you get to the grow phase. But you need to go through each of the three phases you cant just jump to grow without going through enrich or raze. He advises parents whove experienced a crisis not to try and understand it initially. Just focus on what you have control over in the first few days, the sense-making will come over time, he says. Then find your angels whos really there for you, whether its your family or your friends, and lean on them. Without some of the angels that I had in those first days, I wouldnt have got through it. Green recalls that he and the kids didnt laugh for many months after Mias death, and then one night he did pizza for dinner, and burned it badly. It was like death by daddy pizza, he remembers. I got really upset about it, and my eldest just started laughing, and then we all laughed. And it was the first time I realised you can still be happy. We call it happy-sad, but you dont have to feel guilty about enjoying life. Slowly when youre ready, let joy come back into your life. My joy really has been working with the kids, theyve become my full purpose, my energy I wouldnt have got through that whole experience without them. So are they happy again now? Happy-sad, he says. Its like the British weather some days are lovely and sunny and some days are wintry and rainy. But theres definitely more sunny days now. The Regenerate Leap by Stuart Green is independently published, priced 14.46. Available now. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice An Alabama man sentenced to death for a fatal shooting during a 1991 robbery will be executed on March 12, even though he didn't pull the trigger. Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday set the execution date using nitrogen gas for Charles Sonny Burton, 75. Burton was convicted as an accomplice in the shooting death of Doug Battle, a customer who was killed during an August 16 robbery that year of an auto parts store in Talladega. Burton did not shoot Battle and was not in the AutoZone store at the time of the fatal shooting. However, prosecutors depicted him as the ringleader of the robbery and sought a death sentence for him. Derrick DeBruce, the man who fired the gun, was sentenced to death but later had his sentence reduced to life imprisonment and died in prison. A cross-section of people, including one of the victims children and some jurors, had urged the governor to consider clemency for Burton. They argued it would be unfair to execute Burton when the triggerman ended up receiving a lesser sentence. open image in gallery Charles "Sonny" Burton ( Matt Schulz via AP ) We are very disappointed that Governor Ivey has opted to set an execution date for Mr. Burton. But we hope and pray that she, like Oklahoma Governor Stitt did in November, still changes her mind and stops this unjust execution of a man who has never taken a life," Matt Schulz, Burtons attorney, said. In the letter notifying the prison commissioner of the date, Ivey wrote that she has no current plans to grant clemency but maintains the authority to grant a reprieve or commutation, if necessary, at any time before the execution is carried out. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall's office had opposed the clemency request. His office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Burton was convicted of capital murder in April 1992 and the jury unanimously recommended the death penalty. That conviction and sentence have been upheld at every level, a spokesperson for the office said in an earlier statement. Schulz noted that in seeking to uphold a death sentence for DeBruce, the state had argued in a 2015 court filing that its would be arguably unjust to affirm a death sentence for Burton but not the person who killed Battle. Ivey has granted clemency once since taking office in 2017. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A man has been charged with the murder of a beloved Chicago charter boat captain six months after he was killed. Alexis Trader, 34, was charged with first-degree murder Thursday in the Labor Day weekend death of Nabil Abzal, 63, who was known by those at DuSable Harbor at Captain Bill. Abzal was sleeping on his charter yacht, named Gone, on August 30, 2025, when Trader allegedly climbed a locked, dock gate and let some friends, a man and two women, onto the pier, according to prosecutors. Surveillance video shows the trespassers entering the area around 2:45 a.m. When the women got onto the boat and began taking photos, Abzal came out and confronted them. Abzal escorted the women off the boat and toward the gate, prosecutors said. As he opened the gate, Trader allegedly approached and struck him. The captain hit his head on a metal part of the gate, then fell into the water and sank beneath the surface, prosecutors said. open image in gallery Alexis Trader, 34, is facing a first-degree murder charge in the Labor Day weekend death of Nabil Abzal ( Chicago Police Department ) Its the equivalent of giving someone a push as they stand next to a cliff, Assistant States Attorney Michael Pekara said. This was an unprovoked attack on a senior citizen. A nearby fisherman heard the splash and was told by Trader that someone had fallen into the water and should be rescued, prosecutors said. The fisherman had a friend call 911, it was reported. Trader also called 911 but did not disclose how Abzal fell into the water and gave police a false name, Young James, prosecutors said. When police and paramedics arrived, Trader again said someone had fallen into the water and pointed to the location where Abzal had gone under but did not mention hitting him, prosecutors said. Trader allegedly then scaled the fence again to retrieve what appeared to be a wallet, then left the scene with the group in a ride-share vehicle. Ten minutes later, Chicago Fire Department divers recovered Abzals body and he was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined he drowned and ruled his death a homicide. An investigation revealed that yacht staff had found blunt wraps and vapes on the boat where the women had been sitting. Investigators later recovered surveillance video showing Trader strike Abzal, prosecutors said. open image in gallery Nabil Abzal died in August 2025 after confronting a group of people who trespassed on his boat in DuSable Harbor ( Provided ) Detectives were also able to identify Trader through body-worn camera footage from a DUI arrest a week earlier. Trader was already in custody on an unrelated aggravated battery case when he was charged in Abzals death. Prosecutors said his criminal history dates back to 2008 and includes burglaries, attempted burglaries and an armed robbery, along with an alleged attack on a gas station attendant in January 2025. In court Thursday, defense attorney Scott Kozicki claimed that no one directly witnessed Trader strike Abzal and argued that his client stayed to help. Did he run? No. He called 911 and told them all the information that he knew, Kozicki said, according to The Chicago Sun Times. Hes trying to help, hes not hiding. But prosecutors argued that Traders actions showed recklessness and deception, including giving a false name and leaving the scene. Judge Hock said Traders history and the alleged violence justified detention. A violent punch in this way of someone whos not expecting it at night, its clear that itll be a strong probability of death or great bodily harm, Hock said. The judge ordered Trader held in jail pending trial. His next court date is scheduled for February 25. Abzals death devastated his loved ones and the boating community. He worked as a licensed charter captain on multiple boats and often slept aboard vessels to avoid commuting from his home in Plainfield, Illinois. I was stunned. I have no words to express how I felt. Its still very surreal, his wife, Laura Abzal, told The Chicago Sun Times at the time. At first, I thought, Oh, my God, he had a heart attack, she added. He was very careful, very safety-conscious. He didnt drink. He never did anything that would impair his judgment. Abzal earned the nickname Captain Bill because many struggled to pronounce his given name. His wife said he fell in love with boating decades ago after a neighbor took him out on a small, beat-up motorboat. He loved [Chicago] and he loved [Lake Michigan], and had it not been against his beliefs, he would want to have been buried in that lake, she said. He never met someone who wasnt a friend. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Florida man is facing first-degree premeditated murder charges after he allegedly shot dead his father-in-law after the man reportedly slapped his mother-in-law. Shaun Simon, 42, has been arrested and jailed after he was accused of shooting dead Bill Toth in Seminole County. The incident allegedly occurred on Tuesday around 11:30 p.m in the Markham Woods neighborhood where Simon lived with his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and his wife, according to WESH. According to court records, Toth's reportedly worsening dementia was causing friction inside the house. Making matters worse, Toth's wife reportedly was suspicious that he was not being faithful. Toths daughter told deputies that on Tuesday night, her father and mother were arguing about their marriage. Toth allegedly slapped his wife in view of his daughter. She says she told her husband, Simon, about the incident, after which Simon confronted Toth, ClickOrlando reports. Shaun Simon, 42, of Sanford, Florida, was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder relating to the shooting death of his father-in-law, Bill Toth ( Seminole County Sheriff's Office ) When Seminole County Sheriff's deputies arrived, Toth was reportedly lying on the floor with a gunshot wound in his chest. Simons wife called 911 after the shooting. Toth was taken for treatment at a local hospital in critical condition but died at the facility around 2:15 a.m. According to Fox 35 Orlando, Simon reportedly told deputies that he shot Toth once in the chest. He also reportedly told investigators that Toth had made his "life miserable," and called the man a narcissist. A neighbor, Jan Hall, told WESH that she thought Toth was a "nice guy" and said she believed he was afraid of Simon, who she described as a "violent man." A judge denied Simon bond during his court appearance on Wednesday. Simon is allowed to have contact with his wife but has been barred from contacting his mother-in-law. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A far-right provocateur and pardoned January 6 rioter has been arrested in Minneapolis for vandalising a "PROSECUTE ICE" sculpture at the Minnesota State Capitol. Jake Lang posted a video of himself on X in which he kicks down the ice installation, which was put in place earlier on Thursday by a veterans group in protest against ICEs presence in Minnesota as part of President Trumps immigration crackdown. Lang, 30, dressed in military-style camouflage, begins the video speaking directly to the camera: President Trump, we support you. We support ICE. Our country was made for Americans, not for Somalis. He then strides over to the sculpture and kicks out the six middle letters, so it reads PRO ICE. open image in gallery Jake Lang, center, who organized the protest March Against Minnesota Fraud, clutches his head as he leaves the rally near Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday, January 17. ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. ) Once the destruction is finished, Lang raises his arms triumphantly to declare: Pro ICE baby! America first, America only. The 30-year-old was seen leaving the area in a vehicle and was subsequently stopped by a state trooper at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and University Avenue, local news affiliate Fox 9 reported; he was arrested without incident and booked into the Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of criminal damage to property. In an update to his original video, Lang posted that he was being charged with a felony for $6000 in damage. Lang, who was among the roughly 1,600 rioters granted clemency by the president on his first day in office for their roles in the events of January 6, travelled to Minneapolis in support of hundreds of federal immigration agents who have flooded Minneapolis in recent weeks. open image in gallery The "PROSECUTE ICE" sculpture was installed at the Minnesota State Capitol by a veterans group on Thursday, January 5. ( @daviss/X ) At a rally in the city on Saturday, January 17, Lang was vastly overwhelmed by counter-protesters who chased him from the citys federal courthouse and targeted him with water balloons amid sub-freezing temperatures. Earlier that day, Langs group played the song Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice and railed against immigrants, who they claimed were replacing white people as counter-protesters shouted them down, according to The Washington Post. Lang, who promised to burn a Quran during the demonstration, branded the rally a CRUSADER MARCH on Little Somalia, referencing the states large Somali population that the administration has accused of widespread fraud as the president expands his mass deportation campaign. The event drew sharp opposition from critics, who derided his march as racist and Islamophobic. open image in gallery Lang, who is now running for the U.S. Senate in Florida, has also said he believes the Proud Boys should be deputized to bounty hunt illegal immigrants ( REUTERS ) Lang, who is now running for the U.S. Senate in Florida, has also said he believes the Proud Boys should be deputized to bounty hunt illegal immigrants. Veteran Jacob Thomas, communications director for Common Defense, the activist group that unveiled the ice sculpture, called for Langs prosecution in a statement shared with Fox 9. "I gave eight years of my life in service to this country in the military, Thomas said. For a January 6 insurrectionist to destroy our display is an attack on the First Amendment veterans like me fought to defend. Like the ICE agents who murdered Alex Pretti and Rebecca Good these criminals need to be prosecuted. Ryan Thomas, a St Paul resident who helped organize Thursdays unveiling, said Langs vandalism was a sad stunt that shouldnt distract from the sculptures message: ICE and the rogue federal agents terrorizing communities, killing and brutalizing people, and clearly breaking the law while they do it must be held accountable by state authorities. Lang ended his video with a call for supporters to join him at another rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The mother of a three-year-old boy, who was killed as his father engaged in a shootout with police in Las Vegas on Tuesday, blames the officers involved for the tragedy. Authorities allege suspect Quinton Baker, 28, killed his son, Kentre, in the early hours of February 3 after snatching him from his mothers home. However, the childs mother, Raneka Pate, 28, has slammed the police reaction to the shooting, instead saying they shot him dead. There was a plethora of bullets... They are trying to play damage control, but they will pay for killing my son, Pate told The Las Vegas Review-Journal in the wake of the tragedy. open image in gallery Kentre, who was killed by his father, police say, had a love of marine animals ( GoFundMe ) Described as pure sunshine in human form by his mother, Kentres death has left his familys hearts broken beyond words, according to a GoFundMe page that has been set up by relatives. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police first became aware of an incident unfolding at an apartment complex near the Strip when a friend of Kentres mother called 911 after 1:00 am. She said Kentres mother had been attacked by Baker in an attempt to kidnap the child. Minutes later, the boys mother called the police and uttered the chilling words, Hes threatening to kill me and my son. Hes going to hurt my baby. Body cam footage shared by Assistant Sheriff Bryan Peterson captured the rest of the incident. open image in gallery Body cam footage caught the moment that a Las Vegas father shot his own son in front of police ( Las Vegas Metropolitan Police ) The footage first shows officers Jonathan Lo and Damon ODonnell meeting the boys mother at her apartment on the South Maryland Parkway, before Baker eventually appears. The suspect can be seen aiming a firearm at his own sons chest, as one of the officers shouts, Stop, stay right there. You need to put that down, man, another officer says. However, the father refused to comply with the demands, advancing towards the officers with the gun still aimed at Kentres chest. He stopped and said he wanted to see the childs mom, and that he was going to kill himself, Peterson told reporters, referring to Baker. Because of the immediate threat to the child, officers discharged their firearm. Simultaneously, Baker discharged his firearm five times. The body-cam footage shows the moment that the police bullet struck Baker, who later died at the scene. An officer immediately picked up Kentre and sprinted toward medical personnel stationed at the front of the apartment complex. open image in gallery Kentres mother launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his funeral, describing him as pure sunshine ( GoFundMe ) Its alright, buddy, he can be heard saying as he runs around 300 yards to get to the medics. Its okay. Kentre later died at a nearby hospital, with detectives determining that he had been struck in the head by a bullet fired by his father. One officer was struck in the foot by another bullet fired by Baker. Both Officers Jonathan Lo and Damon ODonnell have been placed on routine paid administrative leave until the conclusion of a review into the shooting. Meanwhile, a crowdfunding campaign has been launched by Kentres mother to cover funeral expenses, as well as the time away from work needed by the family as they grieve. Kentres mother wrote in the campaigns description that her son had a playful, curious spirit and was fearless with a smile that could melt any heart. The mom also shared that her son had a love for marine life, often regaling his loved ones with facts about the ocean and the animals that live there. He always carried a sea creature with him everywhere he went and had the cutest habit of naming every ocean animal that would enjoy bath time with him and placing them on the edge of the bathtub before actually getting in kind of like a roll call, she continued. She signed off the note by describing herself as Kentres Mommy Shark. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Minneapolis man was arrested Thursday on federal charges of cyberstalking and threatening to kill or assault Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers amid the immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors said 37yearold Kyle Wagner was charged by complaint, and officials will soon decide whether to seek an indictment, which is required to take the case to trial. Court records in Detroit, Michigan, where the case was filed, show no attorney listed to speak for Wagner. The complaint was filed on Tuesday and unsealed on Thursday. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said Wagner doxed and threatened law enforcement officers, claimed affiliation with antifa, and encouraged bloodshed in the streets. When Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that about 700 federal officers deployed to Minnesota would be withdrawn immediately, he said a larger pullout would occur only after theres more cooperation and protesters stop interfering with federal personnel. ( Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images ) President Donald Trump announced in September that he would designate antifa a major terrorist organization. Antifa, short for anti-fascists, is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning militant groups and is not a singular entity. It consists of groups that resist fascists and neo-Nazis, especially at demonstrations. When Trump administration border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday that about 700 federal officers deployed to Minnesota would be withdrawn immediately, he said a larger pullout would occur only after theres more cooperation and protesters stop interfering with federal personnel. According to prosecutors, Wagner repeatedly posted on Facebook and Instagram encouraging his followers to forcibly confront, assault, impede, oppose, and resist federal officers whom he referred to as the gestapo and murderers. The complaint alleges Wagner posted a video last month that directly threatened ICE officers with an obscenity-laden rant. Ive already bled for this city, Ive already fought for this city, this is nothing new, were ready this time," he said, concluding that he was coming for ICE. The complaint further alleges that Wagner advocated for physical confrontation in another post, stating: Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them. It also details how Wagner used his Instagram account to dox a person identified only as a pro-ICE individual by publishing a phone number, birth month and year, and address in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan. The complaint says Wagner later admitted that he doxed the victims parents house. Federal prosecutors didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on why the case was filed in Michigan instead of Minnesota. The alleged doxing was the only Michigan connection listed in the complaint. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Luigi Mangione shouted at a judge in an emotional outburst in court Friday as a trial date was set over the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Its the same trial twice, Mangione yelled as he was led out of court. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition. Mangione, 27, made the remarks after the judge scheduled his state murder trial to begin June 8, three months before jury selection in his federal case. Judge Gregory Carro, matter-of-fact in his decision after a lengthy discussion with prosecutors and defense lawyers at the bench, said the state trial could be delayed until Sept 8 if an appeal delays the federal trial. Mangiones lawyers objected to the June trial date, telling Carro that at that time, they'll be consumed with preparing for the federal trial, which involves allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him. Last week, the judge in his federal case ruled that prosecutors cant seek the death penalty ( Getty Images ) Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation," defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. "This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices. The defense will not be ready on June 8," she added. Be ready, Carro replied. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, both of which carry the possibility of life in prison. Last week, the judge in the federal case ruled that prosecutors cant seek the death penalty. Jury selection in the federal case is set for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and testimony on Oct. 13. Wearing a tan jail suit, Mangione sat quietly at the defense table until his outburst at the end of the hearing. As the trial calendar began to take shape, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann sent a letter to Carro asking him to begin the New York trial on July 1. The prosecutor argued that the states interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay until after the federal trial. Under the law, he said, the state has priority of jurisdiction for purposes of trial, sentencing and incarceration" because Mangione was arrested by New York City police, not federal authorities. When Mangione was arrested, federal prosecutors said anticipated that the state trial would go first. Seidemann told Carro on Friday that Thompsons family has also expressed a desire to see the state trial happen first. It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, go first, Carro said Friday. Scheduling the state trial first could help Manhattan prosecutors avoid double jeopardy issues. Under New York law, the district attorneys office could be barred from trying Mangione if his federal trial happens first. The states double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. The cases involve different charges but the same alleged course of conduct. Mangione isnt due in court again in the state case until May, when Carro is expected to rule on a defense request to exclude certain evidence that prosecutors say connects Mangione to the killing. Those items include a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which they say he described his intent to wack a health insurance executive. Last week, Garnett ruled that prosecutors can use those items at that trial. In September, Carro threw out state terrorism charges but kept the rest of the case, including an intentional murder charge. Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Groups annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say delay, deny and depose were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A Florida man has admitted to snapping his 76-year-old grandmothers neck after she poked him in the back with a steak knife, police say. According to an arrest report, Nicholas Ivey, 29, also repeatedly punched and stomped on her head while she was lying on the ground during the violent attack in Vero Beach, south of Orlando, last Sunday. In interviews with detectives from the Indian River County Sheriff's Office, Ivey admitted to killing his grandmother, saying she had come at him with a kitchen steak knife and poked him in the back; details from the arrest report were summarized by local news affiliate CBS 12. The arrest report described how Ivey, who stands 61 and weighs 350 lbs, moved his grandmothers body to a bedroom, and proceeded to clean up the scene; wiping blood from the floor with towels, washing his bloody sweatshirt, and placing the knife in a drawer. open image in gallery Nicholas Ivey, 29, has admitted snapping his grandmother's neck and stomping on her head, according to an arrest report filed by the local sheriff's office. ( Indian River County Sheriffs Office ) Following the alleged murder, he took his grandmothers credit cards and Nissan sedan and drove to a nearby store, where he bought beer and cigarettes. After returning home, he called his dad and confessed to killing his grandmother, Patricia Dibella, the arrest report said. He said the reason he hadnt called 911 immediately was that he first wanted to discuss the situation with his father. Iveys dad contacted the sheriffs office, and deputies went to perform a welfare check at Dibellas apartment on the evening of Monday, February 2. When they arrived around 8:15 pm, they found a womans body lying diagonally on a bed; when they tried to lift her arm, it was extremely stiff. Ivey was subsequently taken into custody and told deputies he was in the same sweatshirt hed been wearing when he had killed his grandmother the previous evening. "She came at me with a knife, he told law enforcement, according to the arrest report. open image in gallery Patricia Dibella, 76, lived at this Fairway Circle residential community in Vero Beach, Florida. ( Google Maps ) Once at the sheriffs office, the report said, he was taken to the Criminal Investigations Division and confessed to killing Dibella. The sheriffs office and medical examiners office processed the crime scene and secured the Nissan sedan for forensic examination, and Dibellas next of kin was notified of her death. Authorities are yet to file charges against Ivey over the death of his grandmother, but he faces a raft of other counts in the meantime, including grand theft auto, criminal use of personal identification, unlawful possession of stolen credit cards, and fraudulent use of credit cards. Ivey is being held on a total of $400,000 bond at the Indian River County Jail; his arraignment is scheduled for March 10. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A $13.5 million settlement has been reached for six children who were placed in an abusive California home after being rescued from horrific conditions in their parents care, according to the settlement documents. Riverside County will pay $2.25 million to six of the Turpin children, most now adults, while the care agency ChildNet will contribute $11.25 million. The settlement follows a civil lawsuit claiming that the Olguin family, who took in the children after their 2018 rescue, physically abused them, striking them with sandals, pulling their hair, forcing them to eat vomit, and making them recount their trauma. The lawsuit also alleged sexual abuse by Marcelino Olguin, who was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison for abusing children in his care. His wife and adult daughter received probation for child cruelty. The childrens attorneys said Wednesday that the settlement closes cases that helped drive significant improvements in Riverside Countys child welfare system. The childrens attorneys said Wednesday that the settlement closes cases that helped drive significant improvements in Riverside Countys child welfare system. ( AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes ) These concrete and long-overdue steps toward improving child safety were accomplished as a direct result of the Turpins bravely coming forward and insisting that their suffering lead to meaningful change to protect other children, attorneys Roger Booth and Elan Zektser said in the statement. Their courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to protecting other foster children is extraordinary. The six children were rescued along with seven other siblings from the Perris, California, home of their parents in 2018. David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children, starving them and providing only a minimal education. The Turpin parents were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. In the settlement agreement, Riverside County and ChildNet denied the allegations in the civil lawsuit. Riverside County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen said in a statement that the county is committed to the wellbeing and long-term healing of all 13 siblings and has made changes since the case came to light, including increased coordination between child welfare and law enforcement agencies and growing the number of trained social workers. The trauma endured by this family is heartbreaking. The abuse these children suffered in both their biological and adoptive homes was tragic and unacceptable, Van Wagenen said. No one wants this to happen again. Eric Rose, a spokesperson for ChildNet, said in a statement that the agency did not receive complaints or allegations of abuse while the children were in the agency's foster care program, but rather after the children were no longer in ChildNet's care. Our mission has always been, and remains, to help vulnerable children heal, grow, and succeed. That mission guided every decision in this case and continues to guide our work today, Rose said. A report found that the social service system failed the Turpin children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 when they were rescued by authorities after their 17-year-old sister escaped and called 911. Eventually, six of the children were placed with the Olguins. This story was originally published on C-Store Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily C-Store Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Tony Harris, senior vice president of corporate operations for 7-Eleven, stepped down from the convenience retailer at the end of last week, according to an internal memo seen by C-Store Dive. Harris last day with 7-Eleven was Feb. 1, according to the memo, which was signed by Treasa Bowers, executive vice president and chief people and sustainability officer. Neither Harris nor representatives from 7-Eleven responded by press time when asked to comment on his departure. Harris played a significant role in 7-Elevens leadership team, supporting the growth and profitability of its thousands of corporate-owned convenience stores across the U.S. and Canada. Dive Insight: When Harris joined 7-Eleven in late 2023, he announced that hed be working with over 6,000 company-owned c-stores and more than 60,000 team members. According to the memo detailing his departure, 7-Eleven hired Harris to lead what was at the time a newly established corporate operations organization. About a month after his hiring, 7-Eleven made one of its largest acquisitions in recent years when it bought more than 200 Stripes-branded c-stores from Sunoco for about $1 billion. According to the memo, Harris also helped incorporate Speedways locations into 7-Elevens network, a process that has taken years since 7-Eleven acquired the former competitors 3,800 locations back in 2021. While at the helm, Tony was able to successfully integrate 7-Eleven and Speedway corporate stores into one unified team focused on raising the bar for store execution and customer service, Bowers wrote in the memo. 7-Eleven In the wake of Harris departure, Doug Rosencrans, executive vice president, chief operating officer and interim co-CEO, will oversee 7-Elevens corporate operations organization, according to the memo. This adds yet another series of key responsibilities to Rosencrans, whose experience makes him a possible front-runner to become 7-Eleven's next CEO in the aftermath of Joseph DePintos retirement. Prior to joining 7-Eleven, Harris held executive leadership roles in the c-store industry for over two decades. He has been EVP and COO for GetGo Cafe + Markets, now a division of Alimentation Couche-Tard; chief marketing and merchandising officer for MAPCO Express, now owned by Majors Management; senior vice president for EG Americas Cumberland Farms; and president and COO of BP-owned Thorntons. Harris exit continues a flurry of executive departures from 7-Eleven in the past month. Since the end of 2025, DePinto has retired and chief marketing officer Marissa Jarratt left for undisclosed reasons. The leadership shakeups come in a year that promises seismic change for 7-Eleven, including a planned initial public offering in North America. Join the Independent Women newsletter with Victoria Richards for a thoughtful take on the weeks headlines Join the Independent Women newsletter Join the Independent Women newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A federal jury in Phoenix ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a passenger Thursday who said she was raped by a driver, deeming the driver an agent of the rideshare company in a verdict that could influence thousands of similar cases nationwide. The nine-member jury awarded the compensatory damages to Jaylynn Dean, who was 19 at the time of the alleged assault. Dean said she suffered lasting harm after an Uber driver raped her during a November 2023 ride to her hotel from her boyfriends apartment in Tempe, Arizona. Uber has long maintained that it is not responsible for the misconduct of drivers, classifying them as independent contractors rather than employees. However, jurors in Deans case rejected that argument, concluding the driver was acting as an agent of Uber at the time of the assault, making the company legally responsible. The trial was the second bellwether case in a multidistrict litigation consolidating more than 3,000 sexual assault and sexual misconduct claims against Uber. In the first bellwether trial, a California jury ruled that Uber is not liable for the sexual assault of a woman who said she was attacked by her driver during a ride she booked through the app. Bellwether trials are designed to test legal arguments and evidence, helping shape how remaining cases may be valued or resolved, though the verdict does not determine the outcomes of other lawsuits. open image in gallery A federal jury in Phoenix awarded Jaylynn Dean damages after deeming a male driver acted as an agent of Uber after he allegedly raped her during a November 2023 ride in Tempe, Arizona ( Getty Images ) Over the course of the three-week trial, jurors heard Deans detailed account of the alleged assault alongside testimony from Uber executives and reviewed extensive internal company documents, the New York Times reports. Some records indicated Uber had flagged Deans ride as higher risk shortly before pickup, particularly because she was a woman traveling alone at night, but she was not warned. An Uber executive testified that issuing such a warning would have been impractical, while Deans attorneys argued it could have prevented the assault, according to the outlet. Dean described how, after celebrating passing a test for her flight attendant training, she ordered an Uber ride back to her hotel while intoxicated. She accused the driver of asking her harassing questions on the ride before pulling into a dark parking lot, climbing into the backseat, and raping her. She reported the assault to police and Uber, which banned the driver, though he was not criminally charged or named in the lawsuit. The attack derailed Deans career plans, prompting her to move back home to Oklahoma, she said. She now works as an emergency medical services dispatcher while attending nursing school and continues to experience trauma, including fear of the dark, sleeping with the lights on, and sometimes even in her parents bed. I want to make sure it doesnt happen to other women, Dean said on the witness stand, according to the Times. Im doing this for other women who thought the same thing I did, that they were making the safe and smart choice but that, you know, there are risks of being assaulted. Ubers lawyers reportedly said that the driver had no criminal history, was highly rated and had completed training. They also highlighted the companys safety measures, including risk-assessment technology and public reporting of incidents. Meanwhile, Deans attorneys presented documents suggesting Uber resisted implementing certain safety measures, such as in-car cameras, out of concern that additional safeguards could slow company growth. In closing arguments, Deans lawyer said Uber marketed its service as a safe option for women traveling late at night, despite internal knowledge of substantial risk factors that left riders vulnerable. open image in gallery The trial was the second bellwether in a multidistrict litigation of over 3,000 Uber sexual assault claims, testing legal arguments and shaping how future cases may be resolved ( Getty Images ) The jury awarded far less than the $144 million Deans lawyers sought, declining heavier penalties because it did not find Ubers actions outrageous, oppressive or intolerable or creating substantial risk or significant harm. This verdict affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety, an Uber spokesperson told The Independent.We will continue to put safety at the heart of everything we do. The spokesperson added that the company plans to appeal the verdict, arguing that the court provided improper instructions to the jury. From 2017 to 2022, Uber received a report of sexual misconduct from U.S. riders every eight minutes, totaling over 400,000 trips, though its 2022 safety report listed only 12,522 incidents, the Times reported in August. Uber responded days after the Tunes report, claiming most of the 400,000-plus misconduct reports were minor, non-physical incidents like flirting or staring. Many reports have not been thoroughly vetted, and serious assaults were extremely rare, affecting just 0.00002 percent of U.S. trips about 1 in 5 million. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Chinese scientists have developed a compact ultra-powerful energy generator, paving the way for next-generation weapons that could one day be turned on satellite swarms like SpaceXs Starlink constellation. High-power microwave weapons have gained traction in recent years as a low-cost alternative to missiles and guns due to their near-unlimited firing capacity. Researchers in the US, Russia, and China in particular have all been investigating whether the technology could be developed into directed-energy weapons that can disrupt satellites. Destroying a satellite in space is a messy business, with conventional weapons likely to create large amounts of orbiting debris that can have unpredictable consequences, including for a nations own satellites. In theory at least, microwave weapons could disable a satellite with the creation of minimal debris and allow for plausible deniability, making them strategically advantageous. These weapons operate by storing electrical energy and releasing it all at once in a powerful pulse similar to a Tesla coil. The massive power spike they are capable of producing can run microwave generators, which in turn can be used to disrupt electronics. Until now most prototypes for these pulse generators have been large, measuring at least 10 metres long and weighing over 10 tons, making them difficult to install in smaller weapons systems. Pulsed power generator TPG1000Cs ( High Power Laser and Particle Beams (2025) ) In a new study, Chinese scientists from the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT) used a special liquid insulating material, dubbed Midel 7131, to achieve higher energy storage density, stronger insulation, and reduced energy loss, helping create an overall much more efficient and smaller device. By adopting a high-energy-density liquid dielectric Midel 7131 and a dual-width pulse-forming line, the study achieved miniaturisation of an integrated Tesla transformer and pulse-forming system, scientists wrote in the study published in the journal High Power Laser and Particle Beams. Measuring just four metres (13 feet) long and weighing only five tons, the new device is the worlds first compact driver for a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon. Designated TPG1000Cs, it is small enough to be mounted on trucks, aircraft, and even other satellites, researchers say. The system has demonstrated stable operation over continuous one-minute durations, accumulating approximately 200,000 pulses with consistent performance, researchers wrote. Experts say a ground-based microwave weapon with an output over 1 gigawatt (GW) could severely disrupt Starlink satellites in orbit. TPG1000Cs can achieve extremely powerful electrical pulses reaching 20 GWs, researchers said, according to SCMP. China has published a number of studies stating the need to find ways to disrupt Elon Musks Starlink satellites. "The potential military application value of the Starlink megaconstellation has been highlighted in the Russia-Ukraine conflict," Chinese researchers from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics wrote in a study earlier this year. "In recent years, the militarisation of space has intensified, posing a significant threat to China's space security. It is particularly important to track and monitor its operational status," they wrote in the research published in the journal Systems Engineering and Electronics. Last year, scientists from Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), which consistently contributes to Chinas defence research, simulated a way to disrupt Starlink satellites spread over an area the size of Taiwan. Private sector hiring started 2026 practically stuck in neutral, according to a new report, with companies adding only 22,000 jobs in January. The report Wednesday from the payroll processing firm ADP showed that the jobs market sluggishness that defined the end of 2025 continued into this year. Total jobs growth would have been negative if it weren't for 74,000 jobs added in the education and health services sector, according to the ADP report. Manufacturing has lost jobs every month for almost two years, the firm said, helping lead the slowdown along with professional and business services and large employers. The data will be even more closely watched than usual given that the Bureau of Labor Statistics is delaying Friday's release of the January jobs report due to the brief partial government shutdown this week. Job creation took a step back in 2025, with private employers adding 398,000 jobs, down from 771,000 in 2024, Nela Richardson, ADP's chief economist, said in a statement. While we've seen a continuous and dramatic slowdown in job creation for the past three years, wage growth has remained stable. ADP's December report showed that while private employment ticked up overall, job losses remained significant and, more tellingly, remain concentrated in business services and IT sectors tied to corporate investment, tech, and white-collar work. Manufacturing payrolls kept shrinking, too. And the federal government's December jobs report, while showing modest growth to end 2025, did little to quiet growing questions about whether the economy is stabilizing, stuck in a prolonged no-hire, no-fire limbo or outright weakening. On the surface, the headline numbers suggested an economy still adding jobs, albeit at a sluggish pace. But there were worrying signs. One of the most striking developments in the report was a sharp 25,000 decline in retail employment, an unusual contraction even accounting for the way the BLS numbers smooth out seasonal effects. Losing retail jobs suggests a quiet but deeper pullback either because planned hiring never fully materialized, or because companies are actively cutting costs regardless of consumer spending. Catherine Baab contributed to this article. (Refiles to clarify the company's CEO Jeff Lin is speaking in paragraph 5) TAIPEI, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence is not a bubble, and 2026 AI-related order growth will be more than last year, Simon Lin, the chairman of Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron, said on Friday. "We believe AI really does help all industries, so I don't think it's a bubble; I think it will mark a new era. A new AI era is arriving," Lin, whose company is an Nvidia supplier, told reporters in Taipei. More from Yahoo Scout What is Wistron's outlook on AI market growth? Why does Wistron believe AI isn't a bubble? How will Wistron's US facilities support Nvidia? What are Wistron's production timeline and capacity plans? Wistron's order situation is good up into 2027, and for this year growth will be "significant" compared with the prior year, he added. The company said last year that its new U.S. manufacturing facilities for Nvidia would be ready in 2026 and the firm was in talks with other potential customers. Volume production there will start in the first half of this year, the company's CEO Jeff Lin said. Part of the facilities will be used by Nvidia to support its plan to build AI servers worth up to $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. The U.S. firm said last April it planned to build supercomputer manufacturing plants in Texas, partnering with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas. (Reporting by Wen-Yee Lee. Writing by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Mark Potter) Adell Brown is former project director of the Collective Healing Initiative and a member of 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge. Advertisement NationalNSWIsraeli-Palestinian conflict Albanese defends Herzog visit as Minns invokes rare police powers Michaela Whitbourn and Mike Foley Updated February 7, 2026 5:40pm ,first published February 7, 2026 10:13am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his decision to invite Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Australia, as the NSW government invoked rare police powers ahead of planned protests when he arrives in Sydney this week. Albanese acknowledged there were mixed views about Herzogs visit among the community but said he was coming as a statesman of Israel, arguing his position was equivalent to Australias governor-general. Israeli President Isaac Herzog will arrive in Sydney on Monday. Kate Geraghty President Herzog is coming in the context of the devastating antisemitic terrorist attack that occurred at Bondi, the prime minister said on Saturday. The visit of President Herzog is to support the Jewish community at what has been a very difficult time. Herzog was invited by Albanese to visit Australia after the Bondi terror attack in December. The pair will meet with the families of victims of the Bondi attack and hold talks with political leaders. Advertisement The visit has prompted pro-Palestine activists to prepare for a nationwide day of protests to coincide with Herzogs arrival on Monday. A United Nations commission of inquiry found Herzog and other Israeli officials were liable to prosecution for incitement to genocide for comments made after the October 7 attack by Hamas in 2023. Albanese said people have the right to express their views in democracies like Australia and Israel, but he hoped people were respectful of the purpose of the visit. Premier Chris Minns called for calm, respect and co-operation as he announced additional powers for police to separate and move on crowds in Sydney during the visit. The citys protest restrictions were also extended last week. NSW Premier Chris Minns speaks to reporters, flanked by Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley, and Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper. Max Mason-Hubers Its really important that theres no clashes or violence on the streets of Sydney, Minns said at a press conference. We can disagree without it resorting to clashes or violence ... In fact, that would be devastating for everybody, regardless of your cause. Advertisement The government announced on Saturday it had declared the visit a major event under the Major Events Act. The legislation is typically invoked to manage crowds during sporting events, such as Marchs AFC Womens Asian Cup. Minns urged people to avoid the Sydney CBD on Monday afternoon unless its absolutely essential, confirming there would be a massive policing presence. On Friday, it was revealed 500 NSW Police officers had been assigned to the protest. The major events declaration was made by Tourism Minister Stephen Kamper on Friday. The powers extend from Monday to Thursday and cover a major event area across Sydneys CBD and eastern suburbs. The area declared to be a major event area under the Minns governments declaration. NSW Government Gazette Advertisement This is an important visit for our country, and it matters deeply to the Jewish community of NSW as they continue to mourn and recover from the horrific terrorist attack on 14 December, Minns said. [We] cannot allow a situation where mourners and protesters come into close contact on city streets without strong police presence. Police Minister Yasmin Catley said Herzog was coming to mourn with our Australian Jewish community after the state lost 15 people at the end of last year in the worst terrorist event that this country has ever seen. The area covered by the major event declaration was placed under additional 14-day protest restrictions by Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon last week. Under those arrangements, police may blanket-refuse all applications for protest marches within the area, leaving participants exposed to potential criminal sanction for obstructing traffic and pedestrians. Advertisement On Saturday, Lanyon said he was aware the Palestine Action Group was proposing a rally from Town Hall through the Sydney CBD, in an area unauthorised for a march. He said police had offered to facilitate a march from Hyde Park north through to the south of Sydney. Related Article Protests Labor MPs to defy protest restrictions for Israeli president visit We are very keen to ensure a safe and responsible protest, he said. Lanyon said the declaration gave police greater powers to give directions to people to move out of an area and to conduct searches, but they did not intend to use them unless we need to. In a statement, Palestine Action Group Sydney said it would be exercising [its] democratic and lawful right to protest against the touring of a war criminal, criticising Minns decision to invoke the rare powers ahead of the visit. Advertisement We call on the NSW Police to facilitate a peaceful march to NSW parliament, which is within their power, the group said. More than a dozen state and federal politicians, including NSW Labor upper house MPs Stephen Lawrence and Cameron Murphy and several Greens MPs, have written to Lanyon to express support for the planned march from Town Hall to Parliament House. The state government said the major event powers would allow police to maintain separation between different groups, and reduce the risk of confrontation in busy parts of the city. These arrangements are not a ban on protests or marches. People retain the right to express their views lawfully, its statement read. Under the legislation, police may limit the number of persons who may enter a major event area or any part of it, and prohibit categories of persons from entering the area. Advertisement Penalties for failure to comply include fines of up to $5500. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Amazon logo is seen on the online retailer's logistics center in Dummerstof. Jens Buttner/dpa Online retail giant Amazon disappointed investors with plans to invest around $200 billion this year in areas including artificial intelligence (AI), chips, robotics and satellites. The company's share price fell by around 8% in after-hours trading on Thursday. Chief executive officer Andy Jassy said that the company expected "strong long-term return on invested capital." Amazon wants to establish itself for the AI era with its cloud division AWS, which already supplies many companies with computing power. Revenue from the AWS division grew by 24% year-on-year to $35.6 billion in the last quarter, exceeding analysts' average expectations. AI race among tech giants Other tech companies are also investing heavily in expanding their AI capabilities. On Wednesday, Google's parent company Alphabet announced capital investments of between $175 billion and $185 billion for the current year. Facebook's parent company Meta is planning to invest between $115 billion and $135 billion. At the same time, it remains unclear whether the enormous investments in AI technology and the infrastructure for it can ever be recouped. Amazon's spending offensive is being financed by both its cloud division and its thriving retail business. In the last quarter, the group's revenue grew by 14% to $213.4 billion. The bottom line was a profit of $21.2 billion, after a profit of $20 billion a year earlier. Advertisement NationalVictoriaCourts Detective accused of accepting flights, cash and hotel stays as bribes Grant McArthur February 6, 2026 11:26am 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 senior detective is accused of staging faux interviews in Docklands police station and accepting flights, cash and hotel stays as bribes to chase debts and settle civil disputes for associates. Wayne Steven Dean, 66, resigned from Victoria Police in 2024 following a prolonged probe by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) called Operation Bredbo. Former senior detective Wayne Dean outside Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday. Grant McArthur Dean appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court this week alongside a building company boss, a travel agent and a debt collector, all charged over the alleged bribery and blackmail ring. Dean faces 35 charges including misconduct in public office, bribery of a public official, blackmail and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Advertisement The former police officer of 37 years is alleged to have taken bribes from his co-accused in return for misusing information, influencing others and committing blackmail over four years. In charge sheets released by the court on Thursday, the anti-corruption commission alleges Dean used Docklands police station to question people who werent under police investigation and lead them to believe they might be charged. Builder Alex Dimopoulos outside court on Thursday. Grant McArthur He allegedly did so to recover a civil debt for an associate, made unwarranted demands with menace for another co-accused, took sensitive police information and gave it to others and caused false information to be provided to a court. In return, IBAC alleges Dean received money, two return flights to Thailand, hotel accommodation, a mobile phone and access to a driver. Advertisement Builder Alex Dimopoulous, 58, has been charged with four counts of bribery over allegations he gave Dean money, paid for the then detective to stay at the Park Hyatt in Melbourne and the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney, the driver and a mobile phone. Related Article Victorian Parliament Keeping secrets: How Victoria has fallen behind other states on integrity Suburban travel agent Cheng Christine Zhang, 64, faces three charges of bribing a public official over the international flights and accommodation at Sandpiper Motel Apollo Bay. Basilios Bill Meletsis, a 58-year-old debt collector, has been charged with six counts of bribery and blackmail over allegations he paid Dean to make unwarranted demands on his behalf. Magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano bailed all four accused to return to court in April. Advertisement The charges come four years after Dean was first arrested in February 2022, 10 days after he had been captured by surveillance devices meeting with Meletsis near the Victoria Police headquarters in West Melbourne. IBAC held a six-day public hearing into Deans conduct in May 2022, and it was told that the surveillance captured a meeting where Meletsis offered Dean $3000 to obtain CCTV footage from a Thomastown storage facility after a unit containing illegally stored tobacco was burgled. IBAC investigators allegedly uncovered $18,000 in a locked safe, and another $1300 in a desk, when they raided Deans home in February 2022, the hearing was told. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement Exclusive NationalVictoriaEducation Kew girls school puts prime real estate on the market to pay debt Bridie Smith and Jackson Graham February 6, 2026 7:59pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A One of Melbournes oldest Catholic girls schools is selling prime real estate in Kew in a bid to pay down its debt after more than a decade of sliding enrolments. Genazzano FCJ College where year 12 fees this year are $39,629 has operated in the red for nine of the 12 years between 2013 and 2024. The vacant land at 12 Moonbria Avenue, which is behind Genazzano FCJ College. Eddie Jim Its 2024 annual report, the most recent insight into the schools finances, outlines the strain the 137-year-old school is under, noting that to remain viable, the college must sell a neighbouring property to repay part of a multimillion-dollar debt. If the college is unable to sell the land, there is a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt on whether or not the college will be able to continue as a going concern, auditors write in the report. A going concern is an accounting term used to clarify that an organisation can meet its financial obligations. Advertisement The property, a 628-square metre block adjoining the school at 12 Moonbria Avenue, was subdivided from the main school property in January and is now on the market with a price range of $2.1 million to $2.3 million. The land previously had a home on it, which was demolished in 2019. No mention of the plan to sell the property was made in the 2024 annual report to parents, however, the schools financial burdens were referenced. Genazzano FCJ College in Kew. Eddie Jim Like many independent schools, Genazzano has faced financial pressures driven by demographic shifts, rising operational costs and increased competition, it said. The annual report, which was recently uploaded to the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission website, and reveals the college is being financially propped up by a $6.5 million loan from the Catholic Development Fund, which requires only interest payments and expires in September 2034. Advertisement Related Article Exclusive Education Teachers will fight to double the number of student-free days The school has a further overdraft arrangement of $2 million to cover potential short-term cash shortfalls. The directors intend to realise a parcel of land, whereby the proceeds will be used to pay down long-term debt with the CDF, the report says. The report also highlighted that the school had eked out a $62,569 surplus in 2024, and had $9,729,344 in fees to be utilised in school operations. In a statement to The Age, a spokeswoman for the college said a recent handover of the former convent from the FCJ Sisters has rendered the Moonbria block surplus to requirements. The sale of the Moonbria Avenue land, she said, will resolve the going-concern issue. Advertisement In 2023, the FCJ Sisters vacated the convent and transferred the site to the college. The school has repurposed the former convent on school grounds at the corner of Moonbria Avenue and Mont Victor Road to house its archives and second-hand uniform shop. Genazzano FCJ College in Kew. Eddie Jim The college remains financially sound, the spokeswoman said, adding that the school had not cut or reduced programs and maintained its commitment to delivering broad and high-quality educational and co-curricular programs. Enrolments at the school have been declining each year since 2014 when 1095 students attended, to only 680 last year, MySchool data shows. The college spokeswoman said the shrinking enrolments were due to cost-of-living pressures, changing demographics, and payroll tax changes which had made the privilege of a private education out of reach for some. Advertisement The current environment is particularly challenging for independent schools such as ours, she said. The Catholic Development Fund referred The Ages questions to Genazzano, noting the school was governed by its college council. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement Letters NationalVictoriaLetters Labor moves to the centre and away from its origins February 6, 2026 8:00pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Photo: Alan Moir To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. The ALP has certainly moved into the territory of the centre-right parties as your correspondent wrote (Letters, 5/2). Unfortunately as Megan Herberts cartoon (5/2) has shown, it has left far too many people behind. These are the new forgotten people, not those of R.G. Menzies who are now in the centre-right building up or living on their superannuation, but those who are in a political wilderness. The ALP, which should have been looking after them ignores them, the Liberals think they can afford million-dollar houses when they cant, the Nationals think they own farms, properties or mines and they dont, the RBA doesnt know they exist, the banks rarely see them, but Centrelink does. They barely have enough for rent and food, let alone save enough to get a deposit on a house. The ALP needs to remember why it was created in the first place and its not to reward the aspirational rich, but to look after the poor, both young and old. Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale Government silent on productivity Productivity should not be defined as producing more with less, when the quality of what is produced and the ability of people to buy what is produced are both going down. Part of why economics is a dismal science is that it takes no account of the worth of what is produced. For some problems the government is not entirely responsible, because they are global problems. Other problems are exclusively Australian. These are the problems the government avoids talking about. When silence doesnt cut it, the next political tactic is smoke and mirrors obfuscation. When people see through that, the governments reputation is shipwrecked. Ruth Farr, Blackburn South Investment for the greater good Business grumbles about the high wages it must pay. But if wages no longer make it possible for the worker to buy a home, then can they be regarded as high? At the same time, profits continue to rise, as do share prices so there is no evidence there to indicate wages are too high. Productivity improvements usually come from investment in more efficient plant and equipment, which will produce goods more efficiently. Businesses, in times of high profits, dont see any need to spend these profits on plant and equipment, they prefer to deliver high dividends to their shareholders. High dividends are far more likely to increase share prices than long-term investments likely to improve productivity. Judy Kevill, Ringwood Advertisement PM, spend money where its needed most In the famous words of Darryl Kerrigan in The Castle tell him hes dreaming. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wasnt elected to pander to Donald Trumps whims. He was elected to do whats best for the people of Australia. Agreeing to Trumps request to spend $1 billion to be part of a Peace board when the money could be used to support Australians struggling to make ends meet just doesnt pass the pub test. Its time for the PM to decline the invitation just like other leaders have done (Labor stalls on Trumps board of peace invitation, 5/2). Stephen Carbone, Thornbury THE FORUM The AUKUS bind The AUKUS agreement increasingly resembles a plot line from Yes Minister or Utopia except the consequences are deadly serious. As US foreign policy grows more erratic and transactional, Australia is binding itself ever more tightly to Washingtons strategic ambitions. While the United States has been unwilling to make a clear commitment to defending Taiwan, it appears to expect Australia to follow it unquestioningly into any potential conflict with China, our largest trading partner. The submarine deal at the heart of AUKUS raises serious questions about national sovereignty. From the outset, it has pointed towards effective US control over nuclear-powered submarines operating from Australian bases, embedding American military assets and decision-making on our soil. This is not a debate about friendship or shared values. It is about whether Australia retains independent control over decisions of war and peace, or quietly relinquishes that authority in the name of alliance management. Before locking ourselves into decades of strategic dependency with an increasingly unstable ally, Australians deserve an honest national conversation about whose interests AUKUS truly serves. Tony Peck, Bairnsdale Acknowledge change A problem I have with climate change is the word believe. Often people say they believe in climate change and others say they dont believe in it. Saying you believe in something is like saying you believe in the tooth fairy. As climate change is scientifically proven, maybe the word acknowledge is what we should use. Therefore, I acknowledge climate change. Alan Williams, Port Melbourne Be alert to One Nation One Nation is growing stronger in the polls and there is talk of them picking up more votes from the last election but I really think theyre a long way off any balance of power. However, Im also not convinced that this should dismiss them either. What Labor, and parts of the media, need to do is do what no one did with Donald Trump take them seriously. Actually look at their policies and ask them seriously, how they see them playing out. If we just dismiss them as a pointless rabble, theyll get away with promising simple fixes that are unexplained but the electorate can understand. Donald Trump made it in the same way. We must be more vigilant. David Jeffery, East Geelong Advertisement The same views now Pauline Hansons well be swamped by Asians comment in 1996 defined her and she hasnt reflected on and recanted that in the 30 years since. The assessment of her then, therefore, remains and should not be ignored because of the passage of time. Tony Delaney, Warrnambool Byelection costs I have long thought that if an MP resigns during their term they should be responsible for the cost of the byelection that they create, unless there are extenuating circumstances such as illness or that of an immediate family member. Sam Groth, the member for Nepean, has resigned before the end of his first term. The cost of the byelection should be borne by the resigning member or their party. No one is pressured to be a candidate. They should be taking their responsibilities more seriously. Steve Griffin, West Coburg Help the renters As well as the hardship imposed on mortgage holders, the RBAs decision to raise interest rates is tipped to affect renters equally hard. Landlords will no doubt try to offset the interest rate rise by increasing rents. Its time for the government to incentivise stable long-term leasing by landlords over short-term holiday rentals. This could be done simply by discounting tax paid from long-term rental income and hiking tax rates on short-term intermittent rentals. This carrot and stick approach could see the number of long-term rental properties increase and as a consequence rental prices stabilise. Airbnb properties are wonderful for holiday makers but the reality is they reduce the number of long-term rentals available and push up rent prices. Its time for the government to take action and help our ever-increasing renter community. Graeme Lechte, Pascoe Vale Good to see fighting Contrary to the views of David Littleproud and your correspondent (Letters, 6/2) I am glad the former Coalition partners are playing out their disputes in public. It means we all know what a ship of fools both parties are, and that the interests of their constituents and the nation are well down on their list of priorities. The fact that they are being paid by our tax dollars for this level of incompetence is a disgrace. Again, on the upside, we are able to see why they are unworthy of being voted into government. Graeme Gardner, Reservoir Barracks for history The historical importance of the Victoria Barracks site in Melbourne should not be taken lightly. During World War II, they housed the Australian War Cabinet composed of senior parliamentarians from the Government and opposition parties. The wartime prime ministers, Robert Menzies and John Curtin, also had offices near the War Cabinet Room throughout the war. General Sir Thomas Blamey had his HQ at the barracks while serving as Commander-in Chief, Australian Military Forces, and simultaneously in international command in the South-West Pacific Area under US Army General Douglas MacArthur. It is instructive to note the admirable work of the Imperial War Museum in London since 1984 in having made the British Cabinet War Rooms accessible to a wide a public as possible. Anyone visiting this precinct, as I can attest, feels the resonance of a time when the war was in the balance. As a historical experience, it is difficult to surpass. Victoria Barracks should elicit the same respect. It is not a relic to be commercialised for cost-cutting purposes. It should be a testament, as a British War Rooms director has said of the London building, to the unsung people who toiled there, firm in the conviction that peace would one day return. Jon McMillan, Mornington Advertisement On track to getting lost A supporter of big, long-lasting infrastructure, but an infrequent user of trains, I decided to explore both City Loop and the new Metro Tunnel in one go. A total absence of signage indicating This is City Loop anywhere, or arrowed signs pointing to Metro Tunnel just to show one was on the right track, made a simple journey from Parliament Station to Anzac Station and back via State Library Station unnecessarily confusing. Ah, no, we dont have any signs or maps, youve got to change at Flinders Street, go down two levels and the Metro is there. And not a single sign in the labyrinth beneath Flinders Street station. On the return trip I was lost in State Library/Melbourne Central station and made my way out. I exclaimed to a customer service officer there are no signs anywhere indicating City Loop. The response: No, thats because everyone knows where it is. Right. Lawrence Pope, Carlton North History on repeat Your correspondent (Letters, 6/2) laments Minneapolis and Trump demonstrations as being eerily reminiscent of the Vietnam War and Nixon demos. If he cares to study history a bit further back into the Germany of the early 1930s, he may find himself terrified by the similarities of the Brownshirts of that epoch and the rise of a certain dictator that is still seemingly and alarmingly influencing the thoughts and philosophies of others to this very day. Did we not learn? Bruce Crowe, Sunbury A cunning ploy Bases in Australia for US submarines and Australia pays. Always a cunning plan. Barbara Lynch, South Yarra Photo: Matt Golding AND ANOTHER THING Advertisement Politics Considering the breadth, depth and currency of One Nations policies, I suggest that One Notion might be a more apt title. Kevan Porter, Alphington Pauline Hanson not joining the former Coalition rabble reminds us all of Groucho Marxs saying, l wouldnt join a club that would have me. Peter Baddeley, Portland Misinformation regarding migrants, racism and disinformation are weapons used by Donald Trump. Pauline Hanson is a Trump disciple so its logical that she is using the same weapons to promote One Nation. It seems to be working given the rise in her popularity. Paul Chivers, Box Hill North Would another full burqa stunt by Pauline Hanson trigger another influx of instant One Nation converts, or rather buyers remorse? Bernd Rieve, Brighton The Liberal senator Jane Hume says her party can go it alone without the Nationals. She is right about one bit they will be very much alone. Tony Haydon, Springvale Advertisement Australia does not need the Coalition to have an effective opposition in parliament. All we need are thinking independents who can work co-operatively. Mike Francis, Fitzroy As I recall in the last election there is one thing still missing in Angus Taylors platform policies. Dan Drummond, Leongatha Furthermore The people who are spending all the money and causing inflation are not the people who are going to be walloped by an interest rate rise. Gary Hodgskiss, Warranwood Congratulations Cathy Wilcox for another brilliant cartoon (6/2). Your cartoon paints a thousand words and more. Well done. Roger Christiansz, Wheelers Hill Victoria Barracks is historically joined at the hip to the nearby Shrine of Remembrance and shouldnt be sold. Malcolm McDonald, Burwood Advertisement NationalVictoriaCrime Secret payout after sexual assault by trans murderer in womens prison Daniella White February 6, 2026 6:41pm 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 Authorities are refusing to disclose the details of a secret settlement paid to a female inmate assaulted by a transgender prisoner who was serving a sentence for murder, with Premier Jacinta Allan saying the payout was a private matter. The confidential settlement is the result of an assault by inmate Clinton Rintoull, who was serving a sentence in a womens prison for a brutal murder in 2009. It follows an overhaul of the way transgender and gender-diverse prisoners are managed by Corrections Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan. Arsineh Houspian Under the new guidelines, which came into effect in January, authorities are required to explicitly consider the risks associated with housing transgender inmates when determining which facilities to place them in. When asked about the sexual assault payout on Friday, Allan said she was not able to comment as it was a private matter. Advertisement The payout relates to a civil claim not criminal charges. Neither Allan nor Corrections Minister Enver Erdogan faced reporters in Melbourne on Friday, but Childrens Minister Lizzie Blandthorn said the government was ready to act to do more if deemed necessary, but she would not reveal details of the payout. The safety and wellbeing of prisoners is what is paramount in the considerations in prisoner placement, she said. If the new policy was not to work in a way that gave that intent, then we stand ready to do more as we need to. The Herald Sun, which first revealed the secret payout, reported that Rintoull, born a biological male, transitioned while serving a sentence for murder and was allowed to move to a womans facility. Advertisement Rintoull sexually assaulted a female inmate in 2022. Rintoull was sentenced to 20 years jail with a non-parole period of 16 years in 2009, for the 2007 murder of Sudanese refugee Liep Gony. Related Article Good Weekend Talking trans: Adolescents, gender transition and the conversations we need to have The then-25-year-old beat the 19-year-old over the head with a metal pole, having spray-painted f--- da n---s on the wall of his rented Noble Park house. A judge found that the murder was not racially motivated. Rintoull was freed into the community on parole in 2024, according to the Herald Sun. Rintoulls new name is not known. Advertisement Payouts of more than $10,000 to former prisoners are usually required to be disclosed on a government gazette. As of Friday, no such payout to a female prisoner was disclosed. A Corrections Victoria spokeswoman would not comment on the case but said notices of damages were placed as soon as practicable after proceedings are finalised. Erdogan in October last year ordered Corrections Victoria to overhaul policies for the management of transgender prisoners to protect women. There is a balance of what is best for the individual prisoner plus what is best for the safety and wellbeing of other prisoners in the system, especially in the womens system, he said in parliament. Corrections Victoria formally updated its policies in January, stating that the safety and welfare of all prisoners including transgender prisoners should be the paramount consideration when placing gender-diverse prisoners in a male or female facility. Advertisement The new policy does not ban violent transgender prisoners from womens facilities, but requires Corrections Victoria to make an individual assessment on each trans and gender-diverse prisoners prison placement. This assessment is required to consider, among other things, the nature of the prisoners offending; the risk they pose to others; and the prisoners gender identity and placement preference. According to the policy, if a transgender person asks to be sent to the womens system but is charged with sexual or violent offences against women and/or children, they could be separated from other prisoners while further risk assessments are conducted. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has pledged that a Coalition government would ban biological males convicted of sexual offences or serious violent crimes from female prisons. The circumstances today demonstrate that the safety of female prisoners isnt being considered by the government under the current guidelines, she said. Advertisement Weve had a female prisoner being put at risk and assaulted, and it comes back to the fact that the government has in place policies that are failing to keep female prisoners safe. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Advertisement WorldAsiaIndonesia Defence treaty will see more Australian military on Indonesian soil Zach Hope February 6, 2026 6:21pm 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 Australia will develop joint military training infrastructure in Indonesia in a potentially provocative initiative flowing from the goodwill of a watershed defence agreement signed on Friday by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The purpose of the joint infrastructure is to allow the facilities in Indonesia to be used by the countrys military forces and its partners, including Australia. Indonesia is staunchly non-aligned militarily with any major power bloc and does not permit the presence of foreign bases on its soil. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto during their meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia. EPA Responding to a question about whether the facilities could pave the way for a permanent or semi-permanent Australian troop presence on Indonesia, Albanese said it was a matter for Indonesia to consider down the track. What we are doing, though, is reaching out and offering our support where its helpful for it to be given, he said at a press conference in Jakarta. Advertisement He added that there was nothing new about Indonesia and Australia swapping personnel and committing to exchanges, citing Prabowos time at Duntroon in Australia before rising through the ranks of the Indonesian military. As part of the knowledge sharing and people-to-people relationship building, Australia and Indonesia will additionally begin an exchange program for junior military leaders, and Australia will invite a senior military figure to embed in the Australian Defence Force. Albanese announced these initiatives immediately after signing the Treaty on Common Security or the Treaty of Jakarta, as he called it on Friday. The agreement, which he called historic, comes amid increasing volatility and uncertainty in the Indo-Pacific stemming from the policy approaches of US President Donald Trump and his power rivalry with China. No country is more important to Australia or to the prosperity, security and stability of the Indo-Pacific than Indonesia, Albanese said, as Prabowo stood at the lectern next to him. Most significantly, the treaty committed both countries to consult each other in the case of adverse challenges to either party and, if appropriate, consider measures which might be taken either individually or jointly. Advertisement What this could mean in practice remained intentionally ambiguous, but the treaty was not a mutual defence pact like the Pukpuk Treaty signed with Papua New Guinea last year. Another article of the deal has committed Australia and Indonesia to consult at leader and ministerial levels on a regular basis, which is also ambiguous and aligns with articles already existing in the Lombok Treaty of 2006. One Indonesian figure, not authorised to speak publicly, did not believe the agreement would add much to the Lombok Treaty and the Defence Cooperation Agreement of 2024, but believed Australia was keen to use the word treaty to make it more eye-catching. Albanese waves to journalists on his arrival at Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia. AP Albanese flew into Jakarta on Thursday night, his fifth visit as prime minister to the worlds third-largest democracy and second since Prabowo took office in October 2024. Advertisement The lavish welcoming ceremony did not all go to plan. Some of the 120 horses leading the prime ministers vehicle to the Merdeka Palace grounds got skittish and bolted, dropping at least two Indonesian military riders to the pavement. Red faces, but no one appeared to be seriously injured. Indonesia is the worlds largest Muslim-majority democracy. The archipelagic northern bulwark of 280 million people is predicted to be a top-five global economy within the next 15 years. 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. Ford Recalls 116,000 Cars Toyota 55,000 Ford Motor Co. has issued recalls for more than 116,000 vehicles including many made at one of its two Kentucky plants. The manufacturer of America's best-selling truck has two assembly plants in the metro and is one of the state's largest employers, with some 11,000 employees between its Ford Kentucky Truck Plant and the smaller Louisville Assembly Plant. Ford makes its iconic Super Duty trucks alongside the Ford Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator at the truck plant. And until the end of 2025, the Louisville Assembly Plant on Fern Valley Road most recently produced the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair, but both of those vehicle's lifecycles ended. This plant is currently being retooled as part of a $2 billion investment to start production of an all-new four-door midsize truck EV, ready for drivers by 2027, The Courier Journal previously reported. Ford struggled with recalls in 2025, posting 153 recalls, which accounted for 35% of all recalls from the top 12 manufacturers last year, according to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Chrysler was the runner up with 53 recalls in 2025. This year is starting with an NHTSA investigation into nearly 1.3 million F-150 pickup trucks after an onslaught of owners reported problems with the transmissions. The F-150 investigation will cover 1,270,970 vehicles, The Detroit Free Press, part of USA Today Co. reported. More vehicle recalls: Toyota recalls 55,000 vehicles, including this popular model made in KY Here's what we know about the latest Ford recall hitting vehicles manufactured in Kentucky: Ford vehicle recalls issued in January 2026 Engine Block Heater May Short Circuit and Cause Fire Vehicle models impacted: Certain 2013-2019 Escape. Additionally, certain 2015-2016 MKC vehicles which were previously produced in Louisville until it was replaced by a different vehicle model and certain 2013-2018 Focus which are not made in Louisville. Number of vehicles potentially affected: 116,672 This recall deals with an electrical short that can increase the risk of fire. The engine block heater may crack which could allow for a coolant leak to develop. This could cause it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in. To remedy this recall, owners are advised to not plug in the engine block heater until the vehicle is serviced. Dealers will replace the block heater for free. Interim owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on Feb. 13 with additional letters expected to be sent in April once a final remedy is available. What can I do if my Ford vehicle has a recall? Vehicle owners impacted by the recent Ford recalls should expect to receive communications from the automaker directing next steps. If owners need extra support navigating the recall process, they can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit nhtsa.gov. Additionally, owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Note: All recall data is pulled from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Feb 6 (Reuters) - Investors in defense contractors worry that a White House order restricting CEO pay, dividends and stock buybacks could reduce returns for shareholders and impede the companies' ability to attract the best executives. U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on January 7 prohibiting defense contractors from paying dividends or buying back shares "until such time as they are able to produce a superior product, on time and on budget." Separately Trump also said annual CEO payouts should be limited to $5 million. More from Yahoo Scout How could Trump's order impact defense contractor returns? How do defense contractor payouts compare to other industries? What are investor concerns about CEO pay restrictions? Which companies might benefit from these new restrictions? Although Trump said he would dramatically boost federal defense spending, investors said they were dismayed by what they characterized as heavy-handed federal meddling in an industry whose payouts are in line with other big U.S. corporations, a Reuters analysis found. "In the big picture on defense, it's a step forward on defense spending. However, the micromanaging of capital allocation is three-quarters of a step back," said David Sowerby, managing director of Ancora Advisors, a registered investment adviser with about 148,000 shares in General Dynamics. Sowerby said he worries Trump's approach could lead the best executives to go to other industries and distort shareholder value. "If he wants to restrict salaries (and other pay) at $5 million, where does it stop?" Sowerby said. CAPITAL SPENDING Charles Lieberman, chief investment officer of Advisors Capital Management of New Jersey, said Trump's orders suggest companies are holding back on capital spending to pay shareholders and executives instead. The real problem, he said, is that there aren't enough orders to justify spending more on plants. He owns the stocks of several defense contractors, including 350,000 shares of RTX and about 52,000 shares of Lockheed Martin and plans to add more military contractors as the U.S. and Europe up their defense spending. "Nobody reinvests in the business unless they have the orders to buy the product," he said. While the U.S. does face ammunition shortages, each company already has enough cash to build new factories even at their current payout rates, he said. "Cash flow is not a constraint," Lieberman said. Trump's order follows other pressure on public companies like the government's taking of a 10% stake in chipmaker Intel. Pentagon officials did not respond to questions for this article. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said "President Trump has been clear that all defense contractors should be prioritizing the on-time delivery of weapons to our warfighters over their own stock buybacks, excessive corporate dividends, and inflated executive salaries. If defense contractors refuse to honor their commitments to our military, there will be consequences." By Vivek Kumar M and Kashish Tandon Feb 4 (Reuters) - Shares of Indian IT exporters slumped 6.3% on Wednesday, tracking losses in global software stocks, after Anthropic launched new tools that heightened concerns over AI-driven disruption in the data and professional services industry. U.S.-based Anthropic on Friday launched plug-ins for its Claude Cowork agent to automate tasks across legal, sales, marketing and data analysis, triggering a selloff in U.S. and European data analytics and software stocks and deepening concerns in Indias $283 billion IT sector, whose labour-intensive model relies on deploying large workforces for client projects. The Indian IT subindex was on track for its worst day since March 2020, with all 10 constituents in the red. Infosys led declines with a 7.3% drop. Other heavyweights TCS and Wipro fell 5.8% and 3.9% respectively, while HCLTech was down 5.1%. "As Indian enterprises integrate Claude for critical coding workflows, dependency on large vendor teams may decline, squeezing billable hours and margins," said Systematix Group analyst Ambrish Shah. Anthropics advanced AI systems also threaten entrylevel talent pool at Indian IT firms by replacing routine development and testing tasks, he added. (Reporting by Kashish Tandon and Vivek Kumar M in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee) Bhilai pensioners urge PM to fix EPFO delays on higher pensions Staff Reporter : The SAIL-BSP Pensioners Association has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking for his help against the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). They say EPFO is ignoring a 2022 Supreme Court order that allows higher pensions based on full wages. The group calls it a mirror turned wall problem. Even after the court ruling, EPFO uses excuses to block pensions for retirees from exempted companies like theirs. A January 18, 2025, EPFO circular demands old trust rules that no one could have guessed would be needed years ago. Key issues raised by the association are that some pensioners get higher pensions, but others who followed wage rules do not, creating unfair groups among retirees. EPFO drags cases in court, letting elderly pensioners die without justice. For a 70-year-old, delays mean no justice at all. The association stated that late payment notices add huge interest about Rs 40,000 a month while many live on tiny pensions of Rs 2,000-5,000. The Labour Ministry admitted in 2023 that EPFOs own mistakes caused the mess. The association wants the PMO to scrap the 2025 circular, update trust rules to match the Supreme Court order. Forgive interest built up due to EPFO delays and set up a team to clear all pending cases in 30 days. These seniors built Indias steel industry over 40 years, said B.N. Agrawal, secretary of the association adding that they shouldnt be forced to beg in the courts for rights the Supreme Court already gave. Conflict turns violent: Woman attacks husband with sickle suspecting infidelity Staff Reporter : The Shahgarh Police (Sagar district) have successfully solved the investigation into the homicide of a Patan (Jabalpur) based nurse within 24 hours. The primary suspect has been identified as Sushil Athya, a resident of Panagar, Jabalpur, and the maternal cousin of the victim who was in one-sided love with her. It may be mentioned that panic and terror gripped Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Wednesday night after a female staff nurse was shot dead right outside the gate of the Shahgarh Community Health Center. The brutal killing, carried out in a crowded area barely 200 metres from the police station, has shaken the entire region and raised serious questions about women's safety. The victim, Deepshikha Chadhar (26), originally from Patan, Jabalpur, had been serving as a nurse at the Shahgarh Community Health Center for approximately two years. On Wednesday evening, at around 8:00 pm, while the victim was enroute to her night shift, she was intercepted by the suspect near the hospital entrance. Following a brief physical struggle, the suspect discharged a firearm three times, two of the bullets struck the victim in her back, penetrating the heart. This resulted into her instantaneous death. The suspect subsequently fled into the nearby forest area to evade capture. The investigation indicated that the motive for the crime was unrequited obsession. Both the suspect and victim completed their nursing course together, while the victim secured a job in the Health Department, the suspect remained unemployed. Additional SP Dr Sanjeev Uikey told that the suspect had frequently pressurised the victim into marriage. Due to persistent harassment, the victim had filed a complaint against him at the Patan police station sometime ago. Although a settlement was reached after an apology, the suspect harbored a continuing resentment. As per report, the suspect reached Shahgarh from Jabalpur on Tuesday and conducted reiky to get familiar with her routine and route, before the attack. On Thursday, the victim's family staged a road blockade on the Sagar-Kanpur Highway, demanding immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator. Police officials managed to pacify the crowd after providing assurances of swift action. Police teams have been deployed to nab the suspect. The teams conduct raids at different places including Panagar, Jabalpur and the residences of the suspect's known associates and relatives. Demolition of properties starts for Old Bhandara Road widening work Bulldozer at work near Ganjakhet Square as the extended portion of the footpath is being demolished. (Pic by Satish Raut) Staff Reporter : District Collector inspects Mayo Hospital to Sunil Hotel stretch, orders administration to complete land acquisition as compensation is disbursed 27-year wait for widening ends In a landmark development for upgradation of the road infrastructure in Central Nagpur, the 27-year-old stalemate regarding the widening of the Old Bhandara Road (National Highway 6) stretch from Mayo Hospital to Sunil Hotel has finally been broken, as administration started demolition of the properties. On February 5, District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar personally visited the site and walked all the way from Mayo Hospital Square till Sunil Hotel, taking a view of the ground situation. He issued a decisive order to start forthwith land acquisition for the 300 plus properties whose compensation has been disbursed by the administration. It is learnt that the demolition of structures obstructing the road widening is going to start with full gusto from Friday onwards. The Collector was accompanied by a high-powered team of officials, including Sub Divisional Magistrate Suresh Bagle, Tehsildar, Nagpur, and senior representatives from the Public Works Department (PWD), Town Planning, and City Survey Departments. To ensure the process remained peaceful, a significant police force, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and local inspectors, was also stationed at the site. Dr Itankar observed that while many property owners had already accepted compensation for their land years ago, the actual widening had remained stalled due to various administrative and legal hurdles. Taking immediate cognisance of the public inconvenience, he directed officials to move forward with the acquisition of these road-affected properties to clear the path for the highway. Three to four more days relief for those who havent received the compensation yet is going to be provided. The authorities are going to take taking strict action against the property owners for whom the compensation has already been disbursed. The move marks a significant victory for the Madhya Nagpur Vikas Aghadi, particularly its Convenor, Bhushan Dadwe and Ravindra Paigwar, who have been spearheading a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court for years. The local residents have widely lauded the organisation for its persistence, noting that their struggle of nearly three decades is finally yielding tangible results. The Aghadi was instrumental in pitching for upgradation of the lone road stretch identified in IRDP programme but that got stalled due to lack of decisive action on land acquisition front. The Old Bhandara Road is one of the citys most congested transit corridors. For decades, the narrowing of the road near Mayo Hospital has caused chronic traffic bottlenecks, affecting emergency services and daily commuters alike. By clearing this bottleneck, the administration is not just fulfilling a legal mandate but is also providing much-needed relief to the residents of Central Nagpur who have lived with dust, congestion and safety risks for 27 years. Madhya Nagpur Vikas Aghadi pleads with Collector to start demolition During the visit of District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar, the Madhya Nagpur Vikas Aghadi pitched for urgency to start forthwith the demolition of properties as the delay in land acquisition has already exacerbated the ground situation. Bhushan Dadwe, social activist, said that he apprised the Collector that in recent exercise, about 202 property owners received the award and prior to that, about 68 owners received the compensation. Further, about 58 properties are that of Nazul, so it does not make any sense to wait for any auspicious moment to start the demolition exercise as it would take further two years to complete the concretisation. Already, the situation in the busy old city area is at bursting point, as daily one can witness chaotic situation due to narrow width of roads and there is not let up in footfalls of shoppers, Dadwe told Collector. It was quite a welcome change, as District Collector personally inspected the entire stretch identified for widening, starting from Mayo Hospital till Sunil Hotel. Collector walked through the Old Nagpur area accompanied with officials and issued instruction for time bound completion of the work. Franklin Templeton India launches awareness drive Business Reporter : Franklin Templeton Indias Change the Soch Kanyakumari to Kashmir Drive a first of its kind nationwide campaign reaches the city Nagpur aimed at promoting financial empowerment, especially among women. Commemorating Franklin Templetons 30 years in India, this 30-day journey kicked off in the southern tip of the country in Kanyakumari covering 21 cities, and conclude in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir. Through interactive financial education sessions, expert insights, and community engagement, the drive aims to demystify mutual fund investing and inspire confidence among thousands of Indians to take charge of their financial future. Avinash Satwalekar, President Franklin Templeton India, is leading the drive, championing financial inclusion through this journey across the country. He will stop every other day in a new town or village to host investor education workshops for diverse groups of women, emphasising the importance of saving, investing, and building long-term wealth to achieve life goals. The initiative will engage a wide spectrum of participants, majority being women including farmers, academia, self-help groups (women engaged in the food and handloom sectors), entrepreneurs, private and government sector employees, and army, navy and police personnel. Satwalekar said, Financial literacy among women is fundamental to Indias long-term socio-economic progress. While urban centres have made meaningful advances, lakhs of women in tier 2 and tier 3 regions remain underserved in terms of access to financial knowledge and tools. Freight trains to get passenger-like Live Tracking facility Staff Reporter : In a landmark move toward enhancing Ease of Doing Business, the Indian Railways has announced a digital transformation for freight operations in Madhya Pradesh. In a shift toward transparency and predictability, cargo trains will soon be available for Live Tracking, similar to passenger expresses. The Ministry of Railways is set to launch a dedicated mobile application and web portal, allowing traders to monitor consignments in real-time, effectively streamlining supply chains and reducing logistics overheads.Currently, traders often face significant challenges due to the lack of precise information regarding the location of their goods. Freight trains are frequently diverted to loop lines to prioritise passenger traffic, leading to unpredictable delays. Under the new system, businesses can use a unique Consignment ID or the five-digit train number to access real-time GPS locations. This will allow industrial units to synchronize their warehouse management, labor for unloading, and truck fleets for secondary distribution with surgical precision. For sectors like coal, iron ore and cement, this means production lines can be scheduled according to arrival times, eliminating costly operational downtime. Phase 1: Scheduled Freight Services West Central Railway (WCR) zone has drafted a comprehensive blueprint for the rollout. Key technical and operational shifts include: In the first phase, 16 select freight trains will operate on fixed schedulesdeparting and arriving at predetermined times, mirroring the passenger train model. Trains will no longer be anonymous on the tracks. Each will be assigned a specific 5-digit number, integrating them into the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) for public tracking.Being scheduled grants these trains a higher priority on the rail network, reducing the likelihood of transit delays. Strategic Impact on Bhopal & Mandideep Bhopal Railway Division stands to be a primary beneficiary of this initiative. Industrial hubs like Mandideep, Bina and Bhopal handle massive volumes of loading and unloading. Exporters from Mandideep will now be able to monitor their containers directly on their smartphones until they reach the ports. Traders can reduce buffer stocks allowing better management of working capital. The Economic Edge traders pay heavy detention charges for labour and trucks that wait hours at stations. Precise arrival data will eliminate these redundant expenses. By introducing transparency via a mobile app, Railways aims to win back freight traffic from road transport sector by offering a reliable and cost-effective alternative. Digital logs will ensure accountability within Railway operations, fostering a more trust-based relationship with the industrial community. I was to travel with Ajit Pawar on day of fatal crash: Ex-Minister Mahadev Jankar MUMBAI : FORMER Maharashtra Minister Mahadev Jankar has claimed that he was scheduled to travel with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on the day his aircraft crashed in Baramati last week, but could not join as he reached Mumbai late. Ajit Pawar and four other persons on board a chartered aircraft from Mumbai were killed when it crashed barely 200 metres from the edge of a tabletop runway at Baramati airport in Pune district at around 8.45 am on January 28. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Jankar, who heads the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP), said he had spoken to NCP leader Pawar a few days before the accident and had been invited to travel with him to Baramati in the same plane. However, I reached Mumbai late and could not join Ajit Pawar on his early flight to Baramati. It is a very unfortunate incident and Pawars death is a major loss for the State, he said. Dhangar (shepherd) community leader Jankar heads the RSP, which has pockets of influence in some districts in western Maharashtra, Vidarbha, and Marathwada regions. He had served as Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries in 2016 in the BJP-led Government. Inauguration of Advantage Vidarbha 2026 today in presence of Gadkari, Fadnavis Business Reporter : The third edition of the Advantage Vidarbha 2026 - MP Industrial Festival will be inaugurated on February 6, 2026, at 10 am at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) campus on Amravati Road, Nagpur. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will preside over the inaugural function while Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be the chief guest. In addition to this, several other dignitaries including Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule; Minister of Labour of Maharashtra Akash Fundkar; Minister of State for Finance Ashish Jaiswal; Minister of State for School Education Pankaj Bhoyar; and Industry and Tourism State Minister Indranil Naik, will also attend the inaugural session. Similarly, prominent industrialists such as Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltds MD Balsubramanyam Prabhakaran, Adani Groups (Airports) Director Jeet Adani, and Mahindra & Mahindras Executive Director Rajesh Jejurikar, will also participate in the event. Technical sessions on education, defence, food processing, fisheries, and dairy will be held during the Advantage Vidarbha 2026. Separate parking arrangements have been made for VIPs, stall holders, and visitors at the universitys administrative building entrance on Ambazari-Amravati Road. Kharge panel yet to submit report on Pune land scam: Bawankule MUMBAI : MAHARASHTRA Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday said the Vikas Kharge-led committee probing the alleged Pune land scam has not yet submitted its report, ruling out a clean chit to anyone at this stage. He was responding to questions tied to media reports claiming relief to the late deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawars son Parth Pawar in the matter. The sale of 40 acres of land in Punes upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore to Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Parth Pawar is a majority partner, had come under scrutiny after it emerged that the plot belongs to the Government and could not be sold. The firm was also allegedly exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty. Bawankule said the committee has sought an eight-day extension to submit its findings, and the Government will grant the request. The report has not been officially submitted to the State Government. Therefore, there is no scope for giving a clean chit to Parth Pawar or anyone else. I urge people not to speculate on such a serious issue and confuse the public, he said. The five-member committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge, is examining alleged procedural lapses in the registration of the purchase deed related to the Mundhwa land. The probe focuses on aspects such as valuation, documentation and the role of officials involved in the registration process. The panel was constituted in early November amid political controversy and was initially asked to submit its report by December 6 last year. The deadline was later extended twice after the committee sought more time to examine records and responses from multiple departments. While earlier indications suggested the panel could submit its report by February 6, Bawankule said on Thursday that an additional extension would now be granted. The committee also includes the Pune Divisional Commissioner, the Commissioner of Land Registration and Director of Land Records, the Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamps, and the Pune District Collector. Meanwhile, Pune-based RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar criticised the repeated extensions, alleging that the probe was being delayed and could eventually turn into a formality. In a post on X, Kumbhar claimed that those responsible for preventing alleged irregularities were themselves part of the committee, making a fair outcome unlikely. He also raised questions over alleged unpaid stamp duty, arguing that public revenue could not be protected by clean chits or shell entities. Social activist Anjali Damania has also questioned the delay in the inquiry. In a post on X earlier this month, she had said that if Government functioning was treated as business as usual following Ajit Pawars death in a plane crash, the investigation into the Mundhwa land deal should not be stalled. She demanded that the committees report be made public without delay. The State Government, however, has maintained that appropriate action will be taken after the report is formally submitted. Mayors polls today NMC gears up to welcome new office-bearers after 4-year gap Staff Reporter : The stage is set for the maiden meet of new House of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) to elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Also, the first special meet of NMC House to be held on Friday at Suresh Bhat auditorium is also going to nominate 16 members to the Standing Committee after a gap of nearly four years as the civic polls got delayed owing to challenge mounted in Supreme Court over quota for OBC. District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar is going to chair the special meet and oversee the election process that starts from 11 am onwards. As is known, the election will witness straight fight between Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Neeta Thakre and Congress nominee Snehal Thakre. And as to Deputy Mayor post, BJP has chosen Lalita Hatibed as its candidate while Congress is going to contest with Vivek Nikose. Although the outcome of the contest is quite predictable given the brute majority enjoyed by BJP, having a strength of 102 members, plus one of its pre-poll ally, Shiv Sena (Shinde); against 34 corporators of Congress plus two from Shiv Sena (UBT). Thus BJP candidates are going to romp home with big margin is no doubt. The stance of two minorities parties, AIMIM and IUML, would be known only at the time of voting. AIMIM has debuted with six members while IUML stages come back after a long time and has four corporators. Two remaining corporators include, one of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). All eyes on chosen ones for co-option! All eyes are now fixed on the nominees to be chosen for working on the all important financial body of NMC, the Standing Committee. But more curiosity is now over names shortlisted by BJP for co-option in NMC House. As per norms, about 10 persons can be co-opted in the House and with its present strength, BJP has chance to choose seven persons, Congress with its numbers can get two posts. For the 10th post now calculations are on, and it remains to be seen whether AIMIM plus IUML joins hands with Congress for claiming the lone remaining nominated post of corporator. For BJP, the choice is quite tricky as some of its senior members fell by wayside in the elections and would the leadership accommodate them through co-option is the question. Further in run up to election, the party elders also promised to accommodate the rebels post election. Ark Invest bargain hunted for a second straight day Tuesday, snapping up shares in cryptocurrency companies worth $19 million. The St. Petersburg, Florida-based investment manager bought $2.41 million worth of shares in Circle (CRCL) and added $3.46 million and $631,000 of Bullish (BLSH) and Coinbase (COIN) shares respectively, according to an emailed disclosure. Bullish is the parent company of CoinDesk. ARK also bought $7.81 million worth of crypto-friendly investment platform Robinhood (HOOD), $3.25 million of Ethereum treasury company Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) and $1.8 million of Jack Dorsey's fintech firm Block (XYZ). ARK holds these equities in its ARKK, ARKW and ARKF exchange-traded funds (ETFs). All the aforementioned companies's share prices have suffered in recent days amid the selloff in the crypto market which saw bitcoin (BTC) fall as low as $73,100 on Tuesday, its lowest point since late 2024. CRCL and COIN both dropped around 4.5% on Tuesday, while BLSH fell just under 4%. ARK frequently buys into weaknesses in the crypto market to capitalize on the possibility of capturing greater value from equities. Tuesday's activity followed larger buys the day before, in which ARK added $32.7 million worth of HOOD, $9.4 million of CRCL ad $6 million of BLSH. TJSB Bank celebrates 54th Foundation Day Business Reporter : TJSB Sahakari Bank Ltd commemorated its 54th Foundation Day by reinforcing its growth trajectory through the launch of new digital initiatives, the integration of cooperative banks through amalgamation, and its entry into new states - clearly reflecting the years theme, Expanding Horizons. The bank announced a suite of customer-centric digital initiatives designed to enhance convenience, security, and speed. These include the launch of prepaid cards for secure and controlled spending, the premium select debit card offering exclusive lifestyle privileges, a Digital Loan Origination System to streamline credit processing, integration of UPI within the TJSB SMART platform, expansion into UPI Merchant Acquiring, and onboarding onto the Reserve Bank of Indias Unified Lending Interface (ULI)positioned as the credit-side equivalent of UPI. Speaking on the occasion, the Managing Director & CEO of TJSB Bank Nikhil Arekar said: Our 54th Foundation Day is a moment to reflect on our journey while firmly focusing on the future. Digital innovation, geographic expansion, and strategic consolidation are central to our growth strategy. These initiatives strengthen our ability to deliver secure, efficient, and accessible banking. Chairman of TJSB Bank Sharad Gangal added: TJSBs growth has always been anchored in member trust, strong governance, and cooperative values. Our past amalgamations, the proposed integration of Bhavani Sahakari Bank Ltd., and our expansion into new states are deliberate steps toward long-term stability and sustainable growth. Work Heals Actor Parag Tyagi has returned to work after an eight-month hiatus following the demise of his actress-wife Shefali Jariwala. Parag took to Instagram, where he shared a glimpse of his upcoming show and wrote: Coming soon .. Chandanbala #shefalijariwala #blessed #love #new. Shefali and Parags close friend Aarti Singh commented: All the best bhaiya. Actress Jaswir Kaur wrote: Superb. Parag made his television debut portraying Vinod Karanjkar in popular drama Pavitra Rishta. He later appeared in notable television series, including Brahmarakshas, Jodha Akbar, and Shakti Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki. In addition to television, Parag has acted in both Hindi and Telugu films. He made his film debut in the critically acclaimed thriller A Wednesday! and later appeared in Sarkar 3. He also made his mark in Telugu cinema with a role in the commercially successful film Agnyaathavaasi. Shefali, widely known for her breakout performance in the iconic 2002 music video Kaanta Laga, passed away in Mumbai late in June 28. She was 42. The actress was reportedly rushed to Bellevue Multispeciality Hospital by her husband after she was found unresponsive. Despite all efforts, doctors declared her dead on arrival. Shefali Jariwala became a household name after appearing in the remixed music video Kaanta Laga, which dominated the Indian pop scene in the early 2000s. Her popularity earned her a role in Salman Khan's film Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, and she went on to star in the 2019 web series Baby Come Naa. Jariwala also made her mark in television, participating in dance reality shows such as Boogie Woogie and 'Nach Baliye', further endearing herself to audiences across India. She also participated in Bigg Boss 13 with her friend and ex-boyfriend, Sidharth Shukla, who tragically passed away under similar circumstances in his 40s. n In recent weeks, the Asian markets have shown mixed performance, with China's CSI 300 Index remaining relatively stable and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index experiencing notable gains. As investors navigate these fluctuating conditions, identifying undervalued stocks can present opportunities for those looking to capitalize on potential market inefficiencies. Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Asia Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Thai Coconut (SET:COCOCO) THB5.70 THB11.36 49.8% Sino Medical Sciences Technology (SHSE:688108) CN22.58 CN44.94 49.8% Restar (TSE:3156) 2962.00 5816.59 49.1% Helens International Holdings (SEHK:9869) HK$0.90 HK$1.75 48.7% GigaVis (KOSDAQ:A420770) 59800.00 117485.78 49.1% Fuji Media Holdings (TSE:4676) 3629.00 7091.07 48.8% Financial Partners GroupLtd (TSE:7148) 2164.00 4267.59 49.3% Daiichi Sankyo Company (TSE:4568) 2934.00 5813.68 49.5% Comvita (NZSE:CVT) NZ$0.69 NZ$1.36 49.2% BEAUTY GARAGE (TSE:3180) 1427.00 2828.79 49.6% Click here to see the full list of 245 stocks from our Undervalued Asian Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener. Let's uncover some gems from our specialized screener. Overview: Nanjing Leads Biolabs Co., Ltd. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of novel antibody drugs globally, with a market cap of HK$12.79 billion. Operations: Nanjing Leads Biolabs generates its revenue from the research, development, and commercialization of innovative antibody drugs on a global scale. Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 16.7% Nanjing Leads Biolabs is trading at HK$64.3, below its estimated future cash flow value of HK$77.24, indicating potential undervaluation based on cash flows. The company's revenue is forecast to grow rapidly at 55.8% per year, outpacing the Hong Kong market's growth rate of 8.4%. Recent Fast Track Designations by the FDA for key drug candidates could expedite development and approval processes, enhancing future revenue streams despite current low revenues under US$1 million (CN0). SEHK:9887 Discounted Cash Flow as at Feb 2026 Overview: Qingdao Baheal Medical INC. is involved in the research, development, production, wholesale, and retail of pharmaceutical products across China, the United States, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom with a market cap of CN12.58 billion. Operations: The company's revenue segments include research and development, production, wholesale, and retail of pharmaceutical products across its operational regions. Alpine Income Property Trust (NYSE:PINE Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.090-2.130 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.980. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PINE shares. Zacks Research upgraded Alpine Income Property Trust from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust from $17.50 to $19.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Alpine Income Property Trust from a sell (d+) rating to a hold (c-) rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jones Trading restated a buy rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Alpine Income Property Trust to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Alpine Income Property Trust presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $18.30. Get Alpine Income Property Trust alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on Alpine Income Property Trust Alpine Income Property Trust Stock Performance Alpine Income Property Trust stock traded up $0.46 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $18.53. The stock had a trading volume of 190,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 154,332. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46. Alpine Income Property Trust has a 52-week low of $13.10 and a 52-week high of $18.61. The company has a market capitalization of $262.38 million, a PE ratio of -52.94 and a beta of 0.59. The firms fifty day moving average is $17.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $15.59. Alpine Income Property Trust (NYSE:PINE Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.42). Alpine Income Property Trust had a negative return on equity of 1.96% and a negative net margin of 8.86%.The business had revenue of $16.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.28 million. Alpine Income Property Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.090-2.130 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Alpine Income Property Trust will post 1.74 EPS for the current year. Alpine Income Property Trust Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 11th were issued a dividend of $0.285 per share. This represents a $1.14 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 11th. Alpine Income Property Trusts dividend payout ratio is -325.71%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Alpine Income Property Trust Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jane Street Group LLC increased its position in shares of Alpine Income Property Trust by 55.9% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 22,479 shares of the companys stock valued at $376,000 after purchasing an additional 8,061 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Alpine Income Property Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Alpine Income Property Trust by 5.8% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 327,734 shares of the companys stock worth $4,822,000 after purchasing an additional 17,947 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of Alpine Income Property Trust by 36.5% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 28,181 shares of the companys stock valued at $415,000 after buying an additional 7,529 shares during the period. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of Alpine Income Property Trust by 42.3% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 27,866 shares of the companys stock worth $412,000 after buying an additional 8,278 shares during the period. 60.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Alpine Income Property Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that specializes in acquiring, owning and managing single-tenant net lease properties. The company focuses on sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions with food and beverage companies, targeting facilities that support production, distribution and processing operations. By structuring long-term, triple-net leases, Alpine Income Property Trust seeks to deliver stable, predictable cash flow while allowing tenants to unlock capital from real estate assets and reinvest in their core businesses. The companys portfolio is diversified across multiple U.S. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Alpine Income Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alpine Income Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of ANA Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS:ALNPY Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $4.20 and last traded at $4.20, with a volume of 50292 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $4.11. ANA Stock Performance The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.42. The companys 50 day moving average is $3.87 and its 200-day moving average is $3.91. Get ANA alerts: ANA (OTCMKTS:ALNPY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.38 billion. ANA had a net margin of 6.47% and a return on equity of 13.52%. About ANA All Nippon Airways Co, Ltd. (OTCMKTS: ALNPY) is a Tokyo-based airline offering passenger and cargo air transportation services. Founded in 1952, the company operates scheduled flights under its ANA brand, providing a network of domestic and international routes. In addition to core flight operations, ANA delivers ancillary services including in-flight catering, ground handling and aircraft maintenance. ANAs diversified business model encompasses several subsidiaries such as ANA Wings and Air Japan for regional operations, and ANA Cargo for freight services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for ANA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ANA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX Get Free Report) were down 4.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $58.23 and last traded at $59.2930. Approximately 21,896,292 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 13% from the average daily volume of 25,139,182 shares. The stock had previously closed at $61.86. Key Stories Impacting Freeport-McMoRan Here are the key news stories impacting Freeport-McMoRan this week: Get Freeport-McMoRan alerts: Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple nearterm and longerrange EPS estimates for FCX (Q1 2026 to $0.44 from $0.38; Q2 2026 to $0.47 from $0.44; Q3 2026 to $0.58 from $0.51; Q1 2027 to $0.63 from $0.61; Q2 2027 to $0.78 from $0.69; FY2028 to $2.84). These upward revisions signal stronger expected free cash flow and profitability assumptions that support earnings momentum. (Zacks Research coverage) Zacks Research raised multiple nearterm and longerrange EPS estimates for FCX (Q1 2026 to $0.44 from $0.38; Q2 2026 to $0.47 from $0.44; Q3 2026 to $0.58 from $0.51; Q1 2027 to $0.63 from $0.61; Q2 2027 to $0.78 from $0.69; FY2028 to $2.84). These upward revisions signal stronger expected free cash flow and profitability assumptions that support earnings momentum. (Zacks Research coverage) Positive Sentiment: One outlet reports a material boost to consensus upside: FCX price target was raised about 10.45% to $62.23, reflecting improving analyst sentiment on nearterm fundamentals and commodity pricing. Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) price target increased by 10.45% to 62.23 One outlet reports a material boost to consensus upside: FCX price target was raised about 10.45% to $62.23, reflecting improving analyst sentiment on nearterm fundamentals and commodity pricing. Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights that record copper prices are supporting Freeports disciplined growth strategy and revenue outlook a tailwind for margins and cash returns if commodity strength persists. Freeport-McMoRan Rides Record Copper Prices With Disciplined Growth Focus Coverage highlights that record copper prices are supporting Freeports disciplined growth strategy and revenue outlook a tailwind for margins and cash returns if commodity strength persists. Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are rechecking valuation after recent earnings and optimism around copper demand this discussion may temper nearterm upside if multiples are judged rich. Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) Valuation Check After Earnings And Copper Demand Optimism Analysts and commentators are rechecking valuation after recent earnings and optimism around copper demand this discussion may temper nearterm upside if multiples are judged rich. Negative Sentiment: Some investor commentary argues the stock may be extended and recommends waiting for a better entry point, highlighting risk of pullbacks after the recent run. That bearish/tactical view can pressure shares as traders take profits. Freeport-McMoRan: Waiting For A Better Entry Point Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Freeport-McMoRan from $55.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on Freeport-McMoRan from $53.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Clarkson Capital upgraded shares of Freeport-McMoRan from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $46.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Freeport-McMoRan from $55.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Freeport-McMoRan has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $58.40. Freeport-McMoRan Stock Down 4.1% The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $53.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $45.97. The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $85.14 billion, a PE ratio of 39.27, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.47. Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The natural resource company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.19. Freeport-McMoRan had a return on equity of 8.50% and a net margin of 8.50%.The business had revenue of $5.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.42 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.31 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Freeport-McMoRan Inc. will post 1.68 earnings per share for the current year. Freeport-McMoRan Cuts Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 15th were paid a dividend of $0.075 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 15th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Freeport-McMoRans payout ratio is 19.87%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CAO Stephen T. Higgins sold 28,423 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.99, for a total value of $1,364,019.77. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 105,294 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,053,059.06. This represents a 21.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Ellie L. Mikes sold 9,572 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.66, for a total transaction of $456,201.52. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 38,761 shares in the company, valued at $1,847,349.26. This trade represents a 19.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 0.75% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Freeport-McMoRan Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Freeport-McMoRan by 190.9% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 36,494,793 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $1,431,326,000 after acquiring an additional 23,950,557 shares during the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main grew its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 89.4% during the 2nd quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main now owns 17,569,169 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $761,623,000 after acquiring an additional 8,292,873 shares in the last quarter. Mizuho Markets Cayman LP bought a new stake in Freeport-McMoRan in the second quarter valued at about $159,147,000. Crake Asset Management LLP increased its stake in Freeport-McMoRan by 60.6% during the second quarter. Crake Asset Management LLP now owns 9,522,673 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $412,808,000 after purchasing an additional 3,593,050 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Freeport-McMoRan by 289.0% in the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 3,844,504 shares of the natural resource companys stock worth $150,781,000 after acquiring an additional 2,856,302 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.77% of the companys stock. About Freeport-McMoRan (Get Free Report) Freeport-McMoRan Inc is a U.S.-based natural resources company primarily engaged in the exploration, mining and processing of copper, gold and molybdenum. Its operations encompass large-scale open-pit and underground mining as well as associated concentrator and milling facilities. The company produces copper in the form of concentrates and cathodes, and also recovers gold and molybdenum as co-products; its business model includes exploration, development, mining, beneficiation and the sale of bulk commodities to smelters and industrial customers. Freeport-McMoRan conducts operations and development activities across multiple geographies, with substantial assets in the Americas and Indonesia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Freeport-McMoRan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Freeport-McMoRan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. (OTCMKTS:MTSFF Get Free Report)s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $13.1610 and last traded at $12.15, with a volume of 5617 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $11.19. Mitsui Fudosan Trading Up 8.6% The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $11.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.92. Get Mitsui Fudosan alerts: Mitsui Fudosan Company Profile (Get Free Report) Mitsui Fudosan Co, Ltd. is a leading integrated real estate developer based in Tokyo, Japan, and a core member of the Mitsui Group. The company engages in a wide range of property-related activities, including the development, leasing and management of office buildings, retail facilities, residential complexes, hotels, resorts and logistics centers. Through both groundup and redevelopment projects, Mitsui Fudosan has established a diverse portfolio that spans landmark mixeduse developments such as Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown. Founded in 1941, Mitsui Fudosan has grown from its domestic origins into a global real estate enterprise. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mitsui Fudosan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsui Fudosan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Major automakers on Wednesday called for changes in the Trump administration's proposal to reform fuel economy standards, but said they back the plan to drastically slash the efficiency requirements. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents General Motors, Toyota Motor, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Ford and other automakers, backed the reduction in stringency proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but asked it to not eliminate credit trading to meet regulatory requirements and reconsider plans to reclassify more vehicles as cars. "Given the slowing growth of EV sales in the U.S. and reduced government policy support, the previously issued CAFE standards are simply unachievable," the group said. NHTSA proposes to eliminate credit trading among automakers in 2028, and will end some credits for fuel-saving features. It would also reclassify many vehicles as cars instead of trucks, which impacts automakers since cars face more stringent standards than trucks. PROPOSAL TO REVISE DOWN FUEL ECONOMY STANDARDS The automakers called for continuing credits for air conditioning efficiency and other technologies. NHTSA is proposing to revise down the 2022 fuel economy standards and then proposing to hike them between 0.25% and 0.5% annually through 2031. In 2022, under Biden, NHTSA increased fuel efficiency by 8% annually for model years 2024-2025 and 10% for 2026. Biden's rules sought to prod automakers to build a rising number of EVs to comply, but would not have forced an immediate end to gas-powered vehicles. NHTSA estimates the proposed rule would reduce average up-front vehicle costs by $930, but would increase fuel consumption by around 100 billion gallons through 2050 - and cost Americans up to another $185 billion for fuel and increase carbon dioxide emissions by about 5%. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Franklin Paul and David Holmes) New Gold Inc. (NYSE:NGD Get Free Report)s share price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $9.95, but opened at $10.73. New Gold shares last traded at $10.4580, with a volume of 2,403,246 shares trading hands. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth NGD has been the topic of several analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of New Gold from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. National Bankshares reiterated an outperform rating on shares of New Gold in a report on Thursday, October 30th. CIBC increased their price target on New Gold from $6.50 to $9.50 and gave the company an outperformer rating in a research report on Friday, October 10th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on New Gold to $12.75 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, TD Securities upgraded New Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $12.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, New Gold presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $8.18. Get New Gold alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on NGD New Gold Stock Performance Hedge Funds Weigh In On New Gold The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 0.84. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $9.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $7.39. The company has a market capitalization of $7.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.54 and a beta of 0.59. Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NGD. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in New Gold by 50.7% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 72,796,146 shares of the companys stock worth $522,678,000 after purchasing an additional 24,495,669 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in New Gold by 89.3% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 28,812,369 shares of the companys stock worth $143,011,000 after buying an additional 13,591,642 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in New Gold by 1,531.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,468,982 shares of the companys stock worth $82,164,000 after buying an additional 10,765,902 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of New Gold in the third quarter valued at about $49,428,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of New Gold by 86.4% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,465,579 shares of the companys stock valued at $56,755,000 after acquiring an additional 5,314,473 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.82% of the companys stock. About New Gold (Get Free Report) New Gold Inc is a Canadian-based intermediate precious metals producer focused on the exploration, development and operation of gold and copper mining assets. The company was formed in 2008 through the merger of two exploration firms and has since grown into a multi-asset mining platform. Headquartered in Toronto, New Gold emphasizes a disciplined approach to capital allocation and operational execution, with a commitment to environmental stewardship and strong community relations. New Golds principal producing assets include the New Afton Mine in British Columbia and the Rainy River Mine in northwestern Ontario. Read More Receive News & Ratings for New Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for New Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF (NYSEARCA:DBEU Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Tuesday . 162,293 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 184% from the previous sessions volume of 57,233 shares.The stock last traded at $49.8840 and had previously closed at $49.61. Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF Price Performance The firm has a market cap of $684.62 million, a PE ratio of 16.40 and a beta of 0.71. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $48.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.98. Get Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in shares of Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF by 11.2% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 13,537 shares of the companys stock worth $619,000 after purchasing an additional 1,365 shares in the last quarter. Cooksen Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cooksen Wealth LLC now owns 49,276 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,269,000 after buying an additional 1,491 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF by 149.2% during the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 109,825 shares of the companys stock worth $4,842,000 after buying an additional 65,754 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC increased its position in Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF by 289.7% during the second quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 98,510 shares of the companys stock worth $4,342,000 after buying an additional 73,230 shares in the last quarter. Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF Company Profile The Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF (DBEU) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in total market equity. The fund tracks a market-cap-weighted and currency-hedged index of companies in developed Europe. DBEU was launched on Oct 1, 2013 and is managed by Xtrackers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Xtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Yelp Inc. (NYSE:YELP Get Free Report) CEO Jeremy Stoppelman sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.79, for a total value of $743,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 964,827 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,918,061.33. This trade represents a 3.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Jeremy Stoppelman also recently made the following trade(s): Get Yelp alerts: On Thursday, February 5th, Jeremy Stoppelman sold 6,200 shares of Yelp stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.20, for a total value of $150,040.00. On Friday, January 30th, Jeremy Stoppelman sold 30,000 shares of Yelp stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.26, for a total value of $817,800.00. On Monday, February 2nd, Jeremy Stoppelman sold 30,000 shares of Yelp stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.54, for a total value of $826,200.00. On Tuesday, January 27th, Jeremy Stoppelman sold 30,000 shares of Yelp stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.39, for a total value of $821,700.00. On Friday, January 23rd, Jeremy Stoppelman sold 30,000 shares of Yelp stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.74, for a total transaction of $862,200.00. On Tuesday, January 20th, Jeremy Stoppelman sold 30,000 shares of Yelp stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.07, for a total value of $842,100.00. On Friday, January 16th, Jeremy Stoppelman sold 30,000 shares of Yelp stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.48, for a total value of $854,400.00. Yelp Price Performance Shares of Yelp stock traded down $0.21 on Thursday, reaching $24.04. 1,809,806 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,096,377. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.48 billion, a PE ratio of 10.64, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a 50 day moving average of $29.39 and a 200 day moving average of $30.96. Yelp Inc. has a 52 week low of $23.92 and a 52 week high of $41.22. Analyst Ratings Changes Yelp ( NYSE:YELP Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The local business review company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.14. Yelp had a net margin of 10.23% and a return on equity of 20.33%. The firm had revenue of $376.04 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $368.39 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.56 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Yelp Inc. will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current year. A number of research analysts have commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $33.00 price target on Yelp in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Yelp from $30.00 to $28.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Yelp from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Yelp in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Yelp from $45.00 to $38.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $31.29. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Yelp Institutional Investors Weigh In On Yelp A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Yelp by 157.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 252,564 shares of the local business review companys stock worth $9,352,000 after purchasing an additional 154,612 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Yelp by 0.7% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 76,376 shares of the local business review companys stock worth $2,828,000 after buying an additional 506 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in Yelp by 2.6% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 208,551 shares of the local business review companys stock worth $7,723,000 after buying an additional 5,210 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Yelp by 21.8% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 39,377 shares of the local business review companys stock valued at $1,458,000 after purchasing an additional 7,053 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Yelp during the 1st quarter worth approximately $56,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.11% of the companys stock. About Yelp (Get Free Report) Yelp is a digital platform that connects consumers with local businesses through user-generated reviews, ratings and multimedia content. The companys flagship offerings include the Yelp website and mobile applications for iOS and Android, where users can search for and discover restaurants, shops, service providers and other points of interest. In addition to crowd-sourced reviews and photographs, Yelp provides business profile pages featuring hours, contact information, menus and direct messaging capabilities. Yelp generates revenue primarily through advertising services sold to small and medium-sized enterprises. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Yelp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yelp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. purchased a new stake in Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 27,445 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $3,827,000. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Dell Technologies in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Dell Technologies by 84.7% in the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 218 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Dell Technologies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its position in Dell Technologies by 96.9% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 254 shares of the technology companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 66.2% during the second quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 251 shares of the technology companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. 76.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Dell Technologies alerts: Dell Technologies Stock Down 5.5% DELL stock opened at $115.34 on Friday. Dell Technologies Inc. has a 52 week low of $66.25 and a 52 week high of $168.08. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $125.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $133.06. The company has a market cap of $76.43 billion, a PE ratio of 15.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.03. Dell Technologies Dividend Announcement Dell Technologies ( NYSE:DELL Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 25th. The technology company reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.12. Dell Technologies had a net margin of 5.01% and a negative return on equity of 234.84%. The firm had revenue of $27.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $27.26 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.15 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Dell Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 9.920-9.920 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at 3.500-3.500 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Dell Technologies Inc. will post 6.93 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th were paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 20th. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Dell Technologiess dividend payout ratio is presently 28.00%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently weighed in on DELL. Argus lifted their price target on Dell Technologies from $150.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Dell Technologies from $160.00 to $163.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of Dell Technologies in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $165.00 target price for the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Dell Technologies from $175.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Dell Technologies from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Eighteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Dell Technologies currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $161.26. Get Our Latest Research Report on Dell Technologies Insider Buying and Selling at Dell Technologies In other news, Director Egon Durban sold 71,000 shares of Dell Technologies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.12, for a total value of $9,806,520.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,172,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $161,935,755.36. This trade represents a 5.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 42.00% of the companys stock. Dell Technologies Company Profile (Free Report) Dell Technologies Inc is a multinational technology company that designs, manufactures and sells a broad range of information technology products, solutions and services. Its offerings span client computing devices (consumer and commercial laptops and desktops), enterprise infrastructure (servers, storage systems and networking equipment), software and cloud infrastructure, and a variety of professional services such as IT consulting, deployment, managed services and financing solutions. The company serves organizations of all sizes as well as individual consumers, with products and services aimed at enabling digital transformation and modern IT environments. Founded by Michael Dell in 1984, the company grew from a direct-to-consumer PC business into a diversified IT provider through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DELL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Dell Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dell Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. bought a new stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 6,600 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,069,000. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Philip Morris International in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Philip Morris International by 1,677.8% during the 3rd quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC now owns 160 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc increased its stake in Philip Morris International by 266.7% during the 2nd quarter. Briaud Financial Planning Inc now owns 165 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. Finally, Estabrook Capital Management purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. 78.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Philip Morris International Stock Performance Shares of PM stock opened at $181.63 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $282.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.90, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.39. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $140.02 and a one year high of $186.69. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $163.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $161.53. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a $1.47 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.52%. A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Philip Morris International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Barclays cut their price target on Philip Morris International from $220.00 to $180.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a buy rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $175.00 target price on Philip Morris International and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $184.56. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PM Philip Morris International Profile (Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM) is a global tobacco company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, other nicotine-containing products and a growing portfolio of smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers. The firm traces its corporate roots to the 19th century Philip Morris enterprise and was established as an independent, publicly traded company following a 2008 separation from what is now Altria. Since the spin-off, the company has focused on serving international markets outside the United States. PMIs product mix includes traditional combustible cigarettes as well as smoke-free offerings such as heated tobacco systems and other reduced-risk products. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. C WorldWide Group Holding A S grew its position in Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN Free Report) by 77.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 14,465 shares of the information technology services providers stock after acquiring an additional 6,317 shares during the period. C WorldWide Group Holding A Ss holdings in Accenture were worth $3,567,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Investors Research Corp raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 73.8% during the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 106 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Accenture by 132.6% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 107 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Davis Capital Management acquired a new position in Accenture during the third quarter worth $28,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Accenture by 146.0% during the third quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 123 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Accenture in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Accenture alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts recently weighed in on ACN shares. Evercore ISI restated an outperform rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Argus reduced their target price on Accenture from $370.00 to $335.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 29th. HSBC lifted their price target on Accenture from $215.00 to $235.00 in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Truist Financial began coverage on Accenture in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a buy rating and a $317.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group cut shares of Accenture from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $298.38. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, COO Catherine Kiernan Hogan sold 660 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.93, for a total value of $185,413.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 12,688 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,564,439.84. This represents a 4.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 1,026 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $281.70, for a total value of $289,024.20. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 27,181 shares in the company, valued at $7,656,887.70. This represents a 3.64% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 16,031 shares of company stock worth $4,509,304. 0.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Accenture Stock Performance Shares of Accenture stock opened at $233.66 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $270.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $257.04. The company has a market cap of $143.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.31, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. Accenture PLC has a one year low of $229.40 and a one year high of $397.88. Accenture (NYSE:ACN Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The information technology services provider reported $3.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.73 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $18.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.51 billion. Accenture had a return on equity of 26.65% and a net margin of 10.76%.The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.59 EPS. Accenture has set its FY 2026 guidance at 13.520-13.900 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Accenture PLC will post 12.73 EPS for the current year. Accenture Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 13th will be paid a dividend of $1.63 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 13th. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Accentures payout ratio is 53.88%. About Accenture (Free Report) Accenture is a global professional services company that provides a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. The firm works with organizations across industries to design and implement business transformation programs, deploy and manage enterprise technology, optimize operations, and develop customer and digital experiences. Its offerings encompass management and technology consulting, systems integration, application and infrastructure services, cloud migration and managed services, as well as security and analytics capabilities. The company delivers industry- and function-specific solutions, combining consulting expertise with proprietary tools, platforms and partnerships with major technology vendors. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ACN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Accenture PLC (NYSE:ACN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Accenture Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Accenture and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:AGI Free Report) (TSE:AGI) by 2,652.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 55,411 shares of the basic materials companys stock after purchasing an additional 53,398 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd.s holdings in Alamos Gold were worth $1,932,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Alamos Gold in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Alamos Gold in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Bessemer Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold during the second quarter valued at approximately $90,000. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ acquired a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold during the second quarter valued at approximately $98,000. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new stake in shares of Alamos Gold in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $112,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.33% of the companys stock. Get Alamos Gold alerts: Alamos Gold Stock Down 7.0% AGI stock opened at $37.65 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Alamos Gold Inc. has a 1 year low of $21.95 and a 1 year high of $45.18. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $33.91. The firm has a market cap of $15.81 billion, a PE ratio of 29.41, a PEG ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.61. Alamos Gold Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 4th were given a $0.025 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 4th. This represents a $0.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Alamos Golds payout ratio is currently 7.81%. Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Alamos Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (a) rating on shares of Alamos Gold in a report on Monday, December 29th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and issued a $49.00 price objective on shares of Alamos Gold in a research note on Sunday, December 7th. Desjardins began coverage on Alamos Gold in a research report on Friday, November 28th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, CIBC reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Alamos Gold in a report on Wednesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $44.25. View Our Latest Report on AGI Alamos Gold Profile (Free Report) Alamos Gold Inc is a Canadian-based intermediate gold producer engaged in the exploration, development and operation of mining projects in North America. Its principal activities include the acquisition, exploration and development of gold-bearing properties, and the management of operating mines. The company focuses on sustainable production practices and maintains a portfolio that spans both producing assets and advanced-stage development projects. Alamos Gold operates multiple open pit and underground mines, including the Young-Davidson and Island Gold mines in Ontario, Canada, and the Mulatos mine in Sonora, Mexico. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AGI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:AGI Free Report) (TSE:AGI). Receive News & Ratings for Alamos Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alamos Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$166.17. Several research firms recently commented on NA. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on National Bank of Canada from C$160.00 to C$166.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on National Bank of Canada from C$149.00 to C$163.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. CIBC upped their price objective on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$174.00 to C$179.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$168.00 to C$173.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of National Bank of Canada from C$172.00 to C$177.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Get National Bank of Canada alerts: Read Our Latest Report on NA National Bank of Canada Trading Up 0.7% Shares of TSE:NA opened at C$168.12 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of C$170.72 and a 200 day moving average of C$158.17. The stock has a market cap of C$65.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.70, a P/E/G ratio of 7.14 and a beta of 1.05. National Bank of Canada has a 12 month low of C$106.67 and a 12 month high of C$177.54. National Bank of Canada (TSE:NA Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, December 3rd. The financial services provider reported C$2.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$3.70 billion for the quarter. National Bank of Canada had a net margin of 19.69% and a return on equity of 15.43%. On average, equities analysts forecast that National Bank of Canada will post 10.8360791 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. National Bank of Canada Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, February 1st. Investors of record on Sunday, February 1st were given a $1.24 dividend. This represents a $4.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. This is a boost from National Bank of Canadas previous quarterly dividend of $1.18. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 29th. National Bank of Canadas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.08%. About National Bank of Canada (Get Free Report) National Bank of Canada is the sixth-largest Canadian bank. The bank offers integrated financial services, primarily in the province of Quebec as well as the city of Toronto. Operational segments include personal and commercial banking, wealth management, and a financial markets group. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for National Bank of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Bank of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eldorado Gold (TSE:ELD Free Report) (NYSE:EGO) had its target price reduced by ATB Capital from C$100.00 to C$89.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday morning,BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock. ELD has been the subject of several other reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$59.00 to C$74.00 in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded Eldorado Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from C$42.00 to C$54.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Scotiabank raised Eldorado Gold from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have issued a Buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Eldorado Gold currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$51.21. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on ELD Eldorado Gold Stock Down 6.8% ELD stock opened at C$50.67 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of C$52.20 and a 200-day moving average price of C$41.60. Eldorado Gold has a 12 month low of C$18.94 and a 12 month high of C$69.46. The company has a current ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.28. The stock has a market capitalization of C$10.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 56.20 and a beta of 1.44. Eldorado Gold (TSE:ELD Get Free Report) (NYSE:EGO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported C$0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$605.32 million during the quarter. Eldorado Gold had a net margin of 23.32% and a return on equity of 7.60%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Eldorado Gold will post 2.1505174 EPS for the current fiscal year. About Eldorado Gold (Get Free Report) Eldorado Gold Corp is a gold and base metals producer with mining, development and exploration operations in Turkey, Canada, Greece and Romania. It has a portfolio of high-quality assets and long-term partnerships with local communities. Some of its projects include Kisladag, Efemcukuru, Skouries; Perama Hill and Certej projects. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Eldorado Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eldorado Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBDO Get Free Report) declared a monthly dividend on Thursday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of 0.0033 per share by the bank on Wednesday, April 8th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This is a 2.5% increase from Banco Bradescos previous monthly dividend of $0.003206. Banco Bradesco has decreased its dividend by an average of 0.2%annually over the last three years. Get Banco Bradesco alerts: Banco Bradesco Trading Down 0.7% Shares of BBDO traded down $0.03 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $3.47. The company had a trading volume of 21,565 shares, compared to its average volume of 58,580. The companys 50 day moving average price is $3.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $2.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.12. Banco Bradesco has a 52 week low of $1.80 and a 52 week high of $3.71. About Banco Bradesco Banco Bradesco ( NYSE:BBDO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The bank reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter. Banco Bradesco had a return on equity of 12.95% and a net margin of 9.27%. (Get Free Report) Banco Bradesco SA is a major Brazilian commercial bank and financial services company headquartered in Osasco, Sao Paulo. Founded in 1943 by Amador Aguiar, Bradesco has grown into one of Brazils largest private-sector banks, serving individual, small-business and corporate clients through an extensive network of branches, correspondents and digital channels. The banks operations span retail and commercial banking products including deposit accounts, payment services, lending (personal, mortgage and corporate), credit cards and cash management. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Banco Bradesco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Bradesco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. New data suggests the average American worker has under $1,000 saved for retirement. A report from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that the median savings for all employed adults between the ages of 21 and 64 were approximately $955. The study includes workers with 401(k) and other retirement savings plans, as well as the approximately 56 million workers who do not have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. Workers with retirement savings plans have a median balance of approximately $40,000 saved, according to the report. That figure is nowhere near the $1.5 million that Americans say they need to feel comfortable fully retiring. Saving for retirement is more important than ever, as Social Security benefits which have long been a core component of retired Americans' monthly incomes may be cut by 20 percent in 2034, barring any congressional action. "While there have been some noticeable improvements in the retirement savings system in recent years, many workers are still left out of that system, and major challenges lie ahead," the report warns. Working Americans have, on average, under $1,000 saved for retirement, according to new data from the National Institute on Retirement Security, a nonpartisan think tank (Getty Images) According to a new report from AARP, a lack of retirement savings has forced some seniors to "unretire" or fully return to the workforce to make ends meet. It found that approximately 7 percent of retirees have had to return to work in the last six months, with almost half citing financial security concerns as motivating their decisions. "With the cost of living still high and many people worried that they don't have enough saved for retirement, the trend of older adults working longer will likely continue," Carly Roszkowski, AARP's vice president of financial resilience programming, said in a statement to CBS News. The NIRS report found that most Americans who do save are doing so through their employers. "The bottom line is that if Americans are not saving for retirement through their employer, then they are probably not saving at all," the report said. A woman visits a food bank in Utah. Approximately 15 percent of American seniors are living in poverty as of 2024, according to a report from the National Institute on Retirement Security (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Poverty is on the rise among older Americans, and workers' lack of retirement savings is likely a significant contributing factor. The study found that the number of seniors living in poverty increased to 15 percent in 2024, gaining one point over the 14 percent reported a year earlier. More seniors are living in poverty than any other age group, according to the data. Some financial experts have recommended a savings plan that sees workers have a year's income saved by age 30, double that by age 35, and continue growing from there as they age. But saving that much money especially for Americans who choose to have children has become difficult as wages stagnate and prices for everything from groceries to rent balloon year after year. Shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS Get Free Report) (NYSE:BNS) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as C$104.33 and last traded at C$104.06, with a volume of 731707 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$103.20. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BNS. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from C$95.00 to C$97.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from C$86.00 to C$96.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 25th. Desjardins boosted their price objective on shares of Bank of Nova Scotia from C$100.00 to C$104.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Bank of Nova Scotia from C$93.00 to C$98.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a C$108.00 target price on Bank of Nova Scotia and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bank of Nova Scotia presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of C$94.83. Get Bank of Nova Scotia alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on BNS Bank of Nova Scotia Stock Up 0.8% The firm has a market cap of C$128.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.34, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a 50 day moving average of C$100.91 and a 200 day moving average of C$91.80. Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS Get Free Report) (NYSE:BNS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 2nd. The bank reported C$1.93 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of C$9.77 billion for the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia had a net margin of 17.68% and a return on equity of 9.64%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Bank of Nova Scotia will post 7.1286267 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling at Bank of Nova Scotia In other news, insider Julie Walsh sold 3,716 shares of Bank of Nova Scotia stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$100.62, for a total value of C$373,903.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,430 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$143,886.60. The trade was a 72.21% decrease in their position. Company insiders own 0.03% of the companys stock. About Bank of Nova Scotia (Get Free Report) Bank of Nova Scotia is a global financial services provider. The bank has five business segments: Canadian banking, international banking, global wealth management, global banking and markets, and other. It offers a range of advice, products, and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. The banks international operations span numerous countries and are more concentrated in Central and South America. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Nova Scotia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Nova Scotia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Toronto Dominion Bank (The) (NYSE:TD Free Report) (TSE:TD) by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 704,514 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 13,035 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.s holdings in Toronto Dominion Bank were worth $56,267,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of TD. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Toronto Dominion Bank by 3.4% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 77,187,442 shares of the banks stock valued at $5,677,291,000 after purchasing an additional 2,552,603 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in Toronto Dominion Bank by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 37,365,008 shares of the banks stock worth $2,742,748,000 after purchasing an additional 329,429 shares during the period. 1832 Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in Toronto Dominion Bank by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 22,548,848 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,656,213,000 after buying an additional 101,678 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Toronto Dominion Bank during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,543,639,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Toronto Dominion Bank by 20.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 14,147,217 shares of the banks stock worth $1,053,292,000 after buying an additional 2,366,324 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.37% of the companys stock. Get Toronto Dominion Bank alerts: Toronto Dominion Bank Trading Down 0.6% Toronto Dominion Bank stock opened at $94.91 on Friday. Toronto Dominion Bank has a 12-month low of $54.87 and a 12-month high of $96.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $159.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.67. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $92.64 and a 200 day moving average of $83.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Toronto Dominion Bank Increases Dividend Toronto Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Get Free Report ) (TSE:TD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The bank reported $1.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $11.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.10 billion. Toronto Dominion Bank had a net margin of 16.52% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The companys revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.72 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Toronto Dominion Bank will post 5.48 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 9th were issued a dividend of $1.08 per share. This is a boost from Toronto Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $1.05. This represents a $4.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 9th. Toronto Dominion Banks payout ratio is 37.25%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth TD has been the subject of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group cut Toronto Dominion Bank from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. National Bank Financial raised shares of Toronto Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Toronto Dominion Bank in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Toronto Dominion Bank from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Natl Bk Canada upgraded shares of Toronto Dominion Bank from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $93.00. View Our Latest Research Report on Toronto Dominion Bank Toronto Dominion Bank Profile (Free Report) Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Formed through the 1955 merger of the Bank of Toronto (founded 1855) and the Dominion Bank (founded 1869), TD is one of Canadas largest banks and offers a broad range of financial products and services to individual, small business, commercial and institutional clients. TDs core businesses include Canadian and U.S. personal and commercial banking, wealth management, wholesale banking and insurance. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Toronto Dominion Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toronto Dominion Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. decreased its position in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT Free Report) by 21.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 126,726 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 34,643 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.34% of Applied Industrial Technologies worth $33,081,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wolverine Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,044,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies by 38.6% during the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 73,784 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $17,151,000 after buying an additional 20,535 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 27.3% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 46,126 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $12,041,000 after acquiring an additional 9,898 shares in the last quarter. Regents Gate Capital LLP acquired a new stake in Applied Industrial Technologies in the second quarter valued at $11,387,000. Finally, TimesSquare Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 10.5% in the second quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 86,434 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $20,092,000 after acquiring an additional 8,219 shares during the last quarter. 93.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Applied Industrial Technologies alerts: Applied Industrial Technologies Trading Down 1.1% Shares of AIT stock opened at $286.78 on Friday. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $199.96 and a 12-month high of $290.25. The company has a market capitalization of $10.70 billion, a PE ratio of 27.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $266.63 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $262.19. The company has a quick ratio of 2.56, a current ratio of 3.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Applied Industrial Technologies Increases Dividend Applied Industrial Technologies ( NYSE:AIT Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $2.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.48 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.17 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 21.74% and a net margin of 8.49%.The firms quarterly revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.39 earnings per share. Applied Industrial Technologies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 10.450-10.750 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 9.9 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.51 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This is a boost from Applied Industrial Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Applied Industrial Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 17.51%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Applied Industrial Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Mizuho set a $305.00 price target on Applied Industrial Technologies in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on Applied Industrial Technologies from $310.00 to $300.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of Applied Industrial Technologies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given 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 $290.63. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Applied Industrial Technologies Applied Industrial Technologies Company Profile (Free Report) Applied Industrial Technologies, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AIT, is a leading distributor of industrial products and services. The company offers a comprehensive range of bearings, power transmission components, fluid power products, industrial rubber products, and automation solutions. Through its network of distribution centers and branch locations, Applied Industrial Technologies serves diverse end markets including manufacturing, oil and gas, mining, food and beverage, and wastewater treatment. Founded in 1923 and headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Applied Industrial Technologies has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AIT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Applied Industrial Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Applied Industrial Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its stake in Vontier Corporation (NYSE:VNT Free Report) by 3.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 844,947 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 27,051 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.58% of Vontier worth $35,464,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its holdings in shares of Vontier by 45.5% in the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 261,430 shares of the companys stock worth $10,862,000 after purchasing an additional 81,692 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in Vontier by 1,304.6% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 99,419 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,173,000 after buying an additional 92,341 shares during the period. Private Management Group Inc. boosted its position in Vontier by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 501,342 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,500,000 after buying an additional 7,562 shares during the period. Brant Point Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Vontier by 51.4% in the 2nd quarter. Brant Point Investment Management LLC now owns 150,276 shares of the companys stock worth $5,545,000 after acquiring an additional 51,005 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eldred Rock Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Vontier by 12.1% during the third quarter. Eldred Rock Partners LLC now owns 475,114 shares of the companys stock worth $19,941,000 after acquiring an additional 51,123 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.83% of the companys stock. Get Vontier alerts: Vontier Price Performance Shares of VNT stock opened at $40.32 on Friday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $37.56 and its 200 day moving average is $39.53. Vontier Corporation has a 1-year low of $27.22 and a 1-year high of $43.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The company has a market cap of $5.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.77, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.28. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts recently issued reports on VNT shares. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on Vontier from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vontier from a buy (b-) rating to a hold (c+) rating in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America restated an underperform rating and set a $40.00 price target (down previously from $50.00) on shares of Vontier in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Vontier from $49.00 to $47.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on shares of Vontier from $45.00 to $44.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $45.63. View Our Latest Stock Report on Vontier Vontier Profile (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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Vontier Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vontier and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S boosted its holdings in shares of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE:BK Free Report) by 81.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 69,515 shares of the banks stock after acquiring an additional 31,280 shares during the period. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A Ss holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $7,574,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BK. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 78.9% during the 2nd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 288 shares of the banks stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new position in Bank of New York Mellon in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. GFG Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Bank of New York Mellon in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Caldwell Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Bank of New York Mellon during the second quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Princeton Global Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bank of New York Mellon by 89.0% during the second quarter. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC now owns 446 shares of the banks stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. 85.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Bank of New York Mellon Stock Down 0.7% NYSE:BK opened at $120.52 on Friday. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation has a twelve month low of $70.46 and a twelve month high of $125.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $118.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $110.04. Bank of New York Mellon Dividend Announcement Bank of New York Mellon ( NYSE:BK Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The bank reported $1.91 earnings per share for the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon had a net margin of 13.62% and a return on equity of 14.37%. The business had revenue of $5.07 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts expect that The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation will post 6.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a $0.53 dividend. This represents a $2.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 23rd. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio is presently 28.61%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $120.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Truist Financial upgraded Bank of New York Mellon from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $119.00 to $134.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. New Street Research set a $143.00 price objective on Bank of New York Mellon in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Bank of New York Mellon from $124.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $120.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $131.92. Get Our Latest Stock Report on BK About Bank of New York Mellon (Free Report) Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY Mellon) is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City that provides a wide range of asset servicing, custody, and related financial infrastructure solutions to institutional clients. Its core businesses include custody and asset servicing, clearing and collateral management, treasury services, securities lending, corporate trust services, and depositary receipt administration. The company also offers investment management and advisory services through its asset management arm and provides technology-enabled solutions for trade processing, foreign exchange, and liquidity management. BNY Mellon serves a broad client base that includes asset managers, pension funds, corporations, banks, broker-dealers and sovereign entities. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. B&M European Value Retail (LON:BME Free Report) had its price objective raised by Citigroup from GBX 165 to GBX 180 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the stock. A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on BME. Shore Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of B&M European Value Retail in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Peel Hunt reiterated an add rating and issued a GBX 200 price target on shares of B&M European Value Retail in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Berenberg Bank lowered their price target on B&M European Value Retail from GBX 450 to GBX 300 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of B&M European Value Retail from GBX 180 to GBX 175 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group decreased their price objective on shares of B&M European Value Retail from GBX 245 to GBX 230 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 207.50. Get B&M European Value Retail alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on B&M European Value Retail B&M European Value Retail Stock Up 3.4% LON:BME opened at GBX 180.90 on Thursday. The companys 50-day simple moving average is GBX 167.12 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 199.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 315.77, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 1.06. B&M European Value Retail has a fifty-two week low of GBX 154 and a fifty-two week high of GBX 350. The stock has a market capitalization of 1.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.32 and a beta of 1.05. B&M European Value Retail (LON:BME Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 13th. The company reported GBX 7.20 EPS for the quarter. B&M European Value Retail had a net margin of 5.81% and a return on equity of 43.85%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that B&M European Value Retail will post 38.4814815 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at B&M European Value Retail In other news, insider Tjeerd Jegen bought 29,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 19th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 164 per share, for a total transaction of 47,560. Insiders bought a total of 123,950 shares of company stock worth $19,757,500 over the last three months. Insiders own 22.79% of the companys stock. B&M European Value Retail Company Profile (Get Free Report) B&M European Value Retail SA operates general merchandise and grocery stores. The company operates a chain of stores under the B&M, Heron Foods, and B&M Express in the United Kingdom; and stores under the B&M brand in France. It also provides property management services. The company was founded in 1978 and is based in Munsbach, Luxembourg. Read More Receive News & Ratings for B&M European Value Retail Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B&M European Value Retail and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas (NYSE:LND Get Free Report) passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $3.74 and traded as high as $3.85. Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas shares last traded at $3.77, with a volume of 92,245 shares trading hands. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a sell (d) rating on shares of Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Reduce. Get Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on LND Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas Price Performance Institutional Inflows and Outflows The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 1.67 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $3.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.75. Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. ERn Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas during the 3rd quarter worth $50,000. Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP grew its stake in shares of Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas by 750.8% during the second quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP now owns 18,624 shares of the companys stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 16,435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas by 66.2% in the second quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 36,799 shares of the companys stock valued at $141,000 after buying an additional 14,651 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 1.15% of the companys stock. Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas Company Profile (Get Free Report) Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas is a Brazil-based agribusiness company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of agricultural land in key farming regions across the country. The companys core activities include identifying undervalued or underutilized rural properties, implementing infrastructure improvements and modern farming practices, and either operating the land directly or selling it to third parties. Brasilagros land bank spans several states in Brazil, with holdings in Maranhao, Bahia, Tocantins, Goias and Mato Grosso, among others. In its agricultural operations, Brasilagro cultivates a variety of crops such as soybeans, corn and cotton, leveraging advances in crop genetics, irrigation and soil management to enhance productivity and sustainability. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brasilagro Cia Brasileira De Propriedades Agricolas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of British Smaller Companies VCT (LON:BSV Get Free Report) traded up 2% on Thursday . The company traded as high as GBX 76 and last traded at GBX 76. 15 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 100% from the average session volume of 206,581 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 74.50. British Smaller Companies VCT Stock Up 2.0% The stock has a market cap of 268.99 million, a P/E ratio of 20.82 and a beta of 0.02. The business has a 50 day moving average price of GBX 74.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 75.29. Get British Smaller Companies VCT alerts: British Smaller Companies VCT (LON:BSV Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, December 2nd. The company reported GBX 0.42 EPS for the quarter. British Smaller Companies VCT had a return on equity of 3.73% and a net margin of 66.78%. British Smaller Companies VCT Company Profile British Smaller Companies VCT plc is a venture capital trust specializing in investments in early stage, mid and late venture, later stage, recapitalizations, growing capital-consuming businesses, acquisition funding and business development in mature, VCT qualifying and non-qualifying unquoted and quoted companies listed on alternative investment market and ISDX. It is an evergreen fund. It seeks to invest in firms that have business services, manufacturing, industrial, healthcare, software, Information Technology, telecommunications, retail and brands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for British Smaller Companies VCT Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British Smaller Companies VCT and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (TSE:CP Get Free Report) (NYSE:CP) have been assigned an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the thirteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$118.62. A number of research firms recently weighed in on CP. Desjardins set a C$130.00 target price on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. CIBC upped their price target on shares of Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$122.00 to C$123.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$121.00 to C$114.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. TD Securities reduced their target price on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$116.00 to C$112.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their target price on Canadian Pacific Kansas City from C$119.00 to C$124.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Get Canadian Pacific Kansas City alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on CP Insider Buying and Selling at Canadian Pacific Kansas City Canadian Pacific Kansas City Stock Performance In related news, insider Cassandra P. Quach sold 4,135 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$102.35, for a total value of C$423,217.25. Company insiders own 0.03% of the companys stock. Shares of CP opened at C$108.31 on Friday. Canadian Pacific Kansas City has a 52-week low of C$94.60 and a 52-week high of C$115.20. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is C$101.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$102.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.64, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.53. The stock has a market capitalization of C$97.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.88. Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSE:CP Get Free Report) (NYSE:CP) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The company reported C$1.33 earnings per share for the quarter. Canadian Pacific Kansas City had a return on equity of 8.22% and a net margin of 24.50%.The firm had revenue of C$3.92 billion for the quarter. Research analysts forecast that Canadian Pacific Kansas City will post 4.3438583 EPS for the current fiscal year. Canadian Pacific Kansas City Company Profile (Get Free Report) Canadian Pacific is a CAD 8 billion Class-1 railroads operating on more than 12,500 miles of track across most of Canada and into parts of the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. It is the second-smallest Class I railroad by revenue and route miles. In 2021, CP hauled shipments of grain (22% of freight revenue), intermodal containers (22%), energy products (like crude and frac sand), chemicals, and plastics (20%) coal (8%), fertilizer and potash (10%), automotive products (5%), and a diverse mix of other merchandise. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Pacific Kansas City Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Pacific Kansas City and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Capri Holdings Limited (NYSE:CPRI Get Free Report)s share price traded down 8.4% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $22.35 and last traded at $21.1990. 700,088 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 73% from the average session volume of 2,612,046 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.14. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated a market perform rating and issued a $23.00 price target on shares of Capri in a research report on Tuesday. Guggenheim raised shares of Capri to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Capri from $31.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup raised Capri from a buy rating to a mixed rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a buy rating and set a $30.00 target price on shares of Capri in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Capri currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $26.21. Get Capri alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on Capri Capri Price Performance The business has a 50-day moving average of $24.87 and a 200 day moving average of $22.35. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.34 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.45. Capri (NYSE:CPRI Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.03. Capri had a negative return on equity of 430.23% and a negative net margin of 13.57%.The firm had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $999.84 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.63 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Capri has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.300-1.400 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Capri Holdings Limited will post 0.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at Capri In related news, CFO Rajal Mehta sold 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.96, for a total value of $259,600.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 741 shares in the company, valued at $19,236.36. This represents a 93.10% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CPRI. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in Capri by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 34,894 shares of the companys stock valued at $695,000 after buying an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank grew its holdings in shares of Capri by 1.2% in the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 52,398 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,044,000 after acquiring an additional 616 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Capri by 17.0% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,349 shares of the companys stock valued at $87,000 after acquiring an additional 632 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Capri by 37.2% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,360 shares of the companys stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 640 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in Capri by 3.9% during the second quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 17,906 shares of the companys stock worth $317,000 after acquiring an additional 671 shares during the period. 84.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Capri (Get Free Report) Capri Holdings Limited (NYSE: CPRI) is a global luxury fashion company that designs, markets and distributes a range of premium lifestyle products. The companys principal brandsMichael Kors, Versace and Jimmy Choooffer handbags, ready-to-wear apparel, footwear, watches, jewelry, fragrance and other accessories. Capri Holdings combines in-house design talent with international sourcing, manufacturing and retail operations to deliver collections that reflect each brands distinct heritage and aesthetic vision. Formed in 2018 through the rebranding of Michael Kors Holdings following the acquisition of Versace, Capri has since integrated Jimmy Choo into its portfolio. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Capri Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capri and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) is one of the most undervalued Canadian stocks to buy according to hedge funds. On January 8, Barclays increased its price target for Manulife Financial to C$52 from C$49, while keeping an Equal Weight rating. As part of its 2026 outlook, the firm expressed a cautiously optimistic view on life insurers and noted that capital strength, cash flow, and consolidation are offsetting challenges like spread compression and tech expenditures. In Q3 2025, Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC) highlighted a 16% year-over-year increase in EPS and a core ROE of 18.1%. The companys performance was supported by record core earnings in its Asia, Canada, and Global WAM (Wealth and Asset Management) segments, with the Asia division notably delivering a 29% increase in core earnings. During the quarter, Manulife also reached a milestone by announcing a 50:50 JV with Mahindra & Mahindra to enter the Indian life insurance market, a move intended to leverage Mahindras local distribution and Manulifes global expertise. Barclays Cautiously Optimistic On Manulife Financial (MFC) Amid Industry Challenges Pixabay/Public Domain Despite these gains, the Global WAM segment faced $6.2 billion in net outflows, and the US segment saw a 20% decrease in core earnings due to unfavorable life insurance claims. The company also noted potential volatility in the Hong Kong market and an expected $25 million quarterly impact from regulatory changes to the Mandatory Provident Fund. Manulife Financial Corporation (NYSE:MFC), together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services internationally. It operates through Wealth & Asset Management Businesses, Insurance & Annuity Products, and Corporate & Other segments. While we acknowledge the potential of MFC 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. Shares of Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the fifteen ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have 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 $233.2857. Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CAH shares. Mizuho set a $222.00 target price on shares of Cardinal Health in a report on Monday, January 12th. Citigroup raised shares of Cardinal Health from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $190.00 to $244.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Cardinal Health in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Argus increased their price target on Cardinal Health from $211.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Evercore ISI reissued an outperform rating and set a $260.00 price target on shares of Cardinal Health in a research note on Thursday. Get Cardinal Health alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Cardinal Health Cardinal Health Price Performance Shares of CAH stock opened at $227.78 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $54.12 billion, a PE ratio of 34.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.64. Cardinal Health has a 1 year low of $120.72 and a 1 year high of $229.76. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $206.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $179.50. Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.32. The firm had revenue of $65.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $64.88 billion. Cardinal Health had a negative return on equity of 84.37% and a net margin of 0.68%.The companys revenue for the quarter was up 18.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.93 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Cardinal Health will post 7.95 EPS for the current year. Institutional Trading of Cardinal Health A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CAH. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. lifted its holdings in Cardinal Health by 1,363.6% during the 3rd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 161 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Cardinal Health in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its position in shares of Cardinal Health by 198.3% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 21,112 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 14,034 shares during the period. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Cardinal Health by 75.0% during the second quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 175 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cardinal Health in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 87.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Cardinal Health News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Cardinal Health this week: Cardinal Health Company Profile (Get Free Report) Cardinal Health is a multinational healthcare services and products company headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. Tracing its roots to the early 1970s, the company has grown into a major provider of supply chain and distribution services for the healthcare sector. Cardinal Health operates across a range of service lines that support hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, physician offices and clinical laboratories. The companys core activities include the wholesale distribution of branded and generic pharmaceuticals, the supply and distribution of medical-surgical products, and the provision of logistics and inventory management solutions. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Cardinal Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cardinal Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT Get Free Report) insider Lange Bob De sold 16,070 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $704.97, for a total transaction of $11,328,867.90. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 79,953 shares in the company, valued at $56,364,466.41. This represents a 16.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Lange Bob De also recently made the following trade(s): Get Caterpillar alerts: On Monday, February 2nd, Lange Bob De sold 15,977 shares of Caterpillar stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $682.99, for a total value of $10,912,131.23. Caterpillar Trading Down 2.0% NYSE:CAT opened at $678.22 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $317.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.58. Caterpillar Inc. has a twelve month low of $267.30 and a twelve month high of $723.16. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $614.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $526.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44. Caterpillar Announces Dividend Caterpillar ( NYSE:CAT Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $5.16 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.67 by $0.49. Caterpillar had a net margin of 13.14% and a return on equity of 45.76%. The business had revenue of $19.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $17.81 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.14 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Caterpillar Inc. will post 19.86 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 20th will be given a dividend of $1.51 per share. This represents a $6.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 20th. Caterpillars payout ratio is 32.09%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently issued reports on CAT shares. Raymond James Financial restated a market perform rating on shares of Caterpillar in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Caterpillar from $729.00 to $786.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Caterpillar from $587.00 to $658.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Caterpillar from $569.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Caterpillar from $610.00 to $625.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Caterpillar presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $681.86. Get Our Latest Research Report on Caterpillar Institutional Investors Weigh In On Caterpillar Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CAT. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Caterpillar during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,165,899,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Caterpillar by 3,949.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 5,228,058 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,494,568,000 after purchasing an additional 5,098,964 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in shares of Caterpillar by 1,851.8% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 1,830,414 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $873,382,000 after buying an additional 1,736,631 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in shares of Caterpillar by 573.1% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,504,612 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $861,947,000 after buying an additional 1,281,087 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in Caterpillar by 425.2% in the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 761,800 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $295,738,000 after acquiring an additional 616,739 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.98% of the companys stock. Caterpillar Company Profile (Get Free Report) Caterpillar Inc is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and locomotives. The companys product portfolio includes earthmoving machines such as excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders and offhighway trucks, as well as a range of power generation products including generator sets and power systems for industrial and commercial use. Caterpillar serves customers across heavy construction, mining, energy, transportation and related industries with both equipment and integrated technology solutions. In addition to manufacturing, Caterpillar provides a broad range of aftermarket parts and support services, including maintenance, repair, remanufacturing and fleet management tools. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Caterpillar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Caterpillar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited (OTCMKTS:CHCJY Get Free Report) shares saw strong trading volume on Friday . 13,900 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 288% from the previous sessions volume of 3,586 shares.The stock last traded at $18.99 and had previously closed at $18.61. China CITIC Bank Price Performance The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.57. The company has a market cap of $46.46 billion, a PE ratio of 5.81 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. Get China CITIC Bank alerts: About China CITIC Bank (Get Free Report) China CITIC Bank Co, Ltd., a subsidiary of CITIC Group, is a leading Chinese commercial bank headquartered in Beijing. Established in the late 1980s, the bank was among the first national joint-stock commercial banks approved by the Chinese government. It is quoted on the U.S. OTC Market under the symbol CHCJY. The bank offers a wide range of financial services, including corporate and institutional banking, retail banking, treasury and financial markets services. Corporate clients can access lending solutions, trade finance, cash management and project financing, while retail customers can choose from deposit accounts, personal loans, credit cards, wealth management and digital banking platforms. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for China CITIC Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China CITIC Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cardinal Energy (TSE:CJ Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Cibc Captl Mkts from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports. A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on CJ. CIBC raised Cardinal Energy from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and increased their price target for the company from C$7.75 to C$11.00 in a research report on Thursday. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on shares of Cardinal Energy from C$9.00 to C$9.50 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Cardinal Energy from C$9.00 to C$9.50 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Cardinal Energy presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of C$10.00. Get Cardinal Energy alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on CJ Cardinal Energy Stock Performance Shares of CJ stock opened at C$9.11 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$8.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$8.13. The stock has a market capitalization of C$1.47 billion, a PE ratio of 18.98, a P/E/G ratio of -0.26 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.05. Cardinal Energy has a 52 week low of C$4.64 and a 52 week high of C$9.56. Cardinal Energy (TSE:CJ Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported C$0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$104.82 million for the quarter. Cardinal Energy had a return on equity of 11.24% and a net margin of 19.57%. On average, research analysts predict that Cardinal Energy will post 0.625118 EPS for the current fiscal year. About Cardinal Energy (Get Free Report) Cardinal is a Canadian oil and natural gas production company with operations focused on low decline sustainable oil production in Western Canada. Cardinal has recently completed its first thermal SAGD project in Reford, Saskatchewan and has transitioned to the production phase of operations. The Companys portfolio of conventional and SAGD project inventory offers a complimentary low decline, long life resource base that is ideally suited to sustain our commitment to meaningful dividend returns to shareholders. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Cardinal Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cardinal Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Thomson Reuters (TSE:TRI Get Free Report) (NYSE:TRI) had its target price reduced by stock analysts at CIBC from C$183.00 to C$140.00 in a report released on Friday,BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock. CIBCs price target suggests a potential upside of 17.88% from the companys previous close. TRI has been the topic of several other research reports. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on Thomson Reuters from C$275.00 to C$165.00 in a report on Friday. Huber Research upgraded shares of Thomson Reuters to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Canaccord Genuity Group upgraded shares of Thomson Reuters from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. National Bankshares reduced their price target on Thomson Reuters from C$300.00 to C$190.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Finally, TD Securities decreased their price objective on Thomson Reuters from C$285.00 to C$175.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Thomson Reuters currently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$184.33. Get Thomson Reuters alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on TRI Thomson Reuters Price Performance TSE TRI traded down C$2.19 on Friday, hitting C$118.76. 972,387 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 756,433. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.28. The company has a market cap of C$52.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.53, a P/E/G ratio of 3.64 and a beta of -0.02. Thomson Reuters has a 1-year low of C$116.21 and a 1-year high of C$299.24. The firm has a 50 day moving average of C$173.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$209.53. Thomson Reuters (TSE:TRI Get Free Report) (NYSE:TRI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported C$1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Thomson Reuters had a net margin of 32.12% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The company had revenue of C$2.76 billion for the quarter. On average, equities analysts predict that Thomson Reuters will post 5.6395803 EPS for the current year. About Thomson Reuters (Get Free Report) 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Thomson Reuters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thomson Reuters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Loader Please wait while your request is being verified... Community Bancorp. (OTCMKTS:CMTV Get Free Report) Director David Mark Bouffard purchased 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $31.45 per share, for a total transaction of $15,725.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 6,736 shares in the company, valued at $211,847.20. This represents a 8.02% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Community Bancorp. Stock Performance Community Bancorp. stock traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $32.30. 283 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,085. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.92. Community Bancorp. has a 12 month low of $16.99 and a 12 month high of $34.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $180.49 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.73 and a beta of 0.31. The business has a 50 day moving average of $26.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.92. Get Community Bancorp. alerts: Community Bancorp. (OTCMKTS:CMTV Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The financial services provider reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter. Community Bancorp. had a net margin of 24.67% and a return on equity of 16.08%. The business had revenue of $13.21 million for the quarter. Community Bancorp. Company Profile 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Community Bancorp. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Community Bancorp. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Unsponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:CODYY Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of Moderate Buy by the six analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. Separately, UBS Group lowered Compagnie de Saint-Gobain from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Get Compagnie de Saint-Gobain alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Stock Performance About Compagnie de Saint-Gobain CODYY opened at $20.41 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $20.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.86. Compagnie de Saint-Gobain has a 52 week low of $16.66 and a 52 week high of $24.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. (Get Free Report) Compagnie de Saint-Gobain (OTCMKTS: CODYY) is a French multinational that develops, manufactures and distributes building materials and high-performance solutions for construction, mobility and industrial markets. Founded in 1665 and headquartered in Courbevoie, France, the company has evolved from its origins in glassmaking into a diversified materials group producing an array of products used across building envelopes, interiors and specialized industrial applications. Saint-Gobains product portfolio includes glass and glazing systems, insulation and gypsum-based solutions, mortars, exterior and interior finishing systems, piping and high-performance ceramics and abrasives. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Compagnie de Saint-Gobain and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be given a dividend of 0.84 per share by the energy producer on Monday, March 2nd. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 18th. ConocoPhillips has increased its dividend by an average of 0.2%per year over the last three years. ConocoPhillips has a dividend payout ratio of 47.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect ConocoPhillips to earn $8.84 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.36 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 38.0%. Get ConocoPhillips alerts: ConocoPhillips Price Performance Shares of NYSE:COP traded down $2.57 on Thursday, reaching $105.02. The companys stock had a trading volume of 10,435,345 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,381,155. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $95.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $93.52. ConocoPhillips has a 52-week low of $79.88 and a 52-week high of $108.44. 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 company has a market cap of $129.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.85 and a beta of 0.32. Analyst Ratings Changes ConocoPhillips ( NYSE:COP Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The energy producer reported $1.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.23 by ($0.21). ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 14.25% and a return on equity of 13.64%. The company had revenue of $13.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.98 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that ConocoPhillips will post 8.16 EPS for the current fiscal year. COP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wolfe Research boosted their price target on ConocoPhillips from $122.00 to $123.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Bank of America reaffirmed an underperform rating and set a $102.00 target price on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Roth Mkm reissued a buy rating and set a $112.00 price target on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on ConocoPhillips from $113.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $117.00 to $108.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Sixteen investment 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, ConocoPhillips presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.26. Read Our Latest Analysis on ConocoPhillips ConocoPhillips Company Profile (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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for ConocoPhillips Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ConocoPhillips and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Devon Energy and Coterra Energy (NYSE:CTRA) used a joint conference call to outline their announced merger, describing the transaction as an at-market, all-stock deal intended to create a larger-scale U.S. shale operator with a concentrated position in the Delaware Basin and a broader multi-basin portfolio. Get alerts: Executives frame merger as transformational Coterra Chairman, CEO, and President Tom Jorden opened the call by emphasizing that the combination is intended to create a bigger company, but importantly, a better company, citing asset quality, scale, capital efficiency, operational overlap, and a focus on technology and innovation. Jorden said he would serve as chairman of the combined board, while Devon President and CEO Clay Gaspar will lead the organization as president and CEO. Delaware Basin highlighted as the core asset Gaspar said the merger creates a clear path to superior value creation that neither company could achieve independently, pointing to overlapping positions in top U.S. shale basins and what he described as aligned cultures built around operational excellence and disciplined capital allocation. Gaspar repeatedly emphasized the Delaware Basin as the centerpiece of the combined company. He said the merged portfolio will generate more than half of total production and cash flow from the Delaware Basin, supported by more than a decade of top-tier drilling inventory at the current development pace. According to Gaspars presentation remarks, the combined company will have: Approximately 750,000 net acres in the Delaware Basin across Southeast New Mexico and Texas in the Delaware Basin across Southeast New Mexico and Texas Pro forma Delaware Basin production of more than 860,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day , representing more than half of total production and cash flow , representing more than half of total production and cash flow Nearly 5,000 gross drilling locations and what he called the highest concentration of sub-$40 break-even inventory in the sector Gaspar also cited overlap that could improve operational flexibility and infrastructure utilization, including water handling, processing capacity, and firm takeaway. In response to an analyst question about longer laterals, Gaspar said the opportunity exists in some of the best rock in the whole basin and suggested the number of wells could be in the range raised by the analyst, while noting it is not a huge number. Synergies targeted at $1 billion annually by year-end 2027 A major focus of the call was the companies synergy target. Gaspar said the combined company expects to deliver $1 billion in annual pre-tax synergies by year-end 2027, adding that the net present value of the synergies represents approximately 20% of the pro forma market capitalization on a PV-10 basis. Gaspar broke the $1 billion target into three areas: $350 million from capital optimization, including supply chain savings and operational improvements enabled by asset overlap from capital optimization, including supply chain savings and operational improvements enabled by asset overlap $350 million from operating margin improvements, including streamlined field operations and infrastructure-related efficiencies from operating margin improvements, including streamlined field operations and infrastructure-related efficiencies $300 million from corporate cost reductions through eliminating redundancies and consolidating functions He said the companies have identified specific actionable opportunities supported by a detailed execution plan and highlighted that Devon and Coterra have track records of exceeding synergy targets in prior mergers. Gaspar also clarified that the $1 billion synergy estimate is above and beyond Devons existing business optimization program and Coterras ongoing efforts, rather than including them. When asked about timing and the composition of the synergy target, Gaspar said some capital allocation-related changes could occur relatively quickly, potentially within the first six months after close, while other benefits may take longer. He referenced an 18-month focus to fully achieve the $1 billion target and said management intends to beat that goal in quantity as well as time, with updates expected on a quarterly basis. Capital returns, leverage, and balance sheet metrics Gaspar described enhanced free cash flow generation as a key benefit of the pro forma company and said the companies plan to accelerate capital returns through higher dividends and a new share repurchase authorization. He said the company plans to declare a quarterly dividend of $0.315 per share and target consistent dividend growth throughout the cycle. He also said the company expects a new share repurchase authorization in excess of $5 billion, while noting the final framework will be set by the pro forma board. He also cited pro forma balance sheet metrics, including $4.4 billion in liquidity, 0.9x net debt to EBITDAX, and an estimated reinvestment rate below 50%. Integration approach, headquarters decision, and portfolio questions On integration, Gaspar said a dedicated integration team led by senior leadership will be established after closing, with accountability and tracking mechanisms. He also said technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics will be foundational to capturing synergies and improving performance across subsurface modeling, drilling and completions, and production operations. Asked about leadership and location, Gaspar said the executive team will relocate the headquarters to Houston while maintaining a very significant presence in Oklahoma City, reflecting Devons history there and the combined companys larger scale. Analysts also pressed management on capital allocation outside the Permian. Gaspar said the combined team and board will revisit the capital allocation framework after closing, describing the approach as ruthless capital allocators with each asset needing to compete for capital. He indicated asset rationalization will be evaluated, but did not provide specific decisions regarding the Marcellus or other regions. In response to questions about joint ventures and partnerships, Gaspar said he does not expect changes to critical JV partnerships, adding that scale could create additional opportunities. He also described potential upside in the Anadarko position due to overlap, shared infrastructure, and common midstream relationships, while cautioning it is too early to say whether capital allocation there will materially increase. Jorden, responding to a question about alternatives, said Coterra had considered a full range of opportunities, but called the Devon combination the best one by far, citing value creation and full upside for shareholders. About Coterra Energy (NYSE:CTRA) Coterra Energy (NYSE: CTRA) is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused on the development, production and optimization of onshore hydrocarbon resources in the United States. The companys operations center on the exploration, drilling, completion and production of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs), with an emphasis on maximizing operational efficiency and capital discipline across its asset base. Its business activities include identifying and developing resource-rich acreage, operating producing wells, managing reservoir performance and marketing produced hydrocarbons to a range of midstream and energy customers. Further Reading Bhutan moved Bitcoin holdings to institutional market makers as the crypto market extended losses, though analysts say the transfers align with the kingdom's established treasury operations rather than distressed selling. Blockchain analytics platform Arkham confirmed two major outflows from Druk Holding Investments (DHI), Bhutan's sovereign investment arm, over the past week. The transactions included 184.03 BTC worth $14.09 million on Wednesday and 100.82 BTC valued at $8.31 million five days earlier, with the latter sent directly to labeled addresses tied to Singapore-based crypto asset trading firm QCP Capital. "I would think it's a routine operation. The amount is not particularly big," Peter Chung, head of research at Presto Research, told Decrypt. "If this transfer happened any other time (when the market is not down so much), it probably wouldn't receive this kinda attention." The transfers occurred as Bitcoin fell below $72,000 for the first time since November 2024. BTC is currently trading at $71,299, down 6.1% on the day and nearly 44% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,080, according to CoinGecko data. On Myriad, a prediction platform owned by Decrypts parent company Dastan, users currently price in an 89% chance of Bitcoin dropping to $69,000 ahead of any rally to $100,000. "The current volatility reflects broader macro sensitivity rather than any crypto-specific weakness," Akshat Siddhant, Lead Quant Analyst at Mudrex, told Decrypt. "Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran are also keeping risk appetite in check, though ongoing dialogue offers scope for sentiment to improve." Bhutan and Bitcoin Bhutan began mining Bitcoin around 2019 using its abundant hydroelectric power, quietly accumulating digital assets as part of an economic diversification strategy. The kingdom's renewable energy-powered mining operations have built one of the world's largest sovereign Bitcoin treasuries without public disclosure until recent years. The Himalayan nation has emerged as one of the world's most crypto-forward governments, designating Bitcoin, Ethereum, and BNB as strategic reserves for Gelephu Mindfulness City, a designated Special Administrative Region. In December, Bhutan pledged up to 10,000 BTC to develop Gelephu Mindfulness City, an economic hub in southern Bhutan representing approximately $1 billion in sovereign reserves. Bhutan Pledges 10,000 Bitcoin Worth $1B to Fund Mindfulness City Decrypt has reached out to the city for comment. Coty (NYSE:COTY) executives used the companys fiscal second quarter 2026 Q&A call to outline what interim CEO Markus Strobel described as a fresh chapter focused on realism, discipline, and improved execution, while acknowledging recent performance has not met expectations. Strobel and CFO Laurent Mercier repeatedly returned to two themes: restoring sell-out momentum and tightening operational discipline, particularly in the Consumer Beauty business. Get alerts: Consumer Beauty reset centers on focus, innovation discipline, and working media Pressed by analysts on the companys performance improvement plan for Consumer Beauty, Strobel laid out what he called three to four principles aimed at getting back to sell-out growth and market share gains. He said the companys ambition is to win in the market after underperforming for the past 18 months. Focus on iconic assets within key brands. Strobel pointed to COVERGIRL (including Lash Blast and Simply Ageless) and Rimmel. He said early results have been encouraging, with declines moderating from high single digits to low single digits or mid-single digits. Strobel pointed to COVERGIRL (including Lash Blast and Simply Ageless) and Rimmel. He said early results have been encouraging, with declines moderating from high single digits to low single digits or mid-single digits. Streamline innovation bundles. Strobel said past spring innovation launches were too large, with too many SKUs that did not work and crowded out productive items, leading to trade returns. Coty plans a sharper, streamlined innovation bundle in fiscal 2026 with better SKUs and faster rotation, while protecting fast-rotating core items. Strobel said past spring innovation launches were too large, with too many SKUs that did not work and crowded out productive items, leading to trade returns. Coty plans a sharper, streamlined innovation bundle in fiscal 2026 with better SKUs and faster rotation, while protecting fast-rotating core items. Rebalance spending toward working A&CP. He said Coty historically spent heavily on asset creation but not enough on consumer-facing working media such as digital and influencer activity. With smaller bundles, he expects to free up funds from asset creation and reinvest them into working media. Strobel also said Coty has been experimenting with AI in color cosmetics content creation and has seen examples that could reduce asset creation costs by 70% to 80%, with savings potentially reinvested in consumer-facing activity. On near-term sales impact, Strobel said smaller bundles mean less initial pipeline fill and that investors will see this in Q3, calling the quarter a hump. However, he argued improved shelf velocity should support better sell-out over time. Management sees Consumer margin improvement beginning in fiscal 2027 Mercier declined to provide a specific operating margin target for Consumer Beauty but said leadership believes it has a clear diagnosis of the gaps and action plans for each. He said some initiativesparticularly innovation planningare expected to pay off in fiscal 2027 rather than immediately. Mercier also tied margin pressure to volumes, noting fixed-cost under-absorption when volumes decline, and said a sell-out recovery would help reverse that gross margin trend. He added that work is underway on platforming across brands, A&CP optimization, and SG&A optimization, with improvement expected to begin in fiscal 2027 as part of the companys broader profit recovery. Channel shifts: investing in e-commerce while maintaining legacy footprints In response to questions about major route-to-market changesweakness in drugstores and department stores and the rise of AmazonStrobel said SKU focus and channel strategy are not contradictory. He said Coty is investing in new channels where the Consumer goes, including online, e-commerce, and TikTok Shop, while also protecting existing channels where its current consumer base continues to shop. Strobel highlighted growth in Amazon within Prestige, saying the companys sales there have grown by over 30% in the last six months. He also cited the July launch of Marc Jacobs on Amazon, which he said is delivering double-digit growth, and argued that Amazon activity can have a halo effect on brick-and-mortar sales. In the U.K., he said Rimmel activity on TikTok Shop remains small in volume but is generating marketing effects and supporting other channels. Strobel also pointed to demographic balance, saying retailers have asked who will speak to Gen X while many brands chase Gen Z. He said brands like COVERGIRL and Sally Hansen have a significant Gen X consumer base, and he suggested joint business planning with drugstores could support both consumer groups. Gucci license exit: pipeline, new licenses, and cost structure under review Asked about managing the business after the Gucci license ends, Strobel said the company is focused on growing large existing franchisesciting brands such as Hugo Boss, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, and Chloeand preparing innovation pipelines for 2027 through 2029 to coincide with the Gucci exit in June 2028. He also said Coty is building newer licenses and cited Swarovski, Armani, and Etro, adding that Coty has big plans for Swarovski and hopes to launch a real blockbuster in 2027. As the license end approaches, he said the company will likely need to adjust its cost structure to protect profitability. On the question of a potential early termination arrangement with Kering, Strobel said Coty is always open for deals that create value for shareholders. Q3 outlook drivers and gross margin pressures: promotions, tariffs, forex, and mix Mercier said Cotys expectation for a mid-single-digit sales decline in fiscal Q3 is primarily driven by Consumer Beauty headwinds, including the after-effects of prior innovation complexity and returns, as well as deliberate deprioritizing of some activity to focus on big bets. He said there are early green shoots in certain COVERGIRL franchises but emphasized that changes take time. In Prestige, Mercier said prior retailer inventory headwinds are fading and that sell-in and sell-out are becoming more synchronized. However, he noted that U.S. Prestige sell-out in Q2 ended below expectations after an encouraging start, attributing pressure to insufficient focus on the core even when innovation performs well. He said these dynamics will weigh on Q3 results, though management views the changes as adjustments that should lead to sequential recovery over time. On gross margin, Mercier said Q2 came in below Cotys initial expectations. He cited several drivers: Promotional pressure in Prestige, particularly late in Q2, with higher promotionality leading to pressure on trade terms and markdowns; he said Coty assumes this environment continues in Q3. particularly late in Q2, with higher promotionality leading to pressure on trade terms and markdowns; he said Coty assumes this environment continues in Q3. Tariffs, estimated at about $8 million in Q2 and expected to be below $40 million for the full year. estimated at about $8 million in Q2 and expected to be below $40 million for the full year. Foreign exchange, as Coty continues to have significant production in Europe, making the euro/dollar exchange rate a headwind. as Coty continues to have significant production in Europe, making the euro/dollar exchange rate a headwind. Consumer Beauty under-absorption and mix, as lower volumes in color cosmetics hurt fixed-cost absorption and strong performance in Brazil alongside pressure in higher-profit U.S. brands creates a mix impact. Mercier said Coty expects a similar gross margin pattern in Q3, followed by recovery in Q4, with continued improvement into fiscal 2027. He also noted that despite current headwinds, Prestige gross margin remains higher than two years ago. In closing comments, Strobel said the company will be transparent about what works and what does not, set balanced near- and long-term targets, concentrate resources, and continuously review the portfolio to unlock value. Consumer demand is our North Star, he said, adding that improvement will take time but that progress is already underway. About Coty (NYSE:COTY) Coty Inc is a multinational beauty company specializing in the development, manufacturing and marketing of fragrances, color cosmetics and skin and body care products. Established in 1904 by Francois Coty in Paris, the company has grown through a blend of organic innovation and strategic acquisitions to become one of the leading players in the global beauty industry. Cotys portfolio encompasses a broad range of consumer and luxury brands, reflecting its commitment to catering to diverse consumer preferences and market segments. The companys product offerings span three main divisions: Coty Luxury, Coty Consumer Beauty and Coty Professional Beauty. Featured Articles 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. Get alerts: 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. Read More BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S lowered its position in shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX Free Report) by 22.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 165,585 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 48,895 shares during the quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A Ss holdings in Edison International were worth $9,154,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its position in Edison International by 169.6% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 124,843 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,901,000 after purchasing an additional 78,531 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in Edison International by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,695,550 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $92,984,000 after acquiring an additional 28,586 shares during the period. Convergence Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Edison International by 67.6% in the third quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC now owns 27,017 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,494,000 after acquiring an additional 10,901 shares in the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System raised its stake in shares of Edison International by 5.3% during the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 364,525 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $18,809,000 after purchasing an additional 18,412 shares during the period. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Edison International during the second quarter valued at approximately $456,000. 88.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Edison International alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently weighed in on EIX. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Edison International from $68.00 to $67.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Edison International from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Edison International from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley reissued an underweight rating on shares of Edison International in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Edison International from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $56.00 to $59.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $63.30. Edison International Price Performance Shares of NYSE EIX opened at $63.66 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95. The company has a market capitalization of $24.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.82. Edison International has a twelve month low of $47.73 and a twelve month high of $63.99. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $60.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $57.12. Edison International Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 7th were issued a $0.8775 dividend. This is a boost from Edison Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 7th. This represents a $3.51 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.5%. Edison Internationals dividend payout ratio is 45.88%. Edison International Profile (Free Report) Edison International is a publicly traded utility holding company based in Rosemead, California, whose principal subsidiary is Southern California Edison (SCE). As an electric utility holding company, Edison International oversees the delivery of electricity through SCEs integrated network of generation procurement, transmission and distribution infrastructure, serving millions of customers across central, coastal and southern California. The companys operations focus on reliable energy delivery, customer service, regulatory compliance and long-term infrastructure planning for a complex and high-demand service territory. The companys activities include procuring and managing a diverse resource mix, maintaining and upgrading transmission and distribution systems, and implementing grid modernization projects. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EIX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Edison International (NYSE:EIX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Edison International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edison International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Finning International Inc. (OTCMKTS:FINGF Get Free Report)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $65.51 and last traded at $65.19, with a volume of 942 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $63.11. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms recently weighed in on FINGF. Scotiabank reissued an outperform rating on shares of Finning International in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Finning International in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Get Finning International alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on FINGF Finning International Trading Up 2.8% Finning International Cuts Dividend The business has a 50-day moving average price of $57.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $50.19. The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 27th were paid a dividend of $0.2161 per share. This represents a yield of 165.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 26th. About Finning International (Get Free Report) Finning International Inc operates as the worlds largest dealer of Caterpillar machinery, engines and power systems, providing a comprehensive range of sales, rental, parts and service solutions. The companys core offerings encompass medium- and heavy-duty equipment for industries such as mining, construction, energy, forestry and transportation, along with bespoke power generation packages and digital monitoring tools. Through maintenance contracts and cost-per-hour service agreements, Finning helps customers optimize equipment uptime and total lifecycle costs. Founded in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1933, Finning has grown from a single dealership to a global enterprise headquartered in Vancouvers downtown business district. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Finning International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Finning International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Flagstar Bank, National Association (NYSE:FLG Free Report) had its target price raised by Citigroup from $16.00 to $16.50 in a research report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on FLG. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Flagstar Bank, National Association from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. DA Davidson increased their price target on Flagstar Bank, National Association from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Flagstar Bank, National Association from $13.50 to $14.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Monday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $14.46. Get Flagstar Bank National Association alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on FLG Flagstar Bank, National Association Stock Down 0.9% Flagstar Bank, National Association stock opened at $13.89 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -27.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.68 and a beta of 1.10. Flagstar Bank, National Association has a fifty-two week low of $9.64 and a fifty-two week high of $14.43. The stocks fifty day moving average is $12.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.00. Flagstar Bank, National Association (NYSE:FLG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $548.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $533.00 million. Flagstar Bank, National Association had a negative return on equity of 1.60% and a negative net margin of 3.68%.The businesss revenue was down 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned ($0.41) earnings per share. Analysts predict that Flagstar Bank, National Association will post -0.31 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Flagstar Bank, National Association Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in Flagstar Bank, National Association by 1,130.1% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 6,635,962 shares of the companys stock worth $70,341,000 after purchasing an additional 6,096,512 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,502,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Flagstar Bank, National Association by 310.8% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,825,713 shares of the companys stock worth $44,187,000 after purchasing an additional 2,894,424 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Flagstar Bank, National Association in the 2nd quarter valued at about $23,059,000. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Flagstar Bank, National Association during the second quarter valued at approximately $19,957,000. 67.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Flagstar Bank, National Association Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Flagstar Bank National Association Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Flagstar Bank National Association and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Genpact (NYSE:G Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 4.010-4.010 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 3.770. The company issued revenue guidance of $5.4 billion-, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $5.4 billion. Genpact also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.920-0.930 EPS. Genpact Stock Down 1.8% Shares of NYSE:G traded down $0.69 on Thursday, reaching $37.65. The company had a trading volume of 4,795,918 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,611,558. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.49 billion, a PE ratio of 12.06, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Genpact has a 52-week low of $37.49 and a 52-week high of $56.76. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $45.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $43.79. Get Genpact alerts: Genpact (NYSE:G Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The business services provider reported $0.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $1.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.27 billion. Genpact had a return on equity of 22.55% and a net margin of 11.01%.The firms revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.85 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Genpact will post 3.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have weighed in on G shares. Susquehanna began coverage on shares of Genpact in a research note on Friday, December 12th. They issued a neutral rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Genpact from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of Genpact in a research report on Friday, December 26th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Genpact to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $50.50. Get Our Latest Research Report on Genpact Insider Buying and Selling In related news, SVP Sameer Dewan sold 26,531 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.70, for a total transaction of $1,185,935.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 62,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,798,979.90. The trade was a 29.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP Riju Vashisht sold 16,016 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.65, for a total transaction of $747,146.40. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 95,521 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,456,054.65. This trade represents a 14.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 60,385 shares of company stock valued at $2,762,475 in the last three months. 3.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. More Genpact News Here are the key news stories impacting Genpact this week: Positive Sentiment: Raised guidance and dividend Genpact set FY2026 EPS guidance of $4.01 (above the ~$3.77 consensus) and Q1 EPS of $0.92$0.93 (above consensus). Management also announced a 10% increase to the quarterly dividend, signaling confidence in cash flow. Press Release Raised guidance and dividend Genpact set FY2026 EPS guidance of $4.01 (above the ~$3.77 consensus) and Q1 EPS of $0.92$0.93 (above consensus). Management also announced a 10% increase to the quarterly dividend, signaling confidence in cash flow. Positive Sentiment: Revenue and segment strength Fullyear 2025 net revenue rose ~6.6% to $5.08B with notable growth in Advanced Technology Solutions and DataTechAI, supporting the companys strategy toward highervalue offerings. Press Release Revenue and segment strength Fullyear 2025 net revenue rose ~6.6% to $5.08B with notable growth in Advanced Technology Solutions and DataTechAI, supporting the companys strategy toward highervalue offerings. Positive Sentiment: Beat on adjusted metrics Some outlets report Genpact beat Q4 revenue and adjusted EPS expectations (Zacks / Yahoo), a factor that investors who focus on adjusted results may view favorably. Zacks: Q4 Beat Yahoo: Q4 Beat Beat on adjusted metrics Some outlets report Genpact beat Q4 revenue and adjusted EPS expectations (Zacks / Yahoo), a factor that investors who focus on adjusted results may view favorably. Neutral Sentiment: Valuation debate and technical setup Recent commentary highlights a sharp shareprice decline and questions about valuation after the slide; some analysts see oversold technical conditions that could prompt a rebound. Valuation Check Zacks: Oversold Valuation debate and technical setup Recent commentary highlights a sharp shareprice decline and questions about valuation after the slide; some analysts see oversold technical conditions that could prompt a rebound. Negative Sentiment: Reported EPS discrepancy Some reports cite a Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.82, below consensus, creating confusion between GAAP and adjusted figures; that divergence likely weighed on investor sentiment and contributed to the intraday selloff. Company Release / Financials Reported EPS discrepancy Some reports cite a Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.82, below consensus, creating confusion between GAAP and adjusted figures; that divergence likely weighed on investor sentiment and contributed to the intraday selloff. Negative Sentiment: Recent heavy selling pressure The stock has fallen sharply in recent weeks, and the high intraday volume suggests some investors are reducing exposure amid macro/sector rotation and mixed headline interpretation. Zacks: Technical Hedge Funds Weigh In On Genpact Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Genpact in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new stake in Genpact in the third quarter worth $29,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in Genpact in the third quarter valued at $54,000. Amundi acquired a new position in shares of Genpact during the first quarter valued at $58,000. Finally, Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of Genpact by 1,763.4% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,733 shares of the business services providers stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 1,640 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.03% of the companys stock. Genpact Company Profile (Get Free Report) Genpact is a global professional services firm specializing in digitally powered business process management and services. The company partners with clients across industries to design, transform and run key operations, leveraging data analytics, artificial intelligence, automation and domain expertise. Its offerings span finance and accounting, supply chain management, procurement, customer experience, risk and compliance, and other critical business functions. Founded in 1997 as the business process outsourcing arm of General Electric and originally known as GE Capital International Services, the company rebranded as Genpact in 2005 and completed its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in 2007 under the ticker symbol G. Over time, Genpact has expanded beyond traditional outsourcing to focus on digital transformation and innovation, helping organizations accelerate growth and improve operational efficiency. Headquartered in New York City, Genpact serves clients in more than 30 countries across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Genpact Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genpact and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. GN Store Nord (OTCMKTS:GNNDY Get Free Report) shares gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $50.58, but opened at $45.01. GN Store Nord shares last traded at $45.66, with a volume of 211 shares. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently commented on GNNDY shares. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of GN Store Nord in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of GN Store Nord to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of GN Store Nord from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Barclays upgraded shares of GN Store Nord from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold. Get GN Store Nord alerts: Read Our Latest Report on GN Store Nord GN Store Nord Stock Performance The firm has a market capitalization of $2.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.92 and a beta of 1.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $50.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $50.70. GN Store Nord (OTCMKTS:GNNDY Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.64 by ($0.41). GN Store Nord had a return on equity of 6.49% and a net margin of 4.05%.The firm had revenue of $611.77 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $622.58 million. Sell-side analysts anticipate that GN Store Nord will post 4.93 EPS for the current fiscal year. GN Store Nord Company Profile (Get Free Report) GN Store Nord A/S is a Denmarkbased technology company specializing in intelligent audio solutions. The group operates through two primary business units: GN Hearing, which develops and manufactures advanced hearing aids and associated hearing care technologies, and GN Audio, which produces professional and consumer headsets under the Jabra brand. GN Store Nords product portfolio spans digital hearing devices, wireless headsets, speakerphones and earbuds, all designed to enhance communication and improve listening experiences for individuals and enterprises alike. Under the GN Hearing division, the company offers a range of hearing aids and wireless accessories that leverage digital signal processing, artificial intelligence and direct audio streaming. See Also Receive News & Ratings for GN Store Nord Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for GN Store Nord and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grupo Simec, S.A. de C.V. (NYSEAMERICAN:SIM Get Free Report)s share price gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $31.48, but opened at $29.83. Grupo Simec shares last traded at $30.58, with a volume of 510 shares trading hands. Grupo Simec Trading Down 4.5% The firms 50-day moving average price is $29.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a PE ratio of 27.59 and a beta of 0.26. Get Grupo Simec alerts: Grupo Simec Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Simec Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Simec and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guinness Asset Management LTD decreased its position in shares of Hubbell Inc (NYSE:HUBB Free Report) by 8.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,065 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 3,233 shares during the quarter. Guinness Asset Management LTD owned 0.07% of Hubbell worth $14,953,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of HUBB. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its stake in Hubbell by 171.9% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,401 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $795,000 after acquiring an additional 1,518 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of Hubbell by 18.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,233 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Hubbell by 271.9% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 212 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Hubbell during the first quarter valued at $599,000. Finally, DAVENPORT & Co LLC lifted its position in Hubbell by 16.1% during the second quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 1,406 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $574,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.16% of the companys stock. Get Hubbell alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director John F. Malloy acquired 435 shares of the firms stock in a transaction 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 acquisition, the director directly owned 19,085 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,192,045.40. This trade represents a 2.33% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the companys stock. Hubbell Stock Performance NYSE HUBB opened at $486.39 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.18, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.02. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $462.55 and a 200 day moving average of $444.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. Hubbell Inc has a twelve month low of $299.42 and a twelve month high of $513.59. Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $4.73 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.49 billion. Hubbell had a return on equity of 27.45% and a net margin of 15.29%.Hubbells quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.10 earnings per share. Hubbell has set its FY 2026 guidance at 19.150-19.850 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Hubbell Inc will post 17.63 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hubbell Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a $1.42 dividend. 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 payout ratio is presently 34.07%. Key Hubbell News Here are the key news stories impacting Hubbell this week: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have weighed in on HUBB shares. Barclays increased their price target on Hubbell from $465.00 to $481.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Hubbell from $515.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho set a $575.00 price target on Hubbell in a research report on Wednesday. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and issued a $550.00 price target on shares of Hubbell in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group restated a neutral rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Hubbell in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hubbell has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $529.75. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Hubbell 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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HUBB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hubbell Inc (NYSE:HUBB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Hubbell Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hubbell and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Haemonetics (NYSE:HAE) management struck an upbeat tone on its fiscal third-quarter 2026 earnings call, highlighting outsized growth in its NexSys plasma platform and TEG hospital blood management franchise, while acknowledging continued weakness in Interventional Technologies. The company reported third-quarter revenue of $339 million and raised full-year revenue, earnings, and free cash flow guidance, citing sustained share gains, innovation-based pricing, and improved cash generation. Get alerts: Quarterly performance and updated outlook CEO Chris Simon said the quarter reflected strong underlying performance despite the year-over-year impact of prior portfolio transitions, including the divestiture of the whole blood product line and the exit of certain liquid solution products. Reported revenue includes what management described as a $153 million impact from last years portfolio transitions. On an organic basis excluding CSL-related impacts, Haemonetics delivered 8% organic growth in the quarter and 10% year to date. Adjusted earnings per share rose 10% to $1.31 in the quarter and increased 11% year to date to $3.67. The company raised its fiscal 2026 reported revenue guidance to a decline of 1% to 3% (from a decline of 1% to 4%) and lifted organic revenue guidance excluding CSL to growth of 8% to 10% (from 7% to 10%). Management also increased full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $4.90 to $5.00 per share, which CFO James DArecca said reflects strong performance to date alongside the Vivasure acquisition. Hospital segment: Blood management strength offsets IVT softness Hospital revenue was $144 million in the third quarter and $429 million year to date. On an organic basis, revenue was down 1% in the quarter and up 2% year to date, as gains in Blood Management Technologies (BMT) were offset by declines in Interventional Technologies (IVT). BMT grew 8% in the quarter and 11% year to date, driven by sustained double-digit growth in hemostasis management. Simon pointed to momentum from TEG 6s disposable sales and the rapid adoption of the global heparinase neutralization (HN) cartridge, which he said is accelerating account conversions and penetration. He also described runway to upgrade legacy TEG 5000 systems, increase TEG 6s device sales and utilization, and expand share within existing indications. The company recently launched the HN cartridge in EMEA and Japan, which management said expands international growth opportunities within a $400 million-plus serviceable market. IVT revenue declined 12% in the quarter and 8% year to date. Management attributed most of the quarterly decline to softness in esophageal cooling amid accelerating pulsed field ablation (PFA) adoption, along with OEM-related headwinds in sensor-guided technologies. In Q&A, Simon said these two factors represented about 70% of the quarters decline in IVT, with 8.5 of the 12% decline tied to esophageal cooling and the OEM portion of the SavvyWire business. Within vascular closure, revenue fell 4% in the quarter. The company cited a 3% decline in MVP and MVP XL in electrophysiology and softness in VASCADE in lower-growth coronary and peripheral procedures. Simon said electrophysiology performance reflected prior share loss, order timing in several large accounts in December, and procedural dynamics shifting the addressable market in the near term. However, he reiterated confidence in IVTs clinical and economic differentiation and said the company expects the segment to return to growth in fiscal 2027. For the full year, Haemonetics now expects the hospital business to deliver reported and organic growth of approximately 4% at the low end of its prior 4% to 7% range, reflecting the IVT headwinds and the BMT strength. In response to analyst questions, Simon said the fourth-quarter hospital outlook depends on BMT carrying well into the double digits, along with the beginnings of stabilization in IVT, including some benefit from order timing and competitive win-backs. Plasma acceleration and share-gain trifecta Plasma revenue was $139 million, up 3% on a reported basis, with management noting it faced the last remnants of customer transition headwinds. On an organic basis excluding CSL, plasma grew 20% in the quarter and 22% year to date. Simon said roughly half of the quarterly growth came from share gains, with the remainder driven by collection volume and the full annualization of innovation benefits. In describing the drivers, Simon outlined what he called a trifecta of price, share, and volume: Share gains: Management cited both direct share gains from competitors and gains by Haemonetics customers that are enabled with the best technology. Management cited both direct share gains from competitors and gains by Haemonetics customers that are enabled with the best technology. Pricing/innovation benefits: Simon said the company is in the final quarter of annualizing price benefits tied to new technology rollouts. Simon said the company is in the final quarter of annualizing price benefits tied to new technology rollouts. Collection volume: Management said collection volumes increased above seasonal expectations, with double-digit growth in the U.S. and internationally. Simon said plasma fundamentals remain attractive due to durable immunoglobulin demand across a broad range of indications, adding that U.S. plasma collections grew in the low double digits in the third quarter. He emphasized that the company will provide more detailed fiscal 2027 guidance in May, but said early customer discussions suggest a favorable environment. Haemonetics raised full-year reported plasma revenue guidance to a decline of 2% to 4% (from a decline of 4% to 7%) and increased organic revenue guidance excluding CSL to growth of 17% to 19% (from 14% to 17%). When asked about the sustainability of collection growth, Simon said the company works backwards from end-market demand and customer commentary, but also emphasized that volume is not directly controllable and is therefore not embedded in guidance. Margins, cash flow, and Vivasure/PerQseal Elite preparation Haemonetics reported continued margin expansion, with adjusted gross margin of 60.2% in the quarter and 60.5% year to date, up 250 and 390 basis points, respectively. DArecca attributed the improvement to adoption of NexSys PCS with Persona technology, the divestiture of the Whole Blood business, and expanding share in Plasma and Blood Management Technologies. Adjusted operating income was $89 million, flat year over year, while adjusted operating margin expanded 60 basis points to 26.3%. Adjusted operating expenses were $115 million, up 3% year over year, which DArecca said was primarily due to higher performance-based compensation driven by consolidated outperformance, along with targeted R&D and innovation investment. For the full year, the company maintained adjusted operating margin guidance of approximately 26% to 27%, though DArecca said results may land toward the lower end due to Vivasure-related dilution and launch-timing expenses tied to PerQseal Elite. Cash flow was a key theme of the call. The company generated $74 million of free cash flow in the quarter, bringing year-to-date free cash flow to $165 million. DArecca said operating cash flow was $94 million in the quarter and $222 million year to date, more than tripling the prior-year period. Free cash flow conversion was 121% of adjusted net income in the quarter and 95% year to date. Haemonetics raised fiscal 2026 free cash flow guidance to $200 million to $220 million (from $170 million to $210 million) and said it expects full-year free cash flow conversion to exceed 80%. Following quarter end, Haemonetics invested $61 million to acquire Vivasure and repurchased about 360,000 shares for $25 million. Cash on hand at quarter end was $363 million, up 18% since the start of the fiscal year, despite $75 million of share repurchases earlier in the year. Total debt was approximately $1.2 billion, and the company reported no borrowings under its $750 million revolver, with net leverage at 2.37x EBITDA. On Vivasure, Simon said the acquisition strengthens the companys vascular closure portfolio by extending its reach into large-bore procedures and structural heart, including TAVR and EVAR, with an addressable market he estimated at roughly $300 million, about two-thirds in the U.S. He said the company plans a measured, stepwise commercial approach in fiscal 2027 following FDA approval. About Haemonetics (NYSE:HAE) Haemonetics Corporation is a global provider of blood management solutions that support the collection, processing and transfusion of blood and blood products. The companys offerings are designed to enhance patient safety and operational efficiency for blood centers, hospitals and plasma collection facilities. Haemonetics serves healthcare providers worldwide by delivering integrated systems, software and consumables that address critical needs throughout the continuum of blood management. The companys product portfolio includes automated apheresis and plasma collection systems, surgical blood salvage and coagulation monitoring devices, and pathogen reduction technologies. Featured Stories Publicly traded Bitcoin miners IREN and CleanSpark saw their share prices drop sharply on Thursday, as disappointing quarterly results coincided with a broader crash across cryptocurrency markets. CleanSpark shares closed sharply lower, falling $1.95, around 19%, on the session, and were trading at $7.55 in after-hours trading. IREN shares fell $5.11, or 11%, during the day and were trading at $32.42 after the close, according to MarketWatch. The downturn underscores the ongoing financial volatility for miners and investors as they navigate fluctuating asset prices and infrastructure expenses. IREN reported $184.7 million in revenue for its fiscal second quarter ended December 31, 2025, down from $240.3 million in the prior quarter. The company posted a net loss of $155.4 million, reversing $384.6 million in net income reported in the previous period. The company said the quarter reflected a transition as it shifts from Bitcoin mining toward AI cloud infrastructure. Results included significant non-cash and non-recurring items, including $219.2 million in unrealized losses tied to financial instruments and a one-time debt conversion inducement expense, as well as $31.8 million in mining hardware impairments related to an ongoing ASIC-to-GPU transition across its British Columbia operations. Even though the company's stock slid, Daniel Roberts, co-founder and co-CEO of IREN, said the company continued to make progress during the quarter as it expanded its AI cloud business. Last quarter marked meaningful progress across capacity expansion, customer engagement, and capital formation, reflecting IRENs progress as a scaled AI Cloud platform, Roberts said in a statement on X. Does Bitcoin's Retreat Signal a New Bear Market for Crypto? CleanSpark also reported quarterly results that fell short of expectations. The company posted $181.2 million in revenue for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, up from a year earlier, but reported a net loss of $378.7 million, compared with net income in the same quarter last year. CleanSpark said the loss was driven largely by non-cash items tied to Bitcoin price movements and asset revaluations. As of quarter-end, the company reported $458 million in cash, $1 billion in Bitcoin holdings, and $1.3 billion in working capital, alongside $1.8 billion in long-term debt. The earnings reports landed during a broad selloff across cryptocurrency markets, with Bitcoin falling more than 11% on the day. The decline has weighed on publicly traded miners and other crypto-exposed companies, increasing scrutiny of earnings volatility and balance-sheet exposure. Hantz Financial Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) by 27.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 57,426 shares of the companys stock after selling 22,116 shares during the quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc.s holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $3,187,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Telos Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S during the third quarter valued at approximately $244,000. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S during the third quarter valued at $218,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 45.2% during the 3rd quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 6,892 shares of the companys stock valued at $382,000 after buying an additional 2,144 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 20.1% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,830 shares of the companys stock worth $161,000 after buying an additional 473 shares during the period. Finally, Strengthening Families & Communities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors own 11.54% of the companys stock. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on NVO shares. Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating and issued a $42.00 price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Citigroup assumed coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. Zacks Research raised Novo Nordisk A/S from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. TD Cowen restated a buy rating on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, HSBC reissued a hold rating and issued a $54.00 price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $56.07. Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Down 8.2% NYSE:NVO opened at $43.32 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $193.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.48 and a beta of 0.67. Novo Nordisk A/S has a twelve month low of $43.08 and a twelve month high of $93.80. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $53.64 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.06. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $12.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.97 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 33.03% and a return on equity of 72.86%. Analysts anticipate that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.84 EPS for the current year. Novo Nordisk A/S Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 30th will be issued a $1.2751 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 30th. This represents a dividend yield of 541.0%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.63%. Trending Headlines about Novo Nordisk A/S Here are the key news stories impacting Novo Nordisk A/S this week: About Novo Nordisk A/S (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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Sponsored GDR (OTCMKTS:HNHPF Get Free Report) crossed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $14.39 and traded as low as $13.34. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Sponsored GDR shares last traded at $13.5725, with a volume of 31,193 shares traded. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Sponsored GDR Stock Up 2.4% The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $14.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.24. Get Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. Sponsored GDR alerts: About Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. Sponsored GDR (Get Free Report) Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, Ltd., commonly known as Foxconn, is a leading global electronics contract manufacturer and technology solutions provider. The company specializes in the design, development and assembly of a wide range of electronic products, including smartphones, tablets, personal computers, servers and networking equipment. Alongside its core manufacturing services, Hon Hai offers turnkey production capabilities, encompassing engineering, supply chain management and after-sales support for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and brand owners. Founded in 1974 by Terry Gou and headquartered in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, Hon Hai has grown from a single factory operation into one of the worlds largest private employers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. Sponsored GDR Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. Sponsored GDR and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HORAN Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 10,071 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock, valued at approximately $454,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BMY. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Bristol Myers Squibb in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Bristol Myers Squibb in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 107.2% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 605 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 313 shares during the period. REAP Financial Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb by 202.8% during the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 639 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Bristol Myers Squibb during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.41% of the companys stock. Get Bristol Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol Myers Squibb Stock Up 3.1% BMY opened at $59.43 on Friday. Bristol Myers Squibb Company has a 52 week low of $42.52 and a 52 week high of $63.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.39. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $54.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $48.92. The company has a market capitalization of $120.99 billion, a PE ratio of 20.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.29. Bristol Myers Squibb Increases Dividend Bristol Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.65 by ($0.39). The firm had revenue of $12.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.24 billion. Bristol Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 76.53% and a net margin of 12.57%.Bristol Myers Squibbs quarterly revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.67 earnings per share. Bristol Myers Squibb has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.050-6.350 EPS. Analysts forecast that Bristol Myers Squibb Company will post 6.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, February 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were given a dividend of $0.63 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. This is an increase from Bristol Myers Squibbs previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. Bristol Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is currently 85.14%. Bristol Myers Squibb News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Bristol Myers Squibb this week: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms have commented on BMY. Morgan Stanley restated an underweight rating and set a $37.00 target price (up previously from $36.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a neutral rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Bristol Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Piper Sandler reissued an overweight rating and set a $66.00 price target (up from $62.00) on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c-) rating on shares of Bristol Myers Squibb in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bristol Myers Squibb has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $57.43. Get Our Latest Research Report on BMY About Bristol Myers Squibb (Free Report) Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, focused on discovering, developing and delivering medicines for serious diseases. The companys core activities include research and development, clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization of prescription pharmaceuticals across multiple therapeutic areas. BMS concentrates on advancing therapies in oncology, hematology, immunology, cardiovascular disease and specialty areas through both small molecules and biologics. BMSs marketed portfolio and latestage pipeline reflect a strong emphasis on cancer and immunemediated conditions. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Free Report) insider Vicente Reynal sold 9,719 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.00, for a total value of $913,586.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 193,186 shares of the companys stock, valued at $18,159,484. This represents a 4.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Vicente Reynal also recently made the following trade(s): Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: On Wednesday, February 4th, Vicente Reynal sold 90,281 shares of Ingersoll Rand stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.92, for a total transaction of $8,840,315.52. On Friday, January 16th, Vicente Reynal sold 191,000 shares of Ingersoll Rand stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.12, for a total transaction of $16,830,920.00. Ingersoll Rand Trading Down 1.5% IR traded down $1.43 during trading on Thursday, hitting $95.98. 5,365,299 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,818,498. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $83.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $80.90. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 1 year low of $65.61 and a 1 year high of $99.44. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market cap of $37.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.91 and a beta of 1.32. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $103.00 to $100.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Ingersoll Rand in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised Ingersoll Rand from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $81.00 to $87.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $92.13. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Ingersoll Rand Institutional Trading of Ingersoll Rand A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IR. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 6,242 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $516,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. grew its position in Ingersoll Rand by 8.5% in the third quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 1,668 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $140,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 14.2% in the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,206 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $100,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,916 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $243,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Golden State Equity Partners boosted its stake in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Golden State Equity Partners now owns 3,212 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $265,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. 95.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Ingersoll Rand Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF (NYSEARCA:RSPG Get Free Report) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 281,967 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 133% from the previous sessions volume of 121,229 shares.The stock last traded at $88.3830 and had previously closed at $89.40. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF Trading Down 1.1% The stock has a 50-day moving average of $83.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $79.58. The firm has a market cap of $547.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.87 and a beta of 0.87. Get Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in RSPG. Friedenthal Financial raised its holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Friedenthal Financial now owns 7,144 shares of the companys stock worth $532,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the period. Sylvest Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF by 3.5% in the third quarter. Sylvest Advisors LLC now owns 5,854 shares of the companys stock valued at $466,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC increased its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF by 4.0% in the second quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 7,898 shares of the companys stock worth $588,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Finally, Hilltop National Bank acquired a new position in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF Company Profile The Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF (RSPG) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy Plus index. The fund tracks an equal-weighted index of US energy companies in the S&P 500. RSPG was launched on Nov 1, 2006 and is managed by Invesco. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Energy ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd lifted its stake in shares of McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD Free Report) by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 31,860 shares of the fast-food giants stock after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares during the quarter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltds holdings in McDonalds were worth $9,682,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. WD Rutherford LLC increased its stake in McDonalds by 1.0% in the third quarter. WD Rutherford LLC now owns 3,261 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $991,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of McDonalds by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 2,423 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $736,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonalds by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC now owns 1,771 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $538,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of McDonalds by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,032 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $3,352,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NorthStar Asset Management LLC NJ lifted its position in shares of McDonalds by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. NorthStar Asset Management LLC NJ now owns 1,003 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $293,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the companys stock. Get McDonald's alerts: McDonalds News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting McDonalds this week: McDonalds Price Performance MCD opened at $323.36 on Friday. McDonalds Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $283.47 and a fifty-two week high of $328.06. The companys 50 day moving average price is $310.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $307.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $230.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.52. McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.33 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $7.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.10 billion. McDonalds had a net margin of 32.04% and a negative return on equity of 280.89%. McDonaldss revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.23 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that McDonalds Corporation will post 12.25 EPS for the current year. McDonalds Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.86 per share. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. McDonaldss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.48%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Joseph M. Erlinger sold 3,195 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.82, for a total value of $977,094.90. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,088 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,861,832.16. The trade was a 34.42% 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, CFO Ian Frederick Borden sold 17,134 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were 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 owned 26,353 shares in the company, valued at $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 32,008 shares of company stock valued at $9,895,452 over the last 90 days. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen reiterated a hold rating on shares of McDonalds in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of McDonalds from $335.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Piper Sandler reissued a neutral rating and issued a $325.00 price objective on shares of McDonalds in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. UBS Group restated a buy rating and issued a $350.00 target price on shares of McDonalds in a research report on Monday. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of McDonalds from $350.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $331.37. View Our Latest Stock Report on McDonalds McDonalds Profile (Free Report) McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is a global quick-service restaurant company best known for its hamburgers, French fries and breakfast offerings. The company develops, operates and franchises a system of restaurants that sell a range of food and beverage items, including signature products such as the Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Chicken McNuggets, McCafe coffee beverages and a variety of salads, desserts and seasonal menu items. McDonalds serves customers through company-operated restaurants and franchised locations, and it supports sales via dine-in, drive-thru, digital ordering platforms and third-party delivery partnerships. Founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald as a single San Bernardino, California restaurant, the business was transformed into a franchising model after Ray Kroc joined in the mid-1950s and led the brands national and international expansion. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MCD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McDonalds Corporation (NYSE:MCD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for McDonald's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McDonald's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd boosted its position in Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Free Report) by 42.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,454 shares of the industrial products companys stock after buying an additional 10,798 shares during the quarter. Deere & Company makes up about 1.1% of IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltds investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltds holdings in Deere & Company were worth $16,669,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Deere & Company in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in Deere & Company in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Activest Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 69.2% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 66 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. raised its position in shares of Deere & Company by 406.7% during the 2nd quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 76 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Soundwatch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Deere & Company during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.58% of the companys stock. Get Deere & Company alerts: Deere & Company News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Deere & Company this week: Deere & Company Trading Down 0.2% Shares of DE stock opened at $565.95 on Friday. Deere & Company has a fifty-two week low of $404.42 and a fifty-two week high of $574.94. The company has a quick ratio of 2.01, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $492.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $483.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $153.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.02. Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The industrial products company reported $3.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.96 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $12.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.77 billion. Deere & Company had a return on equity of 20.54% and a net margin of 11.00%.The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.55 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Deere & Company will post 19.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Deere & Company Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st will be issued a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 31st. Deere & Companys payout ratio is presently 35.01%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Cory J. Reed sold 12,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $510.00, for a total transaction of $6,120,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 20,792 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,603,920. The trade was a 36.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO John C. May II sold 41,472 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $501.49, for a total value of $20,797,793.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 117,970 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $59,160,775.30. This represents a 26.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 64,578 shares of company stock worth $32,471,682 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.29% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have weighed in on DE shares. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Deere & Company from $488.00 to $467.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 13th. UBS Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of Deere & Company in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Deere & Company from $609.00 to $612.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Wolfe Research boosted their price objective on Deere & Company from $520.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, January 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and issued a $560.00 target price on shares of Deere & Company in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold 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 $524.20. Get Our Latest Analysis on Deere & Company Deere & Company Company Profile (Free Report) Deere & Company, commonly known by its brand John Deere, is a global manufacturer of agricultural, construction and forestry machinery, as well as turf care equipment and power systems. Founded in 1837 by blacksmith John Deerewho developed a polished steel plow to improve tillage in tough prairie soilsthe company is headquartered in Moline, Illinois, and has grown into one of the largest and most recognizable names in equipment manufacturing worldwide. The companys principal businesses include a broad portfolio of agricultural equipment such as tractors, combines, planters, sprayers, harvesters and tillage implements, complemented by precision agriculture technologies and telematics that support farm management, yield optimization and equipment connectivity. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Deere & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deere & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Waterloo Capital L.P. raised its position in iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:SHYG Free Report) by 7.2% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 235,112 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 15,832 shares during the quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P.s holdings in iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF were worth $10,180,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF by 1.0% during the second quarter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC now owns 32,893 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,419,000 after buying an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 14,121 shares of the companys stock valued at $611,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. City Holding Co. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 101,594 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,398,000 after acquiring an additional 479 shares in the last quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its position in iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF by 10.1% during the 3rd quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 6,021 shares of the companys stock worth $261,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF by 6.8% in the 2nd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 10,799 shares of the companys stock valued at $466,000 after purchasing an additional 684 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF alerts: iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF Price Performance Shares of SHYG opened at $42.72 on Friday. iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF has a 12 month low of $40.38 and a 12 month high of $43.39. The stocks 50-day moving average is $42.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.00. The stock has a market cap of $8.09 billion, a PE ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 0.30. iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF Company Profile The iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (SHYG) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in high yield fixed income. The fund tracks a market-value-weighted index of high-yield USD-denominated bonds with 0-5 years remaining in maturity. SHYG was launched on Oct 15, 2013 and is managed by BlackRock. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SHYG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:SHYG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SlateStone Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA Free Report) by 9.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 123,390 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 10,942 shares during the quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLCs holdings in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF were worth $10,773,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Denver PWM LLC increased its position in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 0.4% in the second quarter. Denver PWM LLC now owns 29,189 shares of the companys stock worth $2,437,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its position in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 4.4% during the second quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 2,830 shares of the companys stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Planning Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Planning Group LLC now owns 5,094 shares of the companys stock worth $445,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the period. First Bank & Trust lifted its position in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 21,171 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,848,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FWG Investments LLC. boosted its stake in iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. FWG Investments LLC. now owns 2,715 shares of the companys stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Get iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF alerts: iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Trading Up 36.4% Shares of BATS:IEFA opened at $95.19 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average is $91.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $88.15. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF has a 52 week low of $66.95 and a 52 week high of $87.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $162.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.18 and a beta of 0.84. iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Company Profile The iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI EAFE IMI index, a market-cap-weighted index of developed-market stocks in Europe, Australasia and the Far East, and excludes North America IEFA was launched on Oct 18, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IEFA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:IEFA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF (NYSEARCA:ISZE Get Free Report)s stock price were down 0% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $25.48 and last traded at $25.48. Approximately 100 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 96% from the average daily volume of 2,311 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.4804. iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF Price Performance The businesss 50 day moving average price is $25.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.10 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.77 and a beta of 0.79. iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF Company Profile (Get Free Report) The iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF (ISZE) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI World ex USA Low Size index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap stocks in developed markets outside the US. Holdings are weighted by the inverse of the natural log of their market capitalization. ISZE was launched on Jun 16, 2015 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Intl Size Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Crypto markets are approaching important inflection points after weeks of declines, according to Wall Street bank Citi (C). Bitcoin (BTC) fell to around $73,000 before stabilizing, extending a drawdown that has pushed prices below the bank's estimated average U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) entry price of $81,600. The largest cryptocurrency was trading around $76,100 at publication time. The report noted that ETF inflows, a major source of new demand, have slowed materially, while futures markets continue to see pockets of long liquidations. "Crypto markets have exhibited the volatility similar to precious metals but without the upside," analyst Alex Saunders wrote in the Tuesday report. Bitcoin is often framed as digital gold, but it has yet to mirror the recent strength seen in precious metals. While gold has rallied amid geopolitical risk and macro uncertainty, BTC has remained under pressure, highlighting its continued sensitivity to liquidity conditions and risk sentiment rather than haven demand. Regulation remains the key potential catalyst, Saunders said, but progress on a U.S. digital asset market structure bill has been slow and uneven. While Senate negotiations continue, delays and mixed political support have dampened sentiment, with market-implied odds of passage slipping. The analyst also pointed to macro risks, including concerns over a shrinking Federal Reserve balance sheet, which historically weighs on crypto through reduced bank liquidity. While concerns of a prolonged crypto winter are rising, Citi said that remains a tail risk rather than its base case. With average ETF holders now underwater and bitcoin nearing the roughly $70,000 it held before the U.S. presidential election, the report said markets are approaching levels that could prove decisive for near-term direction. Read more: Bitwise argues crypto is near the end of a brutal winter Shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $10.75 and traded as high as $11.17. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund shares last traded at $11.11, with a volume of 12,470 shares trading hands. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Trading Down 0.6% The companys fifty day moving average is $10.91 and its 200-day moving average is $10.75. Get John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund alerts: John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 11th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.0%. Institutional Trading of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Company Profile Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.7% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 288,281 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $3,050,000 after acquiring an additional 30,102 shares during the period. Shaker Financial Services LLC boosted its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 247,175 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $2,632,000 after purchasing an additional 22,211 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 138,049 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,470,000 after purchasing an additional 4,356 shares during the period. Wolverine Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 89,370 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $952,000 after purchasing an additional 22,832 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 42.0% in the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 82,618 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $874,000 after purchasing an additional 24,431 shares during the period. (Get Free Report) The John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of income coupled with the potential for capital appreciation. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the fund is managed by John Hancock Investment Management, a subsidiary of Manulife Financial. The funds investment objective emphasizes total return, balancing dividend and option premium income with equity market participation. The fund pursues its goal by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of U.S. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC lowered its position in Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Free Report) by 28.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 5,477 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,173 shares during the quarter. Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Johnson & Johnson were worth $1,016,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of JNJ. Clark Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 51.6% during the 2nd quarter. Clark Asset Management LLC now owns 8,884 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,357,000 after acquiring an additional 3,025 shares in the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd grew its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 632.0% in the third quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd now owns 89,183 shares of the companys stock valued at $16,536,000 after purchasing an additional 77,000 shares during the last quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 130,934 shares of the companys stock worth $24,278,000 after purchasing an additional 2,769 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its position in shares of Johnson & Johnson by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 1,234,945 shares of the companys stock worth $188,638,000 after purchasing an additional 94,957 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service grew its holdings in Johnson & Johnson by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 4,926,569 shares of the companys stock valued at $913,484,000 after buying an additional 151,707 shares during the last quarter. 69.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Johnson & Johnson alerts: Key Stories Impacting Johnson & Johnson Here are the key news stories impacting Johnson & Johnson this week: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Johnson & Johnson from $227.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Johnson & Johnson in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $222.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Freedom Capital cut shares of Johnson & Johnson from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Argus boosted their price objective on shares of Johnson & Johnson from $210.00 to $240.00 in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and eight 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 a consensus target price of $233.73. Get Our Latest Report on JNJ Johnson & Johnson Trading Up 1.4% NYSE JNJ opened at $237.66 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $572.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.35. Johnson & Johnson has a 12 month low of $141.50 and a 12 month high of $239.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The company has a 50-day moving average of $212.87 and a 200-day moving average of $193.33. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 21st. The company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $2.46. The firm had revenue of $24.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.14 billion. Johnson & Johnson had a net margin of 28.46% and a return on equity of 33.34%. Johnson & Johnsons revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.04 earnings per share. Johnson & Johnson has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.430-11.630 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Johnson & Johnson will post 10.58 earnings per share for the current year. Johnson & Johnson Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. Johnson & Johnsons dividend payout ratio is presently 47.06%. Johnson & Johnson Profile (Free Report) Johnson & Johnson is a multinational healthcare company headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of products across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and previously consumer health. Founded in 1886 by the Johnson family, the company has grown into a global healthcare organization with operations and sales in many countries around the world. The companys pharmaceuticals business, organized largely under its Janssen research and development organization, focuses on prescription medicines across therapeutic areas such as immunology, infectious disease, oncology and neuroscience. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding JNJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Johnson & Johnson Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Johnson & Johnson and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Just Eat Takeaway.com N.V. Sponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:JTKWY Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $4.40, but opened at $4.20. Just Eat Takeaway.com shares last traded at $4.20, with a volume of 214 shares trading hands. Just Eat Takeaway.com Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.94. The companys 50 day moving average is $4.17 and its 200-day moving average is $4.47. Get Just Eat Takeaway.com alerts: Just Eat Takeaway.com Company Profile (Get Free Report) Just Eat Takeaway.com NV, trading under OTCMKTS:JTKWY, is a leading global online food delivery marketplace that connects consumers with local and international restaurants through its digital platforms. Formed in early 2020 from the merger of Just Eat and Takeaway.com, the company has established a presence across Europe, North America and other key regions. Headquartered in Amsterdam, with significant operational offices in London and Chicago, Just Eat Takeaway.com facilitates millions of daily orders through its suite of websites and mobile applications. The companys core offerings comprise branded marketplaces including Just Eat in the United Kingdom, Grubhub in the United States, Takeaway.com in the Netherlands and Germany, plus localized platforms such as Menulog in Australia and SkipTheDishes in Canada. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Just Eat Takeaway.com Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Just Eat Takeaway.com and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS Get Free Report) CAO Ronald Glass sold 19,285 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.37, for a total value of $26,420.45. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 342,945 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $469,834.65. The trade was a 5.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Kosmos Energy Price Performance NYSE:KOS traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1.37. The stock had a trading volume of 3,375,039 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,332,723. Kosmos Energy Ltd. has a 12 month low of $0.84 and a 12 month high of $3.49. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $1.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04, a current ratio of 0.52 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $652.92 million, a PE ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 0.90. Get Kosmos Energy alerts: Kosmos Energy (NYSE:KOS Get Free Report) last posted 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). The company had revenue of $310.96 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $360.82 million. Kosmos Energy had a negative net margin of 23.64% and a negative return on equity of 26.28%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Kosmos Energy Ltd. will post 0.42 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kosmos Energy Kosmos Energy News Roundup Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Kosmos Energy by 41.6% during the second quarter. Equinox Partners Investment Management LLC now owns 18,671,480 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $32,115,000 after purchasing an additional 5,485,000 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in Kosmos Energy by 333.0% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 3,221,011 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $5,540,000 after acquiring an additional 2,477,102 shares during the period. Raiffeisen Bank International AG boosted its holdings in Kosmos Energy by 100.0% in the second quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 1,000,000 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $1,860,000 after purchasing an additional 500,000 shares during the last quarter. Patient Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Kosmos Energy by 7.4% in the second quarter. Patient Capital Management LLC now owns 19,339,717 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $33,264,000 after acquiring an additional 1,334,930 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Kosmos Energy by 21.5% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 6,464,577 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $11,119,000 after purchasing an additional 1,145,057 shares during the period. 95.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Here are the key news stories impacting Kosmos Energy this week: Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha published a deep-dive titled Kosmos Energy: A High-Stakes Bet On Oils Comeback that frames KOS as a high-risk, high-reward play tied to oil prices useful context but not a company catalyst. Article Title Seeking Alpha published a deep-dive titled Kosmos Energy: A High-Stakes Bet On Oils Comeback that frames KOS as a high-risk, high-reward play tied to oil prices useful context but not a company catalyst. Negative Sentiment: CEO Andrew G. Inglis sold a total of 148,182 shares across Feb. 34 at average prices ~$1.37$1.42 ($205k proceeds), reducing his stake by roughly 3.4% over the two trades. Filing: Read More. CEO Andrew G. Inglis sold a total of 148,182 shares across Feb. 34 at average prices ~$1.37$1.42 ($205k proceeds), reducing his stake by roughly 3.4% over the two trades. Filing: Read More. Negative Sentiment: CFO Nealesh D. Shah sold 79,124 shares on Feb. 34 at similar prices ($109.6k total), reducing his holdings by ~4.5% across the two trades. Filing: Read More. CFO Nealesh D. Shah sold 79,124 shares on Feb. 34 at similar prices ($109.6k total), reducing his holdings by ~4.5% across the two trades. Filing: Read More. Negative Sentiment: SVP Josh R. Marion sold 22,940 shares on Feb. 34 ($31.6k total), a notable ~10% reduction called out in the filings. Filing: Read More. SVP Josh R. Marion sold 22,940 shares on Feb. 34 ($31.6k total), a notable ~10% reduction called out in the filings. Filing: Read More. Negative Sentiment: CAO Ronald W. Glass sold 22,598 shares on Feb. 34 ($31.1k total), reducing his position by ~6.3% across the two trades. Filing: Read More. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have commented on KOS. Bank of America restated an underperform rating and issued a $1.00 price target (down from $3.40) on shares of Kosmos Energy in a report on Friday, December 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on shares of Kosmos Energy from $1.70 to $0.80 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Stephens began coverage on shares of Kosmos Energy in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. They set an equal weight rating and a $1.75 price objective on the stock. Clarkson Capital initiated coverage on shares of Kosmos Energy in a research report on Friday, October 24th. They set a buy rating and a $4.00 price target for the company. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on Kosmos Energy from $2.00 to $1.50 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $2.08. Get Our Latest Analysis on KOS Kosmos Energy Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Kosmos Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kosmos Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LiveRamp (NYSE:RAMP Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. LiveRamp had a return on equity of 4.44% and a net margin of 5.15%.The firm had revenue of $212.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $211.68 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.55 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. Here are the key takeaways from LiveRamps conference call: Get LiveRamp alerts: LiveRamp beat Q3 expectations with $212M revenue (+9%) , added $11M ARR QoQ , grew total customers by 15 and milliondollar customers to 140, delivered record nonGAAP operating margin and $67M free cash flow (used largely for buybacks), and holds ~ $403M cash with no debt. , added , grew total customers by 15 and milliondollar customers to 140, delivered record nonGAAP operating margin and (used largely for buybacks), and holds ~ with no debt. Management says AI is a tailwind LiveRamp cites four competitive moats (identity, interoperability, data governance, network scale), has signed 20+ AI partners, and expanded its Data Marketplace to license AI models/apps, positioning the platform to capture higher data volume and usage. LiveRamp cites four competitive moats (identity, interoperability, data governance, network scale), has signed 20+ AI partners, and expanded its Data Marketplace to license AI models/apps, positioning the platform to capture higher data volume and usage. The company is pivoting to a broader usagebased pricing model (pilot with brand direct customers successful) and is rolling expanded usage agreements with resellers (highlighted Publicis and Uber), which management expects will help land SMBs and unlock incremental growth. model (pilot with brand direct customers successful) and is rolling expanded usage agreements with resellers (highlighted Publicis and Uber), which management expects will help land SMBs and unlock incremental growth. FY2026 guidance was tightened to $810M$814M (~9% growth) with Q4 revenue guidance of $203M$207M; LiveRamp reiterates a roadmap to reach Rule of 40 by FY2028 (10%15% growth and 25%30% nonGAAP margin) while continuing buybacks funded by cash flow. LiveRamp Stock Down 1.4% Shares of RAMP traded down $0.32 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $22.49. 926,059 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 591,871. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $27.73 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.19. LiveRamp has a 12-month low of $21.71 and a 12-month high of $36.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.87 and a beta of 1.13. Key Headlines Impacting LiveRamp Positive Sentiment: Q3 FY26 results beat consensus on both EPS and revenue; company reported $0.76 EPS vs. $0.69 expected and $212.2M revenue vs. ~$211.7M consensus, with revenue +9% yearoveryear and record quarterly operating margin and operating cash flow evidence of improving profitability and cash generation. LiveRamp Announces Results for Third Quarter FY26 Q3 FY26 results beat consensus on both EPS and revenue; company reported $0.76 EPS vs. $0.69 expected and $212.2M revenue vs. ~$211.7M consensus, with revenue +9% yearoveryear and record quarterly operating margin and operating cash flow evidence of improving profitability and cash generation. Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted share repurchases of $119M fiscal YTD, which supports EPS and shareholder returns going forward. View Press Release Management highlighted share repurchases of $119M fiscal YTD, which supports EPS and shareholder returns going forward. Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets framed the quarter as largely in line with expectations (reaffirming the beat was modest and broadly expected), so the market reaction may hinge on guidance and analyst positioning. LiveRamp: Fiscal Q3 Earnings Snapshot Multiple outlets framed the quarter as largely in line with expectations (reaffirming the beat was modest and broadly expected), so the market reaction may hinge on guidance and analyst positioning. Neutral Sentiment: Pre- and postearnings coverage noted the results test profit targets and kept attention on forward guidance as the main catalytic factor. Liveramp in the spotlight: earnings test profit targets Pre- and postearnings coverage noted the results test profit targets and kept attention on forward guidance as the main catalytic factor. Negative Sentiment: Management set FY26 revenue guidance at $810M$814M (street ~$815.7M) and Q4 FY26 revenue at $203M$207M (street ~$206M) slightly below or only marginally in line with consensus, which pressured the stock because margin for upside is limited. (Guidance published with the quarter release.) Management set FY26 revenue guidance at $810M$814M (street ~$815.7M) and Q4 FY26 revenue at $203M$207M (street ~$206M) slightly below or only marginally in line with consensus, which pressured the stock because margin for upside is limited. (Guidance published with the quarter release.) Negative Sentiment: Analysts reacted: Benchmark and other shops lowered expectations and at least one downgrade pushed RAMP to a new 1year low, amplifying selling pressure and volume. Benchmark Has Lowered Expectations for LiveRamp LiveRamp Reaches New 1-Year Low Analysts reacted: Benchmark and other shops lowered expectations and at least one downgrade pushed RAMP to a new 1year low, amplifying selling pressure and volume. Negative Sentiment: Technicals and trading: the stock is at/near its oneyear low, below its 50 and 200day moving averages, and trading with elevated volume a setup that can accelerate downside on negative headlines. (Market data context.) Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Here are the key news stories impacting LiveRamp this week: A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of LiveRamp from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of LiveRamp from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of LiveRamp in a report on Monday, December 29th. Cross Research set a $53.00 price objective on LiveRamp in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Benchmark lowered their price objective on LiveRamp from $53.00 to $38.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, LiveRamp presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $41.33. View Our Latest Report on RAMP Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of RAMP. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of LiveRamp during the first quarter worth about $31,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in LiveRamp during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in LiveRamp during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $122,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in shares of LiveRamp by 8.8% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 6,944 shares of the companys stock valued at $188,000 after acquiring an additional 564 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of LiveRamp in the first quarter worth $212,000. 93.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. LiveRamp Company Profile (Get Free Report) LiveRamp Holdings, Inc is a leading provider of data connectivity and identity resolution services for marketers, publishers and platforms. The companys core technology enables organizations to link disparate data sourcessuch as CRM systems, web engagements and offline transaction recordsinto a single, privacy-safe view of individual consumers. By standardizing and anonymizing identifiers, LiveRamps platform facilitates targeted media activation, measurement and analytics across digital, mobile, addressable TV and offline channels. The company offers a suite of products designed to support every stage of the data lifecycle. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for LiveRamp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LiveRamp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guinness Asset Management LTD lowered its position in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Free Report) by 4.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 89,243 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 4,303 shares during the period. Mastercard comprises about 0.8% of Guinness Asset Management LTDs holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. Guinness Asset Management LTDs holdings in Mastercard were worth $50,703,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. KRS Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 0.6% during the second quarter. KRS Capital Management LLC now owns 2,848 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $1,601,000 after buying an additional 18 shares during the period. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Mastercard by 0.8% in the second quarter. Pinion Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,272 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $1,276,000 after buying an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Nvest Financial LLC lifted its position in shares of Mastercard by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Nvest Financial LLC now owns 1,505 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $846,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 339 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $191,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rialto Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 13.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 156 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. 97.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Mastercard alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes MA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Mastercard from $668.00 to $671.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup raised shares of Mastercard to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $690.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Truist Financial set a $609.00 target price on Mastercard in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Mastercard currently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $669.18. More Mastercard News Here are the key news stories impacting Mastercard this week: Mastercard Stock Performance Shares of MA stock opened at $551.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $495.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.83. Mastercard Incorporated has a one year low of $465.59 and a one year high of $601.77. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $555.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $564.32. Mastercard (NYSE:MA Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.24 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $8.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.80 billion. Mastercard had a net margin of 45.65% and a return on equity of 203.92%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.82 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current year. Mastercard Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. This is a boost from Mastercards previous quarterly dividend of $0.76. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. Mastercards payout ratio is currently 21.07%. About Mastercard (Free Report) Mastercard Incorporated is a global payments technology company that operates a network connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 200 countries and territories. The company facilitates electronic payments and transaction processing for credit, debit and prepaid card products carrying the Mastercard brand, while also providing a range of payment-related services to issuers, acquirers and merchants. Its technology and network enable authorization, clearing and settlement of payments and support a broad set of use cases including point-of-sale, e-commerce and mobile payments. Beyond core transaction processing, Mastercard offers a suite of value-added services such as fraud and risk management, identity and authentication tools, tokenization and digital wallet support, cross-border and commercial payment solutions, and data analytics and consulting services for merchants and financial partners. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Mastercard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mastercard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Free Report) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 8.600-8.750 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 8.940. The company issued revenue guidance of $910.3 million-$910.3 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $934.0 million. Mettler-Toledo International also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 46.050-46.700 EPS. Mettler-Toledo International Stock Performance MTD traded down $6.41 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $1,383.32. The company had a trading volume of 174,297 shares, compared to its average volume of 134,791. Mettler-Toledo International has a 12-month low of $946.69 and a 12-month high of $1,525.17. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,426.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1,357.10. The stock has a market cap of $28.26 billion, a PE ratio of 34.50, a P/E/G ratio of 4.07 and a beta of 1.42. Get Mettler-Toledo International alerts: Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $13.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $12.76 by $0.60. Mettler-Toledo International had a negative return on equity of 426.96% and a net margin of 21.20%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $12.41 earnings per share. Mettler-Toledo Internationals quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Mettler-Toledo International has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.750 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 46.050-46.700 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Mettler-Toledo International will post 42.71 earnings per share for the current year. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America upgraded shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $1,600.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,450.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,200.00 to $1,285.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Mettler-Toledo International in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. They issued an equal weight rating and a $1,550.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,600.00 to $1,700.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $1,441.67. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on MTD Insider Buying and Selling In other Mettler-Toledo International news, Director Elisha W. Finney sold 474 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,433.57, for a total value of $679,512.18. Following the sale, the director owned 311 shares in the company, valued at approximately $445,840.27. This represents a 60.38% 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 Patrick Kaltenbach sold 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,462.50, for a total value of $2,925,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 3,670 shares in the company, valued at $5,367,375. The trade was a 35.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 19,565 shares of company stock worth $28,683,737 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.94% of the companys stock. Key Mettler-Toledo International News Here are the key news stories impacting Mettler-Toledo International this week: Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations Adjusted EPS of $13.36 topped the Zacks/consensus $12.76 and rose ~8% year-over-year, showing continued earnings strength. Read More. Q4 results beat expectations Adjusted EPS of $13.36 topped the Zacks/consensus $12.76 and rose ~8% year-over-year, showing continued earnings strength. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Sales growth and operating performance Reported sales rose 8% (5% in local currency) with adjusted EPS up; core business growth plus a small acquisition benefit were cited. Read More. Sales growth and operating performance Reported sales rose 8% (5% in local currency) with adjusted EPS up; core business growth plus a small acquisition benefit were cited. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Fullyear FY2026 guidance modestly above consensus Company set FY EPS guidance of $46.0546.70 vs. street ~45.78, signaling confidence in mediumterm profitability. Read More. Fullyear FY2026 guidance modestly above consensus Company set FY EPS guidance of $46.0546.70 vs. street ~45.78, signaling confidence in mediumterm profitability. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Valuation & analyst context MTD trades at a high multiple (PE ~34.5) with PEG ~4.1; analysts expect ~42.7 EPS for the fiscal year, so the stock is priced for continued strong execution. Read More. Valuation & analyst context MTD trades at a high multiple (PE ~34.5) with PEG ~4.1; analysts expect ~42.7 EPS for the fiscal year, so the stock is priced for continued strong execution. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Nearterm guidance disappointed Q1 FY2026 EPS guidance of $8.608.75 and revenue guidance (~$910.3M) came in below consensus (~$8.94 EPS and ~$934M revenue), creating concern about sequential softness and weighing on the stock. Read More. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mettler-Toledo International A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MTD. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in Mettler-Toledo International by 56.8% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 128,116 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $157,276,000 after acquiring an additional 46,402 shares during the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 320.2% in the 2nd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 56,439 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $66,300,000 after purchasing an additional 43,007 shares in the last quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the second quarter worth $46,332,000. Man Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 72.5% during the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 62,038 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $72,877,000 after purchasing an additional 26,073 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 105.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 42,402 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $49,806,000 after acquiring an additional 21,763 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.07% of the companys stock. Mettler-Toledo International Company Profile (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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mettler-Toledo International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mettler-Toledo International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mitsubishi Co. (OTCMKTS:MSBHY Get Free Report) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $40.23 and traded as low as $39.30. Mitsubishi shares last traded at $40.23, with a volume of 8,200 shares changing hands. Mitsubishi Stock Up 0.2% The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.89 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.65. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $40.23 and a 200-day moving average of $40.23. Get Mitsubishi alerts: About Mitsubishi (Get Free Report) Mitsubishi is a historic Japanese industrial group whose companies operate across a wide range of sectors including trading, natural resources and energy, industrial machinery, chemicals, automotive-related businesses, food and consumer goods, real estate, and financial services. Many Mitsubishi entities act as trading and investment houses that source, distribute and invest in commodities and finished goods, develop infrastructure and energy projects, and provide corporate and financial solutions to multinational clients. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Molina Healthcare, Inc (NYSE:MOH Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low on Friday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as low as $125.00 and last traded at $131.6530, with a volume of 2149438 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $176.84. The company reported ($2.75) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($3.18). Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 22.95% and a net margin of 1.98%.The company had revenue of $11.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.90 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.05 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. Molina Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000- EPS. Get Molina Healthcare alerts: Key Stories Impacting Molina Healthcare Here are the key news stories impacting Molina Healthcare this week: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MOH shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $165.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Friday, October 24th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $180.00 to $170.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $160.00 price target on Molina Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an outperform rating and issued a $224.00 price objective on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, TD Cowen cut Molina Healthcare from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $203.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $182.64. Get Our Latest Analysis on MOH Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Richard M. Schapiro sold 357 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.02, for a total transaction of $51,058.14. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 11,352 shares in the company, valued at $1,623,563.04. This represents a 3.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Molina Healthcare Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MOH. New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 35.9% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 139,557 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,706,000 after buying an additional 36,831 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Molina Healthcare by 289.3% during the 3rd quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 11,735 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,246,000 after purchasing an additional 8,721 shares during the last quarter. Gibraltar Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Molina Healthcare in the 3rd quarter valued at $6,709,000. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in Molina Healthcare by 245.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 80,608 shares of the companys stock worth $15,425,000 after purchasing an additional 57,266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of Molina Healthcare by 189.5% during the 3rd quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 13,148 shares of the companys stock worth $2,516,000 after purchasing an additional 8,607 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.50% of the companys stock. Molina Healthcare Price Performance The stocks 50-day moving average price is $173.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $171.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The firm has a market cap of $7.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.08 and a beta of 0.49. Molina Healthcare Company Profile (Get Free Report) Molina Healthcare, Inc is a managed care company specializing in government-sponsored health insurance programs. The company offers Medicaid managed care plans, Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans, and individual Marketplace plans under the Affordable Care Act. Through an integrated care model, Molina emphasizes preventive and primary care services, care coordination, and disease management to improve health outcomes for its members. The company traces its roots to the early 1980s, when Dr. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Molina Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Molina Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. cut its stake in Mueller Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MLI Free Report) by 9.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 419,866 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 45,560 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.38% of Mueller Industries worth $42,452,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MLI. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Mueller Industries during the second quarter worth about $127,287,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Mueller Industries during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $75,901,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Mueller Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $54,751,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in Mueller Industries in the third quarter valued at approximately $51,789,000. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Mueller Industries in the second quarter worth approximately $36,974,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.50% of the companys stock. Get Mueller Industries alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Mueller Industries news, Director Scott Jay Goldman sold 4,234 shares of Mueller Industries stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $108.64, for a total value of $459,981.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 41,745 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,535,176.80. The trade was a 9.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 2.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Mueller Industries in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mueller Industries currently has a consensus rating of Buy. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Mueller Industries Mueller Industries Stock Performance Mueller Industries stock opened at $115.33 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $12.80 billion, a PE ratio of 16.79 and a beta of 1.03. Mueller Industries, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $66.84 and a fifty-two week high of $139.29. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $121.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $106.24. Mueller Industries (NYSE:MLI Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The industrial products company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.67 by ($0.28). Mueller Industries had a return on equity of 24.70% and a net margin of 18.31%.The firm had revenue of $962.39 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $928.00 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.21 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Mueller Industries Company Profile (Free Report) Mueller Industries, Inc is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of copper, brass, aluminum and plastic products. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, the company serves a wide range of markets including HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), refrigeration, plumbing, industrial gas, automotive and agricultural sectors. Its product portfolio encompasses copper and plastic tubing, brass fittings, valves and related components designed for fluid handling and temperature control applications. The company operates through multiple business segments, including the Plumbing & Refrigeration segment, which supplies copper and plastic tubing, fittings and valves for residential and commercial construction markets; the Industrial Metals & Mining segment, which provides aluminum shapes and specialty brass products for industrial applications; and the Climate segment, which focuses on copper tubing and components for air conditioning and refrigeration systems. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MLI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mueller Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MLI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Mueller Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mueller Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A major labor union representing Boeing engineers is seeking answers after learning that engineering work tied to the companys 787 Dreamliner program is being shifted from the Pacific Northwest to South Carolina, a move union leaders say came with little warning and raises questions about job security. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), which represents more than 24,000 engineers and technical workers across five states, said members were informed late last week that 787 engineering work would move across the country. Union officials say the announcement surprised both leadership and rank-and-file members, despite regular labor-management meetings required under their contract. Boeing has acknowledged though the company has not publicly detailed timelines, the number of positions affected, or whether layoffs could occur. I mean, are there still going to be jobs for them here? Or are they going to be laid off? said Bryan Corliss, a SPEEA representative. SPEEA says it has a contractual right to advance notice when significant changes to work assignments are planned. While the union acknowledges Boeings authority to assign work, Corliss said that authority does not negate the companys obligation to provide early notice so impacts on workers can be addressed. You know, the employer does have the right to assign work, Corliss said. However, we do have a contractual right to get heads up that that change is coming and so that we can take steps to mitigate the impact on our people. In this case, what were asking Boeing to do is just guarantee that nobodys going to get laid off, and Boeing, so far, has been unwilling to do that. The dispute unfolds amid a broader backdrop of labor tension at Boeing. In late 2024, more than 30,000 Boeing machinists walked off the job in a strike that halted aircraft production for weeks, costing the company millions of dollars per day and delaying aircraft deliveries to airlines worldwide. Boeing says the current engineering move should not be interpreted as a pullback from Puget Sound. In a written response to KING 5, the company said it is continuing to hire engineers in the region to support commercial airplane programs, including the 737 North Line and ongoing development work. Boeing also said it is hiring engineers in South Carolina to support planned increases in 787 production and that engineers are being placed near the aircraft they support to improve collaboration and execution. For the union, those statements leave key questions unresolved. Novartis (NYSE:NVS Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $2.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.99 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. Novartis had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 25.65%.The business had revenue of $524.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.98 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Here are the key takeaways from Novartis conference call: Get Novartis alerts: Novartis beat its 2025 targets with sales +8% , core operating income +14% , achieved a 40.1% core margin two years ahead of plan, and generated record free cash flow of CHF 17.6 billion. , , achieved a two years ahead of plan, and generated record free cash flow of CHF 17.6 billion. Commercial momentum is concentrated in priority brands Kisqali +57% , Kesimpta +36% , Scemblix and Pluvicto showing strong launch/scale (Pluvicto reached ~$2bn), and Leqvio became a blockbuster these franchises underpin near and midterm growth. , , Scemblix and Pluvicto showing strong launch/scale (Pluvicto reached ~$2bn), and Leqvio became a blockbuster these franchises underpin near and midterm growth. Pipeline catalysts are plentiful in 2026 (seven pivotal readouts highlighted, including Pelacarsen midyear and remibrutinib submissions/readouts) and early traction for Rhapsido, but several outcomes and timing risks remain (e.g., zigakibart eGFR readout moved to H1 2027). 2026 guidance reflects nearterm pressures company expects low singledigit sales growth and a low singledigit decline in core operating income due to 12 percentage point margin dilution from the Avidity deal, higher financing costs and frontloaded U.S. generic losses in H1 with a recovery expected in H2. Novartis Trading Up 0.6% Shares of NVS opened at $153.80 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $140.19 and its 200-day moving average is $130.52. The firm has a market cap of $324.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.48, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.50. Novartis has a 52-week low of $97.71 and a 52-week high of $154.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 0.88. Novartis Announces Dividend Institutional Inflows and Outflows The company also recently disclosed an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 11th will be given a dividend of $4.773 per share. This represents a yield of 312.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 11th. Novartiss payout ratio is currently 36.31%. Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVS. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Novartis by 25.2% during the third quarter. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 462 shares of the companys stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Kelleher Financial Advisors bought a new position in shares of Novartis during the 3rd quarter worth about $75,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Novartis in the 3rd quarter valued at about $79,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Novartis by 34.3% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,420 shares of the companys stock valued at $182,000 after acquiring an additional 363 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 13.12% of the companys stock. Key Stories Impacting Novartis Here are the key news stories impacting Novartis this week: Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat and margin strength Novartis reported Q4 EPS above consensus and management flagged record/expanded operating margins, which investors are rewarding. This underpins the recent upside in the share price. Read More. Q4 EPS beat and margin strength Novartis reported Q4 EPS above consensus and management flagged record/expanded operating margins, which investors are rewarding. This underpins the recent upside in the share price. Read More. Positive Sentiment: New 12month high after results Market coverage notes the stock trade to a new 12month high following the earnings release and supportive commentary. Momentum can attract further buying. Read More. New 12month high after results Market coverage notes the stock trade to a new 12month high following the earnings release and supportive commentary. Momentum can attract further buying. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared Novartis announced an annual cash dividend (record/exdividend dates communicated), which supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. (Company announcement 2/4/26) Dividend declared Novartis announced an annual cash dividend (record/exdividend dates communicated), which supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. (Company announcement 2/4/26) Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and price target lift Several brokers reiterated Buy ratings or nudged targets higher, reflecting confidence in longterm EPS upside from the pipeline and cost leverage. Read More. Analyst support and price target lift Several brokers reiterated Buy ratings or nudged targets higher, reflecting confidence in longterm EPS upside from the pipeline and cost leverage. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and presentation posted Full Q4 2025 earnings call transcripts and the investor presentation are available for detailed readthroughs of guidance, pipeline timelines and management Q&A. Useful for assessing forward catalysts. Read More. Read More. Earnings call and presentation posted Full Q4 2025 earnings call transcripts and the investor presentation are available for detailed readthroughs of guidance, pipeline timelines and management Q&A. Useful for assessing forward catalysts. Read More. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and generic pressure Net sales fell short of estimates; U.S. generics for Entresto and Promacta materially pressured revenue, a nearterm earnings mix/headwind risk. Monitor sales trends and uptake of new growth drugs. Read More. Revenue miss and generic pressure Net sales fell short of estimates; U.S. generics for Entresto and Promacta materially pressured revenue, a nearterm earnings mix/headwind risk. Monitor sales trends and uptake of new growth drugs. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Largest patent expiry on horizon Management flagged significant patent expiries that will shift the growth mix; investors should watch timing of generic erosion and replacement launches. Read More. Largest patent expiry on horizon Management flagged significant patent expiries that will shift the growth mix; investors should watch timing of generic erosion and replacement launches. Read More. Negative Sentiment: ESG / sustainability risk disclosure Novartis disclosed heightened environmental/social risks that could affect reputation or financing long term; monitor any followup remediation plans. Read More. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Cfra Research upgraded shares of Novartis to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Novartis from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Novartis from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Bank of America upgraded Novartis from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a hold rating on shares of Novartis in a research report on Monday, November 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $119.75. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Novartis Novartis Company Profile (Get Free Report) Novartis is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Basel that researches, develops, manufactures and commercializes prescription medicines and related health-care products. Formed through the 1996 merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz, Novartis operates globally and focuses on bringing therapeutics from discovery through clinical development to commercial markets worldwide. The companys activities center on innovative pharmaceuticals across several therapeutic areas, including oncology, immunology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neuroscience and ophthalmology, alongside capabilities in advanced therapies such as biologics, cell and gene therapies. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nufarm (ASX:NUF) chair John Gillam told shareholders at the companys 2026 annual general meeting that the companys FY25 statutory result was disappointing, but said underlying performanceparticularly in crop protectionwas strong and that management expects improved outcomes in FY26. Get alerts: The hybrid AGM was held from the companys corporate support center and manufacturing facility in Laverton, Melbourne, with online participation facilitated through Computershare. Voting on all resolutions was conducted by poll, with the chair noting proxy voting indicated all items were likely to pass with strong support. FY25 result: statutory loss driven by material items Gillam said Nufarm reported a statutory loss offor FY25. The result includedof mainly non-cash material items tied to the outcome of a seed technologies review and a broader performance improvement program. Excluding those items, Gillam said underlying performance was stronger, highlighting crop protection as a key contributor. The crop protection business delivered an 18% increase in underlying EBITDA, with growth across all regions. He cited: North America: a record year for profitability in Turf and Ornamental. a record year for profitability in Turf and Ornamental. APAC: a record year of profit in Asia. a record year of profit in Asia. Europe: underlying EBITDA growth of 22%, attributed to the performance improvement program and better industry conditions. Seed Technologies repositioning and omega-3 pressures In Seed Technologies, Gillam said the company had a good year in its profitable hybrid seeds business, with increased revenue and profitability in South America, which he described as a focus for future growth. Gillam also discussed progress and challenges in Nufarms bioenergy and omega-3 platforms. He said the company increased planted area in carinata as market fundamentals strengthened, pointing to a shortage of feedstock to meet demand created by Europes Renewable Energy Directive implementation. The omega-3 platform, however, was severely impacted by a fall in fish oil prices. Gillam said the company took actions to reduce costs and reposition omega-3 production to achieve a lower cost of goods, and that Nufarm expects a materially improved outcome from omega-3 in FY26 and beyond. As part of the review of Seed Technologies, Gillam said the board assessed strategy and evaluated options including a potential sale or bringing in a capital partner. The board ultimately determined that the highest value outcome for shareholders was continued ownership under a reprioritized strategy designed to reduce cash costs and capital demands, prioritize near-term growth in hybrid seeds and technology, and reposition omega-3 over the medium term. Balance sheet focus, leverage reduction, and no dividend Gillam said the balance sheet was a major focus in FY25, describing Nufarms debt facilities as diversified and flexible, supported by a covenant-light structure and staggered maturities. He said net debt increased at the end of FY25 due to factors including spending on key manufacturing assets and a significant increase in omega-3 oil inventory. He said the company aims to reduce leverage by the end of FY26 through improved working capital management, cash-generative earnings growth, lower capital expenditure, and stronger cost discipline. Gillam also said Nufarm did not declare a dividend for FY25, describing the decision as aligned with capital management principles and the objective to reduce leverage. In Q&A, CEO Rico Christensen said the company was targeting FY26 capital expenditure of less than AUD 200 million and was tracking toward that figure, while continuing to support operational requirements including safety, stable site operations, product registrations, and R&D activities linked to future growth. Leadership transition and FY26 priorities Gillam introduced Rico Christensen as the companys newly appointed CEO and managing director, succeeding Greg Hunt. He said Christensens appointment reflected long-term succession planning and highlighted Christensens experience across strategy, operations, sales and marketing, supply chain, P&L management, cash flow, and capital allocation. Christensen told shareholders his priorities for FY26 include strengthening cost and capital deployment discipline with the goal of generating positive free cash flow to support debt and leverage reduction. He said the company is embedding discipline through refinements to structure, delegations, and incentives. On the operating outlook, Christensen said Nufarm had made a positive start to the year, with improvement in the first quarter, and that the company was reaffirming all elements of the guidance provided at the FY25 result. He described FY26 as promising strong growth and profitability, with a focus on free cash flow generation and a significant reduction in leverage by year-end. Christensen also highlighted growth plans within crop protection, citing Nufarms Phenoxy portfolio and businesses such as Turf and Ornamental and ANC. He referenced a previously announced collaboration agreement with KingAgroot to develop and launch a new Group 14 herbicide in Australia and New Zealand, targeting regulatory approval and launch by 2028. Shareholder questions: sustainability, markets, governance, and value During Q&A, the Australian Shareholders Association asked about carinata market assumptions amid geopolitical turmoil and oil price volatility. Christensen said Nufarms partner BP remained satisfied with the agreement and that DST premiums had increased since the end of FY25 from $100 per tonne to more than $300 per tonne. He also said fish oil prices had risen over the past three months from about $2,600 per tonne to about $2,900 per tonne, and reiterated the companys view of a long-term structural gap between supply and demand despite volatility. On sustainability, director Alexandra Gartmann said Nufarm follows science-based policy regarding environmental topics and pointed to the companys omega-3 canola as a sustainable alternative to wild fish and krill catch. KPMG audit partner Vicky Carlson said impairment testing and recoverability of non-current and intangible assets was a key audit matter, describing audit work that included specialists and review of reconciliations between carrying values and market capitalization, and stating KPMG was satisfied the balance sheet was not materially misstated. One shareholder challenged the board and management on long-term share price performance and lack of dividends. Gillam said the board and senior management were bitterly disappointed with the share price and emphasized a steely determination to improve performance, citing year-on-year improvements in crop protection and the strength of hybrid seeds, while acknowledging omega-3 as a key area requiring repositioning and commercialization. About Nufarm (ASX:NUF) Nufarm Limited, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells crop protection solutions and seed technologies in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Crop Protection and Seed Technologies segments. The Crop Protection segment solutions include herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides that help growers protect crops against weeds, pests, and diseases. The Seed Technologies segment operates base seeds, bioenergy, omega-3 and seed treatment platforms, as well as sells seeds and oil based products. Featured Articles Pan African Resources (LON:PAF Free Report) had its price objective raised by Canaccord Genuity Group from GBX 135 to GBX 160 in a research report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. Separately, Berenberg Bank reissued a buy rating and set a GBX 112 price target on shares of Pan African Resources in a research report on Thursday, November 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Pan African Resources has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 136. Get Pan African Resources alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on PAF Pan African Resources Trading Up 2.8% Pan African Resources Company Profile Shares of LON:PAF opened at GBX 140.40 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 35.80. Pan African Resources has a 52-week low of GBX 33 and a 52-week high of GBX 152.60. The stock has a market cap of 2.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.61, a PEG ratio of 8.95 and a beta of 0.89. The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 121.83 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 93.21. (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pan African Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pan African Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Panasonic (OTCMKTS:PCRFY Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.670-0.670 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of $50.0 billion-$50.0 billion. Panasonic Trading Down 1.3% Shares of PCRFY traded down $0.12 on Friday, hitting $9.36. 100 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 248,305. Panasonic has a 1 year low of $8.59 and a 1 year high of $12.75. The stocks 50 day moving average is $9.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.08, a P/E/G ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.03. Get Panasonic alerts: About Panasonic (Get Free Report) Panasonic Corporation is a Japanese multinational electronics company founded in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita and headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Originally incorporated as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, Ltd., the company adopted the Panasonic brand globally and has a long history in consumer electronics and electrical goods. Panasonic operates worldwide with a presence across Asia, Europe, the Americas and other regions, serving both retail consumers and a broad range of business customers. The companys core activities span consumer and professional electronics, home appliances, audio-visual products, and personal-care items, as well as a substantial industrial and B2B portfolio. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Panasonic Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Panasonic and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) issued an update on its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.800-1.850 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 1.890. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Philip Morris International also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.380-8.530 EPS. Philip Morris International Stock Up 0.7% Philip Morris International stock opened at $181.63 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $282.73 billion, a PE ratio of 32.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.39. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $163.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $161.53. Philip Morris International has a 52 week low of $140.02 and a 52 week high of $186.69. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 9.33% and a negative return on equity of 122.14%. The business had revenue of $10.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.55 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Philip Morris International has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.800-1.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 8.380-8.530 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Philip Morris International will post 7.14 EPS for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Investors of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 106.52%. Several research analysts recently weighed in on PM shares. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a buy rating to a hold rating and cut their target price for the company from $220.00 to $180.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a buy rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $220.00 to $180.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Philip Morris International from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $184.56. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on PM Hedge Funds Weigh In On Philip Morris International Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Nomura Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Philip Morris International by 6,821.6% during the third quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 1,490,777 shares of the companys stock valued at $241,804,000 after buying an additional 1,469,239 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 28.1% in the 3rd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 4,426,128 shares of the companys stock valued at $717,918,000 after acquiring an additional 971,942 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 7,019,625 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,136,402,000 after acquiring an additional 791,681 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 10.8% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 4,756,435 shares of the companys stock valued at $771,494,000 after acquiring an additional 464,898 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Philip Morris International by 98.4% during the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 838,126 shares of the companys stock worth $135,944,000 after purchasing an additional 415,703 shares during the last quarter. 78.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Get Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM) is a global tobacco company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, other nicotine-containing products and a growing portfolio of smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers. The firm traces its corporate roots to the 19th century Philip Morris enterprise and was established as an independent, publicly traded company following a 2008 separation from what is now Altria. Since the spin-off, the company has focused on serving international markets outside the United States. PMIs product mix includes traditional combustible cigarettes as well as smoke-free offerings such as heated tobacco systems and other reduced-risk products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Ping An Insurance Co. of China Ltd. (OTCMKTS:PNGAY Get Free Report) crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $17.02 and traded as high as $18.19. Ping An Insurance Co. of China shares last traded at $17.96, with a volume of 130,700 shares changing hands. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Zacks Research lowered Ping An Insurance Co. of China from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold. Get Ping An Insurance Co. of China alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on PNGAY Ping An Insurance Co. of China Price Performance About Ping An Insurance Co. of China The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $15.23. The company has a market cap of $164.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.43 and a beta of 0.23. (Get Free Report) Ping An Insurance Company of China, Ltd., commonly known as Ping An, is a diversified financial services conglomerate headquartered in Shenzhen, China. Founded in 1988 as one of the countrys first joint-stock insurance companies, Ping An has developed broad capabilities across life insurance, property and casualty insurance, health insurance and annuity products. The company serves individual and corporate customers with a range of protection and savings products, including life policies, auto and property coverage, commercial insurance solutions and retirement-oriented offerings. Beyond traditional insurance underwriting, Ping An operates an integrated financial services platform that includes retail and corporate banking, asset and wealth management, securities brokerage and investment services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Ping An Insurance Co. of China Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ping An Insurance Co. of China and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Reddit (NYSE:RDDT Get Free Report) had its target price increased by B. Riley Securities from $245.00 to $250.00 in a research report issued on Friday. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. B. Riley Securities price target points to a potential upside of 79.40% from the companys current price. A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on RDDT. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price objective on Reddit in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $200.00 price target on Reddit in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Reddit from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Piper Sandler reissued an overweight rating and issued a $205.00 price objective (down from $290.00) on shares of Reddit in a research report on Friday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and set a $285.00 target price on shares of Reddit in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $242.24. Get Reddit alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on Reddit Reddit Trading Down 7.7% Shares of RDDT traded down $11.70 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $139.35. The stock had a trading volume of 19,619,665 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,519,855. The firm has a market cap of $26.41 billion, a PE ratio of 80.09, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 2.17. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $222.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $214.72. Reddit has a one year low of $79.75 and a one year high of $282.95. Reddit (NYSE:RDDT Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.28. Reddit had a net margin of 18.33% and a return on equity of 14.94%. The company had revenue of $725.61 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $665.80 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.36 EPS. Reddits quarterly revenue was up 69.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Reddit will post 1.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity In related news, CFO Andrew Vollero sold 3,674 shares of Reddit stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.21, for a total value of $959,685.54. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 251,644 shares of the companys stock, valued at $65,731,929.24. This trade represents a 1.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CTO Christopher Brian Slowe sold 14,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.61, for a total value of $2,976,540.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 167,694 shares of the companys stock, valued at $35,653,421.34. The trade was a 7.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 523,511 shares of company stock valued at $114,237,285. Company insiders own 34.25% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Reddit Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raiffeisen Bank International AG bought a new position in Reddit in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Reddit in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Reddit by 13,500.0% during the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 136 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. LOM Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in Reddit during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Financial Perspectives Inc bought a new position in Reddit in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Trending Headlines about Reddit Here are the key news stories impacting Reddit this week: About Reddit (Get Free Report) Reddit is an online social news aggregation, discussion and content-sharing platform organized around user-created communities called subreddits, each focused on a particular topic or interest. Registered users submit links, text posts, images and video, and community members vote and comment to surface popular content. The site is accessed via its web platform and mobile apps for iOS and Android, and it supports live events such as Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions and community-driven discussions. Founded in 2005 by Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian, Reddit is headquartered in San Francisco and serves a global audience with particularly large user bases in the United States and other English-speaking markets. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Reddit Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Reddit and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silgan (NYSE:SLGN Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Wednesday. The industrial products company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.02, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.46 billion. Silgan had a net margin of 4.45% and a return on equity of 17.94%. The firms revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.85 earnings per share. Silgan updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.700-3.900 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.700-0.800 EPS. Here are the key takeaways from Silgans conference call: Get Silgan alerts: Silgan completed the Weener acquisition integration and achieved runrate synergies, with Dispensing & Specialty Closures now >50% of Adjusted EBITDA and delivering record sales, adjusted EBIT/EBITDA while accelerating its newproduct pipeline and wins. Silgan completed the integration and achieved runrate synergies, with Dispensing & Specialty Closures now >50% of Adjusted EBITDA and delivering record sales, adjusted EBIT/EBITDA while accelerating its newproduct pipeline and wins. For 2026 management targets Adjusted EPS of $3.70$3.90, expects roughly $450 million of free cash flow and will spend about $310 million of CapEx to support dispensing and petfood growth, with midpoint guidance exceeding 2025 Adjusted EBIT/EBITDA. For 2026 management targets Adjusted EPS of $3.70$3.90, expects roughly of free cash flow and will spend about $310 million of CapEx to support dispensing and petfood growth, with midpoint guidance exceeding 2025 Adjusted EBIT/EBITDA. Interest costs will increase materially (estimated ~$205 million for 2026 and roughly $45 million in Q1) due to the April maturity of the 1.4% senior secured notes, which pressured Q4 adjusted EPS and will weigh on net income and cash flow in 2026. Interest costs will increase materially (estimated ~$205 million for 2026 and roughly $45 million in Q1) due to the April maturity of the 1.4% senior secured notes, which pressured Q4 adjusted EPS and will weigh on net income and cash flow in 2026. Metal Containers showed volume growth (+4% quarterly, pet food +7%) and margin improvement driven by costreduction programs and volume leverage, and management expects low singledigit volume and adjusted EBIT growth in 2026, led by pet food. Metal Containers showed volume growth (+4% quarterly, pet food +7%) and margin improvement driven by costreduction programs and volume leverage, and management expects low singledigit volume and adjusted EBIT growth in 2026, led by pet food. Although Dispensing & Specialty Closures destocking is reported complete, Custom Containers still carries some destocking and inventory timing effects (plus priorquarter prebuys), contributing to a Q1 adjusted EPS guide of $0.70$0.80 versus $0.82 a year ago. Silgan Stock Up 0.5% Shares of Silgan stock traded up $0.26 during trading on Friday, reaching $49.13. The stock had a trading volume of 212,370 shares, compared to its average volume of 934,801. The company has a current ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. Silgan has a 52 week low of $36.15 and a 52 week high of $57.04. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $41.54 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.16. The company has a market capitalization of $5.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.72. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Silgan Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Silgan during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Silgan by 627.2% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 669 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 577 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Silgan in the first quarter worth about $54,000. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Silgan in the third quarter valued at approximately $137,000. Finally, FORA Capital LLC bought a new position in Silgan in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $217,000. Institutional investors own 70.25% of the companys stock. SLGN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Truist Financial set a $50.00 price target on shares of Silgan and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $49.00 target price (up previously from $43.00) on shares of Silgan in a report on Thursday. Zacks Research upgraded Silgan from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $50.00 price target (up previously from $44.00) on shares of Silgan in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Silgan in a research report on Friday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $51.88. View Our Latest Stock Report on Silgan About Silgan (Get Free Report) Silgan Holdings Inc (NYSE: SLGN) is a leading supplier of rigid packaging solutions for consumer goods manufacturers. The companys core business activities center on the design, production and distribution of metal and plastic containers, closures and dispense systems. Silgan serves a broad array of end markets, including food and beverage, home and personal care, health care and industrial products, providing both standard and custom packaging formats. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Silgan has grown organically and through strategic acquisitions to establish a global manufacturing footprint. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Silgan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Silgan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SouthState Bank Corp lowered its stake in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Free Report) by 52.0% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 4,002 shares of the companys stock after selling 4,336 shares during the quarter. SouthState Bank Corps holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $778,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. now owns 13,062 shares of the companys stock worth $2,541,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC raised its position in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC now owns 2,095 shares of the companys stock worth $383,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. raised its position in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Cape Investment Advisory Inc. now owns 2,517 shares of the companys stock worth $460,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Atlas Brown Inc. lifted its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 2.0% in the third quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 2,889 shares of the companys stock worth $562,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 4.4% during the third quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 1,375 shares of the companys stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period. Get iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Stock Performance Shares of BATS QUAL opened at $199.25 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $200.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $194.73. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF has a fifty-two week low of $148.34 and a fifty-two week high of $187.26. The company has a market cap of $57.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.59 and a beta of 1.05. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Profile The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large- and mid-cap stocks, selected and weighted by high ROE, stable earnings growth and low debt\u002Fequity, relative to peers in each sector. QUAL was launched on Jul 18, 2013 and is managed by BlackRock. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding QUAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be paid a dividend of 0.18 per share by the airline on Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. Southwest Airlines has raised its dividend by an average of 0.0%annually over the last three years. Southwest Airlines has a payout ratio of 28.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Southwest Airlines to earn $2.36 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.72 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 30.5%. Get Southwest Airlines alerts: Southwest Airlines Trading Down 0.2% LUV stock traded down $0.11 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $52.48. The companys stock had a trading volume of 7,797,853 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,374,250. Southwest Airlines has a 12 month low of $23.82 and a 12 month high of $52.97. The company has a current ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $41.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.50. The company has a market cap of $27.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.15. Analyst Ratings Changes Southwest Airlines ( NYSE:LUV Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The airline reported $0.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. Southwest Airlines had a return on equity of 6.18% and a net margin of 1.57%.The business had revenue of $7.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.51 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.56 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Southwest Airlines will post 1.55 EPS for the current year. A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Southwest Airlines from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Southwest Airlines from $45.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday. Barclays upgraded Southwest Airlines from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $34.00 to $56.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Southwest Airlines from an underweight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their target price for the company from $36.00 to $60.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Southwest Airlines from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $45.76. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Southwest Airlines Southwest Airlines Company Profile (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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Southwest Airlines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwest Airlines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Download the Complete Report Here By Rayk Riechmann Mineral exploration and development specialist Brazil Potash Corp. (NYSE: GRO) is advancing efforts to become Brazils largest potash fertilizer mining company. For investors, theres an opportunity to bet on a rare disruptor in a gigantic market historically dominated by imports. With 2.4 million tons of underground mining capacity, the Autazes project is designed to challenge foreign importers from Canada, Russia, and Belarus, disrupting a geopolitically fragile supply chain. The planned production capacity would allow GRO to supply approximately 17% of Brazils current potash demand. The import-substitution strategy is based around solid business fundamentals: Leverage the strategic positioning of the Autazes project to undercut imported potash on price. Right now, GRO estimates that delivered cost of potash from the local facility will be approximately half the average of imported potash, creating a comfortable margin cushion. Additionally, an estimated 43x-shorter delivery time provides significant supply chain flexibility for Brazilian farmers. Clearly, those arguments resonate with prospective customers, with 91% of the planned annual production already secured via binding take-or-pay agreements. Currently, in the pre-revenue stage, the strategic focus lies on completing construction financing arrangements and advancing the infrastructure development for the project. With deep experience and industry expertise across the executive team, GRO is well equipped to move forcefully past initial project deliverables. Executive Chairman Mayo Schmidt, former CEO of Nutrien, the worlds largest fertilizer producer, and current CEO Matt Simpson bring the necessary blue-chip mining and fertilizer experience to the table. A current $135 million market cap likely doesnt do justice to the companys long-term value. At full production, management anticipates a steady $1 billion annual EBITDA stream. If project execution and financing execute successfully, a rerating of the shares may be imminent. Before investing, check out the full research report below for detailed insights on the planned timeline for 2026, current industry trends, and what goes into our valuation analysis. Download the Complete Report Here Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter to Receive All Research Contact: Executives-Edge.com Rayk@capmarketsmedia.com O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE:OI Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Traders purchased 2,354 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 3,039% compared to the typical daily volume of 75 call options. O-I Glass Stock Performance Shares of OI stock opened at $16.47 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.53 billion, a PE ratio of -17.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.78. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $15.06 and a 200-day moving average of $13.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 0.84. O-I Glass has a one year low of $9.23 and a one year high of $16.69. Get O-I Glass alerts: O-I Glass (NYSE:OI Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $0.04. O-I Glass had a negative net margin of 2.26% and a positive return on equity of 16.02%. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.04) EPS. O-I Glasss quarterly revenue was down 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that O-I Glass will post 1.33 earnings per share for the current year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America upgraded O-I Glass from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $14.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d-) rating on shares of O-I Glass in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of O-I Glass from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Sunday, December 28th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of O-I Glass from $14.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an outperform rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of O-I Glass in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $17.88. Read Our Latest Report on OI Hedge Funds Weigh In On O-I Glass Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in O-I Glass by 87.6% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,778 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 830 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of O-I Glass in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of O-I Glass by 64.1% during the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,350 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 918 shares during the period. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of O-I Glass during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, First Horizon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of O-I Glass by 2,125.5% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 3,227 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 3,082 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.24% of the companys stock. About O-I Glass (Get Free Report) O-I Glass, Inc is a leading global manufacturer of glass containers, supplying the food and beverage, wine and spirits, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and personal care industries. Headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio, the company produces a broad range of glass packaging solutions, including bottles and jars, designed to meet customer specifications for size, shape, color and performance. O-I leverages proprietary technologies in forming, decoration and quality control to serve both mass-market and premium brands. Tracing its origins to the early 20th century through the merger of prominent regional glassmakers, the company adopted the Owens-Illinois name in 1929 before rebranding as O-I Glass in 2015. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for O-I Glass Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for O-I Glass and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sumitomo Heavy (OTCMKTS:SOHVY Get Free Report) shares gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $8.0850, but opened at $8.76. Sumitomo Heavy shares last traded at $8.76, with a volume of 4,025 shares. Sumitomo Heavy Stock Performance The stocks 50-day moving average price is $7.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $6.33. The company has a market capitalization of $4.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 125.14 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.95. Get Sumitomo Heavy alerts: Sumitomo Heavy Company Profile (Get Free Report) Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (OTCMKTS: SOHVY) is a Japanese multinational manufacturer specializing in a broad range of industrial machinery and heavy equipment. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company operates as a core member of the Sumitomo Group, a major keiretsu with roots dating back to the early Meiji era. Sumitomo Heavy serves diverse markets by developing and producing advanced systems for material processing, energy generation, environmental management and transportation. The companys product portfolio encompasses industrial machinery such as metalforming presses, injection molding machines and power transmission systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Sumitomo Heavy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sumitomo Heavy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSE:SLF Get Free Report) (NYSE:SLF) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after Scotiabank raised their price target on the stock from C$87.00 to C$93.00. Scotiabank currently has a sector perform rating on the stock. Sun Life Financial traded as high as C$19.20 and last traded at C$88.86, with a volume of 553222 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at C$88.78. A number of other research analysts have also commented on SLF. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Sun Life Financial from C$84.00 to C$83.00 in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Sun Life Financial from C$96.00 to C$98.00 in a research note on Monday, November 10th. TD Securities raised their target price on Sun Life Financial from C$99.00 to C$104.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a C$84.00 price target on shares of Sun Life Financial and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Sun Life Financial from C$93.00 to C$95.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Sun Life Financial currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$93.22. Get Sun Life Financial alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on SLF Sun Life Financial Stock Up 0.2% The businesss 50 day moving average price is C$85.21 and its 200-day moving average price is C$83.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 26.00, a current ratio of 92.19 and a quick ratio of 84,866.00. The company has a market cap of C$49.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.86, a PEG ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.73. Sun Life Financial (TSE:SLF Get Free Report) (NYSE:SLF) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The financial services provider reported C$1.86 EPS for the quarter. Sun Life Financial had a return on equity of 15.69% and a net margin of 7.58%.The business had revenue of C$9.07 billion for the quarter. On average, analysts anticipate that Sun Life Financial Inc. will post 6.9230769 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Sun Life Financial Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a $0.92 dividend. This is a positive change from Sun Life Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.88. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 26th. Sun Life Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.15%. Sun Life Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report) Sun Life Financial is one of Canadas Big Three life insurance companies along with Great-West Lifeco and Manulife. Sun Life provides insurance, retirement, and wealth-management services to individual and corporate customers in Canada, the United States, and Asia. It also owns MFS Investment Management, a Boston-based asset-management firm. Sun Life generates about a third of its profit from asset-management operations. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sun Life Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sun Life Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) were up 5.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $349.72 and last traded at $349.01. Approximately 16,941,837 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 12% from the average daily volume of 15,146,568 shares. The stock had previously closed at $330.73. Trending Headlines about Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Here are the key news stories impacting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing this week: Get Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing alerts: Positive Sentiment: TSMC plans mass production of 3nm chips in Japan with roughly a $17B investment, signaling a big boost to advanced-node capacity and geographic diversification. This report is from Reuters. Read More. TSMC plans mass production of 3nm chips in Japan with roughly a $17B investment, signaling a big boost to advanced-node capacity and geographic diversification. This report is from Reuters. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Coverage notes Tokyo is ramping up subsidies and support as TSMC expands 3nm production in Japan a combination that reduces capex risk and improves project economics. (Benzinga) Read More. Coverage notes Tokyo is ramping up subsidies and support as TSMC expands 3nm production in Japan a combination that reduces capex risk and improves project economics. (Benzinga) Read More. Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets frame the ~$17B Japan upgrade as a strategic game-changer that addresses surging AI chip demand and mitigates geopolitical concentration risk. (Blockonomi) Read More. Multiple outlets frame the ~$17B Japan upgrade as a strategic game-changer that addresses surging AI chip demand and mitigates geopolitical concentration risk. (Blockonomi) Read More. Positive Sentiment: Deep-dive reporting highlights TSMCs decision to produce advanced 3nm chips at Kumamoto to meet accelerating AI demand underlining why capacity expansion is urgent. (Barrons) Read More. Deep-dive reporting highlights TSMCs decision to produce advanced 3nm chips at Kumamoto to meet accelerating AI demand underlining why capacity expansion is urgent. (Barrons) Read More. Positive Sentiment: Financial news outlets reiterate the expansion and tie it to strong recent results (Q4 revenue growth), reinforcing expectations for sustained demand-driven revenue. (24/7 Wall St.) Read More. Financial news outlets reiterate the expansion and tie it to strong recent results (Q4 revenue growth), reinforcing expectations for sustained demand-driven revenue. (24/7 Wall St.) Read More. Positive Sentiment: Market-data coverage flags TSMCs upgraded Japan plans and the shift toward mass-producing advanced 3nm chips a near-term catalyst for investor sentiment. (TipRanks) Read More. Market-data coverage flags TSMCs upgraded Japan plans and the shift toward mass-producing advanced 3nm chips a near-term catalyst for investor sentiment. (TipRanks) Read More. Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded TSMC from Hold to Strong Buy, which can attract flows and supports the bullish momentum. Read More. Zacks Research upgraded TSMC from Hold to Strong Buy, which can attract flows and supports the bullish momentum. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks piece notes the consensus price target implies ~25% upside but cautions that price-target signals are imperfect; earnings-estimate revision trends are a more reliable short-term indicator. Read More. A Zacks piece notes the consensus price target implies ~25% upside but cautions that price-target signals are imperfect; earnings-estimate revision trends are a more reliable short-term indicator. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Another Zacks piece examines whether Wall Street recommendations matter materially for investors, a reminder to weigh analyst upgrades alongside fundamentals and execution risk. Read More. Analysts Set New Price Targets TSM has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $325.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from $360.00 to $410.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Citigroup reissued a buy rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Friday, January 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a buy rating on shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $381.67. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Stock Performance The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $313.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $283.34. The company has a quick ratio of 2.47, a current ratio of 2.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $1.81 trillion, a PE ratio of 32.77, a PEG ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.31. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 14th. The semiconductor company reported $14.32 earnings per share for the quarter. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing had a return on equity of 36.18% and a net margin of 45.13%.The business had revenue of $32.50 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts predict that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. will post 9.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.9678 per share. This is a boost from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings previous quarterly dividend of $0.83. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $3.87 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturings dividend payout ratio is presently 23.57%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of TSM. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 20.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 10,930 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $2,159,000 after acquiring an additional 1,892 shares during the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. grew its position in shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 14.2% in the second quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 5,510 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $1,248,000 after purchasing an additional 684 shares during the period. Ignite Planners LLC increased its stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 4.7% in the second quarter. Ignite Planners LLC now owns 2,610 shares of the semiconductor companys stock valued at $627,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC lifted its position in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing by 1.2% during the second quarter. Eagle Strategies LLC now owns 10,197 shares of the semiconductor companys stock worth $2,310,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, Windle Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing in the 2nd quarter worth about $204,000. 16.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Profile (Get 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Teijin Ltd. (OTCMKTS:TINLY Get Free Report) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $8.79 and traded as high as $9.50. Teijin shares last traded at $9.50, with a volume of 330 shares traded. Teijin Price Performance The stock has a market cap of $1.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.37 and a beta of 0.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $8.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $8.64. Get Teijin alerts: About Teijin (Get Free Report) Teijin Limited is a diversified Japanese conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, with roots dating back to 1918 when it launched Japans first rayon manufacturing facility. Over the past century, the company has evolved into an integrated chemical, pharmaceutical and information technology group serving a wide range of global markets. Teijin operates through multiple business segments that include advanced fibers & composites, performance films, healthcare and IT solutions. In its fibers & composites division, Teijin produces high-strength aramid fibers under brands such as Twaron and Technora, along with carbon fiber composite materials used in aerospace, automotive and industrial applications. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Teijin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teijin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF (NYSEARCA:MMKT Get Free Report) declared a dividend on Thursday, February 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be paid a dividend of 0.0683 per share on Monday, February 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 354.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 6th. This is a 2.7% increase from Texas Capital Government Money Market ETFs previous dividend of $0.07. Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF Stock Down 0.0% Shares of Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF stock opened at $100.22 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $100.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $100.24. Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF has a 12-month low of $99.82 and a 12-month high of $100.60. Get Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF alerts: About Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF (Get Free Report) Recommended Stories The Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF (MMKT) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund is actively managed, investing in US government money market instruments, particularly overnight repurchase agreements with short-term maturities. The fund aims to balance income, liquidity, and capital preservation. MMKT was launched on Sep 24, 2024 and is issued by Texas Capital. Receive News & Ratings for Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Texas Capital Government Money Market ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Rubrik, Inc. (NYSE:RBRK Free Report) by 1,228.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,752 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 37,684 shares during the quarter. Truist Financial Corps holdings in Rubrik were worth $3,352,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of RBRK. Strs Ohio boosted its stake in Rubrik by 90.8% in the third quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 62,300 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,124,000 after acquiring an additional 29,649 shares during the last quarter. GGM Financials LLC bought a new position in shares of Rubrik in the 2nd quarter worth $8,108,000. Slow Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Rubrik during the third quarter worth $3,341,000. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in Rubrik by 17.7% in the second quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 194,911 shares of the companys stock valued at $17,462,000 after purchasing an additional 29,317 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB acquired a new position in Rubrik in the third quarter valued at about $5,515,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 49.54% of the companys stock. Get Rubrik alerts: Rubrik Stock Down 6.7% Shares of NYSE:RBRK opened at $48.38 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $9.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -24.81 and a beta of 0.31. Rubrik, Inc. has a 12 month low of $47.35 and a 12 month high of $103.00. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $71.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $77.95. Insider Transactions at Rubrik Rubrik ( NYSE:RBRK Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.16) by $0.26. The company had revenue of $350.17 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $320.19 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.21) earnings per share. Rubriks revenue for the quarter was up 48.3% on a year-over-year basis. Rubrik has set its FY 2026 guidance at -0.2000.160 EPS and its Q4 2026 guidance at -0.1200.100 EPS. Research analysts expect that Rubrik, Inc. will post -7.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other Rubrik news, CTO Arvind Nithrakashyap sold 4,648 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.40, for a total value of $327,219.20. Following the sale, the chief technology officer owned 337,010 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,725,504. The trade was a 1.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director John Wendell Thompson sold 11,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.29, for a total value of $608,190.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,655 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $202,084.95. This trade represents a 75.06% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 250,387 shares of company stock worth $19,195,515 in the last 90 days. 32.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently issued reports on RBRK. Mizuho upgraded Rubrik from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $97.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, November 17th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on shares of Rubrik from $110.00 to $105.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Citigroup reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Rubrik in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a sell (d-) rating on shares of Rubrik in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating on shares of Rubrik in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $112.18. View Our Latest Research Report on RBRK Rubrik Company Profile (Free Report) Rubrik, Inc is a cloud data management and security company that delivers a unified platform for data protection, disaster recovery, compliance and intelligent data governance. Its flagship offering, the Rubrik Security Cloud, enables organizations to automate backup and recovery workflows across on-premises, edge and multi-cloud environments. By combining policy-driven orchestration with real-time threat detection, Rubrik helps clients guard against ransomware, ensure business continuity and enforce data retention requirements. The companys platform supports a range of services including backup and restore, long-term data archiving, replication, and disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS). Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RBRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Rubrik, Inc. (NYSE:RBRK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Rubrik Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rubrik and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (NYSEARCA:GOAU Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 7.1% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $45.01 and last traded at $45.25. Approximately 97,239 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 59% from the average daily volume of 61,310 shares. The stock had previously closed at $48.70. U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF Price Performance The companys 50-day moving average is $45.66 and its 200-day moving average is $39.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $200.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.28 and a beta of 0.64. Get U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF alerts: U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 24th were issued a $0.4002 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 24th. This represents a yield of 90.0%. About U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF The U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in materials equity. The fund tracks an index of 28 precious metal mining firms listed in the US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong or South Africa. Holdings are selected by fundamental factors and weighted in fixed tiers. GOAU was launched on Jun 27, 2017 and is managed by US Global. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. United Community Banks, Inc. (NYSE:UCB Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $35.95 and last traded at $35.0650, with a volume of 151360 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $34.99. Analyst Ratings Changes UCB has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c+) rating on shares of United Community Banks in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research raised shares of United Community Banks from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on United Community Banks from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. DA Davidson raised their target price on shares of United Community Banks from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on United Community Banks from $37.00 to $39.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $37.50. Get United Community Banks alerts: Read Our Latest Report on United Community Banks United Community Banks Price Performance The firm has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.81 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $32.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $31.70. United Community Banks (NYSE:UCB Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 14th. The company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.73 by ($0.02). United Community Banks had a return on equity of 9.49% and a net margin of 21.35%.The company had revenue of $278.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $273.80 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. United Community Banks Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 5th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. United Community Bankss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.31%. United Community Banks announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Monday, December 8th that authorizes the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Activity In related news, CAO Alan H. Kumler sold 12,043 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.36, for a total transaction of $425,840.48. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 21,096 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $745,954.56. This represents a 36.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.43% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Community Banks A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of United Community Banks by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,514,731 shares of the companys stock worth $453,150,000 after purchasing an additional 120,156 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of United Community Banks by 1.0% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 6,337,524 shares of the companys stock valued at $198,681,000 after buying an additional 61,465 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in United Community Banks by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,879,780 shares of the companys stock valued at $85,801,000 after purchasing an additional 56,756 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of United Community Banks by 4.6% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,680,961 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,698,000 after buying an additional 73,775 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in United Community Banks in the second quarter worth approximately $42,061,000. 82.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About United Community Banks (Get Free Report) United Community Banks, Inc (NYSE: UCB) is a bank holding company headquartered in Blairsville, Georgia. It operates primarily through its subsidiary, United Community Bank, providing a broad range of banking and financial services to individual, business and governmental customers. The companys core offerings include deposit accounts, commercial and consumer lending, mortgage origination, treasury and cash management services, and wealth management. In addition to traditional banking products such as checking, savings and money market accounts, United Community Bank specializes in commercial real estate financing, small business administration (SBA) loans, equipment financing and agricultural lending. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for United Community Banks Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Community Banks and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Wajax Co. (TSE:WJX Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as C$29.50 and last traded at C$29.40, with a volume of 29618 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at C$28.67. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have commented on WJX. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Wajax from C$26.00 to C$27.00 in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. TD Securities upped their price target on Wajax from C$25.00 to C$28.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on Wajax from C$26.00 to C$27.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, National Bankshares boosted their price objective on Wajax from C$25.00 to C$27.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Wajax presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of C$27.25. Get Wajax alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on WJX Wajax Trading Down 1.6% The firm has a market cap of C$628.24 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 116.61, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 2.10. The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$28.00 and a 200 day moving average price of C$25.57. Wajax (TSE:WJX Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported C$0.75 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of C$483.15 million for the quarter. Wajax had a net margin of 2.55% and a return on equity of 10.40%. On average, research analysts expect that Wajax Co. will post 3.4850136 earnings per share for the current year. Wajax Company Profile (Get Free Report) Wajax Corp is a Canadian distributor of industrial components. The companys core business is the sale of parts and service support of equipment, power systems, and industrial components through a network of branches in Canada. Most of its revenue is generated from the sale of equipment which includes machinery and components used for construction purposes and its industrial components find utility in businesses like mining, forestry, and material handling for other industrial purposes. It sells to leading manufacturer brands such as Hitachi, JCB, Bell, Hyster, Palfinger and other similar industries. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Wajax Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wajax and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China to provide favorable long-term prospects for foreign businesses: commerce ministry Xinhua) 08:12, February 06, 2026 People visit the booth of TESLA at the Smart Vehicle Chain area of the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China will provide favorable expectations for the long-term development of foreign businesses in China during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong said at a press briefing on Thursday. China will steadily move toward high-quality development, continue to expand high-standard opening up, firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system, and strengthen the development of equal and mutually beneficial economic and trade relations with other countries during the period, he said. In 2025, the Republic of Korea's manufacturing investment in China grew 14.1 percent year on year, Canada's high-tech investment in China rose 11.7 percent, Finland's manufacturing investment in China increased 21.7 percent, and Britain's overall investment in China climbed 15.9 percent year on year, the spokesperson said. Visits to China this year by leaders of the Republic of Korea, Canada, Finland and Britain have deepened mutual understanding and trust and opened broader space for economic and trade cooperation, he said, adding that these engagements have boosted multinational companies' confidence in investing and expanding operations in China. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) By Oliver Griffin SAO PAULO, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Brazilian corn ethanol producer Inpasa will quickly ramp up exports of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) to China this year, Gustavo Mariano Oliveira, the company's vice president of trading, said on Friday. Inpasa produces some 3.3 million metric tons annually of DDGS, a corn ethanol byproduct used in animal feed. The company said on Tuesday it would soon make its first shipment to China. The company already has contracts to export an additional 250,000 tons of DDGS to China this year and could secure total shipments of up to 1.5 million tons in 2026, Oliveira said in an interview, adding that China could account for up to half of all DDGS exports in short order. "Without a doubt, China should be the main player in a very short time, perhaps accounting for 40% to 50% of our exports," Oliveira said. Corn ethanol production has exploded in Brazil, which had long been dominated by sugarcane biofuels. The growth has been aided by sales of DDGS, which have found ready customers in beef and other meat industries in Brazil and abroad. Strained relations between top commodity buyer China and the U.S. have also created opportunities for Brazilian producers. Last year, China authorized imports of Brazilian sorghum at a time when U.S. exports to the Asian nation fell. "An opportunity arose from the situation last year," Oliveira said. "It's a great opportunity, and we see this door that has been opened as one that should remain open in the coming years." China is far from the only destination open to Brazil's DDGS exports, he said. "We have been seeing more demand from Europe," Oliveira said. Spain is now the biggest buyer of Inpasa's DDGS, but more countries are showing interest, he said. "We've seen a growing appetite from Italy for our product, and from some other countries that we'll likely open markets with later this year," he said. (Reporting by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Paul Simao) Webster Financial Corporation (NYSE:WBS Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $67.73 and last traded at $66.4180, with a volume of 232967 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $66.00. Key Stories Impacting Webster Financial Here are the key news stories impacting Webster Financial this week: Get Webster Financial alerts: Positive Sentiment: Santander agreed to buy Webster in a roughly $12.2$12.3B cash-and-stock deal that values WBS near $75.59 per share a concrete exit price that benefits holders and explains recent trading. Zacks: WBS Agrees to Buyout Santander agreed to buy Webster in a roughly $12.2$12.3B cash-and-stock deal that values WBS near $75.59 per share a concrete exit price that benefits holders and explains recent trading. Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $75 and moved to equal weight, leaving only modest upside vs. the deal price a small technical adjustment rather than a rejection of the transaction. Benzinga: Morgan Stanley PT Cut Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $75 and moved to equal weight, leaving only modest upside vs. the deal price a small technical adjustment rather than a rejection of the transaction. Neutral Sentiment: Other analysts (Investec/Jefferies) framed the takeover as a fair/takeout valuation that limits further upside, supporting hold/neutral stances and target levels near the deal price. TipRanks: Hold Rating Notes Other analysts (Investec/Jefferies) framed the takeover as a fair/takeout valuation that limits further upside, supporting hold/neutral stances and target levels near the deal price. Negative Sentiment: Multiple broker downgrades (TD Cowen, Jefferies, Stephens among others) to hold/equal weight have increased selling pressure and signaled limited upside ahead of deal close. Zacks: Analyst Downgrades Multiple broker downgrades (TD Cowen, Jefferies, Stephens among others) to hold/equal weight have increased selling pressure and signaled limited upside ahead of deal close. Negative Sentiment: Several shareholder-law firms (Kahn Swick & Foti, Halper Sadeh, Johnson Fistel) have opened investigations into the adequacy of price and process for the sale, introducing litigation/closing-risk uncertainty. BusinessWire: KSF Investigation Several shareholder-law firms (Kahn Swick & Foti, Halper Sadeh, Johnson Fistel) have opened investigations into the adequacy of price and process for the sale, introducing litigation/closing-risk uncertainty. Negative Sentiment: Santanders own shares moved lower after the deal announcement, a reminder that acquirer stock performance (and financing/market reaction) could affect deal dynamics or perceived execution risk. MSN: Santander Shares Down Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have recently issued reports on WBS shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $75.00 target price on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday. Santander downgraded shares of Webster Financial to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Webster Financial from $77.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Webster Financial from $75.00 to $70.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Truist Financial cut Webster Financial from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $74.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $74.36. Webster Financial Stock Down 0.3% The stock has a 50-day moving average of $64.42 and a 200-day moving average of $60.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market cap of $11.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.07. Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $760.48 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $731.95 million. Webster Financial had a net margin of 22.67% and a return on equity of 11.10%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Webster Financial Corporation will post 5.88 EPS for the current fiscal year. Webster Financial Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 19th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 9th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Webster Financials dividend payout ratio is presently 27.07%. Insider Buying and Selling at Webster Financial In other news, CEO John R. Ciulla sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, November 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.45, for a total transaction of $443,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,872 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,857,302.40. This represents a 3.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Webster Financial Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. BOKF NA bought a new position in shares of Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Webster Financial during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Webster Financial in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Webster Financial in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Webster Financial in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 85.58% of the companys stock. About Webster Financial (Get Free Report) Webster Financial Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Waterbury, Connecticut. Through its principal subsidiary, Webster Bank, N.A., the company offers a broad range of banking products and financial services to individuals, small businesses, and middle-market commercial clients. Key offerings include deposit accounts, residential and commercial real estate lending, equipment finance, treasury management, and payment processing solutions. In addition to traditional banking services, Webster Financial provides wealth management and insurance products designed to help clients plan for retirement, preserve assets, and manage risk. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Webster Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Webster Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Willis Investment Counsel raised its stake in shares of Procter & Gamble Company (The) (NYSE:PG Free Report) by 5.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 210,444 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 10,101 shares during the quarter. Procter & Gamble accounts for about 1.8% of Willis Investment Counsels investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest position. Willis Investment Counsels holdings in Procter & Gamble were worth $32,335,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Corundum Trust Company INC bought a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble in the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Mid American Wealth Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Procter & Gamble during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Procter & Gamble during the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Procter & Gamble in the third quarter valued at about $44,000. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Procter & Gamble alerts: Insider Activity at Procter & Gamble In other news, insider Marc S. Pritchard sold 95,903 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.15, for a total value of $14,495,738.45. Following the sale, the insider owned 182,607 shares of the companys stock, valued at $27,601,048.05. The trade was a 34.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Ma. Fatima Francisco sold 8,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.00, for a total value of $1,264,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 6,571 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,038,218. This represents a 54.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 103,904 shares of company stock valued at $15,759,885 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.20% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently issued reports on PG. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Procter & Gamble in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Raymond James Financial reduced their price objective on Procter & Gamble from $185.00 to $175.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Procter & Gamble from $158.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a neutral rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and raised their price objective for the company from $157.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $167.00. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on PG Procter & Gamble News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Procter & Gamble this week: Procter & Gamble Trading Up 0.2% Shares of NYSE PG opened at $158.93 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Procter & Gamble Company has a twelve month low of $137.62 and a twelve month high of $179.99. The companys fifty day moving average is $145.53 and its 200-day moving average is $150.38. The stock has a market cap of $369.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.61, a P/E/G ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 0.38. Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $1.88 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.86 by $0.02. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 32.21% and a net margin of 19.30%.The firm had revenue of $22.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.36 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.88 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. Procter & Gamble has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.830-7.090 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.91 EPS for the current year. Procter & Gamble Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.0568 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $4.23 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Procter & Gambles dividend payout ratio is 62.67%. About Procter & Gamble (Free Report) Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is a multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble, P&G has grown into one of the worlds largest producers of branded consumer packaged goods. The company focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing a broad portfolio of household and personal care products sold to consumers and retailers worldwide. P&Gs product offering spans several core business categories, including Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Procter & Gamble Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Procter & Gamble and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Willis Investment Counsel lifted its stake in shares of Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Free Report) by 23.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 100,029 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 18,742 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsels holdings in Chevron were worth $15,534,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CVX. Quaker Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Chevron by 197.7% in the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 217 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 439 shares during the period. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new position in Chevron in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its stake in Chevron by 86.1% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 255 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 118 shares in the last quarter. Marquette Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chevron during the third quarter worth $41,000. Finally, IMG Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Chevron by 52.3% in the second quarter. IMG Wealth Management Inc. now owns 265 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.42% of the companys stock. Get Chevron alerts: Insider Activity at Chevron In other Chevron news, CEO Michael K. Wirth sold 320,700 shares of Chevron stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.99, for a total transaction of $52,270,893.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 14,450 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,355,205.50. The trade was a 95.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John B. Hess sold 275,000 shares of Chevron stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.75, for a total value of $41,456,250.00. Following the sale, the director owned 1,128,045 shares in the company, valued at $170,052,783.75. This represents a 19.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 793,158 shares of company stock valued at $127,919,578 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.21% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets CVX has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. HSBC cut Chevron from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $180.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Chevron from $174.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Chevron from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Scotiabank restated a sector perform rating and set a $168.00 price target on shares of Chevron in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on Chevron from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Chevron has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $175.00. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Chevron Key Chevron News Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week: Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and fresh price targets helped lift buying interest and pushed CVX toward a new 12month high, supporting the rally. Read More. Analyst upgrade and fresh price targets helped lift buying interest and pushed CVX toward a new 12month high, supporting the rally. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Chevron raised its quarterly dividend to $1.78 (annualized $7.12, ~4.0% yield), which can attract income investors and underpin the stock as a dividend play. Read More. Chevron raised its quarterly dividend to $1.78 (annualized $7.12, ~4.0% yield), which can attract income investors and underpin the stock as a dividend play. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Chevron signed an initial offshore exploration MOU in Syrian waters with a Qatari investor a potential longterm reserves/production upside if projects proceed (geopolitical and sanction risks remain). Read More. Chevron signed an initial offshore exploration MOU in Syrian waters with a Qatari investor a potential longterm reserves/production upside if projects proceed (geopolitical and sanction risks remain). Read More. Positive Sentiment: Reports say Chevron and Exxon are pursuing expansion into OPEClinked countries as U.S. policy shifts open deal opportunities this could accelerate reserves and production if executed. Read More. Reports say Chevron and Exxon are pursuing expansion into OPEClinked countries as U.S. policy shifts open deal opportunities this could accelerate reserves and production if executed. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwinds for energy (strong YTD sector performance, higher demand forecasts and Chevrons 2026 growth guidance) provide structural support for the shares. Read More. Macro tailwinds for energy (strong YTD sector performance, higher demand forecasts and Chevrons 2026 growth guidance) provide structural support for the shares. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Senior leadership reshuffle announced for 2026 orderly succession likely, but not an immediate fundamental driver. Read More. Senior leadership reshuffle announced for 2026 orderly succession likely, but not an immediate fundamental driver. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Valuation checks and analyst commentary note CVX has run up recently; some investors are debating whether gains are already priced in after Januarys strong performance. Read More. Valuation checks and analyst commentary note CVX has run up recently; some investors are debating whether gains are already priced in after Januarys strong performance. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling: multiple senior executives (CFO, vice chairman, CTO and others) disclosed multimillion dollar stock sales over Feb. 35 this can be perceived as profittaking or a governance signal that weighs on nearterm sentiment. Read More. Significant insider selling: multiple senior executives (CFO, vice chairman, CTO and others) disclosed multimillion dollar stock sales over Feb. 35 this can be perceived as profittaking or a governance signal that weighs on nearterm sentiment. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed: EPS slightly beat estimates but revenue missed by roughly $2.4B yearoveryear this highlights demand/price pressure and may temper outlook expectations despite cashflow guidance. Read More. Chevron Trading Up 0.4% Shares of CVX stock opened at $179.93 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $158.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $156.19. Chevron Corporation has a 12-month low of $132.04 and a 12-month high of $182.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The firm has a market cap of $362.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 0.70. Chevron (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.08. Chevron had a net margin of 6.51% and a return on equity of 8.23%. The company had revenue of $45.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $48.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.06 EPS. The firms revenue was down 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 EPS for the current fiscal year. Chevron Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.78 per share. This represents a $7.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This is a positive change from Chevrons previous quarterly dividend of $1.71. Chevrons payout ratio is presently 106.91%. Chevron Company Profile (Free Report) Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevrons core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide. Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CVX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Willis Investment Counsel cut its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM Free Report) by 75.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,487 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 77,911 shares during the quarter. Willis Investment Counsels holdings in MSC Industrial Direct were worth $2,348,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MSM. Arizona State Retirement System increased its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 1.3% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 13,180 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,214,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System increased its position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 12,700 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,170,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 595 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its stake in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,744 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 5.5% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 4,216 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $358,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. 79.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get MSC Industrial Direct alerts: Insider Transactions at MSC Industrial Direct In other MSC Industrial Direct news, Director Philip Peller bought 6,666 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 13th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $90.14 per share, for a total transaction of $600,873.24. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,537 shares of the companys stock, valued at $859,665.18. This trade represents a 232.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Mitchell Jacobson bought 22,870 shares of MSC Industrial Direct stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 18th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $84.96 per share, with a total value of $1,943,035.20. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 2,328,192 shares of the companys stock, valued at $197,803,192.32. This represents a 0.99% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 19.00% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have issued reports on MSM. Industrial Alliance Securities set a $95.00 price objective on MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $94.00 price target on MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a hold rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of MSC Industrial Direct from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a neutral rating and issued a $95.00 price target on shares of MSC Industrial Direct in a research report on Friday. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $90.50. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MSC Industrial Direct MSC Industrial Direct Trading Up 0.6% Shares of NYSE:MSM opened at $95.48 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The companys 50-day moving average price is $85.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $87.46. The company has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a PE ratio of 26.03 and a beta of 0.84. MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $68.10 and a fifty-two week high of $95.60. MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The industrial products company reported $0.99 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.04. MSC Industrial Direct had a net margin of 5.37% and a return on equity of 15.73%. The company had revenue of $965.68 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $962.52 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. MSC Industrial Directs revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. will post 3.57 earnings per share for the current year. MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 14th were paid a dividend of $0.87 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 14th. This represents a $3.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. MSC Industrial Directs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.08%. MSC Industrial Direct Company Profile (Free Report) MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc (NYSE: MSM) is a leading distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products serving a broad range of industrial customers across North America. The company offers an extensive portfolio of cutting tools, abrasives, measuring and inspection instruments, fasteners, safety supplies and other essential components used in manufacturing, metalworking and production environments. MSC delivers products through a multi-channel distribution network, including an extensive branch system, e-commerce platform and dedicated sales force. In addition to its core product offerings, MSC Industrial Direct provides value-added services designed to improve productivity and reduce downtime for its customers. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (NYSE:MSM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for MSC Industrial Direct Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MSC Industrial Direct and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Zurich Insurance Group AG (OTCMKTS:ZFSVF Get Free Report) passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $733.05 and traded as low as $730.02. Zurich Insurance Group shares last traded at $730.02, with a volume of 534 shares trading hands. Zurich Insurance Group Price Performance The companys 50-day moving average is $733.05 and its 200 day moving average is $722.89. Get Zurich Insurance Group alerts: Institutional Trading of Zurich Insurance Group An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Zurich Insurance Group stock. Saranac Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Zurich Insurance Group AG (OTCMKTS:ZFSVF Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 278 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $198,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 30.81% of the companys stock. Zurich Insurance Group Company Profile Zurich Insurance Group is a global insurance company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Established in 1872, the company has evolved into one of the worlds leading multi-line insurers, offering a broad range of general and life insurance products. With a long-standing reputation for financial strength and expertise in risk management, Zurich serves a diverse client base that includes retail customers, small-to-medium enterprises and large multinational corporations. The companys core business activities are divided into two main segments: General Insurance and Life Insurance & Farmers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Zurich Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zurich Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tesla just posted its first annual revenue decline on record. Full-year revenue fell 3% to $94.8 billion in 2025, with automotive revenue still about 70% of the business falling 10%. Vehicle deliveries plunged 16% in the fourth quarter and 9% for the full year. Still, the strategic logic is clear: xAI could benefit from computing capacity provided by SpaceX's orbital data centers. Tesla's energy storage systems could also help power those data centers using solar energy in space. The technical challenges are daunting. Engineers would need to solve problems with radiation shielding and cooling systems in space that don't yet exist, while also incurring the massive costs of launching and assembling heavy equipment. Musk said SpaceX acquired xAI to develop data centers in space, avoiding what he views as energy constraints on Earth. To that end, SpaceX has filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking permission to launch up to 1 million satellites for orbital computing infrastructure. But analysts at Moffett Nathanson warn that the capital requirements are "simply enormous." The deal follows xAI's earlier acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) in a stock transaction last year. Together, these moves create what fans and investors call the "Muskonomy" an interconnected web of companies sharing resources, technology, and capital. SpaceX now represents the crown jewel of Musk's portfolio. The rocket maker's $1.25 trillion valuation puts it just 21% below Tesla's $1.58 trillion market capitalization. More importantly, Musk owns an estimated 43% of SpaceX compared to just 13% of Tesla. That means SpaceX now accounts for more than half of Musk's $852 billion net worth, per Forbes . Elon Musk just made his boldest corporate move yet merging SpaceX with artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI in a deal that values the combined entity at $1.25 trillion. The merger, announced on Feb. 2, shifts the balance of power within Musk's business empire and raises a critical question for investors: Is Tesla stock a buy, or has CEO Elon Musk moved on? Some of that move stemmed from Musk's polarizing political rhetoric and endorsements of far-right figures in Europe, which sparked a consumer backlash. Part of it also reflected Tesla's aging lineup and brutal competition from China's BYD (BYDDY) and European automakers. Musk announced on the earnings call that Tesla is ending production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV. Those lines in Fremont, California, will be converted to produce Optimus humanoid robots instead. "It's time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge," Musk said. "If you're interested in buying a Model S and X, now would be the time to order it." The shift is symbolic. Analysts at Canaccord Genuity wrote that "the Tesla of yesterday is gone" and called it a "burn the ships" moment with no room for retreat. The SpaceX Wildcard SpaceX is preparing to go public this year and recently opened a secondary share sale valuing the company at $800 billion. That would make it the most valuable private company in the United States. The rocket and satellite firm is targeting a June initial public offering (IPO) that could value it at roughly $1.5 trillion and raise up to $50 billion potentially the largest IPO of all time. Bank of America (BAC), Goldman Sachs (GS), JPMorgan (JPM), and Morgan Stanley (MS) are expected to have senior roles. Even Robinhood (HOOD) is vying for a key position in the blockbuster offering. SpaceX generated roughly $15 billion in revenue last year with $8 billion in profit. CFO Bret Johnsen told employees in December that a potential IPO would help fund "an insane flight rate" for its Starship rocket and a possible moon base. The company plans to use IPO proceeds to ramp up Starship flights, deploy AI data centers in space, build "Moonbase Alpha," and send both uncrewed and crewed missions to Mars. Different parts of Musk's vision for SpaceX would potentially be served by various merger scenarios. xAI could benefit enormously from computing capacity provided by SpaceX's data centers in orbit if the engineering actually works. Tesla's ability to manufacture energy storage systems could also enable SpaceX to use solar energy in space to power its data centers. Musk has also talked about using Starship rockets to carry Optimus robots to the moon and Mars. SpaceX is in a much stronger position than Tesla. The rocket maker is the leading provider of orbital launch services under contracts valued at billions annually with NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. SpaceX also owns and operates Starlink satellite internet, which has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit and roughly 9 million customers. Should You Buy Tesla Stock? Bulls argue that SpaceX's success strengthens the broader Musk ecosystem. Meanwhile, bears counter that Tesla is abandoning its core auto business at the wrong time. The honest answer is that buying TSLA stock now is a bet on Musk's vision, not the company's current fundamentals. If you believe that data centers in space, humanoid robots, and driverless robotaxis represent the future and that Musk can execute then the current weakness in Tesla stock might be a buying opportunity. If you think Tesla should focus on making better cars and competing with BYD, the risk-reward doesn't look attractive. For investors worried about Musk's attention, the prospect of a $1 trillion long-term payout might provide comfort. Musk's pay package, approved by shareholders in November, consists of 12 tranches of shares to be granted if Tesla hits certain milestones over the next decade. The first tranche is paid out if Tesla reaches a market cap of $2 trillion. That's about $400 billion above its current valuation. www.barchart.com Out of the 41 analysts covering Tesla stock, 14 recommend a Strong Buy, one recommends a Moderate Buy, 17 recommend a Hold rating, and nine analysts recommend a Strong Sell rating. The average TSLA stock price target is $402.74, which is slightly above the current price of about $400 per share. On the date of publication, Aditya Raghunath did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com 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: Image Credit: Stellantis. Ottawa has taken a significant step in its unraveling relationship with two of North Americas largest automakers. On Tuesday Canada formally signaled its intention to recover hundreds of millions of dollars from Stellantis and General Motors after both companies scaled back production in the country despite receiving substantial federal funding. The announcement marks a more assertive Canadian industrial policy that is likely to escalate tensions with Detroits established auto players. Industry Minister Melanie Joly told reporters that the federal government is calculating exactly how much it will seek from the companies, but the total will run into the hundreds of millions. Image Credit: Stellantis. The sums in question are tied to previous agreements in which Stellantis and GM received sizeable taxpayer support intended to sustain and grow automobile production within Canada. Both companies have subsequently reduced output or canceled certain projects, leading Ottawa to question whether the original commitments have been fulfilled. A Tale of Two Auto Giants and Broken Promises For Stellantis, the dispute centers on the companys decision to relocate the planned production of the Jeep Compass from its Brampton, Ontario, facility to the United States. Canada provided roughly $470 million (around C$1 billion) in federal support to retool the Brampton plant for that production. After Stellantis scaled back those plans and shifted activity south of the border, Ottawa served the company a notice of default because contractual obligations tied to job creation and sustained investment had been violated. Image Credit: GMC. GMs situation is similar but distinct. The company had received roughly $190 million (C$260 million) in federal funding to support manufacturing improvements at its Canadian sites, including energy transition work for electric vehicles at Ingersoll and support for a third shift at its Oshawa plant. GM recently eliminated that third shift and ended the planned production of its BrightDrop electric vans at Ingersoll. Canadian officials see this move as undercutting the intent of the funding and frustrating domestic production goals. Ottawas demand for repayment from GM is directly linked to the reduced scope of these projects. The governments approach is unambiguous. Ottawa says it will pursue repayment of funds tied to unfulfilled commitments rather than allow these incentives to be treated as unconditional subsidies. Minister Joly emphasized the need to defend Canadian taxpayers and domestic jobs. Image Credit: BNFWork/Shutterstock. She has also signaled that Canada may shift its investment focus toward automakers that maintain or expand operations in Canada, including international players such as Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, and South Korean manufacturers. Brian Krzanich: Thank you, Kate. Good afternoon, and welcome, everyone. I'm excited to speak with you today following another strong quarter of performance for Cerence Inc. We are pleased with our results this quarter, with revenue of $115.1 million and adjusted EBITDA above the high end of guidance at $44.6 million. Importantly, we generated record quarterly free cash flow of $35.6 million, demonstrating continued profitability. Tony will provide further details on our Q1 results later in the call. As I mentioned on last quarter's call, we have three key priorities for 2026. They are advancing our business through leading technology, including our next-gen platform, XUI, maintaining cost diligence, and driving top-line growth. Please note that slides with further context are available in the Investors section of our website. Before handing the call over to Brian, I would like to mention that we will be participating in the 38th Annual ROTH Conference taking place in March. Now onto the call. Brian? As described in our SEC filings, including the Form 8-K with the press release preceding today's call, our most recent Form 10-Q, and our Form 10-Ks filed on November 20, 2025. In addition, the company may refer to certain non-GAAP measures, key performance indicators, and pro forma financial information during this call. Please refer to today's press release for further details of the definitions, limitations, and uses of those measures and reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the closest GAAP equivalent. The press release is available in the Investors section of our website. Joining me on today's call are Brian Krzanich, CEO, and Tony Rodriguez, CFO. Kate Hickman: Hello, everyone, and welcome to Cerence Inc.'s First Quarter 2026 Conference Call. I'm Kate Hickman, VP of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations. Before we begin, I would like to remind you that the call may involve certain forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact, including statements related to our expectations, anticipation, intentions, estimates, assumptions, beliefs, outlook, strategies, goals, priorities, objectives, targets, and plans are forward-looking statements. Cerence Inc. makes no representations to update those statements after today. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ materially from such statements and expectations. Story Continues First, we made important progress in driving our business through continued innovation, especially as we geared up for the CES in early January. On the ground in Vegas, we showcased the latest advancement to Cerence XUI, highlighting new LLM palette experiences spanning both edge and cloud. We demonstrated our Calm Edge small language model running across multiple chipsets, enabling faster performance, lower latency, and reliable in-car interactions, even when connectivity is limited. Plus, we showcased XUI running live in a Geely vehicle, marking the first public demonstration of a near-production car powered by XUI. And we showed off our Audio AI suite, including advanced multi-speaker and multi-zone capabilities. Importantly, within Q1, we completed the development of several of our new AI agents, which are now fully integrated into XUI but can also be implemented in non-XUI platforms. At CES, for the first time, we demonstrated our mobile work agent developed in partnership with Microsoft. This agent turned your car into a trusted device with voice-first access to Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams, Outlook, and OneNote. This was incredibly well received, and we have significant customer traction and active commercial negotiations coming out of the show with OEMs who want to bring this new agent to their drivers. We also debuted two new purpose-built AI agents that expand our portfolio beyond the in-vehicle experience into broader areas of the automotive ecosystem. The new dealer assist agent helps dealerships automate sales and service workflows like lead capture, test drive booking, and service scheduling while integrating with CRM and dealer management systems to improve responsiveness and efficiency. The ownership companion agent enables OEMs to provide drivers with an always-on in-car service companion that supports diagnostics, maintenance guidance, and instant service booking, creating a more connected ownership journey and strengthening brand loyalty. The introduction of these new agents expands our reach and enables us to deliver an end-to-end full journey solution from vehicle purchase to regular in-car usage, to troubleshooting, and to service and maintenance. Overall, feedback from customers, partners, media, analysts, and investors was incredibly positive, including Cerence XUI being named Gizmodo's best in-vehicle assistant in its best of CES 2026 awards. We look forward to continuing the conversations we kicked off at the shows. On our second priority, of cost diligence and strategic capital allocation, in Q1, we paid down $30 million of principal of debt due in 2028 using cash on hand while maintaining our cash position to invest in future growth. In addition, we are continuing our attention to cost management and delivering strong cash performance. In Q1, we completed the implementation of the previously mentioned restructuring plan related to certain foreign operations, further reducing operating expenses and positioning Cerence Inc. for profitable sustainable future growth. For the remainder of fiscal 2026, we will remain diligent and maintain our attention to cost management. Lastly, in terms of our goal of driving top-line growth, we believe there are three key areas of focus. First, increasing adoption of Cerence XUI, driving greater penetration of our stack in existing programs, which we believe will deliver increased PPU. To give you a sense of how we're progressing with customer adoption of XUI, as of today, we have now five significant customer programs for XUI. There's the previously mentioned programs with JLR and a brand within the Volkswagen Group. At CES, we announced our plans with Geely for their cars shipped outside of China. In Q1, we received a new award from another major Chinese EV OEM, leveraging XUI for their overseas development in five languages. We received an award from a major volume global automaker, which we look forward to sharing more about in the future. These programs are currently on track to hit the road during the calendar year with strong PPU growth. There are a few important things to note about these deals. One, that we have a strong win rate for XUI and that these wins have been against big tech competition. This not only tells us that XUI is needed in the market, but we believe offers a good indicator of how we'll perform in the outstanding RFQs we have on the table. Two, all of these programs have PPUs that are higher than our current run rate, demonstrating clear value and OEM willingness to invest. We continue to see strong customer traction outside of XUI as well. In Q1, we signed several important deals. A win that brings our generative AI apps, that's Cerence ChatPro and Car Knowledge, to additional countries with HKMC. Audio AI wins with GM, Mercedes Benz, and Daihatsu. An upgrade to our latest neural TTS for Mercedes. We contracted development of Slovenian language to help our customers meet regional language requirements, expanding our product offering. Importantly, on the GM Audio AI deal, this was a competitive win back that brings our speech signal enhancement, one of the highest margin elements of our software stack, to GM's next-generation infotainment platform across all brands. This lays out the foundation for potential adoption of additional elements of our Audio AI suite with this major North American automaker in the future. We also saw eight programs start production, including BYD, GWM, and HKMC. Trucking programs with Scania and Ford trucks also went live this quarter, marking continued strong momentum in adjacent transportation markets and building upon our existing work with Daimler Trucks, Volvo Trucks, PACCAR, and Iveco Trucks. Our second area for potential growth is increasing the number of connected vehicles shipped, resulting in an expansion of our connected service business. As Tony will detail, we continue to see growth in connected services as customers continue to adopt connected solutions, and we believe this momentum will continue. This is a key pillar of our long-term growth strategy, providing high-quality, predictable revenue. Third, we have an opportunity for growth in our non-automotive businesses. In Q1, we continued to operationalize our strategy and model, and we spent time at CES meeting with new customers and validating our approach to bringing the power of agentic AI and voice to new industries, including one of the leading digital signage players worldwide that is interested in integrating our solutions across their portfolio. We have good momentum with awards expected through Q2 and beyond. As a reminder, we believe the impact of our work to expand beyond automotive will be seen in our revenue and profitability starting in late fiscal year 2026 and beyond. This is reflected in the fiscal 2026 guidance we provided last quarter. We believe our IP monetization strategy will continue to yield benefits for Cerence Inc. As we mentioned on our last quarter's call, we resolved our suit with Samsung, which among other things resulted in Samsung agreeing to pay Cerence Inc. a one-time lump sum payment of $49.5 million. We recorded this patent license revenue in Q1, and we believe the resolution of this suit marks an important milestone in our IP monetization strategy. We have cases with Sony, TCL, and Apple outstanding. As a reminder, with most cases taking multiple years to reach resolution, this is a long-term strategy. In conclusion, we believe we have strong technology and customer momentum and are on solid ground to execute on our future growth plans through the rest of fiscal year 2026 and beyond. For Q2, we expect revenue of between $58 million to $62 million and adjusted EBITDA of $2 million to $6 million. We're pleased to reaffirm our full-year guidance that we provided on last quarter's call. Tony will provide further details on this. We believe that Cerence Inc. has the right foundation for long-term sustainable growth, and we're incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished this quarter. With that, I'll turn it over to Tony. Tony Rodriguez: Thank you, Brian. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. We appreciate your continued interest in Cerence Inc. I'll walk through our first quarter fiscal 2026 results, highlight the key drivers of the quarter, and then share our outlook for Q2. For 2026, total revenue was $115.1 million, up $64.2 million or 126% from $50.9 million in the prior year period. We believe it's important to start by highlighting the continued positive progress in our core technology business, including variable and fixed license revenue, our recurring connected services revenue stream. Excluding the impact of patent license revenue, our core technology lines delivered solid growth and stability, reflecting steady customer utilization, continued adoption across our programs, and the increasing importance of our recurring revenue base. Variable license revenue for the quarter was $30.59 million, up 34% year over year, driven by steady customer utilization, more in-period shipment recognition, and continued adoption across our core programs. Fixed license revenue was $7.8 million in the quarter. These fixed license deals were not present in Q1 of last year, as they were primarily reported in Q2 of the prior year, creating a timing difference. Importantly, for the full fiscal year, we continue to expect fixed license revenue to be comparable to the prior year, and we view this as a time shift rather than a change in underlying demand. Connected services revenue was $14.5 million, up 6% year over year despite a $2 million true-up benefit in the prior year quarter. Without this prior year true-up, connected services revenue would have increased over 20% year over year. This connected services revenue line represents a recurring revenue stream driven by continued expansion of our connected install base and remains a key pillar of our long-term growth strategy, providing high-quality, predictable revenue and improved visibility over time. Now turning to a strategic milestone achieved during the quarter. During Q1, we recorded $49.5 million of patent license revenue, reflecting the successful resolution of our patent litigation with Samsung. As previously disclosed, this resolution includes a one-time lump sum payment to Cerence Inc. The agreement is part of a confidential cross-license arrangement, which limits the level of detail we can provide. That said, we believe this outcome represents an important validation of the strength and breadth of our IP portfolio and a strong proof point for the applicability of our technology across multiple industries and verticals. Including the patent license revenue, total license revenue for the quarter was $87.8 million compared to $22.7 million in the prior year. Professional services revenue was $12.8 million, down 12% year over year, reflecting our continued focus on standardization, scalability, and margin improvement, as well as the impact of revenue deferrals when services are bundled with license arrangements under applicable accounting guidance. Gross profit for the quarter was $99.4 million, representing a gross margin of 86%, up from 65% in the prior year period. This improvement reflects the favorable mix shift towards license revenue as well as continued discipline across cost of revenue. Turning to operating expenses. Total non-GAAP operating expenses were $57.3 million, up $23.2 million compared to Q1 of last year. The increase was driven primarily by the legal costs associated with achieving the patent license outcome this quarter. These costs were directly tied to the patent license value creation and are not reflective of our ongoing run rate expense structure. Additionally, while total R&D spend remained fairly comparable year over year, R&D expense increased as a smaller portion of our R&D costs qualified for capitalization as internally developed software, resulting in higher expense to R&D. Resulting adjusted EBITDA for Q1 was $44.6 million, representing a 39% margin, compared to $1.4 million or 3% in the prior year period. This reflects strong operating leverage, disciplined cost management, and the benefit of the patent license revenue. GAAP net loss for the quarter was $5.2 million compared to a $24.3 million net loss in the same quarter last year. Another key accomplishment during the quarter was the continued deleveraging of our balance sheet. During Q1, we repurchased $30 million in principal value of our 2028 convertible notes at a discount to par, using $37.9 million of cash generated from operating activities. We produced $35.6 million of free cash flow, a record for any quarter in the company's history. While not necessarily indicative of future results, we have generated over $100 million of free cash flow over the last eight quarters. We ended the quarter with $92.1 million of cash and marketable securities, and we believe that the company remains well-positioned to fund strategic initiatives while continuing to strengthen our balance sheet. From a metric standpoint, approximately 11.9 million cars were produced that included Cerence Inc. technology in the quarter, flat from 11.9 million in the prior year first quarter. We also grew our number of connected cars shipped by 14% on a trailing twelve-month basis, underscoring the continued momentum that we are seeing in vehicle connectivity. Also on a trailing twelve-month basis, 51% of worldwide auto production included Cerence Inc. technology, remaining in line with our historical penetration. Adjusted total billings were $231 million, an increase of 2% year over year. As previously discussed, when we look at total licenses shipped, pro forma royalties is an operating measure we use representing the total value of variable licenses shipped in a quarter, including shipments from prior fixed licenses where revenue was previously recognized upon contract signing. We refer to the shipments where revenue was recognized in a prior period as fixed license consumption. Our pro forma royalties were $39.8 million, which were up as compared to $36.7 million for Q1 of last fiscal year. Consumption of our fixed license contracts totaled $8.7 million this quarter, lower than the same quarter last year by 38%, but in line with expectations given the lower level of fixed contracts than historical periods. This drives more pro forma royalties into revenue in the current period as compared to a year ago. Similar to our five-year backlog metric, we will provide the details of our PPU metric in the middle and the end of each fiscal year. That said, we expect the PPU metric to increase by the end of fiscal 2026. Looking ahead to Q2 fiscal 2026, we expect revenue to be between $58 million and $62 million, gross margins between 71-72%, a GAAP net income at about breakeven with EPS between negative $0.01 and positive $0.08, and adjusted EBITDA between $2 million and $6 million. The Q2 revenue guidance reflects some fixed license revenue, but not to the extent of Q2 last year where virtually all of last year's fixed license deals were recorded. We are also reaffirming our full-year fiscal 2026 guidance as previously communicated, with revenue between $300 million and $320 million, adjusted EBITDA between $50 and $70 million, free cash flow between $56 and $66 million, and gross margins between 79-80%. In summary, Q1 marked a strong start to fiscal 2026, highlighted by solid core technology performance, an important IP milestone, and continued progress towards sustainable profitability and balance sheet strength. We believe Cerence Inc. is well-positioned to execute against our strategy, expand recurring revenue, and deliver long-term shareholder value. With that, I'll turn it back to Brian. Brian Krzanich: Thanks, Tony. So in closing, we're pleased with our results this quarter and incredibly proud of what our team accomplished as we start 2026. We remain focused on the three key priorities: driving top-line growth, advancing our business through leading technology, including XUI, and maintaining cost diligence. We believe we have an exciting path ahead and we look forward to sharing more on next quarter's call. We will now open it up for questions. Operator: As a reminder, to ask a question, you need to press 11 on your telephone. Wait for your name to be announced. To withdraw your question, please press 11 again. Please stand by while we compile the Q&A roster. One moment for our first question. Our first question will come from the line of Jeff Van Rhee from Craig Hallum Capital Group. Your line is open. Jeff Van Rhee: Great, thanks. Thanks for taking my questions, guys. A couple for me. On the Connected side, I'm curious about the mobile work agent. Just, you know, where does that rank in terms of the agents in XUI other capabilities as you're layering in a lot of sort of AI-centric capabilities? Is that top of the list in terms of what customers are most enthusiastic about? It sounded like you were sort of messaging extremely strong demand there or interest there. And then along those lines, just any sort of framing around the impact that can have on your ARPUs going forward? Brian Krzanich: Sure. So this is Brian. Jeff, I can start. The Microsoft Outlook or Office 365 does not require XUI, and that's the good thing. It's a cloud-based solution that actually just makes the car a trusted device and then puts our LLM on top of that. So we manage the request. So when you put a request in that says, for example, "Hey, I only want to get messages from Jeff while I'm driving to work because he's the most important person I need to talk to this morning," it will filter all that and manage so you're not distracted while you're driving. What's good about that, the fact that it is cloud-based is it can go on existing vehicles that are maybe two to three years old that have a connected capability as well. So what we're seeing is the interest is not only in the future forward-looking XUI systems, but we have OEMs coming to us and saying they'd like to put this on vehicles back two and three years. So it's quite positive. We haven't talked about pricing yet, but it will be an additive, and it will add to our PPU. Did that answer your question, Jeff? I mean, I want to make sure I got it. Jeff Van Rhee: It does. It does. In terms of an existing car, if you make it available to an existing vehicle, is that a revenue event? Or is that just getting people addicted to the technology and you get the revenue down the road? How does that work? Brian Krzanich: It would be a revenue event for us. Jeff Van Rhee: Okay. Got it. And then on the numbers front, you called on a number of interesting bookings or signings, including this major volume global automaker in Q2. I'm curious in terms of TTM billings, is that going to show up? Are we going to start to see TTM billings growing in Q2? And maybe even just a preview of backlog that's going to be reported at the end of Q2. Are those going to step in there where we should see some meaningful uptick both in backlog and TTM billings when we wrap up Q2? Brian Krzanich: So I'm going to let Tony talk about how it'll see in the in the a in a profile. But if I take a look at that, we talked about JLR and the Volkswagen Group vehicle coming in late summer, let's call it. The other ones are we've said the other ones are all going to come in this calendar year. But that's really started production, and they'll ramp. Right? So remember, we get paid both when the car ships out of the factory and then for the connected portion when the car drives off the dealer lot. So the revenue from a pure revenue stream won't start until late summer. And will start to ramp, right, as the vehicles kind of go through their normal ramp in both geography and volume. And then a lot of it will really happen at the back end. So I was trying to do by showing all five is that, you know, we've I've gotten a lot of questions in the past. Hey. I said, you know, we have six RFQs out, and we're, you know, got two guys already signed up with JLR and the Volkswagen Group. Company. I wanted to give you guys an additional update that we're continue now we're actually, you know, signing more deals and seeing good growth. And good PPU growth out of this technology. And so those six RFQs are turning into actual deal side. Yep. How does that loop for you guys? Jeff Van Rhee: Got it. Got it. Then maybe the other part of the question, just maybe for Tony, is the should we expect are these signings that you're putting up and that you're talking about here big enough that we should assuming continued trend and continued strength in Q2 that we should start to see backlog and TTM billings pop by the end of Q2? Tony Rodriguez: Yeah. These will be reflected in a five-year backlog, of course, because, you know, once the contracts are signed and then as you know, you've been familiar with this, that we project the volume over a contract period or at least it's over five years in the five-year period. And, apply the contract price to the to that volume, and so you will see it in backlog next quarter. Jeff Van Rhee: Okay. And just last for me, and I'll let somebody else jump on. Also on the connected side, just curious, based on the metrics that you're watching, how is usage of the existing in-car connected systems trending? I think back in the day, you used to hear some metrics around how frequently people were interacting with the system. Just what trends and what learnings with respect to sort of apples to apples usage of a person who has connected in their car over time are you seeing? Brian Krzanich: Yeah. I'd tell you that if you have one of the older systems, the usage is, you know, pretty good early on when you first get the vehicle, and then it kind of drops off. That was before LLM's really available. If you look at vehicles from, say, let's say, the Cerence Assistant and onward, we're starting to see more and more usage. We don't publicly talk about, you know, what's the percentage and all, but what we're seeing is as functionality has increased, and ease of use has increased, we're absolutely seeing stronger usage of the product. And we think as you add things like the Microsoft Suite, the Office 365, and all of that, it's just gonna, you know, really massively increase the usage rate of these products. Jeff Van Rhee: Got it. Great. Thanks for taking my questions. Brian Krzanich: Thank you. Operator: One moment for our next question. Our next question will come from the line of Mark Delaney from Goldman Sachs. Your line is open. Aman S. Gupta: Hey, guys. You have Aman on for Mark. Thanks for taking the questions. I guess, sticking with the XUI and AI product front, thanks for the updates on the pipeline there. Maybe if you can help parse out the interest from, you know, more of the western OEMs versus, you know, you talked about getting two wins, one with Geely and one with another China OEM for overseas business. You know, how is that pipeline relative to the Western OEMs? And are you seeing any difference in time to market from when you sign one of these agreements and actually start of production? And EPPU as well would be helpful. Thank you. Brian Krzanich: Sure. So let's see. So as you just described, three of the five are, I'll call them from Western or more classic OEMs. And so we're seeing, you know, strong interest. We still have, you know, several other OEMs we're talking to in negotiation and deal preparation that tend to be more Western as well. I'd tell you, you know, if I take a look at the JLR and the Volkswagen one, they're running about as fast as the Chinese ones. So I don't see a huge difference. I'd say the western OEMs are becoming especially kind of the lean ones are becoming more and more aggressive about their timing and bringing this stuff to production. So I'd tell you right now, three to five West or more classical OEMs versus the two Chinese brands. We're seeing additional Western OEMs with interest from a TPU standpoint. All we've said publicly is that, you know, the prices we're getting for XUI on these deals is significantly higher than what our current listed PPU is that we've talked about, which is around $5. I think it's $5.05, if I remember correctly. Tony can correct me if I got that off. That we published last quarter. So we're seeing a good significant increase in PPU from these deals. And they're all a little bit different because they all, you know, they take different features and stuff like that. So they're, you know, you'll see, as Tony said, you'll start to see it in backlog. And then you'll start to see it in revenue in the back half of this year. Into fiscal 2027. It'll be more and more significant. Aman S. Gupta: Understood. Thank you for that color. And then maybe one a little more on the financials. I think EBITDA came in a couple million above the high end of your Q1 guide, but you maintain the full-year guide. Are there any, you know, puts and takes or things we should be thinking about through the balance of the year? Is it, you know, how should we think about the full-year guide being maintained relative to the Q1 guide beyond some of those metrics? Tony Rodriguez: Yeah. And a couple of things. One is, you know, yes, we did overachieve on EBITDA, and that was good. We're one quarter in, though, right? So what we want to look at is as we think about the rest of the year, we typically wouldn't change guidance unless there was some significant movement, you know, that would guide us that way for the full year. So what it does is provide us really confidence. Q1 certainly provides us much confidence in achieving the full-year EBITDA estimate, which we've reaffirmed. So, you know, and I would think that some of that is, you know, a little bit of deferral of some expenses in Q1 into the other three quarters. So we're still, I guess, like we reiterated that, you know, reaffirming guidance for the full fiscal year, and this just gives us, you know, good confidence in that range. Aman S. Gupta: Thank you very much. Operator: Thank you. Once again, that's star one for questions. One moment for our next question. Our next question will come from the line of Itay Michaeli from TD Cowen. Your line is open. Itay Michaeli: Great. Thanks. Good afternoon, everybody. Just to follow-up on the EBITDA question, can you just dimension what kind of allowed you to beat the range in fiscal Q1? And then to just clarify perhaps what the EBITDA was excluding the settlement in the quarter? Tony Rodriguez: Sorry. Sorry, guys. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about the beat first. So a couple of things. One is we had some good news with regard to legal costs associated with the Samsung settlement. So as I think we've discussed in the past and certainly in Q4 when we talked about it is that the patent license agreement part of that was that the legal fees were on a contingent basis. And we were able to look at that agreement and achieve about $4 million better in legal costs associated with that. So that was part of the beat. The other one related to compensation. So, looking at a couple of R&D projects that have got deferred, so that's assisted in OpEx in the quarter. It's really two main areas. Itay Michaeli: That's helpful. And then maybe secondly, on the new win with the major volume global automaker, maybe just walk us through maybe, Brian, just how the competitive process went and kind of what you think kind of led to your win there? And maybe going forward, how you think about your win rate going forward just given some of the recent traction you've experienced? Brian Krzanich: Yes, sure. This is Brian. You know, I'm excited by the progress we've made, right, to have the five deals signed considering we really, you know, officially launched the XUI product in the back half of last year, calendar year. It's significant. And all of the competitions, it's coming down to there's usually just a couple of us left in the running at the end. And it becomes less about things like price and all. You know, price is always a bit of a part of the negotiation. But, really, at the end, it comes down to a couple of things. One, capability of the technology. Do they have belief that you're going to deliver what you say you're going to deliver? And for us, we're able to show up with a vehicle like we did at CES, fully functional, with the XUI fully operating and including things like the Microsoft Outlook Office 365 fully functioning, running in the vehicle live. So that gives them confidence that the technology is there. It can go. It can do what we say. So that's the first thing. And then it's about the confidence in the team's ability to actually work with the OEM. And we have a long history of that with our team. And then just the overall technology capability of your product. Right? What can it do? And we have a lot of things that differentiate us, everything from, you know, some of the agents we've added, like the Microsoft one, the audio technologies we've added. So it really comes down to the end. It's more about the technology and the team and less about the price. And that's really how we win. And then it's oftentimes around customization. They'll have things that they want that are unique to their brand or to the product they're trying to deliver. And our ability to be very flexible in that space and deliver those customizations in a timely manner is oftentimes a differential too. That was in some of the earlier ones a clear differentiator. Itay Michaeli: Terrific. That's very helpful. Thank you. Operator: Thank you. And I'm not showing any further questions in the queue. I'd like to turn it back over to Brian for closing remarks. Tony Rodriguez: One thing before Brian probably kicks in too that we should probably clarify a little bit because we talked about the EBITDA beat. Which was great, you know, as we've said, we were very successful profitability quarter and cash flow quarter. And as we think about the GAAP financials, if you look at the earnings release and look at the pre-tax income compared to a year ago, it was a pretty dramatic improvement year over year. And we beat EBITDA. We actually beat our we didn't we don't put guidance out for pre-tax income, but the pre-tax income was actually better than anticipated similar to EBITDA. That said, you can see in our materials that we had an effective tax rate of 117%. And what's a little bit wonky about these taxes is many of you know, the analysts aren't called, but understand FIN 18. And that fact that what you do each quarter is you project your anticipated tax rate for, you know, for the full year you put into each quarter. So the fact that and you can see that this quarter was 117%. So what that really says is for the full fiscal year, we expect a tax rate of about 117%. That said, we still, like, we've mentioned, we've reiterated or reaffirmed our net income guidance of negative $8 million to positive $12 million. But what's a little bit wonky about that is that we have a certain amount of tax that we are going to pay this year. Part of it is the withholding tax associated with the patent license agreement that we did this year with, you know, in Korea. So that'll be a big chunk with foreign withholding tax. We also have other entities that we pay for and withholding tax. So there's a certain amount of set tax that we are going to pay, and we're so close to breakeven that percentage really impacts, you know, is impacted by the actual results and then had that set amount of tax as opposed to what most people think about is you think about a tax rate and you apply that to again, a little bit higher or lower earnings. So I guess way to think about this if you're doing your modeling is to think that we're probably gonna have a, you know, an actual tax provision in the range of probably $18 to, you know, call it, $22 million. And then if you see that, 117% effective tax rate that we use this you can really back into the, ex of pre-tax income for the whole year by taking the net income average, which is negative eight to 12. Middle of that is roughly two. And then you can well, if you had to gross that up to get to, you know, if you're gonna have rough midrange taxes of about 20 million, that means pre-tax income of about 22. So a midrange guidance. So, it's a little bit wonky, this one. So the fact we overachieved in, pre-tax income and applied that 117% of FIN 18 rate actually increased our net loss even though we had a better than expected pre-tax loss. So a little confusing, but certainly, if the folks on the call have subsequent discussions, if you wanna talk a little bit more about taxes, we can. Itay Michaeli: Okay. Thanks, Matt, Tony. That was very helpful. Brian Krzanich: I know that whole tax situation was a little bit confusing for everyone. To close, I just wanna say, you know, it was a great Q1 and start of our fiscal 2026. You know, we're really happy with the deals we've signed on XUI. I think they're clear indicators of the power of the technology and our ability to compete in this marketplace against, you know, whoever our competitors are at the time. And so I'm really proud of what the team's both delivered and accomplished this quarter. You saw the great earnings, the great results that we've had, record free cash flow. And we're set up for a great Q2. And so I just I look forward to talking to everybody at the end of this quarter. You know, I think you'll be happy with our results, and with that, I'll talk to you all during the quarter and look forward to talking to you on this call at the end of Q2. So thank you very much. Operator: Thank you for your participation in today's conference. This does conclude the program. You may now disconnect. Everyone, have a great day. Should you buy stock in Cerence right now? Before you buy stock in Cerence, 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 Cerence 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 $431,111!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,105,521!* Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 906% a market-crushing outperformance compared to 195% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 4, 2026. This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. The Motley Fool recommends Cerence. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Cerence (CRNC) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript was originally published by The Motley Fool The Panama Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled to void the contract of the Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings ADR (OTC:CKHUY) to operate ports at both ends of the Panama Canal. This decision marks a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape, as it aligns with the Trump administrations efforts to limit Chinas influence over this critical waterway. The Chinese government has condemned the ruling, with the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office calling it logically flawed and utterly ridiculous. The Chinese government warned Panama that it will inevitably pay a heavy price unless it reverses the decision, reports CNBC. Don't Miss: Fast Company Calls It a Groundbreaking Step for the Creator Economy' Investors Can Still Get In at $0.85/Share Deloitte's #1 Fastest-Growing Software Company Lets Users Earn Money Just by Scrolling Accredited Investors Can Still Get In at $0.50/Share. The Diplomatic Fallout From Panamas Court Ruling The ruling has escalated tensions between China and Panama, with CK Hutchison announcing plans to seek extensive damages through international arbitration. The company has not specified the amount of damages it seeks. Panamas Supreme Court found that the terms under which CK Hutchisons subsidiary, Panama Ports Company (PPC), operated the ports violated the countrys constitution. This decision comes approximately a year after President Donald Trump expressed intentions to seize control of the Panama Canal, emphasizing its strategic importance to the U.S. How Will This Impact U.S.-China Relations? The courts decision is seen as a victory for the U.S., aligning with efforts to curb Chinas influence in the Western Hemisphere. The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office has urged Panama to recognize the situation and correct their course to avoid political and economic repercussions. See Also: Blue-chip art has historically outpaced the S&P 500 since 1995, and fractional investing is now opening this institutional asset class to everyday investors. As CNBC noted, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticized the ruling as contrary to Panamas legal framework and has vowed to protect the interests of Chinese companies involved. CK Hutchisons Next Steps In The Legal Battle CK Hutchison has initiated international arbitration proceedings, reflecting a more aggressive stance in response to the courts decision. The company, which has operated the ports since the 1990s, argues that the ruling is inconsistent with existing legal agreements. Despite these challenges, CK Hutchisons stock has shown resilience, closing up over 1% on Wednesday and rising more than 20% this year. The ongoing legal battle and geopolitical tensions are likely to continue impacting the companys operations and stock performance. BEIJING, Feb 6 (Reuters) - China vowed to further tighten its crackdown on virtual currencies on Friday and banned unauthorised offshore issuance of yuan-pegged stablecoins. Authorities will also strictly vet offshore issuance of tokens backed by Chinese onshore assets, according to a notice published on the central bank's website. More from Yahoo Scout Why did China ban yuan-pegged stablecoins specifically? What new cryptocurrency restrictions did China announce? What regulatory framework is China establishing for digital assets? How does China's stance on RWA tokenization differ? Although the statement largely reiterates Beijing's existing ban on cryptocurrency, some are encouraged by signs China is setting up a legal framework for the real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation business. "The biggest breakthrough is a clear separation between virtual currencies and RWA," said Louis Wan, CEO of Unified Labs. "Virtual currencies will still be outlawed, but RWA is being included in the regulatory system. For China's RWA business, this is a milestone." CENTRAL BANK ENFORCES MONOPOLY ON DIGITAL YUAN Winston Ma, an adjunct professor at NYU School of Law, said that China's central bank is essentially highlighting that only its own digital yuan is legitimate, "not a patchwork of private RMB (yuan) stablecoins circulating on global crypto exchanges." Beijing has long taken a tough stance on virtual currencies, but officials said recent "speculative activities" posed new challenges that warranted additional measures. "Virtual currencies do not have the same legal status as fiat currencies," the People's Bank of China and seven other agencies said in a joint statement, adding that business activities related to virtual currencies are "illegal financial activities." Without official approval, "domestic entities and their controlled overseas entities are prohibited from issuing virtual currencies overseas," they said. Regulators also banned domestic and foreign entities from issuing offshore stablecoins pegged to the yuan without authorization. "Stablecoins pegged to fiat currencies effectively perform some of the functions of fiat currencies in circulation," they said. The central bank also warned financial institutions against providing banking and clearing services to virtual currency-related businesses. Regarding the RWA business, under which all kinds of Chinese goods are being turned into digital assets with little oversight, offshore issuance of tokens must be strictly regulated by relevant authorities, according to the notice. "To some extent, this means China is allowing the issuance of offshore tokens based on onshore assets," said Alex Zuo, senior vice president of Singapore-based crypto custodian provider Cobo. Delhis air pollution crisis is impossible to ignoremeasured, debated, and monitored in real time. The citys water pollution, particularly the Yamuna, also demands similar attention whenever white, toxic foam floats into view. Yet, far less visible and rarely discussed is the crisis beneath Delhis feet: the contaminated soil feeding its farms and, in turn, its people." Putting a spotlight on this is multidisciplinary artist Sidhant Kumars Studies from a Quiet Harvest, currently on view at the India Art Fair. On entering the exhibit, a large LED display laid out on the floor draws the eye. Names of metalscadmium, iron, copperscroll across the screen, mirrored by the raw topsoil placed beside it, underscoring the contamination embedded in the land Here, Kumar foregrounds the realities of Ranhola, a peri-urban locality in West Delhi. Its fields, the exhibition note explains, are lined with fast-growing crops such as spinach and brinjal to meet the demands of Delhis expanding population. Running alongside them is the Najafgarh drain, carrying sewage and industrial effluents from nearby unauthorised factories, the only source of water for cultivation. Notably, the drain is also a primary contributor to the Yamunas pollution. As a result, the soil and its produce remain contaminated, particularly with heavy metals, posing serious health risks to both farmers and consumers, the note adds. Whenever we see a lush green field, we think everything is alright. But when I went closer to the land, I saw the violence behind it, Kumar says. Alongside the exploitation of the land, the artist also draws attention to the exploitation of farmers, most of them migrants from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, who till land leased from owners. Image Credits | Kritajna Naik They work under what is known as the Bataiya system, where migrant farmers cultivate leased land. Three-fourths of the produce goes to the owner, and only a quarter to the farmer, explains Kumar, who hails from Siwan in Bihar. Working on such thin margins, he adds, the farmers receive little in return and are often forced to source water on their own. Drawing water from the Najafgarh drain, Kumar emphasises, is not a question of right or wrong, but one of survival. Its an intersection between ethics and survival, he says. These concerns are woven into the installation through a range of elements. A large wooden plough hangs on the wall, bearing an LED display that reads, Mujhe khet ka swaad pata hai (I know the taste of the field). The work gestures towards mechanised farming, which has increased yields but also accelerated land degradation. Image Credits | Kritajna Naik The installation also includes photographs of the farmers, a short film that traces structures of exploitation, and a display resembling a research paper that documents the contamination of the soil. An answer in green While Kumars exhibit puts a spotlight on a problem, this one offers a solution. Created by Sri Lankabased artist Raki Nikahetiya and supported by Max Estates, Forest II is a Miyawaki-method pocket forest comprising over 20 species of plants and trees native to Delhi and the Aravalli region. The Miyawaki method, a Japanese afforestation technique, relies on dense planting of native species to create fast-growing, self-sustaining forests, driven by competition for sunlight. Built using discarded materials, the structure holds around 200 native saplings, forming what appears to be a walled grove. Visitors walk along a winding pathway through the trees, accompanied by an audio layer of birds, bees, and rustling leaves native to Delhi. One plant alone doesnt make a difference; its about the forest. Forests create that negative carbon footprint, says Ankit Khurana, who is part of the project. Large development projects, he adds, are often marked by tree razing and what he calls green erasure. Afforestation techniques, including the Miyawaki method, offer one way of bringing green back into the conversation. Forest II is a site-specific installation and will eventually be relocated to a Max Estate site. Mamata Banerjee is not letting Singur out of her sight, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the erstwhile Tata Nano car factory site on January 18. The PMs speech, however, lacked promise for farmers who wanted the Tatas to come back to set up industries. Notably, the Budget tabled in the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday mentioned annual support of Rs 4,000 for landless agricultural labourers to be paid in two instalmentsRs 2,000 during the Rabi season and Rs 2,000 during the Kharif season. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari called the move pointless, as no welfare schemes and incentives could be announced for people once elections are declared. Read (west bengal, budget, trinamool congress, mamata banerjee, )https://t.co/SKAJ31OeSs pic.twitter.com/orBMPLH7MP THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) February 5, 2026 A database of eligible farmers not owning agricultural land and hence not entitled to the Krishak Bandhu (Natun) scheme will be created to estimate the number of landless agricultural labourers. We already have the Krishak Bandhu scheme. Farmers who have more than one acre of land will get Rs 10,000, while farmers with smaller plots will get Rs 4,000. Many farm labourers work on land owned by someone else; they too will receive assistance of Rs 4,000, said CM Mamata Banerjee after the Budget session. The Budget also mentioned setting up an agro-industrial Park in Singur, which Mamata had announced during her Singur visit on January 28, at which time she also proposed that the park would be set up over eight acres, for which Rs 9.2 crores were already sanctioned. She had also said that Amazon and Flipkart were setting up big warehousing facilities in Singur, which the state government has already cleared. The other announcement was the Mahatmashree (formerly Karmashree) Project based on the erstwhile Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), which promises 100 days of work that would benefit the people of Singur. Singur has a different importance for Mamata. She visited Singur after PMs visit. Does she go to every constituency that the PM goes? No. She has gone to Singur because Singur is a very sensitive issue for Mamata Banerjee and has touched upon the issues of Singur in the budget too, noted political analyst Udayan Bandhyopadhyay. She has been giving Rs 2,000 for farmers who have given land to the Buddhadeb Bhattacharya government. This is not uncommon for politicians to use these schemes. In fact, she wants to highlight the people of Singur who have been voting for the Trinamool Congress (TMC); she wants to give any welfare scheme. But any welfare scheme has its drawbacks, including those announced for Singurit does not always increase their (the beneficiaries') purchasing capability. You (the state) can spend money in any welfare scheme, but you cannot change the economic scenario just by implementing welfare schemes, as there is no big industry in the manufacturing field. You have to engage people in jobs first, added Bandhopadhyay. The analyst also pointed out that there should be conditions attached to welfare schemes, such as job opportunities that help increase spending power and make the state exchequer richer, instead of just depleting the coffers. There are 18 Assembly constituencies in the Hooghly district, of which TMC bagged 16 seats (including Singur) in the 2021 Assembly elections, while the BJP bagged two. While a certain section of farmers agree that they have benefitted from various farmer and rural welfare schemes of the CM Banerjee government, the other section of farmers believe the BJP can usher in jobs for the youth while bringing in industries. Also, many farmers are dissatisfied with the incumbent MLA Becharam Manna, who spearheaded the Krishi Jami Rakhsha Committeean anti-land acquisition movement in 2006against the atrocities of the erstwhile Left Front government. The then chairman, Ratan Tata, announced the exit of the Tata Nano car factory from Singur in 2008, symbolising a victory for CM Banerjee as the mascot of the poor and voiceless, which propelled her to power in 2011 after overthrowing a 34-year-old Marxist government. As a result, she does not want to take chances, and hence is sending out a strong message that she was, is, and will always be the protector of the people of Singur. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the highest decision-making body for defence procurement within the defence ministry, is expected to discuss a major proposal to purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets from France for the Indian Air Force. According to media reports, the procurement proposal, estimated to cost around 3.25 lakh crore, will be taken up for discussion ahead of the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India in the third week of February. For more defence news, views and updates, visit: Fortress India News agency ANI quoted sources as saying that the procurement proposal is seen as critical for meeting the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force in view of the present security scenario in the region. The Defence Procurement Board has already cleared the proposal, which is set to enhance the operational readiness of the IAF. The force is currently facing a significant fighter jet shortage, operating around 2931 squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42. Under the deal, the IAF is expected to receive 88 single-seat and 26 twin-seat aircraft. The majority (around 80 per cent) of these fighter jets will be made in India through collaboration between Dassault and Indian private-sector defence companies. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is set to receive as many as 26 Rafale (Marine) jets from France, primarily for deployment onboard the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. In November, French aircraft equipment manufacturer Safran said it is committed to setting up a final assembly line in India for Rafale engines and critical components if the Indian Air Force places additional orders for the fighter jets. The war of 1971 was about to begin. Although the military campaign was planned jointly and executed by all three services together, the Indian Army and the Air Force were to play a more prominent role. The military objectives were: on the eastern front, defeat the Pakistani army in East Bengal (now Bangladesh) and force them to surrender before the Americans arrived with their 7th fleet and forced a ceasefire; on the western front, to hold back the enemy and, if needed, launch minor ground offensives into West Pakistan so as to prevent an enemy attack from there. The Army would do the main ground job of reaching and capturing Dacca (now Dhaka), mainly by bypassing the enemys defensive formations on the way, and racing through the by-lanes. The IAF would guard the airspace, destroy enemy airfields and aircraft, do interdiction bombing of the enemys military installations, bridges, railheads, and give air support to the Army (bomb large enemy formations if the Army finds them too difficult to destroy with their guns, tanks, and helicopters). The Navy was to play only a supporting role. In all the three previous wars of India (1947-48, 1962 and 1965), the Navy had no role to play, or a very limited role (1965) of simply guarding the Bombay (now Mumbai) Port and the western coast. As Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral S.M. Nanda, told me many years later, Every day we had meetings. The Prime Minister would be briefed first by the Army, then by the Air Force and then she would turn to me, asking, Well, Admiral, I guess theres nothing much to add from your side. Nanda decided this was unacceptable. My boys too wanted to have our war, he said. He and his staff then devised a plan to attack Karachi. ALSO READ: Water as weapon: How Brig. Theogaraj bogged down Pakistani Pattons That was too daring a call. Karachi was the fortress of the Pakistani fleet, guarded by its prime warships. Even Vice-Admiral S.N. Kohli, the head of the Western Naval Command in Bombay who was responsible for protecting the Arabian Sea, was sceptical. Nanda persuaded them on why Karachi had to be destroyedonly by hitting the enemy in his own base could India ensure he wouldnt raise his head again. You have to beard the lion in his den. But where were the warships suitable for such a mission? The only carrier India had, INS Vikrant, was in the eastern sea. Vikrant will be in the east, Nanda explained. It serves two purposes. One, it could delay the American fleet coming to the aid of the Pakistani forces in the east. Two, when the Pakistani Navy learned that the Vikrant was in the east, they would lower their guard in Karachi. At that moment, India could send the small missile boats to destroy Karachi. Then who will guard Bombay? Nanda was asked. You answered that question, Nanda told them. If the Pakistani warships are guarding Karachi, who is coming to attack Bombay? Soon, Indira Gandhi was convinced. Go ahead, Admiral! she told him. Everything happened just as Nanda had predicted. With INS Vikrant in the eastern sea, the Pakistani Navy, believing they were safe, lowered their guard around Karachi. Still, Nanda was careful. He didnt want the enemy to spot any ship or boat movement from Bombay. The western fleet commander, Rear Admiral E.C. Kuruvila, ordered that the newly acquired Russian-origin Oza class missile boats be quietly towed from Bombay to Jamnagar, which was closer to Karachi. And then on the night of December 4-5, they inched closer to Karachi and, as they approached the vicinity of the port, raced full throttle towards the port and fired volleys of missiles. Together with two corvettes, they destroyed a Pakistani minesweeper, a cargo ship carrying ammunition, and all the oil tankers in Karachi. The operation, called Trident, was followed up with a similar one, Operation Python, three days later, which destroyed the Pakistani fleet and port almost entirely. The bombardment of Karachi is still regarded as one of the most daring naval attacks in the post-World War era, and the only instance when a port was attacked twice within a week. The operation is celebrated by the Indian Navy on December 4 every year as the Navy Day. In what could be another right step in the direction of theatrsiation of command and increasing interoperability between the three services, the Western Air Command successfully conducted a high-level joint operations conclave, focused on deepening intra-service and inter-service interactions at the operational level of warfare. The aim of the conclave was to strengthen joint operational capabilities across the Indian defence forces in an increasingly complex multi-domain environment. Senior officers representing the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), Indian Army, Indian Navy, Defence Space Agency (DSA) and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), alongside senior leadership from the Indian Air Force, participated in the two-day conclave. Air Marshal J.S. Mann, Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, in his address, highlighted the importance of jointness and integrated warfighting in current and future conflicts. He highlighted the importance of an all-domain operational approach that achieves seamless integration across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains, enabling decisive outcomes in contested and denied environments. He also emphasised the significance of improving interoperability among the services, promoting domain-agnostic decision-making processes, strengthening sensor-to-shooter linkages and refining operational procedures for greater efficiency and effectiveness. Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit spoke about the need to institutionalise joint mechanisms for integrated planning, intelligence sharing and capability prioritisation. He underscored the need to institutionalise joint mechanisms for integrated planning, intelligence sharing and capability prioritisation. He also spoke about the importance of advancing all-domain integration to achieve synergistic effects across services and deliver unified operational outcomes. Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, in his address, highlighted the lessons learned from Operation Sindoor and elaborated on their far-reaching implications for the conduct of future warfare. He stressed the critical role of air power in achieving decisive strategic outcomes, the necessity of integrating surface manoeuvre with offensive air operations, and the strategic benefits of employing stand-off weapons. Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey and actor Manoj Bajpayee have issued a statement clarifying that the title of their upcoming Netflix feature Ghooskhor Pandat has nothing to do with a caste/community. In an official statement, Pandey said the film is a fictional cop drama and the term "Pandat" has been used in the film as a colloquial name for a fictional character (played by Bajpayee). "The story focuses on an individual's actions and choices and does not comment on or represent any caste, religion, or community. As a filmmaker, I approach my work with a deep sense of responsibility - to tell stories that are thoughtful and respectful," he added. The film's title, Ghooskhor Pandat, caused heated discussions right after the release of the teaser by Netflix as part of its long list of announcements pertaining to upcoming releases. The "pandat" in the title was interpreted as derogatory by a section of netizens, arguing that the word Pandat (a colloquial form of Pandit) was being used to target a certain caste and that association was being made with the caste name and corruption in the form of Bajpayee's supposedly dubious characater. Bajpayee in his statement said,I respect the emotions and concerns people have shared, and I take them seriously. When something you are part of causes hurt to some people, it makes you pause and listen. As an actor, I come to a film through the character and the story I am playing. For me, this was about portraying a flawed individual and his journey of self-realisation. This was not meant to be a statement about any community. In my experience of working with Neeraj Pandey, there has been a consistent seriousness and care in how he approaches his films." The Gangs of Wasseypur and Family Man actor also added that decisions have been made to pull down the promos. "This reflects the seriousness with which the concerns are being taken," he shared. Yash Raj Films (YRF), the makers of Rani Mukerji-starrer Mardaani 3, on Friday issued a statement denying any role in the viral news piece about more than 800 people going missing in just 15 days in Delhi. "We strongly deny the accusations floating on social media that Mardaani 3s promotional campaign has deliberately sensationalised a sensitive issue like this. We have immense trust in our authorities that they will share all facts and truths in due course of time," YRF told Indian Express. This comes after the film's makers were targeted online by a huge number of netizens claiming that YRF had paid to amplify the news about the missing people, as a part of promotions for the film, which deals with the sensitive topic of child trafficking. Notably, these allegations had intensified after the Delhi Police on Friday morning issued a strongly worded statement about the massive social media hype around the missing cases. The post specifically used the term "paid promotion" without calling out YRF directly. "Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals," the Delhi Police's X post read. After following a few leads, we discovered that the hype around the surge in missing girls in Delhi is being pushed through paid promotion. Creating panic for monetary gains won't be tolerated, and we'll take strict action against such individuals. Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 6, 2026 While they did not refute the figures cited onlinemore than 800 missing between January 1 to 15, of which about 500 were women and childrenthey flagged the way in which these figures suddenly seemed to pop up everywhere online, and soon causing full-blown panic. The report added that the numbers also did not indicate any spike in the number of missing persons cases, as it was close to the average rate itself. Despite the YRF response clearing the air a little, the Delhi Police continues to probe the paid social media campaign behind the panic. Key Takeaways Chipotle told investors to expect flat same-store sales in 2026. That's not what they'd likely prefer, but it's better than the retreat the company managed last year. Some analysts say the company, which has seen its shares fall over the past 12 months, is setting itself up to exceed expectations in 2026. Chipotle's burrito is undoubtedly bruised. Sales at the chain rose last year, but most of that came from new store openings. Transactions fell, offsetting a higher average check; all told, same-store sales finished 2025 in the red. This has been bad news for the onetime highflying stock, which has lost about a third of its value over the past 12 months. More from Yahoo Scout Why did Chipotle's same-store sales decline in 2025? What factors could drive Chipotle's recovery in 2026? What is Chipotle's conservative 2026 sales outlook strategy? How significant is Chipotle's recent stock price decline? Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) shares aren't getting hit too hard today, the first session after it released its latest quarterly results. The stock was recently down a bit less than 1% as broader markets were mixed. (Read Investopedia's full coverage of today's trading here.) Why This Matters to Investors Some Chipotle watchers are applauding what they see as appropriate conservatism in management's outlook for 2026. That, they suggest, could mean the company is essentially underpromising so it can overdeliver, offering investors a pleasant surprise if they come along for the ride. Is that a mark of confidence, or concern? It's hard to say. The company said it expects 2026 same-store sales to come in flat. It also said it's sticking with previously announced plans to open as many as 370 new restaurants, most of them in the U.S. "It's still very early in the year, and consumer trends have been really tough to predict," CFO Adam Rymer said on a conference call late Tuesday, a transcript of which was provided by AlphaSense. "We wanted to be conservative in our full-year guide to account for this." The mood of Wall Street analysts might be described as cautiously optimistic. Their roughly $47 mean price target, as tracked by Visible Alpha, points to roughly 20% upside from Monday's closea substantial climb, though the stock was there as recently as July. Chipotle "offers a favorable setup and catalyst path in 2026," Deutsche Bank analysts wrote after the results, saying the company "took an appropriately conservative approach to its guide." That, they say, could build credibility for the management team with investors. Bank of America, which is more bullish than the Street at large, thinks factors including higher in-store efficiency, marketing campaigns and successful limited-time offers can drive the stock upward. "We are optimistic Chipotle has set a beatable bar," they wrote. Read the original article on Investopedia CLAIM: Ear piercing is safest for babies between 2 and 6 months of age, preferably after the first vaccination, and doing it earlier or without proper hygiene can increase the risk of infection and complications. FACT: There is no single 'right age' to pierce a babys ears, but medical experts advise caution. Some medical journals suggest waiting until around 3 to 4 months of age, after the first set of vaccinations, and ensuring the procedure is done in a sterile, clean environment. Studies also show that early ear piercing can lead to infections, scarring, and other complications if proper hygiene and aftercare are not followed. In a viral Instagram reel posted by Dr Imran Patel, a paediatrician with over 1 crore followers, the doctor addresses a common question many parents have: Is there a right age to get a babys ears pierced? In the video, Dr Imran explains that ear piercing can be safely done when a baby is around six months old. These days, many parents ask me, especially for girls, when to get ear piercings done and when it is safe, he says. He adds that, in his view, the safest time is after the baby receives the first round of vaccinations. After the first vaccination, you can get it done. But dont do it for two months, he advises. Dr Imran also stresses the importance of hygiene and professional handling. He recommends getting the procedure done by trained professionals using sterile equipment, whether a needle or a piercing gun is used. He cautions against using thread for piercing, saying it can increase the risk of infection, and instead suggests gold or medical-grade metal earrings. Further, he advises parents not to touch the pierced area unnecessarily for four to six weeks and to clean it daily using an antiseptic solution to prevent infection. The reel has gained over 1.4 million views, 44,000 likes and 12,800 shares, triggering widespread discussion among parents about the safety and timing of ear piercing in infants. Ear piercing in kids: What studies say Medical research suggests that ear piercing in young children is not risk-free and requires careful consideration, particularly when children are too young to manage proper aftercare. A 2001 clinical review on body piercing complications highlighted growing concerns around early ear piercing in children. The researchers noted that young children cannot often care for pierced sites properly, increasing the risk of infections and complications. Body piercing, and particularly ear piercing, is becoming increasingly common in young children who may not be capable of properly caring for the pierced site. This may result in infection at the site and embedding of the earring, the study warned. The authors further cautioned that repeated infections and removal procedures can cause considerable pain and distress and added that there is a proven risk of inducing nickel allergy in these children, which can persist into adulthood. They also raised concerns about parents underestimating the risk of serious infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV when sterile precautions are not followed. In another American Academy of Paediatricspublished study, researchers examined the relationship between the age of ear piercing and keloid formation - an abnormal overgrowth of scar tissue. The study surveyed 32 patients who developed keloids after ear piercing. Results showed that 50 per cent developed keloids after their first piercing, while many developed additional keloids after repeat piercings. For your daily dose of medical news and updates, visit: HEALTH The findings revealed a striking age-related difference. Those who had piercings at 11 years of age were more likely to develop keloids (80%) than were those who had piercings at <11 years of age (23.5%), the authors reported. Based on this, the researchers concluded that prevention is crucial and advised that children with a family history of keloids should avoid piercing altogether. If piercing is unavoidable, they suggested that piercing during early childhood, rather than later childhood, may be advisable. Complications have also been documented in individual clinical case reports. A 2011 study described a seven-year-old girl who developed inflammatory lesions in both earlobes after piercing at a beauty parlour. Doctors found that excessive pressure from tight earring clips caused skin ischemia, ulcers and eventual embedding of the metal parts into the earlobes. The authors concluded that piercing decisions in children should be carefully considered and rather postponed until self-care is achievable. More severe outcomes, although rare, have also been reported. A 2020 case report documented 19-day-old twin newborns who developed necrotising soft tissue infections of the ears after ear piercing performed without proper surgical asepsis at a primary health centre. The authors warned that while such infections are uncommon, delayed recognition can lead to serious complications. They stressed that adherence to basic aseptic surgical principles is the key to prevention. When should we get the baby's ears pierced? According to John Hopkins Medicine, This is controversial. The American Academy of Paediatrics recommends postponing ear piercings until children are mature enough to take care of the pierced site by themselves. However, some cultures believe in piercing ears as an infant. It recommends waiting until a baby is around 3 or 4 months old, when the child has at least one or two sets of vaccines. At that age, if they get a fever, it is not as concerning as when they are newborns. Its crucial to make sure the procedure is done safely, with sterile equipment, and that you know how to properly care for the new piercings at home. Some paediatricians offices will pierce ears for a small fee or you can go to a reputable jewellery store. If you do go to a store, like at the mall, make sure the person is trained and using sterile equipment. The new earrings should be gold or sterling silver, it added. This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS. The recent death of a newborn due to a listeria infection in the US has put the spotlight on creating more awareness around the condition. Health officials in New Mexico even issued an urgent warning regarding the situation. Health authorities are raising alarms over the rising trend of consuming raw, unpasteurised milk following the death of a newborn in New Mexico from a listeria infection.#_ #6subat2023 #GHDuoGala5 https://t.co/FM3FrsDyvJ pic.twitter.com/rIum7eYOse Metropunch (@metropunch) February 6, 2026 As per NBC News, the baby is likely to have contracted the infection from its mother when she drank raw milk during pregnancy. The incident has also urged the public to avoid unpasteurised dairy products. What is Listeria? Listeria or listeriosis is an illness caused by bacteria that can spread through many foods. It can prove to be serious for Pregnant women, the elderly and people with a weak immune system. As per Mayo Clinic, some foods are more likely to be tainted by the bacteria than others. These include soft cheeses, deli meats and dairy products that haven't been treated to kill bacteria, also known as pasteurisation. A listeria infection of the nervous system can lead to: For your daily dose of medical news and updates, visit: HEALTH Trouble with balance, walking or coordination. Trouble moving one side of the body. Nerve problems. Hearing loss. Seizures. Death. Babies, too, are prone to the infection and might develop lifelong conditions such as: Intellectual disabilities. Paralysis. Seizures. Blindness. Conditions that affect the brain, kidneys or heart. How to avoid getting infected? Maintaining hygiene is of utmost importance, which includes washing your hands with warm water before and after you prepare food. Washing the utensils properly is also very important. Cleaning raw vegetables under plenty of running water is also a good idea. Cook your food thoroughly to avoid any contamination. People at risk should avoid soft cheeses, mexican-style cheeses, hot dogs, deli meats, meat spreads, Raw milk or milk products, also called unpasteurized milk, as per Mayo Clinic. For more information, consult a health expert. A motorcyclist was found dead inside a pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board after he was returning home from his job in Rohini. The man was identified as Kamal, a 25-year-old assistant manager working at HDFC Bank. Initial reports say that Kamal was returning home from the office on his Apache RTR 200 bike. He had contacted his family as he was returning and told his twin brother Kiran that he would be home in 10 minutes. When he didn't reach home, his family went out to look for him. Kamal had informed the family that he was at the Janakapuri district centre at around 11:30 pm. Despite long searches, they could not find him and found that his phone was switched off. Police said that the family approached the Vikaspuri police station for assistance at around 12:30 am on Friday. The family also claimed that they visited dozens of nearby police stations asking for help. The police had reportedly shared what the last known details were of the victim with the family as they were searching. Hours later, the family was informed that his body had been found inside a deep pit along with his motorcycle. Reports say that the construction work and the pit in the road were dug by the Delhi Jal Board. The Delhi Police have registered an FIR and are investigating all those involved in the DJB work at the site. The body and motorcycle have been recovered, and further details are being gathered. A case has been registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Joint commissioner of police (western range) Jatin Narwal side that the police control room received a call regaring thre man and a motorcycle found in a pit dug on the Jogndar Singh Marg in Janakpuri at around 8:30 am. The Janakpuri police obtained Dhyanis mobile phone location, and it was showing near the Janakpuri district centre. Head constable Ramkesh searched for Dhayani along with his brother till early morning. However, he could not be found. Dhayanis body was found in the pit later in the morning, added Narwal. By 8:30, the body and the bike were taken out of the pit. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead. I am deeply hurt by the tragic death of a young man who fell into a pit during the ongoing work of the Jal Board on Joginder Singh Marg. I was at the scene and have met with the family members of the deceased. Chief Minister @rekhagupta ji and the entire government stand with this family in this hour of grief. Instructions for investigation of the incident have been issued, and the guilty will be given strict punishment, Delhis home, education, power and urban development minister Ashish Sood posted on X. Delhi: On the death of a biker after falling into a pothole in Janakpuri, Supreme Court Lawyer, Prashant Trivedi says, "Action can be taken against the responsible officials. The department can be held accountable. All responsibilities can be examined, what precautions were pic.twitter.com/Gntosj7wI1 IANS (@ians_india) February 6, 2026 The case has come just weeks after the death of 27-year-old Yuvraj Mehta who died after his car fell into a waterlogged pit in a construction site in Noidas Sector 150. AAP leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead in Punjab's Jalandhar on Friday morning. According to preliminary findings, multiple shots were fired at him by unidentified bike-borne attackers outside a Gurdwara in Model Town. Five bullets struck him while he was in his car. He was rushed immediately to a private hospital for treatment and was declared dead after succumbing to his injuries. Oberoi was inside his parked car outside the gurdwara after returning from prayer, when the attackers approached on a bike and fired around 8-10 shots at him. VIDEO | Punjab: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in Model Town, Jalandhar; probe underway. Visuals from the spot. (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7)#Punjab #Jalandhar pic.twitter.com/laqDgjTU90 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 6, 2026 A police team was dispatched to the location as soon as information was received. Further investigation into the shooting is underway. Visuals from the site show the black Thar SUVs broken glass. The motive behind the killing is unknown. On Januray 4, AAP leader and village sarpanch Jarmal Singh was shot dead in Amritsar. Law and order in Punjab has collapsed under @BhagwantManns watch. The shocking daylight murder of @AAPPunjab leader Lucky Oberoi outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar, exposes the grim reality: if even ruling party leaders arent safe, what hope remains for ordinary citizens? Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) February 6, 2026 Oberois wife had previously contested the municipal election as an AAP candidate but was unsuccessful. Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, too, to X to say, "Law and order in Punjab has collapsed under @BhagwantManns watch. The shocking daylight murder of @AAPPunjab leader Lucky Oberoi outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar exposes the grim reality: if even ruling party leaders arent safe, what hope remains for ordinary citizens?" Once again law and order in complete collapse in Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Jalandhar's Model Town AAP is a Paap for Punjab https://t.co/wi1iM452k2 pic.twitter.com/4oOpYC7O0p Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) February 6, 2026 He alleged that Punjab was gripped by fear and gang violence under the current adminstration. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala also took to X to say that law and order was in complete collapse in Punjab after the shooting. There appears to be no end to the speculations, rumours and demands surrounding the leadership change in Karnataka. The speculation over the CM change in the state has resurfaced after the conclusion of the legislative session on Wednesday. On Thursday, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence that the Congress high command will call him to New Delhi whenever they take any political decision. Of course. For any political decision that the high command will take, they will definitely call us whenever it is required, Shivakumar said while responding to a question on whether he is expecting a call from the high command for him to go to Delhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has always asserted that he will be the Chief Minister for the full five-year term. In the wake of the remarks by Shivakumar, Congress MLC and son of CM Siddaramaiah, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, claimed that the party high command has given a clear signal that there wont be any leadership change in the state. No one is discussing it in political circles other than the media. It is a settled issue. There are other issues to focus on in the state. The budget is coming up. The financial situation is such that we are not getting the revenue like in the past. The central government is not properly giving the states share of funds. So we need to focus on that, PTI quoted Yathindra as saying to reporters. Observing that there is no confusion over the leadership issue, Yathindra said, According to me, the high command might not have said so openly, but has given a clear signal that there will not be any leadership change. So I believe that Siddaramaiah will be the CM for five years. Shivakumar came out with a caustic reply to the MLC, saying, I accept whatever he says with respect. Since he has spoken as if he is the high command, let us accept him as such. This public war of words brings the internal friction to the forefront, intensifying the struggle for the top post. The leadership tussle within the ruling Congress in the state intensified amid speculation about a possible change of Chief Minister after the government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term in November 2025. The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a writ petition filed by Prashant Kishors Jan Suraaj Party, which had challenged the validity of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections and sought directions for holding fresh polls, even as the Court reiterated that the larger issue of freebies in elections would be examined in appropriate proceedings at a later stage. Kishor's party had contested 242 of the 243 Assembly seats in the 2025 polls but failed to secure a single seat. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed disinclination to entertain the petition under Article 32 of the Constitution. Following the Courts observations, the petitioner chose to withdraw the plea, with liberty to approach the High Court. The writ petition had sought a declaration that the addition of beneficiaries and direct cash transfers of Rs 10,000 to women voters under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana during the subsistence of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) were illegal and unconstitutional. It is alleged that the scheme, announced just ahead of the elections, amounted to a corrupt electoral practice and vitiated the level playing field. At the outset, Justice Bagchi questioned the maintainability of the plea, asking under which clause of Section 100 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, an entire election could be set aside. Senior Advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the Supreme Court was already seized of the broader issue of freebies and their impact on free and fair elections in other matters. "How many votes did you get? Once people reject you, you use the judicial forum to get relief! Somebody should have challenged the scheme itself then. That is not the prayer before us. You just want the election to be declared null and void," the Court said. Singh contended that Bihar, being a fiscally stressed and highly indebted state, could not have announced a large-scale cash transfer without clear budgetary support while the MCC was in force. He submitted that direct benefit transfers to over Rs 1.56 crore women, allegedly without prior scrutiny and based on limited eligibility conditions, distorted electoral fairness and should be treated as a corrupt practice. However, the CJI observed that the petition was in the nature of a composite election petition seeking an omnibus order to invalidate the entire Assembly election. Emphasising settled election law, the court noted that allegations of corrupt practices must be raised through individual election petitions against specific candidates and constituencies, rather than by invoking Article 32 to challenge the entire electoral process. The appropriate remedy is to file election petitions, the CJI said, adding that there must be specific pleadings against each returned candidate. He also pointed out that the cash transfer scheme itself had not been directly challenged in the prayer clause and that the principal relief sought was the setting aside of the entire election. When Singh suggested that the prayers could be segregated to allow the court to examine the freebies issue independently, the bench declined and advised the petitioner to approach the High Court. The High Court can certainly consider it; it is not a pan-India issue, the CJI remarked. Importantly, the Court clarified that its refusal to entertain the Jan Suraaj Partys plea did not mean that the question of freebies would be ignored. The CJI stated that the Supreme Court was already examining the issue seriously in other pending cases and would consider it in an appropriate factual and legal context. We would like to go into an apt case, he said, indicating that the Court did not wish to do so at the instance of a political party that had lost the election and was seeking to invalidate the outcome wholesale. "We will consider the freebies issue. But we have to see the bona fide also, we cannot look at that at the behest of a party which has just lost. When you come to power, you will do the exact thing," said Justice Surya Kant. The petition had also sought directions to the Election Commission of India to take action under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, which deals with corrupt practices. Additionally, it sought enforcement of the Supreme Courts earlier directions in S Subramaniam Balaji v. State of Tamil Nadu, including the framing of comprehensive guidelines on freebies and direct benefit transfer schemes, and a minimum cooling-off period, preferably six months, before implementing welfare schemes that could influence elections. The US State Department on Friday slapped 14 shadow fleet oil tankersand the companies that manage themwith fresh sanctions, just after a round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran in Oman. The shadow fleet oil tanker Benedict (IMO: 9293155), owned by Elevate Marine Management Private Limited (an Indian-origin firm), has returned to the spotlight as it is among the 14 vessels blacklisted by the US. Akash Anant Shinde, an Indian national identified as the director of the maritime firm, has also been sanctioned by association with it. According to the State Department, the Cameroon-flagged crude oil tanker had transported Iranian petroleum products at least three times between September and November 2025. #BREAKING: US announces fresh sanctions against Iran, minutes after Oman meeting ended. US Department of State is sanctioning 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical pic.twitter.com/jKaChFgV8l Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) February 6, 2026 Shinde and Elevate Marine Management have been sanctioned under Executive Order (EO) 13846, it said. He was also added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List under the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Notably, this is not the first time that the Benedict has been sanctioned. The vessel has allegedly been involved in shadow fleet activities such as moving Russian oil since January 2024, as per an Ukrainian government portal tracking sanctioned ships. Maritime sanctions harden baseline January 2026 underscored that maritime #sanctions are no longer episodic shocks but a standing operating reality. US interdictions at sea, a sudden political transition in Venezuela and the EUs ban on refined products derived from Russian pic.twitter.com/C2GQPpreVC MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) February 5, 2026 AIS data currently shows the tanker anchored at Malaysia's Port Klang after completing a journey from the Hudaidah Port in Yemen. Yet, THE WEEK could not immediately verify this AIS data, as the portal points out that the vessel has a history of switching off its AIS transponders to essentially go darka key trait of dark fleet/shadow fleet ships. The portal also said that the Benedict, which is more than two decades old, has flown a number of flags in the past, such as those from Liberia, the Marshall Islands, Gambia, and Panama. The tanker has also gone by various names, such as Asian Jade, KWK Jade, Davis Sea, Wonder Vega, and Junia, before getting its current name, Benedict. 15 other entities that have "traded in Iranian-origin crude oil, petroleum products, or petrochemical products"as well as two individuals associated with these activitieshave also been sanctioned. "These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities," declared Thomas Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US State Department, in a statement. This comes nearly two months after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps seized the Aruban-flagged oil tanker 'MT Valiant Roar' on December 8. #maritimenews (us iran tensions nuclear deal, fuel smuggling, )https://t.co/kGbWO2iWzq THE WEEK (@TheWeekLive) February 6, 2026 The US sanctions also come amid escalating naval tensions between the two nations, with Tehran using the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to seize vessels accused of smuggling fuel and Washington maintaining a carrier strike group in the Middle East. "So long as Iranian regime attempts to evade sanctions and generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund such oppressive behaviour and support terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will act to hold both the Iranian regime and its partners accountable," Pigott added. Human rights organisations and civil society groups have alleged that Iranian regime used chemical substances against civilians to crack down on protests. However, they did not specify what kind of chemical agent was used by the security forces. Citing eyewitness testimony, medical evaluations and independent reporting, they have urged member states of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to invoke Article IX of the Chemical Weapons Convention. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East "Victims report symptoms far exceeding ordinary tear gas exposure, including respiratory distress, neurological impairment, cardiovascular instability, persistent headaches, dizziness, and long-term systemic dysfunction," the statement by the coalition of rights groups said. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi is one of the signatories of the statement. The clinical patterns observed in the affected civilians were indicative of exposure to chemical agents, according to medical professionals who treated the victims. "Continued delay enables further harm, the destruction of evidence, and impunity," the statement warned the international community. Thousands were killed and injured in the violent crackdown on protests across Iran on January 8 and 9. The rights groups have urged OPCW member states to start with a formal request for clarification from Iran. They also called for a challenge inspection and deploy an independent expert mission to carry out on-site inspections. The indictment of Bezalel Zini, the brother of Israels domestic intelligence chief David Zini, has escalated from a criminal case into a full-blown political and security scandal. What initially appeared to be a relatively small smuggling operation has instead exposed vulnerabilities in Israels wartime controls, raised uncomfortable questions about corruption within the Israel Defence Forces reserve system, and cast a shadow over the leadership of the Shin Bet. Israeli prosecutors have charged Zini and several accomplices with a range of offences, including aiding the enemy in wartime, financing terror activity, fraud and bribery. According to the indictment, the operation involved a network of Israeli reservists, Palestinian suppliers and warehouse operators inside Gaza. Zini, a 50-year-old reservist, served as a logistics officer for the Uriah team, a unit tasked with demolishing infrastructure inside the Gaza Strip during the war. Prosecutors allege that Zini exploited his military status and the privileged access granted to his unit to bypass security procedures at the border. By falsely declaring his cargo as essential military or security equipment, he is accused of transporting 14 cartons of cigarettes through the Sufa crossing, which at the time was closed to humanitarian traffic. While Zinis personal charges focus on tobacco, investigators say the wider smuggling ring trafficked a variety of prohibited items, including spare car parts, iPhones, batteries and other dual-use electronics with potential military applications. For his role, Zini is alleged to have earned approximately $117,000. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East The most serious implications of the case lie in its alleged contribution to Hamass ability to survive and govern during the conflict. Israeli security officials argue that the smuggling of high-value black-market goods directly undermined Israels war objectives. The Shin Bet has stated that such operations assist Hamas by enabling it to rebuild capabilities and reinforce its control over Gazas economy and population. Israels decision to impose a strict ban on the entry of tobacco into Gaza caused prices to soar, creating an extraordinarily lucrative black market. Prosecutors argue that Hamas taxes these goods at multiple points along the supply chain, allowing it to extract millions in revenue. The indictment states that the defendants were aware that the goods could reach terrorist elements and be used to finance their activities. Security officials also warned that the routes established by the ring posed a significant threat to national security, as they could just as easily be used to smuggle weapons, sensitive technologies or personnel into or out of the territory. The affair raises serious questions about the integrity within the IDFs reserve forces and logistical command structures, with serving reservists involved in a criminal enterprise that allegedly aided the enemy. The IDF has said it views the case very gravely, noting that the participation of soldiers on active or reserve duty makes the offences even more severe. The investigation has highlighted a troubling weakness in wartime security protocols, whereby soldiers were able to bypass checks by invoking operational need. Zinis unit, the Uriah Force, reportedly included a number of right-wing volunteers and in some cases operated outside the standard chain of command, particularly when using heavy engineering equipment. This relative autonomy may have reduced oversight and accountability. That a logistics officer could repeatedly move contraband into a sealed military zone during active hostilities suggests that systems designed to maintain a supposedly hermetic blockade were vulnerable to manipulation from within. Politically, the scandal has reverberated most sharply around the leadership of the Shin Bet because of Zinis family connection. His brother, David Zini, has not been implicated in the investigation and is not suspected of any wrongdoing. Nevertheless, the optics are damaging. To avoid a conflict of interest, the investigation was conducted by the Israel Police rather than the Shin Bet, which would ordinarily handle security-related offences. David Zinis position was already contentious. Appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in May 2025, he was brought in from the IDF despite having no prior experience within the Shin Bet, replacing Ronen Bar, who was dismissed following the intelligence failures surrounding the October 7 attacks. Media commentators have drawn attention to David Zinis public silence since his brothers indictment became known. While many argue he cannot be held responsible for a relatives alleged crimes, right-wing outlets have called on him to address the public directly to preserve trust amid allegations framed by some as treasonous. The episode risks distracting the agency at a time when it remains central to Israels campaign against Palestinian militant groups. Beyond its security and political dimensions, the case also sheds light on the brutal economics of war under blockade. The smuggling took place at a time when basic necessities were tightly controlled. When the war was at its peak, a single cigarette reportedly sold for more than $80, while a carton could fetch close to $15,000. Despite official claims of a total blockade, the border proved porous for those with access, capital and connections. Prosecutors argue that this reality is central to why the offences constitute aiding the enemy: Hamas controls market distribution within Gaza and extracts revenue from virtually all economic activity. The smuggling ring therefore, did more than supply consumer goods; it injected highly taxable assets into an economy starved of liquidity, indirectly subsidising the very organisation Israels military was fighting to dismantle. Zinis indictment ultimately reveals how corruption within military ranks can undermine strategic objectives, provide financial lifelines to enemy actors and embarrass the highest levels of the security establishment in the midst of war. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a tough message to the US ahead of the talks scheduled in Oman by opting for special flight to Muscat. The foreign minister flew from Tehran to Tabas, a city in the Central District of Tabas County in Iran, from where he boarded the flight to Muscat, according to reports. This is highly symbolic as Tabas is the site of the failed 1980 US hostage rescue mission, when a sandstorm and equipment failures forced Washington to abort Operation Eagle Claw, killing eight American servicemen. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East The Mission ordered by President Jimmy Carter after the Iranian revolution aimed to rescue 53 embassy staff held captive by Revolutionary Iran on 24 April 1980. The staff were seized at the Embassy of the United States, Tehran. As the force prepared to depart, a RH-53D helicopter crashed into a C-130 carrying extra fuel for refueling igniting a fire that killed 5 Airmen and 3 Marines. Following this, President Carter and his staff received the news and decided to abort the mission. The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, arrived in Muscat, the capital of Oman, a short while ago. pic.twitter.com/ELtZtB3I60 OSINT Europe (@Osinteurope) February 6, 2026 Irans foreign minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat on Thursday ahead of talks with the US, on a flight that was deliberately listed as departing from Tabas rather than Tehran in what the state media called a symbolic move. Tabas is the site of the failed 1980 US hostage pic.twitter.com/rWRbehNhj5 Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) February 5, 2026 The Islamic regime calls this Miracle of Tabas," and claims this caused an international scandal and weakening of the United States. Araqchi will be accompanied on his trip to Muscat by Deputy Political Affairs Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Deputy Economic Affairs Minister Hamid Ghanbari, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghai, and a number of Iranian diplomats US warning The US has issued an emergency alert to all its citizens to leave Iran and develop an exit plan that does not rely on US government assistance. The statement read: American citizens in Iran should expect continued internet outages, use alternative means of communication, and considerif possible and under safe conditionsleaving Iran by land toward Armenia or Turkey. In another part of the statement, the embassy recommended that American citizens who cannot leave Iran under the current circumstances take refuge in their residences or other safe buildings, and secure a stock of food, water, medicine and other necessary supplies. The statement also warned individuals holding both Iranian and American citizenship of the increased risk of being questioned, arrested, and imprisoned, noting that displaying an American passport or having a connection to the United States could in itself be grounds for arrest by Iranian authorities. We came across a bullish thesis on Confluent, Inc. on Outperforming the Markets Substack by Simple Investing. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on CFLT. Confluent, Inc.'s share was trading at $30.53 as of January 28th. CFLTs forward P/E was 62.50 according to Yahoo Finance. Charts Confluent, Inc. operates a data streaming platform in the United States and internationally. CFLT demonstrated resilience in 3Q25, highlighting that its focus on fundamentals is beginning to pay off. The company reported subscription revenue of $286 million, up 19% year-over-year and 2% ahead of consensus estimates, driven by strong demand in its core streaming business and growth across its DSP, AI, and partner ecosystem. Confluent Cloud revenue grew 24% year-over-year to $161 million, also beating expectations by 2%. Notably, operating margins came in at 9.7%, well above the 7.1% consensus, reflecting both revenue outperformance and improved sales and marketing leverage through streamlined coverage. This margin beat of 260 basis points underscores the effectiveness of the recent GTM restructuring, which aligned the team to drive new use cases and multi-product adoption. Management raised guidance for 4Q25, projecting total revenue of $296 million, up 18% year-over-year, and Confluent Cloud revenue of $165 million, growing 20%, both slightly ahead of consensus. Operating margins are expected to stabilize at 7%. Confluents competitive positioning remains robust, consistently winning against cloud service provider streaming offerings with deal win rates above 90% and average deal sizes doubling over the past two quarters. Usage across multi-tenant Freight clusters, Enterprise clusters, and WarpStream has quadrupled over the last three quarters. The companys partner ecosystem also contributed meaningfully, sourcing 25% of new business in 3Q25, with key partners including Databricks, Microsoft, Google Cloud, AWS, and MongoDB. Overall, Confluents improving fundamentals, strong growth in cloud consumption, and effective GTM execution position it for continued momentum, providing both revenue growth and margin expansion while reinforcing its leadership in the streaming data space. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on GitLab Inc. (GTLB) by Compounding Your Wealth in April 2025, which highlighted the companys strong enterprise expansion, AI-driven DevSecOps platform, record Q4 deals, and accelerating revenue and free cash flow growth. GTLBs stock price has depreciated by approximately 20.80% since our coverage due to broader market weakness and increased competition. Simple Investing shares a similar perspective on Confluent, Inc. (CFLT) but emphasizes its resilient cloud streaming business, strong GTM execution, and margin expansion as key growth drivers. There will be no Islamic NATO, after all. Over the last few months, speculations were rife in a certain section of Pakistani and Turkish media that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey were moving towards the creation of an Islamic NATO. This was in the backdrop of the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement Pakistan signed with Saudi Arabia in September 17, 2025, which formalised deep-rooted military cooperation. The pact includes intelligence-sharing, joint military mechanisms, and a collective defense clause where aggression against one is treated as an act against both. Soon after the pact, there were speculations that Turkey was in advanced talks with both countries to join the mutual defence pact, a move that could reshape security equations across South Asia. Turkey foreign minister also confirmed that discussions were taking place regarding Ankaras involvement. Turkey reportedly expressed interest in the alliance as this could enable its interests in South Asia, the Middle East, and even Africa, which were increasingly aligning with those of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. At a time when US President Donald Trump's approach to NATO was being questioned, Turkey saw the trilateral alliance as a way to meet its own security needs and strengthen its deterrence mechanisms. For latest news and analyses on Middle East, visit: Yello! Middle East The development was keenly watched by regional analysts considering Turkeys public anti-India stance during the recent Operation Sindhoor. Not just in words, Turkey also supported Pakistan, supplying it with hundreds of drones, including Bayraktar TB2s and loitering munitions, along with trained personnel. These assets were deployed against Indian positions during the conflict. The two Islamic nations also extended their cooperation across several areas, including defence. Then, there were also fears that this could leave India strategically isolated in the region. Pakistani leadership added fuel to the discourse. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar suggested that if more Muslim countries joined such arrangements, it will effectively become a new NATO. This, despite several regional analysts stating that talk of an Islamic NATO is largely symbolic rather than substantive due to their deep internal rivalries between Muslim nations and other geopolitical equations. However, the speculations have lost steam, thanks to a report quoting a senior Saudi official who confirmed that Turkey will not be joining the new defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Turkiye wont join the defence pact with Pakistan, the source told AFP. Its a bilateral pact with Pakistan and will remain a bilateral pact. A Gulf official also told the outlet that though Saudi Arabia had common agreements with Turkiye, the one with Pakistan will stay bilateral. The Saudi officials statement only reasserts the popular view that Saudi Arabia wouldnt adopt a military alignment that was against India. Riyadh views India as a long-term economic partner, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants strong partnerships with major economies as he attempts to diversify away from oil dependence. Not only does Saudi Arabia want to maintain stable relations with India, but it also does not want to make any disruptive military alignment against the US-Israel strategic axis, considering that Turkey has severely strained relations with Israel. The Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka has just approved a powerful artificial intelligence system that will monitor everything people post on social media. The name is SMASSocial Media Analytics Solution. The cost is Rs 67 crore rupees. This decision has already started a huge fight between privacy advocates and security supporter First, what is SMAS? Think of it as a giant robot with super intelligence that reads every single post, comment, and message on social media in Karnataka. It works 24/7, analysing millions of pieces of content every day. The government says it will find fake news, hate speech, abuse, and misinformation. It will also track if terrorist groups use social media to recruit people. The system can recognise patterns that humans might miss. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Karnataka H.K. Patil says this is necessary because social media has become too big for human beings to monitor properly. Millions of posts happen every second. Traditional police cannot read everything. So technology needs to do the job faster and more efficiently. But here is where things get complicated and deeply concerning. Critics are asking very difficult questions that officials are not answering clearly. Who decides what is fake news and what is real? What is hate speech and what is legitimate criticism? If someone posts that a government policy is bad, is that fake news or free speech? If someone criticises a political leader, is that hate speech or fair comment? A news article supporting the government might mark certain posts as fake news. The same posts might be defended by opposition parties as fair criticism. Imagine a farmer posts online, saying, 'The government is not giving us fair price for our crops.' Is this fake news or true complaint? What if the SMAS system, controlled by the government, marks this as fake news and removes it? Suddenly, the farmer's voice is silenced. Critics fear the government will use this system to silence opposition and control what people can say online. In countries like China, similar surveillance systems have been used to suppress voices against the government. The same thing could happen here, said space and defence analyst Girish Linganna who also follows local state developments too. The second big concern is privacy invasion. Every text you send, every opinion you share will be scanned by a government computer. You did not agree to this. The government says there is "absolutely no restriction" on scanning content. But that is exactly the problem! Having power and using it responsibly are two different things. Your personal conversations, your family discussions, your private thoughtsall could be analysed by machines and humans working for the government, added Linganna. There have also been concerns about its misuse potential. Governments change. Today's government might use SMAS properly. But what about tomorrow? What if a corrupt leader uses SMAS to track political enemies? History shows surveillance tools are often misused once created. Even well-meaning systems become weapons in wrong hands. Many democracies have learned this lesson the hard way. The government says SMAS is needed for national security and public order. They point to terrorists recruiting online and misinformation causing riots. These are real problems that need solutions. But the cure might be worse than the disease itself. Experts point out that we need to stop fake news online. Creating a surveillance system without proper laws, independent oversight, and clear rules is dangerous and undemocratic. We need a strong law made by Parliament with checks and balances. We need independent judges deciding if something is fake, not just government computers making decisions. The real political row is about power and control. Who controls information reaching people? When government has this much power, misuse is always possible. Countries with strong democracies have strict laws protecting what people can say online. Critics argue that such a system could enable state surveillance and selective targeting of dissent, particularly in the absence of clearly defined safeguards, transparency norms or independent oversight. Civil rights groups warn that vague definitions of fake news or harmful content could have a chilling effect on free speech. The controversy is sharpened by context. Karnataka had earlier proposed a misinformation law with penal provisions, which faced pushback for potential misuse. Against that backdrop, opposition leaders and digital rights activists fear the AI tool could be used to shape political narratives or silence critics, even if officially framed as a public-order measure, Manoj Kandoth, the founder and director of Urjja. The Karnataka government, however, insists the tool will only flag content, leaving final decisions and enforcement to human authorities under established legal frameworks. As states increasingly turn to AI-driven governance tools, Karnatakas initiative highlights the tension between combating misinformation and protecting democratic freedoms a balance that will likely define the political debate around SMAS in the months ahead, added Kandoth. Karnataka's SMAS might sound like a good solution to a real problem. But without proper safeguards, it could become a tool for controlling citizens and silencing opposition. Building surveillance first and asking questions later is dangerous for democracy and freedom. That is what worries people the most. Imagine looking down at India from high up in space and seeing everything clearly, even when thick clouds cover the sky. That is exactly what India's new satellite, GISAT-1A (also called EOS-05), will do. The launch, which is expected to take place in the next one or two weeks, comes as a replacement for GISAT-1 (EOS-03), which was lost more than four-and-a-half years ago due to a problem during its launch in 2021. This 2.2-tonne satellite will sit in a geostationary orbit, meaning it stays fixed above the same spot over the Earth. From there, it can watch the Indian sub-continent almost all the time in near real-time. Normal satellites in lower orbits pass over an area only a few times a day, but this one gives a constant view like a watchful eye in the sky. Rather than abandoning the programme after the setback, ISRO undertook extensive design reviews, system-level corrections, and validation exercises to ensure mission robustness, reflecting the agencys methodical approach to complex space systems. What makes it special? It can see through clouds using special instruments. It captures not just normal pictures but spectral signatures different kinds of light reflections that reveal hidden details. Farmers can use this data to check crop health and predict yields. Forest officials can monitor tree cover and spot illegal cutting. Miners look for mineral deposits, weather experts study clouds better, and teams track snow on mountains, melting glaciers, and even ocean changes. In disasters like floods or cyclones, it sends quick warnings and helps rescue teams see what is happening right away, explained space analyst Girish Linganna. The satellite has completed all major tests at the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. It is now ready to travel to the launch site at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This move might happen very soon, perhaps this week. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the satellite is still under final review. Only after his approval and green signal will it head to the spaceport. From GEO, GISAT-1A will be capable of imaging selected regions every five minutes and covering the entire Indian landmass approximately every thirty minutes, allowing near real-time monitoring of rapidly evolving natural and human-induced phenomena. At the heart of the mission is an advanced optical payload featuring a 700-mm Ritchey Chretien telescope mounted on a modified I-2K satellite bus. The imaging system integrates multispectral and hyperspectral sensors operating across the visible, near-infrared, and short-wave infrared bands. Multispectral imaging offers a ground resolution of about 42 metres, while hyperspectral observations provide resolutions ranging from roughly 191 to 318 metres across hundreds of narrow spectral channels. This combination enables detailed analysis of vegetation health, crop stress, soil moisture, mineral composition, snow and glacier dynamics, coastal processes, and atmospheric conditions, said Srimathy Kesan, the founder and CEO of SpaceKidz India Limited. Beyond civilian applications, GISAT-1A holds strategic importance. While ISRO maintains that the missions primary focus is on civilian and developmental uses, including agriculture, forestry, water resource management, urban planning, and disaster mitigation, the ability to frequently and persistently image sensitive regions also enhances national security and situational awareness. The satellites data will support faster decision-making during emergencies and improve preparedness across multiple sectors, added Kesan. ISRO is taking extra care this time and with good reason. Just last month, on January 12, 2026, the PSLV-C62 mission failed during its third stage, leading to the loss of the important DRDO satellite EOS-N1 (Anvesha) and 15 other small satellites. That came only eight months after the PSLV-C61 failure in May 2025, where the third stage did not perform properly, costing the EOS-09 (RISAT-1B) radar imaging satellite needed for strategic surveillance. These back-to-back setbacks have put huge pressure on ISRO's most trusted rocket, the PSLV, and raised serious questions about quality checks. On top of that, the 2021 GSLV-F10 failed when the cryogenic upper stage (CUS) the engine using super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen did not ignite after a perfect liftoff on August 12 at 5:43 am. The mission ended, and GISAT-1 was gone forever. Before that, the launch was postponed twice: once in March 2020 at the last minute, and again in early 2021 due to a small power issue. These recent losses hurt deeply, especially for defence, science, and international partners. That is why ISRO is doing very strict checks now, with multiple reviews and no room for error, to make sure this GSLV-F17 mission succeeds. The GSLV rocket has bounced back strong. After the 2021 failure, it completed four successful missions. The latest was GSLV-F16, which launched the NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite on July 30, 2025. For this mission, ISRO has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) a warning to pilots and airlines about the launch zone. It covers February 20 to March 5, 2026, for the GSLV-F17 mission carrying GISAT-1A. These dates are tentative; space missions often shift a bit if needed for perfect conditions or last checks, remarked Linganna. This launch will boost India's independent ability to monitor its land, weather, and resources from space. It shows how ISRO learns from setbacks, fixes problems, and keeps pushing forward with determination. Soon, we may see clearer, faster updates on everything from farms to floods all thanks to this high-tech eye in the sky. As Indian outbound travel gathers pace, destinations across the world are recalibrating their strategies to court the countrys increasingly experience-driven traveller. Morocco, already Africas most visited destination, is sharpening its focus on India with aggressive trade partnerships, film tourism, destination weddings, and curated luxury experiences. Speaking to THE WEEK on the sidelines of OTM 2026, Jamal Kilito, Country ManagerIndia, Moroccan National Tourism Office, outlines why India is now a strategic market for Morocco, the challenges of air connectivity, and how the country is positioning itself as a compelling alternative for seasoned Indian globetrotters. Q. India is emerging as a high-potential outbound market. How is the Moroccan National Tourism Office tailoring its strategy specifically for Indian travellers? A. India is not just an emerging market, it is the fastest-growing outbound market globally and one with the highest potential. Every destination must focus on India, and Morocco is no exception. That is why we opened our representative office in India in September 2023. Since then, we have been aggressively building our presence by strengthening partnerships with Indian tour operators and travel agencies. We conduct extensive trade training programmes, familiarisation trips, workshops, and roadshows, and have signed partnership agreements with several major Indian operators. In terms of growth, Morocco has recorded a 220 per cent increase compared to pre-Covid levels of 2019, and a further 31 per cent growth over the past year. Currently, we are at around 54,000 Indian visitors, and our aim is to cross the one-lakh mark in the coming years. Awareness and interest in Morocco among Indian travellers is steadily rising, with more people adding the destination to their bucket lists. Q. What progress is being made in improving flight connectivity between India and Morocco, and how critical is it for growth? A. Flight connectivity is extremely critical. Unfortunately, we do not yet have a direct flight between India and Morocco. We are actively working towards it, but airlines generally consider launching direct routes once passenger volumes reach a certain thresholdaround 100,000 visitors. In the meantime, we are collaborating closely with Gulf carriers such as Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, as well as working with Egypt as a transit hub. We are focusing on optimising schedules to reduce transit times, and these airlines are actively supporting Morocco through joint marketing initiatives. Discussions with Indian and Moroccan airlines are ongoing, though nothing has materialised yet. Q. Indian travellers are increasingly seeking experiential and luxury travel. How does Morocco position itself for weddings, film tourism, wellness, and curated cultural experiences? A. Morocco has long been a preferred destination for film tourism. Numerous Hollywood blockbusters have been shot here, including Gladiator 2 by Ridley Scott. Several Indian films and series have also been filmed in Morocco, such as Rockstar, Ek Tha Tiger, Agent Vinod, and The Freelancer. Filmmakers are particularly drawn to Morocco for the quality of its natural lightclear skies and consistent lighting help reduce post-production costs. Beyond this, Morocco has a fully developed film ecosystem, with production houses, skilled technicians, actors, and infrastructure that make filming seamless. When it comes to destination weddings, Morocco and India share strong cultural parallelsrituals, grandeur, and the overall celebratory atmosphere. This makes it easier for Moroccan planners to understand and successfully execute Indian weddings. Currently, we host around 10 Indian weddings annually, many from the Indian diaspora in the UK and the US, but increasingly from India itself. This segment is steadily growing. We are also seeing growth in MICE tourism, typically handling corporate groups of 150 to 200 people. In addition, Morocco is positioning itself strongly for honeymoons, anniversaries, birthdays, and other celebratory travel experiences. Q. Visa facilitation can often be a deal-breaker. How easy is it for Indian travellers to obtain a Moroccan visa? A. The visa process for Indian travellers is already very simple. Morocco offers an e-visa facility that can be completed in just a few minutes. Applicants only need a scanned passport copy and a photograph. The visa can be issued within a few hours, and in some cases, up to a maximum of four days. There are no queues or appointments involved. However, it is important to note that Morocco does not offer visa-free entry based on holding US or Schengen visas. Every Indian traveller must apply for a Moroccan visa, as visa decisions are made independently. Morocco is visa-free for certain nationalities, such as Americans and some Europeans, but not based on third-country visas. Q. Finally, at OTM 2026, what key message would you like Indian tour operators and travel planners to take away about Morocco? A. Morocco is an excellent alternative destination for frequent Indian travellers who are always looking for something new. It offers extraordinary cultural richness, diverse landscapes, and a wide range of experiences, from deserts and mountains to historic cities and coastal escapes. It is no coincidence that Morocco welcomed nearly 20 million tourists in 2025, making it the leading destination in Africa, with an average growth rate of around 15 per cent. Indian tour operators should view Morocco as a strategic destinationjust as Morocco considers India a strategic market. Ahead of the national elections, Bangladesh is set to sign a trade deal with the United States on February 9. The rushed move by the Muhammad Yunus government to ink the agreement just 72 hours before the elections has raised several questions. Due to the secrecy of the terms of the deal, the interim government is facing severe criticism from all quarters. Why the rushed 'secret' deal? The move comes after the United States has reduced India's tariffs to 18 per cent. Bangladesh fears losing its market share to India, as it cannot secure equally competitive or better terms. Dhaka's economy relies heavily on ready-made garment (RMG) exports to the US, which make up nearly 90 per cent of its American exports. Dhaka was slapped by the US with a 37 per cent tariff in April last year. Though the tariffs were negotiated and brought down to 20 per cent in August, the upcoming trade deal is expected to reduce the tariffs to 15 per cent. Also, it is said that it is unusual for a trade deal to be protected by a formal Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). There are rumours that the deal includes a moratorium on e-commerce tariffs, strict new intellectual property laws that could hike medicine prices, and even the removal of vehicle inspections for American cars entering Bangladesh. Due to the NDA, no draft of the agreement has been shared with the public or key industry stakeholders. Commerce Adviser, Sk Bashir Uddin, earlier said that there will be nothing in the agreement that goes against the country's interest. He also added that the US deal will be made public. The new trade deal is also viewed as the US's move to reduce Bangladesh's imports from China and increase military imports from the US. Is Bangladesh becoming a new "Proxy War" ground? While the deal lowers the 20% reciprocal tariff to 15%, it may come at the cost of alienating China, Bangladeshs largest supplier of industrial raw materials. It also forces Dhaka to allow US imports to enter its market freely by accepting the US standards and certifications without raising questions. Washington also wants easy access for its vehicles in the Bangladesh market. The trade deal is not transparent, as there has been no opportunity to weigh its advantages and disadvantages. "Had the tariff agreement been signed after the election, political parties could have discussed it. It is also worth considering whether the hands of the incoming elected government are being tied," Devpriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the private research organisation Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), told Prothom Alo. Since the signing of the agreement is before three days of the election, the implementation would fall on the newly elected government. Amidst ambiguity over whether India would continue to purchase Russian oil after reaching a trade deal with the US, Russia is reportedly turning to China, its primary buyer. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin made an emergency phone call to Chinese President Xi Jinping two days ago, which analysts described as a result of energy economics. Russias crude is being offered in China at widening discounts to attract Chinese refiners, Reuters quoted trade sources. It added that the discount of the ESPO blend that Russia ships from the Kozmino port in the Far East widened to almost $9 per barrel to ICE Brent, up from the $7$8 a barrel discount of the past months. There are also reports that the Urals crude, which was primarily shipped to India, is now partially diverted to China, and the discount on the same has reached $12 per barrel. The discount on Urals crude, which from western Russian ports was primarily shipped to India but is now being partially diverted to China, reached $12 per barrel. There are also reports that the discounts offered to Indian refiners have widened over the last 10 days, with Russias flagship Urals grade being offered at more than $10 a barrel below Brent. Also read: Russia plays its trump card to keep India on its side: Deeper discounts' China, too, is reportedly taking advantage of the Indian stance to reduce Russian oil."In recent months, Chinese buyers have been taking advantage of discounts on Russian oil, leading some to even reduce their purchases of Iranian crude in favour of importing more Russian," Vortexa analyst Emma Lee told reporters . "This trend is likely to continue in the near term, given India's ongoing purchase cuts, which will likely lead to even deeper discounts." China and India are Russias biggest buyers, with India accounting for 38% of Russian crude oil exports in December 2025, according to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). China was the largest buyer, with 47%. Turkey and the EU each accounted for 6%. China is also offsetting the loss from the Indian side by buying more Russian oil. As per data, from 2025 to November, India's average daily purchases ranged from 1.4 million to 2 million barrels, while China's ranged from 1 million to 1.3 million. However, in January 2026, India purchased only 1.1 million, while China purchased 1.65 million. This was China's largest purchase since March 2024 and its second largest since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Amid all these, Putin held an emergency conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also rang up US President Donald Trump on the same day, which analysts say is a result of the current energy equations. Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University in Beijing, told South China Morning Post that the two high-level conversations were rare but understandable and mostly a result of energy economics. In the phone call that came a day after the trade deal, Putin underscored the fact that Russia was the leading supplier of energy resources to China, adding that our energy partnership is mutually beneficial and truly strategic, hinting at how the trade deal is worrying him. A top Russian GRU general and a military intelligence official were shot several times in a residential building by an unidentified gunman in Moscow on Friday. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev was immediately hospitalised following the attack, the Russian Investigative Committee reported. The committee said that "an as-yet-unidentified individual fired several shots at a man and fled the scene." Telegram channels Mash and Baza said that the general was shot from behind. As of now no suspect has been identified but suspicion will likely fall on Kyiv. Ukrainian intelligence agencies have targetted dozens of Russian military officers and officials since the beginning of the war, the Guardian reported. The generals current condition is unknown, but he was reported to have survived the attack. Russian president Vladimir Putin is being briefed on the incident. The investigative committe are currently working at the scene of the incident and reviewing CCTV footage, and questioning eyewitnesses. A case was opened on the grounds of an attempted murder. The assassination attempt on Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev took place in a 24th-floor building at 24 Volokolamskoe Shosse in Moscow. Residents of the building had reportedly long complained that the building's CCTV cameras were not working. https://t.co/oBSWPN0xAh pic.twitter.com/EOXacwkuUq Special Kherson Cat (@bayraktar_1love) February 6, 2026 The shooting has come a day after Ukrainian and Russian delegations including Igor Kostyukov, met in Abu Dhabi to discuss peace. Kostyukov is Alekseyev's direct superior. Vladimir Alekseyev is the First Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) which is the country's military intelligence agency. He has been the GRU number two since 2011. In 2016, he was sanctioned by the US for being the mastermind behind the malicious cyber activities during the US presidential election the same year. He had also been accused by the UK and EU of orchestrating the Novichok weapons attacks in Salisbury in 2018, which targeted Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. In 2019, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation by the Kremlin. Addressing his cadres during the partys second-anniversary celebrations, actor and Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay invoked former matinee idol turned Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, predicting that the upcoming 2026 election in Tamil Nadu will be a watershed moment in state politics, akin to 1977. Vijay, who will be entering the electoral fray in the upcoming elections, has always fancied his performance to that of MGRs in 1977. Opponents always dredge up old charges against the newcomers. They pull out something from 50 years ago and begin trolling us. When MGR came into politics, the same establishment asked the same questions they ask us about political experience, Vijay said. He added, They dismissed MGR in a similar way, saying he doesnt know politics and only relies on glamour and publicity the same talk comes up now. Technology has grown. At least change your technique, boss Vijay took a jibe. The year 1977 has been an attraction, not just for Vijay, but for everyone from the tinsel town who wants to take the political plunge. But can Vijay repeat 1977 in Tamil Nadu? And why could no other actor after MGR repeat his victory in the Dravidian land influenced by Periyars ideologies and thoughts? MGR makes history in 1977 1977 was a watershed moment in Tamil Nadus politics, making history in many ways. The year 1977 saw the rise of a matinee idol to absolute power and also marked the advent of bipolar politics DMK and the AIADMK in the state. It was also historic as MGR chose to complete his final leg of shooting for his Maduraiyai Meeta Sundarapandian after winning the election and before being sworn in as Chief Minister. It was also the year when national parties the Congress under Indira Gandhi and the Janata Party under the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai lost their space completely. The year also wrote off Congress veteran K. Kamarajs popularity in the state. And the DMK, which was dismissed during the Emergency, also lost its space in the state. But all this history was not just because of MGR or just his popularity. MGRs political calculations, Indira Gandhis strategies after the Emergency, the Sarkaria Commission report against the DMK and the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi set the tone for the 1977 victory of the matinee idol then. MGRs arithmetic and political calculations In the 1977 Lok Sabha elections, just a few months ahead of the assembly general elections, MGRs AIADMK forged an alliance with the Congress under Indira Gandhi and the Communist Party of India (CPI). The Lok Sabha election was held in March 1977, and the assembly election was in May 1977. The DMK-Janata-Communist Party of India (Marxist) combine was fighting against the AIADMK-Congress-CPI alliance. MGRs alliance won in 34 out of the 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, while the DMK combine bagged only five seats. The AIADMK alone won in 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, which was a huge victory for the party to have representation in the Lok Sabha. Thanks to Indira Gandhi. But just within months, as the Congress had lost power at the Centre, MGR felt that being with the Congress would only bring him negative votes, even though he had won the maximum number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections by being in alliance with the Indira Congress. More than the Congress, though the Janata Party formed the government at the Centre under Prime Minister Morarji Desai, it was also unpopular in the state. And MGR did not want to get into an alliance with the Janata Party, which was weaker than the Congress in Tamil Nadu. MGR chose to forge an alliance with the CPI(M) in the assembly elections. The Marxists were in alliance with the DMK in the parliamentary elections, opposing Indira Gandhi, her Congress party, and the Emergency days. They were upset with the DMK because they could not win even in one constituency in the parliamentary elections. The equations between the DMK and the Marxists had hit a new low then. Understanding this rift, MGR sent his party office bearers to hold talks with the CPI(M) leaders in Chennai, which led to an alliance. Based on the voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections and his victory, MGR calculated that the arithmetic would work in his favour. He decided to give away a few constituencies to the Marxists and fight the election from a majority number of constituencies. This idea favored him. The AIADMK contested in 200 out of the 234 constituencies and won from 130 seats to sit as the single majority party in the state assembly. Being in alliance with MGRs AIADMK, the CPI(M) contested in 20 constituencies and won from 12 places. The AIADMK secured 30.36 percent votes in that election, and the Marxists, which won from 12 seats, secured 2.79 percent votes. In most of the constituencies, though MGR fielded new faces, most of them had solid political experience as they walked away from the DMK along with their leader. More than this, MGRs added strength came from V.R. Nedunchezhian, who was the second in command in C.N. Annadurai and M. Karunanidhis cabinet. Nedunchezhian had quit the DMK along with former ministers K. Rajaram and S. Madhavan and floated his own outfit called the Makkal DMK, which fought the 1977 election alliance with MGRs AIADMK. On the other side, the DMK contested in 230 out of the 234 constituencies. Apart from this, the Congress and the Janata Party made the election a four-way contest, which favored MGR. The Sarkaria Commission report branding Karunanidhi and the DMK as corrupt also contributed more pep to MGRs campaign. The national parties Congress and Janata were confined to a 34 percent vote share in the state. The INC contested in 198 seats and won only in 27 assembly segments by securing 17.50 percent votes. Congress was in alliance with the CPI, which contested in 32 constituencies and won from five with a 2.9 percent vote share. The Janata Party contested in 233 out of 234 constituencies and won only from 10 seats with just 16.66 percent votes. The DMK, on the other hand, contested from 230 constituencies and won only from 48, securing 24.89 percent votes. The 1977 election was just a 35 percent vote share election, and MGR could achieve a huge victory as it was a four-way contest. Why MGRs victory cannot be repeated, not just by Vijay but by anyone else in the state? While 1977 was the first assembly general election for the AIADMK, MGR was very active in politics for more than two decades since the 1950s. His brother Chakrapani, in his book, recalls how MGR chose to be a Gandhian and was influenced by Gandhian thoughts. MGR came into the DMK in 1953, influenced by Periyar, and was travelling very closely with Karunanidhi, who wrote many of MGRs screen dialogues in films like Manthiri Kumari. Karunanidhis fiery dialogues and MGRs screen performance made the film talk about Dravidian politics in depth in the state. This was one major leverage MGR had, compared to every other actor from Kollywood who has come into politics in the state. In fact, when MGR came into politics, the Dravidian polity was just getting ideologically shaped under Annadurai and Periyar, with many Dravidian stalwarts like Karunanidhi and Nedunchezhian. Apart from this, MGR also had solid political experience by campaigning for the DMK in four assembly general elections 1957, 1962, 1967, and 1971. He had a stint as an MLC in the upper house. He also won as an MLA in 1967 from the then Parangimalai constituency (the present-day Alandur constituency), contesting as the DMK candidate. This is when he was called by his supporters and fans as the Parangimalai Paari Puratchi Thalaivar. These stints as MLC and MLA earned him public support beyond his fan clubs. Again in 1973, just a few months after he split away from the DMK, his party contested in the Dindigul by-election. Maya Thevar was his first candidate. His party had just 21 days to face the election after getting the two leaves symbol. MGR ensured that the AIADMK got into an agreement with the Communists and made its candidate N. Sankaraiah withdraw from the election only to make way for AIADMKs victory. On the last day of withdrawal of nominations on April 28, 1973, Sankaraiah opted out of the fray, and this was considered MGRs masterstroke then. And now, five decades later, the political scenario in the state is not dominated by the national parties, and it is already bipolar between the two Dravidian majors. Both parties have strong grassroots strength in the state. While there is a four-way contest even in the upcoming election, the political equations in the state are not like how they were in 1977. MGRs popularity and his political experience, his idea of not being opposed to any power centre in Delhi always favored him. But he opposed the Congress and Janata, both national parties equally when in power. However, Vijay has not even chosen to launch an attack against the ruling BJP at a time when anti-BJP sentiments are deep in the state. Be it his JanaNayagan release, the Karur stampede case which was transferred to the CBI, or even the Income Tax case against him, Vijay or even his party members have not chosen to talk against the BJP. Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) CTO Thomas Ryder Booth sold 6,000 shares of Chevron stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.43, for a total transaction of $1,070,580.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 476 shares of the companys stock, valued at $84,932.68. The trade was a 92.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Chevron Stock Down 1.1% NYSE CVX traded down $2.03 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $179.20. 10,443,539 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,497,938. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $158.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $156.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Chevron Corporation has a 52 week low of $132.04 and a 52 week high of $182.59. The company has a market cap of $360.83 billion, a PE ratio of 26.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 12.50 and a beta of 0.70. Get Chevron alerts: Chevron (NYSE:CVX Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.08. Chevron had a return on equity of 8.23% and a net margin of 6.51%.The company had revenue of $45.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $48.18 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.06 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Chevron Corporation will post 10.79 earnings per share for the current year. Chevron Increases Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $1.78 per share. This represents a $7.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. This is a positive change from Chevrons previous quarterly dividend of $1.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. Chevrons dividend payout ratio is presently 102.70%. A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on CVX shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Chevron from $180.00 to $174.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Chevron from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Chevron from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and set a $176.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Chevron from $196.00 to $204.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Argus set a $203.00 price objective on shares of Chevron in a research note on Tuesday. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $175.00. Check Out Our Latest Report on CVX Institutional Trading of Chevron A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CVX. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Chevron by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,489 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $5,511,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005 shares during the last quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Chevron by 9.1% during the second quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,940 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $1,423,000 after acquiring an additional 832 shares in the last quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Chevron by 110.1% during the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 704 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Spectrum Asset Management Inc. NB CA boosted its position in Chevron by 7.4% in the second quarter. Spectrum Asset Management Inc. NB CA now owns 35,244 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $5,047,000 after purchasing an additional 2,422 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. raised its stake in Chevron by 18.5% during the 2nd quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. now owns 5,140 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $736,000 after acquiring an additional 803 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 72.42% of the companys stock. Chevron News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Chevron this week: Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend (to $1.78) and markets are re-emphasizing Chevrons cash-return story, which supports demand from income-focused investors. Dividend Hike Coverage Company raised its quarterly dividend (to $1.78) and markets are re-emphasizing Chevrons cash-return story, which supports demand from income-focused investors. Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and target increases (several buy/overweight notes and price-target bumps) have helped push sentiment and contributed to recent gains. Analyst Upgrade / 12-Month High Analyst support and target increases (several buy/overweight notes and price-target bumps) have helped push sentiment and contributed to recent gains. Positive Sentiment: Chevron signed an initial memorandum to explore offshore Syrian waters with a Qatari partner a potential long?term production growth opportunity if geopolitical and sanction issues can be managed. Reuters: Syrian waters deal Chevron signed an initial memorandum to explore offshore Syrian waters with a Qatari partner a potential long?term production growth opportunity if geopolitical and sanction issues can be managed. Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results were mixed EPS beat modestly but revenue and net income fell year?over?year; that supports the cash?flow narrative but tempers upside from growth metrics. Q4 Presentation Q4 results were mixed EPS beat modestly but revenue and net income fell year?over?year; that supports the cash?flow narrative but tempers upside from growth metrics. Neutral Sentiment: Senior leadership changes were announced for strategy, trading and business development internal promotions reduce execution risk but are not an immediate earnings catalyst. Reuters: leadership changes Senior leadership changes were announced for strategy, trading and business development internal promotions reduce execution risk but are not an immediate earnings catalyst. Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling disclosed this week (CFO, Vice Chairman, other senior officers) large, concentrated disposals have spooked some investors and can create short?term downward pressure on the stock. SEC Form 4 (CFO sale) Significant insider selling disclosed this week (CFO, Vice Chairman, other senior officers) large, concentrated disposals have spooked some investors and can create short?term downward pressure on the stock. Negative Sentiment: Oil prices slipped after geopolitical risk eased (U.S.Iran tensions cooled), reducing the sectors near?term revenue outlook and weighing on integrated majors like Chevron. Oil Price Slide Oil prices slipped after geopolitical risk eased (U.S.Iran tensions cooled), reducing the sectors near?term revenue outlook and weighing on integrated majors like Chevron. Negative Sentiment: Some shops (HSBC, others) have trimmed estimates or moved to Hold, warning that much of Chevrons rally may be priced in such notes can cap further upside. HSBC Cut About Chevron (Get Free Report) Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is an American multinational energy company engaged in virtually all aspects of the oil and gas industry. As an integrated energy firm, Chevrons core activities include upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and marketing of fuels and lubricants, and petrochemical manufacturing through joint ventures and subsidiaries. The company markets fuels under brands such as Chevron, Texaco and Caltex and supplies a range of products and services to retail customers, industrial users and commercial fleets worldwide. Chevron traces its corporate lineage to the early petroleum companies that eventually became Standard Oil of California and has evolved through significant mergers and restructurings, including the acquisitions of Gulf Oil and Texaco. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Chevron Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chevron and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) CEO Alex Karp proclaimed that his company's fourth-quarter 2025 results prove that Palantir is "an n of 1." The numbers that excited Karp so much were indeed stellar. Palantir's revenue soared 70% year over year to $1.4 billion. Its U.S. commercial revenue skyrocketed 137% year over year to $507 million. During Palantir's Q4 earnings call, management seemed to take a few swipes against companies such as Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA). For example, Palantir's Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Legal Officer, Ryan Taylor, said, "The next step is for the market to differentiate between those who are supplying the commoditization of cognition and those who are scaling the leverage made possible by it." 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 No company is, to borrow Taylor's words, "supplying the commoditization of cognition" more than Nvidia is. However, I have a contrarian take: Palantir has a much bigger problem than Nvidia. Image source: Getty Images. A tale of two constraints To be sure, Palantir and Nvidia share a similar top challenge. Neither company can keep up with demand. That's a great problem to have for both Palantir and Nvidia. Nvidia CFO Colette Kress told analysts in the company's third-quarter earnings call in November 2025, "The clouds are sold out, and our GPU installed base, both new and previous generations, including Blackwell, Hopper, and Ampere, is fully utilized." Nvidia is selling every GPU it can make. And the company appears to be chasing a moving target, with Kress mentioning that "demand for AI infrastructure continues to exceed our expectations." On a similar note, Palantir's Karp stated in his company's recent earnings call, "[W]e really don't have the bandwidth to do anything that's difficult outside of America." While Palantir's overall Q4 revenue growth was impressive, its international commercial revenue increased only 8% year over year. Granted, there also seemed to be a deeper issue with Palantir's sluggish international growth. Karp acknowledged "a real hesitance" to adopt Palantir's products in Western nations outside of the U.S. He added that America's allies "tend to want to buy products from themselves." Still, Palantir no doubt faces a significant capacity restraint -- and it's related to not having enough skilled staff to implement and support its technology. Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE:CW Get Free Report) COO Kevin Rayment sold 2,634 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $626.33, for a total value of $1,649,753.22. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 29,896 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $18,724,761.68. This trade represents a 8.10% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Curtiss-Wright Stock Performance Shares of CW traded down $4.85 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $620.08. 308,509 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 234,963. Curtiss-Wright Corporation has a 1-year low of $266.88 and a 1-year high of $683.09. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $593.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $548.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.87 billion, a PE ratio of 50.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.93. Get Curtiss-Wright alerts: Curtiss-Wright (NYSE:CW Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The aerospace company reported $3.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.28 by $0.12. Curtiss-Wright had a return on equity of 18.82% and a net margin of 13.78%.The business had revenue of $869.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $869.03 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.89 EPS. The companys revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Curtiss-Wright Corporation will post 12.32 EPS for the current fiscal year. Curtiss-Wright Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 26th will be given a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 26th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Curtiss-Wrights dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.82%. Several equities research analysts have issued reports on CW shares. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Curtiss-Wright in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and set a $660.00 target price on shares of Curtiss-Wright in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Curtiss-Wright from $607.00 to $661.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a buy rating and set a $625.00 price objective on shares of Curtiss-Wright in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $603.00 price objective on Curtiss-Wright in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned 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 target price of $612.33. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Curtiss-Wright Institutional Trading of Curtiss-Wright Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of CW. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in shares of Curtiss-Wright during the 2nd quarter valued at $270,731,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Curtiss-Wright in the 2nd quarter worth about $241,537,000. Munro Partners bought a new stake in shares of Curtiss-Wright in the second quarter valued at about $78,000,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Curtiss-Wright by 45.8% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 388,493 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $189,468,000 after acquiring an additional 122,048 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Curtiss-Wright during the third quarter worth $62,320,000. Institutional investors own 82.71% of the companys stock. Key Curtiss-Wright News Here are the key news stories impacting Curtiss-Wright this week: Positive Sentiment: Zacks previews next weeks earnings and notes Wall Street expects earnings growth for Curtiss?Wright, which raises the likelihood of an earnings beat that could support the share price. Curtiss?Wright (CW) Reports Next Week: Wall Street Expects Earnings Growth Zacks previews next weeks earnings and notes Wall Street expects earnings growth for Curtiss?Wright, which raises the likelihood of an earnings beat that could support the share price. Neutral Sentiment: The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share (payable April 13, record March 26). The payout is shareholder?friendly but small (?0.2% yield), so its unlikely to materially change valuation on its own. Curtiss?Wright Declares Dividend of $0.24 Per Share for Common Stock The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share (payable April 13, record March 26). The payout is shareholder?friendly but small (?0.2% yield), so its unlikely to materially change valuation on its own. Negative Sentiment: Multiple senior executives sold significant amounts of CW this week CEO Lynn Bamford (~9,327 shares, ~$5.8M), CFO K. Christopher Farkas (~2,665 shares), COO Kevin Rayment (~2,634 shares) and several VPs also sold smaller lots. Combined insider disposals total roughly $10M+ and represent double?digit % reductions for several officers, which markets often view as a negative signal about near?term insider conviction. See SEC Form 4 filings for details. SEC Form 4 (Lynn M. Bamford) About Curtiss-Wright (Get Free Report) Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) is a diversified, global engineering company that designs, manufactures and services highly engineered products and integrated systems for the aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Its offerings span a range of electromechanical, motion control and flow control technologies, including flight control and actuation systems, sensors and avionics components, pumps and valves, power conversion and heat exchangers, and platform integration solutions for marine and ground systems. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Curtiss-Wright Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Curtiss-Wright and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 11.400-12.200 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 12.060. The company issued revenue guidance of $8.8 billion-$8.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $8.9 billion. Rockwell Automation Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:ROK traded down $24.10 on Thursday, hitting $405.74. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,605,456 shares, compared to its average volume of 801,030. The stocks 50-day moving average is $406.96 and its two-hundred day moving average is $371.99. The company has a market capitalization of $45.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.14. Rockwell Automation has a 12 month low of $215.00 and a 12 month high of $438.72. Get Rockwell Automation alerts: Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The industrial products company reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.46 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $2.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.08 billion. Rockwell Automation had a net margin of 10.42% and a return on equity of 32.69%. Rockwell Automations revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.83 earnings per share. Rockwell Automation has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.400-12.200 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Rockwell Automation will post 9.35 EPS for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ROK. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Rockwell Automation from $335.00 to $365.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Rockwell Automation from $275.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Zacks Research downgraded Rockwell Automation from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Rockwell Automation from $392.00 to $402.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Rockwell Automation from $425.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $410.12. Get Our Latest Report on Rockwell Automation Insider Activity at Rockwell Automation In other Rockwell Automation news, SVP Rebecca W. House sold 1,698 shares of Rockwell Automation stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $402.06, for a total transaction of $682,697.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 12,200 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,905,132. The trade was a 12.22% 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, CEO Blake D. Moret sold 5,564 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $402.02, for a total value of $2,236,839.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 94,585 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,025,061.70. This trade represents a 5.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 25,531 shares of company stock valued at $10,259,637 in the last three months. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. More Rockwell Automation News Here are the key news stories impacting Rockwell Automation this week: Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations Rockwell reported $2.75 EPS and roughly $2.102.11B revenue (?+12% YoY), driven by organic sales growth and higher volumes; top?line and EPS surprised consensus, supporting the companys growth thesis. ROK Q1 Earnings Surpass Estimates Q1 results beat expectations Rockwell reported $2.75 EPS and roughly $2.102.11B revenue (?+12% YoY), driven by organic sales growth and higher volumes; top?line and EPS surprised consensus, supporting the companys growth thesis. Positive Sentiment: Margins and profitability showed meaningful improvement pre?tax and segment operating margins expanded materially on volume leverage, pricing and mix; annual recurring revenue also grew, indicating steadier recurring cash flow. Rockwell Automation Stock Dips After Earnings Beat: Why Bulls See a Fast Rebound Margins and profitability showed meaningful improvement pre?tax and segment operating margins expanded materially on volume leverage, pricing and mix; annual recurring revenue also grew, indicating steadier recurring cash flow. Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 guidance set but viewed as cautious management issued a FY26 EPS range (11.4012.20) and revenue targets that sit around or slightly below some sell?side expectations, leaving analysts parsing whether the guide is conservative or reflective of near?term headwinds. The mixed signal (strong quarter but cautious guide) is a primary reason for the stocks muted reaction. Rockwell Automation Lifts Guidance as Profit Jumps FY2026 guidance set but viewed as cautious management issued a FY26 EPS range (11.4012.20) and revenue targets that sit around or slightly below some sell?side expectations, leaving analysts parsing whether the guide is conservative or reflective of near?term headwinds. The mixed signal (strong quarter but cautious guide) is a primary reason for the stocks muted reaction. Negative Sentiment: Market sold off the shares despite the beat traders focused on the guidance tone and a one?time compensation timing effect that weighed on near?term cash flow, prompting profit?taking and a price decline on heavy volume. Whats Going On With Rockwell Automation Stock Thursday? Market sold off the shares despite the beat traders focused on the guidance tone and a one?time compensation timing effect that weighed on near?term cash flow, prompting profit?taking and a price decline on heavy volume. Negative Sentiment: Some analysts view operational gains as largely priced in at least one shop had already tempered upside expectations ahead of the print, which increases sensitivity to any cautious guidance or one?offs. That reduced the positive surprise impact. Oppenheimer Sees Operational Gains Largely Priced In Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rockwell Automation Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ROK. Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation during the third quarter worth $62,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in shares of Rockwell Automation in the 2nd quarter valued at about $111,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of Rockwell Automation in the third quarter valued at about $136,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Rockwell Automation by 20.8% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 493 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $172,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new position in Rockwell Automation during the third quarter valued at approximately $188,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the companys stock. Rockwell Automation Company Profile (Get Free Report) Rockwell Automation is a global industrial automation and digital transformation company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The firm designs, manufactures and supports control systems, industrial control hardware and software, and related services that help manufacturers and industrial operators automate processes, improve productivity and enable data-driven decision making. Rockwell traces its heritage to the Allen-Bradley and Rockwell automation businesses and positions itself as a provider of integrated automation solutions across discrete and process industries. The companys product portfolio includes programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), variable frequency drives, sensors, safety components and other industrial control hardware, often marketed under the Allen-Bradley brand. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Rockwell Automation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rockwell Automation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 8.200-8.520 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 7.080. The company issued revenue guidance of $12.2 billion-$12.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $12.0 billion. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have issued reports on HSY. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Hershey in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research raised Hershey from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Hershey from $187.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and fifteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Hershey has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $197.56. Get Hershey alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Hershey Hershey Trading Up 8.8% HSY traded up $18.21 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $224.00. 5,699,558 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,062,678. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.48 and a beta of 0.18. Hershey has a one year low of $150.04 and a one year high of $225.55. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $188.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $185.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 11.84%.The company had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.69 EPS. Hersheys revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Hershey In other news, insider Stacy Taffet purchased 200 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. This represents a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner acquired 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 47,860 shares in the company, valued at $8,876,115.60. This trade represents a 4.36% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 over the last three months. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Key Stories Impacting Hershey Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week: Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and strong 2026 outlook Hershey reported EPS of $1.71 vs. ~$1.40 expected and revenue above estimates; management set FY?2026 EPS guidance of $8.20$8.52 and revenue around $12.212.3B, well above street expectations, giving investors conviction in a recovery in earnings. Reuters: Hershey sees strong 2026 Q4 beat and strong 2026 outlook Hershey reported EPS of $1.71 vs. ~$1.40 expected and revenue above estimates; management set FY?2026 EPS guidance of $8.20$8.52 and revenue around $12.212.3B, well above street expectations, giving investors conviction in a recovery in earnings. Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase / cash return the board declared quarterly dividends ($1.452 common / $1.320 Class B), reflecting management confidence and boosting yield-driven demand for the stock. PR Newswire: Hershey Declares Quarterly Dividends Dividend increase / cash return the board declared quarterly dividends ($1.452 common / $1.320 Class B), reflecting management confidence and boosting yield-driven demand for the stock. Positive Sentiment: Analyst moves support momentum several shops raised price targets (Deutsche Bank lifted its target to $188; DA Davidson and others increased targets), signaling growing analyst comfort with the turnaround while some maintain neutral ratings ahead of full results digestion. InsiderMonkey: Deutsche Bank Lifts Target Analyst moves support momentum several shops raised price targets (Deutsche Bank lifted its target to $188; DA Davidson and others increased targets), signaling growing analyst comfort with the turnaround while some maintain neutral ratings ahead of full results digestion. Neutral Sentiment: Commodity-market ripple effects cocoa futures moved sharply higher after Hersheys forecast eased demand worries, a market reaction that reflects positioning and short covering more than a direct company operational change; rising cocoa futures are a mixed signal for producers and suppliers. Barchart: Cocoa Prices Settle Sharply Higher Commodity-market ripple effects cocoa futures moved sharply higher after Hersheys forecast eased demand worries, a market reaction that reflects positioning and short covering more than a direct company operational change; rising cocoa futures are a mixed signal for producers and suppliers. Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure persists despite the top?line beat, margins were hurt by high cocoa costs and tariff expenses; Q4 profit remained well below year?ago levels and input-costs could limit near?term margin expansion even as pricing helps sales. WSJ: Hershey profit dragged down by tariffs, cocoa costs Institutional Trading of Hershey A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Hershey in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC bought a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter worth about $72,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 20.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 697 shares of the companys stock valued at $116,000 after acquiring an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Hershey by 13.6% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $187,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Hershey Company Profile (Get 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. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Hershey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hershey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Booking, Expedia Group, Travelers Companies, Trip.com Group, MakeMyTrip, Thor Industries, and Allegiant Travel are the seven Travel stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Travel stocks are shares of companies whose primary business is tied to travel and tourismairlines, hotels and resorts, cruise lines, car rental firms, online travel agencies, and related service providers. They typically move with consumer travel demand and economic cycles, showing seasonality and sensitivity to factors like fuel prices, health crises, geopolitics, and travel regulations. Investors often use them to gain exposure to tourism recovery or expansion but must account for higher volatility compared with more defensive sectors. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Travel stocks within the last several days. Get alerts: Booking (BKNG) Booking Holdings Inc, formerly The Priceline Group Inc., is a provider of travel and restaurant online reservation and related services. The Company, through its online travel companies (OTCs), connects consumers wishing to make travel reservations with providers of travel services across the world. It offers consumers an array of accommodation reservations (including hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, apartments, vacation rentals and other properties) through its Booking.com, priceline.com and agoda.com brands. Expedia Group (EXPE) Expedia Group, Inc. operates as an online travel company in the United States and internationally. The company operates through B2C, B2B, and trivago segments. Its B2C segment includes Brand Expedia, a full-service online travel brand offers various travel products and services; Hotels.com for lodging accommodations; Vrbo, an online marketplace for the alternative accommodations; Orbitz, Travelocity, Wotif Group, ebookers, CheapTickets, Hotwire.com and CarRentals.com. Read Our Latest Research Report on EXPE 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 Trip.com Group (TCOM) Trip.com Group Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates as a travel service provider for accommodation reservation, transportation ticketing, packaged tours and in-destination, corporate travel management, and other travel-related services in China and internationally. The company acts as an agent for hotel-related transactions and selling air tickets, as well as provides train, long-distance bus, and ferry tickets; travel insurance products, such as flight delay, air accident, and baggage loss coverage; and air-ticket delivery, online check-in and seat selection, express security screening, real-time flight status tracker, and airport VIP lounge services. Read Our Latest Research Report on TCOM MakeMyTrip (MMYT) MakeMyTrip Limited, an online travel company, sells travel products and solutions in India, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Colombia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The company operates through three segments: Air Ticketing, Hotels and Packages, and Bus Ticketing. Read Our Latest Research Report on MMYT Thor Industries (THO) THOR Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells recreational vehicles (RVs), and related parts and accessories in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company offers travel trailers; gasoline and diesel Class A, Class B, and Class C motorhomes; conventional travel trailers and fifth wheels; luxury fifth wheels; and motorcaravans, caravans, campervans, and urban vehicles. Read Our Latest Research Report on THO Allegiant Travel (ALGT) Allegiant Travel Company, a leisure travel company, provides travel services and products to residents of under-served cities in the United States. The company offers scheduled air transportation on limited-frequency, nonstop flights between under-served cities and leisure destinations. As of February 1, 2024, it operated a fleet of 126 Airbus A320 series aircraft. Read Our Latest Research Report on ALGT Further Reading Alpine Income Property Trust (NYSE:PINE Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 2.090-2.130 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.980. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Alpine Income Property Trust Stock Performance NYSE PINE traded up $0.46 on Thursday, hitting $18.53. 190,247 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 146,630. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 0.74 and a quick ratio of 0.74. The firms 50-day moving average price is $17.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $15.59. The firm has a market cap of $262.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.15 and a beta of 0.59. Alpine Income Property Trust has a fifty-two week low of $13.10 and a fifty-two week high of $18.61. Get Alpine Income Property Trust alerts: Alpine Income Property Trust (NYSE:PINE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.42). Alpine Income Property Trust had a negative return on equity of 1.96% and a negative net margin of 8.86%.The business had revenue of $16.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.28 million. Alpine Income Property Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.090-2.130 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Alpine Income Property Trust will post 1.74 EPS for the current year. Alpine Income Property Trust Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 11th were issued a dividend of $0.285 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $1.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. Alpine Income Property Trusts payout ratio is currently -325.71%. A number of research analysts have issued reports on PINE shares. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Alpine Income Property Trust to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Alliance Global Partners reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust in a report on Monday, November 17th. Industrial Alliance Securities set a $18.50 target price on Alpine Income Property Trust in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Zacks Research upgraded Alpine Income Property Trust from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Jones Trading reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Alpine Income Property Trust in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Alpine Income Property Trust has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $18.30. Read Our Latest Research Report on Alpine Income Property Trust Key Stories Impacting Alpine Income Property Trust Here are the key news stories impacting Alpine Income Property Trust this week: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Alpine Income Property Trust Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. raised its stake in Alpine Income Property Trust by 110.6% during the third quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 74,421 shares of the companys stock worth $1,055,000 after purchasing an additional 39,079 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its position in shares of Alpine Income Property Trust by 33.7% in the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 53,296 shares of the companys stock worth $755,000 after buying an additional 13,448 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in Alpine Income Property Trust by 31.4% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 10,227 shares of the companys stock valued at $145,000 after acquiring an additional 2,442 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in Alpine Income Property Trust by 7.3% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 14,790 shares of the companys stock valued at $210,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Alpine Income Property Trust by 39.4% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 21,769 shares of the companys stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 6,149 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.50% of the companys stock. Alpine Income Property Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that specializes in acquiring, owning and managing single-tenant net lease properties. The company focuses on sale-leaseback and build-to-suit transactions with food and beverage companies, targeting facilities that support production, distribution and processing operations. By structuring long-term, triple-net leases, Alpine Income Property Trust seeks to deliver stable, predictable cash flow while allowing tenants to unlock capital from real estate assets and reinvest in their core businesses. The companys portfolio is diversified across multiple U.S. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Alpine Income Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alpine Income Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Xero (ASX:XRO) used an investor briefing to outline its artificial intelligence strategy and provide additional detail on the companys U.S. payments opportunity following its acquisition of Melio. Executives emphasized what they described as a foundation of continued, consistent, high-quality growth and profitability, and said that discipline has created capacity for new investments in AI and payments. Get alerts: AI as a TAM expander and shift from record to action Chief Executive Officer Sukhinder Singh Cassidy framed AI as a large market-expanding technology shift, citing a Gartner forecast of a 4x TAM expansion for SaaS companies. She said customers expectations for AI fall into four categories: getting faster help, getting time back through automation, becoming smarter now through insights, and unlocking growth. Singh Cassidy said Xeros role as a system of recordholding and processing customer financial datapositions it to combine proprietary data with horizontal large language models (LLMs) to deliver more accurate, context-aware intelligence. She characterized the companys ambition as a triple threat: evolving from system of record to system of action and system of decision-making. She also highlighted Xeros domain breadth across financial operations (including payroll, accounting, payments, bill pay, invoicing, tax preparation, analytics, and expenses) and its go-to-market reach, noting more than 250,000 accountants and 4.5 million subscribers. Xeros four-pillar AI strategy and early adoption metrics Chief Product Officer Diya Jolly described Xeros AI vision as four pillars: AI agents to automate actions and workflows across accounting, payments, and payroll to return time to customers. to automate actions and workflows across accounting, payments, and payroll to return time to customers. Actionable insights agents alongside automation, which Jolly said differentiates Xero from peers focused only on automation agents. alongside automation, which Jolly said differentiates Xero from peers focused only on automation agents. Reimagined AI-first SaaS experiences designed for managing an army of agents, with connected workflows and intelligent surfaces. designed for managing an army of agents, with connected workflows and intelligent surfaces. Trust and auditability through what Xero calls decision data and context graphs, aimed at enabling consistent, auditable outputs that general-purpose LLMs struggle to deliver in finance. Jolly said Xero has expanded its AI and machine learning talent over the past three years and built self-service tools for engineering teams to experiment with AI features. She shared several usage indicators, including an average of 22 hours per month saved by small businesses using automated actions, and more than 97% of help sessions resolved without a support ticket through AI-enabled chat and self-service tools in Xero Central. She also said messages per user to the JAX chatbot increased 61% per user in the last three months and that 12% of Xero Analytics users have adopted AI Insights features shortly after launch. On adoption, Jolly said about 2 million subscribers benefit from AI features across new and existing capabilities (including bank reconciliation suggestions and Hubdoc extraction). She added that FY26 generative AI launchessuch as JAX auto bank reconciliation and financial insightshad been adopted by more than 300,000 subscribers within the first three to four months. Product demos: JAX, agentic bank reconciliation, and Partner Hub Product leader Lisa showcased JAX as a financial super agent orchestrating multiple AI agents. She described a redesigned homepage that serves as a control room for agents and insights, replacing a prior to-do list. Lisa said Xero expanded JAX beyond its initial invoice creation agent to include agents for help questions and finance topic research via a partnership with OpenAI. A key demo centered on a 100% agentic bank reconciliation agent. Lisa contrasted a business with 118 items to reconcile manually versus another with only three remaining after the agent auto-reconciled 113 line items. She said the agent provides a log of actions and reasoning, and described four mechanisms driving automation: user rules, predicted matching documents, learning from the users history, and predictions based on patterns from 4.5 million platform users. Lisa said accuracy is over 97%. Lisa also demoed Xero Analytics AI Insights and a financial insights agent that can answer questions, break down revenue, analyze expenses, and run scenarios such as whether a business can afford a $20,000 van purchase. She said the insights agent is seeing over 90% accuracy. For accountants, she highlighted Xero Partner Hub, with an agent designed to query across client bases and generate client summaries for meetings. Monetization approach: bundles, add-ons, and experimentation with usage Jolly outlined a monetization framework intended to preserve simplicity and adoption while aligning pricing to value. She said Xero plans to bundle AI features across plans, offer add-ons for access without upgrading plans, and experiment with consumption-based pricing. Executives said the company aims to monetize incremental value beginning in FY27, while continuing to embed AI broadly and launch over a dozen new AI agents across accounting, payments, and payroll over the coming year. In Q&A, CFO Claire Bramley said Xero does not expect material changes in the medium term to the subscription gross margin profile from AI-related costs such as tokens, noting the company will monitor costs and factor them into pricing and monetization decisions. Melio: U.S. payments TAM, product embedding, and path to FY28 goals Singh Cassidy reiterated the strategic rationale for acquiring Melio, emphasizing demand for accounting plus payments in the U.S., digitization tailwinds in a market she said lags other countries, and the platform and team behind Melio. She said the combination supports Xeros 33 strategy and aims to improve unit economics through higher gross profit dollars per customer. Melio CEO Matan Bar described the U.S. SMB payments market as a $29 billion TAM, with accounts payable representing $14 billion today and projected to grow to $19 billion by 2030. He said 90% of U.S. small businesses still do not use software for accounts payable. Bar outlined frictions including continued reliance on checks and cash (20% of AP volume), long settlement times for checks and ACH, limited remittance data, and fragmented vendor payment preferences. Melio demos highlighted multiple bill ingestion methods (including Gmail scanning, a dedicated inbox address, accounting system sync, mobile photo capture, and desktop upload), AI-powered data extraction and categorization, and funding and delivery flexibility. Ilan said businesses can fund payments by bank transfer or credit card (with a 2.9% fee), and use a BNPL option to split into up to 12 installments. He also said Melio supports international payments to more than 80 countries. Eli demonstrated Xeros embedded bill pay experience powered by Melio, including KYB onboarding, connecting a bank account via Plaid, and paying bills within Xeros bills workflow. Eli said customers using Melio for bill payments are saving an average of five hours per month, and noted that credit card funding in Xeros embedded experience is coming soon. Executives outlined economic drivers for the U.S. payments businesstotal payment volume (TPV) and take rateand said Melio has influenced both through product design and education. A slide discussion cited an illustrative cohort in which TPV increases around 75% in the first 12 months after adoption, with continued double-digit growth beyond year one. Singh Cassidy and Bramley also discussed new U.S. disclosures planned to track progress, including bill payment revenue split between syndication and direct customer revenue, total TPV, gross TPV take rate for direct customers, and U.S. gross margin and gross profit. On FY28 objectives, management reiterated an aspiration previously announced with the acquisition: more than double Xeros fiscal 2025 group revenue by fiscal 2028, supporting a greater than the rule of 40 outcome in FY28. They also reiterated an expectation for Melio to reach EBITDA break-even on a run-rate basis by the end of the second half of fiscal 2028. About Xero (ASX:XRO) Xero Limited, together with its subsidiaries, a software as a service company, provides online business solutions for small businesses and their advisors in Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. It offers Xero, an open platform that connects small businesses to a range of solutions, which helps to manage their finances. The company also provides Xero mobile app; and accountant/bookkeeper tools, including Xero HQ, Xero Practice Manager, Xero Workpapers, and Xero Cashbook or Xero Ledger. Xero Limited was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand. See Also Loblaw Companies Limited (TSE:L Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as C$64.50 and last traded at C$64.50, with a volume of 279902 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$62.92. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have commented on L shares. Desjardins upgraded shares of Loblaw Companies from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the stock from C$62.00 to C$67.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Loblaw Companies from C$68.00 to C$72.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. National Bankshares increased their price target on Loblaw Companies from C$62.00 to C$66.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Securities lifted their price target on Loblaw Companies from C$63.00 to C$65.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, CIBC upped their price objective on Loblaw Companies from C$58.50 to C$67.00 in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Loblaw Companies currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$89.75. Get Loblaw Companies alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on L Loblaw Companies Stock Performance Loblaw Companies Cuts Dividend The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 166.11. The company has a market cap of C$78.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.61, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.30. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of C$62.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$83.26. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 30th were issued a dividend of $0.1411 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Loblaw Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.31%. Insider Activity at Loblaw Companies In other news, insider Kieran Barry Columb sold 40,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$59.50, for a total value of C$2,427,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 163,696 shares of the companys stock, valued at C$9,739,912. This represents a 19.95% decrease in their position. Over the last three months, insiders sold 102,044 shares of company stock valued at $6,092,002. Corporate insiders own 53.77% of the companys stock. About Loblaw Companies (Get Free Report) Loblaw is one of Canadas largest grocery, pharmacy, and general merchandise retailers, operating the most expansive store footprint in Ontario and maintaining sizable presences in provinces like Quebec and British Columbia. Key grocery banners include Loblaw, No Frills, and Maxi, while its pharmaceutical operations are the product of its 2014 acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart. The firm carries a robust private-label assortment, with top sellers like Presidents Choice and No Name. In addition to its retail operations, Loblaw oversees a financial-services business, which provides credit card services and guaranteed investment certificates, and also operates its PC Optimum loyalty program. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Loblaw Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Loblaw Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of TeliaSonera AB (OTCMKTS:TLSNY Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $9.5399 and last traded at $9.5399, with a volume of 8600 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $9.2030. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades TLSNY has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded TeliaSonera from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup raised TeliaSonera from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, UBS Group cut TeliaSonera from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, TeliaSonera currently has a consensus rating of Buy. Get TeliaSonera alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on TeliaSonera TeliaSonera Stock Performance The companys fifty day simple moving average is $8.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.45. TeliaSonera (OTCMKTS:TLSNY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The technology company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.16). TeliaSonera had a net margin of 4.35% and a return on equity of 8.87%. The business had revenue of $2.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.32 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that TeliaSonera AB will post 0.34 EPS for the current year. TeliaSonera Company Profile (Get Free Report) TeliaSonera (OTCMKTS:TLSNY) operates under the Telia Company brand as one of the leading telecommunications providers in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The company delivers a wide range of services, including mobile and fixed voice communications, broadband internet, television and streaming offerings, and enterprise-grade data and IP solutions. Its consumer segment focuses on mobile subscriptions, digital TV packages and home connectivity, while its business division provides managed network services, cloud platforms and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The roots of TeliaSonera trace back to the 19th century with Swedens Royal Telegraph Agency and Finlands national carrier, Sonera. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for TeliaSonera Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TeliaSonera and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Comerica, Cadence Bank, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Webster Financial are the five Bank stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeats stock screener tool. Bank stocks are shares of publicly traded banks and other deposit-taking financial institutions that give investors an ownership stake in the banks assets and earnings. They expose investors to the banking sectors driversinterest-rate margins, loan performance, deposit flows and regulatory riskand often provide dividend income while being sensitive to economic and credit cycles. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Bank stocks within the last several days. Get alerts: 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 Bank of America (BAC) Bank of America Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial products and services for individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, institutional investors, large corporations, and governments worldwide. It operates in four segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM), Global Banking, and Global Markets. Read Our Latest Research Report on BAC 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 Webster Financial (WBS) Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial products and services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking. Read Our Latest Research Report on WBS Further Reading Dylan Field, CEO of Figma (NYSE:FIG), said the companys approach to artificial intelligence has centered on applying the technology to solve real problems, rather than adding AI as a marketing layer. Speaking in a conversation about how product design is evolving in the age of AI, Field pointed to early, narrow use casessuch as automatically renaming design layersas examples of features that saved designers significant time and were immediately valued by users. Get alerts: From small AI utilities to design-to-prototype workflows Field said Figmas broader AI ambitions are reflected in products like Figma Make, which he described as enabling users to move right from design to prototype to back to design, arguing that designing and prototyping should be two sides of the same coin. Looking ahead, he said Figma is focused on bringing all the efficiency of experiences you can get in code to the designing canvas, signaling interest in capabilities that narrow the gap between design and implementation. Roles may persist, but responsibilities will blur He also described a future where designers could do more than create prototypes, potentially reaching a point where design work can help update an existing code base. Field cautioned that time frames are uncertain, noting in 6 months, 12 months, its hard to say exact time frames because we dont know. Asked whether AI-driven tools will cause product rolesdesigner, product manager, engineer, researchto fuse together, Field said his view has shifted. He previously believed roles would blur, but said his updated take is that roles will remain while responsibilities blur. In his view, AI pushes teams to be more generalist and reduces the ability to stay blocked behind role boundaries. Field said people will increasingly take on tasks outside their traditional lane: More people will prototype and participate in design. More people will engage with customers and do all of it. Specialized expertise will still matter, which is why roles persist. Agents, interfaces, and the importance of auditability On the future of user interfaces in an agent-driven world, Field said current thinking about agents is limited, typically framed as a user launching a task and receiving a finished result. While he expects more autonomous, long-running execution over time, he also predicted the prompt box will evolve. Field compared the current stage of AI interaction to an MS-DOS era of AI, suggesting the industry has not yet arrived at more mature interface paradigms. He emphasized that as agents become more capable, auditability will remain criticalpeople need to be able to review and understand what an agent did, rather than blindly trusting outputs. He also said the future is likely less about agents working independently in a sandbox and more about agents and humans working alongside each other in collaborative environments. Pointing to Figmas multiplayer canvas and inspiration from Google Docs-style collaboration, Field argued software will move toward a multiplayer philosophy, where humans and agents operate together, even if agents sometimes run tasks independently over long periods. Judgment, point of view, and opinionated outputs As AI enables near-instant generation of many design variations, Field said the key challenge shifts toward framing problems correctly and applying judgment. He argued that producing an output from a prompt is only a first step; prompting well is difficult, and teams still must ensure consistency across so many surfaces and modalities. Most importantly, he said design needs a point of view to stand out in an increasingly competitive software landscape. Field added that opinionated outputs matter because they generate a stronger reaction and serve as better material for iteration. In contrast, he said generic AI slop may technically work but fails to provoke a meaningful response. He described outputs as clay that still needs shaping through a process. In that context, Field referenced an acquisition, saying Figma is working with a company it acquired called Weavy, now called Figma Weave. He said the goal is to enable users to manipulate media outputs through a repeatable process that yields outstanding final assets. Riding foundation model progress and measuring ROI On whether Figma aims to build its own models, Field said the company experiments broadly, but emphasized that foundation models are improving so quickly it would be foolish to assume a company can outpace them. Instead, he said the strategic imperative is to ride that wave and add value on top of it. When asked about ROI metrics for AI and Figma, Field said he expects the time from design to development to shrink significantly. However, he stressed that craft, design, and taste are inherently non-verifiable aspects, making them hard to quantify. He suggested organizations should focus on qualitative decision-making processesspecifically, who decides when a product ships and how the tradeoffs between speed, business constraints, and quality are managed. Field argued that companies risk moving faster while shipping worse products, and said cultures that do not treat design as part of the gate for shipping may struggle more. He urged organizations to prioritize quality and ensure designers have a meaningful role in determining when work is ready to release. In closing remarks, the interviewer noted plans to partner closely with Figma to build great software, citing a desire for products that move people emotionally. Field thanked the interviewer for the partnership and concluded the discussion. About Figma (NYSE:FIG) Figma is a San Franciscobased software company that offers a web-based platform for interface design, prototyping and collaboration. Its flagship product, Figma, enables teams to create and refine user interfaces, vector graphics and design systems directly in a browser, eliminating the need for local installations. The platforms real-time collaboration features allow multiple stakeholdersdesigners, developers and product managersto edit and comment simultaneously, streamlining workflows and reducing version control issues. In addition to its core design tool, Figma provides FigJam, a digital whiteboarding solution that facilitates brainstorming sessions, wireframing and diagramming. Recommended Stories If you're a dividend investor, the first thing you'll probably notice about Enbridge (NYSE: ENB) is its attractive 5.6% dividend yield. For comparison, that's more than five times larger than the yield of the S&P 500 index (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), and well above the 3.1% yield of the average energy stock. There's a lot more to like about this Canadian energy giant. Enbridge is built to be boring Enbridge's core business is moving oil and natural gas around the world via its large portfolio of North American midstream assets. It charges fees for the use of these assets, so the volume of energy flowing through its system is more important than the price of the commodities it's moving. Energy is vital to the modern world, so volume tends to be robust even when oil prices are weak. 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. In addition to this business, Enbridge operates regulated natural gas utilities. These businesses must have their rates and capital investment plans approved by the government, yet they have monopolies in the markets they serve. The end result of this arrangement is generally slow and steady growth, along with reliable cash flows. The last segment of Enbridge's business is renewable energy. Although it accounts for just a few percent of the company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), it's contract-based and generates reliable cash flows. The more important piece of the story is that it gives the company a foothold in a market that is likely to see increased demand as the world shifts toward cleaner energy options. Built for today and tomorrow Enbridge's 30 consecutive annual dividend increases, in Canadian dollars, are proof that its business is a reliable income generator. However, the real reason why dividend investors may want to buy the stock today and hold for the long term is highlighted by the diversification of its business. Enbridge's portfolio is filled with reliable cash-generating assets. But the portfolio mix also shows how the company is evolving to meet the world's changing energy needs. Oil is giving way to natural gas, which seems likely to give way to renewable power over time. If you're looking for an energy stock that could set you up for a lifetime of reliable dividends, Enbridge could be just what you're looking for, even as the world's energy needs shift in a cleaner direction. ENGIE Sponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:ENGIY Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $30.14 and last traded at $30.13, with a volume of 21193 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $29.56. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays reissued an overweight rating on shares of ENGIE in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Berenberg Bank upgraded ENGIE to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating on shares of ENGIE in a report on Friday, November 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on ENGIE in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They issued an outperform rating on the stock. Finally, Citigroup reissued a buy rating on shares of ENGIE in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Get ENGIE alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on ENGIE ENGIE Stock Down 2.1% ENGIE Company Profile The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.06. The companys 50 day moving average price is $27.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.11. (Get Free Report) ENGIE is a Paris-headquartered multinational energy company engaged across the value chain of electricity and natural gas, along with associated infrastructure and services. The company develops, builds and operates power generation assets (including gas-fired plants and an expanding portfolio of renewable generation such as wind, solar and hydro), trades and markets energy commodities, and supplies energy to industrial, commercial and residential customers. ENGIE also provides energy infrastructure and networks, liquefied natural gas (LNG) solutions, and a range of energy services including energy efficiency, facility management and distributed energy systems. The group traces its modern corporate roots to the 2008 combination of Gaz de France and Suez, and subsequently adopted the ENGIE name in 2015 as part of a strategic repositioning. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for ENGIE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ENGIE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sandvik AB (OTCMKTS:SDVKY Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $41.33 and last traded at $41.1425, with a volume of 54084 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $39.66. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating on shares of Sandvik in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Rothschild Redb raised Sandvik from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Citigroup reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Sandvik in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group cut Sandvik from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Sunday, January 25th. Finally, Barclays reissued an overweight rating on shares of Sandvik in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Buy. Get Sandvik alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Sandvik Sandvik Stock Down 0.9% The firms 50 day moving average is $34.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.78, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market cap of $51.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.51. Sandvik (OTCMKTS:SDVKY Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The industrial products company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.37 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $3.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.38 billion. Sandvik had a return on equity of 17.13% and a net margin of 12.16%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Sandvik AB will post 1.27 EPS for the current year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sandvik Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sandvik by 3,795.5% in the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 857 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 835 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Sandvik by 24.8% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,406 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 1,473 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Sandvik by 15.9% in the 2nd quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 22,037 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $502,000 after acquiring an additional 3,030 shares in the last quarter. 0.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Sandvik Company Profile (Get Free Report) Sandvik (OTCMKTS: SDVKY) is a global engineering group headquartered in Sandviken, Sweden, with roots dating back to 1862 when it was founded by Goran Fredrik Goransson. The company designs, manufactures and services advanced products and solutions for the mining and construction industries, metalworking and material technology markets. Sandvik serves customers worldwide with a broad portfolio of industrial products, equipment and aftermarket services. Sandviks core activities span three broad areas: metal-cutting and machining solutions, mining and rock excavation equipment, and specialty materials and components. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Sandvik Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sandvik and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hellenic Telecom Organization (OTCMKTS:HLTOY Get Free Report) and IDT (NYSE:IDT Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation and profitability. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Hellenic Telecom Organization and IDTs revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Hellenic Telecom Organization alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Hellenic Telecom Organization $2.10 billion 3.79 $518.11 million $0.63 15.40 IDT $1.23 billion 0.99 $76.09 million $3.22 15.06 Dividends Hellenic Telecom Organization has higher revenue and earnings than IDT. IDT is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Hellenic Telecom Organization, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Hellenic Telecom Organization pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. IDT pays an annual dividend of $0.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.5%. Hellenic Telecom Organization pays out 57.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. IDT pays out 7.5% 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. IDT has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Profitability This table compares Hellenic Telecom Organization and IDTs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Hellenic Telecom Organization 15.62% 26.32% 10.20% IDT 6.53% 27.12% 13.67% Institutional and Insider Ownership 59.3% of IDT shares are held by institutional investors. 25.4% of IDT shares are held 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. Risk & Volatility Hellenic Telecom Organization has a beta of 0.12, suggesting that its stock price is 88% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, IDT has a beta of 0.8, suggesting that its stock price is 20% less volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Hellenic Telecom Organization and IDT, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Hellenic Telecom Organization 0 0 1 0 3.00 IDT 0 1 0 0 2.00 About Hellenic Telecom Organization (Get Free Report) Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. provides telecommunications and related services to businesses and individuals primarily in Greece and Romania. It operates through OTE, COSMOTE Group, and Telekom Romania Mobile segments. The company offers fixed-line, Internet access, ICT, and TV production services; and international carrier services. It also provides mobile and satellite telecommunication, electronic money, e-commerce, financing, consultancy and security, real estate, insurance brokerage, training, wholesale telephony, retail, marketing, overdue accounts management, wholesale broadband, and infrastructure services. Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. was incorporated in 1949 and is based in Athens, Greece. Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. operates as a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG. About IDT (Get Free Report) IDT Corporation provides communications and payment services in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through Fintech, National Retail Solutions, net2phone, and Traditional Communications segments. The company operates point of sale, a terminal-based platform which provides independent retailers store management software, electronic payment processing, and other ancillary merchant services; and provides marketers with digital out-of-home advertising and transaction data. It also offers BOSS Money for international money remittance, and related value and payment transfer services; and Leaf, a digital wallet services which operates money transfer businesses, as well as net2phone, a unified cloud communication services, which includes voice, texting, and chat services to enable smarter business conversations. In addition, the company provides IDT Digital Payments enables businesses, entrepreneurs, and developers to offer prepaid digital offerings including mobile airtime top-up, mobile data bundles, digital gift cards, and prepaid utility payments through its Zendit platform; and BOSS Revolution Calling, which provides international long-distance voice services primarily to immigrant communities in the United States and Canada. Further, it offers IDT Global, a wholesale provider of international voice and SMS termination, and outsourced traffic management solutions to telecoms; and IDT Express, a unique self-serve portal that offers SMBs the power to purchase DIDs, manage IPs, select termination quality, make payments, and other services. The company also provides Awards2Go, a B2B incentive, loyalty, and customer appreciation gift card solution; and IO Security which provides automation to remediation. IDT Corporation was incorporated in 1978 and is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Receive News & Ratings for Hellenic Telecom Organization Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hellenic Telecom Organization and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mongolia Growth Group Ltd. (CVE:YAK Get Free Report) was down 2.5% on Thursday . The company traded as low as C$1.18 and last traded at C$1.18. Approximately 4,100 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 21,180 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.21. Mongolia Growth Group Stock Performance The firm has a market cap of C$30.04 million, a P/E ratio of -2.23 and a beta of 0.41. The stocks 50-day moving average is C$1.18 and its 200 day moving average is C$1.20. About Mongolia Growth Group (Get Free Report) Mongolia Growth Group Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides property management, leasing, renovation, and development services in Mongolia. The company operates through three segments: Investment Property Operations, Corporate, and Subscription Products. Its investment portfolio consists of office, retail, land and redevelopment, and commercial and residential properties. The company also offers subscription services which allows customers the right to access its weekly data publications; and invests in securities portfolio. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Mongolia Growth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mongolia Growth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BNP Paribas Exane cut shares of Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM Free Report) from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a report published on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has $125.00 price target on the oil and gas companys stock. Several other brokerages also recently commented on XOM. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $129.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on shares of Exxon Mobil from $142.00 to $137.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 5th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c) rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Mizuho boosted their target price on Exxon Mobil from $129.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a buy rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a report on Monday, January 26th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Exxon Mobil has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $140.59. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on XOM Exxon Mobil Trading Down 1.0% NYSE XOM opened at $146.07 on Tuesday. Exxon Mobil has a 12 month low of $97.80 and a 12 month high of $147.84. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $125.11 and a 200 day simple moving average of $117.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.15, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company has a market capitalization of $616.01 billion, a PE ratio of 21.83, a P/E/G ratio of 15.30 and a beta of 0.39. Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $82.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $77.98 billion. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 11.21% and a net margin of 8.68%.The companys revenue was down 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.67 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil will post 7.43 EPS for the current year. Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 12th will be given a dividend of $1.03 per share. This represents a $4.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 12th. Exxon Mobils dividend payout ratio is currently 61.58%. Insider Activity In related news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 5,000 shares of Exxon Mobil stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.75, for a total value of $698,750.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 23,584 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,295,864. This trade represents a 17.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 11,000 shares of company stock worth $1,406,570 in the last ninety days. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exxon Mobil Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in XOM. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 215,892 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $24,342,000 after purchasing an additional 5,573 shares in the last quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. raised its position in Exxon Mobil by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. now owns 389,769 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $42,017,000 after purchasing an additional 5,527 shares during the period. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 3.3% in the third quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 306,658 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $34,576,000 after purchasing an additional 9,831 shares during the last quarter. Capital Counsel LLC NY lifted its stake in Exxon Mobil by 0.9% in the second quarter. Capital Counsel LLC NY now owns 49,687 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $5,356,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OneAscent Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Exxon Mobil by 116.7% during the second quarter. OneAscent Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,657 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $825,000 after buying an additional 4,123 shares during the period. 61.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Trending Headlines about Exxon Mobil Here are the key news stories impacting Exxon Mobil this week: Exxon Mobil Company Profile (Get 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Exxon Mobil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Exxon Mobil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Galp Energia SGPS (OTCMKTS:GLPEY Free Report) from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley raised Galp Energia SGPS from an underweight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Berenberg Bank cut Galp Energia SGPS from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Citigroup lowered shares of Galp Energia SGPS from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Galp Energia SGPS from a hold rating to a moderate sell rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Santander downgraded shares of Galp Energia SGPS from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Get Galp Energia SGPS alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on GLPEY Galp Energia SGPS Trading Down 0.7% About Galp Energia SGPS Shares of Galp Energia SGPS stock opened at $9.97 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $15.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.85 and a beta of 0.06. Galp Energia SGPS has a 52-week low of $6.76 and a 52-week high of $10.67. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $9.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. (Get Free Report) Galp Energia SGPS is an integrated energy company headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, with core operations spanning upstream exploration and production, midstream refining, and downstream distribution and marketing. In its upstream segment, the company explores and produces oil and natural gas in regions such as Brazils pre-salt basins, African offshore blocks in Angola and Mozambique, and domestic wells in Portugal. Its midstream activities include refining crude oil at the Sines facility and operating a network of pipelines, while downstream operations involve the distribution and retail sale of petroleum products through the Galp-branded service station network across the Iberian Peninsula. In addition to its traditional oil and gas business, Galp has expanded into power generation and renewable energy. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Galp Energia SGPS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Galp Energia SGPS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Barclays PLC (LON:BARC Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of Moderate Buy from the six analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 499.17. BARC has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Barclays from GBX 435 to GBX 500 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Barclays from GBX 440 to GBX 475 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Shore Capital restated a buy rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Barclays from GBX 500 to GBX 570 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Barclays from GBX 480 to GBX 570 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Get Barclays alerts: Get Our Latest Report on Barclays Barclays Stock Down 2.2% Shares of LON BARC opened at GBX 490.40 on Friday. The businesss 50 day moving average price is GBX 470.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is GBX 412.46. The company has a market cap of 67.90 billion, a PE ratio of 12.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.36. Barclays has a twelve month low of GBX 223.75 and a twelve month high of GBX 506.40. Barclays (LON:BARC Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 16th. The financial services provider reported GBX 24.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Barclays had a return on equity of 6.97% and a net margin of 19.54%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Barclays will post 39.1062802 EPS for the current fiscal year. Trending Headlines about Barclays Here are the key news stories impacting Barclays this week: About Barclays (Get Free Report) Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through Barclays UK and Barclays International division segments. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. In addition, the company engages in securities dealing activities. The company was formerly known as Barclays Bank Limited and changed its name to Barclays PLC in January 1985. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Barclays Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barclays and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Park Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:PK Free Report) had its price objective lowered by Truist Financial from $12.00 to $11.00 in a report published on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. Truist Financial currently has a hold rating on the financial services providers stock. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Park Hotels & Resorts from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $10.00 price objective on Park Hotels & Resorts in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Barclays assumed coverage on Park Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They set an overweight rating and a $13.00 price objective for the company. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Park Hotels & Resorts from $13.00 to $12.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Park Hotels & Resorts from a sell (d+) rating to a hold (c-) rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Reduce and an average price target of $11.27. Get Park Hotels & Resorts alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on Park Hotels & Resorts Park Hotels & Resorts Price Performance Insider Buying and Selling Shares of Park Hotels & Resorts stock opened at $11.16 on Tuesday. Park Hotels & Resorts has a 52-week low of $8.27 and a 52-week high of $13.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -159.36 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a fifty day moving average of $10.94 and a 200-day moving average of $11.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. In other Park Hotels & Resorts news, Director Christie B. Kelly bought 2,949 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $11.19 per share, for a total transaction of $32,999.31. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 150,501 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,684,106.19. This trade represents a 2.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.90% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Fund Management S.A. grew its stake in Park Hotels & Resorts by 39.1% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 370,803 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,793,000 after acquiring an additional 104,307 shares during the period. SAM Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Park Hotels & Resorts during the third quarter worth $2,212,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its position in shares of Park Hotels & Resorts by 370.3% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 432,535 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $4,425,000 after purchasing an additional 340,568 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. increased its stake in Park Hotels & Resorts by 179.5% in the second quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 38,789 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 24,911 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in Park Hotels & Resorts in the second quarter valued at $113,000. 92.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Park Hotels & Resorts (Get Free Report) Park Hotels & Resorts Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in luxury and upper-upscale hospitality properties. The companys primary business activity involves owning and leasing premier hotels and resorts across major urban and resort destinations. Through long-term management and franchise agreements with leading hotel operators, Park generates revenue from room nights, food and beverage offerings, meetings and events, and ancillary services. Since its spin-off from Hilton Worldwide in January 2017, Park Hotels & Resorts has assembled a diversified portfolio of more than 60 properties. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Park Hotels & Resorts Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Park Hotels & Resorts and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI Get Free Report) and Equity Residential (NYSE:EQR Get Free Report) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings and institutional ownership. Institutional and Insider Ownership 99.6% of Sun Communities shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.7% of Equity Residential shares are held by institutional investors. 1.8% of Sun Communities shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.1% of Equity Residential shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Get Sun Communities alerts: Earnings and Valuation This table compares Sun Communities and Equity Residentials revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Sun Communities $3.22 billion 4.74 $101.80 million $7.98 15.46 Equity Residential $2.98 billion 7.89 $1.04 billion $3.03 20.39 Equity Residential has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Sun Communities. Sun Communities is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Equity Residential, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Risk and Volatility Sun Communities has a beta of 0.9, indicating that its share price is 10% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Equity Residential has a beta of 0.76, indicating that its share price is 24% less volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability This table compares Sun Communities and Equity Residentials net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Sun Communities 42.58% -4.53% -2.29% Equity Residential 37.58% 10.30% 5.54% Dividends Sun Communities pays an annual dividend of $4.16 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. Equity Residential pays an annual dividend of $2.77 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.5%. Sun Communities pays out 52.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Equity Residential pays out 91.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Sun Communities has raised its dividend for 8 consecutive years and Equity Residential has raised its dividend for 4 consecutive years. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Sun Communities and Equity Residential, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Sun Communities 1 7 6 0 2.36 Equity Residential 0 12 7 0 2.37 Sun Communities presently has a consensus target price of $137.46, suggesting a potential upside of 11.40%. Equity Residential has a consensus target price of $70.01, suggesting a potential upside of 13.31%. Given Equity Residentials stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Equity Residential is more favorable than Sun Communities. Summary Equity Residential beats Sun Communities on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks. About Sun Communities (Get Free Report) Established in 1975, Sun Communities, Inc. became a publicly owned corporation in December 1993. The Company is a fully integrated REIT listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: SUI. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned, operated, or had an interest in a portfolio of 667 developed MH, RV and Marina properties comprising 179,310 developed sites and approximately 48,030 wet slips and dry storage spaces in the U.S., the UK and Canada. About Equity Residential (Get Free Report) Equity Residential is committed to creating communities where people thrive. The Company, a member of the S&P 500, is focused on the acquisition, development and management of residential properties located in and around dynamic cities that attract affluent long-term renters. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 305 properties consisting of 80,683 apartment units, with an established presence in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California, and an expanding presence in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Austin. Receive News & Ratings for Sun Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sun Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 3,179,463 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 36,521 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc.s holdings in Altria Group were worth $210,035,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MO. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 62.5% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 16,395,070 shares of the companys stock worth $954,446,000 after buying an additional 6,302,819 shares in the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new position in Altria Group during the second quarter valued at $126,471,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Altria Group by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,717,148 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,364,216,000 after acquiring an additional 1,599,923 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Altria Group by 1,094.0% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,158,437 shares of the companys stock worth $67,919,000 after purchasing an additional 1,061,413 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Altria Group by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 72,367,263 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,315,438,000 after purchasing an additional 886,583 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 57.41% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group Trading Up 0.4% MO opened at $65.42 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $59.56 and a 200 day moving average of $61.91. Altria Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $52.37 and a 12 month high of $68.60. The firm has a market cap of $109.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 0.47. Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $5.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.02 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 29.84% and a negative return on equity of 287.61%. Altria Groups revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.30 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Altria Group declared that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that permits the company to buyback $2.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 1.9% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often an indication that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. Altria Group Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a dividend of $1.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.5%. Altria Groups payout ratio is 103.16%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In MO has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group lifted their target price on Altria Group from $63.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Argus upgraded Altria Group to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Altria Group from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $62.56. Get Our Latest Report on Altria Group Altria Group Company Profile (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc (NYSE: MO) is a U.S.-based consumer goods company whose principal business is the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, the companys operations are focused primarily on the U.S. market and include the production, marketing and distribution of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and cigars. Its flagship cigarette franchise in the United States is sold through its operating subsidiaries and is among the most recognizable cigarette brands in the country. Altrias principal operating businesses include Philip Morris USA (cigarettes), U.S. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cowbell has entered the Australian insurance market, unveiling its Prime One cyber insurance programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with annual revenues of up to A$100m. The offering is the result of an exclusive agreement between Cowbell and Zurich. The policies are underwritten by Zurich Australian Insurance, bringing together Zurich's financial presence in the region with Cowbells technology-driven underwriting and claims processes. Coverage offers limits of up to A$5m per claim and uses an AI model to assess each clients cyber risks. Each Prime One policy provides businesses with access to Cowbells suite of resilience resources aimed at improving cybersecurity preparedness well before any incident arises. This includes Cowbell Factors, which delivers AI-based risk assessments unique to each business. Cowbell Insights will offer specific recommendations tailored to the organisations risk profile. Cowbell Resiliency Services delivers guidance such as micro penetration testing, cybersecurity training, vendor risk management and connections to trusted cybersecurity providers through the Cowbell Rx marketplace. To oversee the local operation, Cowbell has appointed Anthony Wall as head of underwriting. Wall previously led cyber practice at AIG and has held senior positions at Munich Re and Chubb. Alric Lal has been named head of business development for Australia, bringing experience from previous roles at UBT in Sydney, Marsh in Auckland and Aon London. Cowbell founder and CEO Jack Kudale said: "Cyber protection shouldn't be complicated; it should give businesses confidence to keep moving. "By partnering with Zurich, we are offering Australian organisations a dependable foundation for cyber resilience, supported by Cowbell's continuous underwriting, risk intelligence and proven track record in managing cyber risk." Last year, Cowbell broadened its product range in the US by working with Zurich North America to offer a multi-line insurance solution. "Cowbell debuts cyber insurance solution for Australian SMEs" was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG Free Report) by 65.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 179,877 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 71,323 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc.s holdings in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group were worth $2,867,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 17.4% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 89,513,174 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,228,121,000 after purchasing an additional 13,275,383 shares during the period. SCS Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 482.0% in the 2nd quarter. SCS Capital Management LLC now owns 1,107,229 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,191,000 after purchasing an additional 916,992 shares in the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group during the second quarter worth approximately $8,369,000. Massar Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth $8,129,000. Finally, ABN Amro Investment Solutions acquired a new stake in shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group during the second quarter worth about $6,201,000. 13.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MUFG shares. UBS Group raised shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, December 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Stock Performance Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group stock opened at $18.23 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.75. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.46 and a fifty-two week high of $18.90. The company has a market capitalization of $216.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.99, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.85. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (NYSE:MUFG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.02. The company had revenue of ($1,075.42) million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.30 billion. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group had a net margin of 13.87% and a return on equity of 9.69%. On average, analysts anticipate that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Profile (Free Report) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc (MUFG) is a Tokyo-based financial services holding company and one of Japans largest banking groups and among the worlds leading financial institutions. The group was formed through the integration of Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group and UFJ Holdings and operates a comprehensive suite of banking and financial services for retail, corporate, and institutional clients. MUFGs core banking operations are conducted through its commercial banking arm and a network of domestic and international subsidiaries and affiliates. MUFG offers a broad range of products and services including commercial and retail banking, corporate and investment banking, global transaction banking, trust banking, asset management, securities and brokerage services, credit cards, consumer finance, leasing and custody services. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MUFG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Heineken NV (OTCMKTS:HEINY Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Buy from the eight analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Heineken in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. UBS Group upgraded Heineken to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Oddo Bhf downgraded Heineken to a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane lowered Heineken from an outperform rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Get Heineken alerts: Get Our Latest Report on HEINY Heineken Price Performance About Heineken Shares of Heineken stock opened at $43.50 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The firms 50 day moving average is $40.41 and its 200 day moving average is $40.19. Heineken has a 1 year low of $34.69 and a 1 year high of $46.62. (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 on?trade and off?trade channels as well as e?commerce. 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Heineken Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Heineken and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN Get Free Report) and Cannae (NYSE:CNNE Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Franklin Resources and Cannaes net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Franklin Resources alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Franklin Resources 6.97% 9.58% 3.87% Cannae -108.39% -23.16% -18.38% Earnings & Valuation This table compares Franklin Resources and Cannaes revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Franklin Resources $8.85 billion 1.58 $524.90 million $1.08 24.90 Cannae $452.50 million 1.55 -$304.60 million ($7.73) -1.84 Franklin Resources has higher revenue and earnings than Cannae. Cannae is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Franklin Resources, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Risk and Volatility Franklin Resources has a beta of 1.46, indicating that its share price is 46% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cannae has a beta of 1.09, indicating that its share price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Franklin Resources and Cannae, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Franklin Resources 4 5 2 0 1.82 Cannae 1 1 2 0 2.25 Franklin Resources presently has a consensus price target of $25.89, suggesting a potential downside of 3.74%. Cannae has a consensus price target of $20.50, suggesting a potential upside of 44.47%. Given Cannaes stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Cannae is more favorable than Franklin Resources. Dividends Franklin Resources pays an annual dividend of $1.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.9%. Cannae pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.2%. Franklin Resources pays out 122.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Cannae pays out -7.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Franklin Resources has increased its dividend for 45 consecutive years. Franklin Resources is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. Insider and Institutional Ownership 47.6% of Franklin Resources shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 88.1% of Cannae shares are held by institutional investors. 23.4% of Franklin Resources shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 10.9% of Cannae shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Franklin Resources beats Cannae on 12 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks. About Franklin Resources (Get Free Report) Franklin Resources, Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, institutions, pension plans, trusts, and partnerships. It launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and multi-asset mutual funds through its subsidiaries. The firm invests in the public equity, fixed income, and alternative markets. Franklin Resources, Inc. was founded in 1947 and is based in San Mateo, California with an additional office in Calgary, Canada; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Fort Lauderdale, United States; Hyderabad, India; London, United Kingdom; Rancho Cordova, United states; Shanghai, China; Singapore; Stamford, United States; and Vienna, Austria. About Cannae (Get Free Report) Cannae Holdings, Inc. is a principal investment firm. The firm primarily invests in restaurants, technology enabled healthcare services, financial services and more. It takes both minority and majority stakes. Cannae Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Receive News & Ratings for Franklin Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Franklin Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF Free Report) had its price objective cut by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $8.25 to $8.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a market perform rating on the stock. KREF has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a neutral rating and set a $9.00 price target (down previously from $9.50) on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from $11.00 to $10.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. BTIG Research lowered KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $10.00. Get KKR Real Estate Finance Trust alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on KKR Real Estate Finance Trust KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Stock Down 7.4% KREF opened at $7.30 on Thursday. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust has a fifty-two week low of $7.22 and a fifty-two week high of $11.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.83, a current ratio of 407.64 and a quick ratio of 423.43. The firms fifty day moving average price is $8.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.73. The company has a market capitalization of $468.92 million, a P/E ratio of -6.95 and a beta of 0.88. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (NYSE:KREF Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.08. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust had a negative net margin of 10.80% and a negative return on equity of 1.13%. The company had revenue of $32.72 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.06 million. On average, analysts anticipate that KKR Real Estate Finance Trust will post 1.05 EPS for the current year. KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 13.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 31st. KKR Real Estate Finance Trusts dividend payout ratio is presently -95.24%. Insider Buying and Selling at KKR Real Estate Finance Trust In related news, Director Ralph F. Rosenberg sold 125,289 shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.25, for a total value of $1,033,634.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.90% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 12.9% during the second quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 119,601 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,079,000 after acquiring an additional 13,658 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its holdings in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 262.2% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 204,308 shares of the companys stock worth $1,792,000 after purchasing an additional 147,895 shares during the last quarter. Condor Capital Management lifted its position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 27.6% during the 2nd quarter. Condor Capital Management now owns 344,625 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 74,532 shares during the period. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in KKR Real Estate Finance Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $570,000. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in shares of KKR Real Estate Finance Trust by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 33,895 shares of the companys stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 1,913 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.23% of the companys stock. More KKR Real Estate Finance Trust News Here are the key news stories impacting KKR Real Estate Finance Trust this week: Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo cut its price target from $10 to $9 but kept an overweight rating, implying meaningful upside vs. the current share level a supportive institutional view. Article Wells Fargo cut its price target from $10 to $9 but kept an overweight rating, implying meaningful upside vs. the current share level a supportive institutional view. Positive Sentiment: KKRs Q4 call outlined a $1.5B repayment target and aggressive asset resolutions moves that should strengthen the balance sheet and reduce credit risk over time. MSN: Repayment & Resolutions KKRs Q4 call outlined a $1.5B repayment target and aggressive asset resolutions moves that should strengthen the balance sheet and reduce credit risk over time. Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target to $8 and rates KREF market perform a muted view that signals steady but limited near-term upside. Article Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target to $8 and rates KREF market perform a muted view that signals steady but limited near-term upside. Neutral Sentiment: The Q4 2025 earnings call transcript/coverage shows revenue and EPS beats but continued negative margins and managements evaluation of dividend policy results that are mixed for income-focused investors. Earnings Call Transcript Call Highlights The Q4 2025 earnings call transcript/coverage shows revenue and EPS beats but continued negative margins and managements evaluation of dividend policy results that are mixed for income-focused investors. Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its target to $8 and set a neutral rating a downgrade that removes a prior bullish catalyst and likely pressured shares. Article JPMorgan cut its target to $8 and set a neutral rating a downgrade that removes a prior bullish catalyst and likely pressured shares. Negative Sentiment: BTIG moved from buy to neutral on KREF, reducing conviction from a prior buy recommendation. BTIG Downgrade BTIG moved from buy to neutral on KREF, reducing conviction from a prior buy recommendation. Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut KREF to a strong sell, a significant negative signal for sentiment and likely a contributor to intraday selling pressure. Zacks About KKR Real Estate Finance Trust (Get Free Report) KKR Real Estate Finance Trust, Inc (NYSE: KREF) is a mortgage real estate investment trust sponsored by KKR & Co Inc The company focuses on originating, acquiring, financing and managing a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt and real estate-related assets across the United States and select European markets. The trusts investment strategy is centered on lending to high-quality office, industrial, retail, multifamily and hotel properties. Its portfolio primarily consists of senior mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, floating-rate debt securities and preferred equity positions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for KKR Real Estate Finance Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KKR Real Estate Finance Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD Free Report) had its target price increased by Wells Fargo & Company from $36.00 to $38.00 in a report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the oil and gas producers stock. Several other brokerages have also issued reports on EPD. Barclays reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $38.00 target price (up from $35.00) on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a report on Monday, December 1st. Citigroup restated a buy rating and set a $39.00 price target (up previously from $36.00) on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of Enterprise Products Partners in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Enterprise Products Partners has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $36.00. Get Enterprise Products Partners alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on EPD Enterprise Products Partners Stock Performance Enterprise Products Partners stock opened at $34.94 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $32.56 and a 200-day moving average of $31.84. The company has a market capitalization of $75.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.60. Enterprise Products Partners has a 1 year low of $27.77 and a 1 year high of $35.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.60. Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas producer reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $13.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.44 billion. Enterprise Products Partners had a net margin of 11.05% and a return on equity of 19.43%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.74 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Enterprise Products Partners will post 2.9 earnings per share for the current year. Enterprise Products Partners Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This is a boost from Enterprise Products Partnerss previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Enterprise Products Partnerss dividend payout ratio is presently 82.71%. Enterprise Products Partners declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the oil and gas producer to purchase up to 7.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director John R. Rutherford purchased 15,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $32.09 per share, with a total value of $481,350.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 173,586 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,570,374.74. This trade represents a 9.46% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 32.60% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Enterprise Products Partners Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EPD. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in Enterprise Products Partners in the third quarter worth approximately $292,194,000. Energy Income Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Enterprise Products Partners by 14.3% during the second quarter. Energy Income Partners LLC now owns 14,624,238 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $453,498,000 after purchasing an additional 1,834,659 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Enterprise Products Partners by 119.4% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,414,035 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $74,859,000 after purchasing an additional 1,313,976 shares in the last quarter. Berkley W R Corp grew its position in Enterprise Products Partners by 17.9% in the 3rd quarter. Berkley W R Corp now owns 6,000,000 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $187,620,000 after purchasing an additional 910,206 shares during the period. Finally, Eagle Global Advisors LLC increased its stake in Enterprise Products Partners by 42.2% during the 3rd quarter. Eagle Global Advisors LLC now owns 2,931,052 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $91,654,000 after purchasing an additional 870,103 shares in the last quarter. 26.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Trending Headlines about Enterprise Products Partners Here are the key news stories impacting Enterprise Products Partners this week: Positive Sentiment: Q4 2025 beat and strong results EPD reported a Q4 earnings and revenue beat, with record 2025 EBITDA and an updated capital-return plan (larger buybacks) that buoy investor confidence. Article Title Q4 2025 beat and strong results EPD reported a Q4 earnings and revenue beat, with record 2025 EBITDA and an updated capital-return plan (larger buybacks) that buoy investor confidence. Positive Sentiment: Capital returns & valuation focus Analysts and commentators highlighted how record Q4 results plus bigger buybacks affect valuation and yield, supporting the case for steady distributable cash flow and shareholder returns. Article Title Capital returns & valuation focus Analysts and commentators highlighted how record Q4 results plus bigger buybacks affect valuation and yield, supporting the case for steady distributable cash flow and shareholder returns. Positive Sentiment: Price-target lift from Wells Fargo Wells Fargo raised its target to $38 (now equal weight), implying mid-single-digit upside and lending some support to the stock. Article Title Price-target lift from Wells Fargo Wells Fargo raised its target to $38 (now equal weight), implying mid-single-digit upside and lending some support to the stock. Neutral Sentiment: Consensus remains constructive MarketBeats compilation shows an average Moderate Buy from covering brokerages (mix of buy/hold/sell), indicating varied views despite the strong quarter. Article Title Consensus remains constructive MarketBeats compilation shows an average Moderate Buy from covering brokerages (mix of buy/hold/sell), indicating varied views despite the strong quarter. Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank stays on hold Some brokers remain cautious and kept neutral ratings, which tempers upside even after the beat. Article Title Scotiabank stays on hold Some brokers remain cautious and kept neutral ratings, which tempers upside even after the beat. Negative Sentiment: Analyst estimate trims US Capital Advisors trimmed FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts modestly, which can pressure sentiment as forward estimates are revised. Article Title Analyst estimate trims US Capital Advisors trimmed FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts modestly, which can pressure sentiment as forward estimates are revised. Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and volatility after the beat EPD briefly rallied (reports note a jump after the earnings beat) and then gave back gains; higher-than-average volume suggests short-term profit-taking and rotation. Article Title About Enterprise Products Partners (Get Free Report) Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (NYSE: EPD) is a Houston-based master limited partnership that provides midstream energy services across North America. The company owns and operates an extensive network of pipelines, storage facilities, processing plants and export terminals that transport and handle natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil and refined and petrochemical products. Its core activities include gathering and transportation, fractionation of NGLs, natural gas processing, crude oil and condensate pipelines, and marine and terminal services that enable domestic distribution and exports. Enterprise serves a diverse set of customers including producers, refiners, petrochemical companies, marketers and end users. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Enterprise Products Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Enterprise Products Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited (NYSE:ASA Get Free Report) major shareholder Saba Capital Management, L.P. purchased 8,466 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $64.27 per share, for a total transaction of $544,109.82. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 5,574,906 shares in the company, valued at approximately $358,299,208.62. This represents a 0.15% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC. Saba Capital Management, L.P. also recently made the following trade(s): Get ASA Gold and Precious Metals alerts: On Wednesday, February 4th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. bought 6,788 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $66.45 per share, with a total value of $451,062.60. On Tuesday, February 3rd, Saba Capital Management, L.P. purchased 28,333 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $66.14 per share, for a total transaction of $1,873,944.62. On Friday, January 30th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 21,708 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The shares were acquired at an average price of $65.56 per share, with a total value of $1,423,176.48. On Thursday, January 29th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 17,075 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $74.59 per share, with a total value of $1,273,624.25. On Wednesday, January 28th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. bought 57,165 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $75.32 per share, for a total transaction of $4,305,667.80. On Tuesday, January 27th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. purchased 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. purchased 1,400 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $72.90 per share, with a total value of $102,060.00. On Tuesday, January 20th, Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 3,723 shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock. The shares were bought at an average price of $66.08 per share, for a total transaction 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, with a total value 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, for a total transaction of $294,830.90. ASA Gold and Precious Metals Stock Performance Shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals stock opened at $63.20 on Friday. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $61.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $48.70. ASA Gold and Precious Metals Limited has a 12-month low of $23.93 and a 12-month high of $78.21. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a buy (b) rating on shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Buy. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ASA Hedge Funds Weigh In On ASA Gold and Precious Metals A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Zazove Associates LLC purchased a new stake in ASA Gold and Precious Metals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $811,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $231,000. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of ASA Gold and Precious Metals by 9.3% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 138,355 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $6,337,000 after purchasing an additional 11,808 shares during the period. Wolverine Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in ASA Gold and Precious Metals during the second quarter worth $1,213,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in ASA Gold and Precious Metals by 3,057.0% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 31,570 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,000,000 after buying an additional 30,570 shares during the period. ASA Gold and Precious Metals Company Profile (Get Free Report) 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for ASA Gold and Precious Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ASA Gold and Precious Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME Free Report) by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 595,012 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 14,977 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.s holdings in AMETEK were worth $111,864,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of AMETEK in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $295,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in AMETEK in the 2nd quarter valued at $73,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in AMETEK by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 6,889 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,247,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its stake in shares of AMETEK by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 81,238 shares of the technology companys stock worth $14,701,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Finally, First Merchants Corp boosted its holdings in shares of AMETEK by 5.9% in the second quarter. First Merchants Corp now owns 30,489 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $5,517,000 after acquiring an additional 1,696 shares in the last quarter. 87.43% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get AMETEK alerts: Insider Transactions at AMETEK In other AMETEK news, VP Thomas M. Montgomery sold 6,388 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.05, for a total value of $1,309,859.40. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 22,116 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,534,885.80. This represents a 22.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO David A. Zapico sold 88,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.39, for a total transaction of $17,282,320.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 348,955 shares in the company, valued at $68,531,272.45. This represents a 20.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 137,088 shares of company stock valued at $27,212,340 over the last three months. 0.57% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages recently commented on AME. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of AMETEK in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. KeyCorp raised their price target on AMETEK from $235.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded AMETEK from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, November 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of AMETEK in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. They issued a buy rating and a $271.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $257.00 target price on shares of AMETEK in a research report on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $243.00. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AMETEK Key AMETEK News Here are the key news stories impacting AMETEK this week: AMETEK Stock Performance NYSE:AME opened at $229.63 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The company has a market capitalization of $52.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.03. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $210.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $195.30. AMETEK, Inc. has a twelve month low of $145.02 and a twelve month high of $234.56. AMETEK (NYSE:AME Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The technology company reported $2.01 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.07. AMETEK had a net margin of 20.00% and a return on equity of 16.55%. The business had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.94 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.87 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. AMETEK has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.850-1.900 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.870-8.070 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that AMETEK, Inc. will post 7.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. AMETEK Profile (Free Report) AMETEK, Inc is a global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices that serves a broad range of industries. Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, the company designs and produces precision instruments, electronic measurement devices, specialty sensors, and electric motors and motion control systems. Its product portfolio includes analytical and monitoring instruments, calibration equipment, power supplies, embedded electronics, and industrial motors and drives used for critical applications. The company operates through two primary business platforms an electronic instruments group focused on analytical, test and measurement and sensor products, and an electromechanical group that supplies motors, actuators, and related power and motion solutions. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AME? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE:AME Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AMETEK Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AMETEK and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Linscomb Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 55,104 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $3,350,000. Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Realty Income during the 2nd quarter worth $676,500,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Realty Income by 2.5% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 146,136,211 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $8,418,907,000 after buying an additional 3,624,852 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Realty Income by 8.3% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 26,979,134 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,548,687,000 after buying an additional 2,058,031 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its position in shares of Realty Income by 420.0% during the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,139,550 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $123,259,000 after acquiring an additional 1,728,082 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ABN Amro Investment Solutions acquired a new stake in shares of Realty Income during the second quarter valued at about $70,939,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.81% of the companys stock. Get Realty Income alerts: Realty Income Stock Up 1.5% Shares of NYSE O opened at $63.37 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $58.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.67, a PEG ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 0.79. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $58.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $58.50. Realty Income Corporation has a 12-month low of $50.71 and a 12-month high of $63.75. 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 Announces Dividend Realty Income ( NYSE:O Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The real estate investment trust reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.07 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.35 billion. Realty Income had a return on equity of 2.45% and a net margin of 17.17%.Realty Incomes revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.05 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Realty Income Corporation will post 4.19 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Investors of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. Realty Incomes dividend payout ratio is presently 300.00%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades O has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Realty Income in a report on Monday, December 29th. 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. Wall Street Zen lowered Realty Income from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday. Scotiabank upgraded Realty Income from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $60.00 to $67.00 in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an underweight rating and set a $61.00 target price on shares of Realty Income in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $63.21. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on O 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. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding O? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Realty Income Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Realty Income and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Premier (OTCMKTS:PRHL Get Free Report) and Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations and earnings. Institutional and Insider Ownership 65.3% of Duke Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 2.2% of Premier shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.1% of Duke Energy shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get Premier alerts: Earnings and Valuation This table compares Premier and Duke Energys top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Premier N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Duke Energy $31.66 billion 3.03 $4.52 billion $6.36 19.40 Duke Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Premier. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Premier and Duke Energy, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Premier 0 0 0 0 0.00 Duke Energy 1 6 11 0 2.56 Duke Energy has a consensus price target of $134.50, suggesting a potential upside of 9.04%. Given Duke Energys stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Duke Energy is more favorable than Premier. Profitability This table compares Premier and Duke Energys net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Premier N/A N/A N/A Duke Energy 15.76% 9.98% 2.69% Summary Duke Energy beats Premier on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Premier (Get Free Report) Premier Holding Corp. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of energy solutions. The firm operates through its subsidiary companies, Energy Efficiency Experts, Inc. (E3) and The Power Company USA, LLC (TPC). It enables customers to reduce energy consumption, lower operating and maintenance costs, and realize environmental benefits. The company was founded on October 18, 1971 and is headquartered in Tustin, CA. About Duke Energy (Get Free Report) Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I), and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest. It generates electricity through coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, solar and wind sources, renewables, and nuclear fuel. This segment also engages in the wholesale of electricity to municipalities, electric cooperative utilities, and load-serving entities. The GU&I segment distributes natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation natural gas customers; and invests in pipeline transmission projects, renewable natural gas projects, and natural gas storage facilities. The company was formerly known as Duke Energy Holding Corp. and changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation in April 2006. Duke Energy Corporation was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Receive News & Ratings for Premier Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Premier and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. raised its stake in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB Free Report) by 629.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 121,824 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 105,122 shares during the quarter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V.s holdings in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft were worth $4,269,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in DB. Evergreen Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 15,436 shares of the banks stock worth $452,000 after purchasing an additional 282 shares during the period. Baron Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft by 1.1% during the third quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 27,401 shares of the banks stock worth $970,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft by 3.5% during the third quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,057 shares of the banks stock worth $321,000 after buying an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 41,905 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,457,000 after acquiring an additional 346 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 9,863 shares of the banks stock worth $349,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares during the last quarter. 27.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft alerts: Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Stock Performance Shares of NYSE DB opened at $36.12 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The company has a market capitalization of $71.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.95. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft has a 12 month low of $18.89 and a 12 month high of $40.43. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $38.33 and a 200-day moving average of $36.31. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Increases Dividend Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft ( NYSE:DB Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The bank reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.72 by $0.16. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft had a return on equity of 7.49% and a net margin of 10.02%.The business had revenue of $8.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.71 billion. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft will post 2.93 EPS for the current year. The business also recently announced an annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 251.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This is a positive change from Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts previous annual dividend of $0.51. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts payout ratio is presently 6.15%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reissued a sell rating on shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a research report on Monday, October 20th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, December 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold. Get Our Latest Research Report on DB About Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (Free Report) Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. Founded in 1870 to support German foreign trade, the firm has grown into a full-service bank offering a wide range of banking, advisory and transaction services to corporate, institutional, and private clients. Over its history the bank has expanded internationally and developed capabilities across capital markets, investment banking, retail and commercial banking, and wealth management. The banks core business activities include corporate and investment bankingcovering financing, advisory, sales and trading, and capital markets servicesalong with private & commercial banking for individual and small-to-medium enterprise clients. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (NYSE:DB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. By Prakhar Srivastava Feb 5 (Reuters) - Gemini Space Station, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, said on Thursday it plans to cut up to 200 jobs globally and focus operations in the U.S. and Singapore, as part of a broader cost-cutting effort. The planned layoffs, which involve about a quarter of its workforce, will affect staff in Europe, the U.S. and Singapore, the company said. The year has opened with widespread layoffs across U.S. companies as they trim costs and sharpen operational focus. Gemini also approved a plan to wind down operations in the UK, the European Union, other European jurisdictions and Australia, leaving it to operate in the U.S. and Singapore. "We expect this will help reduce our total expenses in line with our headcount reduction and meaningfully accelerate our path to profitability even in the backdrop of the current crypto market," Winklevoss twins said in a blog. Shares of the New York-based company fell about 7% in afternoon trading. As of Wednesday's close, the stock was down about 73.8% from the $28 offer price in its September IPO. The company expects to substantially complete the layoffs and the wind-downs of operations by the first half of 2026, subject to local legal and consultation requirements. Gemini estimates it will incur about $11 million in pre-tax restructuring and related charges. Most of the charges are expected to be recorded in the first quarter. "We believe streamlining the business is the right decision here for the long-term," said Truist analyst Matthew Coad in a note. "Management now must shift its strategy from investing to regain lost market share to staying afloat during a crypto downturn," he said. The Winklevoss twins rose to prominence after suing Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, alleging he stole their idea for the social network. They settled in 2008 for cash and Facebook stock. (Reporting by Prakhar Srivastava in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Sahal Muhammed and Vijay Kishore) Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC increased its holdings in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM Free Report) by 31.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 13,225 shares of the technology companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,183 shares during the quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLCs holdings in International Business Machines were worth $3,732,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Winnow Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of International Business Machines in the second quarter worth $27,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. bought a new stake in International Business Machines in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of International Business Machines by 129.1% in the third quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 126 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Copia Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 57.6% during the second quarter. Copia Wealth Management now owns 134 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID raised its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 48.5% during the second quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 147 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. 58.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get International Business Machines alerts: Insider Activity at International Business Machines In related news, Director David N. Farr purchased 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $304.00 per share, for a total transaction of $304,000.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 9,258 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,814,432. This represents a 12.11% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. International Business Machines Price Performance Shares of IBM stock opened at $290.04 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average is $302.29 and its 200 day moving average is $283.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The stock has a market cap of $271.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.01, a PEG ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.69. International Business Machines Corporation has a twelve month low of $214.50 and a twelve month high of $324.90. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.33 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $19.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.23 billion. International Business Machines had a net margin of 15.69% and a return on equity of 38.15%. The companys revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.92 EPS. Research analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 EPS for the current fiscal year. International Business Machines Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be issued a dividend of $1.68 per share. This represents a $6.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 10th. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 60.27%. International Business Machines News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages recently issued reports on IBM. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on International Business Machines from $325.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on International Business Machines from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $361.00 price objective on shares of International Business Machines in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, International Business Machines currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $330.07. View Our Latest Research Report on International Business Machines International Business Machines Profile (Free Report) International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM. IBMs principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development. See Also Receive News & Ratings for International Business Machines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Business Machines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ABN AMRO Bank N.V. acquired a new position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 57,687 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $4,837,000. Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 0.4% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 302,092,955 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $24,203,688,000 after purchasing an additional 1,341,222 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company in the 2nd quarter worth about $3,990,551,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 7.4% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 17,859,680 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,496,998,000 after buying an additional 1,223,999 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 18.2% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 14,155,753 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,165,868,000 after buying an additional 2,180,693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 10,371,812 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $830,990,000 after buying an additional 542,493 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.90% of the companys stock. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Wells Fargo & Company Trading Down 1.2% Shares of WFC opened at $92.05 on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company has a fifty-two week low of $58.42 and a fifty-two week high of $97.76. The business has a 50-day moving average of $91.48 and a 200 day moving average of $85.56. The firm has a market cap of $288.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 0.90. Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.76 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.66 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $11.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.63 billion. Wells Fargo & Company had a net margin of 17.27% and a return on equity of 12.90%. The companys revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Wells Fargo & Company will post 5.89 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 6th will be paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Companys payout ratio is currently 28.71%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts recently commented on the company. HSBC reaffirmed a hold rating and set a $74.00 price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $102.00 to $100.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $110.00 to $105.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Wells Fargo & Company from $92.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Wells Fargo & Company in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $95.92. View Our Latest Analysis on Wells Fargo & Company Wells Fargo & Company Company Profile (Free Report) Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified, U.S.-based financial services company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852 by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo, the firm has evolved from its origins in express delivery and pioneer-era banking into one of the largest full-service banks in the United States. The company provides a broad range of financial products and services to individual, small business, commercial, and institutional clients. Charles W. Scharf serves as chief executive officer. Wells Fargo operates across several core business segments, including consumer banking and lending, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth and investment management. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Portside Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands Inc (NYSE:STZ Free Report) by 455.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,971 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 7,357 shares during the quarter. Portside Wealth Group LLCs holdings in Constellation Brands were worth $1,208,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 650.6% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,769,741 shares of the companys stock valued at $287,889,000 after acquiring an additional 1,533,961 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Constellation Brands in the 2nd quarter valued at $239,737,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc increased its holdings in Constellation Brands by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 13,400,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,179,912,000 after purchasing an additional 1,391,000 shares in the last quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC raised its position in Constellation Brands by 39.6% in the second quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 3,675,855 shares of the companys stock valued at $597,988,000 after purchasing an additional 1,042,904 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 13.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,737,860 shares of the companys stock worth $605,293,000 after purchasing an additional 448,259 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.34% of the companys stock. Get Constellation Brands alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes STZ has been the subject of several analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $165.00 price target on Constellation Brands in a report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group set a $168.00 price objective on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday, January 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research report on Friday, November 7th. They set a neutral rating and a $153.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a hold rating and issued a $160.00 target price on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Monday, December 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $176.91. Constellation Brands Stock Down 0.7% STZ stock opened at $165.52 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $147.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $147.31. The company has a market capitalization of $28.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.11, a PEG ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.44. Constellation Brands Inc has a twelve month low of $126.45 and a twelve month high of $196.91. Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.43. The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.17 billion. Constellation Brands had a net margin of 11.08% and a return on equity of 29.15%. The firms revenue was down 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.25 EPS. Constellation Brands has set its FY 2026 guidance at 11.300-11.600 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Constellation Brands Inc will post 13.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Constellation Brands Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 12th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 29th will be issued a $1.02 dividend. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 29th. Constellation Brandss payout ratio is currently 64.35%. About Constellation Brands (Free Report) Constellation Brands, Inc is a leading producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits, with operations spanning production, importation, marketing and distribution. The companys beverage portfolio includes a range of premium and mainstream wines and spirits alongside major imported beer brands; in the U.S. market Constellation is widely known for its role in bringing Mexican imports such as Corona and Modelo to American consumers. Constellation supplies retail, on?premise and foodservice channels and supports its brands with national sales and marketing platforms and supply?chain capabilities. The company traces its roots to the Canandaigua Wine Company, founded by Marvin Sands in 1945, and evolved through organic growth and acquisition into a diversified beverage company. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STZ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Constellation Brands Inc (NYSE:STZ Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Constellation Brands Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Constellation Brands and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUJ Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $11.61 and traded as high as $12.38. BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund shares last traded at $12.29, with a volume of 75,274 shares changing hands. BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Stock Performance The company has a 50 day moving average of $12.08 and a 200-day moving average of $11.61. Get BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund alerts: BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.054 dividend. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Institutional Investors Weigh In On BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Company Profile Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MUJ. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,785,000. Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,089,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $113,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new position in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund during the 3rd quarter worth $838,000. Finally, Prestige Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund in the third quarter worth $159,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 15.13% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund (NYSE: MUJ) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of current income exempt from federal and New Jersey state income taxes. The fund primarily invests in investment-grade municipal securities issued by or on behalf of the State of New Jersey and its municipalities, authorities, and instrumentalities. By concentrating on high-quality New Jersey public finance obligations, MUJ aims to offer tax-efficient income for investors with exposure to the states credit profile. The funds portfolio is actively managed by BlackRocks municipal fixed income team, which conducts credit analysis and sector allocation to identify opportunities within New Jerseys diverse municipal marketplace. See Also Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings New Jersey Quality Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE:HLX Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $6.63 and traded as high as $8.30. Helix Energy Solutions Group shares last traded at $8.0910, with a volume of 5,895,549 shares traded. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have weighed in on HLX. TD Cowen reissued a buy rating on shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Zacks Research upgraded Helix Energy Solutions Group from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c-) rating on shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, October 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Helix Energy Solutions Group has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $10.50. Get Helix Energy Solutions Group alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on HLX Helix Energy Solutions Group Stock Performance Institutional Inflows and Outflows The firm has a market cap of $1.19 billion, a PE ratio of 28.90 and a beta of 1.25. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $7.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 2.54 and a quick ratio of 2.54. Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 2.8% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,168,485 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $32,251,000 after acquiring an additional 138,374 shares in the last quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Helix Energy Solutions Group by 1,671.0% in the second quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 193,087 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,205,000 after purchasing an additional 182,184 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Helix Energy Solutions Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $92,000. CenterBook Partners LP increased its stake in Helix Energy Solutions Group by 37.1% during the 2nd quarter. CenterBook Partners LP now owns 1,090,823 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $6,807,000 after buying an additional 295,135 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in Helix Energy Solutions Group in the 2nd quarter worth $8,108,000. 91.33% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Helix Energy Solutions Group (Get Free Report) Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc (NYSE: HLX) is a Houston-based provider of offshore well intervention and robotics services to the global energy industry. The company specializes in extending the productive life of subsea wells through hydraulic workover systems, coiled tubing operations and riser-based wireline services. In addition, Helix offers remotely operated vehicle (ROV) support, inspection, maintenance and repair for subsea infrastructure. Operating through three core business segmentsWell Intervention, Robotics & Subsea Services and Production FacilitiesHelix deploys purpose-built vessels, specialized equipment and engineering expertise to execute complex offshore projects. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Helix Energy Solutions Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Helix Energy Solutions Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Poehling Capital Management INC. lifted its position in Organon & Co. (NYSE:OGN Free Report) by 57.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 317,748 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 116,289 shares during the period. Poehling Capital Management INC. owned about 0.12% of Organon & Co. worth $3,394,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in OGN. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in Organon & Co. by 53.4% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 360,862 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,374,000 after acquiring an additional 125,648 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Organon & Co. by 126.4% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,435,198 shares of the companys stock worth $21,370,000 after purchasing an additional 801,307 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Organon & Co. by 2.6% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,042,991 shares of the companys stock worth $15,530,000 after purchasing an additional 26,640 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in shares of Organon & Co. by 33.2% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 55,875 shares of the companys stock valued at $832,000 after purchasing an additional 13,925 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its position in shares of Organon & Co. by 10.8% during the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 55,400 shares of the companys stock valued at $536,000 after buying an additional 5,400 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.43% of the companys stock. Get Organon & Co. alerts: Organon & Co. Stock Down 2.6% OGN stock opened at $8.08 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $7.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $8.69. The stock has a market cap of $2.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.21, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.69. Organon & Co. has a twelve month low of $6.18 and a twelve month high of $17.23. Organon & Co. Announces Dividend Organon & Co. ( NYSE:OGN Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.08. Organon & Co. had a net margin of 7.95% and a return on equity of 143.47%. The company had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.38 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Organon & Co. will post 3.68 EPS for the current year. The company 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 $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 20th. Organon & Co.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.17%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have weighed in on OGN. Piper Sandler lowered Organon & Co. from an overweight rating to an underweight rating and set a $5.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Organon & Co. from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Organon & Co. from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Zacks Research cut Organon & Co. from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Organon & Co. from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Reduce and an average target price of $8.38. Get Our Latest Analysis on OGN Organon & Co. Profile (Free Report) Organon & Co is a global healthcare company that was established as an independent, publicly traded entity following its spin-off from Merck & Co in June 2021. Headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, Organon focuses on delivering therapeutic solutions across womens health, biosimilars, and established brands. The companys creation reflected a strategic effort to concentrate on specialty pharmaceuticals and legacy products with proven patient impact. In womens health, Organon provides a broad portfolio of products addressing reproductive and gynecological conditions, including fertility treatments, contraception, and hormone replacement therapies. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OGN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Organon & Co. (NYSE:OGN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Organon & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Organon & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prasad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 3,569 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $1,007,000. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of IBM. Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in International Business Machines in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Mountain Hill Investment Partners Corp. bought a new stake in International Business Machines during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in International Business Machines by 129.1% during the 3rd quarter. Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC now owns 126 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Copia Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of International Business Machines by 57.6% in the 2nd quarter. Copia Wealth Management now owns 134 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID grew its position in shares of International Business Machines by 48.5% during the 2nd quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 147 shares of the technology companys stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.96% of the companys stock. Get International Business Machines alerts: Key Stories Impacting International Business Machines Here are the key news stories impacting International Business Machines this week: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In IBM has been the topic of several analyst reports. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on shares of International Business Machines from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a market perform rating on shares of International Business Machines in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Argus set a $360.00 price target on International Business Machines in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Dbs Bank raised International Business Machines from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Finally, UBS Group set a $317.00 target price on International Business Machines in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $330.07. Read Our Latest Analysis on IBM International Business Machines Price Performance IBM opened at $290.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $271.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.69. International Business Machines Corporation has a 12 month low of $214.50 and a 12 month high of $324.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $302.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $283.53. International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The technology company reported $4.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.33 by $0.19. International Business Machines had a return on equity of 38.15% and a net margin of 15.69%.The firm had revenue of $19.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $19.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.92 earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that International Business Machines Corporation will post 10.78 EPS for the current year. International Business Machines Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be paid a dividend of $1.68 per share. This represents a $6.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. International Business Machiness dividend payout ratio is presently 60.27%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director David N. Farr purchased 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, January 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $304.00 per share, with a total value of $304,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 9,258 shares in the company, valued at $2,814,432. This represents a 12.11% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.18% of the companys stock. About International Business Machines (Free Report) International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is a global technology and consulting company headquartered in Armonk, New York. Founded in 1911 as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) and renamed IBM in 1924, the company has evolved from early electromechanical machines to a diversified technology provider serving enterprises and governments worldwide. IBM is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IBM. IBMs principal businesses encompass cloud computing and software, infrastructure and systems, consulting and technology services, and research and development. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IBM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for International Business Machines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Business Machines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Modus Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU Free Report) by 2.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 303,152 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 6,812 shares during the period. iShares Gold Trust accounts for about 6.0% of Modus Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. Modus Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Gold Trust were worth $22,060,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA grew its holdings in iShares Gold Trust by 77.9% in the third quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 3,684 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,613 shares during the period. Waterloo Capital L.P. boosted its position in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 22.4% in the 3rd quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 87,408 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $6,361,000 after purchasing an additional 15,974 shares in the last quarter. Firestone Capital Management grew its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Firestone Capital Management now owns 59,823 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $4,353,000 after buying an additional 1,987 shares during the last quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of iShares Gold Trust by 18.6% in the 3rd quarter. Titleist Asset Management LLC now owns 14,847 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,080,000 after buying an additional 2,326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its stake in iShares Gold Trust by 2.0% during the third quarter. Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 177,608 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $12,925,000 after buying an additional 3,404 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 59.67% of the companys stock. Get iShares Gold Trust alerts: iShares Gold Trust Trading Down 2.6% iShares Gold Trust stock opened at $90.53 on Friday. iShares Gold Trust has a 12 month low of $53.44 and a 12 month high of $104.40. The company has a market capitalization of $76.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.53 and a beta of 0.09. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $85.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $75.77. Trending Headlines about iShares Gold Trust iShares Gold Trust Profile Here are the key news stories impacting iShares Gold Trust this week: (Free Report) iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trusts custodian on behalf of the Trust. The sponsor of the Trust is iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC (the Sponsor), which is an indirect subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc The trustee of the Trust is The Bank of New York Mellon (the Trustee) and the custodian of the Trust is JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A., London branch (the Custodian). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for iShares Gold Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Gold Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Doximity (NYSE:DOCS) reported solid fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, highlighting revenue and profitability that exceeded the companys guidance, while also emphasizing continued expansion of its physician network and early traction for its medical AI products. Get alerts: Leadership update and quarterly results On the call, co-founder and CEO Jeff Tangney said CFO Anna Bryson is on medical leave. Audit Committee Chair Tim Cabral, a former CFO at Veeva Systems, stepped in to discuss financials and guidance. For the quarter, Doximity delivered revenue of $185.1 million, up 10% year-over-year and above the high end of the companys guidance range. Tangney said the quarter represented a better than expected performance and another record upfront annual buying season. Profitability also exceeded guidance. Adjusted EBITDA was $111.4 million, representing a 60% margin. Cabral noted non-GAAP gross margin was 91%, down from 93% a year earlier, which he attributed to increased AI infrastructure investment driven by higher usage. Customer metrics and revenue concentration Cabral said Doximitys growth continued to be driven by existing customers, with net revenue retention of 112% on a trailing 12-month basis. For its top 20 customers, net revenue retention was 117%. The company ended the quarter with 126 customers contributing at least $500,000 each in subscription-based revenue on a trailing 12-month basis, up from 115 a year ago. Cabral said those customers accounted for 84% of total revenue. During Q&A, management also provided an update on multi-module offerings, saying DocDynamic represented about 45% of bookings in the quarter, compared with 18% a year earlier. Network growth and workflow engagement Tangney said Doximity surpassed 3 million registered members and now includes more than 85% of all U.S. physicians, as well as roughly two-thirds of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. He said engagement reached record highs across quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily measures, with increased usage of Newsfeed, workflow, and AI products. Workflowdefined as telehealth, scheduling, digital fax, and AI toolsreached a record 720,000 unique active prescribers in Q3, which Tangney described as the largest sequential gain the company has seen. The company also reiterated momentum for Doximity Dialer, with Tangney noting that for the fifth consecutive year it was ranked the number one best-in-class telehealth platform by health system CIOs. He added that during recent snowstorms, Doximity served over 700,000 telehealth visits in a day. AI adoption, Peer Check, and hospital traction Doximity devoted a significant portion of the call to its push into medical AI following its Pathway AI acquisition in August. Tangney said more than 300,000 unique prescribers used Doximitys AI products in Q3, adding that in January, DocsGPT active prescribers queried us on average 4x a week. Tangney also cited a head-to-head trial the company published the same day, involving more than 1,300 high-prescribing physicians. He said doctors preferred DocsGPT at more than twice the rate of the companys nearest competitor. He attributed Doximitys performance to several factors, including a built-in deterministic drug reference, a licensing agreement with ASCO guidelines, and what he described as full PDF access to more than 2,000 medical journals. On the enterprise side, Tangney said more than 100 top U.S. health systems have reviewed, cleared privacy and AI committees, and ultimately bought Doximitys AI suite, which includes DocsGPT and the Doximity Scribe note-taking tool. He said those hospitals purchased access for more than 180,000 prescribers and that the agreements allow clinicians to put patient data into Doximitys tools under hospital arrangements. Management repeatedly stressed that Doximity is positioning trust and physician oversight as differentiators. Tangney referenced a Stanford-Harvard study he said found AI can cause clinical harm in up to 22% of real patient cases, arguing that physician oversight is essential. He said Doximity has more than 10,000 U.S. physician experts reviewing clinical answers through a program it calls Peer Check, co-headed by Dr. Eric Topol and former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. In response to questions about how users reach the AI tools, Tangney described AI as integrated into the platforms workflowsuch as moving from a telehealth visit into Scribe and then into DocsGPT to help double-check an assessment and planas well as from Newsfeed, where physicians may ask follow-up questions after reading an article. Guidance, policy headwinds, and share repurchases For fiscal Q4 2026, Doximity expects revenue of $143 million to $144 million, representing 4% growth at the midpoint, and adjusted EBITDA of $63.5 million to $64.5 million, representing a 45% margin. For the full fiscal year, the company expects revenue of $642.5 million to $643.5 million (13% growth at the midpoint) and adjusted EBITDA of $355.5 million to $356.5 million (55% margin). Cabral said the midpoint of the annual outlook remained consistent with prior guidance despite Q3 outperformance, citing lower Q4 revenue expectations and higher AI infrastructure investment due to strong usage. Management pointed to short-term industry policy uncertainty that impacted the upfront selling season. Cabral and investor relations VP Perry Gold said uncertainty around policy changes and Most Favored Nation agreements signed by 16 of the top 20 pharma companies in late December and early January contributed to customers deploying a lower percentage of annual budgets upfront and delaying deals that are typically signed by December 31 into fiscal Q4. Gold said January pharma bookings growth was the best the company has seen since going public, which he attributed to delayed decision-making, though the company declined to quantify the growth rate. Gold said the companys current operating assumption is that the healthcare and pharma digital advertising market will grow about 5% in calendar 2026, citing an eMarketer report. Despite a slower start, he said Doximity believes it can exit calendar 2026 as a double-digit grower, helped by potential release of previously withheld budgets and the companys plans to introduce commercial AI products later in the year. Tangney and Gold emphasized that AI has not been included as a revenue upside in current guidance. On capital returns, Cabral said Doximity generated free cash flow of $58.5 million in Q3 and ended the quarter with $735 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. The company repurchased $196.8 million of shares during the quarter, had $83 million remaining under its existing authorization as of December 31, and received board approval for a new $500 million open-ended repurchase authorization. About Doximity (NYSE:DOCS) Doximity, trading as DOCS, operates a digital professional network and communications platform designed primarily for clinicians. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company connects physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other healthcare professionals, providing tools that streamline clinical communication, telehealth delivery and access to specialty-specific medical information. Its platform is positioned as a professional hub where clinicians manage their workflows, stay current with medical news and collaborate securely with peers. The companys offerings include secure messaging and video telehealth capabilities that enable clinicians to consult with patients and colleagues while protecting patient information. See Also B2Gold Corp. (TSE:BTO Get Free Report) (NYSE:BTG)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$6.20 and traded as high as C$6.76. B2Gold shares last traded at C$6.48, with a volume of 6,736,078 shares traded. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have recently commented on BTO shares. Cormark lowered shares of B2Gold from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of B2Gold from C$11.50 to C$10.50 in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. National Bankshares lifted their target price on shares of B2Gold from C$9.25 to C$10.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of B2Gold from C$5.35 to C$6.25 in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, B2Gold presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$7.90. Get B2Gold alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BTO B2Gold Stock Down 6.4% The company has a quick ratio of 3.33, a current ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.51. The company has a market capitalization of C$8.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 43.20, a PEG ratio of -0.27 and a beta of 1.02. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of C$6.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$6.20. B2Gold (TSE:BTO Get Free Report) (NYSE:BTG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported C$0.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of C$1.09 billion for the quarter. B2Gold had a negative net margin of 38.20% and a negative return on equity of 20.27%. Equities research analysts anticipate that B2Gold Corp. will post 0.5596659 EPS for the current fiscal year. B2Gold Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.02 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. B2Golds payout ratio is presently 66.67%. About B2Gold (Get Free Report) B2Gold Corp is an international, low-cost, senior gold mining company. It has three operating open-pit gold mines in Mali, Namibia, and the Philippines and numerous exploration projects across four continents. Other significant assets include the Gramalote and Kiaka gold projects. The company focuses on acquiring and developing interests in mineral properties with a primary focus on gold deposits as gold production forms all its revenue. There is no dependence on a particular purchaser because the gold is sold into a global market. Read More Receive News & Ratings for B2Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B2Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PARIS Investor interest in materials innovation appears to be reaccelerating. Swiss traceability specialist Haelixa and U.K.-based color tech startup Sparxell have both secured new preseries A funding, signaling renewed confidence in next-gen materials and supplychain solutions. Elsewhere, Cascales Worldly is expanding their Product Impact Calculator to cover more product categories, including sporting goods, furniture and footwear. More from WWD Sparxell Raises $5 Million to Scale Plant-Based Color Technology Cambridge-based materials start-up Sparxell has raised $5 million in pre-series A funding as investment activity begins to pick up again in next-generation materials, following a prolonged slowdown driven by inflation, rising interest rates and growing scrutiny of sustainability claims. The round was led by Swen Capital Partners Blue Ocean 2 fund, with participation from Alpha Star Capital and Cambridge Enterprise. The funding will support Sparxells move from pilot projects to commercial-scale manufacturing, with production expected to begin in 2026 to meet demand from fashion, beauty and industrial partners. Sparxell has developed a bio-inspired color technology that uses cellulose extracted from wood pulp to create color through physical structures rather than chemical dyes. The approach called biomimicry, which is inspired by the way color appears in butterfly wings, eliminates petroleum-based colorants, heavy metals and synthetic dyes while reducing water use by up to 90 percent, according to the company. Our technology isnt just an alternative it is here to stay because it delivers superior performance due to its nature-inspired features, said founder and chief executive Benjamin Droguet. This funding takes us from proof of concept to production and commercial launches. Investor interest in sustainable materials has cooled in recent years as brands and backers became more cautious around scalability, cost and regulatory uncertainty. However, tightening regulation around microplastics and so-called forever chemicals, including PFAS, is beginning to push demand for viable alternatives. By reinventing color through a bio-based, biodegradable approach, Sparxell offers a tangible response to a major environmental challenge while enabling global industries to transition toward safer and more sustainable practices, said Melanie Le Guen, investment director at Swen Capital Partners. Coston McIsaac & Partners grew its position in Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE:BHB Free Report) by 83.2% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 75,974 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 34,493 shares during the quarter. Coston McIsaac & Partners holdings in Bar Harbor Bankshares were worth $2,313,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bar Harbor Wealth Management lifted its position in Bar Harbor Bankshares by 4.2% in the second quarter. Bar Harbor Wealth Management now owns 477,541 shares of the companys stock valued at $14,307,000 after purchasing an additional 19,065 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Bar Harbor Bankshares by 5.3% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 365,258 shares of the companys stock worth $10,945,000 after buying an additional 18,306 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Bar Harbor Bankshares by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 262,882 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,876,000 after buying an additional 10,204 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bar Harbor Bankshares by 4.7% in the 2nd quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 105,228 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,153,000 after buying an additional 4,718 shares during the period. Finally, CSM Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bar Harbor Bankshares in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,690,000. 54.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Bar Harbor Bankshares alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Bar Harbor Bankshares from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $34.50. Bar Harbor Bankshares Price Performance Shares of NYSE:BHB opened at $35.14 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $586.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.28 and a beta of 0.65. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $32.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $31.17. Bar Harbor Bankshares has a 12 month low of $26.43 and a 12 month high of $36.05. About Bar Harbor Bankshares (Free Report) Bar Harbor Bankshares, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Bar Harbor, Maine, operating through its wholly owned subsidiary, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. The company offers a comprehensive suite of commercial and consumer banking services, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and digital banking capabilities. It serves individuals, small businesses, and corporate clients across its footprint in Maine and New Hampshire, with a network of full-service branch offices and lending centers. In addition to traditional deposit and loan products, Bar Harbor Bankshares provides specialized financial services such as mortgage lending, commercial real estate financing, equipment loans, and lines of credit tailored to the needs of local businesses. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BHB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE:BHB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bar Harbor Bankshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bar Harbor Bankshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd lowered its stake in shares of Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW Free Report) by 4.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 110,254 shares of the electronics makers stock after selling 5,400 shares during the period. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltds holdings in Corning were worth $9,044,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. REAP Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Corning by 191.5% in the second quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 516 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Corning in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Total Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Corning in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC increased its position in shares of Corning by 58.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 336 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Management Professionals Inc. raised its stake in Corning by 111.1% during the 3rd quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 380 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. 69.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Corning alerts: Corning Trading Up 2.7% Shares of NYSE:GLW opened at $112.70 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The companys 50-day moving average price is $92.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $81.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.62 billion, a PE ratio of 61.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.13. Corning Incorporated has a one year low of $37.31 and a one year high of $117.30. Corning News Summary Corning ( NYSE:GLW Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The electronics maker reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.35 billion. Corning had a return on equity of 18.72% and a net margin of 10.21%.The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.57 earnings per share. Corning has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.660-0.700 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Corning Incorporated will post 2.33 EPS for the current fiscal year. Here are the key news stories impacting Corning this week: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on GLW shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Corning from $98.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research cut Corning from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Corning from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Fox Advisors downgraded shares of Corning from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Corning from $102.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $112.36. View Our Latest Report on Corning Insider Transactions at Corning In related news, insider Eric S. Musser sold 25,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.00, for a total transaction of $2,750,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 19,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,191,860. The trade was a 55.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Li Fang sold 9,797 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.51, for a total transaction of $1,112,057.47. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 55,945 shares of company stock worth $6,072,986 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. Corning Company Profile (Free Report) Corning Incorporated is a global manufacturer specializing in specialty glass, ceramics and related materials and technologies. Headquartered in Corning, New York, the company supplies engineered materials and components used across multiple industries, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive emissions control, pharmaceutical and life sciences, and industrial and scientific applications. Corning emphasizes materials science and precision manufacturing to develop durable, high-performance glass and ceramic products. Key product lines include specialty display glass used by television and mobile-device manufacturers, cover glass marketed under well-known trade names for smartphones and tablets, and optical fiber and cable and related hardware for telecommunications networks. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Corning Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Corning and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO Free Report) by 2.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 80,806 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 1,711 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.20% of Watsco worth $32,670,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in WSO. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Watsco by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,927 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,013,000 after purchasing an additional 232 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Watsco during the second quarter worth about $26,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Watsco by 12.5% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,410 shares of the construction companys stock worth $623,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS boosted its position in shares of Watsco by 1.6% in the second quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 12,400 shares of the construction companys stock worth $5,476,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Callan Family Office LLC grew its stake in shares of Watsco by 180.2% in the second quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 2,306 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,018,000 after buying an additional 1,483 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.71% of the companys stock. Get Watsco alerts: Watsco Trading Down 0.9% Shares of NYSE:WSO opened at $406.06 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $16.47 billion, a PE ratio of 31.72 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $362.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $382.33. Watsco, Inc. has a 12-month low of $323.05 and a 12-month high of $535.40. Watsco Dividend Announcement Watsco ( NYSE:WSO Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The construction company reported $3.98 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter. Watsco had a net margin of 7.04% and a return on equity of 16.48%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Watsco, Inc. will post 14.62 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th were paid a dividend of $3.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 16th. This represents a $12.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Watscos dividend payout ratio is presently 93.75%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth WSO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c) rating on shares of Watsco in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Watsco in a research report on Monday, January 5th. They set a neutral rating and a $370.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Watsco from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wolfe Research set a $349.00 price target on shares of Watsco in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Watsco from $460.00 to $370.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight 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 Hold and a consensus price target of $404.14. Read Our Latest Research Report on WSO Watsco Profile (Free Report) Watsco, Inc is the largest distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) equipment, parts and supplies in the United States. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, the company operates a network of more than 600 branches across the continental U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Watsco serves residential and commercial contractors by providing essential components for climate control systems, including air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, coils, refrigerants, controls and electrical and piping supplies. Founded in 1947, Watsco has grown from a single regional distributor into an industry leader through a combination of organic expansion, acquisitions and strategic partnerships with original equipment manufacturers such as Carrier, Trane, Goodman and Lennox. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WSO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Watsco, Inc. (NYSE:WSO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Watsco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Watsco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by investment analysts at Mizuho from $117.00 to $121.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the utilities providers stock. Mizuhos price target indicates a potential upside of 8.02% from the stocks previous close. Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. KeyCorp reiterated an overweight rating on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research note on Friday, January 16th. BTIG Research reissued a buy rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of WEC Energy Group in a report on Friday, January 30th. Scotiabank upped their price target on WEC Energy Group from $129.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. TD Cowen assumed coverage on WEC Energy Group in a report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a hold rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of WEC Energy Group from $124.00 to $121.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $120.07. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on WEC WEC Energy Group Stock Down 1.2% Shares of NYSE:WEC opened at $112.01 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $107.08 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.71. WEC Energy Group has a 12-month low of $99.89 and a 12-month high of $118.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.17, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.58. WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The utilities provider reported $1.42 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.19 billion. WEC Energy Group had a return on equity of 12.60% and a net margin of 17.75%.The companys revenue was down 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.43 earnings per share. WEC Energy Group has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.510-5.610 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that WEC Energy Group will post 5.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of WEC Energy Group Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WEC. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 171,770 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $19,683,000 after acquiring an additional 7,970 shares during the last quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC boosted its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 36.5% during the third quarter. Alley Investment Management Company LLC now owns 59,519 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,820,000 after purchasing an additional 15,926 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. grew its holdings in shares of WEC Energy Group by 53.0% in the third quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 131,363 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $15,053,000 after purchasing an additional 45,477 shares during the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 13.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 419,574 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $48,079,000 after buying an additional 49,905 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Associated Banc Corp boosted its position in WEC Energy Group by 64.0% in the 3rd quarter. Associated Banc Corp now owns 39,328 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,507,000 after buying an additional 15,342 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 77.20% of the companys stock. WEC Energy Group News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting WEC Energy Group this week: About WEC Energy Group (Get Free Report) WEC Energy Group is a Milwaukee, Wisconsinbased regulated energy holding company whose primary businesses are the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and the distribution of natural gas. The company operates through a set of utility subsidiaries that provide bundled energy service, customer billing and energy-related programs to residential, commercial and industrial customers. As a regulated utility group, WECs operations focus on delivering reliable service while managing infrastructure investment and compliance with state and federal utility regulation. Its utility subsidiaries include well-known regional operators such as We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, along with Chicago-area natural gas utilities that were part of the Integrys Energy Group acquisition. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Roblox (NYSE:RBLX Get Free Report) had its price objective decreased by stock analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $159.00 to $105.00 in a research report issued on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm presently has a buy rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLCs price target suggests a potential upside of 73.24% from the companys previous close. A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group set a $85.00 target price on shares of Roblox in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group set a $74.00 price objective on Roblox in a report on Friday. Barclays upped their target price on Roblox from $120.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, October 31st. Wolfe Research set a $100.00 target price on Roblox in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler set a $100.00 price target on Roblox in a report on Friday. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Roblox currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $123.58. Get Roblox alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on Roblox Roblox Stock Performance Roblox stock opened at $60.61 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.54. The stock has a market cap of $39.69 billion, a PE ratio of -42.38 and a beta of 1.63. Roblox has a 12-month low of $50.10 and a 12-month high of $150.59. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $81.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $108.29. Roblox (NYSE:RBLX Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported ($0.45) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.49) by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.08 billion. Roblox had a negative net margin of 21.70% and a negative return on equity of 314.20%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 122.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.33) EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Roblox will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CAO Amy Marie Rawlings sold 2,642 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.24, for a total transaction of $251,624.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 46,452 shares in the company, valued at $4,424,088.48. This trade represents a 5.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Naveen K. Chopra sold 19,424 shares of Roblox stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.23, for a total value of $1,849,747.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 337,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,095,938.28. This represents a 5.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 423,899 shares of company stock valued at $37,883,851. Corporate insiders own 12.92% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Roblox Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of RBLX. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd acquired a new position in Roblox in the third quarter valued at $26,000. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. acquired a new stake in Roblox during the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Roblox in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Roblox in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its position in shares of Roblox by 58.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 284 shares of the companys stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. 94.46% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Roblox News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Roblox this week: About Roblox (Get Free Report) Roblox Corporation operates Roblox, a user-generated online platform that enables people to create, share and monetize immersive 3D experiences and games. The core offering centers on Roblox Studio, a development environment that allows independent creators and studios to design interactive worlds using the companys building tools and scripting language. Content on the platform spans games, virtual hangouts, branded experiences and live events, all delivered through a persistent social environment. Robloxs business model is built around its virtual economy and creator ecosystem. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Roblox Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Roblox and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd cut its stake in Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Free Report) by 8.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,056 shares of the credit-card processors stock after selling 3,064 shares during the period. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltds holdings in Visa were worth $11,626,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in V. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Visa by 2.2% during the third quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,131 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $5,848,000 after buying an additional 366 shares in the last quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Visa by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. MONECO Advisors LLC now owns 8,592 shares of the credit-card processors stock valued at $2,933,000 after buying an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. increased its stake in shares of Visa by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 16,107 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $5,499,000 after acquiring an additional 959 shares during the last quarter. Harmony Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Visa by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Harmony Asset Management LLC now owns 20,362 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $6,951,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares during the period. Finally, Black Diamond Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Visa by 139.5% during the 3rd quarter. Black Diamond Financial LLC now owns 4,500 shares of the credit-card processors stock worth $1,536,000 after acquiring an additional 2,621 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.15% of the companys stock. Get Visa alerts: Visa Price Performance Visa stock opened at $329.05 on Friday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $338.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $341.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.11. Visa Inc. has a 1 year low of $299.00 and a 1 year high of $375.51. The company has a market capitalization of $599.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.79. Visa Dividend Announcement Visa ( NYSE:V Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit-card processor reported $3.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.14 by $0.03. Visa had a net margin of 50.23% and a return on equity of 61.74%. The firm had revenue of $10.90 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.69 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.75 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 14.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Visa Inc. will post 11.3 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th will be paid a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Visas payout ratio is presently 25.14%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on V shares. KeyCorp reissued an overweight rating and issued a $405.00 price objective on shares of Visa in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Evercore ISI set a $380.00 target price on shares of Visa in a report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Visa to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised shares of Visa from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $385.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Rothschild Redb upgraded Visa from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $392.00. View Our Latest Report on V Insider Buying and Selling at Visa In other Visa news, CEO Ryan Mcinerney sold 10,485 shares of Visa stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $349.18, for a total value of $3,661,152.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 9,401 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,282,641.18. The trade was a 52.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Paul D. Fabara sold 2,172 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $325.93, for a total transaction of $707,919.96. Following the sale, the insider owned 26,413 shares in the company, valued at $8,608,789.09. This trade represents a 7.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Visa Profile (Free Report) 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. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding V? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Visa Inc. (NYSE:V Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Visa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Visa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Waterloo Capital L.P. raised its position in iShares China Large-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:FXI Free Report) by 72.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 171,779 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after buying an additional 72,033 shares during the period. Waterloo Capital L.P. owned 0.10% of iShares China Large-Cap ETF worth $7,067,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB increased its position in shares of iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 7.3% during the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 4,724 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $194,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the last quarter. ABLE Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. ABLE Financial Group LLC now owns 9,553 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $393,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 8,117 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 369 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 8,402 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $301,000 after buying an additional 406 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 31.3% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,104 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $86,000 after buying an additional 501 shares during the period. Get iShares China Large-Cap ETF alerts: iShares China Large-Cap ETF Stock Down 0.2% FXI opened at $38.20 on Friday. iShares China Large-Cap ETF has a twelve month low of $29.20 and a twelve month high of $42.00. The companys 50-day moving average price is $39.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.43. The stock has a market cap of $6.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.78 and a beta of 0.28. About iShares China Large-Cap ETF iShares China Large-Cap ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the FTSE China 25 Index (the Underlying Index). The Funds portfolio of sectors include Financials, Telecommunication, Oil & gas, Technology and Consumer goods. The underlying Index is designed to represent the performance of the companies in the Chinese equity market, which are available to the international investors. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for iShares China Large-Cap ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares China Large-Cap ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by analysts at Mizuho from $300.00 to $325.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a neutral rating on the fast-food giants stock. Mizuhos target price points to a potential upside of 0.51% from the companys current price. MCD has been the subject of a number of other research reports. UBS Group reiterated a buy rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of McDonalds in a report on Monday. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of McDonalds from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of McDonalds from $340.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. TD Cowen reissued a hold rating on shares of McDonalds in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of McDonalds in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, McDonalds presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $332.30. Get McDonald's alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on McDonalds McDonalds Stock Performance McDonalds stock opened at $323.36 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $230.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.59, a PEG ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 0.52. McDonalds has a 1 year low of $283.47 and a 1 year high of $328.06. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $310.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $307.03. McDonalds (NYSE:MCD Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The fast-food giant reported $3.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.33 by ($0.11). The firm 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 companys quarterly revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.23 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that McDonalds will post 12.25 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity at McDonalds In related news, EVP Desiree Ralls-Morrison sold 2,486 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $320.00, for a total value of $795,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,005,760. The trade was a 28.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Manuel Jm Steijaert sold 6,567 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.50, for a total transaction of $2,006,218.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,606 shares in the company, valued at $1,407,133. This trade represents a 58.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 32,008 shares of company stock worth $9,895,452 in the last ninety days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of McDonalds Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in McDonalds by 162.5% during the third quarter. Evergreen Private Wealth LLC now owns 84 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. raised its holdings in shares of McDonalds by 142.9% during the second quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. now owns 85 shares of the fast-food giants stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McDonalds during the second quarter worth $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of McDonalds in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp boosted its holdings in shares of McDonalds by 95.7% in the 4th quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 92 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.29% of the companys stock. Key Stories Impacting McDonalds Here are the key news stories impacting McDonalds this week: Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.86 per share (payable Mar. 17; ex?div Mar. 3). The payout and yield (~2.3%) reinforce MCDs income profile and dividend-growth story that appeals to yield-seeking investors. PR Newswire Dividend Announcement Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.86 per share (payable Mar. 17; ex?div Mar. 3). The payout and yield (~2.3%) reinforce MCDs income profile and dividend-growth story that appeals to yield-seeking investors. Positive Sentiment: Analyst momentum and defensive positioning: some firms have raised price targets recently and commentators are highlighting McDonalds as a defensive, cash?generative name ahead of Q4 results supporting buyer interest into earnings. Zacks: Earnings Preview Analyst momentum and defensive positioning: some firms have raised price targets recently and commentators are highlighting McDonalds as a defensive, cash?generative name ahead of Q4 results supporting buyer interest into earnings. Positive Sentiment: High?profile marketing/PR: the Valentines McNugget caviar kit promotion is generating viral coverage and social engagement free kits and novelty tie?ins can boost traffic, brand relevance and earned media at low incremental cost. Yahoo: McNugget Caviar Kits High?profile marketing/PR: the Valentines McNugget caviar kit promotion is generating viral coverage and social engagement free kits and novelty tie?ins can boost traffic, brand relevance and earned media at low incremental cost. Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst view remains middling: coverage shows a roughly even split of buy/hold/sell with an average Hold rating from ~31 firms indicates limited near?term re?rating potential absent a strong earnings beat. DefenseWorld: Analyst Ratings Consensus analyst view remains middling: coverage shows a roughly even split of buy/hold/sell with an average Hold rating from ~31 firms indicates limited near?term re?rating potential absent a strong earnings beat. Neutral Sentiment: Leadership update: Loek Beckers named CFO of McDonalds USA routine C?suite appointment that supports execution but is not a gamechanger for near?term results. NRN: CFO Appointment Leadership update: Loek Beckers named CFO of McDonalds USA routine C?suite appointment that supports execution but is not a gamechanger for near?term results. Neutral Sentiment: Local expansion noise: Tinley Park approved a 24?hour drive?through despite resident pushback incremental unit-level hours can modestly lift sales where feasible but is a localized development. Chicago Tribune: Tinley Park Drive?Through Local expansion noise: Tinley Park approved a 24?hour drive?through despite resident pushback incremental unit-level hours can modestly lift sales where feasible but is a localized development. Negative Sentiment: Product and operations criticism: multiple consumer stories flag perceived declines in specific menu items and reports McDonalds is scaling back soda fountains could weigh on brand perception and guest satisfaction if trends persist. MSN: Menu Quality Concerns MSN: Soda Fountain Changes Product and operations criticism: multiple consumer stories flag perceived declines in specific menu items and reports McDonalds is scaling back soda fountains could weigh on brand perception and guest satisfaction if trends persist. Negative Sentiment: Headline risk into earnings: investors are focused on whether traffic declines among lower?income customers stabilized in Q4 disappointing commentary or guidance could quickly reverse the recent run?up. (See earnings preview.) 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. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for McDonald's Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McDonald's and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Essex Property Trust (NYSE:ESS Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The real estate investment trust reported $3.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $4.00 by ($0.02), Briefing.com reports. The firm had revenue of $479.63 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $474.66 million. Essex Property Trust had a return on equity of 11.58% and a net margin of 35.48%.During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.92 EPS. Essex Property Trust updated its FY 2026 guidance to 15.690-16.190 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance to 3.890-4.010 EPS. Essex Property Trust Stock Down 0.6% Shares of NYSE ESS opened at $251.04 on Friday. Essex Property Trust has a 1 year low of $243.25 and a 1 year high of $316.29. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $256.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.71. The company has a market cap of $16.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.12, a PEG ratio of 6.01 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 1.18. Get Essex Property Trust alerts: Essex Property Trust Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 2nd were paid a $2.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $10.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. Essex Property Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 98.75%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms recently weighed in on ESS. Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of Essex Property Trust in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Essex Property Trust from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $305.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Essex Property Trust from $280.00 to $268.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 10th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $278.00 target price on shares of Essex Property Trust in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Essex Property Trust from $275.00 to $284.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, November 24th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $283.87. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Essex Property Trust Hedge Funds Weigh In On Essex Property Trust Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in Essex Property Trust in the second quarter worth $54,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Essex Property Trust in the third quarter worth about $51,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Essex Property Trust by 70.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 279 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the period. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA lifted its holdings in Essex Property Trust by 60.5% during the 3rd quarter. Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych PZU SA now owns 345 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in Essex Property Trust by 23.0% in the 3rd quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 465 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $124,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.51% of the companys stock. About Essex Property Trust (Get Free Report) Essex Property Trust, Inc (NYSE: ESS) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that acquires, develops, owns and operates multifamily residential properties. The company focuses on market-rate apartment communities and delivers a full suite of property services including leasing, resident services, asset management, and capital improvement programs designed to preserve and enhance long?term property values. Essex concentrates its portfolio in West Coast markets, with a significant presence in California and the Pacific Northwest. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Essex Property Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Essex Property Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $210.00 to $200.00 in a report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the real estate investment trusts stock. Stifel Nicolaus price target suggests a potential upside of 17.01% from the companys current price. A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. KeyCorp reiterated a sector weight rating on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Digital Realty Trust in a report on Thursday, December 18th. They set a buy rating and a $188.00 price objective on the stock. Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $206.00 to $189.00 and set a sector outperform rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Digital Realty Trust from a buy (b-) rating to a hold (c+) rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Digital Realty Trust from $206.00 to $184.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $192.13. Get Digital Realty Trust alerts: View Our Latest Report on Digital Realty Trust Digital Realty Trust Price Performance Digital Realty Trust stock opened at $170.93 on Friday. Digital Realty Trust has a 1 year low of $129.95 and a 1 year high of $182.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 2.02 and a current ratio of 2.02. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $158.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $165.76. The company has a market cap of $58.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.47, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 1.12. Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $1.63 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.58 billion. Digital Realty Trust had a return on equity of 6.41% and a net margin of 23.67%.The companys revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.73 earnings per share. Digital Realty Trust has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.900-8.000 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Digital Realty Trust will post 7.07 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Director Mary Hogan Preusse sold 4,166 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.42, for a total transaction of $655,811.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Digital Realty Trust Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in Digital Realty Trust by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,857 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $498,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 3.0% during the second quarter. Riverbend Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,043 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $356,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA boosted its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 0.4% during the third quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 14,335 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,478,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC increased its position in Digital Realty Trust by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 2,404 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $372,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, PDS Planning Inc raised its stake in Digital Realty Trust by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 1,785 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. 99.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Digital Realty Trust News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Digital Realty Trust this week: Digital Realty Trust Company Profile (Get Free Report) Digital Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: DLR) is a real estate investment trust that owns, acquires and operates carrier-neutral data centers and provides related colocation and interconnection solutions. The company focuses on large-scale, mission-critical facilities that support the physical infrastructure needs of cloud providers, enterprises, network operators and content companies. Digital Realtys offerings are designed to enable secure, reliable and highly available IT infrastructure with an emphasis on power density, cooling, and physical security. Digital Realtys product set spans wholesale data center space, turnkey build-to-suit facilities, and retail colocation suites, complemented by interconnection services that allow customers to establish private and public connections to networks, cloud on-ramps and other ecosystem partners. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deliveroo has introduced a new sustainable packaging box for food delivery, developed in collaboration with apprentices from Sheffield Hallam University, UK. The packaging became available on Deliveroos packaging webstore and was created through a partnership involving Deliveroo, packaging company Biopak, and Sheffield Hallam University. The project originated from Deliveroos 2024 Sustainable Packaging, which called on students in the Professional Packaging BSc apprenticeship programme to come up with a design that addresses spillages and helps maintain appropriate food temperatures during transport. The packaging was required to be both sustainable and cost-effective. The chosen design, by apprentices Josephine Shaw and William Shaw, features modifications to a conventional takeaway box, most notably the addition of a new locking mechanism. This system uses extra cardboard folds to create a tighter seal and aims to keep food secure and warm as it travels from restaurants to customers. William Shaw and Josephine Cooper said: Seeing our design progress from a university project to a live product on the Deliveroo webstore is an incredible feeling. We focused on creating a locking mechanism that performs in the real world, and were proud to know our work can now be used by restaurants, reaching customer front doors across the UK. We hope this proves that sustainable packaging can be both highly functional and cost-effective. The design was produced to avoid extra costs, offering restaurant partners an option that addresses common delivery issues of temperature maintenance and leaks. This development follows Deliveroos efforts to support the use of more sustainable packaging within the restaurant sector. After the 2024 challenge, Deliveroo continued the competition last year, this time working alongside exclusive partners, including GAILs Bakery. Deliveroo Packaging head Jen Bagshaw said: We are constantly seeking innovative solutions to global challenges. Partnering with the talented apprentices at Sheffield Hallam University has been an inspiring journey, allowing us to champion the next generation of sustainable packaging designers. "By providing the platform and financial backing to turn the students creative vision into a reality, we are thrilled to see this solution officially launch on our webstore for our partners to purchase." "Deliveroo introduces sustainable takeaway boxes" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. Ranger Investment Management L.P. decreased its stake in Warby Parker Inc. (NYSE:WRBY Free Report) by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 990,450 shares of the companys stock after selling 21,760 shares during the quarter. Warby Parker makes up 1.9% of Ranger Investment Management L.P.s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest position. Ranger Investment Management L.P. owned about 0.94% of Warby Parker worth $27,317,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Warby Parker during the third quarter worth $405,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Warby Parker during the 3rd quarter valued at about $135,000. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Warby Parker by 8.3% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 26,285 shares of the companys stock valued at $725,000 after purchasing an additional 2,004 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Warby Parker during the third quarter worth about $214,000. Finally, Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Warby Parker during the third quarter worth about $2,184,000. 93.24% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Warby Parker alerts: Insider Activity at Warby Parker In other news, Director Joel E. Cutler sold 19,932 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.01, for a total transaction of $518,431.32. Following the sale, the director owned 20,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $520,200. This represents a 49.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Youngme E. Moon sold 38,832 shares of Warby Parker stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.07, for a total value of $1,128,846.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 27,057 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $786,546.99. This trade represents a 58.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 359,424 shares of company stock worth $9,813,571. Corporate insiders own 18.24% of the companys stock. Warby Parker Trading Up 3.9% WRBY stock opened at $24.74 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $25.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.14. Warby Parker Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.63 and a 12-month high of $31.00. The company has a market capitalization of $2.62 billion, a PE ratio of 2,478.30 and a beta of 2.05. Warby Parker (NYSE:WRBY Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $221.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $224.49 million. Warby Parker had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 1.96%. The businesss revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.03) earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Warby Parker Inc. will post -0.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Warby Parker from $22.00 to $32.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c-) rating on shares of Warby Parker in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Warby Parker from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, November 1st. BTIG Research increased their price target on Warby Parker from $25.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Warby Parker from $19.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Warby Parker presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $27.38. View Our Latest Report on WRBY About Warby Parker (Free Report) Warby Parker, Inc (NYSE: WRBY) is a U.S.-based eyewear company that designs, manufactures and sells prescription glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses through a direct-to-consumer model. Since its founding, the company has combined online and brick-and-mortar channels to streamline the customer experience, offering features such as virtual try-on technology and a home try-on program that allows consumers to sample frames before purchase. Established in 2010 by Wharton graduates Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, Andrew Hunt and Jeffrey Raider, Warby Parker set out to disrupt the traditional optical market by controlling the entire supply chainfrom frame design and lens production to warehousing and distribution. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Warby Parker Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Warby Parker and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ranger Investment Management L.P. cut its stake in UL Solutions Inc. (NYSE:ULS Free Report) by 2.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 413,075 shares of the companys stock after selling 11,820 shares during the period. UL Solutions comprises approximately 2.0% of Ranger Investment Management L.P.s portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Ranger Investment Management L.P. owned approximately 0.21% of UL Solutions worth $29,270,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of UL Solutions by 48.4% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 524 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in UL Solutions by 3,070.0% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 634 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 614 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers acquired a new position in UL Solutions in the first quarter valued at $49,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of UL Solutions by 28.2% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 731 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HM Payson & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of UL Solutions in the third quarter valued at about $70,000. Get UL Solutions alerts: UL Solutions Stock Performance Shares of ULS opened at $70.56 on Friday. UL Solutions Inc. has a 12-month low of $49.34 and a 12-month high of $91.95. The stock has a market cap of $14.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.04 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $77.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $74.91. UL Solutions Dividend Announcement UL Solutions ( NYSE:ULS Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.09. UL Solutions had a return on equity of 34.49% and a net margin of 11.29%.The firm had revenue of $783.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $769.01 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.49 EPS. UL Solutionss revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that UL Solutions Inc. will post 1.69 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 28th were issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 28th. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. UL Solutionss payout ratio is 31.14%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on ULS shares. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of UL Solutions from $77.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $97.00 price objective on shares of UL Solutions and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of UL Solutions from $96.00 to $85.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $84.00 target price (up from $70.00) on shares of UL Solutions in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b) rating on shares of UL Solutions in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $83.57. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on UL Solutions UL Solutions Company Profile (Free Report) UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS) is a global safety science company that provides testing, inspection, certification, advisory and digital solutions designed to help organizations manage risk, ensure regulatory compliance and drive innovation. With roots dating back to 1894 when it was founded as Underwriters Electrical Bureau, the company rebranded as UL Solutions following its initial public offering in 2022. Headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, UL Solutions operates independently to serve a broad range of industries with an emphasis on product safety, performance and sustainability. The companys core services include standards development, product testing and certification for sectors such as building products, consumer electronics, automotive, life sciences, energy and industrial equipment. Read More Receive News & Ratings for UL Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UL Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Carrier Global (NYSE:CARR Get Free Report) had its price objective lifted by stock analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $59.00 to $65.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Companys price objective would suggest a potential upside of 0.31% from the companys current price. A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on CARR. Morgan Stanley set a $55.00 target price on Carrier Global in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Carrier Global from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Rothschild & Co Redburn decreased their price target on shares of Carrier Global from $67.00 to $61.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup reiterated a buy rating on shares of Carrier Global in a research note on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Carrier Global from $72.00 to $66.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 26th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned 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 $70.44. Get Carrier Global alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on CARR Carrier Global Stock Performance CARR opened at $64.80 on Friday. Carrier Global has a 1-year low of $50.24 and a 1-year high of $81.09. The company has a market cap of $54.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.48, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.33. The companys fifty day moving average price is $55.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $59.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Carrier Global (NYSE:CARR Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.05 billion. Carrier Global had a return on equity of 16.65% and a net margin of 18.05%.The companys quarterly revenue was down 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.54 EPS. Carrier Global has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.800-2.800 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Carrier Global will post 2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. Carrier Global declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, October 28th that allows the company to buyback $5.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 10.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Spirepoint Private Client LLC grew its position in Carrier Global by 547.7% during the third quarter. Spirepoint Private Client LLC now owns 60,694 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,623,000 after acquiring an additional 51,324 shares during the last quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Carrier Global by 24.1% in the third quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 216,777 shares of the companys stock valued at $12,931,000 after acquiring an additional 42,161 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new position in Carrier Global during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,986,000. Brookstone Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Carrier Global by 220.8% in the 3rd quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 51,852 shares of the companys stock worth $3,096,000 after purchasing an additional 35,691 shares during the period. Finally, Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Carrier Global during the 3rd quarter valued at about $20,678,000. Institutional investors own 91.00% of the companys stock. Carrier Global News Roundup Here are the key news stories impacting Carrier Global this week: About Carrier Global (Get Free Report) Carrier Global Corporation is a leading global provider of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire and security, and building automation solutions. The company designs, manufactures and sells a broad portfolio of products that includes air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, chillers, rooftop units, commercial refrigeration systems, fire and smoke detection and suppression systems, security sensors and access controls, and a range of building controls and analytics software. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Carrier Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Carrier Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) had its price target increased by investment analysts at Evercore ISI from $215.00 to $250.00 in a report released on Friday. The firm presently has an in-line rating on the stock. Evercore ISIs price target would suggest a potential upside of 7.66% from the companys previous close. HSY has been the topic of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a hold (c) rating on shares of Hershey in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. UBS Group reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $236.00 price target on shares of Hershey in a report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Piper Sandler set a $213.00 target price on shares of Hershey and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and issued a $214.00 price objective on shares of Hershey in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $202.61. Get Hershey alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on HSY Hershey Price Performance Hershey stock traded up $7.84 on Friday, reaching $232.22. The companys stock had a trading volume of 217,384 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,980,620. Hershey has a twelve month low of $150.04 and a twelve month high of $234.43. The company has a market cap of $47.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.67 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 1.36. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $188.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $185.53. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.40 by $0.31. Hershey had a net margin of 11.84% and a return on equity of 32.08%. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.69 EPS. The companys revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Hershey has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.200-8.520 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Hershey will post 6.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Hershey In related news, insider Stacy Taffet acquired 200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of $186.19 per share, with a total value of $37,238.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 9,371 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,744,786.49. The trade was a 2.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Kirk Tanner acquired 2,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $185.46 per share, for a total transaction of $370,920.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 47,860 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,876,115.60. This trade represents a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,119,450 over the last 90 days. 0.34% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Hershey Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Hershey by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 15,310 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,618,000 after buying an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Hershey in the second quarter valued at approximately $128,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its position in shares of Hershey by 4.0% in the second quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 7,081 shares of the companys stock worth $1,175,000 after purchasing an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Hershey by 1.1% during the second quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 402,266 shares of the companys stock worth $66,756,000 after purchasing an additional 4,484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Callan Family Office LLC grew its position in Hershey by 65.5% in the second quarter. Callan Family Office LLC now owns 3,913 shares of the companys stock valued at $649,000 after purchasing an additional 1,549 shares in the last quarter. 57.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Key Hershey News Here are the key news stories impacting Hershey this week: Hershey Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hershey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hershey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A.P. Moller-Maersk (OTCMKTS:AMKBY Get Free Report)s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Friday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $12.60, but opened at $11.9250. A.P. Moller-Maersk shares last traded at $11.92, with a volume of 10,193 shares changing hands. The transportation company reported $0.02 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.12 by ($0.10). A.P. Moller-Maersk had a net margin of 8.83% and a return on equity of 8.51%. The business had revenue of $13.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.83 billion. Get A.P. Moller-Maersk alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several brokerages have recently issued reports on AMKBY. Wolfe Research reiterated an underperform rating on shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Nordea Equity Research lowered A.P. Moller-Maersk from a buy rating to a sell rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Kepler Capital Markets raised A.P. Moller-Maersk from a reduce rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup reaffirmed a neutral rating on shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk in a research note on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a hold rating on shares of A.P. Moller-Maersk in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and seven have assigned a Sell rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Reduce. A.P. Moller-Maersk Stock Performance The company has a market cap of $37.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.59 and a beta of 0.87. The firms fifty day moving average price is $11.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.65. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. A.P. Moller-Maersk Company Profile (Get Free Report) A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is a Danish integrated transport and logistics company headquartered in Copenhagen. Operating under the Maersk brand worldwide, the group provides container shipping and end-to-end logistics services, combining ocean freight with land-based transportation, contract logistics, warehousing, and supply chain management for global shippers and manufacturers. The companys core activities include container shipping operations, terminal services through APM Terminals, and a growing logistics and services business that offers freight forwarding, customs brokerage, inland transportation and warehousing. See Also Receive News & Ratings for A.P. Moller-Maersk Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for A.P. Moller-Maersk and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Command Security Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:MOC Get Free Report)s stock price crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $2.85 and traded as low as $2.82. Command Security shares last traded at $2.85, with a volume of 51,100 shares. Command Security Price Performance The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.85. About Command Security (Get Free Report) Command Security Corporation provides uniformed security officers and aviation security services in the United States. It operates through Security and Aviation Safeguards divisions. The Security division offers armed and unarmed uniformed security personnel for access control, loss prevention, mobile patrols, traffic control, security console/system operators, and fire safety directors, as well as personnel for reception, concierge, and front desk/doorman operations. This division serves governmental, quasi-governmental, and financial institutions; colleges and universities; healthcare facilities; residential communities; and commercial real estate, industrial, distribution, logistics, and retail customers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Command Security Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Command Security and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Free Report) by 18.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 29,904 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 6,902 shares during the quarter. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Mastercard were worth $17,010,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MA. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 55,868.1% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,421,148 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $7,541,880,000 after acquiring an additional 13,397,168 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 2nd quarter valued at about $6,725,317,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in shares of Mastercard by 25.6% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,372,404 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $3,580,909,000 after acquiring an additional 1,299,977 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Mastercard by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,475,807 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $44,098,695,000 after acquiring an additional 931,132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Mastercard by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 19,760,552 shares of the credit services providers stock valued at $11,062,509,000 after purchasing an additional 542,841 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.28% of the companys stock. Get Mastercard alerts: Mastercard Stock Down 0.4% Shares of NYSE MA traded down $2.44 on Friday, reaching $549.45. 156,388 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,250,653. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $555.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $564.32. Mastercard Incorporated has a 12 month low of $465.59 and a 12 month high of $601.77. The company has a market cap of $493.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. Mastercard Increases Dividend Mastercard ( NYSE:MA Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The credit services provider reported $4.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.52. Mastercard had a return on equity of 203.92% and a net margin of 45.65%.The business had revenue of $8.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.82 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Mastercard Incorporated will post 15.91 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, February 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 9th will be paid a $0.87 dividend. This is an increase from Mastercards previous quarterly dividend of $0.76. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. This represents a $3.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Mastercards dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.07%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In MA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Macquarie boosted their price target on shares of Mastercard from $660.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Redburn Partners set a $685.00 price target on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Mastercard from $668.00 to $671.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Raymond James Financial dropped their price target on Mastercard from $707.00 to $631.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $669.18. Check Out Our Latest Report on MA About Mastercard (Free Report) Mastercard Incorporated is a global payments technology company that operates a network connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 200 countries and territories. The company facilitates electronic payments and transaction processing for credit, debit and prepaid card products carrying the Mastercard brand, while also providing a range of payment-related services to issuers, acquirers and merchants. Its technology and network enable authorization, clearing and settlement of payments and support a broad set of use cases including point-of-sale, e-commerce and mobile payments. Beyond core transaction processing, Mastercard offers a suite of value-added services such as fraud and risk management, identity and authentication tools, tokenization and digital wallet support, cross-border and commercial payment solutions, and data analytics and consulting services for merchants and financial partners. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Mastercard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mastercard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE:UNP Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of 1.38 per share by the railroad operator on Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Union Pacific has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 18 years. Union Pacific has a payout ratio of 43.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Union Pacific to earn $13.11 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $5.52 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 42.1%. Get Union Pacific alerts: Union Pacific Stock Up 0.1% NYSE UNP traded up $0.13 on Friday, reaching $251.58. The stock had a trading volume of 760,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,578,669. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.64. Union Pacific has a 1 year low of $204.66 and a 1 year high of $253.20. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $233.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $227.25. The company has a market capitalization of $149.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.98. Analysts Set New Price Targets Union Pacific ( NYSE:UNP Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The railroad operator reported $2.86 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.92 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.15 billion. Union Pacific had a return on equity of 40.89% and a net margin of 29.12%.The firms revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.91 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Union Pacific will post 11.99 EPS for the current fiscal year. UNP has been the topic of several analyst reports. Susquehanna reiterated a buy rating on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Monday, January 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $245.00 target price on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Union Pacific from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. BMO Capital Markets set a $255.00 price target on shares of Union Pacific in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a buy rating and issued a $270.00 price objective (up from $265.00) on shares of Union Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and eleven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Union Pacific presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $258.32. Read Our Latest Stock Report on UNP Union Pacific Company Profile (Get Free Report) Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) is one of the largest freight railroad companies in the United States. Its principal operating subsidiary, Union Pacific Railroad, has roots that trace back to the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 and the construction of the first transcontinental rail link completed in 1869. The company is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and operates as a holding company for rail transportation and related services. Union Pacifics core business is the movement of freight by rail across an extensive rail network serving the western two?thirds of the United States. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Union Pacific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Union Pacific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Free Report) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided EPS guidance of 46.050-46.700 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 45.780. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.2 billion-$4.2 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.2 billion. Mettler-Toledo International also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 8.600-8.750 EPS. Mettler-Toledo International Price Performance Mettler-Toledo International stock traded down $12.39 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $1,370.46. 70,391 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 131,947. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,423.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,357.29. Mettler-Toledo International has a fifty-two week low of $946.69 and a fifty-two week high of $1,525.17. The stock has a market cap of $28.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.20, a P/E/G ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 1.42. Get Mettler-Toledo International alerts: Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $13.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $12.76 by $0.60. The business had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 21.20% and a negative return on equity of 426.96%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $12.41 EPS. Mettler-Toledo International has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 8.600-8.750 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 46.050-46.700 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Mettler-Toledo International will post 42.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Mettler-Toledo International in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a neutral rating and a $1,475.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a hold (c+) rating on shares of Mettler-Toledo International in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,450.00 to $1,600.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,600.00 to $1,550.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Mettler-Toledo International has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $1,441.67. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on MTD Insider Buying and Selling at Mettler-Toledo International In related news, insider La Guerroniere Marc De sold 6,055 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,488.18, for a total transaction of $9,010,929.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 187 shares in the company, valued at $278,289.66. The trade was a 97.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gerry Keller sold 236 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,418.58, for a total value of $334,784.88. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 159 shares in the company, valued at $225,554.22. This represents a 59.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 19,565 shares of company stock worth $28,683,737. Corporate insiders own 1.94% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mettler-Toledo International A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 83.3% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 66 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,347 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,582,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 44.6% in the 2nd quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 405 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $476,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 10.8% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 4,035 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $4,740,000 after purchasing an additional 392 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AXA S.A. grew its position in Mettler-Toledo International by 2.9% in the second quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 4,625 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $5,433,000 after buying an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. 95.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Mettler-Toledo International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mettler-Toledo International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE:RGA Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The insurance provider reported $7.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.86 by $1.89, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $6.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.25 billion. Reinsurance Group of America had a return on equity of 12.19% and a net margin of 3.89%.Reinsurance Group of Americas revenue for the quarter was up 26.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.99 EPS. Reinsurance Group of America Stock Performance Shares of RGA traded up $19.68 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $225.67. The stock had a trading volume of 326,459 shares, compared to its average volume of 378,001. Reinsurance Group of America has a fifty-two week low of $159.25 and a fifty-two week high of $228.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The company has a market cap of $14.83 billion, a PE ratio of 17.36 and a beta of 0.53. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $199.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $193.48. Get Reinsurance Group of America alerts: Reinsurance Group of America Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.93 per share. This represents a $3.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. Reinsurance Group of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.62%. Institutional Trading of Reinsurance Group of America More Reinsurance Group of America News Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RGA. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,346,447 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $450,823,000 after buying an additional 64,296 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake 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 worth $158,352,000 after acquiring an additional 182,729 shares during the period. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in Reinsurance Group of America by 6,076.4% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 602,503 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $119,512,000 after acquiring an additional 592,748 shares during the last quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc lifted its holdings in Reinsurance Group of America by 7.3% in the third quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc now owns 576,591 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $110,780,000 after acquiring an additional 39,091 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Reinsurance Group of America by 21.9% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 375,774 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $72,197,000 after acquiring an additional 67,622 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.11% of the companys stock. Here are the key news stories impacting Reinsurance Group of America this week: Positive Sentiment: Q4 results materially beat expectations RGA reported $7.75 EPS vs. consensus ~$5.86 and revenue ~ $6.6B vs. ~$6.25B, with revenue up ~26.6% year-over-year; the beat and strong underlying growth are the primary drivers of the stock move. Read More. Q4 results materially beat expectations RGA reported $7.75 EPS vs. consensus ~$5.86 and revenue ~ $6.6B vs. ~$6.25B, with revenue up ~26.6% year-over-year; the beat and strong underlying growth are the primary drivers of the stock move. Read More. Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared RGA announced a quarterly dividend of $0.93 per share (yield ~1.8%), record date Feb 17 and payable Mar 3; the cash return supports investor sentiment and income-focused demand. Read More. Dividend declared RGA announced a quarterly dividend of $0.93 per share (yield ~1.8%), record date Feb 17 and payable Mar 3; the cash return supports investor sentiment and income-focused demand. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/metric deep dives follow the print coverage (Zacks and others) is parsing underlying metrics (ROE, margins, reserve movements) to assess sustainability of the beat; these analyses will guide near-term estimate revisions. Read More. Analyst/metric deep dives follow the print coverage (Zacks and others) is parsing underlying metrics (ROE, margins, reserve movements) to assess sustainability of the beat; these analyses will guide near-term estimate revisions. Read More. Neutral Sentiment: Company strategy coverage pieces on RGAs investment positioning (e.g., its Portland industrial investment focus and leadership changes) provide context for longer-term earnings and capital deployment but are not immediate catalysts. Read More. Company strategy coverage pieces on RGAs investment positioning (e.g., its Portland industrial investment focus and leadership changes) provide context for longer-term earnings and capital deployment but are not immediate catalysts. Read More. Negative Sentiment: Some forward estimates and focus items may be slipping articles note analysts are re?assessing estimates and items in focus could temper upside if revisions are meaningful; monitor guidance/comments on reserves, capital actions and investment results. Read More. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $255.00 to $240.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Reinsurance Group of America from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Raymond James Financial lowered Reinsurance Group of America from a market perform rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a buy (b-) rating on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays set a $245.00 price objective on Reinsurance Group of America and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $239.56. Read Our Latest Research Report on Reinsurance Group of America About Reinsurance Group of America (Get 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. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Reinsurance Group of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Reinsurance Group of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. It's easy for crypto investors to be down on Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) right now. The world's most popular cryptocurrency is down almost 50% from its all-time high of $126,000 from just a few months ago. Adding insult to injury, the price of gold continues to skyrocket, leading many to question the digital gold investment thesis for Bitcoin. But I'm going to take a contrarian stance right now and predict that the crypto is going to turn things around soon. It's still a buy, and here is why. 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 The return of digital gold Admittedly, gold is having a moment right now. It's up more than 70% during the past 12 months and recently traded above $5,000 per ounce. That's heady stuff. But crypto investors still think that the leading digital coin will outperform gold during the next 10 years. Speaking at a recent crypto industry event in New York, Dan Morehead, chief executive officer of the crypto-focused investment firm Pantera Capital, suggested that Bitcoin will "massively outperform" gold during the next decade. As the U.S. dollar continues to weaken over time, investors will shift into Bitcoin, given its scarcity of just 21 million coins. The end of the Bitcoin four-year cycle Even better, many crypto analysts think the infamous Bitcoin four-year cycle of boom and bust is a relic of the past. Skyrocketing institutional adoption, combined with a pro-crypto regulatory agenda from the Trump administration, should help to reduce the risk of a prolonged downturn. Some even think that Bitcoin is headed for an economic supercycle, leading to much higher prices during the next decade. Image source: Getty Images. Still, it's hard to ignore that the price of the digital coin does tend to collapse every four years. That was the case in 2014, 2018, and 2022. So is 2026 going to follow the same pattern? The hope is that, even if Bitcoin has further to fall this year, it will soon return to form, just as it has in every other boom-and-bust cycle. A rising pace of institutional adoption There are several different ways to think about institutional adoption. In its simplest form, it refers to big institutional investors loading up on crypto via the new spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds, as they seek to gain access to an entirely new asset class. That's something that just isn't going to vanish soon. Maybe the most risk-averse of these institutional investors keep their asset allocations to 1% or lower. But the growing consensus is that these allocations will increase over time, potentially rising to 3% or higher within the next few years. If that's the case, then the price of Bitcoin has no place to go but up. Cheniere Energy Partners (NYSE:CQP Get Free Report) and Aqua Power Systems (OTCMKTS:APSI Get Free Report) are both energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, earnings and dividends. Profitability This table compares Cheniere Energy Partners and Aqua Power Systems net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Cheniere Energy Partners alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Cheniere Energy Partners 22.54% -591.00% 13.64% Aqua Power Systems N/A N/A N/A Volatility & Risk Cheniere Energy Partners has a beta of 0.42, meaning that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Aqua Power Systems has a beta of 1.43, meaning that its stock price is 43% more volatile than the S&P 500. Insider & Institutional Ownership Valuation & Earnings 46.6% of Cheniere Energy Partners shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. This table compares Cheniere Energy Partners and Aqua Power Systemss revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Cheniere Energy Partners $8.70 billion 3.21 $2.51 billion $3.84 15.05 Aqua Power Systems N/A N/A -$160,000.00 N/A N/A Cheniere Energy Partners has higher revenue and earnings than Aqua Power Systems. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Cheniere Energy Partners and Aqua Power Systems, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Cheniere Energy Partners 6 1 0 0 1.14 Aqua Power Systems 0 0 0 0 0.00 Cheniere Energy Partners currently has a consensus price target of $53.33, indicating a potential downside of 7.72%. Given Cheniere Energy Partners stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Cheniere Energy Partners is more favorable than Aqua Power Systems. Summary Cheniere Energy Partners beats Aqua Power Systems on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Cheniere Energy Partners (Get Free Report) Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) to integrated energy companies, utilities, and energy trading companies worldwide. The company owns and operates natural gas liquefaction and export facility at the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It also owns a natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Sabine Pass LNG terminal with various interstate pipelines. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. is a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, Inc. About Aqua Power Systems (Get Free Report) Aqua Power Systems Inc. does not have significant operations. The company intends to engage in merger or acquisition opportunities. Previously, it was focused on the goal of developing solar energy collection farms on commercial and/or industrial buildings located on distressed, blighted, and/or underutilized commercial land in North Carolina and other southern states of the United States. The company was formerly known as NC Solar Inc. and changed its name to Aqua Power Systems Inc. in August 2014. Aqua Power Systems Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is based in Winter Park, Florida. Receive News & Ratings for Cheniere Energy Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cheniere Energy Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Flowserve (NYSE:FLS Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.17, FiscalAI reports. Flowserve had a net margin of 9.66% and a return on equity of 19.41%. The business had revenue of $1.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.26 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.70 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Flowserve updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.000-4.200 EPS. Flowserve Stock Performance Shares of Flowserve stock traded up $5.75 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $84.73. The company had a trading volume of 1,287,209 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,275,708. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.54. Flowserve has a one year low of $37.34 and a one year high of $86.00. The firm has a market cap of $10.77 billion, a PE ratio of 24.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.29. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $73.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $62.91. Get Flowserve alerts: Flowserve Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were given a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Flowserves dividend payout ratio is currently 24.42%. Insider Buying and Selling Hedge Funds Weigh In On Flowserve In other Flowserve news, insider Lamar L. Duhon sold 1,609 shares of Flowserve stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.51, for a total transaction of $111,841.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 15,116 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,050,713.16. The trade was a 9.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Flowserve by 48.2% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 471,893 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $23,047,000 after acquiring an additional 153,553 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Flowserve during the 2nd quarter valued at $313,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Flowserve by 6.0% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 134,484 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $7,040,000 after purchasing an additional 7,624 shares during the period. Cresset Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Flowserve by 24.1% in the second quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 14,246 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $749,000 after buying an additional 2,769 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in Flowserve by 10.5% during the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 232,848 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $12,190,000 after buying an additional 22,108 shares during the period. 93.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Trending Headlines about Flowserve Here are the key news stories impacting Flowserve this week: Analysts Set New Price Targets FLS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. TD Cowen reiterated a buy rating on shares of Flowserve in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Bank of America reiterated a neutral rating and set a $73.00 target price (up from $60.00) on shares of Flowserve in a research note on Friday, November 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Flowserve from $71.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Flowserve from $60.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Flowserve from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Flowserve presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $79.90. Read Our Latest Stock Report on FLS Flowserve Company Profile (Get Free Report) Flowserve Corporation (NYSE: FLS) is a leading provider of fluid motion and control products and services. The company designs, manufactures and services engineered and industrial pumps, mechanical seals, valves and related flow management equipment. Flowserves offerings are utilized across a broad spectrum of end markets, including oil and gas, power generation, chemical processing, water management, pharmaceutical and semiconductor manufacturing, as well as mining and general industrial applications. Flowserves product portfolio encompasses a wide range of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, high-performance control valves, butterfly and ball valves, as well as mechanical seals and seal support systems. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Flowserve Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Flowserve and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kodiak Gas Services, Inc. (NYSE:KGS Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $49.44 and last traded at $49.2850, with a volume of 136679 shares. The stock had previously closed at $47.31. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently commented on KGS. Barclays raised their price objective on Kodiak Gas Services from $42.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a hold (c) rating on shares of Kodiak Gas Services in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $48.00 price target on shares of Kodiak Gas Services in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Kodiak Gas Services from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Finally, William Blair started coverage on shares of Kodiak Gas Services in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued an outperform rating for the company. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kodiak Gas Services currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $46.00. Get Kodiak Gas Services alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Kodiak Gas Services Kodiak Gas Services Stock Performance The firms 50 day simple moving average is $37.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.55. The firm has a market cap of $4.30 billion, a PE ratio of 62.19 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.08. Kodiak Gas Services (NYSE:KGS Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.50 by ($0.14). The firm had revenue of $322.74 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $328.23 million. Kodiak Gas Services had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 10.37%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.07) EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Kodiak Gas Services, Inc. will post 1.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. Kodiak Gas Services Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be issued a $0.49 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Kodiak Gas Servicess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 245.00%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kodiak Gas Services Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of KGS. Tyler Stone Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Kodiak Gas Services during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,068,000. Walleye Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Kodiak Gas Services by 385.9% during the second quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 401,983 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,776,000 after buying an additional 319,257 shares during the period. Viking Fund Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Kodiak Gas Services by 42.7% during the third quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 127,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,695,000 after buying an additional 38,000 shares during the period. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kodiak Gas Services during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,385,000. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in shares of Kodiak Gas Services in the third quarter worth approximately $1,336,000. Institutional investors own 24.95% of the companys stock. About Kodiak Gas Services (Get Free Report) Kodiak Gas Services, Inc operates contract compression infrastructure for customers in the oil and gas industry in the United States. It operates in two segments, Compression Operations and Other Services. The Compression Operations segment operates company-owned and customer-owned compression infrastructure to enable the production, gathering, and transportation of natural gas and oil. The Other Services segment provides a range of contract services, including station construction, maintenance and overhaul, and other ancillary time and material-based offerings. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Kodiak Gas Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kodiak Gas Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AGCO (NYSE:AGCO Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $2.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.32, FiscalAI reports. AGCO had a net margin of 3.73% and a return on equity of 9.36%. The business had revenue of $2.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.67 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.97 earnings per share. AGCOs revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. AGCO updated its FY 2026 guidance to 5.500-6.000 EPS. Here are the key takeaways from AGCOs conference call: Get AGCO alerts: AGCO delivered strong 2025 results with a full?year adjusted operating margin of 7.7% , Q4 margin of 10.1%, record free cash flow of $740M , and executed a $250M accelerated share repurchase under its $1B program. , Q4 margin of 10.1%, record free cash flow of , and executed a $250M accelerated share repurchase under its $1B program. PTX showed clear momentum AGCO launched 14 new retrofit products in 2025, expanded to over 70 PTX elite dealers, finished PTX revenue near $860M, and expects PTX to be flat to modestly up in 2026, supporting long?term high?margin growth. in 2025, expanded to over 70 PTX elite dealers, finished PTX revenue near $860M, and expects PTX to be flat to modestly up in 2026, supporting long?term high?margin growth. Management continued disciplined production and dealer destocking (production hours down 12% in 2025 and North American dealer units down >30% year), but North America still carries ~7 months of supply vs a 6?month target and will likely underproduce ~10% in H1 2026 to rebalance. Tariffs and weak end?market demand are material headwinds AGCO expects an incremental ~$65M tariff drag in 2026 (total ~$105110M) and forecasts a sharp decline in North American large?ag volumes (~15%), with NA operating margins negative in the early part of 2026. Structural cost actions (Project Reimagine) are progressing $65M of savings realized in 2025, an additional $4060M expected in 2026, and a ~ $190$200M run?rate toward the companys mid?cycle margin targets (1415%). AGCO Stock Up 5.3% AGCO stock traded up $6.60 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $130.94. 402,236 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 783,712. The firms 50-day moving average is $109.40 and its 200-day moving average is $109.05. AGCO has a 12 month low of $73.79 and a 12 month high of $131.14. The company has a market cap of $9.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.05, a PEG ratio of 11.02 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 0.73. AGCO Dividend Announcement Key AGCO News The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. AGCOs dividend payout ratio is presently 23.06%. Here are the key news stories impacting AGCO this week: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently commented on AGCO shares. Robert W. Baird set a $128.00 target price on AGCO in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on AGCO in a report on Thursday, November 13th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $114.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reissued a market perform rating and set a $115.00 price objective (up from $110.00) on shares of AGCO in a report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of AGCO from $127.00 to $123.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of AGCO from $93.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $117.18. Get Our Latest Stock Report on AGCO Insider Buying and Selling at AGCO In related news, SVP Kelvin Eugene Bennett sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.28, for a total transaction of $26,070.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 17,130 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,786,316.40. This trade represents a 1.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 16.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of AGCO Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC acquired a new position in AGCO during the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of AGCO by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,017 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $323,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of AGCO in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of AGCO in the third quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Castleark Management LLC increased its holdings in AGCO by 110.7% during the third quarter. Castleark Management LLC now owns 56,415 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $6,040,000 after buying an additional 29,645 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.80% of the companys stock. About AGCO (Get Free Report) AGCO Corporation is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision farming solutions. Headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, the company markets a diverse portfolio of well-known brands, including Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Challenger, Valtra and GSI, serving farmers and producers in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Through an extensive dealer network, AGCO provides equipment tailored to a broad range of crop and livestock operations. The companys product offerings span tractors, combine harvesters, hay and forage tools, application equipment, seeding and tillage implements, as well as grain storage and protein solutions. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for AGCO Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AGCO and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Black Hills (NYSE:BKH Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The utilities provider reported $1.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.37 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. Black Hills had a net margin of 12.62% and a return on equity of 7.99%. The business had revenue of $635.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $809.88 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Black Hills updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.250-4.450 EPS. Black Hills Trading Down 1.0% Shares of NYSE:BKH traded down $0.78 during trading on Friday, reaching $73.67. 182,151 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,008,427. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $71.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.67. Black Hills has a 12-month low of $54.92 and a 12-month high of $75.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.37 billion, a PE ratio of 18.51, a P/E/G ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.75. Get Black Hills alerts: Black Hills Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be given a dividend of $0.703 per share. This represents a $2.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. This is a boost from Black Hillss previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. Black Hillss dividend payout ratio is 70.60%. Insider Transactions at Black Hills Hedge Funds Weigh In On Black Hills In other Black Hills news, CFO Kimberly F. Nooney sold 14,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.70, for a total transaction of $1,025,150.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 34,621 shares in the company, valued at $2,447,704.70. This trade represents a 29.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in Black Hills by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 42,798 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,596,000 after acquiring an additional 2,906 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Black Hills by 83.2% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,345 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 1,519 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of Black Hills by 37.8% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,040 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 834 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in Black Hills in the first quarter worth approximately $255,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in Black Hills by 5.8% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 134,673 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $8,168,000 after buying an additional 7,332 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.71% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms recently issued reports on BKH. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b-) rating on shares of Black Hills in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Black Hills from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and upped their target price for the company from $66.00 to $81.00 in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Black Hills from $70.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $75.67. View Our Latest Report on Black Hills About Black Hills (Get Free Report) 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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Black Hills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Black Hills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Stellantis N.V. (NYSE:STLA Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The stock traded as low as $7.04 and last traded at $7.1580, with a volume of 17442410 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.54. Key Stories Impacting Stellantis Here are the key news stories impacting Stellantis this week: Get Stellantis alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades STLA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Stellantis from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $10.90 price target on the stock. in a research report on Tuesday. TD Cowen restated a hold rating on shares of Stellantis in a research report on Friday, December 12th. HSBC reaffirmed a hold rating on shares of Stellantis in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Stellantis to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, DZ Bank raised Stellantis from a strong sell rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $11.67. Stellantis Trading Down 24.7% The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $10.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.19. Institutional Trading of Stellantis Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Stellantis in the second quarter valued at approximately $384,724,000. Amundi raised its holdings in shares of Stellantis by 41.0% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 110,680,258 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,143,327,000 after purchasing an additional 32,206,884 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Stellantis by 6,148.4% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 14,945,564 shares of the companys stock valued at $137,891,000 after purchasing an additional 14,706,375 shares in the last quarter. Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in shares of Stellantis in the 4th quarter valued at $77,209,000. Finally, Bank of Italy boosted its holdings in Stellantis by 11.6% in the third quarter. Bank of Italy now owns 36,630,307 shares of the companys stock worth $338,212,000 after purchasing an additional 3,800,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.48% of the companys stock. Stellantis Company Profile (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. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Stellantis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stellantis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fujifilm Holdings Corp. (OTCMKTS:FUJIY Get Free Report)s share price gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $10.14, but opened at $9.35. Fujifilm shares last traded at $9.7840, with a volume of 9,455 shares traded. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, Zacks Research lowered Fujifilm from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, January 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, Fujifilm has an average rating of Hold. Get Fujifilm alerts: Get Our Latest Report on FUJIY Fujifilm Stock Down 0.8% The firm has a market capitalization of $24.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.77. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $10.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Fujifilm (OTCMKTS:FUJIY Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The technology company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.58. The firm had revenue of $5.33 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.31 billion. Fujifilm had a return on equity of 7.89% and a net margin of 8.31%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Fujifilm Holdings Corp. will post 0.66 EPS for the current fiscal year. Fujifilm Company Profile (Get Free Report) Fujifilm (OTCMKTS:FUJIY) is a Tokyo-based multinational conglomerate originally founded in 1934 as Fuji Photo Film Co, Ltd. Over the decades the company has evolved from a photographic film manufacturer into a diversified technology group operating across imaging, information, highly functional materials and healthcare. Fujifilm Holdings Corporation serves customers worldwide with a combination of hardware, consumables, software and services. The companys product and service portfolio spans consumer and professional imaging products, commercial and industrial printing systems, and office document solutions including printers and copiers. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Fujifilm Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fujifilm and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Friday. The company reported $1.70 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.70, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $10.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.40 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 122.14% and a net margin of 9.33%.The companys revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.55 EPS. Philip Morris International updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.800-1.850 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 8.380-8.530 EPS. Here are the key takeaways from Philip Morris Internationals conference call: Get Philip Morris International alerts: PMI grew smoke-free shipments by +12.8% in 2025 and smoke-free gross profit +18.7% , helping deliver adjusted diluted EPS growth of ~ +15% (currency?neutral +14%) with IQOS, VEEV and ZYN cited as the main drivers. in 2025 and smoke-free gross profit , helping deliver adjusted diluted EPS growth of ~ (currency?neutral +14%) with IQOS, VEEV and ZYN cited as the main drivers. Management renewed medium?term guidance, forecasting 2026 organic net revenue growth of 57% , organic operating income 79% , currency?neutral adjusted EPS 7.59.5% (translating to $8.39$8.54 including a $0.28 FX benefit), and 202628 CAGRs of 68% revenue, 810% OI and 911% EPS. , organic operating income , currency?neutral adjusted EPS (translating to $8.39$8.54 including a $0.28 FX benefit), and 202628 CAGRs of revenue, OI and EPS. Strong cash generation underpins capital allocation: PMI expects ~ $13.5bn operating cash flow in 2026, targets ~ $45bn aggregate operating cash flow for 202628, aims to reduce leverage to ~ 2x by end?2026, and has dividend payout close to its ~75% objective. operating cash flow in 2026, targets ~ aggregate operating cash flow for 202628, aims to reduce leverage to ~ by end?2026, and has dividend payout close to its ~75% objective. Near?term headwinds include Japanese HTU excise increases (April and October 2026) that may depress volumes and cause shipment volatility, U.S. ZYN channel inventory/competitive and regulatory uncertainty (FDA timing for ZYN Ultra/IQOS ILUMA), and large excise hikes in India and Mexico that pressure combustible volumes. PMI has expanded its smoke?free footprint106 markets, an estimated 43.5 million legal?age smoke?free users, and smoke?free representing ~41.5% of revenues and ~43% of gross profitsupporting long?term growth but dependent on successful rollouts and regulatory approvals. Philip Morris International Trading Down 0.0% Shares of Philip Morris International stock traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $181.99. The stock had a trading volume of 4,853,908 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,730,500. The firm has a market capitalization of $283.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.39. Philip Morris International has a 1 year low of $142.11 and a 1 year high of $186.69. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $163.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $161.53. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $1.47 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 26th. This represents a $5.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 106.52%. A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on PM shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a buy rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Philip Morris International from $190.00 to $185.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Barclays dropped their price target on Philip Morris International from $220.00 to $180.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 17th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $180.00 price target on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a buy (b) rating on shares of Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $184.56. Get Our Latest Research Report on Philip Morris International Key Philip Morris International News Here are the key news stories impacting Philip Morris International this week: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in Philip Morris International during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC acquired a new position in shares of Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. WFA of San Diego LLC purchased a new stake in Philip Morris International during the 2nd quarter worth $41,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 2,280.0% during the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 357 shares of the companys stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the period. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Philip Morris International in the 2nd quarter valued at $82,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.63% of the companys stock. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Get Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE: PM) is a global tobacco company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, other nicotine-containing products and a growing portfolio of smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers. The firm traces its corporate roots to the 19th century Philip Morris enterprise and was established as an independent, publicly traded company following a 2008 separation from what is now Altria. Since the spin-off, the company has focused on serving international markets outside the United States. PMIs product mix includes traditional combustible cigarettes as well as smoke-free offerings such as heated tobacco systems and other reduced-risk products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gorman-Rupp (NYSE:GRC Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Friday. The industrial products company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.12, Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $166.57 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $167.08 million. Gorman-Rupp had a return on equity of 13.49% and a net margin of 7.41%. Gorman-Rupp Trading Up 7.9% NYSE GRC traded up $4.68 during trading on Friday, hitting $64.23. The stock had a trading volume of 58,527 shares, compared to its average volume of 103,251. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The company has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $50.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $46.20. Gorman-Rupp has a twelve month low of $30.87 and a twelve month high of $65.31. Get Gorman-Rupp alerts: Gorman-Rupp Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th will be given a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Gorman-Rupps payout ratio is presently 39.79%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on GRC shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a buy (b) rating on shares of Gorman-Rupp in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Gorman-Rupp from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Saturday, December 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Buy. Read Our Latest Stock Report on GRC Institutional Investors Weigh In On Gorman-Rupp A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GRC. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its stake in shares of Gorman-Rupp by 8.2% during the second quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 15,753 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $580,000 after buying an additional 1,190 shares during the period. Polymer Capital Management US LLC increased its position in shares of Gorman-Rupp by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC now owns 8,932 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $415,000 after purchasing an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its holdings in shares of Gorman-Rupp by 20.5% in the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,779 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $407,000 after purchasing an additional 1,493 shares in the last quarter. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Gorman-Rupp during the 3rd quarter worth $307,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in shares of Gorman-Rupp during the second quarter worth $293,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.26% of the companys stock. Gorman-Rupp Company Profile (Get Free Report) Gorman-Rupp Company is a U.S.-based manufacturer specializing in the design, production and distribution of pumps and pumping systems. Its product lineup includes centrifugal self-priming pumps, submersible pumps, vacuum priming pumps and engineered pumps for applications such as water and wastewater management, sewage handling, dewatering, industrial processing and agricultural irrigation. The company supports both standard pump requirements and custom engineered solutions for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and municipal clients. Headquartered in Mansfield, Ohio, Gorman-Rupp has built a reputation for rugged, reliable equipment and aftermarket support services. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Gorman-Rupp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gorman-Rupp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Commerzbank AG (OTCMKTS:CRZBY Get Free Report)s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $41.63, but opened at $39.67. Commerzbank shares last traded at $40.13, with a volume of 771 shares trading hands. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Commerzbank from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Commerzbank from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Commerzbank currently has a consensus rating of Hold. Get Commerzbank alerts: Read Our Latest Research Report on CRZBY Commerzbank Price Performance The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $41.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.09 billion, a PE ratio of 17.73 and a beta of 0.36. Commerzbank (OTCMKTS:CRZBY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.62 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $3.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.46 billion. Commerzbank had a return on equity of 7.29% and a net margin of 11.03%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Commerzbank AG will post 1.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Commerzbank A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CRZBY. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of Commerzbank by 14.5% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 5,140 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $117,000 after buying an additional 650 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Commerzbank by 18.1% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,841 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $183,000 after purchasing an additional 741 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Commerzbank by 8.0% in the second quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 15,644 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $492,000 after acquiring an additional 1,165 shares during the last quarter. About Commerzbank (Get Free Report) Commerzbank AG is a major German banking group headquartered in Frankfurt am Main. Founded in 1870, the bank operates as a universal financial institution offering a broad range of services to private customers, small and medium-sized enterprises (the German Mittelstand), and large corporates. Its core business lines include retail and corporate banking, transaction banking, capital markets and investment banking, as well as asset and wealth management. On the retail side, Commerzbank provides everyday banking products such as deposit accounts, payment services, consumer loans, mortgages and digital banking channels for individual customers. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Commerzbank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Commerzbank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Key Takeaways Eli Lilly's stock surged Wednesday while shares of weight-loss rival Novo Nordisk slumped, widening the gap between the drugmakers. The stocks of the companies behind popular weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Ozempic have pulled apart since late last year. There's a growing divergence between the shares of rival weight-loss drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Eli Lilly's (LLY) stock jumped over 10% Wednesday on the company's stronger-than-expected earnings and rosy outlook. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk (NVO) saw its U.S.-listed shares sink 6%, a day after the Danish drugmaker warned its sales could take a hit this year. The moves have widened the gap between the shares, which started to pull apart last fall after a series of promising trials and boom in sales of Mounjaro and Zepbound for Eli Lilly, while Ozempic and Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk's growth slowed. TradingView Novo Nordisk's stock rallied late last year after it was the first to win approval for a pill version of its weight-loss drugs, but today's move reversed those gains. Eli Lilly said Wednesday that its revenue surged 45% last year to $65.18 billion, while Novo Nordisk reported Tuesday that its sales grew just 6% in 2025 to 309.06 billion Danish kroner ($48.84 billion). Novo Nordisk also warned its sales could decline this year, while Eli Lilly forecasted growth. Novo Nordisk pointed to lower prices in the U.S. as part of an agreement with the Trump administration, less Medicaid coverage for its weight-loss drugs, and increased competition for the gloomier outlook. With Wednesday's gains, Eli Lilly shares have added about a third of their value in the last 12 months, while Novo Nordisk shares have lost over 40%. Read the original article on Investopedia Shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday following a dividend announcement from the company. The company traded as high as $93.91 and last traded at $93.44, with a volume of 220008 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $91.11. The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.42 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 20th. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Western Alliance Bancorporations dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.24%. Get Western Alliance Bancorporation alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation from $104.00 to $107.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Western Alliance Bancorporation from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a neutral rating and issued a $105.00 price objective (up from $100.00) on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. UBS Group set a $106.00 price objective on Western Alliance Bancorporation in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a hold (c+) rating on shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Western Alliance Bancorporation has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $103.73. Western Alliance Bancorporation Stock Performance The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $87.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $84.01. The company has a market capitalization of $10.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.76, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 1.37. Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The financial services provider reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.40 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $980.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $912.69 million. Western Alliance Bancorporation had a return on equity of 13.33% and a net margin of 18.04%.The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 17.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.95 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Western Alliance Bancorporation will post 9.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Alliance Bancorporation Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation by 71.2% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 7,815 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $600,000 after buying an additional 3,249 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in shares of Western Alliance Bancorporation by 513.5% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,730 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $133,000 after purchasing an additional 1,448 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Western Alliance Bancorporation by 24.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 111,883 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,596,000 after purchasing an additional 21,642 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in Western Alliance Bancorporation by 11.3% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 347,529 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $26,701,000 after buying an additional 35,276 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Western Alliance Bancorporation by 17.8% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,842 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $327,000 after buying an additional 580 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.15% of the companys stock. Western Alliance Bancorporation Company Profile (Get Free Report) Western Alliance Bancorporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Through its principal subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank, the company provides a range of banking services to commercial clients, entrepreneurs and real estate developers. As one of the largest regional banks in the western United States, it focuses on relationship-driven banking solutions tailored to niche industries and growing businesses. The companys core offerings include deposit products, treasury management and a variety of lending services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Western Alliance Bancorporation Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Western Alliance Bancorporation and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sampo (OTCMKTS:SAXPY Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.05, Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $2.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.33 billion. Sampo Price Performance Shares of Sampo stock traded up $0.19 during trading on Friday, reaching $22.04. The companys stock had a trading volume of 49,227 shares, compared to its average volume of 236,656. Sampo has a 12-month low of $15.81 and a 12-month high of $24.43. The company has a market capitalization of $117.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.90 and a beta of 0.45. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $23.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $22.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Get Sampo alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research firms have recently weighed in on SAXPY. Barclays raised Sampo to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Citigroup restated a neutral rating on shares of Sampo in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut shares of Sampo from a moderate buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. Sampo Company Profile (Get Free Report) Sampo plc is a Finland-based insurance and financial services group that primarily underwrites property and casualty (P&C) insurance while also offering life insurance and related financial products. The company operates through subsidiaries that provide a mix of retail and corporate insurance solutions, claims handling and risk management services. Its business model emphasizes underwriting discipline and diversified exposure across personal, commercial and specialty insurance lines. Sampos operations include well-known subsidiaries that deliver core products and services: a Nordic P&C insurer that writes motor, property, liability and specialty lines, and a life insurance and wealth management arm that offers savings, pension solutions and asset management services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Sampo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sampo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canada Goose (TSE:GOOS Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from C$22.00 to C$19.00 in a report released on Friday,BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Companys price objective would suggest a potential upside of 23.70% from the companys previous close. Canada Goose Stock Up 5.5% Shares of TSE:GOOS traded up C$0.80 during trading on Friday, reaching C$15.36. 456,024 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 187,487. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of C$17.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$18.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 168.00. Canada Goose has a 1-year low of C$9.54 and a 1-year high of C$21.28. The firm has a market cap of C$1.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 59.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 2.10. Get Canada Goose alerts: Canada Goose (TSE:GOOS Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported C($0.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Canada Goose had a net margin of 5.49% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The firm had revenue of C$272.60 million for the quarter. Analysts anticipate that Canada Goose will post 1.6222664 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. About Canada Goose Canada Goose Holdings Inc is a Canada based company that designs, manufactures, distributes, and retails premium outerwear for men, women, and children. It operates business through three segments namely, Wholesale and Direct to Consumer (DTC), Other. The DTC segment, which is the key revenue driver, comprises sales through country-specific e-commerce platforms and its company-owned retail stores located in the luxury shopping locations. The Wholesale segment comprises sales made to a mix of functional and fashionable retailers, including major luxury department stores, outdoor specialty stores, and individual shops, and to international distributors. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canada Goose Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canada Goose and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. West Fraser Timber (TSE:WFG Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by research analysts at CIBC from C$96.00 to C$106.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price objective suggests a potential upside of 5.48% from the companys current price. Several other research firms have also commented on WFG. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of West Fraser Timber from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. TD Securities boosted their price objective on shares of West Fraser Timber from C$88.00 to C$93.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$99.50. Get West Fraser Timber alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on West Fraser Timber West Fraser Timber Trading Down 0.0% West Fraser Timber stock traded down C$0.02 during trading hours on Friday, hitting C$100.49. The company had a trading volume of 108,292 shares, compared to its average volume of 211,178. The firm has a market cap of C$7.87 billion, a P/E ratio of -30.45 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a 50-day moving average price of C$89.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$92.97. West Fraser Timber has a 1 year low of C$80.82 and a 1 year high of C$124.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.39, a quick ratio of 2.10 and a current ratio of 1.82. West Fraser Timber (TSE:WFG Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The company reported C($2.63) EPS for the quarter. West Fraser Timber had a negative return on equity of 1.33% and a negative net margin of 1.53%.The firm had revenue of C$1.82 billion for the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that West Fraser Timber will post 8.1184776 earnings per share for the current year. About West Fraser Timber (Get Free Report) West Fraser Timber CoLtd is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The Company produces lumber, engineered wood products (OSB, LVL, MDF, plywood, and particleboard), pulp, newsprint, wood chips, other residuals, and renewable energy. West Frasers products are used in home construction, repair and remodeling, industrial applications, papers, tissue, and box materials. Read More Receive News & Ratings for West Fraser Timber Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for West Fraser Timber and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Plains All American Pipeline (NYSE:PAA Get Free Report) announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday. The pipeline company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.50 by ($0.33), Briefing.com reports. Plains All American Pipeline had a net margin of 1.54% and a return on equity of 11.69%. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.42 earnings per share. The companys revenue was down 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Plains All American Pipeline Trading Down 3.1% Shares of Plains All American Pipeline stock traded down $0.62 during trading on Friday, reaching $19.35. 5,908,750 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,034,186. Plains All American Pipeline has a twelve month low of $15.57 and a twelve month high of $20.77. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $18.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.51 and a beta of 0.60. Get Plains All American Pipeline alerts: Plains All American Pipeline Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be given a $0.4175 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 30th. This represents a $1.67 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.6%. This is an increase from Plains All American Pipelines previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. Plains All American Pipelines dividend payout ratio is 138.02%. More Plains All American Pipeline News Positive Sentiment: Company reiterated a constructive 2026 outlook management gave a midpoint adjusted EBITDA guide of ~$2.75B, announced cost?savings and synergies (including ~$100M of efficiency initiatives and $50M from Cactus III) that underpin the outlook. GlobeNewswire release Company reiterated a constructive 2026 outlook management gave a midpoint adjusted EBITDA guide of ~$2.75B, announced cost?savings and synergies (including ~$100M of efficiency initiatives and $50M from Cactus III) that underpin the outlook. Positive Sentiment: Board raised the annualized distribution by 10% to $1.67/unit and lowered the distribution?coverage threshold to 150% a yield boost for income investors and a commitment to returning cash, which supports the unit price. Quiver AI summary Board raised the annualized distribution by 10% to $1.67/unit and lowered the distribution?coverage threshold to 150% a yield boost for income investors and a commitment to returning cash, which supports the unit price. Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and metric drills are parsing the quarter: some non?GAAP metrics (Adjusted EBITDA, implied DCF) look solid year?over?year, but comparisons and adjustments warrant scrutiny. Zacks metrics analysis Analysts and metric drills are parsing the quarter: some non?GAAP metrics (Adjusted EBITDA, implied DCF) look solid year?over?year, but comparisons and adjustments warrant scrutiny. Neutral Sentiment: Separate coverage pieces and previews highlight PAAs strong multi?year performance and debate whether current valuation already reflects the recent momentum useful context but not immediate drivers. Yahoo Finance valuation piece Separate coverage pieces and previews highlight PAAs strong multi?year performance and debate whether current valuation already reflects the recent momentum useful context but not immediate drivers. Negative Sentiment: Headline Q4 earnings missed expectations GAAP EPS was $0.17 vs. consensus ~$0.50, and consolidated revenue declined ~12% YoY; that miss appears to be the main immediate catalyst for selling. Zacks earnings miss Headline Q4 earnings missed expectations GAAP EPS was $0.17 vs. consensus ~$0.50, and consolidated revenue declined ~12% YoY; that miss appears to be the main immediate catalyst for selling. Negative Sentiment: Cash?flow and balance?sheet stress: Adjusted free cash flow was deeply negative in the period (driven by acquisitions including Cactus III), total debt increased and pro?forma leverage was ~3.9x; investors are focused on timing/terms of the planned NGL divestiture to restore leverage. Quiver / press release (cash flow & leverage) Cash?flow and balance?sheet stress: Adjusted free cash flow was deeply negative in the period (driven by acquisitions including Cactus III), total debt increased and pro?forma leverage was ~3.9x; investors are focused on timing/terms of the planned NGL divestiture to restore leverage. Negative Sentiment: NGL segment weakness (lower frac spreads/volumes) and one?time acquisition cash outflows make near?term cash generation uneven; until the Canadian NGL sale closes (expected Q1), some investors are discounting distributions and valuation. GlobeNewswire release Analyst Ratings Changes Here are the key news stories impacting Plains All American Pipeline this week: Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on PAA shares. Bank of America lowered shares of Plains All American Pipeline from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $19.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Scotiabank reissued an outperform rating on shares of Plains All American Pipeline in a report on Friday, January 16th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a strong-buy rating and issued a $22.00 price objective (down previously from $24.00) on shares of Plains All American Pipeline in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Mizuho set a $23.00 target price on Plains All American Pipeline in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Plains All American Pipeline from $20.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $20.40. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Plains All American Pipeline Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Plains All American Pipeline by 93.0% during the third quarter. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 27,596 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $471,000 after purchasing an additional 13,296 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Plains All American Pipeline by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 31,233 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $572,000 after buying an additional 1,034 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in Plains All American Pipeline by 10.1% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 39,778 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $716,000 after buying an additional 3,648 shares during the period. Guggenheim Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Plains All American Pipeline by 5.9% during the second quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 46,288 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $848,000 after acquiring an additional 2,592 shares in the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in Plains All American Pipeline in the third quarter valued at about $1,099,000. Institutional investors own 41.78% of the companys stock. Plains All American Pipeline Company Profile (Get Free Report) Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (NYSE: PAA) is a prominent North American midstream energy company that specializes in the transportation, storage and marketing of crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and refined products. The partnerships integrated infrastructure network supports the movement of hydrocarbons from major supply basins to domestic and export markets, providing connectivity between production areas, refineries and marine terminals. Plains All Americans services include long-haul and short-haul pipeline systems, inventory services and fee-based storage contracts, helping producers and refiners optimize supply chains and manage market access. The company operates an extensive onshore pipeline network that spans major U.S. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Plains All American Pipeline Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Plains All American Pipeline and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Murata Manufacturing Inc. (OTCMKTS:MRAAY Get Free Report) shares gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $10.41, but opened at $10.03. Murata Manufacturing shares last traded at $10.59, with a volume of 386,107 shares. Murata Manufacturing Price Performance The stock has a market cap of $38.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.31 and a beta of 0.94. The firms 50-day moving average is $10.44 and its 200 day moving average is $9.49. Get Murata Manufacturing alerts: Murata Manufacturing (OTCMKTS:MRAAY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 2nd. The company reported $0.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $3.03 billion during the quarter. Murata Manufacturing had a net margin of 10.74% and a return on equity of 7.38%. Murata Manufacturing has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.392-0.392 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Murata Manufacturing Inc. will post 0.41 EPS for the current year. Murata Manufacturing Company Profile Murata Manufacturing Co, Ltd. is a Japan-based manufacturer of electronic components and modules, best known for its development and production of ceramic components. Founded in 1944 by Akira Murata and headquartered in Nagaokakyo, Kyoto Prefecture, the company has grown into a leading global supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), ceramic resonators, and a broad range of passive and active electronic parts used across consumer, industrial and automotive electronics. The companys product portfolio encompasses passive components (such as capacitors, inductors and filters), sensors and sensing modules, power modules, and RF/wireless communication modules. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Murata Manufacturing Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Murata Manufacturing and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of British Land Company PLC Sponsored ADR (OTCMKTS:BTLCY Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 23,192 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 124% from the previous sessions volume of 10,337 shares.The stock last traded at $5.57 and had previously closed at $5.64. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BTLCY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating on shares of British Land in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Panmure Gordon raised shares of British Land to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of British Land from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Buy. Get British Land alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on British Land British Land Stock Down 1.6% About British Land The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $5.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $5.00. (Get Free Report) British Land Company plc is a leading real estate investment trust primarily focused on the ownership, development and management of UK commercial property. The companys portfolio is centred on high-quality office and retail destinations in key urban locations, combining long-term holdings with active redevelopment projects. Its core business activities include leasing space to corporate and retail tenants, asset management, and undertaking new developments aimed at enhancing urban environments and driving sustainable value. Founded in 1856 as the Land Mortgage and Agency Company, British Land adopted its current name in the 1970s as it expanded beyond mortgage lending into direct property investment. See Also Receive News & Ratings for British Land Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for British Land and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Two Harbors Investments Corp (NYSE:TWO Get Free Report)s stock price traded down 4.9% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $11.35 and last traded at $11.3550. 1,158,735 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 68% from the average session volume of 3,567,116 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.94. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on TWO. Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell (d) rating on shares of Two Harbors Investments in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Maxim Group downgraded Two Harbors Investments from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group lowered Two Harbors Investments from a buy rating to a neutral rating and increased their price objective for the company from $11.00 to $14.00 in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Two Harbors Investments from $13.50 to $12.50 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Two Harbors Investments from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $12.88. Get Two Harbors Investments alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on TWO Two Harbors Investments Stock Performance The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $11.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.43. The company has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.26 and a beta of 1.19. Two Harbors Investments (NYSE:TWO Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 2nd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.30 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $182.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of ($15.44) million. Two Harbors Investments had a positive return on equity of 12.00% and a negative net margin of 109.90%. Analysts predict that Two Harbors Investments Corp will post 0.81 EPS for the current year. Two Harbors Investments Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 29th. Investors of record on Monday, January 5th were paid a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 12.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, January 5th. Two Harbors Investmentss dividend payout ratio is presently -27.81%. Insider Transactions at Two Harbors Investments In other news, insider Rebecca B. Sandberg sold 27,370 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.43, for a total value of $312,839.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 156,718 shares in the company, valued at $1,791,286.74. This represents a 14.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CIO Nicholas Letica sold 55,488 shares of the firms 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 sale, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 129,389 shares of company stock valued at $1,483,046. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Two Harbors Investments in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $344,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Two Harbors Investments by 10.6% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,206,549 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $16,119,000 after acquiring an additional 115,698 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in shares of Two Harbors Investments by 24.6% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 144,670 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,933,000 after purchasing an additional 28,535 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Two Harbors Investments by 54.4% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 91,847 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,227,000 after purchasing an additional 32,361 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new stake in shares of Two Harbors Investments in the second quarter worth $141,000. 64.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Two Harbors Investments (Get Free Report) 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Two Harbors Investments Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Two Harbors Investments and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) rose 4% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $324.25 and last traded at $322.47. Approximately 17,496,858 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 48% from the average daily volume of 11,801,016 shares. The stock had previously closed at $310.16. JPMorgan Chase & Co. News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting JPMorgan Chase & Co. this week: Get JPMorgan Chase & Co. alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have issued reports on JPM. Zacks Research lowered JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Freedom Capital raised shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Sunday, January 18th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, DZ Bank restated a neutral rating on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $340.18. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Price Performance The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $315.41 and its 200 day simple moving average is $306.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market cap of $877.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.07. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 13th. The financial services provider reported $5.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $46.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $45.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.81 EPS. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s quarterly revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 18.1 EPS for the current fiscal year. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 6th were issued a $1.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 6th. This represents a $6.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.99%. Insider Buying and Selling at JPMorgan Chase & Co. In other news, CFO Jeremy Barnum sold 2,893 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $312.79, for a total transaction of $904,901.47. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 26,696 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,350,241.84. This trade represents a 9.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Stacey Friedman sold 3,404 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $312.80, for a total transaction of $1,064,771.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 65,353 shares of the companys stock, valued at $20,442,418.40. This represents a 4.95% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 14,868 shares of company stock worth $4,650,596. 0.47% of the stock is owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On JPMorgan Chase & Co. Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 11.0% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 48,732 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $11,682,000 after purchasing an additional 4,841 shares during the period. Acorns Advisers LLC lifted its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Acorns Advisers LLC now owns 1,547 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC grew its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 66,950 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $19,410,000 after acquiring an additional 1,066 shares in the last quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Gold Investment Management Ltd. now owns 19,382 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,626,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the period. Finally, Viewpoint Investment Partners Corp lifted its position in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 134.7% in the second quarter. Viewpoint Investment Partners Corp now owns 17,590 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $5,100,000 after purchasing an additional 10,095 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.55% of the companys stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Company Profile (Get 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. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for JPMorgan Chase & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for JPMorgan Chase & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR Get Free Report)s share price rose 18.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $17.88 and last traded at $17.59. Approximately 31,302,653 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 0% from the average daily volume of 31,170,539 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.84. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a sell (d-) rating on shares of NuScale Power in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered shares of NuScale Power from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Texas Capital raised NuScale Power to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. BNP Paribas Exane downgraded shares of NuScale Power from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, UBS Group set a $20.00 price objective on shares of NuScale Power in a research report on Tuesday, November 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $33.19. Get NuScale Power alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on NuScale Power NuScale Power Stock Performance The company has a market capitalization of $5.25 billion, a P/E ratio of -6.15 and a beta of 2.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $18.27 and a 200 day moving average of $30.67. NuScale Power (NYSE:SMR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The company reported ($1.85) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.11) by ($1.74). NuScale Power had a negative return on equity of 51.27% and a negative net margin of 594.63%.The company had revenue of $8.24 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.29 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.18) EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 1635.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that NuScale Power Corporation will post -0.73 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling at NuScale Power In other news, CFO Robert Ramsey Hamady sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.17, for a total value of $886,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 46,283 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,026,094.11. This represents a 46.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On NuScale Power Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SMR. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in NuScale Power by 40.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,545,018 shares of the companys stock valued at $220,273,000 after purchasing an additional 4,482,254 shares during the period. Clear Street Group Inc. purchased a new stake in NuScale Power in the 3rd quarter worth $155,616,000. Samsung C&T Corp grew its position in shares of NuScale Power by 98.9% during the third quarter. Samsung C&T Corp now owns 5,185,804 shares of the companys stock valued at $186,689,000 after purchasing an additional 2,578,702 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in shares of NuScale Power by 67.2% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 5,287,814 shares of the companys stock worth $190,362,000 after purchasing an additional 2,125,250 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of NuScale Power by 1,220.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,845,116 shares of the companys stock worth $26,127,000 after purchasing an additional 1,705,411 shares during the last quarter. 78.37% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About NuScale Power (Get Free Report) NuScale Power Corporation, trading on the NYSE American under the ticker SMR, is a pioneering developer of small modular nuclear reactors. Established in 2007 as a spinout from Oregon State University, the company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. NuScales mission is to deliver zero-carbon baseload power through scalable modular reactor technology, aiming to transform traditional nuclear energy deployment. At the core of NuScales offering is the VOYGR small modular reactor design, featuring 77-megawatt electric (MWe) modules with passive safety systems. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for NuScale Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NuScale Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equinor and Eneco have entered into a five-year contract for the supply of natural gas to the Netherlands, with deliveries beginning on 1 February this year. The agreement allows for annual volumes of up to 500 million cubic metres to be supplied to the Dutch gas grid. It involves gas that is produced and transported from the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), which both companies said results in a lower greenhouse gas footprint compared to other sources available in Europe. In addition to gas deliveries, Eneco will receive guarantees of origin through so-called sustainability qualities that are transferred via a platform operated by Attributes SAS. Eneco has stated that as a result of this arrangement, its reported carbon dioxide emissions will decrease by more than 10%. Equinor gas and power senior vice-president Helle stergaard Kristiansen said: I am very pleased that this new offering is included in the agreement with Eneco, a major energy provider committed to sustainability. This is among the first agreements that we make on the Attributes SAS platform and an example of how key European energy players regard Norwegian gas as a contribution to energy security and attractive also from a sustainability point of view. Eneco CEO Kees Jan Rameau said: We are happy with this new deal with Equinor, a long-time supplier and partner. It marks another step to our One Planet goal of climate neutrality. En route to that goal, natural gas remains a necessary component in the energy mix for some time, so we are glad that with this agreement we are sourcing gas with the lowest emissions available. Eneco operates from Rotterdam and provides electricity, natural gas and heat across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK. The company supplies services to more than two million households and businesses. In December 2025, Equinor and its partners identified oil, condensate and gas at the Tyrihans st prospect. The site is around 250km south-west of Brnnysund in the Norwegian Sea. "Equinor and Eneco agree five-year natural gas supply deal for Netherlands" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results that executives said reflected improved shipbuilding throughput, continued hiring, and broad-based progress across programs. Management also outlined a 2026 outlook that assumes further throughput gains and successful completion of key contract negotiations in the first half of the year. Get alerts: 2025 results and throughput progress CEO Chris Kastner said the companys 2025 performance was driven by a measurable increase in shipbuilding throughput, which he described as a key indicator for scheduled performance. HII reported 2025 revenue of $12.5 billion, up 8.2%, and diluted earnings per share of $15.39. Awards totaled $16.9 billion, and Kastner said all three divisions achieved record revenue levels. As part of its operational efforts, HII targeted a 14% year-over-year throughput increase in 2025 and said it achieved that improvement. Kastner said the progress was pretty broad-based across programs at both Newport News and Ingalls, with Virginia-class submarine work performing well after schedule resets that occurred post-COVID. The company hired more than 6,600 shipbuilders in 2025 and expects to hire at least that many in 2026, alongside further retention and proficiency initiatives. HII also said it met a 2025 cost-reduction target of $250 million, primarily by removing overhead and support labor costs. Quarterly performance: revenue growth and margin improvement CFO Tom Stiehle said fourth-quarter revenue was $3.5 billion, up about 16% year over year, with growth across all three segments. Segment operating income in the quarter rose to $195 million from $103 million a year earlier, and segment operating margin increased to 5.6% from 3.4%. Ingalls : Q4 revenue of $889 million increased 21% year over year, driven mainly by higher volumes on amphibious assault ships and surface combatants. Operating margin improved to 7.6% from 6.3%. : Q4 revenue of $889 million increased 21% year over year, driven mainly by higher volumes on amphibious assault ships and surface combatants. Operating margin improved to 7.6% from 6.3%. Newport News : Q4 revenue of $1.9 billion increased 19%, primarily due to higher submarine and aircraft carrier volumes. Operating margin improved to 4.4% from 2.4%. Stiehle said results benefited from favorable contract adjustments on Virginia-class work, while the prior-year quarter included unfavorable cumulative adjustments and certain contract incentives. : Q4 revenue of $1.9 billion increased 19%, primarily due to higher submarine and aircraft carrier volumes. Operating margin improved to 4.4% from 2.4%. Stiehle said results benefited from favorable contract adjustments on Virginia-class work, while the prior-year quarter included unfavorable cumulative adjustments and certain contract incentives. Mission Technologies: Q4 revenue of $731 million increased 2.5%, with growth in warfare systems, global security, and unmanned systems. Operating margin improved to 5.9% from 2.7%. Net earnings for the quarter were $159 million, up from $123 million a year earlier, and diluted EPS was $4.04 compared to $3.15. Shipbuilding milestones and program updates Kastner highlighted multiple 2025 shipbuilding milestones. At Ingalls, the company delivered its second Flight 3 destroyer (DDG-128 Ted Stevens), launched DDG-129 Jeremiah Denton, and authenticated the keel of DDG-135 Thad Cochran. Ingalls also christened LPD-30 Harrisburg and began fabrication of LPD-32 Philadelphia. Kastner said LHA-8 Bougainville is in the test program and has achieved generator light-off. At Newport News Shipbuilding, HII delivered Virginia-class submarine SSN 798 Massachusetts, launched SSN 800 Arkansas, laid the keel for SSN 804 Barb, and undocked SSN 796 New Jersey in preparation for redelivery. The yard also delivered the bow of the first Columbia-class submarine, SSBN 826 District of Columbia. On aircraft carriers, Kastner said dock trials were completed on CVN 79 Kennedy and the team is finishing its first sea trial evolution, moving closer to preliminary acceptance and delivery. He added CVN 80 reached 50% erected in dry dock, while CVN 81 keel units are in fabrication and major material components continue to arrive. Looking ahead, Kastner said HII expects to deliver two ships in 2026SSN 800 and LPD-30and complete preliminary acceptance of CVN 79. He also noted that the company accelerated its forecast of LPD-30 delivery into 2026 and adjusted LHA-8 delivery to 2027 to avoid potential conflicts in labor or equipment and to set clear priorities with the Navy across interim milestones. During Q&A, management said it remains focused on delivering SSN 800 and LPD-30 toward the end of 2026, citing them as key points of risk and opportunity. Mission Technologies growth, unmanned systems, and margins Kastner said Mission Technologies surpassed $3 billion of revenue for the first time in 2025 and pointed to milestones including work on a U.S. Army high-energy laser weapon system, the GRIMM electronic warfare solution, deliveries of Lionfish small unmanned underwater vehicles to the U.S. Navy, and delivery of the companys 750th REMUS autonomous underwater vehicle. HII also unveiled the Romulus family of unmanned surface vessels, powered by its Odyssey autonomy software suite, with the first prototype under construction on the Gulf Coast. In response to questions about mix and growth in unmanned solutions, Kastner said HII does not break out growth rates by Mission Technologies market segment, but described unmanned undersea and surface as doing very well and positioned the business for potential tailwinds tied to evolving Navy concepts for a hybrid fleet. Stiehle said Mission Technologies 2025 operating margin improved to 5% from 3.9% in 2024, driven in part by lower amortization of purchased intangible assets and better performance in warfare systems. He said purchased intangible amortization was about $89 million in 2025 versus about $99 million in 2024, and EBITDA margin improved to 8.6% from 7.9%. 2026 outlook: growth targets, cash flow, and capital investment HII raised its medium-term shipbuilding revenue growth guidance to approximately 6% from approximately 4%. Stiehle added the company now expects a consolidated medium-term top-line CAGR of about 6%, comprised of shipbuilding growth of about 6% and Mission Technologies growth of about 5%. He said shipbuilding growth could have additional upside because the forecast does not yet account for the newly announced frigate or battleship programs, and management expects to revisit assumptions once acquisition strategies become clearer. For 2026, management guided to shipbuilding revenue of $9.7 billion to $9.9 billion, with shipbuilding margins of 5.5% to 6.5%. Mission Technologies revenue is expected to be $3.0 billion to $3.2 billion, with margins of approximately 5% and EBITDA margins of 8.4% to 8.6%. Free cash flow is expected to be $500 million to $600 million. Stiehle said the guidance assumes the company meets its outlined shipbuilding throughput improvements and reaches agreement on the next Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarine contracts in the first half of 2026. In Q&A, management emphasized the need to complete those contract negotiations in the first half of the year to avoid production schedule risks, describing the effort as a big complicated contract involving three parties. HII expects 2026 capital expenditures of about 4% to 5% of sales, or roughly $500 million to $600 million, to support capacity and throughput. Kastner said capex is likely to remain elevated due to the opportunity set, though the company did not provide longer-term capex guidance beyond 2026. For the first quarter of 2026, HII expects shipbuilding revenue of about $2.3 billion and Mission Technologies revenue of $700 million to $750 million, with shipbuilding operating margin near 5.5% and Mission Technologies operating margin of 4% to 4.5%. The company expects first-quarter free cash flow to be negative, approximately a $600 million use, as fourth-quarter working capital benefits unwind. On capital allocation, management reiterated that reinvestment in the shipyards remains the priority, noting shipbuilding cash flows can be lumpy. In 2025, HII generated free cash flow of $800 million, above its guidance range, driven by strong working capital and slightly lower-than-planned capex. The company invested $396 million in capex, paid $213 million in dividends, and did not repurchase shares. It ended 2025 with $774 million in cash and total liquidity of about $2.5 billion. About Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) is Americas largest military shipbuilding company and a leading provider of professional services to the U.S. government. Headquartered in Newport News, Virginia, HII designs, constructs and maintains nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, submarines and other complex vessels for the U.S. Navy. The companys products include nuclear aircraft carriers, Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarines, as well as amphibious assault ships, destroyers and cutters. Established in 2011 as a spin-off from Northrop Grummans shipbuilding operations, HII traces its heritage to two historic builders: Newport News Shipbuilding, founded in the 19th century, and Ingalls Shipbuilding, founded in 1938. See Also This story was originally published on WardsAuto. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily WardsAuto newsletter. Battery-electric vehicle sales took 17.4% of the European car market share in 2025, still far short of industry expectations, according to Jan. 24 data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Automakers in Europe are keeping an eye on their share of electrified vehicle sales as they seek to keep up with the European Unions proposals to lower CO2 emissions. While EU regulators have recently pushed for less stringent requirements, manufacturers can qualify for certain incentives if 25% of their sales by 2025 are from zero-emission vehicles. Industry-wide data shows those targets are not yet within reach for many OEMs. The market share is in line with projections for the year, yet still a level that leaves room for growth to stay on track with the transition, the association said in a press release. That said, a surge in BEV registrations in the month of December helped lift the sectors overall annual market share above the 13.6% recorded in 2024. Meanwhile, the trade associations figures show that hybrid vehicles lead the market as the most popular propulsion-system choice among European consumers, with plug-in hybrids also consolidating their position in most markets. Hybrids accounted for 34.5% of the total market in 2025. Last year, 1,880,370 new BEVs were registered with the four largest growth markets in the EU, which together account for 62% of battery-electric car registrations. Most growth was seen in Germany, up 43.2%; the Netherlands, rising 18.1%; Belgium, up 12.6%; and France growing 12.5%. Hybrid car registrations accounted for 3,733,325 sales driven largely by growth in Spain, up 23.1%, France rising 21.6%, Germany, up 8% and Italy with 7.9% growth. Registrations of PHEVs reached 1,015,887 units during 2025 with impressive growth in markets including Spain, booming by 111.7%; Italy, up 86.6%; and Germany, rising 62.3%. This means PHEVs have taken a market share of 9.4% in the EU, up from 7.2% last year. Diesel powertrain sales led the slump in ICE registrations, falling 24.2% to an 8.9% share in 2025. Meanwhile, gasoline powertrains accounted for 2,880,298 new cars registered in 2025, falling to 26.6% of market share from 33.3% a year earlier. In terms of total vehicle registrations, France experienced the steepest decline with registrations plummeting 32%, followed by Germany, down 21.6%; Italy, down 18.2%; and Spain, 16% fewer sales. In this compilation that's a bit heavy on Missouri side news . . . We wanted to share a great many deets on threats to public safety, court cases, local help against scammers, police action and, as always, community outreach. Check TKC news gathering . . . FBI warns Kansas Citians before Valentine's Day: Romance scammers stole $672M in 2024 The FBI is warning Kansas Citians before Valentine's Day not to fall victim to romance scams, which netted $672 million in 2024. Kansas City man sentenced to 32 years after jury convicts him in murder-for-hire conspiracy A Kansas City man will spend the next three decades in federal prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that included two shootings and repeated attempts to track down the intended victim's family. Armed robbery at El Nopal grocery store leaves family considering closure An armed robbery at the El Nopal grocery store leaves the owning family considering closure. 'Was just like a war': Rideshare driver gunned down in Ferguson was unintended target A neighbor said the gun violence that killed 28-year-old Shannon O'Brien last week in Ferguson was a shootout between several men. New Kansas bill aims to increase penalties for sextortion If this bill passes in Kansas, an El Dorado mother hopes it can be referred to as Caleb's Law in honor of her son. Mystery grows after six members of the 'University of Cosmic Intelligence' vanish The six people were last seen in August 2023 at a Quality Inn in Florissant, Missouri Soup thrown, shot fired during argument at Kirkwood sushi restaurant A St. Louis woman is being charged with multiple felonies after allegedly throwing soup and firing a gun inside a Kirkwood restaurant during an argument with staff, believing they were rude to her and her family when they arrived. Missouri's top prosecutor says feds are probing video gambling operators Hanaway says federal involvement could help stop the spread of illegal gambling in Missouri 26-year-old man found dead Thursday on Turkey Creek Trail Law enforcement is investigating after a man was found dead Thursday afternoon on the Turkey Creek Trail in Merriam, Kansas. Man sentenced for illegal gun possession after pistol-whipping teen, standoff A Kansas City man has been sentenced for illegal gun possession after pistol-whipping a teen and inciting a standoff. Metro man sentenced to 15+ years for selling drugs that killed another person A metro area man has been sentenced to more than 15 years for selling drugs that killed another person. KCK suspect arrested on domestic violence warrant days before double homicide The outstanding warrant that police picked Josue Avila-Carcamo up on stemmed from a July 2024 domestic violence incident involving the victim in Saturday's shooting, the KCK police chief said. Johnson County man sentenced to prison in drug distribution death case Samuels entered a guilty plea in the case on Dec. 12, 2025, before receiving his sentencing Thursday. Family grieves man shot, killed in Kansas City, Missouri, Popeye's restaurant 28-year-old Decorrian Partee was fatally shot while he was at the Popeye's restaurant at E. 31st Street and Prospect Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. 911 Supervisor Provides Steady Leadership She was interested in becoming a KCPD Call Taker, though her only experience with it was what she saw on TV or in the movies. 'Make better choices': Crews rescue woman who crawled 500 feet into casino drainage pipe, got stuck Members of the Kansas City Fire Department are working a "confined space rescue" in the 3200 block of Ameristar Drive Police credit Liberty store clerk for preventing $30K crypto scam involving elderly victim Police in Liberty say a quick-thinking store clerk helped prevent an elderly victim from being scammed out of $30,000. Developing . . . Here's the problem that will become apparent . . . SADLY, NOT ALL CHRISTIAN BRANDS LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!! In fact . . . Anybody with even a modicum of understanding of history will realize that so-called "Christian teaching" can turn ANTI-CATHOLIC REALLY QUICK. And, to be fair, vice versa. Obviously, religion is a touchy subject and we don't envy teachers who will be forced to navigate yet another political minefield . . . Meanwhile, here's a peek at what is yet another grand scheme from a politico without an inkling of deets regarding the practical application . . . "Bills proposed by Republican legislators in Missouri include posting the 10 Commandments in classrooms, history lessons that frame religion in a positive light and allowing students to leave school for religious education. "Missouri Sen. Nick Schroer wants the states schoolchildren to be taught that the separation of church and state has religious origins. "Thats one of 19 items related to the positive impacts of religion on American history that public school districts and charter schools would be legally mandated to teach children under a proposal Schroer filed for the 2026 legislative session." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Thank you for signing up! Youll soon be getting your Toronto scoop in your inbox. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page. Hotel Flor invites brides-to-be to experience timeless elegance at its upcoming Wedding Showcase, an exclusive preview designed to bring the magic of a Hotel Flor wedding to life inside the historic Downtown Tampa landmark. (TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - February 5th, 2026 - TAMPA, Fla. (February 5th, 2026) Hotel Flor invites brides-to-be to experience timeless elegance at its upcoming Wedding Showcase, an exclusive preview designed to bring the magic of a Hotel Flor wedding to life inside the historic Downtown Tampa landmark. Taking place on March 8, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Vintage & Vows offers an immersive journey through Hotel Flors iconic wedding venues, thoughtfully styled to inspire every moment of the wedding day. Guests will explore three distinct experiences throughout the property, beginning in the Crystal Ballroom, set for ceremony and cocktail hour; continuing into theFloridan (Grand) Ballroom, featuring dinner table designs, DJ setups, and culinary activations; and concluding in the Mezzanine, transformed into a bridal dressing room and hospitality suite. Throughout the event, attendees will enjoy passed welcome champagne, chef-curated tastings, and passed appetizers while taking in floral installations, elevated decor moments, and styled tablescapes. A 360 photo booth, social mediaready photo moments, swag bags, and interactive contests add to the celebratory atmosphere, creating a true sense of wedding-day energy. Vintage & Vows will also feature Hotel Flors preferred wedding vendors, including bridal designers, florists, and event professionals, giving brides-to-be the opportunity to connect directly with the trusted partners who help bring weddings at Hotel Flor to life. Exclusive attendee-only incentives will be available, including special discounts and additional booking perks for those who reserve their date within 20 days of the event. Tickets are $10 per person, with same-day purchase available, and can be purchased via Eventbrite.Parking is available for $10. Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1982193260401?aff=oddtdtcreator Hotel Flor is one of Downtown Tampas most storied landmarks, originally opened in 1926 and long celebrated for its grand architecture and timeless design. The hotel seamlessly blends historic character with modern sophistication, offering distinctive wedding venues, customizable catering, seamless guest accommodations, and an experienced events team dedicated to executing unforgettable celebrations. Vintage & Vows offers brides-to-be the rare opportunity to experience this century-old icon reimagined for modern weddings, where history, elegance, and personal storytelling come together in the heart of Downtown Tampa. About Tapestry Collection by Hilton: Tapestry Collection by Hilton is a portfolio of 100 original hotels that offer guests unique style and vibrant personality, encouraging them to connect to their destination and enjoy refreshingly uncommon, off-the-beaten-path experiences. While each property has a unique story to share, every Tapestry Collection property is united by the reliability that comes with the Hilton name, in addition to the benefits of the award-winning Hilton Honors program. Experience Tapestry Collection by Hilton by booking at tapestrycollectionbyhilton.com or through the industry-leading Hilton Honors app. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits. Learn more about Tapestry Collection by Hilton at stories.hilton.com/tapestry, and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Pyramid Global Hospitality: Pyramid Global Hospitality was formed by the 2021 merger of three hotel and resort management companies, creating the most owner-focused, experiential company in the industry and establishing a position as a best workplace. The organizations global portfolio spans more than 240 properties across the U.S., Caribbean and Europe. It maintains offices in Boston; The Woodlands, Texas; Cincinnati; and London. For more information, visit www.PyramidGlobal.com EVOLVE & CO: Evolve & Co is a full-service advertising agency located in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. The company is a collective of brand strategists and creatives, specializing in the lifestyle vertical. The firm is located at 475 Central Avenue Suite M7, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. www.evolveandco.com Editors: For details, or to schedule an interview contact Lisa Williams at lisa@evolveandco.com or 727.490.9835. ### BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran led by Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics Aziz Nasirzadeh on February 6, Trend reports. The head of state recalled his recent telephone conversation with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, noting that high-level contacts in various formats provide excellent opportunities to discuss issues on the bilateral agenda. Highlighting that President Masoud Pezeshkian's official visit to Azerbaijan last year was successful and yielded positive results, President Ilham Aliyev stated that relations have developed further since that visit. The head of state emphasized that wars and conflicts continue in many parts of the world today, but thanks to Azerbaijan's initiative, peace has already been established in the South Caucasus. He expressed confidence that this holds great importance for Iran, which borders both Azerbaijan and Armenia. We want peace throughout the world, no bloodshed, no wars, President Ilham Aliyev said, underscoring that Azerbaijan exemplifies a successful transition from war to peace. As he mentioned in his phone call with the Iranian President, the head of state noted that Azerbaijan is concerned about the current situation in the region and stands ready to provide its support to de-escalate the tensions. Expressing gratitude for the reception, Aziz Nasirzadeh first conveyed greetings from the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, to the head of state. He said he had come on the instructions of Iran's head of state and highlighted that President Masoud Pezeshkian holds great affection for Azerbaijan. He also noted that the Iranian President fondly recalls his visits to Azerbaijan, including to Khankendi. President Ilham Aliyev thanked him for the greetings and asked that his own greetings be conveyed to the head of the Iranian state. During the conversation, they noted the development of bilateral relations based on principles of friendship, brotherhood, and good-neighborliness between the two countries, and exchanged views on prospects for defense cooperation. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. Seymur Fataliyev, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Mexico, held a working meeting with Corina Villegas, Chair of the MexicoAzerbaijan Friendship Group, at the Chamber of Deputies, Trend reports. During the meeting, the officials reviewed the final preparations for the inauguration of the Friendship Group, scheduled for February 10. The launch of the group is expected to serve as a key step in further consolidating bilateral relations between Mexico and Azerbaijan. In her remarks, Villegas emphasized the importance of such exchanges in strengthening dialogue, mutual understanding, and cooperation between nations. This type of meeting strengthens dialogue, understanding, and cooperation between nations, and allows us to build bridges that promote cultural, economic, and political exchange, always based on mutual respect and collaboration, she said. Villegas also reaffirmed her commitment to promoting active parliamentary diplomacy from the Chamber of Deputies, aimed at bringing peoples closer together and contributing to a future of greater shared opportunities. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan (MFA) has expressed its condolences to Pakistan following a terrorist attack at a mosque in Islamabad, Trend reports. The statement was published on the MFAs official X page. We express our deepest condolences to the people and government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan following the tragic terror attack on a mosque in Islamabad, which claimed innocent lives and left many injured. We strongly condemn this heinous act of violence and terrorism, which targeted worshippers at a sacred place. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, and we wish a swift recovery to those injured. Azerbaijan stands in solidarity with brotherly Pakistan and reaffirms its firm support for peace, stability, and the fight against all forms of terrorism," the post said. On February 6, a powerful explosion ripped through a mosque in Pakistans capital, Islamabad. At least 31 people were killed, and more than 100 others were injured in the blast, according to initial reports. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel By Echo Wang, Milana Vinn and Matt Tracy NEW YORK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Elon Musk used a common two-step merger process in SpaceX's purchase of xAI that had the dual benefit of avoiding the repayment of billions of dollars in debt while giving shareholders a tax advantage, according to people familiar with the transaction. It also protects SpaceX from any legal liability from xAI. The deal, announced on Monday, creates a $1.25 trillion company with plans to go public later this year to help finance Musk's ambitions to put data centers in space. Instead of combining the two companies into one and fully integrating operations, Musk decided to retain xAI, which runs social media platform X and created the Grok chatbot, as a wholly owned subsidiary of SpaceX, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details of the deal have not been publicly released. The approach, known in corporate M&A as a triangular merger, is a commonly used structure in public-company transactions designed to be tax-efficient and limit legal exposure, M&A attorneys say. As a subsidiary, xAI's debt, legal liabilities and contracts remain separate from the corporate parent, allowing xAI to run its operations independently while helping to insulate SpaceX from any investigations and litigation X may face. The social media platform is under investigation in Europe over accusations that Grok disseminated sexualized deep-fake images of real women and children. X said last month it had taken steps to "prevent the [@]Grok account on X globally from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis" and is "committed to making X a safe platform for everyone." Said Gary Simon, a corporate attorney at law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed: In an acquisition where the target ends up as a subsidiary of the buyer, no prior liabilities of the target necessarily become liabilities of the parent." He added that "corporate insulation of stockholders from liability is a key reason" to acquire the new business through a subsidiary. SpaceX and xAI did not respond to requests for comment. TAX-FREE DEAL Financially, the structure also made more sense. The merger is structured as a tax-free reorganization, allowing xAI shareholders to defer taxes on the SpaceX shares they receive as part of the deal until they sell their stake. XAI was valued at $250 billion in the deal, with each xAI share converting into 0.1433 SpaceX share, Reuters previously reported. The multi-step transaction, conducted through two intermediary companies set up in Nevada, allowed the satellite and rocket company to acquire xAI without triggering the smaller company's debt covenants, avoiding any requirement to repay bondholders at the time of the merger, the people said. Reuters could not determine how much total debt xAI had at the time of the merger. It inherited $12 billion from X when the artificial-intelligence company acquired the social media platform in 2025; the combined company took on at least another $5 billion of debt since then. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, met with a delegation led by Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, the statement of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Defense says, Trend reports. First, the guests visited the Alley of Martyrs and paid tribute to the memory of citizens who became martyrs for the independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. A wreath was laid at the Eternal Flame monument. During the official welcoming ceremony held at the Ministry of Defense, following the passage in front of the guard of honor, the national anthems of both countries were performed and the Book of Honor was signed in accordance with the protocol. Colonel General Hasanov highlighted that Azerbaijani-Iranian relations are rooted in a centuries-long history and emphasized that meetings held as part of mutual visits, along with joint exercises, contribute to the further development of these ties. Brigadier General Nasirzadeh stated that cooperation between the two countries, built on friendly and brotherly relations, is of great importance for further development in the military sphere, as in other areas. During the meeting, the current state and prospects for the development of relations in the military, military-technical, military education, and science fields were discussed. The sides also held a wide exchange of views on regional security and a number of other issues of mutual interest. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mikhail Yevdokimov, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on February 6, 2026, Trend reports via the ministry. According to the MFA, during the meeting the Azerbaijani side expressed a strong protest over a statement made the previous day by Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, and a member of the ruling United Russia Party, regarding the sentencing of citizens of the Republic of Armenia in Azerbaijan. A corresponding diplomatic note was handed to the Russian side. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. During a visit to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a delegation led by the Azerbaijan Naval Forces Commander, Rear Admiral Shahin Mammadov, met with the Chief of the Naval Staff of Pakistan, Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. In accordance with protocol, the national anthems of both countries were performed during the official welcoming ceremony following the passage in front of the guard of honor, and a wreath was laid at the Shehids monument. During the meeting, the sides discussed the current state and future prospects of relations between the two countries navies and also highlighted the importance of holding joint exercises to promote the exchange of experience and enhance the professionalism of naval personnel. Later, Rear Admiral Mammadov met with the Federal Minister for Defense of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Muhammad Khawaja, and expressed his gratitude for the reception. The Azerbaijan Naval Forces Commander emphasized that expanding cooperation with Pakistan in the defense sphere is in the spotlight of the countrys leadership. At the meeting, which highlighted the importance of Azerbaijan-Pakistan military relations, the sides expressed confidence that mutual visits will have a positive impact on the development of bilateral cooperation. Following a meeting with the Commander of the Pakistan Fleet, Vice Admiral Abdul Munib, Rear Admiral Mammadov visited Azerbaijani servicemen studying in Pakistan and inquired about their education. As part of the visit, Rear Admiral Mammadov got acquainted with the conditions created at Pakistans ship repair facilities. It should be noted that the visit of the Azerbaijan Naval Forces Commander to Pakistan is of great importance in terms of developing cooperation between the naval forces of both countries, as well as enhancing military education and military-technical issues. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Kapital Bank, the countrys first bank, and the National Aviation Academy of Azerbaijan have announced the launch of a new partnership. The cooperation was officially formalized through the signing of a memorandum the day before. The memorandum provides for the implementation of joint internship programs, involvement of bank specialists in students academic and research activities, development of joint curricula, as well as the organization of training sessions, scientific conferences, and educational events on various topics. Opening the event with a welcoming address, First Vice-rector of the National Aviation Academy, Adalat Samadov, briefed the guests on the Academys activities, organizational structure, and stages of development. Subsequently, Vice-Rector Gulnara Ahmedova spoke about the contributions of the Academys Rector, Academician Arif Pashayev, to the development of Azerbaijani science, particularly in the field of civil aviation. In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer of the Bir ecosystem and Kapital Bank, Farid Huseynov, emphasized that cooperation with the Academy strengthens the banks future-oriented strategic vision. The memorandum we signed today elevates our partnership to a new level. We want your students, as future professionals, to fully benefit from the opportunities offered by our ecosystem, our internship programs, and real-life projects, he noted. A memorandum of cooperation was signed during the event between the Education Development Fund and the National Aviation Academy. Under the agreement, the Academy joined the TlbPlus project. The TlbPlus initiative was launched last year based on a memorandum signed between Kapital Bank, the Education Development Fund, and the international payment technology company Visa. The project offers students a wide range of digital opportunities, including participation in social initiatives, access to discounts at hundreds of partner stores, the ability to monitor card expenses through the Birbank mobile application, and other digital services. Speaking about the project aimed at improving young peoples financial literacy, Chairman of the Board of the Education Development Fund, Nijat Mammadli, stated that the primary goal of TlbPlus is to support students, enhance their social well-being, and create favorable conditions that allow them to devote more time to their studies. According to him, with the National Aviation Academy joining the initiative, the number of participating higher education institutions has reached 27, while the number of student beneficiaries has exceeded 200 000. 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 6. bp has supported the publication of an art book dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Mirza Gadim Iravani one of the most distinguished figures in Azerbaijans art history and the founder of the Azerbaijani school of realistic painting. The book was publicly presented today at an event hosted by bp. The publication, titled Mirza Gadim Iravani: In the Light of Vivid Colours, is aligned with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 14 February 2025 on celebrating the artists 200th jubilee. Addressing todays event, Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, bps vice president for the Caspian region, said: We are truly proud to join the people of Azerbaijan in honouring one of the great names in the countrys artistic heritage - Mirza Gadim Iravani, who masterfully blended the decorative aesthetics of classical medieval miniature art with the principles of realistic easel painting, creating a unique artistic language and a highly original personal style. Iravanis invaluable legacy, rightly regarded as a turning point in the evolution of Azerbaijani art and as the transition from the traditional decorative school to a new, professional realist approach in painting, has raised him to a prominent place in the national fine arts. We hope that the book presented today will be warmly received by Azerbaijani art lovers and will serve as a meaningful contribution to further research into and wider recognition of this great artists legacy. Beyond his significance in the history of Azerbaijani art, Iravanis legacy provides invaluable insight into the history, culture, lifestyle, architectural traditions and artistic styles of his time. The book offers a comprehensive overview of Iravanis artistic legacy as both an ornamental painter and a portraitist. It also provides valuable historical insight into the life and creative path of the artist himself. The publication brings together a series of scholarly articles, including studies of Iravanis works preserved in international museum collections, analyses of the artworks that adorn palatial interiors, and examinations of the evolution and interpretation of his artistic legacy. Taken together, these materials form an important scientific and cultural resource. The book also reviews historical sources that reference Iravanis works and presents photographs accompanied by detailed descriptions of most of the artists known works preserved today in various museums around the world, including the Azerbaijan National Art Museum. The author of the 224-page, exquisitely produced art and research publication is Nargiz Jabbarli, Doctor of Philosophy in Philology and Associate Professor. The foreword is written by Galib Gasimov, Doctor of Philosophy in Art. The book also draws on the work of a number of other scholars who have researched Iravanis legacy, including the late Ziyadkhan Aliyev, a distinguished Azerbaijani art critic and researcher, Honoured Art Worker of Azerbaijan, and Doctor of Philosophy in Art History, as well as Natalya Miklashevskaya, Kerim Kerimov, Rasim Efendi, Nazim Mustafa, Telman Ibrahimov, Khazar Zeynalov, and others. The publication forms part of a broader cultural heritage project supported by bp. In addition to the book on Mirza Gadim Iravani, the project includes three major research publications on Azerbaijani carpets authored by Dr Kubra Aliyeva, as well as a four-volume scholarly study on the history and development of Azerbaijans national cinematography by the renowned film researcher Aydyn Kazymzade. The remaining books included in this art project will be publicly presented later this year. This project reflects bps ongoing commitment to supporting initiatives that preserve and promote Azerbaijans rich cultural heritage. The total value of the project, covering the development and publication of all eight books, is 308,498 AZN (approximately $181,470). The project is implemented by the Initiatives and Projects Centre (Tsbbuslr v Layihlr Mrkzi). BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. Urban planning and construction regulations will be analyzed in Azerbaijan, taking into account the green construction and green building approaches to mitigate the climate change impacts in cities, Trend reports. Prime Minister Ali Asadov signed the relevant decree. According to the decree, the State Urban Planning and Architecture Committee, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Health and the Center for Legal Expertise and Legislative Initiatives, must analyze urban planning and construction legislation taking into account the "green construction" and "green building" approaches to reduce the impacts of climate change in cities, study international experience and submit proposals for improving regulatory legal acts to the Cabinet of Ministers within four months. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Vagif Seyidbayov, held a series of meetings during his working visit to Canada, Trend reports via the committee. Seyidbayov closely familiarized himself with the activities of the Toronto Azerbaijan House. Head of the Azerbaijan House and the Vatan Azerbaijan Art and Culture Center, Lalin Hasanova, provided detailed information on the centers work and its upcoming plans. The meeting emphasized that Azerbaijan Houses operating in various countries around the world play a special role in networking compatriots, preventing feelings of isolation far from the homeland, and fostering national unity among the younger generation. The deputy chair also visited the My Azerbaijan weekend school operating under the Azerbaijan House. Students proudly said that they have made Azerbaijani friends at the school, learned their mother tongue, and performed national dances of Azerbaijan at festivals and events. Teachers spoke about the indispensable role of weekend schools in educating young compatriots in a national spirit and preserving and promoting Azerbaijans rich culture, expressing gratitude to the Azerbaijani state for its attention and care toward compatriots abroad. As part of the visit, a meeting was held with the Azerbaijani community in Canada. The deputy chairman noted that large-scale projects organized with the support of the committee in various countries are aimed at strengthening solidarity among compatriots. Participants shared proposals on building strong ties within the community, creating mutual support mechanisms, and facilitating the adaptation of newly arrived compatriots in Canada. Community elders thanked the committee for its support in preserving national identity and the mother tongue among Azerbaijanis living in Canada. Seyidbayov also visited the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at the University of Toronto. He reviewed works written in the Azerbaijani language, rare books by Azerbaijani authors translated into other languages, including a manuscript of Nizami Ganjavis Iqbalnama (The Book of Iqbal, also known as the Book of Fortune) dating back to 1517, the first Tabriz-printed edition of Fuzulis Leyli and Majnun, and illuminated copies of the Holy Quran from the 18th century. Lala Javanshir, who oversees the University of Torontos Near and Middle Eastern and Islamic world book collections, provided information on how Azerbaijans cultural heritage is represented and preserved at the university. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. In recent years, Turkmen-Turkish relations have been on the upswing, moving beyond the usual back-and-forth of bilateral ties. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, the two sides have consistently developed interaction in trade, energy, construction, transport, and the humanitarian sphere, drawing on both shared cultural and historical roots and aligned strategic interests in Eurasia. Turkiye is among Turkmenistans key trade and economic partners, and the institutional framework for cooperation is reinforced through joint work within the Organization of Turkic States and its Economic Council, as well as multilateral platforms such as ECO and the UN. The 12th Turkish Export Products Exhibition, scheduled to take place in Ashgabat from February 10 through 12, 2026, represents the next step in economic dialogue. The event is organized with the participation of the Turkmen Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Trade of Turkiye and is seen as a platform to expand direct contacts between business circles of the two countries. As of January 2026, around 100 Turkish companies had registered for the exhibition, significantly exceeding the participation of more than 70 companies at the 11th exhibition in 2024. The exhibition casts a wide net across various sectors, including industrial equipment, construction materials, pharmaceuticals, textiles, food products, household appliances, and chemical products. All in all, this showcases Turkiyes goal to not just boost exports but also to cement its foothold in crucial areas of Turkmenistans economy through enduring commercial and investment relationships. The exhibition coincides with a visit by Turkiyes Minister of Trade Omer Bolat, whose program includes participation in the official opening and meetings with the leadership of the Turkmen Chamber of Commerce and Industry and relevant economic agencies. At the end of January 2026, Turkiyes Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Ahmet Demirok, announced his countrys intention to simplify customs and logistics procedures trilaterally with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. During the ministers visit, practical mechanisms for implementing this initiative are expected to be discussed, along with measures to increase bilateral trade turnover. The ministers visit is just another cog in the wheel of ongoing intergovernmental connections, the most significant of which was President Recep Tayyip Erdogans visit to Ashgabat in December 2025 to participate in the International Forum on the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistans permanent neutrality. Following that visit, President Erdogan announced Turkiyes plans to raise bilateral trade turnover from the current $2 billion to $5 billion. Since Turkmenistans independence, Turkish companies have implemented more than 1,000 projects in the country with a total value exceeding $54 billion. Currently, 19 projects worth around $10 billion are ongoing. Turkiyes main investment areas remain construction, energy, textiles, and infrastructure. According to the Eurasian Development Bank, Turkmenistan holds the largest share of Turkiyes total investments in Central Asia. Among two major projects alone, Ankara invested $1.1 billion, including the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power transmission line. A key practical dimension of Turkmen-Turkish economic cooperation is logistics, in which Azerbaijan plays a central role. The Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Turkiye trilateral link forms one of the main routes of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, also known as the Middle Corridor. Within this framework, Turkmenistan provides access to the Caspian Sea via the Turkmenbashi port, from where cargo flows proceed to the port of Baku and then by rail along the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line to Turkiye and further to European markets. This route allows diversification of transport chains and reduces dependence on alternative directions, enhancing trade resilience amid regional and global risks. Logistics development is complemented by institutional mechanisms within the Organization of Turkic States, of which Turkmenistan has been a full member since 2022. Member countries promote initiatives to simplify trade procedures, digitize transit, and create unified logistics solutions, including the e-Permit electronic system and coordination of transport operators. Additional legal support is provided by bilateral agreements between Turkiye and Turkmenistan in economic cooperation, as well as memorandums on the development of the Middle Corridor signed between 2022 and 2025. In the broader regional context, Turkmen-Turkish cooperation aligns with Ankaras strategy to expand its economic presence in Central Asia. In recent years, key tools for strengthening Turkiyes presence have included investment projects, participation of Turkish companies in infrastructure construction, and development of transport corridors connecting Central Asia to European markets. In this scenario, Turkmenistan stands out as the vital connection in regional logistics and serves as one of the biggest playgrounds for Turkish business in the area. The geopolitical aspect of this dynamic relates to Turkiyes efforts to diversify transport options and reduce the risk of bottlenecks along the Middle Corridor. Expanding access to Central Asian infrastructure, including Turkmenistan, allows Ankara to flexibly manage trade and transit routes. In this context, at the end of January 2026, a delegation from the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port held talks with Azerbaijani counterparts on cooperation in developing the Caspian-Black Sea transport corridor, with the ports of Baku and Turkmenbashi serving as key nodes in this logistics chain. For Turkmenistan, deepening cooperation with Turkiye opens additional opportunities to diversify foreign economic ties and enhance strategic autonomy by balancing foreign policy and economic vectors. Thus, the upcoming Turkish Export Products Exhibition in Ashgabat and the visit of the Minister of Trade are not isolated events but part of a broader and consistent effort to deepen Turkmen-Turkish engagement. Against the backdrop of stable trade performance, a significant investment portfolio, and active regional transport initiatives, these steps reflect the parties desire to translate political signals and institutional agreements into practical economic cooperation. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. In 2025, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) took major steps to strengthen private sector participation and advance public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Uzbekistan, Mirzo Iskandar Gulamov, Country Operations Head of ADBs Uzbekistan Resident Mission, told Trend. According to Gulamov, ADB provided transaction advisory support for five specialized hospitals in Tashkent under a healthcare PPP program aimed at improving access to medical services and enhancing operational efficiency within the public health system. "In the water sector, ADB facilitated a PPP transaction to upgrade and transfer 135 water pumping stations in Karakalpakstan to private operators, significantly improving service delivery and operational efficiency," he said. Gulamov also highlighted ADBs role in co-hosting the 3rd International PPP Roundtable Forum in Tashkent, which focused on mobilizing private capital and strengthening Uzbekistans regulatory and institutional framework for PPPs. "The Forum brought together more than 500 participants, including representatives of government agencies, international financial institutions, and private sector partners, to advance PPP development in line with the Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy," he noted. As Gulamov noted, during the event, the government of Uzbekistan and ADB signed a series of memoranda of understanding aimed at expanding cooperation on priority PPP initiatives. "These agreements cover proposed projects in the water sector, such as the Namangan Drinking Water Project and the operation and maintenance of the Tashkent Region Water Treatment Plant, as well as transport infrastructure projects, including the modernization of railway stations and the UrgenchKhiva motorway," the ADB official added. He said that the memoranda also include social infrastructure initiatives, notably the development of preschool facilities in Tashkent, along with asset monetization projects in the thermal power generation sector. "Taken together, these agreements will guide joint preparatory work and help establish a strong pipeline of bankable PPP projects aligned with Uzbekistans long-term development agenda," Gulamov said. He also noted that the Forum marked the launch of PPP Monitor: Uzbekistan, a new analytical platform highlighting key market trends and investor perspectives. "By fostering dialogue and alignment among key stakeholders, the Forum helped build a shared vision for scaling high-quality PPPs in Uzbekistan and advancing sustainable, long-term infrastructure development," Gulamov concluded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. The current state and development prospects of the startup ecosystem were discussed in Azerbaijan, Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev wrote on his X page, Trend reports. "We held a meeting with startup representatives. During the meeting, we discussed the current state and development prospects of the startup ecosystem in our country. At the same time, we reviewed the proposals put forward for the promotion of innovative initiatives and exchanged views on the support mechanisms that the state can provide in this process," the post reads. Feb 6 (Reuters) - European regulators have launched a series of investigations into Big Tech in recent years. Here are some of the actions taken: ALPHABET The European Commission said in December it had opened an antitrust probe into whether Alphabet's Google was breaching EU competition rules in its use of online content from web publishers and YouTube for artificial intelligence purposes. The Commission hit Google with a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.46 billion) antitrust fine on September 5 for anti-competitive practices in its adtech business. In September 2024, Google won its challenge against a 1.49-billion-euro antitrust fine imposed for hindering rivals in online search advertising. A week earlier, Google lost its fight against a 2.42-billion-euro fine by EU antitrust regulators years before for using its own price comparison shopping service to gain an unfair advantage over smaller European rivals. Britain's antitrust regulator in September 2024 provisionally found Google had abused its dominant position in digital advertising to restrict competition. A month earlier, it started probes into Alphabet and Amazon's collaboration with AI startup Anthropic. France's competition watchdog said in March 2024 it had fined Google 250 million euros for breaches linked to EU intellectual property rules in its relationship with media publishers. AMAZON Germany's cartel office has prohibited Amazon from imposing price caps on online retailers in its German marketplace and for the first time claimed several million euros that it said the U.S. company had obtained through anti-competitive behaviour. The European Union's General Court dismissed in November a request by Amazon to scrap its designation as a platform subject to stricter requirements under EU online content rules. APPLE Italy's competition authority said in December it had fined Apple and two of its divisions 98.6 million euros over alleged abuse of their dominant position in the mobile app market. A complaint to EU antitrust regulators was made by two civil rights groups over the terms and conditions of its App Store and devices in October 2025. In the same month, Britain's Competition and Markets Authority designated Apple and Google as having "strategic market status", giving it powers to demand specific changes. Apple was fined 500 million euros and Meta 200 million euros under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in April 2025. Apple lost an appeal in March 2025 against a regulatory assessment that opens it up to stricter controls in Germany. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 6. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan discussed prospects for expanding interparliamentary cooperation, the head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, wrote on her social media account, Trend reports. Meanwhile, this issue was addressed during a meeting between the Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, and the Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Maulen Ashimbayev. We noted with satisfaction the strong momentum in the development of relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, built on mutual trust and close high-level dialogue. The year 2025 became an important and productive stage for our bilateral partnership, Mirziyoyeva stated. She noted that the talks also covered prospects for strengthening interparliamentary contacts, as well as deepening trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian ties. I am confident that practical cooperation between our countries will continue to grow consistently, she added. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 6. Turkmenistan and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) discussed issues related to the digitalization of agriculture, food system sustainability, rational use of land and water resources, environmentally friendly technologies, Trend reports via the Turkmen MFA. The matter was addressed during a briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, which featured the participation of Viorel Gutu, Deputy Director-General of the FAO and Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia. Meanwhile, Gutu attended the event via videoconference, alongside representatives from various international organizations accredited in the country. In the course of the meeting, Turkmenistan has outlined the current state and future priorities of its cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), emphasizing the strategic nature of the partnership. The sides noted the successful completion of the Country Programming Framework for 2021-2025, under which projects were implemented in agricultural digitalization, food system resilience, sustainable land and water use, environmentally friendly technologies, and support for farmers. At the meeting, it was also announced that work is currently underway on a new Country Programming Framework for 2026-2030. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 6. Uzbekistan and Pakistans Go Group discussed prospects for expanding cooperation in the agricultural and food processing sectors, Trend reports via the press service of the Uzbek President. The talks were held during a meeting between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the Chief Executive Officer of Go Group, Dur Muhammad Ayub, on the sidelines of the Uzbek-Pakistani business forum in Islamabad. The Uzbek side expressed support for the companys plans to establish an agrocluster in the regions of Uzbekistan, envisaging a full-cycle livestock processing system. Meanwhile, GoAgro is a leading Pakistani agricultural enterprise managing over 8,000 acres to produce premium crops (potatoes, corn, rice) and, with 10,000+ animals, premium dairy and livestock. It specializes in sustainable farming, exporting to international markets, and utilizes advanced, innovative techniques. Photo: The press office of the Uzbek President. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 6. Uzbekistan and Pakistans Gohar Textile discussed prospects for establishing joint textile production in Uzbekistan, Trend reports via the press office of the Uzbek President. The talks were held during a meeting between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the founder of Gohar Textile, Gohar Mustafa, in Islamabad, Pakistan. The sides also exchanged views on the integration of the Uzbek enterprises into international supply chains. Earlier, in July 2024, the representatives of Gohar Textile held talks with their Uzbek counterparts about launching a joint production line, buying inefficient factories, and expanding the textiles trade. Gohar Textile Mills (Pvt) Ltd. is a prominent, vertically integrated home textile manufacturer based in Faisalabad, Pakistan, with over 3,000 staff, 6 factories, and 120150 acres of land. It produces curtains, bedding, and jacquard fabrics for global markets and operates a facility in Manchester, UK. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 6. Uzbekistan and Pakistans HRL Group discussed prospects for joint geological exploration of copper, gold, and critical mineral deposits in Pakistan, Trend reports via the press office of the Uzbek President. The talks were held during a meeting between the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the Chairman of HRL Group, Zahid Rafiq, on the sidelines of the Uzbek-Pakistani business forum in Islamabad. Mirziyoyev also welcomed the companys initiatives to build an Imam Bukhari complex in Pakistans capital and a hotel in Samarkand. On February 1, a high-level delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Minister of Investment Laziz Kudratov, Minister of Industry and Trade Shokhrukh Gulamov, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Bekhzot Narmatov, and Advisor to the Minister for Digital Transformation and Overseas Operations, along with other senior officials, engaged in discussions with the senior management of HRL Group in Islamabad. During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Khayitboy Omonov, Director General of Uzbekistan Overseas Geological Company, and Jahanzeb Zahid Rafiq, Deputy Chairman of Habib Rafiq Engineering (Pvt.) Ltd., formalizing the cooperation between the parties. Photo: The press office of the Uzbek President. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 6. Uzbekistan and Pakistans Engro Group discussed opportunities for partnership in livestock development and supply, Trend reports via the press office of the Uzbek president. The talks were held between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chairman of Engro Group, Ahsan Zafar Syed in Islamabad, Pakistan. During the talks, the Uzbek side expressed support for the companys participation in chemical industry projects. Engro Corporation is a prominent and diversified conglomerate in Pakistan, established in 1965 as Esso Fertilizer and now a subsidiary of Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited. It leads in various sectors, including fertilizers through Engro Fertilizers, petrochemicals with Engro Polymer & Chemicals, and energy via Engro Energy Limited, which oversees power generation in Thar. Additionally, Engro Enfrashare focuses on telecommunications infrastructure and Engro Vopak on terminal storage. The company is recognized for its role in national industrial development and social initiatives in education, health, and skill enhancement through the Engro Foundation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 6. Uzbekistan and Pakistan discussed concrete measures to increase bilateral trade turnover to $2 billion in the near future, Trend reports via the press service of the president of Uzbekistan. The issue was addressed during talks between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr residence in Islamabad as part of Mirziyoyevs state visit to Pakistan. During the meeting, the sides reviewed the current state and key areas for expanding multifaceted cooperation, including trade, economic, and investment ties, and emphasized the importance of strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. The leaders noted steady growth in mutual trade volumes and the number of joint ventures, as well as the implementation of cooperation projects in priority sectors of the economy. In this context, they discussed coordination of joint measures aimed at achieving the $2 billion trade target, including intensifying business exchanges and expanding interregional cooperation. The sides further agreed to hold the first Forum of Regions in Khiva, Uzbekistan, later this year as an additional platform to support trade and investment cooperation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Photo: The press office of the Emirati MFA ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 6. Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates discussed prospects for strengthening bilateral relations, Trend reports via the press office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE. The talks were held between Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of UAE Abdullah bin Zayed on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai. Earlier, Meredov held a meeting with Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Presidential Court of the UAE Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The talks were focused on the preparation of a bilateral economic cooperation program aimed at promoting joint large-scale projects, primarily in the energy, transport, and logistics sectors. Relations between Turkmenistan and the UAE are characterized by a growing strategic partnership focused on friendship and respect. Key cooperation areas include the energy sector, trade (with non-oil trade exceeding $1 billion in 2024), investment, and transportation. The UAE is a significant investor in Turkmenistan's energy sector, notably through the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and joint projects on gas development and renewable energy with Masdar. Diplomatic ties, established in 1995, remain strong with embassies in both capitals. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 6. Turkmenistan and the United Arab Emirates discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the oil and gas sector, Trend reports via the Embassy of the UAE in Ashgabat. The issues were raised during the meeting between Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of UAE and CEO of ADNOC, Sultan bin Ahmad Al Jaber, on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit held in Dubai. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is the state-owned oil company of Abu Dhabi, UAE. It is one of the worlds largest oil companies by production. Earlier, in May 2025, ADNOC, through its international investment arm XRG, acquired a 38% stake in the large gas field known as Block I in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea. In November 2025, ADNOC opened a representative office in Ashgabat. Relations between Turkmenistan and the UAE are characterized by a growing strategic partnership focused on friendship and respect. Key cooperation areas include the energy sector, trade (with non-oil trade exceeding $1 billion in 2024), investment, and transportation. The UAE is a significant investor in Turkmenistan's energy sector, notably through the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and joint projects on gas development and renewable energy with Masdar. Diplomatic ties, established in 1995, remain strong with embassies in both capitals. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 6. A newly drilled appraisal well at the Atabay field has produced a commercially viable flow of sulfur-free natural gas, Trend reports via Turkmennebit State Concern. The outcome was realized through geological exploration and drilling operations conducted by the Lebapnebitgazgozleg expedition. The Atabay-1 well was drilled to a depth of 1,200 meters. During testing at a depth of around 1,135 meters, it produced a daily gas flow of about 284,000 cubic meters. The well is expected to be transferred to a production unit for commissioning. The Atabay field is located in the Ak Bugday etrap of the Ahal region and is part of the Central Karakum gas-bearing area. Testing was conducted across nine reservoirs from the Upper and Lower Cretaceous formations, eight of which were confirmed to be gas-bearing. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency would target the mass-marketing of unapproved drugs amid ongoing opposition between drugmakers and online telehealth companies. In a statement on X, Makary said: The FDA will take swift action against companies mass-marketing illegal copycat drugs, claiming they are similar to FDA-approved products. The FDA cannot verify the quality, safety, or effectiveness of non-approved drugs. The post comes after Hims & Hers, a telehealth company, announced it would launch a compounded version of Novo Nordisks Wegovy (semaglutide) pill. The copycat drug will be available from $49 for the first month and $99 afterwards. Novo Nordisks price for its oral drug is $149 for first-time users until mid-April and then $199 afterwards. Though Makarys pledge came after US stock exchanges closed, Hims & Hers strategy failed to win over investors during the day. Despite an initial rise, the telehealth companys stock closed 12.4% down at market close on 5 February, dropping to $23.48 from a market open price of $26.80. After-hours trading led to further decline following Makarys post. Novo Nordisk conversely saw its stock rebound at market open on 6 February after dipping 7% the day before. Compounded drugs are custom-made and unbranded medications that contain the same active ingredient as a marketed drug, such as semaglutide, pursuant to a prescription. While they are not FDA-approved, they can be made in certain situations, such as shortages or under personalised regimens. In April, a US judge cleared the FDA to take enforcement action against compounders despite a lawsuit by an industry group. Hims & Hers believes it is adhering to all applicable federal and state regulatory standards for compounding. Despite this, Novo Nordisk has threatened legal action against the compounder. In a statement, Novo Nordisk said: The action by Hims & Hers is illegal mass compounding that poses a significant risk to patient safety. Novo Nordisk will take legal and regulatory action to protect patients, our intellectual property and the integrity of the US gold-standard drug approval framework. This is another example of Hims & Hers' historic behaviour of duping the American public with knock-off GLP-1RA products, and the FDA has previously warned them about their deceptive advertising of GLP-1RA knock-offs. Hims & Hers has built a name for itself in the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) space for controversial reasons. In February 2025, it attracted anger from politicians and pharma companies over a Super Bowl commercial that attacked the US weight loss health system. Azerbaijan tallies volume of oil exports to Indonesia for 2025 In 2025, Azerbaijan exported crude oil and petroleum products to Indonesia, marking a decrease in both volume and value compared to the previous year. This decline showed a notable reduction in both the amount of goods exported and the associated revenue. Access to paid information is limited If You already have a account, please log in Login Register BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.6. Norwegian energy company Equinor has signed a five-year agreement to supply up to 0.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year to Dutch utility Eneco, Trend reports via Equinor. Deliveries to the Dutch gas grid began on 1 February. The gas supplied under the deal has a lower-than-average greenhouse gas footprint, as production and transport from the Norwegian continental shelf produce fewer emissions than other sources of gas supplied to Europe. In addition to gas, Equinor will transfer guarantees of origin, known as sustainability qualities, via a platform operated by Attributes SAS. Eneco said the move could reduce its reported CO2 emissions by more than 10%. Rotterdam-based Eneco supplies electricity, natural gas and heat to more than 2 million households and businesses across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK. Equinor is the largest gas producer on the Norwegian continental shelf, with combined volumes from its own production and the Norwegian states SDFI portfolio accounting for nearly 30% of Europes gas market. Its main European markets include Germany, the UK and France. The company also sells liquefied natural gas (LNG) from its Snhvit field in the Barents Sea to more than 20 countries worldwide, transported on specialized carriers. Equinor has sales offices in Stavanger, Brussels, London and Stamford (USA). BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) has shared experience on industrial safety with partner companies -Uzbekneftegaz JSC, KazMunayGaz JSC, and Tatneft PJSC, Trend reports via SOCAR Downstream. According to the information, SOCAR, together with representatives of the companies, visited the carbamide plant, one of SOCAR's production facilities. Moreover, it was noted that the exchange of experience continues within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of industrial safety, labor protection, and emergency management signed on March 4 last year between SOCAR, Uzbekneftegaz JSC, KazMunayGaz JSC, and Tatneft PJSC. Besides, it was pointed out that in accordance with the provisions of the memorandum, the exchange of experience between the companies was successfully implemented during 2025, and all planned events were implemented. However, it was emphasized that, as a continuation of the cooperation, representatives of the partner companies visited the Carbamide Plant on February 4. During the visit, the guests were provided with general information about the plant's activities, and advanced practices in the fields of digital solutions, industrial and environmental safety, labor protection, and health were presented. "During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on these areas, and experience and knowledge were exchanged. The parties underscored the importance of expanding cooperation in the field of industrial safety and labor protection," the information added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 6. Since commencing operations in Kazakhstan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has backed a portfolio of 345 projects, with a total value exceeding $12 billion, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh government. This milestone was highlighted during a meeting between Kazakhstans Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, and the EBRDs Managing Director for Central Asia and Mongolia, Huseyin Ozhan, held within the framework of the Foreign Investors Council in Astana. Bektenov and Ozhan also explored the potential for a strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and the EBRD, focusing on key priority sectors. A new framework for engagement with international financial institutions was introduced, featuring the creation of a Coordinating Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, to oversee future collaboration. The Kazakh government reiterated its commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of joint initiatives. In addition, on the margins of the Council, Bektenov held discussions with Evgeniy Nastradin, President of Beeline Kazakhstan. They deliberated on the further expansion of digital infrastructure and the execution of collaborative projects with VEON Group in Kazakhstan. Beeline Kazakhstan's contributions to serving over 11 million subscribers, alongside its role in advancing digital inclusion and literacy, were also highlighted and acknowledged. The EBRDs strategic priorities in Kazakhstan focus on enhancing the competitiveness of the private sector, fostering improved connectivity, and reinforcing economic governance. The bank also plays a pivotal role in supporting Kazakhstans transition to a green economy, prioritizing carbon neutrality, climate resilience, and broader economic inclusivity, including promoting gender equality through private-sector development initiatives. The bank started operating in Kazakhstan in 1992. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. The Virtual U.S. Embassy in Iran has called on American citizens to immediately leave the country, Trend reports citing the website of the diplomatic mission. Leave Iran now. Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on U.S. government help, the statement says. It is noted that individuals holding dual U.S. and Iranian citizenship should leave the country using Iranian documents. Diplomats also advised Americans currently in Iran to avoid participating in demonstrations, keep a low profile, and remain attentive to their surroundings. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. The first round of talks between Iran and the United States this year took place today in Muscat, the capital of Oman, where the discussions were held indirectly, with Iran represented by Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and the United States represented by the U.S. Presidents Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, with the mediation of Omans Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi. The negotiations are being viewed as an initial diplomatic step toward easing and eliminating tensions between Iran and the United States. Following heightened tensions last June, including air strikes by Israel and the U.S. against Iran and the bombing of three Iranian nuclear facilities, the likelihood of the current talks yielding positive outcomes is assessed as higher. As in the previous year, the first round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States is not expected to yield a major breakthrough. Nevertheless, the parties agreement to continue the negotiations and the calm atmosphere in which the discussions were held, as noted by the Iranian side, suggest a shared interest in moving toward a mutual understanding. Against the backdrop of regional countries lack of interest in military escalation and their efforts to convey related concerns to both sides, Iran and the USA, focusing on dialogue and results, may be considered an important step toward maintaining regional stability. Speaking to Iranian media after the talks, Irans Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said that no concrete results had been achieved so far but noted that negotiations would continue in the coming days. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that during the discussions, both Iran and the U.S. presented their demands and positions and agreed that after consultations in their respective capitals, a decision would be made regarding the timing of the next round of talks. Ahead of the negotiations, regional states had underscored the central role of diplomacy in easing tensions. The willingness of both Iran and the United States to engage in talks once again highlighted their commitment to diplomatic solutions. As the process moves forward, both sides are expected to continue discussions and seek to resolve existing disagreements through diplomatic channels. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes resumption of talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States, the UN Secretary-General's press service said in a statement, Trend reports. "The Secretary-General welcomes todays resumption of talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States and hopes they will help reduce regional tensions and prevent a broader crisis," the statement says. It is also reported that the UN Secretary-General expressed gratitude to countries in the region for their efforts to help make these talks possible, and to Oman for hosting them. "All concerns can and should be addressed through peaceful dialogue," the statement notes. Kirin Holdings will sell its Kentucky-based Four Roses Distillery to a California-based winery, according to a Feb. 6 news release from the company. Four Roses Distillery will be sold to E. & J. Gallo Winery for up to $775 million, which also includes $50 million that could become receivable if the distillery achieves a target net revenue following the transfer. The sale is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026. After first acquiring the subsidiary in 2002, Kirin representatives said Four Roses contributed to the growth of the companys enterprise value. According to the news release, Kirin leadership decided to sell Four Roses after reviewing its balance sheet and business portfolio. This transaction will allow Kirin to reallocate its resources toward businesses that could further grow by leveraging Kirins own organizational capabilities, thereby further growth in enterprise value, leadership said. Four Roses originally went up for sale in October 2024. The Financial Times reported that Kirin Holdings wanted to pivot from the spirits industry, which has been struggling, to its health care offerings. The Four Roses brand dates back to 1888 and has roots on Louisvilles Whiskey Row. It now has a distillery and visitors center in Lawrenceburg, and a warehouse and bottling facility in Coxs Creek. Matthew Glowicki contributed. (This story may update.) This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Four Roses bourbon brand sold to U.S.-based winery BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. Turkish Airlines will launch flights on the Istanbul-Yerevan route in March, Trend reports via the airline's official website. The first flight on the new route will begin operating on March 11. Last September, Turkish Airlines announced in the Public Disclosure Platform that the company's Board of Directors made a decision to launch regular flights to Timisoara, Romania, and Yerevan, Armenia, depending on opportunities and market conditions. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 6. The US government has added 14 tankers to its sanctions list related to Iran, the US Treasury Department said, Trend reports. Restrictions were also imposed on 15 companies, including those from Turkey, the UAE, and China. The sanctions also applied to two individuals. The US State Department noted that the sanctions "are related to the illicit trade in Iranian oil and petroleum products." Everyone is impacted by crime. Four years ago, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott recounted that his mother had been working inside a Giant store in Park Heights when a shooting occurred. In fact, many years earlier, it was another shooting that led to his career in public service. Before he was even 7 years old, the future mayor witnessed a shooting he says he just couldnt get over. According to Scott, his mother told him if he wanted things to change, he would need to change them himself. Jumping ahead a few decades, at the start of this year, news outlets published headlines like this one on WBAL-TV: 2025 crime data shows Baltimore records lowest homicide rate in nearly 50 years. Together, we are helping folks put down the guns and change their lives, supporting job programs and apprenticeships, and investing in our communities by building schools, rec centers, libraries, pools, and playgrounds, the mayor said. For those of us who have seen the worst of gun violence who experienced the pain of 300 homicides, year after year this progress is especially meaningful. And its not just homicides. Comparing 2025 with 2024, homicides were down 31 percent, nonfatal shootings down 25 percent, rapes down 27 percent, and carjackings down 37 percent. This progress was neither inevitable nor by accident, said Baltimore Police Department (BPD) commissioner Richard Worley. Its a direct result of sustained collaboration, strategic focus, and collective commitment of all of our agencies, along with building trust and engagement with the communities we serve. The department continues to show that investing in our members and strengthening relationships with our citizens leads to real, measurable reductions in violence. Those investments are central to the citys five-year violence prevention plan. Published in 2021, the plan takes a new approach. Historically, the plan says, Baltimore has over-relied on the 3Ps policing, prosecutions, and prisons in an attempt to reduce violence and strengthen community safety. This strategy has not only failed to yield long-term results, it has also come at an extremely high social cost to many of our most vulnerable communities. The new approach centers around five priorities: building public safety, clean and healthy neighborhoods, equitable neighborhood development, prioritizing the citys youth, and responsible stewardship of city resources. Using those priorities as a compass, the Mayors Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement was created at the end of 2020 to work with law enforcement agencies, including BPD and the States Attorneys Office, city agencies, and community-based organizations to coordinate public safety efforts across Baltimore. Included in that list of community-based organizations are some University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)-operated programs, including the Center for Violence Prevention and the EMBRACE Initiative, which utilizes a team of peer recovery specialists, credible messengers, and social workers to provide a wide array of help on everything from conflict mediation to mental health services. UMB also is working to reduce violent crime with the help of its Department of Police and Public Safety. One successful example of that is the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, which redirects people arrested for low-level drug offenses to treatment, a case manager, and other services. On Feb. 4, Worley joined UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, for a wide-ranging discussion about crime and safety in Baltimore in a UMB community town hall. Worley, who became commissioner in 2023, is a native Baltimorean who began his police career in 1998 as a BPD patrol officer. The program also includes questions from a live audience at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Moot Courtroom, as well as a much larger virtual audience. To watch the entire program, access the link at the top of this page. Jasmina Burek, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, is studying the life cycle of geothermal energy networks that are designed to heat and cool a mix of residential, commercial and public buildings in cities. Under a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant, Burek and industrial engineering Ph.D. candidate Mahsa Ghandi are developing a new method to analyze the economic, environmental and social effects of geothermal energy networks across the entire life cycle, from the manufacture of components and installation through the end of their lifespan and replacement. They are developing the life cycle analysis tool using a geothermal energy network in Framingham, now fully operational, that is the first utility-owned geothermal system of its kind in the U.S. In late 2024, the project received a U.S. Department of Energy grant to double its size; Burek and Ghandi will use the second loop to validate their life cycle analysis tool. Were building a rigorously validated modeling tool to help developers and cities analyze and make better decisions about replacing aging energy infrastructure, especially for natural gas, Burek says. Bureks grant is part of a broader collaboration on two pilot projects among the state, other universities, cities, natural gas utilities and the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET), a pioneering Massachusetts nonprofit that proposes and studies geothermal networks and advocates for state laws that encourage utilities to install them. UMass Lowell is also at the forefront of the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition (CELT) Initiative, a public-private-academic effort to help communities transition to clean energy and train workers to install and maintain geothermal energy networks. UMass Lowell is leading the development of a geothermal energy roadmap for the state, says Ruairi OMahony, director of CELT and UMass Lowells associate vice chancellor for sustainability and enterprise development. Geothermal energy technology is not new. Geothermal systems are much more efficient than natural gas or even air-source heat pumps because they use the constant temperature of the earth below ground level about 55 degrees Fahrenheit in Massachusetts to heat and cool buildings. They work by running a loop of pipe containing water and a little refrigerant underground to absorb heat in winter or shed it in summer. A heat pump with a compressor then concentrates that heat or cold before sending the fluid through the building, using either a forced air or forced hot water system, and returning it to the ground loop. Once the infrastructure is installed, geothermal systems are also very inexpensive to run, requiring only a small amount of electricity to power the heat pump. But the upfront cost is too high for most individual building owners. For normal people with average incomes, [installation] is very difficult to afford, Ghandi says. But with a networked system, youre serving a mix of buildings; youre decreasing the average cost, and it should be more efficient. For example, commercial and public buildings like schools and libraries generally need more heating and cooling on weekdays, but they can cut back on evenings and weekends when theres more demand in peoples homes and vice versa, Ghandi says. Large geothermal energy networks involve the drilling of multiple boreholes, like wells, that all connect to a single horizontal pipe below ground. The horizontal pipeline is similar to a natural gas main, with smaller lines connecting it to each building in the network. That makes natural gas utilities good potential partners for conversion to geothermal networks, because they have workers and contractors skilled in digging trenches, laying pipe and connecting a major service line to individual buildings, says Zeyneb Magavi, HEETs executive director. Image by K. Webster Ghandi points out monitoring equipment in another test borehole on South Campus. Massachusetts is a leader in this space because we at HEET proposed this technology and pathway back in 2017, Magavi says. This was the first gas utility pilot of this type of design in the country. Conversions also make sense right now, because many of the states natural gas service lines are more than 50 years old, leaky and in need of replacement, Ghandi says. In Framingham, the upfront cost of the networked geothermal systems infrastructure was borne by Eversource. The natural gas utility will recover that cost over time by billing customers in the network. Under the pilot project, residential customers bills from Eversource are capped for the first two years at about $10 per month, while commercial customers have their bills capped at about $20. After that, rates will be set by utility regulators, but they are expected to remain low. A second pilot project also launched in Lowell, where natural gas utility National Grid drilled two test boreholes in spring 2023 in a large parking lot next to South Campus, as part of a plan to install a geothermal network for university buildings and homes and businesses in the adjoining Acre neighborhood. But the bids for drilling came in astronomically higher than anticipated, so National Grid withdrew and began working on pilot projects elsewhere in the state, OMahony says. The utility continues to share information about what it learned with its former Lowell partners, he says. Now were applying those lessons to projects across the state, he says. OMahony is optimistic that the Lowell project will move forward again soon, with the university taking the lead in working with engineering and contracting firms that already have geothermal experience as well as with community partners, including the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association, which will do more outreach and education for private building owners. Were in a good position to go back, make some design tweaks, increase awareness in the community and look at this as a project that would benefit the city of Lowell and the university, OMahony says. By Lucy Raitano, Dhara Ranasinghe and Chibuike Oguh NEW YORK/LONDON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A planned $600 billion artificial intelligence spending splurge by big tech firms in 2026 is adding to investor unease as they assess the implications for profitability as well as a potential existential threat to software firms. Shares of Amazon, which had announced a $200 billion capital expenditure outlay, slid 7% on Friday, while Alphabet lost 3% after the company said on Wednesday that capital spending could double this year. Meta Platforms was down 1.3%. Other heavyweight technology companies, however, were trading higher: Nvidia rose 7%, Microsoft gained 1% and Tesla was up 4%. The benchmark S&P 500 added 1.6% while the Nasdaq rose 2% although both indexes are set to finish the week lower. "The market's viewpoint is that the AI build-out trade, and the way they've pulled forward all these earnings for many, many years, we think that's just got too pricey," said Andrew Wells, chief investment officer at SanJac Alpha in Houston. "It's not that the trade is over, but it got too pricey in pulling forward all these potential future revenues and not really pricing in the risk into all that. So it's a de-risking trade." Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang attributed the uptick in spending to "sky-high" demand. Speaking on CNBC's "Halftime Report", he called the rise appropriate and sustainable. Meanwhile, the equities of data analytics firms continued to come under selling pressure on concerns that they face an existential threat from powerful new AI models. Canada-based Thomson Reuters, which suffered a record one-day plunge earlier this week, was down 0.7%. London-listed RELX's shares lost 4.6% and notched a 17% tumble in their worst week since 2020. The S&P 500 software and services index has fallen almost 8% this week and has seen around $1 trillion in market value evaporate since January 28. "Headlines that would have pushed shares to fresh highs during the peak of AI optimism are now being interpreted far more cautiously by investors," said Carlota Estragues Lopez, equity strategist at St. James's Place in London. "It's not just return-on-investment that worries investors, but also the risk of narrow market leadership that struggles to broaden beyond a handful of mega-cap names." JOLT TO DATA ANALYTICS FIRMS A selloff in software and data and analytics firms was triggered by a new plug-in from Anthropic's Claude. Shares in London Stock Exchange Group clawed back some ground on Friday, but their price was still down almost 8% for the week in a second straight week of sharp losses. GM Korea Company, the South Korean subsidiary of US automaker General Motors, said it aims to increase production by 8.5% to 500,000 vehicles this year, up from 461,000 units in 2025, to meet growing export demand, particularly from the US. The statement by the company came as more welcome news, following concerns last year that General Motors may be considering discontinuing vehicle production in the country following the introduction last April of a 25% import tariff by the US government, which was later reduced to 15% after the South Korean government committed to investing US$ 350 billion in the US. Last year, GM Korea also announced that it planned to sell off its remaining in-house aftermarket service centres in the country by February 2026. GM Korea relies heavily of on exports to the US. Over 95% of the companys production last year was exported, with shipments to the US understood to have accounted for over 85% of total output. GM Korea sold just 15,100 vehicles in South Korea last year, including vehicles imported from the US, a 39% decline compared with 2024 volumes. The company launched the imported GMC Acadia SUV and the Canyon pickup truck locally last month, and plans to introduce the all-electric Hummer SUV in the first half of this year to help lift domestic sales. A GM Korea spokesperson confirmed that parent company General Motors has requested GM Korea to operate the two plants at full capacity, to produce 500,000 vehicles this year." The Trax and Trailblazer models are produced at two plants in South Korea, in Incheon and in Changwon. General Motors CEO, Mary Barra, recently stated that overseas demand for vehicles produced in South Korea remains strong and that they were contributing positively to the company's earnings. In South Korea, Trax prices start at US$ 14,700. GM Korea announced at its 2026 Business Strategy Conference in December that General Motors plans to invest US$ 300 million to strengthen its manufacturing operations in South Korea, including retooling assembly lines to accommodate new generation models, continuing production beyond 2028. "GM Korea to lift production to 500,000 units in 2026" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. Gold and silver investors heads are spinning from a series of highs and lows. After weeks of record-breaking rallies, both precious metals took a precipitous dip in price at the end of January, followed by a bounce in early February with single-day gains that rival those set during the 2008 financial crisis. Gold reached a historic peak of $5,594.82 per ounce last week, then plunged on Friday and into Monday, hitting a $4,403.24 low before bouncing back to $4,895.69 on Tuesday morning. Must Read Silver had been riding high until a record 27% oneday drop on Friday. It fell a further 6% on Monday, then catapulted up 8.6% to $86.30 an ounce as of Tuesday morning (1). Starting to feel like numbers are swimming in front of your eyes, and you cant keep up? Youre not alone. Think of it this way: Precious metals are a cushion against market volatility. When times are tough or just plain strange (are we going to war in Greenland?) investors flee to the stability of gold and silver. Why metal markets are going haywire Here are just four (of many!) distinct causes of this recent rollercoaster ride in precious metal prices. Geopolitics: The first factor, helping to drive weeks of record-high price increases in both silver and gold throughout January, is geopolitical instability. On Jan. 3, the United States invaded Venezuela, apprehending the nations president and sparking widespread outcry around the world. Days later, President Trump and members of his inner circle began once again making public statements threatening to invade Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Eight European countries sent military personnel to Greenland to show support for Danish sovereignty. Trump threatened retaliatory tariffs on those countries, jeopardizing a trade deal struck after the last round of tariff threats in mid-2025. Financial markets famously abhor uncertainty and chaos (nothing hampers global commerce like a war), and these events spurred investors to seek the relative safety of precious metals to weather the storm. The threat of tariffs also tends to push the U.S. dollar down, as it is the main means of payment for international trade and the currency in which commodities are priced. When the U.S. dollar traditionally a safe place to park your money is wobbly, the safety of gold becomes more attractive, driving up the price (2). Small-business owners, entrepreneurs and startups will have the opportunity to ask questions about starting their businesses Thursday, Feb. 12. Devin Costa-Cargill will lead a Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network webinar titled Start Your Own Business -- Q&A from 9-10 a.m. To register, go here. Registration is free. The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by the University of Wyoming with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Appropriate for all business types, this open forum-style meeting will permit attendees to ask questions about starting their businesses, funding programs for specific types of purchases and more. Attendees are asked to bring their list of questions and listen to those of others to learn more about starting a business in Wyoming. Costa-Cargill is the Wyoming SBDC Network regional director for Big Horn, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties. She launched her consulting career in the public school system, specifically in special education. For the past 10 years, Costa-Cargill has operated her own small business, providing consultation and enrichment to families and early educators. Her work with the Wyoming SBDC Network began in April 2021, advising small-business startups through the first important steps of their journey. For more information, call Tyler Schanck, marketing, communications and database manager for the Wyoming SBDC Network, at (307) 343-0925 or email tschanck@uwyo.edu. Outdoor industry leaders, stakeholders, agency personnel and community members from across the state will gather in Saratoga this spring for the 2026 Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Summit. The event will take place Thursday, April 30, and Friday, May 1, at the Platte Valley Community Center. Early bird registration is available through Saturday, Feb. 28, for $150 per person. Regular registration runs from Sunday, March 1, through Thursday, April 30, for $200 per person. Registration and event details are available on the WOR Summit Webpage and through accessing the WOR Summit Facebook event. Co-hosted by the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation and the University of Wyomings Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute, the summit is the states premier annual convening, focusing on strengthening Wyomings outdoor recreation economy through collaboration, research and workforce development. The 2026 summits theme, Building Capacity for Tomorrow, emphasizes intergenerational knowledge exchange, strategic planning, community support and the importance of partnerships. Sessions will focus on equipping current and future leaders in Wyomings outdoor recreation sector with practical tools, resources and connections to help their communities and organizations thrive. Bringing together stakeholders and representatives from across the outdoor recreation industry continues to prove both worthwhile and essential, says Mark Tesoro, manager of the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation. This summit represents the pinnacle of gathering voices from all corners of the industry, and were excited to see the momentum that builds from this years conversations and collaborations. The summit will feature engaging sessions, panels and networking opportunities designed to support professionals across outdoor recreation, tourism, hospitality, education and public service. The partnership between the WORTH Institute and the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation allows us to align research, education and on-the-ground practice in meaningful ways, says Dan McCoy, director of the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institute. Were helping build the leadership capacity needed to sustain and grow Wyomings outdoor recreation sector for generations to come. Organizations and businesses interested in supporting the summit are invited to review the sponsorship packet to explore available tiers and benefits. The deadline to sponsor the event is Tuesday, March 31. For more information, sponsorship inquiries or general questions, email Taylor Kruger, the Jay Kemmerer WORTH Institutes assistant research scientist, at tkruger@uwyo.edu or call (307) 766-5019. 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. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Googles latest quarterly report provided further evidence that its internet empire is withstanding an artificial intelligence shakeup thats turning into another potential boon for the company. The numbers released Wednesday marked Google's third consecutive quarter of digital ad growth of more than 10% from the previous year, while also posting more than 30% sales growth in its division that powers data centers for AI services. Those increases during the October-December period propelled Googles corporate parent Alphabet Inc. well past the earnings forecasts of stock market analysts. Alphabets fourth-quarter profit rose 30% from the prior year to $34.5 billion, or $2.82 per share, while revenue climbed 18% to $113.8 billion. The collective momentum of Googles main business in search and advertising and the still-nascent AI field indicates a company born during the late 1990s internet boom is becoming even stronger during another technology phenomenon nearly 30 years later. Search saw more usage than ever before, with AI continuing to drive an expansionary moment," Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said. Googles successful evolution has helped drive up Alphabets stock price nearly 60% in the past five months, giving it a $4 trillion market value. Even so, some investors are still skeptical whether Google will be able to sustain enough growth to justify the more than $300 billion that Alphabet will have spent from 2024 through the end of this year on expanding the computing capacity needed for AI features. Those worries caused Alphabet's shares to see-saw between slight gains and declines during extended trading after Wednesday's report came out. Apple, also currently worth $4 trillion, thinks so highly of Googles AI that the iPhone maker recently struck a deal to use Googles Gemini technology in a long-delayed upgrade to its virtual assistant, Siri. Google is also embedding more of its Gemini AI into its long-dominant search engine, Gmail and Chrome browser as it tries to avoid complacency and being outmaneuvered by up-and-coming companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity. To meet the challenge, Alphabet has been on a spending spree to expand its AI capacity. After pouring $91 billion into capital expenditures devoted mostly to AI, the Mountain View, California, company disclosed Wednesday that it expects to double down by spending another $175 billion to $185 billion this year. Its capital expenditure budget has ballooned from about $30 billion annually since 2022 when OpenAI released its ChatGPT chatbot to much acclaim, prompting Google to pull out all the stops to catch up. Canada and France, which both oppose US President Donald Trump's claim to Greenland, opened consulates in the Danish autonomous territory's capital on Friday, in a show of support for the local government. Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has insisted that Washington needs to control the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island for security reasons. He last month backed off threats to seize Greenland after striking a "framework" deal with NATO chief Mark Rutte to ensure greater US influence. A US-Denmark-Greenland working group has been established to discuss Washington's security concerns in the Arctic, but details have not been made public. While Denmark and Greenland have said they share Trump's security concerns, they have insisted that sovereignty and territorial integrity are a "red line" in the discussions. Canada and France formally opened the new consulates in Nuuk, the island's capital. "This is a very important day for us as a country, because we're opening our consulate here in Nuuk, Greenland," said Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand at the inauguration ceremony, before hoisting her country's flag over the consulate building to applause from a 76-person Inuit delegation. - 'Victory for Greenlanders' - "It's a victory for Greenlanders to see two allies opening diplomatic representations in Nuuk," said Jeppe Strandsbjerg, a political scientist at the University of Greenland. "There is great appreciation for the support against what Trump has said." French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to open a consulate during a visit to Nuuk in June, where he expressed Europe's "solidarity" with Greenland and criticised Trump's ambitions. The newly appointed French consul, Jean-Noel Poirier, had previously served as ambassador to Vietnam. "The first item on the agenda will be to listen to Greenlanders, to hear them, to let them explain in detail their position, and from our side to confirm to them our support, as much as they and the Danish side want," Poirier told AFP before leaving Copenhagen for Nuuk. Poirier arrived in the Greenlandic capital on Friday, but does not yet have an office. Canada announced in late 2024 that it would open a consulate in Greenland to boost cooperation. That decision "came as Canada was choosing to strengthen its Arctic strategy when Trump's return was expected", French researcher and Arctic expert Mikaa Blugeon-Mered told AFP. The opening of the consulates is "a way of telling Donald Trump that his aggression against Greenland and Denmark is not a question for Greenland and Denmark alone, it's also a question for European allies and also for Canada", Ulrik Pram Gad, Arctic expert at the Danish Institute of International Studies, told AFP. "The consequences are obviously not just Danish. It's European and global," said Christine Nissen, security and defence analyst at the Europa think tank. At the beginning of the week, Canadian icebreaker Jean Goodwill docked at the port of Nuuk, where it has since conducted a joint exercise with a Danish inspection vessel. - Recognition - According to Strandsbjerg, the two consulates -- which will report to the French and Canadian embassies in Copenhagen -- will give Greenland an opportunity to "practice" independence, as the island has long dreamt of cutting its ties to Denmark. The decision to open diplomatic missions is also a recognition of Greenland's growing autonomy, Nissen said. "In terms of their own quest for sovereignty, the Greenlandic people will think to have more direct contact with other European countries," she said. That would make it possible to reduce Denmark's role "by diversifying Greenland's dependence on the outside world, so that it is not solely dependent on Denmark and can have more ties for its economy, trade, investments, politics and so on", echoed Pram Gad. Greenland has had diplomatic ties with the European Union since 1992, with Washington since 2014 and with Iceland since 2017. Iceland opened a consulate in Nuuk in 2013, while the United States, which had a consulate in the Greenlandic capital from 1940 to 1953, reopened its mission in 2020. The European Commission opened an office in 2024. nzg/jj/cc/jhb On February 4, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Then, he called his US counterpart Donald Trump. These interviews covered a wide range of topics. It seems that their simultaneity focused on Chinese support for the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. During the first meeting, President Xi expressed strong support for the Ukraine peace talks in the UAE and invited Vladimir Putin to visit China twice this year. During the second meeting, President Xi told Donald Trump that the Taiwan issue was the "most important" issue in China-US relations, stressing that the island was Chinese territory and that Beijing would never allow it to be separated. He stressed that China must safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and urged Washington to handle arms sales to Taiwan with "extreme caution." US President Trump commented on Truth Social: "I have just completed an excellent telephone conversation with President Xi, of China. It was a long and thorough call, where many important subjects were discussed, including Trade, Military, the April trip that I will be making to China (which I very much look forward to!), Taiwan, the War between Russia/Ukraine, the current situation with Iran, the purchase of Oil and Gas by China from the United States, the consideration by China of the purchase of additional Agricultural products including lifting the Soybean count to 20 Million Tons for the current season (They have committed to 25 Million Tons for next season!), Airplane engine deliveries, and numerous other subjects, all very positive! The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way. I believe that there will be many positive results achieved over the next three years of my Presidency having to do with President Xi, and the Peoples Republic of China!" We came across a bullish thesis on GXO Logistics, Inc. on DeepValue Capitals Substack. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on GXO. GXO Logistics, Inc.'s share was trading at $57.56 as of January 28th. GXOs trailing and forward P/E were 76.75 and 19.19 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Kyndryl Launches Agentic AI Solutions, Targets Aviation and Enterprise AI Deployment Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo GXO Logistics (GXO) is the worlds largest pure-play contract logistics provider, operating at the center of global supply chains for blue-chip customers such as Boeing, LVMH, and Nestle, with long-term, multi-year contracts that provide strong revenue visibility. Spun out of XPO Logistics in 2021 to unlock value, GXO has built a geographically diversified business, with nearly 45% of revenue from the UK, 26% from the U.S., and the remainder spread across key European markets. In 2024, GXO generated $11.7 billion in revenue, primarily from omnichannel retail, alongside meaningful exposure to technology, industrials, food and beverage, and consumer packaged goods. While logistics is often viewed as a low-tech industry, GXO is differentiating itself through aggressive investment in automation, AI, and robotics, positioning it as one of the most technologically advanced operators in the sector. The company has partnered with Dexterity to deploy AI-powered robotic arms for depalletizing and labeling, with Dexory to automate real-time inventory scanning using autonomous robots, and with Agility Robotics to pilot Digit, a humanoid robot designed to operate in human-centric warehouse environments. These initiatives are already deployed across more than half of GXOs global sites and are driving faster throughput, higher accuracy, and lower cost per unit, creating a structural pathway to margin expansion. In mid-2025, GXO further strengthened its moat with the launch of GXO IQ, an AI-powered logistics platform built on over 20 years of proprietary operational data, designed to optimize complex supply chains. As automation becomes core to scalable logistics infrastructure, GXO is winning share, deepening customer relationships, and building durable competitive advantages that underpin a long-term view of meaningful upside, supporting a valuation case that points toward $80+ per share despite near-term risks inherent in global trade and execution. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on GXO Logistics, Inc. (GXO) by Busy Investor Stock Reports in February 2025, which highlighted strong revenue growth, customer expansion, AI-driven efficiency gains, and short-term headwinds from regulatory review and capacity realignments. GXOs stock price has appreciated by approximately 46.64% since our coverage as the thesis played out. DeepValue Capital shares a similar view but emphasizes automation and robotics-led margin expansion. (Photo: Four Roses) Kirin Holdings Co. plans to sell its Four Roses bourbon brand to E&J Gallo Winery for up to $775 million, marking a major ownership change for one of Kentuckys best-known bourbon distilleries, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The Japanese beverage group said the transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Kirin confirmed the sale in a statement Friday, noting it intends to redirect resources toward faster-growing parts of its business, per Bloomberg. The company said it has not yet decided how it will use the proceeds. The sale comes as U.S. whiskey makers face slowed growth. Bourbon sales have cooled as consumers reduce alcohol spending and drink less overall. Trade uncertainty, including the potential impact of tariffs under President Donald Trump, has added pressure across the spirits sector. Four Roses is produced in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Kirin acquired the distillery in 2002. Once the deal closes, E&J Gallo Winery, one of the largest wine and spirits companies in the U.S., will take control of the bourbon label. Gallo owns many wine brands including Apothic and Barefoot; spirits brands brands including The Dalmore, Jura, New Amsterdam, RumChata, Don Fulano; and the popular ready-to-drink brand High Noon. The sale sale reflects a broader shift in strategy for Kirin, which has said it wants its health-related businesses to account for 20% of total sales by 2030. In recent years, it has expanded aggressively in that space, including the purchase of Japanese cosmetics and supplement company FANCL in 2024 and Australian vitamin maker Blackmores Ltd. in 2023 for $1.2 billion. Other global spirits companies are also scaling back. Rival Suntory Holdings Ltd. said in December that it plans to suspend production this year at the James B. Beam distillery in Kentucky after reviewing output levels against current demand. Elsewhere, weve seen pauses in production from Glenglassaugh Distillery, as well as a pair of American distilleries owned by spirits giant Diageo: George Dickel and Balcones. Diageo also halted the construction of a new Crown Royal distillery in November 2024. Investors responded positively to Kirins announcement. Shares of the company rose 1.5% in early trading in Tokyo on Friday. Scan any liquor bottle to see all expert reviews in one place with the free Daily Pour app. Download today! Founded by Dan Abrams, The Daily Pour is the ultimate drinking guide for the modern consumer, covering spirits, non-alcoholic and hemp beverages. With its unique combination of cross-category coverage and signature rating system that aggregates reviews from trusted critics across the internet, The Daily Pour sets the standard as the leading authority in helping consumers discover, compare and enjoy the best of today's evolving drinks landscape. 80-year-old Italian man summoned as part of 'human safari' probe. Italian authorities have officially registered the first suspect in an investigation into "sniper tourism", a gruesome phenomenon in which foreigners allegedly paid to shoot civilians 'for fun' during Siege of Sarajevo in the early 1990s. The Milan attorney generals office has summoned an 80-year-old former truck driver from Pordenone, in Italy's northeast, for questioning on 9 February. The man, who was not named, faces charges of several counts of premeditated murder, aggravated by base motives, sources told news agency Reuters. During a search of the 80-year-olds home, Carabinieri officers reportedly found seven legally owned weapons, including two handguns and four shotguns. Witnesses told prosecutors that the man had previously "boasted" about taking part in "human safaris" during the war, according to Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano. The investigation began last November and centres on claims that groups of Westerners travelled to the besieged Bosnian capital in the early 1990s. The enquiry, opened by prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis, is seeking to identify the so-called "weekend snipers" who participated in the Siege of Sarajevo, during which more than 11,000 people were killed between 1992 and 1996. The Italian individuals accused of being involved in the killings would allegedly gather in the north-eastern city of Trieste before being taken to the hills surrounding Sarajevo where they were permitted to fire on the population of the besieged city after allegedly paying Bosnian Serb militias sums between 80,000 and 100,000. The case, which stems from a complaint filed by journalist and writer Ezio Gavazzeni, reconstructs a series of testimonies and contacts with Bosnian sources who reported the presence of Italian citizens in the hills surrounding Sarajevo in the early 1990s. The probe was fuelled further by the 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari by director Miran Zupanic, which featured anonymous testimonies from a former Serbian soldier and a contractor. Italy and Social Media Limits for Minors: Why Rome Is Taking a Softer Line Than Other Countries While several countries are moving toward strict bans or tough limits on minors access to social media, Italy is so far choosing a far more cautious approach. As governments around the world rethink how to protect children online, Romes reluctance to impose hard age limits is becoming increasingly noticeable. Italys current position Under Italian law, children can legally access social media platforms from the age of 14, in line with the flexibility allowed by the EUs GDPR framework. While the regulation sets 16 as the default age for digital consent, member states can lower it to 13. Italy opted for 14 and has, so far, resisted calls for a blanket ban or a sharp increase in the minimum age. There have been political discussions and draft proposals, including suggestions to raise the threshold to 15 or introduce stronger age-verification systems, but none have yet translated into binding legislation. In practice, access is still largely regulated by platform self-declaration, a system widely criticised as ineffective. What other countries are doing Elsewhere, governments are taking a much firmer stance. Australia has adopted one of the toughest approaches, approving legislation that bans access to social media for users under 16 and places the burden of age verification squarely on platforms. France has approved a law that will progressively restrict access to social networks for under-15s, introducing mandatory and verified parental consent. Spain is moving in a similar direction, with announced plans to raise the minimum age and tighten identity checks. At EU level, the debate is also shifting. The European Parliament has backed non-binding resolutions calling for a minimum age of 16 for social media access and stronger, standardised age-verification systems across member states. The common thread is clear: many governments now see social media not just as a communication tool, but as a public health and child-protection issue. Why Italy is holding back Italys more cautious approach reflects a mix of political, cultural and practical concerns. First, enforcement remains a major problem. A strict ban without robust, privacy-compliant age-verification systems risks being symbolic rather than effective. Italian policymakers have repeatedly warned against laws that are easy to bypass and hard to police. Second, there is a strong emphasis on education over prohibition. Many experts and institutions argue that digital literacy, parental involvement and platform responsibility are more sustainable than outright bans, especially for teenagers whose social lives increasingly exist online. Finally, Italy tends to move within a European consensus, rather than acting unilaterally. With EU rules such as the Digital Services Act still being implemented, Rome appears reluctant to introduce national measures that could later clash with common European standards. The criticism Critics argue that this soft approach leaves minors exposed. Studies linking heavy social media use to anxiety, addiction and reduced wellbeing are often cited, as are high-profile cases involving online challenges, harassment and harmful content. They also point out that the current system is largely fictional: children under 14 routinely access platforms by entering a false date of birth, while companies face few real consequences. From this perspective, Italy risks falling behind a broader international shift toward stronger child-protection rules. A choice that cannot be postponed forever Italy now faces a strategic question: continue to rely on education and light regulation, or align itself with countries opting for stricter limits and clearer bans. The issue goes beyond age thresholds. It touches on how much responsibility should lie with families, how much with platforms, and how much with the state. As other countries redraw the boundaries of childhood and digital life, Italys hesitation may soon become a decision in itself. For now, Rome is choosing caution. But as international pressure grows and European rules evolve, that position may not remain sustainable for long. Waterford City and County Council have said the rain over the past couple of weeks has caused significant damage to the road network. Crews have been deployed around the city and county to deal with issues. The severe weather management team met this morning and is monitoring the situation. Director of Services with Waterford City and County Council Roads, Gabriel Hynes said: While the Status Orange rainfall warning is no longer in effect, the prolonged period of heavy and persistent rain, tidal surges and wave overtopping has resulted in significant damage to our road network. We would ask the public to bear with us as our teams assess and repair the network. Old Portlaw Road. We are advising motorists to continue to drive with caution as the road network has been compromised by heavy rainfall, river run-off and coastal flooding, and there may be debris, damage, and surface water on some roads. We would also remind drivers to avoid driving through flowing or standing water, expect the unexpected and be conscious of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. RESPONSE A Status Yellow Rain and Wind warning coming into effect on January 27, following the arrival of Storm Chandra, and sustained rainfall lasting for almost two weeks. In this time, council ground crews, worked alongside Waterford Fire Service, attending multiple flooding incidents on roads across the county and county. Read More Waterford ranks bottom of nation for timely chemotherapy services Crews were also proactively deployed to vulnerable locations where reports had been received, including Gracedieu in Waterford City and Woodstown, in order to reduce the risk of flooding. Flooding on the inner ring road. These incidents required significant operational resources to manage safely and effectively. As a precautionary measure, flood defence barriers were erected in Passage East and Waterford City. In addition, several car parks in Dungarvan identified as being at risk of flooding were closed overnight from Saturday, January 30th, until evening until Friday, February 6. Sandbags were also made available to the public. PASSAGE EAST The council acknowledged that a number of homes and businesses in Passage East experienced flooding as a result of the local stream overtopping its banks. They said the situation was further exacerbated by the severely reduced capacity of the drainage system, caused by a combination of prolonged heavy rainfall and already saturated ground conditions. As the situation escalated on the evening of January 30, Council ground crews and Waterford Fire Service were deployed to Passage East. Teams provided sandbags and remained on site throughout the weekend, working alongside residents and business owners to pump water, mitigate damage, and assist with immediate clean-up efforts. Chief Executive of Waterford City and County Council Sean McKeown said the council will learn from the situation. While acknowledging the significant distress caused by flooding, the Council is committed to reviewing this event, identifying lessons learned and taking appropriate measures to reduce future risk. "Waterford City and County Council has developed a proposal for a comprehensive upgrade of the stormwater drainage network in Passage East and is currently awaiting confirmation of a funding source to progress this project. I would like to formally acknowledge the Council staff for their outstanding efforts during this highly disruptive and complex weather event. Flooding in Waterford "In particular, I commend the severe weather assessment team, ground crews, fire services, and corporate services staff for their tireless work, professionalism, and unwavering commitment throughout this challenging period. The dedication shown by staff in responding to the wide range of issues that arose during this multi-hazard event was truly exceptional and reflects a strong culture of service, teamwork, and resilience across the organisation. During the storm, dozens of weather-related incidents were reported across the city and county. Each of these incidents was responded to promptly and effectively by Council staff, often under difficult and rapidly changing conditions. Throughout the event, the Council ensured timely and accurate updates were provided to the community via our social media channels, along with important public safety messages. "These coordinated efforts played a vital role in minimising impacts, supporting the community, and maintaining essential services during the storm, said Mr McKeown. Esteemed humanitarian and surgeon, Dr Morgan McMonagle has been announced as Grand Marshall of this year's St Patrick's Day Parade in Waterford City. Originally from Cavan, Dr McMonagle is a vascular surgeon at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and he was also the 2025 recipient of the RCSI Humanitarian and Community Award for his commitment and service to protecting the lives of others and the welfare of humanity. While a consultant of trauma surgery at St Marys Hospital, London, and through lecturing in Imperial College London, Dr. McMonagle met Professor David Nott, a general and vascular surgeon who had experience volunteering in disaster and conflict zones and subsequently established the David Nott Foundation. Dr McMonagle joined the David Nott Foundation, which trains doctors in countries impacted by conflict and catastrophes. His first mission with the Foundation was in the West Bank in Palestine. He has since been to Ukraine on two occasions, once to Lebanon and more recently on two missions to Gaza. Upon receiving the RCSI Humanitarian and Community Award, Dr McMonagle said: In my most recent mission to Gaza, the hospital that I was operating and living in was bombed. I was in the Intensive Care Unit of Nasser Hospital when the building was struck. At the time of the strike, I was working on two patients with an American colleague. Some Palestinian staff members ran into the ICU to confirm the building had been hit, and I could also see fire and smoke from the window." Dr McGonagle said survival instinct kicked in immediately. I immediately went into survival mode, thinking through the layout of the floor to remember where the fire escapes were it was very visceral, very instinctive," he said. Traditionally, the fundamental pillars of humanitarianism are humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence," he added. "In recent times I have been very vocal about what I have experienced and witnessed on various missions. Some might call my impartiality into question, but the reality is that the traditional rule book for conflict is changing." Speaking with obvious passion and sincerity he said: "I dont believe that me or any of my colleagues are purposely trying to change the role of humanitarian actors. However, we are kind of being forced to speak out to advocate on behalf of the people, on behalf of the truth, and on behalf of humanity because others are being deliberately blocked from doing so." "If something is repugnant, it behoves all right-minded and reasonably thinking people to call it out," he said. Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Seamus Ryan said it was an honour to have Dr McGonagle at the head of this year's parade. "Waterford is honoured to have Dr McMonagle leading the St. Patricks Day Parade," he said. He is the epitome of all that is good in the world. While his day job as a vascular and trauma consultant at UHW is undoubtedly as demanding as it is rewarding, Dr. McMonagle continues to go far beyond the call of duty," he added. "Time and again, he gives selflessly of his expertise, compassion and personal time, choosing to place himself in harms way to deliver life-saving care to those who need it most, often in some of the worlds most perilous conflict zones." Mayor Ryan said Dr McGonagle's experiences providing medical aid in war-torn areas were harrowing. His experiences providing medical aid in Palestine, Ukraine and Gaza can only be described as harrowing, exposing him to the very worst of human suffering and devastation," he said. "Yet, guided by an unshakeable sense of humanitarian responsibility, he continues to offer his invaluable skills to communities in war-torn and disaster-stricken regions, embodying extraordinary courage, resilience and humanity," he added. The 2026 St. Patricks Day parade and festival celebrations will take place over five days from March 13th to March 17th. Any local businesses, groups or clubs interested in participating in this year's parade can find out more and register interest at https://stpatricksfestivalwaterford.com You can only survive if you are innovative, he said, arguing that new technology has to be absorbed into the organisation rather than treated as a separate experiment. We wanted to implement digitalisation, AI through the whole value chain of the company, he said. In a market where demand patterns change quickly and competition is global, he believes the brands that win will be those that keep adapting. But the point, he argued, is not to replace design with algorithms. It aims to modernise how the business runs making it faster, more responsive and more resilient by integrating digital tools across operations. Everybody said, what do you want to do with tech-driven as a fashion company? he remarked. Our mission was to become a tech-driven fashion platform worldwide, he said, acknowledging that this language can sound alien in an industry built on craft and image. The strategy, in Grieders telling, rests on a belief that fashion can no longer rely on aesthetics and distribution alone. In the past few years, he said, Hugo Boss has worked to become the 24-7 lifestyle brand, signalling a pivot from occasion dressing towards a wardrobe that travels with the customer through the day. But the current ambition is broader and designed to match the way people actually live now moving between office, travel, social life and downtime without changing their identity each time. We were known for suits at the beginning... we are the biggest suit company in the world. Grieder said, pointing to a category where the brand still sees itself as an industry heavyweight. That heritage, he noted, was built first and foremost on tailoring. He links that staying power to an unwavering focus on product, calling it a testament of a strong brand that was always creating a great product. Last summer we became 100 years old, he said, framing the anniversary as a marker of durability in an industry where trends move fast and brand relevance can disappear overnight. For Grieder, the companys recent milestone is less about looking back than using its history as proof of resilience. On the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Euronews spoke to Hugo Boss CEO Daniel Grieder about how the century-old German brand is repositioning itself for a new generation of shoppers. As the global luxury sector faces slowing growth and changing consumer tastes, fashion houses are being forced to rethink both their image and their operations. Story Continues Omnipresent and built around the customer That operational overhaul connects to a second pillar: designing the business around the end consumer. You have to put the consumer in the middle of everything we do, Grieder said, describing a shift towards listening more closely to what customers want and aligning the brands touchpoints accordingly. For Hugo Boss, that means being visible and consistent wherever the customer encounters it. We have to become a brand that is omnipresent... it doesn't matter if it is online or offline he said, emphasising that the boundary between digital and physical retail is no longer the dividing line it once was. The goal is a relationship that goes beyond a one-off transaction building a base of repeat customers who stay emotionally connected to the brand. We want to make sure consumers are fans of what we do, he said, arguing that loyalty is stronger when people feel invested rather than merely satisfied. How loyalty changes with younger customers The challenge, however, is that loyalty itself is evolving particularly among younger shoppers, whose habits are shaped by choice overload and constant novelty. They are unfortunately a bit less loyal, Grieder said, suggesting that brands can no longer assume a customer will return simply because they had a good experience once. Instead, he believes the new currency is community bringing people together around shared interests in ways that feel natural rather than forced. You have to build communities, he said, pointing to areas where Hugo Boss has tried to do that in practice. Underneath that approach is a demand for credibility, he argued, and a low tolerance for marketing that feels contrived. Everything that is fake, everything that is not real they hate, he said, warning that inauthenticity doesnt just fail it can actively push customers away. Hugo Boss CEO speaks to Euronews at the WGS in February 2026. - Euronews. All rights reserved. The store is now a stage That emphasis on experience shows up in how Grieder talks about physical retail. In his view, a shop can no longer be designed simply to close a sale, it has to justify the trip. A store is no longer merely a point of sale, he said. Its a place of experience. In that model, the stores job is to spark interest, build emotion and deepen the brand connection even when a purchase doesnt happen on the spot. Grieders focus is on keeping the customer inside the brand ecosystem, regardless of where the final transaction takes place. It doesn't matter as long as they buy your brand, he said, reflecting the logic of an omnichannel world where discovery, decision and purchase rarely happen in the same place. Personalisation, at scale, is the next test Alongside experience, Grieder sees personalisation as a rising expectation and a difficult operational challenge. The shopping experience has to be personalised, he said, describing a consumer who increasingly expects brands to recognise them, anticipate their preferences and offer options that feel tailored. He added that this extends beyond service into product itself: The garments have to have the option of being personalised. The complication is that personalisation is easier to promise than to execute at scale, particularly for a global brand. Its hard to scale, he said, underlining the tension between individualisation and efficiency. Even so, he believes it is worth the effort, because it deepens attachment and repeat behaviour. The more you personalise, the better, he said, arguing that the payoff is a customer who feels seen and is therefore more likely to stick around. Quiet luxury, sharper value, and a more sceptical shopper All of these moves are being made as the broader luxury market comes under strain. The luxury market is under pressure, Grieder said, pointing to multiple forces reshaping demand. One of them is cultural: the status-driven appeal of conspicuous branding is fading. Big brands with big logos as a status symbol are no longer as popular, he said. In its place, he sees a tilt towards understatement and quality what is often described as quiet luxury. Its shifting more to value now, he said, describing a consumer who wants the product to feel good rather than look loud. You don't want to show off what you're wearing, he added, suggesting that confidence today is expressed through refinement rather than recognition. The other shift is economic and informational: shoppers are better informed about what things cost to make and are more critical when price and perceived value drift too far apart. The end consumer is more and more aware of what it costs to make something, Grieder said, arguing that some parts of the luxury market have tested customers tolerance. For brands positioned between premium and luxury, he believes the task is to stay honest about value while still delivering aspiration. You have to find the right balance, he said, stressing that customers should leave feeling satisfied rather than second-guessing. The aim, he added, is to offer a product that has a good value for the price and to make sure the purchase feels like a reward, not a regret. Four new gardai have been assigned to Waterford. The announcement was made by Waterford TD, Minister for State and Government Chief Whip, Mary Butler. Minister Butler said three will be assigned to Waterford City, while the fourth will go to Tramore. A safe and secure atmosphere in Waterfords villages, towns and City is a huge priority of mine. By strengthening the numbers of An Garda Siochana in Waterford in recent months, we are striving for safer communities and increased visibility across the county, said Minister Butler. Read More Waterford Gaeltacht jobs grew by 1 per cent in 2025 These new Gardai are members of the 167 new Gardai attested at a ceremony in the Garda College in Templemore today. Between August and November 13, new gardai were assigned to Waterford City and Dungarvan. Todays announcement brings the total to 17 since last summer. As a Minister representing Waterford, I want to welcome the 17 new recruits from Templemore assigned to the Deise in recent months and wish them well as they start out in their Garda journey. They should be very proud of their chosen career path. Im sure these new Gardai will be keen to engage with locals and become an active and visible presence within their communities. I also want to thank my colleague, Minister for Justice, Jim OCallaghan T.D, who has always been open to engagement on local policing matters. I accompanied the Minister on his official visit to Waterford in September, during which we visited Garda Stations in West Waterford and Waterford City to discuss policing and security matters, said Minister Butler. Fifteen new Udaras na Gaeltachta client jobs were created in Waterford Gaeltacht in 2025, according to the organisation's annual report which has just been published. On Friday, February 6, the regional development agency for the Gaeltacht released the report in which it highlighted a year of sustained growth, strategic investment and continued progress in strengthening enterprise, community and the Irish language across Gaeltacht regions. A spokesperson said the figures showed 15 new jobs were created in the Waterford Gaeltacht in 2025, representing a 1 per cent increase on 2024, bringing the total number of people employed in Udaras na Gaeltachta client companies in the Waterford Gaeltacht to 278. The spokesperson also said that on October 31, last year, there were four vacancies available with client companies, offering opportunities for Waterford jobseekers. In terms of national growth 681 new jobs were created in Gaeltacht areas across the country last year with 9,716 people employed in Udaras client companies across seven counties. The report also revealed sales exceeded 1 billion for the second consecutive year with 697 million generated in exports and 570m in direct expenditure. It also reported that 38.1 million was secured under the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) and over 18 million investment approved for Gaeltacht capital projects. In addition 28 language plans were supported with 3.9 million in funding and 585 full-time equivalent jobs in social enterprises while 436 people were employed across 29 gteic digital hubs. A further 1.4 million was invested in training and skills development and Enterprise and Employment Client companies supported by Udaras na Gaeltachta achieved sales of over 1 billion for the second year in succession, which the spokesperson said underlined the resilience and international competitiveness of Gaeltacht-based enterprise. Exports reached 697 million, representing 60 per cent of total sales and demonstrated the global reach of businesses operating from Gaeltacht communities. At the end of the year there were also 214 vacancies which the spokesperson said reflected continued demand for skilled talent. Udaras client companies also secured a record 38.1 million under DTIF Call 7, contributing to over 70 million in competitive research funding across 14 projects. Digital Innovation and AI The gteic network expanded to 29 hubs, supporting 436 employees and provided 867 workspaces, with two further hubs due to open in 2026. Progress continued on Irish-language AI development, including publication of a national roadmap and ongoing work with researchers in Trinity College Dublin, UCC, University of Galway and Mozilla Common Voice and Data Collective. This work includes a speech-to-speech, proof-of-concept on publicly available data, to help advance speech technology and AI-supported public services in Irish. Community Development In terms of community development 7.375 million was allocated to support 33 community development organisations across the Gaeltacht in 2025 and research confirmed the strong economic role of social enterprises, which contributed 21.53 million annually and supported 585 full-time equivalent jobs. Housing initiatives also progressed, with a dedicated Housing Adviser appointed and Gaeltacht housing needs formally recognised in the Governments Housing Plan 2025. Language Planning During 2025, 28 Language Plans were actively implemented across 26 Language Planning Areas and two Gaeltacht service towns, supported by 3.9 million in funding and 33 Language Planning Officers. The Irish Language Development Scheme was launched for larger client companies, with 15 companies registered by year end, representing a combined workforce of 1,139 employees. The scheme supports increased use of Irish in the workplace and strengthens the integration of language and enterprise. A comprehensive review of the language planning process was published by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, with continued funding confirmed to ensure stability and refinement of the framework through to 2027. Tourism and Cultural Investment of 4 million was allocated for new visitor centres on the Aran Islands and Cape Clear Island, in partnership with Failte Ireland, while the Emigrants Memorial Centre in Carna neared completion. Joyce Country & Western Lakes Geopark received UNESCO Global Geopark status. The audiovisual sector generated 460 positions and contributed 4 million to the Gaeltacht economy. Education and Training An investment of 1.4 million supported training and skills development initiatives in 2025. "There are now 152 participants on the Apprenticeship Scheme, a substantial increase on the previous year," said the spokesperson. The GAIRM graduate programme, delivered in partnership with Atlantic Technological University, continued to combine professional placements with a Level 9 postgraduate qualification and the CUMASU entrepreneurship programme supported 40 Gaeltacht women entrepreneurs during the year, as part of a three-year initiative aimed at supporting up to 150 participants. The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD said: 'I congratulate Udaras na Gaeltachta on another successful year. It is a remarkable achievement to have almost 10,000 people employed in the organization's client companies and to achieve sales of 1 billion for the second consecutive year. This would not happen without the strategic work that has been done by the organisation over a long period." "The organisation also had a central role in the language planning process last year, a role that will be expanded in 2026 with new schemes to be announced to embed language planning into Gaeltacht business affairs," he said. CEO of Udaras na Gaeltachta, Tomas O Siochain, said: "2025 was a landmark year for the Gaeltacht, with employment reaching nearly 10,000 people and our client companies surpassing 1 billion in sales for the second consecutive year. The creation of 681 new jobs, combined with record success in securing competitive research funding, demonstrates the innovation and resilience of Gaeltacht enterprise." "Our expansion of the gteic digital hub network and groundbreaking work in Irish-language AI development positions the Gaeltacht at the forefront of technological advancement while strengthening our language and communities," he said. "We're building a sustainable future where enterprise growth and language vitality go hand in hand," he added. Meanwhile, the Chair of the Board, Siobhan Ni Ghadhra, said: "The fundamental objective at the Udaras is establishing communities where Irish serves as the language of daily life." "Behind every statistic in this report lies an individual with deep ties to the Gaeltacht and a commitment to its future prosperity," she said. "We support entrepreneurs embracing the challenge to create something meaningful of their own, creating jobs and new opportunities," she added. "The growth achieved in 2025 was once again remarkable, and I wish to commend the entire team at Udaras na Gaeltachta for their exceptional contributions. A Waterford judge has called the burglary of a city church abhorrent to society and a new low for the man who carried it out. Judge Kevin Staunton was speaking as he imposed a 10-month prison sentence on John Hennessey (42), of McGwire House, Bath Street, Waterford, who pleaded guilty to burglary at St Johns Church on Parnell Street in January. Judge Staunton said: We dont live in a time when people have as much respect for the church as they once did. But having on ones record stealing from a church is a new low, and its hard to see why anyone would behave in that way. It is abhorrent to society, even if people are not as religious as they used to be. Its hard to describe, said Judge Staunton. CAUGHT RED-HANDED Sgt Michael Hickey told the court that at 8am on January 12, 2026, gardai were alerted by the churchs groundsman of a break-in. Read More Humanitarian surgeon announced as Waterford Grand Marshal for St Patrick's Day A door and window had been smashed, and a coin box containing around 1,350 had been damaged and its contents stolen. Gardai found the defendant a short distance away, in the process of picking up the coins off the ground. They said some of the money had been recovered. The court heard that the man had 17 previous convictions, including for theft, robbery and possession. Acting for the defendant, solicitor Ken Cunningham argued that all of the money was recovered as his client was effectively caught red-handed. He said that when his client was arrested, he admitted to the offence and made no application for bail. The man, he said, had been homeless and struggled with addiction, but wanted a release date as he is keen to be present for some familial milestones. He could have had the matter put back, but was eager to deal with it today and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, the solicitor told the court. 'SO YOU SHOULD BE' Judge Staunton acknowledged the mans previous record and his polysubstance misuse problems. The defendant, who appeared by video link, told the judge he was disgusted with myself, to which the judge responded, so you should be. Judge Staunton imposed a 10-month prison sentence backdated to when the defendant went into custody and fixed recognisance at 500. Funded under the Court Reporting Scheme David Raleigh HSE is in negotiations with a private hospital, tied to a major US Catholic health ministry, to try to tackle crisis patient overcrowding at the University Hospital Limerick (UHL). The plan would see some patients at UHL treated and cared for at the 213 million private Bon Secours Hospital Limerick (BSL), which opened in September 2024, and is presently expanding its services. The proposed patient transfer system would apply at peak times when attendances can be dangerously high at UHL, to free up capacity at UHL, which has the only 24-hour Emergency Department for a catchment of more than 400,000 persons across Limerick city and county, Clare, north Tipperary, and parts of north Cork and north Kerry. Out of the 637 admitted patients waiting for a bed nationally, on Friday, 107 were on trolleys at UHL in corridors, the Emergency Department area, and on wards, according to figures published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). HSE TrolleyGAR figures showed, however, that there were 55 admitted patients waiting on trolleys at UHL on Friday. The BSL is run by the Bon Secours Health System, a not-for-profit CLG (company limited guarantee), which merged with Bon Secours Mercy Health, Inc, a large Catholic health ministry based in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2019. As the new Bon Secours Hospital Limerick opens an additional ward, discussions are being finalised to support the public system in providing care for several medical patients from University Hospital Limerick, stated Bon Secours in reply to questions about its current negotiations with the HSE. Bon Secours welcomes the opportunity to support our colleagues in the HSE as we continue the phased opening of our new facility and looks forward to continuing collaboration, it added. University Hospital Limerick is consistently the most overcrowded hospital nationally, and it has been the subject of several internal HSE reviews following several patient deaths that occurred during severe overcrowding conditions. When asked about the proposed plan with Bon Secours, the HSE (Mid West) said: HSE Mid West and Bon Secours Limerick (BSL) have been in discussions about transfer of appropriate patients to BSL to alleviate pressure on UHL during periods of peak demand. It is hoped an agreement will be finalised in the coming weeks, it said. HSE Mid West added that as discussions are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further. Overcrowding issues have persisted at UHL, despite the opening of additional bed capacity, including the opening of a 105 million 96-bed unit on the UHL site last October. Last December, the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, said the government would support three options put forward by health watchdog, HIQA, to ease UHLs patient overcrowding crisis. These include the further expansion of capacity at UHL at its present site at Dooradoyle; an extension of the UHL campus on a second site under a shared governance and resourcing model; and the development of a new Model 3 hospital in the mid-west region, which would include an Emergency Department (ED), in addition to the present ED at UHL. 24-hour EDs were closed in Ennis, Co Clare, St. John's, Limerick, and Nenagh, north Tipperary, and reconfigured to UHL in 2009, after the government implemented a plan to make UHL a Centre of Excellence. However, the redevelopment of the ED at UHL in 2017 has failed to adequately cater for the high attendances from around the mid-west, north Cork, and north Kerry. The Bon Secours private hospital group also operates hospitals in Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Tralee. Advertisement BusinessSmall businessSales Receivers to sell Exchange Hotel; AirTrunks Robin Khuda swoops in Mosman Carolyn Cummins February 6, 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 Capital Gain Balmains Exchange Hotel the last of the doomed Jon Adgemis-led Public Hospitality Groups portfolio is being sold by the receivers, McGrathNicol. Adgemis group collapsed under a mountain of debt last year. Built in 1885 on the popular peninsula, the 680-square-metre, three-storey property sits on the corner of Beattie and Mullens streets and was converted into serviced offices in 2020. The Exchange Hotel in Balmain is for sale. Rob Homer Advertisement KPMG banker turned publican Adgemis bought the pub in 2016 for about $6 million and a similar amount was spent on renovations over the years. No current sale price was disclosed, but other pubs in the area sold for about $12 to $15 million. Balmain, synonymous with pub culture, lacks an upscale hotel, the Exchange is the perfect tonic, HTL Propertys Andrew Jolliffe said. He, along with Sam Handy, are selling it. McGrathNicol was appointed to sell five pubs owned by the failed business last October. Last week they sold a portfolio of four pubs for a combined $130 million. HTLs agents sold three of them: the Hotel Diplomat in Potts Point, the South Bondi Hotel formerly known as Noahs Backpackers, and Empire Hotel in Annandale. Millinium Capital Managers Tom Wallace was the buyer. The fourth, Claridge House, a 2169-square-metre, nine-storey inner-city hotel with a pub at ground level and rooms above in Darlinghurst also sold last week for $19 million to Universal Hotels. Colliers James Cowan and Karen Wales acted for the receivers on that deal. Advertisement Related Article Opinion Title Deeds What its like to live in a $37m apartment at Sydneys Crown Residences Kristy Johnson Sydney Prestige Property Reporter Bill and Mario Luna Parks owner, Oscars hospitality group, has expanded its footprint in South Sydney after snapping up a strategic Kogarah development site from Telstra for $4.3 million on a tight 4.14 per cent yield. The Gravanis brothers, Bill and Mario, who founded Oscars in the 1980s, have piled into the hospitality and accommodation sector, purchasing more than 30 assets ranging from small suburban pubs to larger properties, including the Novotel hotels in Wollongong, Sydneys Brighton Beach and on the Gold Coast. In September last year, the group swooped on a boutique office building in the Barangaroo South precinct on Sydney Harbour, buying it from Lendlease in a deal worth about $30 million. Advertisement Their latest purchase, at 2A Belgrave Street, is a three-storey building on 1267 square-metre site in a mixed-use zone, features which make it an attractive proposition for redevelopment. The property has a triple net lease to Telstra. Colliers James Cowan and Trent Gallagher advised on the deal with Urbis. Across town, AirTrunk founder and chief executive Robin Khuda has been out raiding prime Mosman real estate. His luxury property development business, Ondas, has swooped on one of the suburbs prominent corner properties at 713-715 Military Road, paying about $20 million. It was the first time in more than 30 years the property, owned by a local family for more than three decades, had sold. Colliers Tom Appleby managed the transaction. Dame does deal The University of Notre Dame Australia is offloading four inner-Sydney properties with a collective price guide around $60 million, as it undergoes a broad asset review. Advertisement The University of Notre Dame Australia is offloading four Sydney properties. The unis portfolio includes 22-24 City Road, 1-7 Moorgate Street, and 29-35 Shepherd Street. Another property, 142-152 Broadway, was Tanya Pliberseks former office. The Minister for Social Services and Federal Member for Sydneys former office is now an underdeveloped site. The properties are in Sydneys multi-billion-dollar Tech Central and university precinct. CBREs Angus Windred, Callum Cooke, and Mitch Noonan are handling the sale. They said the zoning characteristics are expected to attract strong interest. Glebe sale A disused warehouse on tightly held Bridge Road in Sydneys Glebe is on the market for a price around $10 million. Advertisement The property at 43-47 Bridge Road, known as Orient House, is a two-storey building on the doorstep of Sydneys CBD, just down the road from the newly opened Sydney Fish Market. Knight Frank agents Anthony Pirrottina and Demi Carigliano, with McGrath founder John McGrath, are selling on behalf of two private investors who have owned the property since the late 1990s. Contact carolynannecummins@gmail.com The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning. Advertisement Analysis BusinessWorkplaceGraduates For the first time in 50 years, uni graduates are losing their edge Taylor Telford February 7, 2026 2:01am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A For nearly 50 years, research has shown that having a bachelors degree or higher led to better employment prospects, from higher pay to greater job security. Now, with the stability of white-collar work in question as US companies embrace artificial intelligence, federal data suggests thats beginning to change. The unemployment gap between workers with bachelors degrees and those with occupational associates degrees such as plumbers, electricians and pipe fitters flipped in 2025, leaving trade workers with a slight edge for six months out of the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Its the first time trade workers have had a leg-up since the BLS started tracking this data in the 1990s. The unemployment gap between college and high school graduates has been narrowing since the 2008 financial crisis. AP This shift coincides with a broad reassessment of what the best career paths are in todays labour market, which economists have called one of the most vexing in generations especially for entry-level applicants. The soaring costs of a four-year degree, combined with an uncertain outlook amid the rise of AI, are prompting young people to consider alternative routes to economic prosperity. Community colleges and blue-collar employers are trying to harness the rising interest in skilled trades, amping up recruiting efforts aimed at young people. Advertisement With more students pursuing occupational and technical degrees in fields with labour shortages such as construction, manufacturing and health care, enrolment at community colleges rose 3 per cent in the autumn compared with the year before, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse more than double the growth seen at public four-year colleges. Enrolment at private four-year institutions declined by more than 1.5 per cent. Editor's pick Exclusive VCE Record numbers of kids turn their backs on ATAR in favour of job-ready skills For decades, college graduates have typically faced lower unemployment rates, found jobs faster and experienced more stable employment than high school graduates without college experience, according to a 2025 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, adding that recent job data is indicating that a long period of relatively easier job-finding prospects for college grads has ended. The unemployment gap between college and high school graduates has been narrowing since the 2008 financial crisis, BLS data shows. Workers with a bachelors degree or higher had a 2.8 per cent unemployment rate in December, compared with 4 per cent for high school graduates and 3.8 per cent for those with some college or an associates degree. Its the narrowest these gaps have been since the 1970s. Certainly, the softness were seeing in the labour market is mostly white-collar, mostly workers in business, professional services and technology, said Laura Ullrich, director of economic research in North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab. Advertisement Fields such as manufacturing and construction have a legacy of constrained labour supply that is coming to bear now, she added, because of a stigma that such jobs offered less professional success and economic stability. But now the stigmas being pulled back. Jeff Strohl, director of Georgetown Universitys Centre on Education and the Workforce, cast the shifts as a historic anomaly. Interest in the skilled trades is rising, particularly among younger workers whose parents were saddled with hefty student debt The question becomes, are we talking about a structural break? Is this in any way indicative of what the world is going to look like in two or three years? Strohl said. His research suggests not. The centres Future of Good Jobs report predicts that economic opportunity will increasingly favour workers with higher levels of education and training in the next five years. It puts the median pay of a good job at $US82,000 ($117,000). Advertisement By 2031, only 15 per cent of good jobs will be available to workers on the high school pathway, the report says, compared with 66 per cent for those with a bachelors degree and 19 per cent for those who have more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. The last time workers with a high school education dominated the US economy was in the 1970s, Strohl explained, when a decades-long manufacturing boom was winding down and computers had yet to transform the workplace. During the 1980s, Strohl said, as manufacturing struggled and technology took off, guidance counsellors began to funnel students, especially high-performing ones, toward pursuing four-year degrees. Those not bound for college were guided toward technical education programs, many of which offered little opportunity for growth and were highly susceptible to economic shocks wrought by the rise of automation and other forces, he noted. Overdoing college for all has done a disservice to many, Strohl said. What we didnt do was set up viable alternative pathways for students to succeed, to the detriment of the economy and the detriment of those students. Advertisement Now, according to a January report from Associated Builders and Contractors, the construction industry needs to attract 349,000 net new workers this year. Anirban Basu, chief economist with ABC, said interest in the skilled trades was rising, particularly among younger workers whose parents were saddled with hefty student debt. The total average balance for US student loan borrowers is estimated to be more than $42,600, according to the Education Data Initiative. Interest in skilled trades, such as plumbing, is rising. Getty Images Meanwhile, mean hourly wages for plumbers, pipe fitters, electricians and boilermakers all of which typically require apprenticeships eclipsed the overall hourly mean wage for US workers in 2023, which was about $31.50, according to BLS data. The highest-paying role requiring an apprenticeship elevator and escalator repair earned an hourly mean of more than $48. Young people are realising the world is changing; theyre seeing more and more college grads working as baristas, said Basu, whose group represents more than 23,000 general contractors and construction firms. He added that many are quite savvy in recognising that AI doesnt threaten the blue-collar workforce the way it threatens the livelihoods of the white-collar workforce. Advertisement Workers ages 22 to 25 have seen a 13 per cent drop-off in employment in the most AI-exposed occupations - such as software developers and customer service representatives - since 2022, according to recent research from Stanford University. C-suite leaders are fuelling worker anxiety. Anthropics Dario Amodei has said he thinks AI will wipe out about half of entry-level white-collar roles in the next five years. In a December interview, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky argued that having a five-year career plan is outdated and a little bit foolish in an era when workers should be more adaptable, given that technology and the labour market and everything is moving beneath you. Community and technical colleges are seeing an influx of interest as tides turn, including among mid-career workers. Galen DeHay, president of Tri-County Technical College in South Carolina, said enrolment in the fall was up 4 per cent compared with 2024, attracting students in advanced manufacturing, health care, business administration and computer service. Programs such as nursing have extensive waiting lists. Nearly 10 per cent of the colleges students already had bachelors or masters degrees, he noted, which is much higher than in the past and reflects mid-career workers seeking new skills in the age of AI. Advertisement Young people were seeking out dual-enrolment programs in nursing, HVAC, welding and other disciplines, DeHay said, which allowed students to build skills and rack up certifications at low or no cost during high school, and then, by 19, theyre in the workforce. Editor's pick Victorian Schools Guide Are you more likely to become a tradie if you go to a public school? Check your schools VCE and VET enrolments Whether students are younger or older, DeHay said, one of the first things they want to know is, What am I going to make when I come out and where can I go immediately? At 21, Caleb Clement already has an associates degree in mechatronics from Tri-County and a job he loves at the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Clement joined the robotics team in middle school, having grown up transfixed by the Transformers movies. In high school, he took part in Tri-Countys dual-enrollment programs, building mechanical and electrical skills and learning advanced math and equipment safety at no cost. The school also trained him in networking and interviewing how to dress professionally, shake hands, make eye contact which he said has served him well in forging a career path. Advertisement Now, through the BMW Scholars Program, he splits his time between coursework and night shifts at the plant, where he maintains the robots that help assemble everything from windowsills to body panels. Every day, Clement said, Im doing something new. I get to genuinely go into work and work with my hands, but Im also working with my mind, Clement added. Dont just think were turning wrenches. Many blue-collar companies are also focusing recruiting efforts on younger people to meet the moment. Power & Construction Group, a New York-based contractor that works on utilities, recently opened a new 15,000-square-foot training centre replete with simulators and other high-tech training equipment. Construction is a maturing industry the median worker age in 2023 was 42, according to data from the National Association of Home Builders so the firms vice president, Thomas Murphy, said outreach to younger and younger ages is a top priority. Our customers keep asking us to do more, but until we can get more people and get them properly trained, we cant take on that work, Murphy said. Advertisement He recently arranged for 80 fifth-graders to explore the training centre where existing employees come for safety and training courses. He also devotes time to talking with high school guidance counsel about opportunities for students in the trades. Like DeHay, Murphy is noticing that incoming workers are more focused on long-term professional pathways than those in the past, which marks a major change, he said. Many want to know how they can progress from being labourers to owning their own firms. We can show them a career path, and thats a retention tool. - Washington Post Get workplace news, advice and perspectives to help make your job work for you. Sign up for our weekly Thank God its Monday newsletter. Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share More: Graduates Analysis Advertisement Updated NationalWATerror charges WA Police boss says no intelligence warning ahead of rally attack Hamish Hastie and Holly Thompson February 6, 2026 12:02pm 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 WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch has rejected claims by independent Senator Lidia Thorpe that there was intelligence suggesting the likelihood of an attack on January 26 and asked her to release evidence. After announcing terrorism charges for the 31-year-old man who allegedly threw an improvised bomb filled with screws and ballbearings into a crowd at the Invasion Day rally at Forrest Place on January 26, Blanch said there had been no intelligence on that individual or any other planned attack at the rally. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch and Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett confirming the Invasion Day rally incident had been declared an act of terror. Jesinta Burton. He said broader intelligence continued to suggest the threat of a terror attack across the country was probable. Speaking in Canberra after Thursdays announcement Thorpe was asked about Blanchs comments and said they were a lie, claiming she had seen an ASIO report suggesting a probable attack. Advertisement Thats an absolute lie. There was an ASIO [Australian Security Intelligence Organisation] report, I saw it it was three pages clearly articulating the probable likelihood of an attack, she said. However, Thorpes office has since clarified that there was a misunderstanding between the senator and WA Police, and that the dossier she referred to was related to the general terror threat level on January 26. Blanch reiterated that police did not have intelligence to suggest an attack was planned at the Perth rally. Could she release that document? Could we all see it? Blanch said when asked about Thorpes comments at a press conference at WAs police headquarters on Friday morning. Ive seen intelligence products about the probable terrorist threat to Australia, which Ive already referenced but if there is anyone, including senators, who have information that suggests there is a targeted attack at a particular place and time, produce the document immediately. Advertisement I certainly didnt get a phone call from Senator Thorpe warning me or advising me so I could prepare my officers. Related Article Investigation Extremism Far-right threats to kidnap Albanese, post bombs to mosques, secret chats reveal If she was in a position to warn me or warn her own Aboriginal community that there was a risk, thats probably another question I would ask. Why didnt you? Blanch said police attendance and engagement with rally organisers was greater than it had ever been before, with officers carrying rifles and evacuation procedures in place. Indigenous leaders met with representatives of the Commonwealth, police and WA government at Dumas House in West Perth on Thursday following the declaration of the alleged Invasion Day rally attack in Forrest Place as a terrorist act. Advertisement WA Premier Roger Cook led the meeting alongside Blanch, Federal Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, WA Police Minister Reece Whitby and elders and Aboriginal leaders including 2024 WA Australian of the Year Mechelle Turvey. Among the leaders was Megan Krakouer, the director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, who said the meeting was historic but wanted action in its wake. Today, mark my words, it is a historic day, and for the first time, as a black woman whos been on that stage at Forrest Place hundreds of times, I feel that some form of justice have been served, she said. Indigenous leaders met with WA Police and the government at Dumas House on Thursday afternoon. Krakouer said the prospect of a truth-telling and justice commission was raised in the meeting which was considered seriously by Cook. There needs to be a powerful statement made to all constituents in Western Australia and indeed right across the country, and that could be done with a Truth Telling Commission, which will bring all our community, black, white and brown, together to understand the First Nations stories, she said. Advertisement Updated WorldNorth AmericaUS politics I didnt make a mistake: Trump wont apologise for racist post depicting Obamas as apes Michael Koziol Updated February 7, 2026 9:24am ,first published February 7, 2026 1:46am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share A A A Washington: US President Donald Trump has deleted a social media post that included a depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama as apes after a furious backlash, including from Republicans, one of whom branded it the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. However, Trump later declined to apologise for the post and said: I didnt make a mistake. Donald Trumps Truth Social account regularly re-posts memes, videos and other content from an ecosystem of conservative and conspiratorial fringe US media outlets. AP In a late-night barrage of activity on Truth Social, the presidents account re-posted a conspiratorial video from the Patriot News Outlet about voting machines used in the 2020 election. At the end of the clip, a cartoon video flashed up for about one second. It depicted Obama the countrys first Black president and his wife Michelle as apes, with audio of The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King. Advertisement Related Article Analysis Trump's White House Trumps Obama video was horrifically racist. But there was another dangerous detail The White House initially defended the post, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling media outlets: This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. But in a later statement to this masthead, a White House official said: A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down. Trump, when asked by reporters later in the day if he condemned it, replied, Of course I do. But late on Friday night (Washington time), he said he only saw the start of the video on alleged voter fraud and then gave it to unnamed staffers to post. Advertisement Nobody knew that was in the end, if they would have looked, they would have seen it, and probably they would have the sense to take it down, he told reporters aboard Air Force One. I didnt see the whole thing. I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is. Then I gave it to the people. Generally, they look at the whole thing. But I guess somebody didnt. Barack and Michelle Obama in 2024. AP An Obama spokeswoman said the former president had no response when asked about the video. The rare backdown followed a storm of criticism from Trump allies, including Republican senator from South Carolina Tim Scott the only black Republican senator. Advertisement Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. The President should remove it, Scott said on X. Republican Senator Tim Scott said the post was the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. Bloomberg Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on Trump to apologise. This is totally unacceptable, he said. Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, and the first black person to lead a major party in Congress, said Trump was sick and Republicans needed to call him out. President Obama and Michelle Obama are brilliant, compassionate and patriotic Americans, he said. They represent the best of this country. Donald Trump is a vile, unhinged and malignant bottom feeder. Advertisement Why are GOP leaders like [Senate leader] John Thune continuing to stand by this sick individual? Every single Republican must immediately denounce Donald Trumps disgusting bigotry. Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, said Trump was sick. AP Confirmation from the White House that staffers routinely control Trumps Truth Social account has also led critics to question the presidents hypocrisy over his attacks on his predecessor, Joe Biden, for signing documents with an automatic pen. Its time people understand that this is Trumps auto-pen, and it is out of control, said Bruce Wolpe, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre, who worked for Democrats in Congress during Obamas first term. Trumps Truth Social account regularly re-posts memes, videos and other content from the USs large ecosystem of conservative and conspiratorial fringe media outlets. Advertisement The video in question was reiterating false claims about election fraud in 2020, asserting that voting machines mysteriously added votes for Joe Biden. Related Article Updated US midterm elections Trump wants Republicans to take over voting ahead of midterm elections One of the companies mentioned, Dominion, received a settlement from Fox News for nearly $800 million when it sued for defamation over false claims about voting machines aired on the network. Trump has recently reiterated conspiracy theories about voter fraud ahead of Novembers midterm elections and suggested Republicans should take over and nationalise the counting of votes in upwards of 15 states. The US Constitution stipulates that states are responsible for administering national elections in their territory. Advertisement Trump takes a relaxed approach to posting all content on social media. In January, when his account broke an embargo on national jobs data, the president shrugged it off. I said post them whenever you get a chance, he said at the time. They gave me some numbers when people give me things, I post them. 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. Photo Courtesy: Hyundai. Hyundai allowed the option to repurchase its former factory in St. Petersburg to expire in January 2026. That option was built into the original sale agreement, but Hyundai ultimately chose not to exercise it. With the deadline now passed, the South Korean automaker no longer has a contractual buyback option to reclaim the facility, and any return would require a new agreement. From Market Leader To Complete Exit Photo Courtesy: Hyundai. Before the war in Ukraine reshaped the industry, Hyundai, together with its affiliate Kia, was the biggest foreign carmaker in Russia. The two brands had built a strong position through local production and competitive pricing, making them among the most visible non-Russian manufacturers on the market. That changed abruptly after Russias military invasion of Ukraine. Like many Western and Asian automakers, Hyundai suspended production in Russia and began scaling back its local operations. As foreign brands exited, Chinese manufacturers rapidly moved in, filling much of the gap in Russias new vehicle market. A Symbolic Sale And A Temporary Safety Net In 2024, Hyundai sold its St. Petersburg factory to Russias AGR Automotive Group for a symbolic 140,000 won, about $97. While the figure itself was largely symbolic, the deal included a clause allowing Hyundai to repurchase the plant within a defined time window. At the time, the buyback option was widely seen as a hedge against uncertainty, giving Hyundai flexibility in case political and economic conditions improved. That scenario never materialized. Why The Buyback Never Happened Hyundais decision reflects both geopolitical reality and long-term strategic priorities. Reentering Russia would require not only political stability but also clarity around sanctions, supply chains, logistics, and payment systems. Even if production were technically possible, the reputational and financial risks would remain substantial. In addition, Hyundai is heavily focused on electrification, software development, and expansion in markets with more predictable regulatory environments. Allocating capital to restart operations in Russia would run counter to that direction, especially when demand growth is coming from other regions. Russias Market Has Changed Photo Courtesy: Hyundai. The Russian automotive market Hyundai once dominated no longer resembles the one it exited. Chinese brands have captured a large share of sales, often supported by localized assembly and strong government backing. For former market leaders like Hyundai and Kia, reclaiming their previous positions would require massive reinvestment even under normal conditions. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) is in the final stages of negotiations with professional bodies in the UK on a new mutual recognition agreement (MRA), NewsDay Business reported. The arrangement, expected to be signed by April, is intended to ease access for Zimbabweantrained chartered accountants (CAs) to overseas markets and increase international recognition of local qualifications. ICAZ president Emmanuel Mudefi said the talks form part of a broader strategy to promote cross-border professional mobility and strengthen the position of Zimbabwes accounting profession. Mudefi was quoted by NewsDay Business as saying: We are engaging one of the parties in the UK, who we believe is a strategic partner, so that we can conclude another mutual recognition agreement before the end of this presidential term. He noted that discussions with several international counterparts had reached an advanced phase. "The draft agreement has been reviewed, and all that is left is for the parties to complete the relevant legal formalities before appending their signatures," Mudefi added. The ICAZ is also working on issues raised by its members regarding operational and professional challenges, with responses due to be announced by the end of this month. We have identified some of the challenges that are affecting them, and we are already responding to those challenges so that we safeguard the key priority of integrity and public trust, Mudefi said. He noted that the upcoming measures are designed to improve member support and overall professional effectiveness. In addition, the ICAZ is pursuing a digital transformation programme aimed at modernising its systems and improving service delivery. "ICAZ in talks with UK to broaden access for Zimbabwean accountants" was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand. NEW DELHI, Feb 5 (Reuters) - India is talking to cryptocurrency exchanges to assess evolving trading activity as it seeks oversight over newer crypto products, according to a top tax official. India does not regulate cryptocurrencies, but global crypto exchanges such as Binance, Coin DCX, Coinbase and Zebpay operate in the country after registering with a government agency. Asia's third-largest economy has imposed punitive taxes on gains from cryptocurrencies and the local central bank has repeatedly cautioned against the risks from crypto trading. "Every day the profile of (cryptocurrency) transactions is changing. We need to understand new type and pattern of transactions as the technology evolves," Ravi Agrawal, chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. Presently, crypto derivatives are not taxed, and need to be studied, Agrawal said, adding the "government will tread carefully" before formulating any policy for such "sensitive transactions". Global acceptance of cryptocurrencies has risen since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, with bitcoin, the world's largest crypto-asset by market capitalisation, rising to record highs in October last year. Bitcoin has come off since. The Indian government has been of the view that its tax and other laws act as deterrents towards speculative crypto trading locally, Reuters reported last year. New Delhi is leaning towards not legislating crypto regulation and would instead maintain partial oversight, fearing that bringing the assets into the mainstream could raise systemic risks, Reuters reported in September 2025. (Reporting by Nikunj Ohri; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala) Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Many Americans can expect a windfall tax refund this year, in part due to tax cuts included in the bill that President Donald Trump signed on July 4. It added several tax breaks for 2025, but the IRS did not change how much it was holding back from paychecks meaning many workers overpaid and will get additional tax back (1). Must Read The IRS will issue these refunds electronically. The agencys taxpayer advocate says it will temporarily freeze tax refunds for those who dont provide direct deposit information, all in an effort to modernize payments. If you file your return without bank account information, the IRS will process it. However, if you are entitled to a refund, you wont get it until you provide direct deposit information or request a paper check. If you do nothing, the agency will issue a check after six weeks (2). Millions of Americans will still receive their tax refunds by check. Disproportionately, these people will be low-income, older, or lacking digital literacy skills or access to technology. Advocates are worried that those people need their returns the most and are going to suffer because of the long delays. Without direct deposit, expect delays on your tax return The average refund in 2025 was $3,167, according to IRS data (3). However, various analysts estimate that amount will jump by $675 to $1,000 this year (4). So the refunds will be more generous, but people may be waiting longer for them, particularly people who dont have a bank account or access to traditional banking services. Another issue is that 15 million Americans live in broadband deserts, where the internet is slow and digital banking may not be practical, according to a Pulse Points research paper (5). For the 2025 tax filing season, the IRS issued 93.5 million tax refunds to individuals. Only 7% of those were issued by check. However, that still represents about 6.5 million refunds. The IRS says paper checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen or delayed than electronic payments, while electronic payments are also much faster issued in less than three weeks versus six weeks or longer for refunds sent by mail (6). This move toward electronic payments only is the right one in theory, writes Jennifer Tescher, founder and CEO of the consumer group Financial Health Network, in Payments Dive. Checks are costly, inefficient and insecure, she said (7). If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit New travel document requirements are to come into effect for travel between the Republic of Ireland and the UK with Aer Lingus, effective from 25th February 2026. All Aer Lingus customers (including Irish and British nationals) will require a passport or an Irish passport card for travel, and non-Irish and non-British nationals will be required to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) or eVISA. Photo identification other than a passport or Irish Passport Card will no longer be accepted from that date. Passengers using the Aer Lingus daily service to Heathrow from Ireland West Airport are advised to take note of the new ID requirements if travelling on or after the above date. This aligned with our strategic focus on the higher value nicotine sector and the shift away from the cannabis sector and from slower-paying clients. We have seen this translate to promising results across key measures, including improved accounts receivable. While our revenue declined in the second fiscal quarter, this was an expected outcome due to our deliberate move towards higher quality nicotine sector customers and away from lower value clients who have difficulties meeting payment timelines. Several key metrics, including accounts receivable, operating expenses, and net loss, indicate how our efforts to solidify our financial stability are beginning to deliver improvements in these areas. Michael Wang: Thank you, Philip. And welcome to all of you joining us today. I'm pleased to share our financial results for the 2026 and the recent corporate highlights. This quarter represented an inflection point for Ispire Technology Inc. after our year-long cost-cutting and customer quality rationalization efforts, and we believe future quarters will see top-line growth, consistent cash flow, and bottom-line improvement. We are confident we have laid a solid foundation for future success. During the 2026, we continue to fortify our financial position and strengthen our cash flow. Since late fiscal 2025, we have consolidated our customer base to prioritize high-quality clients. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown uncertainties, and many factors could cause the company's actual results or performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding this and other risk factors are included in the company's filings with the SEC. The company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent or current events or circumstances or to changes in its expectation except as may be required by law. I will now hand the call over to Michael Wang. Michael Wang, please go ahead. Michael Wang will start by discussing Ispire Technology Inc.'s second fiscal quarter financial results and recent corporate highlights. Jie Yu will then discuss the company's financial results for the 2026 in more detail. Before we begin, I would like to remind you that this conference call contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact in its announcement are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the company in terms of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the company believes are relevant. Story Continues In addition, there were headwinds for the nicotine sector internationally, with the e-cigarette volume declining with the pressure from Chinese manufacturers making an impact. It is worth noting that with China's cost base going up, this will benefit Malaysian producers, aligning with Ispire Technology Inc.'s strategic pivot to Malaysia as e-cigarettes are no longer a preferred industry in China. For the 2026, our net accounts receivable improved to $37.9 million, down from $47 million at the end of fiscal 2025. Other measures demonstrating this progress include average payment terms and the days sales outstanding, which have all improved. In particular, cash collected versus revenue for calendar year 2025 was 116% versus 67% for calendar year 2024. Also, our average payment terms were shortened, and the average days sales outstanding improved by eight days, comparing the 2026 to the 2025. We were also able to reduce our net loss to $6.6 million from $8 million in the 2025. And for the six months ending 12/31/2025, net loss was reduced by $3.7 million compared to the same period year over year. One important item I would also like to highlight is that from April 2025, towards the end of calendar 2025, we burned only $1 million in operating cash as we focused on our cost reduction and customer quality rationalization efforts. This is a significant measure, and combined with other financial metrics, shows that our stringent cost management and focus on financial discipline have yielded positive results. And these are trends that we expect to continue through fiscal 2026. The Ispire Technology Inc. team progressed several significant projects over the second fiscal quarter, mostly related to our iTech joint venture Gmesh technology, and building out our Malaysian facility. We continue to see increased traction worldwide for our groundbreaking age-gating technology joint venture with iQTEP. In the US, in particular, interest from and discussions with several major tobacco players have intensified over the last three months. After the FDA indicated that age-gating technology is the only way to unlock the legal flavor of the e-cigarette market. As we all know, the US nicotine vaping market is mainly dominated by illicit products. In other words, products that have not been authorized by the FDA. By various estimates, the US e-cigarette retail market is nearly $100 billion in size and more than 90% of it is illicit in nature. Consumers want flavored e-cigarettes, but the legal market does not have FDA-approved flavored e-cigarettes. As such, consumers can only purchase flavored products from the illicit market, potentially risking their health and life. We strongly support the FDA's initiatives to use age-gating technology to unlock the flavored market with legally approved products, to not only offer consumers the flavor that they want, but also to protect consumers from using dangerous products from the illicit market that are currently being sold across the US illegally. While there are several technology solutions out there, our technology stands out for its reliability and low-friction nature. Our revolutionary technology uses a blockchain-based age verification chip and requires timely authentication at the point of use in order for the user to power it up. This contrasts with existing systems that just rely on single verification only at the point of purchase and therefore ensures that only adults can vape, not just purchase these products. We have been working with regulators globally across Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East to institute age-gating technology as a compulsory standard for the industry, and we have made material progress in getting these measures mandated in several countries across the world. Also, recently, we were invited to participate in the FDA's small manufacturers roundtable session, with Steve Casbella, our Chief Legal Officer and ICTECH board member, representing the company on the panel taking place next week. While we welcome the US federal government's stringent enforcement mandate of the illicit trade effects, we want to emphasize that this can only be effective when combined with technology-based solutions that are able to secure devices before misuse occurs. This is where we are seeing macroeconomic tailwinds in our favor relating to the US FDA stance on flavored products and age-gating technology. The FDA's explicit position is that you must have age-gating technology if you want flavored products approved. Our joint venture, iQTEC, as most of you already know, has the leading and the most low-friction technology in that space, and we look forward to capitalizing on this opportunity in due time. Ispire Technology Inc. and iQTEC's first-ever premarket tobacco product application or PMTA with the FDA last year shows our commitment to advancing safety and compliance for consumers. It's no surprise that our age-gating technology is receiving a lot of attention from the big tobacco players globally. Furthermore, we look forward to announcing a significant development deal around our age-gating technology with a leading global nicotine company in the coming weeks. Another area where Ispire Technology Inc. is leading innovation is with our Gmesh technology. Gmesh vaping hardware is built with superconductive glass, which unlike traditional ceramic or cotton core, provides higher purity which enhances user safety. As we mentioned on our last earnings call, Gmesh is garnering attention from several medium and large-sized nicotine companies who are interested in the opportunity that technology presents for their next-generation vaping devices. We are currently involved in discussions about these opportunities. We'll share an update on this in the coming month for a potential licensing and/or partnership agreement. Lastly, an update on the progress of our manufacturing facility in Malaysia. The build-out is on track to ramp up production in fiscal 2026. The modest increase in capacity that the Malaysian facility could hold once finished, which will go to 80 production lines from the current six lines, is a material improvement and aligns with our focus on Malaysia as a production center. We look forward to providing more updates on this in the coming quarters as well. To sum up, we are excited about the innovations that our team is working on, and we are optimistic about upcoming developments over the coming quarters. Our focus on fiscal management and pivoting to quality nicotine sector customers is delivering results with improved net loss, operating expenses, and accounts receivable. We expect these trends to continue through fiscal 2026, as well as a pickup in revenue generation as we move closer to profitability. I will now hand the call over to our Chief Financial Officer, Jie Yu, to review our second quarter financial results in more detail. Jie Yu: Thank you, Michael. And thanks to everyone with us on the call today. As we discuss Ispire Technology Inc.'s key financial results for the 2026. To recap, I will refer to the 2026 as the quarter ended on 12/31/2025. All comparisons are to the prior 2025 ended 12/31/2024, unless stated otherwise. For the 2026, Ispire Technology Inc. reported a total revenue of $20.3 million, a decrease from $41.8 million in the 2025. As Michael has discussed, this was largely due to our strategic realignment of the business away from lower value cannabis customers to high-quality nicotine customers with better payment profiles. Gross profit for the 2026 was $3.5 million, declining from $7.7 million in the 2025. Gross margins decreased to 17.1% in Q2 2026, down slightly from 18.5% in the 2025. The decrease in gross margin was primarily due to changes in product mix with fewer higher margin products being sold during the three months ended 12/31/2025. As Michael has spoken to in recent quarters, we have continued to improve our accounts receivable balance by focusing on quality customers in the nicotine sector, which has allowed us to collect account receivables in a timely manner. As of 12/31/2025, our net account receivable balance was $37.9 million, down from $47 million at 06/30/2025. In addition, we were able to reduce operating expenses for this three-month period to 12/31/2025 to $10.3 million from the $15.1 million in the 2025. For Q2 2026, we also reduced net loss to $6.6 million compared to $8 million for the same period in fiscal 2025. On top of these results, from April 2025 through the end of calendar 2025, we burned only $1 million in operating cash, which showed that we remain focused on expense management and reducing costs across our business. We expect this trend of declining costs and improved account receivable to continue through fiscal 2026. Moving on to the balance sheet, as of 12/31/2025, Ispire Technology Inc. held cash of $17.6 million versus $24.4 million at 06/30/2025. Net cash flow used in operating activity was $5.2 million over the six-month period to December '85, versus $400,000 provided by in the six months to 12/31/2024. Net cash used in investing activity for the first half of fiscal 2026 was $900,000, compared to $1.1 million used in investing activity for the same period last year. Net cash used in financing activities for the six months to December '95 was $0.7 million relative to nonuse over the same period ending in 12/31/2024. That ends the detailed recap of Ispire Technology Inc.'s financial results for the 2026. I will now hand the call back to Michael for closing comments. Michael Wang: Thank you, Jie. In closing, the 2026 marks an inflection point for Ispire Technology Inc. as our year-long cost-cutting and customer quality rationalization efforts are taking hold, and we believe future quarters will see top-line growth, consistent cash flow, and bottom-line improvement. Furthermore, we have several exciting and game-changing opportunities that we continue to make significant progress on, which include our iTech venture, Gmesh technology, and the Malaysian facility build-up. We have continued to strengthen our company's financial footprint by improving cash flow, as well as cutting operating expenses, reducing our account receivable, and the net loss. Our focus on higher quality customers in the nicotine sector is also delivering improvement in these areas, and we expect this to continue through fiscal 2026. With the progress we have made over the past year, and our industry-changing technology and the infrastructure we continue to build up, the future is extremely bright for Ispire Technology Inc., and we look forward to sharing our Q3 results on our next quarterly call. Thank you all again to everyone joining us today. Investors can always email IR@iSpiretechnology.com with any questions. This concludes our prepared remarks. And I will now ask the operator to open the lines for questions. Operator: Thank you. If you'd like to ask a question, please press 1 on your telephone keypad. You may press 2 if you'd like to remove your question from the queue. For participants using speaker equipment, it may be necessary to pick up your handset before pressing the star keys. We ask that you each keep to one question and one follow-up. Thank you. Our first question comes from the line of Nick Anderson with Roth Capital Partners. Please proceed with your question. Nick Anderson: Yeah. Good morning, and thanks for taking the question. First one for me, just on US Retail. Walgreens announced the resumption of selling vape products in January. Just curious what you've seen or heard from retailers regarding the category and what that might mean for shelf space allocation moving forward. Assuming as we get regulatory clarity around flavor products, legal retail adoption would closely follow. But just want to hear your thoughts. Thank you. Michael Wang: Thank you. The Walgreens situation is not an isolated case. Through our conversations with representatives of the retail space, there is tremendous demand, number one, for e-cigarettes, and number two, for flavored, especially. Convenience stores, like 7-Eleven or Circle K, a gas station network, those are typical retailers who really are desperate for flavored e-cigarettes. As we all know, even though cigarettes and e-cigarettes do not occupy that much shelf space in those retail stores, they represent tremendous revenue and foot traffic to the stores. So, they have seen significant reduction in their retail traffic just because they control our flavored e-cigarette side. As far as the FDA is concerned, because large chains are not going to risk any compliance issues by selling unauthorized products, consequently, they are losing business. I strongly believe, and some players in the industry strongly believe, there is a tremendous potential for retailers such as Walgreens to get into this game, especially as the enforcement efforts from the US Customs and the FDA are intensifying, and consumers still need flavored e-cigarettes. So when flavored products indeed get authorized by the FDA, I think the dam will get wide open. So on the other hand, enforcement and solution will have to go hand in hand. If there is not a solution that the FDA and the consumers can depend on, enforcement efforts will be very, very ineffective. Nick, I hope I answered your question. Nick Anderson: Yeah. That's encouraging. Thank you for the color. Second one for me on iQTEC. Congrats on the Charlie's partnership, but just wondering if you could provide a little more color on the deal. What the expected production numbers are, regions you'll be focused on, and just whether or not this is driving more interest from other pipeline candidates as they look to integrate the age-gating process. Thank you. Michael Wang: Yeah. Charlie's deal is certainly a groundbreaking deal for us and for Charlie's. Charlie's has always positioned themselves as a consumer safety-oriented brand, and they have done a lot in that area. So certainly, I think many people, because Charlie's is a publicly traded company, many people are aware of their situation. So from that point of view, they are launching a brand new product. Initial volume, of course, this is based on customer's feedback and assessment, that would be somewhere between 2 million chips a month and 3 million chips a month, with the goal of selling up to 10 million devices, therefore, chips, on a monthly basis over a twelve-month period. But, of course, that's based on customers' feedback. With a few months of experience behind, I think we'll all have more confidence in indication with exactly where that's trended. This is slated by Charlie's to launch in the next two to three months. So we don't expect to see a lift in terms of volume for iQTEC in the immediate quarter, this current quarter, but we should start seeing results in the next quarter. As far as your second half of the question, yes. Indeed. In the last year, we have talked to the MSOs and the large brands in the cannabis space. Every single company showed interest in introducing age-gated products on the regulated cannabis side. And they all have shared the same concern about the devices getting in the hands of youth. So, they have been embracing this technology and solution. We are in rather deep conversation with a couple of players there. For the time being, even though there is immediate revenue potential there, we have spent most of our energy on the nicotine sector because of the potential volume available. Nick Anderson: I appreciate that color. If I could squeeze just one more in on the Chinese imports, it looks like they've been curtailed in the 2025, but then significantly grew in the second half of the year. Do you have any color as to what drove that spike? And it looks like some states have implemented measures to combat this. Have any of these states seen any differences in illicit vape mix? Any color there would be helpful. Thank you. Michael Wang: Yes. So the surge in export late last year was partially driven by the expected policy change in China toward the manufacturing of e-cigarettes. As most of you are aware, effective April 1 this year, the Chinese government will stop what they call the VAT refund initiative. Even though export is not for domestic consumption, generally speaking, the government shouldn't impose a VAT on such products for export purposes. However, the regulators there are saying effective April 1 this year, the 13% VAT tax would also apply to e-cigarette export. So that means the cost base and the selling price would both go up effective April 1. So I think that was one reason a lot of the manufacturers really tried to rush before this new deadline to get as much product to the international market as possible. I suspect the increase would continue into the current quarter. But, of course, I expect a bit of a slowdown when April 1 kicks in. But so far, the feedback and the data we have gathered is the US states' efforts and initiatives have barely put a dent in the illicit market. The general feedback is it's not affecting at all, even though enforcement activities took place across the country, with the seizure of products and arrest of players. But it has not put a dent in the illicit market on the demand side. So that's why an adequate solution like iQTEC's age-gating is so crucial to using the FDA's term to unlock this flavored market to protect consumers at the same time. So, Nick, that's my answer to your question. Nick Anderson: Got it. I appreciate that color. Congrats on the quarter. I'll jump back in the queue. Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Pablo Zuanic with Zuanic and Associates. Please proceed with your question. Pablo Zuanic: Thank you, and good morning, everyone. Look, just first, Michael, a bit of a housekeeping question. Can you remind us of what percent you own of the iQTEC joint venture? And if that business begins to take off, you know, how will you fund the expansion needed, the expansion capital? Is there a risk of dilution, or would you want to take full control of that business? You can just remind us of that. Thank you. Michael Wang: Yeah. Pablo, thank you. Yeah. The joint venture was created almost two years ago. Actually, twenty-one months ago. And very rapidly, we got on this mission of developing age-gated technology using the IP of our other joint venture partner, a company called Verifi. So far, as you know, a few three things I want to highlight. Number one, in November 2024, we had a meeting with the FDA, and through that conversation, of course, with the suggestion and guidance of the FDA, we worked on the so-called component PMTA. And we did that work early last year. And we turned in the component PMTA in May. And of course, as you have heard recently, especially in early November, the acting director of the Center for Tobacco Products made an opening remark at the Food and Drug Law Institute's Institute Conference. That FDA clearly understood the consumers wanted demand flavored e-cigarettes. However, so far, there was no way of authorizing flavored market without some sort of safety mechanism. So, hence, the very concept of age-gating being the solution right now. So FDA, I think, is certainly embracing that. By all indication, they are going to review PMTAs, whether with the products or, in our case, the component or solution PMTA in short order. We strongly believe, with our technology advantage, we'll get a fair shake out of this review process. So we are really optimistic about the potential, especially as I indicated in the last year and more importantly in the last three months. Activities involving discussions about our technology have really intensified. So, to answer the second half of your question, right now, the joint venture is operating with the technical engineering IP and business development contributions from the three joint venture partners. And Ispire Technology Inc. is providing the financial funding for the day-to-day operation there. With the Charlie's development and potentially a few other key, significant developments materializing in the coming months, Pablo, I strongly believe on one hand, we'll get strong interest from investors overall. On the other hand, we will be at a point where we could use some additional working capital to really blow this thing up on a global stage. As we all know, regulatory change requires a lot of efforts and resources. We are on a mission to fundamentally transform how age-gating can be used worldwide to protect consumers, both youth and adults, because of the dangerous nature of the illicit market. So Pablo, I hope I'm not answering your question. Pablo Zuanic: Yes. No. That's good. Thank you very much. Just a quick follow-up. You know, assuming that the FDA were to legalize flavored nicotine because they are happy with the age-gating technology, there's not going to be just one technology out there. Right? Different manufacturers will have their own technologies. You will have yours, and you will supply it to small, midsize, maybe large manufacturers. I'm just trying to understand. Will there be different technologies out there or will, for example, the US only have one technology that will be only allowed? Do we know? Michael Wang: Based on what we know, there are other solutions out there. However, as far as we know, no solution is as what we call frictionless. Of course, our solution is not 100% frictionless. But in comparison to what other people are developing, we have the least friction in our experience with the consumers using the technology or the product. So that we have strong confidence here. And the other key advantages, Pablo, include because we are using blockchain technology, we don't actually transmit detailed consumer personal information through the Internet. Instead, we are just sending tokens back and forth between us and the back-end identity verification providers, such as CLEAR or ID.me or Encode and so on. So because the communication is through tokens only, there is no chance that a consumer's information would be stolen by hackers. So that's another key advantage. As far as we know, all other solutions actually transmit consumer private information. So we all know, no matter how well protected the network, the system, are, there is always a risk to be hacked and to get the information stolen. So that's another advantage. Third one, based on what we know of other products out there, for example, the initial identity verification process for all solutions, it would take just over one minute. And for other solutions, it would take anywhere between five and twelve minutes. So we all know consumers cannot bear that. So, that's why all the brands are mindful of the impact this age-gating solution would have on consumer ease of use side. So from that point of view, we know we stand out. This is partially, Pablo, because our technology transmits only tokens, and it's low bandwidth requirement and so on. And plus, the whole process is simpler than what other solutions would require. For example, some solutions would even require the consumer to type in their Social Security number online to get verification. That's just, let's call it, unscalable. Not too many consumers would give up their Social Security number for that. So I hope I answered the question. Of course, there are other solutions out there. Pablo Zuanic: No. Good color. Thank you for that. And I know it's a lot of detail there, but just to know that, going back to your prepared remarks, I think you said that some countries in Europe or the Middle East or Asia have already mandated age-gating technology. I mean, I want to make sure I hear that right. And, if you can say which countries specifically, and are they using your technology already? Or were you talking more in general about future plans in those countries? I'm just trying to understand if anyone has actually implemented this anywhere in the world right now. Michael Wang: No one has implemented it. That statement says we have been working with those regulators in those countries to push for a mandate. And the reception has been very positive because similar to the US, in addition to consumer safety and protecting youth from using e-cigarettes, there is another consideration. Same is true in the US. The illicit market generally does not pay their share of sales tax. So that's made sales tax or excise tax because that's where the government gets their share of the trade. So the illicit market generally avoids paying a lot of tax. So some of those countries basically are saying not only do we want to protect, say, adults in using safe devices, not only do we want to prevent youth from using the devices, we also want to collect sales tax, our revenue, tax revenue. So with these three objectives in mind, many countries are looking at our technology. Some are even contemplating mandating all e-cigarettes sold in their countries must have age-gating. So right now, I can't share under NDA. I can't, I guess, share their name with everybody. But two countries in Southeast Asia, actually, one country in serious conversation in the Middle East, second one, a war-torn zone. And in Europe, we have been working with the UK regulator lawmakers for just nearly a year in changing the requirement, especially, we try to make a difference towards the upcoming UK tobacco bill, which is likely to be formed up in the next two to three months. But the support in the UK for this technology has increased tremendously over the ten-month period. And both from the parliament and the house floor and the executive branch, we are receiving support from every branch. So the best indication for where this technology is going. Certainly, the FDA is the most important consideration for us now. But we know through our talks with regulators outside the US, there is increased interest in this technology outside the US as well. So we are trying to work. In some countries, as we know, regulations and laws could be established in short order, unlike, let's say, heavily democratic countries like the UK and the US. Right. So we hope we would actually be able to launch the technology in other countries, potentially even ahead of the US. Pablo Zuanic: Right. Thank you very much. Very last one. And just a short answer. I think you, I know you're gonna make forward comments, but you talked about that you will be disclosing a new deal in the coming weeks. Is this something similar to a Charlie's partnership, or are we talking about something much larger? Can you just give some general context? And I realize that we cannot forward comments here. Thank you. That's all. Michael Wang: Let's say much greater strategic and financial impact. Pablo Zuanic: Right. Thank you very much. That's all. Thank you. Michael Wang: Thank you, Pablo. Operator: Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our question and answer session. I'll turn the floor back to Michael Wang for any final comments. Michael Wang: Thank you all again. We really, as I said a couple of times in my prepared remarks, we saw Q2 as an inflection point for us, not only financially but strategically as well. So I hope to have more advanced, exciting developments to share with you all in the coming weeks and months as they come about. Thanks again. Operator. Operator: Thank you. This concludes today's conference call. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Thank you for your participation. Should you buy stock in Ispire Technology right now? 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This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Ispire (ISPR) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript was originally published by The Motley Fool By Rebecca Black, Press Association President Catherine Connolly was meeting young people on the final day of her visit to Northern Ireland. Connolly took part in discussions with young people at St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Derry on Thursday morning. It came on the third and final day of her first official visit to Northern Ireland since becoming president of Ireland, and has been described as fulfilling a commitment in her inaugural address to meet with people from all communities and traditions. Catherine Connolly, right, was visiting St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Derry (Liam McBurney/PA) Connolly was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle in Belfast on the first day of her visit on Wednesday. She went on to make addresses at the Ulster University campus in Belfast, and the Guildhall in Derry, as well as visiting a number of community projects across both cities. DUP MP Gregory Campbell warned the Irish President against rewriting the past during her visit to Derry on Thursday, while Connolly said she was here to listen. She went on to tour the Siege Museum, visit An Culturlann and the Nerve Centre, as well as the Museum of Free Derry, where she met relatives of victims of Bloody Sunday. Connolly, centre, was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill, right, and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly on the first day of her visit (Brian Lawless/PA) Connolly completed her three-day visit in Northern Irelands second city, meeting young people from both sides of the border. The young people were taking part in a number of Youth Action Northern Ireland projects, and engaging with St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre itself. They also included those taking part in the cross-community REACH Across organisation for teenagers, the North West Islamic Association, Donegal Youth Services and a school group from Raphoe in Co Donegal. Dominic Bonner, youth co-ordinator at Youth Action NI, said they were delighted by the engagement with Connolly. When we heard the President was coming here today, we were delighted that she invited us to come and spend good-quality time, he said. Connolly was accompanied on her visit by Youth Action NI co-ordinator Dominic Bonner, right (Liam McBurney/PA) We were delighted to be able to invite young people and our community workers, because the President wanted to engage with the community, engage with the young people. Were in St Columbs Park House, beautiful surroundings which provided the space for people to feel comfortable, and safe to talk about some of the issues in this city. The talk of today was about continuing partnership, continuing to work together to meet the needs of young people, to continue to keep fighting the battle. Weve done extremely good work around peace and reconciliation, we have to continue that. Zena Abdelrahman and Cadi Abousamra were among the young people who spoke with Connolly. Zena Abdelrahman, left, and Cadi Abousamra enjoyed chatting to the president (Liam McBurney/PA) Abdelrahman said she had loved meeting the president, although admitted she had been nervous. She was really nice, I was talking to her and asking her what role do young people have in shaping Irelands future, and she said that young people have a really important role, she likes how young people are starting to speak up about issues going on globally, she said. She likes young activists such as Greta Thunberg, and how everyone is speaking about what is going on such as climate change, immigration and diversity. Abousamra said she is a big fan of Connollys work. It was very refreshing to see a president take in what young people had to say, and actually listen attentively, she said. I have feeling that she is going to be a good president. Abdelwahab Elebaid added: It was very nice, not a lot of countries would have their presidents speak with young people. I asked a couple of questions about Irish foreign affairs, Irelands stance on the civil war going on in Sudan, she said she was horrified by the genocide right now. I also asked how Ireland deals with threats from outside, Russia, China, and now increasingly America. She went into a lot of detail. It was admirable of her to meet with young people. The Justice Department says a key participant in the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, has been taken into custody and will be prosecuted in Washington in connection with the rampage that killed four Americans and became a divisive political issue Investigators have found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of Today show host Savannah Guthries mother. That's according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press. Meanwhile, the host asked for prayers to help bring back the missing 84-year-old. Authorities believe she was taken against her will. The sheriff said Nancy Guthrie must be found soon because she could die without her medication. Investigators also found evidence showing there was a nighttime kidnapping. Several of Guthries personal items were still at home, including her cellphone, wallet and car. Evans and Kemper Auto President Matt Hunton framed California as the largest challenge. Evans pointed to structural changes in that market, including the states increase in minimum liability limits last yearthe first increase since 1967where bodily injury limits doubled and property damage limits tripled. He said that, combined with social inflation and legal system abuse, made loss cost predictability more difficult. Camden said policies in force and written premium fell 7.3% and 9.3% year over year, respectively. He attributed the decline to typical fourth-quarter seasonality and non-rate actions to moderate new business writings in certain markets. In the property and casualty segment, the underlying combined ratio increased sequentially to 105% , which management said was driven by elevated BI severity in California and Florida statutory refunds. Excluding the impact of refunds, the underlying combined ratio was 101.2% . Chief Financial Officer Brad Camden said Kemper reported a net loss of $8 million, or $0.13 per share , and adjusted consolidated net operating income of $14.6 million, or $0.25 per share . Return on equity was negative at 1.2%, and book value per share grew 4.6% year over year. Camden also highlighted trailing 12-month operating cash flow of $585 million . Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) executives struck a candid tone on the companys fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, with interim CEO Tom Evans opening the discussion by saying results did not meet expectations. Management attributed the quarters pressure primarily to elevated bodily injury (BI) severity in California and statutory refunds in Florida, while emphasizing that its life insurance segment continued to provide stable earnings and cash flow. Management is cutting costs and shifting strategyrecording a $15.5 million restructuring charge and raising annualized run-rate savings to ~ $33 million while piloting a new nonCalifornia personal auto product (reportedly ~ 30 points more competitive) and keeping liquidity above $1 billion after retiring debt and repurchasing shares. Auto results were pressured as the underlying combined ratio rose to 105% (101.2% excluding refunds), driven by sharply higher bodily-injury severity in California and a $35 million Florida statutory refund that added about 3.8 points to the combined ratio. Kemper reported a net loss of $8 million and adjusted consolidated net operating income of $14.6 million for Q4, with ROE negative at 1.2%, book value per share up 4.6% year-over-year, and trailing 12month operating cash flow of $585 million . Story Continues Hunton said the BI severity trend has been particularly pronounced in California, and that minimum limit changes are driving a structural change in BI costs. In response, Kemper has taken non-rate underwriting actions that have slowed new business in the state while it works through rate filings with regulators. Palantirs Perfect 10: Blowout Earnings Spark a New Bull Case During Q&A, Hunton provided a profitability snapshot across key states. He said Californias combined ratio was about a 105, while Florida and Texas were in Kempers target range, around 95 to 97. He added that personal auto profitability issues are driven predominantly by California, with other states in pretty healthy standing. In Florida, management said 2023 tort reforms reduced loss costs and increased market competition. Evans said improved loss cost experience contributed to a $35 million charge in the quarter for refunds to personal auto customers under Floridas statutory profit limit rulesan action he noted other carriers are also undertaking. On the combined ratio, Camden said the refunds added 3.8 points to the specialty auto underlying combined ratio and were recorded as a reduction to earned premium. Hunton said Kemper has a strong-performing book in Florida and is making targeted rate adjustments to support growth. He also explained why the company was not more aggressive in lowering rates earlier to potentially reduce the refund impact, citing a desire to ensure tort reform benefits were durable and concern that overly sharp rate reductions could bring in uneconomical business. Actions to improve results: pricing, claims, and diversification Management repeatedly emphasized initiatives aimed at restoring profitability in specialty auto, reducing volatility through diversification, and improving operating efficiency. Camden said Kemper recorded a $15.5 million charge for restructuring, integration, and other costs. He said the restructuring initiative announced last quarter increased cumulative annualized run-rate savings to approximately $33 million, up $3 million from the prior quarter, and that additional savings are expected over time. Camden added that the charge also included a valuation adjustment for a tax credit equity investment reflecting an updated fair market value. On the claims side, Hunton said Kempers recent focus has shifted from material damage management toward third-party liability management. He said the company is using advanced analytics and AI-enabled workflows to route claims to appropriate resources and drive resolution, with the goal of reducing excess attorney involvement and mitigating legal system abuse. Brad Camden added that represented claims can cost four or five times more than unrepresented claims, underscoring why attorney attachment is a focus. Hunton also said Kemper is working toward a more geographically balanced personal auto book, with a long-term aim of having more than 50% of customers outside California. He said Californias share increased in recent years, driven by the post-COVID hard market in that state, and that diversification would help manage state-specific dynamics and reduce underwriting income volatility. New personal auto product and growth outside California Kemper discussed a new personal auto product intended for non-California states, featuring modernized contracts, more sophisticated pricing, and a streamlined agent quoting experience. Hunton said the product is designed to improve rate-to-risk matching and competitiveness. Management has been piloting the product in Arizona and Oregon since the second quarter of 2025. Hunton said early production and segmentation results are meeting expectations and that improved segmentation has made the company upwards of 30 points more competitive in those markets. Hunton said Kemper is in advanced discussions with regulators in Florida and Texas to bring the product live within the next few quarters. In Q&A, management suggested California policies in force are expected to continue declining near term, while the company anticipates growth in Florida and Texas, supported by pricing moves and the planned product rollout. Commercial auto, life insurance, and balance sheet updates Hunton said commercial auto margins remain strong, with an underlying combined ratio of about 90% and double-digit policy growth. He said the company avoids certain nuclear verdict segments and is opportunistically increasing rates where justified, particularly to address liability cost increases. Camden said Kemper strengthened loss reserves in specialty auto, primarily in commercial auto, reflecting updated loss experience related to BI severity and defense costs, mainly from accident years 2023 and prior. In Q&A, Hunton said adverse development has been driven by large losses from 2023 and earlier, while development in accident years 2024 and 2025 looked favorable following changes to reserving practices for large losses in mid-2023. In life insurance, President Chris Flint said the segment delivered adjusted net operating income of $20 million for the quarter, with stable earned premiums and in-force face value of approximately $19.6 billion. Flint said favorable policy economics continued, with a modest increase in average face value per policy and a 6% increase in average premium per policy issued. He added that Kemper launched an updated product portfolio and expanded distribution of its liability offering. On capital and liquidity, Camden said Kemper ended the quarter with over $1 billion of available liquidity, and subsidiaries remained well capitalized. Over the past year, he said operating cash flow supported the retirement of $450 million in debt and repurchase of approximately $300 million of common stock, reducing the debt-to-capital ratio to 24.6%, modestly above the companys long-term target of 22%. Camden also reviewed the January 1, 2026 reinsurance renewal, describing a one-year catastrophe excess-of-loss program providing 95% coverage for losses in excess of $50 million up to $160 million, with a total limit $15 million lower than last year due to reduced insured value following a wind-down of a preferred business. Evans closed by reiterating managements focus on executing steps to improve specialty auto performance and create shareholder value, and noted that the boards CEO search is underway with a pipeline of candidates supported by an independent search firm. About Kemper (NYSE:KMPR) Kemper Corporation (NYSE:KMPR) is a diversified insurance holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Formed through the rebranding of Unitrin in 2010, Kemper has established a nationwide presence by offering a broad array of property and casualty insurance products. The company distributes its products through independent agents, brokers and direct-to-consumer channels, serving both individual policyholders and commercial clients. The personal insurance segment provides coverage for automobiles, homeowners, renters and umbrella lines, while the commercial business focuses on liability, workers' compensation and specialty property solutions tailored to small and mid-sized enterprises. The article "Kemper Q4 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. The U.S. military says it has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean The business of tequila has brought smiles and a few bucks to comedian, actor, and entrepreneur Kevin Hart despite consumers drinking less alcohol. "We're flying in rare air," Hart said on Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid (video above). "I think hard work definitely pays off. A lot of the hard work that I'm referring to, of course, went into developing the liquid ... If you have something that people are responding to and that they love, they'll keep coming back." Hart co-founded Gran Coramino in May 2022 with Juan Domingo Beckmann, an 11th-generation tequila maker. Another co-founder, James Morrissey, is a power player in the celebrity liquor game and has helped launch a rose wine brand with musician Post Malone. In just three years, Gran Coramino has sold nearly 300,000 nine-liter cases, with more than half of that growth happening in 2025. Last year, the brand climbed to No. 22 in total tequila sales, up from No. 31 in 2024. Kevin Hart prepares cocktails made with his Gran Coramino Tequila at Sugar Factory American Brasserie on Sept. 16, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (Gerardo Mora/Getty Images) Gerardo Mora via Getty Images To date, the brand has sold 3.6 million bottles and hauled in $200 million in total retail sales. About $85 million of those sales happened in 2025. Considering that there are more than 3,000 tequila brands, the growth is impressive. And given the backdrop right now in the spirits industry, the growth is even more of a standout. US spirits sales fell 2.2% to $36.4 billion in 2025 as consumers leaned into healthier lifestyles, according to new data out of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Just about every major spirits category notched sales drops. Vodka sales fell 3% to $7 billion. Sales of tequila and mezcal declined 4.1% to $6.4 billion. American whiskey sales fell 0.9%. The lone bright spot: Sales of premixed cocktails, such as ready-to-drink beverages, increased more than 16% to $3.8 billion. Gran Coramino will spend 2026 executing on a growth plan, Morrissey said. "We've got aggressive targets over the next few years," Morrissey explained. "Tomorrow [we] will be in San Francisco for Super Bowl weekend, and activating the brand with Kevin in April. We're going to hit a number of cities and meet our trade partners. But the brand stands on its own two feet now. It doesn't require Kevin every day going out there and hosting every consumer event." Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest stock market news and events moving stock prices Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Komatsu North America has reached an agreement to procure assets from SRC of Lexington, a company based in Lexington, Kentucky, US. The transaction, subject to standard closing conditions, is expected to be completed by the end of February 2026. SRC of Lexington provides rebuilt components and parts used in construction and mining machinery. The deal, if materialised, will expand Komatsu's remanufacturing operations in North America. It will also increase its capacity to serve customers as demand for remanufactured solutions increases. Komatsu intends to increase its investment in a dedicated remanufacturing facility in the US, reinforcing its position in North America, which is among the largest markets globally for construction and mining machinery. Since 2010, the installed base of quarry and mining equipment in North America has expanded, leading to increased demand for remanufactured parts. Over this period, Komatsus remanufacturing business has grown substantially, with transaction volumes rising by roughly four times between the 2010 and 2024 financial years. Komatsu North America parts and infrastructure vice president Danny Murtagh said: North America is one of Komatsus most important markets for both construction and mining equipment. "This acquisition allows us to deepen our reman capabilities closer to customers, improve responsiveness, and support dealers and end users with high-quality, cost-effective solutions throughout the equipment lifecycle. Komatsu recovers used parts from construction and mining equipment and restores them at its dedicated facilities, returning them to the market with the same standards as new components. This approach, which the company says can reduce both costs and lead times while supporting resource reuse, forms part of its global remanufacturing strategy. Komatsu launched this strategy with a facility in Chile in 2005 to support electric dump trucks manufactured in the US, then expanded to Indonesia in 2007 for equipment made in Japan. As of 2025, the companys remanufacturing network encompasses 45 sites across 16 countries. "Komatsu North America to snap up assets of SRC of Lexington" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. Grammy-nominated Cuban American Vocalist at Wits When: Thursday, 12 February 2026 - Friday, 13 February 2026 Where: The Chris Seabrooke Music Hall Braamfontein Campus East Start time: 10:00 Enquiries: Andile.Khumalo@wits.ac.za RSVP: Quicket Cost: Free Melvis Santa an Afro-Cuban jazz vocalist, pianist, percussionist and Grammy nominated artist will be at Wits. Hosted by the Department of Music, Santa will participate in two events. South Korean financial regulators are launching a probe into suspicious activity on Upbit after the ZKsync token surged by 970% over three hours on February 1. ZKsync was trading around $0.023 on Sunday morning, South Korean time, ahead of scheduled system maintenance on the Upbit crypto exchange. At 11:30 am, just before maintenance began, the price rose to $0.24, only to drop back to around $0.023 by 6:30 pm the same day, when the maintenance period ended. We are aware that ZKsync experienced a rapid price fluctuation in a short period of time, a spokesperson for the Financial Security Services Virtual Asset Investigation Bureau told South Korean newspaper Hanguk Kyungjae. We are looking into the matter and may quickly transition to a formal investigation after determining the severity of the case. ZKSync traders formed a buy wall ahead of the maintenance as part of a coordinated effort to artificially spike demand for the coin, and force its price up, legal experts told the newspaper. Upbit data shows trading volumes in ZKsync ballooned by over 4,000% on February 1. By contrast, they rose by a more modest 150% on the same day on the US-based exchange Coinbase, where prices increased by just under 40%. Nevertheless, the effect on the coins price chart was very noticeable. Almost 40% of ZKsync trades have now been conducted on Upbit, according to CoinGecko. The coin is not often traded in large volumes in South Korea. It accounted for less than 2% of Upbits 24-hour trading volume at the time of writing on February 4. ZKsync is a layer-2 network for Ethereum that uses zero-knowledge proofs to compress large batches of data to make transactions cheaper. If created artificially, as regulators allege, the price surge may constitute a violation of the 2023 Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users, Jin Hyeon-su, a managing partner at the legal firm Decent Law, told Hanguk Kyungjae. The act stipulates that offenders can be jailed for over a year. It also grants courts the power to fine anyone found guilty of price manipulation an amount equal to five times higher than the profits they made from their illicit activities. Courts can also impose additional fines if they judge that other traders have suffered financial losses as a result of price manipulation. A large number of buy orders were concentrated in a short period of time on February 1, followed quickly by a release of volume afterwards, said Jin. This likely constitutes price manipulation, collusive trading, and unfair trading. Regulators in the country have launched a sweeping crackdown on altcoin price manipulation. Biomedical Soft Robotics debuts in Joburg Four institutions collaborate to develop core skills and resources which will form the basis for soft robotics capacity. The electrical engineering schools at Wits University and the University of Johannesburg (UJ) recently hosted a Soft Robotics course for some 30 senior undergraduate engineering students. The intensive course, which ran from 26th January to 2 February 2026 at Wits, was conducted by Katrien van Riet, who works on the democratisation of soft robotics and is based at AMOLF (Physics of Functional Complex Matter) and Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. The course was jointly funded by the Wits Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) and AMOLF. It will serve as a pilot study to develop soft robotics programmes in South Africa. Soft robotics involves the creation of robots using compliant materials animated by a variety of actuation principles, including pneumatic and hydraulic systems. The applications are numerous, and in this course, the focus was on biomedical designs. The course comprised lectures and extensive hands-on practical work in the undergraduate skills laboratory at Wits. The students were divided into six groups, and each group selected one of three challenges, which included automated blood pressure metrology and pneumatic backpack load adjustment. The students designed and fabricated their selected products, and in the process, they learned to use custom-modified 3D printers specially acquired for this course to seal pneumatic compartments, which they had designed. In addition, they populated printed circuit boards and assembled pneumatic circuits comprising pumps, solenoid valves and other components in order to achieve the desired functionality. On the final day of the course, each group presented their projects and demonstrated a working version of their product. Core skills in Soft Robotics Professor Neil Martinson from Wits PHRU took the lead in bringing this course to Johannesburg, with Charity Leeuw, who coordinated the implementation. Professors Suvendi Rimer (UJ) and David Rubin (Wits University) led the course and were assisted by highly capable teaching assistants. Rubin and Rimer will work to develop the core skills and resources which will form the basis for soft robotics capacity at both institutions. Shaping the future of finance Captains of industry convene to hear fintech big bets from Wits researchers and to open lines of enquiry for intellectual partnerships'. Captains of industry from across the financial sector gathered at the Wits Anglo American Digital Dome on Tuesday, 3 February, for an invitation-only fintech research showcase that brought together CEOs and senior leadership from banking, fintech, and investment as well as eminent alumni and friends of Wits. The sunset soiree and designer dinner created a high-level forum to explore how AI, quantum computing, and emerging technologies will shape the future of finance, and to open pathways for long-term intellectual partnerships. The interdisciplinary showcase highlighted Wits Universitys role in advancing and interrogating cutting-edge technologiesincluding artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain, digital currencies, and data analyticsand their growing influence on the financial sector. The event was convened by Wits alumna and Board of Governors member Ms Fatima Vawda, who is Group Executive and Head of Public Markets at 27Four, which co-sponsored the evening. Director of Development and Fundraising Mr Peter Bezuidenhoudt served as Master of Ceremonies, while Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Zeblon Vilakazi FRS welcomed guests to this conversation around the intersection of finance technology and institutional responsibility. Providing historical context, Vilakazi reminded the audience of Wits long-standing contribution to innovation. One of the pioneers of AI is a Wits alumnus, Professor Seymour Papert, who was a professor at MIT, [and who] studied mathematics here at Wits in the 1950s. So weve always been in this game. The Vice-Chancellor encouraged industry leaders to engage beyond conventional funding models. Not just transactional partnerships, but intellectual partnerships. Thats what this evening is about to open lines of enquiryWe do not offer certainty, but we offer perspective. Professor Solomon Assefa, Vice-Chancellors Special Advisor and former Vice President of IBM Research led in-depth Q&A sessions with four Wits researchers presenting their work and its relevance to the fintech leaders. The moment that were in now in financial services is being reshaped profoundly: not just by technology, but also by geopolitical realities and changing expectations from society as well," said Assefa. "Coming back to the technology aspect data, AI, fintech, quantum tech theyre not really future bets anymore; theyre already influencing relationships between nation states, policies and regulations, and how institutions compete. We have been deliberately leaning into these big bets with major investments into science and technologynot only on the frontier science, but also the applications through interdisciplinary platforms that connect them and research thats happening with real-world partners, said Assefa. Tonight, four stellar professors from Wits will give you a glimpse into these big bets were making. The speakers were Professor Andrew Forbes (Physics), Professor Rendani Mbuvha (Statistics and Actuarial Science), Professor Chimwemwe Chipeta (Economics and Finance and Director of the FinTech Hub), and Professor Benjamin Rosman (Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and Director of the Wits MIND Institute). A quantum-literate workforce Quantum physicist Professor Andrew Forbes, who leads South Africas National Strategy for Quantum, emphasized that quantum technologies have moved from theory to application. Weve moved from science fiction very much into the realm of science. This is a 100-year-old theory; the physics is not in question. Whats happened in the past 20 years is that weve transitioned from science to technology. Forbes stressed the need for industry readiness. We want to see, not quantum students, but a quantum workforce, and we want to see industries and business that are quantum-literate. Explaining fintech relevance, he said, In quantum communication, if a bank wants to talk to a customer, we can help show you that you can do this without transferring data between the two parties, so theres no interception that can take place. Mobile money and regulation Professor Chimwemwe Chipeta, Director of the FinTech Hub and board member of the Centre of Excellence in Financial Services, outlined the sectors shared challenges. Every executive that's present tonight is facing the same set of challenges right now, he said. The first is AI disruption, the second is regulatory pressures, and the third is the skills gap in AI and financial data science. The fundamental constraint organisations face is the need to develop capabilities to close that skills gap. That is precisely why the fintech hub was established, Chipeta added. He identified mobile money as a major success story. I think mobile money payments have really revolutionized the way we transact. Today about 50% of mobile money account holders globally are based in southern Africa. The next frontier, he argued, lies in interoperability and cross-border regulatory settlementhis magic wand opportunity. From climate risk modelling to protecting life and property Actuarial scientist Associate Professor Rendani Mbuvha presented three interlinked problem statements: managing financial risk in a rapidly changing environment, addressing climate risk in Africa, and training professionals who can responsibly sign off advanced models. With a focus on enhancing the toolbox of the statistician, Mbuvha highlighted Wits Masters programme in predictive analytics for financial services. We're looking at how you use these tools in product development, pricing, etc. Drawing on his experience as a Google Fellow, he described work on GraphCast, an AI-based global weather forecasting model. What we were trying to do was to say, well, how does this model actually work over Africa?What we saw is that there was a suggestion that the model was actually more accurate over Africa than the rest of the world. But its not just about modelling, Mbuvha emphasized. Its about what action you take using the models. Early prediction of fires or floods only matters if institutions act on it. Are these tools being adopted by the entities that are supposed to respond to this type of hazards? This is the African opportunity, he said. We've got a big talent pool of young engineers who can actually build the tools to support these entitiesThats our theory of change. Tomorrows intelligence Closing the evening, Professor Benjamin Rosman reflected on the pace of AI advancement. There's been this huge shift in the world in the last three-and-a-bit yearswere going from AI making pictures and writing text, to actually starting to make decisions for us. Rosman outlined three big bets: decision velocity as a competitive advantage, hybrid humanAI workforces, and increasingly operational risk as AI autonomy grows. People tend to be thinking about last year's AI rather than tomorrow's AI, he warned. And with an area that's accelerating all the time, this becomes more and more risky. Through the MIND Institute, Rosman said, Wits aims to partner with organisations willing to help shape that future. I want to support and engage on this broader mission, not just a narrow focus into what AI is today based on yesterday's technology. This story was originally published on Grocery Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Grocery Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Kroger has promoted Mike Goodwin, vice president of operations for the companys Fred Meyer Division, to president of its Central Division, which oversees stores from northwestern Ohio to southeastern Missouri, the company confirmed with Grocery Dive on Wednesday. Goodwin succeeds Colleen Juergensen, who recently announced plans to retire after 45 years with Kroger. Goodwins appointment is the latest in a string of division-level changes Kroger has undergone since mid-2025. Dive Insight: Krogers executive shuffles continue as the company readies to name a new CEO sometime in the first quarter of this year. Headshot of Mike Goodwin Goodwin joined Kroger in 2022 to serve as vice president of operations for the grocers Fred Meyer Division. Kroger noted that in that role, Goodwin achieved milestones in store performance and sales growth. His new title as Central Division president will take effect April 1, and in that role, he will manage grocery stores, pharmacies and fuel centers in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Ohio, according to the announcement. Prior to joining Kroger, Goodwin worked for Albertsons for 30 years, most recently serving as vice president of operations for the companys Southwest Division, per his LinkedIn profile. Last July, Kroger made numerous divisional leadership changes, starting with consolidating its Texas operations and placing the Dallas division head at the helm of the newly created market division. Later that same month, Kroger announced three top executive changes, including appointing a new group vice president for its private label portfolio and naming new presidents of its Cincinnati-Dayton and Louisville divisions. Additionally, the grocer also welcomed a former PetSmart executive to serve as head of sourcing. Sam Silverstein contributed reporting. Recommended Reading 'There are always more needs than there are grant funds': Planning Department addresses community on Southside revitalization Six young people imprisoned for 500 days without conviction by the British state for protesting at Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems near Bristol have been cleared of all charges. Zoe Rogers, Charlotte Head, Leona Kamio, Fatima Rajwani, Jordan Devlin and Samuel Corner were acquitted by a jury on Wednesday, cleared of aggravated burglary for destroying military equipment at Elbits factory, including killer drones used to murder Palestinian civilians. The charge carried a potential life sentence. The Filton 6 [Photo: Free the Filton 24] All six were arrested in August 2024 and charged with criminal damage, aggravated burglary and violent disorder, while Corner was charged additionally with inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent for allegedly striking a police officer. All were held in pre-trial detention for 17-monthsway beyond the legal limit of six months. After deliberating for 36 hours and 34 minutes, the jury at Londons Woolwich Crown Courtattached to Belmarsh supermax Prison where Julian Assange was held for five yearsannounced their unanimous verdict of not guilty or no verdict on all counts. Five of the defendants were released from prison. Corner remains behind bars, pending a possible appeal by the state. The Filton 24 Defence Committee hailed Wednesdays acquittal as a monumental victory. In the face of a state witch-hunt, vilifying young anti-genocide activists as violent thugs and terrorists, the jury did not accept the prosecution case that the defendants entered the Elbit weapons factory with the intention of using the items they carried as weapons. Instead the jury agreed with the defence argument, that the defendants sole intention was to use the items, including sledgehammers, as tools to disarm Israeli weapons The jury understood that it is not those who destroy Israeli weapons which are guilty, rather the guilty party is the one that deploys such weapons to commit genocide in Gaza. As with previous acquittals of pro-Palestinian protesters, a jury has again delivered a verdict that reflects overwhelming public sentiment. Polling by YouGov in June 2025 found over half of Britons oppose Israels war on Gaza (55 percent), with 82 percent of these saying that Israels actions amount to genocide. This means 45 percent of UK adults regard Israels actions as genocidal. At the same time, nearly two thirds of the British public want the UK to enforce the International Criminal Courts arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the UK (65 percent). Labours backing of the genocideincluding Prime Minister Keir Starmers vocal support for collective punishment of Palestinian civilians and his deputy, former foreign secretary and now secretary of state for justice David Lammys defence of missile strikes against Palestinian refugee tents as not necessarily a crime under international lawmarks it a pariah government, fundamentally hostile to the democratic and social aspirations of the working class and oppressed masses worldwide. The Filton 24 prosecutions have been central to the Starmer governments re-casting of peaceful anti-genocide protests as terrorism. The Filton 6 were arrested on August 6, 2024, less than a month after the Labour government was sworn to office. They were held for 7 days by counter-terrorism police under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 (preparing or assisting a terrorist act) and under counter-terrorism police powers in the Terrorism Act 2000. That same week, four more activists were arrested under terror laws over the same protest. In November 2024 and July 2025, further violent pre-dawn raids by police resulted in 14 more people charged over the same action and remanded to prison, forming the Filton 24. Palestine Action was proscribed by the Labour government one year later, on July 5, making membership of the group an offence under the Terrorism Act punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment. Civil liberties group CAGE responded to Wednesdays verdict, stating: The decision made by the jury critically undermines the rationale used to proscribe Palestine Action and underscores the urgent need for that ban to be lifted. This case was the most significant test of the governments claim that acts of conscience against arms companies constitute a threat to public safety. An independent jury, guided by conscience and moral clarity, rejected that narrative despite extraordinary political pressure, ministerial intervention, and an environment shaped to shield Israeli state-aligned interests from scrutiny. CAGE concluded, The proscription of Palestine Action must now be lifted, and all those held as a result of this political process in prison should be released immediately. Lisa Minerva Luxx, a member of the Filton 24 Defence Committee, described the acquittal as a significant victory but warned, There are still 18 more defendants imprisoned across the UK in connection with this case. They are being held under joint enterprise which means they each have the same three charges whether they are accused of being present at the action or not. Now that the first six have been liberated of the most serious charge, Aggravated Burglary, and none were convicted of a single offence, it follows that the rest must immediately have this charge dropped against them and be granted bail. Luxx denounced Labours prejudicing of the hearing: This was a trial by media. Yvette Cooper and Keir Starmer took evidence in this case out of context and broadcast it on televisions and tabloids across the country in order to justify proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, despite forewarning that this will prejudice the trial. By acquitting the defendants of aggravated burglary, the Jury aligned with the defence case that the items taken into the warehouse were not weapons, but were tools used to dismantle and neutralise Israeli weapons. Now that a court of law have vindicated the first six of the Filton 24 of the exaggerated charges against them [and found that the actions against Elbit Systems that night were reasonable], we should all expect Shabana Mahmood to do the reasonable thing herself and lift the ban on Palestine Action. The government has no intention of backing down. Little more than a week ago, Londons Metropolitan Police violently arrested 86 peaceful protestors outside Wormwood Scrubs prison where they had gathered in solidarity with Umer Khalid, a pro-Palestinian activist on a hunger and thirst strike who came close to death. Even as rolling hunger strikes by prisoners threatened several young members of Palestine Action with deathincluding one who was reportedly skeletal Lammy refused to meet their lawyers or family members. The Starmer government has brazenly defended its proscription of Palestine Action. During a judicial review late last year, government lawyers insisted the home secretary had acted lawfully in banning a non-violent civil disobedience group for the first time in modern British history. A decision by the High Court is pending. Current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will respond to Wednesdays resounding acquittal of the Filton 6 by stepping up Labours plans to abolish jury trials in England and Wales. The midnight third shift at General Motors Oshawa auto assembly plant was eliminated by the US-based automaker following the completion of the Friday, January 30 shift. The ensuing layoffs affect up to 1,200 workers throughout the auto supply chain in the industrial belt just east of Toronto. Some 500 direct GM jobs in the plant will be axed along with another 200 third-party workers who laboured side by side with the GM employed assembly workers. In addition, across the supply line, it is expected that about 500 more auto parts workers will lose their jobs. Almost all are members of Unifor, Canadas largest private sector union. The layoffs in Oshawa are part of a jobs bloodbath sweeping North America, with major companies like Amazon, UPS, and Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, announcing the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs since the beginning of the year. This onslaught by the ruling class is fueling mounting opposition, as expressed in the mass protests in Minneapolis against Trumps drive to establish a dictatorship in the US, and major strikes by health care workers in New York and on the US west coast during the first month of 2026 alone. These developments underscore how autoworkers determined to defend their jobs against ruthless exploitation by the highly profitable automakers must link up their struggle with those of other workers in Canada and the US facing similar attacks. In re-balancing operations at its Oshawa plant over the remaining two shifts, GM will apply seniority rules. A small number of higher-seniority members from the third shift will be bumped to the remaining shifts, while lower-seniority members across all three shifts will lose their jobs. When this jobs massacre was first announced last spring, GM management, trying their best to soft-pedal Donald Trumps escalating tariff threats, announced that forecasted demand and the evolving trade environment were behind the impending job cuts. The announcement coincided with the company increasing production of a similar product at its Fort Wayne, Indiana facility. The Oshawa plant builds both light and heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks. The Oshawa layoffs came the same week GM reported more than $12 billion in pre-tax earnings for 2025, along with plans to hike shareholder returns through dividend increases and a $6 billion stock buyback scheme. This latest cash grab has only served to further stoke the anger of autoworkers now facing unemployment and, for those that remain inside the plants, increased exploitation. The Oshawa assembly facility employed about 3,000 workers in three shifts before last weeks cuts. Chevrolet Silverado light and heavy-duty trucks are the only vehicles assembled. Production of these pickups in Oshawa began at the end of 2021 after the plant was initially shuttered in 2019. At that time, 98 percent of the workforce was either permanently laid off or took early retirement. But with Silverado sales spiking across the continent and absenteeism still high due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GM began to slowly re-open the Oshawa facility with over-run orders that could not be filled at its Fort Wayne, Indiana facility. With almost all of the veteran GM workforce in Oshawa now off the books due to the 2019 closure, the company saw the opportunity to boost profits from a largely newly-hired workforce. These workers invariably came into the plant at the lowest possible pay and benefits levels mandated under the miserable multi-tier compensation system agreed to by Unifor and its predecessor, the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), in a succession of concessions contracts rammed through beginning in 2009. After the 2019 shutdown, Unifor officials, unabashedly acting like a labour contractor, had boasted about the profit opportunities now available from a new, low-wage workforce to entice the company back to the mothballed Oshawa plant. Standing squarely alongside Ontario Tory Premier Doug Ford, Unifor officials have responded to the elimination of the third-shift at Oshawa GM plant with a predictable call for stepped up trade war measures against the US. Ford has denounced Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carneys deal with China to slash tariffs on a limited annual consignment of Electric Vehicle imports in exchange for Beijing rolling back its tariffs on canola and other Canadian foodstuffs . For Unifor, Doug Ford, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), and the entire corporate-political establishment, tariffs are acceptable only when wielded on behalf of Canadian capital against workers in other countries. Unifor President Lana Payne recently remarked, We cant allow Trump to pit province against province, sector against sector and worker against worker. We need to stand together and hold the company accountable. This is balderdash! For generations, the unions entire approach to its relations with the auto bosses has been an unabashed nationalism, pitting Canadian auto workers against their counterparts in the US and Mexico in a fratricidal struggle for product placements and jobs. This nationalist policy, enshrined under the 1985 split of the continent-wide United Auto Workers (UAW) into competing Canadian and American contingents, remains the poisonous centerpiece of the auto unions on both sides of the border. Prime Minister Mark Carney with Unifor President Lana Payne [Photo: Mark Carney] Moreover, it is rich for Payne to lecture about the need to oppose division, when it is precisely her union that has taken the lead in stoking foul Team Canada nationalism to incite Canadian workers against their American counterparts since Trump launched his global trade war last year. Aiming to weaken Canadas economy, so it better serves Washington and Wall Street and ultimately can be annexed as Americas 51st state, Trump has particularly targeted auto, steel and aluminum, subjecting them to high tariffs. In response, Unifor has championed an alliance with former central banker Mark Carney and Ontario Tory premier Doug Ford. It has continued to champion the alliance as the Carney government, under cover of fighting Trump, has ripped page after page from the policy books of both Trump and far-right federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. The Carney government has imposed vicious austerity, massively expanded the military budget, expanded Ottawas drive to virtually abolish the right to strike, and ordered a restructuring of Canada Post under which 30,000 jobs are to be eliminated by 2035. The nationalist beggar-thy-neighbour approach from the trade-warrior union bureaucrats on both sides of the border was succinctly put by both UAW and Unifor officials as the end of GM Oshawas third shift drew closer. UAW Fort Wayne, Indiana plant bargaining chairman Rich LeTourneau, speaking like a company stooge, nakedly stated, When the company comes to me to increase volume, I'm not gonna tell them no, because its job security for my people, and hell, if I can corner the market, I will. In response to LeTourneaus statement, Jeff Gray, president of Unifor local 222 in Oshawa, saw it the same way. Whipsawing jobs is simply a shrewd business decision. What if we had the opportunity in Canada to increase our volume or get different investments? Of course, we would be after that, Gray said. Neither official cared to mention the years of wage cuts, speed-up and layoffs that have battered workers at both plants over the years as a direct result of the unions reactionary bidding war to secure investments and product placements. Gray later took matters a step further. He challenged the Liberal governments failure to act aggressively with retaliatory trade war measures, whose burden will fall first and foremost on American workers, and called into question his own national union leaderships longtime support of Liberal and New Democratic Party politicians. Further illuminating the ever-rightward path of the nationalist trade unions, Gray hosted Conservative leader Poilievre at a meeting so that the union officials could share their concerns. Right now, with the Conservatives being the opposition, said Gray, they'll take the opportunity to listen to us and put pressure on the government. We had high hopes for Prime Minister Carney when he was elected. We thought, Oh, he's going to get us this trade deal. Similarly, for the first time ever, a major Unifor/CAW local endorsed the Tories in last years Ontario provincial election, throwing is supports behind the re-election of the hard-right, anti-worker Ford government. The move by Unifors Brampton-based Local 1285 came in the midst of an ever-lengthening shutdown of the Stellantis plant in that city. Some 3,200 workers there have been on layoff since 2024, supposedly for a re-tooling for electric car production. However, last year Stellantis announced that a projected re-start in 2026 was now indefinitely paused with no new model assigned to the plant. The fallout extends well beyond Brampton and Oshawa. General Motors recently declared an end to production at its CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, eliminating about 1,200 jobs. At GMs Propulsion plant in St. Catherines, the workforce has been cut in half and now sits at 600 workers as the company has delayed a scheduled EV refit until at least 2027. And at Ford Oakville, management announced last April that it will delay the resumption of production at its assembly plant until at least 2027 due to another fiasco around retooling for electric vehicle production. 4,000 Oakville workers remain on layoff. During the 2023 contract ratification process there, thousands of workers were told to expect only an 8-month shutdown. Even then, the contract only passed by a narrow 54 percent vote, with a majority rejection in Oakville and a rejection by skilled trades across Fords Canadian operations. The foundation for defending all jobs and rehiring laid off autoworkers is the international unification of workers struggles across North America. Workers in Canada must repudiate the nationalist poison peddled by the union bureaucracy and mount a joint struggle with their American class brothers and sisters, many of whom are exploited by the same transnational corporations or are linked by supply chains across the border. This requires that power be placed in the hands of the workers themselves through a break with the nationalist, pro-capitalist union apparatuses and the staffs of high-paid bureaucrats who run them. The organizational means to accomplish this is the building of rank-and-file committees, as initiated and fought for by the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. Rejecting appeals from the ruling class and their lackeys in the union bureaucracy for sacrifices in the name of national unity, workers must advance through their rank-and-file committees a program of struggle to end the dominance of the financial oligarchy over their lives. This should include the defence of all jobs, the rehiring of all laid-off workers, massive wage increases to reverse the long-term onslaught on pay and conditions, and workers control over production so that social life can be organized to meet the needs of the vast majority of the population, not the profit lust of a tiny few. Juan Jacobo, second from left. [Photo: Teamsters Local 853] Juan Jacobo, a veteran US Foods worker with approximately 20 years on the job, was killed on January 21 while working in the companys distribution yard in Livermore, California, a major logistics hub serving Northern California. He died during active yard operations, highlighting hazardous conditions in the logistics industry and longstanding safety issues at the facility. As of this writing, the precise circumstances remain under investigation, but accounts from workers and union representatives confirm that Jacobo was killed in an on-the-job industrial incident involving heavy equipment. The Livermore yard operates as a high-risk environment characterized by constant tractor and trailer movement, limited visibility, and crowded staging areas. About 200 drivers are based at the facility. No major media outlet has reported on Jacobos death. This silence reflects the marginalization of workplace fatalities in corporate media coverage, which systematically underreports the daily toll of industrial deaths and avoids scrutiny of the roles played by corporations, regulators, and union leadership in failing to prevent them. Jacobo was not a new or inexperienced worker. His two decades on the job indicate a deep familiarity with the hazards of yard operations. This fact undermines any attempt to attribute the fatality to individual error and points instead to systemic safety failuresequipment defects, inadequate traffic controls, production pressures and the erosion of meaningful safeguardsthat can overwhelm even the most experienced workers. He leaves behind a wife and five children. In Alameda County, where housing and living costs are among the highest in the state, the sudden loss of wages, benefits and future pension income represents a catastrophic blow to the family. For Jacobos coworkers, the death has been deeply traumatizing, occurring approximately 10 months after the ratification of their first union contract, which was promoted as addressing workplace safety concerns. Coworkers expressed deep sympathy and remember Jacobo as a steady and respected presence in the yard, a cool cat who embodied the collective spirit forged during their 2025 strike. Teamsters Local 853 Vice President Ray Torres issued a statement on the unions Instagram account: Teamsters 853 member Juan Jacobo, who worked at US Foods in Livermore, tragically passed away on the job on January 21st. Teamsters Local 853 is holding a candlelight vigil for Juan this coming Tuesday, February 10, at 6pm at the US Foods yard in Livermore. If you can make the time, Juans wife and five children would take comfort in knowing that he was part of a community that respected and valued him and his work. Lets show them they are not alone in their grief. The statement made no reference to the circumstances of Jacobos death, offered no assessment of what safety measures failed, made no mention of the contracts safety provisions, and outlined no steps the union would take to address conditions at the yard or prevent future deaths. The response from some of Jacobos coworkers on the unions social media was notably bitter. Theyre only mourning because they lost union dues from him, wrote one. Others concurred. The Cal/OSHA investigation into Jacobos death is currently marked OPEN. An inspection had begun earlier in January. The probe is classified as a partial-scope accident investigation, focusing on the immediate incident and relevant procedures. Such government investigations are typically a whitewash which impose no serious penalties on management. Companies can negotiate reduced fines, delay corrective actions, and often resume operations with minimal changes. Moreover, the agencies tasked with carrying them out face significant resource limitations that affect their ability to conduct thorough inspections and enforce compliance. Drivers at the facility voted to unionize with Teamsters Local 853 in 2024 in response to years of safety concerns and poor working conditions. Workers authorized a strike on January 14, 2025, and walked out on March 2, 2025, maintaining picket lines for multiple weeks. The strike was explicitly fought for improved safety provisions, among other demands. A contract was ratified on March 12, 2025. According to the unions ratification announcement, the agreement included safety language that allowed the drivers to determine whether routes and trucks are safe to work, and authority to remedy safety concerns. The announcement characterized these provisions as badly needed protections that workers had secured through their collective action. Jacobos death occurred approximately 10 months after this contract went into effect. The question this raises is not merely whether specific contract language was violated, but whether the safety provisions negotiated by the union proved adequate to protect workers lives in practice. The fact that a 20-year veteran died during routine yard operations suggests that either the contract provisions were insufficient, inadequately enforced, or both. The pattern is not unique to US Foods. Following the 2023 UPS contract that Teamsters President OBrien hailed as historic, UPS has eliminated approximately 68,000 jobsa development the union leadership has met with silence. The contract contained no protections against the automation-driven job cuts that union officials knew were coming. At the national level, OBrien has aligned himself with right-wing nationalism, praised America First economic policies, and courted the Trump administration, presenting the union as a partner in enforcing trade war politics and domestic austerity rather than defending workers interests. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5,283 workers died from traumatic injuries and 135,304 from occupational diseases in 2023an average of 385 deaths every single day. California has seen seven workers killed in an Esparto fireworks explosion (July 2025, Cal/OSHA fined the company $221,000 for 15 serious violations), UPS worker Shelma Reyna Guerrero crushed by packages in Richmond (September 2025), and 19-year-old Brayan Neftali Otoniel Canu Joj killed in a meat grinder in Vernon (July 2025). Recent fatalities across California involving overturned tractors, dump trucks, trailers and heavy gates underscore the persistence of lethal hazards in logistics and warehousing. US Foods reported $37.9 billion in revenue and $494 million in net income for fiscal year 2024. While Jacobos family may receive Teamsters death benefits, no financial compensation can replace a fathers presence or decades of lost income and security. To prevent such needless tragedies, workers must assert control over safety. The defense of workplace safety requires independent, rank-and-file organization controlled by workers themselves. Such committees would have the authority to halt unsafe work, enforce safety standards, conduct their own inspections and link struggles across different workplaces and industries. This represents not a reform of existing institutions but a fundamental challenge to the subordination of workers lives to corporate profit. Kuwaits tightly controlled energy sector is opening up to international oil companies, as the country looks to raise output by a third within a decade. Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said this week that the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp. plans to invite foreign partners to help develop three recent offshore finds, part of efforts to ramp up output to 4 million barrels a day. The country is also weighing a potential $7 billion lease and lease-back deal for its crude oil pipeline network following similar moves in Saudi Arabia and the UAE in recent years. However, this is not a full-scale liberalization of the sector: International partners are likely to be offered service-based contracts, rather than equity stakes, for upstream assets. This week, Kuwait signed a deal with Frances TotalEnergies to carry out exploration studies, and handed a five-year, $1.5 billion contract to US services company SLB. Other efforts to raise output could prove more controversial. Tenders for the Durra oil and gas field which Kuwait shares with Saudi Arabia are due to be offered this year, which could lead to regional tensions given Iran also lays claim to part of it. Dominic Dudley Elevenlabs AudioNative Player New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks during a press conference with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in New York. [AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura] After spending an hour with the newly-elected Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani last November, Donald Trump described him as very rational and predicted that he would do really great things. Mamdani has not disappointed the fascist president. It has been barely a month since Mamdani assumed office as mayor of New York City. But in that short time, he has already accomplished a great dealin comprehensively betraying and repudiating the oppositional sentiment that propelled him into office. Caesar, in Gaul, came, saw and conquered. Mamdani, in New Yorks Gracie Mansion, has compromised, colluded and capitulated. The latest in an endless train of disorderly retreats came on Thursday, with Mamdanis endorsement of right-wing Democrat and New York Governor Kathy Hochul in the upcoming gubernatorial primaries. While still a lowly assemblyman, Mamdani described Hochuls support for the genocide in Gaza as disgusting and denounced her political agenda as Republican-lite. That was just two years ago. But in a statement published in The Nation, Mamdani, his disgust turned to admiration, justified his endorsement of Hochul by praising their shared commitment to government that is equal parts competent and trustworthy. Hochul, he wrote, has chosen to govern in the spirit of transformation, and he held up their collaboration as a model of effective government. Amidst all the political pablum, Mamdani didnt mention that more than 15,000 nurses have been on strike in New York City for nearly four weeks, demanding safe staffing, livable wages and basic workplace protections. Hochul, a millionaire stalwart of the Democratic Party establishment, has chosen to govern by playing a central role in efforts to break the strike. Even before the walkout began, she issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency to allow hospitals to import out-of-state nurses without New York licenses. Since then, hospitals have spent more than $100 million on scab labor, while striking nurses have gone without health insurance or strike pay. Earlier this week, hundreds of nurses marched through freezing temperatures to Hochuls Midtown Manhattan office, chanting, Vote her out! and denouncing her for putting our lives in jeopardy. Just hours later, Hochul extended the strikebreaking measure, underscoring her contempt for the nurses and her loyalty to the millionaire hospital executives and the oligarchs who sit on the boards of the very hospitals the nurses are striking against. Mamdani has staged photo ops on the picket lines while stabbing nurses in the back: working behind the scenes with Hochul and the leadership of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to shut the strike down. In endorsing Hochul, Mamdani has demonstrated his skill in slipping a stiletto into the back of a political ally. In the Democratic primaries, Hochuls main opponent is Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, who has selected as his running mate India Walton, a member of the DSA and former mayoral candidate in Buffalo whom Mamdani personally campaigned for in 2021. The endorsement of Hochul is only the latest in a series of filthy betrayals and maneuvers that have defined Mamdanis first month in office. Just 10 days earlier, Mamdani praised the police officers who shot 22-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant Jabez Chakraborty in Queens. Chakraborty, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, was gunned down by NYPD officers after his family called 911 seeking help. As the family was detained, interrogated and denied access to their wounded son, Mamdani chose to express his gratitude to the first responders who put themselves on the line each day to keep our communities safe. This was followed by a crackdown on a peaceful anti-ICE protest in Manhattan, where the NYPDs Strategic Response Group (SRG)long denounced by civil rights groupsarrested multiple demonstrators. Mamdani had previously pledged to disband the SRG. On Thursday, the same police agency arrested 13 nurses protesting outside a New York City hospital and a dozen faculty, staff and students at Columbia University protesting Trump and the actions of ICE. These actions have been overseen by Jessica Tisch, whom Mamdani reappointed as police commissioner as one of his first acts as mayor. A billionaire heiress and leading architect of New Yorks vast surveillance state, Tisch was central to the NYPDs crackdown on anti-genocide protests and the detention of immigrants in collaboration with ICE. The Mamdani administration is also planning major cuts in response to a $12.6 billion budget shortfall in the city. While posturing as an opponent of austerity, he has established a network of Chief Savings Officers (CSO) across city departments tasked with identifying spending cuts under the guise of efficiency. Mamdani has already agreed in collaboration with Hochul to shelve talk of taxing the rich, one of his main campaign slogans. All the actions taken by Mamdani since his election as New Yorks first socialist mayor are a continuation of the right about-face that he executed abruptly with his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House on November 21. At the time, the DSA and pseudo-left supporters of Mamdani hailed his embrace of Trump as a tactical masterstroke to win the fascist presidents support for the affordability agenda. What a fraud. In fact, Trump, an old New York conman, sized up Mamdani and understood what he was dealing with: another petty-bourgeois political flunky looking for a pat on the head. Mamdani wanted nothing more than for Trump to pass the word to the Wall Street power brokers that they had nothing to worry about. The Big Apple remained in a safe set of hands. Two days after Mamdani was inaugurated, Trump invaded Venezuela and abducted its president, Nicolas Maduro, who was transported to a federal jail under Mamdanis jurisdiction, in Brooklyn. He has claimed that he privately raised concerns about the operation in a phone call with Trump but has said nothing since. In his endorsement of Hochul, Mamdani wrote that the two have fought to protect New Yorkers from ICE and defended our democracy, These statements are lies. Since his meeting with Trump, Mamdani has refrained from issuing any substantive public criticism of a president who is waging war on the Constitution and implementing a presidential dictatorship. According to multiple reports, the two remain in regular contact, and Trump recently praised Mamdani for his budget plans, declaring that Zohran is finally being honest about how bad it really is. When Mamdani was elected in November, the World Socialist Web Site understood the objective significance of the broad opposition that propelled him into office. But it did not pander to the prevailing illusions. The pro-capitalist class character of the new administration would quickly emerge. But what will Mamdani do, we warned, when workers enter into struggle? Inevitably, the logic of class interests will assert itself. Mamdani will bow to the demands of the financial and political establishment. And so he has. Mamdani is conducting himself as a conventional, right-wing capitalist politician. In doing so, Mamdani continues a pattern set by his political predecessors. Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain, the Left Party in Germany, Jeremy Corbyn in the UK, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the United Statesall promised to break with austerity and inequality; all capitulated to the financial elite they claimed to oppose. Mamdani is distinguishing himself only by the speed with which he has cast aside whatever principles he claimed to have. Syriza took several months after coming to power in 2015 to repudiate its pledge to end austerity and impose the brutal demands of the European banks. Mamdani is matching Syrizas accomplishments in just a few weeks. Before it is all over, Mamdani will be exposed as the most miserable scoundrel of all the pseudo-left. But Mamdani has not been without a reliable chorus of political accomplices: from the DSA, which proclaimed upon Mamdanis victory, socialism wins!; to its affiliated Jacobin magazine, which declared that Zohran Mamdanis Victory Points the Way Forward; to Socialist Alternative, which published a breathless editorial declaring Full Steam Ahead To Fight Trump & The Democratic Party Establishment. When the WSWS refers to the pseudo-left, this is not an epithet but an accurate political definition. They are bourgeois politicians of the second rank, who function as critical instruments of capitalist rule. In social terms, they represent layers of the affluent upper middle class, closely tied to the corporate and state apparatus, seeking only a more comfortable position within the hierarchy of wealth and power. For workers and young people who voted or supported Mamdani, it is necessary to draw sharp political lessons. The fight for socialism requires a complete and irreconcilable break with the Democratic Party and the establishment of the political independence of the working class. The way forward lies not in illusions about reforming the existing system but in turning to the growing struggles of the working class and forging the revolutionary leadership required to put an end to capitalism, fascism and war. The intensification of the economic and tariff war by the Trump regime against China last year revealed a significant weakness in the position of US imperialism. It is now trying to overcome it as the preparations for military conflictregarded by many sections of the American intelligence and military establishment as inevitablecontinue. Through its dominance of the global supply of rare earths and critical minerals, vital for high-tech products, from phones to jet engines and weapons, China was able to hit back against Trumps tariff war by rapidly cutting off supplies. This forced a US backdown and the announcement of a tariff war truce for at least 12 months. But this did not mean the war was over. Far from it. The Trump regime is now desperately seeking to organise global supply chains that bypass China, to be in a better position to resume hostilities when it considers the time is ripe. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, welcomes Vice President JD Vance to the stage during the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting at the State Department, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026 in Washington. [AP Photo/Kevin Wolf] This was the purpose of the convening of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial by the US State Department and its head, Marco Rubio, in Washington this week, attended by representatives of some 50 countries. In his opening remarks to the meeting, US Vice President JD Vance did not refer directly at any stage to China but made clear its domination of critical mineral supply was front and centre. I think a lot of us learned the hard way, in some ways, over the last year how much our economies depend on these critical minerals, he said. His remarks focused on the failure of market mechanisms to promote the processing of these minerals outside China. Without blaming China directly, he pointed to a situation where a project is announced, following years of planning, and then overnight foreign supply floods the market, the prices collapse and investors pull out. But apparently the problems go deeper because in the US, even with all the incredible things that President Trump and the entire administration has done, some projects are struggling to attract investors. Declaring that everyone at the meeting was on the same team, Vance said the aim was to create a market worthy of the countries that depend on it. Rubio developed a theme which has been at the centre of the Trump economic agenda. First, mining was ignored and then run down, followed by manufacturing which was outsourced, and this had to be turned around because as Trump made clear from his first day in office, economic security is national security. On the eve of the gathering, Trump announced that the US would establish a stockpile, named Project Vault, of essential raw materials across the US that could be tapped by manufacturers in time of need. It will be financed with $2 billion of private capital and $10 billion from the US Export-Import Bank, the largest allocation of funds it has made in its history. The fund will buy key minerals, not only rare earths but other metals, such as copper and lithium, which companies will be able to draw upon for a fee in emergency situations. The development of such a stockpile, however, only has a limited effect. The key issue is securing continuous supply. That was the aim of the meetingto establish partnerships with the US and create a supply chain for some 60 minerals which the US Geological Survey has deemed vital to the US economy and national security, and which face potential disruption. Reporting on the outcome, the State Department said the US had signed bilateral framework agreements or memorandums of understanding with 11 countries. But significantly, they were mainly smaller powersthe tiny Cook Islands was oneand no agreements were reached with major European countries. In the lead up to the gathering, Politico, basing itself on State Department cables it had obtained, and the anonymous comments of diplomats, published a report indicating it is not going to be plain sailing for the US in constructing an anti-China bloc. For the European powers, Trumps attempt to annex Greenland in one way or another is a major bone of contention. Denmark, which controls Greenland, declined to send a representative to the meeting. One European diplomat told Politico that we are all very wary, and the framework of Secretary of State Marco Rubios plan will not be an easy sell until final clarity on Greenland. The State Department said reliable supply chains were indispensable to all the attendees, and that we must work together to address the issues in this vital sector. But given the actions of the Trump regime, there are major trust issues and a reluctance to take part. At this stage, the US wants participants to sign a non-binding framework agreement that would give it access to critical minerals. The template for the framework is the agreements with Australia and Japan and the language used in memorandums of understanding with Thailand and Malaysia last year. The agreement with Australia, which is regarded by the US as a vital cog in its war preparations against China, was signed during a visit by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last October. Underscoring the significance of the agreement, Albanese said it was an historic elevation of the alliance with the US which has been in place since World War II. Under the agreement, both parties are to identify and subsidise priority projects related to the supply of critical minerals and to commit to providing at least $1 billion to the development of new projects. The Australian company Lynas Rare Earths is already playing a key role, having established a processing plant in Malaysia. Lynas is now regarded as having the largest commercial facility for the separation of crucial heavy rare earth elements outside China. Processing of rare earths is the key question, for despite their name they are relatively plentiful in many cases. But the problem is separating them from other elements with which they are founda costly and often environmentally dirty process. At present, China has around 70 percent of rare earths but processes around 90 percent of them, a situation which has led to rare earths mined in the US being sent to China for refining. Not surprisingly, given Australias role, the Australian Security and Policy Institute (ASPI), a voice for the military and security establishment, hailed the meeting as just what we need. It said the calling of the meeting by Rubio was a clear signal that critical minerals have moved from a sectoral concern to a macro-strategic problem. And it identified China as the central problem, because as Trumps tariff truce revealed, concentrated processing capacity exposes importing states to coercion, supply disruption and strategic leverage. As usual in such presentations, reality is stood on its head. The coercion came not from China but from the US with the massive tariffs, aimed at trying to cripple its economy, introduced by Trump. What ASPI and other such imperialist think tanks find so galling is that China took measures to push back. ASPI maintained that those concerned with the shifts in US policytariffs and Greenlandcould argue against them while still working with the US to constrain China. Some states like Australia have signed on. The Philippine and Polish governments have also agreed, according to cables by both countries, cited by Politico, that were sent to Washington last month. Asian countries that have close trade relations with China are far from committed at this point. Trumps threat to impose a 100 percent tariff on Canada, if it signs a free trade deal with Chinaan implicit warning to othersand his move to re-impose a 25 percent tariff on South Korea, because it is dragging its heels on the framework deal signed last year, is making them nervous. According to the Politico report, Finland and Germany, both members of the European Union, have both expressed reluctance to sign on without clarity on the broader relations between the EU and the US. A January 15 cable from Finland said it prefers to observe progress in the EU-US discussions before engaging in substantive critical mineral framework negotiations. Germany has also expressed concern that the US initiative may bring potential retaliation from China. In line with the truce with China, which Trump is hoping will enable the US to buy time and ensure that it is never again cut off from critical minerals, there was no overt anti-China rhetoric from Vance and Rubio. It was all about international cooperation and collaborationdemonstrating the truth of the old saying that the devil himself is always able to quote Scripture. But given the importance of this issue for the US drive to subjugate China, one can be sure that the heat will be turned up against it, as well as against allies if they fail to come on board with the latest US initiative. Following a December ruling by the Victorian Supreme Court, the state Labor government has escalated its campaign to demolish 44 public housing towers in inner Melbourne and hand the land to private developers. Housing Minister Harriet Shing has announced a second phase, now targeting towers in Albert Park, Flemington, Kensington, North Melbourne, St Kilda and Prahran, adding to two in Richmond and South Yarra already earmarked for destruction. 12 Holland Ct, Flemington public housing tower in Melbourne The first tranche of five included two Carlton towers emptied in 2023 on the pretext that defective sewer stacks were irreparable, and three towers in Flemington and North Melbourne from which over 90 percent of residents have been forced out through an oppressive relocation program. The newly named seven are part of a group designated for older persons, housing extremely vulnerable elderly residents with many in their eighties and nineties. The announcement underscores the brutality of the demolition program as a whole, and the determination of the Labor government and its agency, Homes Victoria, to press ahead in the face of opposition. Elderly tenants were blindsided by relocation letters ordering moves from midyear, after being repeatedly told their towers would be the last to be demolished. Remaining residents in the first tranche now face imminent eviction. Their lawyers are seeking an injunction to prevent notices to quit being served on 30 households in three towers, while they prepare an appeal to the High Court in Canberra. But the legal path has repeatedly failed to protect residents. A legal challenge has proceeded for more than two years since the Labor government announced the demolitions in September 2023. Residents mounted a class action to block the program, only to be confronted at every stage by Supreme Court judges who sided with Homes Victoria and the state. The Labor government, emboldened, has stepped up the onslaught. In April 2025, Justice Melinda Richards found that, under the Housing Act, Homes Victoria need not consult with anyone before exercising its powers to manage land, and declared human rights under the Charter are not absolute, thus effectively subordinating residents rights when redevelopment and alleged legitimate ends are invoked. The Court of Appeals December 19 decision in Jason Mallard v Homes Victoria echoed that hostility: The judges lamented the lack of consultation, yet upheld the decision to demolish as pursuing permissible aims of replacing end of life buildings and increasing housing supply on the sites. In reality, independent architects have demonstrated the feasibility and lower cost of refurbishment. That has been ignored in the judgements, which have covered over the reality that the demolitions are not about increasing public housing supply, but destroying it in the interests of the property developers. Residents lawyers advanced six grounds of appeal, including procedural fairness under the Housing Act, Charter protections (including protection from arbitrary interference with the right to home) and exclusion of hearsay evidence tied to secret cabinet documents. But they were unsuccessful. One resident who attended the court case told the World Socialist Web Site, They abused us. We didnt get any consultation. No one consulted us. They knocked on the door and they forced us to sign the papers without knowing what we were signing. So it was unfair. On the relationship of the courts to the government, the resident added: Of course they are working together. You know, after they finish the court, or before they come into the court, they are connected. They all sit together. Ive been going to court a long time. They have coffee together, they stay together. You know, they are good friends. So how are you going to do bad things to your friends? The resident concluded: Unless we got all the documents, all the secret papers from cabinet documents, we couldnt win. When we didnt get those, we couldnt go on with everything, so we couldnt succeed, so it was a waste of time. There is another legal avenue available, which is being pursued through a High Court challenge. But the progress of the case underscores the futility of relying on the courts to block the demolition. That line has been advanced by the Greens and pseudo-left groups, such as the Victorian Socialists and Socialist Alliance. Together, they have presented the court challenges, as well as a state parliamentary inquiry that concluded last year, as the primary vehicles for opposing the demolition. The Greens and the pseudo-left have connected this to claims that the state Labor government can be pressured, through moral appeals and adverse publicity, to abandon the demolitions. As the mounting tally of evictions demonstrates, the opposite is the case. The more opposition is expressed, the more the Labor government doubles down. The real function of the illusion-mongering of the Greens and the pseudo-left is to politically neuter opposition and subordinate it to the very government carrying out the destruction of the towers. That is of a piece with the political character of these forces. The Greens collaborate directly with Labor governments, including in Victoria, on various policies. The pseudo-left, notwithstanding their occasional rhetoric, are tied by a thousand threads to the parliamentary establishment, including through their cooperation with the Greens and their integration into a Labor-aligned and corporatised trade union bureaucracy. An alternative perspective is required if the demolition is to be defeated and homes saved. That perspective must be not of appealing to the Labor government, but of waging the most determined political fight against it. Labors assault on the towers is not an aberration. It is a particularly sharp expression of its character as a ruthless party of big business, committed to making the working class pay for a deepening budget deficit and a broader crisis of the capitalist system. Residents must turn to their fellow workers, not the courts or parliaments. The struggle against the demolition has to be connected to the fight for the broader interests of the working class as a whole, against cuts to wages, the cost-of-living crisis and austerity cuts, including mass public sector sackings by the very same Victorian Labor government. A particular appeal should be made to construction workers, who will be tasked with directly imposing the demolition, as well as those public sector employees who are being forced to oversee it. There should be a campaign for a black ban and strikes on any work on the towers, until the entire demolition plan is overturned. Such a struggle can only go forward independently of, and opposed to, the union bureaucracies, which are partners of the Labor government and openly or tacitly back the demolition and its other pro-business policies. The Neighbourhood Action Committee (NAC) was established by residents last year, with the political assistance of the Socialist Equality Party, to organise such a fight. It has put forward demands for which such a struggle must be fought, including: Hands off the towers! Not a single resident to be displaced or forced out of their home! Refurbishment and renovation, not demolition! For a massive expansion of public housing! Billions for housing supply, not for big business and the banks! Housing is a social right! Every member of society must be entitled to decent quality and affordable housing, as a basic precondition for life. These demands raise fundamental questions related to the organisation of society. They cannot be met under conditions where every element of social life is subordinated to the insatiable profit drive of the largest corporations and the banks, which dictate government policy. They raise the need for the expropriation of the banks, the property developers and the construction companies, which make vast fortunes from a housing crisis that produces misery for millions of people. These businesses should be transformed into public utilities, under the democratic control of the working class, as part of a broader transformation of society to meet social need, not profit. That is the fight for socialism. New York City police arrested at least 13 nurses Thursday during Day 25 of the four-week strike by 15,000 nurses across the city. The arrests took place outside the headquarters of the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) on Manhattans West Side, marking a sharp escalation by the administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani as negotiations continue behind closed doors. The arrests underscore that the strike has entered a new stage and pose the necessity for a broader movement of the working class in defense of the nurses. Police action against healthcare workers fighting for safe staffing and basic protections demonstrates that the struggle cannot be confined to closed-door negotiations or isolated protests. What is required is the expansion of the strike and the mobilization of broader sections of workers to defend nurses and to provide the material support necessary to sustain their struggle, including full strike pay. Nurses were arrested after blocking the entrance to the hospital lobbying groups offices at 555 West 57th Street, where they had gathered as part of a strike action targeting hospital executives coordinating managements response to the walkout. Cops in riot gear, including units from the NYPDs notorious Strategic Response Group (SRG), were deployed to carry out the arrests. GNYHA represents more than 280 hospitals and medical centers and plays a central role in negotiations with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). The arrests were carried out under the authority of Mayor Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, whom Mamdani retained from the previous administration, asserting continuity in policing policy in order to reassure the citys billionaire corporate and financial oligarchy. Mamdani has recently publicly embraced a law-and-order posture, including praising the police shooting of 22-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant Jabez Chakraborty during a mental health crisis in his home. At the state level, Mayor Mamdani has aligned himself with Governor Kathy Hochul, whose administration continues to invoke emergency powers to open the doors for out-of-state scab nurses. This ongoing intervention by the state government underscores that the arrests on Thursday are part of a broader, coordinated effort by the Democratic Party apparatus to suppress the nurses strike and force a return to work on managements terms. Earlier in the day, NYSNA promoted a day of action, bringing in officials from the AFL-CIO, the NAACP and Democratic Party figures to join nurses on the picket line at Mount Sinai Hospital. The union highlighted tentative agreements on artificial intelligence protections and some local hospital issues, while continuing negotiations with hospital management at the Javits Center, presenting these developments as evidence that talks were moving forward. But recent reports indicate that NYSNA is prepared to accept a concessions contract, including its retreat on wages from 30 to 18 percent over three years, and an agreement on health insurance that creates a future committee to identify cost savings. The role of the union bureaucracy has been to channel nurses opposition into carefully managed protests and appeals to Democratic Party officials while insisting that the struggle remain confined to closed-door negotiations with hospital executives. In spite of massive support for the strike from the citys population, this strategy has left nurses increasingly isolated as hospital management, backed by city and state authorities, moves to impose a settlement favorable to corporate interests. The arrests of nurses were not an isolated incident. Just blocks from Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, police also arrested students at Columbia University protesting federal immigration enforcement, amid an ongoing crackdown on campus opposition that last year included the detention and threatened deportation of student activist Mahmoud Khalil. The proximity of the arrests underscores the broader turn to repression as social opposition intensifies in New York City. The events of Thursday make clear that the Mamdani administrations response to continued resistance by nurses is the open use of state force. Nurses cannot rely on appeals to politicians or negotiations conducted behind closed doors by the union apparatus. What is required is a new strategy based on the expansion of the strike, the provision of full strike pay, and the mobilization of broader sections of the working class. The ongoing strike by 31,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente in California and Hawaii, and the growing support for a general strike in response to the ICE murders in Minneapolis, demonstrate the potential for a broader movement of the working class against inequality and dictatorship. The New York Nurses Rank-and-File Committee, founded last week to assert democratic control over bargaining and strike strategy, declared in its founding statement: 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. This lithograph by American printmaker Nathaniel Currier depicts the landing of the American forces under General Scott at Vera Cruz, on March 9, 1847, during the Mexican War. (AP Photo) [AP Photo] As part of its America 250 campaign, the Trump White House on Tuesday issued a presidential pronouncement commemorating what it calls our victory in the Mexican-American War. The statement portrays the 184648 conflict as a defensive war forced upon an innocent United States by Mexico, culminating in a legendary conquest that fulfilled the sacred mission of Manifest Destiny that was beating in every American heart to dominate the continent. It celebrates the capture of Mexico City and the seizure of more than half of the neighboring countrys territory, in Orwellian fashion, as a triumph of American sovereignty. And it draws a straight line from the fields of Mexico to todays militarized border and a rearmed, blood-drenched Monroe Doctrine for the 21st century. In this way, the Trump administration enlists the crimes of the 19th century in preparation for the crimes of the 21st. Absent in the White House statement is any real accounting of why the war was launched, whose interests it served, and what followed from it. Above all, the statement ignores the experiences most elementary lesson: that the predatory war against Mexico, waged to build an empire for slavery, led directly to the Civil War, a great social revolution that destroyed the very slave system the Mexican-American War had been fought to perpetuate. It is a historical maxim that the plotters of aggressive wars do not fathom the revolutionary consequences of their actions. So it was with President James K. Polk (1845-1849) and the slave-holding elite in the 1840s who organized the seizure from Mexico of more than half its territory. And so it is today, as Trumps drive to extend US power ever more aggressively across the hemisphere and the entire planet unleashes social and political explosions that will not unfold according to the designs of the conspirators now falsifying the past to justify new wars of conquest. The White House pronouncements aggressiveness is matched only by its ignorance. The familiar warning that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it applies here with unusual force. Trump is, by every measure, the most historically illiterate president in American historypast statements have shown he does not even understand its basic chronologyand there is no reason to suppose that the circle of fascist ideologues and bootlicking sycophants surrounding him is any better informed. The America 250 statement bears all the marks of this gaping intellectual vacuum. The origins of the Mexican-American War are complex, involving the political histories of two countries, but the basic logic can be stated simply. This is to be found not in Mexican aggression against the United States, as Trump claims, but in the expansion of American slavery into Mexico. Well before the 1840s, Anglo-American slaveholders had poured into Texas, then called Tejas, seeking to spread the cotton economy into Mexico, which had abolished slavery in 1829. In 1836, the Anglo slave-holding elite declared independence and fought off efforts to recapture Texas by the central government of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, which had been weakened by bitter internal dissent and rebellion in other regions as far away as the Yucatan. The settlers victory set up the short-lived Republic of Texas. Few contemporaries were in doubt about the trajectory of these events. Texas was bound for American annexation. This was completed in the first year of the Polk administration. The annexation, in effect, ratified and protected the slaveholders rebellion against Mexican authority. But having annexed Texas, a war against Mexico then became the only means by which that conquest could be secured and extended westward. Map of the US from 1846, indicating the annexation of Texas and the disputed border region between the Rio Grande and Nueces River It was with this goal in mind that Polk ordered US troops under General Zachary Taylor into the disputed strip between the Nueces River and the Rio Grandeterritory Mexico still claimedprecisely to provoke a confrontation. When the inevitable clash took place, which Trumps statement characterizes as an ambush, Polk seized on it to demand war. Polks assertion that American blood had been shed on American soila claim that Trump recycles as good coinhas long been viewed by historians as among the most cynical casus belli in American history. This takes on its full meaning only when considered alongside its rivals for the dubious distinction: McKinleys promotion of the sinking of the USS Maine to justify war with Spain in 1898 and the seizure from it of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines; Wilsons use of the Zimmerman Telegram to enter World War I against Germany in 1917; and Lyndon Johnsons exploitation of the bogus Gulf of Tonkin incident to vastly expand the American presence in Vietnam in 1964. More recent years have seen the weapons of mass destruction claims against Iraq and the allegations of narco-terrorism against Venezuela. In each case, a manufactured or exaggerated pretext functioned as the tripwire for wars whose economic, political and strategic aims were already in place and would have been pursued regardless. In the case of the Mexican-American War, Polks actions were the product of the determination of Southern planters and speculators to acquire new territory, it being widely understood that the slave system depended on expansion for its survival. Moreover, the leaders of the Democratic Party, which dominated American politics at the time, believed that territorial expansion would submerge the explosive slavery question beneath a wave of national patriotism. James K. Polk The Democratic-aligned media had even developed an ideology that shrouded this expansionism in a quasi-religious and racial cloth: Manifest Destiny, coined by journalist John OSullivan in 1845, which presented expansion at the expense of the Indians, Mexicans and Canadians as ordained by providence. The war against Mexico at first appeared to fulfill these promises. US forces routed Mexicos unprepared army, occupying Mexico City in September 1847an event that Trumps proclamation celebrates. But even when viewed through the lens of military history, the triumph suggests its own star-crossed fate. The very officers who served together against Mexico would, little more than a decade later, lead the Confederate and Union armies against each other in the Civil War, among them Robert E. Lee, Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet, for the secessionists; Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman and Winfield Scott Hancock for the Union. Grant later recalled in his important autobiography brought out with the help of Mark Twain, For myself, I was bitterly opposed to the measure, and to this day regard the war which resulted as one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering justice in their desire to acquire additional territory. Later in the memoirs he also connects the Mexican War directly to the coming of the Civil War, writing: The Southern rebellion was largely the outgrowth of the Mexican war. Nations, like individuals, are punished for their transgressions. We got our punishment in the most sanguinary and expensive war of modern times. Ulysses S. Grant as president Even in its own time, the patriotic enthusiasm over the Mexican war, that wicked war, as Grant called it, was short-lived. Indeed, before it began, Polks ambitions managed to deepen the fissures that were widening in American society. Former president John Quincy Adams, the tireless opponent of the ban on reading anti-slavery petitions in the US Congress known as the gag rule, and the lawyer who defended the enslaved Africans who mutinied aboard the Amistad in 1840, led the fight against the Polk administration. Adams collapsed from a massive stroke on the floor of Congress on February 21, 1848, his last word No, a vote against a commendation of the generals who led the victory over Mexico. John Quincy Adams Abraham Lincoln, who overlapped for one term with Adams and served as a pallbearer at his funeral, also vociferously opposed the war, most famously in his Spot Resolutions, which demanded that the Polk administration show the soil was ours on the spot where the alleged Mexican attack on American forces had taken place. Polk was guilty, Lincoln said, in uncharacteristically harsh terms, of the sheerest deception. He feels the blood of this war, like the blood of Abel, is crying to Heaven against him. Later, in another speech, Lincoln warned of nationalism as a narcotic used to mask a war of conquest, which he described as military glorythat attractive rainbow that rises in showers of blood. Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes in protest, went to jail, and concluded that if the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to choose. Frederick Douglass, in typically direct fashion, condemned the conflict as a war for the extension of slavery, waged, he insisted, not for freedom, but for slavery, not for justice, but for oppression. Ralph Waldo Emerson offered a warning: The United States will conquer Mexico, but it will be as the man who swallows arsenic, which brings him down in turn. Mexico will poison us. Emersons prophecy was realized even more quickly than he might have expected. Gold was discovered in California just days before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, drawing tens of thousands of prospectors, tradesmen and entrepreneurs committed to free labor. California entered the Union as a free state in 1850, shattering Southern dreams of a slave empire stretching to the Pacific. Shocked at the loss of Californiaand the attack by northern barnburner Democrats led by David Wilmot of Pennsylvania, who had attempted, unsuccessfully, to block slavery from all territories taken from Mexicothe Southern elite demanded redress. They obtained it in the infamous Compromise of 1850, which paired Californias admission with an extraordinarily harsh Fugitive Slave Act, among other measures. Abraham Lincoln The compromise poured fuel on an already spreading fire. The Fugitive Slave Act nationalized the slave catchers trade, compelling Northern officials and citizens to assist in the seizure of alleged fugitives and provoking mass resistance among the people of cities in towns in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and other states. Vigilance committees spread across Northern cities, organizing networks to shelter fugitives, obstruct renditions and openly defy federal authority. In both its methods and its aims, the Fugitive Slave Act bears striking resemblance to Trumps ICE dragnet raids, mass deportations and concentration camps for immigrantsboth are mobilizations of federal authority to hunt down a targeted population and eviscerate basic democratic rights. And just as the slave catchers regime generated an upsurge of organized defiance in the 1850s that led to the Civil War, so today there is massive and growing resistance among workers and youth to the criminalization and persecution of immigrants. It is precisely here that the immigrant question opens back onto the larger history of the Mexican-American War itself. The people whom Trump vilifies as alien invaders are, to a significant extent, the descendants of those peoples whose lands and communities were split in two by the new boundary lines drawn in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo formalized the seizure of an immense expanse of territory, transferring to the US what would become California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming, while confirming the earlier annexation of Texas. No previous American war had yielded territorial gains on this scale. But the new border attempted to divide what could not, in the long run, be made separate: an integrated regional economy and a population bound together by ties of labor, community and commerce. In 1848, tens of thousands of Mexican citizens and Native Americans were abruptly transformed into conquered minorities within the US. Over time, far larger numbers crossed the same border linenot as invaders, as claimed by Trump, who has never worked a day in his life, but as workers drawn north by the relentless demands of American capitalism. Today, the principal prizes of the 1840s conquestCalifornia and Texasare economic giants with large, diverse working populations deeply interconnected to Latin America and Asia. Mexican and Central American workers live and labor alongside US-born workers not only in these states, where they and their descendants make up about 40 percent of the population, but across the country, from the Rio Grande to Minnesotas packinghouses and fields. The attempt to target them is a desperate effort to deny history and objective reality, and to reimpose national and racial divisions on a working class forged through nearly two centuries of economic integration. Trumps invocation of the Mexican-American War does not merely falsify history. It revives a political tradition that seeks to smother social contradictions with nationalism and war. History records the outcome of that experiment: the war against Mexico did not stabilize American societyit helped tear it apart. The same resort to chauvinism and external aggression today will likewise accelerate, not avert, the reckoning that is coming. PEMEX oil tanker passing through Panama Canal [Photo by Navigans/Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 On January 9, a Mexican tanker carrying between 85,000 and 90,000 barrels of oil from Mexicos national oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) arrived in Havana. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum said that Mexico would continue supplying Cuba with crude oil in the wake of the US seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Sheinbaum described Mexican shipments in part as humanitarian aid, and added that Mexican oil was especially critical to Cuba following Maduros capture. In fact, Pemex has for decades sent oil to Cuba, and in 2024 it ramped up shipments by nearly 20 percent to average around 20,000 barrels per day that year. By the end of January, these longstanding oil shipments to Cuba became another grounds for Washingtons ratcheting up of tensions with Mexico. Trump issued an executive order that directs the US government to impose tariffs on any country supplying Cuba with oil unless Cuba agrees to align sufficiently with the United States on national security and foreign policy matters. On January 23, Reuters reported the Sheinbaum administration was reviewing whether to continue shipments to the island amid mounting US pressure, citing three senior government sources who expressed growing fear that the United States could take unilateral action on [Mexican] territory if the shipments continued. On January 26, Bloomberg reported that Pemex had in fact backtracked on plans to send another shipment of crude oil to Cuba. That same day Trump declared on social media that THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA ZERO! while Politico reported that the administration was weighing a total blockade of oil transport. Mexican officials reported observing at least three US Navy drones conducting flights over Mexico's Bay of Campeche in January, following the routes taken by tankers when carrying Mexican fuel to Cuba. On January 28, Sheinbaum insisted that Mexico would continue sending aid shipments of crude oil to Cuba. She described the shipments as humanitarian in nature, and told reporters the oil exports to Cuba and other unspecified countries would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. After a lengthy phone call between Trump and Sheinbaum on January 29, in which Sheinbaum claims Cuba was not discussed, Trump signed an executive order branding Cuba as an unusual and extraordinary threat. In a further manifestation of the extraterritorial reach of the embargo policy against the Caribbean nation, it threatened that Washington could impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or supply oil to the island. In the executive order, titled Addressing Threats from the Government of Cuba to the United States, the US president mentioned Havanas relations with countries such as Russia and China, and stated that Cuba brazenly harbors dangerous adversaries of the United States. Cuba was absurdly depicted as a safe haven for Hamas and Hezbollah, just as Venezuela had been. In response, Sheinbaum warned that this latest measure could trigger a far-reaching humanitarian crisis in Cuba, directly affecting hospitals, food and other basic services of the Cuban people. She said, Mexico will look for different alternatives, obviously in the defense of Mexico, as well as to help the Cuban people in a humanitarian way who are going through a difficult time, all in accordance with what has historically been our tradition of solidarity and international respect. Mexico would make it known that a humanitarian crisis for the Cuban people must be prevented. Sheinbaum said further that Mexico will maintain its historical position of solidarity with Cuba, and explained that her government will seek to resolve the problem through diplomatic channels. To that end, she instructed Mexicos Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish immediate contact with the US government, in order to learn precisely the scope of the decree published by Trump, even though its naked brutality was crystal clear. US Representative Carlos Gimenez, a Florida Republican and right-wing Cuban immigrant, immediately denounced Sheinbaums position in a post on X, deriding it as a pathetic decision. This major betrayal will not be tolerated in the slightest, he wrote. He threatened that Sheinbaum had better keep that very much in mind ahead of the renegotiation of the free trade agreement, a reference to the US-Canada-Mexico regional trade pact (USMCA) that is up for review this year. No further oil shipments from Mexico to Cuba have occurred since January 29, nor at this time are any expected. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement Wednesday declaring that he was extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which he said will worsen if not collapse, if its oil needs go unmet. The islands eastern provinces were hit with another blackout Wednesday, with Santiago de Cuba, the countrys second-largest city, plunged into darkness. The Ministry of Energy blamed the blackout on problems at a local substation disconnecting the region from the national power grid. Power was restored early Thursday. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said last week that Washington is already in talks with major trading firms and banks to immediately move between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil stored on floating platforms and on land. The Trump administration announced its intention to reincorporate Venezuelan oil into international markets, a move that could reshape the global energy map and economically threaten Mexico, which is currently a principal supplier to the US. George Baker, an energy sector analyst based in Houston and the editor of the specialized newsletter Mexico Energy Intelligence, told the digital publication Animal Politico that Mexico is especially vulnerable in light of the US machinations. Baker warned that Mexico is at risk of losing its second-place position (Canada is the top supplier) as a source of crude oil supply to the United States, due to the likely advance of PDVSA, Venezuelas national oil company that has been restricted for years due to financial and operational problems. Rhetorical lamentations, limited humanitarian aid and nationalist Mexico first rationalizations serve merely as a cloak to conceal the naked defense by the Sheinbaum administration of the profit interests of the Mexican capitalist class. Expecting major windfalls, the Mexican ruling elite has long agreed to become a key partner in US imperialisms drive to recolonize Latin Americaa policy whose catastrophic consequences in Venezuela and now Cuba are only a warning of what is to come, including within Mexico itself. The move gives Lenzing access to TreeToTextiles patented technology platform, designed for large-scale cellulosic fibre production, and strengthens its position in the wood-based specialty fibre sector. Following this stake acquisition, Lenzing intends to increase output at TreeToTextiles demonstration plant in Nymolla, Sweden, and begin preparations for an industrial-scale facility. The company anticipates closer collaboration as a result of the deal. Lenzing Group chief operating officer Georg Kasperkovitz said: TreeToTextile is among the worlds most advanced nextgeneration fiber technologies and represents the most promising development on the market. Since our initial investment in 2025, the collaboration between the innovative TreeToTextile team and Lenzings fibre experts has enabled significant technological progress. We are fully committed to the joint scaleup and commercialisation. H&M Group, Inter IKEA Group, and Stora Enso, will continue to support this path as minority shareholders, contributing valuable market and consumer perspectives. The TreeToTextile process follows previous advances in cellulosic fibre manufacturing, such as viscose from the early 20th century and Lyocell, developed by Lenzing in the 1990s. According to Lenzing, the technology offers advantages in sustainability and cost while serving both textile and nonwoven markets. LSCS Invest remains a shareholder and continues its support since TreeToTextiles founding. TreeToTextile CEO Dr Roxana Barbieru said: Innovation at industrial scale requires time, expertise, and strong partnerships. Lenzing Groups increased ownership is a clear endorsement of our technology and our ambition to become a major player in the global fibre market. The deal follows Lenzings announcement in December 2025 that Rohit Aggarwal, managing board member and CEO, will step down for personal reasons, effective 31 January 2026. After Aggarwals departure, a three-member managing board will lead Lenzing. "Lenzing acquires controlling stake in Swedens TreeToTextile " was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. By Sherin Sunny and Roshan Thomas Feb 5 (Reuters) - Australia's Maas Group said on Thursday it would sell its building materials division for up to A$1.70 billion ($1.19 billion) to pivot towards artificial intelligence-related infrastructure, sending its shares crashing more than 26%. The divestment is part of the Australian construction materials, equipment and services provider's broader shift towards data center construction, a sector that has attracted investor interest as demand grows for AI support systems. Maas Group will sell its Construction Materials unit to Germany's Heidelberg Materials' local arm, HMA, and invest A$100 million in Nvidia-backed AI infrastructure firm Firmus Group for a 1.7% stake. For Heidelberg Materials it marks the biggest deal since it bought Italcementi for 6.7 billion euros ($7.9 billion) in 2016. SHARES PLUNGE MORE THAN 26% Maas Group, founded more than two decades ago by former rugby player Wes Maas, is selling a unit that generated about half of its core operating earnings in fiscal 2025. Shares of the firm plunged as much as 26.1% in the steepest one-day decline ever, while the broader benchmark index fell 0.4%. Ron Shamgar, head of Australian equities at TAMIM Asset Management, said the market was surprised the company is exiting a strong construction business in Queensland, riding population growth and the Brisbane Olympics build-up, "and instead... going into the capex-heavy AI/data center sector". Australian data center landlord Goodman Group has already embarked on a shift towards data center development. Maas Group's A$100 million minority investment in Firmus comes after it secured an A$200 million electrical infrastructure contract with Firmus Technologies in mid-December. After the completion of the transaction, expected in the second half of 2026, about 1,140 employees will transfer with the construction materials business to HMA, ensuring continuity of operations, it said. ($1 = 1.4292 Australian dollars) ($1 = 0.8474 euros) (Reporting by Sherin Sunny and Roshan Thomas in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Alan Barona, Rashmi Aich and Jan Harvey) Worlds richest person Elon Musk set off a wave of reactions this week after posting a short but heavy message on X: Whoever said money can't buy happiness really knew what they were talking about, followed by a sad face emoji. Billionaire investor Mark Cuban quickly weighed in on the broader meaning behind it. Coming from the world's richest person, the post quickly went viral, pulling in more than 90 million views and sparking a mix of concern, criticism, and reflection. The timing only added to the intrigue. Musk recently crossed an unprecedented wealth milestone, and yet his post suggested that even extreme financial success hasn't translated into personal contentment. For many observers, the contrast was striking. Don't Miss: Cuban Says Money Doesn't Change You, It Amplifies You If you were happy when you were poor, you will be insanely happy if you get rich, Cuban wrote, quoting Musk's post. If you were miserable, you will stay miserable, just with a lot less financial stress. If you were happy when you were poor, you will be insanely happy if you get rich. If you were miserable, you will stay miserable, just with a lot less financial stress https://t.co/E3WoNYudTb Cuban's point was simple: money removes pressure, but it doesn't fix what's already broken. Trending: 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. That perspective is notable given Cuban's longrunning respect for Musk as a builder and risktaker. What I respect most about you is that you go all in with your own money for your startups, Cuban praised Musk last year for personally funding his companies. Most people don't have the balls to do it. Even with that admiration, Cuban hasn't hesitated to challenge Musk publicly when he disagrees. Musk has not expanded on his original comment. Still, the reaction to it highlights a growing public fascination with the emotional cost of extreme success, especially when it comes from people who seem to have everything. Musk Becomes The First Person Worth $800 Billion Musk recently became the first person ever worth more than $800 billion after SpaceX merged with his AI and social media company, xAI. Forbes estimates the deal valued the combined business at $1.25 trillion and boosted Musk's wealth by about $84 billion, pushing his net worth to a record $852 billion. Fans of One Piece are super excited as they count down to Chapter 1174s release. With every new chapter, Eiichiro Odas iconic manga keeps upping the ante. Thus, the readers are globally eager and buzzing with excitement about whats next. Heres a rundown of all the essential info you need about One Piece Chapter 1174, such as its release date, time, and the official sites where you can read the chapter online. When is the One Piece Chapter 1174 release date and time? The anticipated release date for One Piece Chapter 1174 is set for Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 10 AM ET. With no breaks slowing things down this week, the One Piece manga is sticking to its usual schedule, meaning Chapter 1174 is right on track. Fans wont have to wait much longer, and excitement is already building as the next chapters release draws closer. Advertisement Advertisement Below are the expected release times across various international time zones: 7 AM PT 9 AM CT 10 AM ET For readers in Japan, One Piece Chapter 1174 is set to drop on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. JST, marking the official start of another thrilling chapter. Where to read the One Piece Manga with Chapter 1174? Fans eager to read One Piece Chapter 1174 can access it through several official and trusted platforms, ensuring a smooth and timely reading experience. MANGA Plus by Shueisha is a fantastic choice for global readers, as it publishes each new chapter at the same time as its official release in Japan, enabling fans around the world to remain completely current with the narrative. Advertisement Advertisement For those outside of Japan, Viz Media acts as a dependable option, offering free access to the most recent three chapters. A small subscription fee then opens up the entire One Piece series for seamless reading. Shonen Jump+, mainly aimed at Japanese audiences, grants instant access to the latest chapter along with the full One Piece manga collection. Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a New Mexico grand jury on child sex abuse charges, prosecutors said Friday. The 68-year-old Emmy-winning actor and director was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child under 13, the Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office said in a statement. The charges are third-degree felonies, which carry a sentence of six years' imprisonment followed by a parole term of at least five years. This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial, the statement said, adding that no further information would be released at this time. Advertisement Advertisement Busfield turned himself in to authorities in New Mexico last month after an arrest warrant was issued by the Albuquerque Police Department alleging he abused 11-year-old twin boys on a film set. He was booked into jail on two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse. He has denied the charges. A New Mexico judge ordered him released while he awaits trial. Larry Stein, an attorney for Busfield, said that the indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich, Stein said in a statement to Yahoo. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial. Advertisement Advertisement This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law, he added. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court where evidence matters not behind closed doors. Busfield is best known for his TV roles on The West Wing and Thirtysomething and in the movie Field of Dreams. He has been married to Melissa Gilbert, who starred in Little House on the Prairie, since 2013. What are the allegations against Busfield? Timothy Busfield arrives for a pretrial hearing in Albuquerque, N.M., on Jan. 20. (Sam Wasson via Getty Images) According to the indictment filed in Bernalillo Countys 2nd Judicial District Court on Friday, Busfield allegedly "touched or applied force" to the penis or buttocks of one of the boys on four separate occasions between Oct. 19, 2022, and May 30, 2024. The minors are not identified in court documents. Advertisement Advertisement According to the criminal complaint filed in support of the warrant, an investigation into Busfield began in November 2024 when a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted police about suspected sexual abuse of the twin boys. On the set, Busfield would tell the boys to call him Uncle Tim, according to the complaint. When the mother of the boys asked if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable, the children responded by asking, You mean like Uncle Tim? At the time of the initial investigation, the boys said that Busfield would tickle them but did not disclose any sexual contact, and police determined that the case did not meet their acceptance criteria. In October 2025, the mother reported to Child Protective Services that both of her children disclosed that they had been sexually abused by Busfield. Advertisement Advertisement One of the children told a forensic child interviewer that the alleged abuse first occurred when he was 7 years old. The child said that Busfield touched him five or six times over his clothing in his poop and pee area. The child described a similar incident when he was 8 years old, in which Busfield touched him in the same areas over his clothing three or four times. He said he was afraid to tell anyone because Tim was the director, and he feared Tim would get mad at him, the complaint states. According to the complaint, the boy previously told a therapist he was having nightmares about the director touching him and waking up scared. The boy also disclosed that the director had touched and rubbed his penis 3 or 4 times and appeared to be ashamed. The other boy told the forensic child interviewer that Busfield started touching them for the first two years they were on set. He said the touching occurred as they were filming in the house and that he did not like being touched but did not say anything because he did not want to get in trouble. He did not say he had been touched in the genital area. Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys for Warner Bros. Television, which produced The Cleaning Lady, told police that in February 2025, the studio conducted an independent investigation into allegations that Busfield kissed a minor male actor on the face in a makeup trailer but could not find evidence to support the claims. What did Busfield tell police? Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield attend the Monte Carlo TV Festival in Monaco in 2023. (Pascal Le Segretain via Getty Images) Busfield denied the allegations when he spoke with investigators in November 2025. During a phone interview with police, Busfield was asked if he ever had any physical contact with these boys and if he ever picked them up and tickled them, according to the criminal complaint. He said it was highly likely because, as a director, he wanted to foster a playful environment. Advertisement Advertisement I dont remember it, Busfield said, according to the complaint. If it happened, I dont remember overtly tickling the boys ever, but it wouldnt be uncommon for me. Busfield and Gilbert told police that they had a relationship with the alleged victims and their family outside of work. The couple advised that they did buy the two boys Christmas gifts and were together on several social functions, per the complaint. Busfield said that the boys were eventually replaced by another child actor on the show and that he was told by another actor that their mother wanted revenge on him for not bringing her kids back for the final season. Albuquerque Police Officer Marvin Brown, who investigated the claims, concluded that Busfield used his position as a director to commit the alleged crimes. Advertisement Advertisement In my training and experience, pedophiles often infiltrate families under a trusted role, like Timothy, who, as a producer, exploited the hectic film sets to tickle and touch [the boy] on his penis and buttocks, masking it as play, Brown wrote in a conclusion to the complaint attached to the arrest warrant. He would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness, making [the boy] feel special and dependent classic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy, Brown continued. This dual tactic, charming parents while secretly violating the child, builds a web of complicity that is hard to unravel, delaying detection, as families trust the abusers facade. New abuse claims presented in court Attorney Larry Stein and Melissa Gilbert, wife of director and actor Timothy Busfield, react after a judge granted Busfield a pre-trial release. (Sam Wasson via Getty Images) A pretrial motion filed by prosecutors outlined other allegations of sexual abuse against Busfield, including a new accusation from the parents of a 16-year-old girl. The alleged incident occurred several years ago at B Street Theatre in Sacramento, Calif., according to the filing. While auditioning for [Busfield] at B Street Theatre, the 16-year-old reported that [Busfield] kissed her and put his hands down her pants and touched her privates, the newly filed motion alleges. Busfield founded B Street Theatre, originally called Theatre for Children, in 1986. Advertisement Advertisement The actor begged the family to hold off on reporting the alleged incident to police if he received therapy, and the girls father, who is a therapist, agreed, according to the filing. During a detention hearing, Bernalillo County Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch cited another new allegation from Claudia Christian, an actress who reported that when she was running lines with Busfield in his trailer on the set of the 1991 film Strays, he forcibly grabbed her, threw her against a wall and started kissing her. Brandenburg-Koch said that Christian ran out of the trailer and told an assistant director, who kept Busfield away from her for the remainder of the filming. What else has Busfield said about the case? In a video taken at his lawyers office shortly before he turned himself in on Jan. 13, Busfield said he drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque to confront these lies. Advertisement Advertisement Im sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque Im here now, he said in the video, which was published by TMZ. I got the call Friday night. I had to get a lawyer. Saturday, I got in the car and drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. Theyre all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys, and Im gonna fight it, Busfield continued. Im gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong. King Charles' younger brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and his former spouse, Sarah Ferguson, have officially vacated their former residence after being evicted from the property by the British monarch amid the ongoing backlash over their relationship with alleged pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. According to the BBC, Andrew, 65who was stripped of all his remaining royal titles in October 2025left his longtime home, Royal Lodge, on Feb. 2, with royal sources stating that he has taken up temporary residence at a property on the royal family's Sandringham estate in Norfolk. He will live in that home, which is located on a property known as Wood Farm, while renovations are carried out on his permanent residence at Marsh Farm, which is described as being "more modest." Advertisement Advertisement The BBC reports that Andrew will likely return to Royal Lodge in the coming weeks to collect the remainder of his belongings. Meanwhile, mystery surrounds the future of Andrew's former spouse, Sarah, who had been living with him at Royal Lodge for years, despite their divorce. Some sources have suggested that she is in the midst of hunting for her own home in Windsor, where Royal Lodge is located, while other insiders have said that she is considering moving into an annex in the Oxfordshire mansion owned by her daughter, Princess Beatrice, and son-in-law, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Other reports have claimed that Sarah will be spending time overseas for the next few weeks while she figures out her best options. King Charles' younger brother Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and his former spouse, Sarah Ferguson, have officially vacated their former residence after being evicted from the property by the British monarch. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) The former couple lived in Royal Lodge virtually rent-free for 20 years. (Getty Images) Addressing the speculation, her spokesperson told People that Sarah has not yet decided where to reside, revealing: "She is assessing a number of options currently, and no final decision has been made." Advertisement Advertisement Andrew and his former spouse spent 20 years residing rent-free in the extravagant mansion, an arrangement that has sparked outcry among royal insiders. According to Andrew's lease agreement, which was obtained by The Times of London, he paid around $1.3 million when he moved into the home and a further $9.9 million to renovate the property. That lease laid out details of the "peppercorn" arrangement that Andrew agreed to when he moved into the homewhich was bestowed upon him by his mothernoting that he had only paid a nominal amount annually if it was "demanded" of him. The lease agreement runs through 2078 and applied to Andrew and his family, according to the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement The former couple's exit from the storied property comes amid renewed scandal over their alleged involvement with Epstein, after the Department of Justice released a trove of new images and documents pertaining to the Epstein caseincluding a photograph of Andrew standing over a woman lying on the floor. That same document release also included emails sent to Epstein by Sarah in which the former Duchess of York made a crude comment about her daughter, Princess Eugenie, who was just 19 at the time. While Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, he is facing fresh calls to submit to questioning by authorities in light of the latest release. It was first reported Oct. 26 that Andrew had agreed to leave the property, with the initial suggestion that he would relocate to the nearby Frogmore Cottage, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle previously lived. Advertisement Advertisement It was later confirmed that Andrew would be moved to the royal family's longtime Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which served as the treasured country retreat to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The move will be privately funded by King Charles. Buckingham Palace announced that Andrew would be evicted from Royal Lodge at the same time it was revealed he was being stripped of his remaining royal titlesa move that some say was engineered by Prince William. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) While Andrew has moved to the royal family estate at Sandringham, sources have claimed Sarah is considering moving into an annex of her daughter Princess Beatrice's marital mansion. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images) "His Majesty has today initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew," the October announcement statement read, according to the BBC. "Prince Andrew will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. "His lease on Royal Lodge has, to date, provided him with legal protection to continue in residence. Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation." Although no mention of Epstein was made in the statement, the palace alluded to the allegations that have been made against Andrew with regard to his relationship with the late financier, as well as those made by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who repeatedly claimed that Andrew had sex with her when she was underage. Advertisement Advertisement "These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him," the statement went on. "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." That news came just days after Andrew announced that he was voluntarily giving up the majority of his bestowed titles and honors to avoid the ongoing accusations against him from overshadowing the work being done by his brother and the other senior royals. "In discussion with the king, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the royal family," Andrew said in a statement Oct. 17. "I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majestys agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honors which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me." Advertisement Advertisement Multiple reports suggested that the decision to strip Andrew of his remaining titles was made entirely at the behest of King Charles, despite earlier reports claiming that Prince William had stepped in to force Andrew's hand with regard to his living situationby threatening to remove Eugenie's and Beatrice's titles. Journalist and royal expert Emily Maitlisthe same woman who conducted the 2019 interview with Andrew that is widely believed to have shattered what remained of his credibilityalleged that William had coerced Andrew into agreeing to leave Royal Lodge by threatening the drastic action. "There was a question over whether there had been ... a meeting between Prince William and the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie saying, Youve got to get your dad to move out of Royal Lodge, otherwise we will start reexamining the state of your own titles,'" Maitlis claimed during an episode of her "News Agents" podcast. The journalist went on to claim that "pressure" was being put on the sisters to try to convince their father to move, adding: "They are, at the moment, allowed to be princesses, but there was pressure being put on them. Obviously, you can see why Andrew, as a father, would want to keep his daughters happy and keep their titles in place." A well-known actor from a classic movie franchise can breathe a little easier. Daniel Stern has made numerous appearances as a supporting character in movies, but his most well-known might still be Home Alone. He portrayed one of two villains in the first two instalments of that film, Marv, with his partner in crime, Harry, played by Joe Pesci. On Friday, a legal case against the City Slickers actor was officially dismissed. Daniel Stern was booked for allegedly trying to hire a prostitute Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SBIFF Daniel Stern will not have to go to court on allegations of soliciting prostitution. The voice of Kevin Arnolds older self on The Wonder Years got a misdemeanour citation in December. It stemmed from an alleged prostitution sting in Ventura County, California. Advertisement Advertisement Daniels attorneys were on hand Friday in court to hear to good news. A representative for the Ventura County District Attorney told TMZ that Daniel completed his education class and earned a dismissal. They say thats the standard disposition for a first-time prostitution offence. It broke last month that Daniel reportedly tried to hire an escort at a hotel in Camarillo, California. He and wife Laure Mattos have three children, including a son, Henry, who is a Senator in California. News of this case dismissal comes one week after the tragic news that Home Alone actress Catherine OHara had died. The Schitts Creek co-star had trouble breathing last week in Brentwood. Upon hearing the news, the star of the first two Home Alone movies, Macaulay Culkin, paid tribute to the woman who played his mother in those films on Instagram. She was 71. Daniel will play Jerry Schiff in the upcoming movie Everythings Peachy, which is currently in pre-production. TELL US WHAT MOVIE DO YOU BELIEVE DANIEL STERN IS BEST KNOWN FOR? The post Home Alone Stars Prostitution Case Dismissed appeared first on Reality Tea. We came across a bullish thesis on Microsoft Corporation on LongYields Substack. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on MSFT. Microsoft Corporation's share was trading at $481.63 as of January 28th. MSFTs trailing and forward P/E were 30.14 and 29.94 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Gains 21% Since Cramer Said Had "No Idea" If There Was Any Weakness Pieter Beens / Shutterstock.com Microsoft Corporation develops and supports software, services, devices, and solutions worldwide. MSFT delivered a strong start to fiscal 2026, with total revenue rising 18% year-over-year to $77.7 billion, operating income up 24% to $38.0 billion, and GAAP net income of $27.7 billion, or $3.72 per share. Excluding fair-value adjustments from its OpenAI investment, non-GAAP net income reached $30.8 billion with EPS of $4.13. Microsoft Cloud, encompassing Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics 365, grew 26% to $49.1 billion, driven by surging demand for AI services and Copilot integrations, which CEO Satya Nadella described as fueling the companys planet-scale cloud and AI factory. Growth was broad-based across segments: Productivity & Business Processes rose 17% on Microsoft 365 seat growth and premium subscriptions, LinkedIn expansion, and Dynamics 365 sales; Intelligent Cloud jumped 28% with Azure and cloud services up 40%, reflecting higher AI consumption and long-term contract expansion; More Personal Computing increased 4%, supported by Windows OEM demand and strong Search advertising, offsetting slight declines in gaming hardware. Margins were impacted by heavy AI infrastructure investment, with gross margin percentage dipping despite higher absolute margins, while operating expenses rose 5% for engineering hires and datacenter expansion. Microsofts partnership and equity stake in OpenAI introduced $3.1 billion of earnings volatility, highlighting non-cash mark-to-market effects. Strategic initiatives include global datacenter expansion, cybersecurity integration, hardware refreshes, and industry-specific cloud solutions. Competitive pressures remain from AWS, Google Cloud, and emerging providers, and regulatory scrutiny and macroeconomic factors pose additional risks. Looking ahead, Microsoft guided Q2 FY26 revenue of $79.580.6 billion with ~37% Azure growth, reflecting continued AI demand and capacity constraints. With strong revenue growth, market share gains, and deepening AI adoption across its ecosystem, Microsoft is well-positioned to convert its early AI investments into sustained value, though high capex, competition, and regulatory oversight may temper near-term margins. NEED TO KNOW After Lil Jon's son Nathan Smith was reported missing on Tuesday, Feb. 3 in Georgia, the Milton Police Department announced a body had been recovered from a pond on Friday, Feb, 6 The police department said they believe the body to be Smith, and that there is no indication of foul play Smith performs under the name DJ Young Slade or Slade Lil Jon's son is dead after a body was discovered in the area he had been reported missing from in Georgia. On Friday, Feb. 6, the Milton Police Department released a statement on social media announcing that a body, which they believe to be the rapper's 27-year-old son Nathan Smith, was recovered from a pond. Advertisement Advertisement In the statement, the police department wrote that after Smith went missing on Tuesday, Feb. 3, officers determined that he "had left his residence under unusual circumstances" and search efforts began. "After being unable to locate Mr. Smith during that time, teams expanded the search to include a pond in Mayfield Park near Smiths Milton residence," the statement read. "On February 6, 2026, at approximately 11:53 a.m., divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department located and recovered a body from the pond. The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiners Office." According to the statement, there is "no indication of foul play" but it continues to be "an open and active investigation." "No further details will be released until the official cause and manner of death are determined by the Fulton County Medical Examiner and all investigative leads have been thoroughly examined," the statement concluded. "We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time. The department respectfully asks the community and members of the media to honor the familys request for privacy as they grieve and navigate this tragedy." Advertisement Advertisement A rep for Lil Jon did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. The Milton Police Department issued the missing person report for the rapper's son on social media on Feb. 3, noting that he was last seen at 6 a.m. the same day "in the vicinity of Baldwin Dr./Mayfield Rd. in Milton." "Subject ran out of his house and has been missing since. Subject left on foot and does not possess a phone. He may be disoriented and in need of assistance. Family and friends are concerned for his safety," the statement read. Nathan Smith aka DJ Young Slade and Lil Jon perform in Hollywood in March 2014 Kevin Winter/Getty In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Lil Jon's rep said, "The family is asking for privacy at this time." Advertisement Advertisement "We are also asking for continued prayers for Nathan to come home safe," continues the statement. "Thank you." The "Turn Down for What" rapper, born Jonathan Smith, shares Nathan with estranged wife Nicole Smith. Lil Jon, 53, and Smith tied the knot in 2004 and announced their "amicable split" in February 2024. In the announcement, they noted they broke up nearly two years prior. Nathan is a DJ and musician who performs under the name DJ Young Slade or Slade. He released his latest single, "Feels," in March 2025. Last year, Nathan appeared on MTV's Family Legacy and opened up about growing up with Lil Jon as a father in an interview with The Quintessential Gentleman. Advertisement Advertisement "Its dope to appreciate my dad, show respect, and just look at all the things hes done, and its nice to get the torch passed down and do my own thing," Nathan said at the time. "Because its like it comes from him, but also Im definitely taking it and making it my own." Read the original article on People BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) The Louisiana Supreme Court denied a request from Louisiana rapper Corey Miller to review his case on Tuesday, Feb. 3, stating he has already exhausted his available options in state court. The 54-year-old New Orleans-born artist, known by his stage name C-Murder, is currently serving a life sentence without parole at Louisiana State Penitentiary following his 2009 second-degree murder conviction in Jefferson Parish. According to court records, a 16-year-old was shot and killed near Platinum Club in Harvey, La., in January 2002. Witnesses identified Miller as the shooter, and he was later arrested by deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office. Advertisement Advertisement He was then indicted by a grand jury and sentenced. C-Murder has maintained his innocence over the years. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian and his older brother, rap legend Percy Master P Miller, along with civil rights groups, including the NAACP, have attempted to help him gain his freedom. Latest News Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Dutch Ministry of Defense Princess Catharina-Amalia, the future queen of the Netherlands, marked an important milestone in her military career in January, and now her mother is following in the family's Army tradition. On February 4, the Dutch royal family announced that Queen Maxima has enlisted as a part-time reservist in the country's Royal Army. "Queen Maxima has started training to become a reservist for the Royal Army today," the palace's Instagram post read. "She registered because, like other reservists, she wants to contribute to the safety of the Netherlands." Advertisement Advertisement A statement from the Royal House of the Netherlands further explained that the 54-year-old queen chose to enlist because "our security can no longer be taken for granted." Her decision comes as many European countries are strengthening their military defenses and also preparing for a future where U.S. support may be less automatic than in the past. Queen Maxima is shown during a training session with the Royal Army. | Credit: Dutch Ministry of Defense "Reservists play a crucial role in supporting the military," the palace continued its caption. "Now Queen Maxima has the rank of soldier. Upon completing her education she will be awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel." The age of 55 is the cut-off for enlisting, and the Royal House noted that this "played a role" in Queen Maxima's decision to sign up now. While other royals around the world routinely receive military training, enlisting as a queen is an incredibly rare move, especially as Maxima, who was born in Argentina, isn't Dutch. The queen hugs Princess Catharina-Amalia after her promotion to corporal in January. | Credit: Getty Images The palace notes that "like other reservists, she will deploy where needed," with photos of the queen showing her aiming a gun, rappelling down a wall with a rope and jumping into a pool in full uniform. On January 23, Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander's eldest daughter, Catharina-Amalia, completed her general military training and was promoted to corporal. Her proud mom was on hand at the ceremony, snapping photos with her phone and running over to give the future queen a long hug. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Getty Images Proving that you dont look your age when youre unproblematic, Queen Mary celebrated her 54th birthday despite looking at least a decade younger. The Danish royal family released a new portrait to mark the occasion, in celebration of The Mary Foundation. The Queen of Denmark looks professional and elegant in a bottle green suit, blush blouse, and delicate butterfly brooch in the portrait taken in March 2025 by Stine Heilmann. Queen Mary of Denmark was born Mary Donaldson in Tasmania, Australia. She had an unconventional route to the royal throne, meeting her husband at an iconic Sydney bar called The Slip Inn during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She assumed the role as Crown Princess, and later Queen, with a huge amount of public approval and affection, and has been hailed as a thoroughly modern example of a queen. Queen Mary wears a Scanlan Theodore suit. | Credit: Getty Images Queen Mary and King Frederik attend the New Year's Reception earlier this year. | Credit: Getty Images Advertisement Advertisement The Queen of the Danes has plenty to look forward to this year, with her first official trip to Australia since her coronation coming up very soon. The Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it as an honour to welcome Their Majesties The King and Queen of Denmark back to Australia, as he announced their visit later this year. While the itinerary has not been formally announced, were sure there will be a balance of diplomatic business and hometown pleasure. Were sure Queen Mary will find time for her favorite Australian traditions, like visiting Bunnings for a sausage sizzle. Despite being Queen of Denmark and serving the Danish royal family for over 20 years, Queen Mary is still an Aussie Girl at heart. For her 54th birthday portraits, she wore a teal suit from Scanlan Theodore, the self-described Australian Fashion House For The Global Woman. Queen Mary has been a great ambassador for both Danish and Australian fashion designers, proving she is a true global woman. NEED TO KNOW On Jan. 29, Chanita Seedaket Craythorne of Thailand was crowned the winner of this year's Mrs World pageant Her international achievement came months after she won at the regional level and qualified for Mrs. Thailand World 2025, which was Craythorne's first time competing in a pageant Prior to becoming a titleholder, Craythorne served as a government official, worked in politics and became an organizational leader for the global charity Save the Children It's been a whirlwind journey to the crown for Chanita Seedaket Craythorne, this year's winner of the Mrs. World pageant. The Thailand delegate was crowned at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino on Thursday, Jan. 29, besting first and second runners-up Mrs. America and Mrs. Sri Lanka. Craythorne's achievement as an international titleholder is made all the more impressive by the fact that one year ago, she'd never previously walked a pageant stage. Advertisement Advertisement She made her debut at age 37 when she successfully competed at the regional level in May 2025. Two months later, she won the Mrs. Thailand World pageant. From the local round to her recent win on the global stage, Craythorne, now 38, tells PEOPLE it's been "an amazing ride." Chanita Seedaket Craythorne at Mrs. World. Gilliam Photography "It was kind of like a rollercoaster," she adds. "This is my first time [competing]." Craythorne boasted a full resume of accomplishments even before she added Mrs. World to her list. Raised in Thailand and educated in the United Kingdom, she has experience working both in the public and private sectors. She acted as a government official at the Thai Ministry of Commerce, and later joined the political world as a spokesperson for the leader of the opposition in the parliament. Now, the mom of one has fully leaned into her philanthropic inclinations and works as a brand and media coordinator for Save the Children. Her work for the global charity organization actually inspired Craythorne to enter pageantry in the first place. Advertisement Advertisement "A friend of mine phoned me and said, 'I would like you to join Mrs. Thailand World.' The first thing I did [was laugh], because I never knew of the platform before. Then I researched it to learn about the Thailand version and the World version what they actually do or have been doing, what they advocated for," she recalls. She soon realized that competing would offer Craythrone an opportunity to speak about the intersection of motherhood and mental health, something that her work with Save the Children has made her quite passionate about. Pageants allowed her to turn the topic into more than just a passion; it also became her platform as a contestant. 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. Standing on the Mrs. World stage, once the judges narrowed it down to the top six finalists, Craythrone a mother herself jumped at the opportunity to talk about the well-being of parents. The emcee asked what she would choose if she could have any superpower, and she delivered her answer confidently: "Happy mothers. I'd like all the mothers to be happy," she responded. Advertisement Advertisement "It's something I truly am very passionate about," Craythrone tells PEOPLE days after her win. "Regardless of how difficult this pageantry process is, because I've never been in it before, that is my advocacy." Read the original article on People Investigators believe "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie's mom, Nancy Guthrie, is "still out there" as the high-profile search in Arizona continues without a suspect identified in the case, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Thursday. The FBI also announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Nancy Guthrie's recovery or the arrest and conviction of people involved in her disappearance. "Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there," Nanos told reporters during a news conference. "We want her home." A ransom note that investigators said they're taking seriously included a deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday, Heith Janke, the special agent in charge of the FBI's field office in Phoenix, said. The deadline didn't specify a time zone. Advertisement Advertisement "If a transfer wasn't made, then I think a second demand was for next Monday," Janke said. He said he wouldn't provide details about what the note said would happen if the demands weren't met. During the news conference, Janke addressed the people responsible for Guthrie's disappearance and urged them to return her. "You still have the time to do the right thing before this becomes a worse, much worse scenario for you," he said. Separately, an alleged impostor was arrested for making a phony ransom demand in the case, Janke said. "To those impostors who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation: We will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Nanos provided new details about what investigators have uncovered since Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen when she was dropped off at her Tucson, Arizona, home Saturday night after dining with family. Investigators believe Guthrie was taken from her home over the weekend and have been investigating her disappearance as a crime. Blood that was found outside Guthrie's home was determined to be hers, Nanos said. He added that investigators were waiting for analysis of additional samples to be completed. A doorbell camera at Guthrie's home was disconnected at approximately 1:47 a.m. Sunday, Nanos said. At around 2:12 a.m., one of her home's cameras detected what the system classified as a person, but Nanos said investigators and analysts haven't been able to recover footage of that from the system, and it's possible what was detected could have been an animal. At about 2:28 a.m., Guthrie's pacemaker disconnected from an app on her cellphone. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos exits the press room past a missing person poster after giving an update on the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie in Tucson, Arizona, Feb. 5, 2026. / Credit: Reuters/Rebecca Noble Detectives returned to Guthrie's neighborhood Wednesday to conduct some follow-up work at her home and in the area, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said. Nanos said the sheriff's department was showing the crime scene to investigators from other agencies. Guthrie was last seen at her home Saturday night after having dinner at the home of her other daughter, Annie Guthrie, and being driven home by her husband, Tommaso Cioni, Nanos told CBS News. Advertisement Advertisement The sheriff's department has said neither a suspect nor person of interest has been identified in the case. Two law enforcement sources told CBS News on Thursday that an FBI team was on the ground in Tucson investigating Nancy Guthrie's disappearance. It included FBI evidence recovery personnel, intelligence analysts combing through social media postings, hostage negotiators, victim specialists and administrative workers. Agents and analysts were also going through video from cameras collected in the area, interviewing neighbors' family members, friends of the Guthries and anyone associated with the Guthrie family, the sources said. They are also reviewing cellphone data to determine which phones pinged area cell towers, according to the sources. Advertisement Advertisement A 24/7 command post has been set up at the FBI's Tucson field office. The sources described it as a joint investigation between the FBI and the sheriff's office. Nancy Guthrie needs daily medication, adding more urgency to the search. Nanos dismissed the possibility that she may have wandered off, saying she doesn't have cognitive issues and her mobility is limited. Catalina Foothills Association board member Laura Gargano told CBS News on Thursday that while no one had noticed suspicious people or activity before, some residents were installing or upgrading home security systems and reviewing their own camera footage at the request of deputies since Nancy Guthrie went missing. Gargano described the neighborhood as a quiet area with typical desert wildlife, such as coyotes and bobcats, and said there's been no significant recent crime she is aware of. The neighborhood is in unincorporated Pima County under a dark sky ordinance that limits outdoor lighting and requires it to be directed downward. Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on the (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images) In an emotional social media video posted Wednesday, Savannah Guthrie said her mother's heart is fragile and that she lives in constant pain and needs her medicine to survive. Advertisement Advertisement Savannah Guthrie also spoke directly to her mother's possible abductors. "We are ready to talk, however, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated," she said. "We need to know, without a doubt, that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please, reach out to us." She also addressed the ransom note, saying the family was doing everything they can to bring her home. Savannah Guthrie appeared with her brother and sister in the video, and they all spoke to their mother. "You are a strong woman, you are God's precious daughter, Nancy," Savannah Guthrie said. "Mama, if you're listening, we need you to come home, we miss you," Annie Guthrie said. "We love you, Mom, stay strong, come home," her brother Charles Camron Guthrie said. Advertisement Advertisement President Trump said on social media that he spoke with Savannah Guthrie. "We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely," Mr. Trump wrote Wednesday on his Truth Social platform. "The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family." In a video Thursday night, Camron Guthrie made another appeal for the return of their mother, saying: "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you." "We haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward," Camron said in a post shared to Savannah's Instagram account. "But first, we have to know that you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact." Rodney Harrison, a CBS News law enforcement contributor and former Suffolk County police commissioner, told "The Daily Report" Thursday that he believed "the most important thing going forward is trying to identify what the motive is. Once you identify what the motive is, then you can be able to get a person of interest." Advertisement Advertisement Authorities investigate ransom note in disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mom, sheriff says The Dish Recipe: Try lemon pesto spaghetti for a classic taste of Italy FBI says deadline in Nancy Guthrie ransom note is set for 5 p.m. TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) The sheriff investigating the apparent abduction of Today show host Savannah Guthries mother said Friday he was frustrated that a camera at Nancy Guthrie s home wasnt able to capture images of anyone the day she went missing. Investigators have found that the homes doorbell camera was disconnected early Sunday and that software data recorded movement at the home minutes later. But Nancy Guthrie did not have an active subscription, so none of the footage was able to be recovered. It is concerning, its actually almost disappointing because youve got your hopes up, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told The Associated Press in an interview at the departments headquarters. OK, they got an image. Well, we do, but we dont. Advertisement Advertisement The frantic search for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie has entered a sixth day. Authorities have not identified any suspects or ruled anyone out, Nanos said at a news conference Thursday. Authorities think she was taken against her will from her home just outside Tucson over the weekend. DNA tests showed blood on Guthries front porch was a match to her, Nanos has said. President Donald Trump, speaking on Air Force One, said the investigation into Guthries disappearance was going very well. We have some clues that I think are very strong, Trump said, while en route to his Florida estate. We have some things that may be coming out reasonably soon. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators return to scene Investigators were back in Nancy Guthrie's neighborhood on Friday. The county sheriff's department posted on social media that they were restricting access to the road in front of the home to give investigators space. They directed media organizations staked out there to move. The Catalina Foothills Association, a neighborhood group, told residents in a letter that authorities were resuming searches in the area immediately. "I know we all stand together in our collective disbelief and sadness and greatly appreciate your willingness to speak with law enforcement, share camera images and allow searches of your properties, the president of the association said in the letter. Advertisement Advertisement The sheriff said Thursday that investigators have not given up on trying to retrieve footage from the home. I wish technology was as easy as we believe it is, that heres a picture, heres your bad guy. But its not, Nanos told the AP. There are pieces of information that come to us from these tech groups that say this is what we have and we cant get anymore. TV station receives new note The sheriff said he had no new information about purported ransom letters sent to some media outlets, saying that the FBI is handling that side of the investigation. Tucson TV station KOLD said on Friday it received a new message, via email, tied to the Guthrie case. The station said it couldnt disclose its contents. The FBI said it was aware of a new message and was reviewing its authenticity. Advertisement Advertisement KOLD was one of the media outlets that received a ransom message earlier in the week. Health concerns mount Concern about Nancy Guthrie's condition is growing because authorities say she needs daily medicine thats vital to her health. She was said to have a pacemaker and dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriffs dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com. Her conditions, I would imagine, are worsening day by day, Nanos said. "She requires medication. And I have no way of knowing whether theyre getting that medication to her. The sheriff acknowledged that investigators are not sharing everything they know about what happened. Advertisement Advertisement Thats not how we do police investigations. There has to be some control of your case, Nanos said, noting that authorities have shared more as the case proceeded. Pleas from family Savannah Guthrie, the longtime host of NBCs morning show Today, and her two siblings released an emotional video message Wednesday to her mothers kidnapper, saying they were ready to talk but wanted proof their mom was alive. Camron Guthrie repeated the familys plea in a video posted Thursday. Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We havent heard anything directly, he said. Its unclear if all of the ransom notes were identical. Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said details included a demand for money with a deadline that passed Thursday evening and a second deadline for Monday if the first one wasnt met. At least one note mentioned a floodlight at Guthries home and an Apple watch, Janke said. Advertisement Advertisement The kidnapping captured the attention of Americans, including Trump, who said he was directing federal authorities to help with the investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday that federal authorities are assisting Arizona officials, but she declined to offer details. It breaks my heart for Savannah and for her family, Bondi said. ___ Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Moriah Balingit in Washington, Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, Julie Walker in New York and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report. Timothy Busfield is determined to fight the child sex abuse charges against him, as his attorney recently made clear after the actor-director was indicted by a New Mexico grand jury. Weeks after he was granted release from jail pending trial, Busfield was officially indicted on Friday, February 6, stemming from charges that he had inappropriate contact with two minor boys on the set of Foxs The Cleaning Lady. Timothy Busfields Attorney Speaks On His Behalf Following Indictment Newscom/ MEGA Speaking exclusively with Deadline, Timothy Busfields attorney, Larry Stein, said that although the indictment was not unexpected, he and his client intend to vigorously fight the charges against the Thirtysomething star. Advertisement Advertisement As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich, Stein began. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial. The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the States evidence gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure, he continued. This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court where evidence matters not behind closed doors. Busfield Was Formally Indicted Weeks After Jail Release 2009 Kathy Hutchins / Hutchins/Newscom/ MEGA Per PEOPLE, Busfield was indicted by the Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, which are all classified as third-degree felonies. "As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," Bregman said via statement following the indictment announcement. "This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial." Advertisement Advertisement "The Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims across New Mexico," the statement said, according to the outlet. The West Wing Star Was Granted Release During His Pretrial Hearing Jordan Hinton/Image Press Agency/MEGA On Jan. 20, Judge David A. Murray decided to grant Timothy Busfield release from jail after hearing statements from both the defense and the prosecution. The conditions of his release included the following: Being present for all upcoming court hearings, prohibited from having any unsupervised contact with any minor children in this case," with instructions to not to have any contact with the alleged victims or their families, and youre also not to discuss the case with any witnesses. Judge Murray also addressed the prosecution's claims of past sexual assault allegations against Busfield that never resulted in any charges against him. Advertisement Advertisement There are no similar allegations involving children in his past. Theres no evidence of non-compliance with prior court orders. Rather, this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this Courts jurisdiction demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest, the judge said. Audio Released Could Work For The Defense In Busfields Case OConnor / AFF-USA.com / MEGA In an audio obtained by TMZ, the two male minor victims in the case were interviewed by police in November 2024 and asked directly if they were inappropriately touched by Busfield. In the audio, a police officer can be heard asking the boys a series of questions, including: "So, you know what is right and wrong, right? You know no one can touch your private areas?" One of the boys replied to the officer, saying, "Yeah, but he doesn't touch those parts." The other young boy added, "No, he's never touched me... never." Advertisement Advertisement These statements in the audio will prove to be crucial to the defenses case, as they also believe they contradict more recent claims against Busfield as well. Timothy Busfields Career Has Taken A Negative Hit NEILL J. SCHUTZER/2008 RAMEY PHOTO On February 4, Busfields career took another hit, joining a growing list of opportunities that have been stripped away. According to Deadline, his character on an upcoming episode of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," will now be played by actor David Zayas. Days after he turned himself in after a warrant for his arrest was issued, Busfields long-time talent agency Innovative Artists dropped him, per The Hollywood Reporter. On Jan. 20, it was announced that he will be edited out of the upcoming Amazon MGM rom-com You Deserve Each Other, where he was cast as the father of Meghan Fahy, who stars alongside Penn Badgley, Deadline reported. Additionally, NBC also decided not to air the Jan. 12 episode of Law & Order: SVU due to Busfield's guest-starring role. A New Mexico grand jury indicted actor Timothy Busfield Friday on child sex-abuse charges, according to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. Busfield faces four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. The case will be prosecuted by the Special Victims Unit of the Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office, and Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office. The Feb. 6 indictment comes weeks after the "West Wing" actor, 68, was arrested in connection with allegations of abusing minors. The charges stemmed from his time filming the television series "The Cleaning Lady." Advertisement Advertisement Between late 2022 and early 2024, Busfield allegedly abused two actors, who were 7 and 8 years old at the time, as they worked on the series, according to prosecutors. Busfield also served as director on the show. He has denied any wrongdoing. Actor and director Timothy Busfield is be eligible for release from a New Mexico jail as he faces charges of child sex abuse, a judge ruled on Tuesday, Jan. 20, during a pretrial hearing in New Mexico. The ruling was made during Busfield's first in-person appearance in a New Mexico courtroom. A tearful Melissa Gilbert, who was seated behind her husband in the gallery, quietly celebrated the judge's decision. During the Tuesday, Jan. 20, pretrial detention hearing, Judge David A. Murphy ruled there was no probable cause to show that "The West Wing" alum must remain behind bars due to a public safety risk. Murphy denied state prosecutors' motion and allowed the 68-year-old to be released of his own recognizance after spending a week in jail. Busfield's wife attended and sat in the courtroom. Timothy Busfield greets defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd, right, before his hearing. Busfield was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse on Jan. 9, according to a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY. A warrant for his arrest was issued that day. Busfield walked into the courtroom wearing an orange prison uniform and socks with open-toed slippers. He put on brown-rimmed glasses to read over documents with his lawyers in the minutes leading up to the judge's arrival. Busfield was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse on Jan. 9, according to a criminal complaint obtained by USA TODAY. A warrant for his arrest was issued that day. Gilbert previously submitted a letter in support of her actor husband and in it, called him "my love, my rock, my partner in business and life." Busfield takes notes during the hearing. Busfield and his defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd. Busfield reviews documents with his defense attorneys Amber Fayerberg and Christopher Allen Dodd. Defense attorney Amber Fayerberg talks with the director. Busfield looks on before his Tuesday hearing. Busfield's wife attends his hearing. Defense attorney Amber Fayerberg, Timothy Busfield and defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd listen as Bernalillo Country Deputy District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch, left, presents arguments. Alan Caudillo, director of photography for the television show "The Cleaning Lady," was called to the witness stand by defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd (not pictured) during the Timothy Busfield hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on Jan. 20, 2026. Defense attorney Christopher Allen Dodd presents during the Timothy Busfield hearing. An attendee wipes away tears after director and actor Timothy Busfield arrived for a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on Jan. 20, 2026. An exterior view shows the Bernalillo County Courthouse ahead of director and actor Timothy Busfield's pre-trial detention hearing on Jan. 20, 2026, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Melissa Gilbert supports Timothy Busfield in court amid child sex abuse charges 1 of 16 Actor and director Timothy Busfield is be eligible for release from a New Mexico jail as he faces charges of child sex abuse, a judge ruled on Tuesday, Jan. 20, during a pretrial hearing in New Mexico. The ruling was made during Busfield's first in-person appearance in a New Mexico courtroom. A tearful Melissa Gilbert, who was seated behind her husband in the gallery, quietly celebrated the judge's decision. Timothy Busfield gets 70 letters of support in child sex abuse case "The indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial," Larry Stein, Busfield's lawyer, said in a statement to USA TODAY Feb. 6. "The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the States evidence gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure." "This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law," he continued. "Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court where evidence matters not behind closed doors." Advertisement Advertisement Busfield's indictment comes just after he was removed from upcoming episodes of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." After being previously cast in a guest role, Busfield was replaced this week with "Dexter" star David Zayas, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY. Zayas will take on Busfield's role in Season 27 of "SVU," which follows detectives as they investigate sex crimes. Timothy Busfield allegations The actor, who is accused of inappropriate physical contact with two child actors, has maintained his innocence and argued that the allegations are an act of retaliation after the boys were recast on the show. Director and actor Timothy Busfield looks on before a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on Jan. 20, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Busfield surrendered to authorities on Tuesday, Jan. 13. TMZ obtained footage of Busfield speaking at his lawyer's office in Albuquerque before heading into custody. Advertisement Advertisement "I'm [going to] confront these lies. They're horrible," he said in the video. "They're all lies, and I did not do anything to those little boys, and I'm [going to] fight it. So, hang in there, and hopefully I'm out real soon." In several court appearances, Busfield, appearing in an orange prison uniform, has been supported by his wife, "Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert. What is Timothy Busfield accused of? Busfield's abuse of the child actors allegedly occurred between late 2022 and early 2024. One child alleged that Busfield had touched his genitals several times; both say Busfield touched them inappropriately and instructed them to call him "Uncle Tim." According to the criminal complaint, the children's mother reported the incidents to Child Protective Services. One child has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, and feared disclosing the alleged abuse because of retaliation from Busfield, the complaint claims. In 2024, University of New Mexico Hospital staff members requested an investigation because it appeared the boys were being groomed. According to the affidavit, Busfield acknowledged to police in a phone interview that the set was a "playful environment" and that he had probably tickled the boys. Production assistants told Albuquerque police that Busfield was sometimes touchy or unprofessional. Advertisement Advertisement In a new allegation, a motion for pretrial detention filed on Jan. 14 revealed that an alleged victim's father, Colin Swift, told law enforcement on Jan. 13 that Busfield sexually abused his daughter "several years ago" in California. The motion adds that Busfield allegedly "begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy," and Swift, "a therapist himself," thought "at the time that was the best thing to do." Contributing: Clare Mulroy, Brendan Morrow and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Espanol RAINN.org/es. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Timothy Busfield indicted on child sex-abuse charges NEED TO KNOW Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a grand jury, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced on Feb. 6 The actor, who was released from custody on Jan. 20 as he awaits trial for child sex abuse charges, was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child Busfield has denied the accusations. "I did not do anything," he said in a video message before he turned himself in to authorities on Jan.13 Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a grand jury. On Friday, Feb. 6, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced that a Bernalillo County grand jury indicted Busfield, 68, on four charges. Advertisement Advertisement The actor was indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, according to Bregman. All four charges are third-degree felonies, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. "As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," Bregman stated in the announcement which was shared on his social media account. "This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial." The Special Victims Unit of the Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office will be prosecutors on the case, per the statement, and Bregman "emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office." "The Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims across New Mexico," the announcement concluded. Timothy Busfield appears at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on Jan. 20, 2026 Sam Wasson/Getty Busfield turned himself in and was booked by authorities on Jan. 13, just four days after the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued a warrant for his arrest, alleging that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys. Advertisement Advertisement The district attorney then filed a motion for pretrial detention against Busfield, which sought to keep him detained until trial. Because of New Mexicos no-bond detention rule, defendants are otherwise released on recognizance (ROR), with or without conditions. On Jan. 20, the Field of Dreams actor was released with conditions while he awaits trial, following a two-hour pretrial detention hearing in a San Bernalillo, New Mexico district court. His wife, Melissa Gilbert, was in attendance and was seen crying and whispering, "Thank you, God," when the release was announced. After being released on his own recognizance, Busfield has been ordered to appear for all his future court dates and is not allowed to possess any firearms or dangerous weapons, consume any alcohol or illegal drugs, have contact with the alleged victims or their families, discuss the case with any witnesses or have unsupervised contact with any minor children. The judge also allowed him to travel, but he will be under the supervision of Pretrial Services in New Mexico. Timothy Busfield in New York on Feb. 19, 2020 Noam Galai/Getty Busfield spoke out for the first time before surrendering on Jan. 13 in a video obtained by TMZ. "I did not do anything," he said on camera. "They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies." Advertisement Advertisement Moments later, a rep for Gilbert issued a statement on the actress' behalf. "During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment," the statement read, in part. "Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected. Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield in Monte-Carlo, Monaco on June 19, 2023 Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Officer Marvin Brown, who issued the warrant for Busfield's arrest on Jan. 9, alleged that 11-year-old siblings were the subject of sexual misconduct by Busfield, and one alleged that the incidents began when he was 7 years old. The warrant, which was obtained by PEOPLE, stated that the victims' parents told Brown that the minors met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where he served as a director and they were child actors. The television show ran from January 2022 until June 2025. An investigation into Busfield began in November 2024 when a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted police about alleged sexual abuse after the parents took their children to UNMH under advisement from an attorney, per the warrant. Professionals allegedly suggested the boys "were groomed," the warrant said. Advertisement Advertisement Brown said the siblings had not disclosed any sexual contact at this time, but both claimed Busfield would tickle them on the stomach and legs. It was later determined that the case did not meet authorities' acceptance criteria. Timothy Busfield in 'The Cleaning Lady' FOX In October 2025 per the warrant, the victims' mother filed a police report and told Child Protective Services (CPS) that her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024." The mother told authorities on Sept. 2, 2025 and Sept. 22, 2025 that her son told his counselor that Busfield inappropriately touched him. Busfield allegedly told police that the parents were upset their sons had been replaced with a younger actor who auditioned, according to the warrant. Soon after, he got a call from Warner Bros., informing him they were investigating a complaint against him. Timothy Busfield in New York City on Feb. 5, 2020 Steven Ferdman/Getty 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. Busfield has also faced prior sexual assault allegations dating back to 1994, according to his warrant. Advertisement Advertisement In a pretrial detention motion filed on Jan. 14, Busfield faced another accusation of sexual abuse. "Another victim's father," Colin Swift, reported to law enforcement on Jan. 13 that Busfield allegedly had sexually abused Swift's daughter "several years ago" in Sacramento, Calif., per the motion. Busfields civil attorney Larry Stein told PEOPLE in a statement that the allegations "were never challenged, they were never proved, and theyre 25 years old." 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 Oil edged marginally higher after a choppy session as investors assessed the status of nuclear talks between the US and Iran. West Texas Intermediate settled above $63 a barrel, with markets reacting sharply to headlines tied to the meeting. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks had a good start, even as the Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran stood by its refusal to end enrichment of nuclear fuel, a major sticking point for the US. Most Read from Bloomberg The escalation in the Middle East, which provides about a third of the worlds crude, has added a risk premium to benchmark oil prices. Traders have weighed the geopolitical tensions against an outlook for oversupply. Still, futures in New York notched their first weekly retreat since mid-December as the US-Iran talks helped allay concerns over a broader conflict in the region. Prices also extended gains after data showed US consumer sentiment unexpectedly improved to the highest in six months, calming some concerns over an economic slowdown in the country that could lead to a potential slowdown in oil demand. Meanwhile, in trilateral negotiations with the US, Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange prisoners for the first time in five months as they sought to end their four-year conflict. Talks were making progress, with results expected in the coming weeks, Trumps special envoy said. Saudi Arabia cut prices for buyers in Asia by less than expected in a sign the kingdom has faith in demand for its barrels, although prices have still been reduced to the lowest since late-2020. --With assistance from Nicholas Lua and Weilun Soon. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2026 Bloomberg L.P. A grand jury has indicted actor Timothy Busfield on child sex abuse contact charges after his arrest last month in New Mexico, according to officials. Busfield is facing multiple counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, according to Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman. "District Attorney Sam Bregman emphasized that protecting children remains a top priority for his office. The Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims," the district attorney's office said in a statement Friday. Sam Wasson/Getty Images - PHOTO: Timothy Busfield looks on before a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse, January 20, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The "West Wing" actor was arrested in January and ordered released by a judge. Advertisement Advertisement The charges against Busfield stem from accusations that he inappropriately touched a child actor on the set of the TV show "The Cleaning Lady," which was filmed in Albuquerque, according to a criminal complaint. The actor has not entered a plea but denied the allegations when interviewed by investigators, according to the criminal complaint. An attorney for Busfield said the indictment was "not unexpected," in a statement to ABC News. Actor Timothy Busfield faces new assault claim from 16-year-old victim: Court documents "As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial. The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the States evidence gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure," Larry Stein, an attorney for Busfield, said in a statement after the indictment Friday. Advertisement Advertisement He added, "This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court where evidence matters not behind closed doors." Busfield turned himself in to authorities last month and was being held with no bond. After an hours-long detention hearing, Judge David Murphy ordered his release on his own recognizance pending trial, citing his lack of criminal history, compliance with the court order for his arrest and the evidence in the case so far. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. NEED TO KNOW Timothy Busfield was indicted by a Bernalillo County grand jury in New Mexico on Feb. 6 on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child In a statement to PEOPLE, his attorney said, "Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court where evidence matters not behind closed doors" After surrendering to police in New Mexico on Jan. 13, the actor was released from custody on Jan. 20 pending trial Timothy Busfield is continuing to fight the allegations against him. On Friday, Feb. 6, Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced that the actor was indicted by a Bernalillo County grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. All counts are third-degree felonies, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, and pertain to events in October 2022 and September 2023. Advertisement Advertisement The indictment came after Busfield, 68, was officially charged on Jan. 13 with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. He was released from custody in New Mexico on Jan. 20. In a statement to PEOPLE, Busfield's civil attorney, Stanton "Larry" Stein said, "The indictment was not unexpected. As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. What is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial." "The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the States evidence gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure," the statement continued. "This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court where evidence matters not behind closed doors." Timothy Busfield arrives for a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on January 20, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sam Wasson/Getty The child sex abuse allegations were first mentioned against Busfield in a Jan. 9 warrant issued by Albuquerque Police Department (APD). It alleged that Busfield engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two 11-year-old boys, whose identities have been withheld from the public. Advertisement Advertisement The warrant, which was obtained by PEOPLE, stated that the alleged victims' parents told Brown that the minors met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where he served as a director and they were child actors. The television show ran from January 2022 until June 2025. Busfield spoke out for the first time before he surrendered to police on Jan. 13 in a video obtained by TMZ. "I did not do anything," he said on camera. "They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies." After Busfield was released from custody on Jan. 20, Stein told PEOPLE that the "outpouring of support and the number of people who are willing to put themselves on the line for him" were to thank for his release. They really put their reputations and livelihood on the line, and it just shows how much they believe in Tim and the support that he's getting," Stein said. Advertisement Advertisement Busfield's wife, Little House on the Prairie alum Melissa Gilbert, supported him at his pretrial detention hearing and was one of 75 people who wrote letters of support to the judge. Busfield and Gilbert, Stein said, were still in shock that it happened to them and they're still distressed, but obviously they're in a better mood than they were yesterday before he was released." We're taking one day at a time, he added at the time. 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. Timothy Busfield looks on before a hearing in the Second District Judicial Court at the Bernalillo County Courthouse on January 20, 2026 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sam Wasson/Getty Stein previously told PEOPLE that Busfield was shocked by the allegation he's facing. Advertisement Advertisement He's absolutely shocked," Stein said on Jan. 13. "He's devastated and will defend himself, because these are absolutely false allegations. 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 Amazon reportedly asked an Oregon theater to stop screening the Melania documentary. The request came after the theater took a light-hearted jab at the movie in its promotional messages on the marquee. Amazon pulled Melania documentary from theater According to a report by The Oregonian, Amazon asked The Lake Theater and Cafe in Lake Oswego to pull Melania after it took a jab at the documentary. The Oregon theater is known for poking fun at movies as a marketing tactic, and the controversial Amazon MGM documentary was no exception. The theater promoted the documentary with humorous statements such as Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday. They also quoted from Sun Tzus The Art of War, saying, To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday. Advertisement Advertisement However, Amazon was reportedly not pleased with the advertisement. The then manager of the theater, Jordan Perry, shared that they received a call from a higher-up at Amazon. The studio was not happy and/or did not appreciate my take on marketing their film to our own public, Perry shared. After the call from Amazon, they changed the statement on the marquee to: Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All Melania showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead. This was followed by Join Amazon Prime for Free Two-Day Shipping. Prior to this, local residents had begun criticizing the theaters for choosing to screen Melania in the first place. In an Instagram post on February 2, The Lake Theater shared, Also got, before then, countless emails and voicemails and Google / Yelp reviews (Google / Yelp took them down) wondering why the hell we had Melania here, or disdaining our disparaging of her. Speaking with The Oregonian, Perry revealed the reason why he brought the Melania documentary to the theater. He stated, Wouldnt it then be exponentially weirder, to the point of being funny, to show (Melania) here, at your obviously anti-establishment, occasionally troublemaking, neighborhood cinema? Advertisement Advertisement Melania, the documentary, arrived in US theaters on January 30, 2026. It follows the First Lady over the 20 days leading up to Donald Trumps 2025 presidential inauguration. Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory The post Amazon Reportedly Pulled Melania Documentary From Theater For This Reason appeared first on Reality Tea. A lot happened in General Hospitals February 5 episode, so heres a recap and spoilers to catch you up. Chase continues to involve himself in Willows case, and Curtis seeks legal advice against Portia. Meanwhile, Willow brings Drew home. Spoilers for what happened on General Hospital on February 5, 2026 Jordan advises Justine Justine runs into Jordan at the gym. The DA asks Jordan about old cases involving Sonny and questions about the suspects in those cases. As a former police commissioner, Jordan remembers how often Sonny was questioned but rarely charged due to a lack of solid evidence. The two continue to discuss with Justine, favoring Sonny, and wondering if the authorities were so focused on him that they let the real culprit walk away every time. After a long talk, Jordan points out to the DA that Sonny might be influencing her to save Michael. A date gone wrong Chase and Brook Lynn are at Bobbies for lunch when he overhears Molly discussing Michaels questioning over the phone. He interjects and asks for details, but Molly doesnt entertain. Chase then returns to his table to discuss it with his wife, but she becomes furious for still trying to get involved. Mollys publishing concerns Ric joins Molly at the restaurant. She confides in him about her worries regarding the books publication, which may upset Cody since the character was based on him. Ric suggests that Codys reaction may be due to his insecurities and encourages her to talk to him. Molly then returns the advice to Ric, asking him to fix things with Elizabeth. A Corinthos gathering Michael calls his parents, Sonny and Carly, over to the house and informs them about his custody agreement with Willow. Carly is upset about the arrangement and even shocked that Sonny suggested it. But Michael explains that it was the only way he could have handled it, knowing that there is a chance he will be put on trial. He also assures both of them that he didnt shoot the congressman. Curtis threatens Portia Curtis seeks legal advice from Alexis on how to force Portia to take a paternity test. But the lawyer refuses to help and advises him to talk to his wife before taking a rash decision. Meanwhile, Portia returns to the hospital after getting her medical license back. Advertisement Advertisement Later, Curtis arrives at the hospital and warns Portia that she has one week to get the paternity test done, or hell get a court order. She doesnt take the threat well and pushes back. She says that shell not be forced into it and that he can get a court order if he so desires. Willow makes a bold confession At the hospital, Lucas is making the final preparations to discharge Drew. Liz explains to Willow about the risks shes taking by caring for Drew at home, but Willow feels confident. Meanwhile, Kai is making preparations at Drews house. Trina shows up and says that he needs to resign and get away from all the trouble. But before they can finish their conversation, Willow arrives with Drew. They help Willow and Drew settle down and visit Alexis to inform her that Drew is home. Back at the house, Willow ensures Drew understands her by asking him to blink. When he does, she confesses that she is the one who shot him. The post General Hospital Spoilers Today: Willow Tells [Spoiler] the Truth in Feb. 5 Recap appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Guy Fieri speaking into a microphone - Scott Dudelson/Getty Images Guy Fieri, widely known for his Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," has dedicated much of his professional career to finding hidden-gem restaurants worth visiting and giving them the publicity they deserve. One such spot is Roberto's Taco Shop in Las Vegas, where he fell in love with its carne asada burrito. The chef and TV personality loved the burrito so much that he discussed it on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." "I've had a lot of carne asada burritos, don't get me wrong, I've had a ton, but there was something about this one," Fieri said (via YouTube). The simplicity of the burrito is what makes it a win for Fieri well, that and the fact that Roberto's is seriously heavy-handed on the carne asada before rolling it up. Fieri's reasoning makes sense when done right, carne asada is perfectly flavorful; it doesn't need to be paired with a ton of toppings to be satisfying. As Fieri mentions when he describes the carne asada in his go-to burrito, every chef does it a bit differently, but the technique at Roberto's stands out. "They're thin slicing the beef, mildly seasoning it, really letting the beef flavor come through," Fieri says of the process the team at Roberto's uses to create its top-notch carne asada. Roberto's carne asada recipe uses top round steak, one of the more affordable carne asada steak options. This might be one of the reasons the restaurant's carne asada burrito isn't crazy expensive according to its website, a carne asada burrito will run you about $11. Read more: 13 Former Food Network TV Stars We Don't Hear Much From Anymore Why Guy Fieri can't get enough of Roberto's Taco Shop Carne asada burrito from Roberto's Taco Shop cut in half on a white plate - Roberto's Taco Shop Las Vegas/Facebook While it sounds like the great taste alone would make Roberto's Taco Shop snag the top spot on Guy Fieri's list of his favorite Mexican restaurants, nostalgia may also play a role. Fieri said that Roberto's was right across the street from his alma mater, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, so he spent plenty of time enjoying the beloved burrito before graduating with his undergraduate degree in 1990. Even decades later, Fieri says that Roberto's is his first stop every time he gets the chance to go to Vegas in fact, he makes a stop at the taco shop before he even checks into his hotel. "It's the real deal," he said. Advertisement Advertisement While the carne asada itself certainly takes the starring role in the burrito, the other simple ingredients including the pico de gallo and the guacamole also make the burrito a winner in Guy Fieri's mind. "It's not a bunch of filler," he said. Roberto's salsa Mexicana is a simple, fresh pico de gallo made with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and just a bit of jalapeno, creating "just the right amount of spice," according to Fieri. Even the way the burrito is wrapped adds to its deliciousness. The tortilla is lightly toasted on the grill before being wrapped into a super tight burrito, making it easy to get a great bite each and every time. Whether you live in Nevada or are just visiting the Silver State, it's likely that you'll be able to give Roberto's a try. The restaurant is actually a chain with over 80 locations, including in Henderson, Las Vegas, Pahrump, Carson City, Reno, and Sparks in Nevada, as well as locations throughout California and Texas. Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google. Read the original article on Chowhound. Landing in Poland can feel as though you stepped into a living atlas: dynastic history, Baltic seafront, primeval woodland, and bold contemporary culture sit within comfortable rail distance. The trick is choosing stops that show contrast, not chasing every headline attraction. A few of the picks below sit on the UNESCO list, though the real payoff is the mood you catch at ground level. Build a relaxed rhythm that leaves breathing room for cafes, viewpoints, and quick detours. Major attractions often run on timed entry, so booking ahead can protect your afternoon. A few Polish phrases help, yet English is common in big hubs, and signage is generally straightforward. 1. Krakow Image Credit: Shutterstock. Arcades, spires, and Rynek Gowny set the tone here, then Wawel Hill raises the stakes with regal stonework and sweeping panoramas. Medieval planning and later additions remain legible on foot, especially as you slip into side alleys. Cross into Kazimierz to absorb Jewish heritage sites alongside todays galleries and late-night jazz. Advertisement Advertisement Begin at Sukiennice and trace calmer alleys until the riverbank appears, then circle back through Planty Park for a gentler reset. Pick one interior, maybe St. Marys Basilica or a single gallery, and linger long enough to notice carved details and painted ceilings. An evening chamber concert can be a perfect finale, especially in a stone venue designed for acoustics. 2. Warsaw Image Credit: Shutterstock. Warsaws restored historic quarter looks centuries old, but its fame comes from a meticulous postwar rebuild, because more than 85% of the center was destroyed in 1944. That backstory adds weight to every pastel facade and pocket piazza. Beyond the rebuilt zone, wide boulevards and modern towers keep the capital restless in a good way. Follow the Royal Route early, when passageways stay quiet and photography is easiest. In the afternoon, take the riverbank path along the Vistula for skyline scenes that stitch the rebuilt core to newer districts. If the weather shifts, swap plans for a museum that matches your curiosity and keep the day moving. 3. Gdansk Image Credit: Shutterstock. Salt air and merchant facades define this port, shaped by Hanseatic trade and Baltic ambition. On Dugi Targ, Neptunes Fountain sits in front of Artus Court, anchoring the classic postcard scene. One unhurried stroll is enough to understand why the center comes across as proud and theatrical. Advertisement Advertisement Roam the Long Market near dusk, then veer toward the Motawa waterfront for cranes, reflections, and shipyard context. Order a fish supper and notice the tempo softens once daytime crowds thin. With extra time, plan a rail hop to the Teutonic stronghold on the Nogat for a satisfying change-up. 4. Wrocaw Image Credit: Shutterstock. Wrocaw wins newcomers with playful detail: hundreds of tiny dwarf statues hide across bridges, plazas, and backstreets. Their origin traces to Orange Alternative happenings, a protest movement that used humor in the 1980s. Add islands on the Oder, and you get a riverfront setting that plays light on its feet. Turn the figurines into a scavenger hunt, and they will pull you into districts you would otherwise miss. Between finds, pause on the Rynek to admire the Gothic town hall exterior and grab something sweet. When darkness arrives, the island walks offer calm breezes and flattering reflections. 5. Torun Image Credit: Shutterstock. Brick Gothic towers rise above a remarkably preserved medieval river settlement. The city is closely linked to Nicolaus Copernicus, whose reputed birth house survives as a museum. A faint spice note hangs around, thanks to the gingerbread tradition that remains strong. Advertisement Advertisement Climb a tower for rooftop geometry, then follow the old defensive line and river views for an easy circuit. Pick up fresh pierniki and compare textures from different bakeries. Nightfall suits a gentle loop past granaries and quiet interior yards once day-trippers return. 6. Wieliczka Salt Mine Image Credit: Shutterstock. A short ride from the former royal capital, the Wieliczka and Bochnia crown-operated mine complex has been active since the 13th century, carving vast chambers deep underground. Chapels and sculptures emerge from the mineral, with St. Kingas Chapel as the showstopper. The dry coolness below is a sharp counterpoint to the summer heat above. Reserve a timed slot because tours run on fixed schedules and queues can spike. Wear shoes with grip, because stairways and corridors add up quickly. If your itinerary has slack, pairing this site with Bochnia offers a second perspective on the same deposit. 7. Malbork Castle Image Credit: Shutterstock. This red-brick giant was raised by the Teutonic Order and expanded in 1309, when the Grand Master moved his seat there. The fortress ensemble ranks among the largest by land area, and the restoration story is impressive in its own right. From across the Nogat, the silhouette looks almost unreal. Advertisement Advertisement Show up at opening for quieter courtyards and better photos of vaults, gateways, and defensive features. An audio guide helps decode the layers, from monastic routine to later military functions. Summer evenings sometimes bring special programs, so checking schedules can pay off. 8. Biaowieza Forest Image Credit: Shutterstock. Biaowieza Forest straddles the border with Belarus and protects one of Europes most important stretches of primary woodland. Mixed growth of conifers and broadleaves creates a dense canopy that feels older than maps. The area supports an iconic population of European bison, also called wisent. Join a guided walk for the strict protection zone, because access rules aim to protect fragile ecology. Bring binoculars and patience, because sightings are never guaranteed, yet tracks and bird calls hold steady. In autumn, fog and mushrooms can make short paths feel quietly uncanny. 9. Masurian Lake District Image Credit: Shutterstock. Glaciers left behind Masuria in the northeast, nicknamed the Land of a Thousand Lakes and actually home to more than 2,000 bodies of water. Channels link pine stands, modest harbors, and sail routes far from traffic noise. Sunsets here can look like watercolor, with reeds turning gold. Advertisement Advertisement Base yourself in a waterside hub such as Mikoajki or Gizycko and rent a kayak, paddleboard, or small yacht with a skipper. Pack repellent in warm months and a wind layer for open crossings. For a leisurely morning, choose a cafe pier and watch boats slip through the straits. 10. Zakopane and Tatra National Park Image Credit: Shutterstock. In the south, a resort base acts as the gateway to the Tatras, where Tatra National Park safeguards alpine terrain and the countrys highest summit, Rysy, at 2,499 m within its boundaries. Routes range from gentle valley rambles to demanding climbs with chains. Even a modest outing can deliver glacial lakes, spruce groves, and mountain huts. Set out at dawn to dodge bottlenecks on popular tracks such as Morskie Oko, then turn back when conditions ask for it. Mountain weather changes fast, so carry layers, water, and a headlamp, even in July. In town, look for Zakopane-style wooden crafts and a hearty highlander meal to wrap it up. 11. Lublin Image Credit: Shutterstock. This eastern hub acts as a crossroads where Central European and eastern influences meet, and the historic core rewards slow wandering. Inside the castle complex, the Chapel of the Holy Trinity holds fifteenth-century frescoes in a Rutheno-Byzantine style that is unusual for Catholic tradition here. That mix makes the stop quietly distinctive compared with flashier hotspots. Advertisement Advertisement Enter through Krakowska Gate, then let alleyways pull you toward little squares and compact museums. Schedule the fresco visit when you can linger, because the painted walls are dense with scenes and detail. After dark, a cellar restaurant is a cozy way to try regional dishes. 12. od z Image Credit: Shutterstock. This former textile powerhouse reinvented itself through design, street art, and cinema. odz Film School trained major figures of Polish moviemaking, including Roman Polanski and Andrzej Wajda. Former factories now house galleries, eateries, and studios. Drift along Piotrkowska Street for murals, cafes, and people-watching without a strict plan. Visit Manufaktura to watch industrial structures become a modern public square. For a final twist, catch a screening or join a film-themed walk and count how many corners seem ready for a camera. NEED TO KNOW Husband and wife Fednel and Frantzcie Wagnac remarry every five years in a sweet tradition that they say initially began as "a joke" Frantzcie gets a new ring and wedding dress each time The couple also shared their secrets to a long-lasting marriage In the early years after tying the knot with his wife, Frantzcie, in 1999, Fednel Wagnac often told her that he would "marry her again and again" if he could. One of those times, Frantzie asked, "What's stopping you?" And so began a sweet tradition in their marriage that they say is all about celebrating their lasting love, per SWNS. Frantzcie, 52, and Fednel, 56 who first met in 1996 remarry each other every five years. So far, they have had five additional weddings since their original nuptials 27 years ago. Advertisement Advertisement According to the New York-based couple, the tradition started as "a joke." On many occasions, like birthdays and Valentines Day, I would tell my wife that I would marry her again and again," Fednel, a radiation therapist, explained. When Frantzcie, a nurse, pressed him as to what was "stopping" him, he replied, "We cant get married every year, but maybe every five years." I said it as a joke, but wifey took it seriously. Thats how it started," he added. Frantzcie and Fednel Wagnac in 1996, the year they met Courtesy Mandy Wagnac / SWNS The weddings always take place during their summer vacations, and they spend about $5,000 on the celebration. Bride Frantzcie gets a new wedding dress and ring each time. The only guests are their two children, daughter Mandy, 25, and son Carlton, 23. Advertisement Advertisement Frantzcie and Fednel said "I do" for the second time on their fifth anniversary in 2004 during a trip to the Poconos in Pennsylvania. On their 10th anniversary in 2009, they got married again at a manor house in Long Island, N.Y. Frantzcie and Fednel Wagnac with kids Mandy and Carlton at their 2009 wedding in Long Island, N.Y. Courtesy Mandy Wagnac / SWNS In addition to the vow renewal, the family of four who wore coordinating purple outfits for the occasion did a photo shoot to remember the special day. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Five years after that, in 2014, Frantzcie and Fednel had another wedding in Long Island. They also recreated the 2009 photo shoot, only this time in bright pink outfits. Frantzcie and Fednel Wagnac and kids Carlton and Mandy at their 2014 wedding in Long Island, N.Y. Courtesy Mandy Wagnac / SWNS For their milestone 20th anniversary in 2019, the couple made things extra special. Fednel got down on one knee and proposed to Frantzcie again, presenting her with a new ring. They planned a beach ceremony in Negril, Jamaica, and unlike their previous vow renewals, they hired a pastor to make it official. Advertisement Advertisement Frantzcie bought herself a white dress for the occasion. Wearing white again felt surreal, she told SWNS, adding of her walk down the aisle, Watching the expression on my husbands face as I walked towards him seemed like the very first time." Frantzcie and Fednel Wagnac and kids Carlton and Mandy at their 2019 wedding in Jamaica Courtesy Mandy Wagnac / SWNS Fednel said the Jamaica wedding was his "favorite" so far, adding, It was so beautiful by the beach. It felt like the very first time." To mark their 25th anniversary in 2024, the Wagnacs traveled to Cancun, Mexico, for a sixth wedding, and Fednel bought his wife yet another ring. Frantzcie and Fednel Wagnac at their 2024 wedding in Mexico Courtesy Mandy Wagnac / SWNS Now, they are already planning a ceremony for their 30th anniversary in 2029. The couple who both grew up in Haiti and moved to New York City as teenagers told SWNS that the every-five-years weddings feel like "a love celebration." Advertisement Advertisement Sharing the secrets to their long-lasting marriage, Fednel said it's their "mutual respect" and the fact that they are "best friends." I make it my business to make her happy by doing the things that she likes, and I get the same in return," he told SWNS. Frantzcie and Fednel Wagnac in 2019 Courtesy Mandy Wagnac / SWNS "I love being married to this great man. Hed sacrifice everything for his children, and I love him extra for that," added Frantzcie. "We always make sure to create us time and dont take each other for granted." Date nights are also important, she said. "It can be just watching a movie or a show with popcorn and ice cream, or some good ginger tea," she noted. Advertisement Advertisement The couple's daughter, Mandy, told SWNS that she is inspired by her parents' deep love and commitment to each other. Their example has even shaped the way she looks at relationships. Fednel and Frantzcie Wagnac Courtesy Mandy Wagnac / SWNS A lot of people these days just want something casual, but Ive always just wanted to have what my parents have," Mandy explained. "Its made me have higher standards when it comes to men." And it seems her parents' tradition of remarrying each other could soon be passed down to the next generation with a little friendly competition. Mandy shared that she is currently in a relationship and has asked her partner whether he would want to get married every five years. His response? "Do we have to wait every five? Why not every three?" Game on, Frantzcie and Fednel. Read the original article on People A group of Canadian ice fishermen caught a huge Atlantic halibut Monday thats been declared a new record by scientists in Quebec. The fish measured more than 6.5 feet long and weighed 244 pounds, according to the Musee du Fjord. Alain Hamel is credited with catching the giant flatfish, which was pulled through the ice after a two-and-a-half hour battle. A video shared by the Musee du Fjord shows the huge fish up being hoisted up on a scale in front of a cheering crowd. Hamel and his crew caught the halibut under a special scientific permit in Quebecs Sanguenay Fjord. This narrow, deep inlet in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is a unique fishery, where freshwater from the Riviere Saguenay flows over the gulf and freezes solid. (Seawater freezes at a lower temperature than freshwater, and it has to be colder for longer since bays are typically deeper than lakes.) Its one of the only places in North America where you can catch (and harvest) Atlantic halibut through the ice. Advertisement Advertisement Read Next: This Kid Just Wanted to Catch Something Big. He May Have Caught a World Record The species is protected throughout some of its range, and Canadian regulations typically require catch-and-release. However, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has made an exception in the Sanguenay Fjord, where it launched a scientific winter fishing project starting in 2022. The research project aims to better understand Sanguenay halibut, which are considered a sink population that are isolated from the rest of the worlds Atlantic halibut. The winter fishing project doles out around 35 special licenses per year, and it requires all fish under 85cm (or 33.5 inches) to be released. The larger specimens, like Hamels fish, are harvested and donated to the Musee du Fjord, where the heads and stomachs are analyzed by scientists. (The fishermen will be able to keep the roughly 170 pounds of meat that came off the halibut, according to CBC News.) Hamels fish was number 27 this winter, and the fishery was suspended soon after his catch to keep the quota from being surpassed. A biologist examines another halibuts stomach contents at the Musee du Fjord. Photo courtesy Musee du Fjord / via Facebook Ten years ago, we would never really see people catching Atlantic Halibut, Marc-Andre Galbrand, the president of the committee that oversees the fishing program, told CTV News earlier this week. Since the last four years, weve been getting a lot, and this year, we had so many halibut that were getting out that we had to suspend our scientific permit. A relative of the more common Pacific halibut, Atlantics are typically migratory, traveling throughout the North Atlantic and into the North and Barents Seas. They also grow much larger than Pacific halibut. The largest known specimen was taken off the coast of Sweden and weighed 720 pounds, according to the International Game Fish Association. The IGFA all-tackle world record Atlantic halibut weighed just under 419 pounds and was caught in Norway in 2004. LEWISBURG, WV (WVNS) Inside the halls of A New Chapter bookstore in Lewisburg, you will see the latest book on their shelf. Shadows of Makena is the debut book by Huntington native Leigh Ann Trippett. Trippett started writing the book back in 2023 after she visited Kenya. Tazewell County restructuring fire protection services She then incorporated her love of espionage into making what she calls a female James Bond. Advertisement Advertisement You know, growing up I had Wonder Woman and Charlies Angels but we didnt have the female James Bond. When it comes to a James Bond strong, female character, we dont always have that, Trippett said. The book introduces readers to Makena and her journey of espionage. The story focuses on both West Virginia and Kenya while blending elements of identity and suspense into one. For Trippett, she said getting the chance to write the book is a dream come true. It is also special since the book is debuting at A New Chapter, a bookstore Trippett frequently visits. Its so exciting to see people when they come in and they just genially love the atmosphere. Theyre thinking about writing something, books come to us at the end of the line so I can only give so much advice, but its nice to be a part of the process, Shaye Schleiff said, co-owner of A New Chapter. Advertisement Advertisement It has also been an emotional journey for Trippett, who said she is dedicating the book to her mom & dad, Herb & Sally. New legislation proposed to help Foster Kids navigate life after becoming a young adult After putting in hours of research, Trippett is excited to showcase West Virginias latest book. They always encouraged me to go see the world. They didnt get to travel much, they were both born and raised in Huntington, thats the only place theyve ever lived. And thats why I dedicated to them and I said, for always encouraging me to go see the world and love me unconditionally, Trippett said. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS. The history of the ice industry at Rockland Lake was celebrated at the Knickerbocker Ice Festival on Jan. 31, 2026. It was the first time the event was held at Rockland Lake since 2012. Visitors came out to enjoy the winter weather and walk around the lake, watching as artists carved ice sculptures and built igloos along the festival route. The ice harvesting tools and historic photos on display highlighted the time when the lake was a hub of the ice industry. A time when in the days before refrigeration ice blocks were sent down the hill to the Hudson River, on their way to people's ice boxes in New York City. Advertisement Advertisement "Rockland Lake is a 250-acre spring-fed lake about half a mile from the Hudson River," said festival producer Timothy Englert. "And what made it unique was that you could get the ice that was harvested here and just take it up over the mountain. You can take the ice up over Hook Mountain and then down to the Hudson River below. Shintaro Okamoto arrived early in the morning to start building and carving an 18-block eagle sculpture, which he estimated weighed "a little over 4,000 pounds." The festival route also included a sculpture of an angel in honor of Robert Patalano, the founder of the Ice Festival, who passed away last year, according to Englert. The event was originally slated for the weekend of Jan. 24 and 25, but was postponed to Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 because of a winter storm system that brought more than a foot of snow in the region. Advertisement Advertisement See aerial views: Snow, ice from the January 2026 winter storm in the Lower Hudson Valley "I'm just glad there's winter in Rockland County," said New City resident Shannon Collopy, while walking on ice over the lake. "It's so nice to have winter again." Winter storm photos: From sledding to snow cleanup We are rivers, woods, mountains. Skyscrapers, sidewalks. Traffic. Solitude. A vibe. Cities, towns, villages, hamlets. Here, our photographers train their craft on what makes this place our place. Check lohud.com every Friday to see where our photographer went for our newest lohud on location feature. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: See scenes, history of Knickerbocker Ice Festival at Rockland Lake This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Peloton Interactive CFO Liz Coddington will step down from her role at the fitness equipment maker next month, the company announced in a Thursday press release and securities filing, stating she is leaving for another unnamed opportunity outside the industry. Separately Thursday, consumer energy firm Palmetto said Coddington will join as its CFO effective March 30, coming as the clean energy provider looks to enter a new phase of growth, according to a separate press release. Coddington will step down from her role at the New York-based Peloton effective March 27, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. She will not receive severance payments or benefits in association with her departure, which is not the result of any disagreement or issues relating to financial disclosures or accounting measures. Peloton will begin a comprehensive search for her successor, the fitness company said in the filing. Dive Insight: The Charlotte, North Carolina-based Palmetto cited Coddingtons experience scaling complex, consumer-facing and technology-driven businesses in announcing her appointment. "As we continue to grow and support our consumers in accessing affordable, reliable energy solutions her strategic discipline, operational rigor and credibility with both consumers and investors will be invaluable, Palmetto CEO Chris Kemper said in a statement included in the release. Before joining Peloton in 2022, Coddington served six years at Amazon in roles including VP, AWS Services Finance, and her previous experiences include serving as a VP of finance and CFO for Walmart.com, as well as a four-year tenure in various roles for streaming service Netflix. While at the fitness company, she played a vital role in Pelotons continued transformation, the fitness companys CEO and President Peter Stern said in a statement. As Liz moves on to her next opportunity, she leaves us not only with a better balance sheet, but also a renewed sense of financial discipline. In so doing, she has helped clear the path for us to move beyond connected fitness to realize our ambition in connected wellness, Stern said in the statement included in the Thursday release. Under Coddingtons financial leadership, the company has embarked on a number of initiatives to reduce costs and regain lost ground after seeing sales soar to records highs during the COVID-19 pandemic. MADISON, Ala (WHNT) About 1 in every 100 children is born with a congenital heart defect, also known as CHD. Its a statistic that has shaped the life of a family living here in North Alabama and inspired their business with a deeper meaning. Ximena Lisandrelli was born in 2018 in Nicaragua. Her mother, Lucia Lisandrelli, said doctors quickly realized her daughter had a serious heart condition that they could not treat in their home country. World Cancer Day: Hope Lodge helps patients heal away from home Advertisement Advertisement She was born in Nicaragua, and there was nothing they could do for her over there, Lucia said. Just hours after Ximenas birth, Lucia said they boarded an emergency flight to the United States so Ximena could undergo surgery. She said her daughters condition is extremely rare and has no cure, but treatment options are available. The family moved to the United States so Ximena could continue receiving specialized care. Now 7 years old, Lucia said her daughter has received treatment at several hospitals and is thriving. Shes jumping and doing everything like a regular kid, Lucia said. Thats because we found out about it very early, and we got very good doctors for her. Advertisement Advertisement Lucia said she previously worked at a bakery in Nicaragua and always dreamed of opening one of her own in the United States. That dream became a reality after opening HeartBaker Bakery, located off Highway 72 in Madison. Having a bakery in the States, I never thought that was going to happen to me, Lucia said. After Ximena, she made me do this, and she gave me the strength. Everything that we do here, I always think about her. Get breaking news, traffic and weather alerts directly to your smartphone. Download the News 19 App The name, Heartbaker Bakery, is inspired by her daughters story, and Lucia said she hopes sharing her familys story helps other families facing similar challenges. Advertisement Advertisement If I can help just one person, that is good for me, Lucia said. When you have kids, you will do everything for them. What weve been through with Ximena completely changed our life and our family life, and this bakery was a dream for me. The Lisandrellis say they are incredibly grateful for the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic at Huntsville Hospital. Lucia says their youngest daughter has been a patient of Dr. Daniel Caicedo, as she was born with an open valve in her heart. Ximena receives treatment at Vanderbilt, but Lucia says it eases her mind knowing the heart team at Huntsville Hospital is down the street. Right now, the bakery has a special CHD croissant in honor of Heart Health Awareness Month. It is a raspberry almond croissant filled with raspberry jam with powdered sugar on top. If you purchase this croissant in the month of February, 50 percent of the proceeds go to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. Restaurants in Las Vegas abound, some glitzy and over-the-top, others elegant, themed, nestled inside casinos, or harboring a vintage vibe. Regardless of what each brings to the culinary scene, only one eatery in Vegas claims the top spot on our Tasting Table list of the best Italian restaurant in every U.S. state. It's the always-classic Ferraro's Ristorante on Paradise Road. Dishing out Italian cuisine since 1985, it's about as authentic and creative as you'll find anywhere in the state of Nevada, according to our reviewer. We're not the only one taking notice of this beloved fine-dining gem; it consistently gets nods from the Gambero Rosso Top Italian Restaurants Guide, a known authority on worldwide Italian fare. It considers Ferraro's one of the world's best Italian dining spots, bestowing prestigious awards for its culinary and wine programs. It's not the kind of place you find by chance when roaming the famous or not-so-famous streets of Vegas. It's more about being in-the-know about legendary Italian dining, where family-owned Ferraro dishes out region-specific Italian foods far from gastronomic hubs of Rome, Tuscany, Milan, Florence, or Naples. Ristorante Ferraro came to life at the hands of Gino and Rosalba Ferraro more than 40 years ago, beginning as a small deli and pizza shop before evolving into today's full-scale dining destination. Its staying power is legendary, even as other dining spots wax, wane, or circle the drain. The ambiance is white-tablecloth elegant, yet lively and warm but it's really the food that carries the torch. Advertisement Advertisement Read more: 15 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Eating At A Steakhouse All about the food Ferraro's Ristorante in Las Vegas' interior - Instagram / ferraroslv In keeping with modest beginnings, the now-famous, fine-dining Ristorante Ferraro still honors an identity rooted in family recipes and Italian heritage evidenced by who's cooking in the kitchen. The family-led commitment remains with Executive Chef Mimmo Ferraro, son of the original owners, dishing out traditional Italian meals using seasonal ingredients, hand-rolled pasta, all-natural meats, fresh seafood, and wild-caught fish. Deep-diving into signature dishes, a good place to start is Osso Buco, the house specialty featuring veal shank cooked slowly in a red-wine reduction. It's accompanied by a saffron-based risotto, reflecting Italy's commitment to growing and hand-harvesting delicate saffron pistils. More dinner-menu items represent regional dishes such as Coniglio Brasato with braised rabbit or a honeycomb-braised Trippa Satriano with Calabrese peppers. You'll also find things like acorn-fed Iberian Spanish pork, Australian Waygu striploin, plenty of pastas and risottos, and fish plates ranging from Holland dover sole to hazelnut-crusted branzino. One of Ferraro's most acclaimed features is its wine program. It emphasizes a deep Italian focus in its collection, with wines from Tuscany and Piedmont getting focus. Major producers and regions represented include Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello, plus dozens more from deeply held collections, including an Angelo Gaja grouping of 40-plus selections. If that's a bit overwhelming, dining guests can request a guided tasting menu with food and wine pairings. For more excellent dining options in Nevada, check out these hidden-gem restaurants in Las Vegas that only locals know about and these 30 best restaurants in Las Vegas. Advertisement Advertisement Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we're helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google. Read the original article on Tasting Table. A dozen anti-ICE protesters were arrested by the NYPD Thursday afternoon outside Columbia University. They were sitting in the street and blocking traffic near the entrance to the school. The NYPD ordered them to move and said they would be charged with disorderly conduct. The group called on Columbia to serve as a sanctuary campus and to block the efforts of ICE. In a statement, Columbia said the university requires ICE to have a judicial warrant to access non-public areas, and no member of their leadership or the board of trustees has ever requested the presence of ICE agents on or near campus. Advertisement Advertisement "Columbia University supports the right of individuals to peacefully protest. However, claims made against the University during today's protest activity, which took place outside of our gates, are factually incorrect," the university said in the statement. ---------- * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More Manhattan news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. By Ahmed Kingimi and Hamza Ibrahim MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Security services have now rescued all 166 worshippers who were kidnapped by gunmen during attacks on two churches in northern Nigeria last month, a Christian group said on Thursday. The Christian Association of Nigeria credited the power of prayer and the military for the success of the operations in Kaduna state, but did not go into details on how the churchgoers were freed or when. Advertisement Advertisement The military, the police and the local government in Kaduna did not immediately respond to requests for comment. CAN, which represents congregations across Nigeria, said gunmen stormed the churches on January 18, seized 177 worshippers and dragged them into nearby forests. Eleven escaped, leaving 166 missing, it said. It was the latest in a series of reported attacks and abductions in the north that have drawn the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has accused Nigeria's government of failing to protect Christians - a charge Abuja denies. U.S. forces struck what they described as terrorist targets in northwest Nigeria on December 25. Advertisement Advertisement There have been conflicting accounts of the churchgoers' fate. Police initially said no kidnapping took place, then said on Monday 80 of those listed as abducted had fled to nearby villages during the raid and since returned to their homes. The police and CAN often offer different figures and accounts on church kidnappings. On Thursday, the Rev. John Hayab, head of CAN's northern chapter, said he could confirm that all the churchgoers had now been freed "after all the drama and disagreements", referring to the polices initial denial of the kidnapping. "What we know is that they have been rescued. Nobody asked us to gather any money, and nobody collected a penny from us," he said. "Of course, the bandits still have their demands, but we did not have any amount to give them." Advertisement Advertisement CAN's leader in Kaduna, the Rev. Caleb Ma'aji, also said the churchgoers had been released and that he had just returned from the government house in Kaduna where the governor was set to receive them. "The stage is set for them to be brought ... His Excellency will meet with them. This is a result of the prayers we have offered, he said. The Nigerian authorities say they are cooperating with Washington to improve security and have denied there is systematic persecution of Christians. (Additional reporting by Hamza Ibrahim in Kano, Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Alex Richardson and Andrew Heavens) Three people accused of moving an unconscious patron of a Greece bar within the business and lying to police have been arrested. The customer - 68-year-old John Acito of Greece - was apparently drinking alcohol at Dave's Long Pond Pub, 510 Long Pond Road on Dec. 17, 2025, when first responders were called to the scene to tend to an unconscious patron, according to Greece police. Acito was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital to be treated for a "significant head injury," officers said. He died from his injuries on Jan. 1, according to police. Advertisement Advertisement Due to the severity of the injury and inconsistencies surrounding the circumstances prior to the 911 call, GPD's criminal investigation division investigated the death, spoke with the bar owner and staff and reviewed surveillance video from inside the bar, and 911 recordings. The footage showed that Acito was drinking inside the bar after the 2 a.m. closing time on Dec. 17. Sometime early that morning, video showed that Acito swayed, fell and his head on a table and the floor, according to police. According to police, staff knew Acito was unconscious - but breathing - and delayed calling 911 for 30 to 40 minutes as they continued closing the bar. Staff "did not treat the situation as an emergency," officers said in a news release. Video shows workers placing Acito's coat on him and moving him toward the front door of the pub "in an apparent attempt to give the appearance that he had been found outside before first responders were contacted," according to police. Advertisement Advertisement When the employees called 911, they told dispatchers that Acito was found in the bar's parking lot and was brought inside, according to the news release. "Detectives further determined that staff provided inaccurate information regarding the status of the surveillance cameras," the news release read. According to the Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office, Acito's death was ruled accidental due to complications from blunt force head injuries. The ME's Office also noted that the delay in contacting first responders "did not contribute to his death." John W. Moore, 58, of Gates, Crystal A. McWilliams, 42, of Rochester, and David A. Geer, 64, of Green Acres, Florida were each charged with tampering with physical evidence, a felony, officers said. Geer, according to police, owns the bar. The other two are employees. Greece police continues to investigate the incident. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Greece bar staff arrested after patron's death, accused of lying The ATF is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of an arson suspect. Lamont Sparrow is wanted in connection with the April 29, 2024, fire at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Philadelphia. READ MORE | Vehicle fire at Pa. State Police barracks in Philadelphia investigated as arson Investigators say Sparrow, along with others, cut a fence and set a pickup truck on fire at the Troop K Belmont Barracks in Wynnefield Heights. No injuries were reported. Advertisement Advertisement "Arson is a serious and dangerous crime," said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. "Working with our state and federal partners, we ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lamont Sparrow to contact us." Anyone with information is asked to call (888) ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov, or visit the ATF's website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips. It was a nightmare scenario for a Laurence Harbor, New Jersey family. Just imagine, it's 2 in the morning, and they're awakened by the sound of screeching tires and the boom of a truck hitting their property. Luckily, everyone is safe, but when it came to fixing the damage, the homeowner began to feel like the truck's auto insurance wasn't going to repair the damage. "All I know is he was here and boom, boom, boom," Inshira Oseghale said. Advertisement Advertisement That boom began with the driver of a truck, that police say was asleep at the wheel when he sailed right through a Highway 35 intersection in Laurence Harbor, and straight into a back yard. "We're in the bed and I hear 'eeeerrrrrrr!' Oh, my God, it's going to be an accident and a loud BOOM. I look out my window. I don't see anything in the window. So, I walk around. I couldn't believe what I saw," Oseghale said. The truck took out her fence on two sides and only stopped by crashing into her neighbor's car. "Her car is damaged, totaled. She couldn't believe what she saw," Oseghale said. Advertisement Advertisement Oseghale and her husband had saved for years, closing on their first home, just months before the accident "When you saw your property damage and you just bought your first house, what did you think?" 7 On Your Side's Nina Pineda asked. "I just couldn't believe it. Unbelievable," Oseghale said. The total cost to replace the damaged fence: $5,320. She thought the truck's insurance, AAA, would take care of the repairs, but in a letter, it recommended Inshira contact her own insurance, which she did not want to do. "Because then ultimately, just like car insurance, my homeowner's insurance will go up. And I'm like, why would I do that if it wasn't my fault?" She said. Advertisement Advertisement Yet she was on the hook to shell out for a new fence they could not afford. "I just needed to fight. I saw what you do for other people, so I'm like, maybe they can help me as well," Oseghale said. 7 On Your Side reached out to AAA and within four days, a home run -- a check for $5,320 and the fence got fixed. The result, new fence panels, new gates and a whole new look to Inshira's backyard! In a statement to 7 On Your Side, AAA External Affairs representative, Jason Willett, said, "While privacy polices prevent us from sharing detailed customer or claims information, we are pleased to note that this situation was resolved prior to the publication of this story. CSAA Insurance Group has provided insurance for more than a century and helped hundreds of thousands of customers recover from life's uncertainties. We have a passion for service excellence and are focused on delivering experiences that exceed the emerging needs of AAA Members and communities." Advertisement Advertisement Inshira Oseghale had one recommendation: "Reach out to 7 On Your Side if you need them. Definitely. I appreciate you," Oseghale said. ---------- SHARE YOUR STORY Do you have an issue with a company that you haven't been able to resolve? If so, 7 On Your Side wants to help you! Fill out the form below or email your questions, issues, or story ideas by filling out the form below or by emailing 7OnYourSideNina@abc.com. All emails MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND CELLPHONE NUMBER. Without a phone number, 7 On Your Side will not be able to respond. Charges have just been filed in connection to a string of gun thefts, most of which happened across the Pittsburgh area. Channel 11 has been following the crime spree for more than a year, and this week, eight teenagers were arrested. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 11 Investigates Exclusive: Local teens linked to 2nd gun store burglary, sources say Allegheny County Police said in January 2025, the group of teenagers targeted four separate gun stores in Pennsylvania and Ohio, getting away with 79 guns. Advertisement Advertisement We dont want any illegal guns on the streets, let alone in the hands of teenagers, said Christopher Kearns, Allegheny County Police superintendent. During a joint press conference with the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office and ATF agents, police said these were smash-and-grab style burglaries and attempted break-ins that happened at several stores: Greater Pittsburgh Quick Cash in Duquesne, Legion Arms in West Mifflin, and Allegheny Arms and Gun Works in Bethel Park. Police say this same group stole guns from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Ohio. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Numerous guns stolen from Allegheny County gun store, ATF confirms This isnt just a haphazard incident, that these are planned, considered, and coordinated efforts, said Christopher Decker, Deputy Attorney General. Advertisement Advertisement PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>>State lawmakers push for harsher penalties for gun store burglars We have charged these individuals as part of a corrupt organization that knowingly and intentionally targeted these businesses, and as a result, some of the individuals are now facing well over 200 counts of various charges, said Todd Dolfi, Allegheny County Police Inspector. Police said 1,400 charges have been filed in connection with the year-long investigation. While 55 of the stolen guns were recovered, others were not and are connected to several recent violent crimes and incidents. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Local gun store prepares to beef up security after burglary Advertisement Advertisement Some of those crimes include a young man who was shot and injured on the South Side section of the City of Pittsburgh, back in May. There was a shooting multiple rounds fired into a house full of people in McKees Rocks in March, said Victor Joseph, Allegheny County Police assistant superintendent. Most tragically, the shooting death of 7-year-old Kruz Bailey-Baker, a first grader at Manchester PreK-8. While seven of the teenagers were between 14 and 17 years old at the time of these crimes, according to the investigation, Chalais Ramey, 19, has been charged as an adult. He has a long criminal history, one that includes robbery and carjacking charges from 2022, other gun charges from last year, and even a run-in with police when he was just 6 years old. Back in 2013, Channel 11 reported Ramey grabbed an officers gun and tried to remove it from his holster after allegedly trying to steal a bike. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Boy, 6, accused of trying to steal bicycle, attacking police officer Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, police executed a search warrant at Rameys home Wednesday and found a gun and ammunition. Hes in the Allegheny County Jail. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Nine travelers were arrested on drug charges while boarding a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship in Miami. Miami-Dade Sheriffs Office (MDSO) Narcotics Interdiction Squad was requested to assist the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for a drug enforcement bust at Port Miami on Feb. 1, police told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The ship was departing for an Atlantis charter cruise billed as The Worlds Biggest Gay Festival At Sea, per its website. Scheduled stops included Puerto Rico and St. Maarten before the ship returns to Miami on Feb. 8, according to CruiseMapper. Court records show that nine travelers ranging in age from 27 to 51 were charged in connection with alleged drug offenses involving substances such as ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, methamphetamine, GHB and GBL, with all facing possession charges and four of them accused of trafficking. According to the records, almost all individuals were charged with possessing combinations of these drugs. Attorneys for four of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and court documents did not list attorneys for the remaining individuals. Advertisement Advertisement Royal Caribbean Group, the cruise lines parent company, and Atlantis did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nine arrested on drug charges before Royal Caribbean cruise sailed ABC7 Chicago, the League of Women Voters of Illinois and Chicago and Univision Chicago presented live and without commercials the 2026 Republican U.S. Senate Primary Forum at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11. ABC7's Anchor Judy Hsu led the 60-minute forum, with questions asked by the station's political reporter Craig Wall and WGBO/Univision Chicago anchor/reporter Enrique Rodriguez. Three of the Republican candidates running for U.S. Senate in Illinois participated in the forum: - Republican Candidate Casey Chlebek Advertisement Advertisement - Republican Candidate Jeannie Evans - Former Chair of the Illinois Republican Party Don Tracy GOP candidates Casey Chlebek and Jeannie Evans and former Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy attended a U.S. Senate primary forum at ABC7. ABC7 Political Analyst Laura Washington discusses the Republican senate debate. The 2026 Republican U.S. Senate Primary Forum streamed live on ABC7Chicago.com, on ABC7 Chicago's news app and Facebook page, and on ABC7's 24/7 streaming channels. It will be broadcast on ABC7 directly following the station's late newscast at 10:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13. The forum will also be translated and streamed live on Univision's digital platforms, and it will air on Univision's main channel at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14. Last month, ABC7 presented the 2026 Democratic U.S. Senate Primary Forum. Midstream and Chemicals executive Don Baldridge said the segment has increased adjusted EBITDA by 40% since 2022 and delivered approximately $1 billion of adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2025 . He attributed growth to portfolio simplification, acquisitions (including Pinnacle and Coastal Bend), and expansions such as the Sweeny Hub and Dos Picos II. In refining, Lashier reiterated a multi-year objective to reduce adjusted controllable costs, targeting approximately $5.50 per barrel on an annual basis by the end of 2027 . He also said the WRB transaction increased Phillips 66s exposure to Canadian heavy crude differentials by 40%, noting those differentials had widened by about $4 per barrel since the deal announcement. Lashier said 2025 was the companys best year ever for safety performance, calling safety foundational to the operating model. He also pointed to several strategic actions taken during the year, including acquiring the remaining 50% interest in the WRB joint venture, selling a 65% interest in the Germany and Austria retail marketing business, and idling the Los Angeles refinery. Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) management used its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings call to highlight what CEO Mark Lashier described as strong financial and operating results, driven by higher refining utilization, record clean product yields, and continued momentum in Midstream volumes. Executives also outlined cost and growth targets stretching through 2027, while reiterating a shareholder returns framework centered on dividends, buybacks, and debt reduction. Refining aims to cut adjusted controllable costs to about $5.50 per barrel by end-2027 (Q4 was $5.96, ~$5.50$5.57 ex-LA wind-down), added roughly 35,000 bpd of capacity systemwide, and notes that each $1 change in crude differentials is worth about $140 million of annual earnings. The Midstream segment has grown adjusted EBITDA ~ 40% since 2022 and generated about $1.0 billion in Q4, with a target of roughly $4.5 billion run-rate Adjusted EBITDA by year-end 2027 supported by acquisitions and organic projects like Dos Picos II and Sweeny Hub. Phillips 66 reported fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.0 billion (reported earnings $2.9 billion, $7.17/share) and returned $756 million to shareholders while repaying over $2 billion of debt, finishing the quarter with net debt-to-capital of 38% . Story Continues The New Defense Prime: Ondas Buys the Kill Chain 2 Energy Stocks to Play Both Sides of Tariff Uncertainty Baldridge laid out a target of approximately $4.5 billion run-rate Adjusted EBITDA by year-end 2027, supported by a mix of organic projects and scale-driven opportunities. He said Phillips 66 expects to add a gas plant about every 12 to 18 months due to its footprint in the Permian Basin, noting Dos Picos II was commissioned in 2025 and the Iron Mesa gas plant is expected to be in service in early 2027. He also said the first phase of the Coastal Bend pipeline expansion was completed, with incremental capacity of 125,000 barrels per day expected online in late 2026. Beyond large projects, Baldridge said the team continues to identify low-capital, high-return organic opportunities across basins, positioning the segment for mid-single-digit adjusted EBITDA growth. Fourth-quarter results: adjusted earnings of $1.0 billion; working capital tailwind and asset sale proceeds Palantirs Perfect 10: Blowout Earnings Spark a New Bull Case CFO Kevin Mitchell reported fourth-quarter reported earnings of $2.9 billion, or $7.17 per share, and adjusted earnings of $1.0 billion, or $2.47 per share. He said both reported and adjusted results included the final $239 million pre-tax impact of accelerated depreciation tied to idling the Los Angeles refinery. Mitchell said quarterly capital spending was $682 million and operating cash flow was $2.8 billion. Phillips 66 returned $756 million to shareholders, including $274 million of share repurchases. Net debt to capital ended the quarter at 38%. On cash flow, Mitchell said operations benefited from a $708 million working capital benefit tied to inventory reduction, partly offset by the impact of falling prices on the net receivables and payables position. The company also received $1.5 billion from the sale of a 65% interest in its Germany and Austria retail marketing business, repaid over $2 billion in debt, and completed the acquisition of the remaining 50% interest in WRB. Ending cash was $1.1 billion. Mitchell said total company adjusted earnings were flat sequentially at $1.0 billion, with improvements in Refining, Renewable Fuels, and Midstream mostly offset by declines in Chemicals and Marketing and Specialties. He attributed Chemicals weakness primarily to lower polyethylene margins driven by lower sales prices, while Marketing and Specialties declined largely due to the Germany and Austria sale and seasonally lower domestic margins. Refining: heavy crude optionality, cost initiatives, and capacity increases On the Central Corridor (PADD 2), Marketing and Commercial executive Brian Mandell described the region as Phillips 66s maximum integration of refining, midstream, and marketing. He said the company is one of the largest importers of Canadian crude and has optionality across Cushing grades and advantaged crudes from the wellhead. Mandell also cited company sensitivities indicating that each $1 change in the crude differential is worth about $140 million in yearly earnings. Refining executive Rich Harbison discussed controllable costs, stating fourth-quarter performance was $5.96 per barrel, and said excluding Los Angeles wind-down costs, the quarter would have been approximately $5.50 to $5.57 per barrel. He cited higher natural gas pricing as a $0.13 per barrel headwind in the quarter and said the idled Los Angeles refinery should be a positive influence of about $0.30 per barrel on an annualized basis in 2026. Harbison added the company is targeting another $0.15 per barrel reduction by year-end 2026, supported by over 300 initiatives. Harbison also said Phillips 66 is planning to update stated capacities at several refineries, citing improved operating rates and completed projects. He outlined the following changes: Billings: 66,000 bpd to 71,000 bpd Ponca City: 217,000 bpd to 228,000 bpd Bayway: 258,000 bpd to 275,000 bpd Sweeny: 265,000 bpd to 277,000 bpd Harbison characterized the net increase as about 35,000 bpd, or roughly a 2% increase across the system. He also said the company has become more disciplined in turnarounds, including taking work out of turnarounds by completing it elsewhere and using tools such as machine learning to shorten duration and reduce financial impact. 2026 outlook: utilization expectations, costs, and turnaround spending Mitchell provided early 2026 guidance, including a first-quarter global O&P utilization rate expected in the mid-90s. For Refining, he said worldwide crude utilization is expected in the low 90s. First-quarter turnaround expense is expected to be $170 million to $190 million, with full-year turnaround expense guidance of $550 million to $600 million. Corporate and other costs are expected to be $400 million to $420 million in the first quarter and $1.5 billion to $1.6 billion for the full year, and depreciation and amortization is expected to be $2.1 billion to $2.3 billion. Beginning in 2026, costs associated with the idled Los Angeles refinery will be reported in corporate and other. In the Q&A, management also discussed crude market dynamics, including Venezuelan crude and Canadian heavy differentials. Lashier said Phillips 66 has stated it can process about 250,000 bpd of Venezuelan crude and emphasized the companys flexibility, adding it does not need to spend incremental capital to do so. Mandell said the market is forward-looking, pointing to WCS differentials for 2026 as weaker versus 2025 levels and said both physical barrels and expectations for continued supply were influencing spreads. On capital allocation, Mitchell reiterated the companys commitment to returning greater than 50% of net operating cash flow to shareholders through dividends and repurchases, while maintaining a conservative balance sheet. He said that under a framework assuming roughly $8 billion in operating cash flow, and with a dividend around $2 billion annually and a capital program of $2.4 billion, the remaining cash could be split between debt reduction and buybacks, with share repurchases slightly weighted within that split. Mitchell said the company expects it can reduce debt by about $1.5 billion per year over the next two years, excluding any additional asset disposition flexibility. About Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) is an independent energy manufacturing and logistics company engaged primarily in refining, midstream transportation, marketing and chemicals. The company processes crude oil into transportation fuels, lubricants and other petroleum products, operates pipeline and storage infrastructure, and participates in petrochemical production through strategic investments. Phillips 66 serves commercial, industrial and retail customers and positions its operations across the value chain of the downstream energy sector. The company's principal activities include refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and feedstocks for petrochemical production; operating midstream assets such as pipelines, terminals and fractionators that move and store crude oil and natural gas liquids; and marketing and distributing fuels and lubricants through wholesale and retail channels. The article "Phillips 66 Q4 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. Protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations have met stiff resistance in cities across the United States. However, an image circulating on Facebook in Ethiopia does not show a demonstration unrivalled in size. AFP Fact Check found the original picture was altered, and the crowd, although large, was smaller than depicted. A Facebook post in Afaan Oromoo, one of Ethiopias major languages, translates to: USA has never before seen such an unprecedented number of people protesting, adding that a new history has been made during Trumps regime. Screenshot of the altered image on Facebook, taken on January 28, 2026 The attached photo shows a massive crowd occupying the streets, flanked by two prominent buildings. Advertisement Advertisement This troublesome man has brought neither peace to the world nor to America, reads one of the more than 170 comments. Look, these are empowered people; they stand together for their rights, says another. A similar Facebook post from the US claims: Billions of protestors march in downtown Minneapolis, braving sub-zero temperatures for ICE Out day. A screenshot of the post, since deleted, was taken before it could be archived by AFP Fact Check. Screenshot of the altered image in the deleted post, taken on January 28, 2026 Similar claims were shared elsewhere on Facebook here and here. Anti-ICE protests As part of US President Donald Trumps intensified deportation campaign, thousands of ICE agents have been deployed to Minneapolis, triggering widespread protests (archived here). Advertisement Advertisement Public anger escalated after federal agents shot and killed two US citizens in January: ICU nurse Alex Pretti during a roadside altercation and Renee Good weeks earlier in her car. AFP reported that thousands of demonstrators marched through the city on January 23 despite icy conditions, with some businesses closing in solidarity (archived here). Outrage deepened after images circulated of immigration officers detaining a terrified five-year-old boy while attempting to arrest his father, adding to calls to end the federal crackdown. However, the image that claims to show an unprecedented number of people protesting against ICE is digitally manipulated. Altered image AFP Fact Check conducted a reverse image search and found a similar photo on the Getty Images website (archived here). Advertisement Advertisement Demonstrators participate in a rally and march during an ICE Out day of protest on January 23, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the caption reads. "Community leaders, faith leaders and labor unions have urged Minnesotans to participate in what they are calling a "day of action" as hundreds of local businesses are expected to close during a statewide general strike held in protest against immigration enforcement operations in the region." This image was used in various articles published by major media outlets, including here and here (archived here and here). However, the Getty photograph contains much more detail of the crowd, which is notably smaller than the purported turnout depicted in the false posts. Advertisement Advertisement The original image also shows adjoining buildings that are absent in the version shared on Facebook. Additionally, the unnaturally dense crowd is a sign of artificially generated imagery. AFP Fact Check used AI-detector tools Vera.ai and Image Whisperer, which established high probability of the image being AI-generated. Screenshots of the Vera.ai detector results (left) and Image Whisperer, taken February 6, 2026 Through geolocation, we identified the two prominent buildings in the image as the US Bank Stadium and the Edition Apartment Homes, with the majority of the crowd gathered in the open space between them known as The Commons. Screenshots showing the US Bank Stadium (marked in red) and the Edition Apartment Homes (marked in purple) on the altered image (left), and a Google Maps image AFP Fact Check has debunked several claims related to anti-ICE protests such as here and here. Analilia Mejia, the Democratic activist who claimed victory with Tom Malinowski conceding North Jersey's 11th Congressional District race to her on Feb. 10, may be an unfamiliar name to many voters. But the labor and political organizer is well-known among New Jersey progressives. Mejia, 47, was in a tight race with the former Congressman for the Democratic nomination to fill the congressional seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill, since polls closed on Feb. 5. Advertisement Advertisement Randolph Township Councilman Joe Hathaway, the only candidate on the Republican ballot, will meet whoever wins the primary in a special election on April 16. Feb 5, 2026; Montclair, NJ, USA; Analilia Mejia celebrates with supporters at her primary night party at Porta in Montclair. Either Democrat would be favored to win that contest in the blue-leaning district, which stretches across parts of suburban Morris, Essex and Passaic counties. But a Mejia nomination would be seen as another surprise victory for the progressive wing of the Democratic party, in the mold of Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral race last year. Mejia, a Glen Ridge resident, centered her campaign on affordability for the working class she has proposed a hike in the federal minimum wage to nearly $25 an hour from the current $7.25, as well as guaranteed paid sick days and more funding for childcare. That would be paid, in part, by an effort to "fairly tax billionaires and corporations," her website says. Who is Analilia Mejia? As a union organizer and director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, she helped lead successful efforts to establish a $15 minimum wage and paid sick leave in the state, according to her campaign site. Advertisement Advertisement A campaign rally with Sanders raised her profile during the race. So did an endorsement from another champion of the left, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka also backed her, as have several labor unions. In campaign appearances, Mejia warned against sending "weak sauce" back to Congress, clearly aiming at the two perceived front-runners in the race, Malinowski and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, to paint them as establishment candidates who have failed the working class. "The biggest problem we have is the outsized power of money in our democracy," she told the large audience at the Sanders rally, held at William Paterson University. "Those with money cheat so that they pay less, and we end up with less. Those who have access end up flooding our electoral system and drowning us out. I am an advocate of policies that help right that, correct that." Feb 5, 2026; Montclair, NJ, USA; Analilia Mejia celebrates with supporters at her primary night party at Porta in Montclair. That includes an increase in government services for those living paycheck-to-paycheck. Advertisement Advertisement "I've done the math," she said. "I know even ideas like Medicare for All, even a public option, childcare for all, health education for all, higher ed for all, is actually more possible if we had tax fairness in our country." Mejia on ICE, Israel Mejia has called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing that it has become corrupt, discredited and out of control in the wake of the fatal shootings of two Minneapolis protesters. Though it was not a major focus of the campaign, Mejia has been more critical of Israel than some of her Democratic opponents. At a candidate forum sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, she was the only one of the Democratic attendees to raise her hand when asked if Israel's actions during the Gaza war amounted to genocide. And at an event hosted by a Morris County Democratic Jewish group, she was the only one who refused to endorse a proposed state law to establish a definition of antisemitism. Supporters of the bill say it would be an important tool at a time of rising violence against Jews; opponents argue it would be used to suppress criticism of Israel. Immigrant roots, Sanders ties On her campaign website, Mejia describes herself as "a mom, grassroots organizer, and nationally recognized advocate for working families." Advertisement Advertisement She was the national political director for Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign and served in the Department of Labor under President Joe Biden. The daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants, she "grew up watching her mother, a seamstress, work multiple jobs and still struggle to put food on the table," according to the campaign bio. "When her mom got a union job, everything changed." Staff Writer Charles Stile contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Who is Analilia Mejia? Activist claims victory in NJ-11 District (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) announced on Friday his retirement from Congress, making him the 30th House Republican not running for reelection this year. Amodei said in a statement that it is the right time for him to end his time in the House. Hell finish his current term before moving on from public service. Hes served in the House since 2011, and he sits on the House Appropriations Committee, House Natural Resources Committee, and multiple subcommittees. Serving the people of Nevada has been the honor of my lifetime. Please see statement below: pic.twitter.com/QJpg4r7Pav Rep. Mark Amodei (@MarkAmodeiNV2) February 6, 2026 The congressman wrote: Serving the people of Nevada has been the honor of my lifetime. Nobody is prouder of our Nevada Congressional District than me. Thank you for the honor. Every achievement worth doing began with listening to Nevadans and fighting for our values. I came to Congress to solve problems and to make sure our State and Nation have strong voice in the federal policy and oversight processes. I look forward to finishing my term. After 15 years of service, I believe it is the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch. The announcement is just the latest in a growing number of lawmakers stepping away from their roles in Congress. Marjorie Taylor Greene left her seat this year after growing tensions with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, and dozens more will also not be up for reelection in the upcoming midterms. Twenty-one Democrats are also not seeking reelection, putting Congress on track for potentially record turnover. According the AP, which is tracking the exodus: More than 10% of incumbents plan to leave, which is the highest percentage at this point in the calendar since at least President Barack Obamas administration, according to an Associated Press analysis of House retirements going back to 2013. Amodeis decision appears recent as he thanked the president for an endorsement in November. Advertisement Advertisement Mark Amodei has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN! Trump wrote on Truth Social, praising the congressman for doing a fantastic job. Thank you Mr. President [Donald Trump]! the congressman wrote back in response on X. The post Another House Republican Announces Hes Retiring, Brings Total Up to 30 first appeared on Mediaite. NEW YORK All of the state's congressional Democrats are endorsing Gov. Kathy Hochul including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the latest progressive heavyweight to lend support to the more moderate governors reelection. Ocasio-Cortez, New York Citys leading progressive in Congress, is expected to make the announcement with New Yorks 18 other House Democrats on Friday. The group endorsement will come ahead of the state Democratic Partys convention in Syracuse, where Hochul is expected to be nominated for Junes primary ballot. Spokespeople for Ocasio-Cortez did not return repeated requests for comment from POLITICO. Advertisement Advertisement Late Thursday, The New York Times broke the news that she and the states other House Democrats were throwing their weight behind Hochul. Also among the 19 Democrats: Rep. Tom Suozzi, who challenged Hochul in the 2022 gubernatorial primary. In a joint statement, the Democratic delegation from New York said that "Governor Hochul has tackled the affordability crisis head-on." "As the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans sow chaos, division, and dysfunction in Washington, Governor Hochul is unifying our party and leading the fight to protect New Yorkers and deliver real progress," they said. "Thats why were proud to stand behind her re-election campaign, and why were committed to working alongside her to take back the House in 2026. Ocasio-Cortezs expected announcement comes on the heels of her ally, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, also endorsing Hochul despite deep ideological differences, as first reported by POLITICO. Advertisement Advertisement The lefts coalescing around Hochul comes even as her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, is running against her in Junes Democratic primary, pitching himself as a bolder politician whos willing to tax the rich and push for other progressive priorities. Delgados campaign has failed to catch fire, though, and the Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani endorsements of Hochul may be the final nail in the coffin for his candidacy. One of the big progressive holdouts that remains publicly undecided about the gubernatorial race is the Working Families Party, which holds especially big sway in New York City. State Attorney General Letitia James, a WFP champion, already endorsed Hochul on Wednesday, though, another problematic sign for Delgado. Im proud to have the support of New Yorks Congressional Delegation, who are on the front lines holding Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans accountable for the chaos, extremism, and division coming out of D.C.," Hochul said in a statement. "New Yorkers want leaders who are focused on lowering costs, keeping communities safe, and delivering results, not political theater or distractions." BUENOS AIRES, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A deal on critical minerals between Argentina and the United States signed this week does not rule out Chinese investment in the country's mining sector, Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said on Friday. "This, as of today, does not imply that China cannot participate or will not participate in investments in Argentina. In fact, it has investments in Argentina, in minerals," Quirno said in a press conference. The agreement was announced after a meeting of more than 50 countries in Washington this week where U.S. Vice President JD Vance proposed a trading bloc for critical minerals, with the U.S. establishing a system creating price floors for the commodities. Advertisement Advertisement The two countries also finalized a reciprocal trade and investment agreement on Thursday, with Argentina committing to prioritize the U.S. as a trading partner for its copper, lithium and other critical minerals over "market manipulating economies or enterprises" - a reference to China. "What this ArgentinaUnited States agreement does is that it gives greater predictability so that American companies, which are already the leading investor in Argentina, can increase their investments," Quirno said. Argentina was also seeking more "flexibility" within the Mercosur trade bloc, which also includes Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, with Bolivia poised to become a full member, Quirno said. (Reporting by Leila Miller; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; editing by Cassandra Garrison) The search for Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBCs Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie entered its sixth day on Friday in Arizona, as authorities said they were aware of a new message related to the case. The FBI and Arizonas Pima county sheriffs department issued a joint statement on Friday afternoon stating that investigators were actively inspecting information provided in the message for its authenticity. Earlier in the day, authorities said they believe that Guthrie is still alive. Shes out there, were gonna find her, we have to, said Chris Nanos, Arizonas Pima county sheriff, in an interview with ABCs Good Morning America show on Friday morning. Pray just pray, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Asked by the interviewer if he could work on prayers in the absence of good leads in the case or a means of contacting those believed to have abducted Nancy Guthrie, Nanos added: Sometimes I have to, I do not have a choice. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Guthries recovery and/or the arrest or conviction of anyone involved in her mysterious vanishing. Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday morning in the Tucson area after she failed to show up to her regular church. She was last seen by loved ones at her home in the Catalina foothills neighborhood to the north of the southern Arizona city on the evening of 31 January. Her disappearance is being investigated as a possible kidnapping, and as of Friday morning, no suspect or person of interest had yet been identified. Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday night, Savannahs brother, Camron Guthrie, issued a new plea in a video posted on social media. Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you, he said. We havent heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know you have our mom. We want to talk to you and we are waiting for contact. The appeal came shortly after Nanos held a press conference where he said that authorities believed that Guthrie was still alive. Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there, Nanos said. We want her home. Our department the sheriffs department along with all of our partners at the FBI, have been working around the clock, and we just want her home and to find a way to get to the bottom of all of this, just as you do. Advertisement Advertisement Nanos confirmed that spatters of blood found near the front door of Nancy Guthries house had tested positive for her DNA. He also said that Guthries pacemaker had disconnected from her personal monitoring device at 2.28am on Sunday. Authorities have also said that her doorbell camera was disconnected the night she disappeared. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Guthries recovery and or the arrest or conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance. She is considered to be a vulnerable adult who has difficulty walking, has a pacemaker, and needs daily medication for a heart condition, the FBIs missing person bulletin states. A man was arrested in connection with a reported armed bank robbery that occurred Friday morning. It happened at the Bank of America on Benson Road. A town official stated that a firearm was implied during the incident. The suspect left the scene before authorities arrived, either on foot or in a vehicle. Authorities identified the suspect as Raymond Lee Dean III, who was taken into custody in Northwest Raleigh. Garner police executed search warrants and recovered evidence related to the investigation. The investigation is ongoing, and additional information will be released as appropriate. Pillow forts and smuggled parrots. That's what officials found in one couple's vehicle after an inspection at the U.S.-Mexico border. What's happening? Federal officials arrested a couple allegedly attempting to smuggle three red-lored parrots into the United States by hiding them near a passenger's feet. According to court documents and KTSM reporting, the incident occurred at the Lincoln-Juarez port of entry in Laredo, Texas, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers flagging the vehicle for further inspection. Advertisement Advertisement During a secondary search, officers reportedly noticed blankets and small pillows near the passenger seat. Beneath the glove compartment, they found three live parrots hidden inside the couple's truck. Authorities believe the birds were purchased in Mexico and brought across the border without permits, veterinary inspection, or quarantine all legal requirements for importing protected wildlife. Red-lored parrots are popular in the illegal pet trade due to their intelligence and ability to mimic human speech, with some selling for as much as $3,000 each. Court documents seem to show this was the third time the couple attempted to smuggle parrots into the country. Why is this concerning? Wildlife smuggling doesn't just endanger individual animals; it can destabilize ecosystems and threaten people, too. Advertisement Advertisement Removing birds like red-lored parrots from the wild can accelerate population declines, disrupt seed dispersal, and reduce forest health, according to Rare. The illegal wildlife trade undermines efforts to build safer, more sustainable communities at home. Resources spent responding to trafficking cases and managing the fallout are resources not spent on habitat restoration, clean water protections, and managing already-existing invasive populations. Smuggled animals can also introduce diseases to new environments, threatening native species, agriculture, and even human health. Once invasive or non-native species are released or escape, controlling them often requires costly interventions, costing up to $423 billion globally, according to the World Economic Forum. This puts strain on local officials and delays conservation progress. Advertisement Advertisement The situation at the U.S.-Mexico border has already been complicated enough for wildlife. The border wall has trapped animals fleeing from fires, there's an ongoing sewage crisis, and many wildlife populations have been split in half. What's being done about wildlife trafficking? U.S. authorities continue to monitor border crossings and enforce strict import regulations to prevent wildlife trafficking. Penalties for smuggling can include heavy fines and prison time. Conservation groups emphasize that prevention is key, from cracking down on illegal pet sales to educating consumers about the risks of buying exotic animals. Individuals can help by taking local action, reporting suspected trafficking, and supporting habitat protection efforts that keep species thriving where they belong. 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. World leaders gathered this week at the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, where the landmark peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia received recognition. The ceremony, hosted by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, honoured Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan for their roles in ending decades of conflict between their countries. "True peace is measured in the everyday lives of our people, in the freedom to travel, trade and interact without fear," Aliyev said, noting that six months of cooperation have brought stability and optimism to communities. Advertisement Advertisement Aliyev said ordinary citizens are witnessing change through reopened roads, renewed trade flows and improved energy access. "When dialogue is translated into action, every market, every street and every home feels the difference," he said. Aliyev stressed that leadership is judged by results, not documents. "An agreement becomes meaningful when it delivers visible benefits jobs, services and opportunities for our people," he said, pointing to transport, trade and energy initiatives. Aliyev thanked international partners for helping transform negotiations into improvements for citizens, saying lasting peace requires implementation, not just agreements. Advertisement Advertisement "Leadership is not just about decisions in meetings; it is about creating conditions where people feel safe, secure and optimistic every day," Aliyev said. Addressing the event, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasised that in the past, it would have been unthinkable for such a prestigious award to be presented simultaneously to the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia. He stated that the presentation of this award also confirms that both Armenia and Azerbaijan have turned the page on the conflict. The Armenian prime minister described the award as an expression of international community support for both countries. Advertisement Advertisement He noted that the decision of the judging committee, which includes highly respected members from around the world, would further strengthen peace in the region. He stressed that efforts would continue to ensure peace and trust between the two peoples. Pashinyan also expressed special gratitude to US President Donald Trump for his contribution to achieving the peace agreement and for his efforts in this direction. He further conveyed his sincere thanks to the president of the United Arab Emirates for the award and expressed appreciation to all participants in this important event. Mirziyoyev: Peace needs courage, dialogue and compromise Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said in a video message that peace requires political courage, dialogue and compromise. Advertisement Advertisement He congratulated Aliyev and Pashinyan, calling their joint work toward peace "a vivid example of a responsible approach" and "a historic step toward ensuring stability in the region." "In today's volatile world, peace does not come on its own. It requires the courage to listen, to compromise and to take responsibility," Mirziyoyev said, adding that lasting trust between nations could only be built through political and diplomatic solutions based on international law and good neighbourly relations. He thanked the UAE leadership for promoting humanitarian initiatives and strengthening dialogue, describing Abu Dhabi as an emerging global centre for peace. Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, attended the ceremony as a member of the award's jury and congratulated the 2026 laureates, noting the Azerbaijan-Armenia agreement showed even complex conflicts could be resolved. Tokayev fetes conflict resolution through dialogue Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking via video message while on a state visit to Pakistan, congratulated Pashinyan and Aliyev. Advertisement Advertisement "The progress Azerbaijan and Armenia have made toward a peace agreement marks a turning point. This step demonstrates that even long-standing conflicts can be resolved through dialogue, responsibility and restraint," he said. He noted Kazakhstan's role in hosting peace talks in Almaty. "This fact reflects our shared conviction that there is no alternative to constructive dialogue as a tool for sustainable development," he said. The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, named after UAE founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, recognises efforts in coexistence, tolerance and human dignity. Advertisement Advertisement Alongside the Caucasus leaders, Afghan women's rights activist Zarqa Yaftali and Palestinian humanitarian organisation Taawon were also honoured. The Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement, brokered by the US in 2025, ended decades of conflict between the two countries. The agreement included provisions for reopening transport corridors, establishing diplomatic relations and resolving territorial disputes. A 25-employee company from Niagara Falls just claimed it can build a fighter jet that flies four times the speed of sound. The SM-39 Razor, Stavatti Aerospaces latest concept, looks like Batmans ride redesigned by aerospace engineers who drew inspiration from science fiction. With its triple-fuselage batwing silhouette and purported Mach 4+ capabilities, this underdog entry aims to crash the Navys F/A-XX fighter competition dominated by defense giants Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Physics-Defying Performance Claims Stavattis specs sound more like video game stats than real aircraft capabilities. The SM-39 Razors claimed performance reads like a wish list written by someone whos never heard of thermodynamics. Twin E1400 afterburning turbofans supposedly push this 70-foot beast past Mach 4 while maintaining stealth characteristics. The company claims it can carry 25,000 pounds of weapons internally while achieving a 100,000-foot ceiling and 1,400-nautical-mile tactical radius. Advertisement Advertisement These numbers would make the SR-71 Blackbird jealous. If true, this thing could fly from New York to Miami faster than your Uber arrives during peak traffic. Reality Check From the Physics Department Turbofan engines werent designed for near-hypersonic flight, and thermal physics doesnt care about marketing claims. Heres where Stavattis fever dream meets aerospace reality. Managing airflow at near-hypersonic speeds creates thermal challenges that melt traditional materials and compromise stealth coatings. Most hypersonic vehicles use scramjets or rockets, not turbofans, for good reason. Stavattis track record doesnt inspire confidence either30 years of concepts but zero full-scale prototypes delivered. Compare that to Boeings decades of actual carrier aircraft production and Northrops stealth expertise proven in combat. Navy Pushes Forward Despite Skepticism F/A-XX program gets funding boost while industry veterans question timeline feasibility. Advertisement Advertisement According to defense reports, the Navy secured up to $897 million in FY2026 funding for the F/A-XX Engineering & Manufacturing Development contract. The Chief of Naval Operations is pushing for acceleration against threats from Iran and China. Boeing and Northrop Grumman remain the realistic frontrunners to replace aging F/A-18E/F Super Hornets by the 2040s. Whether Stavattis submission even gets serious consideration remains unclear. But the batwing design has already captured imaginations among defense tech enthusiasts who appreciate audacious engineeringeven if the physics dont quite add up. The SM-39 Razor represents everything people love about underdog innovation stories, wrapped in a design that screams future warfare. Too bad the laws of thermodynamics rarely bend for startups. From the coolest cars to the must-have gadgets, GadgetReviews daily newsletter keeps you in the know. Subscribe - its fun, fast, and free. Pinterest fired two employees who created a tool for tracking the companys layoffs in a move that highlights how power has largely shifted from employees back to employers in corporate America. Pinterest last week announced it would lay off less than 15% of its workforce and shed office space as part of a restructuring running through the end of September that will reallocate resources to AI-focused roles and AI products, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. After the announcement, in a meeting led by the companys chief technology officer, Matt Madrigal, Pinterests chief security officer, Andy Steingruebl, told engineers company leaders wouldnt be distributing a list of laid-off employees to protect the individuals privacy in line with Pinterests privacy policies. Two engineers later built their own internal tool to track laid-off employees ahead of an upcoming town hall with CEO Bill Ready last week, according to Pinterest. After being clearly informed that Pinterest would not broadly share information identifying impacted employees, two engineers wrote custom scripts improperly accessing confidential company information to identify the locations and names of all dismissed employees and then shared it more broadly, a Pinterest spokesperson said in a statement shared with Fortune. This was a clear violation of Pinterest policy and of their former colleagues privacy. A spokesperson for Pinterest confirmed the firing of the two employees to Fortune. During the town hall the following day, CEO Ready reportedly rebuked staffers and said employees should consider finding another job if theyre working against the direction of the company and dont agree with the company mission, CNBC reported, citing an audio recording of the meeting. Changing corporate power structure Readys comments and Pinterests move to fire the engineers highlights a new era in which companies hold all the cards as employees have transitioned from job hopping to job hugging. In 2022, during the Great Resignation, 2.5% of employees, or about 4 million workers, on average, switched jobs each month between January and March, and more than half of them saw an earnings boost because of it, according to Pew Research Center. Those days are long gone, and CEOs are starting to expect more, ZipRecruiter career strategist Sam DeMase told Fortune. The tone of the CEO today is more demanding than during the Great Resignation in 2021, she said. Theres a distinct emphasis on efficiency and impact. Some CEOs, including Amazons Andy Jassy, have already started asking employees for a list of accomplishments, a change from the previous high-level focus on goals and an employees best way of working. A laptop screen displays the homepage for Beacon Mutual Insurance Company. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current) A state vendor and major provider of workers compensation insurance in Rhode Island confirmed it was the victim of a cyberattack in January. The Beacon Mutual Insurance Company posted about the Jan. 14 incident to its website around noon Thursday, following inquiries from Rhode Island Current earlier in the day. The requests for comment were prompted by Beacons appearance on public websites that list and track recent reports of ransomware a genre of malware characterized by making users files encrypted and inaccessible unless they pay a price. Advertisement Advertisement Yes, this was a ransomware attack, Michelle N. Pelletier, the assistant vice president of marketing and communications at the Warwick company, confirmed over email late Thursday afternoon. But Pelletier added that not all was lost, and that the companys production environment or the live systems that users interact with directly remained safe from harm. Fortunately, our production environment was not encrypted, and we were able to resume normal operations on January 20, Pelletier wrote. Pelletier added that the company is working with experts on a complete forensic analysis of the potential data affected by the incident, and that any people whose personal information may have been stolen or affected as part of the breach will be notified. Advertisement Advertisement To ensure the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are not able to provide additional details at this time, Pelletier said. The Warwick-based companys Thursday afternoon account of what happened did not provide details of the unauthorized access to our systems. This suspicious activity was first observed on Jan. 14, and select systems on the companys network were proactively disconnected to stop the threats further progression. The companys statement adds that it then began a forensic investigation and notified law enforcement. Beacon Mutuals response to this incident has been guided by our mission to provide outstanding service and our values to do the right thing and empower employers to succeed by caring for the safety, well-being, and security of their employees, the statement read. Beacon is designated as the states third party administrator for state employees workers compensation claims, according to a state employee handbook published in November 2025. Advertisement Advertisement The company is also considered the states insurer of last resort, meaning it is required to provide workers compensation coverage to employers who cannot find a willing insurer in the voluntary market, who may decline to provide coverage as particular employers may be considered too big a risk. The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, which handles workers comp, referred comment to the Department of Administration, which did not respond to requests for comment as of early Thursday evening. According to Rhode Islands transparency portal, in fiscal year 2025 the state spent $23,209,038 on services rendered by Beacon across 402 transactions in total, although the portal does not provide many specifics as to these payments. The initial rumblings of a class action lawsuit have already emerged online: The Washington, D.C.-based firm Mason LLP posted to its website Wednesday that it is investigating a class action lawsuit for the victims of the recent breach at Beacon Mutual Insurance. The firm did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Hacker group claims responsibility Beacons Thursday statement noted that the company, like any organization, operates within a dynamic threat environment in which security risks may arise despite reasonable and appropriate safeguards. The insurer maintains that it has a comprehensive information security program with multiple and industry-standard safeguards in place. Advertisement Advertisement On the other end of the equation is the threat actor taking credit for the breach: INC Ransom, which posted to its dark web site around Jan. 29 that it had pilfered 275 GB of highly sensitive internal data, according to screencaps of the leak site ransom page posted by ransomware tracking sites. To ensure the integrity of the ongoing investigation, we are not able to provide additional details at this time. Michelle N. Pelletier, assistant vice president of marketing and communications for Beacon Mutual Connor Goodwolf a Columbus, Ohio-based cybersecurity researcher who researches and reviews the data breach claims by cybercriminals confirmed Thursday that the ransom page for Beacon Mutual remains live on the INC Ransoms site. Screencaps posted to the site and reviewed by Goodwolf show the criminals claiming a bounty of internal corporate documents, financial reports, employees and claimants personal information, Social Security numbers, NDAs, a database of clients and policyholders, and system backups. Advertisement Advertisement Goodwolf said over text message Thursday that, on some leak posts, INC includes a countdown or indicator of when files will be publicly released, and that it looks like they drop files after 14 or so days after releasing a post. The leak page for Beacon, however, lacks a timer, Goodwolf said. A November 2025 report from Blackpoint Cyber, a Denver-based cybersecurity firm, traces INCs first appearance to 2023, and notes that the groups alleged ransom efforts have mostly been based in North America. INC is believed to operate as ransomware as a service. This business model is a criminal mirror of the software as a service model, which includes popular apps like Zoom, Canvas, Slack, Airtable, Dropbox essentially, software stored on a companys servers and accessed via the cloud by users. In the ransomware variant, other cybercriminals known as affiliates are able to enlist the service operators to carry out an attack, allowing less technically savvy criminals access to heavier-duty techniques. Goodwolf pointed out over text that INC has a track record for high-profile targets, including the Pennsylvania AGs office and Stark Aerospace, a U.S. Department of Defense contractor. Both breaches happened in 2025 and were confirmed by public officials. According to Blackpoint, INC Ransom has been observed to use the double extortion method, which often starts with a traditional ransomware attack: Files on a victims network are encrypted, and then criminals demand payment from victims so their now-unusable files can be restored. The second blow in a double extortion attack is data exfiltration. Criminals steal data from a victims servers, then threaten to post the data online unless paid a sum, usually an exorbitant one. Advertisement Advertisement INCs ransomware uses file size to guide its partial encryption method, combining that tactic with a multithreading approach to make its encryption even speedier, according to Blackpoint. The ransomware leaves ransom notes in each encrypted directory, and can also summon these notes into the physical world. INC Ransom actively seeks out available printers in the network and sends the command to print the ransom note, the report reads, adding that the malicious software might also replace a machines desktop wallpaper with the ransom note. The Blackpoint researchers wrote that INC Ransom became much more active in 2025. When the report was published in November 2025, the criminal outfit had claimed 300 victims so far that year, compared to 162 victims in 2024. The increase in activity and their ability to remain a credible threat in the ransomware landscape has been attributed to their ability to adapt, the report reads. Company stabilized insurance market in 1990s Mutual insurance companies are collectively owned by their policyholders, rather than outside shareholders, and each policyholder comprises a member of the company which also makes them eligible for dividends, of which Beacon paid out about $6 million in 2024, according to a routine report conducted by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulations Insurance Division. Advertisement Advertisement The report, which examined the years 2020 up through 2024, recaps the companys past and present, a history also iterated on Beacons own website. Before it was Beacon, the company was known as the State Compensation Insurance Fund a product of 1990 legislation by the Rhode Island General Assembly which sought to stabilize the states workers compensation system amid an exodus of private insurers a decade earlier. The creation of the State Compensation Insurance Fund which officially became Beacon in 1992 helped soothe bedlam in the workers comp market, along with additional reforms by the legislature. By the mid-1990s, the workers comp system had recovered, and Beacon, a private company, was able to pay back the $5 million the state had loaned in its creation. Over time, Beacon amended its company charter and expanded its licensing authority to operate beyond Rhode Island, and it now operates in Massachusetts and Connecticut through partnerships with other companies. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The victims killed in a shooting at an El Paso house party were remembered by their loved ones as caring people who had great potential ripped away from them after the man who killed them was sentenced to life. Family members and friends of Julia Worthington, a 14-year-old student at Pebble Hills High School, and Eliel Omar Bultron Hernandez, 19, took the witness stand one by one on Thursday, Feb. 5, to address the man, Angel Avila, who pleaded guilty to their murders. He was sentenced to life in prison. "Her goal and intention for that night was to have fun," Julia's mother, Ruth Salais, said in her victim impact statement. "Meanwhile, there was evil brewing that night whose goal and preparation and intention was to do harm. And he did." Troy Taylor, the uncle of Julia Worthington, a 14yearold who was shot and killed, gives a victim impact statement during the capital murder trial of Angel Avila, accused in a 2023 El Paso house party shooting that left two people dead, at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse on Feb. 5, 2026, in El Paso. The courtroom was filled with victims family members. Bailiffs had to stop people from entering because the court was at capacity. About a dozen people gave victim impact statements. Advertisement Advertisement While the gunman pleaded guilty before a jury got a chance to deliberate a verdict, all 13 (one serving as an alternate) stayed in the courtroom to hear the emotional impact statements. 'She has a beautiful heart' Julia was just months away from her quinceanera. She was cremated in the dress she planned to wear to it. Her daughter never got to have her quinceanera and will never have a chance to grow up and start a family of her own, the mother said. Ruth Salais, the mother of Julia Worthington, a 14yearold who was killed in a shooting, speaks with El Paso police officer Selina Avila after victim impact statements concluded at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse on Feb. 5, 2026, in El Paso, Texas. "Julia was robbed of this potential," her mother said as she paused and fought back tears. "While I don't think Julia would've had 10 children, she was robbed of that choice. I never had the chance to give my daughter the quinceanera that she wanted. Instead, I prepared for a funeral, wrote an obituary, and picked out pictures for a slide show for her funeral." More: El Paso man pleads guilty to murder in homecoming house party shooting Advertisement Advertisement Julia's organs were donated and have helped save the lives of at least 69 people, her family said. "In order for her to be able to donate her organs, they need to keep her stable for three days, so she would be able to save other lives," her mother said. "She has a beautiful heart and she will continue to live in the lives of other people." 'He was my best friend' Bultron Hernandez was remembered as a loving brother and son. "My brother was not only my brother, he was my best friend," said Ashanti Bultron, Bultron Hernandez's sister. "We went through everything together. He was the only person who truly knew everything about me. He could tell something was wrong just by looking at me, and he always knew how to make me laugh, no matter how difficult things were. My brother always had a smile on his face." Advertisement Advertisement The gunman took a promising future away from Bultron Hernandez. "He was a gentle and loving person with so much love in his heart," his sister said in her victim impact statement. "My brother did not deserve this. At only 19 years old, he was just beginning his life. He had so much more to live, so much more to give and so many dreams that he'll never be able to fulfill." Avila pleads guilty, sentenced to life Julia Worthington and Eliel Omar Bultron Hernandez were fatally shot at a house party on Sept. 17, 2023, at a Vrbo short-term rental home in the 12300 block of Tierra Inca Drive in the El Dorado area. Family members and friends of the victims leave the courtroom after the conclusion of victim impact statements during the capital murder trial stemming from a 2023 El Paso house party shooting at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse on Feb. 5, 2026, in El Paso. David Caldera, Andres Marquez, Stephen Stophel, who was working security for the house party, and Avila were all injured in the shooting. Advertisement Advertisement The shooting started after Avila arrived at the party and saw people who he claimed had allegedly shot at him previously at a park in Socorro, a complaint affidavit states. More: Testimony from man injured in El Paso shooting contradicts police Julia Worthington and Eliel Omar Bultron Hernandez were bystanders struck by the gunfire. Jurors heard two days of testimony before Avila decided to end the trial by pleading guilty. He pleaded guilty to one count each of "murder times two," aggravated assault with a weapon causing brain injury or paralysis and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as part of a plea deal. Advertisement Advertisement Judge Selena Solis of the 243rd District Court sentenced Avila to life in prison on the "murder times two" and aggravated assault with a weapon causing brain injury or paralysis charges. Avila received 20 years for the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso house party killer gets life sentence; families speak out Harvard student Samaga Pokharel, right, with "My Race is My Story" sign, joined other students and supporters of affirmative action outside the U.S. Supreme Court Oct. 31, 2022, as it heard two cases that could reshape college admissions policies. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) House Republican lawmakers were met with boos and arguments from members of the public at a Thursday subcommittee meeting as the panel advanced a proposal removing affirmative action requirements under Iowa law. House Study Bill 668 proposes removing several affirmative action and equal opportunity measures currently required under Iowa state law. Opponents of the measure called the bill a continuation of efforts taken in previous legislative sessions to repeal civil rights protections in Iowa law. Advertisement Advertisement The bill would eliminate required affirmative action plans and reports for a variety of state and educational entities, including the Iowa departments of Education and Administration, the state Board of Regents, community colleges, school districts, area education agencies and the judicial branch. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Adam Bessman, a Drake University student and program director of the Iowa Queer Student Alliance, told lawmakers the purpose of affirmative action measures and similar protections the bill proposes ending are measures that seek to ensure the constitutional value of equality under the law is properly executed. Bessman said as someone who grew up in a predominantly Hispanic community, I witnessed many of my peers being mistreated by educators and administrators, as well as passed over for opportunities of which they were more than deserving, not based on the content of their character, but on the color of their skin and of their heritage. I believe that if my community had affirmative action initiatives like that are currently employed at the state level, these negative experiences could have been avoided. Advertisement Advertisement Bessman added: Ask yourselves: if all that affirmative action and the similar policies that this bill seeks to eliminate is doing is ensuring that the values of our constitution are being upheld for everybody for women, for people of color, for everybody why are you seeking to eliminate them? Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, said with the policies lawmakers passed on restricting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, known as DEI, during the 2025 session, this bill is necessary to update code. Her comments on the measure were met by boos from the crowd as were comments from Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, who chaired the subcommittee. Attendees chanted shame, shame at the GOP lawmakers as they left the subcommittee meeting. Sen. Renee Hardman, D-West Des Moines, alongside several other speakers, criticized lawmakers for moving forward with the bill after it was introduced and available on the Legislatures website less than 24 hours prior. We as elected officials have one major obligation, and that is to listen and learn and to lead, Hardman said. In order to listen, we have to give people access access and time to do just that. We are better, and our people deserve better. And I urge you to consider slowing this process down or shut it down, because we in Iowa have issues around people staying here, young people staying here. And its this very reason why Iowa cannot keep our young people. Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Megan Srinivas, D-Des Moines, thanked Iowans who were able to attend and speak at the meeting, saying even with the short notice of the meeting, there are more people in this room than we can fit, and of all who came, not a single person thinks this is a good idea. Srinivas said the backlash against the proposal is because it legalizes discrimination, and would stand against the core values of Iowa promoted by both Democrats and Republicans like former Gov. Robert Ray to improve Iowa by supporting diverse populations in the state. I cant say Ive ever been this disappointed in something that has been brought toward me in four years, Srinivas said. This is not the Iowa I want to build. One portion of the bill that drew significant pushback were proposals to remove the requirements unanimously approved in 2020 requiring the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to adopt rules on racial and cultural awareness training, and for law enforcement agencies to provide annual trainings related to deescalation techniques and preventing bias. Advertisement Advertisement Speakers also criticized was a provision to eliminate requirements stating applicants for work licenses in fields like health care, architecture, engineering, land surveying and real estate cannot be deemed ineligible due to citizenship. Vanessa Marcano-Kelly, board chair of Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice, said this provision would have potentially catastrophic impacts on Iowas health care system, which already faces workforce shortages. Marcano said her husbands mother is in a nursing home and if it werent for the immigrant staff, everyone in that nursing home would just be completely without any type of care. I know that youre going to vote yes on this bill. I urge you to vote no, Marcano-Kelly said. I urge you to go to Iowa nursing homes and see whats going on there, and really see the significance of having a workforce that cares for our parents, for our elderly people. The academic incentives for minorities, the minority and women educators enhancement, and College-Bound programs encouraging higher education institutions to make plans and provide assistance for students and staff from underrepresented groups would be eliminated under the bill. It also would strike current requirements related to prioritization and consideration of how health care institutions and practitioners are addressing the needs of underserved racial and ethnic minority populations. Advertisement Advertisement Wheeler said the bill ensures opportunities are awarded based on hard work, talent, qualifications. Both Wheeler and Fett signed off on the bill moving forward, while Srinivas opposed the bill. House Speaker Pat Grassley told reporters at a Thursday news conference theres more work to be done on the bill, and he said discussions will continue based on the feedback heard in subcommittee. However, he said House Republicans are committed to the goal of promoting a merit-based system in Iowa. Were going to continue to continue to have a conversation on this bill, Grassley said. Weve been very firm in our position that Iowa should be a merit-based state, and so thats why the bill comes forward. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Lawmakers walk from the Virginia State Capitol Building to the Virginia General Assembly Building on Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) In the wake of Hurricane Helene, local response was critical to clearing roads and activating rescues in Southwest Virginia while state and federal resources were on the way. But despite regular flooding and severe weather statewide including recent snow and ice storms that immobilized much of the commonwealth for days many localities dont have a person solely dedicated to emergency management. Through House Bill 169 and Senate Bill 98, state legislators attempted to set aside $5 million in the state budget to match localities funding to hire full-time emergency managers. The funding proposal was nixed amid budget debates and on Thursday, and the bill was shifted into a stakeholder group to determine how Virginia can better tackle the issue. Advertisement Advertisement What (Helene) also demonstrated was that we werent prepared. We werent coordinating in the ways that we should, bill patron Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, said. The localities werent coordinating in the ways that they should. We were not sharing information in the ways that we should. We didnt have even the equipment to do some of the things that we needed to do. Virginia law requires that a political subdivision appoint an emergency coordinator; localities often task fire or police chiefs and other local government leaders with this responsibility. Proponents of the bill said that when emergency management isnt the primary focus of whoever embodies the coordinator role, it can be challenging for them to focus on looking for grants, cultivating contacts and training. It can also make it tricky to coordinate with state emergency response efforts. If we dont already have the contact, we generally have a network of folks that can get us the right contact pretty quickly, said Brian Misner, a member of the Virginia Emergency Management Association (VEMA). Its our way to help make sure that that scene can be stabilized and start recovering faster. It takes that load off of the folks who are working on scene so they can focus on the most immediate public safety threats. Advertisement Advertisement According to the Department of Emergency Managements 2025 annual report, just 44% of 140 Virginia counties, cities and towns have an emergency manager primarily dedicated to the role. Almost 2 million Virginians live in a locality without at least one full time employee spending at least 75% of their time on emergency management activities, the report reads. The report also found that just 29% of localities said they have sufficient emergency management program staffing levels. More than 5 million Virginians live in an area without sufficient staffing to maintain the critical functions within (the) EM program, the report stated. With sweeping cuts to federal funding coming from Congress, there are growing concerns over the Virginia Department of Emergency Managements budget, because two-thirds of its funding come from the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement Reductions to the Federal Emergency Management Agencys functions that push more of the responsibility to the states also pose serious challenges, emergency management professionals warned. When youve got a state agency thats two-thirds funded by federal grants, when thats tenuous, and then you dont have the capabilities at the state level, its really leaving Virginia in a very vulnerable position, which is why we need this to figure out the best path forward, said Rob Bohannon with the Virginia Emergency Management Association.. Lawmakers agreed that the state cant afford delays in response to natural disasters, whether it be a hurricane in the mountains or flooding on the coast. Theres a long term trickle down in the fiscal impact of the commonwealth by not having the appropriate infrastructure across communities in both pre planning, but also the post incident, which weve seen time and time again, said Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Prince William. Because there is a town manager, county administrator, whos also the emergency manager, or a public works director whos also the emergency manager. Theres all sorts of roles and combinations, and weve got to start to get this right. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX As the MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone heads toward operational capability with its launch customer, Australia, Boeing has provided details about the changes incorporated in the upcoming Block 3 version. The company also says its pursuing sales for the MQ-28 elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region, specifically. An update on the MQ-28 was provided by Glen Ferguson, the program director, speaking to the media at this weeks Singapore Airshow. In attendance was TWZ contributor Roy Choo. A Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone. Boeing Australia The Block 3 aircraft is currently the most ambitious iteration of the MQ-28 and will follow on from Block 2, which is now in production for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Advertisement Advertisement Late last year, Australia placed contracts with Boeing Defense Australia (BDA) for six Block 2 aircraft, having previously ordered three to the same standard. Australia has already acquired eight Block 1 MQ-28s, which are configured as pre-production prototypes. While the Block 2 drones are seen as a pathway to an operational capability, when that might actually materialize remains unclear. Speaking at the Singapore Airshow, Ferguson pushed questions about this to the Australian Ministry of Defense. At the same time that it ordered its latest tranche of Block 2 drones, Australia placed a contract for the development of the enhanced Block 3, about which Ferguson provided more information. Advertisement Advertisement As had been expected, the Block 3 will include an internal weapons bay. We now know that this will be scaled to accommodate one AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) or two GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) or equivalents, in terms of size. A pair of SDB IIs, also known as the GBU-53/B StormBreaker glide bomb, would be another option, but Ferguson stressed this was potentially just the starting point. A pair of GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) under an F-15E Strike Eagle. U.S. Air Force (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Lance Cheung) The best language to use is what we provision for in the weapons bay, Ferguson explained. The reality is, because we are modular, and because we have an open architecture, and because we have the ability for people to do things on their own, we can put any weapon in, across the board [] Now, which ones we use is really up to customers. In fact, the Block 1 and 2 aircraft also have the space to accommodate a weapons bay, which could be retrofitted if the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) decides to. Late last year, a Block 2 aircraft was fitted with a single AMRAAM carried on a prominent external pylon for a landmark live-fire weapons shot. This saw the MQ-28 operate as a loyal wingman with an RAAF E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C), with support provided by an F/A-18F Super Hornet. A live AMRAAM was used to successfully engage and destroy an Australian-made Phoenix jet-powered target drone. An AIM-120 is launched from an MQ-28A Ghost Bat during Trial Kareela at RAAF Base Woomera, South Australia, last December. Australian Department of Defense In Singapore, Boeing provided more details of the live-fire weapons test, part of the Australian Defense Forces Trial Kareela 25-4, including how the different tasks were shared among the three RAAF assets. Advertisement Advertisement During the test, the F/A-18 acquired the target, while the E-7 authorized it and managed elements of the kill-chain flow. The MQ-28 was provided with authority to engage and destroy that target. According to Boeing, the MQ-28 received only four major commands to achieve this. The first was to take off. The second was to establish an orbit in a defensive counter-air patrol (CAP). The third was to leave the CAP and then autonomously intercept the target. The fourth was to arm its weapon system and release its AMRAAM once within firing parameters. Everything else, the MQ-28 did autonomously, Boeing said. A key feature of the MQ-28 is its highly modular design, meaning various munitions, sensors, and other payloads can be integrated; the entire nose can be swapped out to accommodate different payloads. On the Block 2 aircraft, we have already seen an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor fitted in the nose of at least two MQ-28s. This is understood to be a Selex system. A quartet of MQ-28s, the two in the middle having IRST sensors on top of their noses. Boeing For Block 3, Ferguson confirmed that Boeing is working on three or four alternative sensor payloads, although he declined to elaborate on these. Advertisement Advertisement As well as internal weapons carriage and new weapons and sensors, the Ghost Bat will also grow in size with Block 3. According to details published by Breaking Defense, the drones wingspan will increase from 20 to 24 feet (6 meters to 7.3 meters), providing a roughly 30 percent increase in fuel capacity. One of the reasons we put the bigger wing on the Block 3 jet is for range, Ferguson added. Remember the Pacific mission: You obviously need range. While not directly addressed, there have been hints in the past that Boeing has been looking at adding receptacles on top of the MQ-28s fuselage to allow for aerial refueling from boom-equipped tankers. This would further extend the drones reach and on-station time, but would also add complexity and cost to the design, as you can read about here. A computer-generated video from Boeing includes MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones with apparent aerial refueling receptacles on top of their fuselages. Boeing screencap Having the Block 3 version of the drone being better optimized for the Indo-Pacific region should make it more attractive not just to the U.S. military but also to allied air forces in the same region. Ferguson said he was unable to talk about any potential plans for acquiring the MQ-28. In 2022, the Pentagon confirmed that it had acquired at least one MQ-28 to be used to support the U.S. Air Forces advanced uncrewed aircraft and autonomy efforts. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy has deployed a test and evaluation squadron to Australia to work on the aircraft, and an MQ-28 has also been operating out of Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California. Advertisement Advertisement Nevertheless, the opportunities for CCAs [Collaborative Combat Aircraft] in Southeast Asia are immense, Ferguson said. We are having a conversation with a lot of [potential] customers right now about how they might field, determine, or deliver a CCA capability. What I would say, though, is that for the people out there who have not started thinking about it, theres a risk that in about three or four years, youre going to be disappointed as youre behind everyone else. What were seeing is a massive appetite for adoption of CCAs and people working on how they can put them in the force mix. Again, with its baked-in modularity, the MQ-28 is intended to be flexible enough for other operators to integrate their own capabilities depending on their required mission sets. For other nations looking at an MQ-28 capability, what they actually get is a core air vehicle and a core system, and the system is so critical, in that it allows them to have their own sovereign capabilities. They can adapt their own autonomous behaviors. They can apply their own sensors if they wish. They can apply their own weapons without needing to involve us at the levels you might expect on a normal crewed platform [] We have that with the RAAF, and were looking to share that with other countries as they look to embrace a CCA capability. An MQ-28A Ghost Bat loaded with a NAIM-120 inert air-to-air missile variant during Trial Kareela at RAAF Base Woomera, South Australia. Australian Department of Defense AC Ivan Smotrov When asked about specific potential customers discussing the MQ-28 with Boeing, Ferguson was only willing to identify Japan. In this case, Australia and Japan have already discussed collaborating on the program. Advertisement Advertisement During a meeting of Australian and Japanese defense ministers in September last year, an agreement was signed to boost bilateral defense cooperation, including on the MQ-28, with plans for Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) participation in MQ-28 flight test observation and training this year. As we have laid out in detail, the MQ-28 seems uniquely suited for a cooperative production and operation program across multiple allies nations, even plugging into the existing AUKUS architecture between the U.S., Australia and the U.K. You can read all about this here. Regardless, the RAAF is set to be the first service to put the MQ-28 into operational service. The next big milestones will be in 2028, with the planned service introduction of the Block 2 aircraft and the initial production of the Block 3 aircraft. But with so much happening in the world of CCAs and loyal wingman-type drones, there will very likely be more significant developments in the program before that date. Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com At least 31 people were killed and more than 150 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque in Pakistans capital during Friday prayers, police said. The bomber, who approached the mosque compound on foot, first opened fire at security guards at the main entrance to push his way in, police spokesman Taqi Jawad told dpa. According to Jawad, who cited a preliminary report based on eyewitness accounts, the attacker entered the compound and detonated the suicide vest he was wearing. Advertisement Advertisement "We can confirm at least 31 deaths so far and fear the toll will go up because many among injured people are in a critical condition," said Irfan Memon, local administration chief. Rescuers transported more than 150 injured people to city's main hospitals where a state of emergency was declared, rescue official Mohamed Amir said. Ambulances were still streaming in with injured people, Amir said. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the bombing and ordered authorities to provide best medical care to injured people. Shiite Muslims make around 20% of Pakistan's nearly 250 million population. Advertisement Advertisement The Pakistani Taliban and extremist Islamist State groups have been targeting Shiite Muslims in the past, though the latest attack wasn't claimed by any militia. The violence by Islamist militants have surged in Pakistan since the takeover of neighbouring Afghanistan by the Taliban militia. Pakistan Taliban, a group different from their Afghan counterparts, is allegedly operation from Afghanistan's border region and has been behind most of the bombing against the security forces and civilians. People inspect the scene, following an explosion at a Shiite mosque in Islamabad. At least 31 people were killed and more than 150 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a Shiite mosque in Pakistans capital during Friday prayers, police said. Hussain Ali/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa WASHINGTON (AP) An alleged participant in the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, has been taken into custody to face prosecution for the rampage that killed four Americans and emerged as a divisive political issue, the Justice Department said Friday. Zubayar Al-Bakoush, identified by officials as a member of an extremist militia in Libya, had been wanted by the United States for more than a decade. He is accused in a newly unsealed indictment of joining a mob that crashed the front gates of the diplomatic mission with assault rifles and explosives, setting off hours of violence that also included deadly fires. Al-Bakoush arrived early Friday at an airfield in Virginia after what FBI Director Kash Patel described as a transfer of custody and will face charges in Washington, including murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. Advertisement Advertisement Al-Bakoush, 58, appeared Friday afternoon in federal court in Washington, wearing a gray hoodie and using a wheelchair. He did not enter a plea and answered routine questions from a federal magistrate through an interpreter who appeared remotely. He was ordered detained until a hearing tentatively set for next week. I have complete trust in the court and the jury, Al-Bakoush said through the interpreter. He added that he has complete confidence there will be justice in his case. The arrest represents the latest effort by the Justice Department as an institution to hold to account the militants believed responsible for the killings of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Another Libyan militant alleged to be a leader of the attack was captured by U.S. special forces more than a decade ago and later convicted and sentenced to prison, and a third accused participant is also imprisoned. We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation, Attorney General Pam Bondi said as she announced the arrest at a news conference with Patel and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington whose office will be handling the case. Advertisement Advertisement The attack almost immediately became a political flashpoint in Washington as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the Democratic administrations changing narrative about who was responsible and why. A final report by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attack. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton. Clinton at the time dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was time to move on. Other Democrats denounced the Republicans report as a conspiracy theory on steroids." On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, more than 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound in Benghazi and set buildings on fire. The fire led to the deaths of Stevens, the ambassador, and State Department employee Sean Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex. That area came under attack from gunfire and a precision mortar barrage, resulting in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Advertisement Advertisement The indictment accuses Al-Bakoush of being part of the armed group that traveled to the mission. It also says he conducted surveillance and attempted to break into cars of diplomatic mission staff. The case will be the latest U.S. prosecution to focus attention on the Benghazi attacks. Ahmed Abu Khattala, who was captured in Libya in 2014, was convicted in a jury trial and sentenced to more than two decades in prison. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs. Another Libyan national, Mustafa al-Imam, was captured in 2017 and convicted two years later for his role. His attorneys argued that he had been suffering from mental trauma and seasickness when he agreed to speak with American officials aboard a U.S. Navy vessel days after his abduction. Advertisement Advertisement The Benghazi saga was a painful one for Americans, Pirro said Friday. It has stayed with all of us. And let me be very clear: There are more of them out there. Time will not stop us from going after these predators no matter how long it takes in order to fulfill our obligation to those families who suffered horrific pain at the hands of these violent terrorists. ___ This story has been corrected to show the suspect arrived at an airfield in Virginia, not at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland as Bondi announced. ___ Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Washington contributed to this report. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu accused federal immigration agents of conducting "unconstitutional" operations in the city and ordered the public release of surveillance and body camera footage tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. She said the move is aimed at holding federal agents accountable for alleged acts of violence. Wu and other Massachusetts officials held a joint news conference Thursday in the blue city, slamming the Trump administration's federal immigration enforcement and pointing specifically to ICE activity in various communities. "They are trying to do with federal agents what they have failed to do with canceled grants, sham investigations and the National Guard," Wu said. "If we experience the kind of unlawful and unconstitutional invasion we've all seen in other parts of the country, then Boston will see the [Trump] administration in court again." Advertisement Advertisement The Democrat mayor said she signed an executive order Thursday morning aimed at holding federal officials accountable, directing city departments to protect residents and respond to any violence, property damage or criminal conduct related to immigration enforcement. Blocking Ice Cooperation Fueled Minnesota Unrest, Officials Warn As Virginia Reverses Course Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ordered the release of ICE body camera and surveillance footage, accusing federal agents of unconstitutional actions and pledging transparency and accountability. (Getty Images) Wu said the order makes clear that city first responders will prioritize de-escalation and public safety during federal immigration operations. Read On The Fox News App "While the federal government hides behind masks, we will be transparent," she said. "This order directs city departments to release surveillance and body-worn camera footage of violence or property damage by federal agents, in accordance with state law. Advertisement Advertisement "This order also doubles down on our dedication to use city resources to keep our residents safe." Last week, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey introduced legislation aimed at limiting ICE activity in sensitive locations, including courthouses, schools, child care programs, hospitals and churches. Portland Mayor Demands Ice Leave City After Federal Agents Use Tear Gas On Protesters 'Sickening Decisions' People hold signs during an anti-ICE protest at the Massachusetts State House. The proposal would also bar other states from deploying National Guard troops in Massachusetts without the governors approval and allow parents to arrange guardianship in advance for their children if they are detained or deported. Advertisement Advertisement Like a recent executive order issued by Healey, Wus proposal would bar federal immigration agents from using city buildings, parking lots and parks for enforcement operations and makes clear that schools, libraries, community centers and senior centers are intended for learning, gathering and public services. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Puts Ice On Notice With Executive Order Seeking Prosecution Of Agents Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has ordered the public release of surveillance and body camera footage linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in an attempt to hold federal agents accountable for acts of violence. Wu also said the order directs the city to investigate any crimes committed in Boston, including those involving federal agents, and to make referrals to prosecutors when appropriate. She said it also instructs city officials to pursue every available legal option to challenge what she described as coercive federal actions. Advertisement Advertisement Click Here To Download The Fox News App "In Boston, as it should across America, the rule of law applies to everyone," she said. The order adds Boston to a growing list of blue cities openly challenging the Trump administrations immigration policies, escalating a national fight over enforcement tactics, transparency and the reach of federal power. Original article source: Boston's Wu orders release of ICE surveillance and bodycam footage, says fed government 'hides behind masks' The prosecutor who led the team that secured a conviction for Brian Walshe late last year has entered the race to replace longtime Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey. Greg Connor, who is running as a Democrat, currently serves as the chief trial counsel in Morrisseys office. He is the fifth candidate to enter the race, and the first to do so since Morrissey announced he was not seeking reelection. Connor filed paperwork with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance to establish a campaign committee on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Connor will depart the district attorneys office to become a full-time candidate in March. He said his decision to enter the race came after an outpouring of support from the legal community that I should do it. Connor said he wanted to wait for Morrissey to make a decision before entering the race. After Morrissey announced he would not seek reelection, Connor said he made a point to listen to the other candidates, but came away unsatisfied with their positions. They didnt know the job, Connor told MassLive on Friday. Morrissey, who was elected district attorney in 2010 after serving in the state senate and house of representatives, has faced sharp criticism in recent years for the prosecution of Karen Read and the investigation into the death of Sandra Birchmore. Advertisement Advertisement Connor is the only candidate in the race who worked for Morrissey or any other Norfolk County district attorney. Im running because this is an opportunity for me to continue serving for Norfolk County, Connor said, adding that he wanted to take his experience managing different units within the office and apply it more broadly. Connors opponents, all fellow Democrats, quickly sought to tie him to Morrissey. Adam Deitch, a former federal prosecutor who announced his candidacy last year, said the county deserved real change in the DAs Office, not a promotion for Michael Morrisseys right-hand man. Advertisement Advertisement Deitch oversaw the federal investigation into the Karen Read case. Djuna Perkins, a defense lawyer and former prosecutor, said she looked forward to hearing how Connor planned to bring meaningful reform to the office he helped run. What the Norfolk County DAs office needs is systemic reform, she said. Jim Barakat, a public defense lawyer, called for a clear break from the status quo. With respect, its hard to argue that real change is coming from someone who has been part of the same Morrissey leadership team all along. If the office was on the right track, we wouldnt be having this conversation, he said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement The other candidate in the field, Craig MacLellan, another former prosecutor, did not respond to a request for comment. Asked about the criticism from his fellow candidates, Connor noted that his career in the district attorneys office predated Morrisseys election to the position. Connor became an assistant district attorney in 2001, when Bill Keating was the district attorney. If people are concerned about me, Ive been trying to be fair to everyone my entire career, Connor said. My career speaks for itself. So far, no Republican candidates have entered the race. During the Read prosecution, Morrisseys approval rating in the county plummeted just 4% of respondents to a poll conducted following her acquittal said they believed he should be reelected. Advertisement Advertisement Read was accused of running over her boyfriend, Boston Police officer John OKeefe, with her Lexus SUV on Jan. 29, 2022. But during her two criminal trials, Read and her defense team claimed that Morrisseys office was part of a conspiracy to frame her for OKeefes death. After the explosion of public support for Read, Morrissey published a video denouncing the conspiracy claims and supporting the civilian witnesses who Read claimed were framing her. But after that, he largely withdrew from the public eye. Read was eventually acquitted of all charges having to do with OKeefes death. In the case of Birchmore, who was found dead in her Canton apartment in February 2021, Massachusetts State Police investigators assigned to Morrisseys office ruled her death a suicide. Advertisement Advertisement But federal prosecutors have since charged Stoughton police officer Matthew Farwell with killing Birchmore, and accused him of grooming Birchmore beginning when she was a teenager. More News Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here. NEW YORK For an organization with a reputation for eyebrow-raising political decisions, the Brooklyn Democratic Party surprised even its most ardent critics this week when it temporarily unendorsed Gov. Kathy Hochul, the states most powerful Democrat. The drama, which played out over several days, was driven in part by party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyns animus toward a fellow Democrat, rather than electoral strategy, three people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. More broadly, it served as yet another bizarre milemarker among many along the organizations slow march from relevance amid the shifting sands of New York Citys political landscape. If youre a good leader, you keep your eye on the ball. And what is the most important thing? At this time, the most important thing is to elect Democrats and stay united, said Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York State Democratic Committee. Everything you do in that direction is the right thing. And anything you do in the other direction is the wrong thing. Advertisement Advertisement The endorsement seesaw the party endorsed Hochul, pulled the endorsement and then reendorsed her puts Bichotte Hermelyn, a state Assemblymember who has led the Brooklyn Democratic Party since 2020, in a uniquely precarious situation. Hochul, New Yorks top elected Democrat, is unlikely to view Bichotte Hermelyn and her county organization as reliable partners after this weeks kerfuffle, casting a cloud of uncertainty over a political machine that has in recent years struggled to stay relevant. The poorly executed endorsement has also inflamed a long simmering civil war between insurgent Brooklyn progressives and a more mainstream faction represented by Bichotte Hermelyn, whos now facing fresh calls for her ouster. The ordeal also underscored the waning role county parties play in New York politics. For the Brooklyn party in particular, the fiasco is a new low-water mark for an organization that used to be one of the countrys most powerful political forces just a few decades ago, its bosses known as kingmakers who controlled hundreds of thousands of votes capable of swinging elections both nationally and locally in their favor. Advertisement Advertisement The latest debacle began Monday, when the party voted to formally endorse Hochul days before Fridays state Democratic convention a perfectly normal course of action considering the governor won the partys nomination as she seeks reelection this year with more than 85 percent of support. On Wednesday, Hochul announced her selection of former New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a Queens Democrat who represented a district made up of largely Black voters, as her pick for lieutenant governor. Thats when things got weird. That night, Bichotte Hermelyn convened another meeting with a smaller subset of the partys district leaders. A person on that call said Bichotte Hermelyn told the leaders she wanted the party to protest Hochuls decision by yanking the endorsement. She asked leaders to speak out if they disagreed. After no serious objections were raised, the person said, the party released a cryptic statement saying it was pulling the Hochul endorsement because of the political miscalculation the Adams pick represented. Advertisement Advertisement Publicly, Bichotte Hermelyn said her decision was driven by two main factors neither of which quite add up. She said she felt slighted by Hochul for not consulting her party more before picking Adams, though not being briefed on a lieutenant governor pick has hardly been grounds for torching a gubernatorial endorsement in the past. The first thing you do if youre upset about something is you keep it internal and talk to people like myself, said Jacobs. That was not done, and I just think it was a bad reaction. Bichotte Hermelyn also said her party was concerned that in tapping Adams, Hochul had made a miscalculation that could hamper downballot candidates in November due to the former speakers perceived unpopularity in parts of the city. Lieutenant governors are indeed often selected to help shore up votes in a particular location or demographic, but their influence on downballot races pales in comparison to the top of the ticket. Advertisement Advertisement A Bichotte Hermelyn spokesperson said the Wednesday night meeting to unendorse Hochul was prompted by members who wanted to change their vote. Unsurprisingly, there appears to be more to the story. It goes much deeper than that, said City Council member Darlene Mealy, a Brooklyn Democratic Party district leader who was on the Wednesday night call. But Mealy declined to elaborate on exactly what she meant: I'd rather not say. Three people with direct knowledge of the call, who were granted anonymity to divulge private discussions, said Bichotte Hermelyn has long harbored a personal vendetta against Adams, driven primarily by the belief that as speaker she did not give Council members aligned with the party boss enough prominent committee and leadership assignments in the chamber. Advertisement Advertisement Council Member Farah Louis, a Bichotte Hermelyn ally, is among the lawmakers frozen out by Adams, the people said. Additionally, Bichotte Hermelyn grew angry with Adams last year for lending her support to Council member Crystal Hudsons ultimately unsuccessful speaker bid, the people said. Though shes a Brooklyn Democrat, Hudson espouses more progressive views than Bichotte Hermelyn. The Brooklyn organization she leads did not officially back anyone in the speakers race, which Council member Julie Menin of Manhattan ended up winning. Bichotte Hermelyns bad blood with Adams over Council business was even referenced during the Wednesday virtual meeting where the county leader and district leaders voted to rescind the Hochul endorsement, according to one person on the call. In an interview on NY1 Thursday night, Bichotte Hermelyn insisted theres no rancor between her and Adams. Advertisement Advertisement This is not about beef with the governor, nor any beef with her pick, she said. She then proceeded to trash Adams showing in last summers mayoral Democratic primary. The concern is that [Hochul] picked someone who, you know, barely made 40,000 votes across the City of New York when she ran for mayor, ranking [fourth] and not even getting the support base of her own county and her own county leader, she said. Adams did not respond to a request for comment. Despite the mixed messaging and embarrassment the endorsement has caused, Bichotte Hermelyn continues to have supporters. Frank Carone, a longtime party stalwart, said Thursday he agreed with the decision to pull the Hochul nod. Advertisement Advertisement [Hochuls] endorsement of then-candidate Mamdani coupled with her choice for lieutenant governor, Adrienne Adams who is categorically unfit to ever be governor if the circumstances require it make it easy and obvious to say that I agree with the sound judgement of Chair Bichotte, said Carone, who served as chief of staff under former Mayor Eric Adams and is the subject of a federal corruption investigation. Much of the party apparatus feels differently. I personally support the governor as a longtime friend, said Frank Seddio, the Brooklyn Democratic Partys former boss who helped make Bichotte Hermelyn his successor. She likes eating my eggplant parmesan." By Friday, when the state Democratic convention kicked off in Syracuse, Bichotte Hermelyn had changed her mind once again. Advertisement Advertisement We expressed our concerns, and while continued discussions are necessary to build and strengthen relationships, we understand that the only pathway forward is together, the party said in a statement. The ordeal underscores the sometimes counterintuitive decisions from the Brooklyn leader, who in 2023 actively worked against a borough Democrat facing a competitive race. Council member Lincoln Restler, a longtime critic of Bichotte Hermelyn, said her whiplash endorsement moves this week are part of a long record of dysfunction. Shes flailing and undermining the top of our Democratic ticket in a critical election year, Restler said. I hope that in the upcoming [intraparty] elections in June, we will finally elect a slate of reformers on the executive committee to take Rodneyse out and build the Brooklyn Democratic Party we deserve. Jason Beeferman and Nick Reisman contributed to this report. We came across a bullish thesis on Ramaco Resources, Inc. on Asymmetric Capitals Substack by Srikanth Thangellamudi. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on METC. Ramaco Resources, Inc.'s share was trading at $22.58 as of January 28th. METCs trailing and forward P/E were 9.47 and 5.49 respectively according to Yahoo Finance. Peabody Energy (BTU) Surges 9.2% Ahead of Dividend Record Date Pixabay/Public Domain Ramaco Resources traces its origins to a $2 million coal mine purchase in Wyoming by former Wall Street banker Randall Atkins, a disciplined Appalachian metallurgical coal operator that has unexpectedly evolved into a potential cornerstone of U.S. rare earth independence. Ramaco today runs a low-cost, clean metallurgical coal business across West Virginia and Virginia, producing roughly 3.5 million tons annually with first-quartile cash costs near $100 per ton, minimal debt, and strong liquidity. This coal platform provides downside protection, allowing the company to withstand weak pricing cycles while funding future growth without financial stress. The transformative opportunity lies at the Brook Mine in Wyoming, where government researchers and Ramaco estimate up to 1.1 million metric tons of rare-earth oxides, potentially worth tens of billions of dollars at current prices. The deposit includes heavy magnetic rare earths such as terbium and dysprosium, along with critical minerals like gallium, germanium, and scandiummaterials vital for defense, semiconductors, and clean energy. Management plans to build a vertically integrated platform, including a Strategic Critical Minerals Terminal, positioning Ramaco as both a producer and national stockpiler, while targeting first commercial oxide production around 2028. Despite a sharp stock pullback driven by uncertainty around rare earth timelines and geopolitics, Ramacos balance sheet has been fortified by a $200 million equity raise, leaving it net-cash and capable of funding development without near-term dilution. At scale, management estimates the rare earth platform alone could generate over $500 million of EBITDA annually, dwarfing the current valuation. Even if execution disappoints, investors are left with a resilient coal business; if Brook succeeds, Ramaco could emerge as a strategic U.S. critical minerals champion, offering a highly asymmetric risk-reward profile. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Ramaco Resources, Inc. (METC) by Unemployed Value Degen in October 2024, which highlighted the companys low-cost metallurgical coal operations, disciplined growth, and strategic rare earth discovery in Wyoming valued at $37 billion. METCs stock price has appreciated by approximately 109.65% since our coverage due to operational efficiency and rare earth potential. Srikanth Thangellamudi shares a similar view but emphasizes the Brook Mines rare earth platform and potential $500 million EBITDA from oxide production. Buc-ees is stepping back from its plans to open a second travel center in Colorado. The town of Palmer Lake announced Feb. 4 that Monument Ridge West LLC, the entity through which Buc-ees was trying to get land for a travel center annexed, withdrew its application to have a parcel along Interstate 25 in Douglas County annexed by the town. That brought an end, at least for now, to the fight between advocates for development and those who wanted to preserve the open space and feel along the highway between Denver and Colorado Springs. A special election that would allow voters to weigh in on the annexation required under a town ordinance never happened. It was initially targeted for early 2026, but it was never formally scheduled as the town trustees debated the process and appropriate timing of holding the election. Advertisement Advertisement The Town followed the established state annexation process, including public notice and opportunities for community input, the town said in its announcement. It did not elaborate on why Buc-ees pulled out. Will Buc-ees still open a second location in Colorado? Its possible. The company has not made any public comments about its plans. Mark Waller, a consultant working with Buc-ees, told the Colorado Springs Gazette there really wasnt much to say at this time on why Buc-ees withdrew its application, but that it still wanted to build a location in the region. He also said he did not anticipate a resubmittal to Palmer Lake. The outside of Buc-ee's is pictured during the grand opening in Johnstown, Colo., on Monday, March 18, 2024. What other cities in Colorado have said they want a Buc-ees? Two southern Colorado communities expressed interest in late 2025 after Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennett and Gov. Jared Polis sent a letter asking Buc-ees to choose another location. Advertisement Advertisement Kirk Crespin, the mayor of Lamar, wrote a letter in September to Buc-ees CEO Arch "Beaver" Aplin III, saying his community was open for business and asking for the plaza to open up there instead. He acknowledged the effort was a longshot, as it sits 100 miles off an interstate and the chain likes to open up along them. The Pueblo City Council unanimously voted in October in favor of a resolution to market the city as an alternative home for Buc-ees second Colorado location. To date, Buc-ees has never publicly expressed interest in opening a second Colorado location anywhere but along I-25 near the border between El Paso and Douglas counties. The site it wanted is in the heart of the busy corridor connecting Colorado Springs and Denver. Why did Buc-ees want its proposed site to be annexed by Palmer Lake? The development plan for Buc-ees proposed travel plaza required accessing Palmer Lakes water rights and tying it into its water system. That would only have been possible through annexation. Advertisement Advertisement To make that happen, the company sought what is called a flagpole annexation, where Palmer Lake would have annexed the Buc-ees site and a narrow strip of land that would connect it to the town. Why was Buc-ees controversial in Palmer Lake? Opponents of the project have argued about how it would disrupt the small town, its effect on the wildlife in the area and the amount of water that would need to be diverted. Supporters said the project was projected to add about $1.6 million annually to the towns general fund, a nearly 29% increase. The project was also expected to add hundreds of jobs based on staffing levels at other locations. And Buc-ees also offered to build two water wells for Palmer Lake. Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Will Colorado get a second Buc-ees? Where could it go? (CANON CITY, Colo.) A funeral home in Canon City has submitted paperwork to re-register with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) after being issued a cease-and-desist order, for what the state said was the operation of a funeral home without a valid license. The cease-and-desist letter sent by DORA alleges that Wilson Funeral Home in Canon City was found to be offering funeral home services without the required registration to practice as such. The letter explains that Wilson Funeral Home was originally registered as a funeral home in the State of Colorado on Jan. 1, 2010, and was actively registered until the license expired on Nov. 30, 2024. The letter states that Wilson Funeral Home has operated a refrigeration unit on site and was found to be holding human remains, therefore DORA said the business is offering and providing funeral services unlawfully and unauthorized to the public without an active registration. Advertisement Advertisement The cease-and-desist order went into effect on Jan. 16. The Holt Family Funeral Home, which operates Wilson, issued a statement on social media on Feb. 4, in which they alleged that they were given information suggesting a business is only considered a funeral home if it offers preparation and refrigeration. The operators explained that the business had not met with families at Wilson since 2020, and did not have access to its refrigeration unit because the Fremont County Coroners Office was renting the unit. We were told that to be considered a funeral home, you had to have either preparation facilities or refrigeration. While Wilson does have refrigeration it was being rented to the Fremont County Coroners Office, so the funeral home had no use of that refrigeration unit, the Holt family said. Because we had no preparation facilities and no access to our refrigeration, we interpreted that to mean it should have been classified as a storefront facility and did not need to be registered as a funeral home. The Holt Family said they were told in 2025 that the guidelines had changed, and that the business was considered a funeral home if it offered funeral services in addition to offering preparation and refrigeration. Advertisement Advertisement At Wilson, we only hold services there, and once the Fremont County Coroners office stopped renting our refrigeration, we shut it off, the Holt Family said. So, we have no preparation facilities, no refrigeration, and we have no place to meet families to offer funeral goods and services. We used Wilson like any church: to hold memorial services. DORA did a final inspection and decided that even though we do not have any of the following items, we should still be considered a funeral home. The Holt Family stated that while they appreciate and understand DORAs efforts, this particular decision was an overreach because we were only holding services at the Wilson location. Following DORAs determination, the Holt Family said it submitted the paperwork and payment to re-establish as a licensed funeral home on Jan. 21, and as of Feb. 4, that paperwork was still pending. FOX21 News reached out to the Fremont County Coroner, who declined to provide an official statement at this time. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. A Torrance man has been charged with allegedly demanding Bitcoin from members of the Guthrie family in the wake of the disappearance of their mother Nancy, according to a federal complaint. Derrick Callella was arrested Thursday in Hawthorne, according to the Department of Justice. Nancy, who is the mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been abducted from her Arizona home early Sunday. No suspect or person of interest has been identified in the case, according to authorities. READ MORE: 'We believe Nancy is still out there': Latest on search for Savannah Guthrie's missing mother Arrest of Derrick Callella According to the complaint, Callella allegedly sent a text message to both the daughter and son-in-law of Nancy on Wednesday that said, "Did you get the Bitcoin were [sic] waiting on our end for the transaction." Advertisement Advertisement The text messages were sent two days after a local Tucson media outlet received a ransom demand that listed a Bitcoin wallet address to receive the payment, according to the complaint. They were also sent shortly after Nancy's children published a video online asking their mother's kidnappers to contact them, the complaint also noted. Callella allegedly used an app to create a fake phone number to text the family, and the account was tracked to an email associated with him, according to the complaint. He allegedly admitted to sending the text messages after being read his Miranda rights, according to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement "When he said that he sent text messages he was trying to see if the family would respond," the complaint stated. Callella is not linked to the Bitcoin ransom demand, according to the complaint, which charges him with transmitting a demand for ransom and intending to abuse, threaten or harass using a telecommunication device. Neighbors in Callella's neighborhood said they were stunned to learn of the federal charges. "We haven't seen him as much over the last year, I want to say, but his parents are, you know, everyone keeps to themselves, but very friendly, good neighbors," neighbor Jessica Stark said. Advertisement Advertisement FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke issued a warning on Thursday following Callella's arrest. "To those imposters who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation, we will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions," Janke said. Janke said any action taken on a ransom is ultimately decided by the family. Guthrie family issues another message to potential kidnappers Meantime, Nancy's son Camron Guthrie issued another urgent request, pushing for proof of life. "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you," he said in a video message posted Thursday on behalf of the family. "We haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward." Advertisement Advertisement But first, Camron continued, "we have to know that you have our mom." He closed the brief message saying, "We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact." New timeline revealed Federal agents also released a timeline of the hours surrounding Nancy's disappearance. She spent Saturday evening having dinner and playing games at the home of her daughter Annie. Family members brought her home just before 10 p.m. At 1:48 a.m., her doorbell camera was disconnected. Minutes later, at 2:12 a.m., a Google Nest device detected a possible intruder, but it was not configured to record images. By 2:28 a.m., Guthrie's pacemaker app had disconnected from the phone she left behind in her home. Investigators also found drops of Guthrie's blood at the front door. Advertisement Advertisement "To anyone that may be involved," Janke said. "Do the right thing. This is an 84-year-old grandma that needs vital medication for her well being." ABC News contributed to this report. Charles "Camron" Guthrie is the only son of missing Arizona grandmother Nancy Guthrie, who had three kids with her late husband Charles. Among them is Savannah Guthrie, the Today Show host. Camron Guthrie has twice released statements speaking directly to his 84-year-old mom's kidnapper or kidnappers. First, he spoke briefly in a joint video with his siblings, pleading with the abductors to provide "proof of life" and make contact with the Guthrie family. Then, he recorded a separate video by himself, addressing the abductors. It was posted to Savannah Guthrie's Instagram page. Nancy Guthrie disappeared on January 31. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said at a February 5, 2026, news conference that no suspects have been identified in the case. The motive is also not clear. Three ransom notes demanding Bitcoin were sent to media outlets and are being taken seriously, authorities said. The FBI is involved in the case. The decision on whether to pay ransom or make video statements is ultimately up to the Guthrie family, authorities said. Nanos also confirmed that a door camera was disconnected, and Nancy Guthrie's blood was found on the front stoop of her home. Who Is Camron Guthrie? Camron Guthrie is a retired F-16 pilot, according to a 2018 post that Savannah made on her Instagram page. She shared a video of a plane and wrote, Col. Charles Camron ARLO Guthrie on his final flight as an F-16 pilot. He retired from military flying this weekend, and we were so honored to see his last flight." Advertisement Advertisement Added Savannah: "I have never been more proud of my big brother. He has flown for our country for 26 years, and continues to serve proudly in the Green Mountain Boys the Vermont Air National Guard. He is the pride of our family and one of this countrys finest. #applause. UPDATE on Savannah Guthrie's missing mom on @wcax. I've confirmed Nancy Guthrie's son -- the brother of Savannah Guthrie -- lives in Vt. Lt. Col. Camron Guthrie was a longtime fighter pilot with the Vt. National Guard . The latest in 30 minutes on the Channel 3 News at 5pm. pic.twitter.com/qgGgmCMD1Z Darren Perron (@WCAX_Darren) February 5, 2026 According to People, Camron "is a former pilot for the Air National Guard. During a July 2012 segment on Today, he and Savannah took a flight in an F-16 aircraft." The Guthrie siblings and their mom weathered another tragedy together: The death of patriarch Charles Guthrie, who died of a heart attack when Savannah was in her teens. When my dad died, our whole family just hung on to each other for dear life, because it was such a shock. We were just figuring out how to become a family of four when we had always been a family of five," Savannah said in 2017, according to 12 News. Camron Guthrie Told the Kidnappers, 'We Want to Hear From You' Moments ago, Savannah Guthrie's brother Camron Guthrie posted this video on Savannah's IG with a direct message to the person who is holding their mother, Nancy Guthrie. pic.twitter.com/yS95kUeNKp KGUN 9 (@kgun9) February 6, 2026 In the video, Camron spoke directly to the kidnapper or kidnappers. Advertisement Advertisement "This is Camron Gutrhrie. I'm speaking for the Guthrie family. Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you," he said. Australian-born presenter, Savannah Guthrie poses alongside her mother Nancy Guthrie during a production break whilst hosting NBC's "Today Show" live from Australia at Sydney Opera House on May 4, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage) ((Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)) "We haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out, and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first, we have to know you have our mom. We want to talk to you, and we are waiting for contact." Related: This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Families have told the BBC they are being left to pay thousands of pounds a year in fees for empty retirement properties inherited from loved ones. They say retirement homes, which only people over a certain age are allowed to buy, can be hard to sell, even at hugely discounted prices. One person told the BBC they had dropped the asking price of their late mother's flat by 200,000 and still had no offers. As such properties fail to sell, families are left to pay ongoing service charges. Advertisement Advertisement Another man told the BBC the annual cost of his late mother's flat was more than 11,000 a year once ground rent, council tax and services charges were combined. 'It's become a millstone' One expert estimated there could be 10,000 long-term, empty properties in privately owned retirement blocks across England and Wales. Gordon Taylor's mother, Joan, moved into her flat in Burgess Hill in 2015, when she paid 225,000 for the 125-year lease. It was in an "age restricted" block of flats for over-70s, built and run by one of the biggest developers in the country, McCarthy Stone. It was part of their Retirement Living Plus portfolio, which includes on-site staff, an hour a week of home help and an in-house restaurant. Advertisement Advertisement Taylor, 71, remembers that "as soon as the salesperson took her up to the flat, that was it, she was sold - she absolutely loved it". Gordon Taylor faces 11,279 annual charges on his late mother's flat [BBC] Joan died in June 2024, aged 96, and left her flat to her family. However, it has been on the market and empty ever since and is now for sale for 170,000 - 55,000 less than it was bought for. The terms of the lease mean it can only be bought by someone over the age of 70 and Taylor says there have been no serious offers. In the meantime, the annual service charge of 9,700, ground rent of 435 and council tax of 1,044 mount up as unpaid debt. "She probably thought she was leaving something to her offspring, only to find that it's become a millstone," says Taylor. Advertisement Advertisement He says the market for the flats has collapsed, in part because future buyers are put off by the scale of the standing charges. Joan died in June 2024, aged 96, and left her flat to her son [BBC] At least 18 other flats in the block of 56 are also empty and on the market, with the same lease restriction. Taylor points out that four miles away, in Haywards Heath, McCarthy Stone is building a new development for the over 60s, despite Corbett Court being 30% empty. "It's a massive issue, it's a national issue; the system in this sector is obviously broken," he says. McCarthy Stone told the BBC that, in a survey, 86% of residents at Corbett Court said they were satisfied with the development. Advertisement Advertisement The company says it offers the option to defer the service charge and does all it can to help families "achieve a quick sale at a good price". It recognises that flats may decrease in value but insists its "in-house resales team has a strong track record of success". 'Can't give them away' The BBC has found that Taylor's situation is repeated across England - including with other providers - with people unable to sell their dead relative's property and struggling to pay standing charges. We spoke to families in Berkshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, West Sussex, Shropshire, London, Surrey, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Advertisement Advertisement One property we found had been vacant for more than nine years. In another case, family members face 60,000 in charges accrued since the property became vacant in 2019. A relative told us it was "like a noose around our necks", and another expressed frustration that "you can't give them away". Another beneficiary reported paying service charges of 750 per month on a flat that has been empty for four years, describing it as a "never-ending nightmare", adding: "It is infuriating and heartbreaking in equal measure." The Retirement Housing Group (RHG), which represents the industry, disputes the figures and claims that 95% of these kinds of properties are occupied. Advertisement Advertisement It maintains the level of long-term empty properties in the sector is "not disproportionately high". Corbett Court in Burgess Hill is 30% empty [BBC] Critics believe problems in the sector are caused by a combination of issues. They cite high service charges and a small, age-restricted pool of potential older buyers. Restrictive leases, a fear of communal living post Covid, and an oversupply of similar accommodation are all possible factors. Some housing experts believe the scale of the problem has been underestimated. Adam Cliff is secretary of the Empty Homes Network, which supports housing officers in local authorities to bring properties back into use. Advertisement Advertisement "A significant amount of homes are ready to be lived in, but are restricted in many cases by the contracts that are holding these people effectively to ransom," Cliff says. "People are even getting to the stage of saying, 'How do we give these properties away?' It's heartbreaking to see and hear some of the stories of those not able to sell properties for two, three, four, sometimes five years or more." Read more The RHG disputes this figure and say this kind of accommodation provides "independence, support and companionship in later life". Advertisement Advertisement The organisation says the sector is not immune to a downturn in the general housing market and insists there are measures in place to "support people during the resales process". But campaigners suggest several solutions to the problem, including the reduction or delay of service charges until a sale has gone through. They say leases could be re-examined with age restrictions being potentially lifted and planning applications for new retirement developments should be considered in light of existing vacancies. Taylor says his mother would be "pretty disgusted" and would be writing letters to the authorities. He says: "I am going to keep fighting, I'm not going to stop." A longtime Center City bar has temporarily raised its entry age to 25 and older after an apparent surge in college-age patrons and increasingly sophisticated fake IDs. Dirty Frank's co-owner Jody Sweitzer said she believed social media contributed to a wave of younger crowds showing up at the bar at 13th and Pine streets, prompting the staff to become more vigilant. But she said the tipping point came when a 24-year-old "Founding Father" attempted to get in. The fake Pennsylvania ID featured a photo of Ben Franklin, listed his age as 24, and gave the Liberty Bell as his address. Advertisement Advertisement Sweitzer said that was when she decided the bar had to act, and two weeks ago, Dirty Frank's implemented a temporary rule requiring patrons to be at least 25 to enter. "Thank you to whoever brought this in. We confiscated it, obviously, and that's the day I'm like, 'We're done,'" Sweitzer said, holding up the confiscated fake ID. She said the bar had seen an influx of younger crowds arriving in large groups. "I guess it was with the ChatGPT, and TikTok and everything, so we started getting swarms of kids, 20 at a time, 30 at a time, and it was so odd," she said. "Everybody was scanning, the UV lights were working, so all the holograms were correct, but it just seemed really off," she added. Advertisement Advertisement Sweitzer said the IDs were still scanning as valid and passing security measures but other behavioral concerns raised alarms, including vaping inside, some patrons bringing their own drinks, and instances of disrespectful conduct. The Ben Franklin incident, she said, underscored the need for immediate action. "I have to preserve the bar, I have to preserve my license," she said. Regular customers said they'd noticed changes in the atmosphere. "They don't know how to drink. They drink way too much. They throw up on the floor, they yell, they scream," said Jean Merritt of South Philadelphia. Advertisement Advertisement Merritt went on to say, "I was not surprised that the kids are trying to play tricks, but I am so glad they changed the age." Some patrons said they understand the decision, even if it temporarily excludes people between 21 and 24. "I kinda feel sorry for them, but if you can't behave, you gotta go. Of course I'd be angry if I was 21-24 and couldn't get in here, but there are other places to go to," said Al Koren of West Powelton. Sweitzer said she is now looking for more advanced equipment capable of better detecting fraudulent IDs. She said the age rule will remain in place until better technology is secured. Advertisement Advertisement "I will purchase it, and we'll go back to 21 and over. Until I have a scanner that is capable of determining whether it's a fake ID or not, that's just how it is," she said. Sweitzer said she is testing new equipment, though she does not yet know when the bar might return to a 21-and-over policy. Charges filed in the fatal shooting of a St. Paul man on Monday night allege both he and the gunman fired several rounds during a marijuana deal that went awry. Eithan Armani Green, 29, of Minneapolis, was charged Friday by warrant in Ramsey County District Court with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by an ineligible person in connection with the killing of David Lee Turner III, 23, in the West Seventh neighborhood of St. Paul. Green was dropped off by a man at Regions Hospital shortly after the shooting with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and leg, the criminal complaint said. He remained hospitalized Friday in serious but stable condition. Advertisement Advertisement A case against another man is under review for possible charges, a spokesman for the Ramsey County Attorneys Office said Friday. According to the complaint, police found Turner shot and slumped over in the drivers seat of a Dodge Durango in the 100 block of Oneida Street just after 10 p.m. He had no pulse and wasnt breathing, and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy showed eight gunshot wounds, including to his face, neck and chest. Officers processed the Durango and recovered eight spent 9mm casings, three spent .40-caliber casings and nearly three pounds of marijuana. Video surveillance from a nearby home showed the Durango and a Ford Escape pulled up on Oneida Street, between Superior and Michigan streets, at separate times. Advertisement Advertisement A man, later identified as Green, got out of the Escape and into the Durangos front passenger seat, the complaint said. Shots rang out a short time later, with windows on both sides of the Durango shattering. A man wearing a dark-colored jacket ran from the Escapes back passenger seat to the Durango and began rummaging through it. Green got out, hopped around and ran back to Escapes front passenger seat. A driver of the SUV then drove away with Green, leaving the other man behind. I shot him Officers were sent to Regions Hospital shortly after the shooting on a report of a man whod been dropped off with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and leg. He didnt have a wallet or a cellphone, but police identified him as Green. Investigators found a phone number for Green, and records showed the phone was in the area at the time of Turners killing, then near Regions and Minneapolis, the complaint said. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators discovered that Greens phone was pinging in the area of the Minneapolis Police Departments Fourth Precinct on the citys North Side. They learned a man was arrested Tuesday in Minneapolis after driving Greens car, where officers found a .380-caliber handgun and two cellphones. The man said one of the phones belonged to a friend. In an interview, the man told investigators that he and Green had previously bought marijuana from Turner, and that both he and Green had used his phone to text Turner about buying marijuana from him, the complaint said. The man said he drove the Escape, which belonged to Greens girlfriend, to the meet-up spot the night of the shooting. He gave Green $350 to buy the drug, and Green got out and into the Durango. He then heard two different guns fire. Green ran back to the Escape and said, I shot him, the man told police, according to the complaint. (The man) asked what Green did to make (Turner) shoot him, but Green just asked (the man) to take him to the hospital, the complaint read. Advertisement Advertisement The man said he drove Green to Regions in the Escape and that Green left a Taurus 9mm handgun and his phone in the SUV before walking into the hospital. Officers later recovered the gun at an apartment belonging to the mans girlfriend, the complaint said. Green denied knowing Turner Related Articles In an interview with investigators, Green said he was drunk and high and couldnt recall how he was shot and where, the complaint said. He denied shooting anyone and said he didnt own a gun. He denied knowing Turner. Advertisement Advertisement According to the complaint, when investigators told him the shooting was on video, he said, Im shot and Who shot me? Court records show Green has several felony convictions, all out of St. Louis County, including for first-degree robbery and fifth-degree drug possession in 2014; felony domestic assault in 2017; and aiding and abetting first-degree robbery in 2019. BEIJING, Feb 6 (Reuters) - China said on Friday it was open to dialogue with Lithuania after the Baltic nation's prime minister described as a "mistake" its 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in the capital of Vilnius. Lithuania had begun taking "small first steps" to restore ties, Inga Ruginiene, who became prime minister last September, told Baltic News Service on Tuesday. "The door for communication between China and Lithuania remains open," Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, told a regular news conference. Advertisement Advertisement "We hope Lithuania will translate its willingness to improve bilateral relations into concrete actions, and promptly rectify its error," he said. China downgraded relations with Lithuania in late 2021 after the nation of 2.9 million let Taiwan open a "Taiwanese" representative office on its soil. Beijing views Taiwan as a Chinese province with no right to set up such offices in countries with which China has formal ties. In contrast to Lithuania, countries such as Australia, Britain and the United States host offices that are usually known as "Taipei" representative offices, which avoids the implication of statehood and sovereignty. Advertisement Advertisement Since the breakdown, Lithuania has recalled its ambassador in China and other diplomats. In late 2024, it expelled three Chinese diplomats in the country's Office of the Charge d'Affaires. Last year, China banned Lithuanian banks UAB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Bankas from transactions and cooperation with domestic organisations and individuals. "I think Lithuania really jumped in front of a train and lost," Ruginiene told the news service in an interview. Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners with shared values of freedom and democracy, and both sides agreed the name of the office, the foreign ministry in Taipei said on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement "Since the office was established, Taiwan and the Lithuanian government have continued to promote mutually beneficial, substantive cooperation," it said. Taiwan would keep up close coordination and communication to deepen ties with Lithuania, it added. (Reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Edwina Gibbs and Clarence Fernandez) Feb. 5BEMIDJI Developers will ask the Bemidji Planning and Zoning Commission this month for a variance to allow for the construction of a Chipotle Mexican Grill at 1718 Paul Bunyan Drive NW. The former Rod's Meats site was purchased in 2024 by Andrew Peralta with the intention of building a Dairy Queen Grill & Chill there. Peralta, who also owns the Lakeside Dairy Queen at 700 Paul Bunyan Drive S, said he will be looking for a different site to build a Grill & Chill after determining that the Rod's Meats site was unsuitable. Advertisement Advertisement Developer John Johannson said if the variance is approved, groundbreaking for Chipotle could happen this spring and the restaurant could be open by the end of the year or in early 2027. Johannson said Chipotle representatives "toured Bemidji and decided they wanted a store there. They think it's a good market. It also helps when there's a college population. It's a very targeted clientele for Chipotle." Johannson is managing director of retail services for Twin Cities-based Transwestern Real Estate. "We have retail properties across the Upper Midwest," he said. "Chipotle is a common tenant. They do such a nice job, and we've done a lot of similar-sized communities." Chipotle is a multinational chain of fast casual restaurants specializing in bowls, tacos and burritos made to order in front of the customer. As of December 2025, Chipotle has 4,000 locations. Advertisement Advertisement Johannson said the Minnesota Department of Transportation has asked properties along Paul Bunyan Drive (also known as State Highway 197) to consolidate access points to reduce the number of curb cuts when the intersection is redeveloped. He said the neighboring Willow Creek Center, home to seven businesses, including Big Apple Bagels, has agreed to share a curb cut and driveway with Chipotle. Robert Iverson, owner of the Willow Creek Center, said he's pleased with the shared-access solution that works for both businesses. "The peak part of the day at Big Apple Bagel tends to be morning to mid-afternoon," Iverson said, "while Chipotle will be mid-afternoon to evening. So I think it's a good synergy between the two higher-volume businesses there. It's a win for everyone parking wise to maximize utilization of the space." A city planning memo states, "Thankfully, the applicant and the adjoining property owner both recognize the conflict created by the MnDOT action to require a shared curb cut, and the parties have agreed to share not only the curb cut, but also provide for a common, shared drive lane running north and south throughout the length of the site." Advertisement Advertisement MnDOT has scheduled major improvements to Paul Bunyan Drive in the next two years, with utility and underground work to begin in 2026, and paved surfaces, intersections, sidewalks and relocated curb cuts and aprons to be constructed in 2027. The Chipotle restaurant will include 68 parking spaces and a pickup window for online orders. "It's actually not a drive-thru," Johannson said. "It's essentially just a pickup. There's no menu board, there's no ordering window. You order in advance on an app, and you say what time you want it available. There's no money exchanged, no order board. You pull in line and your food's there." Advertisement Advertisement Peralta said plans for the DQ Grill & Chill would include a drive-thru ordering lane, and he determined that the lot would not accommodate that. "I love the property," Peralta said. "We wanted to build there so bad. I just wanted something with more space where I can accommodate more people with more traffic, spots to park boats and buses. My goal is to allow families to come and enjoy their time at a restaurant instead of feeling like they're rushed in and rushed out. It just wasn't the right fit for me." Business at Peralta's Lakeside DQ was interrupted briefly last summer when the June 21 storm damaged the roof and an electrical panel. The business is closed for the winter, but Peralta hopes to reopen in March for the 2026 season. Anticipation is already building for the 2028 presidential race. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) named Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp as the likely GOP front-runners in 2028 during an interview on Wednesday with NewsNation. We have some really good folks in our party who might be the nominee in 2028, and it will be interesting to watch, Christie said. Advertisement Advertisement President Trump is serving out his final term in the White House, and the governor acknowledged the presidents absence will leave the Republican candidate field absolutely wide open. Christie, who dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, didnt rule out another run in 2028, saying, never say never. As for me, well let the 26 elections go by and then see what life brings after that, Christie said. No major candidates have declared their run for 2028 yet. When asked by NBC News on Wednesday if he would endorse a candidate in the Republican presidential primary, Trump said, Id be inclined to. Advertisement Advertisement We have a great bench, he said. We have a lot of people. The president has previously expressed his support for Vance and Rubio to run for president, saying they would be unstoppable on a ticket together. However, he refused to pick between the two during the Wednesday Oval Office sit-down interview. Well, I dont want to get into this, Trump said. We have three years to go. I dont want to, you know, I have two people that are doing a great job. I dont want to have an argument with, or I dont want to use the word fight it wouldnt be a fight. But look, JD is fantastic, and Marco is fantastic. When asked to describe the differences between the two politicians, Trump called them both very capable, but he said there were differences in style and intelligence. Advertisement Advertisement The combination of JD and Marco would be very hard to beat, I think, but you never know in politics, the president said. Additionally, Trump did not rule out running for a third term in office. The 22nd Amendment of the Constitution limits the office of the presidency to two terms, but some of the presidents supporters have suggested this could be changed or that Trump could serve as a shadow president if Vance were elected options the president has not shut down. I dont know. It would be interesting, Trump told NBCs Tom Llamas on Wednesday. But wouldnt it be terrible if I agreed with you and I gave you the answer that youre looking for? It would make life so much less exciting. 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. The world is facing threats not of a cold war or just a trade war, but a capital war where money is being weaponized, according to billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio. He suggested one asset would be the safest to invest in during volatile times. The Bridgewater Associates founder said in an interview at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Tuesday the world is on the cusp of widespread conflict whereinstead of ammunitioncountries attack each other through the means of controlling the flow of money, such as leveraging debt ownership. We are on the brink, Dalio said. That means not in, but it means we are quite close to [a capital war], and it would be very easy to go over the brink into a capital war, because there are mutual fears. Dalio attributes this escalating discord to President Donald Trumps recent threats to take over or purchase Greenland from Denmark, which analysts believe weakened the alliance formed through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He said this friction could create fear in European holders of U.S. securities, bonds, and stock, that they could be sanctioned. That anxiety could, in turn, create reciprocal fear the U.S. would not be able to get crucial foreign funding, Dalio said. Dalios broader warnings about volatile global markets echo a similar message he delivered during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last month. In a conversation with Kamal Ahmed, Fortunes executive editorial director for the U.K. and Europe, Dalio warned of a breakdown in the worlds monetary order. Specifically, he said, the world is at a point in a larger cycle in which the U.S.s power is eroding, in large part owing to the immense $38 trillion national debt. This breakdown has been exacerbated by geopolitical tensions and technological changes, Dalio warned. Lets not be naive and say, Oh, were breaking the rule-based system, he said. Its gone. Global tensions and sell America mode Indeed, markets entered sell America mode following Trumps push for Greenland, throttling the U.S. dollar and sharply increasing the yield on five-year Treasury bonds, signaling concerns about increased government debt supply. Danish pension fund AkademikerPension confirmed it would exit U.S. Treasuries by the end of January because U.S. government finances were no longer sustainable. Swedish pension fund Alecta similarly cut its holdings. The selloff also coincided with a probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, which perturbed global investors over the potential of a loss of Fed independence. The assets have since recovered. The City of Hobart has voted to approve a fill permit on the site designated for an Amazon data center during a meeting Thursday night. It came after outcry from the crowd, calling for more studies on the site. Emotions ran high at the Hobart Plan Commission meeting over the discussion surrounding a fill permit for a planned Amazon data center near Colorado and 61st Avenue. During discussion, the petitioner for the permit saying a site plan would not be available for another three to four months sparking outrage from the crowd. Advertisement Advertisement "It would be criminal negligence for you to not to do a health impact study, an environmental impact study and a noise impact study before approving anything further for this project," one person said. However, those in favor say this will bring thousands of jobs that Hobart can't afford to lose. "The AI revolution is coming whether we like it or not. If you choose not to participate in it... from an economy that is the future," one person said. READ MORE | Proposed Amazon data center near NW Indiana residential area sparks debate at city meeting Residents who have been long opposed to the plan concerned about health and environmental impacts. Advertisement Advertisement "The biggest concern today is that permits are being approved before we're even able to see a site plan," said Angelita Soriano with No Data Centers. ABC7 has reached out to the mayor's office regarding concerns presented at Thursday night's meeting and if the city would be open to hosting a townhall session. ABC7 is still awaiting a response. This winters harsh run in the East is intensifying, with some of the coldest air so far this season plunging into Vermont this weekend as a mass of Arctic air drops south from Canada. "A brutally cold weekend awaits more than 100 million people in the northeastern quarter of the nation as Arctic air lunges southward straight from eastern Canada," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in an online forecast. Temperatures will drop into the single digits or below zero across much of the Northeast, AccuWeather predicts. Dozens of daily record cold temperatures will be in jeopardy both on Saturday, Feb. 7 and Sunday, Feb. 8, according to Weather.com. Advertisement Advertisement "This weekend could feature the coldest air of the whole winter in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic," said Washington Post meteorologist Ben Noll on X. More: 'Coldest air of the whole winter' in forecast. Blame the polar vortex. How cold will Vermont get? The National Weather Service has issued Extreme Cold Warnings and Cold Weather Advisories across Vermont for the weekend, citing life-threatening wind chills. Wind chills are expected to range from 20 to 40 below zero over northern and higher-elevation areas, with slightly less extreme conditions in the Champlain Valley and southern Vermont. Low temperatures Saturday morning, Feb. 7, could drop to 10 below zero to near zero, with daytime highs struggling to climb out of the single digits. Northwest winds of 1015 mph, gusting up to 30 mph, will make conditions feel even colder. Advertisement Advertisement The coldest conditions will be over northern Vermont, where wind chills may reach 3040 below zero. In the Champlain Valley and central/southern Vermont, wind chills of 2030 below are likely. Officials urge anyone with outdoor plans this weekend to take precautions, dress in layers, and limit exposure. High pressure will build briefly Sunday, easing winds but leaving temperatures well below normal. Even with lighter winds, overnight lows Sunday night could dip 515 below zero, with some higher-elevation pockets approaching 20 below. Snow, squalls and damaging winds Snow is expected Friday night into Saturday as an Arctic cold front sweeps across the region. Some snow could be briefly moderate to heavy along the front, with snowfall rates up to 0.5 inches per hour possible. Overall, 13 inches are expected statewide, with 24+ inches in higher terrain and favored upslope areas such as the northern Greens. Strong winds behind the front could produce blowing and drifting snow, sharply reduced visibility, and isolated power outages, particularly in exposed locations. Snowfall will taper during Saturday afternoon, Feb. 7, though snow showers may linger in northern and higher-elevation areas. Advertisement Advertisement "Snow showers tonight into Saturday afternoon will create hazardous travel conditions," the National Weather Service in Burlington said. "The snow may be briefly moderate to heavy at times, with a general 1 to 3 inches of accumulation expected, with locally higher amounts possible." Is the polar vortex to blame? Yes but not in the way many people think. A lobe of the polar vortex at lower levels of the atmosphere (known as the "tropospheric polar vortex") is responsible for this intense cold, noted Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue in an e-mail to USA TODAY. But that lower-level feature is not the polar vortex meteorologists usually refer to when talking about major disruptions like we've seen several times this winter. The true polar vortex sits much higher in the atmosphere roughly 10 to 30 miles up in the stratosphere where a recent warming event has begun to affect circulation patterns. Advertisement Advertisement There is a vortex in the troposphere that we live in. But I dont like to call it a 'polar vortex' because people leave it alone and call it that," said Paul Pastelok, Lead Long-Range Expert for AccuWeather. "Its not the same as the actual polar vortex that usually gets disrupted (from stratospheric warming). This is what we call the 'polar jet stream' these upper-level lobes. In the stratosphere theres just one polar vortex sitting over the pole that gets disrupted. And it links down into the atmosphere and gets caught up in the polar jet stream, and that is the drive," he added. The stratospheric warming has weakened the high-altitude vortex slightly, which nudges the polar jet stream and allows some Arctic air to escape. But the more noticeable, long-term impacts from the stratospheric disruption is heading toward Eurasia, while the eastern U.S. sees a faster, shorter-lived surge of frigid temperatures, Pastelok said. Still, the polar vortex itself is not moving into New York or directly delivering the cold. Its role is to contain Arctic air near the pole. Changes in the jet stream and pressure patterns set in motion by the stratospheric disruption allow some of that cold air to spill south, producing the Arctic outbreak were experiencing. How does stratospheric disruption occur? A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) occurs when an intense area of high pressure in the lower atmosphere sends energy upward into the stratosphere, Pastelok said. This can raise temperatures in the polar stratosphere by 2040F (1020C) over just a few days. Advertisement Advertisement The warming slows the zonal winds the fast, circular winds that normally rotate around the polar vortex. When these winds slow, the vortex can become less stable and wobble, shift or even split. That wobbling can allow Arctic air from the troposphere or contained within the polar jet stream to move elsewhere. Not every stratospheric disruption weakens the polar vortex, and even a weakened vortex does not automatically bring cold to the mid-latitudes. The effects depend on the strength, timing and structure of the wave forcing and how it couples down from the stratosphere to the lower atmosphere. Even if Arctic air from the disrupted polar vortex reaches the U.S., it doesnt guarantee snow or ice those require additional systems with sufficient moisture. Has the polar vortex been more active this year? When its strong, Arctic air stays locked inside the polar vortex a circulation of winds surrounding the North Pole. Advertisement Advertisement This year, the polar vortex has been weaker than usual, which allows it to influence the lower atmosphere more frequently, making it appear more active than normal, even though the polar vortex's overall strength and coherence are lower than typical. Vermont weather watches and warnings Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at baddison@gannett.com. Find her on Facebook here. This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont polar vortex to bring Arctic air. See projected temps, timing VERMONT (ABC22/FOX44) Its going to be cold this weekend. How cold? By the end of the weekend, Lake Champlain may be completely covered by ice. There is a high likelihood the lake freezes over this weekend with anomalously cold air on the way, writes the National Weather Services Burlington office. Five ice skaters were stranded on the ice on Lake Champlain off Charlotte, Vermont, after a section of ice broke off and began to drift away Tuesday morning, Feb. 3, 2026. (VSP) Skaters stranded on ice rescued from Lake Champlain Though the lake came close to freezing completely last year, it didnt quite do so. If it were to close, that would be the earliest in the winter its happened since 2004. Advertisement Advertisement The Charlotte-Essex ferry stopped running due to ice accumulation all the way back on January 25. The Grand Isle-Plattsburgh ferry is still running as of Thursday. Make sure to follow us on ABC22/FOX44 and myChamplainValley.com for your latest forecast. Shelters prepare for very cold weather For the most part, cold-weather shelters across our region are expected to be up and running. Burlington announced that its shelter at the Miller Center will be open Saturday and Sunday nights from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. each following morning. The shelter is at 130 Gosse Court, with transportation available from the CVOEO Center at 228 North Winooski Ave and the Fletcher Free Library. Advertisement Advertisement Barre City Police also said that that citys shelter at the Barre Congregational Church will be open Saturday through Monday nights, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. each following morning, with room for 12. The State of Vermont also lists some additional shelters that will be open this weekend, though dates may vary: Bennington County St. Peters Episcopal Church, 200 Pleasant Street, Bennington, 8pm 8am Northeast Kingdom NEKCA, 371 Main Street, Newport, 8pm 8am Rutland County City Library, 10 Court Street, Rutland, 6 :30 pm 8 7:30 am Washington County Teen Center, 130 Main Street, Montpelier, 8pm 8am Windham County First Methodist Church, 18 Town Crier Drive, Brattleboro, 8pm 8am More available shelters across the state can be found at the Vermont Emergency Management website or the Vermont 211 Shelter Database. This article may also be updated with more information. Advertisement Advertisement New_Hampshire_Cold_Weather_SheltersDownload Available shelters in New Hampshire can be found at the link above. New York readers, as well as those from New Hampshire and Vermont, can call 211 for more 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 ABC22 & FOX44. A man police say took a knife and slashed an Israeli flag has been charged. Thirty-four-year-old Ivo Stjepovic was arraigned and released on non-monetary bond Thursday evening. Pittsburgh Police say hes the man caught on home surveillance footage back in January in the citys Mexican War Streets neighborhood. Im very glad this person has been identified, Deena Blumenfeld told Channel 11. It was her flag that was cut. Advertisement Advertisement She says her home has been targeted nineteen times in two years. She believes its because shes Jewish. Its a good reminder of where we are as Jews and a time of pretty wide antisemitic incidents, she said. Stjepovic faces a misdemeanor charge of ethnic intimidation. His arrest and release came on the same day local leaders rallied around a Black business owner whose body shop was vandalized last month. It was tagged with graffiti and a racial slur. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Slur, graffiti spray-painted onto auto body shop owned by community activist; police investigating Ive owned my business for over 33 years. During that time, my business has never been attacked, William Anderson said. Advertisement Advertisement Anderson, who is also a community activist, says the incident came just a month after his shop was robbed. Youve only made my resolve stronger, he said in a press conference on Thursday. Anderson was flanked by more than a dozen leaders and organizers, including ones from the citys Latino and Jewish communities. When something happens to one of us, it will eventually happen to all of us, he said. So far, no one has been arrested for either incident at the body shop. Stjepovic is set to be back in front of a judge on February 24th. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Community First Credit Union officially launched construction on the former Edgewood Bakery building in Murray Hill this week, marking a major step in the revitalization of one of Jacksonvilles most recognizable neighborhood landmarks. The Jacksonville-based credit union held a renovation launch event Monday at the site, located at Edgewood Avenue, alongside former bakery owners Gary and Sandy Polletta, District City Councilman Jimmy Peluso, local business and civic leaders and members of the Murray Hill Preservation Association. Community First Credit Union President and CEO Sam Inman speaks at the credit union's upcoming new branch in the Murray Hill. The project will transform the long-vacant bakery building into what Community First leaders describe as their most unique branch yet in its design to honor the sites history while serving as a financial hub. Why is Community First renovating the former Edgewood Bakery? Community First purchased the Murray Hill property in 2024 after the Edgewood Bakery building sat vacant for nearly a decade. The bakery, a longtime neighborhood staple, closed in 2016. Advertisement Advertisement According to Community First President and CEO Sam Inman, the credit union saw the site as an opportunity to preserve a piece of Murray Hills identity while reinvesting in the community. As Community First embarks on transforming the former Edgewood Bakery into a modern, state-of-the-art credit union branch, were excited to honor the legacy this beloved Murray Hill bakery has in the community, Inman said. Our thoughtful design will make this one of our most distinctive branches yet, and were confident it will once again become a neighborhood hub. What will the new Murray Hill branch include? Unlike a traditional bank branch, the redesigned Murray Hill location will feature several community-oriented elements, including a front lawn and social gathering area, dedicated community room, refreshed parking lot and full exterior updates. Local officials and Community First Credit Union personnel break ground on the upcoming Murray Hill branch at the former site of Edgewood Bakery. Inside, the branch will include a custom mural depicting historical photos of the Murray Hill neighborhood, continuing Community Firsts practice of incorporating local history into its branch designs. Advertisement Advertisement The entire floorplan will be configured within the existing one-story structure. How does the project fit into Murray Hills revitalization? Local leaders say the Edgewood Bakery site plays a key role in the ongoing revitalization of Murray Hills retail corridor. The Edgewood Bakery site is a cornerstone of the revitalization of the Murray Hill retail corridor, said Greg Beere, president of the Murray Hill Preservation Association. Our team has been actively engaged with Community First Credit Union as the voice of our neighbors, and were delighted to see the building transformed into a unique asset for this community. City Councilman Jimmy Peluso speaks at the Community First Credit Union's upcoming new branch in the Murray Hill. District City Councilman Jimmy Peluso also attended Mondays launch event, underscoring the projects significance to the areas economic and neighborhood development. When will the new Community First branch open? Construction is now underway, and Community First expects the Murray Hill branch renovation to be completed by the end of 2026. Advertisement Advertisement The project team includes TTV Architects as the designer, Auld & White Constructors as the building contractor, NAI Hallmark as the development partner and Kimley-Horn providing civil engineering services. What is Community First Credit Union? Community First Credit Union of Florida is a state-chartered, not-for-profit financial institution founded and based in Jacksonville. The credit union serves anyone who lives or works on the First Coast and operates 24 locations with more than 450 employees. Community First currently holds approximately $3 billion in assets and serves 188,000 members across Northeast Florida, offering banking, loans, mortgages and investment services for both consumers and businesses. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Whats happening at Edgewood Bakery? Community First starts renovation A town hall meeting in Concord focused on keeping teenagers out of the criminal justice system and preventing gun violence following a string of recent local deaths. The event focused on community conversation as a starting point for saving lives. Recent incidents include a shooting Sunday off Fairington Drive that killed Michael Overstreet and Kemauri Blount of Monroe. Concord police arrested three suspects under the age of 20 and charged them in connection with those deaths. Last month, two people died in a shooting along Kite Court. Raheem Glascoe Jr., 16, has been charged as an adult in that case. In a separate incident during a local Christmas tree lighting, four people were shot during a dispute between teenagers. Advertisement Advertisement ALSO READ: Activist concerned about youth violence after teen dies in Mount Holly shooting Muhammad, a community advocate, said he organized the meeting to help residents share ideas on how to keep children safe. He noted that both the victims of gun violence and the accused killers pay a price for these actions. Sean Muhammad organized the town hall to provide a space for the community to heal and identify solutions to the recent violence. Muhammad, a community leader who organized the event, intended for the meeting to facilitate open communication among residents. Number one expectation was to have a conversation with the community, bring the community out so we can talk about some of the things that we may or may not know or we may neglect, Muhammad said. Advertisement Advertisement The event was largely unscripted and focused primarily on how adults can keep their children out of trouble. Approximately 50 parents and children attended the gathering to share perspectives and strategies. Asia Barge, a parent and Navy veteran, discussed the rules she maintains in her home to provide structure for her children. She explained that she and her husband restrict the use of electronics during the school week. We dont give them the cell phones, video games, and stuff during the week. They get it on the weekend, and they dont get it all day, Barge said. While the event drew engaged families, Muhammad addressed the difficulty of connecting with parents whose children are already facing serious issues. Advertisement Advertisement Thats probably the million-dollar question? How do we reach the other side? Muhammad said. Organizers hope this will be the first of many town halls and intend for community participation to grow. Muhammad and other organizers stated they would consider the effort worth it if they can save even one child. VIDEO: Activist concerned about youth violence after teen dies in Mount Holly shooting BOSTON An East Freetown concrete company faces an up to $500,000 fine and five years of probation when its sentenced on May 4 for willfully violating federal safety standards in a 2023 incident that led to an employees death. John Oliveira & Sons Stamp Concrete Inc. could also be ordered to pay restitution to the family of the deceased. The victim was 24-year-old Josue Deodoro Tiquiram Sam of New Bedford. Advertisement Advertisement Sam was born in San Andres Sajcabaja, Quiche, Guatemala and came to this country in 2022. Are ICE officers in New Bedford? Immigration advocates issue warning An East Freetown concrete company faces an up to $500,000 fine and five years of probation when its sentenced on May 4 for willfully violating federal safety standards in a 2023 incident that led to an employees death. Victim came from poor subsistence farmers According to a GoFundMe fundraiser, He came from a poor family of subsistence farmers who raised corn on rented land. His goal was to buy a piece of land and build a house for his parents and siblings. It also stated that his body was flown back to Guatemala where he was buried. The money was raised to help his parents pay to transport his body back to Guatemala and for the funeral expenses. The company agreed to a guilty plea Jan. 14 and pleaded guilty Feb. 4 in federal court in Boston to willfully violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration safety standards in the 2023 incident that led to Sams death. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson scheduled sentencing for May 4. Man found dead: Police investigate apparent drowning in New Bedford Harbor. What we know. What happened to Sam? According to a Department of Justice press release, the company used a large soil screener for purposes of processing and screening soil and similar substances. The soil screener was approximately 46 feet long and 13 feet high and weighed approximately 35,880 pounds. The tail conveyor of the soil screener which weighed approximately 1,500 pounds could be placed in a vertical closed position or could be opened to an approximate 45-degree angle, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement It is alleged that on various occasions in 2022 or 2023, the tail conveyor of the soil screener closed unexpectedly, and the soil screener had suffered a ruptured hydraulic pressure line, according to the release. Sam was working alongside co-owner On Sept. 6, 2023, Sam was working alongside a co-owner on the tail conveyer of the soil screener, which was in the open position. At the time, there was no equipment in place to prevent the tail conveyer from closing. According to the charging documents, as Sam was seeking to remove a bolt, the tail conveyor closed unexpectedly. Sam held onto the upper frame of the soil screener as the tail conveyer closed into the vertical position, crushing his head. He suffered massive head trauma and was pronounced dead soon thereafter, according to the release. An earlier federal investigation determined the incident occurred "because the company failed to ensure the conveyors power source was disabled to prevent its unintended startup as the employee performed maintenance. This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: East Freetown concrete company to be sentenced May 4 in worker death Alex Saab, a once-powerful fixer for Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro who spent years fighting U.S. corruption charges, was detained for questioning early Wednesday by authorities in Venezuela, according to multiple Colombian media outlets. Venezuelan authorities, however, have neither confirmed nor denied the reports, offering a series of unusual and at times contradictory public responses about the fate of the former regime insider. Saab, a Colombia-born businessman, was previously held in Miami as the main defendant in a $350 million money-laundering conspiracy case that was dismissed in December 2023 after he was pardoned by then-President Joe Biden as part of a prisoner exchange with the Venezuelan government. He had been extradited to the U.S. from Cape Verde, where he claimed to be a Venezuelan envoy entitled to diplomatic immunity. Advertisement Advertisement Following Bidens pardon, Saab was released from federal custody before trial and returned to Venezuela. More than two years later and weeks after Maduro was seized by U.S. forces in early January on drug-trafficking charges filed in New York Saab could once again face federal corruption and money-laundering charges in Miami, according to sources familiar with the matter. Colombian TV network Caracol Television reported that Saab was detained by Venezuelas domestic intelligence service, SEBIN. The arrest was later confirmed by Colombian radio stations Caracol Radio and Blu Radio, as well as by the Reuters news service, which cited a U.S. official in Washington. Venezuelan officials, however, have declined to acknowledge the arrest, and senior figures have given evasive or conflicting answers when questioned. Late Wednesday, Jorge Rodriguez, president of the regime-controlled National Assembly and brother of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, said he had no knowledge of Saabs whereabouts. Advertisement Advertisement I am a member of parliament; this is not within my purview, and I have neither the authority nor the information regarding what you are asking about, Rodriguez said. On Thursday, Venezuelas attorney general, Tarek William Saab, who is not related to Alex Saab, also gave contradictory statements. Asked by Colombian radio station La FM about reports of Saabs detention, he initially dismissed them as fake news, but called back minutes later to say he had no information on the matter. Since reports of the arrest surfaced Wednesday, there has been no public statement from Saab or his family, and they have not been seen in public. Saabs Miami-based defense lawyers, Joseph Schuster and Neil Schuster, declined to comment on developments in Venezuela. Saabs reported detention comes three weeks after he was removed as Venezuelas industry minister by Delcy Rodriguez, following the U.S. military operation last month that led to Maduros apprehension in Caracas. Advertisement Advertisement Colombian outlets also reported that Venezuelan television tycoon Raul Gorrin had been detained alongside Saab. Sources told the Miami Herald that Gorrin was taken in for questioning but was released a few hours later. The circumstances surrounding Saabs arrest remain unclear, including whether it reflects cooperation between Venezuelas interim government and U.S. law enforcement, or an internal move by Caracas to sideline a politically sensitive figure. Colombian media reported that the detention took place in the early morning hours, fueling speculation that extradition proceedings could follow. U.S. law enforcement officials contacted by the Herald said they were not aware of any plans to extradite Saab to the United States. Advertisement Advertisement If confirmed, Saabs detention would mark the latest dramatic turn in one of the most tangled legal and political sagas linked to Venezuelan corruption cases pursued by U.S. prosecutors. A close ally of Maduro, Saab was released from U.S. custody in December 2023 following a presidential pardon and clemency deal. The businessman, who had been facing money-laundering charges in Florida, was exchanged for 10 American citizens and a fugitive U.S. defense contractor. He later returned to Venezuela, where Maduro appointed him to his cabinet. For years, U.S. investigators regarded Saab, now 54, as one of the Maduro governments central financial operators, accusing him of amassing hundreds of millions of dollars through bribery schemes tied to food, housing and energy contracts while hiding assets across the United States, Europe and elsewhere. In 2019, federal prosecutors in Miami charged Saab with laundering more than $350 million in proceeds linked to corrupt Venezuelan government housing contracts. Authorities said he was among dozens of officials, businessmen and contractors who siphoned billions of dollars from the Venezuelan state during the Chavez and Maduro years, often through deals involving the state oil company PDVSA. Advertisement Advertisement Several defendants in those cases including two former Venezuelan national treasury chiefs were convicted after cooperating with U.S. authorities, while others remain at large. Saab was first detained in June 2020 in Cape Verde on an Interpol red notice while his plane refueled en route to Iran. He claimed he was traveling as a special envoy for Maduro on a gold-for-gasoline mission a claim later rejected by U.S. courts. After a prolonged legal battle, Saab was extradited to the U.S. in October 2021 and held in a federal jail in Miami. In December 2022, U.S. District Judge Robert Scola ruled that Saab did not have diplomatic immunity, accusing the Venezuelan government of submitting doctored documents to support the claim. At the time he was arrested, Saab... truly was no diplomat at all, Scola wrote. Advertisement Advertisement While Saab was in U.S. custody, his legal team insisted he would never plead guilty. Court records later revealed, however, that Saab had previously acted as a confidential informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, secretly cooperating for nearly a year beginning in 2016. During that period, prosecutors said, Saab recorded conversations with co-conspirators and transferred more than $12 million to a DEA-controlled account. That cooperation ended in 2019 after Saab failed to surrender to U.S. agents. Gorrin, meanwhile, faces his own legal problems in the United States. In October 2024, Gorrin was charged with conspiring to launder $1.2 billion that federal authorities say he and other associates stole from Venezuelas government to invest in Europe and the United States, including luxury real estate in South Florida. Advertisement Advertisement Gorrin, owner of the Globovision TV network in Caracas, is accused of plotting to bribe top officials at Venezuelas state-owned oil company in exchange for access to lucrative government loan contracts, according to an indictment in Miami federal court. Prosecutors say the loan payments were routed through the governments preferential currency-exchange system, producing windfall profits. Gorrin, 57, a close ally of the late President Hugo Chavez and of Maduro, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted. His case grew out of a broader Miami indictment filed in 2018 that charged eight associates with looting PDVSA, including senior executives and lawyers. Since then, five additional defendants including Gorrin have been charged. About half have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, including several who provided evidence against Gorrin. Others remain at large in Venezuela or Europe. In late 2018, Gorrin was also charged in a massive money-laundering racket to drain more than $1 billion from Venezuelas government and move the illicit money through U.S. banks and luxury real estate investments, according to an indictment in Miami. The indictment charged Gorrin with conspiring to bribe Venezuelan officials, including former national treasurer Alejandro Andrade, who pleaded guilty and served prison time in the United States. A Miami Herald correspondent in Venezuela contributed to this story. HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) Connecticut Attorney General William Tong released a report Thursday disclosing multiple active investigations related to the safety of children and teens across multiple online platforms in 2025. The report, released under the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA), provides updates on privacy and data security efforts by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), privacy-related consumer complaints that were received, data breach notice review and enforcement, and CTDPA enforcement efforts pertaining to minors privacy. According to the report, the office received over 1,830 data breach notifications in 2025, issued 63 warning letters and finalized a $105,000 settlement with Omni Healthcare over a 2024 ransomware attack. Advertisement Advertisement $2.5B settlement over Amazon Prime: How to file a claim The report references specific investigations into privacy notices, genetic data, consumer health data, messaging apps, gaming platforms and chatbots, among others. According to the OAG, the office undertook enforcement actions for connected vehicles and geolocation data, social media platforms and messaging apps used by children and teens, chatbots and artificial intelligence products that pose risks to minors through their design features, and data brokers. The OAG further listed a slew of amendments that will be made to the CTDPA in July of 2026, which can be found here. Advertisement Advertisement Connecticut has one of the nations first and strongest data privacy laws, and the Office of the Attorney General is active and aggressive in protecting our rights to privacy, security and safety online, Attorney General William Tong said. In 2025, we held companies accountable for delayed and inadequate data breach notices and hidden consumer rights. We launched active and ongoing investigations into multiple platforms that may have exploited and exposed our kids and their sensitive data to unacceptable privacy and security risks online. Privacy and data security are not optional and companies that do business in our state must take these requirements seriously. News 8 has reached out to Connecticut Republicans for comment. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTNH.com. ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) The Contractor Store celebrated its grand opening of a new store in Greece. The new store, located on West Ridge Road, offers reliable, professional contractors for home repairs and major projects, according to the Town of Greece. The business offers services such as roofing, windows, siding, plumbing, and more. Homeowners want peace of mind when investing in their homes, and local contractors deserve the tools and support to run strong, professional businesses, said Greece Town Supervisor Jeffrey McCann. This model does both. Advertisement Advertisement The Contractor Stores address is 2633 West Ridge Road, Suite 3. More info can be found on the companys website. 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 RochesterFirst. Indian online restaurant operator Rebel Foods has brought food brand Easybites onto its brand growth platform, Rebel Launcher, to support Easybites expansion across the country. Under the arrangement, Easybites has started operating from ten Rebel Foods cloud kitchens across Bengaluru and Hyderabad. The company is looking to add more locations and enter additional cities in the months ahead. Easybites CEO Masoud Mohamed said: Rebel Launcher has been a strong growth partner for Easybites, assisting us in scaling faster and more efficiently across the Southern market. Launching in new cities through the Rebel Launcher platform gives us the chance to understand each market deeper and serve more locations per city from day one, taking our craveable food to more people. Rebel Launcher is designed to help restaurant brands scale with reduced upfront investment and shorter launch timelines. Partner brands gain access to Rebel Foods cloud kitchen network, supply chain, technology platform and operational support, while focusing on product and brand development. The addition of Easybites expands Rebel Launchers roster of partner brands, which currently include Biryani Blues, Daryaganj, Harleys Fine Baking, and Go Zero, among others. Rebel Foods co-founder Ankur Sharma said: By partnering with brands like Easybites, we aim to help them scale across geographies efficiently while leveraging Rebel Foods infrastructure, technology and deep operational expertise. In April 2025, Rebel Foods secured $25m investment from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) to support growth. "Rebel Foods Rebel Launcher partners with Easybites to widen India footprint" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. Counseling services will be made available on Friday to UMass Lowell students and community members who may have witnessed a crash involving a pedestrian and a police cruiser on the universitys campus. Lowell police say the crash happened Thursday night on Wilder Street, which runs through the south campus area. Authorities have not released information about the pedestrians condition, but described the incident as serious. The university also referred to the crash as a tragic incident. Advertisement Advertisement Lowell police and Massachusetts State Police responded to the scene to investigate. Police have not confirmed whether the pedestrian is a UMass Lowell student. However, a backpack was seen in the roadway during the investigation. In a statement, the university identified the victim only as a pedestrian, saying the crash occurred outside the McGauvran Center. A university spokesperson said the thoughts of the UMass Lowell community are with those involved. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The Louvre Museum in Paris announced it will begin restoration work on a crown that was damaged during the October heist of the French crown jewels. The crown belonged to Empress Eugenie de Montijo, who lived from 1826 to 1920. She was born in Spain and married Emperor Napoleon III. The damaged headpiece was found at the foot of the Apollo Gallery in the Louvre, a press release from the Louvre said. The alleged thieves took it from its case, but apparently dropped it. A fragment of a bejeweled palmette from the crown was also found near the display case that housed it. Advertisement Advertisement Police have traced the stolen jewels' movements as far as a suburban parking garage, but the items are still missing. Police have arrested four suspects. "While the crown suffered crushing damage and was significantly deformed, it retained its near-complete integrity, allowing for its full restoration," the release said. The crown of Empress Eugenie de Montijo, wife of Emperor Napoleon III of France, is shown as it looked before it was damaged in the October Louvre Museum heist. The restoration of the crown will begin soon. Photo courtesy of Thomas Clot/Louvre Museum Police kept the crown for the investigation then the next day sent it to the Department of Decorative Arts to assess its condition. The report noted: "The crown, whose mount is flexible and lightweight, suffered deformation, initially probably due to the stress it experienced during its removal from the display case through the relatively narrow slot made by the angle grinder. This stress caused the crown's hoops to detach, one of which has already been lost in the gallery. Subsequently, a violent impact most likely crushed the crown." Advertisement Advertisement The crown had eight palmettes and eight gold eagles that alternated around it. One of the eagles is missing, but all the palmettes are there, though some are damaged. The diamond and emerald globe that sits on top is fully intact.The crown still has all 56 emeralds, and of the 1,354 diamonds, only about 10 very small ones along the perimeter of the base are missing and nine are detached but have been preserved. The crown can be restored without having to reconstruct or recreate it. There will be a competitive bidding process, and only an accredited restorer can do the task. There will also be an advisory committee of experts to give advice on the restoration choices and proposed methodology. Laurence des Cars, president-director of the Louvre Museum, will chair the committee, made up of historians, mineralogists and artists. There will also be invitations to representatives of the five historic houses of French jewelry: the houses Mellerio, Chaumet, Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels. Advertisement Advertisement Empress Eugenie's crown was commissioned by Napoleon III for the 1855 Universal Exhibition. It was designed and created by Alexandre Gabriel Lemonnier, the emperor's official jeweler. He also made one for the emperor. When the empire fell in 1870, money was owed to the emperor who had grown the collection of crown jewels with his own money. So, the crown was returned to Eugenie in 1875. It was acquired by the Louvre in 1988. The emperor's crown did not survive. The crown was never used for coronation and was likely never worn. It is one of only three crowns of sovereigns preserved in France. CAIRO (AP) Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei crushed the protests that swept across the country last month, but only by unleashing the bloodiest crackdown of his nearly four decades in power. Now, with an American flotilla nearby, the 86-year-old Khamenei is trying to avert a potential U.S. attack. He has warned that if U.S. President Donald Trump strikes, a regional war will ensue. At the same time, he is allowing Iran to enter negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear program, reversing his previous rejection of talks. The ferocious suppression of the protests is a sign of how deep a threat Khamenei and Irans leadership see in the widespread popular anger. Years of sanctions, economic mismanagement and corruption have gutted Irans economy, hitting its once-large middle class hard. Chants of Death to Khamenei! during Januarys protests underscored how economic woes have turned to resentment of clerical rule. Advertisement Advertisement Popular discontent is not the only strain on the theocratic system that Khamenei heads. Israeli and U.S. bombardment during last summers 12-day war heavily damaged Irans nuclear program, missile systems and military capabilities. And Iran's network of regional proxies that includes Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon dubbed the Axis of Resistance has crumbled in recent years, setting back its ability to wield influence across the Middle East. Still, Iran's domestic crackdown displayed the iron grip that Khamenei and his Revolutionary Guard are capable of imposing. Thousands were killed, tens of thousands were arrested and the internet was shut down, largely cutting off Iranians from communicating with the outside world for weeks. Heres what to know about Khamenei: He transformed the Islamic Republic Advertisement Advertisement When he rose to power in 1989, Khamenei had to overcome deep doubts about his authority. A low-level cleric at the time, Khamenei didnt have the religious credentials of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Islamic Revolution. With thick glasses and a plodding style, Khamenei also lacked Khomeini's fiery charisma. But Khamenei has ruled three times longer than the late Khomeini and has shaped Irans Islamic Republic perhaps even more dramatically. He entrenched the system of rule by the mullahs, or Shiite Muslim clerics. Under the Islamic Republic, clerics stand at the top of the hierarchy, drawing the lines to which the civilian government, the military, and intelligence and security establishment must submit. In the eyes of hard-liners, Khamenei stands as the unquestionable authority below only that of God. At the same time, Khamenei built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the dominant player in Irans military and internal politics. Advertisement Advertisement The Guard boasts Irans most elite military and oversees its ballistic missile program. Khamenei also gave the Guard a free hand to build a network of businesses, allowing it to dominate Irans economy. In return, the Guard became his loyal shock force. He fended off domestic challenges The first major threat to Khameneis grip was the reform movement that swept into a parliamentary majority and the presidency soon after he became supreme leader. The movement advocated for giving greater power to elected officials something Khameneis hard-line supporters feared would lead to dismantling the Islamic Republic system. Khamenei stymied the reformists by rallying the clerical establishment. Unelected bodies run by the mullahs succeeded in shutting down major reforms and barring reform candidates from running in elections. Advertisement Advertisement With the failure of the reform movement, waves of popular protests have followed, each crushed by the Revolutionary Guard and Irans other security agencies. Huge nationwide protests erupted in 2009 over allegations of vote-rigging. Under the weight of sanctions, economic protests broke out in 2017 and 2019. More demonstrations broke out in 2022 over the death of Mahsa Amini after police detained her for not wearing her mandatory headscarf properly. The successive crackdowns killed hundreds, and hundreds more were arrested amid reports of detainees tortured to death or raped in prison. Deadliest crackdown yet Advertisement Advertisement The latest bloodshed has eclipsed that past unrest. The demonstrations began in late December in Tehrans traditional bazaar after the rial currency plunged to a record low of 1.42 million to the U.S. dollar. They quickly spread to cities across Iran. Khamenei declared that rioters must be put in their place, giving a green light for a crackdown. When hundreds of thousands took the streets on Jan. 8 and 9, protesters who are veterans of past demonstrations said they were stunned by the firepower unleashed, with security forces firing on crowds. Activists say they have so far documented more than 6,700 killed and are working to verify potentially thousands more. The government has put the toll far lower at 3,117, still higher than past crackdowns. In the past, authorities have sought to defuse public anger by easing enforcements of some of the Islamic Republics social restrictions or acknowledging economic woes. Advertisement Advertisement But so far, Khamenei has only toughened his rhetoric, referring to the protests as a coup. Activists say tens of thousands have been detained in past weeks. Nuclear negotiations By agreeing to nuclear negotiations with the U.S., Khamenei may be seeking to buy time to avert U.S. strikes or counting on Trumps threats being a bluff. Turkey, Egypt, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have all been working to try to arrange talks, which could take place in the coming days. But the two sides are far apart. Iran has staunchly opposed the main American demands, that it halt all nuclear enrichment and that it surrender its uranium stocks. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has been vague about what the goal of airstrikes would be. He had initially threatened strikes to stop Irans leaders from killing peaceful protesters or prevent mass executions. He has shifted to wielding the threat to push Iran to engage seriously in nuclear negotiations. Some in Iran and among the large Iranian diaspora have expressed hopes that the U.S. will use military force to bring down Khamenei. But that could require potentially an enormous military operation, likely far beyond just airstrikes. There are also strong voices even among Khamenei opponents against foreign intervention toppling the theocracy. And the scenario of eliminating Khamenei only brings to the fore the question that has hung over his rule as he grows older: Who or what would come after him? Officially, a panel of Shiite clerics is tasked with choosing one of their own as his successor, and multiple names touted among leading Shiite clerics, including Khameneis son. But under Khamenei, the Revolutionary Guard has grown to become the most powerful body behind the ruling clerics robes. Violently removing the supreme leader could prompt Guard commanders or its regular military to more overtly seize power. That could set off a bloody conflict over control of the oil-rich country of 85 million people. Cuba is set to roll out a plan to deal with fuel shortages as the United States blocks supplies to the country. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced his intentions on Thursday to roll out a plan as early as next week. He said the island nation would ramp up solar generation and use renewable resources to ensure electricity for vital services, including hospitals, elderly care centres and isolated regions. Advertisement Advertisement Cuba produces about 1,000 megawatts, or 38 percent of its daytime generation, from solar panels, Diaz-Canel said in a news conference. They had been installed with support from China over the past two years. Diaz-Canel said Cuba was working to increase its crude oil extraction and storage capacity to boost self-sufficiency. But he said Cuba also had the right to receive sea-bound deliveries of fuel. We will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure that the country can once again receive fuel imports, he said. Tensions surged last week after the US threatened to slap tariffs on countries that send oil to the Caribbean nation. As a result, Cubans have faced surging food and transportation costs and blackouts across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Diaz-Canel described the situation as complex as he called the US stance aggressive and criminal, saying its affecting things like transportation, hospitals, schools, tourism and the production of food. We are going to take measures that, while not permanent, will require effort. Some are restrictive, requiring us to adjust consumption and promote savings. There are things we have to stop, or postpone, in order to continue functioning in essential areas, Diaz-Canel said in a wide-ranging, two-hour televised press conference. Cuban officials recently lauded a phone call they had with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, although they did not share details of what transpired in the conversation. Meanwhile, Mexico has pledged to send humanitarian aid, including food, after US President Donald Trump said that he asked Mexico to suspend oil shipments to the island. Advertisement Advertisement How do we till our soil? How do we move around? How do we keep our kids in classes without fuel? Diaz-Canel asked. Trump said last month that Cuba would no longer receive oil from its biggest supplier, Venezuela. A substation failure caused a total blackout on Wednesday night in five provinces in eastern Cuba as the islands government struggles to keep the lights on with dwindling fuel supplies and failing infrastructure. A diplomatic push Diaz-Canel on Thursday reiterated prior statements from Cubas Foreign Ministry agreeing to talk with the US, but with conditions. Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue, but with the sole demand that the US government not attempt to interfere in Cubas internal affairs, nor undermine our sovereignty, the Cuban president said. Cubas top diplomat to the US, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, told the Reuters news agency this week that Cuba had begun communicating with the US government but had yet to establish a formal bilateral dialogue. In a defiant gesture, Cubas handpicked president Miguel Diaz-Canel blasted President Donald Trump on Thursday and vowed his government will resist the U.S. oil blockade with creativity, but warned the population will go through difficult times. The collapse lies in the imperial mindset, but not in the mindset of the Cubans, he said at a rare press conference Thursday morning. I know we are going to live through difficult times, but we will overcome them together with creative resilience. Cubas economy has been in free fall in recent years and the country was already going through its worst economic crisis before Trump moved to cut oil supplies to the island in an effort to bring the Cuban government to the negotiating table. But Diaz-Canel signaled his government would not make political changes, preparing instead to resist at all costs. Advertisement Advertisement Diaz-Canel said the islands Council of Ministers prepared a plan to deal with acute fuel shortages based on Fidel Castros directives during the so-called Special Period, the crisis following the fall of the Soviet Union. Diaz-Canel said the plan updated directives for the so-called Option Zero, a situation of extreme scarcity. He said the country would have to adjust to live off of its national production of crude oil and the population would have to face restrictive measures. I know people would question more sacrifice, but if we dont sacrifice, if we dont resist, what are we going to do? We have shared that surrender is not Cubas option. Theres much to defend. Diaz-Canel also said his government will still try to get oil from foreign suppliers. It is our right, he said. Advertisement Advertisement He said there were governments and companies willing to work with Cuba, after mentioning statements of support from Russia and China. The Cuban leader said he could not provide details but hinted his government would continue trying to find ways to skirt U.S. sanctions. The financial pressure on the energy sector is so intense that we know we have to work intelligently to overcome these obstacles, he said. Diaz-Canel also said his government has updated its defense plans and has mandated military training at all levels on Saturdays. The training involves both regular army units and civilians, as a part of the doctrine of Guerra de todo el pueblo war of the people that aims at mobilizing the population. Throughout the two-hour long press conference, Diaz-Canel blasted Trumps actions as criminal, vulgar and inhumane. At one point he compared them to those of Hitlers hordes. Advertisement Advertisement His statements come after Trump moved to cut oil supply to the country and urged Cuban leaders to strike a deal, following the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. Trump also signed an executive order to impose tariffs on countries like Mexico that provide oil to the island. Trump has several times that his administration is talking to Cuban leaders. Diaz-Canel denied such contacts, but on Wednesday Cubas vice minister for foreign affairs, Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, told CNN there have been exchanges of messages at the highest levels, though he refrained from calling them a negotiation or dialogue. Cossio also said the Cuban government is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, but that changes to its political and economic system, or the countrys socialist constitution, are off the table. He also ruled out negotiating the release of political prisoners, and precluded discussing the changes many Cubans living on the island and abroad have been advocating. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously said the U.S. welcomed political changes on the island and did not rule out the administration was seeking regime change in Havana. Cubas foreign ministry issued a statement this week proposing resuming cooperation with the United States, but solely on security matters. Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States on any topic they wish to discuss, without pressure or preconditions, on equal footing, with respect for our sovereignty, our independence, and our self-determination, and without addressing issues that we might interpret as interference in our internal affairs, Diaz-Canel said. Its a position of continuity, he added, citing Fidel and Raul Castro. He said the agenda could include security, the fight against drug trafficking, migration and science cooperation. Advertisement Advertisement White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed there is diplomatic engagement with Cuba and issue a warning to Cuban leaders. The fact the Cuban government is on its last leg and its country is about to collapse, they should be wise in their statements directed to the president of the United States, she said on Thursday afternoon. Trump has given few details of what sort of deal he would like to strike with Cuban authorities. He has called Cuba a failing nation with a government that was about to fall on its own. He has said the country needs humanitarian aid. On Thursday afternoon, Jeremy Lewin, the acting Under Secretary of State for Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs, announced the administration will add another $6 million in assistance to the $3 million in food and basic supplies it has already sent to Cuba to help families affected by Hurricane Melissa in Cubas eastern provinces. The aid will depart from Miami and will also be delivered by the Catholic Church. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has also said he would like to see Cuban Americans be able to return to the island. Its unclear what that means. Most Cuban Americans can travel to Cuba to visit relatives, though they cannot live there permanently unless they were born in Cuba and go through a lengthy legal process of repatriation. Cuban Americans also are not allowed to invest in Cuban businesses nor own property. Cuban authorities also routinely deny entry to Cuban Americans who have been critical of the government. Supporters of the DACA program rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court. (Robin Bravender/ States Newsroom Washington Bureau) OMAHA In what advocates see as a troubling escalation of immigration enforcement in Nebraska, federal officials detained a DACA recipient who has lived in the U.S. since he was a kindergartner, and have denied him a bond hearing. Joel Angel-Becerril is a DACA recipient who has been detained and denied a bond hearing. ACLU Nebraska filed a lawsuit seeking immediate release or a bond hearing. (Courtesy of ACLU Nebraska) On Thursday, the ACLU of Nebraska filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Joel Angel-Becerril, 27, who is in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and authorized to work until 2027. Advertisement Advertisement Tailored for young immigrants who came to this country as children, DACA allows for a work permit and temporary protection from deportation, provided certain criteria are met. The Obama-era program faces ongoing legal challenges and is not a direct path to citizenship. ACLU officials believe the lawsuit is its first immigration detention case involving a DACA recipient in Nebraska. A half million recipients live in the U.S., about 2,500 of them in Nebraska. No prior ICE contact Angel-Becerril, a graduate of Omaha Burke High, arrived from Mexico at about age 5 with his mother and younger sister, and has lived in Omaha almost his entire life. The DACA status he gained in 2015 remains active, his lawyers said. He has four siblings, three of them U.S. citizens, and worked full-time for an auto salvaging company. Nebraska is my home. Joel Angel-Becerril, ICE detainee who has lived in Omaha most his life Before Angel-Becerril in early December was placed in deportation proceedings, he had never interacted with nor been contacted by ICE or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, his attorneys said. He is currently being held in Sarpy County Jail. Advertisement Advertisement We are all highly troubled by seeing this turn of events, said ACLU spokesperson Sam Petto. There is no question it marks an escalation of where we have been. He said many believe DACA recipients are safe, or should be. Angel-Becerril has no criminal convictions, said ACLU attorney Grant Friedman. Douglas County Court records show a choking-related assault charge last summer. Friedman said ICE agents picked up his client from Douglas County custody on Dec. 2 immediately after the charge was dismissed, and transported him to Sarpy County, where he is listed as being on an ICE hold. Angel-Becerril is now being held on the claim that he is subject to mandatory detention, Friedman said. That puts him among thousands of immigrants nationally who have been denied a bond hearing based on a new interpretation of the law and an ICE policy change that asserts nearly all detained immigrants are ineligible for release on bond. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement, Angel-Becerril said he holds onto hope of being reunited with his family. Nebraska is my home, he said. Lawsuit seeks release or hearing Federal officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit names Homeland Security, ICE and the Sarpy County corrections director as defendants. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at a Nashville press conference on July 18, 2025, to discuss arrests of immigrants during recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps. (Photo by John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) The Trump administrations new policy directive, which was issued last summer, overturns a longstanding practice and instead calls for mandatory detention and no release on bond for most immigrants facing deportation. The guidance hangs on a section of immigration law applied historically to newly arrived migrants, not those who already had been in the U.S. for years, even if they entered without authorization. Advertisement Advertisement Observers say it has the effect of pushing detainees to self-deport rather than battle what could be months or years in detention. Although a federal judge ruled recently in a class action lawsuit that the mandatory detention without opportunity for a bond hearing is unlawful, the countrys top immigration court official has instructed immigration judges to continue the practice. Thursdays complaint in the U.S. District Court of Nebraska argues that the denial of a bond hearing for Angel-Becerril violates the Immigration and Nationality Act and the judgment in the class action lawsuit that vacated ICEs mandatory detention policy. The ACLU seeks Angel-Becerrils immediate release or a bond hearing. ACLU third suit, two weeks Said Friedman: Our arguments come down to this: ICE cannot opt out of following federal law and court orders. Our client is as much a Nebraskan and American as any of us, and he has both protection from being deported and work authorization. He also has a right to a bond hearing under federal immigration law. Advertisement Advertisement Angel-Becerrils lawsuit marks the ACLU of Nebraskas third immigration-related lawsuit within two weeks. The prior two lawsuits were brought on behalf of men being held in the immigrant detention center in McCook, Nebraska. We will keep doing all we can for community members who are caught up in this mess, said Friedman. Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify a court proceeding. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com. A 67-year-old Skagit County man was sentenced to six months in prison Thursday for making interstate threats against two U.S. Congressmen and their staff. Bradley Whaley repeatedly contacted the offices of congresspeople in Washington, D.C. and made threats directly toward staffers via voicemail, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. Mr. Whaley made multiple threatening calls to the offices of two U.S. Representatives, said U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead at the sentencing hearing. This was part of a dangerous pattern that, if left unchecked, threatens the democratic process. Death threats referenced Second Amendment In March 2025, Whaley made several calls to two different D.C. offices, threatening to kill the congresspeople and their staff, according to records filed in the case. Advertisement Advertisement In the threats, Whaley referenced his right to exercise the Second Amendment and threatened to slit their throats. Whaley would also leave his name and phone number in the voice messages. On March 21, 2025, Whaley was arrested at his place of work in downtown Seattle. Arresting officers located a loaded handgun in the center console of his vehicle. Whaley later pleaded guilty on October 31, 2025. In the prosecutors request for a one-year sentence, they noted the alarming surge in threats toward members of Congress. Over the last several years, there has been an alarming surge in the number of similar threat cases against members of Congress, their families, and staff. The number of threat cases increased from 7,501 in 2022 to 8,008 in 2023 and to 9,747 in 2024, according to the United States Capitol Police. In 2025, the number of threat cases investigated by USCP jumped to about 14,000. Advertisement Advertisement Whaley, in a letter to the court, blamed his threatening phone calls on heavy alcohol abuse. Whaleys attorney stated that he has since completed treatment to address the alcohol abuse. Judge Whitehead ordered Whaley to complete three years of supervised release following his prison term. Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here. Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, takes a selfie during the Fancy Farm Picnic on Aug 2, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony) As this column was being published, a poll was released showing Andy Barr with 24% of likely voters, Daniel Cameron with 21% and Nate Morris with 14%, all subject to an error margin of 4.2 percentage points. Emerson College, which conducted the poll, did not respond Thursday to questions about how the poll identified likely voters. Al Cross SHELBYVILLE Daniel Camerons political path looked bright and clear five years ago. He was Kentuckys attorney general, with excellent prospects for reelection in 2023 and the best odds to succeed his mentor, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, in 2026. Advertisement Advertisement But Cameron decided to challenge Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, apparently preferring executive power in Frankfort to legislative wrangling in Washington and perhaps because he saw Kentucky Republicans listening a lot more to Donald Trump than to McConnell. He won both those rivals endorsements, but lost by 5 percentage points. Now, as Cameron runs for senator after all, at age 41, neither McConnell nor Trump have endorsed, and his fundraising lags far behind that of his main opponents, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and businessman Nate Morris, who is aided by a committee funded with $10 million from billionaire Elon Musk. Cameron has a billionaire friend: Philadelphia financier Jeff Yass, who gave a pro-Cameron committee in the governors race $8 million. Hes funded $2 million of attacks on Barr, the insiders betting favorite, but is seen by some as leaning to Morris, not Cameron. Cameron still leads in polls for the May 19 primary, thanks mainly to his statewide experience, but his campaign reported having only $630,000 at years end, less than a tenth of Barrs balance. Morris reported $1.42 million after loaning his campaign $4.45 million. Advertisement Advertisement In a primary that has been mainly about billionaires and big money, Cameron banks on having the races strongest core group of supporters, strong ties to local law-enforcement officers, and the most overtly religious approach of any major candidate ever for statewide office in Kentucky. At a Jan. 29 coffee klatch in Shelbyville, Cameron repeatedly referred to his faith, at one point drawing from the Sermon on the Mount and modern Christian teaching: Im trying to be salt and light in this world and be the hands and feet of Christ, so you will never hear or see me disparage people. (He said in an interview that the mock penny-stock certificate he used at the Fancy Farm Picnic to needle Morris was in keeping with the events tradition of trying to get into it as best you can.) When a supporter asked him how he deals with disparate elements of his party, Cameron said The way I exchange and engage in dialogue with people is consistent with my relationship with Christ. In a one-on-one conversation with a fellow African American, a pastor who identified himself as a Democrat, Cameron said, I dont throw rhetorical bombs. I dont have a caustic personality. I just try to engage with people, and some people are gonna like my answers, some people are not gonna like my answers, but I hope it comes across in a way that recognizes that, you know, were all human and that we all, at the end of the day, we want a better future for our kids. And again, if I can be the hands and feet of Christ while Im here on this earth, then thats what Im doing. Advertisement Advertisement In our interview, Cameron acknowledged that he asks potential contributors to pray about his requests. Thats a line that fellow committed Christians might find routine, but one some people in Kentucky politics have found unusual. When, you know, I talk to people, I, you know, I thank them for prayerfully considering, you know, helping us out and supporting, he said. My identitys in Christ and that wont change. Thats innately who I am. So, bereft of big money, Daniel Cameron campaigns on who he is. That could reflect a wish to get elected on his own terms, which usually doesnt work out politically, but also a calculation; religious conservatives are some of the most highly motivated voters. And he told the coffee crowd, No one will get to the right of me in this race. But Cameron was talking about his support from Liberty Caucus legislators. In the interview, he was open to a temporary extension of the extra Obamacare subsidies passed under Joe Biden, and to a questioner who asked him if he would stand up against the Big Food industry, he said thats a concern for his family and he would be helpful in making sure our food is as safe as possible. Big business and big corporations have enough supporters in Washington, and Im certainly gonna try to stand firm for our local industries and our small businesses. The races big-business candidate is Barr, and Camerons line is not one you would have heard him utter when he was in Mitch McConnells big-money orbit. As Kentuckys longest-tenured senator serves his last year and his seat opens up, voters will re-deal Kentucky Republicans cards. But billionaires may, too. This commentary is republished from the Northern Kentucky Tribune, a nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism. Daycare workers in Inglewood were fired after a video surfaced showing an aide throwing a shoe at a 5-year-old. In the video posted on social media, a woman standing on a chair removes her sneaker and throws it across the room at a child crawling on the ground. Two other adults were also in the room in the video. The incident occurred Jan. 9 at Destiny Development Center. Im so sorry. I didnt mean to do it, the woman said in the video. Advertisement Advertisement Danielle Williams, the centers director, said in a video posted on social media that an investigation was conducted and that the three staff members involved were fired. "I understand the hurt, frustration of the mother," she said. "I'm a mother, a Black mother, a Black educator. During the interview with our previous employee and continued employment, the staff never presented behaviors to this child or others in her care that would warrant us to assume that she would harm a child." Williams said that the day care continues to follow required procedure and has turned the video footage over to the state. "Again, we are deeply sorry, and this is a terrible incident, and it does not define our school," she added. "It does not define what we stand for. It does not define what I've taken 15 years to build." Advertisement Advertisement The childs mother, Michelae Jones, told KTLA5 that her daughter told her about the incident. She then confronted the director of the daycare but "staff members were slow to respond." Ive been with these people for three years, Jones told the station. I really thought my baby was safe with them. 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. Angel Cuz Choc, a Guatemalan immigrant convicted last year in the vicious stabbings of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter in east Hillsborough County, will become Floridas newest death row prisoner. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Michelle Sisco formally sentenced Cuz Choc to death Friday, almost four months after a jury recommended by a vote of 10-2 that he should die. The court agrees with the jurys recommendation, Sisco said. Advertisement Advertisement Cuz Choc was found guilty of murder and other crimes last year related to the deaths of Amalia Coc Choc de Pec, 36, and her daughter, Estrella Anastasia Pec Coc. In a sentencing order that she read aloud from the bench, Sisco cited a doctors testimony about the severe and painful injuries the mother and daughter endured before they died. Her voice rose in pitch and she appeared to fight back tears as she began to talk about 4-year-old Estrella. The girl and her mother, the judge found, suffered greatly. Their deaths, she said, were extremely painful and psychologically torturous. Cuz Choc, 33, sat with shoulders hunched, sobbing quietly throughout the 40-minute hearing. Advertisement Advertisement In December, his attorneys presented additional evidence, including testimony suggesting Cuz Choc suffers from a lifelong mental illness, in a bid to save his life. But the judge, noting that there had been no testimony from psychological experts, found that the defense had not proven the existence of a mental disturbance as a factor weighing against the death penalty. The evidence, she said, instead showed Cuz Choc knew well the wrongful nature of his actions. The judges order means Cuz Choc will join close to 250 other men on Floridas death row at Union Correctional Institution, northeast of Gainesville. He will be among 15 other men convicted of murder in Hillsborough County who have active death sentences. Most of them have been awaiting execution for decades, and its likely that Cuz Choc will, too. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Constitutions right to due process means the condemned are entitled to appeal their convictions and sentences. The appeals process typically takes many years. Once the process is exhausted, it is up to Floridas governor to decide whether to issue a death warrant for the execution. Gov. Ron DeSantis has carried out 28 executions, most of them occurring within the last year. Three more are scheduled within the next month, ensuring DeSantis will leave office having presided over more executions than any of his predecessors. Those put to death during DeSantis term spent an average of 30 years on death row, according to a Tampa Bay Times analysis. Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez later called Cuz Chocs case one of the most horrific crimes weve ever seen in Hillsborough County. Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors from her office argued at trial that he became enraged when his girlfriend did not return home quickly enough after leaving to help a friend move. On the afternoon of April 22, 2024, he tracked her and her daughter down at a convenience store and rode a bus with them back to the mobile home they shared on Sumner Road in Dover. Shortly after they went inside, a neighboring homes security camera recorded screams. Coc Choc was seen running outside as Cuz Choc chased her, then forced her into a shed behind the home. He stabbed her to death with a kitchen knife. He then went back inside and stabbed the little girl as she stood in a running bathtub. Afterward, Cuz Choc was seen leaving on foot, triggering an overnight manhunt. It ended when a Hillsborough sheriffs dog found him hiding amid thick brush more than a mile away. Advertisement Advertisement The crime became a minor political sensation, playing out amid a campaign season in which immigration was a top national issue. Lopez, after his arrest and in the midst of her campaign for office, highlighted the fact that Cuz Choc was in the U.S. illegally. He listened to the court proceedings against him with help from an interpreter, who translated between English and Kiche, the language shared among Indigenous peoples of Central America. Before sentencing Friday, the judge ruled on a request prosecutors made before trial to determine whether Cuz Choc actually speaks and understands Spanish. After reviewing hours of recorded visits he had in jail, among other materials, Sisco found that Cuz Choc appeared to be able to communicate effortlessly in Spanish. Advertisement Advertisement Going forward, the judge said, he will not be afforded a Kiche interpreter. She noted that the court had spent more than $40,000 for the interpreters who helped him throughout the trial. During the trial, Cuz Choc took the witness stand and said he had no memory of the stabbings. But he spoke of an evil spirit and a sickness that overtook him. He spoke again in December in whats known as a Spencer hearing, where defense lawyers presented additional evidence to try to persuade the judge to impose life in prison. He asked for mercy. This wasnt my idea, when I came to this country, to do something evil, Cuz Choc said through an interpreter. But I have a problem that has followed me in my life and its a sickness. Advertisement Advertisement He said the sickness has been with him since childhood. Its not present all the time, but itsurfaces occasionally and unpredictably, he said. He said the sickness had worsened more recently and that he no longer had peace of mind. What I hear, the voices in my head are telling me all the time, he said. They are not giving me rest. They are talking to me all the time. They are disturbing my mind all the time. In the December hearing, the judge heard from one of his sisters, Jesus Cuz Choc, and their father, Manuel Cuz Choc, who testified by video from Guatemala. They reiterated details that came out at trial about his impoverished upbringing in his native country. Cuz Choc worked agricultural fields as a child and lived with his family in a hut in a small village. They had no access to electricity. They only had water when it rained. Advertisement Advertisement He has five children and came to the U.S. to make money to support them. The children love and miss their father. His sister said Cuz Choc had mental health problems all his life, including impulse control issues. Their mother and another sister had the same problems, she said. Mental health services are not available where they live. Even if they were available, she said, the family could not afford them. Cuz Chocs case was the first in Hillsborough County to go to trial under Floridas new capital sentencing law, which lowered the threshold for juries to recommend the death penalty to an 8-4 vote. Previously, the law required juries to be unanimous. There will be more branches closed and consolidated than new branches opened. However, these new branches represent a strategic redistribution of physical banking as opposed to a full retreat away from the branch model that has served communities for generations. The value of branches is quickly evolving. The primary value of todays branch locations is transitioning to an advisory hub for customers and the wider communities that they serve. With this new advisory role, financial institutions must revitalize branches with a personalized approach driven by customer behavioural data, AI-driven predictive analytics, and demographic insights. Major financial institutions like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, PNC, US Bank, Fifth Third, Huntington, and Valley Bank have publicly communicated their branch expansion and reinvestment strategies. These efforts are centred on the view that newer and more modern branches will remain critically important to providing complex advisory services, building customer and client relationships, and establishing a stronger brand presence in key markets. These banks are emphasising the importance of using the branch to build greater trust with their customers, maintain a physical presence in markets with critical demographic groups, and create opportunities for more personalised engagement. Therefore, these and many other banks continue to invest in opening new branch locations in high-growth regions, renovating existing branch sites, and acquiring competitors to consolidate their existing footprint for synergy gains while also enabling access to new regions. However, over a decade ago as digital transformation took over the banking industry, major research outlets were taking even stronger views, saying that the branch model is officially DEAD. Research strongly recommended that banks focus solely on investing in digital strategies moving forward. COVID-19 further strengthened that narrative. Yet today, more advanced research and data analysis suggests that there remains intrinsic value to the branches serving the communities across our nation. There is little dispute that this trend will continue over the next few decades as traditional branch customers get older, younger generations change banking and investing habits by adopting digital platforms, mobile banking handles more transactional needs, and operational economics point to digital channels as less costly options than physical branches. Over the last decade, there has been at least a 15% decrease in branch locations across the US as financial institutions have prioritised modernising their digital offerings for customers and clients while also reducing costs by downsizing and closing branch sites. Story Continues Defining your customers moments that matter at the branch Customer experience (CX) strategies in the banking industry and across other industries often focus on the concept of moments that matter to customers. This refers to critical touchpoints in your customers journey where you want to have a hugely positive impact on that customers experience. Now, think about this in the context of a banks branch strategy. These moments that matter to customers when they visit the branch could be moments of extreme joy. However, they also could be moments of extreme anxiety for those customers too. You probably dont remember every single trip you ever made to the branch to deposit a check (remember filling out those paper deposit forms long before mobile check deposit was even available?). However, you likely remember the time: When you visited the branch to get your first mortgage or to get that bank certified check that you used when you purchased your first home. When you and your newly married spouse went to the bank together to open your first joint account and deposited all those wedding gifts from your family and friends. When you wanted to start your new business in town or a new side gig venture and needed to secure a loan from the branch to do it. When you got your first job and opened that first deposit account and later your first brokerage account at the branch. When sadly you may have been a victim of fraudulent activity in your bank account or another form of identity loss and travelled to the branch to resolve these issues. These examples and many others make up the moments that matter for a branch customer. They are the most important moments in that customers financial life where they are relying on their banks branch to advise them. And these moments that matter at the branch are changing and are not going away as quickly as some may have predicted in the past. If the branch is structured to be that customers advisory hub for these and other moments that matter, then the branch will continue to bring value and survive. Understanding detailed customer interactions at the branch New streams of customer data provide more granular views today than ten years ago of how individuals interact with the branch network, especially in these moments that matter. For example, card swipes provide some of the most notable customer behavioural data points, whether at the teller counter or window, at a personal bankers office desk during loan discussions, or simply at the ATM. Swipes serve as physical check-ins revealing foot traffic patterns, visit timing, and the types of reasons why customers are visiting the branch. Understanding customers interactions within a branch provides valuable insight into what services are most valuable and at what points in time throughout the year. Combining that data with demographic information and structured observations of the questions customers ask and the topics they discuss during their visits provides invaluable insight that helps branches evolve to meet more complex advisory needs. Lets take a simple example. Weve engaged with numerous Baby Boomers on this topic who still use the branch as their primary banking channel. They wait in long lines at the teller counter since many branches have reduced the number of tellers to manage costs. Some of these Boomers accept the long lines as the tradeoff for not adopting digital banking. Other Boomers get frustrated by the long lines, but they arent planning to change their bank at this stage in their life. However, what about those days when a younger customer, lets say a Millennial or even someone from Generation Z, took off from work because they had to visit the branch for one of these moments that matter. When they arrive at the branch, they get caught in these long, frustrating lines and by the time they reach someone to assist them, it has already completely soured their branch experience. This experience leaves such an impression that they commit to changing banks in 30 days (Im never going back there!). They stick to their commitment, close their accounts, and move to a new digital bank next month. With the right propensity models, a branch can prepare for these and other scenarios, as well as avoid costly retention risks. Layering in external market data for deeper branch insights Customer behavioural data can also be layered over external market trends and geo-data allowing financial institutions to not only identify the needs of their active branch customers but also spot service gaps and product opportunities. External market research is useful at the national level but is even more valuable when focused on the specific communities that a branch serves. This data can yield valuable insights that drive opportunities for new services. Maybe theres an uptick in the volume of commercial business in the area. Maybe theres a planned increase in the concentration of car dealerships in proximity to the branch over the coming years. Maybe its a buyers market for local real estate. Branches should priorities understanding their customers first, then leverage market and macro data to recognise the future services a branchs community needs. For example, using this approach, the banks mentioned above are expanding in high-growth cities such as Austin, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh. This approach enables banks to identify areas for branch growth and increase market share by becoming advisory hubs for those cities and larger communities. Leveraging predictive analytics to improve branch experiences Banks report that digital growth is faster in markets where they have branches. However, branch sites are costly to maintain and, if not managed properly, can weigh on bank profitability. Banks are increasingly using advanced analytics to make their branches more efficient, customer-centric, and profitable. Once institutions understand where and how their future customers are going to interact within the branch, they can use these insights to further streamline the customer experience. For example, using data points from card swipes, institutions can see customer demographics, transaction types, and periods of high activity. These data points allow branches to predict the types of customers and transactions at a given day and time and adjust their resources accordingly. Banks are also integrating technology into branches such as interactive teller machines and digital kiosks to offer a seamless human plus digital experience. The use of predictive analytics and real-time dashboarding is enabling a better understanding of sales trends, transaction costs, peak foot traffic patterns, and customer volumes and wait times. Combining physical customer data with digital and call center data is providing more complete views of the customer, their transaction histories, life-stage indicators, and preferences to improve personalization at the branch including, for example, identification of mortgage readiness and investment opportunities. Many banks may say that they do this already. However, only a select few do it really well, and there is so much more that can be done. For example, do you still get all those letters in the mail or in your inbox offering you loans, mortgages, and credit cards that you absolutely dont need? They go right in the trash! Or how about all those cashback deals for services and retailers that are absolutely irrelevant to you? Its amazing how out of touch your bank can be with your needs! As a better example, banks are partnering more with relevant third-party vendors, such as point-of-sale (POS) system providers, to be on-site during specific times to offer value-added experiences for small business owners when they visit the branch to make their weekly cash deposits. These partnerships benefit the POS providers, but they also benefit the customers who are being introduced to relevant providers for their business endeavors. Leveraging predictive analytics to improve branch profitability Beyond personalised experience, predictive analytics and real-time decision engines are also being used to improve operational efficiency and reduce spending. Combing customer data with branch operational data such as branch operating expenses, cash replenishment needs, ATM transaction trends, and teller usage patterns uncover meaningful ways to automate processes, reduce costs, and better allocate resources. Combining that with machine learning and anomaly detection provides real-time branch fraud and risk detection controls to reduce future fraud investigation and compliance costs. For example, using advanced analytics to forecast cash needs with greater accuracy supports leaner cash operations. This can include a reduction on transportation costs for armored cash transport vehicles. As another example, using predictive maintenance solutions can improve maintenance schedules before costly emergency failures occur, as well as improve maintenance across branch sites through centralized branch data management solutions. Branch profitability solutions Another sizable need that weve seen demand for in the market is profitability solutions that help to better manage branch construction costs as banks expand into the Sun Belt, Southeast, and other high-growth regions, as well as renovate branches following mergers and acquisition-driven consolidation activities. Managing these projects in a profitable manner against aggressive costs while meeting forecasted timelines is a major challenge. New data solutions are opening up AI-driven predictive analysis pathways to improve profitability across the entire branch construction lifecycle from site identification to architecture and engineering services, and from contractor selection and negotiation to fixtures, furniture, and equipment (FF&E) decisions. For example, weve successfully used a proprietary real-time control tower solution for new branch completion analysis focused on spending and solicitation of real-time feedback from vendors to manage potential risks and identify when alternative decisions need to be made based on current market conditions. The savings potential utilizing these types of solutions is sizeable. Using data to improve banking for low-income communities through branch services Recent research has shown that when low-income communities have branch access, the savings rates in those communities increase while financial strain eases. These communities gain valuable access to information that enables them to make better financial decisions for themselves and their families. This helps families to better manage their money, build up a credit history, and set goals with longer-term success plans. Through analysis of demographic data, such as average income, ethnicity and cultural factors, banks can evolve personalised branch experiences for these lower-income communities. In-person services and additional opportunities like educational workshops are often more beneficial for these customers. A branch in a lower-income community can, and should, offer a much different experience than a branch located in a more affluent area, because the top-of-mind concerns for each customer base vary greatly. By leveraging demographic data, institutions can identify the unique services each community requires. In turn, the branches will provide personalized experiences that can lead to lifelong customers. In recent years, we have seen great examples of bank branches supporting local communities through small business loans, affordable housing financing, and other charitable initiatives. Even mobile branches and branches-on-wheels have taken to the streets to serve these customers! This trend will only continue to grow. Rethinking branch strategy and redistribution Although the total number of branch locations will decrease in the coming decade, their strategic importance will continue to evolve. Reimagining branch strategy will allow physical locations to serve as an essential part of an omnichannel customer experience. Creating meaningful branch experiences will require a blend of customer behaviour data with predictive analysis and local demographic context while managing branches in a cost effective and profitable way. Using these strategies, financial institutions can evolve branches into trusted advisory hubs focused on areas such as wealth management, mortgages, small business banking and other moments that matter while creating personalised customer services that respond to the financial needs of the communities they serve. Chris McGee, Managing Director at AArete "Reimagine banking branch experiences and profitability using advanced analytics" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand. MOSCOW (AP) A deputy chief of Russia's military intelligence agency was shot and wounded in Moscow on Friday in an attack that follows a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia has blamed on Ukraine. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev was hospitalized after being shot several times by an unidentified assailant at an apartment building in northwestern Moscow, Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement. She didnt say who could be behind the attack on the 64-year-old who has served as the first deputy head of Russias military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, since 2011. Advertisement Advertisement He was decorated with the Hero of Russia medal for his role in Moscow's military campaign in Syria and in June 2023 was shown on state TV speaking to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin when his Wagner Group seized the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don during his short-lived mutiny. The shooting came a day after Russian, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators wrapped up two days of talks in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, aimed at ending the nearly 4-year-old conflict in Ukraine. The Russian delegation was led by Alekseyev's boss, military intelligence chief Adm. Igor Kostyukov. President Vladimir Putin was informed about the attack, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who added that law enforcement agencies need to step up protection of senior military officers during the conflict in Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities haven't commented on the attack. Advertisement Advertisement Asked about the shooting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said it would be up to law enforcement agencies to pursue the investigation but described it as an apparent terrorist act by Ukraine intended to derail peace talks. The business daily Kommersant said the attacker, posing as a delivery person, shot the general twice in the stairway of his apartment building, wounding him in the foot and the arm. Alekseyev tried to wrest away the gun and was shot again in the chest before the attacker fled, the report said. Alekseyev, who was born in Ukraine when it was part of the Soviet Union, rose steadily through the ranks to lead operations of Russian military intelligence in Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere. He was sanctioned by Washington. for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and also faced sanctions in the U.K. and the European Union over his alleged role in the 2018 poisoning of former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter with the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury, England. Advertisement Advertisement Since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for several assassinations of military officers and public figures in Russia. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of them. In December, a car bomb killed Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff. In April, another senior Russian military officer, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff, was killed by a bomb placed in his car parked near his apartment building just outside Moscow. A Russian man who previously lived in Ukraine pleaded guilty to carrying out the attack and said he had been paid by Ukraines security services. Advertisement Advertisement Days after Moskaliks killing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he received a report from the head of Ukraines foreign intelligence agency on the liquidation of top Russian military figures, adding that justice inevitably comes although he didnt mention Moskaliks name. In December 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the chief of the militarys nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building. Kirillovs assistant also died. Ukraines security service claimed responsibility for the attack. As Connor Papas led the way out of Viera High School, he held an American flag high in one hand and a crucifix in the other. "I'm a follower of Christ, and I believe in a country of love," he said. "This is what has made this country great." Papas, a senior, is the son of an immigrant. As there's been a crackdown on immigration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions escalating, culminating in the shooting deaths of protestors Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, he's watched the people from his life here in Brevard struggle with the impacts. Advertisement Advertisement That's what led him to participate in Viera's Feb. 6 walkout, just one of the protests happening at high schools around Brevard despite warnings from the district and school board chair that such actions would result in discipline. "Immigrants, we make this country great. We've contributed so much to this country, and we believe in our constitutional rights, we believe in our due process rights, we believe in our God-given rights most importantly," he said. "I would rather get suspended than let what happened to Renee Good and Alex Pretti happen again." Students walk out around county despite possible discipline Over the course of the day Feb. 6, walkouts were set to take place at Satellite Beach, West Shore, Heritage, Melbourne, Bayside, Viera and Rockledge High. Protests against recent ICE action have taken place throughout Brevard over the past month, with schools around Florida seeing walkouts over the past week, prompted by agents' actions in "Operation Metro Surge" in Minnesota. More than 3,000 agents from ICE and Border Patrol have been deployed to Minneapolis, a city with just 600 police officers. Their presence has sparked major protests and backlash, particularly after the shooting deaths of protesters Good and Pretti. Advertisement Advertisement The walkouts didn't go unchallenged. While school protests have taken place around the nation for at least a week, news about walkouts in Brevard began circulating on social media on Feb. 2, and the district was quick to respond. Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell and School Board Chair Susin issued statements the same day, with both saying the walkouts weren't affiliated with BPS and that protests during school hours or on school campuses would result in discipline. "Our schools are places for learning, and instructional time during the school day is important," Rendell said in an email sent to families. "For that reason, walkouts or protests during the school day are not permitted." A day later, Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas sent a letter to school districts with guidance on how to handle possible protests. While he reminded them that students have First Amendment rights, he also said that students can be disciplined based on local district policies and state law. "Any student whose actions are to the contrary should be appropriately disciplined," he said. "Districts have a responsibility to ensure that any protest activity does not interrupt instructional time, school operations and campus safety." About 30 students walked out of Viera High School on Feb. 6 in protest of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement action. They held signs on Judge Fran Jamieson Way outside the school district offices. Despite the warnings, students walked out at campuses scattered throughout the county, many ready to accept that their actions may result in suspensions. Advertisement Advertisement At Satellite High, law enforcement was present as a group of about 15 students walked out with signs, though they didn't engage with the students. Loren Soper, a sophomore at Satellite High, was checked out of the school by her mom Friday morning, a requirement to leave campus. She was holding a sign that read "Get ICE out" just outside the school's campus along with the small group of protestors. Soper said other students had walked out of their classrooms but were not permitted to leave the campus. "It's more about silencing us than it being against the rules. I'm not worried about the actions taken against us as long as we get to speak out," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Ginevra, a senior at Viera High, felt similarly. "This is more important," she said. Both Ginevra's parents are immigrants. While the district pushed for students not to cut into class time with their protests, saying on their website that the walkouts were "not related to school operations, school safety or a school-based issue," Ginevra argued this was a misunderstanding of the topic. "We have immigrants at this school, we have people who are afraid at this school, we have people like me who are first-generation Americans," she said. Small groups at both Melbourne High and West Shore walked out by mid-morning, according to students. In Rockledge, about 15 students had gathered by noon, with the number slowly increasing. Students reported that they had been given suspensions. Advertisement Advertisement Students who left campuses without parental permission would be punished with detention or suspension following the walkouts, said Janet Murnaghan, chief strategic communications officer for BPS. She emphasized that only a small portion of the district's high schoolers participated in the walkouts. "Despite significant social media attention encouraging a large-scale student walkout, Brevard Public Schools experienced a calm and orderly day across the district," she said in a statement to media. "Among our 16 high schools serving approximately 23,000 students fewer than 50 students participated in an unauthorized walkout. Thats a tiny fraction, less than half of one percent of the entire BPS high school population." Your comments: Most in favor of kids protesting In a FLORIDA TODAY poll, we asked if you would support your student participating in a walkout protesting ICE's actions. 58.26% of respondents said yes, while 41.74% said no. Here's what readers said. Advertisement Advertisement "Not only would I support my child, Id be right there with them. The reason this type of protest is significant is because it IS disruptive. Isnt that the point? ICE in its current is a cancer that needs to be excised from our government. DHS was founded in response to the Sept . 11 terror attacks, not to murder Americans in the streets. And I havent heard anything about DHS involvement in teerorism -- actual terrorism -- since that idiot was elected president. Our national security is gravely at risk due to racism. Pure and simple. You go, Brevard students!" Karen Bousquet "I'm for ICE, but with all that is going on that stupid people allowed in the first place, kids have a say so too, so yes. Its not their fault, its lawmakers and politicians why were at this juncture. Republicans should have NEVER let democrats bring in illegals in the first place. So its their fault too for being so pansie assed. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Now its like putting a tiny bandaid on a gaping wound. So yes, let the kids vent and get their frustration out that stupid adults created. Period." Cindy Adams "I have raised my children to fight for their beliefs, in a peaceful manner. They know their thoughts matter and should be able to voice them, and speak out against anything they feel is wrong. Letting children protest peacefully at school should be encouraged, to reinforce they can make change. We should be encouraging kids to think independently, not blindly follow." Lisa Martin "No, they are kids who should be educated what ICE is, what they do and why they are doing it. Social media should be banned during school hours." Eva McDaniel Tyler Vazquez contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at fwalker@floridatoday.com. X: @_finchwalker. Instagram: @finchwalker_. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard high schoolers defy warnings, hold protests against ICE actions Top Republicans are pointing their fingers at President Donald Trump as a new nightmare scenario looms for the party. The GOP is on high alert after Democrat Taylor Rehmet on Saturday won a state Senate seat in a North Texas district that Trump won by 17 points in 2024, The Hill reported. And that could be a bad omen for this years midterm elections, which Republicans now fear could also see their slim majority in the U.S. Senate washed away. Advertisement Advertisement One GOP senator who attended a briefing at the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Tuesday said that concern over the midterms should be very, very high. The lawmaker said that the loss in Texas should be a wake-up call and that GOP senators in battleground states, including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and retiring Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have warned their Senate colleagues that the GOP faces a deteriorating political environment. Republicans say that increasing public discontent with Trumps handling of the economy and with ICE enforcement and deportations could be a death knell for Republicans at the ballot box. Senators are saying more and more loudly that theyre very, very concerned about the environment, that its continuing to deteriorate. They say it over and over again, the senator said. Advertisement Advertisement Republicans continue to believe that they have a good chance of keeping the Senate, but they are wary of the possibility that a Democratic surge could lead to Dem victories in GOP-leaning states like Ohio, Alaska and Iowa. Republicans for months have been looking at a potential loss of their House majority. Read the original article on silive.com. FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is detailing cases in which anti-ICE agitators actively helped criminal illegal immigrants evade federal arrest, including suspects accused of child rape, domestic abuse and gang-related violence. The cases point to a growing pattern of organized interference with federal immigration enforcement during recent ICE operations. "These are the monsters that agitators and sanctuary politicians are protecting," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. "We remind the public that obstructing law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime." Advertisement Advertisement From Protest To Felony: The Lines Minnesota Anti-ice Agitators May Be Crossing According to DHS, members of the anti-ICE Colorado Rapid Response Network alerted Jose Reyes Leon-Deras, a convicted child rapist, of ICE's presence on June 20, 2025. A Facebook post by the anti-ICE group accused by DHS of helping with Leon-Deras' evasion on June 20, indicates members affiliated with the anti-ICE group used a bullhorn that day to alert potential targets of ICE. The post suggested that police left without serving any warrants, while noting that agents returned in the days that followed. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement According to DHS, federal agents finally arrested Leon-Deras June 27, and he was issued a final order of removal Oct. 30 during the Trump administration's ongoing operations in Colorado. In a separate situation in Minneapolis, an apartment manager allegedly prevented federal immigration agents from entering a building where a criminal foreign national from Somalia, convicted of violent sex crimes and previously arrested for a high-level assault, was located. DHS accused the apartment manager of actively protecting a sex offender, Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, who had a conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. He allegedly forcibly compelled his victim to perform sex acts on him on multiple occasions. According to DHS, Yusuf was also arrested in 2016 for first-degree assault and had an active warrant out for obstructing police. Advertisement Advertisement Weekend Roundup: Convicted Murderers, Child Sex Abusers Among Illegal Aliens Nabbed By Ice Across Us Yusuf originally entered the United States in 1996 and was a lawful permanent resident, but his crimes made him eligible for removal, and ICE arrested him Dec. 31. Another child sex offender, Jozias Natanael Carmona-Pena, was allegedly assisted by not only agitators but sanctuary city leaders in Minneapolis, according to DHS. Carmona-Pena had pending charges for lewd and lascivious acts with a child, but he was released onto the streets of Minneapolis after local law enforcement allegedly denied ICE's detainer request that Carmona-Pena be held until they could pick him up for immigration violations, according to the Trump administration. Advertisement Advertisement Carmona-Pena was issued a final order of removal in 2023 but remained in the country. When federal officials sought to arrest Carmona-Pena Dec. 10, agitators allegedly swarmed immigration officials and obstructed their attempts to arrest the illegal alien accused of child sex crimes, including by ramming one of their cars into an ICE vehicle. Local police subsequently responded and provided assistance, but, according to DHS, the actions allowed Carmona-Pena to avoid arrest. He was eventually caught later that same month on Dec. 27 and is now in custody pending his removal. In another case from Milwaukee, a federal judge, Hannah Dugan, was convicted of felony obstruction for directing a criminal illegal alien, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, charged with domestic abuse, out a backdoor inside her courthouse to avoid ICE agents. Advertisement Advertisement According to DHS, Flores-Ruiz had other violent criminal charges on his record, from strangulation, suffocation and battery to domestic abuse, when he was eventually arrested following the April evasion incident with Dugan. Click Here To Download The Fox News App Federal immigration officials in Illinois who were chasing down an alleged Venezuelan gang member in Illinois were obstructed by agitators as well, according to DHS. DHS said when the suspect tried to barricade himself inside an apartment after ramming his car into police bystanders gathered around the officers and began throwing rocks and bottles at them. Advertisement Advertisement According to DHS, local police would not assist. After several hours of negotiation, ICE officials took Acosta into custody. "As our law enforcement are putting their lives on the line to arrest heinous criminals, including child rapists, sex offenders, gang members and other violent offenders, our officers are facing a coordinated campaign of violence against them," McLaughlin said Thursday. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have been very clear. We will not let agitators slow us down from removing criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods. If you obstruct or assault law enforcement, you will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Original article source: DHS says anti-ICE agitators helped child rapist, gang members evade deportation WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (REUTERS) - President Donald Trump offered last month to drop his hold on funding for a key $16 billion New York Hudson River tunnel project in exchange for Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer supporting the renaming of Washington Dulles Airport and New York Penn Station after Trump, a source told Reuters Thursday. Punchbowl News first reported the offer citing four sources that was swiftly rejected by Schumer, who told the White House he did not have the power the rename the landmarks, a source confirmed to Reuters. The White House did not respond to a request for comment and Schumer's office declined to comment. On Friday, a U.S. judge will hold a hearing on the emergency request by New York and New Jersey to force the restoration of funding for the $16 billion Gateway Hudson River tunnel before construction is set to halt on Friday and put 1,000 construction workers out of a job. Trump froze funding in October. Advertisement Advertisement New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat, late Thursday called Trump's suggestion "ridiculous. These naming rights arent tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers The president continues to put his own narcissism over the good-paying union jobs this project provides and the extraordinary economic impact the Gateway tunnel will bring." Story continues after gallery The initiative, which received about $15 billion in federal support under then President Joe Biden, involves repairs to an existing tunnel and the construction of a new one for passenger railroad Amtrak and state commuter lines between New Jersey and Manhattan and the linchpin of rail travel between New York and New Jersey. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul responded to Trump's reported proposal on social media with a "counteroffer" that depicted Trump Tower in Manhattan renamed as "Hochul Tower." Advertisement Advertisement Trump has shown a fondness for buildings or programs being named for him. Since returning to office in January, the Republican president has affixed his name to prominent Washington buildings, a planned class of Navy warships, a visa program for wealthy foreigners, a government-run prescription drug website, and federal savings accounts for children. In December, the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which Trump filled with allies during a board takeover, added Trump's name to the institution. Trump's name was added in December to the United States Institute of Peace building in Washington, months after his administration seized the nonprofit organization and all but closed it. Advertisement Advertisement Trump in December vowed to overhaul federally owned Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, a major United Airlines hub and the primary international airport for the U.S. capital area, calling it a bad facility. Legislation has been introduced in Congress by some Republicans to rename Dulles after Trump and many airline officials have told Reuters they believe Trump wants the airport renamed for him. The airport is currently named after John Foster Dulles, who served as U.S. secretary of state under President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. In October, the U.S. U.S. Treasury released a draft design for a $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump to commemorate 250 years since the declaration of American independence in 2026. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Did Trump offer to fund Gateway if transportation hubs renamed for him? Armenia is facing an intensifying wave of disinformation and hybrid attacks from abroad ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for June, officials have said, with media experts pointing the finger at Russia. The warnings come as Yerevan tries to reorientate its foreign policy away from Moscow towards the West, while also seeking to mend relations with Azerbaijan after losing two wars for control of the Karabakh region, disputed for decades. Russia's influence across the former Soviet Union has been strained since its invasion of Ukraine, which has spooked many of the countries that were for decades ruled by Moscow. Advertisement Advertisement Armenia is formally an ally of Russia but has suspended its participation in a regional security pact over allegations Moscow did not come to its aid in the conflict with Azerbaijan. With the opposition fractured and largely unpopular, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is expected to come out on top in the June poll. But his pro-Western foreign policy has angered Moscow. Armenia's foreign intelligence service said in a report last month that large-scale "malign information operations by external actors" were under way, including the circulation of false information and conspiracy theories aimed at "influencing the votes". Advertisement Advertisement "Overt activities are usually conducted by foreign state or government bodies, including special services and associated resources," it said, without naming the states it believed were involved. Analysts are in little doubt about where the campaigns come from. "Russia is dissatisfied with Armenia," independent analystBenjamin Matevosyan told AFP, adding that Moscow perceives Pashinyan's rapprochement with the West as an "anti-Russian project that would be used against Russia". Gegham Vardanyan, of the Media Initiatives Center, said "hybrid information warfare has intensified alongside Armenia's changing relations with Russia". Advertisement Advertisement Armenia's intelligence service said the activity also seeks to "strip the opportunity for peace" with Baku after the two sides initialled a peace agreement last year under mediation by the US President Donald Trump. - 'Clone sites' - Yerevan has in recent years frozen its participation in the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation and has moved to deepen ties with the European Union and the United States. But cultural, linguistic and economic ties to Russia are still significant. "Russian state television channels remain accessible in Armenia, alongside the Russian state outlet Sputnik and local media that prioritise Kremlin narratives," Vardanyan said. Advertisement Advertisement He also cited evidence of activity by "Russian-linked hacker groups," including Fancy Bear, also known as APT28, which has previously targeted Armenian military personnel and diplomats. Vardanyan said disinformation campaigns often rely on imitation media outlets -- so-called "clone sites" -- designed to resemble reputable Western publications. In one case, a fake French-language website falsely claimed that Paris was shipping nuclear waste to Armenia. Another French-language website, "Infodu Jour" -- designed in the style of legitimate outlet "Info du jour" -- spread a false report claiming that Pashinyan had purchased a luxury mansion in France. Advertisement Advertisement Russian and Azerbaijani outlets have also published stories alleging officials from the EU monitoring mission in Armenia were spies. Vardanyan said social media narratives adopt "a single core message: cooperation with the West is dangerous for Armenia". - 'Enemies of freedom' - The wave of disinformation has drawn a fiery response from officials. "The enemies of freedom do not sleep. We must acknowledge that they can be very creative, they are ready to pump millions of dollars into propaganda machines and illegal schemes of interference," Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said after the publication of the intelligence services' report. Advertisement Advertisement He acknowledged the "delicate line" between upholding freedom of the press and confronting "malign actors", warning the issues was likely to "increase" ahead of the parliamentary elections. Moscow is not the only alleged source of the disinformation. Vardanyan said information attacks were also coming from Azerbaijan and its close ally, Turkey. The European Union has allocated 15 million euros ($17.7 million) to help counter disinformation. But Samvel Martirosyan, a media expert specialising in information security, warned outside assistance is likely to be weaponised by disinformation actors. "Armenia has effectively found itself in a swamp of hybrid warfare, and the situation is made worse by internal actors who become links in this chain," he added. mkh-im/jc/phz/mjw State lawmakers conduct legislative business from the Idaho House of Representatives floor on Jan. 14, 2026, at the State Capitol Building in Boise. (Photo by Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho House of Representatives on Friday narrowly passed a resolution that calls for a never-before-used method of amending the U.S. Constitution to balance the federal budget. Debate between Idaho lawmakers largely centered around whether a constitutional convention would be a runaway process that risks upending the entire U.S. Constitution. The proposal, House Concurrent Resolution 25, proposes a constitutional convention for a federal balanced budget amendment. Advertisement Advertisement SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Idaho House passed the resolution on a 36-34 vote Friday, with dozens of Republicans joining all nine House Democrats in opposition. Past attempts at getting the Idaho Legislature to call for a constitutional convention failed. The Idaho Republican Party has opposed calls for the state to apply to a constitutional convention. Rep. John Shirts, a Republican from Weiser whos cosponsoring the resolution, argues that the intent isnt to actually call a convention but to threaten one to pressure Congress to course correct itself. Rep. Josh Tanner, an Eagle Republican and another cosponsor, said the Idaho Legislatures budget committee, which he co-chairs, earlier Friday made hard decisions to cut state spending across most agencies to balance Idahos budget. He said the federal deficit needs to be addressed, arguing Congress needs to do their job. Advertisement Advertisement If I could give them the middle finger here on the floor, I would do that because they are failing my children, my grandchildren, and all of yours, Tanner said on the House floor. This is the vote breakdown on House Concurrent Resolution 25. (Screenshot courtesy of Idaho In Session) But several Republican and Democrat lawmakers said they worried the process could risk the entire U.S. Constitution. Rep. Cornel Rasor, a Republican from Sagle, said he doesnt believe the Constitution can be recreated in todays political environment. We do not have the kind of men and women who occupied this country 250 years ago and came together in a momentous time and created what we have today, Rasor said. I do not believe it could even be done again. Advertisement Advertisement Some Republican legislators said they trusted the process. I have faith that its gonna turn out, said Rep. David Cannon, a Republican from Blackfoot. But I think its in there as a tool that we can use. I dont think its, as some people will tell you, a mistake. The U.S. Constitution has never been amended using a convention, a process outlined in the Constitution that requires applications by 34 states. Amendments proposed in a convention must be ratified by 38 states to take effect. Twenty states have applied for a convention, according to the pro-convention advocacy group Convention of the States. The Hill reports that 28 states have applied for a convention to pass a balanced budget amendment. Advertisement Advertisement In a 2012 report, the Congressional Research Service wrote that a convention of the states is one of few provisions of the Constitution that has never been implemented, and the process presents many questions for Congress. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a former Republican presidential candidate, visited Idaho this year and last year to push the Gem State to join the call. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The city is set to begin construction soon on a 21-story, contemporary convention hotel at the western edge of the skyline the first major high-rise built Downtown in years. To mark the occasion, The Enquirer ranked the neighborhood's tallest buildings. Here's where they stand: 1. Great American Tower at Queen City Square A view of the downtown Cincinnati skyline, including the Great American Tower at Queen City Square, as seen from the rooftop bar at the Lytle Park Hotel on Tuesday, August 11, 2025. This 667-foot-tall skyscraper, built in 2011, is the tallest building in downtown Cincinnati. According to the Council on Vertical Urbanism, it's also among the top 300 tallest in North America and top 2,270 tallest in the world. (For reference, a supertall skyscraper is anything over 984 feet tall. There are 236 supertalls globally. ) Advertisement Advertisement Developed by Eagle Realty Group, an arm of Western & Southern Financial Group, the 41-floor tower at 301 East 4th St. is made of concrete and steel and features a 130-foot-tall tiara made of 300 tons of steel. 2. Carew Tower Carew Tower's future apartment conversion will be done using a project TIF, which often gets confused with a TIF district fund. Carew Tower, a former mixed-use office building, stands 574 feet tall with 49 stories. Built in 1931, the Art Deco complex at 441 Vine St. was the city's tallest building for 80 years until construction on the Great American Tower began. Bought by New York's Victrix Investments in 2022, Carew Tower is set to undergo a $162 million transformation into 375 apartments and commercial space by 2029. It also houses the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. 3. PNC Tower, a.k.a Sky Central Apartments The former PNC Tower, now called Sky Central apartments, was once among the tallest buildings in the world. The third-tallest building in downtown Cincinnati is the 495-foot-tall PNC Tower, also known as Union Central Tower, at 1 West Fourth St. At the time of its completion in 1913, it was the fifth-tallest building in the world. Advertisement Advertisement The 31-story historic structure has been under a $90 million conversion from office space to 281 luxury apartments since 2022 and is expected to wrap construction in December. It's now called Sky Central apartments. 4. Scripps Center Downtown's Scripps Center on Walnut Street is one of the more modern structures to grace the southern edge of the skyline. The 36-story Scripps Center may look like one of downtown's newest office buildings, but it was built in 1990. At 468 feet tall, the tower at 312 Walnut St. is No. 8,477 among the world's tallest buildings. Featuring 500,000 square feet of office space, it's the headquarters of E. W. Scripps Company and was designed to look like a lighthouse to mirror the company's logo. 5. Fifth Third Center Downtown's Fifth Third Center, the corporate headquarters of Fifth Third Bank, looms over the heart of the city, Fountain Square, at 423 feet tall. The 32-story steel building at 511 Walnut St. was built in 1969 featuring International style architecture. Will downtown Cincinnati's new convention hotel be in the city's top 10 tallest buildings? Conceptual renderings reveal the design of downtown Cincinnati's future Marriott convention headquarters hotel. At 264 feet tall, the planned convention hotel at Fourth and Plum Streets will not be among Cincinnati's top 10 tallest buildings. It will be taller, though, than the buildings directly around it, including The Enquirer's headquarters in a 15-story building on Plum Street. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What are the tallest buildings in Cincinnati? Flagler County deputies arrested a Palm Coast man Tuesday evening after he allegedly fought law enforcement officers during a DUI investigation. Richard Lakin, 56, faces multiple charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence. The incident began shortly after 7 p.m. at the intersection of East Moody Boulevard and North Palmetto Street. The Flagler County Sheriffs Office responded to the area to assist the Bunnell Police Department with a traffic stop after a driver made an illegal U-turn. Advertisement Advertisement Lakin told investigators he had just left a bar where he had consumed four beers. Investigators reported that Lakin had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and the odor of alcohol on his breath. Deputies said during a field sobriety test, Lakin became argumentative and attempted to walk away from the officer toward a patrol car. When asked where he was going, Lakin said, Im going to jail and You all got me. Deputies reported that Lakin became increasingly agitated and began to resist during his arrest. He was eventually taken to the ground, where he continued to flail his legs and struck a deputy. Advertisement Advertisement One Bunnell officer and two deputies suffered minor injuries during the struggle, including abrasions and gashes. Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedics evaluated the officers on the scene. During a search of the vehicle, deputies found a half-full Coors Banquet beer on the back passenger floorboard. Deputies said Lakin began hitting his head against the cage partition and berated the officers while inside the patrol car. Lakin has a prior criminal record involving similar incidents. He was arrested in 2021 for battery and obstruction after shoving a bartender and faced disorderly intoxication and battery charges in Duval County in 2017. Advertisement Advertisement His prior history also includes charges for assault and destruction of property in Maryland. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly addressed Lakins history of combative behavior toward law enforcement. This aggressive drunk has a history of fighting, battery and obstruction of law enforcement, Staly said. He fought the law and the law won. I promise you that if you resist arrest and batter a deputy or police officer you will always end up at the Green Roof Inn. Lakin was charged with DUI, resisting arrest with violence, three counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, and refusal to submit to a breath test. He was taken to the Flagler County Jail and later released after posting a $14,000 bond. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. In late 2010, Jeffrey Epstein had finished serving a 13-month sentence and one year of house arrest in connection with sexually abusing a minor at his mansion in Palm Beach. As part of a sweetheart deal his lawyers negotiated with federal prosecutors in South Florida, Epstein was able to walk free despite the fact that he was accused of raping and molesting nearly three dozen girls. Now Epstein wanted to fully clear his name. New records released by the Department of Justice show the deceased financiers full court press to win clemency from outgoing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Advertisement Advertisement The records show that Epstein sought a direct conversation with Crist in the final months of Crists time as governor in 2010. Crist, who had been elected as a Republican, had opted not to run for re-election as governor and lost his bid for a Senate seat to Republican Marco Rubio after Crist ran as an independent. E-mails show that Epstein was expecting a call from Crist in early December and tried to enlist the help of then-New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, when the call from Crist never came. While Epstein would later imply in an undated conversation that he and Crist had spoken, Crist said no such conversation ever happened. Advertisement Advertisement I had no involvement with the man, the former governor said. Crist, who is now exploring a run for mayor in St. Petersburg, said he didnt speak with Richardson, either, despite e-mails suggesting that Richardson had reached out to him on Epsteins behalf. Crist said he was only aware of Epsteins efforts to win clemency from reading stories in the newspaper. In this July 30, 2008 file photo, Jeffrey Epstein is shown in custody in West Palm Beach, Fla. Epstein first tried to enlist the help of his attorneys in his bid for clemency, but that quickly fell flat. His attorney Lilly Ann Sanchez, emailed him in mid-November 2010 that their office had extended conversations with the governors office. Sanchez, who didnt respond to requests for comment, said in the e-mail that the chances of clemency from Crist were slim to none. Advertisement Advertisement Epstein then turned to Richardson for help. In a late November e-mail thread titled Governor Richardson, Epstein and someone whose name and e-mail addresses are redacted, appear to discuss travel plans for Richardson to join Epstein for lunch at Epsteins Little St. James private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The unnamed associate adds, He has spoken to Governor Krist/Crist but doesnt have an answer yet. On Dec. 3, 2010, Epsteins assistant Lesley Groff sent the financier a message saying that he was scheduled to receive a call from Crist that day. A Dec. 3, 2010, email from Jeffrey Epsteins assistant Lesley Groff reminded him of a direct call with then Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. But one week later, an e-mail between Groff and Epstein suggested that the financier had yet to hear directly from Crist. Advertisement Advertisement Richardson, a former diplomat, was deployed to North Korea later that month amid tensions between the Obama administration and the Asian nation. But when he returned to the U.S., he checked in on the status of Epsteins attempted negotiation. When Richardson returned on December 22, his deputy chief of staff, Janis Hartley, immediately emailed Groff asking about the status of the Epstein conversation with Crist. The Governor just returned from North Korea and is wondering if anything happened with Governor Crist, Janis Hartley, Richardsons deputy chief of staff, wrote to Groff in a Dec. 22 e-mail. A Dec. 22, 2010 email from Janis Hartley, deputy chief of staff to former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Lesley Groff, Jeffrey Epsteins assistant A day later, Hartley again messaged Groff, saying Richardson planned to talk to Crist on Dec. 27. Advertisement Advertisement Crist said no such conversation occurred. Richardson died in 2023. The records showing Epsteins bid for clemency were released by the Justice Department in response to the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November. The most recent batch of files, which the department said would total 3 million pages, were released on Friday, Jan. 30, one month after the deadline the new law set for all of the files to be released. An undated transcript included in the most recent batch of files appears to include a conversation between Epstein and Nobel laureate and Columbia University professor Richard Axel, who was known to have a relationship with Epstein, in which Epstein implied that he and Crist had spoken. Advertisement Advertisement The conversation, between Epstein and someone named Richard, largely focused on biology, Axels expertise, but Epstein also mentioned his bid for clemency. Epstein expressed doubts that Crist would grant it, recounting that the Florida governor told him the issue was politically sensitive. He said its just so hot, Epstein said. Axel didnt respond to a request for comment and to confirm that he is the Richard referenced in the conversation. In the same transcript, Epstein referenced communications between Crist and former Palm Beach State Attorney Barry Krischer. Epstein, who was known to exaggerate and even lie to impress people, alleged that Krischer told Crist that Epsteins behavior was inappropriate but not criminal. Advertisement Advertisement According to Epsteins recollection of their conversation, Crist was shocked at what the prosecutor said. He said to Epstein, No one is going to believe that you havent gotten to this guy. Epsteins assistant Groff had earlier provided Krischers phone number to Richardsons deputy chief of staff for Richardson to speak with. After publication, Krischer told the Herald that he has never spoken with Crist and was not aware of any clemency effort on Epsteins behalf, and that the words that Epstein attributed to him are not the language I would ever use. The notion that [Epsteins] acts were not criminal behavior is ludicrous, Krischer added. Epsteins lenient plea deal with federal prosecutors was the subject of the Miami Heralds 2018 Perversion of Justice series. Following the Heralds reporting, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York brought new sex charges against Epstein in July 2019. He died in federal custody one month later, in what has been ruled a suicide. RSM UK has named Caroline Hooley as its creative and communications director, a new senior role within the company. The audit, tax and consulting practice said the position has been created to strengthen its brand as it continues to grow and broaden its transatlantic partnership with member companies in the US, Canada and Ireland. Hooley has more than 20 years experience in creative and branded content roles across the UK, US, Europe and the Middle East. Her background includes work as a creative director, writer and multidisciplinary storyteller. She has previously held senior posts at Deloitte, National Grid and the British Library. RSM UK partner and CMO Catherine Riches said: We are thrilled to have Caroline on board. Her proven track record of creative excellence and strategic vision brings a breadth of experience and insight of the kind that will help us unlock the huge potential that lies ahead of us. I am excited about the fresh perspective and new energy that Caroline will bring. Her arrival marks an important milestone, and I look forward to working closely with her as we navigate the next phase of our growth. Hooley added: I am delighted to join RSM UK at what is a pivotal moment for the firm. The ability to connect expertise across disciplines, regions and borders and communicate it with clarity, creativity and purpose has never mattered more. "RSM UK appoints Caroline Hooley as creative and communications director" was originally created and published by International Accounting Bulletin, a GlobalData owned brand. EASTON Hundreds of bright orange yard signs with positive messages are popping up around Easton though some may be hidden until the snow melts. The mastermind is Devin Beck, health teacher at Richardson Olmsted Elementary School. My idea was to have my fifth grade classes all come up with a slogan, a class-wide slogan for yard signs to have kind of a mass effect of positivity," he said. He got a grant for $1,000 from the nonprofit Sarahs Village, which was matched with another $1,000 from the Richardson Olmsted Parent Teacher Association. That was enough for 300 signs, which students brought home with them. Advertisement Advertisement Thrifty Thursday: Brockton High monthly event offers free clothes to students They struck a chord in town, Beck said, and people have been asking him for their own. Sarahs Village is printing 300 more, he said on Wednesday, Jan. 28. People can get one for free, Beck said, adding, "we ask that they make a small donation to Sarah's Village directly to help cover the cost." To get a sign, email Beck at dbeck@easton.k12.ma.us. Counteracting negativity Beck said he aimed to "flood the town with positivity." Theres a lot of negativity right now town-wide, worldwide, just everywhere you look, the news is generally not the greatest," he said. Advertisement Advertisement Like communities across Massachusetts, Easton has faced budget constraints after a vote to significantly raise property taxes called a Proposition 2 1/2 override failed. If the override failed, according to the town, officials would have to make the following cuts by July 1, 2025. Easton schools have faced steep cuts since a Proposition 2 1/2 override to fund the schools and other town services failed in June 2025. On top of the loss of teaching positions, Olmsted Elementary Principal Chris Getchell noted that rates of depression and anxiety among teenagers across the United States is at its highest in years. Richardson Olmsted school principal Chris Getchell came by the school library on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, to talk about how proud he is of the students who worked on the mental health sign and the impact it's having on the community as the signs are getting posted in yards throughout Easton. Making a difference Grant helps Oliver Ames High School students tackle food insecurity Pioneering educator in mental health Getchell said that Beck is the school's first full-time health teacher. The position was created as part of the school's push to prioritize physical and mental health, he said. Advertisement Advertisement "He wrote the health curriculum, basically, that we use. ... He's a pioneer, I think, in terms of health education in elementary school, and, based on statistics we read, it's doing really good work," Getchell said. Social-emotional wellbeing, Beck said, is the most important topic in his class for fifth graders. "I do a lot of group work, a lot of respecting each other's opinions, values, beliefs, working together to come up with a solution, coming up with strategies if they're struggling, or they see somebody struggling, how can they help them, how can you help yourself," he said. When Beck brought the yard sign project to his students, he said they took to it right away. Students in each of his 10 fifth grade classes brainstormed ideas, and then voted on which one they thought was best. Here are the slogans on the signs across Easton: Advertisement Advertisement You are NOT alone. Be You!! Being different is a superpower! Dont let others tear you down. Dont Stop Believing Every mile, the bigger the smile! Kindness Matters, Just Like You. Life is short, spend it smiling! People care, even if you dont see it. You are loved no matter what. Natalie Dostoomian, 11, said, "We would think [about what] people would like to see most when they're upset," explaining how she and her classmates decided which message to vote for. With reporting by Chris Helms and Rebecca Hyman Send education reporter Jacob Posner story ideas or news tips at JPosner@enterprisenews.com This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Easton teacher, students spread positivity with yard signs. Messages? A controversial member of the Trump administration was in Chicago Thursday meeting with students at a private Christian high school on the city's Near West Side. It was a visit to promote U.S. history as the country approaches its 250th birthday. The leadership at Chicago Hope Academy did have to deal with a little pushback from parents about Education Secretary Linda McMahon visiting, given the politics between the Trump administration and Chicago. The visit turned into a real-life civics lesson. Advertisement Advertisement It was an assembly in the chapel that featured several student trivia competitions focused on U.S. and Illinois history. It's part of a nationwide tour organized by the Department of Education called "History Rocks." "The whole purpose of this is to really instill the fact that, you know, education is fun, lot of history to know, how important it is, you know, within our country, to know about our civics, about our Constitution, about the Declaration of Independence," McMahon said. But given the Trump administration's dismantling of the Department of Education, the visit prompted some concerns from a handful of parents. About half the students opted out of the program. SEE ALSO: Illinois joining WHO Global Outbreak Alert Response Network, as US pulls out of organization Advertisement Advertisement "Not every student felt like this was the best program to participate in, or didn't feel as comfortable being part of it. And that's OK. I think it's a great learning experience for our community," Chicago Hope Academy Principal Ike Muzikowski said. The assembly stuck to talk about history, with politics put on pause. "I'm glad to have gone through the process of how quickly we jump to politicize internally ourselves. And how tons of finger pointing about how politicized this is, and we are making a statement, saying 'no, no, no, this is about education,'" Muzikowski said. Secretary McMahon said these visits are non-partisan. Advertisement Advertisement "I think once it's understood that this is just bringing, you know, it's bringing civics and history to life, and it's not teaching curriculum. And it's just actually answering questions that have history is the source," McMahon said. "And I think our kids left an incredible impression. And as she was leaving, we gave her a scarf, says, 'hope in every season.' We hope the experience she's had here, she can remember that and be encouraged," Muzikowski said. In the coming days, the principal expects to have further conversations with the school community. And while he says he may not have all the right answers, he believes hosting the secretary was the right thing to do. Jeffrey Epsteins prison cellmate claims to have evidence that the Trump administration wanted the disgraced financier dead and left him unprotected on purpose, according to a document obtained by the Daily Beast. Nicholas Tartaglione, a quadruple murderer and former police officer, filed a pardon/commutation petition last summer in which he claimed that Epstein was deliberately exposed to violence in the hope that he would not survive long enough to stand trial. Prior to Epsteins death on Aug. 10, 2019, which officials ruled a suicide, jail bosses decided that Americas most high-profile prisoner should share a cell with an accused mass murderer for reasons that have never been explained. Advertisement Advertisement Tartaglione had a reputation for extreme violence and a self-confessed hatred of child sex offenders. Tartaglionewho Epstein told prison guards had tried to kill him three weeks before he was found deadclaims it is no coincidence that he was deliberately moved into the same jail as Epstein and placed in the same cell as the convicted child sex offender. Nicholas Tartaglione is serving four consecutive life sentences and has asked Trump for a pardon, citing the death of his former cellmate, Jefferey Epstein, who had complained Tartaglione tried to kill him. / Handout In a 21-page petition obtained by the Daily Beast, Tartagloine says that he believes the Trump administration wanted Epstein dead. A spokesperson for White House said, Anyone is able to submit a pardon requestmuch like everything else the Daily Beast writes, no one should take their garbage seriously. President Trump is the final decider on all clemency and pardon requests. Trump, 79, has repeatedly denied any knowledge or involvement in Epsteins criminal activities, but has long been haunted by his decades-long association with the uber-wealthy pedophile. Advertisement Advertisement The well-connected financier was found hanged in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City, while awaiting trial over child sex trafficking offences. References to the president and his many high-society and political associates identified in the Epstein files would likely have featured heavily during the public hearings. The beginning of Tartaglione's 21-page pardon appeal, obtained by the Beast, in which he makes his claims. / The Daily Beast The circumstances around Epsteins death remain controversial, and many in Epsteins circleincluding his brother, Mark, his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, his former butler, and his legal teamdo not believe that he took his own life. This week, outspoken podcaster Joe Rogan, once a Trump supporter, also blasted the government for placing Epstein in a cell with Tartaglione. Its weird that they took a guy who is one of the most high-profile defendants ever, and you put him in jail with a mass murderer. Kind of crazy, he said. Epstein regularly socialized with Trump, who denies all allegations that he knew of or took part in any of Epstein's criminality. / Davidoff Studios/Getty Images Reports into Epsteins death blamed widespread institutional failings, but they were riddled with inconsistencies. A prison psychologist who saw Epstein in the weeks before his death reported that he said suicide was against his religion and insisted he was too cowardly to hurt himself because he couldnt stand pain. Epsteins lawyer, Reid Weingarten, later told a judge overseeing Epsteins case: At or around the time of his death we did not see a despairing or despondent person. Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, CBS News reported a document in the Epstein files that showed investigators flagged an orange-colored figure on jail surveillance video moving toward Epsteins locked housing tier around 10:39 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2019despite earlier official assurances that no one entered that area that night. Newly released video logs appear to contradict official accounts of who entered Epstein's cell on the night he died. / US Bureau of Prisons The FBIs observation memo described the image as possibly an inmate, while the DOJ inspector generals review treated it as a corrections officer. Around three weeks before Epstein died, he was discovered semiconscious in his cell with injuries to his neck. He told guards Tartaglione had attempted to strangle him, before later withdrawing the complaint, saying he couldnt remember what happened. Tartaglione, who was moved out of Epsteins cell after that incident, has denied attacking the financier and even claimed that he had tried to save Epsteins life, having discovered him on the floor with a piece of string around his neck. The Metropolitan Correctional Center, where accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein died. Often referred to as the I never touched the man, Tartaglione wrote in a September 2019 letter to the New York Daily News. I despise anyone who hurts children, but whatever was going to happen to him, I was not going to be a part of it. Advertisement Advertisement Despite this, Tartaglione admitted in the same letter to the Daily News that he had been a curious choice of cellmate for Epstein. The staff here at MCC had hundreds of inmates to choose from yet I was their first choice, Tartaglione wrote. Tartaglione has now written a petition for a pardon to the president. Rogan is, like many people, skeptical about Epsteins death. / Joe Rogan Experience/YouTube It is no coincidence that prior to trial I was transferred to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan and deliberately placed in the same cell as Jeffrey Epstein, he wrote. He explained that the bloody and violent nature of his crime was well-known to his prosecutor, Maureen Comey, who was also the lead prosecutor in the Epstein case. Advertisement Advertisement He claims that there were several attempts made on his own life after he had been unwittingly dragged into the twisted tale of Jeffrey Epstein. I clearly was not protected on purpose, nor was Epstein. I truly believe that the government wanted both Epstein and me dead, he wrote. The petition also includes obvious attempts to curry favor with the president. He makes accusations against Comey, the daughter of Trump nemesis James Comey, who has since been fired from the DOJ. The letter also makes unfounded allegations about Maurene Comey, a former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted high-profile cases, including Ghislaine Maxwell and Sean P Diddy Combs. / Brendan McDermid / REUTERS He says she tried to get Epstein to implicate Trump in exchange for his freedom, but also claims that Epstein told me that President Trump was not involved with Epsteins crimes. The former police officer also claims he was framed for the kidnapping and murders of four men. He was convicted in 2024 and is serving four consecutive life sentences, meaning he is unlikely ever to be released. The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment. Jeffrey Epsteins depravity had been laid bare in a disturbing email referencing how his littlest girl was a little naughty. On Jan 30, the US justice department (DoJ) published three million documents relating to the investigation into the convicted paedophile, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. Among the tranche was an email sent to Epstein on March 11, 2014, in which an individual wrote: Thank you for a fun night... Your littlest girl was a little naughty. Advertisement Advertisement The senders name was redacted by the DoJ. A growing chorus of people, including Miami Herald reporter Julie Brown, whose investigations led to Epsteins arrest in 2019, is pushing for the individuals identity to be released. The documents have sparked a reckoning for Epsteins rich and powerful associates named in the files, including Lord Mandelson, who quit the House of Lords in disgrace on Tuesday. Several chief executives, professors and politicians across the globe have also quit their posts. Meanwhile, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has also been pictured in the files, moved out of the Royal Lodge. Advertisement Advertisement The email has also led to questions about how decisions were made at the DoJ over who should retain anonymity in the disclosure. In a draft indictment of Epstein from the 2000s, for instance, the names of alleged co-conspirators were also redacted. The department has previously said that it redacted victim information, child sex abuse materials and anything that would jeopardise an active investigation. In many instances, as it has been well documented publicly, those who were originally victims became participants and co-conspirators, a spokesperson told CNN. We did not redact any names of men, only female victims. Advertisement Advertisement But the names of scores of Epsteins victims were initially mistakenly disclosed by the department. The mistake had turned their lives upside down, lawyers representing a group of victims said. A judge was considering blocking access to the government website which hosted the files before the department said it would quickly correct the errors. Ro Khanna, a Democratic Congressman, and Thomas Massie, a Republican, who spearheaded efforts to lobby for the documents release have asked to see the unredacted files. The DoJ has protected the Epstein class with blanket redactions in some areas while failing to protect the identities of survivors in other areas, Ro Khanna told CNN. Advertisement Advertisement Congress cannot properly assess DoJs handling of the Epstein and Maxwell cases without access to the complete record. 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. People are fired up over imposing customary use on Perdido Keyan issue that arose from a new law that allows local governments to give the public more access to beaches considered "private." Escambia County is considering a customary use ordinance to legally open "dry sand" areas of private beaches on Perdido Key to the public and allow activities like walking, fishing and swimming. The move follows the 2025 repeal of a 2018 law that previously limited public access to private dry sand areas. Advertisement Advertisement Both those for and against implementing customary use packed board chambers while commissioners discussed the issue during their Committee of the Whole meeting Feb. 5. My little over three years on the board, I don't think we've had anything this polarizing as of today, said Escambia District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler. On any given day, we get 20 emails on both sides for and against. The COW meeting is the start of determining what direction the board wants to take with the ordinance. I've been getting surveys sent to me from property owners on Perdido Key and they clearly show that they have the deed, they own the properties. There's no dispute that these are private properties, said Escambia County District 1 Commissioner Steve Stroberger, who represents Perdido Key. Advertisement Advertisement However, other board members support as much public access as possible. I've been pretty consistent in public access for me or where I am, said Escambia County District 3 Commissioner Lumon May. There are a couple of things that God gives us. He gives us the land, the sea, the fish, the water. Unfortunately, many people have limited access because of what they can't afford. Strong public outcry on both sides During the boards regular meeting later the same day so many people lined up to speak about customary use public form ran nearly a hour and a half. Property owners assert that such legislation infringes upon their constitutional rights to private ownership. Advertisement Advertisement We have a deep affection for Perdido Key in particular. That said, if this proposed change moved forward we would seriously reconsider our continued investment here and look elsewhere. We believe many others may reach the same conclusion, said Marianne Casey, a condominium owner on Perdido Key who purchased the property four years ago for a family vacation spot. Advocates argue that the beaches, from the dune line to the water's edge, have been historically used by the public for generations, with some stating they've personally used it for decades and as a community even longer for surfing, sunbathing and fishing. Perdido Key's beaches generally allow public access to the "wet sand" area, which is south of the mean high-water line. This means that while private property may extend to the high-water mark, the public is generally permitted to walk, swim and fish in the wet sand area. However, access to the dry sand portion of the beach is often restricted to private property owners. Advertisement Advertisement Implementing customary use could change that. Seven years we've been fighting this customary use to take away our rights to go on the beach, said longtime resident Gary Holt with the Perdido Key Surf Club. It's a no brainer (to give the public more access). I can't believe that we're all here for this today. Customary use a contentious issue Customary use has led to contentious, expensive litigation around the state, but it largely originated with nearby Walton County. At issue is the legal doctrine that the public has an "ancient," "reasonable," and "without interruption" right to use the privately-owned dry sand portions of the beach for recreation. Driven by the county's effort to maintain public access, this litigation argues that historical, long-standing and uninterrupted public use overrides private property rights. Advertisement Advertisement Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1622 into law in June 2025 to restore local control by allowing local authorities to recognize recreational customary use of Floridas beaches. The law aimed to bypass costly, parcel-by-parcel litigation to restore traditional, long-standing public access. The 2025 bill actually focused more on the establishment of an erosion control line and made no change to the requirements to judicial establish customary use. Escambia County is watching the Walton County case and others like it before determining next steps. The deed is done: Old deeds give new life to the fight for public access to Perdido Key beaches Advertisement Advertisement The county has also been embroiled in litigation over beach access. Escambia was sued by condo associations challenging the county's public access rights to a 75-foot Perdido Key public beach easement that was recently rediscovered in nearly 70-year-old original deeds from the U.S. government, which originally owned the land. The lawsuits were dismissed by a judge in early 2025, then refiled but put on hold after Gov. Ron DeSantis gave local government more say in customary use. Escambia County board members want to establish an ordinance with the goal of avoiding conflicts, complaints and hard feelings that stem from run-ins between private property owners and beach visitors over trespassing and the signs, tape and security used to block access. Commissioners are considering what portions of private property, if any, should be designated for public use. Advertisement Advertisement For the board's information, it's our interpretation that customary use is not an all or nothing proposition. It can be smaller pieces. It's not all of the beach or none, said Escambia County Attorney Alison Rogers. Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry asked the county attorney for clarification about public access on Pensacola Beach and Rogers said customary use doesn't apply and comparing the two is "apples and organges," due to fundamental differences in ownership and lease structures. Escambia's next steps on customary use The board is not making any immediate decisions about the ordinance while staff continue to research the issue, and commissioners indicated they want more public input from all stakeholders before making any final decisions. They encouraged staff to identify "softball areas," like the Flora-Bama, where customary use might be less disputed. Advertisement Advertisement The public will be able to submit historical documents, photographs and anecdotal evidence to help establish the record for customary use claims. Charles Krupnick, former director of the Perdido Key Association representing property owners, spoke to the board during its regular meeting and supported their search for resolutions, including expanding public access Johnson's Beach within the Gulf Islands National Seashore. "The recommendation for further work on acquiring new beachfront property also seems appropriate," Krupnick said. "One hates to pay above assessed valuation as demanded by the property owner next to Beach Access number three, but perhaps it needs to be considered." The board is scheduled to hold a public discussion during its March 19 board meeting. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia Perdido Key customary use public beach access issue contested Estonia has imposed an entry ban to the Schengen Area on a further 1,073 individuals who fought against Ukraine on the side of Russian forces. Source: Igor Taro, Estonia's Minister of the Interior, as quoted by ERR and reported by European Pravda Details: According to the Estonian interior minister, Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine is one of the gravest crimes against humanity. "Russian servicemen who fought and continue to fight in Ukraine have killed, destroyed, raped and looted. Closing off the shared European security space and the Schengen Area to them is in the security interests of all of us," the minister said. Advertisement Advertisement Taro noted that experience from Russia's previous wars shows that individuals returning from the front often seek new violence-related challenges within organised crime. In addition, he emphasised that aggression must come at a cost for the aggressor. "The European Union has imposed political and economic sanctions against Russia as an aggressor state. However, this is not only the Kremlin's war, as hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens have fought and continue to fight against Ukraine. An aggressive war must have a price for each of them as well. Closing the Schengen Area to them is one component of that price," he underlined. Background: In January, Estonia announced entry bans for 261 individuals who had taken part in the war against Ukraine on Russia's side. It was also reported that Estonia has submitted a proposal for consideration by EU member states to ban entry to the Schengen Area for those who participated in hostilities against Ukraine within the ranks of the Russian army. Following a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Kaja Kallas, the EU's chief diplomat, said that the idea has the support of many countries and will continue to be discussed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! LONDON (AP) The European Union on Friday accused TikTok of breaching the bloc's digital rules with addictive design features that lead to compulsive use by children, in preliminary charges that strike at the heart of the popular video sharing app's operating model. EU regulators said their two-year investigation found that TikTok hasn't done enough to assess how features such as autoplay and infinite scroll could harm the physical and mental health of users, including minors and vulnerable adults. The European Commission said it believes TikTok should change the basic design of its service. The commission is the EUs executive arm and enforcer of the 27-nation bloc's Digital Services Act, a sweeping rulebook that requires social media companies to clean up their platforms and protect users, under threat of hefty fines. Advertisement Advertisement TikTok denied the accusations. The Commissions preliminary findings present a categorically false and entirely meritless depiction of our platform, and we will take whatever steps are necessary to challenge these findings through every means available to us, the company said in a statement. TikTok's features including infinite scrolling, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommender systems "lead to the compulsive use of the app, especially for our kids, and this poses major risks to their mental health and wellbeing," Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said at a press briefing in Brussels. The measures that TikTok has in place are simply not enough," he said. Advertisement Advertisement The company now has a chance to defend itself and reply to the commissions findings. Regnier said if they don't do this properly, Brussels could issue a so-called non-compliance decision and possible fine worth up to 6% of the companys total annual revenue. There was no deadline specified for the commission to make a final decision. The preliminary findings are the latest example of pressure that TikTok and other social media platforms are facing over youth addiction. Australia has banned social media for under-16s while governments in Spain, France, Britain,Denmark,Malaysia and Egypt want to introduce similar measures. In the U.S., TikTok last month settled a landmark social media addiction lawsuit while two other companies named in the suit Metas Instagram and Googles YouTube still face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. TikTok has 170 million users in the European Union and most of these are children," Regnier said. He added that 7% of children aged 12 to 15 spend four to five hours daily on TikTok, and it's by far the platform most used after midnight by children aged 13 to 18, citing unspecified data. Advertisement Advertisement These statistics are extremely alarming, he said. The commission said that TikTok fuels the urge to keep scrolling because it constantly rewards users with new content, leading to reduced self control. It said TikTok ignores signs that someone is compulsively using the app, such as the amount of time that minors spend on it at night, and how often the app is opened. The company has failed to put in place reasonable, proportionate and effective measures to offset the risks, it said. The commission said TikTok's existing time management controls are easy to dismiss and introduce limited friction," while parental tools need "additional time and skills" from parents. Advertisement Advertisement Changes that the commission wants TikTok to make include disabling features like infinite scroll; putting in more effective breaks for screen time, including at night; and changing its highly personalized recommender system, which feeds users an endless stream of video shorts based on their preferences. TikTok says it has numerous tools, such as custom screen time limits and sleep reminders, that let users make intentional decisions about how they spend their time on the app. The company also noted it has teen accounts that let parents impose time limits on use, and prompt teen users to switch off in the evenings. ___ Associated Press journalist Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this report. Assistant Ohio Attorney General Matthew Meyer is working to convince a jury that a former top utility regulator was a "bought-and-paid-for man" who had illegal behind-the-scenes dealings with ex-FirstEnergy executives Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling. Asim Haque, a witness for the prosecution in Jones' and Dowling's ongoing criminal trial, testified about a meeting he had with Sam Randazzo in 2016, before Randazzo became chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Haque said Randazzo "expressed his displeasure" about the PUCO making a decision that didn't align with FirstEnergy's aims. Advertisement Advertisement Haque, who himself was PUCO chair at the time, said he thought Randazzo then a prominent energy attorney "would have been more supportive of that decision than he was." Witness Asim Haque, former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, identifies defendant Chuck Jones in court on the second day of Jones' and Michael Dowling's trial in Summit County Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross' courtroom. The decision that prompted Randazzo's reaction In 2016, PUCO's five commissioners at the time, including Haque, granted only roughly 9% of the more than $4 billion that FirstEnergy had previously requested that it add to its Ohio customers' bills, Haque said. The PUCO decision, which Haque said elicited what he saw as an unexpected response from Randazzo, took the form of customer charges through what was called a "distribution modernization rider." Later, in 2019, the Ohio Supreme Court struck down the rider. Then-Justice Michael Donnelly wrote that PUCO didn't protect FirstEnergy customers in the event that the charges weren't used to modernize the Akron-based utility's Ohio distribution system. Advertisement Advertisement Haque said Feb. 4 that he found Randazzo's reaction "odd because he was expressing disappointment for a decision that did not benefit FirstEnergy and should have been more beneficial to his client than the previous decision that was made. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission reversed that previous decision, by PUCO, to approve a "power purchase agreement," or PPA. Haque said the PPA was more financially favorable to FirstEnergy than the later "DMR" decision. FirstEnergy was in a precarious financial position at the time, Haque said. Haque said S&P and Moody's representatives told him FirstEnergy was going to get downgraded to junk. Witness Asim Haque, former chairman of Public Utilities commission, listens to a question from Assistant Ohio Attorney General Matthew Meyer in Summit County Common Pleas Court on Feb. 4. As lawyer, Randazzo represented clients with different views As a lawyer, Randazzo represented Industrial Energy Users of Ohio, a nonprofit trade group that consisted of large industrial users of electricity. Members of IEU-Ohio, now called the Ohio Energy Leadership Council, and FirstEnergy were often at odds about energy policy, Meyer said Feb. 3. Advertisement Advertisement Jones and Dowling are accused of setting up a bribe with Randazzo a few months before Randazzo became PUCO chair in 2019. Randazzo was previously a defendant in the case but was removed as a defendant in 2024, after he died by suicide. Haque, recalling the 2016 conversation with Randazzo, said, He indicated to me that he thought I was at risk. Meyer asked what that meant, and Haque said he thought Randazzo was referring to his career. The prosecutor asked Haque what he thought about what Randazzo told him. I just found the conversation to be odd, Haque said. Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@gannett.com or on X @pwilliamsOH. Sign up for the Beacon Journal's business and consumer newsletter, "What's The Deal?" This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ex-Ohio utility regulator was 'bought and paid for,' prosecution says The former chief financial officer of Old National Bank who had been accused of two counts of child molesting was found not guilty Thursday after a three-day trial. According to court records, a Warrick County Circuit Court jury acquitted 50-year-old Brendon Falconer on a Class C felony charge and Level 4 felony charge. Falconer was arrested in March 2024. According to the probable cause affidavit filed against him, the mother of the child accusing Falconer discovered the alleged abuse after reading an entry about it in the child's diary. Advertisement Advertisement The alleged abuse went on for years, the affidavit stated. It quoted a recording the child allegedly made in which Falconer denied being a "pedophile" and claimed he didn't remember the alleged abuse. Later in the conversation, though, he reportedly said "I believe you" and "I did it." In other conversations and recordings, Falconer reportedly denied ever committing any abuse, the affidavit stated. Old National put Falconer on administrative leave in early April 2024. Later that year, the two parted ways, with Falconer receiving $2.6 million as part of a mutual separation agreement, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings showed. Soon after the not guilty verdict was announced Thursday, court officials filed an "order of impending expungement" in the case, meaning it could be wiped from Falconer's record. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Ex-Old National Bank executive found not guilty of child molestation By Siyi Liu SINGAPORE, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Discounts on Russian oil exports to China widened to new records this week as sellers cut prices to lure demand from the world's top crude importer and offset the likely loss of India sales, traders said. Price cuts for China came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a trade agreement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that included halting oil purchases from Russia, but without giving details on how and when. A halt by India would make China the only major client for cheap Russian oil. The world's second-biggest oil exporter is already struggling with falling demand from India due to Western sanctions, with Russian oil in floating storage rising. JPMorgan analysts led by Natasha Kaneva said their base case is that India will import Russian crude at 800,000 to 1 million barrels per day, or 17-21% of its total crude imports, after the trade deal. India's Russian oil imports peaked around 2 million barrels per day last June. "China, especially Shandong's independent refiners, are the main beneficiaries of this trend absorbing most displaced Russian barrels and boosting margins, runs, and strategic stockpiles thanks to deep discounts and supportive domestic policy," the analysts wrote in a February 4 note. WIDER DISCOUNTS Discounts for ESPO Blend, delivered from the Pacific port of Kozmino to China, widened to nearly $9 a barrel to ICE Brent this week, from $7$8 in recent months, trade sources said. Discounts for Russian Urals grade, exported from the Baltics - typically to India - were at about $12 per barrel and could widen further, they added. "Chinese buyers have been benefiting from multi-year low discounts on Russian crude in recent months, to the extent that some have even reduced Iranian intake in order to absorb more Russian barrels," said Vortexa analyst Emma Li. "Given that India's pullback is likely to trigger even deeper discounts, this behaviour is likely to continue in the near term." Chinese independent refiners, known as teapots, remain the main buyers of sanctioned oil, with January Russian oil volumes into the teapot hub of Shandong province at record highs, according to Li. Chinese state refiners have suspended seaborne Russian purchases since October after the U.S. sanctioned Russian producers Rosneft and Lukoil. THE LIMITS OF CHINA'S DEMAND However, China has likely hit its limit for Russian crude imports if state refiners continue to sit out, traders and analysts say. China's Russian seaborne crude imports rose to a record 1.7 million barrels per day in January, as India cut back imports to 1.1 million bpd, the lowest since November 2022, data from analytics firm Kpler showed. By Poppy McPherson and Tim Kelly O'SMACH, Cambodia, Feb 6 (Reuters) - In a Cambodian compound with rooms designed to look like Singapore and Australia police offices, papers were strewn across desks and floors: the detritus of a fraud factory abandoned in haste. Among the documents were profiles of a 73-year-old Japanese retiree, complete with his phone number and bank account balance, and an American woman who disclosed that she was a victim of domestic abuse. Nearby were scripts to commit love scams and impersonate police, as well as a room set up to resemble a Vietnamese bank office. Advertisement Advertisement This is what Reuters reporters found on Monday inside a bombed-out compound near the Thai-Cambodian border, which offers one of the clearest windows yet into the industrial-scale fraud that has fleeced billions of dollars from victims globally. Police raids and military air strikes have forced criminal gangs to flee scores of scam compounds in Cambodia in recent weeks. The visit to the site, known as Royal Hill, was facilitated by the Thai military, which bombed it during a brief border conflict in December and has since occupied the surrounding area. Reuters is the first news organization to authenticate some of the papers, which document the sophisticated manner in which the scams are carried out. The news agency verified one of the documents by contacting the Japanese retiree, who said he had received a call late last year from someone claiming to be from an electricity company and who warned his power would be cut off if he did not provide the scammer with his bank details. Advertisement Advertisement The target did not send any money, but disclosed personal information during the call, including details found in the log seen by Reuters. If the power was cut off, that would be a real problem as I live up in the mountains," he said. "I let (details) slip out without thinking and later thought that was a bad idea." Reuters could not establish what entity had ultimate control of the Royal Hill compound in Cambodia, where land records are not readily accessible. Chinese-language documents found at the site outlined that the complex's unidentified management had leased out space to different scamming groups. A person named Zhang who was identified in the documents as a tenant did not respond to calls seeking comment. The Cambodian government said in a statement on Wednesday that the compound was a hotel that Thailand had occupied by force. Advertisement Advertisement Interior Ministry spokesperson Touch Sokhak separately said in response to questions about Royal Hill that the government "has the will" to crack down on scam centers and repeated a government pledge to eliminate cyber fraud by April. Southeast Asia has emerged in recent years as an epicenter of the global cyberfraud industry. Compounds which are mostly run by Chinese criminal gangs and staffed partly by trafficking victims living in brutal conditions have proliferated across Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, and lawless areas of the Myanmar-Thai border. Many of these countries have been pressured to crack down by foreign governments like the United States, which estimates that Americans lost $10 billion to Southeast Asian scam centers in 2024. The December strikes by Thailand - whose military said the centers were also being used to stage drone attacks during the border conflict - and a crackdown by the Cambodian government have led to an exodus of more than 100,000 people from compounds across the country. Advertisement Advertisement Many have lined up outside embassies in the capital, Phnom Penh, seeking help and funds to return home in what Amnesty International has called a "humanitarian crisis." Japans National Police Agency and the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok did not respond to requests for comment about the documents that appeared to show their citizens being targeted. HARSH REALITY The compound visited by Reuters is located in the border town of OSmach, which the U.S. State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report highlighted in 2024 as a hub for abuses. Files found in a part of the compound that the Thai military said appeared to be used by the site's managers show the extent to which criminal gangs go to protect their operations. Advertisement Advertisement One document showed how bosses demanded military-style anti-riot and emergency drills, while another included orders to security guards to stop people loitering nearby. A property management notice also barred the use of food delivery services that could bring outsiders on-site. Other documents prohibited unspecified "illegal activity," forbade workers from walking around shirtless, and demanded "civilized" behavior. Reuters also found financial statements that outlined how the unidentified managers of the scam compound charged tenants several thousands of dollars a month in rent. Some of the criminal gangs were overdue on their rent, the statements show. The news agency also discovered details about a cryptocurrency wallet in one of the documents. Nick Smart of blockchain-analysis firm Crystal Intelligence, which reviewed the wallet at Reuters' request, said it had interactions with "many known high-risk services," including gambling sites and cash-conversion locations. Advertisement Advertisement At least some of the businesses in Royal Hill faced occasional struggles carrying out fraud, according to one of the documents, an October 2025 entry in a notebook. That day, workers making calls faced only abuse and scam answers from their targets, the note read. One former worker of another scam compound next to Royal Hill told Reuters that the conditions Reuters observed were reflective of what he experienced. The worker, a Madagascar citizen who said he was a trafficking victim, spoke on condition of anonymity due to fear of retribution. He said he was allowed by captors, who he did not identify, to leave the compound a few days after Thailand started bombing the area. The military action prompted the compound's managers to return his passport, which they had seized, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Scammers targeted by raids often relocate and reconstitute themselves into smaller operations, said Delphine Schantz, the regional representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Her agency shares expertise with national law enforcement agencies. "We see those scam centers now kind of mushrooming all over the world in different places, along the same model as what we've seen in Southeast Asia," she said. (Reporting by Poppy McPherson in O'Smach, Cambodia, Thomas Suen in Bangkok, and Satoshi Sugiyama and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Editing by Katerina Ang) By Phil Stewart, Erin Banco and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A team working for President Donald Trump's spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, last spring led an investigation into Puerto Rico's voting machines, said Gabbard's office and three sources familiar with the previously unreported events. The sources said the goal was to work with the FBI to investigate claims that Venezuela had hacked voting machines in Puerto Rico, but added the probe did not produce any clear evidence of Venezuelan interference in the U.S. territory's elections. Reuters first reported the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Gabbard's office, in a statement to Reuters, confirmed the May investigation but denied a link to Venezuela, saying its focus was on vulnerabilities in the island's electronic voting systems. Her team took an unspecified number of Puerto Rico's voting machines and additional copies of data from the machines as part of its investigation, a spokesperson for Gabbard's Office of the Director of National Intelligence said. Her office said the taking of voting machines and data was "standard practice in forensics analysis." Noting similar voting infrastructure elsewhere in the United States, it added: "ODNI found extremely concerning cyber security and operational deployment practices that pose a significant risk to U.S. elections." Jorge Rivera Rueda, head of Puerto Rico's State Elections Commission, said he could not comment on any ongoing investigations. He added in a statement, "the Commission will fully cooperate with any investigative process conducted by the appropriate authorities, whether at the state or federal level." Advertisement Advertisement Venezuela's government did not respond to a request for comment. U.S. SECURITY CONCERNS LINKED TO CELL TECHNOLOGY, SOFTWARE ODNI said some security gaps in voting machines used in Puerto Rico stemmed from their use of vulnerable cellular technology and that software flaws existed that could give hackers access deep into vital electoral systems. The Puerto Rico operation appeared to be part of an effort by Trump administration officials to pursue unproven allegations of voting fraud, the sources said. The preoccupation with voter fraud dates to Trump's reelection loss in 2020 and has not abated, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss non-public operations. Advertisement Advertisement Democratic leaders in Congress voiced alarm over Reuters' report on the Puerto Rico operation. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, said the Trump administration was violating state and federal laws and the U.S. Constitution by seeking the election records. "They're trying to intimidate local elected officials," Schumer told MS NOW television on Thursday, when asked about the Reuters story. "Whats most alarming here is that Director Gabbards own team acknowledges there was no evidence of foreign interference, yet they seized voting machines and election data anyway," U.S. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Reuters on Thursday. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on Thursday Gabbard had yet to offer a "defensible legal rationale" for her team's probe in Puerto Rico. Advertisement Advertisement "The intelligence community operates outside the borders of the US for good reason, and the Director of National Intelligence has no business at a law enforcement operation unless there is a legitimate foreign nexus, of which we've seen no indication," Himes said in a statement. Gabbard's appearance at an FBI raid of an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia, last week highlights her direct involvement in these issues. Last week's FBI raid in Georgia prompted alarm among some national security experts worried that Gabbard and the ODNI have overstepped their authority in investigating a sensitive domestic matter. Gabbard was not physically present during the operation in Puerto Rico, her office said, even though her agency took on a coordinating role in the investigation. U.S. officials involved in the Georgia investigation sought records related to the 2020 presidential election that Republican Trump has falsely claimed he lost against Democrat Joe Biden because of widespread fraud. Advertisement Advertisement Domestic election security matters are typically handled by law enforcement agencies, say current and former U.S. officials, not the nations intelligence services. Gabbard's office said it had the authority to carry out the investigation. "Given ODNI's broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security and our known work on understanding vulnerabilities to foreign and other malign interference, ODNI conducted an examination of electronic voting systems used in Puerto Ricos elections," the spokesperson said. Reuters sources said it was the unproven allegation of Venezuelan involvement in voting irregularities in the U.S. territory's elections that had raised questions about possible foreign interference something Gabbard had the legal authority to investigate. Advertisement Advertisement The Caribbean island's residents are U.S. citizens but do not have voting representation in Congress and cannot vote in presidential general elections. Challenging the denials of Gabbard's office about Venezuela's role, the three sources told Reuters that the FBI team involved in the Puerto Rico operation was probing the theory that Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro's government had hacked U.S. voting, an allegation that has strong support among some Trump supporters but for which no evidence has surfaced publicly. THREATS TO ELECTION SECURITY The operation in Puerto Rico involved the FBI field office in southern Florida whose agents were coordinating with a group overseen by Gabbard investigating threats to election security, said two of the sources familiar with the operation. Advertisement Advertisement This group included U.S. national security officials, law enforcement agents and government contractors, the sources said. Gabbard's office said the United States Attorney in Puerto Rico, his team of Homeland Security investigations agents, and an FBI supervisory special agent "facilitated the voluntary turnover of electronic voting hardware and software to ODNI for analysis." The U.S. military seized Maduro in Caracas in January, removing him from power, and brought him to New York to face drug trafficking charges, which he denies. Puerto Ricos elections have had irregularities but no credible evidence has emerged to support allegations of Venezuelan attacks to influence voting there. "We have had widely reported problems in election administration. But they are all attributable to incompetence and corruption, not foreign interference," said Pablo Jose Hernandez Rivera, a Democrat elected in 2024 to represent Puerto Rico in the U.S. House of Representatives in a non-voting capacity. (Reporting by Phil Stewart, Erin Banco and Jonathan Landay; editing by Diane Craft, Rod Nickel) The National Weather Service has issued an extreme cold warning for parts of Massachusetts this weekend due to dangerous wind chills that could cause frostbite. The warning is in effect for Worcester, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties from 6 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday. Wind chills in these areas are expected to drop to between -20 and -30 degrees. Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 30 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, the NWS warned. Advertisement Advertisement The extreme cold follows expected snowfall across the region. Worcester could see up to six inches of snow before the wind chills drop. Bay Staters are urged to stay indoors during the warning period. For those who must go outside, its recommended to dress in layers, covering all exposed skin, and update family or friends on your location frequently. Officials also suggest that drivers maintain at least a half tank of gasoline and prepare a winter survival kit. Pedro Vega, a resident of Worcester, noted that the cold temperatures can be deceptive for those engaging in physical activity like jogging or walking. He emphasized the importance of staying bundled up even when the body feels warm from exercise. Advertisement Advertisement Some people dont understand you see people all the time walking, shirts, jogging and youre sweating when youre jogging and then when you stop for a minute, you actually dont understand how cold it is because your body is heating up and youre sweating so you know people should definitely bundle up with the jogging walking whatever theyre doing you know, Vega said. Boston 25 News contacted the city of Worcester this morning to inquire about the potential opening of emergency warming shelters. Local officials often open these facilities during extreme temperatures to assist vulnerable populations. Residents are encouraged to adjust their outdoor plans during the coldest parts of the day. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Is the business featured in a recent video by Dr. Mehmet Oz related to hospice and home care fraud in Los Angeles? No, that's not true: The business is a family-owned and operated bakery and market and there is no evidence that implicates the business in any fraud prosecution or to the hospice and home care industry. Several other businesses in the video had nothing to do with hospices or home care either. The claim first appeared in a Jan. 26, 2026 video posted on Dr. Oz's official X (archived here) and Instagram (archived here) account as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It included the caption: "L.A. County has become an epicenter for health care fraud in America." It continued: Criminals have corrupted the system so much that fraud is now almost expected. President Trump has made it clear: we will not tolerate the patient harm or taxpayer funded theft any longer. More to come. Here's a screenshot of the moment in the video when he points to businesses, including the bakery, he says are part of a hospice and home care fraud problem: Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of post at x.com/DrOzCMS/status/2016150183868878882. The video opens with Dr. Oz in the backseat of a car, driving around Van Nuys, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles County, and pointing out businesses with Armenian and Cyrillic writing and alleging ties to healthcare fraud. Advertisement Advertisement In the next shot, he stands in the middle of a strip mall among several businesses, alleging $3.5 billion of fraud taking place in L.A. in hospice and home care. In the video he says: "It's run, quite a bit of it, by the Russian Armenian mafia. You notice the lettering and language behind me is of that dialect." The lettering Oz refers to is in Armenian, and reads " " or "Fresh Lavash," referring to the flat, unleavened bread prepared in Armenian cuisine, in addition to English branding above that reads, "Tigranakert," which is a reference to the 1st century BC capital of the Armenian Kingdom. According to original reporting from ABC7, the Westcoast flagship station of ABC (archived here), the sign is on property that belongs to Movses Bislamyan, the owner and operator of the nearby bakery and grocery store Sherman Way Marketplace. "We have nothing to do with it, it has nothing to do whatsoever with the grocery store," Bislamyan told ABC7. "There is no Armenian mafia going on here," he said. Bislamyan has not responded to Lead Stories' requests for comment at the time this article was published. Lead Stories will update this article if a response is received. Advertisement Advertisement Lead Stories California staff checked available public records to ascertain whether the businesses shown were part of the Justice Department fraud investigation to which Oz refers. In 2010, federal prosecutors charged members (archived here) of an Armenian-American organized crime ring with various health care fraud-related crimes involving more than $163 million in fraudulent Medicare billings, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In all, 44 defendants (archived here) were charged in the Southern District of New York (archived here), seven (archived here) in the District of New Mexico, six (archived here) in the Southern District of Georgia, six (archived here) in the Northern District of Ohio, and 10 (archived here) in the Central District of California. A review by Lead Stories found that none of the individuals or businesses referenced in Dr. Oz's video are named among the defendants in the federal indictment associated with that case. To double-check, Lead Stories reviewed ownership records. Advertisement Advertisement The strip mall he stands in front of was once home to Tigranakert Meat Market. While Tigranakert Meat Market has been established since 2017, the business itself was created more than 25 years ago and previously operated under a different name (Karabagh), according to history included about the business on Yelp by designated business owner, Anna I. Records from a "Business Search" on the California Secretary of State website confirm that Tigranakert Meat Market was established in 2017. California Secretary of State records also note that Tigranakert Bakery was established in 2019 and Anna Ivanyan is listed as the Agent. According to original reporting by the Los Angeles affiliate of CBS News (archived here), the building sits empty in 2026 after a fire forced the business to close more than a year earlier. Advertisement Advertisement In response to Dr. Oz's video, the Instagram account for Tigranakert Meat Market posted: A Turkish-American politician made a baseless and insulting accusation about my business. Let me be clear: my work is 100% legal, legitimate, and built on Armenian heritage. I reject these lies and the bad-faith agenda behind them. At one point in the video, Dr. Oz gestures to an adjacent business, whose sign, Kilikia Art Studio, is visible in the video. He says: "This boarded up area above my head here is a big hospice center." According to a statement released by Kilikia Art Studio on the businesses' Instagram page, this is false. The statement says: Dr. Oz owes our community an apology for falsely pointing at the Kilikia Art Studio and a nearby bakery sign and implying that these businesses were connected to hospice fraud. These accusations are completely untrue, irresponsible, and harmful... Kilikia Art Studio proudly served and educated children in our community for over two decades. We closed our doors two years ago due to the hardships caused by COVID. The sign he pointed to is no longer even active, which makes these claims even more misleading and careless. Oz, a physician turned television personality, was confirmed as the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in April 2025 by Congress on a 53-45 vote. In response to Oz's allegations, California Governor Gavin Newsom's office filed a civil rights complaint against Oz for what Newsom said were "baseless and racist allegations against Armenian Americans in California." Republicans are blaming former Gov. Roy Cooper for the death of Iryna Zarutska and arguing a COVID-era prison settlement led to her killers early release a claim state prison officials dispute. National and local reporting this week showed that DeCarlos Brown Jr., Zarutskas alleged killer, appears on a list of 3,500 prisoners associated with a 2021 settlement over prison conditions. Republicans have seized on the record and a Fox News headline as proof Brown was released early promoting it with emails, social media posts and text messages. But the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction said that interpretation does not reflect what happened. Brown was not released early at all, spokesperson Keith Acree said. He actually served two days past his minimum release date. What Republicans are saying, and what the records show Republicans pointed to Browns inmate number appearing on the list of inmates released as evidence the settlement, and Cooper, contributed in some way to Zarutskas murder. Brown is accused of stabbing Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, on a Charlotte light rail train last year, a brutal attack that drew national outrage after surveillance video of the killing was released. The crime sparked intense political reaction as Republicans elevated the case as an example of what they described as soft-on-crime Democratic policies. Advertisement Advertisement Today we learned that the tragic and horrific murder of Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, NC was the COMPLETELY unavoidable and DIRECT result of Democrat-run SOFT-on-crime policies, House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a post on X Wednesday along with a screenshot of the Fox News story. A man places flowers in a makeshift memorial for Iryna Zarutska at the East/West Blvd. Rail Station in South End in Charlotte, NC on Monday, September 22, 2025. Zarutska was stabbed to death while riding the Charlotte Lynx Blue Line. Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which helps GOP candidates like Whatley, seized on the same reporting. There is no doubt Roy Cooper released DeCarlos Brown from prison early, and this report further confirms that fact, NRSC spokesperson Nick Puglia said in a news release. Cooper is responsible for Iryna Zarutskas murder. But state prison officials said Brown was not released from prison early. Advertisement Advertisement Brown received 176 days of jail credit for time served before he was sentenced for robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to the Department of Adult Correction. Browns minimum release date was Sept. 18, 2020, and he was released from prison custody on Sept. 20, 2020, after completing that mandatory minimum sentence. At that point, Brown began a required 12-month period of post-release supervision. The department said that release and transition to supervision were entirely unrelated to the lawsuit between the state and NAACP over prison conditions amid the pandemic that later resulted in a settlement. While on post-release supervision, Brown was arrested again on Feb. 6, 2021 on charges of misdemeanor assault and damage to personal property which were dismissed a year later. A preliminary revocation hearing was held on Feb. 15, 2021, and a hearing officer elected not to revoke Browns post-release supervision. The COVID-era settlement was signed on Feb. 25, 2021, which was 10 days after that hearing. In short, the department said in an email to The Charlotte Observer, neither Browns release from custody nor the subsequent decision at the revocation hearing was affected by the COVID litigation or settlement. Advertisement Advertisement Brown reached the end of his post-release supervision on Sept. 20, 2021. He was arrested again in 2024 and 2025 for misusing 911, but was released by a magistrate judge and did not serve prison time. The Charlotte Observer last year obtained video of police interacting with Brown in January 2025, when he begged them for help with what he said was something controlling him. Video showed that instead of getting Brown mental health treatment, police arrested him. DeCarlos Brown Jr., 35, was charged with misuse of 911 on Jan. 19, 2025 after calling for help for man-made materials he said were controlling his body. Why was Brown on the list of prisoners? The settlement came out of a lawsuit over prison conditions during the pandemic, not an executive order to release inmates, according to Coopers campaign. The agreement required the state to adjust the sentences of about 3,500 people, either by allowing them to finish their sentences outside prison or by counting time served under post-release supervision. Because the settlement allowed the state to count certain cases retroactively to meet its terms, state prison officials said, Browns case was included on the list even though he had already been released from prison months earlier and his custody status was not changed by the settlement. Still, Republicans have continued to cite Browns inclusion on the list as evidence of wrongdoing. Republican Senate leader Phil Bergers office told the Observer they had a copy of Roy Coopers secret list of 3,500 criminals who were part of the 2021 settlement, and provided it to media outlets. Advertisement Advertisement As governor, Roy Cooper let thousands of criminals out early and hid their identities from the public, Berger said in a statement. This isnt only about DeCarlos Brown, this is about soft-on-crime Roy Cooper endangering our communities. Coopers campaign called the accusations that Cooper released Brown from prison early a lie. Roy Cooper is the only candidate who spent his career prosecuting violent criminals and keeping thousands of them behind bars as attorney general, and signing tough on crime laws and stricter pretrial release bail policy as governor, the campaign said. Did police discover the body of an elderly woman in a Pima County suburb with clothing found at the scene that closely resembled what Nancy Guthrie was wearing before her disappearance? No, that's not true: "This is not factual," the public information officer for the Pima County Sheriff's Department told Lead Stories. As of February 5, 2026, "TODAY" show host Savannah Guthrie's mother, Nancy Guthrie, was still missing. The claim appeared in a February 4, 2026, video posted on TikTok account @news136588 (archived here). It opened with a voice over saying: Police discovered the body of an elderly woman in a Pima county suburb. Clothing found at the scene closely resembled what Nancy Guthrie was wearing before her disappearance. This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing: Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of TikTok.com/news136588. "This is not factual," Angelica Carrillo, public information officer with the Pima County Sheriff's Department, told Lead Stories via email on February 5, 2026. Advertisement Advertisement The footage posted on TikTok uses clips from various news reports showing Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos, images of Savannah and Nancy Guthrie, and aerial footage of Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Arizona. There is also a clip of an officer next to a police vehicle that says Lake County Sheriff. It matches online photos of the Ford Interceptors used by Lake County Illinois, 1,600 miles from Pima CountyArizona, where Savannah's mother went missing, as this screenshot shows: Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of TikTok.com/news136588. Sheriff Nanos held a press conference on February 5, 2026, and did not say an elderly woman's body was found in the county. He said, "We believe Nancy is still out there," as NBC News12 Arizona reported (archived here). A far-right social media influencer whose political career has been fueled more by provocation than by votes complained this week that Texas Republicans have barred her from party events. She also claimed, without evidence, that she was stripped of her ability to vote, allegations that arrive amid a familiar mix of incendiary rhetoric and unverifiable claims. Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter. Valentina Gomez, who has described herself to her more than 400,000 followers online as a Colombian immigrant and a MAGA conservative, made the assertions in a video posted Wednesday to Instagram. In it, she says the Republican Party of Texas is so corrupt that it banned her from party functions after she expos[ed] the horrible health condition of 84-year-old Congressman John Carter, the longtime incumbent in Texas 31st Congressional District. She also claims she is under investigation by multiple federal agencies and alleges that officials used their power to remove me from the voting rolls, adding that they made it illegal for me to cast my vote. Advertisement Advertisement Related: Anti-LGBTQ+ Republican trounced in Missouri Republican primary. Was it worth her brothers cushy job? Related: Don't be 'weak & gay': Republican announces congressional run with controversial video Related: Missouri Republican candidate burns LGBTQ+ books with flamethrower and posts the video online The video quickly veers from grievance to exhortation. Gomez urges supporters to send your mailing ballot to Texas, describes her campaign as David versus Goliath, and asks viewers to vote me to Congress. It closes with a pledge to make Texas the worst place for terrorist Muslims, illegals, and corrupt politicians to live in, followed by a religious sign-off. Advertisement Advertisement Local Republicans describe a narrower dispute. The Williamson County Sun reported last week that Gomez was barred from county party events following an altercation at a GOP gathering. Party officials told the paper the restriction stemmed from conduct at the event, not from policy disagreements. The report described a confrontation involving Carter, 84, who has represented the district since 2003. Related: Missouri pol says unpatriotic lesbian Brittney Griner should be in Russian jail, not Olympics Related: Missouri Republican's antigay slur-filled posts remain on Instagram despite violating Metas policies Related: Missouri Democrat defends trans grandchild against GOP secretary of state candidates attack Advertisement Advertisement Unfortunately, an opportunistic candidate for Congressional District 31 chose to turn this joyous occasion into a campaign gimmick for social media clout, the Williamson County Republican chair, Michelle Evans, said in a January 27 statement. The type of self-serving behavior displayed Saturday is unacceptable in this context, and this candidate has been informed that she is no longer permitted to attend our private events or meetings. Gomez has offered no evidence to support her claims that she was removed from the voter rolls or placed under federal investigation. Texas election law sets out specific, documented procedures for any change in a voters registration status, and election officials have not confirmed any action affecting her eligibility. The episode follows a familiar pattern. Gomez previously ran as a Republican for Missouri secretary of state in 2024 and lost badly, finishing near the bottom of a crowded primary. That campaign drew national attention for antigay slurs, attacks on transgender people, and inflammatory stunts. LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD has repeatedly documented her posts and videos, saying she used slurs and trafficked in dehumanizing rhetoric that fueled harassment and threats against queer people. Related: Aide to N.J. mayor loses job over support of anti-LGBTQ+ sister running for Missouri office Advertisement Advertisement Related: Former Jersey City aide fired over support for right-wing extremist sister sues Democratic mayor Related: Meta disables far-right Republican's Instagram after months of antigay, slur-filled posts Meta later disabled her Instagram account for repeated violations of its policies. After her decisive defeat in 2024, Gomez resurfaced in Texas to run for Congress against Carter, bringing the same culture war messaging. In recent videos, she has vowed to kick every Muslim out of Texas and to make the state free from terrorists and illegals, rhetoric that has drawn condemnation even within Republican circles. This article originally appeared on Advocate: Failed anti-LGBTQ+ immigrant MAGA influencer banned from Texas Republican Party events RELATED CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) One Central Illinois university has revamped its emergency alert system. These upgrades have come after a false alarm at Eastern Illinois University in November, claiming there was an armed person on campus. University officials said that they got a lot of feedback from students that day and were quick to start making changes. We realized things did not go exactly as wed hoped that day, and so we immediately sprung into action to to make things better, Vice President of Student Affairs, Anne Flaherty, said. Advertisement Advertisement It was very much a panic: Emergency alert at Coles Co. campus left students with fear, confusion It was a day that left many students afraid and confused. I remember the panic in the chat room we all have, of just wondering, Whats going on, where are they, whos in classes, what [are] the lockdown procedures? It was very scary, Caydence Krainock, a student at EIU, recalled. With the universitys highest priority being student safety, Flaherty said that the language in the emergency messages is much clearer now. It refers to run, hide, fight, or shelter in place to be very action oriented, Flaherty shared. Advertisement Advertisement Krainock remembers that day back in November vividly when she heard there might be an armed person on campus. She said that she received an emergency alert message but that wasnt the case for everyone. Our current EIU alert system at that time was opt in, so, individuals could choose to be part of it or not. And we realized a lot of people had not opted in, Flaherty added. Now, all students are automatically in the system. U of I Title VI Office investigating Illini Republicans controversial social media post The University has the ability to send 5,000 text messages in just 30 seconds, but its not just the students getting the alerts. Students can add up to four people, like friends and family, to also get the emergency messages. Advertisement Advertisement I think thats honestly a great perk to have, Krainock said. Flaherty said that they also thought about what could happen if students didnt have their phones. We recently learned we could connect that system with our Alert EIU System. So, now we can do a live alert over the speaker system in the event of an active shooter situation, Flaherty said. There are outdoor speakers across campus and inside classrooms and residence halls. The university is also offering Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate (ALICE) training. Flaherty said that its specific training to prepare students, faculty, and staff for critical situations. Advertisement Advertisement Krainock said these upgrades and the staffs attention to student concerns is making her feel safer and more confident. Honestly, I do feel like its a big improvement and I think it was definitely needed, she said. 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. The family of Anna Kepner was seen outside a Miami federal courthouse on Friday. In a video obtained from Miami ABC affiliate WSVN, the family can be seen walking into the courthouse. This is in relation to the homicide case of Anna Kepner, the Titusville teenager who was found dead on a Carnival Cruise. Stay with Channel 9 for the latest on the case. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A New Jersey family bakery is pushing back against what it calls false and damaging rumors that have been spreading online. The Medina Bakery & Restaurant in Fairview says online posts have accused them of conspiring with immigration authorities in the community, a rumor they say couldn't be farther from the truth. Medina Bakery & Restaurant is a dream realized for owner Jorge Medina. He came to the U.S. from Guatemala in the 1980s with his wife. He worked hard, raised a family and saved up to create a family business. Advertisement Advertisement "We opened the business with faith," Medina said. "Thank god, we've been good. Business has been good. It's been a blessing." But the family says as ICE raids ramped up in New Jersey, online rumors surfaced that members of his family were helping ICE agents find and arrest people from the community. He says nothing is farther from the truth. "How can we do that to our own people? We are all fighters in this country," Medina said. "No one in my family is involved with ICE." He also says since the raids and rumors, their business is down by about 30%. With three family restaurants, the Medina's employ numerous workers, who in turn, are able to care for their families. He says his family would never do anything to add to the disruptive circumstances now sweeping the country. Advertisement Advertisement "Do not believe everything people say," Medina said. "This is all false information. False. We are always here to serve the community in our bakery. Come here without any fear. It's all a lie." ---------- * Get Eyewitness News Delivered * More New Jersey news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Canadian mining company Sandfire Resources has executed agreements with Havilah Resources to progress the Kalkaroo Copper-Gold Project and form a strategic exploration partnership in South Australia's Curnamona Province. Following a shareholder vote, Havilah received approval to proceed with the transaction, allowing Sandfire to secure an 80% stake in the Kalkaroo project. Kalkaroo is said to be Australia's most significant undeveloped open-pit copper deposit based on copper equivalent ore reserves, featuring a 0.74% copper equivalent grade. It is home to measured, indicated and inferred Joint Ore Reserve Committee (JORC) mineral resources including 1.1 million tonnes (mt) of copper, 3.1 million ounces (moz) of gold and 23,200t of cobalt. The acquisition involves an initial payment of approximately A$117.6m ($81.9m), comprising A$31.5m in cash and 4,640,833 Sandfire shares. Sandfire CEO and managing director Brendan Harris said: Execution of the definitive transaction agreements is an important milestone for our company as it provides the right to earn a controlling interest in a copper-gold resource and reserve that remains open along strike and at depth, and has the potential to underpin a large-scale, long-life and low-cost development project located in a preferred jurisdiction. We look forward to working with the Havilah team, the South Australian Government, the Traditional Owners and other local stakeholders to bring the Kalkaroo copper-gold project to life and create meaningful opportunities for the broader community. Sandfire's option to acquire the 80% interest depends on the completion of a new pre-feasibility study, which will feature at least 20,000m of infill and resource extension drilling, or may be exercised within a time frame of 24 months. Concurrently, Sandfire is set to invest A$30m in regional exploration over a minimum of two years as part of the strategic alliance agreement. Havilah technical director Chris Giles said: Sandfire will bring the substantial capital and technical expertise that are required to fully evaluate and develop the large Kalkaroo copper-gold project at an optimum scale. Havilah would hold a significant stake in the outcome via its retained 20% carried interest in the project. The A$30m strategic alliance funding commitment over two years will allow us to accelerate regional exploration with the objective of transforming the highly prospective Curnamona Province into Australia's next major copper province, centred on the Kalkaroo copper-gold project development. Family of Starke murder-suicide victim questions how estranged husband had gun despite court order Just over one week after Rachael Kerr was killed in a domestic violence shooting inside her Starke home, her older brother says the warning signs were clear documented in arrests, court orders, and restraining injunctions that ultimately failed to protect her. Kerr was in the middle of a divorce from her estranged husband, Loyd Kerr, when she sought multiple protective injunctions, according to court records. In the months leading up to her death, deputies arrested him several times for violating those orders. He was also facing felony charges and was under a court order prohibiting him from possessing firearms or contacting his estranged wife. Despite that history, investigators say he was released from jail on bail. Early Thursday morning last week, deputies responded to a 911 hang-up call at the home. They found Rachael Kerr tied up and shot. Her husband later turned the gun on himself. Their two children an 11-year-old and a 9-year-old were inside the home and feared they would be killed next. She lived in fear, said Kerrs older brother, Nick Leidy, speaking from his home in St. Petersburg. She was very vocal about what he would do to her, and to those kids. That brought on the restraining orders. Advertisement Advertisement Leidy said his sister followed the legal process and believed the protections in place would give her time to plan for her safety. Because of his prior arrests, he said, her estranged husband had been ordered to surrender his firearms voluntarily. Because of his arrest and everything hed done, he was ordered to voluntarily turn in his guns, Leidy said. How he still had access to a weapon remains unclear. Whoever allowed a bail to be set probably would be is a failure, in my opinion. Investigators later told the family that the children were directly threatened during the attack. When we were at the sheriffs office, they (the children) told that story that he put the gun to each one of their heads and asked if they wanted to go to heaven with him, Leidy said. They begged him not to go through with this. He ended his life in front of them. Advertisement Advertisement Now, Leidy is preparing to adopt his niece and nephew. He has three children of his own and says the adjustment will be difficult, but necessary. Its easy for them to welcome them into my arms, he said. Is it going to be challenging? Yeah. A long road ahead of us. I believe theres no greater reward. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] As he takes on a new role as not just an uncle, but now their father figure, Leidy says hes relying on faith and family and the memory of his sister to move forward. That would probably be her message to me, he said. When it feels too much, put it on God. Hes there with us. Advertisement Advertisement The case has raised questions about how domestic violence injunctions are enforced in Florida. State Representative Anna Eskamani, who co-sponsored House Bill 729, said the legislation is designed to strengthen protective injunctions, requiring individuals under a final domestic violence order to surrender firearms and escalating penalties for repeat violations measures she says might have helped prevent tragedies like Kerrs death. Eskamani said the bill would close gaps that leave victims exposed even after judges step in. Even with a court ordering to surrender firearms, that gets ignored, she said. The goal of this bill is to ensure the injunctions are not toothless and that theres a clear requirement for law enforcement to remove those firearms and to keep that survivor safe. Action News Jax asked the State Attorneys Office how Loyd Kerr could still have a gun when his court order clearly prohibited it. Officials say it remains unclear exactly how that happened. There is no public record showing whether weapons were ever surrendered or if enforcement failed somewhere. What is clear is that the order existed. How or if it was enforced remains unanswered. While Eskamani is not optimistic the bill will cross during this legislative session, she isnt giving up. Anything is possible until the end of session, she said. Advertisement Advertisement A GoFundMe campaign created by her brother, Nick Leidy, has also been set up. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. The family of the kidnapped mother of a top US TV news anchor made a new plea for information from her captors on Thursday, after investigators said they believed the 84-year-old was still alive. Nancy Guthrie, mother of NBC News "Today" co-host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been kidnapped from her home in Tucson, Arizona, some time on Saturday night or Sunday morning, sparking a massive hunt in a case that has gripped America. "Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you," the missing woman's son, Camron Guthrie, said in a video posted on Instagram. Advertisement Advertisement "We haven't heard anything directly. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward. But first we have to know that you have our mom." Savannah Guthrie had tearfully pleaded with kidnappers to share proof of life earlier this week. The family's renewed call came after the FBI disclosed that a first deadline of 5 pm on Thursday was made in a ransom letter, without providing a time zone. FBI Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke told a press conference that a second demand of a payment by Monday was given in the letter. "If a transfer wasn't made, I think a second demand was for next Monday," he said, declining to provide any information about what was threatened if the deadline was not met. Advertisement Advertisement "The ransom note that was sent out there... every lead in this case we are taking extremely serious," Janke added, saying the letter called for an undisclosed amount of money. Authorities have made one arrest over a fake ransom demand, Janke said. Nancy Guthrie's disappearance has garnered wall-to-wall coverage in US media, with dozens of reporters and camera crews descending on the quiet Arizona suburb where she lives. Authorities said they believed the missing woman was still alive, and said blood discovered on her doorstep belonged to her. "Right now, we believe Nancy is still out there. We want her home," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement But law enforcement was no closer to finding out who was responsible for the woman's abduction. "Everybody's still a suspect in our eyes," Nanos said. The FBI's Janke called on whoever was responsible to hand themselves in or establish communication with the family. "In a normal case there would be contact by now," he said. Action taken on any proposed ransom would be "taken by the family" only, he added. - First timeline - President Donald Trump said Wednesday he had ordered "ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family's, and Local Law Enforcement's, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY." Advertisement Advertisement On Thursday, his press spokeswoman said Trump spoke to Savannah Guthrie and told her "the federal government is here to help." Nanos -- who earlier this week said he was not used to the kind of national scrutiny that comes with a case like this -- gave the first detailed timeline of events after Guthrie was dropped off at her home at 9:48 pm Saturday. At "that time we assume that Nancy's home and going to bed," he said. "At 1:47 am the doorbell camera disconnects. "2:12 am, software detects a person on a camera, but there's no video available. "2:28 am, Nancy's pacemaker app shows that it was a disconnect from the phone." Advertisement Advertisement At that point, the trail went cold, Nanos said. Janke announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie's rescue or the arrest of those responsible for her disappearance. He said FBI Director Kash Patel was receiving updates on the case. Nanos said time was of the essence. "She is in need of daily medication," he said. "It's day four or five, and we don't know that she's getting her medication. "That could, in itself, prove fatal." pr-hg/jfx/lga Several people were killed in Russian attacks across Ukraine, in the wake of two days of talks on a possible end to the war. In the Zaporizhzhya region, a married couple was killed in a Russian drone strike on the city of Vilniansk, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. In a separate attack in the regional capital of Zaporizhzhya, a 14-year-old boy was injured. Around 12,000 households in the area were left without electricity. Advertisement Advertisement In the Dnipropetrovsk region, one man was killed and four others were injured in Russian shelling, according to Ukraine's civil defence agency. Military Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said the area was hit by drones and glide bombs. In Russia, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported extensive damage to energy infrastructure in the regional capital and several districts. He said full power supply had not been restored by Friday morning. Several settlements in the Bryansk region were also temporarily left without electricity following Ukrainian attacks, Governor Alexander Bogomaz wrote on Telegram. Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for nearly four years with Western support. As part of its defence, Kiev has repeatedly struck targets inside Russia. Overall casualties and damage reported in Russia have been on a smaller scale than those recorded in Ukraine. Attendees of the Kansans for Constitutional Freedom watch party celebrate after Aug. 2, 2022, primary election results verify Kansans voted to keep abortion a constitutional right. (Photo by Lily O'Shea Becker/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA A federal judge in Kansas declined to dismiss an advocacy organizations lawsuit against Attorney General Kris Kobach and state ethics officials, who the judge said provided neither good reason nor any reason at all for asking to boot the case. Our court doesnt deprive parties of their right to present claims without good reason, U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree wrote in a 15-page decision published Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement The rulings denied state officials attempts to throw out or at least pause the case, allowing claims from Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, a reproductive rights advocacy group, to proceed. KCF sued state officials last May, arguing a law banning foreign nationals from financially contributing to efforts to support or oppose constitutional ballot measures was broad and vague and infringed upon protected political speech. KCF claims the law, which passed in April and went into effect in July, will muzzle the speech of U.S. citizens and domestic organizations far more effectively than that of the foreign nationals Kansas claims it means to target. KCF, which is backed by a Washington, D.C., law firm, spent more than $11 million opposing the 2022 vote on abortion rights, and some of its funds came from foreign-backed sources, according to court filings. The group said the Kansas Legislature passed the law in part because foreign funds given to KCF contributed to the defeat of the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion. KCF wants to continue its work and oppose an upcoming amendment to the Kansas Constitution one that would modify the way Kansas Supreme Court justices are chosen, shifting it from a merit-based selection process to partisan elections. It is set to appear on voters ballots in the Aug. 4 primary. Advertisement Advertisement KCF said in court filings that House Bill 2106 hampers its plans to conduct advocacy, and it already secured funding to oppose the judicial selection amendment. GOP leaders have identified the change in judicial selection as an avenue to overturning disfavored Supreme Court decisions, including one guaranteeing the right to bodily autonomy. The 2025 law changed the Kansas Campaign Finance Act to retroactively prohibit using foreign funds, which includes money from donors who accept foreign funds, in activities that support or oppose a constitutional amendment in Kansas. Any person or group donating to campaigns for or against an amendment must also certify they havent received more than $100,000 from foreign nationals in the preceding four years. A violation results in a ban from participating in constitutional advocacy for up to four years. The lawsuit named nine members of the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, formerly the Governmental Ethics Commission; the commissions executive director, Wade Wiebe; and Kobach, the attorney general who is permitted under the law to bring criminal charges against violators. The commission can bring additional civil action against violators. Advertisement Advertisement Crabtree examined the state officials motion to dismiss the groups claims, considering several factors, including a three-pronged analysis of prudential ripeness, or the timeliness of judicial intervention. Crabtree weighed whether the cases issues were fit to be decided in court, if parties would suffer hardship if the court didnt consider the case, and the potential chilling effect the law could cause on First Amendment freedoms. He favored KCFs positions on all three. Defendants assert that KCF would suffer little if this suit got dismissed, Crabtree wrote. It should come as no surprise that KCF claims dismissal would cause it significant, immediate hardship. KCF again has the better argument. In July, Crabtree denied KCFs request to block the law from going into effect, saying the group was unlikely to succeed on claims of vagueness and broadness. In that decision, Crabtree sided with state officials, agreeing that ballot issues, particularly constitutional amendments, shape the states most foundational document, he wrote. But he also acknowledged the laws potential to be an unnecessary and paternalistic limit on which ideas get to compete in the marketplace of ideas. PHOENIX A federal jury in Phoenix on Thursday, Feb. 5, ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver in Arizona when she was 19, a verdict that could influence thousands of similar cases against the ride-hailing company. The three-week trial centered on Jaylynn Dean, who said the sexual assault happened in November 2023. The case was the first bellwether trial in the federal multidistrict litigation involving thousands of other cases and spans several states. Bellwether trials are used to test legal theories and help gauge the value of claims for possible settlements. After three days of deliberations, nine jurors returned their verdict on Feb. 5 in U.S. District Court. Advertisement Advertisement Jurors were asked to decide whether Uber, through its branding and actions, led Dean to reasonably believe her driver was acting on Ubers behalf even though drivers are classified as independent contractors. It's a legal theory known as "apparent agency." Jurors found that Uber was liable for apparent agency. Dean's attorneys had also sought $24 million in compensatory damages and $120 million in punitive damages. Jurors ultimately awarded a fraction of what was asked and declined to award any punitive damages. 'Already made up his mind': Ex-gynecologist's conviction for sexually abusing patients reversed Lawyer: 'Uber is responsible for the conduct of its drivers' Dean's lawsuit said she was intoxicated when she hired an Uber driver to take her from her boyfriend's home to her hotel. The driver asked her harassing questions on the ride before stopping the car and raping her, Dean alleged in the lawsuit. Advertisement Advertisement Dean, an Oklahoma resident, sued Uber in 2023, one month after her alleged assault in Arizona. She said Uber was aware of a wave of sexual assaults committed by its drivers, but had failed to take basic actions to improve the safety of its riders. Such assertions have long dogged the company, drawing headlines and congressional scrutiny. Deans attorneys said the verdict marked an important step in holding Uber accountable, while acknowledging that broader legal questions remain unresolved. Sarah London, an attorney for Dean and a co-lead in the multidistrict litigation, said in an email that the verdict "validates the thousands of survivors who have come forward at great personal risk to demand accountability against Uber for its focus on profit over passenger safety." Thousands of cases remain pending, and London said that future verdicts will define whether justice was served. Advertisement Advertisement The jury heard extensive evidence about Ubers practices and recognized that Uber is responsible for the conduct of its drivers, she said. In a statement, Uber spokesperson Andrew Hasbun said the verdict showed the jury rejected the most serious claims against the ride-hailing company, adding that jurors awarded "an amount far below what was sought" and declined to award punitive damages. "This verdict affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety," Hasbun said. "We will continue to put safety at the heart of everything we do." Uber's shares dipped 1.5% in after-hours trading. Shares of rival Lyft, which is facing lawsuits making similar claims, were down 1.8%. Advertisement Advertisement Phone scams: 83-year-old man found guilty in fatal 2024 shooting of Uber driver Uber cases During the three-week trial, attorneys for Uber urged jurors to view the case narrowly, arguing the assault was an unforeseeable criminal act committed by an independent contractor who had passed background checks, completed safety training, and logged thousands of rides without serious incident. Ubers lawyers repeatedly told jurors to focus on "this driver, this rider and this trip," rather than national statistics or other lawsuits, emphasizing that the company blocked the driver shortly after Dean reported the assault and offered safety tools in the app, including audio recording. "He had no criminal history. None," Kim Bueno, an attorney for Uber, said of the driver during closing arguments, noting that he had 10,000 trips on the app and a nearly perfect rating from riders. "Was this foreseeable to Uber? And the answer to that has to be no." Advertisement Advertisement Dean's attorneys countered that Uber knew certain riders particularly women traveling alone at night after drinking faced heightened risks. They pointed to Uber's internal safety data and algorithms, which they said flagged Deans trip as higher risk before it began but did not trigger warnings or intervention. They also argued that Ubers branding, control over rides, and safety messaging encouraged riders to trust drivers as representatives of the company, forming the basis for the apparent-agency claim. Against that backdrop, jurors were instructed to evaluate three claims separately: negligence, defective design of the Uber app, and apparent agency. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who normally sits on the bench in San Francisco, oversaw Dean's case in Phoenix. Breyer is managing all of the similar federal cases against Uber, which have been centralized in his court in San Francisco. The company is also facing more than 500 cases in the California state court. In the only one of those cases to go to trial so far, a jury in September sided with Uber. The jury found that while the company had been negligent with its safety measures, that negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the woman's harm. Advertisement Advertisement The next case to go to trial is expected to start in April in North Carolina. Contributing: Reuters This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Uber ordered to pay $8.5M in trial over driver sex assault claims Researchers' boats beached on the shore of Teshekpuk Lake, National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska at sunset in this undated photo. Teshekpuk Lake is the largest lake on the North Slope. An upcoming oil and gas lease sale announced by the Trump administration will be carried out under a new plan that makes previously off-limits areas in and around the lake available for oil development. (Photo by Tim Craig/U.S. Bureau of Land Management) The Trump administration is offering 5.5 million acres in Arctic Alaska for exploration in an oil and gas lease sale to be held next month. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Thursday announced the lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, the 23-million-acre land unit on the western North Slope. Bids are to be opened on March 9, the BLM said. Details of the sale are to be released once the sale notice is published in the Federal Register, according to the agency. Advertisement Advertisement The sale is the first of five mandated over the next 10 years in the reserve under the sweeping tax and budget bill, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress last summer. The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska plays a vital role in advancing Americas energy independence, and Congress has repeatedly made clear their intent for timely leasing and responsible development in the region, acting BLM Director Bill Groffy said in a statement. This lease sale the first in the reserve since 2019 marks another exciting milestone as we work to unlock the full potential of this area. The budget bill mandated a series of oil and gas lease sales in federal territory elsewhere in Alaska as well. The first of six Cook Inlet federal offshore lease sales mandated through 2032 will be held on March 4 by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, another Department of the Interior agency. Meanwhile, the BLM has taken initial steps toward scheduling a lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, also part of a series mandated by the bill. Unlike the federal waters of Cook Inlet or the coastal plain of the Arctic refuge, the National Petroleum Reserve has drawn keen industry interest in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Parts of the Indiana-sized reserve are believed to hold high potential for oil, thanks in large part to a geologic feature called the Nanushuk formation that underlies it. About 1.6 million acres in the reserve are already under lease there, according to the BLM. Two animals in the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd are seen on June 27, 2014. The herd uses the area around vast Teshekpuk Lake for calving. (Photo by Bob Wick/U.S. Bureau of Land Management) The biggest development underway in the reserve is ConocoPhillips Willow project, which is expected to start producing in 2029, with an output that is expected to peak at 180,000 barrels a day. There are other fields in the reserve that began producing in the last decade. The first to come online was ConocoPhillips CD5 drill site, which is located on Native land within the reserve boundaries; it started production in 2015. ConocoPhillips Greater Mooses Tooth 1 site started producing in 2018 and its Greater Mooses Tooth 2 site started producing at the end of 2021. The Obama administration had a policy of holding annual NPR-A lease sales that were timed to coincide with the Alaska Division of Oil and Gas annual areawide North Slope lease sales. The last NPR-A lease sale, held during the first Trump administration in 2019, offered nearly 4 million acres and drew 92 bids and close to $11.3 million in high bids. The Trump administrations upcoming sale offers more land than most of the past sales held since 1999 by different administrations. The last Obama-era lease sale, held in 2016, offered about 1.45 million acres and yielded $18.8 million in high bids, according to a BLM sale recap. Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration, through a new management plan, opened 82% of the reserve to oil development, compared to the Obama and Biden administration management plans that allowed leasing in about half of the reserve. Among the areas the Trump administration opened up to development is the sensitive Teshekpuk Lake area in the reserves northeast corner, though with some narrow stipulations. Teshekpuk is the North Slopes largest lake, and its adjacent wetlands have held various levels of protective status for decades, dating back to the Reagan administration. The area holds important habitat for the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd, migrating birds and other resources that support traditional Indigenous subsistence harvests. The Trump administrations management plan, approved in December, jettisoned protections for the lake and its surrounding area, including one negotiated by residents of Nuiqsut, the Inupiat community nearest to existing development. The lease sale announcement and the possibility of Teshekpuk Lake oil development drew quick criticism Thursday from The Wilderness Society. Advertisement Advertisement The sale is part of the administrations pattern of selling off public lands for corporate profits at the expense of the American people, beloved wildlife, and Alaskans who depend on nearby fish and game, Matt Jackson, the groups Alaska senior manager, said in a statement. The Teshekpuk Lake area in the Western Arctic is home to the largest congregation of migratory birds nesting in the entire global Arctic and the calving ground of the Teshekpuk Lake Caribou Herd. It is one of the last places on Earth we should be leasing. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Correction: A previous version misstated the last time there was a lease sale. It was during the first Trump administration. Odessa police detectives arrested a man they say is a six-time convicted felon Wednesday on two felony drug charges. According to an Odessa police report, detectives received a tip that a man later identified as Jamie Joe Maruska was selling drugs out of his house on North Kentucky Avenue. On Tuesday, detectives saw the drivers of two vehicles make short stops at Maruskas address and pulled them over, the report stated. They found a total of 5.9 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicles and at least one person said they bought the drug from Maruska. Advertisement Advertisement After obtaining a search warrant for the house, detectives found 7.3 grams of fentanyl-laced M30 pills, the report stated. After being given his Miranda rights, Maruska admitted to selling meth and fentanyl and said hed just sold the last of his meth that day, the report stated. Maruska was arrested and booked into the Ector County jail on suspicion of two counts of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $100,000, but hes also being held for the U.S. Marshals service. The post Felon arrested on drug charges appeared first on Odessa American. Gov. Bob Ferguson, outside the House chambers at the Washington state Capitol, on Jan. 13, 2026, prior to delivering his State of the State address. (Photo by Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard) Gov. Bob Ferguson is said to be seeking to quietly resolve allegations that he violated state laws by allowing his former top adviser, Mike Webb, to travel with him on a state plane to the Tri-Cities last summer. On Jan. 9, the Executive Ethics Board concluded there was reasonable cause to believe that the governors actions ran afoul of Washingtons ethics laws, which bar the use of state resources for the private benefit of a non-state employee. Advertisement Advertisement Ferguson has had a few weeks to decide whether to pursue a settlement. Otherwise, under state law, the board would conduct a public hearing where he could contest the charges. An Executive Ethics Board spokesperson said Thursday that Ferguson had elected to enter into settlement negotiations. If an agreement isnt reached, a public hearing could still be held. It wasnt immediately clear if theres a deadline for completing a deal. The governors office didnt respond to multiple requests for comment Thursday. Ferguson invited Webb onto the June 26, 2025, flight to the Tri-Cities, a decision he described as pretty stupid in a staff meeting months later. Advertisement Advertisement Agency executive director Kate Reynolds, in her January recommendation to the ethics board, said the governor provided a special privilege to Webb by allowing him to travel on the Washington State Patrol aircraft. Ferguson told the ethics board investigators last year that use of state resources with the flight was de minimis in nature and not for private gain, and he asked for the matter to be dismissed. COLUMBUS The Fox 8 I-Team has uncovered new arguments over using state unclaimed funds to help pay for a new enclosed stadium for the Browns. Last year, a judge issued an order putting a temporary hold on using unclaimed funds for the Browns dome; now a Franklin County Common Pleas Court magistrate will soon decide whether that hold should stay in place or be lifted. Ohio fugitive on the run for 18 years found working as personal trainer in Miami Beach Advertisement Advertisement New arguments were just filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court over using $600 million in unclaimed funds to help build the dome for the Browns. Last month, we showed you that lawyers were in court arguing the case. Attorneys against the funds being used for a stadium project argue it is not fair to taxpayers. Lawyers representing the state of Ohio, however, argue the enclosed complex will be for the public good. A magistrate will now review the arguments and make a decision. The decision could come by the end of the month. In the latest brief filed, lawyers for the state maintain using the money is better than having it sit in a fund. Advertisement Advertisement Rather than waste taxpayer dollars managing and holding unclaimed (abandoned) funds for owners who may never show up, the brief states. The State has deemed it appropriate to have that moneyserve the public, while still maintaining safeguards if owners do materialize over the next decade. Lawyers against using unclaimed funds for the stadium project disagree, saying they believe it to be wrong and lacking in any private purpose. The I-Team has heard from taxpayers who argue the state makes it difficult to collect unclaimed funds. The unclaimed funds account is made up of money left in old bank accounts, security deposits, insurance policies and more. The states plan to use unclaimed funds for the Browns has sparked an avalanche of new applications for the old money. Lawmakers say the states unclaimed funds account keeps growing, so no one should be in danger of not being able to collect money. Advertisement Advertisement New Ohio law adjusts cut-off date for starting kindergarten Attorneys for the state also argue that projects such as the new Browns stadium have to generate more in taxes than they get in unclaimed funds. And developers have to keep money set aside to help pay back the state if the project fails. This week, Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam told the I-Team he is not worried about the court fight and plans to start the largest construction job in Cuyahoga County history next month. I think that would tell you how confident we are, Haslam said. 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 8 Cleveland WJW. A historic seaside hotel in a New England city was damaged late Thursday night by a fire that prompted a large emergency response and evacuations, officials said. The Newport Fire Department in Rhode Island received an alarm activation at 590 Ocean Avenue, the location of the Castle Hill Inn, just after 9:30 p.m. Upon arrival, crews reported visible smoke and fire shooting through the roof at the rear of the hotel. All guests were safely evacuated from the hotel as firefighters searched the building and battled raging flames on the third floor and attic levels. Advertisement Advertisement A second alarm was struck just before 10 p.m., bringing in mutual aid from the Newport Naval Station, Jamestown, Middletown, Portsmouth, North Kingstown, Bristol, and Kingston Fire Departments, along with the Providence Canteen, which provided support for ground operations and emergency coverage across the city. The fire was declared under control just after midnight Friday. Newport firefighters remained on site Friday morning to assist investigators and monitor for any remaining hot spots. Hotel management confirmed that all affected guests were provided lodging on the property. Officials have not yet released estimates regarding the extent of fire, smoke, or water damage. Advertisement Advertisement Despite cold temperatures and icy conditions, officials say no injuries have been reported. Investigators from the Newport Fire Marshals Office and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshals Office responded to determine the cause of the blaze, which remains under investigation. Castle Hill Inn is located on a 40-acre private peninsula at the southwesternmost tip of Aquidneck Island. Commissioned in 1874, it became a year-round retreat after serving as a WWII emergency base. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW It has been reported that most of Shells renewable projects were loss-making in the fourth quarter of 2025 - Julian Walters Shell is poised return to Venezuela within months after Americas ousting of Nicolas Maduro, the companys chief executive has said. Wael Sawan on Thursday said the company was considering launching projects off the Venezuelan coast, which could start pumping gas within the next two years. The British oil giant has long wanted to target the rich gas fields lying between Venezuela and the neighbouring offshore islands of Trinidad and Tobago but has been blocked by US sanctions. These are opportunities that could potentially be activated within months, Mr Sawan told CNBC after the publication of Shells 2025 financial results on Thursday. If approved, it would mean a potential acceleration of the massive Dragon gas field project, which lies in Venezuelan waters and holds an estimated 120 billion cubic metres of gas, or around three times as much as the UK uses in a year. Mr Sawans comments followed Shells results that showed its renewable energy business lost $489m (361m) last year after the majority of its green projects became loss-making. The company said on Thursday it would refocus on oil and gas, as Wael Sawan, the chief executive, promised to reduce spending on poorly performing clean energy projects. Shell cut $5.1bn of operating costs over the last three years, as well as abandoning capital projects such as a biofuels refinery in Rotterdam and a string of wind farms across Britain and the US. Mr Sawan said 2025 had been a year of accelerated momentum achieved by better discipline, meaning axing poorly performing projects. He said: You see that reflected in tough choices like stopping construction of the biofuels plant in Rotterdam. Wael Sawan cited halting the Rotterdam biofuels plant as an example of cutting underperforming projects - Ryan Lim/AFP The plant, designed to convert waste into jet fuel, was abandoned in mid 2024, but losses have continued into 2025. Losses at the refinery are now thought to exceed $1.4bn. Despite cutting costs, Shell posted its worst quarterly profit in almost five years as the falling price of oil weighed on its performance. Brent Crude fell from a high of more than $78 a barrel last summer to as little as $56 in December. Shares dropped by as much as 2.6pc on Thursday after Shell posted adjusted net income of $3.2bn for the final three months of 2025, 11pc lower than a year earlier and lower than average analyst estimates of $3.5bn. While oil and gas were a weak spot at the end of last year, Mr Sawan is betting on fossil fuels for the future. New production is planned in the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, while exploration is planned off Angola and South Africa. We are committed to bringing new oil and gas projects online that at their peak will add more than one million barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2030, he said. An investigation that began with complaints about vaping in schools ended with the arrest of what Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Feb. 6 was a major drug trafficker. In total, Budensiek said investigators turned up 78.5 pounds of marijuana; 2,544 THC vapes/cartridges; 81 THC wax/dab containers; 290 THC gummies; seven guns and more than $56,000 during search warrants executed late Feb. 3 and early Feb. 4 at residences in Indiantown. More: Florida man 'major drug trafficker' identified after school complaint Advertisement Advertisement I understand that public sentiment is softening with marijuana, but these black market marijuana dealers like this guy, they absolutely affect our kids, Budensiek said. Nearly 80 pounds of marijuana; more than 2,500 THC vapes/cartridges; about $56,000 in cash; firearms and other items were reported seized in February 2026 by Martin County Sheriff's investigators from two homes in Indiantown. The search warrants were at residences in the 14500 block of Southwest Esperanza Court and 14800 block of Southwest 175th Court. The locations are about 0.5 mile apart, west of Southwest Warfield Boulevard. Investigators reported linking the residences to Bryan Gomez-Colin, 21, records show. The search warrants came after reported undercover drug buys in September, December and January from Gomez-Colin, records show. In two of the buys, records show, an informant purchased about an ounce of cocaine as well as marijuana, while in the first the informant bought just marijuana, affidavits state. Advertisement Advertisement He really was not on our radar until we got that complaint about the vapes in the schools, Budensiek said. Then our narcotics guys, they just followed the investigation like they normally do, but this one ended up with a lot larger of a seizure. Budensiek said investigators believe his underlings got the items into schools. He's selling to anybody and everybody, but that's the route that we started on to get where we ended up, Budensiek said. Budensiek said some children have adverse side effects from marijuana vapes and have been to the hospital. We have had issues already this year, and we have worked with the school district who's been really on top of that with us to try to curb vaping in schools, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Vaping and schools: Vaping. It's the popular thing, and it's becoming disruptive in Treasure Coast schools Budensiek said the top complaint about crime in schools involves kids vaping. In these cases that's 2,500 vapes that likely would have ended up in our youths hands, of course adults could get them too, but in our youths hands, and we were able to prevent that, Budensiek said. Budensiek said there was so much evidence, it took two days to process it, and additional charges could be coming. He said investigators found shipping containers with the labels removed. It appeared the drugs were being shipped to Martin County from another area, which Budensiek suspected was California. Advertisement Advertisement Smile 'lit up the whole room: 20-year-old Florida man remembered 'Suspicious death investigation': Man said he snapped his grandmother's neck in Indian River County Gomez-Colin was held Feb. 6 on $840,000 bail in the Martin County Jail on 13 charges, including trafficking in cannabis in excess of 25 pounds; trafficking in cocaine; and possession of cocaine, according to records and a jail official. A woman identified as the girlfriend of Gomez-Colin, 22-year-old Crystal Virginia Cazarez, was arrested on charges of trafficking in cannabis in excess of 25 pounds and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, records show. Advertisement Advertisement She was held Feb. 6, on $210,000 bond, a jail official said. (This story was updated with more information.) Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida man 'major drug trafficker' identified after school complaint TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Lawyers for residents in Broward and Miami-Dade counties have filed a petition challenging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis call for a special session where lawmakers would redraw congressional boundaries mid-decade instead of every 10 years. After months of trying to convince the Legislature to take up redistricting on its own, DeSantis on Jan. 7 called a special five-day session in April for the purpose of considering legislation relating to the drawing of congressional districts for the State of Florida. The same day, Secretary of State Cord Byrd, a DeSantis appointee, sent a letter to all 67 county supervisors of elections instructing them to implement candidate qualifying rules that only apply in a year in which the Legislature redraws congressional districts. Advertisement Advertisement Those actions are unconstitutional, and violate Floridas strict separation of powers doctrine, according to the petition, filed Thursday in the Florida Supreme Court by the Elias Law Group, a national firm based in Washington, D.C. specializing in voting rights litigation and progressive causes. The actions of DeSantis and Byrd commandeer the Legislatures authority to decide whether and when to re-draw Floridas congressional boundaries, the petition says. Their actions have already disrupted Floridas impending elections by casting significant uncertainty on the future of Floridas congressional map and the relevant candidate filing deadlines. The Orlando law firm of King, Blackwell, Zehnder & Wermuth, which also specializes in voting rights cases, is also representing the two petitioners, who are citizens, taxpayers, and members of the general public seeking enforcement of a public right, the petition says. The decision over whether and when to reapportion Floridas congressional districts belongs to the Legislature, the petition says. DeSantis can request a special session, but he has no power to bind the Legislature into carrying out his preferred policy objectives by undergoing a legally unnecessary reapportionment. Advertisement Advertisement Nor can his agenda serve as a basis for triggering certain Florida statutes that are only to be used in a year in which the Legislature apportions the state, the petition says. That determination also is reserved exclusively to the Legislature. The governors office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Normally, state political boundaries are redrawn every 10 years based on the latest U.S. Census, which is used to determine whether states gain or lose seats in Congress, a process called reapportionment. The states then must redraw the district boundaries to take the population changes and any new congressional seats into account. But, last year President Donald Trump facing potential Republican losses in Congress during the 2026 elections urged Republican-controlled states to conduct a rare mid-decade redistricting to try to gain more Republican-leaning seats. DeSantis was one of several governors who answered the call, along with GOP leaders in Ohio, North Carolina and Texas. Advertisement Advertisement DeSantis has not provided any draft maps for consideration nor has any redistricting legislation been filed in the Legislature, despite two hearings held by a special House committee appointed to discuss redistricting options. _____ A Superior Court has rejected arguments by former chief Public Defender TaShun Bowden-Lewis that she was wrongly fired, dismissing the first of three suits in which she challenges her termination in 2024. Bowden-Lewis, the first Black woman appointed to the position, has argued that she was treated differently than other office holders because of her race. But Judge Matthew Budzik, in a decision published Thursday, denied each of six specific claims she raised in Superior Court and said the Public Defender Services Commission commission was justified and acted properly when terminating her for more than dozen instances of misconduct and violating policy. After reviewing the briefs of the parties and the record below, the court holds that the hearing process followed by the commission complies with federal constitutional due process standards and that the decision to remove Ms. Bowden-Lewis for just cause complied with Connecticut law and is supported by substantial evidence in the record, Budzik wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Budzik ruled on Bowden-Lewis administrative appeal of the public defender commissions decision to fire her. She also has a challenge pending with the state Commission of Human Rights and Opportunities and is suing the commission members in their personal capacity in a civil rights action in federal court. Commission Chairman Richard N. Palmer declined to discuss Budziks decision because of the ongoing litigation. Bridgeport attorney Thomas Bucci, representing Bowden-Lewis, said she is disappointed, but declined future comment for the same reason. Others said the Budziks comprehensive ruling against Bowden-Lewis is likely to be a factor in the related litigation but not necessarily determine the outcomes. Bowden-Lewiss leadership of the 400-member Division of Public Defender Services, the first in the nation created to defend the interests of the indigent, was tumultuous almost from the day of her appointment and marked through the two years leading to her dismissal by contention with the commission. Advertisement Advertisement The commission documented its complaints about her management in 1,750 pages of evidence later distilled to 15 specific charges in a 120-pager report. She was accused of misbehavior that included mismanaging the budget, failing to carry out personnel instructions and ordering a subordinate to spy by Palmers legally privileged email correspondence. Bowden-Lewis continues to contend that allegations of misconduct and poor judgement were concocted and she was in effect removed for conduct that had been considered acceptable by her caucasian predecessors. Not long after she was hired by a prior commission that trumpeted its decision to appoint a Black woman, Bowden-Lewis implied the commissioners were racists for failing to appoint a Black candidate of her choice as the divisions human resources director. The commission appointed a white woman after concluding that Bowden-Lewiss candidate did not have the employment history needed to meet state personnel requirements. According to an outside investigation by a Hartford law firm, Bowden-Lewis then made working conditions for the new Human Resources director so inhospitable that she resigned within months. Bowden-Lewis then appointed her preferred candidate to fill the vacancy in an acting capacity. Advertisement Advertisement The first commission resigned as a group after the members were accused of racism. Gov. Ned Lamont then appointed the Palmer commission with instructions to restore balance to a constitutionally indispensable agency. The new commission was initially supportive of Bowden-Lewis, but soon turned against her. Bowden-Lewis complained throughout her brief tenure that the commission was over-reaching its authority because she, not the commission, had authority over day-to-day decision making within the division. She raised the question of the commissions supervisory authority in her appeal and Budzik flatly rejected it. This broad supervisory authority includes, in the commissions discretion, investigating and adjudicating allegations that the Chief Public Defender mistreated division personnel, violated division policies, refused to allocate resources as instructed by the commission, used division resources and personnel for the obvious and plain purpose of spying on a commission members email correspondence, made unfounded allegations of discrimination against division personnel and the commission, was dishonest to the commission, violated statutory obligations, refused to acknowledge the commissions supervisory authority, and interfered with the divisions obligation to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests, Budzik wrote. To hold that the commission does not have statutory authority to investigate and adjudicate such allegations would undermine, and indeed would cripple, the legislatures intent in creating the commission in the first instance. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A former Franklin County sheriffs deputy was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to denying an inmate his civil rights. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Southern District of Ohio, Matthew Carey, a former deputy, was sentenced to nearly four years 46 months in prison for depriving an inmate of his civil rights. According to court documents, Carey intentionally disclosed a pretrial detainees pending charge of rape of a minor to another pretrial detainee, Gmier McCall. He reportedly did this knowing that disclosing the charge would create a substantial risk that the detainee would be assaulted by others in jail. Advertisement Advertisement Proposal for 37-acre development with Aldi store inches forward in Westerville McCall allegedly took Careys words as a sign to attack the inmate, setting in motion an assault of the inmate that Carey did not try to prevent. Court records note that the victim suffered serious bodily injury, including a neck fracture, lip lacerations, various contusions, and a concussion. Carey originally faced a conspiracy charge, one related to depriving the inmate of being free from unreasonable force, and to be free from the indifference of a deputy to a risk of physical harm. He was also charged with two counts of depriving the victim of his constitutional right, pleading guilty to the final charge in June 2025. In November 2024, McCall pleaded guilty to a similar charge and was sentenced to one year in prison. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Former Rhode Island Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey is seen on the Senate floor after lawmakers voted 278 to confirm him as a District Court judge on Feb. 5, 2026. Next to him is his wife, Deirdre. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) The Rhode Island Senate on Thursday approved all four of Gov. Dan McKees picks to fill judicial vacancies, including a former legislative majority leader whose nomination drew criticism over his voting record on abortion and same-sex marriage. Senators voted 27- 8 to confirm Michael McCaffreys nomination to fill the state District Court seat left vacant by Melissa R. DuBose, who now serves as a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. The annual base salary for a state District Court judge is $199,075. Advertisement Advertisement Democrats Victoria Gu of Westerly and Ryan Person of Cumberland were not present for the vote. Sen. Walter Felag, a Warren Democrat, recused himself from the vote because he is a client of McCaffrey. McCaffrey, a Warwick Democrat, served in the Rhode Island Senate from 1995 through the end of the 2022 legislative session, including as majority leader from 2017 until his final term concluded. In his motion to move for advice and consent, Sen. Matthew LaMountain, a Warwick Democrat who chairs the Senate Committee on Judiciary, hailed McCaffrey for his role in shaping criminal justice reform in Rhode Island. Countless lives have been, and will continue to be, changed for the better due to his legacy as a legislator, LaMountain said. Sen. Matthew LaMountain, a Warwick Democrat who chairs the Senate Committee on Judiciary, makes the motion to confirm Michael McCaffrey as a District Court judge on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) But McCaffreys Senate record has also drawn criticism over his opposition to legalize same-sex marriage in 2013 and codifying abortion-rights in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement His record speaks for itself, Sen. Tiara Mack, a Providence Democrat who voted against McCaffrey, said in an interview after the vote. It does not align with my community and its values. During his interview before the Judicial Nominating Commission in July, McCaffrey said his understanding of such social issues has evolved. Sen. Sam Bell, a Providence Democrat who clashed with McCaffrey early in his Senate career, said he believes the former majority leader does hold progressive views on certain issues. Those just happen to be criminal justice and civil law, he said. Bell said he understood concerns about McCaffrey but reached out to the former lawmaker to understand more about his current views. He told the chamber McCaffrey, 62, supports Roe v. Wade and marriage equality, and is concerned about attacks against the rights of transgender people. Advertisement Advertisement At a certain point, you have to give people credit for evolving on those issues, especially when you understand this is not what the focus of the District Court looks like, Bell said. Sen. Dawn Euer, a Newport Democrat who was the lone vote against advancing McCraffeys nomination from the Senate Committee on Judiciary committee to the full chamber, said she was not surprised by the chambers overwhelming support but still disappointed to see McCaffreys confirmation. The Senate took care of one of its own today with this vote, she said in an interview. Thats not how we should be selecting judges, especially with so much at stake given the chaos at the federal level, state courts are going to be critically important to secure democracy. Also moving toward lifetime spots in Rhode Islands courts: Assistant Attorney General Shannon Signore, who McKee nominated to fill a vacancy on the Providence County Superior Court. Signore was confirmed by a vote of 35-1 with Mack voting against. Magistrates Andrea Iannazzi and Alberto Aponte Cardona Sr. will fill two Family Court vacancies following their approval by the Senate. Iannazzi was confirmed by a vote of 35-1 with Bell voting against. Cardona received unanimous approval. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX "This agreement will also open up new opportunities for industrial cooperation in defense, and strengthen solidarity between our two countries," said French President Emmanuel Macron. France and Bahrain have signed a bilateral defense agreement that includes strategic information sharing, the office of French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday. "This agreement will also open up new opportunities for industrial cooperation in defense, and strengthen solidarity between our two countries in a global and regional geopolitical context marked by increasing tensions," it said. Advertisement Advertisement Bahrain is one of Israel's closest allies in the Middle East, signing the Abraham Accords in 2020 alongside the United Arab Emirates. It's also home to the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and France's President Emmanuel Macron meet at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, February 6, 2026. (credit: THIBAULT CAMUS/REUTERS) Bahrain unveils massive reform package to tackle $50 billion debt crisis Earlier in January, Bahrain launched the largest financial and tax reform package in its history, liberalizing fuel prices and linking them to global markets for the first time. The move aims to address a soaring $50 billion public debt, equivalent to 109% of Bahrains GDP. Announced by the Bahraini government on December 29, 2025, the reform package includes higher electricity and water tariffs, with an exception for citizens first homes, which will continue to receive subsidized rates up to a specified limit. It also includes a new 20% wastewater fee to be implemented in January 2026. Hudhaifa Ebrahim/The Media Line contributed to this report. By Feras Dalatey Feb 6 (Reuters) - France said on Friday that Lebanon's recovery remains precarious despite positive signs following a ceasefire and government transition, and it stood ready to support the country's reconstruction if it continues with reforms. French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, addressing reporters after meetings in Beirut with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and other top officials, said France was prepared to host a dedicated conference in Paris on reconstruction, but only if reforms continue, legislation is passed and decisions are implemented. Advertisement Advertisement While Lebanon has adopted banking secrecy and bank resolution laws, it must still complete restructuring, reach an IMF agreement and pass a loss-sharing law, Barrot said. He also urged swift action on Hezbollah disarmament and national reconciliation. Barrot said Lebanon had reached a crucial juncture in implementing the November 2024 truce with Israel, as well as restoring state authority over weapons and stabilising a shattered financial system. France, the country's former colonial power, plans to mobilise international backing for the Lebanese armed forces and internal security forces at a separate conference scheduled for March 5 in Paris. "Lebanon must work to restore confidence - that of its citizens, businesses, depositors, and the diaspora," Barrot said. Advertisement Advertisement France's immediate focus was ensuring respect for the ceasefire, which he emphasised "implies that Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory, in accordance with its commitments, and that civilians are protected from strikes," alongside implementation by Lebanese authorities of an agreed-upon arms monopoly plan. Lebanon has pledged to bring all arms in the country under state control, in line with the 2024 agreement that ended a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, and has asserted control over areas of the country closest to the border with Israel. But Hezbollah has warned the government that pressing on with efforts to disarm the group throughout the country would trigger chaos and possibly civil war. (Writing by Feras Dalatey and Tom Perry; Editing by Edmund Klamann) The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will offer free admission on two days in February to celebrate the 16th president's birthday. The first free day is scheduled for Feb. 7 with a focus on children's activities, according to a community announcement. The second is set for Feb. 12, Lincoln's actual birthday. The museum is also displaying a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see Lincoln's signature on the historic document. 'Lincolns4Lincoln Literacy Jam' set for Feb. 7 The Lincolns4Lincoln Literacy Jam will run 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 7. It is a joint initiative of the presidential museum and the Lincoln Library, Springfields public library. Advertisement Advertisement The event will include childrens stories read by special guests, musical performances and magic tricks. It also encourages people to donate books for the Compass for Kids program. The celebration will continue Feb. 12 with another day of free admission. Visitors can meet Mr. Lincoln portrayed by Randy Duncan from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and enjoy music by Mike Anderson, a virtuoso on the banjo, dulcimer and more. Emancipation Proclamation on display Guests can also visit a special exhibit, Lincoln: A Life and Legacy that Defined a Nation. The exhibit explores Lincolns life and his impact on other people with dozens of the most important treasures from the museum's collection. It includes a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincolns 1863 order freeing millions of enslaved people in Southern states. The delicate document is stored safely in a vault most of the year, so this is one of the few times people can see it for themselves, according to the announcement. The museum offers free admission in honor of Lincolns birthday to give everyone, regardless of income, the opportunity to learn about Lincoln and his impact on America. Advertisement Advertisement Another way to do that is with Lincoln Unlocked, which gives visitors access to rare photos and artifacts, profiles of historic figures and augmented reality features. The tool adds new dimensions to a presidential museum visit, but many of its features can be enjoyed anywhere. Lincoln Unlocked can be downloaded free from Google Play and Apples App Store. Museum's mission is to 'inspire civic engagement' Abraham Lincoln loved books and understood their power to change lives. Thats why we celebrate his birthday by encouraging children to read. We hope parents and caregivers from all over will bring their little ones on this special day, Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, said in the announcement. The mission of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is to inspire civic engagement through the diverse lens of Illinois history and share with the world the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, according to the announcement. It is home to about 13 million items from all eras of Illinois history. Advertisement Advertisement For more information, visit PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov. This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@usatodayco.com with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Free days at Abraham Lincoln museum in February A child predator is now heading to prison after a Fresno County Court Commissioner sentenced Carlos Gonzalez to three years on Thursday. "He deserves every single day of those three years," prosecutor Amber Collins said. Prosecutors say Gonzalez preyed on minors, using the messaging app Kik to meet with teens for sex. He is a former substitute teacher. "These were two separate undercovers that the defendant was chatting with at identical times," Collins said. Advertisement Advertisement In one of the messages to the police, Gonzalez equated young girls to cars with low mileage. Others are too graphic for Action News to report, and even the court commissioner said the case is "disturbing." "When a child goes off to school, that schoolteacher then becomes the parent," Action News Legal analyst Tony Capozzi said. "It's so important that the trust is there, and when that's violated, it's a much more egregious crime," he added. In all, Gonzalez faced nine charges. He pleaded no contest to three charges, including arranging and meeting with children and distributing porn. Advertisement Advertisement "He was, like, 'I knew better. I knew this was wrong. Why did I do this?'" defense attorney Kiley Clevenger said. "He wanted to understand and correct the behavior that gave rise to this, so I immediately referred him over to Dr. Zavala," the attorney said. The court commissioner appeared unmoved and denied the possibility of probation. He urged Gonzalez to continue treatment in prison. "Defendants who are charged and have pled guilty to some kind of sexual abuse with children are treated pretty badly by the other inmates," Capozzi said. "I'd be very curious to see how this treatment is going to be administered in the prison system." For news updates, follow Gabe Ferris on Facebook, X and Instagram. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has defended the conviction in Hungary of German national Maja T over their involvement in attacks on alleged right-wing extremists. "There were extremely serious assaults. One person suffered a fractured skull. That has to result in a conviction," Dobrindt told the RND media group in comments published on Friday. On Wednesday, the Budapest City Court sentenced Maja T, who identifies as non-binary, to eight years in prison. Judge Jozsef Sos said it had been proven that the 25-year-old from the left-wing scene in Germany took part in violent attacks on alleged right-wing extremists in Budapest. Advertisement Advertisement Around 20 German and other alleged left-wing extremists are said to have injured nine people, four of them seriously. Because the offences were committed in Hungary, the German minister said he saw no objection to the case being tried there and to a verdict being handed down by a Hungarian court. Dobrindt described Maja T as belonging to a left-wing extremist group that attacked others with batons, rubber mallets and other weapons. The first-instance ruling is not yet final. Both Maja T and the public prosecutor's office have announced plans to appeal. The prosecution presented little evidence during the trial, with no incriminating witness statements or DNA evidence submitted. Advertisement Advertisement Prosecutors argued on the basis of footage taken by a security camera near one of the crime scenes, claiming that Maja T could be seen in these images together with other attackers. The defence argued that the person supposed to be Maja T was clearly not carrying a weapon. A handful of companies have done pilot projects showing that it is possible to use a quantum computer to speed up how long it takes to make complex calculations, such as optimizing delivery routes or calculating the risk profile of a large financial portfolio. But few of these use cases have yet progressed beyond the pilot phase. There are several fundamentally different ways of building quantum computers, and there remains active debate among scientists about which technologies will ultimately prove commercially viable. IonQ, one of the best-known publicly traded quantum computing companies, is facing a raft of questions about the quality of its revenues and insider stock sales following a report published today by short-seller Wolfpack Research. Wolfpack, which is short IonQs stock and thus stands to gain financially from its allegations, said that the company has consistently misled investors about the extent to which there is organic demand for its quantum computing technology. In particular, the Wolfpack report said the company did not disclose to investors the extent to which its reported revenues had been dependent on backdoor earmarks inserted into the Pentagon budget by friendly lawmakersand that those earmarks were canceled after the Republicans took control of Congress in 2025. After Fortunes deadline to publish, IonQ provided this statement: [The Wolfpack Research report] contains false, misleading, and unsubstantiated claims from a short-seller that is attempting to profit by driving down the price of IonQ shares. The report has substantial misrepresentations as to IonQs government relationships, business strategy, and financial sustainability. IonQ is continuing to advance our position as the worlds leading quantum company. We have a clear path to shareholder value creation, and our recent agreement to acquire SkyWater Technology is evidence that IonQ is a trusted ecosystem partner to the U.S. government, allied nations, and industry collaborators. IonQ was worth more than $13.8 billion before the start of trading Wednesday. Following publication of the Wolfpack research, its shares dropped more than 11% before recovering slightly. As of market close Wednesday, they were down about 8%. The short-sellers research raises questions about one of the most prominent companies in a highly hyped sector. While a number of Big Tech companies, including Google , Microsoft , and IBM , have made significant scientific breakthroughs in quantum computing over the past few years, the technology is only in the earliest stages of commercial adoption. Story Continues IonQ admitted these challenges last November in its most recent quarterly report, where it warned: We have not produced a scalable quantum computer and face significant barriers in our attempts to produce quantum computers. If we cannot successfully overcome those barriers, our business will be negatively impacted and could fail. Such obstacles have not stopped a few quantum startups from selling shares on the public markets, often through reverse mergers with blank-check special purpose acquisition companies or SPACs. IonQ did its own SPAC deal in the autumn of 2021; since then its share price has more than tripled. In a conversation with Fortune on Jan. 28prior to the release of the Wolfpack reportCEO Niccolo de Masi insisted that IonQ was in fact already selling quantum machinery to commercial partners. He cited a partnership last year with Nvidia and Amazon Web Services to provide hybrid quantum-classical computing services to AstraZeneca that would make computational drug design 20-fold faster than before. Its turning a month of computational work into a day and a half, and that was using hardware from 2024, de Masi said. Speaking a few days after completing IonQs $1.8 billion acquisition of SkyWater, a computer chip foundry, de Masi also poured scorn on rival quantum companies, whom he believes do not have viable products. There are large companies in the quantum computing space who say that theyre in the raceand theyre roughly where we were in 2001! But they will still talk to journalists and say theyre in the race. And youre like, Youre in the race the way Graphcore is in the race with Nvidia, he said. (Graphcore is a U.K. AI chip startup that struggled to gain market share and was acquired by SoftBank in 2024.) If your machine hasnt turned on, and you have no revenue, I think [your stock] needs to be discounted heavily, de Masi told Fortune. Research grants vs. commercial revenue However, the Wolfpack report states that IonQ has failed to disclose that up to 86% of its reported revenues from the years 2022 to 2024 came not from commercial customers but from Pentagon research grants that the Pentagon itself never asked for, and that have since been eliminated. The funding instead came, Wolfpack says, from so-called backdoor earmarks slipped into the Pentagon budget by friendly congressional representatives. IonQ may have inflated both the amount and the nature of this revenue, according to the Wolfpack report. For instance, in September 2024, IonQ announced that it had won a $54.5 million contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, calling it the largest 2024 U.S. quantum contract award, and implying that the contract was validation of what it called its matureand commercially focusedtechnology road map. What the company did not say is that the Air Force Research Laboratory had awarded these contracts not because the Air Force was inherently interested in IonQs trapped-ion quantum computing technology, but because individual members of Congress added lines to the federal budget compelling the lab to spend the money on trapped-ion quantum computing, Wolfpack alleges. The company also never made clear to investors that of the $54.5 million amount, only $12 million was actually funded in the budget. The larger number represented the total possible future awards under the contract, but the Air Force laboratory had no contractual obligation to spend this amount. Despite this, Wolfpack claims IonQ included the entire number in the bookings, or future booked revenue, metric it provided to investors. After Republicans won the 2024 congressional elections, they moved to eliminate backdoor earmarks Democrats had inserted into the budget. IonQ wound up losing its original earmarks in both the fiscal year 2025 and FY 2026 budgets. Wolfpack estimates that of the $75.6 million in Pentagon contracts IonQ said it had booked in 2024, only $21 million was fully funded. The remaining $54.6 million, or 58% of IonQs total reported bookings, were unfunded portions of federal contracts awarded through backdoor earmarks. Whatever somebody wants to point to as far as what our financial benefit is, were providing transparency, and government earmarks do not, Wolfpack founder and CEO Dan David said. Rather than disclose the effect that a change in congressional leadership might have on its bookings, IonQ continued to include the figure in its full-year 2024 financial results, announced on Feb. 26, 2025. That same day, IonQs CEO at the time, Peter Chapman, stepped down. De Masi, who had been CEO of the SPAC that IonQ used to go public and who had served on IonQs board ever since, took over the role. He told investors weeks later that the company would stop reporting bookings going forward. According to the Wolfpack research, de Masi implied in response to a question from an analyst at a Morgan Stanley conference in early March that this was because IonQs technology was getting so much commercial traction, the bookings figure was no longer useful to investors. The short-seller also suggests that IonQ managers, including current CEO de Masi and former CEO Chapman, sold almost $400 million worth of the companys shares after having been tipped off that the federal earmarks underpinning the companys revenues had been eliminatedbut before the publication of funding tables that would have enabled members of the public to notice their cancellation. Wolfpack alleged it is up to government investigators to determine whether this might constitute insider trading, but that at the very least, the large stock sale suggests management lacked confidence in the companys prospects. David, the Wolfpack CEO, said: Were not making an accusation, but we are pointing out some really ugly facts around losing those earmarks, who knew when, and the creation of 10b5-1 plans. A 10b5-1 is a plan an executive files with the SEC that allows them to make sales of stock on a set schedule without violating insider trading laws. But executives need to certify that they are not in possession of material nonpublic information when they set up such plans. De Masi and other executives set up new 10b5-1 plans in the period after IonQs earmarks were excised from the federal budget but before that information showed up in public databases. Acquiring revenue The Wolfpack report says that rather than disclose that the earmarks have been eliminated, IonQ has engaged in a series of acquisitions in which it has purchased additional revenue, sometimes by acquiring companies with technology that is not directly related to its core trapped-ion quantum computing systems. David said that because IonQ does not make clear what portion of revenues are related to its core quantum computing business and which are coming from acquisitions, it is impossible to determine how much organic growth its quantum computing business is experiencing. For instance, IonQ bought Capella Space, a company that operates satellites and sells satellite imagery, in July 2025 for $425 million. Of that, $50 million was paid in cash and the rest was IonQ shares. Wolfpack alleges that IonQ bought the company primarily because it generates $11 million in quarterly revenue and because Capellas main customer is the U.S. government, allowing IonQ to continue to report growing Pentagon revenues in ways that might mislead investors into thinking this money represented continued Pentagon interest in IonQs quantum computing tech. IonQ also bought Vector Atomic, a company that makes atomic clocks. Vector too has sizable government contracts, which Wolfpacks report says could generate as much as $88 million in revenue in 2026. But the report points out that atomic clocks are not a cutting-edge technology and are not directly related to IonQs trapped-ion quantum computers. The company also purchased a controlling stake in Swiss quantum key distribution (QKD) company ID Quantique for $116 million. That company generates about $6 million per quarter. But both the U.S. National Security Agency and the U.K.s GCHQ signals intelligence agency have cautioned against using QKD because it is a cumbersome and expensive way to protect data from attacks by future, powerful quantum computers and because it is potentially susceptible to interception methods. So the potential for revenue growth may be limited. SkyWater, IonQs most recent purchase, also has substantial government contracts. But Wolfpack said that the company, which made $3.1 million last year on revenues of $346.6 million, appears to be another business that relies on backdoor earmarks for funding, supplementing its razor-thin margins with government grants. De Masi told Fortune on Jan. 28 that IonQs acquisitions are part of a strategy to become a vertically integrated quantum company, controlling everything from the computer chip factories that could one day make chips for its quantum computers to quantum networking equipment. If they want to be vertically integrated, they should stop going sideways with their acquisitions, David told Fortune. These acquisitions, in my view, are not vertically integrated. They are tangential, if not sideways. Just because something has atomic in the name does not make it a quantum computing company. As a result of its flurry of acquisitions, IonQ reported that its revenues increased 222% to $39.9 million in its most recent quarter, and gave guidance that it would achieve triple-digit-millions in annual revenue in the next year. Thats more than twice the revenue of all other publicly traded quantum companies combined. IonQ also reported a net loss of $1 billion in the same period, Q3 2025. But the company is well-capitalized: It has $3.5 billion in cash and equivalents on hand, after taking $4.4 billion in investments over its history, de Masi told Fortune. IonQ has long been the target of short-sellers. It was attacked in 2022 by Scorpion Capital, which alleged the companys technology was a hoax. That led to a shareholder derivative suit which was ultimately dismissed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which ruled that the Scorpion report was not reliable. At the time, IonQ dismissed Scorpions research as riddled with disinformation. Then, in March 2025, Kerrisdale Capital published a short report calling the company hype. We believe IonQ is far from being on the verge of a new era of commercial success with its limited, error-prone systems. Instead, investors seduced by IonQs claimed history of delivering on technical and commercial milestones are fixated on relatively immaterial past achievements, while ignoring the existential challenge all early-stage computing companies face: scalability. Immediately prior to the Wolfpack report, about 21% of IonQs stock was held by short investors. For comparison, the average for most stocks is 3% to 5% in short interest. Editors note: Parts of this article, including its title and photo caption, were updated to reflect IonQs response to Fortunes queries, which was received after the articles publication deadline. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Germany is bracing for intensified strike action by public sector state workers next week. The deputy head of the Verdi trade union, Christine Behle, predicted on Friday that there would be "a colourful first half of the week" as unions move to pressure state governments for more concessions. State employers nationwide will be affected, he said, especially university hospitals, but also in road construction, administration, IT and the judicial system, including the prison system. About 2.2 million employees are involved. Advertisement Advertisement "This is the last wave of pressure before the final round of negotiations," said Behle. After two unsuccessful collective-bargaining negotiations, unions and employers are expected to meet for the last time from February 11 to 13. There are still major differences between the two sides. "The employers are looking for a 5% wage increase with a term of 29 months," said Behle. "That is too low, and the period is too long." Verdi and the civil servants' union dbb, which is also involved in the negotiations, are demanding a 7% increase in monthly pay per month - but at least an additional 300 ($355), with junior staff to receive at least 200 more per month. The unions want the deal to run for 12 months. Advertisement Advertisement Behle was optimistic that an agreement would be reached in Potsdam, the venue near Berlin for the talks. Otherwise, there could be a fourth round of negotiations; arbitration is not planned in this round of collective bargaining. There have already been extended strikes from state employees in recent weeks, including at schools, particularly in eastern Germany. There, many teachers are state employees and are allowed to strike, unlike their federal civil servant colleagues in the west of the country. BERLIN -, Feb 6 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will make his third visit to Washington in early March, amid efforts to ease transatlantic tensions between European nations and U.S. President Donald Trump, German daily Die Welt reported on Friday. There was no immediate comment from Merz's office. The news comes around a week before the start of the Munich Security Conference, the high-level annual meeting of security policy specialists that saw blistering criticism of the United States' European NATO partners by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Advertisement Advertisement Vance is not expected to come to the conference this year but Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a Congressional delegation are scheduled to attend. (Reporting by James Mackenzie, editing by Kirsti Knolle) Greek and French authorities arrested suspected spies in separate operations this week, with both cases involving alleged transmission of classified military data to China. Greek military authorities arrested a colonel Thursday on suspicion of providing classified and top secret information to China, according to the General Staff of National Defence. The officer was arrested inside the military camp where he was stationed. He allegedly had access to information concerning new Armed Forces technologies under development and was sending classified information electronically from within his unit, according to investigators. Advertisement Advertisement Greek authorities said there are indications the officer attempted to recruit others into an intelligence network. The Hellenic Defence Ministry said there were "clear indications of the commission of criminal offences under the Military Criminal Code," specifically "the collection and transmission of secret information of military importance to third parties, with the risk of causing damage to national interests." The officer, who commands a training battalion focused on telecommunications and electronic systems, was stationed at an Air Force unit in Kavouri and had access to classified information from multiple branches of the Greek military and allied nations, according to Greek media reports. Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that the officer allegedly transferred top-secret information using special classified software. Authorities found a "special machine with software" allegedly supplied by Chinese authorities to photograph classified documents and send them to recipients. Advertisement Advertisement Greek media reported the officer confessed after his arrest, describing recruitment by a Chinese official, possibly at a conference abroad, and admitted sending information for payment. The case began to unfold about two months ago when the CIA informed Greece's National Intelligence Service that a member of the Greek Armed Forces was leaking sensitive information concerning NATO issues to China, according to kathimerini.gr. Much of the material allegedly relates to NATO projects, which has attracted interest from NATO allies, particularly the United States. Fears of satellite espionage in France In France, authorities charged four people, including two Chinese nationals, with suspected interception of sensitive military data, Agence France-Presse reported Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement The four were arrested over the weekend in southwestern Gironde, where the two Chinese suspects allegedly rented Airbnb apartments as part of a plan to collect sensitive information, including military intelligence. The case began when residents saw the installation of a satellite dish about two metres in diameter on 30 January, which coincided with a local internet outage. An investigation the following day identified a "system of computers connected to satellite dishes" that allowed the recording of satellite data. Authorities believe the installation could have intercepted "exchanges between military entities," AFP reported. The two Chinese nationals travelled to France with the aim of collecting data from the Starlink satellite internet system and other "vital entities" and transmitting it to China, according to reports. Advertisement Advertisement The French investigation focuses on "handing over information to a foreign power" that could harm key national interests, an offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Related Two people were taken into custody and two were placed under judicial supervision. The two other suspects were arrested for allegedly illegally importing the equipment, AFP reported. Greek and French authorities are investigating how much material was transmitted, what specific information was involved, who the recipients were and whether intelligence networks exist. The Democratic senator Ruben Gallego has proposed that, should Donald Trump try to sabotage the midterm elections, Americans should respond with a general strike that would grind the country to a halt. Earlier this week the US president called for Republicans to take over and nationalise voting in at least 15 unspecified locations, repeating his false claims that elections are plagued by widespread fraud. On Thursday, Gallego, a senator for Arizona and an Iraq war veteran, warned that Trump could seek to interfere with the November midterms that will determine control of Congress and urged citizens to fight fire with fire. Advertisement Advertisement We have to prepare for the outmost scenario, the worst scenario, which is they try to either capture the ballot box as ballots are being counted, they try to stop the count, they try to surround polling places, whatever it is, he told the Court of History podcast with political historians Sidney Blumenthal and Sean Wilentz. Related: All the worlds enraged: a new era of resistance theater is rising as Trump attacks the arts We need to make sure that we have an ultimate response to that which, I believe, has to be a true national strike in the sense that, if they do this, if they try to overthrow our democracy, if you are allied with democracy, do not go to work. If youre a pilot, do not show up. If you drive a train, do not show up. If youre a teacher, do not show up. We grind the country to a halt. Gallego, who defeated Trump loyalist Kari Lake in 2024, has gained a reputation as a blunt speaker who sometimes uses profane language to take the fight to Republicans. He continued: Were not going to keep going to work and boosting the worlds greatest economy in exchange for us to give up on democracy. Advertisement Advertisement If we have to destroy the stock market to save democracy, we need to accept that and, more importantly, the richest and the most powerful people in the world and in this country need to understand that that is a real possibility. There is no economic stability without democratic stability. If you take away our democratic stability, we will take away the economic stability. Trumps push to expand federal control over elections comes as his administration has stepped up pressure on many Democratic-led states to turn over voter data, with the justice department suing nearly two dozen states over their voter rolls. Last week the FBI searched an election office in Georgias Fulton County for records related to the 2020 election. On Monday, Trump floated the idea of nationalising elections in a podcast interview with the former FBI deputy director Dan Bongino and, a day later, told reporters: The state is an agent for the federal government in elections. I dont know why the federal government doesnt do them anyway. His remarks were echoed by Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser and influential rightwing commentator, who repeated false claims that people living in the US illegally are voting in big numbers and said on his War Room podcast on Tuesday: Youre damn right were gonna have ICE surround the polls come November. Advertisement Advertisement Federal law prohibits the president from deploying military troops at any location holding a general or special election, and several states criminalise carrying firearms at or near polling places. Immigration enforcement could cause both US citizens and legal residents to stay at home out of fear of detention or racial profiling. Asked about Bannons comments on Thursday, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters: I cant guarantee that an ICE agent wont be around a polling location in November but what I can tell you is I havent heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations. Democrats, long criticised for failing to rise to the challenge of Trumps threat to democracy, have condemned the presidents latest remarks. But none went as far as Gallego, tipped as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. He told the Court of History: We need to show that this is not acceptable. You cannot go to the levels that we used to invade other countries for, basically, for doing such autocratic shit. Like, they cant. Its not gonna stand. The American public wont stand for it. They wont even stand right now the fact that you have ICE agents roaming in our neighbourhoods without warrants. Now, imagine whats going to happen to the American public when you have a bunch of ICE agents trying to go to different ballot boxes and trying to stop the count. The reaction is going to be very, very strong. PALM COAST Nearly 100 residents, county officials and local candidates gathered at the Palm Coast Community Center on Thursday night, Feb. 5, to kick off the 2026 election season. Candidates running in several local races, including Palm Coast City Council, Flagler School Board and Board of County Commissioners took the stage to make their cases, as well as answer written questions from voters on different topics. The event was organized by the Flagler County Republican Executive Committee, which invited GOP-affiliated candidates running in the local races. Advertisement Advertisement Perry Mitrano, chairman of the Flagler County Republican Executive Committee, said one of the main goals of the night was to encourage residents "to get to vote." 2026 elections: Fears about overdevelopment likely to drive Florida politics in 2026 "First thing we wanted to do is start out early, let people know there are some races," Mitrano said. "Tonight's event is to showcase Republicans ... . We are excited." Flagler County residents attend Flagler GOP candidate forum event at the Palm Coast Community Center, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. At the event were Palm Coast City Council candidates Tony Amaral Jr., Ray Stevens and Darlene Shelley; Flagler County School Board candidates Will Furry, Christy Chong, Jill Woolbright and Ron Long; and Flagler Board of County Commissioners candidates Greg Feldman and Theresa Pontieri. Advertisement Advertisement John Rogers, a candidate for the Bunnell City Commission, is running unopposed and spoke at the event. Each candidate spoke for about four minutes before answering two voter questions. Palm Coast City Council candidates talk growth, 'green' water The candidates running for Palm Coast City Council were the first to speak. GOP-affiliated candidates for several local upcoming races in Flagler County attend the partys candidate forum at the Palm Coast Community Center, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. The issue of growth and development in the city was at the forefront of each candidate's opening remarks and the subject of voters' questions. Stevens is running for the District 3 seat, currently held by Councilman David Sullivan. Sullivan is not listed on the Flagler Supervisor of Elections website as a candidate for this year's election. Stevens said he believes "we need to put the brakes on what I refer to as uncontrolled and poorly planned development. Advertisement Advertisement "It's putting an unsustainable strain on our infrastructure across the board," he added, citing its effects on water quality, recurrent flooding and traffic volume. Palm Coast news: Palm Coast approves $330M utilities bond; residents raise concerns He said levying taxes on residents should be the government's "last resort" to resolve financial issues. Amaral is running for the District 2 seat against Jeani Whitemoon Duarte. He spoke about his decades-long history as a Palm Coast resident and his work as a "builder not a developer" in the early 2000s, during which time the city saw a growth boom. Visitors line up at the entrance to the Palm Coast City Hall during the grand opening ceremony in 2016. "Right now, 92% of our ad valorem taxes, give or take, is coming out of homes," Amaral said. "We need to get better jobs, increase our industry, clean industry, maybe some manufacturing of high-quality items, medical products ... . We need diversification to help our tax base." Advertisement Advertisement He also spoke on the issue of the city's "green" water, saying it is ultimately a "cosmetic" issue that, nevertheless, the city "can do better." The Palm Coast Utility Department uses two different treatment processes to treat water for residents, which can ultimately result in a "discoloration" of the water, especially during drought and high demand periods, according to the city. "The potable water serving the Palm Coast community meets all applicable Federal and State standards for drinking water and is perfectly safe to drink," the city's website says. Legislative priorities: Stormwater, road projects are Palm Coast's top legislative priorities Advertisement Advertisement Shelley is running for the District 4 seat against Dylana Justine Galery. She also spoke about "unchecked growth" that is "slowly chipping away" residents' quality of life. "Palm Coast is a beautiful place, but beauty doesn't maintain itself," Shelley said. "It requires stewardship, accountability and a willingness to say 'no' when something isn't right for our residents." She said she believes in "responsible growth that respects our infrastructure" and "our neighborhoods." Flagler School Board candidates talk parental rights, financial responsibility Flagler School Board candidates spoke next. Long is running against Chong, who currently serves as Flagler School Board chair. Flagler County Schools Superintendent Lashakia Moore and School Board members Will Furry, Christie Chong, Derek Barrs, Lauren Ramirez and Janie Ruddy, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 in Bunnell. Long was the first to speak, criticizing what he described as the current board's "lack of competency and urgency." Advertisement Advertisement "We need to make sure that Flagler County students are prepared for success after graduation, whether that's college, trade school, the military, or space in the workforce all these choices are honorable," he said. Jill Woolbright, also an incumbent, is running for reelection against Cathy Lynn Moon. She spoke on her advocacy for parental rights, keeping schools open during the COVID pandemic and more. "I believe in common sense leadership and fiscal responsibility in schools that prepare students for college, career or military services with skill and character needed to succeed," Woolbright said. Advertisement Advertisement Furry, who is also running for reelection, spoke about the changes in the district after Superintendent LaShakia Moore took the post in 2023, whose performance since then, he said, has been "outstanding." He called for continued fiscal responsibility and praised the district's improving academic performance over the last few years. GOP-affiliated candidates for several local upcoming races in Flagler County attend the partys candidate forum at the Palm Coast Community Center, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. Chong, who was also elected in 2023, spoke about the district's financial performance during recent year, pointing to the last fiscal year's $11-million reserve funds balance; supporting free lunch programs for students and families in need; and several Flagler schools earning A and B ratings in recent years. "I believe in putting parents first, protecting our children, and ensuring our schools respect families while delivering academic excellence," Chong said. Advertisement Advertisement Candidates also answered questions on other topics, including the fairness of the voucher program, and whether safety services provided by School Resource Officers needed to be expanded. Flagler County Commission candidates Board of County Commissioner candidates spoke about the potential elimination of property taxes, and the need to balance growth and preserve property rights. Flagler County Government Services Building in Bunnell. Pontieri and Feldman are running for the Commission's District 2 seat against independent candidate Raymond Royer, who attended the forum and watched from the audience. Pontieri, the current city's vice mayor, said she wants to rein in property taxes for county residents and bring "innovative" ideas for improving infrastructure. Advertisement Advertisement "I want to keep doing it for you all, and I know that I will be able to do that at the county level," she said. Feldman said keeping the current public safety standards in the county is one of his priorities, both the sheriff's office and Fire Rescue "We have to make sure we continue that and we fund the sheriff's office," Feldman said, while praising Sheriff Rick Staly. He also called for better budget management practices, improving infrastructure and maintaining healthy county beaches for locals and tourists. The Flagler County Democratic Party holds a weekly discussion group sessions on Fridays, called "Blue Forum," where candidates running for office and residents can attend. The next Blue Forum is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 13, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Flagler Democratic Office at 160 Cypress Point Parkway in Palm Coast. For more information about the candidates, visit flaglerelections.gov/Elections/2026-City-Elections and click on the "Vie Local Candidates" tab. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Flagler GOP hosts local candidate forum at Palm Coast Community Center One of the reasons Amazon is spending billions on robots? They dont need bathroom breaks. Arriving a few minutes early to the public tour of Amazons hi-tech Stone Mountain, Georgia, warehouse, my request to visit the restroom was met with a resounding no from the security guard in the main lobby. Between the main doors and the entrance security gate, I paced and paced after being told I would have to wait for the tour guide to collect me and other guests for a tour of the 640,000-sq-ft, four-story warehouse. Amazon offers tours to the public at 28 of its 1,200 US warehouses a recruiting and public-relations tool to boost brand trust and address criticisms of poor working conditions. It was something to consider as I wound up having to go in the parking lot, propping open my rental car door for privacy. Advertisement Advertisement Related: Melania: Amazons $106m documentary takes $982 per screen in Australian opening weekend Bathroom access is one of the most notorious criticisms of Amazons treatment of workers. Amazon delivery drivers and warehouse workers have reported having to pee in water bottles due to lack of time and access, and have even said their bathroom breaks are timed. Zoe Hoffman, an Amazon spokesperson, said it was absurd and false to connect a visitors tour experience to that of our employees, adding that workers were allowed regularly scheduled breaks throughout their shifts. None of this will be an issue if Amazons multibillion-dollar robot dreams come true. Advertisement Advertisement Amazon cites 10 different robots through its warehouse network, though the Stone Mountain warehouse had only a handful of them, including the Roomba-like robots moving shelves of products around to stowers and pickers, an automated crane arm palletizing products, and a robot along a conveyor belt printing and adding shipping labels to boxes of products set to be mailed out of the warehouse. Several sections of the warehouse were closed off during the tour for construction for upgrades, though specifics werent disclosed. The tour began with a spiel about how Amazon is a great place to work, rattling off Amazons 1.5 million global employees and 1 million workers in the US, before playing a brief video of Amazon workers at a warehouse in the UK that made similar claims. The tour guide touted Amazons vast seasonal workforce of 250,000 workers, claiming many of those workers are then hired full-time. Advertisement Advertisement Criticisms of Amazons safety record, high injury rates, high employee turnover or the worker organizing efforts at the Stone Mountain warehouse after workers passed out on the job from heat exhaustion in 2022 were not mentioned. The tour guide, however, did finally offer guests a bathroom break before leading us through the warehouse. The tour guide, from the local area, explained that the warehouse, which opened in late 2020, came out of nowhere from an area once covered in forest. Throughout the first floor of the warehouse, the ceilings were covered with an assembly line conveyor belt of yellow Amazon totes, either empty or filled with miscellaneous goods from grocery items to electronics. The sounds of the conveyor belt bellowing through the warehouses first-floor ceiling is loud, and tour guests were given headphones to be able to hear the tour guide. Signs around the warehouse stated hearing protection required but several of the workers didnt appear to have any earplugs or other protection. The second floor of the warehouse included worker stations surrounding stacks of products in a dark room. Robots resembling Roombas shuffled the stacks between stations to a worker, directed by a computer about what to pick or stow, where to place it or pull it from and where to move it. Advertisement Advertisement The tour guide claimed that before the robots arrival, and in some facilities where the robots arent used, a worker with a pushcart used to go around pulling or stocking products. Back on the first floor, a single robotic arm was palletizing yellow totes of products. The tour guide claimed the facility had only one, had no plans to add more, and said it was only there to help human workers. The robot seemed to need human helpers as much as they needed it, unable to reach products that were too high in the tote, which were shuffled to the side for a human worker to fix and send back to them. Not so long ago, one of Amazons top robot executives (to be clear, he oversees robotics and is not himself a robot) was telling journalists they need not worry about robots taking peoples jobs. Related: Amazon tells workers it will cut 16,000 jobs worldwide in second big wave of layoffs Advertisement Advertisement Tye Brady, chief technologist at Amazon Robotics, told the Guardian in 2022 he disagreed with the notion that artificial intelligence and robots wouold lead to the elimination of jobs at Amazon. I just dont see that at all, said Brady. We made our first serious investment in robotics over 10 years ago and in those 10 years we created more than a million jobs. He said: The need for people to solve problems and use common sense will always be there. We are nowhere near that with robotics. Its not even close. We have millions of years of evolution for the human brain thats powered off 20 watts and a banana thats incredible. Now the message from the top is very different. Last June, Andy Jassy, the Amazon chief executive, told white-collar workers at the company that the advancement of AI would eliminate jobs at the company over the next few years. Its hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years we expect this will reduce our total corporate workforce, Jassy said in a memo. Advertisement Advertisement In October, the New York Times reported on internal documents at Amazon that were presented to the companys board, which included plans by the company to replace more than 500,000 jobs at Amazon and avoid hiring 160,000 workers by 2027. The documents cited an ultimate goal to automate 75% of its operations. Amazon denied the report, claiming the documents referenced paint an incomplete and misleading picture of our plans. The company laid off about 14,000 corporate employees the same month in anticipation of adopting more broadly artificial intelligence technology, and recently announced plans to lay off an additional 16,000 employees, though Amazon denied that AI and automation had any role in this round of cuts. An Amazon spokesperson added: AI is not the reason behind the vast majority of these reductions. Amazon is reportedly developing humanoid robots to pop out of delivery vans to deliver packages, eventually replacing the work of delivery drivers. Advertisement Advertisement In November, more than 1,000 Amazon workers signed an open letter expressing concern that the companys all-costs-justified, warp-speed approach to developing the technology puts jobs, democracy and the environment at risk. Staff are seeing the impact already. An Amazon picker and stower at a warehouse in northern Georgia, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, told the Guardian that human resources at their Amazon site had gradually shifted from humans to artificial intelligence and computers. We have had a big change at my warehouse in HR over the past six months. At first I noticed that the human resource personnel were just not available as much, they said. We now have a reduced staff for our HR, and we now have an automated texting service for us to use to contact HR. They also claimed Amazon pushes for cross-training and that workers in areas such as picking and stowing are learning other technical skills such as robot repair, in anticipation that their jobs may eventually be automated. Advertisement Advertisement People are getting hurt stowing and picking, so thats one of the reasons why Amazon is wanting to get robots that can do the work of the picker and the stower, the worker said. Theyre letting us know that its smart for us to learn how to do something different, like robot repair work or something in it, because eventually this might be replaced. An Amazon spokesperson said: Were preparing employees for the roles of the future because we believe investing in workers and our employees is more crucial than ever in this rapidly advancing technological age, especially with AI. HARLINGEN City officials are standing behind the Harlingen Fire Department and its team of specialized airfield firefighters, responding to former Valley International Airport Director Marv Esterlys concerns leading to the fourth federal investigation since 2017. In November, Esterly called on the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate concerns largely stemming from the fire departments aircraft rescue and firefighting team. Ensuring the highest standards of safety for the traveling public, airport personnel and all airfield operations is the citys foremost priority and Harlingen stands ready to work collectively with the FAA to advance and maintain best practices across all airport functions, city leaders told FAA officials in a Dec. 3 report obtained by the Valley Morning Star. Advertisement Advertisement In a Nov. 18 letter to Warren Relaford, the FAAs airport certification safety inspector, Esterly reported serious concerns regarding the safety and operational readiness of the airport rescue firefighting program, adding, collectively, these issues demonstrate an ongoing lack of proficiency and preparedness within the ARFF program. Without immediate corrective measures, there is an elevated risk of system breakdown or worse, a catastrophic failure during an actual emergency. In his letter, Esterly requested the FAA review the fire departments personnel rotation policy which he argued had removed most experienced firefighters from the airports specialized team. However, city officials argued the fire departments rotation and reassignments of its specialized teams members served to develop higher-skilled airfield firefighters. The Harlingen Fire Department maintains a structured rotation policy under which one aircraft rescue and firefighting-qualified firefighter per shift is reassigned annually, city officials wrote in a letter to Relaford. Advertisement Advertisement This measured rotation is designed to ensure that all personnel develop and maintain the full range of competencies required for both structural firefighting and ARFF operations, officials said. The department does not conduct wholesale or high-volume rotations. Rather, the annual reassignment of a single firefighter per shift allows the department to balance continuity, experience and workforce development while maintaining proficiency across all assignments. Among his concerns, Esterly argued the fire departments rotation practice results in inexperience that led to the firefighting teams failure to monitor a radio frequency known as Valley Approach during night operations when the air traffic control towers closed. In response, city officials said the firefighting team doesnt monitor the Valley Approach frequency as part of the airports procedures because the radio frequency is primarily used to facilitate communication between pilots and the air traffic control tower. A firefighters turnout coat hangs in the equipment locker Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, at Harlingen Fire Department Station #3. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald) Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, officials pointed to what they described as an issue in question stemming from the firefighting teams reporting of a pilot communication deficiency. The issue prompting this FAA inquiry originated not from any ARFF deviation but rather from ARFF personnel reporting a pilot communication deficiency on (common traffic advisory frequency) during unmanned tower operations, they wrote, adding a firefighter had reported pilots were failing to provide positioned or taxi callouts on (the radio frequency) during night hours. Among his concerns, Esterly cited the fire departments decision to scrap proximity firefighting gear, which protects against higher degrees of radiant heat, to structural gear without conducting a risk assessment study. But city officials said the fire department stopped equipping its firefighting team with proximity gear after a Texas Commission on Fire Protection inspector found certain components of the ARFF proximity ensemble, specifically the proximity gloves, were non-compliant in March 2025. Advertisement Advertisement After the inspector expressly instructed HFD that combining structural gloves and proximity suits or proximity gloves with structural ensembles was not allowed, the fire department scrapped its proximity suits for structural suits, officials said. HFD therefore determined that continued use of proximity ensembles, given the expired gloves and the prohibition on mixing components, would not comply with state firefighter safety regulations, they wrote. Esterlys concerns included what he described as the firefighting teams failure to conduct runway inspections aimed at detecting the potential hazard of wildlife on the landing strip. In the citys response to the FAA, officials said the concerns surrounded birds, which were never on either the runway of the taxiway. Advertisement Advertisement While the control towers dispatcher was unable to provide firefighters with the birds location, the team lacks the equipment and authority to attempt to disperse wildlife, officials wrote, adding, wildlife mitigation responsibilities have been assigned to airport staff. The FAAs investigation marks the agencys fourth probe into the fire departments airport firefighting team in about eight years. From 2017 to 2024, the FAA cited the fire department for three training violations, while Esterly self-reported misleading entries raising concerns of the possibility of records falsifications in training logs stemming from two sessions in June and July 2024. As the FAA closed its investigation based on its 2024 findings, the agency described the fire departments violations as isolated and not systemic to the citys training program. The post Harlingen responds to FAA airport investigation appeared first on MyRGV.com. Iranian and US negotiators are returning to their home countries for consultations after talks in Muscat mediated by Oman, Iranian state media reported on Friday. "It was a good start," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state television. "We are in the process of building trust." When asked whether and when the talks would continue, Araghchi did not commit himself. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote on X that the decision over further rounds of negotiations would be made "in consultation with the respective capitals." Advertisement Advertisement Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi described the talks as "very serious." Al-Busaidi said the talks aimed to clarify both sides' positions and identify possible starting points for progress and are planned to continue "in due course." There was initially no statement from the United States after the meeting. The Omani Foreign Minister said al-Busaidi had met separately with Araghchi and with the US delegation led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. "The consultations focused on creating appropriate conditions for the resumption of diplomatic and technical negotiations," the Omani ministry wrote. Advertisement Advertisement The participation of Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander-in-chief of the US armed forces in the region, was viewed as "a power display to increase pressure" in Iran, according to the online portal Nour News. Threat of war The talks took place against the backdrop of repeated threats by Trump to resort to military action, in part because of the brutal crackdown by Iran's state security forces on demonstrators during recent mass protests, in which thousands of people are said to have been killed. The US military has since expanded its presence in the region, with the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other ships reaching the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement Regional powers including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar had been mediating intensively in recent days. Their governments maintain pragmatic relations with Iran and have no interest in a regional war. The nuclear sticking point According to earlier reports from Iranian state media, Iran's delegation intended to focus exclusively on Tehran's nuclear programme in the negotiations with the US. Washington, however, was also seeking to address Iran's ballistic missile programme, its support for regional militias and its treatment of its own people. Washington and Tehran conducted negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme last year, but the talks stalled, with the US demanding that Iran's leadership completely halt its uranium enrichment. Advertisement Advertisement Just one day before the start of the planned sixth round of talks in June 2025, Israel attacked Iran, prompting counterstrikes by Tehran. Less than a week later, the US military joined the war and bombed key nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic. Trump said Iran's nuclear facilities had been completely destroyed in the attacks. Tehran is prepared to limit its nuclear programme, but considers completely abandoning uranium enrichment a red line. The Iranian leadership also categorically ruled out negotiations on its domestic missile programme ahead of the meeting. Tehran hopes negotiations will lead to the lifting of harsh international sanctions and an economic upswing. The latest mass demonstrations were triggered at the end of December by the country's severe economic crisis, before they escalated into a political uprising. Advertisement Advertisement At the height of the protests, Trump pledged his support to the demonstrators and spoke out in support of a change of power in Tehran. Many of the demonstrators are now critical of the resumption of talks. They are calling for a change of power and fear that new negotiations could strengthen the leadership in Tehran. Karen Perez was elected chairperson of the Hillsborough County School Board in November. The King High School graduate and grandmother of 10 nine of whom have attended Hillsborough schools assumed her new role in the midst of a contentious year for the district and its relationship with state education leaders. Perez, who joined the board in 2018, came in with a background working in mental health with the hopes of addressing growing issues she saw in the community. Advertisement Advertisement When she was elected chairperson, her colleagues pointed to the compassion she brought to the job at a time when heated discussions from books to charter schools challenged the district. Perez recently sat down with the Tampa Bay Times to talk about the issues facing the district in 2026 and her passion for student mental health. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What first drew you to serve on the school board? What keeps you here? I grew up in New York. My parents divorced when I was 3, but around 20 I became a licensed clinical social worker after graduating from USF. My focus is still the mental health component. Back in 2018 I noticed that the uptick in mental health (issues) in our students and children nationwide was very alarming. Advertisement Advertisement To give you a little bit of history on my side, my mom had been diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 19, but went on to marry and have four children. So I lived in a household where mental health was a component we did not understand. All we understood was that we had a mom who it was difficult to get her on a daily basis. Never did anyone ask, never did anyone come by to find out how we were doing. That was missing from my life, so how can I bring that voice to this day? What are some of the biggest changes youve seen to the district from the time you attended school here to now? I graduated from King High School in 1981, and it was a big difference between here and New York City. For me, safety was a big difference. I remember my brother getting stabbed while we were in the subway trying to get to school. But here, the fact that I was able to get on a bus and get to school safely, I think that was such a big eye opener. I could walk down the street with a group of kids and get on a school bus and get to school. So when my kids went to school, I continued here. I stayed. Ive not left. I made Hillsborough County my home, and my kids went to school here. Advertisement Advertisement I noticed from the time that I went to school, magnet programs started to flourish and started to evolve. The components of our childrens education was the main focus. You know, Whats your passion? Whats your dream? Technology? Lets build a magnet program for technology. They really started to follow the passion of the students, and then the students started to really, absolutely love school. Schools of Hope is a topic thats garnered a lot of attention and concern from parents. What are your thoughts on the impact of that and what co-location might look like? We follow the law, No. 1. I know that this allows certain charter schools to co-locate into our schools that are underutilized. But its important for me to say that under the law, no Hillsborough Public Schools sites will be affected until 2027-28. Ive heard a lot of rumbling in the community. Parents have come up and spoken from the dais that its a real concern. Were going to have two schools under one roof. That its going to be creating a lot of confusion as to what students are under who. For me, the mental stability of our students is so important that I dont want to cause any hiccups in their day. Advertisement Advertisement When I was up in Tallahassee, I raised those concerns. Theres safety, and then also, how is this going to affect the school climate? When children are uneasy about who is there, that school climate gets disrupted. This is a policy issue, and so the best place to go and speak to this policy issue is the same people who wrote the policy, and thats (legislators) up in Tallahassee. If I wrote a policy and it didnt look right, I would expect the parents to come to me and say, Hey, what were you thinking? Did you think this whole thing through? Why didnt you come to us to ask our opinion or even formulate this whole option? What are some of the biggest challenges you see students and teachers facing in 2026? I know parents are juggling a lot, whether it comes to work, (or) choosing to go back to school themselves, or whether its child care after school, or being able to get transportation for their students, or mental health on the parents part being able to negotiate their own mental wellness along with their childs wellness. Advertisement Advertisement Social media also is a component that we didnt have years ago. When my children graduated in the early 2000s, I didnt have that challenge. Here we are, maybe 20 years later, and the world has changed. Over the past year, there has been a lot of focus on Hillsborough from the state level. Theres also been pressure from parents, sometimes in different directions. As board chair, what values guide your decision-making amid that? We listen to our parents. They come up and they discuss their concerns. They call each and every one of us to let us know. We advocate on behalf of this district. We are the voice of our constituents, and thats the voice that we take up to Tallahassee and to the state. And when our state leaders speak to us, we listen. We respectfully listen to that, but were not governed by the volume of politics. Were governed by the voice of our people, and also what is lawful, definitely. Divya Kumar covers education as a member of the Tampa Bay Times Education Hub. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by clicking here. SYRACUSE, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul won the support of New Yorks Democratic Party for her reelection campaign, trouncing Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado at the partys convention on Friday. Delgado says hes still pursuing a run in the June primary. But Hochuls landslide win capturing support from 85 percent of party members capped off a week in which she rolled out the support of everybody from state legislative leaders to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the states entire Democratic congressional delegation. New polling shows shes more popular than ever and could win by landslide margins in June and November if her opponents dont gain momentum. Advertisement Advertisement All of that leaves the governor in a position of unprecedented strength after a tenure where critics have often derided her weaknesses. Hochuls strength and combativeness were at the center of her messaging as she formally kicked off her reelection bid. Delegates were given shirts with Hochuls likeness and the phrase One Tough Mother. The placards delegates held up had the phrase, Your Family, My Fight. Anyone who dares stand in our way, heres your warning, Hochul said at the conclusion of her acceptance speech. Whether youre in Washington or Nassau County, you dont want to mess with the badass women of New York. The Nassau reference was to likely GOP gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman, the countys executive. Hochul attacked Blakemans willingness to work with federal immigration enforcement officers as well as his creation of an armed citizen deputy program . Advertisement Advertisement Theres at least one person in this state who agrees with having a lawless secret police, wreaking havoc in our streets, she said. He literally created an armed taxpayer-funded militia of fellow MAGA loyalists. Hochul cited a list of accomplishments in her first 54 months in office. Children sitting down to a school meal a free school meal, Hochul said. You know what else kids are doing in school? Theyre talking to each other, theyre looking up from their cellphones. Theyre learning all because of our nation-leading cell phone ban. But the bulk of her speech was spent in general election mode with a focus on the White House and Blakeman. Advertisement Advertisement Donald Trumps Republican Party is nothing more than a personality cult, where truth is subjective, dissent is crushed, and the American people have become the enemy, Hochul said. They promised to lower costs on day one. Still waiting, right? What did they do instead? They jacked up the prices with the reckless tariffs and whos paying the price? The middle class and our farmers; theyre getting screwed. Delgado is planning to continue pursuing his primary bid. He brushed off Hochuls endorsements from progressive icons Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The machinery wants to work as a collective, he said. Everywhere I go in the state, the people that I talk to not folks that are inside of politics, that are inside of what we do, but actually the millions of people that are out there in New York they are and still remain hungry for a change, Delgado said. Fridays convention was brief about four-and-a-half hours, compared to a schedule three-day affair for Blakeman and the GOP next week. There werent any prominent names like Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden dropping by, as happened at conventions of yesteryear. But all of that meant more of the focus was on Hochul and her ticket. Shes solidified herself, Bronx Democratic Chair Jamaal Bailey said. She has proven herself, shes a known quantity, and this is the leader of our party in our state. We should be supporting her to make sure she can fight another four years to make New York even better. It's not just exploration and production stocks that rallied on the back of the U.S. capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Oil services providers got in on that act, too. Just look at SLB (NYSE: SLB). One of the global giants in the oil services arena, SLB tacked on 25% since the start of the year, implying the stock is a buy here and now. Look a little closer, and investors will see a 3.30% drop for the five days ended Feb. 2. That's not a correction, let alone a bear market, but SLB's recent lethargy may signal patient investors can get better pricing over the near term. 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 SLB earned a Venezuela bump, but it has other long-term catalysts. Image source: Getty Images. It's a good thing, too, because this stock features a sturdy bull case, including the potential to benefit from liberalization of Venezuela's oil market. Sizing up SLB's Venezuela exposure Investors who have been monitoring the situation in Venezuela are by now likely aware that Chevron is generating ample buzz as the way to tap into a possible production surge in the South American country. The reasoning is simple: Chevron remained operational there after the country nationalized its energy industry in 2007. The same is true of SLB. In fact, the company said it's ready to accelerate activity in Venezuela when it gets the green light. In part, that explains why this oil services stock emerged as a sort of Venezuela momentum trade. SLB's momentum in Venezuela was rooted in credibility. Yes, the country has the world's largest oil reserves, but it's been years since it let its infrastructure wither. As a result, output tumbled. Put it this way: As recently as 2014, there were periods in which approximately 80 rigs were pumping in Venezuela. Today, it's just a handful. Having 303 billion barrels in proven reserves means nothing if the infrastructure and technology aren't in place to extract that petroleum. SLB has relationships with Western oil majors and the services and technology they need to be successful in Venezuela, assuming the best-case scenario there comes to pass, but that one country isn't the only reason to consider the stock over the near term. There's more to the SLB story than Venezuela SLB is arguably a good test of the efficient market hypothesis, suggesting that positive Venezuela news is likely priced into the shares. That may also imply that catalysts for oil services stock attributable to that country may be limited until it becomes clear that the environment there has become more inviting to integrated oil majors. HONG KONG (AP) Hong Kongs pro-democracy former media tycoon Jimmy Lai will be sentenced Monday following his conviction in December under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, could face up to life in prison in the case that has stirred criticism from some foreign governments. The judiciary said Friday on its website that its calling for the sentencing session at 10 a.m. Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Lai was an outspoken critic of Chinas ruling Communist Party and was arrested in 2020 under the national security law that Beijing deemed necessary for the citys stability following anti-government protests the previous year. His trial was widely seen as an indicator of the decline of press freedom in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997. But the citys government insists the case has nothing to do with media freedom. The sentencing could create tensions between Beijing and foreign governments. Lais conviction already drew criticism from the U.S. and Britain. After the December verdict, U.S. President Donald Trump, who had raised Lais case with China, said he felt so badly. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's administration has called for the release of Lai, who is a British citizen. Hong Kong's Chief Justice Andrew Cheung said in January that calls for prematurely releasing a defendant based on political causes or identity circumvent legal procedures to ensure accountability and "strike at the very heart of the rule of law itself. Advertisement Advertisement Lai was found guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. He was accused of conspiring with senior executives of Apple Daily and others to ask foreign forces to impose sanctions or blockades or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or China. Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges, while the six former Apple Daily journalists and two activists who are co-defendants entered pleas that could result in reduced sentences. They all are expected to return to court Monday to hear their fate. Lai previously was convicted of several lesser offenses related to fraud allegations and his actions in 2019. He is serving a nearly six-year prison term for the fraud case. Human remains found in Wayne National Forest in Perry County have been confirmed as those of the 17yearold Indiana girl who went missing in January, according to the attorney for a Columbus man facing charges connected to her death. Sam Shamansky, the attorney representing 39-year-old Tyler Thomas, of Victorian Village, told The Dispatch on Feb. 6 that the Perry County Coroner's Office has confirmed that the remains are of Hailey Buzbee. The confirmation is based on an autopsy performed by the Licking County Coroner's Office. Thomas, of Victorian Village, is currently charged in Franklin County Municipal Court with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and tampering with evidence after a search of Thomas' cell phone found sexually oriented videos and photos of Buzbee, some of which Thomas tried to delete. Advertisement Advertisement Thomas is being held on $1.5 million bond in the Franklin County jail on the charges, and additional charges are possible pending the ongoing investigation. Shamansky said that on Feb. 1 Thomas led the FBI to Buzbee's body, which authorities have said was found in a wooded area off the New Straitsville Trailhead to Wayne National Forest. Buzbee had been missing from Fishers, Indiana, since the night of Jan. 5. She is believed to have met Thomas through an online gaming platform and voluntarily left her home to meet him early Jan. 6. Police in the northern Indianapolis suburb said a vehicle in the area at the time Buzbee left her home was traced back to Thomas. Columbus police said in a statement that detectives began assisting Fishers police on Jan. 16 by speaking with Thomas at his home. Columbus detectives assisted in serving search warrants at Thomas' home for electronic devices but have not played a leading role in the investigation. Advertisement Advertisement The Hocking County Sheriff's Office conducted a search of a short-term rental where Thomas is believed to have taken Buzbee after being at his Columbus residence. The FBI has also been involved in the investigation. Buzbee's family will be holding a celebration of life on Feb. 12 at the ITOWN Church, located at 12491 E. 136th St. in Fishers, Indiana. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the event will begin at 6 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear Haileys favorite color, pink. "Though her time was brief, Hailey filled each day with love, purpose, and joy," her family wrote in her obituary. "Hailey was a dedicated student and working towards a career in Journalism. Family, friends, and those who crossed paths with Hailey remember her sweet spirit." Buzbee, a student at Hamilton Southeastern High School who worked at The Kitchen on Main in Fortville, Indiana, as a server, "loved music, books, and spending time with her family," according to her obituary. Advertisement Advertisement She is survived by her father, Beau Buzbee; stepmother, Ronya Buzbee; mother, Lindsey Simmons; sister, Sabriya Buzbee; brother, Elijah Ratcliff; and extended family. Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hailey Buzbee remains found in Ohio, attorney Sam Shamansky says Organizers said bereaved families, families of hostages, reservists, and war-wounded joined the march to express solidarity and press for a security-first approach to permanent Jewish presence. About 1,500 people gathered along the Gaza border on Thursday to march toward the Strip and plant trees near the ruins of Nisanit in the northern Gaza Strip, organizers from the Nachala Movement said. Participants set out in groups toward the Black Arrow monument and other routes, carrying Israeli flags and saplings to signal support for renewed Jewish settlement as a path to security, according to the organizers. Advertisement Advertisement Gaza belongs to the people of Israel, said Nachala Movement public relations manager Daniella Weiss, adding that the march was meant to demonstrate public backing for Jewish communities as a guarantor of security. Another Nachala leader said the goal was to give the government the strength to overcome pressures and support new communities. Organizers said bereaved families, families of hostages, reservists, and war-wounded joined the march to express solidarity and press for what they called a security-first approach to permanent Jewish presence. IDF soldiers standing near the Gaza border, in Israel, February 4, 2026 (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN) Nisanit is one of three Israeli communities evacuated in 2005, and has frequently featured in debates over whether resettlement would enhance or undermine border security. Advertisement Advertisement The organizers framed Thursdays turnout as proof of public support for their message, saying, We came back to plant roots to show the world we are home to stay. IDF deploys to intercept marchers The IDF released a statement later on Thursday announcing that they were aware of the march headed towards the Gaza border fence, an area, which the military clarified "is located within a closed military zone where civilian entry is prohibited." Troops and Israel Police officers were deployed to prevent civilian marchers from attempting to cross the border or fence. The IDF reiterated that "approaching the border fence and crossing into the Gaza Strip is dangerous and disrupts security forces' operational activity in the area," adding that they "condemn actions that divert the attention of commanders and soldiers from their primary mission of defense and counterterrorism." Large industrial warehouses across southcentral and eastern Pennsylvania including one in Upper Bern Township, just minutes from the Lebanon County border are being eyed by federal authorities for use as immigration detention centers. Federal officials recently have quietly purchased massive industrial buildings elsewhere and with more than 92 million square feet of industrial space just to the south with the possibility of hosting a major U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention sites. These recent developments raise a new question for the region: Could surrounding counties, including Lebanon, eventually see warehouses converted for similar purposes? Two major sales in Berks and Schuylkill counties were completed at the start of February alone, according to deed records. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE purchased the Berks County facility, a 518,000squarefoot building on Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township, for $87 million, and the Schuylkill County warehouse on Rausch Creek Road in Tremont Township for $120 million. Local officials and residents in both areas have said the transactions caught them off guard. The Trump Administration finalized a $87.4 million purchase of a warehouse in Upper Bern Township that officials say will be used for an ICE processing and detention facility. Schuylkill County Commissioner Larry Padora said during a Feb. 4 meeting that the sales were conducted so quietly that even elected leaders werent notified. He explained that the county tax assessment office had fielded numerous inquiries about the Tremont propertys tax history and exemption status, yet no documents or reports were ever sent to the commissioners. Advertisement Advertisement Lebanon protests: Lebanon protesters shout 'ICE Out For Good' on Annville streets Brandywine Fire: Lebanon County grandmother, mother sentenced in child fire death S. Lebanon Twp. Assault: Palmyra man pleads guilty to assault, imprisoning woman in apartment An employee who answered the phone at the assessment office told reporters the office has been receiving media calls about the ICE facility, but she could not confirm any information. Padora said commissioners in Berks County learned about the Upper Bern Township sale the same way he learned about the Tremont Township deal: after the deed was recorded. Both deed transfers for 50 Rausch Creek Road near Tremont and 3501 Mountain Road near Hamburg were filed Monday, Feb. 2. Advertisement Advertisement There was no prior notification. They heard rumors, Padora said. The way they had their confirmation was the same way it happened in Schuylkill County: A deed was recorded. U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser U.S. Rep. Dan Meusers office reportedly passed along some information to local leaders in his district, which stretches from the New York border south into Lebanon and Berks counties. According to Spotlight PA, Meuser said he spoke with Trump administration officials about the warehouses on Tuesday, one day after the deeds were filed, though he did not receive answers to all of his questions. "We're just going to make sure it goes as well as possible. It's a decision (the Department of Homeland Security) made, and we're, you know, we just got to work with them," Meuser told Spotlight PA. He said he would meet with county commissioners and state representatives to fill them in on everything he learns. But despite the Berks facilitys proximity roughly 15 minutes from the Lebanon County line Lebanon County officials told the Lebanon Daily News they did not receive any information from Meusers office about the sale or ICEs proposed plans. Please consider subscribing to support local journalism. State Sen. Chris Gebhard, who represents Lebanon and Berks counties, along with Rep. Jamie Barton, told the Lebanon Daily News that they learned of the sale of the Upper Bern Township warehouse may be used by the federal government as an illegal immigrant detention center. Both legislators have reached out to federal officials to gather more information regarding how the Department of Homeland Security intends to utilize this facility and the potential timeframe for it to become operational. Advertisement Advertisement "Our immediate concerns include the potential loss of property tax revenue for the host municipality, county and school district, as well as security and perimeter considerations," Gebhard and Barton said in a written statement. "We look forward to engaging directly with the appropriate federal officials to address these issues. Once additional information is available, we will provide an update. Unfortunately, Biden-era policies that encouraged mass illegal immigration have led to national consequences that the current administration is now forced to confront." Lebanon Daily News reporters went out to the 3501 Mountain Road site on Wednesday to speak with residents about the potential for the new site. Located off of Interstate 78, the facility is located next to several homes, along with an Amazon fulfillment center, the Mountain Springs Camping Resort, the Blue Mountain Bargain Inn, and the Stoudts Fruit Farm. Regardless of whether or not residents approved of ICE immigration moves over the last year, many expressed concerns to reporters about having a facility in their own backyard and what that might mean for local businesses. The Trump Administration finalized a $87.4 million purchase of a warehouse in Upper Bern Township that officials say will be used for an ICE processing and detention facility. Local leaders elsewhere have expressed alarm about potentially significant financial fallout from real estate transfers to ICE. Residents, too, have spoken out against anticipated taxpayer burdens since rumors about the facilities first circulated in documents obtained by The Washington Post in December. Advertisement Advertisement Government-owned properties are generally taxexempt in Pennsylvania, though owners can choose to offer payments in lieu of taxes. There is no guarantee DHS will do so for its new facilities. The combined annual tax revenue on the 1.3millionsquarefoot Tremont Township warehouse totals $973,000, including county, township and Pine Grove School District taxes. Taxes on the Upper Bern Township facility generate $828,000 annually across Berks County, the township and the Hamburg Area School District. Please consider subscribing to support local journalism. Industrial development has been particularly concentrated in York County. Despite a 38% drop in total industrial sales in 2025, ROCK Commercial Real Estate reported that 1.6 million square feet of new warehouse space was built between October and December alone. The firm notes that warehouses continue to attract outside investors seeking nonobvious upside opportunity. However, ROCKs reporting does not reference federal redevelopment. Advertisement Advertisement Still, a lucrative offer from DHS for an empty warehouse could be tempting to owners particularly if purchase prices are inflated. A California investment firm bought the Berks County warehouse in September 2024 for $57.5 million; DHS purchased it for 52% more just 16 months later. By comparison, highquality industrial property values rose only 19% over the last two years, according to ROCK. A Washington, D.C. area phone number listed as the point of contact for the Pennsylvania warehouses in the leaked Washington Post document was out of service when a reporter called on Thursday. Aside from immigration issues, communities face practical strains. Water and sewer systems in sparsely populated areas could be overwhelmed especially in Tremont Township, where a proposed 7,500bed detention center would be located in a municipality with 300 residents. In Maryland, where an ICE facility is proposed near Williamsport, Washington County officials said zoning rules dont apply to federal entities. Washington County is not able to legally restrict the federal governments ability to proceed, officials wrote in a Jan. 28 statement, noting DHS had not confirmed any purchase. Advertisement Advertisement The proposed Maryland facility, the new ICE Baltimore Processing Facility, would sit roughly 60 miles southwest of Hanover. Yet residents in Lebanon County have recently expressed their concerns over a possible increased ICE presence in the area. In January, more than 200 protesters on Rte. 422 in Annville were part of the national "ICE Out For Good" demonstrations occurring throughout the nation in response to immigration policies. These demonstrations were held after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. "I don't think people should be grabbed off the streets for no reason," Palmyra area resident Elizabeth Holzman told the Lebanon Daily News during the protest. "I think we need to be focusing more on due process and treating people as people. Not as aliens, not as anyone lesser than us, and what's been going on horrifies me." But as large industrial buildings in surrounding counties including one near the Lebanon County border are quietly converted into federal detention and processing sites, the map has potential to expand. Advertisement Advertisement Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth. Please consider subscribing to support local journalism. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Will ICE use warehouses for immigration operations in Lebanon Co.? This story has been updated to correct details of the federal agents involved in the shootings of two Minnesota residents last month. Leysi Palacio-Mora, 39, opens the back door of her Ypsilanti child care center. Shes walking through what would happen if agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement came to the site: Kids go to the back with staff while Palacio-Mora goes out the front to try to confirm the ICE agents identity and ask for a warrant. In case of an emergency, kids evacuate out the back to a nearby business. Advertisement Advertisement Imagine wrangling 20 babies out the back to get safe, she said. Leysi Palacio-Mora, owner of Eden Bilingual Childcare Center, comforts a child at the day care in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Palacio-Mora is one of several child care providers in Ypsilanti, a city with a significant foreign-born population, who say theyre trying to figure out how to best protect kids and families and address parent fears as reports of ICE enforcement increase locally. While a local spokesman for ICE said it does not target schools or bus stops for enforcement actions aimed at arresting unauthorized immigrants, there are reports of parents being detained shortly after student drop-off or pickups in Michigan. Despite reassurances from federal officials, many are worried and are preparing. Concern in Ypsilanti reached a fever pitch late last month when rumors spread including through a Facebook post from the county sheriff that ICE had targeted parents at a bus stop. Another rumor circulated that ICE was at a child care facility in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Attorneys for at least three of the four individuals detained that day, who ICE said were in the country illegally, have since confirmed the agents did not target the bus stop. And the child care facility owner said ICE was not at the center. These two Ypsilanti incidents are a window into the wider concern growing across Michigan over ICE activity in the wake of violent escalations that have captured national attention, most prominently in Minneapolis where two U.S. citizens, Renee Nicole Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37, were shot and killed by federal immigration agents. Last week, a post in a Royal Oak Reddit page titled ICE Came to my Door Today spread online across multiple different Michigan Reddit threads, though the Royal Oak Police Department told the Free Press it hasn't received any official reports of ICE in the city. On Monday, Feb. 2, several Facebook posts showed ICE at an Amazon facility in Hazel Park arresting an employee, which Free Press reporting substantiated. ICE said the employee had previously crossed into to the United States illegally. Advertisement Advertisement And the Livonia Police Department responded to growing worry recently on Facebook, to dispel rumors swirling that the office was actively working with ICE and Customs and Border Patrol to enforce immigration laws. In the statement, the department said it has not worked with ICE or CBP to enforce immigration law and doesn't have an agreement with them to do so. Whats clear is that community fear over ICE enforcement is real. And in an era where previously guaranteed protections against immigration enforcement in sensitive places like child cares, schools and places of worship have been rolled back, no one feels immune, child care providers in Ypsilanti say not a parent picking up their kid from preschool, nor the kid themself. Nationally there have been documented instances of ICE either directly targeting a school or child care center, or detaining students, parents or staff in the vicinity of these spaces, like school parking lots and bus stops, in Minnesota, Illinois, and California since January 2025. Part of the fabric of local families daily lives, providers have a front row seat to the anxiety over how ICE enforcement could impact kids. Charged with protecting societys most vulnerable members, theyre also feeling that fear themselves. Parents deported The concern is founded and urgent, some Ypsilanti child care providers say. Advertisement Advertisement Over the last year, Palacio-Mora said she has witnessed a growing ICE presence around her center. Eden Bilingual Childcare Center is located in Arbor Plaza, across from a trailer park where many immigrants live, so the community is on high alert. Word spreads when certain unmarked vehicles are seen consistently circling or parked in the area. In 2025, two parents enrolled in her program were detained by ICE one at their home in the trailer park and another at an immigration appointment and eventually both families left the country. I didnt expect it to get this bad, said Palacio-Mora. Some people were gonna be deported, I understand. But I didnt think it was gonna get to the point where Im looking at the parking lot, making sure theres no ICE because I have a family leaving with two kids and I know their background is what it is. More: Detroiters turn to whistles in fight against ICE More: Faith leaders in Michigan call for reduction in ICE funding Leysi Palacio-Mora, owner of Eden Bilingual Childcare Center, left, talks to Joanne Lynn a preschool teacher at the day care in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. Looking out of the large window of her toddler classroom, Palacio-Mora can see the parking lot her center shares with a laundromat, a convenience store and a closed Mexican restaurant. Advertisement Advertisement She said she has consistently seen two unmarked vehicles circling, or parked in the shared parking lot or across the street at Sam's Club one Jeep Grand Cherokee and one pickup truck that the community believes to be ICE agents. The centers lawyer has given Palacio-Mora background on how to identify ICE agents through signifiers like how theyre dressed, she said. Its just anxiety and paranoia, she said. We have to be on watch a lot more than usual. President Donald Trump has promised the biggest mass deportation program in U.S. history and described increased ICE enforcement as necessary to achieving his administration's goal. The Trump administration has said the purpose of its deportation campaign is to "remove the criminals from our country". According to data ICE staff leaked to libertarian think tank Cato Institute, only 5% of the people ICE took into custody between October and November 2025 had a violent criminal conviction, 5% had an immigration conviction, 6% had a traffic conviction, and 73% had no convictions. Advertisement Advertisement In response to Free Press questions about growing fears surrounding their enforcement actions, a local ICE spokesperson reiterated that the agency does not target schools or bus stop locations, and that those detained in Ypsilanti remain in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings and will receive due process. The spokesperson reiterated their concern that rumors like the one about ICE targeting a bus stop in Ypsilanti put ICE officers at greater risk for attacks and death threats, and encouraged those not legally authorized to be in the United States to self-deport in order to "reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream." In response to questions nationally about ICE enforcement in places like child cares, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has defended ICE activity across the board, insisting ICE's objective is to arrest violent criminals. The administration has painted increasing deployment of ICE officers in cities like Minneapolis and escalating enforcement as being in the interest of public safety, though Trump himself has recently called for a "softer touch" in immigration enforcement in response to public outcry over the ICE killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Planning for the worst Palacio-Mora sent out a protocol sheet to parents last week, following Tuesdays detainment of four Ypsilanti community members. Advertisement Advertisement As we may have all heard, protected places that ICE were unable to go to such as schools/churches have been removed as of January 20th, 2025. If for any reason ICE comes to the center there are specific steps that will take place for the protection of all our children in care as well as staff, reads Eden Bilingual Childcare Centers ICE protocol, which goes on to specify things like asking ICE to produce a warrant and contacting parents in the case ICE agents have a court order or subpoena for a childs records. Ana Herrera, a staffer at Eden Bilingual Childcare Center, cleans the kitchen area during kids nap time at the day care in Ypsilanti on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026. For Kim Tiemann, director at the Ypsilanti location of Gretchens House Child Development Centers, preparing for potential contact with ICE at the center is now of urgent concern, she said. Were feeling an increase in their presence right around our area and in Ypsi, Tiemann said, citing the incident earlier that week when ICE detained parents in Ypsilanti. At a recent in-person weekly meeting with the directors of Gretchens Houses 12 other locations across Ann Arbor, the conversation shifted to focus on this topic. Though the centers already had a general plan for responding to ICE, developing a step-by-step protocol in case ICE comes to a center now took on an unprecedented urgency. The group hammered out details on things like identifying a chain of command for communication with ICE agents, talking through different possible scenarios and sorting through an understanding of judicial warrants and regulations. Advertisement Advertisement Theyre also considering offering transportation for families in their program who don't feel safe going outside, to take kids from their homes to Gretchen's House centers, to ensure they "can make it to school safely and consistently," Tiemann wrote in an email. Tiemann said Gretchens House centers are also in conversation and sharing resources with other child care centers in the area as they create their own plans. Dorothy Morris, owner of two child care sites known as Dorothy's Discovery Daycare in Ypsilanti, said she has leaned on other providers as well as Washtenaw Intermediate School District for information and support as she looks to develop her centers ICE protocols. Its really not somewhere wed ever thought wed be, Tiemann said of those who work in child care and early education. Advertisement Advertisement That I would have to stand in front of and protect kids and families we serve from a group of people who should be supporting us in protecting these kids and their families. Tears and questions Child care centers are already secure places, said Palacio-Mora. Licensing requires certain safety measures, like emergency evacuation plans, be in place to keep kids safe. Tinted windows and locked doors ensure privacy and security, and anyone not familiar entering a center is IDd. But providers say they want to be proactive, and that's in part prompted by worried parents. I had a few parents come to the door at drop-off crying, concerned about our protocol and whats gonna happen if [ICE] comes to the door, said Palacio-Mora. Rachel Fisher, 38, is one of the concerned parents at Eden Bilingual who said she has become increasingly worried over the last year as immigration enforcement has felt more local. Ive been paying attention to who seems to be in the parking lot when we pick up and drop off, she said. Fisher said her biggest concern as a parent is that ICE agents seem increasingly unrestrained, pointing both to what she has seen on the news happen in places like Minneapolis and the detainment of parents locally. She said it felt unnecessary and contrary to the purpose of law enforcement. Basically ICE agents are now essentially given guns and told they dont have to follow the law and can do whatever," she said. Fisher said shes also concerned about the emotional trauma kids face when parents are taken away in front of them. She said shes offered to do pickup and drop-off for kids at Eden Bilingual whose parents dont feel safe leaving the home. Fisher worries her 4-year-old sons center could be a target because it has bilingual in the name. Danielle DeSano-Smith, owner of Its A Small World child care in Ypsilanti, said she has recently seen more messages exchanged in group chats and conversations with parents alerting of suspected ICE presence outside this or that early learning program. Last Thursday, parents at Adventure Center, an Ypsilanti-based child care center, were alerted that a rumor about ICE agents at the site wasnt true. Adventure Center owner Patty Sherwood said she thinks the rumor likely got started as many rumors do a game of telephone on Facebook or Reddit amongst parents gone haywire, leading to misunderstanding and panic. Sherwood herself is not urgently concerned about ICE impacting her center and wanted parents to know her site already has strict security protocols in place for any emergency and wouldnt let an ICE agent in without a judicial warrant. We really want to reassure them that their children are safe, not just physically but safe also from trauma, she said. Morris said she thinks the widespread fear among parents stems from Ypsilantis diversity and the fact that kids from all different backgrounds share a classroom in a place like child care. Around 10% of Ypsilanti's population is foreign-born according to Census data, above the state average of 7%. Whether or not you feel its you theyre looking for, if your child is there, thats a really scary thought, she said. Impact on kids While the ICE incident in Ypsilanti didnt target a bus stop, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center spokesperson Christine Sauve said community concern over ICE activity impacting kids is warranted given that ICE enforcement patterns indicate they target people coming and going from their home, which commonly includes sensitive activities or locations, she said, like picking up or dropping off children. Sauve confirmed the ICE raid did not take place as a result of targeting a school bus stop, though she said the incident resulted in the cruel, needless separation of parents from their children. Michigan Immigrant Rights Center attorneys are representing at least three of those detained in Ypsilanti. There are also a number of concerning examples of ICE incidents in other states where kids have been either targeted directly or indirectly impacted by ICE enforcement, Sauve said. In November 2025, Diana Santilla Galeano was arrested at Rayito de Sol, the Spanish immersion child care center in Chicago where she taught, while kids were present (Galeano has since been released) and in Minneapolis, ICE officers removed a teacher from her car outside Jardin Spanish Immersion Academy, where shed just arrived for work. In two other recent cases, a child was detained by ICE in Minnesota, separated from their family, and transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement in Michigan, and a father was taken from his car at a gas station in Ann Arbor, his 9-year-old daughter was peeled off of him, and he was Tased, pushed to the ground and handcuffed as his daughter looked on, Sauve said. Beki San Martin is a fellow at the Detroit Free Press who covers child care, early childhood education and other issues that affect the lives of children ages 5 and under and their families in metro Detroit and across Michigan. Contact her at rsanmartin@freepress.com. This fellowship is supported by the Bainum Family Foundation. The Free Press retains editorial control of this work. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: ICE fears push Ypsilanti child care centers to prepare for the worst "I felt embarrassed and useless," Stephen Brady, who is terminally ill, said, as he described how he was left in tears after being told he could not use the toilet at Iceland. The 63-year-old has bladder cancer which means he can have a sudden, painful and urgent need to urinate. But staff in the Liverpool supermarket ignored his pleas and refused him permission to use the toilet forcing him into an accident outside the shop. Advertisement Advertisement He was shopping with his daughter, Ellie-May Brady, who said she was "enraged" by the incident, adding that it had been a "real setback" for her dad's confidence. Iceland Foods said it was aware of a complaint at its Wavertree store on Wednesday and was "looking into the incident". Stephen said: "It stops you wanting to go anywhere because if people don't know, it only takes one person to say that you can't use a toilet or something. "It just embarrasses you, it really just embarrasses you and you feel like you're in the wrong, but this is something you can't help." Stephen Brady and his daughter, Ellie-May Brady, were stunned by the reaction of Iceland staff [BBC] Stephen said he was surprised by the staff's decision because he had used the toilet at the supermarket on Wavertree Road, where he had shopped for 15 years, on previous visits. Advertisement Advertisement He said he has been there with Ellie-May when he felt his bladder flare up. "I said to Ellie-May 'I think I'm going to have to go', she went 'no I'll ask the man'," he said. One of the symptoms of his cancer is passing large quantities of blood in his urine, making the urgency to get to a toilet even greater. Events manager Ellie-May, 23, told the BBC her dad was "leaning against the aisle in pain" so she approached a store assistant for help. "I said 'excuse me could you please let my father use the toilet because he's got terminal bladder cancer, he's in excruciating pain'," she said. Advertisement Advertisement "As I'm explaining this to him, he's already cutting me off saying 'no, no, no, we can't do that' being very abrupt and very rude." Ellie-May Brady said her dad "is not the same man" since his diagnosis [BBC] Stunned by the response, she immediately asked the staff member to fetch the store manager which he agreed to do. Ellie-May said: "The manager's come out and without letting me speak, she was like 'I spoke to the colleague and I agree, he can't use the toilet'." She said the manager told them it was "against our rules and regulations" and added: "We don't know him". Ellie-May said security staff were called over and they were asked to leave the shop, with her dad in a desperate state. Advertisement Advertisement "As soon as we got by the car, the blood just come down his leg and he started getting emotional and crying," she said. "The fact that it's led him to have an accident, that's what enraged me." 'Embarrassed and insecure' Stephen said: "People were standing around outside and I thought 'oh nobody knows what I'm doing', but I do, and that's the worst thing. "It just made me feel useless to be fair." Speaking about her dad before his cancer diagnosis about three years ago, Ellie-May said: "He was the most bubbliest, independent person I know. "Every morning he'd be up, he'd be walking the dog, we'd be out going the shops, we'd be doing everything." Advertisement Advertisement Stephen said he tried to remain positive and was thankful for the help of his children and wider family. But Ellie-May said: "I feel like this happening has just brought a big setback into everything now, because it's just put him right back to feeling embarrassed and feeling too insecure to go back out again." A spokesperson for Iceland said: "Our colleagues always aim to offer the right support, and we want all customers to feel comfortable in our stores. "We have policies in place to ensure that customers who need access to staff facilities, including toilets, are able to use them if flagged to our teams." Advertisement Advertisement Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. More like this It wasnt the first time lawmakers proposed amending the Idaho Constitution to allow the state to spend public money on religious schools. In recent years, theyve repeatedly proposed joint resolutions to repeal a section of the constitution, called the Blaine Amendment, that bars state and local governments from using public money to financially help religious institutions. But on Thursday, the proposal got further than it ever has before. The House State Affairs Committee voted to send the joint resolution to the House for a vote. Advertisement Advertisement I think its long overdue, said Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, the committees chairman. The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur dAlene, calls for putting the question on the ballot. Amending the state constitution requires support from a majority of voters, as well as two-thirds support in both chambers of the Legislature. Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur dAlene. (Sarah A. Miller/smiller@idahostatesman.com) Blaine Amendments discriminate against religious institutions, Price argued. Thirty-seven states have Blaine Amendments in their constitutions. Theyre named after an anti-immigrant Maine congressman in the 1800s who opposed giving public money to Catholic schools. There is no compelling interest that supports (the) blanket exclusion of religious institutions from neutral programs, she told the committee on Thursday. Third grade students read with partners at Valley View Elementary School in Bonners Ferry. (Sarah A. Miller/smiller@idahostatesman.com) Committee members asked whether such a constitutional change would require the state to equally support all religions institutions, including Satanic schools or those teaching Islamic, or Sharia, law. Price didnt directly answer those questions. Advertisement Advertisement This legislation is asking the people of Idaho if they want to repeal this, she said. It has nothing to do with funding. Ultimately, all this legislation is doing is putting the question before the people, she added. In 2024, Price argued that the constitutional provision had been nullified by U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. A 2022 decision by the court ruled against a Maine education program that prevented high school students from using the states funds to attend religious schools. The state had allowed students in rural districts without public high schools to use state funds for private schools, so long as they were not religious. At the time, Colin Nash, a Boise City Council member who was serving as a Democratic representative, pushed back against Prices argument. Advertisement Advertisement I only think this is null and void if youre giving money to private schools, he said. And its not my understanding that were giving money to private schools right now. Now thats changed. Jim Jones, Idahos former attorney general, has argued that the Legislatures decision in 2025 to fund private-school education through tax credits would open a back door to using public funds for religious education. Jones cited U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote that a state need not subsidize private education. But once a state decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious. Former Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones. (Darin Oswald/doswald@idahostatesman.com) On Thursday, Jones told the Statesman that despite his concerns about changing the states constitution, he welcomed Prices proposal to put the question to voters. Advertisement Advertisement I think, Have at it, send it out there to the people. Thats the way it should be handled, instead of using a back door given to them by the U.S. Supreme Court, he said by phone. I think, Put it on the ballot and lets get it shot down, because I think thats exactly whats going to happen. Republicans propose letting state fund religious schools with Idaho Constitution change Lawsuit planned over Idaho tax credits for private schools, former AG says (The Center Square) A proposal aimed at giving local fire protection districts more oversight of open burning in unincorporated areas has sparked controversy at the Illinois Capitol. Republican lawmakers are warning the bill is vague, punitive, and unfairly targets rural residents, while the Democratic sponsor says critics are mischaracterizing her intent. House Bill 4459, sponsored by State Rep. Amy Murri Briel, D-Ottawa, would let counties and townships in unincorporated areas adopt permit rules for certain open burns. Briel says the goal is to help fire districts track fires, cut unnecessary calls, and improve readiness during droughts. Advertisement Advertisement However, State Rep. Brad Halbrook, Republican spokesman on the Counties and Townships House committee, R-Shelbyville, said the bill as written raises serious concerns about increased fees and excessive penalties for rural residents. There seems to be a difference between the way the bill sponsor believes it to be and the way Republicans believe it to be, Halbrook said. Its pretty vague. And whether theres bill drafting errors or whatever the case might be, this is more of the same, vague bills loaded full of unintended consequences. Halbrook said his reading of the legislation suggests it could allow local governments to charge residents per burn, potentially around $5 per permit, something he said would disproportionately impact people living outside city limits. They want to charge fees for things that limit an individuals freedom and liberty on their private property. Many municipalities already have the authority, through ordinance or state law, to regulate burning. We saw countywide burn bans just this past summer because of drought and dry conditions. If the concern is safety, those tools already exist but if this is just another way to add mandates, regulations, and raise money, I think its a bad idea, said Halbrook. Advertisement Advertisement Briel, however, pushed back strongly against what she described as misinformation surrounding the bill. In a statement released after the backlash, she said HB 4459 was never intended to limit campfires or bonfires and does not affect them under the bills definition of open burns, which is drawn from existing state statute under the jurisdiction of the State Fire Marshal. Seeing this influx of inaccurate news is very disheartening, Briel said. Halbrook questioned how such rules would be enforced and whether local governments would realistically adopt them. How do you regulate that? How do you enforce that? Halbrook said. It may be well-intentioned and aimed at providing additional funding for what she calls resource-strapped fire protection districts, but if the state were better managed, we wouldnt be in this situation to begin with. Advertisement Advertisement Halbrook said local governments struggle not from lack of fees, but from Springfields repeated mandates, which drive up costs and strain resources. The bill imposes penalties up to $100,000 for burns without a permit and $500,000 for violations on no-burn days, which Halbrook called excessive. Those numbers are just unrealistic, he said. Briel emphasized that the measure does not require any local government to adopt new rules, but instead gives unincorporated areas the option to do so. Briel also cited worsening drought conditions and noted that three open burn fires last year caused more than $2 million in damages statewide. Advertisement Advertisement Briel said shes working on an amendment to fix a drafting error in the bill. Halbrook said the response from the sponsor appears to be driven by public backlash. These ideas come out, theres backlash, and then they have to walk them back because theyre out of line with the majority of people in the state, said Halbrook. An Indiana Republican running for a competitive House seat announced Thursday that she would be withdrawing from the race, citing the competitive nature of the district and the states failure to redistrict ahead of November. Indianas legislature sadly chose not to redistrict Indiana congressional map to counter Democrats egregious gerrymandering and their counting of illegal immigrants in the census, former Indiana Public Safety Secretary Jennifer-Ruth Green said in a statement one day before the states filing deadline. IN-01 remains an extremely difficult seat for a Republican to compete in and win. With your help, we ran a strong race in 2022 and put this district on the map, she continued. Having been through it once, I understand the harsh reality: to win this seat, there is no margin for error. Advertisement Advertisement Indianas 1st Congressional District, represented by Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.), is seen as a top pickup opportunity for Republicans, as it went evenly for both President Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, according to The Downballot. Green ran against Mrvan in 2022, losing to the Democrat by close to 6 points that November. Indiana Senate Republicans faced pressure from the White House and other national Republican groups to redraw the states maps ahead of November. Republicans have been looking to redraw different congressional maps across the country in an effort to add pickup opportunities for the party ahead of a competitive midterm environment. Indiana House Republicans passed a new set of GOP-favored congressional lines, but GOP state senators ultimately rejected them drawing the ire of President Trump. Advertisement Advertisement Green was recently ordered to pay $10,000 after she admitted that she had state employees working on campaign-related tasks and for using her state car for tasks that were unrelated to the office, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Todays settlement represents a major legal victory for Jennifer-Ruth Green, Green said in a statement in December when her settlement was approved. An incompetent and politically compromised Office of Inspector General attempted to throw the kitchen sink at her based on a politically motivated sham of an investigation, including 9 charges alleging everything from criminal conduct to inappropriate behavior, along with a laundry list of petty accusations, she added. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. JAKARTA, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Indonesia and Australia signed a security treaty on Friday that commits them to consult each other if either country is threatened, President Prabowo Subianto said after a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Jakarta. The pact, the full details of which have not yet been disclosed, was first announced in November when Prabowo visited Australia. "This agreement signals that Australia and Indonesia's relationship is stronger than it has ever been," Albanese said on Friday in Jakarta. Advertisement Advertisement "The treaty is a significant extension of our existing security and defence cooperation. It demonstrates the strength of our partnership and depth of our trust and cooperation." Prabowo said the deal reflects the relationship between the two countries. "To Indonesia, this reflects our full commitment to the good neighbour principles and our free and active foreign policy," he said. "Indonesia and Australia are destined to live side by side, and we chose to build that relationship on the foundations of trust and good intentions." Indonesia has a non-aligned foreign policy, pledging friendship with any country without joining any formal military bloc. Advertisement Advertisement The treaty signed on Friday was modelled after a 1995 security agreement between the two countries, Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said. The 1995 deal was withdrawn in 1999 after Australia led a United Nations peacekeeping force in East Timor, which had plunged into violence as it sought independence from Indonesia. (Reporting by Stanley Widianto in Jakarta and Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by David Stanway) The broader stock market is still near its highs, but volatility increased over the past few weeks. In other words, the ride has gotten a bit bumpy at times, especially in some of the tech stocks that have done so well for most of the past few years. It's a great reminder that it's always smart to diversify your portfolio, and steady, dividend-paying consumer goods stocks can complement almost any investing strategy. Bonus points for companies that continue to increase their dividend each year! 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 Here are three prime examples you can buy for a total investment of less than $250. Tuck them into your portfolio, and sleep well at night while the dividend income pours in. Image source: Getty Images 1. Realty Income Real estate is a timeless investment. Realty Income (NYSE: O) is a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), sort of like a publicly traded landlord. The company acquires and leases various properties and distributes cash dividends to shareholders. Realty Income owns more than 15,000 commercial properties and rents primarily to consumer-facing businesses, such as stores and restaurants. The stock is an excellent source of immediate income thanks to its 5.3% yield. Realty Income's strong balance sheet and effective leadership have enabled the company to pay a monthly dividend and raise the payout for 112 consecutive quarters. That means navigating recessions, even a pandemic, along the way. It's hard to go wrong here if steady income is the goal. 2. General Mills Groceries are a high priority for every consumer. Investors will find General Mills (NYSE: GIS) food and pet food products throughout their local stores, from brands such as Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Green Giant, Blue Buffalo, Bisquick, Chex, and more. The company has annual sales of more than $18 billion. General Mills has a long dividend history and has raised the payout for the past six years. The stock is in a slump and trades near its 52-week low. Many consumers are struggling, which can weigh on sales of name-brand products as they trade down to generic brands. However, the stock looks like a bargain here at just 12 times earnings and a 5.3% yield, and earnings still easily fund the dividend. 3. Clorox Clorox (NYSE: CLX) is known for its namesake bleach brand as well as Liquid-Plumr, Kingsford Charcoal, Hidden Valley Ranch, Burt's Bees, and Brita, and it recently announced a $2.25 billion cash acquisition of hand sanitizer brand Purell. Sustained success has made Clorox stock a Dividend King, meaning it has raised its dividend for at least 50 consecutive years. A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll conducted last month showed that housing affordability is the No. 1 issue Utah voters want the Utah Legislature to address during the current session. So, what are state lawmakers doing about the affordability of housing? The states objectives for housing are outlined in the Utah Housing Strategic Plan which was developed through the collaborative efforts of the Governors Office, the Legislature and other stakeholders. Advertisement Advertisement Steve Waldrip, the governors senior adviser for housing strategy and innovation shared that traditionally, government has only been involved in low income and subsidized housing, which involved using public resources to the least fortunate among us. Waldrip said there has been a shift, because now housing prices have increased to the point where the traditional working class can no longer afford a home. What were facing is having to look at strategies to create affordability for what we didnt used to have to worry about, which is teachers and firefighters. They cant afford to buy a home, and thats a change, Waldrip said. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, agreed Utah is currently in a housing crisis. Advertisement Advertisement The goals and ideas outlined in the plan are guiding the major moves in housing policy that are being made this legislative session. What is the Utah Housing Strategic Plan? Last year, the Legislature passed HB37, which directed the governors office to make a strategic plan to help solve the housing crisis in the state. Waldrip said state leaders didnt want the plan to just come from the governors office, or have different groups all make separate plans. We tried to do an integrated collaborative process, bringing as many people to the table as we could, he said. The group worked together to analyze and investigate how the housing problem can be dealt with, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Cameron Diehl, the executive director of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, said his organization was involved in the creation of the plan and gave feedback on the final product. The league represents over 1,400 mayors and city council members and 250 cities and towns across the state. Its been a very collaborative process, it doesnt mean that we agree with everything in the plan, but its been a very collaborative process, and really one of the core principles in the state housing plan is collaboration with all stakeholders, Diehl said. The aim of the strategic plan is to ensure that every resident in Utah has access to safe, affordable and stable housing options. The plan has three main goals: Advertisement Advertisement Improve housing availability, affordability and stability. Foster community well-being and quality of life. Seek consensus and evidence-based policy and housing support solutions. The plan outlines over 50 tactics that can help improve the housing situation in the state. Diehl said that his group is fully supportive of some of the tactics while others give them pause. Anytime you have a list of 50 tactics youre going to like some more than others, he said. One of the other objectives of the plan is to achieve the governors goal of building 35,000 starter homes by 2028. The housing affordability issue in Utah I believe that if youre a kid born in Utah, youre raised here in Utah, youre educated in Utah, you work hard, you should have the opportunity to afford a starter home, said Rep. Calvin Roberts, R-Draper, in an interview with the Deseret News. Advertisement Advertisement He added that the younger generations are increasingly getting priced out of the housing market. The representative shared that over the last 40 years the median home price has risen 5.2% each year, but the median wage has only risen about 3.2% a year. You get this massive gap between where home prices are today and where the median wage is, Roberts said. Waldrip said the standard used to be that the median home price was three times the median wage. Over the last about eight years, Utah peaked at about 6.2 times the median wage for the median home price. Currently the state is now at about 5.5. Advertisement Advertisement So weve essentially doubled the cost of the median home, Waldrip said. Multiple lawmakers and stakeholders emphasized that there is a supply and demand issue; there are just not enough homes available to meet the need in Utah. Because of the demand, the value of the existing homes has gone up. Waldrip said Utah is currently attracting a lot of growth from outside of the state, making it so people raised in Utah have a harder time buying a home here. He did acknowledge that the growth is a positive and Utah can continue to grow and stay great. The goal is always to increase the supply as weve been growing fast, said Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, during Thursdays Senate media availability. Advertisement Advertisement The state government wants to get more people out of renting apartments and into owning homes. Our society is built on property ownership and the ability for people to be able to purchase property, create generational wealth, create stability and have that opportunity of what we call the American dream, and thats what we see slipping away generationally, Waldrip said. Lawmakers are implementing the plan through infrastructure investment One of the biggest housing bills of the session is HB492 which was numbered on Wednesday. Sponsored by Roberts, the bill would help build infrastructure that would unlock thousands of planned houses around the state and allow them to be built. So what were trying to do is find ways to unlock the building that is ready to occur. We have lots of paper parcels that are ready to build on, but they dont have the infrastructure they need, so no building is happening, said Gov. Spencer Cox in an interview with the Deseret News at the start of the session. Advertisement Advertisement This includes regional infrastructure such as sewer lift stations, water treatment facilities, water tanks and big regional roads. HB492 would allow the state to partner with cities and help invest in the big capacity regional infrastructure, to support the growth that cities have already planned. It would create the State Housing Infrastructure Partnership Fund, which is a revolving loan fund meant to finance these infrastructure projects that support new housing. The funding would come from money that already exists within the state government. According to numbers from the Utah League of Cities and Towns, eight Utah cities have identified a total of 109,074 entitled units in late 2025, with 12% ready for building and 88% that require infrastructure improvements. Those eight cities are Herriman, West Jordan, South Jordan, Riverton, Bluffdale, Lehi, Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain. Advertisement Advertisement Waldrip was told by the mayor of Washington City that there are 2,852 planned lots that are waiting to be built in the city. The cities are on board with the state coming in and helping fund these things, because theyre not planning anything, its just getting the funds in. Thats that partnership model, Diehl said. This infrastructure investment plan is one of the key tactics in the strategic housing plan. The governor said he thinks this will have a greater effect than just about anything else that we can do right now. Bringing all housing policy together under one roof Sponsored by Roberts, HB68, would not create any new policy but would rather reorganize and centralize how housing policy is handled by the state. While presenting to the House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee on Wednesday, Roberts said: When I first started as a legislator, I wanted to get involved in housing policy, but its a challenge, because right now, over 40 housing policies are scattered across at least four different executive agencies. He added that this makes it difficult for both legislators and other Utahns because if someone has questions about housing its not clear who they should go and talk to. HB68 would create the Division of Housing and Community Development, which would sit within the Governors Office of Economic Opportunity. The division would have a director who is confirmed by the Senate. Waldrip said the bill will create more streamlined accountability in the governors office, in the executive branch, we can then report back to the legislature and say, Hey, heres what were doing. Heres why were doing it. He said it will allow the division to share what theyve done with their appropriations and what their goals and needs are. Roberts said this bill will essentially accomplish two things: Legislators who pass housing policy bill will have someone they can hold accountable who has to report back to the lawmakers. This will bring more efficiency and will remove redundancies involved in the housing policy process. Other things lawmakers are doing Rep. Stephen Whyte, R-Mapleton, has introduced a resolution, HCR6, to officially recognize the strategic housing plan. Waldrip said the point of the resolution is to make sure that we have the legislature and the governors office walking in lockstep on this path. One of the key tactics of the plan is to see how and where government land can be used for housing. We have a lot of government land in Utah and so were starting with the lowest hanging fruit of government land, which are parcels that are scattered within our communities, Waldrip said. He added that the Utah Department of Transportation has made 15 parcels available for starter homes. The goal is also to make a list of surplus property that will help provide ownership opportunities at a lower cost. We have land, lets make use of land thats already served by infrastructure, Waldrip said. Adams has made a funding request this session for $10 million to go toward the first time homebuyers programs. The program allows $20,000 to be used for a persons down payment, closing costs or to buy down the rate, the senator said. He added that program has helped 3,000 families get into their first home. PATERSON As temperatures dropped below freezing, a group of volunteers participating in New Jerseys statewide count of people who are homeless gathered Feb. 4 in the parking lot of a pharmacy. One of them carried a shopping bag containing socks, wool hats, toiletries, granola bars and two types of sandwiches turkey and peanut butter and jelly. The hygiene kits and the food its kind of like the bait, said Ed Boze, one of the volunteers. Advertisement Advertisement Boze and the others walked through a gap in the parking lot fence, crossing into a scene of desperation along snow-covered freight railroad tracks near Broadway, where people with no place else to stay have camped out for years. Story continues below photo gallery. Some slept inside tents distributed by charity workers. Others had set up makeshift shelters using canvas or vinyl tarps. One tent was covered with a purple blanket for extra insulation. Chairs, garbage bags and discarded debris were scattered atop the snow. Volunteer Ingrid Lawnick stopped at one tent to see if anyone was inside. There was no door or anything else solid to knock on. Advertisement Advertisement Hello? Anyone home? Lawnick said, raising the volume of her voice so any occupant could hear. Yerp, yerp, Lawnick called, using common street slang. Another of the count volunteers, Joe DeMaio, found a man outside one tent who was willing to answer the survey questions. Someone gave the man a bag with food and other supplies. Where did you spend last night? DeMaio asked. How long have you been without shelter? The mans body shook, maybe from the cold, maybe from health problems, or maybe from the effects of the drugs used by many of the encampments occupants. Feb 4, 2026; Paterson, NJ, USA; Ed Boze helps to conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness in Paterson as part of Passaic Countys Point-In-Time Count. Another person living along the tracks asked DeMaio and the man if they could move away. So the two of them continued the survey as they walked past several more tents. Advertisement Advertisement The count is conducted over a 24-hour period, from midnight to midnight. Some of the counting is done at Patersons warming center, on the outskirts of the city on West Broadway. There are also Point-in-Time counts at indoor events where unhoused people are invited. Counting in the trenches Boze and Lawnick part of the staff of Patersons RealFix opioid abuse treatment program handled what is essentially in-the-trenches counting work, walking among the encampments and other spots that the citys homeless population is known to frequent, including some parks, highway overpasses and the plaza near the post office. Boze had a list of more than 21 locations he hoped to visit from 4 p.m. until midnight. Last year, the homeless count in Paterson registered a substantial increase in the number of unsheltered people, with that number rising to 140 from 76 in 2024. At the same time, the total number of homeless people counted in Paterson decreased by 18%, from 411 in 2024 to 336 last year, because of a jump in the number of people in shelters. Advertisement Advertisement The Point-in-Time Count is one of the most important tools we have to understand the true scope and human impact of homelessness in New Jersey, said Jacquelyn A. Suarez, commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs. Feb 4, 2026; Paterson, NJ, USA; Ed Boze helps to conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness in Paterson as part of Passaic Countys Point-In-Time Count. As housing costs continue to rise faster than wages, more households are being pushed into crisis, Suarez said. NJCounts gives us the data we need to act with urgency, accountability and clear solutions. Every number represents a person, a family and a real community need, and that reality must continue to guide our statewide housing and homelessness response. The count is coordinated by Monarch Housing Associates and commissioned by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency. The results from the count are not usually made public until the summer. As the setting sun dipped down behind the pharmacy, leaving the area in shadows, the homeless counters passed back through the hole in the fence and headed to their vans to go to other encampments. Advertisement Advertisement Before they could leave, two more people came up to them, asking for survival kits as they answered the questions from the homeless survey. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Volunteers visit Paterson's unhoused population for 2026 count Abington Township police are investigating two burglaries in a Rydal neighborhood that occurred less than a mile apart and within 24 hours of each other, including one in which thieves stole up to $20,000 in valuables. The first incident happened Jan. 17 around 8 p.m. on the 900 block of Meetinghouse Road. Police said the suspect or suspects attempted to enter the home through a basement window and a back door but were unsuccessful. Less than 24 hours later, just after 7 p.m., a home on the 700 block of Washington Lane was burglarized. Investigators said whoever was responsible entered through a basement window and exited through a back door, taking several valuables. Advertisement Advertisement "It was upwards of 15 to 20,000 dollars worth of items," said David Wiley, detective sergeant with the Abington Township Police Department. Police said the two crimes, which occurred in the same neighborhood, could be connected. Patrols have been increased in the area as the investigation continues. "Typically, they target homes that appear to be unoccupied, and usually it's a crime of opportunity," Wiley said. He added that while the neighborhood is considered a nicer area, there is no indication that it was specifically targeted. "It is a nicer part of town, so occasionally we do see a rash of burglaries in those areas, but at this point we don't have information that this specific neighborhood was targeted for any specific reason," Wiley said. Advertisement Advertisement Investigators said burglars often go directly to master bedrooms, where valuables are commonly kept. Police are urging residents to take precautions when leaving their homes. "We're asking people that go away, leave lights on, leave music on, make sure it looks like you're still at home, and just check on your neighbors," said Drew Kent, lieutenant of the Community Policing Division with the Abington Township Police Department. Police also advise residents to notify trusted neighbors when they will be away, set their alarms and use security cameras. Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday, accusing them of smuggling fuel and detaining 15 foreign crew members ahead of high-stakes U.S.Iran talks Friday in Oman. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy said it intercepted the two ships near Farsi Island, claiming they were carrying about 1 million liters of smuggled fuel, Reuters reported. The crews, made up of 15 foreign nationals, were taken into custody and referred to Irans judicial authorities, according to Iranian state media. Advertisement Advertisement Us Positions Aircraft Carriers, Strike Platforms Across Middle East As Iran Talks Shift To Oman Iran seized two oil tankers Thursday while former Iranian Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami threatened to make the Strait of Hormuz a "massacre and hell" for U.S. forces. (Getty Images) The IRGC alleged the vessels were part of an organized fuel-smuggling network that had been operating in the region for several months. Iranian officials said the ships were identified through intelligence monitoring and seized during coordinated naval operations in the Persian Gulf, a vital artery for global energy markets. Read On The Fox News App According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian authorities framed the operation as a significant blow to illegal fuel trafficking, though they did not immediately disclose the vessels nationalities or destinations. Advertisement Advertisement Us Military Warns Iran It Will Not Tolerate Any 'Unsafe' Actions Ahead Of Live-fire Drills In Strait Of Hormuz Iran seized two foreign oil tankers in the Persian Gulf Thursday allegedly carrying 1 million liters of smuggled fuel. The seizures come as Iranian rhetoric toward the U.S. has grown hostile. Ezzatollah Zarghami, a former Iranian minister and exstate broadcaster chief, issued a warning, threatening violence in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the worlds oil and petroleum product consumption passes. "I am sure that the Strait of Hormuz will be the place of massacre and hell for the U.S.," Zarghami said Thursday. "Iran will show that the Strait of Hormuz has historically belonged to Iran. The only thing the Americans can think of is playing with their vessels and moving them from one place to another." Advertisement Advertisement Iranian Media Claims Drone Shot Down By Us Was Conducting Surveillance In A 'Routine And Lawful Mission' Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday. Zarghami later repeated the threat, calling the Strait a potential "killing field" for American forces and signaling Irans willingness to escalate amid mounting regional pressure. Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to meet Iranian officials in Oman Friday. The pair are traveling from Abu Dhabi after two days of talks related to Russia and Ukraine. Click Here To Download The Fox News App White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday that Fridays talks were still on, stating "diplomacy is always [Trumps] first option." Original article source: Iran seizes oil tankers, threatens 'massacre' in Strait of Hormuz, hours before US talks By Mohammed Benmansour, Parisa Hafezi and Nayera Abdallah MUSCAT/DUBAI, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Iran's top diplomat said on Friday that nuclear talks with the U.S. mediated by Oman were off to a good start and set to continue, in remarks that could help allay concern that failure to reach a deal might nudge the Middle East closer to war. But Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said after the talks in the Omani capital Muscat, which involved him, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, that "any dialogue requires refraining from threats and pressure. (Tehran) only discusses its nuclear issue ... We do not discuss any other issue with the U.S." Advertisement Advertisement While both sides have indicated readiness to revive diplomacy over Tehran's long-running nuclear dispute with the West, Washington wanted to expand the talks to cover Iran's ballistic missiles, support for armed groups around the region and "treatment of their own people," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday. A regional diplomat briefed by Tehran on the talks told Reuters Iran insisted on its "right to enrich uranium" during the negotiations with the U.S., adding that Tehran's missile capabilities were not raised in the discussions. Iranian officials have repeatedly ruled out putting Iran's missiles - one of the largest such arsenals in the Middle East - up for discussion, and have said Tehran wants recognition of its right to enrich uranium. Trump ratcheted up the pressure on Iran on Friday with an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on imports from any country that directly or indirectly purchases goods from Iran, following through on a threat he made last month. Advertisement Advertisement The White House has said the measure is intended to deter third countries from maintaining commercial ties with Iran, particularly in energy, metals and petrochemicals, sectors that remain key sources of revenue for the Iranian government. "I think Iran looks like they want to make a deal very badly," Trump told reporters on Friday evening, adding that his team would meet with the Iranians again early next week. Asked how long he was willing to wait for a deal on Iran, Trump said: "Well, you have to get in position. We have plenty of time." TEHRAN OPEN TO DISCUSSING ENRICHMENT LEVEL: SOURCE Advertisement Advertisement While Iran ruled out Washingtons demand for no enrichment on its soil, the diplomat who asked not to be named said Tehran showed openness to discussing the level and purity of enrichment or alternative arrangements, including a potential regional consortium. In return, Iran had several demands, such as "efficient and immediate sanctions relief, including banking and oil, and the moving of U.S. military assets away from Iran." For Washington, carrying out enrichment - a possible pathway to nuclear bombs - inside Iran is a red line. Tehran has long denied any intent to weaponise nuclear fuel production. However, the diplomat said, Tehran believed the U.S. negotiators "seemed to understand Iran's stance on the enrichment." Advertisement Advertisement Araqchi earlier told Iran's state TV that "It was a good start to the negotiations." "And there is an understanding on continuing the talks. Coordination on how to proceed will be decided in the capitals," Araqchi said. "If this process continues, I think we will reach a good framework for an understanding." TALKS WERE 'VERY SERIOUS,' SAYS OMAN Mediator Badr al-Busaidi, Oman's foreign minister, said the talks had been "very serious," with results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington. The goal was to reconvene in due course. Despite the talks, the United States announced on Friday it was sanctioning 15 entities and 14 shadow-fleet vessels connected to illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products and petrochemical products, the latest U.S. economic measures targeting Tehran and trade with it. Advertisement Advertisement Iran's leadership remains deeply worried that Trump may carry out his threats to strike Iran after a U.S. naval buildup in seas in the region. Last June, the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in the final stages of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Tehran has since said it has halted uranium enrichment activity. The naval buildup, which Trump has called a massive armada, has followed a bloody government crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran last month, heightening tensions between Washington and Tehran. Trump has said "bad things" will probably happen if a deal cannot be reached, increasing pressure on the Islamic Republic in a standoff that has led to mutual threats of air strikes. Advertisement Advertisement FEARS OF CONFLICT World powers and regional states fear a breakdown in the negotiations would ignite another conflict between the U.S. and Iran that could spill over to the rest of the oil-producing region. Iran has vowed a harsh response to any strike and has cautioned neighboring Gulf Arab countries that host U.S. bases that they could be in the firing line if they were involved in an attack. In a show of defiance, Iranian state TV said hours before the talks that one of the countrys most advanced long-range ballistic missiles, the Khorramshahr-4, had been deployed at one of the Revolutionary Guard's underground missile cities. (Reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw in Washington; writing by Michael Georgy, William Maclean and David Brunnstrom; editing by Michael Perry, William Maclean, Mark Heinrich, Rod Nickel) MUSCAT, Oman (AP) Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman on Friday, negotiations that appeared to return to the starting point on how to approach discussions over Tehrans nuclear program. But for the first time, America brought its top military commander in the Middle East to the table. The presence of U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of the militarys Central Command, in his dress uniform at the talks in Muscat, the Omani capital, served as a reminder that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships were now off the coast of Iran in the Arabian Sea. President Donald Trump said the United States had very good talks on Iran and said more were planned for early next week. But he kept up the pressure, warning that if the country didnt make a deal over its nuclear program, the consequences are very steep. Advertisement Advertisement Iran looks like they want to make a deal very badly as they should, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he headed to his Florida golf club late Friday. He suggested Iran was willing to do more than in previous talks but did not give details. Asked how long he was willing to wait for a deal, Trump said: We have plenty of time. If you remember Venezuela, we waited around for a while. Were in no rush." The Trump administration built up a huge military presence in the Caribbean Sea in the months before a U.S. raid captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. Trump has issued threats against Iran Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to reach a deal on the program after earlier sending the carrier to the region amid Tehran's bloody crackdown on nationwide protests that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands of others detained in the Islamic Republic. Advertisement Advertisement Gulf Arab nations fear an attack could spark a regional war that would drag them in as well. That threat is real U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone near the Lincoln and Iran attempted to stop a U.S.-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz just days before Friday's talks in this sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. We did note that nuclear talks and the resolution of the main issues must take place in a calm atmosphere, without tension and without threats, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later told journalists. The prerequisite for any dialogue is refraining from threats and pressure, he added. Advertisement Advertisement Araghchi said diplomats would return to their capitals, signaling this round of negotiations was over. The U.S. was represented by Mideast special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law. In a display of force, the U.S. military published photos on X of the Lincoln carrier group sailing in the Arabian Sea with aircraft flying overhead, with the message Peace through Strength! Iran's top diplomat offers a positive note Araghchi offered cautious optimism as he spoke in a live interview from Muscat on Iranian state television. He said Friday's talks were focused primarily on finding a framework for further negotiations. Advertisement Advertisement We will hold consultations with our capitals regarding the next steps, and the results will be conveyed to Oman's foreign minister, Araghchi said. The mistrust that has developed is a serious challenge facing the negotiations, Araghchi said. We must first address this issue, and then enter into the next level of negotiations. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who oversaw multiple rounds of negotiations before Israel launched its 12-day war on Iran in June, called the talks useful to clarify both the Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. The talks had initially been expected to take place in Turkey in a format that would have included regional countries as well, and would have included topics like Tehran's ballistic missile program something Iran apparently rejected in favor of focusing only on its nuclear program. Advertisement Advertisement Before the June war, Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. The U.N. nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency had said Iran was the only country in the world to enrich to that level that wasnt armed with the bomb. Iran has been refusing requests by the IAEA to inspect the sites bombed in the June war, raising the concerns of nonproliferation experts. Even before that, Iran has restricted IAEA inspections since Trump's decision in 2018 to unilaterally withdraw America from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Omani palace hosts talks Friday's talks saw in-person meetings at a palace near Muscat's international airport, used by Oman in earlier talks Iran-U.S. talks in 2025. Associated Press journalists saw Iranian officials first at the palace and later returning to their hotel before the Americans came separately. Advertisement Advertisement It remains unclear just what terms Iran is willing to negotiate at the talks. Tehran has maintained that these talks will only be on its nuclear program. However, the Al Jazeera satellite news network reported that diplomats from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar offered Iran a proposal in which Tehran would halt enrichment for three years, send its highly enriched uranium out of the country and pledge not initiate the use of ballistic missiles. Russia had signaled it would take the uranium, but Iran has said ending the program or shipping out the uranium were nonstarters. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the talks needed to include all those issues. The US slaps new sanctions on Iran's energy sector Advertisement Advertisement Shortly after Fridays talks, the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. State Department announced a new round of sanctions on Iran targeting its energy sector, imposing penalties, including freezes on assets in U.S. jurisdictions, on 14 oil tankers in a so-called shadow fleet that the U.S. says are used to try to evade sanctions, as well as on 15 trading firms and two business executives. Trump also signed an executive order that says an import tax of potentially 25% may be imposed on goods from countries that buy oil from Iran. The order does not specifically impose tariffs so much as give the president the legal basis for levying them starting Saturday. It says the potential tariffs can be removed if Iran or the foreign buyers of its oil align themselves with U.S. interests on national security, foreign policy and economic issues. In the past month, the U.S. also has sanctioned Iran's interior minister,the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, and several other leaders involved in Iran's deadly crackdown against last month's protests. ___ Advertisement Advertisement Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Josh Boak and Moriah Balingit in Washington, Darlene Superville in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix contributed to this report. ___ 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. Feb. 6 (UPI) -- A meeting between Iranian and U.S. officials in Oman on Friday was "a very good start," the Iranian foreign minister said. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the indirect talks, mediated by Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, were "exclusively nuclear" and that they would each now return home to discuss them with their leaders. He said that both sides agreed to continue negotiations. Araghchi also said the talks were in a "very positive atmosphere." He represented Iran, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner represented the United States. Advertisement Advertisement Albusaidi said in a post on X: "Very serious talks mediating between Iran and the U.S. in Muscat today. It was useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. We aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington." From left, Jared Kushner, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meet in Muscat, Oman, on Friday, ahead of Oman-mediated talks between the United States and Iran on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Photo by Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs/UPI Very serious talks mediating between Iran and the US in Muscat today. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, shakes hands with Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in Muscat, Oman, on Friday . Iran's top diplomat Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart ahead of Oman-mediated talks with the United States on the Islamic republic's nuclear program. Photo by Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs/UPI It was useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress. We aim to reconvene in due course, with the results to be considered carefully in Tehran and Washington. pic.twitter.com/OWctzf2CXA Badr Albusaidi - (@badralbusaidi) February 6, 2026 The Friday meeting was the first time the two countries have talked since the June attack by Israel and the United States on Iran's nuclear facilities. Witkoff and Araghchi have been in contact via text. Iran and the United States have been threatening each other recently. President Donald Trump sent an "armada" of ships near Iran and said they will strike "with speed and violence" if Iran doesn't halt its nuclear program, get rid of its enriched uranium, cut the range of ballistic missiles, and stop funding and arming militant groups. Before the talks, the U.S. Virtual Embassy in Iran issued a new security alert warning telling Americans to "leave Iran now." Because many flights have been canceled in Iran, the advisory told Americans to try to leave through Armenia or Turkey. Advertisement Advertisement It did the same in January as Trump made continuous threats against the nation. Trump said he would attack Iran if it killed any peaceful protesters. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt threatened Iran ahead of the talks on Thursday. "While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world," she told reporters. On Tuesday, the U.S. Navy shot down an Iranian drone that flew near the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Najaf, Iraq Leaders of Iraqs Coordination Framework the Shia political coalition that came out on top in Novembers parliamentary elections are adamant that Nouri al-Maliki will be their candidate for the Iraqi premiership, even after threats from United States President Donald Trump. Trump warned in late January that if al-Maliki, who previously served as Iraqs prime minister between 2006 and 2014, returned to the role, then the US would cut off aid to Iraq. If we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of success, prosperity or freedom, the US president wrote in a post on his Truth Social website. Advertisement Advertisement Trump, and the US administration, view al-Maliki as part of Irans direct network of influence in Iraq, and fear that his return would undermine American efforts to weaken Irans power in its western neighbour, including limiting the reach of Iran-backed armed groups. But, even with pressure ramping up, it appears that a majority of the Coordination Frameworks most influential actors are not willing to give up on al-Maliki, and are determined to find a way to push his candidacy forward. Coordination Framework divided The Coordination Framework (CF) is a coalition of Shia political parties established in 2021. It represents the biggest Shia bloc in the Iraqi parliament. Advertisement Advertisement The loose nature of the coalition that makes up the CF means that opinions on al-Malikis candidacy are varied, with some opposing it, others willing to bend to Trumps will and switch their backing, and still others who are adamant that they will push forward. And it seems as though the majority are in the latter camp. The CF issued a statement on Saturday reiterating its support for al-Maliki. Choosing the prime minister is an exclusively Iraqi constitutional matter free from foreign interference, the statement added. The statement reflects the position of various pro-Maliki forces in the CF, including former deputy parliament speaker Mohsen al-Mandalawi; the Badr Organization, led by Hadi al-Amir; and the Islamic Supreme Council, led by cleric Humam Hamoudi. Advertisement Advertisement Current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, whose party received the most votes in the elections but who did not receive the CF nomination despite his membership within it, is also officially supportive of al-Malikis nomination, even if he has not abandoned the possibility of continuing as prime minister himself. Several of these factions did well in last years parliamentary elections, including al-Malikis own State of Law Coalition, as well as Badr and al-Sudanis Reconstruction and Development Coalition. But, with support from Kurdish and Sunni parties, the Shia al-Maliki sceptics have enough seats, and enough of a voice, to block the nomination if they desire to do so. These include important Shia figures such as Qais al-Khazali, the leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq group; Ammar al-Hakim, the leader of the National State Forces alliance; and former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Advertisement Advertisement Al-Hakim, whose parliamentary bloc has 18 seats, warned that there would be incoming economic repercussions if al-Maliki was chosen, and added that public interest must be prioritised over private interests. Meanwhile, the Victory Alliance, led by al-Abadi, issued a statement calling for [the prioritisation of] the peoples vital interests given the exceptional circumstances Iraq and the region are experiencing. Al-Abadis group has no seats in parliament, but retains an important voice within the CF. Both statements contain a tacit acknowledgment of Iraqs inability to withstand US pressure and the need for an alternative candidate suited to the current reality. Other roadblocks The CF, therefore, still has an uphill battle to confirm al-Maliki as prime minister. Outside of the Shia political groups, there is also opposition to al-Maliki, a divisive figure remembered negatively by many Iraqis, particularly Sunnis. Advertisement Advertisement And there are also divisions within the non-Shia groups that are also slowing down the nomination process. Under the Iraqi Constitution, parliament must first elect a president for Iraq, who then mandates the nominee of the largest parliamentary bloc to form the government. According to Iraqs post-2003 muhasasa system of dividing political offices by sect and ethnicity, the prime minister must be a Shia, the president a Kurd, and the parliamentary speaker a Sunni. To date, the main Kurdish factions the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by Masoud Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led by Bafel Talabani have failed to agree on a consensus candidate for the presidency. The CF is attempting to broker an agreement between the Kurds. Recent efforts included a delegation led by al-Sudani meeting with both parties, and a personal visit by al-Maliki to Barzani. But these initiatives have not yet succeeded, and without a political agreement on the presidency, the process of designating a prime minister cannot proceed. Advertisement Advertisement And even if the Kurds reach an agreement and dont stand in the way of al-Maliki, the CF must persuade a long list of the former prime ministers opponents. Among them is Mohammed al-Halbousi, former speaker of parliament and leader of the Takadum Party, who issued a statement prior to the US veto implicitly rejecting al-Malikis candidacy. Collectively, the anti-al-Maliki groups could gather roughly a third of the seats in parliament, enough to prevent a presidential election session due to a lack of quorum. To avoid that scenario, the CF would have to either reset internal negotiations regarding the next prime minister, or nominate al-Sudani for a second term. Advertisement Advertisement Al-Sudanis party issued a statement on January 28 calling for positive relationships with the United States a move interpreted as an indirect pitch for his renewal, leveraging his proven track record of managing relations with Washington during his tenure. US leverage The US may no longer be the occupying power in Iraq, but it still has enormous economic leverage over the country. The revenue from Iraqs main export oil is routed through the US Federal Reserve Bank in New York. Trump may decide not to renew a presidential executive order, issued originally by President George W Bush in the wake of the Iraq War, that grants legal protection for the oil revenue funds and prevents them from being frozen by Iraqs creditors. The order had been expected to be renewed as a formality upon its expiration in May. Advertisement Advertisement If the US president decides against renewal, creditors will seek to claim their funds, and New York courts may issue rulings to freeze the Iraqi assets. This would disrupt the transfer of funds necessary to pay public salaries and sustain the economy for months or even years. In practical terms, the Iraqi economy would grind to a halt. That therefore explains why the pro-al-Maliki bloc in the CF is attempting to persuade the US to change its position, rather than simply ignore Trump. A high-ranking source in the CFs State of Law coalition, who wished to remain anonymous in order to speak freely on the topic, told Al Jazeera there are ongoing attempts to convince the US administration to lift the veto on al-Maliki. Aqeel al-Fatlawi, the State of Law spokesperson, also said he was hopeful that the US will change its stance in the coming period. Advertisement Advertisement While blaming regional states, including Turkiye and Syria, for the US position towards him, al-Maliki himself has sought to soften his positions. Syria has been one of the main points of difference between al-Maliki and the US, which has backed Syrias President Ahmed al-Sharaa, even as the former Iraqi prime minister has denounced him for his past membership of al-Qaeda. In a televised interview on Tuesday, al-Maliki used al-Sharaas full name, rather than the Syrian leaders nom de guerre of al-Jolani, an attempt to emphasise that he was willing to move on from the past. Al-Maliki also attempted to soften his stance towards the Syrian government, directing his criticism towards the former regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad and its role in supporting terrorism in Iraq. Whether these attempts will go far enough to placate the US remains to be seen. Reports indicate that US Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya may have been removed from his position, although there is no official confirmation. His replacement would likely be Tom Barrack, currently the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy to Syria. The CF favours Savaya, who has proven to be more supportive of using a more gradual approach in reducing the power of Iraqs Shia militias, versus Barrack, who is viewed by the CF more negatively for his role in weakening Hezbollah in Lebanon and his support for Syrias al-Sharaa. An official announcement of a change could indicate where Trumps thoughts are in the critical next few weeks and whether the president will choose to not renew the US guarantee to protect Iraqs oil revenue in May. Stern was convicted following a full evidentiary hearing of contact with a foreign agent and conspiracy to threaten, after the court rejected his claim that he lacked the required criminal intent. Elimelech Stern was sentenced to three years in prison by the Jerusalem District Court on Thursday after it convicted him of maintaining contact with an Iranian intelligence operative and conspiring to issue threats. In a case the court described as part of a broader, intensifying Iranian effort to recruit Israeli citizens during wartime, Stern was convicted following a full evidentiary hearing for having contact with a foreign agent and conspiracy to threaten. Advertisement Advertisement This was after the court rejected Sterns claim that he had no criminal intentions. While Stern admitted to the factual acts depicted in the indictment, he argued that he did not know for certain that the individual who operated under the alias Anna Ellena was acting on behalf of a hostile foreign state. The court rejected that argument, ruling that, at the very least, Stern suspected that Anna was acting on behalf of a foreign state and its intelligence services but chose to ignore those suspicions. He preferred to turn a blind eye, Judge Chana Miriam Lomp wrote. He refrained from severing the relationship or conducting an inquiry that could have dispelled the suspicion. Elimelech Stern, indicted for contact with a foreign agent, seen after at a court hearing at the Jerusalem District Court, February 5, 2026. (credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) Stern activated two Israelis to act as proxies According to the indictment, Stern was in continuous contact with Anna via Telegram from June 2, 2024, to June 27, 2024. During that period, he completed a series of assignments at her direction in exchange for cryptocurrency payments. To carry out the tasks, Stern engaged two additional Israeli citizens who performed assignments on his behalf and acted as his proxies. Advertisement Advertisement The court found that all of the assignments Stern undertook were security-related and bore a violent, nationalist political character. While some of the more severe tasks were ultimately not committed due to operational difficulties, the court ruled that Stern was willing to perform them and abandoned them only because he was unable to execute them. Despite suspecting that Anna was a foreign agent, moreover, and regardless of knowing that being in touch with this person could endanger state security, Stern continued to maintain contact with her and agreed to serve as a conduit for various missions, the ruling stated. The relationship, although lasting only about a month, was described by the court as daily, intensive, and involving a high volume of tasks relative to the time frame. To determine the damage caused, the court adopted a security assessment submitted by the prosecution, which warned of a sharp rise in Iranian intelligence efforts to recruit Israelis since the war broke out in 2023. Advertisement Advertisement The evaluation described Iranian recruitment activities as targeting all sectors of Israeli society for the purpose of intelligence collection, influence, and preparatory espionage for future conflict. The court accepted the assessments conclusion that Sterns actions contributed to the establishment of an Iranian-operated network inside Israel and to the transmission of threatening messages to civilians. Lomp emphasized the timing of the offenses, noting that Sterns contact with the Iranian operative took place during wartime and after Irans April 2024 missile attack on Israel an attack that, in the courts words, made Irans intentions toward Israel clear to any reasonable person. By assisting the Islamic Republic during this period, the court held, Stern caused severe harm to protected state interests and effectively served as Irans long arm within Israel. Advertisement Advertisement At the time of the offenses, Stern was 22 years old, married, and the father of two young children, with no prior criminal record. He resided with his family in a rented apartment in Beit Shemesh, studied at a yeshiva, and worked as a religious scribe. He was raised in an ultra-Orthodox Vizhnitz household. The court noted that Stern acted out of financial motives rather than ideological identification with Iran, but accepted the prosecutions position that there is no meaningful difference in the gravity of harm caused by economic vs ideological cooperation with a hostile state. After setting a sentencing range of one to three years imprisonment, the court imposed the upper end of that range: three years imprisonment, with a suspended sentence and a NIS 10,000 fine. Prosecutors noted during sentencing that Stern was the first defendant to be convicted and sentenced in the current post-October 7 wave of cases involving contact with Iranian intelligence operatives, underscoring the courts view that deterrence carries particular weight in the present security climate. Advertisement Advertisement Police said that since October 7, approximately 40 such indictments, involving some 70 persons, have been filed. Later on Thursday, the police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) announced that two Jerusalem residents were arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran and receiving payment for sharing information. The two were arrested back in January after an investigation conducted by the IDF and Shin Bet into suspicions that the two were committing serious security offenses. The investigation found that the suspects had been in contact with Iranian intelligence elements and carried out various missions, while understanding that they were acting under Iranian direction. In exchange for the alleged espionage, funds were transferred to the two individuals' digital wallets. CHICAGO Two leading congressional candidates are taking more and more attacks as the race heats up to represent a district that stretches from Chicagos South Side, through the south suburbs into central Illinois. Opponents are focusing on Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller after she landed a large fundraising haul. And they continue to pounce on comeback-seeking former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., the best-known name in the campaign for the 2nd District Democratic nomination. As candidates met with the Tribune Editorial Board Thursday, Jackson was the elephant in the room, while Miller, who attended a later session, was the one outside it. Advertisement Advertisement The American people are sick of seeing people in Washington because theyre famous, like Jesse Jackson Jr., said state Sen. Willie Preston, 16th District. Or because a bunch of wealthy people gave a candidate some money and bought them, like Donna Miller is being currently purchased. Prestons remark, consistent with his confrontational style on the trail, points to the foundations of the race. Jackson, the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, is trying a redemption run following the campaign-finance scandal that led him to resign in 2012 then put him in prison for 17 months. He held a sizable early lead, according to a December poll commissioned by Millers campaign and conducted by Global Strategy Group with 400 likely primary voters. Nearly all voters knew the former congressman. Those who did were split roughly half-and-half on whether they viewed him favorably or unfavorably, according to the poll. A quarter of the respondents initially said he would win their vote. Advertisement Advertisement But the poll determined that lead faded when voters were introduced to other candidates. When bios were shared, every other challenger shot up, and the lead shifted to Miller, the board chair of Planned Parenthood of Illinois who has made health care access a top campaign issue. This race is wide open, the poll concluded. Despite his significant name ID advantage, Jackson Jr.s vulnerabilities are abundant. A month before the poll, money was pouring into Millers campaign, according to newly released Federal Election Commission records. The county commissioner brought in nearly $900,000 in the last quarter of 2025, making her easily the races top fundraiser. Of the $1.3 million Miller has so far raised, over $930,000 came from out-of-state donors at the end of 2025, according to a Tribune analysis. Advertisement Advertisement Illinois Sen. Robert Peters, 13th District, a progressive vying for the seat, argued nearly $900,000 of Millers fourth-quarter gains came from donors who have given to the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee which advocates for Israels interests and supports both Democrats and Republicans or an affiliated group. Peters also criticized the support for Miller from Affordable Chicago Now, a political action committee formed Jan. 16 that has bought television ads backing Miller funded by donors who have not yet been publicly disclosed. Between MAGA money, AIPAC donors and shady, dark-money super PACs, its clear that right-wing forces are playing games with the Democratic primary election, Matthew Fisch, a Peters campaign manager, said in a Tuesday news release. Peters himself has raised over $900,000. More than half the money comes from out-of-state donors, according to a Tribune analysis, a fact Preston has repeatedly criticized him for. Advertisement Advertisement The races leading candidates Jackson, Miller, Peters, Preston and Yumeka Brown, a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago commissioner are separated by little ideologically. All are quick to bash President Donald Trump or call for universal health care, though some stances, like Prestons opposition to social spending on immigrants, hint at rare points at which congressional votes could diverge. As candidates struggle to separate themselves, Millers money and Jacksons well-known scandal have become targets, especially for Peters and Preston. Asked about fundraising during a mid-January Single Payer Coalition town hall focused on health care, Peters touted the small donations his campaign has received before taking a jab at Jacksons past misuse of campaign funds. Advertisement Advertisement And unlike one of my opponents, Im not going to spend $750,000 of peoples money to live a lavish lifestyle, he said. I think its ridiculous to come on this stage and to talk about this issue like this and not acknowledge the fact that someone spent $40,000 on a Rolex, someone spent thousands of dollars on an elk head, someone here spent literally money to go to a Disney resort or buy a refrigerator. Jackson, who has called building a new south suburban airport a top priority to spark the local economy, violated campaign finance laws by using $750,000 in campaign money for personal purchases, including those items. Preston turned attention back to Jacksons scandal when asked how he would handle increasingly large and powerful health care companies. I quite frankly and respectfully, both believe in redemption, but understand that youre the last person on this stage who can actually have the credibility to stand up to these people, Preston said. Advertisement Advertisement Jackson declined to respond when offered the chance by the town hall moderator. And after Miller promised she would not listen to internal pressure when asked if she accepted money from groups funded by corporations, Preston said Miller just displayed what every American hates about politicians. Shes lying. Donna Miller is supported by AIPAC, he said. For her part, Miller has not rejected the claim that she has received money facilitated by the powerful organization, but told the Tribune Editorial Board Friday that AIPAC has not endorsed her. I have supporters who might support AIPAC, and some who dont, she said. I have worked very hard in my professional and governmental career to build a broad coalition of donors, and those individual donors are the ones donating to my campaign, and I think that the coalition of support speaks to the work that Ive done. Advertisement Advertisement She later argued Jackson has largely lived outside the district in recent years. In the same session, Brown, who has mostly avoided going on the offensive, said the district needs fresh, bold new leadership when asked if Jacksons past should be disqualifying. I do believe in second chances, but I do not believe that this is the role for him, she said. I dont believe that thats the type of example that we should set. Meanwhile, Jackson has similarly cast his opponents attacks as distraction efforts. I own my behavior. I pled guilty, I accepted responsibility, he told the Tribune. Its about the economy All they have left is character and perceptions of character. But I own the economy, and thats why Im doing well, thats the forward thinking. Im owning affordability. Advertisement Advertisement The attacks continued Thursday night as candidates appeared at a Richton Park forum hosted by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority alumni. If you vote for Donna Miller, youre voting for a forever war. She has been purchased, Preston said. ____ SNAK Venture Partners announced Wednesday the close of its oversubscribed $50 million debut fund, anchored by the investment firm Pritzker Group (founded by Illinois governor JB Pritzker and his brother, Tony). SNAK founders Sonia Nagar and Adam Koopersmith worked at the firm and helped lead investments in companies like the auto marketplace Backlot Cars and TicketsNow (exited to Ticketmaster). The duo decided to break out on their own and, earlier this year, launched their firm to back digital marketplaces. It felt like the timing was right and there was support within the firm to go do this, Nagar said. The vision is that there is still so much to digitize, like in supply chain and construction, and this is the moment to strike because even holdout industries are more comfortable adopting new technology as fintech architecture advances. If you look at the biggest venture wins over the last decade, she said, pointing to the likes of Uber, Instacart, and Airbnb, those are five of the top 10 outcomes in venture. As in those companies that raised billions from investors, went on to IPO, and returned millions to them. Most of those wins were in consumer, which tends to be faster-moving than large enterprises, Nagar continued. We think theres a ton of white space to double down and focus on B2B marketplaces. Looking specifically for the categories that havent yet digitized. The firm has already invested in six companies, including Big Rentals and Repackify, focused on equipment rental and packaging logistics, respectively. Nagar said the firm hopes to overall write seed checks into at least 20 companies, at $1 million to $2 million a pop. She said they hope to deploy the entire fund within the next 3 to 4 years. Though many new funds are struggling to raise capital (and capital remains concentrated at the top), Nagar said she and Koopersmith were able to lean on their backgrounds when wooing LPs. Nagar previously helped launch Amazon apparel back in 2009, and was head of mobile at RetailMeNot. Koopersmith, meanwhile, spent 20 years at Pritzker Group and serves on the board of various marketplace companies. At the same time, Nagar said that without Pritzkers support, it would have been quite hard to raise this fund, especially in last years environment. Other LPs in their fund include the State of Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund and executives from other marketplace companies, like Favor Delivery and RetailMeNot. Nagar said the firm is also location-agnostic, recognizing that the still-hidden marketplaces may not be found only in Silicon Valley and New York City. Were finding these overlooked founders in places where maybe other funds arent looking, she said. SNAK is itself based in Chicago, which she said some LPs have questioned. People perceive that as a disadvantage; we view it as an advantage, she continued. We can get to everybody very fast. CHEYENNE During its final meeting before the 2026 budget session, the Wyoming Legislatures Joint Appropriations Committee finalized changes to the governors proposed $11.1 billion biennial state budget Thursday. Since the governor proposed his budget in November, the JAC has carved out significant portions of the two-year spending plan. According to Legislative Service Office Fiscal Administrator Don Richards, the JAC has reduced Gov. Mark Gordons recommendations by a total of $314.4 million in the main budget bill. However, those cuts were largely offset by the approval of $337.1 million for capital construction projects in a separate bill. In total, Richards said the JAC has saved $81.9 million in federal funds and $29 million in other revenues based on previous budget cuts, noting that other revenues are subject to interpretation. Advertisement Advertisement Rural Health Transformation Program The meeting began with the finalization of the Wyoming Rural Health Transformation Program. The bill manages a massive influx of federal funds amounting to $205 million for 2026, with the potential to exceed $1 billion over five years. The bill creates a perpetuity fund, depositing 80% of initial funds to provide revenue for decades after federal support expires. Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) Director Stefan Johansson has previously described it as a generational opportunity to stabilize rural emergency departments and maternity wards. On Thursday, the committee met with WDH in an executive session for around 30 minutes before discussing and ultimately passing the bill. It was initially accounted for in Gordons budget, but lawmakers stripped those allocated funds to run it as a separate piece of legislation. Advertisement Advertisement Capital construction bill Similarly, the committee carved all state capital construction projects out of the main budget and placed them into a standalone bill, 26LSO-0434. This move forces high-profile projects, such as the Veterans Home of Wyoming remodel and National Guard modernization, to be debated on their own merits, rather than being buried within thousands of lines of agency operating budgets. The JAC has also moved $232.9 million in major maintenance funding into this new bill and previously shifted the primary funding source for these projects, totaling $332.1 million, from the states SIPA savings account to the General Fund. Advertisement Advertisement For oversight, the committee voted to strike a budget balancer provision that would have automatically used the rainy-day fund (Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account) as a backup. Richards called the $332 million backup an unusual amount of money that was better handled through direct legislative action. Sustained cuts to UW The most contentious discussions Thursday involved the general government appropriations bill. The JAC kept intact a previously approved $40 million cut to the University of Wyomings block grant, roughly an 11% reduction. Despite the cut, the committee moved to protect specific programs from the fallout. Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, moved to exempt the WORTH Institute and the High Bay Research Facility from the reductions, joining previous exemptions for the Colleges of Agriculture and Education. These exemptions would likely reduce funding to all other schools by more than 11%, as the impact will be spread between fewer programs. Advertisement Advertisement This drew sharp criticism from Sen. Mike Gierau, D-Jackson, who warned against micromanaging the university. We talk a lot about not wanting to pick winners and losers, but here were picking winners ... were penalizing the losers and penalizing them more, Gierau said. He later moved to restore the full $40 million, but the motion failed. Defunding and restrictions When the JAC first began meeting about the budget in December, Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, a member of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, advised lawmakers to take an anti-acceleration strategy to the budget in reference to government spending. Advertisement Advertisement Throughout the process, this strategy became evident in decisions to cut programs and in one case, an entire agency, Wyoming Business Council, leaving only $2 million for the State Budget Department to manage existing loans. I dont believe that government is the solution to most of our problems, Bear stated, justifying the reset of the states economic development agency. Additionally, the JAC has: * Denied $111.8 million intended to move state employee salaries to 2024 market tables. * Prohibited any state funds from being used for Wyoming Public Media. * Adopted a global amendment prohibiting the Department of Health from spending money on abortions or gender transition services. Advertisement Advertisement In a significant reversal in January, the JAC added $41.3 million in federal funds for Indian Health Services to cover mandated rate increases for tribal facilities. With the work complete, the three finalized bills will be posted for public review this weekend. The 2026 budget session is scheduled to convene on Monday. EXCLUSIVE: I think its time out for buttoned up, Crockett told theGrio during a wide-ranging interview. As U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett campaigns for the Democratic nomination in a competitive primary election just weeks away, there is no place Crockett wont go to reach voters including the club. I think its time out for buttoned up, Crockett told theGrio during a wide-ranging interview. [Voters] just want to know that you really see them. And I really do see real people. Advertisement Advertisement Crockett, 44, is seeking the Democratic nomination in a competitive primary race against Texas State Rep. James Talarico. If victorious in the March 3 primary and the subsequent general election in November, Crockett would make history as the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas. Her statewide strategy to victory includes turning out Black and Hispanic voters who do not traditionally vote in Texas, where Black and Brown residents make up a plurality of the states population. According to a poll from HIT Strategies, 700,000 registered Black Texans did not vote in the 2024 election. There are approximately 4 million Black people living in Texas. In total, 1.7 million Black and Brown voters in the Lone State sat out the election that handed Donald Trump the presidency for a second time. While Crockett is still turning to traditional places to stump, from local Texas newspapers and TV stations to Black churches, Crockett sees the nightlife scene as an untapped source for voter engagement. I think the only person weve seen probably hit the clubs was Mamdani, said Crockett, referring to New York Citys new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, whose progressive campaign, which was focused on affordability and taxing the rich, resulted in record turnout. Mamdani notably went on a Brooklyn bar crawl the night before Election Day last November. Advertisement Advertisement He actually knows how to rhyme and spit, so he can get on the mic. I can get on the mic, but I definitely dont rap, because thats not me, Crockett told theGrio. Crockett credits her years as a public defender, visiting incarcerated people in jail, with her unconventional approach to campaigning. Online, people perceive me to be real and a fighter. Its another thing for them to be like, oh, shoot, like, Jas is here [in the club]. Like, she is amongst us, said Crockett. MARTHAS VINEYARD, MASSACHUSETTS AUGUST 07: Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett arrives to The Color of Conversation during 2025 Marthas Vineyard African American Film Festival at Marthas Vineyard Performing Arts Center on August 07, 2025 in Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) She continued, I think thats what people are craving for. They are tired of this kind of disconnect, where its like, oh, youre only in D.C., you dont see me, you dont feel me, you dont know me, you dont live amongst me. And I think for everybody that wonders, oh, is she quote-unquote putting on? I think that real recognizes real. And so when you show up, people appreciate that. Advertisement Advertisement It goes without saying that Crockett isnt your typical politician. Since entering Congress in 2023, the U.S. congresswoman has quickly become a household name for her say-it-like-you-mean-it persona and viral clap backs, most notably her beach blonde, bad built, butch body insult against former MAGA Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. [My parents] never told me that I had limitations. Thats not how I grew up, with an I-cant spirit. It was always a yes-you-can spirit, Crockett told theGrio. My parents allowed me the great fortune of getting some of the best education that I could, so that I could be confident in who I was and what I was doing, and also doing it while feeling comfortable in my skin. Crockett describes her campaign strategy as old school combined with new school. Historically, we have not been getting to those [voters] that have decided to choose the couch. I know that a lot of people know me from national news, and granted, when you serve in the United States Congress, theres always national issues, and Im still doing that, but what people in D.C. and other places dont see is that I am engaging with our locals, she said. It is about the level of comfortability and authenticity, allowing you to maneuver within spaces to where theres a natural rapport. Advertisement Advertisement Apparently, Crockett meeting Texans on the dance floor is working. Theres so many people that have said to us, Ive never cared about politics or paid attention to politics until you, she told theGrio. Thats what its gonna take; a little bit of enthusiasm and believing that you have somebody that doesnt just do things because some politico told them to do it, but does it because she actually believes that its the right thing to do. More must-reads: JEFFREY EPSTEIN ALIVE IN ISRAEL! Or so the internet would very much like to believe. The latest round of speculation arrived with all the familiar trappings of a tabloid resurrection: a long-haired man photographed abroad, a Fortnite account allegedly active years after Epsteins death, and a flurry of screenshots promising that this time the evidence really does add up. The image has since been flagged as AI-generated. The gaming account proves nothing. None of it survives even mild scrutiny. Epstein is still alive in Israel pic.twitter.com/VocLtmi8Rk Saava kitah (@Saavakitah58211) February 6, 2026 But that entirely misses a much larger and revealing point. Jeffrey Epstein is alive is simply a much better story than Jeffrey Epstein is dead. Dead is an ending. Alive is a franchise. Advertisement Advertisement Epsteins death was narratively unsatisfying to many, many people. There was no trial, no public reckoning, no parade of powerful names under oath. The story cut to black before the audience got what it was promised. Conspiracies rush in to fill that void not because they are persuasive, but because they keep the plot alive. This is old tabloid logic. Elvis lived. Bigfoot roamed. Aliens crashed in New Mexico. The goal was never proof. The goal was possibility. What has changed is distribution. The supermarket checkout lane has been replaced by the algorithm. The impulse is the same, but the stakes are higher. Tabloid thinking has migrated into political discourse, where suggestion carries more weight and repetition does the work of evidence. The current iteration follows the formula perfectly. First, the image. Not convincing, just plausible enough. AI is the ideal modern tabloid technology: instantly shareable, emotionally suggestive, and deniable on demand. The fact that the Epstein lookalike photo carries a visible watermark identifying it as AI-generated does not kill the story. For believers, it extends it. Someone, somewhere, wants you to think its fake. Then there is the Fortnite account. A username found in Epstein-related documents appears to match a public gaming profile showing activity years after his death. Screenshots circulate. This was discovered by an anon X account that goes by the user name TRUTHPOLE (!), then later quoted with exclamation emojis by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (!!!). Advertisement Advertisement Timelines are stitched together. Fortnite Tracker, an unofficial stats site, is treated as forensic evidence. The logic is paper-thin, but it does not need to be thick. It just needs to circulate. The third proof is the most revealing. Dan Bongino, while serving as Deputy Director of the FBI, insisted Epstein is dead and killed himself. In a functioning information ecosystem, that would narrow the range of plausible beliefs. Instead, it deepens suspicion. Bongino has spent years attacking institutional credibility and casting himself as an unreliable narrator battling a dishonest system. He even admitted to not being an honest broker during a December appearance on Hannity, saying, Listen, I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions. Thats clear. And one day I will be back in that space, but thats not what Im paid for now. Im paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts. Bongino saying something now leads to many of his conspiracy-minded audience to now think the opposite. When someone trained to distrust authority hears certainty from a source they do not trust, it does not reassure them. It alarms them. Advertisement Advertisement This is what epistemic collapse looks like. Agreement becomes suspect. Consensus becomes evidence of coordination. You cannot persuade people out of a worldview that treats disbelief as wisdom. That worldview did not emerge organically. President Donald Trumps sustained assault on fake news did more than discredit individual outlets. It taught millions of people that the very idea of a shared factual baseline was naive. Once that lesson takes hold, every claim becomes provisional, every denial suspect, and every absence of proof another clue. To be clear, none of this is real. The image is fake. The Fortnite account establishes nothing. Epstein is almost certainly dead. But conspiracies are not powered by facts. They are powered by desire, grievance, and the refusal to accept narrative closure. That is the enduring consequence of making reality optional. Once institutional authority collapses, even the truth loses its ability to end a story. The post Jeffrey Epstein Is Alive in Israel!? The Internet Really Wants to Believe It first appeared on Mediaite. Some 50 friends and family of Chris Wells a 41-year-old father of four who was gunned down Jan. 12 in the middle of his Northland street waited patiently in court Thursday morning to see if the bond would be reduced for Jeffrey Traviss King, the neighbor accused of Wells alleged murder. They left disappointed. The online obituary for Christopher Cole Wells, 41, describes him as an outdoorsman who found peace in hunting, fishing and joy in nearly every sport. Yet, of all the roles he cherished in life, none meant more to him than being a dad. The husband and father of four was shot and killed on Jan. 12. (Screenshot, online obituary, Passantino Bros. Funeral Home) A trial date for King, 42, has yet to be set. King, with his hands shackled at his waist, and dressed in black and white prison garb and orange crocs, stood with one of his two defense attorneys, Nicholas Bates, of Bates & Merryman Law Firm, while a bond hearing was rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 10, before Judge Shane T. Alexander in Division One of Clay County Circuit Court, at 3:30 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement Thursday was the second court appearance for King who, on Jan. 12, was arrested outside his home in the 2400 block of Northeast 78th Street, in the Clay County portion of Kansas City. Charged with one count each of first degree murder and armed criminal action, King is in Clay County custody in lieu of payment of bond, currently set at $5 million cash. He has plead not guilty. Neighbors, both in support of Wells and also fearful that King might receive a reduced bond and be released, came to court in force. On Thursday, 10 family members and friends sat in the second and third rows of the courtroom, wearing black T-shirts reading #JusticeForChris and marked with the dates of his birth and death 1/28/84 to 1/12/26. Stewart Wells and Trent Wells attending a Jan. 20 bond hearing for Jeffrey Traviss King, a Kansas City man charged in the shooting death of their cousin, Christopher Cole Wells, 41, who was shot on Jan. 12. They wear T-shirts bearing their cousins name. (Eric Adler - The Kansas City Star) Wells killing has shaken the middle-class Maple Woods Estates neighborhood where residents insist that, for some eight years, King embarked on a mission to torment and antagonize neighbors with whom he was in conflict. Advertisement Advertisement Over the course of years, they said, he purposefully vexed neighbors by packing his driveway and heaping his lawn with belongings such a pontoon boat, an RV, a motorcycle, patio furniture, cord wood, a deer stand and large banners with messages including, Show Me Your Butthole. The front yard of the residence of Jeffrey Traviss King, who was charged in Monday's Northland neighborhood shooting, is pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Kansas City. Multiple neighbors said King caused issues in the neighborhood for as long as many could remember. (Emily Curiel/ecuriel@kcstar.com) He erected floodlights and speakers to blast light and music at particular neighbors. He parked junk cars around the block, hindering traffic, or leaving them in front of neighbors post boxes. When neighbors complained, they say, he would respond with curses, including at Kirsten Wells, Wells spouse. King in 2025 was found guilty of property damage after video captured him in Wells driveway wielding a hammer to smash the side mirror on Wells truck. Convicted in November, King was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but it was suspended. He was given two years probation under specific conditions. The first was that he have no contact with Kirsten Wells. He was to stay away from the Wellses house, complete 10 hours of community service, and pay $303.20 in restitution to the Wellses within six months. The second of two banners that Jeffrey Traviss King, 42, of Kansas City draped on the back of an R.V. in his driveway in defiance of his neighbors along Northeast 78th Street in Kansas City. (Submitted) Neighbors say that, at 7:34 a.m. on Jan. 12, Wells was killed when he confronted King in defense of his wife. Kings attorney, Matthew Merryman, however, has suggested that he may employ a stand your ground defense, noting that King was ambushed at his home. Advertisement Advertisement The narrative, as related in the Kansas City Polices probable cause, said that Wells and King got in an altercation after Wells, called at work by his wife, returned home. His wife had said that King had approached the Wells home in what was believed to be a violation of his no contact order and threw a tarp or blanket onto their front lawn. Wells, the statement said, confronted King at his home. A fight spilled into the street. Wells, video would show, punched King, perhaps as many as three times. King punched back. As the two separated, gunshots were then heard echoing across the block. A memorial for Chris Wells with balloons in celebration of his birthday on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in Kansas City. Wells was allegedly killed by his neighbor, Jeffrey Traviss King, on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. Thursday would have been Wells' 42nd birthday. (Dominick Williams/dowilliams@kcstar.com) Two juvenile witnesses told police that they watched from their car as King stood over Wells and shot him in the back as he lay face down in the street. Arrest photo of Jeffrey Traviss King, 42, of Kansas City with a black eye received during a fight that led to the Jan. 12 shooting death of his neighbor, Christopher Cole Wells, 41. (Kansas City Police Department) Police arrested King at his home shortly before 8 a.m. A council is offering help to employees of a Telford firm if any are made redundant through a production move abroad. Ricoh UK Products Limited plant in Telford, Shropshire, said shifting output to a site in Normandy in France would take about 14 months and start in May. The firm, which employs about 400 people who work with digital print devices, has not said how many roles could be at risk. Telford & Wrekin Council said it was preparing support for any affected staff around retraining opportunities, skills assessments, and links to local employers currently recruiting. Advertisement Advertisement Asked by the BBC how many jobs could be at risk, a spokesperson for the business said: "Consultation has not yet begun and it would not be appropriate to comment on specific site headcount ahead of that formal process. "What we can say is that the proposed changes relate to only part of our Telford-based business." The council said it could help workers through its Skills for Growth Partnership and specialist advisers were ready to work with Ricoh and any other employers entering redundancy processes. Councillor Shirley Reynolds, said: "We understand how incredibly difficult and unsettling this consultation period will be for Ricoh employees and their families. Advertisement Advertisement "If redundancies are confirmed, we want people to know that support will be available immediately. "Whether it's exploring new training, updating a CV, or connecting with employers who are recruiting, our teams stand ready to provide one to one support to help residents plan their next steps with confidence." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story Related internet links Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks became the new leader of the New York Archdiocese on Friday. ABC7's Tanja Babich is in New York for Friday's installation Mass. The transition happened at 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Cardinal Timothy Dolan officially handed over leadership of the archdiocese to Hicks at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Security continued to be tight, with police guarding the entrance of the cathedral and allowing only those with tickets to enter. Streets were also blocked off, adding an extra obstacle for the always congested streets around Midtown Manhattan. Advertisement Advertisement The atmosphere inside the cathedral was joyful on Thursday night. With Dolan and Hicks presiding over a Vespers Mass, Hicks led the service in both English and Spanish. SEE ALSO | Joliet Diocese holds special Mass, bids farewell to New York Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks Hicks said it is important to him that he connect with all of New York's 2.5 million Catholics. Among them, 1 million are Latinos from many different countries in South and Central America. Hicks has a great sense of humor, and it was on display during that Vespers Mass. He got a laugh out of the congregation, saying that he has been inundated with questions about whether he is scared, excited, overwhelmed, but nobody waited for an answer. He said, humbly, that, yes, he is all of the above. Advertisement Advertisement He is funny, and he has great warmth. At one point, he paused, stopping for the congregants, and not the cameras. Babich said it felt very Chicago and very midwestern as our city's influence in the Catholic Church grows in America and overseas at the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV's first major appointment in the United States is a fellow South Sider. When Babich asked Cardinal Blase Cupich about whether this is a coincidence or the beginning of a trend, he said, simply, that there a a pool of talent that we have in the Chicago Archdiocese and in the city that is noteworthy and justifiably recognized. SEE ALSO | Joliet Bishop Ronald Hicks named by Pope Leo to lead New York Archdiocese Hicks has carried a lot of responsibility in his roles with the Chicago and Joliet dioceses. He said the weight of his new role and responsibilities is not one that he will carry alone, and he pointed to the Atlas statue across the street for his reason why. Advertisement Advertisement "On one side of the street, Atlas shows us when we try to carry everything on our own. On this side, in the church, Christ invites us to place our trust in him... with all of our hopes, all of our wounds, all of our future Into the hands of Jesus," Hicks said. On Friday, Hicks knocked on the door of St. Pat's three times, and Dolan welcomed him in. The carpet around the archbishop's throne changed from red - signifying Dolan's rank as Cardinal - to green, marking Hicks' status as archbishop. Hicks said in the days leading up to Friday's installation ceremony that with every rise through the ranks, he tried to look for opportunities to say "yes," when he is called upon, to being of service and to God. The video in the player above is from a previous report. A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of body camera video and other evidence in the shooting of a Chicago woman by an immigration agent last fall during "Operation Midway Blitz." Marimar Martinez was shot five times by U.S. Border Patrol agent Charles Exum, and then was arrested on charges she assaulted federal agents. RELATED: 'My own government attempted to execute me,' Chicago woman shot by Border Patrol testifies Those charges against Martinez were later dropped by federal prosecutors, and a federal judge dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the case was terminated completely. Advertisement Advertisement But after the recent shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration agents in Minneapolis, Martinez said she was compelled to ask the court to release all evidence in her dismissed criminal case to clear her name after Department of Homeland Security officials continued to label the Montessori school teacher with no criminal background a "domestic terrorist." On Friday, U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis ruled in favor of Martinez's motion to modify a protective order in place on that dismissed criminal case, clearing the way for videos, photos, reports and Agent Exum's text messages to be released as soon as next week. Federal agents shot Martinez on Oct. 4, 2025, near 39th Street and Kedzie Avenue on the Southwest Side, after Martinez had followed the agents for several blocks before the vehicles collided, resulting in minor dents and scrapes on both vehicles. Homeland Security officials claimed Martinez rammed into a federal agent's vehicle and accused her of assault. Advertisement Advertisement But Martinez's attorney Christopher Parente says the soon-to-be-released evidence proves she did not assault anybody. In a surveillance footage clip shared with the ABC7 Chicago I-Team, Parente says the agent's car stops just out of frame, when Agent Exum fires at Martinez. Martinez's vehicle can be seen driving past the agent, which Parente argues proves she was not boxing in the agents' vehicle. Federal prosecutors objected to the release of the evidence, arguing it could further damage Agent Exum's reputation. But at the Dirksen courthouse Friday morning, Judge Alexakis argued the federal government has not considered the reputation of Martinez, who has no criminal history. Advertisement Advertisement "I don't understand why the United States government has expressed zero concern about the sullying of Miss Martinez's reputation," Alexakis said. "She's a United States citizen. And under our legal system, it bears repeating, she's presumed innocent of any offense for which she has not been convicted." The judge ultimately ruled that Martinez argued good cause for release of the images and video from the shooting, FBI investigation reports and at least 40 text messages sent and received from the agent following the shooting. "They communicate his impression of the relevant events," Judge Alexakis said. "They bear on his credibility; they have impeachment value." The federal judge brought up other text messages Exum sent to friends and family that were released in the case last fall, in which Exum appeared to boast about his shooting skills. Advertisement Advertisement "I fired 5 rounds and she had 7 holes. Put that in your book, boys," one of those messages said. After the hearing, Martinez's attorney Parente said they were pleased the judge saw the value in releasing this evidence to the public, given recent examples of violent and disproportionate use-of-force by immigration agents. "These are people that are sworn to protect U.S. citizens. There is a respect for life policy with Border Patrol. And this man, after shooting a woman who did nothing, is going to text his friends and joke about it, brag about it, 'put it in your book,'" Parente said. "That is not what this country stands for. And thankfully, this judge said, 'I am not going to protect him from himself.'" Martinez testified on Capitol Hill earlier this week, saying her living testimony is evidence of a pattern of lies told by the federal government. Advertisement Advertisement "I saw my life flash before me, and slowly began to think this was the end for me," Martinez said. She said she believes she survived the shooting so she could share her story, following the shooting deaths of Good and Pretti. Court filings state Martinez will also be attending President Donald Trump's State of the Union address as a guest of Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia. "The mental scars will always be there as a reminder of the time my own government attempted to execute me. And when they failed, they chose to vilify me," Martinez told lawmakers. "I am Renee Good. I am Alex Pretti. I am Silverio Villegas Gonzalez. I am Keith Porter. They should all be here today." Advertisement Advertisement According to previous court testimony in this case, federal prosecutors revealed there is an "ongoing and pending criminal investigation" into the Martinez shooting, with an outside U.S. Attorney's office still retaining possession of Martinez's car. Martinez's attorney Parente said they simply want the government to acknowledge that she is not a "domestic terrorist." "You can't call a U.S. citizen with no criminal history who's a Montessori school teacher, a 'domestic terrorist,' which is such a loaded word in this in this country, and repeat it over and over as late as yesterday," Parente said. DHS officials have said they still stand by their previous statements. "You're going to see in the discovery itself some really good things that just completely destroy the credibility of the narrative that she drove at these agents," Parente told reporters after court. "You can hear five shots within two seconds of him opening his door, which again is quite alarming that we have Border Patrol agents jumping out of a car, within two seconds shooting." I have to say, based upon what Ive reviewed so far, Im leaning towards a penalty, but I want to see all the records produced, said Carson City District Judge Kristin Luis. (Photo: DMV) Carson City District Judge Kristin Luis says shes leaning toward imposing civil penalties against the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles for failing to comply with the law in its responses to requests from the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada for the state agencys communications with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, as well as the Department of Homeland Security. The ACLU filed suit against the DMV in August 2025, alleging that heavily redacted records requested by the ACLU and obtained after significant delays included correspondence between DMV and ICE, with references to chats on Signal, an encrypted communication app known to be used by federal officials, most notably Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Advertisement Advertisement The DMV does not deny that Signal chats existed with DMV employees, ACLU attorney Sadmira Ramic told the court during a hearing in Carson City Friday. They dont even deny that they may have discussed DMV business on there. Instead, Ramic noted, the agency claimed it has no control over the chats because they are not on the states servers, and that searching employees phones would invade their privacy. Ramic stated the Nevada Supreme Court has upheld that employees personal devices are subject to the Public Records Act. You have this ICE agent thats reaching out to the DMV employees on their DMV email address, providing basically services and saying, we can help in this way, please add this new person to the Signal chat, Ramic said, adding federal agents are not reaching out other than the fact that they are a DMV employee and privy to certain information that will be helpful. Ramic reminded the court that In response to the ACLUs initial request for DMVs communications with federal authorities, the agency responded it had nothing. Advertisement Advertisement We dont work with immigration, we dont communicate with immigration, Ramic said of the DMVs response. And then subsequently, in another paragraph, indicated, well, when we take documents from people, we then send it to Immigration for verification. Deputy Attorney General Abigail Pace, representing the DMV, said the agencys records custodian initially believed that all of these records were confidential, and with the assistance of in-house counsel, determined there were no records to produce. Civil penalties, she noted, are for willful noncompliance and delay. The ACLU also requested DMVs policies and procedures for communicating with ICE and Homeland Security. We never received a response, Ramic said. Carson City District Judge Kristin Luis. (District Court video screengrab) I just dont know how we got from the initial request being made in early February (2025) to nothing being produced until July. Luis said, and gave the DMV five days to satisfy the ACLUs requests, or provide privilege logs detailing why the information is confidential under the Nevada Public Records Act. Advertisement Advertisement Im interested to see what comes out and whats produced to the court, the judge said. I have to say, based upon what Ive reviewed so far, Im leaning towards a penalty, but I want to see all the records produced. Luis ordered the DMV to provide unredacted names and email addresses of the individuals sending and receiving communications with, or regarding, ICE or Homeland Security officials. Pace of the AGs office argued the names and email addresses of peace officers were redacted for their protection. The argument that revealing the names of peace officers could potentially lead to harm is a very big stretch here, Ramic of the ACLU responded. If that was the case, we would never get the names of peace officers. Advertisement Advertisement Ramic argued the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that mere assertions of possible endangerment does not clearly outweigh the public interest to know the degree of communication between the DMV and federal authorities. The judge also ordered the DMV to provide group emails that were referenced in correspondence turned over by the DMV, but not included in the records. Luis ordered the DMV to turn over isolated emails with either no initiating communication or no response. To say, because of an isolated email, that there must be a mystery document that the DMV is not providing, contradicts what they have been able to find and whats in the record, Deputy AG Pace argued. Advertisement Advertisement It doesnt feel like its a mystery document, the judge responded. It feels like its a mystery practice. It may be a practice for federal agencies. The DMV must also provide a declaration from its custodian of records of the agencys policies and procedures for interactions with immigration officials. Somebody needs to go on record, swearing or affirming that this is what theyve done these are the steps theyve taken, and that nothing was found, so that in the event down the road, if something is found, the judge said. Im concerned about how weve gotten to where we are after the initial statement of we dont communicate with immigration, and then weve got documents. Luis noted she has a lot of concern, including how responsive the AGs office was when the petition was filed. I dont know whats happening but it doesnt seem like this was a top priority. Attorney General Aaron Ford did not respond to a request for comment. United States President Donald Trump has hailed his Wednesday phone call with his key trade rival, Chinas President Xi Jinping, in which they discussed a wide range of issues, as excellent. But while Trump, who hopes to persuade China to further isolate Iran, claimed after the call that China had promised to increase the volume of soya beans it buys from the US, Xi appeared more concerned with warning the US to stay away from Taiwan. In a post on his Truth Social website, Trump described the conversation as excellent and claimed the two countries are on friendly terms. Relations between the two countries have been rocky, however, and last year, Trump instigated a bitter trade war with Beijing. Advertisement Advertisement The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realize how important it is to keep it that way, Trump wrote in his post on Wednesday. The two leaders were understood to have discussed a planned trip by the US president to Beijing later this year, Trump said, adding that he was looking forward to it. China reacted in a more muted manner to the call, with state media reporting that both sides discussed opportunities to meet in the coming year. There was no mention of Trumps visit to Beijing, nor of buying soya beans. According to Chinas state news agency Xinhua, Xi told Trump that he was willing to work with you to steer the giant ship of China-US relations steadily forward through winds and storms, and accomplish more big things and good things. Advertisement Advertisement While the call indicates that both sides wish to keep talks on an even keel, it does not disguise the competing interests of each, analyst Manoj Kewalramani of the India-based Takshashila Institution told Al Jazeera. Implicit in this is the understanding the relationship is likely to remain difficult owing to the underlying strategic competition (between them), he added. Beijing is set to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting in November. The US, meanwhile, is hosting the G20 Summit in December. The two leaders last held a phone call in November to discuss several topics, including trade, amid the USs tariff war. Trumps erratic trade policies caused Chinese exports to the US to fall, but also saw Beijings exports to other countries soar last year. Advertisement Advertisement Heres what we know about the latest phone call and what it means for US-China relations: A Taiwan Coast Guard vessel travels near a China Coast Guard vessel as China conducts military drills around Taiwan, in this handout image provided December 30, 2025 [Taiwan Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters] What was discussed regarding Taiwan? Both sides confirmed that several topics were discussed, but the Chinese government, in its statement, said the most important issue was Taiwan. China has long made known its plans to reunify with the democratic island it views as part of its own territory, and has not explicitly ruled out using force to do so. Historically, the US has been an ally of Taiwan. Past administrations have maintained a strategic ambiguity position, which does not clearly rule in or out that Washington would step in to defend Taipei in case of a Chinese attack leaving Beijing guessing. Advertisement Advertisement Unlike previous governments, however, Trump has not prioritised support for Taiwan and has instead focused on making deals. The USs 2026 National Defense Strategy, published last month, made no mention of Taiwan, although earlier versions of it noted Chinas provocative overtures in the waters close to Taiwan. Most recently, China held military drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwans main island in late December last year. In December, the US announced a huge arms sales package to Taiwan valued at more than $10bn, including medium-range missiles, drones and howitzers, drawing anger from China. Xi told Trump on the Wednesday phone call to handle any weapons sales to Taiwan with prudence, according to Chinese state media. Advertisement Advertisement The Chinese leader also warned that Taiwan was part of Chinas territory, and that China must safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Xinhua news agency reported. China will never allow Taiwan to be separated, state broadcaster CGTN quoted Xi as saying. Has Trump persuaded China to buy more US goods? China and the US are the worlds largest economies and are also important trading partners. However, the US imports more from China than it exports to the country, with the trade deficit reaching about $300bn by 2024. This trade imbalance is what Trump sought to change when he slapped tariffs on China of 145 percent last year. The USs top export to China is soya beans. Following his call with Xi on Wednesday, the US president claimed the two had discussed Beijings purchase of US oil, increased purchase of US soya beans and the delivery of aeroplane engines. However, this has not been specifically confirmed by China since the call between Trump and Xi. Advertisement Advertisement China has shown some willingness to cede to these sorts of demands from Trump, however. The countrys state-run Sinograin and COFCO have already bought about 12 million tonnes of US soya beans since October trade talks with the US, paying close to $100m more than they would have done for Brazilian beans. Is there a market logic at the moment for China procuring a bunch more US soya beans, just as Brazils harvest comes in? No, Even Rogers Pay, director of Beijing-based consultancy Trivium China, told the Reuters news agency on Thursday. But could it smooth the path for an even more productive and lucrative state visit by Trump in April? Perhaps. Last years trade war between Washington and Beijing saw both sides increase tariffs in a series of announcements. US tariffs on Chinese imports reached 145 percent, while Chinas retaliatory taxes reached 125 percent. Following negotiations and an in-person meeting between Trump and Xi in South Korea in October, the US reduced tariffs to 47.5 percent while China lowered them to 31.9 percent. Beijing is particularly pleased with its own handling of the trade war with the United States, which Chinese analysts largely view as having played out to Chinas advantage, said analyst Patricia Kim of the Brookings Institution. Advertisement Advertisement From their perspective, President Trumps evident desire to reach a trade deal with China, combined with the expectation of multiple leader-level engagements over the course of the year, has effectively bought China time and strategic breathing room from the most hawkish policy impulses in Washington, she added. What other bones of contention exist between Trump and Xi? Iran Trump said the two leaders discussed the situation in Iran among other topics. Tensions between Washington and Tehran are currently high due to the Iranian governments deadly crackdown on wide antigovernment demonstrations that were held between December and early January. Trump has also said hes considering military action in Iran that analysts say could lead to government change there. Since late January, the US has been amassing military forces in the Arabian Sea, triggering concerns of a potential Venezuela-style US invasion that saw President Nicolas Maduro abducted and taken to the US to be tried on guns-and-drugs charges in December. Advertisement Advertisement The US, which attacked three Iranian nuclear sites during last Julys Iran-Israel war, has been pressing Tehran to abandon its nuclear programs and not enrich uranium at all, even for civilian purposes. Iran has repeatedly resisted US orders, insisting it doesnt have plans to manufacture military-grade nuclear weapons. US and Iranian officials are expected to hold talks in Oman on Friday on the issue. Last week, the US announced sanctions on unnamed Iranian government officials it said were responsible for the crackdowns on protesters. Washington has long imposed sanctions on Tehran, which have significantly weakened the Iranian economy. In January, Trump announced a new 25 percent trade tariff on countries trading with Iran, in a bid to pressure and isolate Tehran. Advertisement Advertisement China is Irans largest trading partner and buys most of Irans oil. Its unclear, however, if Trump directly asked Xi to stop buying Iranian oil in the way he has pressured India to stop buying Russian oil. China has not commented on this. Firefighters work near a building damaged in a Russian overnight drone attack, amid Russias attack on Ukraine, in a place given as Kyiv, Ukraine, February 5, 2026, in this screengrab from a handout video [State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv Region/Handout via Reuters] Russia The leaders also discussed Russias war in Ukraine. China is a strong ally of Russia and its largest buyer of oil. Both have sought to present a strong front, and Beijing has never denounced the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The US, meanwhile, is attempting to secure a permanent ceasefire to the four-year Ukraine war. This week, Russian and Ukrainian officials are meeting in Abu Dhabi in talks brokered by the US. Beijing imports Russian oil, coal, timber and copper. Amid Western sanctions on Russia, Beijings trade with Moscow has proven an economic lifeline, particularly as Washington has successfully used tariffs to force countries like India to stop buying Russian oil. Both are founding members of the BRICS economic bloc, which stands for the original member countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Iran, which also joined, participated last month, together with Russia and China, in military training in South Africa. President Xi separately held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin also on Wednesday and said both sides would continue working together strategically, although neither went into details. There was no mention of Ukraine. Beijing has so far shown no signs of scaling back its trade relations with Russia or Iran, experts say, and is not likely to do so. Chinese officials frame its economic relationships as matters of sovereignty and principle, and insist they will continue trading with partners of their choosing, Kim of the Brookings Institution said. The Trump administration has not explicitly tied progress in the two countries trade negotiations to exerting economic pressure on Moscow or Tehran, and that makes it easier for Beijing to disregard those requests, Kim said. Critical minerals Critical minerals have been a recurring source of tension between the two countries. Important minerals, which include rare earth metals like samarium and promethium, are important for the manufacture of high-tech gadgets and devices, from smartphones and electric cars to fighter jets. China currently dominates the mining and processing of such minerals, but the US wants to break that hold. Last year, China tightened export controls on rare-earth metals amid its tense trade war with the US. The move dealt a blow to US supplies and affected US industries that are highly reliant on Chinese supplies. Following a truce called by Trump and Xi in October last year, Beijing has paused some of these restrictions, but experts say its dominance remains a key leverage in dealing with the US. On Monday, Trump announced a new $12bn US critical mineral reserve Project Vault, in a bid to boost US stockpiles. He has also held a critical minerals ministerial with representatives from 50 countries in Washington this week, to discuss ways to diversify supply chains and break Chinas stranglehold. On Wednesday, during that ministerial, US Vice President JD Vance proposed a critical mineral trading bloc, with South Korea, India, Thailand, Japan, Germany, Australia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among others, in attendance. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that the Justice Department apprehended a suspect of the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya. The attack, carried out by the militant group Ansar al-Sharia, occurred on the 11th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. It targeted a pair of U.S. facilities and resulted in the deaths of a U.S. ambassador and a pair of CIA contractors, among others. During a Friday morning press conference, Bondi said: We lost 4 American lives that day: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith with the State Department, and two CIA contractors Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. We have never forgotten those heroes and we have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation. In fact, from day one, [FBI Director Kash Patel] and [former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino] would sit in meetings and say, Were gonna get them, and they did. Today, Im proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack. The suspect was identified as Zubayr Al-Bakoush, and Bondi added that he arrived at Joint Base Andrews in the early hours of Friday morning. She continued: We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law. Hell face charges related to murder, terrorism, arson, among others. Let this case serve as a reminder: if you commit a crime against the American people anywhere in this world, President Trumps Justice Department will find you. It might not happen overnight, but it will happen. You can run, but you cannot hide. Watch above via Fox News The post JUST IN: Justice Department Announces Arrest of Suspect in Benghazi Attack first appeared on Mediaite. South Korean regulators are once again tightening their grip over the crypto market and the rising corporate involvement. A South Korean court has recently sentenced the CEO of a crypto asset management firm to a 3-year jail term for minting a total of $4.8 million by manipulating token prices. South Korean Court Sentences Crypto Firm CEO Over Violations Local news publication Hankyung recently reported that the Seoul Southern District Court has sentenced crypto executive Jong-hwan Lee on charges of violating the Virtual Asset User Protection Act. Reportedly, the court has imposed a prison sentence on Lee, along with a fine of 500 million won. Besides, the court has also ordered Lee to forfeit roughly 846 million won in criminal proceeds. Prosecutors said that between July 22 and Oct. 25, 2024, Lee had used an automated trading program to manipulate the price of the ACE cryptocurrency. The program allegedly inflated trading volumes through repeated wash trades. This allowed Lee to illicitly mint profits of 7.1 billion won, aka $4.8 million. According to investigators, the tokens average daily trading volume stood at about 160,000 units before the scheme began. After Lee deployed the automated program, volume jumped to roughly 2.45 million units the following day. Lees trades had accounted for approximately 89% of the activity. According to a translated news report, the court stated: This case is a serious crime that obstructs the fair price formation of the virtual asset market and undermines investor trust. Using AI to Address Crypto Manipulation Top South Korean regulators are now stepping up efforts to combat crypto market manipulation. The countrys top financial regulator, Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), said that it would be using artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance tools to upgrade its Virtual Asset Investigation System (VISTA). This comes soon after the South Korean customs department exposed a $100 million crypto-remittance network last month in January. According to officials, the enhanced system will automatically identify pump-and-dump schemes. Moreover, it would track coordinated trading networks and trace illicit fund flows across platforms. The upgrade also includes the introduction of GPU-powered servers. This will allow regulators to process large volumes of market and transaction data more efficiently. Authorities said the improvements are aimed at strengthening real-time monitoring of digital asset markets. Read original story South Korea Sentences Crypto Firm Executive to 3-Year Jail Just Before Corporate Regulations by Bhushan Akolkar at Coinspeaker.com KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) The Knox County Board of Educations motion to ask the Tennessee Commissioner to decide if a religious charter school can operate in Knox County has failed. On Thursday, the board considered a resolution to ask Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds to review a waiver request from the Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville to sponsor a Christian charter school. The resolution sought to ask Reynolds to decide if the waiver should be granted under both state and federal law, as well as the State Board of Education; however, the resolution failed. KFD: Man charged after Knoxville home set on fire with 11 people inside Advertisement Advertisement Current Tennessee law does not allow religious charter schools. Specifically, the law made in 2002 requires charter schools to be nonsectarian and nonreligious. The law has been under scrutiny recently, with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issuing a legal opinion that it violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. In December, 6 News reported that Wilberforce Academy filed a lawsuit against the Knox County Board of Education and alleged religious discrimination. The unapologetically Christian private nonprofit organization is trying to open a charter school in Cedar Bluff, according to its lawsuit, although it currently does not have a listed phone number or campus and only has a single staff member listed on its site. Emergency membrane arrives in Jefferson City to repair water tank According to the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, charter schools are public schools, but they are operated by independent, nonprofit governing bodies. Charter schools are funded the same way as traditional public schools, and they are authorized by local boards of education, but they have greater autonomy in certain areas, such as personnel and salary policies, curriculum and instruction methods, and financial decisions in exchange for greater responsibility for student performance, the Comptrollers office said. Advertisement Advertisement While Wilberforce Academy argued that the state law blocking religious charter schools is unconstitutional, Knox County parents have pushed back and questioned why the prospective school is targeting the board of education and not the state law. 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 WATE 6 On Your Side. A spokesperson from the Republican Party of Kentucky said Democrats are "manufacturing outrage" after President Donald Trump posted a video to his Truth Social account depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, according to a Feb. 6 statement from the party. According to USA TODAY, the video, posted to Trump's Truth Social account Feb. 5, centered on footage discussing unsubstantiated voter fraud allegations in the 2020 presidential election before briefly flipping to the clip of the Obamas. A White House official told USA TODAY a staffer had erroneously made the post, which was taken down about 12 hours later. "Since Democrats cant attack the Presidents record of delivering a surging economy and rising real wages, they are resorting to manufacturing outrage and stoking tensions," Republican Party of Kentucky spokesperson Adam Hope said in a statement. "The White House has removed the post after a staffer erroneously included part of the clip in question due to auto-play function during a screen recording." Advertisement Advertisement In October 2025, Hardin County Republican Party Chair Bobbie Coleman shared a video that depicted the Obamas as apes to the party's Facebook account. She later took it down and apologized for "amplifying offensive imagery," adding she saw the video as portraying President Trump "as a Lion King, triumphing over liberal Democrats." Coleman's actions were denounced by the Republican Party of Kentucky, which said it would investigate the matter and "take the harshest action available to us against those involved." In an Oct. 25 statement, party Chairman Robert J. Benvenuti III called the post "vile and reprehensible" and said it was against the party's values. Hope said the party stands by "previous comments on the matter," and thanked Trump and his team for deleting the post. McGarvey, Dem candidates for state Senate condemn video, Morris defends Trump Democratic U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey condemned the video in a Feb. 6 post to X, asking Republicans to do the same. Advertisement Advertisement "The disgusting video Trump posted is blatantly racist, and he knows it," McGarvey posted to X. "The noticeable silence from my Republican colleagues is cowardly and complicit call this out for the vile racism it is." Charles Booker and Amy McGrath, two Democrats running to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell in the 2026 U.S. Senate race, also denounced the post on social media. "Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist. We cannot excuse this or look away," Booker wrote in a Feb. 6 post to X. "This president may want to use racism to distract from Iran, ICE, the tanking economy, and the Epstein files, but he cannot hide. He must be held to account for all his mess." McGrath called the video "embarrassing and offensive." More than two years after being arrested on the other side of the country, a Covington pastor has admitted to sexually abusing an underage girl who attended his church. Jose Luis Lopez-Hernandez, 52, pleaded guilty on Feb. 5 in Kenton County Circuit Court to first-degree sexual abuse. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending that Lopez-Hernandez serve two years in prison and register as a sex offender for 20 years. Advertisement Advertisement Joshua McIntosh, the pastor's attorney, said in court that Lopez-Hernandez negotiated a plea deal that allowed him to plead guilty to a subsection of the state's sexual abuse statute that doesn't address the victim's age. "I forced a person to have sexual contact with me," Lopez-Hernandez said at the hearing through a Spanish interpreter. Anonymous report led to police investigation of local pastor Authorities began investigating Lopez-Hernandez in September 2023 after the Kentucky Cabinet of Health and Family Services received an anonymous report about sexual abuse at the Ministerio Jesus Liberta Church on East 9th Street. According to a criminal complaint, the then-14-year-old girl was at church with her family on a Sunday when Lopez-Hernandez asked the girl and her cousin to come to his upstairs office. Advertisement Advertisement After talking for a few minutes, Lopez-Hernandez asked the girl's cousin to leave the office and requested the 14-year-old stay behind. He then locked the door and proceeded to kiss the girl's neck, touch her breasts and attempt to touch her genitals, the complaint states. She was able to push the man's hands away and leave the office to tell her father. Witnesses told police the girl had a bruise on her neck consistent with "aggressive kissing" that wasn't present before she went into the pastor's office, the document states. The girl was interviewed at the Northern Kentucky Children's Advocacy Center three days later. Feds arrested NKY pastor in California Lopez-Hernandez traveled to California after the incident for a mission trip but skipped his return flight. Covington police said they gathered information that he didn't plan to return, so they contacted the FBI. Advertisement Advertisement Federal agents arrested Lopez-Hernandez in Salinas, California, in October 2023. As part of his sexual abuse conviction, Lopez-Hernandez is under a court order to stay away from the girl, who is now 16 years old. He is expected to appear in court again on March 9 for sentencing before Judge Kate Molloy. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky church pastor admits to sexually abusing 14-year-old girl Kevin Brown, president and executive director of the Norwich Community Development Corporation, has been named the grand marshal of the 2026 Norwich St. Patricks Day Parade, according to a community announcement. The announcement was made by the Norwich Events Organization. Brown has deep roots in Norwich, with both his parents having attended Norwich Free Academy and Irish immigrants on both sides of his family. His father, Michael J. Brown Jr., was the son of Michael J. Brown, who worked at Norwich Gas & Electric. Brown displays a photo in his office of his grandfather hanging street lights that are still in downtown Norwich. Kevin Brown On his mothers side, Brown's Mohegan Tribal family deeded the Nine-Mile Square to the Mason, Fitch and Leffingwell families, which became Norwich in 1659. His Mohegan family intermixed with Irish ancestry when his great-grandfather, Burrill Fielding, chief of the Mohegans until 1952, married Anne Teevan, who also immigrated from Ireland in the mid-1880s. Advertisement Advertisement Brown is a retired U.S. Army colonel with 24 years of service. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a Bachelor of Science degree and earned a Master of Science from the Naval Postgraduate School, along with a masters in arts from Norwich University in public diplomacy. He served in key roles during combat operations, including Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After his military career, Brown served as chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, overseeing significant expansions in gaming and non-gaming ventures. Since joining NCDC in 2021, he has supported seven major development projects exceeding $78 million in investment, creating hundreds of jobs and activating over 460,000 square feet of commercial space with a 6:1 private-to-public funding ratio. Additionally, initiatives have established several new small businesses, generated more jobs and revitalized dormant downtown spaces. Brown also serves as chair of the Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region, and is on the Otis Library Board of Trustees and the Warrior Bonfire Program Board of Directors. In recognition of his work, Brown received the Member of the Year award from the Connecticut Economic Development Association in 2025. He was also inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame in 2018 for his military and community contributions. Advertisement Advertisement The 2026 Norwich St. Patricks Day Parade is scheduled for 1 p.m. March 8 in downtown Norwich, according to the announcement. The parade will feature marching bands, Irish dancers, floats and community groups. For more information about the parade, participation opportunities or sponsorships, visit gonorwichct.com or contact the St. Patrick's Day Parade chairs Erin Challinor at erin@gonorwichct.com or Katie Moors at katie@gonorwichct.com. This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@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 The Bulletin: Kevin Brown to headline 2026 Norwich St. Patricks Day Parade On January 30, two men were arrested related to illegal alcohol sales at a Kissimmee lounge. The business owner and an employee face felony charges after a three-month investigation into the establishment. Kissimmee police identified the men arrested as business owner Edsel Abad Rodriguez La Versa and employee Joshua David Lopez Pena. Both were detained on felony charges involving illegal alcohol sales. Investigators carried out a search warrant at Pa Pikar Lounge in response to several tips and complaints about illegal alcohol sales violating Florida law. Investigating officers seized dozens of bottles of alcohol from the establishment after confirming the illegal activity. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. By Mubasher Bukhari LAHORE, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Extravagantly coloured kites dueled above Lahore and cries of victory rang out from rooftops on Friday, as the city celebrated the lifting of an 18-year ban on a spectacular three-day traditional Punjabi kite-flying festival. The Basant, a festival marking the onset of spring, was banned in 2008 after deaths and injuries to motorcyclists and pedestrians from stray kite strings - sometimes coated with metal to make them more fearsome in mid-air battles. Advertisement Advertisement The ban was lifted last year due to public demand, and this year's festival kicked off at midnight with Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari flying the first kite. Families and friends crammed through the night onto the rooftops of the Walled City and other neighbourhoods, flying kites, beating drums and shouting out "bo-kata!", or "hacked!", the victor's cry after severing an opponents string. Abdul Aziz, 57, a self-described kite-flying addict, had been bereft during the ban. "Today, when I dropped the first kite in air, I felt as if there was a space in my life that was now filled." Sharmeen Mehmood, 55, an avid kite-flyer since she was 10, said the action had been at its most exciting in the darkness, slowing down with dawn as rooftop revelers sought some rest and the wind eased off, but expected to pick up again later. Advertisement Advertisement The government has banned metallic or chemical-coated killer strings. Kites and strings must bear individual QR codes so they can be traced, and motorcyclists must attach safety rods to their bikes to fend off stray thread. Some 4,600 producers registered with the authorities to sell kites and strings. District government spokesperson Haris Ali told Reuters that rooftops with 30 or more revelers must also be registered, and dozens of roofs had been declared off-limits after inspections. The festival has been somewhat overshadowed by a suicide bombing in Islamabad on Friday that killed at least 31 people. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said in a post on X that the concert at Liberty Square in Lahore on Saturday as part of the Basant celebrations had been cancelled because of the attack. ECONOMIC BOOST Advertisement Advertisement The festival is an economic boost, with hotels at capacity and families celebrating with big meals. According to our estimates, the kite-selling and purchasing business exceeds 3 billion rupees ($10 million) up to Thursday night, said Ali. Mian Tariq Javed, President of Punjab Poultry Association, said demand for poultry was as high as during the big Muslim festival of Eidul Fitr. At Mochi Gate, Pakistan's biggest market for kites and strings, stocks were running out. Kite seller Zubair Ahmed had sold his out his supplies in two days. "People are reaching out to me with money in hand and asking for strings at any price. Unfortunately, I dont have it." (Reporting by Mubasher BukhariWriting by Lucy CraymerEditing by Peter Graff) MANSFIELD - A train hauling flammable fuel derailed in Mansfield Thursday morning in a wreck that also propelled several railcars into the Willimantic River and closed local roads, officials said. The train derailed around 9:22 a.m. near Stafford Road, according to the Connecticut State Police. Authorities have said no injuries were reported and that there are no signs of any fuel leaks. Stafford Road, also known as state Route 32, has been closed between U.S. Route 44 and state Route 275. Mansfield officials have said the road is expected to be closed for a prolonged period. Advertisement Advertisement Here's what we know and don't know about the train derailment: Here's what we know: Did anything spill? Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache, who served as incident commander, said the train had two locomotives and 41 cars. Of those, he said, 13 detached from the train, 10 of which derailed and nine of which rolled over onto their side. Roache said six of the overturned cars were carrying liquid propane, but none of them had breaches or leaks. He said some of the other cars were carrying food-grade grease and that about 2,000 gallons spilled out. Still, Roache said, that is not cause for concern, calling it "basically animal fat." He noted air monitoring was conducted around the derailed cars to ensure none leaked the more hazardous propane. Advertisement Advertisement Officials initially urged nearby residents to shelter in place and close their windows out of an abundance of caution, but did not issue any evacuation orders. Where was the train headed? A spokesperson for New England Central Railroad said the passengerless train departed from Palmer, Mass. and was on its way to Willimantic when it crashed. The official said the cars will be placed back on the rails over the coming days. The commercial railroad, which is owned by the Darien-based holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc., operates 345 miles of track between Connecticut and the Canadian border, according to the company. Officials said the train was being operated by two people at the time of the derailment, but neither were injured and both remained on the scene to assist investigators. Here's what we don't know: What caused the derailment? Local and state officials did not reveal what may have caused the train to abruptly leave the tracks. Advertisement Advertisement Roache, Mansfield's fire chief, said the National Transportation Safety Board was not yet involved in the investigation, but had been in contact with the train company to help determine whether federal investigators were needed. New England Central Railroad spokesperson Tom Ciuba said the company plans to conduct a thorough investigation into the wreck and said it is too early to determine if the recent cold snap affected the tracks. "In general, extreme temperatures can impact rail - heat can expand it, while cold can make it contract," Ciuba said. "At this point, we do not know the cause of this incident." How long will it take to clean up? Roache said the cleanup would probably take a couple of days to complete and that crews would remain at the scene throughout Thursday night. He noted the railroad is expected to bring heavy equipment to the site by around midnight. Advertisement Advertisement Crews will have a better estimate of the timeline of the project as the equipment starts to arrive, Roache said. He said more than 100 personnel were at the scene, with heating trailers and buses stationed there to help them deal with the cold. Roache said crews may be forced to pause their work depending on the weather. A weekend storm is expected to bring snow showers and bitter cold temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. Who will cover the costs associated with the crash? Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth said it was too early to talk about the cost of the response and cleanup, adding there will be talks later to determine who bears financial responsibility for different things. "As the chief said, our focus is on now, we'll worry about the rest when it comes," Aylesworth said. "Certainly, we'll be doing everything as a town to make sure our interests and our residents' interests are protected." Advertisement Advertisement This story includes previous reporting from staff writers Liz Hardaway, Jesse Leavenworth, Eric Bedner, Christine Dempsey and Josh LaBella. This article originally published at What we know and don't know about the Connecticut train derailment in Mansfield. This article will update. Update: At 9:52 a.m. Feb. 6, 2026, the Indiana State Police said the Amber alert in this case was canceled. The Starke County Sheriff's Office said the boy was found and is safe. Dwayne Clemons remains at large and authorities are using "all available resources in the ongoing investigation to take Clemons into custody," they said in a Facebook post. AMBER ALERT CANCELLATION AMBER Alert issued on Feb. 6, 2026 on Saxon Clemons has been cancelled as of February 6, 2026 as requested by the investigating agency. For more information on this cancellation, please contact the Starke County Sheriffs Department at 574-772-377. Indiana State Police (@IndStatePolice) February 6, 2026 An Amber Alert was issued early Feb. 6, 2026, out of North Judson, Indiana. The alert was delivered to smartphones around 6:05 a.m. and social media shortly after. If you have any information, contact the Starke County Sheriffs Office at 574-772-3771 or 911. Who is missing in Indiana Amber alert Authorities are searching for 2-year-old Saxon Clemons, a white male described as being 2 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 30 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue and gray sweatshirt and blue and gray sweatpants. Police believe the boy is in "extreme danger." When was Saxon Clemons last seen The Amber alert indicates he was last seen around 3 p.m. Feb. 5, 2026 in North Judson, Indiana. What vehicle is involved in Indiana Amber alert The vehicle involved is a silver 2017 Chevrolet Trailblazer with an Indiana license plate reading CRS242. Do police have a suspect in North Judson Amber alert Yes. The Starke County Sheriff's Office believes Dwayne Clemons, 44, is involved. He is described as a white man who stands 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. 2 feet 4 inches tall, 30 pounds, blonde hair with blue eyes, and last seen wearing blue and gray sweatshirt and blue and gray sweatpants. Saxon last seen on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 3:00 pm in North Judson, Indiana and is believed to be in extreme danger. https://t.co/q4ZKuMPosQ Indiana State Police (@IndStatePolice) February 6, 2026 Where is North Judson, Indiana North Judson is a small town located in northwest Indiana with a population of about 2,000 people. It's roughly a two hour drive from Indianapolis. How Fishers teen's killing could change Amber alert system The Feb. 6 alert comes amid discussion at the Indiana Statehouse about revamping the system after Hailey Buzbee was taken from her home and killed in Ohio after meeting a man on a gaming platform. Her situation did not rise to alert status under the current system because she left home willingly and it wasn't immediately clear she was in danger. Advertisement Advertisement Buzbee was killed within days of her leaving her Fishers, Indiana, home sometime early Jan. 6, 2026. Her body wasn't found until early February after the suspect led authorities to an area in Wayne National Forest. More: Braun, legislative leaders eye changes to state law after Hailey Buzbee's death More: Silver, amber and blue: What you need to know about Indiana missing persons alerts This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Amber alert canceled for 2-year-old Saxon Clemons DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iran and the United States are weighing holding a second round of talks over Tehran's nuclear program after Israel launched a 12-day war on the country in June and the Islamic Republic carried out a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. U.S. President Donald Trump has kept up pressure on Iran, moving an aircraft carrier and other military assets to the Persian Gulf and suggesting the U.S. could attack Iran over the killing of peaceful demonstrators or if Tehran launches mass executions over the protests. Trump has pushed Iran's nuclear program back into the frame as well after the June war disrupted five rounds of talks held in Rome and Muscat, Oman, last year. Trump also has suggested sending a second carrier to the region. Advertisement Advertisement A top Iranian security official, Ali Larijani, visited Oman this week and traveled onto Qatar, just after Trump called its ruling emir. It remains unclear how or if more talks will happen, though Mideast nations fear a collapse in diplomacy could spark a new regional war. U.S. concerns also have gone beyond Iran's nuclear program to its ballistic missiles, support for proxy networks across the region and other issues. Iran has said it wants talks to focus solely on the nuclear program. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has insisted that his nation was not seeking nuclear weapons. ... and are ready for any kind of verification. However, the United Nations nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency has been unable for months to inspect and verify Irans nuclear stockpile. Trump began the diplomacy initially by writing a letter last year to Irans 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to jump start these talks. Khamenei has warned Iran would respond to any attack with an attack of its own, particularly as the theocracy he commands reels following the protests. Heres what to know about Irans nuclear program and the tensions that have stalked relations between Tehran and Washington since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Trump writes letter to Khamenei Trump dispatched the letter to Khamenei on March 5, 2025, then gave a television interview the next day in which he acknowledged sending it. He said: Ive written them a letter saying, I hope youre going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, its going to be a terrible thing. Advertisement Advertisement Since returning to the White House, the president has been pushing for talks while ratcheting up sanctions and suggesting a military strike by Israel or the U.S. could target Iranian nuclear sites. A previous letter from Trump during his first term drew an angry retort from the supreme leader. But Trumps letters to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term led to face-to-face meetings, though no deals to limit Pyongyangs atomic bombs and a missile program capable of reaching the continental U.S. Oman mediated previous talks Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has mediated talks between Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. The two men have met face to face after indirect talks, a rare occurrence due to the decades of tensions between the countries. Advertisement Advertisement It hasn't been all smooth, however. Witkoff at one point made a television appearance in which he suggested 3.67% enrichment for Iran could be something the countries could agree on. But thats exactly the terms set by the 2015 nuclear deal struck under former U.S. President Barack Obama, from which Trump unilaterally withdrew America. Witkoff, Trump and other American officials in the time since have maintained Iran can have no enrichment under any deal, something to which Tehran insists it won't agree. Those negotiations ended, however, with Israel launching the war in June on Iran. It hosted a new first round of talks on Feb. 6. The 12-day war and nationwide protests Israel launched what became a 12-day war on Iran in June that included the U.S. bombing Iranian nuclear sites. Iran later acknowledged in November that the attacks saw it halt all uranium enrichment in the country, though inspectors from the IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, have been unable to visit the bombed sites. Half a year later, Iran saw protests that began in late December over the collapse of the country's rial currency. Those demonstrations soon became nationwide, sparking Tehran to launch a bloody crackdown that killed thousands and saw tens of thousands detained by authorities. Irans nuclear program worries the West Iran has insisted for decades that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60%, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so. Advertisement Advertisement Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67% purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The last report by the IAEA on Irans program put its stockpile at some 9,870 kilograms (21,760 pounds), with a fraction of it enriched to 60%. The agency for months has been unable to assess Iran's program, raising nonproliferation concerns. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so. Iranian officials have threatened to pursue the bomb. Israel, a close American ally, believes Iran is pursuing a weapon. It wants to see the nuclear program scrapped, as well as a halt in its ballistic missile program and support for anti-Israel militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas. Decades of tense relations between Iran and the US Iran was once one of the U.S.s top allies in the Mideast under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who purchased American military weapons and allowed CIA technicians to run secret listening posts monitoring the neighboring Soviet Union. The CIA had fomented a 1953 coup that cemented the shahs rule. Advertisement Advertisement But in January 1979, the shah, fatally ill with cancer, fled Iran as mass demonstrations swelled against his rule. The Islamic Revolution followed, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and created Irans theocratic government. Later that year, university students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seeking the shahs extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage crisis that saw diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S. severed. The Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s saw the U.S. back Saddam Hussein. The Tanker War during that conflict saw the U.S. launch a one-day assault that crippled Iran at sea, while the U.S. later shot down an Iranian commercial airliner that the U.S. military said it mistook for a warplane. Iran and the U.S. have seesawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy in the years since, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. But Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the accord in 2018, sparking tensions in the Mideast that persist today. ___ 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. Knoxville Preparatory School, a charter school approved by Knox County, is closing at the end of the academic year. Knox Prep leaders decided to close the all-boys charter school, which opened in 2024, according to a news release. Chattanooga Prep, run by the same organization, will remain open in that city. School leaders are working to find places for Knox Prep's students, they said in the release. Advertisement Advertisement Our boys have immense potential, and we are committed to seeing that potential realized, Amber Williams, Knox Prep subcommittee chair, said in the release. Because we believe so deeply in their futures, the subcommittee is committing more than $300,000 in immediate academic and transitional support for our students. This is a direct investment in their long-term success and a promise that our belief in them remains. Knox Prep had a "lower-than-expected enrollment" and "academic outcomes that do not meet the standards of excellence promised to families," the news release said. Knox Prep had 91 students enrolled as of Oct. 1, according to the Tennessee Department of Education, out of its planned eventual capacity of 700 students. Knox Prep failed to meet or fell below nine of 25 state standards in its inaugural year, according to a Knox County Schools assessment. Families with boys enrolled in sixth and seventh grades will immediately receive guidance moving forward: Advertisement Advertisement A "professional navigator" to work with families to find the right school for next year Summer academic sessions to prepare kids for the next grade More than $300,000 in resources to help students and staff members with costs of transitioning to new schools of any kind, funds that could help pay for such things as new uniforms and transportation While the decision to close is hard, Williams (who's also the vice provost for student success at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville), credited the charter school's executive director, Chad Everett, with focusing on student well-being in his leadership style, and said the school will use the rest of the year to ensure success for students. Knox Prep was the first single-gender school in Knox County Schools, and is located at 967 Irwin St. in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tennessee Valley site. Charter schools are public schools that are funded by tax dollars but operate privately. State law only allows nonprofit charter operators in Tennessee. Knoxville has another charter school, Emerald Academy, which opened in 2015. Knoxville Preparatory School opened in 2024, but it will cease operations after two school years. Students will receive support in transitioning to another school. Keenan Thomas is the higher education reporter for Knox News. Email: keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing to subscribe.knoxnews.com. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox Prep charter school for boys is closing Soybeans are trading with 25 to 30 cent gains at midday. The cmdtyView national average Cash Bean price is 27 cents higher at $10.27 1/2. Soymeal futures are $3.40 to $3.80 higher, with Soy Oil futures up 10 to 109 points. A phone call between President Trump and Chinas President Xi took place this morning. Among the discussions, according to a post from the President, President Trump was looking to lift the soybean commitments to 20 MMT for the current season, vs. the 12 MMT previous. More News from Barchart USDAs Export Sales report will be out on Thursday, with Traders looking for between 0.4-1.6 MMT of soybean sales in the week of January 29. Soybean meal sales are seen at 250,000-500,000 MT, as bean oil is expected to be 0-25,000 MT. Mar 26 Soybeans are at $10.93 1/2, up 27 3/4 cents, Nearby Cash is at $10.27 1/2, up 27 cents, May 26 Soybeans are at $11.06 1/2, up 29 1/4 cents, Jul 26 Soybeans are at $11.18 1/4, up 27 3/4 cents, On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com Lake Huron Medical Center has donated $10,000 to the United Way of St. Clair County, according to a community announcement. The contribution supports programs aimed at improving health, education and financial stability in the local area. The funds were raised through employee-led initiatives and company-wide fundraising efforts, according to the announcement. Donation marks ongoing partnership Lake Huron Medical Center has donated $10,000 to the United Way of St. Clair County. The donation was presented to Megan Simmons, a State Farm insurance agent, and Liz King, director of the St. Clair County Health Department, who served as this years United Way of St. Clair County co-chairs. Sharon Wilton, executive director of United Way of St. Clair County, also attended the presentation. Advertisement Advertisement Representing Lake Huron Medical Center were Chris Fulks, interim chief executive officer, and Anish Sheth, chief nursing officer, along with other hospital leaders and staff. We want your news! How to submit community announcements to us Leaders express gratitude Supporting United Way aligns with our mission to care for our community beyond the walls of our hospital, Fulks said in the announcement. This donation represents the generosity and dedication of our employees and our shared commitment to making a meaningful difference for individuals and families throughout St. Clair County. Wilton expressed appreciation for Lake Huron Medical Centers continued partnership and support, noting the impact the donation will have on programs addressing critical community needs. Simmons and King also expressed their gratitude for the hospitals commitment to the community. Advertisement Advertisement The donation highlights the collaboration between Lake Huron Medical Center and community partners working together to create lasting, positive change in the region. For more information about Lake Huron Medical Center, visit mylakehuron.com. This story was created by Janis Reeser, jreeser@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/. This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: United Way gets $10K boost from Lake Huron Medical Center donation MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) Vermont lawmakers went back to the drawing board and have sketched up another potential new map of school districts. The map was shared for the first time Thursday afternoon in the House Education Committee room. See the committees first-draft map hereDownload The new map would split the state into 28 districts much different from the final version that came from the School District Redistricting Task Force back in December, which rather than creating new districts, divided the state into 5 cooperative education service areas. Advertisement Advertisement VT School Redistricting Task Force submits final map But House Education Committee chair Peter Conlon (D-Addison) stressed that the map is only a first draft meaning there will likely be a lot of changes made over the coming months. The map aims for districts with about 2,000 to 4,000 students each as recommended by the Vermont Superintendents Association but smaller than what the governor had aimed for with Act 73, which pitched 4,000 to 8,000 students per district. This keeps things much more regional, with smaller units of government. This is a governance and sort of structure change, its not a How we send kids to school change, said Conlon. Advertisement Advertisement With this being a first draft, both Conlon and a legislative attorney acknowledged some issues theyll have to work through right off the bat like what to do with inter-state school districts like SAU 70, which covers both Norwich and Hanover, New Hampshire. Conlon says another challenge here is putting current districts together that havent shown any interest in merging. They also want to make sure money for school construction aid is included in whatever final package they send to the governor. He added theyll have to work through these struggles to get a majority of lawmakers to support the proposal a few months from now. There will be a draft, and I want to say draft about 100 times, said House Majority Leader Lori Houghton (D-Chittenden), It is a starting point, it is not an end point. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC22 & FOX44. University of Delaware President Laura Carlson came to Dover to appeal for greater state funding in the fiscal year ahead. She left having also been pressed on federal impacts. On the state's bottom line, Gov. Matt Meyer recommended roughly $148.8 million, or about a 2% growth, in largely the base budget for Delaware's largest university. Carlson approached the finance committee hearing on Feb. 5 to appeal for more state scholarship funding as well as a Southern Delaware Healthcare & Education Expansion. Before her line items, though, the newly minted president didn't shy away from addressing reports of student research and academic materials related to slavery and other Newark history taken offline. Advertisement Advertisement "It was a mistake," Carlson said in her remarks, looking up to a Joint Finance Committee dais. "Those materials and publications were always meant to remain online and publicly accessible. Prior to this week, we had been working with faculty to restore access to the material, but we did not move quickly enough to make that happen." Delaware Online/The News Journal reported on Feb. 3 that some five years of student and faculty work within projects like the Legacies of Enslavement and Dispossession," as well as the university's broader UD Anti-Racism Initiative" were taken down, sometime in summer 2025. Later that afternoon, UD put a restoration site online. University leaders have said this week that was always intended. Advertisement Advertisement Deeper look: UD removes student research on slavery, Newark history amid federal pressure Laura Carlson, president of the University of Delaware, speaks during the semi-annual Board of Trustees meeting on Dec. 9, 2025. After the main site was removed, clicks to the page would reroute users to a letter announcing the Campus Culture and Engagement initiative. When asked directly about the broader website last fall, as reaffirmed in January, UD told Delaware Online/The News Journal that the Campus Culture and Engagement Initiative was "a comprehensive, long-term strategy and framework for operationalizing our values of diversity and inclusion. Thus, "several programs fell within that scope, while UD had declined to share a list. This student work was possible with the help of professors, university library collections and local historians. One project in particular surrounded the history of slavery, Black history and more around UD, through research papers on free Black landownership in the 1800s, collections of oral histories, as well as public video presentations housed in other areas. Advertisement Advertisement The longtime leader, previously university provost since 2022, said she understood the community's frustration, as "we could have and should have done better." However, some of that frustration from removed research and lost grants, to international students and the threat of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also echoed across committee members. "Just disappointed that, you know, the thought that my university would wilt in the face of pressure from this white nationalist movement that's trying to erase important parts of our collective history," said committee chair and BlueHen, Sen. Trey Paradee. I just want us to remain fighting BlueHens, and not cowering chickens." Advertisement Advertisement Update and restoration: UD restores collection of research on slavery, history following report Federal impact in Newark The green in front of Memorial Hall on the University of Delaware campus is nearly empty as a snow storm passes through the area in 2017. The University of Delaware has said 41 grants worth $33.9 million have been lost since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, while the university managed to get others reinstated. Those span engineering, biological sciences, arts and sustainability, according to UD, though it is not clear whether any related to DEI rhetoric. These impacted about 117 graduate students and 27 postdoctoral students, UD recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer, while the institution has lost $1.1 million in salaries and $2.1 million in stipends. "That's why your continued support for our operating request is so important, especially this year, so that we can continue to support these researchers," Carlson said. "As we've shown, our operation requests help advance the state's priorities in key areas." Advertisement Advertisement That impact is also joined by a 19% drop in international graduate students, as compared to the previous academic year, following policy targeting student visas. Back in April 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security quietly terminated the records or visas of eight university-sponsored holders at UD. Those were later restored amid legal challenges. This backdrop already loomed over Carlson's presentation. Sen. Laura Sturgeon also pointed a few questions her way on protection of international students and preparations for possible ICE action on campus, among other concerns the Brandywine Hundred West Democrat said were voiced by student leaders. Carlson signaled ICE protocols may be in the works. Advertisement Advertisement "We're working our way through getting information available much more readily, easy to find, so that if it were to happen, we are ready," the president said. "My knowledge is we have not had ICE on campus. ... We are trying to take a stance of trying to ensure continuity of education." Student speakers echoed similar concerns during public comment, while others attended to support their programs. Meanwhile, between questions on investment and programs, scholars and several lawmakers returned to comments on historic research taken down last year. One had participated herself. Sen. Marie Pinkney took one of the courses that had produced this research as she finished her master's degree in Africana studies at UD. However, she said not to consider a state senator speaking on the afternoon of Feb. 5. Advertisement Advertisement "This is a Blue Hen speaking, a Black Blue Hen speaking," the Bear/New Castle Democrat said to the committee. "Speaking about just how powerful and meaningful that research was, just how emotional it is to dig through census records and identify people who walked around these same streets." Pinkney didn't ask a question. She noted hearing nothing but positive comments on Carlson's tenure so far. The senator looked only to share hopes UD doesn't just continue to invest in such classes, seminars and research. "But say it with your whole chest," she said. "Put your whole heart into the idea that this work matters." Got another tip? Contact Kelly Powers at kepowers@usatodayco.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: UD leaders grilled on federal impact, 'mistake' in research removal An investigation by Ukrainska Pravda has revealed that Ihor Fomin, a lawyer who represents the former head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Andrii Yermak, travelled to Israel, where he met with the lawyer of Tymur Mindich, the businessman, former co-owner of the TV production company Kvartal 95, and the central suspect in Operation Midas. Fomin flew to Tel Aviv together with Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel. Source: an Ukrainska Pravda investigation Details: Ukrainska Pravda has learned that on 15 January, Yermak held a one-hour meeting with Yevhen Korniichuk, Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel, near the Office of the President of Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement On 25 January, a flight departed from Chisinau Airport, Moldova, to Tel Aviv. According to Ukrainska Pravda sources in law enforcement, Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniichuk and prominent lawyer Ihor Fomin were on board. The media outlet Dzerkalo Tyzhnia had previously reported that Fomin had become Yermak's lawyer. Ambassador Korniichuk drove Fomin in an embassy vehicle to a hotel in the city of Herzliya, where Mindich also lives. The following morning, the Ukrainian ambassador went to Fomin's hotel again. According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, Korniichuk brought Yermak's lawyer to attend talks with Mindich. The sources explained that Yermak is interested in ensuring that Mindich does not testify against him, and therefore protection may have been offered to Mindich during the talks in exchange for his silence. Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainska Pravda could not confirm whether Fomin managed to meet Mindich himself, as sources close to the businessman said he was very reluctant to appear in front of the cameras again. However, it is known that Fomin met with Israeli lawyer Boris Lemper, who sources say represents Mindich. In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda in December 2025, Mindich himself was unable to say who his lawyer was: at first he said that his lawyers had forbidden him to say anything on the subject, and later he insisted that he was still looking for lawyers. For reference: Boris Lemper is known for representing clients in cases related to Russia and Ukraine. His firm provides expert legal opinions on matters of Ukrainian law for Israeli courts. Lemper's company website also states that the firm represents Russia's Channel One, the Russian airline Aeroflot, the Property Management Department of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (the official representation of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Israel), and others. Advertisement Advertisement According to the investigation, Yermak's lawyer stayed in Israel for only a few days and was also taken back to the airport in an official vehicle with diplomatic plates belonging to Ukraine's Embassy in Israel. Ukrainska Pravda contacted Ihor Fomin, Ambassador Yevhen Korniichuk and Tymur Mindich for comment. Mindich did not respond to the request, but said he would invite the outlet to a meeting to "give an interview" during which he would comment on these and other issues. Korniichuk said he had been "friends with Fomin for about 25 years" and recalled that they did indeed fly to Israel together, but insisted that he "did not help arrange any meetings" and "does not know who he met". Advertisement Advertisement Asked whether he had met with Yermak on 15 January, the ambassador said: "I can neither confirm nor deny it." He added that he has known Yermak since 2000 as they were partners in a legal practice, but stressed that they "had not been in touch for many years before his appointment". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon! Feb. 6Lawrence County Developmental Disabilities say they have taken several steps since the levy failure in November to continue operations as efficiently as possible. However, with no additional tax funding coming in, the agency said hard decisions had to be made about all programs and services. LCDD ended 2025 with a deficit of more than $2.2 million. The agency said the board felt it was important to keep all stakeholders and the public informed on actions it has taken to lower costs. Advertisement Advertisement Medicaid waiver enrollment is currently frozen. This is because LCDD will not be able to fund the Medicaid waivers it currently has without state assistance. The board passed a resolution at their January meeting to request hardship funding from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. Developmental disabilities agencies are mandated to provide match payments for authorized Medicaid waiver services. The agency said these waivers provide funding for people with DD to live in the community and receive the support they need, including participating in adult day and vocational services. Individuals assessed to have a current need will be placed on a waiting list. Requested increases in services for those already enrolled on a waiver will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, as will emergency situations. Locally funded programs, such as Family Support Services and Family Advocacy, have been discontinued indefinitely. FSS provided funding for families not enrolled on Medicaid waivers to meet the needs of their loved ones at home. The program paid for respite services, specialized medical equipment, supplies, and other items as approved by an internal committee, per board policy. Family Advocacy helped with service navigation and advocacy for caregivers. LCDD said staff will work with families to identify other resources for these services, as they are available. Early Intervention services were slated to be discontinued at the end of last year due to lack of additional funding. More than 75 percent of the funding for this program came from local tax dollars. The agency said these services have a huge return on investment and are desperately needed in Lawrence County. While there is nothing in statute requiring county boards to provide these services, the state has relied on county boards to perform this service since EI began several decades ago. Advertisement Advertisement Due to the state of Ohio's commitment to services for young children and their families, temporary funding for the continuation of EI services was obtained from the Ohio Department of Children and Youth and the Ohio Department of DD for one year. Again, the agency is uncertain about funding beyond this time frame. At the January meeting, the board also approved an MOU between LCDD, the Lawrence County ESC, and the local school districts. This MOU includes the payment arrangements for the local schools to fund all excess costs for services provided by LCDD during the 2026-27 school year. The MOU also includes the requirement that representatives from the ESC, local school districts, and LCDD, meet regularly to determine how educational services will be provided to the students at ODS when LCDD no longer operates the program. The LCDD abolished two full-time positions and one part-time, contracted position. Also, two open positions have not been filled. The union, OAPSE Local 4, voted to freeze their contract for FY 2026-27. The board froze increases in 2026 for all other staff for FY 2026-27. Agency leadership will continue to communicate regularly with state agencies, including the Ohio Department of DD, the Ohio Department of Children & Youth and the Ohio Association of County Boards of DD, to advocate for funding solutions. The agency said, also, since meaningful change would have to go through the state legislature, communication with local legislators will be vital. A Texas State University lecturer is no longer teaching at the university after a doctor publicly shared an expletive-filled Facebook message in which an account with his name and picture told her he hoped she would be deported. The doctor said she received the message via Facebook Messenger and posted screenshots publicly earlier this week, drawing widespread attention online. Texas State University confirmed on Thursday that the lecturer, Bret Bryon, is no longer teaching at the university as of Wednesday, but declined to say whether his departure was related, stating it does not discuss personnel matters. Dr. Dhivya Srinivasa, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and the CEO and founder of the Institute for Advanced Breast Reconstruction, first shared the screenshots Tuesday evening on Facebook and reposted them Wednesday, tagging Texas State University. The universitys official account replied in the comments that it was looking into the matter and would take appropriate action based on findings. Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Srinivasa said she has posted political commentary and lifestyle and health matters on social media but had not previously interacted with Bryon. She said the fact that it came from an account with a name and photo, rather than an anonymous profile, prompted her to look up information about him and share the message. She said she was satisfied with Texas States response to the message, which derided her as a leftist and a whore and included other expletives and pejoratives. She sees the message as part of a broader climate in which social media and political rhetoric have emboldened people to make comments they might not otherwise say. This guy was an educator, and it shouldnt come as a shock that people like this work among us and teach the next generation, she said. We should be holding people accountable. Bryon did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement Bryon was listed on Texas State Universitys website until Thursday as a lecturer and program faculty member in the Department of Organization, Workforce and Leadership Studies in the College of Applied Arts. Its not clear how long he worked there. Bryon also holds a Texas educator certificate in mathematics, physical science and engineering for grades 6-12, according to state records. Texas State has taken a more public approach in at least one past case involving faculty speech made outside the classroom. In September, Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse announced the firing of history professor Thomas Alter for remarks he made at an off-campus socialist conference. The remarks were clipped and circulated on social media, and Alter sued the university, alleging his First Amendment rights were violated. The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Disclosure: Facebook has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Third grade is a defining period in a childs educational development. Many say its that pivotal academic year when a young student shifts from learning to read to reading to learn. And if a third grader is struggling to read, future classroom troubles are distinct possibilities. Now in the wake of a recent report revealing about half of Utahs K-3 students are reading below minimum proficiency levels, many local civic leaders including Utah Gov. Spencer Cox are calling for action. Advertisement Advertisement Counted among the proposed strategies to boost early education literacy is one likely to split opinions: Requiring a student to repeat third grade if he or she isnt meeting minimum standards. Now an early literacy bill sponsored by veteran lawmaker/educator Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, is in front of the Utah Legislature. Included in the interventions proposed in Senate Bill 241 is a provision requiring struggling third graders to repeat a year except in cases of certain good cause exemption. If SB241 becomes Utah law, it wont be unprecedented. Much of it mirrors policies behind the Mississippi Miracle, which took the Magnolia State from the bottom of national elementary literacy rankings to the top 10 over the past decade. Boosting K-3 literacy: An Early Literacy measure Speaking with the Deseret News, Millner noted the link between reading well and living well. Advertisement Advertisement We need to have our kids reading at grade level at the end of third grade to give them the best opportunity to succeed both in high school and, I think, in life. A former Weber State University president, Millner has prioritized early literacy during her years on Utahs Capitol Hill. In 2022, she sponsored a literacy initiative to enhance strategies to improve reading among Utahs K-3 students. That bill included increased resources to train K-3 teachers to best apply the theory of the science of reading and helping kids learn. And shes worked closely with reading experts and educators, even while studying whats been done in Mississippi. But those early literacy improvements, said Millner, are not progressing as fast as we had hoped. Thats prompted Cox and others to call for accelerations such as SB241. Advertisement Advertisement Millner salutes the ongoing efforts of Utah teachers to teach their young students to learn to read. But SB241 would call for more interventions to help our students and help our parents. If ratified, the bill would require local education agencies to craft individualized reading plans for K-3 students not meeting reading benchmarks. Those individual plans would include working with parents, while also identifying and providing interventions. Strategies might include providing struggling students with more opportunities to work with trained paraprofessionals. The focus is on teachers, working with members of the schools, working with parents, developing reading plans and helping every student succeed at every level, said Millner. We start working with them in kindergarten, and then in first grade, and then in second grade, and then in third grade. Incorporating the science of reading Also included in SB241 is a provision for teacher and paraprofessional training on the science of reading. Millner points to significant research demonstrating the most effective teaching methods to help young students learn to read. Advertisement Advertisement We want to make sure were using evidence-based pedagogy to help students learn to read. We have to train our teachers and we have to provide support for our teachers in terms of applying that. Thats an ongoing journey that demands flexibility, she added. Cox has called for additional paraprofessionals in Utah schools, and SB241 requests $15 million to go toward such reading specialists. That would not get (paraprofessionals) in every schoolroom, but it would help get them in the schoolrooms where there are more kids that need more assistance, said Millner. Why hold a third grader back a year? While SB241 would, in general, require schools to hold a struggling third grader back a year, My goal is for no student to be held back from going from third grade to fourth grade, said Millner. Advertisement Advertisement The bills retention provision serves to increase focus on early literacy and reading benchmarks, beginning in kindergarten and continuing each year through third grade, she added. If we put the right reading and intervention plans in place, we should be able to get every student there and not have to retain any student. But this helps us focus. Automatically moving third graders into fourth grade including those who severely struggle with reading only foreshadows academic troubles ahead, she added. If we havent helped give those students the skills they need, theyre going to struggle, said Millner. So lets try to help them learn to read so they can succeed at learning history and science and math and all of the other content areas that theyre going to increasingly see through their upper-elementary, junior high and high school career. Advertisement Advertisement Its Millners hope that her bill prompts principals, teachers, students, parents and communities to make early literacy a real priority. We have to ensure (third graders) can read, because its so foundational to everything else that comes with what we want our students to learn. Millner recognizes that a state-mandated third grade retention policy could prompt fears. Some will likely ask how a third grader will respond to being held back a year while his or her classmates advance. In some cases, she added, holding a child back a year might work best in kindergarten or first grade. Millner also noted that the bill includes several good cause factors that would allow a struggling third grader to move on to fourth grade. But when we do that, we have to do it with intensive reading plans and the parent will be in those conversations with the school. Responses to third grade retention A recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll suggests Utahns would generally support a proposed policy requiring third graders who dont pass a state reading test to repeat the grade. Advertisement Advertisement Slightly more than two-thirds of respondents 67% support the proposal, with 24% saying they strongly support it and 43% answering somewhat support. Meanwhile, 17% somewhat oppose and 7% strongly oppose a third grade retention policy. The gap between those who support and those who oppose a third grade retention policy is a bit tighter for Utah parents included in the poll. Fifty-nine percent of parents support it with 19% responding strongly support. Just under a third of parents voiced opposition to the proposed policy, with 8% saying they strongly oppose. Among Republican and Democratic respondents, 73% of Republicans expressed some level of support for a third grade retention policy. Democrats are slightly less on board, with 66% expressing support. Advertisement Advertisement Cox has said there are ways to retain struggling third graders with dignity and respect but adds, We need that pressure. Its not that we want to hold kids back, its that we want them reading at third grade level so we dont have to hold them back. Expect SB241 to face some pushback when its presented to lawmakers. Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, a career public school educator, told the Deseret News that theres not a lot of research demonstrating retention is a good idea. Its very traumatic for a student to be left behind, she added. Riebe also worries about the costs that Utah third grade classrooms might have to absorb by adding retained students to their class rolls. With all the money that we would have to invest in that third grade explosion, we could invest it more wisely, so that kids werent being negatively impacted socially by having that retention. Early elementary students, she added, would be better served by providing them with more resources at a more precise level, such as after-school and summer school programs. Despite claims of a "drawdown" and the reported withdrawal of 700 immigration agents from Minnesota, Operation Metro Surge shows few signs of letting up. Thursday proved to be another day of intensive federal action particularly in the Twin Cities, with many dozens of reports of ICE activity across the metro. We'll be following the latest developments and reported raids across the state on Friday. 4:40 p.m. Students protest at U of M More protesting at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus, where six students chained themselves up outside of Morrill Hall on Friday afternoon. View the original article to see embedded media. 3:20 p.m. Pepper spray during arrest in Bloomington Video uploaded to social media shows federal agents arresting someone reportedly outside the Georgetown Park Apartments, with an agent then pepper spraying two people reportedly relatives of the detained individual. 2:50 p.m. A look at ICE activity in Minnesota today A look at some of the confirmed reports and sightings in the Twin Cities today courtesy of footage and pictures uploaded to People Over Papers, which includes a man being arrested outside the Sherwin-Williams Paint Store in Eden Prairie, and the reported arrest of an observer on the 4400 block of Stevens Avenue in south Minneapolis. Advertisement Advertisement Video of the latter has been shared to social media. Here's a look at the reports across the Twin Cities so far today: There are fewer reports outside metro, but activity has been sighted in Willmar, Saint James, and Mankato, as well as a reported arrest outside a business in Le Center. 1:26 p.m. Liam Ramos and family now face immediate deportation A hearing is currently being held on the asylum case of 5-year-old Liam Ramos' family after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security filed a motion to expedite a hearing that was originally scheduled for late February. Depending on the outcome, they could be deported as early as today, according to Huffington Post reporter Jen Bendery. Related: Trump administration still pushing to deport Liam Ramos and his family 1:05 p.m. FBI still missing some equipment The FBI has issued a renewed appeal for information regarding thefts from vehicles it left empty during protests following an ICE shooting in north Minneapolis on Jan. 14. Advertisement Advertisement Federal authorities have already made some arrests after items were taken from the vehicles, but it appears some remains unaccounted for. On 01/14/2026, at approximately 7:00pm, FBI personnel responded to an assault on a federal officer investigation on North 24th Street in North Minneapolis. Three government vehicles were subsequently vandalized and broken into and government property was stolen from inside the pic.twitter.com/H2qChIM1bh FBI Minneapolis (@FBIMinneapolis) February 6, 2026 12:20 p.m. Cooperation on Pretti investigation? The Star Tribune first reported last night and now KARE 11 is reporting that some sort of deal has reportedly been struck on cooperation between state and federal agencies on the investigation into Alex Pretti's killing. More here. 12 p.m. Earlier activity in south Minneapolis Footage from earlier today shows border agents pulled over a red minivan at the 46th Street transit station over I-35W. Witness reports from the scene state that agents were checking at least one man's papers. It's not clear at this time whether any arrests were made. ICEOut.org (ICEOut.org) 10 a.m. Arrests following U of M protests The University of Minnesota has confirmed 12 arrests were made during last night's noise protest at the Graduate by Hilton hotel. Advertisement Advertisement U of MN PD says that protests were given multiple orders to disperse during "four separate protest events" outside the hotel over the course of Thursday. Eleven were arrested for disorderly conduct, and one for property damage to the hotel.. 9:32 a.m. MPS extends online learning option Minneapolis Public Schools announced that it's extending a temporary online learning option for families who are afraid to send their children to school amid Operation Metro Surge. Originally scheduled to end next Thursday, the option will now be available through April 6, unless the climate of fear changes sooner. "We will continue to monitor the situation and may return to full in-person learning sooner than April 6," the school district says in an update. "If that occurs, families participating in temporary online learning will receive at least two weeks notice." What happened overnight? The latest noise demonstration was held outside The Graduate By Hilton Minneapolis by a group of anti-ICE protesters. Advertisement Advertisement The hotel has been the subject of protests several times since the start of Operation Metro Surge, with residents targeting facilities believed to be providing accommodation to ICE agents. Protesters stayed behind metal barricades, with a line of local police in riot gear standing between them and the building. View the original article to see embedded media. This story was originally published by Bring Me The News on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN News section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. After an hourslong search, a man accused of stabbing a little girl and her grandfather outside of a home in Sunland is now in police custody. The man was found about one mile away from where the stabbing occurred early Friday morning. He was arrested at Oro Vista Ave and Grove Street, according to Los Angeles police. The incident happened around 7:45 a.m. on Eldora Avenue as the little girl and her grandfather were getting ready to leave for school. The man and the child were both taken to the hospital and are in stable condition. Their exact ages have not been released. Advertisement Advertisement Newly-obtained Ring camera video shows the frantic scene during the attack outside the home. The video shows the suspect confronting the grandfather in the street before jumping into the family's car. Neighbors say the suspect has been tormenting the neighborhood for some time. Police described the suspect as a transient, but residents told Eyewitness News he's been a problem on the street for some time. They added that he's been staying with family members at the house next door to the victims. "All kinds of crazy stuff," said neighbor Mike Agajanyan. "Just your worst nightmare as a neighbor. You don't want this in your neighborhood." Advertisement Advertisement Another neighbor shared a photo of what they say is the suspect sitting next to a tree looking over their fence. Eyewitness News reporter Carley Gomez spoke with the suspect's family, who says he has been dealing with bouts of psychosis and schizophrenia for some time now. "He has mental issues. I wanted him to get the help. I didn't want it to come to this," said the suspect's brother, Esteban Avilez. "The place they had him instituted at, somebody told him he doesn't have to take his medication, and he listened to that person." The family says they are grateful their neighbors are in stable condition. They say the suspect, Eric Avilez, is being booked but has yet to be charged. Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors on Eldora Street say they're upset to hear about the little girl and her grandfather who were stabbed on Friday morning, though they say the incident is not exactly shocking. Agajanayn spoke with the family of the victims, who didn't want to go on camera. He detailed what took place. "The grandpa puts the granddaughter into the car, psychopath runs at the granddaughter, attempts or straight up stabs her on the arm, grandpa runs at him," Agajanayn said. "He turns a knife on him and stabs him in the neck and on the arm, and then that moron jumps into the car. Luckily, the grandpa was able to pull the kid out of the car, and takes off with their car." Police say the suspect then fled in the family's Volvo onto McVine Avenue. Advertisement Advertisement "That was the victim's vehicle he took off in. We were able to track that vehicle to that location," said Sgt. Michael Foster with LAPD. Police say the suspect has a history of mental illness. They did not immediately release his name, though the family identified him as Eric Avilez. Neighbors say a similar incident almost took place months ago. "A child almost got stabbed six months ago, and was released three days after the stabbing. Six months later, now that child is in the hospital," Agajanayn said. "We're working to confirm that there was a similar-type incident that occurred," Foster said. "We're looking through the records to determine if, in fact, that did occur." Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors say they've called police multiple times for help, and feel nothing is being done. "You guys are pushing all of us to that point where we're going to start arming ourselves, and if you can't control your streets, we're going to control our streets in our neighborhood," Agajanayn said. JACKSON, Mich. (WLNS) Questions are mounting after the abrupt firing of Steve Tucker, the executive director of the Michigan Theatre in Jackson, who led the organization for well over a decade and was expected to retire this year. Tuckers attorney, Philip Curtis, says he guided the theatre to stability after a bout of financial trouble. He told 6 News that Tuckers long record of dedication makes the boards decision even more difficult to understand. Steve Tucker. Hes the hardest worker Ive ever seen, said Curtis. Hes been dedicated to the theater for years and saved it from bankruptcy back in 2012. Advertisement Advertisement Since the firing, public support has poured in, with many questioning why the board made this move. Curtis says that reaction reflects a deeper issue in the decision-making process. The Michigan Theatre. (WLNS) If you can see the unbelievable response on social media in support of Mr. Tucker, that there was no basis for this termination other than, perhaps [a] personal vendetta against him, Curtis said. In a press release sent out by the theatre on Monday, the board pointed to Tuckers planned retirement as a contributing factor to the decision, but Curtis says his retirement wasnt about stepping away from the theatre. The Michigan Theatre. (WLNS) His talk about retirement wasnt from the fact that he didnt want to be at the theater anymore, it was more about the fact that he was tired of having to deal with these people, Curtis said. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement to 6 News, state representative and board member Kathy Schmaltz said, I have been unable to attend recent meetings, and I do not agree with the boards actions. The board has handled this very poorly. People in the community, including myself, are very appreciative of the work Steve Tucker has done at the Michigan Theatre. This should not have happened. 6 News reached out to the theatres interim executive director, who declined to comment. 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 WLNS 6 News. This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Pay With Spire, a pay-by-bank provider offering merchants lower payments costs, on Thursday announced it has hired a former Fiserv executive, Jennifer LaClair, as its new chief executive. LaClair, who was Fiservs head of merchant solutions until December, said in an interview Wednesday that Spire sits at an inflection point in its growth as merchants adopt real-time ACH payments directly from customers bank accounts. The Dallas-based payments company also said Thursday that it had raised a new $10 million from investors, led by Continental Investment Partners, for a total of $27.5 million to date. Dive Insight: In addition, Matt Brennan, a former Apple executive, stepped down from the CEO role at Spire, which he joined in September 2024. He is now Spires president and chief commercial officer, according to a Thursday press release from the company. Continental has previously funded other payment fintechs, including Chicago-based Aeropay, another pay-by-bank startup, and Sezzle, the buy now pay later company. Spire focuses on routine, frequent daily purchases such as those at gas stations, convenience stores and specialty coffee shops. The company has 46 employees. Pay-by-bank is really just getting started, said LaClair, also a former chief financial officer at Ally Bank. Its been around for a while, but I think what's missing is that really compelling consumer experience. Its easy to plug into the merchants, but harder to drive the adoption. Spire issues physical and virtual cards that merchants can brand, with transactions running on Discover Financials network, now owned by Capital One Financial. Spire says its the only pay-by-bank provider to operate on credit card rails and works on about 200,000 terminals without needing integration into point-of-sale equipment. The company pays Discover per transaction and doesnt incur traditional interchange costs as part of its agreement with the card network. Spire arose from the remains of Merchant Customer Exchange, a company Walmart, Best Buy and other large merchants formed in 2012 to develop a mobile payment system. Retailers have long sought to develop alternatives to credit and debit cards to avoid interchange fees they pay when a consumer swipes a card. In 2024, Walmart announced a partnership with Fiserv to offer a pay-by-bank option for online purchases. A Walmart spokesperson did not respond to a query Wednesday about the status of its real-time payment effort. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout) Like his counterparts in Tennessee and Mississippi, Gov. Jeff Landry is seeking more federal funding for recovery from the winter storm that shut down north Louisiana at the end of January. Landry asked President Donald Trump to grant a major disaster declaration, which should allow the state and local governments to receive more federal dollars for cleanup from the deep freeze. The governor wants the federal government to cover all costs for snow assistance and debris removal for 30 days. Landry is specifically asking for resources to cover public costs in Bienville, DeSoto, East Carroll, Franklin, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas and West Carroll parishes. The governor is also asking for extra money for infrastructure upgrades in the listed parishes to protect them from losses during future winter storms, according to a copy of the disaster declaration request the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness provided. I have determined that this winter storm is of such severity and magnitude that effective recovery is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments and that supplemental federal assistance is necessary, Landry wrote in his request to the Trump administration. Landry has not yet asked Trump to approve individual assistance as part of the declaration, which could allow people affected during the storm to receive funding for housing and services such as crisis counseling. The governor is encouraging people affected by the storm to report damage caused to their homes to state and parish officials. These reports could help the governor make the case for individual assistance from the federal government at a later date. Advertisement Advertisement More than 100,000 people were left without power and at least one major city, Monroe, lacked running water following an ice storm that tore through the top of the state. Nine deaths have been attributed to the weather event. Nearly two weeks after the start of the storm, hundreds of customers were still waiting for their electricity to be restored Thursday morning. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Trump authorized the Federal Emergency Management Authority to help some states, including Louisiana, prepare emergency services in advance of the storm. But the president needs to approve a separate disaster request from Landry for additional federal resources to flow. Trump has been reluctant to issue similar disaster declarations in other states since taking office again in 2025. Alaska is currently appealing Trumps rejection of its request for more help following devastating storms in October. The president denied similar pleas for assistance from Illinois, Maryland, Vermont and Washington in 2025. Advertisement Advertisement Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee asked for an expedited disaster declaration for his state a week ago after the winter storm. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves made the same request Tuesday. The president hasnt approved declarations for either state so far. During an interview in August, Landry said concerns about Trump or FEMA pulling back from disaster assistance for Louisiana were overblown. The governor has a close relationship with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMAs operations. I mean, we just call her, and we say, These are projects that need to be moved, Landry said of Noem during the August interview. Regarding the recent winter storm, Landry met with FEMA officials last week while attending Washington Mardi Gras in the capital. Even without the presidential disaster declaration, the Trump administration has increased food assistance and made loans available through the Small Business Administration to those impacted by the storm. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A woman who was being held captive for days in Louisiana had part of her face bit off by her captor when she tried to escape, authorities revealed. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office announced in a press release that Brandon Patrick was arrested on Friday, January 30, after he was involved in "a gruesome domestic violence" incident with the victim in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. The alleged assault was initially believed to have taken place on January 27. However, investigators later learned that the dispute between Patrick, 31, and his victim whose name has not been publicly shared started days earlier and continued into the following weekend. Advertisement Advertisement Authorities claimed that the woman was held against her will over several days, and when she attempted to get away from him and leave the residence, Patrick allegedly tried to stop her by biting her face. Missouri Man Arrested After Climbing Into Bed With Sleeping Ex and Attacking Her Police said that the woman was eventually able to escape. She is currently hospitalized and is undergoing treatment for the extensive injuries she sustained while she was held captive. Patrick has been charged with domestic abuse battery with serious bodily injury and false imprisonment, according to the news release. Authorities added that the investigation into the matter is ongoing, and Patrick may receive more charges once the investigation is completed. Advertisement Advertisement It is not currently clear if he has entered a plea or retained legal representation following his arrest. Police have also not shared how Patrick knew the victim prior to the incident. Before Patrick was captured, the police department said in a prior press release the suspect was considered dangerous. Authorities noted that he has an identical twin, though he could be identified by his distinctive identifying marks that include an old stab wound on his right hand, a half-sleeve tattoo on his left arm featuring a house and scroll and a full sleeve of tattoos on his right arm. Police have asked that anyone with information on the case contact the Criminal Investigations Office at 985-902-2088. Those who wish to remain anonymous can submit tips through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoas tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.com. Advertisement Advertisement In Louisiana, a serious bodily injury charge is given when the defendant injures the victim to the extent of being unconscious, experiencing extreme physical pain, causing them protracted and obvious disfigurement, loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ or mental faculty, or creating a substantial risk of death, according to the Louisiana Legislature. Additionally, the serious bodily injury charge can also include injury resulting from starvation or malnutrition. Parents Accused of Neglecting and Killing Infant Daughter Are Charged With Murder in Louisiana If Patrick is found guilty of the serious bodily injury charge, he could be sentenced to serve up to 15 years in prison, as well as be ordered to pay a fine up to $10,000. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, those found guilty of false imprisonment in Louisiana are often ordered to pay a fine of up to $200, are sentenced to a maximum of six months in prison or both. In Louisiana, false imprisonment is defined as the intentional confinement or detention of another, without his consent and without proper legal authority, according to the Louisiana Legislature. A jury found a Cuban man not guilty last month of assaulting two Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers who were attempting to arrest him at the citizenship office in downtown Louisville. Federal prosecutors secured an indictment against Laryen Torres-Carmona in September, charging the 26-year-old with two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers. The charges stemmed from an altercation on Aug. 26, during which Torres-Carmona was accused of shoving two deportation officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office on South Fourth Street. Advertisement Advertisement Torres-Carmona had arrived at the federal office for a scheduled appointment. When informed that his green card application would be closed, he was escorted from the lobby to a hallway of the building, where he learned that he would be arrested, according to court records. As one of the agents reached for Torres-Carmona's left arm to handcuff him, an affidavit from a Homeland Security Investigations agent supporting the charges said he pushed the agent in the chest. The agents subsequently took Torres-Carmona to the ground and placed him on his stomach, but he continued to resist arrest by placing his arms beneath himself, according to the affidavit. The jury deliberated for nearly five hours over two days before finding Torres-Carmona not guilty on both assault counts, according to his attorney, Ashlea Hellmann. The charges carried penalties of up to eight years in prison. Advertisement Advertisement More: ICE detains person at Louisville courthouse in rare enforcement move The altercation was not captured on video because the agents were not wearing body cameras, and there were no cameras in the hallway where Torres-Carmona was taken into custody. Hellmann said she believes the lack of video evidence influenced the jury's decision. She also believes the jury did not find arguments that Torres-Carmona, who is Cuban, intentionally meant to harm the officers convincing, adding that Torres-Carmona arrived at the USCIS office without any indication that he was going to be arrested. This was just a big, confusing mess, Hellmann said. A big part of the statute is that you have to intentionally assault and resist an officer. Regardless of whether they believed a push or a resistance occurred, we really asked them to focus on whether Mr. Torres intentionally did so. Advertisement Advertisement Torres-Carmona was paroled into the United States after appearing at the southern border in Nogales, Arizona, in 2023. His parole was set to expire in June of last year, and a notice to appear was rescheduled from October to June 2027, according to court documents. Torres-Carmona has been in deportation proceedings since being paroled into the country, Hellmann said, and his immigration attorney is seeking to terminate the proceedings and have federal officials reopen his green card application. Hellmann said he fears persecution by the Cuban government. State authorities have charged Torres-Carmona with at least two crimes in the past two years. In August 2024, federal officials say Louisville police arrested him for theft by unlawful taking, a Class B misdemeanor, and third-degree criminal trespass, although the specifics of those charges remain unclear, as an online search for court records did not yield results. Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, in July, Louisville police arrested Torres-Carmona after his partner accused him of strangling her. The alleged victim was strangled to the point where she could "see black," an arresting officer wrote in their report. Torres-Carmona was subsequently charged with first-degree strangulation, a Class C felony, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month in Jefferson County District Court. Hellmann is representing Torres-Carmona in the strangulation case and contends he will be exonerated from that charge. In the meantime, Torres-Carmona is being held at the Oldham County Detention Center, which houses immigration detainees for ICE. More: Bill would require Kentucky police to partner with ICE statewide A spokesperson for Kyle Bumgarner, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, whose office prosecuted the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement Advertisement The case against Torres-Carmona came during a period marked by a rise in prosecutions of people accused of assaulting, obstructing or resisting federal law enforcement officers who are attempting to implement President Trumps immigration policies. Although the exact number of people nationwide facing such charges is unknown, the Homeland Security Administration reported in January that ICE law enforcement officers were experiencing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them. Following the fatal shootings by federal immigration agents of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Feb. 2 that immigration agents in Minnesota will begin wearing body cameras. She said the body camera program will be expanded nationwide as funding becomes available. Tell us what you think. Submit your letter to the editor. Advertisement Advertisement Monroe Trombly covers public safety. He can be reached at mtrombly@gannett.com. His X handle is @MonroeTrombly. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville man found not guilty of assaulting ICE officers Jeffrey Epstein surrounded himself with presidents and princes. Yet hours before his death, he decided to make his last telephone call to a Belarusian dentist. His girlfriend Karyna Shuliak had stuck by the paedophile until the bitter end, while the rest of his inner circle fled. Her reward, if she ever receives it, will be vast: $100m (about 73m). Little was previously known about Ms Shuliak, 36, who was plucked from eastern Europe at 20 years old and is the main beneficiary of his fortune. Advertisement Advertisement Perhaps the most striking item she was bequeathed was a 33-carat diamond ring, flanked by baguette-cut diamonds mounted in platinum. The US financier, who died in prison in 2019, aged 66, had described it as an engagement band. Documents just released as part of the Epstein files shed light on her role in his shadowy orbit at once intimate, subservient and fraught with tension. Epstein warned Ms Shuliak that there are always women around and it would be a problem if it made her jealous In 2010, Ms Shuliak, then living in Belaruss capital, Minsk, was introduced to Epstein by a Russian woman, and captured his attention in a way few others did. She emailed him in 2012, four years after he was convicted in Florida of procuring a child for prostitution: You are the purest man out of all men. But their nine-year relationship was also volatile, their messages show. Advertisement Advertisement After their introduction, Ms Shuliak wrote to say she could not accept his help, due to some views which strongly stay in my mind, no matter how stupid it may look. It is not clear what the help was. Epstein forwarded the email to the Russian woman and said: Guess she read the press. Despite her misgivings, they stayed in contact and she entered the US under the guise of working as his maid, before taking up a place at Columbia University in New York. Karyna Shuliak, seen in New York in 2024, will inherit millions from Epstein if any of his fortune remains after his victims have been paid compensation - Mega Epsteins emails could, at times, be sharp. In one, he complained there were not enough kisses, not enough time, not enough sex, to which she replied that he had absolutely ruined her day. In another email, he berated her: You are in dental school, not the front lines in a war where people are dying. She replied: Each minute I am struggling to not cry. In 2013, Ms Shuliak complained that for the whole week we didnt have sex. Advertisement Advertisement Epstein also chided her for jealousy, writing: Your concern over women is unnecessary. It is causing much of the stress between us. the first day we became together I told you please. there are always women around, if they will make you jealous or anxious, it will be a problem. Photographs from the files also show Ms Shuliak laughing as she dances with Epstein, on his private jet, and attending meetings with the Left-wing academic Noam Chomsky. Pictures released in the Epstein files show the US financier had dentists chairs in at least two of his homes According to the files, Epstein contacted an aide of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 2016 to request that Ms Shuliak and her friend be well cared for during a trip to London. He wrote to David Stern, the director of the royals Pitch@Palace business: I appreciate what you have planned thnx. Mr Stern apparently responded: My pleasure. I am always on your team!! Advertisement Advertisement Records show that Ms Shuliak studied at the Belarusian State Medical University from 2006 to 2010 before enrolling at Columbias College of Dental Medicine, graduating in 2015. Epstein made donations and arranged meetings with the heads of the universitys dentistry department to smooth her path toward an externship and residency. Pictures released in the files have shown he had dental chairs in at least two of his homes. Epsteins future girlfriend initially refused help he had offered, but they were together until he died in prison aged 66 Through Epsteins connections, Ms Shuliak enlisted Arda Beskardes, a New York immigration lawyer, to secure her green card and eventually US citizenship. She recently attended a post-doctorate dental programme at Columbia, graduating last May. According to reports, Ms Shuliak managed Epsteins personal life with meticulous care, sending items including his preferred bathmat from his New Mexico ranch to his Paris apartment, and stocking his favourite foods and supplements. Advertisement Advertisement In a 2012 email she told him: I love you very much, you will always have me, no matter what, as long as it makes you happy. Epstein listed her as his emergency contact on medical forms, referring to her simply as a friend, and rewarded her loyalty by covering her expenses. From Jan to Nov 2014, she charged nearly $295,000 (about 217,000) in purchases to a single credit card. In one exchange of messages, Epstein complains to Ms Shuliak of not enough kisses, not enough time, not enough sex Epstein extended his support to Ms Shuliaks parents in Belarus, sending them monthly payments of $20,000 to $25,000 and covering her mothers breast cancer treatments. Flight logs listed in the Department of Justice files show that Ms Shuliak accompanied Epstein on numerous trips and was even on board his final flight from Paris to New York in August 2019, when FBI agents met him on the tarmac and arrested him. Advertisement Advertisement Their time together led Epstein to bequeath Ms Shuliak $100m, including a $50m annuity, along with much of his property portfolio, including his $27.5m New Mexico ranch, a $10m apartment in Paris, two private islands, and his New York townhouse, which sold for $51m. Ms Shuliak has not received the full fortune Epstein left her: much of his estate was liquidated to fund a victims compensation programme, which has paid out $121m to settle claims. None of his beneficiaries will receive money until all compensation claims have been settled. According to the most recent accounts, about $127m remains in the estate, leaving open the possibility of a substantial payout to his girlfriend, who still lives in the Manhattan apartment he described the property as the apartment for models in his black book of contacts. 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. Just weeks ago, newlyweds Samir Gadirov and Tural Atakishiyev were living together in their uptown Charlotte apartment, working on their new home renovation business. Gadirov, who had just quit his software engineering job at Wells Fargo, talked to their clients. Atakishiyev was the craftsman. Already, they had about 50 clients lined up, Gadirov said. The couple from Azerbaijan got married last November at First United Methodist Church, on the anniversary of Atakishiyev leaving for the United States the year before. They were making the most of their lives in North Carolina, traveling to and exploring places like the Tennessee mountains, Miami and Washington, D.C. Advertisement Advertisement But after federal agents arrested Ataskishiyev at a routine immigration appointment last month and then booked him into a notorious detention facility, the couple faced a hard choice. They could either fight the case for months or self-deport back to Azerbaijan. Even after homosexuality was decriminalized in the post-Soviet country at the turn of the century, intolerance has been commonplace. As recently as December, police raided a gay-friendly venue in the nations capital, Baku, and detained more than 100 people. Gadirov, who built his new life with Atakishiyev as President Donald Trump reshaped Americas immigration system, said it has been a torturous few weeks since his husband got booked. Ive cried a lot, and Im becoming stronger, but its not enough because I will be strong with him only, Gadirov said. Samir Gadirov said he once knew the United States as a place of freedom. He and his husband are originally from a country where they could be arrested because of who they are. (KHADEJEH NIKOUYEH/Knikouyeh@charlotteobserver.com) In a statement, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended federal agents arresting Atakishiyev. She encouraged others in the country to self-deport. Advertisement Advertisement The administration has often said it is deporting the worst of the worst. Nearly 75% of the people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have no criminal record, according to recent data compiled by Syracuse University researchers. Atakishiyev is part of that 75%, his husband said. A routine appointment. A surprise arrest. Gadirov had permanent residency in the United States when he met Atakishiyev in 2024, while visiting his original home in Azerbaijan. The first time the two saw each other, it was on a WhatsApp video call, when Gadirov was talking to a mutual friend. Soon after, they met. Then they spent the next two weeks together. The chemistry was instant, Gadirov said, and before long, they were dating. Advertisement Advertisement He prioritized me always, Gadirov said of their relationship. Reluctantly, he returned to the United States, and the two dated long-distance for about two months before Atakishiyev joined him in Charlotte. As a gay couple, we couldnt live there, so thats why Tural came here, Gadirov said. Tural Atakishiyev and Samir Gadirov together. (Courtesy photo) His husband came to the country with temporary permission through an I-94 form issued by the U.S. government, Gadirov said. By the time he got arrested last month, he had already requested asylum and work authorization, he added. Marrying Gadirov, a green card holder, also opened a pathway to permanent residency for him. Advertisement Advertisement But Trump, back in the White House after promising mass deportations on the campaign trail, focused arrests not just near the border but within American cities, too. Because both immigration enforcement and immigration courts fall under the executive branch, rules for coming to and staying in the U.S. can change quickly from one president to the next. On probation, Atakishiyevs future depended largely on federal policy. Under Trump, that policy became much harsher. Though his immigration appointments started online, the government eventually ordered Atakishiyev to attend in person, his husband said. Nothing seemed different when he went to an office on Saint Vardell Lane for a December check-in. He answered the same questions as always and went home without incident. Advertisement Advertisement During a Jan. 14 appointment, though, Gadirov noticed that his husband had been gone for some time. He started questioning people working there, who told him that Atakishiyev had been moved to the DHS office on Tyvola Centre Drive. Almost immediately, Gadirov said, they moved his husband again to Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. Suddenly, the noise in their home stilled. For days, he heard nothing about Atakishiyev. Tural kind of disappeared, Gadirov said. They just stole him, robbed him Youre doing everything together. Youre cooking here, youre drinking here, youre watching TV and that person is no longer with you. It was as though his husband died, he said. Advertisement Advertisement McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary, described Atakishiyev in her statement as an illegal alien who repeatedly missed check-ins. His attorney, Marty Rosenbluth, described those claims as all lies. Its black and white. I mean, he came to the border and applied for admission, the attorney said. He asked to be able to enter to apply for asylum. Once he was in the country, Atakishiyev did what he was supposed to, Rosenbluth said. Everything that I know is that he fully complied with everything they told him to do, he said. He did all the reporting that he was required to do. He sent two photos per week, and they were checking him at his house. Theyre just lying. Help after senators office intervened Gadirov said that when he finally heard about his husband two days after the arrest, the news was not good: Atakishiyev kept coughing and shaking at night, and he had a fever. Advertisement Advertisement He suspected the food and sanitation in Stewart had something to do with it, and that Atakishiyevs anxiety and weak stomach threw him further into poor health. Desperate to get him medicine and unable to get staff at the facility to do anything after trying multiple times, he said he called the Rev. Valerie Rosenquist, a Charlotte pastor who officiated their wedding. She took the call from a sobbing Gadirov while she happened to be preparing for a vigil in Marshall Park for Renee Good, then contacted Sen. Thom Tillis office. The director of the medical facility wouldnt even acknowledge that (Atakishiyev) was there or anything, Rosenquist recalled. Advertisement Advertisement But, she said, someone came to check on his medical needs instantaneously when Tillis office intervened. He got the medicine not long after. Tural Atakishiyev and Samir Gadirov together. (Provided) Others have reported poor conditions at the Lumpkin, Georgia, facility, one of the largest immigration jails in the country. Last year, immigrant advocates and former inmates told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that, without enough beds there, people were sleeping on concrete. Local groups have said the same. In December, Carolina Migrant Network attorney Becca ONeill told The Charlotte Observer that people inside are also being woken up to eat at strangely early hours and receiving subpar medical care. Tillis spokesperson confirmed that his office contacted staff at Stewart Detention Center about Atakishiyev, but did not answer whether the senator is concerned about the jail. ICE vehicles at the entrance of the Department Homeland Security office in Charlotte in January. In McLaughlins statement, she said Atakishiyev was seen multiple times by ICE medical providers while in detention. She did not comment on Tillis office reaching out. Advertisement Advertisement More people are being detained for longer stretches of time, Siembra NC Defense Strategist Andreina Malki told the Observer. She and others at Siembra, a group that advocates for immigrants in North Carolina, helped Atakishiyev and Gadirov after learning about their plight. She estimated that, of late, Siembra has heard about someone getting arrested at a routine immigration appointment three or four times a week. Tural Atakishiyev and Samir Gadirov together. (Provided) Even with the relief of Atakishiyev being seen by someone and getting medicine, there was a longer-term question for the couple: How long could they do this? Gadirov said he consulted with lawyers, and there were two options: fight for months, stay in jail and still potentially lose in the end, or give up. They are not the kind of people who get arrested and end up in jail, Gadirov said. Jan. 30 was Gadirovs thirtieth birthday. He wanted to spend it with his husband, so he drove six hours to Georgia, walked past barbed wire and guards, then into the detention facility. He recalled speaking to Atakishiyev through a phone, glass separating them, and trying to calm his husband down as he coughed. Not the America they heard about On Wednesday, the couple made their decision official in immigration court. Atakishiyev is scheduled to leave the country this week. Gadirov said he will join him soon. He is not certain how he will do it all, but with the churchs help, he has started asking for donations online. The churchs website asks simply for contributions to ICE Detainees. I think this is morally reprehensible, said Rosenquist, the pastor. What has happened across the country with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and DHS more generally has been a denial of humanitys basic well-being, she said, and has made a group of people mostly brown and Black people in this country be considered less than. She remembered Gadirov and Atakishiyev at their wedding, in their tuxedos. They wanted to keep their ceremony quiet, she remembered, so it was just herself, an associate pastor and one witness there. What has stood out to her ever since she met them is how incredibly thoughtful they have always been towards each other, she said. After officiating their wedding, she also served as a reference for Atakishiyev in his immigration process. Going forward, she will try to be a friend to the couple and help them, whether they ever attempt to return to the U.S. or not. Growing up, Garidov always associated the United States with freedom and democracy. Lately, though, they have seen masked agents running through Charlotte for five days with guns a scary period for the couple where they needed to slow their new business down, Gadirov said. In Minnesota, agents killed two American citizens. After their decision on Wednesday to self-deport, Gadirov said they will live out in the countryside in Azerbaijan. Getting a job as a gay person is difficult, he said, so they might keep some livestock and look out for themselves. Its very hard to plan it because we have nothing there, to be honest, Gadirov said. His mother died when he was 13 years old, he said, and his father has not been involved in his life. Similarly, Atakishiyevs family does not associate with him because he is gay. Still, Gadirov said, the couple will take their chances. Fighting their case in immigration court might mean months of extra jail time. His husbands health and mental state are more important than winning that fight, he said. Its good that well meet after some time, but that doesnt change that our lives (are) just destroyed, he said shortly after their decision was made official. Rosenbluth, the attorney, said Atakishiyev is far from the first person to choose self-deportation after feeling worn-down by life in the jail. Its intentional. I assure you, he said. Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism. As she heads into a competitive U.S. Senate race, a Morning Consult poll released Feb. 2 found that Maine Gov. Janet Mills is one of the least popular governors in the country. However, she still had a net positive approval rating of +8. 51% approve of her performance, while 43% disapprove. Her approval is also still higher than Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who she is hoping to unseat in Congress. Collins has a net approval rating of -13, according to a Jan. 25 Morning Consult poll. Advertisement Advertisement But it remains to be seen how her approval will affect her in the primary, where she will face oyster farmer Graham Platner. Republican Sen. Susan Collins, center, is seeking her sixth six-year term, challenged by Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, left, and Graham Platner, also a Democrat. While Mills is one of the least popular governors in the United States, New England governors were generally quite popular with three in the top five in the country. Who are the top 5 most popular governors? Here are the top five most popular governors in the country, per the latest Morning Consult poll. Phil Scott, R-Vt. Mark Gordon, R-Wyo. Andy Beshear, D-Ky. Ned Lamont, D-Conn. Maura Healey, D-Mass. Who are the least popular governors? Here are the five least popular governors in America. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla. Gregg Abbott, R-Texas Jim Pillen, R-Neb. Tate Reeves, R-Miss. Tina Kotek, D-Ore. What are the approval ratings of New England governors? Gov. Janet Mills gave her inaugural address at the Augusta Civic Center after being sworn in for a second term. Here are the approval ratings of each New England governor, ranked from most to least popular according to the Morning Consult poll. Advertisement Advertisement Phil Scott, R-Vt. Approve +55 (74% approve, 19% disapprove) Ned Lamont, D-Conn. Approve +33 (63% approve, 30% disapprove) Maura Healey, D-Mass. Approve +34 (62% approve, 28% disapprove) Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. Approve +23 (56% approve, 33% disapprove) Dan McKee, D-R.I. Approve +13 (49% approve, 36% disapprove) Janet Mills, D-Maine Approve +8 (51% approve, 43% disapprove) This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mills is one of the least popular governors in the country, says poll A Maryland man has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly showed up at the northern Virginia home of Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, according to law enforcement sources. Colin Demarco, 26, is also charged with criminal solicitation to commit murder, carrying a concealed weapon and wearing a mask in public to conceal identity. In a statement an OMB spokesperson said, "We are grateful for the work of law enforcement in keeping Director Vought and his family safe." Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP - PHOTO: Trump-CFPB Demarco was arrested Jan. 16 in Maryland following a monthslong investigation, extradited to Virginia and is being held without bond in the Arlington County Detention Center, police said. His arrest was announced Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement The charges date back to an alleged incident in August when police were dispatched last to an Arlington, Virginia, neighborhood for a report of a suspicious person. "A witness reported observing a male suspect, who was wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, carrying a backpack and appeared to be concealing a firearm under his shirt, on the victim's porch," according to an Arlington County Police press release. A criminal complaint filed in Arlington, Virginia, said Demarco was caught on a doorbell security camera with a mask on. "Is anyone home," he allegedly asked, saying he had an appointment, according to the complaint. The family was not home at the time. Arlington County Police Department - PHOTO: Booking photograph of Colin Demarco Police say a neighbor them the man allegedly had the outline of a gun in his shirt. Advertisement Advertisement The complaint said the U.S. Marshals Service identified Demarco and interviewed him in his home in Rockville, Maryland, four days later. "Demarco stated the November 2024 election was the lowest point in his life for he feared for impending war and a fascist takeover," the complaint stated. "He also allegedly "spoke of his admiration for Luigi Mansion [sic] and stated that Mangione was a 'working class dream,' and that Mangione had the 'guts' to do what others would not." Using search warrants, police said investigators recovered digital evidence that showed Demarco obtained Vought's address, information about firearms and had posted online about soliciting murder within days of the Aug. 10 incident when allegedly he appeared at Vought's home wearing a mask and gloves. A man has been charged in the death of a well-known Chicago-area boater whose body was pulled from DuSable Harbor last year, Chicago police said. Police said Alexis Trader, 34, was arrested Wednesday and has been charged with one count of murder. Police said Trader battered 63-year-old Nabil Abzal on Aug. 30, 2025, causing him to fall into Lake Michigan and drown on Labor Day weekend. Abzal of Plainfield was affectionately known as "Captain Bill." Advertisement Advertisement Trader, who appeared in court Thursday, has a long criminal history. Trader was already in Cook County Jail for an unrelated crime, when he was charged in Abzal's death. A judge Thursday ordered Trader to remain behind bars, pending trial. Prosecutors say Trader was with another man and two women in the early morning hours of Aug. 30 at DuSable Harbor, when they decided to sneak onto the dock so the women could take pictures on one of the yachts for social media. Investigators say the women boarded a yacht there, not knowing Abzal was sleeping onboard. Abzal woke up, and he allegedly asked them to leave. Advertisement Advertisement As Abzal escorted the women off the dock, prosecutors say Trader punched him in the face, causing him to hit his head on the dock and fall in the water. Authorities say video and audio of the attack were captured by a security camera at a nearby restaurant. They said Trader called 911 but gave police a false name. Several witnesses later identified him, and police located him through phone records. Prosecutors say Trader has a history of violence and a lengthy criminal record, dating back nearly 20 years, including burglary and armed robbery. Abzal's friends are relieved he's finally getting some justice. INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER Track crime and safety in your neighborhood A man has died in Portugal and a girl is missing in Spain, after Storm Leonardo brought heavy rain and winds to the Iberian Peninsula. Local media say the man drowned on Wednesday night, after his car was engulfed by floodwaters. The girl was reportedly swept away by an overflowing river, while trying to save her dog. British woman, 85, dies after extreme wind storm hit Portuguese campsite Storm Alice: Spain issues 'extreme risk' red weather warning for Costa Blanca Advertisement Advertisement In the Andalusia region of Spain, almost 4,000 people have evacuated their homes due to the extreme weather, which has forced dozens of roads to close. Alcacer do Sal, a city in southern Portugal, faced flooding and water levels measuring two metres in some places, due to rising waters from the river Sado. The Spanish village Grazalema has also been affected by flooding. Credit: AP Spain's weather agency has raised the highest alert level in the south of the country, and is warning that another storm is expected over the weekend. Leonardo is the latest of a series of storms to hit Spain and Portugal in recent weeks. Portuguese authorities said a storm at the end of January killed several people. Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) A man from Honduras was arrested after allegedly breaking into a Denham Springs home and sexually assaulting a person. Deputies responded to Whitley Road early Friday morning. The victim was taken to a hospital for medical care while deputies tracked down the suspect at another home on the same road. Irlando Giron, 37, identified as the victims neighbor, was taken into custody to face charges of first-degree rape, home invasion, aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm. Irlando Giron (Livingston Parish Sheriffs Office) Deputies noted that the handgun was reported stolen in Texas. Advertisement Advertisement Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said the crime appears to be an isolated incident while urging residents to secure their homes. I want to remind you to secure your homes: lock doors, invest in a good lighting system, make sure any cameras are in working order. The perpetrator in this case now sits behind bars. Join me in praying for the victim in this case, Ard said. Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murill commended deputies work in the case. Thank you to Livingston Parish law enforcement for quickly apprehending this illegal alien. We have no place for those who break our laws. I hear Camp 57 is nice in the spring, Landry wrote on social media. Advertisement Advertisement Excellent work by Sheriff Jason Ard and his deputies at the Livingston Parish Sheriffs Office for quickly arresting this illegal alien sexual predator, Murrill said in a statement. My prayers are with the victim in this disturbing case. This predator should never have been in our country to begin with. He must face Louisiana justice before being deported. An investigation is ongoing. Latest News Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Louisiana First News. Ohio has filed an antitrust lawsuit against nine multistate cannabis operators, accusing the companies of conspiring to keep prices high and limit consumer choice. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The lawsuit alleges the operators used shelf-space allotments to prioritize each others products while intentionally excluding smaller, Ohio-based businesses. The legal action stems from an investigation triggered by an October 2024 tip from an Ohio cannabis industry employee. TRENDING STORIES: The lawsuit names nine major cannabis operators as defendants: Ascend Wellness, Ayr Wellness, The Cannabist Company, and Cresco Labs. Other companies listed in the legal filing include Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries, Jushi, Trulieve, and Verano. According to the complaint, senior representatives from these major multistate operators met in late 2022 to coordinate their purchasing strategies. The tip alleged that these companies established explicit internal quotas to reserve dispensary shelf space for products sourced through reciprocal agreements with other multistate operators. This arrangement was reportedly intended to preserve the groups market share during a period of increased supply and declining prices. The legal filing alleges these actions violated Ohios Valentine Act by allowing companies to share competitively sensitive information and engage in discriminatory distribution practices. These practices disadvantaged independent Ohio cannabis operators while reducing product quality and innovation for local consumers, Attorney General Dave Yost said. Yost is seeking injunctive relief to halt the alleged unlawful conduct. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A man was injured after he fell into a river in Northern Kentucky on Thursday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Newport fire and medics responded around 9:20 a.m. to River City Metals in Newport, Kentucky, on a report that a man fell into the river, according to a social media post. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Fire chief Frank Peluso told our news partner, WCPO in Cincinnati, that the man was alert and conscious when he was transported to a Cincinnati-area hospital. Newport Fire and EMS said in a social media post that the icy water prevented rescue boats from accessing the patient. The department posted a photo showing a construction crane tipped over, with its claw resting on a barge. The man was in the water for 40 minutes, the post said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A man who posted messages on social media calling for far-right violence and who owned neo-Nazi terrorism manuals has been jailed. Tygue Joseph Crowther, 36, used X to encourage race attacks and had six banned documents, four of which he sent to someone with whom he had discussed setting up a terrorism group, Newcastle Crown Court heard. He had claimed he was a freelance investigative journalist and had the materials for legitimate reasons, but changed his pleas to guilty part-way through his trial. Advertisement Advertisement Crowther, of Scholes, near Cleckheaton, admitted recklessly encouraging terrorism and possessing and disseminating terrorist publications and was jailed on Friday for four years and nine months. Judge Robert Adams told the sentencing hearing that counter terrorism police had arrested Crowther at his home on 12 June 2024. Officers seized items including Crowther's mobile phone, two snoods with a skull mask linked to far-right groups and a shirt with a British National Party logo. 'Tensions acute' The judge told the court that Crowther's phone revealed he had set up an X account in October 2023 which had open settings meaning anyone could view it. Advertisement Advertisement That account had 66 followers and its profile picture depicted a soldier performing a Nazi salute along with far-right slogans, references to anti-Semitic conspiracies and support for Adolf Hitler. Crowther had posted messages that called for and encouraged terrorist violence and the "eradication of certain sections of society" and included videos glorying violence carried out by neo-Nazis. The judge said the posts were made at a time when "tensions over immigration were acute". Crowther had closed the X account before he was arrested, the court heard. He had also swapped messages with another user on instant messaging app Telegram in which they discussed setting up a "battalion" and showing people "we are willing to stand up for our race no matter what", the court heard. Advertisement Advertisement Crowther said it "needs to happen before it's too late" and "we need our voices heard, not just online but on the streets". Crowther was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday [BBC] The judge told the court that Crowther had sent the other Telegram user four "substantial and voluminous" terrorism publications. They contained a wealth of information on "how to kill people and get away with it", how to prepare explosive devices and carry out terrorism attacks. When the user received the documents, they told Crowther he was a "dangerous man" and the publications were just what they needed, the judge said. Advertisement Advertisement Crowther owned six documents or "manuals" in total, which ran to hundreds of pages and gave "viable" instructions, including with "clear and easy diagrams", on how to make poisons and explosive substances, the court heard. They also set out anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic beliefs and advised people how to film the killing of a person to maximise the horror. The manuals called for chaos and "cruel warriors" to carry out a "race war", the court heard. Guilty pleas When he was arrested, Crowther told police he knew why they had come and appeared to make "frank admissions", the judge said. Advertisement Advertisement But he then "resiled" on that and denied the offences, claiming he was a freelance investigative journalist, before entering guilty pleas on the eighth day of his trial, the court heard. In mitigation, the court heard the father of four was depressed and bored after the end of a relationship and the loss of his job in a bakery shop. There was no evidence anyone had carried out any attacks as a result of his actions, the judge said. Meanwhile, Crowther had said the materials he had were "abhorrent" and did not reflect his true beliefs, the court heard. Adams said it seemed "highly likely" that Crowther was trying to manipulate people and his responsibility was "not substantially reduced" by his mental health issues. 'Divide communities' Crowther will have to serve two thirds of his prison term before he can be considered eligible for parole. Advertisement Advertisement Having been deemed to be an "offender of particular concern", he will also have to serve a further year on extended licence upon his release from prison. Following Crowther's sentencing, Det Ch Supt James Dunkerley, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: "Viewing and sharing terrorist documents is not a victimless crime and just one document such as Crowther shared could lead to countless others being radicalised. "The content of these kinds of publications is hateful, divisive, and they encourage others to commit violent attacks. "Those that seek to divide our communities through sharing extremist material will be identified and brought to justice." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Related internet links CLINTON, N.Y. (AP) A New York man accused of threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pleaded guilty Thursday, a year after President Donald Trump pardoned him for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Christopher P. Moynihan, 35, also agreed to serve three years of probation. During a hearing in the town court in Clinton, New York, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge, and sentencing was set for April 2. Moynihan's public defender did not immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday night. A message also was left at an email address in public records for Moynihan. A phone number for Moynihan in public records was not in service. Advertisement Advertisement Moynihan, of Pleasant Valley, New York, was accused of sending a text message to another person in October about Jeffries' appearance in New York City that week. I cannot allow this terrorist to live, Moynihan wrote, according to a report by a state police investigator. Moynihan also wrote that Jeffries must be eliminated and texted, I will kill him for the future, the police report says. Moynihan was originally charged with a felony, making a terrorist threat, but pleaded to a lesser crime. Threats against elected officials are not political speech, they are criminal acts that strike at the heart of public safety and our democratic system," Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi said in a statement. Advertisement Advertisement Moynihan was sentenced to nearly 2 years in prison for joining a mobs Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. In January 2025, he was among hundreds of convicted Capitol rioters who were pardoned on the Republican presidents first day back in the White House. A spokesperson for Jeffries, a New York Democrat, did not immediately return an email message Thursday night. A passenger in a car that had been pulled over for a civil traffic stop jumped out of the vehicle and began shooting at a Chandler officer, police said. The sedan had pulled into a shopping complex near Arizona Avenue and Riggs Road for the stop on the evening of Feb. 5, said Ryan Cody, a Chandler Police Department spokesman. The officer pursued the passenger and radioed for help, and multiple other units arrived, Cody said. Advertisement Advertisement The suspect ran behind a building with multiple businesses and emerged near a storage facility. Multiple officers fired, Cody said. The suspect sustained a K9 bite and a non-life-threatening gunshot wound in the leg, Cody said. According to Cody, the suspect was transported in stable condition and was expected to be booked into jail after treatment. A gun was recovered from the scene and no officers were injured. The Mesa Police Department will conduct the investigation as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team. The shooting was the third involving law enforcement in the Phoenix area that day. Advertisement Advertisement Earlier in the day, Phoenix police shot a woman in west Phoenix being served an arrest warrant for homicide. She pointed a gun at officers, according to spokesperson Sgt. Lorraine Fernandez. A Department of Public Safety trooper and a suspect were both wounded near Interstate 17 and Indian School Road. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Police officer shot at in Chandler. What to know A Chevrolet Camaro violently crashing backwards into a Mercedes-AMG G63 parked peacefully in its own driveway may sound like just another day in Floridabut according to the owner of the G-wagen, this particular crash in question was no accident. Surveillance video posted on the onlyindade Instagram page shows what the Mercedes's owner claims was a deliberate hit on the luxury SUV. According to a report by 7 News Miami, Adrian Fatjo and his girlfriend Claudia Valeria were asleep in their home on West Oakmont Drive in Northwest Miami-Dade, Florida. The couple said that around 5 a.m. on Sunday, February 1, security footage captured two vehicles, including a red Camaro, making multiple passes in front of their home; the Camaro then sped backwards and crashed into the white G-wagen that Valeria had reportedly purchased just three weeks earlier for $185,000. At first, Fatjo said thought it was a drunk driver, but when he reviewed the video, he realized that this didn't seem like a random accident. There was a getaway vehicle; they literally crashed on purpose to hit this vehicle specifically, Fatjo told 7 News. Advertisement Advertisement Miami-Dade Sheriffs Department deputies told the couple the Camaro that crashed into their Mercedes had been stolen from a nearby home just a few minutes before the crash. Fatjo and Valeria say they're not concerned about the SUV; Fatjo said in a comment on the onlyindade Instagram post that the Mercedes is already being repaired. Their concern is for their safety, and the couple is putting up a five-figure reward for anyone that has information that leads to an arrest of the suspects. We are offering a reward of $15,000 because the fact that someone would steal the red Camaro and have a getaway vehicle while wearing a mask raises serious safety concerns for us, Fatjo commented on Instagram. Anyone with information on the crash is urged to contact Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. You Might Also Like The pastor of Mercy Culture Church said he told Gateway Church founder and convicted child sex offender Robert Morris that God has forgiven him. Landon Schottt said in a Facebook post Feb. 3 that he visited Morris at the Osage County Jail in Oklahoma. Today I had the honor of sitting with Pastor Robert. I am grateful for the role he played in my life. I am grateful for what I learned. And I am grateful that the story of grace is still being written, Schott wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Morris is serving six months in jail after he pleaded guilty in October to charges of indecent conduct with a child in connection with the sexual abuse case that led to his resignation from the North Texas megachurch. Morris, who founded Gateway in Southlake in 2000, was convicted on five counts of lewd and indecent conduct with a child and was sentenced to 10 years with all but six months suspended. After his release from jail, Morris will serve the remainder of the sentence on probation in Texas. He must also register as a sex offender. Morris resigned from the church in June 2024 after he admitted to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in the 1980s. He was indicted in March 2025. Schott did not respond to messages seeking comment. Advertisement Advertisement Cindy Clemishire, who came forward in 2024 and accused Morris of sexually abusing her over four years, said she was disappointed when she read Schotts Facebook post. She said Morris told her not to tell anyone and that he and others from Gateway covered up the abuse for years. I just dont understand why he would even make a public announcement, she said. It just seems self-serving. I know we are called to forgive, to restore and all of that, but I just dont see the fruit of it. Clemishire added that pastors should not be put on pedestals and that too often, the victims are ignored. When she came forward with her accusations against Morris, the only megachurch pastor who supported her was Rick Warren, the founder of Saddleback Church in California, she said. Advertisement Advertisement We know what the scripture says, if anyone harms any of my little ones, its better to have a millstone around their neck and thrown in to the sea, Clemishire said, referring to a verse from the Bible, Matthew 18:6. I am disappointed, but I still love Jesus, she said. After Morris pleaded guilty in October, Clemishire read her victim statement in court. Today justice has finally been served, and the man who manipulated, groomed and abused me as a 12-year-old innocent girl is finally going to be behind bars, Clemishire said. I hope that people understand the only way to stop child sexual abuse is to speak up when it happens or is suspected. Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, Schott wrote that Morris mentored him before he started Mercy Culture Church in Fort Worth, and that he spent a year as an intern at Gateway. He added that Morris will be released from jail in early April, the week of Easter and Passover. Even in this situation, the gospel is being preached, Schott wrote. Atonement. Forgiveness. Resurrection. New beginnings. Sin is serious. It grieves the heart of God. But the cross is more serious. The blood of Jesus is stronger than failure. Mercy triumphs over judgment. I do not believe we can preach mercy at our altars if that same mercy is not available to those who once stood behind them. Advertisement Advertisement Our editors also recommend: Get Star-Telegram headlines in your inbox. NEED TO KNOW David Hutchinson, 32, was found dead inside a trash can on Jan. 29 Police consider his death a homicide On Jan. 30, Jaida Braddy, 41, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact in connection with his death Mystery surrounds the death of a Massachusetts man whose remains were discovered inside a trash can in South Carolina. The body of David Hutchinson, 32, was found decomposing inside a trash can at a home on Pearl Street in Marion on Thursday, Jan. 29, per the Marion County Coroner, WMBF reported. Advertisement Advertisement Authorities are investigating his death as a homicide, Marion Police Chief Tony Flowers told News13. Hutchinson arrived in Marion in December, allegedly after a woman he allegedly met online told him he could find a well-paying job in the area, Flowers said, WMBF reported. He was scheduled to return to Massachusetts in early January but when he didnt return home, his family alerted police. Jaida Braddy Marion County Detention Center In an interview with ABC4, Flowers alleged there were potentially 12 persons of interest in the case. 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. "It could be 12, he said. I don't know how many was involved. Because this house he was supposedly at, it is people in and out of the house all the time. So, there's no rhyme or reason to who lives there, who doesn't. So, we don't know how all how many people were there when this happened. If it actually happened inside the house, outside the house, in the area." Advertisement Advertisement On Jan. 30, Jaida Braddy, 41, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to a felony in connection with Hutchinson's death and is being held on a $15,000 surety bond, according to inmate records. David isnt just a drifter who showed up in town, or another statistic, his brother told News13. Hes a son, a brother, a cousin. An uncle and a friend to a lot of people up here who loved him tremendously. We prayed this story would have a better ending, and well miss him so much. Naive and too trusting, but a good kid who made bad decisions at times, and this time he sadly had to pay the ultimate price for it, he added. According to a GoFundMe page, Hutchinson, a barber, had a "kind heart and the biggest personality. He was loved by all those who knew him and friendly to those who didnt." Read the original article on People Michigan Capitol | Susan J. Demas The appeal of a court injunction barring the state from spending a portion of the $645 million work project funds, which were cut late last year by Michigan House Republicans, will not go forward because the states appellate court ruled Thursday that an immediate review was not yet warranted. The Department of Technology, Management and Budget asked the Michigan Court of Appeals to review an injunction put in place by Court of Claims Judge Michael Gadola, who granted the Republican-led Michigan House of Representatives request to bar the state from spending an unencumbered portion of millions of dollars in canceled funds. Advertisement Advertisement An appeal quickly followed and the court granted immediate consideration. In an order issued Thursday, however, the appellate panel of Judges Stephen Borrello, Michael Riodan and Matthew Ackerman denied the leave to appeal, saying they were unpersuaded on the need for immediate review. The order was signed by Borrello and contained no reasoning as to why the panel reached its conclusion. House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) took to X to again declare victory in the case. I beat the Democrats in court, again, today, and it wasnt even close, Hall wrote. The Michigan Court of Appeals rejected the Democrats desperate attempt to keep their secret slush funds open and said our lawsuit against Dana Nessels very flawed and illogical opinion will move forward. House Republicans will keep fighting to cut even more waste, fraud, and abuse that Democrats and Lansing insiders have allowed to happen for years. Advertisement Advertisement Hall was referencing a formal opinion issued by Attorney General Dana Nessel last month that held the work project cuts, slashed by the House Appropriations Committee and its chair, state Rep. Ann Bollin (R-Brighton Township), had been achieved through an unconstitutional process that violated the separation of powers clause and other requirements in the Michigan Constitution. Hall sued Nessel over that opinion in the Court of Claims, and the budget department took Nessels opinion as justification to continue spending the unencumbered funds. But Gadola later barred the department from doing so, to which the department appealed. That appeal was punted by the court on Thursday. Michigan Advanced asked Nessels office for a comment but it declined to do so. Hall told reporters on Wednesday that the Whitmer administration had filed legal documents stating that of the $645 million in legislative spending that Republican members of the House Appropriations had voted to cancel, nearly $349.5 remained unobligated. The State Budget Office later confirmed that the amount of unencumbered funds mentioned by Hall was an accurate figure. The Michigan Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here's a look at Feb. 5, 2026, results for each game: Winning Daily 3 numbers from Feb. 5 drawing Midday: 7-8-9 Evening: 4-9-7 Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily 4 numbers from Feb. 5 drawing Midday: 6-5-5-0 Evening: 4-8-5-0 Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Feb. 5 drawing 02-03-13-36-37, Lucky Ball: 16 Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Poker Lotto numbers from Feb. 5 drawing JH-AS-5H-6H-4S Check Poker Lotto payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from Feb. 5 drawing 08-14-17-27-36 Advertisement Advertisement 12-15-29-32-35 Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here. Winning Daily Keno numbers from Feb. 5 drawing 11-14-18-22-26-31-35-38-39-42-44-45-46-55-58-59-60-62-63-69-72-76 Check Daily Keno payouts and previous drawings here. Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results Are you a winner? Heres how to claim your lottery prize All Michigan Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes up to $99,999.99, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Michigan Lotterys Regional Offices. To claim by mail, complete a ticket receipt form, sign your winning ticket, and send it along with original copies of your government-issued photo ID and Social Security card to the address below. Ensure the names on your ID and Social Security card match exactly. Claims should be mailed to: Advertisement Advertisement Michigan Lottery Attn: Claim Center 101 E. Hillsdale P.O. Box 30023 Lansing, MI 48909 For prizes over $100,000, winners must claim their prize in person at the Michigan Lottery Headquarters in Lansing located at 101 E. Hillsdale in downtown Lansing. Each winner must present original versions of a valid government-issued photo ID (typically a drivers license or state ID) and a Social Security card, ensuring that the names on both documents match exactly. To schedule an appointment, please call the Lottery Player Relations office at 844-887-6836, option 2. If you prefer to claim in person at one of the Michigan Lottery Regional Offices for prizes under $100,000, appointments are required. Until further notice, please call 1-844-917-6325 to schedule an appointment. Regional office locations are as follows: Advertisement Advertisement Lansing: 101 E. Hillsdale St. Lansing; Phone: 844-917-6325 Livonia: 33231 Plymouth Road, Livonia; Phone: 844-917-6325 Sterling Heights: 34700 Dequindre Road, Sterling Heights; Phone: 844-917-6325 Detroit: Cadillac Place, 3060 W. Grand Blvd., Suite L-600, Detroit; Phone: 844-917-6325 Grand Rapids: 3391-B Plainfield Ave. NE, Grand Rapids; Phone: 844-917-6325 Saginaw: Jerome T. Hart State Office Building, 411 E. Genesee Ave., Saginaw; Phone: 844-917-6325 For additional information, downloadable forms, and instructions, visit the Michigan Lottery's prize claim page. When are Michigan Lottery drawings held? Daily 3 & Daily 4: Midday at 12:59 p.m., Evening at 7:29 p.m. Fantasy 5: 7:29 p.m. daily Poker Lotto: 7:29 p.m. daily Lotto 47: 7:29 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily Daily Keno: 7:29 p.m. daily This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Michigan editor. You can send feedback using this form. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan Lottery Daily 3, Daily 4 results for Feb. 5, 2026 A Michigan man who drove across the country to set fire to a family's home in Bensalem will spend the next 20 to 40 years in prison. On Thursday, Harrison Jones pleaded no contest to six counts of attempted murder and two counts of animal cruelty for the killing of the family's two dogs in the fire. READ MORE | Michigan man allegedly drove over 700 miles to Bensalem Twp., Pa., with 'murderous intentions' Bucks County prosecutors said Jones drove more than 700 miles to set fire to the home on the 5200 block of Merganser Way last February. Advertisement Advertisement Six people were injured in the blaze, including three who had to jump from an upstairs window to escape the flames. All the victims suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. Nearby surveillance cameras were able to track the suspect's movements before and after the flames were ignited. Jones is the former boyfriend of a woman who was in a new relationship with someone who lived at the home. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) has advanced 1% year to date, and the benchmark index for U.S. stocks sits within a percentage point of its record high. However, the economic fallout from President Trump's tariffs, coupled with high valuations and midterm elections, could cause the stock market to decline sharply or even crash in 2026. Here's what investors should know. 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: Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian. President Trump says tariffs are strengthening the economy and exporters are paying the bill, but data suggests otherwise In January, President Trump wrote an editorial in The Wall Street Journal. He said the tariffs imposed by his administration, which have raised the average tax on U.S. imports fivefold, have led to "extraordinarily high economic growth!" But that is a wild misrepresentation: While real GDP growth was well above average in the second and third quarters of 2025, the economy contracted in the first quarter. Collectively, real GDP increased 2.51% during the first nine months of 2025. That is actually below the 10-year average (2.75%), the 30-year average (2.58%), and the 50-year average (2.84%). Furthermore, artificial intelligence (AI) spending contributed 0.97 percentage points to real GDP growth during the first nine months of 2025, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. That means real GDP would have increased just 1.54% without AI spending. President Trump's editorial also claimed the tariff burden has "fallen overwhelmingly on foreign producers and middlemen, including large corporations that are not from the U.S." He wrote, "According to a recent study by the Harvard Business School, these groups are paying at least 80% of tariff costs." But that statement seems to be a complete fabrication. The study Trump linked explicitly states, "Our results suggest that U.S. consumers paid up to 43 percent of the tariff burden, with the rest absorbed by U.S. firms." Nowhere in the report do the authors suggest that foreign exporters have paid a substantial percentage of the tariffs. Here's the big picture: President Trump says tariffs have strengthened the economy, but GDP growth was below average through the first three quarters of 2025. AI spending is what truly supported the economy. "Without it, U.S. GDP would have almost flatlined," according to Goldman Sachs. History says there is a 50/50 chance the S&P 500 declines at least 19% in 2026 The S&P 500 trades at 22.2 times forward earnings, according to FactSet Research. That is a very expensive valuation. The index has only sustained a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio above 22 during two periods in the past 40 years: The dot-com bubble and the Covid-19 pandemic. Both situations led to bear markets. Milwaukee County is back under a contract for employee and retiree health care benefits administration as of Feb. 5 just one week after human resources staff blindsided supervisors with news that the county's previous contract had expired at the end of 2025. The county's Board of Supervisors voted 13-5 to renew the previous contract with UnitedHealthcare and Optum Rx, one of the county's largest contracts, for another five years, amounting to roughly $450 million. The vote came after some supervisors issued sharp criticisms of County Executive David Crowley's administration for allowing the lapse to occur. The lapse had ignited concerns, on one hand, about costly out-of-network prices and access to coverage in the absence of a contract, and on the other hand, whether it was prudent for officials to extend the previous contract after the Comptroller's Office warned it wasn't fiscally vetted and didn't allow for strong auditing oversight. Advertisement Advertisement Since then, supervisors have been eager to resolve the lapse and reassure county employees and retirees that they're healthcare access remains unchanged, since the county is self-insured and only contracts with UnitedHealthcare to administer the plan. But they have also expressed disdain about renewing the previous contract, due to the uncertainties and limitations flagged by the Comptroller's Office. The five supervisors who voted against renewal, Supervisors Patti Logsdon, Deanna Alexander, Steve Taylor, Kathleen Vincent and Sheldon Wasserman, cited those ongoing concerns and the fast turnaround for a decision as reasons why they couldn't support the measure. Supervisors who voted in favor of renewing the contract were Steven Shea, Priscilla Coggs-Jones, Willie Johnson, Jr., Sequanna Taylor, Felesia Martin, Shawn Rolland, Juan Miguel Martinez, Caroline Gomez-Tom, Justin Bielinski, Sky Capriolo, Jack Eckblad, Anne O'Connor and Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell. Advertisement Advertisement "We need to find out what's really behind all this," Logsdon said, clear emotion breaking through her voice. "We need to make certain that not only the employees but our taxpayers don't get caught paying the price for this disheartening situation." Several supervisors, including those who voted for and against the contract renewal, indicated the contract lapse is indicative of much deeper issues within Crowley's administration, also pointing to the transit deficit information withheld from Supervisors for months. Other supervisors expressed appreciation for Crowley and his administration for their quick action in providing information to the board and terminating an HR employee tied to the contract lapse. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement issued shortly after the vote, Crowley applauded the contract renewal and said he'd sign it the moment it hit his desk. Crowley is a Democratic candidate for governor. "When mistakes are made, we must act quickly and decisively to seek out facts and identify solutions to the problem at hand," he said. "While this situation was the unfortunate result of an employee error, I am grateful for the collaboration with County officials to quickly resolve the issue." Supervisor raise alarms about larger problems However, Supervisors Martin, Rolland, Wasserman and Steve Taylor all said they felt the issue was bigger than one employee. Taylor said, "This is not the Milwaukee County boards fault. This is completely under the administration. And now were stuck having to clean up this mess." Advertisement Advertisement "There's a lot of work that needs to be done for me to trust him and what's coming out the administration moving forward," he said later. Martin also called for more accountability, saying there were multiple occasions where county employees could and should have communicated directly to figure this out. Rolland called out Chief Human Resources Officer Margo Franklin, who told the board on Feb. 2 during an emergency committee meeting on that, while she takes accountability for the situation, it is not her job to do the job of her employees. "As department head, it is your job to make sure the job is done," Rolland said. "I'm not asking for any additional accountability, but I want to make sure that every department head in this county knows it is their job to make sure the job gets done." Advertisement Advertisement Rolland recognized Crowley's actions as a "bright spot" in wading toward a solution: "He took this seriously. He directed his team quickly, and he exited the person most accountable." At the same time, Wasserman lamented the impact this issue will have on Crowley's reputation in the governor's race. "Everyone in this room knows that this race is going to have this spectacle on it, and the future of our state could be decided on what he's doing," Wasserman said. More: Democratic rival Rodriguez criticizes Crowley over health care flap Before the contract's passage, supervisors passed an amendment to the resolution to approve the contract, calling for further work to incorporate more auditing oversight into the contract moving forward. The amendment also cements that outside vendors contracted for requests for proposals should follow county procurement and ethics requirements. Advertisement Advertisement The employee who was terminated, Tony Maze, told the Finance Committee on Jan. 29 that he did not follow county ordinances for RFPs in concert with an outside vendor, Willis Towers Watson, while pursuing a new contract at the beginning of 2025. Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County approves new contract after health insurance flap Milwaukee County supervisors approved a measure on Feb. 5 aimed at staking claim over county-owned parks in preparation for the possibility of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement moving into the area. The new ordinance language would fine law enforcement agencies, including ICE, $100 for operating in county parks without a permit. The ordinance does not apply to the routine patrols, emergency responses and other state-sanctioned actions that take place in county parks carried out by local police departments and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office. Most supervisors acknowledged that a local ordinance is unlikely to deter ICE, referencing the agency's escalation of detentions in Minnesota that have drawn widespread protests and led to the fatal shooting of two protesters by federal agents. Advertisement Advertisement The Trump administration announced earlier in the week that it would withdraw 700 federal immigration personnel from Minnesota. And local officials recently told the Journal Sentinel there is not yet evidence that federal agents plan to move into Wisconsin. But those who supported the proposal saw it as an opportunity to plan ahead for that possibility, signal the county's values and show solidarity with area residents who are fearful and asking for preparatory action. Ahead of the vote, Supervisor Anne O'Connor, who introduced the ordinance language, said, "At its core, this resolution is about doing what is right and just for the people of Milwaukee County... To not react to the moment were in would be irresponsible and a dereliction of duty." The board approved the measure in a 15-3 vote, with Supervisors Deanna Alexander, Patty Logsdon and Steve Taylor voting against it. A spokesperson for County Executive David Crowley said on Feb. 6 he has reviewed the legislation and plans to sign it. Advertisement Advertisement Logsdon said she felt she didn't have enough answers as to how the ordinance would be enforced and why it is needed, calling it "unnecessary." She referenced comments made by Brian Barkow, chief deputy at the sheriff's office, at a Jan. 22 committee meeting, indicating the department would not enforce the ordinance "While the sheriff's office can enforce permitting issues, we generally do not," Barkow said at the time. "We wouldn't do it to the general public, and we're certainly not going to be fighting in the streets with any law enforcement agency." The Parks and Culture Committee ultimately advanced the ordinance language in a 6-1 vote Jan. 22 with Taylor opposing, questioning the ordinance's effectiveness and whether it could lead to unbalanced permit enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement "I'm not saying I agree with all their [ICE's] methodology, but let's just say they ignore the ordinance," Taylor said Jan. 22. "What are the ramifications?" In O'Connor's comments on Feb. 5, she addressed some of her colleagues concerns saying, "This policy is sound, vetted and desired by people in Milwaukee County who look to us as leaders in this difficult time, a time that I believe we will look back on with even more shame and horror than we are feeling right now." Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez urged approval of the ordinance language to show that the county is exploring all of its options to support its residents, "no matter how small." Another supervisor who co-sponsored the ordinance, Caroline Gomez-Tom, said the new measure should be a call to action for all levels of government. "We should be looking at all the policy opportunities we can," she said. Advertisement Advertisement Supervisor Steven Shea's invoked the words of Anne Frank: "Terrible things are happening outside. Poor, helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, children are separated. Children come home from school to find their parents and have disappeared," he quoted. "This could just as easily describe Minneapolis," he said. Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County approves ordinance aimed at ICE actions in parks The Brief Milwaukee tenants displaced by a no-heat emergency have been cleared to return to their apartment building. Landlord-tenant issues ranked as the top consumer complaint category statewide in 2025. State officials urge tenants to document issues and understand their rights under Wisconsin law. MILWAUKEE - Tenants forced from a Milwaukee apartment building last month because of a loss of heat during dangerously cold temperatures are now allowed to return, according to the city, though questions remain about long-term conditions and tenant rights. No-heat evacuation fallout What we know The building near 29th Street and Wisconsin Avenue was temporarily shut down after flooding, burst pipes and a lack of heat prompted an emergency evacuation. City officials have since given tenants the all-clear to go back inside. The situation highlights a broader, statewide issue. Advertisement Advertisement FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android Landlord-tenant disputes ranked as the top category of consumer complaints filed in 2025, according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. "[An] increase of 95 complaints from the previous year," said Michelle Reinen, administrator of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection. "It has been in the number one spot since 2022." State data shows 2,620 complaints related to landlord issues were filed last year. Landlord complaints surge Local perspective For two weeks, FOX6 reported on the emergency evacuation at the 29th and Wisconsin building, which is owned by Berrada Properties. Several viewers contacted the station with concerns about the company. Advertisement Advertisement The department said it received 75 complaints about Berrada Properties in 2025, accounting for less than 3% of all landlord-related complaints statewide. However, officials said those figures do not always reflect the full scope of tenant concerns. While tenants are now permitted to return, officials say the case is far from over particularly when it comes to understanding tenant protections under the law. "The follow-through on heat will depend on when that happens," Reinen said. "Is it on the upfront when you first enter a rental agreement? There are requirements under the law that says a landlord has to disclose if a property can maintain the temperature of the property." Many landlord-tenant disputes never result in formal state complaints. Reinen said common issues include maintenance failures, security deposit disputes, evictions and unauthorized entry. "Failure to maintain the premises, security deposit returns or withholdings, eviction, unauthorized entry," Reinen said. Advertisement Advertisement SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News After a complaint is filed, a state investigator contacts both parties. The department does not issue rulings but instead works to mediate disputes. "Were not the courts. So we cant make a final ruling and order any party to do anything," Reinen said. Scrutiny on landlords Dig deeper In the case of the 29th and Wisconsin building, the emergency evacuation was ordered by the city. Long-term consequences remain unclear. A government source close to the situation said some tenants still lack electricity and water, and that the building smells of rotten food. Advertisement Advertisement Berrada Properties did not return calls requesting comment. What tenants should know What you can do State officials encourage tenants to document all interactions with landlords and keep as much communication in writing as possible. Consumers can request assistance or file complaints through DATCPs landlord-tenant resources online. The Source The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection provided information and FOX6 utilized prior coverage. A Milwaukee headhunter who worked for Jeffrey Epstein, seeking staff for the convicted sex offender's now-notorious island and ranch, said he would not have worked with the financier "knowing what we know now." Peter Mahler, who owns an elite staffing business and a high-end boutique real estate firm, exchanged dozens of emails with Epstein and his staff, largely in 2013, according to documents released by the U.S. Justice Department. Epstein was looking to hire a personal assistant and a manager to work on his private Caribbean island and at his ranch in New Mexico. Peter Mahler in 2016 By the time Mahler began working with Epstein, the financier had been convicted five years earlier of two counts of prostitution, including soliciting a child for prostitution, and was accused of sexually assaulting dozens of girls which had been widely covered. Epstein was a registered sex offender. Advertisement Advertisement In 2019, Epstein was indicted on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to sex traffic minors. A FBI memo alleges Epstein has more than 1,000 victims. Epstein died by suicide while incarcerated in 2019. "While our firm doesnt comment about the thousands of staffing searches and interviews, we have conducted over the past three decades, I am making an exception under these circumstances," Mahler said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The revelations about Jeffrey Epstein are abhorrent." Mahler confirmed his company was conducting searches for "professional administrative staff and property management positions" for Epstein. "These ultimately failed because he did not like the qualified candidates, we identified for him to interview," Mahler said. "Knowing what we know now, we would never have worked with him under any circumstances." Advertisement Advertisement Will Lidstone, director of business development at Mahler Private Staffing, sent the statement in an email and declined a request for an interview with Mahler. "At this time, Mr. Mahler will not be participating in any interviews beyond the written statement provided," Lidstone wrote in the Feb. 6 email. There is no indication of any illegal activity in the emails between Mahler and Epstein. Mahler has not been accused of or charged with any crimes. Jeffrey Epstein in custody in West Palm Beach, Fla. in 2008. The emails with Mahler provide insight into Epstein's preferences when it came to assistants and his penchant for scolding people who failed to meet his standards. Advertisement Advertisement In multiple messages, Mahler notes Epstein's preference for Asian candidates. Mahler also hid Epstein's identity from candidates, referring to Epstein as "Mr. Stone," according to emails. Mahler did not respond to questions about why he hid Epstein's identity from applicants or whether it is typical for his clients to express an ethnic or racial preference for candidates. Mahler also did not respond to a question about why he would work for a convicted sex offender. In one October 2013 email, Mahler reasoned with Epstein, who was frustrated by the lack of progress in the search. Advertisement Advertisement "I am writing this because I think you are a good guy and you make me laugh but you need to get out of your own way and let us help you," Mahler wrote. "Xo. Peter. Let's chat." Epstein paid Mahler's firm $25,000 for services but refused to pay Mahler another $15,000. The business relationship appears to have ended bitterly, based on the emails. Mahler did not respond to questions as to whether he would give back the $25,000 paid to him by Epstein. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee recruiter Peter Mahler distances himself from Jeffrey Epstein The starting line at the 2024 American Birkebeiner ski race in Cable, Wisconsin | Photo by Frank Zufall/Wisconsin Examiner The 52nd American Birkebeiner, Birkie, cross-country ski race between Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin, is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, featuring thousands of skiers from across the United States and several hundred from 16 foreign countries, including Norway, France, Finland and Germany. However, according to American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation Executive Director Ben Popp several international participants have called the Birkebeiner office in Hayward to express concerns after the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota and the death of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were both shot by federal immigration agents. Advertisement Advertisement The Birkebeiner course in northwestern Wisconsin is close to the Minneapolis-St. Paul international airport. So far, Popp said, the Birkie doesnt know if any foreign skiers have canceled their plans to attend the upcoming race, the largest cross-country/Nordic ski race in North America. We had people say, Is it safe to fly into Minneapolis? said Popp. I mean its no secret, globally speaking, people are looking at the United States in a very different light these days, especially if youre a foreigner. He added, its predominantly people asking questions like, Is it safe to fly to Minneapolis? Whats it like? Should I still come? You know, those are kind of the questions I think were getting from the foreigners. And, you know, a lot of those are pretty savvy travelers. Typically, its like this is not their first international trip. Popp said a skier from Slovenia wanted a contract number with the Birkie in case the skier was stopped by immigration officers and questioned why he was in the U.S.. Advertisement Advertisement So those are legitimate questions were getting and encouraging them to come, Popp said. And certainly there are some crazy things going on, but we think its safe to fly into Minneapolis and get to the Northwoods. The Birkie will be able to assess how many skiers canceled their trips after organizers see who doesnt participate in the 50K ski or the 53K classic events. I think theres certainly an economic impact that can happen if they dont come, said Popp. But, you know, were trying to reassure them that we think it is safe to travel, you know, through Minneapolis. International tourism to the United States reportedly dropped dramatically after President Donald Trump took office on January 21, 2025, and voiced an American First policy emphasizing a crackdown on immigrants, suspension of foreign visa programs and a tougher foreign-policy and trade stance toward other nations. Advertisement Advertisement Images and videos of ICE officers breaking car windows and dragging people out of their homes, some of whom were immigrants who legally reside in the U.S., as well as the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Good and Pretti, havent played well for international travelers considering visiting the U.S. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Homicides fell in Minneapolis by 21% from 2024 to 2025, making it one of many cities to record such a decline, according to a Council on Criminal Justice report. There were similar decreases in 31 of 35 cities included in the think tank's report, with Denver, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Omaha, Nebraska showing the steepest drops. The average homicide rate for 2025 among all 35 cities was 21% lower than in 2024, representing 922 fewer homicides, the report says. El Paso, Texas, had no change in homicides from 2024 to 2025, while Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Fort Worth, Texas; and Little Rock, Arkansas, all had increases, according to the report. Advertisement Advertisement While violent crime has generally declined nationwide since the 1990s, the number of killings sharply rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, USA TODAY reported. More: Sunglasses lead St. Cloud police to armed robbery suspect "Its extremely difficult to disentangle and pinpoint whats actually driving the drop," Adam Gelb, president and CEO of the Council on Criminal Justice, previously told USA TODAY. "As a result, we have a battle of sound bites and abundant claims of credit but scarce hard evidence to back them up." The data in Minneapolis' crime dashboard, which is separate from the Council on Criminal Justice report, shows 64 incidents of murder and non-negligent manslaughter in 2025. That's down from 76 in 2024 about a 16% decrease but still higher than 2019, when the total was 48. Advertisement Advertisement The Council on Criminal Justice report also shows declines for other violent crimes: 9% fewer aggravated assaults, 22% fewer gun assaults and 2% fewer domestic violence incidents in 2025 than in 2024. Which cities had steepest drops in homicide from 2024 to 2025 These are the cities that saw homicides fall the most from 2024 to 2025, according to the Council on Criminal Justice report. Denver, Colorado (41%) Washington, D.C. (40%) Omaha, Nebraska (40%) Los Angeles, California (36%) Buffalo, New York (35%) Albuquerque, New Mexico (33%) Long Beach, California (33%) Atlanta, Georgia (32%) Baltimore, Maryland (31%) Chicago, Illinois (31%) This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Homicides fell in Minneapolis from 2024 to 2025, new report says At a glance Jacksonville police say 51yearold Patrick Slade Boothe, missing since Jan. 23, was found dead Wednesday, according to a recent news release. At least one person believed to be involved in Boothes death is now in custody; police did not say whether additional individuals are also detained. More than a dozen local, county, state and federal agencies assisted in the search and investigation, which remains active. Advertisement Advertisement JACKSONVILLE A Jacksonville man who had been missing for nearly two weeks was found dead Wednesday, bringing an end to a search that had drawn concern from both family and community members, according to a recent news release from the Jacksonville Police Department. Patrick Slade Boothe, 51, was last seen leaving the Parker Place SW area on Jan. 23. Police confirmed his death Wednesday, but did not release details about where he was located or the circumstances surrounding the discovery. Patrick Slade Boothe Slade Boothe According to the department, at least one person believed to be involved in Boothes death is now in custody. Authorities did not say whether more than one individual has been detained and noted that information about the suspects identity and potential charges will be released when investigators are able to do so. Advertisement Advertisement In the release, police asked the community to keep Boothes family in mind as they navigate the loss. The department said officers have already been in contact with his relatives and requested privacy for them during this time. The investigation has involved an unusually broad coalition of agencies. According to the release, assisting partners included the Oxford Police Department and its aviation unit, the East Metro Area Crime Center, the Calhoun/Cleburne Violent Crimes Task Force, the Calhoun County Sheriffs Office, the Talladega County Sheriffs Office, the Talladega County Drug Task Force, the Pell City Police Department, the St. Clair County Sheriffs Office, the Alabama Game & Fish Division, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the FBI. Feb. 5Mission Valley Animal Shelter hopes to build a new home and expand its capacity over the next three years to better serve a community without animal control. The shelter's mission is to temporarily house lost or stray animals until they are reunited with their owners or placed in permanent homes. It also offers a number of community programs that help feed, neuter and vaccinate animals. The animal shelter faced "serious financial challenges" in 2023, according to a letter from the Mission Valley Animal Shelter's board of directors clarifying a misleading news story that aired recently. However, through community support and disciplined fiscal management, its trajectory has reversed. The shelter is now stable and saving for the future. Advertisement Advertisement According to board member and financial officer Sharon Hawke, the board is working to generate sufficient revenue to offset the shelter's expenses, and once it consistently breaks even, it can move forward with a capital campaign to construct a new building. Its current operational budget is $500,000. The organization also operates a thrift store in Polson called Seconds 2 Go. The store had $74,000 in net profit last year, which was allocated to the shelter's operational funds, according to Raeva Corkill, the shelter's manager. As of Wednesday, Jan. 28, the shelter had 26 dogs or puppies and 26 cats or kittens, with 32 animals on the waitlist. Corkill noted they can house 40-60 animals. However, with its capacity at 99% most of the time, the organization has outgrown the building it has occupied for 32 years. Its property is leased from the county, and Corkill noted that the county allowed them to expand the backyard with additional kennels a few years ago. Advertisement Advertisement To move forward with a new building, the organization will need a plot of land, either that is either donated or purchased. There isn't room for the shelter to rebuild on its current property, Corkill noted, but they would like to stay somewhat in the same area. Hawke said they have had issues with accessing water due to the high cost of drilling a well on the west side of Highway 93. She said they had to truck in water for 10 to 15 years before the neighboring transfer station was built, after which they were able to connect to its water system. According to Kate Stinger, the county commissioner's executive administrative assistant, the county allocated $22,500 in federal ARPA funding to upgrade the shelter's septic system. Hawke is aware of wells on the east side of the highway and hopes they might have easier and better access if they are able to construct a new building on that side. Advertisement Advertisement Corkill envisions the shelter's new space as a two-story building with entire floors dedicated to both cats and dogs. Currently, the shelter has only an open cat room and a smaller room for kittens. "What we're hoping to accomplish with the new building is to have at least double the number of kennels for adult dogs as well as puppies," Corkill said. There are no animal control officers within the county, tribal or city governments. The state of Montana does not require governing bodies to enact animal control, but authorizes them to "regulate, retrain or prohibit" the running of stray dogs. Lake County Attorney James Lapotka said the county does not have an animal control department and only has a vicious dog ordinance. According to Corkill, the shelter will take animals while a court case is underway but doesn't charge the county for that service. Advertisement Advertisement The shelter has received $2,500 per year from the county over the last three years, according to Tara Barry, the county finance officer. Combined contributions from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the county total less than 1% of the shelter'sc total operating budget, according to the board of directors' letter. Montana law does allow county and municipal jurisdictions to place a mill levy for animal control, which could include funding for shelters and related services, before voters. Stinger stated in an email to the Leader that there are no mills allocated to the animal shelter at this time. CLARIFICATION: According to MVHS board member Sharon Hawke, the sewer system grant for the shelter was $20,650 and was awarded by the Department of Natural Resources in 2023. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. Missouri Senate leaders could be preparing to act on a proposal to reform MSHSAA, the Missouri State High School Activities Association. This comes as Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing MSHSAA of unlawful race and sex discrimination. MSHSAA rules reserve two at large positions on its board of directors for persons of an under-represented gender or under-represented ethnicity. Advertisement Advertisement Under the proposed framework, Gov. Mike Kehoe would appoint a new board with oversight powers. Kehoe signaled his support for reform during his State of the State address last month. Jiu-jitsu instructor charged with having sex with student The bills sponsor says years of complaints have led to a tipping point. Its mainly been the appeals process that we have seen, said Missouri State Sen. Jason Bean (R-Holcomb). I mean, weve heard a few on residency as well. But I think as you saw in the lawsuit that was filed yesterday, I think MSHSAA has more problems than just appeals. MSHSAA released a statement regarding the lawsuit, saying MSHSAA respectfully disagrees with the claims made in the complaint and believes the attorney generals lawsuit mischaracterizes both the associations role and the law. Advertisement Advertisement The reform bill awaits approval from the full Missouri Senate. 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 2. Moldovan President Maia Sandu rejected a proposal to nominate her for the Nobel Peace Prize on Feb. 5, saying the honor belongs to Ukrainian prisoners of war and others who risk or give their lives for peace. Sandu's remarks came on the same day Ukraine secured the return of 157 prisoners of war from Russian captivity in its first exchange with Moscow in nearly five months. "I am grateful that people are paying attention to our country and value our courage and resilience, but many people have been nominated for this prize," Sandu told Moldovan broadcaster TV8. Advertisement Advertisement "Today, I was watching Ukrainian (prisoners of war) who returned home from Russia, and these are the people who deserve the Peace Prize." The nomination proposal was put forward by Arild Hermstad, a member of Norway's parliament, who said Sandu merited consideration for her role in defending peace and the rule of law. Hermstad described her as being "at the forefront of defending democracy in Europe." Sandu said that the true heroes are those who sacrifice their lives or put themselves in danger for peace in their own countries, adding that she hopes peace will come to the region as soon as possible. Advertisement Advertisement Since taking office, Sandu has positioned Moldova firmly on a pro-European course, advocating closer ties with the European Union while pushing back against Russian influence. She has repeatedly condemned Russian attacks on Ukraine and voiced support for Kyiv. Moldova, a small landlocked country between Ukraine and Romania, has faced heightened security and political pressure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sandu's pro-European Action and Solidarity Party won parliamentary elections in 2025 amid concerns over potential Russian interference. Read also: The Ukrainian origins of avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich, long mislabelled as Russian Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU) is one of the best large cap stocks to buy under $50. On January 27, Susquehanna increased its price target for Nu Holdings to $22 from $19 with a Positive rating. The firm anticipates a strong 2026 as the company nears a global expansion phase, applying its growth model from Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia to the US market. Additionally, Susquehanna expressed confidence in the companys asset quality, citing stable delinquency rates and strong unit economics across existing regions. In Q3 2025, Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU) reported having 127 million customers, which generated over $4 billion in revenue. Net income grew to $783 million, which was a 39% increase on a currency-neutral basis, driven by strong penetration in Mexico and continued expansion in Brazil. The company also introduced an AI-first strategy, using ML to enhance credit modeling and operational efficiency, which contributed to improved asset quality and a record Return on Equity (ROE) of 31%. Susquehanna Anticipates Strong 2026 for Nu Holdings (NU) Amid Global Expansion, Stable Asset Quality Despite these records, the company saw slight compression in net interest margins due to a shift toward lower-risk assets and increased funding costs in Brazil. Management remains focused on long-term growth, initiating credit limit increases expected to fully materialize by late 2026, and addressing regulatory concerns in Mexico regarding potential interchange fee caps. Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:NU) provides a digital banking platform in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, the Cayman Islands, and the US. It offers spending solutions along with transactional solutions. While we acknowledge the potential of NU 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. At least 32 people have been killed and more than 160 injured in an explosion at a mosque during Friday prayers in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, officials say. A suicide bomber detonated a device after approaching the Shia mosque in the Tarlai area of the city, police said. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed the attack, in a statement posted on its Telegram channel seen by the BBC. The group also issued a picture of the alleged bomber. Advertisement Advertisement Condemning the attack, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed "deep grief". The country's president, Asif Ali Zardari, said "targeting innocent civilians is a crime against humanity". Before the claim by IS, Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif suggested India and Afghanistan had been behind the attack. Asif said in a social media post that it had been "proven" the attacker had travelled to and from Afghanistan, and "collusion between India and Afghanistan is being revealed". Afghanistan's Taliban government described Asif's comments as "regrettable", saying the Pakistani minister "hastily attempted to attribute the incident to Afghanistan without presenting any credible evidence". Advertisement Advertisement Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi earlier called such attacks a "contradiction to Islamic and humanitarian values". The Indian foreign ministry also condemned the bombing, calling the accusations it may be involved "baseless". A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he condemned the attack in the "strongest terms" and called for those responsible to be "identified and brought to justice". 'We bowed - then there was an explosion' Emergency vehicles and private cars transported the injured to hospital [EPA] Zaheer Abbas was inside the Khadijatul Kubra Mosque praying when he first heard the sound of bullets. "After that, we bowed and then prostrated, and then there was an explosion," he told BBC Urdu. "After which there were injured people lying everywhere." Advertisement Advertisement Pictures from the mosque in the aftermath show footwear scattered across the floor, shattered glass, and people sat among the wreckage. Almost 170 were injured in the explosion, with an appeal for blood donors being issued [AFP via Getty Images] Abbas, who said he "lost his senses" in the moments after the explosion, was eventually pulled out by emergency services and taken to hospital, where he was quickly released. "Fortunately, I did not suffer much injury," he said. According to Pakistan's defence minister, the attacker opened fire and detonated the bomb after being challenged by security guards. [BBC] The mosque's caretaker Syed Ashfaq - who lives next door - also heard gunfire, and began running towards the mosque to help. Advertisement Advertisement "By the time I reached it there had already been an explosion," he told the BBC. "Bodies were lying everywhere, some were missing arms, some missing legs. We took the most injured in our own vehicle [to hospital]." Islamabad's deputy commissioner Irfan Memon said on X that the death toll stood at 31, with the injured numbering 169. Pictures from local hospitals show the injured being brought by private vehicles and ambulances, with one photographer for news agency AFP saying they saw dozens of people arriving at hospital. Attacks are relatively rare in the capital, although one in November left 12 dead. Another 27 were injured in the blast, outside a courthouse. Advertisement Advertisement The blast on Friday comes after a week of violence which saw 58 civilians killed in coordinated attacks in the province of Balochistan. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) rebel group said it was behind the attacks. The military - which has been fighting an insurgency in the region for decades - said it had killed more than 200 militants in response. Last year was also Pakistan's deadliest in over a decade as combat-related deaths surged 74%, with militants accounting for more than half the death toll, according to a new report released by an independent think tank. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said violence in Pakistan left 3,413 people dead - up from 1,950 in 2024 - with 2,138 militants killed. Advertisement Advertisement IS claimed the attack in the name of its "Pakistan Province" branch on Friday, via the group's Telegram channels. IS's Amaq "news agency" issued a statement offering additional details. Amaq alleged that the IS attacker arrived at the "central temple [mosque]" in Tarlai district in the Shahzad area. Guards at the location then tried to halt the attacker at the external gate, it claimed, but he fired his pistol at them, injuring two, before heading inside. IS said the alleged attacker was named "Sayf Allah al-Ansari". The nom de guerre Ansari is often used to indicate somebody who is a local to the area. Amaq's report also shared a photo showing what it said was the alleged masked attacker. Additional reporting Caroline Davies Hair samples preserved in family scrapbooks across the past century have revealed the success of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) efforts to crack down on lead pollution since the 1970s. Policies to phase out lead from products such as paint, pipes, and gasoline have drastically reduced human exposure to the neurotoxin in just a few decades. Now, University of Utah researchers have traced this win for human health through locks of hair passed down through generations. Advertisement Advertisement Human exposure to lead increased for thousands of years before we realized it was harming our health. A build-up of lead in the body raises the chances of cardiovascular disease and heart disease, and puts mental health and the IQ of children at risk. Cutting exposure to lead is one thing. Demonstrating an actual decrease in lead absorption means collecting biological samples over long periods from individuals across a wide region. While lead accumulates in hair, few people keep their locks intact over the decades. Thanks to a tendency to hold interest in family history, many Utah residents especially members of the state's large Mormon population are more likely to keep mementos of their ancestry, including precious locks of hair. Subscribe to ScienceAlert's free fact-checked newsletter "The practice of keeping a journal or 'book of remembrance' has been a long-standing tradition in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In this spirit, childhood hair and teeth are often maintained as part of honoring their families," the researchers explain. Advertisement Advertisement Members of the community obliged in providing 48 samples of their family members' hair, including some dating back to 1916. Using mass spectrometry to determine lead levels in the samples, the researchers mapped a small but robust record of personal lead exposure across the Wasatch Front, a region in north-central Utah. This densely populated area previously experienced high levels of lead pollution from the smelting industry. The US Mining and Smelting Co. plant in Midvale, Utah, 1906. (Photo used by permission, Utah Historical Society) Before 1970, when the EPA was founded and began regulating industry, gasoline typically contained around 2 grams of lead per gallon. The emissions of this leaded fuel would blow out the tailpipes of America's much-loved automobiles, entering the lungs and hair of people in the vicinity. Similarly, Utah's smelters would have added to the levels of lead exposure. Related: Lead Exposure in Childhood Linked to Future Crimes, Study Finds While gasoline consumption continued to rise in the US after 1970, lead levels were curtailed by the new EPA regulations. And, in lock-step, lead levels in the Utah hair samples decline around this time, from 50 parts per million (ppm) down to 10 ppm in the 1990s. Samples from after 2020 averaged less than 1 ppm of lead. Advertisement Advertisement "We should not forget the lessons of history. And the lesson is those regulations have been very important," says lead author Thure Cerling, a geologist and biologist from the University of Utah. "Sometimes they seem onerous and mean that industry can't do exactly what they'd like to do when they want to do it or as quickly as they want to do it. But it's had really, really positive effects." The research was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Related News A mother shot and killed in front of her baby was remembered Friday in a South Side vigil. Saint Sabina Church held the prayer vigil at noon, near 79th and May streets. Gabryel Ayers was shot in a car there on Wednesday. Her boyfriend was also hit. Her toddler daughter in the back seat was not hit by any of the 50 gunshots. "And if he didn't show that he was still God by protecting that baby, I don't know what else he can show you," 17th Ward Ald. David Moore said. Advertisement Advertisement Police also held an outdoor roll call Friday, at the scene of the shooting, in solidarity. "I can just relate to what this family is going through, and it just reminds me we need to get these guns off the streets," community member Demetric Brown said. Brown knows all too well the pain of losing a child to gun violence. She lost her adult daughter in 2021. "We stand together. We continue to partner with one another, that you guys are willing to come forward and help us, give us information," Chicago Police 6th District Cmdr. Andre Poston said. The 26-year-old woman and 27-year-old man were in a car in the 7900-block of South May Street about 1:25 p.m., when they were shot, police said. Advertisement Advertisement Three men opened fire on the vehicle. The car then crashed into a van, CPD said. The driver of the van declined medical treatment. No one is in custody, and area detectives are investigating. "I've talked to her mother, and I've also committed to paying for the services for her as well and will be starting to arrange those over the next day," community activist Ja'Mal Green said. Mayor Brandon Johnson and other local elected officials attended Friday's vigil. "You're gonna see our guys in these yellow or orange jackets, constantly engaged in the community, putting out fires everywhere," violence interrupter Joshua Coakley said. Advertisement Advertisement The brazen daylight shooting in the city's Auburn Gresham neighborhood happened near St. Sabina church. Father Michael Pfleger Friday offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. "Don't be silent. Don't sit back. Because, if you do, then you are a co-conspirator to everything that they do," Pfleger said. Chicago police have had very little to say about their ongoing investigation, except to say it is still under investigation. INTERACTIVE SAFETY TRACKER | Track crime and safety in your neighborhood It took more than courage for U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes to keep the Trump administration from ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 300,000 Haitians. I believe it also took compassion and integrity. The judges decision was not a popular one in todays climate when it seems that any immigrant in America is fair game for ICE officials. Yet, while we applaud this move to offer temporary safety and freedom to thousands of Haitians who have made America their home over the past four or five decades, we know the battle is just beginning. While we sleep, the wheels of injustice against Haitians are turning rapidly, seeking ways to undo Judge Reyes decision. I can understand the administration wanting to have a safer America. So do I, and millions of other freedom-loving and justice-seeking Americans. What I dont understand is the way they are going after many law-abiding immigrants, often snatching them from their cars and from their homes in the middle of the night, sometimes using innocent children to help them carry out their deeds. Many of the targeted ones are in this country legally. Some are even citizens. And please, let us not forget the attacks on peaceful protesters. Advertisement Advertisement I dont know about other cities where Haitians have settled. But I sincerely believe the South Florida community has benefited greatly from the Haitian culture and contributions. Haitians have added more than color to their new homeland. Many arrived to these shores seeking a better life without even speaking a word of English. Yet through hard work and perseverance they not only survived, but thrived. I cant imagine a North Miami or North Miami Beach without Haitian elected leadership. Or a medical facility without Haitian doctors and/or nurses. Or a school where there are no Haitian teachers. Or a neighborhood where there are no Haitian entrepreneurs. In a few decades, Haitians have come to this country and jumped right into the mixing pot, adding their culture to basic American culture, thereby making it more flavorful. Advertisement Advertisement So, to send them back to a country that is not only foreign to them, but violent and poverty-stricken, where diseases go unchecked for lack of medicine and medical facilities, where young girls and women are raped and brutalized, would be a sin beyond measure. America is, and has been, their home for decades. It is the only way of life that many of them know. In a Miami Herald article Wednesday, Jacqueline Charles, the reporter who covers Haiti for the Herald, said while Haitians are bracing themselves for a legal fight from the Department of Homeland Security, local Haitian advocates and elected officials from Miami-Dade and Broward counties were calling on the Trump administration to let the judges decision pausing immigration protection for Haitians to stand. More than 300,000 Haitians have been allowed to live and work legally in the United States under TPS. What would they do if they are sent back to a land that is foreign to them, and where there is not any way for them to make a living? Charles article also stated Judge Reyes noted in her 83-page ruling that Haitians would face irreparable harm if sent back to Haiti, a country the administration s own State Department says is overrun by criminal terrorists gangs. The State Department has issued a Do Not Travel warning for U.S. citizens. Advertisement Advertisement The judge also pointed out that Haitian TPS holders substantially benefit the U.S. economy, contributing approximately $3.4 billion to it annually and help fill labor shortages, according to Charles reporting. Said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien: ending TPS will devastate families and damage our economy Tell the Trump administration, let this decision stand, she said I agree with Judge Reyes and Commissioner Bastien. Sending Americanized Haitians back to Haiti would be sending them to a certain death. We must join hands with Haitian advocates and Democratic lawmakers in Florida who, according to the article, say while they welcome a federal judges ruling to pause the end of temporary immigration protection for more than 300,000 Haitians, they will keep fighting until protection turns into permanence. Klezmer concert The United Generations, a Chabad organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for Jewish senior citizens, will present a Grand Klezmer Concert of authentic Klezmer Yiddish and other Jewish music at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15. The concert will be held at the Julius Littman Performing Arts Theatre, 17011 NE 19th Ave. in North Miami Beach. Advertisement Advertisement The concert will feature Zevy Steiger and Aryeh Leib Hurwitz, two world-renowned cantors, and the Heavy Shtetle Klezmer Band. For those unfamiliar with the term Klezmer, it is Fiddler on the Roof style of music, said Rabbi Menachem Smith, director of United Jewish Generations. It is a lively, traditional and nostalgic kind of music played at Jewish celebrations over the last century and will bring back heartwarming and cherished memories of the past, he said. Smith said because the organization wants everyone to be able to enjoy this beautiful music with the highest caliber musicians and cantors, we offer tickets at a price everyone can afford. The vast majority of the seats are priced at only $20 each. Advertisement Advertisement Tickets can be purchased online at www.JewishRetiree.com or in North Miami Beach/Aventura at Aspaclaria Judaica, 18240 W. Dixie Hwy., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only. Tickets can also be purchased in Miami Beach at Torah Treasures at 524 W. 41st St. If you need help purchasing tickets or for transportation to the concert, please call 954-458-6000. Tickets are priced at $20, $36, and $50 each. Sponsors of $180 or more will be able to choose their seats in the two front rows. Persons using a walker or a cane must buy seats in the lower section of the theater only, because the upper section requires climbing stairs. For more information email: a dmin@unitedjewishgenerations.com or call 954-458-6000. Jersey Citys new mayor says he will accept only a $1 salary this year as the city faces a $255 million deficit that he blamed on his predecessor. Mayor James Solomons office did not immediately say how much he was scheduled to be paid this year, but said former Mayor Steve Fulop earned $245,000 in the job. Solomons spokesperson said he can afford to skip the paychecks. The mayor is blessed to come from a family with means, and he is fortunate to be able to make this decision during this critical time for Jersey City, Nathaniel Styer, Solomons spokesperson, told NJ Advance Media on Friday. Advertisement Advertisement He believes in leading by example, and there is no better way to do that than putting your money where your mouth is, Styer said. Solomon, a 41-year-old married father of three, is the latest elected official in the U.S. to accept a symbolic $1 salary. Accepting a dollar in pay is a necessary legal distinction between being considered an employee rather than a volunteer. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire, was paid $1 annually throughout his three terms before he left office in 2013. Tough decisions are ahead, and in times like this, its important to lead by example, lead from the front, Solomon said in a video posted Thursday on social media to announce his decision. Advertisement Advertisement One day earlier, Solomon said at a press conference that a pattern of systemic mismanagement under Fulop, the former mayor, had left Jersey City with a $255 million deficit. Fulop, now president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for New York City, responded by disputing the new mayors contention that his administration left New Jerseys second-largest city with a fiscal crisis. After opting not to seek a fourth term, Fulop ran for governor and lost in the Democratic primary last June. He did not endorse any candidates in the race to succeed him. Solomon was sworn in as Jersey Citys 50th mayor on Jan. 15 after serving two four-year terms on the Jersey City Council. Advertisement Advertisement Fulops salary doubled during his more than 12 years in the mayors office, reaching $245,000, Solomons office said in a press release announcing his $1 salary. Salaries for municipal employees in Jersey City, including the mayor, are set by the city council. Solomons office did not immediately provide information on the salary that was approved for the mayor for 2026. A 2019 Jersey City ordinance connected the mayors base pay to that of the Hudson County executive, which was $216,700 as of 2023. Fulop also received longevity pay, raising his salary in 2023 to more than $234,000, the Jersey Journal reported at the time. Advertisement Advertisement In 2022, the city council raised council members salaries from $60,000 to $85,000. Solomon was among three members voting against the raise. Solomon finished first among seven candidates in Jersey Citys nonpartisan election on Nov. 4. He defeated the second-place finisher, former Gov. Jim McGreevey, in a Dec. 2 runoff election. Outside of government, Solomon has worked as an adjunct professor at New Jersey City University, St. Peters University and Hudson County Community College, according to his biography on Jersey Citys website. Solomon said in announcing his $1 salary that Jersey Citys $255 million deficit is more than what the city spends on its police and fire departments. He said that every option is on the table in dealing with the deficit. Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Feb. 5Several Native American leaders say they were misled into appearing in an advertisement for an event held by the Republican Party of New Mexico.In a letter, seven of the eight people pictured on the flyer rapper Def-i, fashion designer Loren Aragon, filmmakers Goldie Tom and Ryan Begay, businesswoman Nicole Johnny, museum director Patsy Phillips and Miss Indian New Mexico Jolene Tsinnijinnie say they were approached to appear at what they thought was a nonpartisan event celebrating American Indian Day at the state Legislature.The flyer, posted to the New Mexico GOP Instagram account, advertised an event called "The Red Rise of Native New Mexico," to be held at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe on Friday morning. The seven people who signed the letter are listed as "special guests."The group said in the letter they "did not consent on the use of our names, images, or affiliations in connection with any partisan activity, political endorsement, or party-sponsored event."New Mexico GOP officials said the situation was a misunderstanding."The event information was shared with me with a specific request that it be shared broadly. It was my understanding at the time that the same request had been made to both major political parties, and that the event was being promoted in connection with American Indian Day activities at the Roundhouse," New Mexico GOP Chairwoman Amy Barela said in an email.Barela said she removed the posts after she was informed of the mistake."I respect the concerns raised and acted promptly once they were brought to my attention," Barela said. Phillips, director of the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, said she was approached by IAIA President Shelly Lowe to attend the event what they both thought was a brunch recognizing Native leaders on her behalf, since Lowe would be out of town. Phillips said she learned her name and photo appeared on the post from a professor friend at UCLA. "She said her students came to her and said, 'Isn't this your friend?' And so she called me last night and said, 'What's going on with you in politics?' I'm like, 'What?' I had no idea," Phillips said.Appearing on the flyer without her consent felt "terrible," said Phillips, who said she tries to stay politically neutral as a representative of IAIA.The arts college nearly had a majority of its budget slashed by the Trump administration last summer, when the federal government attempted to cut 90% of funding for the country's 37 tribal colleges and universities, including IAIA part of a broader push by the administration to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion-focused programs. The school ended up retaining its federal grants after an appropriation by Congress last month."We got a call from somebody yesterday who said, 'When did you all become MAGAs at the museum?'" Phillips said.One of the organizers called Phillips to apologize and told her it was unintentional, she said, and that "red rise" referred to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. "But if everybody on that flyer did not know that was an issue," Phillips said. "And none of us knew what it was."Phillips and the other Native leaders will not be appearing at Friday's meet-and-greet, she said, and will instead hold their own event that day in the Capitol Rotunda. Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com. The Department of Homeland Security is in escrow to purchase a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse in Social Circle to convert the building into an ICE detention center. The proposed facility could house up to 10,000 detainees, a number that would triple the small towns population. Channel 2s Audrey Washington was in Social Circle, a town of approximately 5,000 people located in Walton County, about 90 minutes east of Atlanta. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The plan has sparked opposition from residents and city officials who cite concerns over the towns limited resources and the facilitys proximity to schools and churches. Advertisement Advertisement Social Circle city leaders confirmed the project is currently in escrow for a final purchase by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mayor David Keener expressed concern regarding the citys ability to support a facility of that scale. We simply dont have the capacity, Keener said. Local leaders said they were informed that if the purchase is finalized, the facility could begin housing detainees as early as April. Resident Gareth Fenley said the proposal has caused significant distress among neighbors, with some already planning to move away from the area. They dont want to be a part of this community if thats what were going to be, she said. RELATED STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Fenley says that many fear for what the city would become if the facility gets approved. Itll turn our community into prison town, Fenley said. Im outraged. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins also shared concerns about the towns infrastructure, despite his support for federal immigration enforcement. Although I am aligned with the mission of ICEI agree with the community that Social Circle does not have the sufficient resources that this facility would require, Collins wrote in a social media post. The facilitys location has also drawn scrutiny due to its proximity to local institutions. The warehouse sits approximately one-tenth of a mile from an elementary school and a church on East Hightower Trail. Advertisement Advertisement Channel 2 Action News contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment, but did not receive a response. Community members plan to hold a protest at the site on Friday afternoon. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] A rendering of Related Digitals planned data center in Saline Township, Mich. Credit: Related Digital Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Thursday announced that her office had filed a motion to reopen state energy regulators case overseeing two contracts allowing DTE Energy to supply 1.4 gigawatts of power to a data center project in Saline Township. The project has been met with opposition from residents and environmentalists raising concerns that the resource-demanding facility could bring higher costs to DTE customers, threaten local water resources and derail the states goal of meeting a 100% clean energy standard by 2040. Advertisement Advertisement In December, the Michigan Public Service Commission gave ex parte approval to DTEs contracts, despite calls from Nessels office and several environmental and consumer protections groups demanding the regulatory body hold a contested case to allow them to review the contracts and file testimony. While the commission decided against opening a contested case on the contracts, its approval hinges on DTEs compliance with several conditions including requirements for the energy company to update its tariff rate structure for large-energy load customers, like data centers, and file an amended renewable energy plan to include a comparison of the resources it needs to meet the states clean energy requirement, both with and without the data centers energy load. The commission also ordered DTE to ensure that payments made by Green Chili Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of tech giant Oracle, will cover the costs to serve the company so that the costs of energy generation, transmission, distribution or other costs will not be borne by other DTE customers. In its response to the commissions order, DTE states that the aggregate revenues generated by the customer will cover the costs to serve them. Advertisement Advertisement Nessel argued that the change in conditional language between the commissions order and the companys response may allow DTE to subsidize the near-term costs of serving the data center and that the company has only represented that it expects the aggregate payments from the data center will be greater than the companys own costs to serve the data center by the end of its 19-year contract. The Commission ordered a mere written representation from DTE that its existing customers would not subsidize the costs to serve this massive data center, and DTE failed to even meet that low bar, Nessel said in a statement. Because DTE did not accept the conditions as ordered by the Commission, by the Commissions own order this should proceed to a contested case proceeding, as I have long advocated for. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks out against DTE Energys request to supply energy to a data center planned in Saline Township without going through a contested case process. Dec. 16, 2025 | Photo by Kyle Davidson/Michigan Advance Jill Wilmot, DTEs director of corporate communications told Michigan Advance in an email that they planned to file a response to Nessels motion on Friday. The conditions outlined by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) in their approval of DTE Electrics data center special contracts reflect the protections laid out in our contract filing including ensuring our customers will not subsidize data center rates, Wilmot said. Advertisement Advertisement Matt Helms, a spokesperson for the commission said the body looks forward to reviewing the merits of the attorney generals filing. The Commission and its expert staff thoroughly reviewed the data center special contracts to ensure the strongest possible safeguards against residential and other customers paying any costs associated with serving this data center, as DTE Electric Co. is bound under law to do, Helms said. Without these special contracts, existing tariffs were insufficient to protect customers from such costs. That is why the Commission imposed additional conditions that are the strongest in the country. The attorney general previously requested a rehearing, challenging the commissions authority to approve the special contracts without a contested case hearing. Alongside her motion to reopen the case on the special contracts, Nessel has also filed a notice of intervention and request for a contested case on six heavily redacted contracts proposed by DTE for three battery storage facilities throughout the state intended to support the data center project. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has formally asked state regulators to reopen proceedings in a DTE Energy case over its contracts for a hyperscale data center campus planned for Saline Township. Nessel's motion, filed Jan. 20 with the Michigan Public Service Commission, asks commissioners to reopen proceedings in a DTE Energy case regulators approved in December, when the commission signed off on a pair of contracts allowing the Detroit-based electric company to provide an initial 1.4 gigawatts of power to the planned data center. Developers Oracle and Related Digital are behind the project, which aims to power OpenAI's "Stargate" initiative for generative artificial intelligence development. Regulators granted approval of DTE's contract ex parte, meaning the contracts did not have to go through a contested case where intervening groups could file expert witness testimony and seek evidence through discovery over the course of the proceeding, which typically takes about a year. MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said, Dec. 18, regulators felt comfortable with the contracts because they included provisions that would shield the public from having to pay for the significant amount of energy the new data center campus would require. Land in Saline Township where a planned data center campus will be built is pictured Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. But Nessel, environmental advocacy groups and Saline Township residents, have long protested and argued DTE should have to prove claims about developers footing the full bill for the campus' energy demand among others, in a contested proceeding. The motion filed Jan. 20 asserts the MPSC must reopen proceedings on the basis that DTE has not made it clear the contracts include ample protections for residential ratepayers. Advertisement Advertisement The Commission ordered a mere written representation from DTE that its existing customers would not subsidize the costs to serve this massive data center, and DTE failed to even meet that low bar, Nessel said in a Feb. 5 statement. DTE has countered, saying in regulatory filings the provisions it agreed to with the MPSC won't pass energy costs from the data center to residents. Jill Wilmot, DTE director of corporate communications, said the company would file a response to Nessel's motion to reopen proceedings. "The conditions outlined by the MPSC in their approval of DTE Electrics data center special contracts reflect the protections laid out in our contract filing including ensuring our customers will not subsidize data center rates. We accepted those conditions," Wilmot said in an email Feb. 6. Nessel's filing comes as her office has also asked the MPSC to rehear the initial contracts in the case, arguing it lacked the authority to grant ex parte approval. In a Jan. 29 filing countering Nessel's previous motion, which was filed Jan. 8, a DTE attorney wrote there is no basis for rehearing because the MPSC granted ex parte approval to the contracts, and therefore Nessel's office and other intervenors did not qualify as parties to the case. Advertisement Advertisement More: Data center growth could shift Michigan's energy future Matt Helms, a spokesperson for the MPSC, said the commission will review the motion to reopen the case. Helms said the MPSC approved the special contracts after considering the protections for residential ratepayers. The MPSC takes its consumer protection mandate seriously," Helms said. "The commission and its expert staff thoroughly reviewed the data center special contracts to ensure the strongest possible safeguards against residential and other customers paying any costs associated with serving this data center, as DTE Electric Co. is bound under law to do." The planned data center campus in Saline Township is at perhaps the forefront of a wide debate over the growth of data centers in Michigan and what they mean to the state and its residents. Advertisement Advertisement Proponents of the Stargate campus, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have championed the project as a way to create jobs and give Michigan footing in the global race for similar developments. Thanks to the growth of generative AI, data center demand has spiked in recent years. But opponents of the Stargate plans, and hyperscale data centers in general, say theyre not worth the environmental and energy concerns. More: 7 reasons Michigan should be wary of DTE/Open AI data center | Opinion Because generative AI, like what the Stargate project is intended to support, takes a lot of energy to power, hyperscale data centers pull significant amounts of electricity from the grid. The initial 1.4 gigawatts of energy planned for the Saline Township campus is enough energy to power more than a million homes. And there are plans for a potential further 3 gigawatts of computing power at the campus, according to regulatory filings. Advertisement Advertisement A report published in January by the Union of Concerned Scientists found growing data center demand is likely to increase Michigan's energy needs in the coming years. DTE has said it has enough energy capacity to power the campus, as well as other potential data center developments in Michigan. The state's other large electric utility, Jackson-based Consumers Energy, has also indicated it's confident it can meet energy demand driven by data centers. This story has been updated to add new information. You can reach Arpan at alobo@freepress.com This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Nessel pushes to reopen DTE data center energy contract debate The documents, spanning from February 2023 to an hour before attack, show how Israel's defense echelon misread Hamass intentions, and characterized the terror group as deterred. A selection of intelligence documents, which shed light on Israel's strategic blindness leading up to the October 7 massacre, was published on Thursday by the Prime Minister's Office. Some of the documents were also read aloud during the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee meeting on Thursday. Advertisement Advertisement The documents, spanning from February 2023 to an hour before the attack, indicate that Israel's defense echelon misread Hamass intentions, characterizing the terror group as deterred and seeking long-term economic arrangements. The release of these documents by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to reinforce his narrative of a systemic failure that seemingly crossed all branches of the security establishment, as he refuses to establish a commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre. Members of the inquiry would be chosen by the Supreme Court's president and granted full access to the documents and protocols, unlike senior security establishment officials, who currently have no access to them. The destruction caused by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7 massacre, near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, January 23, 2025. (credit: YANIV NADAV/FLASH90) One of the documents is a summary of a high-level security assessment held on September 27, 2023, just ten days before the massacre. According to the document, representatives from Military Intelligence (Aman) told Netanyahu that Hamass policy was one of "controlled pressure" meant to improve economic conditions in Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement "Their understanding is that they do not want to reach an escalation," the representatives stated, according to the transcript, which also presented former Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) director Ronen Bar as framing the situation as Hamas's "partial satisfaction." According to the document, he also noted that the group "very much does not want to enter a round of fighting." Per the same transcript, former defense minister Yoav Gallant seemed to support moving toward a "long-term arrangement" with the terror organization. "Hamas is signaling a desire for a long-term arrangement... my recommendation is to move forward on the arrangement path... to strive for long-term quiet," Gallant said, according to the document, and that his assessment was that Hamas "does not want" a war. Advertisement Advertisement The documents also seem to present the belief that Israel's internal political divisions, which peaked in 2023 over the judicial reform, acted as a "restraining factor" for Hamas. A military intelligence report published by the PMO from September 14, 2023, argued that Hamas viewed Israel as "unpredictable and dangerous" due to the internal situation, which supposedly justified Hamass strategy of "preserving the quiet." Leading up to October 7 A summary from October 3, 2023, four days before the attack, claimed that "Hamas in the Gaza Strip continues to grow stronger, but at a moderate slope," and concluded that "the Palestinians will not be the driving force behind a multi-front campaign." A February 2023 Shin Bet report noted that Hamas was investing in "force multipliers" to bypass the border fence, yet concluded that the group's "readiness for a raid" had remained "medium" and unchanged since 2021. Advertisement Advertisement At 5:15 a.m. on October 7, just over an hour before the first rockets were launched and thousands of terrorists breached the Gaza border fence, the reports show that Bar conducted a situational assessment and said that the "chance of a broad campaign is low" due to a reported lack of intelligence indicators. According to the published documents, the "leading assumption" among security officials at that hour was that Hamas was afraid of Israeli offensive activity. The directive issued at dawn on October 7 was to maintain "medium readiness" covertly, so as not to create a "miscalculation" that might provoke Hamas, according to the transcripts. In addition, Netanyahu claimed that the original documents allegedly contained no mention of informing his office of the overnight developments, and that any mention of such a thing was added after the fact. By Wen-Yee Lee TAIPEI, Feb 5 (Reuters) - ASE Technology Holding, the world's largest chip packaging and testing provider, said on Thursday that it expects its advanced packaging business to double in size to $3.2 billion in 2026. ASE Chief Operating Officer Tien Wu made the comment on a conference call following its quarterly earnings, which saw it report fourth-quarter revenue of T$177.9 billion ($5.62 billion), up 9.6% from a year earlier. It booked a 58% rise in net income. The holding company's subsidiary Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) is a major packaging supplier for Nvidia's AI chips. Chief Financial Officer Joseph Tung said the company plans to add another $1.5 billion in machinery capital expenditure this year on top of last years $3.4 billion, while investment in buildings and facilities is expected to be at a similar level to last years $2.1 billion. "We will remain aggressive in capex spending to support the strong business prospects for 2026 and beyond," said Tung. ($1 = 31.6800 Taiwan dollars) (Reporting by Wen-Yee Lee; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Joe Bavier) Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.), the top Republican on the DHS appropriations subcommittee, will not seek reelection to the House this year, he announced Friday. The eight-term lawmaker is just the latest high-profile Republican to announce plans to retire from Congress in an increasingly murky midterm environment for the GOP. I came to Congress to solve problems and to make sure our State and Nation have strong voice in the federal policy and oversight processes, he said in a statement. I look forward to finishing my term. Advertisement Advertisement Amodeis 2nd District is Republican-leaning and would likely remain in GOP hands even in a tough year for the party overall. Hes the only Republican in the states congressional delegation. Amodeis decision comes just three months after President Donald Trump blessed him with a Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-election in November. At the time, it appeared he would run again. Thank you Mr. President @realDonaldTrump! Amodei wrote in response. Just over a week ago, Amodei became the rare Republican to publicly push back against elements of the presidents agenda, when he called for a pivot in ICEs core mission in Minnesota. He also led a DHS funding bill with explicit funding for body cameras to be worn by ICE officials and additional deescalation training for DHS officers. Advertisement Advertisement Amodei has also worked to curtail DHS ability to move congressionally appropriated money in this years funding bill for the agency, a move he in January conceded could be unpopular with White House officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. But momentum toward a federal funding deal for DHS has stalled due to the chaos in Minnesota, and Congress has just days to avert a shutdown affecting the agency. Two medieval fortresses face each other across the Narva River separating Estonia from Russia on Europe's eastern edge. Once a symbol of cooperation, the "Friendship Bridge" connecting the two snow-covered banks has been reinforced with rows of razor wire and "dragon's teeth" anti-tank obstacles on the Estonian side. "The name is kind of ironic," Eerik Purgel, the regional border chief, told AFP in the Russian-speaking town of Narva. Advertisement Advertisement Some fear the border town of over 50,000 people -- a mixture of Estonians, Russians and people left stateless after the fall of the Soviet Union -- could be Vladimir Putin's next target. On the Estonian side of the bridge, the NATO flag flutters in the wind beside those of Estonia and the European Union. People in cars used to queue up to cross the Narva River to go shopping and see relatives in Russia. But today the crossing is closed to traffic and travellers pull their luggage across on foot. "Maybe there should not be a bridge at all," said Purgel. As Moscow's war against Ukraine approaches its fourth anniversary, the mood in Narva is gloomy. Advertisement Advertisement "Here at the edge of Europe the war feels different," said mayor Katri Raik. "We see Russia across the border every day. "We're all thinking about what comes next," she added inside a freshly renovated 17th-century town hall, surrounded by drab Soviet-era buildings. - 'Most difficult period' - Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Estonia -- along with the fellow Baltic nations of Latvia and Lithuania -- has reinforced its defences. Estonia's army is tiny. The defence ministry says a force of just under 44,000 people can be deployed to defend the country if necessary, alongside around 2,000 troops from allied NATO countries in the country. Advertisement Advertisement The Estonian authorities have also sought to enhance national security with other measures. They have stripped Russians and stateless residents of the right to vote in local elections, and are switching to teaching in Estonian in dozens of schools. Those reforms have hit Russian-speaking Narva hard. The changes, combined with high unemployment, soaring energy bills, a collapse in ties with Russia and fear of conflict, have heightened tensions in the border town. "This is the most difficult period in our history in about 40 years," said Mihhail Stalnuhhin, chairman of the town council, denouncing policies targeting Russian speakers. Advertisement Advertisement "It's compounded by the constant talk of war, war, war, war, war. People are going through a very difficult moral, economic and social situation." - Russian passports - In Narva, around half of all residents are Estonian, a third hold Russian citizenship, and roughly 7,000 people are stateless. Strategically located, the town has in past centuries been ruled by the Danes, Germans, Russians, Swedes, and Estonians. Much of the historic baroque Old Town was destroyed during World War II, and under Soviet rule Narva became predominantly Russian-speaking. Thirty-five years after Estonia won independence, Narva is still struggling with its sense of identity. Advertisement Advertisement Vladimir Aret, a 32-year-old hotel manager and member of the town council, said many in Narva felt caught between two worlds. "I am European, but we sometimes joke that we do not understand what our homeland is," he said. While many -- including Aret -- call themselves Estonian patriots, some praise Putin. Some people in Narva speak only Russian. They watch Russian television and are nostalgic for the Soviet past. - 'Russophobic madness' - Russia regularly rails against the Estonian government. Russia's foreign ministry slammed "Estonia's growing Russophobic madness" and the authorities' "neo-Nazi" policies in a report released in December. Advertisement Advertisement The ministry, in its report on the rights of Russians abroad, also said that the large number of stateless people in Estonia was a major problem. Some back the Moscow view. "We, Russian speakers, are being discriminated against," a woman in her mid-50s said in Narva on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Olga Kolesnikova, a stateless 64-year-old, disagreed. "I don't feel disadvantaged," said the retired baker, adding that three of her four children were Estonian citizens. Aleksandr Gruljov, a 59-year-old construction worker, said he was even considering giving up Russian citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement "Nobody is oppressing anyone here," he added. - 'Perfect gateway' - But German political scientist Carlo Masala said depriving Russian citizens in Estonia of the right to vote in local elections was "a perfect gateway for Russian propaganda". As in Donbas in eastern Ukraine, "Russia can argue that the rights of its minorities living abroad are under threat, providing a reason to protect them, if necessary by military means," he told AFP. In his best-selling book "If Russia Wins: A Scenario", he imagines Russian troops capturing Narva in 2028 in order to launch a broader attack on the Baltic States and trigger a possible collapse of NATO. Advertisement Advertisement Under such a scenario, Russians troops would conquer Narva within hours, aided by "parts of the local civil population," who would be supplied with small arms and machine guns ahead of the assault. Masala told AFP several other cities with sizable Russian communities including Kirkenes in Norway and Daugavpils in Latvia could also be vulnerable to a possible Russian attack. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has cast the political sympathies of Estonia's Russian-speaking population into the spotlight. "Will they support the state in the event of war, possibly against Russia?" asked a 2023 study of the country's Russian-speaking minority. Advertisement Advertisement According to its findings, 65 percent of Estonia's Russian speakers said they were "rather or definitely patriots of Estonia," whereas 28 percent said that they were "rather or definitely not." - 'We are ready' - Jelisei Solovjov knows where his loyalties lie. The 18-year-old fatigue-clad member of the Kaitseliit, a voluntary national defence organisation, already knows how to dig trenches and shoot. "We are ready to defend our country, we are not afraid," he said. Masala, the analyst, said that Narva today resembled a "fortress." "This would make military action much more difficult than it would have been a few years ago." Estonian border chiefs dismiss the idea that Narva is particularly vulnerable to a Moscow assault. Egert Belitsev, the head of the country's border service, said Berlin also had a large Russian population. With such a pretext, "you can also invade Berlin," he said. Back at the Narva border crossing, Purgel was defiant. "It's our town, we will protect it with our lives," he said. as/ah/jj A federal judge on Monday paused the Department of Homeland Securitys termination of Haitis Temporary Protected Status, a move that preserves deportation protections and work permits for more than 300,000 Haitians living in the United States. TPS benefits were set to expire at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3. DHS has said it vehemently disagrees with the ruling by Washington, D.C., District Judge Ana C. Reyes, and is consulting the Justice Department about the Trump administrations next steps. The lawsuit was filed by five Haitian TPS holders, who asked for a stay on the termination of TPS pending the final outcome of the case. Litigation remains ongoing. Here is what the decision means in the meantime, and what Haitians on TPS need to know. What does the ruling mean for TPS holders? All TPS protections remain in effect. Haitian TPS holders remain protected from deportation and continue to be authorized to work legally in the United States. Advocates say individuals on TPS should inform employers that they are still authorized to work, and if stopped by immigration agents, inform them of their TPS status. Who is covered under the judges order? All current Haitian TPS holders and individuals with pending applications are covered by the decision. The judge said the validity of work authorization extends during the stay, along with protections from removal. Does the ruling extend TPS another 18 months, like previous extensions? No. The judges order is not a redesignation or an extension. It temporarily preserves protections while the lawsuit proceeds or a higher court says otherwise. Advocates continue to call on the Trump administration to redesignate and extend TPS for Haiti, which would allow the benefits to remain in effect for another 18 months and allow new applicants to apply. What if a TPS holder was laid off due to the termination announcement? The judges order itself is enough for employers, said Steve Forrester, a Miami lawyer and community organizer. The order has the force of law and extends the work permits until further notice, he said during a press conference this week. What documentation can TPS holders show? In the absence of updated guidance In the Federal Register, the Haitian Bridge Alliance has prepared a letter for Haitian TPS holders to present to employers, and eventually to use with agencies like department of motor vehicles. . The letter can be downloaded here. It is also available at: https://haitianbridgealliance.org/wpcontent/uploads/2026/02/2026.02.04_Letters_for_Employers_re_TPS_for_Haiti_HBA_Final.pdf How can TPS holders avoid immigration scams? Advocates stress that TPS holders should seek advice from a licensed and reputable attorney, and warn that notaries are not lawyers in the United States. Several nonprofit organizations are also providing free legal consultations on a case-by-case basis. They include the Haitian lawyer Association and Catholic Legal Services. Catholic Legal Services is providing virtual immigration legal assistance, including for individuals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. What rights do TPS holders have if stopped by ICE or police? Individuals have the right to remain silent, to ask for a warrant and to refuse to sign any information, including deportation papers, without first consulting an attorney. Why did the judge issue the stay? In her 83-page ruling, Reyes said the Haitian plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their claims. She found that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem likely made her termination decision because of hostility to nonwhite immigrants, citing the DHS secretarys derogatory comments. The judge also concluded that a stay is in the public interest, noting that Haitian TPS holders substantially benefit the U.S. economy, contributing approximately $3.4 billion to it annually and help fill labor shortages in essential industries. What about claims that TPS holders rely on public assistance? Reyes rejected the governments argument that TPS holders rely on public assistance. TPS holders remaining largely ineligible for nearly all federal public benefits, she said, citing evidence that Haitian TPS holders make up nearly one quarter of all TPS holders nationwide, and they pay an estimated $1.3 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. Without Haitian TPS holders, the United States would lose not only a vital segment of its workforce but also a significant source of tax revenue. National security claims The government argues that termination serves the U.S.s interests by advancing national security, but Reyes said the government has offered no evidence that Haitian TPS holders pose any threat to the United States. In fact, Haitian immigrants are overwhelmingly law-abiding, with incarceration rates lower than those of native-born Americans. While Mark Poloncarz is in his fourth term as Erie County executive, he is looking to extend his influence beyond the county in this coming election cycle. It could impact Niagara County races. Last week, Poloncarz announced he would start a new political action committee, or PAC, named Boosting Future Leaders Onward, or BFLO for short. With a goal of raising more than $1 million in the 2026 election cycle, the PAC aims to support Democratic Party candidates in local elections, not in state or federal races. Whether its overseeing the integrity of our elections, protecting the public, or delivering the essential services that people rely on, county and local government not only matter, but they are on the frontlines of our democracy, Poloncarz said in the release announcing this new PAC. If you want to win big elections, you have to start from the bottom up. Im proud to announce this effort to help elect strong Democratic leaders at the local level who are focused on the issues that matter to all Americans, including fighting for working families and against the Trump/MAGA agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Poloncarz told the Buffalo News that he is particularly interested in helping local-level candidates in races that are considered Republican strongholds. Acting Niagara County Democratic Committee chair Anita Mullane, a former Lockport alderperson, said she was glad for the support. She noted how in the last Lockport mayoral race, won by John Lombardi III, New York City Republicans spent $80,000 in the contest. Elections shouldnt be about who has the most money; it should be a level playing field, Mullane said. Members of the county Democrats will hold their endorsement meeting on Tuesday. Your local elections are what impact people directly, Mullane said. With everything that is happening nationally, were hoping people who havent traditionally voted in the past will come to the polls this year. Niagara County Republican Committee Chair Richard Andres did not return requests for comment. Sen. George Munoz (D-Gallup) at a bill signing on Feb. 5, 2026, told the governor and lawmakers that he was co-sponsoring a bill to only require child care co-pays in a limited number of circumstances. The Senate Education Committee on Feb. 6, 2026, voted to advance his bill. (Danielle Prokop/Source NM) The New Mexico Senate Education Committee on Friday advanced a universal child care bill that would only require co-pays from high-earning families under specific economic circumstances. Senate Bill 241, co-sponsored by Sen. George Munoz (D-Gallup), would complement the governors statewide universal child care program. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the initiative late last year, though lawmakers this session have disagreed over whether the program should be at least partially funded by co-pays. Advertisement Advertisement Munozs bill would subject families whose pre-tax household income is more than 600% but less than 900% of the federal poverty level to child care co-pays if any of several conditions occur, including a decline on the average price of west Texas intermediate crude oil. Enrollment numbers in the program and slowed state revenue growth could also lead to co-pays. For a family of three, 600% of the federal poverty level is $163,920, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Munoz told committee members he believes the state is in a good position to fund universal child care. The triggers for enacting co-pays guardrails, as he calls them are there as necessary backstops to make the program more recession-proof. You cant tell someone, Im going to build this and then, Oh, I ran out of money and jerk it out from under them, Munoz told Source NM after the vote. Advertisement Advertisement Republicans on the committee, including Sen. Candy Spence Ezzell (R-Roswell), said they understood the intent behind the bill. But they expressed reservations about its financial sustainability and questioned whether hitching co-pays to the price of oil was prudent given the states push to embrace renewable energy sources. Fiscal sustainability of this is going to be iffythat gives me concerns about what families are going to be able to do, she said during the hearing, before adding: I understand the intent of this, I really do. Democratic committee members pushed back and cited the balance of the states Early Childhood Trust Fund, which in September was worth nearly $11 billion. We dont have to be skittish about whether there would be enough money going forward, Committee Chair Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces) said during the hearing, citing the governors December request for nearly $161 million to fully fund the initiative. It would be decades before wed eat up that trust fund. Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Gabriel Ramos (R-Silver City) voted alongside Democrats in the 6-3 vote. Munozs bill stands in contrast to the House-approved budget plan, which would require co-pays from families that make 400% of the federal poverty level. In a news conference Thursday, Lujan Grisham criticized the proposal and said a program is not truly universal if it unevenly requires payments from some families but not others. House Speaker Rep. Javier Martinez (D-Albuquerque), for his part, said he thought the Houses budget was building toward universal child care, but supported co-pays in the meantime. Munoz, though, maintained on Friday that he thinks the program should be truly universal and apply to all New Mexico families. If youre in the higher end, why arent you allowed to benefit along with the lower end? he asked. Its fair to everyone in New Mexico. Near the midway point of the legislative session, House and Senate leaders are at odds on several key issues, including property insurance legislation, agriculture bills, even the timing of unveiling their budgets. The chambers arent necessarily supposed to be in sync already but the recent public sniping from House Budget Chair Lawrence McClure, R-Dover, toward the Senate has heightened tensions in a session where disagreements on major issues like property tax cuts and redistricting have likely already been pushed to special sessions outside of the regular session. After Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said his chamber would delay releasing their proposed budget by a week to line up with the House, which planned to roll out their spending plan next week, McClure chided him. Advertisement Advertisement With respect to Senator Hooper, during this term the Florida Senate has demonstrated little interest in respecting legislative traditions, McClure posted on X on Feb. 4. Any timing issues they are having in pulling together their Senate budget have absolutely nothing to do with the Florida House. His remarks came one day after Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, appeared at an event together where Albritton insisted there was no civil war between the GOP leaders. With respect to Senator Hooper, during this term the Florida Senate has demonstrated little interest in respecting legislative traditions. Any timing issues they are having in pulling together their Senate budget have absolutely nothing to do with the Florida House. Lawrence McClure (@RepMcClure) February 4, 2026 The delay compresses the time for the House and Senate to negotiate on the final budget, and increases the likelihood lawmakers would need to extend the 60-day session beyond its scheduled March 13 end date to pass the spending plan. Last year, a dispute over tax cuts led to an extra 45 days of the legislative session before a budget deal was reached. Agriculture bill aggravation in Florida The comment from McClure was the second time he sharply chided a Senate leader in recent weeks. He slammed a move by Senate Rules Committee Chair Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, on Jan. 27 to postpone a vote on a large agriculture bill, SB 290, after several opponents of the bill spoke against it. Speaker of the House Danny Perez, left, and Senate President Ben Albritton shake hands during the joint session Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. To call only opponents to speak, while one of the greatest advocates for FL Ag is in the hospital. It wasnt politics, it was intentionally mean, McClure posted on X. Advertisement Advertisement Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also criticized the delay, saying it was unconscionable. Passidomo said the bill sponsor, Sen. Keith Truenow, R-Tavares, asked for the bill to be postponed. The legislation was on the agenda (Jan. 27), and I was prepared to hear it. The bill sponsor (postponed) the bill, and when hes ready to present it again, I look forward to a thoughtful discussion on the proposed policy, Passidomo said in a released statement. Ive reached out to Commissioner Simpson, and I look forward to speaking with him. Farm Bureau Day 100s of kids from FFA and 4H - Future of Agriculture at the Capitol to advocate for FL Ag To call only opponents to speak, while one of the greatest advocates for FL Ag is in the hospital. It wasnt politics, it was intentionally mean. https://t.co/OLeuJpj4i0 Lawrence McClure (@RepMcClure) January 27, 2026 The bill will be heard again in the Senate Rules Committee Feb. 10. Florida's property insurance issues Albritton is also not on board with the House push for major property insurance legislation. He said that while rates are still high after years of large increases, many companies are seeking reductions in the wake of the 2022 and 2023 changes made by the Legislature to tamp down attorney fees and litigation costs. Advertisement Advertisement Why would I mess around with that when were moving in a great direction? Albritton told reporters Feb. 4. Later that day, the House passed HB 1399, which would impose new reporting requirements on property insurance companies payments to affiliate companies, and HB 863, which would give customers of state-run Citizens Property Insurance the option to sue their insurer in civil court rather than in an administrative court. Gray Rohrer is the Policy and Politics Reporter for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. You can get all of Floridas best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY athttps://tallahassee.com/newsletters. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: No civil war, but House, Senate GOP leaders clash on major issues A Noblesville man accused of shooting another man in Fishers in 2023 was captured and arrested by FBI agents in January on the other side of the world. According to a release from the Fishers Police Department, Jacfar Abdi, of Noblesville, was arrested by FBI agents in Cairo, Egypt, on Jan. 27 and extradited back to the United States. Abdi is accused of shooting a man at The District at Saxony Apartments, near East 131st Street and Pennington Road, in November 2023. Police say on Nov. 19, 2023, officers were called to a local hospital on a report that a shooting victim was receiving treatment for a gunshot wound. Officers eventually learned that the shooting occurred on Rhineland Pass, a road on the grounds of the apartment complex. Investigators later determined two vehicles and "multiple" people were involved in an incident in that area around 4 p.m. earlier that day. Police say witness interviews and video evidence learned Abdi allegedly drove to the location, entered the victim's vehicle and then shot the victim during an armed robbery. Advertisement Advertisement Abdi then allegedly got back into his car, which was occupied by four other people, and fled the area. Once investigators identified Abdi as the prime suspect, they learned he had already fled the United States. A Fishers police detective assigned to the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force began a fugitive investigation that eventually discovered Abdi was in Cairo, Egypt. With help from the FBI Legal Attache Cairo and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Indiana, Abdi was arrested in Cairo and held pending extradition. On Jan. 27, 2026, Abdi was extradited to Indiana, where he was taken into custody by the Fishers Police Department. "This arrest and extradition demonstrate the FBIs relentless commitment to pursuing violent offenders, no matter where they flee," FBI Indianapolis special agent in charge Timothy J. OMalley said. "Through close coordination with our partners at the Fishers Police Department, FBI Legal Attache Cairo, and our international law enforcement counterparts, we were able to locate Abdi overseas and bring him back to the United States to face justice." Advertisement Advertisement The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office filed formal charges against Abdi on Jan. 22. Abdi is charged with the following felonies: Attempted murder Robbery resulting in bodily injury Armed robbery Aggravated battery Theft of a firearm Criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon Pointing a firearm at another person "The Fishers Police Department is relentless in the pursuit of those who choose to commit violent acts within our city," Fishers police chief Ed Gebhart said. "The FPD detective assigned to the FBI VCTF worked tirelessly and utilized every tool available to locate this violent felon and get justice for the victim. We are incredibly proud of our partnership with the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and all of the agencies involved in it, who are dedicated to the safety of our communities." Online court records show Abdi has a pretrial conference scheduled for March 25 at 9:15 a.m. with a jury trial tentatively scheduled for June 8 at 9 a.m. Alaska Organized Militia members, assigned to Task Force Bethel, arrive at Tuntutuliak, Alaska, for post-storm clean-up efforts during Operation Halong Response, Oct. 25, 2025. (Alaska National Guard photo by Capt. Balinda ONeal) Rep. Nellie Jimmie, a Democrat from Toksook Bay, broke down in tears recounting her experience there the night ex-Typhoon Halong made landfall on the west coast of Alaska in October. We didnt sleep the whole night, and this was the first time Ive ever felt so helpless, where I knew I couldnt protect my own daughter, she told fellow lawmakers at a joint hearing with the House Tribal Affairs and Community and Regional Affairs committees on Tuesday. Rep. Nellie Jimmie, D-Toksook Bay shares her experience sheltering through ex-Typhoon Halong and the damage to her district and residents of Western Alaska on Feb. 3, 2026 (Screenshot of Gavel) Just by chance, my daughter, she came upon TikTok, where people were posting live from Kipnuk about their water coming in quickly, and their homes were floating away. And people were trapped in their houses, and even though they called for help, they couldnt get help, she said tearfully. Advertisement Advertisement Bryan Fisher, director of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, presented an update to lawmakers and said that according to a recent FEMA assessment, the storm damage is estimated to cost $125 million. He called the storm damage catastrophic and stressed that the figure is an early estimate. I would suspect, just based on my experience doing this for a long time, that that dollar figure is going to go up, he said. He said with the scale of destruction, the rebuilding effort will take years. Fisher noted that the disaster recovery from Typhoon Merbok that hit in 2022 cost the state roughly $170 million in damage. Advertisement Advertisement The October storms devastated Western Alaska coastal communities, damaging thousands of structures, roads, airports and critical infrastructure, and prompting thousands to evacuate to other villages, Bethel and Anchorage. The relief effort was also cut off by the onset of winter, Fisher added, and so when breakup occurs in the spring, recovery efforts will begin anew. Jimmie said she visited the hardest-hit communities of Kipuk and Kwigillingok in the weeks after the storm and also visited with families displaced to Anchorage where they had evacuated with only one suitcase per person. She thanked state emergency officials and legislators gathered at the hearing. I know its going to be a long recovery, and I know the trauma that we have suffered out there. But how do you leave a village where your ancestors came from? Where grandmothers, grandfathers passed down the knowledge of where to hunt, when to hunt, how to process the subsistence catch. Theres just so much loss, she said. I just hope we get as much assistance as we can to rebuild. Bryan Fisher, director of the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, presents an update to lawmakers on the states disaster response operations on Jan. 29 and Feb 3, 2026 (Screenshot of Gavel) Fischer, who has spent over 30 years in emergency management in Alaska, said the storm was unlike anything he has seen here. I didnt think in my lifetime I would see a flooding disaster or coastal storm disaster in Alaska that looked very similar to Hurricane Katrina, with the military and Coast Guard helicopters doing hoist rescues, he told lawmakers. But unlike Hurricane Katrina, he added, homes were displaced from their foundations and washed away upwards of 10 or 12 miles away. Advertisement Advertisement Fisher emphasized the state disaster response is a coordinated effort in partnership with local and tribal governments, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and a variety of state agencies from health to transportation, education, and environmental conservation. And all of the agencies are going to be in this as long as it takes to make sure we can get you home, back to where you want to be, he said, following Jimmies testimony. And back on kind of the new normal moving forward. A significant clean up planned for summer 2026 Fisher said this summer multiagency disaster crews will undertake a very significant cleanup mission to remove hazardous waste, repair water and sewer systems and stabilize communities. They will also collect home heating oil tanks and contaminated soil from both petroleum products and household hazardous waste, he said. Alaska Organized Militia members assigned to Task Force Bethel continue removing debris and waterlogged insulation from buildings at Tuntutuliak, Alaska, following ex-Typhoon Halong on Oct. 25, 2025. (Alaska National Guard photo by Capt. Balinda ONeal) The water systems in the communities were compromised, including with salt water intrusion, which is going to take significant time to get a reverse osmosis water purification unit to scale out in the community to start reproducing safe drinking water, he said. Advertisement Advertisement So there are a whole lot of things that need to happen that werent able to get done before winter came and freeze-up came in Southwest Alaska. For the hardest hit communities of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, Fisher said the tribal councils have asked residents not to return until those critical repairs have been completed. While some communities are working on repairs through the winter, Fisher said the state is waiting on additional FEMA approval for rebuilding homes next summer. If approved, that will allow us to rebuild homes, that will allow us to provide labor and shipping support and material support, and financial support to repair homes above what is the traditional maximum amount of financial assistance a homeowner can receive, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Currently FEMA is providing disaster assistance of up to $44,800 per household for replacement of personal property, and $44,800 for repairing homes. The sheer number of homes that have been destroyed and displaced, and need to either be rebuilt or repaired, that is not an effort thats going to take a single summer construction season to occur, he said. Fisher told lawmakers that one piece of good news is that homes and boardwalks built on pilings withstood the storm. So I think thats a testament we know how to engineer and design and build both infrastructure and homes in the area that are resilient to flooding disasters, he said. Fisher emphasized that the goal for rebuilding and recovery is to stabilize communities as they continue ongoing discussions around long term resilience, and whether to relocate to higher ground. Advertisement Advertisement The state disaster programs and FEMA disaster programs do not relocate entire communities. Thats not what they were designed for, he said. He said FEMA and the state will repair and rebuild to make sure communities are ready for future storms. And really that is in order to buy the communitys time to have that longer discussion, if they choose, about whole community relocation. Residents in Kwigillingok have voted to relocate, but Kipnuk is divided on whether to move to higher ground. The process is likely to take years. The village of Kipnuk, largely submerged by the remnants of Typhoon Halong, is seen from the air on Oct. 12, 2025. Alaska Air National Guard rescue personnel conducted search and rescue operations there, and the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has worked with the Alaska Organized Militia and the U.S. Coast Guard in the response. (Photo provided by the Alaska National Guard) Hundreds of residents still displaced Officials estimate more than 1,600 people were displaced by the storms. In Anchorage, almost 100 displaced residents moved into longer term housing around Feb. 1, according to a division update. Advertisement Advertisement As of Thursday, there are 381 people from 73 households sheltering in hotels a significant decrease from the peak of over 680 people in November. Families board school buses in Anchorage after evacuating from Western Alaska following ex-Typhoon Halong. An Alaska Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster III, assigned to the 176th Wing, arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, with approximately 300 evacuated residents from Western Alaska, on Oct. 15, 2025. (Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Pena) Fisher said the state is working with partner organizations to continue to support families finding and settling into long term housing. Its a long, intensive process to get folks their deposits and get background checks for the landlords and furnish those apartments so they have utensils and furniture, he said. Were continuing to do that, and we expect folks to stay in those apartments until we can clean up the communities and rebuild their homes and get them back home. Fisher said FEMA is providing rental assistance for families that are moving into apartments. Fisher thanked tribal and community organizations for coordinating events and donations of traditional and subsistence foods for those displaced. He said the state also negotiated with FEMA to allow household disaster assistance to cover traditional foods. Advertisement Advertisement That is a unique consideration and approval we got from FEMA that recognizes the criticality of subsistence food for our communities, he said. It obviously doesnt replace everything that was lost, but its assistance that residents of this country in other states dont get. So Im glad thats out there, and that FEMA supports that for us, recognizes that need. As of Thursday, FEMA has distributed $33.5 million in individual and household assistance, and $30.3 million in other needs assistance, which includes lost personal property, transportation, medical or moving costs, according to an agency update. FEMA has also awarded $3.19 million for housing assistance. FEMA reported $4.6 million distributed in public assistance grants, which provides support to state, local, tribal or non-profit groups responding to disasters. Over 1,800 households have registered for federal assistance with FEMA, and over 2,100 people have registered for state assistance to date, according to a state division spokesperson. Funding for West Coast storm recovery under debate In the weeks ahead, lawmakers will vote on Gov. Dunleavys supplemental budget, which asks for $40 million in additional disaster relief funding for this year. Fisher answered lawmakers questions on Tuesday, and thanked the legislature for continuing to support the states disaster relief operations. Advertisement Advertisement By law, the governors office is required to deliver all supplemental budget requests to the legislature by Feb. 15. In practice, lawmakers have allowed changes months later, occasionally as late as the last week of the legislative session. As soon as we have a finalized number, well bring that forward, said Lacey Sanders, director of the states Office of Management and Budget, testifying Wednesday in the House Finance Committee. The state is still calculating its need after the Trump administration denied 100% federal reimbursement for the first three months of the disaster response and granted the state only a 75-25 split of the costs. Sanders said the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is appealing the 75-25 federal-state split to try and get a 90-10 breakdown. I dont believe they have heard a response back yet, she said. If we receive additional information or feedback from the federal government regarding the disaster and whether we need to inject more funding, well bring that before the committee as well, she said. Fisher told lawmakers that while there are uncertainties with federal changes under the Trump administration, he and other emergency managers foresee that states will have to take on more disaster costs and relief efforts. There is potential that the buck is going to be passed on to state and local and tribal governments more than it has been traditionally, he said. So I think the legislature needs to be prepared to consider the fact that we may have to deal with more of these disasters on our own, and thats going to be a tough reality for all states and all localities across the country. Correction: This story has been updated to correct a typo. FEMA has awarded $3.19 million for housing assistance. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX A doctor in Ohio allegedly abused an infant, breaking their ribs and limbs over the course of three months, according to our CBS affiliate WTOL-11 TV. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] A Wood County grand jury indicted Hanuman Gowda, 31, of Virginia, on six counts of endangering children, five counts of felonious assault, and one count of domestic violence. Gowda was the caretaker of the 3-month-old he allegedly abused. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement Court documents obtained by WTOL-11 indicate that Gowda abused the infant, knowingly causing fractures in the arms, legs, and ribs. The alleged abuse took place from the infants birth in October 2025 to the start of January 2026. Gowda was arrested on Jan. 9, but released five days later after posting bond. He is a physician with ProMedica, but has since been placed on leave. A ProMedica spokesperson provided the following statement to our CBS affiliate: "We are aware that Dr. Hanuman Gowda was recently arrested in Ohio and charged with crimes unrelated to his workplace. ProMedica has placed the resident physician on administrative leave. We will work with and support the involved authorities as appropriate. The safety and care of our patients and their families remain our top priority." Additional details werent immediately available. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The Gavel outside the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal. Republish photo only with original article.) The Ohio Supreme Court sided against an Ohio school district in an opinion that allows an email distribution list for the school district community to be released as a public record. The states highest court said Xenia Community Schools must produce an email distribution list requested by Darbi Boddy, a former Lakota Local School Board member who has already faced off against the Xenia district in court over her claims of First Amendment violations. Advertisement Advertisement Boddy asked the court to compel the school district to produce the list that was used to disseminate a newsletter from the districts superintendent to the school community. Specifically, she asked for records related to the October 2024 newsletter. In court documents, Boddy accused Xenia of slow-walking the process and of operating in bad faith by feigning the applicability of exemptions to the public records law. The public records request from Boddys attorneys came after she attempted to speak in support of a Xenia school board member who her attorneys said has challenged and questioned specifically whether critical race theory is being taught within the Xenia Community City School District. Boddy who is the founder of Access Ohio ,which pledges to preserve traditional American values in education and civic life, claimed to the school board that the district wasnt dealing with social and political topics involving race and gender properly. On the website for her organization, Boddy says she is involved in multiple Republican organizations, and says she stands against critical race theory in schools, comprehensive sex education and social emotional learning. Advertisement Advertisement Her complaint to the Ohio Supreme Court claimed Xenia is one of many school districts in the country that has recently come under scrutiny regarding the actual or perceived indoctrination of its students to support and accept highly controversial and divisive concepts, including DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and/or CRT (critical race theory). Attorneys for Boddy say Xenias superintendent, Gabriel Lofton, used the October newsletter to criticize the board member and attempted to place undue pressure by commenting on the situation and stating I truly hope that our Board of Education will collectively be able to move us past this issue once and for all. Boddy asked for the distribution list after questioning the reach of the superintendents newsletter. The school district said the newsletter goes out to school district members, whereas Boddys attorneys argue the districts website allows anyone to sign up to receive it. The school district argued that the email list was exempt from the Ohio Public Records Act because it included protected student information and did not document anything falling under that law. Advertisement Advertisement To qualify as a public record under Ohios law, records must document the organizations, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the entity. The Ohio Supreme Court issued an unsigned opinion that said the email list is a public record, and must be provided to Boddy, with any personally identifiable information redacted. In siding with Boddy, the court went back to a November 2024 case they decided, in which it ruled that email and mail distribution lists for newsletters from the Union Township Board of Trustees in Clermont County were public records. In that case, the court said the mailing lists documented a function, procedure, or activity of the township. The court noted the school district hadnt provided the email list to the court for a private review by the justices before they made their decision, as it had been ordered to do under seal. Because the district didnt provide the documents as ordered, the court said it couldnt review them for student privacy concerns. Advertisement Advertisement Because we cannot determine whether the list contains protected student information that may be exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act, the school district has failed to satisfy its burden to prove that the list falls squarely within the state or federal law exemption, the court ruled. Lofton said the districts priority throughout its case was to protect student privacy, even knowing the Ohio Supreme Court had previously decided that email distribution lists are public records. This ruling allows us to meet the legal requirements while also abiding by our ethical and legal obligations to protect our students and families, Lofton said in a statement. Boddy has had previous legal run-ins with the district since being a member of the Lakota Local School Board. She filed a lawsuit against Xenias school board and its board president in 2024, arguing to a federal court that her First Amendment rights were violated during the public comment session of a October 2024 board meeting. Advertisement Advertisement She was eventually voted off the Lakota Local School Board, and is appealing the ruling of the federal court, in which the court said the evidence provided in the case fell short of proving a First Amendment claim would be successful. Boddy did not respond to a request for comment. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Transmission system operator TenneT has agreed to sell a 25.1% stake in its German subsidiary to the German Government, facilitated by Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW), for approximately 3.3bn ($3.9bn). The transaction, which follows an earlier 9.5bn commitment from institutional investors including APG, GIC and Norges Bank Investment Management, is expected to enhance TenneT Germany's financial standing and support essential infrastructure management within the country. The sale will adhere to the equity valuation used in a previous transaction with institutional investors in September 2025. The transaction is due to be completed by the end of the first half of 2026 (H1 2026), pending customary conditions and regulatory approval. KfW's direct acquisition of shares will allow TenneT to repay approximately 3.3bn of the shareholder loan from the Dutch state. Following the transaction, TenneT will maintain at least a 28.9% interest in its German subsidiary, ensuring its continued involvement in critical decisions and collaboration with TenneT Netherlands on projects connecting North Sea wind farms to Europe's electricity grid. The partnership with both private investors and the German Government enhances TenneT Germany's capital base, contributing to necessary power grid improvements and a robust European electricity network. KfWs acquisition strategy involves maintaining its 25.1% stake through future capital contributions alongside private investors, who are projected to hold a 46% interest. TenneT CEO Manon van Beek said: We warmly welcome the German state via KfW as a shareholder in TenneT Germany. The German state represents one of the most important stakeholders for TenneT in Germany. This co-shareholding creates valuable additional involvement, with particular attention to the increasing investment agenda and the new geopolitical reality. TenneT remains committed to ensuring a reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity supply. ABN AMRO Bank and Lazard are serving as financial advisors to TenneT for this transaction, with legal advice provided by De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek and Hengeler Mueller. Citi is acting as the financial advisor to KfW, while CMS is providing legal counsel. "TenneT to divest 25.1% stake in German unit for $3.9bn" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. After transferring between 30 and 50 million barrels of crude to the US, Venezuela has received $500m from its first oil sale under a US-brokered agreement. The deal, reached last month, provides a lifeline for Venezuelas struggling economy. However, the government does not control the proceeds. Instead, funds are deposited into a restricted account in Qatar, subject to US approval, to pay public sector salaries and essential services. This new agreement came amid major political changes following the US military abduction of President Nicolas Maduro. On January 15, acting President Delcy Rodriguez proposed reforms to Venezuelas hydrocarbons law, aiming to attract foreign investment by easing restrictions that had favoured nationalisations for the past 25 years. Advertisement Advertisement US Energy Secretary Chris Wright also said on Friday that he plans to visit Venezuela soon to meet all the leadership and assess oil and gas operations, as Washington signals it intends to oversee Venezuelas oil sector for the foreseeable future. As Venezuela moves forward amid these political changes, we examine how the government sustains its operations and the challenges it currently faces. What is the context, and what has been happening in Venezuela? One month after the US military action known as Operation Absolute Resolve, Venezuela is navigating a volatile political and economic landscape. The operation, conducted on January 3, 2026, resulted in the abduction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. According to Venezuelas Ministry of Defence, the extraction was deadly, resulting in at least 83 deaths. In the aftermath, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice declared Maduros capture a forced absence and appointed Rodriguez as acting president. While Rodriguez condemned the US action as an illegal kidnapping, she has since signalled willingness to cooperate with Washington, including proposing reforms to attract foreign investment in the oil sector. Advertisement Advertisement She has also framed herself as shaping a new order while maintaining tight control over the implementation of reforms. Domestically, in late January, Rodriguez also announced a mass amnesty bill aimed at releasing political prisoners and plans to repurpose the notorious El Helicoide prison into a community centre. Critics, however, argue that these measures may not address Venezuelas structural problems, raising questions about the interim governments long-term legitimacy and direction. Who are the key people running the Venezuelan government? In Venezuela, power remains concentrated in a civic-military alliance. While Rodriguez holds formal executive authority, analysts like Salvador Santino Regilme, a political scientist who leads the international relations programme at Leiden University in the Netherlands, say that in this case real power is best understood as residing within a governing coalition rather than a single office-holder. Advertisement Advertisement Here are some of the key figures forming her government: Jorge Rodriguez (Head of the National Assembly): The interim presidents brother controls the legislature. He was the architect behind the fast-track approval of the new energy reforms. Rodriguez controls the legislative agenda and its outcomes, said Carlos Pina, a Venezuelan political analyst. Venezuelas National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters] Diosdado Cabello (Interior Minister): He represents the hardline ideological wing of Chavismo. But he is under pressure: With a $25m US bounty on his head for narco-terrorism charges, he faces an ultimatum from Washington to cooperate with the transition or face arrest. Venezuelas Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello speaks [Marco Bello/Reuters] Vladimir Padrino (Defence Minister): He has held the military chain of command together, staying in his post for more than 11 years despite a US drug trafficking indictment and a $15m bounty for his capture. Venezuelas Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters] Pina also noted that one actor is often overlooked: the business sector. Advertisement Advertisement Many business leaders who are still operating inside the country have rallied behind Rodriguez, even before she assumed the interim presidency, Pina explained. This group has positioned itself as a kind of shadow power, he added. Venezuelas interim President Delcy Rodriguez, flanked by Jorge Rodriguez and Cabello [File: Miraflores Palace/Handout via Reuters] How is the current government paying its bills? Venezuela has the worlds largest proven oil reserves, estimated at 303 billion barrels, more than five times those of the US. As such, oil remains one of its main sources of income. Venezuelas fiscal survival still depends primarily on hydrocarbons, because oil remains the only sector capable of generating rents at scale, Santino told Al Jazeera. The current financial control mechanism operates through several stages, from oil extraction to the final disbursement of funds. Advertisement Advertisement Payments are not sent directly to Venezuela. Instead, they go through US-supervised channels and are deposited into a restricted account in Qatar, to stop creditors from seizing the money to recover Venezuelas estimated $170bn in external debt. The US also oversees the distribution of these funds. Venezuela must submit budget requests for specific uses, such as paying teachers, police and healthcare workers. Once approved, the funds are transferred to the Central Bank of Venezuela and then to private local banks. Venezuela will submit every month a budget of this is what we need funded. We will provide for them at the front end what that [oil] money can be used for, Rubio detailed the plan during an appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January. I understand its novel, but its the best we could come up with in the short term, Rubio added. INTERACTIVE - Venezuela oil fields poster-1756997699 However, experts have raised concerns about the implications of this arrangement. Advertisement Advertisement Right now, given the control even though you have a facade, you have an interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, and other members, the one who really has control is Donald Trump, Jose Manuel Puente, a professor at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion in Caracas, said. Venezuela is a state under tutelage right now by the US. The US took control of all its income, he added. Some US officials have also criticised the arrangement. Democrat Lloyd Doggett said Rubios testimony raised more questions than answers There are currently no safeguards to ensure the Rodriguez family does not use the revenue to pay off Maduros allies, Doggett said. Advertisement Advertisement And by following this scheme, [Trump] is unlawfully refusing to honour debts owed to US institutions and [he] instead appears to be rewarding his donors, he added. Are there any other sources of government revenue? The government has tried to diversify its revenue streams beyond oil. The country possesses the largest official gold reserves in Latin America. Venezuelas reserves are approximately 161.2 metric tonnes, worth more than $23bn in todays market value. The country is also believed to hold some of the most significant untapped gold resources, but official data is outdated. Large parts of gold production happen through informal or illegal mining networks, especially in southern states like Bolivar. Advertisement Advertisement According to the government, Venezuela produced 9.5 tonnes of gold in 2025. In recent years, gold has increased its share, just like some small export areas, such as the case of tropical fruits, or the case of shrimp, Puente explained. There are some sectors that generate some income, but it is still completely asymmetric in favour of oil, he added. How are things looking inside the country? With more than 7.9 million people requiring urgent humanitarian assistance and approximately 56 percent of the population living in extreme poverty, according to the United Nations and the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, the administration faces immense pressure to implement effective solutions. Advertisement Advertisement Nationals are struggling with wages that are too low to cover basic living costs. I am a housewife. I dont work. My two older children work, but they earn salaries that are not enough, Zulma Clavo, a Petare resident in Caracas, told Al Jazeera. My son works as a motorcycle taxi driver and has to take risks just to survive, and my daughter earns the minimum wage, and its still not enough. When we go grocery shopping, we realise we have to put things back because we dont have enough money, she added. Experts say there will be some economic relief as oil production increases. And that, evidently, is going to be a significant flow [of funds]. The thing is, who will finally decide how and in what that large amount of money is invested will be the Americans, and that is the point of difference, Puente said. Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, attends a news conference at Eisenhower International School in Tulsa on Oct. 2. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY State lawmakers and education officials say theyre eager for a retry on Oklahomas academic standards for social studies after last-minute changes last year caused significant controversy and were thrown out in court. In a news conference Thursday, Oklahoma State Department of Education staff said theyre now grappling with major complications to essential functions after the agencys former leadership added polarizing content, some of which was inserted the day before a board vote. The agency has since proposed a revised version. Advertisement Advertisement Leaders in the state Legislature said they welcome a set of standards free of last years frustrations. Social studies standards should not be that controversial, Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said. Im glad were getting another bite of that apple. This week, the Education Department proposed a new draft of the academic standards, which mandate what topics public schools must teach in social studies classes. It deleted language from a 2025 version that included disputed content about the origin of COVID-19 and claims of discrepancies in the 2020 presidential election results. The new draft also leaves out the 2025 editions references to Bible stories and the teachings of Jesus. Advertisement Advertisement The Oklahoma Supreme Court overturned last years version because the Education Department failed to give proper notice of fundamental content changes made shortly before a state board approved the standards. Language about the 2020 election was inserted the day before the Oklahoma State Board of Education met to review and vote on the standards, said Sharon Morgan, the Education Departments program director for the Office of Standards and Learning. Sharon Morgan, of the Oklahoma State Department of Education, speaks at State Textbook Committee meeting Nov. 14 in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) The controversial elements of last years draft all were added at the insistence of Walters executive team, Morgan told reporters Thursday. Walters, who has since resigned from office, said at the time he was responsible for the changes. Agency staff, along with a writing committee of Oklahoma educators, have since sought to restore a more neutral version of the standards, Morgan said. Advertisement Advertisement The standards are a minimum starting point for teachers to develop lesson plans, said Brenda Beymer-Chapman, the agencys project manager for social studies. They also challenge students to use primary sources and critical thinking while learning history and civics. Its very important that teachers present those in neutral fashions to where the students are creating their own ideas about those topics, Beymer-Chapman said. The latest draft of the standards is open for public input through Feb. 18. Education Department staff will review each submitted comment and aim to present a finalized draft to the state Board of Education for a vote on March 26, Morgan said. If the board approves the proposed draft, the standards will go to the state Legislature for a final review. It also would allow the State Textbook Committee to begin preparations for adopting new social studies textbooks. Advertisement Advertisement If the standards fail to pass a board vote, Oklahomas current social studies standards, approved in 2019, would remain in effect. Adoption of new textbooks for the subject would be off the table for the foreseeable future, the textbook committee decided Friday. Former state Superintendent Ryan Walters, attends a committee meeting for the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency on Oct. 29, 2024, at the Oklahoma State Capitol. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) Morgan, who leads the textbook committee, said Education Department staff tried to warn Walters executive team of some of the repercussions that were seeing now. Academic standards and textbooks for each school subject are updated every six years. That cycle now is experiencing unprecedented disruptions, she said. Textbook adoption for other subjects could be postponed, and school districts face the possibility of having to afford two major textbook purchases in the same year social studies and science. Advertisement Advertisement When we have these interruptions, it interrupts a lot of different areas, Morgan said. Legislative leaders at the state Capitol said theyre glad to get a redo with social studies. Paxton, the Senates top leader, co-wrote a resolution last year to reject Walters standards. Half of the state Board of Education members at the time said they were unaware when they voted on the standards that new, controversial content had been added. Paxtons resolution failed because of a lack of support from fellow Republicans, who hold a supermajority in the House and Senate. Instead, the Legislature took no action, thereby allowing the standards to take effect as written. Advertisement Advertisement I was pleased the Supreme Court overturned those, Paxton said Thursday. I supported rejecting those. We just couldnt get the support in the full Legislature. I was glad to see the fact that we get a chance to do those again. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, declined to comment on the standards until lawmakers receive a board-approved draft. Democratic leaders in the House and Senate celebrated the Supreme Court decision while, at the same time, voicing frustration that the Legislature had permitted the now-overturned standards to pass. I think the former superintendent, Ryan Walters, just had a hold on the Republicans in this building, House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, said. His influence was really, I think, weighing on those who are elected, and so they didnt want to fight him. Editor Janelle Stecklein and reporter Emma Murphy contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services have launched a Request for Proposals for the operations of five restaurants in Oklahoma state parks. After the last two operators runs ended in controversy and financial troubles, the state has implemented new criteria into the RFP process. The state says the changes are aimed at ensuring successful restaurant operations. Individual park restaurants can now be bid on separately. Theres also no requirement for the restaurant to operate in a full-service capacity year-round. All restaurant types can submit a bid. A release states theres also flexibility on the revenue share model. Advertisement Advertisement More: Former Oklahoma state parks restaurant operator now facing lawsuit Roman Nose State Park is seen in 2022 in Watonga. The RFP comes a little over four months after the state closed Lookout Kitchens at Oklahoma State Parks, and two months since the state filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the former operator. Before The Lookout Kitchen took over in 2023, Oklahoma State Park restaurants were operated by Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchen. That contract was terminated following allegations that Swadley's defrauded taxpayers through fraudulent, inflated invoices during renovations. OTRD Executive Director Amy Blackburn said shes well aware of the challenges the agency has faced surrounding the operations of state park restaurants. The patio of the closed Foggy Bottom Kitchen restaurant is seen on April 26, 2022, at Roman Nose State Park in Watonga. This new RFP structure is designed to be mutually beneficial to the restaurant operator and our state parks, Blackburn said in a statement Friday. Advertisement Advertisement State parks included in the RFP are Beavers Bend, Lake Murray, Quartz Mountain, Robbers Cave, and Roman Nose. Sequoyah State Park was not included due to ongoing remediation of the park restaurant after a fire caused substantial damage to the building. An RFP document states the contract will be awarded on behalf of OTRD for fully staffed and expertly managed dining experiences to guests. The department is seeking a wide range of proposals including but not limited to chef-driven operations and small business operators, entrepreneurs from the local community near the parks, and larger management-for-fee operators. Weve invested in creating a welcoming atmosphere at our lodges, and guests should expect a positive restaurant experience when they visit, Blackburns statement reads. We have a responsibility to Oklahoma taxpayers to get this right. The department states different styles will work better at different locations, and encourages all bidders to respond with the model they believe will work best for both parties. Advertisement Advertisement Mandatory site visits begin for interested bidders on Wednesday, Feb. 18. Bidders are required to attend onsite pre-bid conferences at each location they are interested in bidding on. The deadline for RFP responses is 3 p.m. March 23. The proposals will be assessed by a team of qualified evaluators, according to a release. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma state park restaurants need new operators. What to know The Odessa Police Department has made an arrest in connection to a death that occurred last month involving a 22-year-old male. Nicole Marie Jones, 40, has been charged with murder, a news release said. According to the release, on Jan. 9 at approximately 6:48 p.m., OPD responded to the 5000 block of Kingston in reference to a death. Upon arrival, officers observed a 22-year-old male who was unconscious and not breathing. The 22-year-old male was pronounced deceased on scene. OPD detectives obtained a search warrant for the 22-year-olds phone and investigation revealed that Jones previously sold fentanyl to the 22-year-old male. Investigation revealed that Jones had previously been arrested for selling fentanyl and was out on bond. Advertisement Advertisement An autopsy report was later received regarding the death of the 22-year-old male and indicated the cause of death to be acute intoxication with fentanyl. Based on the facts and circumstances presented during the investigation, Jones was charged and arrested accordingly, the release said. The post OPD makes arrest in connection to fentanyl death appeared first on Odessa American. Chinas latest series of large-scale military drills around Taiwan, ominously dubbed Justice Mission 2025, offers the clearest evidence yet that Beijing is prepared for action. The exercises, which included long-range live-fire drills, were described by Chinese officials as a serious warning to Taiwan independence separatist forces and external interference forces. As China intensifies pressure, tensions in the Taiwan Strait have reached heights unseen since the end of the Cold War. The response from major Indo-Pacific actors, including Australia, the U.S. and Japan, was one of deep concern. Americas support for its Indo-Pacific allies on the frontlines of Beijings assertiveness is therefore of paramount importance, as is strengthening its alliance with Japan. These developments cut to the core of Japans Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision a framework resting on the principle that regional security and freedom of navigation are inseparable. For Tokyo, this is not an abstract concept, but a practical framework designed to deter the very coercion China is demonstrating. Advertisement Advertisement Chinas increasingly assertive posture is no longer confined to the Taiwan Strait. In December, a Chinese military fighter locked its radar onto a Japanese F-15 for approximately 30 minutes over waters near Japans Okinawa islands. The incident constituted one of Chinas most serious direct military confrontations with Japan in more than a decade. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the confrontational act is viewed by Japan with utmost regret, adding that Japan strongly pressed China to ensure the incident was not repeated. He has since spoken with senior representatives of other nations that share Japans vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Despite its severity, the incident at the time generated little public comment in Washington, which remains reluctant to jeopardize a trade agreement reached with Beijing in October. But it also comes just as Washington published its National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy, which make direct references to the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific for regional security and prosperity. Since assuming office, President Trump has focused on this vital security arena. The administration understands the importance of countering Chinas attempt to dominate either the U.S. or its allies. Advertisement Advertisement The operational environment is clearly defined. North Korean warheads continue to be developed at pace, and are more than capable of reaching the shores of Americas regional allies. Japan sits on the front line of the security situation in the Indo-Pacific and has been central to countering Chinese efforts to dominate the region. Chinas long fixation on Taiwan is real, and strategists and war gamers continue to map out responses to a potential invasion, driven by Beijings increase in military spending for 30 consecutive years. Given the fact that the Indo-Pacific holds more than 60 percent of global GDP and is responsible for the same percentage of global shipping, any actor that threatens it poses a genuine risk to the global economy. During an October visit to Japan, Trump reiterated his support for this free and open ocean vision, which was pioneered by Japans late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Its current prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, seeks to build on Abes vision, pursuing deeper strategic partnerships to ensure operational readiness in a worst-case scenario while securing a vital global trade corridor. Tokyo is contributing more than ever to regional stability. It has lifted restrictions on the transfer of defense equipment and is looking to enhance its own capabilities. Given the current environment, this is the right approach. Defense deals including Washingtons approval of long-range Tomahawk missiles for Japan and Tokyos own building of advanced Mogami-Class frigates for future delivery to Australia are positive steps, but must go further. Advertisement Advertisement The 2025 National Security Strategy labels the Indo-Pacific as one of the worlds key economic and geopolitical battlegrounds, which cannot be dominated by any single competitor nation an indirect nod to China. An increasingly assertive and militarily capable Beijing should ring alarm bells throughout the Indo-Pacific. It necessitates greater defense and economic coordination, to bolster collective deterrence. Samir Puri is visiting lecturer in war studies at Kings College London and author of Westlessness: The Great Global Rebalancing. 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. Gov. Tina Kotek discusses legislative priorities in the 2026 short session in a meeting with reporters at the Oregon State Capitol on Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo by Mia Maldonado/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Gov. Tina Kotek and mayors of 31 cities have a message for the federal government: Stop all immigration enforcement in Oregon until recent violent incidents in Minneapolis, Portland and elsewhere are fully investigated. Kotek and the mayors sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House border czar Tom Homan on Thursday, saying they represent communities that are afraid of and morally opposed to federal officers tactics. The actions of your officers are not making our communities safer, they wrote. Parents are afraid to take their children to school. Families are avoiding health care. People are scared to go to work or even go to the store for essentials, let alone support a range of small businesses. The actions of your officers, especially the use of lethal force, are damaging local economies and hurting the people we are responsible for protecting and serving. Advertisement Advertisement Most of the 31 mayors who signed onto the letter represent cities in the Portland region and Willamette Valley, but it also includes signers from the coast, Central Oregon and Rogue Valley. Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson, both of whom have navigated recent incidents of federal officers using tear gas on protesters outside federal buildings in the states largest and third-largest cities, signed the letter. Salem Mayor Julie Hoy, who voted in December against declaring a state of emergency over increased immigration enforcement in Oregons second-largest city, did not. While most of the mayors who signed come from liberal-leaning cities, the list of signers also includes the mayors of the deeply Republican city of Detroit, which President Donald Trump won by 45 points in 2024, and Carlton and Dayton, two small Yamhill County cities he won by double digits. The letter included a commitment to the states decades-old sanctuary law that prohibits local governments from using their resources to enforce federal immigration law. Oregon voters upheld that law by a 2-to-1 margin in 2018. Our message to our immigrant and refugee communities is unequivocal: We stand with you. You belong here, it ended. Our message to your administration is equally clear: Current practices must change immediately. A federal judge on Wednesday issued an emergency order blocking U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from carrying out warrantless civil immigration arrests in Oregon, a move supporters say curbs agents from "arresting first and justifying that arrest later." Advocates involved in the lawsuit say the ruling places an important check on federal authority and would stop detentions like that of a Hillsboro grandfather who was held by ICE for weeks without a warrant. Victor Cruz Gamez of Hillsboro was detained by federal agents in mid-October while driving home from work. Agents were searching for a different man with the same name, but Cruz was still held at an ICE facility in Tacoma for three weeks despite being in the country legally. Advertisement Advertisement The judge's ruling Wednesday halts those types of warrantless immigration arrests in Oregon. "What it means is that instead of the smash-and-snatch, the government actually has to follow the law," said Stephen Manning, executive director of Innovation Law Lab. The Portland-based nonprofit took part in the lawsuit against the federal government along with Cruz and another plaintiff detained in Woodburn. Manning said Oregon now joins Washington, D.C., and Colorado as jurisdictions that have won court rulings ending warrantless immigration arrests. "This fear, this constant sense of being hunted was real. It was actually real, and now I think there can be a pause," Manning said. Advertisement Advertisement Cruz testified in court Wednesday and released a statement following the ruling. "ICE says they are going after criminals, but they really are targeting people on their way to work based on the color of our skin or our accent," he said. Manning said Cruz hopes the ruling signals a significant change in how ICE operates in Oregon. "He is hoping his ruling will bring back some humanity and some decency to what has been happening here in Oregon," explained Manning. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to a request for comment. In court filings, the federal government argued "the injunction would interfere with an exclusive function of the President -- to enforce immigration." Rep. Alek Skarlatos calls for the vote in the House chambers on Monday, Jan.13, 2025. (Photo by Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle/Pool) An Oregon Republican who backed a Democrat-led bill restricting the deployment of the states National Guard and other states troops to Oregon has revoked his support. Rep. Alek Skarlatos, R-Winston and a member of the House Emergency Management and Veterans Committee, was listed as a sponsor of House Bill 4091 ahead of a Tuesday committee hearing on the legislation. Advertisement Advertisement By Thursday morning, his name was no longer online next to the two dozen Oregon Democrats who have sponsored the legislation, making the bill yet another solely Democratic priority in the packed short legislative session. It basically doesnt sound like the bill has any teeth, Skarlatos told the Capital Chronicle on Thursday. To be totally honest with you, if Im going to be on a bill, I want it to actually do something. It sounds like it was basically just an anti-Trump messaging bill for the Democrats, and if it actually had teeth in reining in the National Guard, I probably would have stayed on. Oregon lawmakers had attempted to push through a narrower version of the legislation last year, but it died in the Senate due to procedural moves from Republicans that ran out the clock at the end of the legislative session. Supporters of the new legislation have hoped it would gain more steam in light of President Donald Trumps attempt to deploy Oregon and other states troops to Portland. Several states, including Texas, Idaho and North Dakota, have laws on the books that mandate state approval or a presidents authority to have another states National Guard enter their state. This years bill would block the Oregon National Guard from providing federal law or immigration enforcement except for indirect support or surveillance duties that are part of a border security operation. It would prevent the states adjutant general from allowing National Guard members to be called into active service if it would leave the guard incapable of responding to statewide emergencies like wildfires or an act of terrorism. The bill would also prevent troops from another states National Guard from entering Oregon without the governors consent if they were not mobilized under the presidents existing authority. Advertisement Advertisement It simply tries to clarify in big bold lines that where the federal government has declared it, were going to declare it too, Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, told his colleagues Tuesday. So if somebody tries to move the goal post later, everybody knows where we put the line down. Skarlatos had voiced some of his concerns on Tuesday with the bill, which would not undo the presidents authority to use the National Guard under the Insurrection Act or in the case of a rebellion or inability to execute laws. He questioned how the bill would be enforced should another states troops attempt to enter the state without Oregons consent, and what would happen should the adjutant general disobey a governors assessment. Evans responded that the governor, who is able to appoint the adjutant general, could determine whether to fire them. Legislative counsel has suggested that the scenarios the bill could lead to involve armed conflict as a worst case scenario or lawsuits in the federal court system. Multiple Republicans on Tuesday, meanwhile, raised questions about whether the bill would face legal challenges, as well as whether it was the right time to weigh in on a matter that is currently up for debate in federal court. A hearing in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals over a federal judges order permanently blocking Trumps deployment of the National Guard to Portland is set for June. The U.S. Supreme Court in December, however, blocked Trumps push to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. Advertisement Advertisement One constitutional law expert appeared sympathetic to Skarlatos assessment. Norman Williams, professor of law at Willamette University, told the Capital Chronicle that he saw value in restricting other states deployment of troops to Oregon, but argued that was now less likely of a scenario than the president invoking the Insurrection Act and sending in the Marines. If that matter went to court, the legislation wouldnt make any difference, he said. Im not sure what the state hopes to accomplish with this anymore, he wrote in an email. After the SCOTUS decision, its clear that the Trump administration would have to use regular military (Army, Marines, etc.) rather than National Guard troops, even federalized ones, for federal law enforcement purposes. Although the bill received a public hearing on Tuesday, it does not yet have a committee work session scheduled as of Thursday afternoon. Lawmakers have until Feb. 16 to send bills they want to pass by the end of the 35-day short legislative session out of committee and onto their chambers floor. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE The latest group of Palestinians returning to Gaza arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Thursday following the partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt earlier this week. Those returning described an exhausting journey through Israeli checkpoints, with some claiming they were interrogated and threatened by Israeli troops. The group arrived in a bus escorted by UN vehicles, met with emotional reunions in Gaza by relatives who waited hours to see their loved ones. Advertisement Advertisement "This is a journey of suffering; being away from home is difficult and exhausting. All you can think about is those who are here," one returnee, Seham Omran, said. A new group of medical evacuees, accompanied by World Health Organization (WHO) officials, also left the southern city of Khan Younis for the Rafah border crossing on Thursday. Palestinians returning to their homes in Gaza through the Rafah border crossing were welcomed by loved ones. Credit: AP The Rafah border crossing reopened on Monday for limited movement of people, those returning to what was left of their homes in Gaza, as well as those leaving Gaza for medical treatment elsewhere. But since then, Palestinian passage through the crossing has been marred by delays, interrogations and uncertainty over who would be allowed to cross. Advertisement Advertisement Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopens after nearly two years 'Dangerous escalation': At least 30 killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza Three women who crossed into Gaza on Monday told The Associated Press (AP) a day later that Israeli troops blindfolded and handcuffed them, then interrogated and threatened them, holding them for several hours before they were released. One returnee, Ranna Al Louh, said she was held for six hours at a checkpoint. "They took my name, ID number, phone, and everything I had with me and put it in safekeeping. They took my full name and age, interrogated us, and then made us sit down," she said. Advertisement Advertisement "After 15 minutes, they took us, blindfolded us, tied our hands, and took us to an area where we couldn't see anything, she added. A European Union official told AP that the border mission had no knowledge of mistreatment by Israeli soldiers of Palestinians in the border areas. Asked about the reports, the Israeli military said that "no incidents of inappropriate conduct, mistreatment, apprehensions, or confiscation of property by the Israeli security establishment are known." The Rafah border crossing reopened on Monday for limited movement of people. Credit: AP The reopening of the crossing marked a key step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, but mostly a symbolic one. It took the entire day on Tuesday for 40 Palestinians to enter Gaza. Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, 15 patients from Gaza and 31 of their relatives were scheduled to cross to Egypt, but more than half the group was turned away, said Raed al-Nims, a spokesperson for the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Israeli strikes continue in Gaza despite the ceasefire that took effect on October 10. On Wednesday, an Israeli strike killed at least 24 Palestinians, including two babies, according to health officials in the territory. Israel said it killed three militant leaders and others who posed a threat to its forces, and that some strikes came in response to a Hamas attack that seriously wounded one of its soldiers. Subscribe free to our weekly newsletter for exclusive and original coverage from ITV News. Direct to your inbox every Friday morning. 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 are eager to enter and return home. The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. Cecilia Cile Steward's parents threw her a ninth birthday party last month, but one person wasn't there: the birthday girl herself. Ever since Cile was swept away by the floodwaters that swamped Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country last summer, her mother has been coping with her grief by writing her daughter a letter every day. Meanwhile, her father has been keeping tabs on the ongoing search by Texas authorities for her remains, and he's feeling less hopeful by the day. Advertisement Advertisement I have this sinking feeling of theres no way theyre ever gonna find her, Will Steward said when he and his wife, CiCi Steward, sat down for an emotional TODAY interview this week with their long-time friend and fellow Texan, show co-host Jenna Bush Hager. CiCi and Will Steward during an interview with Jenna Bush Hager on Tuesday. (TODAY) (TODAY) Cile was among the 130 people who were killed July 4 after slow-moving thunderstorms in Kerr County, Texas, caused the Guadalupe to overflow its banks, turning a meandering river into a terrifying torrent. Cile, 8 years old at the time, was one of the 27 children and counselors at Camp Mystic, a venerable Christian summer camp for girls, who perished in the flood. But unlike the other victims, Ciles body was never found. Advertisement Advertisement I write to her every day. I tell her how sorry I am that this happened to her. Im sorry that her life was stolen from her, CiCi Steward told Bush Hager, her voice cracking. Despite the fact that I bawl crying every time I write to her, that is how I stay close to her, she said. We look at her pictures daily. Thank God for the phones and the amount of photos and videos we have. A blessing and a curse, really. The Stewards spoke with Bush Hager, with whom theyve been friends for more than 20 years, on the same day they filed a lawsuit against the Eastland family, which has operated the all-girls camp for decades, in Travis County, Texas. They were completely unprepared, the couples lawyer, Brad Beckworth, said of the Eastlands. Advertisement Advertisement Despite the camp being in a flood plain and having a well-documented history of flooding, the Eastland family had a bare-bones emergency evacuation plan, and they repeatedly ignored the National Weather Service flooding alerts, the Stewards contend in their lawsuit. So by the time they started evacuating the girls from the flooded cabins, it was already too late, the suit states. Its just absolute chaos, Beckworth told Bush Hager. When you talk to the counselors, they can hear the screams. Nobody knows what to do. They dont know where to go. The victims included Richard Dick Eastland, the owner of Camp Mystic. His family says he lost his life trying to save the girls. Advertisement Advertisement The Stewards contend in the lawsuit that Eastland and his son, Edward Eastland, waited for more than an hour before they tried to evacuate the girls from the cabins. They insisted in their interview with Bush Hager that it was the camp counselors and first responders who deserve the praise for saving most of the 750 girls who were at Camp Mystic when the flooding started. There are heroes at Camp Mystic and none of them are named Eastland, CiCi Steward said. The Austin couple is seeking in excess of $1 million in actual and punitive damages, according to the lawsuit. In response to the lawsuit, the Eastlands lawyer Mikal Watts said they intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and unforeseeable, and that no adequate early warning flood systems existed in the area. Advertisement Advertisement The Stewards said theyre furious the Eastland family is trying to get back into business while their daughter remains missing. It is an active crime scene, CiCi Steward said. I dont know anyone in their right mind that would willingly send their child to an active crime scene. With the same leadership, Will Steward said, completing his wifes thought. Were not opposed to children going to camp. Were opposed to the Eastlands, the audacity of sending out deposit slips when our child, one of their campers, who theyve professed to love in this community, is still missing. The couples lawyer, Brad Beckworth, agreed. Advertisement Advertisement Its a rush to reopen without everybody knowing the facts of what happened, he said. And, I mean, I can tell you as a parent, my children would never go back to a camp operated by this family. Three days after the deadly flood last summer, Bush Hager went on TODAY and revealed that her mother, former first lady Laura Bush, had once been a camp counselor at Camp Mystic. But also, so many of my friends were raised at this camp, Bush Hager said. Texas [summer] camps are institutions where many family members, generations this camp was 100 years old so grandmothers, mothers, kids have all gone there. Speaking with the Stewards, Bush Hager asked CiCi Steward to read the statement the couple had prepared before the interview. Advertisement Advertisement Our hearts are shattered, the grieving mother read. Our souls are scrambled. But we have no choice other than to fight for Cile and the other 26 girls lives to have not been taken in vain. They deserve better. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com By Nichola Groom Feb 6 (Reuters) - Tesla is hiring to support founder Elon Musk's recently announced plan to become the biggest U.S. manufacturer of solar energy components, according to online posts by senior executives at the company. The posts show the company is acting on Musk's new vision of setting up 100 gigawatts of domestic solar production, a target he announced last month. "This is an audacious, ambitious project," Seth Winger, Tesla senior manager for solar products engineering, wrote in one of several posts by company executives on LinkedIn. "We need audacious, ambitious engineers and scientists to help us grow to massive scale. If you want to solve tough manufacturing problems at breakneck speed and help the U.S. break through on renewable energy generation, come join us." A job posting on the Tesla website for a solar manufacturing development engineer said the company's goal is to "deploy 100GW of solar manufacturing from raw materials on American soil before the end of 2028." Musk had not previously given a timeline for the goal or announced plans to ramp up hiring for it. Tesla officials and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tesla Director of Engineering Ralf Gomm and Bonne Eggleston, a vice president overseeing battery cell manufacturing, also posted this week about the company's hiring plans in solar. Tesla is turning its ambitions to solar manufacturing at a time when its EV sales are flagging. The company last week unveiled a new solar panel it is producing at its factory in Buffalo, New York. Local media in China reported this week that delegations sent by Musk had visited various Chinese solar companies. It was not clear where the 100 GW of production would be located. "We have not yet engaged with Tesla," Pamm Lent, a spokesperson for Empire State Development, a New York state economic development agency, said in an emailed statement. Musk himself has said that solar and batteries are the best way to add large amounts of electricity to the power grid at a time of soaring demand from data centers linked to the expansion of artificial intelligence. Those views clash with those of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration Musk previously served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Trump has called renewable energy expensive and inefficient, and has signed legislation slashing clean energy subsidies. SOLAR IN SPACE Musk has also raised the possibility of putting solar panels in space, suggesting potential synergies with his SpaceX business. A fifth lawsuit has been filed against Camp Mystic seven months after 27 campers and counselors died when the July 4 floodwaters swept through the camp. The legal team for the family of eight-year-old Cile Steward, the final missing camper, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Travis County. In the legal filing, it is said that Cile is "presumed to be deceased." In addition to suing the camp. the Stewards are also suing a number of the Eastland family members. Advertisement Advertisement The more than 100-page lawsuit goes into detail about the warnings that were sent from the Texas Department of Emergency Management regarding the storm. It also goes on to allege at 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., the Eastlands moved canoes to higher ground. At 1:14 a.m. The NWS issued a Flash Flood Warning for Kerr County with a "considerable" threat tag. The legal team alleges Camp Mystic owner Dick Eastland received this alert. Around 3:00 a.m. the lawsuit said Dick Eastland decided to evacuate the cabins closest to the river. It then goes on to say Cile and other campers in her cabin, Twins II, could hear Edward Eastland allegedly telling them to "stay put in their cabins until the water gets 'so high they couldn't stay any longer'." The Stewards lawsuit said Edward Eastland returns around 3:30 a.m. and said the water was too high to leave "and will soon recede." While in Twins II, the lawsuit said Edward prayed for Jesus to stop the rain while bracing the doorframe. Around 4:09 a.m. Edward Eastland is swept away with two Twins I campers holding onto him. At some point, the Stewards legal team said Cile was floating on a mattress with some of her fellow campers before she fell off and was unable to grab on to a tree where the majority of survivors were found. Advertisement Advertisement RELATED: 'Unthinkable' | Family of final missing Camp Mystic camper pens letter after learning of reopening plans Will and CiCi Steward, Cile's parents, said the last thing the eight-year-old said to her mother before starting her first year at Camp Mystic was "Mom, don't worry, I'm going to be okay." The lawsuit also said, "Cile is not worried about her safety. She doesn't know she needs to be. No child expects the adults in charge to abandon them." The lawsuit alleges the Eastlands refuse to take accountability and said "The Eastlands dismiss the warnings embedded in Camp Mystic's own history by insisting the July 4 flood was a 1,000-year event, that the last time a flood like this occurred, Noah had to build an ark. That is not true. But even if it were, both Noah and the Eastlands were warned a flood was coming. The difference is that Noah prepared. The Eastlands did not." Mikal Watts, an attorney for Camp Mystic, released the following statement: Advertisement Advertisement "We empathize with the families of the campers and counselors and all families in the Hill Country who lost loved ones in the horrific and unprecedented flood of July 4. We are devastated by the deaths of our campers and counselors, and we continue to pray for God to comfort and support their families in their unfathomable grief. We intend to demonstrate and prove that this sudden surge of floodwaters far exceeded any previous flood in the area by several magnitudes, that it was unexpected and unforeseeable, and that no adequate early warning flood systems existed in the area. We disagree with the misinformation in the legal filings regarding the actions of Camp Mystic and Dick Eastland, who lost his life as well. We will thoroughly respond to these accusations in due course. In the meantime, we remain proud of the legacy of Camp Mystic and its role in forging strong, young Christian women across Texas and will endeavor to continue that role in the future while focused entirely on implementing a litany of new procedures and new technologies to make Camp Mystic and the community around us safe for all who come in the future." The lawsuit does also discuss how the history of flooding at the camp is mentioned in trivia contests. Advertisement Advertisement One of the history questions, which is seen on a piece of paper, the lawsuit said belonged to Cile, asked "What year was the great flood?" The answer, according to the paper, is 1932. The lawsuit said the river peaked at Hunt at 36.60 feet and on July 4, 2025, it peaked at 37.52 feet. The Stewards are requesting a jury trial and at least $1,000,000 in actual and punitive damages. 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. NEED TO KNOW A Scandinavian Airlines flight at Brussels Airport was canceled on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 5 This happened after the pilot reportedly aborted takeoff after beginning procedures on a taxiway instead of one of airport's runways Scandinavian Airlines said it is "conducting a thorough internal investigation alongside local authorities to understand the sequence of events," per Air Live A Scandinavian Airlines flight was canceled after the planes pilot reportedly began its takeoff on a taxiway instead of the runway. The incident happened at Brussels Airport on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 5, and affected SAS flight SK2590, which was headed to Copenhagen, according to Aerospace Global News, Air Live and The Aviation Herald. Advertisement Advertisement The plane, an Airbus A320neo with 165 people on board, had been cleared for takeoff on Runway 07L one of the primary runways at the airport but ended up on a parallel taxiway, according to the outlets. While on the parallel taxiway, the plane began its takeoff procedures, but then aborted takeoff just as the plane reached a speed of about 123 mph (107 knots over ground), Air Live and the Herald reported, citing data from Flightradar24. An image of the flight's path shared by Flightradar24 appears to show that the aircraft came to a stop near the runway before returning to its original depature location at the airport. The Herald reported that the pilot realized the error at the point where the taxiway lane got narrower and the pilot managed to stop the plane before a taxiway intersection and just short of the airport's fuel tanks. Brussels Airport in Belgium Omar Havana/Getty Emergency services responded to the scene and the passengers on the plane disembarked onto the taxiway as maintenance personnel inspected the planes braking system, which would have undergone extreme heat during the sudden stop, per Air Live. Advertisement Advertisement The passengers were transported back to the terminal. No injuries were reported, according to the outlets. The flight was eventually canceled following the incident. PEOPLE has reached out to Scandinavian Airlines for comment on the incident. Simon Berneblad Mandegard, a passenger on board the flight, described the incident as "a very dramatic moment," per the Daily Mail. "We taxied out as normal, lined up, and suddenly began accelerating like a regular take-off, but after gaining quite a lot of speed, something clearly wasn't right," he recalled. "The pilot suddenly slammed on the brakes, extremely hard, and the whole cabin felt the force immediately." Advertisement Advertisement "There was a sharp maneuver to keep the aircraft on the paved surface, and you could feel how close we were to running out of space," he added. 'Thankfully everyone was safe, but it was definitely one of the most intense situations I've ever experienced on a plane." 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. Operations at Brussels Airport continued on as normal following the incident, reported Aerospace Global News. A spokesperson for Scandinavian Airlines told Air Live that the airline is fully cooperating with Belgian aviation authorities to determine how the incident happened and noted that they planned to have an internal investigation on the issue. Advertisement Advertisement Safety is our absolute priority, the airline told Air Live in a statement. We are currently conducting a thorough internal investigation alongside local authorities to understand the sequence of events. Read the original article on People Penn State police are investigating a flyer on the University Park campus that depicts a hanging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and reads, Dead ICE agents cant kill. In an email, Colleen Mastony, assistant vice president for strategic communications at Penn State, confirmed the investigation to the Centre Daily Times. Penn State condemns this and any calls for violence or attempts to frighten or intimidate. We are aware of this image circulating online, and University Police and Public Safety is investigating, Mastony said. Advertisement Advertisement Although the poster may offend some people, it is protected free speech, FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression), a nonprofit based in Philadelphia focused on defending freedom of speech, said. The anti-ICE poster is clearly protected by the First Amendment. As a public university, Penn State University may not investigate students or student groups merely because administrators or other students object to the views expressed by a poster, FIRE program officer Charlotte Arneson said in a written statement. The Penn State College Republicans posted a picture of the flyer, along with a statement on Friday that accused a member of the Penn State Democrats of posting a photo of the flyer on their social media. The College Republicans called on the College Democrats to condemn the calls for violence and to denounce the actions of the person who shared the picture. This is not a matter of partisan disagreement, but of basic standards of decency and safety within our campus community. We steadfastly defend the free speech of any America; this moves beyond pure advocacy and into the realm of criminal threats. As we stated in September and countless times before: Political violence of any kind is sickening and has no place in our nation. We hope to see them do the right thing, the statement reads in part. Advertisement Advertisement The Penn State College Democrats did not respond to an inquiry from the CDT. But the College Republicans in a separate social media post said they received word that the individual is no longer part of the College Democrats. Further more, PSU College Dems have stated that they do not condone violence of any kind and do not agree with what was posted, the post states. The College Republicans also called for an investigation into who posted the flyers around campus, and for them to be held accountable. The Penn State College Republicans post on X has been shared close to 3,000 times and has received attention from people like Scott Presler, a conservative activist, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican from South Carolina, and Libs of TikTok, a popular far-right social media account. Its unclear how many flyers were placed, or where they were located. Advertisement Advertisement The calls for violence against federal officers are unacceptable under any circumstances, the College Republicans statement says, and this type of rhetoric and speech creates an environment where people believe its OK to commit violent acts against ICE officers and those who support their efforts. History has shown that dehumanizing rhetoric and explicit calls for violence do not remain confined to online spaces, but instead have real-world consequences that endanger lives. King County Sheriffs Office (KCSO) deputies and Mercer Island Police Department (MPD) officers saved a man who fell through the ice on Fish Lake northwest of Leavenworth on Tuesday. The law enforcement officers were finishing their annual ice rescue training when one of them noticed a man ice fishing who had fallen through the ice. Everyone just jumped right into action and kind of utilized all the skills that we just practiced, Erik Pierson said, a deputy on the King County Sheriffs Office Marine Rescue Unit team. Advertisement Advertisement One KCSO deputy and an MPD officer crawled on the ice to the man, who was more than 150 feet from shore. Pierson says he and his fishing partner were walking back when he fell through. Pierson helped tie a rope under the mans arms, clipping him to a floatation sled where the other officers pulled him to shore. He estimates the man was out of the water and in the cabin the first responder brought for heating in less than ten minutes. If it took a little bit longer or anything like that, that could have really been bad, Pierson said. It could have been potentially fatal. Not just for him, but maybe even his buddies who were trying to rescue him, should that have occurred, it was just really perfect that we were there right at the right time, he continued. Advertisement Advertisement The Washington Department of Natural Resources says ice should be at least four inches thick for walking on or ice fishing. Pierson says that while the ice was technically thick enough, it was noticeably weak and cracking under his weight. KCSO has held training sessions at the lake for several years, but this year the warm weather has made conditions more dangerous. In the years past, weve had some pretty awesome ice out there, real thick, and if anything, weve had issues trying to cut into the ice to create a whole diving because it was so thick. That was not the case this year. Pierson said. It was kind of this frazzled ice that if you put a little bit of weight on it, you start to feel yourself sink. NEED TO KNOW A Turkish Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing after an engine reportedly 'caught fire' after takeoff The incident occurred at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal on Wednesday, Feb. 4, according to local outlets The plane, carrying 225 passengers and 11 crew members, was diverted west of Kathmandu in order to land safely in India Pilots were forced to make an emergency landing earlier this week after one of their aircrafts engines reportedly caught fire within minutes of takeoff. According to FlightAware, Turkish Airlines flight 727 departed the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, around 1:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The Airbus A330-300 was scheduled to land in Istanbul after about eight-and-a-half hours. Advertisement Advertisement However, within minutes of takeoff, pilots reported a malfunction with one of the engines during its initial climb. A Turkish Airlines plane Kevin Carter/Getty The pilot informed the Kathmandu tower and continued flying on a single engine, holding the aircraft for some time over the Dharke area of Dhading district, to assess the situation, Gyanendra Bhul, a deputy spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), tells The Kathmandu Post. A spokesperson for CAAN did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Teknath Sitaula, general manager of the Tribhuvan Airport, tells Asian News International (ANI) it was more than a mechanical issue. The Turkish Airline with flight number THY272 caught fire within four minutes of the take off, the right engine caught fire, he said of the flight carrying 225 passengers and 11 crew members. The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, India. Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times via Getty The official told the outlet the plane diverted west of Kathmandu and shut down the right engine. Advertisement Advertisement Twin engine aircrafts can continue flying with one engine, while taking various precautions to not over stress the remaining engine. Yahya Ustun, a spokesperson for Turkish Airlines, confirmed the incident in a post on X. TK727 flight number, operating the KathmanduIstanbul route with an Airbus A330 aircraft, received a technical warning related to the right engine after takeoff, he writes. The aircraft was diverted to Kolkata Airport in India for the necessary checks and landed safely. FlightAware reports the plane landed safely at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Boise International Airport (NSCBI) in Kolkata at 2:48 p.m. local time, after one hour and 34 minutes in the air. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In Ustuns post, he confirmed a new flight arrangement has been made for the continuation of our passengers journey. PEOPLE has reached out to the Tribhuvan Airport and NSCBI for comment. Read the original article on People CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police have detained a person of interest following a fatal shooting at a bank in northwest Charlotte. The deadly incident happened shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday at a local Bank of America branch in the 9700 block of Callabridge Court, an area surrounded by several local businesses. As officers arrived at the scene, they found a woman who had been shot. She was pronounced deceased at the scene by Medic. Advertisement Advertisement Police confirmed they are treating the case as a homicide investigation, though details about what led up to the shooting have not yet been released. Friday night, CMPD reported that detectives were led them to an address of a person of interest on the same side of the city. SWAT Team officers responded, and the person was detained outside the home without further incident. The situation is still developing, and authorities have not shared information about any suspects or the victims identity at this time. MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM Crime & Public Safety 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 Queen City News. A woman is dead after a shooting near a Bank of America in northwest Charlotte Friday morning. Police think they know who pulled the trigger. Channel 9 saw officers yelling for a man to come out of his house five miles from the crime scene. Detectives worked all day to find the person behind the shooting, which led them to another scene Friday afternoon. Maj. Anderson tells me when CMPD got to the scene, they found a woman shot. She died. Crime scene investigators are out here now taking photographs as detectives work to try to find leads to a suspect. They are calling this an isolated incident. Hunter Saenz (@Hunt_Saenz) February 6, 2026 The incident happened just after 10:30 Friday morning. Advertisement Advertisement CMPD officers swarmed the back parking lot of the Bank of America branch off Callabridge Court after receiving multiple 911 calls of a shooting. They arrived, finding a woman shot dead near the sidewalk, yards from the ATM. I never seen nothing like this happen up here, said John Davis, who stumbled upon the scene on his way to work. Its kind of shocking because I actually bank at that bank, Davis said. The witness, who was in the nearby McDonalds drive-thru at the time of the shooting, told Channel 9 she heard two shots and saw the police involved. Another witness told us just after the shots rang out, she saw a suspicious person get in a yellow Dodge Charger and drive off. Advertisement Advertisement That detail, which is critical to detectives who quickly acted on it, helped officers track a car that is believed to fit that description to a house off Quail Street near the Charlotte airport. SWAT officers were there for hours, calling on a loud speaker for a man to come out. Channel 9 has learned that scene could be connected to the homicide less than five miles away. Im trying to figure out why did this happen because nothing, I mean nothing, ever happens like this up here, said Davis. Police stress they dont know the answer to that yet, but theyre trying to get to the bottom of it. Were looking for all the evidence we can, any video evidence, CMPD said. Advertisement Advertisement We did see Bank of America president Keith Cockrell at the scene earlier, helping anyway the bank can with the investigation. Our crew at the SWAT standoff says a man did come out of the house and was arrested. Were working to learn more about that arrest. VIDEO: Lenoir police investigate deadly shooting; suspect in custody Hey there Portsmouth homeowners! What did you think of your January property tax bill? The factors that drive Portsmouths recent increases in property taxes are several. A poorly calibrated zoning ordinance is one of them. Zoning regulations control the types and location of new development, not to mention the scale to which developers are permitted to build. These regulations can have a substantial impact on a propertys market value, and consequently the taxable value calculated by the City Assessor. Advertisement Advertisement When a municipality drafts revisions to its zoning regulations and zoning map, finding an equitable balance is critical. Otherwise, the property tax burden could shift from one part of the city to another, or from one type of land use to another, e.g. from commercial to residential. Should Portsmouths residents be further burdened by excessive increases in taxation, many will be hard pressed to remain in the community. A century ago, the US Supreme Court gave its blessing to the regulation of private property via zoning. However, the court did so subject to the condition that the zoning ordinance remain consistent with the municipalitys Master Plan. NH law requires that such plans be revisited every ten years. Portsmouths decennial review is currently underway. The City hired the Boston-based consulting firm, Utile, to assist in this process. The Planning Board has primary jurisdiction over the Master Plan update. NH law requires the process to be transparent and open to all. On September 16, 2025, I happened to notice the Planning Board gathered around a table in front of the North Church. Utile was in attendance, as were the Citys Planning Director and Assistant Planning Director. No members of the press or public were present. Advertisement Advertisement Planning Department staff subsequently claimed that they had issued a public notice indicating the time and place of the meeting, and inviting the public to listen in. However staff provided no evidence that any such notice was ever published. To this day, the meeting remains conspicuously absent from the official calendar on the Citys website. The City produced no audio or video recordings of the 90-minute session. On December 2, I requested a copy of the September 16 meeting minutes. To those readers who are unfamiliar with meeting minutes, this document is an official record that details the questions, comments, suggestions, and decisions of meeting participants. NH law requires the preparation of minutes within 5 business days of the meeting. The Citys Legal Department responded promptly to my request for the minutes. Staff asserted, via email, that the Planning Board did not convene on Sept. 16, and hence, there are no minutes. Advertisement Advertisement Legal staff eventually reversed their no-meeting narrative. On December 29 they provided me with minutes of the Sept. 16 session. The document had been produced nearly three months after the statutory deadline. The belated minutes consist of a single sentence stating that the Planning Board convened to discuss zoning and the master plan. Alas, the absence of specificity render such minutes insufficient to shed light on the changes the Planning Board may be contemplating for our zoning ordinance and zoning map. Content-free minutes are a slap in the face to Portsmouth residents. These minutes fall far short of that required by RSA 91-A, a NH statute that is commonly known as the Right-to-Know Law. On January 22, I asked the Planning Board to add some substance to their Sept. 16 minutes. By unanimous vote, the board declined. I guess they dont want us to know. Advertisement Advertisement As the Herald knows from its own efforts to obtain public documents from Portsmouth City Hall, there are times when the only recourse to municipal intransigence are the courts. In the near future, I plan to seek a court order requiring the Planning Board to add substance to its content-free meeting minutes of September 16. On January 23, former Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine reminded Herald readers of the role played by NHs Right-to Know Law in helping to ensure that government is transparent and responsive. Jim cited 91-As preamble that reads as follows: Openness in the conduct of public business is essential to a democratic society. The purpose of this chapter is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussions and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people. Tom Morgan Tom Morgan is a Portsmouth resident. He chaired the citys Zoning Board of Adjustment from 1987 to 1990. Advertisement Advertisement Editor's note: The city was asked to respond to the assertions in this column and City Attorney Susan Morrell offered the following response: "A Notice of Quorum was posted in City Hall and at the Library. No decisions were made, no actions were taken, and minutes have been produced." This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth Planning Board transparency still lacking: Morgan By John Irish and Gianluca Lo Nostro PARIS, Feb 6 (Reuters) - France has uncovered a pro-Russia disinformation campaign falsely connecting President Emmanuel Macron to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a French government source said on Friday. The source said the state service for Vigilance and Protection against Foreign Digital Interference had detected an operation that used tactics like those of Storm-1516, a pro-Russia group that U.S. authorities suspect spread disinformation during the 2024 U.S. presidential election campaign. Advertisement Advertisement The content included screenshots of fake emails, which were made to appear to have come from a new U.S. Justice Department dump of Epstein files and to implicate Macron. One email falsely described Macron as hosting a party with underage individuals. Macron's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the disinformation campaign and on whether the president had ever met Epstein, either before or after Epstein's 2008 conviction for procuring an underage girl for prostitution. FAKE WEBSITE The disinformation operation started with a website purporting to be French online daily France-Soir. Advertisement Advertisement The counterfeit domain published an article on Wednesday accusing Macron of ties to Epstein. The information was later amplified through a video posted on Elon Musk's X platform, the source said. French Response, an X account run by Frances foreign ministry, described the article as false and denied its contents. The fake website was taken down after a complaint by the real France-Soir but Reuters found that the video pertaining to be a news report could still be viewed on X. Asked by Reuters whether French authorities had requested it remove the video, X did not respond. The initial video post came from an account tied to Storm-1516, the source said. Many other accounts also disseminated the content. Advertisement Advertisement The Russian Embassy in Paris could not immediately be reached for comment. A French official said Paris had previously expressed concern to Moscow about what it views as Russian efforts to discredit Macron, including during his first presidential run in 2017. Moscow denied those allegations. European governments have accused Russia and pro-Moscow actors of orchestrating a broader campaign of interference aimed at destabilising European governments and undermining the European Union. Moscow rejects the allegations. (Reporting by John Irish; Writing by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Richard Lough and Timothy Heritage) NEW YORK Progressive Ana Mejia held a slim lead Friday in the crowded Democratic primary race for New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrills old seat. Mejia, a former staffer for Sen. Bernie Sanders, led with about 28% of the vote compared to about 27% for ex-Rep. Tom Malinowski, an early favorite who previously represented a neighboring North Jersey district. With Mejias lead sitting at just 496 votes with 90% of precincts reporting, both campaigns said the race was still too close to call. Advertisement Advertisement Tahesha Way, a former lieutenant governor who ran with controversial support from the pro-Israel AIPAC lobbying group, trailed with 17% while Brendan Gill, an Essex County commissioner who was endorsed by ex-Gov. Phil Murphy, had 14%. Either Mejia or Malinowski will be favored to beat Republican Randolph Township Councilman Joe Hathaway who won unchallenged in a GOP primary in an April 16 special general election to fill the seat for the rest of the term. Sherrill won the seat in 2024 by double digits. Democratic turnout surpassed expectations in the affluent and well-educated suburban district, outpacing the number of party loyalists who voted in the regular 2024 congressional primary. Thats yet another data point suggesting liberal Democratic voters are energized to vote against President Donald Trumps Republican allies in the 2026 midterm congressional elections. Advertisement Advertisement Malinowski forged a big lead in early voting ballots that were counted first in the unusual Thursday primary, and some media outlets even wrongly crowned him the projected winner. But Mejia roared back to take the lead with a stronger performance in election day batlloting. Mejia, who boasted an endorsement from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, reveled in her underdog success story, posting the iconic photo of President Truman holding a newspaper with the erroneous Dewey Beats Truman headline. More ballots are expected to be counted Friday. But mail ballots that are postmarked by Thursday will still be counted if they arrive before Tuesday. And an undetermined number of provisional ballots will also be tallied. Assuming a Democrat wins the seat, it would help keep majority in the House of Representatives very small. The GOP now has a four-vote majority but that edge is likely to expand to five when a deep-red Georgia district elects a replacement for Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene by early April. Tokyo Electron Ltd. raised its full-year outlook even after its quarterly profit missed estimates and said it sees a surge in spending by chipmakers eager to ride an AI spending wave. The supplier of semiconductor tools now expects operating profit of 593 billion ($3.8 billion) in the year to March, up from its previous outlook of 586 billion but below expectations. Most Read from Bloomberg Demand for equipment to make DRAM from high-bandwidth memory to conventional chips is especially strong, with that trend likely to last for several years, Tokyo Electron said. At the same time, momentum from memory makers in China is cooling slightly, it said, while the countrys logic chipmakers are also pushing back delivery schedules for equipment. Customer inquiries are extremely strong, and the trajectory suggests that we may see growth of more than 20% this year if constraints in customers cleanroom capacity and procurement are resolved quickly, Finance Division Officer Hiroshi Kawamoto said during an earnings conference Friday. For the December quarter, Tokyo Electron earned an operating profit of 116.14 billion, compared with the average analyst estimate of 158.6 billion. The sales were slightly weak due to the timing of shipments, Kawamoto said. The company also announced a buyback of as much as 150 billion worth of its shares. Technology heavyweights from Amazon.com Inc. to Alphabet Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Inc. as well as sovereign wealth funds around the world are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on data centers, chips and other hardware in a race to lead in artificial intelligence. Tokyo Electron, which counts Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Samsung Electronics Co. as its customers, has benefited from growing appetite for advanced chipmaking equipment. But the Japanese company has also had to navigate export restrictions due to heated technological rivalry between the US and China. The Tokyo-based company is also expected to benefit from TSMCs plans to use 3-nanometer chip processes at its upcoming second factory in Japan. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2026 Bloomberg L.P. Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) visited Clover Preschool in Auburn as part of her 11-stop statewide child care tour. (Photo via Mattie Daughtry/ Facebook) In 2021, Maine expanded its school meal program to make it so all public K-12 students would be eligible for free breakfast and lunch, regardless of income. However, that did not extend to all public preschool students if they were attending a program outside a school facility. A new proposal seeks to change that, broadening access to all children enrolled in Maines public preschools. Advertisement Advertisement Each school district can develop and implement a public pre-K program, but they often partner with child care centers that dont necessarily run preschools at school sites. Although school meals are free for all public K-12 students, current Maine law only allows students enrolled in Pre-K within school buildings to receive free breakfast and lunch. Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland), who sponsored the legislation, recently completed a tour of early child care programs across the state. One of the inequities I saw is weve already invested substantially into our universal school meals program, and this ensures that its being delivered regardless of where that pre-K program is, Daughtry said at the public hearing before the Maine Legislatures Education and Cultural Affairs Committee on Thursday. Feeding children is not an optional add-on to early education, she added. Its a core part of helping them grow, learn and thrive. Advertisement Advertisement Her proposal, LD 2064, would address that inequity by establishing a grant that would allow off-site preschools to submit applications for $1,200 per student every year. They can also apply for a separate grant of up to $10,000 for infrastructure improvements (such as adding kitchen equipment or transportation to access meals prepared at schools) to be able to provide free breakfast, lunch and a snack. The grant would be operated by Maine Childrens Cabinet Early Childhood Advisory Council with input from the Health and Human Services and Education departments. Supporters of the bill included several current and former educators, child care providers, anti-hunger advocates and lawmakers who emphasized the adverse effects of childhood hunger, which one in five Maine children currently experience, and the impact universal free meals has made on combating hunger for older students. For a state like Maine that relies heavily on its working families, this bill helps take that weight off the parents to worry about being able to feed their child an adequate amount of food every day, said Sen. Joe Rafferty (D-York), who chairs the Education Committee, in his testimony supporting the bill. Advertisement Advertisement Raffertys co-chair, Rep. Kelly Murphy (D-Scarborough), used to work as a preschool teacher. She emphasized that hunger in preschool classrooms is a reality early childhood educators have to address. As a teacher, I saw how limited budgets and staffing made it difficult to consistently provide food, even when educators knew it was needed, she said.A hungry four year old doesnt have the language to explain whats wrong. They show it through behavior, fatigue, frustration or withdrawal. Child care providers are absorbing the cost Maines early education programs are run through a variety of providers, schools, community organizations, child care and Head Start partnerships. The National School Lunch Program, which reimburses states for school meals, doesnt extend that reimbursement for meals prepared and delivered off-site. Separate federal funding is available for child care providers, but it has other restrictions. That means off-site Pre-K programs are falling between the federal nutrition bureaucratic cracks, Colleen Frawley, advocacy manager for anti-hunger nonprofit Full Plates Full Potential, told the committee. Advertisement Advertisement The Child and Adult Care Food Program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides very limited funding for some preschool programs, but it is nowhere near enough to feed students, according to Laura Larson, executive director of Family Focus, which runs childcare programs across the state. She is also in charge of a Brunswick-based program that partners with the local school district, for which she receives 95 cents per day per child, or $3600 total for 35 weeks. The rest of that burden then falls on my program to figure out how Im going to subsidize those meals, she said. Proposed changes Ana Hicks, policy director for Human Services at the Governors Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, supported the idea behind the bill, but recommended that the Department of Educations child nutrition team administer the grants instead. She also suggested the bill establish two new staff positions responsible for managing the grants and ensuring that the recipients adhere to state nutritional guidelines. Hicks also recommended that the grants should also be made available to three-year-olds with an Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, in child care programs. Advertisement Advertisement Nancy Cronin, executive director of the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council, also spoke in favor of including young children receiving special education services in the proposed expansion. As were moving forward, its really important that all three and four year olds with disabilities have the same opportunities to be fed as everybody else, she said. (Photo by Peter Cade/Getty Images) Recent court rulings blocking efforts to regulate social media platforms send an important message to Ohio lawmakers: protecting kids online is necessary, but it has to be done the right way. When courts step in to halt legislation, it often means laws were rushed, overly broad, or unclear about where responsibility lies. The result is not stronger protections for children. It is delay, uncertainty, and a return to the status quo, where powerful technology platforms retain wide discretion over how kids are treated online. Advertisement Advertisement That should concern anyone serious about governing. As a parent in central Ohio, I do not see these rulings as a reason to retreat. I see them as a reminder that lawmakers have a responsibility to approach this work carefully and thoughtfully, with clear accountability built in from the start. Across the country, states are responding to very real harms facing children online. From explicit content to manipulative design features and opaque algorithms, the risks are well documented and increasingly difficult for parents to manage alone. The recent Texas ruling underscores how challenging it is to regulate in this space. But difficulty does not absolve responsibility. It raises the bar. Ohio lawmakers are now grappling with that responsibility as bills move through the Statehouse aimed at strengthening protections for minors online. There is broad agreement that doing nothing is not an option. Parents want action. But we also want laws that can withstand legal scrutiny and actually deliver results. Advertisement Advertisement Among the proposals under consideration is a bill backed by Meta that takes a similarly broad approach. Like the Texas law, it relies on sweeping requirements that raise serious constitutional and privacy concerns and risk shifting responsibility away from the platforms that design and control the digital spaces where kids spend their time. That is why lawmakers must be clear about what they are regulating and why. What should not happen is allowing technology platforms to fill the void by default when poorly constructed laws fail to hold up. Responsibility does not stop at the state level. In Washington, Congress is also debating how to approach kids online safety, with many of the same legal and constitutional questions in play. Members of Ohios congressional delegation who serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are helping shape the national framework that will ultimately govern how platforms operate. That makes it even more important for Ohio to lead with policies that are clear, durable, and grounded in sound governance, rather than repeating approaches already running into trouble in the courts. For years, companies like Meta have argued they can regulate themselves. They point to parental tools, safety policies, and internal review processes as evidence they are acting responsibly. But these measures exist within business models that reward attention, engagement, and scale. When profit incentives collide with child safety, parents are often the ones left paying the price. Advertisement Advertisement Ohio has an opportunity to learn from what has happened elsewhere. By taking a measured approach and engaging parents, educators, faith leaders, and child advocates, lawmakers can craft policies that protect kids while respecting constitutional boundaries. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Late Thursday night on Truth Social, President Donald Trump posted a video about alleged 2020 election fraud, which cut to an edited video of former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, with their heads pasted on ape bodies. The video quickly drew outrage from Republicans and Democrats alike for its racist depiction of the Obamas. Friday morning, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the video is from an internet meme depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. She added, Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. Advertisement Advertisement Then several hours later, a senior White House official told CNN, A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down. Many of Trumps allies, including Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., criticized the post. Scott posted Friday morning, Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. The President should remove it. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., similarly asked the president to delete the post and apologize, whether intentional or a mistake. Utah Sen. John Curtis also addressed the post Friday afternoon in an X post. The post was blatantly racist and inexcusable. It should never have been posted or left published for so long, he wrote. Advertisement Advertisement Utah Republican Rep. Mike Kennedy also weighed in Friday. Im glad the recent Truth Social post was taken down, he said of Trumps post. It was completely inappropriate and unacceptable. Our national discourse should reflect prudence and professionalism. This kind of imagery does not move the country forward. We should learn from this and focus on the work ahead. Utah Rep. Burgess Owens: I know President Trumps heart When asked about the video after it was taken down, Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, told the Deseret News, We all make mistakes. I know President Trumps heart. President Trump cares about everyone, particularly those who are having a hard time, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Owens continued, All the policies he has right now are for our kids, are for the safety of our communities, particularly our at-risk communities. So I think we should give everyone a little space. We make mistakes. I put out a couple posts I wish I could pull back. We all do that, but hes a good man with a good heart, and its obvious in the policies hes put together, he told the Deseret News on Friday morning. Later in the day, he posted another response on X to the presidents post. Im aware of the Truth Social post that circulated earlier. The imagery was wildly offensive and inappropriate, and as a Black man, I find it especially troubling, he said. It never should have been shared or even created, and Im glad it has been taken down. Reports indicate it may have been posted in error by a staff member, but regardless, we all have a responsibility to use care and good judgment with the content we produce and distribute. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Rep. Dina Titus announced Thursday that she has secured nearly $9 million in federal funding to support a series of community projects across Southern Nevada. The funding, approved as part of a larger Fiscal Year 2026 Minibus appropriations package, will go toward infrastructure upgrades, transportation improvements, and public safety initiatives throughout Nevadas First Congressional District. Titus, a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said the investments reflect longstanding local priorities. Im pleased this spending package includes $9 million in funding for projects I secured for District One that will make our roads safer and our infrastructure more resilient, she said, noting the funds support everything from new bus shelters to airport tram upgrades and school zone safety enhancements. A portion of the funding will help modernize the Automated People Mover system at Harry Reid International Airport, including upgrades to the guideway structure, new vehicles, and improvements to the control system to keep passenger movement efficient between Terminal 1 and the concourses. Another significant allocation will support preservation work along Charleston Boulevard, including pavement improvements, updated signage, refreshed striping, and better lighting and ADA features. Advertisement Advertisement Nevada job openings dip as hiring slows in Las Vegas, Reno Safety improvements are also planned for SR 147 in North Las Vegas, where enhancements will include ADA upgrades, improved lighting, updated traffic signals, and new striping. In Boulder City, funding will support rehabilitation work along Nevada Way and surrounding streets, including resurfacing, restriping, and pedestrianfocused improvements such as raised crosswalks and upgraded access around Wheeler Park. Additionally, the City of Las Vegas will be able to move forward with its Vision Zero school zone initiative, which aims to eliminate severe traffic injuries and fatalities by 2050. The funding will help improve safety at 281 school zone locations across the city. Extreme heat mitigation is also part of the package, with funds designated to install or upgrade 120 dualdirection bus shelters designed to provide shade for transit riders. Boulder City will receive support for its Community and Science Center, which focuses on sustainable food production in desert environments and the use of native plants in landscaping and restoration. The Regional Transportation Commission will expand its bike share network across downtown Las Vegas, the Maryland Parkway corridor, and the UNLV area, and Clark County will replace aging outdoor lighting with energyefficient LED fixtures to improve visibility in underserved neighborhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Beyond local projects, Titus helped secure major increases for the Federal Aviation Administration, including a total of $18.6 billion in funding$1.6 billion more than the previous cycle. The legislation also blocks efforts to privatize the FAA and provides resources to hire 2,500 additional air traffic controllers, upgrade facilities and equipment, and update air traffic control tower systems. Download the 8 News Now streaming app The spending package includes several national investments as well, such as additional funding for the National Institutes of Health to advance research on major diseases, protections for the Job Corps training program, and increased support for womens health research. Mental health initiatives received a boost through additional funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and opioid response grants. The legislation also increases support for child care and Head Start programs, ramps up funding to combat homelessness, and fully funds a 3.8 percent pay raise for military personnel. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. For decades, the Olive Dell Ranch in Redlands has existed as one of the oldest nudist resorts in Southern California. But a few months ago, many residents there filed a lawsuit against the owners, after a new policy was enacted making the wearing of clothing in public areas mandatory. Now, tensions are boiling over after some residents say the owners are retaliating against them by cutting off their power. "I have no idea what their motivation is," said resident Nancy Roeder. "But this is harassment." Advertisement Advertisement Some residents with electric water heaters now have no access to hot water. Other residents are disabled; some have medical equipment that needs electricity to function. "I have a CPAP machine," said Roeder. "I need that. "My partner also has a nebulizer that she needs at least twice a day, depending on how bad her asthma is." Some residents say they haven't paid rent or utilities since the civil lawsuit was filed in 2025. But resident Jim Ramer says he's never missed a payment. "I've been paying, I've been paying every month," said Ramer, who also had his power recently disconnected by the owners of the property. Advertisement Advertisement "I have a pacemaker that's supposed to be monitored by the hospital, and it's very stressful." Resident Jim Hillis said he's also always made his rent and utility payments to the landlord. "I wrote a check, mailed it, got proof of mailing from the bank," said Hillis. "It was delivered, but she refused to cash the check." Eyewitness News spoke with Tina Coffelt, identified as one of the co-owners of the property. "We have pulled the meters for lack of payment," said Coffelt. "You can look up Penal Code 498, stealing electricity is a felony." Advertisement Advertisement Coffelt said some residents have attempted to purchase their own electric meters to restore power, which she said is against the law. "You're not allowed to have your owner meter. It has to be my meter as the owner, and it has to be certified by the state." Coffelt doesn't deny that she's enacted a policy that makes it mandatory for residents to always wear clothing. "If you want to run around naked, go to a naked place," said Coffelt. "We're not doing that anymore. "They got a notice in writing and just won't stop." But an attorney representing many of the residents in the civil lawsuit says that kind of policy violates their civil rights. Advertisement Advertisement "The reason it's against the law, is the civil rights act prohibits any business from discriminating against anyone based on their characteristics," said attorney Frances Campbell, who said being a nudist could be described as a characteristic. Campbell said the property is a private, well-known nudist resort that's out of the public eye. "You have to drive up a long dirt road to get there, and it's gated," said Campbell. "It's not something (a member of the public) is going to just happen upon. "For an owner to take over and say you can't be nudists anymore means they just want them gone." Advertisement Advertisement Campbell said the landlord has filed at least 23 unlawful detainers against residents to try to evict them and said it's against the law for the landlord to try to disconnect their power. "There's a state law that prohibits landlords from, with the intent to evict, turning off people's utilities." Residents recently called Redlands Police to report the removal of the electric meters. The officers that responded to the location told residents it's a civil matter. Ten minutes after they left, a physical altercation occurred between one of the landlord's employees and one of the tenants. Redlands Police came back to the scene and arrested both people on suspicion of mutual combat. They were cited and released. Heres why elections in this swing state city are always viewed with suspicion For nearly two weeks following Election Day in 2024, former U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, a Republican, refused to concede, blasting last-minute absentee ballots that were dropped in Milwaukee at 4 a.m., flipping the outcome. But, just as when Donald Trump blamed Milwaukee for his 2020 loss, Hovdes accusations and insinuations about the citys election practices coincided with a surge of conspiratorial posts about the city. Popular social media users speculated about sabotage and fraudulently high turnout. Hovde earlier this year told Votebeat that he believes there are issues at Milwaukees facility for counting absentee ballots, but he added that he doesnt blame his loss on that. He didnt respond to a request for comment in December for this article. Advertisement Advertisement In Wisconsins polarized political landscape, Milwaukee has become a flashpoint for election suspicion, much like Philadelphia and Detroit diverse, Democratic urban centers that draw outsized criticism. The scrutiny reflects the states deep rural-urban divide and a handful of election errors in Milwaukee that conspiracy theorists have seized on, leaving the citys voters and officials under constant political pressure. That treatment, Milwaukee historian John Gurda says, reflects the general pattern where you have big cities governed by Democrats automatically perceived by the right as centers of depravity [and] insane, radical leftists. Charlie Sykes a longtime conservative commentator no longer aligned with much of the GOP said theres nothing tremendously mysterious about Republicans singling out Milwaukee: As long as election conspiracy theories dominate the right, the heavily Democratic city will remain a target. Milwaukee voters and election officials under constant watch Milwaukees emergence as a target in voter fraud narratives accelerated in 2010, when dozens of billboards in the citys predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods showed three people, including two Black people, behind bars with the warning: VOTER FRAUD is a FELONY 3 YRS & $10,000 FINE. Advertisement Advertisement Community groups condemned them as racist and misleading, especially for people who had regained their voting rights after felony convictions. Similar billboards returned in 2012, swapping the jail bars for a gavel. All of the advertisements were funded by the Einhorn Family Foundation, associated with GOP donor Stephen Einhorn, who didnt respond to Votebeats email requesting comment. Criticism of Milwaukee extends well beyond its elections. As Wisconsins largest city, it is often cast as an outlier in a largely rural state, making it easier for some to believe the worst about its institutions including its elections. One of the undercurrents of Wisconsin political history is rural parts versus urban parts, said University of WisconsinMilwaukee political scientist and former Democratic legislator Mordecai Lee. As the states biggest city by far, it becomes the punching bag for outstate legislators on almost any issue. People stay at home and watch the evening news and they think if you come to Milwaukee, youre going to get shot or youre going to get run over by a reckless driver, said Claire Woodall, who ran the citys elections from 2020 to 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Election officials acknowledge Milwaukee has made avoidable mistakes in high-stakes elections but describe them as quickly remedied and the kinds of errors any large city can experience when processing tens of thousands of ballots. What sets Milwaukee apart is the scrutiny: Whether it was a briefly forgotten USB stick in 2020 or tabulator doors left open in 2024, each lapse is treated as something more ominous. Other Wisconsin municipalities have made more consequential errors without attracting comparable attention. In 2011, Waukesha County failed to report votes from Brookfield when tallying a statewide court race a major oversight that put the wrong candidate in the lead in early unofficial results. In 2024, Summit, a town in Douglas County, disqualified all votes in an Assembly race after officials discovered ballots were printed with the wrong contest listed. I dont believe that there is anywhere in the state that is under a microscope the way the City of Milwaukee is, said Neil Albrecht, a former executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission. Black Milwaukeeans say racism is behind scrutiny on elections Milwaukee grew quickly in the 19th century, built by waves of European immigrants who powered its factories and breweries and helped turn it into one of the Midwests major industrial cities. A small Black community, searching for employment and fleeing the Jim Crow South, took root early and grew substantially in the mid-20th century. Advertisement Advertisement As industry declined, white residents fled to the suburbs, many of which had racist housing policies that excluded Blacks. That left behind a city marked by segregated schools, shrinking job prospects, and sharp economic divides. The split was so stark that the Menomonee River Valley became a shorthand boundary: Black residents to the north, white residents to the south a divide Milwaukee never fully overcame. The result is one of the most segregated cities in the country, a place that looks and feels profoundly different from the overwhelmingly white, rural communities that surround it. That contrast has long made Milwaukee an easy target in statewide politics, and it continues to feed some peoples suspicions that something about the city including its elections is fundamentally untrustworthy. The Rev. Greg Lewis, executive director of Wisconsins Souls to the Polls, said the reputation is rooted in racism and belied by reality. He said he has a hard enough time getting minorities to vote at all, let alone vote twice. Albrecht agreed. Advertisement Advertisement If a Souls to the Polls bus would pull up to [a polling site], a bus full of Black people, some Republican observer would mutter, Oh, these are the people being brought up from Chicago, he said. As if we dont have African Americans in Milwaukee. After former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes a Black Milwaukeean and a Democrat lost his 2022 U.S. Senate bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, Bob Spindell, a Republican member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, emailed constituents saying Republicans can be especially proud of Milwaukee casting 37,000 fewer votes than in 2018, with the major reduction happening in the overwhelming Black and Hispanic areas. The message sparked backlash, though Spindell rejected accusations of racism. Asked about it this year, Spindell told Votebeat he meant to praise GOP outreach to Black voters. Milwaukee organizer Angela Lang said she finds the shifting narratives about Black turnout revealing. Are we voting [illegally]? she said. Or are you all happy that were not voting? History of real and perceived errors increases pressure on city The scrutiny directed at Milwaukee falls on voters and the city employees who run its elections. Advertisement Advertisement Milwaukees most serious stumble came in 2004, when a last-minute overhaul of the election office contributed to unprocessed voter registrations, delayed absentee counts, and discrepancies in the final tally. Multiple investigations found widespread administrative problems but no fraud. It was hard coming in at that low point, said Albrecht, who joined the commission the following year, saying it gave Milwaukee the reputation as an election fraud capital. In 2008, the city created a centralized absentee ballot count facility to reduce errors at polling places and improve consistency. The change worked as intended, but it also meant Milwaukees absentee results representing tens of thousands of votes were often reported after midnight, sometimes shifting statewide margins. That timing is largely a product of state law: Wisconsin is one of the few states that prohibit clerks from processing absentee ballots before Election Day. For years, Milwaukee officials have asked lawmakers to change the rule. Instead, opponents argue the city cant be trusted with extra processing time even as they criticize the late-night results all but unavoidable under the current rule. Advertisement Advertisement That dynamic was on full display in 2018, when former Gov. Scott Walker, trailing in his reelection bid, said he was blindsided by Milwaukees 47,000 late-arriving absentee ballots and accused the city of incompetence. Proposals to allow administrators more time to process ballots and therefore report results sooner have repeatedly stalled in the Legislature. The most recent passed the Assembly last session but never received a Senate vote, with some Republicans openly questioning why they should give Milwaukee more time when they dont trust the city to handle the ballots with the time it already has. The late-arriving results of absentee ballots processed in the City of Milwaukee benefits all attempts to discredit the city, Albrecht said. Without the change, to keep up with other Wisconsin municipalities, Milwaukee must process tens of thousands of absentee ballots in a single day, a herculean task. The effect of not passing it means this issue can be kept alive, said Lee, the UWMilwaukee political scientist. Advertisement Advertisement Some Republicans acknowledge that dynamic outright. Rep. Scott Krug, a GOP lawmaker praised for his pragmatic approach to election policy, has long supported a policy fix. This session, it doesnt appear to be going anywhere. Krug said a small but influential faction on the right has built a kind of social network around election conspiracy theories, many focused on Milwaukee. Because the tight counting window is part of the fuel that keeps that group going, he said, a fix is a problem for them. 2020 marked the shift to complete insanity Albrecht said that while Milwaukee had long operated under an unusual level of suspicion, the scrutiny that followed 2020 represented a shift he described as complete insanity. That year, in the early hours after Election Day, Milwaukee released its absentee totals, but then-election chief Woodall realized shed left a USB drive in one tabulator. Woodall called her deputy clerk about it, and the deputy had a police officer take the USB drive to the county building. The mistake didnt affect results the audit trail matched but it was enough to ignite right-wing talk radio and fuel yet more conspiratorial claims about the citys late-night reporting. Advertisement Advertisement The scrutiny only intensified. A joking email exchange between Woodall and an elections consultant, taken out of context, was perceived by some as proof of fraud after Gateway Pundit and a now-defunct conservative state politics site published it. Threats followed, serious enough that police and the FBI stepped in. Woodall pushed for increased security at the citys election office, saying that there was no question staff safety was at risk. A similar dynamic played out again in 2024, when workers discovered that doors on absentee tabulators hadnt been fully closed. With no evidence of tampering but anticipating backlash, officials zeroed out the machines and recounted every ballot. The fix didnt stop Republicans, including Johnson, from suggesting something very suspicious could be happening behind the scenes. Johnson did not respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, errors in other Wisconsin communities, sometimes far more consequential, rarely draw similar attention. Take Waukesha Countys error in 2011 a mistake that swung thousands of votes and affected which candidate was in the lead. But it didnt stick, said UWMadisons Barry Burden, a political science professor. People dont talk about Waukesha as a place with rigged or problematic elections. In recent years, there was only one substantiated allegation of serious election official wrongdoing: In November 2022, Milwaukee deputy clerk Kimberly Zapata was charged with misconduct in office and fraud for obtaining fake absentee ballots. A month prior, she had ordered three military absentee ballots using fake names and sent the ballots to a Republican lawmaker, an effort she reportedly described as an attempt to expose flaws in the election system. Zapata said those events stemmed from a complete emotional breakdown. She was sentenced to one year of probation for election fraud. We didnt hear as much from the right about those charges, Woodall said. More recently, the GOP has raised concerns about privacy screens a curtain hung last November to block a staging area and, earlier this year, a room with frosted windows. Republicans seized on each, claiming the city was hiding something. Paulina Gutierrez, the citys election director, told Votebeat the ballots temporarily kept behind the curtain arent manipulated. Theyre scanned and sent directly onto the floor, where observers are free to watch the envelopes be opened and the ballots be counted. But the accusations took off anyway. Even Johnson, the U.S. senator, suggested the city was making sure NO ONE trusts their election counts. This story was produced by Votebeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. NEW YORK A Manhattan judge has stopped the Trump administration from freezing funding for the Hudson River Tunnel project in an 11th-hour ruling. The order by Manhattan Federal Court Judge Jeannette Vargas granted emergency relief to New York and New Jersey, prohibiting the federal government from continuing to withhold funds. Vargas said she was persuaded after hearing arguments that the states would suffer irreparable harm barring an injunction. The states had adequately shown that the public interest would be harmed by a delay in a critical infrastructure project, the judge wrote. Advertisement Advertisement After months of federal funding interference, work on the $16 billion project had effectively shut down at 5 p.m. Friday. It was not immediately clear when work could resume. I am grateful the court acted quickly to block this senseless funding freeze, which threatened to derail a project our entire region depends on, New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement following the ruling. The Hudson Tunnel Project is one of the most important infrastructure projects in the nation, and we will keep fighting to ensure construction can continue without unnecessary federal interference. During arguments in Manhattan Federal Court Friday afternoon, a lawyer for the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office said thousands of construction workers would be forced off the job this weekend and abandon literally a massive hole in the earth if the government didnt immediately restore funding. Advertisement Advertisement The states had filed suit against the Trump administration Wednesday, alleging the government had jeopardized completion of the monumental project which is slated to generate 90,000 jobs and boost the regional economy by billions in an act of retribution against Trumps perceived political enemies. Duraiswamy said the effects of putting shovels aside now would create overwhelming logistical and public safety issues. Project sites cannot simply be abandoned. There is literally a massive hole in the earth in North Bergen, New Jersey that must be secured, Duraiswamy said. There is a 1,600-ton tunnel boring machine that cannot simply be left abandoned. Rattling off the potential for irreparable harm, the attorney said demobilizing the project and then restarting it would significantly delay the overall timeline of the critical infrastructure project, or even torpedo the whole thing. Advertisement Advertisement Workers who have been laid off may find other work, he said, adding that others may not sign up to come back, unwilling to commit, given the uncertainty of the situation. Representing the government, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Schwartz from the Manhattan U.S. Attorneys Office, argued that any disagreement over the funding was a contract issue to be decided between the Gateway Development Corp. and the feds part and parcel with a suit brought by GDC in the Court of Federal Claims earlier this week. But attorneys for the states argued that the injuries to New York and New Jersey were separate, as those states would be responsible for picking up the tab to secure the construction sites once GDCs coffers run dry in the coming weeks. Vargass Friday order is not a final ruling, but it enjoins the feds from freezing funds while the case continues. Advertisement Advertisement Trump officials first announced a freeze on the funding last year in the hours after the government shutdown began, blaming New Yorks supposed unconstitutional DEI principles in the selection of contractors and purported noncompliance with newly implemented contracting rules. After Gateway officials demonstrated compliance, Trump said he was targeting the project because of its importance to Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and the White Houses media shop said Democratic lawmakers had not been prioritizing the interests of Americans over illegal aliens. The News reported Thursday that the president, in recent negotiations, said hed stop meddling with the project if Schumer advocated for plastering Trumps name on Penn Station and Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., a deal Schumer rejected. The Democratic leader lauded the ruling late Friday. Advertisement Advertisement This is great news for New York, New Jersey, our economy, our workers, and our commuters, Schumer said in a statement. Donald Trump should do the right thing and end the freeze to let Gateway move forward once and for all. Gov. Kathy Hochul hailed the ruling on the key infrastructure project. In a statement, she said, Today, a judge affirmed what weve said from the start: Our case against the Trump Administration is likely to succeed, and Donald Trumps attempt to rip away funding and derail the Gateway Tunnel project is likely to be found unlawful. This ruling is a victory for the thousands of union workers who will build Gateway and the hundreds of thousands of riders who rely on it every day, Hochul said. We will work to protect this decision and move as soon as possible to get work back on track. We will continue coordinating with our partners at the Gateway Development Commission and New Jersey to ensure the Administration follows the law and releases the funding New Yorkers are owed. On 3 January, special forces troops sent by US President Donald Trump launched an audacious raid to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores have since been charged with weapon and drug offences in New York, which they deny. Trump said his administration would run Venezuela until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" could take place, adding that the US would indefinitely control the sale of its oil. Who is running Venezuela now? Despite Trump's comments, Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodriguez, who served as vice-president before the US raid, is in charge on the ground. Advertisement Advertisement Venezuela's National Assembly - which is dominated by lawmakers from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) - swore her in as interim president after Maduro was taken. The constitution says the vice-president can remain in post for up to 180 days, but that if the president's absence is deemed "permanent", elections must be called within 30 days. So far, Rodriguez appears to have the backing of the US. After their first phone conversation, Trump described her as a "terrific person" who was working well with his administration. He had previously warned Rodriguez that if she did not comply with US demands, she would "pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro". Advertisement Advertisement Trump also held a face-to-face meeting at the White House with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. She presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, in recognition of his commitment to her country's freedom. The US president said meeting Machado was a "great honour", calling her a "wonderful woman who has been through so much". But he did not endorse her as Venezuela's new leader, even though voting tallies gathered by her opposition coalition suggested the candidate who stood in for her after she was banned from running had won by a landslide. What has changed in Venezuela since the US raid? Rodriguez is taking a two-pronged approach: using defiant rhetoric when addressing her supporters while largely complying with US demands. Advertisement Advertisement She described Maduro's seizure as a "kidnapping", and organised public rallies calling for his and Flores's release. But her government also swiftly changed the law to allow foreign investment in the country's oil industry. She had a two-hour meeting with CIA director John Ratcliffe and met US envoy Laura Dogu. The US embassy in Caracas reopened after a seven-year hiatus, during which there were no diplomatic relations between the two countries. Under US pressure, hundreds of political prisoners have been released and an amnesty law has been drafted. Rodriguez has also replaced some ministers and senior officials with people from her inner circle but they too are Maduro loyalists. Advertisement Advertisement What are Trump's plans for Venezuela's oil? Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world [AFP via Getty Images] Trump has promised to "unleash" Venezuela's oil, while indefinitely controlling its sale. "One of the things the United States gets out of this will be even lower energy prices," he said after the US raid. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world - an estimated 303 billion barrels. However, production has plummeted from its peak in the late 1990s. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has asked US oil firms to invest at least $100bn (75bn) to restore Venezuela's oil industry to its former glory. He claimed the rights to Venezuela's oil after alleging that the country had in the past "unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets and American platforms, costing us billions and billions of dollars". Venezuela's oil industry was nationalised in 1976, and in 2006 state control over production was further tightened, prompting many foreign firms to leave. Unlike other foreign oil firms such as Chevron and BP, US oil giants ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips refused to sell their controlling stakes to Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA, as demanded by the 2006 changes. Advertisement Advertisement They were ordered to leave the country and had their assets seized. The two companies were awarded billions of dollars in compensation, which Venezuela has not paid, blaming US sanctions for its failure to settle the debts. Legal experts point out that based on the UN principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources, Venezuela's oil belong to its people. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration would allow Venezuela to sell its oil but that "the funds from that will be deposited into an account that we will have oversight over". He added that the US would ensure that Venezuela would spend the proceeds "for the benefit" of its people. Advertisement Advertisement Who is Nicolas Maduro and what charges does he face? Maduro was photographed on the USS Iwo Jima in handcuffs, wearing ear protectors and a type of blindfold [@realDonaldTrump] Nicolas Maduro, a former bus driver and trade unionist, rose to prominence under the leadership of the previous left-wing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, serving as his foreign minister. Maduro was elected president after Chavez's death in 2013. Under his rule, the PSUV further tightened its control over key institutions, including the National Assembly, much of the judiciary, and the electoral council. In the most recent presidential election in July 2024, the electoral council declared Maduro the winner, even though voting tallies collected by the opposition suggested that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had won by a landslide. Advertisement Advertisement Pressure on Maduro has been growing since the start of Trump's second term in January 2025. Trump called him a "bad guy" who is "no friend of the US", insisting that it would be "smart" for him to step down. Trump blames Maduro for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the US. Without providing any evidence to back up his claims, he accuses him of "emptying his prisons and insane asylums" and "forcing" inmates to migrate to the US. Trump also says huge quantities of cocaine and fentanyl reach the US from Venezuela. Maduro and Flores were indicted in the Southern District of New York and are being held in Brooklyn. They face four charges: Advertisement Advertisement engaging in a narco-conspiracy with designated terrorist groups conspiring to traffic cocaine into the US possessing and using illegal weapons - primarily machine guns - to carry out the alleged conspiracy conspiring to possess machine guns and other destructive devices. Both Maduro and Flores have pleaded not guilty. Maduro insisted he is a "decent man" and his wife said she is "completely innocent". What happened during the US attack on Venezuela? The US military stormed Fuerte Tiuna, the military base where Maduro and his wife were staying, at 02:01 local time (06:01 GMT) on 3 January. According to Trump, more than 150 aircraft got the extraction team into the capital Caracas, and US officials indicated that air strikes around the city provided cover to get them out. Trump said Maduro made it to a steel-fortified safe room but was unable to close the door. Venezuela Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said that 100 people died during the operation, including civilians and 32 Cubans who served as Maduro's bodyguards. Maduro and his wife were taken on board the USS Iwo Jima before being flown to New York. The strikes were condemned by Venezuela's long-term allies. Russia accused the US of "an act of armed aggression", while China's foreign ministry called on the US to release Maduro and his wife "at once". Many Latin American countries also criticised the operation, including Venezuela's neighbours Colombia and Brazil. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman said he was "deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected". KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The U.S. and Russia agreed Thursday to reestablish high-level military dialogue for the first time in more than four years in another sign of warming relations between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned to office and sought to end the war in Ukraine. High-level military communication was suspended in late 2021, as tension between Moscow and Washington rose ahead of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump then campaigned for a second term on promises that he would swiftly end the fighting. Many of his proposals for peace have heavily favored the Kremlin, including requiring Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. The restored communication channel will provide a consistent military-to-military contact as the parties continue to work towards a lasting peace, the U.S. European Command said in a statement. The agreement emerged from a meeting between senior Russian and American military officials in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, who is the commander in Europe of both U.S. and NATO forces, was in Abu Dhabi, where talks between American, Russian and Ukrainian officials on ending the war entered a second day. Meanwhile, Moscow escalated its attacks on Ukraines power grid in an apparent effort to deny civilians power and to weaken public support for the fight, while hostilities continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line snaking through eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. An effort to ease tensions The resumption of the military hotline marks an effort to ease tensions that soared after the start of the war and to avoid collisions between Russian and U.S. forces. Advertisement Advertisement In one such incident in March 2023, the American military said it ditched an Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Black Sea after a pair of Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on it, and then one of them struck its propeller while flying in international airspace. Moscow has denied that its warplanes hit the drone, alleging that it crashed while making a sharp maneuver. The Kremlin said its aircraft reacted to a violation of a no-fly zone Russia has established in the area near Crimea. Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about intelligence flights by the U.S. and other NATO aircraft over the Black Sea, and some Russian officials charged that the American surveillance flights helped gather intelligence that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian targets. NATO members have been increasingly worried about intrusions into allied airspace. Some European officials described the incidents as Moscow testing NATOs response. Advertisement Advertisement In September, a swarm of Russian drones flew into Polands airspace, prompting NATO aircraft to scramble to intercept them and shoot down some of the devices. It was the first direct encounter between NATO and Moscow since the full-scale invasion. Later that month, NATO jets escorted three Russian warplanes out of Estonias airspace. Russia, Ukraine exchange prisoners following talks The delegations from Moscow and Kyiv were joined Thursday in Abu Dhabi by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to Rustem Umerov, Ukraines National Security and Defense Council chief, who was present at the meeting. They were also at last month's talks in the same place as the Trump administration tries to steer Russia and Ukraine toward a settlement. Advertisement Advertisement Officials have provided no information about any progress in the discussions. Following the talks on Thursday, however, Russia and Ukraine said they carried out a prisoner exchange. The Russian Defense Ministry said it brought 157 Russian servicemen back from Ukrainian captivity, as well as three Russian nationals captured during Kyiv's incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Ukrainian officials said 150 Ukrainian servicemen and seven civilians returned from Russian captivity. The Russian Defense Ministry said the released Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus, getting medical assistance, before being taken back to Russia for treatment and rehabilitation. Advertisement Advertisement Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that among the 150 service members who returned from Russian captivity, 18 were "illegally sentenced by Russia. He said that overall, those released are in a difficult psychological condition, and some are critically underweight. Zelenskyy says 55,000 Ukrainian troops killed in the war Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 55,000 Ukrainian troops have died since Russias invasion. And there is a large number of people whom Ukraine considers missing, he added in an interview broadcast late Wednesday by French TV channel France 2. The last time Zelenskyy gave a figure for battlefield deaths, in early 2025, he said 46,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed. Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy has repeatedly said his country needs security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe to deter any postwar Russian attacks. Ukrainians must feel that there is genuine progress toward peace and not toward a scenario in which the Russians exploit everything to their advantage and continue their strikes, Zelenskyy said on social media late Wednesday. Last year saw a 31% increase in Ukrainian civilian casualties compared with 2024, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said in a report published Wednesday. Almost 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and just over 40,000 wounded since the start of the war through last December, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement In other developments: Russian troops have lost access to their Starlink satellite internet terminals on the front line, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Thursday, after Ukraine asked Elon Musks SpaceX to help deny Russia use of the service in Ukraine. Russian forces have consequently lost command-and-control capabilities and navigation for drones, and assaults have stopped in many sectors, according to Fedorovs adviser Serhii Beskrestnov. Russian officials made no immediate comment. Ukraine is registering its civilian and military Starlink users on a database, allowing approved devices to function while unregistered terminals are disabled inside Ukraine. Advertisement Advertisement Also, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a visit to Kyiv that he agreed with Zelenskyy to develop the joint production of ammunition at plants in their countries. Zelenskyy said Poland plans to increase supplies to Ukraine of liquefied natural gas, and the countries are exploring an exchange of weaponry, with Kyiv possibly receiving Polish MiG fighter jets and Warsaw receiving Ukrainian drones. Russia fired 183 drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. Three people were injured, officials said. The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses downed 95 Ukrainian drones overnight over several regions, the Azov Sea and Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Advertisement Advertisement ___ Burrows reported from London. ___ This story was corrected on Feb. 6, 2026 to make clear that Mykhailo Fedorov is Ukraine's defense minister, not the economic minister. This story corrects an earlier version that said Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2016. The annexation happened in 2014. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine A high-profile general in Russia's military has been shot several times and wounded in Moscow. Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev, 64, was taken to hospital after the attack in a residential block of flats in the north-western outskirts of the capital, and is believed to be in a serious condition. The attacker fled the scene. Alexeyev is number two in the main directorate of Russia's GRU military intelligence and the latest high-ranking military figure to have been targeted in or near Moscow since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Advertisement Advertisement No-one has so far claimed the attack, but senior Russian officials immediately blamed Ukraine, saying it was trying to derail negotiations to end the war. "The victim has been taken to one of the city's hospitals," said Svetlana Petrenko of Russia's Investigations Committee (SK), which said it opened a criminal case for attempted murder. Investigators are searching CCTV footage for clues and began interviewing potential witnesses of the attack on Friday morning on Volokolamsk Highway. Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev is number two in the main directorate of Russia's GRU military intelligence [Russian Defence Ministry] A neighbour of Alexeyev told the Reuters news agency she had been woken by the sound of "several" shots and had then heard another neighbour screaming for help. Advertisement Advertisement "This is all I heard. Other neighbours rushed out, too. They asked how they could help, should they call ambulance and police, but she had already called them." Alexeyev has played a significant role during the war in Ukraine, taking part in talks with Ukraine during the Russian siege of the city of Mariupol in 2022. Earlier he was awarded the title Hero of Russia for the role he played in Moscow's military intervention in Syria's civil war. He was placed under European Union and UK sanctions after the GRU was accused of being behind the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury in the UK. Advertisement Advertisement He was also sent to negotiate with the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a short and bloody mutiny in June 2023. His boss at the GRU, Igor Kostyukov, has been in charge of Russia's negotiating team at peace talks with Ukrainian and US teams in Abu Dhabi. The latest round ended on Thursday without a major breakthrough. It is not yet known who was behind the shooting - but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quick to accuse Ukraine. He said "this terrorist act" was aimed at "disrupting the negotiation process". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was being briefed on the shooting. "We wish first of all that the general survives and recovers. We hope that will be the case," Peskov told reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Ukraine has not commented but has claimed some attacks on Russian military figures in the past. Russian intelligence officials claimed they had thwarted an attempted attack on a Russian soldier in St Petersburg at the end of last month. An Uzbek man was jailed in January for the 2024 killing of another general, Igor Kirillov, in an explosion outside a block of flats in Moscow. Sources in Ukraine's SBU intelligence said at the time it was behind the attack. Lt Gen Kirillov had been in charge of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection troops. In December 2025, another high-ranking officer in the GRU, Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov, was killed when an explosive device detonated under a car in Moscow. He was in charge of the armed force's operational training department, according to Russia's SK. Argentina expects a significant increase in exports following the signing of a trade agreement with the United States. File Photo by World Economic Forum/Jason Alden/UPI Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Argentina expects a significant increase in exports following the signing of a trade agreement with the United States, announced by Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno. According to Argentine government estimates, the agreement could generate more than $1 billion in additional revenue through the elimination of tariffs on 1,675 Argentine products across multiple sectors. The beef sector appears as one of the main beneficiaries. "The United States government will grant an unprecedented expansion to 100,000 tons for preferential access of Argentine beef to its market. This ensures an additional 80,000 tons in 2026, added to the 20,000 tons already available, which will allow Argentine exports of this product to increase by about $800 million," Argentina's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The expanded beef quota approved by the administration of President Donald Trump could renew criticism from U.S. cattle producers, who voiced opposition in October when Trump first proposed increasing beef imports from Argentina as part of a strategy to ease domestic prices. Argentina's Beef Exporters Consortium welcomed the agreement, saying it achieved "a significant improvement in access for our beef to the United States market." "The volume subject to tariff preferences had already been exceeded by our exporting companies, so expanding this quota is good news for an industry facing a very difficult environment due to reduced cattle supply affected by decades of adverse policies," the group said, according to a report by specialized outlet Border. In 2025, Argentina exported about 45,000 tons of beef to the United States with revenue near $345 million, a figure that could now double. The agreement also includes benefits for other strategic sectors such as natural resources, steel and aluminum, Argentine newspaper Clarin reported. Argentina, in turn, will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 221 product categories from the United States, including machinery, transport equipment, medical supplies and chemical products. Partial tariff cuts for auto parts and specific import quotas for certain goods are also planned. U.S. financial institutions will also support investment financing in key Argentine sectors. Argentine officials said the agreement "consolidates the strategic alliance and mutual trust with the United States" and places the country among a select group with preferential access to the U.S. market. President Javier Milei said the agreement will "reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers, facilitate trade in goods and services, modernize customs procedures and promote investment in strategic sectors such as energy critical minerals infrastructure and technology." Three plumbers are recovering after being bear-sprayed by thieves in West Seattle when they refused to let the suspects get away with their tools. The incident happened on Thursday morning while the ONeill Plumbing crew was working at a home in the neighborhood. One of the plumbers walked outside and discovered two men taking tools from their work truck. Im like, theres no way we got broken into. And then this lock is laying on the ground. So obviously it was broken into, said Ricky Gillespie, one of the plumbers. Advertisement Advertisement The lock had been sawed off and left in pieces on the ground. Elijah Amundson, a plumbing apprentice, said his instincts took over when he saw the thieves in action. Seeing them there, it was like a fight or flight type of situation. You dont know what you want to do, but you dont want your stuff taken, so you just got to jump on it, I guess, Amundson said. He didnt hesitate. Amundson says he ran to the thieves car. I started grabbing everything out of their trunk, putting it, throwing it in our trunk. I noticed like, those are our tools. I started throwing them in, he said. The other two plumbers, Ricky and Colin Bartels, came out to help. But the thieves drove off, leaving behind the Sawzall theyd used to cut the trucks lock. Advertisement Advertisement Then, minutes later, the suspects returned. They pulled up next to the truck and they stayed in their car, and they wanted their tool back, and none of us were going to give it back to them, Bartels said. When the plumbers refused, thats when the bear spray came out. I stepped behind the car and was trying to get their license plate and I called 911. And as I was doing that, I saw the bear mace come out of the car and hit him, Gillespie said. And then I started moving back towards the front of the car. And the driver stepped out of the vehicle and sprayed me. The plumbers flushed their eyes with milk and waited for the police. Despite the painful attack, they say theyd do it all again. Advertisement Advertisement This is our livelihood. This is how we feed our families, and it was just so crazy that they were willing to come back and be so brazen, Gillespie said. Each tool costs hundreds of dollars, and the plumbers managed to save every single one. Its just the worst feeling. Its tools that you have worked for, like, for a long time. So its like not letting them go... If you have the opportunity to not let them go, you do everything you can now, too, said Bartels. But Gillespie says hes grateful the confrontation didnt escalate further. As crazy as it sounds, we were all kind of glad we got bear-maced today and not shot. Because if those guys were willing to do that, who knows what theyre willing to do, he said. Advertisement Advertisement The plumbers say the thieves threatened to come back for them. Now theyre warning neighbors to stay vigilant. The suspects were driving a champagne-colored Toyota Camry. If you have any information about this incident, contact the Seattle Police Department at 206-233-5000. The Trump administration was dealt another setback Thursday in its effort to use taxpayer information to track down undocumented immigrants, as a second federal judge ordered the IRS to stop sharing residential addresses with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said the information sharing potentially violated taxpayer privacy rights. She blocked the agencies from sharing the data until the court can review the case further and barred ICE from using information already provided by the IRS. Talwani, a Boston-based appointee of President Barack Obama, raised numerous concerns about the controversial information-sharing agreement made last year by the Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security, the respective parent agencies of the IRS and ICE. Advertisement Advertisement Beyond the possible violation of taxpayer privacy laws, Talwani cited the chilling effect the data sharing may have on tax filing by immigrants and the risk that people will be wrongfully arrested due to mistaken identity. She pointed to the highly publicized arrest of a naturalized U.S. citizen in St. Paul, Minn., who was dragged from his house barely clothed after ICE agents mistook him for a sex offender they were looking for at the address. The immigrant rights groups that sued to halt the information sharing have demonstrated that a significant portion of immigrant communities not only share common last names but also live in shared homes or in the same apartment complexes, Talwani wrote in her opinion. Talwani is the second federal judge to temporarily block the IRS-ICE information sharing deal. In November, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Washington-based Clinton appointee, said the agreement violated a taxpayer confidentiality law , in a suit filed by an advocacy group called the Center for Taxpayer Rights. Advertisement Advertisement Kollar-Kotelly also blocked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent who is the IRSs acting commissioner from disclosing taxpayer information to the Department of Homeland Security unless the official who receives the data is working on a non-tax criminal investigation. Taxpayer data is usually concealed; the primary exception is during non-tax criminal investigations. The federal government appealed Kollar-Kotelly's ruling though that has not impacted her order. Both cases stem from ICEs effort to mine taxpayer information for immigration enforcement just weeks into the second Trump administration. The move caused shockwaves at the IRS, prompting concern from officials that the effort could violate taxpayer privacy laws. Advertisement Advertisement Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem subsequently entered into a formal information sharing agreement, and last August the IRS disclosed the addresses of about 47,000 taxpayers to ICE . NEW YORK A top Senate Republican is launching an inquiry into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's decision last month to shelve a pair of executive orders addressing antisemitism and boycotts of Israel. Sen. Bill Cassidy, chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, wrote a letter to Mamdani on Wednesday expressing outrage over one of his first official acts as mayor the revocation of executive orders intended to protect students and combat antisemitism. Mamdani, who was sworn in on Jan. 1, opted against renewing two orders signed by former Mayor Eric Adams. One officially spelled out a broad definition of antisemitism, as adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which Adams signed in June. The other which Adams signed in December barred city employees from engaging in the boycott, divest and sanctions movement against Israel. Advertisement Advertisement Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, argued the rollback of the IHRA-related order risks misalignment with federal antisemitism policy, which requires agencies to consider that definition of antisemitism when enforcing civil rights protections. The change, he wrote, could impede the federal Education Departments ability to enforce Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin. Antisemitism is not an abstract concern in New York City; it is a lived reality for millions of students and residents, and its consequences are very serious, Cassidy wrote. Decisions by your administration that weaken established safeguards for Jewish students in New York and are out of alignment with federal executive orders warrant careful scrutiny. He added that Jewish students deserve clear assurance that their safety and civil rights will not be compromised by your administrations actions. As of June, the city Department of Educations operating budget reflected $2.2 billion in federal funding, Cassidy noted. Advertisement Advertisement Continued eligibility for this funding is contingent on compliance with federal civil rights laws and applicable executive orders designed to protect students, he said. The lawmaker gave the mayor a Feb. 19 deadline to respond to several questions, including a request to delineate how revoking the orders protects Jewish students and whether his administration will adopt a new definition of antisemitism. He also asked whether Mamdanis administration consulted with federal agencies, including the federal Education Department and the Justice Department, regarding the funding implications of rescinding the IHRA-related order. Additionally, he questioned whether the city Department of Education has received guidance from City Hall on how antisemitism complaints will be identified, investigated, and remedied. Cassidy demanded that Mamdani indicate whether he believes the BDS movement is antisemitic. Advertisement Advertisement Spokespeople for City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mamdani has defended axing the orders despite criticism from the Israeli government and Jewish groups. He has previously noted that some Jewish organizations in the city do not agree with the IHRA definition, which equates some criticisms of Israel with antisemitism. Cassidy pushed back against that argument in his letter, noting that many governments, international institutions, universities, NGOs, and private organizations widely recognize and encourage use of this definition. The mayor found himself at odds with mainstream Jewish institutions over anti-Israel stances he's taken, including his support for the BDS movement. Hes also come under fire for refusing to condemn the phrase globalize the intifada which he later said he would discourage the use of as well as criticizing lawmakers attendance at the Israel Day Parade. Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah official, has resigned from his post amid what sources close to the group described as "internal disputes," a move that could accelerate organizational changes within the movement. Safa headed Hezbollahs liaison and coordination unit, responsible for relations with Lebanese security agencies, and was an influential figure within the Iran-backed movement during the leadership of the late Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah, the longtime secretary general of Hezbollah, was killed in a massive Israeli airstrike on Beirut in September 2024. Advertisement Advertisement Safa survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Beirut in October 2024. According to the sources who spoke to dpa on Friday, his resignation is expected to be followed by a broader reshuffle within the movement, with "many changes" anticipated in its internal structure. Hezbollah has been undergoing internal restructuring since the war with Israel in 2024, particularly within its military and political wings, as well as its media and communications apparatus, the sources said. The movement has not issued an official statement confirming his resignation or detailing the nature of the disputes, and its leadership has so far remained silent on the matter. Cox Automotive analysts expect the American electric vehicle market to grow in the "long run" despite significant challenges related to federal policy changes. But those obstacles aren't going uncontested. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia are suing the federal government for blocking more than $2 billion in funding for EV charging infrastructure. It's the latest argument over EV-related allocations from the $1 trillion infrastructure law enacted in 2022, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Advertisement Advertisement The Associated Press reported in June that a federal judge ordered the government to release billions of dollars to 14 states for EV charger work as part of another legal case. If successful, funding released from the latest legal battle could be used to construct a crucial public charging network needed to power the growing number of EVs on America's highways, helping to nix range anxiety fears for longer trips. California is part of a block of Northwest states involved in the lawsuit. State Attorney General Rob Bonta called the federal funding pullback a "reckless" move that will "stall the fight against air pollution" and "slow innovation." For the Trump administration's part, the moves are designed to "unleash American energy," largely through burning oil, coal, and gas fuels that create harmful air pollution that affects health on the neighborhood level. Advertisement Advertisement The good news is that EV owners can save money simply by powering up at home, according to experts from Qmerit. In fact, overnight home-based charging is hundreds to thousands of dollars a year cheaper than public stations. That's because household plug-ins avoid service fees, and EV owners can charge when their electricity rates are cheapest. Qmerit can help you upgrade to a Level 2 charger with curated competitive quotes, starting with some simple questions about your electric panel and garage. Level 2 chargers can power a battery in four to 10 hours, but they can cost thousands of dollars for the tech and installation, making the right insight important. Certain states even offer perks for the setups, Qmerit noted. Advertisement Advertisement Level 1 charging using a standard exterior outlet is the easiest route. However, it's also the slowest, providing up to 5 miles an hour, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. DC fast-chargers at many public stations, such as Tesla's Supercharger system, can provide hundreds of miles in under 20 minutes. A robust, nationwide network is needed for reliable long-distance travel. That's why states are suing to have previously allocated funding released for the investment. Ionna, a partnership of eight automakers, is also working to build 30,000 charging stations during the next several years. Other experts have proposed leveraging existing electrical infrastructure at campgrounds as an outside-the-box solution. Advertisement Advertisement While EV sales dipped in December as federal tax breaks expired, Cox reported that the 2025 total was the second-best on record, at more than 1.2 million vehicles. That was thanks to a strong third quarter when purchases surged ahead of incentive expirations. Sales were just 2% short of the 2024 record of 1.3 million. EVs have several benefits beyond eliminating tailpipe exhaust. They also nix gas and service costs, oil changes, and other pesky maintenance, saving drivers up to $1,500 a year. Home solar can be a big upgrade, too, as the panels generate cheap, abundant energy via the sun to charge the rides. The Cool Down's Solar Explorer is a link to trusted partners that curate quotes and recommend vetted installers insight that can save you up to $10,000 on upfront expenses. Advertisement Advertisement In the meantime, Bonta indicated that lawsuits to regain funding for charging stations will continue, because the lost investment leaves "communities without access to clean, affordable transportation," according to OPB. 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 Skagit County man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for making threats against two U.S. Congressmen and their staff. Bradley Whaley, 67, was arrested in Seattle on March 21, 2025, one day after investigators say he threatened to slit a lawmakers throat and harm staff during a call to the representatives Washington, D.C. offices. The threats targeted the Representatives as well as their staff, according to the court. Advertisement Advertisement Before the March 20 phone call, on March 13, he had threatened to drive to D.C., kick down your door and assault the representative and everyone in [the] office, according to the staffers notes reported in the case Mr. Whaley made multiple threatening calls to offices of two U.S. Representatives This was part of a dangerous pattern that, if left unchecked, threatens the democratic process," said U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead at the sentencing hearing. According to prosecutors, there has been an increase in threats to members of Congress over the last several years. According to the United States Capitol Police, the number of threat cases increased from 7,501 cases in 2022, 8,008 cases in 2023, and to 9,747 cases in 2024. Advertisement Advertisement In 2025, the number of threat cases investigated by USCPS jumped to about 14,000. In his letter to the court, Brad Whaley blamed the threatening phone calls on heavy alcohol abuse. Whaleys attorney said that he has since completed treatment. U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) speaks at a June 6, 2025 town hall in Lansing. | Kyle Davidson U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin said Friday she is urging the nations top intelligence leaders to confirm in writing that no intelligence personnel, tools or resources are being used to surveil or target Americans, raising alarms that the Trump administration may be illegally using national security capabilities against U.S. citizens. In the letter dated Wednesday, directed to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and several other leaders in the intelligence community, Slotkin said she fears the intelligence community is being drawn into domestic political conflicts, in violation of our laws and the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement I write today with my deep concerns that the Trump Administration is using our intelligence community to target American citizens and to request your assurances that you have not and will not focus the organizations you oversee on the American public, Slotkin wrote. As you know, the IC exists to defend the United States against foreign adversaries not to monitor, investigate, or target Americans. Slotkin, a former CIA analyst, added that abusing those tools would not only be illegal but would undercut longstanding American values of a right to privacy and ability to speak out against our government without fear of retribution. Letter-to-Gabbard-Ratcliffe-Hartman-Nicolet-Senator-Slotkin Slotkins warning stems in part from a controversial National Security Presidential Memorandum, referred to as NSPM-7. Issued last year by President Donald Trump, it lays out a broad strategy to counter domestic terrorism and organized political violence. Advertisement Advertisement The policy has been criticized by civil liberties groups for encouraging investigations into otherwise lawful political speech and dissent by instructing federal agencies to investigate and disrupt organizations and individuals they determine pose domestic terrorism threats. Slotkin also cited Gabbards involvement in the seizure of 2020 election records in Georgia., as part of her concerns, calling it most alarming. By her own admission, DNI Gabbard participated at the request of the President, in line with his claims of election fraud, despite US courts affirming more than 60 times that there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election, Slotkin wrote in the letter. The senator requested written responses from the intelligence leaders affirming that no domestic targeting is taking place and reaffirming their commitment to operate within the law. Advertisement Advertisement Slotkins missive was issued on the same day that U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, sent a terse public letter to the CIAs Ratcliffe alerting him to a classified communication. Wyden expressed deep concerns about CIA activities, though he did not disclose the specific issues. Slotkin and five other Democratic lawmakers, all former military and intelligence officers, are currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice after they recorded a video last year urging military members to refuse illegal orders, which made them targets of Trumps social media anger. On Thursday, Slotkin announced that she had declined to voluntarily sit for an interview with federal prosecutors, saying the investigation was designed to intimidate the lawmakers for what were otherwise completely legal actions. If the hyper-militarization of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in places like Minneapolis looks like something out of a war zone Iraq in the early 2000s, for example you may not be far off: The imperial boomerang a theory increasingly discussed online describes how superpowers develop violent systems of control and surveillance in colonial territories, only to later turn those same tactics inward and use them against their own citizens. Aime Cesaire, an influential anti-colonial voice from Martinique, first used the phrase in 1950 to illustrate how the brutality of empire eventually boomeranged back to Europe in the form of fascism. Life: We Asked Former Military What They Think Of What ICE Is Doing Cesaire argued that Hitlers invasion and domination of neighboring European countries was, in many ways, a replay of what European powers had done in the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa only this time directed at Europeans themselves. Mass surveillance, forced labor and genocide, long used in colonial rule, slipped in and became the norm within Europe. Advertisement Advertisement A similar dynamic is evident in the U.S. governments deployment of ICE agents and surveillance tactics within its own borders. In cities like Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles, ICE agents have deployed chemical irritants early in confrontations with protesters, used so-called less-lethal munitions at protesters (some whove been blinded), and are utilizing facial detection apps, databases, cell phone trackers, and drones to track immigrants and protesters. (The same thing happened in the efforts to suppress Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.) The feds have also drawn on counterterrorism strategies used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) when deploying tactics in blue cities, said Julian Go, a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago and author of Policing Empires: Race, Militarization and the Imperial Boomerang. HuffPost recently spoke to Go about his timely book, the racialized history of the imperial boomerang, and how imported tools and tactics developed in foreign territories are now being used on protestors in cities like Minneapolis. Life: Kaitlan Collins' Body Language In THAT Trump Exchange Was A Master Class In Dealing With Bullies HuffPost: First, how do you define the imperial boomerang, or the colonial boomerang, as its also called? Julian Go: The imperial boomerang concept refers to the process by which imperialism abroad comes home to impact the imperializers themselves. Advertisement Advertisement These imperial tools and tactics are first innovated and perfected in the imperial periphery that is, in colonies, at imperial borders, zones of violent conquest and war like Vietnam or Iraq primarily for use on peoples racialized as nonwhite and seen as inherently dangerous, violent ... and barbaric. That is how colonial control and wars of conquest are justified in the first place: that those people only understand violence. So its racialized from the get-go. While U.S. Border Patrol and ICE are separate from local police departments, but they can also be seen as impacted by the imperial boomerang, said Julian Go, a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago and author of Policing Empires: Race, Militarization and the Imperial Boomerang. Illustration: HuffPost; Photos: Getty What about what were seeing in Minneapolis with ICE and Border Patrol agents? Are those groups interactions with civilians a byproduct of the imperial boomerang? Go: We see the imperial boomerang most with the police. But while U.S. Border Patrol and ICE are separate from local police departments, they can also be seen as impacted by the imperial boomerang. Border Patrol first emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and was primarily deployed along the U.S. border with Mexico, and they borrowed tactics and tools of Americas military conquest of the west. Many of the first U.S. Border Patrol agents came from the Texas Rangers, for example. ICE was created in 2002, so its history is more recent. But yes, we can still see the boomerang at work. Research done by Jewish Voice for Peace reveals that ICE agents had, along with various U.S. police officials, traveled to Israel to learn how the Israeli police and military dealt with Palestinians. Life: JD Vance Unleashed His Latest Attack On Journalists And It's Concerning Or consider the previous head of ICE operations in L.A., Chicago and Minneapolis: Greg Bovino. Before being appointed to his role by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and before he launched those operations, Bovino had deployed to foreign assignments in Honduras, Egypt and Africa. He also cut his teeth with the Border Patrol in the southwest and California, where the militarized Border Patrol developed and deployed rough if not violent methods (and also reportedly illegal methods) for locating and rounding up undocumented migrants in border zones. We see these methods in Bovinos campaigns in L.A., Chicago and Minneapolis, which are very different urban theaters than the border zones where those methods were initially operationalized. Advertisement Advertisement In this sense, the ICE campaigns in cities like Chicago or Minneapolis are effects of an imperial boomerang: The aggressive tactics for rounding up migrants at the peripheries of the American empire the border are being used on the streets of Americas urban heartlands. Americas cities are treated as colonial zones of conquest and imperial borderlands because thats all ICE knows. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Federal agents stand in tear gas and face protesters on Nicollet Avenue near West 26th St. in south Minneapolis after Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents in the area early Saturday morning, Jan. 24, 2026. Star Tribune via Getty Images via Getty Images Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost. As you mentioned, the increasingly militaristic nature of policing in the United States is a direct result of the imperial boomerang. How can you trace that? Go: The first police department in England, the London Metropolitan Police, was created in 1829 and was inspired by colonial policing in Ireland and slave patrols in the British Caribbean. The first U.S. police departments in the 19th century copied the London Metropolitan Police while bringing in inspiration from Americas own colonial history of westward expansion. In the early 20th century, modern police departments imported tools and tactics from Americas colonial war of conquest in the Philippines. Policing tactics and technologies like pin-mapping whose modern-day high-tech version is known as spot mapping or predictive policing or mounted police were all inspired by the American armys brutal colonization of the Philippines. During and after the Vietnam War, police in the U.S. imported counterinsurgency methods and even torture methods that were used in Vietnam. SWAT units were inspired by military units in the Southeast Asian theater of war. Veterans of the Vietnam War served in police departments and helped bring these tactics and tools back. In the early 1970s, British and U.S. police imported methods of crowd control from Northern Ireland. Advertisement Advertisement Police departments now use tactics and surveillance technologies developed and used in the Middle East amidst the so-called war on terror. The so-called gang databases that police in many U.S. cities use come from technologies developed for the U.S. Army by Palantir. Police officers have gone to Israel to train and study Israeli methods of managing so-called terrorism. They then bring back the lessons learned from these zones of colonial conquest and war. "SWAT units were inspired by military units in the Southeast Asian theater of war. Veterans of the Vietnam War served in police departments and helped bring these tactics and tools back," Go said. Remi BENALI via Getty Images You write that we often see the imperial boomerang come into play in response to perceived racialized threats from minority and immigrant populations. Explain. Go: Historically, and currently, police tend to import tools, tactics and technologies from the periphery for domestic use when they perceive a crime wave or imminent threat to social order from nonwhite populations. Think of Chinese gangsters and their opium dens in California in the early 20th century, Black Americans in urban centers in the 1960s, or Muslim populations in post-9/11 America. They then use the imported violent methods and forms of control primarily on these nonwhite populations and justify their use on racial grounds, constructing the targeted nonwhite populations as inherently criminal or some kind of radical threat to society. While racist perceptions about threats to law and order are often the motivation for bringing the boomerang home, and while the imported policing tools and tactics are primarily deployed on nonwhite populations, those tools and tactics remain available for use on any populations. While initially meant for nonwhite people or noncitizens, they can be readily deployed on white citizens, too. And they have been used on them. Militarized policing ... has been directed at everyone from white striking industrial workers in the early 20th century to white college student protesters in the 1960s. Racism has been the Trojan horse by which militarized policing has been snuck into the United States, to be directed at anyone. "Racism has been the trojan horse by which militarized policing has been snuck into the United States, to be directed at anyone," Go said. Nick Ut via Getty Images Race is clearly a factor in these mass deportation efforts; ICE continues to disproportionately target Latino communities, including Mexican Americans and Mexican nationals. Go: Yes, as with other instances of the boomerang effect, the entire ICE campaign is premised upon a racialized threat, which is exaggerated, if not entirely false. Advertisement Advertisement Trump and the DHS justify ICE operations and their methods on the grounds that undocumented immigrants are all violent criminals posing a threat to law and order, that Americas blue cities are spaces of chaos and violence like border zones or colonial fields of conflict. The only way to handle the so-called problem is through militarized methods imported from the imperial peripheries. No other methods are considered except the most militarized and violent methods taken from border zones. Based on my research into policing and the boomerang effect, these racist and feverish fears of presumed criminal immigrants that justify ICE are all too predictable. Politics: Inside The Invasion Of Minneapolis Whats also predictable is the way in which ICEs tactics have impacted everyday citizens, too. As with the boomerang effect in the past, the imported tactics and tools are being directed at all populations. The killings by ICE of Renee Good and Alex Pretti are examples of this. Do you think there are any meaningful ways for the average American to check the growing militarization of our borders and immigration infrastructure? Go: I think the Minnesota protests have made it obvious: Citizens can march and make their opposition known. This is important: One of the only heartening things about the Minneapolis situation is that it shows that the boomerang can be at least halted somewhat. In past cases of the boomerang, historically speaking, citizen opposition to police militarization emerged when it emerged at all only after it was too late as in, only after the boomerang had already returned. Related... Read the original on HuffPost The trial of Norways Crown Princess Mette-Marits son, who is charged with dozens of offenses including rape and abuse, began days after his recent arrest over a new matter, according to news reports. During the first day of Marius Borg Hibys trial on Tuesday, February 3, he pleaded not guilty to four rape charges as well as charges related to abuse and explicitly filming women without their consent, The Guardian reported. The 29-year-old is facing 38 counts in total, according to the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement Two days before the start of his trial, Hiby was arrested by Norwegian police the evening of Sunday, February 1, in connection with allegations of assault, making threats using a knife, and violating a restraining order, according to authorities, The Associated Press reported. Hibys defense lawyer, Petar Sekulic, told The Associated Press that he was arrested in connection with an incident between him and another person. Sekulic also said that he opposed being taken into custody and has potential plans of appealing his detention. As for his ongoing trial in an Oslo court, Hiby is also facing charges related to violence, transporting marijuana, death threats and traffic violations, in addition to charges involving allegations of rape and abuse, The Associated Press reported. Norwegian Crown Princess Son Marius Arrested on Suspicion of Rape, Held in Detention Center Advertisement Advertisement Hiby, who does not have a royal title and is the stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, is accused of four rapes that were alleged to have occurred between 2018 and 2024, according to the outlet. His defense team told The Associated Press that he denies all charges of sexual abuse, as well as the majority of the charges regarding violence. On February 3, Hiby pleaded guilty to a few charges on the first day of his trial, Reuters reported. The charges included offensive sexual behavior, speeding and driving without a license. He partially pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and reckless behavior, according to Reuters. Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, February 4, Hiby was described as having had a breakdown in court when he discussed his childhood, according to Reuters, which reported that he also refuted allegations that he had alleged rape-related videos on his phone. On Thusday, February 5, prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe questioned Hiby about his phones search history, which showed he had searched the word rape, according to Reuters. When Henriksboe asked whether he was interested in rape, Reuters reported that Hiby replied: "I have looked at a lot of weird stuff. He also denied accusations that he drugged one of his alleged rape victims on February 5, according to the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement If Hiby is found guilty at his trial, he could be handed a sentence of up to 16 years in prison, The Washington Post reported. Princess of Norways Son Apologizes, Admits Alcohol and Cocaine Led to Alleged Attack of Woman In addition to public attention over Hibys trial, his family is also under scrutiny over how his mothers name has appeared in new Jeffrey Epstein files recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice, according to the newspaper. Mette-Marit and Epstein repeatedly exchanged messages with each other, according to the files, which also reportedly showed that she had stayed at Epsteins house on one occasion. She has publicly stated that she has deep regret in connection with her alleged association with Epstein. The first day of spring is more than a month away, but it's never too soon to think about the warmer days ahead. The National Weather Service released its long-term forecast for February, March and April, while two similarly named publications, the Farmers' Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac, published their own predictions for the upcoming spring season. Here's what they say to expect as spring arrives in Nebraska. Will it be a warm spring in Nebraska? Temperature outlook from February through April for the U.S. in 2026. The forecast from the National Weather Service predicts that Nebraska has an equal chance of above- or below-normal temperatures in February, March and April. Advertisement Advertisement The outlook across much of the upper Midwest, including northern South Dakota and North Dakota, predicts below-normal temperatures in the spring. How rainy will it be this spring in Nebraska? Precipitation outlook for February through April for the U.S. in 2026. The National Weather Service says Nebraska also has an equal chance of above- or below-normal precipitation in February, March and April. The forecast is the same for nearly all of South Dakota and western Iowa. What does the Farmers' Almanac forecast for spring in Nebraska? Farmers' Almanac map for spring The Farmers' Almanac calls for "chilly, unsettled" spring weather across the upper Midwest, with cold temperatures expected to linger from late March through mid-April. "Spring storms are expected to be frequent and active, bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms and even occasional snow, especially in the Northwest and North Central regions," the almanac says. Advertisement Advertisement The forecast also predicts cooler-than-average temperatures in the northern and central United States, with "fluctuating warm and cold spells." A late-season snowfall is also possible in the Northern Plains, the almanac says. What does the Old Farmer's Almanac predict for spring in Nebraska? Spring 2026 weather prediction map. The Old Farmer's Almanac forecasts warmer-than-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for most of Nebraska. "In Iowa, Missouri and eastern Kansas and Nebraska, expect a warm spring," the almanac says. "Rainfall will be below normal in the north and above normal in the south." This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: When will it warm up in Nebraska? Here's what different forecasts say We came across a bullish thesis on Transocean Ltd. on Value Degens Substack by Unemployed Value Degen. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on RIG. Transocean Ltd.'s share was trading at $4.8700 as of January 8th RIGs forward P/E was 18.15 according to Yahoo Finance. Noble Corporation Earns Price Target Hike as Offshore Tailwinds Build marchello74 / shutterstock.com Transocean Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides offshore contract drilling services for oil and gas wells in Switzerland and internationally. RIG latest fleet status report reinforces the companys unusually high earnings visibility, as investors can track in real time how many rigs are deployed and at what day rates, leaving little room for surprises during earnings calls. Even the recent impairment charge related to scrapping three cold-stacked rigs failed to meaningfully impact the share price, underscoring how well-telegraphed operational developments have become. The key takeaway from the earnings call was managements strong optimism on the trajectory of offshore day rates heading into 2026 and beyond, alongside expectations for multiple long-term contract awards before the end of 2025. With only a short window left in the year, this guidance stands out as both bold and potentially market-moving. Management indicated that several contracts expected to be announced imminently could carry day rates in the mid-$500,000 range, materially above current market expectations that largely center on low-$400,000 rates for 2026. If such contracts are awarded and disclosed, the implications would likely extend beyond Transocean, triggering a broad rerating across offshore drilling equities as investors reassess the earnings power of the entire sector. Importantly, even companies not directly awarded these contracts could benefit from improved sentiment and higher forward rate assumptions. While critics argue that Transoceans management has been overly optimistic in the past, prior bullish guidance was grounded in offshore capital expenditure plans that were later curtailed, temporarily stalling the contracting cycle. Management now believes that this lull has passed and that accelerating demand will drive steadily improving day rates through 2027. If confirmed by near-term contract announcements, this inflection would mark a decisive shift in the offshore cycle, positioning Transocean as a key beneficiary of a tightening market and setting up a compelling bullish case for the stock. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Transocean Ltd. (RIG) by Unemployed Value Degen in February 2025, which highlighted improving offshore fundamentals, rising EBITDA, backlog visibility, and persistent undervaluation. RIGs stock price has appreciated by approximately 52.66% since our coverage due to improved earnings visibility and stronger offshore sentiment. Unemployed Value Degen shares a similar view but emphasizes imminent long-term contract awards and higher-than-expected day rates. The first day of spring is more than a month away, but it's never too soon to think about warmer days ahead. The National Weather Service released its long-term forecast for February, March and April, while two similarly named publications, the Farmers' Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac, published their own predictions for the upcoming spring season. Here's what they say to expect as spring arrives in South Dakota. Will it be a warm spring in South Dakota? Temperature outlook from February through April for the U.S. in 2026. The forecast from the National Weather Service predicts that much of the northern half of South Dakota will have below-normal temperatures in February, March and April. Advertisement Advertisement However, the southern half of the state has an equal chance of above- or below-normal temperatures. How rainy will it be this spring in South Dakota? Precipitation outlook for February through April for the U.S. in 2026. The National Weather Service says nearly all of South Dakota has an equal chance of above- or below-normal precipitation. A total of 20.8 inches of rain fell in Sioux Falls during all of 2025, according to the weather service. That's less than half of the all-time record for the city, set at 39.5 inches in 2019. More: How cold can it get in South Dakota? Here's the lowest temperature ever recorded in the state What does the Farmers' Almanac forecast for spring in South Dakota? Farmers' Almanac map for spring The Farmers' Almanac calls for "chilly, unsettled" spring weather across the upper Midwest, with cold temperatures expected to linger from late March through mid-April. Advertisement Advertisement "Spring storms are expected to be frequent and active, bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms and even occasional snow, especially in the Northwest and North Central regions," the almanac says. The forecast also predicts cooler-than-average temperatures in the northern and central United States, with "fluctuating warm and cold spells." A late-season snowfall is also possible in the Northern Plains, the almanac says. What does the Old Farmer's Almanac predict for spring in South Dakota? Spring 2026 weather prediction map. The Old Farmer's Almanac forecasts warmer-than-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation in eastern South Dakota. In central and western South Dakota, warmer-than-normal temperatures are also expected, but precipitation is predicted to be below normal, according to the almanac. Advertisement Advertisement "The Plains, from Bismarck to Amarillo, will experience warmer-than-normal temperatures, especially in April," the almanac says. "Expect periods of extreme heat through the summer." This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: When will it warm up in South Dakota? Here's what the forecasts say SOUTH BRUNSWICK After nearly four decades of service including 21 years as the township's top cop, Police Chief Raymond J. Hayducka Jr. will be retiring Sept. 1, 2026, Township Manager Bryan Bidlack announced Feb. 4. In a notice posted on the township's website and Facebook page, Bidlack said Hayducka, who oversees 88 sworn officers and 49 civilian staff, has served South Brunswick for 38 years including the last 21 as police chief. "We appreciate all that he has done for the township and will miss his leadership and professionalism," his announcement said. Advertisement Advertisement Deputy Chief James Ryan will be promoted to police chief when Hayducka retires. Ryan will continue working with Hayducka over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition, Bidlack said. South Brunswick Police Chief Raymond Hayducka, left, and Deputy Chief James Ryan. According to the township's website, Hayducka also serves as South Brunswick Deputy Manager, Director of Emergency Management, and oversees the township's Transportation Division. During his tenure as chief the South Brunswick Police Department has obtained state and national accreditation. Hayducka began his career in law enforcement with the New Jersey Department of Corrections. He also served as a police officer in East Orange before joining the South Brunswick Police Department. He was appointed chief of police in 2005. Advertisement Advertisement South Brunswick Mayor Charlie Carley thanked Hayducka for his decades of service. His unwavering commitment to professionalism has advanced our police department which is recognized across the state as one of the finest agencies in New Jersey. I am confident that the chief will remain a reliable voice for the safety of our town, Carley said. Email: srussell@gannettnj.com Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: South Brunswick top cop retiring after nearly 40 years with department Feb. 5MITCHELL South Dakota State University Extension is inviting everyone interested in grasslands to attend the 2026 South Dakota Grasslands Summit on March 3-4 in Mitchell. Building on the momentum of its successful inaugural event in 2024, the South Dakota Grasslands Initiative will host the 2026 summit at the Highland Conference Center in Mitchell. The theme, "Grasslands: South Dakota's Most Valuable Resource", highlights the critical role grasslands play in the state's economy, agriculture industry, natural resources and communities. The South Dakota Grasslands Summit is open to everyone; registration is $75 per person. Registration, along with the full schedule, sponsorship opportunities and accommodation information, is available at extension.sdstate.edu/events (search "grassland summit"). Producers, volunteers, and individuals not attending on behalf of an employer may use the promo code "grasslandvoice" to register for free. Advertisement Advertisement This year's event will once again feature a dynamic lineup of succinct, high-impact speakers. Sessions on March 3 will explore how grasslands intersect with livestock production, tourism, beekeeping, water quality and cultural connections across South Dakota. Two optional activities will be offered between the afternoon speakers and supper. One option is an hour-long film festival showcasing special video projects created in partnership with the South Dakota Grassland Coalition and other collaborators. The other option a dedicated session focused on strengthening collaboration between conservation districts and the South Dakota Grasslands Initiative. The evening will also include a meal, opportunities to view grassland research posters, time to connect with sponsors and space for networking with fellow attendees. March 4 will begin with a coffee hour, providing participants the opportunity to engage in small-group conversations with speakers, including landowner/operator panelists who will then be featured in a session dedicated to grassland restoration for private lands. This session will be moderated by SDSU Extension and will highlight perspectives of landowners who applied a variety of approaches and resources to their grassland restoration journeys. Topics will include when and if to use government conservation programs, creative financing, decision-making and goals for future use and profit. Advertisement Advertisement Later in the morning, attendees will hear inspiring stories from across the state before participating in facilitated conversations centered on next steps and opportunities for action. All participants are invited to stay for the afternoon Heritage Fund Forum, which will highlight funding models from neighboring states and create space for a collective discussion about conservation funding needs in South Dakota. The South Dakota Grassland Coalition, SDSU Extension and other others helped shape the concept of the grassland initiative movement which also includes other education, conservation, livestock and industry partners from South Dakota and the region. "We are excited to come back together to reflect on progress made across South Dakota and continue meaningful conversations about the value of our grasslands," said Pete Bauman, SDSU Extension Natural Resources and Wildlife Field Specialist. "Grasslands touch nearly every aspect of life in our state, and this Summit is designed to celebrate that impact while identifying opportunities for action." Weve had hundreds of new sign ups to the point where we have to expand our training, said Lauren Doctor, an organizer with LV Defensa. People arent afraid to say that this is wrong and that I need to fight back. (Photo: Matthew Mondschein/Nevada Current) The Trump administrations violent immigration raids in Minneapolis have stirred locals in Southern Nevada to organize their own resistance networks to protect their communities from federal immigration enforcement agents that already operate in the state and any future escalation. LV Defensa is a grassroots rapid response network in Southern Nevada that formed in October 2025. The group surged in membership by hundreds after federal agents killed two American citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minneapolis last month. Advertisement Advertisement Weve had hundreds of new sign ups to the point where we have to expand our training, said Lauren Doctor, an organizer with LV Defensa. People arent afraid to say that this is wrong and that I need to fight back. The organization modeled itself after VC Defensa, which Californians launched as a response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Ventura County last summer. Through mutual contacts, organizers in Las Vegas directly learned effective tactics and structure from VC Defensa. As a rapid response network, we respond to ICE detainments, Doctor said. We neighborhood watch, act as legal observers and try to warn locals of activity and help them if they are taken. At a protest in downtown Las Vegas on Jan. 30, LV Defensa volunteers distributed small resealable plastic bags with American Civil Liberties Union Know Your Rights booklets and whistles on lanyards a tool used by ICE resistance in Minneapolis. Whistles are simple, loud tools used to alert an immediate area of ICE activity and call for community backup. With the whistle came instructions in both English and Spanish for when ICE is detaining someone: blow in a steady rhythm, form a crowd, stay nonviolent and loud. Advertisement Advertisement LV Defensa also trains volunteers on how to respond when locals call their hotline with ICE sightingsvideo documenting the scene and informing anyone being detained of their rights. Doctor recalled her own experience responding to a reported ICE sighting. As soon as I saw the text that theres an ICE spotting two blocks away from me, I immediately went to the scene, Doctor said. The area was cordoned off by the time she arrived, but she managed to see identification of the officers on scene by zooming in on her phones camera. They were members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department gang unit, which wear uniforms similar to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents. Advertisement Advertisement Due to lack of education on how to identify ICE, Doctor said, the group gets many false alarm sightings, but doing the work to confirm those false alarms is important for the community. On Jan. 29, the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC), a statewide response network, heard rumors that ICE would be conducting traffic stops with Nevada Highway Patrol in the Reno-Sparks area. NIC verified that the report was false and recommended Nevadans not post unconfirmed ICE activity on social media in order to prevent spreading fear and misinformation in the community. LV Defensa coordinates efforts with NIC and other grassroots organizations, Doctor said, as it streamlines sharing information and volunteers, as well as fundraising efforts for those directly impacted by ICE. Those coordinated efforts have helped people like Emine Sahin, who was held in the Henderson Detention Center for 122 days while pregnant. She and her husband, Batuhan, told KLAS that she was not given adequate medical care while detained. Emine was released last week, but during those 122 days, the couple lost their home, one of their cars was repossessed while their only other is at risk of being taken as well. There are nights, the couple said, that they are forced to sleep in their car. Advertisement Advertisement LV Defensa, as well as other local organizations like Fifth Sun Project, have helped fundraise for the couples GoFundMe to secure funds for temporary housing, prenatal medical care for Emine and other expenses. So far, $10,000 has been donated. Fifth Sun operates an Undocu-Relief Fund which sources donations from the community to support migrant families with urgent financial needs: legal, medical or basic expenses. On social media, the group posts how funds were used for accountability purposes. Emines story also demonstrates how ICE usually operates in Nevada. She was arrested in September 2025 for a domestic dispute, with all charges being dropped on Sept. 25. But she was not free to go. She instead was transferred to ICE custody. Most immigration enforcement in the state, Doctor noted, is through LVMPDs 287(g) agreement with ICEwhich allows Metro to execute civil immigration warrants and detain individuals past their scheduled release so that federal agents can take them into custody. Advertisement Advertisement The ACLU of Nevada alleged in a lawsuit filed on Oct. 13, 2025 that the agreement between Metro and ICE violates state law. Doctor sees future ICE escalation in Nevada, as seen in other cities, as probable. Minnesota is the testing ground, she said. She disagrees with the argument that the casino industry, or Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, are staving off ICE raids in Nevada. If the Trump administrations mission in Minneapolis is without consequence, then the entire country, including Las Vegas, can be targeted, she added. That belief is driving much of the interest in LV Defensa. Minneapolis rapid response network also involved small business outreach, with volunteers standing outside businesses owned by immigrants, or businesses with signs in windows stating a refusal to cooperate with ICE without judicial warrants. This level of outreach is what LV Defensa is attempting to replicate. Advertisement Advertisement Were hitting everywhere we can: gas stations, grocery stores, bars where people hang out so we can get to know each other, Doctor said. Some volunteers are organizing door-to-door within their neighborhoods. Vegas is a large city, so getting people united, especially down to neighborhoods, is a lot of work but thats what were focusing on, she added. The Jan. 30 protest was a part of a national call of action for no work, no school and no shopping. Organizers were able to get a few small businesses in downtown Vegas to close their doors in solidarity: Tofu Tees, LV Plant Collective and Fresas Skate Shop, all located in Fergusons Downtown. Yukon Pizza also closed its doors in solidarity with the people of Minnesota and all those brutalized by ICE, according to a social media post. Nevada lawmakers are under voters microscope In addition to grassroots organizing at the neighborhood level, more Nevadans are feeling more compelled to demand more from their elected officials in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez Masto, both Democrats, voted against a DHS funding bill, citing the need for ICE enforcement reforms. Nevadas three Democrats in the U.S. House voted against the funding as well. U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, the sole Republican Nevada representative, voted to fund DHS. The short-term funding measure was passed and signed by Trump, giving Congress and the White House a few more days to negotiate enforcement reforms. U.S. Rep. Susie Lee listed some of these guardrails as requiring ICE to obtain warrants, mandating officers wear body cameras and proper identification, enforcing use of force standards and prohibiting arresting U.S. citizens, according to a statement. Advertisement Advertisement A plurality of Americans support abolishing ICE entirely, according to a YouGov poll taken after the killing of Pretti. The sentiment echoed at a protest held at the federal courthouse in downtown Las Vegas on Jan. 30. We want ICE abolished and we wont stand for anything else but that, said Jasmin Lazaro, a registered nurse at the protest. Lawmakers seeking to reform ICE made Lazaro feel disappointed and angry because it makes me think that theyre either not paying attention to the voices of their constituents or theyre complicit. A January 30 protest in downtown Las Vegas was part of of a national day of action. (Photo: Matthew Mondschein/Nevada Current) Lazaro and her wife, Tomi Love, also a registered nurse, attended the protest together as street medics, equipped with medical kits, N95 masks, and milk of magnesia to counter any chemical agents like tear gas that police deploy. As nurses we just want to be there to protect each other and protect our community while we exercise our right to peacefully protest, Lazaro said. Advertisement Advertisement The couple was also joined by Thomas Ramey, Loves 92 year-old father and Korean War veteran, in his wheelchair. The protest against ICE was the first hed attended in his life, and he carried a sign that read: I skipped a nap for this. Angry veteran. Love was shocked at top Trump administration officials casting Pretti, who was an intensive care nurse at a VA hospital, as a domestic terrorist and would-be assassin. In nursing, we hold people accountable, she said. I dont understand why they cant be held accountable for the death and false representation of another human being. The protest ended with Doctor giving final remarks as community members lined up en masse to volunteer for LV Defensa and receive rapid response training. This doesnt stop at voting. We need to come together as neighbors to protect our people to let them know that we are here and will stop them as they come. Its the end of an era as SpaceX works to remove the crew access arm from Kennedy Space Centers Pad 39A meaning no further Dragon crewed launches from the site that also launched space shuttles and the Apollo moon missions. The launch pad has seen a pause in action due to SpaceX working to finalize the Starship tower and launch pad on the site. Then on Wednesday, Feb. 4, a crane appeared next to the Falcon 9 launch tower, attaching to the crew access arm. For our manifest going forward, were planning to launch most of our Falcon 9 launches off of Space Launch Complex 40. That will include all Dragon missions going forward, said Lee Echerd, senior mission manager of Human Spaceflight Mission Management at SpaceX during the Crew-12 prelaunch press briefing. That will allow our Cape team to focus 39A on Falcon Heavy launches and hopefully our first Starship launches later this year. Advertisement Advertisement Installed by SpaceX after the shuttle program ended, the crew access arm is the platform that astronauts walk across to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The company is contracted by NASA to launch astronauts to the International Space Station as part of the Commercial Crew Program. Since 2020, all expect one SpaceX crewed launch has been from Pad 39A. This includes both NASA and private customer flights, such as Axiom Space. "NASAs Commercial Crew Program does not specify a specific launch pad for crew rotation missions and maintains a launch capability at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. If needed, SpaceX could still support NASA crewed launch operations from pad 39A in the future," a NASA statement sent to FLORIDA TODAY reads. History of astronaut flights from NASAs Pad 39A Launch Pad 39A has a well-known history, as it was the pad that sent the Apollo 11 moon landing astronauts on their historic journey. Built for that Saturn V moon rocket, the first mission to launch from the site was the Apollo 8 mission in late 1968. The mission saw three astronauts orbit the moon, paving the way for the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. In later years, the pad saw astronauts lift off on NASAs space shuttles. The shuttle flew from the site in rotation with Pad 39B, which lies to the north. The last space shuttle to launch from the pad was Atlantis in July 2011. Advertisement Advertisement NASAs upcoming Crew-12 is set to be the second crewed mission to take off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which lies miles south of Kennedy Space Center. The only other crewed mission to take off from Launch Complex 40 was NASAs Crew-9 back in late 2024. When is the next Florida rocket launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming NASA, SpaceX, ULA launch schedule in Florida Looking to the future, crewed flights could take off from Pad 39A again aboard SpaceXs Starship. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has stated that Starship will be able to carry upwards of 100 astronauts per flight. It's not there yet. Starship has been undergoing uncrewed test flights out of Texas. Early flights from the Pad 39A tower are likely to be more test flights and purely payload missions. There is no definite timeline on when astronauts will fly on Starship or from which launch site it will be. Advertisement Advertisement As for NASAs role in Starship, the massive launch system is contracted to serve as the space agencys Artemis III mission lunar lander. The plan is for a separately launched Starship to take two astronauts from the Orion spacecraft down to the moon's surface. That mission is slated to happen by 2028. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX announces end of Dragon missions from Kennedy Space Center 39A Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs bills to set referendums for four constitutional amendments on Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/ Virginia Mercury) Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed bills to set a referendum for four constitutional amendments some of which have been years in the making officially sending them to Virginians to weigh in on this year. The first three amendments, if approved by voters this November, will protect reproductive rights and same-sex marriages and allow people with felony convictions who have completed their sentences to automatically have their voting rights restored. The amendments were a campaign promise for Spanberger and Democrats, who gained majorities in the legislature in the 2023 and 2025 elections. Advertisement Advertisement The fourth amendment, which has drawn both praise and condemnation, would allow a mid-decade redistricting of the states congressional maps. Leading Democrats said this week the effort is necessary to level the playing field, after President Donald Trump prompted states to redraw their maps in ways that tilt favor towards Republicans. Democratic-led states like California, and now Virginia, have countered with their own processes. Republicans have denounced it as partisan gerrymandering that flouts democratic principles. Democratic leadership of the legislature summoned lawmakers to a special session last fall to pass the fourth constitutional amendment as amendments need to pass two legislative sessions in a row with a House of Delegates election in between. As the 2026 legislative session kicked off this year the chambers wasted no time in getting the bills to Spanberger. Governor says redistricting amendment is temporary and responsive Virginia Democrats proposed 10-D, 1-R congressional districts map preserves the broad outlines of some existing districts but redistributes how the population is grouped across much of the state. (Photo courtesy Virginia Legislative Information System) As she signed the bill for the fourth amendment, Spanberger called the mid-decade redistricting proposal a temporary and responsive measure. Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of releasing the maps on Thursday, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas,D-Portsmouth, framed the redistricting push as a means to counter the GOP-led gerrymandering supported by Trump. Look, Donald Trump knows hes going to lose the midterms. He knows it, Lucas said. Thats why he started this mess in the first place. These are not ordinary times and Virginia will not sit on the sidelines while it happens. Republicans have pushed back against the proposal at every step of the way arguing that Virginia ostensibly ended gerrymandering in 2020 with a previous constitutional amendment and claiming that existing maps are fair. A legal challenge to the amendment is now up for review by the Virginia Supreme Court. Republican leadership has also argued that the redistricting attempt is a diversion from key priorities. While a variety of bills aimed at affordability are advancing through both chambers, none have made it to Spanbergers desk yet for potential signature. Advertisement Advertisement In a chat with reporters on Friday after Spanbergers bill signing, House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, took aim at the proposed maps. With a cluster of compact districts tied to Fairfax County in Northern Virginia, he pointed out how it benefits the Democratic stronghold. Are we going to Fairfax the rest of Virginia? Kilgore posited. These are not fair lines. Concerning all the amendments, Kilgore said his party is going to have to continue to fight those as we move through this, and hopefully the voters will agree with where we are. Spanberger said voters can expect to see her out and about later this year to support Congressional candidates and stump for the voting rights, marriage equality and reproductive rights amendments, but didnt divulge how much advocacy she might lend to the redistricting amendment this spring. Advertisement Advertisement The redistricting amendment timing is a bit different, and theres certain restrictions related to our ability to fundraise, she said when asked how else she would support the measure ahead of the bill signings on Friday. So within the constraints, certainly that exists in a very different manner. Virginian politicians are not allowed to fundraise during the legislative session so any campaigning, messaging and public events related to the amendment wont ramp up until the 2026 legislative session adjourns in mid-March. The referendum for the amendment is set for April 21, which makes for tight turnaround. Democrats currently hold six of the states 11 Congressional seats, and the new 10-1 map will likely bolster their representation. While the often-competitive 2nd Congressional District remains largely intact in Democrats proposed map, most other districts have been reworked to favor more Democrats and clump Republican representation into a single district spanning much of Southwest Virginia. Voting rights amendment would make restoration automatic for former felons Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs bills to set referendums for four constitutional amendments on Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) When Virginians have paid their debt to society, they deserve to regain their right to vote, Spanberger said of the voting rights amendment. Advertisement Advertisement Presently, Virginians with felony convictions permanently lose their voting rights unless a governor restores them. Three previous governors from both parties had streamlined the approvals by tweaking certain eligibility criteria and making the process automatic, so long as a prison sentence was complete. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Spanbergers predecessor, shifted back to a petition process. With reductions in approvals, there was also little criteria to guide applicants on whether their petitions would be successful or not. Several rejected applicants told The Mercury in 2024 that they were dismayed not to be able to participate in the presidential election and their local city councils. Having already repaid the debt to society that Spanberger referenced Friday, the rejected applicants were eager to once again engage in democracy. Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, bore a large grin on Friday as the governor signed the bill. Aside from being the states first Black speaker, Scott has gone from past imprisonment for a felony conviction to public service and political leadership. He said previously he supports this amendment based on his personal experience and would like others like him to benefit from it. Marriage equality amendment After signing the bill to send the marriage equality amendment to voters, Spanberger hugged Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, the bills sponsor in the Senate and one of the states openly gay elected officials. It is one of Ebbins last pieces of legislation before he joins Spanbergers administration as a senior adviser to the Cannabis Control Authority. Advertisement Advertisement The measure would cement protections for gay marriage in the states Consitution, to ensure same-sex unions would still be legal in Virginia even if federal protections are stripped away. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has expressed interest in revisiting a pivotal case that solidified federal gay marriage rights. If the nations highest court were to strike down the protections, Virginias defunct 2006 ban would take effect unless removed. Reproductive rights battle could ramp up later this year After signing the amendment that would codify reproductive rights protections in the state Constitution, Spanberger said in a statement that Virginia women deserve the freedom to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without politicians dictating their choices. If approved by voters latest this year, the amendment would protect access to fertility treatments and contraception as well as the ability to get abortions or use abortion medications to manage active miscarriages, which can prevent infection. Advertisement Advertisement Democrats have advocated for these protections for the past several years, and the amendment cleared the legislature last month. No Republicans in Virginia have voted in support of the measure. They have cited concerns that the amendment would allow abortion up to the moment of birth though infanticide remains illegal under state and federal law and that the proposal doesnt reiterate existing laws about parental consent and care for newborns. There are also some who simply do not support abortion unless it is needed to save someones life or if the pregnancy was the result of rape and incest. The redistricting push will likely dominate political headlines in the coming months, but support and opposition campaigns for the other three amendments particularly the reproductive rights one are likely to accelerate as Congressional midterms approach. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Sri Lanka will pursue Britain for colonial-era losses and seek the return of cultural treasures, its foreign minister has said. Vijitha Herath told the Sri Lankan parliament on Friday that the south Asian island also intended to seek compensation from the UK for damage to property, theft and loss of life linked to the colonial period. His comments came in response to Sajith Premadasa, the opposition leader, urging Sri Lanka to follow the African nations pressing former colonial powers for reparations. Advertisement Advertisement Britain ruled the island, then known as Ceylon, from 1796 until independence in 1948. During that time, British forces seized royal regalia from the Kandyan Kingdom, Sri Lankas last independent monarchy, including thrones, crowns and ceremonial swords. Some items were later returned but many are believed to remain in overseas collections. Among the most prominent objects Sri Lanka wants returned is an eighth-century bronze statue of the Buddhist goddess Tara. It was discovered near the port city Trincomalee and now in the Asian gallery at the British Museum in London. Vijitha Herath said he will seek compensation from the UK for damage to property - Ishara S Kodikara/AFP It is cast in one piece of solid bronze that has been covered in gold. Advertisement Advertisement Sri Lanka has already seen the return of artefacts from the Netherlands, which in December 2023 handed back several items looted around 250 years ago from the Kandyan Kingdom. These included a sabre with solid gold hilt and 138 diamonds, and a cannon inlaid with gold, silver and bronze known as Lewkes Cannon. The objects are now on display at the Colombo National Museum on the countrys western coast. The cannon was part of a larger set, with the other two now in Windsor Castle, understood to have been taken by the British during the wars with Kandy in the early 19th century. Successive governments in Colombo, the capital, have said Western powers exported large quantities of Sri Lankan cultural objects during the Portuguese (15051658), Dutch (16581796) and British (17961948) periods. These include religious relics, royal regalia, sculptures, manuscripts and ceremonial items that form part of the islands Buddhist and Sinhalese heritage. Advertisement Advertisement Officials admit, however, that pursuing restitution is complex. While governments can engage with states, many artefacts are held by private collectors abroad, limiting Sri Lankas ability to demand their return through diplomatic channels. Historians say the removal of cultural property during colonial rule reflected wider patterns of exploitation and conquest. Portuguese forces, they say, took sacred relics and temple objects as war trophies. The Dutch exported masks, ritual objects and old leaf manuscripts, while the British removed large numbers of statues, religious texts, architectural elements and works of art. While some Sri Lankans are pleased with the move, many fear restitution might be used to cover up the economic downturn the country is facing. Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays. A stolen car crashed into a nearly 200-year-old building in Ohio during a police chase on Wednesday, according to our media partners WBNS-10 TV. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Dublin police tried to stop a car speeding through a school zone around 8:30 a.m. TRENDING STORIES: Advertisement Advertisement The driver reportedly ran a red light at Bridge and High Streets in Dublin and crashed into the building. Its listed on the National Register of Historic Places, WBNS-10 reported. 20-year-old Carson King and a juvenile allegedly got out of the car after the crash and ran. The identity of the juvenile wasnt immediately available. Authorities eventually caught the suspects and took them into custody. Police also discovered the car they were chasing was stolen. WBNS-10 spoke to Tom Holton, a senior historian with the Dublin Historical Society, about the damage to the building. For a while, many years it was known as the Hutchinson Hotel, Holton said. Advertisement Advertisement He added that the building dates to the 1830s. One of the citys founders, John Sells, built it as a wedding present for his daughter. I dont know how theyre going to do it. But theyll have to rebuild it or repair it in as correct, as authentic of a manner as possible, Holton said. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Between 20 and 30 students at two Connecticut high schools in Groton walked out of their classes on Friday to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to posts on social media and town officials. On Thursday morning, close to 100 students walked out of a high school in Newington with the same message. The Groton walkout, which started Friday morning at Robert E. Fitch High School, was organized by two Fitch sophomores, Dylan Labonte and Riley McArthur, according to posts on Labonte's TikTok account and reporting in the New London Day. "ICE agents use tear gas on civilians, which is illegal to use in war," Labonte said in a post on TikTok Monday announcing the walkout that racked up more than 100,000 views. "... It's not a crime to be a person of color. We need our neighborhoods ICE-free." Advertisement Advertisement Labonte cited both the Children's Crusade, a 1963 civil rights march led by students in Birmingham, Ala., and anti-ICE walkouts at at least a dozen Rhode Island high schools last week, as inspirations for the protest. Subsequent posts by Labonte alleging that school administrators were attempting to stop the walkout, and reiterating his commitment to marching to Groton Town Hall with a list of demands to keep ICE agents away from the school, garnered more than 1.5 million views on TikTok. On Friday morning, Labonte posted a video standing outside the front door of Fitch around 9 a.m., along with approximately a dozen other students, including one holding a protest sign. Labonte did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Groton Deputy Police Chief Paul Gately, the group of 20 to 30 students left Fitch and marched to Groton Town Hall, where they met up with a group of students who walked out of Grasso Technical High School. No arrests were made during the protest, Gately said. Advertisement Advertisement The walkout, which follows a series of anti-ICE protests across Connecticut in recent weeks, including a "National Shutdown" rally in nearby New London last Friday, was one of multiple anti-ICE high school walkouts in the state this week, part of the largest wave of student demonstrations across the country since President Donald Trump was reelected and ramped up immigration raids nationwide last January. At Newington High School on Thursday morning, close to 100 students walked out of their homeroom period and held a 30-minute rally in a lot next to the school, touting signs and delivering anti-ICE and pro-immigrant speeches, Newington Town Councilor A.J. Tiniakos, who attended the protest, said. Unlike the Groton protest, Newington's event was planned with support from the school, Tiniakos, a Democrat, said. Students wore wristbands to identify themselves and did not leave campus without permission. "There's obviously a big concern, especially with kids of that age group, with what's going on," Tiniakos said. "Not everyone likes the method of operation that ICE is taking right now." Advertisement Advertisement According to posts online by Labonte, school leaders, including Principal Matthew Brown and Groton Superintendent of Schools Susan Austin, sent emails warning students they could face disciplinary action for leaving the campus during the school day, and instead planned a town hall-style meeting in the school on Friday morning. Labonte said school leaders had also spoken to him personally to discourage him from leading a protest off school grounds. According to the Day, Austin emailed families on Wednesday, writing that while "students feel strongly about self-expression and respect their right to Freedom of Speech and peaceful protest, student voice must be exercised without disruption to the school day and while adhering to school policies." But Labonte disagreed, saying in a TikTok post that holding an in-school assembly was not sufficient to get his anti-ICE message out. Advertisement Advertisement "Nobody will care about some random high school having an assembly. This protest isn't just about us. It's about stopping ICE," Labonte said. "ICE is everywhere, and we need our message to be big, and screwing around on campus will do nothing." Neither Brown nor Austin immediately responded to requests for comment on Friday morning. Groton Police also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One official who did signal his support for the protest was state Rep. Nick Gauthier, who represents neighboring Waterford. "U.S. history is comprised of students leading the way forward, getting attacked by the conservatives of their day, and ultimately being proven correct and praised for their courage upon reflection," Gauthier wrote on Facebook Friday. This article originally published at Students stage anti-ICE walkouts at multiple Connecticut high schools. Superior Court Judge Daniel Will appears at an Executive Council hearing on his nomination to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin) Judge Daniel Will would likely not recuse himself from a challenge to New Hampshires school funding model if confirmed to the state Supreme Court, he said Friday, despite having previously argued against a similar lawsuit for the Attorney Generals Office. I cant sit on any case that I participated in, Will said. But that doesnt mean that I cant sit on any case in a subject matter of a case that I participated in. Thats how I look at it. Advertisement Advertisement The pronouncement came during an hours-long hearing on Wills nomination held by the Executive Council, which must vote on whether to confirm him. Before he became a superior court judge, Will was the states solicitor general from 2018 to 2021, a role that made him the primary attorney defending the state from lawsuits. As part of that job, he anchored the Attorney Generals Offices arguments against Contoocook Valley School District v. New Hampshire, the lawsuit known as ConVal brought by school districts alleging that the states funding to schools is unconstitutionally low. Though the Supreme Court decided that case in 2025, ruling in favor of plaintiffs, a second case, Rand v. State of New Hampshire, is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court this year. That case was brought by a group of property-tax payers who also argue the state adequacy payments to schools is unconstitutionally low. Asked by Republican Councilor John Stephen Friday whether his work opposing the ConVal case would require recusal in the Rand case, Will said no, arguing that recusals apply to specific cases, not issues. Advertisement Advertisement I dont believe I would be recused from other cases raising those types of challenges, he said, speaking of school funding lawsuits. I just cant be involved in that particular one. A decision not to recuse himself in Rand would align Will with Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald, who chose not to participate in last years ConVal ruling due to his prior work defending against the lawsuit as attorney general but who has not similarly recused himself from Rand, a lawsuit filed after MacDonald left the Department of Justice. And it could shift the recent legal trajectory of the school funding lawsuits. Democrats and school funding advocates have hailed the Supreme Courts 2025 ConVal decision and called on lawmakers to respond with serious proposals to boost state funding. But that decision happened under unusual circumstances: MacDonald and Associate Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi had been replaced by two alternate justices from lower courts, both of whom ruled with the 3-2 majority. And the third justice in that majority, James Bassett, retired last August. Advertisement Advertisement A future ruling on the Rand case with Will and MacDonald taking part could look different. Wills comments on his recusal policy came as part of a wide-ranging hearing in which he presented a judicial philosophy rooted in textualism and a dedication to applying the letter of the law and constitution to each case. Superior Court Judge Daniel Will appears at an Executive Council hearing on his nomination to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin) The Executive Council will vote on Wills confirmation in the coming weeks. He was nominated in January by Gov. Kelly Ayotte ahead of the departure from the court of Hantz Marconi, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. Asked again and again about his approach to writing opinions and his commitment to avoiding bias, Will said a simple approach would dictate every decision. Advertisement Advertisement The Legislature speaks through the words of its statues, and its up to the judge to faithfully interpret those statutes, he said. And the same is true with constitutional text as well. In that respect, Will says he attempts to follow the example of former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who he identified as the jurist he respects the most. I by no means hold myself as on his level, intellectually or in any other way, he said, but I do aspire to having a level of discipline and rigor in my analysis that really tries to understand what the tests that apply to a given case are saying and what they mean. Will said repeatedly he believes all state Supreme Court decisions should be rooted in the New Hampshire Constitution and state statute, especially in cases where the state constitution provides stronger rights than the U.S. Constitution. He said he would follow the doctrine of stare decisis in which courts defer to existing precedents but argued that the doctrine cant be used as a straitjacket that preserves wrongly decided opinions. Advertisement Advertisement And he elaborated on his approach to recusals. Given the five years that have passed since he last worked as an attorney, there would be few if any active lawsuits that would require his recusal, Will said. However, he would recuse himself from cases involving attorneys or clients that he is friends with, he said. And he added there would likely be cases in which he believed he could rule fairly but might choose to recuse himself anyway to avoid the appearance of a conflict. While the Supreme Courts code of conduct provides guidelines for when justices should recuse themselves, it is ultimately at the discretion of the judges themselves. Dozens of people, many attorneys and judges, testified in support of Wills nomination, calling him smart, compassionate, and dedicated to his work. He is the first person at the office and was often the last person to leave, said Superior Court Judge Anne Edwards. As a judge, he was regularly in Stratford County (Superior Court) at six oclock, quarter to seven when court ended at four, and thats because he was working hard. I know that hes going to do that at the Supreme Court. Advertisement Advertisement Emily Garod, the Strafford County attorney, praised Wills ideological rigor. I can tell you that he has ruled many times not in my favor, she said. Many times I have asked him for things that he has not given me. But I never walked away from that forum feeling confused or feeling like I wasnt listened to or that I wasnt heard. And when I read his rulings, and I understand his rulings, I know that he followed the law to the way that he interpreted it. But a smaller faction of people testifying raised concerns about one piece of Wills legal career: his 2020 defense as solicitor general of then-Gov. Chris Sununus emergency order shutting down public gatherings during the COVID-19 outbreak. Patricia Meyers gave voice to those concerns, saying Wills argument for a policy that prohibited church services deprived residents of their rights. It isnt just about churchgoing, this issue with the unconstitutional suspension of our rights, she said. Its about the presumption that the rights given to us by God can be suspended by anyone. Thats the issue. Im very concerned about that. Im very concerned about some of his decisions. Rep. Bob Lynn, a Windham Republican and a former chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, testifies in favor of Superior Court Judge Daniel Wills nomination to the state Supreme Court, Feb. 6, 2026. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin) And an attorney for the conservative advocacy organization Cornerstone, Ian Huyett, also voiced opposition to Will based on his defense of the 2020 emergency order. Advertisement Advertisement As an attorney practicing in a very small state, I am not looking for opportunities to testify against a sitting judge in a room full of judges, Huyett said, referring to the room of Wills supporters. We are here only because we believe on the basis of Judge Wills past record, his statements in these hearings, and the lack of contrary evidence, that his confirmation would mean claimants on issues like parental rights, religious liberty, or free speech would lose for years to come. But Rep. Bob Lynn, a Windham Republican and a former Supreme Court chief justice himself, spoke in favor of Will and dismissed the criticism. The positions that he advocated in that litigation tell us nothing about his personal views, said Lynn, who sits on Ayottes Judicial Selection Committee, which recommended Will for the court. If we want to preserve the rule of law and the fairness of our system of justice, we cannot subscribe to the view that lawyers should be punished in their careers for their legitimate legal advocacy in support of causes that may be unpopular at the moment. He added: Dan Will is a first-rate candidate for the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and I urge you to confirm him. With a market cap of $15.5 billion, Trimble Inc. (TRMB) provides software, hardware, and positioning solutions to help professionals and field workers enhance and transform work processes across industries such as architecture, engineering, construction, transportation, and logistics. It delivers advanced design, data collection, positioning, and management solutions to customers across North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, and international markets. Shares of the Westminster, Colorado-based company have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. TRMB stock has declined 13.5% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 14%. Moreover, shares of Trimble are down 17.1% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX's marginal rise. More News from Barchart In addition, shares of the navigation equipment maker have lagged behind the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF's (XLK) nearly 17% return over the past 52 weeks. www.barchart.com Shares of Trimble rose 2.5% on Nov. 5 after the company reported Q3 2025 results that exceeded expectations, driven by revenue of $901.2 million and record annualized recurring revenue of $2.31 billion. Investor sentiment was further supported by strong profitability, including adjusted operating income of $254.2 million, adjusted EPS of $0.81, and adjusted EBITDA of $269.4 million. Additionally, Trimble raised its full-year 2025 guidance, projecting revenue of $3.55 billion - $3.59 billion and adjusted EPS of $3.04 - $3.12, reinforcing confidence in its Connect & Scale strategy. For the fiscal year that ended in December 2025, analysts expect TRMB's EPS to grow 15.8% year-over-year to $2.56. The company's earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing on another occasion. Among the 13 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a Strong Buy. Thats based on 11 Strong Buy ratings, one Moderate Buy, and one Hold. www.barchart.com On Jan. 12, Barclays raised its price target on Trimble to $101 and maintained an Overweight rating. Washington The FBI arrested a suspect who allegedly participated in the terrorist attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that led to the deaths of four Americans, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday. "Today, I'm proud to announce that the FBI has arrested one of the key participants behind the Benghazi attack," Bondi said. "You can run, but you cannot hide." The suspect, named Zubayar al-Bakoush, was transferred to the U.S. overnight, Bondi said. The attorney general announced his capture alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three others Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty were killed in the attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound and nearby CIA outpost by militants with the group Ansar al-Sharia on Sept. 11, 2012. Pirro said she informed the surviving family members of al-Bakoush's capture ahead of time. Following the announcement, prosecutors unsealed a 13-page indictment in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., charging al-Bakoush with seven counts, including murder, attempted murder, providing material support to terrorists and arson. He is expected to appear in court later Friday. The indictment alleges that al-Bakoush lived in Benghazi and was a member of Ansar al-Sharia. Prosecutors said al-Bakoush was part of the group of armed militants who attacked the U.S. mission in Benghazi where Stevens and his security team were located. The indictment said a group of about 20 militants breached the main gate and set fire to the buildings, killing Stevens and Smith. Prosecutors alleged al-Bakoush entered the gate after the fires were set and "conducted surveillance activity" before trying to gain access to vehicles on the grounds of the compound. Advertisement Advertisement A subsequent mortar attack on a CIA annex about a mile away from the U.S. mission killed Woods and Doherty, who were CIA contractors. The State Department and CIA worked with the FBI to arrest al-Bakoush, Bondi said Friday. The officials declined to give many details about how he was tracked down, except to say he was picked up "overseas." Pirro said there are more people out there responsible for the killings that day in 2012, and the federal government won't stop hunting for them. "Let me be very clear there are more of them out there," Pirro said. "Time will not stop us from going after these predators, no matter how long it takes, in order to fulfill our obligation to those families who suffered horrific pain at the hands of these violent terrorists." Two others have been prosecuted in the U.S. for their roles in the attack. In 2014, U.S. Special Forces captured Libyan national Ahmed Abu Khatallah, a purported leader of the attack. He was acquitted of murder charges in 2017 but convicted on others and initially sentenced to 22 years in prison. He was resentenced to 28 years behind bars in 2024, with a federal judge determining his initial sentence was too light. Advertisement Advertisement In 2017, another Libyan, Mustafa al-Imam, was captured in a U.S. operation and brought to face charges. He was found guilty at trial in 2019 and sentenced to 19 years in prison. White House says it removed Trump post with racist video of Barack and Michelle Obama Luigi Mangione yells out in court as judge sets New York trial for June Racist video shared by Trump depicting Obamas as apes taken down A suspect accused of being a "key participant" in the deadly attack on an American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 has been taken into US custody, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced. Zubayr Al-Bakoush arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said during a news conference. He is being charged with eight counts, including two murder charges for the deaths of US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and state department employee Sean Smith. Advertisement Advertisement Bondi said the US would continue its pursuit of additional suspects in the case, warning that an arrest "might not happen overnight, but it will happen. You can run, but you cannot hide". During the news conference on Friday, Bondi was joined by FBI Director Kash Patel and US attorney Jeanine Pirro. Patel said he was with Pirro earlier on Friday, when Al-Bakoush arrived at Joint Base Andrews, a military base in Maryland, around 03:00 EST (08:00 GMT). Patel described Al-Bakoush's capture as an interagency effort. "In order to execute an apprehension, a capture and a foreign transfer of custody, no one agency alone can do it," Patel said, adding that the US worked with "partners overseas". Advertisement Advertisement Patel said the operation included "special tactical assets", including FBI agents and medical personnel. When asked, he would not specify where Al-Bakoush had arrived from. Pirro said Al-Bakoush was first charged in 2015, and that the eight-count indictment against him ha recently been unsealed. It includes two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of arson, and conspiracy to provide materials for terrorists that resulted in the death of four Americans. In addition to Stevens, information technology specialist Smith and security workers and ex-Navy Seals Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed in the attack on 11 September 2012. Advertisement Advertisement The attack was a politically fraught issue for then-President Barack Obama, and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who Republicans had blamed for an untimely response and security failures at the facility. Two other people have been prosecuted for their roles in the attack. In 2017 Libyan militant Ahmed Abu Khattala was jailed for his role in the attack and Libyan Mustafa al-Imam was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison in 2019. Oakland University police are searching for two suspects in the stabbing of a man outside Van Wagoner House, a student residential building on Meadowbrook Road. University Police Chief Mark Gordon said that numerous people began calling 911 around 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, to report a fight outside the entrance to the building. Wilson Hall and Eliott Tower can be seen on the Oakland University main campus in Rochester on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. "When officers arrived we found the victim that was in the area of Van Wagoner had suffered from multiple stab wounds from the altercation," Gordon said at news conference Thursday night. "He was let inside the building by an unknown person and was in need of medical attention." Advertisement Advertisement Gordon said EMS crews transported the man to McLaren Oakland Hospital, where he was apparently being prepared for surgery. The victim was not a student at the university but may have been visiting one, Gordon said. The suspects left the area in a dark colored SUV. Both appear to be men in their early 20s. One wore a black, North Face jacket, black pants and white shoes with blue on the back of the shoes. The second suspect wore a camouflage jacket with a black hood, black pants and black shoes. Anyone with information about the fight or the suspects, is asked to call Oakland University police at 248-370-3331. Advertisement Advertisement The attack came just a week after a gunshot was fired inside a dorm at Wayne State University. No one was injured by that shot and those suspects also fled the scene. Contact John Wisely: jwisely@freep.com. On X: @jwisely This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Stabbing at Oakland University's Van Wagoner House, suspects sought Taiwan's representative in Canada says he is concerned the Liberal government may be deliberately delaying the signing of a trade agreement with Taipei to preserve its relationship with China. Harry Tseng, the head of the Taipei's Economic and Cultural Office in Canada, told Radio-Canada that the negotiating teams from Ottawa and Taipei have initialed every page of the trade co-operation framework agreement and it has been ready for final signatures since April. There are "no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin," said Tseng. "That tells you how close we are to the final signature. This is a result of very long-term synergy and it is there, readily available." Advertisement Advertisement He said the initialed pages are a sign that the document is complete. "You need to honour that," he said. Taiwan a de facto autonomous island that China considers to be one of its provinces is Canada's sixth-largest trading partner in Asia. Among the areas of collaboration defined in the framework agreement are online commerce, energy, net-zero transition and supply chain resilience particularly for semiconductors. Last June, a similar agreement was concluded between the United Kingdom and Taiwan. Tseng says Canada has left Taiwan with the impression, intentionally or not, that it wants to improve its relations with China at the expense of Canada's relationship with Taiwan. He said he sees a contradiction between Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech in Davos, Switzerland, which called for trade diversification and was critical of superpowers, and his reluctance to sign an agreement with Taiwan. Advertisement Advertisement "We are trading with every country. We are trading with China as well. Why on earth can China stop any countries from trading with Taiwan?" Tseng said. Carney says he's 'never afraid' Carney dismissed Tseng's concerns Wednesday, insisting his government is capable of conducting trade with both Taiwan and China. "I'm never, never afraid. We have trade relations with Taiwan. But we're focusing on strengthening our trade relations with China. We're making a lot of progress. For families in the automotive and clean energy sectors, it's been a great success," Carney said. Advertisement Advertisement In an email, Global Affairs Canada confirmed to Radio-Canada that a trade co-operation framework agreement had indeed been concluded with Taiwan in March 2025, and that a review of the next steps is underway. Since coming to power, Carney has adopted a pragmatic approach toward China, visiting Beijing last month to conclude a "new strategic partnership," which includes the removal of several tariffs. A few days before that visit, the government asked two Liberal MPs to cut short their parliamentary trip to Taiwan. MPs Marie-France Lalonde and Helena Jaczek said that they wanted to avoid any confusion with Canada's foreign policy. Bloc Quebecois MP Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, who himself visited Taiwan on a parliamentary visit in 2022, said recalling those MPs and delaying the signing of the trade agreement were both likely done to appease China. Advertisement Advertisement "I see no other reason," Savard-Tremblay, the Bloc's international trade critic, said. "We keep saying we need to diversify, that we need reliable partners. In the case we're currently discussing, Taiwan is a democracy. It's a market economy." He said Quebec industries such as green tech and artificial intelligence have much to gain from deepening ties with Taiwan. The Canadian government's Indo-Pacific strategy, launched in 2022, also aims to continue developing economic and people-to-people ties with Taiwan while supporting its resilience. Beijing refuses to have official diplomatic relations with any country that openly recognizes Taiwan as a separate state. As part of its "One China" policy, Canada maintains unofficial but significant relations with Taiwan in economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Samantha Lafleur said in an email. This is the online version of From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics teams latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. In todays edition, Jonathan Allen examines how President Donald Trump is attempting to fine-tune his immigration approach. Plus, Bridget Bowman explores the racial divides that are defining the Democratic Senate primary in Texas. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here. Advertisement Advertisement Adam Wollner The tension at the center of Trumps retooled immigration message Analysis by Jonathan Allen If it seems that President Donald Trump is of two minds about how to message his mass deportation campaign, that may be because his Republican Party is unified about the overarching strategy but split over the aggressive tactics deployed in pursuing it. In an interview with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas yesterday, Trump said that he may have to apply a softer touch following federal agents killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month. Trump insisted that despite violent confrontations with citizens, immigrants with legal status and undocumented immigrants who have not committed violent crimes, ICE and Border Patrol agents are focused on criminals, really bad criminals. Now, you could say that people who came in illegally are criminals, but Im talking about murderers from different countries, he continued. Advertisement Advertisement The numbers dont back him up any more than high-profile cases like that of Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old who was apprehended by federal agents along with his father and sent to a detention center in Texas, even though they applied for asylum at the border last year. There is no evidence that the father or the child posed any threat to their community. (A federal judge ordered their return to Minneapolis.) More broadly, Trumps crackdown has led to a rise in the number of immigration arrests by federal authorities. But as that number has gone up, the share of detainees who have been convicted of crimes or who face pending charges has gone down. In other words, the raids are sweeping up a lot of people who are not the worst of the worst. Trump seems to understand what polls suggest: His deportation policy is much more popular when it is actually focused on removing criminals. According to a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll, 65% of Americans said ICEs immigration enforcement has gone too far. Only 12% said the agency has not gone far enough. Moreover, the percentage of people who say the effort has gone too far has increased by 11 points since it was at 54% in June. The shift underscores the discomfort many Americans, including some Republicans, feel when they see federal agents precipitating violence in interactions with people who have committed no violent crimes. So does Trumps decision last week to remove Border Patrol commander-at-large Greg Bovino, the face of the aggressive tactics, with White House border czar Tom Homan, who has long emphasized targeting criminals. Advertisement Advertisement But Trump also understands that his base demands action on his 2024 campaign promise to carry out mass deportations. And thats why he vowed in the interview with Llamas to expand the mission to five more American cities. See the full transcript of the interview here And read our fact check of Trumps claims here Viral dispute over 'mediocre' comment exposes racial divides in Democrats' Texas Senate primary By Bridget Bowman The controversy over Texas state Rep. James Talaricos alleged comment about one of his former Democratic opponents has exposed some of the racial divides unfolding in the partys Senate primary, with just a few weeks until voters pick a nominee. A TikTok influencer went viral this week with an allegation that Talarico described former Rep. Colin Allred as a mediocre Black man. Talarico said that was a mischaracterization. Advertisement Advertisement In a statement earlier this week, Talarico said he had described Congressman Allreds method of campaigning as mediocre but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race. Allred went on to endorse Talaricos main Democratic opponent, Rep. Jasmine Crockett. Allred had been running for the Democratic Senate nomination against Talarico, but he switched to a House campaign after Crockett jumped into the race. He told NBC News that he was moved to speak out in part because Black voters are so crucial to the state and he suggested Talarico would not be able to win their support. If you can speak that way about me, then you dont have the requisite respect, understanding, empathy to represent, but also to receive the support of, Black voters in Texas, in my opinion, said Allred, who described the comment as dismissive and offensive. Primary divisions: In an interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, Talarico recently acknowledged that he is trailing among Black voters, noting polling has also shown he is not as well known. Advertisement Advertisement Im the new kid on the block and Ive got to do the work to introduce myself to voters all over this state, to earn their trust, earn their respect and earn their support, Talarico said. Thats why Im going to every corner of Texas. While Crockett has built up an advantage among Black voters, Talarico has had an edge among Latino voters, according to the limited public polling thats been available. Crockett told NBC News that she is also working to appeal to Latino voters and said she believes she is particularly strong among Hispanic women. Crockett suggested some in the Latino community had been gaslit about comments she made in 2024 during an interview with Vanity Fair, where she likened Latino immigrants views of undocumented immigrants to a slave mentality. Crockett said she believes the comments were taken out of context, adding, Im a Black woman, so I relate things to the Black experience. Advertisement Advertisement With a primary divided in part along racial lines, the challenge for the eventual nominee will be to win over voters of all races and build a broad enough coalition to win the traditionally Republican state. Read more from Bridget Today's other top stories Election night: A crowded field of Democrats are competing today to advance to the special general election in New Jerseys 11th District, which was previously represented by Gov. Mikie Sherrill . Polls close at 8 p.m. ET. Follow the results here Not so fast: Officials in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Detroit this week vowed to defend local control of elections after Trump floated the idea that Republicans should nationalize elections. Read more Party foul: Congressional Republicans are on the brink of an internal clash over the SAVE Act, a high priority for Trump that would overhaul election laws nationwide and require proof of citizenship to vote. Read more Add it up: The Trump administrations deployment of the National Guard to the nations capital has cost taxpayers more than $330 million, according to a new report from Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Read more From Russia with love: The last major nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the U.S. expires today, ushering in an era without caps set by the worlds largest nuclear powers. Read more In the states: A bill making its way through the Indiana Legislature would require public schools to teach the importance of getting married before having children. Read more Thats all From the Politics Desk for now. Todays newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner. Advertisement Advertisement If you have feedback likes or dislikes email us at politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com And if youre a fan, please share with everyone and anyone. They can sign up here. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com (Texas Scorecard) Two Harris County property owners are challenging state laws that govern when persons carrying handguns can be convicted of criminal trespass if they enter or remain on property where guns are not welcome. The lawsTexas Penal Codes 30.06 and 30.07require the posting of signs with specific requirements on the buildings of property owners that wish to ban handguns from their premises. Property owners may alternatively issue a written notice in the form of cards or give verbal notice to potential violators. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard oral arguments in January. Background Former Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, when serving as a state senator, authored Senate Bill 60 in 1995creating Texas original concealed handgun law. The legislature later enacted Penal Code 30.06 in 1997, establishing the specific 30.06 sign notice requirements. Advertisement Advertisement Patterson told Texas Scorecard that he noticed Texas criminal trespass law was labeled 30.05 and thought it would be funny to name the gun bill 30.06a play on the thirtyaughtsix rifle cartridge, officially called the .3006 Springfield. When Texas adopted open carry via House Bill 910 in 2015, it added 30.07, creating parallel signage requirements for openly carried handguns. Over time, legislators codified highly specific text, size, and bilingual requirements for both 30.06 and 30.07 signs, leading to the familiar large postings seen on many Texas storefronts. If a property owner seeks to exclude both concealed and openly carried handguns via signage, they must devote several square feet of space at each entrance to text-heavy signage. Offenses under the acts are classified as Class C misdemeanors, punishable by a fine of no more than $200. The only exception is for trespassers who, after entering the property, are personally given oral notice but do not depart, in which case the offense is enhanced to a Class A misdemeanor. Texas Penal Codes 30.06 and 30.07 sign requirements Signs compliant with 30.06 and 30.07 notice requirements. The Lawsuit Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church and Antidote Coffee filed a federal lawsuit in 2020 challenging the signage requirements, arguing they constitute content-based and viewpoint-based regulations on speech, violating their rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of Texas in Houston, naming the Harris County District Attorney and Sheriff, and the chiefs of the Webster and Houston police departments as defendants. Plaintiffs contend that the acts impose onerous size, language, and text signage requirements that are unjustified and unduly burdensome on a group of property owners who espouse a disfavored viewpoint. This viewpoint-based discrimination was entirely intentional; the Texas state land commissioner who drafted these requirements admits that he intentionally made the signs language cumbersome to discourage businesses from prohibiting entry to customers carrying guns, the lawsuit continues. Indeed, Patterson told Texas Scorecard that he wanted it large because it would be kind of a reason not to do it, reasoning that property owners would decide well, its just too damn big, discouraging them from curbing the right to bear arms. Advertisement Advertisement Patterson also highlighted the importance of having noticeable and standardized signs so that a propertys trespass policies are explicitly clear. However, plaintiffs are challenging the standardized messaging on the signs as government-scripted speech. Patterson characterized this argument as illegitimate, pointing out that many signsincluding traffic signsare standardized so they can be recognized and understood without having to read them in full. He reasons that the plaintiffs are simply upset at the size of the signs. His solution is for them to not put the signs up or go to the legislature and have them come up with a smaller standard sign. Advertisement Advertisement Plaintiffs are seeking declaratory relief that the acts are unconstitutional and injunctive relief to block the state from enforcing the law. Defendants contend that an injunction would not redress the plaintiffs grievances because the laws are not enforced against them, but against potential trespassers. The court also lacks the authority to rewrite the laws requirements, as this must be done by lawmakers. They further argue that the plaintiffs injuries stem from their decisions to post the acts optional signs, rather than being required to do someaning the plaintiffs lack standing to sue. Standing Both plaintiffs claim they are directly harmed by the acts because they have banned handguns and are uncomfortable giving oral notice or handing out written notice to each customermeaning they must comply with the sign requirements should they wish to utilize Texas criminal trespass laws. Advertisement Advertisement Plaintiffs claim the signs are divisive, serving as a Scarlet Letter, causing passers-by to deem the establishment to be anti-gun. Because of the stringent requirements, property owners wishing to communicate to patrons in a more nuanced manner would have to add yet another sign to their property frontfor example, a sign stating: This is a family establishment. While we deeply respect the Second Amendment, guns are not allowed on this property, reads the lawsuit. No law prevents either plaintiff from doing so. Plaintiff Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church is a left-wing religious organization, self-described as a welcoming community that celebrates diversity and has been on the forefront of LGBTQ inclusion for over 40 years. Advertisement Advertisement The church claims that the signs detract from the church experience by having visitors, upon entering the building, focus on guns instead of the Churchs religious message. As the very next line in the lawsuit reveals, The Church also displays rainbow stickers on the doors as a way to demonstrate inclusiveness with the LGBTQ community. [T]he Church intends its building to be a refuge for peace and tranquility, and the Church believes that the signs detract from this purpose because they are constant and imposing reminders of guns and violence, the lawsuit continues. Plaintiff Antidote Coffee is described in the suit as a small shop that serves coffee, wine, and ice cream in Houston. The business complained that it is also required to post alcohol signage in addition to the gun signage. Advertisement Advertisement However, Antidote Coffee is not a mandatory noguns 51% bar. Rather, its a coffee shop that voluntarily bans licensed carry with 30.06/30.07 notices. The owners worry that the first things Antidotes customers are forced to think about when entering the shop are weapons and criminal prosecutions, reads the lawsuit. They also believe that the signage requirements force Antidote to make a bold political statement regarding guns, given the intrusiveness and size of the signs. Antidotes staff have allegedly encountered customers who are bothered by the signs. Defendants maintain that the plaintiffs alleged injuries are self-inflicted, and that they would not be penalized for failing to post such signage. The only punishments under the acts are directed toward prospective trespassers. Advertisement Advertisement The district court agreed, dismissing the case for plaintiffs lack of standing. Plaintiffs appealed this decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel ruled last year that the plaintiffs do have standing, remanding the case for further proceedings. This too was appealed, this time by the defendants, who asked for the Fifth Circuit to re-hear the case en-bancmeaning before the full court of 17 judges. This was granted, the panel opinion was vacated, and oral arguments were heard on January 23. Oral Arguments During oral arguments, the plaintiffs continued claiming they are being forced to post signs that conflict with their expressive preferences and freedom to associate for religious purposes. They cite reputational injury resulting from the posted signage. Advertisement Advertisement The judges pointed out that plaintiffs could simply give oral notice and are not compelled to post any signage. They questioned what is unconstitutional about giving oral notice like ordinary trespass law. Plaintiffs claimed that employees are fearful of confrontation, particularly when the prospective trespasser is armed. Judges also pushed back on plaintiffs claims that police may refuse to remove a trespasser if the signs are not properly posted. It was pointed out that there is not a single instance of this happening under ordinary trespass law. Although many judges appeared skeptical of the plaintiffs claims, others seemed sympathetic to their arguments. The Fifth Circuit is known to be a more conservative court, but a decision has yet to be reached. This case has drawn attention in Texas legal community for testing how far the state can go in prescribing speech for standardized signage, particularly to be used in association with gun-related trespass law. If you or anyone you know has information regarding court cases, please contact our tip line: scorecardtips@protonmail.com. Thieves were caught on camera stalking shoppers in Koreatown, then stealing a woman's purse from her car. The suspects in a white BMW can be seen waiting for their next victim in the parking lot of a busy shopping center at 8th Street and Western Avenue Tuesday afternoon. They spring into action after spotting a woman walking to her car. Camera's on the victim's Tesla caught it all on video, showing the BMW pulling up. Advertisement Advertisement One masked thief can be seen sneaking up along the passenger side of her car just as she unlocks her doors. He then grabs her purse and jumps back into the getaway car. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the incident and the search continues for the thieves. Three African country have agreed to take back foreign offenders and illegal migrants after the UK Home Secretary threatened them with visa penalties. In December - following threats from Shabana Mahmood - Namibia and Angola agreed to cooperate on returns. The home secretary has now also secured cooperation from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "My message is clear: if foreign governments refuse to accept the return of their citizens, then they will face consequences," she said following the agreement. Advertisement Advertisement The UK government had previously warned it would stop granting visas to people from Angola, Namibia and the DRC if their governments did not improve co-operation on removals. The Home Office had said that returns from the DRC, Angola and Namibia were being frustrated - with paperwork not being processed or people being required to sign their own documents - giving them an effective veto. It had warned that the three countries faced penalties for their "unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes". While setting out changes to the UK's asylum system in November, Mahmood said visa penalties would be applied to countries that failed to co-operate with returns policies. Advertisement Advertisement Penalties included an "emergency brake" on visas for countries with high asylum claims until they take back citizens in the UK illegally. Following the agreement with the three countries, Mahmood said: "Illegal migrants and dangerous criminals will now be removed and deported back to Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo." "I will do what it takes to secure our order and control to our borders," she added. The government says over 3,000 people from these three countries could be eligible to be removed or deported due to the cooperation. In the year ending September 2025, there were 36,475 returns and deportations from the UK, an 11% increase on the previous 12 months. Advertisement Advertisement Around 5,000 of the returns were foreign national offenders - 48% came from EU countries and 52% came from non-EU countries. The Home Secretary has indicated that countries which refuse to work with the UK on returns cannot expect a normal visa relationship, with further threats expected for lack of cooperation. It is understood that India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia and Gabon are all resistant to returns deals and it is possible that the government could look at sanctions for those countries. The government hopes that increasing the return of illegal migrants will deter people from trying to get to the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats. Advertisement Advertisement Last year, 41,472 migrants made the journey, a 13% rise on the year before. At the end of last year, European countries including the UK agreed to negotiate a new approach to interpreting the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to make it easier to deport illegal migrants. The Conservatives have said they would leave the treaty with party leader Kemi Badenoch arguing it was a necessary step to "protect our borders". President Trump announced in a Truth Social post Thursday that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit the White House on March 19. The president also endorsed Takaichi ahead of Japans general elections on Sunday in which all 465 seats of the countrys House of Representatives are up for grabs. The results of this election are very important to the future of Japan, Trump wrote in the post. The prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader, and one that truly loves her country. Advertisement Advertisement It is my honor to give a complete and total endorsement of her, and what her highly respected coalition is representing, he said. SHE WILL NOT LET THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN DOWN. Takaichi, a staunch conservative and Japans first female prime minister, dissolved the countrys lower house of Parliament last month in a move to help her Liberal Democratic Party gain more ground in a general election. Trump and Takaichi met in Japan in October as part of Trumps trip to Asia last year. Takaichi worked closely with the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who built a strong friendship and working relationship with Trump during the presidents first term. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Donald Trump gives a speech at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 21, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) President Donald Trump on Friday announced his approval of $60.6 million in aid for Tennessee following severe winter storms that left hundreds of thousands of residents without power. Trump posted the announcement on Truth Social, a social media platform owned by Trump Media & Technology Group. Advertisement Advertisement Incredible people, that I know will rebuild, FAST! Trump wrote, noting that the funds will help those recovering from the winter storm in the Great State for Tennessee (which I won three times!). Trumps post does not specify which counties are approved for aid or which types of aid they can receive. The Federal Emergency Management Agency later confirmed it will make federal funding available for state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities in Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Lewis, McNairy, Perry, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne and Williamson counties. Funds for emergency protective measures will be made available to Decatur, Dickson, Hardeman, Lawrence, Maury, Robertson, Rutherford and Wilson counties. Gov. Bill Lee requested an expedited major disaster declaration which can open up federal recovery resources and funding for governments and individuals beyond immediate lifesaving needs on Jan. 28. Advertisement Advertisement Lees request includes both public and individual assistance from FEMA. The request is limited to 23 counties where damage is already evident and expected to easily exceed assistance thresholds, Lees office stated on Jan. 29. Damage assessments continue and Lee indicated more qualifying counties may be added to the request. Lee also requested hazard mitigation assistance, which would devote federal funds toward preventative projects that could lessen the impact of future disasters. As Tennesseans begin the recovery process following Winter Storm Fern, Im grateful to President Trump for granting our Major Disaster Declaration request, Lee said in a statement following FEMAs announcement. This approval ensures federal resources are available, and we are grateful for the Trump Administrations unwavering support. Advertisement Advertisement The late January storm and bitterly cold temperatures that followed left swaths of the state with dangerously icy roadways, decimated thousands of trees and knocked out power for more than 300,000 customers, including more than 225,000 in Nashville alone. President Trump approved an emergency declaration for the state on Jan. 24, making immediate emergency support and limited reimbursement available to state and local governments as they work to restore power, clear roadways and provide lifesaving services to residents. FEMA announced the approval of $11 million in combined emergency response funds for Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana on Jan. 30. Typically, funds for emergency public assistance are reimbursed by the federal government after states document the cost of their response efforts. This time, because the storm was so serious, FEMA is sending the money upfront so Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana can act quickly, the agency stated in a news release. Advertisement Advertisement Tennessee received $3.75 million. Major disaster declarations can provide additional federal resources for Tennessee, including more funding for repairs to public infrastructure. FEMA uses per capita cost as a benchmark to gauge whether local and state governments can handle recovery without federal help. Those thresholds currently stand at $4.72 per capita for counties, and $1.89 per capita for states. But this information serves only as a guideline. Presidents have sole authority to approve or deny a disaster declaration, regardless of whether a state or county meets those thresholds, and not all programs are offered for every disaster. The reasoning behind declaration decisions is not public record. Advertisement Advertisement Lee requested public and individual assistance for the following counties: Cheatham Chester Clay Davidson Decatur Dickson Hardeman Hardin Henderson Hickman Lawrence Lewis Macon McNairy Maury Perry Robertson Rutherford Sumner Trousdale Wayne Williamson Wilson SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Images generated by AI Model Inc. | Credit: AI Model Inc Generative AI is often viewed as a threat to traditional photography, but two venture funds with ties to camera companies have recently invested in a startup that generates images from initial product photos. Canon and Panasonic have both invested funds in AI Model Inc., a start-up that generates images from basic product photos. AI Model Inc. is a company thats building technology for apparel companies to generate multiple types of content based on a basic product photo. The AI uses those initial images to generate images and videos of the apparel being worn. Canon Marketing Japan MIRAI Fund, a fund managed by Global Brain Corporation in partnership with Canon Marketing Japan (a subsidiary of Canon Inc.), has invested in the latest round of funding and has also previously supported the start-up in 2024. Panasonic Global also announced that the venture fund managed by Panasonic and SBI Investment Co, the Panasonic Kurashi Visionary Fund, has made an investment in AI Model Inc. The investment amounts were not disclosed. In one statement, AI Model Representative Director and CEO Daiki Taniguchi describes the start-ups approach this way: AI model is a platform that enables companies to generate and manage customized AI models and talent for their businesses, allowing them to rapidly and flexibly optimize creative content across a wide range of channelsincluding TV commercials, infomercials, banner advertisements, and in-store POP displayswithout the need for photography, while maintaining brand identity and compliance. Credit: AI Model Inc. But, when Digital Camera World reached out to the respective companies, asking why a camera company would invest in generative AI, AI Model Inc. clarified how photography is part of the process. "AI models are not intended to completely replace photography," a representative said. "Instead, they are used as a complementary workflow to improve the efficiency of shoot preparation, enable the generation of additional images, and support low-cost." "The process still requires capturing products worn by staff or mannequins using professional cameras, making high-quality photography an essential foundation," the AI company added. "In fact, photographers can focus more on product-focused shooting, where core skills such as lighting, composition, and accurate texture representation become even more important. By integrating photography with AI technology, both the quality and efficiency of creative work are enhanced." In 2025, roughly half of global venture funding went to AI start-ups, according to Crunchbase. Investments in AI software companies have been the most common type of corporate investment for three years running. By combining AI Model Inc.s AI-driven content creation technology with the imaging technologies and expertise cultivated by the Canon MJ Group, we are confident that we can create new services and contribute to the advancement of society. Based on this conviction, we decided to make the investment," Canon Marketing Japan told Digital Camera World. As AI is adopted across all industries, we believe that the development and effective use of advanced AI will significantly contribute to providing customers with new value and expanding future growth opportunities for our business, said Kunio Gohara, the General Manager for the Corporate Venture Capital Office at Panasonic. By combining AI Model's proprietary generative AI technology with Panasonic's deep insights into people's lifestyles cultivated over many years, we hope to create a future where we can communicate lifestyles tailored to each customer, based on how they envision a rich lifestyle. In a press release, AI Model Inc. says that AI will not take away jobs. Our goal is not for AI to simply replace the work of creators, models, and talents, but to create new opportunities through co-creation and broaden the scope of creativity, the press release reads. The startup also notes that it is working on creating a foundation that allows companies to use AI models with peace of mind by formulating guidelines and ensuring transparency. You may also like Browse the best cameras for product photography or the best professional camera. NEED TO KNOW President Donald Trump was asked again about the $2,000 tariff rebate checks and when they would come "Im looking at it very seriously. Im the only one can do it because Im takin in hundreds of billions of dollars of money from tariffs..." Trump told NBC News When asked if he could "promise" Americans would receive the checks, Trump replied, "I can do that. I havent made the commitment yet, but I may make the commitment" President Donald Trump said he could promise Americans would receive the $2,000 tariff rebate checks, but he hasn't "made the commitment yet." In an interview with NBC Nightly News' Tom Llamas on Wednesday, Feb. 4, the anchor, 46, asked Trump, 79, about the "idea of $2,000 rebate checks for Americans from tariff revenue," adding, "Whos gonna get that and... when is that gonna happen?" Advertisement Advertisement "Wed make it I Im gonna Im looking at it very seriously," Trump replied, per NBC News' transcript. "Im the only one can do it because Im takin in hundreds of billions of dollars of money from tariffs..." "But you can promise some Americans will get those checks?" Llamas asked. "Oh yeah, sure. I can I can do that. I havent made the commitment yet, but I may make the commitment," Trump said, before claiming that he "just gave $1,776" to U.S. military servicemembers. When Llamas pressed for the president to clarify, Trump continued discussing the "Warrior Dividend" program that he and the Department of Defense announced on Dec. 18. Money to pay for those checks came from the Big Beautiful Bill, according to the White House. Advertisement Advertisement "You know, it was $1,775. They presented it to me because thats what we have in a budget that I created cause I wanted to take care of our military. Nobody takes care of the military like I do," Trump claimed, before mentioning that he added $1 to the amount to make it a "very famous date," referring to the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. President Donald Trump on Jan. 30, 2026 Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty The president was also asked about the tariffs and his statement about sending rebate checks to Americans in a January interview with The New York Times' White House correspondents Katie Rogers and Tyler Pager. Youve promised $2,000 checks to Americans based off of your tariff revenues. When can they expect those? Rogers asked in the interview, published on Jan. 11. The president initially similarly questioned her, asking, I did do that? When did I do that? Advertisement Advertisement Rogers replied, Well, I mean, your , but Trump seemingly interjected to say, Yeah, Im thinking. Well, I did $1,776 for the military. President Donald Trump on Jan. 20, 2026 SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty 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. Pager followed up by asking for the timeline. When will those Americans get those checks? Well, I am going to, Trump replied. The tariff money is so substantial. Thats coming in, that Ill be able to do $2,000 sometime. I would say toward the end of the year. When asked if he would need Congressional approval, Trump replied, No, I dont believe we do. We have it coming in from other sources. Advertisement Advertisement PEOPLE has previously reached out to the White House regarding the rebate checks. The president promised the $2,000 tariff rebate checks in a Nov. 9 Truth Social post. "Record Investment in the USA, plants and factories going up all over the place. A dividend of at least $2000 a person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone," he wrote at the time. Read the original article on People U.S. President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of Hungarys upcoming parliamentary elections in a Feb. 5 post on his Truth Social platform. Highly Respected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, is a truly strong and powerful Leader, with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results, Trump wrote, praising Orbans leadership and record in office. He fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, Trump said, adding that both leaders share priorities such as stopping illegal immigration and ensuring law and order. Advertisement Advertisement Trump also credited Orban with strengthening bilateral ties, writing that relations between Hungary and the United States reached new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement during his administration. I was proud to ENDORSE Viktor for Re-Election in 2022, and am honored to do so again, Trump said. Orban, widely seen as Russian President Vladimir Putins closest partner in the EU, has maintained ties with Moscow despite Russias full-scale war against Ukraine and has repeatedly blamed Kyiv and the EU for obstructing peace efforts. Also, Hungary remains one of the last EU countries, along with Slovakia, still largely relying on and buying Russian oil and gas. Read also: Hungary takes EU to court over Russian energy ban Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. President Trump called Sen. Tim Scott on Friday after the South Carolina Republican publicly urged the president to remove a reposted video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes, according to sources familiar with the call. During the conversation, Mr. Trump told Scott, who is chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that the repost was a staffer's mistake and said he would take it down. The post was removed shortly after the call. Scott, the Senate's lone Black Republican and a close Trump ally, had earlier said on X that he was "praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House," adding that the president should remove it. Advertisement Advertisement CBS News has also confirmed that other Republican lawmakers contacted the president to urge him to take down the post. In this instance, however, Mr. Trump personally called Scott. Scott led the chorus of congressional Republicans who publicly condemned the video, which was posted to Mr. Trump's account late Thursday night. The White House initially defended the post, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the image of the Obamas' heads on the bodies of apes was part of an "internet meme video" that parodied the Lion King. She urged the media to "stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public." The image of the former president and first lady appeared in the last two seconds of an unrelated video. Later, however, a White House official said a staffer "erroneously made the post." Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Friday night, Mr. Trump confirmed that he spoke with Scott. He also said that he "just looked at the first part" of the video, but not the portion that included the former president and former first lady. Scott is typically a vocal Trump backer. He has criticized Mr. Trump at times, including for the president's 2017 comment that there were "very fine people on both sides" of a clash between White supremacist groups and protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Scott told CBS News' "Face the Nation" after those comments that Mr. Trump's moral authority had been "compromised." White House says it removed Trump post with racist video of Barack and Michelle Obama Luigi Mangione yells out in court as judge sets New York trial for June Racist video shared by Trump depicting Obamas as apes taken down FBI agents load boxes of election documents onto trucks at an elections warehouse in Fulton County, Ga. State and local election officials are bracing for the prospect of federal action after President Donald Trumps call to nationalize elections. (Photo by Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder) President Donald Trumps calls this week to nationalize elections capped a year of efforts by his administration to exercise authority over state-run elections. The demands now have some state and local election officials fearing and preparing for a tumultuous year ahead. I dont think we can put anything past this administration, Oregon Democratic Secretary of State Tobias Read told Stateline in an interview. I think theyre increasingly desperate, increasingly scared about whats going to happen when they are held accountable by American voters. So we have to be prepared for everything. Advertisement Advertisement Ever since Trump signed an executive order last March that attempted to impose a requirement that voters prove their citizenship in federal elections, the federal government has engaged in a wide-ranging effort to influence how elections are run. Under the U.S. Constitution, that responsibility belongs to the states. Then came Trumps remarks on a podcast Monday that Republicans should nationalize elections and take over voting in at least 15 places, though he didnt specify where. In the Oval Office the next day, the president reaffirmed his view that states are agents of the federal government in elections. I dont know why the federal government doesnt do them anyway, Trump told reporters on Tuesday, despite the Constitutions clear delegation of that job to states. Across the country, election officials are watching recent developments and, in some instances, grappling with how the Trump administrations moves could affect their preparations for Novembers midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Local election officials say they are considering how they would respond to the presence of federal law enforcement near polling places and what steps they need to take to ensure voting proceeds smoothly. Advertisement Advertisement Several Democratic election officials, and some Republicans, have spoken out. Placing voting under control of the federal government would represent a fundamental violation of the Constitution, they note. The U.S. Constitution authorizes states to set the time, place and manner of elections for Congress but also allows Congress to change those regulations. The elections themselves are run by the states. The taking of democracy does not occur in one fell swoop; it is chipped away piece-by-piece until there is nothing left. U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter, in a recent decision Oh, hell no, Maine Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said in a video statement posted to social media about federalizing elections. Bellows, who is running for governor, said she would mail the White House a pocket Constitution, because it seems theyve lost their copy. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. Department of Justice already has sued 24 states and the District of Columbia to obtain unredacted voter rolls that include sensitive personal information that it says is needed to search for noncitizen voters. The Department of Homeland Security wants states to run their voter rolls through a powerful citizenship verification tool. Those opposed to the demand say sharing the data risks the privacy of millions of voters. Many fear the administration could use the information to disqualify eligible voters, challenge the legitimacy of a victory in a closely contested midterm election, or use the information to target political enemies. In recent weeks, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi linked the presence of federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in part to Minnesotas refusal to turn over its voter rolls. And the FBI seized ballots from an elections warehouse Fulton County, Georgia a state that was a central focus of Trumps push to overturn his 2020 election loss. I think it does affect our planning as far as, what if there is some sort of federal law enforcement presence on Election Day or before or after? So that definitely factors into our planning, said Scott McDonell, the Democratic clerk in Dane County, Wisconsin, which includes Madison. Ingham County, Michigan, Clerk Barb Byrum, a Democrat running for secretary of state, said she and other election administrators conduct tabletop exercises and keep emergency plans for numerous scenarios. Those used to focus on floods, power outages and cyberattacks. Advertisement Advertisement Now, unfortunately, its turning into the president of the United States meddling in elections, Byrum said. We will be prepared. Voters will hopefully not see anything different at their polling locations. But we need to be diligent. Pamela Smith, president and CEO of the election security nonprofit Verified Voting, said election officials and their lawyers need to study up on laws and regulations, including chain-of-custody requirements for ballots. David Becker, director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research, which operates the Election Official Legal Defense Network, said more than 10,000 lawyers have been recruited who are ready to provide pro bono legal assistance or advice to election officials. When Stateline asked Read whether he anticipates Oregon facing federal pressure over its voter rolls, the secretary of state said he was set to meet this week with county clerks in the Portland metro area to talk about that very question. Reads office later confirmed the meeting took place. Advertisement Advertisement Oregons largest city, Portland, has been a focus of the Trump administration. Last year, Trump deployed federalized Oregon National Guard members to the city after protests outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. And federal agents last month shot two people in a hospital parking lot. Portland is a self-described sanctuary city that does not aid the federal government in immigration enforcement. The concern in Oregon comes after Bondi on Jan. 24 sent a letter to Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz after federal agents killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti in separate shootings in Minneapolis that were captured on video. Bondis letter outlined three common sense solutions that would help end the chaos in Minnesota, she wrote. One of those solutions called for the state to provide the Justice Department with its full, unredacted voter rolls. Minnesota Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon has called Bondis letter an outrageous attempt to coerce Minnesota into handing over the data. Simon hasnt provided the voter list, but White House border czar Tom Homan is pulling 700 immigration agents from Minnesota amid outrage over their presence. Roughly 2,300 agents will remain in the state. Advertisement Advertisement In North Carolina, Durham County Director of Elections Derek Bowens called Trumps rhetoric and recent federal actions concerning. Bowens, a nonpartisan official appointed by the Durham County Board of Elections, said that as long as the rule of law persists, a constitutional guard will protect election administration. Still, Bowens, who oversees elections in a largely Democratic area in a presidential swing state, said he and other local officials are preparing to prevent potential intrusion into the process. Im not at liberty to divulge what that would be in terms of security protocols, but thats definitely in the forefronts of our minds, Bowens said in an interview, adding that he would be working with local emergency services officials to make sure were positioned to ensure everyone that is eligible has unfettered access to the ballot box. Trump wants federal control Trump appears to be crossing a line from urging Congress to set additional election requirements into wanting the federal governments hands on states election administration infrastructure, said Barry Burden, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the director of the Elections Research Center at the university. Advertisement Advertisement That would be brand new, Burden said. After Trump called for nationalizing elections during Mondays appearance on the podcast of Dan Bongino, a right-wing media personality who was previously a top FBI official, the White House said Tuesday that the president had been referring to legislation in Congress that would require individuals to show proof of citizenship to register to vote. The bill has passed the House but is stalled in the Senate. But Trump late Tuesday doubled down on his original comments during an unrelated bill-signing ceremony in the Oval Office. He suggested the federal government should take a role in vote counting. The federal government should get involved, Trump said. These are agents of the federal government to count the votes. If they cant count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over. Even before Trumps nationalization comments, Democratic state chief election officials and some Republicans had refused to turn over copies of voter rolls containing drivers license numbers, date of birth and full or partial Social Security numbers after the Justice Department began demanding the data last spring. Advertisement Advertisement Federal judges in California and Oregon have ruled those states dont have to provide the data; numerous other lawsuits against other states are ongoing. Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, a Trump-supporting Republican who campaigned for office on calls to hand-count ballots, told a Missouri House committee on Tuesday that he wouldnt provide the states full voter list without a court order. He said his office had only shared a public version of the voter rolls; Missouri hasnt been sued by the Justice Department. The Trump administration has previously confirmed it is sharing records with Homeland Security, which operates an online program that it uses to verify citizenship. The Justice Department has also offered some states a confidential agreement to search their voter lists. Clean voter rolls and basic election safeguards are requisites for free, fair, and transparent elections, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a statement to Stateline. Advertisement Advertisement The DOJ Civil Rights Division has a statutory mandate to enforce our federal voting rights laws, and ensuring the voting publics confidence in the integrity of our elections is a top priority of this administration. But U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter, a Clinton appointee, wrote in a Jan. 15 decision that the voter roll demands risk a chilling effect on Americans who may opt not to register to vote over concerns about how their information could be used. He dismissed the Justice Departments lawsuit seeking Californias voter rolls. The taking of democracy does not occur in one fell swoop; it is chipped away piece-by-piece until there is nothing left. The case before the Court is one of these cuts that imperils all Americans, Carter wrote in a 33-page decision. Some Republicans oppose nationalization Amid Trumps call for nationalizing elections, some Republican election officials have broken with the president even as they have avoided criticizing him directly. State control has long been a central tenant of conservatism, though Trump has challenged elements of Republican orthodoxy over the past decade. Hoskins, the Missouri secretary of state, told state lawmakers on Tuesday, I personally dont believe we should nationalize elections. Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in a news release on Monday urged lawmakers to focus on strengthening state administration of elections. He said that was better than moving to federalize a core function of state government. Raffensperger, who is running for governor this year, was famously targeted by Trump following the 2020 election to overturn his loss in Georgia. In a phone call, Trump told Raffensperger he wanted to find 11,780 votes the size of his loss in the state. Raffensperger refused to aid Trump. Five years later, Raffensperger now faces pressure from Georgia state lawmakers to provide the states unredacted voter list to the Justice Department. The Georgia Senate on Monday passed a resolution calling on the secretary of state to fully comply with the departments request. Georgia Republican state Sen. Randy Robertson, the resolutions lead sponsor, said during a state Senate committee hearing last month that federal law supersedes limits on data sharing in Georgia law. He didnt respond to an interview request. In a statement to Stateline, Raffensperger said that state law is very clear that officials arent allowed to turn over the information. I will always follow the law and the Constitution, Raffensperger wrote. The Georgia Senate vote came less than a week after the FBI searched the Fulton County elections warehouse and seized ballots. Fulton County, which includes much of the Atlanta metro area, was where Trump was indicted on charges of conspiracy and racketeering related to his efforts to overturn the states 2020 presidential election. The case was dismissed last year. The Justice Department didnt answer a question from Stateline about whether it plans to seek search warrants for other election offices. On Wednesday, Fulton County filed a motion in federal court demanding the return of the seized ballots and other materials, Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts, a Democrat, said at a news conference. The motion also asks for the unsealing of the affidavit used by the FBI to support its search warrant application. We will fight using all resources against those who seek to take over our elections, Pitts said. Our Constitution itself is at stake in this fight. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at jshorman@stateline.org. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Utah Republican leaders revived a proposal to require in-person voter ID for most ballots on Wednesday as President Donald Trump has led a campaign to end voting by mail ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The bill HB479 mirrors an election overhaul proposed last year that was ultimately watered down to only phase in a requirement for mail-in ballots to include the last four digits of state ID in addition to a signature. Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz has said this session he intends to work with Senate counterparts to pass the original version of the bill. His comments come after Trump voiced aggressive opposition to mail-in ballots in August. Advertisement Advertisement Trump vowed to lead a movement to get rid of mail-in ballots. Trump claimed voting by mail is more vulnerable to fraud and States are merely an agent for the federal government in counting and tabulating the votes. In an interview released on Monday with former deputy F.B.I. director Dan Bongino, Trump said Republicans should take over the voting in at least 15 places and that Republicans ought to nationalize voting. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president was referring to Utah Sen. Mike Lees SAVE Act, which would require voter ID and documentary proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. The U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures the authority to set the times, places and manner of holding elections. On Thursday, Schultz said HB479 is an example of how state innovation can improve elections everywhere. Advertisement Advertisement I really think this proposal ... could be a model for the nation moving forward because it takes what people love most about vote by mail ... and adds election integrity behind it, Schultz, R-Hooper, said on Thursday. What the bill does HB479 would require most voters, after receiving a ballot in the mail, to return their ballot in person at a polling place or ballot drop box where they must present valid voter identification to a poll worker. A voter may submit a form in person to their county clerk to receive mail-in ballot designation. These voters may return ballots through the mail for elections over the next two years, as long as the first election is at least 45 days away. There are carve outs to ensure those who rely on voting by mail may still do so. Individuals with disabilities may request a mail-in ballot via mail or email. Military service members are automatically allowed to vote by mail. Advertisement Advertisement The bill requires two poll workers to be stationed at ballot drop boxes from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the five business days before Election Day, and from 8 a.m. till the last person in line can submit their ballot on election night. While it does not have a fiscal note yet, the bill would likely entail investment in Utahs election infrastructure, requiring poll workers to be stationed at drop boxes across the state, with one drop box for every 10,000 active registered voters. In addition to showing government ID, voters would need to give poll workers their name and residence. If a worker is not satisfied, the worker would provide the voter with a provisional ballot letting the voter re-register to vote. This bill would allow Utahns to maintain the convenience of receiving a ballot in the mail, giving them time to research candidates at home, while also adding identification requirements Schultz said will increase confidence. Advertisement Advertisement Unlike last year when Utah senators were intent on preserving Utahs vote-by-mail system, which has been around for more than a decade, on Thursday Senate leadership signaled interest in working on the bill. Voter ID is popular Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, pushed back against characterizations of the bill as doing away with mail-in ballots completely. He called it a hybrid between voting by mail and voting in person. Senate Majority Assistant Whip Mike McKell, who co-sponsored major election bills in 2025 and this session, acknowledged HB479 in essence, changes vote by mail, but said thats a policy shift that we need to look at. Utah Senate Minority Whip Karen Kwan, D-Taylorsville, said Democrats continue to question why Republicans are looking to reform a system that has proven to be reliable and valuable for rural, elderly and disabled Utahns. Advertisement Advertisement We are very supportive of making sure that our citizens have mail-in ballots, Kwan said on Thursday. We want to make sure that we protect that. Its something that our communities, all of our communities, have really enjoyed. Schultz and Adams said public polling indicates broad support for voter ID requirements. A 2025 Sutherland Institute poll found a majority of Utah voters said requiring photo ID when submitting a mail-in ballot would increase their confidence in elections. A Pew survey from August found 83% of U.S. adults support requiring all voters to show photo identification to vote. Advertisement Advertisement A Rasmussen Reports poll in January found 74% of likely U.S. voters believe requiring photo ID to vote is a reasonable policy to ensure election integrity. This session Utah lawmakers are also considering bills on elections involving the lieutenant governor, another to require proof of citizenship to vote in state elections as well as a bill that would make most voter records public. President Donald Trump addressed a recent controversy over Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard's presence at an FBI search of the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center in Georgia. "She took a lot of heat two days ag,o because she went in at Pam's insistence. She went in, and she looked at votes ... because Pam wanted her to do it," Trump said, referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi, while speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday. The president went on to slam critics who said that Gabbard's presence during the FBI search was inappropriate and outside of her job description. Advertisement Advertisement Georgia's Fulton County Files Motion Seeking Return Of 2020 Election Materials Seized By Fbi President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Images) Trump had previously spoken about the controversy at the premiere of first lady Melania Trump's movie "MELANIA" at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He defended Gabbard and said she was "working very hard on trying to keep the election safe." In a letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn, which was obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, Gabbard said that Trump had "specifically directed" her to be present at the raid. The letter was written in response to one that Warner and Himes sent in late January, in which they requested Gabbard brief them on why she was present at the FBI search. Read On The Fox News App Advertisement Advertisement Kash Patel Confirms Fbi Had 'Probable Cause' For Fulton County Election Hub Raid In the letter, Gabbard said that her "presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence (CI), foreign and other malign influence, and cybersecurity." "The FBIs Intelligence/Counterintelligence divisions are one of the 18 elements that I oversee," she said. Additionally, Gabbard said in the letter that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's (ODNI) Office of General Counsel found that her actions had been "well within my statutory authority." Advertisement Advertisement Gabbard announced in April 2025 that the ODNI was investigating electronic voting systems. Ballots arrive at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operation Center on election night on Nov. 5, 2024, in Fairburn, Ga. (Getty Images) On Jan. 28, the FBI searched Fulton Countys main election facility in Union City, near Atlanta, for records connected to the 2020 election. The county's officials have since filed a motion seeking the return of the 2020 ballots and other documents seized during the search. The motion, which remains under seal, asks a federal court to compel the return of approximately 656 boxes of original 2020 election materials. A warrant cover sheet provided to the county includes a list of items that the agents were seeking related to the 2020 general election: all ballots, tabulator tapes from the scanners that tally the votes, electronic ballot images created when the ballots were counted and then recounted, and all voter rolls. Advertisement Advertisement Click Here To Download The Fox News App Trump has long insisted that the 2020 election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden, was not conducted fairly. Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Original article source: Trump claims DNI Tulsi Gabbard was at Georgia election hub search because AG Pam Bondi wanted her there As a flood of criticism hit Donald Trump over a vile online video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, the post has suddenly been deleted. After a rare backtrack for the Roy Cohn-schooled Trump, the White House put the blame for the blatantly racist repost on an over-eager and lower-level aide. Contacted by Deadline, an administration official said Friday, A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down. More from Deadline Advertisement Advertisement Nine days into Black History Month, the posting from Trumps Truth Social account was made around midnight ET. The witching hour is a pretty standard time for Trump to jump online, precedent has shown. The deletion comes just hours after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt strongly defended the video, saying, This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. It should be pointed out there are no apes in The Lion King. Donald Trump and Barack Obama On Friday morning, even Trump loyalists began to speak out against the attack on the former POTUS and FLOTUS, with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) calling it the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. Scott, who at one time was considered VP material and is running to be governor of South Carolina, was joined in his condemnation by New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler today. The Presidents post is wrong and incredibly offensive whether intentional or a mistake and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered, Lawler tweeted. The Obamas have not yet said anything about the latest attack from Trump, who started his political career trying to undermine the former Presidents birth and American citizenship. Advertisement Advertisement Among other Democrats, the response was quick and blunt. Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett summed up what many in her party in Congress and in governors mansions said Friday. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Donald Trump has endorsed Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a snap election in her country on Sunday. Takaichi has "already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader... one that truly loves her country," the US president wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday, adding: "She will not let the people of Japan down!" While it is rare for US presidents to publicly back candidates in foreign elections, Trump has done so before, endorsing Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungary's Viktor Orban most recently. Advertisement Advertisement Takaichi has courted the US president as Tokyo seeks more stability in its relationship with Washington, its closest ally, in the wake of Trump's tariffs. Trump had threatened a 25% tariff initially, but Japan then struck a deal in July to invest $550bn (407bn) in the US. In exchange, Washington lowered import levies to 15%. Takaichi, 64, became PM in October after she won the leadership race in her party and secured enough support in parliament. But she has called an election to seek a public mandate. Just one week after she took office, Tokyo rolled out the red carpet for Trump, deploying a full military guard of honour and band to welcome him at the Akasaka Palace, the government's state guesthouse. Advertisement Advertisement It was her diplomatic debut, and the optics were striking: Takaichi aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, fists pumping as the US president praised her in front of thousands of US soldiers, the images then broadcast around the world. She sought to portray herself as a leader Trump can and wants to do business with and, perhaps more importantly for the president, someone he gets along with personally. The two leaders also see eye-to-eye on defence. Trump wants Tokyo to spend more on its own security and so does Takaichi, as sentiment grows in Japan that it must invest more in defence. They heaped compliments on each other during the visit and signed a deal on rare earths, as well as a document heralding a new "golden age" of US-Japan relations. Takaichi described Trump as a "partner in a new golden era", and praised his role in bringing peace to the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement "In my visit to Japan, I and all of my representatives, were extremely impressed with her," Trump wrote in his Truth Social post on Thursday, noting that the two countries have made progress in national security cooperation and on the economic front. Trump also said he would welcome Takaichi to the White House on 19 March. 'My goal is to become the Iron Lady,' Takaichi says [Getty Images] His post, which signals that Takaichi is a leader his administration would work with, is a message aimed not only at Japanese voters but also the region, and especially China. Beijing and Tokyo are in the middle of a diplomatic rift, and the historically tense relationship has hit its lowest point in more than a decade. Advertisement Advertisement Takaichi found herself the target of China's ire in November, when she made comments suggesting that Japan could respond with its own self-defence force if China attacked Taiwan, the self-governed island it has long claimed. She has since refused to retract the statement. Trump's endorsement of her comes as tensions between them continue, and a day after he had a phone call with China's leader Xi Jinping. He said he had an "extremely good" relationship with China, and that both he and Xi "realise how important it is to keep it that way". Xi called Taiwan "the most important issue" in their relationship, emphasising that Taiwan was "China's territory", Chinese state media reported. He also told Trump that Washington should be "prudent" when supplying weapons to the self-governed island which China has long claimed. Advertisement Advertisement Polls so far are predicting a landslide for Takaichi but winning Sunday's election will just be the first of several hurdles. Her leadership will be defined by how she manages Japan's stagnant economy and the delicate relationship with the US, its most critical security ally, as well as China, its largest trading partner. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been forced to admit that taxpayers will foot the bill if Donald Trump wins a $10 billion lawsuit hes filed against the Internal Revenue Service over his tax returns. The president, joined by his sons Eric and Don Jr, as well as the Trump Organization, has filed a civil lawsuit in a federal court in Miami against the IRS, which is currently overseen by Bessent as acting director. Trump's sons Don Jr., left, and Eric, right, run the Trump Organization. / Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag The lawsuit claims that federal agencies failed to safeguard his private tax returns and other confidential information when a former IRS contractor accessed his tax records between 2018 and 2020 and leaked them to The New York Times and ProPublica. Advertisement Advertisement But in a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Bessent was cornered into admitting that the spoils of that lawsuit would come out of the pockets of ordinary Americans. Would you agree that $10 billion is a good sum of money? asked Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing. / Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag Yes sir, replied Bessent, a billionaire former hedge fund investor. Where would that be cut from? Gallego asked. Lets say, for some reason, he actually wins that lawsuit. So where would that $10 billion come from? Uh, uh, again, it would come from. Bessent stammered. Process wise, Gallego clarified. Im not asking your opinion on whether its right or wrong. Advertisement Advertisement It would come from Treasury, Bessent admitted. Which comes from the general fund? said Gallego. The treasury general account, the treasury secretary acknowledged. So taxpayers, said Gallego. Uh, yeah, Bessent replied. The potentially lucrative lawsuit is highly unusual because Trump, as president, now leads the government agencies he is suingand the Justice Department is the entity defending the IRS and Treasury in court. That combination has raised ethical and conflict-of-interest questions, while the fact that the money has come from taxpayers has enraged his critics at a time when affordability is an issue for many Americans. Prosecutors said boxes of classified documents swiped from the White House were found inside Mar-a-Lago. / U.S. Justice Department via Reuters But the lawsuit is not the only one Trump has in store. Advertisement Advertisement Before returning to the White House, the president also filed legal action seeking a reported $230 million from the Department of Justice, now overseen by Attorney General Pam Bondi, for a series of past actions. These include an FBI investigation into potential ties between Trumps 2016 campaign and Russia, and the FBI raid on his Mar-a-Lago resort over his mishandling of classified documentsan issue that continues to bug the president to this day. They went through my wifes drawers, he lamented in an interview on NBC on Wednesday night, immediately observing: Thats a double meaning. Donald Trump also has legal action against DOJ, now run by Attorney General Pam Bondi. / Alex Wong/Getty Images Trump insisted that if he won the lawsuits, he would give the money to charity. Advertisement Advertisement Well, what I would do is tell them to pay me, he said, but Ill give 100 per cent of the money to charity. I dont want any of that money. But Democratic National Committee rapid response director Kendall Witmer said $10 billion could cover over 75 per cent of the cost of extending the enhanced Affordable Care Act credits for 2026, which Republicans have refused to do, leading to soaring health care premiums for struggling families. While Trump enriches himself and his family, everyday Americans are barely getting by, drowning under the weight of high prices and disappearing jobs in Trumps failing economy, Witmer said. Yet Trump is laser focused on securing kickbacks for himself, his rich friends, and his wealthy donors while turning his back on everyday Americans. President Donald Trumps administration wont allow a Ku Klux Klan member convicted of murdering a civil rights leader to be labeled a racist. To kick off Black History Month, the Trump administration has directed the National Park Service to scrub any mention of racism from the brochures and a plaque outside the Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument in Jackson, Mississippi, including removing language labeling Medgar Evers killer as a racist, Mississippi Today reported. However, a white house official told the Daily Beast that the changes were not authorized by the administration and accused employees of a deliberate act. The incident is under investigation. Advertisement Advertisement Assassin Byron De La Beckwith, a Ku Klux Klan member, waited in the bushes outside Evers home on June 12, 1963, until the civil rights leader returned from an NAACP meeting, then shot him in the back in his driveway. Evers died lying in a pool of his own blooda grisly scene that federal officials have also removed references to. His wife, Myrlie Evers, spent 30 years fighting for justice for her husband and later served as NAACP board chair, delivering the invocation at Barack Obamas second inauguration. Studio portrait of American civil rights activist Medgar W Evers. / Hulton Archive / Getty Images Myrlie Evers views the body of her husband, assassinated Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers, during his funeral in Jackson, Mississippi. / Bettmann / Bettmann Archive Evers was one of at least ten victims of Ku Klux Klan violence in Mississippi during the civil rights era. For decades, many of those crimes went largely unpunished, including Evers murder. Beckwith was acquitted twice by all-white juries and welcomed back into society, later mounting a failed bid for lieutenant governor before ultimately being convicted of other hate crimesincluding attempting to bomb the home of a Jewish leader in New Orleans. N----s are beasts. It says so in here in the book of Adam, Beckwith said in a 1990 interview, where he praised white supremacy and the Jim Crow era. State troopers escorting Byron de la Beckwith and his wife to court during his 3rd trial for the 1963 murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers. / William Campbell / Getty Images Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in his driveway in 1963 by Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens Council. / UCG / UCG/Universal Images Group via G Advertisement Advertisement But while Beckwith may be a racist by his own admission, the federal government doesnt see it that way. You cant call Beckwith a racist? Jeff Steinberg, a local activist and founder of Sojourn to the Past, told Mississippi Today on Thursday. If you opened a picture dictionary and turned to the definition for racist, youd probably find a picture of Byron De La Beckwith. Beckwith was finally convicted of Evers murder in 1994more than 30 years after the killingand died seven years into his sentence. Trump himself referred to Evers as a great American hero at the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in 2017. But that didnt spare him from Trumps anti-woke executive order in March 2025 titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History. Trump visits the Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, Mississippi, December 9, 2017. / NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP via Getty Images Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nations history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth, it reads. This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light. Advertisement Advertisement The order directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to scrutinize public monuments, memorials, statues, and other similar properties that perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history. In May, Burgum released his own order implementing the presidents directives. He instructed the National Park Service and other bodies under his purview to review properties for content that inappropriately disparages Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times). Similar scenes have been playing out at federal monuments across the country. Just weeks ago, National Park Service staff took down slavery exhibits at Philadelphias Independence Mall, detailing the history of nine people enslaved by President George Washington. By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Verizon Wireless sued T-Mobile on Wednesday, accusing its largest rival of false advertising and causing irreparable harm by promising consumers more than $1,000 of annual savings if they switch cellphone carriers. According to a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, T-Mobile exaggerated the alleged savings, sometimes by more than 100%, by comparing its promotional rates with Verizon's standard rates, and inflating the value of streaming, satellite connectivity and other benefits that "the other guys leave out." Verizon also said T-Mobile doubled down on savings claims that were "substantially identical" to claims that the National Advertising Review Board, which oversees the U.S. system of advertising industry self-regulation, found unsubstantiated and misleading in 2025 and 2026. The alleged deception includes not offering apples-to-apples comparisons of subscriber costs by understating the savings that New York-based Verizon offers when it bundles various services, such as Netflix with HBO Max, or Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+. T-Mobile, based in Bellevue, Washington, had no immediate comment. Verizon did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment. The lawsuit seeks unspecified triple damages for alleged intentional false advertising under the federal Lanham Act, and damages for violating New York laws against unfair competition and trade practices. It also seeks to halt the challenged ads. Verizon had 146.9 million subscribers as of December 31, while T-Mobile had 139.9 million as of September 30, according to the companies' financial reports. AT&T Mobility ranked third, with 120.1 million as of December 31. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded to Trump's reported proposal on social media with a "counteroffer" that would rename Trump Tower in Manhattan as "Hochul Tower." US President Donald Trump offered last month to drop his hold on funding for a key $16 billion New York Hudson River tunnel project in exchange for Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer supporting the renaming of Washington Dulles Airport and New York Penn Station after Trump, a source told Reuters on Thursday. Punchbowl News first reported the offer, citing four sources, which was swiftly rejected by Schumer, who told the White House he did not have the power to rename the landmarks, a source confirmed to Reuters. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, and Schumer's office declined to comment. Advertisement Advertisement On Friday, a US judge will hold a hearing on the emergency request by New York and New Jersey to compel the restoration of funding for the $16 billion Gateway Hudson River tunnel, before construction is set to halt and put 1,000 construction workers out of work. Trump froze funding in October. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat, late Thursday called Trump's suggestion "ridiculous. These naming rights arent tradable in any negotiations, nor is the dignity of New Yorkers... The president continues to put his own narcissism over the good-paying union jobs this project provides and the extraordinary economic impact the Gateway tunnel will bring." The initiative, which received about $15 billion in federal support under then-President Joe Biden, involves repairs to an existing tunnel and the construction of a new one for passenger railroad Amtrak and state commuter lines between New Jersey and Manhattan, and the linchpin of rail travel between New York and New Jersey. US President Donald Trump prays during a group prayer during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, US, February 5, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Al Drago) New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded to Trump's reported proposal on social media with a "counteroffer" that would rename Trump Tower in Manhattan as "Hochul Tower." Trump offers to unfreeze funds for Hudson River tunnel if buildings are named after him Trump has shown a fondness for buildings and programs named after him. Advertisement Advertisement Since returning to office in January, the Republican president has affixed his name to prominent Washington buildings, a planned class of Navy warships, a visa program for wealthy foreigners, a government-run prescription drug website, and federal savings accounts for children. In December, the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which Trump filled with allies during a takeover, added Trump's name to the institution's name. Trump's name was added in December to the United States Institute of Peace building in Washington, months after his administration seized the nonprofit and effectively closed it. In December, Trump vowed to overhaul the federally owned Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia, a major United Airlines hub and the primary international airport for the US capital area, calling it a bad facility. Advertisement Advertisement Some Republicans in Congress have introduced legislation to rename Dulles after Trump, and many airline officials have told Reuters they believe Trump wants the airport renamed for him. The airport is currently named after John Foster Dulles, who served as US secretary of state under President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. In October, the US Treasury released a draft design for a $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of American Independence in 2026. President Donald Trump told Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer last month that he was finally prepared to drop his freeze on billions of dollars in funding for a major New York infrastructure project. But there was a condition: In exchange for the money, Schumer had to agree to rename New Yorks Penn Station and Washingtons Dulles International Airport after Trump. The startling offer, which was described by two people familiar with the conversation, was swiftly rejected by Schumer, who told the president he didnt have the power to deliver on such an unorthodox request. Advertisement Advertisement In the weeks since, Trump has continued to withhold the more than $16 billion earmarked for the long-planned Gateway project connecting New York and New Jersey through a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River. The two states are now suing the Trump administration over the freeze, alleging in a complaint filed earlier this week that the funding suspension is unlawful. A spokesperson for Schumer declined to comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Travelers in Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in New York on January 23. - Adam Gray/Bloomberg/Getty Images/File The episode, first reported by Punchbowl, offers a fresh window into Trumps ever-expanding effort to secure an outsized place in American history and to do so in part by branding nearly everything around him with his own name. Advertisement Advertisement Since returning to the White House, the president has introduced a slew of initiatives bearing the Trump name, including the Trump Gold Card offering a high-priced path to citizenship, the TrumpRx website offering lower-priced prescription drugs, and a new Trump-class battleship meant to solidify his era of peace through strength foreign policy for years to come. Trump in recent months has set his sights on even bigger targets: Adding his name first to the US Institute of Peace and then, even more controversially, to Washingtons iconic Kennedy Center. Still, Trumps offer to Schumer would have represented perhaps his most audacious move yet, an apparent attempt to leverage the future of a massive infrastructure project to fulfill his own personal wishes. The commission in charge of the Gateway tunnel has warned that it will soon have to shut down work on the project and lay off roughly 1,000 workers if the Trump administration does not release the funding it needs. Advertisement Advertisement The tunnels construction predates Trumps return to office, with the federal government on the hook for a significant portion of the funding needed to complete it. But Trump moved to halt the project late last year, a decision that Democratic officials in New Jersey and New York have argued was politically motivated. Schumer has since played a central role in trying to negotiate the unfreezing of the funding. Yet despite that priority, theres little that the Democrat could conceivably do on his own to put Trumps name on either Penn Station or Dulles Airport. While some conservative lawmakers have already introduced legislation to rename Dulles as the Donald J. Trump International Airport, its so far gained little traction. The legislation has not advanced in the GOP-controlled Congress, and as a result remains unlikely to pass. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Donald Trump attends inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) While President Donald Trump is facing bipartisan backlash over a now-deleted social media post that included a blatantly racist depiction of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, the post itself also contained a widely discredited falsehood about voter fraud in Michigans 2020 election. Trump has recently renewed his commentary on the 2020 election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden, as part of a campaign to convince congressional Republicans to nationalize and take over election administration in states where he falsely believes he won, bolstered by debunked theories of voter fraud. Michigan was ground zero for some of the claims that whipped election denialists into a frenzy at the downtown Detroit counting board facility inside the Huntington Place convention center, including a widely discredited theory that votes were switched in Antrim County, which was later found to be a result of human error and not widespread tampering of voting machines. Advertisement Advertisement The situation even led to currently pending criminal charges against two Michigan attorneys, who were charged by prosecutors in an alleged scheme to seize voting equipment and tamper with it in order to prove that there was foreign and domestic meddling in the election. Each of those claims has been disproven by multiple elections experts while many of the allegations resulted in defamation suits against those who propagated them. Congressional Republicans have so far turned down the presidents request to meddle in states where Trump thinks he lost in 2020, noting that the U.S. Constitution grants the power of election administration to the states, and not the centralized federal government. Still, some Republicans in Michigan in the 2026 cycle have been joining Trump in trying to lay the groundwork for the federal government taking over the states elections, and have also been using the 2020 conspiracy theory as part of their supposed evidence for why Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is also running for governor this year, shouldnt oversee the states upcoming contests. Advertisement Advertisement Trump on Thursday took to social media to post a portion of a 2021 documentary produced in coordination with My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, an unabashed Trump loyalist, claiming that Michigan voting machines were connected to the internet and that vote switching had occurred to give Biden an edge in the Great Lakes state. Again, those claims have been repeatedly disproven. But any attempt to further the presidents election fraud case was overshadowed by the fact that Trumps post on his Truth Social media platform was bookended by a different video clip that included a vile racist trope showing the Obamas with their heads transposed on the bodies of apes. The White House press team at first tried to gloss the image over, saying it was cut oddly and that the video featuring the Obamas was actually the opening footage to a video meme showing Democrats as jungle animals giving fealty to Trump, depicted as a lion. The only clip featured from that video, however, was a boorishly and crudely racist depiction of the Obamas. However, the post was later taken down from the Truth platform. The press team is now claiming that a staffer with access to the presidents personal social media account posted it in error, despite that excuse completely contradicting the statement made earlier indicating it was intentional. President Trump said Thursday he has had productive discussions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over the Chagos Islands, which house a U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia, the archipelagos largest island. The discussions revolved around a controversial deal to give the Chagos Islands, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius, amid concerns that Washington would rescind its support for the agreement. The United Kingdom agreed to hand the sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius in 2024, and both London and Washington would have the ability to utilize the Diego Garcia base, a vital logistics hub for the U.S. Air Force and Navy, for another 99 years. Advertisement Advertisement I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, [is] the best he could make. However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia, Trump said in a Thursday post on Truth Social. Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a Base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense, the president said. Starmer previously said that he discussed the deal with Trump and that the U.S. supported the proposed agreement last year. But the agreement was thrown into question last month when the president accused Britain of an act of great stupidity over ending the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands. Starmer has also received pushback at home as some conservatives have argued that Downing Street is undermining national security given Mauritiuss close links with China. Advertisement Advertisement Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Trump said he had learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough. Were dealing with really hard criminals." US President Donald Trump said that he believes his administration could use a softer touch in its immigration enforcement operations in an interview with NBC News on Wednesday. Federal agents shot and killed two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in separate incidents in Minneapolis during a Trump-ordered immigration crackdown in the city. Advertisement Advertisement Trump, US Vice President JD Vance, and other high-ranking officials were quick to blame Good and Pretti for the incidents, going so far as to refer to them as domestic terrorists. In an Oval Office interview with NBC Nightly News, Trump said he had learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough, were dealing with really hard criminals. Trump has been engaged in a feud with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, two Democrats who have been highly critical of his immigration crackdown in the city. Demonstrators carry placards on the day of a general strike to protest U.S. President Donald Trump's deployment of thousands of immigration enforcement officers on the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, January 23, 2026 (credit: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein) Ive called the governor. Ive called the mayor. Spoke to em. Had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there. Literally as though a call wasnt made, said Trump. Advertisement Advertisement His remarks to NBC News highlight his continuously shifting tone as national outrage over ICE's conduct in Minnesota. On January 20, Trump said that federal agents make mistakes sometimes, acknowledging errors in conduct. ICE withdraws 700 agents from Minnesota Earlier on Wednesday, US border czar Tom Homan announced that 700 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were being withdrawn from Minnesota, a decision that Trump confirmed he had made. But it didnt come from me because I just wanted to do it, Trump added. We have - we are waiting for them to release prisoners, give us the murderers that theyre holding, and all of the bad people, drug dealers, all of the bad people. "We allowed in our country, I say, 25 million people with an open-border policy for four years under Biden, and that group, the autopen group, I call them. We allowed people to come into our country, people the likes of which no country would accept. And were getting em out. Advertisement Advertisement Trumps claim of 25 million undocumented immigrants entering the country during the Biden administration has been proven false. According to data from Customs and Border Protection, the number is 7.4 million. Announcing the withdrawal, Homan said, My goal, with the support of President Trump, is to achieve a complete drawdown and end this surge, as soon as we can. He reiterated that if you are in the country illegally, you are not off the table President Trump fully intends to achieve mass deportations during this administration, and immigration enforcement actions will continue every day throughout the country. "This is smarter enforcement, not less enforcement," he said, adding that local authorities will not be conducting immigration enforcement. Over the last two months, at least 3,000 ICE agents have entered Minneapolis in an operation known as Metro Surge. This means that the city has had at least 5 ICE agents for every police officer. Local officials responded to Homan on Wednesday, saying they remain concerned about the thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents in the state. President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. could use military force to secure the Diego Garcia air base in the Chagos Islands if any future deal threatens access to the joint U.S.-U.K. installation. Trump made the comments Thursday in a Truth Social post while also signaling his willingness to move past tensions with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after what he described as "very productive discussions" about the Indian Ocean base. Emphasizing the bases strategic importance, Trump said the role of Diego Garcia was essential to U.S. national security. Advertisement Advertisement Uk Reopens Chagos Islands Talks With Us Following Trump Criticism Of Deal: Reports Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, was leased from the U.K. in 1966. (Reuters Photos) "It is the site of a major U.S. military base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the national security of the United States," Trump wrote. Trump also acknowledged that the U.K. struck what he called "the best deal he could make" under a controversial agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing Diego Garcia back for at least 99 years. Read On The Fox News App "However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia," Trump warned. Advertisement Advertisement Trump Hails 'Great And Very Brave' Uk Soldiers After Slamming Nato Allies' Afghanistan Service British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump look to move past tensions about the Diego Garcia military base in the Chagos Islands. "Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense." The comments marked a slight shift in tone from Trump, who in January criticized the U.K.-Mauritius deal as an "act of great stupidity" and an "act of total weakness," accusing Britain of surrendering a critical military asset. Diego Garcia serves as a hub for long-range bombers, logistics, intelligence collection and military communications across the Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and Africa, hosting around 2,500 U.S. and military and civilian personnel. Advertisement Advertisement The island base has been used for long-range U.S. operations such as in Afghanistan and in Yemen. According to Reuters, Downing Street had confirmed Trump and Starmer discussed Diego Garcia during a recent call and agreed to safeguard the bases continued operation. Uk Reopens Chagos Islands Talks With Us Following Trump Criticism Of Deal: Reports Diego Garcia is a strategic Indian Ocean base hosting 2,500 U.S. military personnel. "Turning to Diego Garcia, and the deal the U.K. has secured to maintain control of the U.S.-U.K. military base to protect national security, the leaders recognized its strategic importance," a No. 10 spokeswoman said. "The leaders agreed their governments would continue working closely to guarantee the future operation of the base and speak again soon." Advertisement Advertisement Under the agreement, British taxpayers are projected to pay roughly 35 billion [$47 billion] over the next century, including annual payments of about 160 million [$216 million] to Mauritius, according to public estimates. Britain has also agreed to approximately 3 billion [$4 billion] in compensation over the life of the deal, with an option to extend the lease for an additional 50 years. The agreement has also drawn criticism from Britains Conservative Party, which argues the deal weakens the U.K.s strategic position and risks undermining long-standing security ties with the U.S. Trump Hails 'Great And Very Brave' Uk Soldiers After Slamming Nato Allies' Afghanistan Service Advertisement Advertisement Mauritius has said its sovereignty over the islands is "unequivocally recognized" under international law and has called for swift implementation of the agreement. As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a Downing Street spokesperson also said in January the U.K. is continuing efforts to "allay any concerns" in Washington. Click Here To Download The Fox News App "We will continue to engage with the U.S. on this important matter and the importance of the deal to secure U.S. and U.K. interests," the spokesperson said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Downing Street for comment, while the White House referred to Trump's Truth Social post. Original article source: Trump signals willingness to defend Diego Garcia military base if future deal threatens US access Trump Station and Trump Airport? That was reportedly the crux of a deal President Donald Trump offered a top Democrat in exchange for releasing billions of dollars in long-frozen funds for the new Gateway Tunnel between New Jersey and New York. Trump announced in October he terminated the much-anticipated, $16 billion rail project underneath the Hudson River amid a federal budget dispute with Democratic lawmakers. Since then, construction has soldiered on, but Trumps administration has withheld federal funding for it. Advertisement Advertisement Then, Trumps administration proposed an agreement last month to U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York: The President would release the money if Democrats agreed to support renaming New York Citys Penn Station and Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., after Trump, according to reports published Thursday by Punchbowl News, CNN, and Politico. Schumer quickly rejected the idea, saying he didnt have the power, according to the reports, which cited anonymous sources. There was nothing to trade, a person close to Schumer told Politico. The president stopped the funding and he can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers. Schumers office declined to comment, while Trumps administration did not respond to a request for comment, according to CNN. Advertisement Advertisement The revelation comes as construction on the project is expected to halt Friday barring Trump releasing the money voluntarily or an eleventh-hour court ruling forcing it. Gateway tunnel boring machines are New Jersey's first. As federal funding ends on this major tunnel project, 1,000 construction workers are about to be out of work Workers were shutting down construction at the Gateway Tunnel sites Thursday as Friday's deadline looms to restore federal funding. The project is expected to include the construction of two new tunnels under the Hudson, the rehabilitation of the existing rail tunnels, and additional infrastructure work. The commission overseeing the project sued the Trump administration this week in an effort to shake the money free. New Jersey and New York filed a similar lawsuit Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has sharply criticized Trump a New York City native over the funding standoff, saying the stopped construction will cost jobs and economic benefit to the region. Canceling the funding is arbitrary, its capricious, and its illegal, Sherrill, a Democrat, said Wednesday, arguing Congress already appropriated the funds. She has also accused Trump of holding the money hostage and constantly moving the goalposts. The Trump administration initially last year said it was pausing the money to review diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in the project. That was during tense budget negotiations between Trump and Democratic lawmakers during a federal government shutdown. Advertisement Advertisement The White House has most recently blamed Schumer for blocking the money by refusing to negotiate for full U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding. Democrats have declined to support that funding as a national debate rages on over ICEs immigration enforcement. There is nothing stopping Democrats from prioritizing the interests of Americans over illegal aliens and getting this project back on track, spokesman Kush Desai said last month. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., blasted Trump over Thursdays reports. This is ridiculous, she said in a statement. These naming rights arent tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers. NJ Advance Media staff writer Larry Higgs contributed to this report. Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Trump administration officials made it known to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that the president would release federal funds for a massive rail tunnel project connecting New York and New Jersey on the condition that two major travel hubs be renamed in his honor, according to three people with knowledge of the request. The three people, granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive negotiation, said President Donald Trump would agree to release the funding for the Gateway project, which has been held up since October but that his ask was that both Washington Dulles International Airport outside Washington and Pennsylvania Station in New York City be renamed for the president. Schumer (D-N.Y.) declined the offer, according to two people with knowledge of the request. There was nothing to trade," said a person close to Schumer. "The president stopped the funding and he can restart the funding with a snap of his fingers. Advertisement Advertisement The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The Trump administration has withheld billions in federal funding for the $16 billion project, arguing it is conducting a review into whether diversity, equity and inclusion practices had played a factor in awarding contracts for the job. Since that decision, Transportation Secretary Duffy and Trump have given conflicting public statements on the status of Gateway. When completed, the project would expand the number of rail tunnels between New York City and New Jersey under the Hudson River. The end of the Gateway tunnel project could put roughly 1,000 workers out of a job. A judge is expected to hear an emergency order to restart the federal funding Friday. Advertisement Advertisement Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), in a statement Thursday evening, called Trump's ask "ridiculous." These naming rights arent tradable as part of any negotiations, and neither is the dignity of New Yorkers," she said. "At a time when New Yorkers are already being crushed by high costs under the Trump tariffs, the president continues to put his own narcissism over the good-paying union jobs this project provides and the extraordinary economic impact the Gateway tunnel will bring." Punchbowl News first reported the news. WASHINGTON (AP) Denver Mayor Mike Johnston regularly games out responses to threats like destructive tornadoes or hazardous waste leaks. He's added a new potential menace: the federal government. When President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops to some U.S. cities last year over the objection of local leaders, Johnston said his tabletop exercises expanded to consider what might happen if federal officials took aim at Denver, which the Trump administration has sued for limiting cooperation on deportations. The city now prepares for the impact of federal activity on everything from access to schools and hospitals to interference with elections. We used to prepare for natural disasters, Johnston, a Democrat, said in an interview. Now we prepare for our own federal government. Advertisement Advertisement A half-dozen state and local officials from both major political parties over the past week described an increasingly hostile relationship with Washington. While there's inherent tension between city, state and federal governments over power, politics and money, the current dynamic is unlike anything they've experienced, particularly after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis last month. While partnerships are still in place, the officials said the Minneapolis killings have hardened opposition to excessive federal power. This is unprecedented, said Jerry Dyer, the Republican mayor of Fresno, California, and a former police chief. I've never seen federal law enforcement come to the cities, whether it's National Guard or ICE, and police cities without a level of cooperation from local police. GOP long sought to empower local governments Advertisement Advertisement The tensions have upended longtime Republican arguments that the federal government should leave local governance to the states under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Now a Republican president is articulating a muscular federal approach over the protest of Democrats. There's no question that the Trump administration has repeatedly violated the Constitution and how it deals with states, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, said in an interview. My hope, he added, is that we are quickly approaching our McCarthyism moment where even Donald Trumps supporters are going to recognize this has gone too far. Trump has expressed frustration at reflexive resistance from Democratic mayors and governors, insisting this week that he doesn't want to force federal law enforcement on communities. He prefers to work with officials like Louisiana GOP Gov. Jeff Landry, who requested National Guard troops to patrol New Orleans. Advertisement Advertisement The president's willingness to use federal power is often issue-based, favoring states in areas like abortion or education while embracing a strong federal role on immigration and elections. Trump said this week that Republicans should nationalize elections, a power the Constitution expressly gives to states. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said he was referring to a push that voters prove they are U.S. citizens, though Trump still described states as an agent for the federal government. Thats not what the Constitution says about elections, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told MS NOW. Beshear and the 23 other Democratic governors released a statement Thursday objecting to interference from the federal government. In the interview, Beshear pointed to Paul's comments as an example of bipartisan agreement. Advertisement Advertisement Rand and I don't agree on a lot, he said. Paul and some other Republicans, including Govs. Phil Scott of Vermont and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, have also expressed concern about the immigration operation in Minnesota. Preliminary steps to ease tensions Trump has taken preliminary steps to ease tensions, replacing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Department of Homeland Security leaders in Minneapolis with Tom Homan, the administration's border czar. Homan is withdrawing 700 of the roughly 3,000 federal officers deployed around Minneapolis, though Trump and Vice President JD Vance reject any suggestion of a federal drawdown. Advertisement Advertisement Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the continued presence in the Twin Cities of thousands of federal officers contradicts his demand that the administration end its operation there. In a sign of the frustration between local and federal officials there, the rhetoric has taken on militaristic tones. Trump has referred to federal law enforcement in Minneapolis as soldiers. Homan has described agents as being in theater, a military phrase typically used in reference to a conflict zone. During a quick trip to Washington last week to address fellow mayors, Frey spoke of an invasion and occupation" in his city. We are on the front lines of a very important battle, he said. At the same event, Elizabeth Kautz, the Republican mayor of suburban Burnsville, Minnesota, said she now carries her passport around the city shes led since 1995. Advertisement Advertisement With the introduction of ICE, our cities are no longer safe, she said. That's also how it feels to leaders in places far from Minneapolis, even if they haven't been targeted by ICE. What I can't tolerate is the approach to immigration operations in a place like Minneapolis that are causing people to look over their shoulder in cities like Allentown, said Matt Tuerk, the Democratic mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania, which has a large Latino population. Even though you're not in Allentown, you're having an impact. Reshaping Washington's priorities The immigration crackdown is one element of Trump's work to dramatically reshape the U.S. government's priorities and operations at home and abroad. Trump and his supporters describe a need to strictly enforce immigration laws in the U.S. and end social safety net programs they say are prone to fraud. The president's foreign policy has shown little patience for longstanding alliances or diplomatic niceties that are seen as out of step with U.S. interests. Advertisement Advertisement That's manifested most clearly in Trump's push for Denmark to cede control of Greenland to the U.S., a demand that brought the NATO alliance to the brink in January. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney spoke at the time of a rupture between the U.S. and its allies that would be difficult to repair. For some local leaders in the U.S., that sense of a seismic shift felt familiar. Its profoundly changed, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, a Democrat, said of his views toward the federal government. Given that the administration has used partisan politics and used the power of the federal government and its various agencies to put pressure on mayors and local officials not to follow the law but to follow their politics is absolutely new and its absolutely affecting trust at every level. While foreign leaders can explore a shift in alliances, as some are actively considering, that's nearly impossible for local leaders in the U.S., whose budgets are tied to federal funding. Those funds have been unstable during Trump's second term as Washington has canceled grants that he considered wasteful or out of line with the administration's priorities, prompting some mayors to turn to philanthropy for help. Advertisement Advertisement But nothing can replace the power of the federal government, said Tuerk, who described defending grants by connecting the money to the administration's priorities, including job creation. When we're like, 'Hey, don't take away this grant that is designed to get people to work,' I hope that message is getting through, he said. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the federal shift absolutely historic. Trump has fiercely criticized her, issuing an executive order last month deriding her wildfire response and pressing to cut through bureaucratic red tape to speed up reconstruction. In an interview, Bass, a former member of Congress, said she turns to administration officials she knew from her time in Washington. Advertisement Advertisement Im fortunate, she said. I have an ability to have a relationship. But as January came to a close, local officials in Minnesota seemed exhausted. You think about, Why us? said Jim Hovland, the nonpartisan mayor of the Minneapolis suburb Edina. We've had a historically really good relationship with the federal government, and it's really sad to see it fray. WASHINGTON Top Trump administration officials do not yet have clear guidance on what President Donald Trump would hope to accomplish with military action in Iran as U.S. and Iranian officials were meeting Friday to try to avoid a war, according to two U.S. officials. While Trump has left open the possibility of pursuing regime change in Iran, the two U.S. officials said he has not yet settled on precisely what his objectives for any possible military action would be. They also said there is no clear road map or consensus within the administration over what role the U.S. would play after any such operation. Asked Wednesday in an interview with NBC News whether Irans supreme leader should be worried, Trump said: I would say he should be very worried, yeah. He should be. Advertisement Advertisement Trump told NBC News Tom Llamas that he learned Iran may be trying to reconstitute its nuclear program after the U.S. military wiped out three of its nuclear sites in June. They were thinking about starting a new site in a different part of the country, Trump said. We found out about it. I said, You do that, were gonna do very bad things to you. Trump has not publicly outlined his precise goal in Iran, including whether he is seeking to topple the clerical regime, weaken it or force it to accept restrictions on its nuclear and missile programs. An Iranian soldier walks past a state building wrapped with a giant anti-U.S. billboard downtown Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 28, 2026. (NurPhoto / via Getty Images) (NurPhoto) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials, which were taking place indirectly early Friday in Oman, must include curtailing not only Irans nuclear program but also the range of its ballistic missiles, as well as its support for proxies in the region and the treatment of their own people. Advertisement Advertisement Im not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but were going to try to find out, Rubio told reporters. We dont see theres any harm in trying to figure out theres something that can be done. This is a president that always prefers a peaceful outcome to any conflict or any challenge the time for one. Oman said Friday that its Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met separately with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, then with U.S. Mideast special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law. Asked about Trumps pursuit of negotiations with Iran while he is still considering military options, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, The commander-in-chief has ample options at his disposal to address these issues and he wisely does not broadcast them to the fake news. Iran has consistently ruled out any negotiations beyond its nuclear program, which it has insisted is for peaceful purposes, and it has rejected the idea of restrictions on its ballistic missile arsenal or its support for ideological allies in the region. Advertisement Advertisement Trump, who withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in his first term, has shifted his rhetoric toward the countrys leadership in recent weeks. He threatened military action to back up his promise to help protesters in Iran who endured a bloody crackdown by the regime. He then announced Iran had agreed to halt the crackdown, which killed more than 6,000 protesters, as well as planned executions of those who were arrested, so he would not be taking military action. And now he is pursuing negotiations with Iran. He is demanding that Iran agree to curtail its nuclear program or face military action, though he has said U.S. strikes in June obliterated three of its nuclear sites. It is unclear what Trump seeks to negotiate with the Iranians that would be aimed at supporting the protesters. Trumps latest recalibration toward Iran has raised questions about what he would seek to achieve with military action if talks failed, such as targeting nuclear and missile sites or a higher-risk, larger-scale attack designed to topple the regime. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. military continues to flow aircraft and land-based air defense systems into the Middle East, while the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its attending ships are getting closer to being within striking distance of Tehran, U.S. officials said. But for now, U.S. officials insist the influx of assets is in response to ongoing tensions in the region, not part of planning for a specific mission. The U.S. military threat, including the possibility of removing Irans top political and military leadership, for now serves as leverage while Trump pursues diplomatic talks. Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to lead the U.S. meeting with Iranian officials Friday, according to three U.S. officials. Fridays diplomatic meeting was initially scheduled to take place in Istanbul and to include representatives from top Persian Gulf countries, including Qatar and Oman, as well as U.S. and Iranian officials. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced Wednesday on X, Nuclear talks with the United States are scheduled to be held in Muscat at 10am Friday. He made no mention of the other demands Rubio outlined: discussing Irans ballistic missile program, its support for proxies and its treatment of the Iranian people. Advertisement Advertisement A U.S. official and an Omani official confirmed the meeting was set for Friday. It was unclear if direct talks would follow the indirect meetings. Trump said Tuesday he believes the Iranians are seeking to avoid a repeat of the 12-day war in June, when the Defense Department struck three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites in what it called Operation Midnight Hammer. I dont think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate, he told reporters in the Oval Office. We are negotiating with them right now. NBC News reported in December that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was pushing the administration to support strikes on Irans ballistic missile sites. Advertisement Advertisement As the Iranian regimes crackdown on protesters turned deadly just weeks later, Trump said he would consider military action against the regime. Then he abruptly announced that he was satisfied the crackdown had subsided, leaving the question of whether he would take military action open. Since then, Gulf states and even Israel have discouraged Trump from taking military action, NBC News reported last month. Last week, a senior Gulf state official said that Saudi Arabia would not allow the U.S. to use its airspace or bases for an attack in Iran and that the U.S. had not yet shared objectives or plans with its Gulf allies. Rubio indicated at a Senate hearing late last month that the administration was not necessarily aiming to overthrow Irans clerical regime, saying it was not clear what would follow if the current leadership were ousted and that it was a more complicated situation than in Venezuela. Advertisement Advertisement Thats an open question. I mean, no one knows who would take over, Rubio told the panel when he was asked who might rule Iran if the regime fell. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have flared in the region ahead of the next expected round of negotiations. American forces Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that was flying aggressively toward the Abraham Lincoln, which recently arrived in the region as part of Trumps assemblage of American military forces and weaponry ahead of possible military action in Iran, according to U.S. Central Command. A U.S. military official described the Shahed-139 drone as having unclear intent as it approached the carrier about 500 miles off Iran. In a separate incident Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was said to have harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel described as lawfully navigating the area in international waters. Two boats belonging to the Revolutionary Guard Corps approached the tanker at high speed and threatened to board and seize it, according to the military official. A U.S. warship that was in the region traveled to the area, and the situation de-escalated, U.S. military officials said. Advertisement Advertisement The Abraham Lincoln and its attending ships arrived in the region last week. They are still heading to a location from where they could be used to support strikes against the regime in Tehran, according to three U.S. officials. Those ships join what Trump described as an armada of military equipment that is already there, including about a dozen other ships, air squadrons and logistics aircraft and dozens of F-15 and F-35 stealth jet fighters, according to two U.S. officials. The Pentagon also has more than 450 Tomahawk land attack missiles on ships in the region, weaponry poised to be used against the regime should Trump greenlight any operation, according to a U.S. official and open-source tracking. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm and purpose, Trump said of the armada on social media last week. While some U.S. officials, lawmakers and allies in the Middle East remain unclear about what Trump will ultimately decide, he has made it clear that he wants military action to be quick and decisive should he decide to pursue strikes, officials said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Key insights : Visa and UnionPay will connect Visa Direct and UnionPay's MoneyExpress platform. What's at stake: Visa, Mastercard and other companies are trying to tap China's huge payment market, but have faced difficult regulations. Forward Look: China's payments market is on pace to pass $70 trillion by 2031. Visa and Mastercard's long quest to offer payments to Chinese consumers and businesses is starting to bear fruit through partnerships that enable at least partial access to the massive market. The latest deal involves Visa. Visa Direct , the card brand's real-time payment app, and UnionPay International have agreed to connect Visa Direct's card network to UnionPay's MoneyExpress platform. Visa is looking for a slice of China's payments market, which is expected to reach $47 trillion in 2026 and increase to more than $70 trillion by 2031, according to Mordor Intelligence. That size has created a battle of the titans. Among credit card companies, Visa has 39% of global share, Union Pay has 34%, Mastercard 24%, Amex 2% and Discover 1%, according to Capital One. But those numbers mask Visa and Mastercard's share in China, and UnionPay's share in the U.S, which is negligible. "UnionPay exists in part to keep Visa and Mastercard at arm's length in China, and has been a success by almost any metric, both at increasing electronic payments and growing a domestic network," Aaron Press, a research director at IDC, told American Banker. "At the same time, China UnionPay is unlikely to gain significant presence outside of China, meaning that cooperation is the best path to extending reach in both directions." Visa and UnionPay The Visa/UnionPay partnership will enable Visa's customers to send cross-border remittances and business-to-consumer payouts to more than 95% of UnionPay International debit cardholders in mainland China through a single connection. The companies did not provide financial terms of the arrangement. "China is one of the most mature real-time payments markets in the world. Bank-based instant payment rails have been live there for years, and the country's mobile-first consumer base adopted digital payments at mass scale long before many other markets," Vira Platonova, global head of Visa Direct, told American Banker. The connection, which is expected to be live during the first half, is designed to support a range of uses, such as creator and freelancer payouts, contractor disbursements, reimbursements and family remittances. The target market includes platforms, marketplaces and employers that are increasingly operating internationally, with payments requiring an ability to provide global scale and real-time processing, according to Visa. BANGKOK, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Thailand has seen two coups, multiple rounds of street protests and court rulings that have brought down five prime ministers in the past two decades, underlining the intractable power struggle between conservatives, reformists and populists in the Southeast Asian country. Following are key moments that have shaped Thailand's politics ahead of the February 8 election. 2005 - The ruling Thai Rak Thai Party of billionaire Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wins an unprecedented second term on a wave of support for its populist policies including cheap healthcare, village loans and farm subsidies. Advertisement Advertisement 2006 - Allegations of Thaksin's corruption, cronyism, nepotism and abuse of power take hold. His enemies orchestrate massive demonstrations against him, donning yellow shirts, the colour of the monarchy, and accusing him of disloyalty to the king. Thaksin denies wrongdoing. The royalist military ousts Thaksin in September when he is in New York and he takes refuge in Britain. 2007 - A court dissolves Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai. A post-coup election to restore democracy is won by a Shinawatra-backed reincarnation of Thai Rak Thai, People Power Party. Thaksin loyalist Samak Sundaravej becomes prime minister. 2008 - Thaksin returns to Thailand in February. In September, a court removes Samak for accepting payments for a cooking show he hosted. Parliament elects Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law, as prime minister. Thaksin flees into self-imposed exile ahead of an October court ruling that sentences him to prison for a conflict of interest and abuse of power over a land deal involving his wife. Advertisement Advertisement "Yellow Shirt" protesters calling for the removal of Somchai descend on Bangkok's two airports, closing them for 10 days. Protesters disperse after the Constitutional Court dissolves the People's Power Party for electoral fraud, removing Somchai as prime minister. The Democrat Party's Abhisit Vejjajiva becomes prime minister. 2009 - A "Red Shirt" movement of Thaksin's supporters holds weeks of rallies in Bangkok against the Democrat-led government, calling it unelected and illegitimate. 2010 - Red shirt protests resume. Military efforts to disperse the protests turn deadly on several occasions, with more than 90 people killed, mostly protesters, the worst political violence in two decades. 2011 - An election is won in a landslide by a new pro-Thaksin party, Pheu Thai. Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's popular but inexperienced younger sister, becomes prime minister. Advertisement Advertisement 2013 - Anti-government protesters choke the streets of Bangkok after Yingluck's government introduces an amnesty bill that could have led to Thaksin's return from exile. The bill fails but protests persist for months. 2014 - Yingluck steps down after a court finds her guilty of abuse of power. In May, the military calls a meeting between the government and protesters, during which army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha announces talks have failed and the military is taking power. Prayuth leads the country as a junta, with himself a prime minister. 2017 - Yingluck flees Thailand ahead of a verdict against her over her government's rice subsidy scheme and jail term of five years. A military-drafted constitution is approved in a referendum. 2019 - Elections are held. Pheu Thai wins most seats but the army-backed Palang Pracharat party forms the government with Prayuth as prime minister. Advertisement Advertisement 2020 - A court dissolves the progressive opposition Future Forward Party for a campaign funding violation. Its billionaire founder Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is banned from politics. Student-led protests begin and for the first time demand reform of the monarchy. 2023 - Future Forward's successor, Move Forward, wins most votes in an election, closely followed by Pheu Thai, in a rout of military-backed parties. Move Forward forms an alliance with Pheu Thai but is blocked from forming a government by conservative lawmakers and senators hand-picked by the military. Pheu Thai's Srettha Thavisin, a real estate mogul, is elected prime minister in August and forms a government that includes pro-military parties. The same day Srettha is elected, Thaksin returns from 15 years of exile and begins his jail sentence in hospital. 2024 - Thaksin is released on parole in February after six months. In August, the Constitutional Court dissolves Move Forward over its campaign to amend a law protecting the monarchy from criticism. A week later, the same court sacks Srettha as premier for an ethics violation. Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes premier at 37, Thailand's youngest leader. Advertisement Advertisement 2025 - In August, the Constitutional Court sacks Paetongtarn for a violation of ethics. Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul becomes prime minister. A court rules Thaksin's stint in hospital detention was unlawful and sends him to prison for a year. In December, after less than 100 days in office and facing possible defeat in a confidence motion, Anutin dissolves parliament and an election is set for February 8, 2026. (Compiled by Martin Petty; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) By Nandita Bose, Matt Spetalnick and Tuvan Gumrukcu WASHINGTON/ DUBAI, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The White House said on Thursday that diplomacy is President Donald Trump's first choice for dealing with Iran and he will wait to see whether a deal can be struck at high-stakes talks, but also warned that he has military options at his disposal. Final preparations were under way for Friday's meeting in Oman amid heightened tensions as the U.S. builds up forces in the Middle East, which Trump has called a massive armada, and regional players seek to avert what many fear could escalate into a wider war. Advertisement Advertisement The talks were set to go ahead even though the two sides have had differences over the agenda, and that has increased doubts about the prospects for a deal. Trump has threatened to carry out strikes on Iran if an agreement cannot be reached. The U.S. previously said it wanted the discussions to include Iran's missile arsenal and other issues, while Tehran has insisted on focusing exclusively on its disputed nuclear program. It was unclear whether that disagreement had been resolved. The presidents diplomacy is always his first option when it comes to dealing with countries all around the world, whether its our allies or our adversaries, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked about the coming talks. She reiterated Trumps position that zero nuclear capability is something he's been very explicit about in his demands for Iran. Advertisement Advertisement "He wants to see if a deal can be struck," Leavitt said. And while these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander in chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi departed for Oman on Thursday. His spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran would engage "with authority and with the aim of reaching a fair, mutually acceptable and dignified understanding on the nuclear issue." "We hope the American side will also participate in this process with responsibility, realism and seriousness," Baghaei added. Araqchi is expected to meet in Muscat with Steve Witkoff, Trumps special envoy, and Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and adviser. Advertisement Advertisement On the eve of the talks, Iran's state-run Press TV said "one of the country's most advanced long-range ballistic missile(s), the Khorramshahr 4, has been deployed at one of the Revolutionary Guards underground missile sites. The missile has a range of 2,000 km (1,240 miles) and is capable of carrying 1,500-kg (3,300-pound) warhead, it added. The U.S. has pressed Iran to accept a much more limited range for its missiles. MUTUAL THREATS Trump's blunt warnings and Iran's vows of counter-strikes have spurred regional governments' efforts to calm the situation. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his government was working hard to prevent U.S.-Iran tensions from tipping the Middle East into a new conflict. He has spent years cultivating a close relationship with Trump while expanding Ankara's diplomatic influence across the region. Advertisement Advertisement Speaking to reporters on a return flight from a visit to Egypt, Erdogan added that talks at the level of the U.S. and Iranian leadership would be helpful after lower-level nuclear negotiations due in Oman on Friday, according to a transcript of his comments shared by his office on Thursday. Tensions ratcheted up this week amid uncertainty over the location and format for the talks, which will follow Tehrans bloody crackdown on street protests last month. Asked on Wednesday whether Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be worried, Trump told NBC News: "I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be." After Trump spoke, U.S. and Iranian officials said the two sides had agreed to shift the talks' location to Muscat after initially accepting Istanbul. Advertisement Advertisement At a press conference in Doha, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that "great concern" had been expressed about potential escalation in the conflict with Iran during his meetings with officials in a visit to the Gulf region. He urged Iran to end what he called aggression and help bring stability to the region. Gulf Arab states fear that Iran will carry out its threat to target U.S. bases on their territory if the United States attacks the Islamic Republic. China, meanwhile, said it supported Iran's legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and opposed the "threat of force and sanction pressure." TRUMP WARNED OF 'BAD THINGS' IF NO IRAN DEAL AGREED Advertisement Advertisement Iran has said the talks must be confined to its long-running nuclear dispute with Western powers. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that talks would have to include the range of Irans ballistic missiles, its support for armed proxy groups around the Middle East and its treatment of its own people, besides nuclear issues. Iranian sources say the U.S. is demanding Tehran limit the range of Iran's missiles to 500 km (310 miles). 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 - and by the ousting of Iran's close ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Iran says its nuclear activities are meant for peaceful, not military purposes, while the U.S. and Israel have accused it of past efforts to develop nuclear weapons. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East, as well as an aircraft carrier, other warships, fighter jets, spy planes and air-refueling tankers. Trump has warned that "bad things" would probably happen if a deal could not be reached. (Additional reporting by Xiuhao Chen and Ryan Woo in Beijing and Andreas Rinke in Doha; Writing by Michael Georgy, Editing by William Maclean and Cynthia Osterman) A 62-year-old man was killed early Friday as he tried to cross the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx one of two fatal accidents in the city within a half hour, officials said. The victim was in Van Cortlandt Park near E. 233rd St. in Woodlawn at about 5 a.m. when he tried to cross the southbound lanes of the Expressway, cops said. A moment later, he was fatally struck by a passing Chevrolet Suburban driven by a 47-year-old man. Advertisement Advertisement The man died at the scene. His name was not immediately disclosed. EMS took the driver of the Suburban to Montefiore Medical Center with minor injuries. No charges were immediately filed. All the Major Deegans southbound lanes were shut down for several hours as police conducted an investigation. About a half hour earlier, a 50-year-old driver was killed when he rear-ended a tractor-trailer on the Long Island Expressway in Queens. The victim was behind he wheel of a Toyota Camry, heading Manhattan-bound on the LIE when he struck the tractor trailer near Exit 22B, cops said. EMS rushed the Toyota driver to New York Presbyterian-Queens Hospital, where he died. His name was not immediately disclosed. A 52-year-old man driving the tractor-trailer was also taken to New York Presbyterian-Queens Hospital, where he survived. Cops were still trying to determine what caused the crash. Welcome to Foreign Policys Africa Brief. The highlights this week: Officials from African nations attend a critical minerals summit in Washington, fighting flares up again in Ethiopias Tigray region, and South Africa temporarily withdraws from the G-20. Sign up to receive Africa Brief in your inbox every Wednesday. Critical Convening Officials from African countries including Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Guinea, and Nigeria attended a critical minerals summit in Washington on Wednesday. Advertisement Advertisement Around 50 nations from around the world were represented at the meeting, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance proposed a trading bloc to counter Chinas supply chain dominance and export controls of rare earths. The summit comes just after the U.S. government announced a nearly $12 billion critical minerals stockpile dubbed Project Vault, which will be supported by $1.67 billion in private capital along with a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Although U.S. officials have described Africa as peripheral to Washingtons interests, African engagement is necessary to its efforts to dismantle Beijings chokehold on the list of critical minerals that Washington imports in large quantities. That list includes tantalum, used heavily in the defense and aerospace sectors, and manganese, which is critical for steelmaking. More than half of the worlds tantalum comes from African nations, including Congo, Nigeria, and Rwanda. Meanwhile, South Africa is home to an estimated 80 percent of the worlds known manganese reserves, and Gabon supplies 63 percent of the United States manganese imports. Advertisement Advertisement The summit comes at a heated time for U.S.-Africa relations. U.S. President Donald Trumps approach to Africa focuses on commercial diplomacy. According to his National Security Strategy, released in November, U.S. interests on the continent center primarily on its abundant natural resources and seek to avoid any long-term American presence or commitments. Although African nations are eager to strike trade deals with Washington, they are facing U.S. visa bans; health aid cuts; and rhetorical attacks, particularly against Nigeria and South Africa. So far, Washingtons dealmaking with African nations has not brought significant breakthroughs on critical minerals. Last year, under the U.S.-brokered pact with Congo and Rwanda to end fighting in eastern Congo, the Congolese government agreed to give U.S. companies preferential access to strategic mineral reserves in exchange for U.S. security support. Advertisement Advertisement Yet the deal remains shaky, even as state-owned Congolese miner Gecamines prepares to ship copper and cobalt to the United States. And there has been no rush of U.S. companies moving in to directly supplant China, whose firms own more than 80 percent of Congos copper mines. The deal does not provide a huge incentive for Rwanda to retreat from eastern Congo and give up vast revenue gained from access to Congos minerals through the M23 militant group, said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow and security expert at Brookings. The reality is that the security on the ground is very poor, and you would need to have very high-risk-taking companies to be willing to start direct mining operations, Felbab-Brown told Foreign Policy. The deal was very undercooked from the beginning, she said. Still, many African nations are committed to striking transactional, short-term deals with the United States while also minimizing their risks through trade deals with other global powers. Advertisement Advertisement Notably, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu sent his wifeOluremi Tinubu, who is Christianto lead Nigerias delegation in Washington at a moment when Abuja is offering security cooperation to placate Trumps threats of further strikes in northern Nigeria to allegedly protect Christians. Tinubu has not traveled to Washington since Trump was elected, instead visiting Turkey and Gulf nations to strike trade deals in recent weeks. For Nigeria, the calculus is pragmatic rather than ideological. Facing insurgency, banditry, and maritime threats, Abuja is seeking flexibility, not alignment, Solomon Ekanem wrote this week in Business Insider Africa. Meanwhile, Guinea, the worlds top bauxite exporter, is forging deals with Trump while also expanding mining projects with Beijing. The Week Ahead Advertisement Advertisement Wednesday, Feb. 4: Rubio hosts the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee holds a hearing on Defending Religious Freedom Around the World that is set to discuss Nigeria. Tuesday, Feb. 10: The U.N. Security Council holds a briefing on South Sudan. What Were Watching Clashes resume. Northern Ethiopias Tigray region saw significant renewed fighting last week for the first time since the Tigray war ended in 2022. The Ethiopian federal army and allied Amhara militias clashed in western Tigray with the armed wing of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), the regions ruling party. Passenger flights to the area were suspended, and residents rushed to withdraw cash from banks. A drone strike from the fighting has killed one local aid worker. Advertisement Advertisement Tigrayan officials accused the federal government of withholding regional funds and openly breaching the 2022 peace deal, which ended two years of civil war. In a letter to the African Union, the TPLF said it was open to a mediated dialogue. Addis Ababa claims that the TPLF has forged ties with neighboring Eritrea and is actively preparing to wage war against Ethiopia. Meanwhile, a U.S. federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administrations Feb. 13 deadline to remove refugee status granted to more than 5,000 Ethiopians. The temporary protected status shields migrants from deportations in places experiencing armed conflict and other humanitarian issues. Extended emergency. Tunisian President Kais Saied has extended a state of emergency until the end of this year. The law has been in effect since November 2015, following a terrorist attack in the country, and is regularly renewed as a tool against dissent. The emergency measures grant security forces expanded powers to restrict movement, ban public gatherings, and conduct searches. Saied has ruled by decree since a power grab in 2021 despite repeated protests against his rule. Advertisement Advertisement G-20 minus one. South Africathe only individual African nation that is a member of the G-20has temporarily withdrawn from engagements with the group at the request of the United States. In November, Trump said that South Africa would not be invited to G-20 events hosted by the United States, which is chairing the forum in 2026. Pretoria is keen to mend trade ties with Washington, but key sticking points remainincluding Trumps false claims of a white genocide in South Africa and Washingtons opposition to Pretorias genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Poverty reduction. Ghanas multidimensional poverty rate fell to 21.9 percent in the third quarter of 2025down from 24.9 percent in late 2024with more than 360,000 people lifted out of poverty between the second and third quarters of 2025, according to the latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service. Driven by improvements in nutrition and education, the total number of Ghanaians living in poverty dropped to 7.2 million people in 2025 from 8.1 million people in late 2024but significant regional inequality remains, the body warned. Advertisement Advertisement The reduction in poverty comes as economic growth in Africa this year is set to outpace Asia. This Week in Culture Felas posthumous recognition. Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti became the first African artist to receive a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday, honored nearly 30 years after his death in 1997. Known for using music to fight Nigerian military rule, Fela mixed jazz, funk, calypso, and traditional Yoruba beats to deliver a unique sound. His 1976 album, Zombie, criticized soldiers mindless loyalty to autocracy and impunity in committing human rights abuses. More than 1 million people attended his funeral in Lagos in 1997. Advertisement Advertisement His son, Femi Kuti, accepted the Grammy award on behalf of his father. Our fathers legacy lives on, Kuti said. His music continues to inspire and unite people across the world. LGBTQ+ artists. A new exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington showcases LGBTQ+ contemporary artists across Africa and its diaspora, including South African visual artist Zanele Muholi, Ugandan sculptor Leilah Babirye, and Kenyan filmmaker Jim Chuchu. While more than half of African nations have repressive laws against LGBTQ+ communities, Gabon, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, and the Seychelles have all scrapped colonial-era laws criminalizing homosexuality in recent years. The exhibition, Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art, which opened Jan. 26, runs until August and features nearly 60 works of art. FPs Most Read This Week The Middle East Has Two New Rival Teams by Firas Maksad Trumps Board of Peace Cracks the BRICS Wall by C. Raja Mohan Washingtons Silence in Asia Is a Gift to Beijing by Mira Rapp-Hooper and Ely Ratner What Were Reading Digital manipulation. A monthslong investigation by Sami Sabir for the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism found more than 140 Facebook accounts, most of them fake, promoting Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouchs ruling party while spreading misinformation on rival politicians between January 2022 and August 2025. Facebooks parent company, Meta, and the Moroccan government have not responded to the allegations. Nkrumahs tax ideas. In Africa Is a Country, Rachel Etter-Phoya argues that the tax reform ideas of Ghanas first president, Kwame Nkrumah, are being revived today through the African Groups proposal to establish a U.N. Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. The resolution, due to be finalized in 2027, seeks to ensure fairer global taxing rights. All countries lose out to tax abuse, but the impacts are greatest for those most historically plundered nations, Etter-Phoya writes. The scale of the losses and the inability (or unwillingness) of the club of rich countries to effectively and inclusively address the problem is why African countries are acting. In the early hours of Monday morning, law enforcement in northeastern Alabama made an arrest that uncovered what officials are calling a sophisticated multi-state diesel fuel theft operation tied to stations up and down the Eastern Seaboard. The arrest began as a routine traffic stop around 2 20 a.m. on Highway 117 in Mentone when a DeKalb County deputy pulled over a U-Haul van that raised immediate concern. The vehicles driver was identified as 42-year-old Michael Alvarez, a resident of Los Angeles, California. As soon as the deputy approached, it was clear something unusual was underway. Advertisement Advertisement Inside the back of the rented U-Haul were multiple large tanks filled with more than 600 gallons of diesel fuel stowed in a manner that violated basic safety standards and state transportation rules. The fuel was not in a commercial tanker or approved transport containers and there was no signage indicating a legitimate load. This raised immediate suspicion. A Suspicious Load and Bizarre Equipment Image Credit:Shutterstock. While checking paperwork and speaking with Alvarez, the deputy noticed the driver did not possess a commercial drivers license nor did he have any documentation that would allow him to legally transport that quantity of diesel fuel through the state of Alabama. Fuel of this type is regulated because it is both a hazard and an expensive commodity, and the lack of credentials set off alarm bells in the officers mind. Advertisement Advertisement A more thorough search of the van was then conducted. Inside, officers found a bag containing electrical switches, wiring, remote controls and battery packs placed near the fuel tanks. Investigators later told reporters that the combination of these devices together with the vast amount of diesel raised concerns that the setup was not for transporting fuel but rather for some kind of tampering or theft. Shortly after the initial stop, deputies from the DeKalb County Drug and Major Crimes Unit arrived on the scene along with officers from the Mentone Police Department, agents from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That collaboration came as investigators worked to piece together what appeared to be a much larger criminal operation. A Multi-State Fuel Theft Scheme Unravels Preliminary information gathered by law enforcement suggested that Alvarez had been traveling from New Jersey down the East Coast, allegedly stopping at multiple truck stops along the way. Image Credit: Shutterstock. Investigators believe he was part of a scheme to improperly access diesel fuel pumps so that fuel was dispensed into his containers without triggering billing systems or payment mechanisms. This tactic, officials said, effectively allowed diesel to be siphoned without paying. Advertisement Advertisement Sheriff Nick Welden of DeKalb County spoke publicly about the seriousness of the situation. He said the investigation revealed Alvarezs methods were deceptive and well disguised, making detection difficult until this routine traffic stop brought the scheme into the open. According to Welden, the suspects actions presented not only a financial threat to businesses but also a public safety risk given the volatility of large quantities of diesel stored in a non-commercial vehicle. After the investigation at the scene, Alvarez was taken into custody and booked on several charges. This included felony unlawful motor vehicle fuel transport, receiving stolen property in the first degree, and possession of burglary tools. Law enforcement officials also confirmed that the case remains under active investigation, and that additional charges could be forthcoming as detectives continue to track leads tied to the multi-state aspect of the operation. Federal Involvement and Lingering Dangers Advertisement Advertisement In a statement released by authorities, they noted that the United States Department of Homeland Security had been notified and was assisting with the investigation. That involvement typically signals that federal investigators are treating the case as a serious crime affecting interstate commerce and potentially involving criminal networks beyond just the individual apprehended in Alabama. Local residents in and around DeKalb County were left stunned by the discovery, with many expressing disbelief that someone would attempt to transport such a dangerous load without proper permits or training. Deputy sources said that if not stopped, the situation could have become far more hazardous, especially on the narrow and winding roads of the Lookout Mountain area. This is Kateryna Hodunova reporting from Kyiv on day 1,444 of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today's top story: Ukraine launched three offensive operations in 2025, including one in the Dobropillia sector of Donetsk Oblast and two inside Russia's Kursk and Belgorod oblasts, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Feb. 6, according to RBC Ukraine. Syrskyi said the operations disrupted Russian plans to seize Donetsk Oblast and establish so-called "buffer zones" in border areas. Advertisement Advertisement The commander-in-chief added that Ukrainian forces are on the offensive in roughly a quarter of combat engagements along certain sections of the front line. The front line now stretches about 1,200 kilometers (746 miles), while advances in drone have expanded the depth of the kill zone to 1520 kilometers (9-12 miles), Syrskyi said. Drone strikes account for roughly 60% of total fire damage along the front, he added. According to Syrskyi, the number of Russian troops deployed on Ukrainian territory has remained largely unchanged over the past six months, totaling about 711,000712,000 personnel, including operational reserves. At the same time, Russia is losing an average of 1,000 to 1,100 troops per day. Syrskyi also said Russian forces failed to achieve any significant operational gains in January. Advertisement Advertisement Read also: Starlink catastrophe for Russia as Musk shuts down access across front line in Ukraine Zelensky announces Air Force personnel changes amid regional air defense concerns Last updated 8:25 p.m. Kyiv time. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced personnel changes in the Air Force on Feb. 6, following criticism of regional air defense capabilities. According to Zelensky, the changes will target units that are responsible for intercepting Russian unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly Shahed-type drones. The president added that this part of the air defense system must work "much stronger and prevent the problems that are now present." Zelensky said in some regions the defense lines are better organized, while in others "there is still a lot of work to be done." Advertisement Advertisement Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is addressing the issue, and the Air Force commander has received additional instructions, according to the president. "Everything that works in one direction or another, at one level or another, should be applied wherever there are fewer (positive) results. And every day matters. All decisions should be implemented as quickly as possible," Zelensky said. Read also: Zelensky announces Air Force personnel changes amid regional air defense concerns '18 prisoners in 24 hours' Ukraine's Azov International reveals video of Dobropillia clearing operation Last updated 5:36 p.m. Kyiv time. Foreign fighters serving in Ukraine's Azov International Battalion captured 18 Russian soldiers in less than 24 hours during a uniquely successful clearing operation, the units press service said on Feb. 6. Advertisement Advertisement The Russian soldiers roughly the size of an entire platoon were taken prisoner during the final clearing of the village of Zolotyi Kolodiaz near Dobropillia in Donetsk Oblast. Russian troops first entered the village in August as part of a particularly deep and large-scale infiltration operation that succeeded in penetrating around 15 kilometers into Ukrainian-held territory within just a few days. In response, several of Ukraine's elite units largely under the command of the National Guards 1st Azov Corps were redeployed to rapidly stabilize the situation. While Russias advance was quickly halted, dozens of Russian troops remained well dug in across the villages where the breakthrough occurred, with clearing operations stretching on for months. Advertisement Advertisement Watch the video here. Zelensky calls Ukraine's Air Force performance in some regions 'unsatisfactory' Last updated 3:25 p.m. Kyiv time. President Volodymyr Zelensky described the work of Ukraine's Air Force as "unsatisfactory" in some regions, writing on Telegram on Feb. 6. During a meeting with Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Air Force Commander Anatolii Kryvonozhko, Zelensky discussed urgent measures to improve Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attack unmanned aerial vehicles, particularly Shahed-type drones. With the onset of winter, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in an effort to plunge the country into a nationwide blackout. Meanwhile, Ukraine's air defense forces lack sufficient resources to intercept all Russian missiles and drones. Advertisement Advertisement The recent Russian attacks in mid- and late January caused severe damage to Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading to emergency power cuts across many regions. At the same time, the strikes have disrupted water supply and heating, with outdoor temperatures dropping below 20 C (4 F). 'Horrific terror' Russian attack hits animal shelter in Zaporizhzhia, killing, injuring dozens Last updated 2:55 p.m. Kyiv time. Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia damaged an animal shelter on Feb. 6, killing and injuring numerous animals, the Zaporizhzhia City Council said. "It is horrific terror," the statement said. Eight animals were killed, and more than 20 were injured. A shelter worker also suffered injuries, according to Suspilne. Advertisement Advertisement Rescuers, municipal services, and volunteers are assisting animals affected by the attack, evacuating dogs from damaged enclosures and transporting the injured to veterinary clinics. Some animals also fled from the shelter following the strike. Advertisement Advertisement Former Ukraine border guard chief embroiled in bribery scandal dismissed from military Last updated 2:15 p.m. Kyiv time. Serhii Deineko, former head of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, has been dismissed from the Ukrainian military following his being charged in a bribery scandal, Suspilne reported on Feb. 6. Deineko, who headed the State Border Guard from 2019 to Jan. 4, 2026, was charged last month in relation to a 204,000 euro bribery scheme. In 2023 border guards received at least 204,000 euros for facilitating the smuggling of cigarettes through the border between Ukraine and the European Union, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said. The smugglers used vehicles with fake diplomatic license plates whose passengers were relatives of Ukrainian diplomats, according to the NABU. Advertisement Advertisement Their diplomatic passports enabled them to cross the border without inspections, the bureau said. Spokesperson for the border service, Andrii Demchenko, told Suspilne on Feb. 6 was dismissed from military service by order dated Feb. 2. The exact reason for the dismissal was not specified. Read also: Former Ukraine border guard chief embroiled in bribery scandal dismissed from military Russian General Vladimir Alekseev shot multiple times in Moscow, Kremlin confirms Last updated 1:30 p.m. Kyiv time. Russian Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev has been shot multiple times in Moscow by an unknown assailant, the Kremlin said on Feb 6. "There was an attempt on the life of Lieutenant General Vladimir Alexeeev in Moscow. He was taken to hospital, and a criminal case has been opened," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov told reporters. According to reports, the gunman fled the scene of the attack and their identity is unknown, with Peskov saying "security services are doing their work." "The killer was waiting for the Lieutenant General of the Russian Defense Ministry today near a residential building on Volokolamskoye Highway," the Russian media channel SHOT reports. Read also: Russian General Vladimir Alekseev shot multiple times in Moscow, Kremlin confirms Russia launches Friday morning rush hour missile, drone attack on Ukraine Last updated 9:31 a.m. Kyiv time. Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Ukraine on the morning of Feb, 6, with air raid sirens sounding across the entire country during the morning rush hour. Air raid alerts were issued shortly before 9 a.m. Kyiv time, with Ukraine's Air Force warning of Shahed-type drones and missiles in the country's airspace. Russian drones were recorded operating over Poltava, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kherson oblasts. It also said Russian MiG-31s a twin-seat supersonic aircraft capable of carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles were active in Russian airspace. High-speed missiles were reported heading in the direction of Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast. There are no reports of damage or casualties at this time. Read also: Russia launches Friday morning rush hour missile, drone attack on Ukraine At least 4 killed, 15 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day At least four people have been killed and 15 others injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, local authorities said on Feb. 6. Russia launched 328 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 297 drones. At least 22 drones made it through, striking 14 locations. The fall of debris was recorded in two locations. In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian attacks killed two and injured five civilians over the past day, according to the local military administration. In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Russian drone and aerial bomb strikes killed a man and injured three others in the Synelnykove district, while a separate Russian attack killed an 81-year-old woman in the Nikopol district, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said. In Kharkiv Oblast, six people suffered injuries due to Russian strikes, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 19 settlements, injuring a person, over the past day, the local military administration said. Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure left consumers without power in the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Kirovohrad oblasts, the Energy Ministry said. Read also: As Russian losses in Ukraine mount, the Kremlin strains to avoid full mobilization General Staff: Russia has lost 1,244,560 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022 Russia has lost around 1,244,560 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Feb. 6. The number includes 720 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day. According to the report, Russia has also lost 11,648 tanks, 24,007 armored fighting vehicles, 77,311 vehicles and fuel tanks, 37,014 artillery systems, 1,637 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,295 air defense systems, 435 airplanes, 347 helicopters, 125,920 drones, 28 ships and boats, and two submarines. Read also: Editorial: What happens when oligarchs own media Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By William James and Michael Holden LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a fierce attack on his former U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson on Thursday, seeking to assuage anger from across British politics and saying he was sorry he had believed his "lies" before appointing him. Starmer is under huge pressure, including from lawmakers in his own Labour Party, over the decision to make Mandelson Britain's ambassador to Washington in December 2024, when his ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were already known. Advertisement Advertisement Files released by the U.S. Justice Department last week included emails highlighting just how close that relationship was, and also suggested Mandelson had leaked government documents to Epstein, and that Epstein had recorded payments to Mandelson or his then-partner, now husband. PM'S POSITION UNDER THREAT "It had been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth and the darkness of that relationship," Starmer said at the outset of a speech in southern England. Mandelson, a government minister when Labour was previously in power more than 15 years ago, quit his position in parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords, on Tuesday in the face of the uproar over his links to Epstein, and is now under police investigation for alleged misconduct in office. Advertisement Advertisement Emails released by the U.S. Justice Department appeared to indicate that in 2009 Mandelson had sent the financier a government memo about possible UK asset sales and tax changes, and in 2010 gave him advance notice of a European Union 500-billion-euro bailout package during the bloc's debt crisis. Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, was asked on Thursday how he felt about the apparent leaks, given they came at a time when most officials were working around the clock to stave off economic damage from the financial crash. "I am shocked by what were hearing," he said, adding, "How is it that we live in a society in which this happened?" British government borrowing costs rose on Thursday as concerns grew over whether Starmer could survive the fallout. Advertisement Advertisement Mandelson has said he does not recall having received payments and has not commented publicly on allegations he leaked documents. He has not responded to messages seeking comment. Starmer fired Mandelson last September, but his opponents and even those in his own party have said the new revelations posed major questions about his judgement. With polls suggesting Starmer is already hugely unpopular with the British public, some in his own party say his position is under threat. 'I WAS LIED TO' Tackling the mounting criticism, he used his speech to angrily condemn Mandelson, saying the latest revelations raised serious questions. He accused Mandelson of not entering public service because he believed in serving the public good. Advertisement Advertisement "I was lied to, lied to; deceit," he said. "I understand the anger and frustration among Labour MPs (members of parliament) about what has happened ... I actually share that anger and frustration, it was palpable yesterday. I'm not surprised." Addressing Epstein's victims he said: "I am sorry. Sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and appointing him." Starmer said he wanted to release the security vetting advice that he was given when he selected Mandelson for the Washington role, but that he needed to abide by a police request not to do anything that could prejudice an investigation. "However frustrating from my personal point of view that is - and it is - I will not take any step, however politically tempting, however popular, that risks justice for victims." (Reporting by William James, Paul Sandle, Sarah Young and Muvija M; writing by Michael Holden; editing by Sarah Young, Kate Holton and Mark Heinrich) The UN Human Rights Office in Geneva on Friday sharply criticized the latest Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, accusing Israel of war crimes. On January 12, it says Israeli security forces destroyed more than 70 buildings in East Jerusalem, arrested 25 Palestinians, searched dozens of houses and shops, and confiscated property. Israeli settlements were apparently planned there. "The unlawful deportation or transfer of a population living under occupation is a war crime, and, under specific circumstances, may constitute a crime against humanity," a spokesman for the office, Thameen Al-Kheetan, said. Advertisement Advertisement Since January 23, the Israeli authorities have issued eviction orders for 22 houses in the Muslim quarter of the Old City and in East Jerusalem, following similar actions in recent months affecting hundreds of Palestinians. Israel conquered the eastern part of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967 and later annexed it, but this is not recognized under international law. East Jerusalem is therefore considered occupied territory. Israel claims Jerusalem as its capital, while the Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. Tens of thousands of people have also been forcibly displaced in the occupied West Bank since last year. Israel is pushing ahead with settlement construction on an unprecedented scale. The settlements violate international law. The UN Human Rights Office is documenting the violations, said Al-Kheetan, but it is up to the international community to stop the expansion of the illegal Israeli settlements. They must be evacuated and the occupation ended, he said. As the search continues for Nancy Guthrie, attention turns to the vast desert landscape surrounding the Catalina Foothills. The 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie went missing on Feb. 1, and investigators believe she was abducted from her Catalina Foothills home, where secluded suburban neighborhoods sit alongside expansive desert and mountain terrain. Authorities have conducted search and rescue efforts by ground and air, but these can be challenging in southern Arizona with uneven topography, limited visibility and temperature changes. Guthrie allegedly had mobility issues, and relatives do not believe she could walk out on her own. Advertisement Advertisement At this point, investigators believe she was taken from her home against her will, possibly in the middle of the night. Taken against her will includes possible kidnapping or abduction, said Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos. She couldnt walk 50 yards by herself. The house in Catalina Foothills where deputies investigated disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. Authorities have conducted search and rescue efforts by ground and air, but these can be challenging in southern Arizona with uneven topography, limited visibility and temperature changes. Landscape: AZ terrain, weather could slow search for Nancy Guthrie The Catalina Foothills area is rugged in places, with rocky slopes, narrow canyons and desert vegetation like creosote, palo verde, mesquite, cholla cactus and bunch grasses. Wide stretches are undeveloped, with limited road access and extensive trail networks. Rocky peaks rise sharply from the valley floor, spanning elevations and pockets of habitat that can swing from sweltering to snowing in a single day. Here in February, secluded landscape folds often drop close to freezing overnight even in lower-lying regions. Conditions can vary significantly over short distances in the mountains, particularly overnight, as cooler air pools in higher terrain and sheltered areas. Mount Lemmon, the highest point in the Catalinas at 9,000 feet, typically experiences colder nighttime conditions this time of year, with lows often falling into the 20s or 30s and possible snow depending on weather conditions. See rugged desert landscape surrounding Nancy Guthrie's AZ home 1 of 4 The house in Catalina Foothills where deputies investigated disappearance of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie. Authorities have conducted search and rescue efforts by ground and air, but these can be challenging in southern Arizona with uneven topography, limited visibility and temperature changes. Landscape: AZ terrain, weather could slow search for Nancy Guthrie Rugged landscape challenges visitors The Catalina Foothills mark the northern edge of Tucson, where residential streets give way quickly to public lands managed by state and federal agencies, including Saguaro National Park and parts of the Coronado National Forest through the Santa Catalina Mountains. The area is rugged in places, with rocky slopes, narrow canyons and desert vegetation like creosote, palo verde, mesquite, cholla cactus and bunch grasses. Wide stretches are undeveloped, with limited road access and extensive trail networks. Hikers or other visitors encounter some of the most dramatic and harsh environments in Arizona and the Southwest. Rocky peaks rise sharply from the valley floor, spanning elevations and pockets of habitat that can swing from sweltering to snowing in a single day. Here in February, secluded landscape folds often drop close to freezing overnight even in lower-lying regions. Advertisement Advertisement For a sightseer with a car, these traits translate into one of the most stunning and sought-after tourist and retirement destinations in the state, with Saguaro National Park welcoming more than a million visitors each year and upscale development creeping into the cactus-bedecked virgin desert. But for an unwilling or unprepared person immersed in this place, these attributes can become much more menacing. A hiker setting out on nearby Mount Lemmon in the morning would be wise to carry a bevy of layers, rain gear, plenty of water and a headlamp in case of delays. Protective shelter and water sources are few and far between. Spiny plants and wild animals are not. One wrong turn and the hint of a trail can begin to blend with remote ridgelines and rough outcrops cast alike by a setting sun. At night, the desert comes alive with coyote howls, prowling skunks and the possibility of larger cats or black bears nearby. It's an astonishing nature experience for the willing and able-bodied. The Catalina Foothills area is rugged in places, with rocky slopes, narrow canyons and desert vegetation like creosote, palo verde, mesquite, cholla cactus and bunch grasses. Wide stretches are undeveloped, with limited road access and extensive trail networks. Temperatures can vary by elevation, time of day In early February, weather conditions across southern Arizona are typically mild during the day but cooler overnight. On the night of Feb. 1, temperatures in Tucson dipped into the low 40s, according to National Weather Service data. Advertisement Advertisement Temperatures decrease with elevation, and conditions in the mountains can differ markedly from those in the Tucson basin. A remote weather station near Scout Camp in the Catalinas, at roughly 7,500 feet, recorded overnight temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s during the period surrounding Guthries disappearance. Conditions can vary significantly over short distances in the mountains, particularly overnight, as cooler air pools in higher terrain and sheltered areas. Mount Lemmon, the highest point in the Catalinas at 9,000 feet, typically experiences colder nighttime conditions this time of year, with lows often falling into the 20s or 30s and possible snow depending on weather conditions. Authorities have not discussed any specific locations tied to the investigation and urge the public against sharing unverified accusations or false information. After the family received ransom notes and investigators found evidence of forced entry at Guthries home, investigators are treating this as an abduction. Advertisement Advertisement Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Pima County Sheriffs Department at 88-CRIME or 520-882-7463. (The story has been updated to add a gallery.) This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ terrain, weather could slow search for Nancy Guthrie According to the KAN report, police have been in contact with the alleged victim of the conduct to file a complaint against the unnamed official. An unnamed official in the Prime Ministers Office is being investigated on suspicion of inappropriate conduct with a woman, Israels public broadcaster KAN, reported on Thursday night. According to the KAN report, police have been in contact with the alleged victim of the conduct to file a complaint against the official. Advertisement Advertisement This is the latest in a series of police investigations into the PMO, including the "midnight parking-lot meeting" affair, in which police suspect Tzachi Braverman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus chief of staff and designated ambassador, made use of sensitive information obtained through his official role in connection with the investigation into leaked classified materials published by the German newspaper Bild. The PMO is also in hot water over allegations of Qatari infiltration, known as the "Qatargate" scandal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ministers and MK's attend a Special Session in his Honor of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, January 26, 2026 (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90) Netanyahu under investigation in a series of public trials The Prime Minister himself has been on trial since 2020. Netanyahu was indicted in 2020 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three cases: 1000, 2000, and 4000. Case 1000 centers on whether these gifts constitute corruption or were simply personal gestures. Case 2000 concerns alleged discussions between Netanyahu and publisher Arnon Noni Mozes over favorable coverage in exchange for legislative action. Advertisement Advertisement Case 4000 alleges that Netanyahu, while serving concurrently as prime minister and communications minister, advanced regulatory measures that benefited telecommunications giant Bezeq, and that its controlling shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, ensured favorable, tailored coverage of Netanyahu and his family on the Walla news website. Sarah Ben-Nun and Tal Spungin contributed to this story. For the first time in a while, the artificial intelligence debate in the markets entered a new phase. The usual narrative is that AI will mostly boost software companies but in the last few days, the script is changing. Broadly, cracks appeared in the narrative across three segments: software, data analytics, and professional services stocks. The reason? Anthropic rolled out new plug-ins for its Claude Cowork agent. Anthropic's move has major implications across legal research, data analysis, sales, and marketing. Markets didnt see incremental productivity. Instead, they saw business model risk. The AI honeymoon ends for software as investors rush for the exits European and U.S. software stocks are on the back foot. They are struggling to stabilize as the sell-off spreads to cross regions and sectors, pulling in Asia along the way. Investors are not getting spooked with respect to just the technology. Instead, the speed of the moves is what is terrifying investors. Related: Bank of America delivers blunt warning on dollars next move AI agents are moving from demos to real workflows faster than many companies pricing models can adapt, and Anthropic's latest move is no different within this context. That shift prompted traders to reprice stocks once regarded defensive compounders as potential AI casualties. Legal and data stocks take the first punch, and its a big one The hardest hits are in areas where AI automation is most on the nose, like legal research, compliance, and analytics. Shares of RELX and Wolters Kluwer fell sharply as investors pondered whether subscription-based legal and risk analytics can keep their prices high if AI agents can replicate core tasks. Thomson Reuters (TRI) experienced the most significant impact in the U.S., witnessing its largest decline in years, because of the potential impact to its Westlaw legal research business. For the longest time, it's been considered the preeminent profit engine for the company. However, it is now viewed through a disruptive lens. Earnings also did not help, depressing sentiment further. The market's rationale is clear. If AI is capable of quickly writing, summarizing, and evaluating legal documents, customers may reconsider their investment in conventional tools. This is the Anthropic move that flipped the AI narrative overnight Whenever new products debut, a common perception is that they are just flashy consumer features. However, it's a mistake to treat Anthropic's Claude Cowork as nothing more than a showy plug-in. Such features are enterprise workflow tools. Hundreds of students at Upper Darby High School walked out of their classrooms Thursday afternoon to protest immigration enforcement and express support for classmates from immigrant families. Students left the building at 12:30 p.m., saying they wanted to speak out against ICE and the fear they believe it creates in their diverse school community. Upper Darby School District includes students with origins from more than 80 countries. Advertisement Advertisement "We're just gonna speak out because we choose peace. We choose people," said senior Emma Kramer. The demonstration was part of a wave of student-led walkouts held in cities across the country, from Indianapolis to Los Angeles. The Upper Darby protest came two days after an ICE arrest in Phoenixville drew widespread attention. In that incident, two men from Guatemala were arrested. Video shows one of them being pulled out of a car as onlookers screamed. Video showing what appears to be a confrontation involving suspected immigration agents in Phoenixville has sparked alarm among local advocates. "This is the land of opportunity. And everybody have the opportunity to do their own thing," said senior Dwayne Mills. Advertisement Advertisement Organizers of the walkout said they wanted young people to control their own message. "At the end of the day, the kids, they want to hear from kids. Because we matter! We make the school," said junior Aniayah Pittman. Before the walkout, school officials held a forum with the superintendent and the township's police superintendent to ensure the event would be safe and that students felt supported. In a statement, the district said in a statement to Action News, "Our students are beautifully diverse, and their feelings and voices are important to us." "To have their support, it meant everything to us," Pittman said. Advertisement Advertisement Township councilmembers also showed support, pointing to new legislation under consideration. "It's a resolution to establish a policy that we will not work with ICE in civil immigration enforcement," said Councilmember Kyle McIntyre. For many students, the issue is personal. "I shouldn't have to go home and worry if my parents are home," said junior Jasmin Guerra. Students said the walkout was their way of speaking up. "We just want justice and peace," Kramer said. School officials said no students were disciplined for participating, and they returned to class afterward. The council resolution limiting cooperation with ICE is expected to come up for a vote in the coming weeks. Jeff King was recovering from an unexpected procedure to fix his irregular heart rhythm when he received shocking news. The hospital had given him a $160,000 (119,000) bill for the treatment. King, a former pastor, did not have standard health insurance from his employer, only a cost-sharing alternative plan that said it would not cover the procedure. "It was pretty traumatic," said the 66-year-old from Lawrence, Kansas. "Who knew that less than a one-day procedure in and out of the hospital could destroy us financially?" Jeff King was shocked by the cost of his hospital treatment [BBC] King is one of around 100 million people who are estimated to struggle to pay off their medical and dental healthcare debt, according to recent data. The healthcare company King was a member of have previously said it's important that members understand its cost-sharing model and membership guidelines. Advertisement Advertisement The US has one of the most expensive health systems in the world, with spending on health care estimated to reach $5.9tn (4.3tn) in 2026, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But despite spending twice as much per capita on healthcare compared with wealthy nations of a similar size, the US has a lower life expectancy than those other nations, according to health research nonprofit KFF. As costs have continued to grow, so have Americans' frustrations with the US healthcare system. In December of 2024, a gunman fatally shot UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson, a father of two, on a busy street in Manhattan. Some took to social media after the murder to celebrate the alleged assassin, Luigi Mangione, as a kind of folk hero, believing Thompson's killing to be a reaction against the system. Supporters of the murder suspect flock to stand outside the courthouse in New York for his hearings, wearing backpacks and shirts saying "Free Luigi" and carrying signs protesting the healthcare industry. Advertisement Advertisement Last Friday, a judge threw out a federal firearms murder count against Mangione, which was punishable by the death penalty. Karen Friedman Agnifilo, one of Mangione's lawyers, thanked his fans after the judge's decision, saying: "We really appreciate all the support." Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges. Mangione's supporters gather outside his hearings to call for his release [Reuters] For years, both Republicans and Democrats have recognised a need for reforms to a costly and convoluted system, but have disagreed on the best solutions to fix the problem. The Great Healthcare Plan President Donald Trump recently proposed his own solution, the "Great Healthcare Plan", which suggests sending citizens money directly to help pay for health insurance. Advertisement Advertisement The plan includes a pledge to remove "kickbacks" to middlemen. He added: "The Great Healthcare Plan It's great healthcare at a lower price, mandates unprecedented accountability and transparency from insurance companies and all healthcare providers so that special interests can no longer profiteer at your expense." But experts say the plan is light on actual details - including how much money Trump wants to send people and how he would fund his plan - and that the recent expiration of subsidies and cuts to government health programmes under Trump could make healthcare even less affordable. Large publicly-traded health companies have tripled their profits over the last two decades, paying out shareholders over $2.6tn from 2001 to 2022, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Advertisement Advertisement "We are the only major [health] system in the world that allows the free market to run loose," said John McDonough, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health professor. "We have lots that really could be fixed and changed, and what's mostly missing in the US is the political will to achieve that change." Despite its shortcomings, the majority of Americans prefer the private healthcare system the US already has to the idea of a government-run system, according to a recent study from Gallup, which found 53% prefer a private system. But for all the acceptance that the US healthcare system is broken, is there the political will to fix it? Or will fresh attempts at reform fall short of ending the health horror stories that everyone agrees are unacceptable? Rising frustrations The US does not guarantee health coverage for its citizens. Instead, it has a largely private insurance system with government-funded programmes to fill in some gaps. Advertisement Advertisement Healthcare costs are unaffordable for millions, even after sweeping healthcare reforms substantially reduced the number of uninsured Americans. Democratic President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - also known as Obamacare - in 2010, despite objections from Republicans, many of whom view the legislation as government overreach. Barack Obama seen here in 2010 discussing his health insurance reforms [Getty Images] The policy helped tens of millions of Americans get access to healthcare, in part by expanding eligibility for insurance paid for by the state. The ACA was a patchwork of policies aimed at moving the US closer to universal coverage, though it stopped short of doing that. Advertisement Advertisement A decade after the ACA was fully implemented, frustrations with the system remain. Roughly one in five Americans covered by private health insurance reported their provider refused to pay for care recommended by a doctor in 2023, according to a survey by KFF. In the wake of Thompson's shooting, companies pledged to improve the process of getting claims approved - but many Americans still struggle to afford health insurance. 'A constant worry' Stacy Cox's health insurance was set to quadruple - from $500 a month to $2,100 - from 2025 to 2026. Cox is one of millions of Americans who has seen her healthcare premiums - or monthly insurance cost - double or triple because health insurance subsidies, expanded during Covid to help more people afford private insurance, ended last year. Advertisement Advertisement So Cox, who runs a small photography business in Utah, and her husband decided to go without traditional insurance for the first time in years, instead opting for a plan that covers emergencies only. When I spoke to the couple last year, they were on the brink of having to cancel their health plan because of the dizzying price rises. And now they have taken the plunge. Cox, who is at a high risk of breast cancer, said she will now skip mammograms because she cannot afford an MRI test without insurance. "I'm scared. What do we do?" she said. "Right now, we're just going to try to get by." The Coxes have lost their access to traditional insurance because of the leap in cost [BBC] Around four million people could no longer have insurance in the coming years as a result of the Covid subsidies ending, said Leighton Ku, a health policy professor at George Washington's Milken Institute School of Public Health. Health insurance costs are expected to increase 114% on average - or by around $1,000 annually, according to KFF - for those receiving the subsidies, though the price increase varies greatly depending on income. Advertisement Advertisement The number of overlapping health care systems in the US - Medicare, Medicaid, the marketplace, employer-sponsored insurance and veteran's health, among others - creates a confusing and sometimes wasteful system, said McDonough. "We have so many, each of them with their own set of rules, their own system, their own bureaucracy," he said. "We really do need some system consolidation." Other smaller solutions could help affordability, such as the White House negotiating to reduce the price of more drugs provided by government insurance programmes, as well as regulating competition within the health care industry to help keep prices lower, said Jonathan Zhang, an assistant professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Finding consensus on this issue has been elusive. Advertisement Advertisement "While there's strong bipartisan agreement I think across the board that we have a problem, people can't seem to come together for the solution," Stahl said. In the absence of federal reforms, some state governments have tried to help, banning medical debt from being included in credit reports so people can access loans to help pay off the healthcare providers, and providing separate subsidies for monthly health insurance costs. Costs continue to rise Mike Short, a self-employed graphic artist in Tennessee, is also having to go without insurance despite previously racking up thousands of dollars in medical debt when he spent a week in hospital in 2021 with Covid-induced pneumonia. Even six months later, he struggled to breathe just walking across the room. The stress was compounded by an $8,000 bill he got for his hospital stay, even after insurance coverage. As he comes from a family of diabetics, the 42-year-old is now concerned another medical issue could force him into debt once again. "I'm trying to keep myself fairly healthy, but things sometimes get out of your control. It's a constant worry," he said. Short is one of many hit hard by the end of the subsidies. Republicans said the subsidies were an ineffective part of the ACA, leading many to vote against renewing them last year. After years of Republican frustrations with Obama's healthcare reform, Trump has taken other steps to dismantle parts of the landmark legislation, while pitching his own initiatives, including in his new healthcare plan, to reduce the price of drugs and other healthcare costs. His other ideas include the government negotiating directly with drug companies to lower the cost of expensive treatments such as weight-loss drugs and IVF. Donald Trump, his health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr and Mehmet Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [Getty Images] As conservative lawmakers faced pressure for some solution to mounting health care costs, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives last month passed a bill renewing the ACA subsidies, which senators have now been discussing for weeks. "I think there's a recognition that [Republicans] have to do something, because they are feeling particularly vulnerable on this issue," McDonough said. Charities fill in the gaps As a senior executive of a nonprofit that buys people's medical debt and pays it off, Eva Stahl constantly sees the anxiety medical debt causes, sometimes forcing Americans to eat less and make other sacrifices, she said. Her organisation, Undue Medical Debt, has paid off about $25bn of medical debt for almost 15 million people over the past decade, including Short's hospital bill from when he had pneumonia. "What's so saddening is just essentially, people don't either seek the care that they need or return to get the care that they need for something that's ongoing," she said, adding that such stressors and delaying care could worsen Americans' health outcomes. Jeff King, with his $160,000 bill for heart treatment, said he tried to ask the hospital how much his procedure would cost before it was done, but they would not give him a clear answer. His research suggested that other hospitals were not charging nearly as much for the procedure, and with persistent negotiation while recovering, he was able to get the bill down to $90,000. More from InDepth "Our health system is super confusing," he said. "It's way more complicated than I think that it needs to be." King was eventually able to pay the hospital back $500 a month at a time. But his family saw the stress the payments were causing him and set up a crowdfunding page, where they raised roughly $25,000 to cover the rest of his payments. After years of the hospital bill hanging over his head like an "ominous dark cloud", King finally felt relief when he called the hospital to pay off the rest of what he owed. "Most bankruptcies are caused by medical bills," he said. "It wrecks people's lives at no fault of their own." [BBC] BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. Emma Barnett and John Simpson bring their pick of the most thought-provoking deep reads and analysis, every Saturday. Sign up for the newsletter here By Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk and Parisa Hafezi WASHINGTON/DUBAI, Feb 4 - The U.S. and Iran have agreed to hold talks in Oman on Friday, officials for both sides said, even as they remained at odds over Washington's insistence that negotiations include Tehran's missile arsenal and Iran's vow to discuss only its nuclear program. The delicate diplomatic effort comes amid heightened tensions as the U.S. builds up forces in the Middle East and regional players seek to avoid a military confrontation that many fear could escalate into a wider war. Advertisement Advertisement Differences in recent days over the scope and venue for the talks have raised doubts whether the meeting would take place, leaving open the possibility that U.S. President Donald Trump could carry out his threat to strike Iran. Asked on Wednesday whether Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be worried, Trump told NBC News: "I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be." He added that "they're negotiating with us" but did not elaborate. After Trump spoke, U.S. and Iranian officials said the two sides had agreed to shift the talks' location to Muscat after initially accepting Istanbul. But there was no indication they had found common ground on the agenda. Advertisement Advertisement Iran has pushed to restrict the negotiations to discussing its long-running nuclear dispute with Western countries. But U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio presented a different view on Wednesday. "If the Iranians want to meet, we're ready," Rubio told reporters. But he added that talks would have to include the range of Iran's ballistic missiles, its support for armed proxy groups around the Middle East and its treatment of its own people, besides nuclear issues. A senior Iranian official said, however, that Iran's missile programme was "off the table." A second senior Iranian official said Tehran would welcome negotiations over the nuclear dispute but that U.S. insistence on dealing with non-nuclear issues could jeopardize the talks. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was due to take part in the talks, along with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, officials said. Advertisement Advertisement CHANGE OF VENUE While the talks were originally slated for Turkey, Iran wanted the meeting to take place in Oman as a continuation of previous talks held in the Gulf Arab country that had focused strictly on Tehran's nuclear programme, a regional official said. Iran says its nuclear activities are meant for peaceful, not military purposes, while the U.S. and Israel have accused it of past efforts to develop nuclear weapons. A Gulf official said the talks could be mediated by several countries, though Iran has indicated that it wants a two-way format limited to Washington and Tehran. The diplomatic efforts follow Trump's threats of military action against Iran during its bloody crackdown on protesters last month and the deployment of more naval power to the Gulf. Advertisement Advertisement The U.S. has sent thousands of troops to the Middle East since Trump threatened Iran last month - including an aircraft carrier, other warships, fighter jets, spy planes and air refueling tankers. After Israel and the United States bombed the Islamic Republic last summer, renewed friction has kindled fears among regional states of a major conflagration that could rebound on them or cause long-term chaos in Iran. Trump has continued to weigh the option of strikes on Iran, sources say. Oil prices have risen on the tension. NUCLEAR DISPUTE Trump has warned that "bad things" would probably happen if a deal could not be reached, ratcheting up pressure on the Islamic Republic in a standoff that has led to mutual threats of airstrikes. Advertisement Advertisement Irans leadership is increasingly worried a U.S. strike could break its grip on power by driving an already enraged public back onto the streets, according to six current and former Iranian officials. Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during last month's crackdown, has since demanded nuclear concessions from Iran, sending a flotilla to its coast. Iran also hopes for an agreement that could help lift Western sanctions over its nuclear programme that have ravaged its economy - a major driver of last month's unrest. BALLISTIC MISSILE STOCKPILE Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Trump had demanded three conditions for the resumption of talks: zero enrichment of uranium in Iran, limits on Tehran's ballistic missile programme and an end to its support for regional proxies. Advertisement Advertisement Iran has long said all three demands are 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. An Iranian official said there should not be preconditions for talks and that Iran was ready to show flexibility on uranium enrichment, which it says is for peaceful, not military purposes. Since the U.S. strikes in June, Tehran has said its uranium enrichment work has stopped. In June, the United States struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in at the close of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign and Iran struck back at Israel with missiles and drones. Advertisement Advertisement Iran said it replenished its missile stockpile after the war with Israel last year, warning it would unleash its missiles if its security is under threat. Adding to tensions, on Tuesday the U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone that "aggressively" approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. military said, in an incident first reported by Reuters. In another incident in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Central Command said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had approached a U.S.-flagged tanker at speed and threatened to board and seize it. (Reporting by Simon Lewis, Humeyra Pamuk, Andrew Mills and Parisa Hafezi; additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Jasper Ward in Washington; Writing by Michael Georgy, Angus McDowall and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel) Senior US and Iranian officials are set to continue discussions after talks in Oman, the Iranian foreign minister says, amid a crisis that had raised fears of a conflict between the countries. Abbas Araghchi said the mediated discussions were a "good beginning" and "exclusively nuclear", and the negotiators would now return to their capitals for consultations. Ahead of the talks, US officials said they also wanted to discuss Iran's ballistic missiles and its support for regional armed groups, which underscored the gaps between the countries' positions. Advertisement Advertisement There has been no immediate US reaction. The talks came against the backdrop of a US military build up in the Middle East in response to Iran's violent repression of nationwide anti-government protests last month, which human rights groups say killed many thousands of people. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if it does not reach a deal. The US has sent thousands of troops and what Trump has described as an "armada" to the region, including an aircraft carrier along with other warships as well as fighter jets. Iran, meanwhile, has vowed to respond to an attack with force, threatening to strike American military assets in the Middle East and Israel. [BBC] Speaking to Iranian state television, Araghchi said there was an "atmosphere of mistrust" between the two sides that "must be overcome", and details about the possible next round of talks would be decided later. Advertisement Advertisement Friday's discussions were mediated by Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who said in a post on social media they had been "useful to clarify both Iranian and American thinking and identify areas for possible progress". Araghchi led the Iranian delegation, while the US was represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. These were the first talks involving US and Iranian officials since before the war between Israel and Iran last June, when the US bombed Iran's three main nuclear facilities. Despite the prospect of further meetings, it remains unclear whether a deal is possible as major differences remain. For Iran's embattled leaders, this could mean a chance to avert US military action that could further destabilise the regime, which analysts say is in its weakest position since it came to power following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Advertisement Advertisement Trump's threats came as Iran's security forces brutally repressed large-scale demonstrations, which were triggered by a deepening economic crisis, and saw protesters calling for the end of the Islamic Republic. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a Washington-based group, said it had confirmed at least 6,941 deaths, warning the number could be much higher, and that more than 50,000 people had been arrested. The current stand-off has brought the issue of Iran's nuclear programme back to discussions, having been at the centre of a long-running dispute with the West. For decades, Iran has said its programme is for peaceful purposes, while the US and Israel have accused it of being part of an effort to develop a weapon. Iranian officials have indicated being open to concessions, which could include the creation of a regional consortium for uranium enrichment, as proposed during talks with the US that collapsed when Israel launched its surprise attack on Iran, as well as discussions about transferring its stockpile of highly enriched uranium - 400kg (880lb) - to a third country. Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, Iran says demands to limit the country's ballistic missile programme and to end the support for proxies in the region - an alliance Tehran calls the "Axis of Resistance" that includes Hamas in Gaza, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen - are unacceptable and a breach of its sovereignty. In any case, Iran is expected to demand the lifting of sanctions that have crippled its economy. Opponents of the regime say any relief would give the clerical rulers a lifeline. For the US, the negotiations could offer an off-ramp for Trump from his military threats. Countries in the region are concerned a US strike could lead to a wider conflict or long-term chaos in Iran, and have warned air power alone would not be able to topple the Iranian leadership. Asked if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should be worried, Trump told NBC News on Wednesday: "I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be." Advertisement Advertisement On the same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the discussions would have to go beyond the nuclear issue for "something meaningful" to be achieved. "I'm not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but we're going to try to find out," he said. "We don't see there's any harm in trying to figure out if there's something that can be done." By Jasper Ward WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday it is seeking to deport a 5-year-old Ecuadorean boy who was detained in Minnesota last month. The department, which has federal oversight of immigration enforcement, denied that it was seeking expedited removal after a lawyer for the boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, told the New York Times that the Trump administration was seeking an expedited deportation. Advertisement Advertisement The lawyer, Danielle Molliver, described the move as "extraordinary" and possibly "retaliatory." "These are regular removal proceedings," department spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said, adding, "This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nations immigration laws." Lawyers for Liam and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Liam and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who both entered the U.S. legally as asylum applicants, were detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Dilley, Texas, until a judge ordered their release on January 31. Advertisement Advertisement They returned to Minnesota following their release. The Trump administration defended the move, with the Department of Homeland Security accusing Conejo Arias of being in the U.S. illegally, without providing additional details. The case of the 5-year-old, who was photographed wearing a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack outside his house when federal agents apprehended him, gained national attention in the U.S. President Donald Trump and top officials have said in recent weeks that they aimed to deescalate tensions in Minnesota after Trump deployed thousands of agents to the state as part of his immigration crackdown. Advertisement Advertisement Protests have erupted across Minnesota in opposition to the deployment of immigration agents, who have fatally shot two U.S. citizens in the state. (Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter) Editors note: Contributing columnist Andrew Dunn wrote a Feb. 5 column on revelations about accused killer DeCarlos Brown, Jr. and their implications in Roy Coopers U.S. Senate Race. A correction from Dunn regarding that column: I wrote a column Thursday morning about US Senate candidate and former governor Roy Cooper and his connection with DeCarlos Brown Jr., the man charged with murdering Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte light rail train. A lot of Republicans are saying that Cooper freed Brown early, and that simply isnt true. He was already out of prison at the time that Cooper signed a 2021 court settlement with the NAACP that released North Carolina prisoners during the COVID pandemic. Whether somebody should serve less than six years for armed robbery is another discussion. Advertisement Advertisement Anyway, I wrote about the connection between Brown and Cooper. I didnt get it exactly right, and I want to explain. Bear with me, because it gets a little complicated. Here are the undisputed facts In 2021, the Cooper administration settled a lawsuit with left-wing activist groups who claimed unsafe conditions in state prisons during the pandemic. In the settlement agreement, the two sides professed the shared goal of protecting incarcerated persons and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 in North Carolina state prisons. As part of the settlement, Coopers team said it would effectuate the early reentry of 3,500 persons. For a lot of people, this meant setting them free from prison early. But it also counted if somebody was reinstated to parole earlier than they would have otherwise. The settlement was signed on Feb. 25, 2021, but stipulated that people released starting Feb. 15, 2021, would count toward the total. Advertisement Advertisement Brown, who was on parole for an earlier conviction, faced a parole hearing in Charlotte on Feb. 15, 2021. Hed been arrested the week before, so the parole hearing officer had the choice to either send him back to prison, or to restore him to parole. Brown was restored to parole. Because of that decision and the timing of it, he got to count toward Coopers goal of freeing 3,500 people. In my column, I wrote, It seems obvious that the mid-February decision was made knowing the settlement was coming, and that keeping offenders free would count toward their quotas. With more information from other published reports, I recognize that this is implausible. The parole hearing officer who made the decision likely didnt know that DeCarlos Brown would wind up as one number on a list of 3,500 people. Advertisement Advertisement Following this timeline, its also unlikely that then-Governor Cooper proactively chose Brown out of a lineup of potential prospects for freedom. Instead, his team likely combed through the most recent parole decisions and threw his name on the list. A few things remain true: Its true that nobody forced Cooper to enter into this settlement. Similar lawsuits were filed all around the country. States like Texas and Florida largely fought them off, and New York even took a pretty combative stance against setting people free. But in North Carolina, the ACLU trumpeted that this settlement was among the largest prison releases in the country achieved via COVID-19 litigation efforts. The Cooper team describes this as a court-ordered settlement, but he could have fought it as other states did. He did not. Advertisement Advertisement Its also true that through the end of 2020 and into 2021, the Cooper administration had the explicit goal of reducing the number of people in prison. Coopers Department of Public Safety described a year-long effort of expedited releases as a COVID-era policy. Also, in the 2021 statement announcing the settlement, Coopers Department of Public Safety had a lot to say about protecting inmates, and nothing to say about protecting the public. The worst is yet to come? Its understandable why the NAACP settlement story would be troubling to Cooper. As part of the settlement, this list of offenders was to be kept from the public, and he likely thought never thought it would see the light of day. But now it has, and there are 3,500 people who in some way, shape or form were let out of prison early because of Gov. Roy Coopers policy decision. Im sure that analysts are combing through the list and mounting a tally of the crimes these people committed after being set free early. Advertisement Advertisement So my larger point still stands. This is likely a game changer in Coopers U.S. Senate race. Contributing columnist Andrew Dunn is the publisher of the Longleaf Politics newsletter, which offers thoughtful analysis of North Carolina politics and policy from a conservative perspective. He served as the communication for Dan Forest in his 2020 run for governor of North Carolina. He can be reached at andrew@longleafpol.com. By Simon Lewis and Dave Sherwood WASHINGTON/HAVANA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. will provide an extra $6 million in humanitarian aid to Cuba, the top State Department aid official said on Thursday, even as Washington has stepped up efforts to block oil supplies to the Caribbean island nation, causing crippling shortages. Aid official Jeremy Lewin said at a news conference the new U.S. commitment would bring to $9 million the amount of assistance provided to the people of Cuba since Hurricane Melissa struck in October. Advertisement Advertisement The aid is being delivered by the Catholic Church and Lewin said Cuba's communist party authorities had so far not interfered with its distribution. Cuba's deputy foreign minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio called the move two-faced. "Quite hypocritical to apply draconian coercive measures denying basic economic conditions to millions and then to announce soup & cans for a few," de Cossio said on social media. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Cuba will no longer receive oil from Venezuela after the U.S. operation to capture its leader Nicolas Maduro last month, and has threatened to impose tariffs on other suppliers like Mexico if they continue to ship fuel to the island. Advertisement Advertisement Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said earlier on Thursday his government would roll out temporary measures in the next week to deal with fuel shortages amid blackouts in several provinces. Despite the U.S. moves on oil imports, Lewin argued that the humanitarian crisis in Cuba, which goes beyond the damage from Hurricane Melissa, was the fault of Cuba's government. "It's because the government can't, you know, put food on the shelves ... They let these government-run stores go completely empty. They're not stocked," Lewin said. "And so what you've had is a humanitarian catastrophe." Cuba has long blamed the U.S. Cold War-era embargo, a complicated web of financial and trade restrictions, for its economic woes. The Trump administration has vastly ramped up those measures in recent months. (Reporting by Simon Lewis and Dave Sherwood; Editing by Sonali Paul) Feb. 6A Utah man accused of the murder of a vulnerable woman who was abducted from the streets of downtown Homer in 2019 has pleaded guilty in her death, more than six years after Anesha "Duffy" Murnane went missing. Kirby Foleni Calderwood, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in a Kenai courtroom Thursday, with family and friends of Murnane watching. Murnane, who family described as quiet, gentle and a talented preschool teacher, went missing Oct. 17, 2019, as she walked to a doctor's appointment along a main road in Homer. Family and friends launched months of searches for the 38-year-old, who struggled with mental illness but had been living a stable life in her hometown. Calderwood had once worked as a direct service provider at the supportive living apartments where Murnane had lived. Advertisement Advertisement "Duffy," as she was known in Homer, was missing for years. It wasn't until May 2022 that the Homer Police Department arrested and charged Calderwood in her murder, after his then-wife sent a tip to police saying he'd shared gruesome details of the crime. By then he'd moved to Ogden, Utah. Calderwood has been held at Wildwood Correctional Center in Kenai since his arrest in 2022, according to the Alaska Court System. His sentencing is scheduled for July 1. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Calderwood pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder. The other eight charges he faced, including first-degree murder, sexual assault, kidnapping and tampering with evidence, will be dropped. The agreement calls for him to serve 87 years of active prison time, with eligibility for parole two-thirds of the way through. Murnane's stepfather, Ed Berg, said he was satisfied with the plea agreement in an interview Friday. He and other family members were concerned about a trial that would put a spotlight on the specifics of the crime. Advertisement Advertisement "The details of the crime that would be brought out in full gore in a trial situation the public doesn't need to know that," Berg said. Had the case gone to trial, he said, there was always the possibility of Calderwood being acquitted. "We didn't want that risk," Berg said. "This person is a serious psychopath and just shouldn't be allowed in the public." According to a version of facts agreed to as part of the plea deal, Calderwood admitted to picking Murnane up and driving her to a vacant home nearby. "There, Calderwood, intending to cause serious physical injury to Murnane, assaulted Murnane and caused her death. He later disposed of her body," the stipulation of facts says. "A forensic examination of the crawlspace of the residence revealed evidence, including blood and DNA, matching Murnane." Advertisement Advertisement Calderwood "specifically admits and stipulates that intending to cause serious physical injury, or with knowledge that his conduct was substantially certain to cause death or serious physical injury to Murnane, he caused Murnane's death." Murnane's remains have never been recovered. The stipulated version of facts didn't address some of the allegations included in the original charges, such as that Calderwood tortured and sexually assaulted Murnane before her death. Berg said he was satisfied with the terms of Calderwood's plea agreement. "He's admitted to the substance of the case," Berg said. Advertisement Advertisement [Alaska lawmaker calls for hiring more prosecutors and public defenders to reduce extreme delay in criminal cases] Michael Huelsman, Murnane's uncle, wrote in a statement that the Homer community had joined the family on what has been a long path through the criminal justice system. In recent years, a group of "court watchers" has been attending proceedings on the family's behalf, hoping to maintain pressure and visibility on the case, which was coming up on four years since Calderwood's arrest without a trial or plea agreement. "The long delay in her case shows a failure of the criminal justice system," Huelsman wrote. "Delayed justice is denied justice and it also wastes taxpayer money." Advertisement Advertisement Alaska needs a criminal justice system that investigates crimes "more quickly, thoroughly, and professionally, so that more offenders are held accountable without years of delay," his statement said. Murnane's mother, Sarah Conor Murnane Berg, died of cancer in 2024, without seeing a resolution in the case. "Cancer or heart disease will be on the death certificate," she wrote in a self-composed obituary. "But we all know that the real cause was the loss of my dear Duffy." Feb. 5A Vandalia man is accused of filming two juveniles with a hidden camera and downloading more than 1,000 images of child pornography. A grand jury indicted William B. Winston, 31, on two counts of gross sexual imposition and 102 counts of illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented material or performance in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. The investigation began on Oct. 16 after a student at a Vandalia school reported Winston sexually assaulted them on Oct. 14, according to Vandalia Municipal Court documents. Advertisement Advertisement An affidavit stated Winston used a hidden camera in a private bathroom to film two juveniles in various states of undress and while they were showering. There were six videos from the hidden camera and Winston used them to take 294 photos, according to court documents. Winston also allegedly downloaded more than 1,000 photos of other children in various states of undress from a Russian website. One hundred of the images were taken to a Dayton Children's Hospital doctor, who verified 61 images included children younger than 14 and 35 images had children younger than 18, according to court documents. Winston is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday. He's being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Students in the Global Warming Express afterschool program at Acequia Madre Elementary in Santa Fe and the Rio Grande Charter School in Albuquerque, wear masks depicting different New Mexican species, and chant Remember them, during a climate rally in the Rotunda on Feb. 5, 2026. (Danielle Prokop/Source NM) A parade of children wearing hats with New Mexican animals milled through the heart of the Roundhouse Thursday, as members from climate organizations championed legislation to enshrine emissions reductions into state law. Senate Bill 18, sponsored by Senate Pro Tem Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) would mandate tiered emission reductions in state law. Modeled on a 2019 executive order issued by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the bill would allow state agencies to plan and measure the states progress based on meeting the following goals: 45% fewer greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as compared to 2005 levels; 75% by 2040 and net-zero by 2050. Advertisement Advertisement The bills rules would only apply to the largest, stationary emitters producing 10,000 metric tons or more of climate pollution per year. The legislation scraped through its first committee on a 5-4 vote, and will be heard on Saturday in the Senate Taxation, Business and Transportation committee. Healthy Climate New Mexico Executive Director Shelley Mann-Lev told Source NM that she was nervous about the upcoming hearing. But weve got to live out hope, Mann-Lev said. Weve got to act. Our lives, the health of all beings depends on us taking action on climate change. Representatives from the oil and gas industry, construction and large agricultural opponents of SB18 have said it threatens business and the broader New Mexico economy. Advertisement Advertisement Stewart cited a recent New Mexico Voices for Children study that the cost of wildfire response and flash flood recovery from disasters caused by climate change is already costing the state billions of dollars. In this unseasonably warm winter, New Mexicans are showing up to fight for a future where our way of life doesnt just survive, it thrives, Stewart said. Weve made real progress, and with the Clear Horizons Act, were choosing growth and opportunity that protects our land, our air, and our children thats powered by clean energy that reflects our values and lowers costs for families. In the rotunda, three members of the Interfaith Power and Light climate justice group ended their 320-mile pilgrimage. Over 26 days, the group walked from oil and gas country in the Permian Basin to the Roundhouse, calling for the passage of SB18 and further courage to address climate change. The Clear Horizons Act provides the critical framework New Mexico needs to hold polluters accountable and to protect communities from the worst impacts of climate change, said Desiree Bernard, the executive director of Interfaith Power and Light. We have walked to express active hope in the family of humanity and pray for our elected leaders to have the political courage to meet the moment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The wheat complex posted gains across the three markets on Thursday. Chicago SRW futures closed 7 to 9 cents higher in the front months. KC HRW futures were 7 to 9 cents in the green on the day. MPLS spring wheat was up 4 to 6 cents at the close. Export Sales data from this morning showed 373,877 MT of wheat sold in the week of January 29. That was down 33.02% from the previous week and 14.81% below the same week last year. The largest buyer was the Philippines, with 89,200 MT sold to Taiwan, and 67,900 MT to Mexico. Another 41,000 MT was sold for 2026/27. More News from Barchart Large world supplies continue to weigh on the market. Russias 2025 wheat crop totaled 93 MMT according to the countrys data, including Russian held territories of Ukraine. Area for 2026 is expected to total 83 MMT. Mar 26 CBOT Wheat closed at $5.35 1/4, up 8 1/2 cents, May 26 CBOT Wheat closed at $5.44, up 7 3/4 cents, Mar 26 KCBT Wheat closed at $5.38 1/2, up 8 1/4 cents, May 26 KCBT Wheat closed at $5.50 1/2, up 7 3/4 cents, Mar 26 MIAX Wheat closed at $5.72 1/2, up 5 1/2 cents, May 26 MIAX Wheat closed at $5.84 1/4, up 4 3/4 cents, On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com An amnesty law that would provide clemency to political prisoners in Venezuela has passed an initial vote unanimously in the National Assembly, stirring hopes among the countrys opposition. On Thursday, members of both the governing socialist party and the opposition delivered speeches in favour of the new legislation, known as the Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence. The path of this law is going to be full of obstacles, full of bitter moments, said Jorge Rodriguez, the head of the National Assembly. Advertisement Advertisement But he added that it would be necessary to swallow hard in order to help the country move forward. We ask for forgiveness, and we also have to forgive, Rodriguez said. But critics nevertheless pointed out that the text of the bill has yet to be made public, and it offers no clemency for individuals accused of serious crimes, including drug trafficking, murder, corruption or human rights violations. Instead, media reports about the legislation indicate that it focuses on charges often levelled against protesters and opposition leaders. Venezuelas National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez holds a picture of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as he speaks on February 5 [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters] What does the bill say? The bill would grant amnesty to individuals accused of crimes like treason, terrorism, rebellion, resisting authorities, instigation of illegal activities and spreading hate, if those crimes were committed in the context of political activism or protest. Advertisement Advertisement Opposition leaders like Maria Corina Machado would also see bans on their candidacy for public office lifted. In addition, the legislation specifies certain events that would qualify for amnesty, including the demonstrations that unfolded in 2007, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2024. That period stretches from the presidency of the late President Hugo Chavez, founder of the Chavismo movement, through the presidency of his handpicked successor, Nicolas Maduro. Both Chavez and Maduro were accused of the violent suppression of dissent through arbitrary arrest, torture and extrajudicial killings. But on January 3, the administration of United States President Donald Trump launched a military operation in Venezuela to abduct Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They have since been transported to New York City, where they await trial on charges related to drug trafficking. Advertisement Advertisement While members of Venezuelas opposition have cheered the military operation as a long-overdue move, experts have argued that the US likely violated international law as well as Venezuelas sovereignty in removing Maduro from power. Nicolas Maduro Guerra, son of ousted President Nicolas Maduro, walks by portraits depicting late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and independence hero Simon Bolivar, on February 5 [Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters] Weighing Maduros legacy Images of Chavez were a common sight during Thursdays debate at the National Assembly, which has been dominated since 2017 by members of the Chavismo movement. That year, Venezuelas top court dissolved the opposition-led National Assembly and briefly absorbed its powers, before re-establishing a legislature stacked with Maduro supporters. In 2018 and again in 2024, Maduro claimed victory in contested elections that critics say were marred by fraud. Advertisement Advertisement In the July 2024 vote, for instance, the government refused to release voter tallies, as was previously standard practice. The opposition, however, obtained copies of nearly 80 percent of the tallies, which contradicted the governments claims that Maduro had won a third six-year term. After Maduros abduction last month, the remnants of his government remained in power. Within days, his vice president Delcy Rodriguez, the sister of the National Assembly leader was sworn in as interim president. She used her inaugural speech to denounce the kidnapping of two heroes who are being held hostage: President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Advertisement Advertisement Rodriguez has nevertheless cooperated with US demands, including by supporting a bill to open Venezuelas nationalised oil industry to foreign investment. On the floor of the National Assembly on Thursday, her brother Jorge raised a photo of Chavez holding a crucifix while he spoke. Maduros son, National Assembly member Nicolas Maduro Guerra, also presented remarks. Venezuela cannot endure any more acts of revenge, Maduro Guerra said as he appealed for reconciliation. Venezuelas opposition reacts Still, opposition members in the National Assembly expressed optimism about the bill. National Assembly representative Tomas Guanipa, for instance, called it the start of a new, historic chapter in Venezuelan history, one where political dissidents would no longer be afraid to speak their minds for fear of being imprisoned. Advertisement Advertisement Nearly 7.9 million Venezuelans have left the country in recent decades, fleeing political persecution and economic instability. But there have been lingering concerns about the human rights situation in Venezuela in the weeks following Maduros abduction and whether it is safe to return home. President Rodriguez has pledged to release political detainees and close the infamous El Helicoide prison, where reports of torture have emerged. But some experts say the number of people released does not match the number the government has reported. The human rights group Foro Penal, for instance, has documented 383 releases since January 8. Advertisement Advertisement That figure, however, is lower than the 900 political prisoners the government has claimed to have released. Foro Penal estimates 680 political prisoners remain in detention. Opposition figures also allege that the government continues to intimidate and harass those who voice support for Maduros removal and other opinions that run contrary to the Chavismo movement. Still, the head of Foro Penal, Alfredo Romero, applauded the initial passage of the amnesty law as a step forward. Amnesty is the framework that will ensure that the past does not serve to halt or derail transition processes, Romero told the news agency AFP. A second vote is expected to be held on Tuesday next week. Agape Flights says no one is believed to have survived after one of its humanitarian aid planes crashed in the mountains of Haiti. The Venice-based non-profit shared a sad update Friday afternoon on the search for a plane that disappeared while it was flying over the mountainous region of Jeremie, Haiti. "This afternoon, the aircraft was located in the mountains of Haiti," Agape Flights CEO Allen Speer said through tears. We do not believe that there were any survivors." Advertisement Advertisement The organization said it lost communication with aircraft N316AF, an Embraer 110 Bandeirante, on Thursday afternoon while it was flying over the mountainous region of Jeremie, Haiti. The aircraft is a Brazilian twin-turboprop transport plane that was designed for military and civil use. "Our hearts are broken. We grieve deeply for the families of the pilots who are now enduring an unimaginable loss," Speer added. The CEO said Agape is not releasing the names of the victims at this time as he called for continued prayers for their families and the entire Agape Flights community. Agape Flights has provided aid to missionaries in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas for more than 45 years. The first Agape Flight left from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in November 1980 to deliver emergency supplies to Haiti. Today, the organization operates out of Venice Municipal Airport, sending planes full of emergency supplies, medical equipment, mail and cargo for humanitarian missions in the Caribbean. An NYPD sergeant was found guilty of manslaughter for throwing a cooler that killed a man during a botched arrest in the Bronx in 2023. A judge found Erik Duran, 38, guilty of manslaughter and not guilty of criminally negligent homicide on Friday. The NYPD sergeant was accused of throwing a cooler at a fleeing suspect in the Bronx. The suspect, 30-year-old Eric Duprey, then crashed his scooter and died. Advertisement Advertisement "3 years waiting for justice. I never lost faith," Orlyanis Velez, Duprey's wife said. Duran was indicted on manslaughter charges in Duprey's Aug. 2023 death. Duprey was a delivery worker suspected of drug dealing. Defense attorneys say Duran made the decision, "To save his own life and the life of others." Before embarking into their closing, prosecutors from the state attorney general's office brought out the red Igloo itself and placed it on the table, calling the decision to throw it "unreasonable and unnecessary," telling the court, "you recoil because that is so inconsistent with the standard of care." Advertisement Advertisement Their case included a mix of body-worn camera video and surveillance videos that they say show Duran "angry and frustrated" because his team was "losing control of the operation and Eric Duprey is getting away because they arrested the wrong guy." The case has been a lightning rod for activists, and their calls for justice are still growing louder. "The American judicial system needs to send a message that lawfully enforcement actions cannot go unchecked," said activist Hawk Newsome. "Just like ICE killed a woman in her car. Just like ICE shot a peaceful protester at point-blank range. Just like this man, who was on trial upstairs, picked up a cooler and crashed it into someone's head. We as Americans have to draw a line in the sand." The Sergeants Benevolent Association President Vincent Vallelong released a statement after the verdict saying, "Today's verdict was a miscarriage of justice. We vigorously maintain Sergeant Duran's innocence. The verdict rendered by Judge Mitchell is clearly against the weight of the credible evidence. Verdicts such as this send a terrible message to hard-working cops: Should you use force to defend yourself, your fellow police officers or the citizens of the city, no matter how justified your actions, you risk criminal charges and conviction. Our attorneys are reviewing all our legal options. We are confident Judge Mitchell's verdict will be overturned." Advertisement Advertisement Duran, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, now faces a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison for the second-degree manslaughter charge. The criminally negligent homicide charge would have carried 1-1/3 to four years in prison if he were found guilty. "We set a precedent today. Today, the justice prevails in New York. There's a new gay marriage. That's right. It's a new day. That's right. You just can't pick up a cooler and smash us into the hay," Newsome said. Wearing a necklace with her son's picture, Duprey's mother addressed the media. "He was my everything. I'm glad justice was served," Gretchen Soto said. Advertisement Advertisement Duran walked out of the court seemingly somber as cheers continued outside. Duprey's wife said she is glad for some closure, but she admits she hoped for a stiffer penalty. "For life. nobody has the right to take the life of someone like that," Velez said. Sentencing will be held on March 19. ---------- * More Bronx news * Send us a news tip * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts * Follow us on YouTube Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply. Despite leading a deeply blue state home to democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Republican Gov. Phil Scott is the most popular governor in America, according to a Morning Consult poll released Feb. 2. Its a title hes held for 14 consecutive quarters, the poll said. Scott had an approval rating of 74%, the poll found, with just 19% disapproving of his performance as governor. That gives him a net approval rating of +55 points. Advertisement Advertisement His net approval rating is 12 points higher than the next most popular governor: Wyomings Gov. Mark Gordon, also a Republican. In addition to Scott, two New England governors made the top five most popular. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott Who are the top 5 most popular governors? Here are the top five most popular governors in the country, per the latest Morning Consult poll. Phil Scott, R-Vt. Mark Gordon, R-Wyo. Andy Beshear, D-Ky. Ned Lamont, D-Conn. Maura Healey, D-Mass. Who are the least popular governors? Here are the five least popular governors in America. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla. Gregg Abbott, R-Texas Jim Pillen, R-Neb. Tate Reeves, R-Miss. Tina Kotek, D-Ore. What are the approval ratings of New England governors? Here are the approval ratings of each New England governor, ranked from most to least popular, according to the Morning Consult poll. Advertisement Advertisement Phil Scott, R-Vt. Approve +55 (74% approve, 19% disapprove) Ned Lamont, D-Conn. Approve +33 (63% approve, 30% disapprove) Maura Healey, D-Mass. Approve +34 (62% approve, 28% disapprove) Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. Approve +23 (56% approve, 33% disapprove) Dan McKee, D-R.I. Approve +13 (49% approve, 36% disapprove) Janet Mills, D-Maine Approve +8 (51% approve, 43% disapprove) This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is most popular in America: See poll With advocates at her side and an eye on a volatile national legal landscape, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger Friday signed legislation sending a slate of constitutional amendments to voters, including a measure that would finally erase the states ban on same-sex marriages and replace it with an affirmative right to marriage equality. Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter. At a signing ceremony in Richmond, Spanberger described the existing marriage ban as antiquated and said Virginia families should not have to rely solely on court decisions for their security. We want to make sure that Virginia families know that here in Virginia, it is not just a Supreme Court decision that protects them, but it is also our state constitution," she said. Itll be a big step for Virginia to ensure that every family knows that Virginia is a place that welcomes them, appreciates them, and sees them for the wonderful family and Virginians that they are. Advertisement Advertisement Related: LGBTQ+ ally Abigail Spanberger trounces anti-trans Republican to win Virginia governors race Related: Virginia Republican attacks Democrat leading governors race with Trumpy they/them ad She added, So before I get too emotional on that one, I will start signing. Watch Gov. Spanberger sign the Virginia marriage equality referendum bill below. Standing with the governor was Narissa Rahaman, executive director of Equality Virginia, whose organization has long advocated removing the 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment from the state constitution. That provision, approved by 57 percent of voters nearly two decades ago, defined marriage as between one man and one woman and barred recognition of any legal status approximating marriage. Although federal courts rendered it unenforceable in 2014, it has remained embedded in Virginias constitution as a relic of a different political era. Advertisement Advertisement Related: Virginia LGBTQ+ groups thrilled to march in inaugural parade celebrating the state's new Dem governor Related: Abigail Spanberger becomes VA's first woman governor, honoring history and diversity in inaugural speech This is about finishing the job, Rahaman said in a statement ahead of the signing. Twenty years after banning marriage equality, its time for our commonwealth to fully complete our evolution and finish the job on protecting marriage equality for all. Its up to all of us to vote on November 3, 2026, to safeguard marriage for all Virginians and remove the stain that exists in our constitution. The ballot question voters will see in the fall asks whether Virginia should amend its constitution to remove the ban on same-sex marriage, affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race, and require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law. If approved, the change would enshrine marriage equality in the states highest legal document, insulating it from shifts in federal law or future Supreme Court rulings. Advertisement Advertisement "Everyone deserves the freedom to marry who they love and Virginias Constitution should affirm that all families are welcome in our Commonwealth," Spanberger said in a statement. Related:Virginia LGBTQ+ advocates and allies come together to celebrate 10 years of marriage equality Related: New Abigail Spanberger ad hits Winsome Earle-Sears for saying firing gay people is 'not discrimination' The marriage measure is part of a broader package Spanberger advanced Friday. At the ceremony, she also signed bills sending voters a proposed reproductive rights amendment, saying Virginias constitution should protect our right to privacy, our right to contraception, our right to IVF, and our right to choose, and noting that Virginia is the only state in the South that has not further restricted abortion access since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Advertisement Advertisement She also signed measures advancing a referendum to restore voting rights for people with felony convictions and another related to redistricting. This article originally appeared on Advocate: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger sends marriage equality & abortion rights amendments to voters RELATED This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com Washington State Schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal is pushing for major new investments in Washingtons education system, as well as property tax relief. Hes urging lawmakers to approve a proposed millionaires tax on residents earning more than $1 million a year. Democrats introduced that proposal this week. If we think generationally and we think big and inspire whats possible, then were not having a tax fight, Reykdal said at a news conference Thursday. Were having a conversation around what does the best for our kids for a very long time to come. Advertisement Advertisement Reykdal wants more funding for K12 schools, universal free meals for students, and two years of free tuition at Washingtons public colleges and universities. In the current school year, basic K12 education, including special education, materials and supplies, student transportation, and targeted resources for students who need additional support, is underfunded by $750 million, according to a news release from Reykdals office. The state also partially funds meals and dual credit, two opportunities that the Superintendent recommends become part of basic education and available to all students at no out-of-pocket cost. Reykdal said that fully funding K12 would cost $860$900 million. The free tuition would cost about $760 million, and meals would cost $110 million. Plan also calls for property tax relief Reykdal is also calling for $1.4 billion in property tax relief for the states homeowners. Advertisement Advertisement Reykdals office said this proposal would save the average Washington homeowner $640 per year or roughly $300,000 over the duration of a 30-year mortgage. My job is to say there is a missing part of the conversation, which is affordability for middle-class families, he said. They are under serious duress. Republican state lawmakers are firmly against the tax proposal, which they said will drive up prices and hurt the economy and small businesses. Representative Drew Stokesbary, the House Republican Leader, warned at a news conference this week that the $1 million threshold will not last. While this one is framed as a tax on millionaires, its only a tax on millionaires this session, Stokesbary said. It will quickly become a tax on regular people like you and me. We know that we cant trust Olympia politicians. Stokesbary accused Democrats of working behind the scenes with Washingtons biggest employers to figure out a way to pass an income tax that is going to devastate Washingtons economy while also benefiting big business. A 57-year-old West Bend man died Feb. 5 after the vehicle he was driving struck a school bus in the town of Cedarburg, according to the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office. No children were on the bus at the time of the crash, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. The Riteway bus driver, 71-year-old Deda Odekirk-Schuh of Saukville, who was the sole occupant on the bus, had minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Authorities responded to the two-vehicle crash on County Highway I, north of Cedar Creak Road at approximately 1:18 p.m. Witness statements and the initial investigation indicated the Dodge Ram pickup truck, driven by the West Bend man, was traveling southbound on County Highway I when it drifted over the centerline, according to the release. Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said the truck crossed into the northbound lane and struck the school bus head-on. Both vehicles stopped in the northbound lane. The driver of the truck was pinned inside the vehicle and required extrication, according to the release. The driver died at the scene. The Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that they are not yet releasing the name of the West Bend man who died. Both lanes of County Highway I between Pleasant Valley and Cedar Creek roads were closed for several hours while a crash reconstruction was conducted. The Ozaukee County Highway Department, Cedarburg Fire Department, Ozaukee Central Fire Department, Cedarburg Police Department, Saukville Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Ozaukee County Emergency Management, Ozaukee Crash Reconstruction Team and Ozaukee County Drone Team assisted the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office at the accident scene. Advertisement Advertisement Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: West Bend man dies after striking school bus in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin The Washington Avenue home in Westwood was the kind of place where an electrical contractor could build a quiet life without much notice. Between 1919 and early 1922, the man who lived there did exactly that. He called himself Henry J. Darche. Standing about 5-foot-3 with a slight frame and brown hair, he wired houses, worked in local churches and ran an electrical shop that seemed to be doing steady business. He had a woman he introduced as his wife and a baby boy. Advertisement Advertisement Neighbors saw a young tradesman trying to get ahead. Then, in January 1922, the family vanished. No Trace Yet Found Of Westwood Family Last Seen on January 9, the Bergen Evening Record's top headline read on Jan. 26, 1922. Friends could not account for the disappearance. A leading theory was that the family was killed and buried somewhere after a robbery gone wrong, The Record reported. But a legal claim had just been placed on Darches shop to pay off a debt. His bank account had been drawn down to $18. And a Dumont teacher said he asked her for money the night before he disappeared, the newspaper reported. When authorities attempted to track down Darche, they found the house stocked with clothes, belongings and, strangely enough, some money. To local authorities, it looked like the move was planned and likely in search of new career opportunities, The Record reported. But it still came across as rushed. Advertisement Advertisement Two months later, Westwood learned why. Story continues below photo gallery. Darche was, in fact, Henry J. Fernekes, an alleged "two-gun bandit" whose criminal record stretched back to 1914, when a Chicago Tribune article described him as a high grade sociopath and noted that he turned to theft to support his young bride on $10 a week. The piece reported that a judge recognized his mental deficiencies but still held him to face a grand jury, while his father called him a disgrace. The Record reported on March 10, 1922, that Fernekes had done time in Illinois and was more critically wanted in Rockland County, New York, for the murder of two officials of the First National Bank of Pearl River. He was also wanted for a bank robbery in Illinois in 1918. Further complicating the situation was the fact that one of his former accomplices identified Mrs. Darche as his own wife, whom Fernekes had taken while fleeing the law. Advertisement Advertisement District Attorney Morton Lexow of Rockland County began issuing circulars offering a $2,500 reward for his capture and tracing a trail of aliases that included Ralph Goodwin and Henry Knight. Descriptions circulated emphasizing Fernekes' neat dress and small stature, and he was dubbed the "midget bandit." Westwood neighbors remembered the household as ordinary, almost painfully so, according to newspaper reports in the years that followed Fernekes' story. The woman, the child and the neatly run electrical shop allowed Fernekes to hone his illicit abilities without much of a hint. The New York Times reported on March 22, 1925, that he studied drafting at the Chicago Art Institute and used that skill set to produce three-dimensional renderings of bank vaults. He mapped steel thicknesses and tumbler placement and used local welding jobs as training. No Trace Yet Found Of Westwood Family Last Seen on January 9, the Bergen Evening Record's top headline read on Jan. 26, 1922, about the disappearance of Henry J. Darche, who turned out to be Henry J. Fernekes, wanted for murder and bank robbery and hiding out in a home on Washington Avenue in Westwood, NJ. In an April 19, 1925, article, The Times said the blue-eyed lone wolf had mastered the acetylene torch, cutting through reinforced steel far faster than ordinary criminals could manage. The Chicago Tribune reported 10 years later that he had spent months firing a locomotive engine for the sole purpose of learning how to properly halt a train during a heist. Advertisement Advertisement The Pearl River robbery on Dec. 29, 1921, revealed how prepared Fernekes had become. He entered the bank under the alias C. F. Richards, a name he had used to take out a safety deposit box months earlier. Assistant cashier James B. Moore and clerk Siegfried Butz were inside. Both were killed as Fernekes attempted to access more than Richards' box. Investigators recovered a German Luger, an American revolver, a black derby hat and a pair of glasses. Attention soon turned to the safe deposit box Richards had rented. Authorities circulated descriptions, signatures and financial records connected to the name. Eventually, they tied the alias to a paper trail that led beyond Pearl River to furniture purchased in Chicago that was left in the Westwood apartment of Henry J. Darche. Darche's disappearance had long looked like a financial collapse. Beyond his attempt to borrow money from Jennie Gear, the school teacher, on the night before he left, Fernekes abandoned his Ford in Englewood, still carrying a $400 loan. Local authorities saw a tradesman in debt who had slipped away quietly. Still, detectives eventually linked Darche and Richards through pictures positively identified by bank workers. Then, they placed Richards' safe-deposit card beside business papers from Darches electrical shop in Westwood. The handwriting matched. The quiet contractor and the Pearl River gunman became the same man. Advertisement Advertisement A piece of history: Westwood's Kissing Tree, terminally ill, gets Valentine's celebration Officials from the Pinkerton and Burns detective agencies followed more leads across state lines. One break came from Joe Saunders, a former associate serving time in Joliet, Illinois. Saunders told investigators that Fernekes had taken his wife and his child who appeared in Westwood to most as Darches son. He described Fernekes as a man who always worked alone in the actual perpetration of his crimes, but had hired him as lookout and information man, according to later reporting. The New York Times reported on April 21, 1925, that Fernekes had committed at least a dozen major hold-ups, including a Florida bank robbery that netted $100,000. He allegedly traveled heavily armed, often carrying three guns, two fitted with Maxim silencers. The third gun, a stock Colt automatic, was just in case one of the other two jammed. The information came out just days after the net closed on Fernekes in Chicago's John Crerar Library. On April 18, 1925, he was reading a technical book on nitroglycerin when a librarian, who noticed a bulge in his hip pocket, alerted police. Detectives moved quietly. Advertisement Advertisement They were watched with suppressed excitement by everyone in the library except Fernekes, who was engrossed in his book. He realized their presence only when several pairs of hands grasped his arms and he found himself hopelessly overpowered, The New York Times reported. Even in capture, Fernekes remained composed. He admitted to much of his criminal history but denied the Pearl River murders, claiming he had fled, anticipating the laws accusation. Three guns were recovered, two with silencers, fitting Saunders description. After the Pearl River crimes and fleeing Westwood, Fernekes ambition only grew. Authorities in Rockland County discovered that he had spent nearly a year planning what they called a perfect robbery in Chicago. The target was a Loop bank and $2 million in cash. According to The New York Times, the plan involved 10 men armed with pump guns, rifles, sawed-off shotguns and revolvers enough to equip a company of infantry. Fernekes intended to use three large ammonia tanks, gas masks, and 10 smoke bombs to incapacitate employees and police. Advertisement Advertisement They intended to enter the bank and close all the doors, the paper reported, unloose the caps and set the poison fumes into the air. Customers, clerks and officials would drop instantly and possibly die. The bandits, safe behind their gas masks, would then loot the cages and vaults." The legal fallout from his capture became a prolonged battle between states. In 1926, while Fernekes sat in a Chicago cell following a death sentence for the murder of bank messenger Michael Swiontkowski, Rockland County District Attorney Morton Lexow pressed for extradition to face the Pearl River murders. The Pearl River News described the effort on Jan. 28, 1926, as a tug-of-war between jurisdictions. Still, Lexow told the paper, if any miscarriage of justice should occur in that jurisdiction, I will be able to bring Fernekes to Rockland County to answer the indictments charging him with the murder of James Moore and Siegfried Butz." Following a failed attempt to have children of wealthy Chicagoan Charles H. Schweppe kidnapped and ransomed from prison, Fernekes would find some success through a daring prison escape. Advertisement Advertisement Local history: This forgotten Passaic castle had huge domes, $30K in exotic plants He disguised himself as a visitor, pretended to be someone else and walked out freely, but only to be recaptured months later, the New York Times and others reported. By then, he had resumed his criminal life and vowed not to return to prison. Fernekes ego remained as outsized as his crimes. Upon learning of a $1,000 reward for his capture, he sent a letter of complaint to the prison, scoffing that a $5,000 reward would be more befitting a man of his caliber, The Tribune reported. He allegedly died by suicide the day after his October 1935 recapture in Chicago by self-poisoning. Reports claimed he had a lethal dose of potassium cyanide hidden in a secret pocket. He was 38 years old. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A quiet life in Westwood hid the the double life of Henry J. Fernekes Whataburger is returning to Orlando after 17 years. The restaurant chain has filed plans to open a new location at the Waterford Lakes Shopping Center on Alafaya Trail. The Orlando Business Journal reported the new plans based on recently filed permits for the site. The move marks the chains return to the city after leaving the region nearly two decades ago. Whataburger previously left Florida in 2009. The companys departure from the state was attributed to declining sales at the time. Advertisement Advertisement Construction for the new restaurant was approved to begin earlier this week. The project received approval after necessary paperwork was filed for the site within the shopping center. There is currently no exact timeline for when the restaurant will open to the public. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The investigation into Nancy Guthrie's sudden disappearance has marched into a fifth day, with hundreds of law enforcement agents working the case. Local and federal officials provided updates in a media briefing on the morning of Feb. 5, including the confirmation of Guthrie's blood found on her doorstep and details of a ransom note shared with media outlets. Guthrie, the mother of NBC "Today" show co-host Savannah Guthrie, was last seen at her home on the night of Jan. 31. Her family discovered she was gone the next morning after she didn't show up for church. Advertisement Advertisement The Pima County Sheriff's Department is collaborating with many different agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating the suspected abduction in a race to reunite the 84-year-old grandmother with her family. On Feb. 5, the Sheriff's Department and the FBI briefed reporters. This is what is now known. What was the possible motive to take Nancy Guthrie? Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said his team could not determine whether Guthrie was targeted in a crime or not. "We'll know more as we go on what that motive is, but right now, my guesswork is as good as yours," Nanos said to reporters. Early in the investigation, Nanos told reporters investigators believed that Nancy Guthrie was not deliberately targeted. Asked Feb. 5 how he squared that view with a ransom note, he said "If I said that, obviously I misspoke." He went on to explain that the focus of the investigation shifted from a search to a criminal case. Advertisement Advertisement So far, all DNA results that have come back from testing have belonged to Nancy Guthrie. Nanos said there has been no definitive evidence indicating forced entry, contrary to some unconfirmed media reports. While there have not been signs of life, Nanos said his team is committed to finding Guthrie. "We believe Nancy is still out there," Nanos said. Ransom note shared with media gives 5 p.m. deadline The ransom note shared with multiple media outlets this week outlined a 5 p.m. deadline for payment, according to FBI special agent Heith Janke. The note, according to TMZ, demanded millions in Bitcoin cryptocurrency. It's unclear if any threats were made in the note if payment was not received by the deadline. The note included a second deadline of Monday, Feb. 9, Janke told reporters. Advertisement Advertisement Janke said the note included details about Guthrie's Apple Watch. CBS News has reported the note to its Tucson affiliate contained details about the elderly woman's clothing on the night of her disappearance. Those details were absent in at least one other ransom demand letter, which agents deemed a hoax. Janke announced one person has been arrested for sending the fake ransom note, and the FBI is warning people not to fabricate information for personal gain. A criminal complaint, filed Feb. 5 in U.S. District Court in Arizona accused a 42- or 43-year-old California man, Derrick Callella with two counts of making a ransom demand and using a telephone to threaten a victim. Guthrie's family dropped her off the night before disappearance Nancy Guthrie was visiting her family nearby on Jan. 31 for dinner and games, Nanos said. The family dropped her off at home at roughly 9:48 p.m. Detectives confirmed that her garage door closed around 9:50 p.m. Advertisement Advertisement "It is at that time we assume that Nancy's home and probably going to bed," Nanos said. At 1:47 a.m., a doorbell camera signal disconnected. Then, at 2:12 a.m. software detected a person outside the home, though it is unclear if the footage truly shows a person or an animal, or which camera detected the motion. At 2:28 a.m., Guthrie's pacemaker app disconnected from her phone. "I think those times speak for themselves," Nanos told a reporter asking about the possibility of someone being on the property for as long as around 45 minutes. There is no evidence showing that any security camera had been smashed or damaged, Nanos said. Advertisement Advertisement Guthrie's family called 911 just after noon on Feb. 1 after discovering Nancy was missing. Drops of Nancy Guthrie's blood confirmed on home's front steps Nanos confirmed that Guthrie's blood was found on the front steps of her home. His office previously said they could not comment on any possible injuries. Guthrie is in need of daily medication, which she needs to survive. Her children said in a recorded Instragram message Feb. 4 that her health and heart were "fragile." "We don't know that she's getting her medication," Nanos said. "That in itself could prove fatal." Doorbell footage may be inaccessible, investigators say The details surrounding any doorbell cameras at Guthrie's home are murky. Advertisement Advertisement While at least one camera detected movement outside Guthrie's home late into the night, Guthrie did not pay for a subscription to store video footage, and the video was overwritten. Nanos said his department reached out to a tech company for assistance in retrieving the footage, but the video could not be accessed. Nanos said there were multiple cameras on the residence, but no footage has been recovered from the night of Guthrie's disappearance. Police have been going door-to-door in Guthrie's neighborhood to recover footage from any other doorbell cameras that may be able to provide more clues about the movement around 2 a.m. that night. FBI Director Kash Patel receiving frequent updates Officials said in the briefing that FBI Director Kash Patel is getting briefed on the case several times a day. Patel is expected to travel to Tucson soon for a trip that was prescheduled. Advertisement Advertisement Every unit of the Pima County Sheriffs Department is working on Guthrie's case in some way, as well as the FBI. The U.S. Border Patrol previously offered assistance with search dogs. Reach reporter Helen Rummel at hrummel@azcentral.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Investigators release key details in Nancy Guthrie case When Bryan Schoonover was hit by an alleged drunk driver on a Pasco County, Florida, road in October, he assumed the insurance process would be straightforward, especially after receiving assurances from the other drivers insurance company. They acknowledged that he was at fault and they would settle the claim, Schoonover told Tampa Bay 28 in a story published Jan. 26 (1). Early November, I was told Thanksgiving was around the corner and just be patient. Must Read Months later, he was still waiting for an insurance payout and the holdup may stem from something as mundane as a damaged road sign. Its a delay that highlights how even seemingly clear-cut cases can leave victims stuck in financial limbo. Broken sign and months of waiting Schoonover was driving on a county road when another car cut in front of him and slammed on the brakes, according to a police report obtained by Tampa Bay 28. I hit him instantly I didnt have time to react, he said. I tore 2 muscles in my neck, broke my nose and got a nice scar on my arm. The other driver was charged with driving under the influence, per the local broadcaster. Schoonovers truck was totaled in the crash, and apparently a one-way road sign was also damaged. Schoonover now believes the other drivers insurer has used the since-fixed sign as an excuse to stall the claims process because Pasco County has yet to send its own bill for damages. They claim theyre not able to reach anybody or get any type of response, and their stance is they have two years to settle this, he said. So, Im put on hold until then. Its unclear why the insurer declared it had a two-year window. Tampa Bay 28 says it reached out to Pasco County but didn't receive a response. Ocean Harbor Casualty Insurance Co., the insurer with the open claim, also wouldn't answer questions. 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 importance of underinsured motorist coverage Schoonover says the other driver only has the Florida-minimum $10,000 property damage coverage. Insurance minimums vary from state to state, with many requiring between $25,000 to $50,000 in coverage for property and personal injury coverage. Low minimums can leave victims undercompensated, especially as vehicle prices and repair costs climb. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 5, 2026. Credit - Saul LoebAFP via Getty Images President Donald Trumps former adviser Steve Bannon suggested on his War Room podcast this week that the Trump Administration should send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling places during this years midterm elections. Youre damn right were gonna have ICE surround the polls come November, Bannon said. During a press briefing with reporters on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she has not heard President Donald Trump consider deploying immigration agents to polling sites, but she refused to rule it out. Advertisement Advertisement Thats not something Ive ever heard the president consider, no, Leavitt said. When a reporter asked Leavitt if she could guarantee the American public that immigration agents wont be around voting locations, Leavitt said: I cant guarantee an ICE agent wont be around a polling location in NovemberI mean, thats frankly a very silly hypothetical question. But what I can tell you is I havent heard the President discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations. President Trump has repeatedly spread false claims that large numbers of non-citizens voted illegally in presidential elections and that widespread voter fraud led to his 2020 election loss. Trump said on Monday that Republicans should take over the voting in at least many, 15 places and nationalize the voting. Doing so would violate the Constitution which requires elections be run by states and counties, a system that was designed to avoid having a sitting President influence the outcome. Last week, FBI agents, along with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, entered Fulton County, Georgia election facilities with a search warrant and seized ballots from the November 2020 election that Trump lost to Joe Biden. Advertisement Advertisement Election experts and Democratic lawmakers have pointed to recent comments from Trump and his allies, as well as the scenes playing out in places like Minneapolis and Georgia, to raise concerns about the Administration deploying armed federal officials to shape the election results. Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, voiced that concern in an interview on The Contrarian podcast on Wednesday, saying he was greatly afraid that those ICE roving vans be used to try to go and intimidate voters at the polling station. Contact us at letters@time.com. Feb. 6Ohio voting advocates say the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has no authority to investigate voter fraud after the department's visit to Ponitz Career Tech High School in Dayton to investigate alleged voter fraud Monday. Voting advocates say the federal government does not have the authority to investigate elections state and local governments in Ohio run elections, with most of those positions held by Republicans. "It's worth repeating that the administration does not have legal authority to control elections or change the voting process," said Catherine Turner, executive director of Common Cause Ohio. "The Trump administration continues to make clear its true intention in deploying federal law enforcement: to spread fear and take power from the American people." Advertisement Advertisement Turner added, "It is now up to state and local election officials and the voters themselves to uphold the law and protect Americans' fundamental freedom to vote." Jen Miller, executive director of the Ohio League of Women Voters, told this news outlet the League has not heard of any similar situations of DHS investigating alleged voter fraud at schools elsewhere in Ohio. Miller noted that high schools are required by law to offer voter registration to 18-year-olds. She said Ohio already lags behind other neighboring states in 18-year-old voter registration. "Registering students when they turn 18 helps turn lessons from the classroom into real civic participation," Miller said. "We strongly condemn any efforts to intimidate Ohio students, schools, and leaders, and we will continue to monitor this situation closely." Advertisement Advertisement All Voting Is Local Ohio Director Steve David said the Ponitz incident was an intimidation tactic to silence voters. "The tactic of coercion is not new, either; just like the federal shakedown in Minnesota, where they tried to leverage removing immigration agents to extort private voter data, DHS agents in Ohio are abusing their power to silence and intimidate voters," David said. Who runs elections? Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose a Republican running this for for state auditor oversees elections in Ohio. Local boards of elections run the actual elections. The directors of the boards of elections, who oversee daily operations, in Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Warren counties are all Republicans, with a co-equal Democratic deputy director. Each board of elections is also run by a board evenly split between Republican and Democratic members. Advertisement Advertisement Asked about the Ponitz visit, the Ohio Secretary of State's Office said they can't comment on investigations but every allegation of election misconduct is taken seriously. "We're working daily with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to uphold the highest standards of election integrity in Ohio," said Ben Kindel, press secretary for the Ohio Secretary of State. "That includes cooperating with our federal partners on a number of active cases." Kindel said voter fraud is rare in Ohio, "because of the work we do to keep it that way." President Donald Trump says he wants to "take over" elections in Democratic-run areas. In late January, the FBI searched a warehouse in Fulton County, Georgia and seized boxes of ballots and other documents. A New Jersey private detective was looking into any connections between Jeffrey Epstein and Michael Mearan, a former Portsmouth, Ohio, city councilman and lawyer who was facing sex trafficking charges before his death. The latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files includes a 2019 public records request about Mearan to the FBI from Angela Clemente, a self-described forensic intelligence analyst who was part of an investigation into missing women from Chillicothe for the documentary, Gone: The Forgotten Women of Ohio. Months prior to the request, Mearan had become a central figure in an Enquirer investigative report into sex trafficking in Portsmouth, a city just over 100 miles east of Cincinnati along the Ohio River. He was arrested and charged in October 2020 and was awaiting trial in Scioto County at the time of his death in 2021. Former Portsmouth city councilman and lawyer Michael Mearan in 2021. The documents do not indicate there was a link between Epstein and Mearan but request records to learn more. Advertisement Advertisement The FBI denied Clemente's request, withholding more than 10,000 pages of documents, prompting Clemente to file a complaint in federal court, according to court documents. A federal judge later ruled against Clemente, but a few records were released to her. Clemente and three lawyers who had represented her could not be reached. Request sought connection with Epstein The lengthy request was for practically all records related to Epstein and his criminal activities, including those that identify associates or recruiters of girls in Ohio and Kentucky. Clemente also asked for records referencing Portsmouth and Mearan, as well as his alleged associates Mark Eubanks and William Marshall. Advertisement Advertisement Eubanks was the subject of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation in 2016. A DEA affidavit revealed how Eubanks supplied drugs and prostitutes to Mearan. Mearan then arranged for women to have sex for money and represented arrested associates so he could use his connections to secure favorable treatment. The affidavit at one point referred to the criminal enterprise as the "EUBANKS/MEARAN organization." Marshall was a Scioto County Common Pleas Court judge. He was not named in the DEA affidavit, but it said an unnamed Portsmouth judge was "in collusion" with Mearan in exchange for women. Women interviewed by The Enquirer said Marshall was connected to the drug and prostitute ring. Clemente wrote that during her missing women investigation in Ohio, several of her sources indicated there was a human trafficking ring involving girls being recruited from Ohio and Kentucky and being taken to Palm Beach, Florida, among other places. Advertisement Advertisement "I suspect these documents' release will shed light on the FBI's failures to protect murdered and missing women in Ohio, and those trafficked to Palm Beach, Florida, New Jersey and other states," Clemente wrote. "One of Jeffrey Epstein's victims has been recently reported to say that she was taken to one of Epstein's associates homes, in Ohio, and assaulted there." Late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this image from the U.S. Justice Departments file of Epstein, released by the House Oversight Committee Democrats Washington, D.C., on Dec. 18, 2025. She also said that a subject in the DEA investigation of Eubanks explained he would meet with "the defense attorney," apparently referring to Mearan, in Columbus with "guys from out of state," and girls would join them. "Some of the girls were from Portsmouth, Chillicothe, and Columbus, Ohio and that the defense attorney was always eager to obtain company to go with him and his buddies to Palm Beach," Clemente wrote. Clemente has a history of digging for stories. Advertisement Advertisement Before joining the team investigating missing women in Ohio, Clemente made a name for herself when she independently investigated connections between the federal government and the Mafia in New York. Mearan had denied trafficking allegations Mearan faced 18 charges spanning human trafficking, racketeering and compelling and promoting prostitution. He was accused of arranging sex-for-hire appointments for his female clients and pocketing the money they earned on those "dates," using tactics of manipulation and verbal abuse. Mearan consistently maintained his innocence. The allegations of sex trafficking were brought to light in the months after Epstein's death in 2019. Advertisement Advertisement In an interview with Enquirer media partner Fox 19 in 2020, prior to being charged, he said he saw a news story about Jeffrey Epstein. Thats the definition (of sex trafficking). Him and Harvey Weinstein. Ive tried to live a clean life. I feel very sorry for the family," he said, referring to the family of Megan Lancaster. Lancaster went missing when she was 25. Enquirer reporter Quinlan Bentley contributed. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jeffrey Epstein files: Private detective sought Ohio lawyer connection On Wednesday, the Supreme Court handed down a one-sentence order announcing that Californias newly gerrymandered maps, which are expected to give Democrats as many as five more seats in the US House, may go into effect during the 2026 midterms. These maps were enacted to counterbalance a Republican gerrymander in Texas, which could also give Republicans as many as five House seats. If you believe that the Supreme Court applies consistent legal rules, regardless of who benefits from them, then Wednesdays order in Tangipa v. Newsom is completely unsurprising. In January, the Court handed down a different order blessing Texass Republican gerrymander. That decision, in a case called Abbott v. LULAC, didnt just permit Texass maps to take effect; it also imposed new, extraordinarily high barriers in front of any plaintiff challenging a legislative map. So, if the Court had struck down Californias maps after issuing such a broad decision in the Texas case, the only plausible explanation would have been partisanship. Advertisement Advertisement But the Supreme Courts Republican majority has also spent the past several years validating all the worst fears of the Courts most cynical critics. This is, after all, the same Court that held that Donald Trump is allowed to use the powers of the presidency to commit crimes. And its the same Court that spent 2025 removing legal barriers to Trumps mass deportations and mass firings of civil servants. The Republican justices, moreover, routinely bend the rules when they feel strongly about the politics of a particular case. In Whole Womans Health v. Jackson (2021), a decision shielding an anti-abortion law from judicial review, five of the Courts Republicans handed down a legal rule that, if applied in cases that dont involve abortion, would allow any state to eliminate any constitutional right. In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District (2022), the Republican justices made up fake facts to justify ruling in favor of a conservative Christian litigant and then stuck to their made-up narrative even after Justice Sonia Sotomayor produced photographic evidence that they were lying. The truth is that neither the Courts most earnest defenders who believe that every Supreme Court decision is rooted in a good faith effort to apply the law to the facts of a particular case nor the Courts most bitter cynics paint a fully accurate picture of how this Court operates. The justices consider a wide range of factors when they decide a case, including what outcome they would prefer, which party they are more sympathetic toward, which outcome their political party prefers, what outcome is dictated by their own previous opinions, and what the law actually says. In some cases, especially cases that involve technocratic issues that are not politically controversial, all nine justices typically decide their case based solely on what the law says. In cases involving particularly contentious issues, such as abortion, the Court often decides the case based solely on the justices personal preferences. Many cases exist on a spectrum between these two extremes. Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, there are some cases, such as Tangipa, where many of the justices broader ideological commitments cut against the outcome they would prefer. Its safe to say that all six of the justices who held that Trump is allowed to commit crimes would also like Republicans to control the House of Representatives. But these justices have also staked out a strong ideological position against all gerrymandering suits, and that ideological view appears to have triumphed over their narrow partisan interests in Tangipa. This is normal behavior by partisan public officials. Members of Congress also sometimes cast votes that cut against their political partys immediate interests, but that are rooted in a broader ideology. All lawmakers balance their own personal preferences against the interest of their party, the interests of their constituents, and the politics of the moment. It is normal for partisans to cast votes that cut against their partys immediate interests For much of 2020, the global economy was in a deep recession triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns. It was also a presidential election year, and Republicans were in a bind. Trump was in the White House, and incumbent parties typically lose big when they have to campaign during a recession. Just ask John McCain. In the midst of this economic crisis, congressional Democrats behaved completely irrationally from the perspective of a party determined to maximize its electoral gains. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not simply work with the Trump administration to craft stimulus bills that would lift many Americans from the depths of the Covid recession. She attacked her Republican counterparts for not doing more to stimulate the economy. When Republicans announced a skinny stimulus package in the fall of 2020, Pelosi and then-Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer denounced it as an emaciated bill pushed by an extreme right-wing that doesnt want to spend a nickel to help people. Though Tangipa v. Newsom is a short-term loss for the Republican Party, it is consistent with the GOPs longstanding views on gerrymandering. The reason why is that Democrats generally, and Pelosi in particular, have a longstanding ideological commitment to Keynesian economics which teaches that the government should spend more during economic downturns. This commitment stretches back to the New Deal, President Franklin D. Roosevelts successful plan to lift the nation out of the Great Depression. Pelosi, who was speaker during the 200809 recession, also helped push big spending bills through Congress to address that recession. Advertisement Advertisement If Pelosi had been a more ruthless partisan, she might have sabotaged any proposal to stimulate the economy, with the expectation that Trump would bear the blame for his inability to get a bill through Congress. She may even have made unreasonable demands, hoping that the White House would refuse them and get tarred as misers. Instead, Pelosis Democrats worked with Republicans to pass trillions in economic stimulus. Meanwhile, many congressional Republicans are currently pushing legislation that would likely diminish their chances of winning future elections, because of a broader ideological commitment to more restrictive voting laws. Last April, the US House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), which prevents Americans from registering to vote unless they produce documentary proof of United States citizenship such as a passport. Every House Republican who cast a vote supported the law, while all but four Democrats opposed it. In response to a recent push by Republicans to pass the bill in the Senate, Schumer accused Republicans of wanting to restore Jim Crow. But both parties are probably behaving irrationally, at least from the perspective of cynical electoral politics. Republicans formed an ideological commitment to restrictive voting legislation decades ago, when low-propensity voters were more likely to support Democrats than Republicans. Democratic President Barack Obama, for example, won both of his presidential elections by comfortable margins, but Democrats struggled in lower-turnout midterms during the Obama administration. Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, during Obamas presidency, Republicans sometimes spoke openly about their belief that they could skew elections by making it slightly more difficult to vote. In 2012, for example, Pennsylvanias House Republican leader Mike Turzai claimed that a state law requiring voters to show ID at the polls is gonna allow [Republican presidential candidate Mitt] Romney to win the state of Pennsylvania. Under Trump, however, this dynamic has reversed. Low-propensity voters now prefer Republicans, while the kind of highly engaged suburban voters who favored Romney in 2012 have trended toward Democrats. So it is far from clear that voting restrictions that Republicans embraced years ago would actually help them today. If anything, legislation like the SAVE Act might help Democrats win elections. In any event, its hardly surprising to say that political parties hold consistent ideological positions even when those positions cut against their short-term interests. The parties typically hew to a few core positions even when it costs them at the polls. For instance, anyone who has paid attention to US politics knows that a vote for a Republican member of Congress is a vote for upper-income tax cuts and deep cuts to anti-poverty programs such as Medicaid. A vote for a Democratic candidate is typically a vote for the opposite. And this has been true for many years. Both Obamacare and the 2017 Trump tax cuts were unpopular when they became law, and each party knew that the efforts could hurt them in the 2010 and 2018 midterms. But Democrats enacted health reform and Republicans enacted their tax cuts regardless, because of deep ideological commitments to these projects. Advertisement Advertisement Similarly, Supreme Court justices also have predictable views that can be determined solely by looking at which president appointed them. Republican justices oppose abortion and affirmative action, and support broad legal immunity for religious conservatives, among other things. Democratic justices support the opposite outcomes. And justices of both parties tend to stick to these views regardless of how they poll at any particular time. The Republican justices have a deep ideological commitment to letting state lawmakers gerrymander their states however they want Now lets return to the Tangipa case, where a GOP-controlled Supreme Court voted in favor of a Democratic gerrymander. This decision closely resembles Pelosis support for economic stimulus in 2020, or Republicans continuing commitment to voting restrictions that are likely to impact their own voters. Though Tangipa is a short-term loss for the Republican Party, it is consistent with the GOPs longstanding views on gerrymandering. The Supreme Court used to permit federal courts to hear lawsuits alleging that a legislative map drawn to benefit one party or the other violates the Constitution. But the Courts Republican majority shut these lawsuits down in Rucho v. Common Cause (2019). Five years later, in Alexander v. South Carolina NAACP (2024), the Republican justices went a step further, declaring that as the Federal Constitution is concerned, a legislature may pursue partisan ends when it engages in redistricting. Having abolished federal lawsuits challenging partisan gerrymanders, the Courts Republicans then started to dismantle longstanding legal rules prohibiting racial gerrymanders that is, legislative maps that are drawn to minimize the voting power of voters of a particular race. Indeed, the Courts recent decision in LULAC, the Texas gerrymandering case, was a major milestone in this broader project to shut down anti-gerrymandering lawsuits. Among other things, LULAC held that ambiguous evidence must always be construed against a plaintiff alleging that a map was drawn for impermissible racial reasons. Advertisement Advertisement It probably goes too far to say that this Court would allow literally any racial gerrymander to survive judicial scrutiny. If a state passed a law called the White Supremacist We Want to Bring Back Jim Crow, So These Maps Were Drawn by the Ku Klux Klan Act of 2026, it is likely that at least two of the Courts Republicans would vote to strike it down. But LULAC and other recent Supreme Court decisions impose such high barriers on anti-gerrymandering plaintiffs that a state legislatures racist intent would need to be extraordinarily explicit before this Court would step in. And so the Republican justices voted to uphold a Democratic gerrymander in Tangipa. They did not do so because they are particularly worried about Democratic voting rights or Democratic chances in the midterms. They did so because that decision is consistent with their broader project to eliminate nearly all lawsuits challenging gerrymanders. Washington, D.C., and 38 states have enacted some form of statewide restriction or requirement for districts to limit student phone use. Of those, 18 have bans for the entire day. (Photo by SDI Productions via Getty Images) Wisconsin lawmakers are calling for the state to ban cell phones throughout the school day and to implement regulations on social media and other platforms in an effort to protect children from the negative consequences of internet and social media use. The bills regulating cellphone and internet use are the result of a task force organized by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) last year. The group of lawmakers, which met four times, was tasked with examining the effects of social media on youth development, evaluating the benefits and drawbacks to children having unlimited, unsupervised access to the internet and assessing the risks and dangers of children being online. Bell-to-bell cell phone ban Following the lead of several other states, Wisconsin lawmakers are pushing for a bell-to-bell cell phone ban in schools, about six months before school districts in Wisconsin are required to implement the instructional cell phone ban in schools recently required by state law. Advertisement Advertisement Washington, D.C., and 38 states have enacted some form of statewide restriction or requirement for districts to limit student phone use. Of those, 18 have bans for the entire day. AB 948 would require policies banning cell phone use in school to prohibit them throughout the entire school day including during instructional time, recess, the time students travel between classes and the lunch period. This would need to be implemented by July 1, 2027, under the bill. Rep. Lindee Brill (R-Sheboygan Falls) told lawmakers on the Assembly Education committee that the bill is just one part of a multifaceted approach to addressing the question of protecting children online. If schools can be a safe zone that this bill helps implement, that is a huge piece, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Brill said that a student during one of the task force meetings said that he had many experiences on social media and most of them were bad and that social media brings you down. Wisconsin recently enacted a statewide cell phone ban, signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers in October. But 2025 Wisconsin Act 42 only requires school districts to implement policies that ban cellphones during instructional times. These policies need to include exceptions for emergencies, for educational purposes and cases involving student health care, individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans (learning environment accommodations). Even prior to the recent state law, according to a Wisconsin Policy Forum report, most Wisconsin school districts already restricted student cellphone use, though policies and enforcement varied widely across the state. However, Brill said the state should go further. Advertisement Advertisement School districts are right now considering adopting these policies independently and theres a groundswell of parents calling for it, Brill said. Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay), who led the first cellphone ban law, noted that he got a lot of pushback when he first proposed the idea because it was a fairly new concept. He said he would have liked to pass a bell-to-bell ban to begin with, but he didnt think there was the political support necessary. Since that time, though, this issue has exploded across the country and Wisconsin is now on the weaker end of it, Kitchens said, adding that New York, a Democratic-led state, and Louisiana, a Republican-led state, have the strictest bans in the country. AB 948 would also explicitly allow school districts to use pouches or other storage devices for cellphones or ban having cellphones on school premises. Advertisement Advertisement Democratic lawmakers on the education committee questioned the approach as a one-size-fits-all solution to the issue of cellphones, as well as the exclusion of the states private choice and independent charter schools, which receive taxpayers dollars, from the requirement. Why the one-size-fits-all nature of this? Rep. Christian Phelps (D-Eau Claire) asked. He noted that there may be students who have a part-time job and need to stay in-touch with their employers during the school day and asked whether lawmakers would be open to allowing exceptions for phones during lunch if a school chooses. We did it for 200 years without cellphones before and I think we can do it again, Kitchens said. The more you understand the issue the more clear it becomes. You have to have a strict policy. Rep. Joe Sheehan (D-Sheboygan) said that the superintendent of the school district in the area he represents in the Assembly did not want the broader ban on cellphones. He also asked about the exclusion of the states voucher schools. He said if the schools dont want to follow the regulations placed on schools getting taxpayer funding then dont take the money. Advertisement Advertisement Brill said that parents are sending their children to voucher schools so they can get the education that fits their children best and that she doesnt want there to be punitive damages on private schools because theyre getting tax dollars when, in reality, its that child whos getting the education. Kitchens said a bill that only includes public schools is all they can get done politically right now. No one else testified on the bill. Regulations on content, social media access The Assembly Children and Families committee took up a set of bills that would regulate social media companies and platforms. AB 961 would require distributors of media, including print publications and digital platforms, to use prominent explicit content warning labels. Advertisement Advertisement Rep. Joy Goeben (R-Hobart) said the bill would establish a common-sense framework ensuring that material intended strictly for adults is clearly identified before it is accessed. The bill defines explicit content as material intended for an adult audience that lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value and that depicts or describes sexual conduct in a patently offensive way. Under the bill, the warning label would need to be on the front cover or first page or on the packaging for print publications and for digital platforms, the label would need to appear for at least 10 seconds or until a user acknowledges the warning. The warning label would need to be similar to: WARNING: This material contains explicit content that may be harmful or offensive. Viewer discretion is advised. Not intended for minors. Advertisement Advertisement Ultimately, this bill is about consumer transparency, helps protect minors by ensuring explicit material clearly is labeled and responsibly presented, Goeben said. Rep. Jill Billings (D-La Crosse) asked Goeben whether she would be open to an amendment to remove printed materials from the bill, citing concerns from book sellers. If this got this signed, you betcha I would, but realistically most things that are sold, arent they sold, like, in a wrapper? Goeben asked, adding that she didnt think it would be fair to social media or internet stakeholders to exclude printed materials. I think we really need to think about applying equally to all the people who create disturbing content, Goeben said. Advertisement Advertisement Maybe take print media out of it because again this isnt like the emerging technology where parents are struggling with trying to address what their kids are seeing and how theyre putting parental controls on it. Print media is a bit of a different animal, Billings said. AB 962 would require app developers and app stores to verify the age of users and, if they identified a minors account, to get parental consent before child users are able to download or purchase apps or make in-store purchases. Accounts belonging to a minor would have to be affiliated with an account owned by a parent. Goeben said the bill would give parents tools they have been asking for. Parents should never discover after the fact that an app that their child has used daily has become more invasive or more dangerous, Goeben said. This proposal is narrowly and carefully tailored it does not ban apps or censor content or interfere with innovation What it does do is establish clear and uniform rules so families are no longer forced to navigate a confusing patchwork of opaque policies written by corporations. Advertisement Advertisement The bill would also prohibit apps and app stores from enforcing a contract or terms of service against a minor unless there is parental consent. And it bars knowingly misrepresenting any information in a parental consent disclosure and sharing or disclosing any personal information collected when conducting age verification. The bill includes a provision to allow a minor or parent of a minor harmed by a violation to bring civil action against an app store provider or developer. They could be awarded actual damages or $1,000 for each violation, whichever amount is greater, and punitive damages if the violation was egregious, as well as court costs and reasonable attorney fees. AB 963 would impose a number of requirements related to underage users on social media platforms that bring in more than $1 billion in revenue per year. Social media platforms would need to estimate the age of users and whether they are minors. The requirements include setting the default privacy settings at the most private; not allowing for addictive features including infinite scrolling, a profile-based feed, push notifications, autoplay and displaying likes; and preventing profile-based, paid commercial advertising in a minors feed. Platforms would also need to terminate an account if they have reason to believe the user is a minor without parental consent. If a parent requests the termination of a childs account, it must be done within 14 days, and the means to terminate an account must be clear, simple, and easy to locate. The bill includes a provision to allow a private civil action by a parent or child aggrieved by a negligent, reckless or knowing violation for declaratory or injunctive relief and damages. If the violation was reckless or knowing, the parent or minor would be entitled to $10,000 or actual damages per violation. Brittney and Luke Bird, the parents of Bradyn Bohn, the 15-year-old who killed himself after falling victim to sextortion, testified in favor of the bill. They have become prominent advocates for online safety and child protection in the wake of the death of their son. Luke Bird told lawmakers on the committee that the bills are meaningful steps towards preventing further tragedies. Over the last 11 months, weve learned firsthand how inadequate current safeguards are when it comes to internet use. The dangers are real, theyre immediate, and theyre widespread and growing, he said. Theres an active case against Meta involving sextortion scams. Snapchat is facing cases tied to drug distribution. TikTok has been tied to dangerous online challenges. As parents and as citizens were expected to trust that our children can safely navigate these digital spaces. We believe safeguards, accountability and stronger protections must be put in place. That begins with you, in here. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX An 40-year-old Ector County jail inmate awaiting trial in a drug case was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder in the drug-related death of a 22-year-old man. According to the Odessa Police Department, the deceased man was found on Jan. 9 in the 5000 block of Kingston and after looking through his cell phone detectives learned hed purchased fentanyl in the past from Nicole Marie Jones. Jones had been indicted in August 2025 on a manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance charge was out on $50,000 bail at the time of the death, court documents indicate. Advertisement Advertisement When an autopsy revealed the young man had died from a fentanyl overdose, a murder warrant was issued for Jones and it was served Wednesday in the Ector County jail, OPD officials said. Court documents show Jones was in the jail because her bail had been revoked Jan. 30 in the earlier drug case. Prosecutors got it revoked after alleging that while out on bail Jan. 29 she manufactured/delivered fentanyl and methamphetamine and tampered with evidence and/or she possessed fentanyl, meth or THC. Shes now being held without bond in the earlier drug case and her bail has been set at $250,000 in the murder case. The post Woman awaiting trial facing murder charge in fentanyl death appeared first on Odessa American. NEED TO KNOW Karren Bassett's mother, Ann Green, was found dead at a residence in Wales on Sept. 27, 2025 Bassett revealed in a BBC interview on Friday, Feb. 6, that she first learned of her mom's death from a post on Facebook "It was awful and I then had to pass the news on to other family members myself," she said, referring to how the handling of her mother's death spiraled as a result of the social media post A woman in England is reliving the moment she found out her mother had been killed via a post on Facebook. Karen Bassett, from the town of Chepstow in the county of Monmouthshire in the south east of Wales, has revealed she found out her mom, Ann Green, had died after being sent an article by a friend that had been published on social media, per the BBC. Advertisement Advertisement West Mercia Police previously confirmed that Green had been found deceased on Sept. 27, 2025, at an address on Apple Tree Close in the Herefordshire town of Bromyard, according to a news release. Police added that a 54-year-old man had been charged with murder. The man charged is Green's partner, Julian Thomas, who is set to appear at Worcester Crown Court on Feb. 27, the BBC reported. U.K. police car (stock image) Getty Bassett told the outlet of finding out about her mom's death, "I received a message on 27 September from a friend who said 'I'm pretty sure this is where your mom told me she lives,' " adding, "She'd sent me an article from a certain place that had published it on social media." "I read this article and the ages matched up so I commented that this was where my mom lives because it was a tiny cul-de-sac, literally everyone knows everyone," Bassett continued. Advertisement Advertisement "People were also writing 'RIP Ann' on the post and that's when I [realized] it was my mom," she told the BBC. "So I phoned my local police because I'm actually in South Wales and said I was pretty sure this was my mom that's been killed and they said they'd do some inquiries." Having been told she'd be getting a visit from somebody from West Mercia Police in 40 minutes, Bassett said she "knew straight away" that it was her mom. The mother of three told the BBC, "It was heartbreaking. I felt angry, I felt emotional, I felt like I had been let down. I shouldn't have found out that way," adding, "It was awful and I then had to pass the news on to other family members myself and I even had some family members asking me if it was Mom. It was just awful." A West Mercia Police spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, We continue to extend our condolences [to] Ms Greens family and loved ones during this extremely upsetting and difficult time." Advertisement Advertisement The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) continues to carry out an independent investigation into our contact with Ms Green prior to her death, as well as steps taken by the force to notify her family of her death," they continued. The statement concluded, It would be inappropriate to comment while that investigation is on-going, but we will as soon as we are able to. Bassett told the BBC that she'd received an apology from West Mercia Police, but said, "I don't think it will ever be good enough." "No-one should ever have to find out their loved ones have been taken through social media," she added to the outlet. Advertisement Advertisement An IOPC spokesperson said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Following the assessment of a referral from West Mercia Police we are investigating police contact with Anne Marie Green and her partner, Julian Thomas, prior to the death of Ms Green on 27 September 2025." We are examining the police response to several incidents which were recorded by the force, with Mr Thomas as the suspect and Ms Green as the victim, from February 2024 to September 2025," they added. Our investigation is considering the actions and decisions taken by West Mercia Police in relation to the appropriateness of risk assessments and safeguards put in place for Ms Green and if any actions or measures designed to safeguard Ms Green, were adhered to," the spokesperson continued. They concluded, We are also looking at the timeliness and steps taken by the force to notify Ms Greens family of her death." 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. Green's family previously said in a tribute released by West Mercia Police on Oct. 2, We are mourning the loss of a wonderful mom, stepmom, wife, sister, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother." Advertisement Advertisement Our mom was one of a kind. Always took in everybody as one of her own," they added. "She was kind, caring and as a family we are all lost without her." Losing her has left a great hole in our lives that can never be filled," the family continued. We will now concentrate on grieving as a family and getting her the justice she deserves." PEOPLE has reached out to Karen Bassett for further comment. Read the original article on People NEED TO KNOW Loretta Carr was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years for murder and kidnapping in the death of 37-year-old Mary Beth Isbell Carr's daughter Jessie Kelly pleaded guilty in August and was sentenced to 40 years in prison Isbell was allegedly pushed off a cliff in a Alabama national park An Alabama woman was sentenced to life in prison for her role in the death of a woman who was kidnapped and pushed off a cliff. Loretta Carr was also sentenced to 20 additional years for kidnapping in connection with the 2021 death of 37-year-old Mary Beth Isbell, the District Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit announced on Friday, Feb. 6. Advertisement Advertisement Carr pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping and murder on Thursday, Feb. 5, AL.com reported, citing court records. Carrs daughter Jessie Kelly pleaded guilty to murder in August 2025 and was sentenced to 40 years in prison, per WAFF. According to prosecutors, Carr and Kelly went to Isbells home to confront her because of a relationship she had with Carrs significant other on Oct. 18, 2021. The two allegedly attacked Isbell, took her against her will and dragged her inside a vehicle, prosecutors said, citing statements and forensic evidence discovered at Isbells residence. Later that night, they drove to Wolf Creek Overlook at Little River Canyon in Fort Payne where Carr tied herself with a rope to the barrier at the overlook, forced Isbell to climb over the barrier, and then forced her off the side of the canyon, per a Ninth Judicial Circuit press release. Loretta Carr; Jessie Kelly DeKalb County Sheriff's Office; Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Isbells body was discovered two years later in the canyon beneath the overlook. 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. Isbell was reported missing in December 2021, per ABC31. This is an example of a senseless act destroying a family, prosecutor Summer Summerford said in the press release. A mother is left without a daughter, sisters are left without their sibling, and a son is left without his mother." Advertisement Advertisement "This family has been through so much, but they have walked with us and law enforcement throughout this process and have been so responsive and helpful. Please continue to pray for this family as they continue to figure out how to go through life without their loved one. Isbell owned her own remodeling business and was the mother of a teen boy, her family said, according to ABC31. Read the original article on People CLEAR FORK, WV (WVNS) Residents in Wyoming County have expressed concern about the local water supply after a ten thousand-gallon chemical spill. WVDEP continues to monitor mineral oil release in Wyoming County Cleanup efforts were initiated after 10,000 gallons of an oil-water mixture entered the Clear Fork water system. The spill came from and Appalachian Power Transformer, according to the state environmental protection department. Locals have stated they are worried about the potential impact of the situation on residents and wildlife throughout the area. Hows it going to affect our fish, our whole ecosystem actually; our wildlife that goes down and drinks it. People fish in those lakes, in those streams; they swim, Wyoming County resident, Felicia Kennedy told 59News. Its just a bad deal all around for us who already has a strained water supply. Advertisement Advertisement West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection responds to transformer oil spill in Wyoming County Residents said they are concerned the substance has not been fully contained. They believe it could make its way into neighboring water systems. Representatives with the WVDEP confirmed partial amounts of the oil went uncontained. Though they insisted the majority was retrieved by clean-up crew members early in the process. Some material entered Clear Fork before all containment measures were in place, said WVDEP Chief Communications Officer, Terry Fletcher. No impacts to aquatic life or downstream water intakes have been observed or are anticipated. WVDEP reps said the Appalachian Power company will be legally responsible for addressing any contamination of state waters. This was outlined under the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act. Staff members have continued to document developments in the situation as clean-up efforts continue. 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 WVNS. Mohammeds view The third edition of Web Summit Qatar this week was about scale. Some 1,500 startups took part alongside more than 30,000 people, including nearly 1,000 investors a reflection of Dohas aim to build a tech and venture capital ecosystem. More than a third of founders were women, a signal of inclusion in an industry where capital still overwhelmingly flows to men. But the hottest ticket wasnt for the masses. It was the Government Communications Office and Qatar Investment Authoritys private convening of more than 40 investors, including sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and asset managers from Asia, Europe, the US, and the Gulf representing some $3 trillion in assets for an invite-only gathering with around 45 of the worlds most promising AI companies. QIA CEO Mohammed Al-Sowaidi opened the event stating that the Gulf is now a hub for AI, and Qatars prime minister also dropped by. The off-the-record meeting, which I briefly attended, got technical on code, cooling, and tokens. I can confirm that Elon Musk wasnt there, but his presence was felt. During panel discussions, many of the guests discussed their exposure to SpaceX and the xAI merger, and were uniformly looking ahead to the companys IPO. Musks plan to launch data centers into space and build a Kardashev II-level civilization sparked serious debate. Some saw merit in placing compute in colder, energy-abundant orbits, potentially ending the current energy race to power AI infrastructure on Earth. One message I heard repeatedly was how Gulf sovereign wealth funds are viewed differently by Silicon Valley than in previous years: The region is no longer seen as a passive pool of capital. Its funds have built in-house expertise, make quick decisions, and offer patient capital giving them access to allocations in coveted startups that, until recently, would have come through external managers. Notable This story was originally published by ProPublica. For the first time since Texas criminalized abortion, the states medical regulator is instructing doctors on when they can legally terminate a pregnancy to protect the life of the patient guidance physicians have long sought as women died and doctors feared imprisonment for intervening. The new training from the Texas Medical Board comes nearly five years after the state passed its strict abortion ban in 2021, threatening doctors with severe penalties. ProPublicas reporting has shown that pregnancy became far more dangerous in the state after the law took effect: Sepsis rates spiked for women suffering a pregnancy loss, as did emergency room visits in which miscarrying patients needed a blood transfusion; at least four women in the state died after they didnt receive timely reproductive care. More than a hundred OB-GYNs said the states abortion ban was to blame. Advertisement Advertisement In response, the Texas Legislature passed the Life of the Mother Act last year. The law updated the abortion bans medical exceptions, added to the legal burden needed for prosecutors to criminally charge a doctor and required the medical board to create guidance for doctors by Jan. 1, something no other state with an abortion ban has done. The new medical training, which ProPublica obtained under a public records request, assures doctors they can now legally provide abortions, even when a patients life isnt imminently in danger, and goes over nine example scenarios, including a patients water breaking before term and complications from an incomplete abortion. Some of the scenarios make clear how doctors can intervene in circumstances similar to cases ProPublica has investigated. For example, in 2021, Josseli Barnica was diagnosed with an inevitable miscarriage, leaving her at high risk of dangerous infection, and she died after doctors would not empty her uterus while there was still a fetal heartbeat. The new training includes an example that indicates an abortion would be legal in similar cases. But medical and legal experts who reviewed the training for ProPublica said the case studies represent only the most straightforward situations doctors encounter. The complications that women face in pregnancy are varied, complex and impossible to capture in a brief presentation, many cautioned. One attorney called the training the bare minimum. Advertisement Advertisement I could probably list 100 different situations that would cause people to pause and say, Wow, does that fit into the law? said Dr. Tony Ogburn, an OB-GYN practicing in Texas. Theyre taking years and years of medical training and experience on how to manage these cases and summarizing it in 43 slides. Notably absent from the training is guidance on how doctors should care for patients with chronic conditions, a gray area that has come up again and again in ProPublicas reporting. Last year, ProPublica investigated the death of Tierra Walker, a San Antonio woman with diabetes and high blood pressure who endured repeated hospitalizations and escalating symptoms before she died. Doctors dismissed her requests for an abortion to protect her health, her family said. Doctors and hospitals involved in Walkers care did not respond to ProPublicas requests for comment. And no amount of training can solve what many doctors see as the main problem: the laws steep criminal penalties. If found guilty of performing an illegal abortion, doctors face up to 99 years in prison, $100,000 in fines and the loss of their medical license. Even the possibility of a lengthy and public court battle can be a powerful deterrent, many physicians told ProPublica. The Texas Medical Board writes in its training that the legal risk of prosecution is extremely low if doctors practice evidence-based medicine, follow standard emergency protocols and document cases appropriately. The training also emphasizes multiple times that the burden now falls on the state to prove that no reasonable doctor would have performed the abortion. Before the Life of the Mother Act, prosecutors could accuse a physician of performing an illegal abortion with little evidence. Advertisement Advertisement That assurance rings hollow to some doctors, who point to the actions of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton since the states abortion ban took effect. Dr. Damla Karsan, an OB-GYN based in Houston, said she appreciates that the training tells physicians they can use their expertise to make judgment calls during emergency situations. But having to defend your decision is still scary, Karsan said. In 2023, Paxton overruled Karsans medical judgement when her patient Kate Cox sought an abortion at 20 weeks after learning the fetus had a fatal genetic anomaly. Texas bans abortions for all fetal anomalies unless the pregnant woman is facing a medical emergency. Karsan argued that Cox qualified: She had previously had two C-sections, increasing her risk of hemorrhage, infection and future infertility. A Texas lower court permitted the abortion, but Paxton appealed the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court, which ultimately overturned the decision, arguing Karsan hadnt done enough to prove Coxs life was at risk. Paxtons office did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the Cox case and the medical boards assertion that the risk of legal action for doctors who follow its guidance is extremely low. Advertisement Advertisement Texas Medical Board President Dr. Sherif Zaafran told ProPublica that the training was reviewed by Paxton, as well as Gov. Greg Abbott and state Sen. Bryan Hughes, the abortion bans author. The board, which has 19 members appointed by the governor, including 12 licensed physicians but no OB-GYNs, also consulted with the Texas Hospital Association and the Texas Medical Association. Any doctors who practice obstetric care, including all emergency room and urgent care physicians, will need to complete the self-administered online course before 2027 in order to obtain or renew their license. Multiple doctors told ProPublica decisions about abortion care are also shaped by hospital lawyers. The Life of the Mother Act required the State Bar of Texas to create its own training for attorneys, which ProPublica reviewed. That presentation also explains that prosecutors looking to file a criminal charge now need to demonstrate that no other doctor would provide an abortion if faced with the same scenario. Blake Rocap, a longtime reproductive rights attorney, said the state guidance should give doctors and hospitals more protections to help patients access care. It will save lives, he said. Advertisement Advertisement After Texas six-week abortion ban took effect in 2021, doctors, hospitals and reproductive rights advocates repeatedly urged the Texas Medical Board to provide guidance on how medical professionals could comply with it. In particular, they sought clarity around the laws vague exception for a life-threatening emergency. For years, the board declined, saying it lacked the authority. In the absence of guidance, confusion reigned across the state. The standard of care for miscarrying patients in the second trimester, for example, is to offer to empty the uterus, which can lower the risk of infection and sepsis, according to leading medical organizations. While some Texas doctors told ProPublica last year they regularly offer to empty the uterus in these cases, others said their hospitals didnt allow them to do so until the fetal heartbeat stopped or they could document a life-threatening complication, leading to delays in care like the one that Barnica experienced. Across the state, cases of sepsis in second-trimester pregnancy losses shot up more than 50% after the ban took effect, according to a data analysis by ProPublica. In 2024, the board released limited guidance stating that providers dont need to wait until a pregnant woman is on the brink of death to intervene. The new training goes further, offering detailed examples of when abortion would be legal. Advertisement Advertisement One case study addresses patients who get an abortion out of state but retain tissue in the uterus. Because the pregnancy was already ended, the medical board advises, ongoing treatment of any retained products is not an abortion and is not considered aiding and abetting an abortion. ProPublica investigated the death of a woman in Georgia, Amber Thurman, who died of sepsis when doctors there delayed emptying her uterus after an incomplete abortion. The training also makes clear that the definition of ectopic pregnancies which are always life-threatening includes any that implant in an abnormal location outside of the uterine cavity. Previous laws had defined an ectopic pregnancy as one outside of the uterus. While most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes, some can also implant inside the uterus, such as in the scar tissue from a previous pregnancy. Still, the training doesnt address a key issue in miscarriage management that ProPublicas reporting has highlighted: Early pregnancy loss often cant be conclusively diagnosed with a single ultrasound. Confirming that a pregnancy has ended can take days or weeks. In those cases, some doctors have left women bleeding and in pain instead of offering a D&C, a procedure that can prevent hemorrhage. Another Texas woman named Porsha Ngumezi bled to death in 2023 while miscarrying, according to the medical examiner, after her doctor did not provide a D&C. The training also offers no instruction on how to care for patients whose pregnancies are high risk because of underlying medical conditions like autoimmune disorders, uncontrolled blood pressure or heart disease. Pregnancy can often exacerbate these chronic conditions, sometimes leading to a small risk of death, but doctors may not consider this life-threatening. Advertisement Advertisement Walker, the San Antonio woman ProPublica reported on last year, had uncontrolled blood pressure and developed seizures and blood clots. More than 90 doctors were involved in Walkers care, but not one offered her the option to end her pregnancy, according to medical records. Doctors who reviewed the new training for ProPublica said they still werent clear when they could intervene in cases like hers would it be when a woman first got pregnant because she already had some risk factors that made pregnancy more dangerous? Or would they have to wait until she developed specific symptoms that showed her health was declining? Zaafran said the training makes clear that doctors can judge whether a patient is at risk of death or irreversible damage and that they can intervene before the patient reaches that state. In other words, you dont need to wait until somebody has clots or seizures or whatever it might be to make a determination that something needs to be done. What doctors do need to do, Zaafran repeatedly said, is document those risks in case their patients qualify for an abortion. But Karsan argues she did that in the Cox case, and Paxton fought her in court anyway. While the medical boards training includes two case studies related to patients with fatal fetal anomalies, neither addresses whether the updated law allows an abortion in a scenario similar to Coxs. Karsan documented in the medical records that a third C-section would put Cox at risk of death or a hysterectomy if there was a complication, and that argument is what she shared with the courts. The training emphasizes that a fatal fetal anomaly alone is not covered by the exceptions and that the mother must have a life-threatening physical condition. Zaafran declined to comment on Coxs case specifically but said that his understanding was there was not enough documentation. Advertisement Advertisement Cox told ProPublica she trusted her medical teams judgment and she did not want to risk her health by continuing her pregnancy. Grieving the unexpected loss while being denied care and seeing her doctor threatened by the top lawyer in the state, Cox said, was incredibly scary. She ultimately traveled out of Texas to get an abortion. Im grateful for my doctors. Their hands were tied in many ways, she said. The problem isnt our doctors. Its that pregnancy is too complicated to legislate. Disclosure: State Bar of Texas, Texas Hospital Association and Texas Medical Association have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Yemens Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council has issued a decree to form a new government, with Shaya Mohsen al-Zindani confirmed as the countrys prime minister. Al-Zindani will also continue to serve as foreign minister, the state-run news agency Saba reported on Friday. Last month, the council accepted the resignation of former Prime Minister Salem bin Breik and asked al-Zindani to form a cabinet. Advertisement Advertisement The new 34-member cabinet includes 10 ministers from the previous government and three women, Saba reported. Marwan Faraj bin Ghanim was named as minister of finance, while Mohamed Abdullah Ali was confirmed as oil minister. Taher Ali al-Uqaili will serve as defence minister, according to the presidential decree. The governments formation follows months of consultations held in Riyadh, aimed at easing tensions between the Yemeni government and the main southern Yemeni separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which announced its dissolution on January 9. In December, the STC which Saudi Arabia says is backed by the UAE gained control of areas across southern and eastern Yemen, advancing to within reach of the Saudi border, which the kingdom considered a threat to its national security. Saudi-backed fighters have since largely retaken those areas. The two Gulf states have recently also faced friction over numerous other matters, ranging from geopolitics to oil output. Advertisement Advertisement Saudi Arabia and the UAE had previously worked together in a coalition battling the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemens civil war, which led to one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises. United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said last month that recent political and security developments particularly in the south underscored how quickly stability could unravel without a credible, inclusive political process. Speaking to the UN Security Council last month, Ramesh Rajasingham, director of the Humanitarian Sector for the UN aid coordination office, said Yemens crisis was worsening as needs rise, and humanitarian access has become more restricted amid funding shortfalls. More than 18 million Yemenis about half the population will face acute food insecurity in February, while tens of thousands could fall into catastrophic hunger, facing famine-like conditions, he warned. Humanitarian action saves lives, Rajasingham said, but when access is obstructed and funding falls away, those gains are quickly reversed. NEW YORK (AP) A New York City police officer was convicted Friday of second-degree manslaughter after he tossed a picnic cooler filled with drinks at a fleeing suspect, causing the man to fatally crash his motorized scooter. Judge Guy Mitchell handed down the guilty verdict Friday in Bronx criminal court in the case against Sgt. Erik Duran in the 2023 death of Eric Duprey. The fact that the defendant is a police officer has no bearing," the judge said before reading out his verdict in a brief hearing. "He's a person and will be treated as any other defendant. Advertisement Advertisement Members of Dupreys family sobbed as the decision was read out. Orlyanis Velez, Dupreys wife, said after that she was happy but also surprised. I was waiting for justice just like everybody, but when the moment happens, you cant believe its happening, she said outside of the courthouse. Its been a lot of time. These people been killing citizens, been killing everybody. They dont give no reason. Duran didnt appear to react when the decision was handed down and his lawyers didnt comment after. But the police sergeants union called the verdict a miscarriage of justice." Verdicts such as this send a terrible message to hard-working cops: should you use force to defend yourself, your fellow police officers or the citizens of the City, no matter how justified your actions, you risk criminal charges and conviction, Vincent Vallelong, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association said. Advertisement Advertisement Duran had been suspended with pay pending the trial, but the department confirmed Friday he was dismissed following his conviction, as state law mandates. Duran now faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced March 19. State Attorney General Letitia James, whose office prosecuted the case, offered her condolences to Dupreys family. Though it cannot return Eric to his loved ones, todays decision gives justice to his memory, she said in a statement. The 38-year-old Duran, who was the first New York Police Department officer in years to be tried for killing someone while on duty, also faced charges of criminally negligent homicide and assault. Advertisement Advertisement But Mitchell dismissed the assault count earlier, saying prosecutors failed to show he intended to hurt Duprey. He also didnt deliver a verdict on the criminally negligent homicide charge as hed already found Duran guilty of the more serious manslaughter charge. Duran had pleaded not guilty and opted for a bench trial, meaning the judge, not a jury, would render the verdict. Authorities say that on Aug. 23, 2023, Duprey sold drugs to an undercover officer in the Bronx and then fled. Duran, who had been part of a narcotics unit conducting the operation, is seen in security footage grabbing a nearby red cooler and quickly hurling it at Duprey in an attempt to stop him. Advertisement Advertisement The container full of ice, water and sodas struck Duprey, who lost control of the scooter, slammed into a tree and crashed onto the pavement before landing under a parked car. Prosecutors said the 30-year-old, who was not wearing a helmet, sustained fatal head injuries and died almost instantaneously. Duran, testifying in his own defense this week, said he only had seconds to react and was trying to protect other officers from Duprey as he sped toward them. He told the court he immediately tried to render aid after seeing the extent of Dupreys injuries. He was gonna crash into us, Duran said in court. I didnt have time. All I had time for was to try again to stop or to try to get him to change directions. Thats all I had the time to think of. Advertisement Advertisement But prosecutors maintained Duprey didnt pose a threat and that his death wasnt accidental but the result of Durans reckless, negligent and intentional actions. They suggested the officer had enough time to warn others to move, but instead tossed the cooler in anger and frustration. ___ Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo ALBANY, New York Key Democratic state lawmakers alarmed by the surge in demand for power by the tech industry want to pull the plug on new data centers in New York. New legislation in Albany would freeze state and local approvals for data centers for three years a sweeping moratorium that has not previously been reported. The pause would continue until new regulations are in place. The move would put New York on the front lines of a national reckoning over whether states can absorb the energy demands of the artificial intelligence boom without driving up electricity costs or destabilizing already strained power grids. Advertisement Advertisement "Massive data centers are gunning for New York, and right now we are completely unprepared, said Democratic state Sen. Liz Krueger, one of the bills sponsors and chair of the state Senates powerful Finance Committee. It's time to hit the pause button, give ourselves some breathing room to adopt strong policies on data centers, and avoid getting caught in a bubble that will burst and leave New York utility customers footing a huge bill. Politicians across the country are grappling with the thirst for power driven by AI. In neighboring Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has pivoted from being an outspoken advocate for attracting the industry to proposing new requirements to protect residents from higher energy costs. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has also floated restrictions and liberal firebrand Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has called for a national moratorium. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has backed requirements for data centers to bring their own power or pay more to ensure costs dont rise for residents. Shes also embraced the potential benefits of AI and funded a university-based AI research initiative that includes a new data center. Lawmakers in Albany have an appetite to tackle the data center issue this session but it remains to be seen if a moratorium can overcome almost certain opposition from labor unions, which are particularly influential with state assemblymembers. Advertisement Advertisement While the state hasnt seen a significant build-out of large-scale data centers like in Virginia or Texas, there are thousands of megawatts of these projects looking to hook up to New Yorks grid. That crush of requests has led to concerns about the reliability of the states electric grid in the coming years and sparked worries about spiking energy prices. The New York moratorium bill would halt new data centers over 20 megawatts for three years. It would require the state Department of Environmental Conservation to complete an environmental review and issue regulations to address any impacts identified. The states utility regulator would also have to issue regulations to prevent higher energy costs for residential ratepayers from new data centers. New York is the largest state where lawmakers have proposed a moratorium on data centers. But concerns about the growing issue are bipartisan, with Republicans and Democrats backing moratoriums in various states. Advertisement Advertisement Similar measures have been introduced in Maryland, Georgia, Oklahoma, Virginia and Vermont. A Republican legislator in Michigan where dozens of local governments have already passed moratoriums has said shell introduce a statewide measure there, as well. In Wisconsin, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate has also called for a moratorium. The New York measure has backing from Food and Water Watch, an environmental organization thats also spearheaded calls for a national moratorium. Environmentalists see data centers driving fossil fuel use and new gas plants across the country. It's an issue that legislators feel strongly about, and they feel strongly about it because they get that this is the hottest environmental thing there is at the moment, said Alex Beauchamp, Northeast director at the organization. Theres also major concern that the added demand from data centers could undermine New Yorks moribund efforts to decarbonize its electric grid. More power demand without added supply also likely means higher electricity prices for consumers. Advertisement Advertisement The projects bring few permanent jobs to offset these concerns. Other Democratic lawmakers in New York have also offered proposals to put tighter guardrails around data centers. In a session where everyone is talking about affordability, it's frankly, hard to think about something that would have a bigger impact on utility rates than addressing data centers, Beauchamp said. State Assemblymember Anna Kelles, a Democrat from the Ithaca area, is the lead sponsor of the bill in that chamber. Kelles has opposed a data center project in her district. This is the time to take a pause and set up strong regulations that ensure protections for New Yorkers from carrying the economic burden of the high energy demands of data centers and minimize environmental harms of water, noise, light, and air pollution, she said. Advertisement Advertisement Kelles also championed a moratorium on gas-powered cryptocurrency mining operations that Hochul signed in 2022. There are several parallels between that battle in Albany and the data center issue. Cryptocurrency mining was a relatively novel issue when that moratorium was passed. Labor unions whose members build data center projects are likely to oppose a moratorium, as they did on the cryptocurrency issue. These are really good projects for our members overall, said Daniel Ortega, head of community affairs for Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative (ELEC 825) and executive director of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy. Ortega said the group would oppose a moratorium and also objected to Hochuls proposal to have data centers pay more. Advertisement Advertisement Beauchamp likened the data center fight to a different environmental battle: the successful effort to ban fracking in New York more than a decade ago. Most things in politics, people have really, really solid views that have been developed for years or decades. Something like data centers isn't like that, because nobody thought about them five years ago, he said. I'm hopeful there's a similar political moment here where you can very quickly make positive change. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday described the performance of the air force in parts of the country as unsatisfactory," and said that steps are being taken to improve the response to large-scale Russian drone barrages of civilian areas. The repeated Russian aerial assaults have in recent months focused on Ukraines power grid, causing blackouts and disrupting the heating and water supply for families during a bitterly cold winter. With the war about to enter its fifth year later this month following Russias all-out invasion of its neighbor, there is no sign of a breakthrough in U.S.-led peace efforts following the latest talks this week. Further U.S.-brokered meetings between Russian and Ukrainian delegations are planned in the near future, likely in the United States, Zelenskyy said. Advertisement Advertisement Zelenskyy said Friday he had discussed with his defense minister and the air force commander what new air defense measures Ukraine needs to counter the Russian barrages. He didnt elaborate on what would be done. Russia fired 328 drones and seven missiles at Ukraine overnight and in the early morning, the air force said, claiming that air defenses shot down 297 drones. One person was killed and two others were injured in an overnight Russian attack using drones and powerful glide bombs on the central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the head of the regional military administration, Oleksandr Hanzha. A Russian aerial attack on the southern Zaporizhzhia region during early daylight hours injured eight people and damaged 18 apartment blocks, according to regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov. Advertisement Advertisement A dog shelter in the regional capital was also struck, killing 13 dogs, Zaporizhzhia City Council Secretary Rehina Kharchenko said. Some dogs were rushed to a veterinary clinic, but they could not be saved, she said. Seven other animals were injured and are receiving treatment. Amid icy conditions in Kyiv, more than 1,200 residential buildings in multiple districts of the capital have had no heating for days due to the Russian bombardment of the power grid, according to Zelenskyy. The U.K. defense ministry said Friday that Ukraines electricity network is experiencing its most acute crisis of the winter. Advertisement Advertisement Mykola Tromza, an 81-year-old pensioner in Kyiv, said he has had his power restored, but recently went without heating and water at home for a week. I touched my nose and by God, it was like an icicle, Tromza said. He said he ran up and down to keep warm. Russias Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 38 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 26 over the Bryansk region. Bryansk Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said the attack briefly cut power to several villages in the region. Another Ukrainian nighttime strike damaged power facilities in the Russian city of Belgorod, disrupting electricity distribution, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Advertisement Advertisement Local reports said that Ukrainian missiles hit a power plant and an electrical substation, cutting power to parts of the city. Fierce fighting has also continued on the front line despite the frigid temperatures. Ukraines Commander in Chief, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said the front line now measures about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) in length along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. The increasing technological improvements to drones on both sides mean that the so-called kill zone where troops are in greatest danger is now up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) deep, he told reporters on Thursday in comments embargoed until Friday. ___ Illia Novikov and Dan Bashakov in Kyiv, Ukraine contributed to this story. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Reach Donald W. Meyers at dmeyers@yakimaherald.com or 509-577-7748. He can also be reached securely at donaldwmeyers.93 on Signal or at donaldwmeyers@protonmail.com. An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 15, 2025 shows vessels loading and unloading containers at a container dock of Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) by Xinhuanet writer Lyu Hui BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Despite escalating global trade tensions and mounting domestic challenges in 2025, China's economy has pressed ahead under pressure and advanced toward new and higher-quality growth. The world's second-largest economy saw its gross domestic product (GDP) grow by 5 percent to reach a record of 140.19 trillion yuan (about 20.01 trillion U.S. dollars) last year, bringing the 14th Five-Year Plan (20212025) to a successful close and laying a solid foundation for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). In a world marked by growing turbulence and profound changes, China's resilience, innovation-driven vitality and commitment to openness have not only anchored its own development, but injected sustained certainty into a volatile global economy. Resilience: stabilizing anchor for the global economy Amid intertwined risks and challenges, the resilience of China's economy is underpinned by distinctive institutional strengths and inherent advantages, including a vast market, a comprehensive industrial base, and abundant talent resources. These strengths have enabled the country to emerge as an "oasis of certainty" in a turbulent global landscape. The long-term five-year planning, combined with proactive and effective macro policies and targeted fiscal and monetary measures, has helped China offset external shocks and stabilize its development. As the only country in the world with all industrial categories listed in the United Nations Industrial Classification, China offers a steady supply of high-quality, cost-effective products, playing an important role in safeguarding the stability of global industrial and supply chains. At the core of the resilience lies China's vast consumer market with over 1.4 billion people and a growing middle-income group. In 2025, total retail sales of consumer goods reached 50.12 trillion yuan (about 7.15 trillion U.S. dollars) and the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth stood at 52 percent. Consumption played a more pronounced "ballast" role as the country shifted toward making domestic demand the main engine and stabilizing anchor of economic growth, a move analysts describe as a buffer against rising external uncertainties. Expanding domestic demand has been identified as the top priority task for China's economic work in 2026, which promotes a better match between supply and demand. Beyond policy and market scale, the ingenuity and grit of the Chinese form the bedrock of the economy, as the country's advantage is evolving from a population dividend to a talent dividend. As China enters the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan, its development is focused on strengthening underlying stability and balance. Policymakers prioritize expansion of domestic demand, strategic investment in human capital, and fostering innovation to build intrinsic stability for high-quality development. Innovation-driven development: a new engine for future growth True resilience lies not only in the ability to absorb shocks, but also in the capacity to break new ground through innovation and improve quality through transformation. Shifting from the "world factory" to a tech innovation hub, China is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and moving from quantity-driven expansion to quality-led growth. Across the country, traditional industries are undergoing a technology-driven transformation to enhance productivity and open new paths for development. "New trio" products, including new energy vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products are moving China's manufacturing sector up the value chain while making it more intelligent and greener. Meanwhile, emerging sectors such as robotics, artificial intelligence and innovative pharmaceuticals are opening up new development frontiers. China's innovation capacity keeps rising. In 2025, the country entered the top 10 of the Global Innovation Index and achieved an R&D spending intensity of 2.8 percent, surpassing the average level of OECD countries. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will increase R&D investment, strengthen its innovation ecosystem, advance emerging and future industries, and deepen the integration of technology with industry to foster new quality productive forces. For multinational corporations, a presence in China is no longer about market access, but about tapping into its innovation capacity to strengthen global competitiveness. British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca's new global R&D center in Beijing reflects the shift. Commending China's transition from high-speed to high-quality development, Maroun Kairouz, managing director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said that China's structural reforms not only strengthen its own economic resilience but also create new global opportunities in clean energy, technology and trade for 2026 and beyond. High-standard opening up: turning certainty into shared opportunities China's resilience is not built on inward-looking development, but on openness and cooperation. At a time when unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, China has remained committed to high-standard opening up, translating domestic stability into shared opportunities for the world. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China contributed around 30 percent of global growth, reinforcing its position as a stabilizing force in the world economy. Its super-large market and growing consumption potential will continue to generate enormous import demand, creating broad opportunities for countries and regions worldwide. China has become the major trading partner of more than 160 countries and regions. In 2025, total goods imports reached a historic high of 18.48 trillion yuan (about 2.64 trillion U.S. dollars), cementing its status as the world's second-largest import market for 17 consecutive years. Concrete steps, including launching the island-wide independent customs operations at the Hainan Free Trade Port, shortening of the negative list for foreign investment access, eliminating foreign investment restrictions in manufacturing, establishing pilot free trade zones and expanding visa-free access, underscore China's commitment to opening up wider to the world. By expanding institutional opening up and aligning domestic rules and standards with high-level international economic and trade norms, China is fostering a more market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, encouraging multinational companies to deepen their presence in the country. This openness is reflected in growing foreign investment. PHINIA Inc., a global leader in fuel systems, has invested over 500 million U.S. dollars over the past decade in Yantai, Shandong Province. Other global companies, including Apple, Goldman Sachs and Pfizer, have also reiterated their commitments to the Chinese market, underscoring confidence in the country's long-term economic prospects. As Stephen Perry, president emeritus of Britain's 48 Group, has observed, China's approach to globalization focuses on building networks and expanding market access rather than erecting barriers. As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the underlying conditions and fundamental trends sustaining its long-term economic growth remain unchanged. Backed by a robust domestic market, constant industrial and technological upgrading, a deepening green transition and expanding high-level opening up, China stands well positioned to maintain stable development, as well as to serve as a stabilizing anchor and driving force for the global economy. As Dominic Toretto once said, Without family, you've got nothing." The central protagonist and patriarch of The Fast and the Furious franchise knows a thing or two about a family business. True, that business tended to involve illegal heists, street racing, and espionage, but it was all about family, nevertheless. The real-world stakes in family-owned businesses are no less dramatic they employ tens of millions, yet mismanaged leadership transitions can threaten trillions in value. Family-owned businesses power the U.S. economy: 32.4 million enterprises generate $7.7 trillion in GDP and employ 83.3 million people, according to the University of North Carolina. There are huge advantages to being a private, family-owned business, Ryan Young, president and CEO, Young Electric Sign Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, said in an interview with Family Business Magazine. One is the ability to make decisions and investments on a decade or multi-decade time horizon. But the key to being able to endure as a family business is stewardship. Personal motivation inspired just by one member or multiple members of the family trying to increase their wealth or their power is what kills family businesses, he added. Family-owned businesses power the U.S. economy.Image source: Shutterstock Image source: Shutterstock Succession is critical in family-owned businesses Young said that while the company is 105 years old, were proud of our entrepreneurial success. A lot of companies have a hard time reinventing themselves, but weve had a streak of successful ventures going back decades, he said. More economic analysis: Succession is a critical issue facing family-owned businesses, according to a 2023 PwC survey, which found that families may be loath to discuss succession planning when the business has been thriving for decades. The firm said that 75% of respondents have a shareholders agreement, while only 64% have a will one of the most foundational governance documents. Reticence can stem from CEOs reluctant to step down or a missing heir apparent. However, with 78% of respondents saying that protecting the business as the most important family asset is their top long-term goal for the next five years, and 72% saying they want to ensure the business stays in the family, succession planning needs to be a priority. In 2021, only 34% said they had a robust, documented, and communicated succession plan in place, PwC said. Mismanaged succession at family-owned businesses has far-reaching implications given that these businesses generate more than 70% of global GDP and employ approximately 60% of the worldwide workforce, the consulting firm McKinsey said in a February 3 report. Listen and subscribe to Opening Bid Unfiltered on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Reflecting on decades of work to make the world a better place. That is where yours truly finds World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Dr. Klaus Schwab, 84, who just published a new book titled "Restoring Truth and Trust." "When I look at the world at the moment, our whole context political, economic, social, technological is in transformation ... And here we see at the same time an erosion of truth and of trust. So, I'm very concerned that if we do not restore truth and trust, if we are not capable to restore truth and trust in our society, we will lose control over the [transformative] processes," Schwab told me in a new episode of Yahoo Finance's Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast (video above; listen below). This embedded content is not available in your region. He emphasized that the World Economic Forum, which Schwab founded in 1971, was created to foster dialogue between business, government, and civil society, arguing that complex global challenges cannot be solved by any single sector alone. Schwab said this principle of multi-stakeholder cooperation remains central to the WEF's mission today. Some top takeaways from the chat: Schwab on his legacy: "If I look, for example, at the different facets of the World Economic Forum, I'm most proud maybe of two things. The first one is that the forum has served, on many occasions, as a decisive factor to create better relations, once even to prevent the war, and so on. But the other thing I'm particularly proud of is the social entrepreneurs we as a community have created. We can demonstrate a positive impact on the lives of over 800 million people." Schwab on President Trump's 2026 Davos speech: "I think to a certain extent Davos is always a reflection of what's happening. Many people say they come at the beginning of the year to Davos to feel the pulse of the year. This year, Davos had the opportunity to welcome President Trump and his key Cabinet members and a very strong American business community. I think that it's a reflection of what's happening in the world, with preeminence of, let's say, the US determining the news." Schwab on the future of Europe and the US relationship: "I think, in the end, a partnership needs two equals. A partnership is stable if you have two partners of equal weight. You can argue Europe more or less has the same economic weight as the US." Schwab on if the annual meeting should leave Davos: "My hope is that we stay in this village ... The soul of the meeting is that it is really a place where not only business and politicians meet, but where all key stakeholders [meet]. I come back to the notion of stakeholders. We're all key stakeholders, and it's such a reason why I made particular efforts to integrate young voices, to integrate NGOs. So you have the whole diversity of global societies." We came across a bullish thesis on World Kinect Corporation on Value Degens Substack by Unemployed Value Degen. In this article, we will summarize the bulls thesis on WKC. World Kinect Corporation's share was trading at $26.95 as of February 3rd. WKCs trailing P/E was 90.42 according to Yahoo Finance. Baker Hughes (BKR) Rallies 11.6% on 5th Day on Impressive Earnings Photo by Robin Sommer on Unsplash World Kinect Corp (WKC) is an energy distribution company generating over $37 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue but trading at a market capitalization of just $1.47 billion, reflecting a price-to-sales ratio of 0.04x versus a sub-industry average of 0.55x. The company focuses on marketing, trading, logistics, transportation, and financing of energy commodities across land, sea, and air. Despite the seemingly depressed valuation, WKC is not at risk of bankruptcy. Its trailing twelve-month income statement includes $470 million in non-cash goodwill and asset impairments, but operationally, the company has been net income positive over the last three quarters and generates approximately $250 million in annual operating cash flow. After accounting for $110 million in annual interest expense, the company maintains a comfortable coverage ratio, and its debt maturities are manageable, extending to 2028 and 2030, with low default risk. WKC has made significant progress in its turnaround strategy by divesting non-profitable land divisions in the UK and Brazil, and management has continued to repurchase shares aggressively, reducing the float by roughly 15% over the past few years. The recent CEO succession to Ira Birns appears smooth, mitigating operational disruption risk. The companys profitability is sensitive to energy price volatility, volumes, and prices, all of which are poised to improve as global energy markets face heightened cyclical demand and geopolitical uncertainty. WKC is also positioned to benefit from broader energy sector reratings and potential AI-driven efficiencies, which could meaningfully boost net margins. Combining its ongoing turnaround, aggressive buybacks, cyclical recovery, sector rerating, and optional AI upside, WKC could realistically double in value over the next few years and potentially multiply up to tenfold, making it a rare, high-conviction opportunity in the energy space. The current stock price of $26 presents an attractive entry point with substantial upside and limited downside risk. Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Delek US Holdings, Inc. (DK) by Matt Lindsay in May 2025, which highlighted undervalued refining assets, SOTP value from Delek Logistics (DKL), cost reductions, and shareholder returns. DKs stock has appreciated by approximately 72.25% since our coverage. Unemployed Value Degen shares a similar perspective but emphasizes WKCs energy distribution scale, turnaround progress, and potential AI-driven efficiency gains. The present day launch of the world first AI-based, contactless remote patient monitoring system at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) by Lords Mark Industries Ltd is also a historic milestone in changing the Indian populace healthcare infrastructure. The very better system is carried out in an ICU step-down ward which is located in the new complex of medical college. The facility that was launched by the Honble Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma was a landmark in the history of healthcare in Assam and the first state in India to introduce AI-based clinical care. According to the project, it suggests that the Honble Chief Minister leads the active life and makes a decisive and calculated step to approach the level of the world standard of the public healthcare facilities in Assam. By positioning its population to be diagnosed more accurately, get faster clinical care and standards of care that go beyond what the global market can offer, the state is getting its citizens to the forefront of the future thanks to its assistance in the use of state-of-the-art AI-powered clinical technologies and Lords Marks Industries Ltd. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source This implementation will turn Assam into the first AI-driven hospital model mentioned in India implemented in the preexisting system of healthcare by literally using continuous, non-invasive monitoring of patients to enable the identification of risks at the earliest stage, real-time clinical data, and more effective and precise medical decision-making. The system eliminates physical contacts and has 24/7 monitoring of critical parameters hence offering better patient security, infection control and clinical effectiveness and efficiency particularly in high-dependency care units. Development According to Dr. Sachidanand Upadhyay, the company of Lords Mark Industries Ltd at the position of the Managing Director and CEO when asked about the development, it was at the critical inflection point that technology must stop as pilot projects, to be installed as the central clinical infrastructure. The collaboration with the Government of Assam is the indicator of the reactive care model shift to the predictive, AI-directed healthcare provision. The very first introduction of the contactless and AI-based remote patient monitoring system in the world provides clinicians with timely access to real-time information and makes their diagnostic action more accurate, timely, and successful in assisting more patients achieve successful results. A national illustration of scalable future-oriented public healthcare is the adoption of such a model in Assam. The project itself is part of the larger objective of Assam to strengthen healthcare access and quality to strengthen digital infrastructure, which can be replicated in other states, central healthcare facilities, and hospital chains in India in general. As it is the case with Lords Mark Industries Ltd, the deployment will serve its strategic focus of creating globally-relevant, Made-in-India healthcare technologies that prosecute real-world clinical challenges, and works with governments and institutions to modernise the healthcare ecosystem of India. As India is quickly transitioning to technology-enabled government, the present level in Guwahati is a good predictor of what can be accomplished when both policy ambition, creation and implementation come together to create a new national standard of AI-driven healthcare transformation. Visit to know more: http://www.lordsmark.com/. Disclaimer: This article is from the Brand Desk. User discretion is advised. New Delhi: The Unified payments interface (UPI) is now live in over eight countries, including the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, Mauritius and Qatar, positioning India as a global leader in digital payments, the Parliament was informed on Friday. UPIs growing international adoption is boosting remittances, promoting financial inclusion, and strengthening India's position in the global fintech landscape. Moreover, the government has signed MoUs/agreements with 23 countries for sharing or cooperation on India Stack/Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), primarily for replication and adoption of Indias digital governance platforms, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, said in Rajya Sabha. These MoUs focus on cooperation in areas such as digital identity, digital payments, data exchange and service delivery platforms, aligned with Indias broader DPI diplomacy under the India Stack framework, the minister informed. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source MoUs have been signed with Cuba, Kenya, United Arab Emirates and Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR) for Digilocker. Apart from this, the government has taken measures to share the success of Indias Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) globally. India Stack Global showcases Indias DPI and facilitates its adoption by friendly countries. The portal provides access to 18 key digital platforms. The Global DPI Repository, launched during Indias G20 Presidency (2023), serves as a global knowledge platform, with India contributing the highest number of DPI solutions, said the minister. The key DPI and digital solutions are Aadhaar, UPI, CoWIN, API Setu, DigiLocker, Aarogya Setu, GeM, UMANG, DIKSHA, e-Sanjeevani and PM GatiShakti, among others. Meanwhile, the UPI saw 28 per cent transaction count growth (year-on-year) at 21.70 billion in the month of January along with registering 21 per cent annual growth in transaction amount at Rs 28.33 lakh crore, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) data showed recently. In a tragic incident, a 25-year-old motorcyclist, identified as Kamal Dhyani, died after falling into a deep pit dug for Delhi Jal Board (DJB) work on Joginder Singh Marg in Janakpuri, West Delhi. The accident occurred late Thursday night as he was returning home from his job in Rohini. The Delhi Police have registered an FIR and are investigating all those involved in the DJB work at the site. The body and motorcycle have been recovered. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) West, Sharad Bhaskar, said, "A pit was dug for some work of the Delhi Jal Board. Last night, 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani's bike fell into this pit, and he unfortunately died. We will investigate all stakeholders of this DJB work." Add Zee News as a Preferred Source #WATCH | DCP West, Sharad Bhaskar says, "A pit was dug for some work of the Delhi Jal Board. Last night, 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani's bike fell into this pit, and he unfortunately died. We will investigate all stakeholders of this DJB work. The deceased's brother came to Janakpuri https://t.co/pdXyhZZaLd pic.twitter.com/WZLrcR4k2P ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2026 #WATCH | Delhi | The deceased's friend says, "... I had talked to him last night when he had reached the District Centre. He was just 15 minutes from home... An hour later, when he didn't reach home, we came to the District Centre. He wasn't picking up our calls. His bike was https://t.co/pdXyhZZaLd pic.twitter.com/pvAyRGNR9t ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2026 The Delhi Jal Board expressed deep sorrow over the incident and extended condolences to the family. In a statement, the Board said that preliminary findings indicate the road under repair had barricades and green mesh at the site, including around the pit. It added that a committee has been formed to investigate the circumstances and adherence to safety norms, and assured that strict action would be taken against any official found negligent. "Preliminary investigation has revealed that the road where the work was underway had been closed using barricades and green mesh, and the pit located at the accident site had also been secured with green mesh. To conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances of the incident and compliance with prescribed public safety standards, a committee has been constituted, which will submit its report by this evening. If the investigation finds any negligence on the part of any Delhi Jal Board official or employee, strict action will be taken against them," the Delhi Jal Board said in a statement. The Delhi Jal Board stated that, following recent incidents like the Noida accident, it has been routinely inspecting barricades and other essential safety measures at all worksites. It has appealed to the public to report any unsafe worksites to the DJB's toll-free number 1916 so that immediate corrective action can be taken. Shocking !!! pic.twitter.com/4WJr1tLdiI Saurabh Bharadwaj (@Saurabh_MLAgk) February 6, 2026 Delhi Aam Aadmi Party President Saurabh Bharadwaj expressed shock over the incident, saying that a young motorcyclist fell into a deep pothole, remained trapped overnight, and tragically died. He criticized the Delhi BJP government, stating that it has learned nothing from the recent Noida accident. Delhi Aam Aadmi Party President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "Shocking! A young motorcyclist fell into a deep pothole in the road, remained trapped overnight, and died. The Delhi BJP government has learned nothing from the Noida incident. They just lie every day." This incident comes after a similar tragic incident in Noida, where a 27-year-old software engineer drowned in a water-filled pit just a week earlier.. India successfully test-fired the Agni-3 missile on Friday. The test took place at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha. The launch met all operational and technical parameters under the Strategic Forces Command. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the test's success from the Integrated Test Range. It proves the missile's reliability for strategic readiness. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source In an X post Ministry of Defence in an X post said, Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile #Agni3 was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, #Odisha on 06 Feb 2026. The launch validated all operational & technical parameters and was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command. Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile #Agni3 was successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, #Odisha on 06 Feb 2026. The launch validated all operational & technical parameters and was conducted under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command.@rajnathsingh Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) February 6, 2026 The Agni missile series strengthens India's strategic defence. It features Agni-1 with a 700 km range, Agni-2 at 2,000 km, Agni-3 at 3,000 km, Agni-4 reaching 4,000 km, and Agni-5 with a top range of 5,000 km. This lineup, proven by the recent Agni-3 test, boosts national deterrence across various distances. According to a report by India Today, Agni-1, with its 700 km range, can target from 220 km onward. This covers distances handled by Prithvi missiles, which strike between 150 km and 350 km. Enemies might panic if they spot a short-range ballistic missile launch, fearing an imminent strike and triggering nuclear retaliation. Though the Indian Army rejected the missile for its forces, it has drawn interest from friendly foreign countries now approaching India for exports. India pairs the Agni series with BrahMos cruise missiles to hit targets from 30 km to 5,000 km. BrahMos covers 30-300 km ranges precisely. Agni missiles handle everything beyond that distance. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has been entrusted with a key project which is essential for the Indian Air Force. The project is Tejas Mk1A and Tejas Mk2. The Indian Air Force had placed an order for 97 light combat aircraft but as of now, it has got 38, including six trainers. The delivery is likely to be completed by 2032, a delay that is proving threatening for the Air Force. The Indian Air Force has ordered 180 of these aircraft in two tranches, but deliveries have been delayed. The planes were likely to be delivered last year, but the Indian Air Force has insisted that HAL provide the aircraft in a fully operational configuration. Amid the reports of fresh delays, HAL has exuded confidence about the delivery timelines. HAL Chairman and Managing Director Dr. D.K. Sunil has said that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited plans to have 24 Tejas Mk1A fighters assembled by March 2026, while five aircraft are fully ready for delivery at present. Five of the Mk1A jets will be fitted with newly delivered GE F404 engines, while nine aircraft have already completed flight testing using Category-B reserved F404 powerplants. This approach has enabled HAL to continue test flights and systems integration in parallel with awaiting additional engine supplies. The remaining jets are reported to be in late-stage assembly, forming part of a wider push to steady and streamline the Tejas production line. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The HAL CMD has confirmed that while the manufacturing lines are meeting targets, the GE F-404 engine shortage continues to create a bottleneck. According to the HAL, while five GE engines are being fitted, the remaining 19, including 9 aircraft that are already built, are sitting at the facility and remain grounded while waiting for engine supplies. "An additional nine aircraft have already been built and flown. Upon receipt of engines from GE, these aircraft will be made ready for delivery. All design and development issues identified are being addressed in an expedited manner. HAL is in active discussions with the Indian Air Force to deliver the aircraft at the earliest. HAL has received five engines from GE as on date. The supply position from GE is positive, and the future delivery outlook aligns with HALs delivery plans," said HAL. HAL relies completely on the American GE for jet engines and thus, meeting a deadline without GE's support is not possible for them. This hurts the Indian Air Force's ambition and capabilities, and thus undermines India's supremacy over its skies. This is why Indian has largely been relying on Russia and France for its fighter jet needs. However, the biggest roadblock for the HAL's productivity appears to be their officials, the greedy government babus. According to Air Marshal Diptendu Chowdhury, PVSM, AVSM, VM, VSM, workers/engineers in the HAL were deliberately delaying production so they could secure year-end bonuses. This shows how government babus were allegedly sabotaging national security at the expense of bonuses. India has been pushing for a strong indigenous aerospace industry, and the prime minister even took a sortie in a single-engine LCA to show his support for the programme. With India now moving towards its Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, the questions have been on the HAL's role. According to reports, the HAL is likely to be out of the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. Reacting to the reports, the HAL said, "Various media reports regarding the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme have come to HALs attention. HAL has not received any official communication in this regard and, therefore, is not in a position to comment on these reports at this stage." While there is no doubt about HAL's capabilities or production infra, the inside ecosystem woven by the babus appears to have supported the national ambitions. So, if India goes the private way for the AMCA, HAL can blame itself for the losses. Though it still has time to put its house in order. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held the BJP government directly responsible for the tragic death of a young biker who fell into a pit dug on a road in Janakpuri. Drawing parallels with last months Noida incident, in which a software engineer died after falling into a drain, the AAP said the biker lay in the pit through the night and died after prolonged suffering. The party said that despite the family approaching multiple police stations across Delhi, no help was provided, and launched a sharp attack on the BJP over what it described as a complete failure of governance. Taking to X, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated: This was not an accident; it was a murder. The BJP has learned nothing even from the Noida incident. Gross negligence and an utterly irresponsible approach have now become the defining features of BJP governments, and it is the common people who are paying the price. May God grant strength to the family that lost its child due to the governments negligence. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters on Friday, Delhi state President Saurabh Bharadwaj said the Janakpuri incident must be viewed in the context of the recent Noida case. A few days ago, an engineer died a painful death in Noida due to the negligence of the administration and the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh government, he said. Drawing a parallel, the AAP Delhi Unit Chief pointed out that a similar incident had now occurred in Delhi, where a biker died after falling into a pit dug on a road in the Janakpuri assembly constituency of minister Ashish Sood. Calling the incident deeply distressing, he remarked, Both the ministers hoardings and road pits are famous in Ashish Soods constituency. Saurabh Bharadwaj further stated that on Friday night, a 25-year-old youth was found fallen beneath one of these hoardings. He added that the youth was employed at an HDFC Rohini call centre. The AAP Delhi State President said, The pit had existed for some time and the RWA had repeatedly demanded that it be barricaded. However, BJPs lying minister Ashish Sood arrived there on Friday morning only to make excuses. At such a moment, he should have said that an impartial inquiry would be conducted. Instead, he said he had already conducted an inquiry himself. Pointing to a clear conflict of interest, Saurabh Bharadwaj said Ashish Sood is the minister of the very department concerned. The administrative department of the Delhi Jal Board is Urban Development, and Ashish Sood is its minister. Later, he said that the chief engineer would form a committee to investigate, he said. He continued, But when the minister had already declared that everything was in order, it implied that the boy himself must have been mad to jump into the pit with his bike and die. The AAP Delhi Unit Chief said the government response mirrored the Noida case, where it was claimed that the victim was drunk and drove his car into a pit, allowing the administration to evade responsibility. Now, here too, attempts are being made to prove that the boy himself jumped into the pit with his bike, as if he removed all the barricades and decided to jump, he added. He said neighbours and the victims friends searched for him throughout the night. They stated that barricades and curtains were installed only after the police arrived in the morning. At night, there was nothing of the sort, with only one side covered and the other left open, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, calling it the height of shamelessness that Minister Ashish Sood visited the site, gave the department a clean chit in advance, and at the same time claimed that an inquiry would be conducted. Saurabh Bharadwaj said the allegations against Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and his department were even more serious. He noted, On Thursday, Delhi Police threatened action against those spreading what it termed rumours, but said the AAP is not afraid of such warnings. He added that Delhi Police, in a press release, had claimed it even registers false missing complaints, which is why the numbers appear high. However, Saurabh Bharadwaj highlighted that friends of the biker said 25-year-old Kamal left his Rohini call centre at 11:53 pm and reached Janakpuri, after which he called home to say he would reach within 15 minutes, indicating that his residence was nearby. When he did not arrive even after half an hour, the family became worried. His elderly father, brother, and friends went to police stations searching for him, but no complaint was registered. His friends said they visited six different police stations during the night, but no FIR was registered. They went to Rohini, Palam, Sagarpur, Mangolpuri, Dabri, and Janakpuri police stations, but were told the report would be registered later at 11:00 am, he added. Saurabh Bharadwaj said this reflects the shamelessness of a police force that was patting itself on the back on Thursday. He said the police argument that this happens every year is even more shameful. If so many minor girls go missing every year, it means the police were as incompetent last year as they are this year. Despite visiting six police stations, no report was registered. If a report was registered, the police should show it, because the victims family maintains that no report was filed, he continued. The senior AAP leader said that what the victims friends revealed was deeply worrying. According to them, around seven people, including the victims father, brother, and five friends, kept searching the Janakpuri district centre area after police told them that Kamals last known location was there. The police shared a location with them but deleted it immediately afterward. The police had the location because the victims phone was ringing. It is possible that he was still alive at that time. It is unlikely that someone would die instantly after falling into such a pit. He may have fallen, but his death likely occurred several hours later, he said. Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the seven family members searched the area and stated that at around 1:00 am they looked into the pit, but neither Kamal nor his bike was there at the time. This raises a serious question for Police Commissioner Satish Golcha: when the parents and friends were searching through the night, Kamal was not there, yet in the morning they were told he was found in the same pit, he noted. He questioned why CCTV footage has not surfaced so far. Referring to the Noida case, Saurabh Bharadwaj said that when a youth drowned there, the police retrieved CCTV footage from a restaurant to attempt to prove that he had been drinking alcohol. CCTV footage of a deceased person was found there, but no footage has been released yet, he said, stating that the police are withholding the footage to hide the fact that no barricades were in place. Saurabh Bharadwaj said the AAP demands that Union Home Minister Amit Shah ensure that CCTV footage from all PWD roads and traffic crossings, which are otherwise used to issue challans, be made public immediately. He questioned what the police are trying to hide, and asserted, The demand is that CCTV footage from the area be released immediately so the truth can come out. If this is not being done, it clearly indicates that something is being concealed. He also questioned BJP minister Ashish Sood, pointing out that the site in Janakpuri is located very close to his residence. He asked whether Ashish Sood or his family could not see such a large pit just 100 or 200 metres away. Saurabh Bharadwaj noted that as the Urban Development Minister, the Delhi Jal Board falls under Ashish Soods charge. He has put up hoardings everywhere, but failed to notice the pit, he said, adding that Ashish Sood must explain why he rushed to the site only to engage in damage control. Saurabh Bharadwaj further demanded that Delhi Police explain why a missing report was not registered despite the victims family visiting six police stations, even though Police Commissioner Satish Golcha had certified just a day earlier that Delhi Police registers all missing reports immediately. Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned, If that claim is true, why was the victims report not registered on Thursday itself? Why is there no CCTV footage and why was the location deleted? These are the questions the AAP has posed to the BJP government and the Delhi Police, and Saurabh Bharadwaj said they must be answered. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias arrived in India on Friday for an official visit, extended by invitation from his counterpart Rajnath Singh, set to continue until February 9. Dendias will hold bilateral talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to enhance defence cooperation and discuss regional security challenges. Greek Defence Minister Dendias will also join a discussion at the India-EU Forum during his visit, focusing on international developments and security issues. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Greek Defence Minister Dendias will also travel to Bengaluru to explore collaboration opportunities between Greece's and India's defence industry ecosystems. India-Greece ties and India-EU trade deal Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias' visit to India matches stronger India-EU ties after the mother of all deals, the Free Trade Agreement, was signed on January 27. This deal marks a top economic partnership between the world's second and fourth largest economies. The FTA covers a huge market worth over USD 24 trillion for two billion people. It gives India duty-free access for 99% of exports in textiles, spices, gems and more, while protecting key sectors. Trade already hit USD 136 billion last year, with big room to grow for businesses and jobs. Indias expanding Defence cooperation India and Greece have ramped up defence cooperation through joint exercises and high-level talks, this includes the first-ever Joint Services Staff Talks in New Delhi in January 2026, focusing on exchanges, training, and capability building. The maiden bilateral naval exercise in the Mediterranean in September 2025 and a Passing Exercise near Mumbai in 2025. The ongoing visit by Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias underscores industry ties, especially defence manufacturing in Bengaluru. India's expanding defence collaborations show a clear strategy to build new partnerships and grow exports. Recent examples include Armenia's interest in Astra missiles during CDS Anil Chauhan's early February 2026 visit, which builds on their October 2025 cooperation program for training, technology sharing, and joint exercises, alongside deals for Pinaka rockets and Akash systems. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias' ongoing visit to India after January 2026's first Joint Services Staff Talks in Delhi focused on exchanges and naval exercises like the 2025 PASSEX. Both efforts tie into India's wider defence outreach with the EU and US to address regional challenges and strengthen manufacturing links in Bengaluru. (with ANI inputs) A 25-year-old motorcyclist, Kamal Dhyani, allegedly died after falling into an open pit in Delhis Janakpuri area on Thursday night, while returning home. His family claims they were left searching in the dark for hours, moving between six police stations before learning of his death the following morning. According to Dhyanis brother, the family received no help despite repeated visits to police stations and only discovered the tragedy when an official answered his phone and informed them that his body had been recovered. When I last spoke to him, he said he would reach home in 10 minutes. When I called again at 12:30 am, he didnt pick up. We got worried and started looking for him. I first went to his office in Rohini, then to the Janakpuri police station, his brother said to ANI Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The police gave us his last known location, but we couldnt find him. This is gross carelessness. My brother was not reckless enough to deliberately crash into the pit. At 1:30 am, I checked the pit, but he wasnt there. We visited at least six police stations but received no assistance. In the morning, when I called his phone again, the police informed us that his body had been recovered. Had the police acted promptly, my brother might have been alive. Friends of the deceased echoed concerns over alleged police negligence. They said they were told to wait until 11 am to file a complaint, and although the police agreed to track the phone, the exact location was not shared. Seven people searched for Dhyani through the night but failed to locate him. I had spoken to him when he reached the District Centre. He was just 15 minutes from home. We waited, but he didnt arrive. An hour later, we came to the District Centre. He had been in accidents before, so we thought something might have happened. His bike was nowhere to be seen. At the police station, we were told our complaint could not be registered before 11 am. Upon request, the police shared a 200-metre radius to search, but despite searching from midnight to 7 am, we couldnt find him. At 1 am, we checked the pit, but he wasnt there, one friend said. Another friend questioned why the police could not trace Dhyanis phone during the night and alleged negligence in securing the pit. When we went back home at 7 am, the police called and informed us he was in the pit. Why was his phone not traced earlier? We suspect foul play. He was just 25 and worked at the HDFC Bank call centre in Rohini. Police have now deployed barricades around the pit. Why couldnt this have been done sooner? My friend could have been saved, the friend added. Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood expressed grief over the incident and said strict action would be taken if safety lapses were found. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) also expressed condolences and stated that a committee had been formed to probe the incident. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharad Bhaskar said the matter would be investigated if the family did not receive adequate assistance. A pit was dug for the Delhi Jal Board work. Last night, Kamal Dhyanis bike fell into this pit, and he unfortunately died. His brother came to the Janakpuri Police Station around 2:45 am, reporting that his brother had not returned home. The police tracked his phone, which indicated Janakpuri District Park. Head Constable Ramkesh searched for the deceased with family members for about two and a half hours but could not locate him, the DCP said. At 8 am, a woman informed the police that a body was lying in a 15-foot-deep pit. An FIR is being registered, and the bike will be recovered from the pit soon. If the family claims they did not receive help from six to seven police stations, we will investigate, he added. (With agency inputs) West Bengal Assembly Election 2026: Ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has presented a populist budget aimed at securing voter support. However, as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government expands its welfare schemes, rising debt and fiscal pressures are raising serious questions about the state's ability to fulfill these promises. In a move seen as an electoral strategy, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an increase in monthly assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, presenting it as a direct response to the BJP's Ladli Behna scheme, which helped the party secure victories in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi. With women comprising nearly half of West Bengal's electorate, they remain a key focus of the government's welfare programs. The budget also includes a 4 percent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees, the introduction of a Rs 1,500 monthly allowance for unemployed youth for five years, extension of social security benefits like Swasthya Sathi to gig workers, and an increase in the salaries of Anganwadi workers and helpers to Rs 10,500 per month from April 2026. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The interim budget projects a total expenditure of Rs 4.06 lakh crore for the 2026-27 financial year. Yet, behind these generous spending plans lies a deepening fiscal crisis. Rising debt burden West Bengal's debt has crossed Rs 8 lakh crore and continues to grow. Outstanding liabilities increased from Rs 6.99 lakh crore in 2024-25 to Rs 7.62 lakh crore in 2025-26, and are projected to reach Rs 8.15 lakh crore in 2026-27. According to the 16th Finance Commission report, the state's debt-to-GSDP ratio stands at 38.3 percent, making it the second most indebted state in the country after Punjab (42.9 percent). Adding to the problem are the long-pending arrears accumulated between 2008 and 2019. The TMC government is planning to borrow another Rs 1 lakh crore to finance its expanded welfare schemes, even as the Supreme Court has directed the state to clear 25 percent of the total outstanding arrears, amounting to approximately Rs 10,400 crore, by March 31. Revenue deficit pressure The Vote-on-Account projects a revenue deficit of Rs 21,759 crore for 2026-27, lower than the R 39,727 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 41,164 crore in 2025-26. However, finance officials have warned that complying with the Supreme Court order could push the actual deficit closer to Rs 32,000 crore. The recent 4 percent DA hike alone is expected to increase the state's expenditure by approximately Rs 750 crore, even though the budget makes no provision for clearing the long-pending DA arrears. Expensive welfare schemes A significant portion of the budget is dedicated to flagship welfare schemes. Approximately Rs 40,000 crore has been allocated for the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, under which women from eligible families receive an additional Rs 500 every month. Another Rs 40,000 crore has been set aside for the Banglar Bari housing scheme. In the last 50 months, the state has already spent Rs 74,000 crore on Lakshmir Bhandar, benefiting approximately 2.2 crore women who receive Rs 1,000 every month, while SC and ST beneficiaries receive Rs 1,200. Under Banglar Bari, families are given Rs 1.2 lakh for pucca houses, with the government promising to build an additional 32 lakh houses on top of the one crore houses already constructed. More than Rs 10,000 crore has also been allocated for other welfare initiatives, including Rs 2,000 crore for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) program. Balancing politics and finance Mounting debt, rising spending and court-mandated payouts have raised questions over the sustainability of these welfare schemes. Can the TMC government deliver on its ambitious promises amid mounting financial pressure? ALSO READ | Bengal Budget: Mamata Banerjees Ladali Behan checkmate to BJP with Rs 500 top up for Lakshmi Bhandar; DA hiked by 4% India condemns the mosque bombing in Islamabad that occurred earlier today. The attack led to the tragic loss of life, and India offers condolences to the victims' families. India rejects all such claims outright. The nation urges Pakistan to address its internal issues seriously rather than pointing fingers. In a press release Minisitry of External Affairs on Friday said, The bombing at an Islamabad mosque earlier today is condemnable and India condoles the loss of life it has caused. It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan chooses to delude itself by blaming others for its homegrown ills. India rejects any and every such allegation, which is as baseless as it is pointless. Our statement on the attack in Islamabad https://t.co/3gEF7kEzGO pic.twitter.com/H0EIpuBsSb Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) February 6, 2026 Add Zee News as a Preferred Source A suicide bombing struck a Shia mosque in Islamabad's Tarlai Kalan area today during Friday prayers, killing at least 31 people and wounding over 160 others. The attacker detonated explosives near the entrance after security stopped them at Khadija Tul Kubra Mosque. India condemned the tragic loss of life and offered condolences, while rejecting Pakistan's baseless blame game amid its internal woes. No group has claimed responsibility yet, though militants like TTP or ISIS are suspected. Hospitals remain on high alert, treating the injured. Teens lack experience and maturity behind the wheel, making them a higher risk for having car accidents. This elevated risk drives up auto insurance premiums for teen drivers. Thats why its important to secure an insurance policy with strong coverage that protects your teen as well as your familys finances at an affordable price. This embedded content is not available in your region. To help families find the best car insurance for teen drivers, Yahoo Finance compared 20 major auto insurers. Our analysis focused on key factors, including the average cost for teen drivers, available teen-driver discounts, coverage options, claims handling, and the digital experience. After reviewing in-depth data, our editors identified some of the best auto insurance providers that can help teen drivers and their families get the coverage they need at a cost that wont overwhelm their budget. The Hartford: 5.0 stars Editorial insight The Hartfords budget-friendly teen-driver pricing, teen-focused discounts, helpful coverage offerings, and terrific digital experience make it our top choice for teen drivers. Parents will see additional savings if theyre AARP members. The Hartfords national reach and online quoting make it easy to shop and compare. The Hartford pros and cons Pros Cheapest rates for teenage drivers among the insurers we analyzed Offers discounts for drivers education, good students, and students away at school Offers roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and a disappearing deductible The Hartfords mobile app received a 4.7 (out of 5) average rating by users Cons Its UBI program, TrueLane, can increase rates for risky driving behavior Doesnt offer a pay-per-mile plan or OEM parts coverage The Hartford key stats Average cost for teen driver: $236 per month (lowest in our analysis) Availability: 50 states and D.C. Crash Network grade for claims handling: C+ Coverage offerings: 13 options Available discounts: 11 types (three specific to teens or young drivers) Digital experience score: 4.7 (out of 5) Learn more: The Hartford auto insurance review American Family: 4.9 stars Editorial insight American Family is a strong contender for families with a teen driver due to its solid coverage options, teen-tailored discounts, and second-lowest rates for teen drivers among the 20 auto insurers we analyzed. We also found it a top pick for drivers after an accident or ticket, both situations that may occur as a teen driver gains experience behind the wheel. If the teen buys their own policy, a generational discount is available if a parent is already an American Family customer. American Family pros and cons Pros Second-lowest rates for teen drivers in our analysis Offers roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and diminishing deductible Youth discounts include good student, student away, and young volunteer Cons Its mobile apps average score of 3.95 (out of 5) is lower than most competitors Limited availability in the U.S. Its UBI program, DriveMyWay, can raise rates on riskier drivers American Family key stats Average cost for teen drivers: $239 per month (second-cheapest) Availability: 19 states (mostly located in the Midwest and the West) Crash Network grade for claims handling: C+ Coverage offerings: 11 options Available discounts: 17 types (four specific for teens or young drivers) Digital experience score: 3.95 (out of 5) Learn more: American Family auto insurance review Farmers: 4.4 stars Editorial insight Farmers offers reasonable teen-driver pricing and teen-focused discounts to help families save even more on car insurance costs. Notable discounts include a youthful driver discount for those under 25 who are the child (or grandchild) of a policyholder who has been with Farmers for at least a year, and a shared family car discount for drivers 20 or younger in a household that has more drivers than vehicles. Farmers also offers a wide variety of coverage options so you can customize your policy to fit the familys needs. Farmers pros and cons Pros Teen prices are lower than average Good student and distant student discounts are available Offers accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible, and roadside assistance Average mobile app score of 4.75 (out of 5) Cons Doesnt offer a discount for a teen driver education course Their claims handling score is only average Riskier drivers can see higher rates with its UBI program, Signal Farmers key stats Average cost for teen drivers: $284 per month Availability: 50 states and D.C. Crash Network grade for claims handling: C- Coverage offerings: 17 options Available discounts: 19 types (four specific to teens or young adults) Digital experience score: 4.75 (out of 5) Learn more: Farmers auto insurance review Safeco: 4.3 stars Editorial insight Safeco may not have the lowest prices, but its discounts can help bring down the cost of car insurance for teens. Beyond the usual discounts for young drivers, Safeco offers a discount just for new teen drivers if their parents have had a Safeco policy for at least a year. It also offers a decent range of coverage, including helpful options to novice drivers, such as accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible, and roadside assistance. As part of their loyalty program, you get small claim forgiveness for claims under $750. Safeco pros and cons Pros Safecos mobile app earned a high mark of 4.75 (out of 5) Offers accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible, and roadside assistance Good student, drivers education, distant student, plus new teen driver discounts are available Has a claims-free cash back program at each renewal Cons Low grade of D+ for its claims handling Teen driver prices are slightly above average If found to be a risky driver, its UBI program, RightTrack, can raise your rates Safeco key stats Average cost for teen drivers: $315 per month Availability: Licensed in all states and D.C. Crash Network grade for claims handling: D+ Coverage offerings: 13 options Available discounts: 6 types (four specific for teens or young adults) Digital experience score: 4.75 (out of 5) Learn more: Safeco auto insurance review Travelers: 4.3 stars Editorial insight Travelers is a solid option for families seeking a competitive lineup of discounts and customizable coverage. Its teen rates are a few dollars above average, but Travelers offers discounts to students with good grades, teens who have completed a driver education course, and students away at school more than 100 miles from home without a car. Travelers offers a Premier Responsible Driver Plan that includes accident forgiveness, minor violation forgiveness, a decreasing deductible, and a total loss deductible waiver. Travelers pros and cons Pros Offers accident forgiveness, minor violation forgiveness, and a decreasing deductible Offers student away, good student, and driver training discounts Roadside assistance and trip interruption coverage Average mobile app score of 4.65 (out of 5) Cons Teen driver ratings are a little above average Received only an average grade (C) for its claims handling Risky drivers may see a rate hike, instead of a discount, with Travelers UBI program, IntelliDrive Travelers key stats Average cost for teen drivers: $299 per month Availability: 50 states Crash Network grade for claims handling: C Coverage offerings: 14 options Available discounts: 14 types (three specific to teens or young adults) Digital experience score: 4.65 (out of 5) Learn more: Travelers auto insurance review Best car insurance for teens: Full ratings We evaluated 20 major insurance companies to determine which were best for teen drivers. The top spot went to The Hartford, which earned 5 stars (out of 5). The runner-up was American Family (4.9 stars), which also ranked as the top company on our overall best car insurance list. See the star ratings for all the insurers we analyzed for our best car insurance for teens rankings. Teen driver discounts Car insurance companies offer a variety of discounts to help you lower your overall premium. Families with teen drivers can receive discounts tailored to young drivers. The specifics of the discount vary by insurer, but here are the basics for the three main teen-centered discounts: Driver education/training discount: Teens who complete an approved driver training course may qualify for a discount. This discount encourages novice drivers to hone their skills, reducing their risk of accidents. Good student discount: For full-time students under 25 who maintain good grades. Insurers typically require a B average or higher. Academic success is seen as a sign of responsibility, which insurers correlate with safer driving. Student away discount: For families with a student who lives 100 miles or more away from home and doesnt have regular access to the household vehicles. With the student having limited access to household vehicles, their overall risk to insurers is lower. Additional teen discounts Some auto insurers offer other discounts for teens or their families. Here are some we have found, though availability can vary by state: AAA: New young driver discount for when a driver under 20 is added to an existing policy. Allstate: Discount for completing the teenSMART driver safety program. American Family: Young volunteer discount for drivers under 25 who complete 40 hours of volunteer work per year. Generational discount for young adults starting their own policy, and a parent is an American Family policyholder. Farm Bureau: Drivers under 25 who complete a Farm Bureau Young Driver Safety program are eligible for a discount. Farmers: Youthful driver discount for adding a driver under 25 who lives in the household and is the child or grandchild of a Farmers policyholder. Also, a shared family car discount is available for a driver aged 20 or younger when there are more drivers than vehicles in the household. Liberty Mutual: Their new teen driver discount is available when you add a teen driver to your policy. Progressive: Teen driver discount for adding a driver 18 or younger to a Progressive policy that has been active for at least a year. Safeco: New teen discount for Safeco policyholders of at least one year who add a teen driver to their policy. State Farm: Teens may earn a discount by completing State Farms Steer Clear driver training program. Learn more: Car insurance discounts: 17 ways to save Compare teen car insurance costs Teen auto insurance costs vary by insurer, making comparison shopping essential to find the lowest rates. For insurers in our evaluation, the average monthly premium for a full coverage policy with a teen driver is $296, according to data from the auto insurance marketplace Savvy Insurance Solutions. Learn more: Cheapest car insurance for teens Factors affecting car insurance for teens There are common rating factors that car insurance companies use to determine rates for teenagers. Costs vary among insurers because each company weighs these risks differently. Here are the common factors car insurance providers use when calculating rates: Learn more: Car insurance rates are climbing. Here are 4 reasons why and 11 ways to save. Types of coverage recommended for teen drivers When you have teen drivers on your policy, its not the time to skimp on coverage and limits. Drivers ages 16 to 19 have an accident rate nearly four times that of drivers age 20 or older, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Because teen drivers are at high risk of being in an accident, its recommended that you carry a full coverage car insurance policy with higher liability limits. Full coverage car insurance for teen drivers A full-coverage policy includes state-required coverages, such as liability insurance, as well as comprehensive and collision coverage. Liability insurance pays for bodily injury or property damage you cause others in an accident, up to your limits. States have minimum liability limits, but its wise to choose higher limits that are less likely to be exceeded. Limits of 100/300/100, which stands for $100,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 of bodily injury liability per accident, and $100,000 of property damage liability per accident, are considered decent. Liability insurance doesnt cover your car; for that, you need collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision coverage pays for repairs or replacement of your vehicle after an auto accident. Comprehensive coverage pays for damage caused by severe weather, fire, vandalism, theft, hitting an animal, or falling objects. Collision and comprehensive coverage come with a deductible, an amount that is deducted from a claim payout. States may require other coverages that cover medical expenses if you are injured in an accident, such as personal injury protection, medical payments, or uninsured motorist coverage. Additional coverage for teen drivers You can also add on other coverage types to tailor your auto policy to your specific needs. Here are three coverage types that may be especially helpful if you have a teen driver: Accident forgiveness : Forgives one accident, meaning your rates wont increase after your first accident claim. Diminishing deductible: Lowers your collision deductible amount over time for safe driving. For instance, an insurer will lower your deductible by $100 for each year you maintain a clean driving record. For example, a $1,000 deductible could be reduced to $500 after five years. Roadside assistance: This add-on typically includes services like towing a disabled vehicle, changing a flat tire, jump-starting a dead battery, and lockout assistance. Learn more: Most common types of car insurance explained How to find the best teen auto insurance Here are tips for finding the best teen auto insurance. Determine your coverage needs Having a teen on your policy means the odds of them having an accident are high, so its smart to choose higher liability limits. Include collision and comprehensive coverage if you want protection for your car. And, consider add-on coverage options that could help you save in the long run, such as accident forgiveness. Comparison shop Once you know what coverage and limits you want, shop around with at least three companies to see who is offering the coverage you want at a price you can afford. Comparing car insurance quotes is the best way to find the lowest rates. Ask about discounts Some discounts are automatically applied as you fill out a quote form, but others you have to ask about. For example, you usually have to speak to an agent to get a good student discount or student away discount. Asking an agent if youre eligible for discounts not already applied can help you find more ways to reduce your auto insurance premium. Review your policy Take time at least once a year to evaluate your car insurance needs and make sure your policys coverages and limits still fit them. If you make changes during the year, such as buying a car, make sure to adjust your policy accordingly. You may also want to shop around again and switch car insurance companies if it makes sense for your finances. Learn more: Does buying car insurance online save you money? Best car insurance for teens FAQs Whats the best auto insurance company for teens? The Hartford received 5 stars and was ranked the best car insurance company for teens in Yahoo Finances analysis of 20 auto insurers. American Family was a close second, earning 4.9 stars. To determine which company is best for your situation, identify your needs and comparison shop with multiple auto insurers. Who offers the cheapest car insurance for teen drivers? The Hartford offers the cheapest insurance for teen drivers with a cost of $236 per month, according to Yahoo Finances analysis. American Family came in second at $239 per month. To find the cheapest car insurance for your teen driver, youll want to shop around since rates vary based on your familys specific information, such as location, vehicle, and coverage choices. What auto insurance discounts are available for teen drivers? The most common discounts offered to teen drivers include a good student discount (for maintaining a B average or better), a driver education discount (for completing an approved course), and a student away discount (for full-time students far away from home without a car). Ask your agent if these or other discounts are available to help lower the cost of adding a teen to your policy. Tim Manni edited this article. Methodology: Best auto insurance companies for teen drivers Auto insurance ratings To identify the best car insurance companies for teen drivers, Yahoo Finance evaluated 20 insurers across price, teen-specific discounts, claims performance, digital experience, and protective add-ons. Each company was scored using a standardized rubric designed to reflect what matters most to families adding a young driver to a policy. All factors were converted to a standardized point scale and combined into a composite score for each insurer. Rates and teen-specific discounts carried the most weight, followed by claims performance, app experience, and protective add-on coverage. 1. Teen rates: 40% of score. The average rate estimates are provided by Savvy Insurance Solutions (Savvy). Savvy operates a marketplace for home and auto insurance, plus an agency licensed in all 50 states. Estimates are generated using Savvys in-house machine learning models based on over 3 million data points, and include more than 15 of the largest insurance companies in Savvys nationwide data set. Savvy creates estimates by running models against multiple inputs to the parameters of interest. For instance, the teen driver estimates were created by adjusting the policyholder age input into the pricing model while keeping all other variables steady from the baseline for full coverage. Full coverage car insurance includes liability insurance, any other state required coverage, plus collision and comprehensive coverage. 2. Teen-focused discounts: 35% of score. Insurers were evaluated on the availability and quality of discounts most relevant to young drivers. Points were awarded for each of the following: good student discount, drivers education discount, student-away-from-home discount, and usage-based insurance (UBI) programs. For UBI programs, we differentiated between programs that could raise a teens premium based on the UBI data versus those that did not. Additional points were awarded for other teen-oriented discounts, such as family multi-car discounts, safe-driving rewards, and new-driver training incentives. 3. Protective, teen-focused add-on coverage: 15% of score. We awarded additional credit to insurers that offer coverage features that can reduce financial risk for families with teen drivers: accident forgiveness, roadside assistance, and diminishing deductibles. Each available add-on contributed incremental points to the insurers total. 4. Claims handling performance: 5% of score. We incorporated grades from the 2025 CRASH Network Insurer Report Cards, which reflect feedback from collision-repair professionals about how insurers handle real-world claims. Companies with higher CRASH scores indicating fairer repair processes and better support for policyholders received more points. 5. Digital experience: 5% of score. Managing a policy, tracking discounts, and filing a claim often happens through a mobile app. We averaged Apple App Store and Google Play ratings to create an app-experience score. Insurers with highly rated, easy-to-use apps earned more points. Auto insurance pricing data Unless stated otherwise, the estimates above are provided by Savvy Insurance Solutions (Savvy). Savvy operates a marketplace for home and auto insurance, plus an agency licensed in all 50 states. Estimates are generated using Savvys in-house machine learning models based on over 3 million data points, and include more than 15 of the largest insurance companies in Savvys nationwide data set. This includes data from more than 2 million insurance accounts connected through Trellis Connect, an in-house technology allowing consumers to link their insurance accounts before searching for insurance, and tens of thousands of policies bound by Savvys own agents. It takes into account a myriad of factors to create predictions, such as: Policyholder age Number of vehicles ZIP code Vehicle age Insurer and more Savvy creates estimates by running models against multiple inputs to the parameters of interest. For instance, the teen driver estimates were created by adjusting the policyholder age input into the pricing model while keeping all other variables steady from the baseline for full coverage. The models enable hyper-personalized estimates that take into account a plethora of user attribute permutations (e.g., teen drivers in specific states, teen drivers with new vehicles, teen drivers in specific states with new vehicles) to provide individuals with a unique and tailored experience. The charts above are a subset of the kinds of personalization Savvy can do. Definitions The following are definitions used by Savvy when providing its rate estimates for various types of coverage. Full coverage car insurance: A policy with comprehensive, collision, and liability coverage. Average policyholder: A 48-year-old driver who owns a 13-year-old vehicle and lives in an average-income ZIP code. Senior driver: A 70-year-old policyholder with full coverage car insurance. Good driver: Drivers across all coverage types, vehicle types, and locations who have no tickets, accidents or DUIs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Malaysia from February 78 and hold bilateral talks with his counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim. The upcoming visit marks PM Modis third visit to Malaysia and the first since bilateral relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. India is looking at opportunities for collaboration across the defence sector during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi to Malaysia, including the sale of Dornier aircraft and the maintenance of Scorpene submarines and SU-30 aircraft, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. During his visit, PM Modi will also interact with members of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia and other business representatives. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Malaysia has a 2.9 million-strong Indian diaspora, the third largest in the world, and the second-largest PIO community, numbering 2.75 million. Malaysia is an important partner for India in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region and a key pillar of Indias Act East Policy. The Torana Gate, situated at Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur, is a gift from India to Malaysia as a mark of continued friendship between the two countries. The Torana Gate was inaugurated jointly by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, and Najib Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, on November 23, 2015. India-Malaysia diplomatic ties were elevated to the status of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of Anwar Ibrahim to India from August 1921, 2024. The bilateral relationship was earlier elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership in 2015 when PM Narendra Modi visited Malaysia. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1957. PM Modi also met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the margins of the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 6, 2025. PM Modi participated virtually in the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit convened in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. The two Prime Ministers also interacted over a telephone call on October 22, 2025. Prime Minister Modi last visited Malaysia on an official visit from November 2123, 2015, and later made a brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur on May 31, 2018. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited India on a State Visit from August 1921, 2024, accompanied by five Cabinet Ministers. There have been sustained and regular political exchanges at the highest level between India and Malaysia since 2022. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Kuala Lumpur from October 2628, 2025, to represent India at the 20th East Asia Summit. He also paid an official visit to Malaysia on March 2728, 2024. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited Malaysia for the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) from October 20 to November 1, 2025. He had earlier paid an official visit from July 1011, 2023. An Indian delegation led by Minister of State Sanjay Seth visited Malaysia in May 2025 to participate in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) and for bilateral discussions. India-Malaysia defence relations have steadily grown over the years, ranging from capacity-building exercises and military training to defence industrial cooperation. The first regional office of HAL was opened in Kuala Lumpur in 2023 during the visit of the Raksha Mantri. During Malaysias chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025, several ministerial visits took place. These included the visit of Minister of Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to Johor on January 20, 2025, for the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting; the visit of Minister of State to Malaysia from April 1819, 2025, to inaugurate the India-ASEAN Tourism Pavilion at the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair in Kuala Lumpur, and again in July 2025 for the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting; and the visit of Minister of State for Commerce and IT, Jitin Prasada, to Malaysia for the 22nd AEM-India meeting, among others. Economic and commercial engagement is one of the key pillars of the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached USD 19.85 billion in FY 2024-25. Malaysia is Indias third-largest trading partner in ASEAN, while India is among Malaysias top 10 trading partners. Trade between India and Malaysia can be settled in Indian Rupees (INR), in addition to other currencies, from April 1, 2023. To further facilitate people-to-people exchanges, both countries have liberalised visa regimes for tourists. India is the fifth-largest source of inbound tourism for Malaysia. Malaysia has permitted visa-free travel for Indian nationals since December 2023, while India has allowed gratis tourist visas for Malaysian nationals since July 2024, currently valid until December 2026. Nearly 1.4 million Indian tourists visited Malaysia in 2025, while nearly 300,000 Malaysian tourists-the largest number from among ASEAN countries-visited India. An Ayurveda Chair has been instituted at University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia, following an announcement made during the State Visit of the Prime Minister of Malaysia to India in August 2024. The Chair was operationalised in September 2024. Similarly, a Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies has been established at University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, following an announcement made by the Prime Minister in August 2024. The Chair was operationalised in October 2025. Imagine if someone was always looking over your shoulder whenever you wrote something on WhatsApp, Facebook, or Instagram. They could read all your messages and check all your comments. Well, Karnataka government has just approved a powerful artificial intelligence system that will monitor everything people post on social media. The name is SMASSocial Media Analytics Solution. The cost is 67 crore rupees. This decision has already started a huge fight between privacy advocates and security supporters. Let me explain what is happening and why everyone is so angry. First, what is SMAS? Think of it as a giant robot with super intelligence that reads every single post, comment, and message on social media in Karnataka. It works 24/7, analyzing millions of pieces of content every day. The government says it will find fake news, hate speech, abuse, and misinformation. It will also track if terrorist groups use social media to recruit people. The system can recognize patterns that humans might miss. Minister HK Patil says this is necessary because social media has become too big for human beings to monitor properly. Millions of posts happen every second. Traditional police cannot read everything. So technology needs to do the job faster and more efficiently. But here is where things get complicated and deeply concerning. Critics are asking very difficult questions that officials are not answering clearly. Who decides what is fake news and what is real? What is hate speech and what is legitimate criticism? If someone posts that a government policy is bad, is that fake news or free speech? If someone criticizes a political leader, is that hate speech or fair comment? A news article supporting the government might mark certain posts as fake news. The same posts might be defended by opposition parties as fair criticism. This is where the danger lies most dangerously. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Let me give you a real example. Imagine a farmer posts online saying, "The government is not giving us fair price for our crops." Is this fake news or true complaint? What if the SMAS system, controlled by the government, marks this as fake news and removes it? Suddenly, the farmer's voice is silenced. Critics fear the government will use this system to silence opposition and control what people can say online. In countries like China, similar surveillance systems have been used to suppress voices against the government. The same thing could happen here. The second big concern is privacy invasion. Every text you send, every opinion you share will be scanned by a government computer. You did not agree to this. The government says there is "absolutely no restriction" on scanning content. But that is exactly the problem! Having power and using it responsibly are two different things. Your personal conversations, your family discussions, your private thoughtsall could be analyzed by machines and humans working for the government. The third concern is misuse potential. Governments change. Today's government might use SMAS properly. But what about tomorrow? What if a corrupt leader uses SMAS to track political enemies? History shows surveillance tools are often misused once created. Even well-meaning systems become weapons in wrong hands. Many democracies have learned this lesson the hard way. The government says SMAS is needed for national security and public order. They point to terrorists recruiting online and misinformation causing riots. These are real problems that need solutions. But the cure might be worse than the disease itself. We need to stop fake news online. But creating a surveillance system without proper laws, independent oversight, and clear rules is dangerous and undemocratic. We need a strong law made by Parliament with checks and balances. We need independent judges deciding if something is fake, not just government computers making decisions. The real political row is about power and control. Who controls information reaching people? When government has this much power, misuse is always possible. Countries with strong democracies have strict laws protecting what people can say online. Karnataka's SMAS might sound like a good solution to a real problem. But without proper safeguards, it could become a tool for controlling citizens and silencing opposition. Building surveillance first and asking questions later is dangerous for democracy and freedom. That is what worries people the most. (Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany) Zee Samvad: Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), who have played a key role in launching several satellites for India and other countries, shared their experiences and views with the public during a programme organised by ZEE Samvad. The event highlighted Indias growing strength in space science and technology. Two women scientists from ISRO, Mangala Mani and Dakshiyani, were warmly welcomed at the programme. During the interaction, they spoke about Indias scientific progress, the work culture inside ISRO and the challenges faced by scientists while working in extreme conditions, including Antarctica. Scientist Dakshiyani addressed the common global belief that science and technology are dominated by developed nations. She said India has successfully challenged this perception through its achievements in space exploration. Referring to missions like the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) and the Chandrayaan soft landing, she said these milestones have placed India among the worlds leading scientific communities. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source (Also Read: Zee real heroes awards: Aviation experts share their take on IndiGo crisis) She emphasised that Indias success in complex space missions has earned global recognition and proved the countrys technological capabilities on the international stage. Speaking on gender equality, Dakshiyani said that ISRO operates on the principle of skill and talent, not gender. She explained that while working on satellites, software or hardware, there is no difference between men and women. According to her, everyone at ISRO is treated equally as a scientist or engineer, and performance is judged only on technical ability. One of the most inspiring moments of the programme was when 56-year-old scientist Mangala Mani shared her experiences of working in Antarctica as part of an ISRO mission. She spoke about facing extremely harsh weather conditions, including temperatures as low as minus 80 degrees Celsius. Mangala Mani said that working in such a dangerous and cold environment was not just a professional challenge but also an opportunity to serve the nation. Her experience highlighted the dedication and resilience of Indian scientists working under difficult conditions to advance scientific research. Amid Union Home Minister Amit Shahs visit to Jammu and Kashmir, security agencies have been placed on high alert following a threat circulated on social media targeting the Kashmiri Pandit community. The threat message, purportedly issued by a group calling itself the Falcon Squad and believed to be linked to The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, surfaced online soon after the Home Ministers visit to the Union Territory was announced. The message warned Kashmiri Pandits against returning to or staying in the Kashmir Valley, threatening that they would be targeted, similar to earlier incidents in which members of the community were killed in targeted attacks. According to security sources, the language and symbols used in the message closely resemble those seen in previous threats, most of which were circulated by the TRF terror outfit and referenced past targeted killings. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The timing of the threat, emerging just ahead of Amit Shahs visit to review the security situation in the region, has raised serious concern among security and intelligence agencies. Officials are currently assessing the authenticity of the message and its possible links to terror networks. Until the verification process is complete, authorities are taking no chances and have significantly stepped up security measures across Jammu and Kashmir. Security has been intensified, particularly in sensitive areas, along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, and at locations scheduled to be visited by the Home Minister. Amit Shah, who arrived in Jammu late last evening, first met political leaders before chairing a high-level security meeting today. The meeting focused on reviewing the overall security situation, border management, and counter-terrorism efforts in the region. He held detailed discussions with the Lieutenant Governor and senior officials from agencies, including the Border Security Force (BSF), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Jammu and Kashmir Police, with emphasis on counter-terror strategies and anti-infiltration measures. The Home Minister also inspected the International Border in Hiranagar, Kathua, to review anti-infiltration technologies and arms and ammunition provided to the BSF, which are being used to keep the borders and Line of Control secure and peaceful. Later tonight or early tomorrow morning, depending on the schedule of additional meetings, Shah is expected to travel to Srinagar. There, he will launch development projects and conduct a review of the security situation in the Kashmir Valley. Meanwhile, a high alert has been sounded across Jammu and Kashmir. Security forces have intensified frisking and launched extensive Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) in Srinagar and Jammu. Massive search operations are also underway in the PulwamaShopian forest belt and along major highways. Jalandhar: AAP party leader Lucky Oberoi has been shot dead in Jalandhar, Punjab. As per the latest information, multiple number of shots were fired Outside Gurudwara Sahib in Model Town out of which five bullets struck him while he was in his car. Upon this he was immediately taken to the hospital but till the time he was declared dead. As per initial details, Oberoi was parking his car out side the Gurdwara when the attackers came on two-wheeler and opened fire at him from close range. As per Times Of India report, the incident took place at around 7:55 am, minutes before he has come out of gurudwara. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The incident prompted immediate response from Punjab police. As per the officials, a police team reached the spot soon after receiving the information and began investigating the case. Leader of opposition in Punjab Legislative Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa criticized the state government after the daylight murder of Oberoi in Jalandhar. In a post on X, he wrote," Law and order in Punjab has collapsed under @BhagwantMann's watch. The shocking daylight murder of @AAPPunjab leader Lucky Oberoi outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar, exposes the grim reality: if even ruling party leaders aren't safe, what hope remains for ordinary citizens?", alleging that Punjab's law and order situation has "collapsed" under chief minister Bhagwant Mann's leadership. Law and order in Punjab has collapsed under @BhagwantManns watch. The shocking daylight murder of @AAPPunjab leader Lucky Oberoi outside a gurdwara in Jalandhar, exposes the grim reality: if even ruling party leaders arent safe, what hope remains for ordinary citizens? Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) February 6, 2026 Further on he added, Punjab today is wholly gripped by fear, gang violence, and administrative paralysis. He added. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann must answer: who is responsible for this complete breakdown?" Following this incident even BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Law and order is completely collapsed in Punjab." Once again law and order in complete collapse in Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Jalandhar's Model Town AAP is a Paap for Punjab https://t.co/wi1iM452k2 pic.twitter.com/4oOpYC7O0p Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) February 6, 2026 Taking to his X he wrote, "Once again law and order in complete collapse in Punjab. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Lucky Oberoi was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Jalandhar's Model Town. AAP is a Paap for Punjab." Indirect talks between the United States and Iran, held in Muscat, Oman, have emerged as a last-ditch effort to prevent a wider conflict that could engulf not just the Middle East but also have global consequences. The negotiations, mediated by Oman, took place amid heightened military preparedness by both sides, underlining the deep mistrust that continues to define US-Iran relations. In todays episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis of the high-stakes talks, examining whether the dialogue could avert war or merely delay an inevitable escalation. The negotiations were indirect, with Iranian and American officials not meeting face-to-face. Instead, Omans Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi conveyed messages and conditions between the two sides. Iran was represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, while the US delegation included President Donald Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. The same US envoys are also involved in efforts to resolve the RussiaUkraine war, which remains unresolved despite repeated diplomatic initiatives. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Araghchi described the talks as positive despite what he acknowledged was a deep atmosphere of distrust following the June 2025 conflict. He said Iran had clearly placed its concerns, interests and rights before the United States, while also listening to the American position. According to him, the future of the dialogue will depend on consultations in Tehran and Washington, with any further talks to be scheduled through Oman if both sides agree on the framework. However, major differences remain unresolved. Iran has made it clear that negotiations will be limited strictly to its nuclear programme. Tehran insists on its right to enrich uranium domestically and has ruled out transferring more than 400 kilograms of enriched uranium abroad. The US, on the other hand, wants a broader agenda that includes Irans missile programme, its oil and gas trade with China, and its relations with Israel, which Iran has categorically rejected. Even as talks were underway, signs of war readiness were evident. The US issued a fresh advisory urging its citizens to immediately leave Iran, citing deteriorating security conditions, disrupted transport, communication restrictions, and limited diplomatic support. Americans were advised to exit Iran by land routes through Armenia or Turkiye, and dual nationals were warned to conceal their US identity due to the risk of detention. Iran, drawing from experience, particularly talks held in Muscat a day before previous Israeli strikes, has also prepared for potential conflict. Ahead of the negotiations, Tehran confirmed the frontline deployment of its Khorramshahr-4 missile, its most powerful medium-range ballistic missile. With a range of 2,000 kilometres, a payload capacity of up to 1,800 kilograms, and speeds reportedly reaching Mach 12 or higher, the missile is capable of striking targets across Israel and US bases in the region. Its advanced guidance system allows last-moment manoeuvres, making interception difficult. Israeli intelligence agencies have previously identified Khorramshahr-4 as the missile used by Iran during earlier attacks involving cluster munitions, which Israels military acknowledged caused significant damage. The missile is believed to be based on North Koreas Hwasong-10 design, itself derived from Soviet-era Scud technology. According to Israeli media citing intelligence sources, Iran has also finalised a multi-phase retaliation plan in the event of a US strike. This reportedly includes activating underground command systems, launching missile and drone attacks on US bases, opening proxy fronts through Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iraqi militias, conducting cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, and disrupting global oil supplies by targeting shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. While the Oman talks have created a narrow window for diplomacy, the parallel military preparations on both sides suggest limited confidence in a peaceful outcome. With missiles deployed and contingency plans in place, the negotiations appear less like a breakthrough and more like an attempt to manage escalation rather than eliminate it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed the historic agreement among the Government of India, Nagaland and ENPO. In a social media post, PM Modi said that the agreement will enhance the development trajectory of Eastern Nagaland in particular. PM Modi hoped that the agreement would open new avenues of opportunity and prosperity for the people. It reflects our unwavering commitment to peace, progress and inclusive growth in the Northeast, he said. PM Modis reaction came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared that yet another significant milestone towards fulfilling the vision of the Prime Minister for a peaceful and prosperous North East. He said that a historic Agreement was signed between the Government of India, the Government of Nagaland and representatives of Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO), an apex body representing eight recognised Naga tribes of the six eastern districts of Nagaland in New Delhi on Thursday. The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah and Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source How will the agreement unfold? The agreement will pave the way for the creation of Frontier Nagaland Territorial Authority (FNTA) for six districts of Nagaland viz. Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire, Longleng, Noklak and Shamator, and devolution of powers in respect of 46 Subjects to the FNTA. The agreement provides, inter-alia, for a mini-Secretariat for FNTA, headed by Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary, Sharing of development Outlay for the Eastern Nagaland region proportional to population and area. However, this agreement does not affect in any manner whatsoever the provisions of Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India. This unique arrangement envisages overall development of Eastern Nagaland through financial autonomy, enhanced decision-making leading to accelerated infrastructure development, economic empowerment and optimum resource utilisation. The Agreement depicts the Government of Indias commitment to resolve all contentious issues through dialogue to meet the genuine aspirations of the people of the North East and proves the basic tenet of democracy that solutions could only be achieve through negotiations based on mutual respect and dialogue instead of violence and armed conflict. Today a historic agreement was signed between Govt of India, Govt of Nagaland and ENPO resolving decades-long pending issues of Eastern Nagaland. It is a giant step towards realising Modi Ji's vision for a peaceful and prosperous Northeast by resolving all contentious issues. pic.twitter.com/sxt23lBX1n Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 5, 2026 Amit Shah hails dispute-free North East On this occasion, Amit Shah said that today is a very significant day for a dispute-free North East. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has envisioned a North East that is free from insurgency, violence, disputes, and is developed. Today, we have taken one more step forward in realizing that vision. He stated that eleven years ago, several armed groups and disputes in the North East were pushing the region towards fragmentation and disturbing its peace. At the same time, many interstate disputes were disrupting the peace of the states. The government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to finding solutions to every dispute, said Shah. The Union Home Minister said that since 2019, the Modi government has signed 12 important agreements in the North East. He stated that previous governments only signed agreements, but the Modi government implements them in letter and spirit. The Home Minister said that he wants to assure the representatives of ENPO that the Government of India will assist in the development of Eastern Nagaland and also will also shoulder its responsibility. Shah added that every year, a fixed amount will be decided, and the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India will also provide the initial expenditure for establishment. Amit Shah said that in 2021-22, he had told the representatives of ENPO that the government led by Narendra Modi is committed to finding a solution to every dispute. He had assured them to keep faith and participate in the democratic process, and they would definitely receive both fair justice and due respect. The Home Minister said that today he is feeling immense joy because, after the officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs worked for a long time as a bridge between ENPO and the Government of Nagaland, today we have been able to resolve this dispute. The Home Minister said that we all are very well aware of the ENPO region and its strategic importance. Ever since the creation of Nagaland, the citizens of Eastern Nagaland have continuously felt in their hearts that they were not receiving justice. Shah said that he had spoken with the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, and he had very happily stated that he would listen to all the demands of ENPO with an open heart, discuss them, and also accept them. Amit Shah said that today, a very long-standing dispute has reached a happy conclusion. Extending congratulations to all the people of Eastern Nagaland, all the struggling organizations of ENPO, the Chief Minister of Nagaland, his cabinet, and the Members of Parliament, he said that the government has taken one more step forward in the direction of ending all disputes in Nagaland. New Delhi: Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav's final attempt to evade jail has been put to the backburner now after Delhi High Court denied him bail in the cheque bounce cases today. According to Bar and Bench, the actor was present in the court proceedings. Rajpal Yadav surrenders in Tihar jail Senior Advocate Abhijat appeared for Rajpal and said that the actor would pay a Rs 25 lakh amount today itself and that a repayment schedule for the balance amount has also been tentatively agreed to between the two sides. However, Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma stated that the actor had to surrender yesterday (Wednesday) and, therefore, he would be heard only after he hands himself over to the jail authorities. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Therefore, Rajpal Yadav surrendered today at Tihar jail. ALSO READ: Delhi High Court rejects Rajpal Yadavs plea to avoid jail, directs actor to surrender over cheque dishonour Cases According to ANI, the High Court had earlier withdrawn the leniency extended to Yadav and directed him to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent by February 4, 2026, at 4 PM. The Court held that the actor had repeatedly violated undertakings given to clear settlement dues. The sentence awarded by the trial court had been suspended in June 2024 to facilitate settlement between the parties. The Court noted that such relief had been granted solely on the basis of assurances that the dispute would be amicably resolved and payments would be made. The Court further observed that even partial payments promised through demand drafts and instalment schedules were not deposited within the stipulated time. Rejecting explanations relating to technical or typographical errors in demand drafts, the Court held that such reasons did not inspire confidence, particularly in view of the consistent pattern of default. Quote of the day: Today, let's take a look at this famous line by prolific writer Voltaire, where he talks about the marker through which wisdom of a man can be judged. He explains why it is imperative to have a deeper understanding of a man's character through his inquisitiveness and queries. Let's dig deeper and learn more about the satirist's views: Quote of the day Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers. - Voltaire Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Meaning of the quote Voltaire in this quote refers to the critical thinking part and stresses on the fact that a person is not known by how he answers but what he questions. It shows his how he thinks, about what he is inquisitive and is keen to learn - a brief check on his wisdom. Answers can only provide an insight into him re-sharing the facts. Therefore, while observing or judging a person, it is critical to pay heed to his questions. This quote is from Voltaire's Maximes et reflexions sur differents sujets de morale et de politique (1808), reflecting on the author's philosophical belief in questioning established truths. ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by Franz Kafka: 'Men can only be happy when' Who was Voltaire? French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, satirist, and historian - Francois-Marie Arouet, is known better by his pen name Voltaire. He advocated freedom of speech, wrote on religion, was critical of the Church and the state. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and 2,000 books and pamphlets. Political philosophy, literature, historiography, biblical criticism were some of his main interests. Several other prolific writers praised Voltaire's critical writings: According to Victor Hugo: "To name Voltaire is to characterize the entire eighteenth century." Napoleon once commented that till he was 16 he "would have fought for Rousseau against the friends of Voltaire, today it is the opposite ... The more I read Voltaire the more I love him. He is a man always reasonable, never a charlatan, never a fanatic." According to Diderot, 'Voltaire's influence would extend far into the future'. Voltaire's junior contemporary Jean-Jacques Rousseau commented on how Voltaire's book Letters on the English played a great role in his intellectual development. New Delhi: Pan-India actress Mrunal Thakur is in news, and this time it is not for her personal life but news coming in from her movie sets. Internet is abuzz with her leaked photos from a film set where she can be seen donning a pregnant woman's avatar. Actor Varun Dhawan is also seen along with the actress in the pictures. Mrunal Thakur's Viral Pics The leaked photos show Mrunal wearing a fake baby bump for a movie role. Fans got excited after the pictures went viral, speculating more about the upcoming project. Mrunal wore a breezy peach coloured midi dress with a blue cardigan over it and paired it with white sneakers. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Varun, on the other hand looked dapper in a blue jeans and black shirt. Check out the pictures here: Mrunal Thakur and Varun Dhawan will be seen together in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. The movie has a strong ensemble star cast which includes Pooja Hegde, Maniesh Paul, Jimmy Shergill, Mouni Roy, Chunky Panday, Rakesh Bedi, and Ali Asgar in pivotal roles. Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is scheduled to hit the theatres on June 5. About Mrunal Thakur's next The actress has Do Deewane Seher Mein in the pipeline with Siddhant Chaturvedi. Backed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and directed by Ravi Udyawar, the film features will hit the theatres on February 20, 2026. She also has Adivi Seshs much-talked about suspense thriller Dacoit in her kitty. The movie will release sometime in April this year. The actress has been in news for her alleged romance with Dhanush. However, she has time and again slammed the rumours about her link-up. New Delhi: In a move that brings much-needed relief to bank customers, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced compensation of up to Rs 25,000 for victims of small-value financial frauds. The decision was shared by RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra on the concluding day of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The announcement aims to strengthen customer protection and boost confidence in digital banking, especially at a time when online fraud cases are on the rise. MPC Keeps Repo Rate Unchanged The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held its 59th meeting from February 4 to 6, 2026, under the leadership of RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra. After reviewing the countrys macroeconomic and financial situation, the panel unanimously decided to keep the policy repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) unchanged at 5.25 per cent. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Alongside the rate decision, the Reserve Bank of India also focused on customer safety. To strengthen protection against digital fraud, the central bank proposed a new framework that will allow bank customers to receive compensation of up to Rs 25,000 for losses suffered in small-value fraudulent transactions. Fraud Compensation To Be Offered Only Once Per Customer The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made it clear that the proposed fraud compensation will be a one-time benefit for each customer. This means if someone receives compensation for a small-value fraudulent transaction, they will not be eligible to claim it again in the future. The central bank explained that the framework is designed to provide immediate relief and support to victims, not to serve as a repeated safety net. While RBI wants to help customers recover from financial loss, it has also stressed the importance of staying alert, being cautious with banking details, and avoiding repeated mistakes. Cases involving negligence or repeated lapses will not qualify for compensation under the proposed system. Main accused Tushar Suryakant Kale, a resident of Borivali was arrested along with Rakesh Srikanth Khanivadekar alias Raki and a Nigerian national named Efnairi Udoko. Case goes back to Oct 7, 2020, when Police had received an input that there is a type of drug that was being manufactured and sold. Police then seized Rs 20 crore worth of meow meow or MD drugs from a car and apprehended five accused. After investigation of the case, the police found out about the biotech company which was then raided and sealed. Karnatakas approval of the 67-crore Social Media Analytics Solution (SMAS) has sparked a major debate over privacy, free speech and state surveillance. Critics warn that without strong legal safeguards and independent oversight, the AI system could be misused to monitor citizens and silence dissent in the name of security. Zee Media Corporation, Indias first and largest news network, hosted the 4th edition of ZEE Samvad with Real Heroes today at The Fairmont, Mumbai. When winter hits, a good puffer jacket becomes more than just a layer it becomes a style statement. Modern men want warmth without bulk, comfort without compromise, and designs that look as good on the streets as they feel outdoors. Thats where these four standout puffer jackets come in. Designed for versatility and everyday wear, each jacket brings its own personality to winter dressing. Whether you prefer bold colourblocks, reversible styles, or minimal branding, these picks ensure you stay warm while looking effortlessly stylish. Image Source- Myntra.com Order Now The StyleCast x Revolte Men Hooded Puffer Jacket is designed for men who like their winterwear practical yet trendy. With a cozy hood and a sleek silhouette, this jacket balances warmth and urban style perfectly. Ideal for daily wear, its the kind of jacket youll reach for on chilly mornings and late-night outings alike. Key Features: Insulated puffer design for cold weather. Attached hood for extra protection. Lightweight feel with everyday comfort. Clean, modern styling. Hood is not detachable, which may limit styling options for some users. Image Source- Myntra.com Order Now The Duke Men Reversible Puffer Jacket is all about versatility. Two looks in one jacket make it a smart choice for men who like variety without overpacking. Flip it to match your mood or outfit, while enjoying reliable warmth and comfort. Its practical, stylish, and perfect for travel or daily winter wear. Key Features: Reversible design offers two style options. Warm padding suitable for colder days. Comfortable fit for all-day wear. Durable build for long-term use. Slightly bulkier feel due to double-layer construction. Image Source- Myntra.com Order Now If bold winter fashion is your thing, the Indian Garage Co. Colourblock Puffer Jacket is a strong pick. The eye-catching colourblock design adds energy to dull winter days, while the insulated build keeps you warm. Its perfect for men who enjoy standing out while staying comfortable. Key Features: Trendy colourblock pattern. Zip-front closure for easy wear. Regular fit for comfortable layering. Warm and lightweight insulation. Bold design may not appeal to those who prefer minimal or classic styles. Image Source- Myntra.com Order Now The French Connection Logo Printed Puffer Jacket blends premium branding with everyday winter comfort. Its clean design and subtle logo detailing make it ideal for men who prefer understated luxury. Easy to style and reliable against cold weather, this jacket works well for both casual and semi-urban looks. Key Features: Minimal logo branding for a premium look. Comfortable padded insulation. Sleek design suitable for daily wear. Easy to pair with jeans and boots. Branding may feel slightly understated for those seeking bold logos. A great puffer jacket is an investment that carries you through the cold season in comfort and confidence. These four jackets offer something for every style preference from reversible practicality and bold colourblocking to minimal branding and hooded protection. Each piece combines warmth, durability, and modern design, making winter dressing simpler and smarter. Whether youre commuting, travelling, or heading out casually, these jackets help you stay warm without sacrificing style. Choose the one that fits your personality best, and let your winter wardrobe speak with confidence, comfort, and effortless cool. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Disclaimer: At IDPL, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. It should not be construed as an endorsement to buy. IDPL may make a very small commission from its sale if one chooses to buy the product from any of the links in this article. Bangladesh is preparing for general elections on February 12, 2026. The country faces rising pre-poll violence. On Friday, 23 people got injured in Dhaka during protests by Inqilab Manch. The group demanded justice for Osman Hadi. The Interim Government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, denied that security forces used gunfire. An official statement said no law enforcement fired shots. Doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital treated 23 people, including Inqilab Mancha's Member Secretary, Abdullah Al Jaber. None had bullet wounds. The government banned meetings, rallies, and gatherings near the State Guest House Jamuna for security reasons. Police dispersed the protesters legally. They used no lethal weapons, according to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The government promised justice for Osman Hadi's death. Handi was shot in Dhaka's Paltan area on December 12, 2025. Doctors airlifted him to Singapore General Hospital on December 15, where he died three days later. His death sparked nationwide violence against media houses, political sites, cultural spots, and diplomatic missions. On Friday, thousands of Inqilab Morcha supporters tried to storm Jamuna, Yunus's residence. Videos showed a heavy police presence. Officers set up barricades and used water cannons, tear gas, and sound grenades. The Interim Government urged citizens to stay patient and responsible. It called for a peaceful election. The polls mark a historic step after Sheikh Hasina's ouster in 2024; her party, Awami League, is barred from running for the elections. This has fueled rivalries between BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in key areas. The International Crisis Group warned of poll uncertainties, credibility issues, and violence risks, while todays unrest could harm next week's voting. (with ANI inputs) In a move that not only brought a relief for the United Kingdom and Mauritius but also for the Indian Ocean region, US President Donald Trump has now backed off from his intervention in the Diego Garcia island deal. Sharing a post on Truth Social, President Trump said that he had a very productive discussion with British PM Keir Starmer and said that the US holds the right to intervene if the lease deal falls apart. Trump's u-turn comes days after the United States reached a trade deal with India after over six months of hostilities. "I have had very productive discussions with Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the Island of Diego Garcia. It is the site of a major U.S. Military Base, strategically situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean and, therefore, of great importance to the National Security of the United States," said Trump. Trump said that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made is the best he could do. "However, if the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia. Let it be known that I will never allow our presence on a Base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense," said Trump. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Praising his military, Trump said that the United States has the most powerful Military in the World. "Our Military Operations, over the course of the last year, were successful because of the strength of our warfighters, the modern capability of our equipment and, very importantly, the strategic location of our Military Bases for staging, and other reasons," he said. Earlier, Trump had warned the UK against going ahead with the deal. Diego Garcia, located in the Indian Ocean, hosts a major joint U.S.UK military installation that has played a central role in American operations across the Middle East, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific region for decades. The base is widely regarded as one of Washingtons most strategically important overseas military assets. The island is part of the Chagos Archipelago, which Britain detached from Mauritius before granting it independence in the late 1960s. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion finding the UKs continued administration of the territory unlawful and calling for its return to Mauritius. The deal also brings a relief for India as New Delhi has invested a lot along with Mauritius while playing a crucial role in the development of the island. At least 31 people have been killed and over 169 injured following a blast outside a religious centre in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, on Friday. The blast struck Tarlai Imambargah, a Shia religious centre in Islamabad's Shehzad Town area, during Friday prayers, Dawn reported. Police and rescue teams have arrived at the scene and are conducting rescue operations. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Islamabad Capital Territory Police Spokesperson Taqi Jawad stated that authorities could not yet confirm the blast's nature, though evidence suggested a suicide bomber. District administration officials reported that security personnel have fully sealed the site, with assistant commissioners assigned to coordinate treatment of the injured across hospitals, according to Dawn. A suicide bomber detonated himself during Friday prayers at a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad, according to two police officials. Images from the scene showed bloodied bodies on the mosque's carpeted floor amid shattered glass, debris, and panicked worshippers. Police and Rescue 1122 teams arrived promptly to launch operations. Emergencies were declared at Polyclinic, PIMS, and CDA Hospital. Bombings remain rare in the heavily guarded capital, despite Pakistan facing a rising wave of militancy in recent years. In a similar blast last year in November, a suicide bomber detonated at the entrance of Islamabad's District Judicial Complex, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens, reported Dawn. The escalation drew further with recent developments in Pakistans Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, driven by groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Balochistan saw major militant violence, with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launching coordinated attacks across nine districts, including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, and Nushki, from January 30. Militants targeted security posts, police stations, a high-security prison, banks, and civilian areas using guns, grenades, and suicide bombings, killing 17 security personnel and 31 civilians. Pakistani forces conducted counter-operations from January 29 to February 2, killing 216-218 militants while losing 22 personnel. Authorities imposed curfews, banned public gatherings, and restricted face coverings amid the manhunt. While there has been no claim of the blast as of now, but the investigating agencies are probing the incident. While the attacks method and target mirror Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) recent pattern, a suicide bomber struck a Shia congregation during Friday prayers in the capital, echoing the November 2025 Islamabad court bombing and a broader wave of sectarian and antistate attacks attributed to the group. The persistent conflicts across Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Sudan, with stalled ceasefires and renewed escalations. In Syria, post-Assad transitions face Turkish-backed advances and Israeli strikes occupying over 350 sq km, while Damascus-SDF talks falter amid autonomy disputes. Yemen sees Saudi-UAE clashes over separatists, Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping, and high civilian tolls; Gaza risks Israeli re-entry if Hamas delays disarmament under Trumps peace plans, and Lebanon endures Israeli strikes on Hezbollah post-2024 truce. While the never-ending fire in the Middle East is not merely fueled by Oil reserves, power dominance, and the Shia-Sunni rivalry, it dates back to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and colonial rule. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source The Western lines, without considering the tribal Middle East, have resulted in the never-ending conflict and the Sectarian rivalry. Historical Background The Ottoman Empire's 1918 collapse after World War I dissolved multi-ethnic provinces into a vacuum, exploited by Britain and Russia, whose Great Game ambitions predated formal mandates. Tribal demarcations ignored nomadic migrations across deserts, while the 7th-century Sunni-Shiite split, under caliphate disputes, was amplified by modern state-building. Tribes roamed freely across deserts for centuries, with no fixed borders. The Ottoman Empire ruled a huge area of mixed Muslims, Arabs, Kurds, and others from the 1500s until it collapsed in 1918 after World War I. The West And Sykes-Picot Agreement Russia and Britain competed for power in the Great Game before World War I. After the war, Britain and France signed the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916. They drew straight lines on maps to grab land, build oil pipelines, and create new countries. Iraq was born in 1920 by joining Sunni Arabs in the center, Shiite Arabs in the south, and Kurds in the north, who often fight each other. Syria got split from Lebanon, and Jordan and Palestine got fake borders that ignored real communities. British divide-and-rule tricks fueled early revolts, like in Iraq in 1920. The Never-Ending Conflict These straight colonial borders lock rival groups inside one country, like Sunnis vs. Shiites in Iraq, which helped ISIS rise. The Alawites on Syria's coast vs the Sunnis inland, who power the civil war. Proxy militias fight for outsiders, Iran arms groups like Hezbollah and Houthis, while Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the US back Sunnis or Kurds. Oil riches fund the weapons, and sectarian grudges keep it burning. In 2026, this map turns small sparks into big fires, from Gaza blockades to Yemen shipping chaos and Syrian land grabs. Iran's Nuclear Push Countries in the Middle East are racing for nuclear power to fuel growing energy demands and gain strategic advantages, intensifying regional tensions amid longstanding rivalries. Iran leads with its advanced program, including the Bushehr reactor operational since 2011 and ongoing uranium enrichment nearing weapons-grade levels despite international scrutiny and recent 2025 strikes on its facilities, prompting fresh US-Iran talks in Oman. The colonial-era borders, along with the nuclear power fight, religious conflicts, trade chokepoints, and Oil hegemony trap hostile groups, risk escalation, which could ignite broader wars. When the United States told Syrias Kurds that their partnership had expired, it landed less like a policy update and more like a betrayal. The message came at the worst possible moment, amid violent clashes between Kurdish forces and the Syrian army, and it carried a clear implication --- Washington was no longer standing with the Kurds, but with Damascus. For Kurds across the Middle East, watching from Syria, Iraq, Turkiye and Iran, the meaning was unmistakable. The US, once seen as a reluctant but useful ally, is now widely viewed as unreliable, particularly when it comes to protecting minority partners under pressure. That shift is already changing Kurdish political calculations across the region. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Syrias Kurds and fear of centralised rule US backing for Damascus under interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has revived one of the Kurds deepest anxieties --- the return of a strong, centralised Syrian state. For Kurdish communities, this is not an abstract concern but a lesson drawn from decades of experience. Centralised states in the Middle East have consistently marginalised Kurdish populations, suppressing their language, identity and political rights. Syria, under the Assad regime, was a clear example. Kurds were not recognised as a distinct group, the Kurdish language and names were banned from public life, and large numbers were denied citizenship altogether. Al-Sharaa has taken small steps to signal change. His presidential decree of 16 January promised limited rights, and the 30 January agreement between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) included cautious recognition of Kurdish collective identity. The reference to Kurdish regions was particularly striking, a language that had long been absent from official Syrian discourse. Yet these gains are modest and fragile. They are unfolding within a transitional framework that ultimately aims to reassert central authority. For Syrian Kurds, the fear is not what is promised today, but what may be withdrawn tomorrow. Most Kurdish groups now agree that armed resistance is not a realistic option. But trust in Washington has been badly damaged, and any future engagement with the US will be approached with deep scepticism. Iraq: A surprising Shia-Kurdish convergence In Iraq, US policy in Syria is feeding into a broader political realignment. After years of rivalry and mistrust, Shia and Kurdish actors are finding common ground, not because of shared ideology, but because of shared fears. In 2003, their alliance was built on a shared past under Saddam Hussein. Today, it is shaped by a shared concern about future marginalisation in a volatile region. This shift is visible both among political elites and within the wider public. For the first time in years, many Iraqi Kurds are no longer enthusiastic about regime change in Iran, a position that would have been unthinkable only weeks ago. The change was underscored when Iraqs Shia Coordination Framework nominated Nouri al-Maliki for prime minister last month. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the dominant Kurdish force, openly welcomed the move. This support was not driven solely by anger over US actions in Syria. It also reflected internal Kurdish politics. The KDP is locked in a rivalry with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over Iraqs presidency, a post reserved for Kurds. Backing al-Maliki strengthens the KDPs hand in Baghdad. From Washingtons perspective, a KDP-aligned Kurdistan Regional Government working closely with an al-Maliki-led administration may complicate US efforts to limit Iranian influence in Iraq. But Kurdish leaders argue that their position cannot be understood without accounting for US behaviour in Syria. In Kurdish eyes, Washington has not acted as a neutral broker. Turkiyes peace process: damaged but not derailed For much of the past year, many believed Turkiyes talks with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) depended heavily on developments in Syria and the future of the SDF. The clashes between Damascus, backed by Ankara and Washington, and the SDF appeared to put that process at risk. Yet, unexpectedly, negotiations have not collapsed. Instead, the two tracks seem to be treated separately. Talks with the PKK are likely to continue inside Turkiye, and PKK leaders have not turned their frustration over the weakening of the SDF into a blanket rejection of dialogue with Ankara. A key reason is that the SDF has not been completely dismantled, leaving enough space to keep diplomatic channels open. Iranian Kurds step back from confrontation Iranian Kurds, though geographically distant from Syria, have drawn their own conclusions. The sidelining of the SDF reinforced their view that US support for minorities is unpredictable and transactional. Despite ongoing US rhetoric against Tehran, Iranian Kurdish groups have deliberately avoided leading recent protests or allowing themselves to be used by Western media. This restraint is striking. There is little enthusiasm for a return of Reza Pahlavi, who enjoys backing from Washington. For many Kurds, the memory of the shahs repression remains fresh, and Western-based opposition groups have offered no credible guarantees on Kurdish rights. Some Iran-based Kurdish armed groups operating from Iraq have carried out limited attacks near the border. But the main actors have avoided escalation. Their calculations are shaped by uncertainty over US and Israeli end goals, and by the knowledge that any serious confrontation would likely trigger Iranian retaliation against Iraqi Kurds. A trust that is wearing thin Each time Washington abandons a Kurdish partner, it weakens the trust that underpins its influence on the ground. Syrian and Iraqi Kurds have learned to live with American unpredictability, but that tolerance has limits. If the remaining confidence finally breaks, the consequences will extend far beyond Kurdish politics. The US may find that, when it next looks for partners in the region, fewer are willing to believe that its commitments will last. Hours before crucial US-Iran nuclear negotiations are set to begin, the United States issued an urgent security directive urging all American citizens in Iran to evacuate immediately and warning that no assistance should be expected if the situation deteriorates. The advisory was released through the US Virtual Embassy Tehran, which serves as Washington's primary communication channel with Americans in Iran due to the absence of a physical US diplomatic mission. The alert advises US citizens to make plans to depart Iran without relying on US government assistance. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source "US citizens should leave Iran now. Consider departing Iran by land to Turkiye or Armenia, if safe to do so. Leave Iran now. Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on US government help," the advisory states. For those unable to leave immediately, the guidance recommends identifying secure locations, limiting movement, and maintaining supplies of food, water, medications, and other necessities. "If you cannot leave, find a secure location within your residence or another safe building. Have a supply of food, water, medications, and other essential items," the advisory states. Iran Security Alert - Americans Should Leave Iran Now (January 13, 2026) https://t.co/A3VdQg0uDZ sr roy (@srroy231162) February 6, 2026 Safety Recommendations: The advisory includes several precautions for Americans who remain in Iran: Avoid public demonstrations and large gatherings Keep a low public profile Monitor surroundings and local developments Follow local news for updates Keep communication devices charged Maintain regular contact with family or contacts outside Iran Establish alternative communication methods in case primary channels are disrupted The advisory highlights additional considerations for individuals who hold both US and Iranian citizenship. "US-Iranian dual nationals must exit Iran on Iranian passports. The Iranian government does not recognize dual nationality and will treat US-Iranian dual nationals solely as Iranian citizens. US nationals are at significant risk of questioning, arrest, and detention in Iran. Showing a US passport or demonstrating connections to the United States can be reason enough for Iranian authorities to detain someone," the advisory states. The advisory also cautions US citizens against travel to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Pakistan-Iran border region. The advisory underscores that US citizens in Iran have limited options for official assistance. The United States has had no diplomatic or consular relations with Iran since 1979 and maintains no embassy or consulates in the country. As a result, the US government cannot provide direct on-the-ground support to Americans in Iran. In place of a US diplomatic presence, Switzerland serves as the United States protecting power, representing US interests and offering limited consular services through its embassy in Tehran. Americans requiring assistance are directed to contact the Swiss Embassys Foreign Interests Section. Embassy of Switzerland - Foreign Interests Section, Tehran Phone: +98-21-22-54-21-78 +98-21-22-56-52-73 +98-21-22-77-24-63 US-Iran nuclear negotiations Direct US-Iran nuclear negotiations are expected to resume in Oman, as both sides engage in diplomacy against the backdrop of rising military tensions. The talks come after weeks of sharp rhetoric from Washington and Tehran, with relations deteriorating to a level comparable to earlier periods of confrontation. President Trump has repeatedly cautioned that Iran would face severe repercussions if it does not agree to limits on its nuclear programme. His administration has backed those statements by deploying a carrier strike group and other military forces to the Middle East, underscoring the pressure accompanying the diplomatic effort. ALSO READ | Trump issues stark warning to Iran's Ayatollah: 'He should be very worried' as nuclear talks loom and US military deploys United States President Donald Trump has issued a direct and menacing warning to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declaring the Iranian leader "should be very worried" as both nations move toward resuming nuclear negotiations. The blunt message came during Trump's Wednesday interview with NBC News, signaling Washington's increasingly aggressive posture toward Tehran. When questioned specifically about Khamenei and the escalating pressure facing Iran from both the United States and regional powers, "I would say he should be very worried, yeah. He should be," Trump stated. Iran agrees to talks under the shadow of military threat Add Zee News as a Preferred Source Tehran has conditionally accepted an American proposal for dialogue aimed at preventing further military escalation between the two adversaries. The move represents a significant diplomatic opening after weeks of increasingly hostile exchanges. The planned negotiations follow a sustained period of inflammatory statements from both nations, with tensions reaching levels not seen since previous confrontations between Washington and Tehran. Trump has repeatedly warned that Iran could face serious consequences if it fails to reach an agreement on its nuclear programme. These warnings have been reinforced by the deployment of a US carrier strike group and additional military assets to the Middle East. Oman likely venue for US-Iran nuclear talks According to CNN, the talks are expected to take place in Oman, a location also confirmed by Irans ISNA news agency. Iran claims enhanced missile capabilities and deterrence Meanwhile, Irans top military leadership has stressed that the country has significantly strengthened its deterrence capabilities. Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi made the remarks during a visit to a missile facility run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), alongside IRGC Aerospace Force commander Brigadier General Majid Mousavi. During the visit, Mousavi said upgrades across multiple technical aspects of Irans domestically produced ballistic missiles had enhanced the countrys deterrent power. He further stated that following the recent 12-day conflict, Iran had shifted its military posture from defensive to offensive, embracing asymmetric warfare and preparing for what he described as a crushing response to any hostile action. (With ANI Inputs) ALSO READ | 'Leave now': US issues emergency evacuation alert for Americans in Iran as nuclear talks approach The US State Department targets 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels. These are linked to Iran's illegal oil, petroleum, and petrochemical trade. The revenue funds Iran's harmful activities. The US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas "Tommy" Pigott, in a press release, said, The Department of State is sanctioning 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 shadow fleet vessels connected to the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products. These targets have generated revenue that the regime uses to conduct its malign activities. Instead of investing in the welfare of its own people and crumbling infrastructure, the Iranian regime continues to fund destabilizing activities around the world and step up its repression inside Iran, he added. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source He futher noted that the US will keep holding Iran and its partners accountable. This is as long as Iran dodges sanctions to earn oil money. Iran uses that cash for oppression, terror groups, and proxies. The President aims to cut Iran's illegal oil and petrochemical sales. This fits the administration's maximum pressure plan, said US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson. The announcement came moments after key Iran-US discussions on nuclear issues in Oman. This timing underscores ongoing tensions. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi led the delegation. US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff headed the American side. They met in Oman to discuss Tehran's nuclear program. The meeting followed a turbulent week. Earlier plans called for regional nations to join talks in Turkey. Both sides focused on key nuclear issues. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi feels hopeful after nuclear talks with the US. He called it a good start with plans to keep talking. His team will decide the next steps back in the capital. Araghchi told state TV there is an understanding to continue. He said steady progress could lead to a solid framework deal, according to Reuters reports. On the other hand, Oman's Foreign Minister met separately with Iran's Abbas Araghchi, then US envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. Talks aimed to set up conditions for resuming nuclear diplomacy and technical work. Oman stressed their value for lasting security and stability. Both sides showed strong commitment to success. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir have been actively drumming up anti-India sentiments to provoke the people. While on one hand, Pakistan provided security cover for Jaish-e-Mohammad rallies in the country, on the other hand, the army chief and prime minister have been involved in provoking the people in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The army and government sanctioned rallies by the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Swabi district and Sindh. The theme of these rallies was anti-India, aimed at drumming up sentiments against New Delhi. In recent weeks, both Sharif and Asim Munir have made a couple of visits to PoK and delivered provocative speeches. Add Zee News as a Preferred Source During the speeches, both claimed that Kashmir would be liberated soon. He also spoke about the readiness of the army to battle against India. Sharif, on the other hand, said that India has no other option but to grant self-determination. He also termed India an aggressive state, due to which there is no regional stability. Officials say that these events are timed at a time when Pakistan is losing face in Balochistan. Several security forces have been killed in fierce fighting with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in recent days. Moreover, people are asking questions to the establishment that has been involved in fighting on multiple fronts, when the economy has collapsed. Questions are also being asked about the treatment of Imran Khan and his whereabouts. Further, the army lost face when India executed Operation Sindoor, and the people now doubt the capabilities of their forces. An official said that there is a sustained effort to drum up anti-India sentiments across the country. This is just a diversionary tactic so that people do not ask questions about the failure of the establishment, the official also added. Another official said that the rallies by terror groups have been planned by the establishment itself. These rallies are heavily protected by the Pakistan Police and other security agencies. The cadres of these terror groups were brandishing AK-47s during the rallies while calling for the death of India. An Intelligence Bureau official said that in the days to come, one would get to witness more such rallies by terror groups that are backed openly by the establishment. Post Operation Sindoor, the recruitments have dropped significantly. These rallies are meant to boost recruitments too, the official added. Further, the security given by the establishment is now being flaunted openly. This is to send a message to the possible recruits that they are backed by the establishment. Doubts had crept in when the establishment failed to protect groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba during Operation Sindoor. An official said this explains why the establishment is providing security to rallies of two groups that are designated by the UN and the US. In PoK, the agencies have found that apart from provoking the people and diverting attention, attempts are being made at the highest levels to create tensions. The army has not been able to aid the terrorists waiting at the launch pads to infiltrate India. This has made the establishment extremely frustrated. Tensions created by the locals could cause a distraction on the Indian side of the border. The terrorists are hoping to take advantage of the distraction and then infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier this week, the Indian security agencies busted a plot by the Jaish-e-Mohammad to set up fresh modules in Jammu and Kashmir. Further, there is a huge search operation ongoing to hunt down the remaining foreign terrorists in Kashmir, and this has added to the woes of the Pakistani establishment, officials say. (AciStampa) UTRECHT Yesterday, Cardinal Willem Jacobus Eijk, Archbishop of Utrecht, said in an that a magisterial document on gender theory was urgent. The Archbishop confirms a previous statement, made in November, in which he expressed his opinion that such a document would be useful to the Church. I would not necessarily say it takes an encyclical, the Archbishop told AciStampa. It could also be a different type of document, such as an instruction from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, it is important that there be an authoritative document of the Church on this theory. Gender theory is an academic exploration which posits that a persons gender or gender identity, the sex they consider themselves to be, is more or less entirely separated from their sex, the physical sexual identity their body possesses. The right of any individual who feels a disconnect between these two to act in society according to their internal identity is being pursued across the West as a civil rights issue. The underlying psychological disorder, known as gender dysphoria, is no longer considered a pathology. The Church cannot accept gender theory, as Eijk explains, because she must deny the Cartesian dualism of metaphysics upon which it is based: Gender theory is based on a dualist anthropology, which limits the human person to human consciousness, the center, in the brain, of rational activity, the autonomous choices and typically human social skills. Gender theory sees the body as something secondary, something extrinsic to human nature, which does not participate in the dignity of the person as such, as an intrinsic value of the person. This is, he declares, clearly opposed to the vision of the Catholic Church. As other columnists have noted , Abp. Eijk points out the danger of such dehumanization of the body, which gives rise not only to movements of personal redefinition like transgenderism, but also to abortion and euthanasia and similar forms of violence. At present, Eijk says, international organizations put a lot of pressure on nations to introduce this theory, especially in education. The recent creation of the post of LGBT czar at the United Nations is a good example of the force being applied at present. Gender theory, as an instrumentalized ideology of the state, has made much more progress in the European Union than in the United States. Eijks call comes as the Supreme Court of the United States, in a surprise ruling, has refused to grant a hearing to the case of Gavin Grimm, the now-infamous bathroom case. Over the last few months in Europe, however, as we at Pewsitter have reported, the persecution of those who oppose the LGBT lobby has risen to Orwellian levels. The Spanish government has created an anonymous informant system to turn in anyone who is not sufficiently compassionate to the authorities. Bus station and television advertisements relentlessly indoctrinate citizens. This week a BBC commentator is facing public outrage over her denial that a transgendered male can really be a woman. Archbishop Eijk ends his interview with a plea for Catholic news agencies and media outlets to broadcast the truth. While the Magisterium has addressed questions related to gender many times in the past, including by Pope Francis (Laudato Si 151), the teaching authority of the Church has been overshadowed by scandal and negativity. He declares that the Church has a duty to maintain her media presence and advertise her mission and teachings: We must also think of those who are spiritually poor, because they have never heard the truth. Every man in this world has the right to feel, to hear the gospel. Quotations from AciStampa translated with the aid of Google Translate. GUEST RESEARCH: Tenable Research has identified two major vulnerabilities dubbed LookOut, in Google Looker. The popular business intelligence platform is used by more than 60,000 companies in 195 countries, potentially allowing attackers to hijack entire systems or steal corporate secrets. The most critical discovery, a Remote Code Execution (RCE) chain, allows an attacker to take full control of a Looker server by running their own malicious commands remotely. This action essentially provides attackers with the keys to the kingdom, allowing them to steal sensitive secrets, manipulate data, or pivot further into the internal network. In cloud instances, the vulnerability could potentially lead to cross-tenant access. This level of access is particularly dangerous because Looker acts as a central nervous system for corporate information, and a breach could allow an attacker to manipulate data or move deeper into a companys private internal network, said Liv Matan, Senior Research Engineer at Tenable, who led the discovery. The second vulnerability the research uncovered allows for the complete theft of Lookers internal management database. By tricking the system into connecting to its own "private brain," researchers used a specialised data-extraction technique to download sensitive user credentials and configuration secrets. While Google responded quickly to secure its managed cloud service, the risk remains high for organisations that host Looker on their own private servers or on-premises hardware. These organisations must manually apply security patches to close these backdoors, as they currently bear the full burden of protecting their infrastructure from potential administrative takeover. "Given that Looker is often the central nervous system for an organisation's most sensitive data, the security of its underlying architecture is crucial; however, it remains difficult to secure such systems while providing users with powerful capabilities like running SQL or indirectly interacting with the managing instance's file system, said Matan. To monitor for potential exploitation of these vulnerabilities, administrators should review their systems for specific indicators of compromise. First, they should inspect the file system for any unexpected or unauthorised files within the .git/hooks/ directory of Looker project folders, paying close attention to scripts named pre-push, post-commit, or applypatch-msg that may have been placed there by an attacker. Additionally, security teams should examine application logs for signs of internal connection abuse, specifically searching for unusual SQL errors or patterns consistent with error-based SQL injection targeting internal Looker database connections like looker__ilooker. COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT: Azzet , Inc. an innovative global marketplace for investment opportunities and premium assets, has today announced the addition of seasoned senior-level governance executive Yvonne Howie to its Board of Directors. The strengthening of Azzets board follows last weeks announcement that executive leader Henry Stoever will join its board as an independent, non-executive director and special committee member to guide the company through its international expansion. Howies appointment brings more than 30 years of senior executive, board, and governance leadership to Azzets rapidly scaling global marketplace. Azzets platform, which already reaches users from over 160 countries, is built to unify and democratise access to investment opportunities worldwide through a trusted, globally accessible portal spanning private equity, investment products, real estate, operating businesses, alternative assets and lifestyle investments, including yachts, luxury vehicles, private aircraft and curated travel experiences. Having worked closely with Azzets experienced leadership team in recent years, Im looking forward to contributing my executive and board experience at this important stage of the companys growth, said Howie. There is a clear need for a central, trusted platform where investors across all asset classes can access opportunities and reliable information and Azzet is well positioned to become a market leader with its strong leadership, strategic positioning and disciplined approach to corporate governance. Azzets Managing Director of Investor Relations, Nicholas Lawson, commented, Yvonnes decision to join Azzets board is a major endorsement of the vision and strength of our management team, and were fortunate to have her wisdom and governance experience to help guide the company through its expansion phase. Howie is an experienced chair, non-executive director and company secretary and has served on company boards for nearly 20 years, including those of state government and not-for-profit organisations. She was previously Chief Executive Officer of The CEO Institute (New South Wales) and CEO of a major Chamber of Commerce in Australia. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Howie was, in her early career, a senior regional public relations manager with The Coca-Cola Company. Her expertise lies in governance, building organisations, and mentoring leaders in modern, fast-paced environments. A resident of Sydney, Australia, Howie travels frequently to New York for business and family. China's Shaanxi province, Jordan to collaborate on digital theatre Xinhua) 08:26, February 06, 2026 AMMAN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Shaanxi province signed a memorandum of understanding with Jordan on Thursday to jointly develop a digital theatre in the Jordanian capital, aiming to boost bilateral cooperation in digital performing arts. The agreement was signed by officials from both sides, in the presence of Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Guo Wei and Jordanian Minister of Culture Mustafa Al-Rawashdeh. Under the deal, Shaanxi and Jordan will collaborate on digitizing theatre and other performing arts resources from both regions. Plans include creating shared digital performing arts libraries in Shaanxi and Amman, developing cloud-based audio-visual platforms, building digital theatre collections, and exploring new business models for digital performances. Lina Attel, director general of the Jordan National Center for Culture and Arts, said the agreement seeks to deepen Jordanian-Chinese cooperation in digital performing arts while delivering innovative artistic content that benefits both countries. China's advanced technology will facilitate the exchange of expertise, broaden the reach of theatre, music, dance, and folk arts, and help preserve them for future generations, Attel said. Shaanxi, a northwestern Chinese province, is home to Xi'an, the ancient capital that marked the starting point of the Silk Road. Xi'an is also famous for the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, an archaeological site featuring thousands of clay soldiers known as the Terracotta Army. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Laman Ismayilova International Mugham Center has hosted a magnificent concert featuring Azerbaijan's traditional folk instruments as part of the project "Azerbaijani mugham", Azernews reports. The concert aimed to fuse classical performance traditions with modern interpretations, highlighting the rich heritage of Azerbaijan's musical culture through a contemporary lens. The concert program included performances by artists playing traditional instruments such as the tar, kamancha, saz, and qanun. This initiative, dedicated to preserving and passing down the art of Azerbaijani folk music, also contributes to the development of instrumental performance. The project is set to present concerts once a month, offering music lovers a chance to experience this vibrant cultural heritage. Honored Artists Farida Malikova,Ilham Najafov, and their students, as well as instrumentalists Ramin Rzayev, Rufat Hasanov, Natavan Hasanova, Mirhuseyn Asadullayev, Mehta Mehammadalizade, Aygul Gadirova, Gelbinur Ibrahimli, Vagif Tahmazov, and Mirnofel Hasanov delighted the audience with their performances. Accompanying the musicians were Svetlana Ahmedova, Rena Zakiyeva, Lale Ahmadova, Orkhan Sultanov, Eldar Zerbaliyev, Ruhulla Dadasov, and Vefadar Ramizzade. The next concert in the series will take place on February 23. Founded on the initiative of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, the Mugham Center was established in accordance with a presidential decree dated April 6, 2005. Construction of the center began the same year, and the building, recognized today as one of Baku's most distinctive architectural landmarks, officially opened in 2008. Since then, the Mugham Center has consistently hosted large-scale music festivals and concerts featuring prominent and internationally renowned cultural figures. Alongside its concert activities, the center actively works to strengthen cultural cooperation with countries such as Turkiye, Poland, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Morocco, and others. Committed to the preservation and global promotion of Azerbaijani musical heritage, the International Mugham Center continues to expand its activities. Numerous projects are underway aimed at researching, safeguarding, and popularizing the art of mugham. A landmark achievement was reached in 2025, when the Mugham Center became the first cultural institution in Azerbaijan to receive international status through legislation. This designation has also played a significant role in improving the social and financial conditions of the center's staff, reinforcing its position as one of Baku's leading concert venues. In recent years, and particularly over the past year, the International Mugham Center has experienced a noticeable increase in interest, especially among tourists attending mugham and ethno-music concerts. During the 9th Mugham Television Contest, the center hosted numerous performances that attracted a wide and diverse audience. Regular monthly events appeal to both professional musicians and general music lovers. Promotional banners placed around the venue help draw the attention of tourists, many of whom stop during the day to admire the center's impressive architecture while anticipating evening performances. This growing international appeal was especially evident during the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when numerous racing fans and visitors to Baku also took part in the International Mugham Center's rich musical program. Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Primary care physician Jerina Gani discusses their article The hidden rewards of a primary care career. Jerina challenges the common narrative that general practice is merely a stepping stone filled with paperwork and low wages. She explains how physicians can unlock scalable income and schedule flexibility to build a prosperous career in health care without sacrificing personal well-being. The conversation explores the profound emotional value of generational trust and the privilege of guiding patients through vulnerable life moments. Jerina urges medical students to look beyond the prestige of high-tech specialties to find the enduring impact of treating the whole person. Discover how a shift in perspective can transform a demanding profession into a deeply fulfilling calling. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Lets work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended Transcript Kevin Pho: Hi, welcome to the show. Subscribe at KevinMD.com/podcast. Today we welcome back Jerina Gani. She is a primary care physician. Todays KevinMD article is The hidden rewards of a primary care career. Jerina, welcome back to the show. Jerina Gani: Thank you. It is a privilege to be here and an honor. Thank you. Kevin Pho: All right, so tell us what your latest article is about. Jerina Gani: The latest article is about the pleasure of me being in primary care in the last few years. I had another podcast with you, and I really enjoyed everything. Thank you for sharing that with the rest of the providers all over the United States. This one has to do with the fact that I am enjoying it more than before. I have been a primary care physician for 20 years now, but the last few years have been different because of the way I designed my clinic time. The title is The overlooked treasures of primary care. People are going to think there isnt any treasure in primary care. I think there is a lot of treasure in primary care, and I can explain why this field is more rewarding than most people realize. That is the title, and that is the way I feel. If you want me to go ahead and explain this, I will be happy to. Kevin Pho: All right. So yeah, I am a primary care physician myself, as everyone knows. I do internal medicine. I see patients the first half of the week, and I interview so many doctors who are burned out. They say that there are so many obstacles in our primary care system like pre-authorizations and bureaucratic paperwork. There is a loss of autonomy in primary care, and medical students listen to that and wonder why anyone would go into primary care in the first place. So it is refreshing to hear your story and read your article about some of the treasures of primary care. So tell us some of the things that we may not know about primary care. Jerina Gani: I totally agree. Primary care is busy. It is complicated. There are a lot of things going on in primary care. There are concerning things because not many people help us, but we have to be the CEO of our own care and the CEO of our own job as a physician or clinician. So if we do that and organize our time the right way and organize our day the right way, primary care is amazing. We can concentrate on the problems, all these labs and tests and stuff, or we can concentrate as well on the wonderful things we get from primary care on a day-to-day basis dealing with people. ADVERTISEMENT So these are the rewards I want to explain: the hidden rewards that primary care has. The first thing is financial. There are so many subspecialties out there, and medical students especially dont want to go to primary care because I feel like it is not financially rewarding. There is not much money in primary care. They ask why not go be a subspecialist if they studied so many years so they will make more money. I think primary care has a lot of potential, even financially, and I have seen that myself. I have been working 20 years in primary care. The first 16 years, I was working full-time seeing patients every 20 minutes. It was very, very tiresome. Even on the weekends, I was working. In the last three and a half years, I organized my life very differently. So now I see patients every half an hour, only three days a week. So I see 16 patients in a day in primary care. By doing that, I have so much time with every patient. I have time to talk to them and not only to deal with their medical issues. Even five minutes on every visit having that human touch, a little story from their life or exchanging what is going on, is so rewarding and fulfilling. It regenerates me as a doctor, believe it or not, because I am learning from them too. I am talking here even with nurse practitioners or physician associates who are now clinicians and have their own panel. It is very rewarding that way and financially too. I have realized by working three days and seeing patients every half an hour, I have so much time to document everything I do. By documenting and asking all the questions medically on patients and resolving as many medical issues as they have, I am billing a lot better now. By billing better, I am reimbursed a lot better. So I am reimbursed for all the work I do, and I realize that in three days I make more money than working full-time. It is very strange, but that is the way it is going on. I shared this in my online course regarding the hidden rewards. Emotional rewards are unbelievable. We have generations of people. We see the grandparents, we see the parents, and we see their children. Especially when you are with these patients for over 10 years, which I have been, I know every little bit of their story. It is so amazing when you see the grandparent and then they tell you that they had the wedding of the grandchild, who is also your patient. They share that moment and I ask them to show me some pictures. Only those moments I spend with them regarding this make me feel so good. It makes me feel so wonderful. Another thing is that I practice in Massachusetts. We have a lot of people from all over the world, and I am an immigrant myself. I came to the United States 30 years ago. I am so amazed with the experience I get from people all over the world who came here and share their story. They came from South Africa, South America, Europe, you name it. In one moment, when I get into my office, I always tell them in the exam room: Think for a moment that you are sitting in my living room. We are going to discuss all the medical issues, but we can share a little story there. Before I get in, because I prepare my notes and I know who is coming, and since I have such good relations with them, my schedule is always full. So I know who is coming the next day. When I get into that exam room, I think for a moment: Oh, now I am talking to somebody who is from Africa. How wonderful. So let me find something out about whats going on in that country. Even if you ask for a few minutes, they tell you what is going on. It is so amazing that they are here and thankful. Oh, the next one is from South America. Oh, this is an American with generations here. So I ask about things. Sometimes I tease them about languages because being a foreigner, I know several languages. I like to learn more if I can. So I tell them it is good for their memory too, and it helps. I can go on and on forever. But it is really amazing. I dont know how to explain it. I am getting a little emotional even talking about this. I dont mind being emotional, but it is a wonderful emotional reward in primary care. So financial fulfillment is out there. You have to just be organized. If you organize yourself right and if you bill correctly, there are plenty of opportunities because in primary care, people come with many issues. You are not discussing only the heart. You are discussing whatever they have. The more you discuss up to a certain point, the more you get reimbursed. You have to know how to document correctly, but there are plenty of opportunities for making a great financial impact on your salary that way. So these are the main things I wanted to discuss. I think that my life now is so balanced. The work-life balance is amazing. I work three days very hard. But working hard in these three days and putting these moments of emotional touch in regenerates me so I do not feel as tired. Another thing that I added which I can share with the audience is that I have always been a hugger. I have a lot of old ladies who live alone and other patients. Especially since after COVID, we have been very distanced from people. We put that mask on and then we stay away because God forbid something will happen. I never felt that way. Even when I had the mask on, if the patient didnt have any symptoms, I went ahead and hugged that old lady because she lives alone and she needs that. It helped them so much. It helped me so much. Sometimes before I leave the exam room, I hear an old lady saying to me: Where are you going? I turn back and think I forgot something. She is like: You forgot to hug me. So I go back and hug her. It is wonderful. It is such a great feeling. I read once a Harvard study that said if you have eight good hugs a day, you live longer. So I tell patients they can hug whoever the loved ones they have are. Dont forget to do that. It is wonderful. Kevin Pho: I think that I definitely feel the same as you when it comes to those long-term relationships. I have been in the same practice for 23, almost 24 years now, and a lot of patients that I see from the very beginning when I first came out of residency are still with me today. I always like to joke with them that we are both still here, so hopefully we are both doing something right. So that is definitely one of the joys I feel for primary care. You mentioned that your schedule was like 16 to 17 patients, three days a week. You get a half-hour with each patient. But that is not the schedule of every primary care doctor. You hear stories of primary care doctors who work for hospital systems who just pile on more patients every 15 minutes. They have to see 30 patients a day. What message do you have for those primary care physicians who may not have the schedule that you described? Jerina Gani: You know, you have to look for that schedule. Nobody gave me that schedule to begin with. You have to ask for it. You have to advocate for yourself in a nice way wherever you are. Now since I have this online course and I am talking to physicians and clinicians all over the United States and I really enjoy sharing the experience with them, I had a phone call with the administrator of a clinic the other day. She was interested. She saw my thing and she asked: How come youre doing this? How did you reach this point that you can see patients every half an hour? I told her that financial rewards are better for me and for the clinic because I am working better, I am reimbursed better, and they are getting better reimbursement. She was like: Oh, this is interesting. So even the hospitals and the clinics and the management may be open-minded if you discuss this and you realize that by having longer visit times for every patient, you can bill better, you can document better, and you can do that prevention which is so important. So everybody is happy. The doctor is happy, the clinic is happy, and the patient is very happy because she doesnt have to come for just one problem. Patients are busy. We are patients too somewhere. They are busy. They are not going to come just for sinusitis and go away. They have to take a day off or take the time off to come and see the doctor. So if you can accommodate them doing more in that visit, they will be extremely happy. And you will be happy too because you are going to get better reimbursed and the clinic will be happy because they will get better money too. So I think it is all about communicating. I dont know why clinicians are afraid of communicating this with their own management. I dont know why they have to kill themselves like I was doing for 16 years. I wish I knew this before. You are going to say maybe my clinic was that open-minded and gave me the chance. But we are RVU-based. So they said to me at the beginning, like everywhere else, that if you work three days, we are going to adjust your salary by decreasing it at the beginning because they didnt know how much I would bring in for 16 patients a day. Then my salary jumped high. It increased so much after six months when they calculated it that they were surprised too. So you have to try. You have to see what works for you as a clinician because I think each one of us is a CEO of their own life and CEO of their own work. If you dont advocate for yourself, who is going to do it? Kevin Pho: You mentioned billing a few times and RVU-based productivity, and that is how a lot of physicians are paid. I am sure that you see this yourself. A lot of physicians simply dont know how to bill and they leave a lot of money on the table. And like you said, if you spend time with patients, you can bill for time. You can bill for a higher code if you address more issues in that visit. So in order to achieve the schedule that you describe and some of that satisfaction that you express here, it is really imperative for physicians to really know how to bill correctly. Jerina Gani: I totally agree because I learned so much about billing before I did this. I have a masters degree in health service management that helped me, but I also independently learned about billing. Billing is very important. You cannot leave it to the billing department because there are people who bill who are doing that job automatically all the time, and they dont know what you did with your patient. They will base everything on what you document. If you are tired and you dont know what you are documenting, because you may talk half an hour with somebody but if you dont document the right things in the note, they dont know what they are going to bill. They are going to bill lower. If you know about billing, you know how to document correctly. This is exactly what the online course I have created is for: billing and for satisfaction in primary care to maximize every patient visit. You have to maximize it. You owe that to yourself for all the hard work you do. Kevin Pho: So you mentioned of course your online course, but there are a lot of free resources as well in terms of exactly how physicians can bill. You could go to the American Academy of Family Physicians, you go to ACP, and I think that they have a lot of resources in terms of teaching physicians how to bill correctly because this isnt anything that they typically learn during residency. Jerina Gani: I totally agree with you. There are so many free resources out there. If you use them the right way, you will be surprised how happy you will be with billing correctly, documenting correctly, and having more time. If you do that right, you have a few minutes in every visit to talk humanly with your patient and enjoy your primary care. Kevin Pho: We talked about earlier the medical students who may be listening to you now, and they think that primary care doesnt have the prestige in contrast with some of the other subspecialties. What would you say to those medical students who dont think primary care has enough prestige? Jerina Gani: You know, I can share my story. When I finished my residency training, I got an offer for a cardiology subspecialty, and I turned it down. I really love the connection with patients. I really love this, and you can get this only in primary care. If I became a cardiologist, maybe at the beginning I would make more money, but I wouldnt talk to the patient for every problem they had. I would talk only for the heart, and they would come only when they had a heart issue. They would not come to see me all the time and I would lose that connection with them. I always loved this and I was from the beginning very certain that I would continue with primary care. At the beginning, primary care was hard. I am not saying it was easy because I didnt know what to do. I didnt know about billing. I was overwhelmed with the whole work. But now that I organized everything these past three or four years, I really enjoy primary care so much, and I am so glad I chose this direction. I spoke with another doctor the other day who came from another country. He was a primary care doctor there for many years, and now he is doing residency training and is thinking of going to be a hospitalist or doing a subspecialty because everybody tells him not to go to primary care. He was sharing with me the connection he had with his patients back home, not in the United States. I told him: But listen, I have the same connection here and even more because I see people from all over the world. Not only from my own country, Albania, where I come from, but from all over the world. So this is ten times more rewarding if you have time. He was surprised. He was like: Wow, you convinced me. I am going to go to primary care. So I think if medical students listen to this, primary care is amazing. But you have to have the desire to talk and connect with patients. If you are a people person, this is the place to be. Kevin Pho: We are talking to Jerina Gani. She is a primary care physician. Todays KevinMD article is The hidden rewards of a primary care career. Jerina, lets have some take-home messages that you want to leave with a KevinMD audience. Jerina Gani: I would wish and love for every primary care clinician to reach the right work-life balance by working fewer days and earning more whatever they deserve so they can use the free time they have on the days that they dont work for everything their heart desires. When I started working only three days in the clinic instead of seven days a week, and then on the days that I am off I work only a couple of hours to prepare and to check the labs and tests, I had so much free time. Especially the weekends were totally mine. I was like: What am I going to do with all this time? How come I had all this time? I could have had all this time before and I never thought about it. I started doing a lot of other things, like learning more languages through Duolingo and even learning a little bit about training. There were so many things that I never did like meditation and doing Pilates. I even created this course for primary care providers that I am talking about. So it is amazing how much time you will have in your hand and how much your life will be enriched if you do this. You owe it to yourself. You have to enjoy your life, not only take care of other people. Kevin Pho: Jerina, thank you so much for sharing your story, time, and insight, and thanks again for coming back on the show. Jerina Gani: It is my pleasure. Thank you. When a child dies under the supervision of the care system, the public response is often immediate and visceral. Media headlines demand answers. Prosecutors search for accountability. And very quickly, attention narrows to a single figure: the frontline social worker. In recent child protection cases, the dominant questions have sounded strikingly similar. Why did they not notice earlier? Why did they not visit more often? Why did they not intervene? These questions feel natural in the aftermath of tragedy. A terrible outcome seems to require a personal failure. But as someone who works across health care, long-term care, and social policy, I find this framing deeply troubling. It reflects a familiar cognitive trap, one clinicians know well, where decisions made under uncertainty are judged using information that only became available after the fact. In medicine, we call this hindsight bias. And we spend decades learning how dangerous it can be. The illusion of certainty In courtrooms, investigators reconstruct events with the benefit of total information: autopsy findings, full timelines, communication records, expert testimony. From this Gods-eye view, patterns appear obvious. Missed signals feel inexcusable. But frontline professionals do not practice from that vantage point. Social workers, like clinicians, operate in conditions of partial information. They do not have warrants, compulsory examination powers, or continuous surveillance tools. Their assessments rely on brief encounters, reported histories, and professional judgment exercised within strict legal limits. Expecting a social worker to reliably detect intentional deception, without investigative authority, and then criminalizing failure to do so is not accountability. It is retroactive certainty imposed on inherently uncertain work. Health care has long grappled with this distinction. We accept that even appropriate, guideline-based care can end in poor outcomes. We recognize that disease progression, human biology, and social context cannot be fully controlled. That is why modern medical ethics and law focus increasingly on process, not outcome alone. Yet when we turn to social work, this understanding seems to disappear. The expectation shifts quietly but dramatically: from reasonable professional judgment to near-perfect foresight. The funding contradiction The policy contradiction becomes even clearer when we look at how societies choose to fund care. In long-term care systems, services are explicitly priced. Each additional hour of assistance, each overnight visit, each increase in supervision intensity carries a defined cost. High-risk situations trigger higher reimbursement, medical involvement, and additional staffing. Risk is acknowledged, quantified, and funded. This reflects a basic policy truth: Complex needs require proportionate resources. But in child protection and social services, risk is often treated as cost-free. When tragedy occurs, the default response is to demand more visits or greater vigilance, without asking who pays for the added time, labor, emotional burden, or professional exposure. ADVERTISEMENT Responsibility expands. Resources do not. The result is an unfunded mandate, where moral expectations grow without institutional support. Social workers are told, implicitly, that increased risk should be absorbed as personal duty rather than recognized as a system cost. This logic does not stop with social workers. Family caregivers live under the same structure. Across aging and disability policy, governments increasingly promote care at home and in the community. These goals are compassionate and sensible. But when families shoulder complex medical and behavioral needs without timely backup, the margin for error narrows dangerously. When breakdowns occur, through exhaustion, isolation, or delayed services, the legal system often focuses on individual failure rather than systemic absence. We rarely ask whether adequate support was available at the moment it was most needed. The cost of defensive practice Success is framed as personal virtue. Failure becomes personal blame. In medicine, we know where this path leads. When outcomes are punished without regard to conditions, professionals adapt defensively. Documentation grows. Relationships shrink. Decisions prioritize legal safety over human care. Social work is no different. If frontline workers learn that any adverse outcome may result in prosecution, the rational response is defensive practice: maximizing paperwork, minimizing discretion, and avoiding complex cases whenever possible. That does not protect children. It protects institutions from liability, while making systems more brittle and less humane. Accountability matters. But real accountability requires honesty about what we are willing to fund and authorize. If we believe certain risks are unacceptable, we must build systems capable of addressing them, through integrated medical support, rapid-response authority, and staffing levels that match the moral weight we assign to the task. We cannot demand God-like foresight from human professionals while denying them the tools to act. Health care learned this lesson slowly and painfully. We moved, imperfectly but deliberately, from blame toward systems thinking, from individual fault toward safety culture. Social care deserves the same evolution. If we continue to equate tragic outcomes with individual guilt while ignoring structural scarcity, we are not preventing the next tragedy. We are simply ensuring that when it happens, someone else will be standing alone in the defendants seat. And that should concern all of us who care about health, justice, and the ethics of care. Gerald Kuo, a doctoral student in the Graduate Institute of Business Administration at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, specializes in health care management, long-term care systems, AI governance in clinical and social care settings, and elder care policy. He is affiliated with the Home Health Care Charity Association and maintains a professional presence on Facebook, where he shares updates on research and community work. Kuo helps operate a day-care center for older adults, working closely with families, nurses, and community physicians. His research and practical efforts focus on reducing administrative strain on clinicians, strengthening continuity and quality of elder care, and developing sustainable service models through data, technology, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. He is particularly interested in how emerging AI tools can support aging clinical workforces, enhance care delivery, and build greater trust between health systems and the public. (Illustration by Michelin Guide Korea/courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea) The MICHELIN Guide, the worlds most prestigious dining and hotel accommodation guide, will host the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony Seoul & Busan 2026 on Thursday, March 5, at SIGNIEL Busan, to officially unveil the latest edition of the MICHELIN Guide for Korea. Since the launch of the MICHELIN Guide Seoul 2017, the MICHELIN Guide has continuously revealed its selection of dining establishments in Seoul. From 2024, the Guide expanded its coverage to include Busan, offering a more comprehensive perspective on the growing depth and diversity of Koreas evolving gastronomic landscape. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in Korea, the MICHELIN Guide will present the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony Seoul & Busan 2026 under the theme A Decade of Journey. The event will unveil the 2026 restaurant selection while reflecting on the shared journey between the MICHELIN Guide and Korean gastronomy over the past decade, as well as looking ahead to its future. Over the years, the MICHELIN Guide has closely observed the outstanding quality, creativity, and responsible practices demonstrated by restaurants across Korea. Through its selections, the Guide has highlighted the dynamic diversity and potential of Korean cuisine and has contributed to elevating Korean chefs and restaurants onto the international stage. By maintaining long-standing consistency, independence, and rigorous evaluation standards, the MICHELIN Guide has earned a high level of trust among chefs and diners alike. During the MICHELIN Guide Seoul & Busan 2026 Ceremony, restaurants newly selected by the MICHELIN Guide inspectors in Seoul and Busan will be revealed, including MICHELIN Guide Star restaurants, which represent not only culinary excellence but also a trusted benchmark for diners and a source of recognition for chefs. Ahead of the ceremony, the MICHELIN Guide Bib Gourmand 2026 selection, highlighting restaurants offering exceptional food at reasonable prices, will be announced one week prior to the official release date. Beyond the restaurant selection, the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony also celebrates talent and dedication within the dining industry through its MICHELIN Guide Special Awards. This years awards include the MICHELIN Guide Service Award, the MICHELIN Guide Young Chef Award, and the MICHELIN Guide Sommelier Award, presented in partnership with Perrier-Jouet, an official partner of the MICHELIN Guide. In addition, the MICHELIN Guide will introduce the Opening of the Year Award for the first time, team and individual who for the successful opening of a dining venue over the past 12 months, with a creative degustation concept and a cuisine approach that has made a notable impact on the local gastronomic scene. (Photo by Grand Hyatt Seoul/courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea) Nestled within the natural surroundings of Namsan yet centrally located in Seoul, Grand Hyatt Seoul offers a rare kind of urban stay, where resort-like calm meets immediate access to the city. From the moment guests arrive, the balance of greenery, space, and quiet comfort creates a sense of ease that is difficult to find in a metropolitan setting. Set beside the iconic N Seoul Tower, the hotel stands in a part of Seoul that many international visitors already recognize. The scenery of Namsan is often associated with the global imagery of the city seen through K-pop, dramas, and travel media a landscape frequently linked in fans minds with artists such as BTS and the cinematic Seoul sought by K-pop Demon Hunters. Staying here feels familiar before the journey even begins. Location is one of the hotels greatest advantages for guests looking to explore Seoul with ease. Districts such as Itaewon, Myeongdong, Gangnam, Hannam, and Seongsu are all easily accessible, allowing effortless movement between shopping streets, dining scenes, and cultural landmarks. A complimentary shuttle connects the hotel to Hangangjin Station and Myeongdong, simplifying city travel without the stress of complex transfers. Around Hangangjin and Hannam, flagship stores of globally recognized brands line the streets, from Koreas design-driven fragrance label Tamburins to Los Angeles based activewear brand ALO creating an effortless route for shopping and cafe visits just minutes away. For beauty and lifestyle enthusiasts, the lively streets of Myeongdong, home to several branches of Olive Young, are also within easy reach. Accommodation is thoughtfully designed for guests who value space and comfort. Generous room layouts and connecting room options accommodating up to six guests provide flexibility for longer stays, group travel, or multigenerational trips. Separate sleeping and living areas allow guests to settle in comfortably and enjoy a relaxed in-room experience. Within the Grand hotel, a curated selection of dining venues and year-round leisure facilities allows guests to enjoy a complete stay without needing to leave the property. A dedicated lounge space and an indoor swimming pool add to the experience for guests of all ages, encouraging a slower pace and more meaningful time spent together. Combining a resort-like atmosphere with seamless access to Seouls most vibrant neighborhoods, Grand Hyatt Seoul presents more than a place to stay. It offers a refined urban retreat where guests can truly relax while remaining closely connected to the cultural pulse of the city. For reservations and inquiries, please contact +82-2-797-1234 or visit grandhyattseoul.com. Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has opened an exhibition titled "Silent Prayers: Cultural Heritage Preserved in the Zira Juma Mosque", Azernews reports. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by members of the Azerbaijani Parliament, ambassadors of foreign countries, and prominent figures from culture and the arts. The director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Honored Cultural Worker Amina Malikova addressed the event. In her speech, she emphasized that the exhibition "Silent Prayers: Cultural Heritage Preserved in the Zira Juma Mosque," is an important event aimed at preserving our cultural memory, spiritual values, and historical heritage. Amina Malikova noted that she personally witnessed the presence of unique artifacts at the Zira Juma Mosque. She also highlighted the special significance of collecting, preserving, and presenting these items to the public as part of efforts to safeguard cultural heritage and transmit it to future generations. Polad Bulbuloglu, member of the Azerbaijani Parliament,Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, expressed that the exhibition is a brilliant initiative and a successful idea. He underscored that our mosques and religious shrines are an inseparable part of the Azerbaijani people and their history. "These places continue to function today, preserving their place in our spiritual life. At the same time, the historical and cultural heritage displayed in our museums, carpet exhibitions, and various exhibitions is of great value to our society. Therefore, this exhibition is especially significant as it unites two worlds the religious space and cultural heritage," he added. Polad Bulbuloglu noted that other museums, including the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, will have the opportunity to become more widely involved in organizing similar exhibitions in the future. He underlined that this is not only necessary but also beneficial for society. Most importantly, he said, is the formation of unity between mosques and cultural centers, which is a positive phenomenon. Gunay Afandiyeva, member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, discussed the significance of the exhibition. She emphasized that preserving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, popularizing it in modern conditions, and passing it on to future generations are among the key priorities of Azerbaijan's state policy. Gunay Afandiyeva pointed out that the Khazar and Pirallahi districts she represents are home to many cultural, religious, and historical monuments. She pointed out that the items exhibited have been preserved in the mosque for many years, as well as in personal archives of local residents in their homes, family collections, and grandmother's trunks. In her speech, Gunay Afandiyeva also noted that the Zira Juma Mosque is one of the ancient religious landmarks of our country. "In 2016, the mosque was completely renovated through the initiative and support of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva. This mosque resembles a small museum. It not only exhibits samples of Azerbaijani folk applied arts but also valuable artifacts brought from countries such as Uzbekistan, Turkiye, Iran, Iraq, and Turkmenistan,"she added. Elshan Salahov, Head of the Khazar District Executive Power, stressed that the exhibition represents the great history, memory, and cultural heritage of our people. He noted that such initiatives always receive special attention from the President and are given great importance. These projects will contribute to further unity within society and play an essential role in preserving and popularizing our national and cultural values. Elshan Salahov highlighted that preserving such artifacts is especially significant for maintaining and continuing the life of our cultural heritage. The head of the Zira Juma Mosque Religious Community, Haji Gadir Najafov, emphasized that the historical items stored in the mosque have long been witnesses to the faith, prayers, and spiritual life of the people. He highly appreciated the attention given to preserving this heritage and presenting it to the public. "We know that in our country, values are carefully preserved. If a person brings and passes down their grandmother's kelaghayi or grandfather's papakha as a relic, it is a sign of great trust. These relics must be reliably preserved, protected, and passed on to future generations. Because the national heritage that is preserved ultimately preserves you," Haji Gadir Najafov said. He also noted that in the past, mosques such as Sardar, Rajab Pasha, Haji Novruzali Bay, Sartib Khan, and others operated in Iravan. Haji Gadir Najafov stressed that today, the only Blue Mosque plays a special role in preserving the religious and cultural traditions of Western Azerbaijan. The Chairman of the Zira Juma Mosque Religious Community emphasized that the mosque is not only a place of worship but also a space for preserving culture, education, and historical heritage, a spiritual center that serves as a bridge to future generations. The speakers expressed their gratitude to the initiator of the project, Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Gunay Afandiyeva, as well as everyone who contributed to organizing the exhibition. As part of the event, a short film titled "The Testament of History" about the Zira Juma Mosque, directed by Mubariz Nagiev, was shown. National musical pieces were performed by the "Zafar" mugham group, and the "Sema" dance ensemble from the Shuvelan Culture House presented choreographic numbers. Guests were then invited to explore the exhibition, which showcases examples of national heritage gifted to the Zira Juma Mosque by various individuals over different periods. The collection includes pile and flat-woven carpets, carpet products, artistic metalwork, clothing and embroidery, copies of the Quran, and rare manuscript books. Most of these artifacts, which are over a hundred years old, were created by Azerbaijani artisans. The exhibition, organized jointly by the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, will run until February 8. Comparta este articulo It took only a few seconds for Alberto Marquez Gonzalez, from the Prevention Division of the Heroic Fire Department, to confirm a risky failure in the gas connection. The detectors green light turned on immediately. The inspection was carried out at the home of Patricia Martinez, in the San Felipe de Jesus neighborhood, in the Gustavo A. Madero borough. The leak did not come from the tank or the boiler, but from the hose connecting them. The diagnosis was clear: the installed piping is mesh tubing, a material that is not recommended for this type of installation and that, over time, becomes fragile and prone to cracking. This is one of the most common problems detected by the Fire Department during home inspections, explained Alberto Marquez Gonzalez from the Prevention Division after examining the connection. With a portable leak detector in hand, firefighters locate anomalies. The assessment was immediate: the installed piping is not suitable. It is a mesh hose, a material that becomes brittle and vulnerable over time, increasing the risk of leaks and accidents. Another common issue is that the Teflon seal used is white, which is intended for water piping, when the recommended seal for gas connections should be orange, because it is more resistant. Marquez Gonzalez explained this to Ms. Martinez, who anxiously wrote down each issue found. He told her that although it was not a leak that warranted an emergency call, it was best to repair it with a trusted plumber to prevent it from growing and becoming more dangerous. These issues occur due to a lack of knowledge about how to do the installation. There are three types of leaks, and the one found is Type 2. There is risk, but it can be prevented before it becomes more serious. If it were Type 3, the emergency team would be called. With Type 2, the equipment is shut off. They Arrive with Specialized Equipment The firefighter arrived at the home right on time, at 9:00 a.m., along with fellow firefighter Maria de Lourdes Guerrero, who also inspected a boiler with another leak detector and found an additional fault in the connection. However, not all of the gas installation had leaks. The one in the kitchen did not cause the detector to change from green to the alarming red. Both firefighters are part of the Firefighter at Home program, which provides free inspections of gas and electrical installations, with the goal of preventing gas leaks or short circuits in homes. For Ms. Patricia Martinez, the Firefighter at Home program is very helpful because it allows her to know whether her gas and electrical installations are in good condition, at no cost. In addition to recommending that we change the connections to make them safer, they suggested buying leak detectors, which are portable, or another type that plugs in and also detects if a valve has been left open. But as both firefighters note, if a leak is suspected, it can also be detected the old-fashioned way, using soap and waterif bubbles appear, then it needs to be fixed. Electrical Installation Also Inspected During their visit, both firefighters also checked Ms. Patricia Martinezs electrical installation, at her request, since she pays a high electricity bill each month. They did not find an electrical overload, and even checked the temperature as part of the inspection. Based on the results, the firefighters recommended that she contact the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) to determine whether there might be a metering problem. Background The Firefighters at Home program was launched by the administration of Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada. Between December 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025, the Heroic Fire Department carried out 3,758 free inspections of gas and electrical installations, with the aim of preventing gas leaks and short circuits in homes. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, exclusively for residents of Mexico City. Requests can be made by sending a WhatsApp message to 55 7514 4189, indicating the day, time, and home address so that firefighters can come and inspect the residence. These inspections are conducted by firefighters certified in gas and electrical installations, using specialized devices to detect any leaks and alert residents. The five boroughs with the highest number of inspections are Iztapalapa, with 801 visits; Tlalpan, with 383; Coyoacan, with 364; Benito Juarez, with 327; and Cuauhtemoc, with 279 visits. To ensure the safety of those who request this service, firefighters who go to homes wear personal protective equipment, or tactical gear when appropriate, clearly identifying them as members of the Heroic Fire Department, and arrive in marked vehicles. djh If you need plumbing work done in New Hampshire, it's important to make sure you hire a reputable plumber who is properly licensed. Like many other states, New Hampshire has strict licensing requirements for plumbers. Making sure the one you hire is licensed ensures that they're properly trained and have the experience necessary to complete your plumbing work without issue. What exactly goes into plumber licensing in New Hampshire? How can you tell you're dealing with a licensed plumber? Here's everything you need to know about New Hampshire's plumbing licensing requirements and how to verify them. New Hampshire plumbing licensing requirements In New Hampshire, plumbers are regulated and licensed by the New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) via the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board. According to the Mechanical Safety and Licensing Board, the board's mission is to ensure that applicants are qualified for licensure by setting standards for the profession, proposing statutes, adopting administrative rules, and taking disciplinary action against licensees when necessary to protect the public. More state licensing articles from Yahoo Local New Hampshire has three levels of licensing that apply to plumbers: Trainee, Journeyman and Master. Here's a brief rundown of each type of license. New Hampshire plumbing Trainee License Trainee-level plumbers must have a completed apprenticeship agreement signed and authorized by the U.S. Department of Labor for the New Hampshire plumbing apprentice program on file with the board prior to the first renewal date. They also need a signed endorsement letter from their employer sponsor. Trainees work under supervision while learning the trade. New Hampshire plumber's Journeyman License A Journeyman License requires 600 educational hours and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. To obtain a Journeyman License, plumbers must provide an apprenticeship completion certificate or a signed affidavit from the sponsor demonstrating apprenticeship completion if the licensee is not enrolled with the Department of Labor. They must also pass a Journeyman licensing exam administered by NH Gasfitters Plumbing. New Hampshire plumbing Master License Master Plumber applicants must be licensed as a Journeyman Plumber for at least six months prior to applying for the Master license. This is the highest level of licensure and requires passing a master licensing examination. The same exam provider, NH Gasfitters Plumbing, administers the Master exam as well. In addition to the different license requirements, all licensed plumbers must complete three hours of continuing education each calendar year to maintain an active license. NH Gasfitters Plumbing, the exam provider, also offers approved continuing education courses for license renewal. Additionally, under New Hampshire Workers Compensation Law, employers subject to the statute are required to secure workers compensation coverage for their employees. Verifying a plumber's license in the Granite State A plumber unclogs a blocked shower drain (ronstik via Getty Images) New Hampshire makes it relatively easy to verify whether a plumber is properly licensed. The state operates an online license database that you can search for individuals. You can query the database to check the current status of an individual's license and confirm their credentials before hiring them for plumbing work. What to look for beyond licensing Ensuring your plumber is properly licensed is a good first step toward finding a reputable contractor, but it isn't the only thing you should look for. Like with other services, it's a good idea to vet your plumber through customer reviews and recommendations from friends and family. You can also request references from previous customers, though some plumbers may be more willing than others to provide this information. If you need to report an issue with a plumber you've worked with, you can file a complaint directly with the OPLC. The department outlines the enforcement complaint process on its website, which begins with a legal review. This process helps protect consumers and ensures that licensed plumbers maintain professional standards. Protecting your home with proper licensing Plumbing work can get expensive and expose your home to significant risk if not done properly. That's why it pays to take time to fully research potential contractors and make sure you're comfortable with their credentials and the way they do business. Hiring an unlicensed plumber can expose your home to undue risk, so performing your due diligence is an important step to making sure you're happy with the work and avoiding unnecessary hassles. By verifying that your plumber holds the appropriate license level for your project and maintains current continuing education requirements, you can have confidence that you're working with a qualified professional. More from Yahoo Local Are you the journalist Rediff is looking for? > < 23:07 2 held for murdering soldier in Hathras; confess 'love marriage' as motive Two men were arrested on Saturday in connection with the murder of an army jawan who was shot dead on the National Highway-93 here for allegedly having a 'love marriage' with a woman from their family, officials said. The accused, identified as Bobby and Raja, both residents of Samadpur... Read more > 22:39 Sikkim jolted by 4.7-magnitude earthquake Parts of Sikkim were jolted on Saturday evening by an earthquake of magnitude 4.7, officials said. The epicentre of the quake, which occurred at 6:35 pm, was 11 km from Maneybung in West Sikkim, the India Meteorological Department said. A Sikkim Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)... Read more > 22:37 Two momo vendors found dead in northwest Delhi's Jahangir Puri Two men were found dead inside a closed room in northwest Delhi's Jahangir Puri area on Saturday morning, with police suspecting accidental gas inhalation while preparing momos, an official said. The police said a PCR call was received at the Jahangir Puri police station early on Saturday... Read more > 22:35 Cop killed, 11 hurt as swing collapses at Surajkund fair A view of the collapsed giant swing at Surajkund fair in Haryana on Saturday./ANI Photo An on-duty police inspector was killed and 11 people were wounded at the Surajkund fairgrounds on Saturday when a giant swing snapped mid-air and collapsed, just an hour after a gate fell down, injuring two persons including a child, officials said. According to the police, around 6 pm,... Read more > 21:43 SIT formed to trace 10 tribal children who went missing in Jharkhand File image A special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to trace 10 tribal children, who went missing from a hamlet in Jharkhand's Koderma district, a senior police officer said on Saturday. A reward of Rs 1 lakh has also been announced by the Koderma Police for anyone providing information... Read more > 21:26 Heroin worth over Rs 13 cr seized in Thane; man with underworld links among 3 held File image The police in Maharashtra's Thane city have seized more than 4 kg of heroin worth over Rs 13 crore and arrested three persons in connection with the drug during a special operation, officials said.One of the arrested accused allegedly had links with Mumbai's underworld, and his name had also... Read more > 21:15 Bengal CEO urges ECI to extend SIR hearing by 7 days West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal on Saturday requested the Election Commission of India to extend the final date of hearing under SIR of electoral rolls by seven days, after several district election officers reported delays in completion of hearings, verification, and data... Read more > 20:51 Indian among 8 hurt in knife attack in Russia Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com At least six persons, including an Indian, and two police officers were injured in a stabbing attack on Saturday in a sports hall of foreign students' hostel at a university in Russia's Bashkortostan Republic, local media reports said. According to preliminary reports, a teenager armed with... Read more > 20:44 Oil theft detected from IOC pipeline in Rajasthan's Beawar File image A case of oil theft has come to light in Rajasthan's Beawar district, where miscreants allegedly punctured an Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) pipeline and siphoned off fuel by laying an illegal parallel line, officials said on Saturday. The incident was detected near Lalpura Ghata in the Sendra... Read more > 19:47 Reliance No.1 in mcap; HDFC Bank, Airtel, TCS trail Reliance Industries continues to be India's most valuable listed company by market capitalisation as of February 6. It is followed by large players such as HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel and TCS. The list is largely led by energy, banking, IT and telecom firms, showing how market value is... Read more > 19:39 Army porter injured in landmine blast along LoC in Poonch An army porter was injured in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.Zulufqar Ahmad (24), a resident of Slotri-Patiya village, was injured when he accidentally stepped on a landmine in a forward area in Mankote... Read more > 19:31 Two children injured in fire at residential building in Mumbai Two children were injured after a fire broke out in a seven-storey residential building in the western suburbs here on Saturday morning, officials said.The blaze erupted around 7.45 am in a flat on the second floor of Narmada CHS Ltd in Sangharsh Nagar in the Chandivali area of Andheri East, they... Read more > 19:13 Congress MP didn't return Rs 2 cr poll loan: Kerala finance firm owner Congress MP Anto Antony/ANI Photo The owner of a finance company on Saturday alleged that Congress MP Anto Antony had borrowed Rs 2 crore for the 2019 election but had not returned the money. N M Raju, owner of the Nedumparambil Credit Syndicate (NCS), made this allegation.NCS, a finance company based in Thiruvalla in... Read more > 18:54 Salman Khan attends Bhagwat's Mumbai RSS event Bollywood star Salman Khan/File image Bollywood star Salman Khan was on Saturday seen deeply engrossed in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's speech at an event in Mumbai to mark the organisation's centenary celebrations. Flanked by noted filmmaker Subhash Ghai and well-known lyricist, poet, and writer... Read more > 18:20 Film 'Godaan' made tax free in Uttarakhand Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday announced that the film Godaan, based on farming traditions, rural life and the importance of cattle, would be exempted from tax in the state. The film, starring Manoj Joshi, Upasana Singh, Rajesh Jais and Sahil Anand, was... Read more > 18:08 51 Maoists with Rs 1.61 cr reward surrender in Chhattisgarh File image As many as 51 Maoists, carrying a collective bounty of Rs 1.61 crore, surrendered before the police in two districts under the Bastar division on Saturday, a senior officer said.The surrender coincided with the inauguration of the Bastar Pandum 2026 festival in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of... Read more > 17:58 HC restrains misuse of actor Vivek Oberoi's name, image Protecting the personality rights of actor and entrepreneur Vivek Oberoi, the Delhi high court has restrained several entities from misusing his name, voice and image for commercial or personal gain. In an interim order on a lawsuit by Oberoi, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela held that considering... Read more > 17:45 Drugs seized, supporting actress among nine arrested in Chennai The police along with AINU, has cracked down against a drug network here and arrested nine persons, including a supporting actress in connection with the seizure, sources said on Saturday.The seized drugs include Methamphetamine.Acting on specific inputs from the Anti-Narcotics Intelligence Unit... Read more > 17:32 INDIA bloc allies CPM, Congress lock horns over Jamaat in Kerala File image The Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress in Kerala on Saturday locked horns over Jamaat-e-Islami with the ruling party accusing the Opposition of colluding with communal forces and trying to give them a good certificate.While CPM state secretary M V Govindan alleged the Congress has... Read more > 17:01 Indian farm products to enter US at zero duty: Piyush Goyal Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday hailed the framework announced on the India US trade agreement and said that this would bring huge benefits to farmers and Indian MSMEs.He said, Agricultural products from Indian farmers will be exported to the United States at zero duty. At... Read more > 16:35 Meghalaya: Two more bodies found, toll in coal mine blast reaches 27 Two more bodies were found at the illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district on Saturday, taking the toll in the blast to 27, the police said. The bodies were found as a multiple-agency search was continuing in the Thangsku area of Umsngat village, where the blast happened... Read more > 16:06 Army chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi visits forward areas in Poonch During his visit to forward areas in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir today, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed the operational preparedness of troops deployed in the area and interacted with personnel at forward locations.He commended the troops for their high... Read more > 15:35 Search underway for missing people at Meghalaya coal mine blast site Search and rescue operations were underway on Saturday at the illegal coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, where 25 people died in a blast, the police said.The explosion occurred on Thursday at the mine in the Thangsku area of Umsngat village, prompting authorities to begin... Read more > 15:22 MEA will give Russian oil purchase data: Piyush Goyal Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal/File image Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said the Ministry of External Affairs will give information about India's purchase of Russian oil. When asked whether India will stop purchasing Russian oil, as mentioned in a White House statement announcing the elimination of the additional... Read more > 14:52 Amit Shah chairs meeting in Jammu to assess development projects in J-K File image Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of development projects in Jammu and Kashmir, with a focus on infrastructure development and the implementation of key schemes in the Union territory, officials said.The meeting, which is currently... Read more > 14:37 Delhi Jal Board directs inspection of all construction sites after biker's death The Delhi government has directed Jal Board engineers to visit all ongoing construction sites and take corrective measures by Saturday evening, officials said.The directions come after a 25-year old biker, Kamal Dhyani, died on Friday morning after falling into a pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board in... Read more > 14:02 Doubts persist over Ajit Pawar's death: Nephew Rohit Pawar NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Rohit Pawar./ANI Photo NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar leader Rohit Pawar on Saturday said everyone has doubts about the circumstances surrounding deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's death in an air crash, and he would provide a detailed presentation about it on February 10. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in... Read more > 13:56 Gangster among 2 booked for Punjab AAP leader's murder AAP leader Lucky Oberoi was in his Thar vehicle when the assailants opened fire at him./ANI Photo Two persons, including a foreign-based gangster, have been booked in connection with the daylight murder of AAP leader Lucky Oberoi in Jalandhar on Friday, with police suspecting personal enmity as the reason behind the killing, officials said on Saturday.The police booked gangster Jograj Singh... Read more > 13:48 Surge In Gold Loans Not A Cause For Concern: RBI The Reserve Bank of India on Friday said the sharp rise in gold loans amid higher gold prices was not a major cause for concern for the banking system at present. The central bank said that the sharp rise was a result of banks shifting away from unsecured loans to gold-backed collateralised... Read more > 13:24 Sabarimala gold loss case: SIT grills UDF convenor Adoor Prakash The SIT probing the Sabarimala gold loss cases is interrogating UDF convener and Congress MP Adoor Prakash, sources said on Saturday.Prakash arrived at the Crime Branch office here in the morning after being issued a notice in this regard, police sources said.The LDF has been raising allegations... Read more > 12:59 Delhi police detain sub-contractor in biker death case The Delhi police detained a sub-contractor in connection with the death of a biker who fell into a pit dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in Delhi's Janakpuri, officials said on Saturday. Investigations revealed that the sub-contractor Rajesh Prajapati was informed about the accident hours... Read more > 12:48 Manipur: Churachandpur limps back to normal after protests Normalcy began returning to parts of Manipur's Churachandpur district on Saturday morning after two days of protests, the police said. The violent protests began on Thursday after three BJP legislators from the Kuki-Zo and Hmar communities joined Meitei MLAs to form a government in the... Read more > 12:34 Worst Week In 4 Months: Claude Casts A Long Shadow Over Indian IT Stocks Shares of Indian IT companies slid on Friday, capping their worst weekly performance in four months, as concerns resurfaced that rapid advances in AI could disrupt traditional technology services businesses. The Nifty IT index fell 1.5 per cent on Friday and declined 6.4 percent over the... Read more > 12:12 Unclaimed Deposit Payouts Jump To Rs 1,000 Cr A Month The RBI on Friday said its campaigns and incentives to encourage customers to claim unclaimed deposits have resulted in monthly payouts rising to 1,043 crore in December, compared with an average monthly payout of 100 crore to 200 crore earlier. The total amount of unclaimed deposits,... Read more > 11:59 BJP fields Ritu Tawde for Mumbai mayor, Sena names Sanjay Ghadi as dy mayor BJP's mayoral candidate Ritu Tawde./Courtesy Instagram The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday nominated corporator Ritu Tawade for the Mumbai mayor election, while its ally Shiv Sena declared Sanjay Ghadi as its candidate for the deputy mayor's post. BJP leader Amit Satam declared Tawade's name, while Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale announced... Read more > 11:44 US map shows PoK, Aksai Chin as part of India The India map shared by the United States Trade Representative./Courtesy X The Trump administration shared a map of India on Saturday that depicts the entire Jammu and Kashmir and Aksai Chin within Indian borders. The United States Trade Representative's office released the graphic alongside details of a new interim trade agreement. From tree nuts and dried... Read more > 11:31 4 Maoists lay down arms in Odisha's Berhampur In a significant breakthrough for anti-insurgency operations, four active Maoist cadres, including three women, surrendered before Southern Range inspector general Niti Shekhar at the Police Reserve Office in Berhampur on Friday.During the press briefing by IG Niti Shekhar, he said, Today, four... Read more > 11:29 Modi's Tamil Nadu visit rescheduled to March 1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Madurai has been rescheduled from February 28 to March 1, Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party president Nainar Nagenthran has said and claimed that a few parties would join the NDA ahead of his visit. Stating that the BJP has planned a massive meeting in... Read more > 11:10 No duty concessions on sensitive agri, dairy products: Goyal Under the interim trade agreement with the US, India has fully protected sensitive agricultural and dairy products such as maize, wheat, rice, soya, poultry, milk, cheese, ethanol (fuel), tobacco, certain vegetables and meat as no duty concessions will be granted to America on these... Read more > 11:06 Bumrah doubtful for India's T20 WC opener against USA India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is doubtful for the team's opening T20 World Cup match against the United States on Saturday after feeling slightly under the weather and skipping the training session the previous evening. With the opening fixture expected to be a one-sided affair, the... Read more > 11:05 UP: Man dies after 'sutli bomb' explodes in hand while fishing Representative image A 45-year-old man was killed in Banda district after a firecracker exploded in his hand while fishing, police said on Saturday.The SHO of Badausa police station, Ajeet Pratap Singh, said that Rajjan Kewat (45) from Bhadawal village had gone for fishing in the Bagai river on Friday when a... Read more > 10:22 'Dost dost na raha': Cong on India-US deal framework The Congress on Saturday claimed that the India-US joint statement on an interim trade agreement is silent on details and took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying all the hugs and photo-ops have not amounted to much.The opposition party also took a jibe at the government with the... Read more > 10:12 Will aim to deepen defence, economic ties: Modi on Malaysia visit Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India is looking at boosting defence and security ties and enhancing economic and innovation partnership with Malaysia.Modi said this before embarking on a two-day trip to the Southeast Asian country.The historic ties between India and Malaysia have... Read more > 09:16 Ola, Uber, Rapido go on nation-wide strike today A union of app-based taxi and autorickshaw drivers has called a day-long strike on Saturday to press various demands, including redressal of grievances about the installation of panic buttons.In a statement, Maharashtra Kamgar Sabha said that drivers of app-based taxis and autorickshaws across... Read more > 09:10 Bihar MP Pappu Yadav arrested in Patna in 31-year old case Independent Bihar MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, was arrested by Patna Police late Friday from his residence here in connection with a case dating back to 1995, officials said. High drama unfolded at Yadav's house in Mandiri locality when a police team arrived to execute a... Read more > 09:08 12 Zilla Parishads, 125 Panchayat Samitis go to polls in Maharashtra Polling for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in 12 districts of Maharashtra began Saturday morning amid tight security.As many as 7,438 candidates are in the fray for 731 Zilla Parishad and 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats, and more than 2 crore eligible voters are expected to exercise... Read more > 09:07 Will create large-scale jobs: Modi on interim trade pact Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the interim trade agreement with the US will strengthen 'Make in India' by opening up new opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs, and create jobs for women and youngsters. The prime minister also thanked US President Donald Trump for his... Read more > 08:35 India, US unveil interim trade pact; tariffs cut to 18% India and the United States on Saturday announced that they have reached a framework for an interim trade agreement under which tariffs on New Delhi will be reduced to 18 per cent.As per the agreement, India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and a wide range of American... Read more > 08:24 US removes 25% tariffs imposed on India for Russian oil United States President Donald Trump has removed the 25 per cent tariffs it imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil, citing that the country has undertaken significant steps and New Delhi has committed to stop directly or indirectly importing oil from Moscow.I have received additional... Read more > 00:19 Four Odisha courts receive hoax bomb threat mails; BJD seeks NIA probe Panic gripped in four courts of Odisha on Friday after the authorities received bomb threat mails, which were later found to be hoax, a senior police officer said. The district and sessions judge courts in Cuttack, Puri, Jajpur and Phulbani received emails where the sender threatened to... Read more > 00:16 'Go back': Pappu Yadav to police as arrest bid sparks Patna drama A Patna police team on Friday reached the residence of Independent Bihar MP Pappu Yadav to arrest him in connection with a 35-year-old case, even as the parliamentarian alleged that he was being targeted for criticising the Nitish Kumar government in the state. High drama took place at the... Read more > ANALYSIS Hong Kong Talent Engage announced late last month that Asias premier talent hub, the Global Talent Summit Week will be held in Hong Kong in March. This talent forum and career expo will run 18th and 19th March, followed by satellite events until the end of the month. The title, Connecting Global Minds, offers more than a hint as to the intended reach, specified as cross-regional with an international flavour. Global Minds is not just pointing to geographic diversity, but encompasses a mindset of cross-sectoral collaboration, integrating education, technology and talent management of the kinds of people, government bodies and organisations with a global view and forward-looking perspectives. Continually reinforced in the promotional material are integration and collaboration in AI, Life & Health Tech, Robotics, Green Tech, and Microelectronics. Hong Kong, itself, is being presented on many platforms as having a super-connector role: at this summit it sits squarely in the GBA to launch and accelerate careers. Key Takeaways The GBA is hiring at scale and fast. The Greater Bay Area is gearing up for a once-in-a-generation talent surge, with 34 million skilled workers needed within five years, potentially double that within a decade. AI, semiconductors, biotech, green tech and advanced manufacturing arent buzzwords here theyre the backbone of Chinas next growth phase. Hong Kong is the gateway; Guangdong is the engine; Macau is the outlier. Hong Kong is being positioned as the GBAs global super-connector for international talent and career acceleration, while Guangdong rolls out aggressive incentives, streamlined qualification recognition and lifestyle upgrades to attract global professionals. Macau, by contrast, remains cautious focused on exporting local talent rather than importing skills, which leaves it strategically misaligned with wider GBA momentum. Policy is improving perception and housing still lag. Visa easing, tax advantages and international-friendly living environments are advancing quickly, but awareness among Hong Kong and Macau youth remains low, and housing security is a real brake on mobility. Talent attraction is no longer just about jobs its about liveability, clarity and convincing young professionals that the GBA is worth the leap. The GBA is a testbed for integration, innovation, and Chinas strategic future. For the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Guangdong is aiming for an annual GDP growth of 5%. The priorities are the development of the GBA, consolidating traditional trading markets (Europe, USA, Japan and South Korea) and expanding into the emerging markets of ASEAN, the Middle East and Africa. The nature and degree of such development and opening up of the GBA, an area of 86 million residents, will create a great demand for highly educated, globally sophisticated and talented workers in the high-tech innovative and hardware industries. This new workforce will support New Quality Productive Forces (a plan to replace resource-intensive manufacturing) and tech self-reliance, particularly in semiconductors, AI, biotech and life sciences and new energy sectors, as well as new finance, sustainable living, and tourism & leisure. Some estimates suggest that an additional 3 to 4 million skilled workers will be needed to support GBAs integration and development over the next 5 years. This number has potential to rise to 6-8 million additional highly skilled workers 10 years out. The primary pipeline of talent will be top GBA universities such as the University of Hong Kong, Sun Yat-sen University and Shenzhen University followed by elite mainland universities further afield like Beijing, Tsinghua and Fudan universities. Returning Chinese students from overseas universities and the diaspora are also expected to be attracted by incentives and the globally minded work environment of the GBA where they can leverage from their international experience. Domestic transfers from large mainland cities are also expected to be driven by the excitement of the GBA project, the specialised areas such as cross-border e-commerce and the cluster effect, especially as the GBAs technology clusters rank among the worlds top innovators. Although much of this demand will be met from domestic and Chinese diaspora sources, initiatives such as the full-chain policy system for the examination, evaluation, and recognition of overseas qualifications an initiative developed from Guangzhous best practice and rolled out in other cities acknowledges the need to entice talented individuals by easing entry into the market by removing unnecessary hurdles and streamlining visa procedures. The 2026 Guangdong Provincial Government Work Report (which covers an impressive list of rankings and growth measures for the province in 2025) articulated arrangements for an international living environment covering lifestyle elements for newcomers: accommodation, dining, transportation, tourism, consumption and health care, down to even the improvement of multilingual signage and payment options. The work report states that Guangdong is committed to spare no efforts to attract, cultivate, utilize, collaborate with and serve all kinds of talents [sic] without being restricted to geography and pedigree, or pattern. Hong Kong has for eons been a beacon of welcome to skilled professionals and investment from abroad. Many of its current strengths as a global financial center and trading economy took root in this fertile environment and matured. The attractive individual- and corporate-level taxation regimes in Hong Kong and Macau have been strong incentives. Macau, however, with its long history of protection of its local labour force even under circumstances of one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the world for more than 20 years retains a deliberately tight policy of controlled labour management. It continues to contrast with the rest of the GBA at this time. As stated in a December 2025 PLoS One research paper on the evaluation of talent policies in the GBA by Wen and Han from South China University of Technology, the priority for Macau appears to be integrating Macaus skilled talent into mainland regions, rather than importing workers from other areas of the GBA into Macau. Guangdongs establishment of innovation and entrepreneurship hubs for Hong Kong and Macau youth underpin this policy direction. It remains a challenging task to promote mainland policies and the state of Guangzhous incubator and entrepreneurial eco-system to the youth of Macau and Hong Kong. This policy objective remains strong, and is realised through graduate subsidies, youth job offers (5,500 in 2024), and support for youth projects nearly 4,000 in 2024 from Hong Kong and Macau alone. Yet, awareness and perceived utility value among these young people remain low, prompting further effort through events and programs exemplified in the GBA Development Offices roving exhibition at universities in the first quarter of 2026 to further showcase GBA opportunities. The PLoS paper mentioned above also suggests that housing security is also a concern for young people, creating a potential barrier to engagement. While university research enrolments remain lower than universities outside of the GBA, and skilled manufacturing personnel trained in advanced vocational institutions are insufficient in quantity and skill-level, in the short term it remains to attract highly skilled individuals from outside to improve the innovation capacity of enterprises, and thereby upgrade enterprise skills and the employees within them. Building the talent capacity and human capital of the GBA is a multi-pronged project internal education and mobility, concerted PR, reinforcing the pull of high-tech and industry sector clusters, and then ensuring the tax incentives and harmonisation of legal, social security and other bureaucratic and administrative procedures and recognition of qualifications remove barriers to entry and enhance talent mobility. Not forgotten in this mix, are the livelihood services and living environment safety, security, amenity, even urban beauty that welcome sophisticated, educated and skilled contributors from all places to concentrate in the GBA. Like this: Like Loading... * Out of tune Japan-linked concerts increasingly canceled in Macau amid BeijingTokyo diplomatic tensions * Gaming | Trading briefly halted after MGM China results slip early * Taste of Edesia * Crime: Telecom fraud leads to MOP350 million in losses in 2025, mainly from investment scams, Judiciary Police say * Property: New policies boost residential sales from the outset, Centaline claims * Liaison Office director Zheng Xincong hails Sam Hou Fais team achievements over the past year, citing strong leadership DOWNLOAD PDF Friday, February 6, 2026 edition no. 4890 Like this: Like Loading... The Chinese government has recognized Chief Executive (CE) Sam Hou Fais accomplishments over the past year, highlighting his leadership in driving significant progress across various initiatives in the region. CE Sam Hou Fai has united and led the new special administrative region (SAR) government alongside all sectors of society in diligently implementing the spirit of President Xi Jinpings important speeches during his inspection of Macau. Through enterprising and pragmatic efforts, we have witnessed significant progress across various initiatives, stated Zheng Xincong, director of the Liaison Office in Macau, during his speech at yesterdays Spring Festival reception. He emphasized that Sams administration has fully embraced the principle of patriots administering Macau, demonstrating a firm commitment to safeguarding national security. We have accelerated the development of a diversified economy, achieved remarkable advancements in the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and welcomed a record-high number of visitors throughout the year, Zheng noted. He also highlighted ongoing public administration reforms and the continuous enhancement of governance effectiveness. The reception held yesterday afternoon saw the participation of 1,300 key leaders from legislative and judicial bodies, principal officials of the SAR government, Macau deputies to the National Peoples Congress (NPC), members of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), as well as representatives from various sectors of Macau society. Zheng, acting on behalf of Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the Central Peoples Government, extended Chinese New Year greetings to Macau residents. In his address, he outlined four key requirements under the theme of working together to enable Macau to soar higher and go further to achieve new breakthroughs in promoting appropriate economic diversification, take new strides in enhancing the SARs governance effectiveness, show new momentum in developing and strengthening patriotic and pro-Macau forces, and demonstrate new achievements in safeguarding national security and social stability. In line with key directives from the Central government, there is a renewed call to accelerate the development of new industries with international competitiveness, with particular focus on advancing the second phase of the cooperation zone and establishing a higher-level platform for economic openness. Zheng emphasized the ongoing need to refine the grassroots governance system tailored to Macaus unique characteristics to enhance governance effectiveness within the region. He also underscored the importance of encouraging the pro-Macau, patriotic camp to uphold core principles while fostering innovation and improving both quality and quantity. According to Zheng, greater attention and support will be directed to the growth and development of young people, empowering them to become the key drivers and successors in Macaus advancement, thereby ensuring the enduring legacy of the One Country, Two Systems framework. In response to Xis full affirmation of Macaus efforts, Sam remarked in his address yesterday, This is a tremendous encouragement and motivation for us, and also an important guide for our future work. He emphasized the commitment to fully implement the central governments comprehensive governing authority by mid-2026, reinforcing that the foundation of patriots administering Macau must remain unshakeable. We will demonstrate greater resolve, embrace reform, and dare to innovate, he stated. Strengthening our sense of mission and responsibility, we will advance with unwavering confidence. We will continue to implement the One Country, Two Systems principle comprehensively, accurately, and resolutely. Furthermore, we will steadfastly safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, while upholding the essential principle that Macau must not descend into chaos. The CE highlighted the concept of dual-axis synergy in his speech as a means to promote Macaus long-term prosperity and stability. Like this: Like Loading... Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) and the University of Bologna (Unibo) have signed an agreement to award dual doctoral degrees jointly. This agreement reflects the two universities consensus on joint research and the cultivation of high-tech talent, MPU noted in a statement, adding that it further strengthens academic cooperation between China and Italy, gathers international innovation resources for Macau and the Greater Bay Area, and drives the development of the Macau-Hengqin International Education (University) Town. Like this: Like Loading... One of the largest market operators, Centaline Property Agency Limited, has reported that the new policies, implemented at the start of this year and aimed at boosting residential sales, are already showing positive effects. According to a report from the property agency, the measures implemented, including exempting the first HKD6 million of home purchases from tax and raising the mortgage ceiling to 80%, have already led to a noticeable rebound in market transactions, Centaline said, adding, It is estimated that the total number of residential transactions for the entire month of January exceeded 300, an 11% increase compared to the same period last year. The same property agency noted that since the measures were announced in November last year, during the governments 2026 policy address, many buyers have been waiting for the policies to take effect. According to Centaline, some of these buyers had already researched the market, marked down desirable units, and were on hold until January 1 to seal deals and take advantage of the new benefits. The property agency remarked that the overall pace of the market in January had accelerated significantly shifting sentiment from last years widespread wait-and-see attitude to active observation. Centalines online inquiries and viewing appointments reportedly surged threefold compared to December. Looking ahead to 1H Looking ahead to this month and the first half (1H) of 2026, Centaline said that transactions in February are expected to concentrate in the secondary market, with a new wave of primary launches expected between mid-March and early April following the Lunar New Year. After the projects expected to launch between mid-March and early April are ready to sell, the agency claims Macau may experience an extended period without major new primary developments, indicating that transactions in the 2H of the year will be mostly secondary-market, that is, units being resold. Like this: Like Loading... The Judiciary Police (PJ) reported a 64% increase in adolescent assistance cases last year, the highest on record. Most affected were secondary and university students, frequently experiencing emotional distress related to academic pressures. Authorities have improved communication and support through established liaison mechanisms and urged parents to prioritize their childrens mental health. The police also emphasized serious concerns over suicide-related cases and the need for effective social media outreach to provide the public with accurate information. Like this: Like Loading... The Judiciary Polices (PJ) annual statistics show a relative decrease in telecom fraud, yet financial losses still reached MOP350 million, primarily driven by investment fraud. The PJ released last years operational statistics, indicating that investment scams, fake customer service phone scams, and online shopping scams remain prevalent. The losses from telecom fraud surged to MOP300 million, approaching the 2023 peak. While the total reported phone and internet fraud cases stood at 277 and 533, respectively, reflecting year-on-year decreases of 21.8% and 41.2%, PJs director, Sit Chong Meng, expressed particular concerns about investment scams. Among telecom fraud cases, we are especially worried about investment scams, Sit stated, noting that the victims of investment fraud are often well-educated individuals or corporate executives. After noticing this trend last year, we have promoted awareness through various channels in hopes of encouraging society to pay attention and avoid being scammed, he emphasized. According to the PJs work summary report, over half of last years telephone fraud cases involved impersonating government officials, resulting in approximately MOP100 million in losses, representing 73% of the total reported losses from telephone fraud. Meanwhile, the report noted 533 internet fraud cases, a 41.2% decrease from the previous year; however, losses soared to MOP170 million, a nearly 120% year-on-year increase. As noted, the authorities arrested 178 members of fraud syndicates and prevented 683 fraud cases, safeguarding over MOP84 million. Additionally, they flagged 551 suspicious accounts to banks and coordinated with the telecommunications industry to effectively block 545 phishing websites. The PJs overview of this years public security situation indicates a slight overall increase in total crime figures, while serious violent crimes have generally declined. Notably, drug trafficking and drug abuse cases saw sharp rises, with 61 and 29 cases reported last year, reflecting year-on-year increases of 24.5% and 93.3%, respectively. According to Sit, these increases are attributed to enhanced intelligence-led policing, strengthened cross-border collaboration, and the successful resolution of several key cases. PJ data show that 14,308 case files were opened last year, a modest 1.8% increase from 2024. The number of concluded cases reached 15,718, a 22.3% year-on-year increase, and 3,955 individuals were referred to judicial authorities, a 19% year-on-year increase. While there were three homicide cases, all stemmed from family and relationship disputes, and incidents of serious bodily injury involved individuals with mental health issues and workplace conflicts. Domestic violence cases decreased by one, bringing the total to 11, and there were no reported triad-related crimes or kidnappings last year. Organized crime cases also saw a sharp decline, with just eight incidents reporteda significant 68% decrease from the previous yearindicating a trend toward greater overall social security and stability. The PJ reported a continued decline in serious gambling-related crimes and organized crime, reflecting a low incidence trend. According to them, over the past year, 2,314 specialized investigations and reports on gambling-related offenses were initiated, including 192 cases of illegal lending for gambling purposes and 28 cases of unlawful confinement, representing year-on-year decreases of 23.8% and 40.4%, respectively. Additionally, 567 cases of illegal money exchange for gambling purposes were cracked down on, resulting in the arrest of 867 individuals and the seizure of over HKD94 million in cash and casino chips. Cybersecurity Center Phase 4 focused on prevention During yesterdays Spring Festival symposium, it was announced that the Cybersecurity Incident Alert and Response Centers fourth-phase upgrade of its dynamic threat monitoring and detection system introduced more advanced equipment, enhancing early-detection capabilities against potential cyberattacks. Sit reported that the center detected an alarming 5,700 signs of cyberattacks and espionage daily in 2025, stating, This reflects a high incidence rate and indicates that the cybersecurity situation remains extremely severe. He further disclosed that the center issued 295 early warnings last year, the highest number in recent years. Although the total number of cybersecurity incidents handled was the lowest in recent times at 23including four cyberattacksthis reflects the ongoing challenges in maintaining cyber resilience. Like this: Like Loading... President Denis Sassou Nguesso has announced on Thursday his intention to contest the forthcoming presidential election, positioning himself for another term in office. The declaration was made during the inauguration of the countrys first major agricultural fair at Bambou-Mingali, near Brazzaville on Thursday, where he reiterated his commitment to strengthening agricultural transformation programmes initiated during his current tenure. His decision follows an endorsement by the Presidential Majority, a broad coalition comprising 18 political parties, signalling consolidated political backing ahead of the polls. The announcement frames the election as a continuation of policy priorities centred on economic diversification, with agriculture highlighted as a strategic pillar for national development. The First EthioKenya Joint Defense Committee (JDC) meeting, held at the Defence Headquarters in Nairobi, concluded successfully, with officials reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral defence cooperation and enhancing regional security coordination. The session focused on strategic military engagement held on Thursday, February 5, aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the Horn of Africa. Major General Teshome Gemechu, head of the Ethiopian delegation, highlighted the robust trustbased relations between the Ethiopian and Kenyan defence forces and emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration in addressing shared security challenges. He underscored the need to maintain momentum in joint defence efforts despite external pressures. Major General Frederick Leuria of Kenya noted that longstanding links in trade, investment and peopletopeople ties complement the military partnership, reinforcing mutual benefits across sectors. The meeting builds on a defence cooperation agreement signed last year, which established a structured framework for ongoing collaboration in pursuit of regional peace and collective security. The presidents of Zambia and Ghana engaged in substantive bilateral talks in Lusaka on Thursday, February 5, advancing a strategic agenda aimed at deepening economic cooperation. Hakainde Hichilema, Zambian Head of State, is paying a three-day visit in Accra since 4th February. The dialogue emphasised strengthening trade ties, leveraging shared expertise in sectors such as mining, and reinvigorating people-to-people relations between the two nations. Both leaders expressed a mutual commitment to building on the historical foundations of their countries relations by prioritising economic collaboration that transcends traditional political goodwill. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa lauded the South African Revenue Service (SARS) as the engine room of the South African state during an oversight visit to the SARS National Command Centre in Brooklyn, Pretoria on Thursday. He underscored SARSs pivotal role in sustaining South Africas democratic institutions and funding essential public services through tax revenue collection. Ramaphosa highlighted SARSs contribution to economic growth, infrastructure development and inclusive service delivery, noting its success in raising public trust and enhancing investor confidence. He also pointed to significant milestones, including strong valueadded tax and corporate income tax receipts that contributed to the countrys sovereign credit rating upgrade, and SARSs involvement in South Africas removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list. Acknowledging challenges from the statecapture era, the President commended SARS for implementing reforms and embracing technological modernisation to strengthen compliance and governance. He affirmed the institutions essential role in combating illicit economic activity and supporting national priorities such as job creation, poverty reduction and sustainable growth. The African Union (AU) has condemned on, 5 February, a deadly terror attack in Nigeria, describing it as a grave assault on human rights, peace and security. AU Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf characterised the incident as a heinous and barbaric act and extended condolences to the families of the victims, while expressing full solidarity with the Nigerian government and authorities in Kwara State. The AU reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigerias efforts to strengthen national peace, security and stability amid escalating security pressures. Local authorities reported that dozens of victims were buried in a mass grave, while a lawmaker disclosed that at least 170 bodies had been recovered, with the toll expected to rise as searches continue. Survivors were said to have fled into surrounding forests, and several women were reportedly abducted. Kwara State, particularly communities near forest belts, has recently experienced worsening insecurity linked to banditry, kidnapping and the movement of armed groups displaced by military operations in neighbouring regions, underscoring the broader regional dimensions of Nigerias security challenge. At a Chinese New Year reception in Juba , Chinas Ambassador to South Sudan, Ma Qiang, reaffirmed Beijings steadfast support for South Sudans development, peace and reconstruction efforts. The ambassador described the celebration as embodying harmony and unity, principles he said underpin Chinas global engagement and its strategic partnership with South Sudan. Ma highlighted the steady deepening of bilateral cooperation, noting progress in infrastructure, energy, agriculture and livelihoods, and emphasised Chinas commitment to helping South Sudan pursue a development path tailored to its own conditions. He also reiterated Beijings endorsement of the one-China principle as central to their relationship. South Sudans senior presidential envoy on special programmes, Adut Salva Kiir, spoke of the Year of the Horse symbolising renewed momentum, underscoring Jubas openness to enhanced cooperation and investment across sectors such as infrastructure, technology, oil and gas, trade, education, mining and agriculture. Following the recent transformation of the Carnac Bunder Bridge into the Sindoor Bridge, another British-era landmark is at the centre of a naming tug-of-war. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received a formal proposal to rename the newly reconstructed Bellasis Bridge in Mumbai Central after the legendary social reformer Jagannath Nana Shankar Seth. However, the proposal hit a classic Mumbai bureaucratic roadblock: there are already so many spots in the city named after the iconic philanthropist. The current proposal was tabled by Malabar Hill MLA and Mumbai Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha via the BMCs D-Ward office. While BMC guidelines generally encourage replacing colonial names, it has hit a snag regarding duplication this time. Under BMC regulations, the same personalitys name cannot be assigned to two different infrastructure projects of the same type. The flyover at Dadar TT is already officially called the Jagannath Nana Shankar Seth Flyover. Interestingly, the BMC Bridge Department officials claimed that Bellasis Bridge was never the official name of the structure. The bridge is technically an extension of Bellasis Road, named after Major General John Bellasis, who commissioned the causeway connecting Malabar Hill to Mazagon in 1793, they said. As per the guidelines, we cannot name two bridges after the same person. We are currently reviewing how to proceed with the ministers request given the existing Dadar TT naming, a senior civic official told Mumbai Mirror. The closure of Bellasis Bridge for reconstruction in 2024 caused significant logistical headaches for commuters in South Mumbai. Motorists travelling between Mumbai Central East and West frequently reported delays of between 20 minutes and 30 minutes as traffic was diverted to congested arterial roads in Tardeo and Nagpada. The early completion is expected to provide massive relief to commuters heading towards the Mumbai Central railway station and the nearby BYL Nair Hospital. While the system grappled with the paperwork of its identity, the physical structure stands ready to reconnect the city. Mangal Prabhat Lodha confirmed that he has tabled a proposal for naming the bridge. I tabled a proposal for naming, as it was local peoples demand. Actually, Bellasis is not a name of the bridge. The road is named after Bellasis, Lodha told Mirror. BOX Ahead of Schedule Despite the naming delays, the engineering work was a rare success story for Mumbai. Originally slated to be completed by May 2026 completion, the BMC finished the project four months ahead of schedule. The original bridge was 131 years old when it was demolished in June 2024. The new bridge is 333 metres long and 7 metres wide. The project cost approximately 120 crores and was finished in 15 months and 6 days. In a significant development in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a corporator from the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has formally extended support to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shindes Shiv Sena. At the same time, three corporators from the Ajit Pawar faction are in talks to offer similar backing, a move that could further alter the balance of power in Mumbais civic body. Ajit Raorane, the lone corporator from the Sharad Pawar faction in the BMC, has registered himself as a supporting corporator of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Meanwhile, Ayesha Shams Khan, Dr Saeeda Khan and Bushra Malik all from the Ajit Pawar faction are understood to be in discussions, though no formal registration has taken place so far. Confirming the talks, Rahul Shewale, former MP of the Shiv Sena, said discussions with the NCP were ongoing and that only procedural steps remained. The discussions with the NCP are ongoing. There are just some formalities remaining for support, he said. However, sources claimed that the three NCP corporators have demanded recognition of a group leader for their faction even if they register themselves as supporting corporators of the Shiv Sena. Raorane said his decision was driven by assurances of development in his ward. I took the decision to support Shiv Sena as Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured me of development in my ward, he said. Raorane had defeated the BJPs senior corporator Vinod Mishra from the Dindoshi ward in the civic elections. Numbers shift in BMC Following Raoranes support, Senas strength in the BMC has risen to 30 corporators. This could increase to 33 if the remaining three NCP corporators extend their backing. Such a rise would entitle the Shinde-led party to one additional nominated corporator, along with one extra member each in the Standing Committee and the Improvement Committee. The development has had an immediate impact on the internal arithmetic of the BMC, particularly within its powerful committees, where numbers play a decisive role in policy and financial decisions. The move is being viewed as a setback for both the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (MIM) and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction. If all four NCP corporators extend their support, MIM is expected to lose one nominated corporator, affecting its representation in the civic body. The UBT faction, too, is likely to see a reduction in its presence across key decision-making panels. According to sources, if the Shinde-led Shiv Sena reaches the 33-corporator mark, the UBT faction will lose one member each from the Standing Committee and the Improvement Committee, bringing its strength in both panels down to seven members. What changes if all four extend support If Ayesha Shams Khan, Dr Saeeda Khan and Bushra Malik formally extend their support, the impact on the Maha Yuti alliances position in the BMC is expected to be more pronounced. The alliance already enjoys an absolute majority in both committees, and the additional support would further consolidate its grip over civic governance. A civic official said the Standing Committee plays a central role in financial approvals, budgets and major civic expenditure, while the Improvement Committee oversees planning, infrastructure and land-use matters. Any change in the composition of these committees can significantly influence policy decisions and control of municipal administration, the official said. Under the revised alignment, Sena is set to get two nominated corporators, while MIM will not get any. The BJP will get four nominated corporators, the UBT faction three, and the Congress one. In both the Standing Committee and the Improvement Committee, Shiv Sena will gain one additional member, strengthening the Maha Yuti alliances grip over Mumbais civic administration. Salt is the most ordinary thing in the world. It sits on every table, disappears into every meal, and is noticed only in its absence. And yet, once in a while, it reasserts itself not as seasoning but as story, forcing us to reckon with how much of our history, our labour, and our cities have been quietly built upon it. This Saturday afternoon, at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, salt briefly takes centre stage. The Wounded Souls of the Rann, a documentary by filmmaker Dinesh Lakhanpal, will be screened alongside Salt Lines, a major exhibition by the artist duo Hylozoic/Desires. Together, they form an unlikely but powerful triangulation with a third, older text: a Mumbai Mirror piece by Bharat Gothoskar on the citys salt pans and their slow erasure. Seen together, these three strands illuminate something Mumbai has long refused to look at directly. Lakhanpals film follows the Agariyas of the Rann of Kutch, traditional salt farmers who have harvested salt for nearly six centuries. What the film does, with quiet persistence rather than spectacle, is return salt to the realm of human endurance. We see eyes damaged by glare, bodies bent by labour, lives organised around cycles of debt and evaporation. This is not heritage. It is not nostalgia. It is work that continues, largely unseen, producing one of the most indispensable substances of modern life under conditions that feel both archaic and entirely contemporary. There is something unsettling about watching this film inside a museum. Museums are spaces where labour is usually resolved into artefact, where suffering is translated into text panels and vitrines. Here, the presence of living salt makers resists that containment. Salt refuses to become past tense. If the film grounds salt in the present, Salt Lines pushes us backward into a history that is no less violent for being forgotten. The exhibition is the first solo presentation in India by Hylozoic/Desires, the collaborative practice of Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser. Singh Soin, an Indian artist whose work often draws on poetry, speculative history and ecology, and Tappeser, a British artist and architect, have long worked across disciplines and geographies. Their practice moves fluidly between research, material experimentation, and storytelling, shaped as much by archives as by the landscapes they traverse. Salt Lines comes to Mumbai after being shown abroad in a significantly larger form, including at Somerset House in London, once home to the British Salt Office. That version unfolded across an 80-metre textile installation. At the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, fragments of that scale remain, most visibly in Namak Halal/Namak Haram, a monumental textile work installed in the museum plaza. The exhibitions run in Mumbai has extended, which allows it to coincide with Lakhanpals film screening, a small but telling acknowledgement of the resonance the project has already found here. The exhibition excavates the Inland Customs Line, a vast and now-erased colonial barrier built to enforce the British monopoly on salt. Stretching across nearly 4,000 kilometres of the subcontinent, much of it formed by living plants, the so-called Great Hedge of India turned nature itself into infrastructure. What makes Hylozoic/Desires work compelling is not simply the recovery of this astonishing fact, but the way material and history are folded into each other. Salt is not only depicted; it is used. Photographs are developed using salt prints. Dyes are extracted from plant species that once constituted the hedge. Bureaucratic stamps reappear as block prints. The mediums themselves carry memory. The setting matters. The Bhau Daji Lad Museum, formerly the Victoria and Albert Museum, was established in the mid-nineteenth century to promote imperial trade. That an exhibition about colonial extraction unfolds within these walls lends the work a quiet, almost accusatory resonance. The museum becomes not just a venue, but part of the story being told. This is where Gothoskars essay enters the frame, not as background reading but as a missing chapter in the citys self-understanding. Long before cotton mills and opium docks, salt sustained Bombay. Kolis fished, Kunbis farmed rice, Bhandaris tapped toddy, and Agris made salt. Entire neighbourhoods still carry the residue of this history in their names: Khar, Vikhroli, Kharkopar. Gothoskar reminds us that salt was once a lifeline, economically and ecologically. Salt pans shaped trade routes, generated revenue, and later became contested land under colonial taxation regimes that mirror, uncannily, the logic behind the Inland Customs Line. Even today, these lands function as wetlands, absorbing floodwaters and buffering the city against ecological collapse. And yet, they are treated as empty, expendable, awaiting development. Walking through the museum, watching the film, and rereading that essay, it becomes impossible not to notice the pattern. Salt is always essential. Its makers are always marginal. Its landscapes are always the first to be sacrificed. What changes is only the language used to justify the extraction. There is something remarkable about these three works briefly aligning. A documentary that insists on the present tense of labour. An exhibition that recovers a colonial infrastructure designed to police a basic human need. An article that restores salt to Mumbais foundational story, even as it acknowledges that the relationship may already be beyond repair. Together, they expose how easily cities forget what sustains them. Salt, in the end, leaves no monument. It dissolves. It erodes. It disappears into food, into water, into land deals and museum walls. Perhaps that is why it is so easy to overlook. And perhaps that is why, when it resurfaces like this, it leaves us uneasy. Not because the history is unfamiliar, but because it is far too close to the present to be safely consigned to the past. Anish Gawande is a writer and translator Today in Juhu, sunlight filters through classrooms and courtyards better known for assemblies and exams. On the grounds of Jamnabai Narsee School, Bonsai Blossoms 2026 is already underway, drawing visitors into a landscape scaled down but not diminished. Trees bend into imagined winds. Roots cling to rock with deliberate force. A gulmohar that has lived for nearly a century stands contained in a pot, calm and uncompromising. This is not decoration, says Harsha Hinduja, president of the India Friendship Bonsai Society. Bonsai is a long conversation with time. For Hinduja, who has cultivated trees for more than four decades, the practice offers discipline as much as beauty. You learn patience, clarity, and attention. Nature responds when you give it time. Roots in slow time Bonsai Blossoms is organised by the India Friendship Bonsai Society, founded in 2003 by Hinduja and Urvashi Thacker, a trustee of Jamnabai Narsee School. For over 25 years, the society has worked quietly to build a serious public platform for bonsai and ikebana in Mumbai. The school has hosted the annual exhibition since its inception, allowing it to grow steadily rather than spectacularly. This year, more than 200 bonsai trees are on display, alongside ikebana arrangements that value restraint over abundance. Many trees come from the personal collections of society members, including Hinduja and Thacker. Some are considered masterpieces, not for rarity, but for age, balance, and the visible years of care etched into every branch. People assume bonsai is about making trees small, says Thacker. It is the opposite. It is about allowing a tree to become fully itself within limits. Branches of craft Bonsai originated in China nearly 2,000 years ago before Japan refined it into the form practised today. The Japanese term translates simply as tree in a pot, but the practice rests on a precise vocabulary of styles and techniques. Formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade, and semi-cascade forms exist, but no tree reaches maturity without years of pruning, wiring, and restraint. Aluminium or copper wires guide branches for months until shape becomes habit. Despite their presence indoors, bonsai trees belong outdoors for most of their lives. They require sun, dew, and seasonal change. Many flowering and fruiting species thrive in Indian conditions, from ficus and bougainvillaea to pomegranate, tamarind, and guava. Ikebana shares the exhibition space and a similar philosophy. The Japanese art of flower arrangement focuses on line, space, and intention rather than colour or volume. Ikebana is about the relationship between material and space, Hinduja says. Each stem has a role, and emptiness matters. Leaves of learning Learning remains central to the societys work. Over the two days, international masters will lead workshops for serious practitioners. Michael Morden from the Philippines brings a reputation for architectural precision. Hayes Siaw Hui of Malaysia is known for fluid, landscape-inspired forms. Indonesian artists Gilang Muhammad and Ardiansyamei specialise in tropical species. Delhi-based Manoj Kumar works with large-scale rock landscapes. A show-quality bonsai takes at least four to five years to develop, often far longer. Even then, the work never ends. A bonsai is never finished, Thacker says. You keep learning because the tree keeps changing. Seeds in the city Urban interest in bonsai has grown alongside conversations around sustainability and mental wellbeing. The society counts about 60 active members, many of whom began as curious visitors. Homemaker Sunita Thakker, 60, from Versova, credits hands-on workshops for deepening her practice of over 15 years. Artist Ami Shah, 53, who has been nurturing bonsai for the last seven years, speaks of learning when to prune and why patience matters as much as skill. In a city defined by speed and scale, bonsai offers a different measure of success. It asks for attention rather than acceleration. It rewards care rather than shortcuts. For those willing to look closely, these living miniatures suggest that growth does not always need to be loud. Bonsai Blossoms 2026 continues today and tomorrow, 9 am to 6 pm, at Jamnabai Narsee School, Juhu; exhibition entry is free, workshops cost Rs 15,000 for two days; registrations and details at +91 9820296414 GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) History professor Gabor S. Boritt, a Hungarian immigrant to the United States who wrote widely about the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln, has died. He was 86. Boritt had been a professor at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania for many years, founding the Civil War Institute and helping establish the $50,000 Lincoln Prize for scholarship related to the Civil War. He died Monday in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, according to his son. Boritt was born in Budapest in 1940 and survived World War II, although relatives were killed in the Auschwitz Nazi death camp. He was sent to an orphanage after the war and in 1956 joined the Hungarian Revolution as a 16-year-old, his family recalled. After the uprising was crushed, he made it to the United States, where he worked in a New York hat factory before furthering his education in South Dakota and earning a history doctorate from Boston University. He taught at several universities before joining the faculty at Gettysburg in 1981. Boritt served on the board of the Gettysburg Foundation and was involved in the construction of a new visitors center at Gettysburg National Military Park. He was awarded a National Humanities Medal by President George W. Bush in 2008. A screening of Budapest to Gettysburg, a documentary about his life created by his son, Jake Boritt, will be held on Lincolns Birthday, Feb. 12, in Gettysburg. Scarlet Sands-Bliss, a Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley, typically gets up at 6 a.m. to make the drive to rural Lake County, where shes researching how community members can prepare for extreme heat events. Last Monday evening, after a long day of meetings with tribal representatives and behavioral health workers, she hit the road again, racing down country byways to a pop-up science fair and lobbying event in Sacramento. Along with a couple dozen other students and postdocs from universities across California, she was there to present her work to state lawmakers and urge them to set up a $23 billion scientific research fund, at a time when the federal government is stepping back its support. Its not the kind of advocacy Sands-Bliss originally envisioned when she embarked on a public health career. I have some professors at Berkeley who really believe that were scientists and its not our job to discuss the implications of our work, she said. But she now believes the survival of her field might depend on her speaking up. As a young person working in climate, everything feels really urgent, she said. Early-career scientists like Sands-Bliss are helping lead the campaign to set up the California Foundation for Science and Health Research, which would dole out grants for projects in health, agriculture, earthquake and wildfire safety and other fields with priority going to ongoing studies that have seen their funding axed by the federal government. Legislation authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener would place a bond measure to fund the proposed foundation before voters in November. The bills supporters say they are responding to the second Trump administrations disruption of research in California. The administration has canceled or threatened to cancel federal grants for studies not aligned with the presidents priorities including those that deal with diversity, race and gender disparities, or climate change. In doing so, it has cast a wide net. Efforts to study the effect of wildfire smoke on developing fetuses, find new antibiotics to treat tuberculosis, combat infertility and help small farmers market their produce all saw federal funding paused or canceled in California last year, according to researchers at the science fair. As of December, UC Berkeley had lost more than $50 million in federal research grants. (The university received $473 million in total federal research dollars for the 2024-25 fiscal year.) Researchers have scrambled to remove language from grant proposals that could draw federal scrutiny. Many grants have been restored. After Trump officials tried to claw back more than $500 million in research grants from UCLA, accusing it of failing to combat campus antisemitism and demanding it pay a $1.2 billion penalty and make changes to admissions and hiring, a federal judge last fall ordered them to return the money. But scientists see an uncertain future as the president has proposed slashing overall science funding, directed political appointees to vet grant applications for anti-American ideas, and appointed a Health and Human Services secretary who has booted experts from advisory panels, replacing them with vaccine skeptics. Its like theyre Neanderthals who want to bring us back to the Middle Ages, where were un-curing diseases, Wiener said on Jan. 26 as he strolled from poster to poster at the fair set up inside the California Federation of Labor Unions office. Around him, scientists talked with other lawmakers and their aides about their studies. Wiener said he first floated the idea of a state science fund early last year after becoming very upset and angry at attacks on university research and federal science agencies, and was surprised to quickly hear from the United Auto Workers union, which represents scientists at the University of California and in state government. The University of California also joined the coalition, partnering with the union at the same time as they are sitting across the table from each other in sometimes-contentious negotiations over wages and benefits for graduate student workers, whose contract expires this month. Reductions in federal funding are already disrupting critical UC research that supports thousands of jobs, drives medical innovation, and leads to life-changing solutions that benefit everyone, UC President James Milliken said in a statement about Wieners proposal. We had to take the word climate out of everything Researchers at the Jan. 26 fair had spent the afternoon visiting lawmakers offices to lobby for the bill. A look around the room gave a sense of the kind of projects that have lost favor under the current administration. Some, like Sands-Blisss, could be linked directly to climate change. The remote Lake County community where she works has suffered from wildfires and heat waves, which scientists predict will continue to increase in frequency and severity as a result of human-caused global warming. The extreme weather especially affects farmworkers, seniors and unhoused people, Sands-Bliss said. One staff member at a local senior center, she said, has had heatstroke several times and now cant go out in the sun for more than 15 minutes at a time. Everyone has some experience like that to tell, she said. Up until a few weeks before Sands-Bliss started her doctoral program in the fall, she said, she wasnt sure if the funding for her position was secure. We had to take the word climate out of everything, she said. Instead, we talk about rural preparedness for extreme weather events. Ultimately, the funding was maintained. Another grant recipient, a UCLA project examining ways to prevent HIV transmission among formerly incarcerated people, seemed innocuous enough. But some program funds came from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of a larger grant to Charles Drew University, Californias only historically Black college. The Trump administration revoked that larger grant in March. The grant was eventually reinstated, said Gabriel Edwards, a Bay Area-based scientist who works with the UCLA team. But the months-long disruption meant the researchers had to scrap a planned partnership with a Skid Row community organization to match study participants with peer mentors. Projects like Edwards and Sands-Blisss could get a boost under the proposed California Foundation for Science and Health Research, which has drawn support from a swath of Democratic legislators and a few Republicans, but would need to compete for voters attention in a year that could see multiple bond measures on the ballot. As envisioned in Wieners bill which could change significantly as it makes its way through the Legislature state grants would be awarded by a majority-scientist council appointed by the secretary of Government Operations, who in turn reports to Gov. Gavin Newsom. California would recoup some of the profits from any inventions developed with the state funds, and, if they are pharmaceuticals, could choose to manufacture them itself and distribute them at a discount to Californians. How UC Berkeley could stand to benefit from the fund As the states flagship public research university, UC Berkeley would likely be a major beneficiary of the proposed fund. Stable funding could help labs plan for the future in a field where experiments often take years to execute, said Christopher Rae, a UC Berkeley postdoctoral researcher at the fair. Hes investigating potential new treatments for tuberculosis, a disease caused by a bacteria that the World Health Organization says infects about a quarter of the worlds population. Rae said the federal government temporarily revoked one of his labs three major research grants from the National Institutes of Health in 2025. The research survived, but the lab has frozen hiring for new graduate students and postdocs due to concerns that other grants could be put on hold, a decision that will likely affect its output three to five years into the future, he said. Public funding is key for developing antibiotics that are important for fighting disease but might not be profitable for drug companies to pursue, Rae said. He earned his Ph.D. in the United Kingdom, and said federal cutbacks have caused him to consider job options outside the U.S. more seriously. The countries and the institutes that put the money towards the things that they care about will be the places that scientists like me end up going, he said. Cuts in federal research funding to UC Berkeley, whether threatened or real, have induced high levels of anxiety and uncertainty, with many graduate programs limiting acceptance of graduate students, John Aubrey Douglass, a senior fellow at the universitys Center for Studies in Higher Education, wrote in an email. Science bond could compete on a crowded ballot Voter enthusiasm for a science bond might depend on how Californians are faring economically in November and whether a separate tax on billionaires also makes it on the ballot, Douglass said. That measure, backed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, would levy a one-time 5% tax on Californians worth more than $1 billion and use the money to offset looming federal cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Lawmakers have also floated issuing a $10 billion bond to pay for affordable housing construction and assistance to homebuyers and renters. That bill is making its way through the Legislature. Bonds require the state to go into debt, so theyre often opposed by fiscal conservatives. But they have become a common way for the state to finance large infrastructure projects, such as building and repairing schools. To make it to the ballot, Wieners measure must first win support from two-thirds of California legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom. A majority of voters would then need to approve it. Two Republican legislators have signed on as co-authors, an indication of the bipartisan appeal that basic research can still have, even in a polarized political climate. Assemblymember Josh Hoover, a Folsom Republican, said he coauthored the bill because he has a family member with dementia and has seen the difference that innovations in medicine have made in that persons quality of life. Ive talked to a lot of Republicans in Washington that do support the research, Hoover said. But he said they often raise concerns about fraud and waste. The federal politics are often a lot more complicated and challenging than what we can do at the state level. Congress pushed back on Trumps proposed deep reductions to funding for the National Science Foundation and NASA in the 2026 budget, instead passing much more modest decreases, which the president signed into law last month. Texas voters opted in 2023 to direct annual interest from the states rainy day fund to an endowment for research at public universities. And Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has proposed a $400 million state fund for studies at hospitals, universities and independent labs, and to hire early-career researchers. If California were to set up its own research fund, it would continue a trend of the state going its own way on health and science. Newsom has joined with other blue states in the West Coast Health Alliance to coordinate vaccine policy separately from the federal government. The state also signed on this month to the World Health Organizations Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network, an early warning system for health emergencies, after the United States pulled out. If Californias economy is bigger than most other nations, and those nations are putting money into research, then California certainly could, Rae said. ___ Berkeleyside partners with the nonprofit newsroom Open Campus on higher education coverage. ___ This story was originally published by Berkeleyside and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press. By FELICIA MELLO/Berkeleyside Berkeleyside RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) A Southern California county and a foster care agency have agreed to a $13.5 million settlement with six children who were placed in an abusive home after being rescued from squalid and abusive conditions in their parents home. Riverside County will pay $2.25 million to six of the Turpin children, most of whom are now adults, and ChildNet, a care agency, will pay $11.25 million, according to a copy of the settlement. The lawsuit filed on behalf of the six Turpin siblings alleged that the Olguin family, which took them in after they were rescued from their parents home in 2018, hit them with sandals, pulled their hair, forced them to eat their own vomit and made them recount their trauma. Marcelino Olguin pleaded guilty to lewd acts on a child, false imprisonment and injuring a child and was sentenced in 2024 to seven years in prison, while his wife and adult daughter were sentenced to probation for child cruelty. They literally told us, Nobody wants you. Youre never going to find a better place than this, Jolinda Turpin, 20, said in an interview with ABCs Diane Sawyer that aired this week. She spoke along with two of her siblings. Something good needs to come from this. It has to, and I cant accept it not. Attorneys for the six siblings said in a statement Wednesday that the settlement brings to a close cases that helped spur critical improvements in Riverside Countys child welfare system. These concrete and long-overdue steps toward improving child safety were accomplished as a direct result of the Turpins bravely coming forward and insisting that their suffering lead to meaningful change to protect other children, attorneys Roger Booth and Elan Zektser said in the statement. Their courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to protecting other foster children is extraordinary. The six plaintiffs were rescued along with seven other siblings from the Perris, California, home of their parents. David and Louise Turpin pleaded guilty to torture and years of abuse that included shackling some of their 13 children, starving them and providing only a minimal education. They were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. In the settlement agreement, Riverside County and ChildNet denied the wrongdoing. In a statement, Riverside County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen said the county is committed to the wellbeing and long-term healing of all 13 siblings and has made changes since the case came to light, including increased coordination between child welfare and law enforcement agencies and growing the number of trained social workers. The trauma endured by this family is heartbreaking. The abuse these children suffered in both their biological and adoptive homes was tragic and unacceptable, Van Wagenen said. No one wants this to happen again. Eric Rose, a spokesperson for ChildNet, said in a statement that the agency did not receive complaints or allegations of abuse while the children were in the agencys foster care program, and that these were raised after the children were no longer in ChildNets care. Our mission has always been, and remains, to help vulnerable children heal, grow, and succeed. That mission guided every decision in this case and continues to guide our work today, Rose said. A report found that the social service system failed the Turpin children, who ranged in age from 2 to 29 when they were rescued by authorities after their 17-year-old sister escaped and called 911. When Savannah Guthrie made a heart-wrenching plea to the kidnapper of her 84-year-old mother to send proof of life, she addressed the possibility of people creating deepfakes. We live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated, she said. Before artificial intelligence tools proliferated making it possible to realistically impersonate someone, in photos, sound and video proof of life could simply mean sending a grainy image of a person whos been abducted. Thats no longer true. With AI these days you can make videos that appear to be very real. So we cant just take a video and trust that thats proof of life because of advancements in AI, Heith Janke, the FBI chief in Phoenix, said at a news conference Thursday. Hoaxes whether high or low-tech have long challenged law enforcement, especially when it comes to high-profile cases such as Nancy Guthries disappearance last weekend from her home in the Tucson area. As technology has advanced, criminals have grown savvy and used it to their benefit, confusing police and the public and masking their identities. The FBI in December warned that people posing as kidnappers can provide what appears to be a real photo or video of a loved one, along with demands for money. Police have not said that they have received any deepfake images of Guthrie. At least three news organizations have reported receiving purported ransom notes that they have given to investigators, who said they are taking them seriously. Investigators said they believe shes still out there, but they have not identified any suspects. Separately, a California man was charged Thursday with sending text messages to the Guthrie family seeking bitcoin after following the case on television. Theres no indication that hes suspected of having a role in the disappearance, according to a court filing. Savannah Guthrie appeared in an emotional video on Instagram, sitting between her sister and brother. Her voice cracked as she spoke directly to the kidnapper, saying the family is ready to talk and ready to listen but that they also want to know that their mother is alive. The brother, Camron Guthrie, posted a similar video on social media Thursday. Images of Nancy Guthrie, publicly shared by family, could be used to create deepfakes, said former FBI agent Katherine Schweit. She said ransom demands over history have evolved from phone calls and handwritten notes to email, texts and other digital tools. A century ago, ransom notes were analog. For example, when the toddler son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped, a piece of paper demanding $50,000 was found on a windowsill. Investigative techniques accumulate over time, Schweit said. Theres never less to do as years go by; theres more to do. Digital and forensic work is a perfect example. It just adds to the other shoe-leather work we would have done in years past. Nothing can be dismissed. Everything has to be run to ground. Schweit said directly addressing a kidnapper, like Savannah Guthrie did in her video, is a tactical move. The goal is to have the family or law enforcement speak directly to the victim and the perpetrator, and ask the perpetrator: What do you need? How can we solve this? Lets move this forward, she said. Janke suggested to reporters that the FBI may have had some influence on Guthries decision to release a video message. We have an expertise when it comes to kidnappings, and when families want advice, consultation, expertise, we will provide that, he said. But the ultimate decisions on what they say and how they put that out rests with the family itself. By BARBARA ORTUTAY and ED WHITE Associated Press Homa Bay Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga has approached the courts to contest Governor Gladys Wangas decision to lock him out of his office. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, February 5, Magwanga said he had filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to compel Wanga to reopen the office, which he claims she closed last year. He said the closure has left him without a workspace, effectively preventing him from performing his duties and serving the residents of Homa Bay County. I went to court to petition the court to order the governor to unlock my office that she locked last year. She has rendered me jobless. I have nowhere to sit to offer my services to the people of Homa Bay, Magwanga said. Magwanga argued that keeping his office closed disrupts service delivery and denies county residents the support and representation they deserve. He insisted he cannot discharge his responsibilities from home or under a tree, stressing that his role requires a formal county office. The deputy governor also claimed that since his office was locked, Governor Wanga has not provided any official communication or alternative arrangements. He urged the governor to reconsider and reopen his office even before the court delivers a ruling. There has never been any communication from her instructing me on what to do. This is a disservice to the people of Homa Bay, Magwanga said. I want to appeal to her to make the necessary arrangements to open my office before the court pronounces itself, he added. Looking ahead, Magwanga hinted at a political showdown, revealing his intention to contest the Homa Bay governorship in the 2027 general election. As Joseph Oyugi Magwanga, who vied for the governors position in 2017 and is now her deputy, I will be on the ballot in 2027 as governor for Homa Bay County. Let her prepare to face off with me, he stated. Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Thursday took the witness stand in his ongoing Ksh20 million corruption case, telling a Nairobi court that powerful interests targeted him because of his long-standing fight against graft. The trial court had earlier directed Sonko and his co-accused, businessman Erastus Ombok, to begin their defence in February 2025 after finding that prosecutors had established a prima facie case against them. Sonko and Ombok face multiple charges, including abuse of office, conflict of interest, money laundering, and acquiring proceeds of crime. Prosecutors allege that Sonko demanded Ksh20 million in connection with county government dealings while serving as Nairobi governor, claims he has consistently denied. My fight against corruption began in Parliament In his testimony, Sonko told the magistrates court that his anti-corruption crusade began long before he became Nairobi governor, tracing it back to his time as a Member of Parliament and later a Senator. I have fought corruption fearlessly and without compromise, Sonko told the court. My war against corruption did not begin yesterday. It started when I was a Member of Parliament and continued during my service in the Senate. He said corruption had deeply infiltrated the former City Council of Nairobi even before the adoption of the 2010 Constitution, and continued to flourish under the county government system that followed. According to Sonko, land grabbers, cartels, and senior government officials worked together to illegally dispose of public assets, particularly public land. Sonko says stance against graft made him enemies Sonko told the court that he could not remain silent in the face of corruption, given his constitutional oversight role as a legislator. He claimed his actions put him on a collision course with powerful individuals and networks. Regrettably, powerful individuals and networks whose interests were threatened by my actions decided to fight back, he said. To support his defence, Sonko asked the court to consider video clips and other publicly available materials, which he said demonstrate his consistent efforts to expose corruption during his time in Parliament. He argued that the evidence would show he acted to protect public resources, uphold the rule of law, and defend the Constitution. Court reviews video evidence on alleged land grabbing During the hearing, the court watched a video clip showing Sonko, then an MP, addressing the National Assembly over an alleged land-grabbing scheme involving a public primary school in Westlands. In the clip, Sonko accused private developers and senior officials of colluding to grab land reserved for the school. He told the court that the alleged land grabbers attempted to bribe him to stop opposing the scheme. They offered me Sh8 million, Sonko said, adding that he rejected the offer and reported the matter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). By the time I raised the issue in Parliament, an obtained court order was already in favour of the grabbers, Sonko told the court. He said he sought to be enjoined in the High Court case to challenge the decision. Sonko claimed that after his intervention and legal action, the court eventually overturned the order. My record shows I fought graft, not committed it Sonko also cited other instances where he said he stood up against corruption and abuse of office, arguing that his record shows a consistent pattern of resisting graft rather than engaging in it. He maintained that the charges against him stem from retaliation by powerful interests unsettled by his anti-corruption stance. The hearing continues as the court evaluates Sonkos defence and reviews the evidence he has presented to support his claims. Belgut Constituency Member of Parliament Nelson Koech launched a sharp attack on Siaya Governor James Orengo, accusing him of betraying the late Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga. Koech claims Orengo never truly believed in Raila and merely leveraged his ODM association to advance his own political career. Orengo Used Raila for Political Survival, MP Alleges Speaking in an interview with a local TV station on Thursday, February 5, 2026, Koech argued that Orengo belongs to a group of politicians who survived politically by presenting themselves as loyal Raila allies while failing to deliver for constituents. For instance, James Orengo. James Orengo has no history of ever working with Raila Odinga. In fact, he has run against Raila Odinga; he never believed in Raila Odinga, but because he realised that without Raila there was no way he was going to be elected for any political seat in Luo Nyanza, that is the only time that he supported Raila Odinga, Koech said. Governor Returns to Old Ways, MP Says The Belgut legislator claimed that Orengo has now reverted to his earlier political stance after benefiting from his association with Raila Odinga. He has gone back to where he was. He never supported Raila Odinga; he never believed in him; he wanted Raila for his own political reasons, Koech said. These accusations come amid ongoing political tensions within ODM, raising questions about loyalty and authenticity among politicians who built their careers under Raila Odingas leadership. Koech Targets ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna Koech also criticized Nairobi Senator and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, alleging that his opposition to the ODA-United Democratic Alliance (UDA) pact is driven by personal grievances rather than principle. The MP claimed Sifuna had lobbied for a Cabinet Secretary position in the government and grew resentful when he was passed over. Edwin Sifuna had wanted the position of Cabinet Secretary, and when he did not get it, he became a bit giddy. Look at the questions that he poses to those who were picked, especially when they appear before the Senate. They are personal. He looks like an extremely bitter person. I am telling you now that Edwin Sifuna had requested the position of cabinet secretary, Koech said. Koech maintained that ODM party leader Oburu Odinga has the authority to make political decisions for the party. He added that those who oppose the partys direction should consider leaving ODM. The National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) has fired back at Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna over his criticisms of alleged delays in implementing the UDA-ODM 10-point agenda, rejecting claims that the committee has failed to deliver on its mandate. Committee members broke their silence on Thursday, expressing frustration at what they described as a deliberate misrepresentation of their work. NADCO warns against politicizing the implementation process The committee issued a stern warning to politicians, urging them to stop politicizing the dialogue process. Members accused critics of distorting facts about NADCOs progress and undermining the bipartisan initiative. Sifuna, during a Tuesday interview, had criticized the committee for focusing on public consultations instead of submitting concrete findings a characterization NADCO dismissed as misleading. Sifuna highlights unfulfilled areas of the agreement The Nairobi Senator identified key areas where he believes the UDA-ODM agreement has stalled, including auditing the 2022 elections, curbing extrajudicial killings, reducing unchecked government spending, and completing the transfer of devolved functions to counties. A comprehensive evaluation of the 2022 electoral process has not happened. I challenge Agnes Zanis committee to show where this audit has taken place. Police officers have tortured and killed young people even after signing the MOU. All government arms should reduce travel budgets by 50 per cent, yet the Deputy President had Sh340 million allocated for travel and private choppers. The national government has not completed the transfer of all devolved functions to counties. Only Sh415 billion of the promised Sh450 billion has gone to counties, Sifuna said. He issued a stark ultimatum, noting that the MoU establishing NADCO is nearing its expiry and insisting the committee must deliver results within 30 days. We agreed with Baba to give these people six months. Those six months are over. We now have only one month to understand how this committee will deliver on all 10 points. Absolutely zero has been done, he added. Government bears ultimate responsibility While recognizing NADCOs oversight role, Sifuna stressed that the government carries the ultimate responsibility for implementing the bilateral agreement. From the beginning, there was no goodwill from President Ruto to implement the MOU. The committee was supposed to monitor, but the obligations are on the government, he said, questioning the administrations political will to honour the pact. Sifuna set a firm deadline, warning that ODM will not entertain extensions beyond the MoUs expiration on March 7, 2026. NADCO defends its work Committee Chair Agnes Zani rejected claims that the agenda had stalled, accusing critics of misrepresenting the committees work and interfering politically with a process designed to address national priorities. Today as part of stakeholders, were meeting PSs all together so that we can get in the data. Weve also sent memorandum guides requesting for memoranda to be brought back to us across a raft of so many issues, and all this indicates the amount of work that has been put even then for us to be able to get to this point, Zani said. Vice Chair Javas Bigambo cited legislative progress aligning with NADCO recommendations, including the constitution of IEBC, new commissioners, and multiple election amendment laws currently in Parliament. When it comes to various issues regarding laws that were recommended by the NADCO report, a number of them, including, for example, the constitution of IEBC, have been enacted. We have new commissioners in office. Various election amendment laws and bills are in Parliament today at various stages. In fact, as we are speaking, close to 16 bills are at various stages in Parliament last evening, he explained. ODM insider challenges Sifuna Committee member Fatuma Ibrahim, an ODM nominee, expressed disappointment at Sifuna for going public instead of consulting the committee directly. Im an ODM nominee to this committee. My secretary general, Edwin Sifuna, said that this committee is not working and I was a bit disturbed by his statement. We are five members in this committee. Three are from ODM. He should have come to ask us our progress if he is honest about knowing the progress of the 10-point agenda and the NADCO report, she said, highlighting internal tensions within ODM. NADCO member Gabriel Oguda encouraged politicians to engage directly with the committee rather than criticizing from the sidelines. We are asking every politician in this country that if you feel that youve done everything Kenyans voted for you to do, please come to our committee and ask us to give you something to do, he said. Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has thrown her weight behind ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, challenging President William Rutos ability to honor pre-election agreements amid growing tensions within ODM. In a statement released on Thursday, February 5, the lawmaker defended Sifuna against accusations of party rebellion after he publicly questioned the viability of ODMs potential pre-election pact with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Ruth Odinga directly confronted critics who labeled Sifuna a rebel for highlighting the failed implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between ODM and Kenya Kwanza in March 2024. If indeed he is a rebel, then how many times was Raila Odinga one? Even in the nusu mkate government, Raila would still stand his ground, Ruth stated, drawing parallels to ODM leader Raila Odingas history of principled political positions. The lawmaker posed a pointed question to pro-government politicians: If the MoU has not been honoured, with less than 30 days to its expiry, what is so treasonous about Sifuna publicly declaring it dead? Trust Deficit Clouds 2027 Pre-Election Talks Ruth Odinga raised critical concerns about President Rutos track record on political agreements, pointing to the unfulfilled 2024 UDA-ODM MoU as evidence of unreliability. How sure are you that President William Ruto will honour the pre-election pact you are all talking about? Will he use a different signature? she asked, casting doubt on the credibility of any future coalition agreements ahead of Kenyas 2027 general elections. The Kisumu representative made clear she wont back down from her position, regardless of political pressure or labeling. I must put these here so that when the going gets tough, you wont accuse me of being mute, she added. The World Bank has outlined why it chose to support Kenya through the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, describing youth unemployment as one of the countrys most pressing development challenges. Speaking during the launch of the initiative in Malindi, Kilifi County, World Bank Country Director for Kenya Qimiao Fan said NYOTA directly responds to Kenyas high unemployment levels, particularly among young people. NYOTA is important because it addresses what I believe is the biggest development challenge Kenya faces today jobs. This is why we, as the World Bank, decided to support it, Fan said. World Bank says jobs are its top priority in Kenya Fan explained that improving employability sits at the centre of the World Banks engagement with Kenya, with a strong focus on job creation. The World Bank does only three things in Kenya: jobs, jobs, jobs. In addition to supporting you in implementing NYOTA, our entire program is squarely focused on supporting Kenya to create more inclusive jobs, he said. He added that the success of the NYOTA programme will not hinge on how many youths register, but on how effectively it equips beneficiaries to secure jobs, start businesses, and create opportunities for others. Inside the NYOTA programme Since its announcement in July 2025, the NYOTA project has taken shape around four key components, including paid on-the-job training, entrepreneurship support, and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) certification. The World Bank Board approved the project and committed about Ksh29.5 billion to fund the programme over five years, making it one of the largest youth-focused initiatives in the country. Government begins final round of payments On disbursement, the government has officially launched the final round of NYOTA programme payments across eight counties, with the process expected to conclude within two weeks. On Friday, February 6, beneficiaries from Mombasa, Kwale, and Taita Taveta counties will receive their funds in Mombasa. According to the Principal Secretary, beneficiaries in Wajir County will receive their payments on Wednesday, February 11, while those in Garissa County are scheduled to receive funds on Thursday, February 12. The NYOTA programme aims to equip Kenyan youth with practical skills, access to financing, and pathways into sustainable employment as the country works to tackle long-standing joblessness. Cultural & Historical Significance Adalwen is a name deeply rooted in Germanic aristocratic tradition, combining 'adal' (noble) and 'win' (friend) to signify 'noble friend.' This name emerged during the early medieval period when Germanic tribes were establishing kingdoms across Europe, reflecting the importance of nobility and loyalty in warrior societies. The name was particularly popular among Frankish and Bavarian nobility, often given to sons of aristocratic families who were expected to maintain alliances and demonstrate both noble bearing and faithful friendship. Throughout the Carolingian and Ottonian periods, Adalwen remained a name associated with ecclesiastical and secular leadership. Many bearers of this name served as bishops, abbots, or regional rulers, embodying the ideal of noble friendship in both spiritual and political contexts. The name's usage declined after the 12th century but experienced minor revivals during romantic medievalism movements in the 19th century, reflecting continued appreciation for its aristocratic and chivalric connotations. Individuals bearing the name Chisholm are often perceived as possessing strong leadership qualities, resilience, and a pioneering spirit. The name's Scottish clan heritage suggests traits of loyalty, family pride, and traditional values, while its American frontier associations indicate adaptability, determination, and practical problem-solving abilities. Chisholms are typically seen as grounded individuals with a strong connection to their roots, yet capable of embracing change and new challenges. They often exhibit a blend of traditional wisdom and innovative thinking, making them effective in both preserving heritage and forging new paths. The name carries connotations of reliability and strength, suggesting someone who can be depended upon in difficult circumstances while maintaining a sense of honor and integrity. People with this name are often thought to possess a quiet confidence rather than overt assertiveness, with an inner fortitude that becomes apparent during challenges. Their connection to the name's stony origins metaphorically suggests both stability and the ability to weather storms, while the trail-blazing associations indicate forward momentum and the courage to explore unknown territories. This combination makes the Chisholm personality both anchor and adventurerfirm in principles but flexible in approach. Cultural & Historical Significance Evoy holds significant cultural importance as a name deeply rooted in Irish history, particularly in County Wexford where the Evoy family was established as one of the prominent local families. The name originated from the Gaelic O hEimhidh, meaning 'descendant of Eimhidh', with historical connections to the ancient clan systems of Ireland. During the Norman invasion and subsequent centuries, the Evoy family maintained their presence in southeastern Ireland, becoming part of the region's social and economic fabric. The name gained particular historical significance during the 1798 Rebellion, when members of the Evoy family actively participated in the Irish uprising against British rule, demonstrating the family's engagement with Ireland's political struggles. This historical context makes Evoy more than just a nameit represents centuries of Irish resilience, cultural preservation, and regional identity. The transition from surname to given name in modern times reflects a contemporary desire to maintain connections to this rich heritage while adapting to evolving naming conventions. Cultural & Historical Significance The name Tanton carries significant cultural weight within Christian communities, particularly those with agricultural and rural backgrounds. Originating from English Christian traditions, the name embodies the values of simplicity, connection to nature, and peaceful living that are often celebrated in Christian teachings about stewardship of the land. Throughout history, the name has been associated with families living near rivers and farmlands, representing a harmonious relationship between faith, community, and the natural world. In many Christian communities, names reflecting geographical features were chosen to honor God's creation while providing practical identification of one's origins. The name's persistence through generations speaks to its enduring appeal among families who value both their Christian faith and their connection to agricultural traditions, serving as a reminder of the biblical principles of caring for the earth while maintaining a quiet, contemplative spiritual life. This cultural significance extends to modern times where the name continues to represent these traditional values in an increasingly urbanized world. Individuals bearing the name Teryysone often develop personality traits that reflect both the literal meaning and cultural significance of their name. The 'son of Terrell' component typically instills a strong sense of family identity and responsibility from an early age. Many Teryysones grow up with a deep understanding of their place within family narratives and often feel motivated to honor their heritage through their actions and achievements. This frequently results in a personality characterized by reliability, loyalty, and a strong moral compass. The original meaning of Terrell as 'to pull' or 'stubborn' often manifests as determination and perseverance - qualities that help Teryysones overcome challenges and pursue long-term goals with remarkable consistency. Socially, Teryysones tend to be natural community builders who value meaningful relationships over superficial connections. They often exhibit a blend of traditional values and progressive thinking that allows them to bridge different generations and cultural perspectives. Their Christian background, frequently associated with the name, often contributes to a values-driven approach to life decisions and a tendency to seek deeper meaning in their experiences. Many develop strong communication skills and emotional intelligence, making them effective in leadership roles where understanding different viewpoints is essential. While they can be stubborn in defending their principles, this same quality makes them dependable allies and advocates for causes they believe in. The combination of family loyalty, spiritual grounding, and determined character typically produces individuals who become pillars in their communities while maintaining strong personal integrity. Storm sparks floods in Spain and Portugal Jamie Clarke reports A deadly storm that triggered floods and thousands of evacuations in the Iberian Peninsula sparked calls on Thursday for Portugal's presidential run-off to be postponed, but electoral officials insisted it would go ahead. The country of around 10 million people had barely recovered from last week's battering by rain and winds that killed five people, injured hundreds and left tens of thousands without power. This week's Storm Leonardo has left one dead in Portugal and lashed the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, where rescuers were searching for a missing woman and evacuated thousands of people. Scientists say human-driven climate change is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as the floods and heatwaves that have struck both countries in recent years. Portuguese officials issued their highest flood alert for the Tagus in the central Santarem region on Thursday and evacuated people from homes near the river. Civil Protection chief Mario Silvestre said it was the worst flood threat along the Tagus in nearly three decades. Local media quoted far-right presidential candidate Andre Ventura as saying he would ask for Sunday's second-round vote to be pushed back a week due to the emergency, as "a matter of equality among all Portuguese". But the national electoral authority said in a statement the vote would go ahead on Sunday as scheduled. "A state of emergency, weather alerts or overall unfavourable situations are not in themselves a sufficient reason to postpone voting in a town or region," it said. Ventura is due to face the Socialist favourite Antonio Jose Seguro, who won the January 18 first round, for the mostly ceremonial position. Seguro told local media: "It is up to the authorities to hold the election in each municipality... I call on the Portuguese people who are able to vote to do so on Sunday." In Alcacer do Sal, south of Lisbon, mayor Clarisse Campos told national news agency Lusa that the municipality of around 10,000 electors had decided to postpone voting day by a week. "The conditions are not in place. We have several isolated localities, and the town centre is completely flooded," she said. Firefighters waded through the water and used inflatable boats to rescue trapped residents. Deolinda Guerra, a 78-year-old pensioner evacuated by the rescuers, said: "My house is full of water, everything is ruined: my washing machine, the fridge, everything." A man in his 60s died in the southeast on Wednesday after being swept away by the current while attempting to drive across a flooded area. The IPMA weather agency said last month, marked by a string of storms, was Portugal's second-wettest January this century. Across the border in Spain, Andalusian emergency services said they had dealt with more than 3,200 incidents linked to the storm since Monday as the rain and wind triggered floods, landslides and building collapses. Rescuers were searching for a woman swept away by a river in the Sayalonga municipality on Wednesday as she tried to rescue her dog from the current. Authorities were evacuating around 1,500 people from the mountainous municipality of Grazalema, which on Wednesday soaked in as much rain as Madrid usually receives in a year. Schools reopened in most of Andalusia after the lifting of the highest weather alert but remained suspended in the worst-hit areas, with road and rail transport still heavily disrupted. The region's leader Juanma Moreno told reporters that 15 municipalities had been cut off as more than 80 roads were shut. (AFP) NewsVoir Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 6: The ADAS Show 2026, India's leading platform for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Autonomous Vehicle technologies, will be held on February 12, 2026, at the ADAS Test City - Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune, with global ADAS leader Mobileye participating as a key partner alongside HERE Technologies. The event will convene senior leaders from OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, global technology companies, regulators and mobility innovators to demonstrate and validate next-generation automotive safety technologies in real-world conditions. The ADAS Test City at ARAI represents India's first dedicated track designed exclusively for ADAS testing and validation, enabling structured evaluation of safety technologies tailored to the country's diverse and complex road environment. The facility is expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating ADAS adoption and strengthening road safety outcomes across vehicle segments. The 2026 edition of The ADAS Show features Mobileye and HERE Technologies as key partners, reinforcing the event's stature as a globally relevant forum for intelligent mobility. Elie Luskin, Vice President for India and China at Mobileye, commented on the significance of the launch, stating, "The successful launch of India's first dedicated ADAS testing track by ARAI marks a major milestone, underscoring the market's commitment to scaling ADAS adoption and improving road safety." At the event, Luskin will deliver a keynote address outlining Mobileye's global technology roadmap and its relevance to India's mobility ecosystem. Additionally, Dhairyashil Gaekwad, Director - Business Development & Strategy, India at Mobileye, will participate in a panel discussion examining ADAS adoption across different vehicle segments in the Indian market. HERE Technologies will present its latest mapping and localisation innovations through live demonstrations at the ADAS Test City. Attendees will experience HERE's real-time localisation and high-definition mapping capabilities during on-track ADAS demonstrations, including HERE HD Live Map, HERE ISA Map, C-V2X and cloud-based localisation solutions. Commenting on the collaboration, Abhijit Sengupta - Senior Director & Head of Business, India & Southeast Asia, HERE Technologies stated, "We're honoured to partner with ARAI on this transformative initiative. The ADAS Test City is a cornerstone in India's path toward intelligent mobility and HERE's high-definition maps and localisation technologies are key enablers of safe, reliable and context-aware driving experiences. Together with ARAI, we aim to empower automakers, tier-1s and developers to localise, test and scale ADAS capabilities that truly reflect India's diverse road ecosystem." The ADAS Show has emerged as India's most prestigious and widely covered platform for ADAS and autonomous vehicle technologies. Recognised as the largest gathering of OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, technology companies and regulators in the future mobility space, it remains the only event in India to offer live, real-world testing on a track purpose-built for ADAS validation. About The ADAS ShowThe ADAS Show is India's premier platform dedicated to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous vehicle technologies. The event brings together the automotive ecosystem to enable knowledge exchange, live technology demonstrations, and real-world testing. With strong participation from OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, technology leaders, and regulators, The ADAS Show plays a critical role in shaping the future of automotive safety and intelligent mobility in India (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) NewsVoir Manipal (Karnataka) [India], February 6: The Manipal Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 (MES 2026), India's leading student-led entrepreneurship and innovation platform organised by the Entrepreneurship Cell of the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal, a constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University, will be held from 12 to 14 February 2026. The three-day summit will convene students, startups, investors, industry leaders, creators, and policymakers from across India to promote innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurial development. Manipal Entrepreneurship Summit is recognised as one of India's most energetic student-led startup platforms. It seeks to boost the national entrepreneurial ecosystem by integrating thought leadership, funding options, competitive events, and extensive industry engagement in a single event. The summit offers a distinctive space where young innovators can connect directly with seasoned entrepreneurs and industry specialists, facilitating the transformation of ideas into tangible, real-world ventures. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh, VSM, (Retd.) Vice Chancellor, MAHE, stated, "The Manipal Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 underscores MAHE's vision of promoting innovation-driven education and entrepreneurship as key enablers of national development. By bringing together academia, industry, startups, and policymakers on a common platform, MES 2026 exemplifies our commitment as an Institution of Eminence to nurturing socially relevant, scalable, and sustainable ventures. Such initiatives empower students to become job creators and responsible leaders in a rapidly evolving global economy." Dr. (Cdr) Anil Rana, Director, Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal, said, "The Manipal Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 reflects MIT's sustained commitment to nurturing innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry readiness among students. By providing a platform that connects young minds with industry leaders, investors, and policymakers, MES 2026 enables experiential learning beyond the classroom and encourages students to translate ideas into impactful ventures. Such initiatives play a critical role in strengthening India's startup ecosystem and preparing future-ready entrepreneurs." The summit will commence with keynote and guest sessions by well-known entrepreneurs and creators, including Shantanu Deshpande, Ankur Warikoo, and Sahiba Bali. Their journeys across startups, content creation, and brand building are expected to inspire students and early-stage founders. A key highlight of MES 2026 is Pitch Tank, a pan-India startup pitching competition. Over 650 participants and 100+ teams will present their business ideas before venture capitalists and angel investors. The competition offers a prize pool of Rs. 1.5 lakh, along with mentorship and potential funding support. MES 2026 will also feature the Innovation Mela, the summit's flagship startup expo. The expo will showcase 150+ startups, MSMEs, research labs, and student innovators, and is expected to attract over 22,000 visitors, making it one of the largest innovation showcases in the region. The platform provides startups with valuable exposure, partnership opportunities, and direct access to investors and industry leaders. Introducing a strong policy focus this year, MES 2026 will launch the Innovation Policy Consortium (IPC), a national inter-college initiative. Through this platform, student bodies will collaboratively develop research-based policy recommendations to address key challenges in India's startup ecosystem. The final policy document will be presented to government representatives during the summit. The summit will conclude with an Influencers' Conclave, featuring prominent entrepreneur-creators such as Parul Gulati and Gaurav Taneja (Flying Beast). The conclave will offer insights into digital-first businesses, personal branding, and community-driven growth. With a legacy of over 25,000 attendees in previous editions, the Manipal Entrepreneurship Summit continues to serve as a national platform that supports emerging startups and local MSMEs, while providing students with meaningful industry exposure beyond the classroom. MES 2026 reinforces Manipal's position as a leading hub for entrepreneurship and empowers the next generation of founders and changemakers. About Manipal Academy of Higher EducationManipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is an Institution of Eminence Deemed-to-be University, offering over 400 specialisations across Health Sciences, Management, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Technology & Science. MAHE operates through its constituent institutions across campuses in Manipal, Mangalore, Bengaluru, Jamshedpur, and Dubai. Renowned for its academic excellence, world-class infrastructure, and impactful research contributions, MAHE has earned strong national and international recognition. In October 2020, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, conferred MAHE with the prestigious Institution of Eminence status. Currently ranked 3rd in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), MAHE continues to be a preferred destination for students seeking a transformative learning experience and vibrant campus life, as well as for national and multinational organisations seeking top talent. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.) PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 6: A panel discussion was convened by The Council of EU Chambers of Commerce in India at the Conclave to decode the impact of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on the Tourism & Hospitality Industry. The session was led and moderated by Vijayta Raheja (COO, K Raheja Group) and featured distinguished panellists: * Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head - Thomas Cook Ltd., a leading travel company that reported over 8,000 crore in revenue in FY25. * Anahita Avari, Head - South Asia, VFS Global. * Delna Jasoomoney, Vice President - Industry Sales, Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), which operates iconic hotel chains including Taj, Selections, and ama stays. * Aparna Chaturvedi Basumallick, Country Head - Europamunda Vacations (EMV), part of the JTB Group, one of the world's largest travel groups founded in Japan over 100 years ago. Delivering the opening note, Vijayta Raheja asserted that Tourism and Hospitality has evolved beyond a mere service sector to become a powerful corridor that enables global trade and fuels economies. She described the expanse of the interdependent ecosystem -- from single hotel operators to global hospitality groups; from neighbourhood travel agents to digital platforms that orchestrate millions of journeys with a click. Vijayta highlighted the sector's inclusivity, acknowledging that from pilots, porters and cruise captains to engineers who design and build railways, highways and airports; from the visa enablers and immigration desks that facilitate mobility up to the tour guides who bring culture and heritage to life - everyone is a part of the ecosystem of Tourism & Hospitality. "We are all an important part of this industry," she affirmed, underscoring that every role is vital to the sector's strength and its contribution to national prosperity. Adding to the discourse, Rajeev Kale noted that European countries remain perennial favourites for Indian travellers; he also mentioned the pioneering measures his company has introduced in response to volatile geopolitical conditions, including the rollout of insurance on bookings to give travellers greater ease and confidence. Anahita Avari reflected on VFS Global's transformational impact on visa facilitation--moving the process away from time-consuming consulate visits to a systematic, one-roof model that applies industry best practices and significantly improves the traveller experience. Aparna Basumallick highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in resolving customer grievances more systematically and efficiently, ensuring faster redressal and improved satisfaction. Meanwhile, Delna from IHCL noted that with the new EU-India Free Trade Agreement, hotels are preparing for both inbound and outbound travel exchange, customizing their delivery to match the evolving requirements of the travel base. Midway through the discussion, Vijayta Raheja capturing the conclave's tenor and India's changing global perception stated: "Today, India is an equal. We are leading the way and leading the change. No longer can anyone call us a Third World Nation." adding a note of Thanks to Hon. Prime Minister Mr. Modi for his progressive leadership. She also highlighted what the Union Budget for Fiscal Year 26-27 had for the industry and lauded the govt. for the reduction in TCS, steps taken to establish a National Institute of Tourism and the brilliance of the penetrative railway corridor planning that will connect the larger cities to the smaller cities and increase employment across the country; and open new avenues for the Tourism & Hospitality Industry. The conclave concluded with optimism for 2035 and Rajeev added that post pandemic people are looking forward to experiential travel and that is a trend to stay; Anahita said she was hopeful of great business across verticals. A Token of Appreciation was given by Mr Nikhil K Raheja (MD - KRG) to Mr. Rajeev Sharma - President EU Chambers, Mr Robin Bannerjee - Sr. VP - EU Chambers, Mr. Siladitya Sarangi - VP - EU Chambers, Dr Renu Shome - Director General EU Chambers, Ms Sheetal - ATOUT France & Mr Mandar Sharma and was attended by distinguished Guests including Mr Sudip Mullick from ELP, Ms. Sandrine Clarac - Group Director - Fairfest and Mr Sanjeev & Mr Swanand from KRG. The EU Chambers Tourism & Hospitality Conclave 2026 was held at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai supported by the ongoing OTM (certified as the "Leading Travel Trade Show in India and Asia" in a study by NielsenIQ, commissioned by Fairfest Media). OTM hosts over 50,000 global trade visitors and 2,200+ exhibitors from 60+ countries, making it one of the most influential platforms for the travel industry. For more information, please visit LinkedIn: CLICK HERE YouTube Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/@VijaytaNikhilRaheja (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.) In an recent interview, as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter, the actor, who essayed the character of Phoebe Buffay on the globally popular sitcom, asked that the historic Warner Bros. lot remain unchanged amid an ongoing ownership battle. Kudrow said the studio holds significance not just for her personally, but for the wider film and television industry. "It's hard for me to tell whether Warner Bros. is just special to me, or if it's special to the whole city or industry, and I think it is," she said. Reflecting on frequent changes in studio ownership, Kudrow added that she hopes the lot will be "preserved as is," noting that it continues to function perfectly for modern productions. She made a specific plea to protect "Jack Warner's roses," a long-standing feature of the studio grounds, as per The Hollywood Reporter Warner Bros. has been the filming home of several landmark projects, including 'Casablanca', 'Blade Runner', 'The Matrix', 'Inception' and 'The Goonies'. For Kudrow, however, its significance is deeply personal. She worked on the lot for at least 10 years while filming 'Friends', which ran for 10 seasons from 1994 to 2004. The sitcom, which also starred Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, was primarily shot on Stage 24. Following the series finale, the stage was officially nicknamed 'The Friends Stage' in recognition of the show's cultural impact. (ANI) Television presenter Bill Nye is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) at the 4th Annual Children's & Family Emmy Awards next month, reported Variety. Bill Nye is being honoured for his work as a science educator, engineer, television presenter, inventor, and New York Times bestselling author. His TV credits include 'Bill Nye the Science Guy,' among other shows; in 2025, Nye was honoured with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden. He was included on Time 100 Health, has a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, and served for 15 years as CEO of The Planetary Society, a non-governmental space organisation co-founded by Carl Sagan, Variety reported. "Mr. Nye is one of the most revered broadcast educators in television history, having instilled multiple generations of children with an appreciation for the extraordinary world of science. It is an honor to celebrate his career, as well as the esteemed careers of this year's Gold and Silver Circle inductees and individual honorees, alongside this year's fantastic nominees who are building upon their work with important children's programming today," NATAS president/CEO Adam Sharp as quoted in Variety. Bill Nye called the award a huge honour in his life, having dedicated his career to television. "This is quite an honour. Thank you. As you may know, I pretty much put my heart and soul into all the shows I've worked on. I believe that the scientific method is the best idea humans have ever had. I loved making shows that encouraged kids of all ages to embrace the P, B, and J, the Passion, Beauty, and Joy, of science, while also showing that you, the viewer, can change the world. I've spent my life doing what I love, and this award is not only a celebration of my past work, but a reminder of the impact we can have if we choose to invest in science education and the next generation of leaders," said Bill Nye as quoted by Variety. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched strong attack on Congress as he stressed that the second quarter of this century will be vital in building a Viksit Bharat and that India has emerged as a strong voice of the Global South and is fast emerging as a trusted global partner. Replying to the motion of thanks on the President's Address, PM Modi said "India will no longer miss the bus, it will now lead from the front". He said first quarter of the 21st century has ended, and the second quarter would be as decisive as the freedom movement's crucial phase in the last century. "The first quarter of the 21st century has completed. But this second quarter is decisive, just like the second quarter of India's freedom struggle was. In the direction of building Viksit Bharat, this phase will be equally capable," he said. PM Modi said the world is rapidly moving towards a new global order, and India's stature is rising. "When we analyse the current situation objectively and without political bias, it becomes evident that there is a growing inclination toward India. As a Vishwamitra and Vishwabandhu, India has emerged as a trusted partner for many countries," he told the House. He added that India is signing "future-ready" trade agreements across the globe. "In the past few days, we have had trade deals with nine big and important countries. The 'mother of all deals' with the 27-member European Union is one of them," PM Modi said. Pointing to agreements with the EU and the US, he said global confidence in India was strengthening. "The entire world is openly praising these trade deals. With stability, the world can now sense speed in India. This is a positive sign," he said. Addressing the youth, PM Modi said the deals would open global markets. "The world market is now open to our sons and daughters. I stand with you shoulder to shoulder, and the world is ready to welcome your talents," he added. Turning sharply political, PM Modi said much of his government's energy was being spent on fixing the past. "A significant part of our energy is being spent on correcting the mistakes of the past. They left things in such a damaged state. That is why we emphasised future-ready policies. Today, the nation has boarded the Reform Express," he said. He said the NDA believes citizens are solutions, not problems. "Our approach is that 140 crore citizens are so capable that they can tackle challenges. But Congress considers citizens themselves a problem," PM Modi said. To underline the contrast, he cited a speech by former PM Indira Gandhi referencing Jawaharlal Nehru. "When someone asked my father how many problems he had, he replied 35 crore. At that time, our population was 35 crore. Later, Indiraji said the population was 57 crore, and the problems were of that magnitude. Can there be a leader who considers citizens a problem?" PM Modi asked. PM Modi also took aim at Rahul Gandhi over the recent "traitor" remark against Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu. Without naming him directly, PM Modi said, "What happened yesterday -- the 'Yuvraj' of Congress who has a 'shaatir dimaag' called a member of this House a traitor. His arrogance is at its peak." He alleged selective targeting. "He did not call others who left Congress traitors, but he called this MP because he is a Sikh. This is an insult to Sikhs, an insult to the Gurus," PM Modi said. Questioning the language used, the Prime Minister added, "Just because someone changed ideology, he becomes a traitor? This is not a small word. How can the country tolerate a citizen being called a traitor? Such people will sink Congress." He accused Congress of lacking execution capability. "Congress' working style has been -- delay, obstruct, confuse. They only know the jeep and mule model," he said, referring to remarks of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Highlighting welfare delivery, PM Modi said small farmers had long been ignored. "We understood the ground realities and brought PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. In a short time, Rs four lakh crore has been transferred directly into farmers' accounts," he said. On infrastructure, he cited projects stalled for decades. "Sardar Patel envisioned the Narmada dam, Nehru laid the foundation stone, and I inaugurated it decades later. This is the state of Congress -- they imagine but cannot implement," he said, also referring to the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam. With Opposition members raising slogans, PM Modi took a gentle jibe. "Looking at the age of Kharge ji, I urge the Chairman to let him sit and sloganeer so he faces no discomfort. There are young people at the back." "We believe 140 crore Indians are 140 crore solutions. No matter how many challenges there are, we have the solutions within us," he said. The Opposition staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was responding to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address. PM Modi highlighted that in every sector--science, space, sports--India is brimming with confidence. He observed that in the post-COVID world, as global instability grows, a new world order is emerging, and impartial analysis shows a clear tilt towards India. Recalling his experience in Gujarat, where the Vibrant Gujarat Summit had Japan as a partner country, PM Modi said that today India as a nation is demonstrating similar strength. He emphasized that this is possible only when there is economic power, citizen energy, and a strong manufacturing ecosystem. He criticized vote-bank politics for neglecting these priorities and asserted that opposition governments lacked vision, willpower, and ideas, which led the nation to suffer. The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the people for giving him the opportunity to serve, noting that much of his government's energy has gone into correcting past mistakes and rebuilding India's global image. He stressed that India is now driven by policy, not adhocism, and that the mantra of "Reform, Perform, Transform" has put the nation on the "Reform Express." He detailed structural, process, and policy reforms aimed at strengthening manufacturing, empowering entrepreneurs, and ensuring value addition, declaring that India is now fully prepared to compete globally. (ANI) AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP, raising concerns over the recent India-US trade deal. Addressing a rally in Telangana's Bhainsa on Thursday, Owaisi alleged that US President Donald Trump dictated India's oil procurement choices. He claimed that Trump asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop purchasing oil from Russia and instead buy it from Venezuela, to which PM Modi allegedly agreed. Questioning India's strategic autonomy, Owaisi said that despite China supplying nearly 80% of Pakistan's weapons, the Modi government "rolled out the red carpet" for Chinese investments. "I want to ask the people of RSS-BJP. Trump tells us who India will purchase oil from. Trump told Modi not to purchase oil from Russia but to purchase it from Venezuela. Modi said, "Yes, Sir." China sent 80% of the weapons to Pakistan. Modi rolled out the red carpet for China and invited them for investment," Owaisi said. Owaisi also referred to the controversy surrounding excerpts from former Army Chief General MM Naravane's unpublished memoirs that were discussed in Parliament. He claimed that when Chinese troops entered Ladakh, the former Army Chief sought instructions from the Prime Minister, who allegedly responded, "Jo uchit hai wahi karo" (Do what is appropriate). "Former Army chief asked Modi regarding the action when the Chinese forces came to Ladakh. Modi said, "Jo uchit hai wahi karo"...What is this? He should have said to push them back." Owaisi added. This comes amidst a heated uproar in Parliament following Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's attempt to cite Naravane's unpublished memoir on the 2020 China standoff in eastern Ladakh. BJP leaders argued that referencing the book violated House rules and could demoralise the armed forces. (ANI) Ahead of the assembly elections, the West Bengal governemnt on Thursday announced a Rs 500 monthly increase in the 'Lakshmir Bhandar' scheme and proposed a new portal to extend social security benefits to gig workers. While addressing a press conference, CM Banerjee said, "We are number one in many schemes like 100 Days Rojgar Yojana, Awas Yojana. But the central government stopped funding for these schemes. We present this budget for the people, not for the election. We kept our word. So, we announced a Rs 500 increment in Lakshmir Bhandar from this February. For gig workers, we will form a portal where they can apply to get benefits," she said. In a post on X, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) highlighted, "Big Announcement! In her Budget Statement for FY 2026-27, our Finance Minister, Chandrima Bhattacharya, announced an increase of Rs 500 in financial assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. Under the leadership of MamataOfficial, we remain committed to empowering women to lead lives of dignity and independence." In a post on X, West Bengal Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya outlined key highlights of the Interim State Budget for FY 2026-27, emphasising increased welfare measures across sectors. https://x.com/Chandrimaaitc/status/2019442563439292699?s=20 Under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, women beneficiaries will now receive an additional Rs 500 per month from February 2026. CM Banerjee also announced enhanced benefits for gig and frontline workers. Anganwadi workers, Anganwadi Sahayaks, ASHA workers, ICDS workers, as well as civic volunteers, village police, and green police personnel will see an increase of Rs 1,000 in their monthly remuneration from April 2026. Additionally, Anganwadi workers and Anganwadi Sahayaks will be entitled to a one-time compensation of Rs 5 lakh in case of death before attaining the age of 60. (ANI) Congress MP Saleng A Sangma expressed profound grief over the tragic coal mine accident in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, which claimed multiple lives and left several miners trapped. Speaking to ANI on Thursday, the Congress MP described the incident as a deeply saddening event for both the affected families and the government. "I want to give my condolences to the unlucky family who are trapped and those who died in the explosions right now. It's a very sad part of any family and any government. But since this occurrence, especially the coal mining trap, it's happening every now and then. It's a sad part of any government that this illegal mining is happening right now. But that was within the district parity, where district officers and police could have interfered between them, whether they had any safety equipment or were doing red-hole mining, or any kind of localised mechanism they were using," Saleng A Sangma said. Saleng A Sangma further emphasised that the government's response to coal mining accidents has been repetitive and insufficient, pointing out that such tragedies are not isolated incidents. "This particular response was already said when so many people died in the coal mining. This is not the only one. How many numbers has he already suspended?... It's not just about the owner who is involved in this particular coal racket, illegal coal mining. Who has allowed such activities to happen within the state, within the jurisdiction? Who are the officers, who are the ministers, who are the MLAs who are involved in this particular illegal racket? Just tell me how many numbers so far? If he had been responsible from day one, these illegal activities would not have happened by now," he said. The Congress MP extended condolences to the families of the deceased and those still trapped, highlighting the human cost of negligence. Sangma strongly criticised the lack of accountability, pointing out that repeated accidents in illegal coal mines indicate systemic failures. "What will be the fate of the family of those individuals, the family whose husband has died? Now, how many numbers so far have been the victims of this particular explosion? We don't know yet. How many numbers are still stuck inside, you know, inside that illegal coal mining? We don't know yet. The number is yet to be ascertained. The officers from that particular premises should be terminated, not just suspended, because the life of that particular labourer is already gone," the Congress MP said. At least 18 people were killed in a coal mine explosion that occurred in the Mynsyngat, Thangsko (Thangskai) area of Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia worth Rs 2 lakh each for the families of 18 victims who lost their lives in the tragic Meghalaya coal mine incident. On Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills coal mine incident, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma confirmed that 18 individuals have tragically lost their lives due to the blast, and one person has sustained injuries and has been transferred to the Civil Hospital for treatment. "We have instructed two of our cabinet ministers to visit the site. They will meet with officials, engage in detailed discussions, and take the necessary actions. Meanwhile, the Dy CM and I have been in close contact with the district administration, relevant departments, and the police. We have directed the police to take full action against those responsible for this tragic incident... We will not tolerate such actions, and strict measures will be taken against anyone found responsible for today's incident," CM said. (ANI) Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy emphasised the pressing issue of illegal mining in Meghalaya, stating that the problem needs to be fixed under the supervision of the state government. Speaking to ANI on Thursday about the recent coal mine accident in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, Reddy noted that Meghalaya has no government-operated coal mines and that no coal block has been auctioned so far. "An accident has occurred in illegal coal mines in Meghalaya. Several people died. There is no Govt of India coal mine in Meghalaya. Not even one block of coal mine has been auctioned to date. Neither PSU coal mines nor commercial coal mines exist there. Illegal coal mining occurs there. This needs to be stopped under the supervision of the State Govt," G Kishan Reddy said. He added that the Union government has repeatedly urged state governments to curb illegal coal mining, but mafias continue to operate illegal mines, exploiting innocent workers. Reddy has requested a detailed report from the Meghalaya government and reiterated that illegal mining must be stopped immediately. "We have been writing to State Govts again and again to stop illegal coal mining. Still, mafia runs illegal coal mines at various places and makes innocent people work there...I have sought a report from Meghalaya Govt...I urge all State Govts to stop illegal mining. There should be no compromise. Such accidents should not occur. Illegal mining should not take place," G Kishan Reddy added. At least 18 people were killed in a coal mine explosion that occurred in the Mynsyngat, Thangsko (Thangskai) area of Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia worth Rs 2 lakh each for the families of 18 victims who lost their lives in the tragic Meghalaya coal mine incident. On Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills coal mine incident, Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma confirmed that 18 individuals have tragically lost their lives due to the blast, and one person has sustained injuries and has been transferred to the Civil Hospital for treatment. "We have instructed two of our cabinet ministers to visit the site. They will meet with officials, engage in detailed discussions, and take the necessary actions. Meanwhile, the Dy CM and I have been in close contact with the district administration, relevant departments, and the police. We have directed the police to take full action against those responsible for this tragic incident... We will not tolerate such actions, and strict measures will be taken against anyone found responsible for today's incident," CM said. (ANI) Lokesh replied to Minister of Road Transport and Railways, Nitin Gadkari's post on X, on Thursday, informing the allocation of Rs 573.77 crore for the construction of the 6-lane external port connectivity road linking the junction of NH-65 and NH-216 to Machilipatnam Port, via the Machilipatnam bypass section of NH-216 in Andhra Pradesh. Lokesh thanked Nitin Gadkari for the project, underlining his leadership in building "world-class highways that power India's growth and Andhra Pradesh's future." "Sir, A big thank you for this transformative support to Andhra Pradesh's infrastructure and port-led growth. This 6-lane external connectivity road to Machilipatnam Port will help in boosting logistics efficiency and unlocking new economic opportunities for our state. Grateful for your continued leadership in building world-class highways that power India's growth and Andhra Pradesh's future," Lokesh wrote in a post on X. Meanwhile, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, in his post, highlighted several benefits of the project, including seamless connectivity, reduced freight turnaround time, ease in traffic congestion, and increased logistical efficiency, etc. "In Andhra Pradesh, we have approved an allocation of 573.77 crore for the construction of a 6-lane external port connectivity road linking the junction of NH-65 and NH-216 to Machilipatnam Port, via the Machilipatnam bypass section of NH-216," Gadkari wrote in the post. "The project will provide direct and seamless connectivity between Machilipatnam Port and the national highway corridor, significantly reducing freight turnaround time, easing traffic congestion, and enhancing overall logistics efficiency. The approved scope includes a 6-lane main carriageway, service roads, 3 flyovers, and an overpass-cum-railway overbridge (ROB)," he added. The project is expected to boost the region's economic growth by improving connectivity and reducing transportation costs.(ANI) The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) carried out an extensive range of safety audits, inspections and surveillance checks across the aviation sector in 2025, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Mohol said that as part of planned surveillance activities during the year, the aviation regulator conducted 3,890 surveillance inspections and 56 regulatory audits. In addition, 84 surveillance checks of foreign aircraft (SOFA) were undertaken, along with 492 ramp checks to ensure compliance with safety and operational standards. Responding to queries about recurring technical or operational deficiencies, the Minister said that since January 2025, a total of 377 aircraft have been identified with recurring defects. These aircraft were part of a combined fleet of 754 aircraft operated by various scheduled airlines. Airline-wise details of these findings, as on February 3, have been provided separately in an annexure, he added. In addition to planned activities, the DGCA conducted numerous unplanned surveillance measures. These included 874 spot checks and 550 night surveillance checks, aimed at monitoring airline operations and maintenance practices without prior notice. Regarding manpower shortages at the DGCA, the government said the number of sanctioned technical posts has been significantly increased. In 2022, the DGCA had 637 sanctioned technical posts. To address future requirements and strengthen regulatory oversight, the restructuring exercise has raised the number of sanctioned technical posts to 1,063. The government also highlighted steps taken to strengthen real-time monitoring and enforcement mechanisms. The DGCA has issued Surveillance and Enforcement Division Circular No. 1/2025, dated July 7, 2025, mandating the use of the eGCA portal for all surveillance activities. The portal is to be used for issuance and closure of Deficiency Reporting Forms (CA-2001) as well as enforcement orders. Replying to a question on air connectivity, the Minister said that as per the Winter Schedule 2025, no scheduled domestic airline has proposed to operate flights to or from Singrauli Airport. The detailed surveillance procedures followed by the DGCA are laid down in the DGCA Surveillance Procedure Manual, which is available on the regulator's official website, the Minister added. (ANI) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) State Secretary, Md Salim has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court on the West Bengal government to clear a 25% dearness allowance (DA) for state workers, teachers, and police officers. He called it a "rightful entitlement" that the state government, under Mamata Banerjee, had previously challenged in court. The CPI (M) State Secretary said, "This is a rightful entitlement of the workers, teachers, and police officers. Just 2 days ago, the Kerala government announced the Dearness Allowance. Mamata Banerjee even went to court to argue that the DA is not a right. But the High Court ruled against it. Yet, Mamata Banerjee did not accept the court's decision. Today, after deliberation, the (Supreme) court has determined that a 25% increase is necessary, and the amount must be paid. We welcome this development and believe the court will ensure that workers and others receive their rightful dues this time. On the 12th February, the workers of the country, teachers, farmers, labourers, and others who are at the forefront of the struggle, will also take part in demanding their rights." In the long-pending dearness allowance (DA) dispute between the West Bengal government and its employees, the Supreme Court on Thursday granted major relief to nearly 20 lakh State government employees by upholding their right to receive DA and directing the State to clear long-pending arrears.In its judgment, a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra ordered that DA arrears for the period from 2008 to 2019 must be paid to State employees and reiterated its interim order dated May 16, 2025, under which the State was required to release at least 25% of the outstanding amount.The Court held that payment of DA is a legally enforceable entitlement of employees and clarified that any amount disbursed pursuant to the judgment shall not be recovered even if there is a subsequent change in law. The Court said, "The employees of the Appellant-State shall be entitled to release of arrears in accordance with this judgment for the time 2008-2019," (ANI) A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team on Friday arrived at the blast site in Thangskai area of Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills to carry out rescue and recovery operations after an explosion in an illegal rat-hole coal mine that claimed eighteen lives. A day earlier, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma assured that action would be taken against individuals responsible for the incident. He announced that the Meghalaya government will provide an ex gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. He said that any illegal activities will not be tolerated, as the government has promoted scientific mining. "Individuals who are involved in any illegal activities, action will be taken. Whoever is responsible for this incident will face very strict action. We will not let go of anybody who is involved in this," Sangma said while addressing a press conference here. "At the same time, with the start of scientific mining, it is expected that all miners will apply for the mining. Now, there is an option. These are things that cannot be tolerated anymore. Those involved in any mining activities should not engage in illegal activities that can endanger lives. We are waiting for further report that comes in. Based on that, I will be in regular touch with the press," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced ex-gratia worth Rs 2 lakh each for the families of 18 victims who lost their lives in the tragic incident. Those who have been injured in the incident in the Thangskai area of East Jaintia Hills district will be given ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each. The incident has left one person with burn injuries. "Pained by the mishap in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," the PMO posted on X. (ANI) Three naxal cadres were killed during an anti-Naxal operation in the deep forests of Abujhmaad in the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border. One C60 jawan, who was airlifted from the Abujhmad forest early morning, also succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, according to a statement by Gadchiroli Police on Friday. Security forces retrieved two Naxal bodies this morning, bringing the total number of Naxals killed in the encounter to three. Authorities also recovered one AK-47 rifle and one SLR (Self-Loading Rifle) from the site. The identities of the deceased Naxals have yet to be established. The injured C60 Jawan Deepak Chinna Madavi, who was airlifted from the remote forest area early this morning and transported to the nearest Sub District Hospital, Bhamragad, succumbed to his injuries. Another jawan, Joga Madavi, sustained bullet injuries but is reported to be out of danger. According to Gadchiroli Police, "Injured C60 Jawan Deepak Chinna Madavi, who was airlifted from the deep forest in Abujhmad early morning and brought to the nearest Sub District Hospital Bhamragad, has succumbed to his injuries. One more jawan, Joga Madavi, received bullet injuries; he is out of danger now." Gadchiroli is a heavily forested and tribal-dominated district known to be a stronghold for Naxal activity, located in eastern Maharashtra. The region's difficult terrain makes security operations challenging. The C-60 is a specialised commando unit of the Maharashtra Police, specifically trained for anti-Naxal operations in the Gadchiroli region. Earlier in october, 2025, in a historic breakthrough for the Maharashtra government's fight against left wing extresim, Naxal Commander Mallojula Venogopal Rao, alias Bhupati, alias Sonu, alias Abhay, surrendered before Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Gadchiroli Police Headquarters. Along with Bhupati, around 60 Naxalites laid down their arms, marking one of the largest surrenders in the state's history. Bhupati that time, placed a precondition that he would only surrender in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.Bhupati was born in Peddapalli district of Telangana. A postgraduate in commerce and belonging to a Brahmin family, he was known as one of the most educated figures in the Maoist movement. His elder brother, Kishenji, was a senior Maoist leader once tipped to become the General Secretary of CPI (Maoist) before being killed in an encounter in Bengal in 2012. (ANI) BJP National Spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam on Friday in an attack at Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called his behavior in the Parliament "childish" over the recent incident of opposition MPs walking out from Rajya Sabha as Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his reply on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. Islam said that the opposition aims to grab screen time on television by pulling political stunts and creating a ruckus, rather than addressing and discussing their core issues against which they have been protesting. "Parliament was held hostage by childish behaviour. For the first time, the Prime Minister's address was stopped because there was a possibility of an attack on him. The behaviour displayed by the opposition MPs today clearly shows their irresponsible conduct, where they are not concerned about their image, nor the country, but only want to be seen protesting on television. If there is an issue for protest, it should be discussed, but they come to the House and say they want to discuss it, but they don't actually want to. They start creating a ruckus as soon as they enter the House," he told ANI. The BJP spokesperson criticised the opposition, stating that they try to delay or end the House proceedings to prevent being "exposed." "Despite the agreement in the Business Committee, when they come to the floor of the House, instead of discussion, they protest, and their entire focus is on preventing the House from functioning because if the House functions, they will be further exposed. They have tried to bring the country down. They have also compromised the country's national security, and whenever they are exposed, they walk out or try to disrupt the House. Today, they presented another example of this behaviour, even as the country is progressing under the leadership of PM Modi," he said. Furthermore, Islam took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, calling his behaviour "childlike," and condemned the MPs for following his lead by walking out of the parliament at a time when India has signed FTAs with the European Union and the United States, giving it an edge over competitor nations. "Today, FTAs were signed with the European Union and the US. We already have FTAs with countries that account for more than two-thirds of the world's economy and GDP. This is a huge achievement in itself that the US has given us better tariffs than the countries we compete with, so that we can compete more effectively. Yet, the opposition leaders, especially Rahul Gandhi, with his childish mentality, behave like children, stubbornly insisting on something, and today all the MPs followed that childish insistence, and the way they behaved deserves the strongest condemnation," he stated. (ANI) The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea filed by Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party seeking to set aside the entire 2025 Bihar Assembly election results on the ground that it was won "illegally by distributing Rs. 15,600 crores of cash to voters." A bench led by CJI Surya Kant, said that the petitioners have the liberty to approach the High Court with the same relief. "We can't issue a notice like this. There is a procedure. It is just a composite election petition. Because you lost the elections, you say to set aside the entire election result. What is this view of a political party that has lost everything in the election, then you want to come here? Even that issue (on welfare policies), we won't like to have a political party before us. It must be some public-spirited person. Because if we entertain this, if this party gets to power, they will do the same thing," the CJI remarked during the hearing. The petition filed by the party alleges that the then Bihar government, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, deliberately added additional recipients in the "Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana" before announcing the Rs 10,000 Direct Benefit Transfer after the election dates were set. The party claims that this, in itself, "amply demonstrates corrupt practice adopted to unduly allure and influence the electors to vote in favour of the ruling government." "That just before the General Assembly Elections of Bihar in 2025, the then Government of Bihar, through a Cabinet decision, launched a state-wide scheme for women known as "Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana" wherein the Government of Bihar decided to provide financial help, through Direct Benefit Transfer to one woman in every family by paying Rs.10,000/- to start self-employment. It was further stated that a sum of Rs. 2,00,000/- will also be paid subsequently to every woman post assessment," the party's petition read. "As per the newspaper reports dated November 28, 2025, the total beneficiaries paid under the scheme was said to be 1.56 Crores implying that new beneficiaries were added during MCC/ Election process and the said beneficiaries were paid post the announcement of election schedule and during subsistence of MCC which in itself, amply demonstrates corrupt practice adopted to unduly allure and influence the electors to vote in favour of the ruling government," it added. The party has alleged that using the contingency Fund of Bihar for the scheme, instead of passing legislation for the scheme, amounts to a violation of Article 267 of the Constitution. "It is most respectfully submitted that the Scheme in reference was introduced on the eve of elections by a Cabinet decision without any legislative sanction and as per information of the petitioner, the budget for the Scheme was withdrawn from the Contingency Fund of the State of Bihar. Hence, the said Scheme was not part of the regular budgetary allocation, rather was withdrawn from the Contingency Fund of the State, which is in violation of Article 267 of the Constitution of India," Jan Suraaj's petition read. In the assembly elections, the ruling NDA got 202 seats, a three-fourths majority in the 243-member House. This is the second time the NDA has crossed the 200-mark in the assembly polls. In the 2010 polls, it had won 206 seats. Mahagathbandhan got just 35 seats with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning 25 seats, Congress 6, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation) - CPI(ML)(L) - two, Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) - one and Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) one seat. While All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) won five seats, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got one seat. (ANI) BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday announced that he plans to set up both a physical and an online library on the Gandhi-Nehru family, saying the decision aims to highlight what he described as their misdeeds, corruption and policy decisions that allegedly harmed the country. He accused the Congress of being hungry for power and blamed it for several national issues, including the creation of Pakistan, developments related to Kashmir, and agreements with foreign parties, saying the library would help present these facts to the public. Speaking to ANI, Dubey said, "In the last session, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had said Nehru should be discussed...Our fight is against Pakistan, but who created that country? Who is responsible for giving a part of Kashmir to Pakistan? They demoralise the armed forces who formed a committee on General Cariappa." "Congress had signed an agreement with the Chinese Communist Party in 2008. All the problems we are facing today are due to power hunger of the Congress...So that people know all this, I have decided to establish a physical and online library on Gandhi-Nehru family," he said. Earlier in the day, Dubey also shared on social media that he has decided to create a library documenting the policy decisions of the Nehru-Gandhi family, which he claimed had damaged the country. https://x.com/nishikant_dubey/status/2019589654983635410?s=20 He said the proposed library would serve as a resource for future generations and researchers, and sought public cooperation and suggestions for the initiative. "I have decided to create a library on the misdeeds of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the corruption perpetrated by them, the damage inflicted on the country due to their policies, and the harm caused to the nation by their personal activities. I need cooperation and suggestions from all of you. This library will serve as an ideal resource for future generations and students engaged in research," Dubey said in a post on X. (ANI) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday demanded an immediate ban on the upcoming Netflix web series titled 'Ghooskhor Pandat', saying it portrays the Brahmin community in a derogatory manner. She said such depictions are insulting and should not be allowed, while also supporting the FIR registered by the Lucknow Police in the matter. In a post on X, Mayawati wrote, "It is a matter of great sorrow and concern that, not only in U.P. alone in recent times, but now even in films, 'Pandit' is being portrayed as a bribe-taker and so on, leading to the insult and disrespect of them across the entire country, which has currently spread intense anger throughout the entire Brahmin community; our party also strongly condemns this." https://x.com/Mayawati/status/2019655240166044129?s=20 "The Central Government should immediately impose a ban on such a caste-indicating film (web series) 'Ghooskhor Pandat'; this is the demand of the BSP. At the same time, registering an FIR by the Lucknow Police in this regard is an appropriate step," the post read. Today, an FIR was registered at Hazratganj Police Station in Lucknow against filmmaker Neeraj Pandey and his team. According to police officials, the action followed complaints alleging that the title and content of 'Ghooskhor Pandat' hurt religious and caste sentiments and could disturb public harmony. The FIR was registered after the Station House Officer of Kotwali Hazratganj, Inspector Vikram Singh, took cognizance of the complaints. Police said there has been widespread anger and resentment among members of the Brahmin community and various social organisations, with some groups warning of aggressive protests. Authorities cited concerns about law and order and said a zero-tolerance policy would be enforced against any attempt to harm community sentiments or disrupt public peace. Further legal proceedings and investigation are currently underway. Parallel legal action is also unfolding in the national capital with a writ petition has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the release and streaming of 'Ghooskhor Pandat.' Filed by Mahender Chaturvedi through Advocate Vineet Jindal, the petition alleges that the title and proposed content are defamatory and communally offensive. The plea argues that associating the term 'Pandat' with corruption undermines the dignity of the Brahmin community and violates fundamental rights, while acknowledging that freedom of speech is subject to reasonable restrictions. (ANI) With the CBSE, ICSE, and various state board examinations around the corner, students across the country have welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance on stress management and study techniques shared during today's 9th edition of 'Pariksha Pe Charcha'. Tanu Aditya, a Class 10 student at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Gwalior, shared that the annual interaction provided clear direction for students. She highlighted the Prime Minister's empowering message, noting that PM Modi urged students not to fear their examinations but to instead view them as a "festival." "Through the 9th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha, PM Modi provided clear directions on how we should not be scared of exams, but instead celebrate them like festivals. He explained that exams are only for testing purposes and we shouldn't get stressed about them. We should also help our friends who find studies difficult and, in turn, seek help from those who are better than us. We can all appear for our exams properly without anxiety."Aditya told ANI. Rishad Saliah, a Class 11 student, noted that he valued Prime Minister Modi's emphasis on both skills and marks, rather than prioritising one over the other. "As PM Modi said, we must focus on both marks and skills. He made a very important point: in today's times, people often focus only on marks and not on skills. As a result, we see unemployment because of this lack of practical skills. It was a very good thing for him to highlight this," Saliah told ANI. In addition to Gwalior, students from other parts of the country appreciated PM Modi's message. Nobonita Ghosh, a student from Tripura, expressed her happiness with the programme. "I felt very happy after watching this programme. It was a great experience to watch it alongside Tripura CM Manik Saha," Ghosh told ANI. As students expressed appreciation for PM Modi's programme, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan asserted that the Prime Minister boosted students' confidence by offering small tips. He further mentioned that students across the board had been eagerly awaiting the 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' programme. "... He boosts the confidence of students by giving small tips. He encourages students to share their ideas and guides them toward holistic development... Students had been waiting for Pariksha pe charcha very eagerly. It is a guiding light for students ahead of the exams." Pradhan told ANI. Echoing similar sentiments, Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary mentioned that the students who participated in the programme were very curious and eager to meet PM Modi. "The Prime Minister has a very unique and attractive way of expression, which everyone felt today during the program... The students who participated were very curious and eager to meet him and learn from him..." Chaudhary told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with select "exam warriors" during the 9th edition of 'Pariksha pe Charcha' held at the Prime Minister's official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. The 2026 edition focused on helping students remain stress-free during examinations and encouraging a stronger emphasis on learning. Earlier in a post shared on X, PM Modi said, "Do watch #ParikshaPeCharcha26... This year's PPC features very interesting topics relating to examinations, notably the need to remain stress-free, focus on learning and more. This is a platform I've always enjoyed, as it gives me an opportunity to interact with bright minds from across the country." This year, the interactive sessions were also held with students in Devmogra, Gujarat; Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu; Raipur, Chhattisgarh; and Guwahati, Assam. (ANI) A protest against the swearing-in of Manipur's new Deputy Chief Ministers, Nemcha Kipgen and Losii Dikho, turned violent on Thursday as security forces clashed with a mob in Churachandpur district. The unrest reportedly began in the Tuibong Main Market area, where hundreds of young protesters attempted to push security forces back to their barracks. The clash erupted near the Tuibong Forest Gate area, where a mob allegedly began pelting stones at security personnel deployed in the region. The intensity of the stone-pelting forced security forces to initially retreat from their positions. Later, security forces regrouped and began using teargas shells in an attempt to disperse the mob. While the shelling temporarily scattered the protesters, they later regrouped and launched repeated attacks on the forces, escalating the confrontation. Throughout the night, teargas shelling continued intermittently as the mob regrouped several times after dispersal. At around 11:00 pm, security personnel resorted to a lathi charge to push back the mob. However, the situation remained volatile as the mob once again regrouped and resumed attacks on the forces. The youngsters' anger and resentment overflowed as they were taken to believe that three Kuki Zomi MLAs are joining the Manipur Government, with Nemcha having been sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, and another two, LM Khaute and Ngursanglur, due to be sworn in. Assam Rifles officials, including the Commander of the 27 Sectors, were deployed to calm the situation, but initial attempts yielded little success. Eventually, security forces temporarily retreated but maintained positions, while the protesters pressed forward. The security forces are still pursuing. (ANI) China to step up tough crackdown on telecom scams: senior official Xinhua) 08:30, February 06, 2026 BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China will step up its tough crackdown on telecom and online fraud, a senior security official said Thursday. Addressing a national teleconference, State Councilor Wang Xiaohong said the authorities will keep launching successive waves of crackdowns, "leaving no breathing room for telecom fraudsters." Wang, who is also a member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, underscored the need for a comprehensive approach, calling for close monitoring of fraud-related individuals, phone cards, networks and channels to ensure effective law enforcement. He also stressed the importance of prevention, with targeted early warnings, stronger technological safeguards, and broader public awareness efforts to build a robust protection network. Wang urged deeper law enforcement cooperation to squeeze the operating space of telecom fraud, adding that China would contribute its solutions to tackling this global problem. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A spa employee in Thiruvalla was allegedly gang raped after she refused to pay "goonda tax" demanded by a criminal gang led by Subin Alexander, widely known as "Marana Subin", according to Police officials. Three people have been Subin and two of his accomplices, and a search is intensifying for the remaining three accused who are absconding. The accused has also previously engaged in extortion and is often involved in demanding money, police said. According to officials, he incident occurred on Sunday, February 1, during the day. According to the police, the accused, who have a history of extortion in the region, had frequently demanded money from the Luxe Luminery Wellness Spa in Manjadi, Thiruvalla. On February 1, the gang allegedly arrived at the spa around 3:30 pm and demanded 50,000. When the staff refused, Subin and his associates forcibly entered, threatened the woman employee, and committed the assault. The FIR states that Subin dragged the employee into a room, locked the door, held a steel knife to her neck, stripped her clothes, and raped her on the spa bed. He also recorded selfies and assaulted her on the face and body. The gang then brought another customer inside, who was there, forced both the victim and the customer to lie together, and recorded videos before harassing the customer as well. The accused allegedly robbed 25,000 from the spa and threatened another staffer, forcibly taking 2,500. Police said all six accused acted together, with Subin leading the assault while the others supported, encouraged, and enabled the crime. Subin Alexander, already facing multiple criminal cases and booked previously under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (KAPPA) Act, is considered a high-risk repeat offender. Police said further arrests are expected soon, as we have arrested Subin and the other two associated with them. The investigation is ongoing, and police have assured that strong action will be taken in the case. (ANI) The Delhi High Court issued notice on the bail pleas of Saleem Malik Munna and Athar Khan, the accused in the North East Delhi riots conspiracy case. Their pleas were recently rejected by the trial court in view of the legal provisions of the UAPA. They have challenged the trial court's order. The Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain issued a notice to the Delhi Police and directed them to file an affidavit within 2 weeks. The next hearing date is March 3. During the hearing, counsel for Saleem Malik Munna submitted that the two similarly placed accused, namely Saleem Khan and Shadab Khan, have been granted bail by the Supreme Court. On the other hand, the trial court, while rejecting the bail plea of Saleem Malik Munna and Athar Khan, said, "When I had already rejected the bail plea in view of a prima facie case, granting bail to these accused now would amount to reviewing my own order. The counsel submitted and added that this is a wrong application." Advocate Dhruv Pandey appeared on behalf of the Delhi Police and accepted the notices. On January 29, Delhi's Karkardooma Court rejected regular bail pleas of Tahir Hussain, Athar Khan and Saleem Malik alias Munna. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai rejected the bail pleas of Ex MCD councillor Tahir Husain, Athar Khan and Saleem Malik alias Munna. While rejecting the bail pleas, the court said that there is no merit in the applications in view of the legal provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). On January 5, the Supreme Court granted bail to 5 accused in this case. The bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were rejected by the apex court. "Now, despite the order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court regarding co-accused persons, when this Court has once formed the opinion that prima facie a case is made out against the applicant, no other different opinion can be formed now by reviewing the earlier order," ASJ Bajpai said in the order passed on January 29. While dismissing the bail plea of Tahir Hussain, the court said, "Accordingly, the Court doesn't find merits in the application, and the same is hereby dismissed." The court dismissed Tahir Hussain's bail application on March 30, 2024, and stated that the allegations against the accused are prima facie true. "In the earlier order, this Court also observed that a prima facie case was there against the applicant and the bar under section 43D(5) OF UAPA was there and therefore, the case of the applicant was not a fit case for bail," the court said in the order. In this case, Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Ishrat Jahan, Safoora Zargar and others are accused in this case. They are charge-sheeted under the IPC and UAPA. The matter is at the stage of arguements on charges. (ANI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday condemned Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, asking for an apology from Congress. "The Congress DNA has answers to all this... They still haven't apologised to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots... Their behaviour still exposes the same mindset which they had back then. Rahul and the entire Congress must apologise...," the CM said. The row erupted after Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu had a verbal exchange near the Makar Dwar of Parliament. Gandhi said, "Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face," and later added, "Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don't worry, you will come back." Bittu refused to shake hands and shot back, calling Gandhi "Desh ke dushman." Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, taking aim at the party's "Yuvraj' over a controversial "traitor" remark made against BJP MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, calling it an insult to the Sikh community and a reflection of Congress's "arrogance at its peak." Speaking during the debate in the Upper House, PM Modi referred to the incident involving the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who called Ravneet Bittu a "traitor" outside Parliament after the latter quit the Congress and joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "What happened yesterday -- the 'Yuvraj' of Congress, who has a 'shaatir dimaag' called a member of this House a traitor. His arrogance is at its peak. He did not call others who left Congress traitors, but he said it to this MP because he is a Sikh. This is an insult to Sikhs, an insult to the Gurus. This shows the hatred Congress carries," PM Modi said. The Prime Minister questioned how a political shift could justify branding someone anti-national. "Just because someone changed ideology, he becomes a traitor? This is not a small word. How can the country tolerate a citizen being called a traitor?" he asked, adding that such behaviour would only push Congress further into decline. "Such people will sink Congress," PM Modi added. (ANI) Sarthak Mohapatra, a merchant navy official working as a 'Deck Cadet', has been reported missing at sea while on duty aboard the vessel 'EA Jersey'. His family has written to the Odisha CM seeking urgent intervention from the Centre and the state government. A missing persons report was filed at Bhubaneswar's Sahidnagar police station on 5th February. Mahapatra has been working with a private shipping company since July 2025. As claimed by his family members, Mahapatra of Keshapur area in Bhadrak district, who was working with Mumbai's ship management company, went missing while on duty aboard a vessel while returning from Mauritius to China. His mother has written a letter to the Odisha CM on this. His family is to seek urgent intervention from the Centre and the state government. Speaking over the phone, Rajnandini Kochi, representative of the management, told the Mother of Sarthak, "I want to tell you that the search is going on in the office. There are many vessels still searching. We would like to inform management that the vessel is expected to arrive in Singapore on the 12th or 13th of February. We don't know when the vessel will reach Singapore. We would like to inform management that the vessel is expected to arrive in Singapore on the 12th or 13th of February. I am the representative of the management. We want to check the vessel in Singapore. We would like to provide details on the crew members. We would like to inform management that the vessel is expected to arrive in Singapore on the 12th or 13th of February. We don't know when the vessel will reach Singapore. We would like to inform management that the vessel is expected to arrive in Singapore on the 12th or 13th of February." The mother of the merchant navy official replied to the management representative while crying over the phone," I have a bad feeling that the company is doing something wrong. I don't know what they are doing. My son is alive, I am 100% sure." Speaking to ANI, Sarthak's friend Saswat Mohallick said, "We were constantly in contact. He was completing an internship at Anglo Eastern Company and pursuing a DNS (Diploma in Nautical Science). We last talked on 2 Feb. He spoke normally, asking about how you are doing, how my mother's doing, and whether I should look after my mother. He talked normally. After that, we received a notification on 3 Feb that he had been missing since 6 o'clock that morning."(ANI) The family of 22-year-old merchant navy official Sarthak Mohapatra is seeking urgent intervention from the Centre and the state government after he went missing at sea while on duty aboard the vessel EA Jersey, and his family is anxiously awaiting any news about his safety. The mother of Mohapatra, Rasmita Mohapatra, with teary eyes, has made a desperate plea for her son's safe return. Speaking to ANI, the mother said, "They are only saying that he is missing... I suspect that something wrong has happened to my child. Bring my son back. My demand from the government is that they track his phone. We have written a letter to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister to bring my son back." His friend Saswat Mohallick said Sarthak last spoke to him on the night of February 2 and also spoke to his mother. The next morning, his friends and family were notified that he had gone missing. He said we have only demanded access to any internal investigation and camera footage, and is urging government authorities to pressure the company to provide this information. "I spoke to him on the night of February 2 at around 10:30 PM, and he also spoke to his mother. Everything seemed normal. On the morning of February 3, we received the first notification that he had been missing since the morning. Today marks three days, and the update remains the same, that search and rescue operations are ongoing. Our demand is that any internal investigation be shared with us, including camera footage. We request the government authorities to ensure that the company is pressured to provide this information," Mohallick said. Sarthak Mohapatra (22), a merchant navy official working as a 'Deck Cadet', is reported missing at sea while on duty aboard the vessel 'EA Jersey' under Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Pvt Lt, since February 3. His family has written to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking urgent intervention from the Centre and the state government. A missing persons report was filed at Bhubaneswar's Sahidnagar police station on February 5. He is a native of Kespur in the Bhadrak district. (ANI) Dehradun SSP Ajay Singh said that the police took swift action in the brutal murder of a young woman under the Kotwali Nagar police station area. "Within 72 hours of the incident, the SIT filed a chargesheet in court against the accused, Akash. A total of 35 witnesses have been included in the chargesheet," he told ANI in a telephonic conversation. The SSP said that the police will request the court to conduct the trial in a fast-track court. He further stated that, while presenting arguments in court, the prosecution will seek the harshest possible punishment for the accused, treating the case under the "rarest of rare" category. "Considering the sensitivity of the incident, the postmortem of the deceased was conducted by a panel of expert doctors. The postmortem report, eyewitness statements, and physical/forensic evidence collected from the crime scene were incorporated into the investigation through e-evidence," the SSP informed. The SIT completed continuous investigative proceedings within just three days and submitted the chargesheet against the accused, including 35 witnesses. Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami stated in clear terms that no negligence will be tolerated in matters related to law and order, administrative functioning, and public service in Uttarakhand. According to a release, the CM reviewed the outcomes of the All India DG/IG Conference and conducted an in-depth assessment of the state's law and order situation, administrative functioning, security arrangements, tourism management, revenue, de-addiction initiatives, prosecution, prison reforms, and public grievance redressal mechanisms. On Monday, during a high-level meeting held at the Secretariat, he directed that every department of the police and administration must work with sensitivity, accountability, and a result-oriented approach toward the general public. The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary, District Magistrates of all districts, Senior Superintendents of Police, and senior officers from the police and administrative services. (ANI) The Rouse Avenue court on Friday rejected Former MLA Alka Lamba's plea against the framing of charges in a case of alleged violation of a government order. This case pertains to a protest at Jantar Mantar in support of women's reservation in 2024, she had challenged the order framing of charges. She is an accused in a case of alleged violation of the prohibitory order and deterring public servants from doing their duty. Special Judge (MP-MLA) Dig Vinay Singh dismissed the revision moved by Alka Lamba, terming the order of charges as appropriate. "As there is no patent illegality, perversity or jurisdictional error in the impugned order, the present Revision Petition fails and is dismissed," Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh said on Friday. While dismissing the revision, the court observed, "In the considered opinion of this Court, the Trial Court has exercised its judicial mind to sift through the statements of eyewitnesses and the electronic evidence and has concluded that a prima facie case exists." The standard for framing charges is not proof beyond a reasonable doubt but "sufficient ground for proceeding," the court said. The court also opined that the arguments regarding the lack of independent witnesses, the absence of injuries, and the nature of dissent are defences to be established during the trial and cannot be prejudged. On January 14, the Rouse Avenue court formally framed charges against Alka Lamba. An FIR was registered against her in Parliament Street Police Station in 2024. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwani Panwar had formally framed charges against Alka Lamba. She denied the charges and claimed a trial. Earlier, on December 19, the court had directed that the charges, and said, "This court is of the considered opinion that there exists a prima facie case against the accused, namely, Alka Lamb, for the commission of offences punishable under Sections 132/221/223(a)/285 BNS." "Accordingly, the charge is directed to be framed against the accused under the above-mentioned provisions," the court had ordered. (ANI) In a major institutional reform aimed at transforming urban mobility in the national capital, the Delhi government under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has initiated the process of drafting a comprehensive Bill for the creation of the Delhi Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (DUMTA) along with a dedicated Delhi Urban Transport Fund (DUTF). "The proposed legislation seeks to rationalise, integrate and coordinate Delhi's presently fragmented transport ecosystem under a single, coherent planning and governance framework. The move marks a significant milestone in the government's vision to create a modern, efficient, people-centric and environmentally sustainable transport system for the Capital," a statement read. To ensure expeditious and inclusive drafting of the proposed law, the statement said that the Chief Minister has constituted a high-level task force under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary. "The task force has been mandated to prepare and submit the draft Bill at the earliest, reflecting the government's sense of urgency and commitment to reform. This decision responds to long-standing demands from urban planners, transport experts and civic stakeholders for a unified transport authority capable of synchronising planning, investment and operations across agencies." Recognising that Delhi's rapid urbanisation, rising population and mounting vehicular pressure demands systemic solutions rather than piecemeal interventions, the Chief Minister has taken a proactive step by setting the legislative process in motion. The task force brings together senior officials from key departments including transport, urban development, finance, planning, public works and Delhi Police. It also includes representatives from major civic and transport authorities such as the Delhi Development Authority, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Transport Corporation, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation and Indian Railways. CM has suggested that renowned experts in urban transportation may also be co-opted to ensure that global best practices and local realities are seamlessly integrated into the proposed framework. Explaining the rationale behind the initiative, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta noted that Delhi's transport agencies have historically functioned in silos, with limited coordination in route planning, infrastructure development and service delivery. "DUMTA will bring cohesion to Delhi's entire urban mobility system. By placing all modes of transport like metro, buses, regional rail, railways and feeder services, within a single planning jurisdiction, we will ensure that mobility solutions are integrated, efficient and citizen-focused," the CM said. The Chief Minister emphasised that DUMTA will play a critical role in decongesting Delhi's roads by strengthening public transport, improving last-mile connectivity and encouraging a shift away from private vehicles. This, she said, is integral to the government's long-term strategy to combat air pollution, one of the Capital's most pressing challenges. Vehicular emissions remain a major local source of pollution, and expanding a reliable, well-connected public transport network is central to achieving sustainable environmental outcomes. "Our government is working on short, medium and long-term solutions to address..." (ANI) BRS Working President KTR appealed to the people of Telangana, especially to party cadres and leaders, "not to fall into Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's abuse trap," a release said. "He said that, purely to cover up his failures and his inability to implement promises, Revanth Reddy has resorted to a barrage of abuses during this crucial" municipal election period". KTR expressed anguish that a "distorted and unhealthy political game" is currently being played on Telangana soil. He recalled that KCR is the leader who, "after a fourteen-year long struggle, shook the seat of power in Delhi and made the dream of a separate Telangana state a reality". "Embracing the state like a father, KCR, he said, is the "great architect who placed a neglected and backward Telangana on the path of progress". KTR emphasized that "KCR never craved titles or honors, and that the welfare and well-being of the people of Telangana are his true recognition." KTR strongly condemned that today, "driven by arrogance of power, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is spewing venom against KCR's personality to hide his government's failures and corruption". He said ,"this is not merely an attack on an individual, but an attack on the very history of the Telangana movement." Warning party workers "not to fall into Revanth Reddy's abuse trap"," KTR said that during the upcoming municipal elections, the "discussion should focus on ward-level infrastructure, roads, drainage, and welfare schemes that must reach every household. Instead, he accused Revanth Reddy of diverting the core issues through vulgar and abusive rhetoric". KTR called for the "struggle to move in a direction that wipes the tears of the people", and urged party workers to "question the government over the implementation of its false six guarantees". He asked them to "raise their voices about the hardships faced by farmers standing in long queues for fertilizers, and about cultivators falling into the clutches of private moneylenders due to the non-receipt of Rythu Bharosa assistance." He further instructed cadres to "question Revanth Reddy for the anguish of students whose education has come to a halt due to non-payment of fee reimbursement, and for the suffering of young children in residential schools who fell ill after consuming contaminated food", holding the Chief Minister directly responsible. KTR also urged party workers to stand by senior citizens "who are running from office to office for their retirement benefits, and government employees who are being crushed due to the absence of DA hikes and PRC revisions". He called on them to "go door to door and explain who the real culprits are behind the Singareni coal scam and electricity scandals, and to expose Revanth Reddy's "covert betrayal" of handing over Telangana's rightful share of water to neighboring states" He asserted that the "people's verdict is the true honor for KCR", and appealed to present before the public the strong reasons behind the deterioration Telangana has been experiencing over the past two years, "after a decade of remarkable progress" Finally, KTR stated that KCR is a "guiding star in the hearts" of the people of Telangana, and that his legacy will "continue to shine forever". He described the present period as an "eclipse for Telangana", and reminded that it is the responsibility of every child of the state to protect it from "Rahu in the form of Revanth." He called upon people to shower "thunderbolt-like questions" on Revanth Reddy's incompetent governance in the municipal elections. (ANI) Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy of the Madras High Court has dismissed a writ petition filed by actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay. The petition challenged a 1.5 crore penalty imposed by the Income Tax Department for failing to voluntarily disclose an additional 15 crore in income. The undisclosed income was discovered following a September 2015 search-and-seizure operation conducted following the release of his movie Puli. The court upheld the penalty, ruling that the disclosure was not voluntary but a direct result of the department's investigation. Consequently, Vijay was held liable for the tax discrepancies uncovered during the raid. Meanwhile, on his movie "Jana Nayagan", the Madras High Court on January 27 set aside an earlier order passed by a single-judge bench (of the High Court) which directed the CBFC to grant the movie the U/A certification. The filmmaker KVN Productions may move the apex court to challenge the High Court's decision, which had impeded the release of its film, due for release on January 9. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Madras High Court allowed an appeal filed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), setting aside a single-judge order granting a U/A certificate to actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Thalapathy Vijay's film 'Jana Nayagan'.The bench held that the single judge ought to have granted time to the CBFC to file its counter-affidavit before passing the order. Accordingly, the matter has been remanded to the single-judge bench for a fresh hearing, with the observation that the film's producer is at liberty to amend the prayer in the writ petition. This came a week after the Madras High Court reserved its order on the appeal. A division bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan was hearing the matter. The developments come in the wake of the Madras HC's single bench judgement, which directed the CBFC to issue a 'U/A 16+' certificate for the film, providing temporary relief to the producers. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday commended the Border Security Force (BSF) from the Bobia Chowki in Kathua, calling the force an "indispensable wall" protecting India and crediting its personnel for earning the nation's admiration, citing Operation Sindoor as a glowing example of their bravery. Addressing BSF personnel during his visit to the border outpost (BOP) Bobiya in Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said that whenever he visits BSF posts, he learns lessons in duty, discipline, and sacrifice from the force. "Whenever I go to the border of BSF Chowki, whether it is the desert of Kutch, the desert of Rajasthan or the area of J&K, I always learn from all of you the values of duty-consciousness and duty-awareness. If there is anyone in all the services, then it is my young men of BSF who are always on the border." Shah said "You have been able to bring this feeling to the people of the country because of your 60-year-old heroic history," he added. He noted that while BSF personnel may not always be connected to social media, his post about today would recieve many comments directed towards them, not him, which is a " huge deal". "Today, when I come to Bobia Chowki Kathua, I will post something on social media. You must read the comments below. The comments below are not even one for the Home Minister of the country. All the comments are for my border guards, in recognition of their bravery and sacrifice. This is a very big thing," he remarked. Highlighting BSF's achievements, Shah said the force has earned one Mahavir Chakra, two Kirti Chakras, 15 Veer Chakras and 13 Shaurya Chakras over the years, along with several administrative honours. Describing 'Operation Sindoor' as a defining moment, he said, "In Operation Sindoor, the bravery of the BSF has become a golden chapter in the history of the past six decades. Even in that difficult time, all of you have kept the spirit of we are border guards alive and strong forever. 118 posts and 3 terrorist launchpads were destroyed by the Jammu-Kashmir Frontier." Paying homage to soldiers, Shah announced that Sub-Inspector Mohammad Imtiaz Ahmed and Soldier Deepak Chingkham were awarded the Veer Chakra for their sacrifice. Overall, BSF personnel have earned 16 gallantry medals during the period, he added. The Home Minister also lauded the BSF's role beyond border guarding, saying that it was evident in insurgency-hit regions of Manipur and the Northeast, Maoist-affected areas of Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and during natural disasters in Punjab. "Wherever BSF is deployed, the flag of bravery is planted," Shah said, praising the force's blend of valour and humanity. "Just like all of you are stationed here on the border, even in the inner parts of the country, whether it is the Durgam area of Manipur, some areas of the North-East, or especially the Maoist areas of Orissa and Chhattisgarh, wherever BSF has been deployed, you have laid your flag of bravery there as well," he said. Shah also paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the memorial 'Ajay Prahari' at Bobiya BOP in Jammu and Kashmir during the event. This comes during Union Home Minister Amit Shah's three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. The Home Minister has a packed schedule centred on reviewing the security landscape and assessing development initiatives in the region. The visit is significant amid the Centre's ongoing efforts to further strengthen security mechanisms and accelerate infrastructure and welfare projects in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. During his stay, Shah will chair high-level meetings to assess the current security situation, particularly in border areas and other sensitive districts. Senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Jammu and Kashmir administration, the police, intelligence agencies, and the Central Armed Police Force are expected to participate in the review meetings. The discussions are likely to focus on counter-terror operations, border management, infiltration attempts, and coordination among security agencies to maintain peace and stability. (ANI) Delhi's Rohini court on Friday rejected the bail plea of Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar, who is an accused in the Sagar Dhankar murder case of 2021. The case was lodged in Model Town Police Station. His earlier bail was cancelled by the Supreme Court last year. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sushil Kumar rejected the bail plea of Wrestler Sushil Kumar after hearing the submissions of counsel for accsued, Delhi police and the complainant. The detailed order is to be uploaded by the court. Bail plea was opposed by the Advocate Joshini Tuli, counsel for the father of the deceased. On January 13, the court issued notice to the Delhi police on Olympic Wrestler Sushil Kumar's application for regular bail in the wrestler Sagar Dhankar murder case. He has moved the application to view the changed circumstances. It was claimed that all material Prosecution witnesses have been examined by the Rohini court. Advocate R S Malik appeared for Accused Sushil Kumar before the court. Sushil Kumar was granted regular bail by the Delhi High Court in March 2025. However, the bail was cancelled by the Supreme Court on August 13, 2025, on the ground that the material witness are yet to be examined. Thereafter, he surrendered on August 20, 2025. It was submitted that the circumstances have materially changed inasmuch as all the material public witnesses stand examined, and there remains no possibility of the accused influencing or tampering with the prosecution evidence. The Supreme Court had granted liberty to Sushil Kumar to file a fresh bail application before the concerned court, in case of a change in circumstances or as and when fresh grounds arise. It was also mentioned that there are 222 prosecution witnesses, out of which 42 material public witnesses, including the injured, have already been examined. This case is at the stage of recording of Prosecution evidence. It is stated that no useful purpose would be served by keeping Sushil Kumar in judicial custody, that too in the company of hardened criminals, and the continued incarceration is further injurious to his health. Sushil Kumar was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2005, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2009, and the Padma Shri in 2011. It is alleged that in the intervening night of 04-05.05.2021, at about 11:30 P.M., Jai Bhagwan alias Sonu, Sagar Dhankar, Ravinder alias Binda, Bhagat alias Bhagtu, and Amit Kumar alias Khagad were allegedly abducted from Shalimar Bagh and Model Town and taken to the parking area of Chhatrasal Stadium, Delhi, where the accused, along with his associates, allegedly assaulted those persons. As a result of the said alleged assault, Sagar Dhankar succumbed to his injuries on the same day, during medical treatment. (ANI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday highlighted that the prolonged closure of several tourist destinations has caused "distress" among local youth, and the government is considering a relief package to support those affected during the ongoing Budget Session. The Chief Minister was responding to a question from MLA Khansahib Saif ud Din Bhat about the closure of tourist sites in his constituency. He informed the House that internationally known tourist destinations such as Doodpathri, Tosamaidan, and Yousmarg have remained closed to tourists for about nine months due to security-related considerations, a release said. The Chief Minister said he would raise the issue of reopening these tourist destinations with the Union Home Minister, who is currently visiting Jammu and Kashmir. Holding the Tourism portfolio, the Chief Minister stated that the prolonged closure has adversely affected the local economy and severely impacted the livelihood of ATV operators, vehicle owners, ponywalas, stall owners, guides and other stakeholders dependent on tourism activities in these areas. He added that the continued closure has caused distress among local youth, including those who had obtained loans from various financial institutions to run tourism-related businesses at these destinations. The Chief Minister said that the matter of reopening Doodpathri, Tosamaidan, and Yousmarg involves security considerations that are beyond the Tourism Department's mandate at present. He further stated that a DO letter from MLA Khansahib regarding this matter has been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, for appropriate action, as per the release. Due to an unfortunate incident at Pahalgam and the consequent restrictions imposed by the District Administration, the Snow Skating Games at Doodpathri could not be organised, the Chief Minister said. Regarding the ropeway project at Tosamaidan, the Chief Minister informed that the Gondola/Ropeway Project has been proposed by the PWD (R&B) Department through National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) under the Parvatmala Scheme. Notably, the session will culminate on April 4, 2026. The budget session will be extended to 62 days. It will have a 35-day recess from February 20 to March 26, 2026, due to the holy month of Ramzan, followed by the Eid festival. (ANI) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi President Saurabh Bhardwaj on Friday strongly criticised the Delhi Police and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government following the tragic death of 25-year-old Kamal Dhyani in Janakpuri, alleging police negligence and deliberate attempts to withhold crucial information. Speaking to ANI, Bhardwaj described the incident as a reflection of the government's and police's "shamelessness." "What happened in Janakpuri has exposed the BJP government in Delhi, the Delhi Police Commissioner, and the entire Delhi Police... Today, a 25-year-old youth has died... Serious allegations have been slapped on the police. Around 12 am, the family went to the police station in search of their son... Not just one, but they went to six police stations, yet no one filed their report. Their children's phone location was deliberately deleted in haste. Why did they do this? What is the police trying to hide? When the boy's phone was on, the police had his location. If they wanted to, they could have found him. Maybe he might have been saved, but no one saved him. In the morning, Ashish Sood went there and lied about having proper arrangements. If there were proper arrangements, then did that boy jump to take his own life? This is simply the shamelessness of the government and the police, who are falsifying data. Today, with concrete evidence, this has been exposed to the entire country," he told ANI. Bhardwaj visited the accident site to assess the situation and pointed out alleged tampering with the scene. "This is the crime scene... On one side of this road, there's an 8-foot-high barricade with wire on top. There's also a barricade on the other side of the road. On the third side of this road, there's a large iron barricade, and there's a barricade on the other side of this ditch as well. The Delhi Police have directly tampered with the crime scene. They have openly committed fraud by altering it. It's obvious to everyone here that the biker could only have fallen if someone had thrown him from an aeroplane. This is clear to any basic person... Did the man just appear out of thin air? Should any department stoop to such a level of depravity? Can any government fall to such a low level of dishonesty, just to claim that it wasn't anyone's fault and that the boy died on his own? That's why the crime scene was later barricaded from all sides," he added. The criticism comes after Kamal Dhyani, a 25-year-old Janakpuri resident, reportedly fell into a deep pit while riding his motorcycle home late Thursday night. Police confirmed the identification of the deceased. Dhyani's brother claimed that the family did not recieve any help even after visiting six police stations and received the information only after calling him on his phone in the morning, which was received by an official to extend the news of his death. Dhyani's friend condemned the police department, saying that they neglected the urgency of the situation by not providing the exact location of his mobile phone during the search, resulting in his death. He further questioned how his phone could not be tracked last night. Meanwhile, Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood is scheduled to inspect the site on February 7. The Delhi government, on Friday, issued a notification taking cognisance of the incident and assuring action against the responsible authorities. The tragedy has evoked comparisons with a similar incident in January, when a 27-year-old IT professional, Yuvraj Mehta, lost his life after his car plunged into an unmarked, water-filled construction pit in Noida amid dense winter fog. The incident had sparked widespread concern over urban safety standards, incomplete construction sites, and the urgent need for better road safety measures in the Delhi-NCR region.(ANI) Ireland's Ambassador to India, Mr Kevin Kelly, paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar. During his first visit to Gujarat, he highlighted historical parallels between India and Ireland in a meeting with the Chief Minister. He noted that both Gujarat and Ireland are culturally rich societies that deeply value and preserve their cultural heritage. He further recalled that Gujarat was prominently featured in the State Cultural Event Series organised by the Indian Embassy in Dublin two years ago, as per the release. During this meeting, the Chief Minister discussed cooperation between Gujarat and Ireland in areas of mutual interest, including aircraft leasing, the semiconductor ecosystem, financial services, and education. Inspired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister also invited the Irish delegation to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, which the Ambassador gladly accepted. This meeting was attended by Principal Secretary of the Industries Department, Ms Mamta Verma, Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Dr Vikrant Pandey and Industrial Commissioner P. Swaroop, the release noted. Meanwhile, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel on Thursday described the Union Budget 2026 as visionary and forward-looking, which lays a strong foundation for building Viksit Bharat under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference in Gandhinagar, the Chief Minister said the budget is based on pillars such as accelerating economic growth while ensuring sustainable development and active public participation through capacity building. Welcoming the budget, Patel said it delivers a "quantum jump" towards Viksit Bharat and will play a significant role as India moves towards becoming the world's third-largest economy. He expressed confidence that the budget would strengthen the journey towards a Viksit and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Highlighting sector-wise benefits for Gujarat, the Chief Minister said the Bio-Pharma Shakti Programme, with an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore, aims to make India a global bio-pharma manufacturing hub, according to a release. As Gujarat is a leader in the pharmaceutical sector, the state will gain significantly from this initiative. He added that six new schemes announced for the textile sector will further boost Gujarat's textile industry. (ANI) The death toll in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills coal mine incident has risen to 25 as rescue operations continue amid challenging conditions. Vikash Kumar, Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills district, confirmed the fatalities and said authorities are working around the clock to ensure safety and recover the remaining personnel. Earlier today, Meghalaya Minister Lahkmen Rymbui confirmed that two persons have been arrested during the ongoing investigation into the mishap. Details regarding the circumstances of the incident and the identities of the deceased are still being ascertained. President Droupadi Murmu condoled the loss of lives in a coal mine accident in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, calling the incident painful. "It is painful to hear about the loss of lives of workers in an unfortunate accident in the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the early recovery of the injured," the President said in a post on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia compensation from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). The families of the deceased will receive Rs 2 lakh each, while those injured in the incident will be given Rs 50,000. "Pained by the mishap in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest," the Prime Minister said in a post on X. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the state government has ordered a comprehensive inquiry into the incident, which occurred at a suspected illegal coal mine in the Thangskai area of East Jaintia Hills district. He asserted that accountability would be fixed and strict legal action would be taken against those responsible. Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy emphasised the pressing issue of illegal mining in Meghalaya, stating that the problem needs to be fixed under the supervision of the state government. Speaking to ANI on Thursday about the recent coal mine accident in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, Reddy noted that Meghalaya has no government-operated coal mines and that no coal block has been auctioned so far. "An accident has occurred in illegal coal mines in Meghalaya. Several people died. There is no Govt of India coal mine in Meghalaya. Not even one block of coal mine has been auctioned to date. Neither PSU coal mines nor commercial coal mines exist there. Illegal coal mining occurs there. This needs to be stopped under the supervision of the State Govt," G Kishan Reddy said. He added that the Union government has repeatedly urged state governments to curb illegal coal mining, but mafias continue to operate illegal mines, exploiting innocent workers. Reddy has requested a detailed report from the Meghalaya government and reiterated that illegal mining must be stopped immediately. "We have been writing to State Govts again and again to stop illegal coal mining. Still, mafia runs illegal coal mines at various places and makes innocent people work there...I have sought a report from Meghalaya Govt...I urge all State Govts to stop illegal mining. There should be no compromise. Such accidents should not occur. Illegal mining should not take place," G Kishan Reddy added. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death of labourers in a coal mine explosion in Meghalaya. They conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of many labourers in the coal mine blast in Meghalaya. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured." Her message came amid growing political reactions to the deadly incident that has claimed at least 16 lives so far. Congress MP Saleng A Sangma expressed profound grief over the tragic coal mine accident, emphasising that the government's response to coal mining accidents has been repetitive and insufficient, pointing out that such tragedies are not isolated incidents. "This particular response was already said when so many people died in the coal mining. This is not the only one. How many numbers has he already suspended?... It's not just about the owner who is involved in this particular coal racket, illegal coal mining. Who has allowed such activities to happen within the state, within the jurisdiction? Who are the officers, who are the ministers, who are the MLAs who are involved in this particular illegal racket? Just tell me how many numbers so far? If he had been responsible from day one, these illegal activities would not have happened by now," he said. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also expressed grief over the incident and called for accountability. In his post on X, Yadav said, "The news of the death of workers in the coal mine explosion in Meghalaya is extremely tragic. A thorough investigation into the causes should be conducted, and appropriate financial assistance should be provided to the bereaved families for their livelihood." (ANI) A two-day MLAs' priority planning meeting began in Shimla on Friday under the chairmanship of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, with discussions focused on constituency-wise development priorities. In the first session, 11 legislators from the Una, Hamirpur, and Sirmaur districts participated. Speaking to the media and later to ANI, BJP MLA from Una, Satpal Satti, alleged that development work in the state had come to a standstill due to an acute financial crunch and administrative apathy. He said that under the annual planning process, MLAs set their priorities before the government for projects funded through NABARD or other state heads, but the government's repeated response, whether during the budget session or planning meetings, has been that there are no funds available. "We raised all development-related issues, but it appears development has completely stopped under this government. Corruption is at its peak. The law and order situation is deteriorating, MLAs' constituency development funds and discretionary grants have been stopped, and there is discrimination against opposition MLAs in forwarding DPRs to NABARD," Satti alleged. He said BJP legislators had met earlier under the leadership of former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur, at which it emerged that DPRs of BJP MLAs were not being forwarded at all. "If the state government has no money, NABARD schemes do not require the state to pay upfront. Funds come directly from NABARD. Despite this, schemes are not being sent forward, showing administrative chaos and political discrimination," he said. Satti further listed several pending schemes related to water supply, roads, drainage, sewage systems, voltage improvement, land acquisition and mini-secretariat construction. He alleged that despite repeated meetings, officials were not responding, recruitment had stalled, and shortages of teachers, doctors and nurses were widespread. Responding to the allegations, Industry Minister and Congress MLA Harshwardhan Chauhan said the planning meetings for the Sirmaur, Hamirpur, and Una districts were held with participation from both Congress and BJP legislators, except for one MLA from Hamirpur who was absent. "All MLAs presented their constituency issues in detail before the Chief Minister. Departments were given time-bound directives to resolve problems. Many issues related to the Jal Shakti Department, drinking water, irrigation and institutional vacancies were discussed," Chauhan said. He referred to a 157-crore RDS voltage improvement scheme that has been progressing slowly, adding that MLAs collectively raised the matter. Chauhan said delays in DPR preparation by departments have long been a problem, and the government has now engaged outsourced agencies to prepare DPRs for Jal Shakti and PWD projects on a priority basis. "These meetings are important as all officers are present before the Chief Minister, and many issues are resolved on the spot. It is true that two instalments of MLA funds have not been released due to the state's financial crisis, but this will be streamlined in the coming time," Chauhan said. The Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, said he welcomed the participation of BJP MLAs this year, noting that they had skipped the meeting earlier. "This time they came, placed their demands and suggestions, and the government listened to them seriously. All issues raised were addressed," he said. Citing an example, Sukhu said BJP MLA Satpal Satti sought 4 crore for PGI-related works, which was approved immediately. "Small and big issues raised by MLAs were resolved. Since they represent their constituencies, it is their duty to raise public issues, and it is our responsibility to resolve them," the Chief Minister said. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the Jal Shakti and Transport portfolios, said the two-day planning meeting was aimed at allowing MLAs to clearly outline their priorities. "In the first round, meetings with MLAs from Una, Hamirpur and Sirmaur were held. Eleven MLAs participated and were given sufficient time to present their demands. Several issues were resolved on the spot," he said. On the issue of stopping MLA funds, Agnihotri remarked that MLAs should have raised the matter directly with the Chief Minister, adding, "They are dialling the wrong number by asking me." Meanwhile, the speaker of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Pathania, made a courtesy call to Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Lok Bhavan on Friday. This is significant because, following the 16th Finance Commission's report and the Union Budget, the state government has called a one-day special session to discuss HP's financial state and demand the restoration of RDG to the state. (ANI) Former Vice President of India, Hamid Ansari, on Friday linked the recent attack at a clothing shop in Kotdwar in Uttarakhand, to rising casteism and language divides, describing them as symptoms of a deeper erosion of national brotherhood across India's diverse regions. Speaking exclusively to ANI, Ansari emphasised that while India's regions differ in language, lifestyle, food habits and customs, from Ladakh in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, a shared sense of citizenship binds the nation together. He warned that neglecting this unifying thread weakens the social fabric. The Former VP articulated the gravity of the trend. "Casteism is one thing, language is another, and this incident in Uttarakhand - these things aren't separate. It's all a result of the fact that brotherhood is decreasing," he said. "Start from Ladakh and go all the way to Kanyakumari. What is the commonality? Neither their language is the same, nor their way of life, nor their food and drink. But one thing unites them: they are all fellow citizens of this country, and that is what holds us together. So, if you don't nurture that plant, the plant begins to wither..." he added. Ansari underlined that responsibility for nurturing fraternity rests with society as a whole, noting that both leaders and citizens have a role to play. "We are all responsible for this, each one of us. I can't hold anyone solely responsible... Everyone has a role in creating the atmosphere that exists in society. A big leader has a big role, a small leader has a small role... The feeling of fraternity is gone, brotherhood is gone," he said. The comments refer to the January 26 incident at Baba School Dress and Matching Centre in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand, in which a group demanded that the shopkeeper rename his outlet. When he refused, the local gym trainer, Deepak Kumar, reportedly confronted the mob, triggering protests by January 31. On the functioning of constitutional authorities, including the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Supreme Court, Ansari stressed that officials are aware of their responsibilities. "People sitting in the posts of CJI, CEC, know very well what they have to do. They do not need instructions... There is a time for everything. If you have to revise the voters' list, you should do so, but not two days before the election," he said. (ANI) Purnea MP Pappu Yadav was arrested by the Patna Police from his residence on Friday in connection with a case dating back to 1995. Patna SP City Bhanu Pratap Singh said the case was registered under the old Indian Penal Code, which has since been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case involves Sections 419, 420, 468, 448, 506 and 120B and is linked to the Gardanibagh police station. He said the trial was ongoing and that the MP was required to appear in court but failed to do so on the scheduled date; the MP was then arrested. "This is a 1995 case which was under the old IPC, now replaced by the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), involving sections 419, 420, 468, 448, 506, and 120B. The arrest is being made under these sections. This case concerns the Gardanibagh police station. The trial was ongoing in court, and the MP was supposed to appear, but he did not appear on the scheduled date. Therefore, he is being arrested," Patna SP City Bhanu Pratap Singh told reporters. Singh further added that Pappu Yadav's medical supplies have been provided, and his caretaker has accompanied him. The MP is being taken to a hospital for a medical examination, after which he will be taken to the police station. Further details are awaited. (ANI) Following his arrest by the Patna Police in connection with a 1995 case, Purnea MP Pappu Yadav said he was unsure what would happen to him or where he was being taken. The arrest followed high drama at his Patna residence, where police arrived to take him into custody. Speaking to reporters, Yadav said he was unwell and expressed fear about his safety. "I am not well... I don't know what will happen with me," Pappu Yadav told reporters. Ahead of his arrest, he told ANI that he suspected the police might harm him and said he wanted to go directly to court instead of the police station. He added that the court had summoned him the next day and suggested that he could be placed under house arrest. Yadav also questioned the police for arriving in civil clothes, saying he initially thought they had come to kill him. Referring to the case, he said it was registered nearly 35 years ago and questioned the need for his arrest at this stage. "I have doubt that these people might have killed me. I will go straight to the Court. I will not go to the police station. If they want, they can house arrest me. The Court has called me. Police reached here in civil uniform like criminals. I thought they had come to kill me. Is this a criminal's house? There was a case registered around 35 years ago, and the police came to arrest me in connection with that case," Pappu Yadav said. Later, police admitted the Independent MP at IGIMS hospital over health concern. Patna SP City Bhanu Pratap Singh said the case was registered under the old Indian Penal Code, which has since been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case involves Sections 419, 420, 468, 448, 506 and 120B and is linked to the Gardanibagh police station. He said the trial was ongoing and that the MP was required to appear in court but failed to do so on the scheduled date; the MP was then arrested. "This is a 1995 case which was under the old IPC, now replaced by the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), involving sections 419, 420, 468, 448, 506, and 120B. The arrest is being made under these sections. This case concerns the Gardanibagh police station. The trial was ongoing in court, and the MP was supposed to appear, but he did not appear on the scheduled date. Therefore, he is being arrested," Patna SP City Bhanu Pratap Singh told reporters. Singh further added that Pappu Yadav's medical supplies have been provided, and his caretaker has accompanied him. The MP is being taken to a hospital for a medical examination, after which he will be taken to the police station. Further details are awaited. (ANI) Lithuania's Foreign Secretary Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa on Thursday described the proposed EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as a landmark achievement that would open new avenues of cooperation and deliver mutual benefits. Speaking to ANI, Talat-Kelpsa said Lithuania was keen to conclude the agreement early. "This is a landmark achievement by both sides. Lithuania is interested in concluding this agreement. It will open new avenues for cooperation. For Lithuanian businesses, it will be a win-win situation," he said. The Lithuanian Foreign Secretary was in the national capital to deliver the Second Hermman Kallenbach Lecture at Jawaharlal Nehru University's School of International Studies, where he shared insights into Lithuania's foreign policy priorities amid a changing global landscape. In a post on X, the embassy of Lithuania in India said, " @LithuaniaMFA Political Director (Foreign Secretary) Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa delivered the Second Hermann Kallenbach Lecture at @JNU_official_50 School of International Studies today, sharing insights on Lithuania's foreign policy priorities in a changing global landscape. " https://x.com/LTEmbassyDelhi/status/2019371757988425796 Commenting on the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Summit to be hosted in India from February 16-20, Talat-Kelpsa told ANI that Lithuania attaches high importance to the sector and intends to participate at a higher level in the second edition of the summit. Speaking to ANI, he said, "Lithuania is investing in both sectors of the economy to generate growth. AI is manifesting in all sectors of the economy. Being a small nation, we want to become an AI superpower," adding that Lithuania's presence at the summit would be strengthened. On bilateral ties, Talat-Kelpsa described India-Lithuania relations as positive and rapidly expanding. "It is a fast-developing and dynamic relationship. Trade is growing, and people-to-people connect is expanding," he said. He added that both countries were focused on deepening intellectual and institutional linkages. "We want the exchange of intellectual capital between our nations and to build a better foundation for the future," he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India is signing future-ready trade deals with several countries, and that, whether it is the trade agreement with the European Union or the recent deal with the United States, the entire world is openly praising these agreements. Replying to the motion of thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, PM Modi said India is today a trusted partner to several nations and is playing its role in the welfare of the world. "India is signing future-ready trade deals with several countries. In the past few days, we have concluded trade agreements with nine major countries. Mother of all deals with 27 countries, with the European Union is one of them," he said. "The recently signed trade deals will greatly benefit our youth. This includes young people from both rural and urban areas, as well as those from middle-class backgrounds -- our sons and daughters. With the world market now open to them, new opportunities await. I want to assure our youth that I stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, and that the world is ready to welcome your talents and ambitions," he added. Prime Minister Modi said that major countries are eager to establish trade relations with India. "Be it the trade deal of the European Union or the recent deal with the US...The entire world is openly praising these trade deals. When we signed the trade deal with the EU, the world became more confident about the prospect of greater global stability. After the trade deal with the US, the world became even more confident that, with stability, they could also see a speed-up. This is a positive sign for the world," he said. (ANI) Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated sexualised images depicting children constitute child sexual abuse and must be criminalised, UNICEF said, warning of a rapid and alarming rise in the misuse of AI tools to create abusive content. In a statement, the UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide said it was increasingly concerned by reports showing a surge in AI-generated sexualised images, including cases where real photographs of children are manipulated and sexualised through deepfake technology. "Sexualised images of children generated or manipulated using AI tools are child sexual abuse material. Deepfake abuse is abuse, and there is nothing fake about the harm it causes," UNICEF said. UNICEF said deepfakes (images, videos or audio generated or altered using AI to appear real) are being used to produce sexualised content involving children, including through so-called "nudification", where AI tools digitally remove or alter clothing to fabricate nude or sexual images. Citing new evidence, UNICEF said a joint study conducted with ECPAT and INTERPOL across 11 countries found that at least 1.2 million children disclosed that their images had been manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes over the past year. In some countries, this amounted to one in 25 children, roughly one child in a typical classroom. The UN agency said children themselves are acutely aware of the threat. In some countries surveyed, up to two-thirds of children reported worrying that AI could be used to create fake sexual images or videos of them, highlighting the urgent need for stronger awareness, prevention and protection measures. UNICEF stressed that even when an identifiable victim is not immediately apparent, AI-generated child sexual abuse material normalises the sexual exploitation of children, fuels demand for abusive content and creates major challenges for law enforcement in identifying and protecting victims. "When a child's image or identity is used, that child is directly victimised," the organisation said. While welcoming steps taken by some AI developers to adopt safety-by-design approaches and implement safeguards to prevent misuse, UNICEF said protections across the industry remain uneven. It warned that risks are amplified when generative AI tools are embedded into social media platforms, enabling manipulated images to spread rapidly. UNICEF called on governments worldwide to expand legal definitions of child sexual abuse material to explicitly include AI-generated content and to criminalise its creation, possession, procurement and distribution. The agency also urged AI developers to implement robust safeguards and digital platforms to prevent the circulation of such material, rather than removing it only after abuse has occurred. It said stronger content moderation and investment in detection technologies were essential to ensure immediate removal of abusive material. "The harm from deepfake abuse is real and urgent," UNICEF said. "Children cannot wait for the law to catch up." (ANI) A diplomatic row erupted online between Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and US Ambassador to Poland Tom Rose after the envoy warned of possible punitive action against Polish parliamentary Speaker Wlodzimierz Czarzasty over remarks critical of US President Donald Trump. The exchange followed Czarzasty's refusal to back an initiative proposed by US House Speaker Mike Johnson and Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, which seeks to mobilise parliamentary leaders to nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in Middle East diplomacy. Explaining his stance, Czarzasty said, "In my opinion, President Trump is destabilising the situation in these (international) organisations by representing the politics of force and using force to pursue a transactional policy." He added, "All of this means that I will not support President Trump's Nobel Prize nomination because he doesn't deserve it." Rose reacted sharply on X, stating that the United States would distance itself from Czarzasty over what he described as an insult to Trump. "(Czarzasty's) outrageous and unprovoked insults directed against President Trump has made himself a serious impediment to our excellent relations with Prime Minister Tusk and his government," Rose wrote. https://x.com/USAmbPoland/status/2019406992519905320?s=20 He further added, "We will not permit anyone to harm US-Polish relations, nor disrespect (Trump) who has done so much for Poland and the Polish people." Prime Minister Tusk stepped in, urging restraint and mutual respect among allies. "Mr Ambassador Rose, allies should respect each other, not lecture each other. At least this is how we, here in Poland, understand partnership," Tusk posted on social media. https://x.com/donaldtusk/status/2019437938350989348?s=20 Rose responded in a continued online exchange, writing, "Mr Prime Minister, I have nothing but the greatest respect and admiration for your lifetime of bold leadership and for your decades of contributions that strengthened the US-Poland relationship. You Sir have truly been a model ally and great friend of the United States. And I know you agree that insulting and degrading the @realDonaldTrump President of the United States-- the greatest friend Poland has ever had in the White House, is the last thing any Polish leader should do." https://x.com/USAmbPoland/status/2019456359880650905?s=20 Czarzasty later addressed the controversy, saying he "regretfully" accepted Rose's reaction but would not alter his position on what he described as "fundamental issues for Polish women and men." https://x.com/wlodekczarzasty/status/2019429250424537509?s=20 "In line with my values, I stood up for Polish soldiers fighting on missions and did not support the nomination of President @realDonaldTrump for the Nobel Peace Prize. I consistently respect the USA as Poland's key partner," he wrote. (ANI) United States military's Southern Command on Thursday said that it had conducted a "lethal kinetic strike" on a vessel allegedly engaged in trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people. The Southern Command in a post on social media X said that the vessel, which was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, was engaged in narco-trafficking operations." "Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action," the US Southern Command said about the strike that took place on February 5. The mission was conducted by Southern Command Commander Gen Francis L Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear. "Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. Two narco-terrorists were killed during this action. No U.S. military forces were harmed," the Southern Command X post read. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted the video of the Southern Command action on the boat, which was allegedly carrying drugs. Hegseth had earlier posted that President Donald Trump is "saving American lives". "WINNING: Some top cartel drug-traffickers in the SOUTHCOM AOR have decided to cease all narcotics operations INDEFINITELY due to recent (highly effective) kinetic strikes in the Caribbean," Hegseth posted. "This is deterrence through strength," he added. The action by the US military is the second such strike since the January 3 military operation, in which the US captured the then president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, and cocaine importation conspiracy. Maduro, who is being held in a New York jail, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Meanwhile, earlier this week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro met with US President Trump, at the White House in what they described as a productive and cordial meeting, following months of mutual criticism and threats of possible US military action against Colombia.Petro said he and Trump maintain different views about how to address drug trafficking, with Trump pushing for a militarised approach, and Petro stressing the need for a strategy that is "intelligent" and "effective" according to an Al-Jazeera report. In October, the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed sanctions on Petro, accusing him of "flooding the United States" with drugs, the report added. In a commentary, the Hill news outlet said that since August 2025, the U.S. Navy has deployed a substantial number of warships to the Caribbean. Initially tasked with intercepting drug shipments, then supporting the capture of Nicolas Maduro, these forces are now policing Venezuelan oil exports. Together, these ships and the thousands of sailors aboard them represent the most significant source of American leverage over Venezuela today. (ANI) The Observer Research Foundation has released its quarterly on 'Navigating Megatrends for 2026. The six domains covered in this inaugural issue--geopolitics, defence and security; geoeconomics and trade; technology; climate and energy transitions; agriculture, health, and urbanization; and education, skills, labor, and immigration, together capture the major faultlines and forces shaping international politics and domestic transformations alike. ORF scholars engage with these megatrends as lived realities and argue that Megatrends do not unfold in isolation; they are mediated by leadership, institutions, and ideas. in an essay titled 'Geopolitics, Defence and Security-Turbulence Ahead' Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) America, along with contributions from Pratnashree Basu, Kartik Bommakanti, Lindsey Ford, and Kabir Taneja, outlined five major geopolitical megatrends expected to shape 2026 in the domains of geopolitics, defence, and security, amid turbulence from the re-election of US President Donald Trump. Setting out this assessment, Jaishankar highlighted the impacts of Trump's policies, including high tariffs disrupting global trade, US retrenchment from multilateral arrangements, and efforts to end conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza while showing reduced restraint in using force, such as strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and operations in Latin America. He noted that China and Russia are expected to continue expanding their "no limits" partnership declared in 2022 through new technological and operational coordination, despite US attempts to engage them separately. In practical terms, this includes military-technical cooperation, joint exercises with wider geographical remit, and evidence of Russia training Chinese paratroopers, accelerating China's military modernisation goals. The brief also cited Venezuela's assertive claims over Guyana, alignments in Argentina and El Salvador with Trump-era policies, and Brazil and Peru's economic ties with China, alongside the global race for critical minerals engaging Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. "The global race for critical minerals is set to engage Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru," the research observed. Placing these developments in a broader context, the paper emphasised that while other dynamics such as the war in Ukraine, conflicts in Africa, and developments in the Middle East persist, these five trends, the Russia-China axis, the continued growth of bilateral and minilateral arrangements, a more turbulent Latin America, competition in new technological domains and regions, and the reemergence of nuclear weapons, are likely to constitute major trends to monitor in 2026. In their research paper, A year of rebalancing-Geoeconomics and Trade, Anit Mukherjee, Dhruba Purkayastha, Arya Roy Bardhan, Srijan Shukla, and Jhanvi Tripathi argue that countries of the Global South with large critical mineral reserves such as Indonesia and Mexico will leverage their access to natural resources in exchange for lower tariffs and greater investment in domestic processing and manufacturing sectors, capitalizing on the US-China geoeconomic competition to their advantage. The geoeconomic impact of tariffs is expected to play out in two key ways: an increase in trade across the Global South and greater attention on the corridors and infrastructure that connect them. The research states that the Global South countries will need to guard against the flood of imported manufacturing goods from China, safeguarding their national interests through industrial policies aimed at protecting and creating jobs. At the same time, it presents an opportunity for the Global South to take advantage of the turmoil. The rules of rebalanced globalization remain in the process of being defined. How Global South countries respond to Washington and Beijing with their own geoeconomic initiatives in 2026 is likely to shape the future global economic order. A research brief, 'Brave New World-Technology' by Anirban Sarma, Sauradeep Bag, Anulekha Nandi, Prateek Tripathi, and Siddharth Yadav argues that Artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, digital currencies, and nanotechnology represent afrontier where technology, power, and the political economy increasingly converge. The paper states that as 2026 advances, countries are expected to strengthen national AI capabilities as competition between the US and China intensifies. The need to achieve greater alignment and harmonization of AI policies at the global level is likely to grow stronger. Two particular risks are expected to escalate further. The first is the exponential spread of AI-generated disinformation and the second is the alarming growth of AI systems' energy footprints,11 which may eventually necessitate a transition to more sustainable and energy-efficient solutions. The paper states that the field of quantum computing is expected to benefit from greater investment, and see a shift: from pursuing increased qubit counts towards finding a wider range of practical applications, and making quantum computers commercially available. 2026 is also expected to witness the use of digital currencies becoming more entrenched in certain regions, and facilitate potentially smoother remittance transfers and cross-border trade across pockets of the Global South. Nanotechnology will begin to play a decisive role in shaping the future of materials, with specific nanotechnologies such as spintronics emerging as central to innovation and investment. A research brief, 'Climate and Energy-Transitions' by Mannat Jaspal, Parul Bakshi, Cauvery Ganapathy, Lydia Powell, and Piyush Verma argues that 2026 megatrends are not necessarily novel but are a pronounced manifestation of patterns shapedby years of policy inaction and neglect across the global energy and climate landscape. Energy sovereignty, securitized supply chains, and digital-era power demand will be the buzzwords dominating the discourse. For the Global South, the coming years will depend on balancing industrial competitiveness, affordability, and equity within this contested climate architecture. The paper says that how countries navigate this delicate balance between ecarbonization and development will shape its pace and progress. A research on, 'Agriculture, Health, and Urbanization' by Nilanjan Ghosh. Ramanath Jha, Oommen C. Kurian, Soma Sarkar, and Shoba Suri argues that the interconnected and uncertain trajectories of agriculture, health, and urbanization converge intocomplex challenges. Understanding them requires a systems-thinking approach, one that acknowledges feedback loops, cascading risks, and the interdependence of human, ecological, and economic systems. The research argues that demographic shifts and consumption patterns sustain the cycle. All these highlight the Global South's structural dilemma, mobilizing resources without entrenching dependency or asymmetry. Going forward, stronger Global South cooperation, driven by the post-COP30 momentum and India's BRICS presidency in 2026, may enable the pooling of knowledge, finance, and technology to jointly advance resilient agriculture, equitable health systems, and sustainable urbanization, reshaping shared development pathways in 2026. In their research on, 'Education, Skills, Labor, and Immigration', Sunaina Kumar, Soumya Bhowmick, Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, Arpan Tulsyan, and Manish Vaidya argue that in 2026, several trends are becoming more evident. In education, digital technology and AI are expected to widen access and personalize learning. In skilling, the advance of Industry 4.0 is expected to increase demand for advanced technical capabilities. The paper argues that In labor markets, platform work is projected to expand further, creating new jobs while underscoring the need for stronger protections for workers. In immigration, South-South mobility is expected to rise further as climate stresses, economic fragility, and conflict intensify. By reorienting national priorities to these shifts and aligning these priorities with deeper regional cooperation, the Global South may build shared frameworks that reflect its diverse realities and aspirations. ORF scholars say the Global Quarterly provides readers and policy analysts with perspectives that are unique and valuable, outlining risks and opportunities in ways that help them understand, prepare for, and navigate the year ahead. (ANI) The deal covered medicines and motor vehicles to machinery and agricultural goods. In a post on X, the US Trade Representative said, "Ambassador Greer joined Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Worship Pablo Quirno in signing the U.S.-Argentina Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment, deepening our economic partnership while removing red tape for American farmers and ranchers." https://x.com/USTradeRep/status/2019523109423050808?s=20 "From medicines and motor vehicles to machinery and agricultural goods, the U.S.-brokered deal with Argentina secures significant market access for U.S. agricultural and industrial exports," it further said. https://x.com/USTradeRep/status/2019523354714104079?s=20 The agreement, which was signed on Thursday, is designed to cut or eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, facilitate trade in goods and services, modernize customs procedures and promote investment in strategic sectors including energy, critical minerals, infrastructure and technology, according to Argentina's Office of the President, Fox News reported. The deal builds on a framework trade agreement first reached November 13. Argentina also agreed to accept US safety and regulatory standards for imported goods, including standards for automobiles and medical devices, and to recognise US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety standards for meat and poultry imports. The agreement bars Argentina from imposing customs duties on cross-border data transmissions and includes a commitment not to introduce a digital services tax targeting US technology companies, according to the USTR. Agriculture provisions include a commitment from Argentina to open its market to US poultry and poultry products within a year and to simplify regulatory requirements for US exporters of beef and pork, Fox News reported. Argentina also agreed not to restrict US exporters' use of certain cheese names -- including asiago, feta and camembert -- which the European Union labels geographic indications only available to their producing regions, as per Fox News. (ANI) Baloch leader Mir Yar Baloch invited members of the United Nations Security Council, Members of the European Parliament, human rights organisations, OIC member states, the international community, global media, and human rights defenders to visit Balochistan to witness what he described as ground realities that Pakistan and its military are allegedly concealing. As cited in his post shared on media platform X, Mir Yar Baloch stated that the "Republic of Balochistan" would take full responsibility for the safety and security of all international guests and dignitaries visiting the region. He claimed that, with the cooperation of Baloch representatives, local authorities, and the public, visiting delegations would be facilitated to travel across all parts of Balochistan. According to the post, international delegations would also be taken to alleged mass graves in Balochistan, where DNA samples could be collected and matched with families of individuals who have been missing for decades. Mir Yar Baloch alleged that these individuals were forcibly detained by the Pakistani military over the past eight decades and said such steps would help deliver justice to affected families. The post further claimed that visiting delegations would be shown gas fields in Dera Bugti and Sui, gold mines in Saindak and Reko Diq, and coal mines in Mach, Harnai, and Chamaling, to witness what he described as the exploitation of local Baloch people. He stated that the visits would allow the international community to observe what he termed the occupation of Balochistan and to document expressions of support for Baloch independence. Mir Yar Baloch asserted that accepting the invitation would help address what he described as doubts and misunderstandings within the international community arising from Pakistan's diplomatic narratives. He further called for Baloch representatives to be invited to the United Nations Security Council, stating that the situation in Balochistan, including alleged oppression and brutality by the Pakistani military, should be heard directly from them. In the post, he criticised Pakistan for what he described as labelling Balochistan as "terrorism" before the international community to justify alleged war crimes. He claimed that Balochistan is not a terrorist entity but a victim of what he termed state and military terrorism. The post concluded with an appeal to the United Nations Security Council and the wider international community to listen to what Mir Yar Baloch described as the voices of the people of Balochistan through their representatives, rather than what he characterised as Pakistan's one-sided narrative. (ANI) The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has claimed that its operation titled "Operation Herof II" is continuing into its sixth consecutive day, rejecting statements issued by Pakistan's military media wing as propaganda. The claims were made in a statement posted on February 5 by Jeeyand Baloch, spokesperson for the Baloch Liberation Army. As cited in Jeeyand Baloch's post, the BLA asserted that Operation Herof II remains ongoing with what it described as determination, consistency and military success. The statement said that any claims by the Pakistani state or its media apparatus, including the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), regarding the conclusion of the operation should be regarded as false until the BLA itself announces its end. According to the statement, such claims do not reflect the ground realities described and lack credibility among the Baloch population. The statement alleged that ISPR press releases issued during the operation have been contradictory and misleading. It claimed that on the first day of the operation, Pakistani authorities had announced their conclusion and the elimination of all attackers, a claim which, according to the BLA, has been repeated daily over the past six days. The statement further alleged that these repeated claims indicate failures both on the battlefield and in what it described as the narrative domain. Jeeyand Baloch's post also addressed casualties, stating that BLA fighters, referred to as Sarmachars and Fidaeens, enter the conflict with the belief that martyrdom is an honourable outcome. The statement claimed that the organisation publicly acknowledges its fallen members by releasing their names, photographs and circumstances, while alleging that the Pakistani army conceals casualties among its personnel by withholding identities and conducting burials without public disclosure. The statement further alleged that daily claims by ISPR of killing large numbers of BLA fighters serve to conceal military setbacks and institutional corruption, particularly before Pakistan's domestic audience. It also claimed that forcibly disappeared persons are allegedly being killed and presented as combatants to obscure accusations of enforced disappearances and torture, though no independent verification was provided in the statement. According to the post, the BLA claimed to have received widespread support, intelligence cooperation and moral backing from the Baloch population during Operation Herof II. The statement alleged that while Pakistani institutions rely on force and media messaging to maintain control, the BLA has strengthened what it described as its liberation movement through sustained resistance and sacrifices. The statement reiterated that only the Baloch Liberation Army would announce the conclusion and outcome of Operation Herof II. It claimed that when such an announcement is made, it would be accompanied by what it described as evidence of territorial control, intelligence successes and retreats by Pakistani forces. The post further stated that over the past six days, the BLA has released images and videos through its official channels showing what it claimed were captured areas, destroyed military posts and seized assets. (ANI) Raksha Rajya Mantri (RRM) Sanjay Seth will head a senior-level Indian delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for participation in the third edition of the World Defence Show (WDS) 2026, scheduled to take place on February 8 and 9. The visit underscores India's growing engagement with global defence platforms and reflects the expanding scope of defence cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia, said an official statement from the Ministry of Defence. The World Defence Show 2026 is expected to bring together more than 700 exhibitors from across the world, along with nearly 400 official delegations representing governments, armed forces, and defence industries. India's delegation will include senior officials from the Department of Defence Production as well as officers from the Armed Forces, highlighting a coordinated approach between policy, production, and operational stakeholders. A key highlight of India's participation this year will be the inauguration of the country's first-ever India Pavilion at the event. Spread across 400 square meters, the Pavilion will serve as a comprehensive showcase of India's expanding indigenous defence manufacturing ecosystem. It will feature a wide range of advanced defence products and technologies developed under the government's emphasis on self-reliance and indigenisation in the defence sector. Prominent public sector defence enterprises will be represented at the Pavilion, including Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), Munitions India Limited (MIL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), India Optel Limited (IOL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), and Yantra India Limited (YIL). These companies are set to display key platforms and systems such as tanks, artillery gun systems, missiles, ammunition, radars, and other critical defence equipment, offering international audiences a glimpse into India's manufacturing and technological capabilities. On the sidelines of the exhibition, a bilateral meeting between the Raksha Rajya Mantri and his Saudi Arabian counterpart is planned. Discussions are expected to focus on strengthening defence ties, exploring new avenues of collaboration, and deepening strategic engagement between the two nations. In addition, RRM will hold interactions with representatives of leading Saudi Arabian industry bodies, with the aim of enhancing defence industrial cooperation and encouraging joint ventures and partnerships. The World Defence Show, a biennial international defence exhibition hosted by Saudi Arabia, has emerged as an important platform within the global defence landscape. For India, the event holds significant strategic value, providing an opportunity to project its defence indigenisation initiatives, demonstrate advanced technologies, and build long-term partnerships within the global defence ecosystem. India's active participation in WDS 2026 reflects its intent to position itself as a reliable defence manufacturing and technology partner on the international stage. (ANI) Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel stated that his country is open to dialogue with the United States on any issue but firmly rejected talks under duress, amid escalating tensions and severe fuel shortages triggered by US pressure following a military operation in Venezuela. According to France 24, Diaz-Canel insisted on Thursday, "Cuba is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, a dialogue on any topic... but without pressure or preconditions." He emphasised that negotiations must occur "from a position of equals, with respect for our sovereignty, our independence and our self-determination," and without "interference in our internal affairs." US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed ongoing negotiations with Havana, which Cuban authorities have denied, and warned the island to "make a deal" with Washington "BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE," asserting that Cuba was "ready to fall." Trump has vowed to block Cuba's oil access, including by controlling Venezuelan supplies after the ouster of its leader last month in a US operation, and threatened tariffs on nations aiding Havana. The White House, through spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, described Cuba as being "on its last leg" and urged wiser statements toward the US President, while maintaining that diplomacy remains open. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Miami-born son of Cuban immigrants, along with Trump, has openly expressed interest in regime change in Havana. The communist nation faces an acute energy crisis, with no diesel or oil production from generators for weeks and reliance on dwindling Venezuelan shipments halted since December. Earlier on Thursday, hundreds of thousands in eastern Cuba endured prolonged blackouts due to a grid failure. Diaz-Canel affirmed that Cuba retains international support, stating, "Cuba is not alone," though he avoided detailing allies or ongoing efforts to secure fuel. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum noted diplomatic efforts to resume crude deliveries but ruled out risking US tariffs. The US State Department announced USD 6 million in direct aid to Cubans via the Catholic Church, following USD 3 million in prior assistance delivered through local parishes. Cuban officials attribute the island's deepest economic woes in decades, marked by fuel, food, and medicine shortages, to longstanding US sanctions. Observers also point to internal mismanagement and a post-Covid tourism slump as contributing factors. Diaz-Canel highlighted the crisis as underscoring the need for renewable energy to lessen external dependence. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Malaysia from February 7-8 and hold bilateral talks with his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim. The upcoming visit marks the third visit of PM Modi to Malaysia and the first since bilateral relations were elevated to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" in August 2024, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. India is looking at opportunities for collaboration across the defence sector during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi to Malaysia, with the sale of Dornier aircraft, maintenance of Scorpene submarines and SU-30 aircraft, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. During his visit, PM Modi will also interact with the members of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia and other business representatives. Malaysia has a 2.9 million-strong Indian diaspora, the third-largest in the world, and the second-largest PIO community (2.75 million). Malaysia is an important partner for India in the ASEAN and in the Indo-Pacific region and a key pillar in India's Act East Policy. The Torana Gate, situated at Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur is a gift from India to Malaysia as a mark of continued friendship between the two countries. The Torana Gate was inaugurated jointly by Narendra Modi, PM of India and Najib Razak, the then PM of Malaysia on November 23, 2015. India-Malaysia diplomatic ties were elevated to the status of 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' during the visit of Anwar Ibrahim to India from 19-21 August 2024. The bilateral relationship was earlier elevated to 'Enhanced Strategic Partnership' in 2015 when PM Narendra Modi visited Malaysia. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established in 1957. PM Modi had also met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the margins of BRICS Summit in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on July 6, 2025. PM Modi also participated virtually in the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit convened in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. The two Prime Ministers also interacted over a telephone call on October 22, 2025. Prime Minister Modi last visited Malaysia on an Official Visit from November 21-23, 2015 and again made a brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur on May 31, 2018. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited India on a State Visit from August 19-21 2024. He was accompanied by five Cabinet Ministers. There have been sustained and regular political exchanges at the highest level between India and Malaysia since 2022. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from October 26-28, 2025, to represent India on behalf of the Prime Minister, for the 20th East Asia Summit. EAM had also paid an official visit to Malaysia on March 27-28, 2024. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited Malaysia for the 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) from 20 October 2025- 01 November 2025. RM had earlier paid an official visit to Malaysia from July 10 -11, 2023. An Indian delegation led by Minister of State, Sanjay Seth visited Malaysia in May 2025 to participate in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), and for bilateral discussions. India-Malaysia defence relations have steadily grown over the years and range from capacity building exercises and military training to defence industrial cooperation. The first Regional Office of HAL was opened in Kuala Lumpur in 2023 during the visit of Raksha Mantri. During Malaysia's Chair of ASEAN (2025), several Ministerial visits have taken place. Some of these include: (a) Visit of Minister of Toursim and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, to Johor, Malaysia on 20 January 2025 for the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, (b) Visit of MoS(PM) to Malaysia from 18-19 April 2025 to inaugurate the India-ASEAN Tourism Pavillion at the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair in Kuala Lumpur and again in July 2025 for the ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting (c) Visit of MoS ( Commerce & IT), Jitin Prasada to Malaysia for the 22nd AEM-India meeting, among others. Economic and commercial engagement is one of the important pillars of India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Bilateral trade between both countries has reached 19.85 billion USD in FY 2024-25. Malaysia is our 3rd largest trading partner in ASEAN whereas India is among the top 10 trading partners for Malaysia. Trade between India and Malaysia can be settled in Indian Rupee (INR) in addition to the current modes of settlement in other currencies beginning 1st April 2023. With a view to further facilitate people-to-people exchanges, both countries liberalized visa regimes for tourists (India is the fifth largest source of inbound tourism for Malaysia). Malaysia has permitted visa free travel for Indian nationals since December 2023, whereas India has allowed gratis tourist visas for Malaysian nationals since July 2024 (currently valid until December 2026). Nearly 1.4 million Indian tourists visited Malaysia in 2025, whereas nearly 300,000 Malaysian tourists (the largest from among ASEAN countries) visited India. An Ayurveda Chair has been instituted at the University Tunku Abdur Rahman (UTAR), Malaysia, following the announcement made by Prime Minister during the State Visit of Prime Minister of Malaysia to India in August 2024. The Chair was operationalised in September 2024. Similarly, a Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies has been established in University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, following the announcement made by Hon'ble PM in August 2024. The Chair was operationalised in October 2025. (ANI) The Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) on February 5, 2026, commemorated the 29th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre, recalling what it described as a brutal crackdown by Chinese security forces on peaceful Uyghur protesters in East Turkistan. According to the CFU release, the incident is remembered as a defining moment that foreshadowed the widespread repression and alleged genocide currently facing Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim communities under Chinese rule. As stated in the release, in the months leading up to February 5, 1997, Chinese authorities imposed a ban on meshrep, traditional Uyghur social and cultural gatherings that played a central role in fostering community cohesion and preserving cultural identity. The ban, CFU said, triggered widespread anger among Uyghur youth. On February 5, 1997, thousands gathered in Ghulja to protest peacefully against what the organisation termed Chinese aggression and restrictions on Uyghur cultural practices. The CFU release alleges that Chinese security forces responded to the demonstrations with violent force, resulting in the killing of hundreds of protesters and injuries to many others. In the aftermath of the crackdown, nearly 4,000 Uyghurs were reportedly arrested. CFU further claimed that many detainees were subjected to torture, killed in custody, and that around 200 individuals were publicly executed following the incident. Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, was quoted in the release as saying that the Ghulja Massacre represented a critical warning sign that the international community failed to heed. She stated that global silence at the time emboldened the Chinese Communist Party to expand its policies into what CFU describes as systematic atrocities, including mass detention and imprisonment, extrajudicial sentencing, forced sterilisations, family separations, state-imposed forced labour, and the erasure of Uyghur culture and identity. The release further asserted that the absence of accountability over the past decades has reinforced Beijing's belief that it can continue such actions without consequences. Abbas warned that this lack of international response not only affects Uyghurs but also poses a broader threat to global human rights and democratic values. Marking the anniversary, CFU said it honours the memory of those who lost their lives during the Ghulja Massacre and reaffirmed its commitment to seeking justice for Uyghurs facing persecution. The organisation urged governments around the world to move beyond symbolic statements and take concrete action, including enforcing existing sanctions, passing legislation to address forced labour and transnational repression, and resisting what it described as China's use of economic coercion to suppress criticism. (ANI) The Korean Cultural Centre India actively participated in the 17th edition of the India Art Fair 2026, where the National Gallery of Modern Art Director General, Sanjeev Kishor Goutam, highlighted the deep historical ties between Korea and India. Goutam stressed that women artistes' work should be brought to the forefront. He further shared insights from his engagement with Korean contemporary works at the fair and recounted a significant exhibition he had seen at South Korea's Modern Art Gallery during his recent visit. He said, "A lot of contemporary artists of Korea have come here and I have a unique experience seeing their work... Korea-India relation has been historically strong, especially in terms of culture... When I visited South Korea last time, an important exhibition was being held by the Modern Art Gallery... I want that the work of Indian woman artists should be brought in the contemporary world." South Korean Ambassador to India Lee Seong-ho expressed delight at the showcase of Korean contemporary art pieces. "I am pleased to see that Korean contemporary art pieces are displayed here... Over the years, Korea-India bilateral relations have been expanding remarkably well, which has been mainly led by industrial cooperation. We are also witnessing growing ties in other areas such as cultural exchanges," the Ambassador said. The India Art Fair (IAF) stands as the premier platform for discovering modern and contemporary art from South Asia, serving as a vital gateway to the region's thriving cultural scene. IAF provides curated insights into the cultural landscapes of India and its neighbouring countries, bringing together galleries, artists, private foundations, arts charities, artist collectives, national institutions, cultural events and festivals. This collaborative framework cultivates innovative domestic and international interactions with South Asia's rich cultural heritage and development. The 17th edition of India Art Fair 2026 is currently underway from February 6 to 9 at NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla. India Art Fair, the leading platform showcasing modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, closed its landmark 16th edition on a high note, with reports of robust sales and strong attendance. The fair featured a record line-up of 120 exhibitors, including 78 galleries, 28 institutions and 11 design studios, among others. Held in partnership with BMW India for the ninth consecutive year, the fair galvanised galleries, collectors, institutions, artists, designers, organisations, and visitors, creating essential avenues for dialogue, artistic discovery, and meaningful exchanges. (ANI) Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration spoke at the International Religious Freedom Summit (IRF Summit 2026) during a special session titled "Tibetan Moment." The session also included longtime advocate for Tibet, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who read out a message from the 14th Dalai Lama and presented a brief clip from Wisdom of Happiness, a documentary featuring His Holiness, as reported by the CTA. In his message, the Dalai Lama stressed that "in the 21st century, humanity must rise above all divisions, and we must not only work together but also live together. Cooperation among different faiths and cultures is no longer optional." Echoing this message, the Sikyong highlighted the need to protect the rights of the Tibetan people. He called for a declaration similar to the Prague Declaration adopted by the Article 18 Alliance, specifically addressing the succession of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and reaffirming the Tibetan people's right to religious freedom, according to the CTA report. Later the same afternoon, the Sikyong took part in an open discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council titled "Tibetan Democracy in Exile: Religious Freedom through Political Empowerment," moderated by Adva Saldinger. During the discussion, he emphasised that the Tibetan Government-in-Exile remains the only government-in-exile operating with a fully functional democratic system, as cited by the CTA. On February 4, 2026, the Sikyong, along with Representative Namgyal Choedup and Chinese Liaison Officer Tsultrim Gyatso from the Office of Tibet in Washington, D.C., as well as International Campaign for Tibet President Tencho Gyatso and Executive Director Ryan Fioresi, held high-level meetings with Chairman Brian Mast, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Congresswoman Young Kim, Congresswoman Dina Titus, and Representative Michael McCaul, reaffirming continued bipartisan support for the Tibetan cause, the CTA report noted. Following these engagements, the Sikyong addressed students at Georgetown University on Tibet's geopolitical importance and later participated in an interactive question-and-answer session. His engagement with students underscored the role of education, awareness, and sustained advocacy for Tibet at the global level, as reported by the CTA. (ANI) Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-profile visit to Malaysia on February 7 and 8, India's High Commissioner to Malaysia, BN Reddy, termed the upcoming trip "historic," noting it marks the first prime ministerial visit since the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024. Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, "It is an historic visit in many ways, though it is the third visit of Honorable Prime Minister of India to Malaysia, but this visit is also the first in terms of after India and Malaysia have elevated the bilateral relations to what is called the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which was in August 2024, when Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim visited India." The visit is expected to deepen cooperation in security, digital economy, and semiconductors, while further solidifying India's 'Mahasagar' and Indo-Pacific visions. Reddy stated that the talks would focus on implementing initiatives launched during Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim's visit to India last year, as well as those launched over the last 18 months. "So the visit would be focusing more on implementation of several of the, review the implementation of some of the initiatives that have been launched in 2024 in India, and to take a new dimension, add new dimensions to the ongoing cooperation," said India's High Commissioner to Malaysia. For the first time, the two nations have institutionalised a security dialogue at the level of the National Security Advisors (NSAs). Discussions are expected to deepen cooperation in maritime security and potential defence sales, including Dornier aircraft and Su-30 maintenance. "For the first time, India and Malaysia have started a security dialogue that began last year in January. This dialogue takes place at the level of the national security advisors of our two countries. Similarly, this has helped this particular cooperation and deepened our understanding of the security issues at hand, bordering on defence," added Reddy. Building on the Malaysia-India Digital Council, both nations are set to expand cooperation in the digital economy, while significant collaborations are emerging in renewable energy, semiconductors, and the startup ecosystem. "Both countries, it is well recognised that Malaysia is a sort of emerging digital economy as far as their policies are concerned, but they really want to engage with us in this field. Hence, we also signed an MOU on digital technologies previously, resulting in the establishment of the Malaysia-India Digital Council, a government-to-government-level mechanism. For Malaysia, this is the first one, and for India, I think perhaps we are the third such mechanism India has with any other country," added Reddy. A standout feature is the Malaysia-India Digital Council. Malaysia, aiming for the digital economy to account for 26% of its GDP, is seeking India's expertise in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), AI, and cybersecurity. A major agreement between NPCI (India) and PayNet (Malaysia) for payment system linkage is expected. The 10th India-Malaysia CEO Forum, with nearly 20 CEOs from India, will bring the businesses of both countries together. The joint report will be presented to PM Modi and PM Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday. Additionally, PM Modi is scheduled to hold exclusive meetings with four top Malaysian CEOs to discuss investment opportunities. "This is essentially aimed at the corporates of both the countries, businesses of two countries coming together and looking at the development pattern of this trend and advising the government, both the governments, on taking. The joint report will be presented to the Prime Ministers of India and Malaysia on Sunday, following the official-level talks. So these are what you call several dimensions under which the collaboration is happening," added Reddy. With bilateral trade totalling $20 billion, Malaysia is India's second-largest export destination in ASEAN. The focus is shifting toward "industry-led products" such as machinery and the electrical sector, alongside emerging investments in semiconductors and renewable energy. The visit places significant emphasis on the 2.9 million-strong Indian community in Malaysia--the world's third-largest Indian diaspora. Highlighting the "special role" of the Indian diaspora, the High Commissioner announced significant moves to benefit the community. Eligibility for the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card is being extended to the fourth through sixth generations, with formalisation to follow. Furthermore, announcements regarding the Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies are expected, further cementing the shared cultural heritage. The Prime Minister's itinerary is packed with community engagement and diplomatic discussions. Soon after arriving on Saturday, PM Modi will address the Indian community at an event, which will be joined by Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim. A record-breaking event will feature 800 Malaysians performing Indian classical and folk dances, aiming to break a Malaysian Book of Records record. On Sunday, the day begins with a ceremonial welcome at Perdana Putra, followed by bilateral talks, the exchange of MoUs, and joint statements. PM Modi will also interact with Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) leaders before concluding the visit. "The very fact that we have given the highest status of engagement with Malaysia is rooted in the conviction that this relationship can grow multi-fold," Reddy added, emphasising Malaysia's pivotal role in the broader Indo-Pacific region. (ANI) India and Lithuania took a step forward on Friday in strengthening their relations as Secretary (West) Ambassador Sibi George met with Lithuania's Foreign Ministry's Political Director, Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa. Both sides discussed all aspects of bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. The meeting covered growing trade ties and AI collaboration between India and Lithuania. Lithuania's Foreign Secretary hailed the India-EU FTA as a historic achievement, boosting trade and cooperation between the two nations. In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote, "Secretary (West) @AmbSibiGeorge met Political Director of @LithuaniaMFA , Mr. Laimonas Talat-Kelpsa. Both sides discussed all aspects of India-Lithuania bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest." The meeting signals a continued deepening of ties between New Delhi and Vilnius, particularly within the framework of the broader India-EU partnership. This meeting occurred alongside the India-EU Forum and follows a year of high-frequency diplomacy aimed at diversifying India's footprints in Central and Eastern Europe. Lithuania's recent pivot away from Chinese economic influence has made it an increasingly vocal advocate for stronger India-EU ties, viewing India as a vital alternative for market diversification and technological partnership. The meeting underscored the broad-based nature of India-Lithuania ties, which have evolved steadily since India formally recognized Lithuania as an independent state on September 7, 1991. This recognition came soon after Lithuania regained independence, along with the other Baltic States of Latvia and Estonia. Diplomatic relations between India and Lithuania were officially established on February 25, 1992, laying the foundation for sustained political and diplomatic engagement. One of the earliest political interactions between the two countries occurred in June 1992, when the then Prime Minister of India, P V Narasimha Rao, met Vytautas Landsbergis, the first Head of State of independent Lithuania, on the sidelines of the Rio Summit. That meeting marked the beginning of formal political contact and set the tone for future cooperation. Over the years, diplomatic infrastructure has expanded to support closer ties. Lithuania opened its Embassy in New Delhi on July 1, 2008, reinforcing its presence in India and facilitating deeper engagement. In addition to its embassy, Lithuania has established three honorary consulates in India, located in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, reflecting its interest in outreach across key economic and cultural hubs. India, for its part, initially managed its diplomatic engagement with Lithuania through concurrent accreditation. The Ambassador of India in Warsaw was concurrently accredited to Lithuania and undertook periodic visits to Vilnius. To further strengthen its on-ground presence, India opened an honorary consulate in Vilnius in 2015. This was followed by a significant milestone in March 2023, when India established its resident Embassy in Vilnius, signaling the growing importance New Delhi attaches to its relationship with Lithuania. The recent discussions between senior officials reaffirm the intent on both sides to maintain regular dialogue and cooperation. By reviewing all aspects of bilateral relations and exchanging views on wider regional and global issues, India and Lithuania continue to build on a relationship rooted in mutual respect, shared democratic values, and an expanding diplomatic partnership. (ANI) OSAKA, Feb 07 (News On Japan) - A man accused of strangling a 17-year-old girl to death and stealing her wallet at a hotel in Osakas Minami district was sentenced to 22 years in prison by the Osaka District Court on February 6th. According to the indictment and other sources, Fukui Shunsuke (31) was charged with strangling the girl, who lived in the city, in a hotel room in Osakas Minami area in September 2024, then taking her wallet and other belongings. After the incident, Fukui was seen fleeing on a bicycle in nearby security camera footage and later told investigators that he hitchhiked from Suita to Yokohama to escape, while denying that he had intended to kill the girl. Prosecutors argued that the defendant became involved in a financial dispute with the girl after engaging in prostitution and failed to take any life-saving measures following the attack, describing his disregard for human life as extreme, and sought a 22-year prison term. In its ruling on February 6th, the Osaka District Court stated that Fukui had solicited prostitution despite being unable to pay hotel fees or compensation and, even after the killing, attempted to cash in the stolen wallet, concluding that there were no mitigating circumstances to consider and handing down the requested 22-year prison sentence. Source: YOMIURI TOKYO, Feb 07 (News On Japan) - A prolonged spell of dry weather has led to water shortages and even a red river in parts of Japan, with farmers and public facilities sounding alarms as reservoirs shrink and temperatures climb in the Kanto region. In Tokyo, a dry weather advisory has been issued for 17 consecutive days as the unusually rainless conditionsdescribed as a once-in-30-years level of low rainfallcontinue to spread their impact across multiple regions. Footage taken from the air on the 5th showed Takihata Dam in Kawachinagano, Osaka, with its storage rate at around 20%, exposing bare rock surfaces and widespread cracking. Nearby waters appeared reddish and muddy. According to the dams management office, the discoloration is caused by iron bacteria that thrive in hot spring or groundwater environments, with the effects becoming more visible due to the drought. While there are currently no water restrictions affecting daily life in the area, the situation underscores the strain on reservoirs. In Aichi Prefecture, however, agriculture and daily life are already being affected. At Uren Dam, the storage rate stood at just 5.5% as of the 4th, highlighting the severity of the shortage. Farmers in Toyokawa said onions have struggled to take root due to the lack of water, making them easy to pull from the soil and raising concerns they may not grow properly. Onoda Yasuhiro, head of Momopapas Vegetable Farm, said: "Even when we water the crops, were being told to conserve, so its very difficult. Wed like to see rain at least once a week." In Gamagori City, where water-saving measures have been strengthened, a public bath facility has been temporarily closed since late January. Bathwater has been drained and filtration equipment switched off. Hosokawa Mizuki, manager of Yutorina Gamagori, said: "For many customers, taking a bath is part of daily life, so weve heard a lot of comments like, This is troubling and What should we do?" A welfare center for the elderly in the city is also set to suspend use of its bathing facilities starting next week, with no clear timeline for resolving the water shortage as the impact spreads. Meanwhile, the Kanto region saw springlike warmth, with temperatures in central Tokyo rising to a daytime high of 13.8 degrees. In Yokohama, long lines formed at the Red Brick Warehouse, where visitors wearing strawberry-themed berets gathered for an event celebrating peak strawberry season. On the first day, the first 300 visitors received free strawberries, while others enjoyed strawberry-laden parfaits and crepes. With temperatures reaching 12 degrees, the strawberry festival drew large crowds. In Matsuda Town in western Kanagawa, early-blooming Kawazu cherry blossoms have begun to color local parks, prompting organizers to move the annual cherry blossom festival forward by a week due to the warm weather. However, the warmer conditions have also created problems. At Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki, ice formations that had been about 80% frozen just two to three days earlier began melting due to the recent warmth. Although many areas are experiencing early springlike conditions, the weather is expected to shift sharply over the weekend as a powerful cold air mass moves in, bringing a return to midwinter cold across the country. Heavy snowfall is forecast over a wide area along the Sea of Japan coast, with a risk of rapidly increasing snow accumulation. Snow is also possible in Tokyo over the weekend, with up to 5 centimeters forecast for some southern Kanto plains. With voting and ballot counting for the Lower House election set for the 8th, authorities are urging caution over icy roads and potential disruptions to transportation. Source: FNN On the margins of the Food Security Conference held in Dubai on February 4 and 5, Mauritanias Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Abdoullah Souleymane Cheikh Sidiya, met with the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Alvaro Lario, to review and strengthen cooperation between Mauritania and the Fund. Discussions centred on assessing the current partnership, with a particular focus on IFADs role in financing sustainable rural development initiatives and supporting the growth of Mauritanias agricultural sector. The Mauritanian official highlighted his countrys commitment to backing small-scale producers and improving their resilience to climate change, while commending the positive impact of IFAD- supported projects on rural livelihoods. Alvaro Lario, in turn, praised Mauritanias seriousness in implementing jointly financed programs and reaffirmed IFADs readiness to continue supporting the countrys drive towards food sovereignty. He noted that future support would prioritize agricultural innovation, rural infrastructure development and the integration of agricultural value chains from production to market access. An international consortium, composed of American Ortus, Spanish Acciona and German Nordex, has signed an agreement with the Moroccan government on the land site designed for hosting a $4.5 billion ammonia production project in Moroccan Saharan city of Laayoune. According to Arabic Asharq Business online news platform, the agreement was signed Thursday in Rabat in presence of Head of Govt. Aziz Akhannouch, ministers and representatives of ORNX consortium and deputy head of mission at U.S. embassy in Rabat. ORNX has been selected to develop a large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in southern Morocco as part of the national Offre Maroc hydrogen program. The project aims to deliver export-grade green ammonia to international markets using renewable electricity generated exclusively on-site. The ORNX project intends the development of major wind and solar-powered green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities in Laayoune, Dakhla and Boujdour. According to press reports, Head of Govt. Aziz Akhannouch has received lately delegates of the companies that were selected by the Morocco Offer committee. These are the ORNX consortium, UAE-based Taqa & Spain-based Cepsa, Moroccan energy company Naerva, Saudi Arabias Acwa power and two China-based companies (UEG and China Three Gorges Corporation) These consortiums pledged to invest $30 billion in six large-scale green hydrogen projects. Morocco offers incentives including, land plots, financial assistance for building shared infrastructure (including new ports), investment and tax breaks. Speculation about the peak in demand for hydrocarbons has abounded for years as parts of the world struggle to reduce their consumption of coal, oil, and gas. Peak coal resurfaced this week, following data showing that Asian seaborne imports of the energy commodity had inched down by 4.4% in 2025, from an all-time high in the previous year. As usual, the peak coal story is likely premature. Data from Kpler showed this week that Asian buyers imported a total of 1.09 billion metric tons of coal in 2025, down from 1.14 billion tons imported in the previous year. The data was cited by Reuters columnist Clyde Russell, who suggested the dip signals peak coal demand in the largest importing region. However, in the same year that Asian coal imports from overseas dipped, Chinas domestic coal production hit a record high, and while Indias coal production declined modestly, by 0.64%, over the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, the decline was the result of weather-related disruptions rather than weakening demand. China, the indisputable leader in wind and solar, plans to commission a total of 85 new coal-fired power generation units this year, even after in 2025 the country recorded a decline in coal-fired power generation due to higher output from other sources, including hydropower. Also, China produced 4.83 billion tons of coal last year, which was a big reason for the weaker imports, which stood at 490 million tons. India, meanwhile, may well change its plans about the future of coal, which until recently included a halt of any capacity expansion after 2035. Now, the government is mulling over postponing the end of coal capacity expansion to 2047, in evidence that there is significant unease about whether wind and solar can replace the fuel that currently accounts for over 70% of electricity generation, according to figures from the International Energy Agency. Related: Mexicos Pemex Vows To Continue Oil Exports To Cuba Amid Trump Threats The peak coal demand story is also undermined by the price factor. Last year, thermal coal prices slipped to the lowest in four years in June but then began to rebound, gaining between 16% for Australian coal and 12% for coal from Indonesia. Higher prices tend to weaken appetite for imports, which may well have contributed to the overall decline in annual imports by Asian buyers last year. Meanwhile, the addition of new wind and solar capacity is slowing down, Rystad Energy reported earlier this week, even as it predicted that the combined electricity output from wind and solarplus hydropower, geothermal and other sources in the renewables categoryis about to overtake the total generated by coal for the first time this year. According to the forecast, collective renewables will this year produce 11,900 TWh globally, with the prediction based on expectations that practically all the new demand is being met with renewable sources, and coal generation has plateaued, marking a significant milestone in power generation. Yet the fact that China and India are both expanding their coal generation capacity suggests the plateau may not be the new normal. Building new capacity when planners expect no increase in demand for that capacity would be a pointlessand expensiveendeavor. This suggests that both China and India expect to be using more coal in the coming years, and at least until 2047 in Indias case. Of course, this doesnt automatically mean they will be boosting their imports. Both are working to reduce their overall reliance on energy imports, with India recently declaring a goal of $100 billion in investments in oil and gas production by 2030. In other words, watching imports only to glean trends in total demand and supply dynamics may result in an incomplete and potentially misleading picture. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com After years of antagonism between the federal government and Alberta over additional outlets for crude, Canada and the oil-producing province are finally on the same page regarding Canadian,/ oil exports. It took a major geopolitical and trade shift from Canadas long-term ally and top trade partner, the United States, to have the federal government of Canada support a new oil pipeline from Alberta to the Canadian West Coast. The pipeline is expected to boost Canadian oil exports to Asia, the worlds driver of global oil demand growth, by shipping about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude from Alberta to the West Coast. Canadas Strategic Shift Canada seeks to diversify its trade and economic relations in the face of tariffs from the Trump Administration and continued threats of additional tariffs that have soured the relations between the two closest allies and trade partners in North America. The government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to make Canada an energy superpower. This includes moving more of Albertas crude out of the country on tankers to Asia. Increased seaborne shipments to the worlds most important oil-consuming region is also a way for Canada to diversify its oil export markets, dominated by the U.S. with over 95% of all Canadian oil exports. The expanded Trans Mountain route is currently the only pipeline shipping Albertas landlocked crude for exports on tankers from the West Coast. Alberta has long called for additional outlets to the British Columbia coast to monetize the growing crude supply in the province. The provinces oil production hit a new record-high in 2025, with average daily production up by 166,000 bpd, or 4.2%, compared to 2024. Alberta produced 4.1 million bpd last year, 84% of which was from the oil sands. TMX, whose nameplate capacity was tripled to 890,000 bpd from 300,000 bpd before the expansion, was the key driver of Albertas record oil production while enabling more oil exports from Alberta to Asia. Related: Shell Weighs Multibillion Dollar Venezuela Gas Investments The value of Albertas oil exports to Asia went from zero before the expanded pipeline began operations to over US$804 million, or C$1.1 billion, as of October 2025, according to data from ATB Economics. Enhancements to the existing pipeline system and filling TMX to capacity will facilitate additional production in 2026, ATB Economics said, expecting oil and gas exports to grow by about 2% both this year and in 2027. At some point, though, without a new pipeline in place, a lack of pipeline capacity will once again act as a constraint on output growth, possibly as soon as 2028, analysts at ATB Economics said. The strained U.S.-Canada relations have prompted Carneys federal government to support a new oil pipeline west, while TMX looks to boost crude flows within its existing capacity. Trans Mountain Corporation this week moved to boost oil flows via the pipeline by 10%, seeking approval to use drag-reducing agents (DRA) to increase volumes. Federal government-owned TMXs application to the Canada Energy Regulator says that The DRA Project will not result in incremental vessel traffic at the Westridge Marine Terminal beyond what was assessed during the reconsideration process for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. Commenting on the news, Albertas Premier Danielle Smith said Alberta is happy to see TMX working on increasing oil exports by 10%. The world needs our energy exports, notably Asian markets. We will continue pushing for more export capacity, including a new pipeline to the Canadian northwest coast, Smith added. As early as July, Canadas PM Carney said that a new oil pipeline to Canadas Pacific coast is highly likely to make it to the federal governments list of projects of national interest. Carney visited China last month and signed a strategic energy and trade cooperation agreement in a major policy shift that hailed a new era in bilateral relations. Albertas New Oil Pipeline Plan Even before that, the governments of Canada and Alberta in November signed an agreement to increase oil exports to Asian markets, address investment uncertainty holding back Albertas energy economy, and reduce emissions. This agreement lays out the path forward for an Indigenous co-owned pipeline to Asian markets, with both governments supporting its approval and construction. Provisionally named West Coast Oil Pipeline, the project is now in the stage in which a technical advisory group is doing preliminary assessment work on the potential routes. Albertas government expects to submit by July 2026 the project to Canadas federal Major Projects Office for designation as a project of national interest. Currently, Alberta is considering five ports on the West Coast, Premier Smith told Bloomberg News in an interview this week. So far it appears that northwest British Columbia, with the port of Prince Rupert, holds more advantages compared to other locations. Maybe it makes more sense to take it up to an area where theres less congestion and it might allow for additional export of other items, if you end up with a 24-hour a day operation on more high-value products like that, Smith told Bloomberg. At any rate, a new pipeline will have to eventually include potentially difficult negotiations with First Nations and the provincial government of British Columbia. However, this time around, both Alberta and the federal government are backing a new oil pipeline that would boost Canadian oil exports and make them less dependent on the U.S. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com A consortium comprising Chevron and a group led by an investment bank continues negotiations with Lukoil and U.S. officials to buy the Russian firms international assets, even as Lukoil has signed a preliminary non-exclusive deal with Carlyle, multiple sources with knowledge of the ongoing talks tell Reuters. Last week, Lukoil announced it had agreed to sell most of its international assets to private equity giant Carlyle. The agreement is not exclusive and is subject to conditions such as the procurement of necessary regulatory approvals, including permission from the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for the transaction with Carlyle. Lukoil continues negotiations with other potential buyers, Russias second-largest oil producer, noted in the press release last week. The non-exclusivity of the preliminary agreement means that Chevron and other potential buyers remain in the race. A tie-up of Chevron and Texas-based Quantum Energy Partners is one of the bidders still in talks to potentially buy Lukoils international assets, while investment bank Xtellus Partners leads another consortium with American billionaire Todd Boehly and the UAEs Allied Investment Partners, according to Reuters sources. It's definitely not a done deal yet, Carlyle is just now starting to take a closer look at Lukoil's assets, one source close to Lukoil told Reuters. The winds could still change on this sale, the source added. Following the U.S. sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft, as a result of Russias lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine, Lukoil announced in October it would sell all of its international assets, initiating a formal process to receive bids from potential buyers. After months of negotiations with potential buyers and one preliminary agreement with Gunvor blocked by the U.S. Treasury, which described the trading group as the Kremlins puppet, Lukoil announced it has signed an agreement to sell Lukoil International GmbH to Carlyle. Yet, this may not be the final twist in this sales process. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Onshore, Syrias oil sector has reached a ceiling. During the height of the war, production fell into the 20,000-40,000 barrel-per-day range as fields were damaged, seized, or shut in. Since late Lebanon provides the closest comparison. Its offshore sector has been treated as a frontier for the same reasons now cited for Syria: limited drilling history, proximity to proven gas provinces, and unresolved political constraints. The TotalEnergies-Eni-QatarEnergy consortium drilled the Qana well in Block 9 and encountered gas that was not commercial. The result did not invalidate the basin; rather, it demonstrated the harsh reality of frontier exploration: long timelines, multiple wells, and high surface risk even in the best geological conditions. Its a tantalizing prospect. Syrias coastline sits within the Levant Basin, the same petroleum system that delivered Tamar, Leviathan, and Karish offshore Israel. The U.S. Geological Surveys benchmark assessment estimates the basin holds a mean of roughly 122 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered technically recoverable gas and about 1.7 billion barrels of oil. Chevron has signed an MoU with Syrias state oil company and a Qatari partner to evaluate offshore oil and gas potential in Syrian territorial waters in an agreement that covers data access and early-stage technical assessment only. It includes no drilling commitment, no development plan, and no production timeline. It does not alter Syrias current oil output. Chevron has signed an MoU with Syrias state oil company and a Qatari partner to evaluate offshore oil and gas potential in Syrian territorial waters in an agreement that covers data access and early-stage technical assessment only. It includes no drilling commitment, no development plan, and no production timeline. It does not alter Syrias current oil output. Its a tantalizing prospect. Syrias coastline sits within the Levant Basin, the same petroleum system that delivered Tamar, Leviathan, and Karish offshore Israel. The U.S. Geological Surveys benchmark assessment estimates the basin holds a mean of roughly 122 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered technically recoverable gas and about 1.7 billion barrels of oil. Lebanon provides the closest comparison. Its offshore sector has been treated as a frontier for the same reasons now cited for Syria: limited drilling history, proximity to proven gas provinces, and unresolved political constraints. The TotalEnergies-Eni-QatarEnergy consortium drilled the Qana well in Block 9 and encountered gas that was not commercial. The result did not invalidate the basin; rather, it demonstrated the harsh reality of frontier exploration: long timelines, multiple wells, and high surface risk even in the best geological conditions. Onshore, Syrias oil sector has reached a ceiling. During the height of the war, production fell into the 20,000-40,000 barrel-per-day range as fields were damaged, seized, or shut in. Since late 2023, output has stabilized roughly in the 80,000-100,000 barrel-per-day range, depending on access to northeastern fields and informal flows. Before 2011, Syria produced close to 386,000 barrels per day. Today, sanctions, infrastructure degradation, and the absence of capital are holding back recovery. The Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDFa discarded U.S. ally) still physically hold most producing assets east of the Euphrates, including al-Omar and Tanak, but multiple actors are now working toward removing them from the oil zone altogether. Arab tribal groups in Deir ez-Zor are being mobilized to contest Kurdish control of oil revenues and field administration. This is not spontaneous unrest. Tribal claims are being used to challenge SDF authority over hiring, revenue allocation, and security around producing fields. Turkey is applying pressure in parallel by restricting movement, trade, and cross-border flows that Kurdish-controlled oil networks depend on. The intent here is simply to make this economically unviable for the Kurds, not to take territory outright. Its a squeeze. And Damascus is trying to siphon crude volumes and cash flows away from Kurdish institutions and back toward the state, while deliberately avoiding a direct military clash; The objective is to force a withdrawal from the oil economy. Once the revenue base collapses, holding the territory becomes secondary. Within government-held territory, the oil system is managed for internal fuel supply. The Baniyas refinery and the Homs refinery are operating at reduced capacity to process limited crude volumes and reduce reliance on imported refined products. These facilities are not being upgraded for scale or efficiency. Iranian technical assistance and credit sustain continued operation. This isnt about export revenue at this point. The sector functions as a fuel-allocation system rather than a commercial export engine. So, who is ultimately going to bring Syrian oil back, and control it in the meantime? Iran underwrites Syrias downstream system, with Iranian credit and supply arrangements keeping Baniyas and Homs operating at reduced rates. Fuel flows are maintained through Iranian-backed logistics, not market purchases. This doesnt expand capacity or output in any way; it just preserves baseline operations and Syrias fuel supply directly to Tehran. Russia retains a military presence and Russian firms hold legacy agreements and claims tied to past intervention, but none of this has ever progressed. Russias leverage in Syria is now limited to delay, obstruction, or demands for compensation. It does not set the direction of Syrias oil sector. Turkey is focused on eliminating Kurdish control of energy-linked territory. Turkish pressure targets logistics, trade corridors, and cross-border flows that support oil activity east of the Euphrates. Turkey isnt looking to control Syrian oil production, just to hinder the Kurds. Israel acts to restrict Iranian military and logistical entrenchment. Energy infrastructure becomes relevant only when it intersects with Iranian supply routes, storage, or transport networks. Israeli actions are calibrated to degrade Iranian capabilities rather than influence Syrian production levels or ownership structures. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have not committed capital. Engagement remains exploratory and conditional. Onshore oil rehabilitation is excluded due to sanctions risk and low economic return. Offshore evaluation is the only area under consideration, and only if structured to limit compliance exposure and political liability. Qatar is positioned differently. Doha brings technical gas expertise, long-cycle capital tolerance, and established channels with Washington. Its participation alongside Chevron reflects interest in offshore evaluation within a known petroleum system. The position is long-dated and contingent. It does not assume near-term development. Kim Kardashian was consoled by former US President Barack Obama after failing the California bar exam. Kim Kardashian has opened up about failing the bar exam The 45-year-old reality TV star has been studying law in recent years but she suffered a major setback when she failed her final test and will now have to retake it if she wants to qualify as a lawyer - and she's now revealed Obama gave her some words of encouragement and revealed his wife Michelle also flunked the test on her first try. In an interview with Complex magazine, Kim explained: "Afterwards, so many people told me about others who hadnt passed, and offered encouragement. "Even at a charity dinner, Obama told me Michelle didnt pass on her first try. "So many amazing attorneys and people I respect reached out, saying Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris also didnt pass the first time. So its not the end of the world, but no excuses - you just do better." The Kardashians star previously insisted she would not retake the exam because studying took up so much of her time but she's gone back to her studies and is determined to give it another shot. She said: "Interestingly, I said going into it that I would never try again. I called it a 'one and done' because of time and energy constraints. But the day after, I started studying again and havent stopped. "One day, Ill retake it. I dont know when; I have to find the time. But I dont think I could live with myself if I dont try again. I cant pass up the opportunity. I didnt come this far just to give up." She added: "Honestly, what was exciting, but also daunting, is that I came really close. I just have to do better. Im not one to make excuses. "I could say I threw my back out that week, which I did, but it is what it is. I just didnt perform well enough. "I think Im going to keep my head down a bit more next time, and maybe not broadcast it to the world. Although, I didnt really have a choice, since they post the results live online, which is crazy to me." It comes after Kim admitted she felt "uncomfortable" and lost her confidence after failing the exam. She told Time magazine: "I took a minute to process that, and instantly, when I got my results, I didn't feel good about it. "I was really uncomfortable and not confident for a while." Kim went on to add she felt low about failing, but she's determined to get back to work and pass the exam next time. She said: "This really sucks because I put so much time into it, but I know what I can do better. "I'm pretty good at taking a failure and turning it into something and I just don't have the time to dwell. You can feel sorry for yourself for a second, but I need to take that time and put it into studying more." U.S.Iran nuclear talks in Oman cooled oil markets, pushing Brent back to $67 and setting up volatility as vague outcomes leave sentiment hostage to headlines. Friday, February 06, 2026 The start of US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman has had a placating effect on oil markets, with ICE Brent sliding back to $67 per barrel, set for a more than 5% weekly loss after a stellar string of gains in January. The complete vagueness of the meetings agenda and the lack of public commentary on the outcome thereof could amplify sudden price moves next week, paving the way for another of those meetings when President Trumps posts could define further sentiment. Brussels Eyes Service Ban on Russian Oil Exports. The European Unions 20th sanctions package vis-a-vis Russia, set to be approved by February 24, is proposing a full ban on maritime services for Russian oil exports, alongside tighter bans on imports of metals, chemicals and critical minerals. Alaska Is Prepared to Get Drilled. The US Bureau of Land Management has earmarked March 9 for the first lease sale in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve since 2019, offering almost 5.5 million acres of oil and gas leases across more than 600 tracts, triple the currently leased acreage in NPR-A. Saudi Aramco Cuts Prices Again, Even if Unwillingly. Saudi national oil company Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222) surprised its buyers by cutting Asian formula prices for March-loading cargoes by $0.30-0.40 per barrel, half the expected drop, putting Arab Light at parity with the Oman/Dubai average. The Age of Electricity Begins, IEA Claims. The International Energy Agency stated that renewables and nuclear power will account for 50% of the world's electricity generation by 2030, even as power demand growth is poised to accelerate from 2.8% over the past decade to 3.6% between now and 2030. US Allows Diluent Sales to Venezuela. The US Treasury Department has issued a license that allows the sale of US diluents to Venezuela, opening the naphtha export market to companies beyond Chevron, with PDVSA currently importing around 50-60,000 b/day, mostly from the US and Russia. Europe Has Never Imported This Much LNG. European LNG imports rose to a new monthly record in January as several relentless cold snaps ratcheted up regional demand, with last months incoming flows totalling 13.7 million tonnes up 2% compared to the previous all-time high from December 2022. Rio Tinto Calls Off Glencore Merger. Global mining giant Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) announced that it is no longer pursuing takeover negotiations with rival Glencore (LON:GLEN), unable to iron out differences over a $200 billion merger to garner the support of shareholders, the third failed attempt to do so. Kuwait Eyes Rapid Americas Expansion. Having signed a pioneering deal in Brazils deepwater offshore this week by buying a 20% stake in the Orca project, Kuwaits state-owned oil company continues its upstream offensive, stating that it is in talks with Devon Energy and EOG over a potential US shale entry. EU Cracks Down on Chemical Dumping. Lending a helping hand to Europes ailing chemicals industry, the European Commission outlined provisional anti-dumping rates on Chinese, Saudi, and US petrochemical feedstocks, particularly solvents used in plastics and polymers such as 1,4-butanediol. India Starts Buying Venezuelan Oil. Indias largest private refiner Reliance, has bought 2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude from global commodity trader Vitol, at a discount that is reported to be closer to -$7 per barrel to ICE Brent, the first purchase of such barrels after Trump took over PDVSAs exports. Winter Storm Drains US Distillate Stocks. Winter Storm Fern has had a firmly bullish impact on US distillate stocks as the EIA reported a 5.55 Mln barrel stock draw in the week ending January 30, the largest one-week draw since February 2021, that sent inventories below the 5-year average. Kazakhstan Loses Its Oil Investment Appeal. UK-based energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) has paused new investments in Kazakhstan after a series of legal proceedings from the Central Asian state raised the risks of committing more funds, with two ongoing arbitration cases totalling $16.5 billion in demands. Japan Cant Get Enough of Qatari LNG. Merely days after Japans JERA signed a 27-year LNG term deal with Qatar, trading house Mitsui (TYO:8031) is reportedly close to buying a stake in QatarEnergys 16 mtpa North Field South expansion to secure a dedicated supply of liquefied gas, starting from 2029. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Indias largest private refiner, Reliance Industries, is buying Venezuelan crude again, securing the first Indian purchase of oil from the worlds top reserves holder since the U.S. took control of Venezuelas oil sales early last month. Reliance Industries has purchased a cargo of around 2 million barrels, an anonymous source with knowledge of the deal told Bloomberg on Friday. Reliance Industries last bought crude from Venezuela in the middle of 2025, under a special waiver from the U.S. Administration from mid-2024. Last month, Reliance Industries said it would consider buying Venezuelan crude again if sales are permitted to non-U.S. buyers. The latest purchase signals that India would be taking Venezuelan crude going forward as it looks to replace a lot of Russian supply if it wants to honor the trade deal with the United States. The deal for lower U.S. tariffs on Indian goods is conditional upon India slashing its imports of Russian crude. Before the U.S. sanctions on Russias top producers Rosneft and Lukoil, Reliance Industries of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani was the biggest buyer of Russian crude oil, importing more than 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) thanks to a long-term deal with Rosneft. However, the Indian refiner halted all Rosneft purchases in the wake of the U.S. sanctions and took to procuring crude from non-Russian sources. Indian state-run Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) is also exploring potential purchases of crude from Venezuela after stopping imports of Russian oil. MRPL is actively weighing the opportunity to buy Venezuelan crude oil if the commercial terms, including freight rates, are favorable, MRPLs head of finance Devendra Kumar said in January. Two of the worlds biggest independent traders, Vitol and Trafigura, which last month were tapped by U.S. to help market Venezuelas crude, are offering Venezuelan oil to India and China for March and April delivery. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Russian oil exports to India fell to less than 25% of the countrys total imports in December, from 34% in November, hitting the lowest in 38 months, The Hindu reported, citing data from the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Russian oil purchases in December were worth $2.71 billion, down from $3.72 billion a month earlier, and from a high of $5.87 billion in May 2024. In volume terms, India imported 5.8 million tons of Russian crude in December, or about 1.39 million barrels daily. This was the lowest monthly total since February last year, the data showed. The drop follows the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Russias two biggest oil exporters, Rosneft and Lukoil. The sanctions prompted a sharp increase in purchases of U.S. crude, but the volumes of that crude were much lower than what Indian refiners bought from Russia. For December, U.S. oil imports totalled 1.1 million tons, which in value terms stood at $569.3 million. The December total was also a 60.5% drop on November oil imports from the United States, The Hindu noted, but a 31% increase on December 2024. The United States wants to choke Indias imports of Russian crude and has made it a condition for the trade deal that the two countries are discussing. India, however, has been wary of making official statements about any such commitments. The country relies on imports for 85% of its oil needs and is highly price-sensitive as a result. The reason Russia became its top supplier over the last four years is precisely this price sensitivity, which made sanction-related discounts on Russian crude a top consideration in purchasing decisions. The grades Russia produces are also more compatible with Indian refineries than the predominantly light, sweet crude that the United States produces. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Japans trading company Mitsui & Co is in an advanced stage of talks with QatarEnergy to buy a minority stake in one of Qatars mega expansion projects, anonymous sources with knowledge of the development told Reuters on Friday. Qatars state firm QatarEnergy is undertaking the worlds biggest LNG expansion project with multiple phases of expanding the export capacity of the offshore North Field, the worlds largest non-associated natural gas field, which Qatar shares with Iran. Mitsui is close to buying a stake in one of the expansion projects, North Field South (NFS), which, if agreed, would boost Japans long-term gas supply from Qatar. QatarEnergy currently holds 75% in NFS, with international oil and gas majors Shell, TotalEnergies, and ConocoPhillips owning minority stakes. A Mitsui-QatarEnergy deal would follow a major LNG supply agreement Qatar has just signed with Japans biggest power utility, JERA. Earlier this week, QatarEnergy signed a 27-year agreement with JERA to supply up to 3 million tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG from Qatar to Japan, with deliveries set to start in 2028. JERA remains committed to building a resilient, well-balanced LNG procurement portfolio by sourcing from the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the United States, and other regions, said Global CEO and chair Yukio Kani. For Qatar, the JERA deal would allow the worlds second-largest LNG exporter to regain some of the market share it has lost in Japan over the past decade. The 3 million tons of LNG per year would nearly double Qatari LNG supply to Japan, which was estimated at around 3.3 million tons in 2025. To compare, in 2017, Qatar supplied about 10 million tons of LNG to Japan. But back then, Japan was still the worlds top LNG importer and relied heavily on gas for power generation after closing all its nuclear power plants following the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Since then, Japan has started to gradually return nuclear power capacity online, following safety inspections. Moreover, global LNG supply surged, and the flexible-destination U.S. cargoes have become more attractive to many buyers, compared to Qatars very strict destination clauses prohibiting buyers from reselling cargoes. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Mexico is looking for ways to keep supplying oil to Cuba amid a U.S. squeeze on energy supplies to the island nation without triggering a response from Washington, Reuters has reported, citing unnamed sources. There are talks happening almost every other day, one of these sources told the publication. Mexico doesn't want tariffs imposed, but it is also firm in its policy of helping the Cuban people. Earlier this month, President Trump threatened he would impose import tariffs on any nation that ships oil to Cuba as he seeks a government overthrow in Havana by choking the energy supply. Despite the threats, Mexicos state oil company said this week it intended to uphold its contract with the government in Havana and continue shipping oil there. That statement follows reports about Pemex canceling a planned oil cargo for Cuba at the end of January in response to Trumps pressure campaign, with Reuters noting that the Mexican leadership was worried about getting punished by Washington if it kept shipping oil to Cuba. The latest report confirms there is worry about tariffs, but, as Reuters points out, the ruling party in Mexico has long-standing ideological ties with the government in Cuba. For now, it seems the most likely solution to the problem would be to send fuel cargos to Cuba as humanitarian aid, as the Cuban authorities warn of acute fuel shortages. The United Nations Antonio Guterres has also issued a warning of imminent humanitarian collapse. Russias ambassador to Cuba, meanwhile, said Russia would continue shipping crude oil to the island nation, despite the tariff threats. Trump has called Cubas current government an extraordinary threat to U.S. national security. Mexico has been a steady supplier of oil to the island, at a daily rate of some 17,000 bpd to 20,000 bpd as of early 2025, but the biggest oil supplier to Cuba was Venezuela - until the U.S. ousted its president and took over the management of the countrys oil industry. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Ahead of the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks on Friday, Tehran signaled that the negotiations will likely be a long process, dashing hopes of a quick and more sustainable de-escalation of tensions in the key oil-producing Middle Eastern regions. Oil prices initially rose early on Friday in Asian trade on the news, with Brent climbing to $68 per barrel and WTI Crude prices trading at $64 a barrel, before both fell back later in the day. Investors and speculators seemed to interpret the signals from Iran to mean the initial round of discussions in Muscat, Oman, today would only look to outline a roadmap for further negotiations and broad topics. Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is already in Oman, wrote in an X post early on Friday that Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year. We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights, said the Iranian official, who will represent the Islamic Republic in the talk mediated by Oman. Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump, will lead the U.S. delegation at the talks. Commitments need to be honored. Equal standing, mutual respect and mutual interest are not rhetoricthey are a must and the pillars of a durable agreement, the Iranian minister said. The main priorities for Iran in the round of talks on Friday include assessing the other sides goodwill and seriousness, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. The start of a potentially long process of negotiations doesnt allay concerns of further escalation between the United States and Iran, especially if President Trump loses patience in case of a stalemate, as it has happened in the past with U.S-Iran nuclear tal Ahead of the Friday talks, the U.S. Virtual Embassy in Tehran issued an alert urging U.S. citizens to leave Iran now and have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on U.S. government help. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Crude oil prices were set for their first weekly decline since the start of the year as the risk of a direct military confrontation between the United States and Iran de-escalated. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $68.09 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate was changing hands for $63.95 per barrel, both slightly up from Thursdays close but down from Monday. Oil prices had been on a climb for seven weeks in a row, driven higher mostly by U.S. foreign policy in various parts of the world. The Iran nuclear issue has been by far the most bullish for benchmarks as the U.S. president threatened a strike on Iran unless it agreed to give up its nuclear plans. The two are holding talks today in Oman, but, as Reuters noted in a report earlier today, they have not agreed on the agenda. The two sides remain well apart, leaving tensions elevated. This should see the geopolitical risk premium remain in place, ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes said, as quoted by Reuters. Any Middle Eastern tensions involving Iran are extra bullish for oil prices because of Irans control of the Strait of Hormuz and the potential closure of the chokepoint in case of conflict. Iran has never closed the Hormuz Strait before, and sceptics note that it is unlikely to do so because such a move would harm its own exports, and it will not continue for long given the U.S. military presence in the area. Meanwhile, ING analysts have pointed out Irans neighbor, Iraq, and a disagreement with the U.S. as another bullish factor for oil prices. It seems Iraqi politicians favor Nouri al-Maliki as the next prime minister of the country, but the United States thinks al-Maliki is too close to Iran. President Trump has already threatened Baghdad with consequences if al-Maliki becomes PM. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com Tankers carrying a total of up to 12 million barrels of crude oil are either en route or close to China in East Asian waters, waiting for buyers in the worlds top crude importer, as India is pulling back. Five of these tankers signal for orders or China for orders as their status, per data intelligence firm Kpler cited by Bloomberg on Friday. For orders typically means the cargo doesnt have a destination port or buyer. Six other vessels are en route to offshore Singapore and Malaysia, popular ship-to-ship transfer points in Asia, while another four are idling offshore Malaysia, China, and Russias Far East, without indicating a specific destination, according to Kplers data. The piling of tankers with Russian crude in East Asian waters suggests that sellers are looking to offload the cargoes in China after several Indian refiners temporarily halted purchases of Russian oil following the U.S.-India trade deal. In another sign that China is now the safest destination for Russias oil, Russian crude is being offered in China at widening discounts to attract Chinese refiners. This week, the discount of the ESPO blend that Russia ships from the Kozmino port in the Far East widened to almost $9 per barrel to ICE Brent, up from the $7$8 a barrel discount of the past months, trade sources told Reuters earlier this week. Discounts for Russias flagship Urals crude grade shipped from Russias Baltic Sea port, and mostly to India, have already widened to $12 per barrel below Brent and could widen further, the traders told Reuters. The discounts started to widen this week after the U.S. and India reached a trade deal, in which lower U.S. tariffs for Indian goods are dependent upon India slashing its purchases of Russian oil. With Indian refiners still waiting for guidance on how to proceed with the oil trade with Russia, sellers of Russias crude are looking to attract additional purchases in China with hefty discounts of the Russian blends to Brent. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com rsted targets to reinstate dividends for the financial year 2026, the worlds largest offshore wind developer said on Friday, signaling it may have turned a corner from the worst of the past two years that saw hefty losses, soaring costs, and the U.S. Administrations hostility to offshore wind. We will not pay dividends for the financial year 2025, but it is our target to reinstate dividends for the financial year 2026, rsted said in its annual report for 2025, published on Friday. The company reiterated its 2026 guidance despite the setbacks of the past years, noting that the $9.35-billion rights issue and the completion of its divestment program have helped shore up finances and strengthen the balance sheet. rsteds shares in Copenhagen jumped on Friday following the release of the report. The company today outlined the progress in its four strategic prioritiesstrengthen the balance sheet, deliver on its 8.1 GW offshore wind construction portfolio, ensure a disciplined approach to capital allocation, and improve competitiveness. Weve strengthened our financial foundation and focused our business on offshore wind, and we now have financial flexibility to pursue attractive offshore wind opportunities in Europe and select markets in Asia Pacific, Rasmus Errboe, Group President and CEO, said in a comment to the annual report for 2025. rsteds ongoing 8.1 GW construction program is set to bring its total installed offshore wind capacity to more than 18 GW by the end of 2027, Errboe said. Earlier this week, rsted said it had agreed to sell its entire European onshore business to a Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) fund for $1.7 billion. The sale marked the completion of the divestment program for rsted, which also sold 50% in its 2.9 GW Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm to funds managed by Apollo Global Management in a transaction valued at $5.6 billion, and 55% of its 632-MW Greater Changhua 2 Offshore Wind Farm in the Taiwan Strait to Taiwans Cathay Life Insurance and its affiliate Cathay Power for about $790 million. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com By Taxpayers Association of Oregon OregonWatchdog.com Senate Bill 1599 has been created and it aims to swap the gas tax referendum election from the November General Election Ballot and places it on the lesser-turn-out election of the May Primary. The hearing will be held this Monday in the State Capitol at 1:00pm, HR 50 in the Joint Special Committee On Referendum Petition 2026-302. More hearing info here. Please testify and make a stand for the will of the voters. #1. You can testify in person, or you can testify online. To testify go here and hit the online testify tab or the register to testify tab. #2. You can call/email the likely yes vote members: Senator Kayse Jama, Co-Chair 503-986-1724 [email protected] Representative David Gomberg, Co-Chair 503-986-1410 [email protected] Senator Khanh Pham 503-986-1723 [email protected] Representative Willy Chotzen 503-986-1446 [email protected] =============================== Here is the Taxpayers Association of Oregon testimony: No on SB 1599 As one of the Chief Petitioners to the gas tax referendum, I strongly oppose SB 1599 At every step of the gas tax process, we have been met with unfairness and disregard for citizen input and transparency . Ram-rodding the original gas tax during the final days of Session. Undue hostile pressure/controversy to force lawmakers to vote yes. Ram-rodding a hearing on Labor Day weekend. Governors delaying the time citizens had to collect signatures. Governors secret Friday night signing (and then hid for 3-days) Now, we face another unfair disregard of voters by swapping out the election date from the popular General Election, to instead, be in May when voter turn-out is much less. Can the Legislature just be normal and fair for a moment? Voters signed the referendum petition where it clearly states on the front page, in bold, that the election will be November 2026. Please honor what voters signed. Lawmakers should read the Sunday Oregonian Editorial; Lessons from a transportation disaster (1/10/26) which urges lawmakers to stop the dysfunction over this tax. Sincerely, Jason Williams Director & Founder of the Taxpayers Association of Oregon Lil Jon is heartbroken following the death of his son. Lil Jon 'heartbroken' over death of son The 55-year-old star is devastated after the body of his son Nathan Smith - a rapper who was also known as DJ Young Slade - was recovered from a pond on Friday (06.02.26) just days after he was reported missing. Lil Jon told PEOPLE in a statement: "I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother and I are devastated. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warm-hearted he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest. He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and graduate of NYU. "We loved Nathan with all of our hearts and are incredibly proud of him. He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together were comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him. Thank you for all of the prayers and support in trying to locate him over the last several days." The Turn Down For What rappers statement came after the Milton Police Department released a statement on social media announcing that a body, which they believed to be Nathan, 27, was recovered from a pond. The police department said on Facebook: " On the morning of February 3, 2026, Milton Police Department officers responded to a report of a missing adult in the area of Baldwin Drive in Milton, Georgia. Responding officers determined that a Milton resident, Nathan Smith, had left his residence under unusual circumstances and could not be located. The Milton Police Department immediately began search efforts and coordinated with multiple partner agencies that assisted in searching for Mr. Smith over the following several days. After being unable to locate Mr. Smith during that time, teams expanded the search to include a pond in Mayfield Park near Smiths Milton residence. On February 6, 2026, at approximately 11:53 a.m., divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department located and recovered a body from the pond. The individual is believed to be Nathan Smith, pending official confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiners Office. Based on the investigation to date, there is no indication of foul play. However, the Milton Police Department Criminal Investigations Division will continue to treat this as an open and active investigation. No further details will be released until the official cause and manner of death are determined by the Fulton County Medical Examiner and all investigative leads have been thoroughly examined. We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time. The department respectfully asks the community and members of the media to honor the familys request for privacy as they grieve and navigate this tragedy (sic). The Milton Police Department previously revealed in their initial missing persons post that Nathan had left the house in a hurry and without his phone. The post said: Subject ran out of his house and has been missing since. Subject left on foot and does not possess a phone. He may be disoriented and in need of assistance. Family and friends are concerned for his safety. Lil Jon shares Nathan with estranged wife Nicole Smith, who he wed in 2004. They announced their "amicable split" in February 2024, revealing that they had broken up nearly two years before. So, does direct democracy replace or enhance representative government? Political science research generally finds that direct democracy works best as a complement to a representative democratic system, not as a replacement. When citizen-initiative and referendum processes are integrated into a representative system, they can amplify the publics voice in policymaking while preserving the benefits of legislative deliberation and expertise. Advertisement In practice, modern democracies that use direct democracy still rely on elected bodies for day-to-day governance, with citizen votes serving as an additional check and source of input. Success at the State Level The initiative process has indeed produced major policy changes in both environmental and health sectors. For example, Californias Proposition 20 (1972) was a citizen initiative that established a coastal conservation commission, creating one of the nations first large-scale coastal protection zones after a massive oil spill. In the realm of healthcare, voters in at least seven U.S. states (including Maine, Idaho, Nebraska, etc.) used ballot initiatives between 2017 and 2020 to expand Medicaid coverage, extending health insurance to hundreds of thousands of low-income residents despite initial legislative resistance. These examples illustrate how direct democracy can enact sweeping changes in policy areas when elected officials have been unwilling or unable to do so. Direct Democracy vs. Constitutional Law National-level direct democracy is often constrained by constitutional law, meaning referendum results may not be legally binding or may not even be permitted in certain domains. In many countries, referenda can only occur under specific conditions and may be legally advisory rather than self-executing. For instance, Germanys Basic Law provides very little scope for federal referendums, effectively making nationwide direct votes extremely rare and subordinate to the representative system. Consequently, even when voters cast ballots in a national referendum (such as the U.K.s Brexit vote or others), the binding force of that vote depends on political parties and legal contexts, and courts or constitutions sometimes nullify or limit direct-vote measures that conflict with higher law. Driver dies in hospital from skid in single vehicle accident Playa del Carmen, Q.R. A Playa del Carmen motorcycle driver died after hitting a central median Thursday. The man, who has not been identified, was rushed to hospital in critical condition. The single vehicle accident happened on Juarez Avenue near 35th Street as he drove toward the center of the city. Witnesses who saw the bike fell called emergency services around 7:00 a.m. According to initial reports, the driver swerved and made contact with the central median. The driver hit the central media and skidded early Thursday morning February 5, 2026. His front tire hit a section of the concrete that divides the street, causing him to skid. Witnesses said the driver skidded for approximately 20 meters before coming to a stop. The male driver of the motorcycle was found with his helmet still on. Red Cross paramedics rushed him to IMSS Hospital in critical condition, however, he died several hours later. A cause for the accident is unknown. Front end of pickup destroyed crashing through Cancun taco restaurant Cancun, Q.R. The driver of a pickup truck totaled his vehicle after slamming through the front of a restaurant. Police were at the site of the crash in SM 31 Thursday after reports of the single vehicle mishap. The driver lost control and drove into the restaurant on Kabah Avenue February 5, 2026. The police report indicates that the man was driving his Nissan Frontier at excessive speed on Kabah Avenue toward Jose Lopez Portillo Avenue. After crossing the intersection with Xcaret Avenue, he lost control of the vehicle and crash into the Tacos Chinampitas restaurant. The front of the pickup was found embedded in the counter of the restaurant. Police found the pickup embedded in the counter February 5, 2026. Transit officers responding to the accident report arrived to find the driver with an obvious smell of alcohol. He was arrested and his truck eventually towed to the municipal impound lot. The driver of the pickup was not injured in the accident. Police did not comment on the damage caused to the restaurant. Mexican Caribbean barely gets a breather before arrival of more cold air Riviera Maya, Q.R. The Mexican Caribbean barely had a days breather before the arrival of more cold air. Cold front 33 that arrived as a mass of polar air Thursday is forecast to move off for the weekend. Cancun weather is expected to improve with the return of seasonal daytime temperatures for the weekend. However, nighttime temperatures will still remain cool. Mexicos Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (SMN) says the current cold mass of polar air will start to move away from the peninsula Friday afternoon. Cold front number 33 will move rapidly across southeastern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, the SMN reported Friday morning. The cold polar air should start to move off Friday afternoon. The polar air mass associated with the front will maintain the Norte event with gusts of 90 to 110 km/h in the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec (Oaxaca and Chiapas). Winds of between 70 to 90 km/h will be felt in Veracruz and 50 to 70 km/h in Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, they said. It is expected that during the afternoon, this polar air mass will begin to modify its thermal characteristics, favoring a gradual rise in afternoon temperatures across most of the country. However, cold conditions will persist during the morning and night in the higher elevations of the Northern Plateau and the Central Plateau. A dog was videoed this week on a Yucatan street dressed in a jacket due to the cold fronts February 4, 2026. Seasonal temperatures considered normal for this time of year around Cancun and Riviera Maya are expected to return in coming days. Cancun weather should start to see a rebound for Saturday. Cold front 33 was the second blast of cold air to cover the entire Yucatan Peninsula this week. Cold front 33 arrived as a mass of polar air Thursday. Five days earlier, on Saturday, an enormous mass of Arctic air hit the region. That mass of cold Arctic air, cold front 32, stuck around for several days before finally moving off. However, it was replaced 24 hours later with polar air from cold front 33. State Civil Protection says due to the north winds from cold front 33, nighttime and early morning temperatures will remain cold. Low temperatures ranging from 9C (48F) to 11C (51F) are likely for most of the state tonight until the front completely moves off. Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child. Timothy Busfield indicted by grand jury All of the charges against the 68-year-old actor who is married to Little House On The Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert are third-degree felonies, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman announced the indictment and said in a statement: As with all criminal proceedings, Mr. Busfield is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case will proceed through the judicial process and is expected to move forward to trial." The Special Victims Unit of the Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office will be prosecutors on the case, per the statement, and Bregman insisted that protecting children remains a top priority for his office. He went on to say: The Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office remains committed to doing everything possible to protect children and ensure justice for victims across New Mexico. Busfields civil attorney Larry Stein said the "indictment was not unexpected. He went on: "As the saying goes, a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich. is deeply concerning is that the District Attorney is choosing to proceed on a case that is fundamentally unsound and cannot be proven at trial. The detention hearing exposed fatal weaknesses in the States evidence - gaps that no amount of charging decisions can cure. This prosecution appears driven by something other than the facts or the law. Mr. Busfield will fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court - where evidence matters - not behind closed doors." The West Wing actor Busfield turned himself in and was booked by authorities on January 13, just four days after the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) issued a warrant for his arrest. The warrant came after it was alleged that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with 11-year-old twin boys. On January 20, the Field of Dreams actor was released with conditions while awaiting trial. The conditions include that he is not allowed to possess any firearms or dangerous weapons, consume any alcohol or illegal drugs, have contact with the alleged victims or their families, discuss the case with any witnesses or have unsupervised contact with any minor children. Busfield has denied all the charges, saying in a video obtained by TMZ: I did not do anything. They're all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I'm gonna fight it. I'm gonna fight it with a great team, and I'm gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies." Reuters: Lithuanias Prime Minister said Tuesday that Lithuania made a strategic mistake by allowing a Taiwanese representative office to open in the capital under the name Taiwanese. Would China consider restoring full diplomatic relations with Lithuania, and what conditions would need to be met first? Lin Jian: China has stated on multiple occasions its position on China-Lithuania relations. Chinas door to communication with Lithuania remains open. China hopes Lithuania will translate the willingness to improve ties with China into action, redress the mistakes as early as possible, return to the right course of upholding the one-China principle and build conditions for normalizing relations with China. EFE: Its reported that Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Cuban Foreign Minister and special envoy of the party and government of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla yesterday. How does China evaluate the meeting? Is Foreign Minister Rodriguez still on his visit to China today? Are there any other meetings arranged for him? Lin Jian: On the talks between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, China has released a readout, which you may refer to. I have no more information to share. RIA Novosti: Yesterday U.S. President Donald Trump proposed developing a new, improved strategic arms agreement with Russia that can last long into the future instead of extending the New START Treaty that expired yesterday. How does China see and comment on this development? Lin Jian: The Chinese side is not familiar with the specifics of the report you mentioned. More broadly, in the long-term interest of global strategic stability, China hopes the U.S. will resume strategic stability dialogue with Russia to discuss the way forward after the New START expires. This is also what the world hopes to see. Bloomberg: In a social media post, Donald Trump said that he gave complete and total endorsement to Sanae Takaichi in the Japanese elections this weekend. Does the Foreign Ministry have any comment and also did the topic of Japan come up in the phone call between Trump and Xi earlier this week? Lin Jian: The elections are Japans domestic affairs, and I will not make a comment on that. On the phone call between the Chinese and U.S. presidents, we released a readout. AFP: This is regarding the fallout over Panamas decision to cancel CK Hutchisons canal contract. Media reports have said that Chinese officials were asking state firms to halt talks over new projects in Panama. Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deny that asking state firms to halt project talks was part of the heavy price promised by Chinas Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office earlier this week in retaliation for the cancellation decision? Lin Jian: China has made its position clear more than once on relevant issues related to the ports. For anything specific, Id refer you to competent authorities. Xinhua News Agency: Videos showing Chinese lifestyle practices have recently gone viral in various social media worldwide, and Becoming Chinese has been a buzzword online. We also noted that during UK Prime Minister Starmers visit to China last month, some foreign journalists in China said that China is a livable country and living here is safe and convenient. Whats your comment? Lin Jian: Glad to see that more and more foreign friends show interest in experiencing todays China and exploring the Chinese peoples everyday life here, and that they have the opportunity to do so. In the eyes of many foreign friends, to experience and learn about China has been much more than traditional symbols, such as the Great Wall, kung fu, pandas, and the Chinese cuisine. Here in China, they enjoy the ease of travel with just one cellphone and have a taste of Chinese lifestyle with a sense of inner fulfillment. They marvel at high-speed railways, 5G, and large-scale infrastructure and uncover the charm of off-the-beaten-path cities. They experience cutting-edge and fun technologies and immerse themselves in intangible cultural heritage. As history and tradition embrace modernity and fashion, China offers a unique and fresh experience and becomes a stronger magnet to foreign tourists. People around the world increasingly hold favorable opinions on China. Statistics show that in 2025, the number of inbound and outbound travels by foreign nationals surpassed 82 million, up by 26.4 percent year-on-year, and the visa-free entries rose by nearly 50 percent year-on-year. The Spring Festival is an iconic symbol of the Chinese culture. With the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse approaching, in recent two weeks, the number of inbound flight bookings for the festive period more than quintupled year-on-year. We warmly welcome foreign friends to come to China for the Spring Festival to experience the countrys joy and hospitality. RIA Novosti: Earlier an Iranian source told our agency that Tehran is holding consultations with Moscow and Beijing ahead of the talks between Iran and the United States on the Islamic Republics nuclear program. Could you please confirm that such consultations took place? And does China see any possibility of easing tensions and resolving the differences between the U.S. and Iran at this stage? Lin Jian: Yesterday, Deputy Foreign Minister Miao Deyu and Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin met respectively with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi who was visiting China. China released a readout, which you may refer to. China has maintained communication with other parties on relevant issues and hopes that all parties will resolve differences through dialogue and jointly keep the region peaceful and stable. Each week, Prudence asks readers for their thoughts on the letters shes received. Her reply will be available every Friday only for Slate Plus members. Hey Prudence, Re Art Lover: As a painter myself, I go through periods where I paint daily for months, then nothing for years. What happened may have dried the well, so to speak, but insisting he just turn it back on wont work (we wish!). If you want to help now, encourage him to join a community class. Maybe a painting one, but just one in general would help just as much. He needs his confidence built back up more than anything. And I will caution you against trying to make what is an enjoyable hobby for him into some money/community thing unless he is the one saying he wants to do this. So many people have stolen the joy of painting for me by requesting free pieces, insisting I keep going when Im exhausted, signing me up to teach others how to paint, and just generally not understanding Im a person, not a machine. It can make a form of escape feel like a prison very fast. Sparkles I definitely agree that trying to force him do anythingespecially when hes in a vulnerable statewill backfire. Get advice from Prudiesubmit a question! Please keep questions short (<150 words), and dont submit the same question to multiple columns. We are unable to edit or remove questions after publication. Use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity. Your submission may be used in other Slate advice columns and may be edited for publication. Thanks! Your question has been submitted. Dear Prudence, * Your letter signoff Your pronouns Your email (optional and confidentialplease include if you're open to Dear Prudence following up) Submit Hey Prudence, Re Art Lover: I wanted to share a story. My significant other made a documentary about his great uncle, Hank Virgona, and how Hank was an artist who was unwavering in his commitment to his art right up until he passed. One of the coolest things he did was subway portraits. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He would ride the subway and get inspired. Hed do quick sketches of people and capture the essence of who they were in that moment. Hed sometimes give those sketches to the people, but often hed bring them back to his studio to keep developing them. His works were displayed at the New York Transit Museum, as well as other places. Hank wasnt a well-known artist, even though his works were seen all over, but he made art for himself. Money, fame, and accolades were all secondary to him. Advertisement Im sharing this because I want Art Lovers dad to know that his work is important. There will always be critics, but there will be so many more who love and appreciate what hes done. And not only that, what matters is how creating the art made HIM feel. If he felt good and it was helping him, then he should keep going. He deserves to be able to create things that bring him joy and may one day bring joy to others. Keep Making Art Hank had life figured out! And I agree with your advice. I hope I didnt give the impression that I thought the dad should quit his art. I really wanted the letter writer to help him get to a point where he felt ready to paint again, rather than forcing or lecturing him into doing it. Hey Prudence, Re Art Lover: If your dad is open to joining a local seniors (or general!) painting group or life drawing group that meets regularly, maybe try to get him to attend and see what happens. There may be a local society for his preferred medium (watercolor, oils, etc.). Advertisement If you have time and dont judge yourself too harshly, go on some weekend outings and sketch or paint together. Try to get to make new memories and have fresh experiences. Go gently, take your time, and see what happens. My guess is that he may not return to painting the same views he did before, but he may well find other approaches that bring him similar joy. Here Be Dragees A local painting group would be great. Maybe he could even hear about some of his peers experiences with critics and be reminded that there can be more art to be made on the other side of negative comments. Advertisement Hey Prudence, Re Sad Sister: Some families are complicated, and the fallout sometimes takes generations to clear up. Rather than bond over this complicated grief, why not bond over moments of shared happiness? Is there a special treat she always liked, a certain recipe she enjoyed, etc.? Can you send pictures of something comforting and say, Saw this, thought of you? Maybe you can send her a small care package of little stuff I thought you might like (nice smells, warm drinks, etc.). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bond over the good stuff that has nothing to do with family memories. The difficult stuff has to work its way out on its own, but being a source of comfort (even if it does not seem related) is immeasurable. Emily in VA What a nice (and smart) idea. I hope the letter writer sees this. Hey Prudence, Re Sad Sister: I suspect Sonya is experiencing the uncomfortable combination of both grief and relief. Its hard to talk about, because a lot of shame goes along with the relief. However, no rule says you have to talk about your feelings or express them to others. If you see her obviously in distress or behaving self-destructively, then express your concern. But dont try to butt in and force her to process her feelings. Umiel This is true. Its definitely important to remember that everyone grieves differently. Hey Prudence, Re Look But Dont Touch: The wife needs a fidget toy. Playing with random items seems like stimming. (Keeping them afterward is odd, though it doesnt sound like shes doing it on purpose.) If she has her own fidget toy then she wont need to play with ornaments, salt shakers etc and wont accidentally steal them. SherryMuffin Advertisement Advertisement It couldnt hurt! Advertisement Classic Prudie I have had a good friend for many, many years who I met at work. During that time, I dated a few guys, ultimately married and had children (she was already married with children of her own). We no longer work together. When I met my now-husband, she and her husband were going through a rough patch. He said some mean things to her, she came to my house crying, and my husband heard the comments. They have since reconciled. I enjoy our Girls Nights with her, but she has always insisted on double dates (with my exes and now my husband). The problem is my husband cannot stand her husband, and Im pretty sure the feeling is mutual Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Thursday night, Donald Trump posted something racist enough to break through on social mediaa rarity, as his offensive social media posts often go ignored these days. But the visceral, undeniable racism of this particular iteration, and the White Houses initial refusal to express any remorse, pushed it through. And at least one Republican senator expressed disapproval: Sen. Tim Scott, who is Black, called it the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House. The source of all this commotion was a screengrab of a video Trump posted on Truth Social depicting the heads of former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama laughing, open-mouthed, on ape bodies. The screengrab is real, and the underlying video it comes from is stranger than one might expect. Trump posted the video on Truth Social at 8:44 p.m. on Thursday, and its actually largely about election fraud, taking you through baseless and frankly dull conspiracy theory material. But at the end, for about two seconds, it flashes to a bright jungle scene, featuring the laughing Obamas, to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight. The last two seconds appeared to be clipped into the video for shock humor, meant to throw a laugh in for the racists who had made it all the way through. There is no mitigating context here. With or without the election-fraud part, it was the Black president and first lady, depicted as apes, in one of the oldest and most dehumanizing racist tropes in history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At first, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to defend the post as being from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the king of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King. She added: Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public. And, sure, the original video that those bizarre last seconds were taken from does indeed show Trump as a lion and Democrats as figures that could conceivably be thought of as Lion King charactersHillary Clinton as Pumbaa, Hakeem Jeffries as Timonbowing to him. But there are no ape characters in the Lion King. The video is generated by A.I., and is not in the animated style of the 1993 animated film but is instead standard A.I. slop. Perhaps the A.I. added in the additional characters to muddle the racism of depicting the Obamas as apes, but the fact remains that it opens with the scene of the Obamas, and lingers on it longer than the others. Advertisement And the creator of the video is not known for his delicacy or tact. Per the watermark and his own claims on X, the creator, who has Pepe the Frog for an avatar, is the same internet user behind the infamous October slop video of Trump dumping sewage onto protesters from a fighter jet. That video shocked people for its raw animosity toward legal protesters practicing their First Amendment rights, as well as for the profoundly juvenile behavior from a sitting president. If you scroll through the creators more recent material, it appears he pretty much exclusively makes similarly mindless, low-quality slop content with obvious MAGA messages. Other videos have included Tom Homan as a Jedi fighting protesters in Minneapolis; Don Lemon being arrested and twerking in prison; and Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, being hit with a car and thrown, cartoonishly, into the air. Advertisement Advertisement Even if the original video had no racist intent, which it does, defending the original video makes no sense: Trump didnt post the original video. He posted a two-second clip of the Obamas as apes. The message is clear. The one valid defense would be one of ignorance. We cant know exactly how Trump encountered this video. Its unclear if Trump watched the entire clip, meaning maybe he didnt see those two seconds at the end. The White House claimed it was a staffer who actually posted it. But given the highly nonstrategic style of the accounts posting that eveninganother post was of an inoffensive TikTok featuring a dog eager to be fed whipped cream, classic Trump stuffit seems a strange kind of post for a staffer. Much more crucially, the White House left the video up once they learned of the racist section. Trump did not apologize. The White House did eventually take it down, but only after it had been up for 12 hours. Trump has done and said many other aggressively anti-Black things in his years in the public eye; this video is not the worst. But it still says something profound about the president and his administration that they were made aware of thoroughly ugly racism coming from the presidents own messages and chose not to apologize to Black Americans or correct the error, but instead to turn against the public. Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Amid the uproar over President Donald Trumps assault on Minnesotas immigrant communities, another abuse has drawn less attention: a brazen disregard for judicial limits on his deportation campaign. The courts have determined that in January alone the administration violated at least 96 orders in 74 cases challenging the unlawful detention of immigrants in Minneapolis. The Justice Department has failed to meet its most basic obligations in many of these cases, due to an apparent combination of malice, incompetence, and institutional depletion. Further evidence of its unraveling came on Tuesday, when Julie Le, a government attorney, told Judge Jerry Blackwell, in open court: I wish you would just hold me in contempt, Your Honor, so that I can have a full 24 hours of sleep. Of the backlog in Minneapolis, Le then told Blackwell: What do you want me to do? The system sucks. This job sucks. And I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need. On this weeks Slate Plus bonus episode of Amicus, co-hosts Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern discussed Les shocking courtroom breakdown and what it reveals about the DOJs broader meltdown under Trumps impossible demands. A preview of their conversation, below, has been edited and condensed for clarity. Dahlia Lithwick: Is this the clearest sign yet that for all of its tough talk about going to war with rogue judges, the DOJ under Trump is in full-on dumpster-fire crisis mode? Mark Joseph Stern: Its a sign that the Justice Department is actively collapsing. And its important to understand the background here. Blackwell had ordered Le to explain why the government failed to comply with his order demanding the release of a detained immigrant, as well as why she shouldnt be personally held in contempt for defying that order. Her response was that she had been given an impossible task. It turned out that the Trump administration had assigned her to the U.S. attorneys office to handle 88 immigration cases in under a month, a crushing load. That overwhelming surge of immigration cases is happening all over the country, but its especially acute in Minneapolis because of the ongoing crackdown on immigrant communities there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But this is a problem entirely of the administrations own making. Back in July, the government unilaterally reinterpreted federal immigration law to require the detention of any immigrant who was never legally admitted into the country, rather than allowing them to be released and given a bond hearing. So even if they have lawful presence today, they must be detained indefinitely. As our friend Chris Geidner explained at Law Dork, courts have overwhelmingly rejected that reinterpretation: More than 350 decisions by 160 different judges in about 50 different courts have all found that that interpretation is obviously wrong. But because the Supreme Court took away universal injunctions in the birthright citizenship case in its most recent term, no single court can block the government from enforcing this position nationwide, so it keeps trying, over and over again. That means the government is illegally detaining thousands of immigrants based on an egregious misreading of the law. Those immigrants are flooding the courts with habeas petitions for release. There were 581 habeas cases in Minnesota in January alonean exponential increase of unmanageable proportions. The courts are overwhelmingly granting these petitions, but then the immigrants are not being released, because the DOJ doesnt have enough lawyers on hand to process all of the rulings and ensure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is actually releasing people. So that is the background that led this attorney, Le, to have a breakdown in court and say: I am unable to do the job that has been asked of me. Advertisement Advertisement I want to flag that this isnt a factual dispute. Its not a legal dispute. Its not a pound-on-the-table dispute. Its a decision by the Justice Department to not have enough lawyers, and to make the system collapse under the weight of indifference and apathy. Since Trumps second inauguration, you and I have talked a lot about judges who are mad, frustrated, and venting at Trump lawyers. This is something different. Its scaled up massively. This is an admonition from a judge saying that the entire system of justice cannot be sustained this way, and he is watching it veer off the rails. Advertisement You see that in something else Blackwell said on Tuesday: Having what you feel are too many detainees, too many cases, too many deadlines, and not enough infrastructure to keep up with it all is not a defense to continued detention. If anything, it ought to be a warning sign. Hes saying the government cannot create a crisis by detaining way too many immigrants illegally, then claim that it is too overwhelmed to comply with orders releasing those immigrants. That is such a vital point for a judge to make when we know that the Trump administrations strategy is always Flood the zone. Shock and awe. Inundate the opposition with an endless blitz. And in a very real sense here, the opposition is the judiciary. Its judges like Blackwell who are willing to stand up and say: This is illegal. You are not allowed to do this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This is the same DOJ thats out there on X, advertising for lawyers. Chad Mizelle, former DOJ chief of staff, literally tweeted last month: If you are a lawyer, are interested in being an AUSA, and support President Trump and anti-crime agenda, DM me. This isnt freaking Dairy Queen! But one way to destroy an institution from within is to create a crisis, right? They created a crisis with the immigration sweeps. Then they created a double crisis by saying, Well, Justice Department lawyers just cant handle all the work. Its a way of signaling that the whole institution is broken. And thats the point. If its understood that DOJ lawyers suck and theres nothing a judge can do to enforce his will, the takeaway for the public is: I guess the justice system doesnt matter. I guess the Constitution doesnt matter. So Julie Le freaking out in open court doesnt get us where we need to go. We need to take the next step, which is to say that they are breaking systems and exulting in it. And thats the part that we are not reckoning with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I agree. These assistant U.S. attorney positions used to be super prestigious and competitive. They were a launchpad to an elite career in the law. Now Trump officials are basically pleading with people to apply for them by DM on Elon Musks Nazi-hangout site. There has been a mass exodus from the Justice Departmentthousands of attorneys have fled since Trump returned to office. And of course the White House has purged almost every lawyer who worked on Jan. 6 cases on top of that. And now the administration cant fill these positions. But this was the inevitable consequence of Trumps abolishing the traditional independence of the DOJ. The department now works directly for him, including the prosecution of his political adversaries. On top of that, the attorneys who remain in their positions have to defend these unlawful detentions, racist arrests, and other unconstitutional behavior. Theyre being pulled off actual criminal cases to prosecute immigrants instead. Real violent crimes are going unprosecuted so that the deportation machine can be fed. It would take an army of immigration lawyers to handle all of this work that the DOJ has now created for itself. And nobody with a conscience wants to do this stuff. I want to quote another thing Le said in the courtroom, after Blackwell asked her about the government snatching people up in Minnesota, flying them to a detention center across the country, then not bringing them back for hearings. Le said: I share the same concern with you, Your Honor. I am not white, as you can see, and my familys at risk as any other people that might get picked up too. So I share the same concern, and I took that concern to heart. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here is a lawyer saying: Wait, what am I doing here? Why am I defending these racist policies? I shouldnt be here either. My own family is at risk because of the policies that Im defending. When that kind of breakdown of the system is happening in open court, of course there arent enough lawyers to do all of this work, because only the most racist, nativist freaks will remain. And there arent enough good lawyers who are also racist freaks to carry all of the weight that the DOJ is putting on itself. To that end, we should note that Le has reportedly been removed from her post. But I think that the point were both trying to make is that we learned this lesson from Elon Musk, right? The easiest way to decimate government functioning is to decimate government itself. And so this is an act of contempt, but its also an act of power. Its saying: You cant make me, and I dont care. Howard Baker Brown, 82, of Lexington Park, MD passed away peacefully on January 25, 2026 at Hospice House of St. Mary's. He was born on August 10, 1943 in Baltimore, MD to the late Walter and Lydia (nee: Burbank) Brown. Howard was raised in Baltimore, MD and is a graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and a 1966 graduate of University of Maryland College Park, with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. He grew up sailing with his parents, and developed an affinity for the water. As a young man, he and his brother Bob, bought a Hobie Cat, and continued to enjoy sailing together for many years. He spent his entire career employed at a mechanical engineer with the Department of Defense, beginning in Crystal City and later transferring to Patuxent River Naval Air Station where he retired after many years of dedicated workmanship. On June 21, 1986 he married Sandra C. Brown in Leonardtown, MD and they celebrated over 39 wonderful years together. Howard was a skilled wood worker and enjoyed this hobby for many of his adult years, making pieces for the family home. In 2004 he began volunteering at CareNet Pregnancy Center where he inspected and repaired baby furniture until 2020 when COVID ended volunteer activities. He and his wife loved to travel, and have been to many of the national parks, travelled across the United States three times to Utah, and visited every state except North Dakota. He also served as a chairperson organizing weekly Bridge games at Cedar Lane Apartments and as the volunteer librarian for Lexington Park Baptist Church, where was an active parishioner. Howard is survived by his loving wife, Sandy, children, Amy Rose Filardo (Michael) of Baltimore, MD and Nicholas Scott Brown of Laurel, MD; step-son, David Bradley Rust of Park City, UT; sister, Joyce Layman of Baltimore, MD; brother, Robert "Bob" Brown (Karen) of Baltimore, MD; grandchildren: Jacob Rust, Andrew Rust, Thomas Rust, Cassie Lynn Brown, Kili Rust, Nathaniel Rust, Robert Filardo, and Samuel Filardo and an extended network of friends and family. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his step-son, Devin McKay Rust. A Memorial Service will be celebrated by Pastor Chris McCombs on Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at Lexington Park Baptist Church, 46855 S. Shangri-La Drive, Lexington Park, MD 20653. Interment will be private. Memorial donations in Howard's name may be made to the Hospice House of St. Mary's Maryland, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650 and CareNet Pregnancy Center, P.O. Box 31, Lexington Park, MD 20653. Condolences may be made to the family at www.brinsfieldsfuneral.com. Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD. CAN 2025: Detained in Morocco, Senegalese supporters reach breaking point CAN 2025 - Morocco: Senegalese fans go on hunger strike The final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco continues to have consequences far beyond the pitch. Eighteen Senegalese fans remain in custody following incidents that occurred on the sidelines of the match, and their legal situation is now fueling growing tension. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to their lawyer, Patrick Kabou, these supporters began a hunger strike on Friday, protesting the lack of clear explanations regarding the charges against them. They say they have been waiting "since January 18 to find out what they are accused of," and highlight that the interrogations were conducted "in French and Arabic," while they "only understand Wolof." Since we are being denied our right to justice, we have decided from today (Friday) to begin a continuous fast in prayer and contemplation. Charged with "hooliganism," their trial is set to resume on February 12. Charles C. Stevenson Jr has died aged 95. Charles C. Stevenson Jr has died aged 95 The actor - who is best known for his role as Smitty the bartender on sitcom Will and Grace - passed away last month of natural causes. His son Scott confirmed the news to Variety, and opened up about his late father's habit of landing roles like preachers, priests or pastors. He said in a statement: "In his own words, his job was marrying or burying people, "As he told it, the panic-stricken director would invariably come to him to beg him to find a way to fill in unscripted space between We are gathered here together (where hed probably get his close-up) and the amen at the end of the scene (where he usually wouldnt). "Stevenson admitted that he got pretty good at that. Stevenson also appeared in the likes of Dr House and Ghost World, having landed his first acting role at the age of 76 when he played a sheriff in Disney film Snow Buddies. In the 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles and worked with Hollywood stars like Henry Winkler and James Stewart on public community events and public service announcements. He first joined 1998 sitcom Will and Grace in its fourth season, playing Smitty - a role he would continue when the sitcom return between 2017 and 2020 for its final run. His other credits included everything from Cheers, Dynasty, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Family Matters to Charmed, Scrubs, Gilmore Girls, House, Murder She Wrote and many more. In the big screen, fans would recognise him from the likes of 1988's The Naked Gun, Ed Wood in 1994, Men In Black in 1997, and Pleasantville the following year. He is survived by children Charles III and Valerie from his first marriage to Barbara Keller, and kids Catherine, Scott and William from his second marriage to late Hollywood agent Joy Stevenson. He had eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Eye Of An Eagle flew from sixth to first in the final quarter-mile to win the $11,000 featured optional-claiming trot at Flamboro Downs on Thursday, Feb. 5. Starting from post six, Ed Hensley dropped the gelding back to the caboose early as Seeking Salvation (John Thomson) went the opposite way to the front. Seeking Salvation reached the quarter in :29.2 and was joined by No One (Austin Sorrie) first-up to the half in 1:00.4, with Summer Young (Tyler Jones) and Eye Of An Eagle lining up second- and third-over, respectively, on the rim. Eye of An Eagle remained last on the outside in a three in, three out formation at three-quarters in 1:29.4 but kicked three-high to advance on the final turn. The five-year-old swooped around rivals and gave Hensley little work to do as he glided to the front down the lane to win by a length in 1:59.3. Seeking Salvation finished second over Wheelin N Stealin (George Ketros). Eye Of An Eagle improved to two-for-four on the year with the win, his 12th lifetime in 58 appearances. Ashleigh Hensley trains him and shares ownership with Ed Hensley of Dundas, Ont. The homebred son of Archangel-Escuela has earned $81,705. He paid $8 to win. To view Thursdays harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Flamboro Downs. (Standardbred Canada) After seeing one of his horses honoured with a Dan Patch Award in each of the past two years, trainer Andrew Harris is hoping his stable can build on that success this season as he prepares to kick off his 2026 campaign on Friday, Feb. 6 at The Meadowlands. Harris set a career high for purses last year, with his horses banking $5.56 million in 508 starts. His stables average of $7,909 USD ranked ninth among all trainers in North America and was less than $300 from the top five. Leading the way was Dan Patch Award-winner Yo Tillie, who last season at age three topped all female trotters in earnings, with $1,771,712. She had 11 wins and a second in 12 races, including victories in the Grade 1 Breeders Crown and Delmonica Hanover Stakes, for owners Bill Pollock, Bruce Areman and Harris. She became Harris second Dan Patch Award recipient, following older male pacer Abuckabett Hanover in 2024. Bucky also was owned by Pollock, Areman and Harris. Were hoping to try to make this a trend, said Harris. Anytime you get your name called for one of those awards, its phenomenal. It tells you that youve done something well, had a good horse to work with, and a good team behind you to support you and get you to that point. Now, we have to try to do it again. Were not resting on our laurels. Were trying to create more and more top-end horses. Hopefully, this year we can add another one to the list, or maybe a couple more. Yo Tillie, who is being pointed toward an April return in the Kentucky Sire Stakes series for four-year-olds at Oak Grove Racing, was among 10 horses trained by Harris to exceed six figures (USD) in purses last year. Others included graded stakes winners Brandon Blvd, Topville Lucky, Captain Luke and Heart For Two. All were owned by Pollock, Areman and Harris. It was a good year, said Harris. We went to Kentucky and made over a million dollars in purses, which was phenomenal because its the best horses in the country. We did very well in Canada, which we went to mainly for Grand Circuit races. When we looked at our Grand Circuit record, we were very happy with it. Its an acknowledgment to the type of horses weve got, which is big thanks to Bill and Bruce that we were able to buy them and have some luck with them. Weve had really good upper-class horses, some that were real standouts. We had some that were disappointments we experienced both sides of it but at the end of the year we were all happy. And we have some youngsters coming back this year that were looking forward to, that were very nice horses last year. Harris will get this season under way Friday at The Meadowlands with a Swedish import he co-owns, but not with Pollock and Areman. Harris shares ownership of Laferraridmanche S, an eight-year-old trotting mare, with Ray Lasky and Nathan Cockerham. Ive had horses with them over the years, said Harris. They always seem to buy one or two with me every year and Ive maintained that. Theyre great guys, a joy to have horses with. Hopefully, we can have some luck for them, too. Laferraridmanche S will make her North American debut in a $12,500 USD conditioned event at the Big M, leaving from post one with Brett Beckwith in the sulky. The daughter of Brad De Veluwe-Ladonna Dimanche is the 3-1 morning line favourite. She heads into the race with 10 wins in 50 career starts and earnings of $174,620. Im thrilled to have her, Harris said about the mare, who won a qualifier in 1:55.3 on Jan. 17 at The Meadowlands with Beckwith. She looked like she had a lot of gate speed, so were hoping that she will be a real nice half-mile-track specialist at some point. I think Lasix here is going to be a big help for her. I dont think she is quite stakes material, but hopefully she is an upper-class-type mare. After getting to know Laferraridmanche S, who last raced in September, Harris described the mare as feisty. Shes actually hard to deal with, but that said, she seems to have a big set of lungs, said the trainer. And that may stem from her attitude. Shes very mentally tough. Racing begins at 6 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday this weekend at The Meadowlands, 20 minutes earlier than usual. This Friday also kicks off the Pick 8, spanning Races 3-10 with $50,000 seeded into the pool. This new wager has a $1 minimum bet, with 75 per cent of the pool carried over each night if there are no eight-out-of-eight tickets. (USTA; photo of Yo Tillie winning on Oct. 25, 2025) No Foolin April sustained prolonged pressure and held off a host of late challengers to win a three-horse photo in the $48,649 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace at Miami Valley Raceway on Thursday, Feb. 5. Leaving from post five, Brett Miller and No Foolin April took command and led the field past the opening quarter in :27.2. Finding no room at the inn, a parked-out Naked On A Hill (David Miller) had to go the long way and began pressing on from sixth to end up the lone outside challenger as she closed to within a neck of No Foolin April at the half in :56.1. As they turned to the backstretch, Naked On A Hill continued her push to the front and eclipsed No Foolin April, but the pacesetter got back in gear and closed the gap to a neck as they reached three-quarters in 1:23.2. A three-mare matchup kicked off on the final turn as No Foolin April led a tiring Naked On A Hill by a nose and a three-wide Fearless Ginger (Chris Page) threw her hat in the ring. No Foolin April dispatched both of those rivals, then held off the surging Rose Run Vision (Lewayne Miller) and Tarapasta (Austin Hanners) to win by a nose in 1:52.3. Rose Run Vision was a narrow second over Tarapasta. No Foolin April won for the fifth time in her last seven starts, all in Open company, for owner-trainer Adam Short. The five-year-old Nob Hill High-Princess Baby Ella mare is now 19-for-57 lifetime. She returned $3 at the windows. Driver Jeremy Smith led all reinsmen with a triple on the 14-race card. Tyler Smith, Brett Miller, and Luke Hanners each had a double. David Miller continues to show the way in the drivers' standings with 45 wins, 15 of which came this week. Chris Page (36), Jeremy Smith (34), Brett Miller (31) and Luke Hanners (25) round out the top five. On the training side, Virgil Morgan Jr. leads with 20 wins. Ron Burke and Heather France remained tied for second with 15 while Steve Carter has 13 wins and Elson Miller and Ken Rucker round out the list with a tie for fifth on eight wins. Racing action returns to Miami Valley on Sunday with a special post time of noon. (Miami Valley Raceway) An all-access fashion experience on New Zealands most scenic rail routes World of WearableArt Train VIP credit Tourism New Zealand Great Journeys New Zealand returns its World of WearableArt Train VIP experience for 2026, bringing fashion back to the rails after two consecutive sold-out seasons. The limited-edition packages combine scenic rail travel with exclusive WOW moments, premium onboard dining, two nights accommodation in Wellington, a Gold ticket to the WOW Show, and return flights with Air New Zealand. SEPTEMBER Opening up night diving at the Poor Knights Islands for the first time Night diving at the Poor Knights Islands credit Tourism New Zealand Poor Knights After Dark with Dive Now opens up one of the worlds most celebrated marine reserves after sunset. The small-group experience offers rare access to the Poor Knights at night, when the underwater landscape shifts and nocturnal marine life emerges, revealing a side of the reserve few visitors ever see.. OPEN NOW Cultural sculpture trail unveiled along the Forgotten World Highway A new series of large-scale sculptures has been installed along the Forgotten World Highway, adding a cultural dimension to one of New Zealands most atmospheric road journeys. Created by NgAti Maru, NgAti HAua and NgAti Ruanui iwi, the works draw on the story of MAori explorer Tamatea-PAkai-Whenua, with each sculpture marking a different point along the route and inviting travellers to slow down and engage more deeply with the landscape. Forgotten Highway credit Tourism New Zealand New women-focused wilderness retreats across the Southern Alps Wild Heart launches womens retreats and wilderness adventures through the Southern Alps, offering multi-day guided journeys that blend purposeful connection with the high-country landscape. Designed for small groups and led by local female guides, the experiences invite participants to move at their own pace, reconnect with nature, and share time in places that foreground both calm and challenge. FEBRUARY A pared-back glamping stay on the edge of Rotoruas trail network All About Bikes opens in Rotorua as a quietly considered glamping escape on the edge of the Whakarewarewa Forest. Set away from the crowds but close to the regions famed trail network, it offers a calm, design-led base for travellers drawn to Rotoruas outdoor culture, whether on two wheels or simply soaking up the landscape. OPEN NOW Rotorua's Trail Network credit Tourism New Zealand A new low-emissions way to explore Aucklands city highlights Auckland Explorer Bus has unveiled its first all-electric sightseeing bus, marking a new step in low-emissions city touring. The electric vehicle joins the existing hop-on, hop-off route, offering visitors a quieter, more sustainable way to explore Aucklands key landmarks and attractions. Electric Auckland Explorer credit Tourism New Zealand Two new walking tracks have opened in Punakaiki, marking the final stage of the Dolomite Point Redevelopment Project. The additions include a short nature walk behind the Punangairi Experience Centre leading to a scenic coastal viewpoint, and a new link pathway connecting the southern end of the village while avoiding a hazardous stretch of highway. Together, the tracks enhance slow-paced exploration around Pancake Rocks and the Paparoa coastline, strengthening Punakaikis role as both a cultural and world-class nature destination. New Zealands oldest winery reaches a landmark year Mission Estate Winery in Taradale marks its 175th anniversary this year. Founded in 1851, New Zealands oldest winery reaches the milestone as a cornerstone of the countrys wine history, continuing its long legacy in Hawkes Bay. Mission Winery New Zealands Oldest credit Tourism New Zealand by Natalie key for www.femalefirst.co.uk When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Multiple companies are planning to develop space-based data centers, which would greatly increase the number of satellites in Earth orbit. . | Credit: ESA It looks like China is getting in on the race to launch data centers into space. The state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) reported on Thursday (Jan. 29) that the main Chinese space company, the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), will work on space-based data centers as a part of a larger five-year plan to expand the nation's already significant presence in space. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The five-year plan also includes efforts to expand resource development, like asteroid mining . Furthermore, the plan also cites space debris monitoring and an expansion into space tourism . The part of the plan that focuses on data centers will target an "integrated space system architecture combining cloud, edge and terminal technologies," according to CGTN. CACS says this will allow computing power, storage and transmission from space. The news comes as U.S. companies are working to launch data centers into space, as terrestrial-based power is becoming more expensive and limited in some parts of the world. This is partially due to the rapid expansion of data centers used to host the massive information systems underlying artificial intelligence. Elon Musk's SpaceX , for example, plans to launch space-based data centers . These will initially be modified versions of Starlink broadband satellites. But Musks typically ambitious long-term plans also include building AI-satellite factories on the moon , which will be launched from the lunar surface via railguns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Houston-based company Axiom Space launched the first components for its orbiting data center last year, and Google is looking into launching a data center to support its own AI infrastructure. Tech companies are so hot on putting data centers in orbit because competition for the resources that support them energy and land, for instance are heating up on Earth. Solar power is plentiful in space , as is real estate, the thinking goes. China's machinery industry records stable growth in 2025 Xinhua) 08:31, February 06, 2026 A drone photo taken on Dec. 31, 2025 shows China-made construction machinery being loaded for export to Indonesia at Yantai Port in east China's Shandong. (Photo by Tang Ke/Xinhua) BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's machinery industry posted steady performance in 2025 as both sales and profits increased, the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF) said on Thursday. The added value of major machinery enterprises rose by 8.2 percent year on year in 2025, the CMIF said. The increase outpaced the overall industrial sector by 2.3 percentage points and the manufacturing sector by 1.8 percentage points. Among the 122 categories of key machinery products monitored by the federation, 85 recorded output growth, 13 more than a year earlier. In particular, industrial robot output hit a record high, rising by 28 percent year on year. In 2025, major machinery companies posted total operating revenue of 33.2 trillion yuan (about 4.8 trillion U.S. dollars), up 6 percent year on year, the CMIF said. Total profits came in at 1.7 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.9 percent. Looking ahead to 2026, Ye Dingda, deputy head of the federation, said that the machinery industry faces both opportunities and challenges, but favorable conditions are expected to outweigh headwinds overall. As policies to stabilize growth and advance transformation continue to take effect, the industry is expected to remain on a steady footing, Ye added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Dubai has unveiled plans for a street paved in gold as part of a vast new jewellery and luxury retail hub. Dubai is planning to build a street paved with gold The proposed attraction will sit at the heart of the new Gold District, a purpose-built area designed to serve the emirates jewellery industry while drawing tourists eager to experience one of Dubais most ambitious retail concepts. Property developer Ithra Dubai has confirmed that the district will feature a street "constructed" of gold, although further details about its design and execution are yet to be revealed. The Dubai Media Office said more information about the project would be released in phases, as development of the district progresses. Ahmed Al Khaja, chief executive of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, 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." The Gold District is expected to become one of the largest dedicated precious metals hubs in the world. According to Time Out Dubai, the area will be home to more than 1,000 retailers specialising in gold, jewellery, perfumes, and cosmetics. Plans also include the development of six new hotels, positioning the district as both a commercial centre and a major tourist destination. The site is located next to the historic Gold Souk, one of the citys oldest markets and a long-established draw for visitors. The souk is renowned for its densely packed shops selling elaborate necklaces, bangles, and ornaments, and remains a cornerstone of Dubais trading heritage. Issam Galadari, chief executive of Ithra Dubai, described the project as a milestone for the citys jewellery sector. He said: "With the launch of Dubai Gold District, we are advancing a significant new chapter in the citys gold and jewellery landscape. "By uniting heritage, scale, and opportunity, the District brings together a significant and diverse ecosystem of traders, investors, retailers, and global brands, serving shoppers and visitors across international markets and key global trade corridors." Dubais prominence in the global gold trade continues to grow. In 202425, the United Arab Emirates exported approximately 38.8bn worth of gold to international markets including Switzerland, the UK, and India, underlining the sectors economic importance to the region. The Acute Care Hospital is said to be a state-of-the-art tertiary level healthcare facility and was originally intended to replace the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Following a visit to the ongoing construction site of the Acute Care Hospital at Arnos Vale, Minister of Health Daniel Cummings expressed concern about a certain area of neglect and a missed opportunity, among other issues which he said warranted attention. As far as the neglect was concerned, Cummings lamented the fact that the project had progressed too far without proper consultation with the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA), the body tasked with the responsibility for sewerage treatment in the country. Cummings, himself a Civil Engineer and former Chief Executive Officer of the CWSA, emphasized that critical systems for waste management cannot be ignored, and lack of early coordination could lead to operational and environmental challenges once the hospital opens. This neglect, he said, raised concerns about whether or not there was a defined plan or accountability for who will manage it, a gap he described as an unfortunate development. As for the missed opportunity, the Health Minister pointed to the Arnos Vale site as being a rare, high-quality flat land, ideally suited for a multi-storey hospital. Sadly, he highlighted, the foundation had already been built and cannot support additional floors, effectively locking the design and wasting valuable space. Cummings assured, though, that the new democratic Party government is committed to seeing the hospital to completion and ensuring it functions, since, as its project proposal indicates, it is expected to play a central role in delivering modern, digitally integrated healthcare services to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. As per the original plan, the Hospital is designed to be a climate-resilient "green hospital, capable of withstanding high-speed winds and natural disasters, and is expected to offer advanced services such as cardiology, neurology, oncology, and major invasive surgeries to reduce the need for overseas care. The total cost of the project, including construction and equipping is estimated to be between US$98 million and US$125 million. In 2024, the government secured a loan of approximately US$125 million from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to fund the construction of the hospital and a related Health Care Resilience Project. The Overseas Engineering and Construction Company (OECC) of Taiwan is involved in the construction. Grantley Ipa Constance has embarked on nurturing the development of another calypso tent Calypso Cabaret. There is new calypso outfit on the scene. It is called Calypso Cabaret. It is led by Grantley Ipa Constance. He is supported by Robert Patches Knights who is also the leader of the Band Uprising, which will provide musical accompaniment for the Calypso Cabaret. The other executive members include: Sherika Liverpool as Treasurer, Aubrey Burgin - Secretary, and Committee Members Roxian Williams and Annette Andrews. The core of the Uprising band features Sean Jack on drums, Eldon Jack - guitar, Thomas Richards - bass, and Patches - Keyboards. Constance acknowledges the scarcity of brass players, but is confident that a complement will be in place for the get go of the tents schedule of shows. The Calypso Cabaret, with the full endorsement of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Calypsonians Association, brings to five the number of Calypso Tents expected to appear for the Calypso preliminaries of Vincymas 2026. The others are Graduates, On Tour, Up Stage Experience, and the New York based Dynamites Calypso Tent. Ipa, 2006 Calypso monarch in SVG, and a foundation member and a long-standing leader of the On Tour Calypso Tent, when asked about his former tent suggested: "We could get more out of calypso. In that vein, he pointed to the Calypso Cabarets aim "to widen the scope of calypso activities, and will also engage youngsters in the art of bois bois (dancing), and other traditional cultural expressions. Calypso Cabaret is headquartered in Pauls Avenue, Central Kingstown. Opposition Leader Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, refuted the Governments claim that he had approved expenditure for the purchase of new vehicles for use by the Prime Minister. Opposition Leader Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said the claim that an allocation was left for new vehicles to be assigned to the Prime Minister was a "complete and utter lie. Dr. Gonsalves, speaking on Star Radio on Monday, said in simple but explicit language that he "never gave approval for such an expenditure. The Opposition Leaders denial came in response to a statement made by Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday during a sitting of Parliament on Feb. 19, when he presented the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 2026. Dr. Friday said then that "the inclusion of funds in the budget for a new fleet of vehicles was based on a standing recommendation from staff rather than his own personal request, and added, "The money for this was something they had there before. Dr. Gonsalves acknowledged that an administrative rule exists suggesting vehicles older than five years should be replaced, but noted that the official vehicles used by the prime minister were not required to perform heavy labour or exposed to rigorous use compared to public transport, and should only be replaced if they are no longer in good condition. As far as how he made an assessment of the state and performance of the vehicles, he said he would ask drivers if a vehicle was working properly before considering a replacement; if it was in good order, he would advise waiting. He mentioned inheriting an older vehicle from his predecessor, Sir James, as an example of not immediately seeking new transport upon taking office. According to Dr. Gonsalves, the "heat surrounding the $600,000 figure is a political tactic used to distract from other budgetary decisions, such as the $1.5 million requested for renovations to the prime ministers official residence, which he also criticizes as excessive. Operations at Police Headquarters, Kingstown will relocate as of today, Friday 6th February. The headquarters remains one of the few buildings in capital Kingstown that has retained most of its original architecture and style. A public announcement on Feb 04 by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force(RSVGPF), gave notice that the operations at Police Headquarters, Kingstown, including the Office of the Commissioner of Police, will be temporarily relocated. The announcement went on further to inform that as part of this transition, Police Headquarters will close at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 6, 2026. Operations will resume on Monday, February 9, 2026, at the Moussa Building, formerly occupied by the VAT Unit, along Grenville Street, Kingstown. A police notice of Feb. 05 indicated that "..effective Monday, February 9, 2026, all applications and payments for Police Certificates of Character will be conducted at the Office of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Kingstown, and will no longer be facilitated at Police Headquarters. The announcement of the relocation came on the heels of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, St. Clair Leacock, condemning what he said was the unacceptable working conditions facing police officers, pledging improvements under his administration. His pointed statement was made during his contribution to the 2026 Budget Estimates debate, in a Feb. 19 sitting of Parliament. Minister Leacock said police officers should never be forced to work in conditions worse than those they leave at home. He expressed regret over the current state of affairs within national security, particularly the police service, and acknowledged that more must be done to support those tasked with protecting the country. The Central Kingstown MP emphasized that under his leadership, and that of the Prime Minister and the current administration, no serving officer should be subjected to such circumstances. And the action or non-action of the previous administration did not escape the reach of the National Security Minister, who observed that the former Prime Minister and Minister of national security, now Leader of the Opposition, had never visited the Ministry of National Security or inspected conditions at police facilities, and the Belle Isle Correctional Facility since it commissioning. He pounded his own chest, justifiably so some might say, by declaring that he was is the first resident Minister of National Security to be regularly present and engaged with the department, underscoring his commitment to addressing longstanding issues affecting police officers. The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has provided a US $3 million social relief grant to the Government and People of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, further strengthening the long-standing partnership between the two countries. Speaking at the signing ceremony at convened at Cabinet Room on Tuesday, 3rd February, 2026, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, H.E. Fiona Fan, highlighted the close diplomatic relationship that has existed since 1981, built on shared values of democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and mutual respect. She expressed gratitude for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines unwavering support for Taiwans meaningful participation in the international organization, enabling Taiwan to share its expertise through good governance with the global community. She further characterized the bilateral relationship through the theme of "connectivity, highlighting that true progress involves connecting people to opportunities and nations to a shared future. Taiwans commitment is evidenced by a robust portfolio of collaboration, including strategic infrastructure, deepening sectoral cooperation, and economic diversification. In his regard, Ambassador Fan referenced Taiwans support for major national projects, including the Argyle International Airport, the Kingstown Modern Port, and the ongoing construction of the Arnos Vale Acute Care Hospital, noting that these initiatives contribute significantly to economic growth and social development. She also reaffirmed Taiwans readiness to expand cooperation in areas such as education, agriculture, health, public safety, the blue economy, and sustainable tourism. In response, Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Godwin Friday expressed sincere appreciation to the Government and People of Taiwan for the generous contribution. He noted that the grant, equivalent to EC $8,064,600, will be used to support families, strengthen communities, and reinforce social institutions across the country. The Prime Minister described the grant as an important investment in people, underscoring the Governments commitment to addressing social needs alongside major infrastructure development. He also reaffirmed the strong diplomatic ties between both nations and their shared commitment to democratic values, good governance, and international cooperation. According to the Embassy of Taiwan here, the handover reflects Taiwans recognition of the vital importance of social equity and societal stability, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Increases in entrances fees have not deterred the massive crowds that carnival fetes have been attracting for some time now. Carnival-related artistes in Trinidad and Tobago have been reminded of their obligations to the national purse. The Inland Revenue Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance on January 12 advised promoters, bandleaders, and local and foreign artistes of their obligations, which include income tax, corporation tax, health surcharge, green fund levy, and VAT registration for promoters with gross receipts of $600,000 or more. Foreign artistes will be subject to withholding tax, which must be deducted and remitted by promoters. Bandleaders are also required to comply with similar tax obligations. According to an article in CNW, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation (TUCO) said it will address the issue after Carnival. Its president, Ainsley King, acknowledged that implementing new taxes during the busy Carnival season could be challenging and that discussions with stakeholders will follow once the festival concludes. Some promoters confirmed they have already been VAT-registered and compliant with tax laws, while smaller bands expressed concern over the additional financial burden, noting that declining band participation and rising costs may affect their operations. Although the IRD has announced field visits to ensure compliance, none of the stakeholders contacted so far reported being visited. This marks the first serious government attempt in over a decade to enforce taxes on Carnival earnings, with previous efforts in 2011 ultimately failing to take hold. That said, Trinidad and Tobago is in full carnival mode. Reports are that all of the major fetes to date have all been fully subscribed with attendance, some say, far exceeding previous years. Attention too is fixed on the large conventional steel orchestras, seventeen of who will compete in the finals of the 2026 Panorama, scheduled for February 14. Consumers flocked to this appliance and furniture dealership from the early hours on VAT-free Friday. In keeping with an election promise, the Dr. Godwin Friday-led New Democratic Party (NDP) government declared Friday 19th December, 2026 VAT-free Day, in effect a VAT-Zero Rated/VAT-free Shopping Day. The Cabinet, in one of its earliest decisions that impacted nationwide, approved an initiative that allowed non-commercial customers (i.e. excluding business, etc.) the privilege of purchasing goods (e.g. electronics, groceries, furniture) without the 14%VAT, for one day 24 hours. Needless to say, the VAT-free Day declaration met with vociferous objection from the opposition Unity Labour Party (ULP), as articulated by its leader and former Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. Dr. Gonsalves described the VAT-free Day as a "gimmick rather than meaningful economic relief as the NDP had suggested. He instead, suggested that the day would primarily benefit more affluent consumers, who can afford to purchase large, taxable items like electronics, furniture, and appliances. In essence, he said consumers were being misled with respect to what was actually VAT-free since many items were already zero-rated or exempt from VAT. Whatever Dr. Gonsalves might have said, it was unanimously agreed, when it was all over, that December 19th was perhaps the most anticipated date in the history of commercial activity in SVG, since consumers of all economic statuses took advantage of what was on offer. Thousands of Vincentians, some who lined the pavements outside business places in Kingstown long before dawn on Friday 19th December, 2026, to take advantage of the first ever VAT-free Shopping Day. Some business places had to monitor own many consumers; were allowed in at any one time and one report indicated that the rush at a at a certain supermarket caused the gate at the main entrance to collapse. Now, during the 2026 estimates debate, Thursday 20th January 2026, Minister of National Security St Clair Leacock highlighted the VAT free Day as a significant economic event that demonstrated positive momentum in St. Vincent and the Grenadine. He told the sitting of parliament that approximately $28 million was turned over during the VAT-free Day and reasoned that the success of the VAT-ree day was linked to a broader sense of "hope for the most vulnerable citizens. "Things are happening under the current administration, Leacock assured , and pointed to the Estimates as promising "improvement in the life of the country. (TBTCO) - Ha Noi ang buoc vao mot giai oan phat trien moi, khi quan iem tai cau truc o thi khong con dung o cai tao, chinh trang cuc bo cac khu chung cu cu ma chuyen sang tai thiet toan dien theo huong ong bo ha tang, to chuc lai khong gian va giam mat o dan cu tai khu vuc loi. ay khong chi la mot quyet sach quy hoach, ma con la chien luoc phat trien dai han, tac ong sau rong toi cau truc kinh te - xa hoi va thi truong bat ong san Thu o. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued an unprecedented threat to pursue criminal charges against students participating in anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests and to strip public school funding from districts that permit such walkouts. This directive has already prompted new guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) outlining punitive measures for students, teachers, and school districts involved in protest activity. The governor's move follows a wave of student-organised demonstrations in Central Texas and other areas, where hundreds of pupils walked out of classrooms to protest federal immigration enforcement actions, including recent killings by ICE agents that have sparked nationwide demonstrations. Abbott's Directive and Official State Guidance On 3 February 2026, the Texas Education Agency issued formal guidance to school systems regarding political walkouts following Abbott's directive to investigate 'inappropriate political activism' that was disrupting classroom instruction. The TEA press release states that students who leave class for political walkouts must be marked absent, and that districts risk losing daily attendance funding if they allow or encourage such absences. HE WANTS TO ARREST HIGH SCHOOLERS! Greg Abbott has issued a threat to arrest students and strip funding from schools where walkouts took place as part of an ICE protest . "Its about time students like this were arrested. Disruptive walkouts lead to chaos." Your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/SITIAaTENi Lovable Liberal and his Old English sheepdog (@DougWahl1) February 4, 2026 Additionally, the guidance states that teachers who facilitate walkouts may be investigated and have their licenses revoked under the Educator Code of Ethics. It also emphasised that school systems that 'facilitate' walkouts could be investigated and sanctioned, including by appointing a monitor, conservator, or board of managerseffectively allowing for state intervention or takeover. The TEA's guidance further emphasises that state law 'prohibits school systems from supporting or opposing any forms of political activism that disrupt learning during the school day' and underscores schools' obligation to ensure student safety and attendance. Abbott's directive and the resulting guidance constitute an aggressive exercise of administrative authority intended to curb student activism during instructional time. The Governor's Public Statements Governor Abbott amplified his policy stance via social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where he endorsed the arrest of protesters and signalled financial consequences for schools. Its about time students like this were arrested. Harming someone is a crime -- even for students. Disruptive walkouts allowed by schools lead to just this kind of chaos. Schools and staff who allow this behavior should be treated as co-conspirators and should not be Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 3, 2026 In a post reacting to local reporting on arrests made during a walkout in Kyle, Texas, Abbott wrote: 'It's about time students like this were arrested... Schools and staff who allow this behaviour should be treated as co-conspirators.' He also stated that the state was 'looking into stripping the funding of schools that abandon their duty to teach our kids the curriculum required by law.' This characterisation framed walkouts not only as disciplinary issues but also as potential legal violations by students and as complicity by schools. Local Incidents and Law Enforcement The governor's rhetoric followed prominent incidents at student protests in Central Texas. In one case, the Kyle Police Department confirmed that two juveniles were arrested during a student walkout in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District (Hays CISD); one was charged with assault on a public servant, resisting arrest, and alcohol-related offences, and the other was charged with resisting arrest and interfering with public duties. Police officials clarified that the arrests were unrelated to the protest itself, with alcohol possession cited as the precipitating factor. Damn, a couple of the kids had a solid choke on him but let go. They should have held it until he was out cold. pic.twitter.com/TQBDTTYHLh OPTDan (@opt_dan) February 3, 2026 Separately, video footage from a protest in Buda, Texas, showed an altercation between a 45-year-old man and high school students protesting ICE in which students intervened as the adult confronted a minor. Local authorities have investigated the incident, and the man was later arrested and charged with assault. School officials, including Hays CISD Superintendent Eric Wright, responded to these events by warning that future walkouts would not be condoned and that participating students would be marked absent or face disciplinary action under district policy. Legal and Civil-Rights Debate Advocates have raised concerns about the implications of Abbott's orders and TEA guidance for constitutional rights. Under Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), the US Supreme Court held that students do not 'shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,' though this right is balanced against maintaining educational order. Some civil liberties organisations caution that penalising students and schools for political expression, especially off-campus activity, could chill First Amendment rights. Others argue that school attendance and instructional time obligations allow for administrative regulation of walkouts, particularly during school hours. Texas House Representative Erin Zwiener, whose district includes Kyle, criticised the governor's focus in a social media post, stating that Abbott's 'threats to schools are only making protests less safe for students & more disruptive for Texas communities.' As Abbott and the TEA pursue enforcement of the new guidance, it remains likely that legal challenges or legislative responses could emerge. Originally published on IBTimes UK 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. House Speaker Mike Johnson has sparked fresh debate after publicly responding to comments made by Pope Leo XIV on immigration, arguing that strong national borders are consistent with Christian teaching. Speaking to reporters after a House vote, Johnson was asked about the Pope's use of Scripture to criticise mass deportation policies. He replied that 'borders and walls are biblical,' adding that governments have a religious duty to maintain order Later that day, Johnson published a lengthy statement on X outlining his position in detail: 'Despite the insistence of the progressive Left, people of all religious faiths should support a strong national border and Christians certainly should,' he wrote. In the press gaggle following today's vote, I was asked to defend the Biblical case for border security and immigration enforcement. I did so, and then promised to post a longer explanation that I drafted during the Biden Administration. Here it is, and I hope it's helpful: pic.twitter.com/tHC4kf7uEC Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) February 3, 2026 He argued that while individuals are called to show compassion, governments are responsible for enforcing laws and protecting national security. Johnson's Interpretation of Scripture In his statement and public remarks, Johnson focused on the idea that the Bible assigns different responsibilities to individuals, churches, families, and governments. He cited Romans 13, which describes civil authorities as agents tasked with maintaining order, and argued that Biblical calls to welcome strangers apply mainly to personal conduct, not state policy. 'When Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek, He was not giving that command to the government,' Johnson wrote. He also pointed to passages referencing nations and borders, including Acts 17:26 and Deuteronomy 32:8, to support his claim that national boundaries are part of Biblical tradition. 'Immigration is not something that's frowned upon in Scripture,' he said. 'But assimilation is expected' Pope Leo's Emphasis on Compassion Pope Leo has approached the issue from a different theological perspective, focusing on the treatment and dignity of migrants. Speaking to journalists in November, he quoted Matthew 25:35: 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat... I was a stranger and you invited me in.' He warned that many migrants who have lived peacefully in the United States for years are being affected by deportation policies. 'Many times they've been separated from their families... no one knows what's happening,' the Pope said. 'Their spiritual needs should be attended to.' Rather than addressing border enforcement directly, Pope Leo has stressed pastoral care, access to religious services, and humanitarian concerns. What the Bible Says About Foreigners and the Law Biblical passages on migration and foreign residents span both the Old and New Testaments and are often cited by both sides of the debate. Several verses emphasise hospitality and protection: 'Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him' (Exodus 22:21) 'Love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt' (Deuteronomy 10:19) 'I was a stranger and you invited me in' (Matthew 25:35) Other passages stress equal application of laws: 'The same laws and regulations will apply... to the foreigner' (Numbers 15:1516) 'Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities' (Romans 13:1) A summary by Watermark Community Church notes that the Scripture supports both compassion and legal order. 'We should love the immigrant but not ignore immigration laws,' the article states. A Wider Political Context Johnson's remarks come amid ongoing debate over immigration policies linked to the Trump and Biden administrations. He has repeatedly criticised what he calls 'open border' policies, blaming previous administrations for increased crossings and security risks. 'We had as many as 20 million illegals come across the country,' Johnson said, adding that governments must protect citizens first. A Debate Over Faith and Public Policy At its core, the disagreement reflects different views on how religious teachings should guide modern government. Johnson argues that enforcing immigration laws is part of a biblical responsibility to uphold order. 'Justice and mercy are not mutually exclusive,' he wrote. Pope Leo, meanwhile, has urged leaders to reflect on the moral consequences of policy decisions and the human impact of enforcement. Both figures cite Scripture. Both claim to be acting in line with Christian values. Yet they reach different conclusions. As immigration remains a central political issue, the tension between law enforcement and humanitarian responsibility is likely to continue both in Washington and within religious communities. And for now, the Bible remains at the centre of that debate, interpreted in markedly different ways by some of its most influential voices. Originally published on IBTimes UK The Hindu Womens Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago would like to express its concern over the actions of Tribe in providing sexual devices to women who will participate, under their banner, in the upcoming Carnival celebrations. It is our view that the use/purchase of these devices is a personal decision and not to be imposed upon anyone or used as a publicity stunt. Arizona law enforcement officers mourned a veteran U.S. Marine pilot and a trooper paramedic Friday while the cause of a helicopter crash that killed them during a police shootout with a domestic violence suspect in Flagstaff remained under investigation. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, fired on officers from multiple rooftops in Flagstaff over almost two hours Wednesday night. He was captured at about the same time as the helicopter crash. The helicopter crew had been playing a common role, helping officers on the ground, Arizona Department of Public Safety Director Col. Jeffrey Glover said. They have the ability of getting eyes and ears up top, he said. They have a very important role when they are running their missions. What caused the helicopter to crash was under active investigation by agencies including the National Transportation Safety Board, Glover said. No one on the helicopter had opened fire, Glover said. The Bell 407 helicopter was functioning just fine when it was most recently inspected on Jan. 29, Glover said. Glover declined to say more about possible causes, such as whether gunfire or a drone may have struck it. It would be just really irresponsible for us to speculate at this time. We have to allow for NTSB to conduct their investigation to figure out exactly what has occurred, Glover said. Trooper Hunter Bennett, 28, and pilot Robert Skankey, 61, were killed. The confrontation began when law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call, Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly said Thursday. As the officers spoke with the victim in the front yard, the suspect opened fire on them from the back of the residence with a semiautomatic long rifle. A protracted gun battle ensued, with the unidentified suspect hopping from roof to roof in the neighborhood while shooting at officers. The police chief described the neighborhood as under siege while the suspect shot on officers and into homes. The suspect was taken to a hospital with nonfatal gunshot wounds. Connolly indicated three Flagstaff police officers and one Department of Public Safety employee fired their weapons during the altercation. Skankey was a longtime resident of Kingman, Arizona, city officials said in a statement. He had been hired by the Arizona Department of Public Safety in May 2021 and previously served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was married and had four children, Glover said. Bennett was an honors graduate of Arizona State University and the top graduate of his 2023 Arizona Law Enforcement Academy class. ABC Ombudsman clears Always Was Tonight of complaints Nearly 100 complaints but Ombudsman determines the use of satire as a form of artistic expression. The ABC Ombudsman has cleared comedy special Always Was Tonight, hosted by Tony Armstrong, following a range of complaints. The Ombudsmans Office received 96 complaints about the broadcast and 4 complaints about associated short-form clips published on ABC social platforms. Broadly, the complaints raised concerns about bias and offence suggesting the content was anti-white, racist, and divisive. More specifically, complainants suggested that the segment Dont Ruin The BBQ contained inaccurate claims about the introduction of smallpox into Aboriginal communities in the 1700s. Concerns about the welfare of children who participated in the filming of the segment No Child Should Call This Place Home were also raised. This segment was also considered distressing and lacking in context when viewed in isolation on social media platforms. ABC Indigenous stated: Always Was Tonight was billed as a satirical news special that sought to decolonise the news one headline at a time. The satirical nature of the program would have been clear to audiences through program descriptions and advance publicity, which characterised it as a fast, funny and unflinching special with an agenda to go where no other show dares, and as a sharp and satirical show delivering news with a bit more blaklash. The ABC broadcasts a wide range of content around January 26 across television, radio and digital platforms, including citizenship ceremonies, Australia Day Live and the Australian of the Year Awards. Always Was Tonight formed one part of this broader offering, and it is important that First Nations perspectives are represented within the national conversation at this time of year. To the commentary that Dont Be a Dog ABC Indigenous said: The program includes colloquial Indigenous terms and expressions used within cultural and narrative context. Terms such as dog were used in a colloquial sense common within Indigenous communities and were not intended, nor reasonably understood in context, as hate speech or vilification. The hosts use of dog is conversational. It is not aggressive or presented in the context of any other insults. It is helpful to view the utterance in context Armstrong delivers the above with a relatively sombre and plaintive affect; the overall tone is of gentle or sad reproach. Complaints raised concerns over the welfare of children who participated in the filming of the clip No Child Should Call This Place Home ABC Indigenous said: The participation of children in this segment was carefully planned and managed in accordance with the ABCs child safety and wellbeing frameworks. The shoot was registered with the relevant NSW Office of the Childrens Guardian, and the ABCs Child Safety and Wellbeing team was consulted throughout development and production. Parents were provided with the full context and lyrics of the segment in advance and gave informed consent for their childrens participation. Production staff conducted individual briefings with parents prior to filming to discuss the content and address any questions. During production, a qualified Indigenous psychologist was present on set at all times and available to support the child participants, with a nurse also in attendance. All industry requirements for working with children were clearly communicated to crew and strictly adhered to. ABC Ombudsman Fiona Cameron determined the program was explicitly framed as satire from an Indigenous perspective and did not purport to present a balanced or comprehensive examination of contested issues. Comedy and satire must be afforded significant latitude to express ideas that challenge and critique the status quo. Predominantly, concerns related to audience members taking offence and perceiving the program to be in poor taste. Taste is a subjective judgement and the ABCs editorial standards should always be applied in ways that do not unduly constrain journalistic enquiry or, as in this case, satire as a form of artistic expression. While undoubtedly complainants were offended and offence was foreseeable, the content could be justified by its editorial purpose to provide a First Nations-led satirical counterpoint to mainstream media coverage of Australia Day. The mainstream media included extensive ABC coverage, celebrating Australia Day across the weekend. Always Was Tonight was cleared of any Breach. The U.S., Ukraine and Russia have restarted trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi as diplomats seek limited areas of agreement amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. The meetings are being hosted by the United Arab Emirates. In a statement released by the the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials said representatives from all three countries are participating in joint and bilateral discussions focused on diplomatic engagement and humanitarian issues. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said the opening phase of the talks focused on practical and humanitarian matters, describing the discussions as substantive despite continued fighting. One issue under discussion is a potential new prisoner-of-war exchange. In a video address published on his official Telegram channel, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expects a prisoner exchange "in the near future" after receiving a report from Ukraine's negotiating delegation on the trilateral talks. The talks come as Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continue. Ukrainian government briefings this week said the attacks complicate diplomatic efforts and undermine confidence-building measures discussed during negotiations. U.S. officials participating in the Abu Dhabi meetings are part of the Trump administration's renewed effort to pursue direct diplomatic engagement involving both Kyiv and Moscow. U.S. government officials familiar with the talks have indicated the discussions are focused on narrower agreements rather than a comprehensive peace settlement. International Business Times has reached out to the U.S. State Department, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Russian Embassy for comment on the talks. At the time of publication, no responses had been received. Originally published on IBTimes Airdate: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2026 Hosting this year are Courtney Act, Mon Schafter, Jeremy Fernandez and Nath Valvo. Theres no post-parade Party this year, but the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade proceeds with a Live broadcast on ABC later this month. Returning to officiate proceedings are drag icon Courtney Act and ABCQueers Mon Schafter, alongside ABCs Jeremy Fernandez and comedian Nath Valvo. Theyll be joined from the crowd by proud Noongar-Yamatji woman and LGBTQIA+ media personality Brooke Blurton, celebrity chef Anna Polyviou and newly out and proud former AFL player Mitch Brown. Mardi Gras co-host Mon Schafter said: Mardi Gras is a celebration of community its joy, power and resilience. Its my favourite night of the year, and I cant wait to get covered in glitter and be loud and proud. In the lead up to the parade, well also be sharing a range of exciting queer stories and debates on ABCQueer and ABC Australia socials. More pride than you can poke a stick at. ABCs Head of Arts, Music and Events, Kath Earle, said: Through our live coverage on ABC TV and ABC iview, Australians across the country can come together to experience the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of our LGBTQIA+ community. We are proud to support the queer community and are committed to sharing their stories and voices across all our platforms. The party will be covered from all angles, from the glitz, glamour and glitter to powerful uplifting stories from the community. Inspired by this years Mardi Gras theme, ECSTATICA, the night promises a dazzling display of inclusion as more than 12,000 participants light up Oxford Street in one of the worlds largest LGBTQIA+ celebrations. Sharing that energy with audiences across the country, the ABCs 2026 broadcast is focused on amplifying the pride, passion and artistry of the LGBTQIA+ community in a spectacular national showcase. Celebrate a night to remember across ABC TV, ABC iview and ABC Socials via TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and discover a range of LGBTQIA+ content on ABC iview now. An ABC production: Manager Events and Partnerships: Janet Gaeta. Executive Producer: Jess Skinner. Head of Arts, Music and Events: Kath Earle. Saturday 28 February at 7.30pm on ABC. Christian OConnell: I was in the running for Hot Seat No in-ground swimming pool for Christian O'Connell after Rebecca Gibney apparently took his job. GOLD FMs Christian OConnell has confirmed he was in the running to host Millionaire Hot Seat for 10. Speaking to Rebecca Gibney, currently shooting Happiness S2 in NZ, he told her, You may not know this, but youve actually taken my job. I have not!, she replied. You have! I was in the running for this, right? Youve cost me my swimming pool. Were not getting that swimming pool. Ive told the kids bloody Gibneys got that pool,' he said. Oh, Im so sorry, said Gibney. Whenever I see you on TV now, I start singing that song. It should have been me! TV Tonight broke the news of Gibney as host last August, with Christian OConnell and Carrie Bickmore also in the rumour mill as potential hosts at the time. Youve airbrushed me out of TV history in this country. Just a young kid trying to get a break! OConnell joked today. Nine appoints Margie McClew as Adelaide news director Nine News Sydney Deputy Director heads back to the city where her career began. Nine News Sydney Deputy Director Margie McClew will return to Adelaide as News Director, following the departure of Jeremy Pudney. McClew has been with Nine News since 2014 including the past 3 years as Deputy News Director in Sydney. She previously spent 13 years with Network 10. After nine incredible years with the 9News team in Sydney, I am thrilled to be rejoining the Adelaide newsroom, McLew told The Advertiser. Its a full-circle moment, heading back to the city where my career began. Managing Director of Nine Adelaide Sean OBrien said, She is the perfect person to take on this role, bringing a wealth of experience and a profound understanding of our audience. I have immense confidence in her ability to lead the 9News Adelaide team to new heights. SBS picks up Hollywood and the Mob SBS buys into docos around Hollywood, Marilyn, Elvis and the Mob. SBS has picked up the rights to Hollywood and the Mob (working title), Marilyn and the Mob and Elvis and the Mob. Hollywood and the Mob is a three-part documentary uncovers Hollywoods darkest secret: the century-long affair between mobsters, moguls and movie stars, drawn together by money, power and the glamour of the worlds most seductive industry. From the makeshift film sets of the 1910s to the corporate boardrooms of the 80s and 90s, it charts how organised crime infiltrated every layer of the business. This is the true saga of ruthless ambition and the dangerous men who secretly ran Hollywood behind the scenes. It is produced by Emmy nominated producer Dash Pictures with Sphere Abacus behind the sale. Directed by Thomas Patterson and Executive Produced by Daniel Sharp and Jack Oliver, Hollywood and the Mob reveals how Hollywood secrets come to light in the explosive true story of how the mob ruled the movie business from behind the scenes. Sphere Abacus Managing Director, Jonathan Ford, said, The Mob series demonstrates the growing interest in programming that cleverly combines true crime with history. Were very pleased to announce these initial sales to international broadcasters with more to come, and to be once again working with the creative team at Dash Pictures. Two-part documentary Marilyn and the Mob takes a deep dive into the final weeks of her life, investigating her relationship with known mobsters like Sam Giancana and how she became a pawn in the Mafias power plays. As we explore the blurred lines between Hollywood, politics and organized crime, the series speculates on whether Monroe knew too much and whether her death was more than a tragic overdose. Elvis and the Mob (2 x one hour) explores how the King of Rock n Roll and his manager Colonel Tom Parker became entangled with the Mob, in a city built on vice and crime. When Elvis Presley started performing in Las Vegas, the gaze of the Mafia, who helped build the city, fell upon him. Using archival footage, FBI files, expert interviews and high-end graphics, the series explores the intersection of Elviss superstardom and the criminal empire of Las Vegas and reveals how the Mafia profited from the King, how Parkers deals may have sealed Elviss fate, and whether his shocking death was truly as simple as it seemed. However, hot weather is forecast to be more severe than during the same period in 2025. The information was released by Hoang Duc Cuong, Deputy Director of the national meteorological authority, at a regular press briefing of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment on February 5. Covers content Not interested Inappropriate Seen too often ADBRO is the full service ad network for high impact contextual advertising with direct access to the exclusive in-image inventories across major local publishers. We provide free creative adaptation into rich media, interactive and playable ads formats. Campaigns in our channel are delivered under guaranteed prices for actions with programmatic & managed delivery. We provide contextually segmented in-target audiences for over 60 industries with a full range of brand safety solutions. ADBRO operates across SE Asia, including Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. To test our channel for your advertising campaigns or consider partnership programs for publishers, please contact us at www.adbro.me Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien highlights the crucial role of disaster forecasting. Hoang Duc Cuong said that, compared with 2025, storm activity this year is expected to be much milder, both in terms of frequency and impact on Vietnams mainland. From May to July, the ENSO phenomenon is likely to remain in a neutral state, with a probability of around 5565%. The likelihood of a shift toward El Nino is expected to gradually increase to 3545%, while the chance of a return to La Nina is considered negligible. From late summer to early autumn, ENSO is forecast to stay neutral but lean toward a warm phase. It may transition to El Nino in the final months of 2026 or early 2027. Under this scenario, rainfall across Southeast Asia, including southern Vietnam, is likely to fall below the long-term average toward the end of the year. Regarding storms and tropical depressions, from February to July their number over the East Sea and their impact on Vietnam are forecast to be close to the long-term average. This corresponds to about 3.8 systems over the East Sea, including around 1.2 making landfall. From August to December, storm numbers are expected to be lower than average. Meteorological authorities, however, caution that strong storms may still occur and require close monitoring. During August and September, storms and tropical depressions are likely to mainly affect northern Vietnam. From September to December, their primary impact is expected to shift to central regions and parts of the south. While storm activity is forecast to decrease, hot weather is expected to intensify. In southern Vietnam, heat may begin as early as late February or early March in the eastern areas, before spreading westward. In the Northwest, localized heat may appear from March. From April, hot weather is expected to emerge in the Thanh HoaHue region and then expand across northern and central Vietnam from late April. In the North and Central regions, heat intensity is forecast to increase through August, before gradually easing from September. Overall, heatwaves in 2026 are expected to be more frequent than during the same period in 2025. Cold air activity in the early months of the year is forecast to be weaker than the long-term average. Nevertheless, strong cold spells may still occur, particularly in February in the northern mountainous areas. Light rain and drizzle in northern Vietnam are expected to concentrate in the second half of February and in March. The nationwide rainy season is generally forecast to be in line with long-term averages. Saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta during the dry season in early 2026 is expected to be at average levels and lower than in the 20242025 dry season, with limited impact on daily life and production. However, localized drought and water shortages may occur from April to July in several Central Highlands provinces, including Gia Lai, Dak Lak and Lam Dong. Providing additional information, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien stressed that disaster forecasting plays a particularly important role in guiding production and minimizing risks for the agricultural sector. He noted that recent natural disasters have caused heavy losses, including around 1,500 hectares of aquaculture and more than 3.1 million livestock and poultry. These figures, he said, underscore the urgency of enhancing forecasting capacity and early warning systems so that people and businesses can proactively adjust production plans. Vu Diep A metro station in Berlin bearing a purely Vietnamese name is a rare case, almost without precedent. The authorities of Berlin have approved and put into use the name Dong Xuan for a tram stop in the city. The emergence of a tram stop bearing a Vietnamese name is not merely a matter of naming. It is the outcome of a long journey marked by the presence, integration and sustained contributions of the Vietnamese community in Berlin. More than two decades ago, few would have imagined this development. At that time, the site now home to the Dong Xuan Commercial Center was nothing more than an abandoned factory. The tram stop then known as Herzbergstrae Industriegebiet was closely associated with a defunct industrial zone. Against that backdrop, the idea of building a Vietnamese-run commercial and service center began to take shape. After more than 20 years, the former factory site has been transformed. The Dong Xuan Commercial Center has grown into a distinctive economic and cultural space, attracting local residents and visitors alike. Alongside this development, the tram stop at its entrance has become increasingly busy, evolving into a familiar stop within Berlins urban transport network. A Berlin tram stop carrying a purely Vietnamese name remains a rare case, with almost no precedent. From this reality, Nguyen Van Hien, Chairman of the Board and General Director of the Dong Xuan Commercial Center, initiated the idea of naming the tram stop Dong Xuan. The proposal gradually gained support from partners and local residents. In 2015, a campaign committee was formed to collect signatures in favor of renaming the stop. Within just two weeks, around 10,000 valid signatures, complete with full names and residential addresses, were gathered. This response demonstrated broad public consensus in Germany for adopting the name Dong Xuan. The application was then submitted to Berlins authorities and underwent years of review under a rigorous administrative process. In early 2026, an official decision was issued. The tram stop Herzbergstrae Industriegebiet was formally renamed Herzbergstrae Dong Xuan. Around the same time, in the updated Berlin Urban Development Plan Stadtentwicklungsplan Zentren 2040, the Berlin Senate included the Dong Xuan Commercial Center in the list of the citys special centers. This designation recognizes it as a business and service model closely linked to community identity within a multicultural urban space. Commenting on the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Dac Thanh said the renaming of the tram stop is not only a source of pride for the Dong Xuan Commercial Center. It also reflects Berlins recognition of the role and contributions of the Vietnamese community in Germany. He noted that the move carries positive significance in promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. From a community perspective, Dr. Nguyen Viet Duc, Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese in BerlinBrandenburg, views the Dong Xuan tram stop as a bright spot in the integration process. In his view, it represents a place where business activities go hand in hand with cultural exchange, helping make the image of the Vietnamese community more familiar in the everyday life of Berlin residents. For visitors to Berlin today, the name Dong Xuan on the tram map is no longer just a transport marker. It suggests a destination infused with Vietnamese character, where stories of community, culture and integration are quietly yet persistently told in the heart of Europe. Hung Ly Today, the submarine bearing the name of the central coastal city has secured its place within the formation of six Kilo-class submarines that Vietnam has commissioned to carry out missions in its sovereign waters. Escape training through a torpedo tube at sea. Photo: Minh Hoang Submarine 186 Da Nang is the fifth of six Varshavyanka 636.1-class submarines that Vietnam ordered from Russia under a contract signed in 2009. With a displacement of nearly 3,0003,950 tonnes and a length of about 74 meters, the submarine can dive to depths of around 300 meters. Against the backdrop of ongoing fluctuations in the East Sea, the presence of submarine 186 represents more than a piece of military hardware. It embodies Vietnams determination for self-reliance and self-strengthening in maritime security management. Every hour of operation at sea requires the crew to work in perfect coordination under darkness, intense pressure and absolute precision. To meet the requirements of safeguarding national maritime sovereignty in the new situation, and in line with the policy of building a modern submarine force set by the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, Crew No.5, the predecessor of submarine 186, was established. The initial crew comprised 68 officers and sailors selected from units across the armed forces. They formed an elite group with strong health, exemplary political qualities, a high sense of responsibility and solid professional competence. Submarine maintenance work. Photo: Phong Xuan From the earliest days in Russia, with the support of local experts, the crew entered an intensive transfer training phase. Training focused on mastering modern technical systems and strengthening close coordination among all onboard positions. They trained under harsh weather conditions, far from home, while working and living in a confined environment. At the same time, they had to absorb professional knowledge delivered in a foreign language. Each officer and sailor clearly understood the honor and responsibility entrusted to them. They upheld strong determination, unity and resilience, overcoming all difficulties to successfully complete the transfer training. Within just over one year, from April 2014 to October 2015, the crew completed the full training program from basic to advanced levels. Their performance earned high praise from foreign experts and continued the proud tradition of earlier crews. This solid foundation enabled the unit to move confidently into a new phase of comprehensive development. On February 5, 2016, after nearly two months crossing three oceans, submarine 186 arrived safely at Brigade 189 in Cam Ranh. It officially entered service, operating in the waters of the homeland. Carrying out special and demanding missions Brigade leaders congratulate the crew of submarine 186 for consistently completing training tasks successfully. Photo: Phong Xuan Between 2016 and 2026, submarine 186 Da Nang consistently fulfilled and exceeded all training programs and combat readiness missions. Absolute safety was maintained for personnel, weapons and technical equipment. The submarine undertook many missions of a special nature, requiring high proficiency in operating weapons systems and tight coordination among command and combat positions. These included successful torpedo firing exercises, notably remote-controlled torpedo launches using guide wires. The submarine also participated in confrontation drills and search and rescue exercises with the Russian Navy. Through each mission, the crews command organization, situational handling and coordination capabilities continued to improve. These advancements met the growing demands of missions in the new context. Thanks to these achievements, from 2016 to 2026, submarine 186 was repeatedly recognized with the titles Emulation Flag Unit and Excellent Training Unit. It received commendations from the Minister of National Defense. The Party cell of the submarine consistently fulfilled its tasks with distinction. Many collectives and individuals were praised and rewarded at various levels for outstanding performance. Thanh Hue Of the total, agricultural products accounted for around 3.6 billion USD, soaring 41.8%; livestock products reached 47.5 million USD, up 20.2%; seafood earned 940 million USD, a rise of 21.5%; while forestry products brought in 1.72 billion USD, up 13%. Asia remained the largest export market, absorbing 45.3% of Vietnams agro-forestry-fishery exports. It was followed by the Americas with 22.7% and Europe with 13.4%. Africa and Oceania accounted for more modest shares of 2.6% and 1.4%, respectively. Compared with the same period last year, export value to Asia in January rose by 41.1%, to the Americas by 22.4%, to Europe by 11.2%, to Africa by 21.6%, and to Oceania by 32.3%. China, the US and Japan were Vietnams three largest export markets, with respective market shares of 22.6%, 20.4% and 7%. Exports to China surged 66.1% year-on-year, while shipments to the US and Japan increased by 21.6% and 19.6%, respectively. Key agricultural exports recorded strong growth in January, including coffee, rubber, tea, rice, fruits and vegetables, cashew nuts and pepper, with increases in both volume and value. Coffee and rubber continued to play a leading role. Coffee exports reached an estimated 180,000 tonnes worth 981 million USD, while rubber shipments totalled about 220,000 tonnes valued at 416 million USD, both posting sharp year-on-year increases. Average export prices remained stable, with major markets in Europe and Asia. Tea and rice also saw solid growth. Tea exports stood at around 14,000 tonnes worth 23 million USD, while rice exports reached about 600,000 tonnes valued at 370 million USD. Although average tea prices edged down slightly, higher volumes helped lift export value. Meanwhile, rice export prices rose about 4% to an average of 616.6 USD per tonne. Fruits and vegetables remained a standout performer, with export turnover in January estimated at around 750 million USD, doubling year-on-year. China continued to be the largest market, alongside strong growth in the US. Cashew nuts and pepper maintained robust momentum. Cashew exports reached roughly 65,000 tonnes worth 434 million USD, while pepper exports totalled about 20,000 tonnes valued at 133 million USD, both up more than 50% year-on-year despite a slight decline in average export prices. The ministry noted that market development and promotion of agricultural consumption remain a core solution for the sector. Relevant agencies will continue to closely link production with market demand, step up trade promotion and product branding, and support businesses and cooperatives in expanding both domestic and international markets. At the same time, the sector will continue agricultural restructuring towards higher value addition and sustainable development, with a focus on food safety and traceability. This restructuring will be carried out across crop production, livestock, fisheries and forestry, as well as throughout the entire value chain from production and processing to distribution, in order to adapt flexibly to the requirements of different export markets./. VNA After delays caused by Decree 46, imported goods of enterprises are gradually being cleared at ports. (Illustrative image) On the evening of February 5, Kim T., owner of a food import business in Ho Chi Minh City, said the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Public Health, the focal agency for food safety inspections, had accepted her companys import registration dossier. The institute confirmed it would process the application in accordance with the old Decree 15/2018. Similarly, a representative of another Ho Chi Minh City-based enterprise told VietNamNet that the companys goods were allowed to clear customs late in the afternoon of February 5. One week earlier, three containers of walnuts imported from the US, worth about $510,000, had been held at Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City. The bottleneck arose when Government Decree No.46/2026/ND-CP, detailing the implementation of the Law on Food Safety, took effect on January 26, 2026, replacing Decree 15/2018. Under Decree 46, agencies designated to conduct state inspections on imported food safety were to continue their inspection duties only until March 31, 2026. However, due to the lack of specific guidance after the decree took effect, all designated inspection agencies refused to accept enterprises dossiers. Without food safety certificates issued by these agencies, customs authorities could not clear imported food shipments. On February 4, after the Government issued Resolution No.09/2026/NQ-CP to temporarily suspend the effectiveness of Decree 46 and adjust its implementation timeline, goods began to clear customs again. During this suspension period, Decree 15/2018 and its implementing regulations remain in force. This timely decision shows that the Government and relevant agencies listened carefully to feedback from businesses, an enterprise representative said. However, she added that a large volume of imports from other companies remains piled up at ports. For dry goods, storage time can be longer, but fresh products face a high risk of spoilage. Therefore, the speed of cargo clearance at ports is especially critical at this time. From a policy perspective, enterprises have urged that new regulations allow businesses sufficient time to absorb and adjust. Decree 46 was signed on January 26, 2026, and took effect immediately, placing importers in a passive position. Imported goods often take two to three months to travel by sea. When shipments departed foreign ports, the decree was not yet in effect, but by the time they arrived in Vietnam, it was already enforceable. As a result, importers and their overseas partners could not prepare the required food safety certificates in time for customs clearance. According to incomplete data, by noon on February 4, about 90,000 tonnes of goods belonging to members of the Vietnam BeerAlcoholBeverage Association were stuck at ports. Nearly 3,000 tonnes were linked to the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Foodstuff Association. Around 30,000 tonnes belonged to the Vietnam Dairy Association, and about 400 tonnes to the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association. Policy needs a buffer period Commenting on the issue, Dr. Dang Thao Quyen, Deputy Head of the Management discipline group and Senior Lecturer in International Business at RMIT University Vietnam, said the disruptions caused by Decree 46 offer important lessons for policymakers when drafting food safety regulations. For policymakers, the core requirement is to build an implementation roadmap with foresight. Regulations should be issued well before full enforcement and accompanied by buffer periods to handle delays in implementation. The abrupt shift in inspection mechanisms without a transition phase, detailed guidance or pilot programs intensified congestion, especially for perishable goods. Future decrees should stipulate transition periods, for example six to twelve months, and pilot implementation at major ports to identify gaps in infrastructure, personnel and procedures before nationwide application, she told VietNamNet. According to Dr. Quyen, identifying all stakeholders before issuing policy is equally important. Impact assessments should extend beyond importers and customs authorities to include testing laboratories, logistics providers, retailers and end consumers, who may be indirectly affected through supply delays and price fluctuations. Economic modelling prior to policy issuance would also help quantify impacts on GDP caused by trade disruptions. This should become standard practice to avoid similar short-term shocks. The RMIT lecturer noted that several international models could serve as useful references for Vietnam. The European Unions legal framework under Regulation (EC) No.178/2002 and Regulation (EU) 2017/625 combines strict risk-based controls with phased implementation, extensive business consultation, tiered enforcement and periodic review cycles. In addition, the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and targeted enhanced controls for high-risk sources allow authorities to intervene precisely without causing widespread trade disruption. Vietnam could adopt similar principles by strengthening data-driven risk classification by product group, country of origin and importer compliance history. This would help accelerate clearance for low-risk shipments while concentrating resources on genuine hazards. At the macro level, policy stability and predictability underpin national competitiveness and investor confidence. Amid global supply chain volatility and domestic economic recovery challenges, sudden changes and unclear communication can have outsized impacts on businesses operating on thin margins. Even well-intentioned reforms can signal instability to foreign investors who prioritize consistency in laws and policies, Dr. Quyen emphasized. Integrating mandatory impact assessments, publicprivate dialogue mechanisms and transparent communication strategies into the law-making process would help safeguard Vietnams image as a reliable trade and investment partner. Amid the urgent need to clear goods quickly at ports, on February 5 the Vietnam Customs issued an urgent directive. Regional customs departments and subordinate units were instructed to arrange leadership and staff on duty 24/7 to ensure rapid clearance, prioritizing backlogged imported food shipments. Heads of regional customs offices will be held accountable to the Director General of Vietnam Customs if negative practices, harassment or prolonged clearance procedures occur. Tran Chung Nike is facing a high-profile federal probe after the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) launched an investigation into the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, specifically examining whether they may have unfairly impacted White employees. The investigation, revealed Wednesday, reflects a broader push under the Trump administration to scrutinize DEI programs in major US companies. EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said the agency is looking into potential discrimination tied to Nike's "DEI-related 2025 Targets and other DEI-related objectives." The agency's subpoena requests information on the company's hiring, promotion, and layoff practices, along with 16 mentoring and career development programs that allegedly favored certain racial or ethnic groups, CNN reported. Lucas emphasized that the investigation covers "all White employees, former employees, prospective employees, and current and prospective training program applicants and participants who have been, continue to be, or may in the future be adversely affected by the alleged unlawful employment practices." Nike described the EEOC's action as "a surprising and unusual escalation" and said it has already shared thousands of pages of information in response to the subpoena. "We are committed to fair and lawful employment practices and follow all applicable laws, including those that prohibit discrimination," the company said in a statement. "We believe our programs and practices are consistent with those obligations and take these matters seriously. We will continue our attempt to cooperate with the EEOC and will respond to the petition." Nike faces federal probe over allegations of DEI-related discrimination against white workers https://t.co/i99zx7fKMt pic.twitter.com/YKMSc4jKtO Broomfield Enterprise (@bfld_enterprise) February 5, 2026 EEOC Requests Nike Records Dating Back to 2018 The probe stems not from a worker complaint, but from a commissioner's charge Lucas filed in May 2024, months after conservative legal group America First Legal urged the EEOC to examine Nike's DEI programs. The EEOC is reportedly requesting information going back to 2018, including documents on workforce representation targets and alleged race-restricted programs. According to Yahoo, Lucas has long criticized DEI programs, arguing that they can pressure managers to make race-based decisions that violate federal civil rights law. In December, she posted on social media calling on White men who felt they were discriminated against to come forward and file claims, signaling her focus on enforcing civil rights protections evenly across all racial groups. Legal experts say the investigation is part of a larger trend. Sam Mitchell, a Chicago-based employment lawyer, told CNN, "Nike is being made an example of," noting that no employer, regardless of prominence, is immune from scrutiny under the current administration's anti-DEI enforcement policies. Nike, which publicly committed to achieving 35% representation of racial and ethnic minorities in its corporate workforce by 2025, said its DEI goals are intended to widen recruitment efforts and root out biasnot to establish quotas. Originally published on vcpost.com A concept of the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Source: DrTech/YouTube. Samsung is preparing to launch Galaxy S26 Ultra, its most premium flagship model to date. The device has received largely positive early reactions. Even so, it still needs genuinely compelling features to persuade users to open their wallets. Galaxy S26 Ultra is expected to introduce several notable upgrades. These include display-integrated security features and a camera system with larger-aperture lenses. However, many Samsung fans argue that these improvements still miss the core priorities of high-end users. Below are the three most important features that could convince buyers the moment Galaxy S26 Ultra reaches store shelves. A bigger battery: 5,000mAh is no longer enough According to current rumors, Galaxy S26 Ultra will support fast charging of up to 60W. This would allow the battery to charge from zero to 50% in roughly 15 minutes. On the surface, that sounds impressive. The real issue lies in the battery capacity itself. The device is still expected to retain a 5,000mAh battery. This is the same capacity used in the previous generation and several generations before that. In todays smartphone landscape, 5,000mAh is no longer considered a large battery. Fast charging can reduce waiting time, but the capacity itself has remained virtually unchanged for years. Samsung appears to be lagging behind in battery technology. Chinese manufacturers have already introduced siliconcarbon batteries approaching, and in some cases exceeding, 10,000mAh. Samsung is reportedly developing solid-state batteries. Even in the most optimistic scenario, this technology would only appear in wearable devices toward the end of 2026. That leaves almost no chance for Galaxy S26 Ultra to benefit from it. At present, many smartphones already offer batteries close to 7,000mAh. Two-day battery life is quickly becoming an expected standard. For Galaxy S26 Ultra to truly stand out, it would need at least a 6,000mAh battery based on siliconcarbon technology. Unfortunately, this scenario appears highly unlikely. A better camera system, not more lenses The Galaxy Ultra line has long been among the best smartphone cameras on the market. However, Samsungs camera strategy still feels inefficient. The dedicated 3X telephoto camera on Galaxy Ultra devices is increasingly redundant. The phone would be far more compelling if it were equipped with a 200MP periscope telephoto camera instead. Leaks suggest Galaxy S26 Ultra will continue with a familiar camera configuration. This includes a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP periscope camera with 5X optical zoom, a 50MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP 3X telephoto lens without periscope optics. The key question is whether users truly need a separate 3X telephoto camera. With a 200MP main sensor, high-quality 2X cropped photos are already easily achievable. Removing the 10MP telephoto lens would free up space for a larger periscope sensor. Competitors such as Vivo with the Vivo X200 Ultra and Xiaomi with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra have already adopted 200MP telephoto cameras. These systems deliver superior detail at 5X zoom and even enable hybrid 10X shots that come close to true optical quality. The 10MP 3X telephoto camera is clearly a relic of the past. It no longer belongs on Galaxy S26 Ultra. A combination of a 200MP main camera and a 200MP periscope telephoto camera would be more than sufficient for a flagship of this caliber. Better software: One UI is becoming cluttered Samsung continues to modify One UI with each new version. Even users who have grown accustomed to its sometimes unusual behavior often find that everything changes again in the next update. In One UI 7, Notifications and Quick Settings are separated by default. Widgets and icon designs have also been altered. This has led many users to feel that Samsung is trying too hard to make Android resemble iOS. Complaints about this experience frequently appear on Reddit. Many users describe the interface as frustrating and lacking refinement. There is hope that Galaxy S26 Ultra will deliver a cleaner, more streamlined interface. The focus should be on performance and productivity rather than visual decoration. Historically, the Galaxy Ultra series has been positioned as a business phone. It is designed to maximize work efficiency. A minimal, uncluttered interface would align far better with that philosophy. Galaxy S26 Ultra is drawing ever closer. This article reads like a collection of what if scenarios. It is almost certain that the device will not feature a 200MP telephoto camera. It is also unlikely to arrive with a 6,000mAh battery. A fully redesigned, simplified One UI experience also seems improbable. Nevertheless, if Samsung wants to remain competitive and avoid further loss of market share, it must raise its game. This pressure is especially clear as Apple has surged ahead thanks to strong sales of the iPhone 17 lineup. Hai Phong A representative of a company in HCMC said she feels like sitting on a fire as containers of goods are stuck at the port. Her company has imported three containers of unprocessed walnuts from the US worth VND12.6 billion, and paid full import taxes of more than VND360 million. On January 27, the goods arrived at Cat Lai Port (HCMC). According to the schedule, the shipment was to clear customs on January 29 so the company could move it to cold storage for preservation and examination. However, according to the business owner, customs authorities at Cat Lai Port said procedures related to imported food products are temporarily suspended while awaiting guidance documents from higher-level agencies. So, customs clearance has not been permitted. They told us to wait, but I dont know how long, the company representative said. Meanwhile, the goods must leave HCMC today (January 31) to be delivered on time to customers in Hanoi according to the contract. Its Hanoi branch still needs to process the raw materials, such as marinating, drying, and roasting the walnuts, then packaging them into finished Tet gift sets for delivery. If the three containers are held at the port for too long, the business will suffer. First, it has to compensate the client in Hanoi. Second, the walnuts, without preservatives, may suffer from infestations while sitting outdoors for too long. "If the imports aren't cleared soon, the damage could reach tens of billions of dong. Not to mention, I have four other containers about to arrive in Vietnam," she said, adding that the bottleneck arose when the Government's Decree 46/2026/ND-CP regarding food safety took effect on January 26, 2026, replacing Decree 15/2018/ND-CP. Kim T., a representative of a food importing business in HCMC, added that the state inspection methods for food safety for imported goods in the new Decree 46 have changed completely compared to the old Decree 15. This is the sticking point. Under the old Decree 15, the state inspection agencies for imported food were those assigned or designated by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (former), or the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Under the new Decree 46, the state inspection agencies for imported food safety are state management agencies assigned tasks by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment or Provincial People's Committees under the decentralization mechanism. According to T., previously in HCMC, there were four units designated as focal points for state inspection of imported food safety. Under Decree 46, these units are allowed to continue inspection work until March 31, 2026. However, because there is no specific guidance document after Decree 46 took effect, all these units have refused to accept business dossiers. Without a food safety certificate issued by these units, customs cannot clear the goods. "Previously, the specialized units responsible for issuing certificates included Regional Plant Quarantine Sub-department II; Quality Assurance and Testing Center 3 (Quatest 3); Vinacontrol. Now, they all refuse to receive dossiers," added V T., a person specialized in customs procedures for food in HCMC. Who is to blame? With a large volume of imported food arriving to serve production and business activities for Tet sale season, this situation is causing serious congestion at border gate areas. According to newly released statistics from the Customs Department, on January 30, 2026, about 300 vehicles carrying fresh agricultural products (vegetables and fruits) and confectionery goods at Kim Thanh International Border Gate (Lao Cai) had not yet obtained food safety inspection results required for customs clearance. At Hoa Lu Border Gate (Dong Nai), 251 vehicles carrying dried cassava and banana chips were also awaiting food safety inspection results. At several other border gates, the number of food shipments currently congested includes: Lao Bao (Quang Tri) with 50 vehicles; Dinh Ba (Dong Thap) with 100 vehicles; Vinh Xuong (An Giang) with 200 boats; Thuong Phuoc (Dong Thap) with 200 boats; and Tinh Bien (An Giang) with 200 vehicles. On January 30, the Vietnam Dairy Association sent an urgent document to Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long. The association said that all imported food shipments, including finished products and raw materials for production, are currently stuck at ports and unable to clear customs because state inspection responsibilities were transferred to provincial and municipal Peoples Committees from January 27, 2026 under Decree 46/2026/ND-CP. However, provincial and municipal authorities have yet to issue any guidance. Doan Bong General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) To Lam, President of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) Hun Sen and General Secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Thongloun Sisoulith co-chaired a meeting of the chiefs of the three Parties at the CPP headquarters in Phnom Penh on February 6. Also attending the meeting were the Prime Ministers of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos; the Chairman of the Vietnamese National Assembly; and the President of the Cambodian National Assembly. Held in a warm and friendly atmosphere, the leaders noted that the meeting took place as the CPV and the LPRP had successfully concluded their national congresses, while the CPP was effectively implementing its political platform for the 20232028 period, providing an important foundation for strengthening strategic exchanges, consolidating political trust and agreeing on major orientations for trilateral cooperation in a new stage of development. General Secretary To Lam briefed the participants on Vietnams situation and the important and strategic outcomes of the 14th National Congress of the CPV, stressing that the congress reaffirmed the country's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, with priority given to the friendly neighbourliness and special traditional ties with Laos and Cambodia, as well as proactive and active contributions to peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world. A view of the meeting (Photo: VNA) The Party chief underscored Vietnams consistent policy of attaching great importance to consolidating and developing the special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation among the three countries. CPP President Hun Sen and LPRP General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith thanked General Secretary To Lam for sharing Vietnams socio-economic achievements and the success of the 14th National Congress of the CPV. They lauded the CPVs comprehensive reform policy, strategic mindset and leadership capacity in the new development period, expressing their confidence that under the CPV's sound leadership headed by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam will successfully implement the congresss resolution, becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030 and a developed socialist nation with high income by 2045. Reviewing the past year, the three leaders agreed that the trilateral cooperation reaped positive achievements and has been strengthened and developed across all fields. Political and diplomatic relations remained the core pillar, while defence and security cooperation played a key role, with notable outcomes including the joint meeting of the defence ministers and a trilateral search-and-rescue exercise in Laos. Economic, trade and investment cooperation recorded positive progress, they said, noting the strong economic growth of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos at 8.02%, 6.3% and 4.2% in 2025, respectively. Meanwhile, they also highlighted growing people-to-people exchanges, locality-to-locality collaboration and effectiveness of communications on friendship and solidarity among the three countries. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia held a youth festival in Quang Ngai province of Vietnam in 2025. Against the backdrop of complex and rapidly evolving developments in the regional and world situation, the leaders agreed to further enhance solidarity, maintain regular consultation and strengthen coordination to safeguard legitimate interests of each country and preserve a peaceful and stable environment for development. They agreed to continue maintaining the mechanism of regular meetings among the chiefs of the three Parties, governments, parliaments, ministers of public security, ministers of defence and ministers of foreign affairs and many other trilateral mechanisms; uphold the principle of not allowing any individual or organisation to use the territory of one country to harm others security; and strengthen border management and combat transnational crimes. On economic, trade and investment cooperation, the three sides agreed to further deepen economic linkages in a more substantive, effective and sustainable manner, creating breakthroughs in closer connectivity in the fields of economy, infrastructure and participation in supply chains. This will be pursued by leveraging the complementary strengths of the three economies, particularly in the areas of institutions, finance, transport infrastructure, logistics, energy, telecommunications and tourism, while building productionconsumption linkage chains. They agreed to effectively implement signed agreements and cooperation frameworks, improve policies to facilitate trade, especially cross-border trade, ease the circulation of goods, services and investment among the three countries, and encourage and support businesses to expand investment in such areas as innovation, digital transformation, renewable energy, agriculture, high technology, processing industries, green development, digital economy and tourism. To support one another in improving the quality of human resources to meet the requirements of a new development phase, the three Party chiefs reaffirmed their commitments to strengthening long-term education and training cooperation, viewing education and training as an important bridge linking younger generations and fostering understanding, trust and enduring friendship among the youth of the three countries. They agreed to create the most favourable conditions possible, including renewing government scholarship programmes, granting scholarships and tuition exemptions or reductions for students from the two other countries studying in the remaining nation, considering this a key measure to strengthen education, training and human resource development cooperation. They also agreed to enhance linkages and expand exchanges among lecturers and students of leading universities in the three countries, while coordinating the training of high-quality human resources to make practical contributions to each countrys sustainable development. The Party leaders agreed to further promote practical and effective exchange and cooperation activities, step up information, education and mass mobilisation efforts among all strata of society, particularly young people, on the tradition of solidarity, special friendship and comprehensive cooperation among the three countries, and continue to bring into play the core role of mass organisations, friendship associations and border localities. At the meeting, the three sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of mutual concern. The meeting of the leaders of the CPV, CPP and LPRP achieved very positive outcomes, covering all areas of cooperation among the three Parties and countries, and once again affirming that relations among the three Parties, countries and their people are of strategic and long-term significance. At the end of the meeting, the leaders agreed to hold the fifth meeting of the heads of the three Parties in Laos in 2027./. VNA During the visit, General Secretary Lam will co-chair the High-Level Meeting between the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee and the Standing Board of the Central Committee of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP), and the meeting of the three Party leaders of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos at the invitation of CPP President Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen. Party General Secretary To Lam welcomed at the airport (Photo: VNA) The high-ranking Vietnamese delegation includes Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. The visit holds great significance, providing an important opportunity for high-ranking leaders of the two countries to enhance exchanges, consolidate the foundation of political trust, and accelerate the implementation of agreements already reached. It also aims to further deepen the traditional friendship between the two Parties and countries, thereby creating fresh momentum to elevate VietnamCambodia relations to a new height, in line with the aspirations of their peoples and making a positive contribution to maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region./. VNA General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and President of the Cambodian Senate Hun Sen attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the Cambodia Vietnam Friendship School in Phnom Penh on February 6, part of the Vietnamese leaders state visit to Cambodia. Speaking at the ceremony, Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng expressed sincere gratitude to the Government and people of Vietnam and the countrys Embassy in Cambodia for their coordination and support in building the school, describing the project as highly meaningful for the suburban area of the Cambodian capital. The Cambodia Vietnam Friendship School is being built within the campus of the Samdech Techo Hun Sen Dangkor Primary and Secondary School on Street 217. The site was once used as a logistics base of the Vietnamese volunteer troops after Cambodias liberation on January 7, 1979, and has later served educational purposes until today. Given its historical significance and in order to preserve and strengthen the close-knit friendship between the two countries, under the spirit of connecting youth, connecting generations, and connecting the future, the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport decided to rename the school the Cambodia Vietnam Friendship School. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and President of the Cambodian Senate Hun Sen in a group photo at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Cambodia Vietnam Friendship School in Phnom Penh on February 6. (Photo: VNA) The school currently has 11 buildings with 54 classrooms, staffed by 135 teachers and administrators and serving about 6,000 students from preschool to lower secondary levels. With support from the Government and people of Vietnam, the establishment will be upgraded and added with new facilities to improve infrastructure, modernise the learning environment, and increase student admission capacity. New construction items include two two-storey multi-purpose buildings and eight three-storey buildings, with around 200 classrooms, two dining halls, and other supporting facilities. The construction period is expected to last between eight and 12 months./.VNA Russian anti-cancer drug named Pembroria, with pembrolizumab as its main active ingredient. Photo: MOH. On February 5, the National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the Department of Disease Control under the Ministry of Health, hosted a seminar titled Strengthening lung cancer prevention and early screening: International experience and Vietnams strategy. On the sidelines of the event, Professor Le Van Quang - Director of K Hospital and Head of the National Cancer Institute - confirmed that preparations are underway to begin clinical use of the drug. The medication, called Pembroria, contains the active ingredient pembrolizumab and is an immunotherapy produced in Russia. It was granted market authorization by the Drug Administration of Vietnam in November 2025. According to Prof. Quang, although Vietnam already had access to pembrolizumab-based immunotherapies from major pharmaceutical companies, their high cost made them less accessible. The Russian-made version offers comparable effectiveness but at a significantly lower price, which could greatly ease the financial burden on patients. Once procurement and insurance procedures are completed, the drug will be introduced into hospital treatment protocols. Regarding lung cancer diagnosis, Prof. Quang emphasized the growing importance of early screening, particularly for high-risk groups. The recommended method is low-dose CT scanning, which can detect even small lesions. Patients identified with abnormalities are closely monitored or referred for advanced diagnostic procedures. Vietnam has also adopted cutting-edge technologies for cancer diagnosis and treatment, including PET/CT, MRI, and molecular testing. These methods help identify both common and rare genetic mutations, enabling physicians to prescribe personalized therapies. Many targeted drugs are already available domestically, and others can be imported upon demand. In terms of surgical interventions, advanced techniques like minimally invasive laparoscopy and robotic surgery are now widely used, minimizing trauma and speeding up recovery. For radiotherapy, Vietnam has also implemented modern methods such as VMAT, IMRT, and SBRT to improve treatment outcomes while reducing side effects. Looking ahead, Prof. Quang said that the health sector will focus on expanding early lung cancer screening among high-risk populations - such as the elderly, long-term smokers, and those exposed to secondhand smoke. However, scaling up screening programs depends heavily on financial resources. Currently, K Hospital is running several low-dose CT screening projects supported by private enterprises, and it hopes to attract further funding from the government and social organizations. Prof. Quang reiterated that tobacco remains the primary cause of lung cancer, accounting for over 90% of all cases, including both active and passive smokers. Other contributing factors may include prolonged exposure to environmental toxins such as benzene, particularly in industrial zones. Phuong Thuy Vietnam has mastered the design and manufacturing technologies for armored vehicles using domestic capabilities, including the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle and the XTC-02 armored personnel carrier. Among them is Vietnams successful mastery of the design and manufacturing technology for armored vehicle products using domestic technology. Vietnam has now independently designed and manufactured armored vehicles with locally developed technology. These include the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle and the XTC-02 armored personnel carrier combat vehicle. This achievement has been officially recognized as one of the Ministrys nine most notable science, technology and innovation highlights of 2025. Below are the nine outstanding events and achievements selected by the Ministry of Science and Technology for 2025. First, the National Assembly passed 10 laws in the fields of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation, creating a legal foundation for breakthrough development in these areas. Second, the National Exhibition of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Transformation achievements was held to mark the 80th anniversary of National Day, alongside the special issuance of commemorative postage stamp sets celebrating major national milestones, including key historical anniversaries of 2025 and 2026. Third, the Ninh Thuan nuclear power project was restarted, positioning it as a pillar of national energy security. Fourth, Vietnam mastered the design and manufacturing technology for armored vehicles using domestic technology, notably the XCB-01 infantry fighting vehicle and the XTC-02 armored personnel carrier. Fifth, Vietnam successfully mastered and applied next-generation NGS-SNP DNA analysis technology for identifying the remains of fallen soldiers. Sixth, nationwide 5G coverage was rolled out, serving digital transformation while supporting national defense and security. Seventh, the African swine fever vaccine AVAC ASF LIVE was researched, produced and commercialized internationally. Eighth, Vietnam mastered and commercialized two specialized fuel products, Jet A-1K and DO L-62. Ninth, the Hanoi Convention was recognized as a global milestone in the fight against cybercrime. Thai Khang The plan lays out how roads will be built over the next three decades as the country moves to keep pace with rising traffic, faster urbanisation and growing freight demand. By mid-century, the expressway system is expected to include 43 routes, stretching about 8,920km in total. At the centre of the network is the north-south spine, which will run on two parallel tracks - an eastern coastal expressway of about 2,065km and a western inland route extending roughly 1,205km. Regionally, northern Vietnam is set to host 14 expressway routes, adding up to around 2,242km. The central region and the Central Highlands will account for 11 routes, or about 1,353km, while the south will have a similar number of routes covering roughly 1,342km. Large cities will see major ring-road expansions. Hanoi plans to operate three ring roads by 2050, with a combined length of about 417km. Ho Chi Minh City will have two, totalling nearly 299km. The blueprint also looks beyond expressways. By 2050, the national highway system is expected to include 172 routes with a combined length of more than 28,600km. The main NorthSouth arteries will comprise National Highway 1, which runs about 2,218km, and the Ho Chi Minh Road, at roughly 1,894km. In the north, the core highway network will consist of 21 major arterial routes spanning about 6,530km, supported by 34 secondary connecting roads. The central region and the Central Highlands will have 24 arterial routes and 47 secondary ones, while the south will operate 17 arterial highways and 27 connecting routes. The Ministry of Construction estimates the road programme will require more than 200,000ha of land. Funding is expected to come from a mix of state spending, government bonds, official development assistance, private investment and some other sources. Under the plan, expressways will be widened or expanded in line with long-term design standards, while upgrades to national highways and the construction of bypasses will be decided on a case-by-case basis, based on traffic forecasts and available funding. Vietnam has already accelerated construction in recent years. By the end of 2025, the country had 3,803km of expressways in operation, including main routes and access roads - comfortably surpassing an earlier target of 3,000km./. VNA The result reflects efforts by seafood enterprises to maintain early-year order momentum amid continued pressure from technical barriers and tariff-related factors in several major markets. Growth in the first month of this year was driven mainly by Asian markets, particularly China, Japan and ASEAN, and by strong performance in key product groups such as pangasius and squid, octopus. In contrast, exports to the US declined noticeably, especially for tuna, due to the impact of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and difficulties related to the issuance of certificates of analysis (COA) for seafood exports. China remained Vietnams largest seafood market in January, with export turnover reaching nearly 250 million USD, up 28.7% from the same period last year. The main driver was strong shrimp demand ahead of the Lunar New Year, when consumption of premium seafood products typically rises. Lobster, in particular, made a significant contribution, as many enterprises accelerated shipments to China to capitalise on festive demand. Exports to Japan, ASEAN and the Republic of Korea also recorded solid growth. Shipments to Japan climbed 21.3% year-on-year to almost 146 million USD, supported by steady demand for processed shrimp, frozen pangasius fillets, and squid and octopus. Exports to ASEAN surged 32.2% to around 69 million USD, reflecting stronger intra-regional trade and rising consumption in markets such as Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. Meanwhile, exports to the RoK rose 9.1% to more than 67 million USD, driven mainly by squid, octopus and pangasius. By contrast, exports to the European Union fell 6.3% to nearly 72 million USD, due to weak demand and carry-over inventories from late 2025, particularly for molluscs and crab products. Shipments to the Middle East also declined 9.4% to about 21 million USD, following a period of strong imports at the end of last year. In terms of product structure, shrimp continued to be Vietnams leading seafood export item, generating 331 million USD, up 6.4%, and accounting for nearly 38% of total export value. Growth was mainly recorded in China and Japan. For the US market, some exporters proactively delivered shipments earlier in January to reduce risks ahead of expected announcements on anti-dumping duties, helping prevent a sharper decline in shrimp exports during the month. Pangasius emerged as the brightest spot, with export value exceeding 177 million USD, up 33.2%, making it the fastest-growing product group in January. Strong demand from China, ASEAN and Japan supported this performance. Squid and octopus exports also rose sharply, reaching nearly 69 million USD, up 30.9%, thanks to robust consumption in Japan and the RoK. Meanwhile, tuna exports dropped 14% to around 57 million USD, and shipments of crab and other crustaceans declined 10.6% to about 31 million USD, while bivalve molluscs fell 11.7% to approximately 20 million USD, mainly because of sluggish demand in the EU. VASEP forecasts that seafood exports in February may fall compared to January and ease slightly year-on-year, due to production and logistics disruptions during the Lunar New Year holiday, ongoing regulatory challenges in the US, and softer Chinese import demand after early stockpiling. Despite short-term challenges, the industry is expected to continue diversifying markets, improving compliance and tapping domestic demand to sustain growth momentum./. VNA PM Chinh congratulated the Cambodian Government, led by PM Hun Manet, on its significant achievements in national construction and development, expressing his confidence that Cambodia will continue to record further successes in the time ahead. PM Hun Manet congratulated Vietnam on the success of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), describing it as vivid evidence of the Partys strong unity and consensus, as well as the Vietnamese peoples firm confidence in the Partys leadership. He voiced his belief that, under the sound leadership of the CPV headed by General Secretary To Lam, Vietnam will achieve double-digit growth, realise its goal of becoming a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income by 2030, and a developed socialist country with high income by 2045. The two PMs noted that over the past year, the two governments have effectively implemented the conclusions of the meetings in February 2025 between the CPV and the Cambodian People's Party (CPP), and among the CPV, the CPP and the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), proactively and efficiently rolling out cooperation plans and achieving substantive results. Political and diplomatic relations have continued to be strengthened, while bilateral cooperation mechanisms have operated effectively, they said. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh on February 6. (Photo: VNA) Defence and security cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia has become increasingly substantive, while economic, trade and investment partnership recorded strong growth, with bilateral trade reaching 11.33 billion USD in 2025, up 11.7% from 2024. Positive progress has also been made in border cooperation, reflecting both sides goodwill and determination to build a border of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation and development. Cooperation in education, training, health care, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges has further been promoted, the PMs noted. While acknowledging the benefits of opening border gates, the two PMs stressed the need for close coordination in border management to ensure security and order, prevent cross-border crimes and smuggling, and address illegal activities. They agreed to expedite the signing of an agreement on border gate management and an agreement on border management regulations to facilitate border trade and meet development goals in the new period. Building on existing achievements and the outcomes of recent bilateral and trilateral meetings among the CPV, CPP and LPRP as well as the meeting of the Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian PMs, the two governments will further deepen cooperation by enhancing high-level contacts and exchanges at all levels and across all channels, effectively utilising bilateral cooperation mechanisms, strengthening defence and security cooperation, and adhering to the principle of not allowing hostile forces to use one countrys territory against the other. They also agreed to maintain border security and combat transnational crimes. The two leaders agreed to accelerate efforts to finalise the project on a new economic cooperation mechanism linking the Vietnamese and Cambodian economies through 2035, with a vision to 2050, study plans for expressway connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City/Moc Bai and Bavet/Phnom Penh, and promote cooperation in agricultural product trade and processing. Emphasising the importance of maintaining a peaceful, stable and sustainably developing border, the two PMs affirmed their commitments to promptly and appropriately addressing emerging issues, including environmental protection in border areas. They agreed to push forward negotiations to resolve the remaining approximately 16% of the land border yet to be demarcated and to strengthen coordination in managing both land and maritime borders in a spirit of mutual understanding and respect, in line with international law. The two sides reaffirmed their determination to preserve, nurture and further strengthen the traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia, regarding this relationship as a valuable asset of both nations, pledging to pass it on to future generations for the long-term interests of their people and for regional peace, stability and sustainable development. On this occasion, PM Chinh called on Cambodia to continue paying attention to resolving legal status issues for people of Vietnamese origin in Cambodia, enabling them to stabilise their lives and contribute positively to Cambodias prosperous development and bilateral friendship./. VNA President Donald Trump announced plans for a massive national prayer gathering on the National Mall this spring, declaring the event will "rededicate America as one nation under God" as part of the country's 250th anniversary celebration. Speaking at the 74th Annual National Prayer Breakfast on February 5 at the Washington Hilton, Trump revealed the event, officially titled the National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise, and Thanksgiving, will take place on May 17, 2026. "We're inviting Americans from all across the country to come together on our National Mall to pray, to give thanks, and to rededicate America as One Nation Under God," Trump told attendees, drawing extended applause from the bipartisan crowd. The announcement comes as the nation prepares for a yearlong celebration marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The prayer event is part of Trump's Freedom 250 initiative, coordinated with the National Park Foundation. During his speech, Trump emphasized what he described as a religious revival occurring across America under his administration. "As we gather today, there are many signs that religion is coming back. It's coming back so strong," the president said. "You know, your churches are filling up. You didn't have that two years ago." The president contrasted his embrace of faith with what he characterized as reluctance from other political figures. "Some major politicians refuse to say the word God. They don't want to say it. I say it," Trump stated. "We are endowed with our sacred rights to life, liberty, and not by government but by God Almighty Himself." Trump highlighted his administration's efforts to restore religion to public life, including the creation of a White House Faith Office and the launch of the "America Prays" initiative earlier this year. The White House released a 22-page document emphasizing the Christian foundations of the country, featuring historical prayers, sermons, and presidential proclamations. The president also announced new guidance from the Department of Education aimed at protecting religious speech and prayer rights in public schools, acknowledging the policy will likely face legal challenges. "We'll win it," Trump confidently told the audience. Emphasizing the importance of faith, Trump declared, "Prayer is America's superpower. It really is a superpower. And it always has been and it always will be." He added that prayer "strengthens, heals, empowers, and saves." The National Prayer Breakfast drew prominent attendees including House Speaker Mike Johnson, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. International leaders including El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi also attended. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) co-chaired this year's event, which has been a bipartisan tradition focused on prayer for the nation and its leaders. Trump referenced recent stories of faith during natural disasters, telling of two young girls who led others in prayer during flooding emergencies. "Almost 250 years after our Founding Fathers took one of the greatest leaps of faith in human history, the story of Emma and London shows us that faith of the American people remains unbroken, actually became stronger than ever," he said. The president also touted his executive order related to the Johnson Amendment, which eased restrictions on religious leaders commenting on political issues, as evidence of his commitment to religious freedom. This marks Trump's sixth appearance at the National Prayer Breakfast. The May 17 event on the National Mall is expected to draw Americans from across the country for what organizers are describing as a historic gathering of prayer and national rededication. Jindo country's Governor Kim Hee-soo, during an official administration forum, suggested that to address population issues, special measures should be adopted, including what he described as importing young women from Sri Lanka or Vietnam to marry rural men. The remarks, which were reported by Korean media over the past two days, sparked strong public backlash in the RoK and among the Vietnamese community, with criticism focusing on their serious lack of awareness of human rights, multiculturalism and gender sensitivity. In its note sent to the governor of South Jeolla province and the Jindo county administration, the Vietnamese Embassy stressed that over the past three decades, the Vietnamese and Korean Governments and people have built a relationship of friendship, cooperation and equality, with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership yielding substantial achievements. The Vietnamese community in the RoK has made important contributions to this process which, it noted, are undeniable. Jindo country's Governor Kim Hee-soo (Source: Chosun Daily) The embassy emphasised that respect for citizens dignity and honour, particularly that of women, is a shared value and principle of both Vietnamese and Korean societies. The Vietnamese Government and people acknowledge and highly value the efforts by the Korean Government and people in protecting and promoting the dignity of women in general and Vietnamese women in particular. South Jeolla province, it noted, has a long-standing tradition of tolerance, respect and openness, and is regarded by the Vietnamese community as a favourable place to live and pursue their aspirations. During this process, respecting and promoting women's dignity and honour must therefore be one of the top standards. Against this backdrop, the embassy underlined that offensive language and inappropriate expressions, including the use of the phrase importing Vietnamese women, from anyone must be reviewed seriously, properly acknowledged and corrected in a constructive spirit. It expressed confidence that sincere acknowledgement and concrete remedial actions will help build trust, promote appropriate conduct and further consolidate the Vietnam RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Meanwhile, local journal JoongAng Ilbo reported on February 6 that Governor of Jindo country Kim Hee-soo had apologised for using the term import when referring to women from specific countries in the context of population decline. He explained that his remarks were intended to highlight structural challenges related to declining population, marriage and birth rates in rural areas, affirming he had no intention of demeaning any country or individual. He also apologised to anyone who may have felt offended./. VNA Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held a working session with Cambodian PM Hun Manet and Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone in Phnom Penh on February 6 to implement the outcomes of the meeting among the leaders of the three countries' ruling parties held the same day. PM Chinh underscored that the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam clearly identified maintaining a peaceful and stable environment as a prerequisite, pursuing fast yet sustainable development, placing people at the centre and as both the driving force and ultimate goal, and attaching great importance to relations with neighbouring countries, particularly the countries with which Vietnam shares close and time-honoured ties forged through shared struggles for national independence and carried forward in today's cause of national construction and defence. Vietnam will continue to steadfastly pursue the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, and treasuring the bonds with neighbouring countries, with priority given to the ties with Cambodia and Laos. PM Chinh expressed satisfaction that since the high-level bilateral and trilateral Party-to-Party meetings, as well as the visits and meetings of the three countries' key leaders since February 2025, ministries, sectors and localities of the countries have actively coordinated to implement the assigned tasks, with objectives basically fulfilled. The three PMs welcomed the strong and substantive development of trilateral cooperation, which has helped further consolidate and deepen the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation among Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Emphasising the strategic importance of the close bonds, political trust and solidarity among the three countries, they agreed to continue promoting youth exchanges and training for young leaders. They agreed to step up communications about the historical significance and enormous value of the trilateral relations among all strata of society, especially younger generations. Particular importance was attached to upcoming milestones, including the 70th anniversary of Cambodia Laos relations (June 15, 19562026), the 65th anniversary of Vietnam Laos relations (September 5, 19622027) and the 60th anniversary of Vietnam Cambodia relations (June 24, 19672027). They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening coordination in safeguarding national security and promoting national development, maintaining regular high-level engagements across all channels, enhancing cooperation among localities, particularly border provinces, and increasing people-to-people exchanges. They agreed to effectively implement the signed cooperation mechanisms and agreements, boost information sharing and tighten coordination among the countries' ministries and sectors. An overview of the meeting (Photo: VNA) On defence and security, the three Government leaders agreed to step up cooperation in border security protection and the fight against transnational crimes, including drug trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering. They reiterated the principle of not allowing any individual or force to use one countrys territory to harm anothers security, while jointly building borderlines of peace, friendship, stability and development. On economic collaboration, the three sides agreed to continue adopting policies and measures to facilitate trade, investment and cooperation on a complementary and win-win basis, shifting from expansion in scale to improvement in quality and efficiency. They agreed to promote connectivity among the three economies, with connectivity in transport, logistics and border gate infrastructure identified as a breakthrough; create favourable conditions for trade, investment and tourism; strengthen value chain linkages, leverage each countrys comparative advantages; and foster tourism cooperation, particularly the One Journey, Three Destinations initiative. The Lao and Cambodian PMs agreed with PM Chinh to identify five breakthrough areas in the coming period transport, energy, education and training, tourism and youth connectivity, with a particular focus on raising younger generations' awareness of the traditional relations among the three countries. Discussing regional and international issues of mutual concern, the three PMs agreed to enhance information sharing and mutual support at regional and international forums, and to work together with other ASEAN members to build a united and resilient ASEAN Community, reaffirming the bloc's central role in maintaining peace, stability and promoting cooperation and development in the region. They also agreed to continue close coordination in strengthening trust among Mekong countries, prioritising resources for development, addressing non-traditional challenges and other latent risks, and maintaining cooperation between Mekong countries and development partners./. VNA General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam and President of the Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) Hun Sen witnessed the signing and exchange of cooperation documents between Vietnamese and Cambodian ministries, agencies and localities in Phnom Penh on February 6. The ceremony was also attended by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam. The leaders witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CPP Central Committees Commission for External Relations for the 20262030 period. An additional 11 documents were exchanges, including the 2026 cooperation plan between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Cambodian Ministry of Interior; a cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religion; and a series of cooperation pacts between Vietnams Tay Ninh province and Cambodias Svay Rieng, Prey Veng and Tbong Khmum provinces; and between Vietnams Dong Nai province and Cambodia's Kratie, Mondulkiri, Tbong Khmum, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom and Stung Treng provinces. Party General Secretary To Lam and CPP President Hun Sen witness the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Party Committee of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CPP Central Committees Commission for External Relations. (Photo: VNA) The ongoing state visit to Cambodia by General Secretary Lam and the Vietnamese delegation is expected to create a turning point, opening a new phase in bilateral relations marked by higher political trust, broader and deeper cooperation, and closer connectivity. It is also hoped to create opportunities for closer and more substantive linkages in the fields of economy, trade and investment, thereby generating interwoven strategic interests in such key fields as trade, investment, supply chains, agriculture, processing industry, infrastructure, energy and transport./.VNA Under a Tet holiday plan approved by the Prime Minister based on a proposal from the Ministry of Home Affairs, civil servants and public employees will have a total of nine consecutive days off for the 2026 Lunar New Year, including public holidays and weekends. Illustrative image: Nguyen Hue Specifically, the break will run from Saturday, February 14, 2026, which is the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month of the Year of the Snake, through Sunday, February 22, 2026, corresponding to the sixth day of the first lunar month of the Year of the Horse. Under the Labor Code, public employees are entitled to five official Tet holidays, including one day before Tet and four days after Tet. Combined with four weekend days, the total holiday period amounts to nine consecutive days. For employees in the business sector, employers are encouraged to develop Tet holiday plans that suit production and business conditions, while also taking into account the public sector schedule. The Ministry of Home Affairs has suggested several options, such as taking one day off at the end of the Year of the Snake and four days at the beginning of the Year of the Horse. Other options include two days at the end of the old year and three days at the start of the new year, or three days at the end of the old year and two days at the beginning of the new year. Employers are required to inform employees of the Tet holiday schedule at least 30 days in advance. If weekly rest days coincide with public holidays or Tet holidays as stipulated, employers must arrange compensatory leave on the following working day. The Ministry of Home Affairs also encourages businesses to adopt a holiday schedule similar to that of the public sector and to prioritize agreements that are more favorable to employees. According to labor experts, a nine-day Tet holiday allows workers more time to reunite with family and restore their energy after a year of work. This, in turn, is expected to help improve morale and productivity when employees return to work. In addition, the extended holiday is seen as a factor that can stimulate consumer demand, boost tourism and service activities, and create momentum for economic growth at the start of the year. To avoid disruptions to production and business operations, many companies have proactively prepared early. Measures include flexible shift arrangements, working extra hours before the holiday or increasing overtime afterward, as well as maintaining on-duty teams for key operations. Some enterprises have also accelerated digital transformation and automation to ensure order fulfillment and stable operations during the holiday period. The longer break also enables people to better plan their travel schedules, reducing congestion during peak days. More balanced travel flows are expected to ease traffic pressure in major cities and on key transport routes. This contributes to safer and more convenient travel during Tet, while also reducing the burden on transport infrastructure and service forces. Vu Diep Visitors to Yen Tu will be exempt from entrance fees. Photo: Pham Cong. On the afternoon of February 5, the Quang Ninh People's Council, during its 35th session of the 14th tenure, passed a resolution amending several regulations on sightseeing fees at scenic and cultural sites. Under the resolution, Quang Ninh will waive all entrance fees for residents and tourists visiting the Yen Tu relic complex and the Yen Tu National Forest scenic area. The free-admission policy will be applied until the end of 2028. The decision is intended as a gesture of deep appreciation by Quang Ninh for local residents, monks, Buddhists and visitors, while also reflecting the provinces commitment to preserving and promoting the sites cultural and spiritual values. A key basis for the policy is the fact that the Yen Tu relic and scenic complex was officially recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site on July 12, 2025. In addition, visitor numbers to Yen Tu have shown a marked decline in recent years. From more than 1 million visitors in 2018, the figure fell to around 567,000 in 2025. Against this backdrop, the zero-fee policy is expected to serve as a strong catalyst to attract tourists back to Yen Tu, while creating favorable conditions for master planning, investment attraction and the development of more diversified tourism products in surrounding areas. Currently, entrance fees at Yen Tu stand at VND 40,000 per adult and VND 20,000 per child. The fee exemption is therefore seen as a significant incentive for both domestic and international visitors, particularly during peak pilgrimage and festival seasons. Pham Cong Photo: Midjourney The 4th Industrial Revolution, with AI at its core, is profoundly transforming many fields, including healthcare. Given the rapid development of technologies supporting diagnosis and treatment, many people may ask: Can AI replace or even take away the jobs of doctors in the future? Son, Deputy Head and Director of the International Center for Advanced Research on Applied Artificial Intelligence, an arm of the Information Technology Institute (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), affirmed that AI is and will play a very important role in medicine, but it cannot replace doctors. Reality shows that AI has proven its value in supporting medical examination and treatment consultation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health announced many AI applications for screening through chest X-rays. The National Lung Hospital has applied AI in tuberculosis screening, helping shorten time and expand deployment capabilities to grassroots levels. Meanwhile, the 108 Military Central Hospital has implemented an AI system that converts speech to text with 85 percent accuracy, helping doctors save time on note-taking and focus more on examination and treatment. At the national exhibition on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the National Day in August 2025, Bach Mai Hospital introduced the AI software supporting lung cancer diagnosis, capable of simultaneously analyzing three types of medical images: chest CT, bronchoscopy, and histopathology. This is the first time in Vietnam that a synchronous AI system has been applied across all three lung cancer diagnosis fields, opening great prospects for early disease detection and treatment. The software acts as an "intelligent assistant" for doctors: On chest CT images: It automatically detects abnormal nodules and points out suspected cancer areas, helping doctors navigate quickly and accurately. On bronchoscopy images: It identifies lesions in difficult-to-observe positions and suggests optimal biopsy locations. On histopathology images: It classifies cancer cells with high accuracy, supporting the identification of lung cancer types. The software not only shortens diagnosis time but also improves the ability to detect microscopic lesions, reducing pressure on doctors, especially at lower-level medical facilities. This is a breakthrough step, contributing to standardizing diagnostic procedures and improving cancer treatment quality nationwide. "AI brings many benefits to the healthcare sector, especially improving workflows and increasing efficiency. Thanks to automated diagnostic support, doctors can reduce information processing time, thereby prioritizing urgent or rare cases. Additionally, AI contributes to reducing administrative burdens, standardizing reports, and limiting avoidable errors, which is very important in the context of a medical system under great pressure and uneven resource distribution between localities," Son noted. Doctors cant be replaced However, Son emphasized that AI can only support processing certain tasks, while it cannot take over the role, function, and responsibility of a doctor. A doctor's job is not just diagnosis but also involves interpretation, legal responsibility, and treatment consultation for patients. Even the most advanced AI systems today only provide predictions about the disease state and treatment options based on past data. Meanwhile, many effective therapies do not lie with the majority or in statistical models but are based on the doctor's understanding and feeling for each specific patient. "AI can read the disease, but only doctors understand the patient," Son emphasized. A good doctor looks not only at test results (hard data) but also observes the patient's facial expression, and psychological reactions (soft data) that are very difficult for AI to fully grasp. Another important factor preventing AI from replacing doctors is the legal and ethical issues. Currently, there is no legal framework recognizing AI as a legal entity capable of signing medical records or bearing legal responsibility. In medical professional councils in Vietnam, AI is only considered a form of advanced paraclinical test, and its results must be cross-checked and signed off by doctors. In addition, emotional intelligence (EQ) and empathy are core values of the medical profession. A terminal-stage cancer patient needs companionship, comfort, and humane decisions rather than cold predictive numbers from machines. AI cannot hold a patients hand or share the pain of their family. Therefore, according to Son, AI is a tool to help doctors work better, not to replace doctors. Son also warned against the trend of people using multi-purpose chatbots such as ChatGPT to support medical examination and treatment. This can create risks: chatbots are designed for information retrieval and synthesis, not to replace doctors in making conclusions. In some cases, chatbots may distort information, provide incorrect conclusions, or overlook important factors and regional differences, posing risks to patients. Vo Thu Samsung Galaxy phones are designed with powerful hardware and smart software, but their batteries still need thoughtful care to stay healthy over time. With the right use of Samsung battery protection settings and practical galaxy charging tips, users can extend battery life and keep their devices running reliably for years. Why Samsung Battery Protection Matters Modern Galaxy phones use lithium-ion batteries, which naturally lose capacity as they go through charge cycles. This aging process accelerates when the battery stays at 100% for long periods, gets very hot, or is repeatedly drained to near 0%. Samsung addresses this with built-in Samsung battery protection options that limit how and when the phone charges to full. Combined with sensible galaxy charging tips, these tools help extend battery life and maintain more consistent performance over the long term. What Is Samsung Battery Protection? Samsung battery protection is a software feature on many recent Galaxy phones that manages charging to reduce stress on the battery. Instead of always allowing the battery to reach 100%, it can cap charging at a lower level, such as 80%, to minimize chemical wear inside the cell. On newer One UI versions, Samsung offers multiple protection modes, often labeled options like Basic, Adaptive, or Maximum, each with different limits and behaviors. For instance, some modes restrict charging to around 80%, while adaptive modes learn routine usage and time full charges to finish closer to when the phone is usually unplugged. How Samsung Battery Protection Works When Samsung battery protection is enabled, the system monitors charge level and stops charging when the chosen cap is reached. The phone then runs on battery alone until the level drops slightly, at which point charging may resume to maintain the target range. By avoiding long periods at 100% and reducing heat from unnecessary top-ups, this feature can significantly extend battery life across hundreds of cycles. This approach follows widely accepted lithium-ion care guidelines that favor partial charges over constant full charges. How to Enable Battery Protection on Samsung Galaxy Phones On most recent Galaxy models, battery protection can be turned on through the main settings menu. The path typically looks like: Settings > Battery or Battery and device care > Battery > More battery settings > Battery protection or Protect battery. From there, users can toggle the feature on and, if available, select between protection modes to match their usage patterns. Those who keep their phones plugged in for long stretches, such as at a desk or bedside, benefit most from a stricter cap that better helps extend battery life. Best Galaxy Charging Tips to Extend Battery Life Beyond built-in features, everyday behavior plays a crucial role in battery health. A few simple galaxy charging tips, applied consistently, can go a long way in helping to extend battery life. Helpful practices include: Avoiding frequent 0100% cycles and instead keeping the battery between roughly 20% and 80% whenever possible. Unplugging the phone once it hits the desired charge level, especially if Samsung battery protection is not enabled. Using original or reputable certified chargers and cables to ensure stable voltage and reduce the risk of overheating or damage. Keeping the phone out of direct sunlight or hot environments while charging to limit heat buildup. Shorter, regular top-ups are generally easier on lithium-ion batteries than deep discharges followed by full charges. These galaxy charging tips align well with Samsung's own care guidelines and help support the software tools designed to extend battery life. Should Fast Charging be Used All the Time? Fast charging offers clear convenience, but it can generate more heat and put slightly more strain on the battery compared to slower charging. Heat is one of the main factors that accelerate battery aging, especially when combined with high charge levels. For daily use, many users choose to keep fast charging enabled when speed is important, such as quick top-ups during busy days, and disable it when charging overnight or when time is less critical. This balanced approach pairs well with Samsung battery protection and other galaxy charging tips to help extend battery life over the long term. Why is a Samsung Battery Draining so Fast? Fast battery drain often comes down to a combination of screen time, network conditions, and app behavior. Constant use of social media, streaming, gaming, or navigation can keep the screen on and the processor busy, leading to high power consumption. Galaxy phones provide a Battery usage view that highlights which apps or services are consuming the most energy, making troubleshooting easier. Updating software, restricting background activity for heavy apps, and enabling Power saving modes can meaningfully improve day-to-day endurance. Long-Term Care Tips for Samsung Galaxy Batteries When a phone will not be used for an extended period, storing it correctly helps maintain battery health. Keeping the battery around 50% charge and placing the device in a cool, dry environment is generally recommended for long-term storage. Over several years of regular use, a lithium-ion battery will naturally lose some capacity even with careful charging habits. If the phone begins to shut down early or struggle to last through normal usage, a professional battery replacement may restore more usable life to the device. Practical Samsung Battery Habits for Everyday Users For most Galaxy owners, battery care does not have to be complicated. Enabling Samsung battery protection, avoiding prolonged 100% charges, and charging in cooler environments already provide meaningful benefits for long-term health. When combined with simple galaxy charging tips, such as partial charging, mindful use of fast charging, and managing power-hungry settings, these steps offer a practical, realistic way to extend battery life. By treating the battery as a component worth preserving, users help their Samsung Galaxy phones stay dependable, responsive, and ready for daily tasks well beyond the first year of ownership. Frequently Asked Questions 1. Does using a wireless charger affect Samsung battery health? Wireless charging is generally safe, but it can create more heat than wired charging, especially at higher speeds. Keeping the phone in a cool, ventilated area and avoiding thick, insulating cases during long wireless charging sessions helps reduce stress on the battery. 2. Is it better to power off a Galaxy phone while charging to protect the battery? Turning the phone off while charging can slightly reduce heat and background activity, but it is not necessary for good battery health. For most users, charging with the phone on is fine as long as it does not overheat and heavy tasks like gaming are limited while plugged in. 3. Do dark mode and themes really help extend battery life on Samsung phones? On OLED or AMOLED Galaxy screens, dark mode can save some power because darker pixels use less energy. The effect is modest but can add up over a day, especially for users who keep brightness lower and spend many hours on their phones. 4. Can regularly clearing apps from the Recent Apps screen improve battery life? Constantly swiping away apps does not automatically improve battery life and can sometimes waste more energy when frequently used apps have to reopen. It is more effective to restrict background activity only for specific power-hungry or rarely used apps instead of closing everything. Originally published on Tech Times Former member of Momoland Yeonwoo is embarking on a new journey in her acting career as the lead in the upcoming romantic drama series "Lovephobia,"which will premiere on Feb. 19 on U+ Mobile TV and Lifetime. The series will revolve around Yoon Bia, the CEO of an AI dating app who lost faith in love, and Han Seon-ho, a romance novel writer, as they find themselves in the midst of a love story, conflict, and development. The production crew has released the first poster of the drama, emphasizing the chemistry between Yeonwoo and co-star Kim Hyun-jin. According to Naver, the first poster of the drama features the two actors sitting side by side, but with a subtle distance between them that symbolizes the tension in the relationship between the two characters. As reported by Naver, a statement from the production crew described Yeonwoo's character in the series:"Yoon Bia, who has become a woman who doesn't believe in love, piques curiosity about how she becomes entangled with Han Seon-ho and how she will break down the iron wall that has surrounded her." READ MORE: Yeon Woo, Kim Jae Woon Pleased Fans By Their Unexpected Off Cam Flirting The outlet noted that Yeonwoo, who previously made waves as a member of Momoland and later transitioned to business as a dating app CEO, has now embraced acting full-time, showcasing a dramatic career and personal transformation. Newsen highlighted the dynamic between the characters, writing, "Han Seon-ho will clash with Yoon Bia, a polar opposite who suddenly intrudes into his life, constantly building bickering chemistry and ultimately learning the true meaning of love." The source added that the story's tagline, "For you who were hurt by love," underscores the themes of emotional healing and mutual growth central to the drama. Yeonwoo's performance is anticipated to reflect the complexity of her character, balancing a cold, professional exterior with underlying vulnerability. Newsen reported that viewers are curious to see how her portrayal of a CEO navigating both love and artificial intelligence will unfold. The drama also marks a significant departure from Yeonwoo's idol image, showcasing her versatility and commitment to exploring more nuanced roles. According to Naver, her transition from idol to CEO and now actress demonstrates a "genuine evolution in career trajectory and artistic expression." Lovephobia is set for a February 19 premiere, with episodes available via U+ Mobile TV VOD, giving fans a first look at Yeonwoo's new artistic chapter. READ MORE: Lee Min Ho's Agency Clears Dating Rumors with former MOMOLAND's Yeonwoo Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The UN reiterated concerns on Friday over reports that Israeli forces sprayed a highly toxic herbicide over areas north of the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel on 1 February Nhung Hong Pham, CEO of Banca IP Law firm In recent years, many businesses operating in Vietnam have chosen to use Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters, or other non-Latin scripts. This trend is particularly common in sectors such as food and beverage, cosmetics, fashion, tea and coffee, and restaurants. However, many businesses encounter unexpected difficulties when filing trademark applications and are surprised to receive refusals or protection granted only on a very limited basis. So, can trademarks consisting of non-common languages be protected in Vietnam? Under Vietnamese intellectual property law, a trademark must possess distinctiveness, meaning it must enable consumers to distinguish the goods or services of one entity from those of others. In practice, the majority of Vietnamese consumers cannot read, pronounce or easily remember Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters. As a result, trademarks consisting solely of such characters are often considered incapable of distinguishing and are therefore refused protection as word marks. This explains why the use of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters is not prohibited, but exclusive protection for such characters on their own is extremely difficult to obtain. In reality, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam has granted registration certificates for many trademarks that contain Chinese or Japanese characters. However, these registrations are almost always accompanied by disclaimers, stating that the trademark is protected as a whole, while the non-Latin characters themselves are not separately protected. For example, the trademark Bank of China Ho Chi Minh City Branch (Registration No.569832, granted last September) is protected only as a whole. The English words and the Chinese characters are expressly excluded from exclusive protection on their own. This means that the trademark owner cannot claim exclusive rights over the Chinese or Japanese characters themselves, but only over the specific overall presentation of the mark. To increase the likelihood of successful registration, businesses commonly adopt several practical strategies. First, combining non-Latin characters with distinctive logos, images, or graphic designs. When Chinese or Japanese characters are incorporated into a distinctive visual composition, the mark may be protected as a device mark or a combined mark, even though the characters themselves are not protected independently. A typical example is the trademark WAGYU Japanese Beef (Registration No. 309703, granted in 2018). The registration clearly states that the mark is protected as a whole, while the words WAGYU, JAPANESE BEEF, the Japanese characters and the cow-head device are not separately protected. Second, adding Latin-based words (such as Vietnamese or English). A readable and memorable Latin element helps Vietnamese consumers identify the brand and significantly enhances the distinctiveness of the trademark during examination. For instance, the trademark TOMASUN (Registration No. 513484, granted in 2024) is protected as a whole, whereas the accompanying Japanese characters are not separately protected. Third, stylising or graphically designing non-Latin characters. When Chinese or Japanese characters are presented in a highly stylised or artistic form, they may be regarded as graphical elements rather than ordinary word elements, thereby improving registrability. In exceptional cases, if a trademark owner can prove that a mark has been widely and continuously used in Vietnam and has become well known to consumers prior to the filing date, even non-common language characters may be recognised as having acquired distinctiveness. However, such cases are rare and require substantial evidence of actual use and consumer recognition. Therefore, before investing in branding or filing a trademark application, businesses should clearly understand the limits of protection and carefully design their trademarks to minimise future legal risks. The risks from improper use of registered trademarks Many trademark owners think that the most critical aspect of their trademark is that it is registered, but this is not the case. Intellectual property attorney Nguyen Vu Quan from KENFOX IP & Law Office offers examples that illustrate the risks that trademark owners face. Trademark disputes challenge foreign firms in Vietnam Nhung Pham, a patent and trademark attorney with twenty years of experience advising on intellectual property law for domestic and international businesses, looks into the rising challenges foreign companies face as trademark disputes grow increasingly complex in Vietnams fast-evolving market and how to fix the dilemma. The Binh QuoiThanh Da New Urban Area is surrounded by the Saigon River and is located approximately 6.5 km from the city centre According to the submission, only one consortium, comprising Sun Group JSC, Sun Ha Long Co., Ltd., and Sun City Co., Ltd., submitted a proposal. The Binh QuoiThanh Da New Urban Area was included by Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council in the list of land plots subject to bidding for investor selection under Resolution No.452/NQ-HDND in November 2025. However, following the National Assemblys issuance of Resolution No.260/2025/QH15 amending and supplementing a number of provisions of Resolution No.98/2023/QH15, the venture was deemed eligible to apply for strategic investor selection under Ho Chi Minh Citys special policy framework. According to Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, the venture fully meets the criteria under the revised regulations, including a land area in line with planning of approximately 423 hectares, a total estimated investment of more than VND98 trillion ($3.76 billion), and its designation as a key urban development zone under Ho Chi Minh Citys master plan. In line with directives from the chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee, information on the organisation of the strategic investor selection process was publicly disclosed from January 13. By January 16, the Department of Finance had received a proposal from an investor consortium comprising Sun Group JSC, Sun Ha Long Co., Ltd., and Sun City Co., Ltd., proposing to implement the Binh QuoiThanh Da New Urban Area under the strategic investor selection mechanism. During the subsequent seven-day period from January 16, the local Department of Finance did not receive any additional submissions from other investors. Based on the number of valid submissions received, Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee determined that the selection of a strategic investor for the scheme would be carried out in the form of concurrent approval of the investment policy and approval of the investor, which falls within the decision-making authority of Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee. Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee also agreed in principle to apply the strategic investor selection mechanism for the implementation of the scheme. Accordingly, the Binh QuoiThanh Da New Urban Area qualifies to be designated as a strategic project and to apply the strategic investor selection mechanism in accordance with National Assembly Resolution No.98/2023/QH15 and Resolution No.260/2025/QH15 on the piloting of specific policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City. The Binh QuoiThanh Da New Urban Area is surrounded by the Saigon River, located approximately 6.5km from the city centre, and one of the few remaining areas with a large, undeveloped land bank within a 10-km radius of the city centre. Under Ho Chi Minh Citys master plan to 2040, the area is planned as a climate-resilient ecological urban zone that combines wetland park functions with residential, service, commercial, and tourism uses, all supported by a comprehensive system of technical and social infrastructure Although the scheme was first planned in 1992, it has yet to be implemented, making it one of Ho Chi Minh Citys longest-running stalled projects, despite multiple planning adjustments and changes in investors. Sun PhuQuoc Airways and UK-headquartered AJW Group signed an agreement on February 4 under which AJW will provide comprehensive support, including maintenance services and spare parts supply, for the airlines fleet of six aircraft, comprising two A321ceos and four A321neos. The partnership is expected to strengthen operational readiness and support planned network expansion. AJW Group is an independent provider of component, repair, and supply chain solutions for commercial and business aviation, supporting more than 1,000 airlines across over 100 countries. Sun PhuQuoc Airways is a startup carrier partly owned by Sun Group, a Vietnam-based developer and hospitality group. The airline currently operates a fleet of Airbus A321ceo and A321neo aircraft, initially connecting Phu Quoc Island with Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Danang. The carrier plans to expand routes to South Korea and Taiwan from 2026. The airline is expected to expand its fleet rapidly in the coming years, supported by the financial backing and strategic experience of the Sun Group, adding significant momentum to its development in the region. Scott Symington, chief commercial officer at AJW Group, commented, said, We are delighted to support Sun PhuQuoc as they launch operations and grow their network, and we look forward to building a long-term partnership. Pham Dang Thanh, deputy CEO at Sun PhuQuoc Airways, added, As a new airline, it was important for us to select a partner that understands both our immediate operational needs and our long-term growth ambitions. AJW Group demonstrated strong technical capability, and flexibility, and we are pleased to have them supporting our A320 fleet as we launch and grow our network. Aviation industry anticipates upcoming growth period Driving on growth momentum, air carriers in Vietnam are leaning into new plans to anticipate the next growth phase. Sun PhuQuoc Airways cleared for commercial flights Sun PhuQuoc Airways, backed by Sun Group, has secured regulatory approval to operate commercial flights, paving the way for the airlines entry into Vietnams aviation market. Bui Trung Nghia, vice chairman of VCCI On February 5, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in coordination with South Africas Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, held the Vietnam-South Africa Business Networking Meeting, with the participation of representatives from diplomatic missions, trade promotion organisations and business communities from both countries. The event took place against the backdrop of Vietnam and South Africa upgrading their bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership in 2025, providing a favourable political and legal foundation to promote cooperation in trade, investment and broader economic relations. In his opening remarks, Bui Trung Nghia, vice chairman of VCCI, welcomed the South African business delegation led by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on its visit to Vietnam in the early months of 2026. Africa and the Middle East have been identified as markets with significant potential, alongside traditional markets such as the US and China, Nghia said. Vietnam is focusing on diversifying export markets and strengthening enterprise capacity to participate more deeply in global supply chains. In this context, Africa is a highly promising market that is attracting growing interest from the Vietnamese business community, he added. Vietnam and South Africa share a long-standing friendly relationship, underpinned by an increasingly comprehensive legal framework. The elevation of bilateral relations to a strategic partnership last year is seen as a major step forward, creating fresh momentum for cooperation across a wide range of sectors. South Africa is currently Vietnams largest trading partner in Africa. In 2025, total bilateral trade reached around $1.3 billion, down approximately 24 per cent on-year due to global economic headwinds. Vietnams main exports to South Africa include mobile phones and components, textiles and garments, footwear, rice, coffee and seafood, while imports from South Africa comprise coal and solid fuels, fruit, wine, beef and minerals. Both sides are working towards a more balanced bilateral trade turnover of $4-5 billion within the next two to three years by expanding product categories, strengthening business linkages and better leveraging the complementary nature of the two economies. Vietnam is also encouraging members of the Southern African Customs Union to consider negotiations on a trade deal. These figures demonstrate that cooperation potential between the two countries remains substantial, particularly given the complementarity between the two economies. VCCI expects that businesses from both countries will make better use of cooperation opportunities in the time ahead, Nghia said. Building on the MoU signed between VCCI and the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2024, the two sides have committed to enhancing information exchange, partner matching and the organisation of trade promotion activities, exhibitions, business forums and market survey missions. Sectors identified as having strong potential for cooperation include energy and mining, agriculture and food processing, industry and logistics, as well as technology and innovation. With a network of more than 200 industry associations and nearly 200,000 member enterprises, VCCI stated its readiness to act as a bridge, working closely with South African authorities to further boost practical and effective economic and trade cooperation between the business communities of the two countries. Vietnam continues to consolidate its position as one of Asia-Pacifics fastest-growing economies, supported by a domestic market of over 100 million people, a competitive labour force, and steadily improving infrastructure. In 2025, an estimated GDP growth of 8.02 per cent was recorded, with the size of the economy reaching around $514 billion and per-person income at $5,026. Realised foreign direct investment amounted to approximately $27.62 billion, up 9 per cent on-year, reflecting continued confidence among international investors. Import-export turnover reached $930 billion in 2025, an increase of 18.2 per cent on-year. Exports stood at $475 billion, while imports reached $455 billion. To date, Vietnam has signed 17 free trade agreements with major partners worldwide and is actively diversifying export markets while enhancing enterprise capacity to integrate more deeply into global supply chains. Vietnamese businesses diversify amid global trade shifts Domestic companies are increasing diversification across Southeast Asia while expanding into Latin America and other global markets, unlocking new growth opportunities amid a changing global trade landscape. Exhibition displaying Chinese New Year paintings opens in Beijing Xinhua) 08:34, February 06, 2026 A woman visits a Chinese New Year paintings exhibition at the Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) A tourist experiences the making of Chinese New Year paintings at Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) A woman visits a Chinese New Year paintings exhibition at the Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) A woman visits a Chinese New Year paintings exhibition at the Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) A woman visits a Chinese New Year paintings exhibition at the Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) Tai Liping, a representative inheritor of Fengxiang Woodblock New Year paintings, a national intangible cultural heritage project, engraves woodblock prints at Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) A tourist visits a Chinese New Year paintings exhibition at the Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) A tourist takes photos of an exhibit during a Chinese New Year paintings exhibition at Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2026. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) This photo taken on Feb. 4, 2026 shows a Chinese New Year paintings exhibition at the Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing, capital of China. An exhibition displaying more than a hundred exquisite Chinese New Year paintings collected by Prince Kung's Palace Museum opened here on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Benghazi, Libya (PANA) - Libya's eastern-based House of Representatives on Thursday reaffirmed its full commitment to supporting the independence of the judiciary and working to develop legislation that contributes to expediting the pace of justice and overcoming all legal and administrative obstacles facing members of this vital sector Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in their respective Parliaments and closer to home you can find them all here. In this months column Plaid Cymrus Llyr Gruffydd MS writes: The way we tax small businesses is still rooted in an outdated concept that there is a premium on town-centre locations. Business rates do not reflect turnover and that means that small businesses located in what were once considered premium high street locations are paying disproportionately more than large supermarkets and other out-of-town retail outlets. Plans by the Welsh Government to support small businesses do not, unfortunately, go far enough to rebalance the situation. A one-year deal for the 2026-27 financial year will not offer the longer-term certainty that businesses need. The hospitality industry pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels are among those whove been hardest hit by rising overheads and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. This sector is also vital for the success of many of our town centres. Towns such as Wrexham have seen a makeover, which has generally been welcomed, but the underlying challenges facing those businesses in high street remain untouched. Thats not good enough for the long-term future of those high streets. Thats why we in Plaid Cymru have called for a longer-term settlement that provides greater certainty but also delivers the critical rebalance between the large multinationals and the small independents that define the distinctive character of our towns and cities. Its clear that the business rates system in Wales is fundamentally broken and that the hospitality sector which is worth 4 billion to the Welsh economy is facing an existential crisis. Which is why a pro-business Plaid Cymru government would prioritise the radical reform needed. Increasing the multiplier for the out-of-town retail outlets would enable us to reduce business rates for small and medium businesses we want to see a tax system that is on the side of SMEs. Without that radical reform, the future for this important sector remains bleak and the 165,000 jobs it sustains will be at risk. A new safe online dating campaign has been launched in North Wales in the lead up to Valentines Day, amid warnings about the growing use of artificial intelligence in romance scams. The campaign is being delivered by Get Safe Online, working with the Office of the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and North Wales Police, to help people enjoy online dating safely and with confidence. According to recent research, more than one in four people say they, or someone they know, have been approached by an AI chatbot posing as a real person on a dating app or social media platform. Scammers use these tools to build trust before attempting to extract money or personal information. Get Safe Online is a service commissioned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and North Wales Police to provide advice and guidance to people across the region. Tony Neate, chief executive of Get Safe Online, said: The latest generation of AI tools can hold very convincing conversations with you, not only as webchats, but as voice and video calls, using their expertise in ultra-realistic deepfake technology. Its virtually impossible to tell them from a real person, especially as you havent met or spoken in person before. Whats really important is that if you are considering dating online you read Get Safe Onlines expert advice beforehand. North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin, said online dating continued to grow in popularity but warned criminals were exploiting the trend. Online dating has grown in popularity at an enormous rate in recent years and for many its a great way of meeting new people and developing new relationships. But as well as the genuine romance seekers on these sites, there are also romance fraudsters who are heartlessly looking for their next victim. The rise of AI has made the threat from fraud increasingly sophisticated. Preventing cyber fraud is a key priority for me as PCC and thats why it is so important to me to make people aware of the dangers, and to warn them to be on their guard against criminals who take advantage of vulnerable members of our community. I would urge everyone to follow the advice, stay safe online this Valentines Day, and ensure the person you are speaking to is actually who they say they are. Detective Constable Rachel Roberts, Financial Abuse Safeguarding Officer with North Wales Police, said officers had seen an increase in victims targeted through fake celebrity profiles and fan pages on social media. North Wales Police have seen a significant increase in victims who are targeted after connecting with fake celebrity profiles or joining celebrity fan pages on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. AI is certainly playing a huge part in making these profiles very convincing. Victims are led to believe they are in direct contact with well-known public figures and are offered friendship and later, a romantic relationship. Victims are then asked to provide money to the suspect for a variety of reasons, whilst being told to keep the relationship secret to avoid the paparazzi finding out. Romance fraud causes deep emotional distress as well as serious financial harm. She added that anyone who believes they have been a victim of romance fraud should report it to Report Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud, to access advice and support. Get Safe Online has published a series of tips to help people stay safe when dating online, including using reputable platforms, keeping conversations within apps, avoiding sharing personal or financial information, and being cautious of anyone who pressures for secrecy or money. Spotted something? Got a story? email us at Got a story? email us at news@wrexham.com LEtiopia si sta preparando ad ospitare la 39 Sessione Ordinaria dellAssemblea dellUnione Africana, programmata per il 15-16 febbraio 2025. Nel frattempo, lItalia ospitera il secondo Vertice Italia-Africa il 13 febbraio ad Addis Ababa, allineandosi al vertice dellUnione Africana. Questanno, la sede dellUnione Africana, la capitale dellEtiopia, Addis Ababa, accogliera i leader africani e italiani con un aspetto fresco e nuovo. Questa trasformazione e il risultato del progetto di sviluppo del Corridoio trasformativo. Il progetto mira a migliorare la prominenza della citta aderendo agli standard internazionali di smart city. Questo ambizioso progetto e stato realizzato giorno e notte in diverse fasi. La prima fase e stata completata con successo e la seconda fase sta procedendo molto bene. Il museo Adwa Victory Memorial e uno degli aspetti piu notevoli del progetto di sviluppo del corridoio. Situato nel cuore della citta, il museo e stato costruito per onorare gli eroi etiopi che hanno ottenuto una vittoria significativa nella Battaglia di Adwa. Questa vittoria ha scatenato movimenti anti-coloniali in tutta lAfrica. Il museo mira a ispirare orgoglio, resilienza e unita tra gli etiopi e i popoli dellAfrica celebrando leredita della vittoria di Adwa e il suo ruolo nel plasmare la lotta per la liberta e lindipendenza in tutto il continente. Finora, numerosi africani importanti hanno visitato questo importante museo. Un altro punto culminante dello sviluppo del corridoio e il Bole Corridor. Il distretto di Bole e la parte piu trafficata e prospera di Addis Ababa. Larea e sede di ambasciate, centri commerciali moderni, boutique, caffetterie e altro ancora. Il corridoio appena sviluppato, con le sue infrastrutture stradali migliorate, reti di marciapiedi pedonali, piste ciclabili, verde, parchi e altri miglioramenti, ha dato al distretto un aspetto magnifico nuovo. Il progetto di sviluppo del corridoio di Addis Ababa e ampio. I progetti di sviluppo infrastrutturale che vanno da Piazza a Arat Killo Road, da Mexico a Sarebet, da Arat Killo a Kebena e i corridoi dellAmbasciata del Kenya sono stati completati magnificamente. Il progetto di sviluppo del corridoio viene eseguito con velocita e qualita miracolose, trasformando la capitale politica dellAfrica, Addis Ababa, in una citta pulita, verde e vivibile. Con il prossimo avvicinarsi della 38 Sessione Ordinaria dellAssemblea dellUnione Africana, Addis Ababa e pronta a mostrare il suo nuovo volto al mondo. La trasformazione della citta attraverso il progetto di sviluppo del corridoio evidenzia il suo potenziale come citta leader in Africa, fissando un punto di riferimento per altre citta nel continente da seguire. Il progetto di sviluppo del corridoio non ha solo trasformato il paesaggio fisico di Addis Ababa, ma ha anche elevato il suo status di citta moderna e vibrante pronta ad ospitare eventi internazionali significativi. Il completamento con successo della prima fase e il continuo progresso della seconda fase dimostrano limpegno della citta al miglioramento e allo sviluppo continuo. Il progetto di sviluppo del corridoio ad Addis Ababa e una svolta significativa nella storia della citta. Riflette la visione dellEtiopia per una moderna smart city che onora il suo ricco patrimonio mentre abbraccia la crescita futura e lo sviluppo. Il prossimo vertice dellUnione Africana fornira unopportunita ai leader africani e ad altri partecipanti di testimoniare i cambiamenti impressionanti che hanno avuto luogo ad Addis Ababa. Questo evento non solo evidenziera il nuovo volto della citta, ma rafforzera anche la sua posizione come attore chiave nellUnione Africana e un simbolo di progresso e unita per lintero continente. (Fonte ENA, Addis Insight 2026.) London, UK (PANA) - The United Kingdom on Thursday imposed sanctions on six people for fuelling Sudans civil war, including commanders allied to both warring factions and individuals running a foreign mercenary recruitment network !/3050/OK/2 3050 SNS| SNS SNSWEB ... Each Valentines Day, Wish of a Lifetimes Cupid Crew volunteers deliver roses and cards to residents of nursing homes and assisted living centers in their communities. Beginning in 2014 with a few dozen volunteers delivering a few thousand flowers to older adults in Denver, the effort has grown into a nationwide program. More than 200,000 Cupid Crew volunteers have now delivered more than a million roses (thorns removed) and Valentines Day cards to older adults in 40 states and the District of Columbia. The Cupid Crew is part of Wish of a Lifetime from AARP, which helps older adults fulfill lifelong dreams. Members only Our goal was to find a way to provide love and connection to older adults on Valentines Day, which is a really isolating day for an already very isolated demographic, says Jared Bloomfield, director of field programs at Wish of a Lifetime. Both programs work to provide older adults a sense of community. According to a recent AARP study, 40 percent of older adults report feeling lonely. For Jake Martinez, 66, who lives in senior housing in Denver, a Cupid Crew visit last Valentines Day was a welcome surprise. He accepted the red rose and card, then invited the Cupid Crew into his apartment. There, the volunteers saw that Martinez had posters of Denvers football team, the Broncos, on every wall. Martinez says he was excited to share pictures of his favorite player, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway. Martinez has been a Broncos fan since he was 9 years old, he says, and of all the players, John was always my idol. The encounter doesnt surprise Bloomfield. Opening your door to a rose, he says, is the best icebreaker in the world. A rose that led to a wish Cupid Crew volunteers mentioned Martinez and his love for the Broncos to the Wish of Lifetime team as a good candidate for a wish. Martinez, a dedicated fan, is known locally as the Broncos man for his regular visits to Denvers downtown mall wearing one of the 20 Broncos jerseys he owns. He often pushes a cart full of his personal Broncos memorabilia. Last December, as part of Wish of a Lifetimes program, Martinez got to go watch the Broncos take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. We lost, he says. We had a good time at that game, but at the last minute they couldnt pull it out. New York, US (PANA) - The head of UN Peacekeeping on Thursday called for greater support for international police officers deployed to field missions at a time when financial resources are dwindling and multilateralism is waning The Broadstone Sirius Index a monitor of how various pension scheme strategies are performing on their journeys to self-sufficiency posts its latest update. The Broadstone Sirius Index reports its update for January 2026 with both modelled schemes ending the month slightly ahead from where they started it, building on the positive progression over 2025. The funding level of the fully hedged scheme increased from 71.6% at the end of December 2025 to 71.8% at the end of January 2026. The funding level of the 50% hedged scheme increased from 108.4% at the end of December 2025 to 108.9% at the end of January 2026, reaching ever closer to the record high of 110.5% during October 2025. David Brooks, Head of Policy at Broadstone, said: "After a year of strong funding tailwinds, its encouraging to see schemes holding onto that momentum as 2026 begins. For many trustee boards preparing for valuations under a new regime, a steady funding backdrop will come as welcome relief. When volatility settles down, trustees can shift their attention from firefighting to the broader agenda - connecting to dashboards, strengthening governance through the ORAs, which will be prepared throughout the year, and ensuring scheme data is genuinely fit for the future. If 2025 was about recovery, 2026 is shaping up to be the year trustees get the breathing space to focus on long term improvement and setting the strategy to buyout or run-on. In my meandering imagination, I was a liberal, yearning to join the anti-ICE peaceful protest in Minneapolis and trying to figure out how I would let our government know how strenuously I object to their policy of deporting illegal aliens. Advertisement I summoned up an article I had read by the esteemed Daniel Greenfield in which he spelled out in vivid detail the exact kinds of people I would be supporting, defending, and advocating for, all who had been charged with or convicted of the following crimes: rapists; a child fondler; sex predators; child-molesters; pedophiles; the sodomizer of a young girl; another charged with strongarm sodomy of a girl; criminal sexual conduct, fourth degree, of a victim 13 to 15 years old; murderers; muggers; lewd or lascivious acts with a minor; sexual exploitation of a minor prostitution; enticement of a minor for indecent purposes; sexual exploitation of a minor material film; strongarm sodomy of a boy; sodomy-girl-strongarm. This is what Renee Good died for, Greenfield wrote. Advertisement Yes, I responded to Greenfield, in my fantasy as a liberal. Keep them all here. They are human beings. They are victims of poverty, of deprived upbringings, of mean people who want to deport them. Thats not who we are! How I Joined the Ranks Advertisement In my fantasy, I didnt quite know how I would make my appearance at the anti-ICE protest. I thought about digging out my make peace, not war t-shirt, but I couldnt find it. Then I looked for some fairly recent placards I carried quoting phrases from Antifa and BLM, but the only ones I found in my garage were yellow with age and damaged by humidity. And then it hit me. What better thing could I do to demonstrate my strong but peaceful intentions than to emulate Alex Pretti and bring my nine-millimeter semi-automatic Sig Sauer handgun with me, complete with two high-capacity magazines, and tuck it into my waistband? Advertisement After all, what says peaceful protest more than a loaded gun? But uh-oh. As writer and editor Olivia Murray points out, the P320 Sig Sauer Mr. Pretti was wielding is notorious and has generated numerous lawsuits for going off spontaneously, even when in a holster! Advertisement Then I asked a liberal friend and avid supporter of the anti-ICE protestors what he would do if his daughter were raped, and he knew who the rapist was. Id kill him...with my bare hands! he said with conviction. Advertisement So you believe criminals should see justice? I asked him. Like the criminals being deported? Thats different, he said. Then I asked an even more left-wing neighbor what she would do if she looked out her second-floor window and saw a guy trying to break into her house. Id call the Sixth Precinct, she said, referring to our local police department. So you believe criminals should be arrested...and tried and convicted? I asked her. Like the criminals theyre deporting in Minnesota? Thats different, she said. Maybe it was the sheer hypocrisy, or was it the stupidity, or was it just simple boilerplate leftism? Whatever it was, it snapped me out of my liberal, leftist, progressive fantasy with a start. It was the instant that my background as a N.Y. Statecertified psychotherapist, who had practiced for over 20 years, recognized the stunning irrationality or was it the clinical insanity? of those who have joined this protest, including the elected officials who are fomenting all the chaos and violence. Theres Good, and Theres Stupid Less than a month ago, when Renee Good, at a similar demonstration, decided to obstruct traffic and then drove her 4,000-pound SUV into an officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) who was rounding up illegal alien career criminals. She was shot and killed for her attack. The craven media tried to soften her image by calling her a poet, just as they wanted the public to know that Alex Pretti was an oh, so caring intensive-care nurse. But why was Mr. Oh, So Caring wearing a tactical vest or failing to have a carry ID for his loaded gun, which is mandated by Minnesota law? Didnt he learn his lesson the week before, when he sustained a broken rib after he scuffled with federal agents at another anti-ICE protest? Here is the video that shows a man identified as Alex Pretti attacking ICE agents and kicking out their tail lights before he is tackled. In addition, writer Tyler Durden reports that according to Jeanne Massey, a neighbor, Pretti was part of a Signal ICE group chat of volunteers who organized a sophisticated operation to track ICE activity in real time and alert each other when agents were in the area. Tip of the Iceberg According to writer and publisher Terry A. Hurlbut, the State of Minnesota, alone (so far) among the fifty States, is making insurrection and rebellion against the United States. He suggests that the reason may be because the Trump administration discovered such massive fraud the president now estimates it at $100 billion from Minnesota alone, and that is why Governor Tim Walz; Mayor Jacob Frey; and government employees, in key positions, are actively supporting criminal behavior, including obstruction of justice, stalking and attempted murder of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and even stalking and attempted murder of journalists sympathetic to the rule of law. Washington Times columnist Don Feder reminds his readers that every totalitarian dictatorship started with violence in the streets. The French Revolution started with the storming the Bastille and ended in the Reign of Terror. The Russian Revolution began by Bolsheviks storming the Winter Palace and ended in firing squads and gulags. National Socialism started with Brownshirts brawling in the streets of Weimar Germany and ended in World War II and the Holocaust. Feder adds, Dont be fooled by the carefully planned chaos unfolding in Minneapolis. Todays street theater isnt just about immigration enforcement any more than the 2025 No Kings protests were just about challenging President Trumps authority, or the 2020 George Floyd riots were just about so-called police brutality. All are part of a revolution in the making that could spell the end of democracy in America. Left-wing agitators plan to destroy constitutional government. The battle to keep U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting murderers and rapists is the latest front in a wide-ranging war. Businessman and author Kenin M. Spivak believes that the heated campaign against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is really an effort to open the borders and keep them open. Most of the recent vitriolic opposition to ICE is a feint by unrepentant open-borders progressives. They won the first round when Joe Biden was elected president, lost the second when Donald Trump returned to office, and are back for a rematch. For most, the venom has little to do with how ICE performs its mission and everything to do with preventing the Trump administration from undoing Bidens brazen deluge of illegal migrants. Grown-Up Time After witnessing this wildly out-of-control situation, the adults in the White House, led by President Trump, sent ICE acting director Tom Homan to Minnesota to take direct command of immigration enforcement, to speak directly to Gov. Walz (who my late always-diplomatic mother would call not overburdened by brains), and to Mayor Frey (didnt we all know this kind of irritating rabble-rouser in school?). As reported by Pamela Geller, the president confirmed that he and Walz spoke by phone in a very good conversation. Although the governor bashed Pres. Trump ahead of his meeting with Mr. Homan, apparently he changed his tune after they met. But Jack Davis reported that they met, they talked, and they did not agree. President Trump has been clear, Homan said. He wants American cities to be safe and secure for law-abiding residents and they will be. Frey, on the other hand, said that all he wants is for the federal government to leave his city, adding defiantly that Minneapolis Does Not and Will Not Enforce Federal Immigration Laws. Always, Always, Always Follow the Money It costs millions upon millions of dollars to wage a revolution, an insurgency, a massive movement to undermine a government, especially the all-powerful American government. And you can bet that most of the people participating in this anti-government, anti-law-and-order action are not millionaires or billionaires, but rather regular working-class or middle-class people who are being handsomely paid to act out their benefactors fury. Who is paying for all this? According to reporting by Cristina Laila for GatewayPundit.com, super-sleuth James OKeefe went undercover inside the Minnesota Mob and learned that an entire network of NGOs, unions, and activist groups including SEIU [Service Employees International Union], Make the Road New York, and the Independent Socialist Group are all behind this chaos. Newsman Bill OReilly was also curious and learned that a man named Neville Roy Singham, a Chinese billionaire, has been funneling tens of millions of dollars into America to radical organizations to foster rebellion and destroy the government. This isnt some organic thing, OReilly adds. This is a foreign power! Moreover, writer and economist Antonio Graceffo details how the Minneapolis-based activist group Defend 612 has mobilized tens of thousands of supporters through encrypted communication networks to disrupt federal operations through a complex funding structure linked to liberal foundations, shell entities, politicians, and third-party organizations, some of which ultimately trace back to billionaire George Soros. Defend 612, Graceffo adds, provides anti-ICE know your rights training, organizes and supports protests, and maintains a decentralized rapid-response network designed to interfere with ICE enforcement in real time. And looky here! Craigslist now advertises for protesters in California, offering $6,50012,500 a week, depending on ones level of chaos. What Now? If history is any measure, the left-wing anarchists and hired patsies arent going anywhere. But neither are President Trump and his team of law-and-order advocates. On the law-and-order side, an appeals court just sided with the Trump administration to lift Minnesota protest curbs on ICE agents. Now it remains to be seen if the Congress will pass the legislation the president has just proposed to end sanctuary cities across the country. But even more recently, the president has decided on a strategic pullback and has issued this statement: 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. We will, however, guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists. Gotta love it...let them devolve and self-destruct on their own! Journalist Don Feder sums the whole mess up neatly: The battle of Minneapolis will decide whether America is governed democratically or ruled by self-appointed elites backed by goon squads. As for me, I can only hope that the god of mercy spares me another liberal fantasy! Joan Swirsky is a New Yorkbased journalist and author. Her website is www.joanswirsky.com, and she can be reached at [email protected]. Image via Public Domain Pictures. Governments habitually lie. They lie so often that it is peculiar for governments to claim authority on anything other than falsehood. Before the Gutenberg press and general literacy, authorities announced self-serving lies in the public square. With the arrival of newsprint, authorities disseminated State propaganda as daily news. Radio and television revolutionized the mass manipulation of minds. The adoption of the personal computer, the rise of the Internet, the commercialization of pocket computers posing as handheld phones, and the sticky web of an ever-growing social media complex have made it possible for government authorities to reach inside every human brain and squish it into compliance. AI-powered machines now manufacture and disseminate lies faster than human-powered governments ever could. Advertisement Most people are only now realizing that even in so-called free countries government-sanctioned propaganda, censorship, and misdirection are pervasive and routine. To the surprise of citizens taught to trust the authorities, the unvarnished truth is a bitter pill to swallow: Governments regularly employ psychologically manipulative, and even exploitative, forms of information warfare against their own citizens. Politicians and generals tell lies to mobilize the American public for war. Economists and central bankers tell lies to justify money-printing that robs from the middle class and rewards wealthy elites. Government regulatory bodies tell lies about the safety of food and medicine before taking lucrative jobs inside the global food and pharmaceutical industries. The Chamber of Commerce calls the offshoring of blue-collar jobs and the importation of slave-produced crap free trade. How can the word authority maintain any positive meaning when authorities are always wrong? At least since the First World War, scientific authorities have promised that human industry and mass commercialization would kill the planet in the next few years. After Trump thumped Hillary like a drum, Intelligence Community authorities concocted an elaborate scheme to frame the MAGA outsider as a Russian agent who threatened national security unless removed from office. When Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, and the World Economic Forum sank the globe into mass COVID hysteria, health authorities promised that children would die unless they sat behind plexiglass-enclosed desks, their parents got experimental injections every few months, and every stranger wore at least three masks! Advertisement Since the Second World War, trust in authority has evaporated. Why? Perhaps because authorities routinely lie, keep secrets, and cover up crimes. Roughly three-quarters of Americans think the CIA killed President Kennedy. A top FBI official transformed a rather mundane Watergate scandal into a successful operation for taking down President Nixon after his landslide re-election victory. President Bush I pushed the new world order. President Clinton did not have sexual relations with that woman. President Bush II gave us endless war with few long-term successes. President Obama told us we could keep our doctors before doubling the cost of healthcare instead. Secretary of State Clinton was never prosecuted for keeping classified documents on an unsecured private server in her home, but President Biden made sure to send an FBI SWAT team to bust down President Trumps doors. Politicians, prosecutors, judges, and news media mouthpieces told us that 2020s mass riots, arson, robbery, and murder were justified civil rights protests against racism. Those same authorities told us that J6 protesters seeking free and fair elections were insurrectionists and terrorists. Now those authorities tell us that anti-ICE insurrectionists terrorizing citizens and attacking federal agents are protesting for civil rights once again. When authorities describe riots as protests and protests as insurrections, words mean nothing. Advertisement Meanwhile, the average member of Congress enters office as a salaried public servant and exits office a millionaire! Inside every institution of authority, corruption is king! A writer named Lucas Leiroz argues that revelations within the Epstein documents prove that nothing legitimate remains in the Western world. Predicting the moral collapse of the elites, he thinks the systematic, organized, and ritualized nature of their perversions and crimes constitutes nothing less than a civilizational rupture. Why? When evidence emerges of extreme violence against children, of practices that go beyond any conventional criminal category, the discussion ceases to be legal and becomes civilizational. The reason why people are fascinated with this scandal is that it undermines the legitimacy of so many powerful people in positions of authority. The very elites who have been exposed as monsters continue to decide elections, wars, economic policies, and the fate of entire societies. Advertisement Leiroz sees the Epstein scandal as the final straw for broad swaths of the public. How can one continue to accept the authority of institutions that shielded this level of horror? he asks. How can respect be maintained for laws applied selectively by people who live above them? Those are good questions. As authorities have been exposed as liars, the public has lost trust in them. Now that authorities have been exposed as pedophiles, satanists, and cannibals, the public is disgusted with them. When members of society still retain some sense of limits and members of the ruling class behave as if they were outside the common human species, the structures of power forfeit moral legitimacy. Leiroz says, After Epstein, nothing can continue as before. In the months ahead, we will see whether he is correct. This much is certainly true: For three-quarters of a century, trust in authorities has steadily declined. Over the last couple decades, those authorities have proven to be frauds, grifters, and liars. Now many of these same authorities have been exposed as sick and depraved perverts whose actions are, as Leiroz describes, vile and essentially evil. How are ordinary citizens supposed to ignore absolute evil, while so many devils maintain positions of authority? Advertisement The devil is the father of lies. We should not be surprised when the same authorities who regularly tell us lies end up behaving just as wickedly as the devil, too. Advertisement Image via Freepik. South Carolina lawmakers are considering a new bill that would give parents more control over teens' medical care and school decisions, sparking a fresh clash over parental rights and student privacy. The proposal, filed for the 20252026 legislative session, would write into state law that parents have a "fundamental right" to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children, including decisions on health care and access to medical records. It would change current rules that let many 16- and 17-year-olds consent to their own health services, instead requiring parental approval for most nonemergency treatment. Supporters say this will ensure parents are fully informed about the medications, counseling, and other care their children receive. Changes For Schools Under the bill, schools would also have to follow stricter rules on notifying parents about sensitive topics and services offered to students, according to the South Carolina Daily Gazette. Parents would gain clearer rights to review curriculum materials, see education and healthrelated records, and pull their children from lessons that conflict with family beliefs, especially on gender identity and sexual orientation. Local school districts would be required to adopt formal parentalinvolvement policies based on new state standards. Concerns From Critics The measure also creates enforcement tools for families who say a school or health provider has ignored their wishes, Citizen Portal reported. Parents could use the law as a legal defense or file civil actions after going through administrative procedures, with the state attorney general authorized to pursue violations in court. Advocates argue these penalties are needed so schools and clinics take parental consent requirements seriously. Critics warn the bill could limit confidential care for teens dealing with mental health issues, sexual health, or family conflict, if they fear involving a parent. Medical groups and civil rights organizations say added consent barriers may delay treatment, especially for youths who are homeless or do not live with a legal guardian. Advocacy groups also raise concerns that new school rules could chill classroom discussions and harm LGBTQ+ students by restricting access to supportive services and inclusive lessons. The parentalrights measure is part of a wider push in South Carolina to expand parents' authority over schools and student health, and it remains in committee as lawmakers debate changes and hear public testimony, as per the Saluda GOP. Few recent changes in U.S. public opinion have been as noticeable as the decline of climate alarmism. Over the last year the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post have all run pieces about the fading fear of carbon pollution, while the share of Americans calling the environment their most important issue is half of what it was in 2020. Advertisement Yet, as much as the diminished enthusiasm for a crash program to replace fossil fuels has become apparent, both the explanation for this change and its deeper meaning have yet to be appreciated. For contrary to what many green activists claim, voters are not in denial about a potential long-term threat to the Earths atmosphere. There may be a decline in a sense of urgency around this issue, as Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray has noted, but most Americans continue to believe climate change is real. Recent surveys from Pew, Gallop, the University of Chicago, and George Mason University confirm Murrays assessment. Advertisement Nor is there any reason to believe that the high cost of rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels -- as well as the inconvenience of living with range-bound electric cars and weather-related power blackouts -- has led people to think that saving posterity is not worth the sacrifice. Whether fighting fascism during World War II, maintaining military readiness during the Cold War, or spending $22 trillion on Great Society programs for the disadvantaged, Americans have always done what seemed necessary for the wellbeing of future generations. Which is not to say that the projected financial and lifestyle burden of getting to net zero is irrelevant. For at the very least it has forced citizens to reconsider many of the assumptions they uncritically accepted when the only losers appeared to be petroleum companies. Advertisement It is really true, they want to know, that life on Earth will become extinct by the end of the century if humanity keeps burning fossil fuels? Or is it more likely, as the UN report at last Novembers world climate conference conceded, that temperatures would rise no more than 2.5 degrees? Is it really so dangerous to use nuclear power, which is both more reliable and economical than renewables, as the bridge to a greener future? Or has the advent of small modular reactors and fast neutron reactors (which burn up their own radioactive waste) made atomic energy just as safe as any other? Advertisement Do the scientists who continue to push for an immediate switch to solar and wind power really know as much as their academic degrees imply? Or are they the same people who confidently predicted that the flooding of major coastal cities, a dramatic spike in hurricane intensity, the collapse of the Great Barrier Reef, and the extinction of polar bears should already have occurred by now? And as their attempt to answer these questions with any precision has only confirmed the uncertainties around climate change, Americans have been forced to seek interim guidance from the only resource left to them -- their own philosophies of life. They have begun to ask themselves, for example, whether any problem can be so bad as to justify the effect it is having on todays young people, causing an estimated half to lose their enthusiasm for ever marrying, raising children, or developing a career? Advertisement Also: Is Americas market economy so wedded to fossil fuels that it must be forced to accept renewables, or are there sufficient incentives for scientists and inventors to eventually come up with better alternatives that will automatically be embraced? In other words, is atmospheric carbon like the twentieth century problem of water pollution, which once caused rivers and lakes to burst into chemical fires, ocean fish to die, and drinking water to become toxic events we rarely hear about anymore? And the most important question of all: Is this a world where the energy sources most responsible for its prosperity -- fossil fuels and nuclear fission -- must now be abandoned, stunting growth in the more advanced countries while preventing less developed nations from ever catching up? Or has God, the universe however one conceives of the underlying reality provided humanity with sufficient leeway to continue moving forward? Advertisement This last consideration may rarely be expressed in public debates about the environment. But as recent psychological research has shown, the growing recognition that our understanding of climate change remains clouded in uncertainty has made personal philosophy the single greatest determinant of how the vast majority of people regard the threat. To paraphrase the essayist Anais Nin, they see it as they are. All of which makes Americas recently diminished enthusiasm for green power a far more significant development than generally recognized, for it has not been duplicated in other industrialized countries. The European Union still requires most new cars sold after 2035 be battery EVs; the United Kingdom continues spending trillions to be net zero by 2050; and Norway persists in lavishing the most per capita on clean energy, with Australia, Canada, and Japan close behind. Environmental activists clearly regard the more relaxed U.S. attitude as a tragic reversal by the one-time green leader, the seeming result of fatigue, intellectual irresponsibility, and self-delusion. But it is also possible to view it as the natural result of the unique values and beliefs which have always made America such an exceptional country. Church attendance may not be what it used to be, progressive universities may teach that the land of opportunity is a myth, the media may obsess on unaffordability, and Hollywood may continue to churn out sci-fi dystopias. Yet judged by their ability to get a grip on climate alarmism, Americans are still turning out to be as relatively confident, resilient, and hopeful as they have always been. While much of the world remains willing to sacrifice its future progress and prosperity for the presumed safety of a slightly greener atmosphere, the U.S. appears ready to once again discover just how good that future progress and prosperity can be. Image: Dietmar Handel Recently, the United States was expected to hold negotiations with Iran in the Gulf Sultanate of Oman. The Trump administration announced the cancellation of the said talks amid disagreements over Irans insistence that the negotiations remain strictly limited to its nuclear program, while Washington wanted to discuss a large array of issues. That disagreement alone raises the question: What issue is Tehran even more reluctant to discuss than its holiest of holy, its nuclear program? Advertisement The answer may be simpler and more obvious than most of us have thought. It lies in Irans ballistic missile program. Irans missile capability presents a very different kind of strategic challenge, and poses a risk that stretches even beyond the Middle East, as it now possesses a large stock of ballistic missiles. Once launched, those missiles leave the atmosphere into outer space, then re-enter at extremely high speed toward their targets. That flight profile makes interception difficult even for advanced defense systems. Advertisement The only system capable of intercepting and destroying ballistic missiles is the United States THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). This system has shown very strong interception capabilities, with only a fraction of misses. Yet Iran has tried to counter this advantage by launching large numbers of missiles simultaneously during its 12-day confrontation with Israel last year. Despite the U.S. having deployed THAAD in Israel, supported by Israeli missile defense systems, some Iranian missiles did get through. The damage, while contained, was painful enough to influence the calculations of both Washington and Israel when it comes to their next big move with Iran, hence shaping the next big confrontation in the region. The U.S. is taking ballistic missiles very seriously. One Washington source put it bluntly in a private conversation: Iran has to kiss its ballistic missiles goodbye, or go to war. A reason for this firm stance may be the fact that Iran is said to have both short- and mid-range ballistic missiles. Should Iran move to the long-range level, possibly with Chinese or North Korean technologies, this would mean that London, for example, could easily be within Irans missile reach. Advertisement Hence, Washingtons main stipulation concerns the full dismantlement of Irans ballistic missile program as the most immediate strategic threat, and the destruction of these systems or their transfer to a verified third party. While there is no confirmation of how many of these Iran possesses, the estimate is that it stocks several thousand ballistic missiles. This poses another challenge regarding concealment and verification. Basically, even if Iran agrees to dismantle the ballistic missile program, it will be a major task to monitor that it actually happens. At the same time, Irans ballistic missile program is not Washingtons only worry. Beyond missiles, the United States continues to push for strict limits on Irans nuclear program. The expectation, according to various diplomatic signals, remains a complete prohibition of a nuclear program in any meaningful form. This includes both military and civilian tracks. Any narrowly defined civilian exception would require intrusive, continuous monitoring, including direct U.S. involvement in inspections. Advertisement Another point involves the termination of Iranian interference in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. Tehrans political, financial, and security penetration of Iraq since 2003 is now an explicit element of the negotiations. To this, the Iranians remain defiant, as they have propped up their man, former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, to seek election again as prime minister a direct challenge to Trump. The president responded by threatening to end U.S. support for Iraq over al-Malikis comeback bid; nonetheless, Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite political blocs have reaffirmed their backing for Maliki. The Trump administrations key demand is that Iran keep its hands off Iraq and stop supporting the Shiite fundamentalist militias it controls inside Iraq, mainly the notorious al-Hashed al-Shaabi the Popular Mobilization militia, dubbed the Shiite ISIS by many Iraqis. Advertisement In this regard, the U.S. is going as far as creating sanctions specifically targeting Iraqi officials and entities linked to Iran, the IRGC, or affiliated militias. These include asset freezes, travel bans, and terrorism-related designations. Iraqi financial institutions that facilitate such networks are at risk of severe penalties, including exclusion from the SWIFT system, a measure that would effectively paralyze Iraqs banking and trade operations. Another stipulation relates to human and civil rights inside Iran, aligned with the demands of the Iranian people. This includes an immediate halt to the killing of protesters and dissidents, protection of basic civil liberties, and measurable improvements in human rights conditions. Advertisement While nuclear concerns remain important, ballistic missiles may now represent the more immediate operational worry for Washington. Nuclear capability signals potential future escalation. Should Iran reach the point where it possesses a nuclear bomb, it would likely understand that using it would be a Samsons choice, as American and Israeli responses would mark the end of the Islamic Republic. Ballistic missiles, by contrast, cannot even be rated as weapons of mass destruction, yet they have empowered Iran with extended regional reach and leverage both in war and at the negotiating table. One thing is certain: this administration appears firmly committed to clipping Irans wings. The fact that it is focusing heavily on ballistic missiles indicates that President Trump is focused on significantly curbing Irans might, which has been allowed to expand unquestioned by multiple U.S. administrations. Mudar Adnan Zahran is a Jordanian Palestinian politician living in exile. He heads the Jordanian Opposition Coalition. He previously served as an economic specialist and assistant policy coordinator for the U.S. embassy in Amman. Zahran is a Ph.D. in political science the Arab-Israeli conflict. Image generated by ChatGPT. Ethnic cleansing and cultural erasure are cardinal sins when viewed through the progressive lensunless the population and culture being sanitized and deleted are the white, Christian-heritage individuals. According to a new report from the Daily Express US, theres a new organized drive to diversify England, and this time, its going to take place in the most idyllic countryside locales, like the Cotswolds and the Chilterns. Advertisement For context, think, the pastoral settings in Thomas Hardys Far from the Madding Crowd, or Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice (both of which were based on southwest Englands landscape). And why is there a renewed push for third world diversity after the demographic shift thats already befallen England? Because the Muslims find the English countryside to be unwelcoming to them: The British countryside is set to undergo a transformation aimed at becoming less of a white environment, with pubs singled out as potentially unwelcome to Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, according to nationwide diversity initiatives. Rural authorities, including those in the Chilterns and the Cotswolds, have pledged to attract more minorities through programs developed by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). Advertisement A civilization and culture thats been around for more than a millennium makes Muslims feel unwelcome. Speaking as someone who lives in the West, and desperately wants England to be restored to its former glory, I say good. When I go to England, I dont want to feel like Im in Lahore, or Lagos; in fact, I have no desire to ever visit places like Pakistan or Nigeria. When I go to England (which Im coincidentally doing next month), I want to feel like Im inEngland. Crazy, right? England should look like this: Golden summer days by the sea. Men in full suit, tie, and hat. The very peak of British seaside holidays in 1950s England. pic.twitter.com/bJ6geJiG2p Advertisement February 1, 2026 After all, the West is our homeland. Per a document released by a governing agency: Advertisement 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). Translation: Things are about to get very un-peaceful and un-charming. Advertisement Destroying Londonand Birminghamand Manchesterand Leedsand Liverpoolwasnt enough. Now, the people who either escaped urban centers when the government brought in millions of third-worlders, or who chose country life because they like it the way it is, are going to be forced to endure the hellscape that third world diversity brings to the West. Will Anglo-Westerners ever be allowed to exist in peace? Or, will our erasure via multiculturalism continue apace? Advertisement Image generated by ChatGPT. We are watching a Marxist revolution getting started in America. Advertisement Left-wing ideology has replaced spirituality in the leftists belief systems. They have their own martyrs, such as St. George Floyd and St. Trayvon Martin. They have their own sacraments and their own unholy rites, such as abortion. And like the Muslim practice of taqiyahlies are justified, if they further radical Islams spreadthey routinely lie to us. (In fact, the only real sin remaining, according to their belief system, is hypocrisy.) Advertisement It is from this starting point that several examples of left-wing taqiyah come into sharp focus. The elites of Jeffrey Epsteins political party (the Democrats) tell lies. Their propaganda bureaus, formerly known as news media, make sure everybody hears the lies repeatedly, while refusing to disclose the whole truth. The useful idiots believe those lies and are willing to die for them. The Marxist cadre might be smart enough to realize that theyre lies. But the cadre is willing to die for the revolution. The elites hide safely in their high-rise luxury condos and gated communities, surrounded by bulletproof SUVs and 24-hour armed security. Through shadowy NGOs, possibly laundering billions of our tax dollars, the elites make sure the cadre and useful idiots are fully funded. The elites fabricate more lies about their new martyrs. The propaganda bureaus continue to make sure everybody hears the new lies, but never the whole truth. The cycle continues, faster and faster. The list of these lies just goes on and on. Advertisement Image created using AI. Advertisement We heard Russia collusion in 2016. It was supported by a full-blown Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), which was completely unsupported by any intelligence reports from front-line intel operatives and analysts. It cost millions, and over two years, for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to say, That was a lie. We heard Hunters laptop is Russian disinformation in 2020, just a few weeks before the election. It was supported by a letter from 51 top-ranked intelligence professionals, which was splattered all over the internet. But the FBI had already authenticated the laptops contents in 2019. That lie, plus nationwide mail-in voting (which made election fraud really, really easy), cost Trump the election. Advertisement One only needs to look at the bellwether counties and the fact that Biden allegedly got 15 million more votes (by campaigning from his Delaware basement) than the left-wing demigod Barack Obama, to have deep suspicions about the 2020 election. And now we know everything in the laptop was not only Hunters, but 100% true. You see, the lies can go around the world before the truth gets its shoes on. Advertisement During the same period, we heard the following lies in rapid succession on every propaganda network: We werent funding the Wuhan Institute of Virology with our tax dollars. Well, yeah, maybe we were. But we didnt fund gain-of-function research. The COVID virus originated from a species of bat in Southeast Asia. That species cannot survive a cold winter. We were supposed to believe that a family of bats migrated from the Chinese equivalent of Louisiana to the Chinese equivalent of Minnesota, somehow survived, and mutated a virus for us. Wear your mask. It really works. The virus and the droplets containing the virus are so small that it was like trying to contain mosquitoes with a chain link fence. The vaccines are safe and effective. Oh yeah, sure. That probably explains why there are reports that many people who were forced (on pain of losing their careers or their education opportunities) to take the experimental vaccines are now contracting everything from myocarditis to facial spasms. Then we heard, Trump is a felon. And Trump is illegally hoarding thousands of classified documents. The FBI raided his home and searched Melanias underwear drawer. Four separate criminal cases were filed in courtrooms across the Eastern Seaboard. The fact that they waited until 2024 to bring all four cases to a head was just a coincidence. Now were hearing, Trump is a pedophile. And the Republican Party is the Party of Pedos. Never mind the fact that there is absolutely zero evidence of any pedophilia by Trump, but two Democrat congressmen have been convicted of sex-related offenses involving children. Mel Peach Panties Reynolds: He was wiretapped ordering a 16-year-old campaign volunteer to report for work wearing a Catholic schoolgirl outfit, with peach-colored panties. The transcript is exceptionally disgusting. After he got out of prison, Jesse Jackson hired him for Operation PUSH. Anthony See My Weiner: He was convicted of sexting a teenager. Reports that he also sent a text containing a photo of his genitals are unconfirmed. After his conviction, he ran for Mayor of New York City. Meanwhile, a Muslim man who pays lip service to supporting Jews, while filling his administration with antisemites, has become the mayor of what was once the most Jewish city in America. The revolution isnt coming; its here. Jim Davis is an IT specialist and paralegal, with degrees in political science and statistical analysis: the underpinning of all science. His work has appeared in Daily Caller, Newsmax, and American Thinker. You can find him as RealProfessor219 on Rumble. Sweden, where I am, is experiencing an unprecedented crime wave following its migrant surge, and there's much soul-searching here about crime and punishment, including securing justice for the victims. The motive for punishment has varied throughout history; Revenge, consequence, protection for society, justice for the victim and in Sweden's modern times, rehabilitation with therapy and care for the perpetrator. But today, 13-year olds in Sweden are now murdering others and the public is outraged. Instead of just therapy, prison sentences are planned for the perpetrators, and longer prison sentences in general for serious crimes regardless of age. This is being criticized by the left as a return to the revenge justice of old times, something not constructive for the individual and society. The opposition would like to prioritize rehabilitation, therapy, support, and soft penalties, often with a suspended sentence. Alongside the mentioned criticized measures, society continues with crime prevention efforts, something both left-wing and right-wing politicians have struggled with for decades without success. Now crime has become increasingly widespread in Sweden, and much more violent and threatening to society. Criminals operate everywhere and take in hundreds of millions in profit! Sweden is often mentioned as a cautionary warning or a horror example in other countries, but the development is hardly unique to Sweden, It has been going in the same direction in many European countries and well beyond. I would like to argue that we have a fundamental systemic error in the justice system with its focus on more hugs, activities, support and therapy, collaboration here and there, and lots of programs with nice words without effect, ever. It is as if there is a strange need to acquit the perpetrator, since people are supposed to be good deep down. The effort is to declare criminals the same as the innocent, without guilt, despite people's obvious selfishness and evil. In justice, the priority must be the protection of society as well as justice for the innocent, so that the perpetrator does not immediately continue to commit crimes and harm others. Crime must not pay. Imagine your daughter being gang-raped and your son being murdered in his attempt to defend his sister. How would you reason if the perpetrators were released after three years in prison? It should be 30 years, not three years in prison! Through tangible punishment, the perpetrator is given the opportunity to make sensible future decisions. If there is a strong consequence for his crime, he can do this. Dostoevsky in his famous novel Crime and Punishment described how the murderer Raskolnikov suffered in anguish over his crime. Feelings of guilt drove him to confess his murder and take his punishment in Siberia. There, he could choose the path of love and faith with its forgiveness. What if the way back is the way forward? And then I think of the return of the Ten Commandments and morality of Christianity. This is what largely shaped Western societies, their democracy, laws, and perceptions of right and wrong. In modern times, this has been pushed aside in secularization and liberal normlessness. What if today's "Raskolnikovs" were taught the Bible's Ten Commandments, were indoctrinated with Christian morality, as everyone in the past was, and their consciences were awakened? Repentance and conversion could take place there in prison. Historically, criminals and societies that have been "Christianized" have become much less criminal, with significantly and permanently better results than today's crime prevention. That's a looming lesson for crime-plagued Sweden now. I am afraid to travel to Minnesota, California, New York, or Illinois. I think red states should announce travel advisories to these bluer-than-blue bastions of fraud, crime, and corruption. I do not feel safe in sanctuary states or cities. Conservatives and traditional Americans are not welcome there. The only time we feel seen in these places is when someone is about to mug us or steal our MAGA hats. They do not even provide safe spaces for us. As a straight, white, Christian male, I am a target. All of us are. We are not just mocked and marginalized. Even when we are in our own sanctuaries, such as a church in Minneapolis, crazed mobs storm in, interrupt the services, terrorize our children, and interrogate our priests and ministers. When we protest what we feel is an obviously stolen national election, with profound worldwide consequences, they throw us in jail, sometimes in solitary confinement, sometimes without charge, often for years. Yet we all know nothing much will happen to the folks who trespassed against us, shut down our religious ceremony, trampled on our First Amendment rights, and terrorized so many innocent folks. Or to those seditious and sanctimonious would-be insurrectionists obstructing justice and traffic in the streets of Minneapolis, urged on by the likes of Tampon Timmy Walz, Jacobin Jacob Frey, and Blockhead Bruce Springsteen. As conservatives, we are disproportionately affected by hatred directed at us by Marxists, anarchists, atheists, Antifa, BLM, teachers, nurses, the media, Hollywood, and prominent Democrats, among others. Some of their vitriol is technically mostly peaceful, but some is anything but. Muslim organizations pass out Shariah flyers in public schools, even in red states. We are kicked out of restaurants or banned from campuses. Countless Democrats, celebrities, and assorted other morons, asshats, and non-viable tissue masses call us fascists, Nazis, deplorables, rubes, neanderthals, etc., etc. And many make threats on our very lives. But, in fairness, perhaps these remarkably tolerant, inclusive, and welcoming folks were right to do so if, say, we misgendered someone. Because, unlike burning down a retail outlet or police precinctor threatening to kill usthat is actual violence. Right? The only chance for this great experiment to continue is if we all of us refuse to let it expire. The SAVE Act which requires identification to vote and other important election integrity measures, must be passed. Call, write, email, or text your Senators and representatives every 30 minutes if necessary. Never give in to a lie. Never back down in an argument. Counterprotest. Despite having a day job and a family, I havent taken a single night off from writing and posting on my blogsite for going on 12 years. I have been contributing to American Thinker for over half of that time. I do this in the vain hope that somehow, sometime I may cause someone to think something through or even change their mind. (Although I am aware that I am mostly preaching to the choir on AT, which is fine by me!) My (relatively) strong suits are writing and speaking. Whether you have those strengths or different ones, please use them to fight for truth, justice, and the American Way. Because the American Way as originally constituted was a universal force for good in the modern world. And it is in existential peril. We have months at most to save this republic. That is not hyperbole. Many AT readers understand this. Most others dont. We have reached another Gettysburg moment. Liberty is in the balance. Simply put, if/when Democrats retake power -- which will likely be in about 9 months unless we somehow convince craven Republicans to follow through on their promises-- they will never relinquish it again. The court will be packed, the Electoral College eliminated, D.C. and Puerto Rico given statehood. The border would be opened up, voting rules relaxed, political opponents gerrymandered, jailed, or otherwise prevented from taking office. That would be curtains for democracy, and the republic. The rest of the world, whether it believes it or not, would also be permanently damaged. The West would soon collapse. The Chinafication of the world would proceed apace until that, too, would eventually lead to moral, societal, ecological, and economic disaster. And the Great Experiment, the greatest in human history, would come to a catastrophic end. An end made even more tragic by how unnecessary and avoidable it would have been. Republicans, do you really want this to happen on your watch? Really? Think of your children and grandchildren and the sacrifice of all those who came before. I dont give a bleep if you are bought and paid for. Return the effing money, eschew the perks and reclaim your dignity, for Gods sake. And let us reclaim our country. Heres the new euphemism for someone who kills another person while demanding what the victim has: requestor. Advertisement According to a news report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Jarvis Davis was hanging out in an apartment unit, eating a fast food order, when his friend, who had just finished his own meal but was still hungry, requested a french fry from young Jarvis. Jarvis declined to hand over his food, and the requesting friend then pulled out a gun and shot Jarvis in the head: Davis, who was 19, declined to share his fries and did not take seriously the requestors resulting anger. Soon after, Davis friend fired a bullet into Davis head. Advertisement (Jarvis ended up succumbing to his injury seven hours later.) I can only assume that since Jarvis was black, living in a complex with a bunch of other blacks, his friend was black too, which leads me to my next point: Where else but in the black community do we so frequently see such a callous and diabolical disregard for human life? Shooting your own friend in the head because youre hungry and want him to share his food and he wont? Killing someone over a french fry?! Where is the impulse control? Where is the reason? Where is the governor on emotions? Advertisement A young black man gunned down in cold boldwhere is the leftist outrage? Theyll wage war and burn down a city for a career criminal deadbeat dad, but they wont call attention to the violence coming from the black community, which victimizes blacks more than any other race? Theyll sacrifice themselves in their war on ICE, defending a convicted child rapists right to stay in the U.S., but theyre silent as the grave when it comes time to people like Jarvis DavisI found almost no mention of this crime across social media, with the exception being a handful of sources, a mix between conservative and local news, with the local news doing quite a despicable job on telling the story by using the requestor euphemism. I suppose in this context, a rapist wanting sex is also a requestor, a mugger is just a guy requesting you hand over your wallet, and a car-jacker simply requested a ride. Advertisement Image generated by ChatGPT. Trust, but verify was a line that Ronald Regan used often when talking about nuclear arms control with the Soviet Union. It had the perfect rhetorical fit by being cooperative in tone, but unsentimental in substance. It should be Trumps response to Democrats, like Schumer and Raskin, when they complain about the SAVE Act. Advertisement The Democrats pretend to be concerned about eligible voters that might be excluded from voting because of an error or delay in receiving proper documentation. Their rationale is but a thin veil obscuring their primary objection. They fear that Democrat voter numbers will sag as voter fraud is curtailed. In 2020, Joe Biden won by over 7 million votes, whereas Kamala Harris in 2024 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 lost by roughly 2 million and 3 million, respectively. It would be difficult to make the case that Bidens performance during the 2020 campaign differed significantly from Harriss and Clintons performances. Advertisement What we do know about the 2020 election is that it was held under the most unusual of circumstances. Widespread mail-in balloting and the refusal by the officials in many states to ID voters provided expansive opportunities to cheat. Today, the problem is compounded by motor-voter laws in many states that automatically register citizens and non-citizens alike to vote in elections when they apply for a drivers license. I am hopeful for the enactment of the SAVE Act because it will expose Democrat voter fraud. However, even if the scale of fraud is not on par with what we would expect of a political party that gets in bed with communities like the Somalis, the SAVE Act would be a blessing. It would ensure the integrity of our electoral system which is the foundation upon which our representative form of government stands. Advertisement Image generated by AI. When the Super Bowl kicks off on February 8, viewers will see more than just a clash between the Seahawks and the Patriots. They will also witness Googles biggest attempt yet to turn its AI, Gemini, into a household name with the New Home ad that tries to strike a chord with the public. Following a tradition of emotional Super Bowl storytelling that began with the iconic Parisian Love ad in 2010, Googles 60-second New Home takes a sentimental approach to high-tech tools. The short video does not focus on lines of code or complex algorithms. Instead, the main characters are a mother and her son, Ben, who are dealing with a move to a new house. Googles New Home Super Bowl ad for Gemini AI taps into emotions The ad aims to showcase how useful can be Gemini in ourt daily lives. We see the mother use the app to pull up photos of their future home and visualize how Bens current belongingsincluding the dogs bedwill fit into the empty rooms. The New Home campaign highlights several key features launched late last year. The list includes the ability to edit images by drawing directly over them and the upgraded Nano Banana Pro image generation. Marvin Chow, Googles VP of consumer and AI marketing, emphasizes that the goal isnt just to show off a chatbot. Instead, the campaign frames Gemini as a new kind of help. By connecting the AI to personal apps like Google Photos, Maps, and Gmail, the tech giant wants to prove that AI can be a meaningful part of daily life rather than just a novelty for tech enthusiasts. A massive marketing blitz This isnt just a single TV commercial. Google is launching an unmissable campaign that blankets social media, billboards, and even local transportation. In the Bay AreaGoogles home turfthe company is partnering with Lyft to offer ride credits, and Gemini is even sponsoring the Madden Bowl. On social media, the brand is taking a more literal approach to the Big Game theme, using sports-commentary-style videos to explain how Gemini can help with anything from identifying a cars fuse box to testing out a new hairstyle. The race for AI dominance The timing of this blitz is no coincidence. Google is currently in a dead heat with OpenAI. Recent data shows that Gemini now has about 750 million monthly active users, which is getting closer to ChatGPTs 800 million. Google sees this Super Bowl moment as the perfect time to get its AI into the public consciousness, since visits to Geminis website shot up in late 2025. 30-second spots for this years game reached record prices of $10 million. However, Google views the investment as a necessary step in CEO Sundar Pichais long-term AI-first vision. For Google, its New Home ad for the Super Bowl reflects a future where AI is as commonand as helpfulas a search bar. The RAM shortage is causing unprecedented changes to the consumer electronics market in a number of ways, from high prices to PC manufacturers looking for alternative RAM supply, reportedly looking to Chinese memory manufacturers to fulfill the demand. The low amount of stock has in large part been due to major memory brands like Micron and others exiting the consumer space and looking to divert their efforts to AI data centers. This has caused huge price increases across the industry, with RAM products having surged in price by up to 90% compared to Q4 2025. The lower amount of stock is also making it harder for consumer electronics manufacturers to find the memory they need to build their products. Which has led to increased costs of those products. While some companies have held out and may look to wait out the low stock and price surges, some are potentially turning to the only alternative available. Major PC manufacturers are considering Chinese memory companies for the RAM they need The shortage of RAM modules has made it increasingly difficult for manufacturers to acquire the modules they need without increasing the prices of their products. In some cases, price increases have been the result. However, not all OEMs are keen to raise the price for consumers. Nikkei Asia reports that several major PC manufacturers are now evaluating whether or not Chinese memory modules will serve the purpose they need. This includes companies like HP, ASUS, Dell, Acer. According to the report, these companies are now in contact with Chinas CXMT to see if its DDR5 memory modules will be a fit for their products. If things go smoothly, the goal is to have these memory modules integrated with products by the end of 2026. With that timeline in mind, consumers could still be in for increased pricing on several different computing products for the majority of the year. South Korea is facing growing criticism over a cram school culture that now pulls in even preschool children, pushing them into a high-pressure race for academic success years before they enter elementary school. Government data released in 2025 showed that nearly half of children under six are already in some form of private education, including hagwons or "cram schools." The rate rises sharply with age, with more than 80 percent of five-year-olds attending extra classes outside regular daycare or kindergarten. Parents spend an average of around 332,000 won per month on these programs, and fees can exceed 1.5 million won for English-focused kindergartens. Pressure Starts in Preschool Critics warn that the pressure now starts as early as age four, when some children sit entrance exams for elite English preschools or early-track programs. These tests often include content well beyond their developmental level, a practice that experts say creates fear in parents and stress in children, according to the New York Times. South Korea's National Human Rights Commission has argued that exposing preschoolers to such high-stakes assessments violates their rights. Researchers link the intense private education race to rising stress and anxiety among young people, who are told that their future depends on test scores from an early age. Studies of older students in hagwons show high levels of stress symptoms, and counselors report more cases of self-harm and burnout among youth who feel trapped in endless competition. Experts warn that today's preschoolers may carry similar mental health burdens as they grow up in the same system. Government Response and Parent Dilemma The government has begun to react, as the education culture is increasingly blamed for worsening mental health and for South Korea's record-low birth rate, the Korea Times reported. Lawmakers have proposed banning entrance exams and ranking tests for children below school age at English kindergartens and private academies. Authorities have also pledged to improve public early childhood programs and expand free education and childcare for three- to five-year-olds. Still, many parents say they feel they cannot step away from hagwons while other families keep investing heavily. For now, preschool remains the starting line in a relentless race, with South Korea still struggling to balance ambition, children's rights, and mental health, as per Time. The digital landscape in Europe could change forever as regulators move beyond monitoring content to scrutinizing the core architecture of social media. France, the UK, and Spain are promoting the limitation of social apps or services to teenagers. Now, the European Commission (EU) issued a warning to TikTok, claiming the platforms addictive design breaches the Digital Services Act (DSA) and threatening big fines. Toxic by design: The European Commissions case against TikToks features For years, the debate around social media focused on what people were posting. Now, the focus is shifting to how the apps are built. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen explained that features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and push notifications aim to keep users in an autopilot mode. The Commissions early findings say that these things use behavioral science to make a never-ending cycle of dopamine rewards. Giving users a never-ending stream of personalized content may encourage compulsive behavior. It could also make it harder for them to control themselves. Regulators are especially worried about how these addictive loops will affect kids, who may not have the mental tools to resist them. The proposed changes To comply with European law and avoid staggering penalties, TikTok may have to dismantle some of its most successful features. The European Commission suggested several mandatory changes for the platforms European operations. First, they have to disable the classic infinite scroll system reigning in social media. Moving away from the bottomless feed that allows users to cycle through videos indefinitely, the body claims. The EUs second requirement is to implement mandatory breaks. Forcing these screen time breaks, especially during nighttime hours, will help prevent sleep deprivation, according to the European Commission. Lastly, the EU is requiring some important algorithm adjustments to social media platforms. They hope that modifying the recommendation system to prioritize user well-being over maximum engagement will have a positive impact on mental health. EUs allegations are categorically false, TikTok claims TikTok has not taken these accusations lightly. A spokesperson for the company labeled the findings categorically false and entirely meritless, vowing to challenge the depiction of their platform through every available legal means. TikTok argues that its existing tools, such as parental controls and time management features, are sufficient to protect its community. However, the EU remains unmoved. If TikTok fails to satisfy the Commissions requirements, it faces fines of up to 6% of its total global annual turnovera figure that could reach into the billions of dollars. The warning shot for big tech While TikTok is currently in the spotlight, this case serves as a reality check for the entire industry. Metas Facebook and Instagram are already under similar scrutiny for their algorithms. Plus, platforms like Snapchat and YouTube have been asked for detailed information on their safety systems. Whatever the outcome of this and other initiatives, it seems we are moving away from an era that prioritized maximizing engagement at any cost. Engineered responsibility could become the new legal standard around the world. Almost one in four shop-bought soups exceed Government salt targets, with some tins containing most of an adults maximum daily limit of 6g, a new study has revealed. Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS) found that 48 per cent of branded soups surpassed the maximum salt target, a stark contrast to just 6 per cent of supermarket own-label alternatives. The group analysed 481 ready-to-eat soups across major UK retailers, concluding that 23 per cent still fail to meet the Governments voluntary maximum salt target of 0.59g per 100g, which was due to be met by the end of 2024. The saltiest product identified was Soup Head Tom Yum Soup, containing 1.01g of salt per 100g or 3.03g in a 300g pack an amount comparable to more than two McDonalds cheeseburgers. A spokesman for Tom Yum Soup said the brand "always continue to look at ways to better our products for the consumer, and absolutely salt is very, very high on that list or priorities, especially with this flavour". AoSS warned that suggested serving sizes on packs could understate actual salt intake, with many brands listing a serving as 200g (half a tin), even though consumers were likely to eat more in a single meal. The saltiest product was Soup Head Tom Yum Soup, containing 1.01g of salt per 100g or 3.03g in a 300g pack more than two McDonalds cheeseburgers (Justin De Souza) Other high-salt examples included Daylesford Organic Minestrone Soup (1g per 100g) and Baxters Luxury Cullen Skink (0.95g per 100g). Under front-of-pack labelling guidelines, one in six soups (16 per cent ) would receive a red warning for high salt content, while just 11 products (2 per cent) would achieve a green label. Across the range, the average serving offered 1.43g of salt, while 51 products (11 per cent) packed more than 2g in a single suggested serving more than a third of an adults maximum limit for the day. Sonia Pombo, head of impact and research at Action on Salt and Sugar, said: Soup is often marketed as a healthy, everyday choice, but our findings show it can be a major source of hidden salt. Nearly one in four soups are still exceeding the maximum salt target, despite food businesses being expected to meet it more than a year ago. A full 12 months on, that level of non-compliance is disappointing and difficult to justify. The UK used to be a world leader on salt reduction, but progress has stalled. Government must get back on the front foot with stronger incentives to drive reformulation, and proper accountability, so the healthier option becomes the default, not the exception. Asda said: We are really proud to have set a healthy sales target based on the nutrient profiling model as observed in the data, all Asda branded soups surveyed in this report are healthy under this classification. Reformulation and new product development are a key part of us driving this target and salt content is a key consideration in our decision making when it comes to product formulation. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. Andrew received copies of The Kings Speech at Epstein dinner despite claims he cut ties Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor received two copies of the film The Kings Speech from a Hollywood publicist during a dinner at Jeffrey Epsteins New York residence in December 2010, newly released documents have revealed. This revelation emerges despite Andrews 2019 Newsnight interview assertion that his visit to New York was solely to end his friendship with Epstein, two years after the financiers conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution. He claimed to have had no further contact after this meeting. The documents, part of the extensive Epstein files, detail a very last-minute casual dinner organised for Andrew. Among the reported invitees were filmmaker Woody Allen, his wife Soon-Yi Previn and journalist Katie Couric. Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal recounted aspects of the gathering in an email sent to Epstein on 3 December 2010. In her message, she appeared to allude to Harvey Weinstein, suggesting he would be angry about her providing the films to Andrew. A separate email to Epstein from an account on behalf of Ms Siegal showed a private screening of The Kings Speech was being arranged for Andrew in November 2010. (Jordan Pettitt/PA) The disgraced movie moguls production house, The Weinstein Company, was behind the film. Ms Siegal said in her message to Epstein: The evening was sensational Did you have fun? My favourite line. So Andrew, tell us about the wedding. What are you wearing? He was not sure if I was kidding or not and I was perfectly straight with him. I did leave him two copies of The Kings Speech (one for back-up) and begged him to let me watch him watch the film. I must get them both back. Harvey will kill me if he finds out I lent them to him. Harvey is trying to get the palace (and Prince Charles) to see the film. I told Andrew to say he saw the film in the theatre in New York. I will get the name of the theatre where its playing. Please make sure Andrew does not say I lent him a DVD. Harvey will really be angry. Will talk to you tomorrow. Your table looked great and the food was delicious. xoxo Peg. A separate email to Epstein from an account on behalf of Ms Siegal showed a private screening of The Kings Speech was being arranged for Andrew in November 2010. The email from a woman called Stephanie was sent to a redacted address and forwarded to Epstein on November 3. Set out in four points, it said: 1. As per our phone conversation Prince Andrew will be in the States November 29th December 5th. 2. We will get a print of The Kings Speech from Harvey Weinstein and have you host a very private, small, no press screening for Prince Andrew. 3. Here is a list of events for that week: Monday, November 29th is the Gotham Awards, Tuesday, November 30th is the Black Swan Premiere, Wednesday, December 1st is the All Good Things Premiere (sic). We can do it Thursday, December 2nd, 4th, or Sunday, December 5th. 4. Tell Prince Andrew the film and Colin Firth who portrays his grandfather is going to win the Oscar. Xoxo, Peggy. Colin Firth won the best actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Andrews grandfather George VI in the film. Challenged during his 2019 Newsnight interview on his decision to stay at the home of a convicted sex offender, Andrew said: It was a convenient place to stay. I mean Ive gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do. But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgment was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but thats just the way it is. Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Andrew has faced allegations, which he strenuously denies, that he sexually assaulted a teenage Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein. He paid millions to Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022. Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after the interview on BBC Newsnight, 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 financier. It led to the King officially stripping his disgraced brother of both his HRH style and his prince title. Prince Andrew speaking with the Emirati foreign affairs minister, Sheikh Abdullah (left), near the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed (right), at an energy summit in Abu Dhabi on 21 January 2008. Photograph: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images (Photograph: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images) Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor vouched for Jeffrey Epstein during a UK state visit to the United Arab Emirates with Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, according to newly released emails. The email was sent from The Duke to Epstein on 24 November of that year, with the subject listed as Abdullah an apparent reference to the UAE foreign affairs minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. You are in big time, the Duke wrote to Epstein. He thinks you are great and would like to introduce you to Sheikh Mohammed, the Crown Prince. Doesnt think it can be done before the end of the year though. I will discuss further and report back. The date of the email coincides with Mountbatten-Windsors trip to the UAE alongside his mother, the queen; his father, Prince Philip; and the then UK foreign secretary, William Hague. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the crown prince of Abu Dhabi at the time. In 2022, he assumed the role of Abu Dhabis ruler and president of the UAE. Epstein appeared to respond to Mountbatten-Windsors email about his meeting with the UAE foreign minister by suggesting that they arrange a holiday together. Ask Abdullah for a date when we can all go on vacation, Epstein wrote. A separate email appeared to show that Epstein himself met Sheikh Abdullah and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, just weeks earlier. I met with both abdulla -aby dhabi, and mahammed -dubai [sic] today, read the email, which was sent from Epstein to The Duke on 7 November 2010. A third email appeared to show Epstein guiding Mountbatten-Windsor on how to vouch for him during his meeting with Sheikh Abdullah. Epstein told the Duke to tell the UAE foreign minister about qualities including trust, financial expertise, funder of extreme science, and fun. The emails, released by the US Department of Justice, do not imply any wrongdoing by the UAE officials. All emails appear to have been sent when Mountbatten-Windsor served as special representative for UK trade and investment a role he held from 2001 until 2011. In a separate exchange, Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to discuss how to circumvent restrictions on making investments with Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy. The emails suggest that the former prince considered himself barred from making personal business investments or taking seats on company boards while serving in the role. But the documents also show he discussed ways around the restrictions with Epstein. In one email exchange dated May 2010 when Epstein was under house arrest after pleading guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution Mountbatten-Windsor appeared to refer to an earlier phone call about potential investments and restrictions on making them. He wrote to Epstein: So long as I delegate any responsibility to invest then there are no problems. So Trusts are delegated responsibility as to [too] are any Banks or Investment Vehicles or for that matter Trusted individuals. Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epsteins crimes. A supportive sign left by neighbors posted outside of the home of Nancy Guthrie. Photograph: Rebecca Noble/Reuters (Photograph: Rebecca Noble/Reuters) TV host Savannah Guthries brother on Thursday renewed the familys plea for their mothers kidnapper to contact them, hours after an Arizona sheriff said investigators dont have proof Nancy Guthrie is alive, but believe shes still out there. Whoever is out there holding our mother, we want to hear from you. We havent heard anything directly, Camron Guthrie said in a video statement posted on Instagram. We need you to reach out and we need a way to communicate with you so we can move forward, but first the family needs to know the kidnapper has their mother, he said, echoing a statement his sister read the day before. Earlier on Thursday, law enforcement chiefs in Arizona confirmed that they found blood belonging to Nancy Guthrie on the 84-year-olds porch after she was reported missing from home at the weekend. The sheriff of Pima county, Chris Nanos, said during a press conference authorities did not yet have a suspect in the apparent kidnapping. But they believe Nancy Guthrie is still out there and their protocol in such a situation is to assume she is alive until there is any information otherwise and were going to continue thinking that way until we find her, Nanos said. Related: Savannah Guthrie releases video appealing for proof her missing mother is alive The FBI has become involved and the special agent in charge of the investigation, Heith Janke, announced a $50,000 reward for vital information and also said that a ransom note that is being investigated gave an initial deadline of 5pm local time on Thursday for a response. Nanos confirmed that blood found near the front door of Nancy Guthries house, just north of Tucson, had tested positive for her DNA. Additionally, at 2.28am on Sunday, Nancy Guthries pacemaker disconnected from her personal device, Nanos said. Her doorbell camera had also been removed, but software detected a presence, although without images it was not possible to know at this point if the movement was a person or an animal, Nanos said. The sheriff added that he was certainly fearful of a worst-case scenario where Nancy Guthrie is no longer alive, saying: I think we all are especially without the medication that she needs every day. Savannah Guthrie is the longtime news anchor of Today on NBC. It appears that Nancy Guthrie disappeared overnight on Saturday, and her absence was discovered late Sunday morning by the family. She was reported missing just after midday. That prompted an investigation that authorities have said includesthe suspected ransom note. Investigators believe Nancy Guthrie was taken against her will. Janke said on Thursday it was not clear whether the apparent kidnapping was specifically related to Savannah Guthrie being a well-known national journalist. On a ransom, Janke said: We are in communication with the family. While we advise and recommend, from a law enforcement perspective, any action taken on any ransom is ultimately decided by the family. Law enforcement leaders expressed sympathy with the family. This entire team is hurting with you, Nanos said of law enforcement personnel, addressing his comments to Nancys distraught children Savannah and her sister and brother. The siblings released a tearful public appeal via video on Wednesday night, focusing on their mothers deteriorating health and the danger posed by her lack of medication. The siblings asked for evidence that their mother is still alive. Everyone is looking for you, mommy, Guthrie said. Everywhere. We will not rest. Your children will not rest until we are together again. Nanos said on Thursday there had been no information in the ransom note they are primarily investigating that indicated how the family should communicate with those responsible for the apparent abduction. Meanwhile, one person has been arrested for sending a suspected fake ransom note, with the sheriff describing that person as an impostor. A man named Derrick Callella was arrested in Los Angeles on Thursday following allegations that he sent text messages to members of Nancy Guthries family seeking information about sending bitcoin, authorities said. The messages are not believed to be connected to the separate Monday ransom demand in the case involving Guthries disappearance. According to authorities, Nancy Guthrie was last seen on Saturday evening at her residence in Catalina Foothills, an affluent community about 6 miles (10km) north-east of Tucson. Family members dropped her off at approximately 9.30pm. By Sunday morning, members of her church noticed she was not at home and contacted her family. A missing-person report was filed later that afternoon after relatives called 911. A search effort began immediately, drawing in volunteers and border patrol agents, and continued into the following day. By Monday, investigators had declared the house a crime scene. In the Instagram video, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings reiterated concerns about their mothers medical condition and said she did not have access to her prescriptions. Shes 84 years old. Her health, her heart, is fragile. She lives in constant pain. She is without any medicine. She needs it to survive, and she needs it not to suffer, Guthrie said. We, too, have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media. As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you and we are ready to listen. After the familys statement, Donald Trump posted on social media that he had spoken to Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday. The US president said he was deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. Axios reported that Pam Bondi, the attorney general, also spoke with Savannah Guthrie and that Kash Patel, the FBI director, planned to travel to Tucson. Related: No suspect yet in apparent abduction of Savannah Guthries mother The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, told reporters on Thursday afternoon that Trump had watched Nanoss latest news conference about the Guthrie investigation. She described the case as a heartbreaking situation. Leavitt added: Any requests that are made by state and local officials in the search of Ms Guthrie will absolutely be accommodated, and: Our hearts and our prayers are with Savannah and her entire family as they search for her dear mother. Savannah Guthrie has been absent from the Today show this week. NBC said she would also step away from her scheduled role as a co-host of Fridays Winter Olympics opening ceremony to remain with her family. Our hearts are with her and the entire Guthrie family as the search continues for their mother, the network said in a statement. In Arizona and across the US, people have gathered to show support for the family. We need people with that connection to Savannah, to Nancy, to the community, to show the love and support that we have for this family, Anne Moral, a friend of Savannah Guthrie, told ABC News-affiliate KGUN9 during a prayer service in Catalina Foothills. New study reveals Americans have less than $1,000 saved for retirement New data suggests the average American worker has under $1,000 saved for retirement. A report from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that the median savings for all employed adults between the ages of 21 and 64 were approximately $955. The study includes workers with 401(k) and other retirement savings plans, as well as the approximately 56 million workers who do not have access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. Workers with retirement savings plans have a median balance of approximately $40,000 saved, according to the report. That figure is nowhere near the $1.5 million that Americans say they need to feel comfortable fully retiring. Saving for retirement is more important than ever, as Social Security benefits which have long been a core component of retired Americans' monthly incomes may be cut by 20 percent in 2034, barring any congressional action. "While there have been some noticeable improvements in the retirement savings system in recent years, many workers are still left out of that system, and major challenges lie ahead," the report warns. Working Americans have, on average, under $1,000 saved for retirement, according to new data from the National Institute on Retirement Security, a nonpartisan think tank (Getty Images) According to a new report from AARP, a lack of retirement savings has forced some seniors to "unretire" or fully return to the workforce to make ends meet. It found that approximately 7 percent of retirees have had to return to work in the last six months, with almost half citing financial security concerns as motivating their decisions. "With the cost of living still high and many people worried that they don't have enough saved for retirement, the trend of older adults working longer will likely continue," Carly Roszkowski, AARP's vice president of financial resilience programming, said in a statement to CBS News. The NIRS report found that most Americans who do save are doing so through their employers. "The bottom line is that if Americans are not saving for retirement through their employer, then they are probably not saving at all," the report said. A woman visits a food bank in Utah. Approximately 15 percent of American seniors are living in poverty as of 2024, according to a report from the National Institute on Retirement Security (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Poverty is on the rise among older Americans, and workers' lack of retirement savings is likely a significant contributing factor. The study found that the number of seniors living in poverty increased to 15 percent in 2024, gaining one point over the 14 percent reported a year earlier. More seniors are living in poverty than any other age group, according to the data. Some financial experts have recommended a savings plan that sees workers have a year's income saved by age 30, double that by age 35, and continue growing from there as they age. But saving that much money especially for Americans who choose to have children has become difficult as wages stagnate and prices for everything from groceries to rent balloon year after year. Benghazi attack suspect arrested 14 years after ambush on US compound killed four Americans A suspect in the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans has been taken into custody. Zubayr Al-Bakoush was arrested and landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 3 a.m. Friday. We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation, Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a news conference hours later. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said an eight-count indictment charged Al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith. It was unclear if Al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him. The 2012 attack on the U.S. compound immediately emerged as a divisive political issue as Republicans challenged President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on security at the facility, the military response to the violence and the administrations changing narrative about who was responsible and why. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said an eight-count indictment charged Al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and State Department employee Sean Smith (AFP via Getty Images) A final report by a Republican-led congressional panel faulted the Obama administration for security deficiencies at the Libyan outpost and a slow response to the attacks. The report, however, found no wrongdoing by Clinton. Clinton dismissed the report as an echo of previous probes with no new discoveries, saying it was time to move on. Other Democrats denounced the Republicans report as a conspiracy theory on steroids." On the night of Sept. 11, 2012, U.S. officials have said, at least 20 militants armed with AK-47s and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound and set buildings on fire. The fire led to the deaths of Stevens and Smith. Other State Department personnel escaped to a nearby U.S. facility known as the annex. A large group assembled for an attack on the annex. That attack, including a precision mortar barrage, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured by U.S. special forces in 2014 and was brought to Washington for prosecution. He was convicted and is serving a prison sentence. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs. Lil Jon heartbroken after body of his missing son is pulled from a Georgia lake Rapper Lil Jon says he is extremely heartbroken after the body of his son was pulled from a Georgia lake by authorities. "I am extremely heartbroken for the tragic loss of our son, Nathan Smith. His mother [Nicole Smith] and I are devastated, the Grammy-winning artist, real name Jonathan Smith, said in a statement shared with The Independent. Nathan was the kindest human being you would ever meet. He was immensely caring, thoughtful, polite, passionate, and warmhearted - he loved his family and the friends in his life to the fullest. He was an amazingly talented young man; a music producer, an artist and engineer, and graduate of NYU. We loved Nathan with all of our hearts and are incredibly proud of him. He was loved and appreciated, and in our last times together were comforted in knowing that we expressed that very sentiment to him. Rapper Lil Jon says he is extremely heartbroken after the body of his missing son was pulled from a Georgia lake by authorities (Getty) The Milton Police Department identified the body as 27-year-old Smith, who was reported missing earlier this week, in an online post, adding that there was no indication of foul play. Smith, who made music under the name DJ Young Slade, was last seen Tuesday at 6 a.m. local time in Milton, a suburb 30 miles north of downtown Atlanta. Search efforts had lasted for three days and later expanded to include a pond in Mayfield Park near his home. On Friday at approximately 11:53 a.m., divers with the Cherokee County Fire Department located and recovered a body from the pond, believed to be Smith, pending confirmation by the Fulton County Medical Examiners Office. Smith was the rappers only son, who he shares with his estranged wife Nicole Smith (Getty Images) We extend our deepest condolences to the Smith family during this difficult time, MPD wrote on Facebook. The department respectfully asks the community and members of the media to honor the familys request for privacy as they grieve and navigate this tragedy. Smith was Lil Jons only son, who he shared with his estranged wife, Nicole Smith. Lil Jon is best known for early 2000s club hits like Get Low, Snap Yo Fingers, and, later, Turn Down For What (Getty) The couple married in 2004 and Lil Jon announced their breakup in February 2024, saying that they had split nearly two years earlier. The Yeah! rapper, 55, also has a daughter, Nahara, with his girlfriend Jamila Sozahdah. He is best known for early 2000s club hits like Get Low, Snap Yo Fingers, and, later, Turn Down For What. In recent years, he has been outspoken about his political opinions, and performed at the Democratic National Convention in 2024. Smith followed in his fathers footsteps as a musician, releasing his latest song, Feels, in March 2025. Lil Jon said on The Big Podcast in 2023 that Smith started performing as a DJ at age 11. Ben Wegg-Prosser founded Global Counsel with Peter Mandelson in 2010. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images (Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images) A former No 10 aide has quit as chief executive of the influential lobbying firm he co-founded with Peter Mandelson following revelations from the Jeffrey Epstein files. Ben Wegg-Prosser stepped down on Friday as the head of Global Counsel after emails revealed the extent to which he and Mandselson had involved the convicted child sex offender when they were setting up the company in 2010. The fallout from the release of the files in the US has triggered a crisis at Global Counsel, which has had close ties to Labour and lobbied the government on behalf of clients including the controversial tech firm and government contractor Palantir. The departure of Wegg-Prosser, formerly Tony Blairs director of strategic communications at No 10, was communicated to clients on Friday by the firm as it fought to stave off damage from the scandal. One major client, Barclays, had already cut ties. Related: Starmer faces renewed calls to sack chief of staff over Mandelson scandal The company also told clients on Friday that it had reached an agreement for the divestment of Mandelsons shares in the company and that the transaction would be completed later in the day subject to approvals. The peer left the companys board two years ago when a company owned by the former Barack Obama adviser Jim Messina invested in it, but retained shares. The completion of this transaction will bring to an end any connection between Global Counsel and Peter Mandelson, said its chair, Archie Norman. With the necessary progress being made on the divestment, Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, founder andCEO of Global Counsel, has decided to step down, said an email from Norman, who thanked Wegg-Prosser for his loyalty and commitment. Global Counsel is independently governed and led, and remains focused on delivering high-quality, independent advice to our clients. Global Counsels website on Friday listed Rebecca Park as its chief executive, with no reference to Wegg-Prosser. Park, who joined the company in 2021, was previously managing director of UK Finance, a bankers lobby group. Company filings showed that Mandelson held 21% of the companys shares as of 7 October 2025, while Wegg-Prosser held 29%. Park is expected to acquire Mandelsons stake, the Financial Times reported. The files also showed how Mandelson sought to land highly paid senior roles with companies including BP and Glencore after Labours general election defeat. The hedge fund Rokos Capital Management on Thursday said it had terminated talks with Mandelson over an advisory role. Emails from that period when Global Counsel was being formed show that Mandelson asked Epstein for advice on setting up the company. Others indicate that Epstein, by then already a convicted child sex offender, was being tapped up as part of the launch, with help being sought from him on getting clients. An email from Mandelson in February 2010 told Epstein that Wegg-Prosser would be coming to New York to discuss the companys business plan. At other points, Wegg-Prosser himself directly emailed Epstein, on one occasion sending him a draft statement that the company was preparing to issue in anticipation of stories about Mandelsons links to the financier. The statement, which was shared with Epstein in a March 2011 email, sought to play down the depth of the two mens relationship. Lord Mandelson was introduced to Mr Epstein a decade before by his then partner Ghislaine Maxwell who, along with her father and other members of her family, Lord Mandelson had known for many years before, it read. The wording is at odds with what is now known to have been a much closer relationship between Epstein and Mandelson. Sources close to the companys then CEO say he was asked to pass on the quote and was effectively acting as a secretary for Mandelson. After the release of the latest batch of Epstein files, Wegg-Prosser was present on Monday at a British-American parliamentary group reception at the Foreign Office, which was attended by several high-profile Labour MPs. Last year, he was originally the top choice for Keir Starmers government as investment minister, but turned down the role for financial reasons. The government sought the lobbyist, an executive at the Guardian earlier in his career, to secure private capital to drive growth. There is deep unease in Labour about how the controversy is placing a spotlight on the nexus of business interests that have become entwined with the party, with Global Counsel among companies hosting and staging events at the partys annual conference. Clive Lewis, a Labour backbencher, said the authoritarian right were likely to be among those seeking to benefit from the focus on the network of power and vested interests linked to Labour. I think there is a blind spot among many in the party to the sheer scale and depth and systematic transformation of it from being a workers party to being the second party of capital, he said. A Global Counsel spokesperson said: Global Counsel was founded by Ben Wegg-Prosser with Peter Mandelson and with a founding investment from WPP plc in November 2010. Epstein never played any role in the establishment or ongoing business of Global Counsel. The emails show that Wegg-Prosser travelled to meet Epstein in New York in 2010 two years after the latters conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender to discuss the businesss launch. Ben is coming to NYC to meet you and explain the business plan, Mandelson wrote to Epstein before the visit. Mandelson himself sent Epstein an Excel spreadsheet of the companys lead list an apparent list of would-be customers. Sources close to Wegg-Prosser say he met Epstein once 16 years ago for 25 minutes at the suggestion of Mandelson. I had the misfortune to meet Epstein on one occasion. It was a short meeting of no consequence and thankfully was never to be repeated, Wegg-Prosser has said in the past. Residents and emergency crews rescue a trapped pet after the Sado River overflowed its banks in Alcacer do Sal, Portugal. Photograph: Adri Salido/Getty (Photograph: Adri Salido/Getty) Heavy rains and strong winds have continued to batter parts of Spain and Portugal, causing at least two deaths, forcing the evacuation of more than 7,000 people and prompting calls to postpone the second-round of Portugals presidential election. Storm Leonardo, which has lashed the Iberian peninsula this week, has led the Portuguese government to extend the current state of calamity in 69 municipalities until the middle of February. The storm has killed one man in Portugal, while the body of a woman who had been swept away by a river in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia was found on Friday. It is the latest in a series of deadly storms to have hit Portugal and Spain in recent weeks, killing several people. Authorities in Andalucia, where more than 7,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, evacuated residential areas near the Guadalquivir River in Cordoba overnight and pedestrian traffic was halted on the citys Roman bridge. We expect 30mm [of rain], Andalucias regional president, Juan Manuel Moreno, said on Friday. In other circumstances that would be little water but right now it is a lot as the soil is unable to drain and the rivers and reservoirs are full. About 1,500 residents have been ordered to leave their homes in Grazalema, a mountain village popular with hikers, as water seeped through the walls of houses and cascaded along steep cobbled streets. Moreno told Cadena Ser radio that aquifers in the Grazalema mountains were full and could provoke landslides owing to pent-up pressure. This could cause large holes or ditches. If this happens under a house or street, the result could be dramatic, he said. He added geologists were assessing the situation in Grazalema to determine when people would be able to return to their homes. During a visit to a coordination post in Andalucias Cadiz province on Friday, the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, warned that complicated days lay ahead and appealed for caution and calm. He said that 10,000 emergency personnel had been deployed to help across the region, adding that the central government was coordinating the response with the Andalucia regional government. The heavy rains are also affecting the olive harvest. Francisco Elvira, who leads the Coag farmers association in Jaen province, put losses so far at 200m (174m). Spains state meteorological office, Aemet, issued orange weather alerts on Friday for coastal areas of the north-western region of Galicia and yellow alerts for other parts of the northern coast, and for southern and eastern coastal areas, as well as for the Balearic islands. Ruben del Campo, an Aemet spokesperson, said more heavy rain would fall on Saturday. Following a slight letup on Friday, Storm Marta will arrive, bringing heavy rain and very strong winds on Saturday to areas that have already been very adversely affected by the heavy rains of recent days, he said. Once Storm Marta moves off on Sunday, further weather fronts will arrive bringing less intense, but still significant, rainfall to most parts of the peninsula apart from Mediterranean areas. In Portugals second-biggest city, Porto, the River Douro overflowed in the early hours on Friday, causing minor flooding at riverside cafe terraces. In the countrys south, large parts of the town of Alcacer do Sal, by the River Sado, remained semi-submerged for a third day. The commander of Portugals ANEPC civil protection service, Mario Silvestre, said six rivers, including the Tagus, were at risk of significant flooding, adding that Portugal was facing the worst flood threat along the Tagus in nearly three decades. The damage and uncertainty brought by the storm has given rise to calls to postpone Sundays second round of the presidential election. Andre Ventura, the leader of the far-right Chega party, said the vote should be delayed by a week as the poll was a matter of equality among all Portuguese. But the national electoral authority said the vote would go ahead as scheduled. A state of emergency, weather alerts or overall unfavourable situations are not in themselves a sufficient reason to postpone voting in a town or region, it said. Scientists say human-driven climate breakdown is increasing the length, intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as the floods and heatwaves that have struck both countries in recent years. Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report Whos in charge?! Hill Democrats want to know who is leading ICE reform talks or if White House is Senate Democrats say they would like to come to an agreement with Republicans to fund the Department of Homeland Security that reins in Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. But first, they want to know who their negotiating partner is. They argue that while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, are ready to negotiate, they dont know whether the White House or Senate Republicans are leading the talks. And if Senate Republicans are, then they dont know who is leading that. We have different people going in different directions, Schumer told The Independent during a pen and pad on Capitol Hill. They've got to get their act together. Show us this is who to negotiate with. Ostensibly, Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Susan Collins should bring out her talking stick and be the Republican counterpart. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer outlined Demoratic demands for ICE accountability as Congress debates funding legislation for the DHS ahead of next week's deadline. (Getty Images) Or Alabama Sen. Katie Britt. Despite all of the jokes and memes from a few years ago after her response to Joe Bidens final State of the Union, the freshman from Alabama wields significant power: she now leads the Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security. But her counterpart on that subcommittee, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, is just as confused, especially since Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said they needed to talk to the White House about negotiations. Now he's saying talk to somebody else, he told The Independent. We'll negotiate with anybody. Murphy said his staff is working with Britts and they have submitted their proposal to rein in ICE, but have heard nothing back. On Wednesday evening, Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries released a letter listing what they wanted from negotiations. They want to stop roving patrols of ICE agents in American cities like Minneapolis. They also want to make sure that ICE agents obtain a judicial warrant; a removal of masks for ICE agents; body cameras; guidelines for the use of force; the ability to sue agents, and independent oversight. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) accused Democrats of playing politics with their demands. (Getty Images) But Collins accused Schumer of going back on his demands from last week. I noticed it's grown enormously from the list that Senator Schumer put out last week, she said. Britt, for her part, criticized the demands on social media, calling it a ridiculous Christmas list of demands for the press. They continue to play politics to their radical base at the expense of the safety of Americans, she said. Needless to say, these negotiations are going nowhere. And other Republicans dont want to speak out of turn. I don't want to talk about any of those right now, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told The Independent. Because you know what? Apparently, everything is being negotiated through the media, and it needs to be negotiated with the negotiators. This lack of coordination is probably why Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who worked with Britt to pass the Laken Riley Act, told The Independent he had little faith in the negotiations on Wednesday. If you hear what they're saying, you've got to take what they're saying at face value, he told The Independent. and if they're not willing to set some simple demands that Americans are asking for, not just to the Democrats, then I think it's gonna be hard for us to get a deal at that point. These negotiations were always going to be difficult. When Republicans split the other spending bills from the Homeland Security spending bill, they chose to fund the department for only two weeks. And Homeland Security doesnt just include ICE and CBP; it includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Transportation and Security Administration and the U.S. Secret Service. In addition, ICE is already pre-funded to the tune of $75 billion thanks to the infusion of cash in the One Big, Beautiful Bill that Republicans passed last year. Unless Republicans and Democrats can get in the roomand agree who should be in the roomit might be dead from the start. Paedophile financier Jeffery Epstein was set to own a majority stake in Sarah Fergusons womens empowerment brand after he was convicted for child sex offences, according to documents released by the US Department of Justice. Work started on launching the company, Mothers Army, in 2009. Ms Ferguson wanted to amplify the voices of mothers all over the world and tackle tougher issues facing young people and families. An email from 2009, from an associate of Epstein, reveals his involvement in plans for the business. The business plan highlighted in email exchanges, which was sent after Epsteins 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14, revealed revenue would come from book deals, involvement in childrens TV programmes and speaking fees. The plans also revealed Ms Ferguson would have received a $250,000 salary. Emails outlined that Epstein would hold 51 per cent of equity in Mothers Army which, if the plan had gone ahead, would have made him the companys majority owner. An email sent to Jeffrey Epstein outlining a business plan for Mothers Army (US Department of Justice) The emails were sent after Epsteins 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14 (US Justice Department) Section of an email sent to Epstein outlining a business plan showing he would hold 51 per cent of equity in Mothers Army (US Department of Justice) A second email, sent by an associate, revealed how Epstein hoped to profit. In the email, a list under the heading Mothers Army states: Good concept if all her activities are consolidated into MA. Needs clearer build up and focus to generate scale, and, Potential to leverage her network for MA growth but also other JEDS deals. The email suggests JEDS was intended to be an investment vehicle to allow Epstein to fund Mothers Army, as well as other ventures. Although it is not clear if Ms Ferguson agreed to give Epstein equity for the brand, it did remain part of the business plans. An email under the heading Mothers Army revealed how Epstein hoped to profit (US Department of Justice) In an email, Sarah Ferguson calls Epstein the brother I have always wished for (US Department of Justice) In an email two months later, she calls Epstein the brother I have always wished for. He appeared to remain involved in the Mothers Army plans until 2010. In February 2010, Ms Ferguson asked Epstein to ask his lovely lawyers to trademark Mothers Army. She wanted this to be done before carrying out a keynote speech on female empowerment. Epstein responded to say we are in the process of putting together training manuals, approvals. And strategic short-term and long-term goals along with the tactics needed to see them through. Another email sent by a reputation management firm to a lawyer representing Epstein in August 2011, reveals Ms Ferguson wanted to secure the rights back to the Mothers Army domain names which Epstein brought for her. Can we have a conversation at some point, as whilst I understand the Duchess has concerns on control in terms of her signing a letter, she is, and has always been, happy to help Epstein if she can, the email reads. On a separate point, she is also keen to secure the rights back to the Mother's Army domain names which (he) brought for her and it seems we need to conclude the first matter before we can discuss the second. In February 2010, Ms Ferguson asked Epstein to ask his lovely lawyers to trademark Mothers Army (US Department of Justice) An email sent by a reputation management firm to a lawyer representing Epstein in August 2011, reveals Ms Ferguson wanted to secure the rights back to the Mothers Army domain names which Epstein brought for her (US Department of Justice) By the end of September, emails suggest Epstein was no longer part of the project and an email of a picture of material made for the charity was sent to Epstein asking if he wanted to keep them or throw away (US Department of Justice) The email appears to have been sent in the context of a request for Ms Ferguson to sign a letter in support of Epstein, who was by then facing increasing public scrutiny. By the end of September, emails suggest Epstein is no longer part of the project and an email of a picture of material made for the brand was sent to him asking if he wanted to keep them or throw away. The Independent has approached Ms Ferguson for comment. CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Now in its ninth year, What Drives Her Trailblazer Award given by Chicago Auto Show organizers in partnership with A Girls Guide to Cars Award recognizes women who are changing the auto industry from the inside Feuell among those honored at awards program held during media preview for the 2026 Chicago Auto Show Feuell is second consecutive Stellantis representative to receive the award, with Audrey Moore, vice president and chief engineer North American sedan programs, earning 2025 What Drives Her Trailblazer honors Chicago Auto Show organizers, in partnership with A Girls Guide to Cars, presented Stellantis Chris Feuell, Chrysler brand CEO and head of Alfa Romeo brand North America, with the What Drives Her Trailblazer Award at an event held during the media preview for the 2026 Chicago Auto Show on Friday, Feb. 6. Chicago Auto Show organizers, in partnership with A Girls Guide to Cars, present Stellantis' Chris Feuell, Chrysler brand CEO and head of Alfa Romeo brand North America, with the What Drives Her Trailblazer Award at an event held during the media preview for the 2026 Chicago Auto Show on Friday, Feb. 6. Now in its ninth year, the What Drives Her networking event, panel discussion and awards program at Chicago's McCormick Place brings together influential women in the automotive industry and recognizes women who are changing the auto industry from the inside, as well as the advocates who help make change happen. "Chris Feuell exemplifies what it means to be a trailblazer in today's automotive industry," said Jennifer Morand, general manager of the Chicago Auto Show. "She not only leads two historic brands, but she also makes a point to show up for other women, sharing her experience, supporting meaningful dialogue and helping open doors for the next generation. Her leadership and generosity of time reflect the true mission behind the What Drives Her Trailblazer Award." The What Drives Her Trailblazer Award honors a woman in the automotive industry who is notable for her empowerment of others, for breaking down barriers to allow others to follow, for pursuing non-traditional roles or jobs, for leadership and for taking on additional roles, such as leading an employee resource group or mentoring program. "I am truly honored to receive the What Drives Her Trailblazer Award, and I am deeply humbled to be nominated by such amazing and accomplished leaders in our industry," said Feuell. "My sincere thanks to Jennifer Morand and Scotty Reiss, the organizers, judges and the entire Chicago Auto Show community for recognizing and elevating the innovators who are helping move our industry forward. I especially appreciate the What Drives Her committee for shining a spotlight on women who are blazing trails in our industry and creating pathways for others to follow." Feuell was appointed chief executive officer of the Chrysler brand in September 2021 and appointed head of Alfa Romeo brand North America in December 2024. Feuell is a well-recognized senior executive with extensive global experience in automotive, supply chain automation and advanced building technologies industries. Feuell serves on the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business advisory board and is a non-executive director on the boards of The Boyd Group, LLC and Friends of the Children, Detroit. She was recognized as one of Automotive News' 100 Leading Women in the Auto Industry in 2025. The honor for Feuell marks the second consecutive year a Stellantis representative has earned the award. Audrey Moore, vice president and chief engineer North American sedan programs, was recognized as the 2025 What Drives Her Trailblazer. In addition to the Trailblazer Award, What Drives Her honors are given out in Automotive Ally, Best Retailer and Best In Craft Automotive Media categories. Chicago Auto Show First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the nation's longest running auto exposition in North America. The show is produced by the Chicagoland's new-car dealer association, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, which has staged the show since 1935. The 2026 public show is Feb. 7-16 at McCormick Place. For more information and the latest updates, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com. Chicago Automobile Trade Association Founded in 1904 and located in Oakbrook Terrace, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association is comprised of more than 400 franchised new-car dealers and an additional 150 allied members. The group's dealer members employ about 19,000 people in the metropolitan area. The association has produced the world famous Chicago Auto Show since 1935. For more information, please visit www.CATA.info. Stellantis North America Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) is a leading global automaker, dedicated to giving its customers the freedom to choose the way they move, embracing the latest technologies and creating value for all its stakeholders. Its unique portfolio of iconic and innovative brands includes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, FIAT and Maserati. In 2025, the company celebrated 100 years of influencing culture and contributing to the history of the automotive industry in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.stellantis.com. Follow company news and video on: Company blog: http://blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com Media website: http://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Stellantis Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StellantisNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellantisna X: @StellantisNA YouTube: http://youtube.com/StellantisNA SOURCE Stellantis Experts have warned that cutting climate finance for poorer countries would amount to an act of self-harm for Britain, after reports that the government plans to scale back support for nations on the frontline of the climate crisis by billions of pounds. Gareth Redmond-King, head of the international programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said the governments own national security assessments suggested such a move would directly undermine UK interests. If true, the governments own recent national security assessment would suggest such a move risks being an act of self-harm for the UK, he said. We import two fifths of our food from overseas, much grown in countries being hit hardest by extremes of heat and flood. The UKs climate finance helps farmers in these countries to adapt their farming to maintain both their livelihoods and our food security. The warning follows reports that ministers are planning to cut climate finance for developing countries by more than a fifth over the next five years. The Guardian reported that funding would fall from 11.6bn over the past five years to 9bn over the next five a cut of around 40 per cent despite earlier commitments by wealthy nations to scale up support as climate impacts intensify. Campaigners said the proposed reduction would come at a moment when climate-related disasters are already placing growing strain on food systems, health services and economies across the global south, while also feeding risks that rebound onto wealthier countries. A graph showing the warmest years on record (PA Wire) Jennifer Larbie, head of UK advocacy and campaigns at Christian Aid, said slashing climate finance would be another betrayal of the worlds most vulnerable. People are already paying in some cases with their lives for a crisis they did not create, she said. This is short-sighted, dangerous, and must be reversed to protect people and the planet. Climate finance is intended to help poorer countries both cut emissions and adapt to worsening impacts such as extreme heat, floods and drought. Analysts warn that reducing that support risks deepening instability in regions already facing climate-driven shocks, increasing pressures from food price volatility, displacement and conflict. The move comes at a time when the United States has withdrawn itself again from the Paris Agreement under Donald Trump, putting the global climate finance target into jeopardy and adding pressure onto other developed countries. Redmond-King also warned that pulling back from climate finance would damage the UKs international standing at a sensitive geopolitical moment. Reneging on commitments would damage trust in the UKs position at a time when it has made real progress in cutting emissions and growing clean industries, he said, adding that the longer-term risk was to Britains relative power and influence around the world. He noted that China has been expanding its role in providing climate-related finance and infrastructure support to developing countries, raising concerns that UK retrenchment could leave space for rival powers to shape the rules and priorities of future climate action. The reported cuts would come from the UKs overseas aid budget, which has already been reduced in recent years. Plans to restructure the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have also been met with pushback, with MPs arguing they could bring catastrophic consequences. Critics argue that climate finance has increasingly been forced to compete with other priorities, even as scientific evidence shows that climate impacts are accelerating and becoming more unpredictable. A report released this week warned that governments and investors are relying on economic models that fail to account for the scale and severity of the damage, as temperatures rise beyond 2C could trigger a global financial crash. In response, a government spokesperson told The Independent: The UK remains committed to providing International Climate Finance, playing our part alongside other developed countries and climate finance providers to deliver our international commitments. The UK is on track to deliver 11.6 billion in International Climate Finance by the end of this financial year. We are modernising our approach to ensure we focus on greater impact ensuring every pound delivers for the UK taxpayer and the people we support. Federal agents arrested kidney transplant recipient delivering groceries and detained him without medication, family and lawmakers say Federal officers in Minnesota detained a recent kidney transplant recipient who was delivering groceries for a churchs mutual aid group after ramming his car, according to his wife and a state lawmaker advocating for his release. He was detained without his medication and is reportedly being sent to a detention center in Texas where he may not have access to medicine to prevent his body from rejecting his new kidney, according to Minnesota state Rep. Kim Hicks. Hicks told Minnesota Public Radio that she tried to deliver Javier Abreu-Vasquezs medication to the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis after his arrest Thursday but was denied without a doctors note, she said. The 38-year-old man from the Dominican Republic, whose family says is in the country legally, was able to access his medication Friday, but Hicks and Abreu-Vasquezs wife fear that his body could reject the transplant without continued access to life-saving medicine while in detention in Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is aware of his recent kidney transplant, and his family sent the medications and medical documentation. ICE is working with the family to ensure he gets all of his needed medications, Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Independent. A 38-year-old kidney transplant recipient was arrested and detained at a Minneapolis facility without access to his medication to prevent his body from rejecting the organ, according to his family and a state lawmaker (AP) The details of his arrest and current legal status in the United States are unclear, but his arrest follows a wave of similar actions across the Minneapolis area in recent weeks after President Donald Trump surged more than 3,000 federal officers into the state to support his mass deportation efforts. It feels like it doesnt matter what were trying to do, Hicks told MPR Friday. These are simple human rights, things that most Minnesotans believe should happen access to counsel, access to life saving medication and yet it's being denied. Abreu-Vasquez was reportedly delivering groceries for mutual aid work through his church when federal officers rammed into his car and broke his car window to arrest him, according to the mans family and photos of the scene shared by Hicks. Hicks said he has an alien registration number, which the government provides every immigrant seeking permanent legal status or a green card, work permits or other legal status. It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody, McLaughlin said in a statement to The Independent. This includes medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many aliens have received in their entire lives, she said. I dont understand why the federal government is taking Minnesotans who are not criminals, who are part of our communities, and violently ripping them off the streets after running into their cars, and then denying them access to life saving medication, Hicks told MPR. For what purpose? What is the end goal here? she added. This is not the worst of the worst. The Whipple Building houses federal immigration agencies and a makeshift detention center used to hold immigrants and others arrested in the Trump administrations Minneapolis surge (Getty Images) Detainees have alleged abhorrent and abusive conditions inside the Whipple building, which is not designed to hold people for long periods of time (REUTERS) The Trump administrations Operation Metro Surge is its largest immigration enforcement operation yet, resulting in more than 3,000 arrests over the last nine weeks, according to Homeland Security, and an avalanche of lawsuits alleging unlawful detentions and violent use of force against immigrants and legal residents alike. The Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which holds immigration courts and other federal offices for immigration enforcement, is also housing dozens of people arrested during the surge. Detainees have reported abhorrent and abusive conditions inside the building, which is not designed to hold detainees for long periods of time. One former detainee, a legal refugee with a pending green card, told the Minnesota Star Tribune she was shackled at the ankles and held in a locked bathroom with three men, a room that had no bedding or pillows and a sink that didnt work. Detainees were fed one sandwich a day, the detainee alleges. The allegations echo testimony and statements from immigrants held in makeshift detention facilities at the center of lawsuits in New York and Chicago as the Trump administration deploys officers to boost arrests and swiftly remove detainees from the country. Four carrying liquid propane ended up in the water, while two others, with food-grade grease, landed on the banks. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant via AP) A freight train derailed in Connecticut on Thursday, sending cars carrying flammable liquid propane into the water, though officials confirm no apparent leaks. The incident occurred around 9 a.m. in Mansfield, a rural town in the state's east, home to the University of Connecticut, near Eagleville Lake and the Willimantic River. Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache reported that several of the train's 41 cars detached and derailed. Four carrying liquid propane ended up in the water, while two others, with food-grade grease, landed on the banks. The leak has since been contained and there's no evidence the grease entered the water. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant via AP) One of the grease cars sustained damage and leaked about 2,000 gallons (7,500 liters) of the animal fat, according to Roache. The leak has since been contained and there's no evidence the grease entered the water. Roache added that no injuries were reported and the cause of the derailment remains under investigation. The train had been heading south from Palmer, Massachusetts, to Willimantic. Town officials said late Thursday that a shelter-in-place order issued hours earlier for those living within half a mile (.8 kilometers) of the derailment would remain in effect, though they stressed no evacuations have been ordered. They continued to urge residents to remain indoors, as the liquid propane the train was carrying is odorless and wouldn't be immediately detected by smell. The derailment also prompted the town to close a nearby road and consider alternative bus routes for school dismissal. Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth said there doesn't appear to be any serious environmental damage from the derailment. State and local hazardous materials teams were monitoring for leaks and placed hazmat booms in the water as a precaution. Fortunately, it seems under control, Aylesworth said. Tom Ciuba, a spokesperson for New England Central Railroad, said specialized equipment is expected to arrive Thursday evening to help begin rerailing the affected cars. Roache said the recovery process could take days, given the derailment happened in a fairly remote location and under difficult, frigid conditions for responders. It's not going to be a today operation, he said. They're going to have to get some cranes in there. It's going to take some time. Rebecca Curtis sees the William Hill Denman Chase at Newbury as the ideal preparation for Haiti Couleurs ahead of a tilt at the most prestigious prize in steeplechasing. Already the winner of the Irish and Welsh Nationals, the only blot on his recent copybook came when upped to Grade One company in the Betfair Chase, but he was beaten so far out Curtis was able to disregard that run. Back to winning ways at Chepstow and with the benefit of hindsight having watched the cream of the Irish stayers go to war at Leopardstown on Monday, Curtis feels his preparation has been spot on. She said: I think weve got him in a great place, hes really well at home and its the perfect race for him I think before Cheltenham. Were happy with the ground and its nice and soft there and as it turns out itll be more ideal than if we had gone over to Ireland with all the uncertainty about it being on and the way that race played out. It wont be an easy race and LHomme Presse stays really well and went close last time, but this could be the ideal preparation for him. Were aiming at the Gold Cup but its also a long way still until Cheltenham and then also Aintree, so we will take it race by race and see how he goes. The stage is set for LHomme Presse to serve yet another reminder of his class and longevity. Venetia Williams 11-year-old fell agonisingly short of defending his Cotswold Chase crown at Cheltenham late last month and is now ready to serve it up to Haiti Couleurs. Hes still a force in that division and I have so much pride that our 11-year-old is still competing at the top table and able to serve it up to them, its brilliant, said Andy Edwards, who owns the horse under the DFA Racing banner in partnership with Pam Sharman, Ray Sharman and Peter and Patricia Pink. Pride is always the overriding emotion with this horse. Theres no Jango Baie there but Haiti Couleurs is a top-class horse and an out-and-out stayer and even though there is only four runners it will be a really good race. There is every chance three miles in the mud might suit us, but then Haiti Couleurs is a Welsh Grand National winner, so it will be fascinating to see how it plays out. It is only two weeks since LHomme Press fought out a thrilling finish with Spillanes Tower on Cheltenham Festival Trials day and with that performance booking the Prestbury Park specialist another ticket to the Gold Cup, connections are happy to squeeze in an extra outing before the Festival. Edwards added: Hes spot on and exactly where we want him really. You never know about the quick turnaround until he actually runs in the race, but all the signs he is giving us is that he is absolutely fine and ready to go again. It was a very slowly run race before a sprint up the hill at Cheltenham and obviously he had a race, but it wasnt as gruelling as a Cotswold could be, so were happy. He went on: The plan is Denman, Gold Cup and Grand National. Plenty have said to keep him back for the National, but hes 11 and theres no point keeping him for the Gold Cup as realistically he only has a fighting chance of winning that even though hes more than capable of finishing in the first five. And then with the Grand National anything can happen, its not a race that you can save a horse for and we want to both enjoy him and him also enjoy himself while hes feeling well and healthy and fit within himself. He loves his work, loves racing and who are we to deny him that? The four-strong line-up is complete by Anthony Honeyballs Leave Of Absence and Dan Skeltons Riskintheground. Disgraced Lord Mandelson should face the full force of the law, says Baroness Hazarika as she voiced the deep anger among Labour parliamentarians over his conduct. She stressed that he should be investigated robustly by the police without fear or favour following the bombshell revelations about his links with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. With Sir Keir Starmer under fire over his appointment of Lord Mandelson as Britains ambassador to the US, the Labour peer highlighted an existential feeling in the Labour Party as it trails Reform UK in the polls. But she stressed that people in the Labour movement were not chomping at the bit for a leadership contest and doubted whether it would be triggered, if at all, before the May elections for councils in England including London where fierce contests are predicted, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. Speaking to The Standard podcast, Baroness Hazarika stressed the level of fury in Labour ranks against Lord Mandelson. Following revelations in the Epstein files, he has been accused of passing market-sensitive information, including on a euro bail-out and asset sales plan, to Epstein when he was Business Secretary between 2009 and 2010 in Gordon Browns government. We have a criminal justice system and he has to be investigated robustly by the police without fear or favour, said the Labour peer. If they find that theres a case that has to go and be prosecuted, then that needs to be done completely in compliance with the law. The Met Police has launched a criminal investigation into Lord Mandelson over allegations of misconduct in public office which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Baroness Ayesha Hazarika (UK Parliament) I dont know what the sentencing guidelines are on this, added Baroness Hazarika when asked if he should go to jail if found guilty. I mean, I would say that he should absolutely face the full force of the law and whatever the punishment is deemed. Lord Mandelson reportedly denies acting criminally by passing on Government information and is said to argue that he was seeking Epsteins expertise, in the national interest, over responding to the financial crisis. Baroness Hazarika also emphasised worries in the Labour Party that the Governments woes could give Nigel Farage a shot at becoming Prime Minister. People are very, very upset. People are very, very nervous because it does feel existential in the Labour Party, she said. I wouldnt say that people are right now at all chomping at the bit to trigger a leadership contest...but people are absolutely furious...and particularly women. Sir Keir Starmer said he was sorry for believing Peter Mandelsons lies about his connections with Jeffrey Epstein (PA Wire) She also raised doubts over whether a coup would be launched against Sir Keir, saying toppling leaders was not in Labours DNA and that the party had not removed a leader in modern times. There were questions over whether a natural successor was waiting in the wings to replace the PM, unlike when Theresa May was ousted to be succeeded by Boris Johnson. Despite the unrest in Labour against Sir Keir, Baroness Hazarika stressed: Hes only the fifth man in British political history to beat the Conservatives as a Labour leader and get into power. Sir Keir has apologised to Epsteins victims, saying he is sorry for having believed Mandelsons lies and appointed him British ambassador to Washington. The Prime Minister insisted that none of us knew the depth of the darkness of Lord Mandelsons relationship with the convicted sex offender when he was picked for the role. Lord Mandelson and Jeffrey Epstein (.) However, Sir Keir is under intense pressure for giving Lord Mandelson the diplomatic job while knowing he still had ties to Epstein, and after he was twice previously sacked from the Cabinet. He says Lord Mandelson repeatedly lied during the vetting process. But Labour MPs have questioned why he relied on the honesty of the ex-Cabinet minister who was dubbed the Prince of Darkness during his earlier Labour days due to his reputation for Machiavellian-style plotting. The Government is to publish the Mandelson files on his appointment which it hopes will publicly expose his lies. But Sir Keirs job, and that of his chief-of-staff Morgan McSweeney, appear in jeopardy unless the fury among Labour MPs dies down. Lord Mandelson was sacked from his Washington role in September last year as more details emerged about his links with Epstein, who died in 2019. His continued association with Epstein following a 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor had been widely reported before his return to the political front line, when he was named as ambassador in 2024. Listen to this episode of The Standard podcast in your chosen player Husband watches mother-in-law get slapped by father-in-law and then shoots him dead in response, police say A Florida man is facing first-degree premeditated murder charges after he allegedly shot dead his father-in-law after the man reportedly slapped his mother-in-law. Shaun Simon, 42, has been arrested and jailed after he was accused of shooting dead Bill Toth in Seminole County. The incident allegedly occurred on Tuesday around 11:30 p.m in the Markham Woods neighborhood where Simon lived with his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and his wife, according to WESH. According to court records, Toth's reportedly worsening dementia was causing friction inside the house. Making matters worse, Toth's wife reportedly was suspicious that he was not being faithful. Toths daughter told deputies that on Tuesday night, her father and mother were arguing about their marriage. Toth allegedly slapped his wife in view of his daughter. She says she told her husband, Simon, about the incident, after which Simon confronted Toth, ClickOrlando reports. Shaun Simon, 42, of Sanford, Florida, was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder relating to the shooting death of his father-in-law, Bill Toth (Seminole County Sheriff's Office) When Seminole County Sheriff's deputies arrived, Toth was reportedly lying on the floor with a gunshot wound in his chest. Simons wife called 911 after the shooting. Toth was taken for treatment at a local hospital in critical condition but died at the facility around 2:15 a.m. According to Fox 35 Orlando, Simon reportedly told deputies that he shot Toth once in the chest. He also reportedly told investigators that Toth had made his "life miserable," and called the man a narcissist. A neighbor, Jan Hall, told WESH that she thought Toth was a "nice guy" and said she believed he was afraid of Simon, who she described as a "violent man." A judge denied Simon bond during his court appearance on Wednesday. Simon is allowed to have contact with his wife but has been barred from contacting his mother-in-law. Idaho teacher sues after her Everyone is Welcome banner hung at school is outlawed Idaho officials violated the U.S. and state constitutions when they pushed a public school teacher to take down a classroom banner that featured the words Everyone is Welcome Here and hands with various skin tones, according to a federal lawsuit. In the suit, filed Tuesday, former Lewis & Clark Middle School teacher Sarah Inama alleges school officials told her to remove the banner in 2025, even though it had adorned her classroom for years without complaint. That all changed in early 2025, the lawsuit alleges, as the West Ada School District in Meridian prepared for the likely passage of HB 41, a state law that outlawed most political and ideological displays in classrooms. Inama said school officials approached her in early February of that year and insisted she take the banner down, explaining that the message of the poster was an opinion that not everyone agrees with. Inama said she told her principal that such thinking sounds racist, and he allegedly responded, I know its a bummer. School officials allegedly told an Idaho teacher that a banner saying all students were welcome would violate a state law outlawing ideological displays in classrooms (Getty Images/iStockphoto) The sixth-grade teacher initially took down the sign, but returned it to her classroom later that month, after students reached out, wondering why she had removed it. In an email, she told the principal she would die to know that any students felt like I had changed my stance. School officials then allegedly accused Inama of insubordination. In a February 13 meeting about the issue, a top district official allegedly explained something along the lines of, What may not have had a political message in the past could be one now, according to notes from the exchange. [The] [m]oment we present a political or personal belief we violate the lawthe color of the hands is crossing the political boundary. The dispute over the sign soon became a local and national news story. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador wrote an op-ed last year accusing the banner of being part of a woke campaign to force DEI on students (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) In March of 2025, students, administrators, and members of the public protested in support of Inama and drew imagery reminiscent of the sign outside district offices in a Chalk the Walk demonstration. By May, Inama announced her resignation. It is extremely disturbing and embarrassing to see a district prioritize appeasing individuals with racist perspectives over celebrating the diversity and beauty of all our students, she wrote in a resignation letter. In July, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador wrote in a Fox News op-ed that the state stood against woke attempts at indoctrination like Inamas sign. Labrador, a Republican, claimed the sign was linked to a broader ecosystem of political resistance groups launched in protest of the political rise of President Donald Trump and alleged the sign was part of a left-wing movement that transformed learning spaces into venues for DEI messaging disguised as inclusion. States across the country have sought to remove iconography tied to social causes from classrooms, such as Pride flags (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Inama bought her sign in 2021 at an arts and crafts store in a pack, along with other motivational materials like a sign reading, [I]n this room everyone is welcome, important, accepted, respected, encouraged, valued, equal. The suit names the Idaho State Board of Education, Idaho Department of Education, Attorney General Labrador, and school district officials. The Independent has contacted these parties for comment. The West Ada School District and Idaho Department of Education told The Independent they do not comment on pending litigation. The complaint seeks damages and a declaration that the state law in question violates the U.S. and state constitutions. The ACLU has criticized HB 41, which became law in March 2025, comparing it to censorship. Throughout the Trump era, conservative-leaning states have passed laws banning what they see as improper ideological displays in classrooms, including Pride flags. Fujiyoshida Town and Sakura Branches with Fuji Mountain in the background. The Arakurayama Sengen park cherry blossom festival in the region has been cancelled. Photograph: DoctorEgg/Getty Images (Photograph: DoctorEgg/Getty Images) A Japanese cherry blossom festival near Mount Fuji has been cancelled after officials cited a rise in disruptive tourist behaviour. On Tuesday, officials in the central Japanese city of Fujiyoshida announced they would no longer host the Arakurayama Sengen park cherry blossom festival this year. The weeks-long event has been held for the past decade and attracts about 200,000 tourists annually. Addressing the cancellation, Fujiyoshida mayor Shigeru Horiuchi said: Behind [Mount Fujis] beautiful landscape is the reality that the quiet lives of citizens are threatened. We have a strong sense of crisis. To protect the dignity and living environment of our citizens, we have decided to bring the curtain down on the 10-year-old festival, he added in his statement. Authorities cited repeated incidents of disruptive behaviour from tourists in the city, which lies to the west of Tokyo. In addition to opening private home doors without permission to use the restroom, officials reported trespassing, littering, and tourists defecating in private yards and raising a fuss when residents pointed this out, the city said. Parents have also raised concerns about children being pushed aside on school routes as tourists crowd sidewalks, city officials said, according to Kyodo News. City officials said the town receives more than 10,000 visitors a day during blossom season, driven by factors such as the weak yen and the explosive popularity fuelled by social media. Despite the festivals cancellation, its venue Arakurayama Sengen park may still attract large April crowds for its views of Mount Fuji, where visitors often queue for hours. To manage the influx, city officials plan to increase security, add temporary parking and install portable toilets. Cherry blossom season, or hanami (which means looking at flowers), is one of Japans most popular travel periods, drawing both domestic and international visitors to parks, temples and scenic spots across the country. In recent years, tourism in Japan has surged, driven by social media and favorable exchange rates, with iconic sites such as Mount Fuji and Kyoto among the top attractions. Andrew Baldings Jonquil will break from stall nine as the likely market leaders for Saturdays $1 million Abu Dhabi Gold Cup all received high numbers in the gate at Thursdays barrier draw. Last seasons Greenham Stakes winner, who was narrowly denied in the French 2000 Guineas and went on to land the Group Two Celebration Mile at Goodwood, has looked in very good form training at Meydan. His chances are boosted by the fact that as he showed in 2025 he operates well following a winter break and he is versatile in terms of ground preference. Baldings wife Anna Lisa arrived in Dubai on Thursday, and after supervising Jonquil at Meydan on Friday said: Hes just had a canter on the track and looks very well. Hes strong in himself and had eaten well since his arrival. Jonquil is by Lope De Vega, a stallion whose progeny tend to enjoy some cut in the ground, but Balding is mindful of the fact the racecourse has been continually well watered and added: Through his campaign last year the ground conditions didnt ever compromise him or play a part in the level of his performances. He seemed happy on everything. We are drawn nine but that could have been worse as the other better horses are drawn outside him. Hopefully he will get a good position and can go from there. In the full field of 16 probable race favourite Quddwah drew stall 14 while the highest-rated runner Maljoom is next to him in 15, Ryan Moores mount Comanche Brave is in 12 and Japans Strauss in 10. Ed Crisford, joint-trainer of Zabeel Mile winner Quddwah, said: He did it very well at Meydan (Zabeel Mile) and hopefully on Saturday he can do more of the same. Hes very straightforward and you can put him anywhere in the race. He jumps well, hes an old horse who has been around the block and thats what you need. We didnt want to be too wide and it will be hard to get in from that wide berth, but thats the luck of the draw. Crisford added: A mile race worth a million dollars added in is really beneficial to the UAE. Obviously theres top class racing in Meydan, but to have it here as well is fantastic. You also have Bahrain and Saudi and its a really good circuit around the Middle East to come and have your horses and try to pick up some proper prize money. Donnacha OBrien said of Comanche Brave, who drew stall 12: Its a mile which will suit him well. Ive spoken to several jockeys that have ridden on the track and they are all very complimentary about it, they say its a very fair track with a beautiful surface. Jane Chapple-Hyam fields an outsider in Crown Board and he is in stall 11. The Abingdon Place trainer observed: He ran fourth on the dirt in Meydan which was his first run on it and he will have learned from that experience which was a prep run. Hes a big unit of a horse and we always felt he had great ability. Hes showed us that on and off. This tracks a little bit tight (for such a big horse), but he has won at Wolverhampton. I dont think the turns will bother him, its just a case of whether theres enough give in the ground for him. Grand National-winning trainer Dr Richard Newland concentrates on the Flat these days and with co-trainer Jamie Insole fields a possible joker in the pack in the form of Witness Stand. Newland said: Its great to be involved in such an exciting opportunity. Our horse has got a bit more to prove than some of the others, but on his day he is very good. Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson has said it is quite a relief sharing the news of the third book with the world, adding the upcoming Gruffalo Granny reflects the fact she is a big fan of grandmotherhood. The third instalment comes more than 20 years after author Donaldsons last foray into the deep dark wood with 2004s The Gruffalos Child, a sequel to 1999s best-selling original The Gruffalo. The first image of the Granny was revealed on Friday evening in a projection on the side of the British Library in London, after Donaldson read the first two stories to assembled schoolchildren. The image shows the Granny has grey fur, with red prickles on her back, in contrast to the Gruffalos famous purple prickles. She also has green eyes, compared with the Gruffalos orange eyes, and is carrying a walking stick and a knapsack. Author Julia Donaldson during a reading of The Gruffalo (Yui Mok/PA) (Yui Mok) Discussing the reveal, Donaldson told the Press Association it is quite a relief having it out in the world, adding: It was quite hard keeping the secret for so long and Im glad it didnt leak out. Thats one of the reasons we revealed it, because there are so many foreign publishers, so many people know about it. Theyve signed a secrecy clause but it was going to leak out somehow so at least now I can say the words. Explaining the long gap between the second and third books, she said: I did think about a Gruffalo Granny a long time ago, in fact I often said to people if I ever did a book it would be about a Gruffalo Granny because it sounds good, Gr Gr, but then I was just so busy doing other things. But like any seed you never know when its going to germinate, this one just took a very long time. The story will be published on September 10 (Macmillan/PA) She added: I really enjoy being a granny myself, Ive got nine grandchildren and Ive got very good memories of my own granny, who read me stories. She lived upstairs in our house and she read me Edward Lear and Alice In Wonderland and things like that so Im a big fan of grandmotherhood. Donaldson remained tight-lipped about what the new character is like but added: There are a few clues in the picture. The story will feature illustrations by Donaldsons frequent collaborator Axel Scheffler, and will see the return of the characters from the previous two books, including Fox, Snake, Owl and Mouse. Julia Donaldsons best-selling childrens book The Gruffalo was first released in 1999 (Yui Mok/PA) (Yui Mok) The author said they did not have any conversations about how she wanted her to look but added: He just had the text but I think when he did the first picture I thought she looked a bit too like the Gruffalo so I suggested she had different coloured eyes, so shes got green eyes. Shes got red prickles and a blue wart instead of a green wart, and the grey fur of a slightly more mature gruffalo. The news that the former childrens laureate would be revisiting the character with knobbly knees, turned out toes and a poisonous wart on the end of his nose was first announced in April 2025, when she said she was spurred on to write by a campaign to reverse a decline in childrens reading. Discussing her passion for the issue, Donaldson told PA: As a lover of books and reading, I think its not just important but enjoyable, its huge fun. My main thing is I think there should be more primary school libraries and librarians so for any children that do slip through the net, thats where they can discover a love of reading. Julia Donaldson said she thought there should be more primary school libraries (Yui Mok/PA) (Yui Mok) The Gruffalo and The Gruffalos Child have sold more than 18 million copies combined and the books have been translated into 115 languages and dialects. Donaldson and Schefflers many collaborations include The Snail And The Whale, Room On The Broom, Stick Man, Tiddler, The Scarecrows Wedding and The Highway Rat. Televised animations of their best-loved stories have become a staple of the festive calendar and many of their books have also been adapted for the stage. Gruffalo Granny will be published on September 10 2026 by Macmillan Childrens Books. DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ccording to MarketsandMarkets, the Environmental Monitoring Market is projected to grow from about USD 16.10 billion in 2025 to USD 21.14 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.6%. Browse 281 market data Tables and 70 Figures spread through 392 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Environmental Monitoring Market- Global Forecast to 2030" Environmental Monitoring Market Size & Forecast: Market Size Available for Years: 20242030 20242030 2025 Market Size: USD 16.10 billion USD 16.10 billion 2030 Projected Market Size: USD 21.14 billion USD 21.14 billion CAGR (20262031): 5.6% Environmental Monitoring Market Trends & Insights: By product, the outdoor monitors segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. By application, the air pollution segment is expected to record the fastest growth rate of 6.8% from 2025 to 2030. By component, the particulate detection segment dominated the market with 46.6% in 2024. North America accounted for a share of 48.2% in the global market in 2024. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=216846315 Technology providers are transitioning from traditional, periodic sampling methods to intelligent, digitally controlled environmental monitoring platforms. Modern solutions increasingly integrate IoT-enabled sensors, AI-driven analytics, and cloud-based data management to deliver real-time environmental insights. Digital twin technology further enhances system capabilities by enabling predictive modeling of environmental changes, supporting proactive decision-making, and reducing response times. In addition, advances in solid-state sensor design and modular system architectures enable scalable deployments across diverse environments, from densely populated urban centers to remote industrial and offshore locations. By embedding intelligent diagnostics, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance capabilities, environmental monitoring solutions improve operational efficiency, enhance regulatory compliance, and support long-term environmental sustainability initiatives. By product, Outdoor monitors segment to register significant growth rate during forecast period. the environmental monitoring market is segmented into indoor monitors, outdoor monitors, sensors, wearables, and software, with outdoor monitors further classified into fixed and portable systems. The outdoor monitors segment is expected to register significant growth, driven by the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless connectivity solutions. These systems are increasingly used for real-time monitoring of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and greenhouse gases. Market growth is primarily supported by rising industrial demand for pollution monitoring, increasingly stringent environmental regulations, expansion of the end-user base for fixed outdoor monitors, and increased government funding for large-scale environmental monitoring initiatives. Request Sample Pages@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=216846315 By end user, Industrial users segment to account for largest share of environmental monitoring market in 2025. the environmental monitoring market is segmented into government agencies & smart city authorities, enterprises, commercial users, residential users, healthcare & pharmaceutical industries, industrial users, and other end users. The industrial user's segment is likely to account for the largest share of the environmental monitoring market in 2025, driven by the growing number of power plants and refineries and by urbanization in emerging economies. Governments worldwide are tightening environmental regulations related to air and water quality, pushing industries to adopt monitoring systems to track pollutants, manage waste, and reduce their environmental footprint. Industrial users are investing in both stationary and portable monitoring systems to meet environmental standards and avoid legal or financial penalties. By component, Particulate detection segment to account for largest share of environmental monitoring market in 2025. the environmental monitoring market is divided into particulate detection, chemical detection, biological detection, temperature sensing, moisture detection, and noise measurement. The particulate detection segment is expected to account for the largest share of the environmental monitoring market in 2025. This can be attributed to rising levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in the air, increased market demand for outdoor and indoor air quality monitors or PM monitors, and the rapid rise in air pollution levels driven by industrialization and urbanization across mature and emerging markets. Air pollution levels are rising significantly due to increased vehicular emissions and a growing volume of industrial effluents, both of which contribute to particulate matter emissions. North America to account for largest market share of environmental monitoring market in 2025. the environmental monitoring market is segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America s likely to hold the largest share of the environmental monitoring market in 2025. The prominent share of North America is primarily attributable to stringent environmental regulations, advanced technological infrastructure, and strong industrial demand. Strict policies enforced by agencies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promote the adoption of air, water, and soil quality monitoring solutions. Additionally, growing public awareness, corporate sustainability initiatives, and government funding for environmental protection and climate change mitigation further enhance market growth, reinforcing North America's leadership in environmental monitoring technologies. The presence of leading companies such as Agilent Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and 3M in North America drives continuous innovation in monitoring instruments and analytical systems. Inquire Before Buying@ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=216846315 Top Companies in Environmental Monitoring Market: The Top Companies in Environmental Monitoring Market include Agilent Technologies (US), Danaher (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), Shimadzu Corporation (Japan), PerkinElmer (US), 3M (US), Emerson Electric Co. (US), bioMerieux S.A. (France), Honeywell International Inc. (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), Siemens AG (Germany), Emerson Electric Co. (US), and Forbes Marshall (India), among others. Browse Adjacent Markets: Analytical and Scientific Instrumentation Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Particle Counters Market - Global Forecast to 2029 Environmental Testing Products Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Mass Spectrometry Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Proteomics Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Wastewater Surveillance Market - Global Forecast to 2030 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. 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Contact: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar MarketsandMarkets INC. 1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1868219/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Kim Kardashian has addressed her relationship with ex-husband Kanye West, saying he will always be part of her family after the rapper issued a lengthy apology for his past antisemitic rants. In the apology letter, published in the Wall Street Journal earlier this month, West who now goes by Ye cited a brain injury caused by a near-fatal 2002 car crash for his erratic behavior, including his public antisemitic remarks. He also said he believes his brain injury added to his struggle with bipolar disorder, which he was diagnosed with in 2016 while he was married to Kardashian, who is the mother of his four children: North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, eight, and Psalm, six. In a new interview, Kardashian revealed that she and Ye are continuing to work together as co-parents. Well always be family. We both know that, the 45-year-old reality star told Complex, after she was asked about praising a pair of boots from her exs brand, Yeezy, in a January video. We will be okay, and there's so much love for our family, Kardashian, who finalized her divorce from Ye in 2022, added. We want whats best for our kids. I couldnt deny the Yeezy heel, so I had to shout it out. Kim Kardashian says theres so much love in her family with Kanye West (Getty Images) In the TikTok video, the Alls Fair star showed fans how she styled an outfit she was wearing in Aspen, noting that the look paired perfectly with her brown leather boots from Yes clothing brand. I will say, theres nothing like a Yeezy heel, she said in the video. I dont know if they ever made these or just made them for me. I love when a shoe is tonal to the pant. Kardashians recent comments about her ex came days after his printed apology, addressed To Those Ive Hurt, was published in The Wall Street Journal. Twenty-five years ago, I was in a car accident that broke my jaw and caused injury to the right frontal lobe of my brain, Ye, 48, wrote. At the time, the focus was on the visible damage the fracture, the swelling, and the immediate physical trauma. The deeper injury, the one inside my skull, went unnoticed. The Grammy-winning artist wrote that the possibility of a frontal-lobe injury did not come up until he was later diagnosed with one in 2023. Kim Kardashian finalized her divorce from Kanye West in 2022 (AFP via Getty Images) He went on to say that he regrets the things he said and did while spiraling during his manic episodes, writing that he lost touch with reality and gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it. I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change, he said, adding, It does not excuse what I did though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people. Ye also apologized to the Black community before opening up about the mental health issues he had last year, including a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life. Many people questioned the timing of the apology, noting that it coincided with the release of Yes upcoming album, Bully. However, in an email sent to Vanity Fair, the rapper addressed these claims. Its my understanding that I was in the top 10 most listened-to artists overall in the U.S. on Spotify in 2025, and last week and most days as well. My upcoming album, Bully, is currently one of the most anticipated pre-saves of any album on Spotify too, he stated. My 2007 album, Graduation, was also the most listened-to and streamed hip-hop album of 2025. This, for me, as evidenced by the letter, isnt about reviving my commerciality. This is because these remorseful feelings were so heavy on my heart and weighing on my spirit. Leader of spiritual group facing murder charges accused of saying God spoke through her A former member of a religious group in California testified in court this week that its leader - who is charged with murder in the death of a four-year-old boy and a missing former follower - claimed to be prophetess and that God spoke through her. In a San Bernardino Superior Court on Thursday, Kelli Byrd offered a rare look inside His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, a group that authorities and former members describe as cult-like, according to The Los Angeles Times. Byrd told the court Thursday that Shelley Bailey Kat Martin referred to herself as Prophetess Kathryn, claimed to be the physical embodiment of the Holy Spirit and that God spoke directly through her. Martin, 62, her husband Pastor Darryl Muzic Martin, and Andre Thomas are charged with murder in the death of Andres four-year-old son Timothy Thomas, who died of a ruptured appendix while in the temporary custody of the Martins in 2010, according to the Colton Police Department. Separately, Martin, Rudy Moreno, 43, and Ramon Ruiz Duran Jr., 44, are charged with murdering former member Emilio Ghanem, who disappeared in 2023 shortly after parting ways with the group. They have all pleaded not guilty. Shelley Bailey "Kat" Martin and her husband Pastor Darryl Muzic Martin are both charged with murder (KTLA) Martin, who appeared in San Bernardino Superior Court along with her four co-defendants for a preliminary hearing on Thursday, sat silently as Byrd testified about how Martin would enter what members called a gift of prophecy. Her body would start thrashing and her voice would become deep and low as she shared a word from the throne of God, Byrd said. Prosecutors allege Martin and Moreno murdered former member Ghanem, who disappeared from Redlands in 2023 after leaving the group. The motive was greed, they said. His case was initially treated as a missing person investigation until evidence, which included a burned vehicle found in the Mojave Desert, led detectives to classify it as a homicide. Martin, her husband, and Andre Thomas are also charged in the 2010 death of Thomas son Timothy, who died of a ruptured appendix while in the Martins temporary custody. Prosecutors said child neglect led to his very painful death. At the time, authorities suspected neglect but declined to file charges, citing uncooperative witnesses and conflicting testimony. Prosecutors allege Shelley Bailey Kat Martin and Rudy Moreno murdered Emilio Ghanem, who disappeared from Redlands in 2023 after leaving the group (Redlands Police Department) Martin, her husband, and Andre Thomas are also charged in the 2010 death of Thomas son Timothy, who died of a ruptured appendix while in the Martins temporary custody (Redlands Police Department) Former members later recanted their statements, saying they testified under pressure from the Martins, according to Colton Police Sgt. Shawn McFarland. The arrests came after police departments in Redlands, Colton and Claremont connected their open cases last year and launched a joint investigation. Martin, her husband, Moreno and Thomas were arrested in December. Ramon Ruiz Duran Jr. was arrested in Nashville in January and extradited to San Bernardino County. Details of the His Way Spirit Led Assemblies group have since emerged, with former members claiming that the group controlled nearly every aspect of their lives. The Independent has reached out to His Way Spirit Led Assemblies and the defendants attorneys for comment. Authorities have also linked the group to the 2019 disappearance of Ruben Moreno (pictured), Rudy Morenos brother, who vanished from a Claremont home that he shared with other group members (Claremont Police Department) His Way Spirit Led Assemblies was founded in Nashville in 1998, moved to California in 2000 and operated from homes across the Inland Empire in Southern California for decades, Byrd testified. Anthony Duran, the nephew of defendant Ramon Duran, told The Los Angeles Times that he escaped the group in 2020 at age 20. You had no choice in anything, he said. You cant go here. You cant go there. You can only go to work and come home. They were told not to read the Bible, Duran said, but instead, church leaders would teach them. Martin would tell members that she, as the so-called Prophetess, carried the spirit so heavily that she was barely able to walk, its claimed. She was God, Duran told The LA Times. Authorities have also linked the group to the 2019 disappearance of Ruben Moreno, Rudy Morenos brother, who vanished from a Claremont home that he shared with other group members. No charges have been filed in that case, according to Claremont Police Capt. Robert Ewing, who said the investigation remains ongoing, Mexican chain Tortilla has launched a major shake-up of its leadership team, which will see its founder return to lead the brand. Shares in the burritos and tacos specialist nudged higher following the announcement, sitting at their highest level for more than a year. Brandon Stephens, who founded the business in 2007 and had been chief executive until 2014, will return to the hospitality brand as group chief executive with immediate effect. He will take over the role from Andy Naylor, who had been chief executive of Tortilla after eight years with the business. Mr Stephens, who has been a non-executive director on the Tortilla board, said he will be focused on the groups long-term strategy, brand innovation, food development and other areas. Tortilla also confirmed that former Leon managing director Mac Plumpton will also join the groups leadership team as UK chief executive. Meanwhile, Marta Pogroszewska, former managing director of Gails parent firm Bread Holdings, will join Tortillas board as a non-executive director. Bosses said the leadership overhaul will help the group push forward with its growth strategy as it gears for its next phase of development. The company said it is aiming to become the leading pan-European fast-casual Mexican brand as part of its growth strategy. Last week, the business, which runs 81 UK sites, said it has made a positive start to 2026. It also said it is reviewing potential price rises after being hit by cost increases linked to recent Government budgets. A local affiliate of militant group Isis claimed responsibility for Fridays suicide bombing attack on a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, which left at least 31 people dead. The attack marked a rare bombing in Pakistans capital, occurring as its Western-allied government struggled to contain a surge in militant assaults nationwide. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents frantically transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Some of those caught in the blast at the expansive Khadija Al-Kubra mosque are reported to be in critical condition. (AP) The regional Isis affiliate claimed responsibility in a statement posted on its Amaq News Agency. Isis also released an image that it said showed the attacker holding a gun, his face covered and eyes blurred, according to a statement on its Telegram channel. Reuters could not immediately verify the photo. More than 170 others were wounded in the explosion, detonated after guards challenged the attacker as he made his way into the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah compound on the outskirts of the city, officials said. Authorities said several suspects, including the brother, mother and other relatives of the bomber, were arrested during overnight raids in Islamabad and in northwestern Pakistan, and that a police officer was killed in the operation. More than 2,000 grief-stricken mourners gathered as coffins of those killed were brought to the mosque for funerals. Senior government officials and leaders of the Shiite community were among those who attended the funerals for about a dozen victims. Funerals of other victims were to be held in their home towns. Images from the site showed bloodied bodies lying on the carpeted mosque floor surrounded by shards of glass, debris and panicked worshippers. Dozens more wounded were lying in the gardens of the compound as people called for help. Survivors said they heard gunshots and seconds later the blast, soon after the prayers began. The man blew "himself up in the last row of worshippers", defence minister Khawaja Asif wrote on X. He said the bomber had a history of travelling to Afghanistan and blamed neighbouring India for sponsoring the assault, without providing evidence. India's foreign office condemned the attack and dismissed Pakistan's statement as "baseless". Pakistan Shiite Mosque Blast (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) "It is unfortunate that, instead of seriously addressing the problems plaguing its social fabric, Pakistan should choose to delude itself by blaming others for its home-grown ills," it said in a statement. At Islamabad's largest public hospital, family members waited outside and in crowded corridors for news. Sarfraz Shah, 46, said he had gone to the mosque with his younger brother Manzar, 39, as he did every Friday. "I heard the gunshots and I was just trying to make sense of what had happened when there was a massive explosion," Mr Shah said at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital. "It threw people here and there. There was smoke. No one knew what had happened. Then there was blood everywhere." He added through tears that there was no sign of his brother anywhere but when he came to the hospital he discovered that Manzar was among those killed. The attack was the deadliest suicide bombing in Islamabad in more than a decade, according to conflict monitor ACLED. Shahid Malik, a police official who was involved in shifting the injured people and dead bodies to hospital, said what he had witnessed was a nightmare. (AP) "I have seen many crime scenes. But this was horrible, very horrible," he said, adding there were between 600 and 700 people at the mosque. Shi'ites, who are a minority in the predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of 241 million, have been targeted in sectarian violence in the past, including by Islamic State and the Sunni Islamist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Bombings are rare in the heavily guarded capital, although Pakistan has been hit by a rising wave of militancy in the past few years, particularly along the border with Afghanistan. Afghanistan's foreign ministry condemned the attack. Kabul has repeatedly denied charges that it provides safe haven to militants carrying out attacks in Pakistan."A total of 31 people have lost their lives. The number of wounded brought to hospitals has risen to 169," Islamabad's deputy commissioner, Irfan Memon, said in a statement. The capital was already on high alert on Friday for the visiting president of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with roads around the capital blocked by checkpoints and security forces posted across the city. Pakistan has also blamed India for assaults by militants in the restive Balochistan province over the weekend, accusations that have fanned smouldering tensions between the nuclear-powered neighbours who engaged in their worst conflict in decades in May. (AFP via Getty Images) Delhi has denied any involvement in the violence in Balochistan where Pakistan's military has battled a decades-long insurgency. That region was brought to a standstill after separatist militants stormed government buildings, hospitals and markets in a coordinated attack, killing 58 civilians and security officials. The military said it killed 216 militants in targeted offensives across the province. The military said earlier on Friday that another 24 militants linked to the TTP were killed in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The last major attack in Islamabad was a suicide bombing on 11 November that killed 12 people and wounded 27 others. Pakistan said it was carried out by an Afghan national. No group claimed responsibility for that attack. The government is still finalising the details on how local bodies can implement tourist taxes (Getty Images) Councils across London have requested that they retain at least half of the profits from proposed tourist taxes in the capital. London Councils, a body that represents Londons 32 boroughs and the City of London, is calling on the government to ensure that at least 50 per cent of funds raised by any overnight levy are kept by boroughs to reinvest in the local area. The government is currently consulting on proposals that would allow mayors in England to introduce local overnight visitor levies. London Councils hopes to retain some of the funds to ensure each borough will be able to equally sustain the resources they already invest into the tourist economy. The funds would also help manage the impact tourism has on the local community, such as extra investment in street cleaning, licensing, local business support and community safety. By localising funds, the body said it would assure hotels, businesses and the hospitality industry in each borough that the overnight visitor levy would directly benefit them and the local economy London Councils also said that a minimum revenue share for local authorities would act as a pro-growth incentive, encouraging councils to support the growth of the tourist economy in their area. As for the remaining funds, the body suggested they could be used in partnership between the Mayor of London and boroughs to support pan-London services that are essential to the tourism industry. Cllr Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils and leader of Lambeth council, stressed that retaining a fair portion of funds is vital so it can be distributed into local services. Boroughs shoulder many of the day-to-day costs associated with tourism from maintaining streets and transport hubs, to supporting cultural venues and managing community safety pressures helping to keep London attractive, clean, and safe. We look forward to working with the government and the Mayor on the design and implementation of the levy to ensure this is a success for Londoners and our tourist industry. A separate body that represents 12 of Londons central boroughs, Central London Forward (CLF), has also called for a similar policy to be put in place once a tourist tax is introduced in the capital. The organisation says that central boroughs will play a large role in generating revenue from the tourist tax, predicting that 275m will be raised there alone. It claimed, however, that these boroughs do not have any dedicated funding to manage the pressures of Londons visitor economy. CLF said local authorities are calling for at least 50 per cent of the revenue raised by the levy to be kept by the boroughs to help with the impact of tourism. The government is still consulting on the design of the levy, so the mayor is waiting for a response before London proceeds with how it will roll out the new tax. It has not been decided yet how money raised from the tourist tax will be split between local authorities and City Hall. Read more: How much could a London tourist tax generate for the capital? Lucy Letby has reportedly been placed on suicide watch just days after Netflix released an explosive documentary about her case. The 36-year-old neonatal nurse, who is serving a whole life sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more, is now apparently being checked on by staff at least once an hour. Insiders speaking to The Sun claim that staff are keeping a really close eye on Letby as other inmates are said to be mocking her over the documentary. Although prisoners dont have access to Netflix, inmates may still come into contact with people on the outside who have watched the new documentary. Staff have also been told to engage in meaningful conversation with her and keep her talking for at least ten minutes at a time once a day or more, a source told the outlet. That is to gauge her mood and state of mind. They added: All the inmates are talking about the Netflix show and mocking Letby about it. Some have teased her about the opening scene, which shows her arrest. (Courtesy of Netflix) Sodexo, which runs HMP Bronzefield where Letby is imprisoned, has been approached by The Standard for comment. Letby is serving 15 life sentences after she was convicted in 2023 following the baby deaths between 2015 and 2016. However, since her conviction, questions have been raised about whether she is guilty of the crimes she was convicted for. A 2024 article in the New Yorker highlighted the complexities of the case, sparking debate over whether a miscarriage of justice had occurred. The new documentary released this week contains footage of her arrest as well as info about an infamous Post-it note in which she allegedly confesses. Clips show Letby being taken out of the house, while her mum sobs in the background. She also asks to cuddle her cat before she is taken away in handcuffs. The show also addresses rumours of a potential miscarriage of justice, with some people arguing that Letby is, in fact, innocent. One doctor interviewed for the show admitted to a tiny inclination of guilt surrounding the case. Dr John Gibbs says: Guilt that we let the babies down, and tiny, tiny, tiny guilt: did we get the wrong person? You know, just in case: a miscarriage of justice. I dont think there was a miscarriage of justice, but you worry that no one actually saw her do it. Letbys parents have also criticised the new documentary, claiming it was a complete invasion of privacy. We had no idea they were using footage in our house. We will not watch it it would likely kill us if we did, they said in a statement to the Sunday Times. Luigi Mangione shouted at a judge in an emotional outburst in court Friday as a trial date was set over the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Its the same trial twice, Mangione yelled as he was led out of court. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition. Mangione, 27, made the remarks after the judge scheduled his state murder trial to begin June 8, three months before jury selection in his federal case. Judge Gregory Carro, matter-of-fact in his decision after a lengthy discussion with prosecutors and defense lawyers at the bench, said the state trial could be delayed until Sept 8 if an appeal delays the federal trial. Mangiones lawyers objected to the June trial date, telling Carro that at that time, they'll be consumed with preparing for the federal trial, which involves allegations that Mangione stalked Thompson before killing him. Last week, the judge in his federal case ruled that prosecutors cant seek the death penalty (Getty Images) Mr. Mangione is being put in an untenable situation," defense lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. "This is a tug-of-war between two different prosecution offices. The defense will not be ready on June 8," she added. Be ready, Carro replied. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, both of which carry the possibility of life in prison. Last week, the judge in the federal case ruled that prosecutors cant seek the death penalty. Jury selection in the federal case is set for Sept. 8, followed by opening statements and testimony on Oct. 13. Wearing a tan jail suit, Mangione sat quietly at the defense table until his outburst at the end of the hearing. As the trial calendar began to take shape, Assistant District Attorney Joel Seidemann sent a letter to Carro asking him to begin the New York trial on July 1. The prosecutor argued that the states interests would be unfairly prejudiced by an unnecessary delay until after the federal trial. Under the law, he said, the state has priority of jurisdiction for purposes of trial, sentencing and incarceration" because Mangione was arrested by New York City police, not federal authorities. When Mangione was arrested, federal prosecutors said anticipated that the state trial would go first. Seidemann told Carro on Friday that Thompsons family has also expressed a desire to see the state trial happen first. It appears the federal government has reneged on its agreement to let the state, which has done most of the work in this case, go first, Carro said Friday. Scheduling the state trial first could help Manhattan prosecutors avoid double jeopardy issues. Under New York law, the district attorneys office could be barred from trying Mangione if his federal trial happens first. The states double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. The cases involve different charges but the same alleged course of conduct. Mangione isnt due in court again in the state case until May, when Carro is expected to rule on a defense request to exclude certain evidence that prosecutors say connects Mangione to the killing. Those items include a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which they say he described his intent to wack a health insurance executive. Last week, Garnett ruled that prosecutors can use those items at that trial. In September, Carro threw out state terrorism charges but kept the rest of the case, including an intentional murder charge. Thompson, 50, was killed on Dec. 4, 2024, as he walked to a midtown Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Groups annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say delay, deny and depose were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims. Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonalds in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan. Delight: Pep Guardiola (Getty Images) Pep Guardiola has confirmed the return of two key defenders ahead of Manchester Citys trip to Liverpool this weekend. Ruben Dias is back, according to the City boss, having returned to the matchday squad in the Carabao Cup semi-final victory over Newcastle United on Wednesday. The Portuguese was an unused substitute in the 3-1 win at the Etihad Stadium. "He's back, Guardiola said of one of his vice-captains. We'll see if he plays any minutes, but good news for us." John Stones, meanwhile, was back in team training for the first time on Thursday. Guardiola confirmed, however, that club captain Bernardo Silva, who missed the Newcastle match in midweek with a hamstring issue, remains a doubt for the visit to Anfield on Sunday. The Portuguese midfielder will be assessed ahead of the weekend tomorrow in training, Guardiola said. Dias, who suffered a hamstring injury on New Years Day against Chelsea, has been out for a month, while Stones has had a persisting thigh niggle that has kept him out for much of the campaign. City are looking to close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, with the distance currently six points between first and second place. Guardiola has had to deal with a significant injury crisis in recent weeks, with wingers Jeremy Doku and Savinho still out with their respective problems, which has forced City to act in the January transfer window, signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth. The same can be said at centre-back, with Max Alleyne recalled from Watford in Dias, Stones and Josko Gvardiols absences, before Marc Guehi was signed from Crystal Palace to add to Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake. The City boss was also asked whether the club would be appealing the EFLs ruling that January signing Marc Guehi cannot feature in the competition. The defender is ineligible for the League Cup having already played for former club Crystal Palace, although fellow new recruit Antoine Semenyo can play despite featuring for Bournemouth in the competition. That is because Semenyo arrived before the semi-finals, while Guehi signed in between the two legs. It means that Semenyo can play in the final against Arsenal, while Guehi cannot, despite City appealing for a rule change. "No, the rules are the rules and I understand, Guardiola said. Antoine [Semenyo] can play and Marc don't play is the rule, that is OK. Can we agree or disagree? That is not the point." Manchester City face Liverpool at Anfield (London Standard) Erling Haaland does start for Manchester City for their crunch crash against Liverpool today. There had been rumours that the striker would be benched in favour of Omar Marmoush, who netted a brace in midweek against Newcastle. CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW LIVERPOOL VS MAN CITY LIVE! That, however, isnt the case, with the pair starting together at Anfield. Always I said, Erling is the best striker in the world, said Guardiola on Friday when asked if Haaland will come straight back into the side. I dont know. We will see tomorrow. Always, I say Erling is the best. Elsewhere, Ruben Dias is again in the matchday squad, but is only fit enough for the bench as he returns from injury. Dias was back among the substitutes for Wednesdays Carabao Cup win after almost a month out with a hamstring problem but Abdukodir Khusanov is preferred to the Portuguese here. Asked on Friday whether Dias will start, Pep Guardiola said: Well see. But its good news for us. Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri complete the back four. It looks as though Bernardo Silva will play wide right, with Antoine Semenyo on the left, with Silva, the club captain, overcoming a knock against Tottenham to make the XI here. John Stones is back in training after his thigh injury but this game is likely to come too soon. Jeremy Doku, Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic and Savinho are all still sidelined. Starting Man City XI (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; OReilly, Rodri; Silva, Marmoush, Semenyo; Haaland Subs: Trafford, Dias, Reijnders, Ake, Cherki, Gonzalez, Foden, Alleyne, Lewis Injured: Doku, Savinho, Gvardiol, Kovacic Time and date: 4:30pm GMT on Sunday February 8, 2026 Venue: Anfield How to watch: Sky Sports Peter Mandelson in 2010. The peer and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser both met Jeffrey Epstein in March 2010. Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images (Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty Images) Peter Mandelsons former lobbying firm sought work with companies controlled by the governments of Russia and China shortly after he left ministerial office, according to emails the disgraced former minister forwarded to the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The emails show how Mandelson and Benjamin Wegg-Prosser scrambled to drum up high-paying foreign business after co-founding Global Counsel even as Mandelson remained a member of the House of Lords. Potential clients included the Russian state investment firm Rusnano and the state-owned China International Capital Corporation, the emails suggest. The emails also showed that Wegg-Prosser met Epstein at his New York townhouse in 2010 to discuss the business. A person with knowledge of the situation said the meeting was at Mandelsons request and only lasted 25 minutes. Wegg-Prosser resigned as Global Counsels chief executive on Friday amid intense scrutiny. Related: Boss of lobbying firm founded with Peter Mandelson quits after Epstein revelations A huge trove of 3m files from the investigation into Epstein has laid bare the extent of the financiers communication with a host of politicians, business leaders and royalty from around the world. Epstein served a 2008 jail term for child sex offences, but retained much of his influence until his arrest and death in custody in 2019. The revelation that Mandelson and Epstein were in close contact after his conviction has caused a political crisis for Keir Starmer. The prime minister is under intense pressure after he revealed that he appointed Mandelson to the role of US ambassador despite knowing about his friendship with Epstein. Mandelson did not respond to requests for comment. Global Counsel has tried to distance itself from the scandal, revoking Mandelsons voting rights and pushing him to divest his stake in the business. A Global Counsel spokesperson said Epstein played no role in the foundation of the business. However, the emails give an insight into the work of Global Counsel, and reveal the efforts of Mandelson and Wegg-Prosser to secure lucrative work. The documents showed that Mandelson and Wegg-Prosser both individually met Epstein in March 2010, when Mandelson was still business minister, and before the formal foundation of Global Counsel. The meetings took place at Epsteins New York townhouse, according to a schedule contained in the files. Wegg-Prosser was described in a separate email setting up his meeting as Mandelsons friend. Mandelson had emailed a few weeks earlier saying that: Ben is coming to NYC to meet you and explain the business plan Mandelson left office after the general election in May 2010 when Labour lost power, although he remained a member of the House of Lords. Within days he had already started pushing for jobs with mining company Glencore and oil major BP. However, Mandelson and Wegg-Prosser also pushed ahead with forming Global Counsel. In August Mandelson wrote in an email that the Russian state-owned Sberbank would be a potential target for business. By October 2010 Wegg-Prosser wrote in an email to a healthcare chief executive that the company would consider opportunities in Russia, principally via Rusnano, who we are in discussions with. Rusnano is a technology investment fund owned by the Russian state. A person close to Global Counsel said the discussions happened before Russias invasion of Ukraine, at a time when the UK was attempting to deepen business relations with Russia. By January 2011 Global Counsel appeared to have its sights on another large state-backed target: China International Capital Corporation. Wegg-Prosser sent a list of leads to James Palumbo, a peer and businessman who appeared to refer to Mandelson as Mr Grumpy. In an email response to Wegg-Prosser, Palumbo advised Global Counsel to offer expensive communications advice. He wrote: It seems a pity to let a third party take care of a potential 5-10 year communications mandate worth 250,000 a year from CICC. The email also appeared to suggest that another possible client for Global Counsel was BAE, likely a reference to BAE Systems, the UKs largest defence manufacturer. Mandelsons work as business secretary directly concerned BAE Systems. A BAE Systems spokesperson said: We have never appointed Global Counsel as a strategic adviser to BAE Systems and we have no record of having contracted the company in any other capacity. In May 2012, Mandelson was still chasing Russian connections. Before a World Economic Forum event in Istanbul, Mandelson claimed that I will email Putin and other senior politicians to try to organise meetings. There is no evidence in the files that he received any response. By 29 May 2012, a Global Counsel employee prepared a pitch to a Greek state-owned development fund offering help securing a very high level of political awareness of the fund and its role. The fund, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, was set up in 2011 to oversee privatisations amid the chaos of the countrys sovereign debt crisis. The draft pitch, sent to Mandelson and Wegg-Prosser, advised a strategy that seeks to establish links with top-level policymakers across Europe, including the UKs No 10 and the Treasury. Wegg-Prosser held another meeting in February 2011 with the Iranian property developer Vincent Tchenguiz to discuss possible work by Global Counsel. The meeting happened three weeks before Tchenguiz and his brother, Robert, were arrested by the Serious Fraud Office. The SFO later abandoned the botched investigation and paid Tchenguiz 6m in damages and costs. In an email to Epstein before the arrest, Mandelson described Tchenguiz as a very interesting Iranian now in Park Lane after being informed by Wegg-Prosser that there were wider reputational issues because Tchenguiz could be described as a corporate raider. A spokesperson on behalf of Tchenguizs Consensus Business Group said: Neither Vincent Tchenguiz nor Consensus Business Group have engaged the services of Global Counsel. Although we met with Global Counsel, it didnt progress to any commercial, or further engagement. A spokesperson for Global Counsel said: Global Counsel was founded by Ben Wegg-Prosser with Peter Mandelson and with a founding investment from WPP plc in November in 2010. Epstein never played any role in the establishment or ongoing business of Global Counsel, in any form whatsoever. Like Gordon Brown and many others we are only now being made aware of the full extent of Mandelsons conduct. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Torridon Law PLLC and Torridon Group LLC are pleased to announce that former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is joining as a Partner. The addition of Miyares adds to Torridon's long and growing list of former senior level government officials, including former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, former Counsel to the President Pat Cipollone, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Before joining Torridon, Mr. Miyares served as the 48th Attorney General of Virginia. As the Commonwealth's lawyer and top law enforcement officer, Mr. Miyares focused his service on improving public safety, strengthening economic growth, combatting the deadly impact of opioids and fentanyl, and robust consumer protection division focused on protecting Virginians from corporate misconduct. Under Mr. Miyares' leadership, Virginia experienced a remarkable 30% decrease in murders statewide and a double-digit drop in overall violent crime through his Ceasefire Virginia initiative, which increased prosecutions of repeat offenders in high-crime areas. Mr. Miyares secured $1.2 billion for Virginia for opioid abuse settlements and also created the One Pill Can Kill initiative, which resulted in a 46.7% drop in fatal fentanyl overdoses statewide the largest decrease in addiction deaths of any state in the nation. Mr. Miyares has been recognized by national organizations for his leadership efforts among the State Attorneys General, including serving on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). "As Attorney General, Jason led in the bipartisan effort to combat human trafficking by engaging directly with constituents, law enforcement, and service providers across Virginia," said Karen White, Executive Director of the Attorney General Alliance. "He and his team were vital contributors to AGA meetings and panels, working with other attorneys general to share Virginia's experience and strengthen efforts to protect victims and hold traffickers accountable." "We are thrilled to have Jason join the Torridon family. During his time as Virginia's Attorney General, he developed a reputation for visionary leadership and a deep understanding of the legal and regulatory landscape that will be an enormous asset to our clients," said former U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. "Jason's experience navigating complex legal challenges at the highest levels of government further strengthens our ability to serve clients in their most complex and high-profile matters. We are honored to have him as a Partner at Torridon," noted former Counsel to the President Pat Cipollone. "Jason Miyares' experience as Attorney General of Virginia brings additional front-line leadership and disciplined judgment to the Torridon Group's regulatory, governance, and enforcement advisory work," said former Secretary of Energy, Dan Brouillette. On joining Torridon, Attorney General Miyares said, "It's an honor to join Torridon and join their impressive team of strategists and legal professionals. This firm is at the forefront of some of the most complex legal, business, and government challenges, and I'm excited to lend my expertise to help clients address their most pressing challenges at both the national and state levels. Our goal is for our clients to thrive, in either business development or solving legal challenges in a fast-moving world." Torridon Law PLLC advises and represents clients in connection with complex litigation and investigations; government enforcement, regulatory, and legislative matters; commercial disputes; crisis management; and issues related to mergers and acquisitions. The firm draws on the exceptionally broad experience of its lawyers at senior levels of government, at top tier national law firms, and in the corporate and nonprofit worlds, providing services to major corporations, investment firms, law firms, industry groups, and other leading institutions. Torridon Law is committed to upholding the values, collegiality, and client-focused ethos that traditionally have distinguished the law as a profession. With experience that spans the globe, the Torridon Law team is dedicated to providing the top-flight legal service clients would expect on their most important matters from the largest national law firms, with all of the flexibility, creativity, and innovation the boutique model offers. Torridon Group LLC is a strategic advisory firm that partners with leading corporations, investment firms, and industry executives to navigate complex business landscapes, unlock new growth opportunities, and drive long-term value creation. The firm provides deep expertise in corporate strategy, capital allocation, risk management, and operational transformation, helping clients strengthen their competitive position in an evolving global market. For more information: www.torridonlaw.com Contact: Theresa Walker 202.249.6600 SOURCE Torridon Law PLLC Officials at Newbury are confident Saturdays high-profile fixture will go ahead as scheduled. The William Hill Super Saturday card is due to stage the William Hill Denman Chase, the William Hill Game Spirit Chase and the 155,000 William Hill Hurdle on what promises to be an informative afternoon ahead of next months Cheltenham Festival. While conditions are sure to be testing, clerk of the course George Hill confirmed the track was raceable on Friday afternoon, despite one area of standing water, and no inspection is planned. Hill said: The only big change from this morning is there is one patch of standing water, instead of two, and it very, very small and its raceable anyway. Ive just been out for 20 minutes and its due to stop raining by 5pm right through to 5am, so it looks like weve got a dry 10-12 hours. Theres no plans for an inspection because its currently raceable and Ive got a dry 10-12 hours ahead. The Grade Two Bet Smarter With Oddschecker Kingmaker Novices Chase is the feature event of Warwicks Saturday meeting and clerk of the course Nessie Chanter is optimistic it will pass a precautionary inspection at 7.30am, provided the forecast proves correct. She said: It seems to have been a theme of the week that the rain amount has exceeded what was forecast, so weve called a precautionary inspection in case that continues to be the case. So far today weve had 7mm of rain, were due another couple of millimetres and hopefully its then going to be a dry night before we have a drizzly, damp morning with another 2mm to 4mm. We are currently raceable and were confident that we can cope with what is in the forecast, but we dont want too much more. There was no National Hunt racing on Friday following the abandonment of cards at Sandown and Bangor, while Saturdays Uttoxeter has also fallen by the wayside. Exeter brought forward an inspection and had no choice but to call off Sundays card after receiving 35mm of rain on Thursday and another 17mm on Friday, while Newcastle will inspect on Saturday at 9am ahead of Sundays jumps meeting in the north east. An extra Flat meeting at Chelmsford has been scheduled. Across the Irish Sea at Navan, Sundays card is also under threat after a total of 35mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. An inspection has been called for 3pm on Saturday. The impact of Ofsteds new school inspection system on headteachers mental health will now be monitored following an agreement with the watchdog. Ofsted and the school leaders union NAHT will collaborate to assess how the updated report card system affects headteacher wellbeing. This move comes after the NAHT repeatedly raised concerns, and after Ofsted scrapped single-word judgments in 2024 amid criticism of the framework following headteacher Ruth Perrys death. Ms Perry took her own life after an Ofsted report downgraded her Berkshire primary school from its highest rating of outstanding to its lowest rating, inadequate, over safeguarding concerns. NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said: It is crucial that we have independent data that gives clear and honest feedback from leaders who have experienced inspection. We look forward to working with Ofsted and (Department for Education) officials through the new advisory group to ensure that school leader wellbeing is being prioritised and action taken to support and protect them before, during and after the inspection process. Headteacher Ruth Perry took her own life in 2023 (University of Reading) Ofsted and the DfE will be members of an advisory group established by NAHT that will examine data on the rollout of the new inspection system and wellbeing. The group will be chaired by Sinead McBrearty, chief executive of charity Education Support, whose independent review of the new system warned it would create more anxiety for leaders. Sir Martyn Oliver, chief inspector of Ofsted, said the watchdog is keen to use data to see where any improvement can be made. We want to hear feedback, make improvements and work together to secure a better future for children, he added. The new report cards were rolled out from November 2025. NAHTs bid to bring a legal challenge against Ofsteds new system for grading schools was dismissed at the High Court last year. Last month, an NAHT poll found nearly one in two (45 per cent) school leaders said they needed mental health support in the past year. A vehicle is engulfed in flames after it was set on fire inside the US consulate compound in Benghazi on 11 September 2012. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images (Photograph: AFP via Getty Images) The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, announced on Friday the arrest of a key participant in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack that killed four US government officials, including the US ambassador to Libya, J Christopher Stevens. Bondi said the suspect, Zubayar al-Bakoush, was taken into US custody at 3am ET on Friday. We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law. Hell face charges related to murder, terrorism, arson, among others, Bondi told reporters at a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington DC. The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, added that he needed to protect the integrity of the investigation and could not expand on operational details, but noted the government carried out what is known as a foreign transfer of custody to bring the suspect to the US. Related: Murdered son of Muammar Gaddafi was perceived as a threat to Libyas elite The attack on the American government compounds was a political flashpoint of the Obama administration, triggering years of scrutiny and investigations into the governments preparedness at the time and response to the attack on the consulate, with criticism by Republicans especially focused on Barack Obama and his then secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. A Republican-led House committee report, released in 2016, found that Clinton was ultimately not to blame, but identified government security failures, heavily criticizing the then defense secretary, Leon Panetta, for a delay in deploying forces to respond to the attack. At the time, Democrats and critics of the investigation into the attack accused GOP lawmakers of pursuing a politically motivated examination of the tragedy, as Clinton pursued the Democratic presidential nomination. Bondi said that a plane carrying al-Bakoush in custody had landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, just outside DC, overnight. We have never stopped seeking justice for that crime against our nation, she said. The DC federal prosecutor, Jeanine Pirro, said that an eight-count indictment charged al-Bakoush with crimes including the murders of Stevens and the state department employee Sean Smith. It was unclear if al-Bakoush had an attorney representing him. On the night of 11 September 2012, officials have said, at least 20 Libyan militants armed with AK-47 assault rifles and grenade launchers breached the gate of the consulate compound in the northern coastal city of Benghazi and set buildings on fire. The resulting blaze led to the deaths of Stevens and Smith. Other state department personnel escaped to a nearby US annex. But a large group assembled for an attack on the annex, including a precision mortar barrage, which resulted in the deaths of the US security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. A Libyan militant suspected of being a mastermind of the attacks, Ahmed Abu Khattala, was captured by US special forces in 2014 and was brought to Washington for prosecution. He was convicted on terrorism-related charges, although found not guilty of murder, and is serving a prison sentence. His attorneys argued that the evidence was inconclusive and that he was singled out because of his ultra-conservative Muslim beliefs. The Associated Press contributed reporting Mandelson in June 2024, as the Starmer project was preparing for an election insiders say it didnt know how to win. Photograph: Thomas Krych/Story Picture Agency/Shutterstock (Photograph: Thomas Krych/Story Picture Agency/Shutterstock) A general election was on the horizon and Peter Mandelson was everywhere. He didnt have a desk but he would dip in and out on big issues; he was always there for advice, recalled a former Labour official of the partys run-up to the campaign in 2024. He would be in and out of the Loto [leader of the opposition] office in Westminster, picking people off individually, We need to chat and do this, sort of thing. The Labour peers presence was welcomed by some, who found it reassuring to have a member of the election-winning New Labour team around, but others were notably seeking to keep a distance. Sue didnt want him near anything, said the source of Sue Gray, who was then Keir Starmers chief of staff and for six years before that was head of the Cabinet Offices ethics and propriety team. She kept trying to push him away. I think by that point, he was definitely, like, pestering for a role and wanting a role. She could probably see that all of this would happen. This week the prime minister, whose hands appeared to be shaking at the Commons dispatch box, apologised for having believed Mandelsons lies over his relationship with the sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Emails within a cache of 3m documents released by the US Department of Justice, suggesting that Mandelson had passed on market sensitive documents to Epstein at the height of the financial crisis, prompted Starmer to claim that Mandelson had betrayed our country. During the vetting process before his appointment last year as Britains ambassador in Washington, he was said to have portrayed Epstein, who killed himself in his cell in 2019, as someone he barely knew. The problem for Starmer, as the anger of his MPs attests, is that Mandelson was someone he and his acolytes, specifically his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, knew very well. Twice forced to resign from a Labour cabinet after getting too close to the wealthy and powerful, and known to have had a relationship with Epstein even to have stayed in his home after his conviction for soliciting a child for prostitution, there was baggage galore. The question debated in parliament this week was how Starmer could possibly have thought it was appropriate for Mandelson to be appointed as US ambassador. The one raised by Labour insiders is why he was brought back into the party fold at all by the prime minister, who supporters claim was never fully trusting of his character. Mandelson was clearly not involved in the party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, whom he so keenly sought to unseat, but neither did he have a role in Ed Milibands team. All of us believe in dignity in retirement, Miliband said in 2010, on being asked about a possible return of Mandelson. Why did Starmer not think the same? Many point to the relationship between Mandelson and McSweeney they were introduced by the peer Roger Liddle, who lives near McSweeney in Lambeth. However, their politics clash, as one former minister laid out. Related: Starmer faces renewed calls to sack chief of staff over Mandelson scandal The adviser who wants to prioritise combating immigration inspired by the strongest protagonist of EU membership and free movement? The man who was the arch-pro-European for a Labour generation mentoring the man who wanted Labour to embrace the Brexit zeitgeist? Morgan trying to bring Labour back to doorstep bread-and-butter issues and rejecting the progressive internationalism of New Labour, hitching his wagon to the architect of it? Peter the most eloquent exponent of the need to embrace and celebrate globalisation, Morgan the man whose politics begins by rejecting that entire approach? So what brought this about? The answer according to Labour insiders, officials, bag carriers and leading ministerial lights is that Mandelson was adept at inveigling his way back, but also that it would not have been possible without a desperation at the heart of the Starmer project: they wanted to win and didnt know how. Simon Fletcher worked as a senior adviser for Miliband, Corbyn and then Starmer, and resigned in 2021. He was still working with Starmer on Sunday 15 February that year, when he read in the Sunday Times that Starmer was taking advice from the man dubbed the Prince of Darkness. Fletcher messaged the senior leadership team on a WhatsApp group, asking if the report was true. He did not receive a reply. He raised it again at a team meeting the next day and was told that the story had clearly come from Mandelson. It was to Fletchers mind a dismissive non-response. He raised it again a few days later and received a response from Chris Ward, then a senior adviser to Starmer and today a Cabinet Office minister. On Mandelson this is just him being him, Ward wrote. He obvs hasnt been brought to advise but offers it and is helpful when asked. One telling anecdote in Get In by Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund has Mandelson writing a lengthy note to Starmer in 2023 on the need for a detailed vision. A tracksuit-wearing Starmer turned up at Mandelsons home in Regents Park to hear more. Fletcher said: I think they brought Mandelson in because it would provide a frisson from the association with Blair-era New Labour. They knew it would be received badly in many parts of the Labour movement but they would think that was a net positive it would build on the conflict over suspending Jeremy Corbyn to show they were prepared to embrace the previously unthinkable. Mandelson brings with him a clear political analysis, however wrong, whereas the leadership lacked one. So it is a conscious choice to head down a very specific political road. For some Labour MPs, the first they knew that Mandelson was firmly back in the fold was when he turned up at a business reception in 2024 held at The Oval. That also appeared to some to be part of the explanation for his return. At a time when Labour was desperate for funds, Mandelson appeared to have a hotline to industry, said a source. Labour Together, the thinktank and fundraising outfit formerly run by Josh Simons, now a junior Labour minister, raised and donated many hundreds of thousands of pounds to individual Labour candidates in 2024. Simons was said to be in regular contact with Mandelson. There was genuine anger in Westminster at the Mandelson revelations this week, but a host of other motivating factors were in play, said a source. There were those ambitious for their own careers, who believe the prime minister lacks vision, but who now felt tainted by their association with Mandelson, one Labour insider said. Related: How the Epstein scandal has shaken the British government to its core The health secretary, Wes Streeting, was part of a group who would have Sunday suppers with Mandelson and McSweeney among others, and whose partner was an adviser to Mandelson in the early 2000s. Streeting had to publicly defriend Mandelson in a broadcast round. There are also figures on the left, such as John McDonnell, the former shadow chancellor, to whom Mandelson is the epitome of all that is wrong with Starmers leadership and its rightward shift. McDonnell has called for Starmer to go. Then there is the bulk of the party, which sees the Mandelson saga as proof of the uselessness of the leadership, as one MP put it. One noted that it had taken a Starmer loyalist, Derek Twigg, the MP for Widnes and Halewood, to have a word with the party whips to ensure that they did not press ahead with a piece of legislation that could have blocked the publication of documents relating to Mandelsons appointment as ambassador. For all of those groups, said one party source, an underlying source of dismay was the realisation that Mandelson had been brought in because Starmer doesnt have any answers and clarity and Mandelson did, even if wrong. Basically, the source added, they were beguiled by him. Details emerging from the 26-year wait to bring Victoria Halls murderer to justice have revealed several missed opportunities that might have allowed police to apprehend him sooner. Steve Wright, known as the Suffolk strangler, abducted the schoolgirl on 19 September 1999, sexually assaulted and killed her, before dumping her naked body in a ditch. The 67-year-old was only arrested over Ms Hall's death in 2021. By then, he was already serving a whole life jail sentence for murdering five women he snatched near his Ipswich home in 2006. Here, we detail some of the missed opportunities that have led to more than a quarter of a centurys wait for Wright to be sentenced for killing Victoria. Victoria Hall was murdered in 1999 (Collect/PA Wire) Dismissal of Emily Dohertys account Wright tried to kidnap another woman, Emily Doherty, then aged 22, in Felixstowe the night before he snatched Victoria. Ms Doherty realised she was in danger and managed to escape Wrights clutches after finding refuge in a couples house and phoning the police. In a statement, she described how the special constables who came to the address dismissed her account. When I told them what was happening their first question to me was, How much have you had to drink tonight?, she said. They didnt believe me. She told them the car registration, but she said they made no note of anything she mentioned and declined her offer to go the police station the next morning. She said: They told me to forget all about it. When the police decided they did want my information, I wasnt in the UK. I gave as much detail over the phone as I could remember. I could certainly remember his face, but the number plate was gone. Ms Doherty went on: For 25 years, I have wondered what if. What if they had taken my statement, could Victoria still be alive right now? Or at the least, they could have found the murderer sooner. And then, if it was indeed Steve Wright, the London Road murders wouldnt have happened. Suffolk serial killer Steve in 1999 and now, in 2026 (PA Media) Halting research into Wrights car In 2000, police stopped their research into possible vehicles linked to Victorias abduction based on a description by Ms Doherty, the court heard. It had been established there were 56 vehicles with registered owners in Suffolk which matched the partial registration number Ms Doherty provided, and this included Wrights Ford Granada Scorpio. A senior investigating officer at the time marked research into the car owners as needing no further action, the court heard. The prosecution said police had failed to take into account a possible additional part of the registration provided by Ms Doherty, and that if they had, the list of suspected vehicles would have narrowed to 10. The court was told Wright sold his Ford Granada Scorpio in part-exchange within days of the murder. Wrights DNA In 1995, Wright accepted a police caution after it was alleged he damaged and stole a car belonging to a former partner. No DNA sample was taken from him at the time, the court heard. In 2001, Wright was charged with a series of thefts, which he admitted, and his conviction led to his DNA being added to the national database. The DNA eventually led to his identification as a suspect in the murders of Tania Nicol, Gemma Adams, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls. However, it took further scientific advances for Wrights DNA to be linked to swabs taken from Victorias body. Wrights behaviour The defendants behaviour after Victorias murder could have aroused suspicion among colleagues at Felixstowe docks where he worked. On the day her body was found, he reported an injury at work and did not engage in conversation when workmates began to talk about the killing. A few days later, a colleague asked him what he thought and Wright gave a menacing look and said: You do not want to know. Police searched two homes linked to Peter Mandelson on Friday after the peer was alleged to have leaked government information to Jeffrey Epstein. The Metropolitan Police said officers from its central specialist crime team carried out two warrants in Camden, north London, and Wiltshire in connection with an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences. The force said the alleged offences involved a 72-year-old man and confirmed that he had not been arrested. It comes after emails released last week by the US Department of Justice suggested that Lord Mandelson leaked confidential government documents to the US financier and convicted sex offender. Emails from 2009 appear to show Lord Mandelson pass on an assessment by Gordon Brown's adviser of potential policy measures, including an "asset sales plan". He also appeared to discuss a tax on bankers' bonuses and confirm an imminent bailout package for the euro the day before it was announced in 2010. The revelations triggered a police investigation and piled pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to release all vetting documents related to the peers appointment as the UKs ambassador to the US. Police entered Mandelsons home near Regents Park in north London (Reuters) On Friday it was revealed that senior government figures will be forced to hand over their messages with Lord Mandelson ahead of the release of vetting files, which the independent Intelligence and National Security Committee (ISC) said would be published very shortly. Writing to committee chair Lord Beamish in a letter published on Friday, Sir Keir said: "I have asked the cabinet secretary to work with you and your committee to agree the detail of how material that may be prejudicial to the UK's National Security and International Relations is shared and reviewed, having regard to the requirements of the Metropolitan Police investigation. "Above all else, the government wishes to engage constructively with the ISC, and to ensure that parliament's instruction is met with the urgency and transparency it deserves. I have asked the cabinet secretary to follow up." Lord Mandelson was dealt another blow on Friday as the lobbying firm he co-founded, Global Counsel, said it had cut all ties with the disgraced former US ambassador and announced that its head Benjamin Wegg-Prosser would step down. Co-founder and chief executive Mr Wegg-Prosser said he was leaving the organisation as it was time to draw a line between the firm and the actions of Lord Mandelson. Sir Keirs leadership has been thrown into turmoil following the release of the emails as he was forced to admit he knew Lord Mandelson had a relationship with Epstein. Keir Starmer has said Peter Mandelson lied repeatedly about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein (PA Wire) On Wednesday, members of his own party forced him into a humiliating climbdown over the release of the vetting documents relating to the peers appointment. Initially, 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. But following accusations from Labour MPs that he was engaging in a cover-up, Sir Keir relented. He told Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday that Lord Mandelson had betrayed our country, our parliament and my party. "He lied repeatedly to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador, he continued. I regret appointing him. If I knew then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near government." But the scandal has left him under relentless pressure from across the political spectrum of his party, with some insisting nothing but a root and branch overhaul at the centre of Downing Street will do. On Thursday, Harriet Harman, former deputy leader of the Labour Party, warned Sir Keir that he must take action over the scandal or risk losing his job. 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. Met officers search a car outside Mandelsons home in London on Friday (Getty) 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. Ian Byrne, who sits on the left-wing of the Labour party, said Sir Keir needs a miracle if he is to stay as leader amid furore over his handling of Lord Mandelsons links to Epstein. He told Sky News the prime minister has got to reflect on his position. You know, he's an intelligent man. "And he needs a miracle. He needs something to turn it around. Others have pointed the finger at his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, insisting he pushed for the appointment of his ally Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. Peter Mandelson did not comment publicly on the furore on Friday (PA Archive) Labour backbencher Karl Turner added: If McSweeney is still in 10 Downing Street, the PM is up against it. Meanwhile, Gordon Brown has expressed regret over giving Lord Peter Mandelson a cabinet job following allegations he leaked sensitive government information to Jeffrey Epstein. Writing in The Guardian on Friday, the former prime minister said he takes responsibility for Lord Mandelsons appointment in 2008, but added he did not know the disgraced Lords connections to Epstein. Hayley Sewart, deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said: I can confirm that officers from the Mets Central Specialist Crime team are in the process of carrying out search warrants at two addresses, one in the Wiltshire area, and another in the Camden area. The searches are related to an ongoing investigation into misconduct in public office offences, involving a 72-year-old man. He has not been arrested and enquiries are ongoing. With the weather causing chaos there may be no jump racing in Britain on Sunday with Exeter already abandoned and Newcastle facing an inspection. Fridays jump cards at Sandown and Bangor have also fallen victim to the elements alongside Saturdays Uttoxeter fixture. Uttoxeter failed an inspection on Friday afternoon, while the main card at Newbury is currently raceable but has areas of concern on the track. Newburys clerk of the course George Hill said: Weve had more rain in the last 24 hours than we were forecast. We ended up with over 17mm and we were initially forecast 8-12mm. The hurdle track is heavy, theres two small areas of standing water this morning and it hasnt really stopped so it hasnt had a chance to soak in. Those two small patches to be honest we can get around anyway so the track is raceable. The chase track is absolutely fine although that is heavy, soft in places but theres no issues whatsoever with the chase track. Were forecast between now and racing a further 7-10mm but we just need a couple of dry hours really for it to soak through the profile. Ill have another walk at 3pm and give an update because theres further showers so well know if the course has got worse or if we dont get as much in the showers as expected the course may improve. It looks like it going to be dry into the evening until the early hours where were due showers on and off from 3am, which Im not too worried about. Its raceable now, Im just being transparent with those two small areas but you can bypass the last hurdle down the back and move the bend in more. If we get a break in the rain that will help us out. Were looking forward to what looks a good card. Uttoxeter posted on their X account: Due to further heavy rain this morning, the track has deteriorated and with the current forecast there is no hope for improvement. Todays inspection has failed, and tomorrows race meeting has unfortunately been abandoned. Exeter brought forward an inspection and had no choice but to call off Sundays card after receiving 35mm of rain on Thursday and another 17mm on Friday, while Newcastle will inspect on Saturday at 9am ahead of Sunday. An extra Flat meeting at Chelmsford has been scheduled. Across the Irish Sea at Navan, Sundays card is also under threat after a total of 35mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. They will hold on inspection on Saturday afternoon and clerk of the course Brian Hamilton said: From later today we do have a more favourable forecast and it is to be mainly dry and breezy tomorrow into Sunday. Due to the current conditions and the favourable forecast we will have an inspection at 3pm on Saturday to assess the situation and well give a further update then. President Donald Trump shared a video portraying the Obamas as apes, triggering swift condemnation and claims of blatant racism including from several Republican lawmakers. The video, shared on Truth Social last night, showed Barack and Michelle Obamas faces superimposed onto apes in a jungle, swaying side to side and smiling as the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight played in the background. The clip was overlaid by a watermark from X user @XERIAS_X, a Trump-supporting meme account with 46,000 followers. On Friday morning, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the clip as harmless. In a statement to The Independent, she said, This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King. Please stop the fake outrage, she added. But as criticism began to grow, the White House appeared to shift its stance. An official later told The Independent that a staff member not Trump himself had erroneously made the post. The video has since been removed from his Truth Social account. President Donald Trump posted a video depicting the Obamas as apes, triggering widespread criticism. GOP Sen. Tim Scott described it as 'the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House' (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social) 'The most racist thing thing Ive seen out of this White House The clip, which was up for 12 hours before being pulled from the presidents social media feed, was met with disgust by numerous politicians, television hosts and other high-profile figures. Senator Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and close ally of Trumps, was one of a number of GOP officials to accuse the president of crossing the line. Praying it was fake because its the most racist thing Ive seen out of this White House, Scott wrote on X. The President should remove it. Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican whose district voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 also slammed the president. The Presidents post is wrong and incredibly offensive whether intentional or a mistake and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered, he wrote on social media. GOP criticism has grown over the course of the day with additional denunciations pouring in from high-ranking officials. In a post on X, Senator Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican, called the video totally unacceptable and requested that the president apologize. Meanwhile, Senator Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, wrote: Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. I do not feel the need to respond to every inflammatory statement made by the White House, Rep. Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican, wrote on X on Friday afternoon. However, the release of racist images of former President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama is offensive, heart breaking, and unacceptable. President Trump should apologize. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, echoed Scotts comments, stating that the video was appalling. Senator John Curtis of Utah also denounced the post, calling it blatantly racist and inexcusable and adding that "it should never have been posted or left published for so long." As the public condemnations mounted, the White House was besieged with private calls from Republicans, who begged for the video to be deleted, a source with knowledge of the matter told Axios. Senator Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, urged the president to delete the video (Tim Scott, X) The most scathing remarks, though, came from Democrats some of whom said they were not at all surprised by the presidents post. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries put it more bluntly: F*** Donald Trump. F*** Donald Trump and his vile, racist and malignant behavior, he said in a video on Instagram. This guy is an unhinged bottom feeder. Donald Trump had the racist, bigoted audacity to post an AI-generated video depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Texas Democrat, wrote on X. While his behavior is not shocking, it is certainly disgusting and disturbing. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the video as Racist, Vile and Abhorrent. He should be ashamed of himself, if he were capable of shame, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. Taking it down is not enough. The White House must apologize for this beyond disgusting behavior. Crockett said 'there are no bounds to how low he's willing to go' (Jasmine Crockett, X) Schumer called the president 'a small, envious man' (Chuck Schumer, X) A number of Democrats questioned whether their Republican colleagues would have the moral courage to condemn the post. While many GOP officials did indeed call out the president, at least one sidestepped questions about it. When asked about the clip on CNN, Rep. Mike Haridopolos, a Florida Republican, said he had not watched it. "Well, I've not seen that video to you, just showed it to me, he said. When pressed on the matter, he said: "Well, I'll take a look at it right after our showYou kind of threw it at me right here. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have not issued statements about the presidents post. On Friday morning, MS NOW host Joe Scarborough criticized GOP officials for failing to denounce the video en masse. All you're doing is making yourself look pathetic Republicans for not standing up to this open racism and bigotry, he said. CNN anchor Jake Tapper also derided the post as vile & racist. The senator was one of several GOP officials who called on Trump to apologize (Pete Ricketts, X) Staffer should be fired immediately Throughout the day on Friday, several prominent individuals including some Trump allies have called for the staffer who posted the video to be terminated. Pastor Mark Burns, a televangelist and early supporter of Trumps, said that he spoke with the president about the incident. I just spoke directly with President Trump regarding the offensive Obama ape video that circulated online, he wrote on X. The President assured me clearly and unequivocally that he did not post it. My recommendation to the President was direct and firm, Burns, a member of the groups Pastors for Trump, added. That staffer should be fired immediately, and the President should publicly condemn this action. David Brody, a commentator for the Christian Broadcasting Network, who is a vocal supporter of the president, echoed this sentiment. FIRE THIS STAFFER!!!!!!! There is NO PLACE for this UGLY UGLY RACIST video, he wrote in a post on social media. Meanwhile, Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, demanded that not only the staffer be dismissed, but also everyone who had a hand in posting the video. Everyone in the White House involved in any way with that vile, sickening racist Trump post must be fired immediately, Raskin wrote on X on Friday afternoon. Everyone in the communications department, everyone in the press office, every deputy chief of staff, everyone involved up and down the line. Not one more tax dollar for this filth. Trump Responds During a press gaggle on Friday night on board Air Force One, reporters asked Trump about the post. He insisted that he was the "least racist president you've had in a long time," and placed the responsibility for the post on his staff. "I looked at it. I saw it, and I just looked at the first part. It was about voter fraud," Trump said. "I guess during the end of it, there was some kind of a people don't like, I wouldn't like it either, but I didn't see it. I just I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is." He said that after someone on his staff watched the entire video, it was taken down. When a reporter asked him about calls from other Republicans to apologize for the video, Trump refused to take responsibility. "No, I didn't make a mistake. I mean, if I look at a lot of thousands of things, I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine," Trump said. Trump was later asked directly if he condemns the racist parts of the video, to which Trump replied: "Of course I do." When asked if he had any message for the Americans who were offended by the video, Trump said I really have no message, before insisting that the U.S. is the hottest country anywhere in the world right now. Who runs Trumps social media accounts? Although the White House has an extensive digital communications team that manages the administration's official social media accounts on X and other platforms, access to Trump's own Truth Social account is limited to the president himself plus a tight circle of close aides. Trump has long been known to do much of his own posting dating back to his early years on Twitter, when he would opine on just about any subject and wasn't shy about mixing it up with rank-and-file platform users. During his early years as a candidate and his first term as president, much of his online activity was managed by Daniel Scavino, a longtime confidant of the president who has worked for him in one capacity or another since he was a teenage golf caddy at Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey club. Scavino, who returned to the White House with Trump last year with the rank of Assistant to the President and Deputy White House Chief of Staff, is understood to still be one of those few aides trusted with access to Trump's personal social media megaphone. But with the 50-year-old taking on a broader range of responsibilities in Trump's second term including running the White House Personnel Office, The Independent understands that the task of managing the president's Truth Social output on a day-to-day basis often rests on the shoulders of Natalie Harp, an ex-One America News Network personality who serves as a personal assistant to Trump and works just outside the Oval Office. The Independent further understands that Harp is often the person to whom Trump dictates the text of Truth Social posts when he is not posting himself. The scope of her involvement in the post is unknown, however, and she has not been accused of making it. Harp did not respond to an emailed enquiry from The Independent. A former White House and campaign staffer from Trump's first term told The Independent that the president's late-night posting-and-reposting sprees were often his own doing. Trump posts many of his late-night thoughts himself, The Independent understands. (Getty) Trump has a long history of attacking the Obamas, often using incendiary rhetoric, which has drawn accusations of racism. Prior to his entry into politics, Trump repeatedly promoted the unsubstantiated claim that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, demanding he show the public his birth certificate. In 2011, Obama released his long-form birth certificate proving hed been born in Hawaii. During a news conference, he decried Trump as a carnival barker. Trump finally acknowledged that the former Democratic president was born in the United States shortly before the 2016 election. Protesters outside the Royal Mint Court in London opposing the super-embassy - Anadolu Campaigners have begun a legal battle to block the Chinese super-embassy. Residents living next to the site in central London have served government lawyers with a pre-action letter, the first stage of their attempt to secure a judicial review. Plans for the new embassy were approved by the Government three weeks ago, despite concerns over security risks. The residents have promised to bring a legal challenge that could last five years and go all the way to the Supreme Court. They live in four blocks of flats next to the site, at Royal Mint Court near the Tower of London, which the Chinese government has bought. Residents have vowed to bring a legal challenge to the proposed embassy that could last five years - Dan Kitwood/Getty Both the Conservatives and Reform UK have said they would withdraw support for the embassy if the case were still tied up in the courts and they won power. Concerns have been raised over the sites close proximity to critical high-speed cables which transfer data between Canary Wharf and the City of London. Last month The Telegraph also revealed uncensored drawings which showed 208 secret rooms beneath the site whose proposed use is unclear. Luke de Pulford, who is backing the residents challenge, said: This was never just about planning law, and we are about to find out the murky truth behind this embassy deal. The whole process has been riddled with contradictions and u-turns. Residents and campaigners are relieved to finally have the chance of dragging everything into the light. In their pre-claim letter, seen by The Telegraph, the residents association identified five key legal concerns which they said meant the original approval should be overturned. They included the argument that diplomatic protections will mean it is impossible to enforce the safety conditions the UK Government has demanded in the plans. The letter also argued that ministers had taken immaterial considerations which should not have been a factor into account when making their decision. It said these included the Governments aim to improve relations with China and hopes of securing permission to upgrade the UKs own embassy in Beijing. The residents association has raised more than 40,000 towards the costs of applying for a judicial review into how the decision was made. A prolonged case could prove embarrassing for Sir Keir Starmer, who has faced significant criticism for what is seen as his soft-touch approach towards China. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government declined to comment. A volunteer carries a wounded dog after a Russian attack on a shelter in Zaporizhzhia - Kateryna Klochko/AP A Russian drone strike on an animal shelter in Ukraine has killed 13 dogs and injured at least seven more. Volunteers at the Give Me Your Paw, Friend shelter in Zaporizhzhia said that whole enclosures had been torn apart in the aerial assault on Friday, which also left one worker injured. Where we are standing right now, there used to be kennels, volunteer Natalya Klymenko told local news outlet Suspilne as she surveyed the rubble. One dog was found without a paw, it had been torn off. Rescuers use a blanket as they come to the aid of an injured dog - Kateryna Klochko/AP Emergency services transported the dogs to veterinary clinics for treatment, but volunteers said some had run off in fright and it was not clear how they would be recovered. Images showed volunteers fleeing with shell-shocked dogs in tow, swaddled in blankets and coats. Parts of the rubble were visibly stained with blood. Many of the dogs housed in the shelter had been evacuated from front-line and occupied territories by Ukraines military for their safety and had previously been wounded by shrapnel and bullets. Killed dogs are wheeled away. The shelter housed hundreds of animals - Reuters Polina, another shelter employee, told Suspilne: It was the first time I had ever seen dog corpses. You know, I had only just made peace with this one dog. He had been aggressive, he would lunge at people, but this Tuesday we finally bonded. To see him and the others dead is incredibly hard The stress is overwhelming. Irina Didur, the head of the shelter, said that five enclosures had been torn apart, 25 had been partially destroyed and seven animals were still undergoing surgery. The shelter is thought to have housed 280 dogs, as well as hundreds of other animals including cats. A distressed dog is wrapped in a blanket and carried away - Kateryna Klochko/AP Animals do not deserve to be killed. Neither in wartime nor in peacetime. They deserve to live in warmth and love, Regina Kharchenko, the acting mayor of Zaporizhzhia, wrote on Telegram. Fluffy clouds to all our four-legged friends killed by Russia. The strike on Friday morning was the latest in a series of attacks targeting shelters, zoos and other organisations housing animals throughout the war. On Jan 2, rare birds were killed and lions and tigers were wounded after Russia bombed the Feldman Ecopark zoo in Kharkiv, located 12 miles from the front line. A volunteer, a 40-year-old woman, was also admitted to hospital with head injuries. Goats were also killed at the Ecopark in March 2025 when a Shahed drone struck the petting zoo housing domestic animals. A bewildered dog in an enclosure. The stress is overwhelming, one witness said - Kateryna Klochko/AP In March 2022, the Russian army killed and barbecued 100 cows and calves on a farm in the Chernihiv region, according to the Ukrainian farmer who owned them. In the same region later that year, 45 cows were killed in a missile strike. Some marine biologists also estimate that as many as 50,000 Black Sea dolphins may have been killed throughout the full-scale invasion by a combination of underwater mines and powerful sonar from Russian submarines. Russians have been forced to use donkeys, horses and even camels for transport recently. Last October, Ukrainian troops rescued a Bactrian camel after they found it wandering around near the front. Last year, a beluga whale suspected of being trained by Russia to act as a spy was found dead in Norwegian waters. SHANGHAI, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lanvin Group (NYSE: LANV) today announced that it has completed the sale of Caruso, a luxury Italian menswear manufacturer and brand, to MondeVita Italy S.r.l., a subsidiary of Mondevo Group. The transaction reflects Lanvin Group's commitment to focus on the sustainable development of heartland brands. For Mondevo Group, the acquisition marks a defining moment in the build-up of MondeVita, its dedicated lifestyle and luxury division, focused on consolidating and elevating exceptional heritage brands across premium beverages, luxury goods, hospitality, and wellness. About Lanvin Group Lanvin Group is a leading global luxury fashion group headquartered in Shanghai, China and Milan, Italy, managing iconic brands worldwide including Lanvin, Wolford, Sergio Rossi and St. John Knits. Harnessing the power of its unique strategic alliance of industry-leading partners in the luxury fashion sector, Lanvin Group strives to expand the global footprint of its portfolio brands and achieve sustainable growth through strategic investment and extensive operational know-how, combined with an intimate understanding and unparalleled access to the fastest-growing luxury fashion markets in the world. The shares of Lanvin Group are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "LANV". For more information about Lanvin Group, please visit www.lanvin-group.com, and to view Lanvin Group's investor presentation, please visit https://ir.lanvin-group.com. About MondeVita MondeVita is the lifestyle and luxury division of Mondevo Group, created in response to a clear desire among family offices to invest in sectors they are genuinely passionate about - from premium beverages and luxury goods to hospitality and wellness. These sectors are rich with opportunity but remain highly fragmented, with niche players operating in limited geographies and often constrained by insufficient capital or lack of strategic expertise. MondeVita aims to consolidate and elevate this landscape by building a portfolio of best-in-class companies that can thrive through shared capabilities, cross-portfolio synergies, and economies of scale. About Mondevo Group Mondevo Group is a multi-divisional holding company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, operating at the intersection of technology, investment, and lifestyle. The group's divisions span wealth management, venture capital, luxury and lifestyle, and foundational technology platforms. Mondevo's mission is to harness AI-native capabilities and a global network of ultra-high-net-worth families to build enduring businesses across sectors with high barriers to entry and strong long-term growth potential. About Raffaele Caruso S.p.A. Raffaele Caruso S.p.A. is an Italian company active in high-end sartorial manufacturing, headquartered in Soragna (Parma). Founded in 1964, the company operates as a trusted industrial partner to some of the world's most prestigious global fashion houses and develops, through the Caruso brand, menswear collections distributed through a selective network of high-end multi-brand retailers. The Caruso brand is recognised for its distinctive positioning of Playful Elegance, combining sartorial rigour, lightness and a contemporary interpretation of Italian style. With over 450 employees, Raffaele Caruso S.p.A. brings together manufacturing expertise, industrial scale and a strong brand identity. Enquiries: Media Lanvin Group Winni Ren [email protected] Investors Lanvin Group Coco Wang [email protected] Mondevo Group Investor Relations [email protected] Caruso Michele Leoni [email protected] Luigi Bottani [email protected] SOURCE LANVIN GROUP Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev pictured in June 2023. Photograph: Russian Defence Ministry/Reuters (Photograph: Russian Defence Ministry/Reuters) A top Russian military official who plays a major role in the countrys intelligence services has been taken to hospital after being shot in Moscow, state media has reported. Lt Gen Vladimir Alekseyev was shot several times on the stairwell of his apartment on Friday by an unknown gunman in the north-west of the city and is in critical condition, according to reports. Oleg Tsaryov, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian figure close to Alekseyev said the general had undergone surgery and remained in a coma. No party has claimed responsibility for shooting Alekseyev, but suspicion in Moscow fell on Kyiv. Ukrainian intelligence agencies have targeted dozens of Russian military officers and Russian-installed officials since the start of the war, accusing them of involvement in war crimes. Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, called the shooting a terrorist attack, claiming without evidence it was intended to derail talks between Russia, Ukraine and the US to end the war. This terrorist attack once again confirmed the Zelenskyy regimes focus on constant provocations, aimed in turn at derailing the negotiation process, Lavrov said in Moscow. The Ukrainian foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Ukraine had nothing to do with the shooting. We dont know what happened with that particular general maybe it was their own internal Russian in-fighting, the Reuters news agency quoted Sybiha as saying. The Ukrainian-born Alekseyev is a deputy director of Russias military intelligence agency, the GRU, a unit in the defence ministry known for organising covert operations abroad, including assassinations, sabotage and espionage. He was one of the top officers providing Vladimir Putin with intelligence for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He has also been widely described as a major figure overseeing the countrys private military companies and was among the senior officials dispatched to negotiate with Yevgeny Prigozhin during the Wagner groups brief mutiny in the summer of 2023. After Prigozhins revolt, Alekseyev was widely believed to have fallen out of favour in Moscow and was reported to have been briefly detained over his links to Wagner, yet he ultimately retained his post.s. Alekseyev is under sanctions from Washington for his alleged involvement in efforts to interfere in the 2020 US presidential election. The UK also placed sanctions on him over the deadly 2018 novichok nerve agent attack in Salisbury. The commander of Ukraines Azov regiment, Denys Prokopenko, wrote on X that if Alekseyev survived the attack, he would never sleep peacefully again. No war criminal who has killed and tortured Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, destroyed Ukrainian cities, abducted Ukrainian children, or committed other crimes against the Ukrainian people will ever feel safe, Prokopenko added. The timing of the shooting was striking, coming a day after Russian and Ukrainian delegations including Alekseyevs direct superior, Igor Kostyukov met in Abu Dhabi, where both sides spoke of apparent progress in the peace talks. Previous peace efforts have broken down over Russias maximalist territorial demands on Ukraine, with Moscow repeatedly rejecting Kyivs calls for an immediate ceasefire. Ukraine has targeted at least three Russian generals in the Moscow region over the past year, though such operations have typically involved explosives. Little is publicly known about the clandestine networks believed to be behind assassinations and attacks on military infrastructure inside Russia and in Russian-controlled territories. Alekseyevs shooting will be seen as the latest failure of Russias security services to protect senior military personnel deep inside the country. While details of who carried out the attack and how it was organised remain unclear, Russian military bloggers have criticised apparent security lapses, questioning how a gunman was able to enter the apartment building undetected. Andrei Soldatov, an independent expert on Russias security services, called the attack incredible sloppiness. One would have expected them to scale up protection for top military brass, he wrote on social media. Sadiq Khan told to apologise to sacked bus driver who knocked out thief after they stole passengers necklace The London Assembly has demanded an apology from Mayor Sadiq Khan following the controversial dismissal of a bus driver. Assembly members unanimously passed a motion on Thursday, hailing Mark Hehir as a hero and calling for a full investigation into his sacking. The motion urged Sir Sadiq Khan and Transport for London to apply pressure to Metroline to reinstate Mr Hehir or provide appropriate compensation, alongside establishing clear guidance for transport workers protecting passengers. Mr Hehir, 62, was fired by Metroline after he pursued a thief who had snatched a passengers necklace. He subsequently knocked the individual out in self-defence when they returned. The assemblys vote follows Mr Hehirs earlier remarks, where he labelled the mayors silence on the incident as disappointing. The London Assembly has called for Mayor Sadiq Khan to apologise (Getty Images) London Assembly member Keith Prince, who brought forward the motion, said: This is not about encouraging reckless behaviour. It is about whether we are comfortable with a system that punishes frontline workers for stepping in when crime happens right in front of them. By supporting this motion unanimously, the Assembly has sent a clear message that public concern, common sense, and fairness still matter. The Mayor of London will have to formally respond to the assembly, however he does not have to accept the recommendations. Earlier this week shadow justice minister Dr Kieran Mullan, shadow transport minister Richard Holden and Ms Hall wrote to Sir Khan to demand serious consideration of reinstatement or appropriate compensation. Mark Hehir was sacked after chasing down and punching a thief (PA Wire) The Conservatives have said they will bring forward proposals to introduce good samaritan protections in civil law for both employers and employees. More than 135,000 people have signed a petition in support of the bus driver, which was launched after an employment tribunal upheld Metrolines decision to sack the bus driver, a ruling first reported by the Press Association. In another sign of public support for him, a GoFundMe page for Mr Hehir has raised more than 40,000 and Justice Secretary David Lammy said that Mr Hehir is a hero and deserves our support. In an interview this week, Mr Hehir said that he would like an apology from Metroline as well as compensation for lost earnings, but did not want his job back. A Metroline spokesperson previously said: The tribunal has upheld the dismissal as fair. The Mayor of London has been approached for comment. Its an adorable baby girl! The Smithsonian National Zoo welcomed its first baby Asian elephant in 25 years early Monday morning, February 2, at 1:15 a.m. The calf was born to a 12-year-old mother, Nhi Linh, and a 44-year-old father, Spike. Reuters shared a sweet video capturing some of the babys very first steps, with a little help from her caretakers, as she begins exploring her brand-new world. She looks around curiously, pausing to sniff everything with her trunk, and its total cuteness overload! We'll be watching and waiting for more baby elephant content! NBC4 Washington also shared a clip featuring one of the elephant's caretakers, explaining the importance of this adorable baby's birth. You can check it out here. Related: Baby Elephant Finds Her Voice and Leaves Us All Wanting More SIGN UP to get pawsitivity delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends You Can Help Name Smithsonian National Zoo's Baby Elephant! The zoo shared more about how the public can vote on the baby elephant's name on its website. "With the arrival of this big bundle of joy, the Zoo is inviting the public to be a part of something giant: an opportunity to name the calf and contribute directly to elephant care and conservation. Inspired by Nhi Linhs name, which is of Vietnamese origin, the elephant care team has selected four names: Linh Mai [LIN-my]: spirit blossom. Linh means spirit or soul; Mai refers to the apricot blossom, a flower associated with Tet (Lunar New Year), which begins Feb. 17. Thao Nhi [TOW-nee]: gentle and beloved. Thao means gentle or kind and is associated with nature; Nhi means small, little one, or beloved. Tu Anh [TOO-ahng]: Tu means talented or gifted; Anh means bright and intelligent. Tuyet [TWET]: Traditionally means snow, referencing her winter birth. Starting today, fans can vote for their favorite name by making a donation of $5 or more on the Zoos website, with $1 representing one vote. The polls will close Friday, Feb. 13, at noon, and the name that receives the most donations will be the winning name. Shortly thereafter, the Zoo will announce the calfs name on its website. All funds raised will directly support Asian elephant care and conservation." Do you have a favorite name? We can't wait to learn which one is chosen! This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The move means Russian forces can no longer strap Starlink terminals to long-range drones - Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP Russian troops fighting in Ukraine have appealed for donations of old-fashioned walkie-talkie radios after losing their Starlink satellite internet connections. Almost 90 per cent of Russian units lost their connections after Elon Musk orchestrated a shutdown of the service, according to pro-Kremlin war bloggers. The cut-off was negotiated between Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines digitally-savvy defence minister, and Mr Musk, the maverick billionaire who owns Starlink, after it emerged Russian forces were strapping Starlink terminals to long-range drones. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines defence minister, struck a deal with Elon Musk - Andrii Nesterenko/Reuters It has triggered internet outages on both sides of the front lines since the embargo was introduced earlier this week. Analysts have claimed the move could provide Ukrainian forces with an advantage in the coming weeks and months. Weve been left without communication, a Russian war blogger said, while relaying front-line appeals for donations of less technologically advanced radio equipment. Due to Starlink terminals being blocked on practically all fronts, command and control of troops has become difficult, they added. Our comms are in chaos Yuri Podolyaka, a Russian propagandist, said: Our communications are in chaos. So are the enemys, but their outlook is different. Since the first months of Russias full-scale invasion, Ukrainian forces have had authorised access to Starlink services. Western sanctions on Moscow restricted the technologys export and use by Russian troops. But this did not stop the SpaceX devices from being illegally smuggled into the war zone, with Russia piggybacking off permissions granted across Ukrainian soil, including in occupied areas, to utilise them on the front lines. Over the past two years, Ukrainian officials have complained that the satellite internet service has bolstered Russias battlefield communications. Even Russian troops on horseback have used the systems. Credit: X / @bayraktar_1love In recent months, however, Kyiv sounded a much louder alarm when it discovered Russian troops had begun adding smaller Starlink devices to long-range drones to help with targeting and to better avoid jammers. Concerned at the development, Mr Fedorov, who used to be Ukraines minister of digital transformation, alerted Mr Musk and SpaceX. They negotiated a deal that would allow only Starlink terminals registered with Kyiv to continue operating in the countrys territory. In addition to the white list, a speed limit of 75kph was introduced, meaning any devices attached to fast-moving weaponry would be disabled. Contraband devices being utilised by Russian forces will therefore no longer function. b' 0702 Starlink in Ukraine ' Series Kuzan, the chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre, said: Long term, this is a temporary setback for Russia, as they retain alternative communications, such as radio stations and ground networks, and can pursue Starlink substitutes. Currently, however, the blockade creates significant disruptions: Russian forces must re-establish communications via radio, reset cellular networks, and redeploy WiFi bridges and fibre optics all far more vulnerable and unstable. This directly hampers their battlefield activity and drone operations. Could set us back a couple of years While its unclear, or even unlikely, whether the outages will prompt a collapse in the Russian lines, it could be a major setback for the invaders. A Russian war blogger, who posts anonymously under the moniker Military Informant, suggested it could set back Moscows forces a couple of years as they shift to older technologies. Boris Rozhin, another pro-war propagandist, described the saga as a serious breach in communications, which the enemy may attempt to exploit. For now, the Starlink cut-off will impact Russias ability to deploy aerial, ground and naval drones, which are reliant on the satellite internet network to be connected with their operators. The shutdown has seriously undermined Russias war effort - Serhii Flash The SpaceX technology has served as the main form of connection between Russian troops and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), used to resupply front-line positions, and medium-range missiles used to attack Ukraines logistical routes. The more pressing one is it will make it more difficult to use UGVs effectively and it will make it more difficult to conduct middle-range strikes, Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, a US think tank, said. It will certainly have a useful effect in the short term, he added. But he predicted Russian forces would adapt over time to offset some of the immediate issues triggered by the Starlink shutdown. Russia has its own satellite communication capabilities, and is developing an independent satellite internet system in low-earth orbit as an alternative to the US devices. Russia is developing its own satellite internet system - Russian Defense Ministry/AP It has also utilised alternative options for its long-range, Iranian-designed drones, such as cellular modems fitted with sim cards from Ukrainian providers, which could be used on weapons previously reliant on Starlink. And the shutdown hasnt been without its problems for Ukrainian units on the ground. Many have privately purchased, or been donated, their own Starlink terminals for use on the battlefield, and are prone to additional red tape. Rebekah Maciorowski, a US volunteer serving as a combat medic, said the change of policy resulted in her units systems failing. This wasnt equipment failure. It wasnt power. It wasnt operator error. Our terminal had already been submitted on the required authorisation lists and it still went dark, she wrote on social media. But despite the hiccups, Mr Lee believes the new usage rules agreed between Kyiv and Mr Musks SpaceX could provide an advantage to Ukraines armed forces in the long term. It will be an important advantage if Russia cannot use this, and Ukraine can, he said. The initial chaos that it created in Russian use, they will find some way to work around it. But, it will be less effective than being able to use Starlink. Sir Keir Starmer is clinging on after surviving the toughest day of his premiership so far this week, when Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar became the most senior Labour figure to call for him to quit. The prime minister has been at the centre of a political storm since admitting he was aware of Peter Mandelsons relationship with Jeffrey Epstein even after his conviction for child sex offences when he appointed him as US ambassador. Figures across the political spectrum including MPs in his own party have been questioning the prime ministers judgement, with some declaring its over for him. Morgan McSweeneys departure the man who was responsible for Sir Keir becoming the leader of the Labour Party, the architect of the subsequent election victory and central figure in running the government on Sunday failed to quell growing questions over whether or not the prime minister can continue in his job. The PM was also hit by the resignation of Downing Street director of communications Tim Allan, further fuelling doubts over his future. But the heat intensified even further on Sir Keir on Monday when the previously loyal Mr Sarwar urged him to step down over the Mandelson-Epstein scandal, saying he had made too many mistakes. Sir Keir responded defiantly, insisting he was not going anywhere, before telling a meeting of Labour MPs: Ive won every fight Ive ever been in. The lack of a concerted effort by MPs to depose Sir Keir - and his Cabinet coming out to back him publicly on Monday afternoon - suggests the immediate danger may have passed. But it only takes one candidate to garner 20 per cent of the MPs to stand against him, and Sir Keir is in serious trouble. So who would that person be, and could they unite a warring party? The furore comes after months of speculation about Sir Keirs leadership of the Labour Party, with senior figures appearing to position themselves as his successor (House of Commons) Angela Rayner The former deputy prime minister is being openly discussed as a replacement for Sir Keir, despite her resignation less than six months ago over her personal tax payments. Angela Rayner raised eyebrows on Wednesday when she got to her feet in the Commons and made it clear she would vote against the governments attempt to restrict the release of full vetting documents relating to Lord Mandelsons appointment. Ms Rayner, the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, is viewed as a potential successor to Sir Keir or, if she did not run herself, as someone whose support could have a significant influence on the outcome of any contest. Sir Keir Starmer has said he would like to see Angela Rayner return to government (Lauren Hurley/Downing Street) Many in the trade unions have been eager to see Ms Rayner get the top job and were already plotting her return days after she quit. She is believed to be preparing for a contest, having declared last month: Im not dead yet. Last week, the prime minister suggested Ms Rayner has a future role to play in government, and said he wanted to bring her back to the front line at the right point. Andy Burnham Andy Burnham has been the most talked about threat to Sir Keirs leadership in recent months, with speculation about a potential challenge having grown since mid-2025. Last year, Mr Burnham repeatedly failed to rule out a Labour leadership bid and has been regularly tipped as the leading candidate to take over should Sir Keirs position as prime minister become untenable. He was the focus of such rumours at the Labour Party conference in September, when he revealed that MPs were privately urging him to challenge Sir Keir. Earlier this month, tensions came to a head when a parliamentary seat in the north west came up for grabs after Gorton and Denton MP Andrew Gwynne stepped down. The Greater Manchester mayor applied to run under the Labour banner in the historically safe seat but was blocked by the partys National Executive Committee (NEC). Critics have accused Sir Keir and his allies of preventing Mr Burnhams candidacy for factional reasons, fearing a leadership challenge from the mayor as both Labours poll ratings and his personal approval ratings flounder. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (PA) Wes Streeting There is widespread speculation that supporters of health secretary Wes Streeting will launch a bid to replace Sir Keir following months of uncertainty and suffering in the polls. Just this week, as questions around Sir Keirs future reached fever pitch, the health secretary took the controversial decision to publish communications between himself and Lord Mandelson which contained severe criticism of the PMs economic and Middle East policies. The publication broke collective responsibility and would normally lead to a sacking, but Mr Streeting justified it by saying it was necessary to deal with with smears that had been made about his relationship with the disgraced former Labour peer. However, many have seen it as a clear attempt to distance himself from the PM and make it clear that he is ready to step in to his role when the time is right. It comes after a briefing war within Downing Street in recent months, targeting the health secretary over his perceived ambitions to succeed Sir Keir. It was also reported earlier this month that senior figures had been pushing for Mr Streetings removal from Cabinet for disloyalty, amid deepening splits in the prime ministers top team. Wes Streeting has denied trying to launch a coup (Reuters) Mr Streeting has previously voiced his concerns about the direction of the government, and hit out at a toxic culture in No 10 when briefings against him was made public in November. The 43-year-old health secretary is charismatic and the one cabinet minister who can connect with the public as long as they are not striking resident doctors. The former National Union of Students' presidents main weakness is that he is seen as too far to the right of the party, but he remains a more charismatic version of Sir Keir with less qualms about being compared to the Tories. Shabana Mahmood Another candidate who has been tipped for the top job is the home secretary, who was effectively endorsed by former prime minister Tony Blair last year. Amid previous speculation that Sir Keir could be forced to step down as prime minister, Shabana Mahmood has emerged among the front runners to succeed him. Another candidate who has been tipped for the top job is home secretary Shabana Mahmood (PA) Her biggest issues are similar to Mr Streeting. Like him, she is seen as being on the right of the party and it is unlikely both could run. Ed Miliband The left is looking for a candidate and there is a good chance they may turn to someone who had a go as leader before. The 56-year-old is a hate figure for the rightwing press because of his net zero policies but this only acts as a plus with members of the party. Ed Miliband has had a shot at the Labour leadership before (Getty) A bit like former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Mr Miliband has found new life and purpose in life after leadership. He is now the evangelist for green energy and net zero when the world needs one. Gone is the cowed and shrunken man who led the party to defeat in 2015 he has been replaced by a man who is a serious contender to lead the party again with a new vigour. Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 40 years for abducting and murdering teenager Victoria Hall 26 years ago, after he prowled the streets like a predator stalking for his prey. The 17-year-old sixth former was walking home from a night out with her best friend at a club in Felixstowe in 1999 when she was kidnapped by the killer, then aged 41. 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. Her horrific murder remained unsolved for 26 years until Wright known as the Suffolk Strangler shockingly changed his plea and admitted his guilt on Monday. He also admitted attempting to kidnap Emily Doherty, 22, the night before, who fears Ms Hall would still be alive today if police had taken her ordeal more seriously. It is the first time Wright, who is already serving a whole-life sentence for murdering five women in Ipswich seven years later, in 2006 has taken responsibility for any of his crimes. At his sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday, the serial killer, now 67, wore a grey Nike tracksuit and was flanked by three dock officers as details of the harrowing crimes were laid out. Victoria Hall (Suffolk Police) He appeared emotionless as Mr Justice Bennathan told him he would almost certainly die in prison. He told Wright: Victoria Hall was a typical, bright, lively teenager. Her father described her as having been a happy, loving child. She spent hours on the phone with her best friend. She was studying for her A levels, she had a part-time job and loved to go out dancing. For reasons only you know, and most people will never start to comprehend, you snatched Victoria away and you crushed her young life. He was further sentenced to nine years for attempting to kidnap Ms Doherty, who the judge concluded he would have killed if she had not escaped, and 12 years for the kidnap of Ms Hall, to be served concurrently. Mr Justice Bennathan sentenced Wright to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years (PA) Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC said: On the weekend of 18-19 September 1999, the defendant, driving his burgundy Ford Granada Scorpio, was on the prowl in Felixstowe, a port town on the Suffolk coast. Almost undoubtedly sexually motivated, he was a predator stalking for his prey: looking for a young woman to kidnap. The Old Bailey heard that Wright, who was employed on the mooring team at Felixstowe docks at the time of the attacks, was very physically strong. Ms Doherty, who was a newlywed and due to travel to India for her honeymoon the next day, sensed danger and armed herself with a stick when she saw Wright in the early hours of 18 September 1999. She sprinted away and escaped the killer by frantically knocking on the front door of a couple, who let her inside. However, in the early hours of the following morning, he did not allow Ms Hall, aged 17, to escape his predatory clutches, Ms Ledward said. The schoolgirl, from Trimley St Mary, had left home for a night out at the Bandbox nightclub in neighbouring Felixstowe. She and her best friend left the venue at around 1am and walked back singing, saying goodnight at 2.20am, just 300 metres from Ms Hall's home. Having separated from her best friend Gemma Algar only 300 metres from her front door, she never made it home, and seemingly vanished, the only clue to what happened to her a scream in the night, on the small housing estate where she lived in the village of Trimley St Mary, not two miles from where the defendant has made his attempt on Emily Doherty, Ms Ledward said. But Victoria had not simply vanished into thin air. The defendant had abducted, and within a very short time, murdered her, as well as sexually violating her in some way. The prosecutor said Ms Halls body was discarded naked but for her jewellery as if she were no more important than a disposable commodity. She likely died of asphyxia, pathologists concluded. Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright in 2008 and 2026 (Suffolk Police) The fact that her body had been left in the open had caused untold distress to her family, including her mother, who tragically died before Wright was brought to justice. Following the murder, Wright reported an injury at work and sold his Ford Granada Scorpio as he prepared to leave the country, the court heard. In November 1999, he travelled to Thailand for two months. In 2001, police accused an innocent businessman of Ms Halls murder, but he was acquitted by a jury in less than 90 minutes. In a victim impact statement read by the prosecutor, Emily Doherty said she was stalked for what seemed like 40 minutes by the killer. I had never been so scared in my life, she said. When a couple finally let me in their house to call the police, I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest. However, when officers arrived, they did not take her seriously, and the first question they asked was how much have you had to drink tonight. To this day, I am furious, she added. I wasnt taken seriously. I was made to feel like a silly little girl. She questioned whether Victoria would still be alive if police had responded differently and taken her statement, which included a partial number plate for her attacker. "For 25 years, I have wondered what if, she said. What if they had taken my statement? Could Victoria still be alive right now? Or at the least, they could have found the murderer sooner. Steve Wright (front left) appearing in the dock of the Old Bailey on Monday (PA) Ms Ledward revealed Wright had been identified as the keeper of one of 56 cars which matched Ms Dohertys description - and his details printed out on 14-15 October 1999. This shortlist was further narrowed over the following year, after Ms Doherty recalled a further digit of the number plate, reducing the number of matching vehicles to 10, including Wrights car. Excluding those owned by women, only two vehicles were registered to owners in the Felixstowe, Trimley or Stowmarket area. One of them was Wright. However, astonishingly, he was not formally identified as a suspect in Ms Halls murder until a cold case review in June 2020. Suffolk Police will consider holding an inquiry into the missed opportunities to catch the killer after today's sentencing hearing, Ms Ledward added. Fighting back tears in the court, Ms Algar said she and Ms Hall were inseparable and were excited to turn 18. But life changed forever on that fateful day, adding she will never forget the sick feeling in her stomach after she realised her friend never made it home safely. She added: I have replayed countless if only and what ifs over the years. We felt safe in our hometown and that sense of safety was taken away forever. Ms Halls grieving father said he will miss her every day for the rest of my life. In a statement read by his son Steven, he added: Steve Wright robbed us of seeing her grow into a woman, including fulfilling her dream of going to university. Ms Halls body was found in a ditch in Creeting St Peter (Crown Prosecution Service) In his own victim impact statement, Steven said that their family had been forced into an exclusive club that nobody wants to be part of as a result of the horrific murder, which turned their world upside down. Victoria was only 17 years old, with so much life left to live uni, a career, marriage, kids, he continued. Its an unbearable pain to know that my mum and dad never got to see her do any of those things. He added: I have had 26 years of not knowing what happened to my sister. I have had a life sentence in itself. The conclusion of this doesnt bring closure, it only answers the question of who did it. 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) Wright is already serving a rare whole-life order after he terrorised Ipswich in a six-week killing spree in 2006, targeting five women who he snatched from the towns red light area. Tania Nicol, 19, vanished 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. Samantha Woolley, a specialist prosecutor who led the CPS case against Wright, said: Much attention will be made of Steve Wright being convicted of another murder, attention he does not deserve. Quite simply, he represents the very worst of humanity and I hope he will now be forgotten. Surviving victim of Suffolk strangler claims murdered women could be alive if police had taken her seriously The only surviving victim of Suffolk strangler Steve Wright has claimed that the other women he murdered could still be alive if police had taken her seriously. The serial killer tried to kidnap Emily Doherty, then aged 22, in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in 1999, before he went on to murder five more women in the Ipswich area in 2006. On Friday, the 67-year-old was sentenced for the murder of his sixth victim, teenager Victoria Hall, after he dramatically changed his plea and admitted the 17-year-olds kidnap and murder on 19 September 1999. It was just the day before that Wright had attempted to kidnap Ms Doherty, which he also admitted. She managed to escape from the serial killer, but she has described her fury at being treated like a silly little girl by police, who she said refused her offer to give a statement later that day. Serial killer Steve Wright will be sentenced for the murder of his sixth victim on Friday (Suffolk Police/PA Wire) In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Doherty said: For 25 years, I have wondered what if. What if they had taken my statement, could Victoria still be alive right now? Or at the least, they could have found the murderer sooner. And then, if it was indeed Steve Wright, the London Road murders wouldnt have happened. I have survivors guilt. I blame myself for not being more assertive and sure of myself, for not going to the police station and not forcing a statement on them. Ms Doherty ran, hid and frantically hammered on a couples door after Wright stalked her following a night out in Felixstowe on Saturday 18 September 1999. She said she had not drunk much that night when she had joined friends and her new husband before setting off for her six-month honeymoon. Describing Wrights attempted abduction, she said: For what seemed like 40 minutes or so, I was stalked by a blonde man in a yellow polo shirt, in a dark car. The moment he walked past me and said alright in a slow, suggestive way, I knew I was in trouble. I have never been so scared in my life. When a couple finally let me into their house to call the police, I thought my heart was going to explode from my chest. I had never run so fast, nor jumped over walls like that. Victoria Halls body was found in a ditch 25 miles from where she was last seen (Suffolk Police) At the same time as being terrified, and relieved to have been let in by strangers, having tried three or four houses previously, I was also embarrassed. It was easily 2am if not later. The couple thought I was a troublemaker, or playing some prank perhaps. I had to ask for a glass of water. I wanted to cry so much. I was so scared. When the police arrived, I think they were special constables, when I told them what was happening, their first question to me was, How much have you had to drink tonight? They didnt believe me. I had to persist that the danger that I felt had been real. I had to ask for a lift home to the Ferry. To this day, I am furious. I wasnt taken seriously. I was made to feel like a silly little girl. As the officers drove her home, they said, I suppose you should tell us what happened, according to the statement. She told them the car registration, but she said they made no note of anything she said and declined her offer to go to the police station the next morning. She said: They told me to forget all about it. When the police decided they did want my information, I wasnt in the UK. I gave as much detail over the phone as I could remember. I could certainly remember his face, but the number plate was gone. The six women murdered by Wright (PA) The night after the attempted abduction of Ms Doherty, Wright snatched 17-year-old Victoria Hall as she walked from Felixstowe and murdered her. Wright, now aged 67, went on to murder five more women in the area of London Road, Ipswich, and was handed a whole-life prison sentence. Ms Doherty said she had tried to box off what happened to her for the past 26 years amid the turmoil and frustration of what ifs. Over the past few years, her hopes of finding closure had been raised, and she felt she was finally being heard and supported, the court was told. On learning that Wright had admitted his guilt, Ms Doherty said she was relieved but still spinning with 26 years of pent-up emotions. She highlighted the emotional strain of the case taking so long, adding: I can only try and imagine how the past 26 years have been for Vicky Halls family. Details of Ms Dohertys attempted abduction and Victorias murder were heard at the Old Bailey on Friday as Wright was jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years. He had pleaded guilty to Ms Dohertys attempted kidnap and the kidnap and murder of Victoria. In a statement, Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick, the Senior Investigating Officer for Suffolk Police said: Todays sentencing marks the conclusion of an extensive and painstaking murder investigation. 26 years ago, Victoria Hall was just two weeks from her 18th birthday and had her whole life ahead of her. This was cut short so cruelly. This appalling crime had a profound impact on Victorias family and friends, along with communities in Felixstowe, Trimley St Mary, Creeting St Peter and across Suffolk. I wish to pay tribute to Victorias father Graham, and her brother Steven who now finally know who is accountable for those shocking actions. This demonstrates that time is no barrier to justice. Special mention must be given to Emily, at the time a 22-year-old woman, who narrowly escaped the depraved actions of this man the night before Victoria was taken. We do not underestimate the impact that this night has had on her and continues to do so. I am glad we have also been able to provide answers and a sense of justice being delivered. Whilst this was a guilty plea, this was not an early guilty plea. Steve Wright made significant attempts to cover his tracks after the offence. He was interviewed twice by police over the course of two years whilst the investigation developed and he was in the court system for 21 months with legal hearings challenging the evidence. Wright was forced into a position where he had no alternative but to plead guilty to all three offences with the weight of evidence against him. This has been a complex re-investigation, spanning over seven years. I want to thank officers and staff who have worked tirelessly on this investigation to develop and present all the evidence in this case. Their persistence is the reason for this result. Tense confrontation between CorePower Yoga staff and customers in Minneapolis goes viral after they removed anti-ICE signs A tense confrontation between CorePower Yoga employees and customers at a Minneapolis studio is going viral, sparked by accusations that employees removed anti-ICE protest signs from the studio. In a video posted to TikTok, at least a dozen patrons are seen confronting two female staff members in the studios lobby following a Sunday class. The confrontation was led by longtime studio member Heather Anderson, who was later banned from the studio following the incident, the New York Post reports. The patrons repeatedly pressed the employees to explain why the company had not publicly condemned ICEs presence in the city, particularly questioning why an anti-ICE sign in the studios window had been removed. Give us answers, lets go lets hear it why are you being silent? Anderson says from behind the camera, which focuses on a visibly flustered staffer. As the video continues, Anderson raises her voice and demands a response, saying the company should have been prepared with well-rehearsed corporate action and words. CorePower Yoga confirmed to The Independent that it removed the original antiICE sign at a Minneapolis studio and replaced it with standardized signage used across all of its locations, stating that law enforcement and ICE may only enter with a valid judicial warrant (TikTok/@twinmom740) Lets hear it, Delaney, loud and proud, Anderson said to the blonde employee, punctuating her remarks with profanity as other customers snapped their fingers in apparent support. The staff member appears to struggle to respond amid the pressure, while another person in the crowd adds, The silence is deafening. A CorePower Yoga spokesperson told The Independent that the two employees behind the desk were not corporate staff, but a studio manager and a regional director who were on site to support the local team, help ensure staff felt safe following recent tragic events in Minneapolis, and avoid class cancellations. As the visibly stressed Delaney tries to pause the exchange, Anderson doesnt allow it, demanding her to be loud with CorePower corporates answers, accusing the two women of coming to the studio to silence teachers. Lets f****** go! What do you gotta say? Louder, Delaney! Anderson urges, before shifting her attention to the other woman behind the desk. Person in the glasses, you have a good answer? Delaney cant seem to cough it up, she added. Well, I mean, were being berated right now, the other woman replies, further angering Anderson. Youre not being berated youre being asked hard questions berating is what our neighbors are living through, Anderson yells, before demanding to know whether the employees are going to put the ICE sign back on the front door. Is that the ask? an employee responds, sending another patron into an emotional speech. An unidentified customer, who accused CorePower of being complicit by staying silent on events in Minneapolis, angrily condemned the companys actions as unacceptable and declared the group can take their business elsewhere, drawing applause from the crowd. A CorePower Yoga spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that the original anti-ICE sign was removed and replaced with one that includes standardized signage across that is consistent across all of its studios, stating that law enforcement and ICE may only enter with a valid judicial warrant. In response to the viral incident, CorePower temporarily paused the memberships of attendees as a precaution. More than half of the affected students have since had their memberships reinstated following one-on-one conversations, with others still pending contact. Anderson was the only individual whose membership was fully terminated, the spokesperson said. CorePower temporarily paused attendees memberships after the viral confrontation, reinstating over half after one-on-one discussions (Getty Images) In a statement to The Independent, a company spokesperson said, CorePower Yoga studios are meant to be safe, welcoming spaces that foster mindfulness, belonging, and respect for all who wish to practice yoga. We do not condone the violent ICE raids, and we have distributed signage across our studios. We respect peaceful activism and individuals rights to expression. Over the weekend, an incident occurred at one of our Twin Cities studios. We have a responsibility to protect the safety of our teachers and students. We recognize that this impacted some students who did not engage, and we have since spoken directly with those students and reversed those decisions. We are committed to finding ways to best support our communities during this devastating time, the statement concluded. As for Anderson, she said she does not regret how she handled the now-infamous interaction. What I said in that video landed, Anderson told the Post. When that happens and the other party doesnt want to engage with a learning stance theres a self-preservation stance then they just dismiss you. They have more power than me, they have a corporation behind them I am easy to swat away. A barrister associated with a top London legal chamber has been suspended pending an investigation after he was named in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Matthieu de Boisseson, a barrister at Littleton Chambers, has had his membership at the chambers paused after emails surfaced showing communication with Epstein. De Boisseson told the Standard he denies any wrongdoing. It marks one of the latest developments in the ongoing international fallout following the release of more than three million documents in the latest Epstein file drop earlier this week. A spokesperson for the law firm told the Standard: In light of recent information received, Chambers has suspended M. de Boissesons Associate Membership pending a full investigation. (US Department of Justice) The website for Littleton Chambers no longer includes an image of de Boisseson among its team. According to emails released, de Boisseson was in contact with both Epstein and Jean-Luc Brunel, a modelling scout accused of putting the disgraced financier in contact with various girls. Correspondences go on for several years. In one email from April 2015, the French lawyer suggests that Epstein meet with Jean-Luc to discuss the present situation, and perhaps explore the conditions of a way out. I told Jean-Luc that I was not willing to act as a lawyer but just as a friend, by expressing my views and suggestions onan entirely confidential basis, [sic] the email reads. (US Department of Justice) It is unclear what situation theyre referring to, but the chain goes on to discuss meeting in person, and deciding on a place of privacy to do so. The emails indicate Epstein offering to reimburse the lawyer for his travel expenses. In another email, Brunel writes to de Boisseson in French saying: Im going to take care of my libido. Kyiv is a good clinic. The lawyer responds: Perfect! Youre doing a great job, dear guru. The pair then appear to discuss in French a woman who Brunel says wants a child. Alongside emails, de Boisseson is also pictured in images released within the Epstein files. In one image, de Boisseson is seen with a woman whose face is redacted, alongside the model scout. Another image reportedly shows the French lawyer being served vodka in a bottle shaped like a rifle. Responding to the Telegraph, de Boisseson downplayed the images saying they were taken probably in a restaurant, apparently not with young girls but with unknown women, whose faces are redacted. Epstein was jailed in 2008 after pleading guilty to soliciting sex from girls, some reportedly as young as 14 before being released after 13 months. He was again jailed in 2019 and died while awaiting trial. Brunel, who founded the model agency MC2 Model Management with Epstein's finances, has faced allegations of misconduct since the late 1980s - but always denied wrongdoing. It was back in 1988 that 60 Minutes ran a documentary that looked into abusive culture at Brunels agency. Brunel was arrested in 2020 amid an investigation over allegations of sexual assault. He also died in his prison cell in 2022. De Boisseson previously told The Telegraph: In 2014 and 2015, neither Mr Epstein nor Mr Brunel were accused of wrongdoings, to my knowledge, he said, according to the outlet. I confirm, if necessary, that I have never been involved in any wrongdoing associated, years later, with Mr Brunel or Mr Epstein. Donald Trump said he is "bothered" by the House Oversight investigation into Bill Clintons ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Despite Republicans demanding Bill and Hillary Clinton testify in front of Congress, Trump defended the former president, stating, See, I like Bill Clinton. I still like Bill Clinton. He added, I liked his behavior toward me. I thought he got me. He understood me. Mr Clinton had known Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, but has denied knowledge of his sex offending and says he cut off contact two decades ago. Mr Clinton will appear before the House Oversight Committee on 27 February, while Hillary Clinton will appear the day before. President Trump and related terms appear more than 5300 times in the new Epstein files. Feature: Low-key experiment changing how food aid works in south China's Shenzhen Xinhua) 09:22, February 06, 2026 74-year-old Liu Yunnan collects a package of vegetables at a food bank terminal in Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) SHENZHEN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- When evening falls in a residential block in Futian District of the city of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, a phone tends to prove very useful if you are hungry. A green metal cabinet on a sidewalk can be seen glowing in the fading dusk light. Via a scan of a QR code, its doors slide open and reveal neatly packed food such as vegetables, fruit and bread -- free for the taking. No cashier, no counter and no conversation is required in this process. This locker is not a convenience store, nor is it a soup kitchen. Instead, it is one of Shenzhen's food bank terminals, part of an expanding welfare effort which redirects surplus but safe-to-eat food to people who need it, while also reducing waste in one of China's most affluent cities. Since its launch in May 2022, this program has installed 22 smart lockers across all of Futian's subdistricts, with these lockers operating around the clock. According to local figures, more than 400 meals are distributed each day in this manner, with roughly half a million people having benefited over the past three years. The system is based on a simple but deliberate structure. Access during the day is reserved for those deemed most vulnerable: low-income families, people with disabilities, elderly residents, disadvantaged children and sanitation workers. Once verified by neighborhood authorities, eligible users can reserve one free meal per day and collect it within a three-hour window. After 8 p.m., any unclaimed food becomes available to the general public. Behind these cabinet doors is a rigorously managed supply chain. Most donations come from nearby supermarkets that have passed safety and quality assessments. Only low-risk items such as vegetables, fruit and bread are accepted. Perishable foods and common allergens, including meat and soy products, are excluded. "We donate around 20 to 50 portions a day," said Wang Weimin, manager at a Freshippo store, one of the program's major contributors. Most items, he said, are unsold groceries that have been properly stored overnight, inspected the next morning and then handed to volunteers for redistribution. Before reaching the lockers, the food is sorted again, checked for safety and repackaged under hygienic conditions. Temperatures in the lockers are kept below 10 degrees Celsius, preserving freshness throughout the day. Every step is recorded and subject to regular oversight. To date, 87 companies have joined the network, including domestic retailers such as Freshippo, Yonghui Superstores and fresh vegetable e-commerce platform Dingdong, as well as imported-goods supermarkets like Ol. Not all contributions come from corporate shelves. On some mornings, volunteers also receive boxes of steamed buns made by Liu Dailu, a 69-year-old military veteran who once served as a logistics officer in the army. "At first, I just wanted to recreate a flavor many comrades still talk about," Liu said. The buns, prepared to military standards of size and texture, were initially offered only to fellow veterans. Through the food bank, they now reach a wider circle of recipients. For Liu, the act of cooking has become something more than a donation. It is a way of threading personal memory into the city's welfare system, one bun at a time. For others, the lockers provide immediate relief. A man surnamed Hu, who is currently unemployed, said he learned about the program through a short video online. Being able to count on one free meal a day, he said, has helped him get through a difficult period. "The entire process is online and contactless," said Sun Yue, the program's operations manager. "It protects privacy and reduces the psychological burden that often comes with traditional forms of assistance. Getting help feels simple and natural." The emphasis on discretion is not new in Futian. In the same year the food bank was launched, the district also introduced the "Futian M Meal" program, with the letter "M" drawn from the Chinese pinyin initials for mei (tasty) and mian (free), offering meals that are both appealing and free of charge to unemployed graduates, newly arrived job seekers and others facing temporary hardship. The lockers carry a short message printed on their doors: "Every pickup is a small act combating food waste." The idea of food banks is not new. The world's first food bank was founded in 1967 in Arizona in the United States, with the creation of St. Mary's Food Bank, which began by collecting surplus food and redistributing it to those in need. Since then, the model has spread widely, taking root across the United States, Europe and Japan. In China, this concept arrived later. The country's first food bank opened in Shanghai's Pudong District at the end of 2014 under the name Green Food Bank. For some residents, the message on these lockers has become part of daily life. Liu Li, who lives in Futian, sometimes brings his 11-year-old daughter to collect food. "For her, the pickup itself has become a lesson," he said. "About cherishing food and living in a low-carbon way." According to district estimates, meals redistributed through this program over the past three years have saved about 195 tonnes of food and reduced carbon emissions by approximately 390 tonnes. This local experiment aligns with broader national policy. Central government directives have called for long-term mechanisms to curb food waste and improve resource efficiency across the entire food supply chain. That emphasis was reiterated this week, when China unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2026, which called for intensified efforts to promote food conservation and stronger action against food waste. Scholars say Futian's approach offers a model for densely populated cities seeking more refined forms of social governance. "The food bank responds to a global challenge in an innovative way," said Xie Hai, executive director of the Department of Industrial Economy of China Development Institute. "More importantly, it helps cultivate a culture of thrift, environmental awareness and mutual support." Yi Songguo, a sociology professor at Shenzhen University, said the program makes abstract goals concrete. "It makes food conservation tangible and worthwhile, and turns mutual help into something people can step into with ease," he noted. Similar initiatives have begun appearing elsewhere in China, including in cities such as Chengdu in southwest China and Wuxi and Hangzhou, both located in east China. In January, meanwhile, authorities in the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region announced plans to pilot localized versions of the model. For Wang Fuxiang, head of Futian's civil affairs bureau, the lockers represent more than redistribution. They show how public welfare resources can be allocated in layers, he said, while allowing a culture of public good to spread naturally. By reducing waste at its source and extending help where it is most needed, he added, the program aims to do two things at once: subtract what is squandered and add warmth where it matters. This photo taken on Dec. 20, 2025 shows a food bank terminal at Huanggang Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A resident collects food in front of a food bank terminal at Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A staff member arranges packaged vegetables in a food bank terminal at Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Packaged vegetables are ready to be distributed to the food bank terminal at Yitian Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) A resident takes a pack of bread from a food bank terminal at Huanggang Village of Futian District in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Dec. 20, 2025. TO GO WITH "Feature: Low-key experiment ch anging how food aid works in south China's Shenzhen" (Xinhua/Liang Xu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The rebrand reflects the institution's transformation, academic expansion, and growing national presence. ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NUC University Florida Technical College has entered its next chapter in institutional history with a new identity as Northbridge University, a strategic evolution that reflects the institution's growth, expanded academic offerings, geographic footprint, and long-term vision. The transition to Northbridge University represents the natural progression of an institution that has evolved beyond its technical college origins, aligning its identity with a sustained commitment to career-focused education and long-term impact across the United States and Puerto Rico. NUC University Florida Technical College has entered its next chapter with a new identity as Northbridge University Post this Northbridge University Orlando Campus "NUC University Florida Technical College is a strong, respected institution that has grown significantly since its founding in 1982 in both scale and academic reach," said Michael Bannett, CEO of Northbridge University. "The transition to Northbridge University reflects that evolutionaligning the institution's identity with the breadth of its academic offerings, its multi-state presence across the United States and Puerto Rico, and its role as a trusted partner in advancing student success and workforce-aligned outcomes." Under the Northbridge University name, the institution will continue operating all academic programs, accreditations, campuses, and authorizations previously offered as NUC University Florida Technical College. The name change does not affect degrees earned or currently in progress and ensures uninterrupted operations as the university advances its next phase of growth. Northbridge University remains regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, with all institutional and programmatic accreditations fully in effect. The institutional evolution includes the launch of more than 30 new academic programs, including additional bachelor's and graduate-level pathways, with 10 programs beginning in 2026. New offerings are concentrated in fields aligned with labor-market demand, including technology, healthcare, business, construction-related trades, and emerging, high-growth disciplines such as artificial intelligence and other technology-driven fields. In addition, the university is developing 20 short-term credential programs designed to address workforce shortages and create accelerated pathways to employment in high-demand sectors, including construction, business, technology, and healthcare. The programs are structured to align with the newly approved federal Workforce Pell provisions, subject to final eligibility review. According to Goncal Bonmati, Chief Strategy Officer of Northbridge University, the transition reflects a deliberate and disciplined institutional process. "This moment and this new identity are the result of a clear, intentional vision," Bonmati said. "They reflect a rigorous strategic process designed to support long-term growth, align the institution for the future, and build on its history as it advances as a unified university with an expanding national footprint." "Northbridge University is not a departure from who we have been; it is a clear articulation of who we have become," said Dr. Michael Burkett, president of the institution. "The unified identity more accurately reflects the scope of our academic offerings and reinforces the university's long-term strategic direction." Founded nearly five decades ago, Northbridge has evolved into a university system with a multi-state footprint, operating 19 locations in Puerto Rico, 8 campuses in Florida, and 3 locations in Oregon, alongside a national online presence serving students in more than 40 states. The Northbridge University name and visual identity were formally introduced on February 4, 2026, during a launch event at the Orlando Science Center attended by university leadership, workforce partners, and community stakeholders. The transition to the Northbridge University identity will be implemented through a phased national rollout aligned with academic, operational, and institutional priorities. About Northbridge University Northbridge University is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE or the Commission) www.msche.org. Northbridge University is a Puerto Ricobased university system serving students across the United States through on-campus, hybrid, and online learning modalities. The university offers academic pathways from diplomas and associate degrees to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs aligned with workforce and industry demand. Northbridge University's academic units include the Dave School of Digital Arts and Hillsboro Aero Academy, offering programs in nursing, healthcare, construction trades, business, technology, digital media, aviation, and public service. MEDIA CONTACTS Maria Isabel Sanquirico P. (813) 420-2922 E. [email protected] Melissa Ezarik P. (203) 257-1168 E. [email protected] SOURCE Northbridge University President Donald Trump has for months pledged to tackle rising health care costs with a new government-backed online source for prescription drugs bearing his name. But is the eponymously-branded website everything he promised? The long-awaited project, dubbed TrumpRx, went live on Thursday, with Trump claiming that it represents the largest reduction in prescription drug prices in history by many, many times, and it's not even close alongside Medicare administrator (and ex-TV doctor) Mehmet Oz and AirBnb founder turned U.S. Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia. Much of what the portal offers is focused on weight-loss-enabling GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro or as Trump likes to call them, the fat drugs. Trump was followed by Oz who traded a career as a celebrated cardio-thoracic surgeon for one as a medical show host and product pitchman before making an ill-fated turn into GOP politics as a candidate for the Pennsylvania senate seat currently held by John Fetterman. Oz returned to his medical showman roots while talking up the discounted, steeply discounted prices available on the TrumpRx site before Gebbia took over the As Seen On TV-like pitch to show how the site worked. It was a made-for-television launch that was equal parts presidential address and late-night infomercial. TrumpRx, went live on Thursday, with the president claiming that it represents the largest reduction in prescription drug prices in history by many, many times, and it's not even close (AFP via Getty Images) But wait, theres more! Another reason why Americans who watch significant amounts of television may have seen something eerily familiar in what Gebbia demonstrated: Instead of the direct-to-consumer portal teased by the president and his aides since last summer, the former exec explained how the TrumpRx site permitted users to search for particular drugs to see if manufacturer coupons were offered, then add any such coupons to their phones before taking the coupons to their local pharmacist. Americans for the first time, are getting the lowest cost price drugs like the rest of the world is, Gebbia said. Yet despite the former tech executives boasts, Thursdays launch was not the first time Americans could get access to a coupon that promises lower prices after checking on a centralized website. In fact, anyone who spends any amount of time watching linear television is bombarded with advertisements touting similar websites such as GoodRx or SingleCare with the latter employing former fictional president Martin Sheen (The West Wings Josiah Bartlett) as a pitchman. And whats more, those non-government sites offer far more medications than the TrumpRx site does in addition to the same prices for the medications currently offered on the administrations website. A screenshot showing the TrumpRx.gov prescription drug site's homepage. Trump said that 'dozens' of the 'most popular prescription drugs' will be available at deeply discounted prices. (TrumpRx.gov) For example, the TrumpRx website says consumers can purchase a two-month supply of Novo Nordisks GLP-1 injection, Wegovy, for $199 per month at the two lowest-available doses. Thats the same price offered through Novo Nordisks own Novocare website, and through GoodRx because (according to a press release) the TrumpRx website is actually a rebranded version of GoodRx pursuant to an agreement under which GoodRx will serve as a core integration partner for TrumpRx. Moreover, those prices touted by Trump, Oz and Gebbia on Thursday arent set in stone. That $199 rate is only possible because Novo Nordisk is offering a discount and that discount expires at the end of next month. By April, consumers using the same coupons for Wegovy will have to pay $349 per month for the same medication, nearly twice the price touted by the Trump administration. And to add insult to injury, the prices at issue are only available for those Americans who dont have prescription coverage through their health insurance, which means those who do have insurance remain at the mercy of any agreements between their insurers, drug manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers when it comes to pricing. The apparent bait-and-switch nature of the Trump administrations latest project was met with derision from Democrats in Congress, including Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden of Oregon, who said in a statement that there is no greater fraud than Donald J. Trump when it comes to lower drug prices. His colleague, Sen. Pete Welch, of Vermont, said Trump loves to talk a big game and make promises to working families about lowering prescription drug prices while his administration has done nothing to address health care costs that have skyrocketed because he allowed ACA premium tax credits to expire at the end of last year. All hes done is kicked people off their health insurance families and businesses have been left holding the bag, Welch said. Medicare administrator (and ex-TV doctor) Mehmet Oz and AirBnb founder turned U.S. Chief Design Officer Joe Gebbia joined President Donald Trump for the rollout. (AFP via Getty Images) New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the ranking member on the Houses Energy and Commerce Committee, called the TrumpRx project a textbook example of the waste, fraud, and abuse Republicans in Congress claim they want to eliminate. This fly by night platform not only threatens patients health, safety, and privacy, but also likely includes kickback schemes designed to enrich President Trump, his family, and their friend, he said. But one of Pallones former colleagues, ex-New Jersey congressman Rob Andrews, was willing to offer at least some praise for the administrations efforts with a few caveats. Andrews, a Democrat who was one of the original authors of the Affordable Care Act, told The Independent the TrumpRx concept was a positive one because it could induce more competition and therefore better prices in the pharmaceutical industry. But at the same time, Andrews stressed that the concept has to be expanded to be meaningful by inducing the same sorts of cost reductions for drugs purchased by people using their commercial health insurance. I would also like to see a way that employers could help their employees take advantage of the portal, because when you get to expensive drugs, most people aren't going to use them unless or buy them unless their insurance plan covers them, he said. Opening up a portal and saying that someone can then access to better drug pricing ... might work, but the underlying problem is all of the people in the supply chain between the maker of the drug and the user of the drug the patient who take money. Michael Botta, a Harvard-trained health care economist who co-founded the health care technology startup SesameCare, also told The Independent that the TrumpRx project, though limited in scope, could still make a dent in families prescription costs, which currently make up around 14 percent of Americans total health care costs. He also said Trump deserves credit for using the bully pulpit to browbeat pharmaceutical manufacturers into lowering prices, even if only for a limited number of customers paying cash prices with the coupons obtained on the website. I think there's real opportunity there to help people realize that there are actual alternative channels where you can save money relative to your health insurance, or even, obviously, relative to paying cash, just accepting the price that they give you at the pharmacy. And in general, that's a good thing, he said. Gil Dezer and Donald Trump at an event in 2011. Photograph: Miami Herald/Tribune News Service/Getty Images (Photograph: Miami Herald/Tribune News Service/Getty Images) A new Guardian investigation has revealed a secretive and politically sensitive US government operation to deport Palestinians arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. A private jet owned by the Florida property tycoon Gil Dezer, a longtime business partner of Donald Trump, has twice flown Palestinian men from Arizona to Tel Aviv. Dezer is also a Trump donor, friend of Donald Trump Jr and member of the Miami branch of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Former US officials and immigration lawyers said the flights and Israels assistance in returning Palestinians to the occupied territory marked a shift in policy driven by the Trump administrations aggressive mass deportation campaign. US officials did not answer questions about the cost of the two recent flights to Israel but, according to ICE, chartered flight costs have ranged between nearly $7,000 and more than $26,000 per flight hour in the past. Aviation industry sources estimated the flights to and from Israel would have cost ICE from $400,000 to $500,000. Revealed: private jet owned by Trump friend used by ICE to deport Palestinians to West Bank On the morning of 21 January, Israeli authorities left eight Palestinian men at a West Bank checkpoint. Disoriented and cold, they were dressed in prison-issued tracksuits and carried their few belongings in plastic bags. Hours earlier, they had been sitting with their wrists and ankles shackled on the plush leather seats of a private jet owned by the Florida property tycoon Gil Dezer, a longtime business partner of Donald Trump. Read the full story Trump offers revised account of Tulsi Gabbard presence at FBI raid in Georgia Donald Trump on Thursday offered a new and shifting account of why Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was present last week at an FBI raid of an election center in Georgia, saying she went at the urging of the attorney general, Pam Bondi. Read the full story Cuba open to talks with US without pressure after months of Trump threats After months of threats from Donald Trump, the president of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, has said that his government is willing to engage in dialogue with the United States, a dialogue on any topic, but without pressure or preconditions. Read the full story Trumps border-czar takeover does little to calm Minneapolis tensions: The agenda is still the same In Trumps clearest attempt yet to deescalate tensions in Minneapolis, Tom Homan, Donald Trumps border czar, announced on Wednesday that the administration will draw down 700 federal immigration officers as the statewide crackdown continues. The Twin Cities remain on edge, waiting to see whether the fear will ease. Read the full story Be prudent about supplying arms to Taiwan, Xi tells Trump in call In their first call since November, the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, warned Donald Trump to be prudent about supplying arms to Taiwan, according to a readout of their call provided by Chinas foreign ministry. Read the full story Trump administration issues rule that makes it easier to fire federal workers The Trump administration is seeking to finalize its overhaul of the federal governments civil service system through a rule issued this week by the office of personnel management (OPM) to strip job protections from 50,000 civil service employees. Read the full story What else happened today: Catching up? Heres what happened on 4 February 2026. A V-Day military parade in Beijing, China, showing liquid-fuelled intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles - China News Service The United States accused China of carrying out secret nuclear explosive tests in breach of an international ban. Speaking at the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, a senior US official said Washington had evidence China had conducted explosive nuclear tests and was laying the groundwork for more. Beijing was seeking to hide their activities from the world, said Thomas DiNanno, US under secretary of state for arms control. Today, I can reveal that the US government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons, he added. He claimed one such test took place on June 22, 2020. Mr DiNanno said the Chinese military had deliberately attempted to mask its activities, accusing the Peoples Liberation Army of seeking to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions. He also alleged China used decoupling a technique designed to weaken seismic signals to obscure evidence of testing from international monitoring systems. The allegations echo comments made in 2025 by Donald Trump, who suggested the US could resume nuclear testing on an equal basis with Russia and China. The US president did not specify what form that testing might take. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping shake hands in October 2025 - ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS Shen Jian, Chinas ambassador on disarmament, did not directly respond to the allegations but said Beijing had always acted prudently and responsibly on nuclear issues. He accused Washington of exaggerating what he called a so-called China nuclear threat. China firmly opposes such false narratives, he said. It (the US) is the culprit for the aggravation of the arms race. Diplomats attending the Geneva conference told Reuters the US accusations were new and had raised concern among delegations. The remarks were made as the US unveiled a proposal for new trilateral arms control talks involving Russia and China, following the expiration of the New START treaty the last remaining nuclear arms agreement between Washington and Moscow which lapsed on Thursday. Its expiration marks the first time in more than 50 years that the worlds two largest nuclear powers are operating without any binding limits on their strategic missiles and warheads. Mr DiNanno said the current framework no longer reflects global realities. Today, the United States faces threats from multiple nuclear powers, he said. In short, a bilateral treaty with only one nuclear power is simply inappropriate in 2026 and going forward. He also reiterated US projections that China will have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. China has rejected joining disarmament negotiations at this stage. Beijing has previously highlighted that it has a fraction of their warhead numbers an estimated 600, compared to around 4,000 each for Russia and the United States. In this new era we hope the US will abandon Cold War thinking... and embrace common and cooperative security, Mr Shen said. Iran and the United States held high-stakes talks in Oman against the backdrop of a threat of U.S. military action should the two sides fail to reach a deal on Tehrans nuclear programme. Tehran sent foreign minister Abbas Araghchi to Muscat on Friday to discuss terms of a potential deal with a U.S. delegation, after Washington rushed warships to the region to pressure the regime into talks. Donald Trumps special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, received Araghchis preliminary plan to address the tensions via Omani mediators, though the subjects of discussion remained unclear. Both sides appeared to be far apart in their positions in the days leading up to the talks, with Tehran also demanding a change in location. Washington pushed to expand talks to cover Irans stockpile of ballistic missiles, support for armed groups and the treatment of their own people. Iran insisted it was only open to discussing its nuclear programme. "Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year, said Araghchi on Friday, ahead of talks. We engage in good faith and stand firm on our rights. Commitments need to be honoured. Tehrans foreign ministry said late in the afternoon that talks had concluded for now. It was unclear if or when they might restart. Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff with Omans foreign minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi on Friday (Omani Foreign Ministry/AFP via Getty) The U.S. has sought to get diplomacy back on track after discussions last year were upended by Israel striking Iran, followed by the U.S. bombing of key nuclear facilities. Relations were further strained in January as Trump threatened the regime with action over its brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. Iranian current and former officials said earlier this week that the countrys leadership fears that U.S. strikes could push protesters back onto the streets and break the regimes grip on power. Speaking on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned Iran that the U.S. still retained the option of force if discussions break down. While these negotiations are taking place, I would remind the Iranian regime that the president has many options at his disposal, aside from diplomacy, as the commander-in-chief of the most powerful military in the history of the world, she said. In a show of defiance, Irans state TV said hours before the talks that one of the countrys most advanced long-range ballistic missiles, the Khorramshahr-4, had been deployed at one of the Revolutionary Guards vast underground missile cities. The US moved the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region amid heightened tensions with Iran (US Navy) Iranian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated this week that Tehran was open to reining in uranium enrichment a condition the U.S. demands and that the regime has publicly defended as its right. The U.S. accuses Tehran of using its nuclear programme to develop the capability to produce weapons, something Iran has long denied. Lawyers in Iran were still fearful that the regime was waiting to see the outcome of talks before deciding whether to execute citizens arrested over the unrest last month. Several legal experts told Indy Persian, ahead of talks, that the country has seen a sharp increase in raids on the homes of protesters in recent weeks, with a dramatic rise in demand for the death penalty. My assessment is that they are waiting to see how things settle with Trump, and if the risk of a military strike subsides, they will execute thousands. Even in recent weeks, however, we have received reports of the secret execution of several detainees, said one defence lawyer in the northern Mazandaran province. The U.S. and Iran previously held talks towards reaching a nuclear peace agreement last April. The enrichment of uranium became a recurring issue as the U.S. said they had to give it up, and Iran said it was their right to pursue. Two days before talks were due to resume, Israel carried out strikes on Iranian military infrastructure, commanders and nuclear sites. The U.S. later joined in, bombing key nuclear facilities deep underground. U.S. intelligence concluded at the time they had likely only set Irans work back by a matter of months. Crime on the London Underground is rising - with more violence, public disorder and a massive increase in vandalism reported to the police. A total of 12,951 offences on the Tube were logged between July and December last year, up from 12,606 in the same period a year earlier - a 2.7 per cent increase. This was primarily driven by a 152 per cent rise in reports of criminal damage, up from 947 to 2,390 incidents, as a result of the graffiti epidemic on the Underground. But sexual assaults on the Tube fell by almost 11 per cent, from 499 to 445 incidents. Crime on the Tube: criminal damage up 152%; violence and public order offences also up; sexual offences down (TfL) Transport for London admitted the slight increase in crime across all its services bucked the trend of a 3.6 per cent fall in crime across the capital. The rise in reported crime was despite a 1.9 per cent reduction in journeys - meaning the chance of passengers being affected by crime has increased. The crime rate was highest on the Underground, where there were 21.2 crimes per million journeys. Across all TfL services, which include London buses, the Elizabeth line and London Overground trains, there were just over 13.8 crimes per million passenger journeys up from 13.5 a year earlier. TfL said the risk of being a victim of crime on its services remains low. A total of 24,565 offences were recorded across all TfL services between July and December up 57 on the 24,508 in the same period in 2024, a 0.2 per cent increase. Crime on the TfL network: violence and criminal damage up, robbery and sexual offences down (TfL) Criminal damage, typically known as vandalism, more than doubled, from 1,429 offences in July to December 2024 to 2,881 offences in the same period last year a rise of 101.6 per cent. Of these, 2,390 were on the Tube - up 152 per cent on the 947 incidents reported in the second half of 2024. TfL says it has 120 people removing graffiti full-time as part of its efforts to get on top of the problem. Tube cleaners are currently employed by private contractor ABM but are due to transfer to another firm, Mitie, on April 1, despite the strong opposition of the RMT union, which wants TfL to bring the cleaners in house. Central and Bakerloo line trains have been targeted by graffiti vandals repeatedly for more than a year, with tags spray-painted inside and outside of the carriages. At the peak of the problem, cleaners were removing more than 3,000 pieces of graffiti a week. A report to TfLs safety and security panel said: Criminal damage made up nearly 12 per cent of all reported crime compared to five per cent in the previous year. This is predominantly but not limited to interior and exterior graffiti on the Bakerloo and Central lines. Last month, British Transport Police released dramatic video of the moment they arrested a man in an investigation into more than 250,000 worth of graffiti damage on the London Underground. The arrest followed an investigation into about 245 offences of criminal damage to Northern Line trains between February 2022 and January 2026. A cleaner at TfLs Hainault depot removes graffiti from a Central line train (Ross Lydall) TfL spends between 10m and 11m a year removing graffiti. Trains with offensive graffiti are taken out of service but others that have been vandalised continue to run, due to the lack of replacement services. TfL said that its services were significantly safer than the national rail network, where it said there were about 26 crimes per million passenger journeys. TfLs target is for the crime rate to fall below nine crimes for every million journeys by the end of 2030. Robberies fell by 7.5 per cent, from 1,176 to 1,088 offences, but hate crime rose by 9.8 per cent, from 1,518 offences to 1,667. There was a five per cent increase in violent offences, up from 4,478 to 4,703. But TfL said the vast majority did not result in the victim being injured, but were incidents of pushing and shoving. Overall, there was a 3.5 per cent decrease in violence offences resulting in injury, from 1,214 to 1,170. Theft made up almost 40 per cent of all reported crime but was down 17.2 per cent compared to last year (2,031 fewer offences). More crime was reported on the Central line than other Tube lines between July and December 2025 - but it is the longest London Underground line (TfL) Of the 7,036 offences committed on a Tube train, the Central line which is the longest Tube line at 46 miles - was the worst affected, with 1,325 offences (18.8 per cent of the total). Of the 5,203 offences committed at a station, the most affected stations were busy interchange stations: Kings Cross St Pancras (238 offences), Tottenham Court Road (168 offences), Stratford (166 offences) and Oxford Circus (127 offences). Siwan Hayward, TfLs director of security, policing and enforcement, said in a report to the safety and security panel: Overall, the level of crime on our public transport networks and the risk of anyone being a victim of, or witness to, crime remains low. Millions of journeys are made every day, with most going without incident. In a statement to The Standard, Ms Hayward added: While theft of personal property continues to be the most commonly reported crime on our network, there has been a range of activity underway to tackle this, and we have seen a 17 per cent decrease when comparing this year to last year (2,031 fewer offences). Across most transport modes there has been unfortunately an increase in hate crime, and we continue to take substantial and wide-ranging action together with the police to stamp this out. The police continue to focus efforts on tackling highest harm offences meaning all forms of violence against women and girls, serious violence, robbery, hate crime, and work-related violence and aggression. We will continue to work closely with police to ensure that our transport network remains a safe environment to work and travel and to achieve our ambitious target of reducing the risk of being a victim of crime to fewer than nine crimes for every million journeys by 2030. Chief Superintendent Chris Casey, British Transport Police divisional commander for London, said: On the London Underground alone, reports of sexual offences fell by nearly 11 per cent, and targeting this crime type remains a top priority for us as a force to ensure passengers can travel with confidence and sexual offenders are brought to justice. There is a small overall increase in reported offences, driven by a rise of more than 150 per cent in reports of criminal damage on the London Underground. This uplift reflects TfLs improved and more consistent reporting processes, developed through our close collaboration with their dedicated team responsible for identifying, recording and removing graffiti tags across the network. The increase represents better detection and reporting rather than a significant rise in offending. It is this data, combined with other intelligence sources, that inform where officers patrol and where we conduct our operations, ensuring our teams are in the right locations at the right times to deter crime and respond quickly to incidents. Watchdog reveals depth of probes into ICE including its hiring spree, use of force and jail conditions The Department of Homeland Securitys independent watchdog revealed multiple ongoing investigations into the department as the Trump administrations immigration crackdown draws mounting pushback. The Office of Inspector General detailed eight individual probes most of which pertain to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a news release on Thursday. Currently under review are ICEs hiring program, use of expedited removal authority, use of force and detention facilities. Also being examined are DHSs use of biometric data and U.S. Customs and Border Protections interior operations. The inspector general said it was looking into whether these actions comply with federal law and department guidelines. Several of these investigations had previously been disclosed. The independent review comes as President Donald Trumps immigration tactics which have resulted in several fatal shootings are facing growing criticism from the public and scrutiny from lawmakers. The Department of Homeland Securitys independent watchdog revealed numerous investigations into the administration's immigration crackdown (AFP via Getty Images) According to a February Quinnipiac survey, 63 percent of American voters disapprove of the way ICE is enforcing immigration laws, while 34 percent approve. Fifty-nine percent of voters also believe the recent agent-involved shootings in Minneapolis are a sign of broader problems in the way ICE is operating. Numerous Democrats in Congress have criticized DHSs enforcement tactics and called on Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment. Senate Democrats are now blocking DHS funding until reforms are enacted, such as requiring federal agents to wear body cameras and display identification. The White House, meanwhile, has said it is simply enforcing laws on the books and working to remove millions of illegal immigrants allowed into the country under former President Joe Bidens administration. On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Democrats demands as unreasonable. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin also dismissed the inspector generals investigations, telling Politico: The supposed number of ongoing matters doesnt say anything about their disposition or the facts. DHSs job is to secure the homeland, and we do so in line with federal law and the Constitution, she added. The Trump administration is committed to transparency, and we have no problem with honest and impartial oversight. A DHS representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent. In recent weeks, anti-ICE protests have taken place in cities across the nation (AFP via Getty Images) During his first month in office, Trump removed multiple independent watchdogs from their posts at government agencies. However, Joseph Cuffari, the DHSs inspector general, still remains at his position. Last week, numerous Democrats in Congress sent Cuffari a letter, asking him to speed up his investigations. Given the urgency of this situation with communities facing severe, and sometimes fatal, harm from ICEs tactics on American streets every day we request that your office conduct this review expeditiously and share any preliminary findings with Congress and the public on an expedited basis, the lawmakers wrote. The inspector general appeared to address this letter in its release on Thursday. We recognize the importance of these reviews to provide valuable insight to DHS leadership and Congress, as well as to the public, the release said. These reviews are being conducted as expeditiously as possible while ensuring we apply rigor and uphold our professional standards. The inspector general said that the timeline for these reviews is determined by multiple factors including access to information, the availability of resources and the scope of the project. Therefore we cannot provide a specific date of completion, the release said. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi at the London premiere of Wuthering Heights - REUTERS/Jack Taylor For those of us invited to the London premiere of Wuthering Heights, Margot Robbie had a request. This movie was not designed to be watched in silence, Robbie, alongside the cast and crew, told the assembled throng from the stage at the Leicester Square Odeon. So please gasp, squeal, scream, sob, make some noise and enjoy it. As Barbie proved in 2023, where the 35-year-old Robbie leads, many follow. Even if that means upending years, nay decades, of cinema etiquette. The first squeaks of delight came when the production companies logos appeared on screen and barely let up for the following two-plus hours. Cathy (Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) have never been seen like this before. It is not a spoiler to say that director Emerald Fennell, who is best known for Promising Young Woman and Saltburn, has taken liberties with Emily Brontes novel in her iconoclastic new film. And it had the audience in raptures. Robbie wore a sheer Dilara Findikoglu corseted dress - Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Without wanting to give too much away, Robbies first appearance on screen as a Victorian siren was greeted by huge screams. Elordi elicited loud gasps with his physicality and the way he was able to manhandle Robbie at times. There was actual applause and, I kid you not, fist pumps from some in the crowd when they reunited later. It was raining outside, of course. Central London had hardly become the wily, windy moors, but the black carpet outside the cinema suddenly became treacherous for those wearing high heels and corsets (of whom there were many). The towering Elordi manfully braved the elements by ditching his umbrella to pose for selfies with and sign autographs for fans lining the path to the cinema, getting his green suit visibly wet on the shoulders. Robbie, as she has on this entire promotional tour, dressed almost as an extension of her character and did not allow the inclement weather to spoil her sheer Dilara Findikoglu corseted dress. Anybody who has paid the slightest bit of attention to the marketing of Fennells film will know that it has leant into a sexy vibe (if you havent, do check out the trailer). This carried into the premiere itself, with goodie bags on each seat containing miniature packs of Kleenex tissues with stickers reading Come undone, written in the Wuthering Heights font, on them. The double entendre was not lost on anybody. Handily for the ladies in the room, there was also waterproof eyeliner and water-resistant mascara provided. It was necessary for many towards the end of, and after, the film. What seemed to surprise those in the audience most was how funny this Wuthering Heights is, especially when considered alongside the darkness of the source material. Most of the times that Earnshaw (Martin Clunes) or Isabella (Alison Oliver) were on screen, people laughed. Fennell wanted to make it funny. Speaking at the British Film Institute the night before, she said it was difficult to make a film of a Gothic story with all its huge emotion without it being a bit funny. She admitted that she has never been a very serious person and did not know how to talk about things seriously, even if I feel them very deeply. Wuthering Heights director Emerald Fennell is best known for Promising Young Woman and Saltburn - Gareth Cattermole Maybe thats my kind of British emotional constipation, I dont know, the 40-year-old added. So it just made sense to me that it would be slightly camp, that it would be funny at times. Because otherwise it really is a lot of mud and looking at each other across a room. There is a lot of mud and people looking at each other across rooms, granted, but much more besides. Fennell said the previous evening that she was quite scared as she started to adapt Brontes novel because she really, really love[s] the book and that it is insane to think you could adapt it, because its just so good and its so rich and its so complicated. Early on, I thought, Well, I cant adapt the book as it is, but I can try and make an approximation of the way it made me feel when I was a teenager. And it made me feel well, it made me feel, she said at the BFI. It made me cry, and it made me scared, and it made me troubled, and it made me aroused. And I felt that, particularly after Saltburn, the thing that I loved so much was that thing that cinema can do, that only going to the movies can do, which is make you physically react. Based on how the premiere went, it is mission accomplished. Wuthering Heights is in cinemas on Feb 13 Steve Wright is already serving a whole life term for the murders of five women - Suffolk Police A woman who escaped the Suffolk strangler Steve Wright has accused police of treating her like a silly little girl the night he tried to kidnap her. Emily Doherty said the schoolgirl Victoria Hall might still be alive had police taken her seriously at the time of the attempted abduction in the early hours of Sept 18, 1999. The serial killer stalked Ms Doherty as she made her way home from a nightclub in Felixstowe. She escaped Wright when she fled and frantically knocked on the door of a nearby house and was taken in by a couple who called the police. But Ms Doherty said Suffolk Police then dismissed her as a silly little girl. The next night, Wright abducted and murdered Miss Hall, 17, after he followed her home from the same nightclub. Wright, who is already serving a whole life term for the murders of five women in Ipswich in 2006, admitted killing Victoria when he appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday. He has now been jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years for the 1999 murder. Credit: Crown Prosecution Service At his sentencing hearing on Friday, Ms Doherty told the court that she had spent 25 years wondering if all those women would still be alive if the police had taken her seriously. In a victim impact statement, she said: When the police arrived, I think they were special constables. When I told them what was happening their first question to me was, How much have you had to drink tonight? They didnt believe me. I had to persist that the danger that I felt had been real. To this day I am furious. I wasnt taken seriously. I was made to feel like a silly little girl. They said I suppose you should tell us what happened as they drove me home. She added: I told them the car registration, but they made no note of anything I said. None of the details. I offered to come in to the station the next morning to make a statement. That wont be necessary. They told me to forget all about it. The murder of Victoria Hall went unsolved for more than 20 years - Suffolk Constabulary/PA Media Ms Doherty added: For 25 plus years, I have wondered What if? What if they had taken my statement? Could Vicky still be alive now? Or at the least, they could have found the murderer sooner. And then, if it was indeed Steve Wright, the London Road murders wouldnt have happened? I have survivors guilt. I blame myself for not being more assertive and sure of myself; for not going into the police station the following morning and forcing a statement on them. Miss Halls murder would remain unsolved for more than 20 years, until Wright was arrested at HMP Long Lartin in 2021. Jocelyn Ledward KC, the prosecutor, said that on this occasion, early on Sept 19, 1999, he did not allow his victim to escape his predatory clutches. She said that despite being only 300 metres from her house, Miss Hall never made it home and seemingly vanished. But Victoria had not simply vanished into thin air. The defendant had abducted, and within a very short time, murdered her, as well as sexually violated her in some way, Ms Ledward said. A poster put up by a resident in Felixstowe in 1999 after Vicky Halls disappearance - PA A post-mortem had previously said that Miss Hall had been strangled but not sexually assaulted. The court was told that in a further act of degradation, Wright callously discarded her body, stripped naked of everything except her jewellery, in a farm ditch some 25 miles away. He then headed to a petrol station and went home before returning to his job at Felixstowe docks the following day as if nothing had happened. Miss Halls father and brother sat in the Old Bailey metres from Wright, listening intently to the details of her final hours. Her mother, Lorinda, died in December without ever seeing her daughters killer brought to justice. Wright was charged in 2024 and despite initially insisting his innocence and trying to blame three other men, he changed his plea and admitted murder as his trial was about to begin on Monday. The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, said it was not for him to comment on the alleged failings of Suffolk Police, but said there were questions about whether they could have done better in 1999. Vickys parents Graham and Lorinda Hall at Norwich Crown Court in 2001 - Sean Dempsey/PA Ms Ledward said the force was carrying out its own investigation into potential missed opportunities and the consequences they may have had. In his victim statement, Miss Halls father Graham said: In 1999 we were a normal family and then Steve Wright came along and took Victoria from us. The pain of the week that followed will be with us forever. The waiting, not sleeping for what seemed the inevitable outcome. Steve Wright robbed us of seeing Victoria grow into a woman, fulfil her dream of going to university, get married and have children, our grandchildren. Unfortunately Lorinda has not lived to see the conclusion of Steve Wrights actions on that night. This is the end of the police involvement. It will never be over for us, but we have learnt to live with it. I miss Victoria every day and will do for the rest of my life. Sentencing Wright, Mr Justice Bennathan told him: Victoria Hall was a typical, bright, lively teenager. For reasons only you know, and most people will never start to comprehend, you snatched Victoria away and you crushed her young life. Wright killed six women in and around Ipswich - Suffolk Police/Reuters The judge said whatever sentence he imposed would be immaterial because Wright was already serving a whole life term and will die in prison. However, he sentenced Wright to nine years for the attempted kidnap of Ms Doherty, 12 years for the kidnap of Miss Hall and 40 years for her murder, with the terms to be served concurrently. Wright, who sat in the glass-walled dock of Court 10 at the Old Bailey, showed no emotion as he was sentenced and led to the cells. Six years after murdering Miss Hall, Wright went on to kill five women in Ipswich. On Oct 30, 2006, Tania Nicol, 19, vanished from Ipswichs red-light area, followed by Gemma Adams, 25, about two weeks later, triggering a major inquiry. Miss Adamss body was found in a stream at Hintlesham on Dec 2, followed by the discovery of Miss Nicols remains in a pond at Copdock on Dec 8. Two days later, the body of Anneli Alderton, 24, was found in the woods at Nacton and sex workers in the town were urged to stay off the streets. Wrights victims (from top left, clockwise): Anneli Sarah Alderton, Gemma Adams, Paula Clennell, Tania Nicol and Annette Nicholls - EPA / HO On Dec 12, the bodies of Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were found near woods at Levington. Two of the women, who were all sex workers in Ipswich, were laid out in a crucifix shape, which was described as macabre. Wright was arrested at his Ipswich home a week later. A former steward on the QE2, Wright was handed a whole-life sentence in 2008 after being found guilty of all five murders. Samantha Woolley, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: Our thoughts remain with Victorias family and all those who loved and cherished her. Following Wrights sentencing, Suffolk Police said it was appealing for information relating to possible previous offending by Wright. In a statement, the force said: In light of the guilty plea by Steve Wright for the murder of Victoria Hall in 1999, the joint major investigation team are appealing for information relating to him and his possible previous offending. Suffolk and Norfolk constabularies are always alive to new information and how this could assist, alongside modern forensic and investigative techniques, to build an evidential case for court and bring offenders to justice. Scientists in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics have been told their grants will be cut by nearly a third. Photograph: Ian Thraves/Alamy (Photograph: Ian Thraves/Alamy) Hundreds of early career researchers have warned the UK will lose a generation of scientists after the announcement of significant cuts to physics projects and research facilities. Scientists working in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics have been told their grants will be cut by nearly a third, with project leaders asked to report back on how their research would fare with cuts up to 60%. At the same time, the UK has shelved plans for four large infrastructure projects to save more than 250m. The projects include an upgrade to a detector on the Large Hadron Collider at Cern near Geneva, and an electron-ion collider under development with researchers in the US. While the cost overruns are driven by facilities, the cuts are landing on physics grants as the science funding body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) seeks to do fewer things better and prioritise applied research over more fundamental science. Related: Menstrual blood test could offer alternative to cervical screening for cancer In an open letter to Prof Ian Chapman, the chief executive of UKRI, more than 500 researchers write: The present combination of uncertainty, delay and re-prioritisation in early career pathways risks the loss of a generation from the UK research and industrial ecosystem. Dr Simon Williams, a 29-year-old postdoc at Durham University, studies quantum computing applications in theoretical physics and is looking for a second postdoc position. The only options Ive realistically had are overseas, he said. As things stand, it is increasingly likely that I will take up a position in Germany rather than remain in the UK. There are simply far more viable and stable opportunities abroad. Dr Claire Rigouzzo, a 26-year-old researcher at Kings College London, has accepted a post in Europe amid the shortage of UK academic positions. Early career scientists faced one of the harshest job markets in years, she said, but the knock-on effects were broader. Senior academics were worried because they cannot attract the best researchers, she said. Even students can sense that science is no longer a priority, she added. Morale is extremely low across the board. UKRI has nearly 9bn to distribute through research councils this year, covering physical sciences and engineering, biological sciences and medical research. The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funds physics research as well as major facilities such as the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire. The STFC needs to make 162m in savings by 2030 after seeing electricity costs spiral at its national facilities and subscriptions to international projects such as Cern and the European Space Agency rise with foreign exchange rates. The funder also committed to projects it can no longer afford. Related: Funding cuts will devastate the next generation of scientists Another Kings researcher, Dr Lucien Heurtier, 37, will come to the end of his contract in September and has started looking for jobs in China. It is clear that no UK university will want to open lecturer positions in curiosity-driven research if such lecturers would not be able to attract much national funding, he said. My wife and daughter will have to follow. The loss of grants means the UK faces a situation where it has spent hefty sums on overseas projects such as the groundbreaking Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will swing into action this year, but could have no UK astronomers to work on it. The timing of these proposed cuts, just as the telescopes start to deliver, could not be worse, said Prof Catherine Heymans, Scotlands astronomer royal. Prof Mike Lockwood, the president of the Royal Astronomical Society, urged the government to step in to prevent a catastrophe in science. You lose a whole generation, he said. The facilities side is overcommitted and its young researchers that are taking the brunt of that. As a nation, we cant afford for that to happen. Speaking to reporters, Chapman defended the moves. When you make choices there will be some things that miss out, but when you dont make choices, everybody misses out because you choke everybody and nothing then can be internationally competitive because its all underfunded, he said. This article was amended on 7 February 2026. In an earlier version an image of the Gemini South observatory was miscaptioned as showing the Rubin observatory. Bradey Ming mug shot Marion County Sheriff's Office NEED TO KNOW 17-year-old Bradey Ming is being accused of setting his friend on fire with gasoline The alleged incident occurred on Jan. 11 on Kauffman Island in Lake Kerr, Florida The victim was taken to the hospital with burns on his hands, the backs of his legs and arms, police say A teenager is being accused of allegedly setting his friend on fire with gasoline in Florida. The authorities say Bradey Ming, 17, was arrested after the Marion County Sheriff's office obtained a video of the teen allegedly playing with a gas can near a bonfire before pouring a trail of gasoline toward a chair where another boy sat and then doused him in gas. The alleged victim is a minor whose name has not been released. The incident occurred on Kauffman Island in Lake Kerr, on Jan. 11, officers said in court documents obtained by PEOPLE. In the video footage, which was described in a probable cause affidavit and obtained by multiple news outlets including Fox affiliate WOFL and ABC affiliate WCJB, Ming appears to be heard asking the other teen, "You want to be set on fire?" The boy is seen catching fire before the other teens present urge him to jump into the lake. Per the arrest report, the victim was later hospitalized with burns to his hands, as well as the backs of his legs and arms. Officials from the Marion County Sheriff's office discovered the video after the victims father showed it to authorities. Bradey Ming's mug shot Marion County Sheriff's Office Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The boy initially told his parents that his legs were burned after he tried to throw a water bottle with gasoline into the fire, according to the probable cause affidavit. However, the victims father then saw a video of the incident. Speaking to the detective, the victim alleged that he and Ming were part of a group of teens that had been drinking alcohol near a fire when Ming began "messing" with the fire. The boy further alleged that Ming used the gasoline can to create a trail towards him, police said in the affidavit. After catching fire, the victim then ran into the lake. Footage from incident on Lake Keer, Florida Marion County Sheriff's Office The boy told authorities that he didnt know why Ming set him on fire, saying that they were cool" and had not been arguing. He added that he initially tried to cover up what happened after Ming allegedly asked him not to tell his parents, per the affidavit. Authorities were told by a witness that the group made a fire due to feeling cold. The witness corroborated the victim's statement that Ming created a trail of fire before splashing the victim with gas, the police affidavit claims. Officials said there had been no arguing or hint that Ming wanted to maliciously hurt the victim, and Ming turned himself in to police. In a video shared by WCJB, Ming can be seen hugging his crying mother before being arrested and climbing into the back of a police car. Ming is being held without bond on a felony aggravated battery charge, according to an arrest warrant and WOFL. Read the original article on People MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- South Atlantic Bancshares, Inc. ("South Atlantic" or the "Company") (OTCQX: SABK), the parent of South Atlantic Bank (the "Bank"), announced that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.10 per share on its common stock. The dividend will be payable on February 27, 2026 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 13, 2026. Commenting on the dividend, K. Wayne Wicker, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, remarked, "We are excited to announce our fourth consecutive annual cash dividend. 2025 was a record year for our Company; we closed the year strong and enter 2026 with strong momentum across our footprint." About South Atlantic Bancshares, Inc. South Atlantic Bancshares, Inc. (OTCQX: SABK) is a registered bank holding company based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with approximately $1.9 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2025. The Company's banking subsidiary, South Atlantic Bank, is a full-service financial institution spanning the entire coastal area of South Carolina, and is locally owned, controlled and operated. The Bank operates twelve locations in Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, North Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, Georgetown, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, Summerville and Beaufort, South Carolina. The Bank specializes in providing personalized community banking services to individuals, small businesses and corporations. Services include a full range of consumer and commercial banking products, including mortgage, and treasury management, including South Atlantic Bank goMobile, the Bank's mobile banking app. The Bank also offers internet banking, no-fee ATM access, checking, certificates of deposit and money market accounts, merchant services, mortgage loans, remote deposit capture, and more. For more information, visit www.SouthAtlantic.bank. Available Information The Company maintains an Internet website at www.southatlantic.bank/about-us/investor-relations. The Company makes available, free of charge, on its web site the Company's annual meeting materials, annual reports, and quarterly earnings reports. In addition, the OTC Markets Group maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding the Company (at www.otcmarkets.com/stock/SABK/overview). The Company routinely posts important information for investors on its website (under www.southatlantic.bank and, more specifically, under the Investor Relations tab at www.southatlantic.bank/about-us/investor-relations/). The Company intends to use its web site as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under the OTC Markets Group OTCQX Rules for U.S. Banks. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Company's web site, in addition to following the Company's press releases, OTC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the Company's web site is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release. Contacts: K. Wayne Wicker, Chairman & CEO, 843-839-4410 Matthew Hobert, EVP & CFO 843-839-4945 Member FDIC SOURCE South Atlantic Bancshares, Inc. From Left: Hallie and Evie GoFundMe NEED TO KNOW Two young sisters have died following a fire that fully engulfed a home in Queensland, Australia, on Sunday, Feb. 1 The siblings were treated for breathing difficulties in the hospital prior to their deaths Two teenage boys were also treated in the hospital after escaping the blaze Two young sisters have died following a devastating house fire in Queensland, Australia. On Friday, Feb. 6, the Queensland Police confirmed in a release that the siblings died on Thursday following a fire that occurred at their family home in the city of Townsville on Sunday, Feb. 1. Emergency services were called to the Gum Court address around 5:30 a.m. following reports of the property being fully alight, authorities said. Two teenage boys were able to escape the fire, with emergency services able to extract a two-year-old girl and a 13-year-old girl from the house, the release added. Hallie GoFundMe The sisters have been identified as sisters, Hallie, 2, and Evie, 13, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), news.com.au and 9NEWS. Both girls were taken to the Townsville University Hospital in a critical condition after suffering breathing difficulties. The boys who escaped the blaze were reported to have sustained smoke inhalation injuries, per ABC. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. While its currently unclear what caused the fire, police stated in their release that the incident is not being treated as suspicious. Evie GoFundMe "There are no words to describe the pain being experienced by the girls' parents, Karah and Zac," a statement by the Townsville Hospital and Health Service on behalf of the family, read, per ABC and a GoFundMe page. "Both parents would like to thank friends, extended family and the wider community for the care, compassion and support shown during this incredibly difficult time, the statement continued. "As the family grieves and supports their other children and loved ones, they kindly ask that their privacy is respected, the statement added. A spokesperson from the family also said in a statement earlier this week that the girls mother Karah worked as a nurse at the Townsville University Hospital, per ABC. They added that the mother was a "devoted single mother of four. "She has spent her career caring for others and is now facing unimaginable heartbreak, while also having lost her family home," the spokesperson added. "The emotional, physical and financial strain on her and the wider family is overwhelming." PEOPLE has contacted the Queensland Police Department and the Townsville Hospital and Health Service for comment. Read the original article on People Mays Chemical Company of Catano, Puerto Rico has issued a major recall of approximately 46,315 pounds of its frozen, raw boneless pork loins, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced this week. Instituted Tuesday, the recall is due to inspection concerns. The pork loins were apparently not presented for import reinspection into the United States, the FSIS said in a press release. What products were recalled? According to USDA release, Mays Chemical has flagged carboard boxes bearing a Canadian mark of inspection that also have an export mark indicating Cert. No. Cert 336662 and contain the words FROZEN PORK LOIN,BONELESS, CENTER 520MM in plastic liners. "The products subject to recall bear Canada establishment Canada 12 printed inside the Canadian mark of inspection on the label," says the USDA. "The affected products were shipped to distributors, institutions, restaurants, and federal establishments for further processing in Puerto Rico." The inspection problem was uncovered during routine FSIS activities. As of now, there have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. For images of the recalled products, click here. What to do if you have these products The FSIS is worried some of these pork loins may currently be available in restaurants and other establishments. "Any individual or entities who have purchased these products are urged not to consume or serve them," the agency added. "These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase." Customers with concerns can reach out to Mr. Julio Westerband of Mays Ochoa at (787) 340-1327 or Julio.Westerband@maysochoa.com. This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Feb 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Food section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here. American and Iranian negotiators held indirect talks in Oman's capital Muscat on Feb. 6 aimed at averting a fresh military confrontation between the two countries and dragging the region into another war. The discussions could lead to the first face-to-face talks the United States and Iran have held since last June, when the U.S. bombed Iran's main nuclear facilities as part of a 12-day war between Israel and the Islamic Republic. Iranian state TV reported in the late afternoon that the talks, mediated by Oman, had ended. There was little immediate indication from the White House if the two sides found common ground during the meeting. However, Iran's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, characterized the talks as a good beginning. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The talks come as President Donald Trump sent what he's described as an "armada" to the Middle East that includes an aircraft carrier along with other warships and fighter jets, surveillance drones and advanced missile-defense systems. Trump has threatened to bomb Iran if the diplomatic efforts are derailed. Trump threatens Iran: Supreme leader 'should be worried,' he says What is the US demanding of Iran? There are sharp differences between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. wants Iran to freeze entirely its nuclear program and discard its stockpile of enriched uranium, a key ingredient for making a nuclear weapon. Iran says it stopped enriching uranium after the U.S. bombings in June. Tehran has also long insisted, amid deep international skepticism, that its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes only. Washington has said it wants to widen the talks to cover Iran's ballistic missiles; its support for armed groups like Hezbollah, Hamas and Yemen's Houthi rebels; and what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the "treatment of their own people" a reference to Iran's recent brutal security crackdown on large-scale demonstrations. 'Aggressively' approached: US military shoots down Iranian drone See Iran's anti-government protests, huge crowds, unrest in photos Anti-government protests in Iran appeared to accelerate on Jan. 9, sparked by anger over the collapse of the country's currency and a broader sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with Tehran's clerical leaders. The uptick in unrest also comes as President Donald Trump warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington "will come to their rescue." See the scenes in Iran, beginning here on the streets amid anti-government unrest in Tehran, Iran, in this still image obtained from social media video released on January 8, 2026. Witnesses told Reuters protesters gathered in the streets on Thursday, January 8, however this video's date taken has not been verified. Araghchi has said Iran wants to limit the discussions in Muscat with Trump's U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to the nuclear issue. Iran also wants the U.S. to lift economic sanctions, reimposed by Trump in 2018 when he abandoned Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with six powers. "Iran enters diplomacy with open eyes and a steady memory of the past year," Araghchi said on Feb. 6. What could US-Iran talks achieve? The U.S. and Iran remain far apart in their positions, though both sides have indicated they are prepared to give diplomacy another try. In the short term, a successful outcome in Muscat could stave off the immediate threat of a U.S. attack on Iran, but it's unlikely to resolve the bigger issues on which they diverge. Inside Iran: A country you know, and don't If the talks are successful, experts say, it could signal that both sides are committed to de-escalation, and it could lead, ultimately, to a framework for further negotiations. So the talks in Muscat could be the beginning of a more formal negotiation process, rather than an end in itself. In a statement, Oman's foreign ministry said the talks were "consultations focused on preparing the appropriate conditions for resuming diplomatic and technical negotiations." Still, Trump has shown that he believes that the key to successful negotiations, the key to winning whether on tariffs, immigration, or in Greenland or Venezuela is often directness and unpredictability. 'Leave Iran now.' Americans warned as nuke talks begin "As long as the two sides are this far away from each other and Trump has this type of impatient approach to diplomacy, this could very quickly lead to an escalation," said Trita Parsi, an expert on Iranian politics and the U.S.-Iran relationship and the executive vice president of the Quincy Institute, a Washington, DC, think tank. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US and Iran test diplomacy in Oman as war fears mount Nearly a dozen people were arrested at a protest against the ongoing immigration enforcement push in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as tensions remained high after the Trump administration began withdrawing hundreds of federal agents from the city. Police arrested 11 people involved in a protest Thursday, Feb. 5, outside a Hilton hotel near the University of Minnesota, where demonstrators believe federal agents were staying, according to a statement from the university. Images show protesters banging on drums and blowing whistles outside the hotel, with some holding signs reading "ANTI-ICE" and "ICE OUT." More: Minneapolis man accused of threatening to kill ICE officers 'ICE Out' protests spark marches, confrontations across US After the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration agents (ICE), communities across the U.S. are protesting against Trump's surge of immigration enforcement actions. Pictured here, Demonstrators gather for a protest calling for the removal of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 30, 2026 in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Protests were held across the United States in response to ICE enforcement activity. The protest comes as federal officials draw down the number of immigration agents operating in the city. On Feb. 4, White House border czar Tom Homan said 700 agents would leave the Twin Cities region as federal authorities expand their cooperation with Minnesota state and local officials. Homan said 2,000 would remain in the area and that a "complete drawdown" will depend on "continued cooperation of local and state law enforcement." The announcement marked another turn in the government's operation in Minneapolis amid scrutiny following the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, at the hands of federal agents in January. Police detain a person after declaring unlawful assembly, as demonstrators gather outside a hotel they believe is being used by federal agents, amid increased immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., Feb. 5, 2026. President Donald Trump on Feb. 4 told NBC News that he was "not happy" with the shootings and said the administration's immigration enforcement could use a "softer touch." Separately, the Department of Justice charged a man with making threats against federal agents as well as cyberstalking. Prosecutors say the man, Kyle Wagner, posted statements on social media encouraged people to "hunt federal officers. Wagner made an initial appearance in federal court on Thursday. An attorney representing him did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. Also on Feb. 5, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter, Jake Land, was arrested after kicking over parts of an anti-ICE sculpture in Minnesota. In a video Lang posted to X Thursday, Feb. 5, he is seen kicking over the letters of an ice sculpture reading Prosecute ICE, to make it read Pro ICE. In the accompanying text, Lang wrote he was arrested. Minnesota State Patrol spokesperson Mike Lee confirmed to the St. Cloud Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Lang was arrested in St. Paul as he attempted to drive away from the area. "Mr. Lang was arrested without incident and brought to the Ramsey County Jail to be booked for suspicion of criminal damage to property," Lee wrote in an email. The ice sculpture was a permitted display, he added. Contributing: Corey Schmidt, St. Cloud Times Christopher Cann is a national breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact him via email at ccann@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anti-ICE protest outside Minneapolis hotel ends in arrests Palestinians gather around street vendors to buy food and basic supplies amid the ruins of destroyed buildings in Gaza City in October. - Saeed M. M. T. Jaras/Anadolu/Getty Images/File The brother of Israels security chief was arrested along with 14 others in a major police bust of an alleged smuggling ring accused of shipping crates of illegal goods into the Gaza Strip. Bezalel Zini, a brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini, was arrested as part of what Israeli authorities say was a systematic and sophisticated operation to smuggle illegal cigarettes into Gaza for profit. According to an indictment, Bezalel Zini allegedly smuggled 14 crates of cigarettes into Gaza, for which he received about 365,000 shekels (approximately $117,000). Others arrested as part of the bust allegedly smuggled cellphones, car parts and other goods, prosecutors said in the indictment. The indictment says the smuggling ring included some Israeli reserve soldiers, as well as Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. The alleged smuggling chain started with suppliers in the West Bank, passed through Israeli warehouses and ultimately reached Gaza through Israeli military convoys, sometimes during operational activity. At other times, prosecutors said, the smuggling was done under the guise that it was for an operational need. The ring allegedly exploited a large-scale humanitarian effort used to ship aid and commercial goods into the shattered enclave. Such activity, the Shin Bet internal security service warned, poses a significant threat to the security of the State of Israel. It argued that the smugglers actions directly strengthened Hamas and other armed groups in the enclave. They assist Hamass survivability and governance through profits from goods entering the Strip, contribute to Hamass empowerment and military build-up, and help refurbish its military production capabilities, the statement said. They also create potential routes for smuggling weapons, technology, and equipment, as well as channels that could be used for offensive military activity against Israel and its forces. The defendants and their partners knew that the smuggled goods might reach terrorist elements, including Hamas or those acting on its behalf, and be used to help strengthen their power and to promote and finance their activity, according to the indictment. The State Attorneys Office alleged that the defendants committed their acts for financial gain, knowing that by doing so they were bypassing the restrictions imposed by the State of Israel on the entry of goods into Gaza as part of the war effort, despite the clear security harm inherent in this activity. Bezalel Zinis attorney, Assaf Klein, said his client is innocent of the charges. He is a man of great merit, whose concern for the good of the state has always been and will remain foremost in his industry, Klein said in a statement last week. He faces charges including bribery and assisting the enemy during wartime. Authorities have stressed that no evidence connects the allegations against Bezalel Zini to his brother, David Zini, who directs the Shin Bet and is not accused of wrongdoing in the case. A pick of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, David Zini was one of the most controversial appointments in the agencys history because of his lack of experience in intelligence and what former Shin Bet officials criticized as his extreme worldview. Zini had no experience within the Shin Bet, having been pulled directly from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The investigation into Bezalel Zini was handled by Israeli police instead of the Shin Bet because of the relationship between the two men. All of the cases against the other defendants involved a joint investigation by the Shin Bet and Israel Police. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Colorado State Capitol stands in Denver on a winter day. Photo: Hunter Starritt / Unsplash The Center Square) - The Colorado legislature is considering a bill that would allow citizens to sue federal immigration officers over constitutional violations. The bill comes as the nation reacts to Immigration and Customs Enforcement tactics in Minnesota that put federal enforcement agents in direct conflict with the community. We can debate what the right immigration law is how many people should be allowed to come to this country, how many people get this or that status, Colorado Sen. Mike Weissman, D-North Aurora and a prime sponsor of the bill, told The Center Square. He later added, I don't care who's in charge in government. You should not get to violate people's constitutional rights with no consequence. The bill, SB26-005, or the Rights Violation In Immigration Enforcement Remedy, introduced Jan. 14, has yet to see a general vote by either the Colorado Senate or House. The bill would allow any person in Colorado injured by an ICE agent during immigration enforcement to bring them to court on a civil action on claims of constitutional rights violations. As a civil action, ICE agents could not be ordered to jail directly if they lost the case. The Colorado bills introduction comes as the country reacts to expanded immigration enforcement during President Donald Trumps second term. Since taking office in January 2025, until December, people held in immigration detention rose 75% to nearly 66,000 the highest level in history, according to the American Immigration Council. At the same time, ICE financing has skyrocketed after this summers One Big Beautiful Bill to become the most funded federal enforcement agency. ICE was previously allocated $10 billion annually and now has $85 billion at its disposal, according to NPR. Look, I'd love it if we put this on the books and nobody has to use it, Weissman said of SB26-005. I mean, that would be an amazing outcome. But its not an outcome I'm optimistic about right now. That pessimism comes as ICE agents have directly conflicted with U.S. citizens across the country, primarily in Democratic-governed cities. ICE operations in Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; Chicago and Minneapolis have been widely publicized in recent months, and videos from these cities have shown ICE agents repeatedly using force. Last month, two protesters in Minneapolis - U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti - were shot and killed by ICE agents in unrelated incidents. The increased violence comes as the training period for agents has been more than halved to around six weeks over the last year, according to The Poynter Institute. Opponents of the ICE operations have argued their conduct has violated citizens constitutional rights. Colorado needs a law like this right now because our federal constitutional rights are the most important rights that any of us has in this country, said Weissman. We do not have a sufficient remedy for when those rights are violated by federal or other government officials, provided to us in federal law or in state law. There have been a select few cases when citizens have successfully sued federal enforcement agents. They fit into a narrow rule called Bivens Action, based on a 1971 Supreme Court ruling Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents, when a citizen sued for violation of their Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. Since then, the Supreme Court has said nearly all other constitutional violations by federal officers are in Congress jurisdiction, not the courts. So, very simply, Senate Bill 5 seeks to fill that gap in the law so that people have a clear and available pathway to vindicate their constitutional rights, said Weissman. On Monday, an amendment to SB26-005 was passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Weissman chairs. The Republican-controlled Congress has proposed some legislation to curb ICE since its operation began in Minneapolis. Recently, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, who caucuses with Democrats, proposed to cut $75 billion in ICE funds. Nothing has passed out of either the House or Senate yet. I would love it if the federal government would step in and do something meaningful here, said Weissman, but added he was not optimistic at the moment. Weissman, who represents a district where over 40% of constituents are Hispanic, said his federal enforcement concerns had taken him into conversations outside of Colorado. I am talking with legislators in other states who are seeing the impact of federal overreach in their communities, he said. Frankly, a lot of us who care about constitutional rights and civil rights and the prerogatives of immigrant communities that may be disfavored by the federal regime have kind of found each other out there. President Donald Trump tours a migrant detention center, dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, 2025. Credit - Andrew Caballero-ReynoldsAFP/Getty Images As the Trump Administration seeks to expand its immigrant detention capacity around the country by converting warehouses and other facilities to house thousands of detainees, local communities, government leaders, and even the would-be sellers of some of the buildings are putting up a fight. President Donald Trumps "Big Beautiful Bill" allocated $45 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to build new detention centers, part of a larger $170 million the law put toward immigration enforcement. The agency has already made moves to acquire buildings to serve as detention centers in at least eight states, with three properties purchased just last month: one for $102 million in Maryland, another for $84 million in Pennsylvania, and a third for $70 million in Arizona. But as the Administrations aggressive immigration crackdown draws widespread backlash and scrutiny following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis in January, ICEs efforts to expand its detention network are also facing pushback. Read more: Inside Mayor Jacob Freys Fight For Minneapolis Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday to voice his disapproval of the agencys plan to establish one such facility in his home state. "While I support the enforcement of immigration law, I write to express my opposition to this acquisition and the proposed detention center," the senator wrote. Noting that in his understanding the facility would have room to house more than 8,500 beds, he added that the town of Byhalia, where it would be located, does not have enough medical and human services to support such a large detainee population. Wicker is just the latest of a number of leaders who have spoken against the moves to build new detention centers or taken action to block their establishment as residents in many of the surrounding communities have made their own shows of protest. Here are some of the other places where communities and their representatives are pushing back. Oklahoma City In Oklahoma City, the Department of Homeland Security outlined plans to convert a warehouse located near the largely Hispanic Western Heights School District into a detention center. But following weeks of opposition from locals and city council members, the company that owns the warehouse broke off talks with the agency and said it wouldnt be selling. Mayor David Holta Republicanreleased a statement announcing the decision after meeting with the property owners last week. The owners of the property at 2800 S. Council Road confirmed to me this morning that they are no longer engaged with the Department of Homeland Security about a potential acquisition or lease of this property, Holt said. I commend the owners for their decision and thank them on behalf of the people of Oklahoma City. As Mayor, I ask that every single property owner in Oklahoma City exhibit the same concern for our community in the days ahead. Salt Lake City In Salt Lake City, Mayor Erin Mendenhall last month sent a letter to the owner of a warehouse on the citys west side that was rumored to be in ICEs sights stating that if the facility were to be used a detention center it would be in violation of city code, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, which obtained a copy of the letter. Some 50 Utahns gathered in early January outside of the warehouse to protest the suspected efforts to acquire the building to convert into an ICE facility, carrying American flags and ICE OUT signs. Mendenhall, a Democrat, told the owner of the warehouse that the building would need to have enough bathrooms, exits, and fire emergency systems to satisfy zoning requirements if it were to hold more than 20 individuals whose movements are restricted in any way, according to the Tribune. She also warned that a detention facility would have an enormous impact on the area's water supply and sewage system. The mayor later called aggressive federal immigration enforcement actions in other cities utterly deplorable in a state of the city address. "Such a facility has no place in our city, whether at that site or anywhere else," Mendenhall said. The 20 Democratic members of Utahs Senate and House of Representatives also sent a letter to the states four U.S. House members and two U.S. senators calling for them to combat the apparent plans for the facility. "We urge you to publicly oppose the placement of an ICE detention facility in Utah, demand transparency and accountability from the Department of Homeland Security and use your oversight and appropriations authority to prevent federal funding from being used to expand immigration detention here," reads the letter. The Ritchie Group, which owns the warehouse DHS was rumored to be interested in purchasing, last week released a statement saying it had no intention of selling or leasing the property to the government following the pushback. Kansas City Federal agents toured another large warehouse, in Kansas City, in mid-January. Democratic Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca IV, who said he went by the facility to observe after being told DHS was touring it, shared a video of federal officers shining a flashlight at him and asking him questions while he was in his car. Abarca said in the post that ICE agents confirmed the agency was looking to place a 7,500 bed facility in this or a similar building in the area. Hours later, city council members issued a moratorium on approvals for nonmunicipal detention facilities in a 12-1 vote. The moratorium is in effect until Jan. 15, 2031, and covers any permits, zoning, or development applications that would need the citys approval. The warehouse would require a special use permit from the city to operate as a detention center. "If they want to continue to do business in Kansas City, they need to understand that you are not going to sell out our community for short-term profit," council member Johnathan Duncan, who represents the district in which the warehouse is located, told local NPR affiliate KCUR. Abarca has said he will seek to impose a similar moratorium on the county level. The day after the city council approved the measure, the propertys owner, independent private investment firm Platform Ventures, told local outlets in a statement that it was approached with an unsolicited offer to buy the warehouse in October 2025 and that all negotiations are complete. PV does not question prospective buyers on their intent after close, and we will not engage in public conversations involving speculation over future uses, the company said. Ashland, Virginia The owner of yet another warehouse eyed by ICE, a 550,000 square-foot facility in the small town of Ashland, Virginia, announced last week that it would no longer be selling the property to DHS after news of the planned sale drew backlash. The transaction to sell our industrial building in Ashland, Virginia will not be proceeding, the Canadian company, Jim Pattison Developments, said in a statement. DHSs acquisition of the building faced opposition from both local residents and leaders, as well as voices within Canada . Sean Davis, the chairman of the board of supervisors in Hanover County, where Ashland is located, told residents that the board opposed the sale after hundreds gathered at the county administrative building to protest the transaction before it was cancelled. Amid the outcry, the company said in a statement the week before it announced it was not going through with the sale that it had not been aware of the ultimate owner or intended use of the building at the time that it accepted the offer to buy the warehouse from a U.S. government contractor. We understand that the conversation around immigration policy and enforcement is particularly heated, and has become much more so over the past few weeks, Jim Pattison Developments said at the time. We respect that this issue is deeply important to many people. Elkridge, Maryland Nearby in Maryland, Howard County executive Calvin Ball announced earlier this week that the county had revoked a building permit for another planned detention facility in Elkridge. The retrofitting of private office buildings for detention use, without transparency, without public input, without clear oversight, is deeply troubling," Ball, a Democrat, said at a news conference on Monday. At a public hearing about the proposed facility on Thursday, county leaders said they believed the Administration was seeking to convert a 29,000 office building into an ICE detention center and discussed two proposed bills that are aimed at preventing such a move. "We all know in this room that an ICE detention facility is not welcome here in Elkridge and it's not welcome anywhere in Maryland," Democratic Rep. Sarah Elfreth, who represents the area in the House, said during the hearing. Contact us at letters@time.com. Medina Bakery and Restaurant on Anderson Avenue in Fairview. Medina Bakery & Restaurant Haga clic aqui para leer este articulo en Espanol. A longtime North Jersey bakery accused in online rumors of conspiring with federal immigration officials amid local raids is setting the record straight. "We would never, ever do that," said Virginia Medina, 27, whose parents, Jorge Medina, 67, and Evelyn Castallanos, 60, own Medina Bakery & Restaurant on Anderson Avenue in Fairview. The couple immigrated from Guatemala nearly 30 years ago. Evelyn got her start as a house cleaner, and Jorge in the ceramic and tile business. Both Evelyn and Jorge became US citizens and raised their eight children in Cliffside Park. Virginia Medina says her family noticed a drop in business around the time ICE began making arrests in Fairview and surrounding towns. It wasn't until three weeks ago, she said, that people started sending her family screenshots of comments shared to social media, saying that she and her siblings were conspiring with immigration officials. "Its concerning because before this whole situation with ICE and all the raids in our area, no one has ever heard such a rumor about us or our family or our business," Medina said. "My parents have always helped out the community in every way, shape and form whether it be financially, physically, or donating supplies or food to the schools. "It's devastating to see that people truly believe such a thing." Medina's Bakery issued a public statement on Wednesday, Feb. 4, saying: "As a family-owned business that has worked hard in this country for a better future for our children, we are deeply concerned by the rumors circulating on social media regarding the alleged involvement of our children with federal agencies. "While we regret the difficult situation we are currently facing, today we wish to state categorically that neither the owners nor their children are involved in such activities, nor are we cooperating in identifying or reporting individuals. "Likewise, we would like to remind everyone that the spread of false and unfounded information can bring negative consequences for all parties involved. We trust that this statement will be received by each and every one of you." Medina said she and her family are shocked that people would make such claims, especially given that they themselves are immigrants from Guatemala and made a post on Facebook saying they'd be shutting down to stand with immigrants "without thinking twice." "We could be taken any moment too," Medina said. "Just like everybody else." Daniel Andreas San Diego, 47, was on the run from the FBI for 21 years [FBI] A suspected terrorist who evaded the FBI for more than 20 years before being found in Wales can be sent back to the USA to face trial, a court has heard. Daniel Andreas San Diego, 47, was one of the agency's "most wanted fugitives" after bombings in San Francisco, California, in 2003. He was arrested in November 2024 in a remote location near Maenan, Conwy, after 21 years on the run. Judge Goozee told Westminster Magistrates' Court the arguments raised by San Diego's legal team were rejected. A decision whether an appeal will be lodged will be taken at a later date. San Diego, who was born in Berkeley, California, is accused of planting three nail bombs across California in 2003. The case against San Diego was compiled by Assistant US Attorney Helen Gilbert. She wrote: "It concerns the detonation of three improvised explosive devices at two different companies based in California. The two companies, Chiron Corporation and Shaklee Corporation had a relationship with the research organisation Huntingdon Life Sciences, which conducted animal testing. The companies were targeted because of this relationship." She added two homemade bombs were detonated at Chiron's Headquarters in Emeryville, California in the early hours of 28 August 2003. It was noted there were employees on site at the time, but no one was hurt - although damage to property was caused. The following day Gilbert told the court that an animal rights group called the Animal Liberation Brigade, Revolutionary Cells, claimed responsibility for the bombing in an electronic message posted on the bulletin board of an animal rights magazine. The post read: "In the early hours of 28 August volunteers from Revolutionary Cells descended on the animal killing scum Chiron. "We left them with a small surprise of two pipe bombs filled with ammonium nitrate slurry with redundant timers." Daniel Andreas San Diego's legal team argued he could never expect to receive a fair trial in the USA due to possible political and legal interference in his case [PA Media] The second bombing at Shaklee Headquarters in Pleasanton, California took place at around 03:20 am on 26 September 2003. Nobody was harmed, but the US Assistant Attorney said the bomb contained nails "which would have caused serious injuries if any person had been nearby when it was detonated". The same animal rights group would later claim responsibility for this bombing. Earlier that night, at around 02:20 San Diego became a prime suspect in the bombings after being stopped by traffic police close to where one of the devices exploded. He was released, after which he vanished. The US government also told the court that his fingerprints were found among some bomb-making equipment in the car he abandoned. Daniel Andreas San Diego was arrested in a remote cottage near Llanrwst in the Conwy Valley [Aled Evans] San Diego was arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency in November 2024 and taken to the high security HMP Belmarsh in London. The patio doors in his home were left open and there was a wrapped Christmas present on a table. The couple who sold the 400,000 house to San Diego were one of many who told reporters that the man they knew as a Canadian kept himself to himself and was often seen walking his dogs in the surrounding countryside. He was found with an Irish passport in the name of Danny Webb and had worked as an IT consultant but little is known of his whereabouts during his 21 years on the run. [BBC] Shortly after his arrest it was revealed that San Diego was one of America's most wanted fugitives and had featured five times on the Fox programme America's Most Wanted. The FBI had placed him on their Most Wanted list of Terrorists alongside Usama Bin Laden and Abdul Rahman Yasin, the man wanted for his part in planning the bombing of the World Trade Centre in 1993. He had not been seen since he disappeared into a subway station in San Francisco as the FBI, who were monitoring his movements 24 hours a day, were prepared to make an arrest in connection with a series of bombs that had exploded in California. Daniel Andreas San Diego was on the FBI's most wanted terrorist list alongside Osama Bin Laden [Getty] During the extradition hearing Mr San Diego's legal team argued he could never expect to receive a fair trial in the USA due to possible political and legal interference in his case. Prosecutors disagreed saying neither President Donald Trump or anyone else in a position of power had mentioned San Diego's case at all and there was no proof that he would not receive a fair trial. More top stories Christophe Parisot, French ambassador to Denmark, and Jean-Noel Poirier, new French Consul General in Nuuk, Greenland, speak to the media in Nuuk, Greenland, February 6, 2026. - Stoyan Nenov/Reuters France and Canada opened consulates in Greenlands capital Nuuk on Friday, in a show of support for their NATO ally Denmark amid renewed demands from US President Donald Trump to acquire the arctic territory. Jean-Noel Poirier said his appointment as Frances Consul General in Nuuk was meant not as a signal to the American administration, but rather a message of friendship to Greenland and Denmark. Its also a question of solidarity. Just like when you need friends, you just turn back and you see who is there. And we are there as (the) French Its not against, its with, Poirier told reporters in Nuuk. The French Ambassador to Denmark, Christophe Parisot, added that the consulate was not just a symbol but something very concrete to show the cooperation and alliance between the three European nations. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Governor General Mary Simon attend the official opening of the Canadian Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland on Friday. - Stoyan Nenov/Reuters Canadas foreign minister Anita Anand and Canadian Governor General Mary Simon arrived in Nuuk earlier Friday to officially open their countrys consulate with a flag raising ceremony. Canada and Greenland share the worlds longest maritime border, as well as centuries of connections across the Arctic, Global Affairs Canada said in a post on X. Canadas new consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, will bring us even closer, strengthening Canadas partnerships with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. Canada first announced plans to open a Greenlandic consulate back in December 2024 as part of its Arctic Foreign Policy, while Frances consulate was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in June last year. The opening of the diplomatic outposts follows weeks of strained relations between the US and Europe, after Trump renewed his bid to annex Greenland to ensure the US security. Trumps demands for the vast, autonomous Arctic territory ruled by Denmark, a NATO country, had threatened to upend Western unity, and splinter the military alliance. The ratcheting up of Trumps aggressive rhetoric has seen European nations send additional troops to the island to participate in military exercises with Denmark. After threatening to impose tariffs on European nations supporting Greenland, Trump later backed down after reaching a framework for a future deal with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. CNNs Issy Ronald and Kara Fox contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com "BESSENT: Congress -- lumber... WATERS: And have -- reclaiming my time. You don't get to talk. BESSENT: Lumber [is] at a 5 year low congresswoman. WATERS: Reclaiming my time. BESSENT: Then let's just have the fact ma'am." Source: BGov.com transcripts (Feb. 4, 2026). WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, during a recent Congressional hearing, stated the simple facts regarding softwood lumber prices: Softwood lumber prices are at historical lows and are driven by supply and demand factors. Softwood lumber prices are not driven by President Trump's focus on enforcing U.S. trade laws and implementing additional tariff measures to increase the softwood lumber production capacity of the United States. Components of the Price of a New Home, 2024 Lumber Price per House "The U.S. Lumber Coalition applauds Secretary Bessent for stating the facts regarding softwood lumber prices," stated Zoltan van Heyningen, Executive Director of the U.S. Lumber Coalition. "Lumber prices have remained at historically low levels since August when higher duties and later tariffs went into effect." "It is unfortunate that the misleading campaign by the National Association of Home Builders and Canada attacking President Trump's focus on strict U.S. trade law enforcement and tariff measures, which are designed to help the United States become self-sufficient in its lumber needs, continues to be echoed by others," added van Heyningen. (See: https://uslumbercoalition.org/resource/too-big-for-its-own-good-why-canadas-softwood-lumber-industry-needs-to-shrink/) Here are the simple facts regarding the impact of Section 232 tariffs as well as the enforcement of U.S. trade laws, which have resulted in significant antidumping and countervailing duties against unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports: Softwood lumber prices have been lower, not higher, since the imposition of higher duties and President Trump's 10 percent tariff on lumber. Supply and demand, not trade law enforcement against unfairly traded lumber imports or targeted tariff measures, determine lumber prices. Canada continues to engage in well known and documented unfair and harmful trade practices against hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers, thousands of forestry-dependent U.S. communities, millions of private U.S. landowners, and hundreds of U.S. lumber companies who provide more than 75 percent and climbing of the softwood lumber needed to build U.S. homes. (See: https://uslumbercoalition.org/video/building-american-dreams/) U.S. lumber production capacity has increased by over 8 billion board feet since 2016 when duties and later tariffs went into effect, with U.S. producers supplying over 36 billion additional board feet of American-made lumber to build American homes. (See: https://uslumbercoalition.org/video/u-s-lumber-mills-discuss-increasing-production-in-reaction-to-president-trumps-latest-action-against-canadas-unfair-trade/) Canadian softwood lumber companies pay virtually all of the duties and tariffs, not U.S. consumers. The cost of lumber makes up less than 2 percent of the total cost of a new home, and hence never has and never will be a factor in housing affordability. Lumber prices have been so depressed that home builder companies have boasted in their earnings calls that they will try to use those low prices to their advantage when negotiating deals for the coming year. (See: https://uslumbercoalition.org/resource/high-homebuilder-profits-have-priced-millions-out-of-the-u-s-housing-market/) Attacks by the NAHB and Canada on trade law enforcement and common sense policy such as the targeted 10 percent lumber tariff are an attack on U.S. workers, U.S. companies, and their communities. (See: https://uslumbercoalition.org/video/u-s-lumber-trade-law-enforcement-is-working/) Some other facts to keep in mind regarding the softwood lumber duties and tariff measures: Who pays duties and tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber imports to the U.S. Treasury and U.S. taxpayers? (Note: Approximately 93 percent of duty deposits paid through 2023, i.e., $5.8 billion, is slated to be liquidated into the U.S. Treasury.) Here is what Canadian companies say: West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. Total deposits paid through Q3 2025: USD $971 million Link: https://www.westfraser.com/sites/default/files/2025-10/West%20Fraser%20-%20Q3-25%20Combined%20Filing%20Document.pdf "As of September 26, 2025, our export duties paid and payable on deposit with the USDOC were $971 million" (pdf p. 56) Canfor Corporation Total deposits paid through Q3 2025: USD $854 million Link: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/9439mo3u/production/554e4ae6743872dfea006323896b193ce6113624.pdf Domtar Corporation Total deposits paid through Q3 2025: USD $701 million Link: https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001381531/000119312525258240/ck0001381531-20250930.htm https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001381531/000119312525258240/ck0001381531-20250930.htm "As of September 30, 2025, a total of $701 million of cash deposits ($504 million of countervailing and $197 million of anti-dumping duties) on estimated softwood lumber duties were paid." (p. 35) Interfor Corporation Total deposits paid through Q3 2025: USD $639.8 million Link: https://interfor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Q3-2025.pdf "Interfor has paid cumulative duties of US$639.8 million. . . as at September 30, 2025." (pdf p. 3) Western Forest Products Inc. Total deposits paid through Q3 2025: USD $201 million Link: https://www.westernforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NR-Results-2025-Q3-Website-Quarterly-Report.pdf "As at September 30, 2025, the Company had paid USD$201 million . . . of duties, all of which remain held in trust by US Department of Treasury." (pdf p. 26) Conifex Timber Inc. Total deposits paid through Q3 2025: USD $78 million Link: https://conifex.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Q3-2025-Conifex-Timber-FS-Notes-FINAL.pdf "Cumulative duties of US$44.1 million paid by the Company, net of sales of the right to refunds, since the inception of the current trade dispute, remain held in trust by the US pending the administrative reviews and conclusion of all appeals of US decisions." (pdf p. 14) GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. Total deposits paid through Q2 2025: USD $102.6 million Link: https://greenfirst.ca/wp-content/uploads/Financial-Statements-Q2-2025.pdf How much does the cost of lumber impact the cost of an average new home for U.S. consumers? And how does it compare to the profitability margins of U.S. homebuilders? What has happened to U.S. lumber prices since duties increased from 14.50 percent to a combined average duty and tariff rate of 45.16 percent? Lumber prices have remained at historically low levels since early August 2025, when the increased duties took effect, and since October 2025, when the tariff took effect. Who supplies the most lumber for U.S. homebuilding? U.S. softwood lumber workers and producers supply over 75 percent and climbing of the lumber needed to build U.S. homes. U.S. trade law enforcement and tariffs on softwood lumber not only safeguard this vital supply of lumber for our economy, but have helped add over 8 billion board feet of U.S. lumber production capacity since 2016, supplying a cumulative 36 billion board feet of additional U.S.-made lumber to build U.S. homes. Have U.S. duties and tariffs increased jobs in the U.S. forestry sector since 2016? Yes, an estimated 14,000 direct and indirect jobs have been created in the United States by the lumber manufacturing sector since 2016 and counting. Today, the industry supports an estimated 750,000 jobs in the United States, often in communities where the addition of 500 or 1,000 jobs makes the difference between life and death of a community. Canadian provincial and federal government officials point to the need to protect Canadian jobs when announcing billions of dollars of additional subsidies aimed at neutralizing President Trump's U.S. trade law enforcement and additional tariff measures. What is the cost to the United States of these new and mounting Canadian lumber subsidies? U.S. jobs. U.S. lumber production capacity. U.S. self sufficiency in lumber supply. "As we have stated on numerous occasions, the U.S. Lumber Coalition applauds President Trump's focus on fully and effectively enforcing the U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws. We also applaud the President for taking the additional appropriate steps of imposing a 10 percent tariff to go after the true cause of Canada's unfair trade practices massive excess lumber capacity supported by massive and mounting government subsidies. We urge all lawmakers to support U.S. workers, their communities, and U.S. companies. If we fail them, the result will be a lack of lumber to build U.S. homes. And that will hurt America and make us fully dependent on foreign sources while eliminating yet another U.S. manufacturing sector," concluded van Heyningen. About the U.S. Lumber Coalition The U.S. Lumber Coalition is an alliance of large and small softwood lumber producers from around the country, joined by their employees and woodland owners, working to address Canada's unfair lumber trade practices. Our goal is to serve as the voice of the American lumber community and effectively address Canada's unfair softwood lumber trade practices. The Coalition supports the full enforcement of the U.S. trade laws to allow the U.S. industry to invest and grow to its natural size without being impaired by unfairly traded imports. Continued full enforcement of the U.S. trade laws will strengthen domestic supply lines by maximizing long-term domestic production and lumber availability produced by U.S. workers to build U.S. homes. For more information, please visit the Coalition's website at www.uslumbercoalition.org. CONTACT: Zoltan van Heyningen [email protected] | 202-805-9133 SOURCE The U.S. Lumber Coalition Police tape blocks off a crime scene with evidence markers on the ground. Photo: Siobhan Howerton / Pexels (The Center Square) Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran says his caucus has proposed changes to the SAFE-T Act that are hyper-focused on domestic violence. Senate Republicans introduced four bills they say would strengthen enforcement of protective orders and increase penalties for abusers. Curran, R-Downers Grove, said the bills do not contradict the SAFE-T Act. There have been at least three, maybe four amendments to the SAFE-T Act already. This is hyper-focused on domestic violence, Curran said. Curran cited an Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence report stating that domestic violence deaths are up 140% since 2022. Domestic violence survivor Dakota Sebring said the legislative package is about prevention and stopping escalation, not punishment. Its about giving orders of protection real weight so they can actually protect victims of domestic violence and help them feel safe, like our laws are meant to do, Sebring said. Sebring said, in her case, the cycle of violation, arrest, release and another violation kept repeating from March 2025 to December 2025. I called the police over 15 times because of these repeated violations, Sebring said. Curran said Senate Bill 3139 would shift the burden from victims to offenders to prove they are not an imminent threat to the victim or the general public. State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, introduced Senate Bill 3140, increasing penalties for those who violate orders of protection. This would deter people from violating orders of protection, and the felony charge would allow for more intervention and long-term rehabilitation, McClure said. State Sen. Darby Hills, R-Barrington Hills, introduced Senate Bill 3141 to double minimum imprisonment times for violations of no-contact orders. Hills said Senate Bill 3142 provides for felony charges against repeat offenders. Orders of protection do not work unless they are enforced. When they are ignored or repeatedly violated without real consequences, they fail the very people they were there to protect in the first place, Hills said. Curran said he has discussed the package of bills with a Democratic committee chair. My hope is that these will all be heard in committee, the Senate GOP leader said. Curran said he would be fine with lawmakers passing stand-alone bills or including the package as part of a larger omnibus to amend the SAFE-T Act. In the Illinois House, state Rep. David Friess, R-Red Bud, introduced legislation that would require a defendants pretrial release to be revoked if they are charged with any new offense while already on pretrial release. Friess filed House Bill 4907 last Tuesday. ### A medical exam room with an exam table, diagnostic tools and a weight scale. Photo: Shopify Partners / Burst (The Center Square) A Chicago Transit Authority train passenger says she has been released from the hospital more than two months after a man with a long criminal history allegedly set her on fire. B ethany MaGee was hospitalized on Nov. 17. MaGee issued a statement thanking the burn unit at Stroger Hospital for their care and support. As of Friday afternoon, a GoFundMe effort to support MaGees recovery has raised more than $512,000. ALLEGED HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER ARRESTED Illinois State Police special agents have arrested a Beach Park man in connection with a hit-and-run collision involving a pedestrian. After reports of multiple crashes on I-94 in Skokie on Feb. 1, ISP says a person who exited a vehicle was struck by a vehicle driven by Damian Lopez, 30. The victim suffered life-threatening injuries. Lopez allegedly fled the scene and was arrested the next day. NFIB JANUARY JOBS REPORT The National Federation of Independent Business Employment Index dropped nearly 1 point in January to 101.6. The index remained above the historical average of 100 and slightly above the 2025 average of 101.2. Thirty-one percent of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in January. NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley said workforce challenges remain a primary hurdle for small businesses. A stack of U.S. one-dollar bills bound in a $100 band with additional bills underneath. Photo: Emilee Calametti / The Center Square (The Center Square) The Governors Office of Management and Budget says tax provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill Act would reduce state revenue by $587 million for the current fiscal year, even after Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers moved to decouple from federal tax cuts. In addition, the latest GOMB update said federal requirements related to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility would lead to state implementation costs of more than $100 million over the next two fiscal years. TREASURER REPORTS STATE INVESTMENT EARNINGS The Illinois State Treasurers Office made $1.5 billion in investment earnings from the states investment portfolio during 2025. Treasurer Michael Frerichs made the announcement Thursday. Frerichs said his office is trying to maximize earnings at a time when he said President Donald Trump is illegally yanking federal money from Illinois. CHICAGO MAYOR APPLAUDS FEDERAL LAWMAKERS Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is applauding Illinois congressional delegation for helping to secure $42.2 million in federal funds to support 40 projects across Chicago. The mayors office said the amount is a 70.7% increase in funding from fiscal year 2024. Johnson said the federal taxpayer funds would allow the city to replace lead pipes, support seniors and invest in public safety. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie has deepened. Nancy Guthrie disappeared in the middle of night from her home in Tucson, Arizona, on 31 January and authorities believe she was taken against her will. Police in Arizona detained a man in connection with the suspected abduction on 10 February, before releasing him hours later. Law enforcement continue to investigate a series of apparent ransom notes that may have been sent from the person or people behind the alleged crime. The Guthrie family has made several public pleas for her safe return, and has asked for proof that their mother is still alive. Here is what we know about the case. When did Nancy Guthrie go missing? Guthrie was last seen at her home in Catalina Foothills, an affluent neighbourhood roughly six miles (10km) north-east of Tucson, on 31 January evening, when family members dropped her off around 21:30 local time (04:30 GMT). At 01:47 local time on 1 February, a doorbell camera to her home was disconnected and removed. At 02:28, the app on her pacemaker, an implanted cardiac device, disconnected from her phone. Concern grew when members of her church noticed her absence at Sunday's service and notified her family. After the family called 911, authorities began a search that soon included volunteers and federal officers from Border Patrol, which stretched into the next morning. Officials warned she may be in dire health without her medication. Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said she was "not in good physical health", but had no reported cognitive issues. More than a week later, officials released videos and images showing a masked person, who they say was armed, at her doorstep the night she disappeared. The footage showed the person approach the front door of her home, then check the camera before moving away, picking up some vegetation from the ground and using it to cover the camera lens. Savannah Guthrie shared the video on Instagram. "Someone out there recognises this person," she said. "We believe she is still out there. Bring her home." Authorities are asking Nancy Guthrie's neighbors for all surveillance footage they have from 1 January, weeks before Guthrie's disappearance, through 2 February, the day after she disappeared, the sheriff's department said. Map of Arizona showing location of Catalina Foothills and above the map is a photo of Guthrie's home in the desert with annotations showing where her doorbell camera was removed and where the porch is with the blood Police have said they found blood on Nancy Guthrie's porch and analysis confirmed it was hers. Investigators have also discovered a pair of gloves, the sheriff's department said. It's not clear if they are the same gloves the masked person was wearing in the surveillance footage. As media crews have descended on the quiet Arizona suburb where the missing woman lives, authorities closed access to her street, nestled below the Santa Catalina mountains on roads lined with the state's Saguaro cactus. On 12 February, authorities had put up a white tent outside the entrance to her home, though it was soon taken down. Who is the person detained and released by police? Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies block a street where a person was detained for questioning after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, who was later released from custody Hours after sharing the footage of the masked person, police detained a man for questioning at a traffic stop in Arizona in connection with Guthrie's disappearance, but released him later that night, according to the BBC's US news partner, CBS News. After his release, a man, identified only as Carlos, told reporters outside his home that he did not know who Nancy Guthrie was. "I hope they get the suspect, because I'm not it," Carlos said, according to footage posted by reporters on social media. A woman who identified herself as his mother-in-law said earlier that he had nothing to do with the case. "They're just invading my property," she told CBS. The Pima County Sheriff's Department had confirmed police were conducting a court-authorised search at a location in Rio Rico, south of Tucson, Arizona. After analysing the doorbell footage, the FBI says the suspect is male, and under six feet tall (183cm). He is "approximately 5'9" - 5'10" tall, with an average build", the FBI said. It added that in the video he was seen wearing a medium-sized, black Ozark Trail backpack. What did the alleged ransom notes say? FBI Special Agent Heith Janke said his agency had been reviewing several possible ransom notes. One note, sent to several media outlets, included details about an Apple watch and a floodlight at Nancy Guthrie's home. Police said one ransom note sent to the media had two deadlines: one at 17:00 on 5 February and another on 9 February. The FBI also said it had arrested a person for a fake ransom note on 5 February. On 6 February, the FBI and the sheriff's office said they were investigating a new message and were "inspecting the information provided in the message for its accuracy". They did not say who received the note or provide any details about what it said, but a presenter for a local affiliate of CBS News told the BBC that her channel received the new "message". The presenter did not disclose what was in the message. In several emotional videos, Savannah Guthrie and her siblings have commented on the alleged ransom notes and pleaded for their mother's safe return. "We are ready to talk," Guthrie said in a 4 February video, addressing the abductor or abductors directly. She added, "we need to know without a doubt that she is alive and you have her... Please, reach out to us." In a separate video on 5 February, her brother Camron said the family still had not received any contact from "whoever is out there holding our mother", adding: "We want to hear from you". On 6 February, the family released a third video, with Savannah Guthrie saying: "We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her." She added: "And we will pay." On 9 February, Savannah Guthrie released another video pleading for the public to help . "I just want to share a few thoughts as we enter another week of this nightmare," she said in a the video posted on Instagram. "She was taken, and we don't know where. And we need your help." On 12 February, she posted another video featuring footage of her mom as a young woman with Savannah and her sister as children. The video also shows a photo of the three Guthrie siblings as children with their mother. "Our lovely mom," Guthrie wrote alongside the video. "We will never give up on her. Thank you for your prayers and hope." The FBI is offering a reward of $100,000 (72,000) for information that leads to an arrest. The FBI says it has received more than 13,000 tips from the public since her disappearance. President Donald Trump, who ordered federal authorities help in the investigation, has called the case "very unusual". Who is Savannah Guthrie? Guthrie, 54, is an American broadcast journalist who has served as the co-anchor of NBC News' Today since 2012. She is also the network's chief legal correspondent and a primary anchor for its election coverage. Previously, she was NBC News' White House correspondent. Guthrie was born in Australia, but when she was a toddler her family moved to Tucson, Arizona, where she grew up for most of her childhood. She did not travel back to Australia until 2015, visiting with her mum Nancy and fulfilling her "lifelong dream to return", she told the Daily Telegraph. "For my mum to come back and get to see where she used to live brings back a lot of happy memories with my dad," Guthrie told the Daily Telegraph. Guthrie, who maintains a public stance of political neutrality, has interviewed presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Trump. She has a law degree from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Arizona. She has won an Edward R Murrow Award for ethical electronic journalism and multiple News Emmys, including for an interview with Trump a month before the 2020 election. This is a locator map for Iraq with its capital, Baghdad. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BAGHDAD (AP) A man wearing an explosives belt blew himself up Friday while a security force was trying to arrest him in western Iraq near the Syrian border, killing himself and wounding two security members, an Iraqi security official said. The raid was being conducted in the al-Khaseem area in Qaim district that borders Syria, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. The official added that preliminary information confirms that no members of the security forces were killed, while two personnel were injured and transferred for medical treatment. Iraqs National Security Agency said in a statement that its members besieged a hideout of an Islamic State group security official and two of his bodyguards. One bodyguard ignited his explosives belt, killing him. It gave no further details. IS once controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq and declared a caliphate in 2014. The extremist group was defeated on the battlefield in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019 but its sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in both countries. In December, two U.S. service members and an American civilian were killed in an attack in Syria that the United States blamed on IS. The U.S. carried out strikes on Syria days later in retaliation. U.S. and Iraqi authorities in January began transferring hundreds of the nearly 9,000 IS members held in jails run by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria to Iraq, where Iraqi authorities plan to prosecute them. IOWA (KCAU) Its not uncommon for President Donald Trump to associate himself with Iowa politics. His latest target, 4th Congressional Candidate Chris McGowan, shared an announcement from the President. McGowan shared that he had been officially endorsed by the President. According to McGowan, who leads the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, the President reached out to him by telephone late Wednesday. His Truth Social post from the President reads in part, Chris McGowan has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Representative from Iowas 4th Congressional District, HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! As we reported earlier this week, McGowan leads all 4th District candidates in fundraising. 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 KCAU 9 News | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports. Pedestrians walk along the Stone Arch Bridge with the Minneapolis skyline and historic riverfront buildings in the background. Photo: J.D. Davidson / The Center Square (The Center Square) The Minnesota economy is struggling as widespread protests continue in the midst of an ongoing federal immigration operation in the Twin Cities. Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, highlighted their economic concerns and called for an end to the federal operation. Operation Metro Surge is hurting small business and doing long-term damage to Minnesotas economy, Walz said. Its time for this campaign of retribution to end. That statement was made following the Trump administration announcing on Wednesday that it will remove 700 federal agents who are assisting immigration enforcement measures in Minnesota. White House Border Czar Tom Homan said during a news conference that a mix of Custom and Border Protection and ICE officers would be removed from Minnesota. He estimated around 2,000 federal agents would remain in Minnesota. Frey said that is still too many calling for all agents to be removed. Weve all heard about the families getting torn apart, Frey said in a video posted to social media. Weve all heard about the constitutional violations. Weve heard about people going hungry. In addition to that, theres a massive impact on our small and local businesses. Frey said that new data shows small businesses in Minneapolis are losing between $10 to $20 million every week. He added that Latino- and Somali-owned businesses are being especially hard hit, while hotels have lost an estimated $4.4 million due to cancellations. Frey argued the solution to these economic problems is for federal agents to leave Minnesota. There is a very quick and straightforward antidote to bring these businesses back, which is to have Operation Metro Surge end and to have ICE leave our city, Frey said. Lets bring the economy back. Lets help these businesses out. Walz has called the federal surge to Minnesota a campaign of retribution by the Trump administration against the Democrat-run state. He added that the pullback of some agents is a step in the right direction, but not enough. Operation Metro Surge is not making Minnesota safer, he said on Wednesday. We need a faster and larger drawdown of forces, state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution. Republicans point to ongoing unrest and protests as also playing a role in the economic downturn, with the Republican Party of Minnesota calling it mayhem and lawlessness and the state a national disgrace. Trump officials have argued that the surge would not have been necessary if the Twin Cities did not have sanctuary city policies, which prevented collaboration with federal agents on immigration enforcement. Vice President J.D. Vance emphasized that point in a recent visit to Minneapolis. Why are we not seeing it anywhere else? We are seeing this level of chaos only in Minneapolis, he said. Maybe the problem is unique to Minneapolis, and we believe that it is, and it's a lack of cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal law enforcement. A man walks as water flows down stairs in a street, due to heavy rains, as storm Leonardo hits parts of Spain, in Benaojan, Spain, February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Jon Nazca A man walks as water flows down stairs in a street, due to heavy rains, as storm Leonardo hits parts of Spain, in Benaojan, Spain, February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Jon Nazca By Jon Nazca and Miguel Pereira GRAZALEMA, Spain/ALCACER DO SAL, Portugal Feb 6 (Reuters) - One of Spain's main rivers was close to bursting its banks on Friday and experts warned of landslides from waterlogged ground that could hold no more rain, as Storm Leonardo blew across the Iberian Peninsula with more storms on their way. Over 7,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the southern Andalusia region so far in the wake of a "storm train" of consecutive weather fronts pounding Portugal and Spain with torrential rains and strong winds over the past weeks. A body was found 1,000 metres (yards) from where a woman was swept away by a river in Malaga province as she tried to rescue her dog, military police said on Friday, adding that they still needed to carry out forensic tests to confirm her identity. State weather agency AEMET warned that another storm, Marta, would hit the peninsula on Saturday, bringing more abundant rainfall. Several residential areas near the Guadalquivir River in Cordoba province were evacuated overnight due to the dramatic rise in water levels. Further rain on Saturday could endanger more homes, with the situation around Jaen and the Guadalquivir area of Cordoba particularly worrisome, Andalusia's regional leader, Juan Manuel Moreno, said during a press conference on Friday. "We expect 30 mm (of rain). In other circumstances that would be little water but right now it is a lot as the soil is unable to drain and the rivers and reservoirs are full," he said. Authorities in Cordoba halted pedestrian traffic on the city's Roman bridge as the Guadalquivir rose up. LANDSLIDE RISK IN THE GRAZALEMA MOUNTAINS In Grazalema, a mountain village popular with hikers that has been at the centre of the storm, some 1,500 residents were evacuated as water seeped through the walls of houses and cascaded along steep cobbled streets. The aquifers in the Grazalema mountains were full and could provoke landslides due to pent-up pressure, Moreno said on SER radio. The Grazalema mountains are made of permeable rock that dissolves when absorbing large volumes of water, potentially leading to structural collapse, Nahum Mendez-Chazarra, a professor of geology at Valencia University, told Reuters. "It's possible these cavities will widen and eventually cause the ground to sink, which will obviously affect any house or road on top," he said. PORTUGAL EXTENDS CALAMITY STATE In southern Portugal, large parts of the town of Alcacer do Sal by the River Sado remained semi-submerged for a third day. "I'm left with nothing, nothing. I only kept the clothes I had on," Alcacer resident Rita Morgado told Reuters, adding that more than 1,000 people needed help. Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said late on Thursday his government had extended a state of calamity in 69 municipalities until mid-February, adding "unprecedented" rainfall and flood risks threatened several regions. The commander of Portugal's ANEPC civil protection service, Mario Silvestre, said six rivers - including the Tagus - were at risk of significant flooding. The Tagus river basin was placed on red alert on Thursday due to the abrupt rise in water flow. ($1 = 0.8482 euros) (Reporting by Paolo Laudani, Emma Pinedo, Sergio Goncalves and Andrei Khalip; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Peter Graff, Toby Chopra and Charlie Devereux) California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a public event. Photo: Bureau of Reclamation / Flickr /CC BY-SA 2.0 / Cropped from Original (The Center Square) California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Rises announced this week an initiative to support mental health services in communities affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires with a $2.2 million funding for UCLA Healths Sound Body Sound Mind program. The funding aims to expand school-based mental health and wellness interventions to the Los Angeles region since the Palisades fires. Over the next two full school years, 33 schools impacted by the fires will receive comprehensive support through the program, reaching an estimated 30,000 students. The Center Square asked Newsoms office what schools are a part of this initiative, but has yet to receive a response. Newsom said the initiative is designed to respond directly to the needs identified by fire survivors, particularly children who continue to experience trauma from the disasters. He emphasized that the effort builds on the states existing recovery work while deepening support for affected families and neighborhoods. The Los Angeles Unified School District recently confirmed that students and staff have returned to the campus of Palisades Charter High School following extensive damage from the Palisades Fire in January 2025. More than 30% of classrooms were destroyed, forcing students to attend classes in temporary facilities during the 202526 school year while rebuilding efforts were underway. Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter, the Mark Walter Family Foundation and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation have committed up to $100 million to LA Rises. At the California Fire Foundation, we know that wildfire recovery is about more than rebuilding structures; its about restoring well-being. Were proud to work alongside Governor Newsom, LA Rises, and UCLA Health to bring meaningful mental health support to local students impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires," said Angie Carmignani, executive director of California Fire Foundation. Freed church worshipers who were abducted by gunmen in Kurmin Wali, are seen upon their arrival at the state government house in Kaduna, Nigeria, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abel Omotosho) LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) The Nigerian government has announced a military operation to tackle Islamic militants following the killing of scores of people, likely all Muslims. Meanwhile, about 180 Christians who were abducted elsewhere last month have been released. Local officials said 162 people were killed during a Tuesday attack in the Muslim-majority villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara state, many of them reportedly for resisting extremist ideology. It is one of the deadliest attacks in the country outside of the known conflict hot spots. The gunmen razed homes and looted shops in what Amnesty Internationals Nigeria office called a stunning security failure. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but locals and officials have pointed to various Islamic militant groups. A statement from the Nigerian presidency noted the attackers killed the villagers for rejecting their obnoxious attempt at indoctrination, choosing instead to practice Islam that is neither extreme nor violent. Experts say that Kwara, which has seen a recent spike in deadly attacks and kidnappings, is fast becoming a new frontier for armed groups seeking to expand in Africa's most populous country, where numerous violent groups are vying for space and power. James Barnett, a researcher at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, said armed groups have been going farther afield because they are finding a lot of competition from rival groups in the areas where they traditionally operated. Christians kidnapped last month are now all free Separately, on Thursday, the Kaduna state governor announced that all 183 Christians taken in three simultaneous church abductions last month have been released. Of the abducted, 89 of them were rescued on Wednesday, according to the governor. He gave no details, although analysts say sometimes the government pays a ransom. The reported figure at the time of the abductions from local residents and advocacy groups was 168 people. Following this incident, I approached the president and the national security adviser on the need to establish a military base ... particularly around the Regina general area, which has long been identified as a flashpoint," Gov. Uba Sani said in a speech. Actions to protect defenseless communities Kwara State Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said Tuesday's attack was likely carried out in response to recent counterterrorism operations in the region. Some similar operations have been possible due to intelligence provided by local communities. The killings also could serve to intimidate other communities and make them more likely to comply with militants' demands. President Bola Tinubus office said in a statement late Wednesday that a Nigerian army battalion will be deployed to Kwaras Kaiama area, where the attack happened. Kaiama has had a limited security presence until now. Tinubu said the new military command will spearhead Operation Savannah Shield to "protect defenseless communities, the statement read. In November last year, Tinubu announced a state of emergency on security and planned to recruit police officers in response to mass abductions across the country. The plan also included the deployment of forest guards. Communities and some state governments across northern Nigeria have been entering into security pacts with armed groups to forestall killings, as military efforts have failed to curtail the spread of the attacks, but these have not always been successful. Analysts say not enough has been done by the government to tackle the insecurity, as the military is stretched fighting armed groups in every region of the country, with little done in terms of obtaining modern weapons and intelligence gathering. U.S. President Donald Trump has alleged without evidence that Christians are the primary targets in Nigeria. While Christians have been among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigerias north, where most attacks occur. Despite their initial disagreements, the U.S. administration has since carried out airstrikes targeting Islamic militants in parts of the country as part of wider security efforts in partnership with the Nigerian military. A small team of American officers are also on the ground in Nigeria. In comments on Thursday in Washington, Trump doubled down on his assertion that the militant groups were primarily killing Christians. We knocked the hell out of them the other day in Nigeria because they were killing Christians, Trump said. The initiative will focus on telling the story of the sport, the athletes, and the mission, inviting the public to become part of a unified movement that reflects the pride and strength of all 50 states. "I have had the vision for this campaign brewing for a long time, but bringing a concept of this scale to life requires significant resources and the right creative spark," said Mickie Knous, Olympian and Director of Partner & Sponsor Development at USA Bobsled & Skeleton. "This partnership with The Uptown Agency has finally allowed us to turn that vision into a reality. I am so excited to watch America donate from every corner of the map; '50 States Strong' is our chance to rally supporters nationwide, build real momentum, and make sure our athletes feel that support from every state as they compete." "Unlike many countries we compete against, the USA Team does not receive government funding," said Aron McGuire, CEO of USABS. "Our ability to train, compete, and succeed on the world stage depends on the generosity of donors who believe in our athletes and the values they represent. We are confident that the '50 States Strong' campaign will be impactful to support USA athletes" The Uptown Agency has provided USABS with strategic support in turning this idea into reality as their 2005-26 season continues. "Our goal is to help USABS turn attention into action in a way that's simple, powerful, and easy for people to join," said Joseph Alexander, CEO of The Uptown Agency. "We're proud to support this initiative and help build a national movement that invites every state to show up and stand behind these athletes." Supporters can learn more and contribute at 50StatesStrong.org . About The Uptown Agency The Uptown Agency is an award-winning, Dallas-based brand, creative, media, and PR partner built for modern growth. The agency helps ambitious companies engineer differentiation and scale by aligning brand strategy, creative, content, media, and communications under one roof. Led by a multidisciplinary team of strategists, designers, producers, media buyers, and PR operators, The Uptown Agency creates brands people remember and marketing systems that perform. Its work blends creative excellence with data-driven strategy to deliver bespoke solutions that activate audiences and drive measurable business results. results. www.theuptownagency.com . About USA Bobsled and Skeleton USA Bobsled & Skeleton (USABS) is the national governing body for bobsled and skeleton in the United States, responsible for training, developing, and supporting athletes from development to elite levels of competition. For more information, visit USABS.com , or follow the team's journey on Instagram: @USABS, Facebook: USABS, and TikTok: @usabobsledskeleton. SOURCE The Uptown Agency Gaston County police seized more than $500,000 from a semi-truck that was stopped on I-85. Police officers in North Carolina said they seized more than half a million dollars after pulling over a tractor-trailer on I-85. "It's one of the largest seizures we've had in the history of the police department," said Capt. Jeff Phelps, of the Gaston County Police Department . The truck was stopped by police for alleged traffic violations about 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, near exit 14, Phelps said. It had been following other vehicles too closely, and when police spoke with the driver, he seemed nervous, Phelps said. Police became suspicious and when a police dog sniffed the truck, it alerted police that it smelled drugs, Phelps said. Police searched the truck and found that it was filled with pallets of cash, totalling more than $500,000, Phelps said. The search took hours, and while no drugs were found, cash used in the drug trade can smell like drugs, Phelps said. "When someone is hauling that much cash, it's certainly tied to the drug trade," Phelps said. Police believe that the driver of the truck did not know what he was transporting. He was not charged, and while he cooperated with police, he didn't provide much information, Phelps said. The truck is thought to have been heading to California. This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: North Carolina police seize $500K from tractor-trailer Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a Texas Pastor Council event in Austin, March 13, 2025. Photo: Bethany Blankley / The Center Square (The Center Square) Three months after Gov. Greg Abbott designated the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations as foreign terrorist organizations, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued them on Thursday. The lawsuit was filed in district court in Collin County and names the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR and its Texas chapters, based in Houston, Austin and Fort Worth, as defendants. It refers to each CAIR entity as a chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood. The lawsuit asks the court to enter a judgment stating the organizations are an FTO and transnational criminal organization in accordance with Abbotts order, prohibit them from operating, raising money and soliciting membership in Texas. The lawsuit was filed one week after Abbott called on Paxton to act. The Texas Attorney General is the only elected official charged with regulating nonprofits that may be violating the law, like CAIR, Abbott wrote Paxton, who hadnt taken any action after he issued his order last November, The Center Square reported. The Texas Constitution authorizes you to investigate and seek judicial forfeiture of CAIRs nonprofit charter. When announcing the lawsuit, Paxton said, I am in full support of Governor Abbotts lawful declaration that CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood are foreign terrorist organizations, and its imperative that they are stopped from operating in Texas. Radical Islamic terrorists are antithetical to law and order, endanger the people of Texas, and are an existential threat to our values. The lawsuit also states that the governor issued a proclamation and the attorney general has the authority to enforce it. The Muslim Brotherhood is a radical terrorist organization that exists to usurp governmental power and establish dominion through sharia law. For three decades, it has covertly operated in the United States under the name CAIR as its American chapter, Paxton said. The terrorist ties are unquestionable. For example, CAIR-Texas's founding board member was convicted in 2008 of funneling $12.4 million to Hamas through the Holy Land Foundation, and CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in that case. As the lawsuit notes, CAIR is undeniably the American face of an international terrorist organization. The lawsuit details Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR history, alleges they are involved in organized criminal activity, including but not limited to coercing, inducing or soliciting membership in a foreign terrorist organizations and are involved in gang activities defined under Texas penal code. It also details terrorist activity connected to Hamas and former CAIR founders who were sentenced to decades in prison for financing the terrorist organization. The groups are in violation of a number of state laws, including Texass ban on any entity engaging in terrorism, Texass prohibition of transnational criminal organizations owning property, and public nuisance statutes barring radical groups from engaging in gang activities, Paxton added. He says his lawsuit seeks to end the operations of the Muslim Brotherhood and its American chapter, CAIR, in Texas, including prohibiting them from owning property in Texas or soliciting or recruiting members. Abbotts FTO order cites former CAIR board members, speakers and staff who were sentenced to prison for financing terrorism, conspiring to aid Al Qaeda and the Taliban, bank and visa fraud, financing terrorist causes overseas, violating U.S. sanctions and other charges in the Holy Land Foundation case. It was one of the largest terrorism financing cases in U.S. history. Abbott has taken other actions, including calling for investigations into CAIR and requesting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to suspend CAIRs tax-exempt status due to its alleged terrorist ties. Abbott requested that CAIR be investigated for its longstanding ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and its ongoing support for terrorism. CAIR denies the accusations and has sued Abbott. In response to Paxtons lawsuit, CAIR and CAIR-Texas said it was another frivolous, politically motivated anti-Muslim publicity stunt that wastes more taxpayer dollars. CAIR has already filed a federal lawsuit to block enforcement of Governor Abbotts unconstitutional proclamation. The people of Texas elected Mr. Paxton to serve them, not to silence them for daring to oppose Israels genocide in Gaza. CAIR-Texas plans to continue serving and protecting the people of Texas long after Ken Paxton leaves office. Savannah Guthrie's body language gave off major signs of how she feels 'threatened.'@savannahguthrie/Instagram Savannah Guthrie gives off major hints that she feels "threatened" during her desperate video plea for her missing moma Nancy's return, a top body language expert exclusively tells RadarOnline.com. Behavior analyst Traci Brown notices right away "how small Savannah is making herself," in the Instagram video released late on Wednesday, February 4. She points out how the Today co-host's "elbows are in, she's almost folded in two. This is for protection, which means she's feeling threatened. Her arm is crossed over her body for added protection, holding her sister's hand for support." Savannah Guthrie 'Thinks Her Mom Is Still Alive' Savannah Guthrie sat in a way that made her look 'small' and showed she felt 'threatened.'@savannahguthrie/Instagram Savannah and her sister, Annie, were seen reading off pieces of paper as they delivered messages of hope that their mom is still alive while addressing who may have abducted her. "The statement is scripted, as it should be. This isn't the time to ad lib," Brown observed. "She's speaking in the present tense about her mom, which means she thinks she's still alive," she said of Savannah. As the NBC personality tearfully read her portions, Traci pointed out, "Her sister is barely holding it together," about Annie. Annie, who was one of the last people to see her mother on January 31, hours before Nancy was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home, noticeably didn't have the same openly weeping reaction as her sister. "Her lips roll in that's holding back emotion. And her eyes close for extended periods that's keeping info out," the body language professional observed. "This is something she doesn't want to see. She has several big breaths, that's to regulate stress." Brother Cameron Guthrie 'Is In Complete Emotional Overload' Camron Guthrie sat nearly motionless with his arms crossed for the entire video.@savannahguthrie/Instagram While the sisters did all the speaking, their brother, retired fighter pilot Camron, remained almost motionless throughout the video. He initially looked downward or at his sisters before eventually looking straight into the camera with long blinks. The Vermont resident only spoke at the very end, firmly stating, "We love you, Mom, stay strong." "I think the brother is in complete emotional overload," Brown observed. "His limbic system has taken over, and his stress response has gone to 'freeze'...it's choices are fight or flight freeze. "He only moves once. He's protecting himself with his arms crossed. And if you look really closely, you'll see he closes his eyes for extended periods quite frequently." "He does not want to see this. He's in complete self-protection. I believe he's chosen not to be scripted to speak," Brown said about Camron. 'These Are People in Real Distress' While Savannah Guthrie was emotional in the video, her siblings were in 'self protective' modes.@savannahguthrie/Instagram Brown said that although the three siblings showed differing outward signs of anguish, "These are people in real distress." Annie's husband, Tommaso Cioni, dropped Nancy off at her home around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday after a family dinner and made sure she got safely inside. She was reported missing the following day, after police arrived around noon to find no sign of the former University of Arizona public relations worker and determined the home to be a "crime scene." There has been no sign of Nancy since then, and very few clues have been released about what happened at the home. However, there was a troubling sign when splatters of her blood were found on the porch near her front doorway more than two days after her disappearance. Ransom Deadlines Savannah Guthrie and her siblings are extremely close to their mother. @savannahguthrie/Instagram In the video, Savannah begged whoever took her mom, "We need to know without a doubt that she's alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we're ready to listen. Please reach out to us." On Thursday, February 5, the FBI confirmed the existence of a ransom note and told reporters, "Any action taken on a ransom is ultimately decided by the family." One of the notes set a deadline at 5 p.m. the same day, while there was also a later deadline. "So we are continuing in a normal kidnapping case," Special Agent in charge Heith Janki said, even though they apparently had not had contact yet with Nancy's captors. "But those are the time frames we're looking at as we move forward." Russian Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev in a video released in 2023. (Russian Defence Ministry / via Reuters) (Russian Defence Ministry) A senior Russian military official was shot in Moscow and has been hospitalized, authorities said early Friday, in the latest attack on the country's top military brass. Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseyev, a deputy chief of Russian military intelligence, was shot several times by an unknown assailant in a residential building in the northwest of the capital, Russias Investigative Committee said in a statement. The alleged shooter fled from the scene, the statement said. Investigators have opened a criminal case, and are speaking with eyewitnesses and reviewing surveillance footage, it added. The statement did not detail Alekseyevs condition or specify who may be behind the attack. The shooting comes a day after the latest trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia, whose delegation is led by the chief of military intelligence, Adm. Igor Kostyukov. After the talks, Washington and Moscow announced that they had agreed to reestablish high level military-to-military dialogue, which was suspended in 2021. Investigators leave the apartment building where Alekseyev was shot and wounded, in Moscow on Friday. (Pavel Bednyakov / AP) (Pavel Bednyakov) The shooting of Alekseyev is the latest in a spate of attacks against senior military figures inside Russia, many of which have been blamed on Ukraine. Just over a month ago, another high-ranking Russian military official, Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, was killed by a bomb that exploded under his car in Moscow. In April, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik was also killed in a car bomb in the Moscow region, which the Kremlin accused Ukraine of orchestrating. And in December 2024, Ukraines security service claimed responsibility for killing the head of Russia's chemical, radiological and biological weapons unit, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov. The Kremlin said Friday that Putin was being briefed. It was undeniable that senior military figures were under greater threat amid the war in Ukraine, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that their safety was a matter for the security services. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested this latest "terrorist act" was an attempt by Ukraine to disrupt peace talks. There was no immediate reaction from Kyiv to Friday's shooting. Alekseyev, 64, played a prominent role during the mutiny by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the summer of 2023. He was filmed speaking to Prigozhin and later recorded a video calling the uprising a stab in the back of President Vladimir Putin and an attempted coup. Alekseyev was awarded the Hero of Russia award in 2017, according to state media agency Ria. He was sanctioned by the E.U. in 2019 in connection with the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England with the nerve agent Novichok. A U.K. public inquiry found that Putin and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, better known as the GRU, were responsible for the poisoning. Alekseyev was also sanctioned in the U.S. in 2016 and 2018, along with a number of other GRU officials, for his alleged role in cyberattacks. Thursday marks the end of more than half a century of nuclear restraint. The New START Treaty, which was signed by Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev in 2010, is expiring. Under its terms, both the U.S. and Russia were limited to 1,550 deployed warheads and 800 delivery systems. Now, for the first time since 1972, there are no limits on the two countries that possess nearly 90% of the world's nuclear weapons. Analysts foresee Russia and the U.S. deploying hundreds of additional warheads within months, with no caps, inspections or verification. As nuclear taboos erode, Russia is hitting Ukraine with nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, and Putin threatening use of the nukes themselves. The weapons once considered too terrible to mention are now a tool of coercion. Scripps News got a rare sight last year when we descended into the deep bunker of a Soviet-era Ukrainian missile facility, decommissioned in the early 1990s when the country agreed to give up its 1,900 nuclear warheads in exchange for security guarantees. The hollowness of those security promises that left silos like this one empty echoes into the current peace negotiations and proposals from Russia and the U.S.: Surrender land beyond what Russian President Vladimir Putin has already grabbed, and get peace and protection. And Ukraine's past lesson in giving up its nukes could become the world's lesson, amid collapsing confidence in the international order. RELATED NEWS | Russia rains missiles, drones on Ukraine ahead of key peace negotiations Timothy Busfield. Wikipedia/Allan Lundell via youtube.com/watch?v=sKg8etfgVj0 Emmy-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield faces formal charges after a New Mexico grand jury indicted him on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child. The 68-year-old actor, best known for his roles in "Thirtysomething" and "The West Wing," was indicted Friday, Feb. 6, according to court documents. The charges stem from alleged incidents involving two brothers, ages 7 and 8, on the Albuquerque set of the Fox TV series "The Cleaning Lady." The alleged abuse occurred between late 2022 and early 2024, when Busfield served as an actor, director, and executive producer on the show. The victims claim Busfield touched them inappropriately over their clothing during this period. The investigation began after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital alerted authorities in November 2024. Busfield turned himself in to New Mexico authorities on Tuesday, Jan. 13. He was initially held without bail but was released on his own recognizance pending trial a week later. The actor has vehemently denied the charges, calling them "horrible lies." His attorneys argue the allegations are a retaliatory "revenge plot" by the boys' parents after the children were recast for the show's final season. The defense has pointed to a Warner Bros. internal investigation that found no corroborating evidence, as well as a polygraph test they claim Busfield passed. The defense described the set as a "playful environment" that has been mischaracterized. According to police affidavits, Busfield allegedly encouraged the children to call him "Uncle Tim" and built relationships with their families through social gatherings and gifts. Following news of the charges, Busfield was removed from a guest role in the upcoming Season 27 of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and replaced by actor David Zayas. Busfield has been married for 12 years to actress Melissa Gilbert, who has publicly supported him throughout the criminal proceedings. Busfields career includes an Emmy win for his role as Elliot Weston in "thirtysomething," as well as appearances in "The West Wing," "Field of Dreams," "Stripes," "Revenge of the Nerds," and "Sneakers." He has directed over 150 episodes of television, including work on "This Is Us" and "The Fosters." Check back to Daily Voice for the latest updates. US President Donald Trump speaks during the 74th annual National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton in Washington DC, on February 5, 2026. - Alex Wong/Getty Images This is one shock Donald Trump may prefer not to inflict on Americans. If one day soon, they awake to a new war with Iran, the president will be taking a huge gamble in a nation starting to look exhausted by his extremes. Polls show voters overwhelmingly worry about the economy and their struggles to afford food and housing. Yet Trump opened the year concentrating on almost everything else. Hes toppled a Venezuelan dictator, sent federal agents on a deportation surge into Minnesota that killed two citizens and is back maligning the electoral system. And he is acquiring a taste for putting down a military hammer hes struck sites in Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, Venezuela and alleged drug boats in the Pacific and the Caribbean during his first year back in office. Thats one reason why his threats to punish Iran for cracking down on protesters and to prevent it ever reconstituting its nuclear program have teeth, as negotiations open Friday in Oman between officials from Washington and Tehran. But with approval ratings dipping below 40%, in a midterm election year that already looks grim for Republicans, Trump must consider his ragged domestic standing alongside the hideously difficult military questions hes facing on Iran. Trump believes his volatility widens his negotiating room. Yet amid a new Iran crisis, its getting harder to see how he emerges with the kind of crisp, easy win that he craves. The president is convinced that Irans clerical leaders want to do a deal to avoid the possibility of war with the United States. Hes amassed a significant naval force in the region and has military options to inflict a grievous blow. This buildup has added steel to hard-driving diplomacy. And the Iranians may not be able to rely on a TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) moment. Trumps global belligerence has enforced red lines. He took bold action to assassinate Iranian military and intelligence chief Qasem Soleimani in Iraq in his first term. In his second, he sent US stealth bombers on a daring round-the-world trip to pulverize Irans nuclear sites. Trump has also plunged into Iranian domestic politics more than any other 21st-century president, warning the clerical regime of reprisals for continued attacks on their own citizens, following a brutal crackdown last month that apparently killed thousands of people in cold blood. In short, Trump has committed immense personal and geopolitical prestige to his latest test of wills with leaders in Tehran. Why Iran is especially vulnerable In this photo obtained by The Associated Press, Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. - UGC/AP It might just make sense for Trump to charge through a rare opening: Iran has never been weaker in its 45-year showdown with the United States: The revolutionary regimes future is clouded by a succession crisis that is eroding its aura of permanence. The aged Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot go on forever. Its crisis of political legitimacy has never been more extreme. Stark desperation and hopelessness drove protesters to the streets amid food and water shortages and grinding economic conditions. And Irans regional proxies including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which once offered an insurance policy against outside attack have been devastated by wars with Israel. This trio of factors create a logical rationale for US military action against Iran. There may be no better time for Washington to topple a regime that has haunted its Middle East policy, threatened its allies, and killed many Americans, both in terror attacks and through militias during the Iraq war. The opening may not last long. And if Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dont take the shot now, they may regret a lost opportunity in years to come. If Trump managed a feat beyond Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama and Biden by defeating one of Americas most sworn enemies, hed earn a place in history that couldnt be denied. Given the current presidents obsession with legacy, this must be a tantalizing prospect. In an administration where the constraints on presidential action have all been removed, it may come down to Trumps instincts. The most important deliberations are those which are happening inside President Trumps head, Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert with the Carnegie Institute for International Peace, told CNNs Becky Anderson on Monday. I think if you look at his own precedent on three major occasions, he rolled the dice with Iran in 2018 he left the nuclear deal. In 2020 he assassinated Irans top military commander, Qasem Soleimani. And of course, last June, he bombed their nuclear sites, and he believes that all these decisions were vindicated, and now Iran is weaker than it has been in the past because it doesnt have any air defenses. Sadjadpour went on: I think that context, coupled with the fact that Irans leadership continues to taunt him and added to the fact that there isnt a grand bargain to be done, there is not a Nixon to China moment where you can get a great deal and normalize relations. And if hes already said he obliterated Irans nuclear program last June, its unclear to me how getting another nuclear deal is going to be the outcome that hes looking for here. Risks of military action are higher than in Venezuela But moving forward with military strikes would come with huge risks both in their execution and in the uncertain political conditions they may ensure. A serious attempt to either decapitate the Iranian regime or to devastate the military capacity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Basij paramilitary militia would likely require a multi-day air campaign. Attempting to degrade Irans capacity to crush new protests would run the high risk of civilian losses given that much of machinery of repression is sited in civilian areas. Without the unthinkable prospect of a major ground invasion, how effective could such an effort be when the recent crackdown was carried out with brutal close-quarters street violence? Iran, the seat of the ancient Persian civilization, is more contiguous and less plagued by sectarian divides than Iraq which splintered after the US invasion in 2003. But no one wants to test the impact of a power vacuum if the government falls, in the absence of any clear path to a return to democracy. And the short, sharp thunderclap strike of the type Trump prefers and that doesnt conflict with the no-foreign-quagmires mantra of his MAGA movement may not be sufficient to topple the clerical regime in Tehran. But a longer military engagement with uncertain consequences would severely test Americans trust in their president. A war that went wrong could devastate Republicans in Novembers already unpromising midterm elections. A sense of hubris has gathered around the White House since the toppling of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro last month. But major US combat deaths in an Iranian war could effectively drain all the power and legitimacy from Trumps second term. Thereve also been signs in recent weeks that Americas Gulf allies with whom Trump is close fear the consequences of a US attack on Iran. Short-term missile strikes by Iran are possible. Tehran could try to cripple regional oil infrastructure. And long-term unrest could jolt a region now transitioning towards lucrative new horizons like AI and tourism. Some of Irans neighbors also fear chaos could ensue if Khamenei is killed because his country has known nothing but iron rule for more than 40 years. Another possibility is that the clerics could be succeeded by an equally brutal but more secular regime that would seek to reconstitute its regional threat. Iranian people wave national flags and hold up a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while fireworks illuminate the sky during a pro-government religious rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on February 4, 2026. - Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhotoGetty Images Why diplomacy may not work either This is all an argument for stepping back from the brink. But after Trumps weeks of threatening rhetoric, a decision not to strike Iran could drain international credibility the president amassed with the strikes on the nuclear sites last year and with the stunning raid into Venezuela. And doesnt he also owe an obligation to Irans people as they dream of freedom? Trumps predecessors avoiding encouraging a counter-revolution in Iran because they feared providing a pretext for even more fierce repression against demonstrators seen as US proxies. Trump had no such qualms and his vow that the US was locked and loaded to punish Tehran for its crackdowns conceivably brought more people onto the streets. If the president doesnt follow up, Irans leaders may be even less reticent to inflict horrendous violence on their citizens come the next uprising. Given the complexity of the military equation, its obvious why the administration has not closed off a diplomatic exit ramp. But its hard to see any deal that the president will offer Iran that it will be prepared to accept and vice versa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio laid out US goals ahead of the talks in Oman. Im not sure you can reach a deal with these guys, but were going to find out, Rubio said. He made clear that the administration wants to focus on Irans nuclear program, but also the range of Tehrans ballistic missiles and its sponsorship of terrorist organizations and its treatment of its people. CNN has reported Iran is interested only in discussing its nuclear program in whatever shape that it may be following last years US attacks. Thats hardly surprising, since a deal that curtailed its missile threat would erode its capacity to deter future attacks by the US and Israel. In return for curbs on uranium enrichment, it would seek sanctions relief leaving the Trump team with the unpalatable choice of entering into the same kind of deal they slammed former President Barack Obama for agreeing which excluded ballistic missiles and effectively allowed Tehran to build its regional power base. One option for Trump would be to ink a rudimentary deal and hype it as a great victory the great salesmans certainly done this before. This might placate war-weary US voters, but it would send a clear message of a climbdown to US adversaries and tarnish his global strongman aura. Tehran, meanwhile, could do what it always does test the limits of the deal and wait out yet another US president. And the Iranian people Trump vowed to help just a few weeks ago would be be stuck under the iron rule of a ruthless regime with all hope crushed. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com President Donald Trump on Thursday again shifted explanations of why Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was at a controversial FBI search of a Georgia election office where 2020 ballots were seized amid his continuing false claims of voter fraud. Trump told attendees of the National Prayer Breakfast that it was Attorney General Pam Bondi who "insisted" that Gabbard oversee the Jan. 28 raid at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operations Center. Al Drago/Reuters - PHOTO: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attends the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, February 5, 2026. "She went in and she looked at votes that want to be checked out from Georgia," he said of Gabbard. "They say, 'Why is she doing it?'" he continued, referring to questions raised about why Gabbard -- who deals with foreign intelligence threats -- was getting involved in domestic law enforcement. "Because Pam wanted her to do it," he said. "And you know why? Because she's smart." Trump posts discredited conspiracy theories following seizure of 2020 ballots in Georgia His comments came just hours after NBC News aired an interview in which Trump was asked about the probe and why Gabbard was there. "I don't know," Trump answered, even though Gabbard's office earlier had said Trump ordered her to be there -- and sources said even called her on the phone at the time. He then went on to suggest there had been Chinese election interference. Gabbard, who attended the prayer breakfast along with Bondi, has given Congress a different account. Al Drago/Reuters - PHOTO: Attorney General Pam Bondi attends the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, February 5, 2026. In a letter obtained by ABC News and sent Monday to Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, respectively, Gabbard framed her involvement as part of what she described as her job to ensure U.S. election security. "My presence was requested by the President and executed under my broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence (CI), foreign and other malign influence and cybersecurity," she wrote. Both Democrats continued to voice alarm over Gabbard's visit on Thursday. In a post on social media on Thursday, Warner said: "If Trump ordered Gabbard to attend the FBI raid in Fulton County, it raises serious concerns about the extent to which he is intervening in domestic criminal investigations about his loss in 2020." In his own statement, Himes said Gabbard "has yet to offer a plausible explanation, or a defensible legal rationale for her presence" at the FBI raid. "If, as she claims, Gabbard has compelling evidence to suggest foreign interference against the election infrastructure in question, she must share that information with Congress immediately," Himes said in the statement. "Otherwise, in concert with the President's call for nationalizing elections, this is a political stunt that raises profound Constitutional questions about ODNI's mission and integrity." An ODNI official told ABC News last week that Gabbard's presence was requested by the president "and executed under her broad statutory authority to coordinate, integrate, and analyze intelligence related to election security, including counterintelligence, foreign malign influence, and cyber security." Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters - PHOTO: Tulsi Gabbard inside a vehicle outside the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant there in relation to the 2020 election in Union City, Georgia, Jan. 28, 2026. Later Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked if Trump had asked Gabbard to go to Georgia and she responded, "The president was asked and answered that question just yesterday." She accused the news media of getting "very caught up with the semantics of why Tulsi Gabbard is there." ODNI officials defended the administration's account, with a spokesperson writing in a statement to ABC News, "There's no contradiction. As the President said, he asked for Director Gabbard to be there." "Attorney General Bondi also asked for her to be there. Two things can be true at the same time," the statement added. At the time of the raid, Gabbard arranged a phone call between the president and the agents in which he told them they were doing great work in searching and investigating Georgia's elections, multiple sources told ABC News. Georgia officials audited and certified the results following the election, and numerous lawsuits challenging the election results in the state have been rejected by courts. "Every audit, every recount, every court ruling has confirmed what we the people of Fulton County already knew: Our elections were fair and accurate and every legal vote was counted," Robb Pitts, chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, said at a press briefing on Jan. 29. Fulton County officials say FBI agents removed 700 boxes containing ballots and other materials associated with the 2020 election after obtaining a search warrant approved by a federal magistrate judge. Investigators are going ballot by ballot, searching for any irregularities, sources said. Fulton County officials have demanded that those materials be returned. Tulsi Gabbard arranged Trump call with FBI agents after Georgia election raid: Sources Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims that there was voter fraud in the 2020 election, specifically in Georgia, that contributed to his election loss to Biden. He also has repeated claims, without evidence, that China and other foreign adversaries were involved in the alleged fraud. Al Drago/Reuters - PHOTO: President Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast, February 5, 2026. The probe and Gabbard's involvement have come under heavy scrutiny on Capitol Hill by Democrats who have questioned DNI's authority over the matter. Federal law describes the DNI as a person to "designate and oversee a National Counterintelligence Officer within the National Counterintelligence and Security Center to lead, manage, and coordinate counterintelligence matters related to election security," including any risks by foreign entities. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to clarify a statement from ODNI. FILE PHOTO: Buildings lie in ruins amidst the rubble in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on December 8, 2025. REUTERS/Nir Elias REUTERS/File Photo By Alexander Cornwell JERUSALEM, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has drafted plans to build a compound to house thousands of displaced Palestinians in a part of south Gaza under Israeli military control, according to a map seen by Reuters and people briefed on the plans. The planning map shows where the "UAE Temporary Emirates Housing Complex" would be constructed near Rafah, once a city of a quarter of a million people but now almost completely destroyed and depopulated by Israeli forces. Rafah, near the Egypt border, is where reconstruction of Gaza is expected to start under U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for a durable peace in the densely populated coastal enclave after two years of devastating war. Donors have been reluctant to commit funds to the plan, worried that disagreements over disarming Hamas militants could lead the parties back to full-scale conflict. However there are doubts about the political viability of the Emirati project, as most Palestinians could balk at being housed in an Israeli-controlled zone while the vast majority of civilians live in Hamas-run areas of Gaza, diplomats said. Trump's plan saw the establishment of a U.S.-led, multinational mission for Gaza based in southern Israel, where Emirati officials have shared details of their plans to build temporary housing and provide basic services in Rafah, four diplomats briefed on the initiative said. The map shows that the UAE housing would sit near the "yellow line" agreed under an October ceasefire to demarcate Israeli- and Hamas-controlled areas. In response to questions for this story, an Emirati official said the Gulf country "remains committed to scaling up its humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza", without confirming or denying plans to build the temporary housing site. 'CHOKING HAMAS OFF' One of the diplomats said the Israeli military had cleared a large area leading from the Mediterranean coast toward Rafah for temporary housing projects like the one the UAE was planning. The diplomats said the Emirati initiative resembled a U.S. proposal to build temporary housing for Palestinians in areas of Gaza that are still controlled by Israel. U.S. officials initially described their plan as "Alternative Safe Communities" and more recently as "Planned Communities", the diplomats said. A U.S. official said the UAE was coordinating on its housing initiative with Washington, with the Board of Peace, a new global body established by President Donald Trump to resolve conflicts, and with a U.S.-backed Palestinian committee that is to administer Gaza. "We continue to be impressed with the UAE's efforts for bringing a better life for Gazans in Gaza," the official said. American officials have hoped that building housing in the Israeli-controlled areas could generate momentum toward Hamas' disarmament, encouraging Gazans to leave Hamas-controlled zones and depriving the Islamist group of a civilian population. Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East expert at The Soufan Center, a U.S.-based, security-focused think tank, said the "Alternative Safe Communities" were designed as a way of gradually "choking Hamas off", but for it to be effective, it would have to be built at scale, housing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. "Only a couple of housing projects is not going to defeat Hamas. You need to do a lot ... to have an effect," he said. DOUBTS ON NUMBERS The UAE, which established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020 under a Trump-brokered accord, sees Hamas and other political Islamist groups as threats to Middle East stability. The four diplomats doubted whether Palestinians would move in large numbers to areas under Israeli control and questioned whether the proposals risked a permanent division of Gaza. But unlike the U.S. initiative, the Emiratis had identified a site where no homes previously existed, the diplomats said. The Israeli military controls about 53% of Gaza, including its southernmost area that encompasses the ruined city of Rafah. Hamas controls the rest of the territory, where nearly all of Gaza's two million Palestinians are living in crowded tent camps and amid the rubble of destroyed neighbourhoods. Foreign diplomats and aid workers say that humanitarian aid and shelter should be directed to areas where there are many people. About 20,000 Palestinians are thought to be inhabiting areas of Gaza under Israeli military control, diplomats say. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; editing by Rami Ayyub and Mark Heinrich) The Connecticut Office of Inspector General is investigating the use of deadly physical force by a state trooper during a high-speed chase that ended in a crash on a highway last fall, officials announced. Office of Inspector General Connecticut State Police have placed a trooper and a supervising sergeant on administrative duty as state officials investigate a high-speed pursuit last fall that ended with an intentional vehicle collision. A motor vehicle pursuit in which a CSP Trooper may not have complied with the Statewide Pursuit Policy is under CSP review, state police said in a statement. The incident occurred in the Troop E area. (scroll for details), where the trooper sought and obtained authorization from a supervisor to intentionally collide with a fleeing vehicle, police said. State police said that while the review remains pending, the police powers of the involved Trooper and Sergeant have been suspended, and both have been placed on administrative duty. An Internal Affairs investigation has been initiated, and the pursuit has also been referred to the Office of the Inspector General for possible review, police said. The Connecticut Office of Inspector General is separately investigating the use of deadly physical force by a state trooper during the chase, which occurred on Nov. 24, 2025, at approximately 11:47 p.m., Inspector General Eliot D. Prescott said. The trooper, identified as Wilfred J. Blanchette, used a pursuit intervention technique during the chase involving a vehicle driven by Jesus Santiago of Manchester and a passenger, Tyloine Reddick, Prescott said. According to the Inspector General, the pursuit began on Route 2A in Montville after Blanchette observed a silver 2006 Honda Accord speeding, driving erratically, and displaying license plates registered to a different vehicle. Police said the driver failed to stop and led troopers onto Interstate 395 northbound before exiting onto Route 2 westbound, reaching speeds of up to 120 mph. After stop sticks deflated one of the vehicles tires, the pursuit continued, officials said. Blanchette then sought and received authorization to intentionally strike the vehicle, according to investigators. A PIT maneuver, which the Inspector General said constitutes the use of deadly physical force, was used twice, with the second collision causing the vehicle to crash into a center-median guardrail and end the pursuit. Santiago was arrested without further incident, officials said. Reddick was taken into custody after a brief struggle during which a K-9 officer bit him in the left leg. Both men refused medical treatment and were charged with motor vehicle and narcotics offenses, according to the release. State police said no further details are available while the investigation remains in its early stages and that results will be released publicly once all Internal Affairs and Inspector General reviews are complete. Love looks like care. This Valentine's Day, VARON invites families to show love in a way that helps loved ones breathe easierat home and on the go. NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- VARON , a trusted provider of respiratory care solutions, today announced its Valentine's Day Sale, a limited-time event designed to celebrate love through meaningful, health-forward gifts. Centered on comfort, mobility, and peace of mind, the event offers thoughtful savings across VARON's lineup of portable oxygen concentrator and home oxygen concentrator options without losing sight of what matters most: care that supports daily breathing needs. "Love looks like care," said VARON CEO. "For many people, that means choosing products that help loved ones stay active, comfortable, and confident. This Valentine's Day, we're making it easier to give a gift that truly supports well-being." Celebrate Valentine's Day with a gift that reflects lasting care, not just a single moment. Valentine's Day: Where Love, Care, and Health Meet Valentine's Day is often about romance, but at its heart, it's about care. For many people, love shows up in quieter wayschecking in, offering support, and making daily life a little easier. Health-focused gifts, such as a reliable home oxygen concentrator or a lightweight oxygen concentrator, can be a powerful expression of that care, supporting comfort and independence long after the holiday has passed. VARON's Valentine's Day event is designed around this idea: that caring for someone's breathing is caring for their quality of life. Valentine's Day Offers Designed to Support Everyday Breathing To make essential respiratory care more accessible, VARON is offering holiday pricing across its official store. All discounts are automatically applied at checkout for a simple, stress-free experience. 18% Sitewide Discount across the entire VARON range across the entire VARON range Free $30 VARON Gift Card with any machine purchase with any machine purchase Up to 40% Off Featured Products, available for a limited time These offers are intended to help families invest in dependable oxygen support while managing healthcare costs. Explore Valentine's Day savings created to support long-term respiratory care. Featured Portable and Home Oxygen Solutions VARON's featured Valentine's Day products focus on reliability, comfort, and ease of usekey considerations when selecting a portable oxygen concentrator or home oxygen concentrator. VP-8 Lite Portable Oxygen Concentrator A compact, lightweight oxygen concentrator with adjustable pulse flow and dual oxygen delivery modes, designed to support consistent oxygen needs during daily activities. A compact, lightweight oxygen concentrator with adjustable pulse flow and dual oxygen delivery modes, designed to support consistent oxygen needs during daily activities. VP-6 Continuous Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrator Provides adjustable continuous flow oxygen with a built-in nebulizer function, supporting dependable care at home or while staying active. Provides adjustable continuous flow oxygen with a built-in nebulizer function, supporting dependable care at home or while staying active. VP-8G Ultra Portable Oxygen Concentrator Ultra-lightweight and easy to operate, offering multiple pulse flow settings and a large replaceable battery for flexible, everyday use. Ultra-lightweight and easy to operate, offering multiple pulse flow settings and a large replaceable battery for flexible, everyday use. VH-2 Pro Home Oxygen Concentrator Designed for home comfort with adjustable continuous flow, nebulization support, and an intuitive LED control panel. Designed for home comfort with adjustable continuous flow, nebulization support, and an intuitive LED control panel. Serene 3 and Serene 5 Home Oxygen Concentrators Medical-grade oxygen purity, quiet operation, and smooth mobility for consistent home-based respiratory support. Bundle Options for Extended Confidence and Support For individuals who need longer run times or added flexibility, VARON's Valentine's Day bundles pair oxygen concentrators with extra batteries and essential accessories. These thoughtfully assembled packages support extended use throughout the day, making them ideal for active routines or families seeking dependable travel oxygen concentrators for everyday outings. Each bundle is designed to reduce interruptions and provide confidence wherever life happens. Choose a bundle that keeps care going longer, without added complexity. Why Families Trust the VARON Official Store Shopping directly from VARON ensures peace of mind at every step. Customers benefit from high-quality products, competitive pricing, and dependable after-sales support. Every purchase includes official warranty coverage, fast U.S. shipping, flexible payment options, and access to dedicated customer care. Valentine's Day pricing is also protected by a 30-day price guarantee, reinforcing VARON's commitment to transparency and trust. A Valentine's Gift That Gives Back As part of the Valentine's Day event, customers will receive a redeemable VARON gift card with qualifying purchases, usable for accessories or future needs. VARON also invites customers to share their experiences through reviews or social posts, rewarding participation with additional store credits through its customer rewards program. It's VARON's way of celebrating the community built around better breathing and shared care. Share your story and help others discover breathing support that truly matters. About VARON VARON is dedicated to improving everyday respiratory care through thoughtfully designed portable oxygen concentrator and home oxygen concentrator solutions. With a focus on comfort, reliability, and user-centered design, VARON supports individuals and families seeking better breathing and greater independencetoday and for the long term. Media Contact: VARON Oxygen Concentrator Email: [email protected] Website: www.varoninc.com SOURCE Varon oxygen concentrator Mature cannabis plants with dense buds grow under controlled lighting conditions inside an indoor cultivation facility. Photo: Ryan Lange / Unsplash (The Center Square) Ohios attorney general has sued nine large cannabis operators for allegedly colluding to keep prices artificially high. Our investigation uncovered allegations of an industry-wide scheme designed to push small Ohio businesses out of the market, Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement. Ohios antitrust laws protect competition and consumers, not backroom deals that rig the system for a select few. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Franklin County, was prompted by a tip from a cannabis industry worker that the large, multi-state cannabis companies were negotiating to buy products from each other, instead of from independent Ohio growers. Ohio voters in 2022 approved legalizing recreational marijuana for residents 21 and older. ln just the first year of legalization, Ohios cannabis business reached $700 million, the lawsuit states. The lure of success in Ohios growing cannabis market has attracted large, multistate cannabis operators to eagerly clamber for Ohio consumer dollars, according to the lawsuit. But these multistate operators arent clambering to participate in the competition; theyre actively suppressing it. The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction barring the companies from continuing the alleged collusion and fines of up to $500 for each day the collusion occurred. The lawsuit also seeks attorney fees. Companies named in the lawsuit include Ascend Wellness, Ayr Wellness, The Cannabist Company, Cresco Labs,Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries, Jushi, Trulieve and Verano. All of the defendants are headquartered in other states. According to the tip received by the Attorney Generals office, the companies held a meeting in late 2022 and agreed to reduce purchases from independent businesses in order to preserve shelf space for one another during a period of increased supply and declining prices, the Attorney Generals Office said in a statement. The tip further alleged that some companies established explicit internal quotas, reserving a substantial percentage of dispensary shelf space for products sourced through reciprocal agreements with other multistate operators. Jill Biden's ex, William Stevenson, has an eerie connection to Robert Durst.mega; New Castle County Police/X; HBO Former First Lady Jill Biden's ex-husband's shady past has been exposed, in light of his arrest for the death of his wife, RadarOnline.com can report. William Stevenson has been charged with the first-degree murder of Linda Stevenson, who was found dead inside their Wilmington, Delaware home. William Stevenson's Shady Past William Stevenson has been arrested and charged with the murder of his wife.newsmax This isn't the first time Stevenson's name has been brought up following the mysterious death of a woman. In the early 1980s, fresh off his divorce from Jill, Stevenson entered into a salacious relationship with Kathie Durst, the wife at the time of then-unknown serial killer Robert Durst, who famously outed himself as a murderer during an HBO documentary. Shortly after Robert found out about the affair, Kathie vanished and was never seen again. Robert was eventually charged with Kathie's disappearance decades later, after his infamous "bathroom confessional," but died in 2021 before a trial could begin. With Robert gone, Stevenson stepped forward that same year and confessed to the affair, telling local Westchester, New York's News 12: "I feel like I'm the missing link in this case." Robert Durst's Rage on Display. Stevenson had an affair with the then-wife of serial killer Robert Durst.Orleans Parish Stevenson recalled the day Robert found out about the affair, after catching him and Kathie the morning after a night of passion, calling it the first time he realized what the murderer was capable of. "The next thing I realize, there is pounding at the door at 7:30 a.m.," he shared. "She runs out of the bedroom, and then runs back in and says, 'It's Bob.' "I jump up. I ran out. And then all of a sudden, he screams something. He had a wad of cash rolled up and hit her right in the face with it, and it was so crazy, and he started yelling, 'Kathleen, this isn't going to happen.' "And she started yelling, 'I'm moving to Delaware. I'm moving to Delaware. I'm done.' and I'm like, sitting there. I'm in shock. People have to understand that this guy is a monster I saw it in his eyes." Does William Stevenson Have a Role in Kathie Durst's Disappearance? Durst's wife mysteriously vanished 10 days later.HBO Kathie vanished 10 days later. Her disappearance has never been solved. Now, with Stevenson's name back in the headlines on murder charges, questions about what happened to Kathie have resurfaced, and whether Jill's ex could have had any role in it. Speaking exclusively with Radar, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office said it is aware of the developments involving Stevenson, but, as far as they are concerned, their case is closed. "We felt confident that we could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Robert Durst murdered Kathleen Durst in Westchester County," it said in a statement. New Murder Charges Jill Biden married Joe Biden after her divorce from Stevenson.MEGA Earlier this week, William, 77, was arrested after his wife was found dead inside their Wilmington, Delaware, home following an alleged "domestic dispute" in December 2025. New Castle County Police were dispatched to the Stevensons' home around 11:15 p.m. on December 28, 2025, where they found Linda unresponsive in the living room. The 64-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene, originally attributed to "cardiac arrest." However, after a multi-week investigation into Linda's death, William was taken into custody at the same home on Monday, February 2, without incident. A grand jury returned an indictment on first-degree murder charges, and he was arrested shortly thereafter. William is currently being held at the Howard Young Correctional Center after failing to post $500,000 bail Key Points New NATO commitments are pushing European defense spending up. Hostilities in the Middle East are expected to push new spending in the region. Trump is encouraging and enabling greater spending on weapons worldwide. 10 stocks we like better than SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF Defense stocks soared in January. The S&P Aerospace and Defense Select index is up about 11% so far in 2026, driven higher by elevated geopolitical uncertainty, increased defense spending, and expectations of even greater government expenditures on military technologies in the near term. The State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF (NYSEMKT: XAR), which tracks that index, is up about 10.5% year to date vs. the S&P 500 index, which has risen only about 1%. 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 Three defense stocks in particular stand out, all of them up more than 20% in 2026 after only about a month: Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is up a whopping 26% so far this year. Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) has climbed 20%. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) is up more than 24%. It looks likely that these stocks have even more potential upside if you consider the factors that have been driving them higher and how those factors may play out through the remainder of this decade. Global defense spending is rising rapidly From the start of his second term, President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO members step up their defense spending. The alliance's former goal was for each member nation to spend 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. But under pressure from the White House, in June of 2025, that goal was boosted to 5% by 2035. That 5% will consist of 3.5% on pure defense and the rest on defense-related infrastructure. That's quite an increase, considering some of the largest economies in the world are NATO members, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. Germany, with a GDP of more than $5 trillion, has announced plans to double defense spending within five years, hitting the 5% goal before 2030. We're now seeing the effects of those commitments. Global defense spending is expected to hit $2.6 trillion this year, an 8.1% increase over 2025. Spending is forecast to hit $2.9 trillion by the end of the decade. A fighter jet in flight. Image source: Getty Images. Two major new U.S. defense projects and Trump initiatives -- the Golden Dome missile defense shield and the Golden Fleet plan, aimed at building up the U.S. Navy -- will drive even more U.S. defense spending. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Huntington Ingalls Industries are among the major contractors involved in those projects. Trump's plan for the U.S. Navy includes a new battleship class that has been dubbed the Trump class. As my Motley Fool colleague Rich Smith wrote recently, "Everyone who's anyone in defense should profit off the new Trump-class battleships." Global aggressions are growing and spurring defense spending What's more, Trump's recent aggressive stance on acquiring Greenland has rattled the North Atlantic alliance. As a result, the European Union is expected to accelerate investment in its own defense capabilities, including air and missile defense, cyber operations, and rapid-response forces. Further, U.S.-Iran hostilities continue to build, and the Middle East, unfortunately, is becoming a more dangerous place by the month. As one analyst at Forecast International, a market intelligence firm for aerospace and defense, put it, "Virtually every country in the Middle East is either itself involved in a shooting war or is neighboring a country that is involved in a shooting war. And so ultimately, the way these countries are going to react to it is they're going to spend heavily on defense." Just last week, the Trump administration approved two enormous arms sales, one to Israel for $6.67 billion and another to Saudi Arabia for $9 billion. Products they'll buy include weapons built by U.S. defense firms, from Patriot missiles to Apache attack helicopters. Who benefits from such massive sales? Primarily, U.S. defense firms. It's a dangerous world, unfortunately. And governments around the globe are arming for it. U.S. defense firms -- and their shareholders -- will be huge beneficiaries. Should you buy stock in SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF right now? Before you buy stock in SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF, 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 SPDR Series Trust - State Street SPDR S&P Aerospace & Defense ETF 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 $436,126!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, youd have $1,053,659!* Now, its worth noting Stock Advisors total average return is 885% a market-crushing outperformance compared to 192% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2026. Matthew Benjamin has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. A courtroom sketch of Luigi Mangione on 30 January [REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg] A judge has set a New York state trial date of 8 June for Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a busy Manhattan street in 2024. After New York Judge Gregory Carro announced the date in court on Friday, Mangione's defence team objected passionately, arguing Mangione's federal trial - set for September - should go before the state case because of double jeopardy issues. Mangione himself weighed in on the matter, too. As he was being taken away from the courtroom by police officers in his tan jumpsuit and handcuffs, he yelled to the court: "It's the same trial twice. One plus one equals two. Double jeopardy by any common sense judgment." Mangione was arrested following a days-long manhunt, after allegedly shooting Thompson as the health insurance firm CEO walked into a New York City hotel in midtown Manhattan on 4 December 2024. Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all federal and state charges. The hearing came a week after a federal judge set the September date for Mangione's trial and dropped firearms charges against him that carried a death penalty punishment. The brief state hearing on Friday was tense as Mangione's lawyer, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, attempted to plead her case for the judge to postpone the trial date. Judge Carro said the federal government had "reneged" on an agreement for the state trial to go first, but he argued that should still be the case, and that it shouldn't take long because some of the state charges - terrorism counts - against Mangione had been dropped earlier. "This case got simpler," he said. But Agnifilo was not convinced. "The defence will absolutely not be ready on June 8, and it is absolutely unfair," she said, arguing Mangione had been put in an "untenable" situation with two trials so close together. Judge Carro frequently interrupted Agnifilo as she spoke, emphasising the date he had just set: "June 8." "That's enough. I don't need to hear any more about it," he told Agnifilo. Mangione's attorneys frequently argued that the double jeopardy law protects him from being prosecuted twice - by the state and the federal government - for the same crime. In the past, they've asked Judge Carro to pause the proceedings while the federal case takes place, a request he has denied. Leaving court on Friday, Agnifilo claimed double jeopardy was meant to "protect" people but prosecutors were using it as a "weapon". At Mangione's state hearing, members of the public filled several rows of the courtroom, including some wearing "Free Luigi" shirts and pins of Mangione appearing as a saint-like figure. Mangione's lawyers had been fighting to get rid of federal death penalty charges against Mangione. US District Judge Margaret Garnett ruled last week that the charges did not meet "the federal statutory definition of a 'crime of violence' as matter of law". But Friday marked a win for state prosecutors, who had pushed to hold the New York trial against Mangione before his federal proceedings begin in September. The scion of a prominent Maryland family who graduated from an Ivy League university, Mangione is alleged to have shot Thompson, as the 50-year-old father of two attended an annual investor conference. Investigators say the words "deny", "defend" and "depose" were written on shell casings found at the scene of Thompson's murder. The words are thought to reference the "three Ds of insurance" - tactics used by companies to reject payment claims from customers. Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy | Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for W Magazine Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz have reportedly taken a major step in their relationship. A recent report suggests that the former One Direction member proposed to the actress-filmmaker during their holiday in the Bahamas. Styles and Kravitz sparked dating rumors in August 2025, after being sighted together in Rome. Subsequent sightings not only fueled these rumors but also sparked speculations about the nature of their dynamic. Insiders think Harry Styles is engaged Multiple insiders suggest Harry Styles and Zoe Kravitz, who have not yet publicly confirmed their relationship, are engaged. Notably, engagement rumors were going strong in recent months, after the latter was seen sporting a gold ring. The Sun reported, citing an insider, that Styles and Kravitz traveled to the Bahamas after Christmas and stayed at the latters father, Lenny Kravitzs, house there. The insider shared that the rumored couple had a fun but very romantic time, like their other trips, and started the New Year there. However, they added that the pairs Bahamas trip was unlike the others in the sense that it was extra special. The insider continued, There has been talk amongst locals that a proposal did take place. Meanwhile, one insider remarked that it was unlikely that Styles would tell the public if he had gotten engaged. They speculated that something important happened between the pair in the Bahamas that solidified them as a couple, if not an engagement. Moreover, Styles and Kravitz have reportedly deliberately welcomed paparazzi photographing them in recent times. An insider noted, Harrys been in this industry a long time, and he knows how his fanbase reacts to things. They continued, He doesnt take introducing the world to a new girlfriend lightly. He has thought long and hard about it, but hes prepared for the backlash because he thinks Zoe is the real deal. Last month, Page Six reported, citing a source, that Kravitz viewed Styles as her soulmate. The outlet shared that the Blink Twice filmmaker told her close friends the same. A source suggested that her relationship with the Dont Worry Darling actor [felt] different compared to her dynamics with ex-husband, Karl Glusman, and former fiance, Channing Tatum. The post Insiders Think Harry Styles & Zoe Kravitz Are Engaged appeared first on Mandatory. FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is detailing cases in which anti-ICE agitators actively helped criminal illegal immigrants evade federal arrest, including suspects accused of child rape, domestic abuse and gang-related violence. The cases point to a growing pattern of organized interference with federal immigration enforcement during recent ICE operations. "These are the monsters that agitators and sanctuary politicians are protecting," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. "We remind the public that obstructing law enforcement is a felony and a federal crime." From Protest To Felony: The Lines Minnesota Anti-ice Agitators May Be Crossing According to DHS, members of the anti-ICE Colorado Rapid Response Network alerted Jose Reyes Leon-Deras, a convicted child rapist, of ICE's presence on June 20, 2025. A Facebook post by the anti-ICE group accused by DHS of helping with Leon-Deras' evasion on June 20, indicates members affiliated with the anti-ICE group used a bullhorn that day to alert potential targets of ICE. The post suggested that police left without serving any warrants, while noting that agents returned in the days that followed. Read On The Fox News App According to DHS, federal agents finally arrested Leon-Deras June 27, and he was issued a final order of removal Oct. 30 during the Trump administration's ongoing operations in Colorado. In a separate situation in Minneapolis, an apartment manager allegedly prevented federal immigration agents from entering a building where a criminal foreign national from Somalia, convicted of violent sex crimes and previously arrested for a high-level assault, was located. DHS accused the apartment manager of actively protecting a sex offender, Mahad Abdulkadir Yusuf, who had a conviction for criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. He allegedly forcibly compelled his victim to perform sex acts on him on multiple occasions. According to DHS, Yusuf was also arrested in 2016 for first-degree assault and had an active warrant out for obstructing police. Weekend Roundup: Convicted Murderers, Child Sex Abusers Among Illegal Aliens Nabbed By Ice Across Us Yusuf originally entered the United States in 1996 and was a lawful permanent resident, but his crimes made him eligible for removal, and ICE arrested him Dec. 31. Another child sex offender, Jozias Natanael Carmona-Pena, was allegedly assisted by not only agitators but sanctuary city leaders in Minneapolis, according to DHS. Carmona-Pena had pending charges for lewd and lascivious acts with a child, but he was released onto the streets of Minneapolis after local law enforcement allegedly denied ICE's detainer request that Carmona-Pena be held until they could pick him up for immigration violations, according to the Trump administration. Carmona-Pena was issued a final order of removal in 2023 but remained in the country. When federal officials sought to arrest Carmona-Pena Dec. 10, agitators allegedly swarmed immigration officials and obstructed their attempts to arrest the illegal alien accused of child sex crimes, including by ramming one of their cars into an ICE vehicle. Local police subsequently responded and provided assistance, but, according to DHS, the actions allowed Carmona-Pena to avoid arrest. He was eventually caught later that same month on Dec. 27 and is now in custody pending his removal. In another case from Milwaukee, a federal judge, Hannah Dugan, was convicted of felony obstruction for directing a criminal illegal alien, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, charged with domestic abuse, out a backdoor inside her courthouse to avoid ICE agents. According to DHS, Flores-Ruiz had other violent criminal charges on his record, from strangulation, suffocation and battery to domestic abuse, when he was eventually arrested following the April evasion incident with Dugan. Click Here To Download The Fox News App Federal immigration officials in Illinois who were chasing down an alleged Venezuelan gang member in Illinois were obstructed by agitators as well, according to DHS. DHS said when the suspect tried to barricade himself inside an apartment after ramming his car into police bystanders gathered around the officers and began throwing rocks and bottles at them. According to DHS, local police would not assist. After several hours of negotiation, ICE officials took Acosta into custody. "As our law enforcement are putting their lives on the line to arrest heinous criminals, including child rapists, sex offenders, gang members and other violent offenders, our officers are facing a coordinated campaign of violence against them," McLaughlin said Thursday. "President Trump and Secretary Noem have been very clear. We will not let agitators slow us down from removing criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods. If you obstruct or assault law enforcement, you will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." Original article source: DHS says anti-ICE agitators helped child rapists, gang members evade deportation High-stakes talks are set to commence in Oman on Friday between Iran and the United States, marking the latest diplomatic effort concerning Tehran's nuclear ambitions. These discussions unfold against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions, following a 12-day conflict launched by Israel against Iran in June and a subsequent brutal crackdown on widespread protests across the Islamic Republic. President Donald Trump has maintained significant pressure on Iran, deploying aircraft carriers and other military assets to the Gulf. He has also suggested potential US military action in response to the killing of peaceful demonstrators or if Tehran were to carry out mass executions following the protests. Mr Trump has also brought Iran's nuclear programme back into sharp focus, particularly after the June conflict disrupted five rounds of talks held in Rome and Muscat last year. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Oman on Thursday evening for the discussions with the United States, as confirmed by his spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei. Writing on social platform X, Mr Baghaei stated that despite previous breakdowns in talks between Tehran and Washington and the military action last June, Iranian officials remain hopeful of achieving an "honourable" agreement on the nuclear issue. "At the same time, we have a responsibility not to miss any opportunity to utilize diplomacy in order to secure the interests of the Iranian nation and safeguard peace and tranquillity in the region," Baghaei affirmed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gives a statement at the Ritz Hotel as he meets Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, on January 30, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey (Getty Images) As Fridays meeting approached, questions lingered regarding the scope of the agenda. While negotiations are primarily expected to address Iran's nuclear programme, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated this week that Washington hoped to discuss broader concerns. These include Irans ballistic missiles, its support for proxy networks across the region, and the "treatment of their own people." Iran, however, has insisted that talks should focus exclusively on the nuclear issue. The current diplomatic push was initially spearheaded by President Trump, who last year dispatched a letter to Irans 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei has previously warned that Iran would retaliate against any attack, a threat made as the theocracy he commands grapples with the aftermath of recent protests. President Trump sent his letter to Khamenei on 5 March 2025, subsequently acknowledging it in a television interview the following day. He stated: "Ive written them a letter saying, I hope youre going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, its going to be a terrible thing." Since returning to the White House, the president has advocated for talks while simultaneously escalating sanctions and hinting at potential military strikes by Israel or the US against Iranian nuclear sites. A previous letter from Mr Trump during his first term had elicited an angry response from the supreme leader. However, Mr Trumps correspondence with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his initial term did lead to face-to-face meetings, though these did not result in agreements to curb Pyongyangs atomic bombs or its missile programme capable of reaching the continental US. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, shakes hands with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi during their meeting prior to Iran and the U.S. negotiations, in Muscat, Oman (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP) Oman, a sultanate situated on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, has historically played a mediating role in discussions between Mr Araghchi and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. The two officials have met directly following indirect talks, a rare occurrence given the decades of strained relations between the two nations. However, these efforts have not been without friction. Mr Witkoff once suggested in a television appearance that 3.67 per cent enrichment for Iran could be a point of agreement. This figure precisely matches the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, from which President Trump unilaterally withdrew the US. Since then, Mr Witkoff, Mr Trump, and other American officials have maintained that Iran should have no enrichment under any new deal, a condition Tehran steadfastly rejects. These earlier negotiations ultimately collapsed following Israel's war on Iran in June. The 12-day conflict launched by Israel in June included US bombing raids on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran later confirmed in November that these attacks had led to a halt in all uranium enrichment within the country, although inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have been unable to access the bombed sites. Soon after, Iran was gripped by protests that began in late December over the collapse of its currency, the rial. These demonstrations quickly spread nationwide, prompting Tehran to launch a bloody crackdown that resulted in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of detentions. White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff speaks at an event in the Oval Office (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Irans nuclear programme remains a significant concern for Western powers. While Tehran has consistently asserted its programme is peaceful, Iranian officials have increasingly threatened to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran currently enriches uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels of 60 per cent, a purity achieved by no other nation without a nuclear weapons programme. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was permitted to enrich uranium up to 3.67 per cent purity and maintain a stockpile of 300 kilograms. The latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency indicates Irans stockpile now stands at approximately 9,870 kilograms, with a portion enriched to 60 per cent. US intelligence agencies assess that Iran has not yet initiated a weapons programme but has "undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so." Israel, a close American ally, is convinced Iran is seeking a weapon and advocates for the complete dismantling of its nuclear programme, alongside a cessation of its ballistic missile development and support for anti-Israel militant groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Relations between Iran and the US have been fraught for decades. Iran was once a key US ally in the Middle East under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who purchased American military hardware and allowed CIA technicians to operate listening posts monitoring the Soviet Union. A 1953 CIA-backed coup solidified the Shahs rule. However, in January 1979, the Shah, terminally ill, fled Iran amidst escalating mass demonstrations. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump (KHAMENEI.IR/AFP/AFP via Getty) The Islamic Revolution followed, led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, establishing Irans current theocratic government. Later that year, university students seized the US Embassy in Tehran, demanding the Shahs extradition and triggering the 444-day hostage crisis that severed diplomatic ties. The 1980s Iran-Iraq war saw the US support Saddam Hussein. During the "Tanker War" phase of that conflict, the US launched a one-day assault that severely damaged Irans naval capabilities, and later shot down an Iranian commercial airliner, which the US military claimed to have mistaken for a warplane. Iran and the US have since navigated a complex path between animosity and reluctant diplomacy, with relations reaching a peak with the 2015 nuclear deal. However, President Trumps unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 reignited tensions in the Middle East that persist to this day. Aviation Boulevard and Amtrak Way in Hanover. Google Maps street view A 53-year-old Massachusetts man was killed early Thursday morning after being struck by a car while walking on a Maryland road, police said. Benjamin Kirchmyer, of Franklin, Massachusetts, was struck by a 1998 Honda Civic at the intersection of Aviation Boulevard and Amtrak Way in Hanover shortly before 1 a.m., Anne Arundel County authorities said. Kirchmyer died at the scene. The 43-year-old driver, of Baltimore, was not injured in the crash, police said. The crash is under investigation. The intersection is near the site of another tragedy last week, when a security guard inside the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum shot and killed a 37-year-old coworker, Joseph Keith Aman, of Baltimore, on Jan. 28. Suttasitt "Macky" Pottasak is a typical candidate of Thailand's People's Party: young, idealistic and hardworking. He gave up a career in TV drama production in Bangkok to run in the last election, winning a rural seat near his home city of Nakhon Ratchasima from an old, established political family. He has adopted the hat and flag of Luffy, the main character in the Japanese anime series One Piece, which has featured in recent youth protests in Asia. He makes light-hearted videos about his party's policies every day, which are getting millions of views on social media. "Politics is something past generations made boring. I want to make it fun," he says. "That's why I brought in Luffy and my video mini-series. We don't have money to buy votes. We are just ordinary citizens, but with a strong determination to solve the long-standing problems. I think the villagers can see that." Opinion polls suggest that much of the Thai public agrees with the People's Party. They are polling consistently ahead of their rivals as the election on Sunday draws near. But in Thailand, winning an election is never enough. The last one, less than three years ago, produced a surprise win for the progressive Move Forward party, which had campaigned on promises of root-and-branch political and economic reforms. These included making Thailand's powerful military, and its largest businesses, more accountable, and reducing the heavy punishments under the notorious lese majeste law. But powerful conservative forces, in particular the unelected senate and the constitutional court, blocked Move Forward from forming a government, dissolved the party and banned its leaders from politics. The court ruled that its proposals for the lese majeste law amounted to an attempt to overthrow the entire political system. Now, after three tumultuous years of short-lived coalition administrations, the sacking of two prime ministers by the constitutional court and a border war with Cambodia, the reformists are making another bid for power, this time under a new name, the People's Party. Their youthful energy and idealism still draw large and excited crowds. At a rally in Nakhon Ratchasima the new party leader, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, a 38-year-old former software engineer, was mobbed like a rock star, people queueing for selfies with him and wrapping him in garlands of flowers. Macky (centre) is running for a rural seat in northeastern Thailand Macky and two assistants tour his constituency on e-scooters, passing irrigation canals, rice fields and the simple wooden houses characteristic of north-eastern Thai villages, listening to the concerns of the residents. They tell a story of a society under acute economic stress, where the old engines of growth have stopped working. The village head La-or Kohsantea says there are few decent jobs in the area, so young people have to leave to find work. "No-one has helped us with the problem of poverty," she says. Thailand has one of the highest levels of household debt in Asia. GDP is growing at less than 2% a year, far lower than neighbouring countries. Kritsana Lohsantea, 28, is asking Macky to help him get a modest social security payment when the electronics factory he works at closes down later this year. Like many young Thais in rural areas he left school at 15 with few qualifications, but the low-skilled manufacturing jobs which helped Thailand grow rapidly 30 or 40 years ago are now moving to lower-cost locations like Vietnam. Macky has also noticed how many elderly people there are in the area. Thailand's population has been falling for five years. Last year the number of births fell 10 %, the highest rate in the world. With so many young people leaving the village, Macky is proposing local training and a better online system for organising care-givers, to look after house-bound old people who no longer have family members living with them. Kritsana Lohsantea (right) is concerned about his prospects when the factory he works at closes down later this year The People's Party stands out for its ambition to transform Thailand. It has prioritised amending the constitution, which was drafted under military rule and gives a lot of power to unelected agencies like the constitutional court to constrain elected governments. The party wants to streamline the country's extensive bureaucracy, modernise its education system, and curb the power of the military and the biggest businesses. It also supports amending the military-drafted constitution, a question which will be put in a referendum at the same time as the election. Its two main rivals, Bhumjaithai, the party of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Pheu Thai, the party of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have focused instead on more crowd-pleasing policies. Anutin has highlighted his nationalist credentials, pointing to the hard line he took against Cambodia in the border war, and his support for the military. PM Anutin promised to protect Thailand's sovereignty against a backdrop showing him visiting Thai soldiers at the border "I promise you I will protect our soil with my life," he told the crowd at a rally in Bangkok. "If you want a prime minister the enemy cannot intimidate, choose my party." He has also persuaded many MPs from other parties to defect to him, and recruited technocrats known for their competence, to build Bhumjaithai up into a leading conservative political force. Pheu Thai, which built its past popularity on eye-catching populist policies has promised to create nine new millionaires in Thai baht every day through a national prize draw. Both parties are offering subsidies and cash handouts, but many economists argue this kind of instant help does little so solve the deep structural problems confronting Thailand. "This is barking up the wrong tree," says Apichat Satitniramai, a professor of economics at Thammasat University. "These stimulus packages are like painkillers, which are less effective the more we use them." In his view the People's Party is the only one thinking long-term, rather than just about what is needed to win the election. Bhumjaithai is one of the main rivals of the People's Party in this election From the moment the People's Party was founded in 2017, then called Future Forward, by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a charismatic and wealthy entrepreneur, it was viewed as a threat by powerful conservative figures. Thailand was under military rule at the time. The then-army chief compared the party to the armed communist insurgency of the Cold War. Some feared Thanathorn's argument that everything in Thailand needed reforming, might eventually include the monarchy, which conservatives say must be untouchable. After the party's surprisingly strong performance in the 2019 election, the constitutional court, which had already disqualified other parties and politicians seen as a threat to the status quo, barred Thanathorn from political office for 10 years. This was over his ownership of shares in a small publishing company, which was judged to violate rules against politicians controlling news media. Future Forward was dissolved by the court the following year, a verdict which ignited large-scale student protests that lasted until the end of the year, and for the first time, called for reform of the monarchy. By the time of the next election in 2023 the public hunger for change was even greater, delivering the successor party, Move Forward, its unexpected win, followed by the almost inevitable dissolution. The party was founded by entrepreneur Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (in white T-shirt) So, all eyes are on what happens after voting this weekend. If, as the polls suggest, the People's Party gets even more seats than last time, it will be well ahead of its closest rival, though the polls show none of the parties getting an overall majority of the 500 seats in parliament. This time the senate is no longer allowed to take part in choosing the next government. Yet everyone in Thailand expects some kind of move to block the People's Party once again. A case has been filed against 44 of its leading figures - including 15 of their parliamentary candidates - with the National Anti-Corruption Commission, over their personal endorsement of the lese majeste proposals. That could be used to bar them all from politics. Two of their candidates are also facing jail time under that law. "They are afraid of us," Thanathorn told the BBC, as he prepared to join a People's Party campaign bus. "They are afraid of change. They want tomorrow to be just like yesterday. They think dissolving our parties, banning our leaders from politics, would make us smaller. "In fact, we are getting bigger." Even if his party is allowed to join a government, the constraints on what they can do in office remain in place. That is why they have made reforming the constitution such a high priority, to dilute or end the extraordinary powers that deeply conservative institutions like the constitutional court have to unseat elected governments. In that they are joined by rival party Pheu Thai, which saw two of its prime ministers removed from office by the court during their two years in power. But there are many hurdles to getting a new charter. The process could take years, or it could easily be blocked. "If Thailand was a functional democracy, none of this would have happened," says Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee, a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University. "We have regular elections, sometimes punctuated by military coups. But elections only determine the representatives in the lower house of parliament. They do not determine who governs. That is determined by elite networks, and unelected institutions which have played a veto role against the will of the voters." [Getty Images] Three African country have agreed to take back foreign offenders and illegal migrants after the UK Home Secretary threatened them with visa penalties. In December - following threats from Shabana Mahmood - Namibia and Angola agreed to cooperate on returns. The home secretary has now also secured cooperation from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "My message is clear: if foreign governments refuse to accept the return of their citizens, then they will face consequences," she said following the agreement. The UK government had previously warned it would stop granting visas to people from Angola, Namibia and the DRC if their governments did not improve co-operation on removals. The Home Office had said that returns from the DRC, Angola and Namibia were being frustrated - with paperwork not being processed or people being required to sign their own documents - giving them an effective veto. It had warned that the three countries faced penalties for their "unacceptably poor and obstructive returns processes". While setting out changes to the UK's asylum system in November, Mahmood said visa penalties would be applied to countries that failed to co-operate with returns policies. Penalties included an "emergency brake" on visas for countries with high asylum claims until they take back citizens in the UK illegally. Following the agreement with the three countries, Mahmood said: "Illegal migrants and dangerous criminals will now be removed and deported back to Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo." "I will do what it takes to secure our order and control to our borders," she added. The government says over 3,000 people from these three countries could be eligible to be removed or deported due to the cooperation. In the year ending September 2025, there were 36,475 returns and deportations from the UK, an 11% increase on the previous 12 months. Around 5,000 of the returns were foreign national offenders - 48% came from EU countries and 52% came from non-EU countries. The Home Secretary has indicated that countries which refuse to work with the UK on returns cannot expect a normal visa relationship, with further threats expected for lack of cooperation. It is understood that India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Somalia and Gabon are all resistant to returns deals and it is possible that the government could look at sanctions for those countries. The government hopes that increasing the return of illegal migrants will deter people from trying to get to the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats. Last year, 41,472 migrants made the journey, a 13% rise on the year before. At the end of last year, European countries including the UK agreed to negotiate a new approach to interpreting the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to make it easier to deport illegal migrants. The Conservatives have said they would leave the treaty with party leader Kemi Badenoch arguing it was a necessary step to "protect our borders". DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The UAE SWAT Challenge continues to strengthen its position as a leading global platform bringing together elite tactical police and special forces units from around the world, according to commanders participating in the 7th edition, which runs from 7-11 February 2026 in Dubai. Team leaders said the challenge plays a vital role in enhancing operational readiness by improving physical and mental preparedness, reinforcing teamwork under pressure, and simulating realistic policing scenarios that closely reflect daily field operations. UAE SWAT Challenge 2026 Kicks off in Dubai Lieutenant Colonel George Rumanzi, Commissioner of Operations and Public Order at the Rwanda National Police and leader of the Rwanda team, highlighted the steady growth in both participation and performance levels. He noted that standards continue to rise with each edition, adding that Rwanda is aiming for a strong performance this year, particularly in the obstacle challenge. Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Ayman Al Mugharbil, General Supervisor of the two Syrian teams, said preparations were based on detailed analysis of previous editions. He explained that specialised training facilities were developed to replicate competition conditions, supported by an intensive three-month programme focusing on fitness, tactical readiness, and complex field scenarios. Officer Cristian Fernandez, leader of the Paraguay team and a first time participant, described the UAE SWAT Challenge as one of the world's most closely followed tactical competitions, praising the professionalism of the teams and the high level of organisation. Officer Joffre Ortega, leader of Ecuador Team 2, said the challenge closely mirrors real policing environments, requiring precision, resilience, and teamwork, while allowing teams to exchange expertise and maintain operational readiness. From the host nation, First Lieutenant Yasser Al Zarouni, Manager of Dubai Police SWAT Team, described the event as a global platform for knowledge exchange and cooperation, stressing that its objectives extend beyond competition to strengthening international partnerships. Sergeant James Coddington, leader of Dallas SWAT team from the United States, said their participation was inspired by the experience of American teams in previous editions. He noted that intensive preparation aims to improve performance under pressure and sharpen tactical decision making. Organised by the Ministry of Interior and hosted by Dubai Police, the UAE SWAT Challenge features 5 realistic challenges across five days, with teams competing for a total prize pool of USD 260,000. Competitions will be broadcast live on the official UAE SWAT Challenge YouTube channel. Media contacts : UAE SWAT Challenge Media Centre [email protected] +97146996224 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2888743/UAE_SWAT_Challenge.jpg SOURCE UAE SWAT Challenge Media Centre Illustration: Midjourney The Trump administration has a problem when it comes to the Second Amendment. A large part of its base consists of people who firmly believe in the right to keep and bear arms. But that right, as protected by the Second Amendment, empowers the individual and stands as a challenge to the authority of the state. This creates an awkward situation for a president and his coterie who don't like being challenged or even criticized. That's why we see administration officials arguing in favor of self-defense rights one moment while challenging the right to keep and bear arms at another. Mixed Messages on Gun Rights In December, the Trump administration sued Washington, D.C. over the city's draconian gun laws. The nation's capital bans the ownership of many semiautomatic firearms, including the widely owned AR-15 (tens of millions are in private hands nationwide). "Today's action from the Department of Justice's new Second Amendment Section underscores our ironclad commitment to protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans," commented U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "Washington, DC's ban on some of America's most popular firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendmentliving in our nation's capital should not preclude law-abiding citizens from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms." That's what you want to hear from government officialsfull-throated defense of individual rights, and legal action against jurisdictions that violate liberty. But just weeks later, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. was singing a very different tune. "You bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you're going to jail," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told Fox News on February 2. "I don't care if you have a license in another district, and I don't care if you're a law-abiding gun owner somewhere else. You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail, and hope you get the gun back." The next day, Pirro doubled down on X, commenting in a video post: "Every responsible gun owner that I know makes sure that they understand the laws where they are going and understand whatever registration requirements there might be.You're responsible, you follow the laws, you're not going to have a problem with me." But the point many gun owners correctly make is that rights supersede the law. The law should be obeyed only if it's respectful of natural rights. With its lawsuit against D.C. over the semiautomatic ban, the Trump administration already recognized that at least some of the capital's gun laws violate self-defense rights. So, why was one of its officials now threatening jail time for breaking those laws? A Brewing Feud With Gun Owners In fact, the Trump administration was already in trouble with gun owners after the shooting by Border Patrol agents of Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti, who was legally carrying a concealed firearm at the time of his death. Federal officials attacked Pretti as well as the right to bear arms. "You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It's that simple. You don't have a right to break the law and incite violence," FBI Director Kash Patel wrongly insisted. "I don't like it when somebody goes into a protest and he's got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also," complained Trump. To Pirro and the administration, the National Association for Gun Rights snapped back, "Bureaucrats act like the 2A does not exist and brag about jailing people for exercising their rights." "Recent events in Minnesota underscore a recurring and deeply troubling theme: Government officials and commentators treating natural rights as privileges," added the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC). "As the Declaration of Independence puts it, 'all men are created equal endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.' We believe those rights include the rights to self-defense, freedom of speech, and to protest the government." The FPC statement emphasizing "the rights to self-defense, freedom of speech, and to protest the government" underscored the administration's conflicted relationship with guns and the Second Amendment. In a country founded on armed revolution, the right to keep and bear arms is inextricably linked with resistance to authority. So, for that matter, is the right to free speech, whichin the form of pamphlets, articles, and public addressesput fire in the bellies of the original revolutionaries. Anti-Authoritarian Rights Meet an Authoritarian Administration But the authority the current crop of protesters demonstrate against is wielded by the Trump administration. And the officials whom they might resist hold office courtesy of the current president. That spirit of criticism and rebellion doesn't sit well with a man who has asserted, "I have the right to do whatever I want as President." More recently, Trump claimed in the context of global relations that he was constrained only by "my own morality. My own mind. It's the only thing that can stop me." That president has surrounded himself with hangers-on who flatter the boss or otherwise elevate deference to law and the powers-that-be over considerations of natural rights and of simple popular disagreement with the administration's policies. There's not much of an anti-authoritarian streak running through this (or, to be fair, any) White House. People protesting in the streets and exercising their right to bear arms are challenging officials who believe they can do whatever they want. The guns they own and carry are an implied threat that far more potential constraint exists in the hands of the public than will ever be supplied by one politician's personal morality. In political terms, the Trump administration must keep its base happy by, in part, supporting the individual right to keep and bear arms and working to overturn restrictions on the same. There are, certainly, some officials sincerely working towards that end. But the right to keep and bear arms, like the right to freedom of speech, makes individuals more powerful relative to the state. It's inherently anti-authoritarian. The Trump administration, under a president who bridles at any hint of restraint on his power, is authoritarian to its core. This administration sends mixed messages about the Second Amendment because it's deeply uncomfortable with the challenge to government posed by individuals exercising their natural right to keep and bear arms. The post The Trump Administration Has a Conflicted Relationship with the Second Amendment appeared first on Reason.com. Takaichi has "already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader," Trump says in throwing his weight behind her Donald Trump has endorsed Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of a snap election in her country on Sunday. Takaichi has "already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise leader... one that truly loves her country," the US president wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday, adding: "She will not let the people of Japan down!" While it is rare for US presidents to publicly back candidates in foreign elections, Trump has done so before, endorsing Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungary's Viktor Orban most recently. Takaichi has courted the US president as Tokyo seeks more stability in its relationship with Washington, its closest ally, in the wake of Trump's tariffs. Trump had threatened a 25% tariff initially, but Japan then struck a deal in July to invest $550bn (407bn) in the US. In exchange, Washington lowered import levies to 15%. Takaichi, 64, became PM in October after she won the leadership race in her party and secured enough support in parliament. But she has called an election to seek a public mandate. Just one week after she took office, Tokyo rolled out the red carpet for Trump, deploying a full military guard of honour and band to welcome him at the Akasaka Palace, the government's state guesthouse. It was her diplomatic debut, and the optics were striking: Takaichi aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, fists pumping as the US president praised her in front of thousands of US soldiers, the images then broadcast around the world. She sought to portray herself as a leader Trump can and wants to do business with and, perhaps more importantly for the president, someone he gets along with personally. The two leaders also see eye-to-eye on defence. Trump wants Tokyo to spend more on its own security and so does Takaichi, as sentiment grows in Japan that it must invest more in defence. They heaped compliments on each other during the visit and signed a deal on rare earths, as well as a document heralding a new "golden age" of US-Japan relations. Takaichi described Trump as a "partner in a new golden era", and praised his role in bringing peace to the Middle East. "In my visit to Japan, I and all of my representatives, were extremely impressed with her," Trump wrote in his Truth Social post on Thursday, noting that the two countries have made progress in national security cooperation and on the economic front. Trump also said he would welcome Takaichi to the White House on 19 March. 'My goal is to become the Iron Lady,' Takaichi says His post, which signals that Takaichi is a leader his administration would work with, is a message aimed not only at Japanese voters but also the region, and especially China. Beijing and Tokyo are in the middle of a diplomatic rift, and the historically tense relationship has hit its lowest point in more than a decade. Takaichi found herself the target of China's ire in November, when she made comments suggesting that Japan could respond with its own self-defence force if China attacked Taiwan, the self-governed island it has long claimed. She has since refused to retract the statement. Trump's endorsement of her comes as tensions between them continue, and a day after he had a phone call with China's leader Xi Jinping. He said he had an "extremely good" relationship with China, and that both he and Xi "realise how important it is to keep it that way". Xi called Taiwan "the most important issue" in their relationship, emphasising that Taiwan was "China's territory", Chinese state media reported. He also told Trump that Washington should be "prudent" when supplying weapons to the self-governed island which China has long claimed. Polls so far are predicting a landslide for Takaichi but winning Sunday's election will just be the first of several hurdles. Her leadership will be defined by how she manages Japan's stagnant economy and the delicate relationship with the US, its most critical security ally, as well as China, its largest trading partner. Holden Smith/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom On Wednesday, President Donald Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, announced that 700 federal officers would be immediately withdrawn from Minneapolis following "unprecedented collaboration" between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), state prisons, and local jails in Minnesota. Homan, who was sent to Minnesota last week to take over command of immigration operations after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, said during a Wednesday press conference that about 2,000 immigration officers will remain in the state. Although the ultimate goal is to return to the "normal operation footprint" of about 150 agents, Homan said ending Operation Metro Surge, the federal immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, will require the "continued cooperation of state and local law enforcement and the decrease of the violence, the rhetoric, and the attacks against ICE and Border Patrol." The decision comes shortly after news circulated this week that negotiations were underway to allow county jails to enter basic ordering agreements. Under these agreements, jails would be required to provide "reasonable access to all detainees or inmates" for immigration enforcement purposes and to potentially hold inmates for up to 48 hours after their scheduled release from custody at ICE's request, known as an immigration detainer, according to documents reviewed by the Star Tribune. Such an agreement would reverse the policies that many Minnesota jails have been following since last year. In February 2025, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison issued guidance, clarifying that state law "prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from holding someone based on an immigration detainer if the person would otherwise be released from custody." But according to Homan, cooperation with ICE in Minnesota will not require county jails to hold anyone past their normal release time. Homan also emphasized that collaboration between ICE and jails is necessary for efficient immigration enforcement and fewer officers on the streets. While it is true that local jails can significantly boost immigration arrest numbers, it remains unclear how many individuals in Minnesota's jails and prisons are subject to active ICE detainers. Although the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims that the state has more than 1,360 individuals with immigration detainers, state officials argue the number is closer to 300the majority of which are in state prisons. After reviewing 320 of the 486 people detained in the state who are listed on the DHS' worst of the worst database, Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell said at least 68 had already been transferred to ICE from state custody, reports KARE11 News, a local NBC News affiliate. (Alarmingly, some of the names on this DHS list don't have any criminal history in Minnesota.) Schnell said the state will continue turning over inmates in its custody to ICE when the agency requests a detainer and as the inmates complete their prison sentence. He also said that his agency does not have the authority to transfer individuals any earlier. Doing so would effectively end their sentence, a move that would likely upset victims of violent crimes and their families, according to Schnell. Questions also remain around how Operation Metro Surge will contribute to ICE's focus on "national security and public safety," according to Homan, particularly when it comes to local jails and individuals who have not yet been convicted of a crime. Having jails cooperate with ICE would more efficiently increase the agency's number of immigrant detainees by picking up undocumented immigrants already arrested by local law enforcement, but doing so undermines the criminal justice system and, by extension, public safety overall. In December, for example, federal immigration authorities allowed Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores to self-deport, even though he had been charged in connection with a $100 million jewelry heist and had been in ICE custody since September. His deportation means Flores will effectively avoid trial, conviction, and any potential sentence, leaving victims frustrated and without closure. It remains to be seen whether local jails will move to enhance their cooperation with ICE, and if Homan will respond by continuing to withdraw the roughly 2,000 agents still roaming the streets of the Twin Cities. These agreements may reduce the presence of armed federal agents in local communities, but could come at the cost of making it harder for the state to enforce its laws. The post Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan Demands Local Minnesota Jails Cooperate with ICE appeared first on Reason.com. Blog Archive: Feb 2026 (65) Jan 2026 (155) Dec 2025 (126) Nov 2025 (141) Oct 2025 (153) Sep 2025 (149) Aug 2025 (154) Jul 2025 (155) Jun 2025 (150) May 2025 (155) Apr 2025 (9) Mar 2025 (149) Feb 2025 (139) Jan 2025 (155) Dec 2024 (144) Nov 2024 (143) Oct 2024 (155) Sep 2024 (149) Aug 2024 (155) Jul 2024 (155) Jun 2024 (150) May 2024 (153) Apr 2024 (149) Mar 2024 (155) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (155) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) Australian communications infrastructure provider BAI Communications has been awarded a contract for the delivery of critical radio communications systems as part of the Sydney Metro West expansion. BAIs contract will see it design, deliver and integrate essential communications infrastructure across the line. This will include a private 5G network for mission-critical train communication; providing NSW emergency services with reliable coverage throughout the corridor; public mobile connectivity for Telstra, Optus, and TPG customers; and integrated delivery from design and installation to testing, commissioning, and operational readiness. The provider stated that this is Australias first contract to deliver a 5GMCX-based radio communications system to support rail communications. The contract sees BAI as a partner to the Metro Trains West (MTW) consortiuma joint venture between MTR Corporation in Australia and CRRC in Hong Kongwhich was awarded a 22-year contract by the state government and includes the operations and maintenance of the Sydney Metro West network for 15 years after its anticipated opening in 2032. In a statement, the providers chief commercial officer, Elyssa Rollinson, said its expertise in managing critical, always on communications networks positions it ideally to deliver the robust future-ready infrastructure required for a world-class metro system of this scale and sophistication. The award was also given to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan for their peace process and to the Palestinian NGO Taawon for its humanitarian work. In his message, Pope Leo XIV said that fraternity is not a distant ideal, but an urgent necessity. Yaftalis work for girls education, which has been severely restricted under the Taliban after they returned to power in 2021, was recognised. Her appeal is for the world not to forget Afghan women. Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews) Afghan activist and lawyer Zarqa Yaftali received the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity yesterday at the Founders Memorial in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In her acceptance speech, Yaftali made an appeal that her country's women, and their suffering, not be forgotten, and that more be done for their right to education, which has been largely denied since the Taliban returned to power. This award is inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity signed in 2019 by Pope Francis and Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb. This year, the Palestinian nonprofit organisation Taawon, and the countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan were also recognised. In a message sent for the occasion, Pope Leo XIV mentioned the seventh anniversary of the signing of the document, underlining how, today, fraternity is not a distant ideal but an urgent necessity. We cannot ignore the fact that too many of our brothers and sisters are currently suffering the horrors of violence and war. [W]e must proclaim with conviction that human fraternity is a lived reality, stronger than all conflicts, differences and tensions. It is a potential that must be realised through a daily, concrete commitment to respect, sharing and compassion. For the pontiff, the winners Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Zarqa Yaftali and the Palestinian NGO Taawon are sowers of hope in a world that too often builds walls instead of bridges. Of particular significance is the awarding of the 2026 Zayed Prise, along with a cash donation of one million dollars, to Afghan activist Zarqa Yaftali, who has been at the forefront of the fight for girls' education, denied under Taliban rule. Over time, she has supported more than 100,000 women and children in Afghanistan, deprived under the current regime of fundamental rights taken for granted elsewhere in the world. As executive director of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF), which was founded in 2003, she works in several provinces across the country to expand support networks through legal research, rights advocacy, educational initiatives, and community-based services. The organisation has played a crucial role in establishing more than a hundred schools and expanding access to education for girls in conflict-affected areas. The activist notes how the progress made by Afghan women in the two decades after 2001 was reversed by the Talibans return to power in 2021. The ban on female students attending schools and universities was one of the many restrictions imposed by the Taleban after they seized power again following the withdrawal of US-led international forces. In addition to the ban on education, the draconian measures imposed include prohibiting women from working, appearing in public without fully covering their bodies or wearing the niqab, travelling without a mahram (male guardian), and participating in sports. Zarqa Yaftalis commitment is closely tied to her personal history. During the Taliban's first rule (1996-2001), she was denied the opportunity to continue her education, and was only able to resume her studies after their overthrow. According to UNESCO, approximately 2.2 million girls in Afghanistan currently have no access to formal education beyond primary school. Yaftalis organisation also runs the Kabul Online School, which provides distance learning to girls in seventh through eighth grade, who are not allowed to attend in-person classes. The WCLRF also supports young women who were previously university students in fields such as law, political science, journalism, and medicine, helping them continue learning and developing skills despite being forced to abandon formal education. This award is not a personal honour for me, she said. It is recognition of the resistance and courage of Afghan women. It sends a clear message of solidarity and shows that the world has not forgotten Afghan women. The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity was established in 2019 to honour individuals and organisations whose work embodies human solidarity, coexistence, and compassion. The list of past honourees include Pope Francis, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Egyptian heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub, and the American humanitarian organisation World Central Kitchen. The 2026 recipients also include the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan (a high-level delegation from the two countries was present at the event), and the Palestinian NGO Taawon. Receiving the award on behalf of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev spoke about the more than 30 years of conflict between the two countries, but, at the same time, noted that the last six months have ushered in a new era of "peace" between them. "We are learning to live in peace, he added. I can tell you, it's a special feeling." For his part, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called it a great honour and a symbol of support between the Christian and Muslim worlds. It is in truth an achievement that belongs to all peoples, he said. Last but not least, Taawon's recognition is linked to its humanitarian work for more than a million Palestinians each year in the West Bank, Gaza, and refugee camps in Lebanon. Through its programmes in education, healthcare, culture, and community development, the NGO has sought to preserve human dignity and foster resilience in a context of grave hardship. by Andrea Ferrario Despite the tariff war in 2025, China broke through the trillion mark in its trade surplus, 45% of which is now generated in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. However, this wealth is not driving domestic consumption, because the fall in producer prices in the name of competitiveness is also squeezing wages and incomes. This is an issue that the new five-year plan due in March does not seem likely to address. Milan (AsiaNews) - In 2025, China recorded a trade surplus of more than trillion, the highest ever in contemporary economic history. Containers continue to leave Chinese ports and export figures are setting new records, but this extraordinary influx of revenue is not reflected in the trend in foreign exchange reserves. The latter have remained essentially stable, rising from .2 trillion at the end of 2024 to just .3 trillion in November last year. So where does this capital end up? The answer lies in a profound change in the way China manages its trade wealth. Whereas in the past the government tended to accumulate trade revenues directly in the form of state reserves, today the system has changed: a significant portion of inflows remains in the hands of exporting companies and finds its way abroad through private investments, such as electric vehicle factories in Europe or semiconductor plants in Southeast Asia. These are no longer isolated infrastructure projects, as in the first phase of the Belt and Road Initiative, but the transfer of entire industrial groups that set up outside the country's borders, bringing suppliers and subcontractors with them. Another portion of the capital is directed towards dollar-denominated financial instruments, although no longer towards US Treasury securities, which China has reduced to their lowest levels in 17 years. Chinese companies and investors now favour private sector assets, limiting their direct exposure to Washington but continuing to seek returns on the US market. At the same time, many companies are repaying foreign currency debts or choosing to keep their profits outside their national borders. All this has concrete repercussions on the territory. As reported by the New York Times in a report from Ningbo, the world's largest port in terms of cargo volume, ships sail non-stop loaded with goods while, a few kilometres away, shopping streets appear deserted and shops are recording a collapse in sales, with many residents short of money. In other words, the trade surplus generates numbers without translating into widespread prosperity and ends up highlighting a structural imbalance that continues to widen. The trap of permanent exports The current imbalance is rooted in the very architecture of the Chinese economy. Household consumption accounts for 39% of gross domestic product, compared to an average of 60% in advanced economies. This is a very large gap, reflecting decades of policy choices geared towards favouring industrial investment and infrastructure at the expense of people's purchasing power. The result is a system that produces much more than citizens are able to absorb, forcing the country to export excess goods in order to keep factories running and preserve employment stability. In 2025, this gap widened further. Domestic consumption slowed, private investment declined and the boost provided by infrastructure projects began to weaken, while the real estate sector continued to struggle for the fourth consecutive year, with sales and investment falling sharply from previous levels. Added to this is a deflationary phase that has now lasted three years, fuelled by overproduction. The fall in producer prices allows companies to export at ever lower costs, strengthening the competitiveness of Chinese goods on international markets. This creates a vicious circle. Falling domestic prices make Chinese products very competitive abroad, but at the same time reduce corporate profits, increase the real weight of debt and squeeze wages and incomes. Faced with an uncertain future, households consume less, fuelling further deflation and overproduction, which must be absorbed by foreign markets. The government has introduced limited measures to support consumption, such as scrappage incentives and targeted subsidies, but these are piecemeal interventions that are insufficient to change expectations. Although they could increase transfers to households or social protection, the authorities continue to favour public investment in strategic industries and infrastructure. The reason is simple. As long as exports continue to grow, Beijing can meet its economic growth target of 5% per annum without having to address structural issues. International commercial success becomes an excuse to postpone difficult reforms. In other words, the strength of exports paradoxically becomes an obstacle to internal rebalancing. An unsustainable situation This model is now showing increasingly obvious cracks, as protectionism is on the rise externally. The European Union, for example, has imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and French President Emmanuel Macron has called Beijing's surplus unacceptable, while on another front, many developing countries are beginning to suffer from competition from goods sold at very low prices and will be forced to defend themselves. According to some observers, China's trade surplus now poses an even greater threat to the global trading system than US tariffs. To alleviate these pressures, China is seeking to diversify its trade outlets. Its surplus with the Belt and Road Initiative countries has surpassed that with the United States, accounting for 45% of China's total surplus, compared with 24% attributable to trade with the US. Exports to Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America have grown significantly. However, this geographical redistribution fuels suspicions that some Chinese goods are still reaching Western markets via indirect routes, circumventing tariffs. If confirmed, this phenomenon could trigger new retaliatory measures. Contradictions are also becoming more pronounced domestically. China has consolidated its manufacturing and industrial dominance in strategic sectors, from rare earths to electric vehicle batteries, achieving significant technological advances, including in artificial intelligence. At the same time, the social base of this industrial power appears increasingly fragile. Consumer confidence is at an all-time low and the rapid ageing of the population is accompanied by a collapse in births, which fell in 2025 to their lowest level since 1949, a sign that the country is heading towards contraction. Some economists describe the situation as a widening gap. On the one hand, exports and technological capabilities are growing, while on the other, consumption, birth rates and confidence in the future are declining. The risk is that a deflationary mindset similar to the one that has paralysed Japan for decades will take hold, making it increasingly difficult to escape the spiral. The 15th Five-Year Plan, expected in March 2026, represents a crucial step. The drafts that have emerged so far suggest a strong continuity with previous choices: innovation, technological self-sufficiency and the development of sectors such as robotics and quantum computing remain at the centre. The stated goal is to increase China's share of global production from 30% to 40%, while the scope for strengthening domestic consumption appears limited. Sooner or later, however, rebalancing will have to take place. Exports cannot grow without limits, especially in a context of increasing trade barriers and a slowing global economy. When this momentum fades, China will find itself faced with the urgent need to provide greater support to domestic demand without being able to rely on external drivers. Further postponing rebalancing means accepting that deflation will become a permanent condition, with a very high price to pay and an economy that would end up stuck in a dead-end trajectory, with all the political and social consequences that this entails. The US announced tariff reductions and greater purchases of US goods by India, while the latter said that it will continue to protect several products. Indias opposition and farmers' associations fear that US imports could make life harder for small farmers, already burdened by debt and price volatility. New Delhi (AsiaNews) India and the United States signed a trade agreement earlier this week, but it is still unclear whether and how it will be implemented. US President Donald Trump announced his intention to reduce import tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent in exchange for India halting purchases of Russian oil and committing to purchase US$ 500 billion worth of US products, including agricultural goods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "delighted" with the agreement, but the opposition slammed it. Several political leaders fear that imports of cheap corn, cotton, and soybeans from the United States could have devastating consequences for Indian farmers and producers, who in 2020-21 began a campaign of protests against the Modi government, a sign of how rural discontent can affect political stability. Indian National Congress (INC) leader Rahul Gandhi said that Modi sold out" Indian farmers. Former Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar, questioned the feasibility of the agreement. Our budget expenditure for 2026-27 is Rs. 53.5 lakh crore (Rs. 5.35 trillion, US$ 630 billion) in total all put together, he said. Does it mean India has committed about 85 per cent of its total budget only on goods from America? Or some 30 per cent of our annual budget for the next three years to import American merchandise. On Tuesday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the agreement will exclude sensitive agricultural and dairy products, adding that the details of the agreement will be made public "soon. In recent years, India has maintained protectionist barriers, arguing that agricultural products in developing countries cannot be treated as tradable commodities. Dairy products, for example, are subject to restrictions due to cultural and religious concerns about US livestock feeding practices, and there are serious issues with introducing genetically modified crops. Have we surrendered our age-old opposition to Genetically Modified crops that harm our farmers? Are we surrendering to the US GM, Sircar asked. In India, agriculture employs between 45 and 55 per cent of the countrys workforce, yet contributes only about 18-19 per cent of the country's value added, and relies heavily on internal migration. Over 85 per cent of Indian farmers depend on small plots of land and unpaid family labour. Unlike American industrial agriculture, Indian agriculture evokes a lifestyle in which cows and oxen are revered as symbols of cultural continuity, not simply economic units. The sector has always been very fragile, so much so that for small farmers, even a modest drop in prices can determine whether a daughter or son goes to school or whether a loan is renewed. The dairy sector, in particular, is based on family units where one or two heads of cattle provide a steady income for everyday expenses. US agriculture, by contrast, is industrial, export-oriented, and heavily subsidised. The recent federal budget for 2026-27 seeks to address some of these pressures, but farmers say it is not enough. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently proposed an allocation of Rs 1.30 lakh crore (Rs 1.3 trillion or US$ 14.5 billion) for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, a modest increase of 2.6 per cent over the previous year's estimate of Rs 1.27 lakh crore. Financial support to farmers through the Kisan Samman Nidhi programme remained unchanged at Rs 63,500 crore (about US$ 7 billion), with no increase. Funding for agricultural research was reduced by 4.8 per cent, falling to Rs 9,967.40 crore (about US$ 1.1 billion). The government also allocated 150 crore (about US$ 17 million) to Bharat-VISTAAR, a multilingual artificial intelligence tool created specifically for farmers, and 350 crore (about US$ 39 million) to support high-value crops such as coconut, cashew, and sandalwood. The fertiliser subsidy sector received 1.70 lakh crore (almost US$ 19 billion), up 8.5 per cent. The budget was also met with criticism from several agricultural organisations. The Indian Farmers' Union (Bharatiya Kisan Sangh) claimed that the government had not kept its promises to farmers since there was no legally guaranteed minimum price, no intervention on agricultural debt, and no specific support for cotton growers in states like Punjab, where cultivated acreage has plummeted. Sukhpal Singh, chairman of the Punjab State Farmers & Farm Workers Commission, lamented the lack of a package for his state, despite its deteriorating water resources. Noting that cotton growers across the country are struggling, he said they had expected measures to save cotton, given that farmers are killing themselves in eight of the nine cotton-producing states. INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE. The Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai area, on the outskirts of the capital, was the target, resulting in at least 31 deaths and 169 people wounded, according to initial reports. This is the second attack in Islamabad in three months. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing, but observers are pointing the finger at the Islamic State. Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) At least 31 people were killed in a bomb explosion inside the Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra Shia mosque in the Tarlai area, on the outskirts of Islamabad. The explosion hit people performing Friday prayers inside the Imambara (a site for mourning ceremonies or communal prayers). This is the second attack in the capital in three months, which, despite an increase in violence between terrorist groups, has long been considered safe. Attacks against Shias, especially on such a large scale, have also been rare in recent years. For this reason, many observers believe the Islamic State might be responsible. According to police and local officials, the blast was so loud it could be heard within a radius of hundreds of metres," sowing fear and panic among residents. Islamabad's Deputy Commissioner, Irfan Nawaz Memon, confirmed that at least 31 people were killed and 169 injured, some critically. The incident appears to be a suicide attack: two anonymous police officials told Reuters that the attacker was stopped at the gate of the Imambara before detonating the explosive device. Officials added that it was too early to speculate on the nature of the explosion. The injured were taken to various hospitals in the capital, including the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), the Polyclinic, and the Capital Development Authority hospitals where a state of emergency was declared. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but in the past, similar attacks have been blamed on the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, Pakistani Taliban) and the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (IS-KP). Islamabad Police Chief Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi placed the capital on high alert. Security forces sealed off the blast site to allow forensic teams to collect evidence, and launched a search operation, with additional personnel deployed at sensitive sites and entry points to the city. Islamabad police also reported that additional personnel were deployed to protect Christian places of worship in the Rawalpindi area. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry repeated the usual arguments used by the Pakistani government in the event of such attacks. The attackers are the enemies of Islam, the enemies of Pakistan. We will end terrorism from our country, we will continue this fight till every one of these people are brought to justice, he said. We want peace in the region but our neighbors, especially India, has been very active in terror activities in Pakistan. They are involved in the recent attacks in Balochistan, FATA[*] and now in Islamabad, he added. This incident comes after a recent series of attacks in the country, including coordinated operations in Balochistan against security forces and civilians. The Inter-Services Public Relations reported yesterday that security forces successfully concluded their operation in Balochistan, killing 216 fighters. In November 2025, an attack on a district court complex in Islamabad killed at least 12 people and injured 36 others. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, after a briefing with the interior minister, ordered an immediate and thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar declared that targeting places of worship and civilians is a heinous crime against humanity and a blatant violation of Islamic principles. [*] Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Today's headlines: direct meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister and US envoy Witkoff in Oman today; Jimmy Lai's sentence to be announced on 9 February in Hong Kong; In the Indian state of Meghalaya, the death of 18 workers in an explosion brings illegal mining back into the spotlight; China orders review of psychiatric institutions after reports of confinement; Duma elections set for 20 September in Russia. SOUTH KOREA NORTH KOREA The United Nations Security Council's North Korea Sanctions Committee has approved an exemption to sanctions against North Korea to allow 17 humanitarian aid projects led by South Korea, the United States and international organisations. The unanimous decision is seen as a gesture of good faith and a possible first step towards resuming dialogue with Pyongyang. The decision came after a senior South Korean government official hinted at a new development on North Korea-related issues in the coming days, following talks in Washington between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. IRAN-UNITED STATES Amidst a climate of high regional tension, direct talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff began this morning in Muscat, Oman. Despite differences over format and content, the meeting went ahead thanks to diplomatic pressure from Arab and Gulf states. Washington would like to broaden the talks to other issues, while Tehran insists on limiting them to the nuclear dossier, reiterating its demand for mutual respect and the fulfilment of commitments made. HONG KONG The sentence for Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy media mogul already found guilty of collusion and sedition in one of the main trials under the National Security Law, will be handed down on 9 February at 10 a.m. in Hong Kong. Lai, who is 78 years old and has already spent more than five years in prison, faces life imprisonment. INDIA At least 18 workers have died and several others are feared trapped following an explosion yesterday in a suspected illegal coal mine in Meghalaya. Rescue teams are currently conducting search operations at the site, located in the East Jaintia Hills district. The tragedy brings the issue of illegal mining in India back to the forefront: as early as 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on coal mining through so-called rat-hole mining and other unregulated mining practices in Meghalaya, citing environmental damage and safety risks as reasons. The ban was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. CHINA China's top health regulator has ordered a nationwide review of the country's psychiatric institutions after media reports that several hospitals in central China had locked up patients including individuals who did not suffer from mental illness as part of an insurance scam. The National Health Security Administration said its provincial offices must hold meetings with the directors of all psychiatric institutions in their respective areas by Sunday. RUSSIA Russia's Electoral Commission has officially announced that elections for the 9th State Duma will be held on 20 September 2026, the third Sunday of the month, when the constitutional term expires. A total of 450 deputies will be elected, 225 from party lists and the other 225 from single-member constituencies. For the first time, residents of the annexed Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson will also take part. UZBEKISTAN In 2025, 106,500 new flats were made available to citizens in Uzbekistan, the highest number ever in the country, yet the construction sector is unable to meet the needs of the changing demographics. Statistics show that there are over 200,000 new families per year, and therefore thousands of flats are still needed to meet the population's demand, according to the chairman of the National Committee for Sustainable Urbanisation, Sherzod Kudbiev. 6 February 2026 13:23 (UTC+04:00) Elnur Enveroglu Read more By restoring its territorial integrity and bringing alleged war criminals before the courts, Azerbaijan has pursued a rare post-conflict path that links sovereignty with legal accountability. In modern conflict history, it is uncommon for a state to both restore full territorial control and subsequently conduct domestic judicial proceedings against individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to that conflict. Azerbaijans post-war trajectory stands out precisely because it has attempted to do both. Yesterday, after a long trial, the Baku Military Court finally pronounced its final verdict on several Armenian citizens imprisoned for serious crimes. A group of individuals who were once found guilty of illegal military activities in Karabakh, as well as war crimes, massacres of civilians, and acts of terrorism, received the punishment they deserved in the eyes of justice. However, this was justice achieved not by international law, but by Azerbaijan itself. The trials have been conducted in open court, with documentary evidence presented, witness testimonies heard, and defendants given the opportunity to speak. But despite all this, there are many who want to justify crime or criminals in international tribunals. Several foreign experts who approach the issue from a legal perspective also note that such an indifferent, and even ambiguous approach to criminal acts in the international community clearly demonstrates personal goals and biased positions. For example, American political expert Peter Tase notes that the opinions voiced in the parliament of a country like France demonstrate a literal disrespect for the country's legal principles. He assessed this act of France as a blow to the peace-building plan today. "It is an incredible moment for the US government to achieve such an achievement after thirty years of conflict in the South Caucasus. I think that every state that wants stability in the region should express its support for these processes today. But I must say with regret that the voices coming from France today disappoint us. I think that President Macron is demonstrating his hatred for both Washington and Baku," Tase said. President Ilham Aliyev had publicly stated years before the war that those responsible for crimes such as the Khojaly massacre and other grave violations would eventually be held accountable. This position was reiterated repeatedly in official speeches and statements prior to 2020. The initiation and continuation of judicial proceedings after the conflict demonstrate a direct alignment between those statements and subsequent state action. Azerbaijans experience is notable in comparative terms. Many conflicts end with ceasefires or political agreements while accountability for crimes against civilians remains unresolved. In numerous post-conflict environments, individuals implicated in mass violence avoid prosecution altogether, either due to political compromises, lack of jurisdiction, or international inaction. In this sense, unresolved justice often becomes part of what scholars describe as an incomplete peace. British journalist Neil Watson says justice cannot be restored unless culprits are brought to court. He says historical precedents illustrate both the difficulty and importance of accountability. "Israel, for example, pursued Nazi perpetrators decades after the end of the Second World War, locating and prosecuting some individuals across multiple jurisdictions. Yet even in that case, many perpetrators were never brought to justice. Similarly, following the wars in the former Yugoslavia, only a portion of those responsible for war crimes were prosecuted, largely due to the involvement of international tribunals and coordinated international pressure." Neil Watson also underlined the diminishing effectiveness and limited enforcement power of international law in the current global climate, particularly in light of prevailing foreign political pressures. In his view, this reality reinforces Azerbaijans determination to ensure that the law is applied under such circumstances. "Against this backdrop, Azerbaijans decision to pursue domestic trials, despite sustained external political pressure, represents a deliberate assertion of judicial sovereignty. International criticism and political lobbying surrounding the trials have been well documented, yet these pressures have not altered the course of the proceedings. The trials have continued based on national legislation and evidentiary standards," he added. Crucially, the court hearings have also produced material relevant to the broader question of state responsibility. Testimonies and documentary evidence presented during proceedings indicate direct links between Armenias state institutions and the armed structures operating in the occupied territories. Former military figures, including Levon Mnatsakanyan, stated openly in court that the so-called separatist armed forces were not an independent entity but were structurally integrated into Armenias military system. According to his testimony, senior appointments were approved in Yerevan, logistics and supplies were organised within the Armenian armed forces, and the formations constituted Armenias largest military grouping in the area. Additional evidence shown during the proceedings has included footage and records relating to the military service of Arayik Harutyunyan and the participation of Bako Sahakyan in the occupation of Shusha. These materials contribute to the factual record regarding the chain of command and operational control during the occupation period. The court proceedings have also clarified the function of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Testimonies and evidence suggest that this entity was created to obscure direct state responsibility for occupation policies. Its leadership operated as local administrators implementing Armenias military and political strategy in the occupied territories rather than acting as an autonomous authority. From a legal perspective, as is heard also from experts, the trials reinforce a key principle of international humanitarian law: occupation does not dissolve responsibility, and the passage of time does not erase criminal liability. The presentation of victim testimonies, forensic evidence, and defendants own statements has contributed to establishing a detailed factual record of the occupation and the crimes associated with it. More broadly, Azerbaijans approach offers a model that contrasts sharply with many unresolved post-conflict situations. By linking the end of occupation with judicial accountability, the state has pursued what may be described as a comprehensive form of conflict resolution one that addresses not only territorial sovereignty but also justice for victims. Whether this model will influence future post-conflict processes elsewhere remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the trials have established a documented legal narrative of the conflict, one grounded in evidence rather than political assertion. In that sense, the proceedings represent not only a domestic judicial process, but also an attempt to close a long chapter of conflict through law. 6 February 2026 17:12 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more Geopolitical events around the world, particularly the potential for conflict between the United States and Iran, have once again brought oil prices and their future trajectory into focus. While oil prices are fundamentally driven by supply and demand, they are equally sensitive to geopolitical developments. Any confrontation involving Iran would almost certainly push prices higher, though it is impossible to predict exactly how high they could go. Meanwhile, developments in the global economy continue to generate conflicting forecasts about oils path. Historically, oil prices reached their peak in 20072008, with a barrel climbing to roughly $150. This surge was driven by a combination of objective and subjective factors. On the demand side, Chinathen the worlds most populous countrysaw economic growth of around 10% annually. This growth fueled the construction of new industrial facilities, increased household energy use, and boosted transportation demand. Europe and the U.S. also experienced economic growth, contributing to steadily rising global demand. On the supply and geopolitical side, the world witnessed significant upheavals. The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Venezuelas political shift under Hugo Chavez, and fears of further Middle Eastern instability, including potential conflict in Iran, raised market expectations for higher prices. While markets reacted quickly, OPEC struggled to keep pace, and oil prices surged dramatically. However, the rapid rise was followed by a sharp decline after 2008. The collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered the bursting of the housing bubble in the U.S., which in turn caused a recession across Western markets. Chinas economic growth also slowed. The anticipated Iranian invasion did not occur, and new technologies, particularly the U.S. shale revolution, brought additional oil to the market. Russia and Saudi Arabia, by keeping prices under $50, further accelerated the decline. Looking at todays world, there are some parallels to the 2000s. Russia, one of the largest oil exporters, struggles to sell its oil freely due to sanctions. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran persist, fueling speculation about potential strikes or a civil war in Iran similar to Syria. Meanwhile, Chinas economy grows at 57%, and other fast-growing economies, including India and Bangladesh, continue to expand at roughly 57%, a trend that has persisted for several years. On the supply side, oil fields are steadily exploited, reducing output by roughly 5% annually, which necessitates an additional 6 million barrels entering the market. Taking these factors into account, a key question arises: Could oil prices reach $150 again? If a war breaks out in Iran, it is impossible to predict exactly what would happen. However, if no such conflict occurs, claiming that oil prices will rise significantly would be misleading. Why? Because new oil wells are being drilled and brought online, and there are dozens of similar examples worldwide. Even if these wells are not yet producing at full capacity, they will contribute to supply in the near future. A prime example is Azerbaijan, where new wells are expected to drive another oil boom by 2030. Even countries that were not traditionally oil producers, like Turkiye, are actively exploring oil in the Black Sea. The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) has signed a memorandum with Chevron of the U.S. to cooperate on oil exploration and production. Turkiyes Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayrakdar, stated that the companies will also collaborate on international projects, with the goal of starting production in the Black Sea and transforming TPAO into a globally competitive energy company. In January, TPAO also signed an agreement with ExxonMobil, under which the companies will jointly develop projects in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, as well as in Iraq, Russia, and Somalia. According to Bloomberg, Turkiye is one of the countries most in need of hydrocarbons, and its partnership with the U.S. could help address this challenge. Equally important is the rapid global shift toward renewable energy. Countries like Spain and Portugal already generate nearly 100% of their electricity from green sources, while nations like Turkiye have reached roughly 50%. Azerbaijan is projected to achieve over 30% renewable energy by 2030. It is worth noting that these countries are a tip of an iceberg. Another major sector where oil is heavily used is transportation, which is undergoing fast electrification. New electric vehicle models are hitting the market, and some countries are introducing laws requiring city fleets to switch entirely to electric. In Europe, numerous projects are exploring full electrification of home heating and cooking. Overall, geopolitical risk remains the wildcard, but the combination of new oil supply, technological advances, and energy transition means that while volatility will continue, oil prices are unlikely to hit the peaks of the 2000s without a major, unforeseen disruption. 6 February 2026 10:39 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Gabala, one of Azerbaijan's most scenic regions, has once again become a gathering place for art enthusiasts with the opening of the International Music Festival, Azernews reports. Organized by the Baku Music Academy with support from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, and "Gilan," the 2nd Winter Tale International Music Festival is being held in Gabala for the second year in a row. The event continues the long-standing tradition of the Gabala International Music Festival, which has been hosted in the city since 2009. According to the festival program, the opening concert took place on the evening of February 5 at the Heydar Aliyev Congress Center in Gabala. The concert, dedicated to the musical legacy of the outstanding composer Gara Garayev, featured performances by People's Artists Farhad Badalbeyli and Murad Adigozalzade, accompanied by the Azerbaijan State String Quartet. Prior to the concert, Professor of the Baku Music Academy and People's Artist Zahra Guliyeva addressed the audience, highlighting the importance of the 2nd Gabala Winter Tale International Music Festival for the country's cultural life. She noted that a distinctive feature of the Gabala International Music Festival is the tradition of holding chamber music evenings before the official opening. The evening's chamber concert was dedicated to the cherished memory of the eminent composer, public figure, and exceptional educator Gara Garayev, whose contributions to world music and influence on generations of composers are invaluable. The program included Gara Garayev's String Quartet No. 2 in A minor (two movements), music from the film Man Settles, Preludes in A major and F major, as well as Robert Schumann's Piano Quintet (III and IV movements) and Johannes Brahm's Piano Quintet (III and IV movements). The performances by People's Artists Farhad Badalbeyli and Murad Adigozalzade on piano, together with the Azerbaijan State String QuartetNazrin Aslanli (violin), Khayala Abdullayeva (violin), Vakhtang Imanov (viola), and Aleksey Miltykh (cello)were met with great appreciation from the audience. The 2nd Winter Tale International Music Festival in Gabala offers a rich and diverse program. Throughout the festival, audiences will enjoy a concert by the Symphony Orchestra of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater conducted by Honored Artist Ayyub Guliyev, attend the chamber music evening "BakuNaples: Music Bridge" featuring works by Azerbaijani and Italian composers, and experience performances by guest musicians and dancers from Spain at the flamenco-jazz evening titled "AzerbaijanSpain: Two Countries, One Music." 6 February 2026 17:33 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan's search for its representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is progressing according to plan, with strong interest from performers and songwriters, Azernews reports. The scale of participation this year highlights both local creativity and international collaboration, as the country moves closer to choosing an act capable of shining on Europe's biggest music stage. A total of 100 applications were submitted during the selection period, featuring 186 songs in total. Of these entries, 107 songs were submitted by local authors and performers, while 79 songs came from international contributors. This means approximately 57.5 percent of the submissions were local, with the remaining 42.5 percent representing international participation. During the initial evaluation stage, all applications were thoroughly reviewed by a professional panel. As a result of this assessment,18 candidates were invited to advance to the next round of the competition. The shortlisted participants took part in live auditions and individual interviews, where their vocal abilities, stage presence, potential appeal to an international audience, and overall compatibility with the Eurovision format were assessed. Evaluations were carried out not only by the professional selection committee but also by a specially formed focus group, ensuring a well-rounded and objective review process. Following these assessments, a final shortlist of three candidates has now been formed for the next stage of the competition. The selection process is ongoing, and the final decision will be announced after additional creative and strategic discussions. The Azerbaijani delegation continues its work to determine the artist and song that will represent the country at the highest possible level on the Eurovision stage. The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Vienna, Austria, in May 2026 after Austria's victory at last year's contest in Basel with JJ's song "Wasted Love." Vienna is hosting Eurovision for the third time, having previously hosted in 1967 and 2015, and this year's live shows will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle arena with the first semifinal on May 12, the second semifinal on May 14, and the grand final on May 16. It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan reached the Top 5 in five consecutive contests - 3rd in 2009, 5th in 2010, 1st in 2011, 4th in 2012, and 2nd in 2013. On 4 February 2025, ITV announced that Mamagama was internally chosen to represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, with the song "Run with U". Mamagama performed in the first semifinal on 13 May 2025, where they failed to qualify for the grand final. Azerbaijan has confirmed that it will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. The country's public broadcaster Ictimai Television (ITV) has officially stated participation in the event. According to the official draw results, Azerbaijan's representative will perform in the first half of the second semi-final on May 14, 2026, at the festival venue in Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle. However, the name of the artist and the song has not yet been officially announced by ITV. 6 February 2026 14:19 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Gilavar Photo Club has launched "My Urban World" International Photography Competition as part of the Azerbaijan Urban Campaign (AUC2026), organized by the UN-Habitat and the State Committee of Urban Planning and Architecture, Azernews reports. The photo contest, accredited by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP) and the International Association of Art Photographers (IAAP), aims to showcase global urbanization processes through the lens of photography. The theme of the competition focuses on various aspects of urban development, including human-centered cities, cultural heritage, historical buildings, the coexistence of the old and new, harmony between centuries and styles, green cities, ecological cities, "smart cities", safe urban spaces, construction, renovation and restoration work, demolished or abandoned buildings, hazardous urban zones, the marks of time on the city, daytime and nighttime cityscapes, people and cities, and more. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2026. The photographs will be evaluated by a panel of five professional photographers from Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Singapore, Greece, and North Macedonia. The best entries will be awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, as well as special ribbons and certificates. An electronic catalogue featuring the winning photos will be published, and a photo exhibition is planned for May 17-22, during the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13). The competition provides a unique opportunity for photographers to contribute to the global conversation on urbanization and its impact on cities worldwide. 6 February 2026 16:13 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more A new scientific seminar has been held at the Institute of Information Technologies of the Ministry of Education and the Science, Azernews reports citing Azertag. During the seminar, a presentation titled "Preservation and Relevance of National Identity in the Context of Digital Transformations: Smart Novruz Bonfire" was delivered, prepared as part of the scientific collaboration between the Institute of Information Technologies and the Folklore Institute of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS). In his speech, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Director-General of the Institute of Information Technologies, Academician Rasim Aliyev, outlined that digital transformation is rapidly penetrating all areas of society, and virtual processes have not been immune to the national customs, traditions, and ceremonies. He stated that the processes of folklorization in the internet environment are closely linked to both national and global changes, noting especially that the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies in recent years has led to revolutionary innovations, providing new opportunities for the study of cultural heritage. The academician also pointed out that, in recent years, fruitful research has been conducted in collaboration between the ANAS Institute of Information Technologies and the Folklore Institute regarding the contemporary issues of internet folklore, the relationship between artificial intelligence and folklore, as well as the effects of digital transformations on folklorization processes, resulting in significant scientific and innovative outcomes. He noted that studying traditional ceremonies like the Novruz bonfire from the perspective of modern requirements and exploring both their positive and negative aspects is a demand of the current age. Academician Aliyev emphasized that such research serves national interests and the preservation of national identity in both real and virtual spaces, while the development of technologies for the implementation of customs and ceremonies on digital platforms has become one of the crucial priorities. Director of the Folklore Institute, Doctor of Philology Hikmat Guliyev, delivered a report on the preservation of national spiritual values in the context of modern technological challenges. The speaker evaluated the relevance of the problem through the lens of globalization and digitalization risks to national identity, referring to Marshall McLuhan's "global village" concept, Manuel Castells' theory of the "network society," Stuart Hall's views on identity, and Margaret Meads ideas on cultural change. Additionally, he used Richard Bauman's concept of the ritual's performative nature to explain the risk of national customs and ceremonies losing their social function, and he stressed the need to "reactualize" cultural heritage, as well as ensure the preservation of national identity in new communicative environments with the help of digital technologies. The speaker examined the Novruz holiday, particularly the Novruz bonfire, as a prime example of national customs and traditions in this conceptual framework, analyzing its new functional models in modern conditions. Academician Guliyev drew attention to the reciprocal relationship between technological transformations and folklore, noting that scientific and technological progress, along with information revolutions, have created epochal changes and that social and demographic processes have deeply transformed the socio-cultural environment, giving rise to new channels for the expression of folk knowledge. He stressed that the communicative dynamics directly associated with technological progress have affected the "migration" of folk knowledgefrom rural areas to cities, and then to the virtual world. "Virtualization and digitalization not only condition technological changes but also socio-technological and techno-cultural transformations," said Hikmat Guliyev, discussing the problems posed by urbanization, digitalization, and virtualization. He also addressed issues such as the adaptation of traditions to modern life, the formation of folkloric behavior models in digital and virtual environments, and the need to preserve national identity, especially among younger generations. The speaker highlighted new challenges facing folklore studies, stressing the importance of exploring ways to preserve national identity in the digital environment, developing models for the reactualization of resources that carry national and spiritual values, adapting traditional behavior and worldviews to new social life styles, and determining the theoretical and practical foundations for the transformation of traditional cultural creativity to digital platforms. Referring to international experience, the scholar reminded participants of UNESCO's 2003 "Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage" and considered the inclusion of Novruz in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009 as an important achievement in terms of international recognition of national identity. The speaker also addressed the social and mythological functions of one of the main symbols of Novruz, the bonfire. He pointed out that while the bonfire is seen as a symbol of purification, renewal, and social unity in collective cultural memory, in modern urban and rural environments, it is associated with fire hazards, environmental, and other risks. Doctor of Philology Hikmat Guliyev, referring to recent incidents involving fires and injuries during Novruz celebrations, said that this situation creates a serious dilemma between tradition and public safety, and calls for alternative models and technological solutions. In this context, he presented the concept of a "Smart Novruz Bonfire." The concept involves a digital or physical model (such as a synthetic Christmas tree) of the bonfire that does not pose a fire hazard but preserves its social, spiritual, and symbolic essence. The scholar emphasized that the technological capabilities of the smart Novruz bonfire would include holographic flame simulation, internet connectivity, virtual and augmented reality technologies, allowing Azerbaijanis living in different countries to gather online around the "bonfire." "As a result, the 'Smart Novruz Bonfire' concept could bring together Azerbaijanis from around the world, fostering integration around shared values in the symbolic-spiritual domain, preserving national identity, and strengthening ties to language, culture, and the homeland," he noted. Following the presentation, a wide-ranging discussion took place, with questions being answered. Academician Rasim Aliyev then shared his thoughts on the presentation, offering suggestions and recommendations. He reminded participants that in accordance with a decree by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, 2026 has been declared the "Year of Urban Planning and Architecture" and highlighted that multi-faceted, multidisciplinary approaches to national customs and traditions would be required during this year, particularly with respect to the specific characteristics of modern urban life. "The urban environment must be safe and clean, not posing a risk to human life. For example, during Novruz celebrations, lighting bonfires can sometimes lead to damage to asphalt, disruptions in traffic, and the blocking of roads. Additionally, forcing children to jump over the bonfire creates life-threatening risks and can lead to serious psychological and physical health problems," said the academician. Academician Aliyev noted that the transformation of national customs in the context of globalization and cultural interactions is ongoing, but emphasized that the main goal is not to forget or distance from national values. Instead, the aim is to preserve the warmth, friendliness, reconciliation, and socialization embodied by Novruz and similar values, while reactivating these traditions in the context of modern challenges and eliminating their negative aspects: "The synthesis of digital and cultural transformations results in new approaches and innovations, which require a fresh perspective on national customs." He emphasized that customs are not static, but transform over time under the influence of political, ideological, and technological factors. He praised the idea of the smart bonfire as an example of cultural transformation under the impact of digital transformations and as one of the socio-technological innovation projects. Addressing the technological aspects of the digital bonfire concept, the academician pointed out the need for the creation of social networks for "Smart Novruz Bonfire" on internet platforms for various groups, the storage and archiving of collected data in individual family cloud systems, as well as the implementation of biometric recognition systems. He noted that the "Digital Novruz Bonfire" model, based on these innovations, could serve as both a family memory and a valuable resource for researchers. Academician Aliyev concluded by stressing the importance of implementing digital solutions like the smart bonfire in ensuring inclusivity in society, noting that such initiatives would provide convenience and equal communicative opportunities for people unable to participate in family ceremonies due to illness, physical limitations, or distance. He also emphasized that the smart bonfire idea would unite Azerbaijanis living in different countries, ensuring their solidarity, virtual unity, and socio-cultural ties. In closing, the academician underscored the necessity of expanding research on the impact of artificial intelligence and other advanced digital technologies on folklore and folk culture, as well as developing the conceptual and technological foundations for the creation of the "Digital Novruz Bonfire" and attracting the attention of the public, relevant organizations, and companies to these issues. 6 February 2026 13:42 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum has opened an exhibition titled "Silent Prayers: Cultural Heritage Preserved in the Zira Juma Mosque", Azernews reports. The opening ceremony of the exhibition was attended by members of the Azerbaijani Parliament, ambassadors of foreign countries, and prominent figures from culture and the arts. The director of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, Honored Cultural Worker Amina Malikova addressed the event. In her speech, she emphasized that the exhibition "Silent Prayers: Cultural Heritage Preserved in the Zira Juma Mosque," is an important event aimed at preserving our cultural memory, spiritual values, and historical heritage. Amina Malikova noted that she personally witnessed the presence of unique artifacts at the Zira Juma Mosque. She also highlighted the special significance of collecting, preserving, and presenting these items to the public as part of efforts to safeguard cultural heritage and transmit it to future generations. Polad Bulbuloglu, member of the Azerbaijani Parliament,Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, expressed that the exhibition is a brilliant initiative and a successful idea. He underscored that our mosques and religious shrines are an inseparable part of the Azerbaijani people and their history. "These places continue to function today, preserving their place in our spiritual life. At the same time, the historical and cultural heritage displayed in our museums, carpet exhibitions, and various exhibitions is of great value to our society. Therefore, this exhibition is especially significant as it unites two worlds the religious space and cultural heritage," he added. Polad Bulbuloglu noted that other museums, including the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, will have the opportunity to become more widely involved in organizing similar exhibitions in the future. He underlined that this is not only necessary but also beneficial for society. Most importantly, he said, is the formation of unity between mosques and cultural centers, which is a positive phenomenon. Gunay Afandiyeva, member of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, discussed the significance of the exhibition. She emphasized that preserving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, popularizing it in modern conditions, and passing it on to future generations are among the key priorities of Azerbaijan's state policy. Gunay Afandiyeva pointed out that the Khazar and Pirallahi districts she represents are home to many cultural, religious, and historical monuments. She pointed out that the items exhibited have been preserved in the mosque for many years, as well as in personal archives of local residents in their homes, family collections, and grandmother's trunks. In her speech, Gunay Afandiyeva also noted that the Zira Juma Mosque is one of the ancient religious landmarks of our country. "In 2016, the mosque was completely renovated through the initiative and support of the First Vice President of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva. This mosque resembles a small museum. It not only exhibits samples of Azerbaijani folk applied arts but also valuable artifacts brought from countries such as Uzbekistan, Turkiye, Iran, Iraq, and Turkmenistan,"she added. Elshan Salahov, Head of the Khazar District Executive Power, stressed that the exhibition represents the great history, memory, and cultural heritage of our people. He noted that such initiatives always receive special attention from the President and are given great importance. These projects will contribute to further unity within society and play an essential role in preserving and popularizing our national and cultural values. Elshan Salahov highlighted that preserving such artifacts is especially significant for maintaining and continuing the life of our cultural heritage. The head of the Zira Juma Mosque Religious Community, Haji Gadir Najafov, emphasized that the historical items stored in the mosque have long been witnesses to the faith, prayers, and spiritual life of the people. He highly appreciated the attention given to preserving this heritage and presenting it to the public. "We know that in our country, values are carefully preserved. If a person brings and passes down their grandmother's kelaghayi or grandfather's papakha as a relic, it is a sign of great trust. These relics must be reliably preserved, protected, and passed on to future generations. Because the national heritage that is preserved ultimately preserves you," Haji Gadir Najafov said. He also noted that in the past, mosques such as Sardar, Rajab Pasha, Haji Novruzali Bay, Sartib Khan, and others operated in Iravan. Haji Gadir Najafov stressed that today, the only Blue Mosque plays a special role in preserving the religious and cultural traditions of Western Azerbaijan. The Chairman of the Zira Juma Mosque Religious Community emphasized that the mosque is not only a place of worship but also a space for preserving culture, education, and historical heritage, a spiritual center that serves as a bridge to future generations. The speakers expressed their gratitude to the initiator of the project, Member of the Azerbaijani Parliament and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Gunay Afandiyeva, as well as everyone who contributed to organizing the exhibition. As part of the event, a short film titled "The Testament of History" about the Zira Juma Mosque, directed by Mubariz Nagiev, was shown. National musical pieces were performed by the "Zafar" mugham group, and the "Sema" dance ensemble from the Shuvelan Culture House presented choreographic numbers. Guests were then invited to explore the exhibition, which showcases examples of national heritage gifted to the Zira Juma Mosque by various individuals over different periods. The collection includes pile and flat-woven carpets, carpet products, artistic metalwork, clothing and embroidery, copies of the Quran, and rare manuscript books. Most of these artifacts, which are over a hundred years old, were created by Azerbaijani artisans. The exhibition, organized jointly by the Parliamentary Committee on Culture, the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, will run until February 8. 6 February 2026 14:36 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The Expert Council on Identification of Immovable Cultural Assets, under the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry, has conducted a session to review and discuss significant developments in the protection and registration of cultural landmarks, Azernews reports. During the meeting, the Deputy Culture Minister, Saadet Yusifova, shared the results of the work carried out by the Expert Council. She noted that the activities of the Council over the past period had been marked by a number of significant achievements. In the course of the meetings, 500 monuments and newly discovered examples were discussed, and, in accordance with the legislation, opinions were obtained from the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. In 2025, amendments were made to the information about 8 state-protected monuments in the Binagadi district, and 7 newly discovered monuments in that area, along with 44 in the territories liberated from occupation, were included in the list of immovable historical and cultural heritage sites. Additionally, by the Cabinet of Ministers'decision of January 9, 2026, amendments were made to the information about 87 monuments. The chairperson of the Expert Council, Professor Gulchohra Mammadova, Rector of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, provided information about the matters discussed during the meeting. She reported that 41 historical and architectural objects were presented to the Council for discussion regarding their inclusion in the state protection registry. During the meeting, the inclusion of 41 newly discovered examples from various regions, including Astara, Khachmaz, Khizi, Gobustan, Guba, Gusar, Lankaran, Neftchala, Siyazan, Shabran, Ucar, and Tartar districts, as well as the cities of Baku and Sumgayit, in the list of immovable historical and cultural heritage was discussed. The members of the Expert Council provided their feedback and suggestions on the matter, and decisions were made to take appropriate measures for registering these historical and architectural objects for state protection. 6 February 2026 17:57 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Within the World Interfaith Harmony Week, Azerbaijani delegation has participated in a high-level panel at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Azernews reports citing the Azerbaijan Culture Ministry. During the panel, the Deputy Culture Minister, Farid Jafarov, highlighted Azerbaijan's contributions to regional and global peace and stability under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. He also emphasized the role of the "Baku Process" as a global platform for intercultural dialogue. During the trip, the Azerbaijani delegation held meetings with key UN officials, including Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Miguel Angel Moratinos, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and Nihal Saad, the Director of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). They also met with Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, the UN Women Deputy Executive Director. The discussions focused on the participation of youth and women in cultural processes, as well as potential collaborations within the framework of the World Intercultural Dialogue Forum. World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), celebrated annually during the first week of February, is a global initiative aimed at promoting peace, tolerance, and understanding among different religious communities. The week, established by the United Nations in 2010, encourages people of all faiths to come together, share common values, and work towards creating a harmonious world. World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) 2026, focuses on "Better Together for a Harmonious World," emphasizing dialogue, compassion, and solidarity across faiths to tackle global challenges. It acts as a platform for communities to unite, building on shared values to promote peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding. 6 February 2026 15:21 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Azerbaijan National Art Museum has hosted a lecture within series of events dedicated to the museum's 90th anniversary, Azernews reports. The lecture titled "People's Artist Kazim Kazimzadeh: Life and Legacy" was delivered by Sevil Karimova, a Doctor of Art Studies, Associate Professor, and Vice-Rector for International Relations at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, a researcher of Kazim Kazimzadeh's heritage. During the event, the significant role of Kazim Kazimzadeh (1913-1992), a renowned artist who led the Azerbaijan National Art Museum for nearly 50 years. The lecture thoroughly explored the role of the artist in the development of Azerbaijani visual arts. Participants were provided with a detailed scientific and theoretical analysis of his rich creative heritage, the peculiarities of his artistic style, and the significant contribution he made to the formation and development of the national art school. Special attention was given to Kazim Kazimzadeh's long-standing museum activities. In the concluding part of the event, the son of the People's Artist, Aydin Kyazymzadeh, spoke highly of the activities organized within the framework of the museum's 90th anniversary. He emphasized that organizing such meetings dedicated to outstanding individuals who played a significant role in the history of the museum and national culture is of great importance for preserving cultural heritage and transmitting professional experience to future generations. Media partners of the event are Azernews.Az, Trend.Az, Day.Az, and Milli.Az. 6 February 2026 15:54 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) welcomed representatives from Uzbekneftegaz JSC, KazMunayGaz JSC, and Tatneft PJSC at its Carbamide Plant on February 4, continuing efforts to exchange best practices in industrial safety, labor protection, and emergency management. Azernews reports that the visit was part of ongoing cooperation under the Memorandum of Cooperation signed on March 4, 2025, between SOCAR and the partner companies. According to SOCAR Downstream, the memorandum facilitated a successful exchange of expertise throughout 2025, with all planned events implemented. During the visit, guests received an overview of the plants operations and were presented with advanced practices in digital solutions, industrial and environmental safety, labor protection, and health. Discussions focused on sharing knowledge and experiences, with the parties highlighting the importance of further strengthening cooperation in industrial safety and labor protection. This initiative reflects SOCAR's commitment to regional collaboration, promoting safety standards and technological exchange across the energy sector in the Caucasus and Central Asia. 6 February 2026 15:33 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The Mexico-Azerbaijan Friendship Group recently hosted Seymur Fataliyev, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Mexico, at the House of Deputies to review preparations for the official installation of the group on February 10, Azernews reports. The meeting focused on enhancing dialogue between legislators, exploring opportunities for collaboration in trade, technology, education, and tourism, and reinforcing mutual understanding. It highlighted the important role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting cooperation, allowing lawmakers to exchange ideas, share best practices, and support long-term partnerships. The Friendship Group aims to foster initiatives that encourage cultural exchange, economic development, and sustainable collaboration, strengthening ties between Mexico and Azerbaijan at both governmental and societal levels. 6 February 2026 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. The price of Azerbaijans Azeri Light crude oil at Italys Augusta port on a CIF basis decreased by $0.03, or 0.04%, compared to the previous figure, settling at $69.77 per barrel, Azernews reports. Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 6 February 2026 16:53 (UTC+04:00) Full digital access to all news for 1 year Full digital access to all news for 6 months Full digital access to all news for 3 months Full digital access to all news for 1 month Find the plan that suits you best. Ireland has sharply increased its imports of crude oil and petroleum products from Azerbaijan over the past three years, with 2025 marking a clear peak, according to the State Customs Committee, Azernews reports. In 2025, Azerbaijan exported more than... Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis. By subscribing to our online newspaper, you can have full digital access to all news, analysis, and much more. Subscribe You can also follow AzerNEWS on Twitter @AzerNewsAz or Facebook @AzerNewsNewspaper Thank you! 6 February 2026 11:18 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more The US virtual embassy in Iran on Friday urged American citizens to leave the country immediately if possible, warning that they should not rely on US government assistance to do so, Azernews reports. In a security alert published on its website, the embassy said Iran is facing increased security measures, including road closures, public transportation disruptions, and widespread internet blockages. It added that Iranian authorities continue to restrict access to mobile, landline, and national internet networks, while airlines are limiting or canceling flights to and from Iran. U.S. citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Turkiye, the alert said. The advisory warned that US citizens in Iran face a significant risk of questioning, arrest, or detention, urging them to avoid demonstrations and maintain a low profile. Those unable to leave were advised to remain in a secure location and to stock essential supplies, including food, water, medications, and other necessities. The warning comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. Earlier, Ebrahim Rezai, spokesman for the Iranian parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said Irans red lines remain unchanged, cautioning that talks would fail if the US insists on demands such as zero uranium enrichment. The developments coincide with ongoing diplomatic uncertainty surrounding negotiations between the US and Iran, as well as growing regional security concerns. 6 February 2026 18:14 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Armenian Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan has filed a lawsuit against former President Robert Kocharyan, demanding a public apology and financial compensation, Azernews reports via Armenian media. Simonyan is seeking 1 million drams in compensation, arguing that Kocharyan made an insulting remark about him during a press conference. Kocharyan reportedly said that such an unreliable person could not have properly served in the army, a statement Simonyan says damaged his honor and dignity. The comment was made in response to Simonyans recent allegations that there had been disorder within the Armenian army during Kocharyans presidency. Kocharyan rejected those claims and questioned Simonyans credibility in his reply. The lawsuit adds to ongoing political tensions in Armenia, where disputes between current officials and former leaders increasingly play out in both public statements and courtrooms. 6 February 2026 18:36 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more France has opened a consulate general in Nuuk, becoming the first European Union country to establish a diplomatic mission at that level in Greenland, Azernews reports, citing Frances Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. According to the ministry, Jean-Noel Poirier officially took up his post as consul general on Monday. The opening of the consulate is part of Frances broader effort to strengthen its global consular network and expand its presence in the Arctic region, an area of growing strategic, economic and environmental importance. The new consul general will be responsible for working with the French community in Greenland and for further developing existing cooperation projects with Greenland in the cultural, scientific and economic fields. France also aims to deepen political dialogue with local authorities through the new diplomatic mission. Frances move underscores rising European interest in the Arctic, as climate change, new shipping routes and access to natural resources reshape the regions geopolitical landscape. 6 February 2026 19:45 (UTC+04:00) by Alimat Aliyeva Key vehicle models from Hyundai Motor and Kia have received a series of prestigious awards from leading U.S. automotive publications, further boosting the brands competitiveness in the American market, the automakers announced on Friday, Azernews reports, citing Korean media. At Car and Driver magazine's 2026 Editors' Choice Awards, a total of 17 Hyundai and Kia models were recognized as best-in-class vehicles, according to a press release from the companies. Hyundais Palisade SUV was named best in its segment for the seventh consecutive year, praised for its stylish design, spacious interior, and wide range of convenience features. The Palisade also earned the title of Best Large Utility Vehicle at MotorWeek's 2026 Drivers' Choice Awards, while Kias K4 sedan was recognized as Best Family Car by the same publication. At Cars.coms 2026 Best of Awards, Hyundais Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid were named Best Family Car, and Kias all-electric EV9 was selected as Best Electric Vehicle, highlighting the brands growing presence in the EV segment. A Hyundai Motor Group representative said the awards reflect the companys ongoing commitment to innovation and quality, and emphasized that Hyundai and Kia will continue to strengthen their competitiveness in the U.S. and other major global markets. Industry analysts note that these accolades not only enhance brand image but also demonstrate the companies successful push into electric and hybrid vehicles, a key factor in the rapidly evolving automotive market. 6 February 2026 16:15 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more Iran appears to have rapidly repaired several ballistic missile facilities damaged in strikes last year, but it has made only limited fixes to major nuclear sites struck by Israel and the United States, a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery suggests, Azernews reports. The uneven pace of reconstruction offers clues about Irans military priorities as the United States amasses forces near it and President Trump weighs new military action. If the United States were to attack, Iran would most likely retaliate with ballistic missiles targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the region. The United States and Iran were expected to meet in Oman on Friday in an attempt to stave off another conflict. The scope of the talks were not immediately clear, but Irans nuclear program was likely to be a key focus. Experts who closely track Iranian nuclear and missile programs corroborated the analysis by The Times, which looked at around two dozen locations struck by Israel or the United States during the 12-day conflict last June. The Times found construction work at more than half of them. The experts cautioned that the full extent of the repairs remains unclear, given that satellite imagery offers only an aboveground view of the construction. 6 February 2026 20:08 (UTC+04:00) Akbar Novruz Read more A high-profile general in Russia's military has been shot several times and wounded in Moscow, Azernews reports via BBC. Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev was immediately taken to hospital after the attack in a residential block of flats on the north-western outskirts of the Russian capital and his condition is unknown. Alexeyev is number two in the main directorate of Russia's GRU military intelligence and the latest high-ranking military figure to have been targeted in the capital since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began almost four years ago. He was placed under European Union and UK sanctions after the GRU was accused of being behind the 2018 nerve agent attack in Salisbury in the UK. "The victim has been hospitalised at one of the city's hospitals," said Svetlana Petrenko of Russia's Investigations Committee, which said it opened a criminal case for attempted murder. The gunman fled and investigators searched CCTV footage for clues and began interviewing witnesses. A neighbour of Alexeyev told the Reuters news agency she had been woken up by the sound of "several" shots and had then heard another neighbour screaming for help. "This is all I heard. Other neighbours rushed out, too. They asked how they could help, should they call ambulance and police, but she had already called them." Alexeyev has played a significant role during the war in Ukraine, taking part in talks with Ukraine during the Russian siege of the city of Mariupol in 2022. He was also sent to negotiate with the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a short and bloody mutiny in June 2023. His boss at the GRU, Igor Kostyukov, has been in charge of Russia's negotiating team taking part in talks on security issues with the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was being briefed on the shooting. "We wish first of all that the general survives and recovers. We hope that will be the case," he told reporters. It is not yet known who was behind the shooting on Friday morning in a residential block on Volokolamsk Highway in Moscow but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Ukraine. Kyiv has not commented but has claimed some attacks on Russian military figures in the past. Russian intelligence officials claimed they had thwarted an attempted attack on a Russian soldier in St Petersburg at the end of last month. An Uzbek man was jailed in January for the 2024 killing of another general, Igor Kirillov, in an explosion outside a block of flats in Moscow. Ukraine's SBU intelligence had said it was behind the attack. Lt Gen Kirillov had been in charge of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection troops. In December 2025, another high-ranking officer in the GRU, Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov, was killed when an explosive device detonated under a car in Moscow. He was in charge of the armed force's operational training department, according to Russia's Investigative Committee. In the latest death of American citizens caused by an illegal alien behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler, four Americans in a van were slaughtered in Indiana when an illegal alien crossed the centerline in his truck and hit them head on. The 30 year old illegal alien from Kyygzstan entered the US in 2023 under Biden's open borders and was issued a Commercial Drivers License by Democrat-run Pennsylvania. The Trump administration has gotten many of these illegal aliens with CDLs off the roads, but there is still a long way to go. As long as Democrat states keep issuing the CDLs, it increases the safety risk to Americans on our own highways. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/horror-illegal-alien-semi-truck-driver-who-entered/ https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2026/02/05/four-more-americans-killed-by-illegal-alien-trucker-in-indiana/ Meanwhile, in a nationwide coordinated campaign of checking truckers credentials on the road, nearly 2,000 truckers were removed from the roads, 500 of them being illegal aliens who could not properly understand English. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/nearly-2000-truckers-deemed-unfit-are-removed-american-roads A leading Raleigh RINO will be in Beaufort County for a campaign event at the Washington Yacht and Country Club. Steve Troxler was a longtime Democrat before switching to become a RINO. In the 1998 campaign, Troxler was chairman of Farmers for John Edwards, supporting slick liberal Democrat Raleigh lawyer John Edwards for US Senate against conservative Republican incumbent Senator Lauch Faircloth, whose career had been in large scale agriculture before running for office. Troxler was a major operator in supporting a slick and very liberal Raleigh lawyer against a solid conservative who had spent many years in farming. Indeed, in that campaign, Troxler worked closely with John Edwards campaign manager, a guy named Josh Stein. Yes, THAT Josh Stein. https://dailyhaymaker.com/ncpol-steve-troxler-backed-john-edwards/ Later Troxler dumped the Democrat brand and became a RINO, becoming the NC Agriculture Commissioner. His actions in that position received the ire of gun rights organizations, to the point that in his last campaign, the state's major gun rights PAC endorsed the Libertarian running against Troxler. Troxler is also highly distrusted by supporters of immigration enforcement. Notorious RINO political consultant Paul Shumaker, the man behind Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, and who tried to make Pat McCrory senator, was angling in 2024 to encourage Troxler into the governor's race as the establishment candidate.. https://dailyhaymaker.com/the-charge-of-the-troxler-brigade/ Troxler is coming to town to try to boost another Democrat-turned-RINO, Darren Armstrong. Armstrong is a longtime Democrat who was a major contributor in multiple campaigns to liberal Democrat state senator Marc Basnight, who has more recently changed his brand to RINO and running for the legislature.. 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. A man in his 20s who was arrested by armed police on Friday after a stabbing in Co Antrim has been released on bail pending further enquiries. Officers from the Armed Response Unit arrested a suspect on Friday following a pursuit after a stabbing in the Woodbrook Green area of Lisburn. The victim was taken to hospital for his injuries which were not thought to be life threatening. The Armed Response Unit brought a white BMW to a controlled stop in the Crumlin Road area of north Belfast on Friday morning. A man was subsequently arrested for a number of offences which included dangerous driving and attempted murder. He was later released on bail. A man aged in his 20s arrested on suspicion of a number of offences following the pursuit and collision of a vehicle in the Crumlin Road area on Friday morning, 6th February has been released on police bail to allow for further enquiries. The investigation continues, said the spokesperson. Inspector Matthew Adams made appeals shortly after the incident for those with information to come forward. Police received a report of a man having been stabbed in the Woodbrook Green area of Lisburn, he said. News Catch Up - Friday 6 February Police enquiries determined that the man involved had fled the scene in a white BMW and was spotted in the north Belfast area. I would ask anyone who may have captured any relevant dashcam or doorbell footage that could assist us in this case, to please get in touch by calling 101, quoting reference 425 06/02/26. Read more Some police staff abusing ill health retirement and clogging up system, warns Chief Constable The Prime Minister remains a very decent man with a reputation for fighting for abuse victims, Mairia Cahill has said as Sir Keir Starmer clings on to power amid the ongoing Epstein scandal. However, Ms Cahill questioned his judgment for bringing Peter Mandelson back to frontline politics. Sir Keir led a review which in 2015 found that Ms Cahill the niece of former IRA chief Joe Cahill and two other women who made allegations of rape and an IRA cover-up had been let down by prosecutors in Belfast. But on Thursday, the Labour leader found himself apologising to the victims of sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein for believing Lord Mandelsons lies and appointing him the UKs ambassador to the US. Ms Cahill, who claims republican paramilitaries conducted their own inquiry into her allegations and forced her to appear before a kangaroo court to confront her alleged attacker, accused the former Director of Public Prosecutions of making a questionable decision. But the former Irish senator doesnt believe it came from a place of malice. The allegations around Mandelson were that he had associated with Epstein post-conviction in the same vein as George Mitchell had and he denied that, she said. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (right) and the then-British ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson in February 2025. Pic: PA Really, the onus is on Mandelson. I think its poor judgment to appoint him to any position, because this is a man who had to resign from cabinet twice over different issues. Hes someone who has been marred in controversy previously. Read more George Mitchell could lose Freedom of Belfast award over Epstein links Mandelson was forced to leave his first cabinet position as trade and industry secretary in 1998 after just five months for failing to declare a home loan from Labour millionaire Geoffrey Robinson to his building society. Within a year he returned to the front benches of Tony Blairs Government after being appointed Northern Ireland Secretary. But he was forced to quit again, over claims that he helped top Indian businessman Srichand Hinduja with an application for UK citizenship. Despite being nicknamed the Prince of Darkness, the Labour peer was appointed by the PM as the UKs top diplomat to the US in December 2024, but was sacked nine months later when damning details emerged of his close ties with the paedophile financier Epstein. New revelations have sparked calls from Sir Keirs own MPs, as well as from the leader of the Conservative Party, for him to resign over the scandal. None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship, the PM insisted yesterday, as he addressed victims directly. I am sorry for what was done to you. Sorry that so many people with power failed you. Sorry for having believed Mandelsons lies and appointed him, and sorry that even now youre forced to watch this story unfold in public once again. Drawing a distinction between someone who just happens to know an individual later exposed as an abuser and those who side with perpetrators after allegations are made, Ms Cahill said Mandelsons denial of maintaining links with Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl meant Sir Keir had to make a call. And that is: is this person telling the truth or not? Thats where the poor judgment comes in. But I suppose its also indicative of his decency. I think its regrettable, the position he now finds himself in. But he didnt deal with me as a prime minister. He dealt with me as an independent investigator. And having seen the way in which he interacted with me, I think he will be personally devastated. This is not someone who willingly tramples on victims, like some in political life do. I do think that he actually does care. Sir Keir promised that he will not allow the powerful to treat justice as optional and vowed to pursue the truth and uphold the integrity of public life. We will do everything within our power and in the interests of justice to ensure accountability is delivered, he said. That is what the public expects. That is what the victims deserve. And it is what I will do. Ms Cahill said the PM is not particularly ruthless, which she hailed as a great human quality but a drawback in the political arena which probably sums up the Mandelson thing. Jeffrey Epstein Reacting to claims that Epstein visited Hillsborough Castle on at least one occasion, Ms Cahill described the outcry as a red herring in the absence of evidence of impropriety. She said: People would be probably better served if they have a look around them, both in politics and other social fields, to see how cases of child sex abuse and cover-ups could be robustly dealt with. The FBI is already dealing with the Epstein stuff; we have our own problem of human trafficking and allegations of child abuse. The former politician, who previously rejected a woefully inadequate apology from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald for how the party handled her allegation of rape, said the Epstein scandal has exposed a lot of hypocrisy. Keir Starmer apologises to the victims of Epstein for 'believing Mandelson's lies' Ms Cahill said: Some people up in arms about Epstein dont look in their own backyard. Ive seen people outraged about the Epstein files who find it hard to summon the same outrage over difficult cases closer to home. It amazes me the amount of abuse I am still receiving from people who are outraged about what happened to Virginia Giuffre and others. But people tailor their reactions to their politics. Its hard for people to put their own prejudices aside when accusations are made against people they support or like. Read more Claim paedophile Jeffrey Epstein visited Hillsborough being reviewed by Northern Ireland Office Publishing the names of police officers on the courts website was not a data breach but they were entitled to their anonymity, the Chief Constable has said. Jon Boutcher added that the incident was not due to failure by the PSNI and defended the Department of Justice (DoJ). He was speaking during a Policing Board meeting after officer names were published on the NI Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) website on Tuesday evening. It is understood that around 41 officers were affected. It follows a major data breach in 2023, when the details of around 10,000 officers and civilian staff were accidentally published online, leading to security fears. Earlier this week, the PSNI made an offer of 7,500 each in compensation for the 2023 breach. Read more It defies belief: Names of PSNI officers published on court website in new breach Read more Long and Beattie in online spat over PSNI officers court list data breach The Chief Constable explained that the publication of names on the courts website is a long-established process. This is not a data breach and this was not a result of any failure by the PSNI, he said. Names appearing on a court list is a long-established position in all legal proceedings unless an anonymity order is in place to present this. To have an anonymity order in any ongoing or future court proceedings, a request for such an order has to be made through a court. In response to a backlash from MLAs following the publication, the DoJ said it removed them immediately as a precautionary measure. It said court details, other than those relating to family proceedings, are routinely listed publicly online unless subject to specific directions of the court upon application by a legal representative or parties to proceedings. It is the responsibility of the legal representative or parties to proceedings to make this application. Mr Boutcher thanked the NICTS for swiftly responding to the issue and asserted that it was neither their fault nor the DoJs. This was an unfortunate and unnecessary incident and I realise will have caused frustration, Mr Boutcher continued. We do need to achieve a position where the names of police officers being shown in such a way does not cause alarm or distress. Our officers give evidence without anonymity all the time. As front-line officers they provide their names to community groups and to victims. Countless officers and staff have public facing roles across the organisation. But he added: I recognise in these legal proceedings, those officers were entitled to their anonymity and I hope they have not been too distressed by the events of this week. Northern Ireland is "a beacon of light" says Irish President on visit to Ulster University UUP justice spokesperson Doug Beattie and Justice Minister Naomi Long were involved in an online spat following reports of the publication. Taking to X, Mr Beattie called Ms Longs department a disaster as he pointed out that media outlets frequently conceal the identity of PSNI officers for security reasons. It prompted Ms Long to reply, insisting that there is a process in place through the courts. She added that it requires the legal representative to apply for anonymity and a judge to grant it. SDLP MLA Colin McGrath said the latest incident will cause further distress to officers and their families. This is yet another reminder that current procedures for handling sensitive data across government departments and arms length bodies are not fit for purpose, he added. Meanwhile, Police Federation chair Liam Kelly said it appears to be another avoidable and embarrassing error. Read more Border poll not an inevitability, insists Gregory Campbell as he addresses debate in Dublin The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed allocations of 55 million, including for public sector worker pay awards and the roads network. The money came as a result of additional Barnett consequentials and reduced requirements from Stormont departments. The biggest allocation of 18.3 million is going to the Department of Health, followed by 16.8 million for the Department for Infrastructure as well as funding for the Department of Education and the Department for Communications. Finance Minister John ODowd said the Executive is fulfilling its commitment to meeting public sector pay awards. You must enable social media cookies to see this content. You can change your cookie settings under the link below. Change settings At December monitoring, I committed that if any further funding became available, I would move quickly to allocate this towards public sector pay pressures, he said. As an Executive we remain fully committed to supporting public sector pay. We have therefore agreed to allocate 25 million in additional resource funding towards meeting health service and teacher pay costs. In terms of capital spending allocations, Mr ODowd said almost 17 million will be invested in the transport and roads network, including funding for fixing roads. There will be 6.5 million to help people with disabilities adapt their homes ensuring their living spaces truly meet their needs and support greater independence. He added that 6.4 million will be allocated for education. Vehicles pass through a flooded area of the Portaferry Road in Newtownards. Co Down (PA) While additional funding is welcome, it is nowhere on the scale required to meet the challenges facing departments. Our public finances remain extremely constrained this year and going into next year, Mr ODowd said. I remain committed to working in partnership with my ministerial colleagues to find a way forward on the multi-year budget. Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins welcomed the additional capital allocation for her department. She said it will allow for further investment, including for roads affected by recent bad weather. As a department with responsibility for the maintenance, development and planning of critical infrastructure, additional investment such as this is always helpful, especially as it will now allow for targeted road maintenance to be rolled out in the coming weeks, she said. We are operating amidst a legacy of underfunding from the British Government but despite that, we will continue to maximise the budget we have to deliver positive change for people right across the North. Irish President Catherine Connolly was meeting young people on the final day of her visit to Northern Ireland. Ms Connolly took part in discussions with young people at St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Londonderry on Thursday morning. It came on the third and final day of her first official visit to Northern Ireland since becoming president of Ireland, and has been described as fulfilling a commitment in her inaugural address to meet with people from all communities and traditions. Catherine Connolly, right, was visiting St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre in Londonderry (Liam McBurney/PA) Ms Connolly was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly at Stormont Castle in Belfast on the first day of her visit on Wednesday. She went on to make addresses at the Ulster University campus in Belfast, and the Guildhall in Derry, as well as visiting a number of community projects across both cities. DUP MP Gregory Campbell warned the Irish President against rewriting the past during her visit to Derry on Thursday, while Ms Connolly said she was here to listen. She went on to tour the Siege Museum, visit An Culturlann and the Nerve Centre, as well as the Museum of Free Derry, where she met relatives of victims of Bloody Sunday. Ms Connolly, centre, was formally welcomed by First Minister Michelle ONeill, right, and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly on the first day of her visit (Brian Lawless/PA) Ms Connolly completed her three-day visit in Northern Irelands second city, meeting young people from both sides of the border. The young people were taking part in a number of Youth Action Northern Ireland projects, and engaging with St Columbs Park House Peace and Reconciliation Centre itself. They also included those taking part in the cross-community REACH Across organisation for teenagers, the North West Islamic Association, Donegal Youth Services and a school group from Raphoe in Co Donegal. Dominic Bonner, youth co-ordinator at Youth Action NI, said they were delighted by the engagement with Ms Connolly. When we heard the President was coming here today, we were delighted that she invited us to come and spend good-quality time, he said. Ms Connolly was accompanied on her visit by Youth Action NI co-ordinator Dominic Bonner, right (Liam McBurney/PA) We were delighted to be able to invite young people and our community workers, because the President wanted to engage with the community, engage with the young people. Were in St Columbs Park House, beautiful surroundings which provided the space for people to feel comfortable, and safe to talk about some of the issues in this city. The talk of today was about continuing partnership, continuing to work together to meet the needs of young people, to continue to keep fighting the battle. Weve done extremely good work around peace and reconciliation, we have to continue that. Zena Abdelrahman and Cadi Abousamra were among the young people who spoke with Ms Connolly. Zena Abdelrahman, left, and Cadi Abousamra enjoyed chatting to the Irish president (Liam McBurney/PA) Ms Abdelrahman said she had loved meeting the president, although admitted she had been nervous. She was really nice, I was talking to her and asking her what role do young people have in shaping Irelands future, and she said that young people have a really important role, she likes how young people are starting to speak up about issues going on globally, she said. She likes young activists such as Greta Thunberg, and how everyone is speaking about what is going on such as climate change, immigration and diversity. Ms Abousamra said she is a big fan of Ms Connollys work. It was very refreshing to see a president take in what young people had to say, and actually listen attentively, she said. I have feeling that she is going to be a good president. Abdelwahab Elebaid added: It was very nice, not a lot of countries would have their presidents speak with young people. I asked a couple of questions about Irish foreign affairs, Irelands stance on the civil war going on in Sudan, she said she was horrified by the genocide right now. I also asked how Ireland deals with threats from outside, Russia, China, and now increasingly America. She went into a lot of detail. It was admirable of her to meet with young people.